The Kibbutz in Elwood...

"They met on the bridge at midnight

But never will they meet again.......

For she was just a jersey cow

And he was a country train......"

My sister wrote this in my new autograph book. It was a cream embossed book with multi coloured pastel pages. Somehow this stuck with me and has become a metaphor for life. In amongst the love, beauty and kindness there is also a brutal reality which keeps us in check.

Malcolm comes for lunch

A buzz consumed Wave St that Sunday morning in 1968 in the Californian Bungalow which mum bought 12 years before under duress. Dad was layed up in hospital after a jeep roll at Puckapunyal or 'Pucka' as he called it. He sustained a punctured lung and had his spleen removed and remained in hospital for a number of weeks.

When the real estate agent showed mum the property which was going at a reduced price. He whisked mum (Sheila) through the small rooms of the 1930s 'Cal Bung' and she began to notice a recurring line in the rooms at picture rail level...

"What's that line?" she tentatively asked (being a woman of the mid fifties and out of her comfort zone!) As she didn't want to create a fuss..

"Oh, yes there was a bit of a flood 3 months ago combined with a high tide along the canal. The water board engineers are working on it at the moment so it shouldn't happen again!"

Sheila believed a leap of faith was the only solution in that decision making moment. The only other alternative was to continue living with her rather Victorian parents in Brighton. So the deal was done as  18,000 pounds bought their future.

On this particular Sunday morning mum was busy in the kitchen cooking lunch for a special guest called Malcolm Muggeridge. In the late 1960s Malcolm was well known for his intellect and vast writings on religion and programs on the BBC. Still a practicing agnostic at that time he probably caused some consternation in religious circles. Though his gentle manner and ability to listen to alternative opinions he quickly accumulated a following. 

Dad was working on a TV series called Encounter for Crawford Productions with Barry Jones and they had secured Malcolm to feature on the program which brought him to Melbourne.

Lunch was a great success with lots of conversation and visits from various neighbours to meet Malcolm Muggeridge. Dad also gave Malcolm a tour of our neighbourhood. Malcolm was intrigued with the make shift holes in the back of our fence and neighbouring homes. I remember dad waving his arm in a generous sweep and stating. "Yes Malcolm we call this the 'Elwood Kibbutz' as there are five houses connected through the back fences and the children come and go as they please."

After lunch my sister Lisa and I walked down to Elwood Beach with dad and Malcolm. As we strolled along towards Point Ormond I noticed some people stopping and looking at Malcolm which was a strange experience, though he was oblivious to all of the attention. As the day closed I knew that the memories would stay with me and I needed to record the memory.