It’s a Christmas puzzle that has everyone on the Blackall-Jericho Road talking – who put the chair out at the Yalleroi Christmas decorations?
The creations have been a talking point for a few years as it is, considering that Yalleroi, in its heyday hosting 3000 people at its race meetings, is almost a ghost town.
Only one residence is left out of the 14-house former railway siding tucked away in the scrub and if not for the sign proudly proclaiming a population of four, most passers-by wouldn’t know it was there.
That is, until Christmas time, when David ‘Crocker’ Arnold puts his welding magic to work and all sorts of things appear – reindeer one year, skeletons another (it was another drought year), and barb wire balls spelling out the Christmas message last year.
This year though, someone has enhanced his work with a recliner chair and a container of water.
“I didn’t even know it was there until someone told me,” he said. “It’d have to be somebody local – who else would cart a chair all that way?”
Considering he and his partner Lavina Anderson are the only two people living in Yalleroi – their two children, Blake and Pagen have moved away – the concept of “local” could extend a few kilometres.
The water container – with water in it – was resting in the shopping trolley of presents Santa was pushing when Crocker went down for a look on Wednesday, and he reckons he’ll keep watch now in case someone decides to leave a carton of beer.
“It’s Christmas you know, you get in the spirit a bit,” he said, talking about why he goes to so much trouble to create his bit of cheer for travellers. “Christmas is everything I grew up with. Everyone’s happy then.”
While he says he likes living in a ghost town because it’s quiet, he’s looking forward to a merry Christmas Day when 20 friends and relations will be sharing lunch.
Maybe they’ll all go down to pose for a photo in the chair with Santa while they’re there.