McKellar Christmas Lights Display

Phillip and Pamela Smith have put up their huge Christmas light display at their home in McKellar this year for the last time. Pamela reckons Phillip, 75, is too old to be getting up and down ladders and scrambling across the roof. "I've lost my ladder licence," he said, good-naturedly.

The final lights are as spectacular as ever and the theme for the traditional window display this year is Bluey's Christmas, featuring everyone's favourite Blue Heeler. The lights are on every night up to and including Boxing Day night, Thursday, December 26, from 8.30pm to 10.30pm at 16 Tipping Place, McKellar.

The Smiths have always gone the extra mile for their displays. In 2006, they even made The Canberra Times when they used a 50-tonne crane to hoist a massive fibreglass Santa on to their roof. A storm later broke the support on the Santa. He now resides outside the Bredo Christmas Barn, the Smiths swapping him for other decorations.

The motorised Christmas display in the Smiths' home is from the same company that does the famous David Jones Christmas displays. They even visited Bronner's Christmas Wonderland in Michigan, billed as the world's largest Christmas store, and returned with a shipping container full of decorations.

Mr Smith reckoned he started doing the lights in 2001 in "a moment of weakness and stupidity". But he quickly grew to love doing them and the Christmas cheer they spread to the neighbourhood and also to visitors to the street. Pamela has always been Phillip's "artistic director". "I just tell him where to put things," she said.

It's the end of an era. "We're both very sad about it," Pamela said. "And our neighbours are even more sad about it." What they do with their stunning collection of decorations remains to be seen. "A lot of people have expressed an interest in buying them. We really don't know what we're going to do," Pamela said.

Needless to say, the couple, who have two grandchildren, obviously have their finger on the pulse of Christmas, with this year's window display, featuring Bluey and Bingo, a hit with the young crowd. Maybe, too much of a hit. "We've had children throwing tantrums because they want to come inside and give Bluey a hug," Pamela said.

Over the years, the display has also been popular with nursing homes which bring residents by in a bus. And, of course, with families, ticking off their Christmas lights list as they go. Thank you, Pamela and Phillip, for all the years of happy memories.