Christmas Letter 2025

Tim's Christmas Letter 2025: Part 2

We very much enjoyed our few days in Adelaide. Ian was a welcoming and gracious host, and it was also lovely to spend some time with our friend Jeanette.

Our first dinner with Ian. Ben was also a guest of Ian. He was in Adelaide to work with the Adelaide Baroque Orchestra.

Carrick Hill was built in the 1930s by Ursula and Edward Hayward. During their honeymoon in England, they purchased many of the fittings and furniture from the Beaudesert Estate in Staffordshire which was to be demolished. As a result, the building contains much oak panelling and furniture dating back to Tudor times. Because Carrick Hill was given to the South Australian government on a 'walk out, walk in' basis, almost all the original furniture and all the gardens surrounding it are intact. It was a great pleasure to explore the house with Jeanette.

Carrick Hill (with part of Jeanette)

We learned that the kitchen only needed to be of moderate size because the Haywards didn't have any children and the dining room only had the capacity for 10 people. Apparently, one had reached the highest social echelon if one received an invitation to dine at Carrick House. Lady Ursula preferred to entertain only a few visitors at once. One was never invited again if one was deemed to provide boring conversation over dinner! Over time, the guest list included Sir Kenneth Clark, Robert Helpmann, Katharine Hepburn, Anthony Quail, Sir Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, Judith Anderson, Googie Withers and Barry Humphries.

The Main Bedroom

The bed is of the Tudor period. If you are observant, you will have noted that the panels above the pillows are not decorated to the same extent as the rest of the structure. We learned that beds such as this were incredibly expensive and people liked to receive guests sitting up in bed so that they could see how rich you were. Therefore, the lower panels would have been covered by bolsters and pillows and would not have been seen!

There are many wonderful works of art at Carrick Hill. This screen was designed by the renowned William Morris & Co. in England. It was embroidered by Mary Isobel Barr Smith in Adelaide using Adelaide silk and silk damask. I thought it was absolutely stunning.

The above two photos show details of the screen.

There were many wonderful paintings. This one is "Blue Iris" by Stanley Spencer (1891-1959)

The servants' bells

We also visited the Adelaide Botanic Gardens with Jeanette.

The Gardens are a great place for families!

While partaking of Afternoon Tea, kindly provided by Jeanette, we watched this bird enjoy its snack, provided by the couple at this table who were both asleep!!

We enjoyed a wonderful concert at Elder Hall performed by the Adelaide Baroque Orchestra with Ben and other talented musicians. Ben is located to the right and below the lower central organ pipes.

Ben, Ian and I (joined later by Jeanette with her granddaughter, Florence) enjoyed exploring the National Rail Museum at Port Adelaide. This museum exhibits an eclectic collection of locomotives, carriages and other railway paraphernalia. It is very well set out, and all the items are clearly labelled and described.

Satoshi enjoying the locomotive driver simulation

Ben and Ian left us at the end of our visit. Jeanette, Florence, Satoshi and I enjoyed lunch at a local eatery before making our way to the nearby South Australian Maritime Museum. This proved to be another excellent museum with much to learn and enjoy.

A full-size replica of the ketch "Active II"

A model of the S.S. Oronsay. Apparently, Tony Abbott, the 28th Prime Minister of Australia, emigrated, aged 2, to Australia with his family aboard the Oronsay in 1960.

The skeleton of a dolphin.

There was a poster with "amazing" facts about dolphins:

1. Dolphins can't breathe through their mouths. This allows them to eat underwater.
2.   When dolphins are unconscious, they can't breathe. There is a plug over the blowhole that they must consciously open in order to breathe. It is a mystery to understand how they sleep. The most widely accepted theory is that they have learned to sleep near the surface, with half of their brain remaining functional.
3.   Dolphins have a brain as large and as complex as a human brain.
4.   Dolphin skin is very sensitive to water pressure. They can feel a person trying to touch them even when the hand is ten centimetres away.
5. Dolphins often swim with their fins or flippers touching like a couple holding hands.
6. The bones in their flippers are very similar to those in a human hand.
7. They see equally well above and below the surface of water.
8. Although their bodies are fish-like, they actually swim in a completely different way; fish swim with a side-to-side motion, the dolphin's body moves up and down.
9. They have tiny ear holes but actually hear (i.e. receive sound waves) through their lower jaw.

