Front page: Mel Gibson's portrayal in Braveheart led Langley Rowbottom to the bagpipes. Fast forward a few years and Langley is pipe major with Daylesford and District Highland Band. And he's among the many looking forward to being in the thick of the Celtic atmosphere at this Saturday’s Highland Gathering on December 7. Read all about it on page 7.
Image: Eve Lamb
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The Local is a fortnightly community publication covering the Central Highlands of Victoria.
The next edition is out on Monday, December 16, 2024. or online on Sunday, December 15 at www.tlnews.com.au
Space bookings: Wednesday, December 11
Copy deadline: Thursday, December 12
Editorial deadline: Thursday, December 12
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, Kyle Barnes & Donna Kelly
Photographers: Kyle Barnes & Eve Lamb
Graphic designer: Dianne Caithness
Contributors: Glen Heyne (gardening), Darren Lowe (music), Sarah Lang (recipes), & Bill Wootton (poetry)
Accounts | Julie Hanson Delivery | Tony Sawrey
First responders honoured one year on from tragedy
First responders to last year's devastating Daylesford crash have been honoured one year after the horrific accident that claimed five lives on November 5, 2023.
On Sunday, November 23, CFA dignitaries, including CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan and board member Rosemary Martin, presented the distinguished unit citation for service to the Daylesford, Hepburn, Franklinford, and Musk fire brigades during a commemoration service marking the tragedy’s first anniversary.
Nineteen members of the Daylesford Fire Brigade, nine from Hepburn, one from Franklinford, and one from Musk also each received individual unit citations for service recognising their outstanding service.
“This award honours not only the bravery and professionalism of our CFA volunteers during such a harrowing event but also their unwavering commitment to their communities,” CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said.
“These volunteers worked under unimaginable conditions, demonstrating the very best of CFA’s values. This award is about appreciating the service of our members while also acknowledging the profound loss felt by the families and loved ones affected. We stand with you, as does this community.”
Daylesford Captain Glenn Webster, who also received a commendation for service alongside his citation, expressed immense pride in his fellow brigade members and the emergency responders who assisted.
“I’m in awe of what they did that day. They responded without hesitation and faced the most horrific scene you could imagine,” Mr Webster said.
“They worked professionally, did everything they could to assist the injured, and supported paramedics when they arrived. They were just outstanding.”
Reflecting on the wider impact, Mr Webster highlighted how the community rallied in the aftermath of the tragedy.
“On that terrible day one year ago, and in the days that followed, community was everything,” he said. “They were fantastic - dropping off flowers to the brigade and even bringing meals on the night of the event because they knew we were exhausted.
“There was a great deal of kindness shown to us, and it’s a privilege to serve such a compassionate community.”
Turning his thoughts to the families impacted by the tragedy, Mr Webster offered a heartfelt message of support.
“They were not alone. They and you will forever remain a part of the extended family of this community.”
Words: Eve Lamb | Image: Uniform Photography
Is Don, is Mayor
Hepburn Shire Councillor Don Henderson has been elected mayor with Councillor Lesley Hewitt elected as deputy mayor for the first year of the new four-year council term.
Cr Henderson said he was extremely proud to lead and have the support of the new councillor group.
“It is an honour to take on this role and I feel privileged to represent the community of Hepburn Shire,” Cr Henderson said.
Cr Henderson has been on council since 2008. He has worked as a self-employed construction contractor and safety and industrial relations consultant.
He has been advisor to the Australian Workers Union and the Victorian Building Industry Board and was president of the Ballarat Trades and Labour Council.
The mayor has also held a role with the inaugural steering committee of National Women in Construction, was the secretary of the Building Workers Industrial Union and has served as a board member and director on company and industry boards and the Homeless Building Trust.
Cr Henderson was born and raised on the Creswick Goldfields and has already served as mayor from 2013 to 2014 and again in 2018 to 2019, and deputy mayor from 2012 to 2013.
Councillor Lesley Hewitt, elected as deputy mayor, also for a one-year term, is a retired social worker who has worked in sexual assault and child protection frontline services and policy development.
Cr Hewitt was Hepburn Shire Council mayor from 2020 to 2021 and deputy mayor from November 2022 to November 2023.
“I look forward to supporting Cr Don Henderson in the mayoral role and continuing to support the community in our new unsubdivided council structure,” Cr Hewitt said,
Hepburn Shire CEO Bradley Thomas said councillors Henderson and Hewitt brought experience and leadership to the roles and he looked forward to working closely with them "as we move forward with some key projects, including the development of an updated community vision and council plan”.
The AIDS Memorial Tree at Chatfield Reserve on the banks of Lake Daylesford will be recognised with a plaque marking its significance to the LGBTIQA+ community.
Mayor Cr Don Henderson said that research confirmed some of the tree’s history and its importance as a symbol in community-led memorial events during the AIDS pandemic of the 1990s.
“The tree represents a memorial to a significant period in local and Australian history and has strong local connections because of the high population of LGBTIQA+ people in the Daylesford area and around our shire.
“We know there have been candlelight vigils at the tree on at least three World AIDS Days to honour those who died of AIDS-related illnesses and to acknowledge the volunteers who cared for people living with HIV/AIDS,” said Cr Henderson.
The original memorial tree was planted in the 1990s by community members and has since been replaced.
Council’s LGBTIQA+ Advisory Committee has identified three existing symbols of Pride in Hepburn Shire – the Big Rainbow, the AIDS Memorial Tree at Chatfield Reserve (Lake Daylesford) and the Grove of Gratitude at Wombat Flat (Lake Daylesford).
A community walk will commemorate World AIDS Day at the Grove of Gratitude - south end of Lake Daylesford on Sunday, December 1 at 6pm. The walk will end at the AIDS Memorial Tree site at Chatfield Reserve.
Bronwyn
Dr Ashvin Dr Loshna
Image: Hepburn Shire Council
From left, Meredith Johnson and Jacqui Walter (ChillOut), Tonye Segbedzi (Sunbury Cobaw Health), Shire CEO Bradley Thomas, Mayor Cr Don Henderson and Belinda Brian (LGBTIQA+ Advisory Committee)
The Victorian Government is supporting families with the School Saving Bonus! $400 is available per child - you can use it on uniforms, textbooks and school activities. You choose!
Plenty of heavy lifting for this gathering
Mel Gibson is “to blame” for inciting a teenage Langley Rowbottom to play the bagpipes.
Fast forward a few years on from those teenage days and today Langley is pipe major with Daylesford and District Pipes and Drums.
Right now he's among the many looking forward to being in the thick of the Celtic atmosphere at this Saturday’s Highland Gathering on December 7.
Quizzed as to what prompted him to take up the pipes, Langley recounts how, as a teenager, he switched from playing clarinet to the pipes after catching Mel in Braveheart
Clearly something clicked. It may have been that certain percentage of Celtic blood coursing through the veins. “They’re a commanding instrument,” Langley says of the pipes.
The Daylesford and District Pipes and Drums will be part of the 9.20am morning parade involving some 250 bagpipes and drums marching down Vincent Street.
The focus then switches to Victoria Park where this year’s gathering will feature the much anticipated return of the Highland Heavy Games after an absence of almost three decades.
Once at Victoria Park, the bands' competition gets going from 11am, and Langley says Daylesford and District Pipes and Drums will play as part of the official opening ceremony at 1pm.
“I’m just looking forward to having a great day. It’s a really good community thing, catching up with other people who you might not have seen since the last event. We will also be playing as part of the massed bands performance in the closing ceremony.”
Highland dogs, Highland cattle, state championship Highland dance, clan tartan and kilts, foods and bevvies and plenty of Celtic heritage stalls and vendors promise to make the day an atmosphere-soaked way to reconnect with both personal and regional links to Scots heritage.
“We really want people to come up to Victoria Park and see all the action there as well as just watching the street march,” committee president Chris Sinclair says.
“For the first time in nearly 30 years we are so excited to announce the return of the Highland Heavy Games.”
