FARMERS ARMS HOTEL
Springtime bliss awaits at Daylesford's oldest pub... Luscious beer garden, handcrafted cocktails & divine meals made from fresh local ingredients.
1 East St, Daylesford | farmersarmsdaylesford.com.auABOUT LOST MAGAZINE
Lost Magazine is an independent monthly magazine circulating throughout Daylesford, Hepburn Springs, Kyneton, Trentham, Glenlyon, Castlemaine, Woodend, Creswick, Clunes and surrounds. We also distribute to select Melbourne venues and to an ever-growing subscriber base.
LOST TEAM
LOST MAGAZINE
3 Howe Street, Daylesford VIC 3460 found@lostmagazine.com.au
03 5348 2008
DISTRIBUTION found@lostmagazine.com.au
ADVERTISING found@lostmagazine.com.au 03 5348 2008 | 0436 344 935
SOCIAL MEDIA @lostmagazine
COVER IMAGE
Carly Williams by photographer Chris Turner. Read the full story on page 10.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
All content in this publication is copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without express permission of the publisher. All care is taken to ensure accuracy in editorial and advertising however the publishers and any contributors accept no responsibility for errors or omissions. All material herein constitutes information and not advice.
INVITATION
You are invited to help celebrate Hotel Bellinzona’s 120th Anniversary.
Thursday 26th October 2023 5pm - 8pm
Sparkling Wine and Canapes
120 Years of Timeless Elegance at Hotel Bellinzona: Celebrate a Legacy of History
77 Main Road, Hepburn Springs
reception@bellinzona.com.au
03 5348 2271
bellinzona.com.au
Lost News
WRAP UP OF NEWS AND HAPPENINGS IN OUR REGION
BY EDITOR, JESSICA WALSHIm not going to lie, I didn't realise until putting this current edition together, that I didn't need to venture far at all, to get LOST. It's funny how things can subconsciously happen like that, and when you realise, you try and make sense of it.
That is really what LOST magazine is all about, just naturally weaving your way in life and discovering beautiful things and moments along the journey. So with that I'm going to call this edition the on foot edition, and therefore I am pleased to introduce you to some of our marvellous neighbours. You too can meet them all, in one single journey.
Mahmood ventures out to meet local artist Carly Williams and has a glimpse into her incredible, intricate artworks with a beautiful story to match.
The next stop is just down the road from us to see Luke at Daylesford Records, a refreshing concept driven solely by passion. A real hidden gem.
Around the corner, Mahmood catches up with Taj, or as she's better known, The Perma Pixie. He enters her world of all things
curiosity and herbalism, and she encourages us to ask why and keep learning.
The next stop on out short journey, is to meet renowned artist, and even greater storyteller, Petrus Spronk. Petrus is one of those people whose interaction stays with you long after you meet, so humble and grounded in life and his work.
Back up the hill and we stop in at The Woodshed to see whats growing and cooking at Spade to Blade. Gary has been blending produce and making edible art for many years in various forms.
We finish up across the road at our favourite two-stop-shop, BrewJays. One stop for our morning coffee and back in the evening for a tipple, or two. Come for the drinks, stay for the vibes, is how we would best describe all that is.
Well we haven't worked up a sweat in this edition, but we hope you have worked up some curiosity and discovered some hidden gems.
Jessica Walsh, EditorCARLY WILLIAMS
STORY BY MAHMOOD FAZAL PHOTOS BY CHRIS TURNERYearning for some creative Freedom
Carly Williams has always had a keen eye for art.“I was the kid that was always creating hand made cards and gifts for friends and family. When I hit my teenage years I developed into the kid who painted murals in local cafes and pubs in the small country town I grew up in.”
She wasn’t really obsessed with any artists growing up but would always look forward to the trek down the Hume Highway on school excursions to the NGV.
“I was always drawn to the early abstract work of artists like Pollack, Crowley and Picasso. Their expressive colour palettes and captivating expression used to blow my country, teenage mind!”
Carly eventually found work as a film set painter, and over ten years spent her days bringing to life the imagination of filmmakers.
“Working on film sets often involved following very specific instructions and
adhering to someone else’s predetermined vision, and overtime I found myself yearning for some creative freedom of my own. Eventually, she decided to become a full time artist.
