BgoMag Issue 14

choc full of fun

meet the easter people

gender bender

when mars and venus collide

faraway fate

how a bendigo woman met her daughter

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all about us JOHN HOLTON - WRITER What’s your favourite thing to do for Easter?

For the past couple of years we’ve come into Bendigo on Easter Monday to watch the kids run in the Dragon Mile, then stayed to watch the parade. Plus the weather is always good for cycling or walking.

publisher

What’s your favourite chocolate and what do you think that says about you?

editor

Amy Doak

The best chocolate I ever ate was in Norway in 1987. We were sailing on a yacht, on a fiord, having a picnic beneath the midnight sun … but having said that, Cadbury Dairy Milk goes down well with a nice cup of Darjeeling tea. What does it say about me? I’m pretty easy to please.

Lauren Mitchell

If you could take on a traditional female role for a day, what would you do and why?

copy editor

I’d like to join the Australian netball team for a day and play goal attack alongside Sharelle McMahon.

Or if that’s not possible could I turn the letters on Wheel of Fortune like Adriana Xenides?

fashion editor

Finally, tell us a secret about yourself ... go on.

The day of the moon landing we were sent home from school to watch the event on TV. I was watching at a friend’s place. Her family had an outside toilet and a very large black dog in the yard. I was too scared to go outside and the rest, as they say, is history. The Eagle landed, and I wet my pants.

MICHAEL COOK - GRAPHIC DESIGNER What’s your favourite thing to do for Easter?

I haven’t yet spent an Easter in Bendigo, but plan to this year with friends, enjoying a nice meal and having a few drinks.

What’s your favourite chocolate and what do you think that says about you?

managing editor Andrea Coates

deputy editor Esther McRae Ali Brakha Esther McRae

creative director Dustin Schilling

graphic designer Michael Cook

marketing and advertising Andrea on 0400 643 005 Esther on 0419 386 214

writers Kristen Allender, Steev Cowled, Sharon Greenaway, Sarah Harris, John Holton, Ash McAuliffe, Jennifer Mellberg, Pam Harvey, Jacqui Mott, James O’Brien, James Walker, Michael Waters.

contributors Katarina Binks, Kylie Freer, Jennifer Harwood, Mark Hilson, Geoff Hocking, Wayne McAuliffe, Lois McBain, Paul Murphy, John Pawsey, Russell Robinson, Amy Sim, Heyltje Vaneveld.

photography

I am not fussy, I enjoy all chocolates but probably my favorite is peppermint cream. I guess that tells you I’m not fussy!

Cassandra Cheeseman, Terri Douglas, Rod Doak, David Field, Kate Fitzgerald, Jeff Reynolds, Anthony Webster, Mal Whitehead, Paige Wilson.

If you could take on a traditional female role for a day, what would you do and why?

print manager

Staying at home looking after the kids would probably be it. Why? I love kids and it is only for one day so I could handle it.

distribution co-ordinator

Nigel Quirk Bendigo Distribution Services

Finally, tell us a secret about yourself ... go on.

I had a beer in my lunch break today!

JAC GRIFFITHS - WOMEN’S HEALTH COLUMNIST What’s your favourite thing to do for Easter?

This magazine is printed on acid free paper that is pH neutral, that is elemental chlorine free and manufactured using sustainable forestry practices. The mill has ISO 14001 environmental management systems certification. It is printed using vegetable based inks.

This magazine is printed in Australia by Printgraphics Pty Ltd under ISO 14001 Environmental Certifications.

Taking my son to the Bendigo Easter Parade wins hands down. I will treasure always the memories of his facial expressions with each float that went past and every fire cracker that exploded.

What’s your favourite chocolate and what do you think that says about you?

How does a chocoholic answer that?

We would like to invite you - as our readers - to submit letters, ideas, articles and other material that you would like to see included in bendigo magazine.

If bendigo magazine is to truly reflect your city as you see it, then If you could take on a traditional male role for a NOT EXPANDED NOT EXPANDED we need your contribution. day, what would you do and why?

SYMBOLS AT SYMBOLS 100% ANDATSHOULD 100% AND APPEAR SHOULD IN THIS APPEAR ORDER. IN THIS ORDER. Email us at mail@bendigomagazine.com If I had answered this two years ago I would have Fax (03) 5444 4313 Or snail mail to PO Box 2523, Bendigo VIC 3554 said ‘putting your feet up all weekend whilst watching your partner do all the housework’ but Or visit us at 225 Barnard Street, Bendigo VIC 3550 now all I can think of is the ‘ability to pee standing Phone (03) 5444 5868 up’.

Finally, tell us a secret about yourself ... go on.

I ride a dirt bike. I have done a lot of exercise but nothing beats dirt biking for strength, endurance, balance, coordination, quick thinking and fear/ adrenalin factor.

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bendigo magazine takes all care but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials. bendigo magazine holds copyright to all content unless otherwise stated. ISSN 1833-1289.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the publishers accept no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or resultant consequences including any loss or damage arising from reliance on information in this publication. The views expressed are not necessarily endorsed by the editor or the publisher.

www.bendigomagazine.com

UR

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44 features 30

venturing to venus

71

anticipating archibald

Tradition is turned on its head for four local lads.

The gallery gets set for another stellar exhibition.

44

making it on mars

89

we are the easter people

Women are proving themselves in the world of men.

From fireworks to fancy footwork, these locals have the festival covered.

54

when bianca met abi

It was love at first sight in a foreign land.

168

divine resurrection

60

thank god it’s friday

Take a seat next to these punters at their weekend local.

194

such great heights

63

stars in the vineyard

Atop the ten-metre platform with a champion.

You’ll have stars in your eyes at Sutton Grange Winery, take Chris Isaak for instance.

168

137

The inside story on a spiritual building.

30 204

38

38

120

My body knows what to do - I know what to do - don’t let the mind stop the body from doing what it knows.

137

Bree Mellberg. Page 194

regulars

food & wine

life

66

nice drop

74

bendigo landmark

8

all about us

69

chef’s choice

84

a worthy cause

14

editor’s letter

arts & entertainment

87

day tripping

16

what’s the go

77

at the movies

94

bendigo memories

18

in the know

78

new releases

131

a man’s word

23

new business

79

bendigo authors

137

mum said

24

win stuff

80

for art’s sake

144

your kids

fashion and beauty

83

local band profile

150

local brides

98

autumn products

home

155

your personal trainer

99

beauty q & a

159

home solutions

182

women’s health

101

a new you

163

bendigo on display

183

health & wellbeing

103

get the look

168

inside out

185

your financial advisor

107

style inspiration

174

real estate advice

187

the business champion

110

this season

175

on site

189

legal advice

127

fashion forecast

177

gardening ideas

190

tech head

129

men’s style

people

191

tech advice

133

yummy mummy

27

success story

192

employment advice

139

mum and

28

the graduate

193

cogho’s sports wrap

139

kid’s fashion

37

24 hours with

196

sporting extreme

147

alternative therapy

38

school story

199

travelogue

41

be a part of this

204

test drive

49

my favourite things

206

my car

57

why bendigo

209

big boys toys

13

editor’s letter It’s been a busy first three years and as well as pages, we have grown in stories, people and supporters! The extra work has required extra hands and it is with great pleasure that I welcome our newest pair of hands...

Lauren Mitchell (formerly with the Bendigo Weekly) has accepted the role of Editor of bendigo magazine and can I be the first to say, “Yay - and thank you!” Having a fine wordsmith with experience in media and publishing on the team has certainly made life easier for everyone - most of all me. Having Lauren on board is allowing me to focus more on the nuts and bolts of making the magazine run, and also allowing me to branch into other projects (stay tuned on that one!).

So, welcome Lauren – we look forward to what you have to bring. If this issue is any indication, it is going to be a wonderful journey.

office

home

travel

wardrobe

recycling

stationery

gifts

photos

workshops

A big thank you to all who have welcomed me into the bendigo magazine fold. How lucky am I? Being given a place at this wonderful local success story is a real honour. I have lived in Bendigo all my life and as a journalist have been privy to many nooks and crannies of this city. However my first few months at bendigo magazine have opened my eyes to parts of this community I never knew existed.

If it’s proven one thing, it is this; Bendigo people cannot be put in the one basket. Take some of the characters in this issue for example; Sue O’Neill and the girls of the Bendigo Youth Girl’s Football League, dragon wrangler Doug Lougoon, Brent Goodes who looks after our children while we work and Cheryl Dingle who had the heart to resurrect the Chum Street church.

After almost ten years of telling local people’s stories, the more I discover, the more I am convinced our book truly is never ending.

Here’s to the stories, and to another magazine that aims to fossick them out as though they were gold.

The finishing touches for this bendigo magazine have occurred just as the fires have ripped through Victoria. And they’re still burning. So while there is no mention within these pages of how our community banded together, how families lost their homes and god forbid, their loved ones, they are certainly in our hearts.

cover detail

One of our region’s most famous industries comes up trumps in autumn...apples!

The Kuchel family, of The Foundry Hotel Complex fame, spent a day pink-cheeked among the pink ladies in aid of our cover shot this issue. There was Michael and Sonya and their beautiful children Ella,Cadi, Evie and Thomas.

CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR UPCOMING WORKSHOPS Shop 20, Fountain Court, Bath Lane, Bendigo Phone: (03) 5444 0099 w w w. o r g a n i s e m y. c o m . a u

Thanks goes out to Malcolm Burrows of Burrow’s Apple Orchad in Harcourt for allowing us to take over his property for the afternoon. That’s Malcolm driving the tractor. Give him a call for the crispiest apples on 0418 353 344.

Photography by David Field.

choc full ofr fun people meet the easte

gender bender

when mars and venus collide

faraway fate igo

how a bend woman met her daughter

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your free don’t forget 08 magazine ndigo 20 best of be

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what’s the go Tim & Sharon Carlson Welcome You

letters to the editor To all at bendigo magazine, I just had to write to let you all know how much I enjoy reading bendigo magazine. Can’t wait till each new one is out. I live in Melbourne but visit a friend in Bendigo quite often and would love to live in Bendigo, so your magazine gives me so much information regarding Bendigo. I hope you will have a regular story about some of the beautiful historic houses as you did in the summer issue. These houses are so interesting with so much history. A regular story about some of the historic towns surrounding Bendigo would be interesting as well as some historic pub stories!

Thank you, - Donna Greenaway (We love Bendigo’s gorgeous old homes too. This issue features a house of sorts – a house of Christ, which has found a new home in the bush – check it out on page 168. And if anyone can offer their home, new or old, up for our pages, we’d love to hear about it. Plus, turn to page 87 for the lowdown on the hamlet of Heathcote. - ed) Hello, My girlfriend, who lives in Bendigo, sent me the summer edition of the bendigo magazine with a note attached “see if you can find someone that you might know!”.

Well, I started flicking through the pages, making sure that I looked at every photo scared that I might miss somebody I knew.

Then I came to page 58, the editorial on John Palmer, and there I am along with ten other gymnasts – what a blast from the past! I was gob smacked.

What a wonderful story about John, he was a fantastic coach, and an inspirational man. I still think of the days at his gym and all that he taught us, things which have helped me throughout my life.

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I have not lived in Bendigo for 18 years, but I do visit my family and friends as often as I can, and I believe your magazine truely reflects Bendigo, and all it has to offer.

I will have to make sure that my girlfriend continues to send me a copy....

Regards, - Deb Cole Hi there, My how the infant has grown. I last saw bendigo magazine as a newborn. All scrunched up into about 90 pages, still suffering the traumas of birth and beyond.

Now the glossy package is well past the traumatic teens and is positively making its mark in young adulthood. Cannot wait to see the dynamic 20-something take the publishing world by storm. But you can’t have it all your own way. No. It’s not that simple. I think your pictures of people out and about need to have captions. Who is that smiley loon? And why is that man looking so uncomfortable?

We need to know these things. Though no doubt easier for your photographers and writers, it’s a bit tough for readers who just can’t make it to the show.

May your good work continue.

- Lily Lake, Kyneton (Oh Lily, if you only knew what a can of worms you’re opening there! With so many events and so little staff, we really do the best we can just to get the photographs, so for now, we’re going to keep you guessing as to who is who. After all, we all need a little mystery in our lives... - ed)

We want to keep hearing from you. Have your say (about anything really) in What’s The Go. Email mail@bendigomagazine.com or snail mail to PO Box 2523, Bendigo DC, 3554.

DON’T HOPE FOR THE BEST, HIRE THE BEST. Drake International is Expanding, you can now find us at 52 Queen Street, Bendigo The most valuable resource in today’s economy is talented people.

How do you ensure that you are hiring the very best? Are you accurately measuring the candidate’s skills, knowledge and behaviour?

Drake offers powerful solutions for selecting ideal candidates – assisting you to hire the right people for the right roles, for your organisation.

To discover how our local consultants can assist your business requirements call Drake today on 5441 6655, or visit us at our new address 52 Queen Street, Bendigo

Recruit, Retain & Develop – Simple

in the know

happy happenings We’re making Bendigo’s businesses our business, so if you’ve got news, we want to know about it. Email us your latest to mail@bendigomagazine.com bridging the fine dining gap You know The Bridge has a beautiful dining room and spacious modern bar, but did you know the staff have been working very hard elsewhere in the building? Paul and the team have now opened the long-awaited function room and are eager to impress. The vision is a great success; spacious and modern with a lounge area and facilities for dining or parties. The room is matched by great service and food while maintaining a private feel. Congratulations on a job well done, bendigo magazine staff were very impressed on a recent visit.

To book a function or talk to staff about the new facility, call The Bridge on (03) 5443 7811.

it’s not all sport Did you know the Bendigo Stadium is recognised as the best venue of its type in regional Australia? Bendigo Stadium is a multi-complex centre that caters for corporate, social and entertainment needs, with function rooms for 20 to 2000 people. And it gets better. Recent enhancements of the venue include the upgrade of The Stars Club bistro, including a huge indoor children’s playground, so the whole family can enjoy their time together. Chef Janine Carter has also just released a new menu to entice everyone’s taste buds. Keep an eye on the website for up-to-date news on what’s happening.

Visit www.schweppescentre.com.au or call (03) 5440 6201.

water saving ways Coliban Water is conducting a WaterSmart research program for residents in Flora Hill, Strathdale and Kangaroo Flat. The WaterSmart program is free of charge and will be conducted over ten months to help the water authority understand more about household water use. Every participating household will be asked to answer questions on their water use and will also receive a water saving kit and an information pack on ways to save water in and around their home.

More than 100,000 Victorian households have been invited to take part in the $6 million state government initiative. This program is designed to gather information to shape future water conservation programs and help customers conserve water.

For more information visit www.coliban.com.au

new-look lane, same favourite cafe The Bendigo Bank works are over and the team at Bath Lane Cafe love the new look of the lane. David and Mayumi Stevens have been the proud owners of Bath Lane Cafe for over three years. While Mayumi can often be seen running around making sure everyone is catered for, David is busy out the back working as chef. The pair love their role and Bendigonians see the cafe as a pinnacle in hospitality in the city.

The menu is always changing and with everyone’s favourite coffee still on offer, (see the Best of Bendigo results in the bonus magazine) these guys have plenty to bring to the new precinct.

18

gym evolves Evolution is a fully-equipped sports centre in the grounds of La Trobe University. The gym services students and the wider community with a weights room, group fitness classes and sports hall. Evolution’s vibrant atmosphere comes from the unique mix of people who use the facilities. The centre’s strong relationship with health professionals continues to build through individual rehabilitation programs designed to meet specific needs.

Corporate fitness training is also a growing field demonstrated by Evolution’s program for Vietnam Veterans. It combines physical training sessions with lectures aimed at raising the health and wellbeing of participants.

Log on to www.evolutionsfc.com.au for more information.

ten years of twinkletoes Debbie Harris and daughter Belinda are passionate about kids clothing and should be congratulated on their milestone of ten years in business at Twinkletoes. The pair can often be seen waltzing around among racks of gorgeous clothing to suit children from newborns to size 16.

The shop started in its Queen Street location in 1998 and the ladies see the store as a one stop shop, stocking everything from swimwear, formal wear and shoes to quality children’s wear and gifts.

Pop in and see why Twinkletoes is still going strong at 21 Queen St Bendigo, or phone (03) 5442 9889.

a mothers’ club minus the calories Enterprising mother-of-two Amy Holmes promises to get new mums moving through her new business, Shape, Rattle ‘n’ Stroll. We suspect you can add ‘chat’ to that business name as well, as new and expectant mums have plenty to talk about when they get together, however Amy’s focus is to keep them in shape.

Shape, Rattle ‘n’ Stroll specialises in personal training and group exercise classes to improve fitness and provide an important social network for mums, all in the great outdoors of Bendigo.

And the best part about these exercise classes with-a-difference is, there’s no need to find a baby sitter, as the bubs are welcome too.

For more information on Amy’s exercise classes, call 0402 825 677 or email amy@shaperattleandstroll.com.au

taking up scissors There’s some familiar faces back behind the swivel chairs at Bendigo Beauty and Haircare. Sue and Angela Slattery, who originally established the business in 1985, have returned to pamper their clients. The boutique salon has been recently refurbished to offer the latest in comfort, including adjustable basins and tilt chairs. The salon uses the exclusive range of L’Oreal Professional Hair Care, beauty products from Dr R.A Eckstein of Germany and the best spray tans.

Plus, it’s now open from Monday to Saturday.

Visit Bendigo Beauty & Haircare in Bridge St, or phone (03) 5443 3422.

oops In the last bendigo magazine, local business VEA was referred to as Victorian Education Australasia. The correct name of the business is Video Education Australasia, or simply VEA to those in the know!

One of the world’s leading educational resource producers, VEA recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. Congratulations to all from bendigo magazine. ■ 19

café au lait

café

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catering

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functions

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catering

upstairs private & corporate function rooms 20 mitchell street, bendigo victoria 3550 t 5443 5126 or 5443 9956 f 5442 9122 w w w. c a f e a u l a i t . c o m . a u c a f e c a t e r i n g @ c a f e a u l a i t . c o m . a u

café au lait

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bendigo’s best known established cafe breakfast

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catering

upstairs private & corporate function rooms 20 mitchell street, bendigo victoria 3550 t 5443 5126 or 5443 9956 f 5442 9122 w w w. c a f e a u l a i t . c o m . a u c a f e c a t e r i n g @ c a f e a u l a i t . c o m . a u

F R O N T

B A R

B I S T R O

The Bridge, Bendigo has something to offer for all occasions from the relaxed, fun environment of the front bar/bistro through to the Dining Room for that special experience with some of regional Victoria’s best food, wine and service.

Newly completed upstairs private dining/function room for all your special events.

The Bridge, Bendigo is the only Bendigo venue to be reviewed, recommended and scored in The Age Good Food Guide 2008. 14/20 “The food is notably fresh, interesting and beautifully presented…the wine list has good representation, especially from Central Victorian reds. Service is friendly and professional.”

“With it’s smartly presented room, switched on service, interesting flavours and nicely balanced wine list, The Bridge is a text book example of Bendigo’s forward looking attitude and increasingly sophisticated food scene”…Michael Harden.

The Age Newspaper. Sept 15th 2007

D I N I N G

R O O M

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new business

locals launch their new loves Enterprise is moving along nicely in Bendigo. We’re talking mobile meals, mobile advertising and mobile coffee. From food to fuel economising, it’s all to go, go, go. road rules for attention seekers Looking to expose yourself? What better way to do it than on the back of a motorbike, leathers off.

Don’t stress, it’s nothing crude, it’s advertising. As they say, if you’re in business, it pays to do it, and one local couple is broadening the scope when it comes to getting your message mobile.

hands-on zest Zest. It’s a word that conjures up so much; tangy citrus surprises in your English muffin, a spritz of coolness on a hot day, and now, thanks to local lady Nicole Spedding, it means massage.

Customised Mobile Scooter Signs will trawl your message through the Bendigo and surrounding streets via a custom-designed trailer sign on the back of groovy scooters.

After 16 years out of Bendigo, Nicole returns in the know with 12 years experience as a remedial massage therapist. And she’s full of energy for her new business venture, located in her newly-renovated clinic. From deep tissue, pregnancy - pre and post natal, sports related injury, to relaxation and stress relief, treatments are individually tailored to get results. Zest. We like the word, we love the business.

It got bendigo magazine’s attention, so it’s bound to turn your head too. It’s all new and it’s driving down a street near you.

For bookings contact Zest Health & Wellbeing, shop 4/56 Harley Street, Strathdale, phone (03) 5444 2230.

For more details contact Linley or Paul on 0401 236 930 or 0411 297 510.

boutique fashion in historic hotel

Fashion Central

Castlemaine Fashion Central is a new venture for Mauro at The Midland Hotel in Castlemaine. His vision is to showcase local designers and unique fashion brands with wow factor. The gorgeous historic building includes five distinct boutiques with clothing, accessories, gifts and pieces you won’t find anywhere else. Castlemaine Fashion Central is a stone’s throw from the Castlemaine train station and only half an hour from Bendigo. Why not gather together some friends for the perfect day browsing the racks and enjoying coffee in the back garden. This feast for the fashion senses is a must-see.

ahh, smell them beans Bendigo’s caffine-addicts can now receive their morning pick-meup from new business Café2U. Owner and passionate barista Tim Morgan recently moved to Bendigo from Perth for a tree-change with wife Kimberly and children Matilda and Oscar. Yet the need for a different pace, after spending many years managing major wine brands in the corporate and retail sector, may not turn out as intended for the new resident.

You’ll see Tim at Relay for Life and Scope Kids Charity events where he will donate 50c from every cup of hot beverage sold and he can offer the same to other local community initiatives, school fetes or fundraising events.

To enquire about Café2U delivering to your office or to get Tim and Kimberley to help raise funds for your local charity, visit www.cafe2ubendigo.com for details.

wwwonderful Feeling daunted about the prospect of developing a website? Michele Huthnance is here to help. “My focus is to make websites simple and easy to understand,” she says. Phew! “In my previous roles as a sales representative for a website company I noticed the company relying on the customer to supply material that, in my opinion, was the company’s responsibility, like domain name and hosting. Most people don’t know what these things mean. It frustrated me knowing how intimidated the customer was becoming when it could be done for them. This is why I started the business.”

Michele has worked hard to keep her prices affordable for those who just want a simple website without all the bells and whistles, so it is possible to get yourself on the www for under 500 bucks!

Give The Website Workshed a call on 0418 284 822 or (03) 5442 5550.

Visit Castlemaine Fashion Central at 4 Templeton St, Castlemaine or check out www.fashioncentral.com.au

Castlemaine

three toots for new scoots Downsizing is no longer a word for retirees as more and more drivers ditch their fuel-guzzlers for funky scooters. And now, Bendigo Scoota has arrived to answer all your two-wheeled ambitions. Locals Brock and Belinda Pinner are proud to present Bendigo’s first and only dedicated motorised scooter outlet.

“We are helping central Victorians enjoy the fun, convenience, cost savings and environmentally-friendly mode of transport that scooter riders experience,” says Brock. “Our fully-stocked showroom has various models and colours to cater for everyone’s taste. We specialise in the sale of SYM (formerly Bolwell) scooters.

“We also stock a full range of accessories including RXT helmets, Motodry, Dririder and Dragon clothing as well as an extensive range of scooter locks.”

Check out the showroom at 160 Lyttleton Terrace or give Bendigo Scoota a call on (03) 5441 3995. ➤

living well in retirement

shish – now that’s swish Night owls can now flock to where the food is fresh, and healthy, thanks to new late-night cafe Shish.

There’s no point shushing over Shish, which is why we’re telling you loud and proud, when you’re hankering for a snack post 10pm, get on down to Bull Street, where the kebabs and burgers are made from prime cuts of beef and chicken and are cooked to order by qualified chefs to ensure the freshest, tastiest meal for under $10. There’s also great vegetarian options, locally-made Turkish bread and crisp salads.

If you’re out and about after 10pm on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night, head to Shish for a fresh alternative to fast food.

Love the new look

Bendigo has a brand new luxury retirement complex offering rental accommodation and a resort lifestyle. The spacious one and two bedroom units are beautifully appointed and feature reverse cycle heating and airconditioning and a private courtyard to bask in the sun.

Living Well at Bendigo has exceptional facilities to relax in and residents can enjoy meals in the dining room bistro or cappuccinos in the indoor or outdoor coffee lounge. A prominent shopping centre is just half a kilometre away and a public bus stop is across the road.

Living Well also provides many in-house services for the residents, such as; washing and ironing pick up and delivery, house keeping services, groceries and a transport program. At Living Well at Bendigo residents have the choice to join in and enjoy the fantastic facilities, the friendship of their neighbours and the lifestyle, as much or as little as they choose. Living Well at Bendigo encourages and supports residents to keep their independence for as long as possible and to live life...well.

Visit the Living Well at Bendigo units at your convenience. Phone (03) 5454 2800 for a brochure, a chat or an appointment. ■

Taig 22 embraces all those lovely L-words...lifestyle, labels, lap of luxury.

One of the new-look mall’s newest additions, this brand new store brings a little innovation and a lot of style to those who aim to dress to impress. Men and women are catered for here, with international-branded clothing, fragrances, jewellery and accessories, all of which we’re assured are the highest quality and top value. Can’t beat that. Can’t wait to check it out.

Visit Taig 22 at Shop 272 Hargreaves Mall, Bendigo, phone (03) 5442 3639.

win stuff

take a chance on us Missed out on the Tatts numbers again? Don’t despair, take up these tempting offers to win stuff. it’s another geoff hocking record

to a lucky bendigo magazine reader.

bendigo magazine’s own history buff has been at it again...penning down the memories, trivia and half-truths, and this time, it’s all about the music.

Well, sort of.

For more details on the book email casbooks@bigpond.com or call the man himself on (03) 5472 3906.

Email your details to comps@bendigomagazine.com under the subject ‘Geoff’s book’. And good luck.

opportunity beckons at barkins

It’s Another World Record Album Cover Art is an in-depth presentation of Geoff’s passion for design, or specifically, the pre-computer graphics of album cover art. The 320page, hardback book features more than 500 album covers from the studio of the World Record Club.

Australian-owned fashion label Barkins is bringing its winning combination of the latest trends and affordable prices to Bendigo with the opening of its new Hargreaves Mall store.

The World Record Club published mostly classical music and is credited with bringing the classics to a wide audience in Australia.

No one had really heard of Vivaldi or cared for Bach before WRC. The closest they got to the classics was probably Walt Disney’s Fantasia.

All the cover art was designed in Melbourne and was created by some pretty important designers, artists and photographers - even Geoff is in there somewhere as he worked for the company for two years straight out of art school.

Barkins has the latest high street looks, along with wardrobe must-haves such as basics from $9.95, classic suiting from $39.95 and denim from $39.95, with a wide range of accessories to complete every look.

It’s a must for music lovers, collectors, designers and design students.

Or anyone with an eye for stunning images. No doubt your coffee table is just crying out for a copy of this local production. Well, turns out Geoff is as generous as he is talented and has a copy to pass on 24

To celebrate the opening of its first Bendigo store, Barkins is giving four lucky readers the chance to win a $50 voucher. Simply email your details to comps@bendigomagazine.com, under the subject ‘Barkins’ to be in the running.

For more information visit www.barkins.com.au or call (03) 5443 2503. ■

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success story

life on ice Bendigo’s Linda Beilharz is the only Australian woman to have skied from the Antarctic to the South Pole. The epic 56-day journey fuelled a passion to conquer the earth’s remaining icecaps and shed light on global warming. With her fellow explorers, she prepares to leave for Patagonia, her third journey, this June.

What made you decide to start your adventures?

Building on a childhood of camping and some wonderful experiences at school I took some further steps to get more skills and experience so I could be more independent in the outdoors. I started bushwalking then moved to mountaineering in a modest way. I was inspired to go to the Antarctic after reading a book about a group of women who did the journey - and their book made it sound doable. I love the adventure, I love being in nature in its natural state and I love a life of moving along in a wild place with all I need in my pack or sled.

How do you prepare for your expeditions?

General fitness levels can be worked on at our local gyms. Evolution Sports and Fitness is sponsoring my training and have a great program for me that involves great core strength and cardiovascular training. I drag a tyre on dirt tracks around here which is the best way to develop sled pulling muscles. Trips to New Zealand and Canada or to our snow fields help with getting used to the cold and camping in the snow. The most important mental components are patience and determination and the ability to pace myself.

When skiing from Antarctica to the South Pole, you encountered temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius ... what does that feel like?

I found I had to think all the time about not getting too cold. We had to be moving or sheltered, skin had to be protected from the wind. Equipment and food freezes. Wires on the solar panel had to be moved carefully because they were quite brittle. Food, even nuts and dried fruit, tasted much better if warmed so I ended up tucking food into my clothing so that body heat could defrost them before eating. In Greenland, when it was dark at night, we would wake with frost on the inside of the tent and even our breath had frosted and frozen around the sleeping bag overnight. It was hard to get out of the sleeping bag in the morning!

What did that challenge teach you about global warming?

Greenlandic people helped us notice that the sea ice around their

island towns was not forming as it used to which meant they could not travel with their dog sleds to visit neighbouring towns. They were losing their skills in handling the dogs but were also missing out on socialising with their extended family and friends or visiting services, like the hospital, that they didn’t have in their own town. A group of travellers showed us that the icecap on the western coast of Greenland was shrinking at the edge. They had been there a few years ago and could point out that a couple of kilometres of ice was missing.

What do you realise about yourself when faced with weeks of whiteness and a never ending horizon?

I had a very strong feeling that human beings are small and powerless in comparison to nature. This was not a bad feeling. In fact I really liked the experience of trying to live with the environment. In Greenland we came across the word Sila – an Inuit word that means both weather and consciousness – and by the end of the trip felt we were starting to understand how our inner world or feelings and thoughts and the external world of weather are connected.

What is it you want children to know about the world you’ve visited?

I love being able to use the stories of the expeditions to discuss resilience, team work, environmental sustainability and other topics.

The students talk about getting along with each other in school situations and or about goals that they set and what they have to do to achieve them. We can then talk about what attitudes, skills and behaviours work for their situations and on the expedition.

What should a girl who’s about to travel hundreds of kilometres across an unforgiving, icy landscape never leave home without?

Chocolate. It seems to nourish the soul and the tastebuds as well as provide well-needed calories. Also, my huge down jacket that seems to be able to keep any level of cold out and finally my diary and a good pencil. ■ 27

the graduate

awash in water Dr Geoff Russell enrolled at La Trobe University with a thirst for local history knowledge and left with the makings of a new book, Water for Gold.

When I moved to Bendigo in 1992, the last thing on my mind was more study – especially as the two degrees I already held were more than enough to satisfy my professional and personal needs. Yet for as long as I can remember, I’d had a passion for plunging into history, spurred by living and working in two of the world’s great goldrush cities, Ballarat and Bendigo.

About 11 years ago, as a media consultant to Coliban Water, I was inspired to begin researching and writing about central Victoria’s fascinating water history. As historians do, I began with a question: ‘How could tens of thousands of people have created the grand 19th century cities of Bendigo and Castlemaine without a plentiful supply of local water?’ I soon realised almost all the histories written about these centres focused on gold, yet as I delved deeper I became convinced the fight for water was an even grander untold story.

I was keen to write a book about this water history and wanted some professional guidance. That led me to La Trobe University Bendigo in 2000, where senior lecturers Dr Charles Fahey and Assoc. Prof. Robbie Robertson encouraged me to enrol in a part-time Master’s Degree in History. It was a life-changing decision and I plunged head-long into research. I soon ‘upsized’ my studies to a Doctorate, mainly because my research had grown far beyond the requirements of a Master’s Degree. Along the way, I had the opportunity to present my research to peers at many well-respected events, including the Irish-Australian History Conference in Cork.

Eight years later I graduated with my PhD in History, having produced a 100,000-word thesis – Water for Gold: the fight to quench Victoria’s greatest goldfield, Bendigo. I have since restructured this thesis into a new book that is being jointly published this autumn by Australian Scholarly Publishing and Coliban Water, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of providing water to the goldfields.

Looking back on my experience at La Trobe, I think Bendigo is very lucky to have a local university campus, yet most residents take this too much for granted. Apart from providing regional students of all ages with a quality tertiary education, it offers higher-level research opportunities into local areas of interest, such as goldrush history.

There is no better place than Bendigo to study this seminal period in Australia’s history, especially as you can walk straight out the door and actually be on the goldfields!

Most importantly, I’ve further realised the value of good written and verbal communications. Across all areas of government, people spend most of their waking hours talking, reading and writing about ideas that are generally aimed at making our lives progressively better. In this environment, those who do well can write and verbalise their ideas in order to enthuse and lead others. A sound, liberal arts education encourages these skills and more, and I thank La Trobe University Bendigo for giving me this very special gift.

Much of my success is due to the patience, love and support of my partner Penny Burke and our two wonderful children, James and Jasmine. My supervisors at La Trobe Bendigo, Charles and Robbie, were also very inspiring. My return gift to central Victoria is my new book, Water for Gold, and I hope all local residents will enjoy reading about their own amazing history, as much as I have enjoyed writing about it. ■ 28

Photographer: Mal Whitehead

As a result of my studies, in July 2007 I was appointed as a research officer to one of the 12 committees of the Parliament of Victoria.

That gave me an incredible opportunity to learn first-hand about the structure and machinations of our political system and further develop my research and writing skills. Ironically, I ended up writing a voluminous parliamentary report: the sort of report I used to wade through many, many times during my PhD studies. When that project ended I joined the Communications Branch of the Department of Sustainability and Environment to work as a writer/editor. I now write about water – as well as climate change, forests, land-use, coastal protection, biodiversity and fire management. It’s a fascinating, ethical and challenging workspace and draws on many skills I developed at La Trobe.

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venturing to venus For some men, it’s a whole other world but for these four, stepping into the realm of women comes naturally. These local lads are making headway in the quest for equality but really, they’re just doing what they love.

Tackling the home front Ray O’Rourke’s front door opens to a melodic reminder of his past life, the door bell ringing out “We are Geelong, the greatest team of all...”.

The at-home dad never tires of the constant tune, aptly proud of the fact he pulled on the number 14 jumper for the Cats between 1968 and 1970. Although that time on the footy field is now a world away for Ray, who’s enjoying what he calls a second chance at life...family life.

Ray is the man-about-house in the O’Rourke family, and a 30

massive support to his working wife Margaret, manager of Telstra Countrywide. With two little girls, Ireland, six and Bryde, four, Ray is chief cook, bottle washer, taxi service and grazed knee kisser, and he wouldn’t have things any other way. This is Ray’s second marriage, and with two adult daughters, Rachael and Melissa, he knows what he wants to do differently this time around. “Back then it was all about me and I say that in a manner that’s a little bit selfish, it was sport, sport, sport,” Ray says. “Most guys my age, if they’re being open and honest about it, would say the same thing.”

