Melbourne Observer. June 10, 2015

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IT’S AN HONOUR

June 2015 specials: see Page 2

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● Melbourne recording industry veteran Bill Armstrong (above, left), entertainer Simon Burke (top right), charity worker Paula Fox and radio presenter Denis Walter (also at right) were recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours announed this week. More details on Page 5.

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● Monika Radulovic is the 2015 Miss Universe Australia.

Fiona Hamilton’s pictures are on Page 4.

Page 2 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 10, 2015

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Melbourne People

Miss Universe Australia At Sofitel Melbourne On Collins Photos: Fiona Hamiltong

● Miss Universe Australia 2015 Monika Radulovic with Sofitel Melbourne On Collins General Manager Clive Scott

■ Miss Universe Australia 2015 Monika Radulovic was crowned at a gala ceremony in the Grand Ballroom at Sofitel Melbourne On Collins on Friday. It is the fifth year that Sofitel has hosted the event and been a sponsor of the national quest.

Monika, a 24-year-old model and psychology graduate, placed fourth in the 2014 Miss Universe Australia pageant and was Miss Tourism Australia in 2012.

She was born in Bosnia and moved to Australia with her parents at the age of 4, fleeing from that country’s civil unrest.

“My parents left because of the war, they didn’t want to raise a child in a war-torn country so we fled as refugees to Denmark,” she said. “We were there for a year and then we migrated to Australia.''

Monika won the title ahead of Madeleine Crowe, 22, from Queensland with 19-year-old Chanel Stewart from New South Wales in third place.

A panel of judges including Real Housewives of Melbourne favourite Gina Liano, high profile neurosurgeon Dr Charles Teo, TV producer Bonnie Lythgo, and Sofitel Melbourne On Collins General Manager Clive Scott, marked the contestant in three categories – swimwear, eveningwear and questions and answers.

Monika will now represent Australia at Donald Trump’s Miss Universe international final later this year.

Guests at the Miss Universe Australia 2015 crowning included Jodi Anasta, MKR’s Ash Pollard and Camilla Counsel, Miss Universe Australia 2013 Olivia Wells, Richard Reid, Toni Pearen, boxer Will Tomlinson, Miss Tourism Australia 2015 Georgia Gibbs, and Johnny Rollins from The Voice.

- Fiona Byrne

● Ash Pollard and Camilla Counsel from My Kitchen Rules

● Miss Universe Australia 2014 Tegan Martin with Miss Universe Australia 2013 Olivia Wells

● Toni Pearen with Miss Universe Australia Director Deborah Miller

● Lillian Frank

● Richard Reid and Bonnie Lythgo

● Miss Tourism Australia Georgia Gibbs

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Showbiz News

Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 10, 2015 - Page 5

It’s All About You!

Melbourne

Local showbiz names in Observer Queen’s Birthday honours In This 112-Page Edition

Fiona Byrne: Miss Universe Australia ..... Page 9 People: How to join the circus ............ Page 6 Theatre: Super Brady Cabaret .............. Page 7 West Hollywood: Gavin Wood reports ...... Page 8 Victoria Pictorial: Early Coburg ............. Page 9 Melb. Confidential: Teacher struck off .... Page 11 Kevin Trask: Whatever Happened ......... Page 12 Travel and Wine: David Ellis reports ....... Page 26 8-Day TV Guide Liftout - starts Page 17 Observer Showbiz section - starts Page 33 Observer Trader section - 68-page liftout Radio: Denis Walter Country Music Local Theatre Mega Crossword

Lewd and brassy

Observer Showbiz Showbiz

● Bill Armstrong ■ Melbourne recording industry veteran Bill Armstrong, entertainer Simon Burke, charity worker Paula Fox and radio presenter Denis Walter were recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours announed on Monday.

Bill Armstrong AM is recognised “for significant service to the commercial msuic recording industry through pioneering roles, and to the broadcast media sector” Simon Burke AO was vited “for distinguished service as an actor, singer and producer, and through senior advocacy roles for performers’ rights and access to professional development and education programs”.

Paula Fox AO is recognised “for distinuished service to the community through philanthropic contributions to, and committed fundraising support and advocacy for, a range of arts, cultural, youth, research and social welfare organisations.”

Leading educator Rod Fraser, Principal of Ivanhoe Grammar School, was honoured with an ‘AM’ post-nominal for his communtiy work, his contribution to the school, and also internationally through the Round Square organisation.

Also honoured were operatic baritone Peter Coleman-Wright AO, philanthropists Rupert Myer AO and Andrew Fairley AM, fundraiser Susie Elelman AM, judge Lex Lasry AM, charity industry industry Karen Mahlab, and charity supporter Heloise Waislitz AM. John Foreman OAM is cited “for service to the peforming arts, particularly as a musical event director and musician”.

Rod Quantock OAM was awarded “for service to the performing arts, and to conservation and sustainability”. ● Dolores Daiquiri ■ There was a time when Melbourne closed Dolores and takes us somewhere new: to conat 6pm, but those austere times are thankfully temporary circus and then back to vaudeville gone and now 6pm sees the old dame lifting for some very funny burlesque. her skirts for a night of burlesque and cabaret According to Miss Everheart, Miss Bettie in Miss Everheart Presents: Early Burly at was born with a full head of curls, a tube of the Butterfly Club in Carson Place. red lipstick and wearing a pair of stilettos.

A no-holds barred opener from Mistress of Elena Gabrielle is a cabaret singer and perCeremonies, Adelaide Everheart, about cute former who won the audience with her cheeky names for lady parts gets the audience repertoire. warmed up for a show that harks back to the Gabrielle is an accomplished artist and prostripped back, lewd and brassy days of prohi- ducer. She can be Sally Bowles singing about bition era dance halls and speakeasies. the lack of love in her life and a sassy prom Everheart is a polished MC, with a bag full queen performing “Durex is a girl’s best of blue material and a down beat style that is friend”. Dripping with satire and confident in just right for this intimate venue. She asks an her musicality, Gabrielle is an accomplished audience member if she’d like to join her performer. troupe. “You’ll be doing it for love, and the Friday nights are action packed at the Butexposure,” she says. terfly Club with half a dozen acts on over the Next up is Dolores Daiquiri, an old-school night. The club is worth visiting for its collecburlesque performer known as the Queen of tion of kitsch, but stay and have a drink and Tease. Dolores references an older burlesque catch a show. era (think feather boas and sequined G strings The next appearance of the titillating quarand metres of chiffon.) tet is Friday, June 26 Bursting on to the stage next is Miss Bettie www.thebutterflyclub.com Bombshell who picks up the torch from - Review by Martin Curtis

Latest News Flashes Around Victoria

Next door dob-in ■ Geelong West father-of-three Giuseppe Modica who hid his nightly marijuana use for 33 years was finally outed by his neighbours, a court has heard. He was fined $1200 and spared a conviction due to his otherwise good character, reports the Geelong Advertiser.

3 people charged ■ A Mildura man has suffered severe bruising, contusions, ligature marks and burns after he was allegedly abducted and bashed over an unpaid debt. Two men and a woman have been arrested and charged with false imprisonment, armed robbery, intentionally causing serious injury, assault with a weapon and making threats to kill in relation to the ordeal, reports the Sunraysia Daily.

Unfair sacking: union ■ The Rural City of Wangaratta has been accused of unfairly sacking on outdoor staff employee who removed a tree that he thought a danger to pedestrians, reports The Chronicle.

Fairfax editor quits ■ Warrnambool Standard editor Steve Kelly is quitting Fairfax Media. His position at the daily newspaper will be taken by Greg Best.

Weather Forecast ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Today (Wed.). Partly cloudy. 6°-13° Thurs. Sunny. 3°-14° Fri. Sunny. 6°-16° Sat. Sunny. 7°-17° Sun. Partly cloudy. 8°-16° Mon. Mostly cloudy. 9°-17°

Mike McColl Jones

Top 5

THE T OP 5 THINGS THA T TOP THAT WILL NO T BE HAPPENING IN NOT THE IMMEDIA TE FUTURE IMMEDIATE 5. George Pell joining the staff of 60 Minutes.

4. Sepp Blatter being diagnosed with an inferiority complex.

3. Mick Malthouse to take over as CEO of Carlton.

2. Julia Gillard to partner Kevin Rudd on Married at First Sight.

1. Adam Goodes named as principal dancer for Australian Ballet.

Page 6 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Dora

● Phil Roberts and Wendy Woodson in Dora.

■ An existential power play is playing out at the Carlton Courthouse.

The audience observes the strange relationship unfolding between the two characters on the stage like a dance of the emotions.

Except that there seems to be few emotional states on show. Instead there is an overwhelming timbre of passive aggressiveness on one side, frustration on the other.

In this two-hander written by and starring acclaimed American theatre artist, Wendy Woodson, accompanied by Australian actor, Phil Roberts, the roles switch between patient and doctor, interrogator and interrogatee.

“We are making good progress,” Roberts, in his role as the psychiatrist to Woodson’s Dora, says.

A determinate obstructionist resistance to comply with expectations, including that of the audience wanting to comprehend a beginning, middle and an end to the narrative, permeates.

“Start at the beginning,’ the doctor tells his patient.

“You’d think we could,’ the belligerent Dora replies and purposefully does not.

With a nod to Freud, the characters circle each other and the stage tracing out successive interviews discussing topography, time, dreams and space travel.

Director Peter Schmitz refreshingly uses moving transitions in a play with multiple scenes eschewing the ubiquitous blackouts.

Myles Mumford’s multivocalised soundscape drifts in and out between bouts of onstage dialogue.

“We’ve come to an impasse,” Dora states, ‘we need to retrace our steps.’

The audience too, feels the need to start again, to recap points missed, a filling in of the dots towards illumination, only to have hope snatched away by an abandonment of all narrative form.

“Mission aborted,’ the capricious Dora enlightens us.

Dora is playing at the La Mama Courthouse until June 14.

- Review by Kathryn Keeble The Melbourne Observer is printed by Streamline Press, 155 Johnston St, Fitzroy, for the publisher, Local Media Pty Ltd, ABN 67 096 680 063, of the registered office, 30 Glen Gully Road, Eltham.

Distributed by All Day Distribution. Responsibility for election and referendum comment is accepted by Ash Long. Copyright © 2015, Local Media Pty Ltd. (ACN) 096 680 063).

Briefs

■ Gretel Killeen and Matt Okine are set to host the new 15 part comedy entertainment series How Not to Behave, produced by Screentime for ABC TV. ■ Box Hill resident Dexter Santiago has been awarded an $18,000 national business development grant from leading educator, the Academy of Interactive Entertainment.

Dexter will share the grant with his teammates from the up-and-coming Pixel Giant Studio whichdeveloped a video game called Ricochet Rescue.

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Melbourne Observer

Ash

The Showbiz Bible

Editor Ash Long is heard: ● 8.45am Wed., with Ron Burke, 3NRG-FM Sunbury ● 10am Wed., with Denis Scanlan, Pulse 94.7 Geelong ● 9.15am Thu., with Bob and Judy Phillips, 3RPP Peninsula

● The Country Women’s Association in Australia is about to celebrate its 70th anniversary.

How to join the circus

It’s True Luv

● Verity Hunt-Ballard and Martin Crewes ■ Verity Hunt-Ballard and Martin Crewes will celebrate 30 years of Morning Melodies at Arts Centre Melbourne.

These stars of Sweet Charity, Mary Poppins, Jersey Boys and Guys and Dolls will explore musical theatre favourites and modern popular hits.

The shows will be at 11am and 1.30pm on Monday (June 15).

Celebrating

■ Media chef Bob Hart will cook sausages this afternoon at an invitation-only celebration at the VIllage Melbourne (formerly Belgian Beer Cafe) to celebrate Jayco’s launch of the J-Pod. Local stars Derryn Hinch, Darren James and Russell Morris are expected to attend the launch of the recreational vehicle.

● NICA 2014 graduate Rowan Thomas.

Photo: Julian Meehan ■ The National Institute of number of cities not previously Circus Arts is putting the call visited by NICA for the pre-auout to people from around Aus- dition workshops such as tralia with some background in Byron Bay. physical training and the dream Other workshop locations of a professional career in per- include Melbourne, Darwin, forming.

