She loved scary stories and movies growing up and was fully immersed in the 80s horror slasher scene when she was a teenager. Films like ‘Friday the 13th’ (1980), ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ (1984) and ‘The Evil Dead’ (1981) are not only some of Mum’s favourites but were some of my first glimpses into the horror genre. I think because we watched horror movies together as a family it wasn’t as scary and became something enjoyable.
Naturally, Mum’s passion extends to Halloween. Maybe you’ve heard of or taken your kids to trick or treat on Jenanter Drive for Halloween in the past?
Spending her early years in Canada, Halloween was a huge occasion. She described the excitement of wearing Halloween costumes to primary school, and how she would fill up an entire pillowcase with lollies from trick or treating.
When her family relocated to Australia, she was disappointed to discover that Halloween was nowhere near as prominent.
“I really missed it because it wasn’t really a thing.” She reflected.
I have fond memories during primary school of Mum driving me up to Sydney every year to trick or treat with my cousin, scouting out which suburbs were embracing the Halloween spirit. It was so exciting to see some of the elaborate decorations people dressed their houses in. Or when I went trick or treating in Glenmack Park as a kid with my friends, wearing the most unique costumes I could find, such as the time I dressed up as a twister board.
When my family moved from Bugong Fire Trail to Jenanter Drive, our closer proximity to the rest of the town made it easier to get the rest of the community involved. I believe Mum held the first Halloween celebration at our house when I was in Year 5.
It became a yearly occasion, so she figured she would include a sausage sizzle to make it a fun, community event for both the kids and their parents. Halloween preparations continue all year, as she’s constantly on the lookout for Halloween-themed decorations that she can exhibit in and around our house when the spooky season rolls round. Memorable ones include the inflatable pumpkins that we would have to attach to the ground so they wouldn’t blow away in the wind. Or when mum transformed a mannequin into a creepy scarecrow, dressed in Dad’s old flannelette shirt, dusty boots, and a scary mask. She propped it up at the top of our driveway, which probably gave some of the neighbours a fright at first glance.
As James and I grew older and less inclined to scavenge the streets for lollies ourselves, Mum would try to rope us into dressing up and helping with the festivities. We refused every year out of embarrassment, especially since mum would always wear something over-the-top or drench herself in fake blood.
Despite our lack of participation, Mum’s pursuits in spreading Halloween spirit have only expanded, reflected by the increasing crowds that turn up to our house each year. Dad was always on barbeque duty and last year he cooked 150 sausage sizzles, some of which were eaten by their dog Russ who scoured the yard all evening looking for food to steal.
“I just love the lunacy of it, and how much fun the kids have.” Mum says.
She also emphasised how it wouldn’t be possible to pull off these Halloween antics without the participation of the other Jenanter Drive residents.
“What has made it so special is the generosity and enthusiasm our neighbours in Jenanter
Drive have shown in embracing Halloween each year.”
My family’s love for everything scary is something I am still passionate about and some of my favourite memories at home involve us huddled up in the cosy living room watching scary films, always with the curtains closed and a bowl of popcorn to share. To this day every time I visit Kangaroo Valley, James and I will play horror games on his Xbox, or mum will join us in watching a horror movie. The only recurring struggle is trying to agree on which one to watch.
Luka Russell
