The Local Issue 31 October 27, 2014

October 27, 2014 Issue 31 Daylesford & Macedon Ranges Open Studios open their doors!

The Local The Heart of the Highlandsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; own community publication

2 About Us

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The Local is a fortnightly community publication covering the Heart of the Highlands. The next edition is due out on Monday, November 10. Advertising deadlines for the next edition of The Local: Space bookings: Wednesday, November 5 Copy provided by: Thursday, November 6 Editorial deadline: Thursday, November 6 Managing editor: Donna Kelly General manager: Kyle Barnes Graphic designer: Glen Heyne Sub-editors: Nick Bunning and Lindsay Smith Out of Hepburn Shire sales: Nick Bunning Gardening writer: Jackie Airey Occasional columnist: Rosie Kelly-Barnes Editorial and affordable sales - 5348 7883 / 0416 104 283 donna@tlnews.com.au | kyle@tlnews.com.au e-editions at www.tlnews.com.au See a photo you like? Photos are just $20 each and will be emailed at high resolution. You can print as many copies as you like!

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Front cover: Daylesford and Macedon Ranges Open Studios founder Jill Rivers. Thirty artists will open their studios to the public over three weekends – November 1-2, 8-9 and 15-16. Read the full story inside.

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Photo: Kyle Barnes Graphic design: Glen Heyne

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Creative people 3

Lyonville party

YONVILLE is ready to party – and everyone’s invited.

The small hamlet is having the finishing touches put on its hall after receiving a $90,000 grant from Regional Development Victoria. Hall committee president Kareena Hodgson said the community also came up with $50,000 “of our own money we had saved over the years” for the renovation. “It’s been mostly restoring the floors, which were on their last legs, and we have a new kitchen to make it more hireable. I am absolutely thrilled, I can’t believe it actually. And it’s better than I thought it would be – I was just happy the hall could be fixed so it would stand for another 100 years. “We did have to do some quite serious stuff to preserve the hall’s longevity but we were also able to do things like include a disabled toilet and give it a paint. It is just the facelift that we need. And it will be very available for rent, weddings, parties, anything. We will also keep the costs really reasonable because it’s a community space and should be used by the community.” Kareena said the November 1 launch would be a way of saying thank-you to the workers, labourers, tradies and council – along with the community joining in. “It’s $10 a head, unless you’re on the VIP list, and anyone can come along. We will put on the food, plenty of nibbles and there will be a bar here too. Kids are admitted free and it’s a very family friendly event. Tickets are available at the Radio Springs Hotel in Lyonville or people can email me at kareenahodgson@gmail.com “There will also be tickets at the door but it would be good to know numbers for catering.” Kareena, pictured with committee member Jackie Airey, said also there on the night would be Melbourne-based performer and event MC Michelangelo, along with DJ Swami Salami (aka Steve Douglas). Kareena, who is the Guinness World Book of Records hula hoop record holder (just Google), is also clearly a huge fan of the town. “I have been in Lyonville for four years and I just love it. It’s beautiful. I love the hall, I love the pub, I love the community and I love my house. It’s this whole area really, not just specific to Lyonville - look around the rhododendrons are out - it’s just such a pretty place. “I am not going anywhere – I have too much to do here.”

Lyonville Hall committee president Kareena Hodgson with committee member Jackie Airey outside the renovated hall - and ready to party

Artists throw open studio doors

AYLESFORD and Macedon Ranges Open Studios gets under way next month.

Thirty artists will open their studios to the public over three weekends – November 1-2, 8-9 and 1516. Founder and creative producer Jill Rivers said this year an extra weekend had been added to provide the “maximum opportunity to mix, mingle and discover” the artists’ work and creative practices. “DMROS honours the contribution artists make to the community at large,” she said. “They are constantly at the forefront of new concepts and ideas, new ways of thinking and new ways of responding to political, philosophical, spiritual, social, humanitarian, scientific, geological, and other global issues. “You only have to read artists’ statements to understand their inspiration and the level on which many of them ponder the major issues concerning our world today and in the future. “DMROS offers you a chance to discuss such things – and anything else you would like to know about their motivation and influences.” Ms Rivers said the region of Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges offered the best setting to “explore the artistic mind and pass the time of day”. Link: dmropenstudios.com.au

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4 Our artists

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Trentham move big change for printmaker Dianne

IANNE Longley recently moved to Trentham, bought an A-Frame house and started Agave Print Studio. Dianne is opening her studio as part of the Daylesford and Macedon Ranges Open Studios. She chatted with Donna Kelly.

DK: When did you get started in art/the artworld? DL: I was lucky, I started a Diploma in Art in 1975, and the recently departed Gough Whitlam amongst other initiatives - such as recognising China, introducing legal aid and Medicare, ending conscription - abolished fees to attend tertiary education institutions. He saw education as the fundamental ingredient for equity and opportunity in society. I attended art school for four years for almost five days a week. I studied at Newcastle College of Advanced Education and took a varied course majoring in painting, printmaking and photography.

DK: Can anyone be an artist? Or is it inherent? DL: Anyone can be artistic, but it takes a lot of tenacity to be an artist. DK: Where can people view your work? DL: I am part of the artist run initiative The Little Gallery at Trentham, where I have prints, encaustic on wooden panels and on-glaze porcelain works on display. I also show in group exhibition with Goldfields Printmakers, and I have just curated an exhibition The Time Element which is currently in Adelaide where the artists have combined printmaking and photography. This exhibition will be shown at Gold Street Studios Gallery in November 2015.

DK: Oh, any story about why you live in Hepburn Shire – most people seem to have a story… DL: I came to live in Trentham after doing workshops for Ellie Young at Gold Street Studios since 2011. My husband died in 2010, and I have two sisters DK: What is your forte? DL: Even though I did painting and photography I concentrated on printmaking living in Melbourne. I fell in love with the landscape and the wonderful sense of community here. I bought a 1970s A-frame which is now a printmaking studio; after leaving art school. I mainly etched metal plates and they were printed Agave Print Studio which offers workshops for printmakers and craft classes through an etching press, much like prints were made in the 16th century. I still in on-glaze porcelain, letterpress stationary and book binding. I am part of the make prints using plates and an etching press, but using contemporary waterDaylesford Macedon Ranges Open Studios event so people can come and see the washable plates, called photopolymer plates. letterpress printing press in action. It was a big change to move here and it will take a while to get used to the DK: What do you love about it? cold winters, and to make a garden; but I wake up some mornings and there are DL: I love that you take line and tone and make a drawing that can be made kangaroos across the road in the wetland, the neighbours are so welcoming, and into a matrix, a plate which can be printed many times. I have always been excited whether its sunny or misty or snowing it’s a good day to be in Trentham! about making multiples from a plate; printmaking is very egalitarian, they are less expensive than paintings, so your work can be appreciated more broadly. DK: What do you think art should do? Make a room – talk to the soul… DL: Making art is a vocation, not really a career; it’s a form of expression that reveals a lot about the individual artist and the world around them.

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Inspiring 5

Nine years on and Juls is living life to the full

ULIETA Weiss was told she had breast cancer in 2005.

The Hepburn resident remembers getting the results and “having a little cry” with her husband George, and her children. Her sister had passed away of the same disease a year earlier, at the age of just 41. “Of course I was shocked but then after that I thought if it’s going to happen you can’t sit round and say ‘why me? So I had my operation and chemo and I was through a few cycles when they realised that I wasn’t responding to the treatment like I should have been. The doctor said ‘we have to stop your chemo but we have to get another medicine’ and I said ‘oh fine’. I am not going to question him.” So Juls, as she is known, was told she needed daily radiotherapy for six weeks and then this “new medicine within six months or otherwise just forget about it”. She finished the radiation treatment and returned to the clinic to find out where the next stage of treatment would be. No more queries than that. But the receptionist took her aside and explained she would need 18 doses of the medication, called Herceptin, over a year and it wasn’t on the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme – she would have to pay $3090. “And I just asked is that for the whole lot? And she said ‘no, per shot every three weeks’. And I thought oh my God where will I ever get $3000 – I can’t even work. And really the option was I can’t have it because we don’t have the money. That night George and I had a talk and I told him it was alright, it was not going to happen, we had nothing to sell and neither of us had proper jobs. We were just getting by and $3000 is a lot of money – that’s $1000 a week. “And George said he would never forgive himself if something happened to me and he couldn’t get me the medicine but I just said if I have to go, I have to go, there is no telling when you have to die.” The months went by and then one day she received an email from her daughter, an RMIT University arts student, who had asked fellow students to help organise an art fundraiser. And the magic of art, artists, community and strangers started. An article in the local paper turned into the donation of $400 from a pensioner couple Juls and George barely knew. Then a bloke from Creswick turned up with a roll of notes - $1000. And well-known Australian artist Kate Smith donated a painting. “That sold for $3000 – that was one shot of medicine,” Juls says. “We had a total of 136 pieces of art donated. We had the Daylesford Town Hall for free and then Neil gave us The Palais for free for the final auction.