“I was equally terrified and excited, as was my partner! But I jumped in head first, and so far, I’m loving the ride.”
Carly Williams’ painting style is an exploration of texture and line through abstract composition and shape. “In other words, I love big shapes, little lines and lots of texture! These are the three must haves for me, along with a contrasting colour palette. I also think the bold use of negative space is important to my work.”
The famous Spanish painter Pablo Picasso once proclaimed, “There is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality.”
Carly adds, “Abstract art allows the artist to experiment with new techniques, styles
and materials and invites the viewers to find their own meaning and create their own narrative within the artwork.”
Carly’s work is wholly her own, the paintings have an authoritative voice attuned to a rhythmic use of colour that is both mysterious and energetic.
“My signature style definitely wasn’t something that happened over night. It took me years of experimentation and growth as an artist to create a style that I feel is unique and recognisable as my own.”
I asked her about her favourite painting, “A piece I created not long after my dear ol' Dad passed away a few years ago. The funny thing is, as much as I know my Dad was proud of the artist I had become, he also used to love to joke and say ‘I could paint that Carly!’ He thought it was hilarious!”
For Carly, painting was a way of dealing with the grief of losing her father. She says, “My dad was known for his love of pinks and pastels so it felt only natural for me to include a selection of his favourites in this piece. Along with the rich mustard/green I love to include in my work. So when I look at this particular painting, with its pinks, reminiscent of his vast collection of golf jumpers - it makes me smile and remember his cheeky sense of humour.”
You can view Carly’s paintings and message her with any enquiries on her Instagram page - @carlywilliamsart
Carly Williams Art @carlywilliamsart carlywilliamsart@yahoo.com.auDAYLESFORD RECORDS
STORY BY MAHMOOD FAZAL
PHOTOS BY CHRIS TURNER
The soul Music the of
Luke Cameron has been collecting vinyl records for over 25 years. “I got my mum's records when I was about 14 and just started from there. I used to just sort of buy up as much as I could get my hands on,” says Luke.
He recalls one of his favourite records from that box of vinyl he inherited from his mother. “Carol King’s Tapestries. It was a massive album. Still is. We play it every Sunday. I also love Paul Simon’s Graceland, it was my dad’s favourite.”
These days Luke is at the helm of Daylesford Records, a vinyl shop in the heart of town. On last count, Luke had amassed a collection of over 20,000 records.
“We sell new and used records but we specialise in the rare first press records - the hard-to-get stuff. We're putting out
150 to 200 records every week so there's always new records and we’re buying records if people are looking to sell.”
For Luke, from that very moment he first listened to his mother’s records he fell under the spell of a records' sound.
“When you're listening to a really well pressed LP, it's full spectrum sound. People talk about feeling the music when they listen to records but that’s actually people picking up on the full spectrum of recorded music. These days there’s so much compression that the music loses the soul of the music to me anyway.”
In his formative years, Luke was collecting and Djing really rare hip-hop records. “Stuff like Jazzmatazz by MC Guru, a seminal jazz and hip-hop fusion album which was really the first of its kind. All the Beastie Boys original pressings, early
Grandmaster Flash and Run DMC, All the classics. People refer to them as hip-hop grails.”
After his foray into hip-hop, Luke stretched his passion into other genres. “I was listening to a lot of Radiohead, we’ve got a lot of their first pressings on the walls, they’re super rare. I never really delved into one genre. I think good music is just good music. But now I’m listening to a lot of jazz; Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk.”
Luke travels to Japan every 3-6 months to hunt down his records before amassing 50-60 kilos on his voyage back to Daylesford.
And this whole venture only started a year ago. Luke adds, “I never sold a record up until last year.”
“We moved up from Melbourne at the start of Covid. We own a design company where we would build augmented reality for clients. We worked with Nike, Cartier and major global clients. It was really stressful and we needed a break. I had all these records and thought now is the right time.”
Now at his store, Luke has rediscovered his sense of place. “We have really great regulars that come in every week. It’s been a great shift for me, doing something I really love.”
Daylesford Records is open Wednesday to Friday from 10am - 4pm.
