The Local January 17, 2022, issue 245

January 17, 2022 Issue 245 Our history

The Local - The Heart of the Highlands

2 About Us

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Front cover: This edition we take a look at the history of the wonderful region we all call home.

January 17, 2022 Issue 245 Our history

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

The next edition is out on Monday, January 31, 2022.

Or online on Sunday, January 30 at www.tlnews.com.au

Image: Contributed

Space bookings: Wednesday, January 26 Copy deadline: Thursday, January 27 Editorial deadline: Thursday, January 27 Editorial: 0418 576 513 | Advertising: 0416 104 283 news@tlnews.com.au | sales@tlnews.com.au The Local - The Heart of the Highlands

Managing editor | Donna Kelly General manager | Kyle Barnes Sub-editors | Nick Bunning and Lindsay Smith

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

Writers | Kevin Childs, Tony Sawrey, Jeff Glorfeld, Narelle Groenhout & Donna Kelly

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

Photographers | Kyle Barnes, David White & Louise Gay

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

NO ONE’S UNSINKABLE To all those Unsinkable Guys out there – You might think it’s safe to have a few drinks around water, skip the lifejacket when you’re out on the boat or go for a swim without checking the conditions.

But statistics prove that 4 out of 5 drownings are men.

Just remember that no one’s unsinkable.

UNSINKABLE GUY

RETHINK

TAKING RISKS AROUND WATER

Graphic designer & HLH coordinator | Dianne Caithness Contributors: Glen Heyne (gardening), Darren Lowe (gigs), Matthew Richardson (money), Jen Clarke (recipes) and Glenn Robinson (cartoons).

Accounts | Julie Hanson

Delivery | Tony Sawrey

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Our history 3

Looking back at the history of the region In our February 22, 2021 edition we looked at a piece of history from Clunes with character "Flash Les" Davis.

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HE shop at 49 Fraser Street, Clunes has been in existence since the 1870s.

Its first tenant was John Lemmon, a saddler and today of course it now holds the newsagency owned by Craig Drewer.

But its life as a barber shop and billiards hall for over 40 years and the larger than life character of "Flash Les" Davis is where our story will focus.

Les Davis was born in 1903 and grew up in Ballarat where he had a barber shop on Sturt Street. He married Ethel Jones in 1927 and they had a son Robert in 1928 - later to become famous as the AFL footballer Bob "Woofa" Davis.

In the 1930s the family moved to Clunes where he took over a small space and continued his trade. But Les’s business portfolio was a little more diverse than just shaving hair and trimming moustaches.

His early days in Ballarat were taken up with refining the art of playing billiards and running an SP bookmaking operation out of the side of his barber shop. Illegal starting price bookmaking emerged around Australia in the 1930s when the advent of phone and radio allowed the results of a horse race to be immediately known.

SP bookies would take bets fixed to the starting odds or price of a runner which finalised just before the barriers opened. While the bookie and gamblers could get an idea of how the odds were moving in the hours before the actual race, the official starting price could only be known afterwards, thus determining final payouts.

It seems like a complicated way to make a living but before the rise of regulated and taxed off-course betting shops such as the Totalisator Agency Board, or TAB, SP bookies were everywhere and hugely popular with generations of punters.

It was natural enough for Les to continue his bookie operations when he opened his barber shop. And it was rumoured that the ladies who worked at the old manual telephone exchange in the old post office tipped him off whenever the vice squad were planning a surprise visit.

Over the years the place developed into quite a hangout for people in town. And not just for his barbering skills or bookie activity but due to the billiards saloon he had out the back with tables salvaged from the nearby Club and National hotels. He also had a lending library installed filled mostly with western cowboy novels.

Ethel had died in 1948 in Queensland, which seems to suggest that she and Les had parted company by that time. Son Robert was carving out quite a career as a professional Aussie Rules football player and was playing for Geelong Football Club.

By 1955 Les had remarried to Elsie Filby who remained with him until his death in 1983 at 80 years of age.

By all accounts he was a "colourful character" with all the dubious connotations that come with the term. Known as Flash Les, he liked to flash a fat roll of notes and was an old fashioned ladies man who could sing onstage and was always chosen to MC concerts and socials. That's him pictured above, reclining front and centre, at a town social in 1938.

In Just a Boy From the Bush Lloyd Jones describes him as “bookmaker and barber, polished and witty, as gentlemen of those callings usually are”.

Maureen French, writing about her experiences of Clunes in the early 70s recalls being serenaded by Les from his shop as she did her shopping.

And Christine Rowe, whose father was friends with Les, remembers as a kid the barber shop being a man's place that you were not allowed to go into.

Pictured above, Les Davis, avuncular master of ceremonies, right, Les Davis and his first wife Ethel on their wedding day 1927

Images: Courtesy of Clunes Museum: Words: Tony Sawrey

BBQ SAFELY THIS SUMMER.

KNOW THE DRILL B E F O R E YO U G R I L L 1 CHECK FOR GAS LEAKS WITH SOAPY WATER 2 IF YOU SEE BUBBLES, TURN THE GAS OFF

There were too many dangerous gas BBQ fires in Victoria last summer. So please BBQ safely.

To find out more, and to order a free soapy water bottle, visit esv.vic.gov.au/knowthedrill

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Our history 5

Corruption, intrigue, dam delays and danger In our March 15, 2022 edition we looked at the intriguing build of the Malmsbury Reservoir.

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ITH the Victorian gold rush of the 1850s, came the realisation of just how vulnerable the growing settlements were to unsanitary water. The few creeks that ran through Castlemaine to Bendigo flowed well in winter but were reduced to fetid ponds in the summer.

Outbreaks of cholera and typhoid were common with a death rate for infants at around 220 for every 1000 births. The need for a reliable and clean water supply was undeniable.

