September 19, 2015 Edition 12
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is a fortnightly publication serving Bacchus Marsh and surrounding districts. For all your editorial needs, contact: Publisher/editor: Renee Robinson, 03 5368 2870 / 0459 022 364 For all your advertising needs, contact: Sales: Sheree Mayfosh, 0411 016 669 Email: bacchusmarshscoop@gmail.com Web editions: issuu.com/bacchusmarshscoop Facebook: facebook.com/bacchusmarshscoop
ABN: 39 790 396 099 Front cover: The winner of the 2015 Ballarat Football League Henderson Medal, Steven Kennedy, will line up with Darley today to try and win the club’s first premiership in the BFL. Stories page 7 & 9.
Photo: Renee Robinson
Avenue of Honour works supervisor, George Rogers, said the trees went missing overnight on Monday, August 31. Six gumtrees and four Kurrajongs went missing opposite the the Merrimu Reservoir gates, along the Gisborne Road end and where the memorial cairn originally stood. “The way these were yanked out, I doubt they’ll survive,” Mr Rogers said. “They were just starting to establish. It was nine weeks since we had the opening (Coimadai Memorial Park and avenue of honour opening) and these were planted a couple of weeks before then. “We can’t source anymore at that maturity. They have to be ordered and won’t be replaced until next year. “This is our heritage and these trees represented individual soldiers who
sacrificed for our country which we have the privilege to live in. It’s about respecting those people. I don’t have a printable description for the people who did this.” Mr Rogers (pictured above) said he had a vision about two years ago to restore the Coimadai Avenue of Honour and relocate the memorial cairn to it’s own memorial park at Merrimu Reservoir. The work was completed and officially opened on June 27 this year. “Now I look at it and it’s all done. All the physical work happened in 15 months. “This is our heritage and it’s sacred.” If anyone has any information about the disappearance of the trees, or sees any suspicious activity in that area, please contact the Bacchus Marsh police on 5366 4500.
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between the Ballarat Begonia Festival and the Santa Cruz ‘Capitola Begonia Festival’. He even got to meet the mayor of Carmel, Barry has been an active tourism and arts California: Clint Eastwood. Such was Barry’s influence on the internaadministrator, festival and special events tional festival scene, he was the first and consultant, producer and director for only Australian inducted into the IFEA almost 50 years. For 23 of those years he Hall of Fame in 2000. was the director and CEO of the Ballarat “Now from an Australian point of view Begonia Festival Association. there isn’t a lot of IFEA activity occurring here because a lot of the states have events When Barry moved to Bacchus Marsh and festival associations of their own. It’s three years ago, he brought with him the all changed now with more local governAustralian office for the International ments getting involved. I think nationally Festivals and Events Association (IFEA). a lot more local governments are realising “From 1984 to 2000 Australia played an the importance of festivals and events. People active role in IFEA, hosting three interna- can feel it, see it and experience it.” tional conventions in Adelaide, Tasmania This week Barry travelled to Boise, Idaho, and the Gold Coast. The marketing manager to celebrate the 60th anniversary of IFEA, of Walt Disney World was our keynote but he admitted his involvement in the speaker at the Gold Coast. Education and running of festivals was coming to end. networking with world experts was a huge “Music is my passion now. I want to focus part of it,” Barry said. on the Moorabool Light Orchestra.” “We all learned from each other’s events. A However he didn’t rule out contributing lot of my begonia festivals had some influence to the Bacchus Marsh Arts Council in an from other festivals around the world.” advisory capacity and said: “The energy As the Australian representative of IFEA, behind the strawberries and cherries and in 1996 Barry was instrumental in the harvest festivals is quite strong.” signing of a sister festival agreement Very high praise indeed.
