A temporary Fawkner piazza off Bonwick street takes shape

So, John, what did you do on Saturday? Oh I went to my local shopping precinct and helped make a piazza, a town square space, for the community. Arrived at 10am and ended up spending several hours there: helping to paint street furniture, moving tables and chairs, talking to people curious about what was happening.

Will there be coffee served there? No. Fawkner already has some great cake and coffee shops just a few doors away. Buy your coffee (and cake) from these established businesses that have mastered the art of extracting the best flavours from their coffee machines. And purchase their cakes and pastries too! then bring them to the piazza to sit, drink and eat.

Need to sit for a while after buying your groceries and vegetables? Sure, it’s a place a sit for a while, strike up a conversation.

Converting this laneway into a community space is a project of Fawkner residents, schools and businesses and is supported by Moreland City Council, Fawkner Community House and the Foundling Archive. A grant from Moreland Council was made for this community space utilising the laneway for two weeks in March.

Cr Lenka Thompson joined us and helped painting some recycled pallet bench seats

This weekend, the piazza is being setup, with activities being organised over the following two weeks. These include:

Wednesday 11th March	3.30pm to 5pm	Crochet and Pompom Art Project and Workshop. No experience? No equipment? No worries!
Saturday 14th March	10.30am to 12.30pm	Food Swap: Bring your excess produce and swap it out! Make a wicking bed garden – Save water!
Saturday 14th March	From 12 noon to 2.30pm	Enjoy a community sausage sizzle, with local musicians, food, games!
Wednesday 18 March	2pm to 3pm	Fawkner Library Story Time. Stories and activities for little children.
Wednesday 18 March	3.30pm to 5.30pm	Photography Project Info. No experience? No equipment? No worries! Contribute to our next project and exhibition (13 years to seniors)
Saturday 21st March	11am to 4pm	Craft Market. Music, craft, homemade everything, Henna toys, books, tools, Aura readings, jams, stuff. Free kids activities, music all day!!! Stall holders wanted – limited space available. Ph/text 0435845912 If wet craft market will move to Fawkner Community House.

Join the activities above. Or just come along at other times and make use of this space.

If it works well for this 2 week period, perhaps we can convince Moreland Council to make something more permanent, like what they did with the Wilson Avenue Pop-up park trial in Brunswick which is now under construction as a permanent park.

Brunswick and Coburg have their community spaces like Victoria Mall in Coburg or Sparta Place in Brunswick. We think it is possible to do something similar in Fawkner in the Bonwick Street shopping precinct, which will enliven the area for local residents and increase business for local traders.

More info see the Con Temporary Place Facebook page.