Valerie is a life-long resident of Naseby and her recollections offer a window into the heart of this community, spanning eight decades of continuity and change.
Valerie shares vivid memories of growing up in Naseby during the 1940s and beyond, where the local school was a central hub before its closure in 1994, and where family-run shops and businesses catered to almost every need. She recalls community events such as school sports days, the importance of church life, and community concerts that brought everyone together. Valerie describes some quirky local personalities from memorable shopkeepers to the town’s last gold miners. She tells stories about her family’s life in the countryside, with tales of her father’s rabbiting and market gardening enterprises, including ingenious ways to keep birds off the fruit. She also shares anecdotes about the Athenaeum library, the swimming dam, and how the cold winters of the past enabled sledging and ice-skating for weeks on end.
Finally, Valerie reflects on how Naseby has evolved from a country town where “everybody knows each other” into a popular holiday destination, touching on the arrival of cribs and the changing face of local amenities.
Interviewer: Karen Brady
Interview Dates: November 2024
Valerie Smith (2024)
School taxi, Naseby
Naseby shops, undated
Naseby school, undated
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