Posts filed under ‘Events’
Whats on?
Foodswaps
Foodswaps are one hour events which take place once a month.
We have three foodswaps running in Darebin
People bring their excess produce and share and swap with others. There are all sorts of goodies ready to swap from back yards across Darebin.
What to bring?– seedlings, greens, citrus, or even something you have made like jams, baked goods and much more
So come along to one of our food swaps and exchange something that you have in abundance for something someone else has been growing in their garden, super fresh produce at its best!
Reservoir Food Swap – every month on the 3rd Saturday at 10am outside Reservoir Library.
Fairfield Food Swap every month on the 3rd Saturday at 11am at the cnr of Duncan and Gillies st, Fairfield
Thornbury/Preston Food swap at 11am on 4th Saturday of the month at Thornbury Picture House
Darebin Repair Cafe
Darebin Repair cafe runs every second month at various locations around Darebin.
It is a three hour event where our volunteer fixers share their fixing skills with cafe visitors e.g. sewing, craft, jewellery repairs, gluing, and electrical work in household appliances.
We are part of the International Repair Cafe Foundation.
For more information see https://transitiondarebin.org/darebin-repair-cafe/
15 November, 2022 at 10:15 am transitiondarebin Leave a comment
Whats on in July?
Our trusty Foodswaps.
There are all sorts of goodies ready to swap from back yards across Darebin – seedlings, greens, citrus, rhubarb, something you have made in your kitchen if your garden doesn’t have anything to swap.
So come along to one of our food swaps and exchange something that you have in abundance for something someone else has been growing in their garden, super fresh produce at its best!
Reservoir Food Swap – 10am on 16th July outside Reservoir Library.
Fairfield Food Swap at 11am on 16th July at the cnr of Duncan and Gillies st.
Thornbury/Preston Food swap at 11am on 23rd of July at Thornbury Picture House
July Repair cafe – Our 26th repair cafe
Our 26th Darebin Repair cafe takes place on 24th July 10am-1pm. Clyde Hall, Thornbury
Spots to be booked for sewing and jewellery repair and some general fixes. – get in quick -bookings can be made here – Darebin Repair Cafe #26
Join us to be a hard rubbish hero!
Transition Darebin are co-hosting with Darebin Hard Rubbish Heroes (DHRH) as part of the Span Community House RRR Hub project with a pop-up shop that will offer free and low-price items, and include upcycling, recycling collection and workshops.
This is all aimed at helping us avoid items ending up in landfill as ‘hard rubbish season’ continues during July in Darebin!
More info here – https://www.darebinhardrubbishheroes.org/events/relove-pop-up
A whole lot going on – we would love to hear from you if you have time on your hands to help out.
Email us at Transitiondarebin@gmail.com
Whats on in July
Even though its winter, the second half of July is heating up with lots of events coming up
First up, our trusty Foodswaps
Reservoir Food Swap – 10am on 17th July outside Reservoir Library. (cancelled due to COVID 19 lockdown)
Fairfield Food Swap at 11am on 17th July at the cnr of Duncan and Gillies st. (cancelled due to COVID 19 lockdown)
Thornbury/Preston Food swap at 11am on 24th of July at Thornbury Picture House (cancelled due to COVID 19 lockdown)
Postponed due to COVID 19 lockdown – stay tuned for new dates
We are co-hosting the ReLove Upcycle Market with the Darebin Hard Rubbish Heroes taking place at The Bridge Darebin 218 High st, Preston.
Lots going on in this event – Recycling drop offs, stallholders with upcycled crafts, raffles and a workshops to make bee baths from salvaged materials – more info here
Postponed due to COVID 19 lockdown – stay tuned for new dates
On the 20th July Transition Darebin are collaborating with Newlands Friends of the Forest to bring you Fascinating Forest Film Night from 6pm at Thornbury Picture House with snacks provided by TD.
July Repair cafe cancelled due to COVID 19 lockdown
Our 20th Darebin Repair cafe takes place on 25th July 10am-1pm
Some tickets remain for sewing and jewellery repair and some general fixes. – get in quick -bookings can be made here – Darebin Repair Cafe #20
Our last event of July on the afternoon of the 31st, Transition Darebin and Northcote Library Food Garden are hosting Handy Tips for Food Growing at Home providing ideas and information on food-growing at home, with presenters from NLFG and Heritage Fruits Society.
