Thursday, 3 November 2016

Maxie is growing!

Maxie is now almost 10 months old. We recently finished a dog training course run by Animal Aid in Coldstream, not far from home. Our trainer, Michelle was great and Maxie had a great time!

Friday, 8 July 2016

Election Fun in the Federal Electorate of Casey

Here are some photos of electioneering fun in the Federal Electorate of Casey in the recent federal election. This was one of the longest campaigns I can recall. The election was announced on 8th May, 2016, and Election Day was scheduled for 2nd July, 2016 - a campaign of almost 2 months mostly in the depths of winter, The result of the election is still not clear as I write this. Whilst the ALP did not win the election or the seat of Casey, we are still waiting to see if the Liberal/National Parties can form Government in their own right. As it is there is still counting in 6 electorates which are all on a knife edge. If the current government does not take the majority of those seats, they will need to rely on 4 Independent MPs to Govern.

ALP Candidate Hovig Melkonian and some of his campaign volunteers at Millgrove Sunday Market in January.

Listening to voter concerns

A doorknocking team about to leave the campaign office one Sunday morning.

Campaigning in Mooroolbark

and in Lilydale

Prepoll voting for those voters who were not going to be around on election commenced in Lilydale three weeks before election day

Election Day in Millgrove

Millgrove Polling Booth is located at Millwarra Primary School

Getting closer to the polling booth

Nancy handing out How to Vote Cards for the ALP

Millgrove Resident's Action Group hosted a BBQ and Cake Stall at the School. Over $600.00 was raised!

Thursday, 2 June 2016

Some Family History

Recently my local U3A Genealogy Group was asked to write a little piece about a room in a past house which had some significance. I started to think about that and also some of the more interesting things I have found out about my ancestry. First here is a link to a small book I put together about my Billett ancestors. The Billetts were a seafaring family.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_JtoJ5S7a7_bWNiYV90SjBZems/view?usp=sharing

This is the piece I put together which talks about my parents house in Calabar, Nigeria together with some photos to illustrate:

MEMORIES OF CALABAR

The house came with the job. My father was Harbour Master and Pilot for the port of Calabar, on the coast in the south-western Corner of the Colony.

It was built for the British army during the time of its presence there during the period of the late 19^th Century and the Early 20^th Century and was used as their Officers Mess. One of its most notable users in those days was Marshall of the RAF Lord Trenchard, first Commander In Chief of the Royal Air Force, around 1903, when he was sent to bring a bit of discipline to officers of the South Nigerian Regiment who were accused of drinking, gambling and sexual exploits which they apparently boasted about.

There was nothing like that when I was there!

By this time I was incarcerated in Boarding School in England and was only there during one School Holiday a year.

The lounge room was furnished according to regulations. And reflected the relative importance of my father’s position. The only thing out of the ordinary that he got installed was his bar of which he was quite proud. The other thing that he added to the house was a swimming pool which he and a friend built between them. My brother and I spent many happy hours cleaning it.

We had many visitors and I was drinking in anything that was said. It was there that I had my first taste of Beer – a locally produced brew called Star. Just behind the bar was a closed off portion the house where we had our table tennis table. My brother’s and my bedroom was a closed off portion of veranda.

We had monthly editions of the Daily Mirror sent to us by my grandmother as well as some comics – The Eagle I think. The tooth fairy lived across the river and brought us threepences in compensation for lost teeth.

But the main thing I remember was the big square record player we had in the corner of the room where we played compilation records which were called “Music for the Millions” and such like. Mostly the songs were 50’s style Perry Como, Dean Martin, Les Paul and Mary Ford and some swing bands. For some reason I remember the Les Paul and Mary Ford song which was called “The Save A Penny Suoer Store! But, somehow, one of the records included a totally different song. It started off with a very different guitar riff and the lyric was the story of lost love, the singer’s girlfriend had drowned on the Beach! It was by Marty Wilde and was the first Rock and Roll song which impacted on me. Listening to it today I can see how heavily the singer was influenced and it is really quite ordinary, but it was my introduction to the swinging sixties and a lifelong obsession with rock music which is also my greatest regret – that I am unable to sing at all and have no musical skills whatsoever.

The sad thing is that I am told the house is no longer there. I have been told that it had been destroyed during the Biafra Insurrection. I certainly can't find it on Google Earth.

My Mum, Viv with the family car in front of the house

Viv in the Pool

My brother, John and myself supposedly cleaning the pool. I am leaning on the broom!

The lounge room with the bar on display.

And the view from the bar.

The veranda – Guess who was recovering from the mumps!!

My father, Phil, at work.

The view from the veranda. The Tooth Fairy lived on the far bank of the river. The roof of the Dockyard building can just be seen.

The local kids – raising money – their trick or treat or Guy Fawkes night I think!

Monday, 23 May 2016

Anzac Day In Millgrove and Warburton

Anzac Day is significant public holiday in Australia and New Zealand when people stop to pay their respects to those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the wars of the last century and this century. It is held on the anniversary of the landing of troops on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 25 April 1915. This campaign has come symbolize the coming of age of Australia and every year large and small communities across the nation mark the day with a dawn service and/or a march to mark the sacrifice of those that their lives then and for those who have given their lives in the many conflicts since then and to mark the service of the surviving veterans of armed services who have served their country to this day.

https://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/dawn/plan/landing.asp

These photos are of the Millgrove Dawn Service and the Warburton march and service.

This post is dedicated to the memory of those whose names are recorded on the Millgrove and Warburton War Memorials.

Sonnet for ANZAC Day

Sound the Last Post again, lest we forget

the freedom that we cherish has been bought -

not found like mushrooms in the field; the debt
is ours to pay, mindful of those who fought
and fell - yet still they held the torch aloft!
May we remain as zealous to withstand
the traitors who would make our fibres soft,
as well as enemies beyond the land.

The trumpet has the power to move us still,

and though the debris of a flood of years

lies over hand and mind, an aching thrill
comes rising perilously close to tears.
Sound the Last Post to hold the memory bright,
then sound the Rouse and keep the torch alight.

Alf Wood

Monday, 4 April 2016

Yarra Junction Crank Up

The Yarra Junction Historical Society hosts it's annual Crank Up at the old Yarra Junction Station every year. I was there to help out on the U3A stall.