The Local March 11, 2024

Front cover: Former Bushwhacker Mick Slocum has been in Daylesford in recent days to do something he absolutely loves besides making music – working to make the town’s heritage post box sing. Read his story by jouranlist Eve Lazmb on page 5.

Image: Eve Lamb

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

The next edition is out on Monday, March 25, 2024. or online on Sunday, March 24 at www.tlnews.com.au

Space bookings: Wednesday, March 20

Copy deadline: Thursday, March 21

Editorial deadline: Thursday, March 21

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, Narelle Groenhout, Simone Kaplan & Donna Kelly

Photographers: Kyle Barnes & Eve Lamb

Graphic designer: Dianne Caithness

Contributors: Glen Heyne (gardening), Darren Lowe (music), Sarah Lang (recipes), Clive Hartley (wine) & Bill Wootton (poetry)

Accounts | Julie Hanson Delivery | Tony Sawrey

Town Hall to close for 18 months 'at least'

Daylesford Town Hall will close for essential electrical and roofing works for at least 18 months from September.

Priority works to protect the heritage building include extensive repairs to the roof, parapets and chimneys, with electrical upgrades to commence once the roof is replaced.

Hepburn Shire Council CEO Bradley Thomas said $1 million had been allocated towards the project in this year’s budget, with $200,000 also allocated for further planning, with the “best estimate” of the overall cost of the project $1.5 million.

Mr Thomas said it was likely a planning permit would be required for the proposed works. This will be confirmed once the designs have progressed, he said.

Mayor Cr Brian Hood said the council will also assess the feasibility of maximising future use of the significant building.

“We are investigating options to consolidate and upgrade the town hall so it could act as a community hub, similar to what we have in Creswick, Clunes and Trentham,” Cr Hood said.

“This would include whether Daylesford Town Hall could be refurbished to include a library along with multi-purpose community spaces to cater for meetings, functions, performances and events.

“There are many steps required before this kind of project would proceed. In order to assess the feasibility of the project we need to obtain architectural advice on the suitability of the site, receive community input and consider feasibility and concept designs.

“Progression of the project will be dependent on securing external funding. A rejuvenated town hall could deliver fit-for-purpose, modern community facilities that maximise the use of this important community building and meet the needs of the community.”

The council will establish a Project Advisory Group of eight members to guide discussions on how the proposal would best meet the community’s needs.

“We will invite expressions of interest for this (group) in April. I encourage anyone interested in community facilities in Daylesford, Hepburn and Hepburn Springs to put up their hand,” Cr Hood said.

“A PAG has been very effective in the development of The Mechanics Trentham, a council building that is almost complete, which encompasses a new library, kitchen and community spaces,” he said.

While the works are underway, the council chambers and council staff who work in the town hall will relocate to leased premises at 24 Vincent Street.

Five women have been inducted onto the Hepburn Shire Council's International Women's Day Heather Mutimer Honour Roll. From left, Cr Jen Bray, Michelle Clifford, Helen Hogg (representing her wife, Yvonne Sillett), Anne Bremner, Nikki Marshall, Marj Green (front), Heather Mutimer and Mayor Cr Brian Hood. Read about these amazing women on page 9.

THE SOAKED BUT SO WHAT BIT

Keep you posted: Mick makes our postal heritage sing

Former Bushwhacker Mick Slocum has been in Daylesford in recent days to do something he absolutely loves besides making music –working to make the town’s heritage post box sing.

Restoring the state’s 120 or so red heritage pillar post boxes has become a self-imposed labour of love for Mick, well known to many through his former role as a muso with Aussie band, the Bushwhackers.

It all started with his own local heritage post box in suburban Ascot Vale in April last year, when Mick became aware that it had been besmirched with graffiti.

First he cleaned up the graffiti, but then could not resist going a little further to restore the vintage postal piece properly back to its former glory.

“I came home, bought some cleaning material, cleaned off the graffiti, and stood back and looked at it and thought, I’ll just keep going,” he says.

“So I went down to the hardware store, bought a can of red, a can of gold, and a can of black and went back and rubbed it all down and sanded it and resprayed it.”

From there the bug bit and, gaining the fullhearted support of Australia Post, Mick has since restored more than 20 heritage post boxes on streets in various Melbourne suburbs and in regional centres including Kyneton and Castlemaine, before most recently turning his attention to Daylesford’s own historic number on the corner of Camp and Raglan streets at Willis Square.

“This is the 26th one I’ve restored so far and there are about 120 statewide, all in varying states of disrepair and all seriously deteriorating,” Mick said as he got to work on the Daylesford box, painstakingly bringing out its intricate heritage details.

Mick is more than keen to lovingly restore each and every one of the remaining boxes in Victoria, with Australia Post not only remunerating him for his troubles, but also paying him a bit for his contribution to the nation’s postal heritage as well.

“But I never set out to get paid,” said Mick, who is also a professional pharmacist and remains a working musician as well.

But, being a showman at heart, he dresses especially for his heritage restoration activities, sporting a tartan vest suit that emphasises the sense of occasion and reinforces the heritage significance of what he is doing.

“This one (in Daylesford) has about 10 coats of paint on it and the original features are covered. There isn’t a single person alive now who was here when this was installed. The oldest of them dates back well over 140 years and every third one is still usable.”

Daylesford’s is one of these. In fact someone popped over and posted a letter in it while Mick chatted about the restoration process that typically takes him a couple of days depending on the state of the box.

“I’ve sort of invented myself a job for life,” he said.

“It’s a bit like painting the Sydney Harbour Bridge because once you’ve finished it will be time to start all over again. It’s extremely meditative and I particularly enjoy it when I put the red paint on it and you can see it coming to life.”

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Next up, following the restoration of Daylesford’s post box, Mick is turning his attention to Ballarat where, he says there are eight of the vintage post boxes and he plans to start with the one near the regional city’s train station, and then move on to the one in the CBD.

“They are priceless examples of our Victorian heritage,” he says.

“We’re lifting the veil on Australia’s heritage. There aren’t many things on the streets these days that are 130 years old. They’re so beautiful,” he said.

When not bringing vintage postal boxes back to their yesteryear glory, Mick is also a professional pharmacist and an active muso who, together with his current band The Exciting McGillicuddies, has a regular Sunday evening gig at an Irish pub in inner city Kensington.

Labour of love: former Bushwhacker Mick Slocum restores Daylesford’s heritage pillar post box on the corner of Raglan and Camp streets in recent days

Words & Image: Eve Lamb

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Those fascinating folk, now at rest...

Retired Anglican priest, Trentham’s Peta Sherlock admits she’s more than a tad addicted to fossicking out fascinating stories of the past.

“It’s a nice addiction,” says the dedicated amateur historian who simply loves to share her keen interest in the lives of those who have gone before with those living today.

Right now Peta, a member of Trentham Historical Society, is preparing to indulge that passion a little when she leads an historical tour of the Trentham Cemetery on Saturday, March 23.

Everyone is welcome to join Peta as she leads the 75-minute tour being presented by the society in conjunction with Trentham Neighbourhood Centre, for the very nominal cost of $8.

Tour participants will not only be taken on a rollicking journey through the past, “meeting” some of the intriguing characters who lie at rest in this local cemetery, they’ll also receive the benefit of Peta’s extensive research – and an informative printed pamphlet she has prepared as well.

“I love the cemetery. It’s the people, and this is full of people,” says Peta whose prior tours of this local cemetery, including one last month, tend to be very well received. “They’ve all got stories,” she says.

They certainly have.

The Trentham Cemetery was established in 1870 and even one quick tour looking into the former lives of those who lie at rest here provides a rich dip into Trentham’s post-European past.

