Thursday,
7 November 2024
Mary–anne Barton – Gundowring

How long have you been living in the area?

46 years.

What do you do for a living?

I worked in an office, then I worked as a Dederang Hotel cook and then I became an enrolled nurse. I'm now a retired enrolled nurse.

What are your hobbies and interests?

I like cooking, sewing, knitting, healthcare and a bit of gardening. I also love history, especially of the Kiewa Valley. People have been here since around the mid–1880s and have created amazing life stories throughout time.

What do you like about the area?

I like the peace, I like the beauty of the valley, it feels safe. It's a wonderful place to raise children, because you know where they are, most of the time. They're much more likely to be able to cope with the outside world because they've done work on a farm.

Where would you take visitors to showcase the area?

I'd take them up to Mount Beauty to get a coffee, I'd show them our local picnic spots. I'd give praises to Gundowring Ice Cream and the Gundowring Recreation Reserve and Hall. I could go a little bit further afield – we've got some lovely places like Yackandandah. A picnic by the river is really great – the kids can have a lot of fun. And we've got a great local pub.

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Is there anything you would change about the area?

I'd like the local council to fix the roads, but otherwise it's a sanctuary, it's a lovely place to be. We've got beautiful hills each side, we've got a lovely valley up the middle and a great river – there's nothing really you should change here.