Parkville Gardens host women’s safety workshop

It was a beautiful autumn evening in Parkville Gardens on Thursday, March 5; perfect for the first session of the Women’s Safety Workshop hosted by the Parkville Gardens Residents’ Association (PGRA) and funded by the City of Melbourne.

More than 20 women (along with a few friendly dogs) joined the circle at the children’s playground on Galada Ave. They engaged actively with the two presenters, Leading Senior Constable Janie Lambert (and colleague David) from Victoria Police and Kirrilee Liston from the City of Melbourne’s City Safety, Security and Amenity team.

There was plenty of good advice and discussion about how to deal with potentially dangerous situations, plus helpful information about resources. A key message: always report incidents to the police.

Kids had fun on the reserve while the serious business was conducted, then most of the group accepted the invitation to enjoy light refreshments and each other’s company. All in all, it was a very successful occasion.

The second session will feature a twilight walk in the Trin Warren Tam-Boore Bellbird Wetland area of Royal Park led by members of the Friends of Royal Park, followed by a short address from the Labor Upper House MP Sheena Watt. Sheena is a member of the Victorian Legislative Council for the Northern Metropolitan Region, the first indigenous woman to represent Labor in that chamber, and current Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Action and Emergency Services. That will be in the Ross Straw pavilion. Sheena will be well worth hearing. Light refreshments will round out the event.

As before, all local women are invited. We’ll meet in the car park across Oak St at the pedestrian lights, adjacent to the Ross Straw playing field. Please note the starting time and date: 7.30 pm Wednesday, March 25. See you there!

This will be followed a few days later by our popular children’s Easter egg hunt. This will be held on the Galada Ave Reserve at 11am on Sunday, March 29. Be on time – once it starts, the hunt is over like a flash!

In the meantime, the City of Melbourne is launching a Healthy Ageing initiative in Parkville Gardens. This is a free five-week program of Tai Chi. All seniors welcome to come to the Galada Ave Reserve on Wednesday afternoons from 4pm to 4.45pm. The first session is scheduled for March 18 and will be preceded by afternoon tea at 3pm. Fingers crossed for fine weather!

Some local residents may be interested in an upcoming nearby event. The 38th Australian Sikh Games will take place from April 3 to 5, 2026 at the State Netball and Hockey Centre. There’ll be sporting and cultural activities. For more information go to asgmel2026.com •