There are the early settlers, the captains of industry, the visionary, the wealthy, the mysterious, the heroic and the tragic. There are love stories buried here and tales that could make you weep.

The stories provide a potted history of the development of the township and lively insights into how the movers and shakers of the 1800s and early 1900s got things done.

Peta says that as the town’s built environment changes, the cemetery increasingly becomes the only physical connection left to many significant threads of its past.

“It’s not a scary place. To me they are still ‘alive’,” she says.

“Some have had horrible lives. Some have lost all their babies. There are people who made a mess of their lives and people who made a great success of their lives. But they are all God’s creatures.”

Peta’s research into the lives of those interred in the Trentham Cemetery dates back to 2014 when she started researching the history of the town’s Anglican Church to mark the 150th anniversary of the denomination’s presence at Trentham. “Then you start to get interested in everybody,” she says, recalling how the history bug bit.

Peta has her own personal favourite grave sites, the memorial resting places for characters like 1800s businessman-about-town J.W.S. Wolff, local humanitarian Catherine (Kit) Trewhella, and much-loved yesteryear medic Dr Gwen Wisewould. She loves to share their stories and the way their legacies have shaped the community that Trentham is today.

“I want to know who talked to whom when they spotted them in town, and who walked on the other side of the street,” she says.

In carrying out her research, Peta has noticed certain patterns emerge. Patterns that she has come to realise can point to significant demographic trends.

She mentions early sanitation problems, the disposal of night soil, by the “dunny men” of the day, down old mine shafts, the subsequent pollution of local waterways, and the potentially lethal link to typhoid.

There are the tragic trends whose ghostly fingerprints have left their traces in the early burial records. The yesteryear deaths of an unusually high number of men of a certain age, the potentiality of syphilis playing its part. People lived and partied hard in those days, apparently.

But speculation is speculation, and Peta strives always to find the facts.

“Only God is perfect and history is an ongoing thing,” she says, as she hands me a copy of the pamphlet she has produced to accompany her tour. “This is pretty accurate and nobody has pulled me up on anything quite yet,” she says.

One of the elements Peta relishes about leading a cemetery tour is the input from those who take the tour.

“Often people will tell me stuff. A cemetery can be a confronting place, partly because here we realise our own mortality.”

Peta is no stranger to the presence of human mortality, having conducted funeral services during her many years spent working as a priest.

“Even though some of the stories today are about the full and fruitful lives of past Trenthamites, some are also sad, the death of children especially so,” she says.

“It’s a lovely cemetery. It’s been really well looked after and it’s run by a local trust of volunteers.”

Those keen to take the upcoming tour and “meet” many of those colourful, now at rest, characters who once peopled Trentham and surrounds can contact the Trentham Neighbourhood Centre to book into Peta’s next tour on Saturday, March 23.

Retired Anglican priest and keen amateur historian Peta Sherlock, pictured at the oldest gravesite in Trentham, is leading another historical tour of Trentham Cemetery in March

Words and Image: Eve Lamb

“Some have had horrible lives. Some have lost all their babies. There are people who made a mess of their lives and people who made a great success of their lives. But they are all God’s creatures.”

Community

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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, opens on Monday, March 18.

Hepburn House is at 1 Hepburn Road, Hepburn. Book a tour of the new unit or the existing accommodation and living areas.

Bookings: dianne@hepburnhouse.com.au

For everything Hepburn House has on offer head to www.hepburnhouse.com.au or call 5348 8100. (RAT tests may be required.)

Five women inducted to IWD Honour Roll

A large crowd gathered in Daylesford last Thursday evening to congratulate five new inductees to the International Women's Day (IWD) Heather Mutimer Honour Roll.

Hepburn Shire Council inducted Anne Bremner, Nikki Marshall, Marj Green, Michelle Clifford and Yvonne Sillett to the honour roll, which was established in 2005 to pay tribute to the women in Hepburn Shire whose contributions, courage and efforts have led to significant social change for women.

Mayor, Cr Brian Hood, said the inductees had made an enormous contribution over many decades.

“Our inductees have demonstrated exemplary service to our community and in many instances their deeds have impacted people well beyond our shire boundaries,” he said.

“They have made incredibly valuable contributions both to their communities and to causes that are close to their hearts. We sincerely thank them for their tireless efforts over many years and congratulate them for joining a long list of significant local women on our honour roll.”

For the town hall ceremony, Peta Hudson performed a Welcome to Country and students from Daylesford College entertained the crowd with music and speeches. Professor Paula Gerber, associate dean in the Faculty of Law at Monash University, was the guest speaker.

International Women’s Day is held annually on March 8. The theme for 2024 is Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate progress.

Anne Bremner

Anne epitomises the spirit of pioneering women, seamlessly managing household chores, caring for family and contributing to the family farm, Wombat Organics, until into her 60s. Her leadership shines through her quiet yet effective management style, effortlessly steering community events and fundraisers.

Gender equality is intrinsic to Anne; she tackles tasks head-on, excelling in every endeavour with dedication and humility. Her leadership extends to various roles, including club champion and board member at the Daylesford Bowls Club, where she ensures financial stability. Anne's 50-year commitment to the Lyonville Hall as president and treasurer underscores her dedication to community spaces.

Her volunteer work spans over 50 years, encompassing roles in community committees and initiatives like the Healthy Lunches Program. Anne's altruism extends to delivering Meals on Wheels and supporting school nutrition programs, showcasing her unwavering dedication to community welfare. Additionally, she provides invaluable support to friends and family during health challenges and serves as a compassionate presence during end-of-life care.

Nikki Marshall

Nikki is a beloved, wise and respected community leader and change agent. She has been described as a village builder for her unique ability to bring people together, nurture ideas and forge pathways for action. Nikki has spent a lifetime developing initiatives to facilitate change, to address inequities and to strengthen communities.

Before moving to Hepburn Shire, Nikki spearheaded pioneering projects supporting refugee and migrant women in Victoria.

Notably, she established the English Language and Settlement Support Program for women from war-torn African countries, revolutionising teaching methods and influencing agencies like the Adult Migrant Education program.

She also played a pivotal role in developing educational programs to combat female circumcision/genital mutilation, empowering the affected women to develop and implement the program which was subsequently adopted by state government health services. She developed the Multicultural Home Support Program for ageing migrants and won an award for excellence from Department of Human Services.

In Hepburn Shire, Nikki confronts climate change head-on, organising impactful events like the Local Lives Global Matters conference, which attracted over 3000 attendees and spurred the formation of the action group, Localising Leanganook. Committed to sustainable farming, she initiated and supported milking cooperatives, empowering local women and young families.

Additionally, Nikki facilitated the preservation of the Yandoit Uniting Church for community use and pioneered Yandoit Cultural, a vibrant community-led performance program. A passionate advocate for storytelling and local history, Nikki organises events for the shire’s literary arts festival, Words in Winter and History in Story series.

Instrumental in establishing the Daylesford Repair Café, she champions waste reduction through repair and re-use and encourages community skill-sharing. As coeditor of The Chronicle for 12 years, Nikki builds community cohesion through her writing and editing skills, inspiring a dedicated team of contributors.

Known for her transformative leadership and compassionate nature, Nikki embodies wisdom, empathy and courage. She serves as a trusted mentor, offering support to individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Nikki's enduring commitment to building relationships and addressing social and ecological challenges with integrity underscores her invaluable presence in the community, enriching the lives of those around her.