Daylesford Records
11 Howe St, Daylesford daylesford-records.square.site
The
is opening its home garden for 3 weekends in November beginning as a participant in the Creswick
Scheme, Come and see the Secret Garden on a large scale, garden art and or naments available for early Christmas shopping.
11th & 12th
18th & 19th
25th & 26th
If you’re looking for traditionally brewed beers, delicious food, crafted by exceptional chefs and a warm, welcoming space to sit awhile, Lost Watering Hole has them all... and more!
All our flavoursome Lost Watering Hole beers are 100% naturally brewed on site, without any preservatives or additives, in the world-renowned German beer making tradition.
We’re open 7 days a week, so drop in and say hello. You’ll discover there’s always more happening at the brewery.
Curiosity Constant It's about
THE PERMA PIXIE STORY BY MAHMOOD FAZALAs the world becomes rich with digital prosperity, the move away from technology toward nature seems ever more promising.
“I see myself as a botanical educator,” quips Taj Scicluna, also known as The Perma Pixie. She describes herself as a herbal clinician and forager, on a mission to teach.
“I am for lack of a better term obsessed with the plant and vegetative world. And so I try and educate people about having a relationship to the natural world, through herbalism, permaculture, gardening and foraging,” explains Taj. “I have thought, since I was an adolescent, that we're greatly disconnected from our food, from our medicine from pretty much everything that really makes us human in the world.”
Taj grew up in Keilor, a far cry from the lush Macedon Ranges she lives in these days, “I grew up in suburbia and I was greatly disconnected from that world and would seek it out as much as I possibly could.”
Taj laughs before revealing her secret garden, “If I'm honest, I would go down to the back of my house where there was a stormwater drain. And it had more vegetation than everywhere else. It had acacia trees, eucalyptus, rabbits, snakes and things like that. I would go in and sit there. Try and be connected to trees more than people.”
Taj became obsessed with the miraculous power of the natural world. She wanted to know more and began learning, “I'm largely self educated, the internet is one of my favourite tools in the world. It is helped me immensely.”
Taj was inspired by mentors such as Jim McDonald, Judith Berger, Lisa Ganora, she also completed a bachelor’s degree and diploma of permaculture. She says, “for me, it's about constant curiosity. constantly asking questions, why, and how does that happen? And if I keep curiosity in myself alive, then I keep learning.”
“Now I'm working as a village herbalist at Enki in Daylesford, offering herbal consultations, and herbal experiences for people, as well as starting my own online and face-to-face courses.”
Taj is offering these experience at Enki so people can experience herbalism through the senses. “We have a herbal footbath prepared and we have facecloths with herbal hydrosol on them. So people can really feel it on their skin, smell it
and experience a world of herbalism sensorially.”
One question stumps her, what is her favourite plant?
“I can whittle it down to two for you; stinging nettle, because it's a nutritive, which means that you can have it daily, and oat straw, the plant oats come from because it helps restore the nervous system. I actually find it quite sweet and delicious if you put with a little bit of milk and honey.”
If you have any questions or would like to get in touch, you can find the Perma Pixie on her website.
FEATURE PROPERTY
The Lawns
From the moment you catch your first glimpse of The Lawns, you can tell you have found something special. Located in the idyllic township of Kyneton, this historic Victorian manor house has been authentically restored to its original glory.The Lawns sits on 3000 square metres of perfectly manicured lawns and gardens. Surrounded by beautiful tall trees, tall hedges, and perfect topiaries, you would be forgiven for thinking you had stepped back in time and into a secret garden
6 3 2
(03) 5348 2008
thehousesdaylesford.com
stay@thehousesdaylesford.com
have
The Memory hands
Awhite bowl with grey protruding scars like brush strokes. Its title; intense silence, falling leaves.
When confronted by Petrus Spronk’s pottery work, the view is instantly aware the objects are telling a story deeper than a ceramic offering.
“It is one of the most primitive forms of making. People forget about the power in their hands. I believe, the hands have memory.”
There is a weight to his art work that’s impossible to define with language, like the great sculptures of the world they become entangled with time, remnants of the past.
He laughs, “I didn't decide to become an artist, I just became one.”