“Rotary was in it, the Lions were in it. Artists donated works, accommodation places gave us raffle prizes, the general store made a big hamper with prizes. I was overwhelmed. Luckily artist Dee Waterhouse and Trish Henderson from Glenlyon were running everything – I don’t know anything about art.” And then Juls received a phone call from Channel 7 who were keen to do an interview about her plight, and that of other women, and one man at the time. That was followed by a visit from Ballarat MP Catherine King who was collecting signatures which she tabled not long after in federal parliament. And “eight shots of medicine later”, or about $24,000, and just as Juls’ fundraising money petered out, Herceptin was placed on the PBS. Naturally Juls takes little credit for the change which has helped so many people over the past nine years. “I did help in a way but the thing is there were so many people doing the same thing as me. Not just one person could do it.” Nine years on and Juls gets a little tired now and again but says that could be because she is “maturing”. She is also concentrating on spending time with her family – and you can see how much she loves the man who got her through the hard times. “George was doing everything he could – out washing dishes from 5pm to midnight and then getting up to make me toast at 2am if I was hungry. I could not have done it without him.” Juls, a masseuse and beauty therapist, was always

pretty healthy, but has also swapped to an organic diet and that has led to another outcome – her own line of organic beauty products Juls Indulgence. “I was always putting on face creams and body lotions but I would look at all those organic products and realised I couldn’t afford them. “Then a girlfriend showed me one recipe and I just starting making variations. I used it in my work for facials and the girls would ask where I could buy them and I said they couldn’t – I just made them.” The products, which are kept at affordable prices so people like Juls can indulge, are now available from her and the Daylesford Regional Visitor Information Centre. On the bottle it reads “not tested on animals, just on family”. And that’s Juls. All about family - and enjoying life.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To find out more or to donate go to Breast Cancer Network Australia at www.bcna.org.au

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6 Opinion

My Say

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by Donna Kelly

YLE headed off to Cairns a month or so back, and I was a little bit worried about him.

He booked with a nice reputable air carrier. So that’s good. And it was all going so well. Kyle had made the bookings, prices were reasonable, flights were at decent times, extra leg room and an entertainment pack were added. No worries - or so he thought. A text message confirming everything came through the next morning - and his flight out was 0600 instead of 1430. That’s 6am not 2.30pm for those of us not in the world of 24-hour clocks. Operator error perhaps. Glitch in the computer system perhaps. Whatever, surely a quick call could fix things up. Now quick is not something Jetstar is really up on. But there was only a 15-minute wait before he managed to talk to a real person. Not in Australia probably, but a person. So Kyle explained the problem, that perhaps he had made a mistake, maybe because the online booking system asked him so many questions including if he wanted to donate to a Cambodian orphanage or reduce his carbon footprint. Anyway, he just asked could he please change his flight to the lovely hour of 2.30pm not the ungodly hour of 6am, driving to Tullamarine, avoiding fog sodden roos. After all, the price was the same, the seats were available, so no harm-no foul as they say. So as you can imagine, for such a simple scenario, they said no. There was a cost to change planes - about $110 - almost the price of the flight itself. But Kyle argued the toss and managed to get the price down to about $32. Random but he’s quite good at negotiating. And then came the worrying part.

The staffer said the new seat was not the “extra legroom” one he had originally paid for but was in the emergency exit aisle. Which sounded fine, there’s more legroom there anyway...until she simply added “but there’s no oxygen”. Huh? I listened while Kyle asked just what that meant and was it going to be a problem for him. Was it that there was no oxygen to drop down if the plane lost altitude or no extra to strap on a waiting child like in the emergency scenario they show you each time you fly? Or was it just a part of the plane where they decided not to pump oxygen during the flight at all? To keep the customers quiet. Like when they turn the lights off at 9pm and hope everyone will just go to sleep rather than keep asking for another tiny bottle of chardonnay and then have to hide all the bottles at the end of the flight in case they look like an alcoholic. Whoops, too much information there. Anyway, the woman, after some consideration, said “it will be OK” and that’s when they wanted the credit card again - for the emeregency aisle seat on the nicely timed plane with extra legoom just no oxygen. So, the upshot was he went, caught up with a new niece, lovely little Indie, and came back safe and sound. Mmmm.

Blatant family plug: Uncle Kyle and Indie

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News 7

Oh Sandy - I think I want to marry you... Far left, Sandy with “Ian” at the St Kilda Ball, and then with “Molly” at a football function

AYLESFORD resident Sandy Breen has been “outed” as Ian “Molly” Meldrum’s first true love.

The music legend even asked Sandy to marry him while they were both working at the Myer Emporium in Melbourne but she just laughed and told him “I think we’re having too much fun to get married”. “My mother sometimes used to wonder what my life would be like if I had married Molly and I used to say ‘we would have been divorced within 12 months’.” Sandy, who clocked up 46 years of wedded bliss to the love of her life, Don Breen, last Friday, said she was surprised to see a photo of her and Molly in a recent weekend newspaper promoting his book “The never, um, ever ending story”. The photo was taken at the St Kilda Ball, at the Moorabbin Town Hall, in 1964 and shows the pair clearly enjoying their time together. Sandy said her first encounter with the then “Ian”, long before he was “Molly”, was at the MCG where she had started the original St Kilda Football Club cheer squad with a group of school friends. “My father knew someone so we were allowed to

put our Carn the Saints banner on the fence. I was sitting behind the banner on the front row and lo and behold two rows up was Ian. “He came up to me and asked if he could join my cheer squad.” Sandy said both she and Molly were living in Elwood at the time. She was just 18 and Molly was a first year law student at Melbourne University. “Molly was living with (musician) Ronnie Burns and his parents, Aunty Edna and Uncle Bob, and I used to see him get off the bus now and again after school. “I would say to my girlfriends ‘isn’t he just gorgeous, so interesting looking’. He had a Beatles haircut, well before anyone else, and used to wear navy cords, a red lambs wool jumper and a red tartan shirt – and he just looked superb. “So I had admired him from afar and when he asked to join the cheer squad my heart nearly jumped out of my chest.” And while the first connection was football the pair used to listen to a lot of music together at Ronnie Burns’ home. “I was at his place a lot and one day he had this new record, it would be 51 years ago last Wednesday because it was my birthday, and it was Tom Jones’ What’s New Pussycat. At the start it has what sounds like a lot of glass breaking so we were sitting there and Molly turned up the sound and it was like a car was coming through the window. Uncle Bob was

reading the paper and nearly went through the roof. We just turned the music down again quietly.” Sandy said the following year she, Ronnie and two other friends found work at Myer and Molly decided he also needed to join them. “I was in the advertising department and Ronnie was in display so Molly got a job as a wheeler boy in the men’s story. They would wheel around big cane baskets filled with merchandise and he was always using that as an excuse to visit me and make lunch dates. “One day the boss, who was ex-army, said ‘who is that camp bloke coming to see you’ and I said it was just a friend but Molly was banned after that. I didn’t even know what camp was then. “But then one day Molly came to visit me again and dragged me out of the office to the despatch area and said “I think we should get married”. I just laughed and said ‘I think we’re having too much fun to get married’. And as Molly said in the newspaper article that was a good thing. The pair has remained best friends for the past 51 years – and Sandy eloped a few years later with an engineer, Don. The couple has three children, six grandchildren and one great grand-daughter. They moved to Daylesford almost six years back but Sandy still hops in her car whenever her beloved Saints are playing home and heads down the freeway. And more often than not, Molly catches up with his first true love.

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Pets@Work 9

‘Super loyal’ leonbergers all about show

Danger Pets@Work Left, Mick gives Lotta a hug while Lisa offers Arden a pat

HEY are a tad imposing as they come gambolling along to meet us – but leonburgers are all about show, say owners Lisa Huxley and Mick Williams from Hilltop Kennels in Guildford.

