Bendigo Magazine - Issue 60 - Spring 2020

ISSUE 60 | SPRING 2020 www.bendigomagazine.com.au

ISSN 1833-1289 AUD $5.95 (Inc. GST)

bee delighted

CELEBRATE THE FACES, PLACES AND POLLINATORS OF SPRING

Positioned in a quiet bushland setting, discover a place of tree-lined boulevards and native flora and fauna, where majestic parks meet with thriving wetlands, and all are just a stones throw from every home. Whether you are looking for a large home site for luxury family living or a low maintenance allotment, Viewpoint has been designed to cater for your lifestyle.

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SM P R IA L L C TA GE

L A N D S A L E S C A L L To m 0 4 1 7 5 3 2 8 7 1

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dear reader, This was a quiet issue to make. There were lots of gentle one-on-one mask-muffled conversations, lots of email and text message negotiations. Many, many hours spent writing, editing, designing, while rugged up warm by the home heater.

It was an extra pleasure to have the reason to connect with others, to check in on them during lockdown and share some of their experiences.

For ceramic artist Damon Moon the wheels of progress continued spinning at the Bendigo Pottery, where he is helping fuel an art and design revival for the local icon.

For bee scientist Jody Gerdts her ‘office work’ remained the same by a blooming canola field in Goornong.

EDITOR Lauren Mitchell PHOTOGRAPHER Leon Schoots CREATIVE DIRECTOR Dustin Schilling WRITERS Geoff Hocking, John Holton, Tania Sheward, Raelee Tuckerman and Marina Williams CONTRIBUTORS Beau Cook, Lisa Chesters and Ashley Raeburn EVENTS PHOTOGRAPHER AJ Taylor PRINT MANAGER Nigel Quirk ADVERTISING advertising@bendigomagazine.com.au

Molly Sugdon broke bread, Liz Martin hunted fungi and Geoff Hocking got nostalgic.

Writer Raelee Tuckerman did some sleuthing over a local legend, and Marina Williams went behind-the-scenes of the Bendigo Art Gallery’s latest exhibition, Piinpi.

Closer to home we all well and truly hibernated for the winter. I, for one, had plenty of blessed time to smell the roses, or in the case of Bendigo, watch the wattle bloom and bring with it such quiet hope for brighter times.

PO Box 5003 Bendigo, VIC 3550 Phone: 0438 393 198

How lovely for this issue to emerge as we do the same post-COVID-19 lockdown. Enjoy.

LAUREN MITCHELL

ON THE COVER: We’re out to brighten Bendigo’s days through placing bee scientist Jody Gerdts in the canola field beside her hives. Leon Schoots’ photograph is an invitation to likewise get outside and make the most of spring and our newly-realised freedoms post-lockdown.

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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 publisher accepts 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.

Image: Details of ‘Birds of a Feather?’, Acrylic and Ink on Canvas by Robyn Davis, 2020

Edible gifts Shop local and unearth locally produced and grown delights, souvenirs and one-of-a-kind pieces from designers and artists from the Bendigo region, on the Uniquely Bendigo online store.

Can’t decide on a gift for that special person in your life?

Give us a call and let us help you create a unique hamper! www.uniquelybendigo.com.au

Sharing Process

Living Arts Space exhibition

September – November, 2020 The Greater Bendigo region has a thriving community of First Nations artists. These artists’ cultural histories span the breadth and width of Australia and as such their practices are diverse in influence and interpretation.

Sharing Process invites a selection of these artists to reflect upon these cultural influences and celebrate the wide variety of their works and processes.

Discover the exciting online content that accompanies this exhibition: www.bendigoregion.com.au/explorebendigo/living-arts-space

Find us on

BENDIGO VISITOR CENTRE Freecall 9am-5pm daily on 1800 813 153 51-67 Pall Mall, Bendigo • 03 5434 6060 • tourism@bendigo.vic.gov.au www.bendigoregion.com.au • #Explore Bendigo • Find us on

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contents ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PEOPLE & LIFE

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Designs on culture - Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion Exhibition

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Clearing the mist - Liz Martin

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Nurturing talent - Creative Community Studios

FOOD, WINE & HOME 74

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Waxing lyrical - Damon Moon

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The iso dough - @molly_sugdon

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Bruschetta brush-up - Beau Cook

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Fine vines - Ashley Raeburn

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For the love of outdoors - Pool feature

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Style proves timeless - Home feature

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Hive talking - Jody Gerdts That’s the spot, Fido!

- Hidden pet memorial Where eagles fly - Bendigo Gliding Club A healthy obsession - Rachel Martin Giving back to kids - Kendall Pearson What I did in iso - Geoff Hocking Getting back to nature - Lisa Chesters Life in lockdown - Lauren Mitchell Shining bright - Bendigo TAFE Born to ride - Alessia McCaig

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g gardenin e is w r e t Wa climate g in g n a in a ch

COTTAGE GARDEN

TALL SHRUBS (under 3m) Gold-dust Wattle Acacia acinacea Indigenous

Sticky Boronia Boronia anemonifolia Indigenous

Features include: Woven wire front fence, a brick edged gravel path flanked by English lavendar leads to home entrance.

Informal slate paving provides space for relaxation.

An open, fine-leafed shrub with a profusion of yellow flowers in spring. Grows to 2m high and wide. Benefits from pruning after flowering and makes a good, low screening plant. Adaptable to all well-drained soils.

A Bougainvillea climbs the veranda and a Blue Pacific hedge runs along the front of the veranda.

Lawn areas either side of the path are separated by informal garden beds and rambling paths. A selection of trees including Chinese Elm (rear), Cimmaron Ash, Ornamental pears and Crepe Myrtles provide shade, colour and texture.

Garden bed plantings include: Lorraine Lee and Madame Hardy roses, cistus, daffodils, iris, Round-leaved cotyledon and Acanthus mollis. Banksia roses provide privacy on side fence.

A fast-growing shrub with strongly scented leaves. A profusion of star-shaped pink flowers in spring and summer this plant an eye-catching addition to your garden. Grows to 2m high and wide. Performs best in sandy soil or a great container plant.

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Sweet Bursaria Bursaria spinosa Indigenous

Silky Net-bush Calothamnus villosus Native

SMART GARDENS FOR A DRY CLIMATE

This easily-grown plant is attractive in flower and fruit. Variable form from a rounded shrub to small tree. Grows 2-6m high and 2-3m wide.

Masses of fragrant, white flowers in summer that attract butterflies. Suits all well-drained soils.

Bright red flowers in spring and summer attract the nectar feeding birds. An evergreen shrub with pine-like foliage. Grows to 2m high and wide. Makes a good screening plant. Tolerant of a wide range of soils, but loves sandy soil.

DESIGN VISION

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Bendigo’s Creative Industries Coworking Community An initiative of

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I

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landscape of creative industries in Bendigo with a state-of-the-art coworking space, business programs, and a vibrant community.

Learn more at emporiumcreativehub.com.au

THE PATH PAVED WITH PERSEVERANCE If Kayla Kristensen had to reflect on the start to her career in law, it’s that the path is paved with perseverance.

From a young age, Kayla wanted a career that was personally fulfilling and professionally helpful. But when it came to choosing the degree she wanted to pursue, law came out of the blue.

“The idea of studying law appealed to me because I could advocate for people in their time of need,” she says.

Kayla is now working as a dispute resolution lawyer with local firm, Robertson Hyetts. Growing up in Bendigo, the opportunity to work for a local firm means she can balance her role as a lawyer with that of raising her young family.

“Sometimes dispute matters can be emotionally draining for our clients and I feel fortunate to be able to provide them with clear advice and sound options when they need it most,” she explains.

With Robertson Hyetts, Kayla represents clients on a range of dispute resolution matters, such as estate claims, employment law matters including unfair dismissals, landlord and tenancy disagreements, debt recovery and property disputes.

“It’s the diversity of work and clients that I really enjoy at Robertson Hyetts,” she says. “I’m glad that even though choosing law wasn’t exactly planned, it’s where I want to be and can make the most impact.

Robertson Hyetts has offices in Bendigo and Castlemaine.

Visit www.robertsonhyetts.com.au for more information.

business plans Locals look to the future for the success and wellbeing of all.

HELPING YOUR HOME SHINE Ensuring your home looks its most appealing come sale time can be one of life’s biggest challenges.

It can also be easy, if you have the right person by your side.

Enter Ann, home stylist and property stager from The Styling Co. “If you have ever tried preparing a house ready for sale, then you know how difficult it can be. It can be hard, time consuming and it can be expensive. But it doesn’t have to be,” she says.

For Ann, an empty room is a story waiting to happen. She’s been helping homes tell myriad stories since 2015.

“Staging your home is a process of making the property more appealing to your potential buyers. By making specific and strategic changes to the existing décor, or by fully furnishing a vacant home, the people viewing your home are able to visualise themselves living there, and it highlights the potential that may not be obvious.”

Ann will ensure your home is looking its best, inside and out, before it hits the market.

“We provide everything you need to get your property ready for sale, working with you to suggest the best value-for-money simple changes to create the biggest impact on your home and its value.”

Services include assistance with gardening, painting and general preparation, including full project management.

“Every home can benefit from professional staging. It is an essential part of the sale process, not just for the luxury market and highend housing. Professional staging is one of the most important and fastest returning investments that a homeowner can make.”

Visit www.thestylingco.com.au for more information.

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MIGHTY 140-YEAR CELEBRATION FOR LOCAL BUSINESS You won’t find too many family hardware stores that date back to the mid-19th century. It takes dedication, a healthy dose of business nous and willingness from successive generations to continue the job their forebears started for one to survive so long.

It puts Hume & Iser Mitre 10 in a unique league.

The family-run business has proudly withstood the test of time for over five generations and is today one of Australia’s oldest hardware businesses. Over the years, the business has endured two world wars, the Great Depression, economic recessions and now the COVID-19 pandemic.

This November marks an impressive milestone for the family, celebrating 140 years operating from the same site in Charleston Place since its foundation in 1880 as a sawmill during the gold rush.

“We are immensely proud of our legacy as a locally owned business and excited to be reaching another significant milestone,” says Stephen Iser, fourth generation managing director of the Bendigo retail institution.

“When my great-grandfather Henry founded the business with fellow German Wilhelm Humme, I’m not sure they ever imagined the storied history that was to come or that the business would still be operational 140 years later.”

In reaching the milestone, Stephen credits the company’s longevity to those who have supported the business.

“While we owe our success to prior generations, we also are extremely grateful to the dedicated team who work in our store, our loyal shoppers and our suppliers, all who have made significant contributions to our business, some for many, many decades.

“We consider everyone an extended family so this milestone is as much their anniversary as it is ours.”

PLANNING FOR FINANCIAL SUCCESS We all have financial goals – investing for the future, growing wealth outside your business, or planning for retirement.

For some of us, having the right support is the key to achieving financial success, which is where the team at Fortem Advice come in.

They have a wealth of experience in helping people understand and take control of their financial position, offering tailored advice solutions in the areas of investment, superannuation and personal insurance.

They specialise in advice and strategies for business owners and professionals, and take a customer-centred approach so you can meet both specific short-term goals and develop financial plans for the longer term.

“Our understanding of our clients’ wider needs and drivers, both business and personal, helps us to develop robust solutions capable of growing and responding to change,” says co-founder Tim Croke.

“We want to help our clients grow their assets for the future.”

Tim, Lisa Wills and Gerard Horan started Fortem Advice five years ago after recognising a gap in the market to provide business advisory, finance and wealth management services under the one roof.

The team has grown to 10 members, with the office proudly located in Bendigo “While we are Victorian-based, we have clients across Australia in a diverse range of industries. So our team is well versed in supporting various businesses and are proud of the long-term partnerships we build with our clients.

“We take a holistic approach to help them navigate the ‘everyday’ aspects of their financial lives, while building and protecting wealth for the long-term.”

Visit fortemgroup.com.au or phone 03 5441 3377

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LATHER YOURSELF IN KINDESS A little kindness can go a long way. And what better way to show some self-care than to treat yourself to a little slice of luxury with some handcrafted soaps.

Made in Bendigo, the range from Soap Bird comes in a beautiful array of delicious colours and designs from luscious swirls of bright pinks, yellows to patterns with blues and earthy tones that reflect the sea and landscapes.

“It’s important to be kind to your skin,” says chief soap bird Marg Glohe, who has been creating and designing soaps for three years.

“It’s the largest organ in the body, and its importance is often overlooked. It protects us from irritants and allergens and it is vitally important to our overall health and wellbeing.

“Our philosophy here at Soap Bird is to put your skin first.”

Each soap is made with essential oils and quality ingredients, such as shea butter and pure tallow, and has its own delightful name (think ‘flower power’, ‘psychedelic 60s’, ‘confetti bomb‘) so you can be sure to find one to suit your skin’s personality.

“We started the business from scratch as necessity is the mother of invention. A few family members suffer from eczema and sensitive skin so we wanted to be more in control of ingredients that we put on our skin.”

Family remains central to the business, with Marg’s two sons helping out.

“James is our media manager and web page designer, and Trent says he is the heavy lifter!”

