THE Penola and District Cultural Fund has farewelled its founder with Peter Rymill resigning after more than 20 years at the helm.
Mr Rymill has led the committee since its inception in 1998 and has helped deliver a number of public projects which pay homage to the district’s key historical figures.
The avid historian has helped raise over $100,000 for community projects, including the Alexander Cameron statue and the Poets’ Corner development, which recognises writers Adam Lindsay Gordon, Will Ogilvie and Penola-born John Shaw Neilson.
Mr Rymill developed the idea to showcase the district’s historical figures while holidaying with family in the early 1980s, working tirelessly upon his return to Penola to establish the committee.
“Over the years I have enjoyed the challenges with our fellow trustees and coming up with ideas which would appeal to the community so they would want to contribute,” Mr Rymill said.
“What we discovered is what a generous community we have here because they have now taken ownership of the projects and fought for them.”
Mr Rymill said he had also noticed an interest in the projects from tourists and hoped the information provided would broaden their experience of Penola.
“I often wonder whether they have heard of any of the poets in at Poets’ Corner before they are there,” he said.
“I do hope they use the information there to learn and expand on their poetry and entices them to explore Penola’s history further.”
He said a major highlight had been meeting the sculptors involved, learning how they cope with the artistic challenges and conduct their work.
“I have enjoyed learning about the history and diving into that realm and sharing it with the community,” Mr Rymill said.
Mr Rymill has stepped down from the committee to allow new leadership to guide its action, instead turning his focus to a new project, a biography about his father.
“I have enjoyed my time on the committee and as a trustee but I do believe it is time for me to take a back seat and let more people filter through,” he said.
