Front page: Lee Merzel and Max Primmer helped ring in the New Year in Daylesford. Lee wore a stunning peacock outfit created by one of the Daylesford NYE Parade organisers Tracey Petrie. The costume will be on display at Radius Art, Hepburn Springs from Thursday, January 16. Max was MC for the night. Check out the back page for more parade pics.
Image: Courtesy of Jane Walsh
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House.Land.Home.
The Local is a fortnightly community publication covering the Central Highlands of Victoria.
The next edition is out on Monday, January 27 2024. or online on Sunday, January 26 at www.tlnews.com.au
Space bookings: Wednesday, January 22
Copy deadline: Thursday, January 23
Editorial deadline: Thursday, January 23
General manager: Kyle Barnes on 0416 104 283 or kyle@tlnews.com.au
Editor: Donna Kelly on 0418 576 513 or news@tlnews.com.au
Editorial: Eve Lamb on 0493 632 843 or editorial@tlnews.com.au
Sub-editors: Nick Bunning, Lindsay Smith & Chester the Cat
Writers: Eve Lamb, Kevin Childs, Tony Sawrey, Kyle Barnes & Donna Kelly
Photographers: Kyle Barnes & Eve Lamb
Graphic designer: Dianne Caithness
Contributors: Glen Heyne (gardening), Darren Lowe (music), Sarah Lang (recipes), & Bill Wootton (poetry)
Accounts | Julie Hanson Delivery | Tony Sawrey
Planning trial starts
Changes to the way in which planning applications are dealt with in Hepburn Shire will be trialled for 18 months following a decision by Hepburn Shire Council last month.
Under pre-existing arrangements planning applications had been dealt with by the council’s planning officers guided by planning frameworks and policy, but had been required to go before the council for decision where there were at least five objectors.
An officer's recommendation that went before the December council sought to increase this threshold from five to 15 objectors required before an application would need to be referred to the council for decision. The reason for seeking the change was in order to streamline and expedite the processing of applications.
However at the meeting Cr Lesley Hewitt presented an alternative motion requiring at least 10 (rather than the recommended 15) objections be required before triggering the need for an application to go before the council.
Cr Hewitt’s new motion also differentiated between the farming and urban or residential context, proposing that the limit for triggering the need for council determination should remain fixed at the current minimum of five objectors in the case of applications relating to land zoned for farming.
“Community feedback suggests that the change from five to 15 objectors is too high,” Cr Hewitt said.
Cr Hood seconded Cr Hewitt’s motion and it passed five to one, with only Cr Tim Drylie voting against Cr Hewitt’s motion and instead seeking a deferral of the matter, and Cr Tony Clark an apology for the meeting.
“I support going from five to 10 objectors. I think 15 was a bridge too far and I fully support [Cr Hewitt’s amended] motion,” Cr Hood said.
The officer’s original recommendation had also sought to require that planning applications of more than $5 million in value should be referred to the council - up from the $2 million threshold for a referral to council which has been in place to date.
However, Cr Hewitt’s successful motion instead dropped reference to a dollar value threshold for triggering a referral to council, instead requiring an application to be referred to council where it meets one or more of five specific criteria.
These criteria included where “the planning permit application raises significant issues of public interest” and where it would result in a use or development contrary to the adopted Future Hepburn Strategies or a proposed planning scheme amendment which is supported by council.
Formalising an informal practice which had already been in place, Cr Hewitt’s successful motion also requires that the council's CEO implement a process where councillors can “call in” to a councillor briefing any planning permit if a minimum of three councillors seek such a “call-in”.
The new arrangements will now be temporarily in place for 18 months when officers will present a report on the outcomes and whether to continue with the changes.
During last month’s meeting councillors heard that in the past 18 months only one council planning decision had been different to the planning officer's recommendation.
It also heard that over the past four-year term fewer than 10 applications had involved the council making a planning determination that was different to the planning officer's recommendation.
And in the 23-24 financial year of the five matters that had ended up being determined by VCAT, four of those had upheld the council’s decision while the only one that had not been supported at VCAT was one in which the councillors had overturned an officer's recommendation.
Words: Eve Lamb
Just briefly...
Macedon Ranges Council is hosting a range of activities for children and young people throughout the summer school holidays including a dance holiday program.
The program is aimed at children aged 6-12 years and is happening over January 20-22, 9am-noon, at the Buffalo Sports Stadium in Woodend. Over three sessions children will learn hip-hop, acrobatic and acting skills in a fun and engaging environment with a qualified instructor. Details: 5422 0333 or studio2tinytackers@ mrsc.vic.gov.au
Photographer Ian Kemp will present a talk at the Central Goldfields Art Gallery on Saturday, January 18 at 2pm.
Mr Kemp will share insights into the background, process and ideas behind his photographs currently on display at the gallery. As a fine art photographer, he will discuss how he decides on the subjects for his artwork and then how this leads to choosing the content and form of his images.
Your say...
Creswick: A case of when not if.
While most people accept climate change and its impacts, it is unacceptable that such conditions are not being managed more diligently and regularly by the state government.
Driving around Creswick one cannot help but notice the number of dangerously high fuel loads that have not been addressed in years. It is time this neglect is rectified, I fear it may be too late for this summer but if we get through unscathed it must be a priority for next summer.