After a two-year Covid hiatus, Chris says the committee today remains extremely keen to maintain the momentum to reinvigorate the Daylesford Gathering which dates back to 1952.
The return of the Highland Heavy Games competition including caber tossing, hammer throw, weight over bar and stone puts, is part of that push.
In fact, it will feature one of the biggest lineups of Heavy Games athletes ever fielded including open men’s and open women’s division events peppered with some very impressive world record holders.
And it won’t all just be about the kilts, cabers and haggis pie - although apparently they’ll be on offer too. There’ll also be some very lovely lassies milling about as Hi Paws Dog Training of Pipers Creek, who will be bringing a group of beautiful rough collie dogs (as in Lassie Come Home) and border terrier friends, to go on show at 11.30am and 2pm.
Suffice to say, the gathering is dog friendly (on lead only) with the committee encouraging guests to bring along their Scottish breed pooches.
“We’ve had some cuties attend in the past, dressed in kilts and tartan, so don’t hold back,” Chris says.
“I’ve been going to the gathering since 1975 when I was a teenager and played bagpipes in a band and the numbers back then were probably around the 3000 mark.”
The aim is to see those sorts of numbers through the gate once more, and with widespread appreciation of Celtic heritage enjoying a strong resurgence that goal is looking more than a wee dram achievable.
Entry is $15 for adults and free for kids 16 and under.
Link: www.daylesfordhighland.com
Words & image: Eve Lamb
Above, Pipe Major Langley Rowbottom of Daylesford and District Pipes and Drums practises for this Saturday’s Daylesford Highland Gathering and Heavy Games
Just briefly...
Telstra will upgrade its Glenlyon mobile base station to bring 5G coverage to the area.
Mobile services in the area will be temporarily affected while the upgrade works are underway. The site will be switched off from Monday, December 2 to Friday, December 6 with some disruptions on Monday, December 9 and Tuesday, December 10 as call testing and integration of the network is tested. There will be no disruptions during the weekend.
The Creswick Theatre Company has extended - until April in the new year - its current fundraiser selling path pavers engraved with individual or business names.
The pavers will ultimately be used to pave a path leading to a new all-abilities ramp so all can readily access the Creswick Courthouse Theatre front entrance. The pavers cost $50 for individuals or $75 for businesses and they can be obtained online at events.humanitix.com/bricks and engraved with people's own names or in honour of someone they choose.
Newstead Live will present a special event featuring two Tibetan performers, Tenzin Choegyal (Australia) and Tenzin Kunsang (Japan) this month.
They come together to present Whispering Sky, an evening of music and dance that transcends cultural boundaries and conjures up images of Tibet’s high plains and mountain peaks. Two events, a dance workshop and the concert, will be held at the Newstead Community Centre on Thursday, December 12. Contact: 0428 942 095. The Tibetan Dance Workshop will be held from 3pm to 4pm. The Tibetan Concert will be held from 7am to 8.30pm. Bookings: www.trybooking.com/ CXAWS
Hepburn Shire Council has opened the 60-kilometre mountain bike trail network, Djuwang Baring (Creswick Trails), at the Hammon Park trailhead in Creswick.
Mayor Cr Don Henderson said the event was a festive culmination of years of hard work from multiple stakeholders, and years of advocacy by the community and the council. “We know that the community was very much looking forward to this and we are proud of what we have been able to achieve with a diverse range of stakeholders.” Despite the weather, there was an impressive turn out at the opening on November 30, many who made the trek from Melbourne and beyond. The trail network was designed for a wide range of abilities and skill levels and works to build a healthy, connected community, Cr Henderson said
Cafs (Child & Family Services, Ballarat) has been named on the Diversity Council Australia annual list of Inclusive Employers for 2024-2025. The Inclusive Employer Index is an annual survey developed by DCA in partnership with Diversity Atlas to measure employee diversity and inclusion experiences in the workplace. To be named on the Inclusive Employers list, organisations must exceed the National Index Benchmark across at least five out six of key areas: awareness, engagement, inclusive organisational climate, inclusive leadership, inclusive team and exclusion.
Some things are just too hard to find words for. Too raw to be exposed. Too difficult to unpack.
Featuring new work by five Central Victorian artists, the UNFATHOMABLE exhibition at Lot 19 Art Gallery in Castlemaine takes that which is hard to explain and transforms it into challenging, beautiful, messy, and inspiring artworks - how we talk about the things that are unfathomable. Minna Graham from Musk, Jackie Gorring from Allendale, Ella Hughes from Guildford, Chandra Paul from Clunes and Dannielle Wilkinson from Castlemaine, have works on display. Opening on December 7 at 2pm then open Saturdays and Sundays, December 7 to 22 from 10am to 4pm.
The Hepburn Shire Council has received a $92,949 Circular Economy Organics Council Fund grant from the state government.
The state government has awarded the grant, through Sustainability Victoria, to the council's Optimising Compost Quality for Beneficial Application project. Council’s CEO Bradley Thomas said the project would enable the council to carry out a scientifically rigorous study of soil and tree health after applying compost generated from its organics collection to a range of council-managed parks and open spaces.
Praise for The Local
I picked up a copy of The Local yesterday and just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your column (Kyle's Rant) and the paper in general. I always wondered what happened to cruise ships during Covid and now I know. Thanks again. I'll look out for the next edition.
- David Hewitt, Bendigo
I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed reading the articles about Richard 'Tommy' Campion and Richard Herr, aka Ritchie Rich, that you recently published in the November 18 edition. Their stories were both inspiring and thought-provoking, and I truly appreciate the opportunity to learn more about the incredible members of our community. Another reason why I love The Local
- Leonie Keynes, Daylesford
Your queries...
An interested local has been wondering what these are/mean? Wonderful attention to detail. Any ideas? Email news@tlnews.com.au
Five years on and still no Wombat
bill
Wombat Forestcare convenor Gayle Osborne says the community is angered by the failure of the State Government to introduce the bill to create the new Wombat-Lerderderg National Park as promised.
Ms Osborne, pictured inset, said members and supporters of Wombat Forestcare had been assured in letters from the Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos and Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas that the bill to create the Wombat-Lerderderg and Mount Buangor National Parks would be introduced to the Victorian Parliament this year.
"However, Thursday was the last sitting day for the year and the government failed to present the bill. We are devastated that the parks have not been legislated as promised. The promised national park would have conserved 24,000 hectares of the Wombat Forest for its amazing animals, plants and fungi and for future generations to enjoy. National Parks are the cornerstone of species conservation in Australia and are greatly enjoyed by the general public as places to visit and engage with nature.
"The Wombat Forest provides habitat for so many wonderful creatures including the magnificent greater glider. The forest is also home to the critically endangered wombat leafless bossiaea. There are only five known plants in the wild and they are all in the Wombat Forest.
"Powerful owls, listed as vulnerable, successfully breed in the Wombat Forest. This is a great indicator of forest health as the owls need a steady supply of food such as ringtail possums to sustain themselves and their chicks. It is incumbent on the state government to ensure that these and other threatened species are not reduced in numbers in our region."
Ms Osborne said it was over five years since the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council released its Central West Investigation report and more than three since the government promised to create three new national parks. The delay in protecting these environmentally important forests is inexplicable, she said.
A state government spokesperson said legislation to create the first two national parks, Wombat-Lerderderg National Park and Mount Buangor National Park, was expected to be introduced to Parliament in early 2025.
"Existing recreational activities will be able to continue in the new national parksincluding hunting, camping, walking dogs, hiking, bush walking, four-wheel driving, BMX and more.
VIC STATE ROOFING
Metal Roof Specialist
"We want as many Victorians as possible to enjoy the great outdoors with access to a wide range of recreational opportunities, while also making sure we protect what we all love about the bush."
Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Sandy Scheltema
A helping hand for Balinese mums & bubs
Hepburn Shire Council election Declaration of results
The following candidates were elected to Hepburn Shire Council at the general election held in October 2024:
HENDERSON, Don (1st elected)
HOOD, Brian (2nd elected)
HEWITT, Lesley (3rd elected)
CLARK, Tony (4th elected)
DRYLIE, Tim (5th elected)
HOCKEY, Pat (6th elected)
CORNISH, Shirley (7th elected)
News of whether the Bali Nine drug smugglers would be brought home to Australia seized the headlines. Here in Daylesford, however, a harsh side to Bali was revealed to Daylesford Rotarians.
Single pregnant women in Balinese society are shunned due to strict religious beliefs and they may be thrown out of their village. Before CCTV removed anonymity, they would often leave their babies outside hospitals or police stations but now they abandon them in rice paddies where they may die.
This picture of life behind the happy-go-lucky world seen by Australian tourists was explained by Karen Sims, who for nine years has spent half her time in Bali helping these women when not running a communications company in Melbourne.
A local, Yulia Sukanta, stepped in to help and started a Mother and Baby House. From then, says Karen, “it just grew”. A small house became bigger.
Soon the main house held 18 mothers, including a 12-year-old, a 15-year-old and two aged 17. A 14-year-old had a second child.
Last year a 17-year-old girl was not allowed to finish school because she was pregnant. Pleas to the school were futile. The father of her child is a repeat offender.
“The mothers can’t work, and their kids can’t go to school because they don’t have a birth certificate,” says Karen.
Karen says they keep in touch with the 58 mothers they have helped, including trekking into the mountains to see them.
Some of the babies have been fostered or adopted, which is difficult. Also, there is a stigma attached to babies of a different colour. “There is zero government help and, as for the rest, the (Balinese) rich are staying rich and the healthy are staying healthy.
“Bali is no longer cheap. There are a few wealthy expats and selffunded retirees.
“All this could be changed,” says Karen,” if the men would just wear a bloody condom. The girls are sensible, although many didn’t know about condoms.
“Young men say, 'My dad says I’m not a man if I wear a condom'. Others are too embarrassed to buy them.” Add to this the diseases passed between men and sex workers, which the men pass on to their wives or girlfriends.
As if all this were not bad enough there is a high level of domestic violence. “We go to villages to talk about the bashing of women.” Again, this can be difficult to reverse.
Keeping the project going is always hard, she says. “We’re down to the wire financially…we’re always scraping by.”
Backing her is Daylesford born-and-bred Glenda Rozen, who regularly takes infant formula powder to Bali and is involved in fundraising with Australian expatriates in the Bali International Women’s Association. Glenda, pictured, returns to Bali after Christmas. Daylesford Rotarians have also come on board and raised $2500 for the project.
Link: www.balimotherandbabyhouse.org
A Fromage & Fundraise will be held at Gloria's Wine Bar, Camberwell on December 8 from 2.30pm.
Words: Kevin Childs | Image:: Supplied
“The mothers can’t work, and their kids can’t go to school because they don’t have a birth certificate.”
Hepburn Shire's councillors 2024-2028
Mayor Cr Don Henderson
I ran for council because the task of bringing communities together now there are no wards will require experience and understanding.
The human touch is required so that our shire can move forward. Our small towns and settlements need to be taken into account along with our rural ratepayers and residents.
The daunting task of repairing and stabilising our financial position will be a challenge as well. I hope to be part of a lean, efficient council that is able to respond to the needs of our community.
Steady work to improve our roads and drainage and meet our obligations to reduce waste with the least impact upon us all will be a priority.
Clean-maintained towns with happy people are the best way to attract tourists so that's something to strive for to keep our businesses viable and growing.
Cr Brian Hood
I sought re-election to council largely through the motivation “unfinished business” presents.
I am honoured to again have the opportunity to represent not only residents at the eastern end of the shire but all residents shire-wide. Over the past four years, and especially the last two as mayor, I have built working relationships with many people and organisations across the shire. I want to leverage off that and utilise my own skills and experience to work for the benefit of our various communities.
Pleasingly my vote was up 54 per cent on the 2020 election and I was one of only two councillors to secure a quota on first preferences. I greatly appreciate the support of the community and will continue to work and advocate on your behalf as best I can.
The two key components of “unfinished business” are to stabilise council’s financial outlook and to progress the town structure plans. For as long as it takes into this new term I want to focus on those two major challenges.
The priority task in the first half of 2025 will be to develop an affordable council plan that clearly identifies strategic priorities and addresses the projected $4m p.a. cash shortfall. To develop such a plan will call for strong strategic decisions and effective consultation with our communities. Out of necessity the new plan must see a return to council’s basic functions.
Similarly the town structure plans adopted in September must be progressed if we are to establish planning regulations that faithfully reflect our communities’ aspirations and values and protect the character and amenity of our towns. This work too will call for effective consultation.
I look forward to achieving these goals through the new term of council.
In the absence of wards under the new structure, the challenge for all councillors is to consider the interests of the whole community across the shire.
I am very much engaged in the challenge this poses and more broadly the implications for the high esteem with which we cherish living in a democracy.
An important motivator for me personally is to contribute to cohesion and support financially sound decision making in these challenging times.
I felt well equipped to stand because a lifetime of engagement with community groups, across a wide spectrum of interest areas, has equipped me with the requisite skills to serve the community in a governance role.
Likewise, my recent experience in local business has provided valuable insights into shouldering the economic challenges we all face.
The first weeks of induction have confirmed for me that the role of councillor entails a prodigious amount of work and contact time. I love a chat and am looking forward to meeting the many diverse groups in the shire over the course of my term in the role.
Deputy Mayor Cr Lesley Hewitt
Having been elected in 2020 to represent Birch Ward I was privileged to be re-elected in 2024, now to be a councillor representing the whole shire with the new unsubdivided structure.
There are four returning councillors and three newly elected councillors. This provides a mixture of experience and renewal which I am confident will be able to address the challenges ahead. Key amongst these challenges is to ensure financial sustainability so that council can undertake the actions that arise from the strategy work done during the last term.
“Back to basics” is often stated as the aim when finances are constrained. That means asset management that includes roads, footpaths, drainage and so on, but also includes planning for asset renewal including, for example, our ageing swimming pools.
A priority is to complete the work on the Rural Settlement Structure Plan and the four town structure plans so that work can be adopted into planning controls. Cost of living is having an impact on us all, including our small businesses.
This has an ever-widening impact on the community and council has an important role in supporting economic development including though events, visitor economy support, and efficient regulatory processes.
The Daylesford Community Facilities/Town Hall Project has started and is at a preliminary design stage with the Community Project Advisory Group. The process has started and needs to be continued. These are all big issues that started in the last term of council and will continue in this term along with the business as usual activities council undertakes.
Cr Shirley Cornish
My interest in local government spans approximately 20 years with 11 years as a councillor and a mayor for one year.
I bring with me experience and an understanding of the process and protocol that forms the basis of how council functions. I believe I can contribute to our community and aim to work with councillors ,office staff and our residents to advance and provide fair and professional representation.
I aim to include and work with all towns large and small. It is important to consider how issues and decisions affect all of us municipal wide keeping in mind that we as a council make decisions inclusively.
There is a lot of work to be done and improvements made, plans progressed and new ideas explored. At the forefront is a good look at how we can improve the garbage collection, I hear the residents and concerns raised and as a council we need to change how things are done, the current system is not working. I aim to work on opportunities to raise revenue other that rates and to improve our roads and drainage.
Good responsible governance and careful decision making would improve our financial position and we have a lot of hard work ahead to bring us back on track and able to provide the service level that our people enjoy and deserve.
The Local asked Hepburn Shire's seven councillors (on Thursday with a Saturday noon deadline) for 200 words about their reason for standing and their hopes for the future. Councillors Tim Drylie and Tony Clark did not reply to the email.
Earlier this year, the Minister for Local Government announced a new electoral structure for Hepburn Shire.
The change moves the shire from five wards with seven councillors, to no wards with seven councillors. Voters in the October election were able to vote for any candidate, regardless of where they or the candidate lived in the municipality.
