Ken Hocking sitting atop his Santa Claus throne that was bought in Western Australia.
Photo by
Lua Ikenasio
Much like Santa himself, Rochester’s “King of Christmas” Ken Hocking works all year round in preparation for the holiday.
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In his shed, he has spent 15 years building a Christmas display that could rival some of the best across the nation.
Model trains, Santa Claus statues, dolls, Christmas trees, miniature homes, Lego builds and other treasures line the walls and fill every corner, with Mr Hocking continuously adding to the collection.
Throughout the year, he scours stores far and wide to find the perfect pieces to add to his display, even travelling 14,000km to Western Australia to buy a Santa Claus chair.
Mr Hocking with a small portion of his Christmas display.
Photo by
Lua Ikenasio
Mr Hocking said the regulars who visited every year in December were always on the lookout for any changes to his display.
“I never stop. Every time I go into a shop ... don't matter what shop it is, it could be any shop, you’ve got no idea where you're going to find the next thing,” he said.
“(Visitors) are always looking for new stuff, that's why there's new stuff coming in here all the time. There’s about five or six new things in here every year.
“That's probably how it grows more because (there’s) more happening and I was thinking to myself, when is this going to stop? But it never does.”
Part of Mr Hocking’s display features train tracks that wind among figurines, miniature landmarks, toys and statues.
Photo by
Lua Ikenasio
After retiring from his job in 2010, Mr Hocking received a golden handshake from his employers worth $43,000 which he used to build the shed, in hopes of creating something for the community to enjoy during Christmas.
Today, half of the shed is dedicated to an intricate network of train tracks which wind around miniatures of global landmarks including the Sydney Opera House, the London Bridge, Big Ben and more.
The display also features various figurines, statues, toys and popular characters, nestled among the train tracks.
Over the years, the community has added its own touches to the display, such as a miniature SES bus from Rochester SES and antiques from local residents.
Packed with rare finds, collectors’ pieces and toys that haven’t been produced in decades, the display is believed to be worth close to $500,000.
Mr Hocking also builds a lot of the decor seen in the display, such as the intricate Lego build designs.
Photo by
Lua Ikenasio
Mr Hocking said he did it all just to see the joy on visitors’ faces, especially those that return year after year.
“This is what the enjoyment is — Seeing the crowds here, the street just lined up, fairy floss, all the cars in the streets coming and people walking down,” he said.
“I got people coming here now that have their own kids. It's amazing. They were coming here when they were kids and now they're coming with their kids.
“There's people from all around the world that come here because they're seeing family members, or they're travelling ... I’ve had Japan, Germany, France, UK, America — there’s people from all around the world that have been here.”
This year, Mr Hocking’s Christmas display is open to the public from Monday, December 1 until Wednesday, December 31 and free fairy floss from Friday, December 19.
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