At yesterday's street party in Duke Street are organiser Malcolm Cowan (a resident for 27 years), Rosa Spangaro (47 years) with four-year-old Madeline Hassell and her mum Becca Biggs, who moved to the street in May. Picture: NEIL RICHARDSON
AS more new people moved into West Launceston's Duke Street, resident Malcolm Cowan decided a street party would help residents get to know each other.
Unfortunately, the resident of 27 years did not realise the local government requirements covering the closing of their road to traffic for such an event and yesterday's inaugural Duke Street Street Party moved to a resident's yard.
"We had to have a disaster management plan, $10 million public liability insurance and street signage, just for starters and decided to restrict it to one property," Mr Cowan said.
"The aim of the party was to rekindle the sense of community that used to exist before the global financial crisis - over the past 18 months, there's been a bit of a revolution in terms of new dwellings and a changing of the guard in some of the older houses.
"Once the shop closed down there was no central communal point.
"There were a lot of people who didn't know each other and thought a street party was the best way to get everyone acquainted."
Mr Cowan said the longest-established resident was Rosa Spangaro, who emigrated from Italy in 1956.
"Some have been here less than a year and Rosa has now met with some of the newer residents because of the party," he said.
