Bendigo Magazine - Issue 74 - Autumn 2024

THE

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VICTORIA’S GOLDFIELDS:

CHINESE CURIOSITIES FROM HERITAGE VICTORIA

CURRENT UNTIL 10 NOVEMBER 2024

This collaborative exhibition between Golden Dragon Museum and Heritage Victoria shows small vignettes of the Chinese presence across Victoria from the mid-1800s into the 20th century.

MUSEUM, TEMPLE & GARDEN OPEN

TUESDAY – SUNDAY 9.30AM – 5.00PM

Open every day during Victorian school holidays

Ph: (03) 5441 5044 | www.goldendragonmuseum.org

MANAGING EDITOR

Dustin Schilling

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Leon Schoots, Kate Monotti, AJ Taylor, Daniel Soncin, Bryanna Colliver and Tyler O’Keefe WRITERS

Dianne Dempsey, Geoff Hocking, Lauren Mitchell, Raelee Tuckerman and Marina Williams

CONTRIBUTORS

Beau Cook, Stephanie Dunne and Katie Nicole

PRINT MANAGER

Nigel Quirk

I drove along an old road recently. I’d not travelled this stretch between goldfields towns since pre-COVID times. It was a welcome comfort to still sense the bends, dips and clearings ahead. The tumble-down pubs. The tired old peppercorns. The tiny church with the blue door by the quiet Sandon cemetery. It was a knowing that yes, this place is somehow still part of me.

I had the same sense when shuffling through the pre-framed chalky paintings of Frankie O for this issue. The fluoro-tinted works were instantly recognisable, despite being wildly abstract. The loose-lined Old Post Office clock tower, the Conservatory in harlequin prisms, the fishtailed horses far from the sea on our Alexandra Fountain. They reminded me of home. They told me to stay present and child-like and thankful in the fight against complacency.

Frankie asked, was it selfish and frivolous to expect others to embrace her daily outpouring of love for this place? Perhaps it’s essential. A reminder to seek joy. To stop. To look. To see this old, familiar place in a new light, and to know that our actions shape it and its people. There are many, many more examples of that in this life-affirming issue. Enjoy.

Lauren Mitchell - Contributor

ADVERTISING

Bendigo

BENDIGO VISITOR CENTRE

Open daily (except Christmas Day) 9am-5pm or freecall on 1800 813 153.

SHOWCASING THE BEST OF BENDIGO

Start your Bendigo experience by talking to a local at the Bendigo Visitor Centre.

Located in the historic post o ce building on Pall Mall:

• Book your accommodation and find places to stay

• Buy tickets to events and our main attractions

• Explore with maps, guide books and local knowledge

• Collect unique gifts and souvenirs at Uniquely Bendigo

• Taste the region and purchase specialty produce

• Connect with local artists and creatives in the Living Art Space

• Discover culture in Djaa Djuwima, our First Nations Gallery

• Join a heritage building tour and uncover our unique history

high life

beckons

Bendigo is stepping things up a notch for its autumn events calendar, with something for all the family. There’s horse racing, wine tasting, circus fun and art exhibitions from home and abroad.

COME ONE, COME ALL

Coming to the Ulumbarra Theatre this April is a phenomenal symphony of acrobatics, light and sound. Humans 2.0, by Circa Contemporary Circus, is the second part of the acclaimed show Humans and is intimate, primal and deeply engaged with the challenge of being human.

The physical strength of the 10 artists is pushed to extreme limits during the performance, which combines circus and contemporary dance in a sombre yet spellbinding way. Featuring human towers that reach three storeys high and gravity-defying aerialists, Humans 2.0 is sure to leave Bendigo audiences in awe.

One of the world’s leading performance companies, Circa Contemporary Circus has been bringing its work to audiences worldwide for 20 years. Based in Brisbane and directed by circus visionary Yaron Lifschitz, the ensemble of multi-skilled artists constantly redefines what is possible in the circus space.

Humans 2.0 by Circa will be performed at the Ulumbarra Theatre on Saturday, April 27, at 8pm. To purchase tickets, visit bendigoregion.com.au

Image credit: Damien Bredberg

A TASTE OF PARIS RIGHT HERE IN BENDIGO

Internationally renowned chef Gabriel Gaté will bring his extensive knowledge of Parisian food culture to Bendigo in April. Savouring History: talk by Gabriel Gaté will be a fascinating glimpse into the culinary traditions and innovations of Paris, with Gaté’s appearance exclusive to Bendigo through the UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

For the talk, Gaté will draw inspiration from his extensive travels throughout France and Europe, and historic Belle Epoque period restaurant menus featured in the Paris: Impressions of Life 1880-1925 exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery.

Between talks, A Parisian Lunch with Gabriel Gaté will be hosted at Ms Batterhams, with the two-course meal carefully designed by Gaté himself.

Gabriel Gaté learned to cook at some of the finest French restaurants before becoming an author, television presenter and teacher. His 23 cookbooks have sold more than one million copies worldwide, and he has hosted multiple television shows in Australia, including Taste Le Tour with Gabriel Gaté on SBS.

Savouring History: talk by Gabriel Gaté will be presented at the La Trobe Art Institute (121 View Street, Bendigo) on Saturday, April 27, at 11am and 2pm. For more information and to purchase tickets, head to bendigoregion.com.au

CITY-CLASS RACING COMES TO BENDIGO

As one of the most highly-anticipated events on the local horse racing calendar, the Golden Mile Race Day should not be missed, especially by those wanting to experience a more relaxed vibe than other city-class races.

On Saturday, April 13, the best city-class horses and their jockeys will travel up the Calder Freeway to vie for the $200,000 prize on offer at the only metro race held annually in Bendigo. Attracted by the casual country atmosphere, punters come from all over Victoria and interstate every year to watch the 1600m race, won in 2023 by Here to Shock.

Multiple hospitality packages are available to purchase, allowing racegoers the opportunity to watch the action from different premium vantage points and indulge in delicious food. If you want to add a special spin to your Golden Mile Race Day, secure your package now as they are selling fast.

The Golden Mile Race Day takes place on Saturday, April 13, at the Bendigo Jockey Club, with gates opening at 11am. Head to country.racing.com/bendigo to book tickets and hospitality packages.

EXPLORING THE CITY OF LIGHT’S DARK PAST

The often deeply romanticised French capital of Paris has had a complex history, especially towards the end of the 19th century (known as fin-de-siècle). Paris, city of light and shade: talk by Dr Ted Gott, will offer attendees a riveting look into the harsh social and economic realities of the period.

Tying into the Bendigo Art Gallery exhibition Paris: Impressions of Life 1880-1925, the talk will discuss the deepseated political divisions and social inequalities of the time, with a particular focus on the antisemitism and misogyny experienced by many.

Dr Ted Gott is the National Gallery of Victoria’s senior curator of international art, curating more than 25 notable exhibitions and publishing widely on French art and history.

The La Trobe Art Institute (121 View Street, Bendigo) will host Paris, city of light and shade: talk by Dr Ted Gott on Saturday, June 22, at 11am. Tickets can be purchased at bendigoregion.com.au

LOCAL WINES GIVEN THEIR TIME TO SHINE AT FESTIVAL

Some of the region’s best wineries will unite in the heart of Bendigo to show off their carefully crafted wines and celebrate a successful end of vintage. The Strategem Bendigo Winemakers Festival returns to Rosalind Park in mid-April for a joyful day of wine tasting, food and live music.

Wine lovers will be able to sample over 100 exceptional reds, whites, sparklings and rosés at the festival, with favourites available to purchase by the glass. Attendees are encouraged to spread out on the grass with a picnic, or feast from one of the food vans onsite. Fun competitions and entertainment will also be offered – the grape stomp challenge, in particular, should not be missed.

Anticipation is quickly building for the festival, and earlybird tickets are now sold out. Limited general tasting and nondrinking tickets still can be purchased.

The Strategem Winemakers Festival will run from 11am-4pm on Saturday, April 13, in Rosalind Park. Visit bendigowine.org.au for tickets.

EXHIBITION CELEBRATES LOCAL FIRST NATIONS ART AND CULTURE

Dedicated First Nations art gallery Djaa Djuwima (meaning to ‘show, share Country’ in Dja Dja Wurrung language) is a safe space for artists to explore cultural expression, identity, heritage and connection through their art.

The current exhibition Surviving and Thriving features First Nations traditional and contemporary artists who live in or are connected to Dja Dja Wurrung land, and all artwork is available to purchase. Aged between 14 and 70, the approximately 25 creatives featured bring their own unique style and perspective to the exhibition, which includes weaving, paintings and woodwork.

Opened by the City of Greater Bendigo in November 2022, the Dja Djuwima gallery is an important representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices and creative expression in the community.

Djaa Djuwima is located inside the Bendigo Visitor Centre at 51-67 Pall Mall, Bendigo, and is open daily from 9am-5pm (excluding Christmas Day). The Surviving and Thriving exhibition can be viewed until Friday, April 26. More information can be found at bendigoregion.com.au

Image credit: Installation view, Surviving and Thriving, Djaa Djuwima 2024. Photo: Bill Conroy

101 Williamson St. Bendigo

Phone 5443 8671

info@thewoodhouse.com.au thewoodhouse.com.au

INTRODUCING A NEW BAR EXPERIENCE FOR BENDIGO

Have a drink to start. Enjoy a cocktail, craft beer or seriously good wine from our extensive list - at our new bar, in our restaurant or private dining room. Share a snack or two or graze on our charcuterie selection.

Our friendly staff are happy to guide you through our extensive menu featuring wagyu and premium grass-fed beef, as well as fresh local produce, all cooked with wood.

Finish off with our cheese selection or one of our delicious desserts.

Restaurant bookings encouraged.

talking business

It’s not hard to support the locals when it comes to business in Bendigo. Get the low down on who’s stepping things up in-house this season.

DISCOVER REJUVENATION & RELAXATION

Step into a world of relaxation and tranquillity at the newly opened Vitality Massage. Opened in Killians Walk in January 2024, the premier massage therapy business has been met with open arms by the local community.

At Vitality Massage, health, wellness and rejuvenation come first. Whether you book a quick 30-minute massage or splurge on a luxurious two-hour escape, the team of licensed therapists are ready to help you de-stress and restore your vitality. One-hour and 90-minute treatments are also available.

Taking sustainability seriously, every product used during a treatment at Vitality Massage has been carefully selected for you. From nourishing and healing properties to a positive impact on the planet, you can relax knowing that your choice is not only benefiting your wellbeing but also the environment.

The team at Vitality Massage believes everyone should experience the transformative power of massage therapy and, as a result, offers affordable pricing and flexible scheduling options. Book an appointment today and allow the skilled team to work their magic and make you feel like a brand new you.

Vitality Massage can be found at Level 1, 31B Killians Walk, Bendigo. To make a booking, visit vitalitymassage.co or call 0459 496 714.