Photographer: David Field

- Lauren Mitchell

Most guys my age, if they’re being open and honest about it, would say the same thing.

Ray O’Rourke is at home with his girls, Ireland, six and Bryde, four, and wouldn’t have it any other way.

A knee operation cut short Ray’s AFL football years, but there was plenty more on-field action, coaching and playing senior footy in his home-state Tasmania. Following sport came career, with Ray working his way through Tassie’s Telstra ranks. He says the constant travel and work commitments put great strain on his first marriage. Then came that second chance, in the form of “Margie”, and the pair married in 2000.

When Ireland was a baby, Ray had an epiphany of sorts. “I woke up one morning and said to Margie, our eldest daughter was five months at the time and Margie was on maternity leave, ‘I’m going in to work this morning to hand in my resignation, we’re going to go overseas to follow the family tree and when we come back I’m going to play the role of house husband’.” And so that’s what they did. “We got back to the 15th century as far as the family is concerned and believe it or not, there was a Queen Margaret,” laughs Ray. “I stuck to my word and I’m still here six years later. I must say that I thoroughly enjoy what I do, I wouldn’t change it for the world. The girls are growing up with me and it’s something I missed before. I’m full time with the family. I gave a commitment to Margie and I say that with a lot of conviction. As you get older you become more experienced, you get wiser and reflect on the past and I suppose there’s a bit of sadness there that I didn’t spend time with Rachael and Melissa. But now they’re so proud of their dad, changing nappies and so forth.”

Anyone who doubts the commitment and expertise needed to run a household need only speak to Ray. “All the qualifications and management skills I learnt through university, it all comes into play,” he says. “It’s like running a business. This to me is no different than managing at Telstra – but it’s more fun and a bit more relaxing.”

“If I wasn’t doing this Margie’s life wouldn’t be the way it is today, and the two little girls, their lives wouldn’t be as happy and joyous, they’d be in after school care and full time creche,” Ray says. “Financially, we’re very lucky we can do this.”

Ray says he does feel like a minority as a stay-at-home dad, as in the three years the family has lived in Bendigo, he hasn’t met another.

But he loves what he does, loves his days with the O’Rourke girls, so much so, there may even be a few tears when Bryde dons a school uniform and backpack.

“There’s a bond between the three of us and when Bryde does go off to school on dad it will be a little bit lonely,” he says. “That’s when I’ll do some charity work.” But that’s a couple of years away yet, and there’s plenty more playground dates and kinder runs to keep him occupied. Plus, not to forget the Cat’s 150th anniversary this year, where Ray believes he’ll be the “rare commodity” among the 1500 past players and guests at the reunion. ➤ 31

You’ve heard about mechanic’s cars, well it’s exactly the same. My wife still chuckles.

32

LEFT: Bendigo Health midwife Danny Kerr with a four-hour old baby boy.

RIGHT: Darren Welch is sitting pretty as Provincial Home Living manager.

Of babes and bellies When Danny Kerr’s fourth daughter was born he clamped his eyes shut tight at the moment of arrival. Couldn’t bear to look. Had he kept them open, the birth would have been added to the hundreds this man has witnessed. But it’s different with your own.

“Hopeless,” Danny says of his use in the births of his own children.

“You’ve heard about mechanic’s cars, well it’s exactly the same. My wife still chuckles. When she was pregnant with our second child she said her waters had broken, and I said no they haven’t, go shopping, and they really had. Your judgement is just shot.”

As a midwife with Bendigo Health, Danny plays a part in the birth of 1200 new residents each year, seeing most women at least once during their pregnancy through the anti-natal clinic. He is one of two blokes in the job here, and no, they’re not called midhusbands, in case you’re wondering. But after 20 years in the career, even Danny admits it’s an odd place for a man to be. “I stop and think sometimes, ‘this is absolutely crazy’. When I think about the idea of being a male in this type of work, that’s strange.”

Despite this, he says women have been very kind to him over the years, accepting him into the fold of what is traditionally perceived as women’s business. And being this close to the inner-world of the fairer sex has given Danny insights beyond that of the average man.

When asked what the job has taught him about women, Danny has to take a moment to gather his thoughts.

“Obviously I like working with women, it’s taught me that,” he says.

“They’re very resilient, particularly when it comes to childbirth. And for most women, not all, that desire to have a child is very strong, the world over. To be prepared to go through nine months of pregnancy and labour to have a child is amazing really. And to carry a human being around inside you is always a stressful time. For some women it’s a very good experience and for some it’s a distressing time and they need help to get through that as well.”

“No way can I empathise in terms of what women go through.

Obviously you have to experience what it’s like and obviously only women can do that and I understand that. In some ways I think men are less fortunate than women because they can’t have that experience. Although I wouldn’t necessarily put my hand up to come back as a woman if I was re-incarnated.”

Danny said being a midwife was about the only area of nursing where you care for people who aren’t sick, which is a great attraction.

Although in witnessing new life, the tragedies are inevitable. “Seeing babies die is always hard, it’s probably the hardest for anyone when you’re looking after someone and suddenly there’s a still birth that’s unexpected,” he says. “Not only is it a real tragedy for the family but professionally there’s certainly the challenge of did you do everything you could have? And just the grieving. It’s not the same grief as the family but the experience is very upsetting. Most midwives will tell you they’ve had to go through that in their career and it’s certainly the hardest thing to deal with.”

Embedded in bed linen Darren Welch always makes his bed in the morning. In fact he has the whole home economics thing down pat, but I’m talking number crunching now, not apple pies. At 23 years of age, this Warnambool ex-pat has spent his post-graduation year managing Bendigo’s Provincial Home Living store, surrounded by all manner of linen, lounges...and ladies.

“People are usually surprised to know I actually make the beds here,” Darren says of his many work duties. It’s a far cry from where he imagined himself when he enrolled in the marketing and economics course, but it is all par for the course for this career-minded young man. After finishing university Darren landed a job with Provincial in his seaside home town and after just two months on the floor was offered the manager’s role in Bendigo. “I didn’t know what a flat sheet was when I started here but the business side interests me and because I love people it’s perfect,” he says.

Inheriting three lovely ladies as staff members turned out to be a god-send for Darren, who came to Bendigo knowing no-one. “It’s pretty much like I’ve got three mums to be honest,” he says. “When I moved here I didn’t know a single person. I’ve learnt a lot, especially from Maree. She’s managed stores for years so I’ve learnt a lot from her and being a mum she’s been a guiding light as well. I think you always need guidance, it doesn’t matter how old you are, and being a young male and new to town, that guidance has been great, both professionally and personally. They’ve got my back, for sure.”

After a year working alongside women, Darren has learnt many things; the importance of thread count, for example, and simply how much fun it is being surrounded by those surrogate mothers. And then there’s the customers, of which Darren estimates 80 per cent are women too. “I know for any lady customer I’m a bit of a novelty, I’m something different and I definitely play off that and use it to my advantage, of course,” he says, with just a hint of the cheek that’s become so popular. “I used to work at Supre and my ex-girlfriend hated it because basically I’d flirt with women all day.”

Most women who’ve had a baby through Bendigo Health remember Danny. He is your average family man but in his workplace he does stand out somewhat. However, don’t be too offended if he doesn’t remember you. “I don’t recall specific births – that’s one of the things I don’t like about the job, not having a photographic memory, I’d like to be able to recall details,” he says. “When I’m looking after someone I do think it’s special what they’re going through but I don’t necessarily retain that in the memory. I wish I’d kept a diary of every birth so I knew how many – it would have to be in the hundreds.”

“It doesn’t matter the amount of text books you read when it comes to the people side of it. When a male comes into the store they’ll probably go towards me as well and I can have a joke with them – it works both ways.” While the other men in Darren’s life sometimes think what he’s doing is a bit out of left field, he is quick to set them straight. “They won’t knock me but if they do come in and see what I do they wish they had my job, it’s a fun job,” he says. “I often come in here and think, what am I doing? It’s a bit out of the norm but there’s no set rules I guess. My summer job turned out to be a stepping stone that I didn’t see coming but I’m enjoying myself.”

Minus his fourth child, don’t forget. “And when my girls have babies, which I think they will one day, I’m going to stay completely out of it.”

And of the women? “They’re still a bit of a mystery to me to be honest,” he says. ➤ 33

Brent Goodes has found the good life among the littlies.

King of the kids Brent Goodes describes himself as a big kid but this young-at-heart guy has also had to grow up pretty quickly. Becoming the man of the house after his parents separated when he was a child has shaped his chosen career of childcare worker and so it seems this 19 year old has found his place in the world much quicker than most. When bendigo magazine visited the YMCA Playhouse Childcare Centre in Eaglehawk, Brent was still reeling from being offered a full time traineeship in the toddlers’ room and the chance to finish his diploma on the job.

One of just a couple of male childcare workers in Bendigo, you get the feeling this guy was hot property in the job stakes, although he says being a boy does not come without its vices. “The challenge is just the trust, with so much in the media these days, the trust from the parents, for them to trust me as a male looking after their children,” Brent says.

“Every parent needs that sense of trust in a caregiver but me being a male they’ve got to put that extra trust in me. I just be myself – that’s how I overcome it.” However, he says the benefits for the children in having a man around for the day far outweighs any challenges.

When Brent was introduced to the Playhouse kids by his nickname, Beeg, the littlies took an instant liking to him, climbing all over him, hanging off him and sing songing “Beegy, Beegy” like they’d known him forever. “It was fun,” Brent says. “Every child is different, but there’s a fair few that if I sit down they’ll all be climbing over me, and they’re used to that, playing with their fathers, guardians or uncles in the backyard. I think it’s pretty positive with the way families are these days.

My parents are split up and I’ve been through all that – with different types of families these days I think it’s pretty important. If a child 34

doesn’t have a male figure at home, they can have one at childcare.

I probably bring a masculine security to the room instead of the motherly aspect.”

“When mum and dad split up we moved to Bendigo from Swan Hill and I was with the girls, I was more like the father in the house I suppose, I grew up pretty quickly. That’s definitely where this all comes from.” It’s a story Brent probably refers to often, as the ‘why childcare?’ question is constantly asked of him by peers moving into trade careers and the likes. “People say ‘why would you want to do that’ but most people who know me pretty much understand,” he says. “It’s good fun and it’s work I can enjoy because I’m a big kid myself. At the end of the day you really get something out of it, you learn something new every day... they teach you things, the children.”

And then there’s the benefits of studying and working with an allfemale group. “I brought that guy sense of humour to the class, even here they tell me they can feel that. They’re saying ‘what would we do without you, you make it so much more enjoyable’ and that’s what I want to bring to the centre.”

Where many young men choose primary school teaching as a way of working with children, for Brent, there was no question his talents would be best served with the little kids. After completing Year 11 work experience with the YMCA’s school holiday program, he was offered a part time job and has been the king of the kids ever since.

“When I finished VCE I just decided that to do something with children would be pretty cool. You can just be yourself, obviously it matters what you do because you’re modelling your behaviour for the children. If you’re not happy, they won’t be happy, but you’ve just got to be yourself.” And it seems that tussle-haired, laid-back self suits these kids just fine. ■

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wendy schatz You’ll rarely see her in a hat by the track but Wendy Schatz is the life of the party at the Bendigo Jockey Club.

She has a busy job as administration manager but that’s nothing compared to life with husband Carl and their four boisterous boys.

My family and I moved to Bendigo five years ago from Melbourne with a vision to live in a nicer environment. We absolutely love Bendigo and all that it has to offer.

The Jockey Club is a great place to work, it is very family friendly. My role is extremely diverse, I am responsible for the accounts payable, receivable, invoicing and payroll as well as race day duties and our members. I especially love my work from August 1 which is when the members renew and the marquee sales commence for our two big meetings – Beach Party Raceday and the Bendigo Cup.

6:00am I have always been a morning person. I get up and enjoy the first hour of the day on my own. I do a load of washing and hang it out, share a coffee with my sister in Melbourne (chatting on the phone), make school lunches and generally tidy up. I quickly have a shower and get dressed before the craziness begins!

7:00am Get the boys out of bed, supervise and try to time-manage the showering, dressing, feeding and fighting of my children. My husband Carl and I have a quick coffee and chat and he leaves for work.

8:00am I run Jake and Riley down to the bus stop. Jake and Riley both go to Flora Hill Secondary College. Jake’s excuse for not being able to walk one kilometre to the bus stop is that he has his bass guitar to take to school and it’s too heavy! I come home, finish getting ready and help my little boys get their lunches in their bags, sign reading logs, turn 13 lights off and leave to take Brody and Trent to Strathfieldsaye Primary School. Trent rabbits on all the way there, he suddenly has a lot to tell me and I patiently wait until he is ready to get out of the car.

9:00am I am driving to work at the Bendigo Jockey Club, wondering how I can manage my time better so that I can actually arrive on time! I am very lucky that my work mates are so wonderful and very understanding.

I check emails, open mail, write the banking up and attend to any unfinished work from the previous day.

10:00 am Meet with our functions manager to organise invoicing, banking and floats for upcoming functions and to finalise those that were held over the weekend.

Meeting begins, we have sandwiches while analysing the financial papers, I take the minutes and answer any questions that the accountant and sub committee members may have.

Dad live just around the corner from me and the boys all visit after school. They love going there; mum’s pantry is an endless delight. It is usually a quick visit. Between 4 and 6.30pm on every weeknight I am driving between basketball practice, basketball games, soccer training, football training and music lessons. When I have to be at two or three places at once, mum gives me a hand or Carl if he has finished at work. The boys keep me really busy, they all have lots of interests and by the end of the winter season I am exhausted, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

2:00 pm

6:30pm

I type the minutes. I go to our storage room to look for some envelopes. A trainer comes in for race fields and some other forms and I attend to him. I take some linen into the jockey’s change room and make up the bunks for the next race meeting.

It’s all hands on deck. Carl usually starts the dinner prior to me getting home but we all help. The dogs have to be fed, washing comes in from the line and is folded and taken to bedrooms.

11:00 am Type a few letters, code the day’s accounts, prepare stewards room for finance sub committee meeting.

12:00 am

4:00pm I finish off some paperwork and make a to do list for the next day.

I drive to my parents’ home to pick up Trent and Riley. Mum and

7:15pm If we are really lucky we are sitting down for dinner by 7.15pm. It is not always ideal but I guess we are just like most ordinary families with two working parents! ■ 37

a school story

california’s primary colour Pick up your school bag and let’s go to California Gully. You’ll discover a school that’s on top of a hill, and top of its class.

- Jacqui Mott

That’s why you’ll find California Gully Primary School abuzz. It’s full of busy bees intent on building a learning community that improves educational opportunities for every one of its 180 students. And within this caring, personal and friendly environment, the focus is all about community cohesion, a pathway to cultivate a sense of shared values by helping children fulfil their potential and feel part of a community.

According to principal Glenn Madden the broad curriculum and sense of inclusiveness is a style best described as a whole-school approach to learning.

The school’s educational design promotes fitness and wellbeing at every turn. “Our strong health and physical education program encourages lifestyle awareness,” Glenn says. “We teach young children basic movement skills before progressing to minor games and sports.” And while the kids hone their sporty skills within the confines of their learning day, they blossom through the added experience of interschool challenges. “We’ve seen students benefit from many sporting opportunities including competing on a district and regional level,” explains Glenn. The motivation for fitness finesse extends to a student ‘sport report’ come assembly time; it’s a part of the week when a passion for competitive physical activity blends with public speaking, a proven confidence-builder. And it’s these regular highlights, the school community believes, that offers something extra for the youngsters. “We love to encourage our students to just ‘have a go’ because we want all kids to be part of the action, at whatever participation level. When we organise cricket games, all students play…it’s great, because everyone gets a turn.”

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An on-going buddy program also creates bonds that often extend beyond class and schoolyard. “We have a philosophy of participation.

Here, the big kids know the little kids and each Grade 6 student is buddied with a prep student.” Glenn says the advantages of a small school are many. “Everyone knows everyone. And I speak to many parents who believe our school size offers more quality opportunities and choices for kids.” The bonuses are seen in smaller class sizes, where students enjoy a personalised approach to learning while reaping the rewards of greater interaction between teachers and parents through an all-embracing network.

And at Cal Gully the sportiness is balanced by a curriculum that hits the right chord, presenting subjects such as visual and performing arts. Pick up any school newsletter and you’ll be guaranteed of a headline spelling out the much-loved cultural activity, including art shows and band performances. From Grade 4 to Grade 6 the school’s vibrant music program serves up a selection of instruments including saxophone, clarinet, drums, guitar and keyboard. It’s a free, highly inclusive, vibrant class designed to inspire children to have a go with their fingers on keys rather than rackets, balls and bats. In fact the school’s performing arts status stepped into spotlight last year, when theatre production Bell Topper was staged to celebrate the school’s 125th anniversary. A musical, written especially for the school by Lois Angus, with a score by Peter Butler, directed by music teacher Wendy Collishaw (with assistance of a dedicated school team) was based on California Gully Primary School’s history written by lifelong Bendigonian, historian and researcher Ruth Hopkins. The reviews noted it was a colourful performance, a stunning success and a history lesson to boot!

126 years, it’s a long time. From a period when people fought to survive on the crusty diggings landscape to the ‘now’ time, when we fight to keep our planet alive, after creating such a man’s-scape, this historic school hasn’t suffered any time warp. The ‘now’ is especially evident as seen through young sustainability-focused class eyes. Vegie gardens, chook sheds (and yummy, fresh eggs), nature trails and orchards are some of the fruit harvested from the school’s environment-friendly activities. Teachers are keenly green as the young students plant native trees for Planet Ark Day, conserve water at bubble taps and work towards generating energy through solar panels, under the enthusiastic watch of teacher Doris Carroll. “This activity is supported through the school’s science program which teaches children an abundance of practical, sustainable ways to help the environment,” Glenn says.

Photographer: David Field

In days of old, the California Gully community dug in and struck gold.

They discovered by digging their heels in and standing united for a cause they could establish a school for their children. And so, through struggle, toil and trouble California Gully Primary School in Staley Street was born – forged by people who decided to settle in this bustling boomtown, 126 years ago. Throughout its rich history the red brick walls of this tall colonial schoolhouse felt the temperature rise, baked in the heat of Bendigo’s unrelenting sunshine and warmed like toast by a hearty welcome that’s been extended to the zillions of students who have trod up these steps and scampered through these corridors. As a beaut new century unfolds, this school on the hill is a chip off the old block, mirroring that strength of character in every component of its learning life, a life which involves the entire school community, from teachers, support staff to pupils, parents and the wider community.

FAR LEFT: Growing vegies helps grow the minds at Cal Gully.

LEFT: The school boasts up-to-date IT tools.

BELOW: Principal Glen Madden encourages all his students to ‘have a go’.

Teacher Kathryn Andruschko enjoys interacting with the school’s diverse community. She says successful partnerships outside the formal school environment are an important aspect for the children’s school life. “The school council and parents club provide great support – with working bees, fundraising and program support. Parents can participate in school activities and become partners with teachers in developing positive educational outcomes for our children,” she says.

The ‘just do it’ vibe at Cal Gully continues this year with many improvements on its to do list, including a head-to-toe artificial-grassmakeover for the oval and a synthetic treatment lined up for the ever-popular cricket pitch. Inside the classroom, the information and communication technology lessons will see the school provide a laptop for each Grade 5 and 6 student. Glenn says other positive changes are on the horizon, as the school sees its health and wellbeing ideals develop through healthy collaboration across key learning areas. “We always aim to create a positive feel as we continue to provide a safe, fun and stimulating place for work and play.” ■

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the wheel workers From re-building schools in Samoa to manning the Bendigo barbecue, our local Rotary club members don’t stop working. Take a look behind the scene of two of the city’s eight clubs.

- Sharon Greenaway “Rotary is not restricted to anyone…a service club needs people from all walks of life,” enthuses the Rotary Club of Bendigo president Noel Hobley. “Everybody is joining young professional groups or business groups, all thinking they have to go to these networking groups as a business point, but that is where Rotary started and evolved into a service club.”

The Bendigo Club is one of several Rotary clubs within the region and each club takes on individual projects as well as contributing to Rotary International. “The Rotary club of Bendigo is currently organising prefabricated toilet blocks that go to Samoa for schools…our club has also helped build schools in Samoa,” says Noel.

The funding for these types of projects comes from applying for grants from the Rotary Foundation. “Last year the Bendigo club itself raised funds for 15 shelter boxes. Inside there are tents, cooking gear, and equipment and even kids’ colouring books in order to support a family of ten for about three months. These boxes are used in disaster situations such as in Bangladesh where they got flooded out.”

ABOVE: The team of Rotary volunteers at Lona, Samoa.

LEFT: Rotarian Brian Doherty, with a few helpers, at the Uafato Primary School, Samoa.

BELOW: A few of the recipients of the Rotary club’s assistance.

The Bendigo club runs Carols by Candlelight, caters at the SWAP meet and holds its annual art show. The art show alone generates over $20,000, bringing the total of annual fund raising to between $40,000 and $50,000 dollars.

All eight Rotary clubs in the Bendigo area have been recently matched with a Melbourne-based Rotary cluster to assist in drought relief programs. “We have had meetings with Bendigo Uniting Care Outreach that already has very extensive community contacts…to see where we can help them rather than re-inventing the wheel and saving duplication,” says Noel. “We are also in contact with CFA to see where we can assist them.”

The club meets at lunchtime on Tuesdays at the Bendigo Club and often has a guest speaker.

Rotary means so much to the community, but what does it mean to Noel? “Humility,” he says. “Going along to Rotary just broadens your eyes as to what is possible. Being a part of Rotary is all about serving the community.”

Rotary Club of Bendigo-Strathdale Each Tuesday night at the All Seasons Complex on McIvor Highway, the Rotary Club of Bendigo-Strathdale get together for good times and good causes. President Peter Kennedy says they also have guest speakers and sometimes go out on vocational visits to various business places.

The club’s current overseas project is to assist the Eaglehawk Rotary Club in its project to bring orphans from Thailand to Australia so they can learn English. This then assists the children when they go home to study at university.

“A major joint effort for the year, with all the other Rotary clubs in Bendigo, is the catering for the SWAP Meet,” Peter explains. “This year the recipients and co-helpers were people from Righteous Pups, Bendigo Youth Choir and Volunteer Resource Centre.

“The local projects that we are looking at for the moment, like all the Rotary clubs in Bendigo, are the drought relief programs.”

The club’s recent Christmas raffle raised around $20,000 for Riding for the Disabled, Heartbeat, State Emergency Service, Righteous Pups, Wildlife Rescue, Cystic Fibrosis and Vietnam Veterans.

is now a joint district Rotary camp and was first built in the 1940s by the Bendigo club. All the clubs in our district, from Echuca to Brighton are supporting it.” When finished this camp will accommodate around 70 people and will include three specialised cabins for people with disabilities.

“We all expect a lot out of communities and Rotary is an opportunity for individuals to put something into the community in one way or another,” Peter says. “One thing I would like to say is that Rotary is looked at as being an international organisation probably more renowned for its youth exchange and polio plus programs. What it’s not recognised for is the enormous amount of work put into local communities by Rotary.”

Peter adds that the Bendigo-Strathdale club consists of nearly 50 per cent women members.

Each club has a joining fee and yearly membership.

For further information:

“We’ve run two Nearly New Baby Wear Sales. There are clothes and pushers and that sort of thing that are in good condition,” Peter says.

“We run Community Carols at Crook Street, Strathdale. We look at doing it as a way of thanking people for their support of our trailer raffles.

Rotary Club of Bendigo, phone Glenn Reilly on (03) 5442 1355 or email reillysbendigo@retravision.com.au

“We are presently re-building the Rotary Camp at Axedale. This camp

Visit www.rotary.org/en/Pages/ridefault.aspx ■

Rotary Club of Bendigo-Strathdale, phone Peter Kennedy on (03) 5443 8879.

41

164 Mitchell Street Bendigo Phone: 5443 9875

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making it on mars The clichés are changing. Women’s work, man’s domain; they’re terms best left in the dark ages, as these ladies quite rightly make clear.

lady driver It’s five o’clock at the Axedale quarry and the big rigs are coming home to roost for the night. You hear them before you see them.

They appear out of the dust like dinosaurs; trucks as big as houses.

And with names like Komatsu and Terex, they could just as well be from a pre-historic era. T-rex I reckon, with its battered body and gruesome tyres, the wheels alone taller than the men that drive them.

The 25-men and the one woman that is. And Sonya Browne assures me these beasts may look daunting but they certainly don’t bite.

“Those big machines look hard to drive but they’re very easy. They’re fully automatic, with power steering, it’s just stop and go,” she says.

Sonya fit straight into her male-dominated work place two years ago; it was nothing after spending four years working in the Kalgoorlie mines, where she met her husband in the “superpit”. Stephen is an Axedale farmer by bloodline, and so Sonya moved to the area for love, later finding a career as well, as site supervisor at Hanson’s Quarry.

She doesn’t see what she does as anything out of the ordinary.

Although all the people she works with are men, they’re just work mates to Sonya. “I love the variety. I do a bit of everything. The day starts off with a plan and by eight o’clock that’s all changed. It’s very hands on. It’s not a nine-to-five job.” And she says more women should consider a career with the 50-ton trucks, because as a general rule, we chicks can drive. “In Kalgoorlie they employ a lot of women, they just say that women tend to be a bit easier on the machines and they just break up that macho atmosphere the work site can get.”

“In Kalgoorlie they have 250-ton trucks, this is only 50 ton,” she says 44

as one of the biggest beasts pulls up beside us, backing in with a “grrr, grrr, grrr”. When I ask for more specifications on the machines, Sonya shrugs her shoulders. “It’s yellow and it’s got tyres. I’m not a mechanic. It’s all about the size, as long as it looks pretty.” So it seems Sonya is not so different than your average gal. That’s if you don’t take into consideration the explosives.

As well as truck driver, administrator, supervisor and dust collector, Sonya is currently working to get her ticket as a “shot firer”. “I’m currently going for my explosives ticket, I’ve done the training course and am waiting to do the practical,” she says. “We blast once a week. We blast to make shot rock to feed into the crushers and then that gets broken down for road bases. The holes will be pre-drilled and then we come along and fill them with explosives. It’s all done manually so it can take up to half a day to fill 50 or 60 holes. And we don’t have a button, we have a stomper.” What a way to let out your frustrations.

And what about the pay? “If you go north the money’s better but the worst thing with mining is you earn big, you spend big, to me it’s on the same par. Where there’s big money there’s big risk as well...the hole could collapse,” she says.

We squint our eyes against the dust that’s rolling in with the rigs and Sonya comments the first thing she does when she gets home is jump in the shower. “Everything’s covered in dust. It gets through your hair, everywhere,” she says.

Her fellow work mates gain plenty of fodder from the attention Sonya’s getting, rubbing it in as they thunder by. “I think they have their moments, like all men do, but they’re pretty good,” she smiles.

Photographer: Anthony Webster

- Lauren Mitchell

taking a grand stand

It’s yellow and it’s got tyres. I’m not a mechanic. It’s all about the size, as long as it looks pretty.

You get the impression when Sue O’Neill sets her mind to something, that’s it. Take, for example, her efforts to include women in football, and I’m not talking cheerleaders. Not content with slicing oranges and manning the kiosk, self-confessed tom boy Sue took matters into her own hand-ball two years ago to establish the Bendigo Youth Girls Football League. “It was great to be part of it. I spent eight months in 2006 trying to get it all together – there was a lot of interest out there from girls who wanted to play.”

And it all started with one girl who had a passion for the game. “My husband coached the Under-15s in Eaglehawk and I became the team manager,” Sue says. “We had a girl come up and ask to play for the side and she was the first girl to sign up with the club which was a pretty big thing. Half way through the year we were told she couldn’t play anymore because the age limit for girls was 15.”

Sue did some research over the net and found girls footy had been played in Melbourne for quite a while, so contacted the AFL, and it was game on. “We set up a stall at Participaction Day at the lake and we walked away with over 50 names that day of girls who wanted to play football.” And so Sue found herself coaching the Eaglehawk girls for the 2007/2008 season. It was probably the second-best option for a women who would have loved the opportunity to also play our great game. “My parents were part of the Huntly Football Club and I used to play netball for them but I loved being around footy.”

She says the girls who now play for Eaglehawk, North Bendigo and Marong have had to work hard to prove themselves. “I came across a few guys who thought girls can’t play football and even found that within the club we had to fight to get accepted.” Sue’s response to those people was to come and watch the girls play. Those that did found a serious competition of highly-skilled players.

Eaglehawk player Lesley-Ann Mouritz says when the whistle blows it is all about the game. However off-field, she says it does sometimes seem strange to play football. It didn’t take long for her to be known at school as a girl who played football on the weekends. “The guys figured out I played for a girls’ team and they were continually asking about it,” she says.

Sue says there’s been a welcome side effect to girls’ football. It’s bringing families together at a stage in their daughter’s lives that sometimes drags them away. “It’s been a great way for dads to interact with their teenage daughters because they can go out the back and kick the footy and help them out with their ball skills.”

Two years in and these teams are kicking goals on and off the field.

For the past two years, players have been selected to play for Victoria in a State of Origin competition against Queensland. “To get it to go from Auskick to premier league would be amazing,” Sue says. And with talks now happening to establish a local women’s league, Sue’s dream may be realised quicker than she thinks. ➤

ABOVE: Sonya Browne is the lone lady among the big rigs at Hanson’s Quarry.

Photographer: David Field

RIGHT: Sue O’Neill and Lesley-Ann Mouritz prove girls can kick, and they’re damn good at it, too.

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Photographer: David Field

Mary Lowe has helped open the doors for other women to pursue a career in real estate.

on the home front Mary Lowe has a sixth sense. She can tell straight up if a looker is going to become a buyer. We’re talking real estate. “When you take someone through a home, if you’re tuned in, you can tell whether they like it or not as soon as they’re in,” she says. It’s taken Mary a good 16 years to hone the skill. And if you think a real estate agent is out of place in this feature story, let us take you back to when Mary first took on the role, as one of two or three local women in the profession.

The job was perceived as being one for the boys, and didn’t they let her know it. “The women did have it tough. Men were very, very prejudice against the females and it made it very hard.” She says sheer persistence got her through, plus a supportive boss in the form of Luke Goggin. “I don’t think I would have survived if I didn’t have a fair and reasonable boss. I worked with five males who had testosterone flowing through their veins – they used to give me a very hard time but I think I enjoyed that – I probably threatened to leave a couple of times. I more or less had to be one of the boys. When I started everyone did their own signs. I had to bang the stakes into the ground. With my first listing I asked who was going to do the sign for me and they said ‘well, you want to be one of us, do it yourself’.” Mary said that part of the job really wasn’t women’s work, describing it as a real “gut buster”. But there was a silver lining to this cloud. “We got a sign man from then on – the guys should thank me for that.”

Mary was met with mixed response in those early days. “I remember [local agent] Hunter Gill phoning me and congratulating me, saying we need more females in the industry,” she says. “I’ll never forget, it

46

was really good back then and I did make some good money. But one of my colleagues said to me that I was very lucky to be making that sort of money as a woman – that was really the attitude back then.”

And Mary shocked more than just her fellow agents. “I got called out to an inspection once and two girls got out of the car and said to me, ‘Oh, you’re the real estate agent? You don’t look like one’. I took that as a compliment.”

Mary now estimates there’s around 35 female real estate agents in this city. “Where I am now [ResCom Bendigo] there’s three females and three males. The percentage is coming up.” And she says women are perfectly suited to the profession. “I think women sometimes find it easier – they connect with the females because they’re the ones that want the house...you usually start dealing with the male but always end up with the female because the house is her domain.”

Ask many real estate agents what the highlights of their career are and they may list those dream sales...but not Mary. “Selling a million dollar home is just as hard as selling a $200,000 home, it’s all relative really,” she says. “It’s a great satisfaction to find someone’s home for them. One of the best sales was just recently to a young couple...I’d never seen anyone so delighted. When his offer was accepted in the office he rang everyone, he was shaking.”

In 16 years Mary has seen the face of real estate change dramatically, not least the average price of a Bendigo home, which was $80,000 in 1993. She’s happy to say she is no longer unique in the industry, well, her gender isn’t anyway, we reckon with that gorgeous sense of style and ‘anti-agent’ look, she’s certainly pretty special.

Vanessa Courtot is used to being the only chick in the saddle.

woman on wheels

Photographer: David Field

Look closely next time a bunch of cyclists whizz past and you may just catch a second-long glance at Vanessa Courtot. She’s the only she in the saddle; privy to a weekly tour of testosterone on wheels but she assures me the experience is quite different than you’d think.

“I think in the cycling fraternity the men are very polite, they’ll ride past a chick and there’s never any disrespect or yelling out and they rarely swear,” she says. “They’ll always go out for coffee afterwards and are always happy to have me involved in the conversation. It’s a little bit sad sometimes that more women can’t get out and ride in the groups. There’s probably that threat that if they go it will be really blokey but it’s not like that at all.” Then again, Vanessa is used to mixing in a man’s world. She is the only woman on the floor at Moroni’s Bikes, has spent years in graphic design suits and competing in triathlons. And this girl holds her own on all fronts.

“There can be 100 blokes in a triathlon and probably 15 women,” she says. “It’s pretty good. I’ve been punched and kicked, pulled under, my goggles pulled off. All the stuff they do to the men they do to the women as well which I don’t mind because I know I’m on an even playing field. Like all sports it’s very competitive on the field but as soon as you step off it’s pretty friendly and I find there’s less bitchiness with boys – they’re more into gossip mind you, it’s what they live on.”

Vanessa said since joining the Moroni’s team six months ago, that’s been the biggest surprise. “They’re gossips. Big, big gossips, and I really didn’t ever think that. Boys care about what they look like as well – look at that one over there at the moment trying on a helmet and perving at himself in the mirror,” she laughs, and we both crane our necks to see what all the fuss is about.

Vanessa’s boss wanders over and says he doesn’t know what he’d do without her now, as she’s gaining quite a reputation with other female cyclists. “It more benefits the customers,” Vanessa says.

“If a customer is uncomfortable asking a male staff member about something, they’ve got me. For instance, sore bottoms. And clothing, like how things are going to look. Often I forget I’m the only chick here until someone asks about something weird, like their butt.”

Among Vanessa’s cycling achievements, she has been the South Australian Olympic distance champion, sprint distance champion and short course champion. She came second in the Shepparton half ironman for her age group and third in the South Australian criterium.

