When Charlie Diedo's Birmingham pigeons throw their head back in mid-flight and tumble backwards through the air, it takes him back to his boyhood days, when Narrabundah's backyards teemed with pets.
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His father Tony had ignored warnings more than 50 years ago from neighbours in Queanbeyan that Narrabundah and the Causeway were full of immigrants.
Having come from Malta, Mr Diedo regarded his family as part of the European mix. He had served in the British Army peace-keeping after World War II before moving first to Queanbeyan and then to Narrabundah.
Narrabundah's prefabrication housing section on Seventh Street was filled with children and their pets. Russian, Italian, Maltese and many other immigrant families kept dogs, cats, rabbits and birds, for their ability to whistle or race or look pretty.
"Everybody loved each other," Mr Diedo said. "Slowly you would get to know your neighbours. Mr Tisdale across the road had 50 breeds of chickens. He would take us to Yass and Goulburn, and you would walk into the barns full of sawdust and all the different smells - just incredible."
A Maltese family friend at the Causeway nicknamed "Micey" was a butcher with a good selection of animals. He gave Charlie a selection to take home until Tony Diedo said "no more".
Rabbits were not pets but were grown for food. "They are the national dish of Malta - you didn't call them Furry Fred," Mr Diedo said. "You go to buy a rabbit these days, it costs you a small fortune after it was popularised by all those cooking shows."
As companion animals, cats and dogs' have soared in status. Pigeons have fallen in status to be considered unsightly as graffiti for the mess they make in public places. But walking into a loft full of 50 Birmingham roller pigeons with Mr Diedo wipes away any contempt for the erratic flyers.
Breeders travel the world looking for rollers to perfect their aerial gymnastics, ever since their unusual flight came under notice more than 100 years ago in Birmingham, from where their breed and name originate. Rollers break into a backward somersault mid-flight, and continue spiralling for 10, 20 and sometimes 30 feet.
Mr Diedo has been breeding them since he was 10 and suspects they have an involuntary fit. Yet they will repeat this time and again.
