Culture shock ahead

Someone is in for a considerable culture shock. I passed this removal truck on my walk this morning. I am not sure whether somebody is moving from Mullumbimby to Burradoo or from Burradoo to Mullumbimby. I can hardly imagine two places in New South Wales that could be more different in terms of culture and climate.

Mullumbimby is in northern New South Wales only about nine kilometres from the coast. It is situated at the foot of a hill in lovely lush farmland. It is very attractive to people seeking an alternative lifestyle. It is known as the anti-vaccination centre of Australia. Burradoo, by contrast is largely a very conservative area. On any given day it is likely to be degrees cooler and less humid than Mullumbimby.

In a previous life I was responsible for managing government funding for community organisations who provided adult and community education courses. Mullumbimby and the  Southern Highlands, where Burradoo is situated, both had a strong tradition of adult and community education. I wasn't living in either area at the time. However, I very well remember the day when I had to deal with a situation in Mullumbimby where passions ran so high about community education that a couple of the key players were involved in fisticuffs over a contentious issue. When one of the protagonists came down to Sydney to meet with me I had to arrange for a security guard to hover outside my office. Mind you, our local Southern Highlands council has recently had to have an administrator brought in. The Council has been sacked because of the toxic culture that had developed there. I'm not sure it went as far as fisticuffs but it wasn't pretty.

Anyway I digress. Whichever way the people who are moving are going I wish them well.