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| Aerial view of Alstonville and the (now finished) Bypass in yellow. |
Our family moved to the Alstonville area at the beginning of 2009. My husband was the Project Manager, and later the Authorised Delegate, for the long awaited bypass of the town. So when people asked us why we here - we were greeted with lots of thanks yous and cheers. Afterall they had been waiting some 40 years! The bypass was opened in May 2011 (after rain delays) to much local appreciation.
This town has a history of settlement dating back to the 1860s when it was established by families of farmers who made use of the rich volcanic soil cleared by the earlier red cedar loggers.
Here's a snippet of what was on offer and some of my favourites.
I've never been to a quilt show - that looks lovely!
ReplyDeleteAnd just quietly, despite living in Lismore for 4 years, I've never been to Alstonville either! ;)
for shame Kristy...it was probably a bit sleepy when you were nearby but now it boasts some 6 cafe/restaurants and had a huge main street upgrade since the bypass finished. It looks prettier now.
DeleteLovely quilt show! Are the towns resident's worried about their beautiful town becoming a bit of ghost town, now that the road bypasses them?
ReplyDeleteActually no...they are mostly relieved because, being on the Bruxner Highway, the skinny main street used to get heavy trucks and vehicles that spoilt the town and clogged the streets. So in fact the bypass has helped to stimulate shops and growth in the town. It's funny, some towns die and some towns thrive, you can just never tell. The project, prior to this one, was in Gundagai and we saw first hand how a bypass can choke the life out of a lovely town.
DeleteI love going to a quilt show, particularly the smaller local ones. Usually lots of lovely things to look at and now I really want to have some of that lovely afternoon tea!
ReplyDeleteKristy really is missing out on some inspiration! Get thee to a quilt show! I get loads of ideas about how I might quilt my quilts, what works, what doesn't at these shows.
Amen to that Sue! I saw the BEST quilts ever at a little quilt show in Cootamundra in 2008 BEFORE I started quilting. I was good at appreciation then.
DeleteOh lovely! We have our annual Airing Of The Quilts in Northampton. It's a half hour drive north from here and they line the main street with quilts. It's a fantastic day. Unfortunately we couldn't make it last year but I went the year before that and will be going again this year. It's in October. Then the Dongara patchwork club has theirs every 3 years. Dongara is half hour drive south.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2008/10/14/2390413.htm
ReplyDeleteThose quilts all look great! I think we have a few quilt shows in the UK, have never been to one though. I must research when the next ones are =D
ReplyDeleteYes I have 2 local quilt shows, Camden early August and Campbelltown mid November, these 2 quilt guilds meet Monday and as I look after my granddaughters so my daughter can lead the girls brigade at Camden Baptist I never get to go them. I do love the shows that they both put on.
ReplyDeleteMOPS is also a part of my life, as a carer of the babies at the same church I get to play with my granddaughters.
Can I ask did Elaine ever live in Sydney and was she part of Mortdale Baptist, I'm an old Mortdale girl and JC Campbell who was pastor at Alstonville years ago was my pastor as a kid at Mortdale.
Oh and if it is Elaine that I once knew my maiden name is Ford
ReplyDeleteI shall ask her at Mops tomorrow...I wonder if they are one and the same?
DeleteI used to live in Alstonville. Took me a while to find my old house on your map. Such fond memories.
ReplyDeleteDid you grow up here? It's a lovely town.
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