Welcome to the Central Coast Writes Anthology 2022, a collection of personal stories written and illustrated by local residents.

These stories share a deep connection to place and they tell us more about who we are on the Central Coast. The writers engaged their emotions and all of their senses to create vivid, moving accounts from the heart of our community.

Here you’ll find true stories told with honesty and creative flair about love, loss, heroism, challenges, and those tender moments that last a lifetime.

Seeing the care and attention that the talented illustrators have brought to the stories is heart-warming and demonstrates the power of creative collaboration.

To all those who dared to create, remember and record: It has been an honour to guide you in this experience and a joy to edit your words. Let’s do it all again next year!

- Adrienne Ferreira, Director of Central Coast Writes.

Sean Crawley, Illustrated by Joshua Beaton 8/31/22 Sean Crawley, Illustrated by Joshua Beaton 8/31/22

The Big Wet, 1990

I don’t know what Rusty loved more: Jack, his cockatoo, or the shiny Pontiac parked in the garage of his two storey riverfront house…

Faye Kepper, Illustrations by Knoa Casey Fernandez & Ben Stewart 8/28/22 Faye Kepper, Illustrations by Knoa Casey Fernandez & Ben Stewart 8/28/22

Return to Terrigal Beach

I imagine the sand at Terrigal Beach sifting through my toes. I am about four years old, in my knitted swimming costume in 1942…

Ah-Leh Appel, Illustrated by Harriet Viles 6/10/22 Ah-Leh Appel, Illustrated by Harriet Viles 6/10/22

After the Rain

I love gardening and tending to the plants. I had neglected them since the rain…

Lesley Nord, Illustrated by Toby Steenbergen 6/10/22 Lesley Nord, Illustrated by Toby Steenbergen 6/10/22

Picketts Valley

Home at last, across the causeway lined on each side with bamboo. Luckily it isn’t underwater this time; we’ve had a lot of rain…

Mark d’Arbon, Illustrated by Ollie McDonald 3/29/19 Mark d’Arbon, Illustrated by Ollie McDonald 3/29/19

A Toowoon Bay Experience

I paddled out. The closer I came to the break, the larger it seemed. I was nervous as I positioned myself for a perfect take-off…

John Murray, Illustrations by Ajay de Gruchy & John Murray 3/12/19 John Murray, Illustrations by Ajay de Gruchy & John Murray 3/12/19

The Red Kite

I turn and she is standing there alone. Daypack on, water bottle in hand and hat on her head… I ask, "Do you want to make a kite?"

Kerry-Anne McLachlan, Illustrated by Dylan de Gruchy 3/12/19 Kerry-Anne McLachlan, Illustrated by Dylan de Gruchy 3/12/19

A Moment Can Change Everything

I’m not an early morning person. This morning was the moment I decided to change that. My mission was set.

Fleur Phillips, Illustrated by Chloe Stewart 3/12/19 Fleur Phillips, Illustrated by Chloe Stewart 3/12/19

Beginnings

…there were no fences, nappies dried between the trees and the boys roamed with their neighbours, no barriers to their adventure play.