The former wards were Birch (two councillors), Creswick (two councillors), Cameron, Holcombe and Coliban. Images: Hepburn Shire Council
*What do you think about the new council structure? Will it work? Email news@tlnews.com.au
Cr Pat Hockey
Place your Christmas/New Year greeting to your clients here.
(Just $55 for this size...)
Now that's a silly price.
Council news
Council
NEW MAYOR AND DEPUTY MAYOR
Congratulations to Cr Don Henderson for being elected Mayor and Cr Lesley Hewitt Deputy Mayor for the first year of the new Council term. The election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor took place at a Statutory Meeting of Council. We wish Cr Henderson and Cr Hewitt well in their new roles.
“Cr Don Henderson and Cr Lesley Hewitt bring experience and leadership to the roles and I look forward to working closely with them as we move forward with some key projects, including the development of an updated community vision and Council Plan. I would like to acknowledge Cr Brian Hood for his work and dedication as Mayor over the last two years of the previous Council term,” said Hepburn Shire Council CEO Bradley Thomas. Over the next couple of months, Councillors will be taken through the induction program.
16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM
We’re proud to be participating in this year’s 16 Days of Activism campaign against gender-based violence. The campaign runs from 25 November to 10 December and is about encouraging all Victorians to work together to prevent violence against women.
Council will be marking this important campaign with activities and resources in our libraries (craft activity and we also purchased 21 books from the recommendations of 16 Days of Activism), a social media campaign and adding magnets to Council vehicles.
GLENLYON PAVILION REDEVELOPMENT
Here’s an opportunity to be involved in the Glenlyon Recreation Reserve Pavilion Redevelopment Project Advisory Group (PAG).
We are seeking a diverse mix of the Glenlyon community to form a PAG that will work with Council to:
• Consult on the future of the existing pavilion
• Advise on whether to progress with a new pavilion, other facility options, and at which locations.
The PAG Expression of Interest nomination process is available at https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/glenlyon-recreation-reservepavilion-redevelopment
Enquiries: Contact the team at sportrecreation@hepburn.vic.gov.au
DAYLESFORD TOWN HALL WORKS
Restoration works at the iconic Daylesford Town Hall are set to begin in the coming weeks. Since the building’s closure in September, significant preparation work has been underway. Electrical systems were isolated to ensure safety, allowing specialist roof cleaners to remove years of accumulated debris and dust from the roof cavity. This essential clean-up has provided safe access for the builder and tradespeople to prepare for the next stage of the project.
To ensure the safety of builders and pedestrians, scaffolding will be erected along 76 Vincent Street and around the stage tower at the rear of the site. This stage of works is expected to be completed by July 2025.
EAT | DRINK | ENJOY
Newstead Artist Market @ the Hub
Win for DJAARA
DJAARA, the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, is the representative body for Dja Dja Wurrung People – the traditional custodians of Central Victoria.
The corporation is a multi-million-dollar organisation that includes three enterprises: DJANDAK (natural resource management and design), DUMAWUL (creative arts and cultural tourism) and DJAKITJ (bush foods).
Above, DJAARA Group CEO Rodney Carter and creative director Mariaa Randall
The Newstead Artist Market @ the Hub will be held on Sunday, December 1 from 10am to 3pm.
The market offers up paintings, prints, ceramics, tableware, tote bags, stickers, sculptures, handcrafted jewellery, handdyed yarn, resin cicadas, wearable repurposed steam-punk art, photography, cards, homewares, gothic birdhouses, 100 per cent handwoven soft toys, traditional corn dollies, handsewn artist aprons and more.
Wander through the buildings and grounds of the Newstead Arts Hub and enjoy plenty of food and drink.
Find unique and beautiful pieces and get all your silly season shopping sorted, while supporting local artists and artisans.
Newstead Arts Hub is a community/artist-run creative space. It is committed to creating opportunities for the community to enjoy, share and get hands on creatively.
The arts hub is also about supporting local artists like painter, Emily Raubenheimer aka The Colour Keeper, pictured, who turns her paintings into cards, prints and homewares.
DJAARA is Telstra’s Business of the Year, and winner of the Indigenous Excellence category at the Telstra Best of Business Awards.
A magical movie night
Daylesford Cinema Group is holding a fundraising Christmas movie event at the Stanbridge Hall on Daylesford's Central Springs Road this Friday evening, December 6.
The group will be screening family-friendly film Miracle on 34th Street with money raised going toward efforts to resurrect the town's cinema as Phoenix Cinema@The Rex.
Doors will open at 6pm and Santa will make a grand entrance around 8pm with lucky dip bags for children and an opportunity for photos.
The community's previous cinema had served as a cultural hub before its closure, offering films and events that brought together both locals and visitors.
Now, after years of uncertainty following the sale of The Rex, a plan has emerged to re-establish the cinema as a community-run venture in the original home of the cinema in Daylesford, the Rex building.
The group aims to fit out the existing upper floor of The Rex into a modern, 60-70-seat cinema with a café and bar.
But they say that the planned renovation will remain true to the art deco style of the original structure.
The group also plans to add an imposing street entrance complete with attractive lighting and signage that will invite both locals and visitors to experience the venue.
They're calling for donations to assist in fitting out the cinema space and to support its ongoing operation.
The group has applied for a Victorian Tourism Infrastructure Grant and will also seek additional corporate funding.
Donations via www.gofundme.com/f/phoenix-at-the-rex-a-communitycinema-revival
For information, or to offer support, contact group president Jules McDonald on 0400 455 993 or julesmcd11@gmail.com
Words: Eve Lamb
CLUNES FARMERS & MAKERS MARKET
2nd SUNDAY OF THE MONTH 9AM- 2PM, FRASER STREET CLUNES
Next Market: December 8th
Conversations with Criss
Still-life artist Criss Canning, above, will be in conversation with Clunes creative Rebecca Russell, right, as part of Clunes' Booktown on Sunday series.
The Booktown on Sunday series features writers and creatives in conversation in an intimate setting, providing audiences with rare insights into their work and oeuvre.
The upcoming session will take place on Sunday, December 8 at 1.30pm at the town's historic Clunes Railway Station Booktown venue affording a rare chance to hear Canning discuss her new book, The Paintings of Criss Canning: The House and Gardens at Lambley
For 35 years, Criss and her husband, garden designer David Glenn, have lived at Burnside, the 1860s farmhouse with the adjoining famed gardens of Lambley, a nursery at Ascot, between Clunes and Ballarat.
Criss is one of Australia’s finest and most celebrated still-life artists. She has explored flowers, textiles and decorative objects in her paintings over five decades.
Her husband’s great love of gardens has offered Canning visual inspiration at every turn. She paints the poppies, irises and sunflowers that grow in the garden at Lambley and explores Australian native plants, especially the banksia, in all its forms.
Criss is also a keen collector of jewel-toned glassware, vases, tea sets and vintage kimonos. Her new 320-page book, published in Australia in October, is a fully illustrated monograph on her life and art.
With newly commissioned photography, and essays by Georgina Reid, Jenny Zimmer, Julie McLaren and Criss herself, the book strives to capture the garden, the studio, the house and the collections that are the basis of Criss's paintings.
Email: marketsocials@clunesvic org au Christmas is Coming and so is Santa!
In an attempt to see what the artist sees, photographer Eve Wilson photographed the house and garden that make up Criss's world, showing just how closely art can imitate life.
Entry to the session is free with bookings at www.linktr.ee/clunesbooktownfestival
Words: Eve Lamb | Images: Supplied
Donna's travel memories
"Travelling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller." -
Ibn Battuta
This is very true of our recent trip to America and Central America. There were many moments where we were speechless but we now have many tales to tell.
Our trip started in Australia, read about almost not going thanks to a small mistake, on page 27, but then we were off.
First to New Zealand and then Los Angeles where we boarded the good ship Norwegian Jewel for many amazing ports.
First up was San Diego followed by Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia and the Cayman Islands.
