Latest news with #Seddon
Yahoo
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
To tackle housing crisis, planners threaten future of Aussie suburb no one knew existed
Just 6km west of Melbourne is a beautiful suburb few people actually know exists. When I moved to Seddon, I developed impostor syndrome. White picket fences and well-tended rose gardens stand in front of single-storey Victorian workers' cottages and Edwardian terrace houses. There's little traffic in this Melbourne suburb, so kids can play footy on the streets, and at local parks, pubs and cafes, you'll always bump into someone you know. The first sign that Seddon was set to be dramatically changed was a one-page pamphlet dropped in letterboxes by Victoria's planning authority. What alarmed residents like me is that the map it contained didn't even mention Seddon by name. With the stroke of a Sharpie, bureaucrats had drawn a line around the suburb, incorporating it into a high-rise development plan for neighbouring suburbs, sparking concerns that planners in Melbourne didn't even know we existed. Residents expectedly turned to their local Facebook group to debate the proposal. 'This is infuriating,' one person wrote. 'I don't want any high rises destroying the beautiful community feel we have created,' another said. But others seemingly backed the plan with one saying, 'Living inner city means inevitable change'. Related: 'Error' discovered in Melbourne's new housing plan Seddon has provisionally been zoned into an Activity Centre, as part of a program designed by the Victorian government to 'shake up' planning laws within 1km of designated train stations. Because Seddon is less than 1km in size, nearly all of the suburb fits into the Middle Footscray station zone, meaning some of it could be zoned at a whopping 12 storeys, while the fringes will likely be zoned for three storeys. Creating more housing close to public transport where people want to live has merit. Of course, not everyone agrees — protests broke out after residents in affluent Brighton learned they were getting an Activity Centre — and 60 suburbs have now been slated for the program. Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny indicated she wants feedback from the community. But it's been a challenge to get specific information about how residents can appeal the plans, or if each suburb's character will be protected. When I contacted her department it refused to be interviewed, so I sent 10 questions about what the Activity Centre plan would specifically mean for Seddon. Two weeks and 15 emails later, it responded with a two-line statement that didn't mention Seddon by name. 'We've kicked off consultation this month on the next 25 train and tram zones — including for West Footscray, Tottenham and Middle Footscray stations,' it read. "We want to work with communities to ensure more Victorians have the opportunity to live close to public transport, their loved ones, and the things that matter to them.' Seddon was named in honour of New Zealand's premier Richard Seddon after his death in 1906, but it didn't become a suburb until 1999, and it still doesn't have its own postcode. It's a place that not many people know about, but it's always been very important to those who live Mulready This isn't the first time development has threatened to destroy the suburb. In the 1970s, there were plans to turn quiet Pilgrim Street into a busy freeway-like road. Local historian Pamela Mulready explained this would have resulted in the loss of hundreds of homes, and intersected the town. 'That had a terrible effect on the area, because it all became depressed. There was no future, so a lot of people moved out. Businesses wound up, and people sold their houses at reduced prices,' she said. The town has long been an ALP stronghold, and party-affiliated councillors successfully fought against the road plan. And the drop in house prices did have one positive — it opened up opportunities for migrants and today there's an abundance of languages spoken here, including Vietnamese, Italian, Chinese and Macedonian. Late in May, the planning department hosted an online meeting so community members could ask questions of their experts. But questions were grouped together by a moderator and many residents complained about a lack of specificity in answers. 'What we expected: a whole heap of clever avoidance, vagueness and no obvious signs of future accountability,' one person wrote. 'A lot of carefully planned and rehearsed answers telling you nothing,' another said. 