When we moved into our house at Dilston we became aware that there was an issue with our address. Driving from Launceston we found that the main part of Dilston was a couple of kilometres south of where we were and we seemed to drive through Windermere before we reached our street.
As we began the process of updating our address with various government departments and other organisations we were often told that their computer didn't recognise it and were we sure we didn't live in Swan Bay - a classic case of 'computer says No'. Swan Bay is just one of a number of suburbs who share the same postcode as Dilston and we really seem to be more geographically linked with that area than with Dilston. Swan Bay is also a more euphonious name than Dillson but all my neighbours seem to have gone with Dilston so we'll stick with that too. I don't know what the original name for these areas were but we need to research that. Aboriginal names are generally more interesting than place-names and transported from a country on the other side of the world
It might have been reassuring for the poor convicts transported half way round the world to be reminded of the home and family left behind but for many of them there might have been unpleasant memories also of things left behind
Windermere to me has connections with the Lake District of England with visions of calm waters and Swans floating by. There is certainly water at Tasmania's Windermere, the Tamar river, and often it is calm but the swans are black!
Windermere in Tasmania has gained a reputation as being an outpost of Old England. It seems to be a favourite spot for retired Poms to settle. For many, the local St Matthias Church is the focus of the village, there is a thriving garden club and a birdwatchers society, many locals paint watercolours and the group which meets at the cafe on Friday nights display a variety of Anglo accents. Still there is one symbol of Windermere which reminds everyone who sees it that is without without question a part of Australia!
As you drive from Launceston and look across to the north-east there is a large patch of cleared land on one of the Windermere Hills. There are a number of scrubby bushes and trees on the hillside and as you drive along and the perspective changes, the bushes seem to move together to form the image of a giant emu.
It has a head and neck a large body and long legs. Of course as the car continues to move the elements move apart and the full image can only be seen for an instant. Still, for that one second, it is reassuring to see the Windermere emu.
As we began the process of updating our address with various government departments and other organisations we were often told that their computer didn't recognise it and were we sure we didn't live in Swan Bay - a classic case of 'computer says No'. Swan Bay is just one of a number of suburbs who share the same postcode as Dilston and we really seem to be more geographically linked with that area than with Dilston. Swan Bay is also a more euphonious name than Dillson but all my neighbours seem to have gone with Dilston so we'll stick with that too. I don't know what the original name for these areas were but we need to research that. Aboriginal names are generally more interesting than place-names and transported from a country on the other side of the world
It might have been reassuring for the poor convicts transported half way round the world to be reminded of the home and family left behind but for many of them there might have been unpleasant memories also of things left behind
Windermere to me has connections with the Lake District of England with visions of calm waters and Swans floating by. There is certainly water at Tasmania's Windermere, the Tamar river, and often it is calm but the swans are black!
Windermere in Tasmania has gained a reputation as being an outpost of Old England. It seems to be a favourite spot for retired Poms to settle. For many, the local St Matthias Church is the focus of the village, there is a thriving garden club and a birdwatchers society, many locals paint watercolours and the group which meets at the cafe on Friday nights display a variety of Anglo accents. Still there is one symbol of Windermere which reminds everyone who sees it that is without without question a part of Australia!
As you drive from Launceston and look across to the north-east there is a large patch of cleared land on one of the Windermere Hills. There are a number of scrubby bushes and trees on the hillside and as you drive along and the perspective changes, the bushes seem to move together to form the image of a giant emu.
It has a head and neck a large body and long legs. Of course as the car continues to move the elements move apart and the full image can only be seen for an instant. Still, for that one second, it is reassuring to see the Windermere emu.
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