A SMALL Campaspe Shire town has cemented its place on the tourism map, and it’s all thanks to a creative hay bale initiative.
In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a Tongala farming mum transformed some giant bales into colourful artworks, featuring cartoon characters Bluey and Bingo.
While the artworks had been intended for her children during lockdown, the bales generated much interest and, with the power of social media, their images went viral.
With such a large following, the bales were moved for public viewing at the local post office, where they continued to attract a large following.
After seeing how much interest and joy the bales generated, the Tongala Development Group realised the potential and began to devise a plan that would result in the Tongala Hay Bale Trail.
This year will mark the town’s third year in the trail and co-ordinator Rhiannan Brennan said the initiative had gone from strength to strength.
“It has absolutely put our town on the map,” Ms Brennan said.
“The town is really proud of it and everyone is just bursting with pride.”
Local resident Kristen Gordon was responsible for planting the hay bale trail seed, following the success of her Bluey and Bingo artworks.
“She’s the one that provided us with the secret recipe, creating an opportunity for us to capitalise on something really big,” Ms Brennan said.
“Kristen’s very humble and hates taking the accolades but social media is a powerful tool when done well.”
The rural town has reaped the benefits of the hay bale trail, which is usually held to coincide with festive seasons such as Easter and Christmas.
With the next instalment set to be unveiled in December, 17 artists have signed up to work on the colourful display.
The artists are all locals with varying abilities who are passionate about the future of their town, which like many rural townships, was hard hit during the lockdowns.
“Our shop fronts were badly hit with lost revenue as a result of COVID,” Ms Brennan said.
“This has provided much-needed economic stimulus and that was an underlying reason for launching the trail in the first place.”
A dedicated committee of six volunteers work behind the scenes to bring the event to fruition each year and the event provides a unique experience, with both social and economic benefits.
However, Tongala is no stranger when it comes to highlighting the artistic talents of the township, with more than 50 murals featuring throughout the town as part of its street art trail.
Last year the trail was recognised at a national level when the town became an Australian Street Art finalist.
“Our art trail is really impressive and unique and the hay bale trail is an extension of that,” Ms Brennan said.
“The hay bale trail creates a real buzz around Christmas and it is very exciting.”
Attracting visitors from across Victoria and interstate, Ms Brennan said the town was very proud of what it had achieved and again looks forward to showcasing their talents later this year.
This year’s Hay Bale Trail will launch on December 2 and will run throughout the school holidays.
