February 15, 2016 Issue 65 Timber Benders
The Local - The Heart of the Highlands
2 About Us
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The Local is a fortnightly community publication covering the Central Highlands. The next edition is out on Monday, February 29, 2016. Advertising deadlines for the next edition of The Local: Space bookings: Wednesday, February 24 Copy provided by: Thursday, February 25
Front cover: Taking wood and
February 15, 2016 Issue 65 Timber Benders
bending it into strong timber components is why Don O’Connor and Sue Ewart are known as the Timber Benders. Read their story by Kate Taylor on page 7. Image: Kyle Barnes Correction: Last week’s front page wonderful shot of Tanya Bull was taken by David White - not Kyle Barnes. Nice try Kyle!
Editorial deadline: Thursday, February 25 Managing editor | Donna Kelly General manager | Kyle Barnes Sub-editors: Nick Bunning and Lindsay Smith
The Local - The Heart of the Highlands
Writers: Kevin Childs, Dan Lonergan, Anthony Sawrey, Kate Taylor, Donna Kelly Photographers: Kyle Barnes, David White Graphic designers: Dianne Caithness, Robin Archer
The Local is a registered trademark of Kyle Barnes and Donna Kelly
Layout: Donna Kelly Columnists: Glen Heyne (gardens), Samantha Redlich (fitness), Roy Lever (ales) Great editorial and affordable sales - 5348 7883 | 0416 104 283 news@tlnews.com.au | ads@tlnews.com.au donna@tlnews.com.au | kyle@tlnews.com.au Free e-editions at www.tlnews.com.au
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A poet’s farewell: listening, laughing and an outrageous rescue
T
HE farewell to Hepburn poet Venie Holmgren was as spectacular an event as many she saw in her 93 years.
From her astonishing coffin, to the graveside where a bloke jumped into the hole, it was a day for some tears, much laughter, stories, and such warmth and affection that, were the day not so hot, would warm you through. For instance, how many funerals are there where, prominent among papers marking a life, is an ASIO file, noting that Venie and her late husband Jack ran a specialist magazine business opposite the Perth garage where the spooks parked their cars? There was standing room only as about 100 mourners filled green plastic chairs and overflowed under a muddy, fraying blue tarp at her home, Poet’s Corner, Melliodora. Before them was the coffin, laminated with her poetry and those of others. It sat on a battered wooden table she made. The coffin was made by her son David, grandson Oliver and Stephen Oram in Stephen’s workshop. Most of it was reject plantation pine plywood, some of which built her home, and represented her frugal aspects of not wasting anything, arising out of a Depression-era sense of poverty and her mid-life environmental awareness. The head board was off-cuts of Himalayan cedar used in the window and greenhouse frame of her home. The timber was from a tree killed by drought in Wombat Park Estate. It symbolised both Venie’s late-life journey to India as a performance poet and is closely related to the legendary Cedar of Lebanon that grew on the mountains of the Levant, home to her Jewish ancestors. Jarrah flooring formed the footboards, coming from great forests between her birthplace in York, WA, and Perth. Spectacular salmon pink redwood made the lid. It was from a tree of 2.1 metres in a heritage Mt Macedon garden that was destroyed by the Ash Wednesday bushfires of 1983 and stood for her appreciation of the special things in life. Knots and holes in the body of the lid symbolised Venie’s progressive breakdown and faults or singularities of character. The perfect clear wood of the upper part represented her sharp and clear mind to the end. Pine edgings taking the bow out of the lid were weathered off-cuts of beams of her house, racked for more than decade, and marked her will to overcome limitations and her love of landscape. The toe knot was a reminder of the bunions of her distorted feet which she always saw as a symbol of deprivation through having to wear school shoes that were too small. Soon the coffin bore other symbols of her life: her favourite cup and saucer, red roses, and a Scrabble game spelling her name (she was a 320-plus player) were laid on it by five people. Venie’s voice could never be silenced. Now she was heard reading a verse, as always, experience carrying emotion. “What a joy,” said Oliver, “it is to see the world through a poet’s eye”. Stories flowed about this young Jewish firebrand who grew to take on the authorities over the vicious Vietnam war, how she and her young husband, idealists both and believing that speculation was evil, sold a block of land at less than market value, Poverty forced Venie from school at 14 and not until her fifties did she begin writing poetry. Poet Pete O’Mara told the gathering that she was a “rare, demanding, complex inhabitant of the writing world…nncomplicated of word, she had high expectations, always ambitiously alert”. Her last work was published when she was 90, “…spare and considered, revealing a poetic of loss, beauty, family identity, question and renewal”. To a background chorus of screeching cockies and a demanding rooster, he said, “she was always going to be 93”. The words of one of her sons, David, the co-originator of permaculture, hung in the air. We learned that she was feisty, an environmental warrior, ironic, mischievous, cheeky, wry, charismatic and a great listener. Eights books came from her pen. Mourners were invited to take a volume of her poems. The birds were silent in the midday heat as mourners applauded when six pallbearers lifted the remarkable coffin by its rope handles. The cortege proceeded to Franklinford Cemetery where a mourner spied a large skink about to be squashed by the coffin. He leapt to the rescue. Venie would have liked that.
Words: Kevin Childs
Above, Venie Holmgren, centre, one of the speakers, architect and permaculture pioneer Phil Gall, below pallbearers Pete O’Mara, Graham Dennett, Rick Tanaka, Tony Soccio, David and Oliver Holmgren lead the funeral procession. Top image: Kyle Barnes. Bottom two images: Bruce Hedge Photography
Welcome to The Farmers Arms Open 7 days a week for lunch & dinner As the oldest pub in Daylesford, ‘The Farmers’ is brimming with real character. An iconic corner pub that boasts the perfect blend of country charm, with sophisticated menu, wine list and professional service. Find all the details and information about the pub and our current menu at: thefarmersarms.com.au You’re Welcome to Eat, Drink & Be Local at ‘The Farmers’. 1 East Street Daylesford, ph: 03 5348 2091
Vale 3
4 Our artists
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Anne Boundy hooked on quilting ANNE Boundy counters her work in IT with quilting - but after many years she only has two of her own to show for her efforts. As told to Donna Kelly.
“
MY BACKGROUND has always been in IT and I think to counteract all those ones and zeros I have found that quilting allows me to be creative without restrictions!
I had tried sewing in high school and was turned off by sewing clothes (they are fiddly) however, when my grandma passed away in the early 90s I bought my first Janome sewing machine with some money she left me. A local quilt shop had a class, I signed up and went along. My first quilt (which I still have) is nowhere near perfect, but I was really happy with the result and wanted to make more. As the saying goes “I was hooked”. I started making baby quilts for family and friends - just one or two small cot-sized ones each year and it wasn’t until moving to the Hepburn Shire - and having a craft room of my own - that I have really embraced my crafty side and I have made five large-sized quilts in one year - along with about 25 other smaller projects. And I already have three full-sized quilts almost finished and it is only mid-February. I love making quilts for family and friends....to give them a piece of me, each bit sewn with love and best wishes...it is why I have only got two of my own very early quilts - all the rest I have given away. I am rectifying that this year with two quilts destined for our house. I have a full-time job, so my sewing fits in around that and family time...having said, that I do spend as much time as possible in my craft room sewing or plotting out my new projects. My hubby always knows where to find me. I have found people from around the globe on Instagram who are also interested in fabric, quilting and sharing their ideas and inspiration for patterns. I released my first pattern for sale in 2015 of an advent calendar with cute little pockets for each of the days leading up to Christmas - just perfect for treats or activity cards. I have also just heard that I have been accepted as one of the 52 Quilters for this year meaning I get to take over the @52quilters social media - Instagram, Twitter and website - with my own posts and quilt journey for the week starting June 6. I hope to be able to showcase some local quilters and some of the Hepburn Shire’s amazing scenery during the week. There is always something new to learn - this year I have joined an Instagram sewing bee and I am also in the sew-along www.project48quilt. com. Both of these have me learning new techniques. I believe anybody can quilt, or in fact do any craft, it is all about believing in yourself, having a go and then practice, practice, practice. You won’t be brilliant at it first go, but the satisfaction of making something is worth the frustrations along the way. I have tried my hand at lots of different things over time; pottery, decoupage, knitting, crochet - I am part of the Keeping Daylesford Warm team, and wood working. I made our blackwood dining table. You can follow my journey on Instagram @anneboundy or at www. saidwithlove.com.au I do make the occasional thing for sale at the CWA Daylesford & Hepburn Springs markets held in the Senior Citizens’ rooms behind the Daylesford Town Hall every couple of months.”