The breed’s name derives from the city of Leonberg in BadenWurttemberg in Germany. Arden, the larger male dog is one, and Lotta, the female, is five. Lisa said leonbergers, classed as a giant dog breed, were known as guardian dogs and used to looked after people and buildings like monasteries, rather than stock. Her first leonberger was a rescue pup which she adopted after he came to the vet clinic she was working at. “I tried to find his owners for three months and eventually adopted him. I called him Aslan (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis) and he was my very loyal companion. His second home was my car and he came everywhere with me.” Aslan passed away two years ago, aged 14, and Mick and Lisa had already brought Lotta over from New Zealand three years earlier, followed by Arden, last year. Mick said the two dogs spent their time near the kennels, perched on a hill, looking back at the house. “If I am out and someone is coming, I know. Lotta’s ears go back and she looks really worried like she is thinking ‘come out, someone is here’. “But they are not aggressive at all, it’s all show. Although I am sure if someone tried to get in the house…”

“They think it’s always playtime here... they are straight into the game.” Lisa said Arden and Lotta were great mediators with other dogs and generally got on with everyone. “They think it’s always playtime here. When long-term clients turn up with their dogs they just start running around – they are straight into the game.” Mick said leonbergers were “super loyal” and followed their owners around all day long unless they were busy sitting and guarding from their hilltop position. “They are not super high energy dogs and because they are big you would think they eat a lot but they don’t. So they are the perfect combination.” Lisa, who was born at the Hilltop property and took over eight years ago after her mother decided to sell, said she and Mick both loved dealing with animals despite it being a seven day a week, 24 hour a day job. “It’s great. All of the animals are lovely, and most of the people…”

10 News

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New owner for Country Cuisine

UST months after Country Cuisine announced it was hitting the shelves of Coles supermarkets the company has changed hands.

HERE’S the solution to the last edition’s crossword. See page 34 for the crossword for Issue 31. All the answers are contained within the pages of The Local! Good luck.

Phillipa Wooller and Geoff West have sold to Dick Koops who takes over on November 3 this year. Mr West said he planned to return to Nelson Bay in New South Wales to start a new direction while Ms Wooller planned to retire “and play more golf”, “We would both like to thank their many loyal customers, suppliers and our staff for the support and friendship over the years.” Last year, nine of the Daylesford-based company’s products were chosen to be a part of a trial of new Local Produce Departments in 12 stores in Victoria. The trial proved a success and the products are now rolling out to more than 60 stores around Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. Country Cuisine was started by Ms Wooller in Trentham in 1987 using her skills in product development, production and administration to get the ball rolling. She was later joined by Mr West who brought extensive experience in sales, distribution, marketing, importing and exporting. Ms Wooller said the business had grown “like topsy”. “We relied on word of mouth with not a lot of advertising and built it through just doing what we do. I guess our philosophy is to treat people how you would like to be treated yourself, to be honest and straight forward and create a good product.” Mr Koops migrated to Australia with his family, wife Wilma, two sons Jochem, 10, and Emiel, 8, and daughter Els, 6, in 2009. He said the family settled in Melbourne and he had worked for a food manufacturer for the past five years. “I always wanted to own a business and I was very excited when I got the opportunity to take over Country Cuisine. It appeals to me because it is all about honest and delicious products. Phillipa and Geoff’s philosophy and appreciation for good food, not making concessions on quality, using local/Australian ingredients where possible also resonated with me.”

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News 11

Remembrance Day speaker

IR Commodore Rowan Darroch Story will be the guest speaker at the Daylesford RSL’s Remembrance Day Service on at Burke Square on Tuesday, November 11.

Air Commodore Story was posted into the position of Director General Health Reserves - Air Force in December 2011. He is a graduate in science, dentistry and law and in civilian life is an oral maxillofacial surgeon and lawyer, and teaches law to medical and dental students. He joined the Army Reserve as an undergraduate and was commissioned in 1979, then serving with the 3 Dental Unit and 5/6 RVR and attached to a Scottish infantry unit of the British Territorial Army for one year. He transferred to the Royal Australian Specialist Reserve on commissioning as an air force officer in 1986. Daylesford RSL spokesman Keith Pyers said Air Commander Story was “remarkably talented” and had taken part in the Daylesford Highland Gathering for many years in various roles. Mr Pyers said the service would start at 10.30am starting with speeches followed by laying of wreaths, the sounding of the Last Post and a minute’s silence. Those attending were them welcome to refreshments at the Daylesford RSL. “We would really like people to come and take part in this service,” he said. Meanwhile, poppies will be on sale outside the Daylesford Pharmacy from November 1 to 10.

Win-win for college

HE Victorian Government has matched the Victorian Labor Party’s pledge of $10 million for Daylesford Secondary College if it wins the election.

Last Friday, Victorian Education Minister Martin Dixon visited the school with Macedon Liberal candidate Donna Petrovich and Member for Northern Victoria Amanda Millar to make the announcement. “Daylesford Secondary was shamefully neglected for a decade under the former Labor government, and this important investment will fully fund Stage 2 of the school’s master plan, including landscaping for outdoor areas,” he said. “I’m delighted to announce that if the coalition government is returned, we will invest $10 million in Daylesford Secondary College to significantly upgrade the school.” In July this year Victorian Opposition leader Daniel Andrews offered the school $10 million if the Labor Party won next month’s election.

Screenings of The King and I

aylesford Cinema is presenting the original “The King and I”.

Cinema president Linda Carroll said the movie had widespread appeal and two early morning sessions were planned for Monday, October 27 and Wednesday, October 29. Ms Carroll said the Wednesday screening was perfect for those in Trentham without cars because they could catch “the community bus to the community theatre”. The bus arrives in Daylesford at 10.30am, the movie starts at 10.45am and the bus leaves at 1pm. Bus bookings essential on 1300 443 534.

12 A Sparkling Life

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A Sparkling Life (An ongoing column by Marian Sidwell and her recollection of living in Daylesford. The first excerpt ran in The Local, Issue 28, September 15, 2014. Back issues at tlnews.com.au) Drawing by Brian Nash – briannash.com.au

LONDON 1941: Brian was so little and so cold as he lay awake beside his young brother in the big double bed. Was he cold because he didn’t have enough covers to keep the icy London air from penetrating his tiny body or had his little brother wet the bed again and the chill and dampness woken him up?

The room was pitch black. The windows heavily draped with raggedy blackout curtains. He had never known the magic of moonlight in his room nor experienced the glee of dancing shadows on his wall from passing cars and swaying trees. His world in his darkened room was one of sounds. Sounds of sirens; sounds of pounding; sounds of explosions, some near, some far; the droning of aeroplanes and the voices, the ever stressful voices of the street. He was not afraid, for this was his world, the only one he had known. He had no fear of death. The little mite had not yet lived. He turned over and moved away from his brother. He had no toy to comfort him and again knew not what he missed. Morning would bring a little warmth, the drawing of the curtains and the noise of the family. Yes, he can go back to sleep now.

The house in South Norwood where he lived was typical of the area. A dark triple storied solid brick affair sandwiched between identical dark triple storied solid brick affairs. The ground floor was below street level leaving the upper two floors looking onto, and over, the dingy cul-de-sac where, between air-raid warnings, he played. There was little, if any, front garden. The house literally growing from the pavement and the backyard little more than an alleyway with its part submerged life-saving air-raid shelter taking away most, if not all, of his potential play area. The only sign of life in the dismal area was a lonely pear tree. He’d climb it sometimes but the front cul-de-sac was his main play domain.

Toys over the lounge room floor he had not experienced either. His lounge room was an iron bar encased air-raid shelter resembling a monkey cage. He slept in it often and probably found it warmer than sleeping in his upstairs bedroom as he was cushioned cosily amongst more of his family. Although he was only four and a half years old, his family was quite extensive. He was the second eldest of four children. His mother seemed always to have a baby on her lap or a toddler at her feet. She had no time for consoling words or cuddles of comfort for him. Still, he had his pear tree, monkey cage and culde-sac to keep him occupied until he was old enough to go to school.

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14 Happy & Healthy

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The Local - tlnews.com.au

Happy & Healthy 15

Food on offer at Glenlyon

LENLYON Hall is the new, albeit temporary, home of the food side of the Daylesford Community Breakfast Club and Food Assistance Program.

