Autumn 2019 ar st ye 41 THE NORTH & WEST MELBOURNE NEWS IS PRODUCED BY VOLUNTEERS AT THE CENTRE: Connecting Community In North & West Melbourne Inc www.centre.org.au Say ¡hola! at the Spanish Language Fiesta By Tatiana Echeverri The Fiesta celebrates the Spanish language and welcomed the wider et ready! The Spanish community to connect with and GLanguage Fiesta returns to learn about the rich traditions of North Melbourne Saturday 6 April Hispanic culture. from 11 am to 4 pm. North Melbourne is easy to reach Come and say ¡hola! Enter from by train, bus, bicycle or tram. A fun- George Johnson Lane in Errol filled day out with friends and the Street or Little Errol Street in whole family awaits you. Leveson Street. We are looking forward to The lanes will be transformed sharing this beautiful culture with into a little Hispanic town you. celebrating the colour, culture, traditions and language of Spain Tatiana Echeverri is community and Latin America. development officer at The Centre There will be something for people of all ages and Want to know more? backgrounds to enjoy throughout Visit The Centre, 58 Errol Street, North the day: music, food, dance, art, Melbourne 3051; www.centre.org. literature, entertainment and au; Email: [email protected] hands-on activities. Phone: (03) 9328 1126 North Melbourne man’s work honoured By John H. Smith peace, justice and improvement of life to the ALP he worked with Ralph He brings vast experience to his for the poor stems from his integrated Willis and proposed the scheme that present work. His students benefit orth Melbourne identity John faith and beliefs. For both of them, became known as the Accord. During from his impressive academic CV, NLangmore received an AM in North Melbourne is a place of family his period as member for Fraser he coupled with the deep learning this year’s Australia Day Honours for closeness and ongoing spiritual chaired the group that developed the he has gained from four decades significant service to the Parliament nurture. “It’s a neighbourhood where committee system for the House of of a varied working life. As teacher, of Australia, to international relations past friendships are renewed and new Representatives. he aims to challenge the ideas his and governance, and to education. ones are developing,” he says. “It brought parliamentarians from students bring with them and to A born and bred Victorian, he is now Unusual for his era, John studied a all sides closer together, connecting develop policies for peace, justice and a professorial fellow in the school combination of economics and social parliament more closely with the development that are inclusive of of government at the University of development, which led him to work electorate, and creating friendships everyone, especially the poor. Melbourne. in places far from North Melbourne: amongst politicians from different The pleasure comes when he sees While John has travelled widely in Papua New Guinea as a teacher sides,” he says. the impact his work has had on and lived overseas, he is nevertheless and administrator, in Canberra as a John recalls fondly his time as shaping the lives of others. A former very much at home here. “I give John Langmore parliamentary adviser and politician, director of the UN’s social policy student said: “I was in a class you thanks every day for living in North and in New York as director of the and development group. “It was taught on Imperialism in PNG in the Melbourne,” he says. “It’s like a village in Royal Park and he and his wife United Nations Division of Social the best job I ever had, with great 1960s and I still use your analysis.” that has everything in it.” He loves its Wendy enjoy relaxing in its pleasant Policy and Development. He now opportunities to influence policies Another student he taught about natural beauty, its trees and parks, its surroundings. Their two daughters teaches courses at the university on worldwide.” the UN is now on the staff of Senator convenient shops – and especially the and two grandchildren live nearby. the United Nations and on socio- He is proud that he proposed a Penny Wong. local community. John and Wendy are active economic development. global goal to the UN that had never John walks to work at the university. members of Mark the Evangelist John’s work has influenced federal been set before: to halve serious John H. Smith will write regularly for A keen jogger, he regularly runs Uniting Church and his work for politics. As an economic adviser poverty by 2015. It was met by 2013. the News INSIDE Page 2 Page 5 Page 10 Page 13 2 North and West Melbourne News AUTUMN 2019 Take Refuge from