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“My husband and I came to live in Geelong 16 years ago after living on a farm near Ballan, Vic. and we did not know a soul (except our daughter) here and I never bothered to look at people’s faces as I walked down the street because I knew I did not know anyone. 

“Early on, after our move here, we needed a small job done to our carpet and along came a recommended tradesperson. Chatting away, he asked us what we were going to do with ourselves, now that we had retired, and we said we would probably join a bushwalking club – an activity we had been involved in previously.  

“He told us about his enjoyment of being a (then) new member of Life Activities Club Geelong and agreed to send us a Newsletter which had details of activities they organised listed in it.  We kept it tucked away for almost a year, then one Tuesday decided to go to the Clubrooms (nervously) to see if we could join the walks, which were listed activities. What a wonderful welcome we got from the members there and on that day we joined with one of the members who was good enough to walk and chat with us.

“Then we ventured into the Bike Group and,  …..well ….. we were hooked.   Previously living in the country we were unable to ride unless we took our bikes to some quiet areas, or on holidays, but now Geelong provides many good, safe riding tracks.   

Continue reading “Josie Weedon.” →

Every Pier to Pub swim, since the inaugural event in 1981, that’s 41 consecutive swims! We hear from Gavin Rafferty, one of only two who have achieved this. He’s also a lifetime member of the Fairhaven Surf Life Saving Club. “To celebrate my 40^th Pier to Pub swim in 2020, three of my eight grandkids and my two sons swam it also.

“The first Pier to Pub was part of the lunchtime entertainment at the Lorne Surf Carnival. In later years, there were also nipper activities and boat races with the swim at the end of the day. But the Pier to Pub got so huge that it had to become its own event. There is always a fabulous atmosphere with the beaches packed and cars right through town. There are so many categories of swimmers that they just keep coming all day long.

“I consider myself so lucky to have been able to turn up 41 years in a row. Besides being a member of the Surf Club for over 60 years where I swam regular surf races, I use to play water polo. To keep fit now, I swim 3 times a week. It’s good for my health and mental health, except when some young thing charges past me,” he snickers.

Gavin was a teacher and Principal. He laughs thinking back to the rural schools where pools were often a long way away. Spending all his Christmas holidays at Fairhaven enabled him to train leading up to the swim. “That time of year in Lorne, there are a group who swim the route each weekend morning at 8am.

Continue reading “Gavin Rafferty.” →

Geelong Design Week 2021 showcased local design and creativity to more than 6000 people. A total of 54 local designers, artists and innovators hosted over 60 events to inspire, challenge and delight audiences from Greater Geelong and beyond.

Geelong is the only city in Australia to be awarded a UNESCO City of Design status. Humans in Geelong were very proud to be part of Geelong Design Week 2021.

If you missed our Design Week presentation, ‘Be Inspired by Humans in Geelong’, you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M1UNmacK3w&t=3s

Geelong Design Week are looking forward to seeing their hosts and audiences again in 2022. Until then, check out this short, fun, snappy video about the event.

Fun Fact: Tonya Meyrick, of Deakin University, who also features in the video, and her Design students, helped with the design of our Humans in Geelong Book. Video by: @truesouthfilm Thanks @geelongdesignctiy and all involved.

Sometimes life changes in a major way, but sometimes it keeps changing in many smaller ways and you keep moving, or, as in Pam’s case, you keep dancing!

Pam has always danced. She was teaching dance improvisation in Melbourne 20 years ago when she travelled to Argentina and fell in love with Tango. It was not simply the dance she fell in love with, but everything that surrounded it. “Tango is a social force. It allows all ages and all levels of skill to participate. It is respectful of older people. Dance is an invitation and guidance and a respect of shared space” she says.

Then her husband hurt his back and she was diagnosed with breast cancer with complications associated with her treatment. While she recovered, she noticed that she felt “not in balance”. Tango relies on fine balance and she needed to work on regaining that.

