StoryScape #10

Marie Hearn, Karina Goldfinch, Elizabeth are all members of The Great Tree Collective who meet at Allwood House in the Art Space every Friday. The Collective are a group of crafters and artists from the community who come together to raise awareness about the importance of hollow bearing trees. They began and are still creating an incredible 80 metre mountain ash tree in 2019, from eco-dyed fabric. Karena is also member of several environmental groups – Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum and Kinglake Friends of the Forest, and Elizabeth is convener of Nillumbik Climate Action team, Secretary of Nillumbik Friends of the Great Forest and several Friends groups.

Tom and Judy Joiner are long term Hurstbridge residents. Tom Joiner helped to renovate Allwood House back in the early 1980s and, together with Judy, helped to run the Hurstbridge Pony Club when its clubrooms operated out of the Old Dairy building.

Keira de Hoog is the Community Development Officer at Allwood Neighbourhood House since 2023. She is also a long-term Nillumbik local, growing up in Panton Hill and loving the community and environment. As she came from a publishing background, it was a perfect fit to work together with Allwood historian, David Kerrigan to write and produce The Bridge play in 2024. Keira then co-founded The Bridge Collective, a community arts group that had its roots in The Bridge play that still meet regularly. She was also on the Board that ran the Nillumbik Festival of Stories in 2025 and she curates and helps develop the First Nations Fridays blog for Allwood House, exploring the histories and lore of the Wurundjeri people. Keira is passionate about the arts, local history, First Nations stories and events, and the environment, which is why she adores working at Allwood Neighbourhood House.

Naomi Graham was the stage manager for the production The Bridge, a community-led play about the shooting of Henry Hurst by the bushranger Burke, performed at Allwood House on 4th and 12th October 2024 to sold out crowds! Since The Bridge, Naomi was then auspiced by Allwood House to run the Nillumbik Festival of Stories, a beautiful 3 day festival that attracted many local community members, writers and artists in May 2025.

The Landy family are a much loved part of Allwood House. Rebecca teaches Children’s Storytime and Dance on Thursday mornings and her husband, Matt, daughter Scout and son, Percy were all involved in the choir in The Bridge play on 4th and 12th October 2024. Rebecca also took photos for the promotion and programme of The Bridge as part of her business, Rebecca Landy Creates. They have since been involved in and performed other plays and skits as part of The Bridge Collective.

Stephanie Dallas is the CEO of Allwood Neighbourhood House and was a pivotal part in the success of The Bridge play, if only because she said ultimately yes and allowed all the madness to happen! She saw the vision, scope and helped with everything practical that brought it to life!