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THE BYRON SHIRE ECHO
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Byron Writers Festival continues to thrive Rivalling Melbourne’s Writers Festival in terms of size the Byron Bay event, on this week, has grown from an elite gathering of a few hundred people in 1997 to around 8,000 today. Writers Festival Director Jill Eddington started her six year association with the Byron Bay festival in 1999 when she signed on as a volunteer. ‘The biggest change in that time is seeing the incredible growth from a small, niche and quite elite program to a very broad ranging and inclusive program. It has gone from something mainly for locals to something which has become nationally significant and of which I am very proud,’ she says. ‘It used to be purely about books and literary writers, but has become a festival of ideas and a forum for people to come along and engage in debate and discussion.’ ‘The audience now includes a very broad sweep of the community. By bringing a lot of different things into the program such as
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sport and celebrities the audience is not just a little elite group. Our audience from outside the Byron Shire is also growing. People are seeing this as a perfect example of cultural tourism, to enjoy food for the mind.’ An impressive line-up of writers and commentators turn up each year. Jill says that her personal highlight is the appearance of author Kate Grenville this year. ‘I was personally thrilled that Kate Grenville is coming this year, she is one of my most favourite writers. Since the day I started this job I have been inviting her and this is the first time since I have been here that she has been able to make it. She has her wonderful new book [The Secret River] and will be delivering the Thea Astley lecture on Friday evening.’ ‘To have people like John Clarke, Peter Beattie and John Safran coming is amazing. We are also honoured to have senior aboriginal elder Hazel Brown coming from Perth.’
Some of the Byron Bay Writers Festival event team, left to right, Rebecca Park, Jill Eddington, Susie Warrick and Claire Dunigan, pointing out some of the highlights of this year’s program. Photo Jeff ‘Write Off’ Dawson
One of the most popular parts of the program has been the humour session on Saturday night with John Clarke, John Safran, Wendy Harmer and Guy Rundle which was booked out three days after the tickets went on sale. Government funding has been at the core of festival funding from the early days, but has been decreasing as a percentage of the budget as the festival has become more successful at attracting sponsorship and ticket sales have increased. ‘Ticket sales have become much more predictable and this allows us to fund a more exciting program,’ explained Jill. An army of around 120 volunteers make the wheels go around during the festival weekend, a task the five paid staff could not handle alone. ‘It would be unthinkable to run the festival with a paid workforce. It’s just an incredible thing that we get volunteers coming back year in year out. ‘We have a waiting list for people who would love to volunteer for us. We have developed an incredible core of people who love being involved in the event, so each year they put their hand up again.’ The extent to which local people are interested in writing is being ‘mapped’ this year. Southern Cross University’s School of Arts and the Northern Rivers Writers Centre will begin mapping at the festival in conjunction with the regular visitor survey. The Writers Map will provide local writers, students, academics, educators, industry professionals and comcontinued on page 2
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Frank’s still firing on all cylinders
Jeff Dawson Climbing into the sidecar of Paul McCarthy’s vintage Triumph Frank Scarrabelotti looked a little less nimble than usual still he was eager for a spin around town, ‘It’s been eight years since I’ve been for a ride with Paul’. That was on his 100th birthday. Now on the eve of his 108th birthday Frank reckons, though he doesn’t have any aches or ailments, he’s starting to feel a bit older. It’s remarkable enough that Australia’s oldest man still lives with his wife of 52 years, Nell, at their home in Bangalow. Far more amazing is his good health, his good spirit, love of life and wonderful sense of humour not to mention his
At 107 years of age, Frank Scarrabelotti takes a ride in the sidecar of a slightly younger Paul McCarthy’s motorbike while wife Nell hangs on the back. Photo Jeff Dawson
sharp-as-a-tack mind. Recently I’ve seen Frank and Nell at the Bangalow Music festival then again a couple of months ago at the billycart derby. He’s opened the Bangalow Show, taken the kickoff for the reformed Bangalow Royals League team. The Scarrabelottis are at St Kevin’s Catholic church for mass every Sunday. Frank was on the committee which in 1935 commissioned the building. Nell drives Frank down to Byron Bay for a shopping trip each week and Frank is
almost daily pottering in their beautifully manicured garden. Born in Coraki, Frank moved to Newrybar in 1906 where he attended the local school. A natural man of the land Frank raised Illawarra dairy cows at his Nashua farm most of his life, then retired back to Bangalow in 1979. When I asked the inevitable, ‘what’s the secret to your long life?’ Frank replied, ‘That’s the wrong question. To me the question should be, how to enjoy a long life? continued on page 2
Development possible for sensitive Lennox site Alex McAuley A 55 hectare property opposite the Lennox Headland is currently being investigated for its development potential. Hugging the western side of the coast road between Lennox and Skenners Heads, much of the land in question is protected
under state government SEPP26 policy as it contains a large remnant of Littoral rainforest, a wetland area and a number of threatened plant species. It also contains prominent ridges and hill slopes that comprise an important part of the character of Lennox Headland.
The owner of the land says he is aware of the enormous sensitivity of the site and has described any potential development as ‘limited and sensitive’. He has employed the services of Rob Kooyman of Earth Process Ecological Proccontinued on page 2