Nothing says Christmas better than a family photograph with the jolly man in the red suit, and at Mount Gambier Central the tradition comes with extra experience this year.
With only four sleeps until Father Christmas arrives, the local shopping centre is continuing its festive tradition of spreading the magic of Christmas to shoppers through a thoughtful service.
This year marks a milestone for three of those involved in organising the Christmas photos, with Father Christmas himself notching up 55 years of listening to kiddies and deciding who has been naughty or nice.
On top of that, photographer Nicole Gordon and centre manager Jane Read have each marked 15 years at the centre.
While Father Christmas’s real name is not know, the local man has been playing the role around Mount Gambier for 55 years.
He first put on the infamous red suit at the age of 18 at Lennons on Lake Terrace where he was giving away milkshakes.
Doubling as a magician, the local Santa Claus quite literally brings the magic of Christmas to children and their families.
Ms Gordon has been taking the Santa photos in Mount Gambier Central for 15 years including through COVID which saw the introduction of the sleigh, which she said was a popular addition.
“We had all the SA Health rules we had to follow and this is when the sleigh came in because we were not going to be able to operate at all with the chair,” she said.
“To be socially distancing with Santa, it was really hard, kids do not understand and they automatically run to Santa.
“We just put our heads together and thought we would need to get a sleigh where we could isolate Santa with enough distance to allow for the 1.5 metre distancing rule.
“The kids had to either be on a reindeer or be sitting on the floor in the front and that’s the only way we could operate.
“In 2020, we were probably the only centre in South Australia apart from the city that was taking Santa photos.
“For me it’s just about the experience for the children and their families and making the memories for the families every year. We take the time that we need to take to make sure that everybody is happy.”
Ms Read is celebrating her 15th Christmas with the shopping centre this year.
“We are really pleased that each year we can make a very generous contribution to the Mount Gambier Community Mayor’s Christmas Appeal,” she said.
“We have Santa’s Grotto this year and people do not need to have a photo taken to come through, we just ask for a gold coin donation for the Mayor’s Christmas Appeal.
“They can wander through and look as many times as they like and enjoy the excitement of Christmas.
“Everyone is invited, we do not do sensory Santa but we will happily do our best with anybody who comes in.
“Having Santa here every year is very important for the centre and for the community.
“We are a community centre and we are here for the community so we give back to them through initiatives like this.”
In another special touch, the Lions Club of Blue Lake City Lioness provides gift wrapping for a gold coin donation to their club in conjunction with the Santa photos.
The organisation raises about $3000 each year from the venture which is put back into the community through their projects.
Lions Club of Blue Lake City Lioness member Wynn Turner said the local club has been providing the service for more than a decade.
“It is a fairly big commitment but it’s a really nice fun thing to do, everybody is in the Christmas spirit and you see people that you have not seen for a while,” she said.
“It is fits and starts but the last week is always really busy. We keep thinking with a lot of people buying online it will drop off but so far it has not.
“Now people look for us, they know we are here.
“We will continue to do it as long as we still can.”
Mount Gambier Central’s Santa sessions run every day from 10am-2pm until Christmas Eve and tonight from 4pm-7pm.
Every child receives a free gift and a dollar from each session is donated to the Mount Gambier Community Mayor’s Christmas Appeal.
