Silvia Jacono’s memories of early Shamballa Days
My daughter Alana was born 5th March 1973. She was welcomed to the world by a group of hippies that had adopted me when my father and church excommunicated me due to the shame of being an unmarried mother. A natural home birth was the order of the day. It went well and I was home the same day. These hippies included Brian and Kevin Childs, Roger Garlic, Geoffrey and Peter Thomas and Bruce Hannah among others.
We all lived in Possum Gully, Gumnut Road where love was all around and I felt loved and cared for. New to the world of Hippiedom I was impressed by the ideals that were put forward. I quickly partnered up with a wonderful man, Brian Childs who cared for me and Alana as if she was his own. The idea of a community of loving people sounded ideal. I bought into Boggy Creek sight unseen as Brian and Jeremy Smith considered it ideal. In retrospect I think it had more to do with growing marijuana than community life. However the dream of living in a lovely farmhouse in a beautiful valley appealed to me. The reality of course was far from my expectations. This idyllic life was not to be. Not for me anyway. I bought two shares as did Bob Phillips. Paula Blacklock, Cary Courtelas, Jerry Smith, Pam Bailey and Geoffrey Thomas bought one share each. $2000.00 a share.
My introduction to Boggy Creek was via Frank and Mirella’s. They had a farm
house some kilometres from what was to be my new home. As the road was impassable by car Brian hooked up a trolley to a goat that pulled our belongings up the road while I followed. They say love is blind!!
On arrival at the “house” my heart sank. I think I cried as arrived with my baby to a
small building eaten out by wood worm, 2 small bedrooms and a living area with no power or running water. We walked down a steep track and carried water back in buckets. I had a copper by the creek to wash the nappies in. There was an old fuel stove and kerosene lamps. We slept on mattresses on the floor. It was later decided to knock out the northern wall to let in the sun. It also let in the mosquitoes, flys, spiders, snakes and goannas. I recall tucking the mosquito net under the mattress when a mouse caught inside it ran up and down I had to untuck the net to release it. It was a crowded little house until Cary built his grass hut and Bob his wooden dome. Then tents went up as the area around the housewas cleared and fenced. The first crop was radishes as they grow fastest. Well my dream turned to a night mare when Brian left me for another women when I was pregnant with his daughter Gemma.
I’m not sure why I stayed after that but with 2 babies and living on unemployment benefits and now no parents of my own I guess I didn’t have too many options. Bob Phillips and Mark Peterson agreed to build me a house over the hill so I would have some room and privacy with my little family. I loved my little crooked house. We called it Creosote Cottage as we had to soak the timber in creosote to keep the termites from eating it. Painted it with sump oil dyed a marone colour. Hard to believe it is still standing. I eventually got a gas fridge – pure luxury. But the road was still nightmare. No bridges back then so we had to drive through the creek. During the floods I’d leave it on the town side and walk the rest. Had a rope across the creek to hang onto. Had to do double trips to carry the kids across one at a time and then the shopping. When the car died we hitch hiked too n from town. Swimming in the river n the creek to cool off on hot days. The community had disappeared back to Sydney to work. People came and went German Henry and Pontip and others but I was alone and isolated much of the time. I spent a lot of time clearing lantana. There were no power tools but the hippies convinced me that women can do anything! Hard labour was the name of the game. I recall building double bunk beds using a hand drill. The isolation took its toll and I gave up and moved into town.
Mark and Bridgette moved in then Pip and June before I sold to Warren and Diane.