Soaps can be bought online, with prices ranging from $5.50 to $6.50. Marg can even create a bespoke soap to suit your personal needs.

“We’re happy to answer any questions about our fantastic range of handcrafted soaps and products. We love making beautiful, unique soaps that are affordable and luxurious for everyone.”

Visit soapbird.com.au or phone Marg on 0429 133 535.

BOUTIQUE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Based in Bendigo, the Cosmo team manages properties on the short-stay rental market. While focussing on Airbnb properties in central Victoria and Melbourne, they also offer their services Australia wide as well as international markets including New Zealand, United States and Canada.

The startup began 12 months ago when high school friends from varied backgrounds, including technology, real estate and marketing brought their idea to fruition.

Co-founder Kyle Fitzsimmons describes Cosmo as an innovative property management company “shaking things up in the short-stay market”.

“We don’t offer one-size-fits-all plans,” Kyle says. “Instead, we offer an opportunity for feature-rich collaboration that will deliver an occupancy rate you won’t achieve anywhere else.”

The boutique business offers clients a range of services through a choice of three ‘no lock-in’ plans for the management of their property at different price points: Portfolio+ is for multiple listings, with Collaborate and Complete for those who prefer to be more ‘hands-on’ or ‘hands-off’.

“We’ve spent the time refining our brand and technology to provide the most value to homeowners,” Kyle says.

With COVID-19 restrictions easing in regional Victoria, Kyle says now is the time to consider booking a mini-break in one of the many properties available for short-term stays.

“We are now full steam ahead, and looking to help local homeowners prepare for the return of tourism and get the most from their investments.”

Cosmo group is located at 43 Williamson Street, Bendigo.

Visit cosmogroup.io or phone 03 7035 5800 for more information.

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Photograph by Xiren Photography

LET US HELP YOU MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR OPPORTUNITIES

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We specialise in tailored advice and strategies for business owners and professionals.

Working closely with you to meet both specific short-term goals and develop financial plans that guide you over the longer term.

TALK TO US ABOUT: Investment Advice Portfolio Management Retirement Planning and superannuation including Self-Managed Super Funds (SMSFs) Personal Insurance Business Succession Planning

fortemgroup.com.au CHF & A Pty Ltd (ABN 33 607 621 867), trading as FORTEM Advice and its advisers are authorised representatives of Fortnum Private Wealth Limited (ABN 54 139 889 535), Australian Financial Services Licensee (ASFL 357 306)

“It took a long time to get all the celebrity memories of clothes once worn that comprise the book,” he says.

them in my book,” Garry says.

“Publishers were not very enthused by my proposition when I presented my ideas of how I thought it should go. So, I decided to publish it myself here in Bendigo with Bart N Print managing the printing of the book.”

“It’s relatively easy these days and I enjoyed the entire process.”

Famous faces include swimmer and actor Murray Rose, artist John Coburn and actor Tony Bonner. It even features a local identity – Keith Lamb of 1970s rock band Hush, who now calls Bendigo home.

CLOTHED IN MEMORY “I guess you could call my book Clothed in Memory a labour of love,” says author Garry Taylor.

It’s taken him a decade to contact, interview and write the stories of some of Australia’s most famous faces. He even managed to have them share an item of clothing that signifies a special moment in their life.

The result is a stunning book that combines celebrity with clothing and memory.

“Another wonderful Australian whom I was chuffed to get an email from was Cathy Freeman. It’s now 20 years since she ran and won at the 2000 Olympics.

What a wonderful woman.”

Celebrities have related tales about all kinds of garments, including overalls, hats, sports outfits and swimming togs. “I hope everyone can find something to interest

GENERATIONS UNITE ONLINE Catherine McAuley College iGEN students have been meeting (virtually) with the residents at Mercy Health Bethlehem Home for the Aged each week. The students took turns in small groups and were able to learn more about the residents, their interests and life experiences.

The residents were thrilled to learn more about the students and they put in a few requests for various activities, videos and images. They are keen to see photos of the outdoors and short videos, including virtual tours of local landmarks and new developments in the city.

The iGEN classes have begun work on these and will continue weekly virtual meetings and prepare various activities and resources for the residents in the months ahead.

Allied Health at CMC is a major growth area and, together with iGEN, allows students to explore a myriad of employment and study pathways. The iGEN program is a partnership between CMC, Mercy Health and Australian Catholic University.

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He even recommends budding authors follow in his footsteps and self-publish.

Follow Bendigo Magazine on Facebook and Instagram for your chance to win a copy of ‘Clothed In Memory’. To purchase the book visit Dymocks Book Store or contact Garry at taylorgarry35@hotmail.com.

CELEBRATING

140 YEARS

HUME & ISER

35 – 37 CHARLESTON PL, BENDIGO.

OPEN

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D AY S

Your local, independent & family owned hardware store since 1880.

HUME & ISER

JOIN THE FITNESS CHALLENGE Join Bendigo Health this October and raise funds for the improvement of mental health facilities, services and complementary therapies across the region. You can choose to walk, run, wheelchair, cycle or even row your way through this month-long challenge. Simply register, set your fitness and fundraising goals and share your progress online to encourage support and donations from your social network. Your $25 registration fee goes straight to the cause.

There are a number of Rebel Sport gift vouchers up for grabs for those who raise the most funds and complete the most kilometres. At the end of the challenge you will receive a virtual medal and a certificate of recognition to celebrate your effort and to say thanks for your support.

For more information or to register visit the Bendigo Health Foundation website: www.bendigohealthfoundation.org.au/2020move-for-mental-health/

see you online Some of Bendigo’s favourite spring events are forging ahead, virtually.

FROM THE VINES TO ONLINE: HERITAGE UNCORKED HAS A NEW LOOK IN 2020.

Taking the approach that being physically apart doesn’t mean socialising is out of bounds, organisers will launch the annual Bendigo Heritage Uncorked 2020-style – live and online.

Starting Friday, October 23, Bendigo’s winemakers will live-stream the first of six special editions of Bendigo Heritage Uncorked – The Unseen Series.

For six weeks each Friday, a local host will chat with three winemakers from a historic Bendigo building.

The interactive live-stream will showcase the wines and stories of the winemakers with quiz and wine-tasting questions and comments, as well as prizes and a virtual tour of the historic host building.

The sessions are organised with the support of Bendigo Winegrowers Association, Bendigo Tourism, Visit Victoria and Strategem.

Attendees have a choice to two ticket options: buy a Winetaster pack that includes a link to the event and three local wines, or a Spectator ticket to only the live-stream.

Tickets are on sale at www.bendigowine.org.au, with sessions each Friday from 23 October to 27 November at 6pm.

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CELEBRATE BENDIGO CUP DAY It’s one of most popular events on the country racing calendar – Bendigo Cup Day. The 2020 Apiam Bendigo Cup is on Wednesday, October 28.

While organisers promise plenty of top-class action on the track, off the field it will be a little quieter than previous years as COVID-19 public gathering restrictions prevent people from attending the racecourse in person.

Instead, the Bendigo Jockey Club is encouraging people to watch all the action live and free-to-air on racing.com or on channel 68.

And, there’s no forgoing Fashions on the Field this spring.

Just as the picturesque racecourse will be in full spring bloom with gold roses, race fans who love their fashions are encouraged to still dress up and enter the Virtual Fashions on the Field.

Organisers are hoping racegoers can also step out to support their local pubs, restaurant, wineries and cafes throughout spring and summer.

This year’s cup has more than $350,000 in prize money.

Punters can expect a quality field of world-class stayers in the main event as horses and jockeys attempt to secure a last-minute passage into the Melbourne Cup that will be held six days later at Flemington Racecourse.

Tickets and race day hospitality packages are yet to be confirmed as a result of the public gathering restrictions.

To stay up to date with the latest news visit country. racing.com/Bendigo or phone 5448 4209 to stay on top of bookings.

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designs on

culture

Australia’s rich and vibrant history will feature in a landmark major survey of contemporary Indigenous Australian fashion at Bendigo Art Gallery.

By Marina Williams Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion has more than 100 garments and design objects from 70 Indigenous artists and designers.

It has been created exclusively for and by Bendigo Art Gallery, says First Nations curator and Kaantju woman, Shonae Hobson.

The pieces come from major public and private collections, as well as new collections from designers and arts centres. While each piece draws on thousands of years of history, culture and storytelling, visitors will see synergies with contemporary textile and fashion designs.

Grace Rosendale, Seedpods dress 2019. Silk organza, elastic, sequinned fabric. Courtesy of the artist, Hopevale Arts and Cultural Centre and Queensland University of Technology Model: Magnolia Maymuru. Photographer: Bronwyn Kidd.

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Courtesy of Kaiela Arts, Shepparton Photographer: Ian Hill

“Many of the garments selected for the exhibition are an expression of Country and contemporary Indigenous culture. Through the use of natural and recycled materials, traditional weaving techniques and handpainted prints, the First Nations artists and designers are expressing their culture and connection to Country in very exciting and bold ways – distinct from anything else being produced around the world – and this is something worth celebrating,” Shonae says.

The exhibition title, Piinpi, comes from Shonae’s great-grandmother’s language.

It is a Kanichi Thampanyu (East Cape York) term referring to changes in a landscape that happen across time and space.

“For me, the word Piinpi was important to use as it encapsulated a lot of what the exhibition was about. For Indigenous peoples, our knowledge of the land and seasons is culturally important as it signifies the abundance of certain bush foods, when we can travel, and when is a good time to collect traditional materials for ceremony and dance.”

The designers and artists share their stories through beautifully crafted fabrics and wearable art, with the exhibition divided into four seasons widely recognised in many First Nations groups, using the Kuuku Ya’u words: Kayaman (dry season), Pinga (regeneration), piicha piicha (cool season) and ngurkitha (wet season).

Shonae Hobson, Bendigo Art Gallery First Nations Curator. Photographer: Fred Kroh

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Suzanne Atkinson, Karin Berg (collaborator), Wendy Crowe (collaborator), Ithitha bull ant dress 2019. Linen fabric screen printed with charcoal pigment.

Suzanne Atkinson, Tammy-Lee Atkinson, Karin Berg (collaborator), Wendy Crowe (collaborator), Kangaroo leather vest and charcoal print pants 2019. Screenprint on kangaroo leather, charcoal pigment screenprint on linen fabric.

Tammy- Lee Atkinson, Karin Berg (collaborator), Wendy Crowe (collaborator), Charcoal canoe dress 2019. Charcoal pigment screenprint on linen fabric

Grace Lillian Lee, Body Armour – A Weave of Reflection Pink and Orange 2018.

Photography by Wade Lewis. Image courtesy of the artist.

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Kayaman was a time for many to travel to visit families, go hunting and prepare for ceremonies. Piicha piicha signifies strong winds and cold nights, and is considered the best time of year to gather materials to make hunting tools, with traditional possum and kangaroo skin cloaks and emu feather earrings on display.

LEFT: Joy Garrangarr, Bathi (basket) 1994. Balk palk (fibre string), gunga (pandanus), natural dyes. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Purchased through The Art Foundation of Victoria with the assistance of the Alcoa Foundation, Governor, 1994 O.146-1994

Pinga is the season of flower, signalling the right time to collect bushfoods and manage harvests to ensure long-term availability of resources. Cotton material from some seeds are used for body decoration and in ceremonies.

The largest section of the exhibition is devoted to ngurkitha, when heavy rainfall fills rivers, swamps and creeks. The handpainted garments, textiles and jewellery pieces are bold and vibrant, reflecting the colours that inundate the land following the heavy rains.

The exhibition will feature collections from Lyn-Al Young, Grace Lillian Lee, Babbarra Women’s Centre, Marree Clarke, Lisa Waaup x Verner, Hopevale Arts and Cultural centre and many more.

Bendigo Art Gallery Director Jessica Bridgfoot says the gallery will acquire several key works that will form the beginnings of the Australian Fashion Collection.

“We are thrilled to mark this important moment in Australian fashion and design history with a new collection focus. The launch of Piinpi and the new Australian Fashion Collection are an exciting new chapter for Bendigo Art Gallery.”

Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion is scheduled for October 3 to November 29.

To confirm times during COVID-19 restrictions visit bendigoartgallery.com.au

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ABOVE: Elisa Jane Carmichael, By the sea 2018. Raffia, rope, sea ropes, twine, wire and fish scales. Courtesy of the artist and Onespace gallery.

Photographer: Louis Lim.

RIGHT: Lorraine Connelly-Northey, Narrbong (string bag) 2005. Wire, wire mesh. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Purchased with funds donated

by Supporters and Patrons of Indigenous Art, 2005 2005.471

Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, 2017 Elisa Jane Carmichael, Saltwater Footprints Collection.

Photographer: Tim Ashton

|

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Enrolments for YearMORE 7, 2021 close Friday 12 June, 2020.

VISIT WEBSITE TO FIND OUT VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO FIND OUT MORE

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VIRTUAL TOURS | PROSPECTUS | ENROLMENT APPLICATION

ENQUIRIES: Please contact Audra Petri, College Registrar, for details of future College Tours and for all enrolment enquiries.

