I took Gord to Dandenong last Thursday to see the surgeon who did his hernia op. It was the second follow up appointment, just to check all is well. All is well, Gord got the all clear.
We continued on to do a pick up and on the way back did a much needed clothing shop at Westfield Keysborough. On leaving and feeling ready to fall asleep, a problem I have when I drive anywhere these days, I looked around for a coffee stall and subsequently stood ordering a coffee to go at 'WENDY's DONUTs'.
The girl making my coffee was a pretty young thing and I noticed the word 'barista' on her tea shirt just above her shapely left breast. Until a couple of years ago I'd never herad of the word 'barista', but now know it to mean coffee maker. The similarity to the word barrister occured to me while she busied with the coffee production and a joke came to me. I said to the girl, "The last time I had a barrister, it cost me $1000 per hour."
She did not give any semblance of a smile, nor raise an eyebrow. Totally unfazed she said, "That's about what I'd cost you."
Monday, October 31, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Good Weather for Pansies
It's been a busy month for me, working on the 'vegie garden' at the farm and the garden at Hanna's as well as the usual picking of foliage and blossom. I was impressed by the pansies at Hanna's yesterday a week ago so I have included a photo. The other things visible are love in the mist, cornflowers and calendulas, but there's also rocket, sage and parsley.On a lower level at Hanna's I have coriander, queen Anne's lace, broad beans and garlic and dill. It's a lot of fun and healthy excercise.
A Big Weekend at The Museum
We had a wine and cheese night last Friday night at the Emerald Museum, ahead of an open weekend when the museum was open on Saturday as well as the customary Sunday. The reason for this was that it marked 100 years since Gus Ryberg's birth, so we put on a Gus display for his family and friends to celebrate Gus's community achievements. As president of the committee I had to make a small welcoming talk, which gave me an anxious few days last week as it neared.
I wrote up a script last Monday night and revamped it on Friday morning. I caught the last half hour of my writing class on Friday arvo and after telling the class why I was late and what I had to do later, my classmates were sympathetic and helpful with advice. In particular Judy Anne gave me a pep talk as we were leaving. She said, "Don't read out your script, make notes of about six key points in sequence and speak from memory. Refer to your notes on the small peice of paper to keep your rhythm. If you forget something or muck up the crowd won't know so just move on to the next point. Make sure you project your voice to the far corners, and think of the crowd as all naked with cabbages for heads."
I decided to take her advice and not read out (except the obituary), but to work from notes on a piece of paper. Somehow my confidence built and I was reasonably calm. I forgot a few things I had scripted and added in some others but it went quite well. The night was a real success and the museum was busy both days of the weekend. I copy the script of my talk below.
OUR FRIEND GUS WOULD BE ONE HUNDRED Wine and Cheese Evening 21 Oct 2011
On behalf of the Nobelius Heritage Park and Emerald Museum committee I extend a warm welcome to you, in particular to the Mayor of Cardinia, George Blenkhorn, and his wife Sue, also to council officer Wendy Abbott, and to the trader’s of Emerald and all the friends of the park and museum. Thank you for your attendance in response to our invitation.
Two or three summers ago, I came across a European wasp nest in a particularly awkward position. Usually you can sneak up on a nest from the side to puff in insecticide dust quite easily but this one was hard to get at so I rummaged around in the glove box of a car I used to drive for a bee veil, to give me some protection. I found a newspaper cutting. It was Gus’s obituary in the Herald Sun. It’s not the sort of thing you discard readily but I didn’t know what to do with it, so I put it in my wallet in one of those little hideaway areas. It has remained there.
It is titled ‘Sowed Seeds in Emerald Horticulture’, and I would like to read it as it is brief.
"GUSTAF RYBERG
Horticulturist, historian. Born- October 19, 1911 Died- November 15, 2000
Gustaf Ryberg gave everything to his local community. Better known as Gus, he was the son of a Swedish migrant. They shifted to the Emerald area when Gus was just one month old. He attended Emerald Primary school before getting his first job at Nobelius Nursery. Mr. Ryberg took part in a strike at the nursery in 1939 when employees successfully fought for better working conditions.
