Community
19 December, 2024
From little things, big things grow
A FAMILY tradition has grown in to what might be the south west’s largest community Christmas tree.
A group of Noorat residents have recently placed the finishing touches on a large Christmas tree, located at the Terang-Mortlake Road entrance to the village, with brightly-coloured baubles and 20 strands of solar-powered lights adorning the around eight-metre-tall tree.
While the tree now serves as a vibrant community feature to usher in the festive season, 20 years ago it was just a small festive decoration for the Porter family according to Joan Graham, the daughter of the man who planted the tree.
It was around 20 years ago the family, who had at the time lived across the street, were gifted a small tree to use as a Christmas tree during their annual backyard Christmas party.
“Dad and his family used to always give the kids a Christmas party in the back yard.
“We never really had a tree, but someone, one year, gave him a little tree in a red pot.
“It grew out of the pot and he transplanted it - I’m positive one year it ended up in a little rubbish bin, but it eventually outgrew that.”
Mrs Graham said the tree eventually stunted and grew sickly, before being transplanted to a larger pot and beginning to thrive again.
“That went on for years and years,” she said.
“Mum (June Porter) eventually told him he would have to plant it if he wanted to keep it, or it was going to die.
“He did plant it, and she went looking for it, thinking it would be in the backyard, but he’d taken it across the road and planted it in the street.”
The tree has continued to grow and thrive since – an estimated 20 years – but it wasn’t until around 2018 the idea of utilising the leafy asset as a community Christmas tree began to emerge.
“It was after mum and dad died, so around 2018 when the idea for it to be a community Christmas tree first began being floated,” Mrs Graham said.
“Eve Black was instrumental in organising a little community get-together at the barbecue area and putting some decorations on the tree, and I’d come down for the barbecue.”
The idea began to stick, and this year took off thanks to the efforts of community members Bec Fairey, Laura Conheady and Georgina Conheady who wanted to bring as much vibrancy to the tree as possible.
The trio sourced a number of donations to cover the costs of the decorations, and bring the community Christmas tree its most festive annual iteration.
“Corangamite Shire and the Terang Op Shop both gave us grants, in addition to a silent contributor,” Ms Fairey said.
“We had diagrams and different ideas contemplating the design, and we even took measurements.
“It took hours of work putting it up across three days, threading on the baubles and lights.
“We did a ring-around and had a few different members off the community bringing things down from the town hall to the tree, so it was a good group helping out.”
Last week members of the Porter family travelled from as far as Ballarat to see the tree, with one member of the family marvelling it was better than Geelong’s Christmas tree.
Mrs Graham said she still fondly remembered the tree when it first arrived at the family home, and was overjoyed to see the little tree her father had planted grow to become something which enriched the Noorat community.
“I’m so surprised that it’s actually grown because for years it was like a little bonsai tree,” she said.
Laura Conheady said the additional effort to transform the tree had been well worth the effort.
“We put a bit more thought in to it this year,” she said.
“It looks amazing at night.”
Georgina Conheady said seeing the joy children had when visiting the tree at night was reward enough for the effort.
“We want the community to be involved with it,” she said.
“It’s something special for the whole township to be involved.
“It’s special for the kids when they come down at night time to have a look and put up some of the extra baubles.”
The extra baubles are located in a box at the tree, encouraging kids who come along for a visit to place their own decoration and be part of the tradition which started more than 20 years ago in a family backyard.
“Georgina created the little box full of decorations which people can come along and hang up if they would like,” Ms Fairey said.
“People are also welcome to bring their own decorations.
“It’s something for families to do, to create and bring along.”