In 1965 in Kew, Melbourne, 88-year-old Grace Tabulo passed away at her 1860’s home, Fairyland. This ended more than 20 years that Grace and her Gallipoli veteran husband Jim had made their home a tourist attraction for children in the local area and beyond.With exhibits, stories, concerts and celebrations for events like Empire Day, Fairyland was featured in newspapers and magazines in Melbourne and abroad.
It was a unique place in a more innocent time that had a profound effect on all those who went there. What motivated this couple to dedicate their lives to their community? And what are some of the mysteries that lie behind this story?
This is a window into post-war Melbourne suburbia which celebrates a wonderful couple and their lives’ work.
James Nicolas is a Melbourne author who has written several books about local sporting clubs and institutions. He is currently working on his latest book about the history of the Blackburn Football Club. (Our own Bob Hoskins was a member of the Blackburn Team of the Century).During his research on Fairyland, James discovered that Grace Tabulo and her husband had adopted James' mother from an orphanage. There was a falling out between James' mother and her adoptive parents when she was in her 20s. It was after that that Grace and Jim set up Fairyland.
James generously donated a copy of his book as a raffle prize.