Marj Green

Marj Green has dedicated decades of her life to numerous local organisations, championing the advancement of women's status as a shining example of service. Notably, her involvement with the Daylesford Girl Guides from 1964 to 1996 showcased her commitment to empowering girls through education and leadership development, aligning with the Girl Guides Victoria's mission. Marj's steadfast support for the Daylesford Ladies Benevolent Society, spanning 60 years, underscores her tireless efforts in promoting women's welfare and housing security.

A lifelong member of Christ Church, Marj has actively contributed through music, service on the Parish Council and caring for the church's environment. Her dedication extends beyond the church as she actively participates in preserving its historical documents. Marj's wisdom is widely sought after, both in organisational matters and personal guidance. Despite her humble nature, she has served as captain of the Newstead Croquet Club, nurturing members and fostering a love of the game.

Additionally, her leadership within the Girl Guides movement and Brownies section has impacted countless young women, reflecting her enduring commitment to empowerment and mentorship. Through her unwavering dedication and selfless service, Marj Green has left an enduring legacy of empowerment and community enrichment.

Michelle Clifford

Michelle Clifford is that rare blend of person who is both the hub that organises action as well as a person who gets the job done. She has been recognised for her tireless efforts for her community and makes a difference in the lives of our community members every day.

Michelle demonstrated three of the five categories for inclusion to the Honour Roll. She is a local champion who has worked tirelessly for our community through her involvement with Daylesford Community Op Shop, Hepburn Regional Cheer, Hepburn Blue Light Committee, the Daylesford Community Childcare Committee, the Bullarto Primary School and Daylesford College councils and committees.

She is a change agent - or a force of nature. Michelle tackles challenges headon, leveraging her extensive network to find solutions. From sourcing a new battery to lobbying for recognition and rights for First Nations’ peoples; she leads through disaster. Hepburn has been through floods, fires, storms and pandemics. Michelle has been there. Beyond community-wide initiatives, Michelle provides invaluable support to individuals facing personal hardships, leaving a profound impact on all fortunate enough to encounter her kindness and selflessness.

Yvonne Sillett

Yvonne's journey as a trailblazer began in 1979 when she enlisted in the Australian Army, breaking barriers in a male-dominated field. Despite achieving the milestone of becoming the first female corporal responsible for training recruits at Kapooka, her career was abruptly halted due to discrimination based on her sexuality. Undeterred, Yvonne embarked on a mission for justice, advocating for an apology from the Australian Government and Defence Force for the unjust treatment of LGBTIQA+ personnel.

Her story gained recognition at Victoria's Shrine of Remembrance and in the book Serving in Silence, showcasing her resilience and advocacy. Yvonne's voluntary testimony at the Government Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide further amplified her cause, aiming to empower LGBTIQA+ individuals serving in the defence forces. She remains committed to inclusivity and equality, advocating for LGBTIQA+ rights within the Hepburn Shire community and supporting initiatives like the Rainbow Wreath ceremony for Anzac Day. Yvonne's educational efforts extend to fostering awareness and understanding of LGBTIQA+ needs at Hepburn House and securing grants to support LGBTIQA+ elders in the community.

As a co-founder of the Discharged LGBTIQA+ Veterans Association, Yvonne continues to advocate for justice and recognition, inspiring others through her compelling story. Her unwavering commitment to authenticity and advocacy has sparked artistic tributes and invitations to speak at various events, solidifying her role as a champion for inclusivity and equality in both local and broader communities.

Words: Hepburn Shire Council

CresFest: Folk and roots music festival returns

CresFest 2024 will be the third time around for the small Goldfields community of Creswick.

This folk and roots music festival is earning a reputation for punching above its weight, with imaginative programming and a can-do attitude. In 2024, the bar will be raised even higher with the inclusion of an original opera written by staff and students of the University of Melbourne’s Master of Opera program, plus a performance by a string orchestra backing well-known local crooner Archer Shepherd, in arrangements by Finnish-Australian composer Erkki Veltheim.

“It really comes back to community,” said director and founder Judy Turner, “with the opera and the chamber players - it’s all about bringing local issues and local people to the fore. And getting together with like-minded people, wherever they are from, whatever their musical background, is what makes the magic happen. ”

Creswick Flood Opera, pictured

In August 2023, Professor Jane Davidson, Head of Opera at the Conservatorium, University of Melbourne, brought a group of students to meet locals at the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre. Interviewed in her Southbank office, Professor Davidson was full of enthusiasm for the Flood Opera project, and how it has opened opportunities for her young students.

“We came to CresFest 2023,” Professor Davidson said, “just for the experience of playing out of town, and we were blown away by the vibrancy of the local music scene. We got talking about the devastating floods of the year before, and the idea grew that we, as musicians, could do something to shine a light on the impact of such climate events on a small community: we could make it personal, bring out the emotion through our music.”

Enter Pat Tacey (Hepburn Shire Citizen of the Year 2023) and the Creswick Lions, and the community was involved. After a day spent interviewing local residents whose lives were flood impacted, the group went back to Melbourne to create their work. Presenting it in ‘draft’ form at the Clunes Town Hall for a Seniors Festival audience in October 2023 was so impactful that the team decided to bring the full opera back to CresFest 2024.

“This will be the first time people can hear our opera in Creswick, and we are really thrilled to be able to present it free for the community, thanks to Creswick Woollen Mills,” said Professor Davidson.

In addition to the Flood Opera, CresFest recognises the anguish of community members affected by the floods of 2022 in a podcast series This CresFest World Listeners can find three episodes on the floods and listen to excerpts of the opera here.

CresFest invites all locals to attend the free performance on Saturday, April 6 at 2.30pm at the Creswick Woollen Mills, Railway Parade, Creswick. Special thanks go to the residents who shared their stories for this project: Adriana (Teeny) Cunnington, Terry Cunnington, Mark Shalless, Pauline Stapleton, Bernie Tacey (Flynn), Pat Tacey and Ellie van Oirschot.

Archer and the Hepburn Players

Collaborations between popular artists and classical players are well established, almost the norm these days, and after a successful partnering with Tibetan musician Tenzin Choegyal at CresFest 2023, the Hepburn Players (led by Daylesford harpsichordist Andrew Welsh) are thrilled to be back on stage, this time supporting Archer.

“Archer’s music is timeless,” says Ms Turner, also a viola player with the group, “and these string arrangements by the wonderful Erkki Veltheim will give his lyrics a chance to really shine. As community players we jump at the chance to play such sophisticated parts, supporting a truly international singer from our own region.”

The group was formed by Andrew Welsh and Judy Turner before the pandemic, with many lost opportunities over the lockdown years. Since the re-opening, they have steamed ahead, performing at community events at Daylesford Anglican Church, Creswick Art Shows, Newlyn Mechanics Institute, Daylesford Town Hall, Creswick Woollen Mills, and at CresFest 2023.

To see the Hepburn Players with Archer at Creswick Town Hall on Saturday, April 6 you need to have a festival pass. Tickets and the full program are available now at https://cresfest.com.au/

More on the festival

Now in its third iteration, CresFest has appointed Ballarat superstar Stella Savy as Associate Artistic Director.

“Stella brings a wealth of knowledge of the music industry and networks across a broad range of genres, especially deep roots in African and other world musics,” says Judy. “This year there will be dancing in the streets when Sydney band Chutney brings its exciting brand of klezmer music to Creswick.”

Stella said the festival was bringing artists from Canada, New Zealand, Argentina and the UK - the strongest international contingent yet presented.

“And along with that we have a truly national showcase of the best acoustic acts in our folk and roots genre – there’s Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse from WA, Gosti from QLD, The Cherry Pickers from SA, Spooky Men’s Chorale and Chutney from NSW and Super Rats from the ACT.”

In addition to four concert stages running from Friday night April 5 to Sunday evening April 7, CresFest will present three new ‘zones’ in 2024.