But it took a little trial and error to find her sport of choice. “I had all that girly stuff earlier in life with calisthenics, gymnastics and ballet – I’ve had all the makeup and the sequins so I haven’t missed out on that stuff,” she says. “When I was a kid every night after dinner my parents would take me for a bike ride in summer and it felt like two or three hours every night. They bought me this massive bike that was adult-sized...with full rubber tyres. The bike weighed more than I did. And I used to ride to pre-school with mum. I’ve always been on a bike. Then moving into graphics, it’s a male-dominated area and so I didn’t notice the transition.”

And then there’s the mountain biking. Imagine taking to the One Tree Hill park after dark with a group of guys looking for an adrenaline rush. “Hell, it’s funny,” Vanessa says. “I fall off pretty regularly and have a little sook and they’ll go ‘get back on the bike’ and I do. Obviously they’re encouraging, otherwise they wouldn’t want me there. It’s terrifying but it’s fun. I can manage to stay upright now for ten minutes at a time.”

Vanessa says, yes, she is surrounded by men, but to her they’re just mates. “I guess they’re my friends as well and I’m just getting to know them better. I don’t look at them really as blokes, they’re just mates.” ■

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my favourite things

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jamie hale This fun-loving family man can often be found behind the wheel of a shiny vehicle, joking around with one of his three gorgeous boys or hoeing down a parma and chips. Otherwise he can be found tending to his baby, Jackal Fencing.

1. My favourite people My wife of 11 years Kirsten constantly challenges and supports me to reach my potential and follow my dreams and does her best to pull me into line on the odd occasion! My three boys Cooper (five), Lachlan (three) and Brodie (one) who constantly bring fun and laughter to my life, and the friends I have chosen as my family.

2. Jackal Fencing My baby. It’s driven and pushed me in directions I never imagined and is something I am incredibly proud of and will continue to be a huge part of my life.

3. Harry

Photographer: David Field

My business partner, my partner in crime and mischief but also the calm and ever supportive mate. Whether it be brainstorming about our next business move or planning some crazy adventure, it’s hard to imagine my life without him in it.

4. My HSV Clubsport R8 She’s nice to drive.

5. Anything my wife cooks She loves to cook and I love to eat, a match made in heaven I think!

6. The Golden Square Footy Club Taking my boys to the footy on a Saturday afternoon is a winter

tradition. I hope one day our boys will be able to share in the club’s community spirit and sporting successes.

7. My favourite holiday A recent trip to Fiji with the family allowed me some great quality time away from the rest of the world and it was so laid back. It made me wonder why it took us so long to take a holiday! We all had such a great time.

8. V8 Supercars Doing hot laps with Mark Winterbottom around Phillip Island has got to be right up there as one of my great experiences.

9. The pub I can’t go past a good parma or porterhouse and chips – no salad, at the pub with mates, with a few pale ales to wash it down.

10. Road trips Harry, Jason (our foreman) and I took a road trip to Darwin in a $300 XB station wagon. We made it, just. There were quite a few hairy moments but a few tek screws held it together for us to reach our destination. We chronicled our entire trip on the inside and outside of the wagon, as did all the people we met along the way. The town we were coming into next always knew all about us before we arrived, it was a bit like Priscilla Queen of the Desert with a lot more testosterone.

A funny and unforgettable experience. ■ 49

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when bianca met abi Destiny. It’s just a word. But it’s a small word that tumbled into Bianca Collier’s life in a big way, back in 2003. She did the let’s-go-and-do-Europe-Aussie thing. But classdriven corporate London gave way to far-off places that changed Bianca’s life forever.

- Jacqui Mott Ghana. This is Bianca’s faraway place. It’s a world away from her hometown of Bendigo, and mega-miles from family and friends. It’s here she experienced the plight of Africa’s children first-hand. It’s here she first caught a glimpse of a baby girl that one day would be her daughter. It’s here tears of tragedy and tears of joy swept across her face. And it’s here 28 year-old Bianca now lives.

54

What started out as a typical trip to Europe changed shape fairly quickly. With qualifications in human resources and accounting, Bianca slipped into the British work front seamlessly, and making use of a buoyant income stream, London became a launch pad for travel.

In one of her journeys, she ventured to the west coast of Africa and combined her time away from the hustle bustle with a three-month

ABOVE: The children of Ghana have captured Bianca Collier’s heart.

LEFT: There’s plenty to smile about for Bianca and her daughter Abigail.

volunteer-stint in an orphanage. “I knew I wanted to work in Africa and I knew I wanted to work with children, but the choice of Ghana happened just by chance.”

Bianca volunteered at OrphanAid Africa (in 2003 it was registered as Orphanage Africa) and from day-one her compassion was tested on every level, deeply moved by the intense moments that crossed her path. “One of our children passed away and I was heavily involved.

I’d taken her to the hospital and I ended up trying to find a morgue for the body, carrying her around in my arms for four hours in a taxi.

A horrible experience. Seeing life in such a fragile state really put perspective on my life.”

When the contract drew to a close, in the land of the Union Jack, life took on a whole new spin. “In London I found the whole corporate world a bit difficult, I just couldn’t place the same emphasis on my recruitment work anymore.” Close encounters of the caring kind continued when she returned to Oz. “I wanted to change my direction to not-for-profit work, so I embarked on International Development studies.”

Mixing and matching study, Bianca worked with the Starlight Foundation and Children First Foundation before accepting refugee work in Sudan for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). But it only took a hop, skip and jump before this young, determined Bendigo girl returned to Ghana. It was August 2007.

Bianca’s arrival coincided with the return of OrphanAid’s founder, Lisa Lovett-Smith and the organisation’s change of tack. “In 2003 the organisation was in its early stages, running an orphanage and supporting other orphanages – and we were basically looking after young adolescents.” Working with the Department of Social Welfare and UNICEF, Bianca says OrphanAid now targets young orphans in line with a deinstitutionalisation program, leading the way by successfully supporting its community and reducing orphanage numbers from 70 to 20. “Where it is impossible to resettle the children back to their birth families, we do our best to find adopted or fostered families.”

According to Bianca 4000 children live in Ghana’s orphanages and 80 per cent are not ‘actual’ orphans, instead they’ve been abandoned out of utter desperation born of poverty. “You can make a judgement about that fairly quickly, but they do it for their child’s survival, in

the hope they can be cared for and educated.” OrphanAid accepts children with high medical needs, from the country’s umpteen underresourced orphanages, at risk of slipping through the cracks in the care system.

One of these disadvantaged children was Abigail, Bianca’s adopted daughter. At the OrphanAid, Bianca had nursed malnourished baby Abigail and four years later they reconnected. Out on a limb, young Abigail had no parents and no hope of immediate placement. “I love Abi, she’s is small for her age but she is very strong and very healthy.

We tried to resettle Abigail back with aunties and uncles but this wasn’t possible, so I’ve not only assisted the program by adopting her, I’ve gained a beautiful relationship.”

Back home, financial assistance from the Lions Club of Maiden Gully/ Marong has been instrumental in supporting Bianca with travel costs, as the Bendigo community rallies to assist a courageous local they hold in high regard. Bianca’s parents recently travelled to Ghana to join their daughter and spend time with Abigail. “They were with me for three weeks, but it was an incredibly lively three weeks, and mum and dad could see the emotional stress that sometimes you are put under in these circumstances, so they are concerned for my welfare, but supportive at the same time.”

Bianca lives in a mud hut – with no electricity and no water. It’s where illness is part of life … and in between full-on bouts of Malaria, Bianca is full-on into work. “Liaising with UNICEF, managing volunteers, running an income-generating guesthouse, looking after finances, coordinating community projects, following up water access, twisting balloons and playing with the children in the orphanage … the list is endless!” In her earthy abode she dreams of bringing Abigail home.

“I want her to know Australia. And I want to get used to being a mum in an environment I am familiar with, that’s what I want. But let’s see where life takes me.”

Find out more about OrphanAid Africa check out: www.oafrica.org or support Bianca Collier by contacting the Lions Club of Maiden Gully/Marong on (03) 5449 6319. ■ 55

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why bendigo?

sam fotu He moved here for the radio station and stayed for the lifestyle. Here, this former Bendigo Braves basketballer tells why.

What made you move to Bendigo?

Someone told me Bendigo was on the beach in Queensland. Should have Googled it first.

Karina and I have been away from home (Perth) now for nearly ten years.

First stop was Mt Gambier SA. I initially moved there for basketball then moved into a career in radio media sales. I was offered the opportunity to work for 3BO and Star FM in Bendigo and jumped at the chance. I’d played basketball here a few times but the only landmarks I knew were the Schweppes Centre and Sundance Saloon Bar.

How did you find it when you first moved here?

I was really surprised how big the town was. After living in Mt Gambier, Bendigo is the perfect size. Big enough so you don’t miss out on anything and small enough that it is easy to meet people and get around. Plus, it’s close enough to Melbourne for a city fix.

Photographer: David Field

Did being part of a team make it easier to develop a network?

I have been very fortunate to be involved in both sporting and work teams. I meet new people everyday at work and they have become friends of both Karina and I. The best way to meet people is to dive in head first. Join a club or social group. Bendigo is spoilt for choice.

Karina and I even took dance lessons when we first got here. No better way to meet people than pressing sweaty flesh against a stranger…

Melbourne can spend up to 336 hours commuting. Spending time with family is my highest priority.

We hear you almost left us for a job transfer? Tell us what made you stay?

That was a dark time for the Fotus…we were not looking forward to moving. As much as I was told Gippsland is ‘the Paris of the Southern Hemisphere’, Bendigo has become our home. Fortunately things worked out that we could stay. The bonus was we had two going away parties and countless invitations to dinners before we left.

Do you have any advice for new people to the area?

Join a group. There are so many different organisations, sporting bodies, charities, nude painting workshops that you can get involved with. You’re not going to meet anyone in your lounge room. The beauty of having so many groups to choose from is, if you don’t like anyone there, move on to another one till you find one you like.

What are your favourite things about living here?

Seriously, Bendigo has welcomed me and my family so well, to the point where we would be very happy to settle here for another ten years.

It’s just ten minutes to everywhere. I read a stat that people living in

P.S. Don’t tell my mother in law…■

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questions for canines Some special four-legged friends were welcomed by over 180 people who put their trivia caps on to raise money for Righteous Pups Australia.

The charity has a mission to raise, socialise and train Autism Assistance Dogs to help children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families. Managing director Jo Baker and some talented Labradors demonstrated some of their skills during the trivia night and helped guests to understand more about the program. It costs $29,000 to train each dog and there are hundreds of families waiting for their own assistance dog to love. The night, organised by Susanna Thomson raised much-needed funds for the charity, with the help and support of Bendigo businesses.

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thank god it’s friday Come Friday night, workers all over town are loosening ties, slipping into something more comfortable, slipping into their favourite haunts for a cold glass of whatever floats their boat. Drop into any of these fine establishments and you’ll find these familiar faces.

The Golden Vine has long been a favourite for thirsty uni students, live music lovers and trivia nuts. Adam Hazeldene loves his local for its larrakins and liveliness.

What’s special about The Golden Vine?

Well, it’s basically been my second home for the last 12 months. Some people even think I should be paying rent there!

The Golden Vine has a great sense of charm and character that is pretty unique; there aren’t too many other pubs around like it. The meals are fantastic. They easily compete with any other restaurant in Bendigo and the staff are all very entertaining and easygoing.

What’s your drink of choice?

I think everyone here knows I’m a Coopers Sparkling drinker. However, if I’m feeling a little under the weather on a slow Sunday, there’s nothing I’ve found that brings me back from the brink of death like a Snakebite does. I’d urge anyone to have a crack at one!

Photographer: Anthony Webster

How’s the bar-room banter? Can you tell us any good stories?

The Wine Bank has become something of an institution in Bendigo.

One particular story that springs to mind was when we had a big group of us drinking in the bar and (co-owner) Daniel Whalen thought it would be a good idea to dance on the bistro tables (the tables were being replaced the next day). He became a bit too confident in his abilities to remain vertical, slipped somehow and came down as the table tipped over, cracking a number of his ribs.

The pub has a great atmosphere – the larrikinism of the owners does go a long way to making everyone feel comfortable. You’re sure of a laugh most nights, especially at trivia on Wednesdays where Whalen seems to pull out his repertoire of unbelievably bad jokes.

What would your Friday be like without your place at the bar?

Um, wishing I was at the Golden Vine! Have I plugged it enough yet?

Either a weekend trip to Melbourne to see old uni mates, Echuca to catch up with my cousin or Jan Juc to check out the surf at the beach. In any case, it would certainly involve great company and great beers. Cheers!

And who wouldn’t love being seen out front under the plane trees on a Bendigo evening, with good friends and good wine for company.

Local business owners Sue and Rick Bell have certainly fallen for the charms of the historic bank building and its cultured inhabitants. They pull up a chair every Friday night and here, Sue tells why...

What’s special about The Wine Bank?

The staff are just marvellous. The owners Janine and Mark Coffey are just fabulous and look after everyone so well. We just love the company and the atmosphere that The Wine Bank offers.

What’s your drink/bar meal of choice?

Rick will always drink a Crownie. The staff don’t even ask him any more! As soon as he walks in the door and they see him they have a Crownie ready for him.

I like to drink either a sparkling or a dry white wine. The staff normally just check in with me to see what I’m in the mood for! But they usually know it will be one or the other.

The atmosphere at The Wine Bank is a little different to a bar. However in saying that, while things can often start out a little quieter, by the end of the night things definitely liven up!

We love catching up with like-minded local business people for a good chat and to swap stories.

What would your Friday be like without your place at the bar?

Well, I’m sure we would survive...just! But it just wouldn’t be the same. It’s so nice to go there for a drink to unwind and relax and to somewhat forget the week just gone.

Photographer: Anthony Webster

How’s the bar-room banter?

What’s special about GPO?

Pratty’s Patch is not your everyday pub. It’s clearly the oldest building in its now residential Maiden Gully street and a haven for hungry locals looking for a hearty meal. The old stone inn is also where you’ll find local lad Corey Egan, propping up the bar of a Friday night.

What’s special about Pratty’s Patch?

The locals at Pratty’s all know each other which is nice and also Steve, Garry, Simone and Ang are great.

What’s your drink/bar meal of choice?

I drink Pure Blonde in a schooner, or Coke if I’m working, and order the classic Friday dish of fish and chips with the best salad ever.

How’s the bar-room banter?

Story time at Pratty’s is anytime and there are always plenty of laughs.

What would your Friday be like without your place at the bar?

I am more at Pratty’s after work around four or five o’clock but on a Friday night it really is a great, fun atmosphere. I would miss it!

GPO has its own unique vibe. It is unlike any other restaurant in Bendigo. The great thing about it is it’s split up into a few different sections, so you feel really comfortable drinking without having to have a meal. A perfect environment for Friday knock off drinks.

What’s your drink of choice?

A Bombay Sapphire and tonic with lots of ice and muddled lime. I do ask for it because I reckon if people get into the habit of making me a gin every time I go in there I’ll end up drinking at ten in the morning when I’m after a coffee. I have asked for “the usual” before, to see if it would work. I cringed saying it actually. It was successful...I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

How’s the bar-room/restaurant banter?

The atmosphere is excellent. The people who work there are really good value and add to the overall experience. Some weekends they have a live band; just some laid back acoustic thing. That definitely adds to the atmosphere. I do have stories but most involve me making a fool of myself so maybe another time...

What would your Friday be like without your place at GPO? Fridays would certainly be less social. ■

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Photographer: David Field

Photographer: Anthony Webster

When John Gavin of The Pixel Kitchen turns his post production gizmos off for the weekend, he slips around the corner to GPO, where the staff know his usual, whether he likes it or not.

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stars in the vineyard Fancy a little romance among the vines? Head out to Sutton Grange this season and you may just clink glasses with crooner Chris Isaak, or a host of other hot stars set to play in this vineyard’s natural amphitheatre.

- James Walker The Sutton Grange Winery is on the southern fringes of the Bendigo region. When you turn off Canochans Road, you travel down a drive around various bends and curves. Beside the gravel strip, the grass is obviously drought-affected but is trimmed to the point of obsession... it’s a word that can also be applied to winemaker Gilles Lapalus.

Sauvignon and later diversified into Merlot, Viognier, Sangiovese and Fiano. The first wine produced under the Sutton Grange Estate label, the premium wine range, came in 2004. The winery crushes approximately 100 tonne of grapes annually, from which comes 50,000 bottles of wine.

At the end of the drive, the cellar building on your left is of Western Australian limestone. On the right of the drive is a small amphitheatre space where entertainment is presented. Beyond that Mount Alexander rises in the distance. The day we were there, there was a thick blanket of white cloud across the mountain. Sutton Grange has a dress circle, ‘the gods’ for all concert performances in the amphitheatre.

Gilles Lapalus is a short slender man. On meeting he comes across as quiet, unassuming and focused, a doer rather than a sayer. His humour is likewise understated but very engaging. When somebody puts forward the opinion that he must have seen a remarkable difference in culture between his background in France and his life in Australia, he quietly disagrees. “No”, he says, “We all have two arms and two legs. We all breathe the same air. We’re all the same really.”

Around the back in the working winery I find Gilles Lapalus, perched on top of a ladder preparing a stainless steel vat for bottling. Gilles, a Frenchman, did his training in the Burgundy region, one of the traditional wine regions of his country of birth.

He can tell you something of the history of the winery: how the first vines were planted in 1998, under the supervision of Stuart Anderson, founder of Balgownie Estate Bendigo. There are now 12 and a half hectares under vines. The first wine was produced in 2001, under the Fairbank label, Fairbank being the name of the property in the late 1800s. The various grape varieties produced started with Syrah, the international name for what we know as Shiraz, and Cabernet

Of his work at Sutton Grange Winery, he says, “The objective is to produce premium wines for the top end of the market.” Working towards that, the winery is run on a cooperative basis. “This is important in light of the size of the property and operation,” he adds. Everyone helps out in the entire process from vineyard, through picking, wine making to bottling and warehousing of the bottled wines during maturation.

Since Gilles joined the team, bio-dynamic principles have been used at Sutton Grange, utilising bio-dynamic preparations instead of chemical sprays. “Bio-dynamic principles are an extension of organic and ➤ 63

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are based on the rhythms of nature,” Gilles explains. “Natural agents are used in the wine making process rather than chemicals. We find that this approach gives us better wine from healthier grapes. The environment also benefits the vineyard workers as well.”

Brunch Weekend

Wine sales occur every weekend, 11am to 5pm, with wine accompanied by local produce; prosciutto and goats cheese from Daylesford, sour dough bread from Castlemaine and pate from Kyneton. This re-enforces the winery’s community focus.

Kick back, relax and enjoy our new brunch menu every Saturday and Sunday 10am - 3pm

There is also a wine club and given the racing background of the owner, a Melbourne businessman, there is no surprise that it has the moniker ‘The Sutton Grange Jockey Club.’

New Menu

Sutton Grange Winery is embarking on a program of live entertainment in its amphitheatre. It will kick off with Rock and Roll Songwriter’s Hall of Fame inductee Jackson Brown on March 7 and crooner Chris Isaak on March 15.

h ncHoughton Head chef Glen has Bru d n e k e e W created a new seasons menu offering

If you can’t make these performances, a visit to the winery any weekend will repay you well. With luck, you might have the opportunity to talk about your favourite tipple with a master wine maker, who, on the day is mucking in as a labourer for the bottling. ■

modern Mediterranean cuisine based Kickonback, enjoy our new qualityrelax local &and regional produce brunch and along menu with ourevery famousSaturday Naples style pizza & delicious Sunday 10am -tapas.

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Chillout after work or before pall mall bendigo 5443 4343 heading out with $10 cocktails www.gpobendigo.com.au and $5 mocktails 5 - 7pm everyday

TOP: Sutton Grange Winery is about to play host to some big-name entertainers.

ABOVE: A typical country winery entrance awaits.

GPO982

heading out with $10 cocktails and $5 mocktails 5 - 7pm everyday 10 - Mid Thursnights - Sat Wednesday

GPO982

on quality local & regional produce Cocktail h our style along with our famous Naples Chillout&after work ortapas. before pizza delicious

Largest range of local and regional wines

Courtyard Function room

Extensive range of domestic and international wines

Wine tastings

Continuous food service

Sommelier services

Retail sales

Wine club membership

Great coffee

Corporate and function

Friendly, knowledgeable staff

wine supplier

WINE BAR & MERCHANT www.winebankonview.com

Fo r all en qu irie s ph on e: 03 54 44 46 55 Bendigo’s Restaurant on Wheels Exceptional Dining Experience www.bendigoninesevensix.com.au

ALLAWAH BENDIGO

apartmentshousesmaisonettes selfcontainedaccommodation w w w. a l l a w a h b e n d i g o . c o m

www.grataespresso.com To mark the launch of our new website, we’re giving away FREE 200g samples of our amazing Grata Espresso coffee with any coffee bean purchase.* To get yours, just go to the website, then visit us, and tell us what “Grata” means in Latin.

Enjoy.

165a Strickland Road, Bendigo East. Phone: 5443 9922 For directions, see the map on the website! *Conditions apply - see in store for details.

be consumed

a nice drop

red hot barbecue The days are shorter and the nights are cooler but that’s no reason to pack away the barbecue. If you’re looking for an excuse to keep the coals fired this autumn, look no further.

Fire up the barbie and throw on a great steak, open a couple of cleansing ales to get things cooking and when she’s ready to serve what better way than with a fantastic regional red to wash it all down?

Some local quail marinated in a bit of light soy and a squeeze of honey hot off the barbie while the steak is finishing sounds too good to refuse and simple to prepare. The more delicate texture of the meat and flavours of the quail would call for a glass of something a little lighter such as Pinot Noir.

Bendigonians should consider themselves blessed, living in a region renowned for producing some of the best red wines in the country.

Both the Bendigo and Heathcote regions produce a range of top quality styles and varieties. While renowned for Shiraz, both regions have winemakers producing wines from varieties relatively new to central Victoria such as Tempranillo, Sangiovese and others. Also, let’s not forget what a magnificent variety Cabernet Sauvignon is, ‘The King of Reds’, whether it is bottled as a single variety or blended with other Bordeaux varieties such as Merlot or Cabernet Franc.

Try and match the red wine with what is being cooked; big hearty steaks with big hearty reds. The protein molecules in the meat will soak up those big chewy and drying tannins often found in young reds such as Shiraz and Cabernets. Lighter meats such as lamb, sausages or chipplolatas may call for something a little softer in the wine department such as Merlot or Sangiovese. Aged wines will also be a little smoother and softer with the tannins having had some bottle time to integrate into the wine and the coarser components to precipitate and settle to the bottom as sediment.

So invite over some friends and try a few different cuts and faves on the barbecue, if nothing else, you also get to try a few of the different reds that abound in this great region.

Local 2006 Tar & Roses Shiraz. Heathcote, Victoria. Glass $7.00 Bottle $22.00 Made by Don Lewis and Narelle King. Don is of Mitchelton fame having made the Mitchelton Print Shiraz which won the Jimmy Watson trophy.

Narelle is assistant wine maker at Balgownie. It doesn’t get much better as far as value for money is concerned. Ripe red and dark fruits with wellrounded tannins. Well integrated oak and acidity carry the finish nicely.

- Paul Moran Somelier The Bridge Bendigo

Budget 2007 Pondalowie Heathcote Tempranillo. Bendigo, Victoria.

Glass $7.00 Bottle $22.00 Domenic and Krystina Morris are two of the shining lights of the Bendigo region, producing world-class wines. In fact they make reds here and abroad with Domenic making wine in Portugal each year in our off season. This wine is rich and full flavored with dark fruits and spice. Some savoury characters with hints of underlying sarsaparilla.

Dense but fine tannins providing balance and a lasting finish make this a great food wine.

Middle 2005 Fairbank Syrah Shiraz. Bendigo, Victoria. Glass $7.50 Bottle $27.00 French wine maker Gilles Lapalus heads up this operation in Sutton Grange and is producing some fine wines there. Syrah eludes to the wines of the Rhone Valley, France, which are not as bold and aggressive as some of our Aussie Shiraz. This is 100 per cent Shiraz and is complex and elegant. Layers of flavours prevail with ripe plums and underlying dark fruits combined with savoury leathery and meaty notes. Soft, well-rounded tannins, well balanced by background or supporting oak with acidity providing freshness and length. Again, a great food wine.

Bling 2007 Jasper Hill Emily’s Paddock Shiraz/Cabernet Franc.

Heathcote, Victoria. Bottle $110.00 Ron and Elva Laughton are pioneers of the Heathcote region, having celebrated their 20th vintage. The wines are made from fruit grown in the well-established, dry grown and biodynamic vineyards of Jasper Hill. With daughter Emily now on board they produce some of the best wines in the region, if not the country, nay the New World!

Intense and full flavoured at the same time contradicting by being deep and brooding. Complex and perfumed with layers on the nose and palate. Dark fruits with ripe red fruits, spice and herbs, such as hints of fennel or red licorice. This wine displays an almost unrivalled sense of balance and will reward greatly with some time in the bottle for those who can restrain themselves!

Paul Moran, owner of The Bridge Bendigo and Café Au Lait, is a qualified somelier. For more information on how he can help you with wine selection, please contact him at The Bridge Bendigo on (03) 5443 7811. All of the wines listed for autumn are available from Wine Bank on View. ■

66

photo opportunity

when jimmy met carlo Don’t be put off by the thought of Possum for dinner...it was another special event at the famed Jimmy Possum store and it was delicious.

BALGOWNIE ESTATE WINERY & VINEYARD SALES AND TASTING OPEN 7 DAYS 11AM - 5PM CAFÉ OPEN 12PM – 3PM EVERYDAY LUXURY ACCOMMODATION AVAILABLE

Well-known local chef Carlo Barry is now a permanent fixture at Bendigo’s Jimmy Possum. Capitalising on his skills with customers, design and in the kitchen, Jimmy Possum launched a special dinner with Carlo at the helm. With 50 guests and four local wineries supplying specially-chosen wine for each course, a great night was had by all.

For more information about Jimmy Possum, the store or the special events visit www.jimmypossum.com.au or call (03) 5442 0022. ■

03 5449 6222

www.balgownieestate.com.au Hermitage Road, Maiden Gully

Part of the community Are you part of a community? Silly question.

Are you a bank customer? Another silly question.

Are the two related? Could your place in the community be connected to your day-to-day banking activities? Now thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an interesting question.

For most of us community groups, schools and sporting clubs have nothing to do with banking. But through local Bendigo Bank branches, more and more people are realising the benefits to be had from linking the two.

In fact, your local Bendigo Bank branches are working with their local communities to help young people, provide support services, build sporting facilities and much more.

So consider the difference your banking can make and call in and see the team at your nearest Bendigo Bank branch or phone 1300 366 666.

At the Bendigo it starts with U. Bendigo and Adelaide Bank ABN 11 068 049 178 AFSL 237879 (S22347) (01/09)

Working together in Bendigo

Contemporary Australian Menu with Middle Eastern and Asian Influence

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Open seven days for lunch

Strathfieldsaye & Districts Community Enterprise

Open Tues - Sat Nights Fully Licensed Large Al Fresco Dining Catering Available Shop 11 The Bendigo Centre Bendigo 5444 2060 www.wildmint.com.au

At the Bendigo it starts with

chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice

- Peter McLeod Wild Mint Restaurant & Bar

the expert chef Nicoise style salad of confit ocean trout, skipton smoked eel and white Spanish anchovies.

- Serves 2 Ingredients & directions Confit ocean trout Skipton smoked eel White Spanish anchovies Soft boiled egg Black pitted olives Semi-dried tomatoes Basil oil Saffron oil Boiled kipfler potatoes Salt and pepper Fennel fronds for garnish To make ocean trout, cover it in olive oil and a few fennel seeds and black peppercorns. Bake in slow oven for 15 minutes.

Arrange all other ingredients (chilled) on top.

Fillet of fish (blue eye, kingfisher or barramundi) baked on leeks with fennel and orange rosemary potatoes.

- Serves 1 Ingredients & directions 200g fillet of fish 1/2 cup finely sliced leek 1/2 cup small diced carrots 4 Tbs olive oil 3 cloves finely chopped garlic 4 oranges 3 tsp toasted and ground fennel seeds 3 tsp toasted and ground cummin seeds

Photographer: David Field

Salt and pepper to taste Saute Leek and garlic until softened. Add carrot and celery and cook until soft. Add toasted spices and cook for two minutes.

Place in an oven proof dish and top with fish and three slices of orange.

Cover in baking paper and bake at 200 degrees celcius for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and squeeze fresh orange juice over fish and serve with rosemary potatoes. â&#x2013; 69

Whether it’s the NASH or the QUEENS... you know it’s going to be GOOD!

NATIONAL HOTEL MOTEL 182 - 186 HIGH STREET BENDIGO 03 5443 0591 MEALS SERVED 12 TIL 9 EVERYDAY

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anticipating archibald

Every year art lovers across the nation eagerly await the announcement of the Archibald Prize winner. This year one of those with a heightened sense of anticipation is Leanne Fitzgibbon, the senior curator at Bendigo Art Gallery.

- James O’Brien

Photographer: Jeff Reynolds

“In 2008 for the first time in history, the winning painting travelled to regional Victoria. Bendigo Art Gallery was the exclusive Victorian venue for the exhibition and over a period of four weeks, 40,577 visitors viewed the exhibition,” Leanne says proudly. “The Archibald appeals to the broader community, not just those interested in the visual arts.” This year the winning paintings will again be on display at Bendigo Art Gallery for six weeks from May 30 to July 12.

Administered by the trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales the prize is awarded for ‘the best portrait, preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in art, letters, science or politics, painted by an artist resident in Australia’. First held in 1921, when the prize was £400, it is now described as ‘the most extraordinary art event in Australia’.

The Victorian who started it all was JF Archibald, who was born in 1856 and christened John Feltham. He started his career as a journalist on a newspaper in Warrnambool. But his desire to advance his career and his passion for newspapers eventually led him to Melbourne where he lived a bohemian life and changed his name to Jules Francois Archibald.

In 1880 he founded the Bulletin magazine, a radical journal; it addressed many issues social, cultural and political and was influential in ‘shaping opinions and raising issues in the public’s consciousness’ until it ceased publication in 2008. He employed the best young artists

to be its illustrators and this led him in later years to become a Trustee for the Art Gallery of New South Wales. In 1900 he commissioned portrait artist John Longstaff to paint a portrait of poet Henry Lawson.

He was so impressed with the work he left money in his will for an annual portrait prize, and so the Archibald Prize was born.

His decision to ‘write his name across Sydney’ by bequeathing funds to the arts has led to a colourful history for the Archibald Prize over the succeeding generations. From its earliest days the prize has aroused controversy while depicting the various aspects and players in Australian society. There have been many legal battles and challenges to the recipients of the prize down the years. In 1952 William Dargie’s winning painting provoked an art students’ demonstration and one female protester tied a placard around the neck of her dog which read ‘Winner Archibald Prize – William Doggie’.

But bitchiness in the art world was not confined to the female critics.

Earlier, in 1938, Max Meldrum objected to the first woman to win the Archibald, Nora Heysen, on the grounds that to expect women ‘to do some things equally as well as men is sheer lunacy’. Five years later, in 1943, Heysen was the first woman to be appointed as an official war artist and over the next three years painted more than 170 pictures of servicewomen contributing to the war effort. ➤

71

Archibald’s legacy has continued in the tradition of the early Bulletin magazine; raising many contentious issues in the art world at least.

Each year, anticipation is centred not only on who the winner may be but also on the potential for controversy that the judges’ decision may arouse. In 1964 and again in 1980 the trustees decided not to award a prize on the grounds that the entries were not of sufficient standard. A condition of entry is that a portrait must be ‘a picture of a person painted from life’. This has led to many challenges for the winners over the years and to many people being dissatisfied with the judges’ decisions.

ABOVE & BELOW: Locals and visitors packed the Bendigo Art Gallery to see the famous faces of last year’s Archibald Prize exhibition.

Of all the many art prizes awarded annually only the Archibald has achieved the status of being almost a Logie or an Oscar in the world of art. No other prize receives so much attention in the general media.

There can be little doubt that the interest of the media has contributed greatly to the popularity of the Archibald Prize. This may be mainly because it features prominent Australians such as actors, sports people and politicians. Media comments on some of the subjects and the artists have ranged from ‘it is daring to the point of caricature, but its intense vitality lifts it from any such moribund definition’, on William Dobell’s portrait of Joshua Smith in 1943. To ‘arguably the most abstract painting ever to win the prize’, on Euan Macleod’s self portrait (1999). Adam Cullen’s, portrait of actor David Wenham in 2000 was praised by the Sydney Morning Herald with the comment ‘the daggiest award in Australian art is beginning to look serious’.

Such commentary and awards ‘to more adventurous works’ tended to boost gallery attendances in 2001 which increased by 25 per cent.

Since 1988 two extra categories have been added to the Archibald Prize event. The Packing Room Prize, in which the gallery staff and storemen vote for their choice of the winner. And the People’s Choice Award, with a prize of $2500, where votes from the viewing public are collected to define the winner. This prize has gone to the Archibald Prize winner on two occasions, in 1988 and again in 2004. Last year the major prize was increased by $15,000 to $50,000. Serious money indeed for any artist lucky enough to earn it.

Sydney painter Del Kathryn Barton described as ‘one of Australia’s rising art stars’ was the Archibald winner in 2008. Her portrait, You are what is most beautiful about me, a self portrait with Kell and Arella, is of the artist with her son and daughter. The runner-up was a triple image of the late actor Heath Ledger, in which he is shown whispering into his own ears. Its creator, Melbourne artist Vincent Fantauzzo, presented the painting to Ledger’s mother and it now hangs in her home in Perth. Of the 40 artists whose work was exhibited, 15 portraits were by Victorians – a reminder that in the early years the prize-winners were dominated by Victorians, much to the chagrin of the art community in Sydney and other parts of Australia.

72

The principal sponsor of the Archibald Prize is the Myer Corporation and the company’s strong historical connection to Bendigo has once again ensured the Archibald will be available to be viewed by the regional Victorian community. “This is an exhibition that brings in a huge flow of people to Bendigo,” Leanne Fitzgibbon says. “Last year, local businesses were ringing the gallery to say thank you for holding the exhibition. It is more than just art. It has an economic effect and in general those involved in tourism are delighted with the outcomes.”

This autumn issue of bendigo magazine will hit the streets some weeks before the 2009 Archibald Prize exhibition comes to Bendigo.