Petrus’ story begins with an observation from his high school teacher, “he told my father I was too creative for my own good. My father and my mother took me to a counsellor who said, ‘if he can’t use his head, let him use his hands.’ The interesting
thing is that after many years I'm using my head.”
After attending a baking course, Petrus ventured out to art school in South Australia. “I was introduced to clay besides other interesting ideas in the 60s. And then I hitchhiked around the world for eight years.”
As part of his adventure, Petrus walked around the island of Samos in Greece. “I found all these big pieces from ancient buildings lying around, like pieces of sculpture left behind in the landscape.”
He adds, “Sometimes there are no words for these feelings that you get. It reminded me of a poem, Ozymandias by Shelley. It’s about somebody who was powerful, made out of marble just laying in the desert.”
These experiences would become the basis for Petrus’ iconic sculpture of an ancient library sinking into the road outside the state library of Victoria on Swanston street.
When asked about his transition to pottery, Petrus quips, “I have no idea. Somebody
gave me some clay one day and I was off on a journey that I've never regretted. I built a kiln. I made my own pottery wheel. I’m low maintenance.”
His work has a transient quality, there’s something mystical going on that eludes a sense of time. He says, “I'm not religious. I'm not spiritual. But there is something going on when I'm making bowls.”
He reflects on those years he spent travelling like a mystic searching for answers. “The bowl came about by visiting the Pueblo
American Indian people in New Mexico.”
His voice filling with excitement, “When they make a bowl, they put a coloured layer of clay on the rim. But they don't close the circle, they leave the circle open.”
“When I asked the woman, she said that the the opening allows the spirit of the pot to get in and then to get out. I asked if that was important, She said, ‘Of course it is. If your spirit gets caught up in an object, you can't move anymore, you can't travel and if you can't travel you can't learn. And if you can’t learn, you're dead.”
He turns to the present; “now, I can just sit down and start throwing clay, but it involves the most important word in the language of making; attention.”
The art of pottery for Petrus was about being attuned to the moment, being present, acknowledging life as it unfolds.
Petrus recalls another moment from his journey. “I travelled for a year in Korea. At the end, I had to go home, because my visa ran out. A monk said to me, do you want to meet a zen master? He taught me how to behave, and said I can only ask one question.”
“I asked the zen master, ‘how do I become a better artist?’ And it was quiet for a while and he said, ‘attention.’ And then he waved me off with his hand. And I've walked out and I thought this is totally irrelevant. I thought, ‘wanker!’ Over the times, it has become obvious to me that this was a perfect answer.”
Petrus Spronk petrusspronk.com australiangalleries.com.auENKI
APOTHECARY & BOTANICALBAR
Catering Seasons to the
When Daylesford catering company Spade to Blade celebrated its 25th birthday in March, there was no shortage of people to invite to the party.
Owner Gary Thomas made a timeline on the wall for his current and former staff to post Polaroid snaps of themselves along it. “There were about 70 people, which was great to see. I’ve had a lot of kids finish year 12 and come and do a gap year with me, so there’s always a floating population.”
Spade to Blade has ridden ups and downs over its quarter century, the most challenging being Covid, which saw 450 event cancellations. But Thomas has come out of the past three years with a renewed vigour. Catering events using seasonal produce he grows himself or sources from local farmers remains a central part of Spade to Blade. The addition of premium dinner packages – lavish three-course meals dropped off at holiday accommodation – is another string to the popular company’s bow.
GARY THOMAS
“When you’ve got people who come to Daylesford or surrounds for a weekend and they don’t want to go out to a restaurant due to the cost, or the hassle of finding a taxi or a babysitter, it’s a great option to be able to have your dinner arrive hot and ready to eat,” he says.
The idea was hatched during lockdowns and has proven a hit with visitors to the area. Menus are decided early each week after Gary calls his suppliers. Designed to share, with multiple dishes comprising each course, it might start with wallaby sausage rolls with saltbush, fermented jalapeno and cheese tartlets and cauliflower fritters made using besen (chickpea) flour. For mains, 16-hour slow-cooked lamb that falls apart at the merest hint of cutlery with roasted lemon and marjoram potatoes is always popular. “As for dessert, we can do sweet canapes like berry tarts, hazelnut brownies, little meringues and caramel pudding, but we recently did a great big tiramisu at the request of one booking.”