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National award for Albert Street Butchery apprentice Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Kyle Barnes
D
AYLESFORD third-year butcher’s apprentice Jim Nevill has come third in the Australian Meat Industry Council’s National Apprentice of the Year competition.
The three-day competition was held in Brisbane earlier this month. Jim, who works with Danny Wane, pictured far right, at the Albert Street Butchery, said the first day was all about theory, the second more practical work like breaking down a side of lamb and pork, and the third was a mystery box. The mystery box was definitely the hardest, he said, with just 90 minutes to create a number of ready-to-cook dishes. “The mystery box had a pork shoulder and beef knuckle along with bacon and some random vegetables, nuts and marinades. “I just boned out the pork and beef and made a number of value-added products including steaks, some roasts and sausage rolls. I like making pastries. We only had an hour and half to do it and we had 200 people watching us and someone walking around with a microphone interviewing us – a bit like MasterChef. “I was happy with what we had to work with, although I allergic to nuts and didn’t use them, but I wish I had done it quicker, I sort of left everything to the end. “But everyone was a bit flustered and rushing to finish.” And although he came third, Jim’s score was just two points behind the winner from South Australia, and one point behind the second place from Queensland. Those two will now go on to compete in national team in France next year. But Jim is happy with his result. “I was happy with third and I think just to get that far was good enough for me. “And next year I will be too old to compete, they only take up to third-year apprentices – I will be a fourth-year apprentice next year. So that’s it for me. But I was happy to be there and I made a lot of friends.” One new friend is from Perth and someone Jim helped out on the second day. Danny said the WA apprentice had never worked with pork before and despite the clock ticking, Jim helped him get started on the meat. “We have had a load of customers wishing him well up there and encouraging him in the competition. And I am extremely proud, he’s the best apprentice I have ever had,” Danny said.
“You can show someone how to do something but unless they care it’s not going to work. And Jim is very receptive. “He started here when he was 14, working part-time just cleaning up, so we have worked together for about four years now.” When Jim, who is Hepburn born and bred, is not honing his butchery skills you can find him playing drums in the metal band, Bury Me In Autumn. “We usually play in Ballarat, Geelong or Melbourne – or we are practicing at my house.” And with the national recognition what’s next for Jim? “I will just keep working at Albert Street, I am not going anywhere.”
Central Highlands Pain & Well-being Centre Dr Shelley L Beer Chinese Medicine NEW i Book A handy reference for a myriad of life’s stumbling blocks. www.blurb.com or print version from www.tcmconsultancy.com
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Inspiring 5
6 Crossword
Challenge yourself with our crossword! Look for the answers in the pages of The Local. Last week’s solution is on page 16.
UPCYCLING HOME STUDIO
Get the U R G E!!
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News 7
Search for hoops leads to bending timber Words: By Kate Taylor | Images: Kyle Barnes
F
ROM train carriage frames to royal tennis racquets, the Timber Benders are always open to challenges in the quest to keep their trade from becoming a dying art.
Taking wood and bending it into strong timber components is also how Don O’Connor and Sue Ewart came to be running their own business at their Daylesford factory – after quite a journey. It was hoops that began it all; Don wanted them to make yurts – Sue and Don already made tee-pees - and Sue wanted them to make Native Americanstyle hand drums, and both found what they were looking for in a timber bending factory in Echuca. But they returned to Daylesford with more than just hoops. “We purchased the factory…it was running out of steam and when we took it on we had no experience in timber bending at all, we had eight days tuition and then we had the factory. After a year, we moved it all to Daylesford.” The machinery itself has an impressive history; first imported from Sweden to Launceston in the 1880s, it was then moved to Melbourne in the 1900s before being relocated to Echuca and, with a brief stopover at the Creswick Woollen Mill, ultimately to Daylesford. “Back in its heyday, the Port of Melbourne would have had its own timber bending machines, and the railways, and the tramways, and the carriage makers - there was a carriage maker in Daylesford way, way back, and they would have had machines to bend the wheel rims and shafts,” Sue explained. In fact now, Don and Sue are believed to be the only timber benders left in Australia – other bending plants have been scrapped over the years. The process is an old technique which sees Don carefully select lengths of air-dried timber to be bent. “I place the dressed timber into hollow tubes, 300mm wide by four-anda-half metres long. Connected to those we have a wood-fired boiler, which generates the steam. The steam goes into the tubes and soaks and softens the wood,” Don explains. “The steam brings the wood temperature up to 96 degrees centigrade, and that’s enough to soften the timber. When the timber’s soft, and hot, I take it straight out of the chamber and put it on one of the old machines, which in about 20 seconds bends the timber around the mould. You have to be a bit fast to make sure it gets bent while it’s very hot.” How long the timber remains on the machine is dictated by the shape that is desired; how long it is left to set also determines how much the timber will spring back when taken off the machine. “Normally Don over-bends, knowing he can just open it out, because you can’t put it back in the machine to bend again,” Sue explains. The wood has an impressive range of applications – there’s always a steady stream of restoration work for vintage cars and carriages, usually hood bows and mud guards, jinker shafts, play equipment and public seats for councils, chair backs for an elite Melbourne restaurant, a frame for the top of a train carriage restoration, and bespoke landscape architecture. “And we did a job for the new Virgin Lounge at Perth airport – 50 lineal metres of curved benchtops.”
Link: www.timberbenders.com.au
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8 Opinion
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Just sayin’...
Pick me, pick me...
By Donna Kelly
I
HAVE been watching My Kitchen Rules lately. I know, sad but true. And worst of all I am jealous of their cooking skills. Well, not all of them. I don’t think the mining blokes are all that flash.
But they are better in the kitchen than me. Anyone is better in the kitchen than me. And I blame my mother. Now mum can cook - she just can’t cook anything “politically correct”. These days you need everything to be salt free, fat free, palm oil free...you can’t eat bacon or ham, and even honey can kill you. We must have been tougher in the old days. Firstly we grew up with a chip pan that’s a pan of oil just waiting for more potato chips to be fried in it. And no, the oil doesn’t get changed. Mum’s probably still got it. It’s also handy for other food - like taking a perfectly healthy apple, slicing it up, covering it in batter and deep frying it. You then sprinkle it with icing sugar and throw on a dollop of cream. Yum. But not particularly a Weight Watchers winner. We also had lots of mince - which was usually encased in pastry, topped with loads of mashed potato which was then covered with full fat butter and full fat cheese - for a nice topping. Any leftover pastry got made into dessert pies - again with full fat cream and ice-cream on top. We had a break from mince and chips when mum went away for a week. Dad was left on his own to feed his brood of four hungry kids. We had ham steaks, pineapple and mash every night. It has taken me 30 years to have another ham steak. Dad also kept lunches simple. During the week we had canteen money every day - fantastic - and on the weekend we had corn on the cob, grown in the backyard, cooked in the pressure cooker and covered with full fat/full salt butter and then more salt. Yum. i there, I am Archie, a domestic short hair boy, just two years old. When I moved away from home, it was to Japan, to my own little apartment with I’m a talkative, affectionate and confident sort of guy who gets on its own kitchen. But luckily for me, in Japan they had only hotplates, no stoves, so no with other cats and I don’t mind dogs either, so I will probably do pressure to cook much at all. And even better they eat their fish raw. Bonus! well at a new home with other friendly pets. So please, pick me! Back home I have learnt a few basics. I can do a mean spaghetti sauce. And I can MC# 956000004887952 boil an egg. Apricot chicken’s pretty easy and so is chicken, rice and mushrooms. And I Castlemaine RSPCA is at 24 Langslow Street, Castlemaine. Phone: 5472 5277. like a simple salad any day of the week. Open: Monday to Thursday 10am to 5pm. Friday to Sunday 10am to 2pm. But it’s not going to get me on My Kitchen Rules any time soon. And that’s OK. I recently received an email to try out for Millionaire Hot Seat. Which was strange because when I did the test online I think I got most of the questions wrong. Bottom of the barrel perhaps? Anyway, I’ll give it a go - as long as I don’t get a question about (Pick me, pick me is run in memory of Rosie and Curly. We picked them.) cooking...I’ll keep you posted.
H
The Local - Connecting the Community Child Care Vacancies in Daylesford
THE Local believes in giving back. So we created a “Connecting the Community” project. Each edition The Local has two free advert spaces (or one big one like Lyonville Woodchop) to give away to not-for-profit organisations. Just because we can. So if your group needs a helping hand just email donna@tlnews.com.au If we receive more than two we will use the tried and true “put them in a hat” system but also work a little bit on timing.
