Mandy Schoene-Salter guiding a participant at the Street Art Wall
Story and photos by Tamsyn McGrouther
An overcast Sunday evening at Springwood parking lot doesn’t usually evoke community connection. Usually the lot is a dull underused space and the staff parking area gates are closed. This wasn’t true for the last Sunday of March when the car park at Springwood Train Station was transformed into a vibrant community space with food stalls, art opportunities and live music.
Key Points:
Springwood Lot Party was held on Sunday the 24th of March at Springwood Station parking lot, hosted by Blue Mountains City Council.
This community-focused event was entertaining for people of all ages, encouraging creativity, the arts, and connection.
The success of this event will hopefully encourage more community events down the line.
At the Zine space
I talked to Estee Sarsfield, a designer and Blue Mountain Zine Club member who was facilitating the Zine space stall. She taught me that Zine was pronounced ‘Zeen’ like magazine, not Zine, rhyming with line.
Their Zine making tent offered participants the opportunity and guidance to make their own Zines. They have a club once a month at Good Earth Bookshop in Wentworth Falls: an informal gathering where they chat, draw and create.
The stall was filled with people of all ages: glueing, cutting, sticking, stamping, sketching, collaging and painting – creating the chaotic multi-medium artistry that Zines are known for.
The Zine space, facilitated by Blue Mountains Zine Club
Finding out more aboutMYST
In the tent next door was Blue Mountains MYST (Mountains Youth Services Team), a youth-driven service for people aged 12-24. MYST provides free individualised support for young people in the form of youth centres, counselling and a plethora of other support services such as free internet for students and free driving lessons. At the Lot Party they were offering badge making, lollipops and a chat.
Badge making and art workshops hosted by MYST
I talked to Paige Thurlow-Want who explained how MYST is a ‘soft contact service’ that aims to be as accessible and non-judgemental as possible, as it can be an extremely daunting and vulnerable experience to seek support as a young person.
Paige explained how MYST is more than just young people and mental health (my previous conception). ‘We meet young people where they are’ she explains, semi-shouting over the music, ‘and get them where they want to be’.
Beyond mental health support, MYST provides:
Queer drop-in sessions for LGBTQ+ young people
Outdoor explore social groups
A music space at the Katoomba Youth Centre
The Street Art Wall
Local mural artist Mandy Schöne-Salter supervised a collaborative street art wall. This workshop allowed people to experiment with spray paint, a medium that people rarely have the opportunity to explore because of the stigmas attached to it.
The street art wall begins to take shape
Fiddling with spray paint caps and with spray paint on my hands (after picking two colours and making my own awkward stencil), I chatted to Mandy about mural art and how it is so much more than graffiti.
“I want to see more street art,” she explained, noting that the Springwood street art developments have been positive and a way to brighten up empty walls.
As the event progressed we watched the canvas get covered by more and more artist works. It was amazing to see the piece take shape.
The street art wall at the end of the Lot Party
Street art can bring culture and infuse local meaning into an empty wall. It makes places brighter and can bring out character. Mandy noted that street art shares art with a larger audience: “It brings art to people – not many people attend art galleries.” This is certainly true of Mandy’s piece near Springwood station, with thousands of people seeing this mural daily.
Mandy Schoene-Salter’s mural at Springwood Station
Reflecting on the event I think it was incredible how a few crates and tents can transform an under-utilised space into a vibrant free community event, especially in our current cost of living crisis where it can be too expensive for many to go out and socialise regularly, increasing individual isolation.
The Rotary Club of Springwood
There was a variety of affordable food on offer as well, thanks to a range of food trucks and the Rotary Club’s fundraising sausage sizzle. Rotary’s fundraising at events like these has helped build community resources, including the exercise equipment at Winmalee Skate Park and the Buttenshaw Park accessible carousel.
Thanks to its convenient location right next to the train station, attendees from as far as the inner city were able to arrive and appreciate what the Blue Mountains has to offer.