Run by a committee the program offers a community breakfast at the Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre on Thursdays from 8am to 10pm, and free groceries to those struggling to make ends meet at the Glenlyon Hall on Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 3pm. Treasurer Annette Thomas, pictured right, said the idea with both the breakfast and food assistance was to help anyone in need. At the Glenlyon Hall last week, Ms Thomas said anyone was welcome to come and collect fresh fruit and vegetables along with dry goods. “We want to help anybody in need. They might even be working one week and then there’s not enough money the next week. Anyone is welcome. “We try to have a good range of fruit and vegetables – and if they pass their use by date we turn them into jams and things like that.” Ms Thomas said the group, which was a registered business just working through the system to gain charity status, was after donations of food and money, and would love a sponsor. Food was bought from various cheap outlets in Melbourne and Ballarat, she said. Fundraisers helped pay for the purchases. Ms Thomas said the committee was looking for a new venue, perhaps the football rooms at Victoria Park in Daylesford, to be closer to more community members in need. Currently, the Hepburn Shire Council community bus will take bookings on Wednesdays and bring people out to Glenlyon on Thursdays, she said. Daylesford’s Foodbank, auspiced by St Vincent de Paul, finished up earlier this year. It had been based at the Daylesford Community Opportunity Shop and before that at Daylesford’s Christ Church with the 5000 Club. In July, St Vincent de Paul spokesman Bernie Holloway said he was “unable to comment” on the matter while Anglican Parish vicar Father Jeff O’Hare said he had offered premises back at Christ Church “which made sense”.

There’s plenty of fresh fruit on offer at Glenlyon Hall



Lighting the Regions is the biggest street light partnership ever undertaken in Australia. The project involves changing 23,000 street lights to more energy efficient LED technology across the entire central, north central, west and north western region of Victoria.

sAVinG

insTALLinG

$57M in pOWer &

23,000 sTreeT LiGHTs

MAinTenAnCe

reDuCinG

180,000 TOnnes OF GreenHOuse GAs

Hepburn sHire

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re lighting your region. BETTER The new LEDs are the lighting technology of the future. The LEDs save on power and maintenance costs, lasting up to five times longer than current lights and use 77% less power to run.

BRIGHTER The new LEDs provide a brighter, more natural light which is distributed exactly where it is meant to go for ultimate lighting efficiency. The new LEDs retain their brightness for the life of the light where the old lights become dimmer with age.

GREENER The new LED lights use less power to run than current lights and will reduce greenhouse emissions by around 180,000 tonnes over the next 20 years.

This project received funding from the Australian Government

The views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for any information or advice contained herein.

Hepburn Shire is the first of the 16 councils to have their street lights changed as part of the Lighting the Regions project. Powercor installation crews will be busy changing up to 800 streetlights throughout the shire, the first stage of which is due to be completed by November 2014. To find out more and for current updates, visit:

www.lightingtheregions.com.au

The Local - tlnews.com.au

News 17

LEDs for Hepburn Shire

LMOST 23,000 street lights throughout half of regional Victoria will be replaced with light emitting diodes (LED) under Lighting the Regions project – with Hepburn Shire kicking off the project.

The project was launched outside Grange Bellinzona in Hepburn Springs earlier this month. Overall, the project will save 180,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases and provide regional communities with savings of more than $57 million over 20 years in energy costs. In Hepburn Shire, where 600 lights will be replaced, that will translate to 4727 tonnes of greenhouse gases savings and cost savings of $2.1 million. Lighting the Regions project chairperson Cr Ray Kingston said 16 local governments across north, west and central Victoria had formed the partnership. “Lighting the Regions is the largest partnership of its type ever undertaken in Australia, and represents a once in a generation opportunity to engage regional communities and individuals to make positive energy efficiency changes in the home and the workplace.” Local government partners in the project are Hepburn, Bendigo, Central Goldfields, Pyrenees, Loddon, Swan Hill, Gannawarra, Mount Alexander, Buloke, Ararat, Northern Grampians, Hindmarsh, Horsham, Yarriambiack, West Wimmera and Mildura. The City of Greater Bendigo is undertaking the role of lead council for the partnership group with Powercor the distribution network service provider. The $11.6 million project includes $5 million of funding from the Australian Government.

new & pre-loved clothing recycled and Belgian furniture skincare - giftware locally made art 38 High Street,Trentham ph: 035424 1164

Sustainable Hepburn Association president Laurel Freeland at the launch

18 News

The Local - tlnews.com.au

Advertorial

Neil Boyack making a difference with CAFS

ALKING with Neil Boyack you can’t help but hear the enthusiasm for his work.

Neil is CAFS’ Ballarat and Hepburn Family Services coordinator, a role he started three years ago, and one that he is enjoying making “a weeny difference” in people’s lives. With qualifications in Aboriginal studies, adolescent health and welfare, and soon, developmental psychiatry, he is perfectly suited to steer a of team of eight people as they assist, support and empower families through case management and advocacy. The Newstead resident, who also runs the Newstead Short Story Tattoo, said advocacy was becoming a larger part of CAFS’ workload helping clients through social justice issues or challenges within the social services system. “CAFS is very much working internally to readjust its focus on not just being a witness to events and issues but to do more about them,” he said. “We are being more innovative with events like the Survival International Film Festival, with the first held in May this year, as a community strengthening program, for clients and staff.” The festival saw people coming together to share stories of survival, inspiration and endurance in the context of social justice, community living, Aboriginal peoples and human strengths. “We want to do more than just describe poor circumstances, we want to empower clients to change those circumstances,” Neil said. “We spend a lot of time on building rapport with people and many of those are used to just doing as they are told – I call them ‘downtrodden’ in my old Catholic language. “But when we can build rapport, and that takes a lot of trust, then we can ask them what they want. Parents may need to pull up their socks with their parenting but they also need the skills and the coaching. They are things we can help with.” Neil said families came to CAFS through a range of referral agencies from primary schools, health care centres, early childhood centres, child protection and even real estate agents concerned tenants were not coping as well as they could. And while there was still sometimes the fear a family could have their children removed this was a long way from the average referral, he said. “We just want to stop families, and perhaps it is a generational thing, from slipping through the cracks which then causes trauma, mental health difficulties and can lead to drug use.” Neil said Hepburn had its fair share of “challenges” with a community that was creative and artistic, also sometimes hard to convince of the basics of childhood needs. “Some parents prefer laissez faire parenting, which is their right, and they believe it leads to higher freedom, but at some stage their children may live outside of Daylesford. It’s really treading the balance. “And I do this job because I feel I have the communication skills to make a weeny difference. I wouldn’t do it otherwise.” Himself a writer of poetry, and short and micro fiction, Neil said his interest in the narrative was important to his work, using it to help people to share their stories and then create a new narrative for their future. “What’s the old story, what’s the new story? That’s where we start,” he said. “CAFS is an innovative organisation which listens to its staff and is willing to fund new ideas. “It is really looking at its own approach to children and family and if there is room for innovation that’s fantastic.” But Neil also said the threshold of risks and complexity had grown over the past two years for CAFS staff. “Two years ago we would not have been asked to work with these families – now it is becoming a little more ‘normalised’ and that’s sad. “I really want to open the dialogue about parenting, to be able to have people stop a young mum in the street and ask if she’s coping, rather than finding out too late that she’s not.”

“And I do this job because I feel I have the communication skills to make a weeny difference. I wouldn’t do it otherwise.”

Cornish Hill

DAYLESFORD

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Community event

Skate Park

Grenv ille

Sta nho pe

G ra nt St re et co n fo r ta in e to o r ls

The Committee of Management of Cornish Hill and the Friends of Cornish Hill invite you to join them for morning tea in YOUR BIG BACKYARD - the 38 ha Cornish Hill Reserve.

Street

Thomas Lookout

Duke Stre et

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You’re invited to enjoy morning tea in YOUR BIG BACKYARD

Stree t

Street

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Grant

This morning tea is to celebrate and showcase the work that has been done on “THE HILL” over the past six years and to thank everyone who has made a contribution over that time. We look forward to hearing the ways in which you can contribute towards making it an even better community asset.

Grant Street

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LE SFORD ROAD

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BP Ser vice Station

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Sta nley

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Duke Stre et

Sta nb rid

‘Your Big Back Yard’

Camp Street

Pr im ar

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S h o p s , P O, Info r mat io n Ce ntre etc

S mi

Argus mine

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Cr ee k

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S t re e t

Murray’s Hill

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mining battery

N-DAY

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Slum Dam

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Local digital artist Pat Kermode who kindly created the wonderful map on the reverse of this invitation.

•

Daylesford District Community Bank have donated the use of their marquee for the day

Saturday 8th November 2014

Time: 10.30am - midday Location: Refer to the map on the left for the location of the morning tea, best parking spots and access points.

