The Local August 14

ERIN RILEY

ALICIA SOMETIMES

BECK LISTER

MARIEKE HARDY JON FAINE HARLEY DUNOLLY-LEE

SHALINI KUNAHLAN

Front cover: In the 1990s, Em Ireland ran open mic events, combining poetry and music. Now, as director of the Words in Winter event, Em has loved calling in poets and friends "from back in the day" to be a part of the community festival, held on August 25, 26 and 27. Read about the festival on page 15.

Image: Contributed

The Local is a registered trademark of The Local Publishing Group Pty Ltd.

The Local is a member of the Victorian Country Press Association, with editor Donna Kelly, a former director.

Want to support local, quality journalism? Donate by scanning the QR code.

The content expressed within this publication does not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of The Local Publishing Group Pty Ltd. The Local Publishing Group's editorial guidelines and complaints-handling process can be found at www.tlnews.com.au We welcome all feedback.

Your say...

I read your concerns about home care services (Issues 284, 284 & 285) to Daylesford and surrounds. You probably already know this by now, but the Ombudsman is also a step people can take to report their lack of service.

For the 35 years I have lived, worked and volunteered in this region, there was always a focus on delivering quality community services, I know this because I worked at our community health for many years and helped deliver them. I have also advocated for equal access to all the shire information and support services for people living with a disability and the elderly, of which I am now one.

Unfortunately, the issue with no monitoring or accountability for the outsourcing of delivery home care is just another part of the bigger picture now developing in the area. Services for the elderly and people living with disability in our shire appear to be being left to rot.

I am also very concerned about the future for older and disabled residents in the shire basically being abandoned, which I think are also your concerns and the no response from these services, your story sort of confirms. It greatly troubles me that it appears our council has shifted in its focus from providing inclusion and equal access for the elderly and those living with disabilities, by outsourcing home care services.

Unfortunately by outsourcing these services, they have no level of responsibility in ensuring elderly residents and those living with disabilities in the shire get quality support services and this results in the issue you have raised.

This shire has very much prided itself on being pro-active and inclusive of all people, something we are all proud of, but I feel our inclusiveness is now being limited and the elderly and disabled appear to be the victims.

I have 40 years' experience in social work and disability care and would be happy to volunteer to do light housework for people who are not receiving the care they should, or just to go and have a cuppa and a chat. I am also able to write letters of complaint and reminding services of their obligations, but I no longer have a current police check or Working with Children check.

I was really inspired by your concern about the shire’s vulnerable residents and would like to help, but not sure how and would like to thank you for your concern and activism for vulnerable residents in our shire. Clearly the shire still has brave residents who stand up for those who cannot and I would be happy to assist if I can.

- Karen Worsley, Wheatsheaf

The Local is a fortnightly community publication covering the Central Highlands of Victoria.

The next edition is out on Monday, August 28, 2023. or online on Sunday, August 27 at www.tlnews.com.au

Space bookings: Wednesday, August 23

Copy deadline: Thursday, August 24

Editorial deadline: Thursday, August 24

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 assistant: 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, Jeff Glorfeld & Donna Kelly

Photographers: Kyle Barnes, Eve Lamb & Nadine Jade

Graphic designer: Dianne Caithness

Contributors: Glen Heyne (gardening), Darren Lowe (music), Richard Cornish & Jen Clarke (recipes), Clive Hartley (wine) & Bill Wootton (poetry)

Accounts | Julie Hanson Delivery | Tony Sawrey

That's a lot of bull!

Trentham's John and Sue Harvey, on the cusp of their retirement, are delighted with the news that a son of their bull Torr Down Marvel 3, AI Z Providence Dr Octopus, has won Supreme Exhibit and South Devon Breed Champion at the UK National Show.

Dr Octopus, named after a Marvel cartoon character, is owned by the Tucker family of West Prawle Farm, East Portlemouth, South Devon.

Sue said she and John wanted to take the opportunity to thank past and recent clients for their faith in the Torr Down bloodlines and wish them all the very best with their future breeding "while enjoying the many wonderful attributes of the South Devon, and meeting and making new friends along the way, as we have done".

"With gratitude to our lovely cattle we will miss you, and bless you for a memorable lifetime. It has been an interesting and wonderful ride."

Trio to be honoured at Rotary's 70th party

Tourism stalwarts Carol White, Tina Banitska and Alla Wolf-Tasker, pictured from left, will be the guests of honour when the Rotary Club of Daylesford celebrates its 70th anniversary next month.

Carol created and owns Lavandula at Shepherds Flat. She bought the property 35 years ago and started out with just 1000 lavender bushes.

Carol then started up European-style festivals which saw up to 10,000 people attending.

"The police told us we had to stop because we had cars banked up on all the roads,” she told The Local Carol decided early this year that it was time to move on and Lavandula is now for sale.

Tina created and owns The Convent in Daylesford. It was in 1975 when she first saw the old building.

She knew then one day it was going to be one of the best galleries in Australia - which it became after she bought it in 1988 from the Presentation Sisters.

Alla created and owns Lake House in Daylesford. An icon in regional dining, Lake House has long been considered to be one of Australia’s best restaurants, championing local seasonal cuisine long before it became a mantra for many. Alla is widely credited for getting regional destination dining started in Australia - against all odds.

The celebrations will be held at the Daylesford Town Hall on Saturday, September 23 from 6.30pm.

Tickets are $60. To book a ticket contact Danny Moynihan on 0407 501 994. Tickets are selling fast and the cut-off date is September 13.

Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Kyle Barnes/Supplied

New light tanker and remembering Poppy

Hepburn Rural Fire Brigade hosted a community open day which saw the introduction of a new ultra light tanker to its fleet.

The addition was made possible by fundraising, generous donations and a successful application through a VESEP grant over the past five years.

Spokesperson Tony Raftes said with the fire season approaching the tanker would be a valuable asset to the brigade and the Hepburn community.

"The local community, members of the Glenlyon Group and local brigades attended the event for a chance to inspect the new tanker. Commander Gavin Hope and BASO Julie Britten from CFA District 15 were also in attendance for numerous medal presentations."

Tony said the late B. P Yanner, affectionately known as Poppy, was a staunch advocate for the brigade and its transition from a small tin shed to a new station with new appliances that would benefit the next generation of fire fighters and younger upcoming members.

"As a mark of respect and remembrance, brigade members had his name inscribed onto the tanker - an emotional time for everyone."

Current and serving Captain Barry Yanner, Neville Yanner and John Faulkhead were all recognised with a 40-year service medal and life memberships. Other members to receive awards for their service were Kyle Yanner and Jed Neville with five years' service and Tim Farmer for 40 years' service.

Anyone who would like to join the Hepburn Rural Fire Brigade should head to the fire station on Sundays from 9am to noon or email hepburncfa@gmail.com

Treehouse4Two: retreat for dementia couples

A diagnosis of dementia can be incredibly upsetting, and unfortunately the incidence of this lethal disease is rising across Macedon Ranges and Hepburn shires.

However, some good news is that last week saw the launch of a new federally-funded, free, three-day retreat offering people with dementia and their carers a valuable new source of respite and support.

Last Monday’s launch of the new three-day Treehouse4Two retreat program follows Central Highlands Rural Health’s successfully securing $1.3million in funding to make it happen.

They will now begin offering the new retreats in both the Hepburn and Macedon Ranges shires.

The retreats are designed to provide essential support, education and resources to navigate the difficult journey through dementia.

