“Hello earth” - Kate Bush*

Leanne here again … You know that when Melbourne was settled, our little pocket, nestled in the fertile banks of 3 rivers - the Yarra, Darebin Creek and Merri Creek was the food bowl of Melbourne as it emerged right? Fulham Grange (hello Fulham Road, hello Grange Road) was the farm owned by the Perry family (hello Perry Street) that was a flourishing orchard and became a massive agricultural business - the biggest orchard, tree nursery and cannery in Melbourne. And the flood plains of Darebin Creek were Chinese market gardens … an agricultural paradise …

But obviously the Perry brothers and the Chinese immigrants who arrived with the gold rush weren’t the first people hanging out here right? And so we can presume, assume and see (from the scar trees etc. along the river and creeks for example) that this was also a pretty attractive place to live well for the First Nations people that were here before us, the Wurrundjeri woiwurrung, our pre-invasion predecessors proudly living life on the north side (that’s right, specifically not the south side) of the Yarra.

Reconciliation week is fast approaching and this year we are going to do the spiritual healing trail through Darebin Parklands with our friends at Jika Jika Community Centre as an active process to contemplate National Reconciliation. You can join us at 11am on Tuesday 1 June. We’ll start at ACC, do the walk and come back here to share lunch together.

On the walk I suspect I will be thinking about:

1. This episode of The First Australians series that was shown on SBS quite a few years ago now. I watched it at the time and I often think about it. If you don’t know about what happened to our former landowners, the Wurrundjeri people, post-colonisation, watch it as your crash course. It is so eye-opening, and sad, and then temporarily hopeful and tragically sad again.

2. Lydia Thorpe. She is now one of our Federal senators. And no matter your politics I find it so interesting to see her targeted focus, her passion and the clarity of her voice as a young, unapologetic and uncompromising First Nations advocate. I am sure Fitzroy High would be pretty proud to have participated in her education. I follow her on Twitter.

3. My time in State government. I worked in the environment department, where it was soon clear that ‘the cultural load’ of being a First Nations spokesperson or representative for all the consultation processes and welcomes etc. - for anyone who put their hand up - became quickly overwhelming. But at the same time it’s so important to have First Nations voices right? Oh it’s not simple.

4. My time at University. In particular I took ‘Aboriginal History’ the very first year it ran at Melbourne University. It was an amazing course because a). it seemed every First Nations political activist in Melbourne was there to robustly participate, heckle and correct each lecture, and b). Patrick, the lecturer who conceived of the course had previously taught Irish History, and had himself been the colonised … and it was quite a turn of the tables for him to set up this course and then be lumped in with the other British folk - and be treated as the coloniser.

Hopefully you’ll have your own experiences and thoughts to consider as we wander together through our collective backyard. Or perhaps you’d just like to recognise the importance of doing something (a thoughtful walk is as good a place to start as any) and/or show support. We’d love you to join us. Register here and we’ll see you on Tuesday 1 June at 11am!

*love

Hi friends, did you know that we have a mini op shop here at ACC?

It is in the shelves inside the doorway if you enter from the front garden, and it is open any time we are. There’s a payment jar there. And if you don’t have cash you can pay by EFTPOS at the office.

As a guide everything is typically $1-$2 however it works on an honesty system - pay what you think it is worth.

We have lots of lovely things in the op shop at the minute, including some good books and quality clothes. You should take a look next time you are passing by!

Did you know there are more neighbourhood houses in Victoria than McDonalds stores?

Our peak body NHVic published this statistic last week. And I think to many it’s a bit of a surprise. Maybe our 400+ houses 🏡 need bigger signs … or a Happy Meal deal.

This week is neighbourhood house week - an opportunity to reflect on our sector’s collective contribution to local community.

Like Maccas, our houses are lean delivery machines - we have tight budgets and economic efficiency is at our core. We seek grants to boost our coffers, work in partnerships with local organisations to stretch our reach, and rely on volunteers and community goodwill to deliver services well beyond our paid capacity.