Every stop was an eye-opener and to be truthful what really stood out to me was the abject poverty of Central America and then the juxtaposition of us stepping back onto a cruise ship with hot and cold running everything.
While the residents of Central America lead their lives with below poverty line wages, lack of fundamental basics, some living in cardboard shacks, others wheeling people with disabilities hoping to be handed a few American bucks, we and other passengers had all we could want.
So much food that a lot was just thrown out, bottles of drinking water, sparkling pools for a casual dip, a river of alcohol coming out of the myriad bars, music to dance the night away and staff, also mostly from the poorer countries of the world, ready to clean our rooms and wish us Good Morning, Good Day and Good Night.
Don't get me wrong, I love cruising, but I don't like myself for loving it so much. Yes, you can tip people and hand over a few dollars here and there, but you won't make a difference in anyone's life. And that is just the truth.
So is travel a good thing. I guess it allows you to look into the real world, if you take the time, and we had some great conversations with people around the region.
We do try and take the time to find locals to chat with and support their enterprises, not just end up where the tourists are taken to be shaken down with what I imagine are some hefty kickbacks.
So, just a few of our conversations.
We chatted to one female bartender in Guatemala who told us honestly, despite our tour guide saying they had the most temperate weather in Central America, with a steady 25 degrees Celsius, that "summer is hell".
The bloke who picked us up to take us to our rental car in the Cayman Islands said global warming was destroying his country along with the overdevelopment of the region. "We used to have lots of bush and forest and now we just have buildings. We will lose even more soon."
A waiter on the ship said as we went through the Panama Canal it was great they had been able to retain plenty of trees and greenery despite flooding the area. It was also good to be able to provide plenty of employment opportunities, he said.
A woman employee on the ship, who greeted us most mornings at the restaurant, admired Kyle's white summery shirt. Kyle decided to make it a gift and asked if she had a husband. Yes, she said, but her sister was free if needed. Hmmm. She then told Kyle she would not give it to her husband but instead wear it to bed and think of us. Again, hmmm.
Another female staffer told us we were working too much, on day two of trying to get The Local uploaded from a table in her restaurant, and that we needed to "close the office". She then gave us beer and wine to keep us fortified.
Finally, a bartender in Tampa, Florida, said if you got angry if you didn't get a tip, then you were in the wrong game.
"I could say anything to rub a customer the wrong way, and not even know it, or they could be having a bad day, or maybe I said something to someone else they didn't like. You just have to take the day as it comes. Tips are great but we can't bank on them."
It's an interesting world out there, and great to visit, but I also do like coming home - to what I believe is the best country in the world.
Tall, and short, travel
travel tales to tell
Kyle's travel memories
"Let's wander where the wifi is weak." - Unknown
"Yeah, nah. That's a great idea unless you have a business to run and quite a lot of MBs to upload." - Kyle Barnes
It is day 13 of a 17-day cruise aboard the Norwegian Jewel, a cruise liner on the Pacific side of Central America with around 2000 guests and 1000 crew, a cruise by most standards considered long.
Ask most of the passengers what the highlight of the trip will be and the answer is overwhelmingly our transiting of the Panama Canal - and the day had finally arrived.
Despite the partying of the previous 13 nights many were on deck around 5.30am to soak up as much of this incredible "bucket list" day as possible.
A line of ships as far as you could see dotted the horizon, all waiting for their turn to cross the canal, and I was told that the same was true on the Atlantic side.
A few fun facts
The Panama Canal is an artificial 82-kilometre waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean, cutting across Panama, and is a conduit for maritime trade. It saves around 8000 nautical miles point to point, plus the rigours of the ocean around Cape Horn, which has laid rest to many a ship.
The French began construction in 1881, but the project failed by 1890. The project was plagued by disease, floods, mudslides, and financial and engineering problems. The French lost an estimated 22,000 people and sold the unfinished project to the USA, which decided after a couple of years on the project to rethink things.
The canal was meant to be a sea level project ocean to ocean, but the engineers decided to only dig out the ends and use what was already there - a system of great lakes in the Highlands.
So, the problem became more about how to get the ships up into the lakes from the Pacific side and mark out and create navigable channels within the lakes. And then get the ships back down to sea level on the Atlantic side and back out to sea.
Most impressively for mine is the simplicity of the locks, pumps and machinery, which was a big consideration in this area where sabotage and tribal wars were a regular part of what went on.
And the magical thing is no pumps are used here - the entire operation of equalising the water levels between the locking chambers depends on the principles of gravity to move the water and on the fact that water seeks its own level.
Back to the Jewel
Our ship is tugged along the lock using locomotives. Tied into place, the lock door behind our vessel is sealed and the lake water spills in using underground tunnels beneath the ship and up we go.
We exit the lock and sail for another hour or so, repeat the steps in the next lock and up we go again. A total lift of 26 metres hauling our 294 metre/93,558 gross tonnage, using nothing more than the theory of the natural state of water and a 25-horsepower engine to open the lock gates – brilliant.
It was seriously a boater's wet dream of close quarters ship manoeuvring, tug boats and also when our giant ship leant into the corners of the channel. I later found out they disengage the stabilisers to make her more manoeuvrable and by its very nature more tender. We arrive at the last two locks to repeat the process and down we go.
In summary, if you get your kicks from engineering, find yourself drawn to the “mighty machinery” channels on TV or simply like to boat through one of nature's true wonders of the world, while in a multi-restaurant five star hotel, a trip down the Panama Canal is certainly one worth putting down on your bucket list.
But maybe, if you are a publisher, check the wifi...
Images: Kyle Barnes & Donna Kelly
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.
There's gold in them thar hills
Over the past decade there has been an average of 8000 Miner's Right licences sold in Victoria each year.
This licence, obtained from Resources Victoria costs $28 and allows you to remove and keep minerals discovered on Crown Land or private (with permission).
Many of those licence holders are going out looking for gold armed with sophisticated metal detectors worth up to $9000, picking over old diggings such as those across the Hepburn Shire.
It is a highly popular pastime no doubt but local detectorist Glenn Conroy remembers the days when he was one of only a handful of prospectors in the Wombat Forest combing over mining sites virtually untouched since they were abandoned a century before.
“I used to go digging around old houses and huts looking for bottles,” says Glenn, “and when the metal detectors started to be advertised in some of the bottle magazines I got interested and bought one.
“I started detecting in the remains of stone huts from the gold rush era between Musk Vale and Eganstown.”
Glenn was keen on chasing gold and was already familiar with dishing and using sluice boxes, common methods of alluvial (surface) prospectors in the 1800s.
He began talking to a few local blokes who were starting to do gold detecting who said the best way to cut your teeth was to go into those areas that had already been worked.
“So I went again and within minutes the very first bit of gold I found was 2 3/4 ounces (85g). That got me going. I got my picture in papers and since then I had a variety of detectors over the years and I'd say since then I’ve probably found about 220 ounces (6.2 kilos).”
Glenn has worked his whole life as a harness racing trainer and driver, starting with his parents Bob and Pat and continuing today in partnership with his sister Anne-Maree.
A Voucher is the Perfect Gift For Someone Special For All Occasions
In his early 20s detecting was a casual thing, something to do on a Saturday afternoon after work. But a few short years later he was married with two daughters and gradually his hobby became a means to support his growing family
“We were not particularly well off and so my wife Tracy would often say to me, there is ‘x’ amount of bills on the fridge, go and see what you can do.
“I used to like the fact that not only was I enjoying myself when I was detecting out in the bush but I was helping the family along. We were paying off our house as well as braces for my youngest daughter's teeth when she was a teenager. It was a great way to earn money and have fun at the same time.”
In the late 1970s when Glenn began his goldfossicking career, the many mining sites around the area had hardly been touched since being abandoned a century before.