KidsOwn KidZone is where puppet shows and plays meet circus skills and marimbas. Street Zone has acts coming from across Victoria to create fun in the streets. There’s a magician – Cath Jamison – from Hepburn Springs, a kids circus expert – Luth Wolff – from Melbourne, and an acrobat – Malachi Frost – from SA, bringing high-speed juggling a 10-foot pole and a giant flyswatter, and finally Doc Andrew, all the way from Dallas, Texas, will bring his sleight-of-hand and trickery.

With the ChoirZone, across the whole of Saturday community choirs will sing their hearts out on the steps of Creswick’s charming old post office. So, as well as the established choirs, you can come along with your festival ticket and join the pop-up Festival Choir.

The former Creswick Courthouse will once again host a series of fascinating conversations presented by First Nations artists Gina Williams (WA) and Trudy Fatnowna Edgeley (Ballarat) to discussion of pre-colonial land management practices with famed historians Professor Bill Gammage and Professor Barry Golding. Hosts Cate Kennedy and James Fremantle will talk with visiting artists about food, fishing, family, fame and much more.

CresFest 2024 is once again partnering with a range of visual artists to ensure there’s a feast for the eyes as well as the ears. And then, of course, at the heart of it all is community, with six Creswick groups taking part on stage, in collaborations and mashups across the weekend.

“The point of all this,” says Stella, “is to create a musical legacy for the community, where people get a chance to not only see and hear great visiting acts but also to learn from and play alongside them.”

Links: www.cresfest.com.au/program | www.cresfest.com.au/tickets/ Advertorial

Changes to bin collection from 8 April

A weekly food and garden organics collection commences on 8 April for township households in Clunes, Creswick, Daylesford, Hepburn, Hepburn Springs and Trentham. General rubbish bin collection will also change from weekly to fortnightly. Your bin collection day will remain the same.

Food and garden materials will be processed locally into high-quality compost to improve soils. This is great for the environment and it also means reduced landfill fees and transport costs.

So let’s love our compost and work together for a better environment.

Learn more at www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/organics

Creswick's Bob Orr fundraising finalist

Creswick’s Robert (Bob) Orr is one of the finalists in the Fundraising Institute Australia's Fundraising Champion of the Year.

The awards were presented in Brisbane late last month.

Bob and his wife Margaret along with Central Highlands Rural Health’s fundraising chair Kate Redwood and fundraising manager Kathryn Kosloff, attended the dinner.

Bob’s passion and commitment to rural health care in Creswick was recognised by experts in the fundraising sector from across the country. The Fundraising Champion of the Year category was established in 2021 to acknowledge “the importance and highly valued contribution of ‘non-traditional’ fundraising advocates and supporters” and is “designed to recognise that effective fundraising doesn’t happen in isolation”.

Ms Redwood congratulated Bob on his nomination.

“Bob has accepted the challenge to fundraise for the Creswick hospital on more than one occasion and is always willing and able to rise to the occasion. It is wonderful that he was recognised by Fundraising Institute Australia as a finalist. We are thrilled that Bob has been acknowledged for his incredible contribution to rural health care.”

A former Creswick & District Hospital president, Bob continues to be an incredible leader within the Creswick community. In 2023, he accepted the challenge of raising $150,000 for his local health service which he achieved with the assistance of the Creswick Health Upgrade Appeal Committee.

In the 1990s, Bob successfully campaigned to raise $1 million to save the Creswick Hospital and has continued to guide and support the future of health care for the town.

Bob has created an incredible legacy, along with his wife Margaret who has been a member of the Creswick & District Hospital Auxiliary for 50 years.

“We want the township of Creswick to continue to thrive into the future,” Bob said. “Rural health care continues to need community support and we do what we can to contribute.”

Daylesford Highland Gathering gives to aged care

The Daylesford Highland Gathering committee has donated $10,000 to Daylesford Health to be used to improve comfort levels for residents at Lumeah Lodge, its residential aged care facility.

On the first Saturday in December for over 70 years, the Daylesford Highland Gathering has entertained crowds in Vincent Street, Daylesford with a fundraising parade of Scottish culture, music and dance, followed by a fun gathering at Victoria Park.

The current committee is looking to hand over the reins to a new generation of community members who can carry on its incredible legacy.

If you are interested in joining the Daylesford Highland Gathering Committee please get in touch via www.daylesfordhighland.com

Committee secretary Anne Heriot said the donation was a token of appreciation for the wonderful facilities provided for the elderly of our community.

“Daylesford’s aged citizens are truly blessed to have a facility that provides such caring support and residency prospects, and we thank your dedicated staff for all their efforts.”

Daylesford Health's Director of Nursing Meagan Harding said the money would play a pivotal role in enhancing the facilities at Lumeah Lodge.

“This contribution will ensure that the residents of Lumeah Lodge enjoy an improved environment, characterised by safety, comfort, and inviting spaces for all who reside there. We are extremely thankful to the Daylesford Highland Gathering Committee.

“Community is at the heart of what we do at Central Highlands Rural Health. For more than 160 years, we have been supported by the generosity of those who contribute their time and money to ensure that we can best meet the health challenges of our local communities.”

From left, Kate Redwood, Margaret Orr, Robert Orr and Kathryn Kosloff

From left, Director of Nursing Meagan Harding, Nurse Unit manager Jeff Garner with John and Barb McColl from the Daylesford Highland Gathering committee

Images: Eve Lamb, Kyle Barnes & Donna Kelly

Good news for Daylesford’s historic guide hall

It’s been a long wait for the Daylesford Girl Guides but after two years the good news finally came through. They have a builder.

Back in 2022 the local guide group secured government funding of $47,000 through Regional Development Victoria’s Living Local Regional Grants Program, for a long-awaited revamp of their historic hall - including removal of asbestos.

But guide leader Susan Verbyla says the widespread shortage of tradies meant they had been unable to proceed with the work…until now.

Recently the Guides secured the services of local builder Alan Ware of Ware Carpentry, meaning they can also go ahead and bring in the asbestos removal experts to rid the vintage hall of the unwelcome material.

The asbestos is - thankfully - not in the main body of the hall that Guides have used all the way back to 1958, Susan says.

“It’s on the outside eaves, and in part of the kitchen and there’s a piece behind the electrical switchboard,” she says.

“The grant will cover removal of all of the asbestos, replacement and repair of walls, ceiling, front steps, electrical work, plumbing, painting, carpet and curtains and some exterior work. It was an exciting grant to receive as the hall is in dire straits. The builder is just starting now.”

Susan was not making any secret of her excitement over the fact that after the long wait work can finally get going, which is not just good news for the Guides.

It’s also great news for many other local community groups who, once work is complete, will be able to use the hall for their gatherings as well.

Susan says a main aim is ensuring some ongoing income with rent coming in, and a couple of local playgroups have already lined up as regular hirers of the beautifully positioned old hall in Duke Street, neighbouring Daylesford’s council offices.

“It’s just in the ideal spot. This is the original hall in the original spot,” Susan says.

The Guides are hopeful the work will be competed by Easter, at which point Susan hopes to hold an open hall week so current and former users of the hall can get along and admire the upgrades.

“I’d like to have it done by Easter and I think we will,” she says.

“I would love to have an open hall week for the community. I reckon there are women here in the community who were probably part of that original group.”

It would also be a chance for any community groups who are interested to take a peek and see if the hall may just suit their own ongoing meeting needs as well.

“Quite often other groups in the community contact me and ask if they can hire the hall,” Susan says.

The hall’s presence in Daylesford dates back to the late 1950s with a plaque naming the date in 1958, and Susan says it was moved to its current site in Duke Street especially for the Guides of the day.

