Are You From Here?

“Are you from here?” is always a great opening question when meeting someone new in a country town. In larger cities, people are much more likely to ask what you do for a living. But in regional areas, establishing where you’re from means the usual “six degrees of separation” can often be reduced to just one or two.

The woman I spoke with earlier today clearly knew that unwritten rule. When I answered her opening question in kind, she replied, “Oh, I’m from a small town, you wouldn’t know it—in country New South Wales.” Try me, I thought, confident that I’ve lived in or travelled through most of the state.

When she mentioned she was from Matong—a small village near Wagga—I quickly dropped that my friend Kate had lived there for a number of years. The conversation instantly caught fire.

She’s one of the main reasons I’m working in the arts today! Our parents owned the pub. Kate used to paint the pub. You know Brian died? I last saw her in Townsville.

She’s one of my best friends, I told her.

There was so much to connect us, and of course, I called Kate straight away.

Our chat continued later at the opening of an exhibition by local nature photographer Sam McPherson, which is also where I met the woman’s sister. The exhibition was held in a small gallery space at the base of the Conservatorium of Music, not far from the Lismore Regional Gallery. I’d never noticed the “hole-in-the-wall” gallery before, though the woman I spoke to mentioned several people had told her they previously attended classes there back when it was part of Lismore High School.

As for the art itself, Sam’s work focuses on the natural world. “He’ll tell you about some places, but he keeps others secret because they’re special to him,” one of the guest speakers noted at the opening.

https://www.sammcphersonphotography.com.au

There’s a lot of terrific art to be found around Lismore, including some wonderful public art, such as street paintings and sculptures.

Overall, it’s been a day for getting out and about around town.

I started the day of adventure at the Robinson’s Lookout. Located the top of of Girard’s Hill, I always remembered the lookout offered splendid views over the city. Thirty years later, and the views are somewhat obscured by trees, which is both a good and bad thing.

A walk into town took me through some bushland, sports fields, and through some housing.