On the afternoon of Sunday 7 June, more than 140 people packed into the Aireys Inlet Community Hall to celebrate the launch of the Painkalac Project. It was, by any measure, a remarkable turnout, and the energy in the room reflected just how much this valley means to the people who live here.
Rod Brooks opened the gathering by Acknowledging Country before Mick Loughnan (photo) took the floor to trace the Project’s journey and paint a picture of the restoration work now underway and ahead. Lecki Ord (photo) then offered a deeply personal account of the history behind the Project, including the long road, the setbacks, and the community determination that kept the vision alive through the years. Wendy Brooks closed the formal proceedings with heartfelt thanks to everyone who had played a part in bringing the Project to this point, a moment that drew warm and sustained applause from the crowd.
The afternoon felt like more than a launch event. It felt like a community coming together to mark something genuinely historic: the moment the Painkalac Valley was given the chance, at last, to heal.