They are funded as an ongoing series through to mid-2026, and will take place in quality scenic local accommodation venues – with plenty of good food on the menu and an enjoyable “holiday vibe” as key aspects.

The first of the retreats are happening from this week with an initial intake of five couples attending.

Beyond this week’s, the retreats are then expected to accommodate six couples per retreat with all costs covered for participants.

“Sadly, there is quite an increase in dementia in both Hepburn and Macedon Ranges shires,” CHRH executive director Phil Catterson said.

According to a 2022 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report, 517 people were living with dementia in the Macedon Ranges Shire. In Hepburn Shire, there were 389 people living with dementia.

The Treehouse4Two retreat program builds on CHRH’s existing Treehouse program which, for the past five years, has been supporting people living at home with dementia.

“We have had Treehouse for over five years now and it has been a great thing for us to understand how important respite is for people who have dementia.

“If you are given a diagnosis and it’s happening to you, it scares the heebie jeebies out of you and you don’t know how to react,” Mr Catterson said.

CHRH Treehouse and Social Support manager Dora Mansbridge has an extensive nursing background, including in palliative care, and will be a leader for the new retreats.

“There’s a stigma that comes with having a dementia diagnosis,” Ms Mansbridge says. “But dementia is not the end of the conversation. It’s the start.”

Knowing where to turn and how to begin managing and coping following a new diagnosis can be challenging and the new retreat program will especially aim to help those contending with a recent diagnosis.

Ms Mansbridge says couples who attend the retreats will enjoy time out to relax in a beautiful safe location.

But while it will feel like “a holiday” a skilled team of health and support care professionals will use the time to meaningfully engage with those who have the diagnosis and to provide their carers with skills and knowledge.

“Our aim is to provide essential support, education and resources to help people navigate this journey. It’s a tough gig – 24/7,” Dora said.

Sharing the load is a main aim and friendships and other valuable support contacts are expected to result.

Among those looking forward to attending one coming up soon is Hepburn Shire same-sex couple Chris Ling and Lewis Short. Chris attended the launch.

“Lewis was diagnosed in 2016 and we have already been using the Treehouse program in Trentham,” Chris said.

The (pre-existing) Treehouse program is also offered at Kyneton and is now being launched at Daylesford with plans to make it available at Clunes into the future.

“With the retreat, I am looking forward to being with other carers and I’d like Lewis to be comfortable in a different place other than at home,” Chris says.

“For him it’s a chance to be with other people besides me and that will hopefully be a break for us from our normal routine.”

Dora says that additional suitable safe and scenic accommodation venues across Hepburn and Macedon Ranges shires are being sought as potential sites to hold the retreats.

More information about the Treehouse4Two retreat program is available through CHRH.

Top,

Words & images: Eve Lamb

from left, Treehouse4Two Retreat coordinator Paula Weekley, Central Highlands Rural Health executive director Phil Catterson and Treehouse program and social support manager Dora Mansbridge

Above, Hepburn Shire resident and carer Chris Ling and CHRH Treehouse program and social support manager Dora Mansbridge

Stop the Towers rally heads to Spring Street

ASTOP the Towers rally will be held on the steps of Parliament House in Spring Street, this Tuesday, August 15.

A convoy of tractors, agricultural vehicles, horses and fire trucks will depart from Cathedral Place at 12.45pm and form a distinctive procession along Spring Street and around Parliament House.

The event has been organised by the Regional Victoria Power Alliance, consisting of farmers, their rural, regional, and suburban neighbours, retail and tourism business owners, and many other community members,

Alliance members come from Central, Western and North Western Victoria and are deeply concerned about "the irreversible environmental, social, and economic impact that will occur from two 500kV overhead transmission line projects known as VNI West and Western Renewables Link (VNI West Stage 1)".

The members says their fight is against the industrialising of the regional and rural areas with the message: The Victorian Government must Stop the Towers - save the environment, communities, and farms and find a better solution to transmit electricity and support the transition to renewable energy.

Spokesperson Glenden Watts, "the naked farmer" from Yeungroon, says that he and everyone else in the western and north-western regions only learnt earlier this year that they were in an area of interest for VNI West.

“Over the past few years whenever we heard about the people fighting the Western Renewables Link, we had thought ‘poor buggers’ but we never thought this would happen to us,” he said.

Glenden said to deliver both projects the Victorian Government, in consultation with AEMO, was proposing to construct over 800 steel towers up to 80m in height, around the same height as the MCG lights.

The steel towers will carry the high-voltage transmission lines for over 400km, running westwards from Sydenham on the edge of Melbourne to Bulgana near Ararat and then northwards to Kerang and beyond before crossing over the Murray River into New South Wales, he said.

“The farming families who will be impacted have already cared for their land over many generations. We grow and raise food and fibre for our state and our nation, and we look after our environment.”

Glenden said the alliance supported renewable energy, action on climate change and protecting the environment.

“But we want the transition away from fossil fuels to use environmentally sustainable energy solutions. A green generation solution requires a green transmission solution. Constructing more overhead electricity transmission lines using century-old technology is not in Australia’s strategic national interest, nor costeffective given its irreversible environmental, social, and economic impact.”

Ballarat federal MP Catherine King said she had been deeply concerned about the project since she first heard about it "and my position hasn’t changed".

“I have been clear from the start that our community should have been better listened to throughout this entire process. This is a beautiful, productive part of the world. While new transmission lines do need to be built to connect renewable energy into the electricity grid, this is not the way to do it.

“Through my submission to the most recent AEMO consultation process, I continued to encourage AEMO and the project’s proponents to properly consult with impacted communities."

Macedon state MP Mary-Anne Thomas said new transmission was vital for securing affordable power for Victorians and enabling the development of the renewable energy industry as "we work towards net-zero emissions by 2045".

"These transmissions projects will form part of the national electricity grid and deliver more affordable and renewable power to Victorians. VicGrid is already providing greater oversight of the development of the WRL and VNI West projects that are being developed by AusNet and AEMO. WRL is still subject to an EES, which will consider alternative routes and undergrounding.

"There will be full and fair compensation payment for landowners who host new transmission infrastructure. The details of these payments will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis with property owners once a final route for the project is determined."

An AusNet spokesperson said AusNet was working with government and stakeholders to accelerate critical transmission projects that will secure affordable, renewable and reliable energy to Victorian homes and businesses.

"We continue to consult with communities as we refine the proposed route to minimise impacts on landholders, the environment and farming operations, and thank those landholders who are working with us."

Rally bookings: Eventbrite

Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Contributed

Just briefly...

Hepburn Shire Council is seeking volunteers to join a Community Engagement Pool to provide input into the future of the shire’s townships. The members will help develop various components of strategic planning project, Future Hepburn. Future Hepburn is a once in a generation program of major strategic planning projects that the council is undertaking to protect and enhance the natural and built environment and to improve liveability in the shire. Applications close September 3. Link: www.participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/future-hepburn

Nominations are open for the Heather Mutimer Honour Roll, part of International Women’s Day celebrations.

Since its inception in 2005, remarkable, courageous and inspirational women from all walks of life, past and present, have been recognised. Nominations close on September 25. Visit the Hepburn Shire Council's website or contact events@hepburn.vic.gov.au or 5348 2306.

Jeff Moorfoot, founder of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale will curate The Real Thing – an exhibition for the Biennale’s 10th edition.

