August 12, 2024 Issue 312 Creswick heroes
The Local - The Heart of the Highlands
Front cover: Creswick’s Oscar Broad, left, and Lachlan McKenzie were just 16 when they noticed a police officer being assaulted and seriously injured in a park in Creswick several years ago, and rushed over to help. Read their story opposite by Eve Lamb.
Image: Eve Lamb
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Hepburn Shire Council postal election My
council, my vote
Vote by post this October
Ballot packs will be mailed to voters enrolled in the Hepburn Shire Council general election from Monday 7 October. Complete and return your ballot material ASAP. Ballot material must be in the mail or delivered to the election manager by 6 pm on Friday 25 October
If you will be away
If you will be away when ballot packs are mailed, or your address has changed since Wednesday 7 August, you can request for your ballot pack to be redirected by completing the online redirection form at vec.vic.gov.au/redirections, or call 131 832.
Requests for redirection must be received by 5 pm on Monday 9 September.
Large print and braille ballot papers
Large print or braille ballot papers are available for voters who are blind or have low vision – please register by 5 pm Tuesday 10 September. To register, call 03 8620 1314 during business hours. Early votes
If you will be away during the voting period (7 – 25 October), you can go to your local election office to vote in person, from 10 am on Wednesday 18 September.
The Hepburn Shire Council election office is at: 79A Raglan Street Daylesford
The Local is a fortnightly community publication covering the Central Highlands of Victoria.
The next edition is out on Monday, August 26, 2024. or online on Sunday, August 25 at www.tlnews.com.au
Space bookings: Wednesday, August 21
Copy deadline: Thursday, August 22
Editorial deadline: Thrsuday, August 22
General manager: Kyle Barnes on 0416 104 283 or kyle@tlnews.com.au
Editor: Donna Kelly on 0418 576 513 or news@tlnews.com.au
Editorial: Eve Lamb on 0493 632 843 or editorial@tlnews.com.au
Sub-editors: Nick Bunning, Lindsay Smith & Chester the Cat
Writers: Eve Lamb, Kevin Childs, Tony Sawrey & Donna Kelly
Photographers: Kyle Barnes & Eve Lamb
Graphic designer: Dianne Caithness
Contributors: Glen Heyne (gardening), Darren Lowe (music), Sarah Lang (recipes), Clive Hartley (wine) & Bill Wootton (poetry)
Accounts | Julie Hanson Delivery | Tony Sawrey
How to nominate as a candidate
To nominate as a candidate, you must:
• be an Australian citizen and enrolled on the voters roll for Hepburn Shire Council AND
• be eligible to become a councillor should you be elected AND
• have completed the mandatory candidate training before lodging your nomination with the election manager.
To nominate, complete the nomination form and lodge it with the election manager together with the $250 nomination fee. Nomination forms can be lodged by appointment during business hours from Monday 9 September until 12 noon on Tuesday 17 September at the election office.
Visit vec.vic.gov.au for more information and to pre-complete your nomination form using the online Candidate Helper. The online Candidate Helper will be available from Tuesday 20 August.
If you use the online Candidate Helper, print your pre-completed form and make an appointment to lodge it with the election manager along with the nomination fee.
Call the election manager from Monday 9 September on 131 832 to make a nomination appointment. Nominations close 12 noon Tuesday 17 September.
Candidate information sessions
4:30 pm Wednesday 4 September at Creswick Town Hall, 70 Albert Street, Creswick
2 pm Thursday 5 September at The Mechanics Trentham, 66 High Street, Trentham
5:30 pm Thursday 5 September at Council Chamber, 24 Vincent Street, Daylesford
Candidate information kits containing nomination forms and other electoral information will be available online and from the election manager.
State-enrolled voters can register for free VoterAlert SMS and email reminders at vec.vic.gov.au
Commendation for thwarting assault on police
Creswick’s Oscar Broad, left, and Lachlan McKenzie were just 16 when they noticed a police officer being assaulted and seriously injured in a park in Creswick several years ago, and rushed over to help.
It’s a moment the two young men, now both aged in their early 20s, are unlikely to forget any time soon.
A fortnight ago Lachlan and Oscar each received a Citizen’s Commendation award at a special Victoria Police ceremony held at the state’s police academy in Glen Waverley.
Recalling the moment they noticed the assault back in 2019, Oscar, now a customer relationship officer at the Bendigo Community Bank Creswick & District, says it’s troubling to think about what may have occurred had they not rushed over to help that day.
The commendation citation that both Oscar and Lachlan, respectively, received says it all. It reads "On the 7 December 2019, At Creswick, without hesitation he went to the aid of a Victoria Police Officer who had been assaulted and seriously injured.
“The offenders continued to menace the officer until he intervened, placing himself between the officer and further harm. Under the real threat of physical assault, he continued to provide significant support until further assistance arrived."
Recounting the incident Oscar says he and Lachlan, who now works at the town’s IGA supermarket, were both students at Ballarat High School at the time of the incident and had been preparing to go to a Christmas party when they noticed the assault taking place in a Creswick park.
“There were three people assaulting an officer and he was on the ground tussling with one of them and the other two were throwing things at him,” Oscar recalls.
“We just looked at each other and ran across the road. We didn’t really think much. We just ran over there to help him out.”
Oscar says that during the violent incident he and Lachlan became aware that the officer involved had been injured.
“There was no one else around,” says Lachlan, recounting the 2019 incident. Their actions were enough to fend off and stop the offenders who Oscar estimates to have been aged in their late teens or early 20s.
“It was pretty scary,” says Oscar recalling the incident and describing the way he and Lachlan reacted as “just sort of instinct”.
Oscar says that receiving the commendation in recent days was memorable and also involved getting to see new police cadets graduate at the academy.
“It was inspiring. It is a great award and meeting the commissioner was quite surreal,” he says.
“It was a privilege.”
“I was very honoured,” says Lachlan when asked for his thoughts about attending the recent commendation presentation.
While it’s understood that the officer they had assisted at the time is not currently working with Victoria Police, a currently serving officer with the Creswick police station, Leading Senior Constable Peter Brown also went along to the recent ceremony at the police academy, acknowledging the impressive effort made by Lachlan and Oscar.
Creswick’s Lachlan McKenzie, left, and Oscar Broad with one of the Citizen’s Commendation awards they have each been presented during a ceremony at the state’s police academy in Glen Waverley
Words & image: Eve Lamb
Paying the pokies:
$13.8million lost
A whopping $13,883,548 was poured into the pokies in the Hepburn Shire Local Government Area alone for the '23-'24 financial year, the latest Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission figures show.
Statewide, regional Victorians poured a massive $692 million into poker machines in the 2023-24 financial year, the biggest regional spend on the machines ever recorded by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission.
At a per capita level, the amount poured into the pokies in Hepburn Shire equated to $249 per person, while in the City of Ballarat LGA the rate worked out at $538 per head of the population.
The number of machines in the Hepburn Shire LGA is 167 while in the neighbouring local government area of Macedon Ranges Shire the number of machines is 103.
In the Macedon Ranges Shire LGA a total $9,695,883 was fed into the pokies in the '23-'24 financial year, equating to a spending rate of $183 per capita.
Geelong - which has the most pokies of any LGA in the state - poured $136 million into the machines, the largest amount for any regional LGA, while Ballarat was the second biggest pokies spender in regional Victoria.
The Victoria-wide amount fed into gaming machines topped a record $3 billion for the financial year, and the findings in regional Victoria come despite nine regional local government areas having no pokies.
Taking those nine pokie-free LGAs into account, the commission's figures show that country Victorians spent more per capita than Melbourne residents, with an average $557 fed into the pokies compared to $548 in metro Melbourne.
