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Know your local – Darcy Vaughan

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“One of the first things I did when I moved here was a funeral in Rheola. I was doing the committal at the cemetery, ‘ashes to ashes’ when a massive flock of sheep moved next to us. I thought I’m not in Glebe anymore!”

Darcy Vaughan
Darcy Vaughan. Photo: Tarrangower Times

Darcy, born and raised in Sydney, moved to Maldon early last year to become the Minister of the Anglican Church, which includes Ministering in Newstead and Inglewood.

“I like to focus on the similarities (between Maldon and Sydney). People are people. It doesn’t matter if you’re poor or wealthy. In Glebe, community was very important, here it’s the same.”

Darcy studied theatre and film at the University of Sydney, before setting off on a three month trip to East Africa to find out about different development organisations with thoughts of working in community development.

“When I came back I needed a skill, so as you would expect, I started a law degree,” laughs Darcy. “I also worked in the legal department of Child Protection for three and a half years. Oh and I got married in there somewhere,” Darcy chuckles.

Darcy and his wife Philippa, who was completing her Masters in Gastronomy, decided to quit their jobs and go woofing (living and working on farms) in North America and Europe for six months. They stayed on two farms in Canada and France and one in Italy.

“It was very food-based travel, living with a family you get to see how they eat. It’s a really cool way to travel.

“One of my favourites was learning how to do beekeeping from an apiarist who was also a Meadery (maker of honey wine) in Alberta Canada.

“We came back from our trip svelte, fit, tanned, very self righteous about organic food and wondering why everyone needs to drive cars,” Darcy laughs.

Darcy then became involved with the church in Glebe, volunteering at a community drop in program, while also working in aged care. 

At 29-years-old Darcy began studying theology by distance education, while also taking up the role as the Co-ordinator of the Glebe Assistance Partnership Program which provides services such as assistance with bills, food, family services etcetera. 

“The pandemic in Sydney – that year was bleak. There were a lot of food scarcity fears. We got heaps of food and filled the back of the church and ran a food bank from there.

“We were living in a house provided by the church, a tiny little terrace house on a public housing estate, that was pretty run down, but we thought it was great.

“I was nearly finished my studies and was thinking about what was next. Then one night there was a panicked knock on the door. One of the neighbours had been putting out her bins and saw the back part of our property, a tiny stable, was on fire. We lost everything in there. All our memorabilia stuff, journals, Christmas decorations, all the things we couldn’t fit in the house. Someone started five fires in the neighbourhood that night. We couldn’t help taking it as a bit of a sign. 

“Since our trip we’d been wanting to live in the country and then an opportunity to work in Maldon came up. We moved at the start of 2021.

“Philippa is very excited to have her own garden and be able to replicate all the things she learned when we travelled.

“We are very settled and happy to be here and are hoping to be here for a long time.”

Tarrangower Times 14 January 2022

This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 14 January 2022.

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