Around that time, they moved to Geelong and discovered the Christ Church community that supports people on the margins of society. Pam notes that these are people without support, or with health problems, homeless or have served prison terms. “They are a colourful group but they all have names and stories. Tango began with those seen as ‘on the edge’ of society, so this, she felt, was the perfect place for her to begin a community Tango group on Monday evenings.

Continue reading “Pam Jarvis.” →

“My situation changed 12 years ago”. Up until then Howard was very active. He had moved from the Northern Territory with his family so the four children could go to school in Geelong. He was coaching and umpiring for football games, and working full time as a librarian at CSIRO. Life was busy but good.

He took a month holiday and found on his return, that he was having trouble replying to emails, and moving his left arm at coaching. His doctor referred him to a neurologist who gave him a tablet to take. Howard returned the next day with the good news that it had worked, but this quickly soured when the specialist informed him that this was evidence that he had Parkinson’s disease. Shocked he asked if this affected his life expectancy and was told to “do the things you want now, not later, as your quality of life has a window”.

Rocked by the news, as well as the way in which it had been delivered, Howard found himself at the age of 48, asking ‘What do I do now?’ Libraries rely on electronic materials and communication. He needed his fine motor skills to continue, so he left this position and worked part-time at the Gordon Institute before this opportunity was also removed. It had all happened in such a short time-frame that he found himself asking “What is the point?”

Then, on top of that, his mum passed away and Howard had to manage closing all her affairs. He came across her diaries. “For the last four to five years there was a common entry …’Nobody called, nobody came’. That hit me. I needed to pull myself up and get on with it. I gave myself a talking to, to get on with life. At first my expectation was that, with treatment, I could return to what I was. But once I realised that wasn’t going to happen, I got comfortable with moving forward.”

Continue reading “Howard Philpott.” →

My name is Rikki. I’m a proud custodian of the lands and waters of Gudanji Country in the Northern Territory.

I know this Country. I read this Country. I speak for it and its songlines. Fighting for it is my birthright.

I’ve been fighting for my Country against fracking gasfields for years. But any day now, the Federal Government will try to rush through new laws that would pour $50 million of public money into fracking gasfields across my Country and the Country of neighbouring Nations.

If this goes ahead, our lands, water, cultural heritage, and the future of our communities are all at stake.

But the Senate can block these new laws – if enough of the opposition stand up, against it. So I’ve written them a letter with Traditional Owners of neighbouring Nations of Yanyuwa, Garrwa, Alawa, Mudburra, and Jingili.

Our message is simple:

We will not allow fracking corporations to cause any more pain, hurt or division in our communities. We will not allow them to drill fracking gasfields across our Country. Not now. Not ever.

Humans of Geelong, we are asking you to join us in our call.

Will you add your name to our open letter ?

SIGN ON! ❯

These greedy gas and oil corporations have consistently shown us disrespect as we say no to their dangerous and risky fracking gasfield plans. Giving them more power and money to desecrate our lands undermines our land rights as Traditional Owners.

They say this money is for “recovery”. Tell me, how does drilling into our land and poisoning our water help us recover?

How does pouring money into destruction instead of answering our persistent calls for proper housing and healthcare in our communities help us recover?

$50 million for fracking corporations is not recovery – it’s short-term money that will cause long term pain, sow division, and damage Country and community.

Sincerely,

Rikki Dank, Gudanji Traditional Owner.

Note, a group of locals worked very hard to implement a ban on fracking in Victoria.

Photo: Aboriginal artist, through the Torch Project, projected on to building next to Barwon Water by Matt Bonner for Reconciliation Week 2021.

“I want to make women feel comfortable in their own skin, while focusing on sustainable and ethically made fashion.” We hear from Mexican Eco-Fashion Designer, Ana Fernanda Covarrubias who now calls Geelong home.

Ana and partner Noe Mondragon, came to Australia 5 years ago under the Skilled Worker VISA scheme and as part of this visa requirement, lived in Dubbo NSW, for 3 years before moving to our beautiful region of the world. They love our proximity to Melbourne and our stunning beaches. They’re thrilled to be permanent residents who will be applying for Australian citizenship soon.

