In September 1971, the Dodds Family first arrived in Canberra, dressed in hats and scarves for the snowy weather of the tales they had heard from Perth.
Neville, an Army man, was posted to Canberra after he returned from his tour in Vietnam.He and his wife Mary arrived with their six children in tow, to set up house in the very young suburb of Rivett in Weston Creek.
“We thought we’d be walking out the door into knee-deep snow,” their daughter Robyn smiled. She was seven years old during the move.
“We were terribly disappointed, especially since we were missing all our cousins back in Perth. Here we didn’t have anybody.”
Nevertheless, the family were quickly welcomed by the Canberra community. After following Neville to postings in NSW, SA, and Malaysia, his five daughters and one son soon realised that this government house in Rivett would be the backdrop to their youth.
Years earlier, their parents were fated to meet. While Neville was on leave from the military, he stopped by a cinema where Mary was working as an usherette. Two years later, they were married. Their home was a similar twist of fate. After the Rivett house was allocated to them by the Army, Neville and Mary soon purchased it for their own, becoming their forever home.
The children spent most of their childhood outdoors exploring the massive lot. “Forever disappearing, as the old saying goes,” said Robyn. “We were always up in the pine forest, or the horse paddock, or investigating the other houses being built, and wouldn’t come back until the lights came on.
“Our house is now part of a cul-de-sac, but it was one of the first to be built. All the other houses slowly grew up as we did.
“Rumour was that our house was built on top of a dam. On our second Christmas here, we had so much rain that the water was flowing past our backdoor. We were all in little rubber rings floating around the living room,” she laughed. “I’m sure Mum and Dad were distraught, but we had so much fun.”
As Cotter Road developed from a dirt track, the former school became an aged care home, and duplexes sprang up where the Dodds’ neighbours’ homes once stood. Mary and Neville reached retirement, and their children were determined to keep them nearby. A new house was built on their former backyard cricket pitch.
“The old house, being a govie, was off the ground with steps in the front and back. The new house was built flat, with extra-wide doorways and in-floor heating, just so we knew we could keep them here as long as possible,” said Robyn.
The siblings have taken it in turns living in the old house, to support Neville and Mary as they age. Currently, Robyn and her daughter reside there, while the rest of the family is scattered along the East Coast.
The Dodds have always taken advantage of the never-ending stream of birthdays, weddings, christenings, and Christmases to gather once a year at the Rivett home. Between the two houses is a large double carport, affectionately named ‘The Pavilion’.
“That’s where all the parties are held. There’s always at least one barbecue, if not two going, the tables absolutely covered in food. Mum’s a fantastic cook and most of her granddaughters took after her. Music, laughter, the 13 great-grandchildren running around on the grass,” Robyn said.
The youngest Dodds is two months old, while patriarch, Neville, the oldest Dodds, is now 90 years old.
The Dodds hope that the Rivett house will still be in the family in 50 years’ time, but with today’s property prices, no one can be sure.
“For the moment, we’re just enjoying what we have as much as we can.”
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