'LOVE, MARY' - the book
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The Mary River now has its own book to share its story as one of the last remaining rivers still flowing relatively freely in south-east Queensland. Although the dam proposal has now been ‘delayed’, this book will continue the momentum of the campaign to save the Mary River, aiming to stop the proposed dam completely.
Book creators Adele Coombs and Glen Craig have designed ‘Love, Mary’ as a vibrant ‘call to arms’ which will be distributed across Australia. ‘This book tells stories of the Mary River’s endangered creatures like the lungfish and Mary River turtle alongside stories of real people from communities along the river,’ says Adele. ‘We want people to know there is far too much to lose if the proposed dam goes ahead. We are calling people across the country to stand with us to stop a destructive dam on the Mary.’
Book designer Glen Craig believes in the value of a book that can be held in the hand. ‘Although digital technology can be amazing, this is something tangible and compelling which can be touched, and can touch the heart’, says Glen. ‘It is essential that we reach people’s hearts as well as minds, in order to ask them to join with us to make sure this river keeps flowing to the sea.’
‘Love, Mary’ is written as a love letter from the Mary River, filled with stories of the river’s life-giving journey from the Sunshine Coast hinterland to the Great Sandy Strait near Fraser Island. Stunning images have been donated by photographers including Arkin Mackay, Kevin Coppalotti, Stewart Riddell and the Gympie Times. This book tells the truth about the shallow dam proposal, failed large dams and fish ways in south-east Queensland, and the Mary River’s crucial freshwater flows to the Great Sandy Strait.
The official Book Launch of ‘Love, Mary’ will be held in West End, Brisbane at ‘The Avid Reader’ bookshop on the 4th of December at 6pm, where Mary Valley MP David Gibson along with Greens MP Ronan Lee will launch the book. There will also be launch events in Gympie, Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Kandanga and Maleny.
Sponsorship has funded printing costs for the book, and it is supported by the Save the Mary River Coordinating Group.
This is your invitation to attend a launch near you… please feel free to circulate this email widely.
If you can’t make it to a launch… or are just too impatient to wait that long, you can order a copy online at www.savethemaryriver.com/shop or drop by the Kandanga No Dam Info Centre and pick one up.
Upcoming Events:
Noosa Book Preview 28th November, Noosa National Parks Association Environment Centre 11.15am
Official Launch Brisbane 4th December, Avid Reader Bookshop, West End 6pm
Hervey Bay Book Preview 8th December Urangan Community Centre, 6.30pm
Maryborough Book Preview 9th December Maryborough Town Hall, 6.30
Kandanga Book Preview 10th December, Kandanga Hall, 6.30
Gympie and Maleny Previews to be advised.
stevem
Mary Book launched in Brisbane.
I Mackay
It was standing room only as more than a hundred people packed the Avid Reader bookshop in West End on Thursday night for the launch of “Love, Mary”. With Jerry Coleby-Williams as MC and kayaker Steve Posselt as support, the event proved to be something of a political milestone with the book being jointly launched by Greens MP Ronan Lee and the LNP’s Shadow Minister for Sustainability, David Gibson.
With the launch was taking place in the Premier’s own electorate of South Brisbane with local Greens candidate Gary Kane in attendance, it was plain that the issue of the Traveston dam was planting more than a toehold in Brisbane.
Author and project co-ordinator Adele Coombs and graphic designer Glenbo Craig thanked the host of people involved in writing and preparing the book in a very short time frame. Adele said the book was “a vibrant call to arms” which has already commenced being spread throughout Australia.
Adele said one of her main inspirations for the book were the words of Bob Brown at the September Get Up torch relay. “If the rest of Australia knew what damage was being proposed on the Mary River,” Senator Brown had said as he stood along the river at Traveston Crossing, “they would stand up and stop this dreadful dam.”
Young Angus Robinson of Kandanga who had celebrated his twelfth birthday on the day of the dam announcement just over two and a half years ago, spoke passionately while Save the Mary River secretary Dave Kreutz unveiled plans of the new “our family to yours” campaign to make personal links between families in the Mary Valley and families in marginal seats in Brisbane.
‘Make no mistake,” said Mr Kreutz, “The Traveston dam will be a key issue in the coming state election. ‘Love, Mary’ will be an important tool in that campaign.”
With the launch coinciding with the release of several reports commissioned by federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett all of which are critical of the proposal, it would be difficult to argue otherwise.
“Love, Mary” is available from the Avid Reader bookshop, Boundary Street, West End, STMR info centre Kandanga, numerous other local outlets or online at www.savethemaryriver.com
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