Tasmania: an extraordinary community
Tasmanians are good at sharing. We share stories, our time, skills and produce. We’ve been paying it forward with cups of coffee for front line workers and leaving essential supplies on neighbour’s doorsteps. It is this generous Tasmanian spirit, where one good deed deserves another, which is at the heart of our community.
As we all found our way into the new unknown space of a coronavirus pandemic, sharing became a way to stay connected.
A group of Tassie neighbours created a WhatsApp group to ask for help in a pinch for a missing ingredient, to share baked goods and other produce, and to check in with one another regularly. Neighbourhoods, whether they already were a close-knit community or not, have created Facebook pages to support each other or residents have dropped notes in mailboxes along the street just to check in. These simple acts of kindness are so important to daily life and community wellbeing.
A sourdough starter nurtured in Primrose Sands, has been shared through West Hobart to Mount Stuart; jars of home-made jams and chutneys have been given in return. In the social media space, authors read their books to provide relief for parents juggling new daily routines and musicians shared music for the soul, encouraging us all to stay home and stream local.
Tasmanian.com.au has collated a range of stories that remind us all how much we achieve on this small island when we support one another in our ventures. There are stories of ‘Tasmanian cooperation’ and working together with ‘grit and determination’, and of teams who ‘take pride not only in the exceptional quality of their products but in their personal decisions.’
As we start to inch towards recovery, keep sharing our stories and supporting Tasmanians. It’s what makes our island such a great place to be.