THE BYRON SHIRE ECHO Advertising & news enquiries: Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 Fax 02 6684 1719 [email protected] [email protected] http://www.echo.net.au VOLUME 20 #17 3PRING TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2005 22,300 copies every week &AIRÊ *>}iÊÓä $1 at newsagents only A TOAST TO ABSENT FRIENDS Vale, Carol Page Peace fl ame to light up carnival October 30, 1948–September 6, 2005
Carol Page, former Echo journalist and Mul- started to raise a family. They moved up to lumbimby resident, died in her sleep at her Byron Shire in the early eighties and after home in Dalgety on Tuesday, aged 56. their separation Carol lived for many years Her death has come as a heartrending in the Yellow House at Main Arm with her shock to hundreds of people in Byron Shire growing brood. who knew her as a friend, colleague and In 1986 Carol joined the fl edgling Echo as remarkably honest, open and loving human typist, bookkeeper, receptionist, sales per- being. son and general factotum, but editor Nicho- Carol spent much of her youth in rural las Shand soon discovered and encouraged NSW. Her father was a senior police offi cer her talent for journalism. This talent was and Carol experienced a wide variety of rooted in her genuine love for and interest in communities as he was posted from town to the wide spectrum of people living in this town. Her love of the bush began in this area. Spend half an hour with Carol and she period, and possibly also her tendency would know your life history, and you hers, towards a nomadic existence. When she was but you would also know that her knowl- a teenager in Miranda her rebellious ways edge valued your individuality and was never led her father to board her out with the used negatively. Lewis family in Moree. Carol brought Syd- Her initial friends in the district came ney, miniskirts and all, to Moree and Moree from the counter-culture community of her gave Carol a thorough grounding in horse- own generation, but she quickly became Annabel McLisky passes the World Peace Flame torch to Cassandra Parkinson from the Byron Commu- manship, which remained a precious ele- known and loved by everyone, particularly nity Centre where the flame will be permanantly housed. Dru yogis Alina Hughes and Sara Siegelman ment in her life. in Mullumbimby. Her affi nity for the bush, look on. Photo Jeff ‘In A Piece’ Dawson Carol was a natural rebel. She never took most marked in her accomplished eques- existence for granted. She always pushed it trian skills, and her restless curiosity led her An all night prayer vigil to welcome the peacemaking in the area over the last 35 hard, shook it for answers, avoided the easy to a wide circle of friends, from the politi- World Peace Flame (WPF) will be part of years. The fl ame will arrive and be presented paths. In 1971 she was in India, sitting at the cally most conservative to the artistically the Byron Peace Carnival on September to Mayor Jan Barham who will accept it on feet of her master, Maharaji, and the follow- most radical. It was this genius for friend- 17. behalf of the Shire. ing year returned to Sydney and devoted ship which gave her writing such appeal, and The vigil, to be held at the Butler Street Australian actor Jack Thompson will herself to helping spread his message of when she moved to the Snowy Mountains a ‘Peace Park’ in Byron Bay ends an evening speak, and the fi nal scene of The Gathering, inner peace. few years ago, The Echo was the poorer. program of ceremonies and music. a fi lm that he is narrating, will be shot at the In 1974 she married David Ransome and Nicholas Shand was the love of her life, The Saturday evening begins with a walk event. and though their relationship was tempestu- from the lighthouse with visiting peacemak- This will be followed by an interfaith ous they shared a reckless, larrikin attitude, ers from the Life Foundation in the UK ceremony in which local spiritual leaders and an infectious propensity for partying, carrying the WPF torch. will light candles from a peace fl ame caul- which defi ned the extra-curricular activities Crowds will gather at the park at sunset dron. of the newspaper for many years. and watch the ceremonies on giant screens The evening ends with chanting and a Friends quickly learned that when you as the fl ame makes its way from the light- silent prayer vigil, which will extend through were around Carol nothing was simple. house. the night. Residents are invited to join the Indeed drama was her keynote, although The WPF will go through three ceremo- vigil to ‘anchor the energy of peace in the nobody could have been further from a nial gates, the fi rst a welcome by local Arak- Shire’. drama queen than outspoken, down-to- wal elders; totem lanterns will accompany The World Peace Flame torch will also earth Carol. It was just that drama was the candlelit procession. lead a large colourful street parade on Sun- embedded in her very existence. When she The next gate involves a salute to nature day September 18, with singers, drummers, hitchhiked across the Nullarbor she was and the elements when the Echo Islanders a giant whale fl oat and hundreds of rainbow picked up by a driver who promptly died, from the Northern Territory will call in the peace fl ags that will make their way through leaving her stranded in the middle of the whales in a sacred beach ceremony not yet the streets of Byron Bay to the Butler Street desert. She nearly died herself when she seen before by non-indigenous people. Peace Park. haemorrhaged during childbirth, again The last part of the welcoming involves At the site there will be music, peace talks, when a semi-trailer ripped into her station- sacred prayers for peace and light when the market stalls, a healing village, children’s ary car in Brunswick Heads, again when she Life Foundation symbolically presents the activities, and festive activities to express the fell into the Nymboida River rapids, and fl ame to all peoples at the peace pole. culture of peace. Parking can be found at the again when a marquee collapsed on her dur- Between the ceremonies, the crowd will market site. Carol pictured at the Byron Bay Writers Festival ing a storm. be entertained by a musical journey on the For more information on the carnival visit last month. Photo Ian Kingston continued on page 2 main stage that encapsulates the history of www.byronpeacecarnival.com.
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