HOBSONS BAY
Community News
Summer
2015 Edition 1
Meet your 2015 Citizens of the Year
Where in Hobsons Bay would you find this?
It’s a detail of a public artwork (answer on page 7).
3] JACK MADIGAN UPDATE
4] ART IN PUBLIC PLACES
6] ALTONA LIBRARY TURNS 50
Message from the Mayor
Welcome to the first edition of Hobsons Bay
Community News.
So why the change from the weekly Pelican Post to an eight page quarterly newsletter?
This is a better way for us to give all our ratepayers the opportunity to be aware of
what Council is doing and better connect with our many services and events.
Summer’s an eventful time in Hobsons Bay and you’ll find it hard not to join in the
festivities whether in the name of sustainable living, cultural diversity, entertainment or
cultural enlightenment. If you don’t make it to one of these events, we’ll bring them to
you in April with Art in Public Places offering all manner of art at your street corner or
local coffee shop.
We’ve also got a number of projects on the go and updates are posted regularly on
Council’s website (www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au). All things going to plan, May could see
you enjoying an evening get-together at the revitalised Lohse Street Reserve in Laverton
or walking down the beautified, shaded pathways of Vernon Street, South Kingsville. In
July, you could be having
a picnic at Jack Madigan Reserve, or playing on the flying fox or giant bird’s nest swing
at
A B Shaw Reserve in Altona Meadows.
The newsletter is also an opportunity to see what others are doing in the community –
volunteers who give their time, skills and expertise to make Hobsons Bay what it is
today.
Geoff Mitchelmore is one such example. It was my pleasure to award him with the 2015
Hobsons Bay Citizen of the Year award on Australia Day for his many community
achievements over the years. Hue Man Dang, an inspiration to her peers and her
community, was awarded the 2015 Young Citizen of the Year to go with her 2014
Inspirational Women and Inspirational Young Person awards.
We all have something to offer our community. I hope that this year, while we mark the
Anzac Centenary recalling the courage and endurance of our soldiers, we also take
inspiration from their selflessness and generosity of spirit. In fact, this idea, about giving
something back in return, is expressed rather elegantly on page six by our Young
Citizen of the Year.
Cr Colleen Gates
Mayor of Hobsons Bay
Your Councillors
Cherry Lake Ward
Altona, Altona Meadows, Altona North, Brooklyn, Seaholme
Cr Sandra Wilson
0419 287 117
swilson@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au
www.facebook.com/crsandra.wilson
Cr Jason Price
0438 871 814
jprice@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au
Strand Ward
Altona North, Newport, Spotswood, South Kingsville, Williamstown
Cr Angela Altair
0419 762 267
aaltair@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au
www.facebook.com/cr.angela.altair
www.angelaaltair.com
Cr Peter Hemphill
0419 762 266
phemphill@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au
Deputy Mayor Cr Paul Morgan
0488 828 880
pmorgan@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au
www.facebook.com/crpaulmorgan
www.crpaulmorgan.com
Wetlands Ward
Altona Meadows, Laverton, Seabrook
Mayor Cr Colleen Gates
0457 916 615
cgates@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au
www.facebook.com/councillorgates
Cr Carl Marsich
0429 461 629
cmarsich@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au
Hobsons Bay Language Line
9932 1212
INTERPRETER SERVICE FOR ALL LANGUAGES
This newsletter is printed on 100% recycled stock using environmentally friendly inks.
What’s happening at
Jack Madigan Reserve?
The patch of grass in Newport bordered by Mason, Challis and Bradley Streets has seen
many uses. Farmland up until the 1920s, it became a bluestone quarry for many years
until,
in 1944, it was bought by the Commonwealth Government. It was then used for storing
fuel for the Navy until thirty years later it found use as a landfill site.
The rejuvenation of this site, expected to finish mid-2015, will see a grand
transformation. Picture children playing amid native grasses, residents jogging along
pathways shaded by flowering natives, and families relaxing on terraces or having
picnics by the rock walls.
The site’s history won’t be forgotten. Large boulders at the entrance and throughout the
reserve will hark back to its days as a quarry. The location of the former oil facility will
be marked by terracing and reflected in images embedded in the pavement. Plus,
recycled materials forming, among other things, steps and decorative walling, will recall
its history
as a landfill site.
