Killabakh Chronicle's first editors Dawn Day and Trudy Morgan - photo taken by our current editor, Carol Saul
Thirty years ago, Trudy Morgan and Dawn Day, along with their families, were residing here in Killabakh. They were amongst a wave of new residents who embraced the ‘tree-change’ from city to village life, and much like today’s inhabitants, enthusiastically formed an active, vibrant community. Picnics into the forest were a regular delight; favourite places established, with cups and supplies secreted in hollow logs. The Hall was increasingly frequented with local events, including the inaugural ‘Day in the Country’ established by Fran Kempers and Alison McIntosh. Initially, to inform and invite locals to participate in the goings-on at the Hall, flyers would be roneoed off and dropped in all the letter boxes. After a couple of years of residing in Killabakh Trudy Morgan realised that a regular newsletter would be a much more efficient way of keeping locals up to date. She came up with the idea of the ‘Killabakh Chronicle’ and was its first editor. In its first year of inception, 1986, it came out monthly. Her husband, Rob, worked at RL Childs in Wingham, and they printed the 50 or so copies. Dates for all the different activities were listed; a useful concept that has been continued with the Calendar of Events. Trudy contributed poems and local gossip. Her daughter, Trenna, added illustrations. Dawn Day took over from Trudy as editor of the Chronicle. She had been residing right in the village since October 1981 and was an active member of the community. Dawn still has strong ties to Killabakh; she is a regular participant of the Thursday Arts Group (as is Trudy), driving up from Forster. A good idea is a good idea and the Killabakh Chronicle has well and truly withstood the test of time. The format has changed and contents reflect current interests but it remains one of our most valuable resources. We owe a debt of gratitude to Trudy and Dawn and all of the editors who have followed in their footsteps as their continued efforts have substantially contributed to the vitality of this community.