Join the Astronomical Society of Victoria (ASV) at a stargazing evening at Westerfolds Park, Templestowe. ASV astronomers will be on hand with telescopes and demonstrators.

Telescopes will be set up on the grassy field near the Parks Victoria Office.

What to bring

Bring a torch covered with red cellophane (to keep your night vision), mosquito repellent and warm clothes. Expect evening dew and a cold evening. Children will especially appreciate warm footwear and snacks.

Parking

Please reverse your car into the parking space to reduce headlight shine on exit.

Please note: This event may be cancelled due to cloud cover (less than 25 per cent cover) or in the event of a total fire ban or bad weather. Please provide a relevant contact mobile phone number or email for an automated update on any event changes.

Presented by the Astronomical Society of Victoria (ASV) and Manningham Council.

This event is part our Manningham Spring Outdoors Series, where we offer a range of fun outdoor activities across Manningham.

You can also check what’s happening across other Councils by visiting the Spring Outdoors website.

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Come join Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elders Uncle Bill Nicholson Jr and Uncle Dave Wandin at Currawong Bush Park. Learn about the significance of scar trees, the traditional practices of creating a scar tree and the tools used. 

The Uncles will answer questions about the importance of connecting with Country.

Please arrive 10 minutes prior to start time. Come prepared and dress for the weather on the day, including closed-toed footwear.

Bring a snack and water bottle for morning tea.

Children must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times.

In the event of extreme weather, this event will be cancelled. 

Currawong Bush Park is protected habitat, dogs are not permitted in the park at any time.

This event is part of Manningham's 2024 Spring Outdoors Series.

Join renowned educational group Sustainable Gardening Australia as they discuss how the garden can be a place of climate action.

You'll also learn how to implement changes to reduce your contribution to climate change and help build personal and community climate resilience.

The session will also discuss how to climate proof your garden using organic waste, microclimates and water smart gardening.

The seminar begins at 6.30pm, or join us from 6.15pm for our monthly food swap, where you can bring and trade homegrown produce, cuttings, seeds, gardening magazines, jars, ferments and more!

About Home Harvest: Home Harvest is a free, complete home gardening program that runs monthly from February to December. It aims to educate and inspire residents to grow their own organic, nutritious and delicious produce at home. The series hosts seminars, question and answer time, on-site activities and food swaps! 

Registrations are essential. 

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Learn the unique art of Chinese brush painting with our experienced teachers.

In this class you will learn:

• basic brush strokes
• brush loading techniques
• the use of Chinese ink and colours on rice paper.

Activities will include a series of practical exercises before completing small paintings on three main themes – flowers, birds, fish and landscapes.

The class is suitable for beginners and continuing students. No experience required. All adults aged 55 years and over are welcome to attend.

Please note: students need to supply their own materials.

This is a great opportunity to meet new friends and improve your health and wellbeing while connecting with others in your community.

To reserve your place in the class, call Bo on 0437 956 639.

We look forward to seeing you at our class.

The class is run by CASS Care, a non-profit organisation, providing aged care services in Sydney and Melbourne.

Progeny is a collection of dynamic works, spanning video, sculpture, painting, and digital media by Edwina Green. The works collectively highlight Green’s creative practice and research interests across recent years (2019-2023).

Progeny in its direct meaning is to be ‘the descendants of a person, animal or plant; offspring’ and pulls from the artists continued connectivity between ancestral lines, intergenerational discourse, and concurrence of being both ancestor and descendant.

Informed by her identity as a Trawlwoolway First Nations woman, motifs of weaving, hand harvested and sewn bags, kelp, spoken word, organic movements on canvas, images of home, and oysters communicate a delicate ancestral tribute, and the current dance in which Green is choreographing with her multidisciplinary, experimental practice.

Progeny interrogates introspection, historical association, vulnerability, and an ability to invest in the artist's practice with a sense of intentional curiosity and closeness. 

Edwina Green, Oyster. Image by Jordan Halsall.

The Men’s Table creates a unique environment for men to share openly about their lives with other men.

The Entree event is an introduction to The Men’s Table through open sharing over a relaxed and conversational meal.

It is a chance to meet other men, learn about how a Table works and help you decide whether you'd like to part of this local Men’s Table group.

The event will be hosted by two long standing members of other Men's Tables. They will share experiences from their Tables and respond to your questions, concerns and ideas.

The cost of the event includes a meal and a drink.

This event is proudly supported by Manningham's Community Grants Program.

About the Men's Table

There's never been a better time to get connected and be part of building community. It's healthy to show emotions and share feelings, and it is time we freed men from outdated masculine norms.