Catherine McAuley College | A Ministry ofCollege Mercy Education 69 154 531| 870 ENROLMENT ENQUIRIES | Please contact Mrs3466 Audra Petri, RegistrarLtd| | ABN 5445 9100 5449 info@cmc.vic.edu.au A Ministry of Mercy Education Ltd

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hive talking

Spending time in the sphere of a bee scientist, watching the calm and considered way she’s at one with the swarm, can change the view of your own back yard.

By Lauren Mitchell – Photography by Leon Schoots

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Had I not met Jody Gerdts a week prior, I would have been mildly panicked by the bee swarm that attached itself to our backyard picnic table; a warm, brown, humming mass hanging right at resident toddler and beagle height. I Googled ‘bee swarm removal’ and up popped ads for pest controllers. But after speaking with Jody, I knew these were no pests, so I texted her. “Awesome,” she wrote back. “The bees have found you!”

Later, when she arrived with her bee box and veiled hat, she spoke about the significance of bees coming into your life. The mythical, spiritual meaning of them. The mysterious happenings that become lore. It seemed at odds with a scientist.

“Humans have been in a relationship with bees for a very, very long time, across cultures and honeybee species,” she says. “There’s this cultural, mythical, spiritual relationship that we’ve created with bees. It’s said once bees come into your life, it’s really good luck, and once you pick up on it you start seeing them and you start to understand the world in a different way.

“It’s been reported, enough to be lore, that when a beekeeper dies, a swarm of bees will show up at their funeral. People see them as spirit guides.”

I ask the question; how does this sit with you as a scientist?

“I think it’s amazing, because I get to work with these creatures every single day,” Jody says. “I work primarily in the biology realm, but knowing that when I’m working with them, I’m also operating in a different sphere.”

Jody is a fourth-generation beekeeper. “Growing up, there was some remnant beekeeping equipment in the attic and in the warm summer I’d smell the wax, so I was familiar with it,” she says of her grandfather’s old belongings.

When she left her Wisconsin home to pursue a science degree in Washington, her dad bought a beekeeping business. “I thought it was just so cool, I‘ve got a science leaning and it was a neat thing my dad and I did together,” Jody says. “So, I timed my trips back to Wisconsin, not around my holidays like most people, but around things like honey extraction.”

Jody was studying her masters degree when colony collapse hit the States, and she began to understand that beekeeping could be much more than “something old guys did”. “I realised there are a lot of women in beekeeping and a lot of research in beekeeping and a lot of interesting things you can do.”

Jody was then eager to finish the research she was doing on freshwater ecology and salmon and ditch the cold mountain streams for warm days in flower fields. Plus, she began working in America’s top bee laboratory at the University of Minnesota. That’s where she met her Australian husband, which is how she landed in Bendigo.

Jody is a specialist in bee diseases, plus queen bee breeding and stock selection to bolster a hive’s ability to stay healthy, despite threats like chalk brood, and inevitably, varroa mite. Australia is the only country free of varroa and its devastating effects, but Jody says it’s only a matter of time before it arrives here, and one of her aims is to prepare the industry to avoid a catastrophic collapse.

“When we selectively breed for certain traits, like stronger immune systems or social immunity, which is something I’ve worked on, all of a sudden we’re part of the evolutionary process of bees. That’s what hooked me in. We can help bees help themselves.”

In Bendigo, Jody began a PhD at La Trobe University around hygienic behaviour and chalk brood. Or, the ability of a hive to detect infected larvae and remove them before the infection can spread. It was believed this trait protected them from the pathogen.

“We found the hygienic behaviour wasn’t protecting the hives from chalk brood,” she says. “So, it was like, that’s not supposed to happen, everywhere in the world reports that hygienic behaviours reduce chalk brood in hives, but no it doesn’t, not in Australia, let’s spend four years trying to figure it out…”

Jody adds while she didn’t solve that exact mystery, she did add valuable research to the knowledge.

She completed her PhD a year ago to then concentrate on running her business, Bee Scientifics, and to enjoy being mum to fouryear-old fellow bug lover, Peita. When Bendigo Magazine visits their Ironbark home, Peita is barefoot among the hives, collecting caterpillars in the garden.

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“This is Peit’s hive,” Jody says, opening a butter yellow box for us to see inside. “These hives are here because they’re really nice bees.

“Every colony has a different history, a different story, a different way of responding to you, working with their environment and with each other. So, we hand choose different bees for different reasons.” And these ones were chosen for the quiet way they move on the comb, and their gentle hover around a small, curious child.

The sweet by-product of breeding and studying bees, is honey. Jody has been trading her Ironbark backyard product with local cafés for a while, but COVID-19 restrictions were the impetus she needed to go retail, and start peddling deliveries, door-to-door, with Peit in tow on the tag-along.

“I thought, you know what, this is the coolest thing,” Jody says of her idea. “Peit’s been involved with honey sales and stands before, so I thought, let’s hop on a bike, ride around and deliver honey to people in our neighbourhood.

“When the first restrictions came into place, it was such a weird time, and I thought, this is something we can do to add a bit of value to the community. A bit of staying together when we’re so far apart, you know?”

It’s also been a way for Jody to educate her neighbourhood on what she does.

“I want to say, I understand you think of me as a honey producer, and this is where the honey comes from, that weird house with all the bees hanging around it, but what I’m involved with and what we’re doing here is really big. It’s a big picture, cool thing.

“I’ve got a lot of dreams and one of them is to get some strategic partners in Bendigo to help support the honey bee research I’m doing. Bees do really, really well in urban environments because there’s always something blooming and there’s always water.

My vision is to have apiaries around Bendigo on a bit of secure parkland, and urban blocks with acreage to be able to keep around 50 hives at each apiary for research. The biggest threat to beekeeping in Australia is the varroa mite, and we don’t have it here.

Everything that I do is focussed on preparing bees and beekeepers for living with varroa. Ultimately, protecting bees from varroa is about protecting our pollination and food security in Australia and keeping our honey and beekeeping practices as chemical-free as possible.

“This stuff isn’t happening anywhere else in Australia. And in Bendigo we’re so well positioned, with La Trobe and regional campus research, to do some pretty significant work.”

Back to grassroots in my back yard, Jody places bee food in her box and gently sweeps the swarm in, being careful not to leave the queen. She thinks they’re wild bees, given their stripes are all different. Which means new genetics to test, and potentially, further discoveries.

At the very least, she’s excited that my family and I have had this unique learning experience.

“The thing is, once you understand what bees need to be healthy, you start approaching your environment in a different way, like reducing your use of chemicals, reducing pesticides, planting more flowers, things like that,” she says. “It’s good for the bees but it’s also good for us, and nature, other pollinators, bats, birds and a lot of our native bees. It’s good. Bees are a gateway to a healthier life.”

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clearing the mist

Walking the bushland of Bendigo proves an antidote to pandemic stress for photographer Liz Martin, who is sharing her pictures of solace and sanctuary.

By Lauren Mitchell – Photography by Liz Martin Bendigo photographer, environmentalist and bushwalker Liz Martin has explored the Himalayas, floated down the Irrawaddy in Burma, been tramping in Tassie and left her footfall around Africa, the Middle East, Asia and New Zealand.

“I have had three trips to the Himalayas, including going on a pilgrimage to an ice lingam with 10,000 Indian pilgrims,” she says. But it’s Bendigo’s box-ironbark forests that are sustaining her through one of life’s biggest challenges; the pandemic lockdown.

“The first scary part of the lockdown in March, I stayed at home and my anxiety grew day by day, worrying about family and cancelling plans to see friends,” Liz says.

“Then I started going out a few days a week

with the Fungi Hunter, Joy Clusker, as it, as it was a great fungi season and Joy wanted to update the Fungi of the Bendigo Region guide book. We found some new fungi for the area as we had so much rain, and just by being in nature my anxiety reduced. We would just send a quick text if the weather looked good. Meet you in Mandurang in an hour?”

Then, during those sweet days in early winter when Victorians were permitted to join 10 friends in the great outdoors, Liz promptly reconnected with a group of her friends who’d begun bushwalking together 30 years ago.

“We got to explore Terrick Terrick National Park, with the rocks and the native pine

forests. I discovered a very special place at Tang Tang Swamp and was lucky to see some brolgas. Other favourites we visited were Mt Alexander, Mt Kooyoora and the forest around Castlemaine.

“Then we were back to one person again in the second lockdown, but this allows you to just wander, off the tracks, among the moss and lichen, looking for the little things; tiny fungi, mosses fruiting, and to really appreciate being in nature and the peace it brings.

“Walking with one other friend is also very peaceful. I think Joy and I have explored a lot more of Mt Alexander than ever before. We are so lucky to have it so close to Bendigo with its different landscapes and trees.”

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Liz says it’s been the best thing for her wellbeing these past months, especially as she lives on her own and desperately misses her family, including two-year-old grandson Ollie.

“Any anxiety takes a back seat as I just enjoy the strength in the rocks and ancient trees.

I look after my mental health by spending time in the bush and turning off the talk. I’m too busy looking for things to photograph. I love the trees, the sky and the tiny things on the ground and I marvel in the rocks and at the mosses.”

These details Liz captures with her small Olympus pen camera and its macro lens.

“I think taking photos makes you really connect with the landscape, especially when looking at the small things.”

Liz’s first camera was a hand-me-down Box Brownie gifted to her at the age of six or seven, and from that moment she was hooked, documenting family life, her extensive travels, and now, Bendigo community events.

Although most of her usual community work, such as photographing the Bendigo Writers Festival, has been on pause, Liz has continued working with Bendigo Sustainable House Day, which is happening online this year. It’s an event close to her heart.

“I was born here and, after a sustained period of travel and living in Canberra, I decided to come home to Bendigo for a while to recoup the finances, and I stayed,” she says.

“I had bought an old miner’s cottage while I was at uni and decided to fix it up to sell.

Since then I have built several houses in Bendigo and for the last seven years have been involved with Bendigo Sustainable House Day and trying to help everyone be more sustainable.

“This year, I have visited some really interesting houses in between lockdowns and I’m making video stories with interviews with the builders and homeowners online.

We have everything from straw bale, hempcrete and Timbercrete houses, and stories on how to retrofit older houses.

Plus, my own new build with its northfacing back yard. I am lucky to have a new, comfortable, sunny home to retreat in. I am also lucky to have this community event to focus on during lockdown.”

Liz has been sharing her Bendigo bush photographs on social media. As she connects with Bendigo Magazine, the native orchids are appearing.

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“We are waiting for a special orchid called a flying duck orchid,” she says. “They don’t come every year and we are hoping after all the rain we will see some. Last time they appeared, several years ago, the mozzies were so bad I had to wear a raincoat, boots and mozzie net to photograph them, even though it was hot in November.”

Liz nominates Mt Alexander as her place of peace in the midst of the pandemic.

“Sneaking up there one foggy morning was the best day out, so much so I decided to record it and make a video on the day’s fungi hunting. On the way up, I could see the mist and had to call up Joy and say, hurry up, it’s foggy up here!”

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that's the spot, Fido!

Hidden away in a cheeky corner of town lies a littleknown tale involving man’s best friend from the annals of history. Club X marks the spot…

By Raelee Tuckerman – Photography by AJ Taylor This story begins in 1894 with a Bendigo businessman who seemingly respected his canine companions more than he did his fellow man, and lives on today in the back room of the adult entertainment store in Queen Street. It might sound barking mad, but it’s true.

I ventured into Club X/Twisted Toys recently, for research purposes of course, after hearing whispers about an old gravestone laid in loving memory of a dog named Fido.

And there, surrounded by DVDs, it was. A beautiful marble slab with golden letters

honouring the faithful pet kept by flour mill proprietor William Webb, whose four-storey building on the corner of Williamson Street has stood the test of time and is now being transformed into residential apartments.

“Here lies the remains of my faithful dog Fido, my companion for thirteen years,” it reads. “In life my firmest friend; the first to welcome, the foremost to defend; whose honest heart is still his master’s own; who laboured, fought and lived for him alone.

Feb 11th, 1894. W. Webb.”

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Newspaper articles sourced from trove.nla.gov.au

The bereft Mr Webb acquired another dog, which he also called Fido, and erected another headstone when the second animal passed. Both dogs were said to have been wrapped in Indian shawls, placed in cedar coffins and buried just feet apart at the foot of a wall in his building.

The second inscription read: “Erected in grateful remembrance of my faithful dog Fido, who died March 28, 1904. A patient partner during 10 years of life’s journey. He had eaten the same bread with me and was to me a friend. The more I know of men, the more I admire dogs. W. Webb.”

William Webb departed this life in 1909, but his doggone history tale still had plenty of bite.

In December 1937, The Argus and The Herald newspapers published articles about the revival of a controversy involving “perhaps Australia’s two most unique memorial stones”. Public sentiment earlier that century was against such commemorations and the fair folk of Bendigo took offence at the wording (specifically the last line of the second tribute). The inscriptions were thus pulled out of the wall around 1912, concreted over and the stones turned to face inwards.

