Cycling enthusiast Graham Brown addresses the crowd at the unveiling of Rutherglen Loops.
“With the addition of these four loops – town, wine, lake and river - we are way ahead.”
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Former school principal and cycling enthusiast, Graham Brown conveyed the comment from Frank Kinnersly of Rail Trails Australia to the crowd at last week’s official opening of the $5.13 million Rutherglen Loops.
Mr Brown is a past member of Murray to Mountains Community Advisory Committee and spoke at the unveiling ceremony.
“Frank was and still is familiar with all the rail trails in Australia and we would ask in great anticipation, ‘is the Murray to Mountains still the premier rail trail in Australia?’.
“And Frank would invariably answer ‘Yes, but the Reisling Trail in South Australia is not far behind’.”
But the addition of Rutherglen Loops has now ensured the nation’s best is right here.
Rutherglen youngsters Henry and Archie with Graham Brown
Mr Brown acknowledged past visionaries who helped see Rutherglen Loops eventuate.
“The late Peter Chambers, whose memorial seat sits along the rail trail, was keen on cycling loops and had a track around his Lake Moodemere Winery property, much of which is now part of the wine and lake loops,” he said.
“Back 40 years ago when the local cycling group CRABS (Corowa Rutherglen Active Bicyclists) was formed, John Hennessy, our entrepreneurial leader, with Martin Tobin, mapped out a Muscut trail, which on road and track connected the wineries producing Muscut.
“This was taken up by Rutherglen Rotary Club who conducted a fabulous ‘Tour de Muscut’ in the 80s and 90s with CRABS riders escorting groups around.
“This was significant as, supplementary to the Winery Walkabout, it was attracting the emerging new group of cycle tourism.”
Perhaps the most influential advocate according to Mr Brown has been Victoria’s longest serving politician, Rutherglen’s own former Member for Murray Valley, Ken Jasper.
“Ken was a lone voice in State Parliament advocating for rail trails when the concept was in its infancy…it was only when the Deputy Premier Pat McNamara caught the vision that the concept got up and Victoria’s premier rail trail was born.”
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