Home delivered dinners are quick and easy to those on the receiving end, but Spade to Blade is the embodiment of a slow food philosophy.
Growing his own herbs and edible flowers in kitchen gardens at Daylesford’s Woodshed, Gary makes his own pickles, preserves and dried herbs (“freshly dried marjoram is a completely different beast to the things you
might buy in a packet”). Late summer and autumn are busy times for making things like chutney with rhubarb, pumpkin, and drying his own marigold and bergamot flowers.
Born and bred in Daylesford, he started cooking by chance when youthful wanderlust took him to Turkey Creek (now Warmun) in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, where the roadhouse quickly enlisted him in the kitchen. Eventually returning to Central Victoria, he ran the Cosy Corner Café in Hepburn Springs for 10 years before looking for a change.
“My friend asked me to cater a 40th birthday party so I went out and caught a whole lot of brown trout and smoked them on watercress,” he says. “That turned out pretty well, so eventually it led to here. It’s been an interesting ride.”
Set in the idyic country town of Castlemaine
WE PROVIDE C
WITH A STRONG FOCUS ON GUT HEA TH, EDUCATION, INSPIR WERMENT.
Budburst Weekend
Saturday 18 & Sunday
19 November
10:00am-5:00pm
Discover the cool wines and warm hearts of Macedon Ranges winemakers at the annual wine festival, Budburst, this spring
25+ wineries - 18 different sites
budburst.com
JAYS
Block Brew kid on the
Given Victoria’s state-wide obsession with coffee, it’s surprising that Daylesford, one of the state’s best known culinary hubs, was without its own coffee roastery before Brew Jays, a café, roastery and cocktail bar, moved into Howe Street last year. The surprise is not just that nobody spotted the gap in the market but also that it took a burnt-out hospitality veteran who’d moved out of Melbourne to take a breather from the industry to spot it.
Brew Jay’s co-owner Jeremy (Jay) Gaschk grew up in the region, started working in hospitality when he was 13 and ended up in Melbourne owning and running wildly popular venues like Easey’s, the train carriage burger joint on a Collingwood rooftop. But when he and his wife India, who worked alongside Jay and was pregnant with their first child, decided to step away from the frenetic pace of the industry and move back to Jay’s old stomping grounds, he presumed they were done with that chapter. So what reeled him back in?
“I think I was ready for it,” says Jay. “I’d had a healing time living back in my area, spending time with my family and working as a landscape mason. I was recharged by nature but was also feeling the strain of lifting a lot of stone and I thought: I wouldn’t mind going back to hospo and being warm and indoors. The allure of hospitality started to sing to me again.”
Coffee sung the loudest. Good coffee had been an obsession of Jay’s since he started working at Gloria Jeans at the airport (“I made millions of coffees”) before honing his skills in Melbourne’s perfectionist coffee scene. But Jay also thought there was a gap in the market for a bar and so Brew Jay’s hybrid business model was born.
“I suppose it’s a bit of a weird combination that might not work so well in the city, he says. “But in Daylesford it made sense to have this multifunctional space that could be many things for many people. We have two-year-olds here drinking babycinos and 90-year-olds coming in for coffee and cake,
then, at night we get young people coming in for cocktails and to have a dance when we have guest DJs.”
There is a lot happening here –coffee roasting, retail selling of beans and coffee ground to order, a wholesale business that includes the Melbourne Exhibition Centre as a client, people using the space as a café and a cocktail bar – but it’s all tied together by coffee.
Brew Jays’ extensive cocktail list includes a superb range of Espresso Martinis made with coffee brewed with the same techniques available to the café clientele. Some are made with traditional espresso, others with cold brew, filter and pour-over, perhaps mixed with spiced rum and hazelnut liqueur or tequila, cold brew and orange for a lighter less typical drink.
It’s certainly an original business – the five different coffee roasts are named after iconic lollies and made with meticulouslysourced beans, the menu features everything from bagels to nachos, the fitout is largely courtesy of India who has pursued her love of carpentry since moving into the region and it loves a late night as much as an early morning.
“Coffee’s obviously our passion and the main thing we do,” says Jay. “But Brew Jays is also about being part of the community in Daylesford. It started as a conversation with friends and that’s how we want it to evolve too.”