Most of the fuel load has been here since I moved to the area five years ago and has been exacerbated by the severe storms and floods we had in 2022 where trees and debris remained on the ground some three years later including:
The high fuel loads in the old pine plantations surrounding Creswick which have little to no clearance/fire protection/mitigation work undertaken on them since logging ceased;
The Midland Highway, (which I believe is state controlled) from the RACV Resort down to the border with Ballarat, is strewn with debris and dead trees on the side of the road and away from the road. There are trees that just lie on the side of the road and you can see in some parts metres of dead and dying trees ready to combust at the first sign of flame that have been there since the floods of 2022. This is also a hazard for many Creswickians as in a case of fire this would be the main road if we needed to escape, which may well be impossible;
The V/Line land along the railway around the Creswick Station and which borders houses in Lewers Street, Luttet Street, and several houses on Victoria Street, has large trees including several over three-storey gum trees which should not be there;
The land around the station (abutting Reed Street and Raglan Street) I believe is leased and while they keep the old station in reasonable condition, the land around the station is full of dead and half-dead trees and large amounts of debris, particularly on the Raglan Street side, which has been there for years; and
St Georges Lake is also a fire waiting to happen and did in fact happen last week. Again, the walking trail is barely walkable due to fallen trees and extremely high fuel loads which have been left to accumulate for years.
If we have to clean up our properties and be prepared, why does not the state government?
- Wendy Cato, Creswick
Shire youth support
Hepburn Shire Council has been awarded a state government grant to support OCTAVE youth events in the community.
The $120,000 of funding over the next three years will enable the continuation and expansion of the OCTAVE program, which engages young people in meaningful activities aimed at fostering leadership, skill development, and community engagement.
The OCTAVE program focuses on empowering youth to lead their own projects. Through hands-on experience in event management, participants gain practical skills, self-confidence, and the opportunity to actively contribute to their communities.
Mayor, Cr Don Henderson, said the grant was a fantastic opportunity to further invest in young people and give them the tools they needed to become leaders in their own right.
“By providing young people with the opportunity to plan and deliver events, we are supporting their growth, building stronger community connections, and ensuring a vibrant future for our shire,” he said.
The program will also offer inclusive social youth events, such as pool parties, skate competitions, live band performances and open mic nights.
The OCTAVE program has already had a significant impact, giving young people the chance to participate and make a difference in the shire. This new funding will help broaden the scope of future events, with five new events and one skill development workshop per year.
In Council’s Youth Strategy consultation in 2021, 31 per cent of the population aged 10-24 were surveyed, providing key insights into their interests and needs. A significant proportion of young people, especially those aged 10-14, expressed a strong interest in music and social activities. Specifically, 47 per cent of 10–14-yearolds said they enjoyed music, and 69 per cent reported that they enjoyed spending time with friends outside of school.
“Council is dedicated to supporting the health, wellbeing, and development of its young people. By focusing on youth engagement, leadership, and skill-building, the council continues to work towards a prosperous and inclusive future for the region,” Cr Henderson said.
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Hepburn House's Memory Lane Unit
Hepburn House's Memory Lane, a 15-bed unit built specifically to assist residents with dementia, is now open!
Hepburn House is at 1 Hepburn Rd, Daylesford. Book a tour of the new unit or the existing accommodation and living areas. For everything Hepburn House has on offer head to www.hepburnhouse.com.au or call 5348 8100.
Real estate trends impacting local market
A range of taxes are impacting property sales in regional Victoria, real estate agents say.
Among them, Belle Property’s Will Walton lists four taxes that he identifies as making buying in regional Victoria a challenge.
“The four taxes making buying a challenge are land tax, vacant land tax (a wealth tax by default), the B&B levy and the fire levy increase,” he says.
“These state government imposed costs are compounding our market difficulties especially as we so heavily rely on tourism for our local economy and employment, including accommodation to house tourists.
“The ratio of one buyer for every five homes is now one in 10 homes. Every property is competing with each other.”
Agent Kim McQueen of McQueen Real Estate says certain sectors of the market, especially the holiday-let segment, are being heavily impacted while other sectors - notably the higher-end segment in which her agency specialises - are flourishing.
“We tend to specialise in slightly more high-end properties and we’ve had an amazing end of ‘24 with very strong sales at the top of the range,” Ms McQueen said.
“Over late November to December we’ve sold more than $13 million in property. The really good, exceptional properties will sell well in any market and our region is blessed to have many of these properties.
“In our region we have a lot of subsets in the market, and the area that’s being mainly hit is the holiday-let investor stock. The reason is all the taxes.
“Taxes have skyrocketed.”
In the holiday-let investor segment, in particular over the past 18 months, it’s been a “very tough market,” Ms McQueen says.
“That’s the one that has just been decimated. Investors used to be 50 per cent of our buyers. We now have very few investors. It’s Victoria-wide.”
Some observers now believe ditching Victoria's big taxing approach should be a top priority in the government’s regional housing supply inquiry, while others believe the tax measures are needed to tackle the wider housing affordability crisis.
In regional towns, including those in the Hepburn Shire, many houses are sitting vacant, their absentee owners rarely visiting, while countless Victorians struggle to put any roof over their heads at all.
Over the past couple of years the Victorian government has brought in some new and expanded property taxes.
In regional areas the most substantial have been the expansion of land tax, bringing Melbourne's vacant land tax to the rest of Victoria, and the shortstay accommodation levy.
Early last year the state government introduced sweeping changes to land tax, lowering the tax-free threshold for general land tax rates from $300,000 to $50,000 for those who hold a second property.
Asked her opinion on whether the taxation measures may be going some way toward tackling the housing affordability crisis (by disincentivising additional property acquisition as investment), Ms McQueen says the broader picture is a complicated one.
“It is very complicated. People that own holiday homes in our region are generally average normal people who have saved a very long time to purchase an investment property so they can be self-funded retirees and not be reliant on the government.”
