MY FAVOURITE PLACE : Steve and Jenny Scotney
by Greg Martin
Remember the 1970s hit US television program , The Waltons ?
The series is set on Walton ’ s Mountain , a fictional mountain community in Virginia and is about the close-knit family of John “ John-Boy ” Walton Jr , his six siblings , his parents , and paternal grandparents .
All live in the one , rambling house and they utilise all aspects of their farm to feed themselves and make a living .
And of course , those old enough to remember , will never forget how each episode ended with the family settling down for the night and calling out “ goodnight ” to each other .
The Waltons came to mind after I interviewed Kurrajong ’ s Steve and Jenny
Scotney for this article .
The Scotney household isn ’ t quite as large as the Walton ’ s , but it comes pretty close !
There ’ s Steve and Jenny of course , eldest daughter Samantha and her six-year-old daughter Ella , daughter number two , Jess , her husband , Lyle Diaz and their two-year-old son Lucas and the family matriarch , Steve ’ s 94-year-old mother , Jeannette .
The only member of the Scotney clan not living on “ Kurrajong Mountain ” is Steve and Jenny ’ s son , 25-year-old Jono , a social media agent . Mmm , Jono ! Goodnight John-Boy ! I digress ! The Scotney family has lived on their one-hectare ( 2.5 acres ) property for two years and in that time have transformed
their “ little bit of paradise ” into a productive food market .
There ’ s a large chook house where the ladies lay golden-yolked free range eggs , beehives , in the herb garden the Scotneys pick oregano , thyme , rosemary , basil , ginger , chilis and turmeric .
In the extensive vegie garden which produces goodies all year round , you ’ ll find rhubarb , tomatoes , cucumbers , garlic , egg plants , zucchinis and potatoes .
The 60 fruit trees are now bearing plums , apricots , peaches , figs , oranges , limes , lemons , cherries , apples , olives , walnuts , pecans , loquats and feijoas ( pineapple guavas ).
With all the plantings , watering was a of vital importance and one of Steve and Jenny ’ s first jobs was to clear their large
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“ After clearing the banks , the state of the water had to be addressed so we installed a fountain in the centre to reoxygenate
The master and mistress of their domain – Steve and Jenny Scotney on their little bit of paradise . Photo : Kathryn Johnston . the water and then we stocked the dam with 160 silver perch ,” Steve explained .
“ Water ’ s now as clean as a whistle ,” Jenny quipped .
Not only does Clan Scotney enjoy eating the fruits of their labours , Jess Diaz uses the herbs , fruits and vegetables in producing a range of jams , pickles , chutneys and sauces for her business-onthe-side , The Farmer ’ s Wife .
Jess sells her fabulous fare online , to restaurants and cafes all over Sydney and at the fortnightly Castle Hill Farmers Market .
Jess knows a thing or 20 about cooking – her fulltime gig is as head chef at North Café in North Richmond while hubbie , Lyle , holds the same position at popular Kurmond restaurant , Kravings .
Samantha is no slouch in the kitchen either , but she followed Jenny into the teaching profession , imparting knowledge to students at Glossodia Public School .
It has been a long journey for Steve and Jenny to arrive at their little bit of paradise .
Their journey began in Durban , South Africa , and stops along the line to Kurrajong were on a farm in Kerikeri , a township in New Zealand ’ s Bay of Island region , homes in Cherrybrook and Castle Hill before reaching the end of the line .
They both grew up in farms and met as teenagers in 1980 at a Durban church youth group .
“ A school dance was being organised and I needed a partner and a friend steered me into Steve ,” Jenny said .
“ On the dance floor he was no Fred Astaire , but he was alright !”
After their school days , Jenny gained a Bachelor of Arts Teaching degree at the University of Natal while Steve ’ s career at the workface was delayed in serving two years as a national serviceman .
Back in civvy street , trained as a mechanical draughtsman and over the ensuing 10 years , studied part-time at night to gain a degree in mechanics . The couple married in 1987 , became proud parents in 1989 , 1991 and 1994 and then three years later , decided to , in Jenny words , “ give New Zealand a try ”.
“ Young Jono and I were the trailblazers because I had organised a teaching job and Steve and the girls arrived two months later ,” Jenny explained .
“ We lived on a farm and Steve worked at whatever he could find to supplement our income .
“ We were living a dream in Kerikeri but as the children grew into their teens , we realised they would have better career and life opportunities in Australia .”
So , in 2008 they moved to Cherrybrook , renovated “ the worst house on a good street ”, did the same in Castle Hill in 2015 and finally ended up in their “ little bit of paradise ” two years ago .
Jenny is still a proud “ chalkie ”, teaching at Marian Catholic College , Kenthurst , and Steve is Health , Safety , Environment and Quality manager at giant construction company , Quickway .
Both enjoy their careers but for them , their greatest joy in life in being with family and to quote from James Reyne and James Blundell in their 1992 hit song , “ living and a-workin ’ on the land ”.
8 ISSUE 145 // JUNE 2022 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT