Totally Not Vintage!

A thousand apologies all the vintage lovers who follow my humble blog, but this post is simply nothing to do with anything vintage. I just wanted to share a cause I am passionate about - rural revitalisation and a business opportunity going begging. Who wouldnt want free rent in a huge space in the darling little riverside community of Cohuna? It might not be a vintage post - but let your imaginations run wild and imagine all the wonderful vintage based ideas that you could put in a space like this - salon, antique shop, retro cafe, car museum, vintage market, or a vintage styled marketing/webdesign/advertising business.....honestly, the sky is the limit !!! Good luck with brainstorming all the enormous possibilities !! XOXO

 

 

Great Heritage Houses for Sale

 

 

With the Barham-Koondrook Producers Picnic coming up next weekend, it is also a terrific chance for potential treechangers to check out our vibrant, creative, diverse and progressively minded district. When I look at the obstructive price of real estate in major cities, it is encouraging to know that you can still get beautiful heritage homes for sometimes well under $350,000 - and in prime picturesque river side locations too !  If you have ever thought of tree-changing, you would get plenty of bang for your buck at beautiful Barham-Koondrook. Or as a bargain holiday house, you could enjoy the lakes (and watersports), rivers, forests, cafes and local delights of Golden Rivers Country a simple 3.5 hour jaunt from Melbourne any time of year. What's not to love? Check these beauties out..... (Click on the photograph for a link to the sale sight....)

 

There are also loads of stunning contemporary houses for sale too - but as my blog is devoted to heritage, we are sticking to pre 1960's classics here......

 

As for the community, there is a big need for professionals - doctors, lawyers, dentists, teachers, accountants, nurses etc within the region as a whole. The community is very welcoming and supportive of new entrepreneurs, and the capacity for web based businesses and remote design consultants is brilliant. Creative and imaginative minds are celebrated here, and there is a strong tradition of welcoming other cultures and backgrounds within this twin river-township......

 

If you think this sounds like you, then jump in your groovy old jalopy, grab a picnic basket and head to the Producers Picnic next Saturday to experience and find out more about this wonderful community - and your potential place in it !!!

Producers Picnic

Next weekend, if you are scratching for a GREAT event to attend, you would do well to sojourn to the Murray River townships of Koondrook Barham for their inaugural Producers Picnic (Part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival). Not only a divinely beautiful destination, but a community bursting with great produce, live music, children's activities and of course, delectable food and wine. Check out the details at the website here.......

 

 

And be sure and tell Mardie that I insisted you taste her scrumptious lemon tarts !

 

Country Races - a great destination for vintage and contemporary fashion....

 

Last Saturday I had the wonderful opportunity of being a Fashions on the field judge at the Moulemein Country Races.....and despite the heat it really was such fun. Emily Wood from Local Mag and I sojourned together the hour or so up country from home to partake in the happy, relaxed and downright delightful carnival atmosphere. To my joy, there was a wonderful mix of innovative and stunning fashions, country characters, excellent music and deliciously gourmet fare...... I wanted to linger on enjoying the day for as long as I could.

 

As so many of my lovely readers are fashion lovers, I have included photographs of the winners of fashions on the field - at extreme top, lady of the day in her deliciously vintage-tinged outfit of beige and maroon - elegance personified. I should add at this juncture that the decision was not mine alone so there really was no favouritism for anyone in vintage adornment ! The vibrant lady in pink above was runner up for lady of the day - I adored the contrast of purple hydrangeas in her hat with the hot pink of her dress.

Runner up and winner of best hat shown above - lots of colour blocking to be seen at this years races and it was all good !

 



 

Emily and I braving the heat for some race day fun !

 

My outfit was a darling vintage hat purchased for $30 on ebay with a chiffon dress I made inspired by Elizabeth Taylor in 'Cat on a hot tin roof' and, of course, that famous dress of Marilyns ! (The majority of my concept did actually come from Elizabeth though!!!) You cant see in any of the photographs, but my shoes were grey snake skin pumps, purchased for $20 off Emily at a market 3 weeks earlier !!!

 

Just some happy snaps of the race meet.......

 

Coming up soon in this season for country racing, is the Boxing Day Kerang meet....something I would encourage everyone who can to get along to....... on offer, simply for attending, is a trip to Europe - who wouldnt want to be in on that? Besides, it is the perfect opportunity for we gals to frock up and enjoy being glamorous yet again......and gentlemen, every glamorous lady enjoys a handsome man to bring her a glass or two of champagne !!! Looking forward to seeing you all there !

