The Triabunna Gatehouse was officially opened today by the Honourable Rene Hidding MP, Minister for Infrastructure. This is the first of many events happening in Triabunna this week as part of the National Tidy Awards and marks the beginning of three days of celebration. Triabunna was the National Tidy Town winner in 2016 and has the honour of hosting the National Awards for 2017.
The Triabunna Gatehouse has been built by Glamorgan Spring Bay Council at the town entrance to Triabunna, clearly visible from the Great Eastern Drive. It will operate as a satellite visitor information centre to attract visitors travelling the Great Eastern Drive to ‘just stop’ and discover Triabunna and the magical Maria Island National Park. It features a striking image of a locally built indigenous canoe and is built from materials that reference Triabunna, its land and marine environment.
The Gatehouse also features a local produce honesty stand that will offer for sale produce grown in the Triabunna District Schools 24 Carrot Garden. The school’s 24 Carrot Garden seeks to sow lifelong learning as related to pleasurable eating and good nutrition through growing, harvesting and preparing kitchen garden produce and the Gatehouse is now providing an outlet for others to purchase and share in the joy of the harvests.
Designed by architects Gilby + Brewin, the Gatehouse is a built symbol of the positive change and optimism within the township of Triabunna. It was born out of a project called Triabunna Tomorrow and is the first of these ‘reimagining’ Triabunna projects to be built. The future vision of the Triabunna Tomorrow project was an integral part of Triabunna receiving the 2016 National Tidy Town Award. For more information see: www.triabunnatomorrow.com.
The Gatehosue was built with the assistance of a grant from State Growth as part of the Tourism Funding Program. The Triabunna Gatehouse is also part of a bigger vision for the Great Eastern Drive to be characterised by a series of interesting and architecturally designed buildings along the entire touring route that will include toilets or “loos with a view”, look-outs, walkways and picnic areas that all take advantage of and showcase our landscape and marine environment.
Mayor Michael Kent said “These are very exciting times for Triabunna, we are making great progress in terms of positive change and progress both socially and economically. The Gatehouse building is truly symbolic of that change.”
The town will tomorrow welcome delegates from all over Australia and finalists from each of the States hoping to be the 2017 National Tidy Town and Triabunna is very pleased to have this new and interesting building to welcome visitors to the town.
The official National Tidy Towns Awards dinner will take place on Friday evening and Triabunna is extremely honoured to be welcoming His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia to Triabunna for this event.
Mayor Michael Kent