In 1862 the Victorian Government offered a prize of 500 pounds for a suitable design of a drinking water reservoir on the Coliban River just south of Malmsbury. It set in motion an industrial saga replete with all the corruption, delays, intrigues and danger befitting a grand engineering project of the Victorian age. Enough to even fill a book, and that’s what Malmsbury resident Rod Andrew did, he put a book together on the subject - Malmsbury Reservoir: A History in News Articles and Pictures.

“I first heard about (the Malmsbury Reservoir) back in the 1970s,” says Rod. “I worked for the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission, the predecessors to Coliban Water. There were many stories going around about the Coliban water system and the Malmsbury Reservoir had a bit of a name. It was mainly bad from the engineers' point of view because they had a lot of trouble with it.”

Today there are two additional sites along the river that opens out from its headwaters at Trentham. These include the Upper Coliban Reservoir near Tylden, completed in 1903 and Lauriston Reservoir, completed in 1941. Together they make up the Coliban Water Works. The winning design (titled Progress) was presented by Joseph Brady, the chief engineer at the Bendigo Water Works Co (later absorbed into the Department of Victorian Water Supply).

Mr Brady was capable and respected, and the construction project may have run smoothly under his guidance but he departed to Queensland to manage other projects before construction commenced. Ultimately charge of the project fell to one Henry Christofferson, the newly minted chief engineer of water supply. Contractor Thomas Greenwood was employed to commence building the wall in 1866.

Construction was fairly straightforward, featuring an earthen embankment with a puddle clay core and washes at either end to pass floods.

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But as it was, the construction was beset by delays and recriminations which saw a 15-month build stretch to seven years, not helped by the inexperience of Christofferson. But bad engineering and catastrophic failures were very much a part of the spirit of the age. Engineers were often hired on experience, not necessarily actual qualifications. This led to spectacular disasters such as the 1864 collapse of the Dale Dyke Dam in Yorkshire, England which drowned 240 people. Such events weighed heavily on the Victorian Government during planning, and the Malmsbury Reservoir came very close to joining that ignominious list.

“Christofferson specified building materials that should not have been used, didn’t supervise the work and there was corruption at every level,” says Rod. “He was eventually sacked along with two other resident engineers who were charged with concealing faults in the construction. It was a sign of the times that Christofferson had the role at all but he was well connected and had friends in parliament.”

The year 1870 saw a lot of rain in Victoria and the newly completed reservoir was full to overflowing which quickly revealed its poor construction. By July leaks had appeared with some described by the Kyneton Guardian as: “Strong jets as if thrown by a powerful syringe.”

Christofferson remained sanguine stating: “The percolation of water was trifling.”

However by September The Argus wrote: “It must be evident that, with such a rush of water, the destruction of the embankment at this point is but a matter of time.”

History notes no flood of biblical proportions sweeping away the village of Malmsbury. The leaks (caused by a poorly constructed outlet pipe beneath the embankment) were addressed.

Embarrassingly it required the Victorian Government to bring in engineering expertise from the then British colony of India to effect solutions. That came in the form of Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Hieram Sankey of the Royal Engineers. Another imported expert, one G. Gordon, then rectified the worst defects as Sankey found them. The result being a reservoir that remains in operation to this day, 155 years after the turning of the first sod.

Thanks to Rod Andrew, inset, author of Malmsbury Reservoir: A History in News Articles and Pictures for his assistance with this article.

Above, an aerial view of Malmsbury Reservoir with the village in the foreground from 1931 | Image: State Library of Victoria Words: Tony Sawrey

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6 Our history

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John still carrying a torch for Olympic memories "It was a lonely experience, training on my own. However, I was thrilled to often see Olympic athletes running the S ATHLETES get ready to take part in the Olympic Games in Tokyo on July 23, Eganstown resident John Menadue remembers his part in lake at the same time I was."

The official report of the the Melbourne Olympics, back in 1956.

XVI Olympiad Melbourne Mr Menadue was one of 2830 Australian male runners to carry the 1956 Olympic Torch almost 4800km from Cairns to the MCG in November that year. The 1956 details the almost military precision and organisation of 16-year-old Ballarat High School student received the miner's lamp containing the the Torch Relay. "Every athlete flame at 2.39 am on Wednesday, November 21 near his family home. was on his mark early, and the "I started my leg of the relay from the shire boundary at the centre of the Deep Creek bridge where the Eganstown general store was at that time," Mr Menadue said. front truck, running a mile or two ahead of the flame, was At that hour of the night, there were no crowds to cheer him, just a small scheduled to arrive with five contingent of family and locals. "I remember my mum and dad Nellie and Jack, my or ten minutes to spare. The five sisters, Uncle Fred and Aunty Mary who had driven up from Footscray in their attendant on the truck then very grand DeSoto American car and Daylesford resident Tom Ferguson with his checked the runner's identity, white beard were visible in the night's gloom," Mr Menadue said. gave him a torch and instructed Mr Menadue, to achieve the honour of becoming a torchbearer, had to comply him how to light it from the with the strict criteria of being a male at least 16 years of age, a non-professional preceding runner's torch. The athlete able to run a mile in less than six minutes and able to supply his kit. Time flame arrived, was transferred, trials were held at Castlemaine, where Mr Menadue and Daylesford boys Alan and the runner was off on his mile."

Thomas, Bob Scofield, and Stan Edwards competed against 30 or 40 qualifiers. Mr People in a second truck in convoy presented each Menadue's best official time for running a mile was 4.38 minutes. runner with a medallion after each leg of the journey.

Mr Menadue remembers after his one-mile run "all the family packed into Holding the XVI Olympiad in Melbourne in 1956 the Vanguard and headed back home for breakfast, and then onto school". At the was the first time the Games convened in the Southern assembly in Ballarat High School's Peacock Hall, Mr Menadue, fellow student George Briggs and teacher Jack Hassell, who were also in the torch relay, were invited Hemisphere.