There will be 3 sessions, run in rotation, so you can attend one or all:
Compost-making – practical demonstration using the NLFG compost heaps
Wicking bed in a box – how to make a portable, compact garden bed
Fruit trees – what to grow; how to care for; basic pruning tips
A whole lot going on – get involved and we would love to hear from you if you find you have some time on your hands to help out with our activities. we would love to have you on board – email us at Transitiondarebin@gmail.com
What’s On in Late March
Note: We currently plan to have all our events run as normal. We’re currently monitoring the situation with regards to the coronavirus, and will update you if we make changes to our plans, in order to keep our people safe and healthy.
Food Swaps
Reservoir
The next food swap will be on Saturday March 21, from 10 to 11 am. This week it will be held in front of the library on Edwardes St Reservoir, due to the Level Crossing Removal works.
Fairfield
The next Fairfield food swap will be on Saturday March 21, from 11 to 12 noon. It can be found at the corner of Gillies and Duncan Streets, Fairfield. It will be in the side garden facing Duncan St.
Darebin Repair Cafe #12 (UPDATE: CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19)
We have been advised by the International Repair Cafe Foundation to cease running repair cafes at this stage, and our venue has been closed to the public. As such, the repair cafe this Sunday has been cancelled.
Food Swaps – Preston/Thornbury
The next food swap will be on Saturday March 28, from 11 to 12 pm. It can be found at the corner of High St and Pender St, Thornbury.
Fix-It Monthly Session – April
It’s Back! Our Newlands fix – it mend it Monthly session. Come Join Us.
This is an informal session, where people can bring their own items that need mending (and whatever supplies they need for it) and mend them themselves in good company.
How great will it be to be able to use those things in the back of the cupboard!
When: Thursday April 2, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
Where: Preston – contact 0468 963 868.
We will start as a lounge room event & then see if it moves to a different venue.
Note: We LOVE Repair Cafes where volunteers fix things for you. This is different – this is where we make the time to fix/mend our own things – to make it a priority 🙂
Food Swaps – Northcote
The next Northcote food swap will be on Saturday April 11, from 11 to 12 pm. It can be found at the Northcote Library Food Garden – 32-38 Separation Street, Northcote.
Food Swaps are an occasion to meet your community, talk about gardens and sustainability and swap excess produce from your garden, or something you made in your kitchen. You bring some and get to take some away as with all good swaps.
Ideas of what to bring:
- seeds from your garden
- seedlings
- fruit
- vegetables
- herbs
- preserves
- cordials
- sour dough starter
The list goes on…
What’s On in March
Fix-It Monthly Session – March
It’s Back! Our Newlands fix – it mend it Monthly session. Come Join Us.
This is an informal session, where people can bring their own items that need mending (and whatever supplies they need for it) and mend them themselves in good company.
How great will it be to be able to use those things in the back of the cupboard!
When: Thursday March 5, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
Where: Preston – contact 0468 963 868.
We will start as a lounge room event & then see if it moves to a different venue.
Note: We LOVE Repair Cafes where volunteers fix things for you. This is different – this is where we make the time to fix/mend our own things – to make it a priority 🙂
Food Swaps
Northcote
The next Northcote food swap will be on Saturday March 14, from 11 to 12 pm. It can be found at the Northcote Library Food Garden – 32-38 Separation Street, Northcote.
Reservoir
The next food swap will be on Saturday March 21, from 10 to 11 am. This week it will be held in front of the library on Edwardes St Reservoir, due to the Level Crossing Removal works.
Fairfield
The next Fairfield food swap will be on Saturday March 21, from 11 to 12 noon. It can be found at the corner of Gillies and Duncan Streets, Fairfield. It will be in the side garden facing Duncan St.
Darebin Repair Cafe #12
DATE HOLDER. Booking details available later this month.
When: Sunday March 22, 10 am to 1 pm
Where: Reservoir Senior Citizen’s Centre – 2-4 Wright Street, Reservoir.
We endeavour to fix household items and test and tag electrical equipment to save items from landfill. 472 kilograms saved so far.Last items seen at 12.30. Always looking for electrical and other fixers.
Preston/Thornbury
The next food swap will be on Saturday March 28, from 11 to 12 pm. It can be found at the corner of High St and Pender St, Thornbury.
Food Swaps are an occasion to meet your community, talk about gardens and sustainability and swap excess produce from your garden, or something you made in your kitchen. You bring some and get to take some away as with all good swaps.
Ideas of what to bring:
- seeds from your garden
- seedlings
- fruit
- vegetables
- herbs
- preserves
- cordials
- sour dough starter
The list goes on…
What’s On in Late February
Moon Rabbit Bulk Foods Launch Party
New year’s resolution: Be part of a bulk-buy collective!