As usual there will be much anticipation on what we can expect from Australia’s most extraordinary art event. Leanne Fitzgibbon says, “This time the viewing season has been extended to six weeks and there will also be some extra late-night openings, to be announced soon.”

See you there. ■

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bendigo landmark

I admit it is not the biggest lake, but I look at it this way: If you tip over, you can walk out.

on golden pond We’ve always known it’s a gem, but some serious sleuthing has conclusively identified Lake Weeroona as the long-lost work of a landscaping genius.

- Sarah Harris

That’s no bad thing when many of your members are beginners and novices. At just 500 metres long, Lake Weeroona is a quarter the length of the normal senior race course and, while it’s no stretch for an elite rower, it is perfect for juniors.

“Rowing has a 90 per cent drop out rate because it is not really continued after school in anything other than a strictly competitive sense,” Richard explains. “We’re not pretending our regattas are like the Henley on Thames. They are pretty casual affairs. Our aim is to give juniors a feel for the sport and the whole purpose of the club is to provide people with rowing facilities and rowing ability – the foundation of that being the use of the lake.”

And, it’s not as if Bendigo hasn’t produced some great rowing champions. Ever since the then-separate Sandhurst and Bendigo clubs first officially dipped their oars in Weeroona in friendly rivalry in 1879 the race has been on, with early goldfields oarsmen claiming their share of trophies in state titles.

Notable recent graduates of our baby lake include Hannah Every – a member of the 2002 world champion lightweight quad scull crew – and 1996 Olympian Jason Day. This year Weeroona turns 130 and it is expected belatedly to join the White Hills Botanic Gardens on the Victorian Heritage Register following confirmation that it was designed by William Guilfoyle.

Long before she knew this, Friends of Bendigo Botanic Gardens president Jane Cleary pasted a Greek proverb to the front of her guidebook, which reads: “A civilisation flourishes when people plant trees under which they will never sit.”

“We have a lot to thank the city fathers for. You have to love the fact 74

we have this vista of water and big mature trees so close to the centre of the city,” she says.

Not only would the then-mayor of Sandhurst Council, the delightfully named Dugal McDougall, have the foresight to transform the dry dusty one-time drainage basin into a lake but he insisted that to do it they commission the very best.

In 1873 when the idea of the lake was first mooted Guilfoyle had just been appointed director of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne, usurping his mentor, German botanist Ferdinand von Mueller.

It would take four years for Guilfoyle to complete his major reshaping of the Melbourne gardens and tackle the area then known as the Nolan Street Reserve.

It was one of a number of gardens in regional Victorian towns that Guilfoyle would design, but somehow Lake Weeroona was never listed to his credit.

The first real inkling was when a layout by Guilfoyle was discovered in the City of Greater Bendigo’s collection of historic plans in 1993.

This historic plan has since gone missing, but that would not thwart heritage consultant and author of the council’s Lake Weeroona conservation management plan, Lee Andrews.

Piece by piece she trawled through the archives, musty drawers of public records, old newspapers and reams of correspondence to build a compelling case.

She says the rediscovery of Lake Weeroona as a “lost” Guilfoyle landscape promotes it to “a state asset of the highest order”.

The Melbourne-based consultant stresses Weeroona is “not merely an attractive reserve” but a landscape of historical, cultural, social and scientific importance “envisaged and laid out by one of Victoria’s preeminent 19th century designers.”

Photographer: David Field

Ask Bendigo Rowing Club captain Richard Deacon if size matters and he laughs heartily. “I admit it is not the biggest lake, but I look at it this way: If you tip over, you can walk out.”

Among the impressive collection of 352 species of exotic and native trees there are at least three thought to be worthy of being included on the National Trust’s Significant Tree Register.

The new management plan for Weeroona will help safeguard these. The council’s landscape and open space planning co-ordinator Tim Buykx says the challenge is to prevent Weeroona being “loved to death”.

“The balancing act for us is to come up with a management regime that allows us to maintain its role as a recreation reserve and a significant cultural icon but also maintain its horticultural integrity because without that it will turn back to what it was in the 1860s – a dusty hole in the ground,” he says.

“The combination of the island, the bridge and vistas across the water to particular feature trees and background plantings are very classic late 19th century landscape designs that, now in the 21st century, are probably at their peak.

“Guilfoyle would never have seen the majesty of what he designed even if he lived to 100. But, he saw it nonetheless, entirely in his head, and we are the beneficiaries of his vision.” ■

ABOVE & RIGHT: The walking tracks and boardwalk around Lake Weeroona keep all manner of two and fourlegged locals happy.

75

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at the movies Blockbuster Movie Now Showing

butter up the popcorn Other big titles this season: Watchmen Sci-Fi/Action/Thriller Cast: Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup.

Monsters Vs Aliens Family Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd.

X Men Origins Action/Sci Fi/Thriller Cast: Hugh Jackman, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Liev Schreiber.

Confessions of a Shopaholic (Rating TBC) Genre: Comedy/Romance

Cast: Isla Fisher, Joan Cusack, John Goodman In the glamorous world of New York city, Rebecca Bloomwood is a fun-loving girl who is really good at shopping â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a little too good, perhaps. She dreams of working for her favourite fashion magazine but canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite get her foot in the door â&#x20AC;&#x201C; until ironically, she snags a job as an advice columnist for a financial magazine published by the same company. As her dreams are finally coming true, she goes to hilarious and extreme efforts to keep her past from ruining her future. A must see-film as costume designer Patricia Field (Sex and the City and Devil Wears Prada) has once again created a sensational wardrobe for this movie.

Star Trek Sci Fi Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Simon Pegg, Winona Ryder.

Angels & Demons Thriller Cast: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor.

Bruno Comedy Cast: Sasha Baron Cohen.

Night at the Museum 2 Comedy Cast: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson.

Films subject to change without notice.

â&#x2013;

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new releases

truth, fiction and otherwise If it’s a war-time history you yearn for, or something to escape to with a cup of earl grey, our autumn picks will have you enthralled until the last page.

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built

An Awkward Truth: The bombing of Darwin, February 1942

Alexander McCall Smith

Peter Grose

For those fans looking forward to the next installment of McCall Smith’s popular No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, the wait is over.

Author Peter Grose believes Darwin was a battle Australia would rather forget. Yet the Japanese attack on 19 February 1942 led to the worst death toll from any event in Australia. The attackers bombed three hospitals, flattened shops, offices and the police barracks, shattered the post office and communications centre, wrecked Government House, and left the harbour and airfields burning and ruined. The people of Darwin abandoned their town, leaving it to looters, a few anti-aircraft batteries and a handful of dogged defenders with single-shot .303 rifles. Yet the story has remained in the shadows. Drawing on long-hidden documents and first-person accounts, Peter Grose tells what really happened and takes us into the lives of the people who were there. An Awkward Truth is a compelling and revealing story of the day war really came to Australia, and the motley bunch of soldiers and civilians who were left to defend the nation.

Mma Ramotswe is widely known for many things; her kindness, her taste for redbush tea and cake and her tiny white van which is beginning to feel its age. Are its difficulties to be terminal, or will Charlie, the feckless garage apprentice, be able to save the day? Mma Makutsi can do little to help, as she is experiencing a crisis in her engagement to Phuti Radiphuti. A scheming woman the pernicious Violet Sephotho - has obtained a job at Phuti’s store, clearly intending to prise him away. And Charlie has to deal with a young lady with a baby who she claims is his responsibility. Is all this enough to unsettle Mma Ramotswe? Certainly not! Calm reflection, and frequent cups of tea, will be enough to solve even the most trying of problems.

Dexter by Design Jeff Lindsay Being a blood spatter analyst who hates the sight of blood has always made Dexter’s work for the Miami PD tough. But it means he’s very neat when it comes to his out-ofhours hobby – murder. Of course, the fact Dexter only kills bad people helps too. Now Dex is facing a disturbing situation. He’s used to blood at work and blood when he’s out with the dark passenger (the voice that guides him on his deadly outings). But he’s not sure what to make of the man who says blood is art. Using bodies as his canvas, someone is out there expressing themselves in the most lethal and painful of ways and if Dexter’s to escape the scalpel and avoid becoming the latest exhibit, he needs somewhere to run...and he might just have found the perfect place.

With his wedding looming, completing his nice-guy disguise, Dexter’s honeymoon might just save his skin. Fans of the book series and the TV show alike will love this new addition.

The Girl on the Landing Paul Torday This novel begins as Michael, a middle-aged man of means, is dressing for dinner at a friend’s country house in Ireland. As he descends the grand staircase, he spots a small painting of a landing with an old linen press and the white marble statue of an angel.

In the background is a woman clad in a dark green dress. During dinner, Michael comments on the painting to his hosts but they say there is no woman in the picture.

When Michael goes up to bed later, he sees that they are correct. This is only the first in a series of incidents that lead Michael to question his grip on reality.

His wife Elizabeth is unsettled by the changes she sees in a man she originally married because he was dependable and steady, not because she loved him. Suddenly she is aware that she has never really known Michael and as he changes, she sees glimpses of someone she could fall in love with. Michael, in the meantime, is disturbed by events up at his family’s ancestral home in the wilds of Scotland and by a past that is threatening to destroy everything and everyone he has ever loved. ■

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bendigo authors

collectable ken’s history lesson There’s no eftpos or price scanners behind the counter of Ken Arnold’s old wares shop but you will find a minefield of stories, slowly being captured in print.

- Michael Waters Inside Ken Arnold’s collectables shop time seems to slow down.

Outside, buses come and go, school children wander past, hands chase each other around the clock, but we stay unmoved, talking about the past. We talk about the old explorers; Major Mitchell, Hume and Hovell, men mad enough to venture south from the new colony of New South Wales. We talk about the time Burke and Wills stopped for a drink at the Elmore Hotel on their ill-fated attempt at bisecting the continent. We talk about Bendigo when it was just a tent city where a man who liked to fight with bare fists prospected for gold. We talk about all the opportunists who boarded ships bound for the diggings. We talk about a bygone era. It was a time that inspired Ken’s latest series of books.

Seven years ago Ken was suffering from headaches and loss of balance. He ignored the symptoms at first and went about his work.

Eventually after much coercion from his wife, he went to see his GP and tests revealed he had prostate cancer. Ken’s responce was, “Do whatever you have to do while I’m on that table. I don’t have time to die. I have too much work to do.” The health scare gave him the motivation to begin writing and the Bendigo, its Environs series gave him something other than cancer to focus on.

Ken has been writing and researching for 30 years, as the man behind the Bendigo Weekly’s Out and About columns, and as the author of 75 books; the latest being Bendigo, its Environs - The way it was Volume 2. Ken’s most recent book tells the tale of fossickers, miners, immigrants and market gardeners. Of dentists, saddlers, bootmakers and euchalyptus distillers. Of outbreaks of typhoid, whooping cough and scarlet fever. Of extinct pubs, cricket and football clubs. Of returned servicemen, bushrangers, chimney sweeps and selectors.

The book tells the story of our ancestors, the earliest Bendigonians.

It is the second in a four-part series and in 584 epic pages, covers the social history of the former shire of Huntly, as well as the towns that fell within its boundaries.

Photographer: David Field

When you read Ken’s book you can’t help but feel humbled by the sheer scope of his work. He travels hundreds of kilometers around Victoria taking photographs, interviewing people and visiting the sites of former schools, pubs and factories for his research. Then he joins forces with the other historical documenter in the Arnold family, his mother Edna. Edna is the author of a history book on the town of Arnold; Arnold’s Bridge - A Crossing Place, as well as the joint author of Tarnagulla & District - The way it was. Ken also makes trips to the North Melbourne Public Records Office to further gather and verify his information, decipher the folklore from the fact, until he has resurrected the lives and events that punctuate the histories of the places he has explored.

Ken’s writing is driven by a natural curiosity, unfaltering motivation, a family appetite for historical writing and an inability to sit still. He has a compulsion that urges him to stop at every monument or historical marker he passes, even if he has stopped there before, just in case he can learn something. It is a compulsion that has seen Ken spend years wandering around towns taking photographs, reading every plaque and raising suspicions among townsfolk. And one that made him quit his job as production controller at John Brown’s clothing factory to travel Europe 32 years ago. Ken thought there must be more to life than the monotonous clocking on, clocking off existence he was living. He got fed up making sure John Brown’s pumped out enough socks and velour jackets in a day, so he did what many other young Australians do and headed over to Old Blighty for a look. After his jaunt around Europe Ken returned to Bendigo to do what he loves; collect antiques and research our history.

When you read Ken’s book you can’t help but feel humbled by the sheer scope of his work.

The value of Bendigo its Environs - The way it was Volume 2 lies in the sum of its parts. No other reference can offer such a meticulous celebration of the lives of our ancestors. It is an invaluable reference for amateur genealogists looking to add a branch to their family tree or anyone interested in the history of our city. When I asked Ken if the prospect of researching and writing the next two books in the series was daunting he answered, “Every day is a terrific day when you’ve been close to the box and I love doing what I do”. We’ll take that as a no. ■ 79

for art’s sake

ABOVE: The colour blue dominates much of Ruth’s work.

80

art and soul The great 19th century Dutch painter Van Gogh is quoted as saying, ‘Paintings have a life of their own that derives from the painter’s soul’.

- Jennifer Mellberg It’s not hard to take Van Gogh’s description of the creation and life of a painting and compare it to the creation and life of a child. Both begin as something invisible and are nurtured until they are ready to make their own way into the world.

Bendigo artist Ruth Ellis-Davey is not only an admirer of Van Gogh, she also experiences significant connection to certain pieces of her work.

“Some of my paintings have felt as though they were my children and I wish I’d said ‘no’ to their sale. Not all. But some I truly loved and I’ll never see them again.”

In the light of these statements it’s interesting to note that in a recent visit to Bendigo Julian Burnside devoted most of his presentation to reminding his audience about the power of the arts. He told story after story about the capacity of literature, music and visual art to create and maintain wholeness and integrity for individuals and entire societies. In a similar vein George Bernard Shaw has said, “You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul”.

Yet how often have we hurried past a beautiful painting without taking a second glance? How often have we treated great art with little more attention than an advertising billboard? How often have we failed to recognise the skill, insight – even love – that an artist has poured into their work? Or, as Van Gogh despaired and Ruth wonders, how did art become a commodity, a mere investment when it embodies such power?

Photographer: David Field

These are big statements. Is art really this important? Ruth could be described as a living testimony to the way art can change life.

She traces her love of painting back to her five-year-old delight at making coloured mud pies. By 12 she was getting top marks for pictures at school. Then, at 16, she bought her first easel for $3 and rented a tiny brick studio on Barnard Street. But Ruth’s artistic career really took off when she was 27. It was goodbye to her ‘real’ job as a machinist in a factory. When she walked in off the street and enrolled in the Tertiary Orientation Program of Art and Design she had two young children, a supportive mother and loads of passionate but unpolished talent. From the Bendigo Technical College she progressed to university.

Ruth has studied with a number of important teachers but believes at some point an artist must resist taking on someone else’s method to allow their own individual approach and insight to be the guide.

She makes decisions about style, colour and composition on the basis of the emotions that are evoked as she considers her subject. People, landscapes and still life are just some of these subjects. She has painted portraits of Pro Hart, Rupert Hamer, Jeff Kennett and Peter Brock and is about to commence a painting of Bev Brock. She has worked on surfaces as diverse as rice paper and the bonnet of a racing car. And her versatility is evidenced by the breadth of her work: small ethereal water-colours, vibrant acrylics and vast, rich oils – her preferred media.

“You can move and blend oils,” she says. “It goes on so beautifully and, like writing, every stroke you make helps to tell a story.”

Where Ruth’s ability came from might well invoke the old nature versus nurture debate. Her grandmother illustrated the diaries she kept and two siblings have artistic talent. As well as this, a landscape painted in 1914 by an aunt now overlooks the table in Ruth’s kitchen.

Remarkably this painting lay in the bottom of a wardrobe for years and Ruth was stunned when she recognised its similarity to her own landscapes. It’s an uncanny coincidence that this same aunt stopped painting at 27 – because she was getting married – precisely the age Ruth embraced her own talent.

Ruth’s studio is full of light. Two children smile from her easel and canvasses line the hallway. Jeff Kennett’s portrait hangs nearby. Ruth’s pride in this portrait stems from its marriage of colours – tones of browns and yellows – its simplicity and execution. Yet the hues of another colour dominate her work and it was no surprise to hear that blue is Ruth’s favourite colour. Blue skies, oceans, backgrounds and clothes predominate. “There are so many different blues and in my imagination I can see how they hold an image together.” She recalls that Doug Hall, a previous director of the Bendigo Art Gallery, described her as a “theatrical colourist”.

Ruth’s connection to Bendigo reaches back to the gold rush days when her great-grandparents pitched a tent on the site where the Sacred Heart Cathedral now stands. While her ancestors were no doubt hoping for gold in its metallic form, Ruth seeks it in the perfectly executed painting: the image that is born in her imagination and flows off new brushes and a clean palette onto a fresh canvas in such a way as to create something exquisite and powerful – and loved.

Ruth has a gallery at her home and can be contacted on: (03) 5441 2337. ■

Ruth Ellis-Davey, the theatrical colourist, at work in her home studio, surrounded by her precious paintings.

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balloon flights

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local band profile

roving rowan If you don’t know his face, you must surely know his tune...usually played from the shade of a View Street vantage point.

- Steev Cowled Currently competent in the use of about ten different instruments including the trumpet, five-string banjo, sitar and piano, Rowan Blackmore first took an interest in music at the age of 12. By the time he was 18, he had developed a passion for world music and the instruments used. Exploring this passion, Rowan landed a position playing accordion and banjo in the Irish swaggie punk group McAlpine’s Fusilers.

“I am a piano accordionist so that’s number one in the array of instruments,” Rowan says. “I spend an incredible amount of time on all the instruments, writing and playing various styles of music and using them in my songs. I hate letting them go to waste. Falling into the trap of ‘just because you own an instrument doesn’t mean you can play it’ is something I don’t want to let happen.”

During and before this time, Rowan was spinning deeper down the world music spiral as he experimented with electronic mixing, creating laid-back beats and infusing the exotic sounds of the sitar, the pipa and other instruments of the globe.

“A lot of these tracks I transposed into acoustic or accordion-based songs while writing new and completely different styles on different instruments,” he says. “Now I’ve teamed up with two incredibly talented musicians Jacob McGuffie on guitar and Ben Gibbins on double bass.”

Rowan’s Irish heritage shines through in the tunes of McAlpine’s Fusilers. The sound is a mix of Celtic, folk and rock music influenced by bands such as The Pogues, The Clash, Tism and Robbie Burns – a delightful blend of cheery melodies that go hand-in-hand with a beer and some good times. However, it is through Rowan’s other project that we see the full extent of his diversity.

Rowan Blackmore shows his diverse talent at a local community event.

“The Chanson Francaise scene has played a massive part in shaping my music along with all the many other artists and styles previously and currently in France,” he says. “Bulgarian and Romanian folk music and Balkan brass bands are also a major influence. I tend to fall in love with instruments more than genres, so of course I’m always being influenced all over the shop, bluegrass, classical and contemporary Indian music, Turkish, Chinese and Japanese...there is a whole world of musical delight out there for one’s ears to experience.”

Rowan’s atmospheric music takes the listener on a voyage, experiencing the sounds of the world, driven by beats that are “danceful yet intimate”. From calming and relaxed to upbeat, faster-paced tunes that make you just want to move, not only on the dance floor but to foreign and exquisite lands, Rowan’s music captures the management and never misses a beat.

Photographer: Steev Cowled

“There are obviously distinctive styles that some will notice such as eastern European and bluegrass but it’s general song writing mixed with world music. It’s friendly music. I deal with everything in life through music and I write a lot of music based on the subject of regret, so the music ranges from fast to slow, instrument to instrument from song to song. We don’t bombard people with a single stream of music, there are moments of solid listening and bursts of time for dancing. People pay attention and feel refreshed and they seem to like that. Some people just like watching somebody play a trumpet and an accordion at the same time.”

Within the local music scene, Rowan’s name is synonymous. It is rare to find a person who has not heard Rowan’s name or at least caught one of his performances. From busking with his accordion and banjo, or toy piano and glockenspiel, to performing live with the likes of You Am I’s Tim Rogers and American bluegrass outfit Truckstop Honeymoon. Rowan is as unique as his music and so appeals to a large demographic. Well aware of this fact, Rowan is confident bigger things are just around the corner but he knows there is still plenty to learn. “It’s not going to stop,” he says. “As long as I can pick up a new instrument, write a new song and keep meeting wonderful people there won’t be any slowing down.” ■ 83

a worthy cause

letting the soul catch up Little research has been conducted on the psychological impact of breast cancer but women who have visited an Otis retreat say much about what their souls need. The Otis Foundation’s effects are being felt across the country and it all started with the vision of an inspirational young woman in Bendigo.

While most newly married couples take time to smell the roses and meander on the seemingly endless path ahead of them, Judy Burley’s journey came to a sudden halt when she was diagnosed with breast cancer just nine months after marrying her husband Andrew Barling.

The foundation now has seven facilities and is currently in talks to establish a property in South Australia. The Otis Foundation has also recently received a generous donation from the Sidney Myer Fund which further cements its capacity to make a positive impact.

Judy searched for solace within her Mandurang bush home, seeking time to rejuvenate, rest and reflect on the challenges faced. She often spoke to Andrew about others in the same position as her and dreamed of being able to offer them such a restful place as she had found. When Judy spoke with passion about her dream to build retreats similar to her own home, she dreamt about creating two respite units in Mandurang.

Bendigo and the surrounding communities have embraced the concept graciously and endeavors such as The Bendigo Bank Community Enterprise are ensuring local people can have a large impact on the foundation. Customers of the Bendigo Bank can flag their account to support the Otis Foundation Community Enterprise. The bank will pay a percentage of its profit margin on nominated accounts to the enterprise and it costs the consumer nothing.

Judy passed away in 2000 at the age of 36, after an eight-year battle with cancer, but her dream was made a reality after the units were constructed in 2002. They were an immediate success as a result of generous community support. Speaking to Andrew now, he remarks how the foundation grew from strength to strength once people realised the significant impact it was having. It is this growth that inspires Judy’s loved ones and those who support the foundation to strive harder. Andrew maintains close contact with Judy’s family, especially her siblings, and marvels at the comfort that came from a dark circumstance. He often comments the foundation “makes sense of something I saw no sense in before”.

Judy Burley’s idea is not only making sense of tragic circumstances for Andrew Barling but for many of those who visit the retreats to “let their soul catch up”. For many people touched by breast cancer, in some way or another, the Otis Foundation provides a resting place on their journey. ■

The foundation is now committed to providing a sanctuary for women with breast cancer in a beautiful country environment, at no cost. It seems simple, to allow those experiencing such a difficult period to ‘take some time’ but no-one quite yet has fully grasped the significance of doing so. Many of those helped by time away speak of the need for an emotional refuge from the seemingly clinical battle been waged. Emotional therapy is often non-existent for sufferers of this debilitating cancer, despite the clear need. One of the retreat’s guests says, “The medical profession has the battle strategy down pat, it’s slash off the breast, poison the cells, burn the spot; but emotional therapy is something that is not part of that system.”

Another comments, “This place is cocooning. It provides the soul food I crave, an outlook that uplifts the spirit and an ambience of love and support.” Profound transformation takes place at the retreats, inspiring La Trobe University to begin research into exactly what is happening for the patients.

LEFT: Andrew Barling.

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ABOVE: The Otis Foundation retreat in Mandurang.

BELOW: Judy Burley.

Photographer: David Field

- Esther McRae

photomagazine opportunity bendigo

darker side of publishing

TH E B ANK CELLAR D O O R

Bendigo Community Publishing sent its first beautiful book head-first into the literary world recently.

The event was attended by all manner of writers, readers and selfconfessed bibliophiles at the Campbell Theatrette.

The Dark Side of the Street is a collection of Australian short stories

by Christine Fitchett. bendigo magazine hopes this wonderful collection will be the first of many local publications for the group. What a great initiative for local authors. â&#x2013;

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day tripping

linger longer in the longest street Heathcote. It’s known for many things...rolling countryside, red, red wine, pink, pink cliffs and now, let it forever be known as one of Esther McRae’s weekend hangouts. She’s the one with the meat pie.

- Esther McRae

Photographer: Anthony Webster

For those of you who have heard of Heathcote, driven through the main street or sampled some wine from the region, you may have pigeonholed the town as done, ticked it off your list. Having spent many a cold winter’s day with a pie at the edge of Barrack Reserve wearing the wrong colours, according to the locals, I too had put Heathcote in a box and had no real plan to return unless it meant seeing Colbinabbin giving the footy team a run for it’s money. I have recently discovered, however, how wrong I was about what the region has to offer and have been back five times since December.

Heathcote is perhaps most widely known for its wine and the festivals that celebrate it. Its vineyards are fast becoming renowned for some of the finest Shiraz in the world and the local landscape is postcardworthy. Driving up the tree-lined main street, you are immediately hit with that old country feeling. The thoroughfare quirkily holds the title of longest in Victoria, and you don’t mind driving slowly so you can see everything along the way. Better still, would be to stop and get out, because whilst many of the wineries are in the surrounds, the fruits of their labour are showcased in the businesses dotted along the main street. One of these stands just past the entrance to the town, marked by a large Emu! The Emeu Inn is celebrating 150 years in operation and while an echo of history prevails, the business is certainly modern and refreshing in its approach to service and convenience. The Emeu Inn features a fine-dining restaurant, a wine and food store and secluded at the back, some places to stay, hand picked by the editors of Beautiful Accommodation. Owners Fred and Leslye are evidently gifted in the hospitality sector. After a warm smile and a quick tour, I feel like part of the place. The original cellar houses homemade preserves alongside

the myriad of wine choices. The restaurant is casual by day and intimate by night. Chef Fred comes from a European training background and Rob Tucker, the apprentice, recently won the Bendigo Business Excellence award for apprentice of the year. The Emeu Inn was the first wine centre in town and the Age Good Food Guide has recommended the restaurant. Between Leslye’s clear passion for her job and Fred’s kitchen there is something special, whether stopping in for some wine, staying for dinner or bedding down for the whole weekend.

A little further up, in the heart of the town, The Bank Cellar Door and Cafe stands as a tall historical building now choosing to favour plonk over pennies. Owners Mat and Rob have plenty to smile about since the addition of a new wine label; A Wine Named Barry. Who is Barry? you may ask. Let’s just say he is an elusive fellow who has some of the best new wine on offer in the region. The Bank Cellar Door and Cafe is ringing with positive feedback and the team is encouraged when such things happen, like a tourist stopping in on the way to his holiday destination for a bottle of The Baz Shiraz and eagerly dropping back in on the way home to buy a case. It is stories such as these that prove Barry and his team have got something good going on. Barry’s class mates sit alongside him in the old bank building, complete with original vault, perfect conditions for wine. These guys know their stuff.

Once you have been through the town, a swift right turn into Dairy Flat road and seven kilometres through beautiful countryside later, you may feel a little lost, but you are certainly heading in the right direction. Owners of Hut on the Hill Astrid and David were fine merino wool producers for 30 years, but the only sheepish thing about their place now, are the fluffy patches as part of the view stretching ➤

It may be baked but boy it’s beautiful; the rolling countryside around Heathcote.

87

Rob shows his wares at the The Bank Cellar Door Cafe.

an old fashioned pub with modern ideas

over the foothills of the Great Dividing Range. Hut on the Hill is a luxury escape. The guest book houses many an adoration, such as “we would recommend to anyone to do a nudie run up and around the tree and back. It is very liberating!”. Astrid grins at this entry and loves that the place she and David have created inspires such freedom. Nibbling on freshly-picked cherry tomatoes from the hot house on the terrace with Astrid, it is easy to realise her passion for the place. The accommodation here has also been chosen by Beautiful Accommodation and is a gem in the Heathcote region...once found, never forgotten.

Nestled amongst the granite boulders of Tooborac in the heart of the Heathcote Wine region, the Tooborac Hotel and Brewery continues to offer travelers and locals with a welcome respite. Just as it has for over 150 years. The Heritage listed building of Bluestone and Granite has been tastefully refurbished to offer the perfect venue for your function or catching up with family and friends.

The Carlin Family invites you to join us at our Friendly Family Pub.

Continuing along the road, I have chosen the scenic route through the granite hills but am distracted by a beautiful old building with cars out the front, this place looks popular! Valerie and her husband James are your hosts at ‘The Tooby’ which has also recently celebrated its 150th anniversary. The Tooborac Hotel and Brewery is a pinnacle in local landmarks and houses many a yarn from the region. It is immediately welcoming and has the typical feel of a country pub, its walls awash with local memorabilia. You may find farmers celebrating the end of a long day, families in for their tea or tourists keen to visit the famous hotel. The beer garden is not your average and features granite tables in a spacious area overlooking a picturesque landscape.

The land around the pub almost serves as a plateau showcasing the building and whilst a humble pub, it looks grand and inviting. The couple is in the process of renovating one of the original buildings on site and employed a stonemason to rebuild the old Cobb & Co which they plan to turn into a working brewery and tasting room. Although this is not completed quite yet, The Tooby is still brewing and the beers are flowing. Its most recent brews, Amber Ale and Granite Ale have become favourites and demand is high. If you’re keen to stay the night, the hotel has one room and its lucky occupant will experience things the country pub way. Still, if you miss out, the hotel is only ten minutes from the town centre.

I can’t get enough of the region and often leave, arms bundled, as a result of generous Heathcoteans eager for me to experience food and wine the way they do. Things are different here, I am starting to become wary of whether wine and produce will ever be as good... lucky for me, I’m only half an hour away. ■

p: 54335201 w: www.tooborachotel.com.au

I love the big shells and I love the opportunity to fire them.

Peter Daley makes sparks fly at Easter.

we are the easter people From the boot of a car, the back of a parade, through the eyes of a dragon and looking in a mirror are some of the more unusual perspectives on a Bendigo Easter.

- Sarah Harris Peter Daley and the big bangs Poisonous Spiders are unquestionably Peter Daley’s favourite feature of Easter.

Photographer: David Field

Even though they weigh 40 kilos and take two men to carry, the potently-named pyrotechnic is the one that really gives you more bang for your buck, according to the man who lights up the sky on Easter Sunday evening.

For the past four years Peter’s company Bendigo Fireworks has been responsible for the explosive aerial acrobatics above Lake Weeroona.

This year the decision to turn the torchlight parade around has given the Bendigo Fireworks Company an even greater chance to shine.“We will be bringing out the big stuff because we are going to lock down the QEO and fire everything off the top of the hill and the poppet head,” he says with evident delight. “We can fire shells we have never been able to fire at Weeroona. Normally we stick to two, three, four inch diameter shells; now we can go up to fives and sixes so we can get some really big nice stuff. The bigger they get the better the effects, the better the colours, the longer they hold.’’

There have been dramatic developments in the colours and effects available since Peter first went into business. “When I started all fireworks were red and green, then they started dabbling in blues and this year we have bright aqua, lemon, purples, mauve – colours we have never seen before.”

Over Easter Peter and his team will be responsible for every little bang as well as the big ones. They voluntarily handle all the necessary licenses and permits for the 10,000 crackers used during the Awakening of the Dragon ceremony and a further 5000 that accompany Sun Loong’s dazzling procession through Bendigo’s heart on Easter Monday. Each of the crackers contains 0.01 of a gram of gunpowder. “It is very minimal. The sound you hear is just the paper wrapper breaking, the more wrapping they put around it and the tighter it is the louder the bang,” Peter says.

At the other end of the scale an eight-inch aerial shell contains 3.5 kilos of explosive. “I love the big shells and I love the opportunity to fire them. There are a lot of effects in the big shells that they can’t reproduce with the smaller ones,” the pyrotechnics whiz reveals.

On the big night he will set off 1500 aerial shots and ignite 30 multishot boxes, each containing about 300 shots. It will take three men 20 hours to set up and then it will all be over in 15 minutes. “Every shell is individually pre-fused, wired and numbered and fed into racks of fibreglass mortars,” Peter says. “We don’t run around with matches anymore. It is all fired electronically from a big control panel in the back of my Prado. I have my head down at the computer with a stopwatch going, firing things to time. I don’t look up until it’s over.

I actually don’t get to see the fireworks at all.”

Here’s the sting - not even the Poisonous Spider. ➤ 89

John Hogan on soul music For 28 years John Hogan has literally been reflecting on his faith; observing Easter through a rear-view mirror. For, although he attends every single one, the Sacred Heart Cathedral’s director of music would not see any of the masses and services from Palm Sunday through Easter were it not for a mirror mounted on the organ.

After so many hundreds of hours spent witnessing the life of the Cathedral back-to-front, John jokes he would have trouble directing people to the bride or groom’s side of the church for a nuptial mass.

But he finds being seated at the organ facing into the choir stalls high at the back of the church also gives him a useful perspective.

“The beauty of it is at that height, looking down I can see what is happening on the altar and it is almost like choreography,” he says.

For John and the 43 members of his choir, Easter is a musical marathon with the demand on their voices eclipsing any other time of the year.

Including Palm Sunday ceremonies, a reconciliation service, the Chrism or blessing of the oils mass which precede the Easter weekend, there are more than a dozen services plus the requisite practice time.

“Some are a bit challenged by the end and need to rest their voices and have some honey,” John says of the choristers. “It is a week you feel like bringing a bed across. I am in the church a good 20 hours or so and that doesn’t include things like putting up the hymn numbers.”

But there is energy to be drawn from joy. “From a religious point of view it is that feeling, ‘Hey, we are fully alive as Christians’. Because Jesus has risen we have that chance to die and rise again. You can’t really be down in the dumps even on Good Friday because what you are doing is not a re-enactment. It has already happened. You are telling the story with fantastic readings, music and sometimes great silences so you can meditate. Good Friday is one of the most beautiful and solemn occasions. We do a superb lot of music and it sounds strange to say, but because it is a very dead day when nothing else is happening it highlights the significance.”

For this Easter John has composed The Seven Last Words of Christ – seven short choral pieces based on the sayings of Jesus on the cross gathered from the four gospels.“We will feature it when the congregation is going up to venerate the cross on Good Friday. So while the congregation are all going up to kiss or touch the cross we are, as a choir, sort of worshipping it by singing,” he explains.

“I know some organists end up going to a quiet church service before their choral one, because they feel they haven’t prayed. But I feel the music is also a spiritual contribution and that can be quite prayerful.”

We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.

You can’t really be down in the dumps on Good Friday because what you’re doing is not a re-enactment.

For John Hogan and his choir, Easter is the most challenging, and spiritual time of the year.

