The South Australian Wooden Boat Festival, a state tourism award winner and last year a national tourism bronze medallist, has lost its rudder.
Chairman Michael Moseley and infrastructure and site manager Rob Wilson have resigned, effectively totally disbanding the committee that had voluntarily put on this fabulous biennial event at Goolwa Wharf since 1989.
The Alexandrina Council, which took over the event months before last year’s festival, has now called for an expression of interest from suitably qualified companies to run the SA Wooden Boat Festival from February 21-22, 2015. Submissions close Monday, February 10.
Michael, who served 14 years on the committee including 12 as chairman, and Rob, whose hands-on commitment over 12 years was equally invaluable, said the hierarchy of Alexandrina Council had chosen a different direction for the festival, for 2015 and beyond.
Michael and Rob paid tribute to the sponsors, service clubs, suppliers of services, and especially every volunteer including some dedicated Alexandrina Council employees.
“We have appreciated the effort and commitment toward helping make the Festival a great tourism drawcard for our region,” they said.
“The festival has grown to be the major regional event for South Australia, the second largest wooden boat festival in Australia and we think the best. The festival appears on many international wooden boating calendars as a must-see unique event, and over the years has had a lot of international, and Australian visitors.”
Last year’s event, with Griff Rhys Jones from the acclaimed English television series Three Men in a Boat the special guest, was a huge success, as were the previous 12 festivals.