Kate and Mike were the very first people to move on site along with Linda Scott. The Ecovillage Co-operative took ownership of the property in 2013 after a long settlement with the previous owners. The existing Managers Cottage, quickly renamed ‘Heritage House’, had been vacant for a while and the house and garden needed a lot of work to make it semi-comfortable. At the age of 70 the Belfields left the comfort of their home in Castle Hill and launched into a new chapter of their lives, bringing with them “Sparky,” a converted and very unreliable Battery Electric Vehicle which came to the Village on day one.”
Kate says “We found out about the ecovillage through Mike searching for ways to live more sustainably. Mike wasn’t sure but I was 100% committed to this new exciting phase. There were only 20 of us at that point and someone needed to live on site. We were retired and more able to be flexible. It was such an exciting place! I really enjoy recycling, sorting and organising things and there is enough here to keep me happy for years”.
They threw themselves into many activities along with the other members. Not just in the physical tasks but setting up teams and processes to help run the community. Kate & Mike helped to organise the early working bees along with the Site Manager Tony. Mike joined the Site Management team, drove the tipper truck and was able to indulge his passion for cars moving to electric as soon as possible. There was much socialising with community dinners, potluck lunches and hosting dozens of members and visitors in the old Heritage House for bed and breakfast.
Mike says “I could see that EV’s were going to take off and that the ecovillage would be a good destination to have EV chargers. I arranged for the first chargers to be installed on site. At last count there were 13 EVs in the village and the number is increasing all the time”.
At 82 both Kate and Mike are still some of the most active members in the village, being on many circles and working groups. Kate is the event bookings & storage officer, created the popular Craft Shed where members meet weekly for sewing and crafts, and is the Heritage contact for Central Coast Council. The site is steeped in history. Mike is still taking the minutes for the Facilities and Infrastructure circle and they are both part of the regular mowing / brush-cutting group twice a week.
Kate’s interests outside the village include volunteering at the Sewing Basket at Kincumber and at the Museum Discovery Centre at Castle Hill (since 2006), and Mike enjoys traditional jazz and feeds his long-life passion for cars with connections with the Electric Vehicle Association and a local Vintage Car Club.
Their previous careers and lives pale in comparison. Kate was a nurse for decades and Mike, a mechanical engineer, worked in Germany and here in Australia in a variety of jobs connected to transport companies. They agree that “Life in the village is never boring”.