Brew Jays
22-24 Howe St, Daylesford. brewjays.com.au
Reasons to Get Lost in Spring...
COMPILED BY JESSICA WALSHBudburst Wine Festival
The quintessential Macedon Ranges winetasting experience is back! Expect exceptional wine, food, ambience and springtime joie-devivre.
Budburst is a once-a-year opportunity to step behind the vines and meet the warm-as-toast winemakers. Over a glass, and amidst a backdrop of lush vineyard rows, volcanic rocks and ancient plateaus, you’ll get a sense of how the regions family-owned and small-batch makers shape mainland Australia’s coolest wine region.
17 – 19 November 2023
macedonrangeswineandfoodfest.com.au
Ballarat International Photo Biennele
Ballarat International Foto Biennale is Australia’s most significant and prestigious photographic festival. The not-for-profit event is held in Ballarat, immersing the city in photographic art across its galleries, laneways and cultural spaces.
On till 23rd October 2023
ballaratfoto.org
Swiss Italian Festa
It's back and we couldn't be happier! A vibrant celebration of heritage, culture and lifestyle. A feast of music, food, wine, art and sport which brings the local community and visitors from afar together. The Hepburn Swiss Italian Festa celebrates the enduring contribution of Swiss Italian migrants who came to the Hepburn Springs/Daylesford region during the 1850s gold rushes.
Saturday October 28 2023
swissitalianfesta.com
Creswick Garden Weekend
What is spring without a stroll through beautiful gardens! Our climate borns the most beautiful blooms. A special opportunity presents itself to visit the private garden of The Secret Garden owners, a true visual delight!
11 and 12 November 2023
creswickgardenclub.com
Hotel Bellinzona 120th Anniversary
Celebrate 120 years of timeless elegance, and explore the curious history at Hotel Bellinzona. All are welcome and there is no cost, come along and enjoy sparkling wine and canapes at the magnificent Hotel Bellinzona.
26th October 2023
bellinzona.com.au
IMAGE COURTESY OF MACEDON RANGES VIGNERONS ASSISICATION
SPRING LOCAL MARKET GUIDE
FIRST SATURDAY WOODEND FARMERS MARKET
9am-1pm High Street, Woodend
FIRST SUNDAY
CASTLEMAINE FARMERS MARKET
9am-1pm Forest Street, Castlemaine
FOURTH SUNDAY CASTLEMAINE ARTISTS MARKET 9am-2pm Western Reserve, Castlemaine (Opp Farmers Market)
GISBORNE ALL SEASONS MARKET
9am-3pm Gisborne Village Shopping Centre, Gisborne
SECOND SATURDAY
BALLAN FARMERS MARKET 9am-1pm Mill Cottage, 96 Inglis Street, Ballan
KYNETON FARMERS MARKET 8am-1pm St Pauls Park Piper Street, Kyneton
SECOND SUNDAY CLUNES FARMERS MARKET 9am-2pm Collins Place, Clunes
MALDON MARKET 9am-2pm Cnr Church & Edwards Street, Maldon
THIRD SATURDAY CRESWICK MARKET 9am-1pm Napier & Victoria Street, Creswick
GLENLYON VILLAGE MARKET
9am-1pm Glenlyon Hall, Glenlyon
LEONARDS HILL HALL & COUNTRY MARKET 9am-2pm Ballan-Daylesford Road, Leonards Hill
TRENTHAM FARMERS MARKET 9am-1pm Trentham Town Square, Trentham
THIRD SUNDAY WOODEND LIONS CLUB MARKET
9am-1pm High Street, Woodend
THIRD SUNDAY
TALBOT FARMERS MARKET 9am-2pm Talbot
WANT TO BE SEEN IN LOST MAGAZINE?