Darebin’s low-waste cafe, Moon Rabbit, is launching a Bulk Foods Collective in February and is celebrating with a zero-waste party, free babyccinos and a day full of activities and live music.
Moon Rabbit’s Bulk Foods Collective will offer affordable, everyday pantry items in bulk – doing our bit to achieve a plastic-free Darebin and create a more sustainable community. Buy only what you need, BYO containers and avoid unnecessary packaging.
Discounts are available for collective members, concession-card holders and pensioners.
Where? Moon Rabbit café – Preston
The Bridge, 218 High St, Preston
When? Saturday, 22 February from 09:30-14:00
Transition Darebin will have a general stall, a boomerang bags stall with children’s activities, and the Thornbury food swap will be in residence at The Bridge for one day only (bring some food to swap from your garden) – so why not come and join us!
Boomerang Bags as part of the Sustainable Living Festival
Come and ‘sew sustainable’ with Boomerang Bags Thornbury/Northcote. They’ll bring sewing machines and fabric, so you can help sew a bag for a good cause and learn about what it takes to start your own chapter! Boomerang Bags is a grassroots, community driven movement tackling plastic pollution at its source. Re-useable ‘boomerang bags’ are made using recycled materials as a sustainable alternative to plastic bags.
When: Thursday 27 February, 6 pm to 7:30 pm
Where: Northcote Library – 32-38 Separation St, Northcote, VIC 3070
Book here.
Fix-It Monthly Session – March
It’s Back! Our Newlands fix – it mend it Monthly session. Come Join Us.
This is an informal session, where people can bring their own items that need mending (and whatever supplies they need for it) and mend them themselves in good company.
How great will it be to be able to use those things in the back of the cupboard!
When: Thursday March 5, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
Where: Preston – contact 0468 963 868.
We will start as a lounge room event & then see if it moves to a different venue.
Note: We LOVE Repair Cafes where volunteers fix things for you. This is different – this is where we make the time to fix/mend our own things – to make it a priority 🙂
Food Swaps
Northcote
The next Northcote food swap will be on Saturday March 14, from 11 to 12 pm. It can be found at the Northcote Library Food Garden – 32-38 Separation Street, Northcote.
Reservoir
The next food swap will be on Saturday March 21, from 10 to 11 am. This week it will be held in front of the library on Edwardes St Reservoir, due to the Level Crossing Removal works.
Fairfield
The next Fairfield food swap will be on Saturday March 21, from 11 to 12 noon. It can be found at the corner of Gillies and Duncan Streets, Fairfield. It will be in the side garden facing Duncan St.
Preston/Thornbury
The next food swap will be on Saturday March 28, from 11 to 12 pm. This time we’ll be at The Bridge Preston – 218 High Street, Preston – as part of the launch of Moon Rabbit’s bulk buy co-op offering.
Food Swaps are an occasion to meet your community, talk about gardens and sustainability and swap excess produce from your garden, or something you made in your kitchen. You bring some and get to take some away as with all good swaps.
Ideas of what to bring:
- seeds from your garden
- seedlings
- fruit
- vegetables
- herbs
- preserves
- cordials
- sour dough starter
The list goes on…
What’s On in February
Fix-It Monthly Session – February
It’s Back! Our Newlands fix – it mend it Monthly session. Come Join Us.
This is an informal session, where people can bring their own items that need mending (and whatever supplies they need for it) and mend them themselves in good company.
How great will it be to be able to use those things in the back of the cupboard!
When: Thursday February 6, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
Where: Preston – contact 0468 963 868.
We will start as a lounge room event & then see if it moves to a different venue.
Note we LOVE Repair Cafes where volunteers fix things for you. This is different – this is where we make the time to fix/mend our own things – to make it a priority 🙂
Food Swaps
Northcote
The next Northcote food swap will be on Saturday February 8, from 11 to 12 pm. It can be found at the Northcote Library Food Garden – 32-38 Separation Street, Northcote.
Reservoir
The next food swap will be on Saturday February 15, from 10 to 11 am. This week it will be held in front of the library on Edwardes St Reservoir, due to the Level Crossing Removal works.
Fairfield
The next Fairfield food swap will be on Saturday February 15, from 11 to 12 noon. It can be found at the corner of Gillies and Duncan Streets, Fairfield. It will be in the side garden facing Duncan St.
Preston/Thornbury
The next food swap will be on Saturday February 22, from 11 to 12 pm. This time we’ll be at The Bridge Preston – 218 High Street, Preston – as part of the launch of Moon Rabbit’s bulk buy co-op offering.
