Dear Friends,

Incredible though it feels, December is upon us, so it's time to turn my thoughts to writing this letter. As always, I had hoped to achieve this before the 1st Day of Christmas, but, as always, I failed in this aspiration. I hope that you will have more time to read it now, as I have had to prepare it. Having taken over 4,500 photos during the year, it took a number of hours to select those to be included here.

January was, as usual, very quiet. I try to keep it that way in order to "recharge the batteries" for the rest of the year. I don't often go away at this time of year because everywhere is too crowded, too hot and too expensive! This year, however, was even quieter than usual because Satoshi went to Japan. His sister, Haruna, and her partner have purchased an apartment in Fukuoka, and they invited him to stay with them. We all missed Satoshi at our New Year's Eve celebration but, with the wonders of modern technology, we were able to "FaceTime" with him so he could be with us that way.

I enjoyed a day with friends Prue, Barbara and Chris at Prue's holiday house in Cape Paterson. On the way home, we visited the former State Coal Mine at Wonthaggi. Although it was too late in the day to experience a tour of the underground section, we enjoyed meandering around the many exhibits above ground.


One of the displays concerned the Wonthaggi Fire Brigade and included the photos below.



You can imagine my reaction when a closer inspection of the board revealed the name of the individual below!




Satoshi and I enjoyed meeting up with friend Shirley for lunch later in the month. Shirley was the Principal at Chatham in 2018 and we have kept in touch ever since.



As usual, we visited Barwon Heads for a day and enjoyed a lunch with Jenny and Linton at a nearby café.


It wasn't long before I found myself back at school. It was annoying to have to move rooms again this year. Last year's room was actually two rooms combined, so moving into just one felt a bit squishy. The room is actually one of the nicer ones in the school with windows on two sides, so it was pretty good really. My class consisted of 21 Year 3/4 students with the usual mix of abilities and personalities. As always, some of them had more "personality" than I would have liked but they were a good bunch overall.

As well as a new room, I had a new team with whom to work. Lorraine and Lisa each taught a class full time and a new teacher to our school, Declan, taught my class on Thursdays and Fridays and also provided Performing Arts lessons to all the students in the school. Starting off with a new team is always a little unsettling but I soon found that I had nothing at all to be concerned about. Although we each have different skill sets and preferences, we all got on really well together and enjoyed much camaraderie and fun throughout the year. It was sad to say goodbye to Declan at the end of the year as he is moving to a different school. I am delighted that, in 2026, I will be working with Lisa and Lorraine again.

One of the facilities we enjoy at Chatham is the kitchen garden. The lovely lady responsible for this is Leda. She provides cooking and gardening sessions for all our students and looks after the garden.


A busy bee

One day, Leda came into my classroom with a small paper cup and invited me to taste the ice cream within. It was delicious! She explained that she was going to include the making of ice cream in the next series of lessons for Year 3/4. My understanding of making ice cream was that, unless one has an ice cream machine, the process is quite a lengthy procedure so I was a little sceptical. I was amazed to learn from Leda just how simple her recipe is:


Having seen the success Leda achieved at school and tested it at home, I made some ice cream to go with the pudding on Christmas Day. It received rave reviews! Thanks, Leda!

We were delighted to learn that our friend James, who lives in England, was to visit us again in March. He was attending a conference for his work but was able to stay with us for a few days. During this time, we took him to Moonlit Sanctuary. As the name suggests, it is possible to visit there after dark to see some of Australia's nocturnal animals much more readily than usual. Although I had visited Moonlit Sanctuary once before, it was many years ago. Despite the presence of myriads of mosquitoes (luckily "Aerogard" was provided with the advice to apply it liberally), we had a wonderful couple of hours being led through the park with a guide. One of the many highlights was being able to enter the enclosure housing sugar gliders. We were provided with nectar to feed them and we were allowed to pat them. I could not believe how soft their fur is. What a privilege it was!







We continued our "animal" theme with a visit to Ballarat Wildlife Park the next day. Once again, we had a thoroughly enjoyable time.






Satoshi with his friend "Shaun".

The next stop was Sovereign Hill. We enjoyed a tour of one of the mine tunnels and James and Satoshi tried their hand at panning for gold.




James, being an accomplished organist, it was arranged for him to play the new organ at St.John's, Camberwell.


After Church on the Sunday of James's visit, a number of parishioners enjoyed a morning tea with him at Mr Sister.