Fifteen regional Victorian photographers respond to the festival theme. They include Tim Burder (Daylesford), Jacqui Henshaw (Macedon), Harry Nankin (Castlemaine), Michael Rayner (Castlemaine), Kim Percy (Hepburn Springs), Sandy Scheltema (Trentham) and Ellie Young (Trentham East). The exhibition will be held at 43 Lydiard Street North, Ballarat from August 26 to October 22.

Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation officially opened the upgraded visitor site at Lalgambuk (Mount Franklin) in a joint celebration with Parks Victoria last Friday.

Dja Dja Wurrung community leaders and elders told stories about Lalgambuk, a significant place for Dja Dja Wurrung People, in a ceremony to mark the occasion.

Dja Dja Wurrung-designed facilities, including a shelter, furniture and signagewhich have been built and installed through DJAARA’s enterprise DJANDAK - have transformed the visitor site.

Vale Graeme Johnstone 18.01.1946 – 30.07.2023

Clunes

Graeme and his wife June moved to Clunes in 1997 from Melbourne where they had raised a family of three while working as secondary teachers. Graeme, the maths whizz with a penchant for drama and theatre, June with an expert knowledge and passion for music and love of gardening.

They purchased the former Duke of Edinburgh Hotel and transformed it into The Dukes B&B. June working on the garden, Graeme on the premises. They were licenced and put in a coffee machine (only the second one in Clunes).

A gregarious host, Graeme’s provision of massive, cooked breakfasts soon became legendary, as did the nights when the tipple was from the top shelf.

Graeme soon joined in community life, always ready to lend a hand, run with a good idea and help in any way to promote the town. And he had plenty of fun along the way. As a former drama teacher and enthusiast, he was part of the Clunes amateur theatre group and directed two plays. Whenever there was a film made here in Clunes, Graeme was usually to be counted among the extras, including Ned Kelly back in 2003. He was also instrumental in establishing the pétanque piste in Collins Place and an enthusiastic member of the Clunes Golf Club. And the smaller private moments of generosity and caring, such as helping to tutor a student.

Clunes Tourist and Development Association

One of Graeme’s first forays into community life was through the Clunes Tourist and Development Association. At a time when the town was in decline he worked closely with a small team of other enthusiastic locals, notably Jane Lesock and former local councillor Michael Cheshire, to bring a new energy to the group. As part of the CTDA he was for 12 years the Clunes representative on the Hepburn Regional Tourism Board, with countless trips to Daylesford, day or night, to ensure Clunes got its fair share of publicity and acknowledgement. Graeme’s time on the CTDA included many years as president, eventually retiring from this role in 2009.

One of the CTDA’s early efforts to promote the town during this time was to include a Clunes calendar of events in the Words in Winter festival emerging in Daylesford – it would be a precursor to bigger things to come with Booktown. Other significant annual community events flowed from the CTDA’s work during this time, including the much celebrated Clunes Community Dinners and Clunes Citizen of the Year Awards. Graeme was a recipient of this award in 2014, named Clunes Male Citizen of the Year. He was Hepburn Shire Citizen of the Year for 2015.

Village Cinemas

Peppers Mineral Springs Hotel

Frances Pilley Shop

Daylesford Community Brass Band would like to thank all of our sponsors for their support and generosity at the recent Vive La France celebration of July 14th.

Istra Smallgoods

Sailors Falls Estate Wine

Clunes International Booktown

Community Bank Daylesford District

Daylesford Bathhouse and Spa

Lake House

Lavandula Swiss Italian Farm

Daylesford Home and Hardware

Blake’s Family Grocers

Cellarbrations Daylesford

Mitre 10

The Farmer’s Arms Hotel

Sault Restaurant

Frank and Connie’s Restaurant

Bar Merenda

Bistro Terroir Restaurant

Daylesford Hamper Company

Village Cinemas

Hepburn Distillery

Peppers Mineral Springs Hotel

Palais-Hepburn

Frances Pilley Shop

With the town in rural decline, community members started to look for a way to revitalise the town while at the same time holding on to its history. Again, joining with a few other committed locals, the notion of a Booktown was born, with the first festival held in 2007. The original crew of Graeme, Tim Hayes (Clunes’ then local councillor), Tess Brady and Linda Newitt founded Creative Clunes and worked together to develop the Clunes Booktown concept and festival for over 10 years. Graeme was chair and deputy chair during his time with Creative Clunes.

Istra Smallgoods

Cliffy’s Emporium

Sailors Falls Estate Wine

Rubens Restaurant

Clunes Ceramics Award

Harvest Cafe

Daylesford Hamper Company

Daylesford Meat Company

Hepburn Distillery

Palais-Hepburn

Cliffy’s Emporium

Rubens Restaurant

Harvest Cafe

Daylesford Meat Company

Graeme was also an assiduous advocate for the arts. Inspired by June’s love and growing talent for pottery, Graeme set up the idea of a biennial Ceramics Award. The first event was held in 2009. Graeme forged links with the Hugh Williamson Foundation for funding and later with Castlemaine and Ballarat Art Galleries.

Free Lending Library

A long-time member of the former Free Lending Library Committee of Management, Graeme went to work to preserve the historic building. Again, as part of a small but enthusiastic team, including Denise Fordham and Phil Taig, he helped secure funding through the Hugh Williamson Foundation to undertake the necessary engineering reports and then to carry out repairs to stabilise the 1882 building. In February 2023, Clunes Neighbourhood House was able to move into the building and give it a bright, second life. The town is indebted to Graeme, who was also a member of the Clunes RSL sub-branch after an early career in the Royal Australian Navy, for his commitment, enthusiasm and tireless work.

Words: Linda Newitt

The evening was very enjoyable and a great success, raising funds for the purchase of new instruments.

Friday time to ‘get your uke on’ in Clunes

IT’S Friday on a chilly mid-winter afternoon in Clunes but the sounds emanating from the town’s Attitude building have a distinctly sunny edge. The weekly ukulele group gathering is in progress.

This fun little group has been happening now for the past couple of years, ever since Attitude started and the pandemic lockdowns ended.

Attitude – Ageing Well (its full name) is a community-led initiative that provides a range of social, intellectual and physical activities for people aged 60 plus - but all ages are welcome.

“It’s lots of fun,” says uke group leader, Clunes’ Victoria Reeve who is blessed with a singing voice that can hold a tune. Several years ago now, she took up playing ukulele out of a long-held wish to learn a musical instrument of some type.

A couple of years ago a friend, who wanted to learn to play this personalitypacked little stringed relative of the guitar, urged Victoria to start a group anew in Clunes.

“At the time, I said ‘but I’m only a beginner myself and largely self-taught’, and she said ‘well that’s better than what’s currently available, which is nothing’.”

The group started meeting informally at Victoria’s house but the response was strong and now it meets every Friday from 3pm to 5pm at Attitude Clunes headquarters in Fraser Street.

“We’ve now got a core group of about five or six who are pretty consistent and we always welcome new members,” Victoria says.

“Basically we just love playing and singing. We play a few songs from as far back as the 60s but mostly from the 70s, 80s and 90s and also a couple of modern ones.”

The focus is wholly on having fun, and socialising while enjoying music, but the weekly sessions do tend to reap results in terms of participants’ musical ability.

“It’s really good to have that regular meeting because it keeps you honest,” Victoria says as we discuss the importance of practise, practise, practise.

As group leader Victoria brings to the gatherings not just a love of music but also a professional background as an educator, albeit in the area of tertiary-level literary studies. She still works as a writing teacher for both adults and children, and also leads regular exercise classes as part of the Attitude program as well.

