Annette Pederson is a retired physiotherapist of almost 50 years. She spoke to Star Weekly about her connection to Melton and the multiple community organisations she volunteers with.
What’s your connection to Melton?
I came to Victoria in 1971 from Tasmania to train, met and married a Victorian and stayed. After a year renting in Maidstone, we bought a house in Melton, and moved here at the end of 1975, on a federal dlection day – made it to vote with 5 mins to spare! We liked the lower cost of housing, open spaces, accessibility to regional areas as well as Melbourne. Another reason was my husband was already coming up for further light plane flying lessons at Fogarty’s Field (now Melton Airfield) in Coburns Road.
Tell us about your work with Zonta?
The Zonta Club of Melton has been active in town for 23 years, and we are part of the global service organisation, Zonta International – with the focus on ‘Building a Better World for Women and Girls’.
We fundraise for projects such as scholarships for grade 11 girls in three local schools, dignity bags for women escaping domestic violence or at risk of homelessness, ovarian cancer research, plus we make and supply soft breast cushions to women after breast surgery at hospitals in our region, and assemble birthing kits for distribution to birth attendants in third-world countries.
November 25 to December 10 we participate in 16 Days of Activism against domestic violence, with two events in pipeline on November 26, a ‘Walk with Her’ in the morning with Western Health promotion team , and another event in conjunction with Melton Central Cricket Women’s match in the afternoon.
Plus – watch out around our libraries for our ‘Orange Ladies’ displaying signs related to reducing domestic violence in our community.
We meet on the first Monday of the month. For more information email info@zontaclubofmelton.org.au.
What do you like about living in Melton?
We are very fortunate to live very close to Navan Park and lake, after moving from central Melton in 1994. We have seen the area transform from an open, virtually treeless place, with a lake that shrank to a small size every summer, to a lovely park with good walking and cycling tracks, playground, barbecues and off-lead dog area. Birdlife abounds now trees have matured. Melton Botanic Garden is another special place, what a vision by John Bentley and his team to
transform this area on Ryans Creek – and such wonderful work done to establish this. Now many volunteers also help to maintain and grow the garden. On the whole, the people in Melton are very friendly.
What, if anything, would you change about where you live?
Personally, we would love the old Melton Courthouse to be a café again! It had a lovely atmosphere inside, and has plenty of outdoor area to sit in good weather.
We need a hospital ASAP – driving to Sunshine/ Footscray / Werribee is getting more and more challenging, and Ballarat is still almost an hour away.
The on-going issue of infrastructure lagging so far behind development. Ferris Road overpass and Cobblebank Ferris Road rail crossings are prime examples. Single lanes just don’t cope. Melton South virtually gridlocks at school times, especially when trains come through.
What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?
I am a weather nerd – I check out synoptic charts, forecasts and rain radar at breakfast, plus a visual check of sky – clouds, wind direction, etc. I have kept a rain gauge record for almost 30 years. My father also had the weather “eye”, and my nephew also. Husband and daughters, no!
