Woodbridge Life committee chairman Graham Rae has compiled the following report on the gala event held at the Woodbridge Hall on Saturday, January 29.

A premiere film event last Saturday heralded the start of the Woodbridge Life 2022 program which celebrates living in Woodbridge.

The heritage listed Woodbridge Hall was the venue for an initial presentation of Words on Woodbridge before an appreciative, but somewhat apprehensive, audience.

It was a film screening with a difference.

Loosely based on the ABC TV show called You can’t ask that, it is a contemporary snapshot of living at Woodbridge through a series of interviews with selected residents.

The filming project had been 15 months in the making.

Local post office owner Kelley Eckel sought the assistance of budding film editor Ben Dixon (winner of the MyState Student Film Festival last year) to compile a 40-minute film from the interviews conducted.

Kelly observed in her introductory address that those interviewed repeatedly noted “we live in such a warm and welcoming place”.

These themes were further reinforced with oft repeated comments of a strong sense of a caring community within an idyllic location.

The importance of this project will also serve as a time capsule for the Woodbridge community.

Joint organiser and committee member Jo Dixon reflected, “it will make for an interesting comparison when we obtain the views of former residents at our Back to Woodbridge Weekend in August this year.”

In the meantime, the film can be accessed via YouTube.