Albury, Brisbane, Fremantle, NICAoffers Australia’s only Sydney, Ulverstone, Cairns, Bachelor of Circus Arts, which Adelaide and Canberra. is a three-year university deThe workshops will focus on gree conducted at its the audition requirements for Melbourne campus.

NICA’s accredited courses, inAhead of the auditions for cluding flexibility, handstands, the 2016 course in-take, NICA tumbling, strength and condiwill be holding pre-audition cir- tioning, movement and perforcus workshops across all Aus- mance. tralian states during the June/ NICA will hold a Pre-AudiJuly school holidays. tion Workshop in Melbourne at Aspiring circus artists are NICA on June 29 and 30. encouraged to register for this Cost of this two day workinvaluable opportunity to hone shop is $190 (participants must their skills before the auditions attend on both days). The one begin in September. day interstate workshop costs In 2015, NICA’s pre-audi- $90. tion workshops will be held in More details: www.nica. more locations around Austra- com.au lia than ever before including a - Cheryl Threadgold

At Owl and Cat Theatre

● Owl and Cat Theatre owner and director, Gabrielle Savrone. Photo: Giovanni Lovisetto ■ The atmospheric Owl and Cat Theatre is accessed via a narrow alley beside 34 Swan St, Richmond.

Inside, beyond the cosy bar area is a small performance space, ideal for new owner Gabrielle Savrone to direct the drama Riot, her first duo piece with resident playwright, Thomas Ian Doyle.

Savrone and Doyle aim to produce ‘confronting new works that unapologetically tackle current social issues’, and Riot definitely fits the bill.

The show contains ‘adult content, nudity, sex scenes (four) and drug references’, plus there is the issue of AIDS … with a twist.

I wondered pre-show whether young, relatively new playwright Doyle has enthusiastically jam-packed these confronting elements into a seventy minute play for sensationalism.

However, his talented writing ensures seamless integration into the narrative.

Disgruntled 30 something Jim (Johnathan Peck) is dumped by pot-growing Janette (Caitlin Berwick), sacked by Burger Palace manager Kate (Stephanie Valenzuela), desired by cocaine-sniffing gay activist Gavin (Gareth Trew), and uses waitress Lola (Jennifer B Ashley) as a disposable sexual commodity, contradicting his loathing of a disposable society.

Underlying the basic storyline is thought-provoking social commentary, an eye-opener into human behaviour at its best and worst, and a window into exstitentialism, sexual ambiguity and homosexuality.

Thanks to Savrone’s artistic direction, Hamish Lee and Savrone’s lighting design, and splendid casting, Doyle’s script transforms into compelling theatre.

Close proximity to the actors immerses the audience into the narrative, with various locations cleverly established in one small performance area.

Johnathan Peck (Jim) presents a riveting performance, using his beautifully expressive face and physicality to convey a gamut of emotions.

The terrific actors deliver naturalistic language articulately, enhancing believability for Doyle’s script.

It is possible the same story could be told using literary tools and audience imagination to effectively imply the nudity and sex scenes.

But, Gabrielle Savrone and her talented team don’t beat about the bush, and her great little independent theatre is worthy of support by Melbourne theatre audiences.

Performance season: Until June 14 Times: Mon – Sat at 7pm and Sat 2pm Tickets: $25/$20/$15 Bookings: www.owlandcat.com.au Warning: This play contains adult content, nudity, sex scenes and drug references.

- Review by Cheryl Threadgold

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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 10, 2015 - Page 7

Showbiz News

Super Brady Cabaret Briefs Blitz

■ An Endeavour Hills man, 26, had his licence suspended after allegedly blowing .102 at Bonnie Doon over the holiday weekend.

A breath testing siteon Maroondah Hwy intercepted a Mazda ute about midday.

The man’s licence was suspended immediately and will be charged on summons with drink driving-related offences.

Pub gas

■ Detectives are investigating after a gas bottle was deliberately emptied into a busy Alexandra hotel at the weekend..

The 45kg empty container was located in the rear yard beside a window of the Grant St premises about 12.10am.

Between 100 and 150 patrons were evacuated while CFA ventilated the building.

Exempt ■ Castlemnaine Steiner School has won permission to advertise for girls only to enrol, to ensure gender balance.

The School applied to VCAT for the approval.

■ Remember the popular American sitcom The Brady Bunch based around a large blended family with six children?

The show ran from 1969 to 1974 and went into syndication in 1974 and many spinoff series and movies following.

StageArt presents a clever satirical look at this super wholesome family.This hilarious cabaret is written

by Robbie Carmellotti and Drew Downing and directed and choreographed by Drew Downing.

StageArt is an independently owned company managed by Katherine Armstrong and Robbie Carmellotti.

The time is 1992 and this is the final leg of the Brady’s world tour. The place is Melbourne and the audience are watching the live telecast of the show, but when the cameras stop rolling ... many secrets come out.

This show is uproariously funny, nostalgic and slick featuring a very talented and experienced cast. Carol (Lauren Edwards) and Mike ( Paul Congden) lead the ‘family’, Marcia (Kathleen Amarant), Greg (Thomas Bradford), Jan (Sophie Weiss), Peter (Giancarlo Salamanca), Cindy (Nicola Guzzardi), and Bobby (Dylan Licastro) in a show full of frivolity, fun and suitably ‘cheesy’ expressions, with brilliant and polished singing and dancing.

If you have watched the TV series, you will remember the Brady Bunch characters in this clever ‘spoof’ .

The cast are ably supported by a band of five musicians and we are treated to an array of 70’s music featuring The Brady Bunch Theme Song, Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps, You Can’t Hurry Love, Walk Right In, Never Been to Me and many more.

The technical team stage manager Danny Issko, sound designer Marcello Lo Ricco, lighting designer Jason Bovaird all combine with the rest of the crew to present a package that gives the audience a great night’s entertainment.

Performance Season: Until June 13. Times: Wednesday-Sunday 6.30pm. Venue: Chapel off Chapel, 12 Chapel St, Prahran. Tickets: $39/ $31. Bookings: 8290 7000. www.chapeloffchapel.com.au - Review by Jill Page

● Australian Chamber Choristers Bronwyn Jones (left), Ben Owen, Ellie Walker, Elizabeth Anderson and Director, Douglas Lawrence.

Photo: Ponch Hawkes

Kakadu Man at Macedon

● Kathleen Amarant in A Super Brady Cabaret. Photo: Belinda Strodder

Piano gift for Memo Hall

■ An innovative arrangement with an international piano firm has led to the establishment of a new series of concerts at a new St Kilda venue.

Boston's prestigious piano making firm, Mason and Hamlin, have provided one of their much wanted pianos for a concert series at the new Memo Music Hall in St Kilda.

The five concert series is the brainchild of Melbourne classical pianist Amir Farid and Stewart Kelly, director of the Australian distributor of Mason and Hamlin pianos.

Stewart and Amir are both former students of the Australian National Academy of Music, and over dinner Amir mentioned that his associate and supporter Richard Mitchell, had

entered a partnership at the new performing and recording space, Memo Music Hall. Amir felt that this venue sounded perfect for a new series of concerts, and the Mason and Hamlin Recital Series was born.

Beginning on Thursday September 10 with a recital by highly respected Melbourne pianist Timothy Young, the series will be launched and details given at a special recital on Thursday June 18.

The launch concert will feature performances from Amir Farid, young jazz pianist Hue Blanes and Stewart Kelly.

Farid is especially excited about this new concert series in a venue

he feels has huge potential.

"Memo is destined to be one of the most exciting and versatile music venues in Melbourne. The acoustics have a natural vitality and resonance, resulting in a truly pleasant playing experience. Combined with beautiful and striking art deco aesthetics, Memo will be a home for diverse music-making in Melbourne for years to come."

Memo Music Hall is at 90 Acland St, St Kilda, with an entrance from Albert St. Tickets for the launch concert are available at www.memo musichall.com.au - Julie Houghton

Best of Melbourne Observations

with Matt Bissett-Johnson

■ The Australian Chamber Choir will perform Kakadu Man in Macedon on June 13, and in Melbourne on June 14, before heading off on their 16 concert tour of Germany, Denmarkand Switzerland in July.

Kakadu Man celebrates the life of Gagudju elder and poet Bill ‘Kakadu Man’ Neidjie, whose Dreaming poetry is central to a program that journeys through Australia’s multicultural landscape.

The Australian Chamber Choir commissioned Melbourne composer, Tom Henry to set extracts from Neidjie’s poems to music, after obtaining permission from Bill Neidjie’s family. These poems speak of a place where the spiritual world meets the physical.

Bill Neidjie (c.1920–2002) was responsible for opening his native territory to the general public, invitingAustralians and international guests to enjoy the natural beauty of the Kakadu National Park with its sacred ancient rock art sites.

Neidjie broke taboos by publishing some of his people’s traditional stories in two books of poetry and with that, ensured that the history and philosophy of his people were not forgotten.

Director Douglas Lawrence has fashioned a collection of works that will resonate with Australian and European audiences alike.

“The program places two masterworks of the Italian Renaissance (Gabrieli and Lotti) alongside one of the finest large-scale English works of the 20th century (Vaughan Williams - Mass in G minor), the sensuality of French Romanticism (Ravel and Alain) beside a fascinating work by Filipino composer, Robin Estrada,” says Lawrence.

“The crowning glory is Tom Henry's sensitive and moving new work”.

The Australian Chamber Choir was founded by Douglas Lawrence in 2007 and has since undertaken four European concert tours, given many concerts in Australia, released three CDs and recorded several programs for ABC Classic FM, always broadcast nationally.

For the first time, the general public can accompany the Choir on their European tour (only two places left).

Performances: ■ Saturday, June 13 at 3pm at Church of the Resurrection, cnr Mt Macedon Rd and Honour Ave. Adults $40, Seniors $35, Concession $25 *One free ticket for a school age child accompanying a paying adult when booked online.

■ Sunday, June 14 at 3pm at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 216 Richardson St, Middle Park Adults $45, Seniors $40, Concession $35 *One free ticket for a school age child accompanying a paying adult when booked online.

Bookings: www.auschoir.org/book-now European Tour: June-July 2015 details: www. auschoir.org/kakadu-man - Cheryl Threadgold

$10,000 for course

● Amir Farid

■ Jeannie Papalia has been ordered to pay $9500 “forthwith” to Quick Coach Pty Ltd trading as The Life Coaching College for a ‘Master Practitioner of Life Coaching and Hypnosis Course’.

Papalia signed for the $10,000 course, paying a $500 deposit, and agreeing to pay $400 monthly.

Quick Coach took Ms Papalia before Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal after monthly payments were not made.

Papalia said an injury to her son meant she could not proceed with the course, as scheduled.

Papalia alleged that Quick Coach was not accredited by the International Coach Federation, and this was false or misleading behaviour.

Tribunal Member B. Thomas said that was no false or misleading representation by Quick Coach.

Ms Papalia’s claim was dismissed.

Page 8 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 10, 2015 Melbourne

Observer

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West Hollywood

Enhancing the Aussie-US alliance ■ From my suite at the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Suites comes this week's news.

Shirley and Marilyn

Great relations ■ Kim Beazley is the Australian Ambassador to the USA, a position he has held since February 2010.

Mr Beazley was elected to the Federal Parliament in 1980 and was Deputy Prime Minister (1995-96) and Leader of the Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition (19962001 and 2005-06) A special evening was held at the Australian Consul's home with Mr Beazley and former US Ambassador to Australia, Jeff Bleich.

The Ambassadors discussed the alliance between our countries, stemming from our long tradition of cooperation at all levels of government, business, society and both countries' commitment to expand and deepen this collaboration.

New Aussie restaurant ■ E.P. Asian Eating House has just opened its doors on the rooftop of Melrose Avenue and La Cienega Boulevard in West Hollywood.

The restaurant is a new multi-level modern Asian dining experience developed by Australian restaurateurs Grant Smillie and David Combes of Botanical Hospitality.

