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by Rusty Miller
Looking down the long line of coast most
mornings and watching the first rays of the sun strike Mount
Warning I am aware, as the light floods west, what a distance
it is to the far side of our country, two time zones and
more than three thousand kilometres away. Yet how easily
the whole landmass sits in my head, as an island or, as
I sometimes think of it, a raft we have all scrambled aboard,
a new float of lives in a busy interaction.
David Malouf
The 1998 Boyer Lecture
Byron has more people, activity and focus visited upon its
community and environment than ever before. New residents,
visitors and cultural groups from a wide variety of backgrounds
and experiences have entered this place and claimed it as
their physical and spiritual home. The question from our many
revisiting guests, who have fallen so in love with Byron,
and certainly the locals, is: Can this bigger and more exciting
mix in Byron maintain the original heart and soul which is
the essence of its magnetism?
The answer is an ongoing saga that everyone contributes to
in some way or another. If it is the will of visitors and
locals to help keep the spirit of Byron alive, it will take
the efforts of all involved to halt the strains and pains
that degrade our physical and social environment. Every dollar
spent, every comment made and every scrap of trash put in
the bin can be a vote for the Byron we wish to maintain.
Renowned futurist Robert Theobald, after his recent trip
to Australia, is returning this year because he believes that
this is a place where it is still possible for people to make
a difference. He reminds us that: "Success can also be a collective
burden when it changes the conditions in which we live and
alters the goals we aim to achieve."
We hope you will vote for the good maintenance of our community
by enjoying our goods and services and by showing us during
your holiday how you can be more relaxed and comfortable than
we are.
In these times of corporate wealth and public poverty, it
is appreciated when you, the guests, help us nurture and sustain
this amazing place of openness, diversity and creation.
Welcome to Byron.
Rusty Miller
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