A short time later he left for the Northern Territory where he cooked for wartime road workers. But it was not long before he was back in Emerald with his wife Irene and two daughters. A son was born in 1945.
Mr. and Mrs. Ryberg were members of the Australian Communist Party. He often organized house squats, public speakers and even established the local bookshop through the party. During the 1950’s Mr Ryberg contributed to the environment by starting his own nursery which included a popular vegetable section. But ten years later the business closed after Mr. Ryberg was appointed by the Ferntree Gully Shire to assist in the development of Emerald Lake Park.
He retired in 1976 but this did not slow down the dedicated community worker. He played important roles in the preservation of the Nobelius Heritage Park and the establishment of the Emerald Museum.
Mr. Ryberg will be missed in the Emerald area."
That is a brief overview of Gus’s life which makes no mention of his OAM medal or his involvement with the Fire Brigade, the Hall Committee, Garden Club, Arts Society or the Nangana Cemetery. Many of you know far more of this involvement than I do. Nor does it mention the two books Gus wrote after his retirement. Gus was a dynamic man. Yes, he talked the talk as well as any, but he followed up with action.
In 1981, the land now known as Nobelius Heritage Park was the subject of application by its owner Ern Smith of ‘Din San Nurseries’ to subdivide into 27 residential blocks. Realising its heritage value Gus and fellow local Colin Phillips began a public campaign to save it for the people of Emerald. After considerable pressure, the land was purchased by the Shire of Sherbrooke with the State Government contributing $100,000 and the Shire the remaining $51,000. It was now public property.
I didn’t get to know Gus till the mid 1980’s. My family moved to Emerald in 1972 and I lived away for much of the 1970’s, returning in 1981 to live in Gembrook and work at Chamomile Farm. It was by Gus’s invitation that I became involved in Nobelius Heritage Park in the late 1980’s when he was organizing a committee of management with the goodwill of the Shire of Sherbrooke, who owned the property. There being no museum building back then we met at night in what is now known as the Green Shed. The only heating in winter was a single bar electric element. My recall of the meetings is not good but I think Gus mostly reported on his activities as park curator. He organized a local tractor operator to cut the grass 4-6 times a year while he mowed the tracks and high profile areas himself more regularly with his beloved heavy cut mower and a push mower. He enlisted help from the committee members to run the annual family picnic day and the lavender harvest, both of which were important to him.
At that time the site where we now stand was a council machinery depot. Through his vision and personality Gus convinced the Shire of Sherbrooke to erect a museum building in 1993. This has always amazed me. Gus was enormously proud of this building. He attended every Sunday with whoever was rostered for duty. I may be biased but I consider Gus’s greatest achievements, other than his family, to be the establishment of Nobelius Heritage Park and the Emerald Museum which started out separately but became one.
Gus loved trees, flowers, fishing, fossicking, music, a good singing voice, a cup of tea, a sweet biscuit, a veggie garden. Most of all he loved to share his interests and knowledge, which were broad. The first 25 years of his life passed at a time when there was no electricity or power tools, no chainsaws, little mechanization and few motor vehicles. He saw the world around him change through world war, depression and social and technical revolution. He was an environmentalist, a conservationist and a pacifist. When he retired from the paid workforce the council and community gained a full time worker for more than two decades.
It’s amazing where Gus pops up when you talk to people. Gwen Asling told me she and her husband Ron met at a dance in Clematis organized by Gus. He used to play banjo in a bit of a band with a few other blokes and apparently they weren’t bad either. Julian Dyer in Gembrook told me Gus was good mates with his dad, Howard, and the Stielows who were prominent in the timber and potato industries. Jean Haines, editor of ‘Signpost,’ tells me Gus gave her her first job in the late 1950’s when she was about 13 years old, as usher at the Saturday night picture shows at the Emerald Hall.
Gus initiated Heritage Week at the Emerald Primary school where he was always willing to talk to classes, realizing the importance of heritage for children. When my kids were at Gembrook Primary a teacher asked me did I know an old person who’d talk to his class about the old days. I mentioned it to Gus who did not hesitate and finished up addressing several classes together in the multi-purpose room. The kids were enthralled and every one of them left with a gemstone clutched in their hand. My sister Meredith told me of a time when her daughter Rose showed interest in gemstones and Gus invited them to his house to show them his collection and the tumblers and techniques for polishing.