'I asked directly about building heights, twice, on Victoria Street and they literally did not answer,' someone else added. It's not that I'm a NIMBY, a Not In My Backyard resident who advocates for change elsewhere but not where I live. Planning should be bold. But I fear change without detail. Melbourne's west already faces problems with pollution, overpopulated schools, a lack of parking and few green spaces. Seddon is relatively safe, although my copper pipes were stolen the week before we moved in and across the road, a house was burgled this week. There is a perception Melbourne as a city is struggling to combat crime, with machete attacks in shopping centres and aggravated burglaries making the news this month. Many residents are concerned about increasing density while the streets are unsafe. Plan to reintroduce wild animals into Australia's major cities Stark new divide emerges among homeowners Photos show huge problem facing Melbourne When I attended a follow-up community meeting at the West Footscray library, planning staff were writing down notes on Post-it notes, and adding them to a map. There were pictures on the wall of how they imagine the suburb could one day look — no Victorian cottages or rose gardens to be seen, only tightly-built modern townhouses. One staff member admitted they hadn't expected the uproar, admitting Seddon was only included in the map because of its proximity to Middle Footscray station, not because the suburb itself was somehow well-suited for an Activity Centre. Another said they'd heard the response from residents 'loud and clear'. Whether Seddon will even be included in the final Activity Centre plan for West Footscray, Tottenham and Middle Footscray stations is unclear. New housing around Melbourne's west is essential, but amenities are needed first. One project approved under the previous Liberal government was dubbed the worst development in Melbourne and planning laws remain problematic. Residents in the west want the character of their suburbs respected, and developers prevented from taking shortcuts. The vague suggestion that Seddon could be incorporated into plans for three larger suburbs has caused a panic. The government claims the changes will be gradual, but the planning department has revealed its being pressured to hurry through the process and work through any feedback from residents by the end of 2026. There is no doubt much-needed housing will be created, developers will get rich, some residents will make a fortune selling their rezoned land, and businesses will gain new customers. But whether the Activity Centre ultimately helps or hinders the community of Seddon will be revealed when details are eventually made available to its residents. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
The Age
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Age
It's about planning ahead: Kate Seddon's switch from advertising to landscape designer
This story is part of the June 7 edition of Good Weekend. See all 14 stories. Garden design is a collegiate affair for Kate Seddon. This she makes clear from the moment we sit down in the kitchen of her Victorian home in Melbourne's south-east – everything she does is a team enterprise, her business name, Kate Seddon Landscape Design (KSLD), aside. 'We work across all projects together, from the start to the finish,' she tells me, over a pot of tea and a plate of delicious home-made biscuits. 'I don't want this to sound like it's just about me.' Over the past two decades, the 50-something designer has made a name for herself creating dazzling private gardens for the well-heeled in Brighton, Caulfield North, Northcote, Hawthorn, Richmond, Fitzroy North, South Yarra and Toorak. There are also projects on the Mornington Peninsula and in Bendigo, Ballarat and Castlemaine. 'I don't want to spread myself too thinly, with a two hours' drive the max,' says the mother-of-two matter-of-factly. 'A sense of place and understanding the local terrain is extremely important.' She recently completed a garden for a new two-storey house at Barwon Heads on the Bellarine Peninsula, which falls within the designer's self-imposed geographical boundaries. Although the former cottage was demolished, the owners of the property were mindful that the locals loved the cottage-style garden. Rather than clear the site and start from scratch, Seddon and her team retained a number of the original trees, such as coast banksia and willow myrtle. She also brought in a few 30-year-old olive trees, replanted from another property. 'These established trees come with gnarled trunks and the structure is beautiful,' says Seddon, who likes to use a combination of native and exotic species, selecting the most appropriate plants for the site as much as for the climate. She often clips certain species to add form, allowing a looser arrangement to spill over them. For the Barwon Heads house, she used Elio cobblestones for pathways and a local sandy gravel for the driveway to complement the colours of the house bricks. It took Seddon some time to find her creative pathway, despite her pedigree. After finishing high school, she studied arts at the University of Melbourne, majoring in psychology. This was despite her late father, Chris Seddon, being a prominent architect, having done work for Sir Norman Foster's studio, including the iconic HSBC building in Hong Kong. 'I think architecture just seemed too close,' recalls Seddon, who pursued a career in advertising instead, working with companies such as Schofield Sherbon Baker (Leo Schofield, the cultural buff, was one of its directors). 'Advertising is a young person's field,' she notes. 