My sense of place was rediscovered when Karin and I moved to Yundool in Northern Victoria. A quiet rural community with three neighbours and very few cars going by each day!
When we were setting up our property, a 2-acre block with services available and no dwelling, it had a shed full of car parts left by the previous owners!
Our journey involved acquiring permits for the placement of a dwelling on the property, involving a new septic system; being CFA compliant on our sole water tank (concrete to withstand bushfire); getting a building permit and using the services of a building surveyor (at a cost!).
Anyway, during the development and getting the site ready, cleaning it up, removing 3 tons of metal objects and planting many small trees we had deliveries of waste bins, one of which the driver was firmly stuck in muddy ground (oh dear!)
Having met all our neighbours, we went to the one we had communicated with more often to ask if he could bring his tractor to pull the truck driver out of his muddy predicament.
Straight away he brought his smaller tractor over and commenced trying to extract the firmly stuck truck out of the muddy ground. This tractor wasn’t strong enough to pull the truck out, so he went to the other neighbour across the road who brought his larger tractor over. The two of them pulled the large truck out, and while they were at it, also moved the skip bin to a better place. This was a community working together.
Another time the neighbour with the big tractor was driving through our property to deliver a round bale of hay to the neighbour on the other side, when he buried his tractor. Again, both neighbours with tractors managed to extract the tractor, making a huge mess of our paddock in the process. Later, after all the works were completed and the ground was dry, the neighbour came back, smoothed the paddock mess and mowed the paddock.
Although we were both country-born and bred (in New Zealand!!!, Bl…dy kiwis), we also had experience in shearing and wool handling in Australia, New Zealand, Wales and England as part of our university holiday earnings and to fund our international travel. These skills gave us credibility in our small rural community because they involve hard work and have respect as roles in rural communities. They helped us to fit into Yandool community without judgement as to us being “Melbournian, city people” trying to cut the mustard in the bush.
It has been a journey and a challenge integrating into the quiet, rural community of Yundool – however it has been achieved, and we are comfortable in our space.
I should mention that another community acceptance for me has been the involvement in this writing group and the non-judgmental support in sharing our stories about our journeys in life in the country and life!
Thank you.
James Davey
August 2024
When we were setting up our property, a 2-acre block with services available and no dwelling, it had a shed full of car parts left by the previous owners!
Our journey involved acquiring permits for the placement of a dwelling on the property, involving a new septic system; being CFA compliant on our sole water tank (concrete to withstand bushfire); getting a building permit and using the services of a building surveyor (at a cost!).
Anyway, during the development and getting the site ready, cleaning it up, removing 3 tons of metal objects and planting many small trees we had deliveries of waste bins, one of which the driver was firmly stuck in muddy ground (oh dear!)
Having met all our neighbours, we went to the one we had communicated with more often to ask if he could bring his tractor to pull the truck driver out of his muddy predicament.
Straight away he brought his smaller tractor over and commenced trying to extract the firmly stuck truck out of the muddy ground. This tractor wasn’t strong enough to pull the truck out, so he went to the other neighbour across the road who brought his larger tractor over. The two of them pulled the large truck out, and while they were at it, also moved the skip bin to a better place. This was a community working together.
Another time the neighbour with the big tractor was driving through our property to deliver a round bale of hay to the neighbour on the other side, when he buried his tractor. Again, both neighbours with tractors managed to extract the tractor, making a huge mess of our paddock in the process. Later, after all the works were completed and the ground was dry, the neighbour came back, smoothed the paddock mess and mowed the paddock.
Although we were both country-born and bred (in New Zealand!!!, Bl…dy kiwis), we also had experience in shearing and wool handling in Australia, New Zealand, Wales and England as part of our university holiday earnings and to fund our international travel. These skills gave us credibility in our small rural community because they involve hard work and have respect as roles in rural communities. They helped us to fit into Yandool community without judgement as to us being “Melbournian, city people” trying to cut the mustard in the bush.
It has been a journey and a challenge integrating into the quiet, rural community of Yundool – however it has been achieved, and we are comfortable in our space.
I should mention that another community acceptance for me has been the involvement in this writing group and the non-judgmental support in sharing our stories about our journeys in life in the country and life!
Thank you.
James Davey
August 2024
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