Where do young readers find others like themselves?

We stumbled on the Dromkeen Dragons while looking for places to go during the Queen's birthday long weekend.

The Dromkeen Homestead at Riddells Creek, an hour's drive on the M8 from Werribee, houses a fantastic collection of Australian literature and picture book art collection. It is funded by Scholastic Australia and exhibits original artwork, manuscripts and other pre-publication material from Australian children's books. It hosts school groups and conducts professional development workshops for teachers and librarians.

We visited on 14 June and Beth immediately fell in love with the pencil sketches by Quentin Blake, illustrator of Roald Dahl's books. There was also a display of paintings based on Ethel Turner's Seven Little Australians. The exhibitions and displays are periodically updated. The whole place feels so homey, like you've just stepped into someone's house for a visit. I loved the sun room overlooking the front garden where peacocks stroll majestically and noisy white cockatoos cascade through the sky. Placed strategically throughout the garden and verandah are bronze sculptures of well-known storybook characters from Australian classics: Possum Magic, The Man from Ironbark, Mr Lizard and Gumnut Baby, and The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek.

One of the best things about Dromkeen is that book-and-art-loving children aged 7 to 14 can join the Dromkeen Dragons, a kids' club that meets four times a year during school holidays. Beth attended her first DD session on Thu. We were expecting maybe a handful of kids - it's winter after all, and Dromkeen is not exactly in a central location - but there must have been 50 kids there! Many of them looked like regulars, as they knew exactly what to do as they came through the door of the sun room. One even wore a Dromkeen Dragon cape which she'd illustrated herself!

The adminstrator Jane explained to newcomers and parents the programme for the day, and gave out badges to newcomers. Beth already had hers, which had been mailed to her soon after she enrolled, and she wore it proudly on her hoodie. The pomp and pageantry as the outgoing Grand Dragon (a local author or illustrator) handed over her orb of knowledge, staff of power, cape and crown to her successor, was just magical. The kids loved it, especially the drawing workshop by the new Grand Dragon (Mark Wilson) and the Dragon Feast that was the climax of the day's activity.

Another reason why we love living in AUS.