Meanwhile some analysts, like economist Alan Kohler in his recent book The Great Divide: Australia’s Housing Mess And How to Fix It interrogates the underlying notion of using housing as a vehicle for wealth-creation.
“It will be impossible to return the price of housing to something less destructive - preferably to what it was when my parents and I bought our first houses - without purging the idea that housing is a means to create wealth as opposed to simply a place to live,” Kohler states in the book.
Like Mr Walton, Ms McQueen believes the taxation measures, that agents say are particularly impacting the holiday-let investment end of the market, are having a damaging flow-on impact on tourism.
But despite the impacts of the taxation measures, Mr Walton remains optimistic about the year ahead.
“Belle Property has had a record month. The Daylesford office team has successfully sold 12 properties, four more than average per month.”
Words: Eve Lamb | Image: Kyle Barnes
Dr Bronwyn
Dr Ashvin
Dr Loshna
NGV Kids on Tour 2025 coming to shire
NGV Kids on Tour 2025 has partnered with more than 150 community venues across Victoria this January to offer free art-making activities - and that includes Daylesford, Clunes, Creswick, Trentham and Kyneton.
Activities include making a playful cat and dog ear headband, illustrating a Kusama-inspired pumpkin and creating fashion designs for paper dolls.
Coinciding with the NGV’s summer exhibitions Yayoi Kusama and Cats & Dogs, NGV Kids on Tour celebrates the work of local and international artists and designers, as they draw inspiration from the colour and vibrancy of nature and the world around them.
In celebration of the Cats & Dogs exhibition, children can design a Furry Friend Headband, a set of cat or dog ears inspired by their own beloved pets or furry animals in their lives that they can take home and wear.
Kids will also be able to enjoy the work of iconic Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama in the Lots of Dots with Yayoi Kusama activity and children’s book. Pumpkins have appeared in Kusama’s artworks since a young age growing up on a seed and plant farm, and this drawing activity invites children to add their favourite colours and designs to dots on a pumpkin and write a short poem about the humble fruit. Younger children will be able to spot big dots, little dots and shiny dots in Lots of Dots story time sessions.
Melbourne-based fashion designers and sisters Fatuma and Laurinda Ndenzako from slow fashion label Collective Closets celebrate the beauty and history of the African continent through their designs. The designers have developed the Fashion, Culture & Creativity with Collective Closets activity where kids and families will create paper dolls and design their own vibrant clothing for the dolls to wear.
Children will learn about bogong moths in the drawing activity developed by Dr Deanne Gilson, a proud Wadawurrung woman living on her ancestral country at Ballarat. And the tour invites teenagers to learn about the creative practices of emerging artists and build skills for their own art portfolios through an activity developed with Gamilaroi Yinarr weaver and textile artist Sophie Honess. Link: www.ngv.vic.gov.au/kids-on-tour
In the Central Highlands, events will be held at the Daylesford Library on January 17, at Clunes Warehouse throughout January as a drop-by activity, at Creswick Hub on January 14 and throughout January as a drop-by activity, at Trentham Library throughout January as a drop-by activity and at Kyneton Library throughout January as a drop-by activity.
Metal Roof Specialist
Block works well underway
Construction works for The Block 2025’s sustainable pavilion-style homes are underway and local agents predict they are likely to fetch top sums on auction day, according to realestate.com.au
The realestate.com.au website said new images of the 2400sqm Raglan Street, Daylesford site had given fans a sneak peek of the 21st season of The Block
"The hit renovation reality television show will see a new cast of Blockheads overhaul five homes, which will form a new neighbourhood within Hygge Property’s Middleton Field new housing estate, located at the regional town’s eastern entry point," the website says.
Last year, The Local reported on The Block coming to Daylesford, after plans for the 2024 edition of the show to be produced in the town were stalled.
Executive producer Julian Cress, in a statement reported on by 9Entertainment, said Daylesford had been a destination for Australian and international tourists for a century and had "really cemented itself as one of the top weekend destinations in the country".
Mr Cress said Daylesford was originally intended to be the site for the 2024 season. “We put nine months of hard work into [Daylesford] before we had to pivot to Phillip Island,” he said.
“But Phillip Island has taught us that taking the show to a place which is a holiday destination is great for The Block, and we hope it will be great for Daylesford as well. The fact that it was still an option seemed a no-brainer.”
Mr Cress said he had been spending time with the Daylesford community. “I think they are really excited for us to bring the show there. We think it will be a wonderful opportunity for Daylesford and for the community as a whole.
“We also try to film much of our show focusing on the local community and whether that be renovating a community project, or just being able to showcase great local artisans and businesses, is something that is a real hallmark for The Block
“We want to make The Block not just about the properties in Raglan Street, but about the whole town. We work incredibly hard to make sure our houses are built with the best possible environmentally sound, modern practices available.
“We are always looking at sustainability and environmental concerns, we are not just throwing up project houses, we are trying to build houses of the future.”
It is believed filming will start in February.
Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Kyle Barnes
Oodles of poodles
Claudia Piacquadio, with foster poodles, Nova, front, and Milly, back, was among those who headed to Five Flags Hotel in Campbells Creek on Saturday, Janauary 11.
The afternoon gathering was organised by The Poodle Groomer, Arrow Black, and brought together poodles of all colours and sizes.
Milly and Nova are with Chally Animal Rescue and currently looking for new forever homes. Oodles more poodles at www.tlnews.com.au
Best regional pubs right on our doorstep
Central Highland pubs make up three of the best 10 regional pubs to plan a road trip around, food writer Richard Cornish says in an article in The Age’s Good Food, published on January 2.