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I could feel that momentum, the passion, the beat of the drums...

You’ll find few locals busier than Helen Yorston over Easter.

Helen Yorston, volunteer extraordinaire They say if the cap fits wear it, but Helen Yorston is a women who has an astonishing array of Easter bonnets. As a member of both committees administering the Easter Festival even she finds it hard to keep track of the offices she has held. “Let’s see, at the moment I think I am the vice-president of the Friends of the Easter Festival, plus I am still on the committee of management and I was the chair of the committee of management for the previous three Easters, plus I have been secretary and treasurer of The Friends,” she says, ticking off fingers with a laugh.

But it is her designated role as co-ordinator of the torchlight procession that Helen loves best. “There is something about people coming out into the streets at night – the little kids in their jammies with eyes like saucers, so happy and excited,” she says.

“I normally only see it from the back of the parade but last year I broke ranks and walked up to the starting point so I could feel the momentum of it going by. It was amazing. I could feel that momentum, the passion, the beat of the drums, the awe of the audience.’’

Ever since Helen was a kid fresh off the farm, the torchlight procession has been burned into her mind. “In those earlier years it was actually on Tuesday night. I would come back from the family farm and back to work and be so excited, looking forward to the evening,” Helen recalls.

Since day dot the Easter Fair/Festival has been about contribution and volunteerism. The national average of people volunteering is 35 per cent, but in Bendigo this is reckoned to be higher. Helen estimates there are well over 2000 people who routinely volunteer over Easter.

“We have never actually calculated and asked each group to ask each group how many people are involved. That in itself would be an interesting challenge. For some people, to volunteer for Easter is what it is all about.”

The Easter Festival tradition has become part of the central goldfield’s psyche, as Helen explains. “On gala parade morning people arrive to show their support from 7.30 am although there will be nothing to see for hours,” she marvels. It is like that is ‘their spot’ and over the years generations have kept going to ‘their spot’. I know of one family who keep taking grandma’s chair to the same site even though she has passed on because that is where she used to sit. They will place grandma’s chair there at 7.30am so the site is secured and then, during the morning, extended family members will arrive. Either side there might be a family from Eaglehawk and on the other people from Kangaroo Flat and at Easter time each year they meet for a couple of hours on the morning of the gala parade. They all enjoy the parade and sharing the experience and that, to me, is what it is all about.” ➤ 91

Doug Lougoon knows how to keep a whippy, snappy dragon in line.

Doug Lougoon the dragon wrangler When your dragon is legless it can be quite sobering. “In the year just gone we found ourself a few legs short, which is how I found myself running down the street on Easter Monday morning recruiting a few pairs,” real estate agent Doug Lougoon laughs. “I just say; ‘Hey mate you want to help carry the dragon and start a family tradition’. You always find a few willing helpers.”

For the past seven years Doug has been charged with the job of getting Sun Loong up and winding his way through Bendigo’s streets, which not only means ensuring there are enough legs in reserve, but that the dragon maintains just the right pace. “One of my jobs in controlling the thing is to make sure the boys at the front don’t get too carried away. If they run it gets awful whippy and snappy at the back end,” he says.

“At any one time you need 57 under it. One in the head, three on the neck, 52 on the body and one in the tail. Plus you really need 10 to 12 reserves for the body because that can be pretty exhausting, especially at the rear end because that is the bit that wags the most.

There are people who have dropped a pole and taken off under the strain of it all. The person in front or behind will usually grab it and manage as best they can until we get a relief underneath and no one is the wiser. That’s one of the reasons we have marshals along the side to direct reserves.”

When he is not up front helping direct the dazzling progress of Sun Loong with his 90,000 mirrors, 30,000 beads and 4500 scales, Doug is one of those men who shares the honour of carrying the dragon’s 29kg head. “With that amount of weight on the end of a timber pole what you really have to watch for is wind. There have been people who have had to catch the head over the years,” he says.

But rain or gale, Doug simply cannot imagine any circumstance under which he would willingly forgo the Easter Festival. “All my life I can’t remember ever doing something else at Easter other than being around the dragon. It is like a big family getting together and just keeps getting bigger. I guess a lot of Chinese culture revolves around filial duty, basically carrying on tradition looking after your family. Our family now is a big mix, but it is not that far back, in fact it was my grandfather who was really Chinese.

“My dad basically walked until he could walk no more and only then because of his eyes – he couldn’t see where he was going. You feel like you owe it to the overall family to keep the tradition going. But really when the dragon swoops down low on the crowd and you hear the ‘oohs and aahs’ of the kids, that is when you know.’’ ■

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photo opportunity

bendigo mag blows the candles Your very own glossy recently held a third birthday party/christmas party/ thank-you-for-a-cracking-year party.

(Yep, any excuse around here for a party really.)

Many of our clients and friends came along to the La Trobe Visual Arts Centre in View Street to celebrate yet another fabulous year.

Guests were treated to delicious food by J & L Catering, live acoustic entertainment by John Lingard and were also the first in Bendigo to leaf through the December issue of bendigo magazine. Didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we time that well! â&#x2013;

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bendigo memories

not a catholic!

Some people say in polite conversation one should never mention religion and politics. What’s the point then?

In my book they are about the most interesting things to talk about. You get a good argument out of both, and when you put them together, that’s discourse heaven.

- Geoff Hocking There was a story years ago concerning the predominence of Methodists, the large number of ‘cousin Jacks and Jennys’, descendents of the diaspora of Cornishmen who dominated the social affairs of ‘old Bendigo’.

Do you remember those little identification cards they put over your bed if you were ever in hospital? They showed your name, possibly what was wrong with you, and then a space was reserved for your religion. Well, years ago, patients in Bendigo hospitals would just write ‘NOT METHODIST’, if they were from one of the lesser tribes. It saved them from being visited in hospital by the Cornish God-botherers, who in themselves could be dour, earnest and given to rather spirited, if not always tuneful, hymn-singing by the bedside.

I must confess here that I am descended from both Cornish and Irish mining migrants and grew up in the long shadow of the old Methodist Church in Bendigo – and am given to bursting into roaring choruses of Faith of Our Fathers or O Death Where is The Sting when the occasion is right – or not – it’s impossible to forget those early years in the choir stalls.

My grandfather’s name was an Irish one. However, he was an Orangeman to the core, who disliked the Catholics and the English with equanimity. The nuns on hospital rounds always stopped by his bedside when they read his Irish name on the little chart and he would sit up in bed flailing his arms about to shoo them away as if they were crows attacking an abandoned lamb.

I once asked him why he never fought in the First World War, I guess I fancied having an ANZAC of my own in the family, but he replied ‘I wouldn’t go and fight for that English king’. On the other hand he disliked the Catholic church so much he wouldn’t even watch a movie with Bing Crosby in it.

We once went to the drive-in to see White Christmas. Now you all know the old crooner plays a fairly big role in that much-loved movie, and the theme song was once the highest-selling record in all history, until it was knocked off its perch by Elton John’s tribute to Princess Diana, Candle in The Wind (grandpa would have hated that as well).

Well, my grandfather sat at the wheel of his ’35 Chevy, facing the screen, with his eyes shut and his fingers in his ears whenever Bing appeared on screen. That’s a true story.

God’s handiwork in Bendigo stone.

You see the result of the battle of the Boyne, 12 July 1690, near Drogheda in Ireland, where the forces of the Orangemen defeated the army of the Green, was once the cause of division in the streets, the schools, the social clubs, and even the troubled mixed-marriage beds, not only in the Emerald Isle but also in Bendigo from the goldfields unto the present day.

But I never went in there. I didn’t even know anyone who did. The Protestants never met with Catholics, didn’t go to school with them, never played games with them, never danced with them, kissed or cuddled them or worst of all married them. The legacy of Drogheda was transported to the diggings, with all enmities intact, to continue the mistrust, and hatreds of the old country into the new.

The story of Bendigo’s tribes can be seen in their architecture.

Alongside a plethora of smaller Methodist churches, Primitive Methos, Presbyterians, Church of Christs, Baptists, Anglicans and Uncle Tom Cobbly an’ all, Bendigo boasts the largest regional Roman Catholic cathedral in Australia.

Thank God, whoever she is, that’s all gone now. Well almost. The world has become more secular. Most people see their neighbours for who they are, not what tribe they were born into. To borrow, and distort, a phrase from Martin Luther King ‘To see people for what is in their hearts, not the colour of their religion’.

The Sacred Heart Cathedral was the last example of gothic architecture under construction in the 20th century and will possibly be the last ever built anywhere in the world. It is a magnificent building, beautifully sighted at the entrance to the city, its soaring spires the most visible feature of Bendigo’s skyline from anywhere outside the city. At times I have watched with awe as the setting sun flushes the stone spires alight, set aflame with an orange glow, and seen their

At a funeral service in the Specimen Hill Methodist Church several years ago, (I know it’s called Uniting today, but old habits…), a good friend of ours, a very Catholic lass, born in Dublin, entered the church, dipped and crossed herself as she passed the altar. There was an almost audible murmer that passed around that congregation of Methos, a whispered “Who’s the Catholic?”.

94

Bing Crosby, that’s who! ■

photo opportunity

ancient artifacts The spoils at the Chinese Dragon Museum just keep getting all the more precious.

In November the Golden Dragon Museum had a sneak preview of the newly-received, multimillion-dollar Chinese artifact donation.

The collection, known as the St Alban collection, included items from as far bask as 900Ad - 1900. This exhibition features early 19th century cloisonné, 11th century ceramics, and bronze, jade, and wooden furniture.

fine belgian chocolates home made ice cream beraldo coffee

For more information please contact the Golden Dragon Museum at info@goldendragonmuseum.org ■

Phone: (03) 5441 1770 Address: shop 26 fountain court Bendigo

Tri-Bendigo Wine Tour SHOES EST. 1956 HARGREAVES MALL & STRATH VILLAGE

You can never have too many shoes.

Three of Bendigoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading wineries have joined together to offer wine lovers the Tri-Bendigo wine tasting experience.

Balgownie Estate, Sandhurst Ridge Winery and Connor Park are conveniently located only 10 minutes from each other. With up to 30 wines available for tasting, this is a superb experience.

Ph. (03) 5449 6222

Ph. (03) 5435 2534

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Hargreaves Mall, Bendigo Phone: (03) 5443 5223 Fax: (03) 5442 5102 Strath Village, Phone: (03) 5441 4472 www.mcarthurs.com.au

Ph. (03) 5437 5234 Contact one of these participating wineries for more information

5443 0321

NOW OP EN IN STRAT H VILLAGE

Strath Village Shopping Centre Condon St

HAIR LOUNGE

H a i r B e a uty

HAIR Previously Kim's on Forest

Phone: 5441 8188

Email: vibehair@bigpond.com

A d d r e s s : 1 1 3 Fo r e s t S t r e e t B e n d i g o

autumn products

dressing table glamour As the weather cools down, the makeup hots up. We’re talking red, red and more red, and a little black for extra drama. Stock your boudoir with these impassioned products, hand picked by our beauty expert, Katarina.

Aveda Nourish-mint renewing lip treatment $29.95 from Silk Day Spa (McIvor Road)

Adonia Cosmetics supreme mascara in black $38 from Adonia Cosmetics (03) 5442 1323

Aveda Petal Essence eye definer in black orchid $29.95 from Silk Day Spa (McIvor Road)

Guerlain KissKiss lip lift smoothing instant primer $52 from Bamboo Beauty Lounge (Bath Lane)

Adonia Cosmetics mineral sheer tint foundation $65 from Adonia Cosmetics (03) 5442 1323

Guerlain KissKiss lipstick in fabulous rouge $48 from Bamboo Beauty Lounge (Bath Lane)

Adonia Cosmetics sheer satin eyeshadow in purple shades $18.50 each from Adonia Cosmetics (03) 5442 1323

Guerlain KissKiss laque in rouge hollywood $45 from Bamboo Beauty Lounge (Bath Lane) ■

Photographer: Anthony Webster

Mirror courtesy of Sharp’s Bazaar

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beauty q & a

pucker up ladies Brace yourself for a dangerously sexy season, as we say goodbye romance and hello seduction.

This season’s look is dramatic, powerfully glam and not for the faint hearted.

For autumn lips are defined, bold and sexy. Think wine stained, red bitten and delicious berry hues dripping in gloss, paired with slippery black shadows. The look has dominated the runways, vamping up the sexy smoky eyes of the past with layers of inky colour and texture.

Read on to learn how to create the perfect pout...

Exfoliate and moisturise Exfoliation, as with any part of our body, is essential for removing dead skin cells, promoting circulation and the overall health of our lips. You can easily incorporate this into your morning routine by either using your toothbrush or face washer in a circular motion on your lips for a couple of minutes but a really effective method I like to use is adding a couple of teaspoons of caster sugar to some olive oil and creating a paste. Take the mixture and using your fingers rub in a circular motion – this exfoliates beautifully. Rinse off and apply lip balm to moisturise – not gloss.

Find the right colour There are many different shades of red but the general rule of thumb when looking for the correct red for your skin tone is, if your skin is pale, stick to the blue-based tones, while more olive and warmer skin tones can afford to wear orange-red shades of colour.

Also take into consideration your lip shape. If you have thin lips, you should opt for a lighter shade but if you are fortunate to be bestowed with fuller lips, you can choose shades of deeper and darker reds.

- Katarina Binks, Beauty Expert

Application • First dab on some lip balm and wipe off excess moisture with a tissue.

• Next, cover the lips with a lip primer, there are many about and they create a perfect canvas to ensure your lipstick stays on for longer.

• Apply liner as desired. If you find your lipstick bleeds along the lip line, a liner can help remedy this. The liner should either be neutral in colour or match the shade of your lipstick, not darker, so in the instance the lipstick fades, you’re not walking around with only the outline showing. Start lining them on your natural lip line starting from the center of your upper lip, gradually extending to the outer edge.

• When applying the lipstick, stretch the lips, starting in the centre of the lip and glide the colour to the corners. Lip brushes can help to give you a better finish and avoid the application of excess colour. A quick way of applying lip colour is to use the lipstick to stain the bottom lip by pressing them together to transfer some of the colour to the upper lip and then use the angle tip of the sponge brush to refine the lip edges.

• Now comes the gloss. The easiest way to magnify your mouth and give your lips a plumper look is with a little bit of make-up trickery.

Glosses will reflect light and make them appear larger (especially ones that have shimmer in them). By placing the gloss in the centre of your lip, it will pick up the light and give the impression of fuller, voluminous lips.

Be prepared ladies. Red is a bold, confident colour, there will be no blending into the background, so stand tall and show off those luscious lips! ■

Lifestyle Brands

P: 5442 3639 A. Shop 272 Hargreaves Mall Bendigo

photo opportunity bendigo magazine

karma kameleon catches on RELAX IN A BOUTIQUE SALON & LET THE EXPERTS MAKE YOU FEEL AND LOOK FABULOUS!

You know the song, now see the store, which is just as catchy as that Culture Club classic. Karma Kameleon boasts a plethora of treasures for the Bendigo fashionista.

For the opening, gorgeous staff wore printed maxi dresses and the champagne was on tap. This store stocks just what a girl wants... earrings, dresses, shoes and all things beautiful. The store is awash with colour, the chandeliers a highlight. Those keen to see the newest edition to the recently-opened Laity Lane were not disappointed.

Karma Kameleon can be contacted on (03) 5441 8011. â&#x2013;

Open Tuesday - Saturday p.5441 7999 126 Queen Street Bendigo

a new you

natural wonders The Environmental Protection Authority’s purpose is to protect, care for and improve our environment. We thought we’d give some local EPA staff some of their own treatment, focussing on style.

Creating a new look for these co-workers was a lot of fun. When developing an individual style, we consider overall colouring, body shape and personality to pull together a look that will suit the person.

There were three unique stylings in the group. We started firstly with Pat, accenting her curvey shape, highlighting her great waist line. The jacket brings balance by broadening her shoulder line. To compliment her soft warm colouring, a textured mink brown outfit was selected.

The glasses complete her fabulous new look.

- Lois McBain, Director Adonia Cosmetics

Dean’s personality and individual style gravitates naturally to suit and ties. The pin-striped suit, combined with the Panama hat adds a vintage feel to the overall look, creating a very smooth, polished finish.

Scott had a cheeky look from the moment he arrived. No suits for this guy! His warm colouring creates a need for relaxed, trendy style clothing. T-shirts with quirky prints and clothing with an element of fun match the twinkle in his eye. ■

Pat wears Joseph Ribkoff dress $299, Joseph Ribkoff jacket $166 both from McCalmans Boutique (Queen Street), Naturalizer E-Heta chocolate brown shoes $149.95 from McArthurs Shoes (Hargreaves Mall), jewel studded bag $20, vintage earrings $10 from Vonica Vintage (View St) and Prada glasses $474 from OPSM (Bendigo Marketplace).

Dean wears Ben Sherman pinstriped suit $599, Geoffrey Beene cotton shirt $109, Geoffrey Beene tie $79.95 all from Ultima (Williamson Street), Julius Marlow Zed black shoes $129.95 from McArthurs Shoes (Hargreaves Mall) and Panama hat from Urban Corridor ( Mitchell Street).

Scott wears Kromosome knit hoody $140, Kromosome jeans $199, XXX Industries T Shirt $49.95 from Urban Corridor (Mitchell Street) and Love Thy Footwear ‘Kevin Bacon’ shoes from Kick (Bull Street).

Models: Pat, Dean and Scott Photographer: Terri Douglas Makeup and Hair: Lois Mcbain Adonia Cosmetics

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S I L K D AY S PA

voted best massage & best facial IN BENDIGO

“

Best massage ever!

Fabulous! I felt extremely relaxed both massage and facial have made me feel brilliant!”

ANNIE TREANOR, FLORA HILL

“

Sit back, unwind and enjoy the tranquil surrounds at Silk Day Spa. Let the caring experienced team de-stress, re-energise and pamper you with a customised massage, Sensational, facial or treatment to balance mind body and soul. relaxing, invigorating – The team at Silk Day Spa are waiting to welcome you! an almost spiritual experience Thanks Silk.” and recognition.

Silk Day Spa wish to thank everyone for this –great honour STEVEN ANDREWSON, EAST MELBOURNE

pure escape for men & women

Pure Escape for Men & Women.

O P E NI NG H OU RS

Monday, Friday & Saturday: 9am – 5.30pm.

E MASSAGE O p e n M o n d ay - SS IaL Kt uM Or BdI Lay 5 6 - 5 8 M c I v o rTuesday, R o aWednesday d B e n &d i g o P h o n e : 5 4 4 4 5 5 5 4 w w w. s i l k d a y s p a . c o m . a u

enjoy hand and foot rituals, superb body treatments in

The Silk experience, customised to suit your

the Steam and Vichy Cocoon, relaxation, remedial, deep

requirements, and delivered to your door –

tissue and hot stone massage, beautifully relaxing and results driven facials and stunning hair colour, styling and treatments offered in the Silk Aveda Hair Lounge.

Thursday: 9am – 7.30pm.

in the workplace, nursing home, retirement

Sunday: Closed.

village, Motel or Bed & Breakfast*.

56-58 McIvor Road Bendigo Phone: 5444 5554 www.silkdayspa.com.au

Be pampered with a relaxing massage by Silk’s qualified and experienced therapists.

* Prepayment or credit card (Visa or Mastercard) applies to Motel and Bed & Breakfast bookings only. Contact Silk Day Spa to make your booking.

Price on application; payment by arrangement. Charge applies for cancellations of less than 24 hours notice. Full price for non-attendance.

SASI 91127

Silk Day Spa is an Aveda Concept Spa where you can

03 5441 4154 shop 4 the bendigo centre 22-24 bath lane

get the look Model: Amanda Photographer: Anthony Webster Makeup and Hair: Silk Day Spa

the eyes have it If you think Amanda looks good now, you should have seen her in the heavenly surrounds of the Silk Day Spa. It’s enough to make any girl grin.

The team at Silk Day Spa Bendigo created Amanda’s radiant, natural look using natural products. Just as important as the products is the relaxing spa experience – right down to parking at the front door – a definite plus when braving the elements after a makeover!

After a full body exfoliation in Silk’s vichy spa to achieve a natural healthy glow Amanda was tanned at Silk with SunFx professional spray tan – a natural Australian product with no alcohol, perfumes or artificial preservatives.

In Silk’s Hair Lounge Aveda’s 99 per cent naturally-derived pure plant essence hair colour and styling products were used to colour and style Amanda’s hair into rich curly locks with incredible condition and shine.

Pampering Amanda’s skin with Aveda’s natural plant and mineral derived skin and make-up range, Tamara applied: For a flawless look – Hazelnut concealer with Sweet Tea tinted

moisturiser, Honey powder, Bronze Glow to set the foundation and Tesserae for the cheeks.

Amanda’s great eyes were enhanced with Jasmine, Black Tulip, Willow and Triple Accent shadows; Black Orchid and Lily eye liners and Black Raven mascara.

To keep Amanda’s eyes the feature, her lips were simply given a natural-looking finish with Crushed Carob lip liner and Honeysuckle lip shine.

Courtney then applied Creative’s Toughen Up Base Coat, Dark Secret Polish and Super Shiny Top Coat to Amanda’s nails following exfoliation and moisturising of the skin, tidying of the cuticles, buffing and shaping the nails.

Beaming with confidence, a very relaxed and stunning Amanda is ready to party! ■ 103

Hair Waxing Nails Finest Quality Hair Extensions Beauty Makeup

Phone: 5443 6651

His & her hats & accessories.

For all occasions.

55 High Street, Bendigo 3550 (3 doors from central McDonalds) Phone: 03 5441 8737

Address: 47 Bull Street Bendigo Appointment & group bookings available after hours.

Laity Lane Bendigo 5441 8011

KARTOOSH SINTRA HAPPY ANGELS

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PORTMANS SPENDLESS SHOES KATIES NONI B

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BNT STRANDBAGS MATHERS

style inspiration

wrap me up Autumn is all about versatility, while warmer clothes hit the shelves, the weather may not be so obliging.

available at Ultima (Williamson Street)

available at McCalmans (Queen Street)

won’t break the bank. Why not try using one as an alternative to jewellery and work with hues that best compliment your colouring.

To instantly update your favourite outfits, try on a trend piece such as a fringed scarf, or simply choose a quality piece that you’ll love and love. ■

available at Bendigo Hat Shop (High Street)

available at Karma Kameleon (Laity Lane)

available at Urban Corridor (Mitchell Street)

available at Vonica Vintage (View Street)

In an unpredictable climate, there are still ways to keep a fresh look for the new season. Scarves are perhaps the most versatile accessory.

Whether it’s adding to a simple black outfit, or for an extra layer of warmth, a scarf is the perfect trans-seasonal option. The beauty of this accessory is the choice in fabric, texture and colour, and a scarf

Model: Lucy Photographer: Terri Douglas Makeup: Lois McBain Adonia Cosmetics

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“Every woman, every occasion.”

6 Queen Street Bendigo T: 5443 5011 In Bendigo’s gorgeous CBD

ULTIMA FASHION - WINNER OF BEST EVENING WEAR IN BENDIGO AS VOTED BY BENDIGO MAGAZINE READERS

2 5 - 2 7 Willia m s on S t re e t, B endigo

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5443 5022

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w w w. u l t i m a f a s h i o n . c o m . a u

the art of dressing Put yourself on exhibition in the best of autumn style.

Johnny wears Xsight suit $399, Nuova Moda tie $20, Immortal shirt $99 all from Man To Man (Bendigo Marketplace) and Julius Marlow ‘Zed-New’ shoes $129.95 from McArthurs Shoes (Hargreaves Mall).

Meredith wears black ruffle mia lace top $49.95, basic tank $24.95, black soft crepe pant $99.95 all from Jacqui E (Bendigo Marketplace), jewellery from Kartoosh (Bendigo Marketplace) and Cinnamon ‘Claudia’ heels $125 from Lulus (Bath Lane).

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Meredith wears Rose Garden dress $159; Cadelle leather jacket $618, Pink Corporation bag $299 and Cinnamon â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Claudiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; heels $125 all from LuLus (Bath Lane).

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Meredith wears Karma Kameleon dress $55 Karma Kameleon frill vest $55 belt $35 scarf $18 bangle $12 ring $10 Gaby Wears earrings $12 and YLW wedges $55 all from Karma Kameleon (Laity Lane)

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Meredith wears Vallen floral dress $349 from McCalmans (Queen Street) and Bon Bons ‘Shiloh’ heels $89.95 from McArthurs Shoes (Hargreaves Mall).

Johnny wears Ben Sherman jeans $155, Ben Sherman shirt $99.95 both from Ultima (Williamson Street) and Julius Marlow ‘Zed-New’ shoes $129.95 from McArthurs Shoes (Hargreaves Mall).

Meredith wears Ping Pong dress $149, Bodyfit leggings $55, crystal necklace $159.95 all from Ultima (Williamson Street) and Bon Bons ‘florida’ boots $139.95 from McArthurs Shoes (Hargreaves Street).

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Johnny wears Dickies japanese lo rise chino $104.95, Kromosome knit $155.00, Superdry vintage haversack $89.95 all from Urban Corridor (Mitchell Street) and Windsor Smith ‘Sex Canvas’ shoes $60 from Kick, (Bull Street).

Meredith wears Dogstar dagger top $159.95, Laika Kyobi skirt $119.95 both from Urban Corridor (Mitchell Street) and Studio 56 ‘Assert’ flats $75 from Kick (Bull Street).

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Johnny wears Density jeans $119.95, Billabong shirt $69.95 and Reef â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Strikeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; trainers $109.95 all from Skin Ski & Surf (Hargreaves Street).

Meredith wears Element shirt dress $89.95, Roxy belt, $24.95, Billabong bracelet $12.95 and Orbit sandals $59.95 all from Skin, Ski & Surf (Hargreaves Street).

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Johnny wears Kornerd jeans $99.95, Zanerobe t-shirt $69.95, Kornerd shirt $169.95 all from Raw Boutique (Killians Walk) and Onitsuka Tiger ‘Mexico 66’ trainers $180 from Kick Shoes (Bull Street).

Meredith wears Grab dress $99.95 from Raw Boutique (Killians Walk) and Pierre Fontaine ‘Bina’ heels $80 from Kick Shoes (Bull Street).

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Johnny wears vintage suit POA, vintage shirt $35, Hardy Amies tie $8 from Vonica Vintage (View Street) and Julius Marlow ‘ZedNew’ shoes $129.95 from McArthurs Shoes (Hargreaves Mall).

Meredith wears handmade vintage dress $125 and ‘now’ shoes $16 from Vonica Vintage (View Street).

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Meredith wears Ajoy cocktail dress $78 from Minc (Strath Village) and Cinnamon ‘Claudia’ heels $125 from LuLu’s (Bath Lane).

Photographer: David Field Make Up: Katarina Binks Models: Meredith & Johnny Special thanks to Tansey and everyone at the Bendigo Art Gallery for the stunning location.

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Fashion Central Castlemaine

Enjoy the experience

A collection of ďŹ ve designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boutiques in one location 4 Templeton Street Castlemaine (just opposite Castlemaine train station)

03 5472 1085 www.fashioncentral.com.au

Cooper Street satin jacket $159 from Mona Lisa (Bath Lane)

seeing the light Discover metallics, structure, exposed details and high-shine elements in coats and jackets for radiant autumn dressing.

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Bang by Messima coat $350 from McCalmans (Queen Street) and George dress $215 worn underneath throughout from Ultima (Williamson Street)

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Zanerobe coat $169.95 from Raw Boutique (Killians Walk)

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Cooper Street jacket $139 from Mona Lisa (Bath Lane)

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Ping Pong trench $149 from Ultima (Williamson Street)

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Photographer: Terri Douglas Trelise Cooper coat $569 from McCalmans (Queen Street)

Make Up: Lois McBain Adonia Cosmetics Model: Paloma Stylist: Esther McRae

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S

omething old, something new, something vintage, something for you.

Womens, Mens & Childrens Clothing, Shoes, Jewellery & Accessories.

Open Tues – Sat 10am – 6pm

Lulu’s Bendigolu lu’s

HOME OF QUALITY LADIES ACCESSORIES AT AFFORDABLE PRICES

Leather Jackets

Accessories

Handbags Shoes

Shop 8, 22-24 Bath Lane Bendigo Phone: 5443 3444 Under the new Bendigo Bank building

fashion forecast

trend: coated in style I have inherited an innate passion for coats and jackets, yep, thanks mum!

It may be the height of summer as I write this and I’m struggling to find an outfit, but there are always a few gorgeous jackets and coats to brush past in my search whilst dreaming of the perfect weather to wear them.

- Esther McRae I’m not sure whether it’s the formality they portray or just my English roots playing part in my clothing choices, but there is something lovely about wrapping yourself up in a jacket or coat you love. The possibilities are endless...swing coats, bomber jackets, boleros or the classic trench...the jacket/coat is indeed a must-have. As structured dressing plays a large part in autumn and winter 09 collections, a well-tailored piece is a necessity for the cooler months. There are a few key trends however, so take your pick and if in doubt, choose a classic style with a quality cut and fabric.

Tartan prints and weaves are back with a vengeance; a revival of the prim dress-code of bygone eras, laced in history but reworked for modern dressing. Look for unexpected styles with a tartan twist and keep the rest of your outfit fairly basic to compensate for the busy pattern.

Metallic sheen and detailing can be seen in some of the more ontrend jackets for autumn/winter. Exposed details such as heavy zips and metal fastenings appear in classic shapes and unexpected fabrics such as satin work their way into trenches and jackets.

The Blazer makes a strong comeback in what is predicted to be a season full of structure and tailoring. This 80s revival returns with a twist however, namely in patterned fabrics and a softer edge rather than the power shoulder pads of the past.

Military styles with a romantic bohemian feel will add edge to softer outfits and a military jacket can be worn over dresses as well as the usual jean ensembles. Coldplay’s Viva la Vida album theme showcases the style and the washed out renaissance colours look great in different layers and textures. ■ Photo courtesy of Trelise Cooper available at McCalmans (Queen Street).

clothing for city dwellers

14 mitchell street bendigo | 03 5441 8330

McArthurs

CC Best

Minc Fashion

Great range of specialty stores

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Plus plenty of free parking 134 Condon Street Bendigo

Phone 5442 5577

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men’s style

true colours Many a man is scared of donning a scarf, other than the one he wears to show off his favourite team’s colours.

available at McCalmans (Queen Street)

available at Vonica Vintage (View Street)

then scarves might be a good way to add some to your outfit without committing to too much. Try different patterns and textures for an edgier street look and don’t necessarily go for a heavy fabric. Branch out with one of this season’s hottest trends. ■

available at Bendigo Hat Shop (HIgh Street)

available at McCalmans (Queen Street)

available at Karma Kameleon (Laity Lane)

available at Karma Kameleon (Laity Lane)

They may be cautious of the style and find it hard to ‘get it right’. But be confident guys, there are plenty of options when trying out such a versatile accessory. A woolly scarf may not be necessary during an unpredictable autumn, but a scarf is one of a few ways to stay on trend without looking overdone. If you are afraid of wearing colour

Model: Nick Photographer: Terri Douglas

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R.a.W BOuTiqUe Shop 2 Killians Walk Bendigo

5443 4488

a man’s word

a new world

- Ash McAuliffe

The world is now different. I’m not talking about the financial crisis or global warming…I’m married!

A few issues ago I gave some advice to guys yet to propose to their significant other, like how to buy time. One tactic was to get a dog, which usually buys 12 months. The problem is, in Bendigo we can only own two dogs without applying for a special permit, and getting married has got to be easier than applying to council for anything.

These days many decide not to get married, believing it’s only a ‘piece of paper’ which is a horses for courses type of thing…but not my wife’s thing.

Early in the piece, I had the idea of eloping. To say that was met with some opposition would be an understatement. I told my fiancé a private Fijian ceremony would be special, meaningful and intimate.

My father-in-law-to-be (Brian) added up the difference between a big white wedding and two tickets to Bali and was an enthusiastic supporter of the elope. My mother-in-law-to-be and wife-to-be were so against the idea we pretended we hadn’t mentioned it.

So we began the wedding planning process. The first thing was to decide where we were going to get married and who would be coming. The guest list was very long. Putting a tick next to a name was going to cost us about $150, so we had to choose wisely. We decided to invite 80 or so people but in a perfect world would have had three times that number.

Then we had the issue of what to wear. Much to my surprise we had ourselves a wedding dress after only three trips to the Bendigo bridal shops. My delight was short lived because we still had the bridesmaid’s dresses to organise…joy. I estimate I lost 3.8 weeks of my life waiting on chairs near change rooms in dress shops. There were a million girls trying on clothes so I was never sure where to look. And the store employees kept pumping coffee into me because

they felt sorry for me and thought it was sweet I was so interested.

They must have missed the part where I started banging my head on the floor. It wasn’t all easy for the girls either. Trying to find a dress everyone was happy with was hard. At one point I remember a teary Lisa suggesting maybe eloping was a good idea. Unfortunately this moment of weakness did not last long enough for Brian and I to capitalise on.

To get the boys dressed I walked into a suit shop, picked out a black suit and SMSed the other boys for their size but they didn’t know so I did what any normal man would do…I guessed. As one would expect, they fitted like a glove. However, finding ties to match those bridesmaid dresses was another story and they ended up costing more than the suits themselves.

Although I probably contributed about ten per cent of the effort required to get things in order, luckily my wife, her parents and my parents ensured everything was perfect. Was it worth it? Hell yeah!

The ties may have cost more than Greg Norman’s yacht, and the reception may have cost more than Greg Norman’s divorce, but the day itself was just perfect. Now we’re married, you might expect life to go on just the way it was before but something is different…good different.

We still live in the same house, we still look the same, we still have two dogs and the lawn still hasn’t been mowed. We’re now officially stuck with each other for good and we think it’s great. I’m still getting used to using the word wife as opposed to girlfriend, missus or woman, although I still use the last two, just under my breath now.

We may have put ourselves and our families through the wringer and paid through the nose for a piece of paper but I’m glad we did…I might even frame it and put in on the wall. ■

Ph. 5442 1272 sales@adinfinitem.com.au www.adinfinitem.com.au

ebonhair HAIR AND BEAUTY CARE

FOR EVERYTHING MATERNITY

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Maternity Wear • Breastfeeding Tops • Swimwear Baby Slings • Hot Milk Lingerie • Nappy Bags • Gift Ideas

www.mum-and-bump.com.au Shop 3 Bendigo Centre, Bath Lane 03 5444 0528 info@mumandbump.com.au

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yummy mummy

a bump for all seasons It is possible to feel comfortable, and gorgeous, through an autumn pregnancy, with a selection of top picks from local retailers.