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission data shows that Ballarat gamblers were feeding nearly $174,000 a day into the machines over the past year, pouring $63,550,282.39 all up into the pokies over the '23-'24 financial year.
If you or someone you care about is struggling with gambling addiction, help can be found by contacting Gambler’s Help on 1800 858 858 or visit the website.
Words: Eve Lamb
The Castle actor digs another link to Bullarto
Forever famed for his role as Dale Kerrigan in 1997 Aussie Move classic The Castle, actor Stephen Curry has quite a special connection to Bullarto it seems.
That connection has been highlighted in recent weeks by popular SBS program, Who Do You Think You Are?.
The well-known actor who will always be remembered for his line “dug another hole” recently featured on episode 7, season 15 of the SBS lineage discovery show during which he unearths a paternal connection to British Bronze Age treasures and a “whistle blowing” gold rush banker in his mother’s family history.
Stephen learns that his own great-great-grandfather Thomas Hodgens, who emigrated from Ireland to the Castlemaine goldfields in 1852, went on to become a store owner, gold buyer, mayor of Chewton and branch manager of the Oriental Bank at Chewton up to 1862, during the heady days of the gold rush.
The actor’s intrepid forebear also had a pretty interesting life in the Daylesford area, particularly at Bullarto as members of the Daylesford and District Historical Society were able to help discover.
During the making of the episode, Stephen catches up with Smeaton-based Keir Reeves who is a professor of history at Federation University’s Future Regions Research Centre.
Through Professor Reeves, Stephen learns that some dubious activity involving a gold bar led to his great-great-grandfather Hodgens becoming a whistleblower and subsequently parting ways with the bank.
As Stephen and Professor Reeves catch up in the Red Hill Hotel in Chewton, Professor Reeves informs the actor that tragedy struck when his great-greatgrandfather, then lost his wife and, leaving Chewton, made his way, with his three young children in tow, to Daylesford.
“His story is an exemplar of many people on the goldfields,” Professor Reeves later told The Local.
“I found it quite moving to follow the story and like so many families, there’s ghosts in the cupboard.”
During the making of the intriguing Who Do You Think You Are? episode, Stephen also meets with the Daylesford and District Historical Society’s Jan Smith on site at the Bullarto Hall where he learns about his own strong family connection to the site itself.
“It was a terrific time for many in Daylesford and Thomas obviously saw an opportunity to improve his life,” says Jan who, as part of the team of enthusiastic volunteer researchers with the historical society, played a vital role in providing background research for the episode.
Like Professor Reeves, Jan also appears in th episode, helping Stephen peel back the layers of his past and providing the research that shows his great-great-grandfather Hodgens had remarried, going on to have 10 more children with his new wife, Mary Jane, including Curry’s great-grandfather.
Jan is able to inform the actor that, while contending with a very large debt burden and 13 children, his great-great-grandfather Hodgens had in 1865 been granted 38 acres of land at the site where the historic Bullarto Hall itself now stands, building a house and also a hotel there.
After moving to the area he had also run a store, worked as a slaughterman, and also grew crops at Bullarto after he was granted the land.
“The thing that’s always amazing about delving into the past is that once you start learning their stories it becomes quite emotional,” Jan told The Local
“I felt happy that we were able to provide a positive part of his great-greatgrandfather’s story. Stephen was so happy that there was a good outcome for his greatgreat-grandfather.”
Jan said that the Daylesford and District Historical Society’s volunteer research team frequently receives requests for assistance with interesting research projects, effectively drawing on 60 years of volunteer work and dedication in the process.
“The one thing he never lost sight of was the importance of optimism and I think that’s come down through the generations,” muses Stephen after Jan shares with him key details of his ancestral connection to the area.
Don’t worry if you missed the initial SBS free-to-air TV screening back on June 18, as the episode is easy to find online at SBS On Demand.
The episode also lifts the lid on some of Stephen’s darker family closet secrets going all the way back to Ireland in the 1800s.
These include the discovery that, while one of his early maternal ancestors was an extremely wealthy Irish merchant, another had been jailed for abducting a very rich young heiress in 1820, while another was jailed in 1884 for bigamy, having been married to at least five different women.
Words: Eve Lamb
“I felt happy that we were able to provide a positive part of his great-greatgrandfather’s story. Stephen was so happy that there was a good outcome for his great-great-grandfather.” - Jan Smith
Little care for carers
Daylesford's Ruth Bray, pictured right with husband Malcolm, has taken part in the National Carer Roundtable in Brisbane.
Participants were asked to identify the major stresses and problems facing older carers and suggest solutions in response to the National Carer Strategy announced by the Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in October last year.
But the trip for Ruth, who cares for her husband of 59 years, Malcolm, was not as simple as it could have been. Partly because she is a carer and also because she is an older Australian.
Ruth said after the initial stress of organising the household and support for Malcolm with just five and a half days’ notice, she also had to contact a number of older carers to talk about issues to raise and then ask her daughter and son-in-law to answer emails, organise digital wallets, virtual cab charge, plane tickets and an online photo.
Ruth then had to convince the organisers she needed to fly to Brisbane the day before the event. "Getting up in the middle of the night in Daylesford (their suggestion) to catch a plane at 6.10am to advise the government at 10am and return that night, at 83 years of age, was not OK for me.
"I soon found myself clutching my luggage and walking stick, and in a wheelchair being pushed by a Virgin staff member, speeding through Tullamarine Airport to find a gate somewhere or other at the far end of the terminal. On the plane I met another delegate who did not have a young person in her house, so she had been unable to attend to all the online requirements. She decided our first problem was people not understanding that older carers may not be too computer literate.
"And perhaps some training, or maybe using snail mail with plenty of notice might be good. As I actually had my digital wallet by this time, even if I did not know how to use it, I suggested she share my taxi to the hotel."
Ruth said the next morning about 50 carers, all aged over 65, from all over Australia, gathered for the roundtable.
Many topics were discussed including the long wait time for the My Aged Care assessment with more trained staff needed, the long wait time for support services, the need for training of workers who come into the home to help and not enough appropriate services available when needed.
Other discussions were around carers neglecting their own care and health needs, issues related to physical, financial and emotional abuse of older people, many carers not identifying as carers and missing out on extra financial and other support, the issues around older carers caring for adult children and older carers caring for more than one person.
Ruth said carers also talked about the different agencies in the same home often being uncoordinated with aged care packages, the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the Commonwealth Home Support Programme.
"My husband and I both need transport to the gym. He has a package and I am under CHSP. Two workers in two cars arrive at our home at the same time, from the same agency, to take us to the same gym, as I am not permitted in his worker’s car. This is your taxes at work."
Carers also raised the issue of the education of carers so they can self-manage the government care packages instead of an agency, using just 10 per cent of the monies involved for management not 30 per cent - leaving much more money for services.
Finally, carers asked for a possible phone app for carers with emotional supports and information, help for carers in isolated and remote areas with transport and services, and computer training. "There were other issues, and other roundtable meetings with different groups of carers, but if you are a carer and wish to contribute before September 5, contact National Carer Strategy at engage.dss.gov.au.
"If you are a carer on the aged pension, if you apply for a carer’s pension you will, like me, get an additional carer allowance of $153.50 per fortnight."
Ruth said she would like to thank all taxpayers for her plane tickets, a comfortable hotel room, accessible bathroom - and the grilled barramundi and Asian greens on a bed of rice she had for dinner.
A DSS spokesperson said the Australian Government valued the input and participation of carers in consultation activities on government policy and programs such as the Carers’ Roundtable in Brisbane.
