Keith finds a new lease of life at Currie Park

Keith White, who had heart surgery two years ago, reckons he’s better now than he has ever been. He puts his state of health and well-being down to the life he has found at Currie Park, OCAV’s village in Euroa.

“It’s about living a simple and manageable life, surrounded by caring people, in a good community and a garden to work in most days,” said Keith who moved into Currie Park, from Mooroopna, in the Goulburn Valley, about 18 months ago.

His health wasn’t great and he was struggling to manage on his own, when his Euroa-based daughter, Sharon, suggested he move to Currie Park. According to Keith, 74, it was the best decision he ever made.

One of the great assets of Currie Park for Keith is the edible community garden that was established more than a year ago. He goes to the garden each day with some of the other keen gardeners and maintains the existing gardens and prepares for new spring plantings.

The gardeners aim to supply the Currie Park kitchen with vegetables and at the moment there is rhubarb, peas, potatoes, pumpkin, cabbages and carrots growing.

“We used to have rosters to work out who was responsible for what day, but now anyone who is keen on the garden does the work and it is going very well. There’s a real vibe around the garden these days,” Keith said. The harsh and dry summers around Euroa challenge the gardeners, but they choose the right time to do the work.

“We have a few people in the village who aren’t that keen on getting involved in too much other stuff, but they love the garden. That’s one of the great things about this community, you don’t have to do anything and people don’t care. They accept you as you are, not for what you do.”

Keith and resident Mary Wallace are on the Residents’ Association gardening subcommittee and will be guiding people around the village and the edible garden as part of the OCAV 150th anniversary festival open day on Saturday 23 November from 12 noon until 3.30pm.

As part of the festival people will be able to take home a piece of Currie Park if they part with a gold coin for a ‘pot luck’ plant.

Keith and other residents are busily propagating plants from cuttings around the village and are confident that many pots will be flowering during the November celebrations.

Keith thinks the open day will convince others about his discovery. “It was the luckiest day of my life coming here.”