We currently have vacancies in our Possum Room (babies), Wombat Room (3-4 year olds) & Goanna Room (4-5 year olds and Funded Kinder). To book a visit to the centre call Kylie (Centre coordinator) on 5348 3702 Don’t forget to join our waitlist to be notified of vacancies as they come up. Daylesford Community Child Care Centre (Not for profit) 81 West Street, Daylesford www.daylesfordchild.org.au
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News 9
Concerns over former hospital development At an open day on Sunday, February 14, Barbara and Geoff Crapper, with a photo of them leaving Kyneton Hospital with their daughter in 1980. Image: David White
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“However we are opposed to the density of the proposed development and the significant lack of environmental considerations. The site is home to the endangered species the hairy anchor plant and conservation of the sensitive river ecosystem has not been considered. Among those against the development is SBS newsreader Lee Lin Chin who is “Dwellings sympathetic to the most beautiful site in Kyneton in proportion to using YouTube for her campaign. In her campaign, launched on Valentine’s Day and titled Show Us Some Love, Ms current town plots would be a greater asset to this site. Protecting the river, the hairy anchor plant now and in the future needs to be a priority.” Chin calls on Kyneton residents to come up with a better plan. The owner of the site is Winport Developments. “It’s hard not to sympathise with the developers, at least they’ll stop it falling Winport Developments did not return queries from The Local by press time. down — what are you doing?” The site is is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register with a report saying it is Larry Price, one of about 200 residents who have written to Macedon Ranges historically and socially important for its association with Kyneton’s boom activity in Shire Council to object to the proposal, said the main problem was the high density the 1850s. of accommodation planned for the former hospital building and the grounds. “The hospital is one of the earliest of a group of Victorian country hospitals built Mr Price said he was also concerned about environmental impact and any run-off between the early 1850s and mid-1860s. The original building designed specifically into the Campaspe River behind the site. as a hospital, performed that function for almost 90 years, fulfilling only ancillary “Ideally, like many people, I would rather see more of a community development needs after completion of the new main ward block in 1942. (It) is architecturally with parkland and a playground. I am not opposed to some housing, just not so important as it demonstrates a range of architectural hands and styles, including densely populated.” Georgian, Gothic and Victorian.” Mr Price said it was disappointing that local and state governments had sold the “The two-storey central bluestone wing being the first of these, erected from 1854 building and land in the first place and not looked to the future or placed conditions to 1856. Stonemasons Smith and Rogers constructed the building to the designs on its development. Meanwhile, a Facebook page, Kyneton Old Hospital Site Critical, says its purpose of architect Gabriel Fleck. Subsequent stages included an additional east wing and mortuary designed by the well-known Kyneton architect William Douglas between is to “convince our town planners to consult and engage with community before 1859 and 1861 and further work by Gabriel Fleck in the extension of the west wing progressing the application for 69 dwellings on Kyneton’s old hospital site”. in 1864. An emergency ward was constructed separately on the site in 1894 to the “We are a group of locals who are not opposed to development of the site and designs of architect William Tonks who was also responsible for the addition of a cast welcome the restoration of the heritage hospital building. iron verandah to the main building in 1910.”
yneton residents are hoping to change a development proposal for the former Kyneton Hospital which will see 69 apartments on the site.
Words: Donna Kelly
Business networking Bocconcini, Vincent St, Daylesford Wednesday, February 24 7.45am - 9am
Speaker: Commercial lawyer Marianne Dunham Join Daylesford and Hepburn Springs business owners to network, find out about trademarks, intellectual property and commercial law... and have a great breakfast. RSVPs essential by Monday, February 22 to info@dhsbata.org.au
Daylesford & Hepburn Springs Business & Tourism Association
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Artists 11
Giorgia, with a world on her mind Words: Kevin Childs | Image: Kyle Barnes
I
T IS no small irony that an artist who had a profound impact with a work reflecting on a forest fire spends a lot of time in one of the most fire-ravaged parts of the globe.
Giorgia Severi is drawn back to Daylesford as part of an international odyssey that has taken her to both the remote outback and the most chic of artists’ forums. It is a journey that began in Ravenna, her home in northern Italy 13 years ago, when at 18, she travelled to Tibet, much to the surprise of her account manager father, mother, sister and brother. There she found sense in the monks’ belief in wanting less of material things. Further travels to Nepal and Morocco broadened her world, but since the age of 18 Giorgia had enjoyed performances by indigenous and other Australian musicians in Italy. In this way she was drawn to the indigenous culture, for which she has massive respect. “I wanted to do a project about Australia,” she says. With a background as a student of the restoration of ancient mosaics and with further study in fine arts and contemporary art, Giorgia began a monumental task of showing aspects of this culture at one of the outstanding events on the arts calendar, the seven-month long Venice Biennale. Often living in her 18-year-old Mitsubishi van, tagged “Jasper” by a previous owner, she traversed the continent collaborating with Aboriginal artists and art centres in coordinating “Country”, an exhibition at last year’s Photo Biennale. One of her first major public shows was in her home town after arsonists destroyed a pine forest where, she says, Dante wrote his Divine Comedy. His tomb is in Ravenna. “Giorgia Severi,” wrote an Italian critic of this work, “is accompanied by silence, it walks at her side, unfolds in her hands as she offers it to the people she finds in front of her: by offering a seed she offers the silence that got lost in the crackling blaze…” Each visitor to this show left with a seed as a symbol of renewal. Having rested in Daylesford before heading for Alice Springs, Giorgia plans to spend about six months working around Alice before returning to Italy for her next adventure, marriage. Then it’s back again in a continuing exploration but of her country this time, developing a project called Ancestors, dedicated to the forests, mountains and volcanoes of Italy.
“...silence, it walks at her side, unfolds in her hands as she offers it to the people she finds in front of her: by offering a seed she offers the silence that got lost in the crackling blaze...”
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12 News
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Foraging for Central Victoria’s fungal bounty
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Right: The Wood Blewit (Lepista nuda) HILE the country’s rural regions are gaining popularity for their gourmet food, wineries and weekend getaways, a new contender Lepista nuda is a stunningly beautiful is fast gaining popularity. Mushrooms! Indeed fungi are often mauve to lilac coloured fungus with a fragrant referred to as the Forgotten Kingdom. With autumn just around the corner, a smell and flavour. Be aware that this fungus is great diversity of fungi in every imaginable colour, shape and form will soon toxic if eaten raw. reveal themselves. Right: A basket of delicious edible mushrooms
Right: The Slippery Jack (Suillus granulatus)
Foraging for edible mushrooms is becoming an ever more popular pastime in Australia. With their earthy fragrances of wet forest, mushrooms truly capture the essence of autumn and add interest to a forest stroll. However, those who fancy collecting a few mushies for dinner should take heed. Always be absolutely sure of the identity of wild-picked fungi. Dangerously poisonous species lurk among the edibles that could land you in hospital or even in the grave. Telling them apart takes time and experience. Those foraging for edible fungi need to also be able to identify toxic doppelgängers, especially the infamous Death Cap, Amanita phalloides. This species has claimed several lives in Australia and is responsible for more deaths worldwide than any other species. Right: The Death Cap, Amanita phalloides Some of the more popular and easily identifiable edible species in Australia include the Saffron Milk Cap, (Lactarius deliciosus), the Slippery Jack (Suillus luteus and Suillus granulatus), the Lawyer’s Wig (Coprinus comatus) and the Wood Blewit (Lepista nuda). Each has their own particular features that need to be understood and recognised in order to make accurate identifications. Be aware that edible fungi cannot be identified from photos alone.
Right: The Saffron Milk Cap, Lactarius deliciosus Saffron Milk Caps (Lactarius deliciosus) grows in association with conifers and in Australia foragers typically head to Pinus radiata plantations where they often grow in abundance.
Right: The Lawyer’s Wig (Coprinus comatus) The Lawyer’s Wig (Coprinus comatus) is so-called because of the tufted texture of its cap that resembles a lawyers wig. Also commonly known as an inky cap, this species produces copious quantities of black spores, that when mixed with water, resemble black ink.
The common name, Slippery Jack actually refers to two species, Suillus luteus and Suillus granulatus. Both grow in association with pines and are popular edible species.
Further to the joy of some freshly picked edible mushrooms, there is much more to fungi than those destined for the pan. Although we often don’t think about fungi until mushrooms push through the soil, fungi exist all year underground where they are hard at work maintaining the healthy functioning of ecosystems. The underground fungal network of connective fibres known as mycelia, provides structure to soils and regulates hydrological cycles, underpinning ecosystem functions. Many fungi form connections with a great variety of plants, helping them to access water and solubilise nutrients. These clandestine fungal partners also protect tree roots from soil pathogens. It is these relationships that enable the maximum growth and health of the great majority of plants. Right: Fungal mycelium Other fungi play an essential role in decomposing organic matter such as leaf litter, returning nutrients to the soil. In doing so they complete the cycle of life. Each year ecologist and environmental photographer, Alison Pouliot, runs forays and workshops to show people how to identify fungi and understand their greater ecological significances. If you’d like to know more about these intriguing organisms you may like to attend a workshop on the diversity and curiosities of the Kingdom Fungi.
