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HONOR’S GROWING HOBBY

In this testing time of COVID-19 and social distancing, Honor Large has found an outlet at Bella Vista Farm – caring for the heritage gardens.

She’d love to be the caretaker if only it had a good bathroom and kitchen! It is a beautiful place to come, sit and ponder the world in a delightful setting.

Honor’s ancestors were settlers in Australia in the 1800s. Therefore she was interested in Bella Vista because of its date being contemporary with the arrival of her forebears.

Honor’s grandmother’s family were Scottish free settlers and arrived in Van Diemen’s Land on the “Duncan” in 1838.

Great-grandfather Maclean had bullock teams and settled in South Gundagai in 1861. Grandfather Prowse, the son of a miner from Cornwall, arrived in Adelong, south-west of Sydney. He had buggies and sulkies and ran the Cobb and Co mail run in the late 1800s.

As many young Australians did in the 1960s, Honor travelled extensively to Canada, Europe and New Zealand. Once home, she took up her career in nursing.

In 1974 she met an Englishman John Large and after two years they married and had two children, a boy and a girl. She delights in her three grandchildren and is very hands-on in their lives.

Honor has always been active in the community with young people, helping with Girl Guides and teaching Sunday School. Once retired and after losing John to ill health, Honor wanted something positive to fulfil herself and her interest in history drew her to Bella Vista Farm in 2018.

She shares in feeding the sheep, is a dedicated contributor to the small weekly gardening group and is happy to muck in with the many jobs around the homestead.

Honor’s volunteering is her way of giving back to the community and her service helps to keep Bella Vista a living monument, reflecting Sydney’s past history.

*Bella Vista would like to meet anyone who has an interest in history and wants to serve the community and would like to become a Friend. Check out www.thehills.nsw.gov.au or enquiries to [email protected] for more information

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