The Men’s Table creates a sense of belonging, community, peer support and camaraderie. These things are often lacking for many men, even for those who already have a group of mates.

Belonging to a Men’s Table contributes to mental, emotional and social wellbeing. It provides powerful support to individual member’s journeys through life.

We are so excited to share the news that Fireball is coming back to Warrandyte. Bramleigh Estate have donated their venue for this event.

The Fireball event celebrates the efforts of CFA volunteers with a night of fine food, live music, surprise performances and our famous champagne bar with prizes too.

The event will cater for over 300 guests to enjoy loads of entertainment.

• Tickets are $220 per person.
  Inclusive of three courses, champagne, wine, beer and soft drinks.
  Individual seating is available or book a whole table of 12. 

Our aim for Fireball this year is to raise enough funds to purchase a light tanker for Wonga Park brigade, a member of the Greater Warrandyte CFA brigades.  The decision of which brigade benefits and what appliance is most needed, is decided collectively by the captains of these brigades.

Pack a picnic rug and enjoy an afternoon of  jazz with friends at Stiggants Reserve in Warrandyte.

Featuring performances from  Shirazz, Bob Sedergreen and friends, Pippa Wilson, Stuart Cardell, Jazz Notes, Simple Syncopation (Donvale Christian College) and, opening the show, the DR Big Band. This free community event will come alive with bands, performers, delicious food, coffee and more. 

Presented by Community Music and Performances Inc, this event is supported by Manningham Council's Community Grant Program.

The Australian Air League Doncaster Squadron warmly welcomes Manningham families to our free open night.

Come and discover this outstanding community program for girls and boys aged 8 to 18, where we nurture skills and offer unique opportunities in:

• leadership
• community service
• aviation opportunities.
   

Experience the squadron in action as you join our weekly parade night and hear from some of the cadets about why they enjoy being in the Air League.

Doncaster Squadron meets weekly on Monday nights from 7.00pm to 9.00pm for drill and education. Our yearly calendar offers exciting events such as flying days, competitive events, educational events and social occasions. 

Free entry - registration essential. 

To register please email oc.doncaster@airleague.com.au.

We acknowledge that racism continues to be a reality for many people in Victoria. This event provides an opportunity to hear from people who have explored this topic extensively with local communities, and those with lived experience.

Tackling Racism is an event to mark United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Manningham Council has partnered with Victoria University on a project mapping racism where it occurs, understanding the reporting barriers and supporting the needs of people who experience it.

Come along to hear Dr Mario Peucker, Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow, share his findings from the report. Lingzhi Ruan, from Womens Health East, will talk about their anti-racism project Taking Action to Combat Racism with Mandarin speaking women. The event will also feature a panel consisting of local community members and the Eastern Community Legal Centre sharing their insights and experiences on tackling racism and promoting equality.

We’re celebrating 10 years of MC Square (Manningham City Square) with an anniversary event in December.

There’ll be fun for the whole family, including:

• Performers
• Market stalls
• Art workshops and activities
• Fun games for the kids
• Opening of our community garden 
• Summer reading club launch at the library
• A pop-up Friends of the Library book sale
• Gift giving for Doncare.
• Open day for kinder and childcare
• And more!

This is a free event, and no registration is required.

Join us for an engaging seminar where we'll delve into the fascinating world of fungi with expert Dr. Alison Pouliot. 

The earth’s rapidly changing climate and environmental issues have come into sharp focus through the demise of charismatic megafauna and the ‘biodiversity crisis’. But what about stinkhorns and slime moulds? How do fungi and their kin get our attention when they are not only overshadowed by more ‘popular’ organisms, but are rarely included in our ideas about ‘nature’ or ‘biodiversity’?

The good news is it seems we’re in something of a ‘fungal awakening’ and mushrooms are finally having their moment. Over the last 25 years Alison has divided her time between hemispheres, working both with fungi and their followers. She has been actively involved in fungal conservation and land restoration programs.

In this talk Alison will explore how fungi are perceived across hemispheres in conservation contexts and which fungal flagships best capture the public imagination. She will also share some stories from the writing of her recent book, Underground Lovers – Encounters with Fungi in which she interacted with fungi and their followers across a dozen countries.

There will be an opportunity at the end for participants to show their specimens or purchase books.

Booking essential: Limited to 50 people.

About the Presenter

Alison Pouliot, BA (Philosophy), BSc Hons (Zoology), PhD (Ecology/Mycology).

Alison is an ecologist, environmental photographer and author and has presented over 800 environmental seminars, forays and workshops in Australia and internationally.

Seminar field trip

Attending this event will enable you to attend the Seminar field trip: Meeting with mushrooms.

