NO ONE is entirely sure how the town of Poowong got its name.
And it’s certainly been the brunt of jokes over the years, even to the point of hosting the world premiere of the Aussie film ‘Kenny’ about an ordinary Australian plumber who specialises in “corporate bathroom” rentals, otherwise known as portaloos!
In February last year, they changed the name of Poowong to ‘Pooright’ as a publicity stunt for Gut Health Month, organised by the Dietitian Connection.
It’s only natural that those from outside the area would be fascinated when Poowong locals announce the name of their hometown but it’s something they’ve learned to take in their stride.
Last weekend, however, the name ‘Poowong’ was synonymous with ‘pride’ as the town and district residents celebrated their 150th birthday, 150 years since application was name for the release of the first privately owned land there in April 1874.
Some of the families who took up land in those early releases still own those farms, five or more generations on.
And true to the can-do spirit of the Poowong community, they didn’t wait for the shire or some government department to organise the celebrations. With a community-based committee preparing the way for more than a year, and a bevy of volunteers coming in behind them in recent weeks, a wonderful weekend of activities was held across three days.
It was an opportunity to review and celebrate the resilience and the achievements, largely as a result of the community’s own actions, including, it must be said, overcoming the odds and the naysayers to have the town connected to reticulated sewerage less than a decade ago.
It’s a development that’s likely to clear the way to considerable residential growth over the next few decades.
The role of the town’s terrific school and dedicated teachers in passing on that can-do attitude and community spirit over the years was acknowledged, as were the contributions of other groups and individuals.
We’ve got some great small-town communities across South Gippsland and we’re likely to see them step forward in strong numbers this Thursday, despite the predicted cold temperatures and the possibility of rain, for Anzac Day.