The Olympic Games was one of the most important to talk about their involvement. "It was a great experience, only to be superseded by things to happen to Ballarat and Mr Menadue. "Later winning the Head of the Lake. It was a great year '56," Mr Menadue said. on, we won the Head of the Lake for the second time ever."

Mr Menadue trained every day before the relay, running on bush tracks in Eganstown or around Lake Wendouree.

In our April 26, 2021 edition we chatted with Eganstown resident John Menadue about his memories of carrying the Olympic Torch in 1956.

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Words & main image: Carol Saffer

Don’t travel to high risk areas on Extreme Fire Danger Rating days.

If you plan to travel through Victoria, during fire season, it’s important to check the Fire Danger Rating every day.

If the rating is Extreme or above, avoid travelling to high risk areas, including to cities and towns.

Plan. Act. Survive. Go to emergency.vic.gov.au

Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

Let’s support our community and shop local!

“Locals supporting Locals”

Restaurants, Bakers, Butchers, Cafe’s, Local vineyards, Distillers, Brewers and of course each other.

Remember we offer free delivery, T&Cs apply.

Delivery times are Monday to Saturday between 10am and 4pm.

We accept credit cards over the phone or we have an on-board eftpos machine. You will need to be at home for the delivery with proof of age if asked by the driver.

Give the Foxxy team a call on 5348 3577.

Keep safe, everyone.

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Sunday, February 13, 2pm–5pm

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Your Say Hepburn Hub at The Rex Why I voted "No" to selling The Rex - Cr Jen Bray.

At the November council meeting the 4-3 decision to halt the Hepburn Hub at The Rex project, and sell the building, has sent shockwaves through the Hepburn community.

Already frustrated by delays and cost blowouts, local residents are in disbelief at the news that the Hub they have been waiting over six years for has suddenly been scrapped.

As a councillor I have received 35 formal letters of complaint on council’s failure to conduct any community engagement prior to this decision or even inform the community that this might be on the cards.

For constituents who elected this council primarily on its promise of better consultation, this has, not surprisingly, come as a shock.

I do not believe it makes wise financial sense to sell this asset now. Having invested so much, it’s a lose-lose situation. Council will be left with an actual $6 million debt with no asset. The proposed $15 million for the project will be similar wherever this Hub is built. Except that we will be starting $6 million in debt.

Council now has no plan and no idea where we will be putting the Hub to accommodate community spaces, library, cinema, council offices and public toilets.

We have no costings, no review of potential sites, no assessment of what we currently need for staff accommodation, and no community input.

Yet, this council has committed to selling The Rex before assessing all the options for a future Hub site.

Why do we need a Hub anyway?

Council began consulting with community about a Hub back in 2014. There was need for indoor community spaces, a bigger library to serve our growing population, central public toilets, and consolidated council offices to make them more efficient, compliant and provide better disability access.

WE

Letters 9

When The Rex was bought in 2016, the local volunteerrun community cinema looked like losing its home, so council guaranteed it would provide an auditorium in the new Rex Hub building which the cinema could lease. A promise now broken.

The Rex project has been fraught over the past five years with delays, expanding budgets and a Local Government Inspectorate investigation yet to be made public. There have been divided views on the project, and community frustration has been understandable.

But I have heard loud and clear that this community needs a space to connect.

Somewhere indoors out of the freezing rain and searing heat. The Rex would have provided a stunning new library in a beautiful historic building.

The cinema would bring entertainment and build social connection between our volunteers, youth, older members and young families. We would have central public toilets, and accessible council services. The Rex would become more than a hub - it could be the heart of this town.

To continue with this project – I propose we do what council should have done from the start.

Consult the community.

Maybe if we ask people what they want, we as a council can be guided to make better decisions in the interests of all our community.

- Hepburn Shire Council Deputy Mayor and Councillor Jen Bray (jbray@hepburn.vic.gov.au)

Letters to the editor are always welcome at The Local.

Keep them to the point and local.

Email news@tlnews.com.au Any addressed Dear Sir will be deleted.

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STORM AND FLOOD

BULLETIN

This regular bulletin provides recovery updates following the June 2021 storms and floods.

Bushfire Recovery Victoria proudly works in partnership with council and the local community to support recovery.

PARTNERS IN WELLBEING Running a small business is rewarding, but it also comes with a unique set of challenges and responsibilities.

The Partners in Wellbeing Helpline ensures that sole traders, small business owners and their employees can speak to someone who understands them, and who understands their business.

RESIDENTIAL STORM AND FLOOD CLEAN-UP RESUMES The Residential Storm and Flood Clean-up works resume this week.

Clean-up after the storms is a big job and there’s a lot of work left to do.

The helpline is a free and confidential service that provides support for small business owners and employees through trained wellbeing coaches, financial counsellors and business advisers.

Call the Partners in Wellbeing hotline on 1300 375 330 or visit partnersinwellbeing.org.au/ small-business-support for more information and a live chat option.

The crews are rested and ready for a new year.

So far, the program has completed over 70% of residential properties.

Check out the BRV Facebook or LinkedIn page for updates.

Primary producers located in 6 storm-affected communities may be eligible to receive a kilometreworth of fence posts for their property.

Eligible local government areas include Hepburn, Macedon Ranges, Moorabool, Murrindindi, Cardinia or Yarra Ranges.

These fence posts are repurposed from stormdamaged trees obtained over the course of BRV’s Residential Storm and Flood Clean-up program.

We’ve teamed up with Rural Aid and Macedon Ranges Shire Council to provide these fence posts.

