Monday, April 5, 2010

Great-Nana's House

I had a very surprising Easter with mum and dad - we drove to Victoria to visit our family. No no that's not the surprising part!! ....on the way I begged (it’s true) to stop in at Stawell, a little country town where my mum was born and raised, so I could take some photos of mum’s childhood stomping ground. We weren't in a rush so we did exactly that!
Our last stop was my Great-Nana's place, which was once a beautiful tiny house, brimming with jars of lollies (my only memory of her), vintage ceramic statues, multiple sets of canisters, too many pouffy lounge chairs, different rugs or lyno in each room and waaaay too much furniture for the amount of space. We soon realised that the house was sadly now a derelict shamble of smashed windows, where tall dried out wheaty weeds now surrounded all four exterior walls, and ripped curtains whipped in the wind outside the house.

We were sure no-one lived there anymore, so mum told me I could go inside and take a look. Since my Great-Nana passed away 18 years ago an elderly man rented the little house furnished (all bric-a-brac included). My heart jumped, I think I may even have squealed and clapped excitedly at the prospect of being explained where my Great-Nana's furniture used to be, where and what meals she once cooked and what she was like as a grandma etc. I never tire of hearing my parents childhood stories.Well…. we never expected furniture to still remain in the house, nor did we expect to find letters from 1959, or her crockery still in the kitchen cabinet (!), and we especially didn't imagine the most wonderful collection of 1950s-60’s pictures in frames piled up against the wall of the ‘spare room’... can you imagine it. Our eyes must have boggled at the sight before us in each and every room.Squatters had lived there for quite some time, so most of the crockery was chipped; so many sets of teacups were smashed into millions of little pieces. But to our amazement - among all the broken bits were lots of un-chipped, un-smashed but incredibly dusty bits and pieces which once belonged to my Great-Nana! Sadly none of her furniture would fit in the car – we tried. We really did.
Just look at her old stereo cabinet... *sigh*I am upset that her belongings weren't cared for properly all those years ago. I really feel quite ill knowing that random people have rummaged through her belongings and even spray painted disgusting words all over her once beautiful mint green lounge room walls. Among the sadness of what could have been and what has been lost..... is the fortunate fact that we stopped by there this past weekend not knowing that my uncle has planned for the house and all of it's contents to be bulldozed within the next 2 months. Yes. That is extra super lucky don't you think? Mum remembers that little green and red stool above from when she was a little girl. We have so many beautiful memories of her now (a whole dining-room table piled high to be exact), all which would have been lost if I didn't have this sudden desire to take photos of where mum was born and raised. I believe that sometimes things happen for a reason. This was one of those moments.

Look there. That is just one of many boxes of Great-Nana's beloved items which are now sitting on my dining table waiting for a scrub!!!! I cannot wait to give each and every item the TLC it deserves. More photos soon x

************************

I know these items were not thrifted but they have been found and will now be loved so am popping them into Sophie's Flea Market Finds meme. It's bending the rules a smidge ey :)

16 comments:

  1. What a very sad, but beautiful story. Thanks for showing us your Nana's house, it's lovely to know that you have rescued at least some of her things.

    It was lovely to meet you at the weekend x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh wow! That is all just beautiful, a liitle sad for you of course, but mostly so amazing! I agree things happen for a reason, you were mean't to be there & I hope you managed to save lots of your Great Nana's things. Those floors, how gorgeous! I'm all tingly after that, thanks for sharing...

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a lovely story. It's amazing how fate can you lead you to the right place at the right time.
    I hope you might get a chance to rescue some more treasures before they're all gone.
    It was lovely to meet you at the market!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow what an awesome story. So meant to be. How wonderful to find so many treasures. Your photos of the cottage are loverly. The ceilings are so beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh wow. I too am all tingly after your post. Well done for saving those pieces of history and your heritage. They may not be the really exciting pieces of your great grandmother, but they are pieces of her all the same.
    I'm SO glad you went in.
    Please share your treasures as you clean them up and add them to your home.
    xx Amy

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow, you had a MUCH more exciting Easter than I did. I am so happy for you that you got to explore the place before it was bulldozed. It's amazing how things can change so dramatically until one day they are just not there any more. See you Friday :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Congratulations on such a lovely, memorable Easter....how are you going to top it for Christmas?.....lol!! Seriously though, I hope you took plenty of pics. I'm sure they will be something you treasure for a long time. Jenny

    ReplyDelete
  8. wow, that is a fantastic and wonderful find! memories cannot be beaten and i bet your mum is stoked you talked the family into stopping. hopefully you can make another trip before the big bulldozing with a trailer to collect more memories.

    ReplyDelete
  9. OMG, that was such a lucky stop! I would nearly feel sick at the thought of how close you could have come to missing that opportunity. What a happy Easter.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have goosebumps! How lucky to stop by before it disappears forever. I can imagine how heartbreaking it would have been to leave everything behind (except of course your box of treasures!) Hope you had a great easter!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Now that is what I call good karma. What a fabulous piece of good fortune to decide to stop and visit the house before it was all lost forever. Memories are so special and its great that you now have a wonderful inheritance to add to them! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank you so much for sharing this! Just beautiful and perfect for Flea Market Finds!
    Sophie x

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wow, I am gobsmacked. History is so important. It was meant to be. Even if they are little bits and pieces they somehow matter. xxNick

    ReplyDelete
  14. A little piece of me died when I read the house would be bulldozed and most likely heading for the tip.
    I would love to salvage the lino , it is simply gorgeous. I make all my jewellery from recycled vintage lino, but alas Stawell is a bit far to travel. I would love to show these pics. on my blog and maybe someone near by might be able to grab it before it goes to landfill.
    Hooray for the lovely stroke of fate that led you to this house in time
    xliz

    ReplyDelete
  15. Betty Jo would use every teeny scrap. I'd like to vouch for her!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. oh wow! I had tears from your moving story! I am so glad you had the opportunity to salvage some of her things! I can imagine how your Great-Nana's house would have looked in its hey-day. Thankyou for sharing!
    (I hope you got a chance to save some of that gorgoeus lino Betty-Jo!)

    ReplyDelete