As Trevor Ryan travelled through the streets of Wyndham last month, he drove past one festival, and then another a few kilometres later.
The Werribee resident was surprised, that as an active member of the community, he hadn’t been aware of the celebrations taking place.
‘We used to have Weerama, where everyone would be involved,” he said.
“I know we’re a multicultural society, [but] Werribee’s far more diverse than just multiculturalism.
“Where’s our festival for everybody?”
Mr Ryan said the festival put Wyndham’s many community groups on display, from scouts, to car groups and firefighters.
“It’s just great for community, all community, it was the festival for everybody,” he said.
“[The festival brought] joy and togetherness, it helped clubs and groups that are really excluded right now.
“If there’s something worth fighting for, [Weerama’s] worth fighting for.”
In 2019 Star Weekly reported the Weerama festival had been cancelled due to time constraints and a lack of funding.
A Wyndham council spokesperson said the Weerama Festival was operated by a committee independent of council.
“The committee can apply for funding via council’s Annual Grants process to assist in running the event,” the spokesperson said.
Mr Ryan published a post calling for a Weerama revival in a Facebook community group, and received many responses from residents in support of his goal.
Cheryl Hyde was born in Werribee 68 years ago, and despite no longer living in the municipality, Ms Hyde said the festival gave even the greater community something to look forward to.
“Werribee will always be home, that’s the place when I go back to visit my children I say to myself, I’m home now,” she said.
“I would love the festival to return in all it’s glory, bring the community together, they need this more than ever. Let people celebrate the beautiful city it is.”