'It's exciting, but it demands night and weekend work and is not particularly amenable for starting a family.' She bit the bullet and made a career change in 2002. 'I was always attracted to gardens and the broader world of design, given my father's career, and seeing numerous buildings on family holidays.' Seddon enrolled in a graduate diploma in horticulture and design offered by the University of Melbourne, located in Burnley on the banks of the Yarra River. 'From the first moment I arrived, I knew that I had made the right choice,' she says. 'The setting was magical. It's like a small botanic garden, full of birdlife, with a fabulous mid-20th century building. My lecturers were truly passionate and deep thinkers.' Landscape architect Andrew Laidlaw, who was one of many who taught Seddon and now works at the Royal Botanic Gardens, explains why she was dux of her year. 'Kate would always 'gobble up' as much information as she could, continually asking questions and always eager to learn more. I could tell even then that she would be successful. In this profession, you need to be a great listener. But you also need to have an innate ability to design. Most of the great landscape designers I know have little ego, and Kate is certainly not about her, but the work.' Like most new graduates, Seddon began with a small project, which was in the bayside suburb of Brighton – only a driveway and a side path to redesign. She brought in a copse of trees on one side and installed a meandering timber path leading to the front door at the side of the house. The meandering path was later implemented on a much larger scale for the Besen family's TarraWarra Museum, an hour's drive from Melbourne. 'If you develop too many concepts, a design loses its strength and becomes a 'Frankenstein'.' Among her many other projects: the landscaping for a mid-20th-century home in Caulfield North. The owner already had succulents and cacti dotted around the house. The pool's pebbled 'crusty and awkward lip' was removed and the pool retiled. One of the inspired choices was a curvaceous steel fence that enclosed the new crazy-paving, a style popular in the 1950s that matched the age of the home. The garden beds were also replanted and reshaped with kangaroo paw and coastal rosemary, along with native grasses. Closer to the city, she reworked the garden of a Victorian house in South Melbourne, which lacked a midpoint in the vista, with a swimming pool positioned at the very end of the backyard. Hence, her redesign included a new paved area in limestone and an alfresco dining area, with a pergola to screen a neighbouring church. Shutters that were no longer required in the house were fashioned into curved garden bench seats. For Seddon, it's not only understanding what her clients are looking for but also, as importantly, their dislikes. And rather than confuse the client with too many different schemes, she presents just one. 'If you develop too many concepts, a design loses its strength and becomes a 'Frankenstein',' says Seddon, who sees the importance of creating a 'dialogue' between the house and its garden rather than having different 'voices'. 'I think the best gardens happen when the clients also get involved, whether or not they put their fingers in the dirt.' Architect Anne Hindley, director of Hindley & Co, is currently working with Seddon on a property in Brighton. As well as refurbishing the house, the brief included screening the back garden from a palazzo directly behind. 'Kate's suggestion was to demolish the old pool house on the edge of the site, provide some dense planting and build a new pool house that would also accommodate the family's needs,' says Hindley. All gardens mature, of course, evolving with the seasons and as a family moves through their life cycle, but over time they can take on a different nature as properties change hands or owners imprint their own character. One that Seddon revisited three years after designing it introduced a series of garden gnomes across the front flower beds. Each plaster figure carried a ball or a cricket bat, lined up into teams. At another house, a Japanese-style bridge had appeared. But given the owners' children's affection for using it as a backdrop for fairy stories, the bridge was retained and enhanced with new plants around it. Loading Our interview over, Seddon shows me around her own back garden on this overcast afternoon. At the end, there's a separate nook where she stores plants. Some of these are waiting to be planted or perhaps used for a client's garden – she calls this spot her 'laboratory'. There are mounded plants such as Persian shield plants, Pittosporum ' Miss Muffet' and unusual sculptural and succulent plants sprinkled throughout. If there's one piece of advice Seddon can give, it's to plan ahead, as gardens can add considerable value to a home. Unlike building or renovating a house, gardens and landscaping more often than not are left as an afterthought. A fairly simple garden, including structures, can start at $80,000 and go anywhere up to a million dollars, and this needs to be factored in when building a house. What may seem a tidy sum initially can pay big dividends over the longer term.
