As I mentioned before, I am becoming very fond of Menindee. It seems to be a town that people in the area think highly of, and want it to succeed. So many towns are dying and we loose the places that have shaped communities. The people in those communities have to move to larger towns and cities, and the character of the area is lost.
In Menindee there are people that give hope. Margot is an excellent Shire representative. The Resource Centre is that — a resource, with a computer hub and small library, both available for anyone to use. Necessary admin functions, like CentreLink are run from here. Margot is our go-to-person, who hires out the hall to us and organises our wifi. And she welcomes us each year!
Information Centre is another great resource. It also has a small art gallery. This year it had an exhibition of a local artist, Annette Minchin. She does wonderful textile work, using fabrics and found objects to represent the countryside.
The women in the supermarket have got it up an running, with a variety of food. I was impressed to know that I could make sushi if I wanted to! John is opening up a pizza restaurant, where he will continue to make his excellent coffee.
There is a monthly market. I love markets and was delighted to chat with the guy selling produce from the school, the lady who makes relishes, jams and cakes — and delicious lamingtons — and Bruce selling his plants. Margot was there too. I don’t know how she finds the time to sew the bags and aprons she was selling.
The town is lucky that it has the draw cards of the Darling River, the Menindee Lakes system and the Kinchega National Park. But it is even luckier to have these, and no doubt many other people who give it a helping hand.
Some Menindee photos
Anne Lawson Art 
3 replies on “Menindee”
Reminds me of the saying, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight… it’s the size of the fight in the dog. The people you document have got that fight, dedication and engagement with their community. I’ve found that small markets can be just as rewarding and interesting as large. It’s wonderful that the citizens of Menindee support theirs. I’m impressed by the radishes. And anywhere you can get coffee always gets my vote 🙂
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I think that is very true EllaDee. These small towns need people to have that dedication and fight. And the radishes were grown by the school kids. Very impressive!
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love the photos of the local farmer’s market 🙂
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