After more than 40 years in the Bindoon community, Ruth Adamson is preparing to move on, leaving behind a lifetime of memories tied to the area. Ruth and her late partner, Alex Douglas, first purchased their Bindoon block in 1981 with modest ambitions. “We planned to put a little place on the block to come up on weekends,” Ruth recalls.
However, plans changed after an unsuccessful auction on their Mosman Park property. Undeterred, they decided to demolish their house and use the materials to build a new home in Bindoon. Alex, who had no prior construction experience, drew up the plans and began building. Ruth, still working in the city, came up on weekends to assist. “Alex was so innovative. He just had so many ideas and kept going and going.
“I used to come up every Saturday, and go back on Sunday and help wherever I could. It was a good partnership,” she says.
By 1986, the home was ready to live in, though not without obstacles. Ruth had dreams of cultivating a big garden, but faced significant hurdles due to limited, and salty water supplies. “It was a big challenge,” she admits. “It surprises me that I got this garden going like I did.”
Over the decades, Ruth and Alex became ingrained in the Bindoon community, working locally and actively contributing to community groups, starting with joining the Bindoon Progress Association in 1987. “Our neighbour Sheila went down to the first meeting, and asked if we would like to go to the next one,” Ruth explains. “I will admit that I wasn’t very keen, but Alex said, ‘Come on, we’ll just go and see what’s going on.’
“And of course, Alex being Alex, he just took charge of the meeting, and then they voted him in as a secretary. So, that was the beginning of the end,” Ruth laughs.
Despite her initial reluctance, Ruth has fond memories of the progress association, including the time they were approached by members of the Coffin Cheaters to cater for the Bindoon Rock music festival. “I only got to attend for two of the years, and luckily I was there when Jimmy Barnes performed,” she said. “I wasn’t into modern music, and all we could hear from the kitchen was a ‘thud, thud, thud.’ But I went out, and then of course I couldn’t see the stage. So, some young fella picked me up and put me on his shoulders!”
Ruth warmly remembers the Chinkabee Complex as the heart of the town’s social scene, bustling with activity at every opportunity. “We used to have great nights down there. If somebody new came into town, everyone would bring a plate and welcome them, and if they were leaving, we’d do the same.
“The community was amazing—really tight-knit—because we knew everybody, from the farms to in town.”
The Chinkabee Complex holds special significance for Ruth, as the bar inside was built by Alex, who passed away in 2019 after fighting motor neuron disease. Alex left an indelible mark on the town, including managing the post office, and serving on the Shire of Chittering council for an impressive 16 years.
“I look around and see so much of Alex’s work in Bindoon,” she reflects. “He really was an amazing man.”
Ruth also has a strong artistic side, excelling in oil painting and always eager to learn new skills—like pottery. “I had torn ligaments in my leg, and I was in plaster for six weeks just sitting in the lounge room. My son came in with a board with a big lump of clay, and he said, ‘Here, make something.’ So, I did!” she recalled. Through her work with the Bindoon Arts and Crafts Group, she helped bring new expertise to town, engaging mentors in everything from painting and sculpture to numerology and tarot cards. The group also established a dedicated wool group focused on spinning, weaving, and knitting, and a theatre group, who performed plays around the region. The scripts were written by Alex, while Ruth assisted with the catering, typically providing a three-course meal to keep the audience well-fed.
Health concerns last summer prompted Ruth to consider moving, and she has since been gradually packing up her home with the help of her children. “It’s been a terrible upheaval and very sad,” she admits. “But I think I’ve come to grips with it now. I’m looking forward to being able to relax and not have anything I absolutely must do.”
Ruth will deeply miss her beloved garden, the family of magpies she feeds every morning, and, most of all, the trees. “I just love my trees,” she says wistfully.
Ruth is proud of her achievements, and reminds others to keep persevering. “You can achieve more than you think you can,” she says. “If you’re looking at a big job and thinking, ‘Oh God, I can’t do that,’… once you get going, you can and you do.”
