CHRISTMAS PAST
AS CHRISTMAS DRAWS near, it’s little wonder that trimming the tree is such a beloved annual ritual for Sharon Randall. In mid-November she brings out her extensive collection of exquisite antique Christmas ornaments and the joy of decorating begins. The extraordinarily fragile and opalescent ornaments aren’t hung on a natural or artificial tree; rather, they adorn a rare German-made feather tree that dates back to the late 19th century. Traditionally made with dyed goose feathers entwined on a wire frame, it lights up the home she and her husband Ron Witherow painstakingly restored at Taradale, 105 kilometres north-west of Melbourne.
On the kitchen mantel a menagerie of carved wooden sheep are corralled inside. They are very old and difficult to find so I’ve collected them one by one. If there was a fire, they would be the first thing I’d grab!” says Sharon. “Once the tree is up, I move things around as we come closer to Christmas.”