The Guildford Family Hotel, above left, Radio Springs Hotel in Lyonville, above right, and the Daylesford Hotel all made the grade.
Review of the Cemeteries and Crematoria Regulations 2015
The Cemeteries and Crematoria Regulations are under review.
The Department of Health is seeking public feedback on changes that could improve the Regulations before they are remade on 15 June 2025.
To contribute to the review, download the discussion paper and response template at <https://www.health.vic.gov.au/cemeteriesand-crematoria>.
To request a hard copy, contact the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Team at legandregreform@health.vic.gov.au or on 03 9456 3838. FS2791
The Guildford Family Hotel is run by hospitality stalwart Megan Evans and her partner, music industry long-timer Tom Allen. The perfect pair for a hospitality and music venue.
The couple took over the pub in 2021 and it's now a great place for locals and visitors who enjoy the bar baner, beer garden and dining room.
Megan, who is well known to Daylesford locals after working at a number of hospitality venues in the town, loved the idea of running her own pub and “getting the old girl back to life”.
"I have loved hotels and pubs my whole life, in fact I have spent pretty much 26 years in hospitality working in country pubs, and I just love the locals. I have a very genuine smile when anyone walks in and that is what country pubs are all about."
Jackie Airey and Ken Parfrey bought the Radio Springs Hotel in Lyonville in 1997. The 90-year-old pub, once owned by TV and radio personality Ernie Sigley, had been closed for years but the pair slowly renovated and 11 years later, The Centre of the Universe opened.
Ken said he knew they had something special. And the people who wander in, realise that too. There's no television, no wi-fi, no pokies, but there is plenty of great chat, excellent meals and always something new to discover in the wonderful decor. Throw in plenty of live music, the Back Beach Bar and the Henri Langlois Screening Room - and it's a winner.
The Daylesford Hotel, with some of the best deck views in town, has recently been taken over by those who did such a great job at Cliffy’s Emporium and Beppe. They have also engaged chef Rob Kabboord, formerly of three-hatted Quay in Sydney. The food, including drive-through pizza, is fantastic, and the old pub is quickly becoming "the local" with its Friday night charity raffles and down-to-earth vibe. Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Photoshopped by Kyle Barnes
Images: Melissa Scott & Arrow Black
Council news
MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR
With Christmas and New Year now out of the way it is time to settle down to work again. A special mention to staff and volunteers who have worked through attending to emergencies and seeing that visitors to our region are looked after, as well as dealing with local issues such as trees down on roads, and to our rangers who have answered emergency animal management issues.
Councillors and staff will now be working on getting finances under control and preparing for the mid-Budget review, as well as the Council Plan. In order to secure the future of our Shire we will need to make some hard decisions which essentially will mean concentrating on what is needed, and some of the wants may have to be deferred.
Many of our community have been rightly concerned about fires, and special care needs to be taken particularly when having outdoor events such as the traditional cook-up.
There are many special events coming up early in the year with our Australia Day Eve events that will see some new people become citizens and some of our many community heroes acknowledged for their achievements. Booktown and ChillOut will come around very quickly as will some other festivals and events.
Please remember our pets in the heat and avoid leaving them in cars in the hot sun. Cars can reach extreme temperatures, so do avoid an unnecessary tragedy.
Also keep an eye out for those more vulnerable in our community and err on the side of caution when considering whether somebody may need help.
Please be careful on our busy roads and drive to the conditions. Our roads certainly do need constant attention. Make sure you follow the system of reporting incidents and make sure if reporting issues that you are given a reference number so that we can track progress.
Have a healthy and safe New Year.
Mayor, Cr Don Henderson
COUNCIL MEETINGS 2025
The first Council meeting for 2025 is scheduled for Tuesday 25 February at 6pm.
Council meetings will be held on the fourth Tuesday of every month commencing at 6pm and are open to the public. The meetings are recorded and live streamed to Council’s YouTube channel www.youtube.com/@hepburnshirecouncil5931
Visit our website for more information www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/council-meetings
COMMUNITY AWARDS
We invite you to come along and celebrate the Community Award winners for 2025 and welcome our new Australian citizens.
Where: Loddon River Room, The Mechanics Trentham
When: Friday 24 January at 2:00pm
At this free event we will announce our Citizen of the Year, Community Event of the Year, and Hepburn Together Award winners.
The Community Award winners for 2024 were ChillOut Festival (Event of the Year), Pat Tacey and Neville Cartledge (joint Citizens of the Year) and Alice Newitt (Young Citizen of the Year). A Special Commendation was also presented to the band Elysium.
AUSTRALIA DAY
There are two events organised for Australia Day 2025 by community groups in the Hepburn Shire.
Trentham
10:00am – Town Square
Flag Raising Ceremony with Community BBQ and entertainment. Creswick
9:30am (speeches), followed by morning tea at 10:00am.
Australia Day morning tea at Doug Lindsay Recreation Reserve.
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
Council’s Community Grants Program closes Friday 31 January. If you are a local community group with a project idea that benefits local residents, Council would like to hear from you. Submit your project idea for funding of up to $5,000. Read the Community Grants Guidelines at www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/grants or contact Council’s Grants team at grants@hepburn.vic.gov.au to discuss your project with a grants officer.
PHONE SURVEY
From Monday 20 January to mid-March, your household may receive a call from an independent market research agency, National Field Services. They have been commissioned to conduct a community satisfaction survey on behalf of Council. Please be assured that your details and individual responses are confidential. Only the overall results are shared with Council.
ENJOY OUR POOL SEASON
Hepburn Shire pools are open and community members can enjoy free entry. Remember, we also have our Splash Park in Creswick.