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His bronze bust of Sifu Cheng Tin Hung – a grand master of Wudang Tai Chi – will appear in the upcoming 2015 Annual and Awards Sculpture Exhibition. The Darley artist said the bronze sculpture was a “promise to my master” that has taken 25 years to fulfil. “It was more of an honour to do him. He was a great guy and very helpful. “We brought him to Australia in 1988 and 1989 to teach us proper Tai Chi and he stayed at my house with a translator. Then when he returned to Hong Kong in 1990 I went with him and continued to train under him.” Cliff (pictured above) achieved the highest grading and said he still practices every day. His likeness of Cheng Tin Hung, who passed away in 2005, and his small bronze sculpture of an ice-skater, were selected for the exhibition out of about 150 entries from across Victoria. He said creating a bronze sculpture was a time-consuming, but rewarding process. “First you have to make an original out of clay, then you make a fibreglass mould, then pour wax into the mould to get it hollow and then you put an investment (ceramic coating) around it and then melt the wax out to leave
a cavity. This is called the lost wax process. In that cavity they pour the molten bronze.” He said he took it to a foundry in Sunshine to be cast in bronze. Cliff is also a jeweller, woodcarver and ceramicist and said he’s been creating sculptures since the 1970s. “I’ve been doing bronzes for seven or eight years. I love the look of bronze and the strength of it. The ice-skater is only held up by a thin blade on her skate, but it’s strong enough to hold her. “I like playing with everything. I see things and think I wouldn’t mind having a go at that.” He said the upcoming exhibition was the pre-eminent exhibit for sculptures in Victoria. “I was pleased to have this piece in it because of the time it has taken and what Sifu means to me. They accepted my submission off the wax form and it was lucky the bronze turned out. It’s a big process. It has taken 25 years to honour my promise and I’m relieved it turned out reasonably well.” The exhibition will be held at Bourke Place, 600 Bourke St, Melbourne, from September 28 until October 16.
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Joce Williams and Irene Lyle judge the entries in the 2014 Horticulture Show
The second annual Horticulture Show will take place on October 24 and 25, with seven sections and 82 classes to be judged. Sections include roses, cut flowers, floral art, Australian natives, junior section, and garden produce. The show was founded by Joce Williams in 2014. Joce was a long time supporter of the Agricultural Show until it ended in 2000, and her vision was to reinstitute what was always a successful part of the agricultural show. This year’s show will feature plant sales, live music by Bacchus Marsh Grammar students, refreshments, demonstrations and workshops. All proceeds from the day will go towards an aquatic centre for Bacchus Marsh. For more information go to www.bacchusmarshhorticultureshow.org
PO BOX 201, BACCHUS MARSH 3340 REG No. A0031365R ABN 14 208 393 188
The idea of a Ballan townwide arboretum took root in 2013 and launched at the Autumn Festival in 2014. The project was a collaboration between the Ballan Arboretum Group, the Moorabool Shire and input from landscape architecture RMIT University students under the direction of lecturer Michael Howard. Founding member of the Ballan Arboretum Group, Stephanie Day, said Ballan already has a fine collection of native and exotic trees and the new additions will further enrich the lives of residents and visitors. “The entries to Ballan plantings are based on the design projects of two RMIT students, Erin Wait and Sam Webb. Having the first arboretum trees planted this month enhances the entry experience complementing the signage that promotes Ballan’s autumn foliage,” Stephanie said. For further information or to become a Friend of the Ballan Arboretum contact: info@ballanarboretum.org
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DARLEY Football Club senior coach Jarrod Edwards says he still thinks about the team’s five-point loss in the 2008 grand final most days. It was the last time the Devils played in a grand final and it came down to a final kick. Edwards is hoping to erase the memory with a victory today and said both teams were hungry for a win. “It will take our best to beat them. If we’re five per cent off we will get done. It goes both ways though. If they’re a touch off, then they will get done.” He said beating Redan in the semi-final gave the Devils a lot of confidence going into today’s match, and the extra week’s rest would also be an advantage. “Our main focus is on our defence. At the end of the home and away season we finished on top offensively, but we were third or fourth in defence. We sat down and had a good discussion about what we needed to do.” He said North Ballarat City had a dangerous forward line and a strong midfield. “They’ve got depth the whole way across the board.” “Whoever starts the best will have the advantage,” he predicted. “Our strategy is no different to what it’s been all year. Winning the final doesn’t mean anymore to us than it means to them. They’re going for their third and we’re trying to break a 20 year drought.”
GRAEME Stewart has been involved with the Darley Football Club for more than 50 years. He played with the club in the 1960s in the Bacchus Marsh Football League, and then followed the team when it went to the Ballarat and Bacchus Marsh District League, the Central Highlands League, the Riddell District Football League and finally the Ballarat Football League. He said today’s final was “unbelievable and nerve-wracking.” “Everyone involved has butterflies in their belly. “They’ve just got to take it as a normal game, try to settle and look for your mate and help your mate.”