For more information and to register, visit faa.ruralaid.org.au/fence-post-program

AN UPDATE FROM HEPBURN SHIRE COUNCIL Around 40 community members came to the Trentham Mechanics Institute on Thursday 25 November to hear Dr Rob Gordon PhD speak on community recovery after trauma. It is almost six months since the storm event.

Drawing on his 40 years’ experience as a trauma psychologist, Dr Gordon shared anecdotes from past events and the families and individuals he has observed, who he has consulted.

His delivery was well received and there were many questions from the audience at the conclusion.

RECOVERY SUPPORT HOTLINE IS HERE TO HELP The Storm and Flood Recovery Hotline is available to help you, when and if you need it.

Victorians impacted by the June 2021 storms and floods can call the single, state-wide number for help.

Operators can assist you with accessing your own Recovery Support Worker, mental health and wellbeing support, financial counselling, and information on available payments.

The Recovery Hotline is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).

Call 1800 560 760 today to access a Recovery Support worker.

1800 560 760

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We are passionate about building natural eco-system ponds, adding beauty and encouraging wildlife, allowing interaction with nature. Water gardens built by us are quiet, contemplative places to rest and energise the senses.

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Community News MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

It has been a stressful start to 2022 for our community with Creswick and surrounding areas receiving their summer average rainfall in 2.5 hours, with 130mm to 200mm being reported. With it came tropical force winds and knee-deep hail that combined to cause extensive damage to hundreds of homes, sheds, businesses, crops, trees, roads, and people’s veggie gardens. The clean-up and support from Hepburn Shire, and other agencies is ongoing, and people are encouraged to report storm damage online or seek help and advice in person at the Creswick Hub Recovery Centre, located at 68 Albert Street, or by calling 5348 2306.

For some people in Creswick, it is the third or fourth time they have experienced the trauma of flooding in the past ten years, and the effort that is required to rebuild after these events can be both physically and mentally exhausting. It has been heartening to see firsthand and hear of stories how people have gone to great lengths to help each other during the storm event itself, and afterwards offering incredibly generous support to both their neighbours and others in need.

I’d also like to thank our extremely dedicated and hardworking storm recovery team, Hepburn Shire staff, other agencies, emergency service personnel and Powercor for their important work. Support for our community during this recovery phase will be ongoing while we also review and reflect on what has and hasn’t worked with past flood mitigation measures, and what can and should be done to reduce the risk of damages in the future. Climate change is certainly knocking on our door in Hepburn Shire as this recent extreme weather event comes only months after the disastrous storms around Trentham. I’d really encourage you to contribute your thoughts and feedback on this via our Sustainable Hepburn survey as we deliver on our commitment in our Council Plan to foster a more resilient, sustainable and protected environment.

On a final note, we ask you to be patient and understanding in the coming weeks with businesses and our Council staff due to staff shortages and the increasing limits on the ability to deliver services due to the steep rise in positive Omicron COVID cases in the community. It is important also to get your vaccine booster shot and a reminder that vaccinations are now available to 5 to 11 year olds via Central Highlands Rural Health. Please remember to register your RAT test and where possible avoid situations that may elevate your risk of getting COVID in the next few weeks to reduce the burden on our health system.

Cr Tim Drylie MAYOR

LGBTIQA+ ADVISORY COMMITTEE

We’re establishing an LGBTIQA+ Advisory Committee to provide us with advice on programs and services to improve inclusion throughout the Shire. Hepburn Shire Council is proud of its diversity and believes that communities are enriched when all people regardless of their background or identity are embraced and supported to participate and contribute to community life. For more information and to apply visit https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/lgbtiqa-advisory-committee

POSITIVE AGEING IDEAS

Council is in the process of developing our very first Positive Ageing Strategy. Positive ageing is the process of maintaining a positive attitude, feeling good about yourself, keeping fit and healthy and fully engaging in life as you age. We invite you to help us to develop the strategy and ensure that it addresses the real issues that people face as they age. Your input will help to inform Council’s work towards an age-friendly community for all.

If you’re over the age of 55 and live or work in Hepburn Shire please complete the positive ageing survey at: https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/positive-ageing Printed copies are available at Council hubs and libraries. We will also hold pop-up sessions throughout the Shire. Sessions include: Clunes – Attitude Room (25 Fraser Street) – 10am on Tuesday 1 February Smeaton – Bowling Club – 10am on Thursday 3 February Glenlyon – General Store – 10am on Tuesday 8 February Clydesdale – Hall – 10am Wednesday 9 February More sessions will be held in the latter part of February in Bullarto, Trentham, Creswick, Hepburn and Daylesford. To find out more phone our Positive Ageing Officer on 5321 6494.

WVTNP &

Check out our storm related community news page (right) to learn more about how Council is responding to the recent storm event in Creswick and surrounds, and what supports are available to community, businesses and farmers.

COUNCIL PLAN FOCUS AREAS

PUBLIC NOTICE

Lease Daylesford Speedway Council is seeking community feedback for the consideration of a renewal of lease for the Daylesford Speedway at the Basin Recreation Reserve on the Ballan Daylesford Road, Daylesford. The length of lease may be up to six years with the option for an extension for a further six years. Have your say via https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/daylesford-speedway by 5pm on Friday 11 February 2022 or send feedback by post to Property Officer, PO Box 21, Daylesford VIC 3460 or email property@hepburn.vic. gov.au. If you have any questions, contact Council’s Property Officer at property@hepburn.vic.gov.au

SUSTAINABLE HEPBURN

Have your say on the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project (WVTNP) and Sustainable Hepburn.

Council is strongly opposed to the proposed route and large terminal station to be located in our Shire as part of the WVTNP. Have your say to help inform our Environmental Effects Statement.

