Brian Inder
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Brian Inder (Born 1930) is a tourism pioneer of North Western Tasmania, Australia. On his property at Staverton near Lake Barrington he has established one of the world's largest maze complexes, called Tasmazia.[1]
When dairy farming was proving difficult in the early 1980s, Inder moved to Lavender farming and manufacture of herbal products which proved more profitable.[2] A childhood dream of establishing a hedge maze proved initially difficult, so he developed a model town called the Village of Lower Crackpot. A gift shop, pancake parlour, and honey tasting soon followed making Tasmazia the largest commercial tourism attraction on the North West Coast.
When the nearby town of Sheffield was facing commercial decline, Inder was instrumental in establishing Sheffield as a town of murals with a mural fest. Other festivals he played a leading role in establishing include the Blooming Tasmania festival and the Lavender festival.
Brian Inder has served as a board member of the West North-West Regional Tourism Association and vice-president of the Kentish Association of Tourism.
On the coast near the mouth of the Arthur River is a plaque titled The Edge of the World, a term coined by Inder, with a poem by him referring to the timeless and wild nature of the coastline at Arthur River which is regularly lashed by the gails of the Roaring Forties.[3]
In November 2005 he was honoured with the Outstanding Contribution by an Individual Award by the Tourism Council of Tasmania. On winning the award he was reported by The Mercury as saying
- "When I started out in tourism it wasn't highly regarded as an industry because it wasn't an industry you could see in the way you see a factory with smoke blowing out at all hours.
- "Now it is the biggest industry in the state and is providing jobs for our kids.
- "I'd like people to realise it is an export industry -- we export experiences which people take home with them without us having to worry about shipping -- and that makes it a bloody good industry for everyone."[1]
References
- ^ a b Gill Vowles, Maze venture shows the wayHobart Mercury, December 4, 2005. Accessed October 8, 2008
- ^ Eliza Wood, Bumper lavender crop, ABC Rural, 10 February 2006. Accessed October 8, 2008
- ^ Cradle Coast Newsletter Archived 2008-08-02 at the Wayback Machine, December 2005. Accessed October 8, 2008