
time passed slowly older family memories never slip away


My wife Jill and her brother Murray now own this house which was originally built by their great great grandfather in the 1860’s. At this time one of the most productive gold mining areas in the world had developed in the area around the house and in surrounding valleys and was known as the Bendigo gold mine fields in Victoria Australia. The house was built by hand from mud bricks sourced from a nearby stream. Three generations of the family grew up here before it was finally leased for a while then left uninhabited until Jill’s family re-discovered it in the late 1960’s. Jill’s family spent hundreds of hours across many years repairing the mud brick walls and interior. We have enjoyed many picnics at the house and explored the flora of the surrounding area . A regional park adjoins the property and we wander out the back and through the remnants of the once bustling, prosperous gold fields observing nature and taking written records and photos..
This is my contribution to Ronovan Writes #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge 346 SLIP and Time. Visit this link to see many other HAIKU poetic responses .
So beautiful and interesting… Do you know, This post reminded me Grand Design Australia, one of my favourite TV program… How nice to rebuild it and keep the memories… Beautifyl area and photographs. And your haiku impressive while I was watching this house. Thank you dear Denis, Love, nia
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Thankyou Nia for your strong praise for my post. Even though modern town living is close by to this house in the front, out the back is bush, lots of birdlife and an escape from people and noise.
Interesting that you love watching Grand Design Australia. It is also one of our favourites although Grand designs New Zealand is number one favourite.
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Actually my first one is NZ Grand designs, But I love watchin them all, UK too. Welcome dear Denis, Love, nia
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A beautiful haiku Denis and what a wonderful story! It’s so lovely the property is enjoyed by the family again and I can imagine Jill and Murray’s great great grandfather smiling down on them from where he is now 🙂
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Thanks Xenia. The presence of ancestors gone is quite strong inside the house. It is amazing how our modern comforts and technologies make our lives more stressful and time poor compared to 160 years ago.
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what a jewel!
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Thanks Annette. That really sums up what this old house means to us and it is priceless.
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A fascinating sharing Denis. To have been able to keep a home and lands such as this intact and in the family is priceless. And because of the warm climate where you are the architecture is quite different than what my ancestors would have known…so very interesting to see.
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Thanks Janice. Mud Brick was a common building material because it was very cheap and could last in a hot/dry climate. However over time there was a lot of water damage, crumbling and termite destruction.Its a fine line of care at the moment as we areall older now.
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How heartening to read of this delightfully, picturesque property being back with the ‘original’ family. And, what a labour of love.
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Thanks Agnes. Almost 50 years have gone by since the big repir work and a lot needs doing again except we are all oldies now. Big decisions about the future are needed.
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How wonderful that the house has stayed in the family. The surroundings seem tranquil.
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It was a lucky family re-connection back in the late 1960’s. Suburbia has crept up at the front but luckily out the back is a regional natural park
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Wow! Such history. It must be awesome to be in a building that’s been standing for so long. They were done right back then.
Pat
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By world standards it is not old, but for our European built history in Victoria it is notable.
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I see what you mean
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