What’s your connection to Brimbank?
I came to Australia in 1986. I came to Deer Park and I’m still living there. I also do 15 hours a week of volunteer work at St Bernadette’s Aged Care in Sunshine.
What do you like best about the area?
I love the Maltese community in the western suburbs. I’ve been able to communicate with them and it’s a piece of home out here.
Tell us about the musical performances you put on here.
I DJ as a hobby, so I thought why not bring it in here (St Bernadette’s). So I play them a sing-a-long on Fridays and we immerse ourselves in memories. The music is based on what the residents want. I ask them who their favourite singer is or their favourite song. Sometimes it even makes them cry because it brings back a memory of when they were young.
What kind of music do you play?
It’s always sing-a-long. There’s Maltese, Polish, Italian and a wider mix of cultural backgrounds here. I like to cater for all of them, so not all the songs are in English – there’s something for everyone to make them happy.
What other things do you do with your time here?
I also enjoy taking the residents out on day trips. I drive a bus down to Altona and we go to the beach. Then on the way home we stop at McDonald’s for a coffee or ice cream – it’s nice to get the residents out and enjoying the outdoors when the weather allows.
Do you find yourself forming relationships with the residents?
I’ve made some great friends here. Some have passed away and I miss them, but there’s always new people coming in. A lot are from my home country, Malta, and I’ve found we bring each other memories. I show pictures from Malta on the screen here and they’ll start telling me stories about these people and places I was too young to know about.