Cat heads were used to raise and lower the ship's anchor. Part of the decorative fabric of a ship, the cat head also denoted another superstition of the sea. Sailors considered a black cat at sea to bring them luck, while on dry land they brought nothing but bad omens.

It was interesting to learn that "when objects are retrieved from underwater, contact with oxygen forces absorbed salts to the surface of the object. The process can take decades. Salt in this plate from the wreck of the Charles Carter continues to blow the glaze off."

Part of the display above tells of the story of "Saucy Sarah"

"SAUCY SARAH AND THE WOWSER REVEREND
Port identity Sarah Francisco, 'a fine specimen of a woman, but unfortunately addicted to intemperance', was convicted of more than 290 charges of drunkenness, indecent language, assault, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace. Despite all, 'Saucy Sarah' was much loved. Her cheeky yet charming court-side manner often led to charges being reduced or dropped.

Sarah was taken in hand by the Salvation Army in April 1912 and soon proclaimed 'reformed'. Reforming wayward souls was the life work of the Reverend Joseph Coles Kirby (1837-1924). A temperance and social welfare crusader, Kirby served the Port Adelaide Congregational Church for 28 years. After his retirement in 1908, he devoted himself to drying out the Port. By 1915, he had closed 15 pubs, raised the legal drinking age to 21, and expelled barmaids from bars. Kirby also succeeded in making South Australia the first state to close pubs at 6 pm instead of 11 pm, leading to the notorious 'six o'clock swill'."

Captain Okita

We spotted this old tugboat from the other side of the port and drove around to investigate. It's the "Fearless". Click the link for another fascinating story!

The last visit for the day was to Semaphore Beach. I knew about the Semaphore and Fort Glanville Tourist Railway, which is located there, and had phoned the National Railway Museum before we left Melbourne because it was somewhat unclear on the website whether the train would be running or not. I was told that it would definitely NOT be running on the days we would be in Adelaide. When we got there, of course, the train WAS running but we were too late to get a ride. Very frustrating!

I was trying to get a photo of the length of the pier but people kept getting in the way. Then there was a small group of people who simply stayed there and would not move no matter how much I willed them to do so...

...Imagine the hilarity when I worked out who those people were, thinking that I wanted a photo of them!!

The next day was Sunday, so we attended the Bible Class that Ian holds at his place. It was good to catch up with Jane Tsakonas and Felicity Bhatnager there and to share thoughts about the passage being studied. Jeanette came as well and Ian provided roast lamb for lunch!

In the afternoon, we retraced our steps to Semaphore Beach and had our ride on the Semaphore and Fort Glanville Tourist Train. It's only a 30-minute return trip, but it runs along the coast and was quite pleasant. We also checked out the Semaphore Carousel and the Time Ball Tower.

"This beautiful vintage carousel, which is the largest in Australia, was built in 1928. It is located on the beautiful Semaphore Foreshore Park on the Esplanade near the jetty. The horses were hand-carved, with modest ornamentation, at a reputed cost of £20 each and were made by Melbourne craftsmen. Driven by an electrical lift motor and gearbox, it was the envy of the steam-driven carousels of the day. Originally based at Henley Beach, the carousel was moved to Jubilee Oval before coming to stay at Semaphore."

"This Time Ball Tower was erected in 1875 to enable ships at the anchorage and the inner harbour to rate their chronometers. The black ball was hoisted to the masthead at 12:57pm daily & dropped at 1:00pm by electric release from the Adelaide Observatory.
With the advent of wireless time signals, the service was discontinued in 1932."

In the evening, Jeanette and Ian accompanied us to St Peter's Cathedral for a service of Choral Evensong. Unfortunately, the Cathedral Choir was on holiday, but the visiting choir, "The Graduate Singers", was excellent.

Having seen the story of the Capri Theatre Organ on YouTube, I wanted to hear it live. Research suggested that there were no recitals during the period of our visit to Adelaide, but that we could go to a movie where the organ would be played beforehand. Once we got to the theatre and explained that we didn't want to see the movie, only hear the organ, the manager said we could go in for free!

It was wonderful to see the organ console slowly rise up from the bowels of the theatre, in the traditional manner, as the playing began. The organist was very capable, and he must have used almost every gadget available to him at some point in the short recital. It was a lot of fun!

When the organ is being used, the curtains to the left and right of the red centre curtain open to reveal...

