Every family has its own story, as does every place. Like
any good story, I find it can change and develop with the
retelling over the years. It’s at this point that I would like to
acknowledge the Aboriginals both past and present who
have their own story of Lake Barrine and their own way of
retelling its history.
However, I can only touch on my story. Built from my family,
who have loved the lake for four
generations and from my own
experiences which have filled me
with such gratitude to be one of
those fortunate enough to call this
place home.
In 1913 my great grandfather first
canoed around Lake Barrine and
with risk of putting it too simply,
all I can say is that it must’ve
captured his heart - “You ain’t
seen the lake, till you’ve done the
cruise” is the quote I know my great
grandfather by.
Now, I watch my Grandad at 89 make his way up the stairs
and with the look of someone who’s got places to go, he
heads over to ‘his table’. As he settles back and looks out over
the lake, his eyes always seem to light up with a smile at what
they see. I catch my Grandma making her way to the water’s
edge to swim across the lake and hear her laugh with friends
as she goes – as what could be better than a swim with the
morning sun? I see my aunties join the hustle and bustle of
4 What’s On & Where To Go April 2019
the teahouse, alive with the atmosphere and with such joy
for the place they all grew up in. Or I see my mum go out
every morning to paddle around the lake, under the fig trees
branches and I do believe that without fail, she always comes
back even happier then when she set off. Such is the magic
of this place. My brother often runs by for his afternoon jog
around the lake and I watch as my dad pours his heart into
the business, so that others too might
experience at least a snippet of what
the lake has to offer.
“Keep it family friendly, butter to the
corners, a good scone is a fresh scone”
are all words that echo from one
generation to another.
It’s these small moments in time, that
I believe capture the essence of what
it is to love this place. And I hope that
when people visit the lake they get to
feel this love too. A love that is behind
everything we do in the teahouse, each
homemade meal, each cup of coffee, every batch of scones...
and in a real sense, is the reason why we do it.
I read a quote the other day that said, “I thank the universe for
taking everything it has taken and giving to me everything it
is giving” and sitting on the veranda being where I am, I truly
do say, thank you.
Written by Nalita Curry, fourth generation custodian at Lake
Barrine.