NEW BAR EXPANDS OFFERINGS

Bendigo’s only dedicated steakhouse, The Woodhouse Bar & Grill, has been a favourite among locals since opening in 2012. Offering a unique woodfired dining experience and specialising in premium beef, the 30 staff led by chef and owner Paul Pitcher take immense pride in what they do.

Alongside The Woodhouse’s carefully crafted menu showcasing Wagyu beef and local produce, they offer an extensive wine list, with 28 wines by the glass and over 300 by the bottle, sourced locally and from Europe. Or, if wine is not your drink of choice, perhaps the wide range of beer and spirits will take your fancy.

Whatever you wish to drink, there is no place more perfect to do so than the new two-level contemporary bar. After the grand opening in December last year, the bar has proven to be a popular spot, especially because of bar manager Dion.

Coming to The Woodhouse all the way from Sri Lanka, via Dubai, Dion has spent weeks perfecting a brand new drinks menu, including his signature cocktails that are sure to impress. Each cocktail is crafted with carefully selected ingredients sourced responsibly to minimise environmental impact and support local communities. Snacks and delicious bar fare will also delight guests. Walk-ins are welcome at the bar, while bookings are strongly encouraged for the grill. The Woodhouse Bar & Grill is located at 101 Williamson Street, Bendigo. To make a booking or to learn more, visit thewoodhouse.com.au or call 03 5443 8671.

COMMUNITY GIVES BACK TO LOCAL HOSPITAL

It is no secret that the work of the Bendigo Health Fundraising & Foundation makes a massive difference in our community. Its funding of specialised medical equipment and services ensures more people in the region are able to access vital treatment closer to home and with their loved ones by their side.

Thanks in large part to the generosity of our local community, last financial year the team was proud to facilitate donations in excess of $2.5 million that go directly to support Bendigo Health, its patients and staff.

Recent donations and philanthropic funding has allowed Bendigo Health to invest in crucial, state-of-the art equipment that will have a significant impact on hospital operations and patient care. These include an automated dispensing system for the pharmacy, a second catheterisation laboratory, and a volunteer driven patient bus.

Every donation the Bendigo Health Fundraising & Foundation receives, no matter the size, improves the healthcare outcomes for our community and supports our local hospital to provide excellent care to every person, every time.

To learn more or to make a donation, visit bendigohealthfoundation.org.au

EXPERTISE MEETS EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE

For more than a decade, PRD Bendigo has developed a reputation for unwavering dedication to clients. Whether they are assisting you in selling, buying, or renting, the staff’s customer-focused approach and deep understanding of the local market ensures you and your property are in expert hands.

Led by director Tom Isaacs, the 32 immensely skilled professionals that make up PRD Bendigo pride themselves on being ‘Bendigo’s No. 1 selling team’. They offer an array of services that include residential sales, property research, commercial sales, leasing, property and asset management, project and land marketing.

With a strong focus on marketing, PRD Bendigo has a dedicated team of creatives who specialise in producing high-quality video, photography and engaging content to showcase listings in their best light.

The success of PRD Bendigo can also be attributed to the approachable, trustworthy, and enthusiastic manner in which the team operates. They excel at bringing the right people together for the best results, with many client testimonials mentioning the above-and-beyond service they have received.

PRD Bendigo is located at 158 Lyttleton Terrace, Bendigo. To speak with the friendly team and experience their ‘Sell, Buy and Rent Smarter’ attitude towards real estate, call 03 5444 0344 or visit prdbendigo.com.au

NEW WINDOW INTO FABRIQ

Local business Fabriq has moved to its new premises at 13 Matchett Drive, Strathdale.

With an abundance of light, and much more room in the new workspace, staff are delighted to be manufacturing right here in Bendigo, now with more equipment and space to continue making their range of curtains, blinds and upholstery pieces. They can boast a much bigger and brighter showroom to display the latest in local and international fabrics and designs and there’s plenty of parking, too.

“We are so happy with our new home.” say Fabriq owners Melanie and Justin Clark.

“A big thank you to the other local businesses who made it happen, including Todd Newman Builders and CoLAB Design.” Fabriq encompasses bespoke window furnishings, colour advice, re-upholstery of custom pieces, and consultancy services so customers can make the best decisions and create a space they will love.

Contact the friendly team at Fabriq today for a no-obligation measure and consultation on 03 5442 7222, email hello@fabriq.com.au, visit fabriq.com.au or pop into the new showroom.

LEADING THE WAY IN SERVICES & SOLUTIONS

Since its inception in 2006, Viridian IT has been making waves in the information technology industry. Under founder and managing director Ronnie Lowe, the company has transformed from its humble beginning as a technical help desk to a leading managed service provider.

The team of 22 highly trained technical staff is dedicated to assisting businesses of all sizes leverage IT to streamline operations, increase productivity and enhance overall business efficiency. Services offered include IT consultancy, software development, network infrastructure, cybersecurity, cloud solutions, managed IT services and data analytics.

Aiming to make its services as accessible as possible to clients, Viridian IT has expanded its reach to various locations across regional Victoria and New South Wales, including Albury, Ballarat, Geelong, Griffith, Seymour, Shepparton, Swan Hill and Wagga Wagga.

In recent years, Viridian IT has also acquired EcoPC and Seymour Computers, showing commitment to the environment, the overall growth of the company, and its clients. With Viridian IT as your trusted partner in information technology, you can rest assured your business will move forward and thrive in the digital age.

Viridian IT’s head office is located at Level 1, 25 Killians Walk, Bendigo, and can be contacted through the company website viridianit.com.au or via phone on 1300 063 327.

IT'S MORE THAN JUST A PLACE TO WORK,

REECE HENDY NACHO STATION

LOUISE FISHER DESIGN POND "

THE EMPORIUM HAS PROVIDED A SPACE FOR ME TO CONNECT WITH CREATIVE PEERS AND CLIENTS.

YOUR CREATIVE FUTURE IS WAITING...

COME SEE FOR YOURSELF

We are your creative home.

O what joy!

LAUREN MITCHELL takes the stairs above the View Street Artist Collective to bask in artist Frankie O’s zest for life in Bendigo.

Photography by Leon Schoots

Frankie O is showing us the city in a whole new light. Day after day after day. When Bendigo Magazine takes the steps to Frankie’s loft above the galleries of Valentine’s in View Street, she’s at day 259 of her 365 Drawings of Bendigo a Day challenge. And the works are becoming wildly abstract. They’re turning three dimensional. They’re taking on a life of their own, which Frankie says is one of the phenomenal results of self-imposing a daily practice. Although it’s not for the faint-hearted.

“Some nights it’s midnight and I can’t find the Texta I want to use, I’ve just put two strung-out kids to bed and there’s a sink full of dishes and I really want to do another dragon collage, but where are all the things?” she laughs.

“I’ve literally made myself a nest in the shed. There’s collage fodder all around me; there’s canvases and bits of paper, and I’ll pick up a colour and I’ll just start creating. It’ll take me five minutes or an hour. Some nights it’s amazing, others I’ll just get it done.” And then, she posts the day’s output to social media. Frankie credits this way of working as curing her once-stifling perfectionism.

“Back in the day, I’d never finish an artwork,” she says. “I was

startled by needing everything to be completely correct, but not knowing how to do that either. This (365-day challenge) has allowed me, under the guise of experimentation, to just do whatever the heck I like.

“And I’ve found, every single time I do this, (and this is the third) there are these flow states you get into and there’s these prickly states you get into, where you don’t want to go there, but you know you should. It’s about getting to the point where I’ve done something new, and it’s interesting, but kind of ugly, but I actually needed to go that way.”

Frankie grew up in Ouyen and moved to Bendigo after secondary college to study a Bachelor of Visual Arts at La Trobe University. She then completed her Dip Ed and became the art teacher at the rural Rushworth P-12 College. She took a two-year sabbatical to live and travel around Europe, which fuelled her passion for grand architecture. Frankie then returned to her role in Rushworth, later taking family leave to welcome two daughters into the world. And while she hasn’t gone back to the classroom, she draws on her teaching skills daily to homeschool her daughters.

When her now-seven-year-old was a baby, Frankie began her first 365 Drawings a Day challenge. It culminated in an exhibition in Dudley House, of birds and teacups, wide-eyed women, fashionable figures, scenes from her travels, and just a smattering of local buildings.

“I loved living in Bendigo, but I’d never really sat down and properly looked at the buildings,” Frankie says. “My heart’s in Europe. All the architecture, all the beauty. When we travelled there, it felt like coming home.”

Frankie says once she started isolating the icons of Bendigo – the columns of The Capital, the creek through Rosalind Park, the Alexandra Fountain – she could imagine herself in Venice or Rome, “and I went, oh my god, this city is just so beautiful”.

“But I had no desire to paint it like a traditional painting,” she says. “I just started doodling and created 11 works based on Bendigo iconic buildings. I did them in my style because it was quick and easy, full of colour and squiggles. I paid them absolutely no heed, because I took no time in doing them.”

Frankie exhibited these local scenes alongside her elaborately decorative mixed media works of birds at the Living Arts Space in January last year, and had at least four couples buy the entire set. It was confirmation she was making work that people loved and connected with.

“Somebody once said to me, the stuff that comes easy never feels like it’s the art you should be doing, and I’ve always felt that way,” she says. “But to have this many people come in and say, I’ve never seen Bendigo like this – this is fresh, this is new, this is exciting – I just went, I’ll take that! I started believing in the fact that my use of colour, my use of line, hasn’t come from nowhere. It’s come from hundreds of thousands of hours of looking at images.

“I’d been absorbing love and light and colour, and that was processing through me, and the stuff that was coming out, I hadn’t given it the value it deserved. Sometimes it takes someone to tell me that what I’m doing is a joy to look at for me to believe it.”

Frankie’s second challenge, 365 Digital Drawings a Day, came and went in a flurry of raising kids, coping with the COVID pandemic, and concentrating on her first big body of work in years. The daily immersion in art led her to develop her Blooms series, which filled The Capital foyer with colour last year.

Frankie had been gifted the confidence to invest time and money into the solo show while completing the Emporium Incubator Program, which fosters the small businesses of local creative people.

She says the program helped her realise that she and her artwork were one and the same. “When you’re trying to sell that, there’s always this feeling of, well that’s selfish,” she says. “You’re not a nurse or a doctor helping other people. Your art is something frivolous and something only certain people can afford. To get past that barrier is really hard. Other creatives in the Incubator Program were telling me that people are buying into my lust for life.

“I had to start valuing myself, valuing my work and putting it out there. No excuses, no apologies. That’s when Blooms came about… I invested in a set of great canvases with oak frames, put them up at home, and said to myself, ‘I’m going to paint these. I’m going to do my first original series in forever, and it’s all going to be about that love, passion and joy I want to spark in other people’.”

Frankie shared the works with her subscribers, and half sold before they even hit the walls. Just a couple of the effervescent, fluorescent works of acrylic and collage pieces remain, and currently characterise this gallery space, which is part of the View Street Artist Collective.

