Ruth and I are moving on…

Ruth and I have been incredibly fortunate to act as custodians for a small farm in the Yarra Valley these past 20 years; now it is someone else’s turn, it is time for us to move on...

So this is to pay pictorial homage to this wonderful place, its magnificent trees and the garden that has fed us for all this time. And maybe you might know of someone interested in a genuine lifestyle property: 40 McMaster’s Rd, Gladysdale adjoining the Little Yarra River and State Forest… , but first

   Thought for the Day

      There is no value in life

      Except what you choose to place upon it

      And no happiness in any place

      Except what you bring to it yourself

               Henry David Thoreau

 

For me it is the trees. Magnificent! 

Hundred year old Oaks, Elms and Liquid Ambers

Others prefer the intimacy of the forest paths

Still others, the towering Manna Gums, 

Messmates and other native forest trees.

Plus the Little Yarra River...

Some draw more joy from the landscaped flower gardens

Others, including us of course, 

have benefited from the rich soil 

developed in the vegetable beds over 20 years 

– will grow almost anything well now… 

The property has been managed using biodynamic and/or organic gardening principles for over 30 years. (It was fully BD for at least 10 years before we arrived). 

No domestic animals have grazed the land during our tenure.

We did make some enormous compost heaps

over the years... 

The orchard features most common and several uncommon fruit and nut varieties. A range of avocadoes and macadamias are highlights. 

There is a tree register recording all the significant trees – what they are; where and when they were planted.

 

There are many thousands of naturalised daffodils spread over around 1HA of the property 

– truly a field of gold in Spring. 

There are also many tulips, hyacinths and lilies.

 

The house is believed to have been built first in the 1920s and was one of the pioneering homesteads of the area. 

A significant extension was made in 1988, and renovated further in days gone by. 

 

We have rented out the single bedroom cottage to a series of excellent tenants. 

This quaint building was built by the Belgian Consul in 1956 to house some of their Olympic Equestrian team as they trained over the road at the Shirley Heights Equestrian Centre - which is still operating.

 

And there is the luxury of a self-contained studio 

where I do my painting.

 

The shed features one of my follies 

– a shadow board for tools I painted 

over a Christmas years ago. 

It also has electricity, lighting, water and a sink

And adjoins the glasshouse and 2 double carports.

The glasshouse also has electricity, lighting, water and a sink.

 

The property is blessed with multiple water sources that are very reliable.

i)               Roof tanks for house and cottage. 

ii)              There is a 200 litre stainless steel water tank that collects water for drinking. This tank also runs by gravity and has a bi-pass valve so water can be collected only when very clean.

iii)            Two megalitre domestic and stock pumping right from Little Yarra River. 

There is an old pumphouse and electric pump on the river bank.

iv)            A bore is linked to an extensive watering system that spreads throughout the garden, orchard and landscaping.  

v)             A substantial 4 megalitre dam is also linked by gravity feed to the watering system.

How does it feel?

Family, friends and others are asking how I feel about moving after spending so much time in this beautiful place, and having developed the gardens to such an extent?


It feels wonderful to have been here so long – the longest both Ruth and I have ever lived in the one place. But we never truly own anything – do we? We are just passing through… custodians for a while; with the opportunity to leave the place a little better than when we arrived. Hopefully, both the land, plants and buildings are all like that – a little better than when we arrived. 

So with gratitude, we are moving on… Very content with our time here.

Where to? 

Not exactly sure yet. We have a one bedroom flat in Melbourne that will provide a good interim, and once we have finalised things here, we can look to what comes next…