A day for every mum
Mother’s Day – it is one of the most significant, and certainly one of the busiest, days at SMCT. It’s a day to spend time with family, to say thanks to our mother figures, and to honour and remember the special women no longer with us that helped shape us.
The work our teams put in
Every year, our teams go above and beyond to ensure that our customers are well cared for on this incredibly important day.
Our chefs bake over 300 scones; our baristas make over 600 coffees; our floristry team create a floral wonderland and serve close to 1000 customers.
Within our gardens, our operations team strives to ‘go the extra mile’ to ensure our grounds are at their best for all the mums and families who have lost a loved one.
‘Mother’s Day is the biggest event at SMCT. We’re very proud of what we do, and on this day we get to showcase the standards that we work towards,’ an Ops team member told us.
During April and May, our arbor team pays close attention to special ‘memorial trees’, which are owned by families. Every year, they work hard to replant over 280 trees across our sites in preparation for the winter months, with a large portion of planting timed perfectly around Mother’s Day.
A day to reflect and connect
‘Part of what SMCT is about is helping people journey through grief,’ said Michelle Stewart, our Events and Experience Manager. ‘Through meaningful events and opportunities to connect, we hope to give our community a place to honour their mum and mother figures and hear from others who are on the journey of grief and remembrance.’
In 2022, SMCT is exploring the theme of ‘wisdom’ through a high-tea morning tea, reflecting on the important life lessons mum’s often leave for us, and the influential advice that often guides us throughout our whole lives.
‘This year we’re bringing in some great speakers as we explore the theme of wisdom – special women from various backgrounds, with various life experiences – who will be giving some very thought-provoking anecdotes,’ Michelle said.
‘We are excited to have Bunurong Elder Aunty Dyan Summers speaking to us about the role and meaning of mothers in our Aboriginal communities and culture. We will also be joined by Sue Cameron, a Specialist Grief and Bereavement Counsellor, who will be talking about the unique journey of grief felt by the loss of a mother.’
‘It’s a little bit different to what we have done in previous years, and we are excited to be able to explore new and interesting ways to reflect and connect together.’
What Mother’s Day means to us
Mother’s Day means something unique for each of us, and in talking to our teams, we uncovered the special meaning it has for the many of those who are a part of the SMCT community. This is what our people had to say:
‘Mother’s Day is a time for showing our appreciation for all the mums in the world. Knowing the effort and sacrifice it takes to keep us safe and headed in the right direction from our birth till adulthood – we up-keep the gardens to honour them.’
‘It’s a time of reflection on love and loss. Our children’s area is a space for every mother that has lost a beloved before they should have. It’s very important to us to make sure this area looks pristine and well cared for when mums come to visit on this day.’
‘It is such an honour to care for the gardens (mother nature) such as my mother has cared for me.’
‘It’s about giving special attention to our memorial roses, shrubs, trees and garden beds and maintaining them the way my mum taught me.’
‘It a time for respect and love to the most important person in my life – my mum is an angel, and I tend not only to her area but to all areas with the same love, attention to detail and care as I do to hers.’
‘It’s a time to show families through the care of our grounds and customers how much we respect them and their loved ones.’
Learn more about our Mother’s Day event, and if you are hoping to visit this weekend, leave plenty of time for parking and for getting around during the busiest day of the year at SMCT. And don’t forget to grab a scone and a cuppa from our café!
