'My parents immigrated to Australia in 1964 when I was six years old. Within a year of arriving, they had bought land up river from Hobart and across the river from what is now Mona. The area was referred to then as Old beach Road. It always seemed odd that the district itself was nameless but for the kilometres of road that wound through it. The locality was flanked by the sublime parabolic foothills of Mt Direction and the shores of the Derwent River at its broadest sweep.' (Introduction)