So many stories! People create the Aldinga Eco Arts Village culture. Get to know some of the villagers below!
After travelling over land and sea on a return trip from Europe, we settled in Melbourne but began spending more time in the AAEV visiting Luke’s mum. We started looking at intentional communities in Australia, but compared to the rest of the world, the AAEV slowly started to feel the most like home. We spent some time house sitting during extended visits, and the more people we met, the more we were drawn to living here. Then, after a long lockdown in our apartment in Melbourne, we were really attracted to the nature, community and proximity to family and the beach that the village offered. We had the opportunity to move into the village in July 2021. Now we spend our time here working from home, building relationships, renovating our house, caring for our farm garden allotment, and caring for our 4 year old son Ari.
Kathryn, Luke and Ari
I first moved to the AAEV in 2014, as it seemed like a great fit with my environmental ethos, but I was a bit hesitant about the community lifestyle. Luckily there are so many lovely villagers to connect with! I feel like the village is such a beautiful place, like a protected bubble away from the rest of the world, filled with treasures like hidden gardens, orchards and shared values. I have a two-year-old, and despite the loneliness that can come with motherhood, the village has been a wonderful place to meet other parents and access playgroups, meet up for coffee or just go on a walk. My son Teddy and I make good use of the shared spaces in the village, such as the sandpits and the boat. I love that he gets to have so many great learning experiences so close to home. We often visit the farm to see the animals, feed the chickens, and look at the wastewater plant and tractors, which fascinate him. I’m so grateful to have found a place in the village, and I’m delighted that Teddy will grow up here.
Kate and Teddy (2 years old)
Originally from France and the USA, we spent almost a decade travelling and living around the world before finding the AAEV and deciding it was home. We were looking for a house near the beach with character, and the village offered both! It was a bonus to find a place with such a welcoming and environmentally conscious community to be involved in. Being far from our families has been especially challenging in the past few years, but the village community means that we always feel like there is someone we can reach out to for a walk, a coffee, for help or a playdate. We love raising our kids (2 and 4 years old) close to nature with easy access to animals, fruit trees, walks and kids their age. We spend a lot of time exploring and meeting up with friends. We’re busy working and raising our family but love the ongoing opportunities to get involved in village life when we’re available.
Lauren and Didier
Coming from overseas and not having any family in Australia, other villagers have become family over the years. This is the only place where I’ve ever felt like I belong. It’s somewhere I can be myself and not try to fit in. I just feel like I belong. This is huge because I spent years searching for something. I didn’t know what it was until I found the Village and experienced that sense of belonging.
It was the idea of community that got me involved with the Village. Through a local permaculture group, I became friends with some of the developers and villagers that originally set up the Village. After purchasing a block in the early 2000s, I helped with early plantings and planning events to establish the Village. I officially moved into my village home on May 2nd, 2008, just before my son Runi turned two. It was so great back then, there weren’t many of us, and Runi knew everyone’s name until he was about seven years old. It was such a good feeling as a mum to know that Runi was surrounded by so many people that he could trust.
Runi is older now, and the Village continues to be a valuable place for him to grow up in. The community gives him a sense of obligation and responsibility towards the people in his community, even in simple ways such as the expectation of greeting other villagers. And my mum has also moved from overseas to the Village. The Village allows her to be close to Runi and me while also having many opportunities to participate in the village community. It’s important to be involved in some way, shape or form, even if that involvement ebbs and flows. You get out of the Village what you put into it. My favourite contribution to the Village is feeding people, whether it be through the Meal Roster that we have when people are unwell or if there is a new baby in the home; or hosting an annual Christmas Lunch.
I can’t imagine being anywhere else.
Jacqui
When I first heard about the Village, I knew this was where I wanted to live and bought a block in 2002. I had already raised two children as a single parent and was acutely aware of the importance of community for people of all ages. I had visions of building a little straw bale home, but this was pioneering stuff at the time and beyond my budget. So I sold that block and eventually purchased another on Kennedia Walk where I eventually built and moved in 2014. A dream come true!
I was 59 when I moved into the Village and had withdrawn from the professional/commuter routine. I established my home-based business providing clothing alterations and mending services – very much in tune with my values of reducing waste and living a simpler life.
I have been involved in village open days, welcoming new people, building the Sharing Shed, catering, working bees, markets, craft groups, fruit processing and several committees over time.
Personally, I love living here because: -we don’t have fences! This promotes openness and means we are aware of each other and conversations are easily started; I love the friendly waves and hellos from people as they pass by my house if I am outside; I love living in a place where I am known, and I feel valued.
As a single person I can always find company and people to do stuff with, or I can retreat to my own space. There are always people around who are keen to offer support and assistance during difficult times.
Kathryn
(Kirrilee) I’ve lived in the Village with my kids for 10 years, starting out with renting in Tetragonia Walk, then living on Olearia/ Dianella Walk after buying my lot and building. I named my house Asante, Swahili, for thank you. I’m grateful for all the decisions that contributed to the livability of the Village. It’s incredible to know almost everyone. God said, ‘It’s not good for man to be alone’ this was about Adam needing Eve in the beginning, but I think it can also be understood as the human need for community. **The Village is my home, and as a Christian, I feel blessed to be able to share my home [through Airbnb]. I love welcoming people in, giving, meeting dear souls and offering hospitality. For me, being able to share what I’ve got adds to the community experience of the Village. It’s also how I met my husband Dirk when he came to the Village as a worker and needed a place to stay.
(Dirk) I originally came to Australia from Germany, then came to the Village during a year off Working on Organic Farms – known as Woofing. I didn’t stay in the Village long before going to travel and stay in other Australian intentional communities, but I eventually came back and stayed here. This Village works so well due to the variety of people. This variety makes it a stable and resilient community, thanks to there always being someone who knows how to get things done. A successful village needs both finances and the skills of artists, people with trades, gardening knowledge, engineers, and others with a large network in the greater Fleurieu community.
(Kirrilee) The community in the Village is God’s gift. I’m surrounded by such a good group of people that understand the importance of boundaries. People are happy if you can participate, but understand that sometimes you have to say no. I’ve been involved in the village community since I moved in. At first, I ran community development projects. Now I’m a part of the Pago Inc team and manage bookings for our community Sharing Shed. Pago Inc was created to manage our community use of the Shed. I think that the establishment of Pago allowed, or even forced, the Village to evolve into something better, without having endless meetings and disagreements. We’ve really achieved so much as a village. Pago is run by an integrated team of villagers working for the good of the Village. We’re an Arts Eco Village, but in the Village, the community is the vital ingredient. Community comes first, and everything else follows. This community has such a positive impact on my kids that will follow them into adulthood.
Kirrilee and Dirk