It was sad to say goodbye to James at the end of his stay as we don't know when we will see him again. Hopefully, Caroline will be able to join him next time!

During the first week of the Term 1 holidays, Satoshi and I had a few days at Hepburn Springs. We stayed at an old miner's cottage called "Bonnie Brae". It was quirky but comfortable. Moving around was a bit of an adventure as the floor was not quite level! We enjoyed several relaxing and peaceful days in the area.




This painting was for sale at a local eatery. I didn't think it was all that wonderful but casually checked the label to find the price, thinking it would probably be overpriced at perhaps $800 or $900.



You can imagine my total disbelief upon finding the actual cost!!


Jubilee Lake is a favourite spot in Daylesford. We enjoyed a leisurely walk around the perimeter.



One should never miss an opportunity to practise gymnastics.

This bridge is a relic of the railway that ran from Daylesford to North Creswick. It was built in 1887 and closed in 1953. The photos below show the bridge as it was.








There are a number of mineral springs in the area. In my opinion, the taste ranges from "OK" to undrinkable!
The annual conference organised by Jenny's and Darryl's church took place in the middle weekend of the holidays. Once again, my role was to design a quiz on the Saturday night and to provide the music for some of the hymns.


Felicity (another friend from Adelaide), Jenny, Darryl, Ian, Satoshi and I enjoyed an after-conference dinner at Chen Yuen Chinese Restaurant.


Ian Miller, a long-time friend from Adelaide, stayed with us for a few days following the conference. It was lovely to share the Holy Week services at St.John's with him. A tour of the MCG with Ian was also on the agenda. Despite my lack of interest in sport, I found the tour very informative and entertaining.




A statue of Don Bradman


MCG 150th Anniversary Tapestry
Designed by Robert Ingpen and commissioned to mark the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, this 7m x 2m tapestry traces the history of the MCG through 186 images of individuals, groups or events that have graced the arena since 1853. Working from A3 paintings provided by the artist, weavers at the Victorian Tapestry Workshop created the masterpiece over nine months.


Because we had enjoyed our visit to Moonlit Sanctuary so much, we decided to take Ian there too. Once again, the evening was a wonderful experience and it provided more photographic opportunities.





Ian in the process of dismantling his "Avan", a process taking only a few minutes.

A happy "snap" just before Ian's departure.


Our friend Ben (Jenny's and Darry's grandson) completed his music degree last year. This year, he played the oboe at many concerts. We attended as many as possible.
 

Ben playing with the Zelman Orchestra.



Ben with his "groupies", Satoshi, Lynne, Linton, Sue and me



A post-concert dinner at Sofia's with Sue, Ben, Satoshi, Lynne, Linton, Lauren and Jenny


I have discovered that one of the worst things about getting older is the increased likelihood of friends passing away. Sadly, this year saw two very good friends leave us.

I have known Alan Dilnot since the 1980s when he joined the choir at St Mary's in Chadstone. When I moved to St John's, East Malvern, in 1989, Alan came with me and sang in the choir there until only a few years ago. He was a regular attender of our "Music Nights" and could always be relied upon to provide a reading from Dickens in a most capable and entertaining manner. Alan also relished joining in the singing of Victorian songs at these evenings.


Alan with his partner, Clare
We were also very sad to lose our friend, Anne Geddes. She had an incurable lung disease which made breathing increasingly difficult for her over recent years. Anne joined the choir at St Paul's, East Kew, in about 2013 and became an integral part of my friendship group over the ensuing years. She was a vibrant, exuberant and generous friend. Anne loved helping in my classroom and volunteered to do so one day a week for many years. The children loved her enthusiasm and joyfulness. Anne was very artistic and enjoyed sharing this passion with the class. At Christmas and Easter, she designed activities and purchased the necessary resources for each student in the whole level (about 90 students) to create wonderful artworks. The esteem with which she was held by the school was evident when the Principal, Assistant Principal and President of the School Council attended her funeral.


Anne always loved dressing up. This was at a book parade at Chatham.