Frankie is hoping her latest epic daily challenge will likewise lead to a stand-alone collection. This time, of Bendigo.

“For so many years, as a young artist, I copied work because of that perfectionist problem,” she says. “Now I’m in this scary zone of trying to make my own stuff – although I still draw heavily from the artists that I adore. But I’m trying to push it into a different space. I’m hoping when I get to the end of this play, that I’ve come up with something new that’s genuine to me, and that will allow me to create my next couple of big bodies of work and for it to be fresh and alive and exciting.”

Right now, the Conservatory is reflected heavily in Frankie’s daily outputs, as is the Shamrock, the Old Post Office and the War Memorial. (She doesn’t need to go far for inspiration, although is dreaming of a ‘365 Drawings a Day of Italy’.)

Frankie is undoubtedly one of the city’s busiest artists, and basking in it. She’s delivering workshops in her View Street Space, and at the Bendigo Art Gallery. She’s collaborating with other women artists, such as Castlemaine potter Dusty Pots and Bendigo designer Sonia Brit. (Frankie’s work now features on cushions, tea towels and journals at Sonia’s shop, Bendigo institution bob boutique.) “When Sonia contacted me at the end of the year, I thought, I’ve made it,” Frankie says.

“I’ve decided life’s too short. I literally don’t have enough days left to create all the artwork that’s bursting out of me. I have this overwhelming surge of energy, and it’s a feeling of joy. When you make something that’s so happy, and you share it with people and they get that feeling – it’s something I want to do for the rest of my life… It’s lit me up like nothing I could have imagined.”

Follow @onedrawingadaybyfrankieo to keep up with Frankie’s prodigious output, and look out for her next exhibition at Dudley House in September/October.

FESTIVAL STRIKES A CHORD

A 70-minute spectacular served as the official opening of the fifth Bendigo Chamber Music Festival.

The stage of The Capital theatre welcomed 13 musicians from around the world for a unique performance featuring some of the finest chamber music on offer. The gala was the first of 15 concerts planned across the five-day festival.

Dan and Terry

Jacquie, Andrew and Annette

Judy, Merlyn and Linda

Danny and Phil

Janny, Michael and Kate

Marian, Peter and Irene

CARNIVAL MAKES WAVES

Students from Girton Grammar School enjoyed a spirited competition at their annual Senior School Swimming Carnival.

The cheers of students, dressed from head to toe in the colours of the six houses, could be heard from afar as they supported their classmates vying to win the most points.

Bronte, Shayaan, Anna and James

Harvey, Erica, Alex and Eva Scarlett, Claire, Jayda and John

Charles, Hunter, Ruby and Mia Oscar, Chelsea, Andreas and Hayley

Tom, Jack, Freya and Tess

women of gold

Women of Bendigo unite to tell their stories loud and proud in the most public of spaces, thanks to a champion of local voices.

Photography by Daniel Soncin

What is your story worth? That’s the question Meg Champion asks with her organisation, We Are Untold. “It’s both fascinating and shocking to explore our history and realise that over half the population of the entire world – women – have been excluded. Fascinating, because it means there is so much to discover and learn,” reflects Meg.

Our stories, she contends, are how we communicate and learn. They shape the foundational structures of our society. They hold the power to influence our identity, health, security, freedom and human rights. Stories about the consequences of drink-driving or smoking have prompted learning and changes in our community. What about the untold stories? What crucial lessons are we missing?

“The omission of women’s stories, perspectives and experiences impedes our ability to understand, and enact policies that benefit all people,” continues Meg. “In all industries, women are underrepresented in key decision-making positions. In the arts industry, the lack of female-driven narratives can lead to a reliance on unfounded and stereotypical views of women, creating gender-biased societal roles, discrimination, and gender-based violence. And despite the arts having proven potential for positive social change, because women’s perspectives remain under-represented, the arts industry perpetuates the message that men lead and control the narrative, even when the story is about women.”

In Academy Award-winning films between 1991 and 2016, 74% of dialogue is from male characters. Even in Disney Princess movies, including those with females as the titular character, male characters have 60-98% of the dialogue. From a young age, we are conditioned to value male-led stories that voice men’s perspectives, concerns and lived experiences.

As someone who personally grappled with endometriosis, Meg’s personal experience underscores the impact of valuing women’s real-life experiences on shaping progress within women’s health. “The silencing and devaluing of women’s perspectives infiltrates every facet of our society, including industries that are fundamental to all human life, such as medicine and law,” says Meg.

Meg Champion

Julie Andrews

In the realm of law, Meg states, “in most cases before the High Court, female barristers are silent, playing a supporting role for a male barrister”.

“The societal consequences of male-dominated power structures are evident in victim-blaming phrases like ‘why didn’t she speak up?’ in cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, and workplace discrimination, perpetuating the systemic silencing of women.”

Meg conceived the Women of Gold project back in 2021, when she was a stay-at-home mother of three during the pandemic. In conceptualising the multimedia project, silence and value were key themes.

“I had planned to return to part-time work in 2020, but the pandemic completely changed everything. The creative industries came to a standstill, and suddenly it felt like all my work meant nothing.”

Compounding this fact was a story felt by many women – the unpaid labor of motherhood. “Women’s unpaid work in the home and community sustains our society, but that work is deemed worth less than paid work. Similarly, paid work in feminised industries such as childcare, education, social work and healthcare is also undervalued. I could not see a future where I could be valued for my paid work or my unpaid work. I felt invisible.”

The uncertainty of the pandemic compelled Meg to contemplate her history and her values “I lost my mother prior to having children. It’s a strange thing, becoming a mother without a mother. I thought a lot about her strength, struggles, story and legacy, and I wondered, what is my legacy? What do I want to leave behind for my children?

“I became acutely aware of the past, the present and the future, thinking about my own childhood and life lessons, present-day issues, and how they will impact my children’s future. I recognised that changes needed to happen, both for my daughter and my sons, to have love, safety, security and opportunities that are not based on their gender”.

Annie Brigdale

Lauren Starr

In 2021, Meg enrolled in the incubator program at Emporium Creative Hub. Most of the participants had a similar story. “Creative people often have a ‘day job’ that pays the bills, and creative work is undertaken outside work hours in personal time. When you become a parent, and particularly a mother, there is no personal time. Creating becomes impossible,” she says. “Listening to their stories was the inspiration for Women of Gold.”

On International Women’s Day in 2022, Meg read a story posted on LinkedIn by Marnie Baker, CEO of Bendigo Bank, about her rise through the bank. “Marnie’s story made me realise that even though all women have unique perspectives, diverse experiences and backgrounds, the barriers women face are similar. I wondered what we could learn if we heard more real-life, multifaceted stories from many different women? What would this mean for the next generation looking for pathways and role models in different industries, particularly male-dominated industries like STEM? What could this do for our community and society?”

Fast forward to 2024, after much community engagement, consultation, collaboration and support, the Women of Gold project launched in the City of Greater Bendigo. Women of Gold acknowledges, values, and celebrates the experiences and contributions of women with public artwork, a short film, and stories from our community.

The metamorphosis of motherhood explored by artist Rhayven Jane becomes a poignant theme resonating across diverse experiences.

Ginny Jeong’s experience as a young mother not speaking English during the pandemic underscores the power of art, transcending language barriers.

Yorta Yorta artist Annie Brigdale’s powerful artwork features vintage advertising that depicts the ‘perfect stereotypical woman,’ and serves as a reminder that stereotypes continue, with marginalised women still not represented in ‘mainstream’ storylines.

Sara McQueenie

Rhayven Jane

Sara McQueenie’s work explores disability, gender equity, body positivity, and the multifaceted experiences of women. Artist Lauren Starr’s work reflects on gender conditioning and being limited by the drive to be ‘a good girl’.

Artist Julie Andrews, who grew up in the 1960s when there was so much hope for change and gender equality, acknowledges the work still ahead in 2024, and the need for constant commitment to the cause.

Meg’s collaborative approach with local artists strengthens the project, producing a short film with filmmaker Mitch Nivalis featuring music composed by Aimee Chapman, and working alongside Louise Fisher at Design Pond to create a cohesive narrative across various exhibits. This collaboration extends throughout the community, interviewing women to inform project artwork and encouraging all Bendigo women to share their stories on the We Are Untold website.

In the lead up to International Women’s Day, Women of Gold artwork was platformed on the iconic BENDIGO sign, placing women’s stories centre stage. Meg emphasises the profound impact of valuing women’s stories in such a public place.

“Women’s stories are human stories. They are part of our community identity. By embedding the stories and perspectives of women into our culture, I hope this project serves as a legacy for all people, now and for future generations.”

Women of Gold is exhibited at Pennyweight Walk Outdoor Gallery until March 2025.

Scan the QR code to view the Women of Gold short film.

Ginny Jeong

CHRISTMAS BEGINS IN BENDIGO

Nothing else could kick off Christmas in Bendigo quite like the lighting of the Christmas tree.

On the first evening of December, picnic blankets and chairs filled the Rosalind Park Piazza as families and friends engaged in festive activities and watched the tree come to life. The event was the first in the jam-packed annual Summer in the Parks program.

Open 7 Days

8 am to 4 pm

Public Holidays

9am - 4pm

We look forward to welcoming you seven days a week with our traditional opening hours.

The Das Kaffeehaus & Coffee Basics Team

Abhay, Aastha, Anu and Anup

George, Sonny and Arlo

Lucy, Lilly and Belinda

Annie and Layla

Joyana, Amy, Dixon and Ezekiel

FRESHLY ROASTED IN CASTLEMAINE

Prep 2025 at Girton

COMMUNITY CAROLS RETURN

A magical evening was had in Eaglehawk as the community came together for the return of Christmas Carols.

Led by the Eaglehawk Citizens Brass Band, joyous singing and laughter filled Canterbury Park for the first time in four years. Supported by the CFA, Santa’s arrival absolutely delighted the little ones.

AN EXCEPTIONAL FOUNDATION FOR A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE

From day one at Girton Grammar School, your child will embark on a unique experience that fosters the acquisition of lifelong skills and interests.

We want every child to start each day with a sense of anticipation, happiness, and curiosity about what lies ahead. Every day we see our youngest students taking delight in their learning, and parents experiencing joy in their children’s accomplishments. Small children will discover they can do big things in a nurturing environment designed for growth and success.

Discover how our exceptional education in Prep at Girton shapes your child’s development right from the start.

Contact our Registrar or visit our website: girton.vic.edu.au.

Santa and Audrey Kelly, Ollie, Jack, Henry and Michaela

Maddie and Harry

Jacobie, Maddison, Luciana and Athena Lexi, Santa and Alayshia

Thalia, Edward, Santa and Nathan

a French revelation

Exclusive exhibition brings Museum of History pieces from Paris to Bendigo.

