Fairbridge and Edenvale

After 23 hours of sitting hunched over my sewing machine, like a frenzied witch over her cauldron, I've finally finished the machine lace. 

A close up view of the fossils all linked together.  I'm now in the process of stitching it to a fabric base ... more pics to come later.

For a break away from the machine, and to stretch my legs, hubby and I took a drive out to Fairbridge yesterday.  Despite being in Australia over 40 years and Fairbridge only being half an hours drive down the road, I'd never been there before, but I'm glad we went yesterday.  It was really lovely and very interesting.

That's the chapel above.  Fairbridge Village began in 1909 as a Farm School for orphans from the UK and Dutch East, to teach them skills and education which would help them in their adult years. 

The village is made up of 52cottages, each with their own unique name, where the children were taught and lived with a house mother to simulate a home environment.

Today Fairbridge still operates to assist people with disabilities and disadvantages.

Many craft groups hire out a cottage for a weekend retreat, where they have a long weekend of quilting or stitching and I'm sure lots of chatting and laughing too.

We specifically went there yesterday to see an exhibitiion by the Murray Arts and Crafts Group of paintings and textiles.

Of course there were birds there too, but only a few, not enough to send me screaming down the road.

I was so impressed with the Village that I'm planning to go again soon.

This is hubby enjoying the view of the hills ... or perhaps he was just resting after I'd dragged him on a long walk around the village.

From there we went to Edenvale Homestead in Pinjarra, to the Heritage Tea Rooms.

Another quaint place to visit, with lots of history, and lovely gardens.

My main reason for going here was to see the possums.  Again, despite living here for so long, I've never seen a possum, but recently the local newspaper did an article on a group of possums living at Edenvale who come out in the day time to feed and play, so armed with my camera I dragged hubby along for a chance to see them.

But ... they'd come out and been fed just before we got there, and had disappeared in their burrow under the verandah, so we missed out!

I was consoled with a cuppa tea and apple cake and a nice chat with the owners who showed me their photos of the possums (not quite the same thing!).  So there's another place I have to go back to ... I won't give up until I see these possums.  I'm on a mission now.

The gardens at Edenvale were just starting to show their Spring promise with tulips and, surprise! surprise! something we don't see often around our neck of the woods - snowdrops. 

They brought back some lovely childhood memories for us.