LOCAL LOVE

Alex Sargeant moved from Melbourne to an old butcher’s shop in Dookie, Victoria, in late 2022.

“I grew up in Milawa, an hour east of Dookie, where my family still live,” says Alex, 36. “After 20 years in Melbourne, managing Angelucci 20th Century vintage furniture shop, it felt the right time to move back to country Victoria. I wanted to be near family, and have a backyard and more space. I’d always envisaged a rural escape, but the exact spot depended on the house and the community.

“My introduction to Dookie was via a 2020 visit to the local cellar door, Tallis Wine. Dookie has about 400 people, and there’s a small but active community of ‘doers’ – there are more than 70 community groups!

“Finding this community – and this home – sealed the deal. The butcher’s shop was built in 1903, with a verandah, four-metre-high ceilings and just enough backyard to play with. I spent several months up a ladder painting the facade, which gave the locals a chance to say ‘G’day’.

“I grew up in Milawa and Yackandandah, so I’m used to small communities, but Dookie is definitely more welcoming and curious about new folk than I expected. The locals are happy to ‘see some young blood’ in town, and the bowls club insist I must join next summer. I’ve joined the Dookie & District Development Forum, and we’ve begun a new project, the Dookie Native Garden.

“Logistics were tricky at first; it took several months to relocate and adjust to the move. I did many trips up the highway with a full car. But my friends, family and new neighbours pitched in to help. I love visiting the Dookie Emporium (a vintage shop), and the local wine bar and restaurant, Rye at Tallis, where I now work. The Dookie pub is a great historical remnant, and the general store has fantastic burgers! Most of all, I love sitting in my backyard at sunset with a glass of local wine, admiring my newly planted gum trees.”