Atwood: Why families never leave Melbourne’s hidden gemstone

It was a practical choice when Meryl Thomas moved to Attwood in 1988.

She wants her children to stay in the same school, and quiet pockets outside Gladstone Park bring them close.

But over nearly forty years, the move has become even more.

“I’m looking at the streams, trees and walking tracks every day,” she said.
“We don’t surround you here, there is space at your doorstep, fresh air and nature. Family members grow up here, kids fly nests, and now some people are even coming back with their own families.”

“It’s secret, continuity, satisfaction. We all know each other and this connection is what keeps people behind.”

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Ms Thomas said the street had hardly changed.

“Almost every house still has the same family,” she said.

“I’ve seen the kids grow up, I even taught some of these teachers, and now they have grown into their own families.

“Seldom people keep moving forward. This is extraordinary stability in a world where things are constantly changing.”

She described Attwood as having a village rather than a suburban feel, with its historic church dating back to the 1830s, heritage buildings in the 1840s and 1960s, and local taverns where neighbors still gather.

Ms Thomas said: “It’s really a village, not much left in Melbourne. That legacy, intimacy is precious.”

Attwood has long been known as the Hidden Gem. Ms. Thomas remembers it was almost a mystery to other Melbourne people.

“Thirty years ago, we even wore a T-shirt and said, ‘Where is the Atwood?’ Because no one knows!

“It’s close to the airport, close to the city – I can be in the city in 15 minutes, but at the same time, it’s peaceful and nature is everywhere.”

Living on the flight path is never a problem.

She said: “The visitor came to stand on the deck and said, ‘Oh my goodness, the plane is so close.’
“But in it, you can’t hear them. We’re so used to them that we didn’t notice it at all.”

Ms. Thomas is now preparing to reduce the size to a nearby retirement village, acknowledging the move as “emotional transcends speech.”

“I did everything in this house myself, from bricks, paintings, gardens,” she said.

“It’s a great street, so supportive. Just tonight, the neighbors waved as we spoke. It all speaks.
“Atwood gave me belonging, stability and home, which will always be with me.”

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david.bonaddio@news.com.au