Food Swaps are an occasion to meet your community, talk about gardens and sustainability and swap excess produce from your garden, or something you made in your kitchen. You bring some and get to take some away as with all good swaps.
Ideas of what to bring:
- seeds from your garden
- seedlings
- fruit
- vegetables
- herbs
- preserves
- cordials
- sour dough starter
The list goes on…
Boomerang Bags as part of the Sustainable Living Festival
Come and ‘sew sustainable’ with Boomerang Bags Thornbury/Northcote. They’ll bring sewing machines and fabric, so you can help sew a bag for a good cause and learn about what it takes to start your own chapter! Boomerang Bags is a grassroots, community driven movement tackling plastic pollution at its source. Re-useable ‘boomerang bags’ are made using recycled materials as a sustainable alternative to plastic bags.
When: Thursday 27 February, 6 pm to 7:30 pm
Where: Northcote Library – 32-38 Separation St, Northcote, VIC 3070
Book here.
Urban Food Production Strategy Implementation
Did you know that Darebin council has an Urban Food Production Strategy Implementation Plan.
This plan was adopted by council in May and outlines a four year vision of how urban food production will be 
supported by council including community gardens, home grown food and other urban food models. Transition Darebin has been involved in providing feedback in the past and have again been invited to provide input on this plan’s implementation particularly the 2015/16 priority actions. They want to hear from inspirational community members who are involved in UFP projects and initiatives in Darebin.
So if you have an interest in a local food production or have some ideas on how it can roll out efficiently through Darebin or just want to network with other community members who are passionate about building a more sustainable food future then please join us in the Function Room, Council Offices, 350 High Street Preston, on Thursday 13th August from 5:30 – 7:30pm.
RSVP’s are required by Monday 10th August. RSPV to Lee Tozzi (Lee.Tozzi@darebin.vic.gov.au) or by phone on 84708392
The Croxton Commons
In 1649, in response to government disharmony and infighting, Gerrard Winstanley and a group of local residents began to plant vegetables in common land on Saint George’s Hill, in Surrey. This coincided with a time when food prices had reached an all time high and the government was showing inability to respond to the needs of the citizenry. Winstanley invited all to “come in and help them, and promise them meat, drink, and clothes” and thus the original diggers were born.
We may not be in the 1600’s but our current situation feels remarkably similar. It is becoming blatantly clear that governments of all stripes are struggling to keep up with both the pace and the scale of the changes that will be required for the future. With peak oil either here or nearby and a rapidly changing climate it is also highly likely that our food systems will be disrupted to at least some extent. Back yard agriculture can take up a great deal of the slack but we need more to grow the things that either can’t be grown in small spaces or are inefficient in a private context.
We need to reclaim the commons!
In times gone by commons were shared public spaces that were held for the public good. Whether it was a place that goats and cows could graze or a grove of nut trees that would be harvested by the whole village, the common filled the gaps of food production and also provided a focal point for the community. The Croxton Common is envisaged as just such a place (though maybe without the cows!). But we know that waiting until such a place is required will make it ten years too late we have to start now! This is why Transition Darebin is mobilising and inviting all residents and citizens of Darebin and beyond to get involved with the Croxton Commons, the development of the land surrounding Croxton Railway station (an coincidently on a hill near St. Georges Road).
But what will it look like?
Exactly what the C
roxton Commons becomes will depend on the will and the energy of the people attached to it. But the aim is for it to include urban fruit and nut orchards, community and enterprise spaces, recreation areas and social focused spaces. It will be a truly multi-use space that will aim not to reduce the current amenity of the area but add to it through careful design and inclusive forward planning. It will also make use of the most efficient form of transport (the train line) to promote hubs for food sharing, markets and maybe even tool and skill sharing.
This is a project that has been in the wings for some time but thanks to some help from Victrack and Darebin Council we have finally got to a stage where the real planning and working can begin. That’s why we’re putting out the call for thinkers, designers, doers and coordinators; for permies, horti’s, gardeners, handypeople and local folk; for anyone who wants to chip in and help bring this plan to fruition.
We’re kicking off by teaming up with local community garden Our Apple Tree to have a ‘Clean up Australia Day’ event. We’ll be meeting at Our Apple Tree (corner Herbert Street and Beavers Road) at 10am and then walking (and cleaning) up through the Commons finishing at Spencer Reserve, our first site for a barbecue (12:00-1:00). If you can’t make this event but want to be part of the Croxton Commons Group then please email us at transitiondarebin@gmail.com.
Transition Darebin 