In their first performance for over a year, The Eltham Orchestras’ variety concert will feature the orchestra itself, orchestra strings and beginner strings.

Join the curators and winning artists, Laresa Kosloff, Tina Stefanou and Jarrad Martyn, for a group tour of the Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Art 2023 exhibition.

This workshop will discuss: understanding grief and the different types of grief; understanding the grief and loss process; understanding the different models of grief; strategies for managing grief and loss; strategies when supporting another person experiencing grief and loss; and how to seek professional help for your mental health and wellbeing.

Presenters: Clinical Psychologist Stephanie Perin and Mental Health Nurse Tanya Cottrell, both from the Healthy Ageing Service, St Vincent’s Aged Mental Health.

The concert will feature local school choirs as well as adult choirs, professional entertainers and musicians and roving acts. Food and drink options will be available. The MC will be Craig Huggins from Gold FM. Santa will arrive at 7pm and the concert will run concurrently with Diamond Valley Community Support’s twilight market from 4-8pm in Library Place, Eltham.

Look at examples of art by their members ranging from painting, drawing and sculpture. Browse the items that they have for sale and chat to some of their members. Watch a few of their members doing demonstrations of their skills and styles.

Trevor Hay, who lives in Greensborough, will discuss his new book The Library of Lost Horizons.

Professor Joseph Lo Bianco, Professor David Walker and Dr Karen Walker will also talk, with the theme for the discussion being: China’s changing shape in foreign eyes and in its own, its obscured history of cultural heterogeneity and regional diversity, Australia’s changing perceptions of China and Asia, the impact of personal friendships and ‘knowing’ Chinese people on knowing the geopolitical entity of modern China.

Join the Friends of Edendale, Edendale Farm and Melbourne Water in a family re-vegetation activity along the Diamond Creek near Edendale to help re-build habitat for our local platypus and their friends. The goal is to plant 500 indigenous plants on the day.

Two sessions, one starting at 11am and the other at 1pm.

A Friends of Edendale group has just been formed. Go to their first activity and help at Edendale and to plant along the Diamond Creek.

Just turn up.

Sign up for their free newsletter.

You will learn: all about the bee, biology, diseases and honey; types of equipment and hives required; and regulations and purchasing bees. Presenter: Benedict Hughes. The workshop is suitable for participants aged from 10 years onwards.

There are some other associated events as part of celebrating World Bee Day on 20th May. See graphic right.

Ross Garnaut’s latest book, Reset: Restoring Australia after the Pandemic Recession sieves through the current devastation and sees an opportunity for revolutionary change. By homing in on our potential for being a renewable superpower, Garnaut argues that Australia has the potential to re-set its economy, build a successful future, and be a symbol for the kind of environmentally conscious world that we all need.

Book by phone (9438 8700).

Local decision makers from all levels of government will present and then answer questions. The speakers will include Nillumbik Shire Councillors, state government MP, and federal representatives.

The Lions Club of Eltham are having two more ‘seniors play days’, one on Wednesday, 14th April and the other on Saturday, 24th April. In each case, there will be a morning session 10-11.30am and an afternoon session 12.30-2pm. Refreshments will be provided.

The Lions Club noticed during the Covid lockdown that many of our seniors have found it difficult to cope with Zoom and Skype. So they thought that it would be nice to have a morning tea, where seniors could come along with their phones, tablets or laptops and try using their video software under the watchful eye of a mentor. This will all be done in a friendly and supportive environment which is designed to help everybody get a basic feel for these programs.

To register as either a participant or as a mentor, go to their website and click the link of the relevant session.

The Lions Club has partnered with Nillumbik Council, Nillumbik U3A, healthAbility and the Living & Learning Centre to bring this event to fruition.

It’s time to think about your Winter veggie planting. As a prelude to the early April Winter planting at the Incredible Edible Eltham planter boxes at the railway station and outside healthAbility, presenters Guy Palmer and Evan Gellert will discuss what could be planted and why. They will compare and contrast this with what they will be planting in their home veggie patches. The discussion will include broad beans, garlic, peas, brassicas, root vegetables and leafy greens, including particular considerations when growing some of these veggies. They will also demonstrate some of the tools that they use (soil blockers, temperature probes, etc). The history, and possible future, of Incredible Edible Eltham will be touched on.

Refreshments will be provided.

Click here to read about Incredible Edible Eltham.

Numbers are limited so please register.

The musicians will include Ciaran O’Grady (concertina), Aifric Boyle (fiddle), Chris Logue (songs and ballads) and Ceoltoiri Naarm (young Irish music ensemble).

Caring for indoor plants over winter. Therapeutic plants such as lavender, mint and camomile. Make your own teas.

D.I.Y – make your own window seal planter box.

This workshop aims to show you how to celebrate in a way that’s kind to the planet, without sacrificing the spirit of the holidays. The topics to be covered will include: DIY gift wrapping and decorations; reducing food waste; baking, making and creating gifts; choosing re-usable over disposable or single-use items; and alternatives to traditional festive practices.

4 consecutive Wednesdays, starting 23rd August.

This workshop will introduce you to some simple ways of reminding your body to move easily and safely in your garden. Explore the movements involved in gardening tasks like; weeding, shoveling, pruning, lifting, digging, pushing a wheelbarrow or mower and relieving residual stress. Discover the ‘less pain, more gain’ approach. Presenter and Feldenkrais practitioner: Jenni Evans.