00:00Waddling, flapping, squawking and a whole lot of laughing.
00:06This northwest Tasmanian town lives up to its name, today celebrating 150 years in true
00:11penguin style.
00:12Squawk, squawk.
00:13They're waddling.
00:14We're at the waddling age and so we're fitting quite well with the waddle.
00:20I volunteered to make the masks, originally it was only going to be 60 and then it was
00:26upped to about 150 and I ended up making 184.
00:31Settlers first arrived in 1861 but Penguin wasn't proclaimed a town until 1875.
00:37In terms of population there was still only 300 people approximately when the town was
00:43proclaimed.
00:44It's been more of an evolution than a revolution.
00:47They were drawn to this coastal haven for its abundant timber and rich farmland.
00:51Nowadays it's become a tourist destination, famous for its bins, bollards and looming
00:56giant penguin.
00:57It's a small community of roughly 3,500 people but it has a big heart and these locals really
01:03embrace their identity.
01:05If only the people that named the town of Penguin understood that in the future and
01:09in 150 years time the people of this town and the people that live in the surrounding
01:13areas would come to actually represent the penguin.
01:17I think that's the most exciting thing, looking around and seeing all the people that have
01:20come today in their penguin outfits.
01:21I think people aren't afraid to be a little bit silly and get out there and enjoy themselves
01:25and that's what it's really about, just enjoying yourself in the moment and having such a good
01:29day.
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