Laura Sykes
"The Ranch"
"The arrival of four of the Medhurst brothers in 1884, together with William Wells, John Harris and A. Merrick came about after leaving their selections or their parents’ selections in the Howes Valley Putty area in the early part of 1882, during a disastrous drought, taking with them horses and cattle, their trip taken, was the only means they had left to lop trees for fodder and hunt animals for food, pelts or scalps. They had ventured forth before this trip, hunting, and were aware of the dangers of the rugged mountains and steep descents to the valleys or cracks below where spring waters could be found. Many a time during previous trips, they had been unhorsed by leaning trees, vines and trunks, or wasted their time and horses’ power by being stranded on rocky ledges and had to find a better track through the steep ravine, to the creek bed below."
- My Nana Jean
Now seven generations in, I'm so proud to call this little slice of heaven in the Hunter Valley NSW my home. Enveloped by the vast mountains of Wollemi National Park like the warm embrace of a mother's arms, my home and the history of the land inspires everything I do, from my writing, to the morals by which I live, to the items I like to create. I aim to live simplistically, happy, caring for the land in a way that is sustainable for future generations to come, at least in my little slice of it, and work with mother nature and not against her. I hope you will join me on this journey, whether that be through reading my books, following my socials on Facebook and Instagram, or even purchasing items through my store to help me realise my dream of making this little thing called life, truly living.