Link: www.alisonpouliot.com Words and images: Fungus enthusiast and ecologist Alison Pouliot, below
Geelong Businessman, Mark Ward has ownership of the Mill Markets group and brings years of expertise to this amazing concept. The Mill Markets operate three massive venues located in Ballarat, Daylesford and Geelong. With a total of over 12,000 square metres of undercover floor space, (3 acres), treasure hunters have the opportunity to spend many hours browsing and meandering through the eclectic mix of products. There is a fantastic variety of home decor, furniture, records, vintage clothing, books, fine china, glassware, industrial items, jewellery, antiques as well as Australian pottery, homewares, memorabilia, retro fashions and collectables. We also have many stalls selling new products and have gift vouchers for those people who have everything!
All goods are from the 1850’s right through to present day. Mill Markets lease space to hundreds of dealers, which allows small business operators and collectors who otherwise could not afford the overheads of their own shops, to showcase their goods. This equates to a wide and diverse range of products, available and open to the public, seven days a week. Enjoy a wonderful trip down memory lane through hundreds and thousands of items available for purchase at all three locations. With over 500 stall holders over three venues, there is always something for everyone. Travel The Amazing Mill Markets ‘Golden Triangle’ and enjoy quality food and coffee at each. All venues open 7 days 10.00am-6.00pm (excluding Christmas Day).
14 Happy & Healthy
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Happy & Healthy 15
Jack-of-all-trades at Hepburn House
Advertorial
D
ON Wanke is a jack-of-all-trades.
Having grown up in the region, the 44-year-old has mastered everything from being a butcher to a gardener, a Department of Primary Industries volunteer to a painter. To this day, Don prides himself on his versatility and his ability to complete hands-on projects to a high standard. “I’ve worked in gardening and maintenance and was a butcher for 24 years before doing three years with the summer fire crew. I am good outdoors in good weather and indoors when the weather is not so good!” Don currently works as the maintenance manager at local aged-care facility Hepburn House. The Eganstown resident said it was important for him to work in the region he has called home for more than three decades. But even more than that, Don said working at Hepburn House was very rewarding. “I started there two years ago and my duties include painting, gardening, odd jobs and making sure the residents are happy with how their room is set up,” he said. “I enjoy working at Hepburn House because of the range of jobs I have and the good relationships I have with the residents.” Providing all levels of care, Hepburn House is a governmentfunded aged-care facility which offers a non-institutionalised and home-like environment. With a large focus on leisure and lifestyle, the staff ensure variety and spontaneity are maintained for all the residents. In a bid to further enhance the facility’s lifestyle program, Hepburn House is in the process of building a large garden overlooking the farmlands at the rear of the centre. The task will require levelling of the land and 600 truckloads of dirt. Don said he was looking forward to building raised vegetable gardens, chicken pens and a walking track in the garden. “All the staff here are great, I enjoy new projects and look forward to building the new garden,” he said.
Hepburn House is located at 1 Hepburn Road, Daylesford. For more information, call 5348 8100 or visit www.hepburnhouse.com.au
Do you keep people happy and healthy? Advertise here from just $30.25 cents per week! Email ads@tlnews.com.au
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16 News
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Castlemaine Town Hall conversations
A
CTOR Rachel Griffiths, director and producer Robert Connolly and film critic Philippa Hawker will take part in Conversation at Castlemaine Town Hall.
Over the past three years, with the help of members of Keep Baringhup Clean, Raimond Gaita has brought to Castlemaine a distinguished band of writers and thinkers to raise money to help pay the legal cost of opposing a chicken factory proposed for the Baringhup West end of the Moolort Plains. Alex Miller, Arnold Zable, Helen Garner, Robert Manne, Hannie Rayson, Don Watson, Robyn Annear, Tony Birch, Robyn Davidson and singer and songwriter Rose Bygrave all took part, pro bono. Together with Yana Canteloupe, who is completing a PhD in philosophy, Gaita also established a writer’s prize. Entry fees have been donated to the cause. On Saturday, February 20, at the Castlemaine Town Hall, Griffiths, Connolly and Hawker will discuss film, culture and politics. On New Year’s Eve, VCAT released its judgment to permit the building of the factory. The organisers hope to raise $10,000 towards challenging that decision in the Supreme Court. The tribunal has ordered permits be issued for 24 broiler sheds for up to 1.2 million chickens, “If the factory is built, others are almost certain to follow,” Gaita says. “The character of the Moolort Plains, whose beauty nourished the souls of generations, will be spoiled almost beyond recognition. “The lives of those living close to the factory will be made miserable by odour and the traffic of around 5000 trucks a year.”
Here’s the solution for last week’s crossword for Issue 64. How did you go?
Standing up for the Hepburn Community
P: (03) 5338 8123 F: (03) 5333 7710
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18 News
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Quarry expansion at Tylden on the cards
T
YLDEN residents are concerned about possible development at Tylden Quarry.
An open letter to residents says the Fulton Hogan Quarry in Tylden is proposing to expand the size of its quarry from eight hectares to 28 hectares. “A pit more than three times the size of what is already there cannot do anything but severely impact on the environment and community that surrounds it. “As the intended expansion of the pit would be east of the current mined area, this enormous pit will no longer be shrouded by pine trees like the current one but clearly visible to the main road. “There will of course be no buffer to the considerable dust and noise. It will be a massive eyesore on the landscape and goes against everything that this region considers important. “During the celebrations of the Tylden Hall’s 75th anniversary tours of the quarry were conducted (and) the local community were told that the quarry’s plan was to cease mining of the site within five years and the plan was for the site to be transformed into a community lake with associated parks and community facilities. “There is then the question of the effect the mine has on the artesian water basin in the area. It is a fact that several spring fed dams and wells in the Tylden area are dry this summer and this is not assisted by heavy users of the water table such as the quarry. “If this goes ahead the market value of homes within this town and region surrounding a 28-hectare open cut mine would decrease significantly. No potential new home buyer, tree changer or property investor in their right mind who would want to buy a home within a town that has a 28-hectare open cut mine at its heart.” The letter also cites increased traffic, polluting stone dust in the air and the noise of machinery as issues. “Whether you live in, own, rent or merely pass through Tylden, we urge you to act now so that we may lobby government and local council to stop this proposed action by the quarry.”
Tuesday 16 February 10am Joy (M) 6pm He Named me Malala (PG) Friday 19 February 5:30pm The Fifth Wave (M) 8pm The Hateful Eight (R) Saturday 20 February 3pm The Fifth Wave (M) 5:30pm Sisters (MA15+) 8pm The Hateful Eight (R) Sunday 21 February 1pm Sisters (MA15+) 3:30pm The Fifth Wave (M) 6pm The Hateful Eight (R) Monday 22 February 6pm He Named me Malala (PG)
all movies & screening times are subject to change
Meanwhile, in its application to Macedon Ranges Shire Council for a planning permit, Tylden Quarry manager Todd Firth said the quarry provided employment for up to 10 permanent staff within the quarry “the majority of which are from Tylden and the surrounding communities”. “Other staff onsite includes two laboratory staff, two permanent maintenance subcontractors and up to 10 permanent and casual cartage contractors. We also utilise various local tradesmen and we source supplies locally wherever possible.” Mr Firth said to maintain the long term viability of the quarry it was seeking approval to extend operations to the land on the eastern side of the existing extraction pit, rehabilitating as it progresses. “The Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources has endorsed the draft ‘Variation to Work Plans’ for the quarry. This plan, which included extensive environmental, traffic and geotechnical assessments, aims to minimise the impact of the quarry on the local community and environment. “While developing the draft plan, we spoke with many local residents and community groups to understand their views. We also held open days and bus tours of the quarry as part of our open door policy. “If approval is granted, Fulton Hogan will be able to quarry at Tylden into the future, whilst continuing to support local community groups and maintaining employment opportunities.” A spokesperson for Macedon Ranges Shire Council said the application had been advertised and was “currently being assessed and the applicant is working with referral authorities who are seeking additional information”. “Once the referral authorities provide a response, council will be able to finalise the application. Following this, council will assess issues such as amenity for nearby residents etc.”
