The Mepsteads have an incredible story, one that I couldn't just select a small portion of to run along side their portrait in the Hills with Heart exhibition. So here is the full interview...
Online interview with Bronwyn (Bron Meapstead)
How long have you been living in the hills?
We bought our farm 2 days before we were married nearly 48 years ago. We love the space, and the fact that we feel safe and can breathe. We love to watch the sunrise and set over the hills. It is a magnificent place to live.
What made you choose to call the hills your home?
We both came from bayside suburbs and grew up near the beach. Tim's parents bought a weekend farm at Upper Pakenham with the plan to one day move up there.
When we started going out we loved nothing better than going up to the farm and the feel was “just us”. We loved the space after living in the city while I finished my nursing training and Tim worked. We saved hard and went without while spending many weekends driving around the hills to find our perfect place that we could afford. We wanted a special place to bring up our family. We noticed the birds and fell in love with the wildlife and the birds. I have a kookaburra nest in the tree outside my study and watch them feeding their chicks with worms and other assortment of bugs. I love the magpies who strut up the paddock in their formal suits and make me laugh at their antics. I love the big black cockies with the red and yellow. The black and yellow fly over and announce when it is going to rain. The hundreds of different little wrens and honey eaters that gather food. The echidnas that waddle up our paddocks and driveway and hover around the house looking for ants. I can spend hours just looking at our view and what the smaller ecosystems have hidden like the myriads of orchards that are suddenly there under ferns and bushes or the skinks who dart across when you least expect to frighten the living daylights out of me when I least expect it. Why do we live where we do because.!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Since living here, what have you loved the most about the hills?
We love the community , we love the small town events like carols in the park with all the kids from the school singing and playing together and safe. We love the other festivals and community days in the hills. Where you get to catch up with friends.
Everyone knows everyone and looks after each other. Our neighbours were incredible and have left a special place in my heart. In fact our daughter has a middle name after one of our neighbours who past away.
We love the rolling hills and towering gums and ferns and fresh air. It's a place you can breathe and walk in peace.
We love that people care for each other and watch out and notice.
You would only have to ask and people appear. And we feel safe.
Tell me something that you love about your family? Give an example please
Our children grew up with very few neighbours so every time they disappeared down the paddock they were together. They made cubbies and rope swings and had the freedom to do that.
They grew up incredibly close and always have each others backs. I love that we are close and our children have chosen to make their homes close by as well. Three are on acers as well and love the hills as much as we do.
I love that we have made amazing adults who in turn are bringing up caring loving children. We love that they are bringing their children up as mates and best friends with their cousins, something I never had as a child and longed for.
How do you most like spending time with your family?
Our family loves camping and have always spent time in the bush or along the beach, first in a tent and now to a caravan. Our adventures started at Walkerville and then to hundreds of other places with family friends. We also spent a lot of time at Eildon, firstly camping and then we bought a houseboat. We have spent many holidays and weekends together at the boat. It is always loud and fun. The boys now go camping together and with a huge group of friends.
We have also had scouting as a huge place in our time. My daughter and I still spend a large amount of our lives scouting in many different ways and with some of our grandchildren.
The big things are definitely family birthday dinners and cousin sleepovers.
Family dinner happens for any excuse and can be themed or just for a birthday. The birthday person picks what we eat.
Can be Pizza with me making the dough or the older kids and the kids rolling and making the bases and then everyone makes their own from the cut up choices or just vegemite and cheese.
Cousins sleep overs is all the kids with grandma and grandpa and sometimes Aunty Del pops in with desert extras to hype them all up. There are 13 grandchildren so far.
The kids choose the activities program and pick what they want to do and then plan the menu and shopping list.
The older ones work out a plan of jobs each child has to do as well. The last holidays the bigger children disappeared down the paddock to build a cubby and were so excited just as their parents had been. A slight difference was the phone call from the paddock to ask where they could find nails in grandpa's shed. While the adventures were happening down the paddock the younger ones made kites to fly when the wind returned.
They have cooked, learnt to knit and sew and many other life skills.
What words of wisdom would you give to a first time parent?
Don't sweat the little things. Always have family time and teach the basic good things , respect , honesty, loyalty,
and love. Show it by your own actions. If a child has those from early years it will hold them well in their life always.
If you could talk to your 15 year old self, what would you say?
Be happy in what you do . Do things you love. Be honest , care about others and give back to the community.
Do you take part in any community events?
Scouts, Upper Beaconsfield festival, Carols, Aus kick , Upper Beaconsfield primary school and kinder. Mens Shed, Tennis club.
How do you like to connect with friends and family in the hills?
Celebrate significant birthdays at Aura vale lake with friends and family. Kayaking at Aura vale lake several times a week when the kids were teenagers.
Spending time Picnicking at the lake on hot days.
Walks around emerald lake .
Coffee and brunches and dinner in Emerald and many many other places in the hills.
Have you overcome any big obstacles in your life? How did you deal with them?
We were burnt in ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983.
I was 5 months pregnant with my second son and had a toddler who was 18 months old.
Tim worked in the city and when I rang him to say there was a fire at Belgrave south and that I was going to my mums in Frankston . He laughed and said that I would be fine, it was miles away.
In those days you didn't have mobile phones so it was only landlines. When the fire got more serious and the news started to get serious he left Melbourne to come home but was stopped at many road blocks by then. I was over the road with a neighbour, so that I was with other people as it suddenly became really scary.
When we heard a huge bang at about 8 o'clock (not sure of the time really it’s a bit of a blur) we went outside to see if it was an accident ,but the orchard was alight with sheets of flame and balls of fire. The bang had been the wind changing direction and sending the fire across our valley. We quickly grabbed the keys and ran to our cars. As we drove down the road the whole hill was on fire. My neighbour Jan was a very religious woman, as we prepared to leave she said I think we need to say a prayer. Whether you believe or not their farm was not extensively damaged, only the outside lemon trees and small areas where spot fires started. Our farm didn't start to burn until spot fires started and burned the front of the house and most of the farm. Our sheep were mostly killed and those that survived had to be put down , I think we only had a couple left. The rest of the next few weeks I spent at my parents house as a half burnt house with no power, phone or water is not really ideal with a toddler. Especially as it was open where it had burnt.
What made you decide to take part in the Hills with Heart project?
I think that we are so lucky to live and be able to spend time in the most beautiful place imaginable and should be really grateful for the opportunity to celebrate that.
The front door remains. More than 100 years old, it was incorporated into their rebuild. It stands guard at the front of their house. A magnificent masterpiece all of its own.
FROM TRACEY:
The front door remains. More than 100 years old, it was incorporated into their rebuild. It stands guard at the front of their house. A magnificent masterpiece all of its own.
I very much look forward to seeing the Mepsteads again, who are yet to see their photographs. Having jumped in on the project towards the end we havent yet had a time to come together so they can see them all. Born has seen just a couple so far to help select one that she loves for the exhibition.
We had many family present on the day of their photo shoot, including most if their thirteen grandchildren. It's so lovely that they all have a special relationship with one another. You cant pick you family but it sounds like they have done quite nicely.
~ Tracey xx