Sustainable Hepburn will be Council’s updated commitment to environmental sustainability. We want to hear from you on how we can improve our environmental sustainability, now and for future generations.

To have your say visit https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/ The Council Plan 2021-2025 describes how Council will strive towards our vision, where to focus efforts, and how to measure progress. Each Focus Area has a series of priority statements, with actions against each item.

 5348 2306  shire@hepburn.vic.gov.au  www.hepburn.vic.gov.au www.facebook.com/hepburncouncil

Images: Cmdr Wayne Rigg FRV.

JANUARY STORM T

he severe thunderstorm on 5 January caused widespread damage in Hepburn Shire. Council worked with emergency agencies to provide support to the community and clean up the area following heavy rainfall and flash flooding.

Are you living with storm damage?

If you were impacted by the thunderstorm, we encourage you to drop into our Recovery Centre. This is a place for people impacted by the storm to find out about available support.

This may include counselling, social support, accommodation, financial assistance, to arrange a secondary impact assessment, and more.

If someone you know was impacted, please let them know to speak with one of our team.

The Recovery Centre is open between 10am and 4pm weekdays at Creswick Hub, 68 Albert Street.

To speak to a member of our Storm Recovery Team phone 5348 2306 during business hours.

We encourage business operators and farmers to also get in touch to find out about available support.

Secondary impact assessments Council staff have carried out more than 220 secondary impact assessments on private residences damaged by the January storm.

Teams have met with residents to understand any assistance required and to assess damage to property.

A secondary impact assessment means the damage to your property is registered by Council which may assist with government funding and additional support.

Storm event and recovery The immediate response involved assisting people to leave damaged homes and the establishment of a Relief Centre in Creswick.

At the same time, crews focused on clearing roads, removing fallen trees from powerlines and hazards, and removing debris out of Creswick Creek.

“The thunderstorm was incredibly damaging, with some residents reporting up to 240mm of rain in a few hours, along with significant amounts of hail. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the storm and subsequent flooding,” said Mayor, Cr Tim Drylie.

“This is a very stressful time and if you need support I strongly urge you to get in touch with our Storm Recovery Team on 5348 2306 for advice on social support, financial assistance, counselling, and more.”

Along with Council, response groups included Victorian State Emergency Services, Country Fire Authority, Victoria Police, DELWP, Ambulance Victoria, Salvation Army, Powercor and Parks Victoria.

“Thank you to all agencies, volunteers and staff who assisted with the clean-up and response work. So many people put their hand up to help and we are incredibly grateful for the speed at which this was carried out and the professionalism of everyone involved,” said Cr Drylie.

Council’s surveillance crew is now undertaking road and drainage inspections. Based on the assessments the team will plan a coordinated approach to restore damaged assets.

Lobbying is underway Council is currently lobbying state and federal government for ongoing support and has been advised that funding will be available to Council through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. We are grateful for support

If your property was impacted by the storm but you haven’t received a visit, or you would like us to visit someone you know, please contact us during business hours.

for the relief and recovery efforts, which are expected to cost many millions of dollars on public land alone.

We are also lobbying the Insurance Council of Australia, recognising that some insurance company assessors have been slow to respond.

Free waste drop off We are offering free waste disposal at the Creswick Transfer Station for people impacted by the storm. This is currently in place until 5pm on Monday 17 January, but we are reviewing a possible extension to give people more time to clean up. Please take along proof of residency from these areas. Please pre-book larger drop offs (2m3+) by contacting Council’s Waste Team.

Creswick Transfer Station opening hours: • Mon, Thu, Fri : 12 noon to 5pm • Sat, Sun : 9am to 5pm

Hard rubbish collection on Saturdays We will collect storm-affected hard rubbish from kerbsides in Creswick every Saturday for the next few weeks.

Storm Recovery Team Phone 5348 2306

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House.Land.Home. 15

Orchids - always precious - occasionally precocious

Once considered an expensive and highy technical hobby, the pleasures of growing beautiful orchids are now open to us all.

True, those delicate, highly desirable beauties from the steamy tropical forests demand special growing conditions and treatment, but there are now many more, less demanding varieties waiting for you to take home.

The amazing discovery of orchids and other tropical exotics in Central America led to many adventurous expeditions from the mid-1800s. In fact, it was an aborted Spanish Orchid Hunt, to be led by my botanist great grandfather E.B.Heyne, that brought him to Australia. A last minute breakout of typhoid on board the ship caused him to join the Melbourne-bound Gottfrei instead.

Until the 1920s, orchids were only obtainable by importing small offsets (plantlets) from their native environment, usually at great expense. In 1922 an American, Dr Lewis Knudson, found a way of germinating orchid seeds in a sterile culture.

Since then multitudes of new hybrids have been developed and the throng of orchid devotees have multiplied at a fantastic rate. So much so that many established flowering plants (except the totally exotic forms) usually cost no more than any other equivalent flowering tree or shrub.

All orchids come from two basic groups. The majority being epiphytic, an ancient Greek word meaning "of the air" and grow mainly on trees and rocks, living on decaying plant matter that chances to land there. They are not parasitic like mistletoe, they use the host tree simply as a means of support.

Then there are the terrestrials who grow in the ground like the majority of trees and other plants. Fortunately you don’t have to bother to find lots of suitable branches and trunks to situate your epiphytic orchids, they will grow just as well in pots of well-drained, fibrous medium - nothing more than pine bark chips, peat moss or sphagnum moss will do. Just as long as it remains moist but never really wet.

My phalaenopsis have thrived for several years in pots simply filled with lightly packed sphagnum moss. Obviously, they enjoy a regular dose of plant feed around times of flowering or leaf growth.

Surprisingly, I have found that most terrestrial (soil inhabiting) forms will survive in the similar mix provided it contains enough sand and soil content for the roots to get a good grip and does not allow them to dry out.