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Sydney Morning Herald
It's about planning ahead: Kate Seddon's switch from advertising to landscape designer
This story is part of the June 7 edition of Good Weekend. See all 14 stories. Garden design is a collegiate affair for Kate Seddon. This she makes clear from the moment we sit down in the kitchen of her Victorian home in Melbourne's south-east – everything she does is a team enterprise, her business name, Kate Seddon Landscape Design (KSLD), aside. 'We work across all projects together, from the start to the finish,' she tells me, over a pot of tea and a plate of delicious home-made biscuits. 'I don't want this to sound like it's just about me.' Over the past two decades, the 50-something designer has made a name for herself creating dazzling private gardens for the well-heeled in Brighton, Caulfield North, Northcote, Hawthorn, Richmond, Fitzroy North, South Yarra and Toorak. There are also projects on the Mornington Peninsula and in Bendigo, Ballarat and Castlemaine. 'I don't want to spread myself too thinly, with a two hours' drive the max,' says the mother-of-two matter-of-factly. 'A sense of place and understanding the local terrain is extremely important.' She recently completed a garden for a new two-storey house at Barwon Heads on the Bellarine Peninsula, which falls within the designer's self-imposed geographical boundaries. Although the former cottage was demolished, the owners of the property were mindful that the locals loved the cottage-style garden. Rather than clear the site and start from scratch, Seddon and her team retained a number of the original trees, such as coast banksia and willow myrtle. She also brought in a few 30-year-old olive trees, replanted from another property. 'These established trees come with gnarled trunks and the structure is beautiful,' says Seddon, who likes to use a combination of native and exotic species, selecting the most appropriate plants for the site as much as for the climate. She often clips certain species to add form, allowing a looser arrangement to spill over them. For the Barwon Heads house, she used Elio cobblestones for pathways and a local sandy gravel for the driveway to complement the colours of the house bricks. It took Seddon some time to find her creative pathway, despite her pedigree. After finishing high school, she studied arts at the University of Melbourne, majoring in psychology. This was despite her late father, Chris Seddon, being a prominent architect, having done work for Sir Norman Foster's studio, including the iconic HSBC building in Hong Kong. 'I think architecture just seemed too close,' recalls Seddon, who pursued a career in advertising instead, working with companies such as Schofield Sherbon Baker (Leo Schofield, the cultural buff, was one of its directors). 'Advertising is a young person's field,' she notes. 'It's exciting, but it demands night and weekend work and is not particularly amenable for starting a family.' She bit the bullet and made a career change in 2002. 'I was always attracted to gardens and the broader world of design, given my father's career, and seeing numerous buildings on family holidays.' Seddon enrolled in a graduate diploma in horticulture and design offered by the University of Melbourne, located in Burnley on the banks of the Yarra River. 'From the first moment I arrived, I knew that I had made the right choice,' she says. 'The setting was magical. It's like a small botanic garden, full of birdlife, with a fabulous mid-20th century building. My lecturers were truly passionate and deep thinkers.' Landscape architect Andrew Laidlaw, who was one of many who taught Seddon and now works at the Royal Botanic Gardens, explains why she was dux of her year. 'Kate would always 'gobble up' as much information as she could, continually asking questions and always eager to learn more. I could tell even then that she would be successful. In this profession, you need to be a great listener. But you also need to have an innate ability to design. Most of the great landscape designers I know have little ego, and Kate is certainly not about her, but the work.' Like most new graduates, Seddon began with a small project, which was in the bayside suburb of Brighton – only a driveway and a side path to redesign. She brought in a copse of trees on one side and installed a meandering timber path leading to the front door at the side of the house. The meandering path was later implemented on a much larger scale for the Besen family's TarraWarra Museum, an hour's drive from Melbourne. 