She says the reasons locals decide to pick up a uke and join the group sessions are many and varied.

“One of our members considers it her ‘me’ time and certainly singing together releases all of those positive brain chemicals. People learn best when they are happy and enjoying themselves,” she says.

“Another of our members is a really good muso and had a career where she’s performed but everyone has their own reasons for coming along. And another just wanted to be able to play Happy Birthday for family members. With the uke it’s such a fun little instrument. It’s hard to be dogmatic or didactic about it.”

For Victoria learning to play this instrument was the fulfilment of a lifetime wish that began as a child. It helped that she could sing.

“There was a local group, since disbanded, that had started meeting here in Clunes back a couple of years before the pandemic and I took to it quite quickly. I went and bought my first uke and I now have five or six which is more than any human being needs,” she says. “Because it only has four strings it is easier than guitar and it’s a nice portable little instrument.”

Those interested in taking on the uke may be inspired by the likes of uke super group, The Ukulele Death Squad, which demonstrates what’s potentially possible with this slightly humorous and humble little instrument.

But there’s absolutely no pressure to perform at all for the Clunes group regulars. “The group has a lovely social quality,” Victoria says. “There’s no pressure to perform. It’s a really nice way to make friends, sharing an activity. I would recommend it to anyone if they’re feeling a bit isolated.”

Group regular Sandra Nichols, who encouraged Victoria to start the group, says she had purchased a ukulele but had then left it sitting, unplayed, until the group came into being.

“I think playing a musical instrument is really good for the brain, and we sing as well which is really uplifting,” she says. All of the uke players agree the gatherings are a great mood boost.

If anyone is interested in rolling up for one of the Friday arvo uke sessions at Attitude, the group has spare instruments for those keen to give it a go.

Contact Victoria on 0420 432 931.

Above, from left, Deb James. Rhonnie Dryne, Victoria Reeve, Sandra Nichols and Graham Quemard

A retreat for people living with dementia and their carers

Treehouse4Two is a free three-day retreat for people recently diagnosed with dementia and their carers in the Macedon Ranges and Hepburn shires.

We focus on wellbeing and self-care, providing a supportive peer environment where participants receive tailored support from specialist trained staff. Carers learn how to navigate the challenges of supporting someone living with dementia and how to access other community resources, including respite.

Safety and respect culture at Hepburn House

ONE of the focuses of Hepburn House and its workforce development is to ensure there is always a culture of safety and respect.

Manager Dianne Jones said this was something the organisation was very proud of. "A young gay staff member recently informed me after years of discrimination at other workplaces, he has never been made to feel uncomfortable about his sexuality in the two years he has been here".

"A 31-bed LGBTIQA+ Allies and Friends unit, and 15-bed Memory Support unit are expected to be open in mid-November. Plans are also in place in our strategic plan/workforce development to ensure that our inclusive culture is maintained and supported.

"Hepburn House has made arrangements to partner with genU Training, a registered training organisation to complete certificates 3 and 4 in aged care on site in our large new multi-purpose room. Student placement will also be completed on site. This will further our ability to ensure the "right" staff are recruited. genU is a leader in the aged care industry and is very supportive of training that is inclusive to the LGBTIQA+ community."

genU says: “At genU, we’re not all the same. And that’s one of our greatest strengths. We draw on the differences in who we are, what we’ve experienced, and how we think. Because to live our values and to succeed in our vision, we must all be active in building inclusive communities. So, whether you're an employee, volunteer or client who accesses our services - at genU we're all about YOU."

Ms Jones said genU was planning to have LGBTIQA+ leaders and HIV specialists as guest speakers appear throughout the course to further the knowledge and training around culture and diversity.

"A current staff member who has been employed at Hepburn House for eight years as a personal care worker is currently completing a certificate 4 in training and assessment and will deliver the training."

Ms Jones said there would be advertising for staff in magazines such as The Star Observer in October to November to attract LGBTIQA+ aged care advocates to join Hepburn House. Hepburn House has also purchased five apartments that can support staff who have an interest in relocating from Melbourne. The prospective staff will be offered accommodation for four weeks rent-free. More details: www.hepburnhouse.com.au or 5348 8100. Advertorial

Treehouse4Two is a Government Funded Program. Central Highlands Rural Health, is an authorised provider of the Staying at Home program.

Cleaning up the climbers

Last issue I covered the winter pruning and tidying up of bush roses and, obviously those tall-stemmed standard ones. This time, we’ll have a look at your rampant climbers and naturally assume they are growing on a trellis or fence for support.

The pruning and management of climbing roses is a different matter altogether because they produce two entirely different forms of growth.

The first is the vigorous, long canes that usually grow in summer and autumn, often without any sign of a bloom. These canes form the initial framework of the plants and as many as possible should be tied in a convenient horizontal position before you resort to cutting any of them out.

The other growths are the shorter flowering spurs that shoot out all along the climbing cane during the following spring. These give the main display and should be cut down to about half their length after each flowering.

Some roses only flower in the spring, especially such climbers as Paul’s Scarlet and the white and yellow banksias. These are pruned after flowering by shortening back the flowering growths and removing any worn-out branches. Any new long canes that appear should be tied into place.

Hygiene

It is more than likely that the cold and wet weather will encourage the spread of fungus and such virus diseases as blackspot and rust so it’s important to minimise any chances of transmitting them from plant to plant on the secateurs or saw blades. The solution is to dip the tools in some form of household disinfectant before moving on to the next plant.

Those seemingly ever-present pests, aphids and spider mites, are in the old bark, leaves and soil around the plants in winter, so it’s imperative to foil them by clearing any fallen foliage and branches from around the plants. If you wish to discourage any intended attacks on the new growth, spray the plants with one of the many available non-toxic organic pesticides such as Neem Oil to give the new growth a healthy start.

A rose by any other name

As if about 300 species and literally thousands, and growing, varieties of the rosacea tribe, isn’t enough to be labelled rose, there are scores of other plants with similar dog rose-like blooms, lining up for the title. Take, for example, the cistus and even our native bauera rubioides.

Admittedly, most of them are beautiful in their own way and fully deserve their place in any garden, but it can be confusing if you don’t also have that botanical name to distinguish them.

And so we come to the beautiful specimen pictured above. Its botanical name is helleborus orientalis, one of the many beautiful samples of what are called either winter or lenten rose, depending on where you live and I suppose whether the flowering season coincides with the celebration of Easter.

The title helleborus covers a vast number of both evergreen and deciduous perennial clump-forming flowering plants of the ranunculus tribe that originated mainly in Greece and Turkey.

Their greatest attribute is that their flowering is at their best in the midst of winter when the rest of the garden is asleep and they provide some welcome colour to those dreary winter days.

Helleborus orientalis, the most popularly grown evergreen species varieties, grow to around 50cm high, about 60cm wide, and do well in our temperate climate. They prefer deep, well-drained soil but will adapt to most soil types except wet clay. They thrive in light shade. To keep them growing and happy, feed them with a light dressing of a balanced, complete fertiliser in late autumn.

Council news

FUTURE HEPBURN

Have you signed up for the Future Hepburn Engagement Pool? We are looking for people from across the Shire to get involved. By joining, you'll have the opportunity to share what’s important to you on a variety of topics, join online webinars, receive project updates and even participate in a township panel made up of 21 community members. This is a great way to have your say on the future of your town and Shire. Find out more and register to be involved at https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/future-hepburn

RATES NOTICES

The 2023/24 rates notices will soon arrive in your mailbox or inbox. Rates and charges make up over half of Council’s annual budgeted revenue and are vital to enable us to provide the services and facilities that our community values, including parks, libraries, maternal and child health, planning, roads and many more.

