Australia Day in Boroondara brings together two very special groups of people – our newest citizens and our Citizens of the Year.

I was proud to preside over their combined ceremony at the Hawthorn Arts Centre, where more than 150 new Australians from 31 countries were naturalised. Not only have they made Australia their home, they have chosen to settle in the City of Boroondara and become part of our community. They add their culture and bring their stories to a municipality that is already a place of great diversity, with a quarter of all residents born overseas. We celebrate the wealth of cultural heritage brought by all who choose to live here.

On Australia Day, it is wonderful that the newest members of our community hear the stories of those who have served our community over many years.

We are fortunate to have many passionate and hardworking citizens here in Boroondara – citizens who are dedicated to making a positive difference. Each year, the Boroondara Citizen of the Year and Young Citizen of the Year Awards shine a spotlight on people who have made an outstanding contribution to Boroondara through exceptional leadership or commitment to improving the lives of others.

Due to the high calibre of nominees, this year we were delighted to recognise two winners of the Citizen of the Year award, as well as joint winners of the Young Citizen of the Year award. They have contributed in different ways, but all volunteer their time and skills to help others. You can find out more about our Young Citizen of the Year award winners on our Meet our 2023 Citizens of the Year page.

If you feel inspired by their stories, you might be interested in taking on a new volunteering role yourself. Our Boroondara Volunteer Expo on Wednesday 22 March is just the place to explore local organisations and opportunities. Read our What's on in Boroondara page to find out more.

Boroondara’s Urban Design Awards are back for 2023 and we’re calling for entries.

Architects, project managers, developers, home owners, business owners, design enthusiasts and you … Anyone can nominate an exceptional new building in Boroondara for an Urban Design Award.

We award high-quality designs and trailblazing builds that elevate our streetscapes and environment, from heritage extensions to multi-home developments, new schools or business centres. We want to celebrate innovative and first-class contemporary urban design across our municipality and communities.

New award: Best sustainable design

A new award for 2023 recognises our community’s interest in protecting the environment and meets a commitment in
our Climate Action Plan to consider the environment in all decision-making – including when designing buildings.

The award for best sustainable design emphasises architecture that is built to last, saves energy resources and minimises impact on the environment.

Does it qualify?

Buildings qualify if they were completed in the past 4 years and had a Planning Permit issued by City of Boroondara.

The 6 award categories are:

• best heritage extension, addition or alteration
• best small-scale residential development
• best medium-scale multi-dwelling residential development
• best non-residential development
• best apartment or mixed-use development
• best sustainable development.

Help us celebrate great design in Boroondara. Nominations close on Friday 28 April. Visit our Boroondara Urban Design Awards page for more information and to nominate.

Much of Boroondara’s connected and inclusive community can be credited to locals who dedicate themselves to bringing people together or helping those in need.

In our Citizen of the Year Awards, we recognise individuals whose service to our community is simply exceptional. This year we have 2 recipients of the Citizen of the Year Award from the worlds of sport, charity and volunteering, while musically inclined brothers are our Young Citizens of the Year.

We’re transforming Boroondara to improve your experience when interacting with us and to enhance the way we deliver services to you.

Keeping Boroondara beautiful

Using data in more sophisticated ways is helping us improve how we manage and maintain valued assets across Boroondara.

We are also upgrading the mobile tools our field workers use to help streamline:

• tree maintenance
• road and footpath works
• drainage maintenance
• audits of turf and playgrounds.

Maximising the use of smartphones and tablets in the field means our teams can complete inspections and respond to maintenance requests from anywhere, any time.

A better booking experience

Our new online booking tool provides a one-stop location for you to find, compare, book and pay for Council facilities that are available for hire.

You can now book a meeting room at Balwyn, Camberwell, Hawthorn and Kew libraries.

This year we will be adding a range of other venues. Whether you’re making a booking at Kew Traffic School or want to reserve an area at one of our parks and gardens, a better booking experience is just around the corner.

Real information, really fast

We know how important it is to be able to find information when and how you want it. Recent data upgrades have enabled us to build and share more interactive maps and tools so you can find the information you need in real time.

Whether you are checking your street sweeping days or want to find out if your property is in the Heritage Overlay, you can now search your street address online to find this information in seconds.

To find out more about what we are delivering, visit our Transforming Boroondara page. 

In our volunteer meal-sharing program, food is often secondary to friendship.

When a Boroondara Cooks volunteer drops by, connections that start as a quick chat at the door often bloom into friendships between generations.