'If you develop too many concepts, a design loses its strength and becomes a 'Frankenstein'.' Among her many other projects: the landscaping for a mid-20th-century home in Caulfield North. The owner already had succulents and cacti dotted around the house. The pool's pebbled 'crusty and awkward lip' was removed and the pool retiled. One of the inspired choices was a curvaceous steel fence that enclosed the new crazy-paving, a style popular in the 1950s that matched the age of the home. The garden beds were also replanted and reshaped with kangaroo paw and coastal rosemary, along with native grasses. Closer to the city, she reworked the garden of a Victorian house in South Melbourne, which lacked a midpoint in the vista, with a swimming pool positioned at the very end of the backyard. Hence, her redesign included a new paved area in limestone and an alfresco dining area, with a pergola to screen a neighbouring church. Shutters that were no longer required in the house were fashioned into curved garden bench seats. For Seddon, it's not only understanding what her clients are looking for but also, as importantly, their dislikes. And rather than confuse the client with too many different schemes, she presents just one. 'If you develop too many concepts, a design loses its strength and becomes a 'Frankenstein',' says Seddon, who sees the importance of creating a 'dialogue' between the house and its garden rather than having different 'voices'. 'I think the best gardens happen when the clients also get involved, whether or not they put their fingers in the dirt.' Architect Anne Hindley, director of Hindley & Co, is currently working with Seddon on a property in Brighton. As well as refurbishing the house, the brief included screening the back garden from a palazzo directly behind. 'Kate's suggestion was to demolish the old pool house on the edge of the site, provide some dense planting and build a new pool house that would also accommodate the family's needs,' says Hindley. All gardens mature, of course, evolving with the seasons and as a family moves through their life cycle, but over time they can take on a different nature as properties change hands or owners imprint their own character. One that Seddon revisited three years after designing it introduced a series of garden gnomes across the front flower beds. Each plaster figure carried a ball or a cricket bat, lined up into teams. At another house, a Japanese-style bridge had appeared. But given the owners' children's affection for using it as a backdrop for fairy stories, the bridge was retained and enhanced with new plants around it. Loading Our interview over, Seddon shows me around her own back garden on this overcast afternoon. At the end, there's a separate nook where she stores plants. Some of these are waiting to be planted or perhaps used for a client's garden – she calls this spot her 'laboratory'. There are mounded plants such as Persian shield plants, Pittosporum ' Miss Muffet' and unusual sculptural and succulent plants sprinkled throughout. If there's one piece of advice Seddon can give, it's to plan ahead, as gardens can add considerable value to a home. Unlike building or renovating a house, gardens and landscaping more often than not are left as an afterthought. A fairly simple garden, including structures, can start at $80,000 and go anywhere up to a million dollars, and this needs to be factored in when building a house. What may seem a tidy sum initially can pay big dividends over the longer term.
The Advertiser
11-05-2025
- The Advertiser
Administrator accused of defrauding not-for-profit preschool of more than $150K
A FORMER employee at a Newcastle community preschool is accused of defrauding the not-for-profit organisation of more than $150,000 over a two-year period, court documents reveal. Robyn Seddon, 47, of Valentine, who police say was in an administrative role at Jesmond Community Preschool, is accused of transferring money from the business into her personal bank accounts and using a company debit card to buy electronics, groceries and clothes. Police say Seddon made more than 20 fraudulent transactions between April 2022 and March 2024, totalling nearly $150,000. An eight-month investigation in 2024 culminated in police charging Seddon with 22 counts of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception and five counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception. Seddon, who remains on bail after her arrest in December, was excused from attending court last week when her matter was mentioned and her solicitor, James Janke, asked for a three-week adjournment before entering pleas. According to court documents, Seddon is accused of transferring varying amounts of money from the Jesmond Community Preschool account into her own personal accounts. The totals involved in the alleged fraudulent transactions range from between about $1600 to $20,000, according to court documents. In one transaction during February 2023, Seddon is accused of requesting a refund of $16,000 owed to the school be paid into her own personal account. As well as the alleged dodgy money transfers, police say their investigation uncovered a number of unauthorised purchases made on Seddon's company debit card. That allegedly involved $2500 worth of electronic items - including two laptops, four sets of noise cancelling headphones, power banks and AirPods - purchased in December, 2023. Police say there was also more than $550 spent on groceries over two transactions, $165 spent on clothes and $200 spent on hardware. The total amount allegedly defrauded from the school, including the property that police say was