Home Harvest Manningham is a monthly home gardening seminar series that will teach you how to grow your own delicious fresh food at home.

Manningham has more than four seasons. Duncan Cocking from Leaf, Root and Fruit will deep dive into succession planning for local conditions.

Duncan will discuss the patterns that he sees in nature and how easily you can begin observing them too. Use these observations to inspire your gardening activities by working with nature rather than against it. Learn how to refine your succession planting and ripen that elusive Christmas tomato. Create your own action plan for your vegetable patch.

Topics covered include:

• the seasons of Melbourne/Manningham
• being an observant gardener
• Phenology
• timing of planting and succession planting
• growing Christmas tomatoes, creating an action plan.

Food swap from 6.45pm, session starts at 7.00pm.

Registration is recommended but not required.

This event is part of our Inspired Living Series. This series showcases an exciting range of fun and sustainable activities and events for all ages, supporting sustainability at home, in the community and at work.

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Textile Temporalities is an exhibition that explores and reflects on the temporal nature of craft practices, human connectedness, and sites of intimacy. 

Led by artist Shannon Slee, whose practice investigates the role of discarded clothing to connect with personal and social histories, our small gallery will be showcasing a range of recent works from the artist and a special participatory artwork made in collaboration with older people in Manningham. 

Visitors to the gallery will also have the opportunity to get involved through a textile inspired activity. 

Artist Biography 
Shannon Slee is a visual artist living and working in Narrm. Her practice engages with the handmade to consider intimate moments of connection within the flexible aesthetic of textiles. She explores practices of reusing, sewing, spinning, and weaving, with a particular interest in how craft modalities distort time, invite tactile engagement, and evoke memory. Through her work, she investigates rhythms of making, and the narrative and emotions embedded in material processes.

In 2024 she was awarded a Masters of Contemporary Art from the University of Melbourne. She has recently exhibited at the Public Records Office, Melbourne; Five Walls Project Space, Melbourne; Linden Project Space, Melbourne; fortyfive downstairs, Melbourne; Australian Tapestry Workshop, Melbourne and George Paton Gallery at the University of Melbourne. 

Image: Shannon Slee, Textile Assemblage for Carolyn (back), (detail), 2023, Preston op-shop dress, artists’ family sewing box scraps, blanket, thread. 170 x 200cm. Image by Simon Strong.

Take part in one of the largest Citizen Science projects in the world while contributing valuable information about Manningham’s biodiversity.

About the City Nature Challenge

In this worldwide BioBlitz, cities compete to observe the most species by the most people.

Manningham is collaborating with more than 25 local governments to form the Greater Melbourne project.

How to participate

During this four-day challenge, take photos of plants or animals and upload them to iNaturalist.

Your observations will be added to the Manningham iNaturalist projects (Manningham East or Manningham West) so that we can compete with participants from across Melbourne and around the world.

All data is added to Australia’s database of plants and animals, helping scientists with their research to improve outcomes for our environment.

Steps to prepare 

1. Install the iNaturalist app on your mobile phone and create an iNaturalist account.
2. Join the Melbourne City Nature Challenge 2025: Greater Melbourne Project.  
3. Start adding your observations.

Did you know children consume around 30 per cent of their daily food intake at school? Most of this comes from the contents of their lunchbox.

We’re partnering with Nutrition Australia for two free online webinars as part of Healthy Lunchbox Week - 9 to 15 February 2025.

• Healthy lunchbox tips for kindergarten and school starters
• Budget-friendly lunchbox tips

This online webinar will provide tips and tricks for packing healthy lunchboxes for little ones starting kinder or school.

Learn how to:

• balance key food groups
• keep grocery costs down
• save time with simple prep
• change it up with a recipe and leftover ideas.

Presented by Monash Council, City of Kingston, Knox City Council, Manningham Council, and Maroondah City Council.

In this webinar discover easy and practical ways to make your home more energy efficient including draught sealing, insulation, double glazing and appliances. The webinar also covers energy monitors, how to use a thermal camera and finding the best energy deal.

Our presenter, Ian Moxon, is a seasoned sustainability consultant with over 15 years of experience in this field. He’ll share his extensive knowledge and valuable industry insights into the benefits of changing to a more energy efficient home.

This event is part of our Inspired Living Series. This series showcases an exciting range of fun and sustainable activities and events for all ages, supporting sustainability at home, in the community and at work.

Bookings are essential. 

Badminton sessions for kids!

Sessions are every Tuesday 4.00pm to 5.00pm during term 2 of school.

For ages 5 to 12 years, all genders and abilities.

All equipment provided.

What's covered in the sessions?

• Different technical theme each week
• Warm up, stretching and cool down
• Technical skills work and coaching
• Fun inclusive group games
• Modified match play every week
• Fun for all ages

How to enrol in the program

1. Visit FitforKids website
2. Select Manningham DISC and Shuttle Smash
3. Enter details, pay for term 2 program and start playing!

Take part in one of the largest Citizen Science projects in the world while contributing valuable information about Manningham’s biodiversity.

About the City Nature Challenge

The City Nature Challenge runs from Friday 25 April to Monday 28 April 2025.

In this worldwide BioBlitz, cities compete to make the most observations of the most species by the most people.

Manningham is collaborating with more than 25 local governments to form the Greater Melbourne project.

How to participate

It is free, easy and fun to get involved.

