Two old surfing mates have joined forces to take conversations about Noosa’s past, present and future to the far-flung communities of the shire.
Councillor Tom Wegener first met Phil Jarratt when as a young Californian longboarder he rocked into town to show a surf movie during the Noosa Festival of Surfing. The only problem was he hadn’t consulted the director of the festival.
“I was ropeable,” says Phil, now Noosa Today associate editor and author of Place of Shadows, The History of Noosa. “But we sorted it out, he turned out to be a good bloke, a great surfer and surfboard artisan, and he married the gorgeous and talented morning DJ on our local radio station. The rest is history.”
And history is what has drawn the friends of more than 20 years together to present a “Communities Tour” that Cr Wegener hopes will get people from all over the shire to engage in a conversation about our history, our present, and what we want for our future.
He says: “Phil’s Noosa history, Place of Shadows, certainly enlightens us about Noosa’s amazing journey, but it ends by asking almost as many questions as it answers, and that’s what I wanted to explore by taking those ideas out into the Shire and sharing stories with the locals.”
Tom and Phil’s Noosa Communities Tour will be a pop-up event at venues around Noosa Shire, featuring a prominent guest speaker and a discourse between audience and presenters. The first event will be at Annie’s Books, Peregian Beach, from 6pm on Wednesday, 18 August, one of Annie’s much-loved footpath wine and cheese evenings. Guest speaker Council chief executive officer Brett de Chastel will give a colourful behind-the-scenes account of the battle for de-amalgamation, and how Noosa Council has emerged from those shadows, followed by a screening of the Place of Shadows video.
Other confirmed tour stops are:
Sunday 22 August, from 2pm at Land & Sea Brewery, Noosaville. Visionary former mayor Noel Playford will share his story of holding the developers at bay, and creating the population cap, followed by a lively discussion.
Tuesday 24 August, from 6pm at Hastings Street Information Centre. Kabi Kabi Elder Brian Warner will talk about Indigenous suffering in Noosa Shire, and how we are moving forward.
Wednesday 25 August, from 5pm at Café Fika in Cooroy. Local identity and former councillor Ray Kelly and Noosa icon Hey Bill Watson will share some entertaining stories from our colourful past, and discuss the history and future vision for the hinterland.
Wednesday 1 September, from 6pm at the Apollonian Hotel, Boreen Point with guest, former mayor Bob Abbot.
Thursday 2 September, from 6pm at Noosa Hinterland Brewing Co, Cooran with guest, Landcare’s Phil Moran.
All events on the Noosa Communities Tour are free and open to all, subject to Covid space limits. New events are being added, so for more information contact Cr Tom Wegener at tom.wegener@noosa.qld.gov.au
