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Travis has a long history of involvement in his community, despite his significant commitments at medical school. This Geelong youth’s passion for education is something well known to all of those around him. He has worked on the Melbourne University Health Initiative’s SWOT team—a team of volunteer tutors from Universities in Victoria devoted to tackling disadvantage in education.

Now in his fifth year at SWOT, Travis initially started by overhauling the Biology programme, bringing SWOT to a new, high standard. As coordinator, he directed a team of tutors and lectured Biology to students from all over Victoria who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Travis brought the SWOT masterclasses to Geelong, initially working with Western Heights and Matthew Flinders to have tutors run revision tutorials with their students each term. It took a lot to convince his fellow team members from Melbourne to make the trek to Geelong, but Travis’ commitment to his old school and to his community won out, with the programme still having an engagement in Geelong today.

Continue reading “Geelong Youth Award, Travis” →

R U OK? A conversation could change a life. That’s why R U OK? is hitting the road for six weeks and visiting communities like ours in Geelong, to show Australians that every day is the day to ask, “Are you OK?”

Join us and the R U OK team for the official launch of the Conversation Convoy in Geelong tomorrow Monday 30^th of July 7.30 – 9am Steampacket Gardens, Eastern Beach Road, Geelong. It’s free, everyone is welcome and you don’t need tickets. https://www.ruok.org.au/geelong

Activities on the day include a chance to meet R U OK? Ambassadors Steve Bastoni, Barry Du Bois and Steve ‘Commando’ Willis. There will be performances from Tyller Fischer and the Torquay Men’s Shed Choir. A free BBQ will be provided. There will be fun, interactive ways to learn the 4 Steps to an R U OK? conversation, children’s activities, and more!

Everyone is welcome! The event is free and suitable for all ages. Supporting one another is something we can all do. Images and information from the R U OK website.

 

“I will never forget the look in her eyes the day she left us. She didn’t understand why she was being taken away from her home and the people she had grown to love. Her dementia had progressed to a point where she was no longer safe in our care. We just didn’t have the facilities to accommodate her. Six weeks later, she passed away. It was at that moment that I vowed and declared to build our own dementia-specific wing at MACS, and I made it my personal mission to see that project through to fruition.”

Joy Leggo is the CEO of Multicultural Aged Care Services – also known as MACS – in North Geelong, and has been since the doors opened in 1994. She moved her husband and children to Geelong for the job as she could see the huge opportunity that MACS offered, for her professionally, and for the wider Geelong Community. She applied, got the job, and has not looked back since!

Continue reading “MACS, Joy” →

All my life I have been fascinated by old things.  I have never strictly followed trends (I have had neither the finances not interest to do so), instead I have been drawn to the texture, history, and more than anything the possibility hidden in old things.  For me there has always been a sense of adventure to uncovering an old device, long forgotten, and working out what purpose it may serve.

One of my earliest recollections of this comes from my local bicycle shop.  By the age of 12 I already had a fascination with tinkering and building things.  I would scour the local hard rubbish piles for a bicycle that might be faster or better to ride than my current one, or perhaps one I could repair and sell to someone.  My local bike shop was run by a lovely guy who was a genuine bicycle enthusiast and hanging from the ceiling of his shop were a range of classic bicycles, including one long frame 3 speed Myer Speed dragster. Being born in the 1980’s I had never before seen such a bicycle, but I was instantly in love with it and had to have it.  The cracked tyres, faded paint and split seat didn’t bother me.  I saved up every cent I could until I was able to purchase the Myer from that shop.  Not only did that bike see plenty of mileage at the time, years later it became my pamphlet delivery bike, and later still even made a guest appearance in a university project.

Continue reading “BOE, Built on Enthusiasm, Ryan” →

Could you be part of planting 3,000 trees in a day? We’re creating an Urban Forest. The idea of creating an urban forest in Newtown is at the center of the City of Greater Geelong’s Community Planting Day event, coinciding with Planet Ark’s National Tree Day. There are already a healthy 1,000 trees thriving at The Hill Mountain Bike Park, but the City wants to increase that number even further at the 4.5 hectare site.  With your help, they aim to plant a staggering 3,000 trees on the day!