It’s the time of year when you start to un-pack your jumpers but every now and then you still need something with short sleaves for those sunny autumn days.

It’s even more difficult to chose what to wear when you’re pregnant

$16 Timber beads in green Karma Kameleon (Laity Lane)

and feel as though you lost your body thermostat months ago.

Nicole looks gorgeous expecting baby number tbut she didn’t need the clothes for long as she gave birth to Joshua Jacob just one-and-ahalf weeks after her photo shoot. ■

$99 Mishka n’ Milka ‘Adore Her’ tunic top Mum & Bump (Bath Lane)

$79.95 Wyse ‘Midi’ tie top Urban Corridor (Mitchell Street)

$79 $69.95 Bel ‘Eve’ bag Urban Corridor

Ripe Angelsea ‘Seagull’ pant Mum & Bump (Bath Lane)

(Mitchell Street)

$169 $149.95 Wyse ‘Pinni’ dress

OiOi ‘Kriss Cross Messenger’ nappy bag Mum & Bump (Bath Lane)

Urban Corridor (Mitchell Street)

$45 Bonella shoes in orange Karma Kameleon (Laity Lane) Model: Nic Photographer: Terri Douglas

$50 Zoom white flat sandals Kick (Bull Street)

Makeup: Lois McBain - Adonia Cosmetics Hair: Jools for Jim

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cutest kids

Daniel Cortez Maverick Lana

Denzel

Jordan

Meg Tahli, Ella & Cobi

Zoe & Lachie

Lachlan

Do you think your kids are the cutest in Bendigo? Email us an image at mail@bendigomagazine.com or post a pic to PO Box 2523 Bendigo DC 3554 (remember to include a stamped self-addressed, envelope if you want your photo back!) ■

m i l t

big : mill and mia : munster : willow and finn : claesens : lou lou riches : chook leaf : see kai run : pedipeds : walnut : tommy rocket fiona : buttons with love : moppit : two belles : moppit infancy little horn : heavenly creatures : knuffle kids : milt and joe : aden and anais : lima bean : bella by bec : the australian nursery company : cotton candy : beckoning designs : anette kortenhaus

clothing accessories gifts 374 hargreaves st bendigo 03 5444 0881 miltandjoe@bigpond.com

a n d

j o e

mum and kids

black to basics

Samantha wears Ping Pong shirt dress $175, Dusk jeans $150 both from Ultima (Williamson Street) and BonBons heels $89.95 from McArthurs Shoes (Hargreaves Mall) Rupert Wears Fred Bare tee $44.95, Fred Bare hoodie $79.95, Osh Kosh shoes $39.95 all from Twinkletoes Kidswear (Queen Street) and Tommy Rocket ‘Tommy Old Favs’ jeans $79.95 from Milt and Joe (Hargreaves Street)

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Hair: Jools for Jim

Makeup: Amor Lois McBain - Adonia Cosmetics

Photographer: Terri Douglas

Sam juggles a career with her role as mother and needs clothes that can go from one to the other. Using colour to add formality is a good way to get away with more casual fabrics. Black has long been known for its versatility and this shirt dress uses satin detail for a touch of class.

We maintain a modern look with straight-leg jeans worn underneath and autumn still allows for an open-toed heel. Rupert’s outfit works well for autumn with a monochromatic palette with the exception of his camo shoes. A hood is always fun and prints add edge. ■

Model: Samantha and Rupert

Samantha and her two-year-old son Rupert are the best of friends and together are set for the day in simple classy black.

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bendigo mum magazine said

oh so organised

- Amy Sim

What’s that? Your pumpkin is not pureed? The only blackberry in your life has been squashed into the carpet? Take a little advice from some mums who are seriously organised...

I do try to be one of those super-organised, efficient mums. But I confess, I do occasionally feed my baby from a jar and I did miss my little girl’s kinder orientation day. I do have it written in the wellmeaning diary, and the food processor is waiting in the cupboard, but at times I slip up!

I think to myself that maybe a blackberry would help, or a jumbo calendar on the pantry door? Then again, probably not. So let’s just be real and say no mum is perfect. We are all super mums, just by loving our children, letting them be kids, and giving them the best life we know how. So give a thoughtful smile to the mother who forgot to pack lunch for school, a knowing smile to the mother with a trolley full of jars, tins and bottles and a considerate smile to the mother with an unwashed ponytail and a spew stain on her shoulder.

I will always listen when another mum has a great tip on what works for them. Those pearls of wisdom may not get your organic pumpkin pureed, but it may just help keep some important things in line. After all, if your family is happy and healthy, what else matters?

OiOi OiOi is just about a must-have on most new mum’s shopping list. A practical bag that makes a funky statement. Plenty of room, compartments for everything, roll-out change mats and straps that will fit over almost any pram.

And with so many to chose from, why just chose one?

We love – Zebra tote - $179 Mum & Bump (Bath Lane)

I asked some local mums for some tips on what works.

“I always re-packed the nappy bag and now the school bags as soon as we get home. We re-pack with sports gear, art supplies or whatever is needed for the next day of school. The bags can then be hung near the door and are close to ready for the next day.” Mandy – mum to Cooper, Nicholas and Charlotte.

“As a mum of six, when nearly all my kids were at school, lunches were a big deal and a took a lot of time to prepare. So Sunday night we would make sandwiches for the week, wrap them, and into the freezer they would go. The kids could then grab fruit, sandwich and snacks themselves and that was lunch done.” Lyn – mum to Tolli, Marissa, Liam, Laura, Genna and Jordan.

“I have a house cleaner! It saves me so much time each week. And leaves me that time to focus on the family. I thought for a long time it was lazy and a waste of money but we have built it into our budget and never looked back.” Susan – mum to Rebecca and Rose.

Milt and Joe Bendigo’s own brilliant nappy bags. These retro wonders are gaining popularity around town as a great nappy bag. Jodie, of Milt and Joe, makes them with great vintage fabric for looks and covers them in plastic for serious practicality.

We love – Oval tote (in any fabric you like) $89 Milt and Joe (Hargreaves Street) ■

“Whenever we eat out, the pencils and colouring book are never enough to hold my toddler’s attention for a full mealtime so I made a ‘restaurant bag’ up, full of quiet, small toys, puzzles, books and games that would fit on the tray of a highchair. It is always packed and ready to go whenever we head out.” Julie – mum to Tom. And if you plan to be organised and look the part, take a look at these latest nappy bags...with style.

And if you plan to be organised and look the part, take a look at these latest nappy bags...with style.

Il tutto

It means ‘everything’ in Italian and with this bag, that is just what you get. Gorgeous Italian nappa leather, a removable interior that can be washed and beautiful styling. They are not cheap, but you will cart this bag around everywhere you go for possibly the next five years.

Which makes it work out at about $7.50 a month! That sounds more like it!

We love – Mia nappy bag in beige leather - $449 Mum & Bump (Bath Lane)

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photo opportunity bendigo magazine

one organised party Local guests and well wishers came out to see Glenda Hazeldene and were very excited to see her much awaited new store, Organise my.....

Organise my..â&#x20AC;Ś is an exciting new lifestyle store bursting with clever, stylish organising solutions, eco-friendly products and gorgeous gifts.

Stocking everything from journals, cards and stationery to beautiful home products, the store is a mecca for sustainable style and a gem in the heart of the Bath Lane precinct. Contact Organise my..... on (03) 5444 0099. â&#x2013;

www.LaToriana.com.au

- Designer Labels - Style, Quality & Affordability - Secure Online Shopping Anytime 10% off to all Bendigo Magazine readers.

Type code BGO at checkout to receive discount.

info@latoriana.com.au

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looking good, kid Four blond bombshells have some fun in the latest looks.

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Mietta Wears Right Bank Babies Harlow ruffle dress $149.95 and Fairy Girls ballet shoes $14.95 both from Whoops a Daisy (High Street Castlemaine)

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Fletcher wears Eternal Kids boys long sleeved shirt $29.95, Britt Design beaver reversible vest $42.95, Britt Design shaggy boots $39.95 all from La Toriana (www.latoriana.com.au) and his own jeans.

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Abe wears Tommy Rocket ‘Tommy Bathtub’ long sleeved top $54.95 and Tommy Rocket ‘Sidewinder’ pants $74.95 with Walnut shoes in red cruise $29.95 all from Milt and Joe (Hargreaves Street)

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Gracie wears Miss Metalicus skirt $89, footless tights $19, singlet tee $65, long sleeved wrap $55 and headband $29 and Red Bootie shoes all from Twinkletoes Kidswear (Queen Street) Models: Mietta, Fletcher, Abe and Gracie Photographer: Anthony Webster 143

your kids

jet setting with junior The arrival of children doesn’t need to mean the end of travel. In fact you’ll see the world differently with a little one (or more) in tow, just don’t forget to pack the teddy bear.

Travelling means something different to everyone. While one person gets swept up in the vivid colours, chaos and haggling of south-east Asia, another wanders whimsically through Europe, adventures through mountain regions or visits breathtaking sights closer to home.

When you’re young the idea is to travel before settling down. But as Generation X and Y begin having children, they’re realising travelling doesn’t leave your system! So how do we travel with kids?

Having children doesn’t stop you from travelling but the additional cost and the needs of your family alters your choices. It’s harder to backpack, eat like locals and cram six tourist sites into one day.

Kids, although busy people, are homebodies. So relax and make your hotel your home by taking a few little personal comforts, like a favourite blanket, toy or book. Consider spending time in the one place rather than rushing to fit in as much as you can.

Booking accommodation online is the easiest way to organise your travel these days; hotelclub, wotif, qantas, roamfree … Just be aware that some sites book you and your child in as three people and others as a double plus child. With the latter you may find upon arrival that your child is to either sleep in a cot for no extra cost or in your bed!

Not so good if you’re staying for a week. If travelling overseas with an infant, find out what the lingo is for a ‘cot’. In some countries a cot is a single bed, in others it’s a crib or playpen.

Children under two fly for free although some airlines may charge a small amount for services. However, consider the length of the flight and that extra seat. It is difficult for both you and your child to carry them on your lap for 20-odd hours, especially when you both need

Primary School Teacher

sleep. Why not take the flight in shifts and download a map of the airports in advance for the children’s play areas.

For a smooth trip plan your in-flight entertainment carefully. For older children, onboard movies, music, and video games are great.

For the little ones you’re better off packing toys, books, something to suck on and even their favourite pillow for when it all gets too much.

Carry all this in cute luggage that your child can control through airport terminals themselves.

For all the extra organising required, listening to your children say “wow”, “look at that” and “what’s that?” at everything new is an incredible experience in itself.

Travelling and seeing the world through a child’s eyes is truly remarkable. ■

T

winkletoes

Kidswear

Newborn to size 16 21 QUEEN ST BENDIGO

(03) 5442 9889

- Kylie Freer

269 HIGH ST GOLDEN SQUARE (03) 5441 7521

clothing and footwear * costumes * bedding * wooden toys * baby gifts * books

whoops a daisy

172 Barker Street Castlemaine Phone: (03) 54 721 301 www.whoopsadaisy.com.au Kate Finn * Walnut * Right Bank Babies * Rock Your Baby * OOBI * Smirk * Slingshot Boyswear Cocoon Couture * Grobag * Toshi * Le Toy Van * Minimink * Pin Toy * Leaf Imports * Woolbabe

photo opportunity bendigo magazine

a very mon coeur christmas Glasses of bubbly featured alongside the baubles as the ladies from Mon Coeur treated their members to a special pre-Christmas shopping evening.

Mon Coeur, meaning my heart, specialises in gorgeous French and French provincial furniture and accessories for the home. The Mitchell Street store has just undergone renovations and now features a truly beautiful bedroom set up and outdoor area...it certainly need not be Christmas to find an excuse to visit.

For more information call Mon Coeur on (03) 5443 9875. â&#x2013;

11 edward street, bendigo p. 03 5444 3322 open 7 days (Located between Target and Bendigo Marketplace) 146

devinerugs.com.au

alternative therapy

take a path to good health Your body is a finely tuned engine that seamlessly performs year-by-year. But like all machines, glitches do happen and that’s when osteopaths Melanie O’Shea and Doctor Jessica Cunningham can make a difference.

- Jacqui Mott Some say they’re changing the face of osteopathy in central Victoria and I say chatting to Mel and Jess about osteopathy at their Golden Square clinic is downright inspiring. They share a country-loving spirit matched with professional prowess and catchy enthusiasm, and they’re part of a massive network that, at last count, sees 40,000 osteopaths consulting worldwide. So how do I describe osteopathy to you? It’s a professional science, an art, a unique skill, a holistic and complementary therapy used to help people get out of pain and regain normal body function – born in the USA where, according to Mel, fully-fledged osteopathic hospitals operate in mainstream healthcare.

But back to Bendigo – and while not in a hospital setting, Mel and Jess enjoy working with a patients from nought to 99. They share a clinic with Bendigo Chinese Medicine and admit they’re fortunate to reap the benefits of a strong referral network within the practice. “We’re lucky enough to work with great Chinese-med practitioners who are very well respected by our medical profession.”

Mel, who started the osteopathic clinic near-on four years ago, says while a large percentage of the consultations at the clinic address back pain, osteopathy is not just about backs. According to Mel osteopathy can treat ailments from childhood colic through to aged arthritis. “We treat all types of injuries and degenerative disorders including sports injuries; neck, knee and foot pain; sciatica; repetitive strain injury and address mobility and postural issues.” Mel also says osteopathy is a godsend for expectant mums. “During pregnancy you will experience changes in weight and posture – and these changes can create backache and headaches. Jess and I are experienced in treating these conditions by safely and gently working on joints and muscles.”

Mel is excited to see the Bendigo community warmly welcome osteopathy amid a host of allied therapies and she’s proud this level of acceptance is happening in her own backyard. “I’ve worked in Melbourne and sometimes I’ve felt brushed aside by the medical profession just because I was an osteopath,” she says. “In Bendigo we’re really well embraced. During consultation we look at you as a ‘whole’, we will understand your limitations before suggesting treatment and if we need to refer you, the heartening thing is, we’ve got really good resources right here in Bendigo. We work with GPs, podiatrists, physiotherapists, orthopaedic specialists and Pilates instructors. It’s a really lovely niche to work in.”

Photographer: David Field

Mel grew up in Gippsland. She studied science and osteopathy then lectured at RMIT and practised in Melbourne before settling in Bendigo.

She chose osteopathy as a career because of its “rounded approach”.

With four horses in her paddock (and never enough time to enjoy them to the max!), equine-loving Mel has a varied working day, utilising knowledge gained from additional study to treat horses and dogs.

For Jess (who, like Mel, absolutely loves Bendigo) working with a positive community and medical profession has been an uplifting experience. “They’ve got a surprisingly good take on allied health here in Bendigo, the GPs here are really good to work with,” Jess says. Growing up in Wangaratta with a sports-loving family meant being physical and body-aware was just par for the course. “Our family was hugely into sport and we were always treating sports injuries – but dad and mum couldn’t find anyone for lower back and neck pain, until they discovered a local osteopath. They had fantastic results – and it’s that whole-body-thing, the self-healing mechanisms

Jessica Cunningham works on a patient. that impressed me with their treatment.” So taken was Jess, she ventured to Sydney straight from school to study osteopathy. She says understanding what’s happening within the body’s framework by looking closely at the symptoms is what her job is all about. “As a general rule osteopaths use their hands to treat, but we don’t generalise at any consultation, we refine treatment to your individual needs with a range of techniques. And that’s what I like about it; it’s a very manual medicine.”

Both Mel and Jess agree they’d like to see more osteopaths in Bendigo. “We don’t advertise a great deal and we don’t put a sign at the front because most of our patients arrive at the clinic through word-of-mouth,” Mel says, “And we’re very excited to see local GPs embracing osteopathy, along with Medicare – that currently offers a series of rebates. It’s all good news for our business and that’s good news for the people of Bendigo.” ■ 147

bendigo magazine

photo bendigo opportunity magazine

a golden opportunity Bendigo rolled out the red carpet last December for the Golden Age of Couture exhibition opening; a night where the glamorous guests had their collective socks knocked off by the most fabulous of frocks.

- Esther McRae As a student I spent hours lovingly deconstructing the great work of Christian Dior and his counterparts, albeit through books and magazines. I could easily imagine myself wearing outfits from The Golden Age, a term penned by the master himself, during a time that saw a rebirth in the fashion world. During post-war recovery, Dior began using lavish amounts of fabric – unheard of at that time. The strong steer from a very practical era in fashion toward liberation was taking place and at the driving wheel, was Christian Dior.

Visitors and locals can now see Dior and his contemporary’s creations in the fabric. Among the 22 cities the Golden Age of Couture exhibition will visit, we’re talking the likes of Shanghai and London, Bendigo is on the bill.

The exhibition features over 250 pieces from some of the world’s most renowned international fashion designers from 1947-1957.

London’s Victoria and Albert Museum fashion curator Eleri Lynn (pic. 1) !took us on a tour of the exhibition, before the buzz of opening night.

I asked her about her thoughts on the obscure idea of Bendigo being listed alongside Shanghai and London and she spoke of the Bendigo Art Gallery as one of “international class”. “It is fitting the exhibition be brought to Australia, as Dior himself chose Sydney as the location for his very first exhibition outside of Paris in 1948,” she said.

Eleri was proud to mention 95 percent of the exhibition was sourced from the V&A Museum’s collection and pointed out her favourite piece by designer Jacques Fath; a simple yet stunning tartan wool dress.

When it came to opening night, a sense of glamour hung in the air

and as people lined up on the red carpet I moved throughout them, noticing and photographing their finery and faces of anticipation.

My excitement was evident, not only were the pieces I had stared at so long in books and magazines right there in front of me, but I was about to attend the opening event, full of current designers whose work I also admired. I tried to hold it all together when Jennifer Hawkins hit the room (pic.2).

Meeting her was a breeze. She, unlike the garments around her, was relaxed and carefree and shone in a Toni Maticevski (pic.3) gown (another of my current-day idols; Toni was also at the launch and I am lucky enough to now have a photo of the two of us). Everyone who attended wore the same excited smile that was so ‘in’ for the night and the jokes about the location of the exhibition were quickly followed by admiration and pride in the fact.

On my most recent visit, I was delighted to sit and watch all the short films from the period and was whisked away to a bygone era... looking around, all the other viewers had quiet smiles on their faces, as they too were lost in the whimsy. The exhibition is somewhat like a Tardis. Once entered, you are taken to another time, another level of happiness. It is giving people a new-found appreciation not only for the fashion but for living in our city. For a short time at least, Premier John Brumby was right when in his exhibition opening speech he proclaimed “all roads lead to Bendigo”.

Pictured here are the glamorous people who attended the opening night. The Golden Age of Couture will be on show at the Bendigo Art Gallery until March 22. ■

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bendigo brides

we do love a wedding Classic black and white with a touch of tangerine dominate the dreams of our newly weds.

THIS PAGE: Letitia Noelker & Kevin Zaknic were married at the Bendigo Cathedral followed by a reception on the Convent Gallery, Daylesford on October 25, 2008.

Photography - Darren Roberts.

OPPOSITE PAGE TOP LEFT: Beau McKenna & Casey Hicks were married at the Mansion at Werribee Park on Thursday October 9, 2008.

Photography – RubiiDesign Photography RIGHT: Lauren Oliver and Brent Yates were married at The All Seasons Conservatory on April 4, 2008 Photography – Sean Walsh MIDDLE: Katie Ellett & Courtney Cornell were married at the Bendigo Pottery on November 22, 2008.

Photography - Diana Geddes.

BOTTOM: Bethany Frankling and Brenton White were married at Werribee Mansion on November 22, 2008.

Photography - Vicki Harrington

150

If you’ve been married in the last few months, send your favourite wedding pic to mail@bendigomagazine.com ■

151

local bride

ross and virginia On November 29 last year, at around 5pm in the middle of a paddock, Virginia Jones paused, turned to her father beside her and said ‘this is bizarre’. And beautiful too, we think, of her fairy tale wedding beside a creek bed.

ABOVE: Dave Jeffrey, Lou Newman, Sam Cook, Prue McIntyre, Ross Kemp, Virginia Jones, Matt Smith, Georgia Ganly, Al Kemp, Lucy Brown.

Where did you and your husband Ross Kemp meet and how long have you been together?

We met in May 1995 on a weekend away with mutual friends, Ross came along as a friend of my friend’s brother.

Where did you choose to get married and why?

In ‘the paddock’ near Heathcote. Ross grew up on a farm near Heathcote and now he and his brother Alister have a small farm nearby. We are both from the country, me originally from Tocumwal/ Finley and it suited the style of wedding we wanted.

Tell us about the reception.

The reception was also in the paddock in a silk-lined marquee, with spotlights to feature the trees along the creek.

Describe your dress.

Ivory silk satin halter neck with a small train. Made by Baccini & Hill in Armadale. There were lots of trips to Melbourne for fittings but it was all worth it in the end.

What about the rings?

As a surprise Ross had earrings made for me to wear to the wedding.

These were made by the same jeweller who had made the rings and the setting was a mini replica of the engagement ring.

What were some of the special, personal touches of the day?

We had four different flavoured cakes (made by friend Sophie Rogers from Whisk Catering) and one of my bridesmaids Lucy made a ginger bread house and decorated this with a mini me, Ross and Max (the kelpie).

152

Photographer: Kate Monotti

My engagement ring is an art deco style with diamonds. I’m wearing two wedding bands - one for me and one for Ross (he’s not the jewellery type).

We’d decided to do the flowers ourselves and with the help of Sally from Mitchell Street Florist selected a range of white and lime green flowers to place in a collection of crystal, glass and silver vases. I’d mentioned the idea to Mum that I wanted a unique collection of vases and after I’d sourced a few around Bendigo she rang to say that she and Dad had stopped at nearly every op shop between Tocumwal and Sydney on a trip away and had more than 100 to choose from.

Grandparents have played a special role in both our lives. Ross’s grandmother Marjorie Dickinson attended the ceremony. Wedding photos of our four sets of grandparents, and our parents, decorated the main cake table.

Was there any particular theme to the day?

We had a bit of a sheep theme as we thought that would be fun and would represent our country upbringings.

There were sheep on the invitations, service sheets, petal cones, the menus, parking signs and all guests received a sheep magnet with their name on it.

Did all go to plan?

Max our kelpie was supposed to be in the bridal party. In Ross’s haste to get to the paddock he forgot to take Max. His father Geoff went back to get him and Max, usually obliging and keen to accompany anyone anywhere, was unable to be persuaded to get in the ute. So, sadly Max missed out.

What is your stand-out memory of the day?

It was amazing to have so many special family and friends all in the one place at the one time and for us. I will always remember the older flowergirls Molly and Meg tightly clutching the hands of Hannah and Sophie who were only two-and-a-half years old. ■

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your personal trainer

champion weight loss When is it OK to call someone a loser? When they’ve worked to lose unwanted weight, tha’s when.

The staff at Lifestyle Fitness are beyond formalities with Deb Jackson.

“Hi Loser,” they jokingly call as she enters the Bath Lane gym. But there’s a serious side to Deb’s new nickname. This former power lifter has earned the title after almost 12 months of work and dedication which has seen her lose a massive 22 kilograms.

When Deb first turned to Lifestyle, she was feeling unmotivated and lacked energy. She had seen a photograph of herself she describes as a “real eye opener”. She never knew how overweight she had become and this photo really hit home and inspired her to make some changes in her life. The first one was to find a personal trainer.

Deb’s no-messing-around attitude was a perfect match for Lifestyle’s trainer Josh Barnes. It was a love-hate relationship from the get go. Deb threatened to kill Josh a few times, Josh kept throwing the challenges at her.

“Deb is very unique and has a unique way in which she trains to her full potential,” Josh says. “She needs constant stimulation so to ensure she never got bored, a new fresh program was written for her every week.” Deb has a love and passion for weights and really enjoyed that element of Josh’s programs. However she can’t stand the cardio side of things! So to mix things up she would undertake boxing, outdoor hill runs, including the Rosiland Park tower, rowing and cycling. Deb would often bike ride into town to go to the gym from her home in Lockwood.

Through almost 12 months, Deb dared not step on the scales, in fact it wasn’t even a priority for the pair. When she did finally weigh herself, she found she’d lost 20 kilograms. “I knew she was losing the weight, I could see it in her face and the way that her body had changed shape,” Josh says. “But we never focused on figures. So I had no idea to what extent the weight had come off. I was nearly blown away when Deb came into the gym one day and told me that it was 20kg.”

Josh says, “if you focus on numbers and weight you will often get disappointed. Initially there is often no change and sometimes a bit of fluid retention because while the fat is being burnt off from increasing activity, muscle mass or ‘toning’ is also changing. Muscles are tight, toned and a fraction of the size of big, bulky, wobbly fat. Fat adds inches and does nothing. Muscles increase metabolism and keep us tight.”

before

ABOVE: Deb Jackson has earned her accolades.

Deb dressed by McCalmans (Queen Street)

Photographer: Anthony Webster

LEFT: Deb and personal trainer Josh Barnes have achieved wonders together.

So what has Deb learnt through all this hard work? “You have to get over being intimidated in a gym,” she says. “Get over what people think. This is for you and about you so just concentrate on you. I don’t care what I look like when I go to the gym or what people think. Find yourself your own Josh. Once you are 20 kilograms overweight you are almost so far gone that it can be almost impossible to shed the weight using only your own personal motivation. A personal trainer was critical in my transformation as I had someone to answer too. If I made an appointment to see Josh, I knew that he would be in the gym waiting for me. So I had to go! No excuses. It was kind of like a business meeting and I felt that I just couldn’t do a no show. You have to allow time in your week purely for yourself.”

Josh said 20 per cent of exercise is physical, the rest is mental. And a personal trainer can help people push through the mental barriers they put up to exercise.

Deb is the perfect example of what can be achieved, and she even has the trophy to prove it, specially engraved for her achievement, it reads “Congratulations Loser (of 20kgs)”. And Deb is rightly proud For more information on what a personal trainer can do for you contact Lifestyle Fitness on (03) 5442 1599 or visit them at 1 Bath Lane, Bendigo. ■ 155

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home solutions

it’s all in the mind Feeling blue? Seeing red? Change your walls and change your mood. So move over white, there’s a brush-load of luscious colour heading your way.

The paint colours you choose for your home should do more than just cover the walls; they should embody the feel and use of the room. Colours can have a profound affect on your state of mind and emotions and while our reaction to a colour is often subconscious, we respond based on its meaning to us as well as its intensity and hue.

When choosing paint colours for your home, bear in mind the psychological meaning in order to achieve the desired sensory affect.

Listen to your instinct when choosing colours and don’t limit yourself.

Take to the entire room with bravado and your bravery will pay off, with plenty of “wow” comments from friends and a daily dose of pick-me-up emotion for your household. If you’re not sure what will work, why not check with your local paint specialist, pick up some colour swatches from your hardware store or flick through your favourite decorator magazine.

And take a look at this page, you can’t tell us the vibrant, gorgeous colour didn’t catch your attention...your home could have the same effect too.

Mr happy himself would be proud to share that yellow, the colour of cheer, exploration and hope, may have a wonderful influence on the psychology of your home. If your favourite colour is yellow you are most likely an artistic and creative individual who is highly imaginative and idealistic. Yellow has long been used in the home, particularly when natural dyes made it easy to add colour to building materials. A pale yellow is warm and bright and good in most areas, why not try yellow and white for a provincial kitchen or warm, rich mustard to achieve a rustic feel.

Blue...it’s a popular colour choice for the wet areas in your home but should not be limited to such rooms. The colour is tranquil and calming, often used in hospitals or nurseries, and can mean mystery, uniqueness, refreshing and infinity (like the sky). Calm, peaceful and contented people will naturally steer to blue but it is not necessarily a conservative choice. A deep blue can be great for a bold feature wall, where a pale, serene blue makes for a calm sleeping area. Try turquoise for a bright feel or a navy feature wall in a study or relaxing area.

This lush palette draws from nature and its spectrum is almost limitless. The colour of fertility, rest, luck and nurture, green can be used in most areas in the home and can be strong or very subtle.

Green is usually the choice for affectionate lovers and loyal friends; stable and balanced personas will appreciate the colour’s fresh feel.

Red can symbolise a number of extreme emotions and can create a warm and inviting area. Common meanings include celebration, love, valor, warmth, glamour and passion.

Red is a favourite of those who expect life to be exciting and happy or who are passionate and dynamic. Using red in the home can be a scary prospect but there is more than one shade than the obvious fire engine red. Burgundy is more traditional, terra cotta reds can create a Mediterranean feel. For a dash of warmth, try a feature wall or if you’re going for an all over colour, stick to simple accessories.

Green is a good colour to choose if you would like to introduce tonal decorating into your home, with different shades and strengths for different walls and accessories. Winter green can add a traditional feel, where fresh mint or olive green is a more modern choice or can stretch to a more retro vibe. ■

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home solutions

a soft touch for a new look Whether it’s a fresh change, a warm autumn look or the traditional feel you’re after, changing your cushions can dramatically change the look of your home.

We all get bored with our home decor from time to time but we needn’t think it’s all too hard to stir things up a little. The humble cushion, while practical, is an easy and fun way to bring about some change in the home, without having to redecorate.

Take a look at some of these different styles and how you can achieve them with just a few comfy items carefully chosen with the help of some local retailers. Now go and do some shopping, and some lounging, of your own... ■

Photographer: David Field

A basic neutral-toned sofa can be made to suit a number of different

styles, simply by changing the colour and texture of its cushions.

Pad ‘snatch’ cushion $54, Pad ‘diamond yellow’ cushion $51 and Pad ‘harmony’ cushion $80 all from Domain Living (High Street)

Nimboo choc cushion $142, Flores orange cushion $95, Pure Love cushion $69, Nimboo orange cushion $173, Oyster Creek cushion $165 and Saffron Heaven cushion $99 all from Jimmy Possum (High Street)

Kas red satin ‘tuxedo’ cushion $38, Kas ‘sandridge’ cushion $35, Kas ‘vika’ cushion $28, Kas ‘orchids’ cushion $38 and Kas ‘kayli’ cushion $36 all from Devine Rugs & Decor (Edwards Street)

Isabella’s Journey tea rose cushions $24 each and Isabella’s Journey throw $90 both from Elegant Concepts (King Street)

Red stripe cushion $37, large crown cushion $92 and ‘Kurilpa’ large stripe cushion $53 all from Mon Coeur (Mitchell Street)

All cushions photographed on Italsofa love seat $2170 from Domain Living (High Street)

161

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bendigo on display

where the heart is There are plenty of reasons to build a new home in our vibrant city. Interest rates are coming down, first home owners grants are going up and most exciting of all, there are new display homes to see. Make autumn the time to lay the foundations in your decision to build. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got the perfect place to start... right here.

163

bendigo on display

paul gray builders - glen vista 309

Glen Vista 309 Paul Gray Builders Residence Garage Alfresco Verandah

270.00 m2 40.16 m2 25.00 m2 52.78 m2

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bendigo on display

hotondo homes - sierra 283 Sierra 283 Hotondo Homes Residence Garage Total

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LIVING WELL @ BENDIGO Would Like to Introduce You to Their Brand New Luxury

RENTAL UNITS & RETIREMENT LIFESTYLE Living Well Has: -

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inside out

divine resurrection Time has been kind to this gracious place of worship...while the decades wearied her bones, the happiness experienced within her walls has given the old girl a soul unlike any other building. This is her story.

- Lauren Mitchell I open the back door of the Chum Street Uniting Church and the view is breathtaking. All rough Maldon ironbarks and distant hills and Bon Bon the milking goat eyeing me from the shade, sheltering from a hot bush wind with her pregnant belly bulging.

No, I’m not dreaming, it really is the Chum Street Uniting Church; moved to Maldon on the back of several trucks over eight years ago.

The white whale of a building is as out of place as an arc, perched at the end of Cheryl Dingle’s pot-holed dirt driveway. I say whale, Cheryl says elephant, because after eight years of hard labour restoring this building, it has little use. For now, anyway.

When in 2000 the good parishioners of Chum Street decided their former and increasingly derelict church had to go, Cheryl and her partner Mark Glover saw a blessed opportunity. Mark was running a demolition business with a mate, who happened to be a heritage builder, so the pair were invited to tender for the church. Mark had been accumulating second-hand building materials to build Cheryl a yoga studio, but the pair believed the church would be the ultimate, peaceful, spiritual retreat. And how right they were.

“We thought we wouldn’t have the money to relocate a huge building like that,” Cheryl says from one of the old church pews inside. “They said, ‘give us your honest opinion’ and my honest opinion was that it would cost so much to move it, we wouldn’t pay anything for it. Then they suggested one dollar and we accepted.”

Photographer: Anthony Webster

When the church was demolished, each timber board was numbered, and when the “pile of rubbish” was delivered to the Maldon property 28 days later, the world’s biggest jig saw puzzle began. Each of those boards, from the exterior walls to the inside dados to the three timber ceilings, was hand sanded. “That’s why it took so long,” Cheryl says of the all-consuming project, finished just in time to celebrate the building’s 150th anniversary in November 2008.

The weekend-long event for over 150 guests featured dancing, live music, food and more food and to top it all off, a special service for the old church folk. “It was great to see it full of people on the Sunday, they filled the pews and were standing up at the back as well,” Cheryl says. “One lady who came here stood up, she was 90 years old, and said ‘I was against this church going but now it’s here, it’s quite different, I’m very surprised, I’m much happier now’, she was so sweet.”

Even if you’ve no religious connection to this place, it does do something to your mood. It is a happy place, humming with the good spirits of countless souls who’ve smiled and cried within its walls.

Inside, it’s all golden timber and soaring heights. The few additions Cheryl and Mark made included a new floor out of Kauri Pine, reclaimed from the old Bendigo Base Hospital, a new roof, fireplace and one arched window. “The stained glass window that was there was very carefully taken out for the new church, so we had to ➤ 168

ABOVE: This big fella has every right to be dog tired after overseeing eight years of renovations.

LEFT: The new floor in the old church shines.

FAR LEFT: The building is a white beacon within the bush.

The former Chum Street Uniting Church is still reaching for the heavens under a blue Maldon sky.

BELOW: Extensive stone and brickwork mark the entrance to the church.

have that window re-made and it was the most expensive item in this church at $2,500.”

The other change the couple made was to replace the double doors on one side with a brick chimney and a fireplace complete with carved limestone lotus flower feature by Bendigo local Evan Diss. “We were so lucky to get a brick chimney done by an old brickie,” Cheryl says. “Frankie was one of the original brickies and it was the last job he did before he retired – Mark had to hold his legs while he got up the ladder.”

