A Change of Watch at the AWBF
It seems like only months ago that we wrote an article telling of Joy Phillips’ appointment as Chair of the Australian Wooden Boat Festival. In fact it was well over two years ago and during that time Joy has worked tirelessly to consolidate and stabilise the festival post covid, and to establish systems, methodology and a vision that will go a long way towards ensuring the events growth in decades to come. All board positions at the AWBF are voluntary and the hours that the key members put in are extraordinary, with no defined benefits excepting a warm inner glow.
If you are interested in what the long term vision for the festival might be, have a look at the recently published Five Year Plan
Well, at the recent AWBF annual General meeting Joy stepped down so that she could spend more time with two of the most important things in her life…Her family and her stunning Neilson Ketch HOLGER DANSKE. She has plans for long term cruising aboard the famous boat she has so beautifully restored and she deserves every minute of the freedom this will bring! Her legacy at Chair will no doubt be the 2023 Festival that by all metrics was the best one yet in the events 30 years history.
At the AGM, current board member Scott Rankin was elected unopposed to the Chair. Scott grew up on a Chinese Junk in Sydney Harbour, a boat that he still owns 58 years later! When not involved with this and a fleet of other wooden craft, Scott is the CEO and Creative Director of Big hART - Australia’s leading arts and social change organization. Founded in Burnie in 1992, it is a Not-for-Profit which has raised $60 million to fund large-scale, long-term projects and events in disadvantaged communities nationally.
For this work Scott was awarded the 2018 Tasmanian Australian of the Year, and Big hART won the 2017 Telstra Business of the Year and Charity of the Year.
It’s going to be fascinating to see how Scott’s events background might steer the Festival in new and exciting directions!