At "Miss Marple's" in Sassafras


I also learned that my cousin, Jan Dines, had passed away. At first, I thought the emails I received on this subject were coming from a scammer but it turned out to be true. Unfortunately, Jan did not leave a will. This has caused an enormous amount of trouble. The company "Finders International" was the first to make contact. They had to try to locate each of Jan's relatives who might have a claim on the estate. I don't know how they found me but I was able to help with the names of several others. I was appointed to be the executor so I have been in contact with the firm of lawyers who are dealing with the issue. In England, when someone is found to be intestate, public notices are placed in newspapers to try to find potential beneficiaries. Unfortunately, this can lead to all sorts of people making claims. One person contacted the lawyers, claiming to be the sole beneficiary and asked for money immediately. The lawyers simply rejected this and he was not heard of again. Jan owned two houses and there was some money in a bank account. Many issues have arisen, including that someone moved into the house in Luton, claiming to have a lease. The "landlord" was proven to be a fake and the "renters" were evicted by the police. Most recently, someone else contacted the lawyers claiming to have a will. He refused to send a copy for some time but has done so now. The lawyers think it's fake but it might be difficult to prove and may end up in court. I have learned a lot about legal issues surrounding intestate people and I suggest in the strongest possible terms to ensure that you have a will!

We travelled to Merimbula during the July holidays. This was another relaxing and fun experience. Many of our favourite haunts were revisited. On the Thursday night, we had dinner at the RSL. They have a trivia night each Thursday and we were delighted to meet up with the two couples with whom we have competed in the past. I think we came 3rd!


Breakfast at Lakes Entrance. The weather was SO lovely that even I thought it would be nice to eat outside!



The "Footbridge Mini Golf, Lolly Shop & Ice Cream Shack" is one of the best mini golf places. It's also quite quirky. The sign above the water bowl reads "Spring water for your dog or short people with low standards".



I don't often feel the need to take photos of toilet doors but I made an exception for this one!



Another favourite place is the Nowa Nowa Trestle Bridge. Sadly, no maintenance is being carried out on this magnificent structure. Every time I visit, I wonder if it will still be standing.





The historic wharf at Tathra. There is a small but very interesting museum located inside.



One of the displays includes stories of shipwrecks. In case you can't read the title above, it states:
"In October 1897, the lives of 48 people on the "Kameruka" were saved by tying a rope around a pig;
it swam ashore and the people followed the rope." What an amazing story!

The McDonald's in Merimbula offers sweeping views of the lake. This seagull flew past just as I was taking the photo!



Merimbula Beach - note the blue sky!


Potoroo Palace is a small wildlife park near Merimbula. There were many opportunities for photos.


A White-Faced Heron







This is one of my most successful wildlife photos. It's an Eastern Spinebill.



Everywhere was so green!



The area around Boyd Tower has been updated, making access very easy.


The Tower is very solid, it won't be going anywhere soon!



Disaster Bay Lookout



Green Cape Lighthouse. The old light is decommissioned, having been replaced by the probably-functional but aesthetically-ordinary structure to the right.



A resident of the lighthouse



Bournda National Park covers much of the coast north of Merimbula. The Tasman Sea is on the left with Lake Wallagoot on the right.



I wondered what these two might be saying to each other.




Brogo Dam looked idyllic in the evening light.





On the way home, we visited Genoa Falls. The population of Eastern Water Dragons has still not totally recovered from the bushfire in 2019 but there are some smaller specimens. Hopefully, they will grow into larger ones over time.
During August, there was the Year3/4 Camp. It was held at Arribri Lodge which is located in East Warburton. As I had organised it, I was very glad to get everyone safely back to school with a lot of happy memories.



One of the activities was a wildlife experience which was enjoyed by all.



During the trip back to school, we stopped at the Redwood Forest (near Warburton). The trees are amazing and well worth a visit.


Another highlight at Chatham was the annual "Book Week" celebrations. Everyone is invited to come to school dressed as a favourite book character.


Lisa, Tim and Lorraine. The fourth member of our team is on the right of the image below.

Christmas seems to arrive earlier each year in the shops. Incredibly, the photo below was taken at Westfield Doncaster on the 14th September!



During the September holidays, Satoshi and I embarked upon a road trip. This took us to Eaglehawk, Minyip, Mildura, Paringa, Murray Bridge, Adelaide, Keith, and Ballarat. There was a lot of driving but never more than three hours in a day. This allowed us time to explore the areas we passed through. Most of the time was spent in Adelaide, where friend Ian provided accommodation in his comfortable 'granny flat'. We were joined by Jenny and our friend Carol in Keith and they travelled with us for the remainder of the journey. The trip was everything that I like in a holiday - good company, relaxation, interesting places to visit and stress-free.

A friend, Rachel, who lives in Dunolly, invited us to see the Anglican Church and for me to play the organ. Sadly, the congregation has dwindled to two, so it is very likely that the church will be sold.


