Concongella, Victoria

Autumn - April, 2011

Population: 270

We were still living in Ararat in April 2011.
Mum was down from Queensland for a visit and it was glorious Autumn day during my favourite time of year.
The old pear tree belonging to the cottage behind our place had beautiful ripe juicy fruit dropping to the ground.
A cake (Pear,Pistachio and Chocolate), a picnic and a jaunt in Clarrie the Morris Minor were in order.








We headed out to Crowlands then meandered along country roads amongst the sheep paddocks.
There tisn't much out that way but sheep paddocks and big blue sky and
at that time of year, the sun is warm, the breeze cool and a lazy, hazy feeling washes over you.
As we tootled along in Clarrie we almost drove straight past this little memorial.
Amongst miles of paddocks and scrubby trees and beautiful old gnarled River Red Gums,
it is hidden back from the road behind a gated fence.
Almost totally camouflaged.
Kind of like the lives of the people that live there.
It's not til you see a monument like this and the little cemetery attached to it that these hidden lives begin to reveal themselves.

Can you see the memorial in the photo below?
And further beyond, through the avenue of trees is a cemetery.
I can't quite form the words to describe the feeling this memorial gave me:
it has to do with the immenseness of the landscape and the smallness of the memorial but also its defiance,
its need to say - hey we may be in the back blocks of civilization but our lives matter too -
and the loneliness of the spot and the huge distance to where its sons lie buried.
Whatever that idea is or feeling is, that uses those words - that's what it is.







Photos: 28th April, 2011