That afternoon, we went on a tour of Her Majesty's Theatre. It was fascinating to hear about the history of this building and how it was completely gutted in a 2018 rebuild, resulting in the wonderful theatre of today. Highlights were the signature wall backstage and the brass plates set into the floors of the foyer areas with the names of some stars who have performed there.

The stage was set for a performance of "Cats"

Every detail of this building has been carefully planned. There is a good view of the stage from every seat, and the acoustics are excellent.

The building next door to the theatre was purchased to allow the installation of lifts and the extension of the foyer areas. A terrace was created on the roof to provide a bar area for patrons. There is also a private function room at this level.

Part of the signature wall in the backstage area.

Dawn French

Robert Helpmann

Ian McKellen

Prunella Scales

We took Ian out for dinner on our last night in Adelaide. The steak was excellent!

It is difficult to describe Old Tailem Town, our first stop on the way home. It is a collection of over 100 buildings, each in various states of decay, filled with memorabilia in various states of decay. This was my 4th visit. It is certainly a fascinating place to visit. Some of the buildings are original and have been moved to Old Tailem Town, others were recreated, trying to use the materials and methods of the time the building represents. Although we were there for several hours, we still didn't quite cover it all. Satoshi and I took 348 photos between us. It was quite a job selecting which ones to include below.

It's hard work being a tourist!

Peake Railway Station

I remember this style of phone box well. It was usual to have to press "Button A" when the call was answered at the other end, but never "Button B". What was "Button B" there for?

When we arrived at Keith that night, we met up with Jenny and friend Carol, who had travelled from Melbourne via train and coach to join us. Both Jenny and Carol spent some time in Hamilton over 50 years ago when their husbands were sent there to teach. They have been friends ever since. They joined us in order to revisit some of their haunts in Hamilton.

A hearty breakfast in Keith before Jeanette returned to Adelaide and the rest of us headed eastward.

This was in a gift shop at Casterton.

Wannon Falls, a few kilometres west of Hamilton

The size of this magnificent Algerian Oak Tree becomes apparent when compared to the heights of Jenny and Carol.

A rhododendron flower

A camellia flower

The six photos above were taken at Hamilton Botanic Gardens.

That night, our accommodation was at the National Hotel in Coleraine. This turned out to be quite an adventure. The 90-year-old building is being gradually renovated. The rooms do not have an ensuite and there were issues with the power. Despite all this, it was the most expensive of all the places we stayed during the trip. I don't think I will choose to stay there again!

There was a guest lounge room with a large TV screen, so we made use of it to view some of the photos we had taken thus far. There was also access to the balcony. A basic breakfast was provided in the guest kitchen (once more power issues had been overcome).

I had not heard of Warrock Homestead until Jenny shared an article about it in an Australian Geographic magazine. As a result, we included it in our itinerary. The property includes 30 outbuildings as well as the main homestead, almost all of which were open to visitors. Once again, there was a huge amount to see but, this time, there were only 304 photos from which to select a few to include here!

The main homestead

The Dining Room

The Cigar/Gentlemen's Room

There is a saying, "if only these walls could speak". There are many times when someone would be pleased that they can't. Here is a story from the house concerning this room:

"On the wall facing the hallway was the first fireplace. This was moved by George Robertson to where it currently sits today. The Old fireplace cavity was then hidden behind a false wall in which George Robertson hid his alcohol and was also an access point to the attic for the maid.

Story has it that the Maid (Sara Gilbride) used to sleep up in the attic and at night she would sneak downstairs through the secret panel to visit George Robertson Patterson 1st. Whilst down there in the room, George and the Sara would partake in activities, which would consequently lead to Sara falling pregnant. Whilst this was happening, George's wife Mary Grace Simson, who was very ill, lived in the back bedroom until she moved to St Kilda where her father was, and passed away there. Sara Gilbride would return to her native New Zealand.

After his wife passed away, George and Sara married after he went to New Zealand to bring her back to Warrock. Upon returning to the homestead, Sara went through the house and boarded up all the secret passages which led to the attic so that no future maids could do what she had done!"

Warrock Homestead is still a working farm. I'm sure these cows do not always have such wonderful green grass to eat!

This was the original cottage on the property. It was built in 1843.

This is thought to be the earliest surviving free-standing conservatory in Victoria. Dating from the late 1850s, it was constructed of glass and hand-sawn timber. The entrance has a breezeway and two rooms. The left was used for storage, and the right originally had a small stove for heating the cast-iron water pipes which ran beneath the flowerpot benches. The conservatory also had a furnace which was used to heat the building.

