Sunday fun day gets things done day

CERES really shouldn’t exist.

Ten undeveloped acres located right on the Merri Creek, near a tram line, major roads, only a few kilometres from the CBD. 

In most cities land like this would have been turned into shops, houses and apartments.

But forty-five years ago the people who lived here decided they didn’t want their city to be most cities.

For months and months hundreds of people turned up to Sunday Fun Day Gets Things Done Day working bees to haul piles of bluestone, concrete, and rubbish off the former tip site. 

They turned up and planted trees. 

They turned up and grew food.

Schools brought their children here to learn about the Earth with their hearts and their hands not just their heads.

Ideas spawned more ideas.  Energy attracted more people.

They started kerbside recycling, renewable energy workshops, an organic city farm and home produce swaps. 

In their thousands they celebrated the return of the Sacred Kingfisher, the harvest and the solstice.

New people came, new projects grew – Joe’s Market Garden, Fair Food, The Complete Urban Farmer, Olives to Oil, Bush Kinder, Nature Based Leadership.

And through all these years the park was kept free for anyone who wanted to come. 

Looking back to those days of clearing concrete and bluestone no one would ever believe that nearly two million children would come to CERES to learn about the Earth with their hearts and their hands.

For so many people CERES has inspired hope for what our city could be.

And although Sunday Fun Day Gets Things Done Day’s are no more CERES still exists because people keep turning up.

Turning up to protect what has been grown here.

Turning up to nurture what will grow here.

Our annual appeal is one way we can protect and nurture CERES.

One way that we can turn up. 

You can find the appeal link here.

Have a great week

Chris