Besides gold, he has dug up all sorts of historical relics from English and Chinese coins, trade tokens (issued by local stores) to opium tins, digging tools, buttons and belt buckles. While he gave some to friends and family, he still has quite a collection of objects that stand as a testament to his time spent in the bush; a combination of perseverance, luck and knowledge
“I’ve seen a lot of blokes start and chuck it in and it would have been easy for me to do the same at the start. I wasn’t an instant success by any means and when I look back now I realise how little I knew about where the gold was and where it was likely to be found.
“But through trial and error, research and a keen interest in what other blokes were telling me you realise how it works. It’s like a magic trick.”
About five years ago his daughter Lyndal started an Instagram page for him. She would take photos of things Glenn found and post them. Then he teamed up with fellow detectorist Anthony Meryvale filming their prospecting adventures on a phone. This became a popular YouTube channel and today Victorian Gold Hunters has garnered more than a million views and 7000 subscribers.
“I like to think that Saturday afternoon is still my time. If I’m not racing on a Saturday night I go detecting. I leave the mobile phone in the car, go out into the bush and I’m my own man.”
Words & main image: Tony Sawrey Inset: Supplied
Daylesford Show celebrates 150 years
The 150th Daylesford and District Agricultural Show at the Daylesford Showgrounds in Victoria Park on November 23 proved to be the most successful for some years.
Advertising, sponsorships from local businesses, a very hardworking committee, a small army of teal clad volunteers and near perfect weather combined to make a great day for the big crowd of over 3250 who came through the gate.
The newly named David Yoxall Poultry Pavilion, the main pavilion, the Tom Ford Pavilion and the Rijk Zwaan Hall of Flowers were all buzzing with visitors and exhibitors on Saturday.
There was something for everyone with hours of horse events on the oval, the usual rides and carnival stalls and 27 local stalls, selling an impressive range, including local foods and beverages.
The shade sail area was used as a music venue for local singing and music groups under the direction of show society secretary Rosemary McLean.
The Hall of Flowers held the biggest flower show in Daylesford for 25 years with magnificent displays from Spring Park Nursery, The Friends of Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens and the Daylesford Horticultural Society.
On the main arena there were seven different horse rings operating along with showjumping. The premier showjumping award, the Catherine King Trophy, was won by Stuart Walker of Bacchus Marsh. RDA also had its biggest turnout in many years.
This show, the 150th held in 160 years, was one of the best and a tribute to all of the volunteers, helpers, competitors and officials taking part this year, along with everyone who has helped with the show over past years.
Words: Don Harvey | Images: Richard 'Tommy' Campion
Former Glenlyon Primary School.
- Approx. 4857m2 of land the pretty hamlet of Glenlyon
- Open plan kitchen, dining and living space
- The beautifully renovated school has five-metre-high ceilings
- All three buildings have operated as successful B'n'B rental properties
- Butler's pantry with endless storage possibilities
- Two separate garden studios, both with verandahs, bathrooms and kitchenettes
- Generous covered deck facing north perfect for entertaining - Frontage onto the beautiful, alternating oak and elm Avenue of Federation
- A short stroll to the Glenlyon General Store, the Glenlyon Dam and the Glenlyon Reserve
Music & gigs Mountain Day
The beautiful location of Lalgambuk (Mount Franklin) sets the scene for a special community celebration happening on Wednesday, December 11.
Hosted by DJAARA, the upcoming Caring for Country, Caring for People event celebrates International Mountain Day.
It’s free to attend, all are welcome (bookings required) and the program includes Indigenous smoking and welcome ceremonies along with storytelling and truthtelling around the campfire.
The event will be emceed by proud Dja Dja Wurrung man Caleb Dunolly-Lee who will share stories of the region and his connection to Lalgambuk.
The celebration will run from 9.30am-1pm and affords a chance to learn more about Dja Dja Wurrung culture, the vision of caring for Country and the importance of connecting with nature for the health and welbeing of all people.
Cultural activities to connect with Country include a nature walk, cultural workshops and mindfulness activities.
Bookings: www.djadjawurrung.com.au/IMD
Globally, International Mountain Day is celebrated annually on December 11 to enhance awareness of the importance of mountains to life and to build alliances for positive change benefiting mountain peoples and environments.
Mountains are home to 15 per cent of the world’s population and host nearly half of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.
In 2002, the UN General Assembly designated December 11 as International Mountain Day with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN coordinating the annual celebration world-wide.
Locally, and continuing the theme, Wednesday’s Caring for Country, Caring for People celebration will be closely followed by the launch of Six Peaks Speak: Unsettling legacies in southern Dja Dja Wurrung Country, the new book written by Federation University’s Professor Barry Golding, pictured.
The book launch happens 2pm on December 11 at the Castlemaine Visitor Information Centre.
The lead-up to International Mountain Day features a series of associated community events at which Professor Golding will speak.
A special coinciding program of walks is also being hosted by the Great Dividing Trail Association with registrations for the walks online through the GDTA website.
Walks:
Friday, December 6, 9.30am - Gurutjanga (Mt Kooroocheang) cultural landscapes tour & walk
Saturday, December 7, 9.30am - Liyanganyuk banyul (Mt Alexander) walk
Sunday, December 8, 9.30am - Dharrang Gauwa (Mt Tarrengower) walk
Monday, 9 December 9, 9.30am - Mt Greenock walk
Tuesday, December 10, 9.30am - Nyaninuk (Mount Beckworth) walk
Words & image: Eve Lamb
Gigs with Darren Lowe
Leavers, Creswick
Elly McK and the Unbelievers - Friday, December 6
The Royal High Jinx - Saturday, December 7
Ben Lee - Sunday, December 8
Theatre Royal Castlemaine
Andy Shauf - Friday, December 6
Hailed as a gifted storyteller, Shauf writes albums that ‘unfold like short fiction, full of colourful characters, fine details and a rich emotional depth’. His latest work reflects jazz influences and romantic ballads. Supported by Annie Rose Maloney of Castlemaine.
Thirsty Merc - Saturday, December 7
The Jungle Giants - Friday, December 13
New era at Her Majesty's Theatre
The stage is set for a new and more inclusive era for patrons and performers at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Ballarat.
Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison represented Minister for Regional Development Gayle Tierney at Resurgence, the City of Ballarat’s official reopening event held at the theatre.
This is just the beginning for the nearly 150-year-old theatre, with major acts Marcia Hines, Daryl Braithwaite, and the illusionist Consentino among the performances coming to the newly revamped theatre over the holiday period.
Her Majesty’s Theatre, or ‘Her Maj’ as it is known to locals, has undergone major upgrade works in recent years.
Her Maj, which is Australia’s oldest continually used performance space, has been transformed into a building that beautifully marries the old and the new. The venue honours the rich goldfields-era history of the theatre while offering a modern, accessible and fit-for-purpose space for artists and audiences.
A jewel in Ballarat’s artistic crown, the theatre is a key pillar of live entertainment in regional Victoria and one of the most significant 19th century theatres remaining in Australia.
The theatre receives $95,000 per annum via Creative Victoria’s Regional Partnerships Program to support the venue's programming. Ballarat City Council also receives funding through the program to support Art Gallery of Ballarat.
The reopened theatre will continue to support high quality arts and entertainment events, while ensuring that more people of all abilities have a chance to showcase their talents, tell their stories on the stage, and experience live entertainment.
Recent works, which supported 21 jobs during construction, have installed new lifts to support people of all abilities to access the stage and auditorium, improved fire safety standards in the building, and installed a new box office to make it easier than ever to purchase tickets and stay up to date with future performances and events.
Earlier upgrades included the installation of steel structural support beams and external brick works and were completed as part of the first two stages of the redevelopment. These works were supported by more than $5 million from the City of Ballarat and $2 million from Heritage Victoria.
Words: Donna Kelly
Salads in a jar - growing delicious, nutritious salad vegetables without the need to step out your back door.
It’s amazing it took so long for Western civilisation to catch on to one of the most nutritious, quickest growing and tastiest forms of fresh food that has been produced in the East for thousands of years.
From seed to ready-to-eat sprout takes only about four days and only a matter of a few minutes a day is needed to tend the ‘crops’.
