Speech 8 - "An Interesting Man" (2003)

 

AN INTERESTING MAN

(Speech written and delivered by Warren Maloney, as Mayor, on Wednesday, 23rd July 2003 to the supporters of the ChillOut Festival at the Daylesford Council Chamber)


 


Last night after meeting with many accommodation operators and discussing at length what makes this town tick, I brooded, as you do, over the values we discussed – values such as

  •   Closeness to Melbourne                    
  •   Environment
  •  Notions of relaxation and indulgence
  •  Fascinating streetscapes and residences
  •  Interesting food

Yes, those and more help but it is the indefinable combination of people & community that makes us very special. We attract interesting people and encourage them to do interesting things

 Peter “Muffy” Wright is an interesting man. Peter has brought his skills, his loveable and demanding personality and his dreams and helped to change our community, to enrich it, to make it relevant.

 He enlivened retailing with the Muffin shop, he challenged gardening with the 2 horticultural groups, he inspired dreamers with the design and work at Bullarto, and he helped all of us to embrace and celebrate diversity with “ChillOut”.

 Many in this room will want to say personally and publicly what Peter and Chill Out have meant to them.

 With your permission, I want to say what it has meant to Karen and me. If there was one single public reason of why we feel we made the right choice to come and live in Daylesford, it is “Chill Out”. It is the fact that the people are prepared to celebrate choice and diversity and to do it with the combination of a community picnic, open companionship, and a heavy serve of humour.

My favourite moment is always the contest of “the dog that most looks like its owner”.

 Peter and everyone who conceived, created, and worked on ChillOut – Thank you.

 I hope that this function today, hosted by your local council and in the presence of your friends, helps all of us to thank you, to recognise the enormous work that you have done each year and to recognise that you have helped to create a better community for all of us.

 


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