This building has had quite a history. It started off on Specimen Hill as one of the first schools in Bendigo and was then moved to Chum Street on the back of a steam tractor around a century ago. It was later delegated to church hall status before being given a new lease on life in the sticks.

“It was in use up until the day before it was demolished and Mark and I attended the last service that day in 2001. It was very emotional, it was a beautiful service. It looked pretty magnificent that day but when we got it back to the bare boards we realised it had issues.”

But the full tale of this building will always remain a mystery; the gaps filled only by a vivid imagination. The couple believe that it would have originally been constructed out of recycled materials from abroad.

“It would have been second hand,” Mark says. “You couldn’t even buy nails back then, we only found about half a dozen nails and they were all handmade – it was all tennet joints.”

And the future? Well, Mark and Cheryl have big plans, they only need the approval, which in a rural zone, may not come easy. “It’s registered for use just four times a year,” Cheryl says. “We would like to run a business from it and use it for sorts of purposes like weddings of any denomination, a reception centre, recording studio and yoga retreat. I’d love to see it used for the community and I’d love to see music in here – it’s got wonderful acoustics. There’s still dreams and we’ve still got a long way to go to create a beautiful landscape. We just want to see it used.”

Mark knows this building like a brother. He has spent the best part of a decade within it, around it, on top and underneath, sometimes until the wee hours under the Maldon stars. And now the work has eased, I wonder if he’s at a loss. “Not really. It’s a sort of a masterpiece now,” he says. “I just come in here and feel like I’ve stepped back in time.”

As for Cheryl, she throws open the side doors overlooking her lake, assumes a pose and practices her yoga. Finally, in a space that’s fit for a Christ. ■ 170

photomagazine opportunity bendigo

opening the bank book

Stylish giftware and homeware

If you think snuggling down with your bank book would be a pretty dry read, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not James Packer that is, think again. The Bendigo Bank story is one of passion, guts and ultimately, glory.

On the eve of the Bendigo Bank building opening, some key guests celebrated the launch of Building the village, a new book detailing the history of Bendigo Bank and the role the bank has played in the development of the city. The Whirakee saw the likes of Premier John Brumby and Professor Alan Mayne, the author, take to its chairs, along with the chairman of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. â&#x2013;

Shop 10 the bendigo centre bath lane bendigo Phone: (03) 5444 2737

photo bendigo opportunity magazine

the pm opens centre of city Bendigo Bank was the centre of attention as its new headquarters was unveiled in all its glory.

Lyric Square was filled with people waiting to witness a slice of history when The Bendigo Centre was opened last December. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was a significant drawcard for the day as he outlined his commitment to regional development but most Bendigonians were keen to have a tour of the new building and see what all the fuss was about. Bendigo Bank put on a spectacular event including live music, a barbecue and fashion parade. Earlier in the day, the two new walkways, Laity Lane and Perrow Walk, were opened and the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial hub most certainly shone. â&#x2013;

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MALDON GALLERY YOUR ONE STOP SHOP IN THE HEART OF MALDON FOR BEAUTIFUL GIFTS & HOMEWARES. WE ACCEPT MALDON MONEY OPEN 10AM - 5PM SEVEN DAYS A WEEK

Phone (03) 5475 2595 22 -24 Main Street Maldon

Contacts Graeme Stewart Ken Belfrage David Hutchings Paul Vlaeminck Paul Byrne Jim Parkes Adrian Downing

Sharon Dekker welcoming Jason Limbrick to the AFS Audit Team

• Management accounting • Cash flow planning • Budgeting and business monitoring • Investment advice • Audits • Financial services • Income tax preparation, electronic lodgements

61-65 Bull Street, Bendigo 3550 Phone (03) 5443-0344 Email afs@afsbendigo.com.au Web www.afsbendigo.com.au

UÊ ÀiiÊÀiVÀÕ Ì i ÌÊÃiÀÛ Vià UÊ VVÀi` Ìi`ÊÌÀ> } UÊ" ÊÌ iÊ LÊÃÕ«« ÀÌ UÊ Ãà ÃÌ> ViÊÜ Ì ÊÜ À « >ViÊ ` wV>Ì Ã UÊ6 V>Ì > ÊÀi >L Ì>Ì ÊÃiÀÛ Vià UÊ* Ãà L iÊi « ÞiÀÊ Vi Ì Ûià UÊ >L ÕÀÊ Ài UÊ/À> iià «Ã Ó ÎÎÊ Õ `ÞÊ-ÌÀiiÌ]Ê*"Ê ÝÊÓÇÈÊ i ` } Ê6 VÊÎxxÓ Phone:ÊäÎÊx{{xÊ nääÊFax:ÊäÎÊx{{£ÊÇänn Email:ÊL>iJ>VViÃÃi « Þ i Ì°V °>Õ

Lic: QAC/R61/0081

www.accessemployment.com.au

real estate advice

granting real estate wishes Looking for your first home? Make a wish list and take advantage of falling interest rates and the first home buyers grant. Go on, wish away...

Selling or buying real estate can sometimes be complex and very time consuming for both the buyer and seller.

For a seller, some big decisions need to be made before the property goes on the market. Firstly you need to select an estate agent to sell the property. You also need to engage a solicitor to prepare a section 32 (Vendors Statement).

The section 32 includes any relevant information on the property that may be of interest to the purchasers. After you have chosen your agent, read the agreement (Authority) carefully and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be afraid to ask the agent to explain any detail you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand or are not clear about.

If you are the purchaser, you should make a list of what you absolutely want in a property. Make a wish list so that these desired items can be factored into your decision making when you find the property you have chosen to purchase or make an offer on. Prior to making an offer to purchase you should find out all you can about the property and enquire about the neighbourhood and what services are available in the area. Do not be afraid to ask.

Never rush or be pressured into making a decision. Remember, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot at stake. If you take your time and do your homework, you will feel more confident that you have found the right property at the right price.

As a buyer or a seller you have the right to negotiate, whether it be the agentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fees or the sale price of the property you may be interested in purchasing.

- John Pawsey CEA (R.E.I.V.) Director P.H. Property

The good news for both buyers and sellers is the continued falling of interest rates. The increase in the first home buyers grant is also an added bonus, currently $17,000 for an existing house and $29,000 for a new build. These are huge amounts and go a long way in assisting the first home buyer to get into the market. For example, as a first home buyer if you are looking at a property in the $220,000 range and supposing you have a ten per cent deposit ($22,000) and receive the buyers grant of ($17,000) all you need to finance is $181,000.

This is a very appealing proposition and in my opinion should be pursued by all of you lucky enough to be in this situation.

Buying a property is a significant, ongoing financial commitment, so you should spend plenty of time working out what you can afford.

As a borrower you also need to factor in other costs associated with a property purchase.

These include: â&#x20AC;˘ Legal fees â&#x20AC;˘ Loan establishment fees â&#x20AC;˘ Stamp duty and possible G.S.T â&#x20AC;˘ Property inspection fees such as building or pest inspection â&#x20AC;˘ Removalist costs â&#x20AC;˘ Building and contents insurance If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re contemplating buying or selling real estate and are in need of advice on any of the above information please call the helpful team at PH Property. â&#x2013;

We know what you wantâ&#x20AC;Ś Professional Advice, Knowledge, Experience, Friendly Service & Honesty!

You want...

-ITCHELL 3T "ENDIGO s 0H s WWW PHPROPERTY COM AU

on site

landing the plumb jobs It’s not all pipes and plungers for Peter Perez. With a host of businesses under his belt there’s plenty of time in the office these days, so it wasn’t too hard to pin him down for a chat about the job.

Peter Perez is one busy tradie. This local plumber of 25 years owns three businesses in the field; Sandhurst Airconditioning, Sandhurst Services (for maintenance on heating and cooling systems) and Perez Plumbing, for all general plumbing, gasfitting and roofing needs.

And it all started at Bendigo’s own TAFE, when Peter enrolled in the pre-apprenticeship course.

This local businessman now employs 22 staff and has customers across the state, but as Peter says, everyone’s got to start somewhere...

After completing his TAFE course Peter settled in as an apprentice at Sandhurst Air Conditioning, but even after four years in the trade, soon learnt there was plenty more to know.

“When I left Sandhurst Air Conditioning after my apprenticeship I went to work for Peter King at GL Airconditioning,” our Peter says.

“On my second day Peter asked me to go and get the ductlifter. I walked around the site for a fair period of time before I coughed up that I didn’t know what I was looking for. We still laugh about it when we catch up.”

So naturally, when asked what advice he’d give to people starting out in the trade, Peter recommends to “ask plenty of questions”. “And show a bit of initiative. Like any type of job, you will get out of it what you put in to it, so if you show you are keen to learn there are plenty of people that will be willing to teach you.”

Photographer: David Field

Peter says he loves his job and it’s the people, as well as the plumbing, that make it so great. “The most enjoyable aspects of plumbing are the variety of tasks we carry out, the fact that you are mainly working outdoors and the majority of the people you meet in the industry are good people.”

Of the countless jobs over the past quarter century, one that stands out for Peter was installing a large plantroom for the Australian Airlines maintenance division at Tullarmarine Airport. “That was very satisfying when we completed it,” he says. But the plumb jobs, so to speak, are never far away. “A dream job for me would be the plumbing and airconditioning contract on the new upstairs development at the Rifle Brigade Hotel.”

Peter says while once upon a time he loved to get out and weld with an oxy/acetylene set, a lot of those jobs are now up to the staff across his three businesses. “I employ some wonderful staff these days,” he says.

And no doubt each of them know exactly what a ductlifter is! ■ 175

photo opportunity bendigo magazine

good stuff at badlands The Bendigo and District Off Road R/C was a day-long event of dust and adrenaline.

Held at Badlands Raceway, the event included the Nitro-X Shootout Grand Finale, which decided who amongst Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fastest buggy drivers would take home the series trophy and an amazing overseas trip to compete against the best drivers in the world.

To find out more about Bendigo and District Off Road R/C please contact 0409 573 735. â&#x2013;

K EBA B S B UR GE R S C H I P S FA ST F R E S H F OOD Bull Street Bendigo Thurs - Sat 10pm - late

New Showroom Now Open Bridge St Bendigo

gardening ideas

up the garden path Do you know your foxgloves from your frangipanis? The owner of this Maiden Gully garden certainly does.

After a brief stint as a nursery owner in Horsham she was fully equipped to establish her own garden when she purchased her Bendigo home with her husband 14 years ago.

- Esther McRae The couple set upon their home with fresh inspiration for the virtually blank canvas. When they arrived, the home had no landscaping whatsoever but looking around the well-established formal garden now, you’d never guess that this was the case.

The lush feel of the gardens all around the property were the only initial specification as to the garden’s design, that and there had to be roses, lots of roses! The couple has designed and maintained the garden by themselves and while it has had minor adaptions over the years, it has grown steadily and is now approaching what the owners had always dreamed of.

Upon driving up the agapanthus-lined hot-mix driveway, you get the feeling there is something special waiting for you at the top and your instinct doesn’t let you down.

The nine-acre property is home to some sheep, pet rabbits, a huge dam and is the base for the owner’s business; Big Boy Bin Hire.

The driveway, while practical for the business, makes for a grand entrance.

Photographer: David Field

There is a roundabout when you arrive at the house, which is centered by a large Robinia tree. At the base, a pebbled garden is set off by roses and colourful flowers.

Most of the garden beds over the 14 years have been treated differently as water has become more and more scarce. All Stone Quarries has helped the owners cut down on their watering by mulching and placing rock beds where full gardens once were. However these make for a beautiful backdrop for the adorning roses and natives.

The house itself is made from red brick and features a gorgeous deep verandah all the way around. The front of the house is set off by the lush formal front garden which spans the entire 40-square metre house. The garden coming off the front verandah steps down past beds with roses and natives into lush lawn areas under the original shady gum trees. ➤ 177

It is a very calm place to relax in, enclosed by gorgeous brick pillar fencing by Jackal Fencing. One area of the garden features stepping pavers amongst pebbles to a bird bath, which has been replicated from a garden the owner once saw and loved. It is the quiet areas and distinguished spaces in the garden which the owner loves.

In the centre of the garden there is a large archway covered in Lady Di’s Pandorea under which the owner’s daughter was married four years ago. This area would have made for a gorgeous setting for guests, tucked away under the trees. Moving around to the side of the house, which is parallel with the road, a stone retaining wall, more roses and native plants feature. The owners decided to make decisions based on water consumption and adapt the garden to suit the climate.

A secure entertaining and pool area lies just beyond the back verandah.

The pool was added five years ago as the owners have always been lovers of entertaining and the outdoors. The paved areas, and beds also featuring water-savvy rock beds, are now home to a number of stone statues that have been collected over the years. Along the back verandah is the owner’s collection of wind chimes and wind socks from Bali. As the pool area is raised, the entertainment area is very private and flows beautifully with the house.

The result is a well thought out space that has been maintained carefully with choices not just to please the environment but to the please those who use it. Whether you want to swim, eat, play or just sit...there is a space in this leafy haven for everyone. ■

ABOVE: This garden has been designed with a strong sense of symmetry.

LEFT: Statues feature throughout, bringing grace and grandeur to the landscape.

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photo opportunity

bendigo magazine

a year of beauty on bull Pura Veeda celebrated its first birthday recently and the presents went straight to the kids who need it most.

CENTRAL VICTORIA’S LARGEST GARDEN LANDSCAPE SOLUTION

This local hairdressing salon is credited with bringing the beauty industry back to Bendigo’s Bull Street. Its first year in business was so successful staff decided to celebrate with a fundraiser, raising over $1500 for the Royal Children’s Hospital, with the help of a raffle of products donated by De Lorenzo.

Pura Veeda staff would like to thank all their clients, families, friends and the Bull St traders for their support over the past year.

Visit the salon at 47 Bull Street Bendigo or phone (03) 5443 6651. ■

Sleepers • Bark • Mulch • Potting Mixes • Decorative Pebbles • Garden Furniture • Feature Rock

Cement & Products Exclusive to the Grow Master Range

Trade & Accounts ph: 5446 1292

Retail Nursery ph: 5446 1739

187 Upper California Gully Road, Eaglehawk

www.asq.net.au

Open 7 Days

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photo opportunity

a cup full of fun Once again Bendigo turned on a perfect spring day for the racing of the 2008 Patchwood Imports Bendigo Cup. Whether you were dancing up a storm in the Enclosure, wining and dining in the committee room, mingling amongst the corporate marquees or managed to find a shady space underneath a tree on the green, the Bendigo Cup is always guaranteed to be a fun-filled day.

And if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re hankering to don the hat and do it all again, a number of race meets will be held at the Bendigo Jockey Club throughout March, April and May of this year.

For more details have a look at www.bendigojc.com.au â&#x2013;

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women’s health - Jac Griffiths RN, WHN Professional Womens Health Nurse

keeping health in check Women’s Choice is Your Choice!

Jac Griffiths RN, WHN PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S HEALTH NURSE Jac Griffiths from Women’s Choice believes that all women should have access to a positive Pap test experience.

At Women’s Choice you will be: • Listened to • Your privacy will be respected • Your examination won’t be rushed • You will be provided with a large lap sheet for privacy • The speculum will be warmed • The speculum size is chosen to suit you.

(03) 5441 2466 0400 056 702 jacgriffiths@womenschoice.com.au 86 McIvor Road Bendigo VIC 3550 182

Know what’s normal for your body and you’ll be in the best position to identify potential health issues as they arise. Read on to learn about the little known check you should be doing.

Most women have heard that they need to do breast checks to monitor for signs of breast cancer or benign conditions (such as cysts) but genital checks? Genital check or vulval self-examination are terms most women haven’t heard of or realised it is something they should be doing from either the time they begin sexual activity or turn 20.

Many women feel uncomfortable talking about or looking at their genital area and the most likely scenario with conditions in this area is a delay in diagnosis and treatment. There are many conditions that affect the genital skin such as infections (i.e. thrush, genital herpes, human papilloma virus and ‘genital warts’), skin diseases (i.e. dermatitis, eczema, lichen sclerosis), pre-cancerous cells and cancer.

More and more women are presenting with these conditions and the quicker treatment can be given, the less likely they will suffer from the symptoms or possible consequences. The key is early detection and doing regular genital checks will enable a woman to learn what her genital area normally looks like and therefore be able to identify any changes early.

The majority of women have no idea of what is normal in this area and the ideal time to ask a health professional is before an internal examination (i.e. with each Pap test) if everything appears normal.

The fact that the genital area is also not easy to see makes it difficult for women to easily identify the different parts. The best way to do a genital check is by finding a comfortable position that enables the whole genital area to be examined (i.e. lying down on a bed, sitting on the edge of toilet/bath, standing with one foot up on the edge of the toilet/bath or squatting) with the use of a mirror and torch. The genital area goes from the ‘mons pubis’ (which is the area above the vagina where the pubic hair is located) down to the perineum (area between the vagina and anus) and anus. Try and get a good view of the vulval area by separating the labia majora (‘outer lips’) and checking the clitoris, vaginal entrance and labia minora (‘inner lips’).

Genital checks are recommended to be done once a month in between periods or at any time when symptoms are noticed (i.e. persistent itching or soreness, lumps, thickening of the skin, pain on penetration during sex). During the examination it is vital to not only look for changes in the skin surface (i.e. freckles, moles, ulcers or sores in the skin, thickening of the skin such as warts or skin tags, changes in the colour of the vulval skin such as redness, whitening or an increase in skin pigmentation) but to also touch the area feeling for any symptoms that aren’t visible (i.e. lumps or tenderness under the skin surface).

For immediate help, contact your local general practitioner (GP) who should at least examine you and treat appropriately. Sometimes your GP will refer you to a hospital specialist such as a gynecologist or dermatologist. Some hospitals in Melbourne have clinics dedicated to looking after vulval problems, but you will have to ask your GP. Keep in mind that cancer of the vulva is very rare, but to be certain, report all changes to your doctor.

As part of a Pap test examination Women’s Choice automatically does a genital check. The Women’s Choice fact sheet on genital health provides more detailed information.

For more information on genital health, vulval clinics or any other women’s health issue phone Women’s Choice on (03) 5441 2466. ■

health & wellbeing “Where we guarantee to significantly improve your health and the quality of your life”

- Heyltje Vaneveld Naturopath

effective detox, a natural approach What is detox after all? It doesn’t sound inviting, yet many people rave about it.

Detoxification is the process of making a toxic substance non-toxic, and then moving or eliminating it from the body.

Detoxification is a normal body process, it happens without conscious thought, is more active at night, and is easily enhanced and supported by natural medicines. Detoxification is one of the body’s most important self defence functions. It is only when we have errors in detoxification that we become aware of it, mainly through the experience of ill health and disease.

Most toxins, including drugs, chemicals, hormonal residues, heavy metals and pesticides, are fat-soluble substances, therefore they are stored or deposited into the fatty tissues of the body, which includes; the brain, body fat, cell membranes, breast tissue and the liver.

The inability to lose body fat despite ‘doing all the right things’ is typically an indicator of high levels of body toxicity and a detoxification program has been shown to solve this problem.

Obstructions to the normal process of detoxification include; a ‘leaky gut’, irritable bowel syndrome, dysbiosis (imbalance of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria in the bowel), poor digestion, food sensitivities, food allergies and stress. In fact any digestive disturbance will place an enormous burden on the detoxification process, so it is necessary to correct all digestive problems.

We Specialise in Mental Health Cardio Vascular Risk Allergy / Immune Children’s Health

Comprehensive Pathology Testing and Analysis Digestive / Bowel Hormonal Health

To download your free health reports visit

www.vibrantwellness.com.au

Repeated exposure to toxins will challenge the body’s normal detoxification system and the eliminative channels causing many general health issues.

A significant increase in the production of free radical chemicals occurs and these are known to cause cellular damage, creating a higher risk of cancer and disease processes. Increased tissue / cell toxicity also results in a higher acidic state which increases the vulnerability to viruses, infections, fatigue, poor health, depletion of important minerals and subsequent problems associated with mineral loss.

Successful detoxification processes premature ageing and disease.

therefore

protect

against

How does the body detox? A large number of organs are involved but predominantly the gut/bowel, lymphatics, liver and kidneys take most of the load.

The liver is the body’s prominent detoxifying organ and a liver detoxification assessment is used to determine whether the liver can complete both phase one and phase two detoxification pathways successfully. Many people do not successfully complete either phase which may initiate disease processes, cause a chronic fatigue state, increase adverse reactions to the environment and promote premature aging.

Anti-oxidant nutrients neutralise free radicals and are very important nutrients for both phase one and phase two detoxification. Antioxidants are a unique class of supplement in that they can be used to protect the cell, to increase cellular energy and to remove free radicals from the body. These functions are protective and particularly relevant to modern living.

Amino acids are another group of nutrients particularly important for detoxification; amino acids are the drivers of liver detoxification.

A clinical detoxification program, supervised by a qualified practitioner, ensures the body receives the specific nutrients to safely and effectively eliminate stored toxins.

Heyltje is now practising at Salus Complimentary Medicine Specialists

(03) 9500 8870

Heyltje has recently relocated to Melbourne, for more information or appointments phone Salus Complementary Medicine Specialists on (03) 9500 8870 or visit www.salusmedicine.com.au ■ 183

your financial advisor

- Wayne McAuliffe AMP Financial Planner Welshkline Financial Group

insurance attention Think of insurance as a smoke alarm; sure, it may not be very exciting, it just sits in the background and demands no attention; until you really need it that is. You know to check that alarm once a year but it’s just as important to check your insurance too.

Do you have an active or passive attitude toward insurance?

As an investor you are encouraged to take an active role in managing your superannuation. By regularly reviewing your investment strategy you can ensure your needs, goals and objectives continue to be aligned to your investment strategy.

However, when it comes to personal insurance, all too often we have a passive or ‘set and forget’ approach. This is potentially very dangerous. If your personal situation has changed, if your needs, goals and objectives are different, then your insurance needs to be reviewed.

Take ten minutes to reflect on if or how your personal situation has changed over the last 12 months. If you answer yes to any of these simple questions, you should review your current insurance arrangements.

1. Has your health changed?

2. Have you taken on more debt?

3. Have you paid off debt?

4. Has your job changed?

Wayne McAuliffe, pictured with Shannon McAuliffe and WelshKline Financial Group director Greg Welsh is excited Ì Ê> Õ ViÊÌ iÊ iÀ}iÀÊ vÊ ÃÊ«À>VÌ Vi]Ê V Õ vviÊ > V > Ê Group with WelshKline Financial Group.

5. Have you returned to work?

6. Have you had a salary increase?

7. Have you got married, engaged or started a new relationship?

8. Have you had children?

9. Have any of your children turned 18?

10. Have any of your children started high school or university?

If you ever need to make a claim, you want your insurance to meet your expectations. Recent research* shows many people do not properly understand the insurance they have within superannuation and some are significantly underinsured. Don’t just assume the insurance you took out ten years ago is still relevant to your needs.

The best way to ensure you have the appropriate cover in place is to be an active insurer.

Take time once a year at least to review your personal situation and seek the advice of an insurance professional.

Insurance is an investment in your future. Don’t be passive.

For more information, visit www.amp.com.au

“The merger is an exciting move offering our clients a broader range of advice and additional support.”

7i> Ì Ê Ài>Ì ÊÊUÊÊ ÛiÃÌ i ÌÊ `Û ViÊÊUÊÊ iLÌÊ > >}i i ÌÊÊ Õ`}iÌ }ÊÊUÊÊ, Ã Ê > >}i i ÌÊÊUÊÊ > V > Ê* > }

03 5442 4111

2 Myers St, Bendigo

*IFF & AIST Member Insurance Research June 2008 Information supplied by Dr Shane Oliver chief economist AMPCapital Investments. *Wayne McAuliffe is an Authorised Representative of AMP Financial Planning Pty Ltd, ABN 89 051 208 327, AFS Licence No. 232706.

37 Malop St ii }Ê6 ]ÊÎÓÓä

315-317 Sturt St > >À>ÌÊ6 ]ÊÎÎxÎ

Any advice given is general only and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Because of this, before acting on any advice, you should consult a financial planner to consider how appropriate the advice is to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

■

*Welshkline Financial Group ABN 71 107 186 185 is a Corporate Authorised Representative of AMP Financial Planning Pty Ltd ABN 89 051 208 327 AFSL 232706

185

photo opportunity

photo opportunity

under the mirror ball

bye bye blackboard

Bendigo Cricket Club had its supporters stumped recently...was that the 12th man in taffeta?

A special retirement dinner which turned into a four-day festival was held for Bendigo primary school teacher Tim Coates recently.

The good lads and ladies of the club swapped their whites for all the colours of the 80s rainbow recently at the fancy dress function in the Spring Gully Hall. Now that’s what we call a screamer! ■

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After teaching at Kangaroo Flat Primary School for over 30 years Tim’s colleagues and family got together at The Bendigo Club and the family home to celebrate Tim’s wonderful career. We wish him all the best for his retirement and his future endeavors whatever they may be! ■

the business champion

seven steps to success The secrets to operating a great businesses are out!

Here, our business, and happiness guru, points out how you can achieve top marks in both.

Running a small business and making it work is a challenge. Having worked with hundreds of business owners who have been successful and this year marking the ten-year milestone myself, I thought I’d reflect on what have been the top seven lessons that create success.

- Jen Harwood International Business Speaker and Author

regular holidays. Down time is essential to keep the business going.

5. Talk and share ideas with like-minded people

A vision is not the most important thing…the critical element is the reason behind it. Why do you want the vision, what will it do for your life, your family, the community, the environment. If you know why you want the outcome, the how works itself out.

I am certain this is one of the reasons why my clients work with me.

They have an independent expert to bounce ideas off and explore options with. Successful people surround themselves with people who share their values. Withdrawing from the world or reducing the network of like-minded people limits creativity and problem solving. A network providing many points of view gives you powerful information and perspectives to choose from.

2. Don’t stand still

6. Innovate

1. Have a compelling vision and reason

Good times and tough times cause business owners to slow down or even stop growing the business. If you feel you are in either place, keep moving, train your staff and yourself and keep growing.

3. Focus on the customer – it’s not about you The business owners I have worked with who have the greatest success continually focus on serving their customers better, even when they are getting great results. They realise the business is a tool to create the results they want and recognise the customer exchanges their money for value. The more value, the more success.

4. Maintain balance In my experience, most business failure is due to a lack of balance – energy, focus, financial, time and family. It is not due to a lack of commitment or drive. Business owners need to acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses and devise strategies to minimise areas of weakness to bring back balance. Examples are: hire a book-keeper or cleaner for the family home. The other essential strategy is to take

Customer needs and market demands change over time. Very few products and services stay exactly the same over the years. For example, KFC and McDonalds basically still have the same product.

The innovation has been in marketing, branding, product offering and the pitch. Likewise for a successful small business, be aware of industry, technology and market changes and innovate accordingly.

7. Have a life outside the business Life is not work, even if you love what you do. You need time to rest, reflect, read and become more interesting. Think about the successful people you know, they have varied interests, considered points of view and are in touch with many aspects of life, not just work. These people know that challenges in other areas of life such as sport, hobbies, games, family, community and even being still can provide answers in their business. Having a life is what life is all about and having a business is only part of having a life Make your picture bigger for complete success and business longevity. ■

Local Business Success!

(03) 5442 1141 | www.directincite.com | PO Box 6137 White Hills 3550

Business Inspiration

Business Empowerment

I was fortunate enough to meet Jen Harwood when I began the Bendigo’s Business planning program run by the fabulous team at the City of Greater Bendigo. The program enabled me to sit back and really work on my business and form a workable business plan. Jen is a truly inspirational person. Motivating me and helping me through the challenges that you face in small business. Without Jen’s leadership I doubt I would have opened my own jewellery studio which is now 5 months young (and amazing). I would without hesitation recommend Jen and the wonderful direct incite team to anyone.

Dannielle Sexton - Damani Studio

Having a small business now days is a challenge.

You need to be diverse, motivated and have good marketing skills. Working with Jen Harwood from Direct Incite was a most rewarding experience for me personally and for my business. Jen’s knowledge and enthusiasm was inspiring she has empowered me to new levels and given me focus for further growth in my Business. I would highly recommend Jen to all businesses whether small or large. Jen Harwood is a powerhouse of energy and positivity.

Dianne Haynes - Passion For Design

Business Planning

Business Growth

We did a business planning workshop with Jen last year through Bendigo Tourism. We loved the way Jen presented. We have kept in contact with her and have recently had Jen undertake a training session with our staff and are looking at enlisting Jen to provide a staff development training program for 2009. Jen has an enthusiasm and positive approach to everything she does along with total proffessionalism. Jen has the expertise to help small startup business as well as assisting in the development and growth of larger business.

After experiencing rapid growth of my business over the past 3 years, I found it hard to find the time to focus on all the aspects. After several business coaching sessions with Jen from Direct Incite, I am now able to manage my time and business more effectively, through forward planning and goal setting. Jen’s energy is infectious and her wealth of knowledge is endless. I would definitely recommend Jen; she is a must for any business wanting to go that extra step.

Ben Jansen - The Zone Entertainment Complex

Peter Cavallaro - GPO & Jojoes Restaurant

UNDER STANDING THE LAW

FAMILY LAW ACCREDITED SPECIALIST

BUSINESS LAW

SALE & PURCHASE OF BUSINESS

Proven experience and trusted advice when you need it most

WILLS & ESTATES ACCREDITED SPECIALIST

GENERAL LITIGATION

CONVEYANCING

Cnr McCrae & Mundy Streets Bendigo

LEGAL AID ENQUIRIES WELCOME

O ’ F A R R E L L

5443 9977 www.ofrm.com.au

R O B E R T S O N

M c M A H O N

legal eagle

photo bendigo opportunity magazine - Russell Robertson Accredited Wills & Estates Specialist O’Farrell Robertson McMahon

your will and your children There are many ways to give huge benefits to children in a Will while offering protection at the same time.

an art show for the kids The kids at St Joseph’s Primary School shared their exhibition space with some top local artists recently.

Keith Ross, Terry Jarvis and Patrick Vernam’s work was on show for 100 guests to enjoy, alongside that of the talented St Joseph’s students from Prep to Grade 6. It was an event to unveil the pint-sized Picassos in the community and for the parents to partake in a little wine and cheese. ■

It is natural for a parent to wish to provide for their children and the importance of getting it right is essential. Every person’s situation is different and there are a variety of strategies that can be used to make your Will very effective.

Infant children First, there should be a provision to allow the money to be used for the maintenance, education or general benefit of a child with the discretion given to the executors as to how the money will actually be applied. Secondly, you need to decide when the child is able to have outright access to the balance of the money. For many people, 18, 21 or 25 years are suitable ages. As a rough guide, the larger the estate, the higher the age is better.

Ideally you should choose two executors and they should not be a husband and wife combination (if you choose either spouse as an executor then the other person will still have an influence in any event). Try to pick executors from both sides of the family.

Guardians You can nominate who is to look after your child after your death.

The guardian is responsible for the day-to-day welfare of your child.

Often you will want the guardian to also be an executor. It is fair and reasonable for the guardian to receive an allowance from the estate for the cost of raising your child. But if the guardian is also the sole executor then they are in classic conflict of interest and cannot win. Ideally it is better for the executors to be independent from the guardian.

Children with special needs You may have a child who has a disability who cannot independently manage their own money. The Will can create a protective trust which allows your executors to distribute money from time to time throughout the lifetime of the child. Upon the death of the child, if there is any money remaining, then you can determine where those funds will flow. Clearly, the appointment of the executor is so important. You need someone with the ability to manage the funds independently and with skill. In this situation a trustee company might be appropriate but there could also be suitable family members.

Protective trusts can also be used for children who have other issues in their life which creates a concern about their ability to independently manage their own money. Your adult child might have an alcohol, drug or gambling addiction or a history of mental illness. Do not be tempted to give the money to another child on the basis that they will look after it for the sibling. If the other child subsequently divorces or dies without making proper directions in their own Will, then your child with the special needs could suffer dramatically.

Concerned about your child’s spouse?

What happens to the inheritance if you have died and your child separates some time afterwards? The best option is to create a Discretionary Testamentary Trust in your Will. This will allow your child to preserve the inheritance in a separate fund which is not automatically blended into the matrimonial pool of assets. It is much easier for the family court to recognise the inheritance as not being part of the funds generated during the relationship. A Discretionary Testamentary Trust can also provide significant taxation benefits.

Do something for your children before it is too late.

For more information contact the team at OFRM on (03) 5443 9977 or visit www.ofrm.com.au ■ 189

tech head

latest and greatest in gadgets bendigo magazine creative director Dustin Schilling has been trawling the technical world, researching the newest products, and his knowledge, dear readers, is your gain...

Western Digital WD TV The WD TV is a streaming device that allows users to plug in their USB storage units to stream video and music content to their HDTV in 1080p over HDMI or composite cables. This media player is capable of reading almost any format which is a feature lacking in some earlier media players.

It recognises any USB-based storage device and is capable of taking two storage units simultaneously. The tiny box includes its own browsing software and comes with a remote control.

Price: RRP $199

Microsoft Explorer Mouse A must for laptop owners, the Explorer Mouse incorporates BlueTrack sensor technology that enables the user to operate the mouse on any surface. It comes with the standard features expected in higher-end mice including a rechargeable AA battery and recharging station. The mouse works on a wireless 2.4GHz connection, with a small USB receiver that can be stored in the bottom of the mouse for travel.

Price: RRP $109

photo opportunity bendigo magazine

school’s out When do you swap your pens and pencils for a piñata? When it’s the last day of school, of course.

The topic for the day in one of the maths classes at Bendigo Senior Secondary College was Partying 101, with a piñata taking precedent over the text books. And why not when it’s the last maths class of your secondary school career? Bendigo students made the most of muck up day 2008 and had a grand old time with teachers and friends. We wish them the best of luck in life! ■

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Canon Powershot SX 1 IS The Canon Powershot SX1 IS is one of the most advanced compact digital cameras currently on the market. It is aimed at any photography enthusiast not wanting to take the leap straight into Digital SLR photography. At ten megapixels and with a 20x, wide angle, optical zoom lens, this camera packs in all the features necessary to produce high quality images. The amount of zoom available is further increased when shooting at lower resolutions.

The Powershot SX1 IS also boasts a CMOS sensor allowing it to shoot at four frames per second. It offers image stabilisation, manual exposure and focusing. There is also a 2.8 inch LCD screen that pulls out from the body and twists around to an angle that suits your shooting position.

Finally to top it off, the camera is capable of shooting HD quality movies.

Price: RRP $899.00 ■

tech advice

do you really need that do-dad?