climate change at the Arts House By Hannah Morphy-Walsh Serving up her signature brew of strong, smoky black tea, Lorna orth Melbourne Town Hall invites people in for a cuppa at Nhas for the past three years the Ruth Crow Corner as she hosts transformed itself annually conversations about how to make into a kind of crisis relief centre. and strengthen local community It has brought emergency connections. management, artists, local “It’s tradition,” she says. “If you residents and community groups go back to the people who lived together under one roof to in North Melbourne 100 years confront the impacts of climate ago, you’ll see they wanted to change. frame their neighbourhoods as The Refuge project is now in community places, where people its fourth year at Arts House. all looked after each other.” The project was conceived as The Ruth Crow Corner a five-year plan in which our celebrates the memory of Ruth North Melbourne community Crow AM who embodied that would both respond to, and plan belief. Ruth and husband Maurie for, climate-related disasters. came to live in North Melbourne Refuge presents a different around 1945 and brought ideas environmental scenario each about how a community should year for local residents to work work. At once, they began through together. putting those ideas into action by “Refuge presents North creating local hubs that brought Melbourne with the opportunity people together and allowed to look at itself, its collective them to support each other as a identity, and at the resources community. we have as a community,” says “Ruth kept a bag on her side, Refuge artist Lorna Hannan. full of leaflets, and as you’d come Since she first came to North towards her, she’d pick out a Melbourne around 1964, Lorna leaflet that suited you,” says Lorna has spent 55 years volunteering with a smile. “She and Maurie and working within the changed how people thought community. She served two about planning.” Lorna Hannan and Uncle Larry Walsh in Ruth Crow Corner at Refuge 2018. Photo: Bryony Jackson terms as a city councillor and is Lorna recounts Refuge’s currently chair of the Hotham changing face over the years. us, the trunk sharing the ground the future.” She points out that Lorna will be running a series of History Project. “In the first year, when the with us, the branches stretching our community understands discussions about community scenario was flooding, we high above us. “And all three of displacement, having been preparedness. “It’d be nice to gathered together to talk them care for us.” through many waves of migration know if people have favourite about what people in North Lorna looks back to the focus of with each bringing its own places,” she says. “We’d love to Refuge 2019 Melbourne valued. And it was Refuge last year. “The theme was cultural shift. know what they are.” neighbourliness. Locals wanted pandemic,” she recalls. “It raised “As Ruth used to say, ‘If you sit more of that, and they wanted runs at Arts the many issues about what we down and have a cuppa together, Hannah Morphy-Walsh is associate to add to the strength of the can learn about ways in which we great things happen’,” Lorna says. producer at Arts House community. can look after each other.” “I think we need to talk positively House from “In the second year, the But now her attention is on this about how we can face the heatwave, we wanted to focus on year’s Refuge. “With the theme of future.” Want to know more? 31 August to the environment, the land and displacement, we’ll be examining For several months this year, To get involved or to find out more the trees.” Lorna recounts Aunty not just the tragedies but how from June to August, in the long visit www.artshouse. Joy Murphy’s description of a tree 8 September. we can act positively going into lead-up to Refuge at Arts House, com.au/refuge – the roots running deep beneath Dan White, our Myotherapist, has Premier Health successfully treated a range of conditions Partners since joining us last year. Effective pain relief Targeting soft tissue from an Osteopath to reduce pain Caring, experienced General Practitioners Family Medical Centre 9329 7077 491–495 King Street West Melbourne Dr Paul O’Keefe Dan White www.premierhealthpartners.com.au Dr Alan Underwood Dr Jane Habib (Osteopath) (Myotherapist) North and West Melbourne News AUTUMN 2019 3 Huddle tutors help support student success By Tim Cremean a computer network and wi-fi access. It’s a place where ’m a tutor at The Huddle at the volunteer tutors and mentors INorth Melbourne Football Club. assist young people with their The project aims to support and school and tertiary studies.