Photography by Leon Schoots

As the 19th century turned to the 20th, Paris exuded confidence and vitality, courting the attention of the world with its progressive outlook and cultural dynamism. The creative energy, prosperity and optimism of the flourishing modern metropolis attracted artists, musicians, writers, inventors, fashion connoisseurs and tourists. Gustav Eiffel’s tower, the centrepiece of the 1889 Universal Exhibition, rose high above the skyline in a feat of engineering that, despite initial concerns over its appearance and safety, quickly became a symbol of the excitement and romance of Paris.

When it was built, it was the tallest tower in the world embodying the spirit of progress and faith in science and technology that prevailed at the time. This enchanting period is now known as La Belle Époque (the beautiful era), nostalgically named in contrast to the misery and austerity of the world wars that followed.

RIGHT: René Péan, Advertising poster for the department store Aux Trois Quartiers on Boulevard de la Madeleine (Affiche publicitaire pour le grand magasin Aux Trois Quartiers du boulevard de la Madeleine) 1900, lithograph. Musée Carnavalet. CC0 Paris Musées / Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris

Clare Needham, Curator, Bendigo Art Gallery

Exclusive to Bendigo Art Gallery, Paris: Impressions of Life 1880–1925 takes visitors on a journey through the lively and picturesque streets of historic Paris at this transformational time. The busy banks of the Seine, bustling marketplaces, grand boulevards, idyllic public gardens, and the heady atmosphere of bohemian Montmartre are brought to life in more than 170 works of art, and artisan objects from the renowned collection of the Musée Carnavalet, the iconic museum of the history of Paris.

The museum occupies a complex of historic mansions in the heritage-protected Marais district of Paris. It holds a remarkable collection of over 620,000 items exploring life in the French capital from the Mesolithic period to the present day. The oldest municipal museum in Paris, it was initiated by Baron Haussmann, the government administrator now famous for leading a radical reconfiguration of the city in the second half of the 19th century. This huge urban development project sought to address overcrowding, public health concerns, industrial pollution, and remnants of violent civil unrest. Wide boulevards were cut through densely populated medieval streets with geometric precision and public facilities added, radically changing the design and character of the city.

Lined with parks, uniform apartment buildings and grand department stores, these widened streets, now synonymous with Paris, provided new social and commercial spaces for increasingly affluent Parisians to experience every leisure and luxury. Consumerism thrived and eye-catching advertising proliferated, promoting everything from beauty products and fashion to amusements like circus, cabaret, cinema and ice skating, emphasising graphic design and typography as essential promotional tools and establishing poster art as a popular artform. The avant-garde entertainment venues of Montmartre, charged with pleasure-seeking and frivolity, attracted night owls from all social classes. Artists, inspired by the unconventional scene, immortalised its eclectic patrons and performers in their work.

ABOVE: Poster for the Fernando circus (Affiche pour le cirque Fernando) 1890, lithograph. Musée Carnavalet. CC0 Paris Musées / Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris

BELOW: Emmanuel Lansyer, Place Maubert 1888, oil on canvas. Musée Carnavalet. CC0 Paris Musées / Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris

ABOVE: Alfred Choubrac, Poster for the Théâtre Marigny (Affiche pour le Théâtre Marigny) 1897, lithograph. Musée Carnavalet. CC0 Paris Musées / Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris

TOP RIGHT: Jean Béraud, The Entrance to the 1889 Universal Exhibition (Entrée de l’exposition universelle de 1889) 1889, oil on wood. Musée Carnavalet. CC0 Paris Musées / Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris

RIGHT: Jean Béraud, Boulevard Poissonnière in the rain (Le boulevard Poissonière sous la pluie) c.1880, oil on canvas. Musée Carnavalet. CC0 Paris Musées / Musée Carnavalet - Histoire de Paris

Georges Stein, Riders and carriages on the Avenue du Bois (Cavaliers et attelages, avenue du Bois) c.1900, oil on canvas. Musée Carnavalet. CC0 Paris Musées / Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris

ABOVE: Maximilien Luce, Pont Saint-Michel and Quai des Orfèvres (Le pont Saint-Michel et le quai des Orfèvres) c.1905, oil on paper. Musée Carnavalet. CC0 Paris Musées / Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris

BELOW: Henry Thiriet, Advertising poster for the department store A la Place de Clichy (Affiche publicitaire pour le grand magasin A la place de Clichy) 1898, lithograph on paper. Musée Carnavalet CC0 Paris Musées / Musée CarnavaletHistoire de Paris

The visual spectacle of the streetscape and air of modernity that animated the city was captured by a diversity of artists who continued the momentum of the Impressionist movement, breaking with convention and taking their canvases to the streets, gardens, nightspots of the city, and the banks of the Seine. They painted fleeting moments and atmospheric effects with expressive brushwork and vibrant colors. Experimenting with aesthetic possibilities, entirely new artistic movements were forged, setting the scene for further abstractions and developments to follow later in the 20th century.

The pulse of the city was also captured via the new inventions of moving image and photography. Through these novel mediums, key events and everyday moments were documented and disseminated, projected onto screens for a fascinated public to see their modern lives reflected back. Together with paintings depicting urban life and the lifestyles of the city’s varied citizens, historic films throughout the exhibition offer valuable visual records that provide nuanced insights into the lives of Parisians at this time.

While this defining era was not a golden age for all, it was a transformational time that continues to fascinate today, capturing the global imagination with romanticised visions of one of the most alluring cities of the world.

Paris: Impressions of Life 1880–1925, is on at the Bendigo Art Gallery from until July 14. Visit boxoffice.gotix.com.au for tickets.

quality of lifestyle

Lynn Metcalf adores her role, and the residents, at Joan Pinder.

By Katie Nicole - Photography by Kate Monotti

Nestled in the quiet, tree-lined Gibson Street, you will find Bendigo Health’s Joan Pinder Nursing Home.

Through the front gardens and behind the brick facade, staff like Lynn Metcalf have a phenomenal impact on quality of life for residents.

Lynn is the lifestyle coordinator at Joan Pinder. Her role involves organising fun activities for the residents and ensuring their lives are enriched with human interaction on a daily basis.

“I’ve always loved working with the elderly – I respect them, I just adore them,” Lynn says.

These activities include concerts, bingo, lawn bowls and special celebrations, to name a few.

One of Lynn’s favourite aspects of her job is the Intergenerational program, whereby residents are given the opportunity to visit a local kindergarten.

She was an integral part of the launch and success of this program.

“It keeps them busy. It gets them out of their room and socialising with other people,” she says.

pretty free and out there – she was lovely.”

Lynn’s love for the job extends to the families of residents.

Dot had increased confidence moving into residential care after seeing how well Lynn and the rest of the staff treated Bill prior to his passing.

“They (Dot’s family) told me Lynn was going to be here, so I thought, well, she looked after Bill so she’ll look after me,” Dot says.

“The staff here are beautiful, they really are. You couldn’t fault them.

They’ve made me feel like I am not alone.”

Lynn’s journey at Bendigo Health started as a kitchen hand. She was inspired to pursue a leisure and health qualification to have a more direct impact on resident wellbeing.

Thirteen years later, she hasn’t looked back.

With a clear passion for her career, Lynn goes to great lengths to care for the residents. She even started practising sign language to cater for a person who was deaf.

“She would come and play bingo and I would sign the numbers for her,” Lynn says.

“It made her feel included. She was a pretty positive woman as well,

“They’re just as important, because they want to know their loved one is safe and respected and cared for,” Lynn says.

“If a resident passes away, I like to go to their funeral to support the family on behalf of everyone at Joan Pinder, because not everyone can always go.”

Lynn is clearly loved by residents and colleagues, and she has a humble approach to her career. She appreciates the work of the broader lifestyle team at the Gibson Street complex.

“I just think that the lifestyle team, all of them are wonderful. We all work together and share resources,” she says.

“They’re all good people, doing it for the right reasons.”

With the support of Bendigo Health, Lynn has found her second home at Joan Pinder.

“Bendigo Health really looks after their residents,” she says.

“I look forward to seeing everyone, and seeing how they’re going. It’s just a job that I do, that I love, that I am passionate about.”

Pictured with Lynn is resident Dot, whose late husband Bill also lived at Joan Pinder.

Monday to Friday 7am-3pm

Saturday 8am-3pm Closed Sunday

AN ANGELIC WEEKEND

Three days of film fun was had by movie buffs in January.

OLLIE TURNBULL

“BSSC makes it easy to connect with other students and your teachers.”

IRENE BALDWIN

“Students get so much support and extra resources at BSSC.”

The third annual Eaglehawk Film Festival screened seven films at the Star Cinema, all exploring the theme ‘Angelic’. On opening night, attendees enjoyed dinner and drinks at the Chambers Wine Bar before settling in to watch the 2007 British romantic drama Angel. Bendigo

NISSA WAKEFIELD

“BSSC’s culture encourages us to be independent. I feel so lucky I can come here.”

ROHAN TYLER

“BSSC allows me to combine my love of humanities with my passion for music. I recommend it 100%.”

EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES

BSSC offers the greatest choice of subjects for senior secondary students in Victoria. With a wide range of specialist programs and flexible learning options, BSSC is designed to create an environment that supports learners at every level.

Like to find out more?

Phone: 5443 1222

Email: admin@bssc.edu.au

Alex and Heather Gemma and Warren

Helen, Marina and Carlene

Carol and Merv

Heather, Anne and Marilyn

Merry and Vin

Monday—Friday 9am to 5pm / Saturday mornings by appointment.

MOVIE MAGIC IN GOORNONG

The popular Summer in the Parks program brought a cinema to the Goornong Recreation Reserve.

At the Fosterville Goldmine Outdoor Cinema, courtesy of the City of Greater Bendigo and Agnico Eagle, crowds relaxed on rugs as they watched the 2022 film Blueback on the pop-up big screen and indulged in snacks from the Sweets & Treats Ice Cream Cart.

Beau, Jazmine and Niomi

Garry and Glennice

Judd, Lylah and Amy

Eleanor, Audrey, Trudi, William and James

Jodie, Mason, Logan and Ollie

Laura and Mandy

game-changer

Almost 10 years in the making, a bold sporting development at a Bendigo school is putting runs on the board and creating opportunities for students, clubs and the broader community.

By Raelee

Tuckerman - Photograph by Leon Schoots

The sound of children playing sport is music to the ears of Catherine McAuley College Bendigo principal Brian Turner. And since the $26 million Mercy Junortoun Sporting Precinct opened at the school’s Coolock Campus last September, there’s been a symphony of very satisfying action.

Not only do Year 7-9 students have access to state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor facilities, but local sporting and community groups are meeting, training and playing at the versatile 9-hectare site outside school hours, under a shared-use agreement with the City of Greater Bendigo.

“It’s still in its infancy and it will only grow as more organisations realise it’s here and what its capacity is,” says Brian.

Highlights of the MJSP include four new cricket/football ovals, two outdoor netball courts, two indoor multi-sport courts and an indoor cricket hub featuring six lanes, each with a speed gun. There are catering facilities, meeting/function spaces, and 12 team and umpire changerooms.