I also love how the inclusion of art workshops helped support local artists and fostered creativity within the community: exposing attendees to new art making practices, ideas, and mediums. It also provides job opportunities for local creatives and collectives who then share their skillsets with young people.
I hope to see more Council-sponsored events like these in the future. By bringing people together in new ways we create a stronger community and foster new connections between individuals and organisations.
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
Join us for this fabulous workshop: Designing Your Future Home on Saturday 19 July (10am-12 noon) Create a Healthy, Comfortable and Energy-Efficient Home
Join local Passive House Designer Karina Rafailov from Earthy Haus for a relaxed, interactive, and inspiring workshop. Whether you’re planning a new build or thinking about a renovation, this session will empower you with the knowledge to create a home that’s healthier for your family and kinder to the planet.
Places are strictly limited in this hands-on workshop so bookings essential here (link in profile): https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/workshop-designing-your-future-home-tickets-1417752157869
As an increasing number of people are being affected by winter viruses, we’re offering a free session of Tai Chi and Qigong on Saturday 5 July in the warmth of our beautiful Frogs of the Blue Mountains exhibition. Places are limited so book in early here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/40fnGW2 Learn more about these Chinese medicine movement practices in the video interview with Virginia Field on our YouTube channel (link in profile) and read about how Chinese medicine helped her overcome illness as a young woman in our story: Healing Body, Mind and Spirit with Tai Chi and Qigong here (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/tai-chi-and-qigong/
If you’re interested in learning how to propagate native plants and are keen to help our bush regenerate, the Bushcare Seed Collectors meet on the second Tuesday of the month. Check out how they cook Banksias to release their seed and learn more about the group, and native seed collecting, in Katoomba Area Local News here (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/bushcare-seed-collectors/
If you’d like to join the group, contact the Bushcare officer Tracy Abbas on 4780 5623 or email tabbas@bmcc.nsw.gov.au
Littlejohni, the Rare and Endangered Northern Heath Frog, photographed in Woodford!
When the Frogs of the Blue Mountains exhibition opened at the Planetary Health Centre in March it featured photos of 20 different local frogs. We were thrilled, however, when Andy Klotz and other members of the Hawkesbury Herpetological Society recently managed to photograph another frog in Woodford: the rarely seen and endangered Litoria littlejohni, also known as the Northern Heath Frog or Orange-bellied Tree Frog. We’ve added a photo of that frog to the exhibition and created a new Frogs of the Blue Mountains video in which you can listen to its call on our YouTube channel. We interviewed Andy to learn more about the Littlejohni and how they managed to find its small local population. You can read this story in Mid Mountains Local News (link in profile). #biodiversity #bluemountainsfrogs #northernheathfrog #litorialittlejohni #bluemountains #woodford #planetaryhealth #hawkesburyherpetologicalsociety...
Our newsletter is now out! Read about how you can contribute to @bluemountainscitycouncil`s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy; watch our video on Falling in Love with Glossy Black Cockatoos; see the new photos of the rare Northern Heath Frog; watch how the Bushcare Seed Collectors cook banksias to release their seeds; learn more about Tai Chi and Qigong, the Chinese medicine movement practices; and take part in our next workshop on Designing Your Future Home with Passive House Designer Karina Rafailov from @earthy_haus
Read it here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/40e4GHr
Our video on Falling In Love With Glossy Black Cockatoos is now up on our Planetary Health YouTube channel (sorry, it`s too big to share here but there`s a link in our profile).
Jayden Gunn finishes his presentation by saying:
"Care is like a snowball. The more people you tell the bigger the snowball gets, and the further it goes. And the more we know, the more we care. And the more we know, the more we`re able to help."
