A Forgotten Era
Another year has passed, 2025 wWith juvenile crime becoming a major headache, great on a Saturday to drive past Connell Park sporting field to see all those kids involved in various sporting activities, physical activity, one on one, face to face, their phones missing.
Did take that drive to the top end of Kalang, now sealed almost to the end, a fantastic achievement via our council. The change to-day compared to what I recall as a young lad 75years ago. A productive scenic little valley lots of cleared land being farmed, now almost no farming, most of that farmed land now revegetated. The river if compared now apart from some nice little holes just a creek. Lots more residents mainly living on small, maintained areas and lots of nice houses. The cows now thin on the ground, productivity replaced largely by lifestyle and working out. But the one noticeable feature was as we drove further up the valley was the vegetation, so much consumed by privet, bamboo, camphor and lantana, unbelievable. Apart from all those poor bloody koalas claimed to be up there how all those predicted tourists for down the track could struggle through the above described, raises a serious question, an environmental disaster and to think if we ever get a hot dry summer and someone drops a match. One can only hope that those amazing men and women from previous generations via their blood and sweat cannot look down from above to view the end result of their efforts.
Interesting to note following a comprehensive survey of farmers in Australia, should not come as a surprise that 40% are considering pulling the pin. The reasons claimed, the vagaries of the weather, poor returns, stress, and negligible appreciation for an industry that provides the one essential for life. The small family farm similar to the small business, once the backbone of the country becoming history as the big take over.
Back to the Kalang in the very early days, after clearing the land how could Mum and Dad, plus rearing what was often a large family, no tractors or electricity, construct a dwelling milk by hand 15or 20 cows and rear a few pigs and survive but they did and I can’t imagine how. To-day 250 cows the minimum to compete with the average wage in Australia $108,000 with no capital outlay 37 hrs a week, super, insurance, holidays, sick leave and long service. Many within the working class are well below the average. The Dads did the bulk of the heavy lifting but Mums often the unsung heroes. Darcey Browning 0266558539
Ferry Street story Correction
The Bellingen Shire News incorrectly quoted Waterfall Way Community Land Trust Chair Kerry Pearse in the last edition.
The quote should have read “We have not met with Council staff since March last year to discuss the project because we do not want compromise the process, hence there have been no formal discussions about the road reserve.”