Among the many events held across Victoria each year as part of the Victorian Seniors Festival, which throughout October honours the extraordinary contribution of older people to our society, one stood out for its cheerful, light-hearted atmosphere: the Italian Pensioners’ Club of Moonee Ponds’ delightful afternoon Festa di Primavera.

The first Victorian Seniors Festival dates back to 1983. The Victorian Government’s idea was simple: dedicate an entire week to special community celebrations, providing financial support and allowing groups to organise social, recreational and cultural activities for the state’s older residents.

It was an invitation to connect, to share moments of community life and to celebrate with pride the beginning of retirement, when one can finally “set aside the tools of work” and embrace a new chapter of life.

I was there in those early years. From March 18, 1976, in Moonee Ponds, I contributed as a community volunteer, as a founder and public relations officer of the City of Essendon Ethnic Liaison Committee.

Later, as vice-president of the Essendon Community Group (which replaced the earlier body) I proposed and supported an idea that was entirely new at the time: the creation of the first Italian Pensioners’ Club of Essendon—the very first of its kind in Melbourne.

Back then, the only Senior Citizens Clubs were attended almost exclusively by Australian-born seniors, along with a few non-Australians who had “assimilated” rather than integrated.

Over the course of three years, I was able to assist in the creation of 15 Italian pensioners’ clubs. In the years that followed, they continued to grow throughout metropolitan and rural Victoria, eventually reaching the remarkable total of 97 clubs.

And so, year after year, Victorian Seniors Citizen Week became one of the most anticipated annual events: hundreds of Italian seniors gathered in major parks and large open venues capable of accommodating huge crowds.

It was a celebration of friendship, joy and reunions: friends, relatives and fellow townspeople from different clubs met under the spring sunshine at Gumbuya Park, Flemington Racecourse or Moonee Valley Racecourse.

They danced to the unforgettable sounds of the celebrated trio consisting of Gianni Turcio, Rob Severini and Tommy Pisano, and applauded performances by Toni Marchi, Diana Mastramico, tenor Marco Cinque, soprano Estelle O’Callaghan and many other local artists who captivated audiences of thousands.

And, of course, there were the bags brimming with homemade food prepared early in the morning, ready to be shared with friends and fellow club members—a simple gesture, rich with warmth and deeply reflective of our community spirit.

Times have changed today. Local councils, in addition to the clubs, now organise special initiatives: no longer a full week of activities, but a few hours spread throughout October offering seniors a moment of leisure, such as a screening of a well-known film or an hour of music from famous musicals.

Even so, many Italian pensioners’ clubs still choose to “do things properly”: in the large halls of community centres, they host four or five-course lunches, accompanied by the musical rhythms of artists who shaped the soundtrack of the past.

This year’s theme could not have been more fitting: Staying together, participating and celebrating. And so, throughout the month of October dedicated to the Victorian Seniors Festival 2025, older residents were able to enjoy a wide range of activities: afternoon celebrations at their clubs, relaxed walks in parks and along beaches, concerts of popular music, gentle outdoor exercise classes and excursions to beautiful tourist destinations.

A month to celebrate life, community and the immense value of those who built and continue to nourish our history.