Bunbury Garden Labyrinth was officially opened on Saturday 19th September in the presence of His Worship The Mayor Gary Brennan, MLA Don Punch, special guests, Committee of Management, Projects of Heart & Soul WA Inc. and the public.
In preparation for the event, our Committee of Management were ticking off lists of tasks whilst at the same time, Country Landscaping & Irrigation team completed last touches to plants and garden beds, Neil Dyer from City of Bunbury tweaked lighting on the Moongate and paving stones were cleaned and swept. Despite clear skies in the previous days, forecasted rain on the day prompted our Committee of Management to make some swift last minute logistic changes to enable the event to go ahead. Thanks to the generosity of Karen Collins and her 2nd Bunbury Sea Scouts team, and the flexibility of John Hayes and his Events West sound team, the ceremony was shifted to the Sea Scouts Hall up the road in Cobblestone Drive. With the help of volunteers, signage and social media posts, our special guests, invitees and the public managed to find their way to the new venue and enjoy the event, with COVID-19 hand sanitising & social distancing practices maintained.
Proceedings included:
- Harp music by Helen Punch (former committee member, Projects of Heart & Soul
- Master of Ceremonies role performed by Don Punch, MLA, Member for Bunbury
- Welcome to Country performed by Gloria Dann, Phyllis Bennell, David Dann from Wardandi Miya-k Kaadadjiny Aboriginal Corporation
- Speeches about Bunbury Garden Labyrinth by Nari Jones (Secretary & former Chairperson) and Linda Blyth (Chairperson) from Projects of Heart & Soul WA Inc
- Speech about City of Bunbury involvement by His Worship the Mayor, Gary Brennan
- Opening Declaration by His Worship Mayor Brennan
- Cutting of ribbon by Don Punch & Mayor Brennan together with Linda Blyth
With formal proceedings complete, a break in the weather enabled an invitation to be extended for all to move out of the hall to walk down the road to the labyrinth, to socialise and walk as the sun shone down on the beautiful paving stones.
Videographer Meg Marion captured the event on video:
Bunbury Mail captured this moment as people walked the labyrinth after our ceremony in 2nd Bunbury Sea Scouts Hall!
https://www.facebook.com/BunburyGardenLabyrinthFriends/posts/3717655638257754
As the light faded at the end of the day, the Moongate lit up with blue light against the backdrop of Queens Gardens- as seen in photos captured by Fiona Hinds.
As stated in speech by Linda Blyth:
We now invite you to move through the path, and see where it leads you… Follow the path and trust it will lead you to the centre… There is only one path in and the same path out, so you cannot get lost. Focus on moving just one step at a time… Pay attention to your breath, the sounds of the neighbourhood, the light and colours around. When you get to the centre, pause, and look around, before returning, step by step outwards…