A DREAM REALISED CHEWTON BUSHLANDS STORIES 45 CHAPTER 7 Personal journeys 46 A DREAM REALISED ●7 PERSONAL JOURNEYS t takes a certain pioneering spirit to move, and then settle, into the I Bushlands. It’s never been a place for featherweights. When the subdivision first came on the market in November 1974, people were slow to take up the challenge. Some—though not all—of the first sales were to people who bought blocks as an investment or as weekenders, which they remain to this day. We don’t see those people often. During the 1980s about half of the blocks were sold to more hardy spirits, people brave enough to take on the adventure of actually living here. Some came, some went, but by the late 1980s there were many more who came, saw, and stayed. Over the last forty years, all up, dozens of residents have lived in the Bushlands on Parson’s subdivision or its surrounds. For whatever reason they chose to spend time here—its natural environment, its proximity to friends and community, the privacy, because it’s off grid, or some other reason— they all have different stories to tell. The fifteen personal stories in this chapter, ordered by year of purchase, paint a picture of this diversity. LEFT AND PREVIOUS PAGE Bushlands textures. PHOTOS: KIM WINDSOR A DREAM REALISED ●7 PERSONAL JOURNEYS 47 Susan Hellawell’s story ’75 ’76 ’77 ’78 ’79 ’80 ’81 ’82 ’83 ’84 ’85 ’86 ’87 ’88 ’89 ’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 have spent nearly four decades living in the We wanted to explore alternative Bushlands. I helped my husband Peter Hellawell energies, so we spent the next year avidly reading about solar and wind I build our stone house, our three children were power, house design, self-sufficiency born and grew up here, I buried my husband down the and animal husbandry. We also worked full time. The numerous road in a coffin built by his children and made from magazines and books we read wood that had been on our walls. I have watched the made it all sound so simple. In 1975 Hellawell accepted a job at the local vegetation and the had friends in the USA who high school, and then, in December animals flourish were exploring alternative 1976, we moved into the Bushlands. and diminish, the lifestyles; their ecstatic Over the next five months we letters about how good lived first in a tent, and then in the changing pattern that was supported the two-storey stone house next door, of the weather eccentric experiences before moving into a shack that, with and its effects. I Lot 30 we were amused by the help of friends, we had built on when watching the our land. Because it was supposed have shared my television program to be temporary, the shack we built time with the The Good Life. was tiny but as neither of us had Coincidentally, in 1974, after any experience building with stone people who, over much discussion with many of the (or building with anything) you that period, felt that hippies living nearby, Brian Parsons could say we were more than a little had subdivided 121 hectares into optimistic. Footloose and fancy free, this area could be their what became known as the Chewton with no children, we moved into the home. Bushlands. A year later his advert shack. By the time we moved into The 1970s was a fantastic time fell on fertile ground. That weekend part of our stone house in in Australia, possibly especially so we drove four hours up the Calder September 1979, we were because we were young. There was so Highway to see the Bushlands and much potential, so many ideas about met Brian and Tony Daniels, a local ways to live, and we had the ability to who worked for Brian. Tony showed try them out. us around and within an hour—and When Hellawell and I saw an without a qualm—we chose the advertisement placed by Brian plot and bought our place. Parsons in the Saturday Age in 1975, In the 1970s Australia we were living and working in outer was one of the leading Melbourne and for nearly a year had lights (excuse the pun) been thinking about buying our own in solar energy. Part place. We had been listening to close of our reason for friends who were enthusiastic about choosing our plot building something big, such as a was so we could house or a concrete boat. We also live independently. 48 A DREAM REALISED ●7 PERSONAL JOURNEYS At the time our friends and work colleagues thought we were mad to eschew not so footloose the comforts of the twentieth century. block and built and we had an an amazing 18 month old shed around toddler. a large tree that So, first with candles (getting up house next door. A couple, was used as the staircase. Helen to a baby in the middle of the night about our age and wearing very was pregnant with their first child, was sometimes a challenge), and little, drove up on a motorbike Joshua, who was born in March the then with solar, we adapted quickly, to warn us that they had seen a snake following year. Enid organised a new though not always without some cross our drive: they were Ray and year party to welcome them and tension. At the time, our friends Leslie Lindstrom from Essendon. introduce them to other Bushlanders. and work colleagues thought we Over the next few years we shared More people were moving into the were mad to eschew the comforts of dinners and barbecues and put the Bushlands. In late 1984 we met Linda the twentieth century. The passing world to rights; Leslie and I shared and Tony Cook, who were expecting of time and the awareness of the information about ways to grow their second child. The residents of fragility of our world have made plants in the challenging conditions. that period used to socialise, though increasingly mainstream what Today, thirty-eight years later, when having young children and building seemed back then to be a weird I walk around my garden, I enjoy houses didn’t leave much energy to choice made by a small number of seeing how the few bulbs planted cavort into the night, as we had done rather odd people. then have survived and multiplied, a few years earlier. As the children Water is something townspeople and how the deciduous trees, planted grew and more people moved in, used to take for granted, so how to as fire retardants, have survived we decided to have a party to help collect and use water was another rabbits, drought conditions and everyone meet everyone else. Our important lesson for us to learn. our goats, and have grown to give first formal Bushland Bash happened During the time we lived in the two- wonderful summer shade. in December 1985 at our place. We storey stone house, I had drawn up The other couple, Beryl and called the bash ‘Better Homes and the house plans and the Metcalfe Laurie Leslie, was a little older Ruins’, and left invitations at the shire engineer accepted them. He than us. Beryl and I shared a love doors of every house that appeared also suggested the installation of a of reading and had many chats to be occupied. Many people turned particular septic system that was discussing our latest finds. One up, bringing their contributions to the many decades ahead of its time. other couple, Scott and Karen Hall, feast. The December bash, which is Predating the use of grey water was here for a time at the beginning now thirty years old, has become an systems, the design enables effective of 1976, but they were very busy annual event, though not everyone is and safe use of every drop of water organising their home in Castlemaine able to make it every time. that leaves the house. We installed it and we rarely saw them. In our first ten years, many people in 1978 and it continues to work well. For quite a time we six were the tried living here full or part time, As we soon found out, two only full time residents I knew of, taking on the adventure of building other couples also moved into the but soon, others moved in. Enid and their own home and living without Bushlands at the end of 1976 and John Hall moved into their cottage, reticulated water, bathrooms or although there were rumours of the one their son Scott (see ‘Personal power. Many found it too difficult weekenders, we rarely saw them. journeys’, page 54) and daughter- and several relationships crumbled We met the first of those neighbours in-law Karen had briefly inhabited. under the strain. in early January 1977, soon after we Towards the end of 1978, Helen and Some people moved on, and then had moved into the two-storey stone Michael Melican moved onto their moved back. The circular award must A DREAM REALISED ●7 PERSONAL JOURNEYS 49 go to Douglas Banks and his wife friendly game of cricket, all of my have moved in, as weekenders and Eve, who, starting in 1978 with first children have survived and are fit, full-time residents, all of whom have one, then two, then three children, healthy, well adjusted and extremely experienced only drought, yet still built or renovated three separate adaptable.