To see the revised hours and for updates during the pool season about unexpected closures, visit www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/pools
Cr Don Henderson Cr Lesley Hewitt Cr Brian Hood Cr Tony Clark Cr Tim Drylie Cr Pat Hockey Cr Shirley Cornish
EAT | DRINK | ENJOY
Out & About in the Central Highlands
Glen's Garden Ballarat gardens open
Dear reader,
After more than 60 years of writing and broadcasting on both radio and television, telling you what I thought you should know about growing the 'perfect garden', my creaking joints, fading memory, and caring spouse, tell me it’s about time to wind back.
Hence this note and changed format. So for you to find out the answer to your particular garden problems simply email me at glenzgarden@gmail.com, and with luck, your answer will appear in the next issue of The Local. Just like the following.
Hi Glen,
I have a pretty bare block and want to plant it up. Which is better (easier) native or exotic? I love roses…but which type would establish faster? Louise, Eganstown
Hi Louise,
There are plenty of fast growing and sturdy trees and shrubs, both native and exotic evergreens. Obviously the natives grow pretty quickly if you choose the ones that originally came from this area or with similar soil and climate - mainly because they have been propagated in our soils and climate.
There are plenty of nurseries specially dealing in native varieties, who would be best suited to help you.
Roses seem to thrive in most Victorian soils and climes as long as they are fed and watered well, and they certainly earn their place when they bloom.
Hi Glen,
I need a good border plant for a side that doesn’t get much sun. What would work? Something up to about two metres. Is it better to buy bigger plants to start with? How often do you need to trim them?
Mark, Creswick,
Hi Mark,
Firstly what do you want the border to achieve? If it’s a neatly trimmed hedge you would do well with something like a box - neat, closely growing, light green or variegated leaves, needing a light clip every other month to look great. If it's just an upright border plant for an edge marking effect then the choice is wide open. This includes lavender, fuchsias, pelargoniums, diosma and marguerite daisies.
Hi Glen,
I’m after some more pruning advice for my (once upon a time) straggly lavender border.
Last time I worried that they were just sitting there all straggly, now they’re boisterous and full of flowers, ready to take on the whole garden. If I just pick the flower stems, will that benefit the plants in any way?
Dora, Trentham.
Hi Dora,
Picking lavender flowers is one of the best and most pleasing ways of pruning lavender I can think of. Not only does it mean a pleasant perfume indoors, it means you are keeping them in shape.
Open Gardens Victoria will open two stunning Ballarat gardens for the first time on Saturday and Sunday, February 1 and 2. Located just 10 minutes apart, both gardens are set within historically significant precincts with rejuvenated gardens by award-winning landscape designer and TV host Paddy Milne.
Owners Harry and Alison Zehnwirth purchased the land in 1989, and have continued the historic garden legacy dating back to 1856 when Fenwick and Sarah Hamilton established a homestead called St Ernan’s on the site.
According to a local nineteenth-century arborist’s account, the Hamiltons shipped 100 oak trees from England around 1860.
“This places our four oaks, the oaks in neighbours’ gardens as well as those in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, at around 160 years old. They are an integral part of our garden. Nothing has been built or planted without recognition of their importance,” says Alison Zehnwirth.
In 1989, the first contemporary landscape design was completed, resulting in a 'stroll garden' that provided a variety of experiences and activities for the growing family. At this time, the property's entry and large stone driveway were created to accommodate the root systems of the oak trees.
A ten-minute drive will find garden lovers at Craigie, the beautiful circa 1860s home and expansive garden of owners David and Maria Cook, located in the precinct of Soldiers Hill with the suburb covered by a Heritage Overlay.
David and Maria purchased Craigie in 1991 and within four years re-acquired two sections of the previously subdivided property. In 1998 they undertook extensive renovations that stayed true to the house's original character and established the foundational structure of the garden, including a vegetable garden, where beautiful historic bluestone paving was unearthed.
Like many gardens in Ballarat, Craigie’s garden suffered during the millennium drought’s harsh Stage 4 water restrictions. “Our once thriving English-style trees and shrubs withered, and the lush green lawns turned a brittle shade of brown,” says David. “The watering system lay unused, leaving the garden to endure the harsh conditions.”
Many garden projects were planned over the years and David and Maria recognised the need for assistance and turned to Paddy Milne to complete the task. Link: opengardensvictoria.org.au
The Oaks is a stunning 3500 sqm garden just five minutes' walk from Lake Wendouree and the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.
GREENHILLS NATURAL
GREENHILLS LAMB LOIN CHOPS
$28.99 KG
These chops are cut nice and thick. The same cut as a T-Bone, they contain the loin and fillet either side of the central bone with a layer of fat running down one side. From our own farm in nearby Malmsbury, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better lamb chop.
GREENHILLS NATURAL WHOLE 4KG RUMP
$99
Rump is a hardworking muscle, but this means that it has bangs of flavour. From quick stir-fry’s to slow cooked goulash, Vietnamese pho, Brazilian picanha, or just a great steak on the bbq, there is no better value than to buy the whole rump - we will even cut it into steaks at the thickness of your choosing! Amazing value for premium grass-fed beef. Visit daylesfordmeatco.com.au/rump for great recipes!
GREAT AUSSIE MATES LAMB BOX
2kg butterflied leg of lamb
12 lamb herb & garlic sausages
12 lamb rosemary & mint sausages
12 lamb burgers
1 kg lamb kofta
1 bottle Passing Clouds Shiraz
1 bottle Passing Clouds Pinot Noir
$249
Walks of the Central Highland with Eve Lamb
The Three Lost Children Walk. Daylesford-Musk Creek, 15 km (Part A)
The first day of 2025 dawns sunny and mild, temperature in the mid-20s with a promise to reach no more than 28 degrees. Ideal bushwalking. Too good to pass up.
