Party in the Park

Parkville residents celebrated the return of their “Party in the Park” for the first time in three years. In spite of the inclement weather a decision was made to continue with the event on November 20. 

Going to bed on Saturday night, the heavens opened and the forecast for Sunday was rain all day. Waking up at 4am and looking at the weather radar it appeared miraculously to show no rain! At 9am the team assembled at Ievers Reserve to set up for the day. Ryan and his team from Naughtons pushed the bar down and we built the small marquees. By 10.30am all was done and ready for the crowd to arrive.

At midday Stuart and Nikki of the Parkville ensemble and their two fellow musicians arrived and started playing. After two pieces, the rain poured, and they had to cancel their performance. This was very sad and didn’t bode well for the day. Amazingly though the sun peaked through, and the rest of the day was a great success! 

Pictured are students from University High who played as the “Jazz Hands”. They were most enthusiastic and very good musicians. University High School has been a part of Parkville since 1930 and the Parkville Association is thrilled that we are building a great relationship with them. Thanks to its principal Ciar Foster and the team.

Many thanks to all who attended and, of course, the two Ryans from Naughtons and their team. Thanks also to Nelson Alexander for providing the coffee. Our partnership is going very well!

Most of this month has been focused on the VCAT action taking place at the Compulsory Conference on December 1. The proposed development at 35-39 Royal Parade is not suitable for Parkville for many reasons and was, as advised previously, rejected by the council. The developer is appealing so the Parkville Association is heavily involved in fighting the appeal.

Community is a wonderful thing and the response our appeal for donations to assist our legal costs has shown that spirit. As the first heritage-listed suburb in Victoria we are very proud of the wonderful streetscapes and beautifully maintained homes built from 1873 onwards.

2023 is the sesquicentenary of Parkville and we are already planning some great activities next year.

November is the month for battles and we are also working hard on ensuring Grattan St reopens when the reinstatement works are complete. We were promised that post construction of Parkville Station, Grattan St would reopen however constant rumours indicate a change of heart. 

While we work closely with planners and appreciate their good work sometimes they need to realise the pain caused by decisions. Sitting in peak hour trying to drive to Carlton via College Crescent can take more than 30 minutes for the two-kilometre trip. We will continue this fight and hopefully common sense will prevail!

Hopefully warm weather returns soon, and we can enjoy walking our wonderful suburb! •