Aboriginal Cultural Day 20 September 2016 at Blackburn Lake

What a great day this was on 20 September. The weather was kind to us and there were so many wonderful aspects of indigenous culture to experience. Here I am with John Baxter the Convenor of our Whitehorse Friends For Reconciliation Group. Much planning went into the organisation of the day. Cassie Leathman should be congratulated for her presentation of bush tucker and indigenous craft pictured below and Turtles Australia also contributed to the day by bringing along some very curious long necked characters to educate us about our native species.

Gathered at the Yarning Circle, visitors enjoyed the music from the Mullum Mullum Choir and learnt about the significance of the indigenous flags and ceremonies. The "Barramundi Man" Colin, cooked beautiful steamed fish in the traditional way. We also thank the Land Rover Club for their help with the BBQ and provision of sausages.

 

       

   

NATIONAL POLICE REMEMBRANCE DAY 29/09/2016

Police from across the country will gather and unite today to pay tribute to their colleagues who have been tragically killed in the line of duty. We remember their sacrifice and acknowledge the debt that we owe them. To all police currently serving, we thank you for keeping us safe, upholding our laws and protecting our way of life.

Homeless not hopeless thanks to HCAG

The Homelessness forum, hosted last Wednesday by Heatherdale Community Action Group, (HCAG), has drawn much praise from the wider community. The opportunity for open discussion with questions from the floor gave the attentive audience the chance to better understand the complexities surrounding the issue of homelessness. Assumptions about homeless people are often far from reality and the testimony of one individual who has lived through the experience gave the audience a very powerful message of hope.

Guest speakers were former Melburnian of the Year (2013), Major Brendan Nottle from the  Salvation Army, Janene Evans, Manager of Crisis and Homelessness Services at Wesley Mission and Aaron Jones Manager of   NEAMI (Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing) Blackburn.

Major Brendan Nottle of the Salvation Army addresses the audience.

Janene Evans from Wesley Mission answers a question from the floor as our diligent Secretary Elwynne Kift takes notes. Many thanks to Michael Sukkar, Member for Deakin who chaired the forum.

It is an honour serving as Vice-President of HCAG with  President Steve Roberts

Rob Olifiers keeps on trekking.

I had the pleasure to meet this amazing man, Rob Olifiers, at Taralye's Market Day in August. Along with his colleagues, Rob was there to promote the work of the SES. Rob and I have a lot in common as we both know the courts, lanes and streets of Whitehorse like the back of our hand. For me, as a candidate for Council, it has been in my bid to get to know the people that I want to represent. Rob has covered every inch of Whitehorse in his bid for fitness and to gain a better knowledge of the streets that he may be called out to in an emergency. He has become famous as the "Walking man" of Whitehorse. The dedication of volunteers such as Rob and the community spirit of organisations such as the SES contribute so much to our city. If you are interested in becoming an SES volunteer contact the SES at this link.

http://www.whitehorseses.org.au

Here is a link to the article that was featured in the Herald Sun last year.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/east/ses-volunteer-rob-olifiers-walks-every-street-in-the-city-of-whitehorse/news-story/1739bdb8e671cfb9c3d408747f82e755

and here in our Whitehorse Leader

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/east/whitehorse-ses-looking-for-day-time-volunteers/news-story/0024c254f9b93ccebce7de26fb0a0e98

WHY AM I STANDING FOR COUNCIL?

WHY AM I STANDING FOR COUNCIL?
This is the question that many people are asking me. So I thought that I should explain why.
I believe careful city planning is essential. We shouldn’t settle for mediocrity.
Overdevelopment of certain areas has brought problems with traffic and parking. Congested living impinges on the rights of people to privacy. Many residents have spoken to me about these matters and asked for advice. Residents need a voice on Council that is in touch with their concerns. I don’t claim to have all the answers but there must be a better way to deal with planning legislation.
I applaud developers who have a vision for construction that is sympathetic to the aesthetics of an area. I acknowledge the builders, project managers and construction engineers that come to the planning forums and meet with the residents who may be affected by their developments. When there is dialogue and open discussion often simple solutions can be found.

Schwerkolt Cottage Heritage Family Day. 11 September

Yesterday the weather was kind to those who attended the celebrations at this local treasure adjoining the beautiful Yarran Dheran parkland. 

Families enjoyed exploring the historical cottage and participating in the organised activities.  The local Rotary Group cooked sausages to satisfy everyone's hunger and the atmosphere made for an enjoyable day spent with friends and neighbours.

The history of the cottage is fascinating and you can find out more at this link to the Council site.
http://www.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/schwerkolt-cottage.html  

My Girl Beck

Those closest to me understand that the past three years have been the most difficult of my life following the death of my beautiful daughter Rebecca (Beck) due to cardiomyopathy on 31 August 2013. As a single parent, Rebecca, my only child, was the centre of my universe and I was immensely proud of what she had achieved during her short life.
Since attaining her Bachelor of Environmental Science from New England University, Beck had been working on projects at various mining sites throughout Australia. The work was quite gruelling with reports and recommendations needing to be written and constant travel; flying in and out of remote areas to conduct research.

I miss her everyday and will always love her "to the moon and back".
I sincerely thank everyone for their love and support over this time.

I have not been active on my Facebook or Blogspot site due to the need to grieve for my daughter and finalise her affairs, but I have remained active in the life of our community as a member of local groups such as: Heatherdale Community Action Group, Rotary, Nunawading Site Preservation Group and Whitehorse Friends for Reconciliation as well as taking an interest in the activities of the other wonderful organisations that are active in Whitehorse. The ability to interact with the people in this caring community has been of great comfort.