"This is critical to ensure that our initiatives, such as the new National Carer Strategy under development, reflects the experiences, perspectives and needs of carers.
"We recognise that due to all of the demands on carers, coordinating in-person contributions can be challenging, and consultation on the National Carer Strategy will include many avenues for carers to have their say that can be completed in their own time, such as online submissions and an online questionnaire.
"The government will continue to work with our consultation partners, including Carers Australia, to ensure carers are appropriately supported to participate, have a positive experience, and feel confident that their voices are heard and valued."
Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Kyle Barnes
Fern Hill's Lauretta Hanson does us proud
Fern Hill's Lauretta Hanson crossed the line in 22nd place in the women's Road Race in Paris on Sunday, August 5, in the 2024 Olympics.
Teammate Grace Brown, who already had a gold from a previous event, crossed the line in 23rd place both five minutes behind the winner, while Australian Ruby Roseman-Gannon was caught up in a mid-race crash and finished 39th.
The 157.2km epic race around the streets of Paris was won by American Kristen Faulkner in three hours, 59 minutes and 23 seconds.
The course started and finished in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower and included a 110km loop which crossed Paris’s left bank and the Hauts-de-Seine, Yvelines and Essonne departments before returning to the city for an 18.5km loop which included the ascent up Montmartre.
Lauretta described the race as an incredible experience.
“Every time up Montmartre you could hardly hear yourself,” she said. “The crowds were phenomenal, we went out there and gave it our best, unfortunately we had a little bit of bad luck losing Ruby in the crash, but we tried and that’s all you can ask for.”
Words:
Donna Kelly | Image: AusCycling - Josh Chadwick
CW: Championing Women
A Meta and The Local initiative
Clunes hard rubbish EV charger coming
Clunes residents are being encouraged to start thinking about what items they may like to discard - or instead donate to their nearest tip shop - ahead of the town's annual hard rubbish collection.
The well-patronised annual household clean-up opportunity is set to take place from Monday, September 9, prompting the Hepburn Shire Council to begin publicising it on its social media site.
Residents of the town are being advised to place items for hard rubbish collection out on their nature strips by 6am on the morning of the Monday - but not before Saturday, September 7.
Items collected include scrap metal, e-waste, white goods and green waste.
Items which will not be picked up include recyclables, concrete or rubble, household rubbish, chemicals, motor oil and batteries.
The council is urging residents to "please consider if the item you are putting out might be able to be used by someone else before placing it out for collection".
Those who make use of the annual opportunity to bid farewell to broken items and unwanted clutter are also being urged to ensure clear access to their nature strip so the council team can easily collect and load the material.
A flyer with full details will be delivered to residents' letterboxes ahead of the collection, while more information can also be obtained from the council's website.
The charging technology has already been purchased and the installation of the first public EV fast charger for Clunes is expected before the year is out.
“There is a preferred site in Clunes which is in approval stage now and the charger has already been purchased ahead of installation,” Hepburn Energy general manager Taryn Lane says.
“It is an ABB 24kW charger - so around the same size as the Daylesford charger.
“Clunes has very limited available sites in regard to available power for grid connection, flooding overlays and historical overlays. We have already reviewed eight potential sites and have landed on a preferred site.
“Additional funding also had to be secured for the Clunes charger as it was not a part of the co-funded state government program that saw the Trentham, Creswick and Hepburn chargers installed.”
Taryn says a small group of Hepburn Energy members donated their dividends last year for public EV charging and that will support the deployment of the Clunes charger.
However, at this stage she was unable to detail the preferred site location – or confirm an exact date for the charger’s installation.
When installed the new Clunes Chargefox station will bring the total number of public fast chargers in the Hepburn Shire to five.
“Like all the stations it will be owned and operated by Hepburn Energy - so 100 per cent community owned,” Taryn says.
The charging station roll-out is a collaboration under the Z-NET Hepburn banner involving Hepburn Energy, Hepburn Shire Council, and Chargefox which has become the nation’s largest and fastest-growing EV charging network.
Just briefly...
The state government has opened applications in the $4.5 million Community Food Relief Program which will support local, regional and statewide food relief for Victorians.
Local grants will provide between $10,000 and $50,000 – or up to $75,000 for partnerships – to support food relief activities and food security initiatives that meet community needs in a local area. These grants are available to neighbourhood houses, community and volunteer-led organisations, social enterprises and Aboriginal community controlled organisations. Coordination Grants of between $100,000 and $300,000 will fund projects that include partnership and collaboration between regional and state-wide food relief providers to improve food relief supply and distribution across the state.
Government schools in the Macedon electorate will receive grants to carry out essential maintenance work through the state government's Bushfire Preparedness (Vegetation) Program.
Among those receiving grants are: Daylesford Secondary College $35,111; Daylesford Primary School $27,498; Trentham District Primary School $22,324; Malmsbury Primary School $22,124; Hepburn Primary School $21,838; Bullarto Primary School $20,007; and Yandoit Primary School $18,116. The program was introduced in 2018 to help schools undertake essential vegetation clearance around school buildings prior to the bushfire season.
The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action has begun a deer management project to reduce the wild deer population across the Grampians region.
By managing population numbers, the project will reduce environmental damage caused by wild deer, support biodiversity and improve public safety. All operations will be carried out under strict conditions designed to ensure it is safe, effective and humane. Operations will only be carried out in areas which will be temporarily closed to the public until July 2025. During the operation, people may see a helicopter and be able to hear gunshots.
A multi-stage flood mitigation and weed management project to clear woody debris and invasive weeds from a central section of Creswick Creek is complete.
These works will better prepare Creswick for future severe weather like floods, helping water to flow more easily along the creek and control persistent weeds. This also included revegetation works with indigenous species to restore targeted areas of the creek bank. The removed woody debris was chipped on site to be used by Hepburn Shire Council at their recreation sites, such as Hammon Park in Creswick.
Hepburn Shire Council will be opening 32 kilometres of Djuwang Baring (Creswick Trails) five months ahead of schedule.
When completed Djuwang Baring (Creswick Trails) will be a 60-kilometre network of mountain bike trails starting from the Hammon Park Trailhead, a fiveminute walk from the centre of Creswick. Djuwang Baring means ‘long track’ in Dja Dja Wurrung language. Mayor Cr Brian Hood said the early opening was a significant milestone for this transformational project. “Djuwang Baring will be a unique asset for our community. It will have a strong positive impact on tourism, visitation and provide strong returns to businesses and tourism destinations.”
Live4Life has been selected in a worldwide process as a recipient of a 2024 Kindness in Community fund grant.
Launched by Born This Way Foundation, and made global with support from Cotton On and Cotton On Foundation, the Kindness In Community fund grant will further Live4Life's work.
Hepburn Shire Council's Quick Response Grants program has opened for applications from local community groups and organisations.
The grants are designed to support community groups who may have experienced an unforeseen disruption, an urgent issue or to facilitate smaller projects that are less costly than the amount available in the Community Grants scheme. Grant applications will be assessed monthly in an effort to ensure a timely response to community issues. Applicants can apply for a grant up to $1000 at any time.
Got some news to share? Email news@tlnews.com.au
Celebrating Daylesford’s Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens
The Friends of Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens were planning their annual Taylor and Sangster Lecture for 2024 when president Frank Page considered the possibility of growing that event into a full-blown celebration of the wintry gardens.
The Friends have always marvelled at the unique beauty of Wombat Hill, even in the worst days of cold, fog and rain. Time to celebrate and share the unlikely joys of a challenging season. Frank orchestrated a partnership with the Daylesford and District Horticultural Society, Historical Society, Agricultural Society and U3A to fill the weekend of August 3 and 4 with informative talks and walks, great conviviality and even a competitive opportunity for the local community and visitors alike.
