Bellarine Times
Tuesday 3 August 2010
VOL 3. No 31
www.bellarinetimes.com.au
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The Bellarine’s first Coast Action Coastcare Group has been formed and its first community activity is the screening of Message in the Waves in Ocean Grove this week. From left Cate Barhan, Maddie Glynn, Jackie Scally and Joanne Ludbrook are urging everyone to become involved. See page 3 for more information. Photo: ALISON MARTIN
LISTEN UP Innovative project looks to create a sense of community among towns in Coryule Ward
BY ALISON MARTIN DO YOU know the story behind the paddlesteamer wreck at Indented Head or the legend of the ghost in the Grand Hotel cellar? Historical, fascinating, funny and quirky tales of the Coryule Ward – including Portarlington, Indented Head and St Leonards – are now being gathered for Murmur on the Bellarine. Murmur is a global community-focused initiative which started in Canada and has spread across the world, with Geelong the first city in Australia to introduce the ‘ears’ followed now by the Bellarine. Murmur on the Bellarine spokesperson, Stephen
Surf Forecast
Oakes, said the concept involved recording stories told by local community members relating to specific public locations on the Bellarine and then accessing the stories at each location via your mobile phone. He said at each designated location, a green ear Murmur sign, with a telephone number and a sixdigit location code indicated stories were available at the site. Visitors and locals can then use their mobile phone to SMS the number on the sign, wait for a call back and listen to the menu to choose their stories. He said stories would also be available on the Murmur website, but the idea of listening to the
stories at the location they related to was a key part of the project. The initiative aims to encourage people to “develop a new intimacy with places and the physical experience of hearing a story in its actual setting – of hearing the walls talk – brings uncommon knowledge to common space, and brings people closer to the real histories that make up their world”. Oakes said Portarlington was the first town on the Bellarine to be included and he urged any local people with a memory or story about people, places or anything of interest around the town to contact the Murmur group.
“We organise a time and I will come and record the story at the location. People can send in their own recording but it has to be really good audio quality so I’m happy to do the recording,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be scripted, and we want people of all ages; it doesn’t have to be an old memory, it could be a young person with a story about the local skatepark.” Oakes suggested that although Murmur sites would be determined by stories, the first ‘ear’ could be located at Portarlington’s historic rotunda. To have your story included in the Murmur project, contact CoGG arts and culture officer, Ross Mueller, on 5272 4703.
WED 2-3ft chilly, NW 9° THU 2-3ft building, S 10° FRI 3ft+ choppy S/SW 12° SAT 2-3ft average NW 13°
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