my story

party!


personal milestones

TOWONG CUP

Claiming to be the oldest race-course in Victoria, Towong has a special charm. Race meeting days have always been a reason for the community to gather, for guests to arrive and parties to be had.

Isolated in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains, this rich farming land is referred to as ..‘God’s own country’. It holds a special place for me as I spent my early childhood nearby and, through continuing family friendships, the teething stages of gawky adolescent social skills were practised within this extended family I came to love and spent so many holidays with.

The ‘young people’ of the area were shown how to organise a fine party ..a way of gathering a community together as their parents had before them.

We drove for hours to get there, and large numbers were hosted in homesteads or in shearing quarters or even in woolsheds. We ‘dressed up’and had a great time..usually for a few days.

Typical schedule:

12noon: Race Meeting with picnic under the trees. (The day held extra excitement as there was always a family horse running.)

5pm: Drinks at the pub.

8pm: A Supper Dance, Ball or party in the local hall ..with a live band,of course! and a lot of food and a lot of beer.. (usually organised by a committee of around 20 people.)

Next Day: Recovery lunch for... ‘a hair of the dog and a feed’.