Katrina Mittermaier, Learning and Development Program Manager

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Resident of Seddon, Learning and Development Program Manager for one of Australia’s largest Superannuation Companies

Vice President of the Seddon Community Group and Seddon Festival Chair

I have worked across various organisations over the last 16 years, including building and construction but predominantly within the finance industry. I’ve spent most of the time in Learning and Organisational Development, leading projects and initiatives as well as an Instructional Designer. I currently lead a team of learning specialists.

I find the values of where I currently work align with my own values. I used to be a career contractor in my field, however I love where I am now and am now permanent. I love watching the growth of the company. It’s a changing industry and there is always something to do. I love the working culture, and feel there is alignment with their values to the volunteer work I do.

My Dad is from Austria, and migrated to Australia with my grandfather, grandmother and uncle during the mid-fifties, near ten years after the Second World War. My mother was born in Melbourne and her background is English. Growing up, I have watched them start things from scratch, which makes me appreciate everything I have, understanding the value of hard work. Although the experience that came from my Dad’s side of the family has made me see the difference in my upbringing compared to other people and life in general.

I am the oldest of three children, having a younger sister and brother. I am godmother to my eight year old niece, who I adore. There has been a new addition to the extended family with my sister having recently giving birth to my second niece, who I also adore.

Seddon has been my home for 14 years, and I have seen massive changes in the area, particularly over the last eight to ten years. I remember walking down Seddon, and would only venture down Charles Street as there was not much happening in Victoria Street, A lot of the shops were more commercial-based shops or were vacant at the time. I would head out to Seddon on Friday nights to where Lola is now. There used to be a little bar, and you could go in and order drinks while playing board games. Someone would play acoustic guitar as well.

Trains used to arrive with far less frequency than I remember. I remember watching empty carriages arriving in Seddon station, but as time went by it started filling up and I would think “What’s going on here?”

I also realised things were changing as I had a house along Williamstown Road which I renovated and at the time, sold for a record price. That enabled me to move to my current home ten years ago.

I refurbished my home to make it more hospitable before moving to Canada in 2012. I wanted a change, to meet different people and experience a different country and to explore my career options. However it was a shock to me as there were aspects of my industry in Canada which were not as advanced as Australia. I moved back to Melbourne after just six months.

I travel extensively and to date have been to 27 countries. You can learn a lot by visiting different cultures and I love the diversity. I just returned from a two-and-a-half week trip to Japan in August with my partner. It was a particularly memorable trip, sharing amazing experiences with him and I would definitely love to go back again.

I always seem to have a story when I travel, which somehow affects the things I do in life. When I was travelling to New Zealand, I stopped in Christchurch, and the earthquake happened. It made me reflect on my life, so it spurred my decision to move to Canada.

I am the Vice President of the Seddon Community Group (SCG), and have been involved with the group for near four years. The group has been around for over 20 years. SCG is a community-based, non-profit, non-religious volunteer group working together to provide a better future for residents, traders and visitors to the Seddon area. Back in the day when there was no social media, the group met up on a regular basis for social gatherings, share information, and to advocate for community initiatives where a lot of Seddonians see today – one being the support of the re-establishment of Seddon Village.

The group still holds meetings and some social gatherings and have now incorporated other forms of communication with the community via digital methods. Anyone can be a member of the group, even if they don’t live locally. One of our aims is to make Seddon a destination not just to live, but to also visit. The annual Seddon Festival is an initiative bought to the community by the group and has helped with and continues to assist with this.

I am also the Seddon Festival Chair. The first “festival” in Seddon was a Harvest Festival in 1998 in Harris Reserve, Gamon Street. It was organised by the then-new SCG who ended that year with a Christmas festival at the Charles/Greig Street intersection. The success of these two events encouraged the SCG to hold an annual music event in the park, soon to become known as ‘Seddon Music in the Park’, and then later ‘Seddon Festival in the Park’.

Melbourne’s Inner West is blessed with much established and developing musical talent. Famous locals to play included Nicky Bomba (Bomba Reggae/Melbourne Ska Orchestra), Phil Manning (Chain), Rebecca Barnard (Rebecca’s Empire), Ross Hannaford (Daddy Cool), @Mark Ferris (The Models/RocKwiz Orkestra) and Pat Wilson (Bop Girl). After several years of SCG and volunteers approaching performers, many up-and-coming and established acts now seek to be included, where we now have a waitlist for future Seddon Festival years.

In 2013, ‘Seddon Festival’’ moved into Charles Street for the first time with two stages and increased space for market stalls and room for roving performers. The estimate of people attending at that time was approximately 5,000 people – certainly a large increase on Harris Reserve’s capacity!

After feedback from the community the footprint was extended further in Victoria Street, including a third music stage. This was also the first year the Festival became part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, attracting 9,000 people. It was one of the largest free family events under that umbrella.

The iconic annual Seddon Festival Great Waiters Race (GWR) is in its sixth year. Local wait staff enter and participate to win the famous GWR cup to proudly display in their shop for the next 12 months.

We are currently still at planning stage for Seddon Festival 2018. We trialled the car zone in 2017 and we are potentially looking at expanding it as it had really good feedback. We are still going to have the pet zone, including the dog show and petting zoo. We may expand the pet zone to include a reptile enclosure and pony rides, which means more activities for families and kids. Toby the T-Rex may come back, along with a friend.

As the SCG is a non-for-profit, volunteer-led group, it relies solely on the annual festival grant from council and sponsorships from local businesses for the festival to be run successfully. We also encourage others within in the community to connect and support the festival by volunteering in any way they can.

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