Former guide leader with the group Glenda Fleischer started with the Guides back in the late 60s as an assistant for the rangers (older Guides) and remained with them for three decades including a stint as assistant regional leader.

“The hall came from near Glenlyon. It was donated by the Ogden family,” says Glenda who lives at Glenlyon.

“Before the hall, I think they used to meet at the church behind the guide hall. Daylesford was a very early unit.”

The guiding movement in Daylesford has been going for well over 100 years - right back to the early 1900s - and Daylesford’s Marj Green is among those who remembers back to the days before the current hall arrived.

“The hall came from Spring Hill and I’m fairly sure it used to be a church,” Marj says.

Marj started as a Brownie (Brownies have since been replaced by Junior Buides) back in the 1940s when the Daylesford Brownies and Guides of the day used to gather in the town’s Baptist Hall.

“Back then we belonged to the Clunes District and we used to have lots of fun,” recalls Marj who went on to become a Brownie leader (or Brown Owl) in 1977 and stayed on with the movement in Daylesford until 1996.

Back in the day, Marj says the young Brownies would learn about many things including how to do the dishes properly, clean their shoes correctly, and set the table properly including correct placement of soup spoon.

Today, the Daylesford unit has about 18 Guides whose ages range from six to 14 and they enjoy a wide range of activities. Things like skateboarding, swimming, camping - and yes, a bit of knot-tying. A few of the more traditional things remain, like cookery, craft and community service.

But the movement has changed quite a bit since the 1950s, says Susan who has been with them for at least a decade with her own daughter, Lucinda, having grown up a keen guide. “Girl guides is very different these days. It’s got to be girl-led.” Daylesford Guide Leader Susan Verbyla at the town’s historic guide hall that’s finally about to receive some welcome works including the removal of asbestos

Words and Image: Eve Lamb

MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

I extend my congratulations to the five new inductees into the Heather Mutimer Honour Roll - Anne Bremner, Nikki Marshall, Marj Green, Michelle Clifford and Yvonne Sillett. These inspiring women have made significant contributions to our community and for the advancement and wellbeing of women in particular. A feature of the International Women’s Day event was a brilliant speech by special guest Professor Paula Gerber, and some wonderful performances and speeches by students from Daylesford Secondary College.

Councillors, officers and consultants have very recently conducted a series of five workshops examining in detail the draft town structure plans for each of Clunes, Creswick, Daylesford/Hepburn, Glenlyon and Trentham. These plans will soon be released to the public for further consultation. The goal is to have the plans finalised by the end of the term and then forwarding them to the State Government for formal adoption.

The State Government has announced changes to the electoral system applicable for Hepburn Shire and effective for the October 2024 election. We will continue to have seven councillors, but wards have been scrapped and we move to an unsubdivided model. This means the seven councillors can be elected from anywhere across the Shire. Council is likely to hold information sessions to explain these changes, in conjunction with the Victorian Electoral Commission, as there are direct implications for how residents are represented. Closer to the October election there will also be information sessions detailing the role of a councillor and the relevant obligations outlined in the Local Government Act.

Work continues on the preparation of a long term (10 year) financial plan. This work has the key objective of ensuring Council’s financial sustainability and necessitates a strategic review of Council’s service offering. Like most councils we face serious challenges in order to balance the books and at the same time meet community needs. Some challenging strategic decisions must be taken if we are to meet our obligation to ensure the longer-term financial sustainability of the organisation. An ambitious Council Plan, the cumulative effect of rate-capping, significant cost increases, the comparatively small size of the Shire, cost shifting from other levels of government and a number of factors common across the local government sector, are all conspiring to squeeze available cash resources. Along with the draft 2024/25 budget the community will hear more before changes are made.

Mayor Cr Brian Hood

HONOUR ROLL INDUCTEES

Congratulations to our new inductees to the International Women’s Day (IWD) Heather Mutimer Honour Roll - Anne Bremner, Nikki Marshall, Marj Green, Michelle Clifford and Yvonne Sillett.

The honour roll was established in 2005 to pay tribute to the women in Hepburn Shire whose contributions, courage and examples have led to significant social change for women. Nominations open in October each year. Visit our website for more information.

SUSTAINABLE HEPBURN DAY OUT

Over 30 stallholders will be gathered in 4 Villages for the Sustainable Hepburn Day Out on 16 March at Victoria Park Showgrounds in Daylesford (10am to 3pm). Come along and celebrate sustainability.

• Nature Village will provide inspiration and experiences around biodiversity and conservation

• Circularity Village will invite you to participate in the circular economy and low-waste living

• Resilience Village will connect you to ways in which community can come together to thrive in a changing climate

• Beyond Zero Village is all about the amazing ways to decarbonise whilst living beautifully.

More information at www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/SHDay

COUNCIL COMMUNITY GRANTS

Applications are open for Council’s Sustainable Hepburn Grants and Biodiversity Grants until Monday 8 April. If your community group is working to enhance the Shire’s responses to climate change or have a project to improve biodiversity, find out more at www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/grants

POOL SEASON CONCLUDES

The pool season formally concludes on Monday 11 March. We would like to thank our community for their support and attendance at our aquatic facilities. This season we successfully trialled a new (healthier) menu at our kiosks and our inflatables were a feature at our pools. Our aquatics team will be working through data and what improvements can be made for the 2024/25 season.

BIN COLLECTION CHANGES

A weekly food and garden organics collection commences on 8 April for township households throughout Hepburn Shire. General rubbish bin collection will change from weekly to fortnightly for all township households. Your bin collection day won’t change. Find out more at www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/organics

COUNCIL PLAN FOCUS AREAS

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.

EAT | DRINK | ENJOY

122nd Blackwood Woodchop & Easter Carnival

The Blackwood Woodchop & Easter Carnival was crowned Winner of Moorabool Shire’s Community Event of the Year 2023.

Now in its 122nd year, the event offers an action-packed day out for the whole family on Saturday, March 30. It features one of the oldest woodchopping competitions in Victoria, attracting competitors from across the state.

The carnival begins with a street parade, followed by a host of activities including tug-o-war, gumboot throwing, pet show and novelty races.

This year’s live music program is absolutely top-notch. One of the fabulous headline acts is none other than ARIA Award winner C.W. Stoneking. It’s difficult to summarise all that this genre-spanning artist has to offer – old-time bluesman, potent storyteller, songwriter, guitarist and banjo player. C.W. himself describes his style as "Hokum Blues", a musical brew influenced by pre-war blues, ragtime, vaudevillian tunes, old hillbilly songs, jazz, and calypso.

Another incredible headline act is four-piece band Austral - hot favourites on the folk festival circuit. Austral is a high-energy, Australian tunes band combining didgeridoo, Irish pipes, high powered fiddling, journeying songs and energetic foot percussion.

Also on the bill is Scots singer Fiona Ross. She’ll be joined by fellow songstress Christine Kydd, who’ll be visiting from Scotland. There will be bluegrass from Hardrive, old-time from The Greater Glider Stringband and Celtic tunes from Is the Big Man Within?.

All this incredible live music is included in the festival ticket price –on sale now at the early bird discounted price of $15. Kids under 15 are free.

With market stalls, food vans, licensed bars and an abundance of fun, family-friendly activities - the Blackwood Woodchop & Easter Carnival truly offers something for everyone. See you in Blackwood.

Link: www.blackwood3458.com.au | www.trybooking.com/COPBM

The Longest Lash

Held at Radio Springs Hotel aka The Centre of the Universe, on Saturday.

Images: Kyle Barnes & Donna Kelly

More at www.tlnews.com.au

Scan the QR code for a little movie!