Timeline
July 2014
Initial works, concrete tank demolished and soil compacted
Oct 2014
Community workshops, ideas discussed
Dec 2014
Top soil complete, grass seeding commenced
Jan-Feb 2015 Draft design released for public comment
Mid-2015
Expected completion date
www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Council/Major_projects
Brooklyn Dog Park
Who let the dogs out? Well, we have – or at least we will be later this year, but in a
designated, fenced off-leash area in Brooklyn. The park will run alongside the Federation
Trail in the section opposite D N Duane Reserve.
The location for the dog off-leash park was determined following investigations,
community consultation and a six month trial at Lynch Road Reserve.
The park will feature distinct zones with seating and landscaping, each one designed to
encourage a range of activities for dogs of all ages and breeds. The concept plan went
out for public comment in February and interested community members attended an
information session.
Want to find out where the dog off-leash locations are in Hobsons Bay?
www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Community/Animals
Lohse Street Reserve
By May, you’ll be able to bring your family down to enjoy a picnic under the new
shelter at Lohse Street Reserve while the children let their imaginations run wild among
the sensory garden beds. The current play equipment will remain, new toilets will be
installed, and improved lighting means play need not stop at sundown.
Adventurous children will not be disappointed. One of the sugar gums (Eucalyptus
cladocalyx), removed recently from Railway Avenue, Laverton due to old age, will find a
new home as a climbing log.
Stage 2 will follow in the second half of the year. This will involve a realignment of how
public transport is organised in this precinct. The net result will be improved traffic flow
and improved pedestrian access to the shops.
www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Council/Major_projects
Art in Public Places
“April is the coolest month in Hobsons Bay,”
to paraphrase T.S. Eliot’s famous poem.
For thirty days in April, Hobsons Bay becomes the coolest open gallery in
town. Art in Public Places is an opportunity to see artworks in a range of
different styles as you go about your daily shopping, dining or enjoying a
coffee with friends. These artworks are from some of the very best artists
in the western region. Some will be hard to miss, and some will be in
some very unexpected places.
In total, from the first day of April till the last, there will be over sixty
exhibitions, art events, installations, screenings, workshops, talks, open
days and more.
The following pages showcase just six of the many highlights. For more
specific dates and details, visit www.artinpublicplaces.com.au and
make sure you like Art in Public Places on Facebook
www.facebook.com/Artinpublicplaces
Environmental Performance Authority (Altona Meadows)
Did you know the area around Truganina Coastal Park was a former meeting place of
the Boon Wurrung people? Led by the dancers and musicians of the Environmental
Performance Authority ecological performance group, performers will engage with the
material ‘feel’ of the place, its indigenous past and its industrial history – expressing it in
their bodies, sounds and stories. This is a performance as evocative and unique as the
landscape.
The Crossing (Newport)
The team that brought you last year’s Projector Bike are ‘pedalling’ their wares once
again. Combining architectural structures with experimental film, The Crossing is an
immersive work that celebrates Newport history, people, art and music. Starting at Hall
Street, this event, brought to you with the support of the Newport Traders Association,
is a walking tour with a difference - treating you to food, music, multi-projections and
more.
Paint the Gardens (Williamstown)
Monet talks... in this annual and always popular event at the beautiful Williamstown
Botanical Gardens. Take a stroll down the pathways and you’ll see some of our finest
local landscape and botanic artists, with easels and canvas at the ready, painting the
surrounding flora. This unique painting competition, brought to you by the Friends of
Williamstown Botanic Gardens, engages you from the first brushstroke to the awards
ceremony.
Busk A Move (Altona and Williamstown)
Williamstown and Altona streets will come alive for a weekend of pop-up busking
entertainment from local performers and school kids. Were you one of the lucky
passersby
last April to catch No Wit Just Hits make music from invented instruments? Or the
Newport Bush Orchestra stopping traffic on Douglas Parade with their folky,
symphonious sounds? Miss these one-off performances first time around and you’ve
missed them for good.
With musicians from all ages, all styles and all backgrounds, you never quite know what
you may hear.
Electronic Moon (Altona)
And then there was light... Electronic Moon is a collaboration involving young people
from Hobsons Bay and the local area. Up-cycling, carpentry, LED electronics and
computer programming combine to create a dynamic computer controlled light
installation, courtesy
of Bayside College Paisley Campus, and the Future Creation Workshop of the Hobsons
Bay Men’s Shed. If you’ve driven down Queen Street in Altona Meadows recently and
seen the current Airtime flags then you’re already familiar with their work.