Property rates are based on:

• The valuation of your property at 1 January 2023 (which is determined independently each year by the Valuer-General Victoria)

• The differential rate in the dollar for your type of property (e.g. residential, farming, commercial, industrial, etc.).

Rate increases have been capped at 3.5 percent in line with the Victorian Government’s Fair Go Rates system. This compares to a seven percent CPI increase in the year to March 2023.

Our website has more information on how rates are calculated, pensioner concessions, how to object to your property valuation or apply for rates hardship support. Find out more at www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/rates

TIP VOUCHERS

You are eligible for transfer station vouchers if you have a fortnightly landfill (general waste) collection or do not have a kerbside collection at your residence. If you didn’t collect your vouchers for 2022/23 you can still collect them from your local customer service centre or transfer station. Vouchers are eligible until the end of September 2023. Don’t forget to bring proof of your address for collection. Vouchers for the next 12 months will be available soon.

TECH-TIPS AND TEA

Are you interested in learning some technology basics? Come to your local library for Hepburn Libraries’ Digital Literacy Program, Tech-talk and Tea. These weekly sessions run for two hours, which includes a workshop and time for general IT problem-solving. Bring your device, phone or tablet for tech troubleshooting and enjoy a cuppa with other participants. Sessions are:

Trentham Hub - Tuesdays from 10am to 12pm

Daylesford Library - Tuesdays from 1pm to 3pm

The Warehouse - Clunes - Thursdays from 10am to 12pm

Creswick Hub - Thursdays from 1pm to 3pm.

CELEBRATE LOCAL WOMEN

Honour roll - Do you know an inspiring woman from Hepburn Shire? Every year we recognise women who make a difference in our community through the Heather Mutimer Honour Roll. Read about past inductees, make a nomination or learn more at www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/Womens-Honour-Roll

Nominations close on Monday 25 September. Inductees are announced every year on International Women’s Day in March. Join the committee - Council is looking for community members to join the Heather Mutimer International Women’s Day Advisory Committee. The aim of the committee is to provide Council with advice on who should be inducted onto the Heather Mutimer International Women’s Day Honour Roll.

Applications are open until Monday 21 August at 5.00pm. Visit the above website for more information.

CARE FOR YOUR PETS

Pet registration is key to keeping your pets safe. There are many unregistered dogs and cats in our Shire. If your cat or dog goes missing or wanders away from home, you have a much better chance of them being returned home if they are registered.

Pet registration is due for renewal in April each year. The first period of registration is free for microchipped and desexed pets.

Council introduced a cat curfew from 1 July. Cats must be confined to their owner’s property from dusk until dawn. Find out more at www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/pets

REPORT AN ISSUE

You can report issues or make service requests relating to Council services or assets via our website. This means you will be issued a reference number so you can track progress on your request. Visit our website and click on ‘Report an issue’ on the homepage or head straight to our online service request page at www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/Request

The Council Plan 2021-2025 describes how Council will strive towards our vision, where to focus efforts, and how to measure progress. Each Focus Area has a series of priority statements, with actions against each item.

EAT | DRINK | ENJOY

Out & About in the Central Highlands

Wine notes with

Campania comes to Australia

Clive Hartley

The fiano grape has truly established itself in Australia, with over 100 producers having planted it since Mark Lloyd from Coriole in the McLaren Vale planted this delicious white in 2001. It is well suited to Australia, being able to withstand drought conditions and can retain its natural acidity, even in the hot climates of Australia. It has open bunches so is resistant to rot problems and can take on organic viticulture.

What you get in the glass is a fleshy white wine with stone fruit and a hint of that almond meal character so often seen in Italian wines. The grape also can be matured in oak and Coriole produce an excellent reserve style called rubato that is barrel fermented. Closer to home Sutton Grange make a fiano that sees lees contact to produce a fleshy example. Billy Button from the Alpine Valley and Brown Brothers also were highly recommended in the last edition of my Australian Wine Guide

Fiano originates in Campania in southern Italy, traditionally grown around the town of Avellino. Campania is home to a number of grape varieties that have the potential to do well in Australia. Greco is the stablemate to fiano and is grown in the Greco di Tufo region which lies slightly to the north of Avellino. Greco can be viognier-like in its intensity and aromas. Falanghina, which might have been the base of the white version of falernian, the most famous wine in the Roman Empire, is another locally grown white grape and has yet to break through in Australia. This is famous in the stunning Sannio area, and perhaps not as intense as fiano, but another good floral white.

Finally, we come to the most important red of the region, aglianico. Taurasi is the best expression of the grape variety coming again from the hills around Avellino. It is known as the Barolo of the South, having a robust, full bodied structure and high tannins. It has the ability to age well. This grape is growing in popularity in Australia and Sutton Grange make an excellent example that needs plenty of aeration and time in the glass to get the most out of the wine. But it is ideal for the chillier months ahead.

Clive Hartley is an award-winning wine writer, educator and consultant. Want to learn more about wine? Try his Australian Wine Guide (7th ed) now available for purchase from Paradise Books in Daylesford or via his website at www.australianwineguide.com.au

Coomoora Ensemble

The Coomoora Ensemble, with Alison Catanach on baroque flute, Elizabeth Welsh on baroque violin, Edwina Cordingley on baroque cello, Ruth Wilkinson on viola da gamba and Ann Morgan on harpsichord, will play at Christ Church, Daylesford on Saturday, August 26.

The performance offers the elegance of Telemann’s Paris Quartets and an opportunity to enjoy the exquisite sonorities of these baroque instruments.

The Coomoora Ensemble brings together outstanding musicians who are passionate about performance on historical instruments. They have performed together over many years and in various chamber music combinations. Their 2023 Daylesford concert presents some of their favourite repertoire, Telemann’s wonderful Paris Quartets, and is an opportunity for an audience to enjoy the exquisite sonorities of baroque flute, violin, cello, viola da gamba and harpsichord.

Georg Philipp Telemann was held in high esteem by his 18th century musical contemporaries. Employed as musical director of the principal churches in Hamburg from 1721, Telemann composed prolifically in a wide range of genres, directed concerts and developed his own music-publishing business.

In 1738 Telemann published his six new quartets while on an extended stay in Paris. They were immediately recognised as outstanding chamber music and successfully taken up throughout Europe.

The Daylesford performance includes three of the Nouveaux quatuors, often called Telemann’s Paris Quartets. The quartets pay homage to French style with each designed as a suite.

Telemann wished to flatter his Parisian audience as well as impress with his musical inventiveness. The quartets display Telemann’s masterly exchange of musical ideas; the musical dialogue is constant and highlights the colour, virtuosity and character of each instrument.

The concert starts at 2.30pm and will be held at Christ Church, 54 Central Springs Road, Daylesford.

Links: Christ Church concerts facebook page.

Tickets: www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1040691

one of a kind

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.

The Daylesford Hotel is one of a kind. It’s majesty, it’s music and it offers many spaces, with over 100 year’s of history in the heart of town. A traditional style pub with all the modern delights, offering pub meals as well as a broader range for all dietary wants and needs. Wine & dine on the Sunset Balcony overlooking greater Daylesford or find a Cosy Corner and curl up next to the fire inside. Finally, after many years we are back. Open from midday everyday with lunch specials and entertainment in the evenings; including Open Mic on Mondays, Trivia on the Wednesdays & live music through to Sundays.