From a food value point of view, seed sprouts provide large amounts of vitamins A, B and C. The nutrients in the seed multiply by something like 200 per cent when sprouting takes place. It is claimed that a half-cup of any form of edible seed sprouts will provide the same amount of vitamin C as six glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice.
The sprouts can be served cold in a salad, cooked with other foods such as vegetables, baked in bread and cakes, or roasted, ground and used as a base in various recipes.
Practically any food plant seed can be sprouted and eaten, but care must be taken to use only seeds that have not been chemically treated against pest and diseases. Healthfood shops supply untreated seeds and several of the major seed firms are now packaging sprouting seeds.
Among the most popularly grown sprouting seeds are lucerne, alfalfa, mung beans (the traditional Chinese restaurant ones), almonds, cabbage, barley, radish, lentils, chick peas, corn, cress, soybean and rice.
Growing sprouts is easy. Sow them at any time, regardless of the weather and they never need to be cultivated or weeded.
When it comes to sprouting containers there are many options available as well as the glass ones, specially designed for the purpose. I have found the best containers are those inexpensive, near indestructible plastic, seal-top freezer containers.
All that is needed is a lot of small holes punched in the lid for aeration and to aid in drainage. But make sure they are smaller than the seeds, to avoid losing them down the sink.
The mung beans can be a little tricky because they tend to sweat if they’re jammed too closely together. The best container for them is a draw-string topped muslin or some other porous, fabric bag.
Preparing the salad
You do not need to use many seeds at a time, a tablespoon will do, because seeds produce anything from four to 10 times their original volume.
Wash and soak the seeds in lukewarm water. Mostly, this will take an hour or so but some varieties need to be soaked overnight. Next, place them into the sprouting container and in a dark, warm spot.
The only treatment then is to fill the container with water, shake it up well and then drain the water away.
This must be done every morning and evening to freshen the seeds and keep them slightly moist. Most seeds will take between three to five days to mature. When this has happened wash the husks from the seeds and store them in a plastic bag until they are needed. The sprouts will usually last for up to a week if stored in this way.
My favourite way of eating the sprouts is to make them the feature of a salad, using plenty of oil, garlic and any other spicy salad vegetables.
Got a gardening query?Email glenzgarden@gmail.com
Daylesford Arts
Jennifer England started painting at the age of four and had her first solo exhibition at 17.
She earned a Diploma of Fine Arts in Sydney in 1992 and lived and worked there as an artist for many years, exhibiting her work extensively across the city.
Pausing her career for motherhood in 2009, she moved back to Coffs Harbour, her hometown, where she worked for headspace, a mental health foundation helping young people through life crises.
It was here she developed a passion for art as therapy and using that, was able to steer a course through her own life crisis.
Relocating to Glenlyon in 2018, and later Daylesford, she resumed painting and her colourful artworks have become well known on the local art scene.
Her oil-on-canvas piece titled Babooshka won the Still Life category in the 2024 Daylesford Rotary Art Show. “I love still life and I love the Renaissance painters and I just put my own whimsical twist on it.”
Jennifer’s work will be part of the upcoming Daylesford Arts pop-up at 94 Vincent Street, Daylesford from December 13 – 15.
Daylesford Arts is now having solo exhibitions for each of the artists at the Visitor Information Centre - currently on exhibition are works by Pam Gleeson.
RDA celebrates 30yrs
Daylesford Riding for Disabled celebrated 30 years of operation at Boomerang Ranch on November 29.
Current riders demonstrated their riding skills to over 60 former riders and volunteers, friends and family members and community supporters.
The centre was established in 1994 by Stephanie Ashley, the integration coordinator at Daylesford College and supported by Wendy Hogben and Chris Clare. Steve Clare was the foundation coach, retiring in 2014.
Daylesford RDA has always punched above its weight. A small centre, riders have been included on Victorian teams at RDA Australia national competitions, Special Olympics National Games and at the Hope Cup in Taiwan.
Daylesford RDA would not have continued without the support of the community including the Cook family, Rotary Daylesford, Glenlyon Sports Club, the Daylesford & District Community Bank, Murrell Osbourne from Glenlyon, U3A, Freemasons, Megan Evans from the Guildford Hotel, the Daylesford Foundation and many individuals.
President Pia Barber said the association was grateful for all its past and present members and supporters. "Without them all we would not be able to offer this unparalleled and vital service to our athletes and their families. I look forward to being part of the team that continues to provide this inclusive, wonderful program."
Kyle’s Rant
The trip's finale
We flew into LA a few weeks ago and my first thought was tipping the staff. This is a costly consideration considering the exchange rate and the 20 per cent of the bill expected. This is some weird business idea that just wouldn’t work in Australia because firstly our minimum wage for casual employees is $28 per hour and we tip if we are treated right or have had a good time with friends. But in the good old USA where the minimum wage is as low as $2.50 per hour and veteran barkeeps and cocktail shaker artists can expect the withering tops of $12 per hour, they need tips.
Another thing I don’t like about America is it’s full of Americans, who from my first impressions seem to be a bit piggish and selfish in their behaviours. I mean who blows their nose on a linen napkin at a restaurant? Well, it turns out a good portion do. They are also loud and they talk the talk in terms of Christian behaviour and ethics but it seems to me that they would rather walk over each other than walk the walk.
Things I like about America are limited but extend to their attitudes to dogs which can stay at hotels and fly with you. I also like the airplane seatbelts that could strap in an elephant and, even for me, leave an 18-inch tail after I am buckled in. Hotel rooms that you could swing half a dozen cats are great, and finally when the airplane docks, it isn’t a surprise to the groundcrew. A skybridge instantly appears and everyone gets off quick sticks.
Our trip through Central America came to a sad end when we found ourselves transferring through Auckland Airport and accidentally cut the queue. We and a couple of others had followed signs to the transfer which led to us blending into the queue. We were quickly told by an American to go to the back which by this time was about 200 deep. She proclaimed it wasn’t fair, my retort was “you are quite right, you have had your say and it’s now time to keep quiet, it was an accident”.
Most of these countries in CA are poor, dirt poor and that is evidenced by the dirt that makes up their floors, the lack of amenities and stuff like running water that we all take for granted. You won’t get to see that from a resort or a tour but deviate slightly from the promenades and boardwalks put there as welcome mats for the tourists, and you will get the picture. It doesn’t seem to matter where you go: Antigua, Costa Rica, Columbia or Panama, the story is the same, most of the folks out here are impoverished, living day-to-day. And it galvanises my opinion that Australia is certainly the land of milk and honey with social services that offer a safety net.
Finally, we have arrived home and it feels good. I am tired. Now I have been tired before, so tired as an 18-year-old deckhand after a gruelling 60 hours straight on the fish, steaming for an hour to pick up a longline set. It was summer in the far north of New Zealand, breeding time for the snappers and huge pay cheques for the fisherman, but you had to work long and hard. I was in wet-weather gear but it was wetter on the inside than the out due to the roughness of the sea. I lay on the deck, the lower half awash with the ocean, the upper half in the wheelhouse soaking up the heat from the engine until those dreaded words shattered my sleep “standby, standby” as we arrived at the fishing grounds.
But I can’t recall being so tired that while having a pee last night, leaning on a wall, I fell asleep midstream until one of my legs gave way and woke me up. Such is the tiredness I experienced after our whirlwind trip to Central America and back.
Travel rant over…
Kyle's travel memories pages 17
Local Lines
Going postal
What has become of careful posted words, words weighed and inked after pauses for thought? Now keyed remarks take off like Thunderbirds and sentences all land like a report. Paper words inscribed by pen take time. No hair trigger reaction is required. Tap the envelope - that is no crime. It’s up to you: read now or set aside. A time capsule waiting to be released the sealed letter stays tight within its folds until slit from its sheath, fingered, uncreased after which it’s all yours to have and to hold. Shake it out flat, your tactile missive of mail. Curl up and contemplate, applaud the snail.