Funding for the joint venture came from the school (which contributed $18.4 million and the land), the council ($7 million, allowing for after-hours public access for 32 years) and the State Government ($500,000 from Cricket Victoria, which had input into the cricket hub design, via a Sport and Recreation Victoria grant). Brian says the impetus for the precinct was a combination of the outdated facilities at CMCB when he arrived in 2014, a lack of suitable amenities across Bendigo, and a forecast growth in sport in the region, particularly among junior girls and women.

While the main challenge was securing funding, there were complex governance issues as the Mercy school embarked on buying the land from the Diocese of Sandhurst, seeking stakeholder partners, and negotiating council, state and Catholic education, and Victorian Government requirements.

“There were layers upon layers and many hundreds of hours spent getting consensus, preparing the joint use agreement, working out the logistics and fine detail,” says Brian, adding COVID also caused delays after construction finally began in 2021. But it has been worth the wait.

“The end result is to have young people out there participating and enjoying sport and other activities,” says Brian. “It’s great seeing kids gravitate to the site, riding their bikes here and having a kick of the football. That’s what we want.

“I’d like to acknowledge the support of our community to have the faith and trust in us to get this over the line. It’s a big exercise for a school and there’s a lot of risk involved but you can see the benefits in terms of the quality of the facility.”

The architect for the stunning centre was ClarkeHopkinsClarke, while local firms Nicholson Construction and RMG were the builder and project manager respectively.

CMCB physical education and health learning leader Gerard Waterman says the precinct is a “game-changer” for staff and students.

“Our previous facilities meant our PE programs were severely restricted on wet-weather days. Staff would be looking at weather apps and radars before school and a rain dump at 9am would rule out two courts and an oval for the rest of the day.

“Now we can incorporate larger scope for our activities, so we have more inclusive classes and more kids active. As a large school with up to four PE classes timetabled at once, we can schedule our programs so they are all cohesive and we have the space to deliver curriculum rain, hail or shine.”

With a dedicated facilities manager on hand to set up and pack away sporting equipment for practical classes, students can be active from the moment the lesson begins. “We are not costing them valuable prac time through staff chopping and changing between warm-ups, skills and games.”

The school has partnered with Liverpool Football Club to deliver a world-class soccer curriculum to its pupils and next term Healthy Mates Physiotherapy will launch a high-performance strength and conditioning program exclusively for CMCB students. Both initiatives are based on site.

Business manager Seppe Marsili says linking with council allowed CMCB to expand its budget to include two ovals originally earmarked for ‘stage two’ of the project – and throughout summer the site was abuzz, especially with junior cricket being played from Thursdays through to Tuesdays.

He says under the joint agreement, providing better access for junior and women’s sport is a key focus. “That’s a priority for both us and the council. We’ve always got to bear that in mind.”

Outside groups already using MJSP include basketball clubs (Beavers, Aztecs and Strathfieldsaye), Kelly Sports (futsal and school holiday programs), Bendigo Strikers netball, Cricket Victoria

(Melbourne Renegades women and Northern Rivers training and clinics) and the Emu Valley and Bendigo District cricket associations (junior competition matches and senior women’s grand finals).

Sporting precinct manager Craig Green is confident that list will continue to grow.

“The sky’s the limit,” he says. “We are already collaborating with the council, BDCA and Bendigo Junior Football League to maximise use of the facility after school hours and look forward to forming associations outside the mainstream sports.

“We really want to make the community more aware of the facility here. Yes, it’s great for the school, but it is also there for the whole community to use and enjoy.”

Bookings for outdoor areas, changerooms and conference spaces are made through COGB, while the indoor stadium and cricket hub are booked via the school. For more information, contact precinct manager Craig Green at mjsp@cmc.vic.edu.au

BY THE NUMBERS

9 hectares redeveloped into the Mercy Junortoun Sporting Precinct

$26 million project, including a $7m City of Greater Bendigo contribution and $500,000 from the State Government (Cricket Victoria via Sport and Recreation Victoria)

1900 total seating capacity in main stadium, suitable for largescale functions, including 750 retractable stadium seats and 5.5-metre x 3.5-metre LED screen

170 (approx.) marked carpark spaces

8 distinct unisex player changerooms plus 4 umpire changerooms with individual toilet and shower cubicles – no urinals or communal shower roses!

6 lanes equipped with speed guns in indoor cricket hub, three of which open up to area for playing indoor cricket match or futsal game

4 new ovals, two senior and two junior, one with a quality turf wicket and two with full lighting and electronic scoreboard

2 indoor multisport courts with sprung floors, featuring basketball, volleyball, netball and badminton markings and net to separate the space into two areas

2 outdoor Flexipave netball courts with lighting and shelters

2 canteens, one adjoining a full-size industrial kitchen that opens up to a private function centre

CATHOLIC COMMUNITY UNITES

In support of Bendigo’s Catholic primary schools, punters packed the Bendigo Jockey Club to watch the highly-anticipated Marong Cup unfold.

As Station One claimed victory in the biggest race of the day, students from the eight schools enjoyed a range of fun activities and competed in a race of their own, the Marong Cup Schools Challenge.

Amelie, Pippa, Chloe, Tamara and Georgie

Gerry and Cooper

Lucy and Janelle

Ben, Eleanor, Sophie and Hazel

Rhonda and Terry

Lyn, Michael and Angus

FAMILY FUN COMES TO HUNTLY

The Huntly community was in high spirits as people came together for the annual Family Fun Day.

Kids were thrilled by all the free activities available, with laughter and excitement flooding the Strauch Recreation Reserve as youngsters had their faces painted, played on the jumping castle, and engaged in water activities organised by the Huntly CFA.

Charlie, Abbey, Atlee, Memphis and Karen

Josh and Isla

Louis, Delilah and Ariana

Ellie, Sahrii and Maleah

Ledi and Nat Nash and Hunter

a taste of memory

Cheese Louise! The cheddar is better far from home - it made this columnist a convert.

Words and illustration

by Geoff Hocking

My mother made basic lunches for us: tomato and onion, Strassburg and sauce, cheese and Vegemite (although I hated cheese and never ate it until I was on a weekend away in Holland, where the catering provided as part of a tour package was almost inedible and we bought a pack of Dutch cheese, Gouda and Edam, a couple of bread rolls and a big bag of peanuts from the camping ground kiosk).

I was staggered to discover that cheese had texture and creaminess and flavour. I’d never tasted anything like that before. My mother kept Kraft Cheddar in our pantry. I have been to Cheddar in the British county of Somerset. It would seem no one from Kraft had ever made that journey. The yellow stuff in that iconic blue cardboard box bore absolutely no resemblance at

all – apart from the colour – to the golden, crumbly, flavoursome product from which it took its name.

I was a convert. I reflected on the luncheon sandwiches I had thrown in the bin for want of an introduction to the real flavour and texture of farmhouse cheese.

But back to tomato and onion. In the ‘50s, our school lunches were not packed in moulded plastic containers with snap-shut lids and little compartments for a variety of treats. We were given a brown paper bag and our sangers were simply wrapped in greaseproof paper, if wrapped in anything at all. The bread was always soggy by the time lunch break came around but I do admit that I quite liked the way the bread flattened out around the tomato and absorbed the juice.

The Stras and sauce did much the same thing. ‘Stras’ is short for Strassburg, or Strasbourg, a kind of German sausage about 100mm in diameter and held together by a filmy plastic casing.

I guess that in the very old days, the casing was made from the intestine of some animal but the Stras we had was probably printed with the brand name of a local manufacturer: Foggit & Jones or Castle. Foggits has long gone, its factory site in Golden Square now residential housing. Castle lasted three generations in the one family but is now known as KR Castlemaine. KR also produces European-style smallgoods for Don (including Stras – Is good!) and Otto Wurth.

Neither salami nor chorizo had been invented when I was at primary school (that’s a joke). Nor was Dijon or seeded mustard. Our pantry only contained a small yellow tin of Keen’s Mustard, a dried powder that mother would mix into a paste. This brand contributed to the Australian vernacular the saying ‘as keen as mustard’ (that’s a fact).

The worst thing about Stras was peeling the casing from the sausage. It broke into tiny slivers of glutinous plastic and spoiled the visual culinary effect of a plate of cold meat and tomato sauce, a meal we were served when all else failed.

We ate anchovy paste sandwiches. We lathered our bread with

together with long insulated handles into which one placed a sandwich before clamping the dishes together and thrusting the whole thing, apart from the handles, into an open fire. Once stuff began to ooze out, lunch was ready. This is not easy to achieve in a modern kitchen. That’s why the electric sandwich maker, or Belgian waffle-iron, were invented.

We drank water from the tap. Not boxed fruit drinks, nor chocolate milk, nor drinking yoghurt – although the free bottle of milk provided each day at primary school could approach a yoghurtish state by lunchtime if left outside too long.

We collected our own eggs, killed and plucked our own chooks (the ones that stopped laying were always destined for the cooking pot). The rabbit-o provided a skun-bunny, ‘underground-mutton’, every week and, while I am wallowing in a wave of hopeless nostalgia, I can still hanker after a serve of roast rabbit wrapped in bacon.

We usually had plenty of veggies. Although we were served up boiled cabbage, boiled brussels, boiled silverbeet, boiled beans – each and every brassica boiled until it was almost grey and disgusting. We always had plenty of root veggies and beetroot was a staple. Rhubarb was grown in almost every back garden and fertilised by manure left in the street by the milky’s horse. I loved

$251,519

Specialised medical equipment purchased to treat more people closer to home

$615,202

Rasied for Cancer wellness and the Gobbé Wellness Centre

$66,392

Raised through Move for Mental Health to purchase a patient transport bus

$206,228

Allocated to paediatric rehabilitation

$1.3m

Accepted to redevelop the Superintendent’s Residence to expand cancer wellness services and create a fundraising hub

$268,374

Received through gifts in Wills allocated to improve our regional hospital for future generations

*Figures based on the 2022-2023 financial year

Supporting your hospital to provide Excellent Care, Every Person, Every Time.

Donate at: bendigohealthfoundation.org.au

Platinum and Principal Program sponsors

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT SHINES BRIGHT

Carols by Candlelight has always been one of Bendigo’s best-loved Christmas traditions, and the 2023 event was no exception.

A huge crowd gathered in Rosalind Park for the 52nd carols hosted by the Rotary Club of Bendigo, singing their hearts out in a jolly display of Christmas spirit.

WINE. FOOD. FUNCTIONS, WEDDINGS & CONFERENCES

“AN

Alanna, Lily, Jasmine and Sophie

Cooper, Ruby and Bec

Leila, Michelle and Zarleigha

Alise, Sam, Ella and Maggie

Isabella, Beth and Jowan

Nate, Jorja and Jaye

2024 ARRIVES IN STYLE

As fireworks lit up the sky at midnight, Bendigo said goodbye to 2023 and excitedly welcomed the new year.

