BARINGHUP was made famous by the film Romulus My Father, which brought author Raimond Gaita’s renowned account of his childhood to the screen.
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The wheaten landscape around this tiny settlement by the Cairn Curran Reservoir was an integral element of the story.
But last week, it could be said a new legend was forged.
One of the lake’s dedicated fishermen pulled a whopping 22-and-a-half pound golden perch out of the res.
“The fish was obese, there’s no other way to describe it,” says Robert Wilson, Loddon House Holiday Park owner.
“The chap who pulled it in said it was like dragging in a VW.”
The whopper puts the two yellow bellies on Robert’s shop wall to shame; seven and ten pounders now seen as tiddlers.
Robert moved to Baringhup to take over the caravan park six years ago.
“It was a compulsion,” he says.
“I’d been in the motel business and thought I’d give running a caravan park a try.”
He now lives in the town’s 1850s former post office, which serves as a convenience store, park office and petrol station.
Life is usually pretty quiet here.
The people come for the fishing, the bushwalking, prospecting, yachting and bird watching.
Baringhup boasts the reservoir and the Loddon River. Robert says when wind churns the lake up, the river still provides good fishing and boating.
“The bird life here is amazing, too,” he says.
“We have sea eagles at Cairn Curran and at the moment there’s numerous raptors flying around the area.
“We’ve also discovered a powerful owl in the park.
"It’s between 60 and 65cm tall, it’s a magnificent bird, it’s like a wooden sculpture.”
Robert says Easter school holidays is the busiest time, because of the long weekend, the weather and the Easter Fair in nearby Maldon.
The fair is a historic tradition in Maldon, featuring billy cart races, a fierce scone baking competition, dancing in the streets and a quirky country procession.
“We’re normally booked out 12 months in advance but this year there’s been a few cancellations due to illness, so there are some sites available,” Robert says.
There’s much talk in the park office right now around the issue of a proposed broiler farm for the area.
A VCAT case to see the broiler farm plans approved was adjourned this week until October.
While they love their birds in these parts, you’d be hard pressed to find any visitors – or locals – happy to see thousands of chickens added to the mix.
“We have the potential to be drastically affected,” Robert says.