Wellington’s amalgamation with Dubbo has shone a positive light on the town and its surrounding villages which were once depicted as places of poverty and crime, according to Maryvale resident Roger Everett.
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Mr Everett – a former Wellington councillor – wrote to the Wellington Times to express his high regard of the newly-amalgamated Dubbo Regional Council two years since its announcement on May 17, 2016.
Mr Everett said the locality of Maryvale was no longer obvious to those travelling along the Mitchell Highway, the Shop and Post Office on the highway long gone.
But with the momentum shift in Wellington and its villages since amalgamation he said Maryvale is now seeing a real revival.
He recalled the village’s beginnings when first referred to as "Three Mile Flat" by the Bullockies travelling west, and the mid-1800s as the railway rolled through and a variety of enterprises including a supplier of feed and chaff, hotel and store, post office, school, railway station and residence, butcher and at Ponto Falls a Stage Coach Changeover were operating.
In recent times progress has reignited with more than 80 original and recently-built homes, plus a number of Rural Residential Blocks – some with river frontage – currently for sale.
“Several years ago an advisory committee, in cooperation with Wellington Council, was instrumental in constructing toilet facilities, and improved access at Ponto Falls, and with promotional support from Dubbo Tourism, today over 60 caravans, campers and tents can be counted "free camping"on the Reserve and spending money locally, at peak times,” Mr Everett said.
“The new Trustee's of the Maryvale Recreation Reserve in cooperation with the Orana Rural Fire Service recently secured a new two-bay fire truck storage shed with amenities on the Reserve and currently have a funding application before Dubbo Regional Council to upgrade the old corrugated iron and timber hall to meet the increasing demand from the estimated 280 men, women and children who now live in Maryvale, and the many others who want to utilise the hall.
The long-time Maryvale resident said amalgamation has been of great benefit for Wellington and its villages reflected in visual improvements and residents progressively engaged with passion and enthusiasm.
“Our mayor should be acknowledged for his presence at most events and functions in Wellington and the villages,” Mr Everett said.
“It is reassuring that he and a number of councillors appear to have discovered that Wellington and its villages are not places of poverty and crime, as depicted during the amalgamation debate, but safe desirable places to live with considerable potential in tourism and lifestyle pursuits.”