Thanks go to the organising committee – Frank Page, Denise Robinson, Patrice O’Shea, John Binnion, Don Harvey, Gary Lawrence and Annie Duncan. Between them they produced four fascinating talks, a walking tour of the significant trees on Wombat Hill, an exhibition at the Daylesford Museum, a magical winter dinner in the Town Hall, two lavish teas and an inaugural Winter Flower Show.
Speakers were Janet O’Hehir, honorary curator of the Camperdown Botanic Gardens, Helen Botham and Helen Page, both active horticulturalists and garden historians – Helen Botham especially connected with Governor La Trobe and his gardening and Helen Page, former president of the Garden History Society.
Local tree enthusiast John Beetham led a walk around the gardens highlighting the remarkable collection of very important trees that our bracing climate and deep volcanic soil have preserved over the past century and which we also have a profound duty to preserve.
Peter Leigh spoke at the dinner on Hellebores – Winter Wonders in the Garden. Peter breeds beautiful hellebores in Ashbourne and has made significant donations of plant material to Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens over many years. The huge collection of these extraordinary and diverse blooms currently lighting up the gardens was part of the motivation to time the event in what could be seen as horticultural downtime. Any visitors to the gardens over the weekend will realise that this is far from true.
The dinner, pictured right, itself was a celebration of the warmth of good food and good company in a stunning setting created by Denise Robinson and her team of indefatigable helpers.
The abundance of colour, fragrance and form that the winter garden actually provides was clearly evident at the Flower Show where 171 entries vied for rosettes and sashes in the great tradition of friendly competition between home gardeners.
Also on show at the Alf Headland Conservatory was the work of two local artists. Miriam Porter’s installation of her sculptures of local birds and huge, wonderful conifer seeds was an extraordinary show of her considerable talent. Marcia DeVincentis shared her exquisite and quite arresting botanical paintings. Their colour and detail just underlined the potential and richness of the season.
The exhibition at the Museum was another fascinating exploration of the depth of the collection held by the Daylesford and District Historical Society and a wonderfully nostalgic experience for those of us who already appreciate or have just discovered Daylesford and Wombat Hill and its remarkable heritage. This excellent show will be open to the public each weekend this month.
So many individuals put so much work into making the weekend the triumph it was, and we thank them most sincerely. Grants were received from Hepburn Shire and Community Bank Daylesford District. BigginScott provided the huge and eye-catching signage outside the gardens, a game changer in advertising. And they organised the presentation of the botanical artwork in the Conservatory.
But the prime mover, guiding hand and vision for what was a heroic collaboration of community groups and a significant showcase of our district was Frank Page, and many thanks must go to him for his extraordinarily hard work and perseverance.
Words & images: Contributed
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Busiest quarter on record for paramedics
Paramedics and first responders across Victoria have faced the busiest quarter on record, with crews in the Grampians Region responding to 4,418 Code 1 emergencies.
Ambulance Victoria Grampians regional director Peter Jenkins said demand across the Grampians Region increased by 3.3 per cent – or 141 more Code 1 cases –compared with a year ago.
“The entire health system continues to be extremely busy due to seasonal illness such as flu, Covid-19 and RSV circulating within our communities and our workforce,” Mr Jenkins said.
“Our dedicated paramedics and first responders in the Grampians Region do an incredible job in the face of record-breaking demand, providing best care to our communities every day.
“It is important that everyone does their part. If your matter is not an emergency, consider using alternative care options and keep our highly skilled paramedics available for patients most in need.”
Mr Jenkins said April to June was AV’s busiest quarter ever with more than 102,000 Code 1 cases across Victoria – breaking the previous record of 100,238 Code 1 cases set in October to December 2022.
“That’s nearly 5000 more ‘lights and sirens’ cases compared to the same time last year and a huge 35.2 per cent more Code 1 cases before the pandemic five years ago,” Mr Jenkins said.
From April to June 2024, paramedics across Victoria responded to 64.2 per cent of Code 1 cases within the state-wide target of 15 minutes. The state-wide average response time to Code 1 emergencies was 15 minutes and 37 seconds.
Performance against the 15-minute target for Code 1 cases improved in 55 of Victoria’s 79 Local Government Areas compared with a year ago. In the Grampians Region, the biggest improvements were in the Pyrenees, Golden Plains, Hepburn and Hindmarsh LGAs.
Regional highlights:
• In the Pyrenees LGA, paramedics attended 34.6 per cent of Code 1 patients within 15 minutes – up from 23 per cent a year earlier – the biggest improvement in the state. As a result, paramedics were arriving one minute and 2 seconds faster than a year ago.
• Over the past year, Code 1 response times decreased by 32 seconds in the Golden Plains LGA, three minutes and 40 seconds in the Hepburn LGA and two minutes and 8 seconds in the Hindmarsh LGA.
• In the Ballarat LGA, paramedics attended 78 per cent of Code 1 patients within 15 minutes – the second-best result in the state. In Horsham, paramedics attended 77.6 per cent of Code 1 patients within 15 minutes, which was the third best result.
Regional Operations executive director Danielle North said AV constantly monitored demand and ambulance availability in real time and worked with hospitals to help transfer patients as promptly as possible, to ensure our ambulances can get back on the road sooner.
“We also review and adjust the ambulance call taking and dispatch grid, based on research, clinical expertise and our large body of clinical data, to ensure it remains suitable for the Victorian environment,” Ms North said.
“We continue to work with our partners at Triple Zero Victoria to support the call taking and dispatch process, noting that about one in five calls to Triple Zero (000) do not need an emergency ambulance response.
“There are many alternative care pathways that people can access when they need timely medical care and health advice but not an emergency ambulance.
“You can connect directly with the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department at www.vved.org.au anywhere, anytime in the comfort of home and avoid a trip to hospital.
“Other options include your local Priority Primary Care Centre (PPCC), GP or pharmacist, or Nurse-On-Call on 1300 60 60 24.
“From April to June, 41,704 people who did not need an emergency ambulance were instead connected to more appropriate care by paramedics and nurses in AV’s Secondary Triage team.
“In 2023/24, paramedics referred more than 30,000 patients to the VVED and 9,574 patients were referred to the VVED following assessment in Secondary Triage.
“Staying up to date with your yearly flu and Covid-19 vaccinations helps protect you, the people around you, and makes a difference by reducing demand on our paramedics during this busy time.”
Link: www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au.
Words: Donna Kelly
What's all the fuss about pruning diciduous fruit trees each year?
Well, the simple answer is almost all deciduous fruiting trees produce their flowers in early spring, which coincides with the awakening of various flying, nectar seeking, insects.
Most important of all the visitors are the hordes of hairy-legged aptly named honey bees who, while gathering their winter’s stock of nectar and pollen, are innocently catering for immensely larger appetites. So, it’s up to us to see that our fruiting trees are given all the help they need to flower and bear plenty of healthy crops.
Best pruning methords for the most popular trees
Apple/Pear - Ideally suited to a central leader shape they take several years to think about fruiting and bear most fruit on short fruiting spurs.
If left alone right from the nursery stage they will develop a straight stem with a first crown of 4-6 branches approximately 1 metre above the ground, and still retain the sturdy centre leader.
In another three or so years the tree will be nearing full size and should be showing signs of cropping. By then, pruning should be restricted to just shaping and light pruning.