4WD/dry weather roads

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•

Date:

Sull ivan Stre et

Enter f rom here rs

The Committee of Management of Cornish Hill and the Friends of Cornish Hill are always looking for volunteers to assist in any capacity towards making Cornish Hill a great asset for the community and visitors. Special thanks to;

St re et

eet

Freshwater Springs

Morning tea will be provided so come along, meet some neighbours and the Cornish Hill team and learn more about what’s been going on over your back fence. Please RSVP for catering purposes to Margie Thomas on 5348 6541 (leave message if no answer) or email thomato@aanet.com.au

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ille Str ee t

AD RD RO

th’s

G re nv

Ea st Bo un dary Tr ack

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Adit

mullock heap

BALLA

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shaft

to Ballan

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Park here

Ev e nt here

Greenhood orchids

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Fraze r Street

Wildflowers

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H o u s ten

ee Str

Special thanks to; To Hepburn Shire for printing the sticky address labels. PO Box 470 Daylesford 3460 www.cornishhilldaylesford.com.au friends@cornishhilldaylesford.com.au Glen Heyne for printing invitations and map. And to Communities for Nature for funding the event

Walking tracks

“A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead

School plantings by: Daylesford Primary School The Dharma School Daylesford Secondary College

DAYLESFORD

COTTAGE DIRECTORY

rETREAT | Relax | reTURN

www.cottagedirectory.com.au | stay@cottagedirectory.com.au

Phone: 03 5348 1255

Cell: 0438 662 201

39 Albert Street, Daylesford

The Local - tlnews.com.au

20 Out & About

Trentham Carols Photography

RENTHAM Christmas Carols in the Park, organised by the Lions Club of Trentham, will be held at the Quarry Street Reserve on Friday, December 5.

Food is on offer from 6.30pm with the carols and concert from 7.30pm. The concert features Alison Walsh, Vanessa Craven, Anthony White, Trentham Primary School and community singing. There will also be a special guest appearance by Santa. Details: 5424 1127.

OKEH Gallery will exhibit John Hay’s “From Kosciuszko to the Kimberley” from November 5 to December 5.

Entries are also open for the Christmas Show until November 17. Details: bokehdaylesford.com Bokeh Gallery is at 10 Howe St, Daylesford.

UNITING CHURCH

Annual Fete

The Daylesford Uniting Church, Central Springs Rd Daylesford is holding their annual local fete at 9:00am on Friday 31st October & Saturday 1st November. A wide range of quality goods at affordable prices.

Exhibition

s part of the Castlemaine Garden Festival, Tait Decorative Iron’s Catherine Tait will exhibit her paintings in “Postcard from Province” on the weekend of November 1 and 2. There will also be larger life drawings by Amber Samson. As well, on November 1 there will be bread and pizza making demonstrations and on November 2 Masterchef contestant Beau Cook will demonstrate slow cooking. Details: decorativeiron.com.au

Wheatsheaf Community Garage Sale Weekend November 8 & 9 8am - 2pm 13+ households located throughout Wheatsheaf (10 mins from Daylesford - towards Glenlyon) The weekend is a fundraiser for our Fireguard group and there is a fantastic range of items - tools, furniture, machinery camping gear, clothing, toys, household goods and assorted treasures...

Refreshments available

The Local - tlnews.com.au

Out & About 21

TRENTHAM

MAKERS MARKET

Two Markets – One location Spring has sprung – The grass is ris – I wonder where the birdies is???

The Town Square in Trendy Trentham The Trentham Farmers Market has joined with Trentham Makers Market

Third Saturday, 9am – 1pm

TRENTHAM GOLF CLUB LADIES INTRODUCTION TO GOLF PROGRAM TRENTHAM STATION SUNDAY MARKET Victoria Street, Trentham The Trentham Golf Club is pleased to host a 5 session Ladies Introduction to Golf Program. All ladies are welcome to participate, whether you have very little experience, or you would like to have a go at golf for the first time. The program will be conducted by Matthew Duncan, who is a Certified PGA Golf Professional with Advanced Status in Golf Coaching, and has many years of experience and enthusiasm helping ladies to enjoy and improve their golf. We also have ladies golf equipment for you to use at first so that you are using the right equipment to help you to get the most enjoyment and potential out of your golf. If you have your own clubs you are welcome to bring them along. Golf is a great sport to be active and to socialise amongst new and old friends, is a great form of exercise, and is also a very rewarding personal challenge that ladies of any age or physical ability can participate in. For enquiries or bookings please contact: Mary Bysouth - 5426 4994 email: bysouthmi@hotmail.com Matthew Duncan - 0431 137 145 email: mduncangolf@hotmail.com

Proudly supported by

LADIES INTRODUCTION TO GOLF PROGRAM SCHEDULE Tuesdays from 11am—12pm Week One—11th November Week Two—18th November Week Three—25th November Week Four—2nd December Week Five—9th December Cost: $50 for the five week program ALL LADIES WELCOME!!!

On the fourth Sunday of each month 8.30am - 2.30pm Enquiries/Bookings - Gwenda on 5424 1611 or Ross on 5424 1509 A great variety of stalls in and around the beautiful Trentham Station **Permanent carriage stalls open every weekend** Including - Craft in the Carriage, Kaye’s Soaps and Candles, Leigh’s Homemade Preserves, Snax on the Trax & Trentham Olde Worlde Lolly Shoppe Trentham - Always relaxed and refreshing!

22 Out & About

The Local - tlnews.com.au

Open gardens

OR a number of years Patrice O’Shea’s family has been involved with the River Nile Learning Centre, an organisation (with no religious affiliation) that runs educational and social programs for young African women, many of them mothers. They provide language, VCAL and other training programs along with child care - currently in North Melbourne. Ms O’Shea said their work had been “wonderfully successful but funding continues to be a huge challenge” with the organisation largely dependent upon private philanthropic support. On December 6 and 7, Ms O’Shea will open her own family garden at 345 Daylesford-Malmsbury Rd, Coomoora as a fundraiser for the centre. “It is a couple of acres of rather idiosyncratic planting around an 1850s flour mill,” she said. “Quite frankly, it often gets quite out of hand, but I have been wielding all manner of gardening implements to subdue it for this occasion. “From 10am to 4pm on both days there will be plants for sale, wine and food and the usual Friends of Wombat Hill Botanic Garden merchandising lurks.” Meanwhile, as a fundraiser for the Swiss Italian Festa, Candy Broad will open her immaculate and elegant garden on Sunday, November 16 at 8 Smith St, Daylesford from 11am to 4pm. The Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens Growing Friends will be selling plants in the garden and at the Botanic Gardens.

PLANTS ON SALE 10 - 12 am every Thursday morning and first Sunday morning each month at the

Friends of Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens potting area, adjacent to Wombat Hill House

Friends of Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens POBox 267 Daylesford friends @wombathill.org

The Local - tlnews.com.au

Our musos

ing Maxwell is heading our way, from Kyneton, this Friday. Kyle Barnes caught up for a chat while he made ready for the journey. KB: What’s your background? KM: My background? Generally, if it’s not too much trouble, I like it to be a purple velvet curtain just because it makes me look even more regal but I’m not super fussy about that kind of thing. I am one of the tallest blues players in the whole of Kyneton, so it needs to be a reasonably big curtain. KB: When did you know you were a musician? KM: My parents’ music tastes were somewhat awful in a completely embarrassing and totally daggy sense. Despite that introduction to music, I started imagining myself as a musician when I was about 10 years old, which was before I could even play an instrument. Imagining things is a good start to making them happen. So far, I have not been able to imagine my fantasy arch-top guitar into reality but imagining certainly got me to playing and performing. KB: What do you play/do? KM: I describe my stuff as “acoustic blues & rag... vintage style”. My lovely, shiny resonator guitar gets most of the work, I sing plenty of words and there’s a wee bit of harmonica if I’m feeling coordinated enough not to keep banging it on the microphone.

Out & About 23

KB: Who do you perform with? KM: Most of the time I perform as a solo dude, which is great because of some excellent and acceptable reason that explains why I play solo most of the time. I do have a thing on the side, the Tin Roof Trio. It’s me, with additives; a fella doing New Orleans style piano and another fella swinging around on the double bass. KB: What’s your favourite venue/venues? KM: The Daylesford Hotel is a new favourite on the list having played there a couple of time recently. I have really enjoyed playing at the Old Hepburn and Horvats was a good one when it was operating. I love playing at the Glenlyon General Store. KB: Is being a musician hard work or like falling off a log? KM: I don’t think I like the “falling off a log” analogy very much and flatly refuse to entertain such thinking. The playing bit is energising, whether it be practice or performing, so I look forward to doing it and have trouble stopping once I start...3am just keeps sneaking up on me when I’m at home practicing and crafting songs. As for the hard work, well making the bookings and the whole self managing bit is like kissing my aunty; I do it because I have to but it’s unnervingly prickly and I’d avoid it if there was another way in the door. KB: Is there anywhere we can hear you soon? KM: Mmmm, I’ll be at The Glenlyon General Store this Friday, October 31, and then I am at the Bendigo Blues and Roots Music Festival in November.

