"What a wonderful sight ! You should all see yourselves from here! Looks, and feels as if I am back in the grand old days when this setting was contemporary!

I would like to thank all the preceding speakers for their thoughtful and inspiring words for the future of Osborne Park and its surrounds. It’s striking to me that what we are talking about today is more than just saving some buildings and land – it is about community, and the memories which our community shares. What makes this site so special is more than just its bluestone buildings and postcard setting – for the thousands of people over the generations who have lived or worked here, visited to have picnics, be married or paint the wonderful buildings and scenery, this special place is part of their stories of who they are, where they have come from, and where they are going.

When we first decided to form Friends of Osborne House it was hard to look beyond our simple disagreement with the Council about selling public open space and our community owned assets but since then we discovered that there’s much more at stake. As we looked into the recent history of OH we were able to identify 19 separate organisations and dozens of individuals who have a direct interest in both the past and future of OH and its surrounds. Around us today you will see many of these people from all walks of life. These people represent the threads of living community memory and it is for these people that we decided to call a meeting which invited the Osborne House Committee set up by the previous council, and all other individuals and organisations that needed to be consulted before any further decisions were made about Osborne House and its surrounds.

From this meeting we decided to form the Osborne Park Association, which will be formally incorporated in the next month. For our legal protection, the Friends of Osborne House will become a committee of the Osborne Park Association. The Membership of the Association is open to anyone in the Geelong Community who would like to work with us in charting a bright future for OH and its surrounds.

Today’s events is the culmination of some 3 months work by the FOH. I would now like to take this opportunity to thank individually those people who have taken part in the organising of today’s Heritage Walk and Picnic. I thank Paul Turner, Julianna Buchla, Margrette Lewis, Jean Lucas, Franceska Deselek, Cathy Newton, John Quelch, Judy and Bob Hutchinson, Phillip Dandy, Eric Low, Allan Browning, Sheena Mulroy, Trevor Abrahams, Rod Charles, Graeme Palmer, Col Edwards, John Randell and Dannika.

I have left the most significant person until last. There is only one person in this community with the determination and depth of understanding of how the community works, who could pull such an event together. I would like ask Cheryl Scott, Joint Interim Secretary of OPA, to present some small tokens of our great appreciation to this remarkable lady, and we all know who she is – let’s put our hands together for Kathy Barker …..

A campaign like this needs all your support. OH, the Stables and the surrounding land belong to all of you, the Geelong community. They are part of the living memory of the present Geelong community and must be preserved for future generations to enjoy. You can help save OH and its surrounds from inappropriate development by joining the OPA, writing letters to Editors of our local papers, writing letters and phoning the Mayor and the Councillors, signing a Petition, and participating in our future events. You can also join our Research Committee which will be preparing a case to present to the council and Heritage Victoria that this development should not go ahead. For more information on how you can help us, please visit our information tent.

We call upon Council to reverse its decision to convert the Heritage stables into studio apartments and surround this beautiful historic place with 34 units. We have several alternative visions for this site which are not only economically viable but will retain in community ownership what is rightfully ours."