Quince - Are prone to be shrub-like with no central trunk but multiple sturdy main branches supporting a framework of flowers/fruit. Because the fruit is individually heavy and borne on the tips of branches, normal cup-shaped tree branches would soon bow to the weight and later break down.
After the heavy-duty, frame-building pruning is done, all that is needed is mainly thinning out of excess wood and eliminating any stray watershoots. Because the fruit grows on the tips of last year’s wood, this should not be cut off, which makes regular pruning largely unnecessary.
Peach/Nectarine - They are closely related, with no basic differences in development and structure and near impossible to tell apart when they’re leafless. Since they bear fruit only on young wood developed on the previous year, we have to force this each year by hard pruning. If not they will soon become bare on the lower branches, and the crops start to appear only on the higher branches. Then you will find the centre of the tree opening up, letting the hot summer sun in to scorch and ruin the main limbs.
Cut short alternate twigs on the branches to force new fruiting for next year but leave some to fruit now.
Apricot - Avoid pruning to the open centre, it will require drastic pruning to stop growing too far out and splitting with the weight of the crop - and the drastic pruning needed to rectify the problem can encourage the dreaded scourge, the deadly gummosis. So if you are about to purchase a new apricot, choose one with a straight, healthy growth and stake it to take over the principal role. The growth of the apricot is erratic and we can’t force it too long to shape it. The obvious answer is to choose a healthy tree with developed trunk and a central leader of four or five arms.
This is a liberal shape which should work out with a little guidance this should consist of taking off about half the length of the leaders to force out spurs which will carry most of the crop. These will last for three to five years, but new ones will appear from time to time if the tree isn’t very dense.
Next issue I’ll conclude this saga with plums, cherries, almonds etc. Please let me know through The Local, if you want a specific tree or vine added to the list.
Sports Day donations
The Glenlyon Sports Club has announced its donations to charities, community groups and sporting clubs from funds raised at its annual New Year's Day Family Sports Day at the Glenlyon Reserve.
Secretary Evan Davis said the sports club committee valued the financial support given to it by local sponsors to be able to donate these funds back into the local community.
"And to the patrons on New Year's Day who turn out year after year to celebrate the New Year, your attendance is also vital the success of this community day. Lastly, a huge shout out to the tireless volunteers who put in countless hours beforehand, on the day of the event and in the aftermath. Your contribution is recognised and greatly appreciated. We look forward to doing it all again in 2025."
Those to receive donations are: Ballarat Cancer Research Unit $500; Central Highlands Rural Health - Daylesford Health $5000; Central Highlands Rural Health - Trentham Health $1200; Daylesford Christmas Cheer $800; Daylesford Community Brass Band $500; Daylesford Girl Guides $500; Daylesford Junior Football and Netball Club $500; Daylesford Junior Tennis $500; Daylesford Preschool $500; Daylesford Riding For The Disabled $500; Daylesford Senior/Junior Pipe Band $500; Daylesford Volleyball $500; Denis Beddoe Boxing Gymnasium $400; Glenlyon & District News $300; Glenlyon Adult Riding $500; Glenlyon Pony Club $500; Glenlyon Recreation Reserve upgrades $500; Grove of Gratitude $500; Hepburn Junior Football and Netball Club $500; Hepburn Preschool $500; New Year's Eve Gala Daylesford $200; Royal Children’s Hospital $300; St Johns Ambulance $500; and Trentham Junior Football and Netball Club $500. (File image)
Open to the public every Sunday in July, August and September
Council news
Council
CENTRAL SPRINGS RESERVE
Central Springs public reserve in Daylesford is located next to Wombat Creek at Lake Daylesford, and features stunning brass artworks by Timani Nicholls-Moore as part of a new mineral spring bore and pump area. New pathways connect the pump area to a new BBQ and picnic shelter installed by DJANDAK, a DJAARA enterprise working to revitalise Country for community benefit.
The official opening was conducted with Dja Dja Wurrung Group CEO, Rodney Carter, Federal Member for Ballarat, Catherine King and Hepburn Shire Mayor, Cr Brian Hood.
Find Central Springs Reserve at 2 Leggatt Street, Daylesford.
WOULD YOU STAND FOR COUNCIL?
Nominations will close on 17 September, with the election to be held on 26 October 2024. For more information on what you need to do to nominate, visit the VEC website: www.vec.vic.gov.au
SUBSCRIBE TO HEPBURN LIFE
Have you signed up to our enewsletter, Hepburn Life? It’s a great way to stay in touch. It gets delivered to your email inbox each month. Use the QR code or visit... https://mailchi.mp/hepburn/sign-up
DJUWANG BARING
The first stage of Djuwang Baring (Creswick Trails) was opened five months ahead of schedule. Djuwang Baring will be a 60-kilometre network of mountain bike trails starting from the Hammon Park Trailhead, a 5 minute walk from the centre of Creswick.
Mayor, Cr Brian Hood, said the early opening was a significant milestone for this transformational project. ‘We are very proud of our construction contractor Dirt Art and the Council team for getting this project to the point where we can open 32 kilometres of trails five months before the scheduled opening date of December 2024.’
Since receiving external funding in 2018, the project has made steady progress towards completion. Funding for Hammon Park and Djuwang Baring has been provided by the State Government’s Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund ($4.66m) and Creswick Community Bank ($250,000 for Hammon Park) with Council funding the remainder. Find out more at: www.djuwangbaring.com
EAT | DRINK | ENJOY
Out & About in the Central Highlands
Trentham's Winterfest proves a real winner
Trentham's newest event on the calendar, Winterfest, lit up the town on Friday, August 2 with businesses trading late and lighting up the town with colourful light displays.
The town’s traders embraced the cold winter night and celebrated with light projections, neon displays and special events.
Little Gallery held the opening night of their annual fundraising Winter Exhibition with proceeds benefiting local community groups and showcasing local and regional artists.
Belle Property director Will Walton, one of the organisers through Belle Property Trentham, said the feedback had been exceptional with the event attracting lots of crowds to Trentham hospitality businesses.
"The Trentham traders did a wonderful job embracing the event and putting on a bright colourful show. I imagine next year will be bigger and better."
The next traders' event is the regular Christmas traders' night on the last Friday in November.
Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Belle Property Trentham
Out & About...
A night of music and poetry
The Creswick Theatre Company is looking forward to hosting a night of live music and poetry on Saturday, August 17.
Tickets have gone on sale at $12 each and are available via the theatre company's website and Humanitix.
The cabaret-style performance is scheduled to start at 7pm while the onsite bar opens from 6.45pm with audience members also invited to byo nibbles as well.
The little local theatre company that punches well above its weight in the number and variety of events and shows that it annually stages is also looking ahead to November when it will stage its upcoming "interactive murder mingle" A Murder at the Derby
Women's golf program starts soon at Trentham
The Trentham Golf Club has announced it will be running a new Women’s Golf Program starting next month.
The program will take place at the club supported by a Change Our Game Activation Grant.
The program is designed to help women new to the game enhance their golf skills in a fun and supportive environment.
It will cost $150 to enrol and will be led by the club's professional golf instructor, Matthew Duncan and supported by community instructor Lisa Caines.
It will cover all aspects of the game, including golf swing, positioning, chipping, driving, putting, mindset, exercises and the mental aspects of golf.
Club members say the goal is to create a welcoming environment where women can learn and improve their skills and enjoy the game to the fullest.
The program will offer fortnightly lessons starting September and running through to November and starting again in February running through to April 2025.
Limited spots are available. For more details, call 0402 199 290 or book online at https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1250618
Drumming up some fun
A new series of drumming classes for adults is starting in Daylesford.
The Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre will be hosting adults' beginner drumming classes with the first in an ongoing weekly series set for Wednesday, August 21.