Show this ad in store and receive

20% off 4 or more bottles of wine One per customer per day.

Conditions apply - see staff for details Offer ends 09/11/14 Cellarbrations @ foxxy’s our region’s largest local and boutique wine specialists Open every day until late 55 Vincent Street Daylesford Tel: 03 5348 3577

24 Dining

The Local - tlnews.com.au

Peppermill Cafe

• • • • • • •

Heaps of parking! Delicious menu! Fully Licensed! Be sure to book soon for your Christmas party! Friendly staff! World famous Mill Market location! Outside function catering available!

Christmas bookings now open for your work party. Fun, fully licensed and walkable to Daylesford

106 Central Springs Rd Daylesford (at the Mill Markets) Phone 0414 830 435

R E S T A U R A N T

treat yourself at sault! Experience the taste of Spain with Sault Restaurant’s Spanish head chef Santiago Nine-Fernandez. Now serving tapas on our menu!

locals night

Wednesday is Locals Night! Sault offers their seasonal a la carte menu with a complimentary glass of house red, white or sparkling with any main meal.

High Tea

On Sundays indulge with a glamourous High Tea between 2.30-4.30pm. Bookings essential, call 5348 6555 to book. BOOK YOUR TABLE ON (03) 5348 6555 E: jodi@sault.com.au

www.sault.com.au

2349 BALLAN DAYLESFORD ROAD, SAILORS FALLS 3461

Your local just became a place to lay your head… We offer a number of classic pub style rooms. Recently refurbished with a selection of King, Twin or Queen. Simple clean share bathrooms are down the hall offering old fashioned pub accommodation. We also have our Hotel Suite which includes separate living area, kitchen and ensuite. LIVE MUSIC EVERY WEEK FRIDAY NIGHTS - FRONT BAR Free Entry SATURDAY NIGHTS - LOUNGE BAR $10 Cover incl free drink on arrival GREAT PUB FOOD SPECIALS - EVERY WED - $20 POT & PARMA NIGHT. EVERY THUR - $20 STEAK NIGHT OUR DAILY MENU AND FULL GIG GUIDES ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR NEW WEBSITE.

Open 7 Days from noon FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE OR CALL US ON 03 5348 2335

DAYLESFORDHOTEL.COM.AU

26 - 28 Albert Street Daylesford 5348 3711

The Local - tlnews.com.au

Out & About 25

Community event at Bathhouse HEPBURN Bathhouse supported Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a Mini Field of Pink Ladies in the Hepburn Springs mineral springs reserve on Sunday, October 19.

Bathhouse general manager Karen Golden said the community event supported the breast cancer awareness and fundraising campaign. “The day included a number of ‘Pink Yoga’ classes in the reserve with donations going towards Breast Cancer Network Australia for research and awareness programs. There were also be pink scones with berry jam, pink champagne and other items available.” Ms Golden said the Bathhouse was also fundraising until the end of October with pink rubber ducks available to buy at the front door.

delivering

www.pizzerialaluna.com.au

La L na

Pizzeria

Left, people take part in Pink Yoga sessions, below, Stella, 8, places a single representative man among the pink ladies, and bottom, Adrian Thia from Le Yoga takes participants through their paces

Y NIG

Thursday, Sunday, Monday 5pm - 9pm Friday and Saturday 5pm - 10pm Tuesday & Wednesday CLOSED

HOME DELIVERIES FRIDAY TO SUNDAY 5348 4123 t "MCFSU 4U %BZMFTGPSE 7JDUPSJB

Welcome to The Farmers Arms Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner The Farmers Arms Daylesford offers the perfect blend of country charm combined with a sophisticated menu, wine list and professional service. For more information about the pub and also our current menu, please visit our website: www.thefarmersarms .com.au 1 East Street Daylesford ph. 03 5348 2091

26 Dining

The Local - tlnews.com.au

Gig Guide Old Hepburn Hotel, Hepburn DJ Desperately Seeking $5 – Saturday, November 1, 9pm, $5 Michelle Parsons – Saturday, November 8, 9pm $3 Jack Howard – Sunday, November 9, 5pm $10

Daylesford Hotel, Daylesford DJ EZC – In the Lounge - Saturday, November 1, 8pm-11pm $10 DJ Sass – In the Lounge – Saturday, November 8, 8pm-11pm $10 DJ Zolly Gold – Saturday, November 15, 8pm-11pm $10

Glenlyon General Store, Glenlyon Marni Sheehan & Mark Smith – Friday, November 7, 6.30pm Meryl Leppard – Friday, November 14, 6.30pm

Radio Springs Hotel, Lyonville Birdland – Thursday, October 30, evening The Jude Parsons Set – Friday, October 31, evening Travelling Concessions – Saturday, November 1, lunch Gillian Eastoe and Terry Murray – Saturday, November 1, dinner

Perfect Drop, Daylesford SIN dance night with DJ EZC – Monday, October 27 Hooked on Bossa – Saturday, November 1 Family Farm – Friday, November 7 Jennie Brown & Bruce Millar – Saturday, November 8

Locals’ meal deals Monday

Mercato, Daylesford - main dish & a glass of local wine - $30 Bean and Barrow, Creswick – $10 plate The Grande Hotel, Hepburn Springs - two courses and a drink of house wine, beer or bubbles -$38 Old Hepburn Hotel, Hepburn Springs - parma - $17.50

Tuesday

Cosy Corner, Hepburn Springs - Curry & Hot Pot Night - $18 Old Hepburn Hotel, Hepburn Springs – Pot Pie and Pot - $20

Wednesday

Daylesford Hotel, Daylesford - Pot and Parma - $20 Sault, Sailors Falls - a la carte menu with glass of wine Old Hepburn Hotel, Hepburn Springs – roast - $17.50

Thursday

Daylesford Hotel, Daylesford – steak - $20 The Plough, Trentham - two courses - $25, three courses - $30 Radio Springs Hotel, Lyonville – Thai night Old Hepburn Hotel - fish & chips/burger $17.50

Friday

Cosmopolitan Hotel, Trentham – two courses - $25 Cosy Corner, Hepburn - Fish - $26.50 with glass of house wine Fundraising raffles for local organisations are held at The Farmers Arms Hotel, Daylesford, Cosmopolitan Hotel, Trentham and Old Hepburn Hotel, Hepburn Springs

Happy hours Daylesford Bowling Club – Monday to Thursday from 4.30pm to 6pm Perfect Drop, Daylesford – $10 cocktails and $1 oysters every day from 4pm to 6pm

Looking for new bowlers now!

The Local - tlnews.com.au

Nom Nom Nom 27

Castlemaine Railway Hotel right on track by Nick Bunning

ometimes you have to venture over to the ‘other’ side of the tracks to make the most exciting discoveries. Castlemaine’s Railway Hotel is a case in point.