 

The Backroads Trail.....

 

Can you tell that I really REALLY love the community I live in? I am totally the history lover, I seek to promote all that is aesthetically wonderful about mid century design and the subcultures associated with it, but one of the initial motivations for this blog was to honour my Grandmothers (Alice and Jean) and their lives here in the 'Golden Rivers Country' of Northern Victoria.

 

Alice and Jean both lived a large portion of their long lives in this area, participating in the culture and community, caring for their environment and its people, working to make it a more beautiful, happy and connected place to live.....a place they invested in with all that they were, to build a future for their decendants (ME !!) This is why I love living here (and also because the people are so lovely and REAL, and the countryside so distinctive and charming.)

 

In the light of this, it thrilled me no end to see my area promoted to the masses through the formation of 'The Backroads Trail" a gourmet food tour of this region.....and let me tell you there is lots to love !! Avacados, Free Range Meats, Winery and Meadery, Olives, Honey, Wines, Citrus and and abundance of art and artisan products.  Let me share the brochure with you.......

 

 

So, this area is moving ahead dynamically in terms of gourmet and organic production (the sense of bonded community already exists)......to me all that is needed to see us become a world renowned region is our own distinctive music and artistic culture - just like the Bayous of Louisianna in the USA. I wonder would anyone take up the challange of building that with me? In the meantime, enjoy the tour along The Backroads Trail !

 

The plight of rural treasures......

 

One of the most tragic things about living in rural areas is seeing the decay of our beautiful architectural fabric. Unlike the big cities where there is frequently financial investment in historic buildings of significance, rural people do not possess, generally, the type of wealth required to save iconic landmarks (especially as many of today's wealthy rural landholders etc are absentee owners and not involved in the local communities....but that is another issue altogether....) And unfortunately, it must be said, Rural Development Australia and Rural Development Victoria actually provide little or no assistance to the smaller communities seeking to progress themselves entrepreneurialy or protect their heritage in this manner......the restrictions placed on grant applications make funding available only to the larger provincial centers (think Bendigo or Ballarat), or at a push, Councils with much more vision to invest that many of the poorer Councils in remote areas.

 

 As such, the result is often communities that give up in despair and resignation. Here is one such sad example (and I usually avoid taking a negative tone on my blog if possible, but this is one of those occasions when my ire has been aroused.)

 

 

The Koondrook Hall. A beautiful, Heritage Listed building that has grown increasingly unsound to the point where it has been condemned. Look at these pictures......isnt it beautiful? And right opposite the Murray River in a most idealistic spot too !!! Why did the local council not purchase this building, obtain funding for it's restoration (because according to RDA or RDV the Council are the only ones who can!!! Grrrrr), and then put it to an excellent use.....maybe town halls are not as much in demand these days - but what about renting it out to the community to have a local produce/artisan/gallery/community workshop space with great coffee? What about a restaurant? What about a library? What about an art studio? What about a media space with wi fi? A bean bag cinema? What about an info center? Canoe and pushbike hire centre? Need I go on?????????

 

 

I dont know about you, but if I had money to spare, I would buy this place, restore it (even if that ment replicating instead of restoring) and put it to great use in a community that is crying out for all of the above....the potential is enormous, and the lack of vision pathetic. Knocking this stunning old landmark down to be replaced by plastic display boards showing what once stood there is a ludicrous and completely unprogressive step.........but maybe, it is the only option left when governments seek only to appear to help rural communities (with lackluster gestures and inaccessible funding), instead of actually assisting them in practical terms on the ground.

 

 

There is, however, still time, if anyone would like to make an offer on this beautiful old gal with the purpose of restoration/replication (it is heritage listed after all), I am sure it would be seriously considered. If so, contact me via this blog........

 

Alice Jean's Vintage Fashion Parade - Part Three

And now, the moment you have all been waiting for, the piece de resistance, the final installment of the Alice Jean's Vintage Fashion Parade at the the Cohuna Festival.....here is the swimsuit component of the evening....

 

These wonderful women gathered all their courage to present swimsuits from the 50's and 60's with me...infront of friends and family (and strangers!!) they showed off these beautiful peices to perfection and I, for one, am eternally greatful for their involvement and bravery ! I was chuffed as all the girls realised how flattering swimsuits from the middle of last century actually are, compared with today's 'your body must be perfect to wear me' lycra suits. All it took was one fitting session and I think I have them converted :o) What are your thoughts - vintage swimwear kicks ass???? I certianly think so.....just look at these pictures..........