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GRANT Wright knows what it takes to win a premiership. He played in the 1995 grand final team for Darley and hopes that 20 years later the club can break through again. “We won by ten points and beat the favourite team. A year later we moved into the Ballarat Football League.” He said the players needed to stick to their team structures and goals and that would get them across the line. “Four years ago we didn’t win a game and we have rebuilt over the last few years with players, a new committee and extra help. “We always knew there were four teams that were capable of winning and with our best footy we could match it with those guys.” Wright said this was a “huge” deal for the club but also for the whole community. “One of the biggest things for me is that the community rallies behind the club, not just for the footy team but for the whole community, and be proud.” He said Darley had a “really good mix of local boys and also guys we’ve brought to the club to put enough polish on the club to win a grand final.”
Café
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The garden was created to address a need for quality open space areas in Melton and, with the support of Melton City Council and an army of volunteers, it has become a recreational, environmental and social hub for thousands of visitors. President of the Friends of Melton Botanic Garden, John Bentley, said the Town Centre Park was renamed the Melton Botanic Garden in 2011 and featured a eucalyptus arboretum, Western Australian garden, South Australian garden, an indigenous plants garden, Victorian volcanic plains garden and a sensory garden. Plans are also afoot for a bush foods garden in 2016 and a South African, Mediterranean and Californian garden. “The Friends group was established in 2003 and worked towards establishing a botanic garden. The first plantings took place in 2008 along Ryans Creek. We’re on 26 hectares with Ryans Creek and a large lake. When it’s finished 50 per cent will be indigenous plants, the next 30 per cent will be native plants and the other 20 per cent will be a South African, Mediterranean and California garden,” he said. He said the indigenous garden featured plants that grew naturally in the Melton region – plants from the Eynesbury forest, Bulokes collected from a remnant population at Melton Reservoir, pigface from Long Forest – and they tried to source seeds for plants as close as possible to Melton. “Right across the garden plants are chosen for being climatically suited to Melton. Our long term average rainfall is only 450mm per year.” He said Melton City Council has gotten behind the project with an initial investment of $130,000 for toilet facilities and between $30,000 to $35,000 funding per year over the last three years. “We get great council support.” He said the garden now had facilities including a depot with toilets, a nursery where plants were grown and sold, and two rotundas with free barbecues. The garden engages with community groups across Melton including aboriginal children who created a Koori Student Garden within the indigenous and bushfoods gardens, the Lions Club of Melton, local schools such as Bacchus Marsh Grammar, the district scouts, the Melton Environment Group, disabled groups, long-term unemployed, and the Australian Plant Society Melton branch. “Our tag line is growing plants, growing people.” Melton Botanic Garden has won Melton Business Excellence Awards for ‘leaders in sustainability’, ‘best community or not-for-profit organisation’ and a Keep Australia Beautiful sustainable cities award for community action and leadership. Mr Bentley said since Jane Edmanson from Gardening Australia visited last year, the number of visitors had increased dramatically. The garden is open 24 hours a day at the corner of Tullidge St & Williams St, and has walking and cycling tracks, guided tours and dogs are allowed on leash.
Darley Neighbourhood House and Learning Centre
OCCASIONAL CARE: Thursday/Friday, 9am - 2pm in the Anna Curry Childcare Centre. Friendly qualified staff provide a quality service in a warm and relaxed environment VENUE HIRE: Our modern and well-equipped training spaces and meeting rooms are available for hire at extremely competitive rates
BACCHUS MARSH
COMMUNITY COLLEGE PRE-ACCREDITED/SHORT COURSES
The Darley Football Club midfielder finished seven votes ahead of Lake Wendouree’s Steve Clifton to win this year’s prestigious Henderson Medal. Kennedy (pictured above) said it was a complete surprise, however a strong finish in the polls meant he was unbeatable with a few rounds to go. He is now the second Darley footballer to win a Henderson Medal in three years, with teammate Jake Edwards winning the top honour in 2013. Darley saw even more success at the awards ceremony on September 14, with coach Jarrod Edwards winning the league’s ‘Coach of the Year’, and five players named in the 2015 team of the year: Steven Kennedy, Rhys Ellis, Dane Grenfell, Jake Edwards and Shane Page. Bacchus Marsh Football Club players Declan Phyland, Cam Richardson and Peter Sheppard were also named in the 2015 team of the year.
