A little bit of history and other things

Newham Store 10klms from Woodend

Not a lot has happened in the past few days.   Friday we realised that our house batteries were no longer charging and they were red hot to touch.  You guessed it, 8 new batteries had to be purchased.  Not all batteries were damaged but I am led to believe that they work more efficiently if they are all new.  So a quick trip up towards Melbourne and a short while later we were again cooking with gas. I went over to Gisborne with Hedy during the afternoon and wandered around while she was at the dentist.  I discovered a wonderful patchwork shop (The Drapers of Mt Macedon) so I spent some considerable time exploring and playing in there.  Overnight and Saturday the heavens opened up and it rained heavily continually, water was gushing past the bus.  Fortunately for us Lancefield didn’t get flooded unlike other parts of Victoria that have been badly affected.  We spent the day watching DVD’s and on Sunday we drove to Sunbury to do the weekly shopping.  Sunbury is a satellite town with historic attractions and wineries and  is located 214 metres above sea-level and 41 km north-west of Melbourne on Jacksons Creek, in an area given over to agriculture, grazing and dairying, although, since the mid-1960s, Sunbury has increasingly become a dormitory satellite for those who work in Melbourne.  The area was once occupied by the Wurundjeri people. The first European settler was George Evans who established the Emu Bottom sheep station in 1836. His homestead, built that year, still forms the basis for the present Emu Bottom homestead, making it probably the oldest extant homestead in Victoria.  The Sunbury Hotel, named after Sunbury-on-Thames in Middlesex, was built in 1851 on the gold route to Bendigo in an area then known as Koora Kooracup. The townsite was surveyed later that year. The railway line arrived in 1859 and local government was granted in 1866. At that time Sunbury was something of a wine-producing centre with eight vineyards, including Goona Warra and Craiglee which have both been re-established in recent years.  (as quoted from the Sydney Morning Herald webpage)

supplied by google

The weather is gradually improving although it is now quite cold.  Typical of Victoria, I think in the past week we have experienced all types of weather.  My hearts go out to the people in my home state of Western Australia again experiencing some of the worst bush fires with many again losing their houses.  Australia seems to be badly affected by Cyclones, Storms, Floods and Fire in almost every state at the moment.  I am so grateful that our family members are currently safe and have so far not been affected by all this.