You might have seen Jenifer James lately down at the Cobargo Commons (CoCo), the White Horse Cottage next to the Post Office. Since January, the CoCo Bazaar has opened in that space, with a wonderful collection of clothes, books, jewellery and bric-a-brac. Head through to the back and you’ll find a new community space Jenifer is very excited about – a humble and welcoming place for a cuppa and a chat on comfy chairs. Sitting on one, I asked Jenifer about the journey that eventually brought her to the Triangle region.

‘I was born in Malaysia and then my father took a degree in Tropical Agriculture. So, of course, Wales was the ideal place to practice that! Absolutely crazy. We had a Welsh farm, 250 acres in common land where I learned a lot about wildlife and birds, insects and mud. I could get lost on that land. It was a really musical, poetry-filled childhood and it was also full of community, endless community. It was where I learned to be on my own, and to be able to walk a long way on my own when I was very young.

‘When I realised I had to make a living, I’d always thought I’d be a writer, a journalist, but life did get in the way. I accidentally became a nurse, and then I accidentally became a nurse educator. I’ve never planned anything; I get offered opportunities, and I tend to look at them say, why not? Let’s do that! So that’s how I started teaching, which I like. When my then-husband wanted an adventure, eventually it was Australia. He didn’t actually like Australia, but I really embraced it. When I went camping up north under a little black volcano, and the dingoes were howling at the stars, that’s when I thought, I can really do this country.

‘As a nurse, I was collecting stories. I didn’t want to be a nurse, but I was collecting stories, also when teaching. Adult teaching was really powerful … getting people with no qualifications to uni is something I leapt onto, if they wanted to go. Showing them they could do it was awesome … but, again, I was collecting stories, because people like that tell you things, they talk about their lives. So, I was collecting and collecting and collecting, and started going back to writing.’
After the Black Summer fires, Jenifer knew it was time for a different chapter.

‘For me, the pivotal moment came out in the bush, in the middle of a forest fire just below us, fires over there, fire engines on the road, helicopter overhead and I just remember thinking, that’s it. I’m never, ever, ever going to stand in front of a class again. I’m done, I got to change. And that’s what I did. So, I came here originally following a bloke, but I actually said to that particular person, even if I don’t follow you, this is where I want to be, because it was so beautiful. The green reminded me of a lot of things, of Wales, but I also felt there was community here. So that’s how I began. I’ve been in this area about fourteen years now, and I can’t quite imagine living anywhere else in Australia.’

Jen in the Cobargo Commons living room. Photo credit Flick Ruby

Now Jenifer is helping shape a new gathering place in Cobargo.

‘We talked a bit about the idea of deep community, of trying to make sure that everyone, no matter who you are, is welcomed and invited into this space and helped to feel really comfortable. We plan writing groups, poetry, spoken word and a sewing circle, basket weaving, and I’d love to do some singing. OzHarvest comes here once a week. We invite you to put your feet up on these chairs and have a cup of tea. It’s a really warm place. I want the walls to be covered in Cobargo stories, photographs, paintings, storytelling, words, research. I don’t care. I just love it to be covered with words as people come in. Yeah, that’s what I’d love.’

Drop into the Cobargo Commons and have a chat if you have ideas for how to use the community space.

Flick Ruby