The impressive display from the Rosalind Park Poppet Head delighted those watching from the Queen

Grace, Sharon, Edie, Kelly, Eve, Amanda, Matt and Di Lloyd, Zoe, Nat, Hayley and Luke Imogene, Natasha, Mitchell, Lachlan and Cameron Makayla, Richard, Mackenzie, Ned and Tandy

small objects telling big stories

The Golden Dragon Museum’s collections manager is helping conserve history for the future.

By Dianne Dempsey - Photography by Leon Schoots

As a young girl, Megan Hall lived with her family in China, where she attended an international school. At the time, her strong interests were painting and science but it was when she visited the famous Terracotta Army site depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang that her passions coalesced into a particular area – that of conservation. Not only did the ancient tomb reveal much about the history of those times, it also revealed to Megan much about the art of conservation – a career she has pursued in later life.

After working at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Megan was excited when an opportunity arose in 2021 to continue her interest in textiles at the Golden Dragon Museum.

As the local museum’s collections manager, she has relished the opportunity to co-curate with heritage curator Anne-Louise Muir on a one-off exhibition, Victoria’s Goldfields: Chinese Curiosities from Heritage Victoria. The items in the exhibition have been sourced from Heritage Victoria’s permanent archaeology collection. The exhibition consists of small objects that, Megan says, “tell big stories”.

Heritage Victoria excavated artefacts from various parts of Victoria, where members of the Chinese diaspora lived and worked between the 1850s and the early 1900s. The uniting feature of the artefacts is that they provoke our curiosity and speculation – the exquisite figurine of a “qilin” found in Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, is a prime example of just such a curiosity. What was the provenance of the statue? And what sort of animal was he supposed to be?

At the time it was excavated, the Heritage Victoria archaeological team believed the statue might be that of a dragon. But after consultation with Megan and her colleagues, it was decided the strange creature was more likely to be a qilin – a mythological figure comprised of multiple, different animal aspects. Qilins were known to be magical animals that bring good fortune.

In the glass case dedicated to ‘Bendigo Market Gardeners’, artefacts include a fragment of a ceramic tile, coins, opium pipe components and “decoy eggs”. While initially puzzled by the function of the smooth, softly glazed eggs, Heritage Victoria finally established they were commonly used by market gardeners to encourage their chickens to lay. Local Chinese ceramics expert Dennis O’Hoy was able to confirm the eggs were made at Bendigo Pottery and that he had similar eggs in his private collection. For Megan, the beauty of the exhibition has been these informative discussions.

The tiny curious bottles of Chinese herbalist Willie Kay Sing, who lived in Melbourne’s Little Bourke Street, turn out to be vials that contained single doses of prescribed medicines. And while we know the Chinese were market gardeners, the fact of a Chinese fishing industry in the new colony has surprised many people.

Megan says there were multiple fishing sites along the Victorian coast where the Chinese would catch and cure fish, which were brined in wood barrels and sold across the state. After a meticulous search of the Port Albert area, archaeologist Dr Alister Bowen discovered small fragments of boats and an anchor, establishing positive evidence of the fishing industry. As the anchor was found in salt water, it has continued to deteriorate and unfortunately is too fragile to display in its entirety.

Another section of the exhibition, ‘Pastimes and Hobbies’, contains small, handmade, glass-disc gaming pieces that were found in Bendigo. They belong to a board game known as Weiqi – also known as Go in Japan. In the same cabinet display, found in Vaughan, is an umbrella-shaped, glass ink bottle; octagonal and shining. Ironically, the beautiful iridescence on the ink bottle indicates that the material, having been buried in earth, is breaking down. The objects in this exhibition may have been found in old rubbish dumps or cesspits, but they indicate lives filled with work and play and probably loneliness. By its very nature, the sometimes intangible quality of an object invites speculation. We can imagine the inkwell being used to write letters home; the weiqi board to pass long evenings and the opium pipe to simply forget. As for the qilin – an ornament without a practical function brought along on a long sea voyage? Perhaps it was to remind someone of the home left behind.

Clearly, Megan Hall has been able to transfer the awe of the terracotta warriors of her childhood to the small objects of her own, co-curated exhibition. And she is careful to remind us that the real value of any artefact is not so much its beauty, but the history it represents.

Victoria’s Goldfields: Chinese Curiosities from Heritage Victoria runs until November 10. Bendigo will also host discussions about the exhibition collaboration, and Heritage Victoria’s connection to the city, during April and May as part of the Australian Heritage Festival floor talk series. Visit www.nationaltrust.org.au/ahf for more details.

REVVED UP RETURN

Car enthusiasts were elated to see the return of the Bendigo National Swap Meet in November.

After a three-year absence, one of Australia’s largest swap meets finally celebrated its 45th iteration. Attendees poured through the gates of the Bendigo Showgrounds early, eager for the opportunity to view classic cars and purchase vintage parts.

Ray and Paul

Pat, Stephen and Neville

James and Kaleb

Steve and Gavin

Matthew and Stuart

Mario and Peter

for Harry high note

This young musician now realises there is more to the saxophone than jazz tunes and classical melodies.

By Danielle Snowdon - Photography by AJ Taylor

Harry Godfrey was in Year 7 at Bendigo South East College the first time he picked up the saxophone – the choice based purely on remembering one of his friends describing the instrument as “so cool”.

“I started to realise the saxophone has more flexibility than people first think, especially with pop and house music.”

His love of a wide range of music genres and his drive to practise until he really got it motivated the Broken Hill-born boy to hone his skill. He was unaware that, down the track, this would lead to a fulltime career.

Harry continued to play the instrument during his time at Bendigo Senior Secondary College, with Unit 3/4 Music Performance one of his subjects.

After graduating in 2015, Harry took a gap year – in his words, a great chance to “build good character” – before heading to La Trobe University Bendigo to study civil engineering.

“In the fourth year, you can work full time, so I decided to get into the industry. I enjoyed it, but always felt like I was meant for something else.”

During lockdowns, Harry borrowed some DJ decks from a friend and taught himself the art of mixing music. The fusion of saxophone and a DJ set turned out to be a popular mix. It was clear he was onto something.

From there, the gigs rolled in – his first at local venue The Social. An acoustic performance at the Moonlight Market led to a request to play at a local wedding, the first of many wedding gigs to come.

“It’s such a special day for the couple and something they don’t forget for the rest of their lives,” says Harry. “There isn’t another event of such importance, in my opinion.”

In April 2022, Harry’s close friend Jem Pryse gave him the opportunity to perform at popular music festival Groovin the Moo. That experience lit a fire in Harry.

“I was meeting all the artists backstage; groups like Hilltop Hoods and Lime Cordiale, and the whole time I’m thinking, ‘this is insane’.

“I remember going to work on the Monday in shock that I had actually played at Groovin the Moo on the weekend. The experience made me realise I loved getting the crowd going and working with their energy.”

Despite the success of the major gig, the experience didn’t go to Harry’s head at all; he kept his unpretentious attitude and strong work ethic.

As with many creatives, Harry had to juggle his ‘side hustle’ and his 9-to-5 job. It got to a point where he had to decide whether he was going to continue with his career as a civil engineer or take a leap of faith and see where his other set of skills could take him.

“A lot of people were saying that it was such a big risk. But I had looked at the numbers and I was pretty certain I could comfortably step out to pursue this.”

In July 2023, Harry took that leap to pursue his creative venture, choosing the alter-ego Deus Sax.

When asked what he loves most about performing at weddings, Harry says it’s all about the meaning of the occasion and the common goal – to celebrate the bride and groom.

“It’s pretty cool to be the person that is, for a moment, the focus, but in a way that benefits everyone,” he says. “I’ve had couples message me a year or so after their wedding, still blown away about how awesome it was.”

Whilst his popularity was certainly growing across Australia, it wasn’t until videos of his performances went viral that Harry received his first request to play at a wedding overseas. It was quickly followed by several more.

The videos – one garnering 8.8 million views on his personal TikTok account, and a whopping 16.1 million views on Pubity’s Instagram –captured the attention of many eager couples keen to have Harry as part of their special day.

So, what does the future look like for Harry?

“I have already booked out a fair bit of next year,” he explains. “I’m performing in Croatia, Spain, Italy, France and the US.

“I also still really love performing locally at regional weddings. Apart from that, I want to play at more festivals and release some music.”

It’s clear that whatever is on the horizon for Harry, he’ll be bringing his humble, cruisy attitude with him – and his trusty sax.

A SMILING SUCCESS

Late spring saw a lot of joy in Heathcote, thanks to local health and community organisations.

With a focus on fun and wellbeing, the Heathcote Community Smiles Day featured a wide range of free activities for the whole family. The collaborative event also encouraged attendees to get to know the services available in the area.

Fran, Merle and Lorraine

Mel and Sally

Tara and Melissa

Kerstin and Eugene

Sebastian and Haylee

TWILIGHT TUNES AND TASTINGS

As autumn arrived, so did the annual Heathcote Harvest Festival.

Celebrating the start of vintage for vineyards, the festival featured a twilight market where the drinks flowed, the food satisfied, and the tunes brought great vibes.

Musicians Playlunch, John Flanagan and MissMay kept the crowds at Barrack Recreation Reserve entertained all evening.

Ally and Sharon Chris and Lynda

Phil, Valentina, Maverick and Ziva

Andrew and Andrea

Douglas, Angus and Hannah

Tegan, Matilda, Rafferty and Anita

prep for the festival

Casual appreciator LAUREN MITCHELL is handed some of the region’s best wines ahead of this year’s annual Bendigo Strategem Winemakers Festival on April 13 in Rosalind Park.

Photography

by Leon Schoots

If there’s ever an optimal season to ask red, or white, it’s autumn in Bendigo, with its warm days, cool evenings and plethora of seasonal produce. This trio of local wines arrived just as the light changed and our days became imbued with the golden hues of March. The Sandhurst Ridge 2015 Shiraz was saved for a weekend away with like-minded cousins and a date with the Clunes Book Town Festival in historic goldfields heartland. The time away warranted the packing of something special to contribute to the table. Our good friends at this Marong vineyard have produced a rich, ripe Shiraz that’s refined and complex, and ideal to open after some years of careful cellaring. It perfectly showcased the region to my city relatives, and was privy to some great wordy, nerdy conversation after a day of bookish worship.

The Crossing 2018 Shiraz was one for a weekend at home, with a curry on the stovetop and an extra place set at the table for a fellow red-wine-lovin’ friend. An appropriate wine to share, given it was made by the late Adam Marks; famous not only for his decades of award-winning experience, but also for his hospitality. I met him just once, but never forgot it. He handed me a glass that he’d dipped straight into a vat while speaking of the winemaking process. This wine hails from the Turner’s Crossing vineyard at riverside Serpentine. It rocked a deep purple tone and a spicy vanilla aroma. Savoury in flavour, with a bold and balanced structure, it made great use of its quiet time in the bottle.

Finally, autumn started with some stinker days, remember? It was still all salads for dinner under the air-con. Cue the Mandurang Valley 2023 Riesling from down the road, where the vines were no doubt feeling the wilt of extreme fire danger days.