Ana is extremely grateful to be living here, she wants to connect with community and give back. This led her to running ‘The Second Start’ program which were workshops based on fashion sustainability, recycling and styling for refugees. These workshops were supported by Diversitat, Barwon, Child, Youth & Family (BCYF) and Sister Works in Melbourne. While last year put a stop to these, Ana plans to run them again in the future.

“There are many ways to approach a more sustainable fashion world – you can be fashionable and look amazing while being sustainable. I use deadstock cotton and recycled clothing to create a truly unique, upcycled Couture.

“Why follow trends when you can create your own style.

Continue reading “Ana Fernanda Covarrubias.” →

A born traveller, Geelong local Alli Sinclair worked as a mountain climbing guide in Peru and Argentina in her early twenties. Alli recalls that she felt like she was home when she arrived in Argentina, and her book Luna Tango is her love letter to the country. Alli’s books have been translated into many languages and are read around the world. With international travel currently restricted, Alli recommends armchair travelling through books as a fulfilling alternative. After starting her family in Canada, Alli moved back to Australia so her children could experience the same opportunities she had taken for granted growing up. Australia is a very lucky country, Alli tells me, especially now that there are many different cultures living here that we can experience and learn from.

Alli’s sixth and most recent book, The Codebreakers, explores the story of female codebreakers during World War II. The Codebreakers is more than a WWII story, but also about loyalties, and the power of women and female friendships. “I love writing about women who buck the system,” Alli tells me. After writing Burning Fields, set in 1948 Brisbane about a woman working in the Australian Women’s Army Service, Alli searched for other Brisbane women for inspiration for her next story. A tiny article about female codebreakers popped up, and Alli went down the rabbit hole researching this story. Alli says it is important for writers to write the story that appeals to them. “You’ll spend a lot of time with the book, so make sure to write from the heart.”

Continue reading “Alli Sinclair.” →

Reconciliation week was launched last night. There was an uplifting smoking ceremony and welcome to country delivered by Wadawurrung Traditional Owner Corrina Eccles. Norm Stanley accompanied her on the didgeridoo. It was lovely to see his children joining in.

Reconciliation week runs from May 23 – June 3. The theme this year is ‘More than a word. Reconciliation takes action’, urging the reconciliation movement towards braver and more impactful action. National Sorry Day is Wednesday May 26th.

Projection artwork can be viewed until June 6, next to Barwon Water and outside Geelong City Hall. It is by talented Matt Bonner, you can read his story on our website or watch the video he sent in for the Online Expo on our YouTube.

The Indigenous artwork was through the Torch program. “We provide art, cultural and arts industry support to Indigenous offenders and ex-offenders in Victoria. Our aim is to reduce the rate of reoffending by encouraging the exploration of identity and culture through art programs to define new pathways upon release.” https://thetorch.org.au/

The City of Greater Geelong website lists events that will be held this week, including Reconciliation in the Park, Johnstone Park, which will be Sunday 30th May.

Nyatne (thank you) to all involved.

What is a Soroptimist? The word Soroptimist is derived from two Latin words ‘soror’ which means ‘sister’ and ‘optima’ which means ‘the best’.  Put these two words together and you get ‘Soroptimist’, which can be translated as ‘the best for women’, which is what we have been working towards for the past 100 years.

The first Soroptimist Club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921 and has spread to 72,000 members in 212 countries.  We are now a global volunteer movement, advocating for human rights and gender equality and, at the heart of this advocacy, is our work across eight United Nations Centres, where our representatives ensure that the voices of women and girls are heard. 

The first big international project was in the Maldives in 1978. Other big international projects have been

• Water, women and leadership, responding to water scarcity
• Educate to Lead – based in Nepal
• See Solar, Cook Solar – working with women in Mali, Uganda, Fiji, Nepal and PNG
• Birthing in the pacific, based in Papua New Guinea

Continue reading “Soroptimists.” →