He calls himself the Strawberry King.
And in his own little patch on the corner of Boundary and Springacre roads, Thornlands, Errol Robert Mortimer Perry is indeed king of all he surveys.
Creating the strawberry museum ( by appointment only) and the former Big Strawberry (in 1978 and now demolished) has been a lifetime’s work but adding the blossoming Strawberry Queen ballroom was finally achieved only on retirement.
“It hit me at the reunion (of the strawberry queens in 2008). That’s when the penny dropped. I thought I am retired and I am a ballroom dancer. That’s what I’m going to do – teach ballroom dancing as a retirement hobby. I named my ballroom the Strawberry Ballroom as this was the pinnacle of the festival and an important part of the history of the Redlands,” Mr Perry said.
Born the son of Capalaba strawberry farmers, Mr Perry is not red faced about speaking about the lush red soil that produces the strawberry, a complex little fruit comprising a pattern of diagonal little seeds and small hairs, designed to survive and persist. His own crop is above the ground where it is least likely to be attacked by pests. His parents’ success as farmers dwindled with the drought of the 1940s that caused local dams to dry up.
Mr Perry has drawings and diagrams and replicas of the strawberry inside his museum, but most of all the building is a shrine to the former glory of the strawberry queens and princesses (1958 to 2000), once an integral part of the farming and cultural fabric of the Redlands.
“Most of these girls came from farming families. This is a tribute to those girls who worked so hard selling raffle tickets and raising funds for the ambulance which was manned by volunteers. These girls deserved their titles. I take my hat off to them,” he said.
Take for example the first queen in 1958, Fay Cressey who worked at the strawberry canning factory and was crowned Strawberry Queen on the back of a semi trailer, decorated with large strawberries.
“I’d like to see a This is Your Life story on her. I started with nothing, but I have been able to track many of these girls down. It’s fascinating to see where their lives have taken them. These girls have had had an impact on the growth and development of the Redlands,” Mr Perry said.
There are several key elements inside the museum. One is the replica of his parents’ hut, a one room affair with an old stove, bed and kitchen table where the strawberry sorting was done by his mother. There is the strawberry queen honour board and a laminated list of every entrant as well as the ceremonial strawberry queen chair.
There is a collection of photographs of queens and floats and newspaper articles.
But outside the visual has a sweeter flavour. There blossoms the iconic big strawberry which sat atop the float once holding the queens and princesses, a happy reminder of a former glory day. And another sadder reminder, the sign that announced the Big Strawberry, a bygone testament to the glory days of strawberry farming, pulled down once the same ground started “growing houses”.
“The Strawberry festival was a time when the Redlands came to a halt. Every man and his dog would come out to see the parade and watch the crowned queen.
“Today, there is a large immigration population here and the young people have no knowledge of the roots of the Redlands. The festival was a magical event that involved the whole community and brought people together.
“I say this to the young people. Never run away from an opportunity. Get involved.”
This year, the strawberry quest and the strawberry festival celebrates 60 years. The strawberry has achieved the dizzying status of being the symbol of the Redlands, but with the gradual demise of the area’s salad bowl status, it has also wilted on the vine.
The signicant aniversary offers some fertiliser to this resilient and succulent little fruit. This year’s Redfest, formerly the Strawberry festival, to be staged on September 7-9 celebrates the birthday with a flavoursome burst of sweet events.
A highlight is the revisited strawberry ball, being held from 6.30pm on September 1 at the Alexandra Hills Hotel where former queens and princesses are invited to dust off their sashes and shine as guests of honour. And Mr Perry hopes to be there too, showing his skills on the dance floor and sharing a lifetime of knowledge about his favourite little fruit.
“The ball was once the pinnacle of the festival. I congratulate the people for putting it on again. This in itself will be a valuable historic occasion,” he said.
Tickets to the ball are $125 and include canapes, a three course meal and a drinks package. Enquiries and bookings to redfest.com.au, 3286 4858.
NOTE: The ball has been cancelled as of August 21, 2018.