Words: Donna Kelly
Tuesday 23 February 10am Sisters (MA15+) 6pm Sisters (MA15+) Friday 26 February 5:30pm Sisters (MA15+) 8pm Spotlight (M) Saturday 27 February 2pm Sisters (MA15+) 4:30pm The Hateful Eight (R) 8pm Spotlight (M) Sunday 28 February 12pm The Hateful Eight (R) 3:15pm Spotlight (M) 6pm Sisters (MA15+)
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Tuesday 1 March 10am Spotlight (M) 6pm The Hateful Eight (R)
Open Caption Selected Sessions
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Markets 19
To market, to market...but which one?
Y
OU can find everything you need at weekend markets, from fresh fruit and veg to handmade jewellery and wares, throughout the Central Highlands and surrounds. Here are just a few. Daylesford Railway Market – every Sunday Wesley Hill Market - every Saturday Daylesford Farmers’ Market – first Saturday (pictured right) Golden Plains Farmers’ Market – first Saturday Trentham Neighbourhood Centre Makers’ Market - first Saturday Castlemaine Artists’ Market – first Sunday Kyneton Farmers’ Market - second Saturday Kyneton Rotary Community Market – second Saturday Ballan Farmers’ Market - second Saturday Maldon Market – second Sunday Clunes Farmers’ Market - second Sunday Trentham Farmers’ Market and Makers’ Market – third Saturday Glenlyon Farmers’ Market – third Saturday Creswick Market – third Saturday Leonards Hill Market - third Saturday Talbot Farmers’ Market – third Sunday Woodend Lions Market - third Sunday Buninyong Village Market – fourth Sunday Trentham Station Sunday Market - fourth Sunday
The Trentham Farmers Market has joined with Trentham Makers Market
Third Saturday, 9am - 1pm
TRENTHAM STATION SUNDAY MARKET Victoria Street, Trentham On the fourth Sunday of each month 8.30am - 2.30pm Enquiries/Bookings – Kaye / Leigh 54241466 or Ross 54241509 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!
TRENTHAM PETROL & STUFF
1 Market St PH 5424 1611 Mon - Sat 8am - 6pm Sun 9am - 6pm
Petrol, oils, swap & go gas, firewood permits, farm produce / produce store, ice, milk, soft drinks, take-away pies, coffee, confectionery, local honey etc. rusty junk, secondhand books, old wares
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News 21
Let Them Stay protest Free weed booklet
C Stay”.
ENTRAL Highlands residents, above, were among those who rallied around Australia on February 8 asking the Federal Government to reconsider the recent High Court ruling on refugees and “Let Them
The Rural Australians for Refugees, Daylesford combined with Alana’s Network to hold the rally outside The Royal Hotel in Daylesford from 5.30pm to 6.30pm with a minute’s silence at 6pm. A number of petitions were also available to sign. A spokesperson said the rally was about “making a visible stand for compassion by our government and politicians rather than the use of punishment of the innocent to deter the guilty people smugglers”.
22nd ANNUAL BULLARTO VINTAGE TRACTOR PULL & VEHICLE DISPLAY SUNDAY MARCH 13 FROM 10.30AM. RALLY SITE: BULLARTO HALL AND RAILWAY GROUNDS OLD VINTAGE TRACTORS AND CRAWLERS Open to all tractors pre 1955 and classic tractors
VEHICLE DISPLAY : Beautifully restore Vintage and Classic Cars, Trucks and small engines
VINTAGE PARADE AT LUNCH TIME
ALSO DEMONSTRATIONS DURING LUNCH TIME INCLUDE ANTIQUE STONE CRUSHER (over 100 years old) DYNO TESTING
OTHER ATTRACTIONS.
A MOBILE PHONE THROWING COMPETITION FOR THE LADIES FOOD STALLS CHILDREN’S RIDES ENTERTAINMENT PROVIDED BY THE DAYLESFORD COMMUNITY BRASS BAND AND THE DAYLESFORD PIPE AND DRUM BAND. Trophies and Keepsakes to share among contestants A GREAT DAY OUT FOR ALL Admission $7 children under 16, $3 Family Ticket (2 Adults plus children $15) Further details contact Len Orr 5348 5555 or Fax 5348 5629 Email maorr@outlook.com.au The organising committee’s Decision on all Events is Final
W
EEDS of Central Victoria, a free booklet, has been released by Macedon Ranges Shire Council and is designed to help residents and landowners identify weeds in the area and offer appropriate solutions on how to treat them. Produced in partnership with Mitchell and Mount Alexander shire councils, and South West Goulburn Landcare Network, the booklet catalogues more than 60 weeds, providing information on different control techniques for each weed as well as encouraging integrated weed management. The handy guide also contains information on common or potentially harmful weeds. Council’s Planning and Environment director Sophie Segafredo said managing weeds was an important environmental issue. “Weeds pose a serious threat to local agriculture, local economies and our native plants and animals. We have a range of initiatives and programs in place that are actioned through the shire to address the issue of noxious weeds, and this valuable new booklet is one of them. It’s free, well-illustrated and informative – and aims to give us all the tools to tackle weeds together.” The Weeds of Central Victoria booklet is available online at mrsc.vic.gov.au/ weeds, or hard copies are available from council’s customer service centres. Meanwhile, the council’s environment team will run a free workshop for the shire’s residents and landowners on weeds on Saturday, March 5 from 10am to 1pm in Newham. Held at the Newham Mechanics Institute, the two-hour workshop will cover topics including weed identification, weed control techniques and weed management. Bookings: 5421 9660 or environment@mrsc.vic.gov.au
Helping young people
D
O YOU want to learn how to help young people?
Fully accredited Youth Mental Health First Aid courses are available to parents, guardians and teachers in the Macedon Ranges who are interested in learning how to help young people experiencing mental health problems. The award-winning course teaches adults first aid skills to give initial help to young people who are in a mental health crisis situation or in the early stages of a mental illness. The 14-hour course covers topics including anxiety, depression, psychosis, alcohol abuse and other drug issues and eating disorders. Mayor Graham Hackett said while the course content could be confronting, the benefit of being able to assist a young person in crisis meant it was well worth the effort. “Young people play a vital role in our community and we’re dedicated to doing all we can to help them be the best they can be”, he said. “Council’s programs and initiatives such as the Youth Ambassadors program, MITS and YEP! all foster leadership and encourage the development of new skills. “But when times are tough for our young people we, as parents and carers, need to be equipped to recognise that.” The program will be held in Woodend in March, Romsey in May, Woodend in July and August, Gisborne in August and Kyneton in October. Details and bookings: mrsc.vic.gov.au/life4life, Lauren Proudfoot on 5422 0275 or lproudfoot@mrsc.vic.gov.au
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Inspiring 23
A sensible organic return to old world ways Words: Anthony Sawrey | Images: Kyle Barnes
T
HE land around Blampied has been farmed for generations. In the early days everything was extracted from the land through sheer physical labour. Itinerant workers would take care of these duties, arriving and departing depending on the season from picking potatoes, cutting wheat, shearing, mustering and weed control. That’s what farming was all about and it employed people in numbers we can hardly conceive of today.
Captains Creek winery was just such a place. Four generations of the May family have worked the property since Joseph May purchased it in 1909. For much of that time the family grew mixed cereals, hay, beef cattle and dairy cows. “It certainly was much more hands on in the early days,” says proprietor Doug May. “During harvest time for example there would have been a dozen workers staying in this hut and cooking their meals on the open fire over there.” We are standing in the tasting room at Captains Creek, a converted labourers’ bunkhouse with original shingled roof and festooned with black and white photos and the tattered relics of a hundred years of farming. But today it’s been revitalised as a wonderfully cosy retreat for the numerous visitors who visit the family’s cellar door. They come to take in the history and sample a wonderful array of hand grown organic red and white wines, ciders, and fresh produce. Doug and his brothers Rod and Greg, and their families, manage the farm and it has been certified organic since the 1980s. “My older brother Rod came home from America at the time and convinced our late father Maurice to phase out chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilisers. Like most owners around Blampied dad had been using commercial chemicals since the 1950s. But to his credit he made the move away from ‘lazy farming’ as we call it and did the three-year conversion to organic. We were fortunate that our property was not as affected by spraying as some other farms in the district.” The results speak for themselves. The brothers have since established tree crops of chestnuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, and apples, plus native trees and shrubs to provide shade and shelter for livestock. Doug and his wife Carolyn introduced wine grapes in 1994 with two hectares of chardonnay and pinot noir. Further diversification came with potatoes, carrots, beetroot, parsnips, sweet corn, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbages, lettuce and much more. To cater for the growing numbers of visitors they opened a small kitchen in 2009. It provides a summer lunch menu showcasing their efforts and offers a tasty range of wood-fired pizzas for private functions. They also sell their produce via a veggie box service where fresh, in-season vegetables are picked, packed and delivered weekly direct to local families and farmers’ markets. While there are numerous smaller operations that operate pesticide and chemical free, it is interesting to see how the Captains Creek farm at over 200 acres, manages the extra workload that comes with going organic. “There is certainly a lot more labour involved with larger scale. Rod probably grows four or five hectares of intensive veg with mechanical weeding as opposed to spraying. Everything is picked by hand and there is a lot more labour involved, a lot more risk. But we have been here doing it for 30 years and the vineyard since ’94. We’ve had a couple of tough seasons, with wet summers which made it difficult for mildew control, but so did other conventional growers.” This is a place that is so much more than a winery or repository of relics from a century of farming. It is a showcase demonstrating how primary producers in regions like Blampied are adapting back to old methods. It seems strange that chemical free processes in farming operations should be newsworthy at all. Except for the past hundred years, organic farming has been the dominant system for 12,000 years. “It’s very true,” concludes Doug, “all we are doing is simply returning to the ways my great-grandfather would have seen as normal. That’s not unusual, it’s sensible.”