E.P. Asian Eating House will showcase contemporary Southeast Asian cuisine by 30-year-old Executive Chef Louis Tikaram, Australia's 2014 Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year while the L.P. Rooftop will serve as a welcoming setting for al fresco dining until late .

Handcrafted cocktails by Beverage Director Alex Straus will be set against a backdrop touting breathtaking views of the Hollywood Hills.

Adjacent to L.P. sits Frankie's bar, an intimate venue for private gatherings with a bespoke handcrafted cocktail program.

Tikaram's culinary direction is an amalgamation of his Fijian-Chinese heritage, native Australian roots, and extensive travels throughout Southeast Asia.

His menu blends these flavours with Southern California's world-renowned produce to showcase healthy, seasonal ingredients with smoky notes from a wood grill, high heat wok stirfry's, and basket steaming.

We are all very excited about this restaurant and we wish Grant, David and Louis and their vibrant team a long and successful journey. For the foodie, this one is for you. Check them out at: www.eplosangeles.com

Guest judges on Talent ■ Neil Patrick Harris, Michael Bublé, Piers Morgan and Marlon Wayans are set to serve as guest judges on NBC's America's Got Talent this summer, joining full-timers Howard Stern, Heidi Klum, Mel B and Howie Mandel to help whittle the acts down to 36.

The four-week long judge cuts will premiere on July 14 and will lead into the live Radio City Music Hall performance shows beginning August 11 11.

The guest judges, who will join the regular panel one at a time for a week apiece, will also be able to use the Golden Buzzer for their favourite act, sending them to Radio City Music Hall without any consultation from the AGT judges.

The only competition show open to all ages and all talents, AGT is hosted by Nick Cannon. Last season, magician and Rhode Island native Mat Franco won. Franco, who will headline a show at the LINQ Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas starting in August, was the first trickster to top the competition, and is set to star in two NBC primetime specials this summer.

The Got Talent format, co-owned by Syco Entertainment and Fremantle Media, holds the Guinness World Records title for the most successful TV format in history, having been commissioned in 66 territories worldwide.

America's Got Talent also airs in 193 countries around the globe and has been the No.1 US summer reality series for the past decade.

Come for the Grammys ■ If you are considering a move to Los Angeles or just coming over for a holiday or maybe you want to see the Grammy Museum, then I have got a special deal for you.

We would love to see you at the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Suites, 8585 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood.

I have secured a terrific holiday deal for readers of the Melbourne Observer.

Please mention 'Melbourne Observer' when you book and you will receive the 'Special Rate of the Day'.

Please contact: Joanna at info@ramadaweho.com - Gavin Wood

● International Director, Rod Hardy, Ambassador Kim Beazley and Hoteliers International Managing Director, Alan Johnson.

GavinWood

From my Suite at the Ramada Plaza Complex on Santa Monica Blvd

Eye In The Sky celebrates ■ The Griffith Observatory will mark 80 years of public service and astronomical inspiration this week in Los Angeles.

It is Southern California's gateway to the cosmos.

Visitors can look through telescopes, explore exhibits, see live shows in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, and enjoy spectacular views of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Sign.

Griffith Observatory is an icon of Los Angeles, a national leader in public astronomy, a beloved civic gathering place, and one of southern California's most popular attractions. The Observatory is located on the southern slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park, just above the Los Feliz neighborhood.

It is 1134 feet above sea level and is visible from many parts of the Los Angeles basin.

Griffith Observatory is a free-admission, public facility owned and operated by the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks in the middle of an urban metropolis of 10 million people.

The Observatory is one of the most popular informal education facilities in the United States and the most-visited public observatory in the world (with more than one million visitors a year).

Griffith Observatory is a unique hybrid of public observatory, planetarium, and exhibition space. It was constructed with funds from the bequest of Griffith J. Griffith (who donated the land for Griffith Park in 1896), who specified the purpose, features, and location of the building in his 1919 will.

Upon completion of construction in 1935, the Observatory was given to the City of Los Angeles with the provision that it be operated for the public with no admission charge. When it opened in 1935, it was one of the first institutions in the US dedicated to public science and possessed the third planetarium in the US. Admission to the building, grounds, and parking is always free. Tuesday - Friday, 12 Noon - 10pm. Saturday - Sunday, 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. Mondays: closed.

www.gavinwood.us

■ Legendary actress Shirley Temple's personal childhood collection of movie costumes, dolls and memorabilia will be on display as part of the Love, Shirley Temple nationwide museum tour at the Santa Monica History Museum.

Shirley Temple grew up in Santa Monica and was the most famous child star in the world during the 1930s and 1940s. Her family has preserved a historic collection of her extensive childhood wardrobe and memorabilia.

In honour of Marilyn Monroe's birthday, The Hollywood Museum has brought international collectors together to showcase an unprecedented exhibit till September 6.

Among the items on display will be glimpses of Marilyn's childhood, film costumes, public appearance gowns, personal clothing, jewelry, furniture, make-up and other memorabilia.

Donelle Dadigan, founder and President of The Hollywood Museum and owner of the Max Factor building, has purchased and secured the copyrights to hundreds of never before seen rare photos of Marilyn, which were uncovered by the son of Marilyn's photographer, Milton Greene.

The Hollywood Museum is located at 1660 N. Highland Ave just around the corner of Hollywood Boulevard, where the 'Walk of the Stars' is located.

● Shirley Temple

Comedienne honoured

■ The Grammy Museum will commemorate Grammy winning comedian Joan Rivers with a new display on the museum's third floor.

Items on display include several of the comedian's stage costumes featuring Bob Mackie originals, Rivers daytime 1990 Emmy award for outstanding talk show host, family photographs, her 1984 Harvard Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year Award, her Hollywood Walk of Fame Star award and much more.

"Joan Rivers' unapologetic one liners and brave, biting commentary on her personal life opened doors for other female comedians," said Bob Santelli, Executive Director of the Grammy Museum.

Our own Melbourne Observer ‘Top 5’ contributor, the amazing, Mike McColl Jones was a gag writer for Joan Rivers.

Joan Rivers: Can We Talk? will be on display through to September 20.

The Grammy Museum is located at 800 West Olympic Boulevard, Suite A245 within the LALive district, at the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles.

● Joan Rivers

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 10, 2015 - Page 9

Victoria Pictorial

Coburg Nostalgic Photo Collection

● Coburg Lake. 1948.

● Coburg School No 484

● Coburg Fish Market. Circa 1915.

● Coburg West. 1952.

● Staff outside Coburg Hotel.

● Austral Service Station. 114 Sydney Rd, Coburg.

● Merri Creek, Coburg

● Post Ofice Hotel, Coburg. 1929.

Page 10 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 10, 2015

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

MND in the spotlight Royal Freemasons Homes Monash Gardens and Monash Lodge Morning Tea

■ You may have seen some new adverts on television, asking for support for Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

MND is getting wide exposure from these adverts, which is hopefully encouraging the community to learn more about the disease and support those living with it. ● Ian Clarke of Blackburn United Lodge No. 915 presents a www.youtube.com/ cheque to MND Victoria CEO Rodney Harris. watch?v=UepiE-muscles.

With no nerves to activate sented for $1600 to MND Victoria URTI&feature=youtu.be them, muscles gradually weaken and CEO Rodney Harris - half of which MND is the name given to a group waste was a grant from the Freemasons of diseases in which the nerve cells MND Victoria Fundraising Man- Public Charitable Foundation. (neurones) controlling the muscles that ager Kathy Nightingale visited Funds will be used to supplement enable us to move, speak, breathe and Blackburn United Lodge in March the MND Victoria library of loan swallow undergo degeneration and this year. equipment used by those living with die.

She spoke about the symptoms of disease.

Motor function is controlled by the the disease, research and the need for theThe equipment includes aids such ● From left: Kevin Fowler, Chairman Social and Community Aware- upper motor neurones in the brain that as wheelchairs, lifting apparatus, tiltness Committee, Adam Dymowski, Treasurer; John Berhang, descend to the spinal cord; these further support.

On hearing more about the dis- ing beds and nebulisers.

Homes representative; and Christina Chia, Executive Officer, Royal neurones activate lower motor ease, members were inspired to work For more information about MND Freemasons Homes. neurones. towards raising funds for the not-forand how you can support those living ■ A morning tea was held on Tuesday May 19 at Royal Freemasons' Monash The lower motor neurones exit the with the disease, visit www.mndaust.

Gardens, Mulgrave to acknowledge the generous donation made by Monash spinal cord and directly activate profit organisation.

This month, a cheque was pre- asn.au Lodge No. 938.

Attending on the day were Monash Lodge members: John Berhang, Homes Representative; Kevin Fowler, Chairman of the Social Committee; and Adam Dymowski, Treasurer.

In addition, in attendance were residents and staff of Royal Freemasons Homes including Christina Chia, Executive Officer; Dawn Ellis, Business Manager; Vim Rajeswaran, Facility Manager; and Bruce Trengove, Marketing and Communications Consultant.

After a number of Bunnings sausage sizzles, Monash Lodge generously donated $1500 towards the Royal Freemasons Homes 'Dig Deep' for Garden Therapy Appeal for the Monash Gardens.

The funds received will be used for creating new 'sensory garden areas' designed to provide an enhanced outdoor experience for residents, particularly those with dementia.

■ World War II veteran and Coppin Lodge resident ■ The unprecedented demand for high quality, 'ageingThe new gardens will be places for residents to sit, walk and experience Frank Williams was among those to honour the spirit of in-place' services in the Melbourne inner-city area is drivthe ANZACs and the centenary of Gallipoli in April. the outdoors.

The 96-year-old was driven in Melbourne's ANZAC ing a refurbishment at Coppin Centre.

The appeal and this donation supports Monash Gardens residential aged Coppin Centre's Level 3 now features 18 residential care services which is situated in a unique garden setting providing private Day march, in a 1916 Morris Cowley open vehicle, with suites, providing options for residents to live in apartmenthis son, Rob, sitting behind him. accommodation for 97 residents.

He enjoyed a wonderful day being photographed and style accommodation.

Monash Gardens follows the commitment to care, excellence and choice thanked for his service in World War II. Each suite is well appointed with a kitchenette and that has earned the Royal Freemasons an enviable reputation for providing After training at Balcombe Army Camp, Mt Martha lounge area,some with captive city skyline views. A modern, comfortable accommodation with a wide range of professional ser- and Puckapunyal, Frederick (Frank) Williams was secommunal formal lounge, dining rooms and library vices and resources available on-site. lected to attend Holsworthy Artillery Officers' Training spaces will take full advantage of the inner-city location School, near Liverpool, in New South Wales.

In April, 1940, he sailed out of Sydney aboard the Queen with stunning views, while giving residents the opportunity Mary, headed for the Middle East with the men of the 6th to engage with others or pursue their interests.

Division.

The refurbishment offers individuals or couples the Frank and his division served in Libya, then went to ability to transition into residential care with hotel-style Egypt, Palestine and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

In 1943, Frank was seconded to the US Marines for amenities and services. coppinsuites.com.au training, before serving in New Guinea, from 1944 to 1945, where he helped free Aitape, as part of the Aitape-Wewak campaign, one of the final campaigns in the Pacific.

Latest news from Royal Freemasons

The memory lives on

Premium suites open

Video hits

■ The first Royal Freemasons community choir has raised its voice thanks to the generosity of the community through our December appeal.

The Royal Freemasons With One Voice Eastern choir was launched at Centennial Lodge in May in partnership with Creativity Australia.

Residents, volunteers and families from Centennial Lodge, Darvall Lodge and Elizabeth Gardens enjoyed their first choir rehearsal on May 19 under direction of Michelle Morgan, Musical Director and supported by members of the 'With One Voice Greater Dandenong' choir.

An afternoon tea was enjoyed by all. The choir will be a dedicated weekly activity throughout 2015.

The choir will be evaluated towards the end of the year to consider further roll-out to other sites.

Lifestyle choices at Gregory Lodge

Harmonious union

● Gregory Lodge Lifestyle Coordinator Joanna Lai with volunteer Marion Roberts

■ A Royal Freemasons YouTube site was launched this year as part of a strategy to inform the community about accommodation options and the quality of care.