One good mix would be two parts crumbled peat moss, two parts rice hulls (I use crushed pistachio shells) one part coarse sand and one part coffee grounds. I recycle the contents of my coffee pods - and a light dressing of slow release fertiliser pellets.

Obviously they are mainly in untouched woodlands and forested areas and mostly all protected species so must only be recorded or taken away in photographic form as is this diures orientis (wallflower donkey orchid) spotted near Daylesford.

A firm favourite for gifts at any time of year is the delightful phalaenopsis orchid.

Meanwhile, pink rock orchid, dendrobium kingianum, is just one of 50 plus forms of this popular plant.

Another, firestar orchid, epidendrum radicans, is orange and full of delightful little Central American terrestrial orchids.

Above, clockwise from top left, wallflower donkey orchid, dendrobium kingianum, epidendrum radicans, butterfly orchid phalaenopsis Got a gardening question? Email glenzgarden@gmail.com

Native orchids

We are fortunate to have many natural hybrid varieties of both terrestrial and epiphytic orchids in Australia. Luckily there are about 50 native dendrobium/ dockrillia species alone, occurring mainly along the eastern coast.

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COVID-19 Vaccination Update COVID-19 vaccine third doses COVID-19 Pfizer and Moderna third doses are now available to anyone aged 18 and over. If you had your second dose 4 months ago or earlier, you are due for your third dose now.

You need your third dose to keep up your immunity against COVID-19. Book your third dose today at a GP, pharmacy or a Victorian vaccination centre (including Kyneton Health).

You can get a Pfizer or Moderna third dose regardless of which COVID-19 vaccine you received for your initial doses.

Please contact your local GP or pharmacy for more information.

COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 - 11 years Children aged 5 to 11 began receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from 10 January 2022. They will receive a smaller dose of vaccine created specifically for their age group.

By vaccinating your children, you can: Reduce the spread of COVID-19 Protect them from getting sick from COVID-19 Keep schools open, so children can have more face-to-face learning and playtime with their friends.

The recommended schedule for vaccination in this age group is two doses, eight weeks apart. The interval can be shortened to a minimum of three weeks in special circumstances. For example: as part of an outbreak response before the start of significant immunosuppression, or before international travel.

Some families have been enquiring about third doses for children.

Third doses are only recommended for people aged 18 years and over at this time.

Bookings at GPs and pharmacies and some vaccination centres (including Kyneton Health) are now available. Please contact your local GP or pharmacy for more information.

Healthy Lunchboxes, Healthy Kids!

Packing school lunches can be frustrating at times as we try and navigate the wide variety of snack options presented to us at the supermarket that may not always be the healthiest choice. Throw in the joys of a fussy eater and it can become quite a daily challenge!

Research shows that having a healthy lunchbox during childhood helps to develop and sustain healthy habits throughout our life. It also supports children to behave well, learn better and be happy during the day. To give your kids the most enjoyment and variety and to ensure that the lunchbox actually gets eaten: Try to include your little ones in the shopping and preparation of lunch. Getting your kids involved in picking something from each of the 5 food groups will help keep the kids interested in their food and more likely to eat it! It also ensures they are getting all the right nutrients whilst helping them to sustain healthier choices into the future.

Be sure to include both nutritious options as well as favourite and fun foods. Sometimes kindergarten/school can be overwhelming so it’s important that kids have some safe and familiar foods available to them.

We provide free Healthy Lunchbox Sessions to all early learning settings across the Hepburn Shire and have developed a great resource for parents/carers to support healthy choices with practical tips for adding extra nutrients and colour into lunchboxes. For more information please visit our website or email pophealth@chrh.org.au

Kyneton Community COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic Open Tuesdays and Fridays. From the 14th January the clinic will be offering 5 -11 year old vaccinations, bookings are essential and must be made online https://portal.cvms.vic.gov.au/or via the Coronavirus hotline 1800 675 398.

Third doses (Pfizer only) are also available for those who are eligible.

Source: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccine on 11th January 2022

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Dr. Susanne M. Heringslake Chiropractor Moments To Ponder a little gift from me to you

A bit of patience...

A cheery smile...

A little nod of the head...

These things - and more can make a person’s day a whole lot better.

Even yours! p.s. Did you know, the light in your eyes will always reflect the smile on your face? Check it out!

COVID-19 3rd DOSE BOOSTER CLINICS

Book your 3rd dose online via HotDoc or call our reception staff.

Please monitor our website booking page for clinic dates.

Please speak with your GP if you have any questions about receiving your 3rd dose Covid-19 vaccine.

Visit https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/third-dose for more information.

Springs Medical will be CLOSED for the Australia Day Public Holiday on Wednesday 26 January 2022 If you have an urgent, non-life-threatening health concern after hours, call the After Hours GP Helpline 1800 022 222. In an emergency always call 000.

For all enquiries and to book appointments, please contact: Dr Susanne M Heringslake Chiropractor Mobile: 0407 301 352

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18 Opinion

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Just sayin’...

Local Lines

By Donna Kelly

The enemy

T

HIS edition is all about looking back so I thought I would take a stroll down memory lane, to my "born and bred" town of Frankston.

Very early memories include trips to the beach with Mum in summer. I guess Dad was too busy working at the PMG, or Post-Master General's office, now Telstra, to come along.

We would pile into the old 1960s Holden Kingswood, (rego KEO 505) three kids in the back, one in the front and mum driving, with all manner of beach toys, umbrellas and towels. We always seemed to park on the wrong side of the highway and Mum had to drag four young kids across a busy road just under Olivers Hill.

After a few hours we would dodge the traffic again, cry out as our legs burnt on the hot vinyl seats and when we got home rub cold butter on our sunburn.

