Australian Country Homes

OVER THE RAINBOW

Alison Ray has a wedding for 130 going on in her garden when we arrive, but she appears unfazed by the chaos that could well be imminent. With the assistance of a handful of friends, she calmly continues slicing up cakes, plating sandwiches, making and serving tea and coffee, and distributing endless platters of food.

When the guests have gone, I remark how smoothly Alison and her supporters have managed the event. “Oh, that was nothing,” she says. “When you’ve started an orphanage and built a school, you begin to think you can do anything.”

Alison is the powerhouse behind Our Rainbow House, a charity based in her hometown of Emerald

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