‘B’ for Barista Master the art of coffee making with this handson course over 3 sessions. Wednesdays Starts: 14th October 2015 10.30am—12.30pm Beginners Computers Introduces you to basic computer & operating systems; internet & email and basic word processing. 4 sessions—Wednesdays 9am—3pm Starts: 7th October 2015 Floristry — Design, Create, Make Learn skills to create a range of floral arrangements for any occasion. 5 sessions—Saturdays 9.30am - 3pm Starts: 7th November 2015 Start your career in Aged Care Gives an overview of aspects of working in the aged care industry** Kick start your career in Childcare Introduction to working in the childcare sector and the various associated career opportunities **Both courses above begin 9th November 2015 Mondays, 9am - 3pm, 5 sessions
SHORT COURSES FOR WORK RSA , Food Hygiene, Food Safety Supervisor First Aid, CPR, Anaphylaxis Management MYOB Acknowledgements: Nationally Recognised Training at the Bacchus Marsh Community College is delivered with funding made available by the Victorian & Commonwealth Governments.
TRAINING and ASSESMENT TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training & Assessment This nationally recognised qualification will qualify you to deliver training and/or conduct assessment in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector and/or workplace. Commences : Wednesday 21st October, 2015 Also available to upgrade existing TAE qualifications:
TAELLN411 Address adult language, literacy & numeracy skills—Unit ONLY 2 Sessions / 6pm—9pm Thursday 22nd October, 2015 & Thursday 29th October, 2015 ACCREDITED COURSES IN 2016 Expressions of interest now being taken CHC30212 Certificate III Aged Care CHC30312 Certificate III Home & Community Care CHC30113 Certificate III Early Childhood Education & Care SFL20110 Certificate II in Floristry (Assistant) AHC20410 Certificate II Horticulture 22236VIC Certificate I in General Education for Adults
SHORT COURSES Back to work—Build confidence/career planning/ resume writing Start your own business Basic office & Administration skills iPad Basics – NEW Computers ‘Next Step” - intermediate level
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700x100 Sept Hols 2015 Poster.indd 1
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SCHOOL HOLIDAYS FEATURE
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School Holidays activities and fun! boomerang holiday ranch Trail riding through picturesque bushland. All rides supervised by qualified staff. School Camps Single and family Group bookings
For further information ph. 53482525 Tipperary Springs Road, Daylesford 3460 www.boomerangranch.com.au
9am to 3pm
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thursday 24th september 2015 2015 Darley park Corner Grey & Fitzroy Streets, Darley
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Community diary
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The Blacksmith’s Cottage will hold an open day on September 20 featuring ‘Australiana’ items on show. Free entry.
Relay, stalls and entertainment at Maddingley Park, Bacchus Marsh. Phone Gillian on 0417 583 753 for more information
Anglican Church, Gisborne Rd Bacchus Marsh. 10am to 2pm. Call Brad on 0419 508 569
September 19, 10am - 4pm and September 20, 10am - 2pm. St Andrew’s Hall, Gisborne Rd
Trade stands and presentations. Starts 7am at Maddingley Park, Bacchus Marsh. Ph: 0409 231 687
‘Australiana’ items on show. 10am 4pm. Free entry. www.cottageandforge.com
All funds raised go towards an aquatic centre for Bacchus Marsh.
www.bacchusmarshhorticultureshow.org
The local U3A (University of the Third Age) will showcase its activities A Halloween Festival to benefit the for seniors from 10am to 4pm at Bacchus Marsh Food Bus. At MadLerderderg Library dingley Park, Bacchus Marsh.