Tucked away on the far side of the railway line, but in clear view of Castlemaine Station, this gem of a pub is so well-loved by locals that it’s rated #1 out of 36 Castlemaine restaurants on Trip Advisor. Time for us who live slightly further afield to catch on to what’s happening on our doorstep… When we arrived for lunch on a sunny Saturday, we were greeted by our charming waitress Sarah, who showed us to a table in the cosy, English pub-style Rail Bistro. The building itself dates back to the 1870s but has been extensively modified over time. Pub owners Peter and Jacqui Griffin brought Brazilian-born chef Brunno Rocha Melo onboard some 18 months ago, and his seasonally-changing menu features Spanish, Portuguese and Brazilian influences and flavours. However, pub classics such as fish and chips, parma, curry of the day and a range of steaks (dry aged on the premises) are available too. Produce is sourced wherever possible from a select list of local suppliers. And we were impressed at the many choices available for vegan, vegetarian or gluten-intolerant diners – no-one is left out here. We thought a refreshing beer would be in order while we perused the menu and daily specials’ board. An extensive range of craft beers are available on tap here, and barman Darcy suggested we try a Stonemasons Pale Ale from Tooborac Brewery ($4.80 a pot). Perfect. Now, down to the serious business of making meal selections. For a starter, I opted for the El Gringo spicy chicken sliders (3 pce, $12). The meat is flame-grilled and presented on a bed of coleslaw, inside a house-baked bun. Chili and paprika spices hit the right level, and the fresh green salad was ample accompaniment. They were absolutely delicious, and with three sliders per serve, this could easily pass for a main meal! Lindsay had ordered organic grilled white asparagus with pine-nuts and peas ($10) from the specials’ board. This arrived appealingly presented in a copper pan, with house-baked bread on the side. The balance of flavours was exceptionally good, and I couldn’t resist digging my fork in to grab a taste. After a short break we were ready to tackle our main courses. The Moqueca grabbed our attention – prawn, fresh fish, scallop, squid, mussels and Moreton Bay bug, served with rice and bread ($34 for 1 person, or $52 for 2). But in the end we decided to leave seafood for a future visit. Lindsay zeroed in on the Kyneton goat with heirloom beetroots, celeriac, buckwheat and spirulina ($30, GF). To accompany this he selected a Blackjack 2009 cabernet/merlot ($8.50 a glass, $40 a bottle) from the very reasonably priced regional wine list. The presentation was amazing, and this was matched by the array of flavours and tenderness of the goat flesh – real melt-in-your mouth stuff. Meanwhile, after being momentarily dazzled by the sheer number of tempting choices available, I had ordered black pepper and mustard seed chicken curry ($21) from the specials board. Oh, and a Harcourt Valley 2013 chardonnay ($7.50 a glass, $35 a bottle) – just to wash it down. I’m sure no-one ever leaves hungry – the curry was a very generous serve, accompanied by pappadam and a mound of fluffy rice. The pepper and mustard flavours of the curry were beautifully balanced to complement the abundant chunks of perfectly cooked chicken. This was topped with a dollop of yoghurt and a sprig of coriander. Delicious. While both declaring ourselves amply satisfied, after a short break we succumbed to the dessert menu. After considering the trio of house-made ice creams ($9 – flavours change regularly) and the popular Eton mess - raspberry sorbet, Baileys and meringue ($12, GF), we plumped for a couple of intriguing sounding options. The Dulce de leche petit gâteau ($12, GF) just seemed to have my name written all over it. And I was right – it was beautifully presented, alongside Brazil nut ice cream and coconut tapioca, topped with freeze dried raspberry and strawberry. As soon as my spoon sliced into the gateau, it revealed a centre of warm, runny caramel – mmmmm! Meanwhile, Lindsay was enjoying the fallen Harcourt pear dessert ($14, GF). This was quite some creation. Dehydrated pear soaked in sake, with a dollop of rich chocolate mousse, tangy goat yogurt ice cream and mandarin wedges – all atop a pureed pear base. A fantastic blend of fruity and sweet taste sensations to wind up a memorable meal. As we eased ourselves into the car we were immediately discussing our next opportunity to sample the delights of the Railway Hotel. Signals on go, points switched, full steam ahead please!

28 Big Breakfast Off

The Local’s Big Breakfast Off!

The Local - tlnews.com.au OK. You have waited long enough. It’s time for The Local’s inaugural Big Breakfast Off.

Six fabulous dining venues have thrown their breakfast in the ring and now it’s time for you to sample and vote! When you decide which one you like best, and they are all fantastic, just go to “facebook.com/dhslocal” (The Local’s FB page), and “like” the photo of your favourite dish. You can vote for as many dishes as you like and bribery is encouraged! Just remember your “like” only counts when it’s on The Local’s Facebook page photo... May the best breakfast win. Voting closes on Saturday, November 22. The winner will be announced in the November 24 edition of The Local. First prize is The Local’s Giant Pepper Grinder - the perpetual “off” trophy.

The Good Food Store - French Toast Frenchies with berries, maple syrup, ice cream & cream.

Bocconcini - Asparagus & Eggs Poached eggs, warm asparagus and local Istra smoked salmon, roasted cherry tomatoes, beetroot, relish and grilled ciabatta.

Cosy Corner - Avocado Toast Istra bacon, tomato & avocado on hollandaise toast

Koukla Café & Pizzeria - Sweet Corn Fritters with grilled tomato, avocado, sour cream and rocket

Peppermill Cafe - Full breakfast Sausages, eggs, bacon, mushroom, tomatoes and toast with a free glass of bubbles

The Grande Hotel - Tuki smoked trout Tuki smoked trout, hash brown, watercress, poached egg and horseradish

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Wining & Dining 29

CAFE ALL ROUNDER Experienced cafe all rounder required for busy cafe, day shifts only. Weekday work but must be available for weekends, public and school holidays. Barista experience not required but highly regarded. Experienced people only apply.

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Dinner: Thursday - Tuesday from 6pm Lunch: Friday - Tuesday from 11am Breakfast: on weekends from 9am Coffee & Cake: always available Locals Night: all welcome Curry & Hot-Pot Night Tuesdays $18 Fish Night Fridays: $26.50 with glass of house wine (a la carte dining also available)

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EVENTS Melbourne Cup Day $15 chicken & salad lunch 12 noon start Glass of bubbles

Sunday 16th November 6-8pm Financial Members $42 General Public $50

Muso Club 3rd Sunday of Every Month. Bring your voice or instrument. 1-5pm Bingo â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sunday 2-4pm, Tuesday 7-9pm. Big Bucks Jackpot starting at $30,000 plus lots of in-house jackpots every session.

Xmas Day Lunch 2 course, bon bons and lolly bags for the kids. Adults $50 - Kids U10 $25 - Kids U5 $12.50. $20 deposit per adult required when booking. Optional Seafood Platter at additional cost available - must be pre booked. Kyneton Bowling Club (03) 5422 1902 www.kynetonbc.com.au manager@kynetonbc.com.au functions@kynetonbc.com.au 61-79 Mollison Street Kyneton 3444

Morning Melodies 4th Monday of Every Month 10.30am Free Entry Tea, coffee and song books provided. Great for aged care outings, planned activity groups etc.

Sport 29

The Local - tlnews.com.au

Kids going for a roll

RIMARY school students are heading to Daylesford Bowling Club each week to take up one of the fastest growing sports around.

Club spokesman Nigel Dempster said a number of schools were sending their students along throughout the last term of school “so children can get out into the air and play a sport”. “It was a community effort and also perhaps a bit selfish because we are hoping some of the younger ones might be interested in a few more years’ time.” Mr Dempster said the club was keen to rid the sport of lawn bowls from its “old fogey syndrome” and get people realising it was a sport for all ages and all genders. “One of our youngest pennant players is just 14 – and there are plenty of junior players. “It is also a sport with a lot of money involved for players in premier and state teams. Some get more than the local footballers. “And the bigger clubs are also now looking at a lot of sponsorship. So it’s a real sport and we would like younger people to come and give it a go.”

Hepburn Primary School student Max sends one of the kid-friendly bowls across the green

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32 Our homes

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There’s no place like (this) home...

ANDRA and Paul Barnfield reckon their house is “not that different”. But many would disagree.

You turn the corner at Bullarto into Blackwood Road and notice a “lake” although Paul refers to it as the “dam” – even though it holds three million litres. And in front of the dam, with lovely decks for chilling out, is the “shed”. It’s 20 metres long and six metres wide and inside is just beautiful with lots of open-ish plan living – but plenty of privacy - and those “lake” views. Not to mention garden views of some of the 2500 “big” trees Sandra has planted. Apparently you don’t count the small things. This couple clearly loves their artwork and every wall is adorned with amazing pieces – some by their son, who turns out to be a gardener, and others by slightly more well-known people like a small Brett Whiteley (hanging above the toilet – where else) and a couple of Clifton Pughs. But the thing that is the most “different” is the level of sustainability achieved. Sandra and Paul’s home was in last year’s Sustainable House Tour of Trentham as part of Victoria’s Sustainable House Day. And no wonder. The windows are all double glazed, they have their own hot water, their own drinking water, dam water, their own sewerage and everything is mostly powered by solar panels on the roof. “The floor is not on a slab so it’s a little more tricky but the slow combustion oven heats the whole house. And we grow wattles for firewood. The wood heater is just for looks only – it’s only been lit twice in five years,” Sandra said. (The couple actually connected to the grid 18 months ago after Paul, a builder, had his first accident and went through the roof of a 100-year-old house. Sandra decided running around to start generators on cloudy days was not a good idea for a while.) And there is the resale. Although Sandra admits, despite working their way through 15 houses so far, this one will be hard to leave. “If we did want to sell people now all want plug and play,” she said. “Even though we have computers and everything you can imagine. The young ones are shocking. They will pay $1 million for a property but you can’t turn on underfloor heating because it blacks out the neighbourhood or it has three forms of heating because it’s too hard to heat and too hard too cool. Alarm bells should be going off.” Sandra and Paul, who moved from Glen Waverley to their latest home in 2009, started with the garden first, and then moved onto the house. Accommodation included a small caravan and then the shed. The real shed. Sandra said she had always known she was destined for the country and after working on a normal sized residential block in Somers on the Mornington Peninsula – adding linked pavilion buildings and, of course, a garden, it was time for a bigger canvas. Sandra said with five acres, just one under being able to subdivide, she decided