I check in with my trusty walking companion, Paddy H, and we decide it’s more than time to tackle the famed Three Lost Children Walk. This bushland walk covers 15 km starting in Daylesford, taking in part of Hepburn Regional Park and part of the Wombat State Forest. It ends at Wombat Creek Picnic Area near Musk.
It commemorates the tragic tale from Daylesford’s gold-rush era when three small boys (William Graham, 6, his brother Thomas, 4, and Alfred Burman, 5) wandered away from their homes in Daylesford on June 30, 1867.
Sadly, despite a massive search after it became clear they were missing, they were not found alive. No trace was found until September 13, 1867 when a dog came home to Wheelers Hill, 10 km south-east of Daylesford, carrying a small boot that reportedly contained a small foot.
The following day the children’s little bodies were finally found. Two of them in a hollow tree and the other close by. The Three Lost Children Walk follows the approximate route the poor little fellas took.
You can’t really write a bushwalking series centred in the Central Highlands and not include this walk, with its tragic tale tracing the doomed trek of these three little tackers.
You can pick up a good guide description of the walk, complete with map, from the Daylesford Visitor Info centre. I’ve been holding onto my copy for all of 2024. I’m also equipped with my good old copy of Walks, Tracks & Trails of Victoria (by Derrick Stone) which includes this walk, while Paddy H has the relevant one of his many beloved topographical maps.
To get 2025 off and striding, we’re going to tackle roughly half the walk. We’ll come back again another day and complete the entire walk for this series. Today, first up we plant my car at our designated stop point of Hogans Lane, Musk Vale, and then drive Paddy H’s car to the walk start point.
The start point is the cairn in the Lost Children Reserve at the junction of Central Springs Road and the Midland Highway. We set out from the top corner of the reserve, heading south along Table Hill Road then straight ahead down Forest View Lane.
The track becomes a sharp descent and we notice the dedicated Lost Children Walk trail markers which feature a little stylised emblem representing the three boys.
We cross a footbridge over the Wombat Creek. A jogger, impatient in his bright tangerine running shoes, rushes past and tackles the rugged short flight of steps that we also must take, upwards, on the other side.
It’s pretty straightforward going now, just carefully following the walk guide description, maps and dedicated trail markers. But just ahead, a point of potential confusion arises when, wending our way toward Sailors Creek, we reach a bushland point where a medley of different dirt tracks interconnect and ping off in multiple different directions.
The trick is simply to keep calm and continue, basically following the path you’re already on as the gully naturally slopes down toward Sailors Creek. We reach the creek and turn sharp left as soon as we cross it, then remain on a very short little section of the trail for about 200 metres as it curves around to connect with Black Jack Track.
Here we turn left onto Black Jack Track which we will now follow for a couple of kilometres through Hepburn Regional Park.
The eucalypt bushland is tall and deliciously fragrant. I breathe in its spicy, inimitable aroma and then notice that someone has painted the word ‘Bees’ and an arrow pointing up, in yellow paint on a tree trunk to our left.
“Is it because we’re supposed to be concerned we’re going to get stung …or to enjoy them?” wonders Paddy H, who maintains a couple of backyard bee hives.
The bushland is beautiful but also fairly rugged going, and you’ve really got to admire - and wonder at - how those three gold-rush era trekkers and their little legs ever managed to get such a distance.
Peering down at my own boots moving along on the track I see that twolegged pedestrians are not the only ones who’ve been navigating this path. There are horse hoof prints here too, etched in the sandy surface.
A bit further on, the source becomes evident when Paddy H spots, not a horse and rider.
“Look it’s a horse and sulky,” he says.
“What?”
Within seconds we’re meeting Glenn Conroy, a noted local harness racehorse trainer who trains in partnership with his sister, Anne-Maree Conroy.
“I use the bush lane every day,” Glenn says, as the handsome bay horse in harness takes a bushland breather.
“You must see some interesting things,” I venture.
“Yes. I see lots of people doing all sorts of things, walking, jogging, prospecting…” Glenn says, maintaining a steady grip on the harness reins as the powerful bay shifts about a bit.
“What’s your horse’s name?”
“When he’s in the stable he’s known as Smith, but he’s also more officially known as I’maboganboy.”
The attractive bay seems fairly civilised for a bogan, I think. But we don’t want to delay them any further and in the whisk of a tail they’re off again heading further along the track.
Up ahead, the track climbs a gentle rise and here we encounter three bushwalkers, a middle-aged woman, older teenage boy and a teenage girl, whose serious-sized backpacks all lay heavily on the ground as their owners take a break.
Paddy H gets chatting and as a result we soon discover that they are: A. from Melbourne. B. plan to camp, and C. don’t know that the track we’re all on is part of the Three Lost Children Walk, or the story behind the name.
As Paddy H takes it upon himself to give them a brief tragic history lesson, I re-read the description for this section of the trail and see that up ahead we’ll soon, again, cross Sailors Creek.
By the time we’ve put a good bit more trail under our boot tread, crossed the creek and pushed hard up a gnarly little hill, admiring a gorgeous small pond on our left, to finally re-emerge from the bush in lifestyle-property land at Hogans Lane, Musk Vale, we’re more than a tad happy to call it a day and sink into my awaiting car seats.
