General News
20 March, 2023
Opening celebrates community triumph
Dimboola's Tower Park is a win-win for the community and those who dreamt up the project. The ambitious development, built by the community for the community, was officially opened on Saturday March 11, and declared an outstanding success...
Dimboola's Tower Park is a win-win for the community and those who dreamt up the project.
The ambitious development, built by the community for the community, was officially opened on Saturday March 11, and declared an outstanding success.
"Fantastic job," said one Dimboola resident, Peter. "They should be so proud of themselves - all of them."
Another resident, Dave, agreed: "I love it. They made it usable. The trees and pergolas offer lots of shade, too. Really nice."
Garry Price, owner of the original hotel on the site, gave a short introduction to open ceremonies, which was followed by Graeme Schneider's acknowledgement of elders.
Uncle Ron Marks then stepped up to give the traditional Welcome to Country, before Stoph Pilmore talked briefly about the history of the hotel, and members of the town council and Dimboola Art Inc (DAI) spoke of the artistic symbolism of the park's features.
"It's a community come together," town committee president Kaylene Pietsch said.
The winners of the competition to name the park, Brian Beatie and Shirl King, were on hand to cut the red ribbon and declare the park open.
Dimboola resident, Anne, was ecstatic about the park: “I think it’s wonderful,” she said.
“All the memories it brings back of the pub and the railway - the South Pacific. And you can see in all the detail just how much work volunteers must have put in.
“The gums are split vertically to show the natural grain - the way it would happen in nature.”
DAI treasurer Jo Donnelly said Stoph and Megan Pilmore of the Victoria Hotel and Graeme Schneider had the original vision, capitalising on the “Pick my Project” grant, and bringing the town council on board.
“The impetus was doing something for the community, a commitment to the future,” Mr Pilmore said.
“We stuck at it through blood, sweat and tears.”
When the project first opened up, the organisers had a regional icon on their minds. The Wimmera had to be represented in the new park - a tower would be built in the image of a silo.
But the theme of a tribute to the Dimboola Hotel then evolved, after an exchange of ideas between members of DAI, the town council and the wider community.
In the end, it was the memories of the lost hotel that emerged as the strongest theme contender. The vision changed.
“It took off from there,” Ms Donnelly said. “We saw that we had the original foundations of the hotel laid out before us - a map to the layout of rooms in the original hotel.
“We could polish them up to form pathways that provided a historical blueprint.
“Then we thought of recreating the old hotel verandah by using pergolas, bearing the timber slats of the old bridge.”
The budget for the entire project was $300,000, and it was ruled over by DAI past treasurer Amanda Ingeme - a “scary lady who ruled over the budget with an iron fist”, according to DAI secretary John Nichols.
Ms Donnelly said they couldn’t have kept within budget without her help.
“It would have been impossible to accomplish without the help of the skilled tradesmen who freely gave their time,’ she said.
“The tower, for instance, was an expensive engineering proposition that just wouldn’t exist without that help. We can’t stress enough how grateful we are to everybody that supported us.”
More than a dozen stalls, food trucks and the CWA offered diversion and sustenance to the 300 who attended the opening.
"Young people just don't know how to do scones like we do," said Margeret Hunter, CWA member.