History 1980 Onwards
By mid 1980’s Wave Rock had achieved international popularity with more than 100 000 visitors annually.
Hyden really matured as a town in the 1980’s with the Hyden Sports Council
joining Hyden Progress Association (established in 1946) as a town management
forum. Significant local funds were raised for the construction of Hyden
Recreation Centre, and again for grassing of the oval.
Other local volunteer clubs were having a really positive impact on the
community with Clubs like the
Lions Club
(1978 to present),
Isolated Children’s Parents Association, Rural Youth, P&C and Preschool
Committees working to improve local facilities and services. New
businesses were established to cater to the needs of both locals and tourists,
including Gumtree Cottage, and the Wildflower Shoppe and Tourist Information
Centre.
Unfortunately, several poor seasons, poor wheat prices and farm amalgamations
caused a steep decline in Hyden’s population by 1990. However, led by the local
Progress Association, community driven initiatives like the
Hyden Resource and Telecentre,
Sapling Heights Young Singles Housing,
Whispering Gums Retirement Village kept the town vibrant and growing. Local
enterprise was expanded with encouragement from
Hyden Business Development Company, a group of 23 local farmers who invested
funds and built light industrial premises and housing for tradesmen. Local
tourism developers built the delightful Wave Rock Resort, moved local
hospitality facilities up-market with several new restaurants at Wave Rock
Motel, and developed the Wave Rock Regional Airport.
The town centre was culturally and aesthetically enhanced with leadlight, mosaic
and mural projects, Gazebos and gardens in Coronation Park and the Tourist
Information Bay and many other community driven Tidy Town initiatives by busy
and generous volunteers.
Hyden saw in the Year 2000 with its local band playing in the Wave Rock Bistro, followed for some by sunrise and flag raising on Wave Rock. Projects achieved in 2000 included Resource Centre extensions, establishment of Hyden and Districts Community Agricultural and Landcare Centre, building of Mallee Villas (Phase II of the Young Singles Housing), refurbishmetn of the Railway BArracks, and further local business development with the opening of the Bush Village Shopping Centre, more light industrial enterprises and a drive for a local Hyden Community Bank.
In 2001, the youth of Hyden helped create a skate park in the Recreation Centre
grounds, providing much of the research, enthusiasm and labour towards the
project. This was followed in 2002 by the completion of a
youth base to provide a facility for the community's 10 to 25 year olds.