Be sure to book ahead for dinner, music, events & accommodation. Check for more details here: daylesfordhotel.com.au 2

Words in Winter

In the 1990s, Em Ireland ran open mic events, combining poetry and music. Now, as director of the Words in Winter event, Em has loved calling in poets and friends "from back in the day" to be a part of the community festival, held on August 25, 26 and 27.

"Words in Winter is all about our community and its poets and authors, and people from further away, coming in to show how writing and poetry can be exciting."

Em said she had worked on growing the festival and a gala launch would be held on the Saturday night with media legends Jon Faine and Marieke Hardy, at the PalaisHepburn.

"I really do hope everyone comes to honour Jon Faine on Saturday, I am sure all of us would have had a chat to him on his radio show about bushfires or potholes over the past decade or so.

"It will be a gorgeous event and I really like the idea of the community coming together for these festivals. They can be honouring our potato farmers, our goats, our Swiss Italian heritage...our community is just so supportive.

"And it is really important that we get out from behind books, into a room and talking about them."

Em said the festival started on Friday, August 25, the same day as Wear Purple Day, and that had been incorporated with author Erin Riley coming from Sydney to talk about gender diversity.

On the Saturday, there were many events from Women to the Front brunching, to workshops and poetry readings at venues including Paradise Books, Daylesford Hotel, Radius Art Gallery and Cliffy's.

There are also events at Creswick, Trentham and Maryborough with free readings in the shire's libraries and shadow puppetry performances.

Words in Winter was started by David Hall and his late wife Lorelle in 2001. Link: www.wordsinwinter.com

Above, Words in Winter founder David Hall with current director Em Ireland in Paradise Books Image: Contributed

37 plays, 97 minutes, 3 actors

In the past 51 years The Mount Players have never performed any of Shakespeare's plays - but that is being quickly rectified.

President Karen Hunt said the Players would be attempting all of them in one night. Thirty-seven plays in 97 minutes with three actors. "What could possibly go wrong?"

Karen said The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) was a delightful, fast-paced romp through the bard's work as three manic men in tights hurtle through all of Shakespeare's plays, leaving the audience in stitches.

"The Mount Players join FizzWack Theatre to bring a show that takes those long, sometimes tedious and serious subjects, and condenses them down into a couple of hours of frivolity. If you love Shakespeare, you will love this show. If you hate Shakespeare, you will love this show."

The performance runs from August 18 to 26. For details and bookings head to www.themountplayers.com or call 5426 1892.

Above, from left, Craig Lenaine-Smith, Peter Bevin and Travis Handcock make sure they are running on schedule. Image: Karlana Santamaria

THIS WEEKS SPECIALS

T-BONE STEAK $29.99 kg

The T-Bone is the hero of meat lovers. It contains the porterhouse steak on the bone as well as the eye fillet. These steaks are generous and full of flavour.

WHOLE PORTERHOUSE $99

Incredible value by purchasing a whole porterhouse for only $99. You can choose to take it as a whole piece or we can cut up into steaks to your liking.

Keep the legend simmering

IN HIS day, yesteryear Creswick identity Simon (Simmy) McDonald was something of a household name in folk music circles.

The well-loved local character lived on his family property at Springmount just out of Creswick, without electricity, all his life (1906-1986) eking out a living from gold fossicking and agricultural work.

But he was also a fixture at local pubs, particularly Creswick’s American Hotel, where he would sing for food and beer.

At a time when the folk wave was on and folk music was the rap of its era, Simmy was called "the best traditional singer in the British style ever recorded in Australia".

Possessing a “fantastic voice” and a splendid repertoire of Irish and Scottish folk songs, he was also “a self-confessed alcoholic” and no stranger to the town’s historic courthouse.

He even spent a night in the adjacent lockup, an experience about which, in true folk legend style, he penned a poem.

However, despite his misadventures with the law, Simmy’s folk music talent was so considerable that many hours of recordings from 1959-1967, featuring both his music and himself in conversation, ended up in the National Archives in Canberra.

And it was there that current day local Neil Adam unearthed this rich recorded legacy, after learning about Simmy, who was in danger of becoming lost to the mists of time.

The result is The Simmy Show which is playing at Creswick Courthouse Theatre this Saturday evening, August 19, as part of the wider Words in Winter festival.

The show was sold out when staged previously during CresFest and features live music and discussion from Neil, himself a talented guitarist and singer-songwriter, carefully curated excerpts from those precious archival recordings with Simmy himself, and also live music by Ballarat Irish folk singer Paddy Caulfield.

“Simon McDonald lived at Springmount just outside of Creswick, Victoria and became a bit of a household name in music circles during the folk revival of the 1950s and 60s,” Neil says.

“He made an LP of songs, a book was written about him, and there are hours of old reel-to-reel recordings of interviews with him. He had a fantastic voice.

“The old courthouse is a great place to stage this show because Simmy was an occasional ‘performer’ at the courthouse himself for public misbehaviours. He called himself an alcoholic and he wrote a poem about being locked up in 1939.

“He used to perform at The American (hotel in Creswick) where they paid him in food and alcohol. He had a great repertoire of songs and he kept these 200 songs alive in his head because it was helping him survive.”

Neil, who is also Creswick Theatre Company’s current president, describes this Saturday’s show as “half live music, half local history and half recordings from the National Library...so that makes it a show and a half,” he reckons.

Dollars raised from the show support the theatre and tickets are available through Humanitix.

Neil says he’s also keen to get copies of the archival recordings with Simmy, which are held in the National Archives, made readily available at the Creswick Library. Words & image: Eve Lamb

WINTER STORAGE RECYCLED WATER RELEASE

Central Highlands Water would like to advise of the following recycled water release.

Wastewater storage lagoons in the Central Highlands Water (CHW) region are near capacity due to recent sustained rainfall. As a result, to manage the Clunes Wastewater Treatment Plant, CHW will complete a controlled release of water into Birch Creek anticipated to commence in August 2023. CHW have notified EPA Victoria that a release of Class C water is necessary in accordance with our licence. Discharging excess treated wastewater from our storages helps to reduce any potential for uncontrolled overflows and protects infrastructure. Strict water quality monitoring processes remain in place to ensure we protect the health of our communities and the environment. We are committed to minimising impacts to the environment and human health from the release of water to streams. We expect these discharges will continue in line with licence conditions under the current conditions.

Soccer victory for Daylesford College junior girls

Not to be outdone by The Matildas, Daylesford College junior girls soccer team was victorious in the Greater Western Region finals, earlier this month.

The pressure from Daylesford was relentless from the beginning of the game, with an early goal coming from winning the ball back from pressing the opposition.

Neisa Drogriski, captain on the day, lead by example, winning the ball back in the midfield, scoring a hat-trick and setting up a number of attacking phases.

The team went in at half time 2-0 against the wind, with goals from Lilly Willcocks-Fernandez and Neisa's first goal after Martha Richard's fantastic work as goalkeeper in the first half, including her great distribution with the ball.

Katie Newton took the gloves for the second half making an outstanding one-on-one save.

With the wind behind them, the team dominated the territory battle, pouring on another four goals in the second half.