Pop Up Garage Sale (Laverton)
The Pop Up Garage Sale is returning to Woods Street Arts Space on Sunday 26 April.
Running from 10am to 3pm, the Pop Up Garage Sale will offer a range of items from
adult
and children’s clothing, artisan creations, vintage homewares, cakes, books, vinyl
records... the list goes on. Entry is free but a gold coin donation for West Welcome
Wagon, a local charity supporting refugee communities, is appreciated.
ALTONA LIBRARY’S
50TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
There was a double celebration in Altona on 5 June 1965. The Shire of Altona was
marking
its eighth anniversary with a luncheon in the Civic Hall. But just down the road, at 123
Queen Street, the first visitors were walking through Altona Library’s new front doors.
Fifty years on and the library lends out almost 170,000 items a year including books,
ebooks, CDs, DVDs, magazines, pedometers and energy saving kits.
The photo on the left was taken at the opening. Were you there or do you recognise
anyone in the photo? Did you play in the rubble as the library was being built, or did
you come to one of the first Story Times? We’re pulling together the social history of
the library and calling on your collective memory to help us. If you have any stories or
photos of interest, please visit us or phone 1300 HOB LIB (462 542) or email
libraryevents@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au
Have you noticed the book in the photo?
It’s Puffer Pete, Brian Cleveland’s story of a steam locomotive written in 1963, two years
before Altona Library’s opening. The book has been tracked down especially for the
50th anniversary celebrations and will be read at the Altona Library 50th birthday Story
Time on Thursday 4 June 10.30am.
http://libraries.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/
Geoff Mitchelmore Citizen of the Year
Geoff lives in Hobsons Bay with his wife Olga. He has been in the area for nearly fifty
years and can claim among his achievements the development of Altona Theatre, and
the building and sailing of the replica of the historic Enterprize schooner, the ship which
brought the first European settlers to Melbourne in 1835. Geoff’s most recent project
has been to form the Friends of Kororoit Creek, transforming the banks along the creek
“from a weed-infested rubbish dump to a magnificent corridor of green that is now
attracting many birds back to
this wonderful area”. He was in a canoe as part of a Clean Up Australia Day promotion
and “was thrilled to recognise the changes to the creek environment”.
Hue Man Dang Young Citizen of the Year
Hue Man speaks candidly when she says, “five years ago I never would have thought I
would be in a position of leadership or receiving such an honour”. In 2013, with the
support of her school, she organised a charity week dedicated to spreading the
message of peace, running donation drives for World Vision, Cancer Council, Youth of
the Streets, the Asylum Resource Centre and the Philippine’s Typhoon Haiyan. Hue Man
has lived in Altona since the age of three.
Asked what advice she’d pass on, Hue Man says: “We are all leaders and we can all
make
a difference. We just need to believe that we can and it all starts with the words: I will
be
the change”.
Did you know......
we have a business directory?
Firstly, did you know Council has an Economic Development Unit? The team engages
regularly with local businesses, of which a number have signed up to Council’s Business
Directory. While promoting local businesses, the directory gives residents a one-stop
digital base for finding businesses and services in Hobsons Bay. We spoke to two
businesses making use
of the directory...
Want to know more? To register with our business directory or to subscribe to our enews email the
team at business@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au
www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Business/Business_directory
Frank and Daniel Scomazzon are the father and son team who run
Paddock to Table, located along Neville Avenue in Laverton. They sell
only what they source directly from a selection of farms, so customers
know exactly where their food is coming from.
What do you see as the benefits of registering with Council’s Business Directory?
It’s an opportunity to gain exposure. As a new business, being listed on the Council
website allows local residents to find out about us, learn more about our business and
contact us.
What do you like about operating your business in Hobsons Bay?
The response and support has been fantastic. We’ve discovered there is clear demand
here for meat that is fresh, locally sourced and of a high quality.
To see their listing go to www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Business/Business_directory
Erica Smith is a Newport resident with a home-based business called
My Local Business Support, helping small businesses with their set up,
websites and social media.
What do you see as the benefits from registering with Council’s Business Directory?
It’s a great place to advertise your business, but it’s also a great opportunity to
collaborate
with like-minded businesses and network.
What do you like about operating your business in Hobsons Bay?
