FOR a town of 400 people, there’s a reasonable argument to be made that Rupanyup punches well above its weight when it comes to entertainment and innovation.
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The town has created some of the most popular events and attractions in the Wimmera – and the state.
Rupanyup’s dirt music festival and Barley Banquet are not only original, but have also achieved longevity through striking a chord in our communities.
Resident Ray Kingston was among those integral in getting the festival off the ground.
“The idea came from a guy who is no longer in town. He pitched it to a few of us, and we thought it was innovative and it felt like a good fit for a little country town,” he said.
“It’s a pretty laid-back event, and it adds a lot of interest and culture to the town. It's a festival that's pretty efficient to run, and we felt like it ticked a lot of boxes.
“There were also enough people involved to make it work.”
Mr Kingston – who is also a former Yarriambiack Shire councillor – said the festival lent itself to the open, relaxed and hospitable nature of what a little country town could be.
He said the festival and other events such as the banquet were great ideas.
“But great ideas are no good without people prepared to implement them,” he said.
“It takes both enthusiasm from people to implement those kinds of concepts, but also a fair bit of confidence in your town's capacity to deliver.
“I think there's enormous confidence in Rupanyup to look after ourselves and make the township a more vibrant place.
“A lot of those threads are there in many country towns, but I think there's something a little bit special about Rupanyup.
“One of the real strengths is to have strong cultures of leadership over long periods of time. Part of that has been the culture of bringing other people into leadership positions.
“The Barley Banquet is a classic example of non-traditional leaders in a town – young people – taking things on and showing all the leadership qualities in the world.”
Resident and business owner Adrian Tyler – who was involved in establishing the town’s community bank branch – said Rupanyup people had a can-do attitude.
“It’s necessary to survive,” he said.
“I’ve been in business for many years, and to help our business be a success, you really have to make sure your town is successful.
“There’s a need to make sure you take hold of your own destiny.”
Mr Tyler said the town was pretty amazing for its size.
“Our facilities are equal to anyone's,” he said.
“We’ve got a golf course, a swimming pool, a 20-bed nursing home, businesses such as Emmetts and Wimmera Grain, accountants, garages and other small businesses.
“There’s a lot of employment in the town.
“We’ve also got the silo art, which just brings so many people into Rupanyup.
“Our farming and heritage museum is becoming quite well-known too.”
