Early colonial cottage in rural Tunbridge, Tasmania 2008

Barbara and I met Ray (Punch) almost immediately we came to town the first day, he was not so much suspicious as just plain curious " could I buy your dog" was the first thing he said to us. He certainly was the most colourful character in a town full of surprises, we had much to do with him during visits to our holiday house. These shots were taken on our 8th visit, after we found that he had been moved out and taken to Campbell Town where he was placed for (his own good) in the aged care facility there. Punch had lived here with his brother (Smoker) who had passed on way before we bought a piece of the place. The owner of the property who let us through said that Ray's parents had lived there as well, for almost all of their lives.

Layers of lino, multiple layers of wallpaper had made the corners of every room round. Fire and smoke stained interiors, not one truly perpendicular upright in the entire house. Tin on top of more tin, then more tin, a layer of gal (galvanised tin) and then a final sheet of corrugated (tin). The shed had burned many years before we met Ray and the last few photographs show the burnt out remains of the buggies and motorcycles just left to the ravages of the weather - rain, frost and 8 months of chilly temperatures.

Punch has since passed peacefully away, Billy Lodge our neighbour says he'll let his grandchildren "push the place over" as "it isn't suitable to rent to anyone". Thankful for small mercies we managed to capture it in 27 pictures.