Amberlie Cameron-Smith has become quickly entrenched in the Ardeer community through her work with the Sunshine College school council and the Sunshine Heights Cricket Club, as she tells Matthew Sims.
What is your connection to Brimbank?
I have been living in the west in Ardeer for about 13 years. My husband Phil and I came over to live close to my mum, who moved here about five years before. My connection to Brimbank is fairly recent, as we did not grow up in the west but we are very glad my daughter Charlie (12) and my son Alexander (14) have grown up here and went to Kellie O’Connell Kindergarten, then Mother of God Primary School in Ardeer . My community in Ardeer is something that I am deeply entrenched in now. My son Alexander is in the under-15 cricket team and my husband played in C Turf and Veterans. I am now on the Sunshine Heights Cricket Club committee as part of the wellbeing sub-committee. In terms of my work, I deliver Zoom classes in Certificate III in Business for the Suzan Johnston Training Organization to allow people to go into office support roles.
What do you love about where you live?
There are a lot of things that I love. In Ardeer, my family and I enjoy walking along the Kororoit Creek Trail and we have a nice local green space in Ardeer Community Park. I love that there are Ardeer focused Facebook pages where community members can discuss issues and activities. Another thing we love is that Ardeer and Brimbank has local producers. For example, our honey is made a couple of streets away and it is delicious. I love that we have a wide range of access opportunities to public transport. I like to be as actively involved in the community as I can, including sitting on the Sunshine College school council as a parent representative. It’s still quite new to me, but what I love about it is that it reinforces, as a parent, that the school has great intentions for our children. Being on the school council has really solidified that for me. I relish the opportunity to provide the council with the parents’ perspective and support the school in their vision. I also appreciate the cultural diversity of the area and I am so glad that my children have grown up in a community which is diverse and inclusive. That is an essential part of the community.
What, if anything, would you change about where you live?
There are a lot of things that are great in Ardeer, such as the Kororoit Creek Trail and the bike tracks, but I would love it if there was a bike path/footpath right up Forrest Street connecting Ardeer to Derrimut and Deer Park. That might entice people to walk or ride between the areas. Any improvements to green spaces and places for young and old to meet, create, exercise, and relax could only benefit the community. I know my mum would love a local bus service that dropped off at Sunshine Market Place and Sunshine Plaza before or after Sunshine station.
Where is your favourite local place to spend time?
As I’ve already mentioned, the Kororoit Creek Trail is one of my family’s favourite places to walk, especially with all of the recent improvements. We often walk to Sunshine and Albion and pick-up a bahn mi or bubble tea or visit Sadie Black Cafe, Selwyn Park or Sunshine Social on Glengala Road. There is so much diversity in places to visit, whether it is for food or activities.
Tell us something people would be surprised to know about you.
I like to dip my Vegemite toast in tea with honey. When I was younger, I competed in dance competitions, did high school musicals and auditioned for the Johnny Young Talent School. I studied drama at university, but realised quite quickly that I couldn’t act. However, I was an extra in the background of a scene in Muriel’s Wedding. I think it might have been during the talent show scene at the resort. It was so exciting and it felt special at the time. I got to see how the film-making process worked and got to see Toni Collette at the start of her career. Ultimately, I have become really entrenched in the Ardeer and Brimbank community and I love it here.