HEALTH & WELLBEING
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MCs, DJs & entertainers, karaoke, party fun games
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BACCHUS MARSH
BACCHUS MARSH Tel: 0427 674 771 Email: wywurrie6@bigpond.com
VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTRE BENNETT STREET BACCHUS MARSH
PHONE: 4367 7006
Midweek Special: 2 players with cart
$50
Office: (by appointment)
26 Grant St, Bacchus Marsh
Mail:
PO Box 193, Bacchus Marsh VIC 3340
Dudley Raine - Civil Celebrant Weddings Commitment Ceremonies Renewal of Vows Naming Ceremonies Life Celebrations Funerals Mobile: 0422 628 409 Ph/Fax: 03 5367 5431 Email: DudleyRaine@gmail.com
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‘MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS’
Kellie in her studio and one of her favourite ‘models’ Rango in front of her portrait
After being a mum for 15 years, Kellie decided to follow her heart and studied a Diploma of Commercial Arts (Graphic Design). “I enjoyed every aspect of it, but one of the projects was an illustration of a cat, and straight away I knew I wanted to do that. The Dean of the college saw the piece and he rang me and said I had to pursue it.” Kellie then hand drew a memorial picture of her Cavalier King Charles spaniel ‘Jimmy’. “A friend saw Jimmy on my bedroom wall and asked me to do one for them and then I did eight more drawings for other friends as my portfolio pieces. It’s been word of mouth since then.” She said her first portraits were done in gray lead and she then moved onto colour portraits. “You have to choose the right colours and blend the right colours. It’s finding the right pencils to work with too. I always use sharp pencils to get the fine detail and use short strokes for short fur and long strokes for long fur.” Kellie’s extraordinary eye for detail has captured the personalities of cherished dogs, cats, birds and even a horse. “I love the reaction from people when they see their piece. If it’s a memorial portrait people can get quite emotional. It’s all worth it just to see their reactions.” Kellie works from action or still photos and said it helped to send a good, clear photo with nice clear eyes. “I start with the eyes and work my way out.” She said a bust took 12 or more hours to complete, and if it was colour then extra time was needed to prepare and blend the colours. “I have developed my own style. It’s a natural ability that I owe to my grandma.” Kellie’s work can be seen on Facebook.com/novestudio and she is now taking orders for Christmas. For more information email novestudio@outlook.com or phone 0422 579 620.
‘MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS’
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BACCHUS MARSH WOOL SHOP LOIS HUNT Proprietor
151 Main St Bacchus Marsh Victoria 3340 Phone: 5367 1514
The Bacchus Marsh Locksmiths provide commercial, residential and master key systems and supply a range of locks, safes, re-keying locks and key safes. Kerry said they also had a range of novelty keys which were perfect for house-warming or Christmas gifts, including AFL, NRL and movie character keys which stand out on any keyring. “Steve was born and bred here and we make sure we look after the community.
Floral Design & Event Styling at Affordable Prices Ph: (03) 5367 5705
We’re very trustworthy and reliable. Our motto is ‘if you can’t trust your locksmith, then you can’t trust anyone,’” she said. Bacchus Marsh Locksmiths can cut keys while you wait or, for those bigger jobs, travel throughout Bacchus Marsh and as far as Melton, Ballan and Greendale. Kerry said they were very affordable and believed in friendly customer service and great follow-up service. Bacchus Marsh Locksmiths is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm, at 34 - 36 Grant St, Bacchus Marsh. Phone 5367 1544 or 0418 534 201.
Tobacco Station Tobacco accessories & gifts
Shop 40, Bacchus Marsh Village Shopping Centre
Ph: 03 5367 8560
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BUSINESS & TRADE GUIDE
Bacchus Marsh
Domestic Service: Installations, Alterations & Renovations Industrial & Commercial Service Installations, Maintenance, & Repairs FREE QUOTES Terry & Jason Hooper (R.E.C. 13532) P.O. Box 628 Bacchus Marsh 3340
115 Main Street, Bacchus Marsh, VIC 3340 Ph: (03) 5367 8422 Fax: (03) 5367 6944
Terry: 0417 390 793 Jason: 0429 099 980 hoopselec@gmail.com
Anthony & Lisa Simone Tel: 03 5367 0110 Fax: 03 5367 1108 Mob: 0407 828 545 email: info@motorworx.com.au www.motorworx.com.au
214 Main Street Bacchus Marsh 3340
Western Screens
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Glenn Pluck
Mob: 0413
17 Grant Street, Bacchus Marsh, VIC. 3340 info@westernscreens.com.au
066 163 ABN 42 603 705 509 ACN 162 859 047
BUSINESS & TRADE GUIDE
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RI V ET T E
UPHOLSTERY Luke
9 Park St, Bacchus Marsh, 3340
Servicing & General Repairs All Makes and Models Vehicle Restoration
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ENVIRONMENT
Moorabool Environment
Spotted Marsh Frog. Image courtesy Museum Victoria.
