Milparinka's Story

The Townlife Development Program has given the Milparinka community the capacity to develop plans and ideas for its future.

"Without the assistance we have received,
Milparinka might well have remained just another dusty reminder of our region's past."
Ruth Sandow, Chairperson, The Milparinka Heritage & Tourism Assn

Facing the challenges

Milparinka is a small village of only about 12 people 300 kilometres north of Broken Hill. The surrounding district has about 50 people.

Milparinka village

For many years Milparinka has been little more than a small collection of individuals sharing a common postcode. Without a common purpose there was little sense of identity.

We only had a pub, a kangaroo meat processing plant and a collection of dilapidated historic buildings.

The current drought has presented an additional challenge, creating serious water supply issues.

It takes a great deal of spirit, courage and a sense of adventure for people to move to this remote part of New South Wales. That spirit is being revitalised, as you can see in the sense of community pride and enthusiasm being generated today.

Our project

Milparinka is very isolated and very small but is steeped in heritage and history.

The famous explorer Charles Sturt and his inland sea expedition spent six months in 1845 encamped near Milparinka. The cairn built by the explorers at the time still stands today.

Milparinka was also a thriving gold rush town in the 1880s and is a significant site for the area's indigenous people. The past has become the key to our future.

Old Court House

Forming a local Heritage and Tourism Association has enabled the community to work co-operatively on:

• the development of a community strategic plan
• tourist marketing plan
• website
• a range of facilities within the community, such as our historic Court House, a heritage centre, a park, public toilets and walking trail, as well as developing a bold vision for the future.

A sense of community ownership now exists, with enthusiasm for the future.

What we've achieved

• We have completed a walking trail of the old mining town and published a trail guide brochure. The trail was opened officially in November 2002.
• Our strategic plan has been developed and approved by the community.
• Short, medium and long term objectives have been clearly identified.
• Elements of the plan are being implemented
• The community meets to discuss and plan these projects on a regular basis.
• Our marketing plan is due for release
• Preliminary discussions have taken place with Tibooburra and surrounding communities regarding the development of common marketing material.
• A brochure is being developed, providing travel information about the entire region.

It is clear that, following the successes in Milparinka in recent months, the Tibooburra community is keen to be a part of a joint promotional venture which will greatly enhance our ability to attract tourists to the region.

How the Townlife Development Program has helped

The Program has given the Milparinka community the capacity to develop plans and ideas for its future and take ownership of those plans.

Each of the areas funded by the program has a human factor. It empowers the group and individuals to think beyond the square, to take the initiative and have a go.

Everyone in the village and many people in the wider community are involved in the program.

As a community we are now much stronger for the experience with a greater sense of the importance of community and our abilities to work together to have an impact on our future.

After running the initial community planning workshops which started this whole process, the Townlife Development Program consultant has provided ongoing advice and support which has helped us achieve so much.

The recently announced assistance package for a regional tourist officer means communities out here in Corner Country - as the area around Milparinka and Tibooburra is known - can come together to implement strategies for long term sustainable developments. The tourist officer will be based at Milparinka.

What we're doing now

Recently our community association negotiated the terms of acquisition of the old police barracks and cells in Milparinka, which date back to 1882. We plan to use this 'bricks and mortar' facility to provide the community with a tourist information centre, souvenir shop, coffee shop and gallery. Extensive restoration will need to be done on the cells, which, when completed, will add to our list of tourist attractions.

We have demonstrated the effectiveness of developing environmentally sound strategies for the planting of native tree and shrub species in Milparinka and recently won an award for our newly constructed native plant park and interpretive material.

Utilising the same arid land principles we intend to plant significant numbers of bush tucker and native flower species, with a view to supplying niche markets. The above-mentioned barracks will readily double as a storage area and office for the management of the industry, with profits returning to the association and individuals who manage the project.

We also anticipate that the role of the tourist officer will include the utilisation of our business arm, Travel Outback New South Wales as an agency providing advice about travel in the region and a booking facility for tours and accommodation with the region.

By strategically planning our future and working towards specific goals, we can manage and monitor the pace of our development, provide employment and training as the opportunities arise and move toward a sustainable future.

Follow this link to the Milparinka Heritage & Tourism Association website (opens in a new browser window)

For further information

Contact	:	Ruth Sandow
Address	:	08 8091 2524
Email	:	pimpara.lake@bigpond.com