The first memorial remains in situ to this day, while the fate of Fido II’s stone is unclear.

But as the saying goes, every dog has its day. According to the reports, local opposition eased over the ensuing 25 years and two young men named Myring and Hawkes had dug the tablets out, cleaned them up and were preparing to reset them in their original positions. “Unless,” concluded The Herald, “public opinion takes a hand again.”

Aram Bottams from Club X agrees the tribute to Fido I is a fascinating piece of local history, which is why it has been left visible to those who visit the store. He says people occasionally come in asking to see it. “We’ve even had one the past couple of years who comes in on the anniversary date and holds a little memorial on the spot!”

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But Aram has neither seen nor heard of the second headstone.

Former White Hills teacher Trevor Parsons learned of the “faithful dog” story from the late local historian Fred Smith while undertaking a project with his students in 1998. “We tried to document what information we could find,” says Trevor, who now lives in Queensland. “But we didn’t have access to resources like Trove back then so it was largely what Fred told us and some hearsay. Everything we wrote up

PICTURED: The W. Webb & Co. building as it stands today.

is probably long gone by now.” Trevor has heard rumours about a possible second stone, suggesting it might have been disturbed during building alterations over the decades.

Interestingly, a Trove search reveals the headstone hullaballoo was not the first time Mr Webb and his hounds made national headlines. In his will, the prominent miller left £100 to the widow and children of former employee John Gallagher, for their “kindness and attention” to Fido I during his illness; and a further £100 to Samuel Trengove, for tending his beloved Fido II. The bequest was so unusual it was reported in The Bendigo Independent, major Melbourne dailies, The Weekly Times, The Express

and Telegraph in Adelaide, Queanbeyan Age, Broken Hill Barrier Miner, Goulburn Evening Penny Post, Sydney Morning Herald and Clarence and Richmond Examiner.

The Golden Eagle Flour Mill and Granary building was constructed for Mr Webb in 1878 and taken over by Bendigo Sewing Machines Ltd in 1923. It will be remembered more recently as a nightclub, operating under names including Abbey Road, Warehouse, Hyper and Studio 54.

Redevelopment work to convert the heritage red brick warehouse into one and twobedroom apartments is due to be completed later this year.

And that, dear readers, is where we shall let sleeping dogs lie.

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where eagles fly Up in the clear blue sky above Raywood, the world’s worries don’t even register.

By Lauren Mitchell – Photography by AJ Taylor You expect to learn a new term or two when delving into a niche sport. But “pie cart” came out of the blue. At first, I failed to register the flying machines at the Bendigo Gliding Club for the faded 1950s International van blowing plumes of smoke across the airfield.

Turns out every gliding club around the world has such a pie cart, or a version of. The Bendigo club’s former CFA van would have to be a one-off. It’s a place to keep its logbooks, radio and communications equipment, plus to find respite on hot or cold days under the Raywood sky.

The Bendigo Gliding Club has been providing locals with wings since 1979. It has more than 40 members, from teenagers to octogenarians, and attracts all demographics. “We’ve had doctors and garbage collectors,” says flying instructor Craig Dilks. “It’s not elitist and pretty much anyone can learn how to fly.” Craig is just the one to teach them, too.

This is Craig’s 30th year in the air. “I’ve basically hung around gliding clubs all my life,” he says, having accompanied his fellow flight-loving dad as a kid. “I worked out I was crap at football and not interested in cricket, and when I could finally reach the gliding controls, I was hooked. This is my addiction.”

COVID-19 lockdowns aside, Craig is here at this green and glorious site north of Bendigo every weekend, sharing his love and knowledge of the sport. For him, it represents freedom. “It gives me freedom and a lot of stress relief. When you’re flying, you’re not thinking of anything else, you’re purely in the moment.”

Craig volunteers his time to teach others, in the club-owned tandem glider. The aim being for people to gain the skills to fly themselves. He says there have been many highlights over his years of gliding, but the biggest was his first solo flight. “March 21st, 1992,” he says. “It was only 12 minutes, but I remember every single detail of that flight.”

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When club member Mark Kerr had his first glider flight at the age of 19, it was likewise an experience he never forgot. “I didn’t fly again until I was about 40, and still it never left me, all that time,” Mark says. “When I found out there was a gliding club in Bendigo I came out, had a fly, and never turned back.”

The club boasts three gliders and a tow plane. There are two large hangars, a cosy clubhouse, and plans for expansion. The club has just bought part of a neighbouring paddock to accommodate an east-west airstrip and eliminate the difficulties of landing in a crosswind. Mark says it’s about making gliding accessible to anyone who dreams of flying.

“Gliding is a good way to get airborne because it’s fairly cheap, it’s challenging and it’s good fun,” he says. “Gliding is not like anything else. It’s not like a roller coaster or a Cessna or a hang glider. It’s more like being an eagle. You’re flying with eagles, because they want to be in that thermal, the same as you.”

Once a glider is towed into the air by the powered tow plane and the tow rope is released, it stays airborne via various forms of lift, including ridges, wave and, more usually in central Victoria, thermals. Thermals occur when the ground is heated by the sun and a parcel of heated air ascends, often to many thousands of feet. If a glider is flown to stay in that column of rising air, by circling, the glider will also be swept aloft. After the pilot reaches the top of the thermal, they fly off, gradually losing height, until they reach the next one. Just like eagles, AKA “the residents”.

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“This place is actually a really good spot,” Mark says on the conditions needed to glide. “The reason we see so many eagles out here is because it’s a great spot for thermals.” He says the open spaces and large farms are good for producing thermals, plus offer plenty of places to land if a glider doesn’t make it back to the airfield.

Mark will never forget the “vortex of eagles” he looked down and found sharing the same thermal one day. “I didn’t want to disturb them because they’re territorial, so I left them alone, but I’ve never forgotten them,” he says.

“Another memorable time was when the sun was setting low, and below me it looked like there were stars on the ground, and I realised it was all the farm dams, reflecting the light up, and I was just at the right angle to see it. Every flight is unique.”

Mark says it’s moments like these that take you far, far away from the world below. “It’s one of the reasons I actually fly. When you fly, nothing else takes your concentration and you leave it all on the ground, all your worries.”

Terry Bellair started gliding in 1963. He had a 30-year hiatus where he raced sailboats instead, before returning to the air. A crosscountry flyer, he boasts the feat of flying 1000km in 10 hours.

“Every day’s different,” he says. “You read the weather reports, and then you get up in the air and you find out what it’s really doing.” He says in that sense, there are lots of similarities between sailing and gliding. “You have to be able to understand the weather, then you make the most of it.” www.bendigogliding.org.au 44

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waxing lyrical Celebrated Australian ceramic artist Damon Moon has taken up residence at the Bendigo Pottery, helping fuel an art and design revival for the local icon.

By Lauren Mitchell – Photography by Leon Schoots Damon Moon drags a 1970s leather armchair across softly worn cement, and the stage is set. In one manoeuvre this quiet, dustmoated space at the Bendigo Pottery is a floor for a story.

“It was an odd upbringing,” he says. “Sometimes I’m quite jealous of people who discover clay and fall in love with it and realise that’s what they want to do for the rest of their life. For me, it’s just what I do.

If only the chair could talk; originally from the Adelaide Festival Theatre, Damon salvaged it when the theatre was refurbished during his time running the ceramics studio at JamFactory Adelaide.

Here, it’s an invitation to rest and reflect in an otherwise practical, productive studio, where work in varying degrees of manufacture waits patiently. There are Damon’s trademark skittles, plus new forms using existing Bendigo Pottery moulds, reconfigured.

“There were successful designers, painters and people like that coming and going all the time, and that to me was normal. (Think holidays with Opera House designer Jorn Utzon and having Betty Churcher, who would go on to be the Director of the National Gallery of Australia, as a ‘second mum’.) It was also very misleading. It makes you go, if you do this, you’ll be successful, then you realise, oh no, it takes a little bit more work than that.

“I like having a couple of nice things around,” Damon says of the chair’s presence. Aside from that, he insists there’s nothing romantic about his days making art; he’s simply carrying on the family business.

“Growing up with someone who’s prominent in their field and you’re also in that field, you go through a long period of asking, ‘what’s my identity?’ And there’s nothing sadder than being a pale imitation.

Gradually I learnt to negotiate that world and make a place for myself.”

Damon is the son of the late Milton Moon, OAM, one of Australia’s most famous and successful ceramic artists. After spending his entire childhood around clay and its bohemian community, Damon joined his dad in the studio of their Adelaide Hills home at the age of 15.

For Damon, the messy battle with clay and its stubborn want to return to dust is a means to navigate life. “I’m more into art and design as a way to understand the world,” he says. “And the pots are the objects that construct the world.”

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And so, there is no such thing as clocking on and off, no distinction between factory and studio, no definition between teaching, researching, writing or making.

“There’s no romanticism about it all either – but that’s a terrible thing to say,” he says. “I’ve never had a hobby. This is how I live my life. I don’t understand what hobbies are and I don’t know what a weekend is. Luckily, it can be a very fulfilling world. It’s fair to say it’s an unusual career.”

Damon has been making for more than 40 years, from fine art to manufacturing. He is the most published author on the history of Australian ceramics, a topic that formed the basis of his PhD. In the past four years alone, he has had solo shows at the Bendigo Art Gallery, Shepparton Art Museum, La Trobe Art Institute and in Milan during its design week.

Right now, his work is in the Castlemaine Art Gallery. And, importantly, he is part of an art and design revival at the historic Bendigo Pottery – alongside ever-present pottery dog, Jax. Damon met pottery owners Rod and Sally Thompson when they called into JamFactory several years ago and got talking about their plans for the Bendigo attraction and factory, which included launching a contemporary gallery space, and CLAD, the Centre for Learning and Design.

“The conversation was pretty loose really, but I thought, yeah, it’s kind of time to move,” Damon says. “I’d been at the Jam for five years and I’d done the job I wanted to do there.”

He says he liked the idea of establishing something new, plus returning to a factory. “There’s not many artists who’ve been in a factory and I kind of like them. You can actually make things, that’s what they do, manufacture.”

Right through COVID-19 restrictions that’s continued to happen.

The factory is manufacturing for some top Australian designers and restaurants, plus continuing its own 162-year production run, cementing it as Australia’s oldest, continuous pottery.

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“I’m quite happy working for other designers,” Damon says. “I’m happy working on prototypes and development for others. People have this romantic idea of artists working alone in their garret and I think, how tedious. This way, you get to meet a whole range of people and work in different domains.”

After deciding to come to Bendigo (he’d been just once before, for a ceramics conference) Damon and his partner Lucinda – a wellknown violinist – drove from Adelaide to look at houses, bought a miner’s cottage in Golden Square on their first morning here, and began preparing to join Central Victoria’s growing cultural scene.

“I’ve got this funny feeling one effect of this COVID thing is that regional towns will grow to become more culturally interesting, which is probably already happening, but I think it’s going to really accelerate,” he says. “And why wouldn’t you want to come here? If you look at the strength of the cultural infrastructure in regional Victoria, it’s unbelievable.”

Damon cites the Bendigo Art Gallery and the $45 million gallery under construction in Shepparton, plus the grassroots community, which he’s pleased to strengthen through CLAD. Before COVID-19 restrictions, at least 100 students had enrolled in a CLAD course.

The new educational arm of the pottery offers beginner and intermediate wheel-throwing classes, plus glazing workshops. It’s providing an opportunity for locals to sit behind a wheel, centre a lump of clay, and enjoy the challenge and satisfaction of creating something, and often, romantically, finding an affinity.

“If you have something at the high end but you don’t have the community involved, or give them the opportunity to do things, I don’t think it’s sustainable, that’s not real,” Damon says of the arts industry.

The industry at large has come calling recently. Following Milton Moon’s death in September last year, at the age of 92, the Gallery of South Australia is considering presenting the second major retrospective of his work.

“This is now a bit of what I do,” Damon says on caring for his father’s legacy. “He may have passed away, but the work is still there. This is the conversation I’ve been having with ceramics since I was born, and it will keep on going.”

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a healthy obsession With a passion for fair access to healthcare running deep in her blood, La Trobe’s new head of dentistry, Rachel Martin, has found her calling in Bendigo.

By Tania Sheward Associate Professor Rachel Martin laments that, in health circles, the mouth is often still seen as “outside of the body”.

“You’ll go to a doctor and they’ll look straight past your gums and your teeth and down your throat. Yet they, too, have a role in recognising what may be happening there as it affects the rest of your health and wellbeing.”

Rachel is now very well placed to “put the mouth back into the body”, as she calls it, in her role as the new Head of Dentistry and Oral Health at La Trobe University in Bendigo.

Taking up the post in February, just before COVID-19 took hold, Rachel is clear about her vision to reshape Bendigo’s oral healthcare education around community needs.

“It’s vital for oral health professionals of the future to be able to stand back and see the whole person and the whole community.

“I want students to understand that they’re not coming in to be a technician for people’s mouths. They’re coming into our program to actually build relationships with people, to help improve their health – not just their mouth health – their health.”