I also recall lots of really boring long Sunday drives and visiting so many display homes. Not sure why. Mum stayed in our weatherboard home in The Range from her marriage in 1956 to her only move to a retirement village just up the road in 2013.

My school days were first spent at Overport Primary, where I loved reading and writing. I memorised Dorothea Mackellar's My Country (you know, I love a sunburnt country...) to win points for my house (boring Red compared to Harry Potter's Gryffindor) and wrote a letter to author Ivan Southall. And yes, he wrote back.

Mt Eliza High School had only just opened up and was looking for students, so that was the next step. My older sister and I, in our all-brown uniforms, caught the bus from the Frankston War Veterans Home in Overport Road. All my friends had gone to Frankston High so I had to start again and there was also a feeling we were from the wrong side of the tracks. Looking back I think most of my classmates' parents just had bigger mortgages.

Away from school, we were always hanging out at the beach or spending Friday nights in Frankston, buying the latest single at Brashs if we had enough money.

There was also a bit of time spent at the AC, a pinball parlour of fairly poor repute.

My mother was always worried someone was going to walk past and stab me with a needle filled with heroin and I would be addicted. It wasn't that bad. Television was black and white until 1975 but we didn't care. We watched Countdown and Get Smart and Hey Hey It's Saturday.

When I reached Form 5, or today's Year 11, I headed back to Frankston High with my best friend. That was a great year socially, but education-wise, a complete disaster. I failed miserably but instead of repeating I pleaded my case to the local TAFE college and got into Form 6. Back on track and then off to uni.

All through high school I wanted to be a journalist and badgered the poor editor, Dina Monks, at the then Frankston Standard with everything I wrote. Sometimes they were published, mostly not. When I finally finished uni, a cadet job came up at the Standard, at just the right time...and went to the daughter of someone working there.

Luckily, a little later the same position came up at the Southern Peninsula Gazette in Rosebud and it was mine. The rest is history.

Frankston was a great place to grow up. It seemed very safe, one of those "kids head out in the morning and come back at dusk" scenarios. We knew all our neighbours and practically lived over the back fence many afternoons after school.

Mums stayed at home and their work was the family and now and again the school canteens, and that's when you got free lollies. Dads went off to work each day, in suits, and were on the school committees at night.

At Christmas we all went out and chose a real tree. We got one main present. We left presents for the milkman and the garbo, by the front gate, and no-one ever stole them. On Guy Fawkes Night (people under 30 ask your parents) we had Catherine wheels and sparklers and penny bangers. No-one had heard of Halloween.

Of course, there are always the dark sides to any life or town or time, but this is not about those. It is about a time gone by, seen through rose-coloured glasses and is just a gentle trip down memory lane. Just sayin'...

An inverted wooden-planked fruit box plonked on a central sturdyish wooden plank bolted at either end to smaller cross-planks That’s a lot of planking - and there’s more In front of the box sits a closer-planked small wooden crate (for the co-pilot option) and further ahead a wooden axle manoeuvrable courtesy of ball bearings with a cast iron wheel at either end Back wheels are pram and slick but due to the rusty front wheels the billy cart is a clanker From main perch point grab the reins to permit pull-style steering and now accept a brother’s push from behind Absorb the jarring bounce as you hit each crack and uneven footpath block Relish downward momentum. Yee ha!

Pray you strike no uphill pedestrians requiring rough nature strip detour and application of rear brake crisis of wood, metal, concrete sparks - and loss of shoe leather in front rider’s skidding heels Even if you get a clear run look out for the aproned figure of frizzy-haired Lordis Lady charging down her rocky front path stirring spoon raised above her head shrieking shrieking shrieking - Bill Wootton Local Lines comes mainly from a group of local poets but other submissions are always welcome. To have a poem considered for publication contact Bill Wootton at cottlesbreedge@gmail.com

Kyle’s Rant Hmmm, a rant? Yeah, na. Still chilling. But I will definitely catch you in the next edition. Still taking time out rant over!

In the meantime here is a history piece I wrote from our October 25, 2021 edition about Vaughan Springs. Enjoy!

V

AUGHAN was once a bustling town known as The Junction and the name itself conjures up images from the wild west, gunslinging bushrangers and miners duking it out on the muddy streets.

A decade or so later it was renamed Vaughan and in the 20th century has missed the title of the Spa Centre of Australia, but what happened and how did the title go to Hepburn?

The Junction started as most in this area with gold in the “roaring 50s” the driver.

This small editorial appeared in The Ballarat Star on May 31, 1898: "The signatures of 106 miners in the Vaughan and Guildford district have been attached to a petition for presentation to the Mining Board in favour of the application by Mr Conrad Frank (on behalf of a syndicate) to dredge the River Loddon at Vaughan. The Spring Gully, near Castlemaine, has had a partial cleaning up, an average of 1oz per ton being obtained. A further lot of stone has also been cleaned up, and the total yield is 93 oz from 82 tons. The whole line of towards Fryerstown, a distance of nearly two miles has been taken up."

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The Alexandra Mail on March 13, 1912 talked about the director of Geological Surveys Mr Dunn’s report to induce tourists to the area - he was commissioned by the Castlemaine Progress Association. Mr Dunn found multiple gas and water beds along the course of the Loddon River with varying gas strengths.

In the early 1920s tourism development had started with the idea of using the springs and forming a health resort. A local committee raised £600 to make a road in, plant trees, erect a rotunda and acquire a sportsground.

And according to newspaper reports in the Collie Mail and W.A. Coalfields Miner on September 9, 1927: “What was formerly a valley of prickly scrub is now the nucleus of a thriving centre where fishing and shooting are to be indulged in by sportsmen.” The article went on to say: “Vaughan, from which the springs derive their name, is rich in historical associations. Though now practically in ruins, it was once a busy town of some 40,000 inhabitants. Strange to say, a large number were Chinese, and the cemetery of the Celestials is still to be seen there, like a road cut along the side of the hill by them. Stark and gaunt, the ruins stand out in bold relief on each side of the roadway, eloquent and silent tributes to the days of the 'roaring fifties'.

