Louise McNaughton is a Year 9 student at Banksia. She was selected as one of six finalists in the Herald Sun's Junior Journalist Award. The Herald Sun is the largest circulation newspaper in Australia, and so this was a wonderful achievement.The competition drew entries from hundreds of students from Years 7 to 10 all writing about someone with an unusual hobby.
This is Louise's winning entry:
A SPOT OF FUN It all started when a pet Dalmatian was bought for the family, no-one knew then that this would become a life long hobby for Carmel.
Carmel started collecting Dalmatian ornaments in the early eighties and is still collecting today. These black and white creatures are very hard to come across, so hard in fact that after nearly fifteen years of collecting them, the collection still hasn't even reached the sixties.
Her goal is to collect 101 of these beautiful dogs, before she dies, which allows her about thirty-five more years of collecting.
Some of what she collects are not just ornaments. Carmel collects posters, pens, glasses, soft toys and clothing. Her house is covered with black and white dots. A Dalmatian meets you every time you go the Toilet. The Fridge is covered with black and white Magnets, each one having a different life-like facial expression. The walls are covered with pictures, paintings and photo's. My favorite would have to be a picture of a tiny Dalmatian, instead of having normal black spots, they are the colours of the rainbow. And when it's time to put the children to bed, sure enough they are on her daughter's nightie. Though the ornaments are the only ones she keeps count of.
Carmel has received Dalmatians from all around the world, from her family and friends.
When people come to her house they go straight over and count them to see if any more have been added to the family.
While overseas in America, Carmel couldn't get enough of them. "They were everywhere," she quoted, "I could have easily spent thousands of dollars, but I limited myself to no more than ten dogs."
The Dalmatians range from being 20cms in height to a tiny lcm. Some of them are playing ball, reading the news or watching the snow fall. Whatever they are doing they all seem to fit in with each other. It's like a tiny village of people (although this time it's dogs) working together to get things done.
Carmel was told when she began that it would be easier to collect something like stamps, stickers or cats. That could be found in nearly every shop you walked into. Though Carmel was always looking for a new challenge and this seemed a perfect one. "I wanted to do something that would keep me excited," she said, "Not something that would be finished in a hurry, there is nothing like it when you add another one to your collection," Carmel informed us, "Why now I know someone that is trying to collect Platypuses, and every one thought I was weird."
Carmel gets a lot of enjoyment from doing this. Even when things are slow and it seems like there is not one Dalmatian left. Up pops a spotted black and white head and that little fellow receives a home. "When 101 of them have a home I'll be able to rest," Carmel said, "And not before."
Star Students