Wyndham Vale resident Bev Edwards is known for her community commitment. A local of 38 years, she loves volunteering at the Victoria State Rose Garden in Werribee Park. ‘‘I always come home feeling better,” she says.
What’s your connection to the community?
I volunteer at the rose garden with my husband, Neil. We’ve been volunteering there since 2000. We work in the garden on Wednesdays and attend to the roses – there are 5500 of them. Once a month, we hold a barbecue in the garden and I make my own hamburgers, which everyone calls ‘‘Bev’s burgers’’. I also volunteer on the Old Geelong Road site where the B24 Liberator, a World War II plane, has been restored. I work in the shop there and sell bits and pieces related to the plane. I’m happy to put my hand up for anything … I take pleasure in helping people.
How do you spend your downtime?
My husband and I like walking around Werribee South, particularly along the foreshore. We also like walking along the paths and parkland in Wyndham Green estate.
What’s your favourite place to get coffee and a bite to eat?
We like to pop into Wyndham Cache for a coffee or lunch. They also sell lovely produce and we get fresh eggs there.
What would you like to change in your neighbourhood?
I’d like to see more parking in Werribee’s CBD. We’re always driving around and around trying to find a parking spot. Werribee River should be taken care of, as it’s a nice spot. People are working on it but it’s an asset to the area and should be continually maintained.
What do you love about your neighbourhood?
Our estate is in a quiet area with a lot of parkland and good neighbours. We have buses and a train station is coming soon.
What do you remember being in Wyndham that’s no longer there?
When I first came to Wyndham Vale there weren’t a lot of houses and I could see the You Yangs. But now it is new estates everywhere and they’re hidden. There was no supermarket either, but now we have everything.