The video is of our fabulous Forum on Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo, and includes presentations by Jayden Gunn, BirdLife Australia, Amanda Foxon-Hill from Mid Lachlan Landcare, and STEM teacher Samantha Bowden from Glenbrook Public School. There`s a link with the video on how to register for the Community Tree Planting Day in Goologong on 5 July (and it`s also in our profile). Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCERdF21Ud0&t=13s
Today we`re enjoying eating ripe medlars! Medlars are attractive cold climate fruit trees that were popular in Medieval gardens. They`re one of the few fruits that can be harvested in late Autumn and eaten in early Winter when they`re fully ripe. This is a great time of year to plant them for a future harvest. Check out our short video on how to eat them! #coldclimategardens #ediblegardens #medlars #growyourown #planetaryhealth #bluemountains...
We`re thrilled to share that last night @BlueMountainsCityCouncil`s Planetary Health Centre won the Innovative Leadership Award (Population Under 150K) in the 2025 NSW Local Government Excellence Awards. What a great end to World Environment Day! 🌏 This award celebrates how local government can lead transformative change for a more sustainable future. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard with us to make our vision a reality. You can read more about what we`re doing at our website (link in profile): http://www.bluemountainsplanetaryhealth.com.au/ @ph_alliance #planetaryhealth #worldenvironmentday #localgovernmentleadership #nswlocalgovernmentexcellenceawards...
Blocking out a couple of hours a week to step off the treadmill and give ourselves time to nurture our relationship with the earth and ourselves, is one way to keep our creative spirit and ‘lust for life’ alive. If you haven’t done so yet, one opportunity over the next week is to spend some ‘slow’ time in the 2024 Wynne Prize exhibition at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre before it closes on 15 June. Read more in Katoomba Area Local News here (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/the-2024-wynne-prize/ @bluemountainsculturalcentre @artgalleryofnsw #wynneprize #landscapes #bluemountains #katoomba #artexhibition #planetaryhealth...
Recognising how violence and war impact the health of the planet, the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative has become a member of the Blue Mountains Peace Collective. On Sunday 25th May, we attended a presentation by Dr Keith Suter on Making Peace in the World Today at the Leura Uniting Church. In this powerful presentation Dr Suter questions why we learn about war rather than successful peace negotiations! View the video of his presentation below and read our full story in Katoomba Area Local News here: https://bit.ly/3Fl4WgQ (link in profile)
With an extra day up your sleeve this long weekend, it`s a great opportunity to give nature a hand to regenerate and provide more habitat for our fellow species! Join our fabulous all ages Planetary Health Bushcare Group from 1.30pm and then participate in the Forum on Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo at 4pm, followed by drinks and nibblies! You can also start the day with a fabulous Tai Chi session at 8am. Visit our Planetary Health Pluriversity website to book in and learn more (link in profile): https://bmpluriversity.org/program/
Or ring 0407 437 553 for more information. #planetaryhealth #bushcare #katoomba #bluemountains #glossyblackcockatoos #landcare #biodiversity #habitat #wearenature #togetherwecan...
In this inspiring interview with Medlow Bath resident Amanda Foxon-Hill she talks about her work with Mid Lachlan Landcare, why Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo is so important, and why she loves her work so much! Read the full story in Blackheath Area Local News here: https://blackheathnews.com/connecting-landscapes-for-glossy-black-cockatoos/
Book in for the Growing Connected Landscapes Forum at 4pm this Saturday 7 June here: https://events.humanitix.com/growing-connected-landscapes-for-the-glossy-black-cockatoo Register your interest for the Community Tree Planting Day in Goologong here: https://events.humanitix.com/glossy-black-cockatoo-community-tree-planting-5
Tamsyn McGrouther is a local writer, creative, and university student. They are passionate about Climate Justice and using journalism to build new narratives about the world. You can find them wistfully staring into the middle distance on public transport or very stressed out on a roundabout.
The Birds of Australia STORYBOX interactive exhibit at the Springwood Hub showcases John and Elizabeth Gould's bird illustrations and First Nations knowledge. It highlights the threats to Australian birds, promotes conservation efforts, and is complemented by the Planetary Health Centre's bird photography exhibition.
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