Rachel is a passionate believer in universal access to healthcare and an advocate, in particular, for the most vulnerable in the community.

With many in the Bendigo community already benefiting from student clinics offered as part of the university’s oral health and dentistry program, Rachel plans to provide a similar service to residents at local aged care facilities – many of whom suffer chronic oral health issues.

“Oral health students and professionals need to work together to provide opportunities for many of the Bendigo community who aren’t able to access early and timely oral health care because of the limitations on the public system.”

It’s this system that Rachel has been working her whole career to improve.

As a newly qualified dentist, her first job was working in a mobile dental clinic with Indigenous communities in Gippsland.

That experience firmly cemented her commitment to community oral health, which underpinned a more recent career move – running the oral health service within one of Australia’s largest public housing estates in inner-city Melbourne.

The clinic not only treated some of Melbourne’s most vulnerable clients, it also shared space with Victoria’s first medically supervised injecting room in Richmond.

According to Rachel, solving existing problems is only part of the picture. Her vision is to educate all patients, and treat them as collaborators, in a bid to prevent health problems in the first place.

“Dentistry has traditionally been viewed as doing fillings, pulling teeth out and reconstructing. There’s so much more work that the profession can do at the other end of the spectrum – preventing disease and working on it at an early stage.

“Tooth decay and gum disease are the most common chronic diseases in our community, but they are also the most preventable. We haven’t been able to address those by building clinics and telling people to come to them. What is needed is a different approach.”

Central to Rachel’s approach is creating opportunities for closer collaboration between oral health and other health professionals – to deliver a holistic “whole person” service to patients. La Trobe’s Rural Health School in Bendigo trains a whole range of health practitioners, from physiotherapists to paramedics, nurses, and speech pathologists, among others.

The idea of integrated healthcare education is already taking root at the school. For example, future midwives are being trained

to examine pregnant women’s mouths, to identify issues and refer them on, setting the scene for good oral health for the baby and in early childhood.

“I see the university as becoming a leader in the space of interprofessional collaboration and particular models of working.”

Rachel co-founded the Australian Network for Integration of Oral Health, which brings together academia, government and healthcare providers, to explore innovative ways of integrating oral and general health throughout a person’s lifespan.

“If we think about the access that people in rural and remote areas have to dental services, there are some people who would need to drive eight to 10 hours to even get to a dentist.

“Another approach is training and supporting the health professionals that are available in those communities to actually recognise early signs of disease when it can be reversed. And to recognise what the risks are for people to develop oral diseases.”

Meeting Rachel, it’s clear that social equity and justice run deep in her blood. She comes from a family that cares strongly about helping others. Rachel talks with pride about her 84-year-old father who still works as a medical science researcher – well into what most consider retirement age.

“My mother was an inspiration, too. She was a physiotherapist initially and then went on to be a medical ethicist. With my parents as role models and growing up in that space, I was raised to have a real sense of ‘what can we do to help others?’.

“That’s why I’ve come to the La Trobe Rural Health School. I see an amazing opportunity to make a difference to the health and wellbeing of our Bendigo community – there are many great things that we can achieve together.”

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giving back to kids From patient to healthcare professional — this BSSC alumna transformed the most challenging time of her young life into an opportunity to give back.

By John Holton Bendigo Senior Secondary College alumna Kendall Pearson never dreamed that one of the biggest challenges of her formative years would be the catalyst for a career in specialised health care.

As a teenager, Kendall developed a condition called kyphoscoliosis, not only causing her spine to curve in an S-shape, but out to one side as well.

The inevitability of her spine curving even more and causing breathing difficulties motivated her decision to have surgery at the age of 14.

“I was obviously really scared,” she remembers. “I didn’t know what the future would hold, but I would almost certainly have suffered more pain and developed other complications.”

Surgeons removed four of Kendall’s vertebrae and relocated two ribs, before fusing her spine into place with titanium rods and screws.

Despite such major surgery and a long and difficult recovery, Kendall remembers that time in the Royal Children’s Hospital with great fondness.

“I had the most wonderful care at the Royal Children’s,” she says. “I thought, wouldn’t it be amazing to one day give it back.”

By the time Kendall arrived at BSSC in 2012, she had a clear vision of becoming a paediatric nurse.

“I remember being totally overwhelmed by the opportunities and choices the college offered, but also really pumped to be in my final two years of formal schooling,” she recalls.

“Because I had a strong career goal, I was able to choose subjects that led me on that pathway… biology, health and human development, and a new subject at the time

called extended investigations. I did research on scoliosis, something I had experienced first-hand. It was a good precursor to studying nursing.”

paediatric nursing was completely different to what it actually is. I love working with the kids.

I get to have an impact on their life that I didn’t anticipate.”

The wait for her ATAR score in 2013 was a nerve-wracking experience, made more so because she wasn’t the only one in her family waiting. She and her identical twin sister Damara had both just graduated from BSSC.

In her third year at university, Kendall was fortunate to do a clinical placement in the Kookaburra Ward at the RCH — the children’s oncology ward. She describes it as an eyeopening and transformative experience.

They anxiously waited to see who would learn of their fate first. Kendall’s score arrived five minutes after Damara’s.

Kendall was hopeful, but not certain, that her ATAR would be high enough to get her into nursing. She had been a participant in La Trobe University’s Uni Bridges program while at BSSC and received an early offer into health sciences, so she knew it was still a pathway into her dream job if she wasn’t accepted for nursing.

In the end, she “scraped through” into her nursing degree by just 0.15 points.

“I think that close call made me even more excited to have the opportunity,” she says. “My advice to students awaiting their ATAR in 2020 is that a few years down the track, it really won’t be a significant number in your life… don’t let it define you.

“There are so many pathways to get you where you want to be. It might not always be the direct route you imagined.”

“It was heartbreaking at times, but I knew this was where I wanted to be,” she says. “I knew what a challenge it would be, but I really wanted to be with those kids and I still love it.”

Kendall sees it as an honour to work with children and support them through what is often a time of fear and uncertainty. She is regularly blown away by their resilience and ability to bounce back.

“The field I’m in is very specialised and I assist with a whole range of procedures,” Kendall says. “For example, having a feeding tube changed can be really stressful and quite traumatic for a child. It’s so rewarding to be able to provide comfort and distraction.

“Something as simple as rubbing their hand, singing songs to them, playing music… any distraction I can provide makes a huge difference.”

Kendall encourages other young people who feel drawn to nursing, or any other vocation, to follow their heart.

Kendall’s dream did indeed bring her fullcircle. She is now a medical imaging nurse in paediatrics at the Royal Children’s Hospital and remembers her first day on the job as very surreal.

“If you feel strongly about it, absolutely go for it, no matter what your grades are looking like,” she urges the current cohort of BSSC Year 12s. “Cherish your time at school, make the most of all those friendships, and above all, have fun.

“I was a bundle of nerves, but it was very exciting,” she says. “My impression of

“I wish I’d had a lot more fun in Year 11 and 12 and took life a little less seriously.”

55

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what I did in iso Our columnist is energised by the winds of COVID to catalogue life’s highlights.

By Geoff Hocking While waiting, rather than pretend to be working at the easel, I sat at my desk, switched on my light-box and began to sort through a bag of slides – photographs taken more than 50 years ago on our ‘grand tour’ of Europe.

I downloaded a slide-copying app and, over the following week, snapped through more than 1000, keeping them for posterity in a form that may not be consigned to the skip when I am no longer around to save them.

As a consequence of this sorting and filing, I have made about half-a-dozen online photobooks of our travels, which I have named appropriately: The Road to Morocco, La Belle France, Our Greek Odyssey, Deutschland Uber Alles, This England and so on.

I have since discovered that quite a number of friends, colleagues and people I know/ don’t really know on Facebook have been doing the same thing. Artists have been cataloguing their life’s work, going through their plans drawers and putting everything into some kind of order, just in case.

COVID-19 really put the wind up so many of us who are of a particular age, who had thought we were untouchable but soon realised how vulnerable we had become because of the accumulation of our years.

I shut my studio door for the second weekend of Open Studios 2020, took down my banner and we locked ourselves in.

The pandemic has proven to be a very productive time for many. The hardware stores, nurseries and garden suppliers

have had a booming trade. People have relearned how to cook. Sourdough bread making has become the thing to do, forcing supermarkets to ration flour and other essentials.

I relocated some photocopies I had made several years ago of my great-grandfather’s diary of a trip he took to the west coast of America in 1915. Along with these diaries was another, kept by my grandfather of a trip he took to the goldfields of Western Australia in 1902-03.

I had never met either of these men, and had little knowledge of their lives, other than the fact that both lived in Golden Square, were both God-fearing Methodists, both worked in the underground mining profession and, judging by their photographs, both looked like the rest of my family.

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I began to transcribe both diaries.

My grandfather, William Edward Hocking, had handwriting that was not very neat. His spelling and capitalisation of random letters made transcription a creative process. His father, also named William Hocking, wrote in a copperplate hand, a result of a primary school education in the Victorian era.

Although, there was one thing not taught him and that was the value of the paragraph. His diary entries simply rolled on over more than 100 pages of looping copperplate.

RIGHT: Mines of Michigan.

BELOW: Geoff Hocking’s grandfather on the left. William Edward Hocking, dressed in his Sunday best, on February 8, 1903, 112 Fahrenheit in the shade.

It took me more than a week to read through, interpret and type them up.

The most confusing thing was that my forebears were not very creative when it came to family names. Apart from my father’s father, William E, his grandfather was also William, and his great-grandfather was also William (John), who married Elizabeth Hocking from two streets away in the Cornish village of Tuckingmill. I don’t know whether they were cousins, or even related at all, but they certainly were from the same tribe, just different huts.

There are names that circulate with unnerving regularity in this family history: James, Richard and John, Elizabeth, Jane and Grace. They didn’t look much further than the English royals when it came to choosing Christian names.

There are also surnames, which I know were common in Bendigo once upon a time, that are leaves on our family tree: Mayne, Williams, Nankervis. In the middle of all this trying to sort out who was whom, I paid my subscription to an online family tree search engine and, to my surprise, discovered that a branch of my mother’s family tree had been grafted on to my father’s. A greatgranddaughter of my maternal grandparents had married a great-grandson from the other side. The family tree had dug itself firmly into the soil after three generations – creating an unbroken circle of which we were not aware.

If this is difficult to follow, imagine how frustrating it was to stare at two diaries, written more than a century ago, by two men both called William Hocking. It was only when I read that William, the one that went to America, was standing by his mother’s grave in Calumet, Michigan USA, that it dawned on me these were diaries written by two different men. I should have known this by the handwriting, but I had assumed one was written ‘in the field’, and its roughness could be attributed to that, while the other had just been tidied up for posterity.

Once I had made this discovery, I began to assign different colours to their names on the screen just so I could keep track of them.

Grandfather William E went to the west in 1902; apparently to save up enough money, quickly, ready to marry upon his return to Golden Square. He meticulously recorded every penny earned, and spent, and after a year of toil, underground in the heat of 58

the mines around Kalgoorlie, he sailed home and married his sweetheart, Emily Jane Nankervis. Within two months of their wedding in the Methodist Church at East Brunswick, they sailed off to New Zealand where he worked in the mines of Otago and Nelson.

I have a photograph of Will and Janie standing in front of a snow-covered cottage they had rented in Nelson – one of my aunties, then just a baby, in a crib between them. Since making a small book out of these diaries, one of my cousins has told me that, quite unbeknown to him, he had stayed in that very cottage, now a B&B, when he was on a holiday in NZ. Serendipity or what?

When my great-grandfather took himself off to the USA in 1915, he was retracing his steps. It was during a period of economic decline in Cornwall that, with his mother and father and brothers, they had left England to work in the copper mines in Michigan in 1874-76. There was quite a diaspora of Cornishmen to America, and other mining centres, at that time.

When he went back in 1915, he first visited the great San Francisco Exposition. It was just six years after the great earthquake and fire that destroyed most of the port city and the Expo was built to show to the world the power and progress of American arts and industry.

Great-grandfather William was fascinated by all things mechanical and records in his diaries details of everything he saw.

He records his impressions of American cities and is dismayed at the lack of public conveniences. He did not approve of the American practice of heading into stores to use their lavatories and took it upon himself to let a policeman in the street know that things were much better back home in Golden Square.

At a fair held on the banks of the Great Lakes, a stallholder informed him there was “another Cornishman at the fair, over there, with a large model of a working mine”.

William took himself off to inspect this model only to discover that its maker was his wife Grace’s cousin from Tuckingmill, who no one had heard from in 40 years.

1 29/05/2020 2:17 PM Page 43

A BOVE : Engineering students at the ABOVE: Engineering students at the Isle Isle RoyalRoyal Mine. Mine.

A BOVE : The Quincy Rock House.

ABOVE: The Quincy Rock House.

A BOVE : Workers at the Baltic Mine.

ABOVE: Workers at the Baltic Mine.

A BOVE : Red Jacket Shaft. Calumet.

ABOVE: Red Jacket Shaft, Calumet.

A BOVE :‘Jumbo’ ‘Jumbo’ – Calumet Compressor House.