Here are to be seen the remains of the church, post office, Bank of Victoria and gaol.”

As late as January 29, 1952 the small hamlet hosted a beauty pageant with the search on for Miss Central Victoria.

The Argus reported: “A goldmine of beauty at Vaughan Springs” when "the crowd of more than 2000 shouted its approval when 17-year-old Ida Kruger, of Hargreaves (sic) Street, Castlemaine, was announced the winner”.

Sadly, the health resort and tourism development never eventuated and nowadays Vaughan is described by Wikipedia as a small village in the Shire of Mount Alexander, south of Castlemaine and east of Guildford, situated at the confluence of Fryers Creek and the Loddon River which has the Lawson Spring, a drinkable mineral water spring.

The population of Vaughan at the 2016 Census was 64.

Words: Kyle Barnes | Image: Trove (Many thanks to Trove for its help with this article. www.trove.nla.gov.au)

2022 MEMBERSHIP AND CLASS ENROLMENT MORNING THURSDAY JANUARY 20th 9am to 1pm DAYLESFORD TOWN HALL & SENIOR CITIZENS’ ROOMS New Members Welcome Drop in between 9am and 1pm For Morning Tea, join or renew your membership; enrol in a variety of activities.

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Employment Great opportunity available.

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News 21

June storm help

Addiction support

Support is still available for residents affected by The new year is a time when many people make the storms and floods that impacted homes and plans to cut down on drinking, online shopping or businesses in June 2021, and financial counsellors other behaviours that have become a problem.

A free weekly addiction support group, SMART are urging residents to put their hands up for help.

Five community organisations, funded as part of the Victorian Government’s Storm and Flood Recovery Support Program, are providing free financial counselling to the communities most impacted by the disaster.

Hepburn/Central Highlands residents can contact Cafs Ballarat on 1800 692 237 or welcome@cafs.org.au Macedon residents can contact Anglicare Victoria on 1800 244 323.

Catherine

KING MP

Recovery, starts next month in Kyneton which helps people set realistic goals, identify triggers and teaches techniques to cope with urges and cravings.

Delivered by Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health, meetings start on Wednesday, February 2 at 1.30pm. To register, or to express your interest in joining an evening group, contact Staumn Hunder on 5421 1666 or email staumn.hunder@scchc.org.au

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The Last Word - The history of Glenlyon In our August 2, 2021 edition we looked at the history of Glenlyon.

T

ODAY Glenlyon, lying a short drive east from Daylesford, is a prosperous little town. Many visitors enjoy stopping there and its current population of weekenders, hobby farmers and retirees is growing in number.

New subdivisions are appearing and most days the sound of building activity can be heard as new houses are constructed. Some older residents may view all these new developments with dismay, yearning for the days of previous years when the area around Glenlyon seemed to enjoy a certain degree of obscurity.

But the current expansion of the town is really just another phase in its 170-year colonial history. Its location on a busy road connecting the main route from Bendigo to Melbourne ensured the town's growth and consolidation well after gold petered out and this same location continues to be what attracts people to the area.

Glenlyon is a place destined to grow and grow.

The settlement’s European origins lay with the establishment of the Coliban pastoral run in 1837 by Alexander Mollison, which originally stretched from Mt Macedon to Mt Alexander. Eventually the vast run was split up and the region around the headwaters of the Loddon became known as the Holcombe Run. In 1846, Richard Babbington and John Carpenter purchased a part of the area and called it Glenlyon after their Scottish home.

For the next few years Glenlyon and the surrounding district remained a pastoral concern. But everything changed when gold was discovered around 1851 and very soon the track from Malmsbury through the settlement became extremely busy. In 1862 when the Bendigo-Melbourne train line opened, this traffic increased and Thomas Tully Orde, a wealthy and successful self-made businessman decided to take advantage of the passing trade. Very soon the Upper Loddon Hotel and the Glenlyon General Store were opened to travellers.

By May 1858 the Glenlyon Post Office started up (closed 1973) and in 1861 a state school was opened and remained so for 132 years. Glenlyon Shire was proclaimed in 1865 incorporating the timber towns of Bullarto and Lyonville. Two more hotels were soon in operation; Glenny’s and Tarleton’s along with a flour mill, forge and police station. In 1864 the Loddon River bridge was built and in 1890 the austere weatherboard Shire Hall was constructed, and remains standing today.

After the mines closed, agriculture and sawmilling became the main industries and in 1915 Glenlyon Shire absorbed Mt Franklin Shire. The new borough boasted a combined population of about 3500 which steadily shrank to about half that number by the 1960s.

In 1966 Glenlyon was absorbed into the Daylesford and Glenlyon Shire which in turn became the Shire of Hepburn in 1995.

Throughout the 20th century Glenlyon remained a going concern while other settlements around the area were absorbed by the bush or became farming land. A gracious avenue of trees was planted for federation and continues to offer strollers some refreshing shade on hot summer days. Nearby, the Loddon Falls (which are probably one of the region’s best kept secrets) was a popular day tripping destination for the good folks of Daylesford complete with a band pavilion and picnic tables.

Thanks to the Daylesford & District Historical Society for its assistance with this feature.

Above, the Glenlyon community planting trees on the main street in the 1890s Centre, the Upper Loddon Hotel built by Thomas Tully Orde which used to stand adjacent to the general store Below, the Glenlyon General Store in the 1890s.

Words: Tony Sawrey | Images: Courtesy of the Daylesford & District Historical Society