“We are just so lucky to have a property like this.” to “fill it with garden”. The house itself came in just under $200,000 although the couple did all their own labour except plastering and painting - “I was over painting by then”. “And everything works so much better than we ever imagined. The only thing I would change would be to have a few more cross draughts but as anyone from here knows there are not that many hot nights in Bullarto. “We are just so lucky to have a property like this.” So how does someone from Glen Waverley find a property in Bullarto as their probably forever home? “You just suggest to Paul that you would like to move and have some land and he is gone. And then he calls and you ask ‘where are you darling’ and he says ‘I have found the place’. “And we came to look and drove in with the agent, and it was just a paddock but all facing north with a gentle incline and I said to Paul ‘tell him we’ll have it’. “And Paul said ‘no, you have to bargain’. So after 20 minutes walking around I just said ‘let’s buy it’. I always knew I was a country girl. I like my own company and can spend weeks here. I only go to Daylesford under duress.”

Just briefly... CALLING all artists!

Hepburn Shire Council is inviting expressions of interest from artists to undertake development and construction of a permanent artwork in Daylesford, Hepburn or Hepburn Springs. “The selected artwork will be an innovative and contemporary concept.” Expressions of interest close on December 1. Detail: Kate Gerritsen kgerritsen@ hepburn.vic.gov.au or 5321 6428.

BUSHFIRE workshops and community meetings are being held thoughout November.

Leonards Hill Bushfire Planning Workshop will be held on Saturday, November 1 from 11.30am at the Leonards Hill & District Fire Station, Ballan Rd, Leonards Hill. Barbecue to follow workshop. Lyonville Community Meeting will be held on Thursday, November 6 from 7pm at the Lyonville Hall. Barbecue at 6.30pm. Porcupine Ridge will hold a Bushfire Planning Workshop on Wednesday, November 12 from 7pm at Porcupine Ridge Fire Station, Porcupine Ridge Rd, Porcupine Ridge. Barbecue at 6.30pm. Yandoit Community Meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 19 from 7pm at Yandoit Hall, High St, Yandoit. Barbecue at 6.30pm. Details: 5329 5510.

FINAL draft streetscape designs for Creswick, Clunes, Trentham, Hepburn Springs and Glenlyon will be presented this week.

Glenlyon – Monday, October 27, 7pm, Glenlyon Town Hall Hepburn Springs – Monday, October 27, 7pm, Hepburn Springs Chalet Clunes – Tuesday, October 28, 7pm, The Warehouse-Clunes Trentham – Tuesday, October 28, 7pm, Trentham Neighbourhood Centre Creswick – Wednesday, October 29, 7pm, Creswick RSL

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34 Keeping busy

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Our homes 35

John Rodda’s DAYLSFORD MOWER & SAWS

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Ring John or Dan 0419 133 048 Shed 4 Railway Cres, Daylesford *conditions apply

JOHN RODDA’S AUTOS & POWER EQUIPMENT John and Debbie Rodda are very pleased to welcome Daniel Collings to their team at Daylesford Mowers & Saws. Daniel is an accomplished motor mechanic and is well known to many people in the Daylesford area. Daniel brings expertise and experience in late model vehicles to our business, particularly in the area of auto electrical diagnositics and repairs. Daniel is no ordinary mechanic! He has been awarded at an international level for his achievements and we are very excited to have him on board. He is teaching us a few things I can tell you! Please drop in and say hello to Daniel and help us in making him feel welcome to our team. www.worldlawn.com.au

John Rodda’s Daylesford Mowers & Saws Factory 4, Railway Cres, Daylesford

Phone: 0419 133 046

See mechanics in action on Daylesford Mowers & Saws Facebook page!

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Boxes and packing available *LOCAL *COUNTRY *INTERSTATE Phone Mick or Lisa anytime on 0498 507 552 or 0410 057 112 www.kynetonremovals.com

36 Business Guide

Promote your business here from just $25 plus GST!

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Business Guide 37 POOL AND SPA MAINTENANCE SERVICES

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38 Outdoors

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Supa Swift Blue Catcher Model $439 Buy two chainsaw chains and receive one chain free Lubrimaxx Bar and Chain oil 5 litres ONLY $20 Free Pick-up and Delivery for all Ride-on mower services Now Servicing 4 wheel motorcyles all makes and models

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DAYLESFORD FLOOR COVERINGS Your LOCAL flooring experts cnr East and Mink Streets, Daylesford Phone for a chat about your flooring needs on (03) 5348 4097

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Sport 39

Daylesford Lawn Tennis Club open day

HE clothing has changed, and perhaps the racquets are a little more flash, but members of Daylesford Lawn Tennis Club have been serving up aces for more than 100 years.

The club was first sited in Camp Street where it was with the Daylesford Bowling Club, but moved to West Street in the 1920s. A private club, members came together to buy some land, where there are now 10 impressive grass courts – and a couple of crumbling and unused hard courts. President Greg Malcher, who joined the club when he arrived in Daylesford 28 years ago, said with no all-weather courts – there are plans afoot though - the tennis season started in mid-October and ran until the middle of April. Greg said juniors were a big part of the 130-strong membership with kids coming to play on Saturday mornings – including at times up to 40 beginners “which is pandemonium really”. “But it’s great. All that energy from kids who are thinking about having a look at tennis and just trying it out. “The biggest challenge we have is keeping juniors as they get into the later stages of school. So we are trying to set up a Tuesday night competition to encourage school aged kids to keep playing. “Worldwide, the challenge is keeping the girls playing and that’s an issue here too. Why is that? That’s a good question. Tennis Australia are looking into it – I told them they should get Taylor Swift and Katy Perry playing tennis on YouTube.” Greg, who many would know as a Springs Medical Centre doctor, said grass courts were “fantastic on the body”. “They are really good for people as they get old and much nicer on the body, and especially the knees. You see flexible surfaces in grand slam events but they are still very, very hard on the body and the shock absorption is there – but nothing like grass. Playing tennis on a natural surface is absolutely fantastic.” But Greg said he was aware some people were “intimidated” by playing on grass but once they tried it “they love it”. “The bounce is not perfect, you do have to adjust, but if you fall over and leave

a dent it fixes itself in a day or two. And people are less likely to injure themselves on grass than any other surface.” Grass courts, however, do take time to prepare with the courts now needing mowing twice a week until Christmas and to be lined once or twice a fortnight. A group of “wonderful volunteers” share the workload turning a blank area of grass, left pretty much alone over winter, into 10 grass courts. With the volunteer help, and currently renting out the clubrooms to the Daylesford Dharma School, the club can keep its membership costs to just $100 for the year for a senior. And from there “you just turn up and play”. The courts are also for hire for visitors and casual games “but we really want people to join”. Greg said private tennis clubs were not unusual but often had their premises on council land. “We own our land and that’s good because we are, to an extent, in control of what we do. We plan to build some all-weather courts but to do that we would need to sell off some of our land for residential development. And we are optimistic that the community would be supportive of that. “As a tennis club our job is to provide the best tennis facilities we can and that will probably cost about $500,000. And we would hope to also get some grant money – that’s something we are keen to push on with.” Greg said his own tennis journey started as a squash player. “I have played a lot of squash so if you watch me play tennis you can see that – it’s not pretty but it’s relatively effective. I like that it’s good exercise and a game you can play all your life. We had a player from Ballarat who was 82 and he was still running around. “But I always knew the only way I was going to get my name on the honour board was to be the president.”

Photo: Page 40 Link: daylesfordtennis.com

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Tennis open day DAYLESFORD Lawn Tennis Club held an open day recently with president Greg Malcher keen for new members to see the benefits of playing on grass. Also on the day, Greg presented a certificate of Life Membership to coach Brian Carr. Read about the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history and future on page 39.

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