From China to Melbourne, via Indonesia, with love. As Melbourne erupts with a fifteen-day festival to celebrate Chinese New Year, one of the people gravitating into Melbourne’s China Town is Spectrum team member Jiayin. During this time, Jiayin celebrates with a big meal with friends, her cousins, and every year, except this one, with her […]
The 24th of January 2019, will be a treasured memory for Spectrum team member Saghar, and her husband Amir. On this day, they became Australian citizens. I sat down with Saghar to understand her journey and talk to her about what this brings for her. Saghar was an English teacher in Iran – she qualified […]
It is with deep sadness that Spectrum honors the passing of young client, Arash Yari, drowned off South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula, while on summer holiday on 15th January 2019. Arash, with his family, arrived in Australia from Afghanistan 18 months ago, and has launched himself into Australian life with gusto. The team at Spectrum has […]
On a warm summer day, a bus beetled out of the Spectrum driveway, and headed to the hills. On board was 36 excited clients and carers ready to stretch their eyes, and have a little bit of fun. The adventure commenced with a rather entertaining bus trip. The extremely humorous tour guide entertained the lively […]
As Spring was finally springing in Melbourne, a group of families from the Good Shepherd Primary School in Gladstone Park embarked on a special excursion to Melbourne. The adventure marked the final stages of the families’ participation in Spectrum’s ‘Parenting in a New Culture’ program. The program aims to help families who have recently arrived […]
Federation 20th Anniversary Lunch and AGM Late in 2018, the Federation of Northern Ethnic Senior Citizens Clubs (‘Federation’) gathered at the Greek Orthodox Church in Coburg to celebrate their 20th Anniversary. The Federation, by bringing together culturally diverse Senior Citizens clubs to share knowledge, learn together and advocate collectively, has had far-reaching grassroots impact for […]
A growing cohort of Australia’s homeless is women in retirement. This is Susan’s story about how life changes can create housing instability, and how homelessness can be averted. It was 1967 when a teenage Susan, along with her family migrated from Manchester England to Melbourne Australia. It proved to be a difficult move given she […]
Spectrum’s board welcomed the release of its 2017/18 Annual Report at yesterday’s Annual General Meeting. 2017/18 was a significant year for Spectrum and our work with people from refugee and migrant backgrounds. Moreno Grison, Chair of the Spectrum board launches this report with the timely reminder “that Australia is a successful multicultural society forged by […]
This week marks a significant event for Muslim communities across Australia, Eid al-Adha. It is also known as the Feast of Sacrifice or Festival of Sacrifice as it commemorates Ibrahim’s (Abraham) willingness to sacrifice his son to God. It is one of the pivotal, and arguably confronting holy stories of history, retold in the Qur’an, […]
The joy and richness of social cohesion is woven into society by the diversity we all bring. For Australia, and for Spectrum, embracing difference, and celebrating it, draws us closer. So much so that we have enshrined this sentiment in one of our core values: Be Different and Be One. Today, 30% of Australia‘s population […]