In what started as something to keep his kids entertained, Sunbury’s Patrick Blume quickly found his own new hobby: decorating his home for Halloween. He speaks to Gerald Lynch as the spooky season approaches.
In the heart of Sunbury at 3 Donnelly Close, Jackson’s Hill, Patrick Blume has become something of a local legend with his extravagant Halloween displays.
His passion for crafting eerie experiences began humbly, inspired by the creative possibilities he stumbled upon online back in 2016.
“It started just by seeing some sort of DIY projects on the internet,” he said.
“We are a fairly crafty family and always do crafty things with the kids. When Halloween rolled around, it felt like a perfect opportunity to do something fun together.”
Initially, his decorations were nice and innocent – a collection of little ghosts made from two-litre milk bottles, lovingly painted and styled.
“You coloured those in, and you could melt them with a hair dryer,” he explained.
“It was really cute at the start.”
However, as the years passed, Patrick’s ambition grew along with his collection.
“Once we got into it, I started finding more and more projects. Every year, it gets a little bit bigger.”
As his children gradually lost interest in the Halloween preparations, Patrick found himself diving deeper into the world of Halloween décor.
“I started to discover things like animatronics, spooky noises, and voice effects. It turned into something a bit more Halloween than cute,” he said.
“I liked building stuff, so it just sort of took off from there.”
Balancing a career in software development, Patrick found that his Halloween hobby offered him a unique outlet.
“I work on a computer all day, building software that didn’t really exist in the physical world,” he said.
“I couldn’t show people what I did for a living, so this became my way to create something tangible. It was about giving people joy, and that was probably the best part of it.”
“I don’t just do it for myself; it’s because a thousand people turn up, and we all have a great time together.”
Despite the countless hours and dollars he spends on putting the display together, Patrick insists he will never charge visitors a cent.
“I do everything because I want to. This is purely for the love of it. I have a job, and trust me, the haunt business isn’t something you get rich off of. I do it purely for the joy it brings.” he said.
“I usually start from the beginning of October, gathering materials and planning out the theme.
“I take leave for the week before Halloween, and by then, everything ramps up.”
“I tend to find bits and pieces around as I need them, and once I have enough, everything falls into place.”
Patrick has noticed a significant shift in the Halloween landscape over the years.
“When we first started, we’d maybe get a handful of trick-or-treaters. We aren’t in a fantastic location for foot traffic, but it started to grow.”
The pandemic played a surprising role in expanding interest.
“During COVID, people really longed for real-world joy and excitement,” he said.
“I built something where I could throw candy down a six-metre-long pipe to give it to kids while keeping a distance. It became a community thing. People weren’t just visiting for the haunt; they were hanging around, talking to each other for hours. It was about connection.”
Reflecting on the future of Halloween in Australia, Patrick believes there is a genuine upswing.
“Anything that provides fun and joy is on the rise,” he said.
“People were looking for reasons to get out and be together, and Halloween seemed to be one of those opportunities.”
He emphasised the importance of community events, especially those that brought people together for the sake of enjoyment.
“We really don’t have enough of that, and I think people truly appreciate it,” he said.
As he gears up for this year’s display, he is full of excitement.
“Last year, I did a hunting cabin, and it was a lot of fun,” he said.
“This year, I am going for a zombie lab theme.
“I am decking out the whole garage with a walk-through tunnel, pop-up zombies, and one of my friends will be jumping out to scare people,”
But how scary is it? Patrick reassured visitors that while there is an element of fright, it is all in good fun.
“We always tell people it could be a bit scary, but the more we tell them not to bring tiny kids, the more they do!
“The mothers tend to laugh the more their kids cry, but by the end, everyone is happy. It’s all about enjoying the experience together.”
As he puts the finishing touches on his display, Patrick expects and encourages upwards of 1000 attendees to show up this Thursday, October 31.
Amid the fun of the festivities however, it is important to stay safe and vigilant when letting your children dress up and go out.
While costumes are a popular part of Halloween celebrations, it’s important to make sure they are clearly visible if you’re wearing them outside.
If you’re wearing black or other dark coloured costumes for Halloween, add glow sticks or a reflective strip to your costumes and carry a torch to ensure drivers and other trick-or-treaters can see you.
If you’re completing your look with fake tattoos, face paint, makeup or fake blood, ensure they come with ingredients labels, and keep them handy throughout the night.
If someone in your group has an allergic reaction to a product, having a list of ingredients available for doctors can save them vital time.
When buying button battery-powered Halloween novelty toys, check the battery compartment is secured with a screw or similar fastener to prevent small children gaining access.
Every day in Australia, at least one child goes to hospital after ingesting one of these batteries.
Warnings are now required on packaging or in the accompanying instructions, and the packaging must also be child resistant.
If you suspect a child has swallowed or inserted a button battery, immediately call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26. If your child is having any difficulty breathing, call triple-0.
