Not your home town anymore

I came across this crazy temple in Reservoir while I was on a ride yesterday, it's in an industrial estate on the edge of the Merri Creek. Right outside this gate there's abandoned cars on the nature strip and rubbish all over the street. Inside the grounds of the temple is a 20m high statue, some half finished gardens and a few portable buildings. I think the site used to be a high school. The gate of the temple and the fence are pretty much identical to the Buddhist temple in Fawkner.

There's a vast contrast when you cross the creek from Reservoir to Fawkner. The Reservoir side is obviously semi-industrial but the homes that are there are badly kept and in disappear, a lot of old weather board and commission houses. When you step into Fawkner, all the homes are brick, long concrete drive ways, rose garden's, tomato and grapes growing high on home made trellis'. Lots of young muslim families and old Greek and Italians... plus the occasional white Australian ... but I recon they must've come across from the other side of the creek 

Edwards Lake actually looked nice to my eyes for the first time yesterday. I used to think it was a dump around there but you can see how it's going to get really ritzy in years to come, especially once the extend the bloody tram line (but they'll probably keep deliberating on that for another 15 years). The industrial estate will no doubt get turned into modern homes and apartments.

Does make me wonder when they'll re-zone the estate behind Darebin and Grange Rds for residential housing. It's right near Fairfield, the Merri Creek trail, John Cain & Seddon reserves and Darebin Parklands. PLUS it's on the door step of Ivanhoe. 
Mum used to take me to buy my leather Koala shoes from the factory shop on Grange Rd. The same area where Justin taught me to drive in that legendary white Holden Apollo.

So many memories from these towns, Northcote, North Fitzroy, Thornbury, Preston, Coburg, Brunswick, Brunswick West, Moony Ponds, Heidelberg. These streets I travel are the same as my Grandparents who grew up in Brunswick and Northcote. But I don't know their stories. How much history we loose with the passing of only one generation.

So rarely do I met people who are FROM these areas. But, when I do it feels so strange that we don't already know one another. How could we have missed each other for all these years?

So much hidden history in all these places I feel I know so well. There is so much to learn.

I only ever knew one home. I slept in the same room my entire life from infant to adult, before I left home. Last year, after 5 years of living separately my parents sold our family home and shipped off to the country, together.

My folks where involved in many grass roots projects in our area over the years. They contributed endless hour, days, weeks to stoping bad developments, going to council meetings, planting saplings along the Merri Creek, creating an irrigation system for North Fitzroy Primary School, getting the play ground at built Merri Park... they were active members of their community. And I wonder, will they be missed. Will anybody remember what they or so many others like them have done for their communities?

On the day of settlement, when the four of us all left our home for the last time. My mother turned to me and said.. 

"You know, they have no idea they stand on our shoulders. They'll never know what we built for them"

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