Chilled and gleaming in the glass, this pale, straw-coloured wine was a sympathetic accompaniment to a late-week shortcut. Who wants to cook in the heat? Who doesn’t resort to a supermarket chook and a quick whip salad from time to time? Sacrilegious maybe, but it wouldn’t be the first time a basic, ad-hoc meal was saved by a Bendigo wine. Expect a bright boutique of zesty citrus and a crisp acidic palate.

A PREVIEW OF PARIS

Members of Bendigo Art Gallery were treated to an exclusive first look at the newest exhibition before its official opening.

The evening event provided art enthusiasts with the chance to admire more than 170 works from Paris: Impressions of Life 1880–1925 in a more intimate setting.

JOURNEY TO THE PAST

Despite the soaring heat, thousands travelled from afar to discover a wealth of knowledge at the Lost Trades Fair.

Over 150 artisans showcased their immense talents in often-forgotten crafts to admiring onlookers, who could not wait to purchase items handmade right in front of them.

Catriona, Donna, Andrea, Maree, Jess and Marie-Helene

Katrina, John and Gabriel

Sarah and Jason

Gina and Jenni Matt and Kate

Tony and Jan

Dom, Sally, Luna and Maia

Samuel, Milton, Nate and Roxane Rose and Steve

Jeremy and Nicole

Kyle and Pete

Stu and Fraser

Make your meat-free meal memorable with mushrooms.

By Beau Cook - Photography by Leon Schoots

funky fungi

MUSHROOM NOODLES

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 200g dried thick egg noodles

• 150g oyster mushrooms, sliced

• 4 spring onions, cut into 5cm sticks

• 2 small bunches of Chinese broccoli, cut into 5cm pieces

• 1 tsp. sesame oil

• 1 tbl. peanut oil

Sauce:

• 2 tbl. water

• 1 tbl. ketjap manis (sweet soy)

• 2 tsp. mushroom soy or dark soy

• 2 tsp. Chinese black vinegar

To serve:

• Chilli oil

• Fried shallots

Method:

1. Pre-cook noodles according to packet instructions, strain and rinse with cold water, then toss through sesame oil. Set aside.

2. Mix all sauce ingredients together, then set aside.

3. Heat peanut oil in a wok or large pan over a high heat. Once hot, add mushrooms and spring onion, then stir fry for two minutes. Add broccoli and stir fry for another two minutes or until vegetables start to char lightly.

4. Add the noodles and sauce, toss until well combined, then take off the heat and serve immediately. Top with chill oil and fried shallots to taste.

A CELEBRATION OF CULTURE

A joyous 10-day festival to welcome the Year of the Dragon was hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in February

Alongside the daily activities, the weekends were full of traditional performances and cultural activities for everyone to enjoy, with lion dancing and Tai Chi classes among the most popular attractions.

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Barry and Natalie

Sarah and Vivian

Vy and Linh

Eve, Zephyr and Kate

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William, Rebecca, Joseph and Mark

DRAGONS STAR IN FESTIVAL

The Bendigo Chinese Association’s Lunar New Year celebrations saw the return of a very special guest.

As crowds gathered at the Dai Gum San Precinct, the beloved Sun Loong made an appearance to welcome in the Year of the Dragon. The free festivities also

Emma, Alix, Bonnie and Paige

Max, Mylo and Blu

James, Brookes, Hudson, Ella and Flynn

Molly, Indran, Whitney and Oliver

escape to the country

With a determination and willingness to embrace unconventional methods, Jan and Martin build their dream home against the backdrop of nature.

By Marina Williams - Photography by Leon Schoots

After a road trip to Cape York in 2018, Martin and Jan decided to leave Melbourne for a quieter life in the countryside.

They settled on a 103-acre plot in Walmer, attracted by its natural beauty and potential for building their dream home.

“We were talking about life and stuff, when we wanted to retire, stay in Melbourne or move – we both said ‘no’ to city living and started looking for some land,” says Jan, who co-owns a blind and window furnishings business.

“We used to come to Welshmans Reef Caravan Park, so we kind of knew the area and started looking at some land. We saw this one. With these two big, beautiful gum trees right near the house, I said to Martin ‘this is it’.”

Having completed some home renovations in the past, the couple was confident in the task that lay ahead – designing and building a home in a rural setting.

“Martin is a chef by trade and works in the hospitality industry and is always willing to give things a go, so we knew we could do this as owner-builders.

“I love interior design and always have been into design through work or at home. We knew what we wanted, and before we moved up here I had drawn up our plans that we then took to an architect and went from there.”

Their home would be built using shipping containers, a style Jan had always liked after watching Grand Designs.

“It’s one of my favourite shows and a few years ago I saw an episode in which (series host) Kevin McCloud featured a shipping container self-build – a guy in Ireland used the containers to build a home on his parents’ place. It was stunning. We never actually dreamed that we would, but then thought… maybe. When we took that holiday, that was it, decision made.

“On finding the land, I knew what I wanted before we even started, where I wanted it and which way for the home to face.”

They purchased seven large and one smaller shipping containers in ‘excellent condition’, positioning them in an almost E-shape pattern. The spine is a spacious hallway that provides access to a shed, the open-plan kitchen/living area and study and bedrooms that sit in a private wing.

In October 2023, after years of hard work and dedication, the eight shipping containers had been transformed into an inviting, light and airy, two-bedroom, two-bathroom sustainable family home that is off the grid.

The couple’s elegant designer touches and attention to detail shine through in the deliberate colour scheme (Colorbond Monument and Dulux Terrace White) and blend of old and new furnishings, including bargain finds and repurposed items.

“Having two colours throughout adds to the calmness and lets the views be the main act,” Jan says. “It also works with the furniture.”

For flooring, messmate timber was chosen for the living rooms, kitchen and hallways; concrete in the grand sitting and dining area; and carpet in the bedrooms “for added cosiness”. The living area flooring is also durable for their two little dogs, Esme and Stella.

“We are fully insulated – wherever the container is featured, behind or under there is a layer of insulation with tin or plasterboard on the other side. The siting ensures we capture the evening breezes, and not the harsh summer sun.

“The bedrooms are heated from the woodfire in the living room. It’s ducted through the ceiling, and we will find out this winter if we need anything else.

“The kitchen was a display, and someone had it in storage, never used it, so we made an offer and got it. It came complete with appliances and fits in beautifully – the colours work and the most expensive part of it is the granite benchtops.

“The dining room table – we made the top – wouldn’t fit in our old home, so it’s great to have it out of storage and used. The chairs are a mix of ours and from a friend and they were recovered to match with the calf skin. My Mum’s antique cabinet sits in the entry hall, and I love that it looks like it was meant to be there.”

For the window treatments, Jan opted for high-end motorised blinds and curtains made from recycled plastic bottles.

“Being off grid does mean they can go a little slow or forget their memory,” she laughs. “It’s a little luxury and, being in the industry, I thought ‘why not’.

“In choosing all materials inside and out, we wanted to leave that light footprint.”

The exterior showcases the container cladding and corrugated iron – reclaimed and new – fixed both horizontally and vertically. A timber verandah runs the length of the rear façade and has already hosted its share of social gatherings under a custom neon sign that says ‘Jan’s beer garden’, a gift from Martin.

The home is still evolving, they say, with plans for additional interior cladding and improvements to the exterior. The couple take pride in their ongoing efforts to enhance their living space.

“Outside we have plans to cover the barbecue area and the space outside our bedroom,” Jan says.

Taking pride of place in that ‘space’ is a perfectly positioned claw-foot bath, allowing its owners to have a relaxing soak while taking in the expansive views of their property. “Why not, no one can see us from here,” Jan laughs, adding that their 1km driveway adds to the privacy. “We are completely private. It’s lovely to have a soak, look across the dam, see the olive trees (500 have been planted) and the landscape.”

Yet any visitor arriving at Jan and Martin’s front door will soon know these owners like to do things differently. In a nod to their mantra to reuse, recycle and upcycle, a repurposed large-scale shipping container door makes for a grand entrance.

“We cut out sections to add glass, left the locking mechanism and gave it a coat of paint – it’s our pop of colour,” Jan says. “If only we kept the worn cutting discs to show how much cutting we did on all the containers – I could have made an artwork from them!”

Despite challenges, such as delays due to COVID-19, Martin and Jan received support from family and friends throughout the construction process, highlighting the importance of community in achieving their goals.

“We have had a wonderful support network; and one of our kids is a plumber, which was very helpful. Our kids and their kids are loving coming here. We think living here is giving us all more quality time together because we are not rushing in and out. When we are here, we are here together. It is our forever home.”

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DISCO ROLLS INTO MALL

People of all ages strapped on skates with a smile and boogied away at the outdoor roller disco in January.

As part of the City of Greater Bendigo’s Summer in the Parks program, Dragon City Roller Derby held its first outdoor disco in Hargreaves Mall. Aided by skating coaches, many children made their skating debut at the event.

Anthony and Grace

Jodie and Elise

Matilda and Corinne

Eleanor and Ben

John and Huxton

Rhianna, Annika and Lucy

NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATED

More than 150 stalls were available to explore as the ever-popular Australia Day Market returned to Lake Weeroona for another year.

Hosted by the Rotary Club of Bendigo Sandhurst, the largest extravaganza for three-wheeled vehicles in Victoria was featured at the event alongside the usual live entertainment, children’s activities and food.

Amy, Paul, Sam and Heather

Kiana, Scarlett, Xaidyn and Josh

Mabel and Finn

Dominic and Noah Lincoln, Claudia, Talitha, Lachie and Evelynne

Troy, James, Leesa and Sarah

welcome oasis

By Marina Williams - Photography by Leon Schoots

Pan and Gary make the ideal ‘aqua-sition’ – a custom-made pool – to complete their picturesque property overlooking the Campaspe River at Redesdale

For many years, Gary and Pan had been happily enjoying one of the best views in Central Victoria, right from their back door – the rolling pastures of Redesdale and the iconic Campaspe River.

However, their picture-perfect garden needed one more thing to make paradise complete, a pool.

“Even though we’re close to Lake Eppalock, it’s just convenient to dip in the pool once you get hot and bothered by gardening and stuff,” says Gary, who is particularly proud of his lush lawn.

“I used to design golf courses. While it doesn’t make me a landscaper, I do like a nice lawn. We both enjoy being outside and gardening.”

Picturesque Redesdale has long been a drawcard for those wanting space, peace and quiet from the hustle and bustle of city living. Its landscape is steeped in agricultural history, from a flourishing merino wool industry in the mid-19th century to vineyards, olive and walnut groves now dotting the paddocks and attracting people to the region.

Gary and Pan’s property, complete with a classic Victorian home and walled gardens of stacked granite and stone, is on the Campaspe River arm of Lake Eppalock.

The couple purchased the property from previous long-time residents.

“The original builders and owners had been here for 25 years –interestingly, our kids went to school with their grandkids – and we bought off the next owners of eight years.