The comprehensive site features stories and images captured during the filming of the Royal Freemasons Homes that Care television series for Channel 31, along with video footage of staff, customers, volunteers and families.

The content has been arranged into a selection of categories, including Moving Into Aged Care, Innovative Care, Premium and Independent Living, and What Our Customers Say. The content will be refreshed each month.

The new site can be accessed at www.royalfreemasons.org.au or by following the link youtube.com/c/royalfreemasonsorgau

To find out more about Freemasonry, how to become a member, or attend upcoming public events, please visit www.freemasonsvic.net.au Or ‘like’ our FaceBook page www.facebook.com/freemasonsvic for the most up to date information.

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 10, 2015 - Page 11

Melbourne

Confidential Talk is cheap, gossip is priceless

Come into the parlour

● Karen Van Spall ■ If you have ever enjoyed period dramas and mini series on television, you will know that evening entertainment often included guests coming for a soiree of songs and other musical offerings, held in the comfort of the living room.

New Melbourne musical group The Parlour is wanting to bring that relaxed and easy way of enjoying music to Melburnian music lovers and their first offering is Come into the Parlour, Maud - songs and stories from the salon and drawing room.

It's happening in Hawthorn Arts Centre's intimate Chandelier Room on Thursday June 18 at 6.30 pm.

Singers Theresa Borg, Karen Van Spall and Adam Miller will join pianist Katherine Day to spin lyrical stories and tall musical tales in a cosy, 'lounge like' performance space.

"We want to show people that classical music can be presented in a relaxed and intimate format and we aim to take it as far out of the concert hall environment as possible," mezzo soprano Karen Van Spall said.

"These songs were composed to be performed in private drawing rooms and they can lose their impact in a cavernous hall - even Richard Wagner wrote for the salons of Paris.”

The founding members of The Parlour agreed that being stuck in a seat in a darkened theatre puts a barrier between the performers and the audience and instead they want an up-close and personal dialogue with their attendees.

The Parlour performers hope they can re-invigorate the song genre by presenting it as it was meant to be heard.

The seating will be a modified 'cabaret' format with some tables available. The remaining seating will be in scattered groupings and people are encouraged to arrange their seats in any way that makes them feel comfortable.

Baritone Adam Miller will be singing Songs of the Mad Sea Captain which he said gives him the opportunity to "tell one story, then turn around and tell a completely different one".

It's this sung story telling that the members of the group enjoy most. Other works include Wagner's rarely heard Trois Melodies and Mozart Lieder through to songs from the 20th Century.

And it is not meant to be a dry occasion - The Parlour hopes that the audience will take the opportunity to enjoy a glass of wine or a hot cuppa while they sit back and be entertained by four talented and engaging performers.

Bookings at www.hawthornartscentre.com.auor phone 9278 4770.

Hawthorn Arts Centre is located at 360 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn.

- Julie Houghton

$3.3 mil. counterfeit cheques presented

■ The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has permanently banned Shaun Gregory Morgan from providing financial services as a result of a conviction for serious fraud.

Court documents established that on Morgan pleaded guilty in the United States District Court, Central District of Utah to one count of bank fraud involving false claims to be able to raise capital, and counterfeit cheques drawn on a fictitious bank.

Morgan was sentenced to a term of 60 months imprisonment and a term of supervised release of 60 months.

He was also required to forfeit US$1.06 million in cash and stock certificates along with other assets.

Morgan, a New Zealand citizen, was the subject of a recent ASIC consumer warning concerning his offering of unlicensed financial services through a number of websites that indicated companies operated by him held Australian financial services licences and would raise funds.

ASIC Commissioner John Price said: “ASIC will take strong action

FILE PHOTO FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES

to ensure people who have a history of fraudulent conduct are not permitted to work in the financial services industry.’

Morgan has the right to appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a review of ASIC's decision.

According to court documents, Morgan’s conviction in the US for bank fraud arose from a scheme he devised to defraud and to obtain money or property by means of a false and fraudulent representations to financial institutions, mortgage

Discourteous words by solicitor in e-mails

■ Victorian solicitor Linda Paric must pay a $1000 fine to the Legal Services Board after being found guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct and professional misconduct.

Ms Paric, of Boon Legal, was reprimanded by Jonathan Smithers, Senior Member of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Ms Paric has been ordered to c omplete five units of continuing professional development by the end of next year at her own expense. She must complete study in the areas of ethics and professional responsibility.

Paric was accused of communicating directly with clients of another solicitor. It was also alleged that she had criticisms of the opposing solicitor, and that she used discourteous, offensive or provocative language in emails.

Recipients included vendor’s representative Robert Ducray, agent’s rep Mariha Newbold, and two clients Zoe Lamaera and Julie Ann Thomas.

The Tribunal was told Paric became frustrated with the solictor handling the sale of ‘off the plan’ apartments at Footscray, and wrote 11 emails, and five which were discourteoys. She sent four e-mails to third parties which were critical of the other solicitor, Gary Grace of Jansen Walsh and Grace Solictors.

The emails contained allegations that Mr Grace had been unconstructive, obstructionist and aggressive and had failed to communicate, Mr Smithers said.

Paric has also been ordered to pay the legal costs of the Legal Services Board.

companies and third parties. Morgan represented that he was an officer of First Mutual bank a fictitious bank located in the UK. these deposits for his personal benefit.

Morgan agreed to provide a US$13 million line of credit to a borrower if collateral of US$2.5 million was provided. Morgan deposited two cashier’s cheques drawn on his fictitious bank into the borrower's account. The value of the counterfeit cheque was $3.3 million. Both cheques were dishnoured.

Rumour Mill

Hear It Here First

Teacher struck off

■ Victorian teacher Stephen Graham Scott has disqualified and his registration has been cancelled.

The Victorian Institute of Teaching took action after Scott was found guilty and convicted on May 28 of three counts of indecent act with or in the presence of a 16- or 17-year-old child to whom he is not married and who is under his or her care, supervision or authority.

Whispers

Named

● Todd McKenney ■ Todd McKenney will be host of the 2015 Helpmann Awards which will be held at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre on Monday, July 27 on the set of Cameron Mackintosh’s Les Misérables and broadcast live on Foxtel Arts.

Psychic

● Leigh Drew ■ Radio man Leigh Drew has set up a website for “physic (sic) and spiritual awareness. “My readings shall be short, however you may inbox me for a more detailed reading and cost involved,” the former 3AK presenter tells Facebook friends.

Leigh works as a music teacher in the south-eastern suburbs. Leigh Drew has also presented a weekly radio program on Casey FM at Cranbourne.

To Court

‘Inaccurate headline’

■ The Age newspaper has conceded that its headline ‘James Hird removed as Essendon coach’ was removed.

It made this concession during an Australian Press Council adjudication.

“The Council concludes that reasonable steps were not taken to justify a report that the removal had already occurred.” The standard of practice was breached, said the Press Council.

● James Hird

E-Mail: Confidential@MelbourneObserver.com.au

■ The Toorak school, St Catherines, has requested a Melbourne Magistrates’ Court Registrars’ Pre-Hearing Conferences at 11.30am this morning (Wed.) when it is due to allege a civil claim against Laura Redgrave for “monies due”.

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Page 12 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 10, 2015

■ Raymond Stanley Noble was born in 1903 in the Montpelier area of Brighton, England.

He was the son of a neurologist and was educated at Dulwich College.

Ray studied piano and arranging as a youth at the RoyalAcademy of Music. He worked as a bank clerk and played with a small band in the evenings.

In his teenage years Ray won an arranging contest organised by Melody Maker music magazine.

He was working with the Lawrence Wright Music Company and also as a pianist arranger with Debroy Somers and his band.

Ray became a staff arranger for the BBC in 1924 and a year later became musical advisor for His Master's Voice Records.

He married his childhood sweetheart Gladys, who actually lived next door to him.

In 1929, he became leader of the New Mayfair Dance Orchestra which featured members of many of the top hotel orchestras of the day, but this orchestra only existed inside the HMV recording studios.

In 1930 Al Bowlly recorded his first song with Ray Noble and the New Mayfair Dance Orchestra.

Ray made 500 recordings during his time at HMV with many popular compositions including Love Is The Sweetest Thing, Midnight The Stars and You, Goodnight Sweetheart, Isle of Capri and The Very Thought of You.

Whatever Happened To ...

Ray Noble

By Kevin Trask of 3AW and 96.5 Inner FM

Ray came up with the idea for Goodnight Sweetheart after he heard a girl whisper it to her boyfriend on a London bus.

In 1934 Ray Noble and Al Bowlly travelled to the United States based on popularity of their recordings.

Ray and Gladys settled into an apartment over looking Central Park. Bandleader Glenn Miller helped Ray organise an American orchestra which at various times in its evolution included such future bandleaders as Claude Thornhill, Charlie Spivak, Pee Wee Irwin, Will Bradley and soloists Bud Freeman and George Van Epps.

The Ray Noble Orchestra appeared at the famous Rainbow Room in New York where they

● Ray Noble presented the popular radio program Refreshment Time. In 1937 the orchestra disbanded and Ray and Gladys went to Hollywood.

He had been making appearances in many films during the 1930s but began acting playing comedic English characters.

He was in A Damsel In Distress with Fred Astaire, Joan Fontaine, George Burns and Gracie Allen and acted in other films such as Pride of The Yankees and Here We Go Again.

Ray joined Edger Bergen and ‘Charlie McCarthy’ in the radio series The Chase and Sanborn Hour as musical director and composer.

He worked with Buddy Clarke and is one of the back up singers on two hit songs Linda and I'll Dance at Your Wedding.

Ray Noble retired in 1956 and settled in Santa Barbara. Ray and Gladys moved to Jersey in the Channel Islands in the late 1960s.

Over the years his compositions such as The Very Thought of You and Love is the Sweetest Thing have been used in films and television productions. Midnight the Stars and You can be heard in the 1980 film The Shining and as the closing theme on 3AW's Nightline with Bruce Mansfield and Philip Brady.

Ray Noble died of cancer in London in 1978 at age 74.

In 1996 he was inducted into The Songwriters Hall of Fame. Ray Noble had an amazing career as a bandleader, composer, arranger, singer and actor - he has left us with some beautiful music to remember him by.

Kevin Trask The Time Tunnel - with Bruce and PhilSundays at 9.20pm on 3AW That's Entertainment - 96.5FM Sundays at 12Noon 96.5FM is streaming on the internet.

To listen, go to www.innerfm.org.au and follow the prompts.

Booze problems at The Rock ■ I was at the Rock on one New Year's Eve, when a dignified old aboriginal man sidled up to me and surreptitiously pushed a $50 note into my hand: "Can you go and buy me a can, bros?"

He was offering me $50 for a can of beer. He was desperate because, thanks to the request of the Mutujulu Elders, no aboriginal person was then

to be served any alcohol at the Rock.

This was once a dilemma when an aboriginal academic from Sydney asked for a drink in one of their bars, and was refused.

Of course he promptly filed a Racial Discrimination claim in court as soon as he returned to Sydney.

It's always been the case, unfortunately, that on many of the dry com-

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munities booze is smuggled in by the car-load and sold at astronomical profits. This is all without any white-fella involvement.

Right now Alice Springs police are in the throes of clamping down on this activity. Some miscreants are going as far as South Australia to fill their boots and sneak it back into the communities.

Last week at Daly River police tipped out five cartons or beer, three cases of cask wine, and 4 litres of spirits they discovered in two vehicles at an RBT. ■ The demon drink has led many a young man astray, causing him to act in a manner highly inappropriate to his true self.

And so it was with Christopher Bullen recently.

He pleaded guilty, in the Alice Springs court, to unlawful entry, stealing, and unlawful use of a vehicle.

A light sentence was imposed by Chief Justice Trevor Riley because the circumstances of the case were "a little abnormal".

Chris had been out drinking with his mates, and decided to pop in to another friend's house at about 2am.

So he set about removing a few items - a TV and some speakers, and a set of ute keys. He loaded the booty into the ute and drove it to his house, where he unloaded it, then drove to a sports oval and left it there.