FOR A CURRENT MEDIA KIT CALL THE TEAM ON 5348 2008 FOUND@LOSTMAGAZINE.COM.AU
'LAST SATURDAY LANCEFIELD & DISTRICT
FARMERS MARKET 9am-1pm High Street, Lancefield
EVERY SATURDAY WESLEY HILL COMMUNITY MARKET 9am-1pm Pyrenees Hwy, Castlemaine
EVERY SUNDAY DAYLESFORD SUNDAY MARKET 8am-4pm Daylesford Railway Station, Midland Hwy
RESTAURANTS, CAFE'S & FOOD STORES
HEPBURN GENERAL STORE
102 Main Rd Hepburn Springs.
Open 7 day from 7am. (Sundays 8am) hepburngeneralstore.com.au
WINERIES, DISTILLERIES & CIDERIES
ANIMUS DISTILLERY
5403 2431
1/89A Piper St, Kyneton. Artisan gin distillery. Open 12-Late Wed to Sun. Mon and Tues open by appointment. animusdistillery.com
BIG TREE DISTILLERY
PALAIS-HEPBURN
5348 1000
New chef serving up Modern Australian cuisine in a luxurious setting.
Open Thu 5pm-11pm, Fri-Sat 4pm-12am, Dinner from 5pm-9.30pm palais-hepburn.com
SAULT 5348 6555 2439 Ballan-Daylesford Rd, Sailors Falls. Seasonal Modern Australian dishes in a scenic homestead. Dinner Wed-Sun. Lunch Fri-Sun. sault.com.au
SWISS MOUNTAIN HOTEL
5345 7006
3454 Midland Hwy, Blampied. Pub meals & Functions. Dinner TuesSan. Lunch Wed-Sun. Closed Monday. swissmountainhotel.com.au
THE VIRGIN CAFE
5348 2271
77 Main Road Hepburn Springs. Open 7 days from 8am. Part café, part gallery. Enjoy some of the finest culinary delights in Victoria. bellinzona.com.au
1300 040 573
Producing Award Winning Farm Crafted Gin Distillery Tasting Room open most weekends and Mondays. bigtreedistillery.com.au
DAYLESFORD CIDER
5348 2275
155 Dairyflat Rd, Musk. Craft Cider, Tastings, Lunch & cellar-door sales. Online reservations, visit website for info on opening hours daylesfordcider.com.au
PASSING CLOUDS
5348 5550
30 Roddas Lane, Musk. Winery open daily 10am5pm. Lunch 12pm Fri-Mon (bookings are essential). passingclouds.com.au
WINE BARS, HOTELS & BOTTLE SHOPS
FARMERS ARMS
DAYLESFORD
5348 2091
1 East Street, Daylesford. Open 7 days lunch & dinner. Hotel and accommodation. thefarmersarms.com.au
FOXXY'S AT CELLARBRATIONS
5348 3577
55 Vincent St Daylesford. Open 7 Days until late. Local and international wines, beers and spirits. cellarbrations.com.au
RED HARE WINERY 0499 607 609 Boutique vineyard & cellar door. 1225 Daylesford Malmsbury Rd, Denver Open Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon 11.00 - 4.30 redhareestate.com.au
THE LOBBY BAR 5348 2271
77 Main Road Hepburn Springs. Ope from 5pm until late. Swing by and settle in for the evening. bellinzona.com.au
SHOP TILL YOU DROP
PORTAL 108 5348 4353 108 Main Rd, Hepburn Springs
Clothing, shoes, handbags, designer pet gear, homewares and jewellery portal108.com.au
GALLERIES & STUDIOS
BULLARTO GALLERY 0408 529 725 962 Daylesford
Trentham Rd Bullarto
Beautiful space and works Open 10-4pm Sat & Sun or via appointment @phillip.edwards.artist
VENUES
PALAIS-HEPBURN
5348 1000
Serving up the best cocktails in the shire. Selected French and local wines. Boutique bottle shop. Thu 5pm11pm, Fri-Sat 4pm-12am Dinner from 5pm-9:30pm palais-hepburn.com
THE FARM DAYLESFORD 0406 690 775
Daylesford's newest event space. Built from recycled tin, wood, striking power poles and 160 year old trusses. thefarmdaylesford.com.au
SERVICES
OZ-TRANS 0407 697 877
Professional removals, general, furniture & produce freight. Art, piano's, pallets & parcels. Regular runs to Melbourne, Geelong & west/central Vic oztrans.com.au
SIGNSATION
0427 425 577
We specialise in hand painted signs and murals. We also offer the most up to date methods in digital printing to our customers. signsation.net.au
ACCOMMODATION
THE AMALFI 5348 2008
A beautiful self-contained property featuring 20 en-suited guest rooms, commercial kitchen and conference spaces. thehousesdaylesford.com
HOTEL BELLINZONA 5348 2271
77 Main Rd Hepburn Springs. Open 7 days. Bespoke accommodation in the heart of Hepburn Springs. bellinzona.com.au
PARKSTONE REAL ESTATE 9115 7328
Shop 6/22-24 Howe Street, Daylesford. Real Estate Sales & Property Management. Servicing Daylesford, Castlemaine & the Macedon Ranges. parkstonerealestate.com.au
