Valerie

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Valerie. I recently moved from Brisbane to Melbourne to be closer to my family. It's been a big change, but I'm really enjoying life in Melbourne's inner north.

I've thrown myself into getting to know the area. I've joined U3A, where I'm part of a book club, film group, walking group and (hopefully soon) the dine-out group. I've also joined another community club where I go to poetry, play reading, rambling and environmental groups. My diary is filling up quickly.

The best part is being close to my family. I have grandchildren nearby, so during the school holidays I'm taking one granddaughter to a concert at Tempo Rubato and my grandson to Puffing Billy. 

Have you always lived in Brisbane?

No. I've lived all over Australia and overseas.

After graduating as a social worker, I moved to Perth, then to Gladstone in Central Queensland. After that my family spent eight years living in London before returning to Australia, where we lived in Adelaide, Sydney for 25 years, Brisbane for another 20 years, and now Melbourne.

I think I've lived everywhere except Tasmania.

What led you to Nightingale Housing?

My daughter, who lives in Ballarat, told me about Nightingale after one of the buildings won an architectural award there. I started researching it and came down to Melbourne to look at different housing options.

Nightingale really ticked a lot of boxes for me. I was looking for somewhere with a genuine sense of community and a strong commitment to environmental sustainability. I know we all still have a footprint, but I wanted to live somewhere that was making thoughtful choices.

I entered the ballot for Nightingale Umarkoo Wayi, was fortunate enough to receive an apartment, and then there was a wait before moving in. During that time I came down to Melbourne several times to meet some of the future residents of the building and the Nightingale team. I knew many neighbours before moving in.

Moving interstate sounds like a huge undertaking.

It certainly was.

I sold my house in Brisbane, downsized considerably and gave away a lot of belongings. I did it myself. When you're moving into a smaller apartment you don't always know exactly what will fit, so there was a lot of careful planning.

How have you found living without a car?

It's definitely been an adjustment.

I sold my car before moving because that's part of the Nightingale approach. I'm learning to get around by bike and public transport, and I'm getting better at navigating Melbourne every day. It's a challenge, but I'm enjoying discovering the city.

How have you found the Nightingale community?

Those early gatherings helped us get to know each other.

Since moving in, we've formed committees, and organised various social events. I'm on both the social committee and the gardening committee. We've had a great trivia night, experimented with rooftop gardening and are always thinking about new ways to bring people together.

I really enjoyed the rooftop smoking ceremony when we first moved in. Everyone brought food to share which was lovely. There is potential for more of that.

The rooftop garden gave us lettuce, herbs and tomatoes over summer. We tried growing corn. It grew beautifully and the children loved watching it, although in the end it didn't quite ripen as we'd hoped.

There's a lovely mix of people in the building, families with young children, older residents, artists, doctors, and everyone in between. The children have naturally formed friendships, and there are different group chats for parents, gardeners and dog owners.

Have there been any moments that really capture the spirit of community?

There have been lots of little moments.

I brought a beautiful Turkish rug with me from Brisbane, but once I laid it out I realised it didn't quite suit my new apartment. I posted a message on our building group chat and within minutes someone wanted it.

Another time I realised I didn't have a tin opener. I asked on the group chat and someone on my floor lent me theirs until I bought one.

When I needed help putting things up in my apartment, one of my neighbours came upstairs with his tools.

What do you love most about your apartment?

I really like the changes I've made to make it my own, and I think the kitchen is beautifully designed. It's compact but works very well.

The apartment is easy to look after, I love the timber floors, and I have a lovely view. 

How has the move to Melbourne been?

The weather has definitely taken some getting used to. I've bought a lot of warm clothes.

I'm enjoying getting to know Melbourne and being closer to my family.

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