Way back in February, Leigh Blackall wrote about his journey to Melbourne, and to Ceres Environmental Park. He raved about the luxury of having such a wonderful site so close to the city – and recorded a couple of interviews with the locals there.
Yes Leigh, we’re lucky here in Melbourne. i’m really lucky, i can go visit Ceres any time i like, and often buy my organic vegies there. They also have a second-hand market on a Saturday morning, and let me tell you i’ve found some real bargains.
However, people in a Reservoir Adult Literacy group haven’t always heard of the place. So it was one of the suggested destinations for an excursion earlier in the year.
They all said it was “different” .. not the sort of place they’re used to visiting. It was an adventure across cultural lines, but mostly these people enjoyed the place.
Another weekend i dropped by for my vegies, and was astonished to see Melbourne radio station 3AW in their mobile broadcasting caravan – for the launch of a new home ecology site, and composting week.
Ecology has really hit the mainstream when 3AW visits Ceres!!
(.. and yes, Leigh the ceres website although attractive and functional, has no blogging interactivity.)
Hi Mike. I’d really like that vein of Melbourne culture to wash over here a bit. There are elements here already. We have interesting boutique shops, lots of stenciling and some local markets. But I’ve so far failed to inspire my organisation to refer CERES and other Melbourne initiatives. They are aware of them, but for some reason it doesn’t seem to strike a chord with key people leading our effort here. They seem driven by a need for point of difference or something. Anyway, the point is I think that subculture you are talking about is probably the most recognised Melbourne trait. The mainstreaming of it is its peak I guess. It will be interesting to see what Melb does with it. Meanwhile, the inevitable gentrification that will come with the mainstreaming will hopefully push the doers out of Melb and over here to Dunedin 🙂
Hello Leigh, great to hear from you.
i don’t know how you’d find the land required for an initiative like Ceres these days. Surely wouldn’t happen here if it wasn’t already in place.
Yes, once brunswick is fully gentrified, and sustainability mainstreamed .. we’ll all come and join you in Dunedin.
(How cold does it get over there?)
kind regards, michael