Reminds me of home.

Reminded me of home

Reminded me of home as a kid

For me, this small farmhouse is one that I fell in love with as soon as I saw it twenty years ago.  Perhaps because the construction and design are very similar to the little house in Albury where I was born and lived for a greater part of my early life.  In hindsight, those were most probably the best years of my life.

The day I stopped by this old home there was not a breath of wind, it was so quiet and peaceful and I was able to wander around the outside of the building as well as having a peek inside.

There was an empty space where the old coal range used to be at one end of the pokey little kitchen, which I imagine doubled as a dining room and sitting room.

The low ceiling reminded me of that kitchen at home where the sink was at the lowest point to the ceiling.  If one was more than six foot tall you were in trouble and to wash the dishes you were required to stand with your knees bent to avoid hitting your head on the ceiling.

Mrs Sewell lived here for a number of years in her married life; this old home holds some cherished memories for her, also memories of hardships the family experienced living without electricity and where water had to be carried by hand from its nearest source.  She spoke of the plum tree at the corner of the house where her daughter played for countless hours on end. 

While sketching this old cottage, entirely constructed of timber, it wasn’t difficult for me to let my thoughts drift into the past, in fact, it wouldn’t have surprised me in the least if a horse and gig had turned in the gateway.

I think some of us are very privileged to travel through life and be given the opportunity to look back and to perhaps laugh or shed a tear.  It appears this old timber weatherboard home was part of the Shepherds Bush Run back in the 1870’s or 80’s and after World War One, much of this land was cut into roughly forty hectare blocks, called Settlement Blocks for those Returned Servicemen, who wished to live off the land and perhaps have the opportunity to begin life all over again.

I wonder if this quaint old building will ever have a similar chance to start life over again.