Boroondara Cooks is a meal-sharing program that supports older residents who are no longer able to cook regularly for themselves.

Dozens of volunteer cooks drop off home-cooked meals to older residents across the community, helping to build social connections in the process.

Participant Lyn and volunteer Edwina have become firm friends after 6 years in the program. “I have gained a wonderful friend in Edwina,” says Lyn.

“With her friendship I have gained a family who have all accepted me as part of the family.

“Her friends have also accepted me and made my life so much fuller than before. The family kept me going through COVID when my own family – who live in WA – couldn’t.”

Lyn has recommended the program to friends and to members of clubs she belongs to. “It’s a great service as there are many lonely people in Boroondara,” she says.

“Boroondara Cooks has been an enormous success for me. Not only do I have a family, but have lovely meals cooked for me."

If you are interested in volunteering for Boroondara Cooks, visit our Volunteer for Boroondara Cooks page or call (03) 9278 4777.

If you are interested in accessing meals as part of Boroondara Cooks, visit our Boroondara Cooks page or call (03) 9278 4777.

Annual pet registration renewals are on the way by post or email for all cats and dogs registered in Boroondara.

Owners are required to register pets over the age of 3 months with us by Sunday 9 April.

Your furry mate depends on you to make sure they make their way home if they ever get lost. Their Council registration provides your contact details, as does their microchip – so it’s vital you keep these details current.

Pet registration also supports our animal management officers, and allows us to create great environments for your pets, including maintaining our off-lead dog parks.

Whatever your pet’s situation, we can help:

• Registered in Boroondara – sit back and wait for your renewal notice to arrive in March.
• Not currently registered – no worries, sign up online now.
• Recently desexed – update your details quickly, to get a discount.
• No longer with us – we’re sorry to hear your pet has passed away; please let us know via the ‘update pet registration details’ online form or by contacting Council.
• Registered elsewhere in Victoria – welcome them to Boroondara by transferring registration with the ‘pet registration’ online form.

To register your pet, update your contact details or find out more, visit our Register your pet page. 

Our top pet names

Of the 22,409 pets registered with the City of Boroondara in 2022, Charlie, Coco and Molly were the most popular dog names, with Bella, Luna and Coco topping the list for cats. Cavalier King Charles spaniels were the most popular dog breed.

International Women’s Day highlights the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and calls for action to accelerate equality.

The theme of this year’s global event (held on Wednesday 8 March) is Embrace Equity and to mark the occasion, we asked 2 women who are active in the Boroondara community to share their thoughts on the topic.

Lou calls the tune on leadership

Lou Orlando is a singer-songwriter, a member of the FReeZA musical team at City of Boroondara’s Youth Hub and a keen international traveller. She believes the key to realising a more equitable future lies in leadership.

'Having females in positions of leadership is important to today’s society, especially for the younger generation,' says Lou. 'It gives young women a role model to look up to and gives women the confidence to step out of their comfort zone and into the leadership world. When women become leaders, they provide a different set of skills and imaginative perspectives … that can drive effective solutions to many problems in our society and environment.'

Words of wisdom from Rita

Rita Singh came to Australia from Fiji in 1980 and held a variety of roles until retiring last year.

In 2001, she earned the first of a series of qualifications that led to her current position as a volunteer education coordinator at Shirdi Sai Sansthan Melbourne, a Hindu temple in Camberwell. There she teaches young people the importance of values like integrity and equity.

Rita’s advice for younger women includes words we could all live by: 'Accept failures in life as they are great teachers and make you more determined to reach your goals. Be brave and speak out if you see something that is not right,' she says. 'Don’t let others control you and don’t be fearful. And remember that you don’t need the approval of others to be happy in life.'

Celebrating International Women’s Day in the community

To mark International Women’s Day and show our support for the occasion, we are illuminating the Hawthorn Arts Centre. The building will be lit up in the colour purple, one of the signature colours of International Women’s Day since the movement began in 1911.

Don’t miss out on the chance to see this architectural icon ‘embrace equity’ by turning purple – symbolising justice, dignity, and loyalty to the cause of International Women’s Day. 

The Boroondara Photograph Competition is back for 2023 with the theme Celebrate Boroondara.

This is a great opportunity for budding photographers of all ages and abilities to showcase their photos and celebrate Boroondara’s places, spaces and people. Great prizes are on offer, as well as the chance to have your photos displayed in a public photography exhibition at Town Hall Gallery.