dishonestly obtained, is $152,769. Jesmond Community Preschool is a government funded, not-for-profit organisation on the grounds of Callaghan College and Heaton Public School in Janet Street. It is described as a small centre that caters for less than 40 preschool aged children in the local community. A FORMER employee at a Newcastle community preschool is accused of defrauding the not-for-profit organisation of more than $150,000 over a two-year period, court documents reveal. Robyn Seddon, 47, of Valentine, who police say was in an administrative role at Jesmond Community Preschool, is accused of transferring money from the business into her personal bank accounts and using a company debit card to buy electronics, groceries and clothes. Police say Seddon made more than 20 fraudulent transactions between April 2022 and March 2024, totalling nearly $150,000. An eight-month investigation in 2024 culminated in police charging Seddon with 22 counts of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception and five counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception. Seddon, who remains on bail after her arrest in December, was excused from attending court last week when her matter was mentioned and her solicitor, James Janke, asked for a three-week adjournment before entering pleas. According to court documents, Seddon is accused of transferring varying amounts of money from the Jesmond Community Preschool account into her own personal accounts. The totals involved in the alleged fraudulent transactions range from between about $1600 to $20,000, according to court documents. In one transaction during February 2023, Seddon is accused of requesting a refund of $16,000 owed to the school be paid into her own personal account. As well as the alleged dodgy money transfers, police say their investigation uncovered a number of unauthorised purchases made on Seddon's company debit card. That allegedly involved $2500 worth of electronic items - including two laptops, four sets of noise cancelling headphones, power banks and AirPods - purchased in December, 2023. Police say there was also more than $550 spent on groceries over two transactions, $165 spent on clothes and $200 spent on hardware. The total amount allegedly defrauded from the school, including the property that police say was dishonestly obtained, is $152,769. Jesmond Community Preschool is a government funded, not-for-profit organisation on the grounds of Callaghan College and Heaton Public School in Janet Street. It is described as a small centre that caters for less than 40 preschool aged children in the local community. A FORMER employee at a Newcastle community preschool is accused of defrauding the not-for-profit organisation of more than $150,000 over a two-year period, court documents reveal. Robyn Seddon, 47, of Valentine, who police say was in an administrative role at Jesmond Community Preschool, is accused of transferring money from the business into her personal bank accounts and using a company debit card to buy electronics, groceries and clothes. Police say Seddon made more than 20 fraudulent transactions between April 2022 and March 2024, totalling nearly $150,000. An eight-month investigation in 2024 culminated in police charging Seddon with 22 counts of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception and five counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception. Seddon, who remains on bail after her arrest in December, was excused from attending court last week when her matter was mentioned and her solicitor, James Janke, asked for a three-week adjournment before entering pleas. According to court documents, Seddon is accused of transferring varying amounts of money from the Jesmond Community Preschool account into her own personal accounts. The totals involved in the alleged fraudulent transactions range from between about $1600 to $20,000, according to court documents. In one transaction during February 2023, Seddon is accused of requesting a refund of $16,000 owed to the school be paid into her own personal account. As well as the alleged dodgy money transfers, police say their investigation uncovered a number of unauthorised purchases made on Seddon's company debit card. That allegedly involved $2500 worth of electronic items - including two laptops, four sets of noise cancelling headphones, power banks and AirPods - purchased in December, 2023. Police say there was also more than $550 spent on groceries over two transactions, $165 spent on clothes and $200 spent on hardware. The total amount allegedly defrauded from the school, including the property that police say was dishonestly obtained, is $152,769. Jesmond Community Preschool is a government funded, not-for-profit organisation on the grounds of Callaghan College and Heaton Public School in Janet Street. It is described as a small centre that caters for less than 40 preschool aged children in the local community. A FORMER employee at a Newcastle community preschool is accused of defrauding the not-for-profit organisation of more than $150,000 over a two-year period, court documents reveal. Robyn