my country childhood
AUSTRALIAN ARTIST FLEUR HARRIS SHARES MEMORIES OF AN IDYLLIC UPBRINGING AT A VINEYARD ON VICTORIA’S BEAUTIFUL MORNINGTON PENINSULA.
FOR ARTIST AND CHILDREN’S apparel designer Fleur Harris, fairytales and imaginary play informed much of her childhood and are now a source of inspiration in her work. “We were read to a lot as kids – particularly the Enid
Blyton Magic Faraway Tree series. They were in a similar setting to our property, which added that extra layer of magic,”
Fleur says. “I genuinely believed that fairies were real and my imagination ran wild. That fantastical thinking was a big part of my childhood play.”
Fleur grew up on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. When she was six, her family moved to a 21-hectare farm. “My dad and uncle bought the land and they started a vineyard,” she explains. “More than 90 per cent of it was under vine eventually and it became quite a successful business. The planting of the vines – and everything else that comes with owning a vineyard, like picking days and harvest – was a huge part of my childhood. My parents were always harvesting, bottling or gardening. It was full-on, hard work all the time, but they were passionate about it and it was a real joy for them.”
The family lived in the property’s 1876 red-brick house. “It’s got a beautiful history and I believe it was the first red-brick house on the Peninsula,” Fleur, 41, says. “It was small, but it was gorgeous. Mum and Dad created a lovely, quite formal garden, too.” Fleur’s parents, Peter and Sue Harris, also decided to build a barrel room on the property so they could make their own wine.
Eventually, when Fleur was 19, the family left the farm, and the vineyard was sold a few years later.
These days, the property is well known as Willow Creek Vineyard, the site of Jackalope Hotel. The historic house that Fleur grew up in has been reimagined as the venue’s edgy cocktail bar, Flaggerdoot. “It’s a much-loved and revered place now – particularly for the architecture,” Fleur says. “When we were there, we had our birthday parties in the old woolshed among the hay bales – that was more the vibe then. It’s changed quite a bit!”
Fleur says these aspects of her childhood were formative. “My siblings and I always played outside and had a lot of fun. We were so lucky because we had all these different landscapes to play in. There was a bush reserve over the road, and we’d sneak into another property with a pine forest. We could have a bush adventure or a woodland adventure, or row the boat out on the dam and try to find the resident goose.
“Growing up surrounded by bush, forests and animals really influenced my imagination and creativity. Now, when I’m creating a new artwork series or product line, I refer back to that time to remember what initiated that sense of wonder and delight for me, and I try to capture that in my work.”
After many years working for, and collaborating with, other brands, such as Cotton On and Adairs, Fleur is excited about the evolution of her standalone childrenswear label, which is also stocked at David Jones. Now living in Melbourne with her husband Dave, 41, and six-year-old son Baillieux, Fleur works from her home studio, illustrating and designing her whimsical clothing ranges.
“We’re in the process of planning a renovation on our old Edwardian house, to bring it back to its former glory,” Fleur says. “I love the craftsmanship from that era, which I think has a lot to do with the house I grew up in. I have a garden out the front of my studio that was basically weeds and I’ve spent the last two years bringing it back to life. It’s inspired much of my work. To be able to walk outside, or even just gaze out the window from my easel and paint from what I see, has become a beautiful part of my art process.”
Fleur still visits the Mornington Peninsula regularly to spend time with her siblings. “Their kids go to the same primary school [that we went to] and the uniform hasn’t changed, which is really cool,” she says. “It’s a very dear place in my heart. When we go for walks, we’re walking the same tracks I used to walk as a kid. It feels like it’s come full circle.” Visit fleurharris.com >
I’M THE ELDEST OF FOUR. I have two brothers, Anthony and David, then my sister, Katherine. The boys were quite close because they were in the middle. I was seven when my sister was born and she was one of the best things that ever happened to me. She was like my little doll and brought so much joy to my life. All four of us are still fast friends. They’re all creative in their own ways, too. People often ask me if my parents were artists, but there are no other practising artists in our family.
Growing up, our closest town was Balnarring. It’s becoming a bit trendy now, but when we were there it was very small and simple. It had a little primary school, a grocery store, a Chinese restaurant and a great milk bar that we loved. We probably drove the owner crazy with our requests for one fizzer, one freckle, one lolly snake etc, trying to spend our 20 cents! There were no buses, so if we wanted to go into town we had to walk. It took about an hour along the pine track. It was always an adventure, though. They were such special times.
Apart from the goose on the dam, who became our pet by default, we had a number of rescue cats and dogs who were all quite wonderful. I got a tabby rescue kitten called Tiddles as a reward when I stopped sucking my thumb – when I was 11! Tiddles eventually met a very sad end because she fell asleep under machinery at the vineyard.
I was quite a shy or perhaps anxious child. I was very mindful of doing the right thing and never wanted to get into trouble. As our parents were busy with the vineyard, I’d look after everyone because I was the eldest. I always tried to make sure we played together nicely. Mum would happily leave me in the house with the other kids while she’d be over in the shed catering for a wedding or event. I still do try to look after people and I’d say that’s something to do with being the eldest child.
Likewise, at school, I was always mindful of doing the right thing. I’d see naughty kids getting into trouble and I’d think, ‘I never want to be the centre of attention!’ The couple of times I did get in trouble – for minor things – are clearly stuck in my memory. But I really did enjoy school. Other kids would always say, ‘You’re such a good drawer’. I wasn’t particularly good at maths or anything, so drawing was like my party trick and I loved it.
I was always into creative things as a kid. We had this fancy-dress box that was just Mum’s old clothes from the ’70s. We’d play make-believe games and build epic lounge room forts. The stories we made up would go on and on. My creativity came out in many forms and I’d often put on shows and charge my family to see them. I was entrepreneurial from a young age. All those touchpoints in my life make sense now. I never had an answer to the question of what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I had a ‘fork in the road’ moment when I applied for uni. I got into both fine arts and advertising. I felt I should do advertising because it had a clear career path with certainty of employment, but I also just loved making art. I didn’t want to live a life where I regretted never doing it. So, I chose fine arts, with no idea of what I’d do afterwards.
It took me a long time to feel comfortable calling myself an artist, but I’m very proud to say that it’s what I do with my life now.
“I was entrepreneurial from a young age. All those touchpoints in my life make sense now.”