"We are going to explore the sound and the rhythm of the drum; the focus of the class is to enjoy playing drums together while learning drumming technique," organisers say.
"These classes are weekly, and they are organised as a block of consecutive classes which allows us to develop good rhythm, flow and technique. We are going to play West African rhythms, providing a lot of fun and knowledge."
Nimba Drumming is leading the new hour-long classes and offering the first one free of charge for those who are not yet sure if drumming is for them.
Playing drums is a fun and healthy activity, it helps develop coordination and rhythm, exercises your mind and your muscles, creating a vibration that cultivates a feeling of inner happiness.
The cost of the block of six consecutive classes is $120 and organisers say there are no worries if you don't yet have your own drum as spare drums are available.
More information is available from the neighbourhood centre.
Catch Creswick Brass Band in cabaret
Creswick Brass Band members are busy rehearsing for their upcoming cabaret night set for Saturday, August 31 from 6.30pm at the Creswick Senior Citizens Centre.
Band members are encouraging all music lovers to grab a ticket and say it will be a night of fun with prizes, raffles, silent auctions and great music.
Tickets are $20 per adult (kids under 12yrs are admitted free) and can be purchased online through Trybooking, or scanning the QR code on the poster if you see it around Creswick.
The band is also selling raffle tickets which are $5 each, $10 for 3 tickets or $35 for 10 tickets to win: 1st Prize: RACV Resort Creswick $300, 2nd Prize: Creswick Woollen Mills $200 and 3rd Prize: American Hotel $100.
• OSSOBUCCO 1KG
• BEEF CHEEKS X 4
• CORNED BEEF 1.5KG
• DICED BEEF 2KG
• LAMB SHANKS X 4
• SMOKED PORK HOCK
We have also put together some greatvalue Winter Hibernation packs to create casseroles, roasts, and soups to keep you going until Spring! Place your orders over the phone or order online so we can pack and vacuum seal - ready to cook or put straight into the freezer.
• CHICKEN MARYLAND 1.5KG
• CHICKEN FRAMES 1KG
• BEEF SOUP BONES 2KG
• BEEF STOCK 500ML
• CHICKEN STOCK 500ML
ALL PACKED & VACUUM SEALED
Everything in the Big Winter Hibernation Pack PLUS
• WHOLE BEEF RUMP 4KG
Spring is coming...Yay. And so is The Little Local.
Advertise in the visitor guide for the Central Highlands. Deadline August 23.
(L’Italiana in Algeri)
The Mount Players presents
Family Values
by David
directed by Runnalls
David
August 16thSeptember 1st
Family Values
For over 50 years, David Williamson has been the most produced playwright in the history of Australian theatre.
Writer of iconic plays such as Don’s Party, The Club, Money and Friends, The Removalists, Emerald City...the list goes on. He has also written numerous film scripts and TV series.
Williamson’s characters are often deeply flawed but at the core of his work there is a desire for a better and more tolerant society.
Almost always, each of the characters goes on a journey through the events of the play with most growing to make positive changes in their lives. The characters in this play are no exception.
Directed by Woodend local David Runnalls, Family Values introduces us to the Collins family as they gather to celebrate their father Roger’s 70th birthday.
The retired Supreme Court Justice and his wife Sue have their plans for a quiet family gathering blown apart after unwittingly bringing together a detention centre escapee, a border force commander and three siblings all on the verge of unleashing a lifetime of simmering resentments.
Humorous, thought-provoking and, at times, deeply moving, Family Values will have audiences laughing while prompting them to consider their own beliefs and values.
With a complimentary sherry on arrival, a well-stocked bar with the best prices in the Ranges followed by a treat after the show, why wouldn’t you come to our gorgeous Mountview Theatre in Macedon to enjoy a performance.
This stellar cast will not disappoint. Family Values by David Williamson runs from the opening night on August 16 to September 1.
Tickets via www.themountplayers.com or call 5426 1892.
Above, a moving moment as the Collins family face up to some home truths, from left, Peter Bevin, Grace Stewart, Elissa Stephens, Kate Mooney, Mel Forge, Robert Wallace and Ingrid Gang
Words: Karen Hunt | Image: Karlana Santamaria
Walks of the Central Highlands with Eve Lamb
Hanging Rock summit and base walks
It’s curious how long you can live with an iconic slab of national mythology sitting on your doorstop and never actually go check it out.
In a way Hanging Rock, just the other side of Woodend, has long occupied a mythical place in the Australian psyche.
Now, as my trusty walking companion Paddy H and I set off for our debut sample of the famed rock’s summit and base walks we puzzle at why it’s taken us so long.
Thinking on this, I’m pitched back to my early childhood. As a small child, just travelling past Hanging Rock elicited so much trepidation, due to the stories I’d been fed about it, that I refused to even peer in its direction.
My mother had me well versed in the mysterious and opaquely sinister disappearance of the pubescent picnicking schoolgirls. Somehow I’d got it firmly locked into my young head that these girls had been abducted by aliens and then placed into a sort of extra-terrestrial harem where they would likely be utilised for an inter-species breeding program.
As mentioned, I was consequently so petrified by the place that as my father drove us past it, cheerily informing: “That’s Hanging Rock over there kids,” I’d determinedly swivel my head in the opposite direction. I may even have ducked down into the passenger foot well until we were safely beyond view of any potential lurking alien abductors.
“Of course the whole Picnic at Hanging Rock thing, the movie and the book by Joan Lindsay on which it’s based, is pure fiction,” observes Paddy H as we arrive at the site and successfully navigate the boom gate entry into the Hanging Rock Reserve.
On the way here we’ve stopped at the Woodend Visitor Info Centre where two helpful women on the desk explain that it costs “$10 per vehicle, not per person” to obtain a token to operate the exit boom gate and get back out of the park once you’re in. Potentially a sort of abduction in its own way!
There’s a prominently displayed ranger mobile number in the reserve, should you find yourself in a predicament.
We park beside the picturesque Hanging Rock Race Course and it’s clear that this place has enduring visitor pull as evidenced by the number of people that are here even on such a brrrisk Sunday in the middle of winter.
The Bureau is spot on in its forecast of occasional sunshine – and showers – and as we prepare to get cracking on the 1.8 km (circuit) summit walk I’m super glad I’ve packed that extra coat.
We easily find the start of the walk, just behind the cafe and immediately I’m impressed by the sheer array of rock formations. I mean we all know there’s a Hanging Rock, but what I hadn’t expected was the number and variety of visually interesting rocky outcrops, monoliths and formations.
It’s a nice little climb up ahead to the top. At about the half-way mark we reach a point where walkers can either veer left and take a ramp to the summit, or veer right and take steps to reach Hanging Rock. Since our goal is to reach the summit we veer left.
Later on it becomes clear that both options together form the loop walk and both ultimately get you to the top where the profusion of volcanic rocky features make for plenty of visual interest while the silvery vista that stretches out below rewards those in need of a thermos stop.
While Paddy H gets stuck into the coffee, I strike up a conversation with three dudes, one of whom is sporting a sweatshirt with the word SCIENCE printed across the back. I catch a glimpse of a University of Melbourne insignia.
Having found themselves a panoramic vista, the three have settled atop a kind of rock island outcrop and are preparing to enjoy a game of cards there – despite the uncertain weather.
“G’day where are you guys from?” I venture.
“Melbourne.”
“Have you visited here before?”
“Yes.”
Perhaps Paddy H and I are the only people in Victoria who haven’t?
“What brings you back?” I ask.
“Well I like rocks and trees,” one of the card-playing trio replies.