What I liked most about Gus was his austere lifestyle. He was not materialistic. No flash car, expensive holidays or fat superannuation, in contrast to the ‘grab all you can while you can’ influences that seem to prevail these days.
I came across a quote I liked when thinking about today, which seems appropriate to Gus. “Strive not to be successful, strive to be of value.” Gus set a good example, to put in more and expect less out, instead of the other way around.
Thank you to all the committee for their work preparing for this weekend, especially Chris Britton who has put in long hours improving the museum displays. We are excited about our future continuing the vision of Gus Ryberg, which becomes more important with each passing year. Thanks for your attention and please enjoy the wine and cheese. We are always looking for volunteers in the museum and new ‘friends’ of the park. Anyone interested in joining can leave their details.
I wrote up a script last Monday night and revamped it on Friday morning. I caught the last half hour of my writing class on Friday arvo and after telling the class why I was late and what I had to do later, my classmates were sympathetic and helpful with advice. In particular Judy Anne gave me a pep talk as we were leaving. She said, "Don't read out your script, make notes of about six key points in sequence and speak from memory. Refer to your notes on the small peice of paper to keep your rhythm. If you forget something or muck up the crowd won't know so just move on to the next point. Make sure you project your voice to the far corners, and think of the crowd as all naked with cabbages for heads."
I decided to take her advice and not read out (except the obituary), but to work from notes on a piece of paper. Somehow my confidence built and I was reasonably calm. I forgot a few things I had scripted and added in some others but it went quite well. The night was a real success and the museum was busy both days of the weekend. I copy the script of my talk below.
OUR FRIEND GUS WOULD BE ONE HUNDRED Wine and Cheese Evening 21 Oct 2011
On behalf of the Nobelius Heritage Park and Emerald Museum committee I extend a warm welcome to you, in particular to the Mayor of Cardinia, George Blenkhorn, and his wife Sue, also to council officer Wendy Abbott, and to the trader’s of Emerald and all the friends of the park and museum. Thank you for your attendance in response to our invitation.
Two or three summers ago, I came across a European wasp nest in a particularly awkward position. Usually you can sneak up on a nest from the side to puff in insecticide dust quite easily but this one was hard to get at so I rummaged around in the glove box of a car I used to drive for a bee veil, to give me some protection. I found a newspaper cutting. It was Gus’s obituary in the Herald Sun. It’s not the sort of thing you discard readily but I didn’t know what to do with it, so I put it in my wallet in one of those little hideaway areas. It has remained there.
It is titled ‘Sowed Seeds in Emerald Horticulture’, and I would like to read it as it is brief.
"GUSTAF RYBERG
Horticulturist, historian. Born- October 19, 1911 Died- November 15, 2000
Gustaf Ryberg gave everything to his local community. Better known as Gus, he was the son of a Swedish migrant. They shifted to the Emerald area when Gus was just one month old. He attended Emerald Primary school before getting his first job at Nobelius Nursery. Mr. Ryberg took part in a strike at the nursery in 1939 when employees successfully fought for better working conditions.
A short time later he left for the Northern Territory where he cooked for wartime road workers. But it was not long before he was back in Emerald with his wife Irene and two daughters. A son was born in 1945.
Mr. and Mrs. Ryberg were members of the Australian Communist Party. He often organized house squats, public speakers and even established the local bookshop through the party. During the 1950’s Mr Ryberg contributed to the environment by starting his own nursery which included a popular vegetable section. But ten years later the business closed after Mr. Ryberg was appointed by the Ferntree Gully Shire to assist in the development of Emerald Lake Park.
He retired in 1976 but this did not slow down the dedicated community worker. He played important roles in the preservation of the Nobelius Heritage Park and the establishment of the Emerald Museum.
Mr. Ryberg will be missed in the Emerald area."
That is a brief overview of Gus’s life which makes no mention of his OAM medal or his involvement with the Fire Brigade, the Hall Committee, Garden Club, Arts Society or the Nangana Cemetery. Many of you know far more of this involvement than I do. Nor does it mention the two books Gus wrote after his retirement. Gus was a dynamic man. Yes, he talked the talk as well as any, but he followed up with action.