Is it the good life we’ve been living over the festive break catching up with us we wonder, as I simultaneously try not to get too upset thinking about those poor little lost kids. And I’m not even the clucky sort. Yet, later tonight when the lights go out, I will again find myself thinking of how terribly cold they would have been that frosty June long ago in the Central Highlands.
As we head for home we, by contrast, are sweating and looking forward to a summer salad dinner to round out our day on what has been a fairly ideal start to 2025.
Walk to be continued…
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Countdown on to a cracker CresFest
A huge diversity of multicultural music and acts have been announced for this year’s CresFest that’s set to transform the township of Creswick over three days in early April.
Headliners for the award-winning folk and roots festival happening April 4-6, range from Neil Murray, The Maes and Queensland's Joe Geia to Grace Barbe from the Seychelles, Grassy Strings from India and Kofi Kunkpe bringing West African grooves to the mix.
Festival co-directors Judy Turner and Stella Savy say that alongside the many featured concerts, festival-goers will also get the chance to participate in a packed program of workshops.
“Local players will be invited to perform with visiting professionals, in an inspirational two-way collaboration,” Judy said.
Just before Christmas, the festival secured a $17,000 grant from Festivals Australia.
Stella says the grant will enable a program of music to be taken into each of Creswick’s three primary schools in the lead-up to staging a featured African Extravaganza as part of the festival.
It means students will be able to learn repertoire with guest artist Ghana’s Kofi Kunkpe and Stella, herself a renowned music teacher.
They will then be able to perform, participating in the African Extravaganza set for Saturday afternoon of the festival.
A coming together of cultures, it will also involve local choirs and the Creswick drumming circle as well as the featured African musicians and will “take over the street”, Stella says.
“We’ve got an incredible line-up of First Nations and overseas artists. It’s so exciting.”
Encouraging people to check out the festival website, Stella says another particularly pleasing aspect is the sizeable component of free community offerings and workshops, with the focus on participation.
In the countdown to the event, Judy says they’re now keen to hear from Creswickians who may be able to host a muso - or even a group of performers.
She says hosting a performer or group promises to make for a rewarding experience.
It's a chance to hear the music up close - “getting to understand more of the musician's life and, of course, getting a free weekend pass for the festival in return for each artist hosted".
Ideally host houses will be situated within 5km of the Creswick Town Hall with those interested to know more able to check out the festival’s website and click on 'get involved'.
And in a new initiative, the visually-minded will have a chance to win by capturing photographic images from the colourful annual event.
Judy says they’re introducing the new competition with festival-goers invited to enter up to three images capturing the festival vibe.
By entering their three top images they'll be competing to win two day passes or one weekend pass to CresFest 2026.
Full conditions and details for the debut photo comp will be announced in early March. Link: www.cresfest.com.au
Above, Kofi Kunkpe from Ghana, West Africa Words: Eve Lamb. Image: Supplied
Newstead Live comes alive in January
Newstead Live is held in the town's various venues from January 24 to 27.
The festival of music features The Troubadour live music venue & wine bar, concerts, sessions, blackboard spots, workshops, Australia's original trad disco and pool party, good food, camping, spacious setting and no sound spill between venues.
Newstead Live offers six performing stages in easy walking distance around Newstead and there are always impromptu performances and jams in the streets between venues and around the pub.
There is a wide range of food and drinks from the Newstead traders as well as a selection of van options. And there are plenty of accommodation choices in the district, including two specialty campgrounds.
Just a few of this year’s artists include Ado Barker, Alanna & Alicia, Belly Savalas, Bruce Watson & Caitlin French, Bush Gothic, Coral Reid, Dingo’s Breakfast, Double Dole Stringband, Enda Kenny, Freya and Tom McGowan, Georgia Fields, Girl Friday & the Sepia Tones, Grim Fawker, Ian Bland, Jane Cameron, Karlo Arc, Keith McKenry, Kerryn Fields, LJ, Les Thomas, Maggie Rigby, Mal Webb and Kylie Morrigan, Marilla Homes, One Part Gin and Sage Roadknight (right).
Link: www.newsteadlive.com
Words: Darren Lowe
Kyle’s Rant
Don’t you hate sentences that start with I’m not a --- but,...They are often followed with things like I’m not a racist but, or I’m not homophobic but.
Well, if you do, please don’t read any further because I’m not a conspiracy theorist but hearing the news about Trumpy and his sidekick Elon trying to take over their bit of the world has me worried. So read on to try and understand my deluded conspiracy theory if you're that way inclined.
It is no secret that Trump, Putin and old mate Kim Jong Un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea, are chums. Putin recently delivered a gift to Kim, Russia's version of a bulletproof limo a couple of weeks ago. The two bandits could be seen laughing and cajoling as they cruised the countryside of the peninsula, probably running over the beggars as they pushed it through its paces.
So that makes a foursome with Trump, Elon, Kim and Putin, and as they say in the theatre, there’s no show without Punch, and for me Punch is Xi Jinping, China’s top dog. Then throw in Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu who has just demolished the Gaza Strip and killed a fair portion of the population, so it’s now ripe for tourist resort development, and that makes five.
My theory is that this bunch of misfits, who would look equally at home in the front bar of the Star Wars movie, are the most powerful dudes in the world. It is my concept that behind closed doors the horse trading began a long time ago.
I have never heard this sort of direct rhetoric in politics before, particularly from America, where Trump is talking about taking over Greenland, Canada and taking back the Panama Canal.
Canada’s prime minister has just quit, almost as if he wasn’t up for the fight. And Mark Zuckerberg has dismissed the fact checkers from Facebook. Again, getting ready for some political moves that seem to be afoot or just getting on the good side of Trump.