Gig Guide with Darren Lowe

Theatre Royal, Castlemaine

Saturday, March 16 - Neil Murray - Founding Warumpi Band member and now maverick, award winning songman, Neil Murray and his band bring the Telling concert to Castlemaine. Widely covered, Neil Murray’s song writing is diverse and influential and in concert he always captivates and inspires.

Friday, March 22 - Mia Dyson - Award-winning and beloved Australian troubadour Mia Dyson is touring her new album Tender Heart. With her powerful grit and gravel voice, guitar prowess, and a band of stellar musicians, Mia brings these songs to the stage for the first time along with some of her favourite works.

Hepburn Golf Club

Friday, March 22 - Jarrod Shaw - Combining country-blues fingerstyle guitar, with wailing blues harp and a powerful voice, Jarrod delivers a soulful blues show, performed with conviction.

Friday, March 29 - Grumpy Neighbour - Singing songs from the heart and imparting bullshit from the hip, grumpy neighbour is music for the soul.

Palais-Hepburn, Hepburn Springs

Friday, March 15 - Harry Manx - Maple Blues Award winner, Folk Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, six Juno nominations...welcome to the Harry Zone.

Saturday, March 16 - Hussy Hicks with Kelly Brouhaha - Hussy Hicks, the dynamic duo of Leesa Gentz and Julz Parker, have conquered the last decade of the Australian music industry with their unique blend of folk, blues, country, and roots.

Friday, March 22 - Nicholas Ellerby Band Show with Red Liquorice - Acoustically driven, heartfelt and emotive storytelling. Ellerby will be returning to Palais-Hepburn to showcase a debut full band set with special guests Red Liquorice.

Got a gig? Email news@tlnews.com.au or pop it online at tlnews.com.au

Odessa @ Leavers, Creswick

Friday, March 15 - Kerry Fields and Belle Miners

Saturday, March 16 - Elevated Plains

Saturday, March 23 - Manus McGuire & Adam Ogle

Thursday, April 4 - CresFest

Wine notes with Clive Hartley

Looking for wine quality

In wine education circles we have a standardised acronym that covers the questions of determining quality in wine – it’s call BLIC and stands for balance, length, intensity and complexity. These four headings are a neatly packaged way of tackling the thorny topic of how to judge wine quality. If you are reading this column it is what you are interested in. Finding a good quality wine that also represents value for money is the best of both worlds.

When we look at balance, it is referring to the skeleton or structural components of a wine. Where applicable, it should have great balance. The word well-balanced is often thrown around, it means the wine's constituents – sugar, acid, alcohol, flavours and tannins should all be there but in balance with each other. Also, an aroma or flavour should not dominate in a negative way. Wine, both red and white, shouldn’t have too much acidity nor too little. Red wine should not be too tannic but just the right amount, depending on the style of wine. The same applies to alcohol.

Next comes length and finish, which are vital. A great wine should travel across your palate (length) and have a long aftertaste (finish) after you have consumed it. Short palate with no finish will never be a good quality wine.

Intensity is related to the aromas and flavours as well as the overall concentration of the wine. The aromas of a sauvignon blanc can be intense. It’s better to have intense flavours than none at all. A young full-bodied shiraz has great intensity, often too much, and requires ageing to soften it. Alcohol can add to the intensity or power of the wine. Mouth filling or textured are other key words relating to intensity.

Finally, a great wine should display a complex array of aromas and flavours and make you burst into a poetic sonnet as you express them all. Young wines should have primary aromas that are commonly fruit based or vegetal, herbal or floral in nature. Young wines could also display secondary aromas and flavours, coming from time in oak barrels and other winemaking techniques. Primary and secondary characteristics are what notch up the complexity rating. If the wine has been aged then you might encounter tertiary aromas and flavours such as dried fruits, honey or toast in white wines and undergrowth, leafy, meat or leathery nuances in red wines. Occasionally you get all three – primary, secondary and tertiary in a single glass.

Clive Hartley is an award-winning wine writer, educator and consultant. His Australian Wine Guide (7th ed) is available for purchase from Paradise Books in Daylesford or via his website – www.australianwineguide.com.au

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.

Clunes' Book Town

Funky world renowned singer-songwriter, Geoffrey Williams is headed to Clunes to perform at this month's Book Town Festival.

For the first time in the event’s 18-year history, entry to the general festival site will be free of charge, offering added incentive for bibliophiles to browse new, old and rare books in the historic streetscape of Clunes…and catch plenty of live music into the bargain.

One man, a loop pedal and a whole lot of soul, the former Daylesford resident Williams has won plenty of fans throughout the region.

Famed for his apparent ability to conjure a beautiful melody and a killer groove out of thin air, Williams features among the line-up of music acts that will complement the bookish and literary program of guest panels, workshops and discussions on offer.

Williams will be performing on Saturday, March 23 at the Clunes rotunda from 3.15 to 4pm as part of the festival set to transform the historic streetscape of Clunes over the weekend of March 23-24.

He will also be performing prior to that together with his daughter Milla Williams, as the Milla Williams Duo.

The duo features daughter on vocals and father accompanying on acoustic guitar to create plenty of soulful chilled-out vibes.

The diverse array of headliner guests appearing as part of this year’s ticketed program of conversational sessions include Helen Garner, Jane Clifton, Wayne Macauley, Jacinta Parsons, Alice Pung and radio favourite Nicole Chvastek.

Another feature this time around is the Saturday evening Tin Shed Show which will feature Sally Ford and the Idiomatics with Helen Garner, Jane Clifton and Wayne Macauley, presenting Underscore, a genre-bending musical and literary salon.

And don't miss Daylesford artist, Brian Nash, who will join Ian Roberts, Geoff McArthur and Rebecca Russell in the chair to talk about their fictional, visual and historical explorations of the region in Goldfield Stories on Saturday, March 23 from 1.30pm.

Words: Eve Lamb

THIS WEEKS SPECIALS

GREENHILLS WHOLE RUMP $99

One of the most versatile cuts, the rump is full of flavour. As the name suggests, it is from the backside of the cow so it is a hard-working muscle. Whilst not as tender as Scotch or Sirloin, it makes up for it with bangs of flavour. Average weight 4kg. Amazing value for money!

PREMIUM BEEF MINCE 3KG - $50

Only our premium Greenhills Natural beef goes into our beef mince. Lean and full of flavour.

RUMP STEAK SLICED $27.99/KG

Great for BBQ or sliced in stirfrys, salads and soups

Time to pick - and choose - roses

I know it’s too early in the year to purchase the traditional “open root” roses, that’s not until June or July, but since this wacky autumn weather has actually brought us bounteous crops of beautiful rose blooms, I thought it only right and proper for you to take advantage of an opportunity to see the roses in action before you make your choice come winter. And I’m yet to find a proud rose grower reluctant to talk about theirs, especially if they include at least one queen of all the roses, Peace.

Probably because our roses faithfully present us with summer and autumn blooms - seemingly throughout four seasons of each year - we take them for granted and expect them to look their best at all times, fair weather or foul.

It does us good to realise that of the hundreds or more wild roses, there are really only about three that bloom for an extended period and have been able to pass this characteristic on to our modern roses.

A mind-boggling feat when you think of the thousands (and still mounting!) of variations of colours, and growth characteristics which have been produced since then.

If you want a more continuous display of roses of average quality, maintain watering throughout the summer, trimming off all dead heads as the blooms fall (unless you have already picked them for the vase), and giving the bush a light dressing of complete fertiliser after each flowering. Treated in this manner most varieties will produce four or five flushes of blooms per season, while the bushes never get unsightly.