Seddon, 47, of Valentine, who police say was in an administrative role at Jesmond Community Preschool, is accused of transferring money from the business into her personal bank accounts and using a company debit card to buy electronics, groceries and clothes. Police say Seddon made more than 20 fraudulent transactions between April 2022 and March 2024, totalling nearly $150,000. An eight-month investigation in 2024 culminated in police charging Seddon with 22 counts of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception and five counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception. Seddon, who remains on bail after her arrest in December, was excused from attending court last week when her matter was mentioned and her solicitor, James Janke, asked for a three-week adjournment before entering pleas. According to court documents, Seddon is accused of transferring varying amounts of money from the Jesmond Community Preschool account into her own personal accounts. The totals involved in the alleged fraudulent transactions range from between about $1600 to $20,000, according to court documents. In one transaction during February 2023, Seddon is accused of requesting a refund of $16,000 owed to the school be paid into her own personal account. As well as the alleged dodgy money transfers, police say their investigation uncovered a number of unauthorised purchases made on Seddon's company debit card. That allegedly involved $2500 worth of electronic items - including two laptops, four sets of noise cancelling headphones, power banks and AirPods - purchased in December, 2023. Police say there was also more than $550 spent on groceries over two transactions, $165 spent on clothes and $200 spent on hardware. The total amount allegedly defrauded from the school, including the property that police say was dishonestly obtained, is $152,769. Jesmond Community Preschool is a government funded, not-for-profit organisation on the grounds of Callaghan College and Heaton Public School in Janet Street. It is described as a small centre that caters for less than 40 preschool aged children in the local community.
ABC News
25-04-2025
- ABC News
Unique encounters and experiences everyday people had with Pope Francis
Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Jackson, and then Pope Francis. Gary Seddon has come across a few famous faces as CEO of Air Niugini, Papua New Guinea's national airline. But interacting with the pope when he visited the Pacific Island nation last year was "particularly memorable and remarkable". "There was an opportunity for the crew and I to spend a few precious moments with the pope during the flight," Mr Seddon told the ABC. " It's absolutely true and fair to say that he had a unique ability to connect with everyone. " Seddon (front centre) said Pope Francis was very generous with his time speaking to the Air Niugini crew. ( Supplied ) In the 12 years of his pontificate, Francis visited 68 countries, often travelling to remote regions of the world. Similar stories have emerged from locals in various countries, describing his energy, enthusiasm, and the lasting impression he left. The Pope's Apostolic Nunciature — the equivalent of an embassy for the Holy See in a foreign country — was among Air Niugini's company accommodation. "He would drive past all of our flight attendants, our engineers, our crew and their families every day," Mr Seddon said. " His window was always down and he was always shaking hands with everybody that went past. " Air Niugini cabin crew meeting Pope Francis after his three-day visit to Papua New Guinea in 2024. Although he never made it to Australia, many Catholics across the country say their lives were touched by the pope. And for some, it was in very unique ways. Ahead of the pope's funeral on Saturday, they shared experiences of how Francis left a personal impact. Wagga Wagga to Lisbon pilgrimage Photo shows Pope Francis acknowledges the crowd as he arrives for his Inauguration Mass on March 19, 2013 in Vatican City. The leader of the Catholic Church Pope Francis has died. The Argentinian Jesuit oversaw one of the most tumultuous periods in the Church's modern history. It was August 2023, and Lisbon was in the middle of a sweltering summer. Gerry Letchford had travelled all the way from Wagga Wagga in inland New South Wales to meet the pope in the Portuguese city. And he was so close. Mr Letchford, who was 21 at the time, was in his hotel room desperately trying to recover from the flu. "I could hear the pope's voice on the loudspeakers outside my room," he said. " I'm like, 'Oh no, I'm missing it!' " Gerry Letchford described his experience with Pope Francis as "powerful". ( Supplied ) Mr Letchford joined more than 350,000 young pilgrims from 200 countries in Lisbon for World Youth Day 2023. The now 23-year-old is a Catholic seminarian — a student undergoing training to become a priest. He described the event as a week-long "carnival of young Catholics", with talks, worship, and time to get to know the city and other pilgrims. But, most importantly, there were chances to meet the pope. Pope