“Looks like you’ve come to the right place then,” I observe, unnecessarily.
But they all happily agree and settle down to their card game.
Not a bad idea, on reflection. Could catch on. You could call it something like ‘Cards in Volcanic Places’.
“Miranda... Miranda,” someone calls from somewhere beyond view, their voice drifting up to us.
“You can see how this place inspired the story,” Paddy H muses as I rejoin him and the thermos.
“How so?”
“The way people sort of appear and disappear into the landscape.”
And I do see. The plethora of rocky formations makes this place a kind of striking obstacle assemblage, and a treat for the photographically inclined.
And just for a tiny moment, while we’re working out which way to head on back down, I do actually lose Paddy H. When we each take a different turn, he is momentarily swallowed from view behind the riot of geomorphological formations.
Finding each other again, we laugh.
Fortunately there are really only two options down, the stairs or the ramp that I mentioned earlier. So this time we go for the stairs which take us to the actual formation known as the Hanging Rock itself. It’s a bit Middle Earth.
Official literature advises that the overall Hanging Rock formation is a volcanic eruption point that produced lava. Dating of Hanging Rock lava indicates a late Miocene age, about 6 million years ago. Possibly 6.5 million.
Cooling of the rock produced numerous vertical features which shape the cliff faces and have been enlarged by weathering to produce a complex of pinnacles, craggy overhangs, small caverns and boulders on the slopes.
Also known by its traditional Aboriginal name, Ngannelong, this ancient former volcano lies 718m above sea level (105m above plain level).
Arriving back at its base, we pause to enjoy our own picnic at the foot of Hanging Rock, before setting out to sample the 1.8km circuit base walk.
We pick up the well-signposted base walk start from just behind the cafe area and head off in a clockwise direction, admiring this different perspective and the natural bushland that surrounds the rock.
While there were plenty of fellow walkers doing the summit, we encounter just one other solitary walker doing the base hike, a middle-aged woman with a serious camera.
The base walk concludes with a wander beside, or if you prefer through, the racecourse grounds. And what a pretty little racecourse it is with its heritage features and small lake centrepiece catching the late afternoon light.
“It hosts two annual race meetings. One on Australia Day and one on New Year’s Day,” says Paddy H who has been known to enjoy a day at the races.
Finally, arriving back at the car park we pay our $10 into the vending machine to receive the coupon that will enable us to leave Hanging Rock Reserve, through the boom gate.
We leave duly impressed by our debut expedition to Hanging Rock, vowing to return for a race meeting next time.
Images: Eve Lamb
Gigs with Darren Lowe
Leavers Hotel, Creswick
Slava Grigoryan - Friday, August 30 (pictured below)
Delsinki and the Quiet Coachmen with Steven Gates - Saturday, August 31
Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
Grace Cummings – Saturday, August 17
Recorded with Jonathan Wilson (Father John Misty, Angel Olsen) at his Topanga Canyon studio, Grace Cummings' third album Ramona is described as a ‘master work of unbridled theatricality and emotion. ‘
Ramona was released in full on April 5 to overwhelming critical acclaim, with a growing international fanbase and upcoming appearances on Stephen Colbert's Late Night Show. Following extensive touring across the US, UK and Europe, Grace will return to Australia including various festivals.
The Stems – Friday, August 23
The WA outfit’s 60’s/70’s infused garage power-pop anthems have influenced plenty of musicians, thanks to their debut album At First Sight, Violets Are Blue plus following releases and live shows.
Now the band are set to take to the road to celebrate their 40-year milestone, including an extra show just announced in Castlemaine. The Stems epitomised 80’s indie rock and are one of only a handful of bands (among them the Hoodoo Gurus and The Sunnyboys) that cracked the mainstream charts with an indie approach in the 80’s.
Searching for Charlie Owen – Saturday, August 31
The name Charlie Owen has become synonymous with excellence in the Australian music scene. With a career spanning multiple decades, his talent and passion for the guitar have left a lasting impression on audiences across the nation. From his influential work with Tex, Don and Charlie, Beasts of Bourbon, The New Christs to his collaborations with Louis Tillett, Paul Kelly, Tendrils and Working Class Ringos.
Out on the Weekend, Itinerant Spirits, Ballarat - Friday, October 11
The fabulous annual Out on the Weekend festival will head to Ballarat for its 10-year anniversary. The beloved western-fest will expand to the region introducing international country and western stars, as well as highlighting local legends.
Ballarat will be the first destination for the finest golden nuggets of country music, coming all the way from the USA including Uncle Lucius, Nick Shoulders, Margo Cilker, Jonny Fritz and Joshua Hedley. They will be joined by local legend Freya Josephine Hollick and city stalwarts James Ellis & the Jealous Guys.
Annual fundraising art exhibition 3–19 August
Participating artists:
Tia Alysse, Jennifer Barnett, Greg Mallyon, Gerard O’Connor, Deborah Mullins, Anton Hasell, Paul Ainsworth, Jim Jimson, Ernie Terry, Isobel Lawrence, Ruth Laird, Ray Hearn, Michael Lelliott, Anne Anderson, Pipit Pujiastuti & Richard Morrell, Rose Wilson, Helen Cottle, Ri Van Veen, Kim Haughie and Maria Coyle
Opening night:
Friday 2nd August 5.30pm
Gallery open Thursday to Monday 10am to 4pm during exhibition
Proceeds donated to East Trentham Fellowship
trenthamlittlegallery.com
The Olympics
All students in years 3-6 from Hepburn, St Michael’s, Trentham, Yandoit and Daylesford primary schools participated in the Daylesford Region Interschool Olympic Games at Daylesford Primary on August 1.
Daylesford Primary princial Ali McHalliwell said the games were designed to foster essential values such as teamwork, belonging, and personal accomplishment.
"Through engaging in friendly competition, students experienced the joy of working together towards common goals and building a strong sense of community and inclusion," she said.
"Additionally, this event offered a unique opportunity for students to learn about the rich history and significance of the Olympic Games, gaining a deeper appreciation for the spirit of global unity and athletic excellence." More images online at www.tlnews.com.au
Let’s support our community and shop local!
“Locals supporting Locals” Restaurants, Bakers, Butchers, Cafe’s, Local vineyards, Distillers, Brewers and of course each other.
Remember we offer free delivery, T&Cs apply.
Delivery times are Monday to Saturday between 10am and 4pm.
We accept credit cards over the phone or we have an on-board eftpos machine. You will need to be at home for the delivery with proof of age if asked by the driver. Give the Foxxy team a call on 5348 3577.
Keep safe, everyone.
Kyle’s Rant
Recently it has come to pass that a lot of large news outlets including the ABC and the New Zealand Herald have turned to AI to write some of their stories.
And being the curious bugger I am, I put the tech to the test. I put in the words Pothole, Hepburn Shire Council, Grumpy Old Man and Winter and in less than half a second it spat out the following. And apologies in advance to the shire.
On a chilly winter morning in Hepburn Shire, a grumpy old man named Harold found himself behind the wheel of his rusted old truck, navigating the winding country roads that were all too familiar to him. The frost had settled on the ground overnight, and as the sun struggled to peek through the dense clouds, he grumbled to himself about the state of the roads.
“Every year it’s the same story,” he muttered, his voice a gravelly rasp. “Hepburn Shire Council promises to fix the potholes, but here I am, dodging craters like I’m in some kind of obstacle course. It’s a wonder I haven’t lost a tyre yet!”
