Christmas at my grandparent’s farm, Glen Avon, Apollo Bay
on the south coast of Victoria
in 1938
complete with gum tree Christmas tree
And how different times were when a new handkerchief pinned to the tree was to be treasured.. This year’s new addition to the family was given a doll and there were some crackers for the dinner table, all displayed on a gum tree branch from down the paddock.
We didn’t know that day that less than 3 weeks later, on Black Friday, January 13th 1939, we would spend the night on the beach watching the smoke and sparks billow from behind the distant headland each time a house in Lorne caught fire. We had come down from the farm with Grandma’s glory box strapped onto the luggage rack at the back of the car. the car was always known as “Susie”
This photo of fire on the horizon came form Jack Jones oral history of this fire in the Otways. Jack was 18 at the time.
But this happy Aussie Christmas song didn’t come until later.
And a very Merry Christmas to you all.
And for more Christmas writings from the sepians go to Sepia Saturday
Bound for Australia 