ABOVE: – Calumet Compressor House.

A BOVE : Trimountain Mill.

ABOVE: Trimountain Mill.

The Cornish, who made up a large part of Bendigo’s early mining history, seem to be found down holes all over the world. William visited a brother in Grass Valley, California, another in Butte, Montana, and an aunt in San Francisco.

He re-acquainted himself with friends and families who he had known from home.

The one thing I have discovered from his diaries is that there must be blood-relatives somewhere over there who bear the same name, the same history and probably look just like the rest of us. I wonder who they are.

My great-grandfather did not carry a camera in 1915, so there 43 were no photographs along with his written memoir, just one or two newspaper cuttings. However, I was able to find a photograph of almost every mine he had described, thanks to Mr Google. It is interesting to see how the mine-heads of Michigan differ greatly from the ubiquitous poppet head we know from around Bendigo.

At the conclusion of his diary, he wrote how glad he was to be back in Bendigo and that he had given a copy of his diary to the Bendigo Advertiser in the hope that it may

be published. I don’t know whether that happened, but it has now.

In the end, I had a small number of books made up – just enough for the family. There are about 30 first cousins left. None are named William. After all these years, and several generations in Australia, it has come down to one small boy named Levi James, my youngest grandson, the only descendant to bear the family surname into the future.

I trust that he is comfortable with his responsibility.

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getting back to nature

Finding ways to keep your mind and body healthy and happy during the COVID-19 pandemic can be a challenge. So many of our regular recreational activities, like team sports, are now off limits.

By Lisa Chesters, Federal Member for Bendigo - Photograph by AJ Taylor The disruption to normal routine has had some positives. The pandemic has reminded many to cherish the simple pleasures in life, like putting on the walking shoes and getting back to nature. At a time when many are feeling anxious or low, being outside generates a number of physical and mental benefits. Not only is it good for your body, a walk, run or bike ride can help relieve stress, strengthen immunity, sharpen focus and calm the mind.

Bendigo is in a unique position where state forests hug our city. Bendigo is surrounded by box-ironbark woodlands that boast a diverse array of plants and animals, as well as Indigenous and European cultural heritage sites.

Because of this, Central Victoria provides the perfect landscape to explore the outdoors and break up the days with outdoor activity.

Lake Weeroona and Kennington Reservoir (affectionately known as the Kenny Res) are two of the most popular walking loops,

particularly for families.

What many don’t know is that Crusoe Reservoir has undergone many aspects of revegetation and habitat restoration, including frog ponds, nest boxes and a variety of native plants.

Many of these places are accessible by bike, depending on where you live. Cycling has always been popular in Bendigo but the COVID-19 pandemic has seen a huge spike in bike sales, with many local bike stores selling out completely.

For those looking for a longer trail to conquer, it’s hard to go past the O’Keefe Rail Trail, which is also popular with walkers. The trail explores 49km of the historic Bendigo-toHeathcote railway line, first linking the towns during the gold rush in 1888.

The amazing Friends of the O’Keefe Rail Trail have worked for many years to improve accessibility to the trail.

The O’Keefe Rail Trail provides the unique opportunity to stop halfway in Axedale, where

the trail crosses the Campaspe River. Those lucky enough will get the chance to spot platypus in that area, as well as other wildlife along the track.

One of my absolute favourites is the Cascades at Metcalfe, just 40 minutes from Bendigo.

This natural wonder features water whirls down through rockpools, crevices and little caverns. It’s hard to believe that you are still in Central Victoria when you’re looking out of these cascades.

These are just a few of the many outdoor gems our region has to offer. Whether it’s fishing, cycling, mountain biking, walking or hiking, Central Victoria has something for everyone and every fitness level.

Getting outside costs little but gives so much back. It’s good for the mind, body and soul. When COVID-19 restrictions allow, make a day of it, like we did as kids. I recommend every Central Victorian get out and explore a new piece of nature in our own region this spring.

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life in

lockdown

We know all about the big story, the timeline, the goal, after all, we’re in this together. But what of the private, inner life in lockdown? Here’s a little…

By Lauren Mitchell – Photography by Leon Schoots Mid-August

I’m wearing the pink jumper again. It’s a dark, dull pink, flecked with grey and badly pitted. The lining is bright fuchsia faux wool, matted and protruding around the cuffs, the neck, the hood. It’s a size XL. With my skinny legs, I look like a flamingo, gone to fat. Welcome to my lockdown.

I bought this jumper from a sidewalk rack of oddities on Phillip Island three years ago; five months pregnant and grey as a ghost.

En route to visit family, we’d detoured for the night to take our boy to the penguin parade. At 3pm, I was cold and worried for an evening in the elements, when I saw this jumper. Big enough to buffer my bump, there was nothing seeping through that 100 percent polyester pile. No one knew me here. I didn’t have to wear it again.

body is placed in my arms. We joke it feels rebellious. We joke and it feels good.

I’m wearing it every day. Sometimes with the hood up.

June

April

There are homing pigeons flying over our back yard. I’m not sure what I think of this hobby; the idea that sometimes even birds in the sky are not free.

It’s all teddy bears and rainbows and school day lunches in the garden. We’re not home five minutes and social media is ping, pinging over creative ways to spend the days. My god, we’re slow cooking. We’re revelling in the comfort of working from home. We’re peaking way too early. I’m still wearing jeans.

May Our little dog is missing from the back yard. I post her picture on Facebook, with the message she answers to Pip. Sometimes.

Within moments there’s a response to say she’s around the corner with a neighbour. A small group of us meet beside the road for the handover. We break the 1.5-metre rule as Pip’s warm, wiry little

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We are out of lockdown now, so I meet a friend for lunch at a café.

We dance around each other and the invisible yardstick between.

The room is sparsely furnished, yet every table is full, and the noise of it is too much to bear. I write my name and phone number on a piece of paper stuck to the window. I hold the menu, thinking about who else has held the menu. I can’t make a decision and feel caged in.

Back home, I slip into slippers and the pink jumper and boil the kettle for a Nescafe in the kitchen. I’ve become a homing pigeon.

July

Later in August

It’s the school holidays and we’re allowed an extra five teenagers in the house. The bloated, empty spaces of the house are filled with their laughter and love for each other.

I give Dan Andrews a hug. Virtually, online. I’m sick of all the online.

Webinars, Zooms, Teams etc etc. My cousin in Tatura sends me a Facebook invitation to view the Phillip Island Penguin Parade online.

While my son is in the bath, we join 42,000 others to see teeny tiny waddling bodies blurrily tiptoe from sea to sand. It’s pretty shitty.

I’m holding the phone with one hand, bathing my son with the other, when the pink jumper sleeve slips down and gets wet. It needed to go in the wash anyway.

August Do I watch the news or choose ignorance? I start buying the paper again but only for the quiz. I think my husband is some kind of savant genius, and how did I not know this about him after 23 years? Then the slow dawning that he bought the paper and had quiet prior access to the answers. I’m slipping.

The Age has published an obituary on two ordinary elderly Melbourne women who died of COVID-19. It’s probably the only time they’ve been in the paper. The story glosses over bare stats like; three children, six grandchildren. There’s a whole, full, heroic life diminished in that one line and I am sobbing.

I decide on an evening scan of the ABC website for the day’s figures.

A morbid nightly tally of the ill and the dead. The numbers are coming down and we are praised like children. Dan Andrews needs a hug.

…early September Sunshine. Manchurian pear blossom, wattle blossom too. We dismantle the couch cushion cubby in favour of a freshly built sandpit under the big native in the back yard.

The pencil mark on the kitchen door frame tells me our young son has grown two inches since April. He is growing cheeky, funny, so clever. He is oblivious. Outside, the pear blossom rains down with the spring wind.

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BSSC Alumni

Embracing opportunities Billie Taylor – Class of 2018

Keegan Bakker – Class of 2008

At Bendigo Senior Secondary College we love hearing about the many and varied pathways our Alumni have taken to discover their strengths, follow their passions in life, and forge careers both locally and abroad.

2007 graduate, Thomas Prince, spoke to us recently about his passion for community projects and the doors that have opened for him as a result. Kendall Pearson, from the Class of 2013, told us how she set her sights on a pathway to paediatric nursing after having major surgery as a teenager.

Thomas Prince – Class of 2007

Keegan Bakker graduated in 2008 and had an amazing media career before starting his own company, designing software used by almost every radio station in the country. And 2018 graduate, Billie Taylor, is the Deputy Youth Mayor of Bendigo and is passionate about giving the young people in the region a voice.

Kendall Pearson – Class of 2013

All of these Alumni followed their passion at BSSC, and were able to choose from the widest range of VCE, VET and VCAL subjects available in Victoria.

Like to find out more?

Drop us a line... alumni@bssc.edu.au

Bendigo Senior Secondary College Empowering learners for individual, community and global leadership

www.bssc.edu.au

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shining bright

Apprentice electrician Joel Handcock.

Bendigo TAFE is represented well in the soonto-be announced 2020 Victorian Training Awards, with two finalists vying for titles.

Electrician Joel Handcock is up for Apprentice of the Year, while staff member Torin Coakley is a finalist in the Teacher/Trainer of the Year category.

Joel is studying Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician at our Charleston Road campus, and also works for Simplot Australia in Echuca, a leading global food manufacturing company. This is not Joel’s first career path – he started as a fitter and turner, but eventually gravitated into electronics.

Going from being a full-time tradesperson overseeing apprentices to undertaking a new apprenticeship at age 28 had its challenges, including living on an apprentice’s wage. Joel became a father during his first year, so he adopted a strict work/study/home-life balance, and managed lesson time by making full use of Bendigo TAFE’s online modules to study at home.

Teacher Torin Coakley has many years of building and construction experience behind him and is not sharing that knowledge with students.

His passion for teaching is clear – he recently undertook the Certificate IV in Building and Construction and the Diploma of Building and Construction to update his own knowledge of the industry and to gain fresh insight into the experience of being a TAFE student.

Bendigo Kangan Institute CEO Sally Curtain is proud to see Bendigo TAFE so well represented.

“The Victorian Training Awards is one of the state’s most important showcase events to celebrate the best in the TAFE and training sector. Making it to the finals demonstrates the outstanding skills and abilities of our students, as well as the great work by our teachers in helping students achieve their educational goals.”

A leader at the institute has also been recognised as one of Victoria’s top public servants.

The head of Bendigo Kangan Institute’s Group Branding and Student Acquisition team, Caroline Schmidt (pictured left), has been named in the 2020 IPAA Top 50 Public Sector Women.

Ms Schmidt has been recognised in the Emerging Leader section.

Her role is to lead the team of people who not only find creative ways to

Bendigo TAFE teacher Torin Coakley.

advertise the courses on offer at Bendigo TAFE, but also manage the enrolment process for new students as they sign up, and deliver fun student events and graduation ceremonies.

Caroline’s aim is to ensure all new students have access to the right level of support and information so that the beginning of their training journey at Bendigo TAFE is efficient and effective.

She is passionate about supporting all students, which was evident at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when she organised the immediate distribution of food vouchers for impacted international students and support for those with financial and emotional needs.

CEO Sally Curtain says she was not surprised to see Ms Schmidt’s name on the Top 50 list.

“She has worked exceptionally hard to ensure our organisation, its student and its staff have been guided through this COVID-19 crisis.

But above and beyond that, Caroline’s contribution to the TAFE sector is immense and that is to the great benefit of Bendigo TAFE.” 65

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nurturing talent Making art is changing lives at the Creative Community Studios in Eaglehawk.

By Lauren Mitchell – Photography by AJ Taylor Bendigo Magazine visits the Creative Community Studios the day the imminent second lockdown is announced, so suffice to say, outside in the world, the mood is low. But this visit proves the perfect antidote, for within the Eaglehawk Baptist Church walls, the music is pumping and lunch is served, along with a generous helping of light, love and laughter.

and development in many other aspects of life.

This is the vibe Melissa Currie had dreamed of. “Isn’t it nice,” she says. “I’ve worked hard for this.”

While Melissa directs the supports and the overall creative vision, she is assisted by the program’s creative coordinator, Sebastian Ratcliffe. An alumnus of La Trobe University in Bendigo, Sebastian studied Visual Arts and Graphic Design, the accumulated knowledge from which he is able to proactively use in the program. “It’s great to be able to properly use my creative studies in a professional way, even indirectly,” he says.

Melissa is the studio’s creative director. She’s worked in disability support for the past 10 years, and all her experience with the community has shown her the need and potential for a place such as this; an all-abilities art studio that fosters people’s innate talents, and assists them to bloom, which in turns brings growth, confidence

Creative Community Studios is a community-focused disability support program headed by Complex Behaviour Change in Castlemaine. The overall creative vision Melissa has is “a personcentred, holistic approach to assisting individuals with NDIS funding to personally, socially, and creatively grow”.

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Melissa says when studio members share their unique talents and gifts, the dignity, uniqueness and freedom of each individual is honoured, allowing their goals to flourish. The studio not only teaches and promotes art for health and wellbeing, it supports the artists to sell and exhibit their work.