Harold had lived in Hepburn Shire for over fifty years and had seen the town change dramatically. The once-bustling community was now a quiet shadow of its former self, with many younger families moving away for better opportunities. He often lamented the loss of the vibrancy that once filled the streets and shops. The winter’s chill only seemed to deepen his melancholy, making him feel more like a relic of the past. As he drove, Harold’s thoughts drifted to the various council meetings he had attended over the years. He had often voiced his concerns about the roads, but each time he left feeling more frustrated than before. The council members, in their polished suits and polished speeches, rarely seemed to understand the plight of the everyday resident. They promised improvements, but the potholes remained, a constant reminder of their empty words.
Suddenly, as he turned a corner, he spotted a particularly large pothole right in the middle of the road. “There it is!” he yelled, gripping the steering wheel tightly. He swerved to avoid it, narrowly missing the edge of the road. The truck jolted violently, and he felt a wave of anger wash over him. “I swear, if someone gets hurt because of this, I’ll march right into that council office and give them a piece of my mind!”
As he continued driving, a memory resurfaced of a winter festival held in the town square when he was a young man. Families would gather around the fire, children would build snowmen, and laughter would fill the air. Now, it seemed like the only sound was the crunch of gravel under his tyres and the occasional rustle of wind through the trees.
Harold’s thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a young couple walking hand in hand along the road. They waved cheerfully, and Harold managed a small smile in return, despite his sour mood. “At least some things haven’t changed,” he thought, but the smile faded as he recalled how long it had been since he felt a sense of community.
He continued driving, his mind racing with ideas for how to bring the town together again. Maybe he could organise a winter clean-up day, rallying the community to fix the potholes and spruce up the town. If the council wouldn’t take action, perhaps the residents could come together to make a difference. As he pulled into his driveway, a sense of resolve washed over him. Harold might be a grumpy old man, but he wasn’t ready to give up on Hepburn Shire. With a little effort and a lot of determination, he believed they could transform their town back into the vibrant community he once knew. After all, winter was just a season, and spring was always just around the corner. AI rant over…
Local Lines
An Ode to the Private Life
Happy the man whose fears and woes When loves and joys and fortunes wane Are private and not public shows Like weather vanes.
Far from celebrity’s hot glare He mines his strength from deep inside His history of resilience there His constant guide.
His world is grounded to the core He spurns all online media hype He trusts his instincts much much more Than comments swiped.
The values he trusts are religious Where good deeds are not publicised Life is a gift and love prestigious And virtue prized.
In sickness, sadness and in health He needs no affirmation blaring His own resources are his wealth For inner caring.
He lives his life unseen to the end Intimate, true and personal He’s mourned by family and friends Real, not virtual.
He’s buried humbly, in the ground, Free of vain illusions, No ashes floating the world round No grand delusions.
- Tom Perfect
Tom Perfect lives in Glenlyon and enjoys the beauty of the countryside and the friendship of the communities in the towns.
Local Lines features poetry by locals about local and any other matters. Please submit poems to Bill Wootton at cottlesbreedge@gmail.com
G’day. I’m Emmy. I’m a gorgeous white and brindle, staghound cross.
I’m six years old and I am a very sweet natured, gentle pooch. I am very affectionate and will lean on you to get that little bit closer! I’m looking for a good, caring home with lots of love and kindness. However, I am not cat friendly and I do have a low-level prey drive. I must have secure fencing. Microchip No: 956000012125727 Come and meet me at the Mount Alexander Animal Welfare Centre in Castlemaine. Phone: 5472 5277.
(Pick me, pick me is run in memory of Rosie & Curly - we picked them. And proudly supported by Daylesford's petstock - where pets are family.)
Just sayin’...
By Donna Kelly
"Donna, never become a carer - you won't like it." This was the sage advice of my Frankston-based doctor, dating back about 20 years.
I can't quite remember but I think maybe Mum had been a bit crook and I was looking after her. I think Paul was concerned I would take on the role a bit too seriously.
Luckily, Mum continued to recover from many little hiccups and I never became a carer. I did help out from time to time. Like when she fell backwards while on a small step reaching into a high cupboard. That was not a good one.
Or the time a stent got blocked in her stomach and by the time they finally worked out why she had lost about 30kg she was in a situation which the specialist described as "some patients don't do well". I asked what that meant. He replied: "They die." I always remember telling my sister Mum was not out of the woods quite yet and being called a hypochondriac. Hmmm.
Anyway, some people have no choice about becoming carers. At the moment my sister-in-law's parents are being looked after full-time by her sister. But that means every second weekend, my brother and her take over.
I talked to my brother the other day and he said it was draining and depressing. Both parents have varying levels of dementia and there are good days and bad days. More bad days now. But they soldier on. And every other weekend is spent pretty much at home, doing the washing, cleaning, lawns etc. Just living.
I also have a friend who is looking after her nephew who has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. He has moved in with her and her husband and she has taken the past two months off work to make sure he attends chemo. He doesn't want to go any more, too hard, so she cajoles and threatens and pleads. He is 32.
So, sometimes people just become carers. No choice involved. Like Ruth Bray, who looks after her husband of more than half a century, Malcolm.
And the government of the day decides they want to hear from people like Ruth, older carers, and arrange a national roundtable. Great. Well done. All hail the politicians for their wise decisions.
But Ruth gets the invite five days out, and has to find care for her husband, talk to other carers so she can take their views along, organise digital wallets, virtual cab charges, plane tickets and an online photo.
Oh, the government in its wisdom want Ruth to catch a 6.10am flight from Tullamarine to Brisbane. So, say, be at the airport about 5am, so, say, leave Daylesford about 3am, just in case of black ice or the odd early kangaroo.
But Ruth is 83 and has lived long enough to be too smart for them and says she wants to arrive a day early. Which she does. And lots of issues are raised, which is great. But will they listen? And will they make real changes? Or is this another talk fest? Hello, Commission into Aged Care. I am talking about you.
Anyway, have a read of Ruth's story on page 6. It is interesting and I hope change is afoot. Especially the bit where Ruth talks about the different agencies in the same home often being uncoordinated. FFS.
"My husband and I both need transport to the gym. He has an (aged care) package and I am under the Commonwealth Home Support Programme. Two workers in two cars arrive at our home at the same time, from the same agency, to take us to the same gym, as I am not permitted in his worker’s car. This is your taxes at work."
And that's the bit where you just shake your head. And wonder. Just sayin'...
Ageing DisGracefully members, including Max Primmer, get together at the Daylesford Mill Markets cafe on Thursdays at 11am. All welcome. For information email ageingdis3461@gmail. com, call 0427 131 249 or head to the Ageing DisGracefully Facebook page.
Ageing DisGracefully is an initiative of Hepburn House.
W RD CROSS
Here is the crossword solution for Edition 311. How did you go?
All words in the crossword appear somewhere in the same edition of The Local.
To market...
Every Sunday - Daylesford Sunday Market
First Saturday - Daylesford Farmers Market, Trentham Neighbourhood Centre Makers Market, Golden Plains Farmers Market, Woodend Farmers Market
First Sunday - Castlemaine Artists’ Market
Second Saturday - Trentham Community Group Market, Kyneton Farmers Market, Ballan Farmers Market, Kyneton Rotary Community Market
Second Sunday - Maldon Market, Clunes Farmers Market
Third Saturday - Trentham Farmers and Makers Market, Glenlyon Farmers Market, Leonards Hill Market, Creswick Market
Third Sunday - Talbot Farmers Market, Malmsbury Farmers Market
Fourth Sunday - Trentham Station Sunday Market, Buninyong Village Market
If you would like to be part of the real estate publication of the Central Highlands contact Kyle on 0416 104 283.
Space bookings by September 17. Copy by September 19.
Out Monday, September 23 - for the Grand Final long weekend.