Upon sobering up later in the day, he was devastated by the enormity of his actions, and set about righting the wrongs.

So with one of his mates he loaded the ill-gotten gains into his own car and returned them to their rightful owners.

There was a bit of damage to the ute, but the owner wasn't worried about this, and besides, Chris had scraped together $455 to sheepishly compensate him.

■ I've been floating around on Port Phillip Bay for many decades now and never cease to be amazed by the diversity of aquatic spectacles which swim around below me, and occasionally pop out to greet me.

I have often, on my way in from a fishing trip, been followed in by a friendly seal. So I have grabbed a few flatties and heaved them over to him, much to his delight.

I have only ever seen two sharks

The Outback Legend

with Nick Le Souef Lightning Ridge Opals 175 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Phone 9654 4444 www.opals.net.au in all my days, but one calm day I was fishing off Blairgowrie when a great maelstrom on the surface indicated that there was some very significant event, caused by something very large, occurring just below the surface. I never did see the beast involved, but it must have been a monster.

But a chance meeting the other day set this contemplation in motion - the most interesting of all are the friendly dolphins. They inevitably come and visit whenever I'm fishing, slowly and happily swinging by to greet me.

An old friend, Marty McKinnon, who I went to school with, began a business quite a few years ago with his ‘Moonraker’ launch, which he interestingly reclaimed from its watery grave after having sunk during its operation as a Government Customs craft, to take advantage of these wonderful creatures.

Although Marty's no longer with us, Sandy still runs the business, and every day intrepid tourists splash off ‘Moonraker’ to swim around in our southern Sorrento waters, gambolling with these friendly denizens of the deep.

■ It's cocky season. Although there are several species of cocky in the Centre, I have always loved two of them.

Firstly, there is the Major Mitchell, or Pink Cockatoo. It's fairly similar in appearance to the garden-variety sulphur-crested, but with a magnificent pink hue around its head, with a spectacular pink and orange crest.

I didn't often see them winging their way around my block, but every so often they'd come in for a forage on the ground.

And it's now mating season for the Red-tailed Black Cockatoos, so about this time they're constantly winging their way overhead, their distinctive ‘caw’ echoing across the land. They just effortlessly and silently half-fly, half-glide through the air and occasionally they'd also land on my block for a quick forage.

They are much bigger than the sulphur-cresteds, black with brilliant red tails and a similar red patch on the underside of their wings.

Wonderful creatures.

■ In the eighties and nineties Australia was besieged by Japanese tourists. Their economy was booming, so of course they needed to spend some of their abundant loot on international travel, and Australia became a favourite destination.

So us opal vendors took great advantage of this.

I was on the periphery, but one of my mates really prospered - he employed a full time Japanese manager, and would entice most of the travelling groups into his establishment.

Now, in the new century, the Japanese economy has declined somewhat, but China's has boomed, so now we're beginning to see many visitors from this neck of the woods.

Not so many groups yet, but we've had many individuals dropping by with the occasional small group, out here to purchase real estate.

They are of course more than welcome.

However I do have an ongoing problem with dealing with them, totally unrelated to any hint of racism it's the retail culture. In China, in a store, prices are marked, but this is merely an invitation to haggle for an hour!

Drives me nuts!

- Nick Le Souef ‘The Outback Legend’

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

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Melbourne Obser ver - Wednesday, June 10, 2015 - Page 17

Observer Classic Books

‘Such Is Life’ by Joseph Furphy Chapter 4 - continues This, of course, conveyed the impression that it was a run flowing with grass and water for distressed teams; but the unhappy manager, watched and reported always by at least one narangy, and ground, as you see, between the upper mill-stone of Royce the munificent and the nether and much harder one of Royce the businessman, had to transmute every blade of grass, or twig of cotton-bush, into a filament of wool, or let somebody else have a try. Consequently, the boundary riders of Avondale had strict orders to hunt all strays and trespassers across the frontiers of stations that did impound; so the fine old squatter-king got there just the same — also the carriers’ teams and the drovers’ horses.

One characteristic of Avondale was that the rank and file of the station were always treated with fatherly benevolence, and were never discharged. They gradually got useless by reason of mere antiquity, and, without actually dying, slowly mummified, and were duly interred in the cemetery at the homestead.

In view of the rigorous usages specified, it was no marvel that a deficiency in the Avondale clip of ‘83 had led to the resignation of Mr. Angus Cameron, and the installation of a new manager, a few weeks before the date of these incidents. But the appointment of a strange boundary rider to the paddock adjoining Alf’s camp — an event which had taken place three or four months before the same date — seemed like a sudden angle and break in the corridor of Time.

Avondale home-station was nine miles distant. I had never met the new manager; but his name was Wentworth St. John Ffrench; and, by all accounts, he acted up to it. Popular rumour likened him to the man with the whole pound of tobacco, who had sworn against borrowing or lending. Mr. Ffrench could afford to be independent of such men as Alf, but couldn’t afford to establish a precedent for invalided carriers loafing on the run. Of course, you would n’t look at the thing in that light; but then, your name is not Wentworth St. John Ffrench, and you would n’t do for a manager of Avondale. You would have the run swarming with a most tenacious type of trespassers before you knew what you were doing. Moreover, the moral responsibility (if any) of the matter rested on Mondunbarra, not on Avondale.

Neither had I ever seen the new Avondale boundary man; but I was prejudiced against him also.

It required no deep dive into the mysteries of Nomenology to augur ill from the nickname of ‘Terrible Tommy.’ The title was, of course, satirical; the man an imbecile and fickle windbag.

Still, this name was better than the manager’s.

Evidently, my only chance was to deal directly with some one of the boundary men. I had already failed to melt the musing Briton’s eyes; and though I had, in a sense, prevailed over the Mongol, I could make no use of him; so I found myself hanging, as you might say, by one strand, that strand being Terrible Tommy.

I must enlist this man, I mentally concluded, as a willing accomplice; and, by my faith, I’ll do so before I leave him. I care not an he be the devil; give me faith, say I. By this time, the sun was just setting. I left the bullocks near the boundary fence, turned Bunyip adrift, and placed the saddle and bridle where I could find them again. Then crossing into Avondale, I picked my way through a belt of tall lignum, sloppy with warm water, and alive with mosquitos; then on through scattered timber until, a mile from the fence, appeared the oneroomed abode of the man I wanted. I knew where to find the place, having stayed there one night when Bendigo Bill was in charge of the paddock. But now, nearing the house, how I wished I had that frank, good-hearted old Eureka rebel to deal with instead of the hard-featured, sandy-complexioned man whom I saw carrying home a couple of buckets of water on a wooden hoop. Our old friends, the Irresistible and the Immovable were about to encounter once more.

“Evening, sir,” I cooed, with an urbanity born of the conditions already set down.

“Gude evenin’ (Squire Western’s expression!)

Ye maun gang fairther, ye ken; fir fient haet o’

Joseph Furphy (Tom Collins) sipper ye’se hae frae me the nicht. De’il tak’ ye, ye lang-leggit, lazy loun, flichterin’ roun’ wi’ yir ‘Gude evenin’ sir!’ an’ a’ sic’ clishmaclaver. Awa’ wi ye! dinna come fleechin’ tae me! The kintra’s I-sy wi’ sic’ haverils, comin’ sundoonin’ on puir folk ‘at henna mickle mair nir eneugh fir thir ain sel’s. Tak’ aff yir coat an’ wark, ye glaikit-De’il tak’ ye; wha’ fir ye girnin’ at?”

“Gude save’s!” I snarled; “wha’gar ye mak’ sic’ a splore? Hoo daur ye tak’ on ye till misca’ a body sae sair’s ye dae, ye bletherin’ coof?

Hae ye gat oot the wrang side yir bed the morn?ir d’ye tak’ me fir a rief-randy? — ir wha’ the de’il fashes ye the noo? Ye ken, A was compit doon ayont the boondary, an’ A thocht A wad dauner owre an’ hae a wee bit crack wi’ ye the nicht. A wantit tae ken wha’ like mon yir new maunager micht be, an’ tae speer twa-three ither things firbye; bit sin’ yir sae skrunty, ye maun tak’ yir domd sipper till yir ain bethankit ava, an’ A’ll gang awa’ bock till ma ain comp. Heh!” And I turned away with unconcealed resentment and contempt.

“Haud a wee,” said the boundary rider, setting down his buckets, and slapping the back of his neck. “Ye ken, A’m sae owrecam wi’ thir awfu’ mustikies that whiles A canna-Bit cam awa’ tae the biggin; cam awa’ tae the biggin, an’ rest yirsel’.” The Irresistible had scored this time.

Such is life.

I helped Tommy out of his embarrassment by an occasional ‘Ay, mun,’ interjected into his apologetic and cordial monologue; and so we reached the hut, where, after directing me to a seat, he filled a billy with some of the water he had brought, and hung it on the crook.

“An’ wha’ dae they ca’ ye?” he asked, turning

his back to the fire, and surveying me with a kindly interest which made me feel as uneasy as if I had been sleeping in a fowl-house.

“Tam Collins,” I replied readily, though interrupted by a fit of coughing as I pronounced my surname.

“Ye’ll no be yin o’ the M’Callums o’ Auchtermauchtie?” he inquired eagerly. “A kent them weel.”

I shook my head. “An’ wha’ dae they ca’ yirsel’?” I asked.

“Tam Airmstrang-anither Tam, ye ken. An’ whaur ye frae? Wha’ pairt o’ the kintra was ye born in syne?” A boggy-looking place for a man to carry his integrity safely across; however, I replied, “Ye’se aiblins be acquent wi’ yon auld sang:— Braw, braw lads on Yarrow braff, That wander through the bloomin’ heather.

Aweel, A was born on the braes o’ Yarra. Ye ken, the time’s gane lang wi’ me sin’ A rin aboot the braes, an’ pu’d the gowans fine. Ay, mun!”

“A-y-y, mun!” rejoined my companion, echoing my home-sick sigh. “D’ye ken-A wadna’ thocht ye was a Selkirksheer mon. A wad hae thocht ye was frae Lanarksheer, ir aiblins frae”— “Whaur micht ye be frae yirsel’?” I interrupted desperately.

He seemed about to reply, but checked himself, and looked at me absently; then he turned to the fire, took his canister from the shelf, and mechanically measured out a handful of tea. He stood gazing into the fire till recalled to himself by the boiling of the billy; then a triumphant smile invaded his stern features; he took the billy off the crook, threw the tea into it, clapped both hands on my shoulders, and quoted with fine

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effect that lucid passage from Burns:— Bye attour, ma gutcher has A heigh hoose an’ a leigh A’ firbye ma bony sel’, The lad o’ Ecclefechan!

“Ha-ha-ha! The lad o’ Ecclefechan, ye ken-no the lass o’ Ecclefechan! Losh! A hae whiles laffit mysen gey near daft at yon! The lad o’ Ecclefechan!” He gave way to another burst of hilarity, in which I sincerely joined. “A henna’ thocht aboot yon a towmond syne,” he continued, wiping the dew of merriment from his eyes; “bit ye hae brocht it bock the nicht. The lad o’ Ecclefechan! ha-ha-ha! Ay, mun; A’m frae Ecclefechan, an’ ma feyther afore me. Syne, A hae been a’ ip an’ doon Ayrsheer, frae yin fair till anither wi’ nowte. Brawly dae A ken Mossgeil, an’ Mauchline, an’ Loughlea, an’ the auld Brig o’ Doon, firbye a wheen ither spotes ye ‘se aiblins hear tell o’.”

“Ye’ll hae seen Alloway Kirk?” I conjectured.

“Seen’t! ay,” he replied magnificently. “A thocht naethin’ o“t!”

“Ye what?” I retorted, in the mere wantonness of power. “Ye hae seen yon auld hauntet kirk, whaur witches an’ warlocks Hang an’ loupit, an’ Auld Nick himsel’ screwt his pipes an’ gart them skirl, till roof an’ rafters a’ did dirl! ye hae keekit intil yon eerie auld ruin! — an’ syne ye daunert awa’, an’ thocht naethin’ o’ ‘t! Be ma saul, Bobbie Birns didna’ think naethin’ o’ ‘t! Heh!” Tommy was now laying the table. He made no reply to my rebuke, but the forced and deprecating smile which struggled to his face showed that the Irresistible had scored again.

