Wallendbeen should have a large sign put up saying "the little town with a big heart" according to former resident Margaret Smith, who gave an impromptu speech on Sunday to guests at a long lunch in Hoskins Street, just outside the famous Wallendbeen Hotel.
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Mrs Smith said she was delighted that new people people had come into town and had organised the lunch, and it reminded her of the strong community spirit that existed in the town when she lived there, and continues to this day.
She was one of many former residents who responded to the lunch as a reunion, taking the opportunity to reconnect with old friends and see how the town has changed over the years.
The weather was perfect, and the choice of Sunday October 13 as the date for the lunch was to coincide with the 125th anniversary of the town's proclamation.
More than 140 guests were seated at stylishly-decorated tables running in two parallel lines along Hoskins Street, just in front of the pub.
The tables were decked out in white paper table cloths, held in place with hessian cord and with sprigs of eucalyptus in the middle.
A delicious lunch of salad with cold roast vegetables, with a choice of beef or chicken, was served by Michelle Seymour's catering of Area Park, with individually named place mats with photos from Wallendbeen's past.
The Wallendbeen Community Association (WCA) organised the lunch as a community get-together and also as a fund raiser to offset costs involved in running the Community Postal Agency (CPA). Funds may also be used for improvements around the town, including bike paths, a silo mural and historical signs.
There was spirited bidding at the auction, conducted by Charlie Butt of Harden, raising $3,850 to add to proceeds from sales of luncheon tickets. Items for auction, including dressed lambs, firewood and two hours of professional interior decorating advice, where donated by locals.
The postal agency was set up in February after Australia Post closed down the Licensed Post Office at the cross roads of the Olympic Highway and Burley Griffin Way.
The agency was operated at the old service station at the crossroads before moving to the Wallendbeen Memorial Hall in August, where it continues to be staffed by local volunteers.
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