St John's, Dunolly





Sometimes, when churches close, the local community rallies to do something to save them. The community of Carapooee purchased St Peter's (known as the "Pebble Church"), and it is now a community resource. The adjacent water tanks are painted with scenes of the church being constructed.



Not many churches have a concrete floor. This was put in to help stabilise the building.



I had thought that the Bible Museum in St Arnaud had closed because its owners were moving to Perth. I was delighted to learn from Rhonda Barns that they had decided not to move and were still open. I know that the words "bible" and "museum" do not conjure up much interest for many people and having them together makes it even worse! However, the museum is full of items of much interest. There are thousands of Bibles, some of the earliest printed, with complete or partial copies on display. There are Jewish scrolls, models of the Temple and the Ark of the Covenant, and so much more!

I'm trying to downsize a little at home and I had ten boxes of Bibles and old hymnbooks packed up. I was beginning to think that they would have to go into the recycling because I could not find anyone who wanted them. I called the ladies at the Bible Museum to ask if they were interested. They said "yes" and even offered to pay for the petrol to get them there. I was really quite thrilled! I had a copy of the Bible printed in Pitman's Shorthand and was quite sure that they wouldn't have had that version. I was amazed to learn that they had FIVE copies of it already!!





I learned that the artist Pro Hart painted 15,000 Gideons' bibles in the hope that people receiving them would keep them. What an amazing thing to do!


Wood's Heritage Museum at Rupanyup is one of the most amazing museums I have ever visited. The collection is enormous and eclectic. We spent many hours there, but it was not enough. We had to retrace our steps the next day in order to see everything!



Satoshi and I visited this castle in Scotland.



Because of the cat on the tin, I remember that my father smoked "Craven A" cigarettes!




The rooms of several houses have been rebuilt into one of the sheds.



Great taste in crockery in this dining room!




Everything was displayed so well. Apparently, each section of the museum is maintained by a different volunteer. This means everything is kept in excellent condition.



I'd forgotten about microfiche readers! They were used in libraries in order to consult the catalogue.

Louie the Fly!


I remember this model of kettle from my childhood. Of course, having one of ANYTHING won't do for this museum!

I wholeheartedly agree with this recommendation!




Matchboxes!


There is a whole room of wedding dresses! Nearly all of them bore the names and photos of those who wore them. Amazing!


They only have 95 tractors. Quite disappointing really!


I enjoyed this humour!

Rupanyup Station

Wonderful silo art! It must be so difficult to paint at this scale on a curved surface!


The Murtoa No. 1 Grain Store, also known as the Murtoa Stick Shed is the largest rustically-built structure in the world. It was a 'temporary' grain shed, 270m long and 60m wide, built in late 1941 and early 1942, using 560 unmilled mountain ash tree trunks. It is a truly astounding structure and definitely worth a visit. Photos simply do not do it justice. This is the last of a number of similar structures built in Australia around this time. There was also one located at Dunolly which was twice the size. Sadly, it was demolished in 1987.


It was actually very difficult to find a vantage point where a photo could capture the whole length of the building!




Can you see Satoshi in the centre of the photo? He is standing about halfway down the length of the building. The white circles on the floor are sunlight shining through small holes in the roof!
From the Stick Shed, we were advised to visit the museum of the Wimmera Inland Freezing Works. Volunteers have spent thousands of hours restoring the steam engines that powered the machinery and refrigeration plant. Meat was frozen and then distributed as far away as the UK. It was another fascinating place to visit. Sadly, we could not afford to spend as much time as we (or the very enthusiastic volunteers on site) would have liked!







Satoshi generating electricity





This incredible old tractor was started up for our benefit. A volunteer behind the truck is working the "magic" while our guide looks on. The noise involved is indescribable!
Murtoa also boasts another museum housed in the old water tower. This was built towards the end of the 19th century to serve the needs of the railway and the town. The ground floor contains the impressive taxidermy collection of James Hill who died in 1932. Three other floors contain a variety of exhibits, most centred around the local area.









What an amazing process to produce lace!




This photo, taken on the 3rd floor, shows the base of the old water tank.
All our stops between Murtoa and Renmark were suggested by Chris Cotching (Principal of Chatham). He grew up in Mildura so he knows the area very well. Thanks for the great advice, Chris!

 Johansen Reserve, located in Cullulleraine, on the shore of Lake Cullulleraine is a pleasant spot for a respite from driving and for eating a picnic lunch.




This Australasian Swamp Hen invited itself for lunch.




The reserve provided entertainment for the young...