During the 4-day window of this challenge, take photos of plants or animals and upload it to iNaturalist.

Your observations will be added to the Manningham iNaturalist projects (Manningham East or Manningham West) so that we can compete with participants from across Melbourne and all over the world. 

All data gets added to Australia’s database of plants and animals, helping scientists with their research to improve outcomes for our environment.

To prepare for the challenge:

1. Install the iNaturalist app on your mobile phone and create an iNaturalist account.
2. Join the Melbourne City Nature Challenge 2025: Greater Melbourne Project.  
3. Start adding your observations.

Join now 

Australia’s population is steadily increasing, prompting the need for new houses, shops and roads. While these developments are important for our community, they may have a negative impact on our local birds. 

So, how do birds respond to urban development? Why do some species cope better than others? And what can we do to better support the more sensitive species? 

To answer these questions, we’ve invited Dr Jacinta Humphrey to share her findings on what makes a residential street, urban park or private garden bird-friendly.

Speaker bio:

Dr Jacinta Humphrey (she/her) is an Urban Ecologist and Research Fellow with the ICON Science group at RMIT University. She completed her PhD at La Trobe University and continues to work with the Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary. 

Her work explores Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Design (BSUD) and aims to find opportunities to enhance habitat for wildlife in residential streets, urban parks, schoolyards and private gardens. She also monitors the Birrarung Trial Floating Wetlands, a series of artificial habitat islands installed in the Yarra River (Birrarung), on behalf of The University of Melbourne.

On in Manningham Art Gallery's Curio display window, this small exhibition of works by Anni Hagberg and Rhys Cousins extends the artists' recent exhibitions in the gallery, exploring and playing with materials in innovative and exciting ways.

The display pairs silk prints of finely detailed photographs of non-descript textures by Cousins with a collection of amorphous ceramic and mixed media objects created through experimental firings by Hagberg.

Together, the items speak to the artists' shared interest in everyday, discarded or otherwise forgotten materials and surfaces of modern urban environments and how they interact in myriad ways.

Curio is accessible at the south-eastern corner of Manningham City Square (MC Square), 687 Doncaster Road, Doncaster VIC 3108.

Our Nutrition Seminar teaches more than just healthy eating. Understand how our relationship with food impacts our mental, physical and emotional health.

Some key topics addressed in the seminar:

• How our behaviours and habits shape food choices
• How to improve your lifestyle
• Eating for longevity
• Nutrition strategies to support exercise
• How food affects mood

By going all-electric and improving the efficiency of your home, you can improve comfort and lower your energy bills.

Solar Savers is a local government initiative that helps residents go electric with trustworthy suppliers and quality products. 

The Solar Savers program is expanding to provide greater choice, with more products and suppliers. 

Join a series of informative webinars during August 2025 to learn about the exciting new offerings. 

Session 6: Home energy assessments (Scorecard assessments)

In this presentation, you'll learn what is involved in a home energy assessment, how they work and the benefits of having one done. You will also hear from Solar Savers' panel of trusted suppliers, who will answer common questions about home energy assessments.
 

Registration is essential. 

Join us at further sessions throughout August:

Electrify Your Life

This event is part of our Electrify Your Life program, which supports residents to go all-electric at home, creating a brighter Manningham. Learn how to make the switch at Electrify Your Life.

As part of Manningham Council's Community Training Program, we invite members of community organisations to find out more about our Community Grants Program.

This session will provide information on the Community Development, Arts, Festivals and Events and Healthy Ageing grant categories.

Interested representatives from community organisations are encouraged to attend this information session.

Community organisations could include:

• community and children’s services
• seniors clubs
• sports clubs
• recreation and leisure groups
• arts and cultural groups.

There will also be an opportunity to receive early advice regarding your proposed activity from Council officers.

The session will cover:

• grant categories
• eligibility
• key dates
• how to apply
• required information
• assessment criteria.

As part of Manningham Council's Community Training Program we invite members of community organisations to find out more about Manningham's Community Grants Program.

This session will provide information on the Community Development, Arts, Festivals and Events and Small Grant categories.

Interested representatives from community organisations including community and children’s services, sports clubs, recreation, leisure, arts and cultural groups are encouraged to attend this information session.

There will also be an opportunity to receive early advice regarding your proposed activity from Council officers.

The session will cover:

• Grant categories
• Eligibility
• Key dates
• How to apply
• Required information
• Assessment criteria

Bookings are essential and limited to 2 people per organisation.

As part of Manningham Council's Community Training Program we invite members of community organisations to find out more about Manningham's Community Grants Program.

This session will provide information on the Community Development, Arts, Festivals and Events and Small Grant categories.

Interested representatives from community organisations including community and children’s services, sports clubs, recreation, leisure, arts and cultural groups are encouraged to attend this information session.

There will also be an opportunity to receive early advice regarding your proposed activity from Council officers.

The session will cover:

• Grant categories
• Eligibility
• Key dates
• How to apply
• Required information
• Assessment criteria

Bookings are essential and limited to 2 people per organisation.

Celebrating 25 years, The Pottery Expo features work from more than 90 potters. 

The Expo is held the last weekend in February on the banks of the Yarra River in Warrandyte and will include:

• artist talks
• kids clay activities
• live music 
• the clay doctor
• pottery throw down
• food and drinks.

The event is supported by Manningham Council, Warrandyte Community Bank, Northcote Pottery Supplies and Warrandyte Lions Club.