A night out in Black Springs

May 5, 2024

Saturday, April 27, saw about 100 people gathered in the Black Springs Community Hall for a community dinner. This was a sort of experiment as it wasn't a concert or a bush dance - it was just a dinner where people could get together to socialise, have a drink and something to eat and meet and chat with neighbours. And it wasn't just Black Springs residents either - there were people there from Oberon, Rockley, O'Connell, Porters Retreat, Burraga and points in between.

This had never been done before so there was no way to predict how many people might show up. As Kerry Gibbons said "We once thought that we might get 30, but the crowd tonight is wonderful. Luckily we had enough early bookings to get the catering right."

Over at the front door, Ceanne Barron, was busy on the night checking people in and issuing name tags. "We will definitely be doing this again," she said.

It was a night to demonstrate what "community" means. There was no attraction other than a chance to meet and socialise with people who live across a wide area and might not keep bumping into each other in the shops. Deborah Hoolihan and her organising committee must be congratulated.

Unfortunately, Oberon Matters had to rush off early and left before the barn dance. Next time! But if you want to know how to do it, who better to ask than Mr C. J. Daniels, the man who invented a version of it?

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