Clarence Valley Monopoly comes to town

By Tim Howard

Clarence Valley residents who love a game of Monopoly are now able to play a version of the game designed for their neighbourhood.

Clarence-based company Westlawn Finance, Ashley Albert Performing Arts and the Lower Clarence Netball Association combined to fund the development of the local variant, which went on sale this month.

Westlawn Finance chief financial officer and company director Andrew Hayes said it has been popular, with the 500 copies of the local version of the board game well on the way to being sold out.

Mr Hayes said the Australian distributor of the game Winning Moves came calling several months ago to see if there was interest in a local version of the game.

“We had a meeting and decided it was something we could be part of,” Mr Hayes said.

He did not reveal the details, but said it was not a move that came cheaply.

“The cost was a factor,” he said. “But it was something we thought was too good not to be part of.

Westlawn became the gold sponsor of the project, earning itself the lion’s share of the promotion and getting plenty of bang for its bucks in the game, with Westlawn yellow featuring on the board and on the Monopoly money used in the game.

Two bespoke card and board games Clarence Valley Top Trumps and Clarence Valley Monopoly are selling like hot cakes.

“There’s plenty of local places all around the Clarence Valley,” he said.

“There’s the Clocktower, Grafton Bridge, the Pacific Highway, Maclean Lookout, Iluka Museum. Stacks of places locals would know.”

He said the move had struck a chord with Clarence Valley people with copies of the game selling fast.

There was also a card game version called Clarence Valley Top Trumps, which was also selling well.

A regionalised Monopoly has always been part of the game since it’s earliest variant, The Landlords Game, was invented around 1903 in the USA.

Mr Hayes said the game most Australians were familiar with was the English game, with places like Mayfair and Piccadilly.

“I’m sure the American version has properties they are familiar with,” he said.

The Clarence is not alone in Australia in having a regionalised version available.

Mr Hayes said he knew of versions for Wagga, Tamworth, Melbourne and and Gold Coast.

“But it’s still the same game it’s always been and a lot of fun to play,” he said.

He was also confident should the game sell out, Westlawn would seriously consider a reprint.

“If it comes to the I’m sure it’s something we consider worth doing again,” he said.

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