Mehmet – Olives to Oil Westside Festival 2026
Mehmet – Maribyrnong Resident
How did you find out about this event? How did you harvest the olives?
I found out from my daughter. I harvested the olives with the kids.
We got the olives from my backyard and from street trees in our neighbourhood. We have a secret street with plenty of trees.
We’re glad to be picking up the olives, otherwise we walk in it. People walking past us as we are collecting olives are fascinated. They ask me what are you doing and I just say, I picked 50 kilos of olives. We collect the olives with friends, it’s important for the community, and that’s because we talk to people. We [the friends I’m with at the festival today] met last year picking olives.
It’s really about making use of the beautiful sort of fruit that’s available in the street that would otherwise be wasted. And about, you know, a bit of a connection to community.
Would you come along next year as well?
Yeah, definitely.
Photo credits: Stephen McKenzie