Biography
Barry Boyd – A self-made man and his birds
June 12, 2016By Kate Grant
Barry Boyd has been a regular customer at the Chinese restaurant I’ve worked at for the last six years. He’s almost the only reason I’ve kept the job for this long. He sticks out as my favourite customer because he is genuinely interested in the little things I’ve been up to during the week, and isn’t shy of a bit of banter. I love hearing about the odd jobs he’s been working on, how his lawn mower is performing, and his vast collection of exotic birds.
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Caroline’s Endless Blessings
June 8, 2016Born In 1934
May 17, 2016By Madison White
Merle was born in April of 1934, in Gordonvale, a small town outside of Cairns, Queensland. Merle’s family owned a large cane farm in Gordonvale where her father, and his father before him, worked the land. The house they lived in was built specifically for her father to live in with his family. Merle said there was only one main bedroom in the house. The three children, Merle and her brother and sister, all slept in a louvered porch. Read more »
“It’s a long time without a sister” -Robert Fraser
June 10, 2015By Vanessa Brown Edited by Jake Watson
“People don’t always understand disability. People with their cars, their parents, and their kids, all high tech, they don’t understand.” Read more »
Hat-Trick
June 3, 2015By Logan J. Farrell
Inclement weather wreaked havoc with the tables outside the café in Main Street Mornington but it did little to dampen the enthusiasm of Ian Morrison. Rugged up against the elements he strode into our meeting with a swag of assorted hats slung over his shoulder and proceeded to ask me what I thought of his two dollar boots, his one dollar jeans and his four dollar beret. ‘I’ve been to the Op-Shop’ he said, lamenting the expense of the beret. Nonetheless he reflected that he ‘just had to have it’; it seems that Ian and hats fit well together. He went on to suggest he may write a book about the merits of Op-shopping and how to survive on a pension. I got the distinct impression that this irrepressible senior would somehow find the time to fit that into his agenda. Read more »
A Grand Character Performance
June 3, 2015By Logan J. Farrell
Val Hardie knows better than most what it is like to have a bit of drama in life. Val’s connection with the performing arts on the Mornington Peninsula, both in adult and youth theatre companies, spans more than forty years, and still counting; however the dramas she has faced have not always been limited to the stage. Theatre is only one of many roles she has assumed with her trademark humour, determination and endless energy; this intrepid thespian is one of those ‘behind the scenes’ stalwarts that are the heartbeat of a community.
The Battler
January 12, 2015By Billy Jupp
Darkness, uncertainty and hunger, three words that describe any child’s life during the Great Depression. The inescapable poverty of the time made living anywhere in the world nearly unbearable.
An Outback Gentleman
January 8, 2015By Billy Jupp
It takes a special kind of person to survive in the rough rugged frontier known as the Australian outback.
Heat, dust and isolation are things a person deals with just trying to live from day to day.
Vincent Thomas Condon
November 24, 2013By Chris Paduano
Coming from a country town, ‘Vin’ has always been a big fan of many sports and still has a large interest in cricket and horse racing today. Including his 30 years with the Victoria Police, Vin has always felt the need to keep busy and has sought something more interesting if he has ever felt bored.
Born on August 1, 1937 to Vincent Alexander and Lorna Jesse, Vin was an only child until he was 11 years old, after which his parents had another four children. Growing up in Melton, he attended Bacchus Marsh High School where he captained the football team and was the School Captain. Read more »
Pa
May 23, 2013By Jamie- Lee Dwyer
As a child, I always thought of my Grandfather as an old man, who had never been a kid and instead had always been an old man. Now I’m an adult and not quite as naive anymore, I understand my Grandfather actually had a childhood and his very own life long before I came along. Recently, he gave me permission to write about his life. Hearing about his childhood in Echuca, listening to war stories, and being told about his time with the Flying Doctors Service were some of my highlights. It’s fair to say he took me back to a simpler time.