Monday 22 May – Sunday 28 May
EVENTS
Reconciliation Week
It is 50 years since the 1967 Referendum and 25 years since the Mabo decision. Reconciliation Week commemorates these important parts of our history and looks at how we can move forward.
When: Saturday 27 May – Saturday 3 June
Exhibition: Real Blak Tingz: The Blak Matriarchy
‘An exhibtion manifested through art as resistance and anchored by memory, celebration, critique of power and decolonial imaginings’
Where: Koorie Heritage Trust
When: 10am – 5pm daily until 30 July, opening night 6pm – 8pm 1 June (RSVP required)
How much: free
Event: The Long Walk – We Walk Together
Live music by Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander musicians, food trucks and sports activities. Walk takes you from Federation Square to MCG.
Where: Federation Square
When: 12:30pm – 4:30pm, Saturday 27 May
How much: free
Activity: Royal Botanic Gardens Heritage Walk
It is open day at Royal Botanic Gardens and there will be a free Indigenous Heritage Walk on Sunday. Learn about the local Boon Warrung people and the area before European settlement.
When: 11am, Sunday 28 May – Friday 2 June
Where: starts from Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre
How much: free
Exhibitions
Recentre; Sisters
Exhibition of eight Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal women looking at their role in cultural engagement, healthy communities and matriarchal narratives in an Australian context
When: 10am – 2pm Mon, 11am – 6pm Tues – Fri, 10am – 4pm Sat, until 5 August
Where: City Gallery, Town Hall
How much: free
Stories from Detention
Listen to personal stories of those seeking asylum in Australia. Through video, audio and images you can explore the complexities of permanent residency, temporary visas and their journeys to Australia. Created by not for profit organisation Behind the Wire who work to document the stories of Australian refugees.
When: 10am – 5pm, until 2 July
Where: Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders Street Melbourne
How much? included in museum entry, adult: $14, concession: free
The Dirty Dozen: Dirty Dingo
Have you ever glanced up as you walk through the Campbell Arcade? have you ever heard of Campbell Arcade? The small arcade built to prepare Melbourne for the crowds of the 1956 Olympics is home to the Dirty Dingo by Peter Waples Crowe as part of the Yirramboi First Nations Arts Festival.
Worth checking out as you join the rat race on the way to work.
When: 7am – 7pm Mon-Fri, 10am – 5pm Sat, until 2 July
Where: Campbell Arcade, arcade between Flinders Street Station and Degraves Street
How much: free
Free Music – no need to book
Free Recitals
Every week, musicians play the Grand Organ for a lunchtime performance.
Where: St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street Melbourne
When: 1pm – 1:30pm, every Thursday
Air Force Band: Mystery Flight
Travel around the world with the air force band on a mystery flight of music.
Where: Melbourne Town Hall
When: 2pm – 3pm, Sunday 28 May
Great Venues
The Toff in Town
Affordable live music every night of the week. They also do delicious Thai food for dinner.
Where: Curtin House, Level 2, 252 Swanston Street
Featured: Ben Whiting
Ben Whiting is a regular busker on the Bourke Street Mall with guests Jack the Fox and Davy Simony.
When: Doors open 7:30pm, Thursday 25 May
Cost: $10
Tours
Melbourne Greeter Service
Get a personal guide for a half day around Melbourne. Tours are limited to four people and run by volunteers from the Melbourne City Council. You can usually tailor the tour a little if there is something you are particularly interested in too!
When: 9:30am daily, usually goes for 3-4 hours
Where: start from Melbourne Visitor Centre
Cost: Free (no tips)
NB. Heading overseas? The Global Greeter Network runs in cities around the world so you can get free tours with a local in New York, Berlin, London and many more.
Did you know…
The Royal Arcade, the beautiful undercover arcade built in the 1860’s used to house a Turkish Bath house on the second floor?
You can still see the sign faintly when looking at the second floor facade from Little Collins Street. Rumour has it that Ned Kelly frequented the Royal Arcade Baths regularly.
What's Up Luce 