The Cascades on the Coliban River at Metcalfe Canvas Print

The Cascades are a series of small waterfalls and rock pools formed by boulders on the Coliban River in Central Victoria, Australia. I like this scene for its serenity and can almost imagine the sound of splashing water in a tranquil nature park surrounded by a forest of gnarled gum trees. Sunlight lights clearings in the distant grove of trees and undergrowth.

Some of my friends wonder why I have changed my name from David to Dai. The short answer is that I haven’t. My parents, sisters and immediate family always used Dai (but pronounced “day”) as a short form of David — a nickname if you like. However, it appears that the Welsh adopted the name "Dai” (pronounced “die”) as a short form of Dafydd (pronounced “Dahveth”) the patron saint of Wales and also known as St David just across Offa’s Dyke. Why Wales? Well the name “Wynn” means fair-skinned or white in the Welsh language and my ancestors were certainly from around those parts (others were from Ireland and Cornwall, but paid full fare to sail to Australia. None was transported in chains I might add). Dafydd, being the Welsh version of...