- Mark Hilson Central Victorian Technology Services

Stop and take stock of your business objectives before handing over your hard-earned cash for new technology.

Have you ever seen a dog running down the street chasing a car?

It’s an exercise in futility; 2000 pounds of steel and 300 horsepower are no match for Buster. Does Buster ever stop and consider what he would do with the car if it actually stopped? In the same way that Buster chases cars, many small businesses chase the newest and greatest technology. Most businesses, however, do not stop to consider the next steps if given the budget or approval to actually purchase technology for their business.

Here are five things to consider when purchasing new technology for your small business.

What’s the most important thing to consider when selecting new technology for my business?

The most important thing is to make sure it is in alignment with your business goals and objectives.

Technology should help you to improve both internal and external business processes, goals, and objectives.

How will it help my business be successful?

Business goals are a combination of strategic and tactical initiatives. When considering new technology, it is important to think about how it can help across the entire business (strategic) or in individual functional areas of the business (tactical).

How will I know I’m getting value from my technology?

You can’t manage what you can’t measure. Identify key metrics or performance indicators that you would like to measure as a result of your technology implementation. Being able to demonstrate the benefit to your business will make for easier adoption from the executive level to the individual employee. Increased employee productivity, decreased operational costs, operational efficiency, increased sales, improved customer relationships and retention are a few good examples.

Over what time period should we begin to see results?

Establish a timeline with periodic check-ins to evaluate current and past performance. Allow for flexibility and incrementally recalibrate your approach.

Where do I begin?

It goes without saying that purchasing technology should never be an impulse buy. More often than not, many companies buy technology in the hope that it will immediately alleviate particular pain points in their business without stopping to think about the short and long-term impacts. Do your research and seek out a trusted technology advisor with the right skills to assist you with your technology planning. ■

“...allowing business & technology

to operate & grow in harmony...” ® ¸ Small & Medium Business Specialists ¸ Proactive Business Support Programs ¸ Rapid Incident Response

www.cvts.com.au

®

Bendigo 5447 4577

employment advice

aiming to be proactive

- Paul Murphy, AtWork Consulting

We’ve all heard it ‘takes all types’ and one major difference in personalities is our take on action. I invite you to take this simple test, and see how it works for you or your workplace.

You are a senior account manager, and a major client is extremely unhappy with your products or services. Do you: A.Undertake a thorough analysis and call together a crisis meeting.

B.Leap immediately into action to solve the problem.

C.Leave them to sort it out for themselves.

D.This really doesn’t happen with our clients, we have a constant focus on strategy and communication about our service delivery.

You are a senior manager with responsibility for IT systems. It’s June 21, and your $100,000 IT hardware budget for the year is under spent by 90 per cent. Do you: A. Call together the purchasing team so a discussion paper can be put together. Resolve to make a recommendation to the CEO. B. Jump onto a supplier’s website and place an order for whatever they can invoice to the value of $90k before June 30.

C. Rationalise it away, saying if it wasn’t spent then it most likely wasn’t needed.

D. This can’t happen; our budget involves a regular monthly spend we monitor constantly.

If your answers are mostly A, your approach is preactive, B is reactive, C is inactive and D is proactive.

Proactive The ‘ready, aim, fire’ approach is that of the person who typically makes the first move. Putting energy into forming a strategy means that actions are always planned and timely. If there’s a downside, it is

if the strategising is not well done. This can be when ‘fools rush in’.

Preactive The preactive person is ‘…ready, ready, ready…’ but doesn’t move into action, or not until it’s too late. They want to check out everything before they make a move, ensuring nothing can go wrong. Often while they are covering all the angles, they are run over by competition.

Reactive This is the ‘fire, ready, aim’ approach, a fire fighting style. The danger for the reactive types is that their reaction may be not well thought out, perhaps totally missing the mark. The same problems can keep occurring because they tend not to learn. In business, clients might eventually wonder why there are so many problems.

Inactive The inactive person tends to not notice action is required and if they do, it’s ‘damn, where’s my rifle?’ In work and in life they are always looking for the next rest break. As an employee they tend to be low contributors, and as a business partner or manager, dangerous.

Sometimes you may find yourself dealing with preactive people. In decision making they always want to cover themselves. You may need to show them how being proactive is the lowest risk approach.

Or they may be reactive, with no long-term strategy, simply reacting to current immediate circumstances. Help extend their horizons before they will really take on your proactive plans. In this way you will bridge the proactive and other approaches. Just make sure you are proactive too, or you may be run over in the rush! ■

Coaching: a 500% return on investment!

Research has found that Executive Coaching can deliver a Return on Investment (ROI) of over 500%...

• 5.7 times the financial outlay (“Maximising the impact of Executive Coaching”, McGovern, 2001) • 5.3 times, and 6.9 times in a followup study (“The ROI of Executive Coaching”, Anderson, 2001 & 2004) Coaching has a positive impact on valued behaviours like motivational leadership and emotional intelligence.

These improve employee engagement and organisational climate, enabling superior business performance.

How our clients see it ...

“We’ve taken on AtWork Consulting for our outsourced HR and staff training and coaching again this year because we get great support and great results!

Using Paul lets us get on with what we are best at, focussing on our customers and delivering great products and services.

AtWork Consulting’s outsourced HR service has actually saved us money....Thanks Paul for all your assistance in this extremely important business service area”.

Phil Lazenby, CEO, Bendigo Community Telco

In 2009 more than ever, your business needs great people performing at their best. Maximise your likelihood of success, through high ROI coaching for your managers and leaders. Leadership teams are also catered for.

First Floor, 118 King Street Bendigo • 5442 6445 Paul Murphy direct 0417 013 214 www.atworkconsulting.com.au

cogho’s sports wrap

photo opportunity

cogho’s crystal ball sew wonderful Our man-about-town dons the cheesecloth, gets his charkras into line and his incense burning to bring you the word on sport, before it all happens. Oooh, spooky.

It’s going to be a massive year in local sport...and here’s my 2009 predictions.

Football It’s just awesome to see a new team enter the BFL in the Strathfieldsaye Footy Club and if its work off field is anything to go by it will be very successful. Clint Whitsead and Ryan Pedrotti head up the coaching department and the Storm already has a big group of players training.

It’s not everyday the members of the Bendigo Embroiderers Guild show off their wares...in fact it only happens every two years.

Last November’s From a Thread Sew it Grows exhibition was a feast for the crafty senses, with quilts, clothing, gifts and all manner of embroidery on show. The group works like crazy to prepare for its biennial showing, meeting once a month and taking part in specialist workshops such as beading, crazy patch and blackwork.

All people of all ages and abilities are welcome to join the guild, for information phone (03) 5446 7047. ■

Sandhurst finished at the wrong end of the ladder in 08 but the little man from the 3BO Sportswrap Keiran Nihill (coach) is already pumping up the Dragons as the big improvers.

The Bendigo Bombers are going to be the surprise packet of the 09 season in the VFL with already 80-plus players trying out and some gun players on the Essendon list who will be running around on the mighty QEO. Golden Square will also reign supreme in the BFL, with runners up Gisborne.

Over in the Heathcote and District League, Mt Pleasant will take the cup from runners up Lockington.

In the Loddon Valley, Pyramid Hill will be crowned premiers to runners up Calivil.

Basketball You can never underestimate the coach of the Bendigo Braves, Wayne Larkins and his crew. Consider four grand finals in four years, including two wins, and a national title. The 09 group at the Schweppes Centre is rearing to go after a training camp in America, so expect another finals campaign. And look out for the Lady Braves which has a new coach in long-time assistant Jeremy Moule. Jez is a smart operator so look for the girls to continue their successes.

Cycling The 2009 Bendigo Cycling Madison is not far away and l’m happy to tell you we have a huge number of superstars from central Victoria emerging...try these names; Glen O’Shea, Zak Dempster, Jess Berry and Imogen Jelbart and that’s just for starters! Add seasoned stars like Sean Finning, David Pell, Jarrod Moroni and Tim Decker and you can probably work out why our Bendigo Madison and athletics carnival at the Tom Flood Sports Centre on the Labour Day long weekend will be attended by over 20,000 people!

Cricket BDCA premiers will be Golden Square, with runners up BUCC. EVCA premiers will be Axe Creek, while West Bendigo will be named runners up.

Other tips Local sports stars to keep an eye on are basketballer Kevin Probert, motorcyclist Adam Nichloson and netballer Maddison Exell.

Over at the nursery of champions, I predict Bendigo Jockey Club president Brendan Dreschler will set a new date for our cup. Look out for a horse called Loveable Larrikin, I know one of the owners!

And when it comes to harness racing anything the Douglass family is a part of will turn to gold.

In athletics Dujon Fuzzard will make a name for himself and in cycling Zac Dempster will build on his 2008 successes.

Tell ‘em you heard it first here and listen every Saturday to Cogho and the team on the 93.5 3BO Sportswrap Between 9 and 12 to see if his predictions come true. ■

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sporting hero

such great heights Bree Mellberg is proof that facing your fears and diving head-first into life can produce amazing results, on and off the platform.

- John Holton It’s a typical windy morning in Bendigo. The view is superb, but still I cling white-knuckled to the safety rail. Below, the water is choppy and seems impossibly shallow from this height.

But, chatting with Bree Mellberg atop the ten metre diving platform at the Bendigo Aquatic Centre, she seems a picture of calmness. Her body language suggests she could just as easily be reclining on her loungeroom floor.

It hasn’t always been so for Bree, who recently competed at the World Youth Diving Championships in Aachen, Germany. Her first encounter with the ten metre platform, only two years ago, was a different story all together.

“I remember getting to the five metre platform and saying to my training partner, ‘If I die, can you make sure the inside of my coffin is blue satin.’ That’s how scared I was. I remember thinking: Why am I doing this? Why would anyone do this?”

While Bree is more confident these days, she is still very aware of the realities of her chosen sport and the dangers of complacency when diving from such heights.

“Early on, I was talking with Loudy Tourky (Olympic bronze medalist) as we were both waiting to dive off ten metres,” Bree recalls. “I asked her, Do you ever get used to this? and she replied, No never.” Other experienced divers have said similar things; that diving requires a balance of confidence, concentration and a certain, healthy, amount of fear.

“Once you know a dive well, the best way to deal with fear is to think: My body knows what to do – I know what to do – don’t let the mind stop the body from doing what it knows.”

Bree’s rise through the Australian diving ranks can only be described as meteoric. In 2006, the former Weroona Çollege student made the transition from gymnastics to diving, training with Bendigo coach Heather Tyter. Within a month she was competing in a state competition in Melbourne.

“It all happened very quickly,” Bree says. “If you’d told me, even a year ago, that I’d be doing three and a half somersaults off the ten metre platform I would have just laughed at you. You don’t always notice the progress you’ve made because it happens one step at a time. It can sneak up on you.”

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But the rise from gymnast to elite diver has been far from easy for Bree, particularly in 2008 when she completed her VCE studies while sticking to a rigorous training regime. An average day saw her rising at 5.30am for training at the Melbourne Aquatic Centre, spending the day at the Victorian College of The Arts, before returning to the pool for afternoon training. For many months of the year she left home and arrived home in the dark.

Bree believes the first couple of years are physically the hardest, but that the real test is still to come.

“It’s taken me two years to become physically fit for diving. The wear and tear on the body is enormous, especially when you’re going through the learning process. Diving from the ten metres, you hit the water at 70km an hour. Your body really takes a battering. You have to build the physical strength to deal with it.

“The next stage of my career will be more mentally demanding – the pressure of competition – the added expectations. Those are the real challenges. There are so many good divers in the country. It’s hard to watch them and not think: I’ll never be that good.”

But while Bree is modest and low-key about her achievements so far, I sense a stealy determination and am struck by the purposeful tone of her responses. Behind the friendly smile and casual demeanor she is clearly a young woman on a mission. I don’t want to ask the ‘O’ question but I can’t help myself – does she ever let herself dream of the Olympics?

“I’m motivated by goals – both short-term and long-term,” she tells me. “A short-term goal might be as simple as: today I’m going for a run, then to the gym and then training. A long-term goal might be that I want to learn a certain dive in time for the national titles.

“Of course I think about Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games – the ultimate for anyone in this sport is to represent their country at the Olympics. But you simply have to focus on the next thing. It’s like learning a new dive – you just take one baby step at a time.”

Those steps have been made easier for Bree thanks to some supportive locals. Andrew Zegelin and the team at Travelcentre Bendigo partsponsor her domestic flights to interstate competitions. She has also been supported by barrister and solicitor Peter Baker, the City of Greater Bendigo, the Bendigo Sportswomen’s Association and the YMCA. Bree is incredibly grateful for these expressions of confidence in her commitment to her sport.

By the end of our conversation I’ve found the courage to lie flat on my stomach and peer over the edge of the ten metre platform. Bree joins me and it’s like we’re a couple of school kids who’ve snuck onto a garage roof (granted, an incredibly high garage roof with its own moat).

My final question is a simple one: how can this possibly be fun? Bree’s eyes light up. “I love the freedom in the air – and I love the water. I love the feeling of doing a really great dive, going through the water and thinking: YES! The adrenalin rush is like nothing else.”

Bree Mellberg currently has a national ranking of 12th off the ten metre platform and ninth off the one and three metre boards. In the national junior rankings she is second off platform and first in syncronised diving.

She competed at the national titles in February 2009. ■

The next stage of my career will be more mentally demanding – the pressure of competition – the added expectations.

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sporting extreme

I’ve been doing all sorts of outdoor stuff as a hobby for at least ten years.

xtremely adventurous Mathew Churchill is a part-time banker and full-time rock climbing, abseiling, caving adventure man. Want to join him? Because you’re invited too.

- Pam Harvey I prefer abseiling to rock climbing – somehow it’s easier going down than up. I get the impression Mathew Churchill doesn’t care which direction he’s going in as long as he’s going somewhere. What’s the most extreme adventure he’s ever had? “Probably doing a multi-day hike and canoe trip with a couple of mates in Tasmania,” he says, shrugging. “They’re pretty unpredictable so we spent most of the time upside down in the Arthur River.” He looks at me. “They’re not our staff, I’d like to add.”

Mathew’s business Xtreme Adventures is a local enterprise with Melbourne connections. Mathew’s business partner is in Melbourne, and has a policing background. Many of their staff have had experience in Victoria Police’s Search and Rescue Squad. I gather they’re not the least unpredictable. So how do you describe what they do? “Generally speaking there are two main components to our business,” says Mathew. “The Australian side involves team building experiences for businesses or departments, sports clubs and schools.

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We’re very outcome-focussed so we believe in working with clients to challenge them physically and mentally but in a safe and friendly environment. We incorporate outdoor adventure activities into these programs such as rock climbing, caving and hiking. We can also take casual groups of people who just want to experience rock climbing and abseiling with their friends or family.”

Xtreme Adventures’ aim is to build people’s attributes: challenging them to improve their problem-solving skills, leadership qualities and communication. A lot of the work involves young people, and they have been involved with schools like Maryborough Education Centre.

Recently, Xtreme Adventures formed a partnership with the Bendigo Regional YMCA – an exciting collaboration known as Y Xtreme Adventures. Mathew will work with the YMCA team to develop more programs for youth and business clients.

The overseas component of Xtreme Adventures involves taking clients on treks and mountaineering expeditions to Nepal, including the

ABOVE RIGHT: The Xtreme Adventures guides with a view of Mount Everest behind them.

BELOW RIGHT: Students experience rock climbing at Mount Beckworth on an Xtreme Adventures trip.

famous Everest Base Camp trek. “We’ve got some very experienced guides including Tika, our head climbing guide based in Nepal, who’s an Everest summitteer and leads our mountaineering expeditions.”

So far, three trips to Nepal have been completed in the last two years with at least another one planned this year.

So how does someone like a banker get involved in hiking for a living?

Mathew thinks it was an easy step. “I’ve been doing all sorts of outdoor stuff as a hobby for at least ten years. I met my business partner on a trek in Nepal a few years ago. We caught up a couple of years later for a rock climb and decided we’d work towards establishing a business where we could combine our love of the outdoors with programs where our clients can achieve some pretty amazing goals and outcomes.”

I get the impression Mathew’s clients are outdoorsy types with bronzed skin and large shoulders, but Mathew disagrees. “Our clients are all sorts of people.” Has he got a favourite type? ➤ 197

“I love the groups where everyone is enthusiastic and really want to test themselves. They’re great to work with. It’s pretty incredible to see someone overcome their fear of heights, or even lack of self belief or confidence to perform a task they never thought they’d achieve.

We had a couple who reached their goal of getting to Everest Base Camp on our last trip to Nepal, that was a great effort too.”

ABOVE: Mathew Churchill is on top of the world with his own adventure business, literally.

Some people like to exercise in their spare time so I wonder what Mathew does. He laughs. “I get pretty fit doing my job! I go to the gym occasionally but prefer the outdoors. I’ve just come back from scuba-diving in Fiji and before that went hiking in the Bogong High Plains. Day-to-day life is always pretty hectic so when I get time off I like to make the most of it and see some new places. Other than that I see the odd band and catch up with family and friends. The usual stuff.”

By now, I’m feeling pretty lazy and start thinking about going for a run. Or a walk at least. But I’ve got one more question for Adventure Man. Is there an adventure you’d like to experience that you haven’t yet? It doesn’t take long for him to answer. “Cage diving with Great White Sharks would be brilliant!”

For experiences you won’t ever forget, contact Mathew on 0400 634 626 or visit Xtreme Adventures online at www.xtremeadventures.net.au ■

photo opportunity

tourism meets technology Bendigo, Castlemaine and Maldon tourism have joined the digital age, launching pod tours of popular hot spots.

Real local stories told by real local people are now available from the tourist information centres in the form of walking or driving tours.

People can download these files to mp3 players, iPods, mobile phones or laptop computers. The Living Stories initiative was launched by Jacinta Allan.

To view or download the short films and podtours or for more information please visit www.visitgoldfields.com ■

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travelogue

trail of knowledge Several hours from Cusco, Peru, at around six oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock on a cold October morning a Geckos tour group starts the Inca hike, a three-day journey to a mythical university in the mountains.

- Tabitha Abbott 199

LEFT: An ancient world along the Inca Trail.

BELOW: The Geckos tour group gathers for a happy snap along the trail.

FAR RIGHT: Tabitha Abbot (in pink) with fellow travellers.

We are above the clouds, and think how good it is to make it to the top, only to see the path ahead...

Our first experience before setting foot on the Inca Trail is a visit to the lavatory. There a simple woman and her children greet us at the door and issue us with three squares of paper in exchange for a few Sol coins. Modest toilet stop done, we grab a snack pack from the porters and make our way to Piskacucho, where our passports are stamped at the checkpoint. Everything is organised and very easy.

At first it’s a nice easy walk along a well-beaten track and we encounter a number of scattered Inca ruins and several other tourist groups listening to Inca legends. Our 15 porters speed past, with three days worth of food for 30 people and enough tents to harbour us all, most wearing simple clothing and shoes made out of old tyres.

At morning tea we are given warm water to wash our hands, cool water to drink and some more snacks to keep us going. Off again, and we are told we will climb our first tough path near Wayllambaba, a set of very steep steps, that will take us to another view of Inca buildings and to our lunch stop. After lunch, we march on to our camp site for the night, Ayapata. Amenities exist, though are basic. I now know what it feels like to sleep in a tent, at sub-zero temperatures with not more than a sheet of plastic and a very thin mat to lay on.

At six o’clock in the morning we are greeted with a cup of cocoa leaf tea (wish I could buy that here!) and warm water to wash our hands.

Our porters were the happiest faces you will see in Peru. Breakfast is nothing short of amazing, pancakes the way you like them! The porters sleep in one tent, with no beds and work up to 20 hours a day. We take a moment to sip our tea and gaze upon the height of the scenery covered in snow. The porters give us a big smile and nod their heads in excitement. I don’t eat this well at home, three course fresh cooked breakfast and juice!

Today we hike to the first and highest pass on the trek, Warmi Wanuska (known as Dead Woman’s Pass) - 4200m. The emotional and mental challenge that lay ahead cannot be comprehended until you are living it. The walk to the top of the pass is nothing short of excruciating. For me, I exercise around 12-15 hours a week and instruct group fitness, the lack of air at that altitude will test anyone’s ability – young or old, fit or not. I thought ‘If my legs can do it, so can my lungs’.

It takes several hours to reach the top of the pass, yet it’s barely over a mile of walking, I look back and see my fellow travellers making their slow journey to the top. We are above the clouds, and think how good it is to make it to the top, only to see the path ahead...a downwards spiral of sharp rocks and steep steps to the valley below. If we didn’t have sore feet by now, we sure did after this task.

High above, our tour guide points out the original Inca path used as the information super highway and express post trail. It’s said that the Inca, from deep in the Andes, could have fresh fish from the sea by the next day. Very impressive. We again explore some ruins and some amazing architectural genius. How incredible this kingdom was. After lunch, we tackle our second pass at 3900m, a short way from the

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Runkurakay site. This was a lot easier than the first pass (but still an achievement in itself). Every time we thought we were at the top, we still had a way to go. At the top, we could see the lunch stop, and it felt good to look back and see how high we really were. A few more Inca buildings later and we had our pit stop for the night.

A repeat of the first morning, six o’clock cup of cocoa tea, warm water and smiling porters. It was then I could appreciate how far we’d walked in the past two days, as we were level height with the Andes mountain tops, the day break shining on the icy white snow, the clouds fluffy below. It is incredible. We trek on to our third pass, Phuyupatamarka at 3640m. We can climb anything by now! On this day, we have narrow paths and sheer cliffs through a more tropical terrain. We spot several toucans, some more rare birds and learn about the vanilla bean. Before lunch, we have a quick break and stop at a tiny museum where they store and display the species of the area. Not as flash as a museum should be but far more interesting. At lunch, we decide as a group to trudge on to Machu Picchu that afternoon.

Most tour groups rest here for the night, just outside Winya Wayna.

The weather is much warmer by now and a light shower adds to the humidity. Some parts of the path are slippery, some are steep and some are muddy. I particularly remember the set of about 20 steps, each about half a metre or more high and very narrow. Don’t look up, just keep going! Some further trekking, a few more steps and we take a look down to see the Machu Picchu - Cusco train curving through the hills and forest below. I take a picture as a rainbow appears; I turn around and see the most amazing sight...

Machu Picchu capped by a rainbow. The sun is shinning, the rain has cleared. We travel 15,000 kilometres and hike for three days to get here. It is all worth it.

As we wander through the sites we imagine how they lived and remind ourselves we are walking through the houses and workplaces of people from the past. It is an empowering moment when we know the Spanish did not find or destroy Machu Picchu as they did so many other Inca places. To see it is to still not believe it.

From the top of the Sungate, we start to understand the grandeur of Machu Picchu. To be re-discovered only last century by the western world, this incredible city is said to have been used as a university of the day. Perfect buildings and carvings. This was a very important place to the Inca, standing proud behind Machu Picchu, the towering Huayna Picchu at 2700m.

We spend the night in Machu Picchu town, known locally as Aguas Callientes (as there are hot springs here). We again visit Machu Picchu the next morning, and as it is raining, there are less tourists around. We explore again the walls and steps of the Inca. Leaving by lunchtime, we head back down to the town to grab a bite to eat, before catching our Machu Picchu - Cusco train (and some much needed rest). ■

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photo opportunity

unharnessed fun For those who love the trots, summer is all about the horses.

Hundreds came out in January to experience a night of harness racing and enjoy the relaxed family atmosphere. Bendigo harness racing is held at Lords Raceway regularly. The event is a great day for both the adults and the kids with live entertainment and children’s activities.

You can contact the Bendigo Harness Racing Club on (03) 5449 3205. ■

photo opportunity

luxury style on garsed The owners of Platinum Lifestyle Accommodation, Kate and Greg Byrne, presented their newest property, 44 Garsed Street Bendigo, with cocktails, champagne and canapés to celebrate.

The property is a fully-renovated three-bedroom Victorian house with luxurious furnishings and everything a business or leisure traveller might need in a home away from home.

To book please contact Kate or Greg on 0409 996 883 or go to the Bendigo Tourism website at bendigotourism.com ■

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test drive

you beaut scoot Bendigo has a parking problem and the world has a carbon dioxide problem but we’ve just solved both of them.

Bendigo is a great place to live. There are some great shopping and dining areas and places to meet friends but actually getting to these spots can be a challenge. Finding parking spaces in the CBD can be like finding a four-leaf clover. Jut when you think you’ve found one, look again and you’ll find you’re mistaken. When I do find a park, I waste about 17 minutes reading and re-reading the sign to make sure I’m allowed to park there. That’s usually when the parking inspector comes along to explain that I’m in a 15 minute zone. He never says it though…just writes it down on a little piece of paper.

Thankfully for us, a man named Brock had an idea that would solve such problems. Inspired by the Europeans, Brock opened Bendigo Scoota in Lyttleton Terrace, which as the name implies, is a shop in Bendigo that sells scooters. I was given a scooter to ride around on for the weekend so I decided to put it through a few tests…

so it was time to make the test harder…the Mio also took me over McIvor Hill at the speed limit with my wife Lisa on the back!

Drawing inspiration from TopGear I decided a race was in order. The race was to a café in Bath Lane. The winner was the first to order and take a seat at the café. Me on the Mio against Lisa in my WRX. It was fairly even until we got to the CBD. After a few runs down Bath Lane and Hargreaves Street Lisa finally found a park somewhere near Dubbo.

Meanwhile, I simply pulled my Mio up onto the footpath in front of the café and strolled in. Not only was there a park right in front of where I wanted to go, but I didn’t have to feed a meter either.

The next test was a bit different. Scooters are known for their fuel efficiency so rather than simply read the literature to find out how much fuel the Mio uses, I thought I’d measure it. Firstly I had to use the fuel in the tank which meant riding around everywhere until the fuel light came on. When I did fill the tank I went in to pay with my card. The guy at the servo had a bit of a smirk on his face when he said, “that’ll be $3.14 thanks mate”. I put my card away and rummaged around in my pocket and found enough shrapnel to get

Photographer: David Field

The first test was about capacity. I picked the smallest scooter available, which was the retro-styled Mio 100. I was curious to see how it would deal with my 120 or so kilograms so I made for McIvor Hill and it took me over the hill at the speed limit without a problem,

- Ash McAuliffe

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the job done. Even with someone as heavy as me a tank is good for between 80 to 100 kms which means the Mio uses about three litres per 100 kilometers. I think I have a whipper-snipper with worse fuel economy than that.

The last test was a bit impromptu. I ran into a friend at the supermarket who was doing the shopping just like I was. He had two bags of groceries like I did but unlike me, he was in a V8 ute. As he lives near me, another race was in order. We decided to see who could get from Strath Village to the Butcher Street shops first. Given I had parked at the door of the shopping centre, and he had parked towards the back of the car park, I had a bit of a head start. Even though I could see and hear the V8 coming up behind me, I still won.

Now time for the final test…the morning commute. First stop, the gym. While it was a bit brisk in the morning, I was only wearing a singlet and gym shorts so it was to be expected. Without having to look for a park, I probably saved five minutes. After the gym, the next stop was the café for my morning caffeine hit which again proved to be no problem. One observation I made was that the scooter doesn’t come with a cup holder but that’s easily fixed. Finally, it was onwards to work. Even though I have an allocated car park in the CBD, it was even better to be able to pull up at the front door and walk straight in.

The Mio was easy to ride because it’s an automatic, so all you need is your motorbike L plates (which are easy to get) and it’s comfortable too. There’s plenty of storage and even though the storage was designed to hold two helmets, there’s room for groceries or a laptop.

It had enough power to keep up with traffic, even with two people on board.

The Mio 100 is easy on the eye.

Overall, the Mio 100 was an impressive machine. From my extensive testing I’ve established that it’s faster than a WRX and a V8 ute, cheaper to run than a hair dryer and it looks cooler than Steve McQueen eating a Sunny Boy in an igloo. There’s a few scooters getting around Bendigo and I think the more the better. It just makes sense in a growing city and in a world that has financial and environmental pressures, to make use of a cheap and efficient mode of transport. Most of all though, scooters are just great fun. ■

Bendigo Scoota Reasons why you should be riding a Scoota from

1. Scoota’s are fuel efficient 2. Easy and free to park

3. Reduce your vehicle carbon footprint by up to 75%

4. Reliable and low maintenance

5. Low registration and insurance costs

6. Easy to manoeuvre - reduce your travel time 7. Affordable purchase price 8. Easy and cheap to service

9. Practical, they have lots of storage space 10. They’re very stylish and fun

Brock & Belinda Pinner Phone: (03) 5441 3995 Website: www.scoota.com.au Address: 160 Lyttleton Terrace Bendigo VIC 3550

my car

maxi love for the mini The 1966 Mini Cooper S was loved back in the day for being small, cheap and having brilliant cornering ability, therefore it became a successful rally and race car. For one local enthusiast, that affection has never waned.

- Kristen Allender Simon Young has a big love for his little car and it all started thanks to his aunty. “We weren’t a full-on car family like some,” he says.

“My elder brother raced motor cross in the 70s. That sparked my imagination.” His father was a Holden man and when Simon was a child he went on a trip with his aunt, who had an 850 Mini. “Something about its size and the fact that the speedo was in the middle of the dash really caught my eye.” The movie The Italian Job also left a big impression on him regarding its legendary use of Minis.

In a 1984 edition of Sporting Cars magazine he came across a description of a fuel injected Mini Cooper S. The fuel injection made it about 20 years ahead of its time. “I’m attracted to the most exotic version of anything,” he says. “I was obsessed with having one. I have a fascination with 60s rally cars and with the 60s era of motor sports.”

Knowing what he wanted, Simon bought the rare 1966 Mini Cooper S in 1987. It had been used for club rallying, needed a lot of work and didn’t have the correct engine. “I wanted to make it period correct,” he says.

His Cooper S is “absolutely unique in Australia”, due to the fuel injection, amongst other special modifications. “[The British Motor Corporation] only built half a dozen of these.” The car is like “granddad’s axe”, as he found it in Queensland, but the assembled parts came from all over.

Rolled it twice,” he says. Fearful of ruining the car, Simon retired the Mini from competition driving.

Simon was one of the founding members of the Historic Rally Association and he combines his hobby with his business. He and his wife Shelley have run British Sporting Cars for 11 years, restoring and rebuilding these vehicles, including race and rally preparation.

They can build cars from scratch and the methods they use are periodcorrect. “All the stuff we make, we make the way that they made it,” he says. “You have to get into the mind set of the people who built them in the first place.” These are skills which he had already put to use on the Mini Cooper when he bought it. He did not want to over-restore the Cooper, worried that would make it look fake.

Simon has other racing cars, but the Mini remains his firm favourite.

So when asked if the business suddenly caught on fire, would he save his wife, their dogs, or the Mini first, he immediately outlined his evacuation plan; “I’d put them all in the Mini and we’d all go out together!” ■

“I wanted a car with history,” says Simon, who was an apprentice at the time he bought the Mini. He used photographs to work out what he needed to get or build to restore the car and had to make parts that were missing, including the fuel injection system.

Everything is now as it was from 1969, when the Cooper was “at its most exciting”, due to the modifications the British Motor Corporation Competitions Department made to its rally cars, continually trying to improve them and their speed.

Photographer: David Field

It took four years to prepare the Mini and in 1991 Simon rallied it for the first time. “I competed in the car solidly for six years.

All the stuff we make, we make the way that they made it

206

These pictures show the attention to detail that makes this car so special.

207 - 209 High Street Bendigo Phone 5441 8133

big boys toys

on track to childhood Most little boys dream of owning a train set but probably wouldn’t even begin to imagine what this ‘big boy’ has made a reality.

- Esther McRae Tucked away in the granite hills of North Harcourt lives Knut (Ken to us Aussies) and his wife Isolde. A beautiful German-inspired cottage is their home but their hearts are firmly in the shed.

passion. Isolde describes a winter’s day when it is cold and wet outside and they are inside painting and working on the trains and scenery, enjoying it together.

What looks like a normal Colourbond shed on a hobby farm houses the most magnificent place, where the people are no bigger than peas and mechanical noises take you straight to a small working German town. This is where the ultimate train set lives.

I walk around the track, taking it all in, and the sound of the sky rail (yes, with high wires, suspended over parts of the town) washes out the animal noises outside. The mini Germany is full of such quaint aspects including a market complete with tiny fruit, a working sawmill, Volkswagen garage, camp site with a fire, a church, a horse and cart, bride and groom at a wedding, a florally-decorated cemetery, a plant nursery and playground. The set is so big there are three holes at different places so as to reach the middle parts.

The collection started getting bigger and bigger and when they moved from Melbourne to North Harcourt 15 years ago, the boxes of train set called to them, begging to be set up. They decided to do so about ten years ago when they kicked the chooks out of the shed, concreted the floor and proudly displayed their exquisite collection.

The set is over 40 square metres and is constructed on a purpose-built wooden table, underneath which a spaghetti junction of wires powers the track through a control station with over 100 switches. All elements of the track and its accessories are from Germany, made by a company called Marklin which has been around for over 150 years. Ken now has 36 engines and has built all the buildings that surround them from kit form which is his favourite aspect of the hobby. “I love to enjoy myself building the houses and (I love) the sense of achievement after building and decorating a piece,” he says.

While Ken gets around underneath on a wooden trolley fixing and soldering, Isolde decorates all the pieces, people and scenery, and oh, the scenery! Every minute detail has been thought about and it is this personal touch that allows the couple to enjoy and share in Ken’s 208

The town area has detailed German buildings and the trains themselves pass through almost unnoticed once you start to get lost in the whimsy of the place, a truly bustling town that almost seems real. When tourists were treated to a look recently, they relayed home that they had visited Germany, or what they would consider it to be like. It is this authenticity that allows the couple to escape back to where they were born and maintain the flavour of modern German life.

After the couple visited Hamburg in 2005, they gained a fresh inspiration for the track and added to the collection when they got home but they try not to buy much anymore, rather choosing to maintain what they have and work on the scenery.

Their grandchildren love it and play for hours and hours, fascinated by its charm. My brother and I first saw this train set shortly after moving to the area as children and I must say, between Sweetie the Emu, who is in love with Ken and gladly cuddles him, the vintage motorbike, the cigar-smoking German and his wife’s hospitality...we too were mesmerised by this place before we had even stepped foot in the train shed...where another world awaits. ■

Photographer: David Field

When Ken and Isolde were married in 1956 shortly after moving from Germany, they didn’t know an innocent gift would be the beginning of an obsession. Isolde bought her new husband Ken a starter train set in the late 50s which they have been adding to ever since and the rest, they say, is history.