No matter by which method you treat your roses, never let them defoliate (drop their leaves) in the heat of summer, either by black spot or red spider infection, or by periods of lack of water, as the summer sun could scald the exposed branches, seriously damaging the plant.

There are several organic dust and spray treatments for fungal infections and insect pests for roses and other invaded shrubs that don’t interfere with the lives of the good guys who feast on aphids and thrips etc. such as hoverflies, ladybirds, katydids and other predatory critters.

Choosing the right roses

With the plethora of rose types to choose for your particular purpose, not to mention, rainbow of colours, and then the purpose they are to fulfil, it would be a good idea to follow these steps and requirements:

1. Free flowering: I’m sure most of us grow for the garden display rather than the occasional perfect show bloom.

2. Healthy growth: This not only includes freedom from diseases but a clean, well-foliaged plant.

3. The right size, variety and form for the position: Rose plants come in various forms and sizes, from the tiny miniatures to the tallest of the ramblers (climbers). Each grow to their own specific size and very little can be done to change them. Actually this works in your favour in the case of a massed bed, where you need to ensure that each one can be in view.

4. The right form for the job: Because almost every rose plant you purchase is a hybrid and budded or grafted onto a sturdy wild rose stock, your roses can be had in various forms, ie. bush or climber (short stock), standard (one metre or more, high stock) and weeping rose (from 2 metres, high stock).

I’ll leave it you to decide on the colours and flower formation.

Got a gardening query? Email glenzgarden@gmail.com

Just briefly...

Grace Larson, founder of The Sisterhood Project, and a paediatric nurse from Kyneton who’s making first aid training more accessible for rural and regional families is the 2024 AgriFutures Victorian Rural Woman of the Year.

The Sisterhood Project was established after Grace and her sister Skye Larson recognised the need for affordable first aid training in rural and remote areas. Grace, a nurse turned health-care educator, observed a discrepancy in access to baby and child first aid courses, driving her mission to ensure equal opportunity for all to acquire life-saving skills. The project’s aim is to curb higher child mortality rates in rural Australia by empowering parents and carers to know how to act in an emergency.

Hepburn Shire Council has been recognised for significant progress in building a positive health and safety culture, taking out the OHS Leadership/Achievement award at the recent Victorian WorkSafe Awards.

Shire CEO Bradley Thomas said the award was recognition of the commitment to safety shown over the last 12 months. “We are incredibly proud as an organisation with this award. We have made significant improvements to our workplace health and safety culture, including recognising the critical role our health and safety representatives play in building positive engagement with staff and encouraging a safety mindset,” he said.

Netballers and footballers at Victoria Park in Daylesford will be able to play and practise into the evening thanks to a funding grant.

Sport and Recreation Victoria’s Country Football & Netball Program will contribute $250,000 to light up the netball court and football oval, with works completed in time for next year’s sporting season. Council will contribute almost $170,000, along with $20,000 from the Daylesford Football Netball Club. Club president Carson White said participation numbers had doubled in the past seven years and the club was growing quickly.

Construction is underway to deliver an ambulance facility in Trentham.

The current Community Emergency Response Team on Station Street will transition into an Ambulance Community Officers' facility later this year. The ACO branch will also be home to a new ambulance that can transport patients, in turn freeing up ambulance crews in the region. Trentham CERT volunteers will all be offered positions within the new ACO team.

The state government is celebrating Victorian women who have made the state a better place - through a new digital map that will show important locations connected to the achievements of women.

Finding Her is an online tool that records locations which were named in honour of Victorian women. Finding Her is Australia's first interactive statewide digital map spotlighting locations connected to the stories, lives and achievements of women across Victoria. Her Place Women’s Museum will research and write the stories of an additional 15 women and add them on the Finding Her website. The public can nominate any physical site named after women. Link: www.findingher.org.au.

The Regional Victorian Power Alliance, representing western and northwestern Victorian communities, has issued a resolute declaration opposing the proposed construction of high voltage transmission towers in regional Victoria.

In an open letter to Premier Jacinta Allan, the Alliance underscored the unacceptable risks posed to regional communities and the environment by the proposed infrastructure. The Alliance's concerns come in the wake of the collapse of six transmission towers at Anakie on February 13. It says this incident, coupled with past failures, highlights the grave dangers associated with outdated infrastructure and underscores the urgent need for action.

Australian singer, songwriter and artist Kate Ceberano will be Castlemaine on Wednesday, March 13 for an evening of conversation, storytelling and hopefully a song.

Host for the night, hosted by Northern Books, is Brian Nankervis. Details: www.northernbooks.com.au

Image: Justine Walpole

“Did you know ... Any solar system can have an ‘AC’ battery fitted for black-out

Solar and battery Q+a

You bring the questions, we’ll bring the cake!

Last Tuesday of the month.

date tIMe

Feb 27, March 26, April 30 10.30am

V enUe

Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre

13 Camp Street, Daylesford

r SVP

sales@central-spark.com

Kyle’s Rant

By the time you read this the feathers will have settled, the pink boas put away to live another day and the glitter swept from the floor.

My prudish inner self does have to ask about the dudes dressed as dogs in the parade though, I think they were maybe just a couple of chums who got mixed up in the ChillOut vibe. And after all each to their own, right?

I have seen those guys before in other ChillOut parades but have never gotten as close, almost close enough to get bitten, for now I’ll park that image way down the back of my mind where the elephants go to die.

Speaking of vibes and jarring segues, there is definitely an autumn vibe in the air, granted it’s still a bit hot to pay it too much attention, but the apples are definitely ripening on the tree.

Shortly the mushrooms will be out, and the foragers foraging, but not me. After last year’s deadly Leongatha lunch the only place I will be prospecting for nonhallucinogenic fungi is Tonnas - where there is a fabulous range all sorted for you and grown in places with humidity control, not in the wild.

A lot of our local eateries like to put these naturally unearthed meals on the menu, which up until last year seemed like a fabulous nostalgic notion of nosh, but it’s no thanks from me.

I like my grub to be rummaged up the old-fashioned way, straight from a qualitycontrolled factory just the way the good Lord intended. Don’t get me wrong, I'm not against the nudity of food and I love the thought of kindly killed meats and naturally grown fruit and vegetables from the paddock to the plate.

However, when it comes to the subject of fungus the deadly ones look a little too similar to the yummy ones and there are not many people that I would trust to know the difference. Except for maybe our own Central Highlands fungi fanatic Alison Pouliot, who is not always on hand to pick my mushies.

But back to my autumn vibe. Some of the leaves have already started to turn on our trees and the harvest has started to make an appearance at our local markets.

I give the bird and spit in the general direction of Christmas and call this bit “the most wonderful time of the year”. In another month or so we will be able to burn our wood piles down the back of the yard while swilling red wine and gobbling down the last of the harvest offerings. But for now, we are still in the thick of festival season, a plethora of culinary cuisine awaits our attentions and the days are still long.

Autumn vibe rant over… 03

Local Lines

haiku

a twig snaps a moment is broken time machine travel with it wrist watch outback even road signs have potholes

6 by my bed clock 6.01 by yours; I move into the future

in time sharp edges soften beach glass

- Bill Wootton

Each of the haiku above by Bill began life as individual compositions but might now be considered as a sequence.

Local Lines features poetry by locals about local and any other matters. Please submit poems to Bill Wootton at cottlesbreedge@gmail.com

Pick me, pick me!

Hey! I’m Luffy and I’m just three months old. I’m a classic tabby and white dude.

