The idea for CERES took shape in the late 1970s, when a group of local residents and schoolteachers began to explore ways to address social and environmental issues facing urban communities.

In 1982 The Brunswick Council agreed to lease the group a barren 4.5 hectare block that had been a bluestone quarry and then a municipal tip, on the banks of the Merri creek. The concept for the site, the ‘Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies’ -CERES- was named after the Roman goddess of agriculture and promised to be a place where the environmental consequences of our consumer culture could be addressed within a philosophy of social justice.

No trees, no topsoil when we began

In the beginning there were no trees or topsoil on the site and the only building was the tiny tip-site office. Hundreds of trees were planted in the first few years and a block of community garden plots was established.

With the hard work of volunteers and some initial state funding, CERES began to establish itself as a model of sustainable living. Education and training has always been a strong focus, with school tours and labour market programs contributing to landscaping and farm projects.

Minimising Waste

Minimising household waste and landfill was an early focus for CERES. The first decade saw one of the first house-to-house recycling collection schemes started, with the support of the then-Brunswick Unemployment Group. In the late 1980s CERES opened the EcoHouse, a low energy display house that was transported from a nearby block and retrofitted with help from the Brunswick Electricity Supply.

Alternative energy sources and green technology took off with the Energy Park and the involvement of the Alternative Energy Association.

Community Working-bees

On weekends, community working-bees built a straw bale building and set up an old train carriage, which housed the first CERES office. Composting toilets and worm farms were developed into large systems capable of servicing the whole site while community collectives, such as the Chook group, set up home on the farm.

The thatched mud brick houses of the African and Indonesian villages were first built in 1988 with financial help from Community Aid Abroad. Along with classrooms and workshops, they were built to educate students about the global south and ‘development’ issues more generally. Over the years they were subject to persistent arson attacks and have been rebuilt several times.

The Sacred Kingfisher Returns

As the site reflourished with trees and plants, the local Merri Creek ecosystem began to re-establish. The network of walking and cycling pathways along the Merri drew recreational visitors and CERES held its first Kingfisher Festival, celebrating the return of the native blue kingfisher to the area.

We work closely with groups such as the Merri Creek Management Committee, Moreland City Council, Parks Victoria and a host of volunteer groups and individuals in the restoration of a vital green corridor.

After a decade, the Permaculture and Bushfoods Nursery and the CERES Cafe were set up as enterprises that could generate revenue for the park, while operating on principles of fair-trade and environmental and social awareness. The twice-weekly organic market came together some time later and is now an integral part of the site’s programs and activities.

Thirty Years On

Nearly thirty years on, CERES stands as testimony to the original vision. We have restored the landscape and created a pioneering working model of a sustainable community, showcasing environmental technologies to tackle the climate and food security issues of the future.