IT probably said a lot about the changing fabric of the Byron Bay community when the much-loved Oleander Festival hit a brick wall in the early 1990s.
The death of the festival, which kicked off in the early 1960s and which, over the years, raised many thousands of dollars for community projects, including the town’s swimming pool, was hastened in February, 1992 when no-one stepped forward to take on the role as the event’s prime organiser.
Only 13 people turned up at a meeting called to gauge public interest in the event.
It led to the secretary of the Byron Bay Rotary Club, David Harvey, launching a scathing attack on the town’s community spirit.
Mr Harvey said dwindling membership meant that the Rotary club no longer had the manpower to continue its role as the event’s major organiser.
Other service clubs in the town were in a similar position, he said.
Invitations to attend the meeting had been sent to the Byron Bay Chamber of Commerce and Byron Council, but no representatives from either group had turned up.
“It is the businesses of the town that benefit from the festival, but it seems the chamber is more interested in bagging the council,” Mr Harvey said at the time.
“It’s a shame because it reflects badly on the community spirit of the town.”
The writing appeared to be on the wall the previous year – 1991 – when there were fewer than 30 floats in the parade through the town compared with a record 39 floats the previous year.
While float numbers were down, my report on the event for the Northern Star did point out that those who did take part put a lot of effort into their floats, particularly the women from the town’s Probus Club who took off the best float award.
Members of the club were dressed as ‘tarts’ and their float carried the sign, ‘All Old Pros’.
I reported that the ‘most embarrassing moment of the parade’ award went to the Brunswick Valley Rescue Squad whose four-wheel drive vehicle broke down at the Jonson and Lawson Street roundabout and had to be pushed by several men 50-metres down Jonson Street into a lane before the rest of the parade could continue.
I also reported that the parade may have been small, but the efforts of the three Oleander princesses and their committees was substantial.
Between the three of them, they raised more than $17,000 with the Byron Bay Quota Club’s entrant, Davida Stebbing, topping the count with $8050.
Profits from the festival were distributed between the Quota Club, Byron Bay Rotary Club and the Byron Bay Nursing Home.
PICTURED is my story on the parade published in the Northern Star on September 30, 1991. Many locals will recognise Debby Ginger on the Byron Malibu Club float in the top photo.