“I passionately believe people need to be together, to connect and grow and develop creatively,” she says of this program of art, as well as fitness, dancing, capacity building in the home, gardening, connecting with nature and animals, and woodworking. “My idea was to create a professional studio in this region, and to employ staff passionate about art, music, dance and gardening.”

Melissa herself has a diploma in art therapy and is an artist. “Art gives me peace and freedom and connectedness. It’s what’s given me the inspiration to do what I do with people. To help others find that spark and develop that.”

She says the studio is now nurturing many people who were otherwise isolated at home. One of those is Wayne Jackson, who on the morning we visit is working on a portrait of himself and his wife. He’s also just finished a piece for the Inclusive Arts Network Exhibition in Geelong, called Monkey at Play.

The October exhibition will also feature the work of fellow studio artists Michelle Loschiavo, Matthew Considine, Patrick Mawson and Corey Borg.

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“It feels pretty good actually,” Wayne says on his achievement. “It gives me inspiration and a creative feeling.”

Wayne says now the studio is part of his life, he thinks about it when he’s not here, planning and dreaming of what he’ll paint next. He says before he met the studio’s lead art facilitator, Alicia Luvara, he’d never even picked up a paintbrush, and now he’s completed at least 100 works.

“The first time Wayne came he was so hesitant, but his confidence is incredible now,” Alicia says. “He’s got his own style going on, he chooses his own colours and brings in his own reference material.

I’m just company for him now, he doesn’t need much guidance. For someone who didn’t think they could draw or paint, he’s thriving.

“Wayne’s not really meant to be here today, that’s how much he loves it. He’s made so many friends here and is such a social, generous person, he’s always telling us how much he loves coming.”

Alicia, who is also a practising artist and a mental health nurse, says she loves it, too. “It’s like my dream job; getting to support people and being creative as well. As an artist it’s so inspiring for my own practice, because they’re so free. They appreciate what you do for them, and they tell you. Just to see the growth in them is so rewarding.”

The studio has also developed strong ties with the L’Arche community in Bendigo, hinting at a promising future of collaboration.

Follow the studio members, their work and achievements, via the Creative Community Studios Facebook page.

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COVID and communication Back to the Future’s Doc to Marty “Marty whatever you do, don’t go to the year 2020”

By Dirk de Moore — Audiologist, Bendigo Hearing Clinic As I write this, Central Victoria is still under stage 3 restrictions and even if they are lifted soon, we will be living with ongoing restrictions of some sort for a long time. COVID-19 has affected our way of life but also impacted our ability to communicate.

While it is the hearing impaired, who I deal with most, who have been severely impacted, we all will have to live with three key factors that will continue to affect our communication.

Face masks Who would have thought as the new year dawned that by spring we would all be walking around in face masks. Washable cloth masks are quite popular and comfortable and better for the environment, given that I recently read we are using a staggering 129 billion disposable masks worldwide each month. Apart from not seeing someone’s expression, masks adversely impact communication in two ways. First, they act as an acoustic barrier and drop the speech signal anywhere from three decibels to 12 decibels with the N95 respirator masks. They acoustically act as a lowpass filter, allowing low speech sound through but reducing high-pitched sounds, making it even harder to hear that young girl at the checkout.

However, the most obvious impact masks have is to reduce our ability to lip read. Those with

significant hearing loss can lip read anywhere from up to 50 percent to 80 percent of speech, but we all gain about 15 percent of speech understanding from lip reading. A simple exercise to demonstrate this is to watch the nightly news and cover the TV with a blanket, then turn the volume down to a level where you can’t quite follow the speech. Remove the blanket and you’ll be able to follow every word. As I write this, the Swiss are patenting clear facial masks that won’t fog up.

Social distancing For 37 years as an audiologist, I’ve been telling people to move closer together. Now we are telling everybody to move further apart!

Understanding speech relies on gaining a person’s attention, facing them and being close enough to allow them to hear you. Social distancing makes it harder to understand speech because every time we double the distance from someone, say from the mandated 1.5 metres to three metres, we drop the speech signal by six decibels. Also, we are pushing them potentially closer to other distracting noises like traffic or air conditioners, thereby further reducing the signal-to-noise ratio and hence speech understanding.

Poor internet speed Now this is where I could get all political and bang

on about why we just didn’t spend the money and build the NBN properly.

Poor internet speeds and connectivity are not helping communication during this pandemic.

Zoom conferences range from high to appalling in quality with images sometimes freezing, faces fuzzy and the sound often distorted.

Looking at measures to improve your internet connectivity and even investing in good-quality headphones, or better still if you have even a mild hearing loss, the latest hearing aids that have superb Bluetooth streaming capability, will improve your chances of successful communication.

Stay safe, stay well, stay positive.

For more advice on improving your hearing and ability to communicate, make an appointment at the Bendigo Hearing Clinic on 5442 5800 or visit www.bendigohearingclinic.com.au

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the iso dough

Bendigo heeds the need to knead during lockdown.

People all over the world have been making sourdough to help fill in time during COVID-19 lockdowns. So we called on one of Bendigo’s best home sourdough bakers, @molly_sugdon, to bring you some words of wisdom – and find out how they feel about the time-honoured tradition of sourdough baking being used as a mere time filler.

How do you feel about that, Molly?

In general, it’s a good thing when people do things for themselves, whatever the reason might be.

I think the COVID restrictions have demonstrated how reliant on others our society has become for our food. So it’s my hope that people making sourdough for the first time feel a sense of satisfaction by being more self-reliant and that they learn to take pleasure from using only three simple ingredients; flour, salt and water, to make a basic food staple that has sustained civilisations for centuries.

Can one simply look up a sourdough recipe online, have a quick crack and be successful?

Two-minute noodles are quick.

Sourdough is not. If you were going to make a cake for the first time and you were after a quick result, you would probably be best to start with something simple like fairy cakes, not croquembouche. The same principal applies to bread-making. A yeasted bread will give faster results and is less complicated.

The essence of sourdough is the starter.

It takes at least three days to see any activity at all when creating a new starter and can take a week before it’s ready to bake with.

Of course there are people who have immediate success with sourdough… but for most of us it takes a willingness to carefully follow a recipe, patience and practise. There is a science to creating sourdough and understanding how and why sourdough works is key to getting good and consistent results.

What got you started and how did you learn?

My oldest son started experimenting with sourdough when he was a teenager. We were also building an outdoor wood-fired pizza oven at about that time. I used to make yeasted bread for a long time. I’d cook 12 loaves at a time in the pizza oven.

It was terrific bread, but someone gave me a recipe for a sourdough starter that Jamie 74

Oliver had recommended. It was pretty hocus pocus, ‘put it outside on a moonlit night when the bardie grubs are nesting’ or something similar.

However, I discovered it’s not that hard to get a starter going and I began to make sourdough. Then my partner and I went to the King Valley for a weekend course on sourdough baking. The instructor taught us how to use a baker’s formula to calculate percentages and ratios of water, flour and starter. Everything seemed to click into place then. That was close to 20 years ago and I’ve been making sourdough ever since.

Tell us about your starter... (We hear some people give their starters names!)

I don’t name my starter (except when it doesn’t work and then I have plenty of names to call it). A starter is simply equal parts of flour and water. I use rye flour because it is more active (more bubbles – that’s what you want). Some people claim to have a starter that is 50 years old and that came from monks living in the Himalayas or other such romantic tales. However, although your precious starter might have been started 50 years ago, you are constantly taking away from it as you use it and feeding it with new ingredients, so it is really an exaggeration to believe you still have the same thing you started with!

How does one way of baking bread keep you challenged?

My usual sourdough range includes plain, pumpkin and cumin, fougasse and walnut. The pursuit of the perfect loaf is what keeps me motivated.

Air pockets should be evenly distributed throughout the loaf, it should have a ‘good ear’ (the look of the slash on the top – it should appear a little like the curl of a wave about to break). The colour on each loaf should range between golden caramel to deep brown. The flavour should be full and wheaten. Texture is very important. Yeasted bread generally compacts between your fingers when pinched, whereas sourdough will not.

How often were you baking in lockdown? And how much sourdough can one household handle?

During the COVID lockdown I baked a sourdough loaf daily. Once my starter is bubbling away vigorously, it is in control – I

have to make a loaf! It would be criminal not to. Currently there is only one bread eater in our household, but I seem to manage to give it away quite easily to friends, neighbours and family. Of course when I began making sourdough all those years ago, my four teenaged children lived at home and they were all hungry all the time!

What other kitchen adventures are you embarking on at this time?

As well as my bread baking, I’m currently baking a cake a week – cakes I’ve never made before. So far I’ve made a Whole Pear and Chocolate cake, a Sicilian Apple cake and a Sour Cherry cake.

Recently I’ve made homemade smoked bacon, Capicola (a dry cured meat) and at present I have 10kg of pork shoulder ready to make into Chorizo sausages.

What does sourdough teach you?

One thing it’s taught me is that people want to be your friend! On a serious note though, I have always been a person who feels great satisfaction in making things. I enjoy building, gardening and all types of cooking.

Baking sourdough is simply an extension of that.

I think that anything to take the focus off the pandemic is a good thing. Whether a person makes sourdough as a once-off experiment or it becomes a lifetime passion doesn’t matter.

Finally, do you have any expert tips/hints or recipes for plebs playing along at home?

Get your starter going well, so that it at least doubles in size. This might take up to 10 hours. Unlike yeasted dough, sourdough needs to be wet and sticky. Don’t worry how sticky it is to begin with as the texture will change as you follow the process and knead the dough.

Kneading is a very enjoyable part of making sourdough. There are many and varied kneading techniques but as long as you stretch the dough out in some way it will be fine.

Late at night when I can’t sleep, I use the French ‘slap and fold’ method of kneading just to let other household members know that I’m still awake and working. (The dough makes quite a loud noise when slapped on the wooden kitchen table.)

But most important of all, enjoy the act of making something.

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bruschetta

brush-up

By Beau Cook - Photography by Leon Schoots

A much-loved regional cafe staple is re-imagined for the home cook.

This recipe is a remake of one of my favourite summer dishes from Origini Café Castlemaine.

Featuring Sprout Bakery fat baguettes, Holy Goat goat’s cheese, Barfold olive oil, B&B Basil herb salad.

BROAD BEAN AND GOATS CHEESE BRUSCHETTA Ingredients: • 4 slices of bread, toasted • 150g broad beans (blanched and twice peeled) • 1 avocado • 120g goat’s cheese • Lemon cheeks for serving • Herb salad • Olive oil, salt & pepper to serve Method: 1. Prep broad beans, set aside.

2. Remove avocado flesh, place in a bowl and smash with a fork.

3. Toast bread then spread over some goat’s cheese, top with smashed avo and broad beans.

4. Season with salt and pepper, serve alongside the herb salad then drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.

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fine vines

Just like their wines, local vineyards are getting better and better with time.

By Ashley Raeburn - Restaurant Manager - Alium Dining Photograph by Leon Schoots This boutique winery seems to be getting better with every vintage.

Family owned and operated since the first vines were planted in the mid 1970s, The Vine’s (yes that’s their surname!) now have three generations working together to produce exceptional wines from the

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Bendigo region. Hosting a particularly delightful cellar door and extremely impressive gardens, it is very easy to spend a spring afternoon sampling the ranges of wines with a gourmet cheese platter. Don’t forget to check out Pam’s regularly changing art exhibitions as well.

GLENWILLOW, RESERVE SHIRAZ 2013 The name Glenwillow WInes has become synonymous with the Bendigo region due to its well deserved success throughout national and international wine award shows. Family owned and operated, you can see the Italian heritage shining though vigneron Peter Fyffe’s blood with his love and attention to the traditional Italian varietals Nebbiolo and Barbera through to the Australian classics of Shiraz and Cabernet. With the vineyard located in the little township of Yandoit Creek (between Castlemaine and Daylesford), Glenwillow have set up their cellar door at the historical Bendigo Pottery where you can sample some of the regions finest wines at Australia’s oldest working pottery.

The word ‘Reserve’ can often be bandied around when it comes to the wine world. Here, Glenwillow only produces this wine when the grapes are deemed to be of outstanding quality where just six rows of the very best grapes were picked to produce this exceptional wine. From the initial aromas of blood red plums, dark berries and spice through to the seductively smooth palate exhibiting flavours of the rice ripe red and black fruit we have come to love from the Bendigo region, this wine screams class. The fine, fully integrated tannins add further depth and the velvety, silky finish draws you back to the glass for another mouthful.

Don’t wait for a celebration to open this wine, the wine itself deserves a celebration.

TURNERS CROSSING, VIOGNIER 2018

MANDURANG VALLEY, GSM 2019

Honouring the name of a former local publican who purchased the land at the vineyard site in 1868 which is nestled on the banks of the Loddon River, approximately 50km northwest of Bendigo. Since the mid 2000s, the Turners Crossing team have been regularly producing exceptional wines from varietals such as Shiraz, Cabernet, Viognier and the rare Italian varietal Picolit.