Abby Dunstan scored with a hard, low strike finding the bottom corner after Paula Ielo beat a defender, and played a ball for Abby to run onto.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 1800 061 514 or for the latest updates visit chw.net.au

Neisa found the net twice in the second half, the last being a great strike from range to give the goalkeeper no chance as she rounded out her hat-trick.

Emma Koleski finished off a fantastic display in which she controlled the midfield with a goal coming from her stealing the ball off a defender before a tidy finish.

The final score was 6-1 with some incredible goals and passages of play. The team will now prepare for the state finals in September. Words & image: Janise Slater

Rosendale exhibition

Gigs with Darren Lowe

Palais-Hepburn, Hepburn

August 18 - Paul McDermott Plus One - A dynamic and awe-inspiring collection of verbal and musical absurdity. A conceptual odyssey chronicling, (through comedy, song, and liturgical dance) the bizarre world we find ourselves in, as presented by Paul McDermott and his unnamed collaborator.

August 19 - Motor City Sounds - From Motown to The Blues Brothers and everything in between – Motor City Sounds pays tribute to the classic era of Soul music. Performing songs from artists such as Stevie Wonder, Jackson 5, The Supremes, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding, t.hey recreate the essence and atmosphere of Motown and Soul from the 60s and 70s.

August 25 - Tenzin Choegyal - Acknowledged as one of the world's finest Tibetan musicians, Tenzin Choegyal’s cantering rhythms, soaring vocals and exquisite flute solos have enchanted audiences around the globe. An outstanding composer/ performer with a great depth of musical knowledge, intuition and inventiveness, he skilfully brings Tibetan music firmly into a contemporary setting.

Emerging out of the Covid ramifications of late 2021, Hepburn Shire resident and photographic artist, David Rosendale - synonymous for capturing the Alpine regions of Australia - turned his lens to the local Daylesford and Hepburn landscape, as a direct response to travel restrictions.

A new collection of large scale photographic works, captured in the stunning local Hepburn Regional Park and the Wombat State Forest, will be exhibited and on display at the Eastern Peake Cellar Door from August 26 to October 22.

The exhibition is part of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale, a festival that has grown in popularity since its inception in 2005 - the event first held in Daylesford, before it relocated to Ballarat as the festival expanded.

The 60-day event transforms the regional city, attracts international and Australian artists, and numerous exhibitions can be found in art galleries, restaurants, wineries, bars, laneways and cultural spaces.

This is Rosendale’s third exhibition in the regional festival, having a previous offering of his Alpine photography at Craigs Royal Hotel, Ballarat, in the 2017 Biennale.

This year's edition at Eastern Peake marks an enforced shift in genre, and a sense of optimism, emerging out of the tail end of the pandemic.

“Covid restrictions were an extended period of loss no doubt, but also an opportunity to immerse oneself in the local landscape,” says Rosendale.

“Photography - being one of a host of greatly affected industries in that dark time of restrictions, unable to work or travel to my muse of recent years, the Alpine region of Falls Creek, there was indeed a lot of time to research art, painting, photography and common tropes of struggle, that have been depicted through art for centuries.

“I wanted to bring a traditional painterly style to my photography and imbue that traditional form of expression.”

Having a footprint in the goldfields for more than 20 years, when able to do so, a full-time move saw out the remainder of the pandemic, and inspired an immersion in the local forest.

The exhibition delivers a sense of mystery and freedom, of exploring a new landscape and the liberation of finally being en plein air.

Photographs by David Rosendale can be viewed at Eastern Peake Cellar Door, 67 Pickfords Road, Coghills Creek from Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 3pm.

Link: www.ballaratfoto.org/program/photographs-by-david-rosendale/

Above, The Final Battle of Night and Day 2022 Twin Bridges, Hepburn Regional Park

Words & image: Contributed

August 26 - Words In Winter - Come support your community event with Marieke Hardy in conversation with Jon Faine, pictured. Featuring music by Jarrah Olive, The Bedridden - David M. Lewis, Alex Miller and Emma Razz - the world’s only muppet punk trio and poet Sean M. Whelan.

Got a gig happening?

Email news@tlnews.com.au or post it at www.tlnews.com.au

Teenagers, part of theatre company Inside Out Dance Theatre in Daylesford, will take to the stage showcasing their passion and acting talents in a special production for Words in Winter.

The Day the School Went Under was written by director Jen Bray with the help of the students after improvising scenarios.

Two of the members, Dru and Jaime, have been attending classes for more than a decade. They will join fellow cast members Dante, Wren, Arlo, Alexander and Billy when they present their comedy play described as The Breakfast Club meets The Poseidon Adventure

Two performances will be held on Saturday, August 26, at the Daylesford Town Hall. Book at Trybooking.com/CJYUG

Above, front row, from left, Billy, Dru, Dante and Jaime, back row, from left, Alexander, Arlo and Wren Words: Narelle Groenhout

Kyle’s Rant

IAM not much for Facebook, in fact my FB friends could be dead and I wouldn’t know. But the other half told me recently of a post that made me wince from the Hepburn Shire Council.

Have you received a letter of invitation to be part of the Future Hepburn Engagement Pool?

Just over 1000 letters were sent out to randomly selected community members inviting them to register for the Future Hepburn Engagement Pool. Members will be randomly selected to join the township structure plan community panels with the purpose of developing structure plans for the townships of Clunes, Creswick, Daylesford-Hepburn Springs, Glenlyon and Trentham.

Other opportunities for involvement include interviews, webinars, workshops and activities relating to all Future Hepburn projects. Don’t worry if you don’t receive a letter, you can still get involved.

Now, I am not usually one to participate in these sorts of ventures. I am normally quite comfortable and better advised with my own committee of one. But back at the beginning of the pandemic if a pig had have flown past the window, I would have simply accepted it as fact and waved at it. The world was that out of kilter.

And so, in a much weakened, confused and hazy state of mind I put my hand up for the shire's business recovery committee. We were a bunch of well-meaning local business owners who had our hands full, pivoting and rerouting our own businesses and with no time to waste. But all in the group thought it was a hugely important task to make sure all the local businesses had the resources to weather the storm.

After a few meetings, which led nowhere, the committee was disbanded without notice or even an explanation. Emails to the HSC were met with the sound of silence - so you can see the reason for my wince when it comes to another HSC committee being announced.

If you have been around long enough and paid attention you find these committees don’t ever achieve much. The makeup of the participants that put their hand up to attend these assemblies are, and please allow me to generalise, folks with a bit of time on their hands, well-meaning certainly, but naïve to the fact that they are powerless. And then there is a sprinkling of other residents who will join, who will be pushing their own barrow containing a few well-ground axes.

For me, it is an old-fashioned consultation method used by governments to check off the community consultation box and not much comes of it except tea and biscuits. It also seems to tick the box of community consultation.

Don’t get me wrong, our council does a lot of things well - except they forgot to pick up my recycling a couple of times in a row last month - but it turns out that is outsourced and it is impossible to get on the two-way radio and call the bloke back.

It has to go through a process, according to the very nice woman staffing the shire's phones. And I must say a special shoutout to that woman, her name escapes me, who when I said I was going away offered to drag my bin in. Now that is service and one of many fabulous people working behind the scenes for the shire.

But I would like to suggest that instead of plowing human and biscuit resources into these type of aforementioned turnouts, the shire simply does what they are there to do. Rubbish, rates and roads. The portfolio did once include also looking after our elderly and vulnerable but even that has been outsourced, and reasonably unsuccessfully I might add.

