Brian Inder
Encyclopedia
Brian Inder 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.
When dairy
farming was proving difficult in the early 1980s, Inder moved to Lavender
farming and manufacture of herbal products which proved more profitable. 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
.
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
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
pioneer
Innovator
An innovator in a general sense, is a person or an organization who is one of the first to introduce into reality something better than before. That often opens up a new area for others and achieves an innovation.-History:...
of North Western Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. On his property at Staverton near Lake Barrington
Lake Barrington (Tasmania)
Lake Barrington is an artificial lake in northern Tasmania, 40 km south of Devonport. It is 20 km long-Creation:It was built on the Forth River in 1969 to provide a head of water for the Devils Gate Power Station...
he has established one of the world's largest maze
Maze
A maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route. In everyday speech, both maze and labyrinth denote a complex and confusing series of pathways, but technically the maze is distinguished from the labyrinth, as the labyrinth has a single...
complexes, called Tasmazia.
When dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
farming was proving difficult in the early 1980s, Inder moved to Lavender
Lavender
The lavenders are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. An Old World genus, distributed from Macaronesia across Africa, the Mediterranean, South-West Asia, Arabia, Western Iran and South-East India...
farming and manufacture of herbal products which proved more profitable. 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
Sheffield, Tasmania
Sheffield is a town situated 23 km inland from Devonport on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia's island state. Sheffield has long been the rural hub for the Mount Roland area. The Sheffield area is well known for its high quality butterfat production via dairy farming. The area is...
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
Arthur River, Tasmania
Arthur River is the name of both a river and a small township on the northern part of the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia. At the 2006 census, Arthur River and the surrounding area had a population of 121.It is south of the town of Marrawah...
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
Roaring Forties
The Roaring Forties is the name given to strong westerly winds found in the Southern Hemisphere, generally between the latitudes of 40 and 49 degrees. Air displaced from the Equator towards the South Pole, which travels close to the surface between the latitudes of 30 and 60 degrees south, combines...
.
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
The Mercury (Hobart)
The Mercury is a daily newspaper, published in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, by Davies Brothers Pty Ltd, part of News Limited and News Corporation...
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."