The GSM (Grenache, Shiraz, Monastrell) has become quite a staple for the Mandurang Valley team over the past 10 or so years and this delicious new vintage hits all the right notes from the start. Aromas of red cherries, raspberry come to fore before you slip into the seductive palate, bouncing with flavours of blueberry, plum and blackcurrant along with a slight savoury undertone including just a touch of spice and white pepper. Every element of this wine works together, providing impeccable balance. Proves to be very versatile with food as well, pairing nicely with a wood fired pizza, roasted rack of pork, lamb sweetbreads or even a rich dark chocolate dessert.

With 2018 described as an intriguing vintage, the Turners Crossing team have certainly produced a particularly delicious and extremely varietal example of Viognier. This is almost the quintessential white wine for Bendigo’s spring weather. The delicate and fresh aromas of stone fruit – think white peach and nectarine on the nose are followed by a lush palate exploding with flavours of just ripe apricots, peach and melon along with floral notes of honeysuckle and blossom. Textural and well rounded, it retains enough acidity to deliver a clean, refreshing finish.

Try with chilli crab or any spicy seafood dish.

The floral notes of the wine also work well with a number of Morrocan dishes such as chicken tagine.

SANDHURST RIDGE, CABERNET MERLOT 2014 Having been recently named as a 5 Star Winery as well as one of only 10 who were awarded the Dark Horse Winery of the Year by the esteemed James Halliday has provided true recognition to one of Bendigo’s finest vineyards who has been producing award winning wines for over 25 years. Family owned and operated by the Greblo family, their history and knowledge of winemaking and agriculture certainly make for some outstanding wines. A visit to the cellar door can see you sampling favourites such as Shiraz, Cabernet Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc along with the lesser known Italian varietal Nebbiolo.

Six years of age, this blend of 75% Cabernet and 25% Merlot is really hitting its straps. The nose provides a fantastic introduction to the wine with notes of blackcurrant, cherry and little hints of violet leading into a palate that is shining brightly with flavours of both black and red currant, raspberry and just slight hints of smooth mocha.

Tannins have softened over time making for a savoury, moreish and long lasting finish. Classical pairing of a perfectly cooked roast lamb is always a winner or something different, try a slow cooked mushroom ragu with fresh pasta.

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for the love of outdoors

With childhood memories of long summers lazing by a pool, a Bendigo couple is hoping a new addition will bring just as much happiness to their own family.

By Marina Williams – Photography by Leon Schoots On planning their new home more than five years ago, a Bendigo couple knew one item would be non-negotiable. And, as construction began on the house, with an almost mini-version being built just metres away, they remained excited about what would eventually fill the empty yard in between – a pool.

For them, that much-wanted last piece would complete a gathering space in which their children, ranging in age from “teenage to preppie”, could start to form their own treasured memories of time spent relaxing with family and friends.

“A pool was always going to be a part of our build within an outdoor space for gatherings that would grow with our family. We wanted to, and will, have 18ths, 21sts and Christmas here. As much as possible we want to create memories,” says the trio’s mum.

As is often the reality when renovating or building, going from plans to build can take time and money, yet the couple never faltered from their long-held vision.

“We built the pool house area about five years ago and then saved for the next bit, as we wanted a pool that matched it in terms of 81

size. While it is a big pool, it is also practical and suits our needs.

Supporting a locally owned pool company was a must for us and Evolution Pools delivered exactly what we wanted.”

Before diving into construction, and with myriad pool options to choose from, the family did its research and sought advice from Kurt Ross at Evolution Pools.

“A pool is going to be there for many years, and not just one summer, so you need to get it right,” Kurt says. “Design is more important than size – what ticks the boxes for all the family.”

They opted for a fibreglass design that spans 11mx4.4m, with a shallow wading pool and spa. A long bench seat runs the length of the pool, ideal for sitting or resting dangling feet in the water. To stay within budget, a Dolphin robotic cleaner was chosen to help with maintenance. A solar gas-boosted system extends use into the cooler months, and can independently heat the pool or spa.

“We’ve had a few sunny days so the kids have been in already,” says their dad, “and we’re sure there’ll be a lot of use throughout the year.”

The straight, clean lines of the pool blend effortlessly with the symmetrical plantings chosen for the surrounding landscape. An inground roller system hides the “ugly pool blanket” to enhance the design.

“We always liked symmetry and simplicity for balance. We didn’t want a fussy landscape. We did most of it ourselves and wanted to make it as easy as possible to maintain yet inviting to live in.”

The non-slip concrete surface surrounding the pool is trimmed with wide pavers, with a lush lawn framing the overall space. Clear, shatter-proof glass fences ensure an unobstructed view from the home to the pool house. A large cantilever umbrella provides shade on sunny days.

“I always think back to when I was a little kid being on the grass beside the pool so I wanted to replicate that a little bit.

“The pool house is massively over the top but we did the entire space bit by bit, and it can grow with us. The kids can be out there with music and their friends. We really love and look forward to enjoying it, not just for many summers but for many years to come.”

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style proves timeless With years of experience in construction and design, a Bendigo couple decided their first collaboration – their own home – would be filled with life and light.

By Marina Williams – Photography by Loft Image As Crystal and Trev walk through the front door of their contemporary home the design feels as functional today for their family of five as it was when they initially moved in as a couple a decade ago.

“It was our first project together as a team – my husband as builder and myself as designer. We always designed it with family in mind, but the zoned living could suit any lifestyle,” says Crystal.

For them, the home set the standard for what would become a signature of their business, Insite Design + Construction – creating considered spaces. The design was heavily driven by the landscape and site orientation. With 2.5m fall from back to front they opted not to cut the site but rather follow the contours, and nestle a split-level home into the landscape. A long east-west axis aligns perfectly north with large windows capturing northern light into the living areas. Roof overhangs and deciduous plantings have been 87

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specifically placed using solar passive principles to maximise heat gains in winter and minimise them in summer. This, together with the carefully-considered use of thermal mass, double glazing and insulative wall systems, ensures year-round thermal comfort.

“Intuitively the house hugs the southern boundary, giving relief to the northern elevation and ensuring unhindered solar access. This has the added benefit of creating a side yard in addition to the more standard backyard.”

An inviting yet functional outdoor space was important for the couple. Banks of double-glazed stacking sliding doors ensure the indoor and outdoor spaces remain connected while a Patrick Blanc-inspired green wall, located on the southern boundary fence, provides a lush outlook and lends coolth for crossflow ventilation, which is optimised by the narrow floor plate.

Central to the design is the open-plan kitchen and living area that overlooks the undulating grassed yard, lush green wall and undercover dining space, with Crystal’s eye for style responsible for the classic muted palette of timber, charcoal black and white.

“You can put accents in with the décor. I was more worried about form and space than making statements that would likely date.

This has worked in our favour as despite its age the house remains current stylistically.”

Zoned living is a feature. An oversized, full-height sliding cavity door that seamlessly disappears when not in use can separate the children’s wing with three bedrooms and family bathroom. A separate study, open living area and spacious master suite are grouped in the main zone.

Storage is another highlight, with a large walk-in pantry and store room in the laundry, space in garage and built-ins in bedrooms. A long window seat in the rumpus room doubles as a handy hold-all for toys and other items.

“My style is very clean and functional - minimalist with an organic feel that has a sense of home, still,” Crystal says. “My favourite parts are the abundance of natural light and the sense of connection between spaces which enhances liveability … even when my kids were younger, still crawling around, they always felt connected to the outside, and now that they are older playing outdoors I can keep an eye on them through the expansive glazing.”

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Spotted gum and Monument metal cladding feature on the facade and combine with glazed bricks and painted brickwork to enhance texture. Inside, floors are a mix of solid hardwood and polished concrete that are placed to either capture or be sheltered from solar exposure, accordingly.

“We always intended to have a central hub with a functional utility-based focus. Pantry, laundry and storage spaces and their connection and relationship to one another are integral to the flow and function of a home. I get real joy from making these zones effortlessly functional.”

In what is bittersweet for the couple, they are looking to sell the property. “We love living here, and it has been a beautiful start for our family, but we are ready to take on a new project.”

Tim Noonan from Waller Realty says the home’s energy-efficient design and luxury finish will be equally embraced by its next residents. “The mixture of materials and high standards makes it irresistible to live in. The next residents will have a home that I am sure they will enjoy for many years to come.”

As for the Douglas family, watch this space. “We’re debating whether to build or renovate, and are excited about what that next project will be.”

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born to ride

Her surname is synonymous with cycling in Bendigo, but this teen is on a fast track to forging her own identity as a future superstar of the sport.

By Raelee Tuckerman - Photograph by Leon Schoots Alessia McCaig already knows what inscription will appear beneath her photo in her high school graduation yearbook: “Sorry I can’t come, I’m riding.”

Foregoing friends’ birthday parties and other festivities is just one of the sacrifices the 17-year-old is prepared to make as she chases her dream of cycling for Australia at the Olympic Games.

“Olympic gold is my ultimate ambition,” says Alessia, who is the fastest female track sprinter her age in the country, holding the national under-17 flying 200m and team sprint records as well as the under-19 Oceania championship team sprint benchmark. “But my long-term goal is just to make the Olympic team, which would be an incredible experience.”

Cycling is in Alessia’s DNA. Her grandfather Alan McCaig and his brothers rode competitively. Alan was instrumental in establishing the Bendigo International Madison in 1970 and was inducted into the Victorian Cycling Hall of Fame for his contribution to the sport.

Brother Frank, a fellow Hall-of-Famer, was an accomplished rider and administrator whose name graces the Bendigo velodrome stand and whose sons also experienced success. Alessia’s dad Cameron recently joined the board of Cycling Victoria after years supporting the Bendigo and District Cycling Club and her brother Connor, a former Austral Wheelrace and Victorian Madison winner, is now a state team selector.

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But Alessia’s early childhood activities centred around dancing and gymnastics, representing Victoria in sports aerobics.

“I learnt to ride a bike when I was five or six, but it wasn’t until I saw my brother racing when I was nine that I wanted to give it a go,” she says. “I spent three weeks in Bendigo’s J-cycle development program then moved into racing. One of my first races was an under-11 club championship and I ended up winning, which was amazing.

“Track bikes don’t have brakes and have fixed wheels, so you can’t stop pedalling or you go over the handlebars, which I’ve done! It’s pretty crazy, but people like Noel Sens, Rob Burns and Steve Flood really helped me along the way. Once you learn how to ride a track bike, you never forget.”

Alessia made her first junior state track team in 2017. “I went to nationals and had so much fun, achieving several 4th placings and returned determined to get on the podium next time. I worked hard and came away the following year with four golds, two silvers and the champion of champions title. I knew then this was my sport and decided to step back from gymnastics and pursue cycling.”

Supplied photograph.

She backed up in 2019 with another four national titles, a bronze and two national records, earning a coveted Victorian Institute of Sport scholarship. A trip to New Zealand for the 2020 Oceania carnival followed, where she represented Australia for the first time in the team sprint, breaking the championship record on her way to a tally of two gold and two silver.

Mum Ree recalls the early days of her daughter’s career, when predicting her result was as easy as looking at her starting position.

“Initially, she was too scared to have anyone ride near her, so if she rolled off the starting fence last, she’d go so slow she wouldn’t pass anyone and she’d finish last. But if she rolled off first, she’d always win because if anyone came near her, she’d pedal faster to get away from them. It was very funny: always first or last. Cam ended up taking her to the track to practise with Connor riding really close so she got used to it.”

Photograph by Leon Schoots

Supplied photograph.

No such problems today. Not only is Alessia fast (more than 60km/h at top speed), she can confidently squeeze through tight gaps in the field or round up her rivals from the outside. One memorable performance was the under-17 national kierin championship in 2018, where she came from last place, well behind the leader with one lap left, and passed everyone to claim the title.

“One of her biggest attributes is that she never gives up,” says Ree. “She’s one of the most determined people I know – yet she always rides with a big smile on her face.”

That particular race caught the attention of five-time Olympian and world champion track sprinter Shane Kelly, who saw a video of the ride, messaged the family to ask for Alessia’s final 200m split, and replied, “that’s a very slick time”. He is now her VIS coach, guiding her transition from junior ranks and teaching her crucial tactics for the flying 200m, time trial, kierin and team sprint.

COVID interruptions aside, Alessia travels to Melbourne for training every Wednesday and Saturday and spends time most other days on her bike or in the gym at home. Her sights are set on the national under-19 track championships in December and the world junior titles, possibly in Egypt or Israel next year, but these events depend on the coronavirus situation. “Fingers crossed they will go ahead,” she says, “but we’re still not sure whether they’ll let Victorians attend.”

She is also part of Cycling Australia’s “emerging athlete” talent identification program. Alessia hopes this pathway will lead to more opportunities to don the green and gold and follow in the footsteps of her idols, retired sprint queen Anna Meares and former endurance champion Amy Cure.

“There’s some very big shoes to fill,” says Alessia, who is grateful to her family, friends and the Bendigo cycling community for their ongoing support. “Cycling gives me a lot of freedom and joy. Winning races is cool and helped keep me in the sport when I was younger, but even if I wasn’t winning, I would’ve continued because of how excited I was and still am just to ride my bike.”

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