By Callum Ludwig
The Rotary Club of Wandin’s Australia Day Free Family Fun Day has once again proved to be a hit among the community.
Families flocked to the Wandin North Recreation Reserve to enjoy the activities and festivities on Friday 26 January.
Sausages in bread, ice creams and free soft drinks were all available, with volunteers from Rotary, the Wandin Cricket Club and the Wandin Football Netball Club all making sure the day ran smoothly.
It wasn’t just a good day out for families either, as the Wandin-Seville Community Bendigo Bank had a big announcement to make.
The bank granted $10,000 to each of the Wandin, Seville, Gruyere and Coldstream fire brigades, thanking them for all their efforts to keep their communities safe and to support the upkeep of their equipment and stations.
Plenty of activities were also available;
Clambering aboard the fire trucks and getting a feel for what it’s like inside is always popular,
There may be some new helpers with DIY projects around the Yarra Ranges, as plenty of kids grabbed a hammer and made light work of knocking some nails deep into a few wooden stumps,
Hard-fought battles were wagered with the tug-of-war ropes,
Cricket and footy got their fair share of interest as young sports stars honed their skills with a bit more practice,
Adults and kids alike enjoyed the live music of The Deja Vus, with a rendition of ‘Baby Shark’ keenly awaited by a younger audience.
Wandin Fire Brigade also opened up the doors of their station in the morning, giving a tour of the facility, answering questions and concerns of community members and performing a live rescue demonstration.
The Rotary Club of Wandin’s 26th annual Australia Day Breakfast was also held, featuring guest speakers;
Liz Kitchen, originally from North Carolina in America will share her story of coming to Australia from getting a visiting visa to citizenship as well as her work as a ‘Cheese and Butter Scientist’ with New Zealand dairy company Fonterra.
Olinda-based landscape designer Phillip Johnson also attended to talk about his Australia Garden which won Best in Show at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show in 2013 in London, which has since been transplanted on an even larger scale to Olinda in the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden.
