Imagine it is about 150 years ago...

You've travelled over 16000 km around Australia in your covered wagon. You've seen many wondrous things in this great land as you look for a place to settle and build a future. You thought about whaling but it's cruel and there seem to be less of them every year. You could gold mine at Kalgoorlie, opal mine at Coober Pedy or mine iron ore in parts of WA but those regions are so remote that Daddy has to wait months when he sends for equipment, supplies to fix the wagon or a new horse blanket in British racing green. There is little access to books for the children's education and the lack of water is not good for a family that loves to swim and has a mother following a new fangled eating plan that involves mainly eating vegetables.

The wet season in the tropical North is even more isolating and crocodile hunting is too dangerous. The area that is called Palmerston is a God forsaken hole and I can't imagine it will ever evolve into anything else.

But I've heard of a place we should go, a place about 1000 km South-East of here, a place set between the abundant water of the Damper and Scotchman's creeks. Set at the top of rolling hills that slope down 20 km to a town that was going to be called Batman (and only Mummy in Grade 5 would care what year that was) but is now called Melbourne.

It is truly a paradise; a climate of four seasons (sometimes all four in one day!). No red dust, humidity, crocodiles, red dust, humidity, cyclones, wet season, volcanoes, future cane toads, red dust, humidity, tsunamis, giant spiders, giant spider webs, giant insects in general, dingoes, and did I mention, red dust and humidity?

We should go there, side by side the wagons (it is a bit difficult to circle the wagons when there are only two) and build some log cabins because there is no vegetation protection overlay yet and we can chop down as many leaning over gum trees as we want.

We will fence off the area 50 m away to protect the rare native grasses that don't grow anywhere else in Victoria to preserve them for the future when everyone will care so much there will be a continuous flow of people to see them.
I have a vision for the future...

Our log cabins have become huge brick homesteads with a huge green metal barn. There is a water tank full of sparkling bubbles. The houses have indoor plumbing and air that is warm in winter and cool in summer. There are screens up the 50 inches across that show moving images and small hand held devices which people use in ways that replace sending a letter. They also seem to project sound. People spend many hours staring at these items and pressing tiny alphabet keys.

The homesteads are surrounded by 8 nearby centres for provisions. There are schools, hospitals, libraries and a great university nearby. The town of Melbourne has become a thriving metropolis. There is a huge swimming hole called MARC which also has exercise areas (and no crocodiles). I see the world's best general store - Mount Waverley Ritchies SupaIGA just 1 km away and a centre for the distribution of packages sent from overseas just a few kilometres away for all of Daddy's equipment and vehicle parts.
The vehicles are huge, iron, horseless carriages powered by iron engines which produce the power of many, many horses (maybe 60? Physics is not my thing).

But mainly I see loved ones in the homesteads and in nearby suburbs and I see 2 cats and a dog and a military vehicle waiting for some love. What a great future - let's go there NOW!