JOY TO THE WORLD

A COUPLE WEAVE MAGIC INTO THEIR WORK, AS WELL AS FESTIVE DECORATIONS, IN NSW’S SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS.

A father in NSW’S Southern Highlands shares the story of how his little girls’ wishes came true at Christmas.

IT’S CHRISTMAS MORNING 2016 in the Southern Highlands of NSW, and two tiny girls with elfin faces and willow-wisp hair race through remnant bushland on their property near Wildes Meadow. Starry-eyed with excitement, their chatter startles the waking countryside, as their cattle dog, Dot, runs barking beside them. Ruby and Arkie Munro are on a treasure hunt. Over paddocks and through fences, the sisters search for pink ribbons tied by their parents around native wattle and coachwood trees the evening before. Colin, 44, a furniture maker and jack-of-all-trades, and Brooke, 35, a sculptural weaver, watch and listen from the Juliet balcony of their upstairs bedroom. They hear their girls enter the nearby wood with its cathedral-like canopy, cross the gentle creek, and come full circle to the paddock in front of their tiny Shaker-style home. Their surprise Christmas presents, Flower, Blondie and Midget, raise their heads from grazing. The girls’ shrieks of joy ring out across Old Cedar Farm Road as they scramble through the fence to greet their new ponies. Beaming at the memory of that morning two Christmases past, Colin says the four-legged presents came as part of a festive job lot. “There was a bloke in Robertson who said, ‘We’re moving back to Sydney — do you want some ponies?’ and when I said, ‘Absolutely,’ thinking of the girls’ Christmas presents, he added, ‘Great, but you also have to take the alpaca and two Holstein Friesian cows.’ So, I think we might’ve been conned. We’d actually been at our local, the Burrawang Village Hotel, that Christmas Eve, which made the exercise of crawling around tying ribbons to trees somewhat more challenging. But the looks on the girls’ faces was well worth the effort.” Together, Colin and Brooke make up artful homewares brand, Mr & Mrs Munro. Brooke grew up in Wildes Meadow, visiting her grandparents’ farm a kilometre up the road, foraging and finding interesting bits and pieces from nature to make and play with. She studied a Bachelor of Creative Arts at University of Wollongong, majoring in weaving, and married Colin in 2008. Then a builder, whose family come from near Merriwa, Colin had always loved working with wood, experimenting with fallen trees and offcuts to make rustic serving boards, seats and tables. “I’ve always been more of the dreamer who can see something in my mind’s eye, and Colin is the solution-driven one who can make things happen,” says Brooke, adding that their marriage and work collaboration is a “sometimes chaotic, never dull, very happy” meeting of minds. Their artistic practice together began with making light shades, wall sculptures and coffee tables for local friends. >

“I’ve always been more of the dreamer who can see something in my mind’s eye, and Colin is the solution-driven one who can make things happen.”

26

Brooke and Colin Munro’s storybook-pretty home is surrounded by Morton National Park and neighbouring farmland. FACING PAGE The couple’s daughters Ruby and Arkie with Peggy the cattle dog and one of their beloved Christmas presents, Flower the pony.

FROM LEFT Brooke crafted the wreath from vine with waratahs and woven wire sculptures. The boots belonged to Colin’s grandfather; the garden tower is a Mr & Mrs Munro creation while the stools throughout the house were made by Colin. The heater is from Nectre and the hide rug is from 1803. FACING PAGE She-oak acts as a canopy above Arkie, Brooke and Ruby as they weave coasters using raffia and plant fibres. The table was a gift from Colin’s godfather and the chairs were found on Gumtree. For stockist details, see page 138.

Peggy leads the way as Ruby and Arkie bring along Flower and Blondie for the adventure through the property. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE, FROM BOTTOM LEFT Brooke weaving raffia with Peggy keeping her company in the kitchen; Holstein Friesian cow Lulu leading the herd; the kitchen sink is one of many elements in the house that Colin has built; Colin and Brooke with Arkie and Ruby; Sand Hills by Lisa James Napaltjarri on a built-in desk in the office nook.