I really love supporting our local people in Hobsons Bay. I’m currently offering special
deals
for Hobsons Bay businesses listed on the directory until 31 March. It’s a fabulous part of
Melbourne so we should all be trying to #thinklocalsupportlocal. We all know that the
‘West is Best.’
To see Erica’s listing go to www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Business/Business_directory
Did you know... we have an
Energy Advice phoneline?
A few small amendments to your property or energy usage can make a huge difference.
The side effect is simple: you save money while helping the environment.
www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Environment_Waste/Our_Sustainable_Business
Want to know more? Here’s how it works.

An easy way to keep out summer sun is to install eaves or blinds, or to plant deciduous
trees outside north and west facing windows.

Reducing your heating temperature or increasing your cooling temperature by just one
degree can save around 10% of the heating and cooling costs.

Fans use 50 times less energy than air conditioners.

The ideal temperature for an air conditioner is around 26°C.

Going a step further and insulating your house ceiling, walls, installing a solar
PV (photovoltaic) system on your roof or replacing your lighting can save you even more.
Visit www.positivecharge.com.au or call 9385 8555 for your free,
independent energy advice.
Front cover quiz answer: Time Beacon by Cameron Robbins at 100 Steps, Truganina Park, Altona Meadows
EVENTS
For a detailed, up to date calendar go to Council’s website.
OzACT performs As You Like It
14, 15, 21, 22 March from 3pm
Williamstown Botanic Gardens, corner of Giffard and Osborne Streets
Williamstown is turning into William Shakespeare’s town for four nights
in March. Bring a rug and a picnic and watch Rosalind and Celia frolic among the roses of the
botanic gardens. Tickets can be booked at www.ozact.com
Cultural Diversity Week
14 to 22 March
Various locations
More than 130 countries of origin, 90 languages, 90 faiths, one community. Come together to
share aspects of your culture, faith and language, and celebrate the benefits multiculturalism
brings to our municipality. Activities are free and many are child-friendly, including cultural games,
food tasting, dancing, arts and craft, storytelling, community forums, a market and a film
screening.
Rivers to Recognition - Constitutional Recognition Forum
18 March, 6.30pm
Altona Library, 123 Queen Street
What does constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians mean, when might it take
place,
and what are the alternatives? These questions and others will be discussed at Altona Library
on
18 March. The event is hosted by GetUp OutWest and Reconciliation Victoria.
Summer Sounds 2015: SKATE
21 March
Altona Meadows Skate Park,
Queen Street
Two big local events, Summer Sounds and the annual Skate, BMX, Scooter series, come
together for one goliath day in March. DJs will spin records while skateboarders spin their
wheels.
National Youth Week
8 to 19 April
Various locations
Highlights include gigs showcasing the best local talent, the final of this year’s
Skate/BMX/Scooter competition at Newport Skate Park on 8 April, and the Most Inspirational
Young People Awards on 15 April, and a range of other activities.
The Listies make you LOL!
23 April
Williamstown Town Hall,
104 Ferguson Street
Rated S for Silly, The Listies will share their hilarious jokes, funny noises and amazetastic
games. Tickets can be booked at www.hobsonsbaytickets.com.au
Art in Public Places
April
For 30 days in April Hobsons Bay turns into an open gallery.
(See pp.4-5 for more details)
On the home front 1915
30 April, 2pm
Come to Williamstown Library for a glimpse of local life during the Great War with Helen
Penrose, professional historian and author. Afternoon tea provided. Bookings:
http://libraries.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au or phone 1300 462 542.
Drowning in Veronica Lake
27 May, 7.30pm
Williamstown Mechanics Institute,
5 Electra Street
How did the golden starlet from the Golden Age of Hollywood self-destruct so quickly? Find
out in this darkly comic theatre piece. Tickets can be booked at www.hobsonsbaytickets.com.au
Altona Library’s 50th Birthday
5 June - World Environment Day
10am to 2pm
Performers, talks and local initiatives.
6 June – Altona Library 50th birthday celebrations
10am to 1pm
As well as a birthday cake there’ll be face painting, performances, giant games, craft, and the
perennial favourite Story Time.
Keep up to date with news and events in Hobsons Bay.
Like us on facebook and follow us on twitter.
HOBSONS BAY CITY COUNCIL
115 Civic Parade, Altona
Phone (03) 9932 1000
NRS phone 133 677
and
quote 03 9932 1000
twitter.com/HobsonsBayCC
facebook.com/HobsonsBayCityCouncil
www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au