About Me:
Present:
Volunteer Advocate for Homeless, Homeless Health, Housing & Advocation.
I became an Avid Gardener after Moving into a Community Housing Development in the inner west, of Glebe, inner city Sydney.
The design of the brand-new building that I moved into had a LARGE integrated garden space that was very bare bones and was probably initially designed to be just a seating area with planting boxes surrounding it with a couple of deeper ones that ran down the middle.
After deciding (two tenants including myself) that we would see what we could create out of the – literally barren “Architecturally Pleasing” garden.
We also applied for a Big Ideas Grant, which was an experience (plans, lists, community engagement, collaboration with community and tenants alike - requiring Plan drawings of our ideas, not just the plants that we would like to plant but a plan to eventually create a producing organic vegetable garden – that would present a real option around food security for cash strapped tenants and residents of our community.
It has taken just on six years – including initially: spending approximately two months climbing all over the beds and chopping and axing up the BARK (that had to glued itself together in the elements) and “left over building Materials” that filled the planter beds. Early along the way we applied (successfully) in writing to and engaging the Sydney Botanical Gardens trust’s outreach group called ‘Community Greening’ - who have been amazing teachers with a great deal of patience with an eventual bunch of balcony gardeners – faced with the now real possibility of developing a combination – “substantial fruit and vegetable (organic) garden - with learnings from community about indigenous foods and plants that could be (are) incorporated into the ever evolving garden that we have created - as well as a range of seasonal herbs, berries, Allumms, melons etc etc, seasonal, annual and perennial edible & producing plants.”
Previous:
Production Designer, Trained at NIDA, Scenic Artist (guild of master craftsman U.K. 1991) Design & production consultant, Events, Live to air T.V broadcast design, Corporate, Exhibition and a focus on theatre Theatre.
Web and Interface Designer (UX) for Several Large Companies including International.
NOW: Semi Retired due to progressive degenerative disability.
Continue:
Freelance Design & Craftsman Contractor. recently returned to study at NAS – the national Art school centre for drawing. (ongoing)
Also Continuing:
Housing and Homelessness advocate.
Certificate IV in Community services - practical one and two: completed in two community shelters. 1. LGBTQI+ HIV Shelter 2. Inner City (Sydney) AOD Shelter - both four marginalised cohorts within the homeless or risk of homelessness environment.
- NSW health, St. Vincents Homeless Health, ADAPTS SAP (supported accommodations program) - consumer advocate/representative – lived experience. Also involved with BridgeHousing (community housing) and other NFP organisations ‘housing organisations’ - “ in a small way to add in assisting and eventual end to the present housing crisis in New South Wales – focusing on in a city Sydney”.
