Did you know that we have a Toy Library at ACC? We’re noticing that there are increased numbers of people around the neighbourhood living a life that is more family friendly with flexible hours and working from home options. And as a result we’re also noticing that our Toy Library use is growing every week. We’ve welcomed at least 10 new families to the Toy Library over the last month or two and it is so wonderful to think that all those great toys that have been carefully collected and lovingly cared for, for so many years, are getting an outing!

If you know any young families who might like to access a wide range of toys in a sustainable way (ie. borrowing them for up to a month rather than buying them) then point them in our direction.

The Alphington Toy Library costs $30 per year to join (a bargain). Families can borrow up to 4 toys at a time. And we have loads of toys to borrow!

We’re also building up some toy packs that can be booked online and collected any time we are open - ideal for families that can’t pop in and browse themselves. Working families can keep an eye out for these - coming any day now!

Our Toy Library is generally open on Wednesday mornings from 10am-12pm. The opening time coincides with Playtime in the Garden - so you can borrow toys and then also hang out here enjoying our sandpit and some outside craft activities (set up weekly by Lee).

Click here to find out more and/or to join up. Or pop past on a Wednesday to see if it is for you!

Look, we have a logo (thanks Lee Arkapaw). And our podcasting equipment arrived this week. Doesn’t it look exciting! We’re pretty keen to get our new podcasting studio set up and to start using it.

And also … we recently received an Education Week grant for an event that we’ll use as the official marker for this new community resource.

We got funding from the Department of Education to run a podcasting intro course here at ACC for local schools during Education Week, which is the last week of May. What a great way to kick things off hey? Creating, learning and community building with local students.

Alphington PS has taken up this opportunity and grade 5 and 6 students will be working with Tony Wilson.

Tony is an adult and children’s book author, former radio presenter (a fixture on RRR Breakfasters for a number of years), public speaker, speech writing connoisseur (visit Speakola - it’s a great online resource to read and watch the world’s most fabulous speeches), podcaster … and Darebin local.

Fun times! And thanks lovely friends from the Clifton Hill/North Fitzroy Community Bank for helping us get this up and running.

Our little houses are jam packed with plants and seeds and books. Make the most of the glorious autumnal days with a neighbourhood walk - and pop past ACC to enjoy some community sharing and caring! ❤️

A lovely photo of Anne starting the process of planting up our new garden bed from last week. We’ve got a dwarf lime for the centre of this bed, and then we’re filling it up around the edges with herbs - parsley, sage and oregano. Under the lime we’ll put some shallow root flowers to add a bit of colourful cheer like nasturtiums and alyssum.

The back two beds will have a clump or two of permanent plants like heritage rhubarb (this donation from our friend Mark has struggled along out on the front nature strip) and pineapple sage (ideal for neighbourhood cocktails hey friends …) and then some leafy greens and other crops that we’ll rotate through seasonally - for cooking and salads etc.

Fun hey? We’re also in the process of putting in a little seed raising greenhouse and potting station.

So if you are interested and would like to do something community minded and outdoorsy on a Friday morning - you might like to join us in the garden. Come along from 10am. We’ll reward your hard work with morning tea at 11.30am!

Note this week we’ll be planting out these beds AND spreading tan bark. So all muscled-wheel-barrow-friendly-folk are particularly welcome!

Hi friends, exciting news across the street from us. The lovely river red gum at Alphington Station has been nominated as a mature (pre-settlement) tree for the National Trust ‘Tree of the Year’. But … to win it needs your vote.

HOW TO VOTE

Visit the National Trust Facebook page from Sunday 18 April to Sunday 2 May 2021 during the Australian Heritage Festival and “click like” on the tree you would like to win the ‘Tree of the Year’ title, or email your vote to conservation@nattrust.com.au.

Eucalyptus camaldulensis

Alphington Station

This river red gum is approximately 200-300 years old and contributes greatly to the urban Alphington station landscape. Thanks to passionate community members, this tree was saved from being removed as part of proposed carpark development in 2013 and holds significant importance for the local community.

And also thanks to local community volunteers, the area near the tree has undergone restoration and there are now a number of younger River Red Gums around it, creating a beautiful natural setting around the station.

This tree is significant at a Regional level as a mature indigenous tree in an urban landscape context, which provides a contribution to the landscape and railway setting.

The National Heritage Trust note that fittingly the wall opposite the tree is painted with "Save the trees".

Keen to find out more about the other trees nominated? Click here.