Farewell my darling

Jana and I first met in the closing months of the 20th century.

It was at a dinner party that Jana hosted. We talked, shared jokes and exchanged memories over a glass of wine. We sat smoking cigarettes and we didn’t stop laughing for what seemed like hours. (It only took Jana a couple of years to convince me to quit smoking).

After a few months of seeing each other, Jana was looking to move house and my job was about to take me to Sydney for a year, so inviting her to look after my house for that time felt like pure serendipity.

We have been together ever since.

We visited the Noosa area on a number of occasions and had always wanted to move here but had never found the right place.

To tell the truth, we hadn’t even agreed what “the right place” looked like. I had lived in an inner-city townhouse, while Jana had always loved gardening and bushland. She had a vision for our future that I had not begun to comprehend and appreciate yet.

When I retired from full-time work in 2007, we sold our Canberra house and began travelling north. We settled at Emerald Beach in the Coffs Harbour area for many years, and then in McLean on the Clarence River.

During that time, Jana received a severe electric shock as a result of water from a leaking roof finding its way into a light switch during a rainstorm. This left her with Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome, a severe pain condition that she endured for the rest of her life.

When we decided to move from Coffs to Noosa, I looked for a house in suburbia while Jana looked for acreage and bushland. This place, which we called Plum Gorgeous, was our happy compromise — and I finally began to understand the breadth of her vision.

Jana loved children. She could not pass by a child without saying hello with a cheery smile, and she adored the time spent with her granddaughter, Belle.

Our home was well stocked with toys and Jana’s magical stories, ready for any young person who entered the door.

Jana loved older people. While working as an Artist in Residence for the Tweed Shire in the 1980s, Jana worked with people living in Aged Care facilities and was shocked at the way they were treated. She did everything she could to improve matters, and was involved in the development of new standards for Aged Care. Sadly, the recent Royal Commission showed how little has improved nationwide in the decades since.

As a result of this experience, Jana was determined to role model fun and healthy alternatives to Aged Care living. Her vision and plan was for us to live out our lives here, in a multi-generational compound, surrounded by friends and family and engaged with the community. We welcomed great people from around the world and had many wonderful times together at Plum Gorgeous.

Jana loved animals, and she loved to name things…
Klaus the Kookaburra, Bob and Betty the pair of scaly-breasted lorikeets, Madam Stropolopolous the PeeWee, and Stanley the huntsman spider.

We have the Fairy Tree where the fairies left presents for Isabella. There’s Fibonacci Forest, and the Runaway bridge over Lover’s Copse, which was planted by the first couple to honeymoon here. There’s Chakalaka Lane, Isabella’s Garden, the Butterfly Sanctuary, and Jana’s Meditation Walk.

Jana loved the Australian bush. All animals are welcome — from kangaroos to carpet pythons — and left to live their lives in peace.

And I loved Jana. For her heart, her mind and her creative lens on the world. For her passion, her ideas, and her dedication to our family. I loved her from when I first got to know her and for the 21 years since.

I always will.

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