But one of the most unpleasant experiences I can now recall to mind was the sitting down with that unsuspecting fellow-mortal to his sodabread and cold mutton, while I smiled, and smiled, and was a Scotchman. The easy victory, tested by that moral straight-edge we all carry, made me feel as mean as a liveried servant; and when Tommy requested me to ask a blessing, and sat with his elbow on the table and his face reverently veiled by his hand, whilst I wove a protracted and incoherent grace from the Lowland vocabulary, I seemed to sink to the level of a prince’s equerry. In fact, I would almost as soon make one of a crowd to hurrah for a Governor as go through such an ordeal again.

My truthfulness — perhaps the only quality in which I attain an insulting pre-eminence — seemed outraged to the limit of endurance as I looked forward to the inevitable detection, soon or late, of the impromptu deception which, in spite of me, was expanding and developing like a snake-lie, or an election squabble.

However, I contented myself with directing the stream of conversation, and leaving the rest to Tommy. It transpired that he had been four months in his present situation, and only nine in the country altogether. He had got employment on Avondale by a lucky chance; and, though engaged only for six months, entertained hopes that he might be baptised into the billet, to the permanent exclusion of Bendigo Bill.

For menial employment on Avondale was like membership in a Church, only that, to the carnal mind, there was more in it; moreover, the initiation was attended with greater ceremony, and the possibility of expulsion was kept further in the background. Once admitted into Avondale fellowship, the communicant might turn out a white sheep or a black one; but he was still a sheep, whilst all outside the fold, white or black, as the case might be, were goats. This may be illustrated by the incident which had just given Tommy the footing of an unbaptised believer, provisionally admitted amongst the elect. He gave me the account, so far as it affected himself; and Bendigo Bill, sitting on the same kerosene-case, long afterward narrated the episode fully.

Two years before the date of this record, Bendigo Bill’s mind, such as it was, had been disturbed by the discovery of gold at Mount Brown. As time went on, the occasional sight of northward-bound drays and pack-horses revived the old lunacy in its most malignant form, till the demoniac at last gave formal notice of his intention to leave the station, and push his fortune on the diggings. His resignation was in due course

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Observer Classic Books From Page 23 forwarded to Captain Royce; whereupon that potentate sent him a peremptory order to mind his paddock, and not make an infernal exhibition of himself. The demon quaked and collapsed for the time, and Bill, in his proper person, acquiesced with the humility customarily manifested by Avondale people when Captain Royce was conducting the other side of the argument.

But the evil spirit was scotched, not killed; and Bill became a harmless melancholic, dwelling on old time memories of the diggings, and gradually lying himself into the conviction that, if he had gone to Mount Brown, he could have told by the lay of the country, unerringly, and at the first glance, where the gold was.

Things being in this posture, there reached Avondale, in the winter of ‘83, a vague, intangible bruit of somebody expecting to hit it on Mount Brown; and, shortly afterward, Bill, in a vision of the night, found himself paddocking a bit of four-foot ground for a free, lively, six-inch wash, running something like ten ounces to the dish-rough, shotty, water-worn gold. Next night the dream was repeated, but with this addition, that the dreamer bent the point of his pick whilst hooking out of a sort of pocket in the pipeclay a flat, damper-shaped nugget that he could hardly lift. The third night found the ground richer than ever; but Bill, knowing it to be a dream, and having no way of permanently retaining the gold he might get under such conditions, very wisely contented himself with taking accurate observations of his landmarks, so that he might know the place again when he saw it by daylight.

Whilst so engaged, his attention was attracted by two emus, which resolved themselves, respectively, into Captain Royce and Mick Magee — the latter being an old mate of his own, accidentally killed on the Jim Crow, about fifteen years before. This made the assurance of the thrice-repeated dream triply sure; for the emu is one of the luckiest things a person can dream about; and its identification with Captain Royce was as good as an old boot thrown by that awesome magnate; whilst its association with Mick Magee made the cup of blessing overslop in all directions — Mick having been, in the days of his vanity, a man that brought luck with him wherever he went, particularly in shallow ground.

So Bill wiped from the tablet of his memory everything except the picture of a place where two gullies met, after the fashion of a Y, and formed a bit of a blind creek, running between low ranges broken here and there by the outcrop of a hungry white quartz. His dream intuitively conveyed the further knowledge that the surrounding country had been prospected for a few floaters, and the creek, lower down, rooted-up for bare tucker, while this little spur of made ground, between the prongs of the Y, remained intact — and there was the jeweller’s shop.

Again Bill, emboldened by the unholy afflatus caught from his earlier life, gave notice to the manager; this time following up his action by buying a horse and spring-cart from a tank-sinker, and conditionally selling his own two horses.

Then came Captain Royce’s ukase, to the effect that no man must be allowed to swag the country, ragged and homeless, with the story in his mouth that he had been boundary riding on Avondale for ten years. Therefore, Bill’s notice was passed over with the contempt it merited.

But something must be done; so a six months’ leave of absence was granted; and the manager was instructed to employ, for that time only, the first likely-looking stranger who presented himself — the latter being clearly given to understand that he was only in the loosest sense of the word an Avondale employe. If Bill returned on the expiration of his furlough, he should be reinstated, and all would be forgiven; if he failed to return, such default would be taken as evidence of contumacy; excommunication would promptly follow, and the station would thereby be acquitted of all responsibility touching any destitute old bummer who might swag the country with the yarn that he had been boundary riding on Avondale for ten years. Captain Royce could be stern enough when he let himself out.

The emu-section of the dream being thus partly fulfilled, Bill clutched at a release in any form; and it happened that, simultaneously with the arrival of Captain Royce’s mandate, came Tom Armstrong and his mate, Andrew Glover, from a job of ringing on the Yanko. The manager, being named Angus Cochrane, plumped Tom into the vacancy, and supplied him with a couple of old station horses. Bill remained a few days longer, teaching Tom the routine of his work;

then the manager slacked-off, and Bill harnessed his horse and fled northward — not because he dislikedAvondale, but because he liked it so well that he was impatient to make Captain Royce such a bid for the property as that nabob could n’t think of refusing, with any hope of luck afterward.

On my mentioning Alf’s bullocks, Tom told me that he had heard bells among the lignum in the corner of Mondunbana, a few nights before, and had next morning found twenty bullocks and a bay horse on the Avondale side of the fence. He knew that the Chow had passed them on to him to save trouble, so he immediately passed them back to the Chow. Next evening, his neighbour had re-delivered them to Avondale f.o.b., and in the morning, Tom returned them to Mondunbarra c.o.d. Next night, the untiring Asiatic had them back on Avondale o.r.; and in the morning, Tom did what he should have done at first — put them across the river on to the station from whose bourne no trespasser returned. The ensuing adventures of the bullocks you already know.

Tom had acquired, without any severe wrench of his finer feelings, the boundary man’s hostility to the bullock driver, and was cultivating the same with all the energy of his race. His title, after all, was no more quizzical in its application than that of Ivan the Terrible; and to understand how nasty a station vassal can sometimes make himself, you must know a little concerning the manners none and customs beastly of the time and place wherein our scene is laid.

And, to my unspeakable disgust, I found that though Tom had never met Alf personally, the unfortunate outlaw was his Doctor Fell too.And the very spirit of Leviticus breathed in his tone as he informed me that gin he had umquhile kent the nowte belangit tae yon ill-hairtet raff, he wad hae whummelt them owre the burn (the Lachlan a burn! O, my country) lang syne, an’ no fashit himsel’ wi’ ony sic’ fiddle-fyke.

Nothing but extreme caution would do here. The brutal truth of my unwarranted solicitude for the sick man would certainly cause friction, and might spoil all. So, in a few well-chosen words, I informed Tom that there was a trifle between Alf and me; and he was sick, just when I wanted to keep him on his feet for a while. Would Tom (and my patois became so hideously homely that, for the reader’s sake, I have to paraphrase it)— would Tom, as a personal favour to me, call round at Alf’s camp, morning and evening, for a few days, and in the meantime keep his bullocks safe?

No answer. The silken bond of our nationality would n’t stand such a strain. Then I slowly drew out my pocket-book, and, with the stifled sigh of a thrifty man, handed my compatriot one of the four one-pound notes which excluded me from the state of grace enjoyed by Lazarus; remarking, half-sullenly, that he could n’t be expected to take all this trouble for nothing; and though I was a poor man like himself, it would pay me to get Alf at work again. And, considering that a bullock driver often has it in his power to do a good turn for a boundary man, would n’t it be better, I suggested, for Tom to do all this on his own account, without a whisper concerning my interposition?

I had known better than to make such a proposition to Sollicker. That impracticable animal — who would have uncovered his head to receive backsheesh, as backsheesh, from a ‘gentleman’— would have spurned my lubricant as an unholy thing; and woe to Alf’s bullocks if he had caught them again! But I was n’t surprised to find my modus vivendi accepted by this passive product of a social code fabricated and compiled in the nethermost pit — a code which, under the heading of Thrift, frankly teaches the poor to grind each other without scruple, whilst religiously avoiding all inquiry into the claims of the rich — a code, in fact, which makes the greasing of the fat pig a work holy unto the Lord.

The keen selfishness of my proposal touched a kindred chord in poor Tom’s bosom; the mettlesome casting of my sprat upon the waters, in sure hope of finding a mackerel after many days, awoke his admiration; whilst an immediate and prospective advantage to himself stood out through it all. Yet, under this crust of clannishness, cunning, and money-hunger, there lay a fine manhood. I saw the latter come to the surface a few months afterward. But that is another episode; and I must confine myself to the case before the Court.

Tom knew of an island among the lignum, where the bullocks would be safe; and he would put them there in the morning, after he had visited

Alf. But I must take the bells off first. I thanked him with a sincerity out of all keeping with my accent, and shortly afterward drew the intolerable conference gently to a close. Upon the whole, I had impressed my host as a shrewd, well-informed person, too much taken-up with the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches to dwell upon personal memories of the auld kintra. I was touched to notice a certain disappointment and forlornness in his manner as he accompanied me to the boundary fence, where we shook hands, and parted — each looking forward to the probability of meeting again, but with different degrees of longing.

And now, thought I, as I recovered Alf’s saddle and bridle, heaven grant that that parting may be a Kathleen Mavourneen one; and let me have some other class of difficulty to deal with next time.

Thus, in the best of spirits, owing to the prospect of some smooth travelling on my main trunk line, after having traversed the steep and crooked section to which I had been committed by one touch of the switch two hours before, I made my way through the lignum to Alf’s camp; guided partly by the instinct which we share unequally with the lower creation, and partly by the smell of the dead dog, zephyr-borne on the night air.

After dragging the poor animal’s body a little distance away, I vaulted into the wagon, and spoke cheerily to Alf. No reply. I struck a match, and saw him sleeping the peaceful, dreamless sleep of a tired child.

I lit a bit of candle I had noticed in the daytime, and sat down to note his progress in a professional way. His pulse was right, as I found by timing it with my own; and the hard swelling of the elbows seemed to have relaxed a little. The backs of his hands were pretty bad with the external scurvy known as ‘Barcoo rot’— produced by unsuitable food and extreme hardship — but that had nothing to do with the complaint which had so strangely overtaken him. His breathing was gentle and regular, though his face was covered with gorged mosquitos. The healthy moistness of the skin showed that my prescription had operated as a sudorific, no less than as a soporific. Altogether, there was a marked diminution of what we call febrile symptoms; and, better still, he had managed to turn himself over since I left him.

I lit my pipe, and contemplated the unconscious outlaw. Without being aggressively handsome, like Dixon or Willoughby, Alf, in his normal state, was a decidedly noble-looking man, of the socalled Anglo–Saxon type, modified hy sixty or eighty years of Australian deterioration. His grandfather had probably been something like Sollicker; and the apprehensions of that discomfortable cousin were being fulfilled only too ruthlessly. The climate had played Old Gooseberry with the fine primordial stock. Physically, the Suffolk Punch had degenerated into the steeplechaser; psychologically, the chasm between the stolid English peasant and the saturnine, sensitive Australian had been spanned with that facilis which marks the descensus Averni.