Leila Nader, 7, won first prize in 2022 in the junior section for her photo Sleepy Bird. She says the most rewarding part of winning first prize was 'all the fun we had going on walks together to take photos, and seeing my photos being shown in the gallery, and getting an award certificate – and the sausage roll and chocolate pudding at the awards presentation'.

We asked Leila how she prepared for the competition, and if she had any advice for future entrants.

'I practised using the camera so that I would be ready to take a photo when I saw something interesting, and I took lots and lots of photos. If you’re bored, go for a walk around and be sure to take your camera, you never know what you will find.'

Entries open on Monday 6 March. For more information and to enter, visit our Boroondara Photograph Competition page.

You may start to notice some new-coloured bins around Boroondara.

This is because the Victorian Government has legislated that all Councils must use consistent bin colours by 2030. We’ve begun the transition by:

• replacing lost, broken or end-of-life household waste and recycling bins with the new standard-coloured bins
• providing new standard-coloured bins when you order a household waste or recycling bin for your property for the first time, or when you change your bin size.

There are no changes to the current service or items accepted as a result of this transition. A bulk changeover for all remaining household waste and recycling bins will happen closer to the 2030 cut-off date to ensure bins in otherwise good condition don’t go to waste.

All old bins are recycled in line with our standard processes and all new bins contain recycled plastic.

Bin-day reminder

Please remember to bring your bins in within 24 hours of collection, sooner if you can. This helps keep our neighbourhoods tidy and accessible for everyone.

For more information, visit our How to use your bins page. 

From Bollywood dancing and African a cappella to our flagship volunteer expo, arts events and neighbourhood workshops and classes, there’s plenty going on in Boroondara.

Come to our Boroondara Volunteer Expo

For a new connection to your community, come along to the Boroondara Volunteer Expo on 22 March.

The expo will host 40 exhibitors, representing a wide variety of community groups, causes and sectors. Each one has unique opportunities for prospective volunteers to join their ranks and make a meaningful contribution. Find out how your skills and experience can make a difference to others – in ways you may never have thought of. 

Find out more

The Boroondara Volunteer Expo will be held from 1 pm to 6 pm on Wednesday 22 March at the Hawthorn Arts Centre. 

Visit our Volunteering page to see the latest volunteering opportunities. 

To speak with a member of our BVRC team, email [email protected] or call (03) 9278 4550. 

Free events to celebrate diversity

This year’s Cultural Diversity Week, from Saturday 11 March to Tuesday 21 March, is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate our diverse community, reflect on our multicultural history and celebrate its bright future. 

Join us at a range of free events to celebrate Cultural Diversity Week, including: 

• a Bollywood dancing demonstration and workshop at Balwyn Library 
• a multicultural-themed story time and music for pre-schoolers at Ashburton Library 
• a traditional Japanese tea ceremony at the Camberwell Library 
• a performance by the Makepisi South African a cappella group in Camberwell Library’s Parkview Room 
• cooking demonstrations at Balwyn Community Centre and the Shirdi Sai Temple in Camberwell where you can learn to cook popular pol roti and hot khichdi dishes from Sri Lanka and India 
• a cultural banquet for young people, hosted by the Boroondara Youth Hub in Hawthorn. 

These events are bound to be popular, so check our All the right ingredients for Cultural Diversity news page for the latest availability and to register. You can also pick up a set of Cultural Diversity Week recipe cards from your local Boroondara library branch or neighbourhood house from Saturday 11 March. 

What’s happening at Boroondara Arts

Firebird Trio’s Dark Vienna brings to life music from Mozart, Haydn, Schubert and Schonberg in a candle-lit hall at Hawthorn Arts Centre, Rita Satch brings neo-soul to Kew Court House, and violinist Zoe Black pairs with pianist/composer Joe Chindamo for a night of chamber music, also at Kew Court House. 

Look out for our major exhibition Romancing the Streetscape, which celebrates the streets and buildings of Melbourne and surrounds through highly realistic and evocative paintings. Five new paintings commissioned by City of Boroondara were inspired by our local streetscapes. Collections of You explores 3 artists’ responses to works from the Town Hall Gallery Collection, and Banana by Vanessa Bong explores what it means to be Asian Australian. Art After Hours gives after-hours access to Town Hall Gallery exhibitions, live music and the Arts Bar, with exhibition curators on hand.

Visit our Boroondara Arts page for more about these events and many more.