Like Maccas we’re definitely family friendly. We anticipate that adults are going to rock up with children in tow. We expect it will be the norm rather than the exception. And so we have play spaces and toys available. But we also offer other practical support for families - through playgroups and toy libraries, family yoga, and after-school Lego clubs, music lessons etc. Some houses have occasional care and full school holiday programs. Some are linked to maternal and child health care services.

Yes, like Maccas food is part of our core business. We understand firstly that food is essential. And secondly, that it is a way to bring people together. Across neighbourhood houses we offer community meals (lunches and morning teas), take-home meals and essential food relief packages. We also focus on community cooking experiences, nutrition education and sustainable food systems. We use multiple mechanisms to ensure that people in the community have secure access to good quality food.

However we’re also into more than food. Because good food is just one part of the package of living well … so we try to ensure that people are safe, secure, and connected, whilst keeping fit and active, engaged with nature and continuing to learn and grow throughout life.

Like Maccas we are pretty focussed on customer service. We try to be welcoming, polite, friendly, positive and helpful. We want our customers to return again and again. But … we also stop to chat and recognise each person as an individual. We make friends with people. And we try to help them find just the right place within the context of their community (what I am saying is we work hard to help people find their tribe).

On a day-to-day level we run programs and activities and garner support to help the people who are the most vulnerable - those who feel lonely or disconnected, those that are new to the neighbourhood, older, disabled, or facing significant life challenges. We design and foster experiences and environments to help them establish the local connections and reliable networks they need to live a good life.

Unlike Maccas, (fortunately or unfortunately as the case may be) neighbourhood houses don’t all look the same … and we don’t have a uniform. Our staff and our organisations come in all shapes and sizes. Because our houses reflect their neighbourhood, and more likely than not, the edges of that neighbourhood. Mostly houses emerged from grassroots women’s organisations, and the ‘house’ is actually the old unused or abandoned church hall, scout hall, maternal and child health centre or rates office, tucked away next to the train line or adjacent to the community swimming pool.

So, unlike Maccas, most neighbourhood houses are not front and centre on the main drag of town.

But … next time when you are travelling around Victoria and notice the golden arches on the most prominent corner, perhaps you could also look out for the small street sign that points you to the nearest neighbourhood house. Because a neighbourhood house or two is, statistically speaking, pretty likely to be close by - bustling away in the back streets, welcoming local individuals and building community connections. Strengthening neighbourhoods and helping people to live well.

It really has been a fruity gardening week or two here at ACC. We’ve had lots of posts relating to gardening.

And the latest thing on our radar is medlars … have you ever heard of them?

Fairfield neighbour Bernie, who has come along to Preserves Group in the past, contacted us with a donation of some medlars - a fruit that looks a lot like a big rosehip and that tastes quite a lot like very ripe apricot (I think anyway).

Along with the fruit she gave us a recipe to make medlar jelly which, a bit like quince jelly, will have a lovely floral scent. And she also explained the process of bletting - where we have to leave the fruit out for a couple of weeks to go really soft and squishy, just like you would with a persimmon.

It is quite bizarre, because they are ready to eat when they look quite brown and rotten … but the skin peels off easily and they actually taste quite nice. Bernie says she often just eats them with cheese and biscuits at this point, and I can imagine this would be quite delicious.

If you are interested in finding out more about this unusual and ancient fruit, which has been around since Roman times, you can check them out on the bench in room 2 if you are passing by … they’re in some wooden trays under a cloth doing the bletting thing - take a peek.

Or let us know if you’d like to be involved in the day of jelly making … it will probably be on Friday morning this week or next (when the fruit is ripe enough to use).

Email us here if you are keen to join in. And thanks Bernie for the fruit donation and education!

Our little houses are jam packed with plants and seeds and books. Make the most of the glorious autumnal days with a neighbourhood walk - and pop past ACC to enjoy some community sharing and caring! ❤️