Left, Doug and Carolyn May at their farm gate; right, from top, Blampied’s most photographed dog, Whisky; Doug checks on the grapes; and Whisky keeps a look out in front of the alfresco dining area
24 Out & About
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A GUIDE TO
PERMANENT WATER SAVING RULES Permanent Water Saving Rules are a set of common sense rules that are applied every day of the year to ensure we use water efficiently. They are designed to allow flexibility and choice regarding your water usage, especially through the warmer months.
The key permanent water saving rules are:
USE
FURTHER INFORMATION For further information on Permanent Water Saving Rules call 1800 061 514 or visit chw.net.au
RULE Vehicles
Can be cleaned at any time with: • a hand held hose that is leak free and fitted with a trigger nozzle; or • a bucket
Gardens and lawns
You can water a residential garden or lawn using: • a hand held hose, bucket or watering can at any time; or • a watering system between the hours of 6pm-10am on any day
Hand held hose
Water using a hand held hose anytime if it: • is fitted with a trigger nozzle; and • is leak free
Fountains and water features
Water can be used in a fountain or a water feature when the fountain or water feature recirculates the water
Hard surfaces
Water can be used to clean driveways, paths, concrete, tiles and timber decking if: • cleaning is required as a result of an accident, fire, health hazard, safety hazard or other emergency; or • staining to the surface has developed and then only once a season; or • due to construction or renovation, and then only using: • a high pressure water cleaning device; • or a hand held hose or bucket 01-14-SD04
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Meal deals 25
Meal deals for locals...and tourists too! EVERYONE loves a good meal deal. So here are the dining establishments offering great food and great prices! Monday Mercato, Daylesford – main dish & a glass of local wine - $30 The Grande Hotel, Hepburn Springs – two courses and a glass of house wine, beer or bubbles - $38 Blue Bean Love Cafe, Hepburn - Curry Night with vegan options available - $18
Tuesday Perfect Drop - five courses with a glass of bubbles or beer - $55 Blackwood Hotel, Blackwood - Parma Night - $15 + glass of house wine or pot
Wednesday Daylesford Hotel, Daylesford – Pot and Parma - $20 Old Hepburn Hotel, Hepburn – Roast - $17.50 Belvedere Social, Daylesford - four shared courses with glass of wine - $50
Thursday Daylesford Hotel, Daylesford – Steak Night - $20 The Plough, Trentham – two courses - $25, three courses - $30 Belvedere Social, Daylesford - four shared courses with glass of wine - $30
Friday Grange Bellinzona, Hepburn - two courses and glass of wine - $35 Blackwood Hotel, Blackwood - Fab 5 meals specials from $18 Blue Bean Love Cafe, Hepburn - Burger Night with vegan options - $16
Happy Hours Daylesford Bowling Club has Happy Hour ‘n’ a half, from Monday to Thursday, from 4.30pm to 6pm. Perfect Drop, Daylesford, also has a Happy Hour, every day, from 4pm to 6pm with $12 cocktails and $2 oysters. Blue Bean Love Cafe, Hepburn has Happy Hours from Friday to Monday from 4pm to 6pm with $5 beer, wine or bubbles.
Raffles Fundraising raffles for local organisations are held on Friday evenings at The Farmers Arms Hotel, Daylesford, Cosmopolitan Hotel, Trentham and the Old Hepburn Hotel, Hepburn.
Want to share a locals’ deal? Email news@tlnews.com.au
Lunch for 5000 Club
L
AKE Daylesford is the setting for this year’s Regional World’s Longest Lunch for Daylesford and Hepburn Springs.
www.daylesfordbowlingclub.com.au
HAVE A TASTE OF HISTORY
The hisToric
Blackwood hoTel
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Est.1868
Blackwood Hotel ad
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Golden Po int Ro
Enjoy the relaxed local atmosphere, Music & Entertainment or just a quiet cool one anytime. New owners, new chef and new menu. l Open 7 days/nights - Lunch and Dinner. l Quality Wines/ Fresh Seafood. l Accomodation l Functions (and friendly Kookaburras)
Blackwood Hotel 1 Golden Point Road Blackwood 3458. Phone 03 5368 6501
CFA
Visit ‘JINDARUP’
Blackwood’s newest destination for gifts, art, craft antiques, books & more (opposite the pub).
Live music Saturday nights!
The lunch will be held on Friday, March 4 from noon to 4pm. The cost is $155 for four courses with matched drinks. Participants are asked to dress “with vintage flair to remind us of a slower and quieter time”. Money raised will go to the 5000 Club - which provides a three-course meal every Friday in the Anglican hall in Daylesford, with everyone welcome to attend. 5000 Club organiser Loretta Little said it was “marvellous” that the proceeds from the longest lunch would go towards the club. “We get by with a lot of makeshift equipment so it means we will be able to buy commercial grade pots and pans, commercial grade cutlery and a couple of lighter tables - which will be easier for the volunteers to move around. “I was absolutely delighted when organiser Bettina (Ralph) told me of her plan to gift us the proceeds. The 5000 Club is very grateful to her and her team, and the generous businesses which are donating their time, their food and drinks for the event. It once again demonstrates the wonderful cooperation from the local community.” Ms Little said the 5000 Club had been operating for four and a half years and served up almost 10,000 three-course meals in that time. “We offer plenty of choices, as much tea and coffee as people want and people can also help themselves to fresh fruit and produce to take home. We also have the knitted goods in winter.” Ms Little said while the Friday lunch was originally perceived as being for those who could not afford a good meal, it was much more than that. “It is a community lunch and anyone can come. People might be feeling a little isolated or alone and they can come along and have a good meal and talk to others. “I really think the byword is communication. That’s what people benefit most from and appreciate. Making friends and having a chat. “The 5000 Club really has become an important asset to the community and this funding means we will be able to upgrade our equipment and continue our operation well into the future.” Tickets: 0423 630 674 or www.trybooking.com/JAYN
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My Shout with Roy Lever
I
REMEMBER, not so long ago, well before “craft beer” was a common term at least, I could walk into any given pub and the beer offering would be the same on every tap. Lager, lager, lager, lager, all commercial, all the same and not one ale in sight.
Then as time moved on in Victoria at least, small breweries such as Mountain Goat and Holgate’s started introducing ales to our local watering holes. Craft beer drinkers were delighted to have flavour on tap and not just have available the “boring” lagers which had really been the norm since the introduction of refrigeration in brewing to this country back in the 30s and 40s. Big Japanese brewer Lion Nathan then created the brand James Squire in the late 90s and over the next few years ales were seen on tap banks all over the country. In more recent times we have noticed the rise of pales on tap, to the point where I walk into some pubs and it’s pale, pale, pale, pale and not much of anything else. Then as consumers’ tastes developed, beers that are bitter and bigger in flavour like India pale ales and American-style pales are making their way on tap and into our pubs. This is not a bad thing, please don’t get me wrong. So it is with interest we are now seeing craft breweries return to brewing lagers. Why? Is it because brewers have started to isolate and alienate the average beer drinker by brewing too big and challenging beers? Is it that we’ve brewed every style there is to brew so we start again? I think it’s more the case that lagers are easy to drink, they suit our climate and they are sessionable (a punter will drink more than one or two) so therefore profitable. I also believe that punters just want a brew they can drink as an everyday beer without having to resort back to the mass produced commercial stuff. Lager beers use a colder fermentation than ales, they use bottom fermenting yeast and are stored for longer periods of time. In fact, lager means “storeroom or warehouse”. This brewing technique delivers a crisper, lighter tasting style of beer, which is refreshing and easy to drink, perfect for the Australian climate. No wonder they have been so popular for so long in this country.
