Sticking to

By Ed Merrison
A KALORAMA couple has no plans to move house despite a lucky escape when a falling gum tree smashed into the front of their house.
Andrea Shea was about to take a shower when the stringybark wrecked the adjacent entertainment room of the house on Inverness Road, Kalorama, about 9am on Tuesday, 29 November.
Ms Shea was less than two metres away when the tree crashed through the ceiling of the house she owns with partner Justin Ludeman, blowing up dust and sending wood and glass deeper into the house.
“I heard a massive bang go through the house. It was like an earthquake,” she said.
The impact smashed guttering, shattered the toilet pipe and even blew out a window at the back of the house.
“For a bit I just couldn’t believe it. I thought ‘A tree’s just fallen on the house. What do I have to do now?’,” she said.
Ms Shea said her first thoughts were for the couple’s pets – two dogs, a cat and a cockatoo – and for Mr Ludeman’s guitars.
Neighbour Merlyn Edgar heard the crash and went to investigate, but did not expect to see Ms Shea at home.
“I didn’t hear metal tearing, so I got a bit of a shock when I saw the front of the house had fallen in.
“Andrea was standing on the road and I thought ‘she’s lucky to be alive’,” Ms Edgar said.
Ms Edgar phoned Ms Shea’s mother, Lorraine, who in turn phoned Mr Ludeman, who was at his desk at Monash University in Clayton, where he works as a biochemistry research assistant.
Mr Ludeman then drove to the house, the couple’s first home where they have lived since March, as quickly as possible.
The CFA had already departed, having cut off the gas after the heating unit was destroyed by the tree.
Mr Ludeman praised the emergency services, especially members of the SES, for arriving on the scene so quickly and for their efforts in making the house safe.
The fallen tree had also shorn a chunk from the middle of another tall gum, which continued to sway violently in the morning wind and eventually snapped.
The tree toppled into next door’s garden, causing minor damage but injuring no one, as neighbours and members of the media looked on.
Ms Shea appeared shaken by the incident and media attention, but Mr Ludeman hoped it would serve as a warning to other residents of the hills to adopt a safe attitude toward surrounding trees.
“We sincerely hope that people will be warned to check all the trees on their property before someone gets killed,” he said.
The demolished room, used for games, music and dining, contained a few valuable items such as Mr Ludeman’s vinyl record collection and furniture he had made himself.
But Mr Ludeman said the damage was covered by insurance and the incident would not deter the couple from living in the hills.
“This was our dream home. Still is.
“This has done nothing to dampen our spirits – it’s just an interruption, that’s all,” he said.