South Korea's politics are in a mess, so Trump only has to withdraw his 30,000 troops from the demilitarized zone for that little applecart to tip over.
And what’s next? Russia getting the green light to take over Ukraine I suppose, which has large reserves of titanium, lithium, beryllium, uranium, iron ore, manganese and coal. The first four of these elements are essential for making nuclear and other weapons.
Then what happens with China, which has bases around the Antarctic to our south and plenty of friendly ports to our north, courtesy of years of buyoffs? First it will be Taiwan, then a hop, skip and jump to the land down under and there wouldn’t be a damn thing we could do about it with our limited military resources.
Now this is just a theory from my overactive imagination so don’t hop on a jet to New Zealand yet. But there are some facts that underpin my deliberations, and these set out the next few years as incredibly interesting and historic and maybe a little unsettling.
I told you not to read it, rant
Local Lines
summer haiku
a scorcher the dry cackle of cockies
rain gauge surprise half a mil - ah the sprinkler
beetroot red and invisible sunken sun
warm and moist dark and cavernous armpit
smack - a gum leaf hits the windscreen forgot the milk
wearing green all summer long the red oak
- Bill Wootton
Bill finds summer a bit of an endurance test these days but at least the mowing eases off.
Local Lines features poetry by locals about local and any other matters. Please submit poems to Bill Wootton at cottlesbreedge@gmail.com
Hello, I’m Layla. I’m a gentle, loving girl who thrives on companionship.
I’m a pointer crossbreed and I’m one-year-old. I have a heart full of affection and I enjoy giving kisses to pretty much everyone I meet. I have basic training and just need someone who can help me reinforce my skills. I have a soft spot for treats so I’m very motivated to learn, if a tasty reward is involved. Microchip number: 956000017499909. Meet me at the MAAWS in Castlemaine. Or call them on 5472 5277.
(Pick me, pick me is run in memory of Rosie & Curly - we picked them. And proudly supported by Daylesford's petstock - where pets are family.)
Just sayin’...
By Donna Kelly
Went for a bit of a roadtrip over the silly season. Up to family at Port Macquarie, then to Queensland for more family time, and then back down again.
We took the Tesla and it was a lot of fun. Mostly. There's an EV thing called range anxiety. It happens when you start to wonder if you have enough power to get to the next charging station.
It shouldn't really happen at all because you can plan a trip and the car's computer tells you exactly how much power you will have left when you reach the next charging station on your journey.
That's how it's meant to happen. But one memorable day when we were going to end up in Coffs Harbour with 33 per cent, it trickled down to just four per cent. I was having a meltdown, not literally because the aircon was humming away, but certainly my anxiety was up.
I managed to convince Kyle to call into our motel, about four kilometres from the charging station at the shopping centre down the road, and call for Tesla roadside service. Which we have.
Turns out the problem, running out of power, is our fault, so there is no service provided. Just a tow at the owner's expense. I was a bit annoyed with that. I mean, if you run out of petrol, the RACV will come and top you up. We just needed a few extra amps. I probably should have looked around for an extension lead instead of heading to the bar, while Kyle did the grown-up thing and pushed through the last few kilometres. Each to their own - again I chose the wrong year to give up drinking.
Anyway, long story short, we got the top up and decided it was the extra hot, humid day - and the aircon - that had drained the battery so quickly.
After that, we had no problems and just enjoyed the quiet drive and the enforced breaks to power up - playing solitaire on the car's huge screen. Not a bad idea really, in the past we have often pulled in for petrol and decided to go "just another 100km" without getting a rest.
The Tesla does well on the open road, no change between going up or down hills, no straining on gears and quiet as - although it does beep now and again if you go too close to other vehicles or the white lines on the side of the road. And there is that pesky phantom braking now and again. Just Google that...
It was really nice to catch up with family too. Lots of kids on Kyle's side and on my side more people trying to look after ageing parents and work their way through the tricky end-of-life stuff. Dementia and cancer make for very hard work. It also has those of us without children wondering who is going to step in and advocate.
Back at Glenlyon now, to a very dry garden, but also the wonderful sounds of summer - the cockies (as mentioned by Bill Wootton over the page there in his haiku) and lots of cicadas.
Our trip last year to Central America seems a long way back now, although Trump's plans to reclaim the Panama Canal is a little triggering, and we have already booked a trip to the Med in November - all going well.
I think we have decided that rather than things, we really just want to gather up experiences as we get older. And, like with Covid, you never know what is just around the corner.
So we are making the most of life, having fun and hanging out with family and friends. Oh, we even have two weddings to attend this year. One in Victoria and one in Sydney. One young couple - with one child, and one older couple who said it took 30 years to make sure they were the right fit.
I mentioned to a friend last night that I hadn't been to a wedding for a long time. She said, quite gaily I thought, that I could start looking forward to funerals now. I guess there's always a silver lining. Just sayin'...
W RD CROSS
Here is the crossword solution for Edition 322.
How did you go?
All words in the crossword appear somewhere in the same edition of The Local.
Markets
Every Sunday - Daylesford Sunday Market
First Saturday - Trentham Neighbourhood Centre Makers Market, Woodend Farmers Market
Second Saturday - Trentham Community Group Market, Kyneton Farmers Market, Kyneton Rotary Community Market
Second Sunday - Maldon Market, Clunes Farmers Market
Third Saturday - Trentham Farmers Market and Makers Market, Glenlyon Farmers Market, Leonards Hill Market, Creswick Market
Third Sunday - Talbot Farmers Market, Woodend Lions Market
Fourth Sunday - Daylesford Farmers Market, Trentham Station Sunday Market