But the question of racial degeneracy, past, present, or to come, troubled its victim very little as he lay there. Indeed, it had never troubled him much. He was one of those men who cannot learn to think systematically, but who make up their deficiency by feeling the more intensely.

And now that the unseen Guide had given His beloved sleep, and the stern, defiant blue eyes were veiled, and the habitual frown smoothed from the fine forehead, I found something pathetic in the worn repose of the sleeper’s face.

Presently, drifting into a philosophic mood, I placed my propositions in order, and, by the inductive system applicable in such cases, read his history like a book, right back to the time when, according to a popular, though rather tough, assumption, he had lain helpless and imbecile on his mother’s knee, clad in a white garment about four feet long, and with a pulsating soft place on the top of the bald head which wobbled on his insufficient neck like a rain-laden rose on a weak stalk. Little dreamed that mother, poor mortal! when with tireless iteration she ticked off his extremities; —‘This pig went to market; this pig stayed at home’— little did she dream, when she wiped the perpetual dribble from his mouth; when she poured all manner of unintelligible tommy-rot into his inattentive and conspicuous ears — little did she then dream that the blind evolution of events would transform her inexplicably valued baby into a scrap of floating wreckage on a sea of trouble; scarcely amounting to a circumstance in the

vast and endless procession of his fellow-waifs.

Doubtless, he would soon be on his feet again, but to what end? Merely to resume the old persecuted life, still achieving, still pursuing, that strictly congruous penalty which waits upon the man whose life is one protracted challenge to a world wherein no person except the systematic and successful hypocrite has too many friends, or too good a character. Any fool can get himself hated, if he goes the right way to work; but the game was never yet worth a rap, for a rational man to play. This in clear view of the fact that most people lose more by their friends than by their enemies. But there are few sins more odious than ill-nature; and there’s nothing blessed about the persecution you undergo on that account. Your position is not heroic; at best, it is only pitiable; at worst, it is detestable.

Athanasius contra mundum is grand only in cases where the snag is right, and the mundus wrong.

Then persecution becomes the second-highest form of blessedness — the highest form, of course, being the ability to turn round and flatten-out the persecutor. Now, if Alf could open the windows of his understanding —— But then, one of the gravest disabilities in the leopard of thirty-five, or thereabout, is connected with the changing of his spots. Such is life.

With these reflections, I extinguished the candle, and left the wagon. The bullocks happened to be close by. After the manner of workers, they had collected themselves on a piece of open ground; some folded asleep, head to flank, while others lay chewing meditatively, reviewing the events of the day, and wondering what the morrow might bring forth. Amidst the reposing group stood the hardy bay horse, the world forgetting, by the world forgot; for, contrary to popular supposition, the horse has not half the innate sagacity of the ox, though he is to a much greater extent the creature of habit, and therefore appears more teachable.

By the light of a good half-moon, now declining in the west, I got the two bells off without much trouble, and threw them under the wagon. Then, in case the Confucian might be an earlier bird than the lad o’ Ecclefechan, I put the bullocks and horse across the boundary fence, carefully replacing the brush I had removed for their passage. From there I struck across to the sound of Cleopatra’s bell, and brought my two most useful friends to where the most valuable was still chained-up. In ten minutes, I had packed my share of the things that make death bitter, and in another half-hour I had left Mondunbarra behind, and was well into Avondale, working out in my own mind an abstruse ethical problem, which would have no interest for the shallowpated reader. And so ends the day.

But not the narrative. I am mindful of my promise. As hour after hour passed, the insecurity of Alf’s situation grew upon me, till I could think of nothing else. Philosopher-seer, I might say — as it has pleased heaven to fashion me, I confess I could arrive at no definite forecast of the order which the outlaw’s affairs would assume at the next turn of the kaleidoscope. But I knew that it was in the nature of the kaleidoscope to turn.

In due time, the stars dimmed and disappeared; the deep-blue of the south-eastern sky paled to a greenish tint, like the under side of a melon, changing slowly to an opaline hue; then imperceptibly succeeded a blush of shell-pink, presently shot with radial bars of dusky red; and now every object above the horizon stood vividly revealed through the limpid air — soon to be blurred, distorted, or entirely withdrawn from view. In the favourable interval of ten or fifteen minutes, I saw Poondoo homestead, six or eight miles ahead. In the intermediate distance appeared a moving dot, which, as I was travelling at a walk, brought my field-glass into use. Only an iron-grey man, in a pith hat, driving a pair of chestnuts in a buggy. No business of mine, I thought, in my human short-sightedness; and I was lowering the glass, when the figure of another traveller crossed its field. This last was a person bearing a startling resemblance to Mungo Park, inasmuch as he was evidently a poor white man, with no mother to bring him milk, no wife to grind his corn. The solitude of the place made the contrast between the two travellers impressive. I replaced the glass, thinking, with sorrow rather than conceit, that I could make a better world myself, with my eyes shut. There was no irreverence in the thought; the irreverence is on the part of any profane reader who forges the Creator’s endorsement to that good old rule and

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Melbourne Obser ver - Wednesday, June 10, 2015 - Page 19

Victoria Pictorial

South Melbourne Nostalgic Photos

● South Melbourne Rugby Team. 1909.

● Aerial view of South Melbourne Cricket Ground. Circa 1920-1940.

● Emerald Hill and Sandridge. 1875.

● South Melbourne Public Library. 1936.

● Dorcas St. State School, South Melbourne. 1909.

● South Melbourne Post Office

● South Melbourne versus St Kilda, between 1907 and 1911

● South Melbourne Methodist Mission. 1949.

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Homemaker

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Snow Season

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Buying Guide

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Healthy Living

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Melbourne

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Travellers’Good Buys

with David Ellis

Life, legacy of Griffith’s hermit ■ Many a landmark named after a mere commoner has found itself given the flick in favour of a more exalted Knight or Dame of the Realm – but seldom has one named after one of those latter dignitaries, been re-named in favour of a commoner.

Particularly one whose past included prisoner, vagrant, wartime internee, mental hospital patient and hermit.

But that’s what happened at Griffith in the NSW Riverina, where a popular lookout long named after a onetime State Governor, was re-badged by the local council a couple of years back in recognition of a reclusive Italian migrant.

And named for who he was and where he lived, rather than with his name, so that the landmark’s no longer the Sir Dudley de Chair Lookout, but more-humbly The Hermit’s Cave Lookout.

Valerio Ricetti came to Australia from Italy in 1914 after an uncle sensing impending war, loaned the 16 year old apprentice stonemason the money for a ship’s passage to safety.

Landing at Port Pirie, Valerio soon moved to Broken Hill, got a well-paying work in the mines, boarded with a local Italian family, and fell in love with a pub barmaid.

When she wouldn’t marry him, a broken-hearted Valerio left Broken Hill for Adelaide, and a first and un-

● Rare photo of Valerio Ricetti – The Hermit of Griffith take in 1938.

Melbourne

Observer Wines & Liqueurs

with David Ellis

Worth ringing the bells ■ Thereare a couple of interesting things about the Mulligan family and their St Mary’s Vineyard 15km to the west of Penola in South Australia.

One is that they’re on land that’s made up of Terra Rossa soil over limestone just like their neighbouring Coonawarra, yet they’re defined officially as within the Limestone Coast, and the other is their unusual – and rewarding – Carillon label.

The first there’s little we can say much about, beyond that to most their wines appear more Coonawarra than Limestone Coast, but the latter we heartily suggest that you can do something about, and that is to give a try to this Carillon that’s unusually made up of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Cabernet France and Merlot.

In 1985 Barry and Glenys Mulligan planted their first grapes, reaping the pioneering rewards of these in 1990.

They made their first Carillon blend in 1999, giving it the name after the dictionary definition of carillon as “a collection of bells (in their case ‘Belles’?) that work in harmony to produce something special...”

The newest-release 2013 St Mary’s Carillon is an interesting wine offering up suggestions of tobacco, cedar, plum and raisin flavours that make for a good match with red meats, or a hearty Winter’s casserole. It’s $40 a bottle in 12-bottle cartons from the winery, including delivery Australiawide.

Details www.stmaryswines.com

One to note ■ Wine buffs who enjoy their seafood know how rewarding can be white fish fillets pan-fried and shared with a good Sauvignon Blanc Semillon.

And one of the latter worth trying is a 2014 from Voyager Estate in WA’s Margaret River, because here’s a Sauvignon Blanc Semillon that’s all about bouncy-fresh tropical and citrus fruit flavours coupled with a lovely natural acidity.

At $24 you’ll find it good value for the price, and while excellent with those white fish fillets, or other seafoods including shellfish, if you lean more towards meat dishes team it up with veal chops grilled and sprinkled with rosemary.

Pictured ■ Unusual blend to enjoy with red meats or a hearty Winter’s casserole.

■ Bouncy-fresh tropical and citrus fruit flavours go so well with seafoods or veal chops.

fortunate experience of a brothel… leaving his wallet there containing a year’s savings, he returned to retrieve it but the establishment’s pimp refused to let him in.

An angry Valerio hurled a rock through the window, was arrested and gaoled for five days.

Virtually penniless, he moved to Melbourne and decided to pawn his last possession – a treasured Italian leather coat.

Apparently appearing confused outside the pawnshop, a stranger offered to help him hock the coat for the best-possible price, and a gullible Valerio handed it over … never seeing stranger nor coat again.

Now even worse off he drifted north, becoming disillusioned with his fellow man as he acquired only ad hoc work while following along riverbanks and railways line until arriving on a hill overlooking Griffith on a wet night in January 1929.

He took refuge in a cave on the hill, waking next morning to look down over the lush Riverina Irrigation Area – and closer, a garbage dump. He scrambled down to this and found a proverbial treasure trove for a onetime miner and stonemason – broken shovels, mattocks and axe heads, and tree branches for making handles.

Valerio returned to his cave, convinced he had “found my Garden of Eden.”

He built a dry-stone wall across the mouth of his cave as protection from the weather, a sleeping nook, fireplace for cooking, stone stairways, even a “chapel”, and painted Christian symbols using thrown-away paints.

Slowly he hauled-up tonnes of soil in buckets to make gardens retained by more dry-stone walls and planted vegetable seeds, cuttings, even banana palms reclaimed from the dump; soon Griffith residents dubbed him “The Hermit,” for whenever they approached he would flee into secreted bolt-holes.

Then in 1937 two local Italian migrants hearing that The Hermit was an Italian, went to the hill calling out in Italian. This time Valerio responded …and bizarrely found himself faceto-face with Valentino Ceccato – with whom he had boarded in Broken Hill over twenty years before.

He started spending weekends with the kindly Ceccato family, but always returned to his cave; in 1940 when Italy entered WWII, Valerio was detained after some Griffith residents reported “signal lights” flashing from his cave, and that a “radio aerial” had suddenly appeared.

But investigations revealed the “signal lights” were merely Valerio’s cave lamps – and the “radio aerial” his clothes-line.

Valerio however was placed in an internment camp, then treated briefly in a mental institution in Orange as “disarranged.” He returned to Griffith in 1942 to live and work with the Ceccato’s on their farm, until with declining health he decided to visit his brother in Italy.

Six months later, in late 1952, Valerio Ricetti died at his brother’s home aged 54.

Visitors today can marvel at his remarkable cave complex and one-time gardens that underwent minor restoration in 2008 and will undergo more work when funds can be found. For details of his now-Heritage Listed Cave, and Lookout above it, and Griffith’s many other tourist attractions, contact Griffith Visitor Information Centre 1800 681 141 or www.visitgriffith.com.au

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Melbourne Obser ver - Wednesday, June 10, 2015 - Page 27

Observer Classic Books From Page 37 simple plan which was, is, and ever shall be, the outcome of Individualism. But the good old rule, as you shall perceive, worked happily in this instance. Now try to imagine a writer of fiction deliberately inventing an incident which seems to strike at the very root of his own argument.