- Bill Wootton
Bill still writes the odd letter and loves receiving them, even semi-old school emails.
Local Lines features poetry by locals about local and any other matters.
Please submit poems to Bill Wootton at cottlesbreedge@gmail.com
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G’day. My name’s Patch. I'm five and still waiting patiently to find my forever home. An active person or family who wants an outgoing and friendly companion is what I’m after. I have basic obedience and I’m very well behaved. I find cats and small children intimidating so the right household for me is one with only adults and older children. Breed-wise I’m a rottweiler x red heeler x Dalmatian. Microchip No: 978101081700630. Come and meet me here at the MAAW shelter. 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
I enjoy travel as much as imparting a cautionary tale. So you can't imagine my joy at our latest travel adventure. Hmmm.
After four years of Covid we were off on a cruise to Central America, a bucket list for Kyle if you will, as a confirmed boatie and someone who has always wanted to see the Panama Canal in action.
So off we went. Not cheap, but Mum left me some money in her will when we lost her in 2020, well she died, and I always thought it would be a good idea to spend it on travel.
Mum loved travel and we took her on a number of bucket lists, Iceland and Russia, and we had booked a 2020 trip to Japan, Hong Kong and China, but we all know how that worked out. Stupid Covid.
Anyway, I felt we had Mum's blessing to spend the inheritance on a once-in-alifetime trip to America and beyond.
And it was an amazing voyage. But not without a few hiccups. As seems to be the case. I think as a journo I attract issues. Not sure.
Our first little blip was arriving at the airport, all excited and being asked if we had our ESTA - an Electronic System for Travel Authorization. So you don't need a visa for the US.
Now I had read all about it and knew that as Australians we didn't need a visa but I didn't know I needed a waiver so I didn't need a visa. But the woman at Air New Zealand knew because when she heard we didn't have one she simply said: "Well, you can't go." And that was that. I kid you not.
They can take up to three days or 72 hours if you count slowly and our plane was leaving in two. So we hotfooted it to a travel agent over the way who said it might come through in less. She helped us fill out the form, took some money from us and said she would be in touch. FFS.
Meanwhile, distraught, we decided we would fly to at least NZ, our stopover, and maybe end up having a few weeks there. The OK for the US came after we had checked our luggage and while we were in sthe ecurity queue. Safe. Off we went, all smiles again. Doesn't take much to make us happy. :)
Next little hiccup was feeling a bit average about a week before the cruise ended. So off I popped to the ship's medical centre for an antibiotic. Too easy. At 59 I know my health. Not as much as them apparently.
Over that day and the next I was given a Covid/influenza/RSV nasal swab and a urine test for legionnaire's disease - both clear, then a chest x-ray which showed I probably had pneumonia, despite no cough, and needed morning and night rounds of nebulisers, two rounds of intravenous antibiotics, a oral course of antibiotics and steroids, cough mixture, paracetamol and antihistamines.
I got better really fast - although I nearly had a heart attack when I got the bill for the first day - US $4000. Again, I kid you not. I have not yet opened the bill for the second day. That has the urine sample - who knows what that added. We do have travel insurance so it should work out - but if not, the crew Christmas party might be a bit low key.
And now I think about it, I really should have gone for extras. Maybe asked for a quick tummy tuck, or get them to take care of that ingrown toe nail, perhaps a routine colonoscopy. I mean, in for a penny, in for US$20,000, said no-one ever.
Oh, almost last thing. Our vaccination doctor talked us out of yellow fever vaccinations but coming back through border patrol they were a little unhappy with our decision not to bother. "If you feel sick, tell your doctor," were the final words.
Not sure I ever want to see a doctor again though, just sayin'... Donna's travel memories pages 16
The really last thing. This was a dessert one night. Is it just me? Or, well, you know. Are they having a lend and laughing their heads off out the back as the passengers bite into this. Not sure...
W RD CROSS
Here is the crossword solution for Edition 319. How did you go?
All words in the crossword appear somewhere in the same edition of The Local.
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.
Walks of the Central Highlands with Eve Lamb
This is one of my favourite Clunes walks. It’s a slight adaptation of a loop walk that appears in a newly released brochure detailing several choice walks and saunters in and around the Clunes township. More on that later.
For this 4.5km loop my trekking accomplice Paddy H and I start out in Collins Place (adjacent to The Warehouse-Clunes). We turn left and head roughly north along the town’s main (Fraser) street, until we reach Templeton Street where we turn right (east) and walk straight toward the Creswick Creek.
Once we reach the creek we turn left and make our way toward the timberdecked footbridge, less than 100 metres on, that takes us over the creek.
After crossing the footbridge we turn left and follow the creekside walking path roughly due north for a short way before turning left into the bottom of Scenic Drive to cross over the creek ford.
Once across the ford we turn right and head roughly north alongside Blackmores Road, again following the creek to take in the Blackmores Road Park. With its magnificent old National Trust significant elm trees, established gums and old-fashioned picnic tables this little creekside park is surely one of the most underrated around. It is the perfect place for a picnic or barbeque.
Paddy H and I opt for a coffee break and then walk on to the end of the Blackmores Road Park. Here, we make our way up onto Blackmores Road and continue heading north-ish along the road parallel to the creek that’s to our right.
After about half a kilometre in a paddock to our right we see the weatherbeaten sign that IDs the site of the town’s original homestead.
Scottish-born Donald Cameron, the original squatter, built his homestead in 1839. The Clunes Museum has a painting of the Cameron Homestead and the State Library of Victoria has a watercolour of the Station of Donald Cameron JP Esq painted around 1844-1847 and available to view on Trove.
We continue on along Blackmores Road for another couple of hundred metres or so until just past the 40km advisory sign where Blackmores Road ends and sweeps up into Alfred Road. We instead turn right, taking a very short unmade track that leads down to a small steel footbridge to cross the creek.
I should mention here that we’ve seen quite a bit of wildlife at this point including a black kite, a black-shouldered kite, a family of grey fantails, and I strongly suggest that when doing this walk in the warmer months you keep a watchful look out for snakes when moving alongside the creek.
Anyway, back to the bridge. It’s a great little lesser-known reach of the creek here, meditative just to stand and take in the scene. Once across and on the other side of the creek, if you haven’t already tuned in properly, the landscape now commands attention with its undulations and sweeping wide sky vistas.
The track weaves through an impressive patch of native poa tussock grass, heading roughly due east before we turn right into Station Flat Road and begin heading along the creek back toward the township.
Clunes is a unique place (as you know) and one of the evocative things about it is the quirky Eternity sign to be spotted as you meander along Station Flat Road. There it is, painted in a kind of faded lemon yellow in a flowing yesteryear cursive script and affixed to a rusty gate that leads to…well eternity, really.
I love this walk, too, for the landscape right here with its remnant mining mullock heaps plus palm tree. Makes you feel like you might be in Egypt or somewhere else fairly exotic...which of course, you are.
We continue along Station Flat Road, passing historic relics of the Port Phillip gold mine, until we again reconnect with the bottom of Scenic Drive. To neatly complete this walk you could either cross the ford again and turn left to take in the far end of Fraser Street headed back to Collins Place. Or you could just keep ambling along creekside for a beautiful leafy end to the loop, back across the first footbridge.
This walk is very similar to the ‘Original Homestead Walk’ included in the new Clunes Town Walks brochure that was produced as a collaboration between Clunes Neighbourhood House, Creative Clunes and the Clunes Tourism and Development Association.
The brochure details four good local ambles ranging from 1.5km to 4.5km in length: the Clunes Creek Walk, Eighteen Miners Steps Walk, Gold Mines Walk and the Original Homestead Walk. It comes complete with historic insights, a handy map and QR codes giving extra info for each walk.
The Clunes Town Walks brochure can be picked up free of charge at various retail outlets throughout the town, and other outlets like the Neighbourhood House.
Clunes Original Homestead Creekside Walk. Loop. Distance 4.5km