I have a very sweet nature and I get along well with my little friends here at the Mount Alexander Animal Welfare shelter in Castlemaine. I’m still a bit shy around people, but I’m getting better and better every day. I would love to find a good home that will give me time to settle in and where the humans will show me a lot of love and affection to help my personality shine. You can come and meet me here at the shelter or call 5472 5277. Microchip no. 956000016178394

(Pick me, pick me is run in memory of Rosie & Curly - we picked them. And proudly supported by Daylesford's

Just sayin’...

By Donna Kelly

Great to see the Daylesford Guide Hall getting the renovations it needs for a new generation of Guides. And apparently Brownies are now Junior Guides.

I was a Brownie as a kid. And then a Guide for a bit. Neither were really my cup of tea. Even then I had problems with authority and it might have been the 70s and things might have been a-changin' but not so fast at good ol' Franga.

We had to wear our uniforms and I remember forgetting my hat. I was getting told off when I replied that you weren't meant to wear hats inside - probably because I watched my rapidly balding father remove his hat as he entered buildings.

"Aha," was the retort. "That is just men. Think about the Queen, she always has her hat on." And thus started the life of a republican.

We also got snap inspections - on what we had in our pockets. Now, at the time, I was about seven, and my mum washed our clothes and we put them on cleanand empty. But apparently to Be Prepared - thanks Baden-Powell - you had to have all manner of things in your pockets. Bits of string to tie stuff up, elastic bands for wayward hair, coins for emergency telephone calls, a packet of matches for a quick billy boil. I had nothing. Nada. I was officially unprepared.

It was also awful with the Guide Hall just over the way from the Scout Hall. As we learnt the right way to sweep and sew, we could hear the boys hooting and hollering and having the most jovial time. Of course, looking back, I hope they were having a jovial time and not hollering for any other reason.

I remember well the only game we did play was where we turned a small mixing bowl, filled with flour, upside down and the leader, Kanga perhaps was her name, gently pushing five-cent coins into the mix.

The fun part was leaning over, with our hands firmly behind us, picking the coins out of the flour with just our teeth. It was my turn, and all was going well, and it looked like I might have finally nailed something, when my cousin reached forward and pushed my entire face into the bowl. It was like blackface but in reverse. Everyone, but me, even Kanga, laughed and laughed. Hmmm.

I have two other vivid memories of Brownies. Mucking around inside the hall when the session was over and someone calling out "someone's grandfather is here" and of course it was my balding, older dad, coming to pick me up. I remember not even correcting the kid, just getting my stuff and wandering off to the car.

Dad was in another memory. We had to gain as many badges as we could and I was going for the apparently easy Homemaking one. How hard could it be? The handbook suggested that if your parents went out for dinner you quietly prepare a cuppa for their homecoming. So out came the good china, the silver cutlery, a little sugar bowl, milk in the tiny jug and some of those lovely square mint chocolates you used to get after dinner. And typing this I realise that is why they were called after dinner mints.

Anyway, I left it all in the dining room and snuck around into the hall when I heard them arrive. I was feeling pretty happy until I heard my Dad shout "what's all this shit" and Mum trying to quieten him down. They never mentioned anything about your dad coming home half cut. You know, the wonderful 70s. I am sure it is all different. And if those ads for "dads for us" are anything to go by, so is parenting 101.

One last thing, and this is nice. I wrote a column back at Christmas about a bloke who was signwriting, by hand, the two butcher shops in Daylesford. Beautiful calligraphy. He told me during Covid he used to scroll through the phone book and randomly choose names and send them wonderful notes of hope - with no return address. I said I could have done with one of those - and one arrived last week.

Robert Holbery, I think you're special too. Just sayin'...

Walks of the Central Highlands with Eve Lamb

Jacksons Lookout Loop Walk, Hepburn Springs

Wildcat Gully and taking the waters

The Jacksons Lookout walk taking in Wyuna, Argyle and Golden Springs is a great option for going just that little bushland bit beyond the more heavily traversed tourist saunters out of Hepburn Springs Reserve - even if you’re strapped for time.

The way we did it was anti-clockwise, starting out in that time-honoured place of much frequented classic charm that is the Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve grounds. Lunch first.

We admired a squeaky flock of black cockies, and myriad little blue wrens bobbing about, checked the map, then set off on this breezy little 6-kilometre trek heading first to Wyuna Spring where my trusty walking companion, Paddy H, took the waters.

“Very fizzy. Reminds me of bicarbonate of soda,” he said.

Anyway onwards, following the Argyle Creek, breathing in the bushland beauty redolent of so many happy wanderings over so many sunny Sundays, and exchanging various far-fetched and fanciful accounts of BBC (Big Black Cat) sightings across the wider region.

These were inspired by the evocatively named Wildcat Gully that we would soon traverse.

But first we headed directly on to Argyle Spring where Paddy, more extrovert than I, struck up a conversation with a couple sitting beside the spring, who shared that they were visiting from “Brizzy” and had to catch a flight home later that day and be back at work tomorrow.

Feeling their pain, we munched on a bit of dark chocolate and then set off again, retracing our steps for a short way until we reached a sharp V-shaped (roughly 45-degree) diversion off to the right (as you’re heading back in the direction of the Hepburn Springs Reserve picnic grounds).

This is the path that leads onwards and gradually upwards, and traverses the Wildcat Gully on the way to Jacksons Lookout. Our destination.

Jacksons Lookout

“Hepburn and Daylesford are still very much locales for romantic weekend escapades,” Paddy H observed, reflecting on the various happy and less happy twosomes we’d passed along the way to this point, some delightfully preoccupied with each other’s company, others not quite hiding the fact that they were mid-tiff.

But from here our couple sightings petered out…at least for a while. In fact the beauty of this handy walk is the fact that just for a brief while the time-strapped walker does leave behind the tourist trails more trodden to obtain a more lingering and much less populated taste of the lovely sclerophyll forest.

The path ahead rises gently as it climbs to the lookout which opens up a good view to Mount Kooroocheang to the north. Here we whisked out the thermos while admiring two wedge-tailed eagles gliding smugly in widening leisurely arcs across the wide blue above.

Then Paddy nudged me and pointed to where a couple, oblivious to our silent presence, had momentarily stopped their own walk to engage in a furtive snog in the forest. Ah, true love. Ah, Hepburn.

So then it was time to sample the view from the tower atop Jacksons Lookout. The lookout, so our research informs, was designed in the 1940s and restored in 2017. The tower provides excellent views of Hepburn Regional Park.

“Don’t say wobbly,” said Paddy H who by this time had attained the top viewing platform while I stood below, staring up and taking a few snaps.

The tower offers a fairly fine view across to the Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens in Daylesford, and while we took it all in there was an accompanying soundtrack of currawong cries.

From here we followed the well-marked trail towards Golden Spring, joining a section of the Great Dividing Trail in the process.

Sulphur and holiday homes

The trail passes through a little grove of whispering pines just before reaching Golden Spring, and when we reached the spring, Paddy gave it a whirl too.

“Smells pretty sulphuric,” he observed, astutely. But it didn’t stop him sampling.

“This one tastes quite fresh and clean. It hasn’t got a deeply sulphuric flavour,” he concluded.

I gave it a miss, having had a prior bad experience - in another location entirely - on the sulphuric front.

We stayed and soaked up the atmosphere, spring-side, for a while or three before retracing the path back and up fairly sharply to where it meets the first old weatherboards of Hepburn Springs weekender land, then followed the sealed road back to our starting point.

“There should be an acronym for these - RUHH - Rarely Used Holiday Homes,” muttered my walking companion politically as we concluded this very pleasant little walking adventure that could just as well be done in reverse.

Much later that night I remembered the “Brizzy” couple at Argyle Springs and, again, felt their pain as I recalled her asking plaintively: “Can you suggest any other good walks here?”