• Date: Thursday 30 May 2024
• Time: 9.00am to 11.30am

This exciting field trip introduces participants to the diversity, ecology and curiosities of the Kingdom Fungi, specific to fungi found in the region and its various habitat types.

Participants will learn some of the basic skills used to identify fungi in the field using multiple senses. The relationships between fungi and various plant species and different habitat types will be discussed. Every fungus has intriguing natural and cultural histories and stories, and these will be shared along the way.

Interested participants will be sent a registration link.

You are invited to have your say at the Manningham Live Music Industry Forum!

Whether you’re a musician, business or venue owner, event manager or all-round live music enthusiast, this forum is a valuable opportunity to network with council and community and discuss what a thriving live music scene looks like for Manningham.

The outcomes of this forum will assist us to develop professional opportunities for local musicians, inform council's planning and the Live and Local Micro Festival Series.

This Industry Forum will be facilitated by the Live Music Office as a part of the Live and Local Program.

To learn more about Live and Local Click here: Setting the stage for local live music | Manningham Council

Bring your band, buddies and brain to help amplify live music in Manningham. This is a free event, please register through: Eventbrite.

If you have any questions about this event please email: arts@manningham.vic.gov.au or call 03 9840 9444.

Come down and try lawn bowls with experienced coaches at Doncaster Bowls Club.

Lawn Bowls is a sport that can be played all year round.

This event is suitable for women and girls of all ages. No previous experience required.

What to wear: casual clothing and flat sole shoes.

What to bring: nothing, everything you need to participate will be provided by the club.

Where to park: parking is available at the club. Free parking is also available on J.J. Tully Drive.

No registration necessary, just turn up on the day.

#ManninghamGirlsCan

Beyond the Table: The Dinner Party Reimagined  is a reimagining of a traditional dinner party, with a nod to 1970s nostalgia and celebrating one of the key gathering spaces in our homes, the humble dining table.

The installation is on display at Manningham Art Gallery as part of Melbourne Design Week, Australia's premier design festival featuring events across Melbourne and regional Victoria.

Emerging Manningham artist Isobel Goodman responds to and selects works from Manningham Council’s ‘Potters Cottage Collection,’ a grouping of vessels created by the Potters Cottage co-operative. The co-operative was founded in Warrandyte in 1958 to advocate for and sell handmade functional Australian pottery.

Goodman hand builds her signature papier mâché and plaster sculptures – organic and abstracted forms to reference a dinner party table setting – vases, cutlery, plates, and candlesticks that play off and create a contemporary juxtaposition against the Potters Cottage vessels from the 1970s. 

Surrounding the central dining table presentation is a display of paintings from local Manningham artist Jade Piltz. These works depict bright, layered and abstract domestic objects that encapsulate the exhibition’s celebration of communal gathering and ritual. 

During Melbourne Design Week (15-25 May) visitors can take home a flower to celebrate this exhibition. 

Artist Bios: 
Isobel Goodman was recently awarded a Bachelor of Fine Art from the University of Melbourne. Her practice focuses on sculptural exploration and the body’s navigation of space and environment through the perspective of APD (Auditory Processing Disorder). She invites audiences to examine their relationship between the physical self and how we navigate the world around us.

Jade Piltz is a Warrandyte painter and ceramist. She is fascinated by our innate search for belonging, our desire for meaning and relationships to change and transition. Using mark making, she explores the ways our interactions with surrounding spaces and objects, narrate and inform our lives.

This Exhibition was supported by Gabriela Mello, owner and director of Warrandyte Pottery, through artist mentorship and technical and conceptual support and curated by Lucy Beattie Hughes, Manningham Council’s Creative Industries Officer.

Jade Piltz, Alone, Together (detail), 2024,  acrylic on canvas, 168 x 122cm. Image courtesy of the artist. Photo by: Emily Brookfield.
 

 
Melbourne Design Week is Australia’s largest and leading annual design festival and takes place from 15 to 25 May 2025.

The 2025 program spans 11 days of 350+ events, exhibitions, talks, and installations throughout metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.

Melbourne Design Week is a vital platform for emerging and established creative practitioners, offering the Australian design community and audiences the opportunity to engage with a diverse program of talks, tours, exhibitions, installations, and workshops. Melbourne Design Week is an initiative of the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria and is curated and delivered by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).

Visit designweek.melbourne to view the full program.


 

Join us these school holidays for a Minecraft and Superheroes event with Bricks 4 Kids at Bulleen Plaza.

Lots of creative fun for all the kids.

No bookings required. 

Free hands on slime making workshop with a tried and tested slime recipe. 

Kids can take home their own creation and recipe.

This event is part of the Manningham Placemaking Activations