... and the young at heart.
The nearby town of Werrimull includes this weather radar (I had no idea what it was until we read the sign on the fence), and several painted silos.
The Millewa Pioneer Park, situated 90 km from Mildura on Millewa road at Meringur consists of over fifty buildings to explore. It is free to enter and is open 24/7. There were no volunteers or staff present during our visit, and we were heartened to realise that the public is trusted not to vandalise or steal from the park. Once again, many of the exhibits were of great interest.


The "Meat Safe Cot" was brought into use approximately 70-80 years ago ,immediately after WW11. It got its name from the fact it resembled the bush meat safe which was designed with fly wire mesh to protect freshly hung meat from the blowflies.
They were used extensively in remote bush homesteads to keep babies safe from poisonous "creepy crawlies".



I'm sure many loaves of delicious bread were baked here.





This charcoal cool safe was constructed in 1943. The walls and door are filled with charcoal as insulation.




It was quite hot during our visit and we were surprised by how much cooler it was in this cellar than outside.



Kurnwill State School 4385 was built in 1928.




Among the books, there were several "old friends" including "The Little House" which was a favourite of mine when I was in kindergarten!



Not all of the buildings were in excellent condition (but most were considerably more stable than this one)!




This organ, located within the old church building above still had its...



...original warranty is attached, dated1906!



Several old railway station buildings are on-site, including Millewa Station.
Our next destination was Renmark and Paringa. This is the location of the Renmark Paringa Community Museum. The exhibits include a collection of 70 vintage stationary engines (most in working order), horticultural and agricultural machinery, trucks, tractors and wagons.




Satoshi demonstrating the "Bagshaw" winnower. A winnower is a machine that is designed to separate grain from chaff & dirt prior to bagging and marketing. Portable winnowers such as this were brought to the corner of a paddock when harvesting was in operation. In the simplest winnowing machine, the blast of air from a fan, which rotated inside the machine, was directed onto a stream of grain passing over a shaking sieve from a hopper at the top of the machine. The "Bagshaw" winnower is hand-operated, designed for Australian conditions, and a great advance over the old practice of tossing grain in the air to remove the chaff.


A Colman Self-Heating Iron...



...and the instructions for its use!



Machinery for constructing wooden crates



"Dawiddlestwittlevisitorinformationcentarinawstraliar"!
It was most interesting to learn that the suburb of Melbourne, "Sunshine", was named after the factory that built the Sunshine Harvester. "The Sunshine Harvester Works was for many years the largest factory in Australia, and it grew prodigiously to cover 30 acres (12 ha), employ 2500 workers and in 1926 distribute £600,000 in wages and salaries. The complex was completely self-sufficient, manufacturing every item required, including metal tubing, nuts and bolts, woodwork, and even the bikes used by plant supervisors."


I suspect this is the only public toilet in Australia with its own television set!



The Paringa Suspension Bridge opened in 1927. It is still used today to allow larger paddle steamers to pass (and, of course, for vehicles to cross the river).



Having followed the sign "To Willitsinkorwon'tit" we arrived here. Satoshi and I were discussing what this actually was when a voice from inside called, "Come aboard!" We were taken aback a little at this, but decided to follow the instruction.



We met Frank (locally known as "The Chookman" due to the fact that he takes his chickens for walks). We learned that this vessel can actually move up and down the river.



A guitar-like instrument made from parts of a frying pan



We had never seen shelving quite like this!




The Dunny



It is an understatement to say that Frank is a "character" but he was very friendly and proud to show us his creation. It was definitely the highlight of our time in Renmark!



The paddle steamer "Industry" is in working order and takes passengers on cruises down the Murray. Sadly, it was not operational during our time in Renmark.




The Big Bend Lookout at Nildottie



Murray Bridge has the smallest cathedral I have ever seen! Sadly, it was not open.
Monarto Safari Park was visited the next day. It is claimed that it "...is now the largest safari experience to exist outside of Africa. Spanning more than 1,500 hectares and home to more than 50 species of exotic and native mammals, birds and reptiles, you can fit every major zoo in Australia inside the Park and still have land left over!" In my opinion, size isn't everything. One has to move around the park by bus and it can take 20 minutes for one to arrive and it is not easy to take photos from a bus. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable visit overall.





I liked the way that children were provided for in the bathroom.



Upon studying this poster, it was amusing to ponder what some people must get up to in the bathroom!

Click here to go to Part 2 of the Christmas 2025 Letter