Dorothy Cunningham loves Christmas.
So much, in fact, that every December her villa and garden become a dazzling festive scene that lights up the night sky and attracts onlookers from far and wide.
What began as a simple Santa and sleigh outside the family home in the 1970s has steadily grown into the seasonal spectacular it is today.
With six children of her own, and many more in the neighbourhood, she enjoyed seeing the joy it brought them.
“I made everything at first, with fishing line, Blu Tack and pins holding things together.”
Since moving to Glengara in 2002, Dorothy’s displays, erected with the help of her son, Steven, have gained a fan base.
“The rest of the village jokes that they know when I’ve turned on my lights because theirs all go dim!”
Dorothy adds a themed section to complement the Christmas decorations, depending on what is popular at the time.
These have included a Harry Potter complete with knitted scarf, and a Santa in running shoes and carrying a torch during the Sydney Olympics.
“I also add something Aussie, like a bushman sitting under a tree,” she said.
Dorothy’s love of Christmas and community shows no sign of fading for now.
“I’m 82 now and I’m not supposed to climb ladders, but don’t tell anyone that I still do,” she said.
The main reason I do it is because everybody enjoys it, and it makes our little street of just a few houses so beautiful.”
For more information about Glengara Retirement Village, click here.
