09 November, 2017

Last Working Bee for 2017 this Sunday

Hi everyone - been a long time since I updated the Stationeers' blog, apologies! There's been plenty going on for Merri Common over the past year, but also at my workplace, so I've struggled to provide regular updates.

First things first: our last working bee for the year is this Sunday at 10:00 - please meet us at the Northcote Rifle Club (snacks and beverages on site) before getting stuck into the large triangle of land beside the rail intersection and Charles Street, opposite Caddaye's Corner. We'll be doing some in-fill planting between all the trees and shrubs we planted just ahead of this dry winter - a great way to catch up with your neighbours while making our neighbourhood a more beautiful place to live, come along, bring your kids/friends/parents and maybe a spade or two!

Second, we're grateful to have a grant from Darebin Council to help fund some artwork to be painted on the concrete slab that's holding up the new yellow deckchairs on the Common. The chairs will be on holiday for awhile while a crew from Arts Project Australia gets busy painting a mural - look out for James McSporran and James McDonald doing their thing.

I hope you've noticed how spectacular the indigenous grasses and shrubs are looking in the garden on the east side of the Station - we've had a little "information plaque" made to help locals identify the various species in the mix. Here's a little photographic montage titled "Angle Grinder, Three Cords and the Truth" to commemorate the installation! Our Chair, Rohan Griffiths, our Secretary, Janna Hilbrink and yours truly on the job, installing a plaque designed by our artist in residence Jela Ivankovic-Waters. Bit hard to read the plaque in the photos, but here's the gist if you're curious: http://merri-stationeers.blogspot.com.au/p/indigenous-plants-merri-station.html

"Idiot Presumes Mastery of Powertools"

Janna in Hi-Vis on Charles and Railway
For your reading pleasure and maintenance crew edification (i.e. do not spray herbicide)