mount arapiles: gateway to the west wimmera
2015
The open plots and street spaces of Goroke are transformed into an urban meadow of wild flowers and nectar producing flora supporting a commercial apiary and micro cider brewing facility run by the Goroke Hotel.
A series of ‘artist in residency’ programs occur consecutively along the Carpolac trail, inviting artists, writers, ecologists, environmental scientists, chefs and musicians to participate in collaborative programs alongside community events which culminate in graphic transformations of the decommissioned silos.
Goroke is positioned as the Gateway and supply point to the Little Desert National Park, where existing 4WD tracks are organised into one established route allowing regeneration to occur on the remaining web of spontaneous trails.
Goroke P-12 College operates a student exchange program with Melbourne (and other urban) school partners with a focus on an agricultural and environmental curriculum, the town itself becomes an expanded classroom of propagation and regenerative spaces.
Students and large groups of hikers and climbers utilise a new ‘community tent’ at the Pines campground, for educational and climbing workshops, group dinners and sheltered accommodation.
The shed in Mitre is converted into a research outpost for ornithological and environmental organisations conducting fieldwork and assessments in the Wimmera region, researchers and tourists contribute their own photographs and observations to an archive which is digitally projected onto the silos in a constantly evolving exhibition.
A native seedbank and botanical garden transforms the dilapidated shops fronts and streetscape of the old butter factory in Goroke, providing public spaces for workshops, research and culinary bush foods in partnership with Australian Seedbank, Greening Australia, Australian Native Food Industry Limited and Australian Native Plants Society.
Mineral salt from Mitre Lake is harvested seasonally, processed, stored and sold in the refurbished shed beside the decommissioned silos in Mitre which also becomes a camping shelter and support facility for cyclists and hikers along the Carpolac and Zero to Nhill trails.
A downhill cycling trail looks to add to the popularity of Mount Arapiles with outdoor activity user groups, defining a new trail which also organises the existing climbing access pathways to help regenerate the compromised environment at the base of the mountain.
The silos and the adjacent open space in Goroke are adapted to become an expanded recreation facility for the Goroke P-12 College and to provide playful facilities for cyclists, hikers and camping families visiting the region.