After 28 years, special guest speaker at the Boorowa Community Landcare Group (BCLG) expressed he had little expectation that he would find the local group still breathing with a healthy pulse.
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At an extremely well attended meeting, David used the occasion to outline the history of the Group, many of its achievements, many of its achievers.
He emphasised his belief in the necessity of tender land management, environmental awareness running in parallel with entrenched profitability.
So much was said, so little space.
However two reflections of David’s bare highlighting.
One forgotten, one often overlooked.
The decision of the Hawke government to meaningfully fund landscape restoration and repair released the restraining leg rope on all local activity.
As a result the most gentle of rural revolutions was now truly underway.
Often overlooked has been the rich unbroken gold seam of coordinators, facilitators, State and Federal government officials serving the BCLG.
From John Powell and Gillian Hayman of the early years to the present administrators Kathryn McGuirk, Linda Cavanagh and Kate Mosbey.
Their fingerprints are all over almost all of the widely recognised and acknowledged successes of this Landcare Group.
They have all been quite simply indispensable.
Unhappily, there are still forces of darkness resisting the common good.
The wilfully dismissive destruction of standing timber with the attached net impunity is a wound most serious.
These exquisite native birds are not much unlike us.
They too need a roof over their head.
The most engaging evening concluded with the announcement of David’s nomination for the Australian Individual State Landcare Award.
The colossus of the BCLG for nearly 30 years.
Monumental is his blindingly impressive and extensive curriculum vitae.
Uncertain whether David will be the guest speaker after another 28 years.
However of this we can be certain, that over the previous 28 years the BCLG has bestowed an unmeasurable gift over the Boorowa landscape.