In 1981, the land now known as Nobelius Heritage Park was the subject of application by its owner Ern Smith of ‘Din San Nurseries’ to subdivide into 27 residential blocks. Realising its heritage value Gus and fellow local Colin Phillips began a public campaign to save it for the people of Emerald. After considerable pressure, the land was purchased by the Shire of Sherbrooke with the State Government contributing $100,000 and the Shire the remaining $51,000. It was now public property.
I didn’t get to know Gus till the mid 1980’s. My family moved to Emerald in 1972 and I lived away for much of the 1970’s, returning in 1981 to live in Gembrook and work at Chamomile Farm. It was by Gus’s invitation that I became involved in Nobelius Heritage Park in the late 1980’s when he was organizing a committee of management with the goodwill of the Shire of Sherbrooke, who owned the property. There being no museum building back then we met at night in what is now known as the Green Shed. The only heating in winter was a single bar electric element. My recall of the meetings is not good but I think Gus mostly reported on his activities as park curator. He organized a local tractor operator to cut the grass 4-6 times a year while he mowed the tracks and high profile areas himself more regularly with his beloved heavy cut mower and a push mower. He enlisted help from the committee members to run the annual family picnic day and the lavender harvest, both of which were important to him.
At that time the site where we now stand was a council machinery depot. Through his vision and personality Gus convinced the Shire of Sherbrooke to erect a museum building in 1993. This has always amazed me. Gus was enormously proud of this building. He attended every Sunday with whoever was rostered for duty. I may be biased but I consider Gus’s greatest achievements, other than his family, to be the establishment of Nobelius Heritage Park and the Emerald Museum which started out separately but became one.
Gus loved trees, flowers, fishing, fossicking, music, a good singing voice, a cup of tea, a sweet biscuit, a veggie garden. Most of all he loved to share his interests and knowledge, which were broad. The first 25 years of his life passed at a time when there was no electricity or power tools, no chainsaws, little mechanization and few motor vehicles. He saw the world around him change through world war, depression and social and technical revolution. He was an environmentalist, a conservationist and a pacifist. When he retired from the paid workforce the council and community gained a full time worker for more than two decades.
It’s amazing where Gus pops up when you talk to people. Gwen Asling told me she and her husband Ron met at a dance in Clematis organized by Gus. He used to play banjo in a bit of a band with a few other blokes and apparently they weren’t bad either. Julian Dyer in Gembrook told me Gus was good mates with his dad, Howard, and the Stielows who were prominent in the timber and potato industries. Jean Haines, editor of ‘Signpost,’ tells me Gus gave her her first job in the late 1950’s when she was about 13 years old, as usher at the Saturday night picture shows at the Emerald Hall.
Gus initiated Heritage Week at the Emerald Primary school where he was always willing to talk to classes, realizing the importance of heritage for children. When my kids were at Gembrook Primary a teacher asked me did I know an old person who’d talk to his class about the old days. I mentioned it to Gus who did not hesitate and finished up addressing several classes together in the multi-purpose room. The kids were enthralled and every one of them left with a gemstone clutched in their hand. My sister Meredith told me of a time when her daughter Rose showed interest in gemstones and Gus invited them to his house to show them his collection and the tumblers and techniques for polishing.
What I liked most about Gus was his austere lifestyle. He was not materialistic. No flash car, expensive holidays or fat superannuation, in contrast to the ‘grab all you can while you can’ influences that seem to prevail these days.
I came across a quote I liked when thinking about today, which seems appropriate to Gus. “Strive not to be successful, strive to be of value.” Gus set a good example, to put in more and expect less out, instead of the other way around.
Thank you to all the committee for their work preparing for this weekend, especially Chris Britton who has put in long hours improving the museum displays. We are excited about our future continuing the vision of Gus Ryberg, which becomes more important with each passing year. Thanks for your attention and please enjoy the wine and cheese. We are always looking for volunteers in the museum and new ‘friends’ of the park. Anyone interested in joining can leave their details.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Grand Final Day
What a happy result it was. We watched it at Ricky Ralph's and Mon's new house in Berwick, where they say " we are right in suburbia but we love it."
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