24 September Newsletter Friends of Eaglemont Village
New Era for the Village - Sunday Opening for Eaglemont Dish
Get on down and support Eamon & Hayley as they re-introduce Sunday trading to the Village from mid-October.
Those of us who can remember the core group of John, Hilary, George, Anne, (often joined by Peter, Sally, Stephen R ( Anne's cousin) and his partner Claire forming the Breakfast Club) - with their own labelled table - are delighted at the prospect of having a local option again for Sunday coffee.
This will allow our Sunday morning Eaglemont walking group (resuming mid-October) to have our coffee break locally instead of supporting Ivanhoe and Heidelberg cafes.
The Covid lockdowns era simply exhausted former proprietor Deb, and she could not face 7 day trading in the aftermath - the early starts, more preparation time required on Saturday afternoons, rostering young staff to weekend work etc.
The Dish breakfast menu has re-appeared:
Vote Yes For A Better Australia
Fancy that posters supporting the Yes campaign erected on private property are being vandalised right here in Eaglemont and Ivanhoe.
Disappointing enough to see political advertising corflutes defaced at each election without such passions being aroused about someone's voice being heard post-referendum.
Not someone's voice being obeyed - just heard.
A right to freedom of expression, a capacity to form views, to articulate a claim for fair and decent treatment.
For needs to be put forward for assessment by our government.
Seems like a pretty fundamental democratic process.
All of us Australian citizens aged 18 and over get a guaranteed right to vote - indeed we are compelled to do so.
But we then overlay that basic political, civic role of Parliaments, Assemblies and Councils with a whole host of other representative bodies to argue up the case for particular targeted treatment for special interest groups.
Country Womens Association, trade unions, College of Surgeons. Pharmacy Guild, Master Builders Association , Minerals Council, Chambers of Commerce - any representative body that proposes, reviews or opposes legislation, that advocates to government for or against change, that enters the political fray by funding candidates or running advertising campaigns, is doing just what the Voice aims to do.
Why should First Nations people not have the same mechanism, the same status, the same opportunity?
Remembrance Day is just a few weeks away.
It is my understanding that Australian military personnel - volunteers & conscripts - fought and died overseas in other nations' wars to defend democracy, to oppose tyranny.
Think about that please.
WW1, WW2, Vietnam.
Our soldiers, sailors and airmen fought not to defend politicians, not to defend Parliament Houses, not to defend privilege.
They fought to defend the concept of democracy itself - elements of which are embedded in Constitutions and Acts of Parliament.
Freedom of religion, freedom of association, freedom of expression, freedom of movement. All sorts of freedoms and rights we take almost for granted.
Healthcare, longevity, education, security, law and order, opportunity - odd that the longer you have been on this single nation continent the less you get.
Maybe from the list above there is too much law and order right in the face of First Nations people, with an associated "cause or effect" debate in the media, society and the court system.
Perhaps we should not leave management of the underlying social programs that bring about this state of affairs exclusively to us white fellas any longer.
Time to include more First Nations input into our nation's affairs.
Coffee Loyalty Cards @ The Dish
New Hospitality Business Coming to the Village
A lick of paint firms up the rumour that a new business is about to open in the old Aniseed Cafe space.
Suggestions are that an Asian food enterprise is about to compete with the existing offerings.
Good for us all if we get variety and wider opening hours that bring in different patrons & different dollars - a disaster if the existing trade is cannibalized.
A wonderful thing competition, but all too often the long-term run of competition is the very antithesis of competition - the monopoly that emerges as competitors gobble each other up.
Very Big Turnout at Andrea's Funeral Service
The exceptionally large gathering at Andrea's service at Mary Immaculate Ivanhoe is testament to the popularity of the family and their long involvement in community activities.
The Funeral Director was sent searching for additional loose pages to add to the Condolences Book - so claims of "more than 400 mourners" were readily confirmed.
"Mourners" is perhaps not the best-fitting descriptive term as the family crafted an upbeat review of Andrea's life, and we all know nearly 10 years of intensive medical interventions and support to a composed, good-humoured, accepting and dignified patient came to an end.
What a standard Andrea set as wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend and colleague.
Well-loved across family, the community and her Church.
A truly moving Eulogy from Brent, contributions from close family, a dignified service by Father Bill - and we traipsed from church to hall to Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want To Have Fun".
Go girl!
Good Community Attitude in Ballarat
Well done to the family at Ballarat who put some effort into helping their community.
Back in the dark ages of Covid lockdowns and home schooling in the suburb of Redan in Ballarat, Vicky Robinson and her daughter Rachel found themselves noticing the loneliness and separation in the community during those long, isolating days.
They didn't become glum chums - instead they got active, creative and caring - doing something for their community.
(Story and photo from ABC News)
The posts from the past week delivered right to your Inbox
Member discussion