Cheers 27
To say the brewing industry has gone full circle wouldn’t be totally correct. The new wave of Indie craft lagers is not “boring” by any means, they are full of flavour, are cleverly developed and thoughtfully brewed, but still they are sessionable and definitely true to style and fit our drinking needs. Here are a couple that are absolute crackers!
Holgate Brewery (Woodend, Vic) Norton Lager 4.3%abv $21.99 per 6 x 330ml bottle. The Norton Lager pours a light golden honey colour and has a nice clean, white head. Its aroma is pleasant with a really nice mix of biscuity malt and piney hops. Light in the mouth this “Helles style kellerbier” has a sweet malt flavour and a delicate bitterness which allows the combination of malt pine needle flavours to linger. The Norton is a well balanced, good tasting and very easy drinking sessionable Lager. For those times when you want to drink, not think but still refuse to sacrifice flavour. Food match: grilled fish, barbeque meats, fresh seafood.
Castlemaine Brewing Co Castlemaine Lager Original Pilsner 4.6%abv $24.99 per 6 x 330ml bottle. Pouring quite a transparent golden colour with a slight haze, the Castlemaine Lager has a sweet bread malt aroma without too much of an apparent hop note. It has a good mouthfeel with the malt acting as a good backbone to the crisp saaz, riwaka and motueka hops, leaving a pleasant earthy, herbal almost mouth drying after bitterness. This is a solid pilsner style lager which is versatile enough to fit into many different occasions, whether it’s pouring it into a glass at dinner to necking from the bottle whilst watching the cricket with your mates. Food match: spicy Thai fish cakes.
Link: www.myshoutbeerreviews.wordpress.co
Cellarbrations at Foxxy’s - Our region’s largest local and boutique wine specialist Amherst Lachlan’s Chardonnay
2 for $ 3 or $19 5 .99 each
A lovely chardonnay with aromas of peach and grapefruit on the nose. The palate is savoury and nutty with a nice balance of fruit and acidity.
La Vieille Ferme Rose
$17.99 each
Salmon pink in colour this rose has a perfume of rose petals and citrus fruit. A light, dry palate with hints of raspberry and orange rind flow through to a dry finish.
Grandin Method Traditionnelle Brut
$17.99 each
This is an elegant French sparkling made using traditional methods. It has a mineral, nutty, citrusy nose with plenty of bead in the glass. The textured palate has tight lemon flavours infused with flowers and a yeasty character.
Hazyblur Kangaroo Island Cabernet Sauvignon
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Red-purple in colour with a bouquet of dark berries, this cabernet sauvignon carries a hint of spice and bitter chocolate with mulberry fruit and cassis flavours. Its firm structure and ample tannin make for great cellaring.
03 5348 3577 | 55 Vincent Street, Daylesford | Open every day till late
28 Gigs
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SIN Service Industry Night w/ DJ Dusty Stylus – Monday, February 15 Phisha – Friday, February 19, 8pm Liz Frencham Duo – Saturday, February 20 Michael Sunjack – Friday, February 26 Evie Tozer w/ special guest Cyndi Boste – Saturday, February 27 LEAP YEAR SIN Night w/ DJ Clay Ravin – Monday, February 29
Castlemaine Railway Hotel, Castlemaine Salty and Friends – Sunday, February 21 Grumpy Neighbour – Sunday, February 28
Blue Bean Love Cafe, Hepburn Springs
The Grande Hotel, Hepburn
Daylesford Cidery, Daylesford Grumpy Neighbour - Saturday, February 27, 1pm-4.30pm
Want to publicise a gig? Email donna@tlnews.com.au
Link: www.tasteofkyneton.com
Pizzeria
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Love and Other Disorders - Friday, February 19, 8pm Sex, Drugs & British Rock – Friday, February 26, 8pm The Drowsy Magpies - Saturday, February 27, 7pm
More than 30 producers and restaurateurs will take part including newcomers Kate’s Kitchen of Kyneton and Harper Lee Café alongside established players Mr Carsisi and the Royal George Hotel. This year Taste of Kyneton will also be featuring the artisan produce of Central Victoria’s ethical farming movement. Slow living and slow farming practices are producing exceptional results and these dedicated farmers will be bringing their produce for tasting. Raw honey, rare breed pork, cordial made from scratch on the farm, free-range eggs all feature in the dishes presented at Taste of Kyneton. Meanwhile, the laid-back acoustic stylings of Grim Fawkner, partnered by King Maxwell and other acoustic acts will add to the atmosphere. Proceeds from the day will be donated to Kyneton CFA for the purchase of a hazmat trailer – a purpose-designed vehicle to carry protective gear in an emergency. Proceeds will also help RM Begg Kyneton Aged Care, a community-based care facility.
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delivering
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Lunar Dust – Friday, February 19, 5pm-7pm Evie Tozer – Saturday, February 20, 5pm-7pm Cam Kettle - Sunday, February 21, 5pm-7pm Buck Jr – Friday, February 26, 5pm-7pm Smokey Town – Saturday, February 27, 5pm-7pm Buck Jr and The Reputation, Sunday, February 28, 6.30pm-9pm
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HE Taste of Kyneton is back - showcasing signature tasting dishes from Kyneton’s hottest restaurants and food producers at the Kyneton Racecourse on Sunday, February 28.
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Gig Guide
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News 29
Day to celebrate acts of courage and determination
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The event will be held at the Daylesford Town Hall Nicole is passionate about the challenging and on Thursday, March 3 from 5pm. RSVPs by February 26 interesting work she finds in the technology field. to Tracye Sutton on tsutton@hepburn.vic.gov.au or 5321 Nicole is also a great supporter of part-time and 6453. flexible work which she sees as “a key enabler for a diverse and inclusive workforce”. Ms Delahunty was a journalist for the ABC and Ten Meanwhile, ZONTA is hosting its 2016 Tickets are $55 per head with BYO drinks. International Women’s Day Dinner in the Kyneton Network, and is a retired politician with the Australian Bookings: www.trybooking.com/KESG or Lorraine Town Hall on Tuesday, March 8. Labor Party. McKimm at Macedon Ranges Home Furnishings, The annual gala fund-raising event celebrates and She was elected to the seat of Northcote at a 1998 Kyneton. Details: Zonta Facebook page or website or encourages women’s achievements and possibilities. by-election and was Education Minister from 1999 to Heather MacIntyre on 5422 2376. This year’s presenter is NAB Program Office & 2002, during the term of the first Bracks’ government. According to the United Nations, International She was also Arts Minister from 1999 to 2006, Women’s Commercial Management for the NextGen Program Women’s Day, held on March 8, is a time to reflect on general manager Nicole Devine. The ambitious program Affairs Minister from 2002 to 2006 and Planning progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts aims to transform the bank’s core banking platform from Minister from 2002 to 2005. the front-end digital channels all the way through to the of courage and determination by ordinary women who Ms Delahunty’s latest book Gravity, about Julia have played an extraordinary role in the history of their Gillard’s final year as prime minister, will be available for finance, risk and treasury systems. countries and communities. purchase.
ORMER journalist and politician, and author and speaker, Mary Delahunty will be the guest speaker at the Hepburn Shire’s International Women’s Day event.
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News 31
Around the traps... Daylesford Lawn Tennis Club With Greg Malcher Junior Tennis, February 6 Great weather and court conditions drew a record number of juniors to the grass courts on Saturday morning. With five full sections, junior players enjoyed some great competition that will give some much needed experience before the upcoming junior championships on Saturday, February 20. In Section 1, Alister Ferrier 18/6 narrowly beat brother Cameron 16/8 followed by the ever reliable Tom Lowe 15/9. In Section 2, Zac Grant triumphed with a good score 17/7 from Tom Henderson 15/9 and Ben Ekstedt 13/11. In Section 3, with the best score of the day, was Rennie Saunders 20/4 from Jayden Liversidge 17/7 and Tom Ekstedt 14/10. In Section 4 it was a four-way tie on 15/9 with Olivia Leonard winning from Lachlan May, Finn Loft and Gabi Kaye. In Section 5 Eric Kelly showed his class winning comfortably 16/8 from Macy Roberts and Lachlan Sim both 14/10. Congratulations to junior player Anna Santurini who has been selected to play in the 14 & under Regional Teams’ Challenge which will be played at Warrnambool on February 27 and 28. Junior championships will take place on Saturday, February 20 at 9am. Championships are open to all junior competition players and entry forms are available at the club house.