Neighbourhood house classes and workshops

Thinking of taking time out for yourself to learn something new or take on a new activity? This month you can try your hand at life drawing, upholstery or hot cross buns... Read about these classes and many more below, or download a copy of our new Live & Learn guide at our Neighbourhood houses and community centres page.

We recently launched the first of our Come and Try sessions at the Seniors Exercise Park at Victoria Park in Kew.

More than 80 community members turned out to try the new exercise equipment with the guidance of our trained volunteers. Thank you to everyone who attended, and to our dedicated volunteers.

Over the coming months they will be back for more Come and Try sessions. Find out how to use the equipment to maintain physical health at the upcoming sessions:

• Friday 3 March, 9:30 am to 11 am
• Tuesday 7 March, 9:30 am to 11 am
• Friday 10 March, 9:30 am to 11 am
• Tuesday 14 March, 9:30 am to 11 am
• Friday 17 March, 9:30 am to 11 am.

For more information:

• Read our Join our Come and Try sessions at the new Seniors Exercise Park news item
• Email [email protected]
• Call (03) 9278 4777.

From long days at the beach to barbecues around the pool, spending time by the water is a quintessentially Australian pastime.

That’s why it’s so important for people of all ages to practise water safety.

Our Life Saving Victoria Platinum Pool-accredited aquatic and leisure facilities have swimming programs that are about more than just mastering different swimming strokes. Regular lessons can establish vital survival skills and a lifelong appreciation for safe activity in the water.

Swimming lessons are run by the YMCA for 48 weeks of the year. You’ll find lessons for all ages and abilities, including school-holiday intensive programs, and programs for infants, pre-school children, adults and more.

Keep up the practice in between your lessons with an ongoing swimming lessons membership. As well as a weekly lesson, you get year-round access to the pools across our 3 Boroondara facilities.

Find out more at our Boroondara Leisure Facilities website.

Our consultation website invites you to take part in decisions made by Council. The following community consultations are open for your feedback.

Economic Development and Tourism Plan

What it’s about

We’re developing a new Economic Development and Tourism Plan that will guide our actions to help boost Boroondara’s local economy.

We want to make sure Boroondara remains a great place for our community to live, work, study and play. We also want to increase opportunities for businesses, workers, residents and visitors to enjoy all that Boroondara has to offer.

Visit our Economic Development and Tourism Plan page on the Engage Boroondara website to submit any final comments on our draft Economic Development and Tourism Plan.

Closes on Friday 10 March.

Ferndale Park Pavilion renewal, Glen Iris

What it’s about

We’re proposing to upgrade the Ferndale Park pavilion in Glen Iris. These upgrades would take place between 2023 and 2025, to better meet the needs of the community and sports clubs, including:

• St Mary’s Salesian Amateur Football Club
• Ashburton Willows Cricket Club
• Hawthorn U3A.

Proposed upgrades to the existing pavilion include 4 new change rooms with improved facilities for women, a larger multipurpose space, a new entry piazza and a spectator terrace.

Closes on Friday 10 March.

Pop-up space in Camberwell laneway

What it’s about

We want to find out what you think of the new placemaking pop-up space we’ve created in a laneway near Camberwell Primary School and Butler Street car park. The laneway closure trial aims to improve pedestrian safety and create a welcoming space for our community. 

Once you’ve visited the pop-up space, let us know your thoughts and experiences with the space on our Camberwell pop-up spaces page on the Engage Boroondara website.

Closes in May.

Stay up to date

To stay informed about consultations that matter to you, register for updates by clicking the ‘Join’ button on our Engage Boroondara website.

How we consult with you

Our Community Engagement Policy guides how we ask for your views on a range of topics and areas. You can read our Community Engagement Policy page to find out more. 

Each year, Council provides not-for-profit community organisations and groups with financial support to carry out projects and activities that benefit our community.

Small Grants provide quick-turnaround funding of up to $3,000 for new and one-off projects, programs and activities that strengthen our community.

You can apply for grants under 6 streams:

• Active Community - sports and recreation
• Life-long Community - opportunities for over-55s
• Creative Community - arts and culture
• Healthy Community - health, safety and wellbeing
• Sustainable Community - environmental sustainability
• Vibrant Retail Precincts

Information session

Join us online or in person at our information session to help guide your application.

When: Tuesday 7 March, 6 pm to 7:30 pm.

Where: Boroondara Room, Council Chambers, 8 Inglesby Road, Camberwell.

You can also visit our Small grants page for more information.

Round 1 applications close on Sunday 19 March.