General News
3 December, 2025
Dimboola memories in new children’s book
Thirty years of coming to Dimboola for camping trips with family recently inspired Ballarat-based author Janine Taylor to create something in print to preserve it for her grandchildren.
It will not be her first book ‘Tate and Papa’s Memories’ came earlier this year and had its own modest connection to the town, being about her late husband, Peter Taylor and her grandson; her husband is remembered with the annual barefoot waterskiing competition on the Wimmera River.
“The one I wrote earlier in the year sort of started off as a memory book for the family and I, and then, as it went along, (I thought) I should look into printing it,” Janine said.
“It's a book about my husband and grandson and all the memories they got to share together before my husband passed with cancer.
“My grandson – with the first book – when I first sat him down with the book, he sat and read it, and he actually came over to me with tears rolling down his face and gave me a big hug.
“It was quite emotional.”
The reaction from her grandson encouraged her to keep writing, this time including many of her grandchildren and her niece’s children.
They typically gather for a camping trip every year at Christmas and Easter, and the book features various places familiar to locals.
She said a long time ago their traditional holiday trip was originally at Lake Hindmarsh, but they moved when the water level dropped and could no longer support waterskiing.
“We had been to Dimboola before, but we'd never camped over there,” Janine said.
“So then we went over there.”
She has watched the changes in the town, too.
Over the years, she said the town “died a little bit there” for a while, but she was extremely positive about its more recent developments.
“It’s got some new businesses and the library area is fantastic,” Janine said.
“They've really built the town up from what it was.”
She said she was looking forward to seeing the impression the book will make on not just extended family but many children, with the book targeted at ages “three to probably 10”, roughly the same ages as the characters in the story.
“My thing is creating memories,” Janine said.
“It's nice to be able to look back and have a look at those memories you've shared with your family over the years.”
The book covers a holiday at Dimboola from the moment the kids finish school and head up the Western Highway past towns and landmarks, to camping by the river and water-skiing.
“We just love camping out on the river,” Janine said.
“And there's bits there of the kids going to the Dimboola swimming pool in the book, sitting out front of the Wimmera bakery, and then at the little Forbidden Forest having milkshakes in the shop there, and then out to the pink lake.”
Self-published and beautifully illustrated by “a girl from Ocean Grove”, Stephanie Peacock, Janine will be coming to Horsham and Dimboola this month to promote it, with one of her motivations to use it for fundraising.
“My first book, I've done a fair few fundraisers with it, because it's related to cancer,” she said.
“I've been ... at the hospitals and donated $5 from each book sale to them.”
Her hope this time was to include schools in the fundraising efforts, but she was clear her emphasis was on showing reality and “how important it is for people to spend time with family and make those memories together”.
“You know, some families don't get to do that,” Janine said.
“Just getting together, it's important, I think – and promoting little towns too.
“We've loved Dimboola over the years and just giving back to the town ... I think it's a good thing."
You can meet Janine at:
Horsham Plaza on Friday, December 5, from 8.30am - 4pm and Saturday, December 6, from 8.30am - 1pm.
Haven Market, Saturday, December 6, from 4 to 8pm.
Horsham Plaza, Saturday, December 13, from 8.30am - 4pm.
Natimuk Market, Sunday, December 14, from 10am - 1.30pm.
The official book launch will be at Forbidden Forest in Dimboola after Christmas (date to be confirmed).