Volunteering is just a fact of life for Meg Platte, so when she moved to Garfield it was only natural to join the first community initiative she saw.
As volunteer numbers have ebbed over the last few years, she has made it her task to demonstrate the creative, productive and social fulfillment one receives from working with the community to the next generation.
“And I love just to be able to share the food, and I love to talk about how we grow things, and again, have other people’s knowledge,” she said.
It can be hard to book Meg as she has a busy schedule of meetings and phone calls, which she logs still in her hardcover diary.
Despite the rush, she stays zen through the day-to-day.
She was born in England, grew up in New Zealand and worked in Australia; she moved to Garfield ten years ago to look after her mother, Margaret Platte.
Her mother and father were dedicated to scouting and guiding, which informed her volunteering and general go-getter attitude.
Her move to Garfield coincided with the initiation of the Community Garden, seeing a notice for one of its first meetings, she declared that she and her mother would attend.
Today, she is a coordinator at the community garden, a critical organiser of the Garfield Community Association, which auspices the garden, an active member of Cannibal Creek Landcare and a regular collaborator with Moy-Yan Neighbourhood House.
Meg is also on the committee of the Garfield Recreation Reserve and informs its enviro team.
Most of all, she is a connector, for many other groups she is referred to for her know-how in getting things done.
“You want to be helpful to others, so now with the different groups I connect with, I find people will approach me to say, how did you do that grant?” Meg said.
“And in the process I’ve met lots of people, so then I know I can approach anyone to ask them a question, and that’s what community is.”
The theme with Meg is permaculture, which she has been advocating for over decades. Living elsewhere before Garfield, she helped form the Greater South East Permaculture Group.
“It resonated huge, just the living lightly, just the community aspect, everyone coming together, working together, you know, trying to the best of your ability to work without judgement, you know, it’s not perfect, but it does happen.”
The community garden has been Meg and the team’s demonstration of collective power and permaculture, providing a space for all to grow fresh produce in collaboration with fellow residents.
The garden has regular visits from Garfield Primary School, where they hold their own green thumb projects. They also coordinate heavily with Moy-Yan which has expanded its range of community input.
Recently, Moy-Yan secured a $40,000 grant from the state government’s Tiny Towns Fund.
This will go to constructing an art space in the garden where students and residents will enjoy creative classes and workshops.
“The school’s really excited about it, because they’ll come down, the kids can do art, and there are a few homeschool families here, so they will use it as well as an extension of their homeschooling.
“They will have a garden bed over there, so whatever group of children who can come will grow their food, and then we’ll discuss it, and then we harvest it, and then they’ll go draw or paint.”
A self-sufficient community where all rely on each other’s cooperation mirrors Meg’s commitment to the three ethics of permaculture: Care of Earth, Care of People and Fair Share for All.
“I love it when we do get a new person, and they’re full of information, or they want to take on looking after a certain aspect.
“And I love just to be able to share the food, and I love to talk about how we grow things, and again, have other people’s knowledge.
To Meg, it’s much more than a lifestyle, but a practice to build upon and be guided by a philosophy.
Her volunteering requires a busy schedule, but Meg still moves with calm and an openness to the world.
A literary soul, Meg finds power in the words of such greats as George Bernard Shaw who penned, “This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognised by yourself as a mighty one.”
Recognising this quiet purpose is a sentiment she hopes others can share and she works, most of all, to see if that can be imbued in the next generation.
For many years, dedicated volunteers have been growing smaller and those that are left growing older.
Exacerbated after the pandemic, much thought is going into how the vital contribution of volunteer work can be secured for the future.
Meg doesn’t have the silver bullet, but thinks a strong focus should be on the children, like the students from Garfield Primary or the many secondary schools who help in Landcare plantings.
“We’ve had multiple conversations, we’re like, who do we want at the garden, what’s the garden about, and it’s about all ages, but we figured we might drill it down and focus on the kids.
“To connect with the children, because you don’t know what seed you’re going to sow there, who’s going to be your next farmer.”
Just this year, Meg was nominated for the Stan Henwood Award which honours significant achievements in volunteering across Cardinia Shire.
“It’s nice to know that your peers respect you enough to put your name forward.
“I’m like many of them. You’re just a quiet achiever. You want to just keep doing it in the background.”
If you are in the local area and wish to get involved in volunteering, you can contact the Garfield Community Association at garfieldassociation@gmail.com.