It’s easy for we gardeners to get over excited when we turn the calendar to September – Spring! It’s tempting to rush to the nursery and buy punnets of delicate seedlings and reach for the spade … but try to hold off - the soil is not yet warm enough to plant summer veg. Warm soil will not be here for a while and we can still get damaging frosts right up into October so it’s best to get vegetable seedlings started on a sunny windowsill or under some form of protection until the soil is warmed through. Different vegetables require different soil temperatures. For example beetroot, cabbage, carrots, celery, lettuce and potatoes need to be planted into soil (minimum) 12 degrees centigrade. Beans, corn, cucumber, pumpkin, tomatoes and zucchini need 15 + degrees. Capsicum, chillies, eggplant and melons need 18 -20 degrees C. I’ve been advised by experienced gardeners in Ballan “don’t plant your tomatoes till after Melbourne Cup Day”– a good rule of thumb it seems! It’s lovely to hear the frogs singing for a mate. Our frog pond has been very noisy lately with two species – the Southern Brown Tree Frog (very common) and the Spotted Marsh Frog creating quite a symphony on damp, drizzly evenings. I’ve been waiting to hear that distinctive musical, explosive “bong bong” of the popplebonk or banjo frog but haven’t yet heard it. Maybe they will call later in Spring. I hope they return to our pond. As we all know frogs are a great indicator of environmental health. If an ecosystem is healthy, frogs are there. Like the canary in a coal mine – when frogs disappear it is a sign of worse things to come. Their skin is highly sensitive to pollutions and absorbs toxins in water, soil and air readily. A silent pond is a sad reflection of environmental degradation. One of my happiest memories of childhood growing up on a soldier settlement farm in the Grampians was finding huge, bright green Growling Grass Frogs (Litoria raniformis) or Bull frogs as we called them. They were under every log and tadpoles were in every pond. As kids we loved having tadpoles in a fish tank and watching the amazing metamorphous
growing of the little back legs and the dropping of the tail and then we would release the new frogs at the edge of the dam. Sadly these beautiful frogs no longer exist on the farms of that area nor in our area. The use of superphosphate and various herbicides and pesticides have meant this species has been listed as threatened and in danger of extinction. They do still exist in some areas and hopefully with more habitats being protected from toxins they can be brought back. Although weeds are jumping out of the ground with the coming of spring – don’t reach for the Roundup until you have read the recent reports on the dangers of glyphosate which is the main ingredient in Roundup and other herbicides. In March this year the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as 2A - “probably carcinogenic in humans”. Recent studies have linked it to various cancers, birth defects and other medical conditions. Sri Lanka and El Salvador banned it after it was linked to epidemics of kidney disease, France has banned the sale of glyphosate products in garden centres and the Netherlands is due to do the same. Concerns around the world are growing as research shows it to be more harmful than previously thought. (see WHO website or, for a list of references on this topic, see organicgardener.com.au/blogs/truth-about-glyphosate). Even if you are not afraid of getting sick yourself from spraying Roundup – spare a thought for the frogs and bees which certainly do die very quickly at the first sniff of glyphosate!
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Country football and netball has life-changing benefits. Not only does it keep you fit and active, but it helps you engage with your community, learn important social skills, and it gets kids away from their Playstations and computers. I watched some netball and football matches at Darley when they played the preliminary finals two weeks ago and I was instantly transported back to my childhood: playing netball for Donald in the North Central League. I was really lucky. Because my parents were both shift workers I probably wouldn’t have been able to participate much, if at all, because I wouldn’t have been able to go to any away games. Thankfully I had a great coach (Brenda Ruyg) who squeezed me into her car with her kids. The same thing happened for tennis tournaments - parents of friends let me ride along with them. And that’s what makes country sporting clubs so special. That sense of community and caring. Your club becomes your family, and all the parents and spectators become your extended family. It’s a place where you don’t just go and play a game and then go home again. You stick around until the final siren and barrack for other teams at your club. That sense of community is really strong at both Darley and Bacchus Marsh. The clubs are getting bigger and bigger. Participation rates are soaring. I also love that they both have on offer youth girls football, and now a senior women’s football side too. Country sport got me through some tough times as a kid and gave me an outlet that I may have found in other, less desirable, places. Often you find unexpected mentors (like my coach) who take the time to listen to you and make you feel important and who inadvertantly change your life for the better. I loved that I was welcomed into the fold, even though I didn’t have parents or any siblings who played football or netball. I also loved scouring our local paper the following week to see if my name was mentioned in the back sports pages:) Good luck to the Devils today, may you be the last team standing.
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