Grab your gardening gloves and bring the family to The Hill Mountain Bike Park, 23-31 Newcastle St, Newtown, Sunday 29^th July from 9:30am. Lions Club will be there with a BBQ and hot drinks. Meet other like-minded people, fun for all the family! (If you’re not a cyclist, parking is available onsite and along Newcastle Street.)

Story: Sarah Treacy. Photo: Supplied by Glenn Woollard, Arboricultural Inspector, Tree Management Unit, CoGG

Here is the perfect chance to meet Humans in Geelong and check out all the amazing things that are going on at the Pivot City Innovation District. We hear from vibrant, bubbly Samantha Kragina, “The Pivot City Geelong Business Expo is my favourite event. It’s Saturday 28^th of July, free entry, 10 – 4pm at the Federal Mills North Geelong.

“We have over 100 businesses exhibiting and are the opening for the City of Greater Geelong Small Business Festival, which runs throughout August. We have a Food & Wine Enclosure with the likes of Mt Duneed Estate, Terindah Estate, Provenance Wines, Boutique Event Co Cocktails, Mexican Republic food, burgers from The Inn Hotel & more, and are giving away 50 bottles of French Champagne thanks to Denny’s Restaurant.

Continue reading “Geelong Business Expo, Samantha” →

Cinnamon’s Art – a woman who welds!!! Born into an artistic family, Cinnamon Stephens has been living off her creative metalwork for over 20 years. “I loved the fact that not many women welded, plus the magic of watching metals fusing together through my goggles, it was love at first sight!”

Born and raised in Geelong, Cinnamon began her metalworking journey by studying at Ballarat University. Here she not only achieved her Bachelor of Arts degree, but won the inaugural travelling scholarship. “The European sculpture parks, galleries and art studios I found and experienced during that trip still influence me to this day…”

Continue reading “Cinnamon’s Art.” →

Out with the oars and the Alice,

And homeward let us glide

Up with the brisk south-easter,

Up with the swirling tide:

The Barwon Heads and the ocean

Soon shall we leave astern,

And the hills with the wattle waving

Over the crimson fern —    © James Lister Cuthbertson.

Poetry features in the Barwon Blog published by Jo Mitchell.  http://barwonblogger.blogspot.com/ The Barwon Blog is about anything and everything to do with Barwon River. Geelong resident and founder of the Barwon Blog, Jo Mitchell, completed a science degree at Monash University followed by a PhD.  A keen and active supporter of the ecology and history of the Barwon River area, Jo is also interested in science, art and sport.  In art, her preferred medium is mosaic, an interest she practices and exhibits at Fyansford mosaic studio.

Through the Barwon Blog Jo has documented photos and information of the Barwon River region, from ‘mountain to mouth’, including activities she has participated in along the river.   Jo’s photos while running, walking and riding along the river and a variety of related information about birds, plants and trees are fascinating.

Continue reading “The Barwon Blog, Jo” →

At 24, Joshua Maxwell de Hoog is already a prolific artist and business owner in Geelong. He has been creating and presenting his artwork and photography for six years, and since then has branched his artistic wings to any medium he can find, including sculpture. Joshua’s inspiration is drawn from growing up around highly compassionate people, he says. His father was a pastor, and his mother volunteered in the community. “Being generous creates and gives back.”

With an undoubtable passion for the arts in Geelong, Joshua encourages budding artists to get out there.  When asked what advice he would give to emerging artists in Geelong, he replied that “The most important thing is that you don’t work for a sale – produce work for the sake of making work. The world has plenty of commercial art, but the world doesn’t yet have you.”

Continue reading “Artist, Joshua” →

“I don’t know how to describe how enjoyable the experience was…” “I learnt so many valuable life lessons”, reflections sent to Geelong Director of Tournament of Minds, Peter Lamb. Teams of seven mixed year-level students around Australia and overseas are about to embark on a 6-week journey to come up with a creative solution to an open-ended challenge in one of four disciplines. It’s called ‘Tournament of Minds.’

Judges Required! There are primary and secondary divisions for each challenge category, the groups are judged by panels of three judges with relevant but diverse backgrounds. Typically, between 30 and 40 judges are needed on tournament day. The key requirements as a judge are knowing how to be supportive of the students, to be able to give positive and constructive feedback, and to be able to recognise originality and creativity.  Some training is given but new judges are always placed with experienced judges. It is a rewarding role, working with the future leaders of our community.

Continue reading “Tournament of Minds, Peter” →