“We always wanted property with water views and with this we got it. A bonus is, we are only one and a half hours to Melbourne, which is great.”

In planning for the pool, they emphasised the importance of balancing design with the surrounding landscape, as well as function.

“We wanted it close to the house, right off the verandah, so we could just walk out and dip our feet in. With the great views over the Campaspe and to the hills, we wanted a nice bench seat down one side of the pool so we could sit, cool off and look down the valley.”

They turned to Evolution Pools for advice, and construction began within months of their first meeting. A partial build through winter didn’t slow progress, with the couple taking their first swim in the 8mx3m custom concrete pool by Christmas.

“It’s been very relaxing, and it’s great when the family comes up from Melbourne.”

In considering the details, a gloss forest green mosaic was chosen for the interior, and black granite for the coping tiles.

The exterior walls are painted a dark grey, to match one wall of the house. “In June, we will plant roses against the pool grey wall, so they will look pretty spectacular and pop,” says Gary.

He says the pool – with its automated features and heating –complements their lifestyle. “We wanted it to be as easy as possible and pretty much bulletproof. Apart from checking the water each month, and adding something as needed, that is it. Whilst we spend a lot of time in the garden, we wanted somewhere to cool off and relax. Having the pool attached to the house just enhances the whole experience of the property, to be honest.”

Adds Kurt from Evolution Pools: “It’s a striking landscape, and one of the objectives was to have the pool positioned for the outlook over the property and the river in the distance. Also, Gary and Pan wanted the pool to meet the existing verandah and to have a seamless finish so that the rock cladding matched in with the house.”

To help manage their budget, the couple were hands-on with the project, with Gary sourcing and stacking the stones that are a feature of the new deck.

“We went over a little bit because extra support holes were needed, but that was minor in the scope of the project. I built the deck and did all the landscaping around it myself, so we saved a bit of money that way.

“The process of having a pool was seamless, Kurt and the team took care of everything. If there was any challenge, it was probably me reminding them to watch the grass,” he adds, laughing. “With the view, they said it was one of the better worksites they had been on.”

As autumn replaces summer, the couple are still enjoying a few more dips in the pool and look forward to many more fun times poolside.

“It really is a beautiful place to relax and refresh,” says Gary. “We love it.”

FESTIVAL BLOOMS IN EAGLEHAWK

Both the dahlia flower and the suburb of Eaglehawk were the stars of a unique local festival.

The 51st Dahlia and Arts Festival took over Eaglehawk’s streets for three days of vibrant family fun, with the flower show and gala parade a beautiful celebration of the community’s creativity.

RUNNING FOR A CAUSE

The annual Bendigo Ford Fun Run once again turned Rosalind Park into a race track for thousands of runners.

The 1km, 5km, 10km, and 21.1km fun runs and walks provided a scenic journey through Bendigo, all to raise funds for a new outdoor rehabilitation playspace for children at Bendigo Health.

Arlie, Elsie and Harper

Joni, Tim and Nancy

Ochanya and Hetty Emma and Winifred

Lorelei, Arliyah, Cheree and Bryan

Rory, Olivia and Chloe

Brad, Brendan and Spencer

Deven, Spencer, Levi and Natalie

Marty, Izzy and Caitlin

Chris and Sam

Isabella and Dusty Oliver, Ruby, Rebecca and Preston

SWIMMING TO VICTORY

Catherine McAuley College Bendigo’s two campuses united at the Faith Leech Aquatic Centre in an impressive display of school spirit.

The yearly Swimming Carnival saw students take to the pool on a sunny February day to compete in swimming and novelty events, with Djaara House winning the championship for the first time.

HARVESTING HAPPINESS

The humble apple was in the spotlight at a very special festival in March.

Harcourt Applefest celebrated the fruit with more than 60 community groups and vendors through a bustling market, entertainment, cooking competitions and plenty of local produce – and who could forget the messy but glorious apple pie eating contest!

Backhaus House

Djaara House

McAuley House Champagnat House

MacKillop House

Vincent House

Donna and Ross

Zac, Jess and Koby

Piper, Bella and Rach

Freya, Ella and Mabel

Leigh, Katherine and Leanne

Steve and Angus

BUNJA THAI

AUTHENTIC THAI FOOD | DINE IN | TAKEAWAY

Bringing fresh and delicious Thai food to Bendigo’s CBD with Thai chefs and table service in an amazing Gold Rush Architectural masterpiece. Fully licensed and open for lunch Mon-Fri and dinner from 5pm Mon-Sat. bunja.com.au

BENDIGO ERNEST HOTEL

Situated in the heart of the CBD, our new boutique offering provides holiday and business travellers a luxurious, modern and ambient getaway set against a grand heritage backdrop. Complimentary off-street parking. 100m from the Art Gallery.

hotelbendigo.com.au

THE CHAMBERS WINE BAR

RESTAURANT & BAR I BEER, WINE & COCKTAILS

Open every Friday night 5-9pm in the old Eaglehawk Council Chambers, upstairs at Star Cinema. The perfect venue for your Friday after-work drinks, dinner or pre-film catch-ups.

starcinema.org.au/chambers

STAR CINEMA

BENDIGO’S ONLY BOUTIQUE CINEMA

Plush couches, a licensed bar and an amazing programme

PERCY & PERCY

COFFEE | BREAKFAST | LUNCH | CATERING

Watch the world go by from the courtyard or settle inside amongst a cosy setting of wooden tables and low pan lighting. Our coffee is reason alone to make a visit - but after a peek at the menu, you won’t be able to resist staying longer. percyandpercy.com.au

net benefits

An unlikely friendship between a tennis professional and a homeless man sparked a national program to promote wellbeing through the sport. And in Bendigo, it’s proving to be a smash hit.

By Raelee Tuckerman - Photography by AJ Taylor

It’s Wednesday morning and the South Bendigo Tennis Club courts are alive with activity – balls are flying back and forth, along with equal serves of encouragement and banter. Either side of the net, there’s barely a care in the world, the focus firmly on the angle of the slice, the timing of the volley.

But off the court, life hasn’t always been so carefree. Many of these players have faced incredible hardships including homelessness, drug and alcohol dependency, mental health challenges and more, leaving them feeling lonely, socially isolated and despondent.

That was before they discovered Rally4Ever, a free weekly program connecting the tennis community with vulnerable people and using the benefits of sport to help them bounce back.

“This has become a really safe group for me,” says Ben Smith, who lives with a complex mental health condition and explains it is important for him to have a place where he doesn’t worry people might be talking about him or his circumstances.

“I love having a hit and I’m sad that I didn’t get into tennis when I was younger because it’s such good fun. Even just getting the ball back over the net gives you a real sense of achievement.

“When you’re out on the court, nothing else matters and no one cares what’s going on outside of the game. It’s groups like this that keep me going.”

Denis McLachlan – who grew up in foster care and experienced trauma that led to a cycle of addiction, crime and homelessness as an adult – agrees.

“What Rally4Ever has done for me, is given me the confidence to connect with other people.

“I really enjoy coming on Wednesdays, but the other things they’ve organised (like a 24-hour rally last year and events in Melbourne during the Australian Open), I would never have attended them in the past because of anxiety or whatever excuse I’d have at the time. But now I thrive on it.

“Playing tennis is a good outlet for exercise, but it also helps me connect with people.”

Denis was encouraged to join Rally4Ever by Central Victorian addiction support agency Impact Recovery and he says it’s been an important step along his journey.

“I’ve found that if you are isolated, it can be because you haven’t been shown what services are available and, more importantly, taught that you can heal. The opposite of addiction is connection.”

Rally4Ever is the brainchild of former tennis professional-turnedcommentator Louise Pleming, who met a homeless man while volunteering at a soup kitchen in 2018 and forged a friendship over their shared love of the game that was documented on ABC TV’s Australian Story. After seeing the positive impact the sport had on her new mate, she helped create the Rally4Ever foundation.

There are now 30 clubs across Australia providing free social tennis sessions to people from all abilities and all walks of life.

South Bendigo is one of just four in Victoria offering the weekly program, under the watchful eye of coach and club president Aidan Fitzgerald.

The group begins with a welcome chat, followed by an on-court skills session with Aidan and ending with a shared light lunch and more opportunity for casual conversation and connection.

Co-ordinator Michael Carter established the local branch almost three years ago, after learning about it while working as a courtesy car driver at the 2021 Australian Open. He works with deaf community outreach service Eagles Corner, in partnership with rehabilitation provider Impact Recovery.

“Impact Recovery was looking for a recreational program for clients,” says Michael, “and the first drive I had was with professional player Alexandra Osborne, the co-founder of Rally4Ever, who was down from Sydney trying to qualify for the Open. During that 10-minute trip, I found out she knew a little bit about homelessness.. and she told me about Rally4Ever, which was now in Melbourne.”

Michael went along to a session to “check it out” and got roped into joining in. He loved the experience, soon launching a small regional group in Castlemaine.

“But as I got to know Louise Pleming and her vision for the program, I realised this needed to be opened up to other people in this area so I had to find a tennis club and coach in Bendigo prepared to do it on a voluntary basis.” Aidan had seen the ABC documentary and knew about Louise’s initiative, so when Michael approached him, he instantly jumped on board.

They’ve been running sessions at South Bendigo since July 2021, developing links with community support programs including Impact Recovery, Kallara Care and Stride, among others.

Participant Simon Beasley, who is Deaf and has an Auslan interpreter to facilitate his conversations, says Rally4Ever helps develop self-worth and personal growth in people who have faced significant difficulties in their past. He has seen the change in himself and others.

“Rally4Ever has given me so many opportunities. You come into this little community and realise you are accepted by everyone and that enables you to go out into the wider community. We have discussions, we’re all equal, we’re all improving, and everyone is determined to help each other.”

Simon once struggled with complex trauma, PTSD and alcohol addiction, but is now thriving as a peer support worker and passionate advocate for the program that provides an inclusive and empowering atmosphere.

“Through Rally4Ever, I’ve learnt to use tennis as an opportunity for growth,” he says.

“We all have struggles, but if we support and draw strength from each other, we can help bring about real change. I feel accepted here and I can be who I am. It’s not too late – it’s never too late.”

After recently helping out at a Rally4Ever clinic for at-risk youth in Melbourne, Simon now hopes to obtain his coaching accreditation so he can use tennis to positively influence deaf children as well. Organiser Michael takes to the court himself each week and stresses you don’t need to be an outreach service client to join in.

“You don’t have to have an addiction, or be homeless, or have mental health issues. Maybe you’re just lonely and want to connect. This would also be a great way for local immigrants to connect with their community and get to know people, through tennis.

“I recently heard someone say that we are hard-wired as human beings for connections and for relationships. And if you haven’t got that right now, this is a good place to start.”

Rally4Ever is free at the South Bendigo Tennis Club in Neale Street every Wednesday during school terms from 11.30am-1pm. Racquets and a light lunch are provided; transport can be arranged. To take part or donate to the foundation, contact Michael Carter on 0402 252 041.