Anti-committee rant over… 03 5338 8123

Catherine.King.MP@aph.gov.au

CatherineKingMP

@CatherineKingMP

Local Lines

Highs and lows

High fashion dictates the wearing of low-rise jeans favouring the lanky, the svelte while the rest of us suffer slipped strides all day

The high end of town favours low wages to steady the ship even though the weight leans down their end

Easy access low-rise beds have bitten the dust in favour of Kosciuskos requiring nightly scaling to meet the mattress

Fewer than one in five of us now drives a sedan Big Boy SUVs rule and roll But proportions swing Peaks may yet topple

- Bill Wootton

Bill drives low, wears semi-high and sleeps low by preference.

Local Lines features poetry by locals about local and any other matters. Please submit poems to Bill Wootton at cottlesbreedge@gmail.com

Federal Member for Ballarat

Pick me, pick me!

Well hello. I’m Luna and I’m three years old. I am a classic tabby boy with a very sweet personality.

I love having attention and spending time with people. I can be a little shy when I’m in a new place, but it doesn't take me long to settle in and let my top shelf personality shine through.

I would love to find a home where I will be given plenty of love and attention. Microchip no. 965000010946339.

Call MAAWS on 5472 5277 to come and meet me. Link: www.maaw.org.au

(Pick me, pick me is run in memory of Rosie & Curly - we picked them.)

And proudly supported by Daylesford's

Just sayin’...

By Donna Kelly

WORDS in Winter is coming up soon - end of August - so I thought I would take a trip down memory lane and my own love of words. I learnt to read and write when I was pretty young. Not my doing as much as my parents.

As a little kid, Dad used to read to me before I went to sleep but he generally fell asleep before he got more than about a page done, and I realised if I ever wanted to get to the end of the book, I had to learn to read myself. So I did.

Mum had been a teacher after leaving school and, while she had to give up work once she married, taught me how to write, and even how to write my name in cursive. I tried doing that at school in prep but was told that would have to wait another couple of years. Mum was ahead of her/my time.

At primary school I had some great teachers but the librarian was the best. She encouraged me to read so many books and to write to the authors. I got quite a few letters back which was really encouraging to a young girl.

In high school I joined the editorial team of the annual school magazine, subbing work sent in by other students. I continued writing to authors, snail mail, and getting return correspondence.

I also took on work experience at the then Frankston Standard when I was in form 3 (year 9 now) and realised I wanted to be a journalist. I tried to get into RMIT's journalism course but failed, instead heading to Monash Uni for a Bachelor of Arts. Actually, it was the Chisholm Institute of Technology with campuses at Frankston and Caulfield. I had not done either maths or a language in my final year of secondary schooling so could not gain entry into a "real" university.

I was pretty happy when Monash took over the institute many years later and I could claim my new degree status. Other students who went to the"real" Monash were not so pleased. But I digress.

After uni I went for cadetships at the Herald Sun and The Age. Not a chance. Both their written tests asked which relative you had working at the paper. Nepotism at its finest. Part of the journalism world.

But never fear. The work experience, which I had continued ad hoc, was going to pay off with a cadetship coming up at the Frankston Standard. Hmmm. Nope. The daughter of a woman working there got the position. But I did find myself at the Southern Peninsula Gazette. Finally.

The rest is history. Gigs at papers including The Cairns Post, The News in Karratha, The Centralian Advocate in Alice Springs, The Courier Mail in Brisbane, Quest Newspapers in Logan, and even TNT magazine in London, before moving to Glenlyon. Then it was The Advertiser in Bendigo, The Courier in Ballarat, The Advocate in Daylesford and finally, The Local

And I still love words. Hearing them from people I am interviewing, crafting them into a story, dreaming up a headline or an intro, seeing them printed on the page. It's a lot of fun and also a privilege - sharing lives and stories and events. Sometimes helping people. Sometimes just knowing it's a great read.

Hopefully you can get along to an event at Words in Winter. Like-minded people sharing words with each other and their audiences. I know there is a trend to use acronyms and abbreviations, short texts to communicate with friends, but there is nothing like hitting the last full stop on a really great story. Or even an average column. Just sayin'...

Here is the crossword solution for Edition 285. How did you go?

All words in the crossword appear somewhere in the same edition of The Local.

Artists of the Central Highlands with

An enduring love affair with the Australian landscape, its power and diversity, underscores the work of Daylesford painter and printmaker Greg Mallyon. Greg’s abstract topographical images are inspired by an aerial perspective and his life story includes constant study, travel and rich exposure to European, Asian, Middle Eastern and Indigenous cultures. The many arts awards that this creative has collected along the way include the 2021 National Capital Art Prize for Landscape and the Digital Art Award for the 2023 Queenscliff Art Prize.

Eve: How should we best describe your artistic style?

Greg: My paintings and prints are abstract landscapes inspired by an aerial perspective, however they fall within the long Australian tradition of depicting our unique continent. I won a fellowship to the Queensland College of Art when I was 17 so my fate was sealed at a very young age.

Eve: How did you nurture your innate arts talent?

Greg: Since graduating from art school I have continued to study both formally, for example, studying fine arts in Italy and a Masters degree at UNSW, or through many informal workshops and courses over the years. This constant exposure to new techniques and ideas means my work continues to evolve.

Eve: What is your media and subject matter of choice?

Greg: I am very experimental so I paint or print on surfaces including aluminium, Japanese rice paper, wood, canvas and European papers. I love incorporating marble dust, ground pumice and raw pigments into traditional acrylic paints and varnishes. The Australian landscape remains my major preoccupation as the diversity of the desert, coastal and alpine scenery is an endless source of inspiration. Other destinations such as India, the Middle East and Europe have also been the subject of past exhibitions.

Eve: Where do you do most of your art work?

Greg: My humble studio is a former school demountable and is located in my garden in Daylesford. Kangaroos, magpies and kookaburras are regular visitors.

Eve: Which artists have influenced your work?

Greg: My work is inspired by a variety of sources including satellite photographs but also other Australian and international artists who have explored the landscape from above. John Olsen and Fred Williams are two of the most important Australian artists who have changed the way we look at landscape but our own Indigenous artists also have an instinctive view of country from above.

Eve: Are there any other particular factors that influence your creative practice?

Greg: My training in printmaking and computer technology has strongly influenced my style as a painter and vice versa. I often incorporate digital imaging, etching, stencil and other print methods into my paintings.

Eve: What are you working on at the moment?

Greg: I have deadlines up until late 2024 so it is meeting one commitment after another, a mix of private and corporate commissions, art fairs and solo exhibitions both interstate and overseas. One important aspect of such a schedule is to stay fresh and inspired and not just churn out predictable works for the art market.

Eve: Do you have any exhibitions or special arts events coming up?

Greg: I am working on a solo exhibition for the Horsham Regional Gallery in December. This will explore the landscape of the Wimmera and feature images inspired by drought, flood and bushfires, all of which produce their own unique beauty in amongst the devastation.

Eve: What would you rate as the biggest challenges for artists today?

Greg: The Australian economy with its ups and downs always impacts on consumer spending and the art world has suffered from past recessions and downturns. Professional artists must today be savvy with social media, bookkeeping, marketing, administration and all aspects of running a small business. That is a challenge to those who are happiest with just a paintbrush in hand.

Eve: And, for you personally, the greatest rewards?

Greg: Being my own boss and doing what I love is a great reward.

Eve Lamb

Image: Eve Lamb