Francis meets with World Youth Day volunteers in Alges near Lisbon, during World Youth Day 2023. ( Reuters: Guglielmo Mangiapane ) The 86-year-old was often moving among the crowds, and took part in several events. He even joined in parties at the camp-out on the final night, before retiring to his hotel. Mr Letchford was struck by Francis's vibrancy and "piercing, mystical" presence. "He had the energy of a bull ant," he said. But it was his words that left the biggest impression. Thousands of young people camped out ahead of the final mass at World Youth Day 2023. (JMJ 2023: Sebastião Roxo) The pope gave a sermon at the closing vigil to a crowd of thousands. Mr Letchford said it had the excitement of a Taylor Swift concert, with fans eagerly trying to reach the front of the stage. Francis began reading from his notes, but then went "off script" to deliver his message to "love one another". "He said, 'Whenever you're looking down at someone, make sure it's because you're bending down to pick them up,'" Mr Letchford recalled. "I was actually going through something personal at the time … It felt like he was speaking directly to me. " I'm going to carry that with me the rest of my life. " Mr Letchford visited Jerusalem on his pre-pilgrimage to World Youth Day. ( Supplied ) A special letter to LGBTQ+ Australians It came as both "a surprise and a delight" when Acceptance, an Australian LGBTQ+ Catholic group, received a hand-written letter from Pope Francis last year. It was sent to congratulate the group on its 50th anniversary. The letter, which was translated from Spanish to English, read: "At this time of your anniversary, I am sending you happy greetings. "And I pray that every year, you grow closer in love with our Lord Jesus Christ. "Please pray for me, because I need your prayers. And I also ask you to pray for a naughty nun named Jeannine." The copy of the message and translation that Pope Francis wrote for Acceptance to mark the group's 50th anniversary. ( Supplied ) The correspondence came via Sister Jeannine Gramick, an American nun who has worked with the Catholic LGBTQ+ community since 1971. She had a relationship with Francis and joked about his reference to her in the letter. "You see, he has a very good sense of humour," she said. Tim Blackburn, a member of Acceptance Perth, said it was an honour to hear from the pope, describing the letter as a "unique gift". Photo shows A man sitting in a church with his hands together and head resting on them. Australian Catholics have paid tribute to Pope Francis at mass on Tuesday morning around the country. "Not many parishes would have any correspondence like this at all," he told the ABC. "For a minority group it's quite an honour to receive such a letter. It makes it feel like someone is hearing us." Cam, a member of Acceptance Melbourne, said at the time that the letter reinforced the pope's "genuine concern for those marginalised in the church". "His welcoming, pastoral and caring interaction with LGBTQ+ people, extending back to his time as archbishop and cardinal in Argentina, is a powerful signpost," he said. Tim Blackburn said the hand-written letter was a "unique gift". ( ABC News: Tabarak Al-Jrood ) The Catholic Church has a long history of being opposed to homosexuality. But Francis was known to Speaking to journalists on a plane returning from Brazil in 2013, he said: "If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge him?" Mr Blackburn said those words helped change the tone. "He has really opened doors for many of us and his emphasis on being a church for the people — inclusion of everyone including those who are excluded — has really been felt," he said. He said safety mechanisms were now in place to help open up the way the church interacts with LGBTQ+ people. The pope's hand-written message to Acceptance came as a surprise to the group. ( Supplied ) A day for remembrance The body of Francis has been displayed in an open coffin in St Peter's Basilica, in Vatican City, where a funeral mass will be held on Saturday, local time. Some devoted Australian Catholics are making the long pilgrimage across continents to pay a final farewell. Crowds of up to 250,000 people are expected to Mr Letchford will be staying in Griffith, in regional NSW, where he is currently based and there is a large Catholic community. Although there has been a sadness since the pontiff died on Monday, he said it was a time to reflect on his positive impact. "The best thing we can do is remember everything he said and take it 10 times more seriously because he's not here to say it again," Mr Letchford said. The body of Pope Francis in an open casket during the rite of the declaration of death. ( Reuters: Vatican Media ) Mr Seddon said they have been mourning the loss in Port Moresby over the past week, but he was "deeply grateful" to have met the pope. "To have listened to him personally as he toured the region … it was a truly special time," he said. "From our New Guinea family, our heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to all of those people who are mourning his passing around the world."