THE OXFORD 5348 2008
Historical property catering to large groups of up to 24, in the scenic Hepburn Springs area. thehousesdaylesford.com
PEPPERS HOTEL 5348 2202
124 Main Rd, Hepburn Springs. Open 7 days. 1930's Daylesford hotel, transformed into a deluxe retreat. mineralspringshotel.com.au
THE HOUSES DAYLESFORD 5348 2008
Office located at 3 Howe St Daylesford. Full service agency specialising in corporate retreats and both large & small groups. thehousesdaylesford.com
THE TRAIN 5348 2008
Thoughtfully converted train carriage for two guests on a private block, only 5-min walk from Lake Daylesford. Pet friendly. thehousesdaylesford.com
WOMBAT EDGE 5348 2008
A beautiful and modern country home for up to 11 guests. Set on 10 acres with a lake, and only 15 minutes from Daylesford. thehousesdaylesford.com
THE GARDEN HOUSE 5348 2008
You could easily forget that you are so close to Daylesford’s thriving town centre, when inside these remarkable grounds. thehousesdaylesford.com
LEWELLYN HOUSE 5348 2008
Accommodateing 18 guests with 9 bedrooms & 9 ensuites. Positioned opposite The Convent Gallery. thehousesdaylesford.com
JASON DOOLEY
Owner at Oz-Tranz
Long time local
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do?
I owner operate OZ TRANS DAYLESFORD, we are a locally based general transport and removal company. We service destinations in Melbourne & country Victoria and also do Australia wide distribution using our network of fellow carriers. Its a great little business employing 7 or 8 local people. Former publican, Dad of 3 of the most amazing people in the world, my daughters.
2. Did you grow up here or move to the region?
I was born in Daylesford hospital! I have pretty much always lived here apart from a short stint in Melbourne as a kid. It was a great place to grow up, lots of stu to keep a growing boy active but i especially liked motorbike riding, fishing, cricket, footy and basketball. Lots of kids these days spend too much time on devices. We were out and about every night after school and chores were done doing something with our mates!
3. What do you love (or not love) about Daylesford and our community?
Ive been involved with Hepburn football netball club for many years and was president for eight, so clearly I love that! But I love how the community comes together in a crisis, its one of the things that living in a small town is all about. I also encourage new people to town to get involved with one of our many amazing volunteer organisations. What dont I love? Small town gossip and people who don't mind their own business. Its the scourge of most small towns.
4. How are the roads at the moment?
Im glad you ask! They are bloody terrible. We are expected to pay massive amounts of money in registration as transport operators (and the general public) to drive our "roadworthy" vehicles on roads that are not vehicle worthy. The state government continues to spend huge amounts of borrowed money on making sure those in Melbourne can save 5 or 10 minutes on their commute to work whilst the country people are risking their lives daily, driving on absolute goat tracks.
5. I guess you have had some interesting jobs in the area - any you care to share with us?
Haha, most of them are interesting in hilly country like we have around here. A baby grand piano out of a second story entrance with the help of a crane truck comes to mind. Our guys are challenged most days, but they do a great job and never complain, they just get on with the job.
We do a lot of work for David & Yuge Bromley too and some of their sculptures and installations require a bit of thinking outside the box.
6. If you were to be a tourist in our town, what would your weekend itinerary look like?
Lots of rest, Plenty of dining out at our plethora of amazing eateries, Walks around Jubilee & Daylesford lakes, Horse rides at Boomerang ranch, watching the Mighty Burra's play footy & netball at Laurie Sullivan reserve Hepburn.