Senior Tennis In Thursday twilight tennis this week Heroes beat Secondary Teachers 35 to 13, Dreamers beat Frith’s flingers 6 to 11, President’s People towelled up Young Ones 36 to 12 and Diamonds outgunned Pistols 30 to 18. On January 30 in the Saturday afternoon tennis in Section 1 Lewis Ingham’s 24/13 was easily sufficient to win, ahead of Brian Nolan 19/16 who nudged Barry Diamond 18/16 aside for second. In Section 2 Tom Lowe and Sebastian Douglas-Dowling were neck-andneck at the half-way mark, but SDD pulled away to record a 21/9 victory over Gerard Ingham 23/13. Pete Risstrom, Tome Lowe and David Tindal were next. In a very even Section 3 an economical Gabe Kirby 19/12 collected the glassware, edging out Cameron Ferrier 23/16. John Turnbull was third with 19/14 and Tania Evans fourth with 19/15. On February 6 “bushies” from Maryborough returned to the crime scene to win both sections. Kelvin Noonan showed his leftie class to prevail 25/14 in Section 1, ahead of a tightly-bunched group led by the improving Alistair Ferrier 2016, with Geoff Parentich 18/15, Anna Santurini 19/16 and Greg Malcher 21/18 breathing down his neck. Lew Ingham was 18/18 for sixth. In Section 2 Brian Hurse with 25/13 led in Gerard Ingham 20/13. Third was Peter Risstrom 18/14, ahead of John Turnbull 19/15, with Lynn Dwyer fifth, all square with 20/20.
A load of rubbish
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Macedon Ranges Shire Council is looking for unique construction materials to assist in the construction of the park in Kyneton’s Botanic Gardens. Council is after truck tyres, old, pre-1970 caravans, tractors or a ute, timber fence posts, hardwood timber logs, rocks and boulders in various sizes and old and antique hand tools. Collections will be carefully chosen from those offered and received until May 2. The Kyneton Community Park project is a community initiative that aims to create a community open space in the Kyneton Botanic Gardens for all ages and abilities. Mayor Graham Hackett said the park was to be a place where everybody could gather, celebrate, play and explore. “Having input from the community through the contribution of recycled materials to create this truly unique park gives everyone an opportunity to get involved. It instils a sense of pride in the space, and creates a sense of ownership from community members to the site.” Details: Jodie Turner on 5422 0247 or placesforpeople@mrsc.vic.gov.au
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News 33
Vale Marica Borich 26.10.1928 – 14.12.2015 Words: Maree Hempel
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CAME to live in Daylesford in May 2009. My neighbour across the road was already a long-time resident. She greeted me and came across the road to speak and told me her name Marica, her age 83, how long her husband had been dead - 17 years, and how long she had been a vegetarian 12 years. She greeted my little dog with affection. That was the extent of her English.
Over the years I heard that her husband had been one of the first masseurs in Daylesford and ran his business from their home. He even had a plunge pool attached to his massage room. From what I was beginning to learn about her I imagine she grew their food and was knowledgeable about herbs and the use thereof. I often witnessed her cutting down the weeds from her front garden. She had a goat, chooks and a plentiful food-rich garden. She made cheese from her goat’s milk. Every day for some years she rode her bike to Musk to a property. I remember driving towards Woodend one foggy morning and ahead of me out of the fog came Marica on her bike. I estimated the ride was about nine kilometres there and back. She was 83 plus. She also cut her lawn carefully, raking up the cuttings and carrying the piles around to her animals. She had a high side gate with an added piece of metal. It would certainly deter anyone from getting into her back yard. I wonder how safe she felt on her own. Many times I would witness her returning from shopping with flattened cardboard boxes tied to her bike plus a big bag of onions on the other side. She walked back with her bike and shopping. She was fit and able to move well. Sometimes her goat would escape and I would hear her calling her. I can’t remember the name of the goat but the call sounded beautiful as Marica sang out her name. Marica became frail over the years and stopped riding her bike as she suffered a bad back. I would hear her call from my side gate asking if I could ring a taxi for her. I did many times, then they stopped taking her and I took her down to the bank once.
She was independent. She would not leave her home to go to a doctor’s and certainly anyone who came visiting would need to call her for a very long time before she appeared to let them in. Sometimes she didn’t come and her visitors had to leave. There were people who worried about her. She was religious and had God as her companion. I don’t know whether she was Catholic or Orthodox. She came out to be a bride from her country and this decision probably saved her life as she escaped the Balkan war where 100,000 people were killed and between 10,000 and 20,000 women were raped. Given where she came from many of her family may have died in this war. On Monday, December 14 I came home from shopping and saw two policewomen and two of her friends outside her home. One woman was crying, she had been a regular weekly visitor since a fire in Marica’s backyard. I realised that something serious had happened and I knew Marica had passed away. It was her choice to stay till the end. How brave of her to know she would die with her goat and chooks as a witness to her fine dignified life coming to an end. May your God protect you in death as your God supported you in life, Marica.
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Gardens 35
Magnolia Little Gem
F
OR years I have gazed enviously at the magnificent, huge white flowering magnolia trees in public parks and stately homes knowing I would never have a garden large enough, or live long enough, to be able to grow one of my own.
That is until the recent release of a host of dwarf, home-sized, magnolia varieties including the stunning mini magnolia grandiflora replica - Little Gem, pictured above right. It is perfect in every way, including the lush, glossy foliage, but reaching a height of only two to three metres. Just right as a small specimen tree or trimmed as a stunning feature hedge plant.
Spring flowering bulbs Autumn, a mere couple of weeks away now, is spring flowering bulb planting time and it won’t be long before nurseries, florists and the chain hardware stores will be literally festooned with colourful packs of temptation. I use that term wisely because no matter how many bulbs I have packed into my beds the previous season, I am always seduced by the bigger, brighter new season’s crop, - and especially the tulips It is always wise to plant bulbs as soon as possible after getting them home to minimise the risk of them deteriorating in the pack. It is also best to get in early rather than wait until the end of the season, when they may be on special. If you aren’t ready to plant them now, you could place them in a tightly sealed plastic bag and store them in a cool place away from dry heat - even in the refrigerator crisper. In fact, tulips will respond well to a couple of weeks in the fridge. It replicates the cold frosty winter of their natural habitat and they react more than favourably to the warmth when planted. Most bulbs need to be planted to a depth of about three times their diameter in sandy, well composted and drained soil. If your soil tends towards clay, it would be best to create a raised bed for them, or, even better, to grow them in pots or boxes in a soil mixture of sand, loam and well-rotted compost.
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Trades 37
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Lake swim Travel for sport
Hepburn Springs Golf Club report
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Sport 39
HE 13-hole competition played on January 21 was won by Barry Files with 35 points. Nearest the Pin on the 11th was Colin Richardson.
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S
he Lake Daylesford Swim, a PORTS stars will be given help with travel costs. Western Victoria MP Jaala Pulford is encouraging fundraiser for Lafaek Diak athletes to consider applying for funding under the Clinic in Baucau, East Timor, is on again on Sunday, February 28. Victorian Government’s Athlete Pathway Travel Grants
There is a 10am registration and the race kicks off at 11am. Entry is free. Local medical student Kathleen On January 23, the men played a 2-person ambrose. Winners Malcher is volunteering at the Lafaek were Chris Frith and Heath Bolton with 64/8 ¼ /55 ¾. On Diak Clinic at present, having taken January 24, the summer golfers played Stableford. Best score for the day was Terry Santurini with 37 points. NTP on the 17th was medical supplies with the money raised last year. Mick Yanner, 11th was Lindsay Olver. For entry details contact Greg NAGA (not a golfer’s a***) went to Mick Walsh. Tim Murphy made it into the test team. Shane Nevill got the Lipstick. The 13- Stewart at stewg@vic.chariot.net.au or Alan Kaye at alanjkaye@bigpond.com hole competition played on January 28 was won by Peter Vendy with 32 points. NTP on the 11th was Barry Files. The men played par on January 30, only 1 grade for the day with a small field. Best score was John Fergusson with +5. Next best was Heath Bolton with +3. NTP on the 9th was John Krunic.
Program. “Some of Victoria’s most accomplished sports stars learnt their skills in regional Victoria, but it took many long hours of travel to competition and training camps to get there,” Ms Pulford said. Ms Pulford said state sporting associations were eligible to apply for grants of up to $6000 for teams or $2000 for individual athletes for travel costs associated with competing at national championships or selection trials. Clubs can also apply for up to two grants of $750 to assist coaches or officials with the travel costs of training or competition.
Link: www.sport.vic.gov.au
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