"Shearer's Lavatory" painted by Presbyterian Ladies College November, 1985.
Needless to say, Jenny (who used to teach at Presbyterian Ladies College) was teased unmercifully about the quality of the painting undertaken on this and other outbuildings!

The brick building was the Men's Dining Room.

Meals were cooked over an open fire at the end of the room. The bread oven in the front kitchen was a later addition.
The slate roof and its Flemish bond brickwork with dark headers make this building conspicuous in a complex of largely timber buildings.
At one point, it was also used as a schoolhouse in winter for the children of Warrock.

It was expensive if your animals "trespassed".

"The belfry was most likely built around 1864 - 1865, as there is an account for 3 pounds 5 shillings for a turret bell dated 4 April 1864 from James McEwan & Co.
Constructed from machine-sawn weatherboards with red gum studs and brick foundations, it was originally a single room, which was later converted to two rooms. One reputedly provided sleeping quarters for an aborigine who worked on the property. The bell was used to summon men for work and meals and to alert of danger to the property."

As with Millewa Pioneer Settlement and Old Tailem Town, some of the buildings were in better shape than others!

The Shearing Shed was built between 1865 & 1867.

A lovely old River Red Gum

This rather unimposing structure is the kennels where the first Kelpie dogs were bred about 1870.

Dinner that night was at the Ballarat Golf Club.

The next morning, we back-tracked a little to nearby Beaufort to visit the Vegemite Museum.

This headpiece and the associated dress above were in the running to be Australia's entry in the 2016 Miss World Costume Competition. Sadly, it was not the one chosen!

We're Happy Little Vegemites!

The last place we visited on this trip was Ballarat Wildlife Park. The weather was wonderful and there were some great photo opportunities.

The highlight of the visit was the crocodile show, the star of which was the aptly-named "Crunch". He is 5 metres in length and weighs over 600kg. He is believed to be about 65 years old (the same as me!)

On the 23rd of October, I had to have the wisdom teeth on my lower jaw removed. The surgery, under general anaesthetic, took an hour and a half. Apparently, one of the wisdom teeth was fused to the jaw, necessitating drilling into the jaw. The surgeon must have done an excellent job because I experienced very little pain. For the first week or so, I was not very hungry. I found it difficult to concentrate, and there were many naps. Annoyingly, I was not allowed to eat food more solid than lasagna until December 4th! The first steak after that time frame was absolutely delicious! One of the positives of the surgery was that I lost 6kg in two weeks! I was deeply grateful for the surgeon's skill and the care shown by all the staff at Monash House Private Hospital. Thanks to Jenny, too, who drove me there and waited patiently until I was ready to be driven home again.

It took a long time for this bruise to go!

Jenny and Darryl at 35 Arthur St for Jenny's birthday. Darryl is now 82 and is choosing to stay home a lot more these days. Jenny, Darryl, Satoshi and I get together most Tuesday nights to watch a movie, taking turns to select a title.

At the beginning of December, the oven door broke. It was as old as the house (at least 50 years), so it had done a sterling service. Although the oven still worked, the door would fall open at the slightest touch. The purchase of a new oven overcame this dangerous situation.

Going...

Gone!

The new oven installed

Fudge and Butterscotch get along very well and seem happy and healthy. Fudge is now 3 years of age and Butterscotch is 10.

One does not have to go far to see the beauty of God's creation. The flowers above were all in the garden at home (ably tended by our gardener, Jenny!)

The Carol Service at St John's was held on Sunday, 21st December. It was very well attended, and I was delighted that my colleagues Lisa and Lorraine were with us, as well as Jenny, some of Satoshi's family and some of his work colleagues too. The music was of an exceptionally high standard this year.

To my left are Lorraine, Lisa and Jenny. Chisato, Mina, Jerry and Kazuto are to my right.

Christmas Day lunch at 35 Arthur St

The year 2025 has been good to me. I am happy at home, at work and at church. It is easy to forget how much there is for which to be thankful. We are as safe in Australia as anywhere in the world. We have comfortable, secure places in which to live and work, and we have plenty of food. Our medical system is excellent. Above all this, I am most grateful for you, my friends.

I wish you all a blessed Christmas season and a happy, healthy and fulfilling 2026.

With love,

Click here to return to Part 1 of the Christmas Letter 2025

Click here to read previous Christmas Letters.