Then you will have some idea of the annalist’s stern veracity as opposed to the mere expediency of the novelist.

I was within a quarter of a mile of the swagman when the buggy overtook him. The driver drew up to a walk, apparently yarning with Mungo; and I nearly tumbled off my horse when I saw him stop on the off lock, and wait whilst the swagman deposited bluey on the foot-board and himself on the seat. Then the chestnuts tossed their heads, and the buggy resumed its way, surging across the crab-holes like a canoe on rough water. My soul went forth in a paean of joy, for, exactly as the perfect circle of a flying scrawl bespoke Giotto, this action bespoke Stewart of Kooltopa, now masquerading under a pair of strange horses. Here was my opportunity. Figuratively, I would put Alf in a basket, with a note pinned to his bib, and leave him on Stewart’s door-step.

Those whose knowledge of the pastoral regions is drawn from a course of novels of the Geoffrey Hamlyn class, cannot fail to hold a most erroneous notion of the squatter. Of course, we use the term ‘squatter’ indifferently to denote a stationowner, a managing partner, or a salaried manager. Lacking generations of development, there is no typical squatter. Or, if you like, there are a thousand types. Hungry M’Intyre is one type; Smythe — petty, genteel, and parsimonious — is another; patriarchal Royce is another; Montgomery-kind, yet haughty and imperious — is another; Stewart is another. My diary might, just as likely as not, have compelled me to introduce, instead of these, a few of the remaining nine-hundred and ninety-five types-any type conceivable, in fact, except the slender-witted, virgin-souled, overgrown schoolboys who fill Henry Kingsley’s exceedingly trashy and misleading novel with their insufferable twaddle.

There was a squatter of the Sam Buckley type, but he, in the strictest sense of the word, went to beggary; and, being too plump of body and exalted of soul for barrow-work, and too compre-

hensively witless for anything else, he was shifted by the angels to a better world — a world where the Christian gentleman is duly recognised, and where Socialistic carpenters, vulgar fishermen, and all manner of undesirable people, do the washing-up.

Stewart, it must be admitted, was no gentleman.

Starting with a generous handicap, as the younger son of a wealthy and aristocratic Scottish laird, he had, during a Colonial race of forty years, daily committed himself by actions which shut him out from the fine old title. He was in the gall of altruism, and in the bond of democracy. Amiable demeanour, unmeasured magnanimity, and spotless integrity, could never carry off the unpardonable sin in which this lost sheep-owner wallowed — the taint, namely, of isocratic principle. When a member of the classes takes to his bosom that unclean thing, in its naked reality, he thereby forfeits the title of ‘gentleman,’ and becomes a mere man. For there is no such thing as a democratic gentleman; the adjective and noun are hyphenated by a drawn sword. If the said unclean thing eats into its victim to the same extent that the wolf did into Baron Munchausen’s sleigh-horse, the metamorphosed subject comes perilously near being what the Orientals call a dog of a Christian. For there is no such thing as a Christian gentleman, except as loosely distinguished from the Buddhist, Parsee, or Mahometan gentleman. Try the transposition: gentleman-Christian. And why not, since you have the gentleman-this-or-that? Taking the shifty, insidious title in its go-to-meeting sense, every Christian is prima facie a gentleman; taking it in its every-day sense, no ‘gentleman’ can be a Christian; for Christianity postulates initial equality, and recognises no gradation except in usefulness.

So Stewart was never, even by inadvertence, spoken of as a gentleman — always as a Christian. Three-score years of wise choice in the perpetually-recurring alternatives of life, had made the Golden Rule his spontaneous impulse; and now, though according to the shapen-in-iniquity theory, he must have had faults, no one in Riverina, below the degree of squatter, had proved sharp enough to detect them. It was considered bad form to express approval of anything he did. ‘Stewart! Oh, he’s a (adj.) Christian!’ That was all. He had reached a certain

standard, and was expected to live up to it. Such is life.

By a notable coincidence, Stewart was rich. Not owing to his Christianity, bear in mind; but partly to a faculty for knowing by the look of a sheep, as it raced past, whether the animal was worth six-and-tenpence or seven shillings; partly to his being able to tell, by what was happening in some other quarter of the globe, how the woolmarket was going to move; partly to his being connected with a thing that paid; partly to his knowing when he was well off, and leaving the reflected meat to the inverted dog in the water; partly to a stubborn crotchet which made him hold the giver of usury, as well as the taker, to be beyond the pale of mercy; partly to a fine administrative ability; partly to the avoidance of expensive habits — partly to all these combined, but chiefly to the fact that his mana never failed.

Anyway, he could afford to impart, in judicious assistance to deserving and undeserving people, more than the average squatter spends in usury and extravagance put together, and be better off all the while. An illustration may not be amiss here. I’ll tell you what I saw in the Miamia Paddock, on Kooltopa, during the autumn and winter of ‘83 — that is, from six to nine months before the date of this discursive, yet faithful, record.

‘83 was a bad year. The scanty growth of the ‘82 spring had been eaten off nearly as fast as it grew, and afterward the millions of stock had to live — like the Melbourne unemployed of later times — on the glorious sunshine. Then when the winter came, it brought nothing but frost; and the last state of the country was worse than the first. The mile-wide stockroute from Wilcannia to Hay was strewn with carcases of travelling sheep along the whole two hundred and fifty miles. On one part of the route, some frivolous person had stooked the dried mummies (they were lying so thick) in order that drovers and boundary men might have the pleasure of cantering on ahead to run the little mobs out of the way. And as human nature, thus sold, never grudges to others participation in the sell, the stooks improved in size and life-likeness for weeks and months. I remember noticing once, in passing along the fifty-mile stretch of that route which bisects the One Tree Plain, that, taking no account of sheep, I never was out of sight of

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dying cattle and horses — let alone the dead ones. The famine was sore in the land. To use the expression of men deeply interested in the matter, you could flog a flea from the Murrumbidgee to the Darling. Or, to put it in another way: the life of stock in Riverina was as cheap as the life of the common person in the novels of R. L. Stevenson, Rider Haggard, Rudyard Kipling, and some other modern classics.

Kooltopa, being the best of land, and lightly stocked, was an exception; and thither flocked nearly all the uncircumcised of Riverina, with their homeless bullocks and horses. Stewart was n’t the man to order them off, while ordering would have been of any use; and in affairs of this nature, the squatter who hesitates is lost.

The time comes when grass-loafers will stand a lot of ordering off; in extreme cases, such as the one under review, they are about equal in tenacity to the Scythians or the Cimbri of olden times.

There was no end to them. Week after week, month after month, they came stringing-in from seven-syllabled localities on all points of the compass; some with sunburnt wives, and graduated sets of supple-jointed keen-sighted children — the latter, I grieve to admit, distinctly affirming that disquieting theory which assumes evolution of immigrating races toward the aboriginal type.

There was plenty of rough feed in the Mia-mia Paddock, and there the tribes congregated to hold their protracted Feast of Tabernacles, their vast camp-meeting, which they by no means conducted on religious lines. For the easy profanity, unconscious obscenity, and august slang of the back country scented the air like myall; whilst the aggregate repertory of bonâ fide anecdote and reminiscence was something worth while. No young fellow in that great rendezvous dared to embellish his narrative in the slightest degree, on pain of being posted as a doubleadjective blatherskite; for his audience was sure to include a couple of critical, cynical, iron-grey cyclopedias of everything Australian — everything, at least, untainted by the spurious and bluemoulded civilisation of the littoral.

An evangelist, collecting money for the support of an Aboriginal mission, went fifty miles out of his way to give these unregenerate brethren a word of exhortation.

To Be Continued Next Issue

Observer Crossword Solution No 32 S S P O T V O I N B R O A T O I O W N A T C T H F F U L B L L Y O O B M E L D O N A G W C I N D M E I D S N I O M O E R E S I G H S T Y

M A R H Y I D T E E M P I S S I N E G F L R O R S E N O C R E D E S R E C D O M R E D V I E S T O L U C E H I N E S T T E M P Y E R

A N A G E O R E A D A C H V M I L R N E T U L A Y T E D O E M I S U M E N N R N I C S O L C A A V E N D W N E S C U E D E S P H A I R S L I M E A N T B D E L E A V E T M C M A D O R E C P E L O U S L M S C A P I N N A C M S H E A H O E T A S B E R U E S S R M I S R A I N R E P G S R E S S U E E E S I S T

R I D H E N I T I O F P Y T S A K E N T E R A Y R L I

A L L A M I A S F R A U G E A L S E E P I E A M P U T Y L

S T R E A W A R F S T O N N A L C H O T O E E M O D E S M X I D A T L D S E T V S T O S I K P E E K S U S R M R O V E P N R E T A H A N C E

C A L L I E A L W E L A N C W A T A N R R A B M I D S Y S T E S I S P R E A A S C A T A E E N M I R A Y E G U N D E R P E A P F A M I S T S E P S T R O N O L A N T A L L R I L Y C A O D O S B N E A S Y C S T L R E B U H O D C A M E I A S T I C K Y A M F R A A B O O X R O A I L A N G E C E S S U A U B G S E A L

S I N I O L G E H O L I R M A R E A T S R E S P A D Y U E D I N G E T R R H U N G E S E A P A S S I U E D N S I D T E O M E R W M I S I N T E U N W U R P S O H A I R S T I L T A V R O N U B S O U T T L I L A E A G L S T M T E X A S I T A T D C E M A A N E

R E G U L A E A L A D E C L C G I T E E N A G S T A B R O N T R A Y S O B L R S O L O I S O C U N C L E A L R A C L E X E M E E K R N E D U E P I N D O N E E N E S T R E E R T S O R E A R O M A G P T I E I A R R A N T I G R D E A L E B Y L A R V E L A L C A A I L A R I M M A D N E S T O M O U R N E N E X E E Y E P D A F T E S S D I N H E R I E M T S A B D I T K O A S S I G N

T I N I N S E W A E M U T S Y E R A N N E I S T E T W A D D L E D I S P E N S E R

S R A D

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O N O E D U L K E E Y O K A M I Y A S S A S L E E M B L P E S A L L M O B S M E E S I S N E S E M I U U

A S I S A U R G O G O O T L V D C A T E N S M E N T

C V A R A I F N E E P I T N O E S E S A S T I A F I R I A C C A H I V E V I E L L D I T L E R A P T L E A T A I T E U D E E N W R L A P

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Page 28 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Observer Victorian Sport Melbourne

Racing Briefs

2 wins in succession ■ Avenel duo David and Josh Aiken have a great record at their home track and four year old Somebeachsomewhere/Arty Alice mare Beach Shack raced by Brendan James' BFJ Bloodstock Trust brought up two wins in succession when victorious in the Neatline Homes Pace for C3 & C4 class over 2190 metres.

Racing outside the pacemaker Party Boy inside her, Beach Shack (gate four) prevailed by a nose in a tricky finish over the leader in a mile rate of 1-59.8.

Holdonsu (three back the markers) finished 1.8 metres away in third place.

Outside pacemaker ■ The Empire Stallions Vicbred Super Series for Four Year Old Entires and Geldings (Heat 1) went the way of Bacchus Marsh trainer Alan Tubbs' potential top liner Macterra Lad in a rate of 1-59.4.

Driven by daughter Amy, Macterra Lad a gelded son of Artistic Fella and Marilyn Macray raced outside the pacemaker Bryce Copper all of the way from gate five to outstay his rivals and score by a nose in advance of the heavily supported Young Modern and Sketch Me (one/three).

Macterra Lad bred by Ian Kitchin and raced by Mount Gambier's Michael McQuade brought up his 7th success in 12 race appearances.

Surprising slide

■ The Empire Stllions Vicbred Super Series for Three Year Old Fillies (Heat 1) was taken out by quality Sportswriter/Benelise filly Niki No No, much to the delight of locally based breeders Benstud Standardbreds.

Trained at Bolinda by Kari Males and driven by regular reinsman Greg Sugars (the state's leading driver), Niki No No wasn't involved in the early speed from outside the front row, easing to possie three back in the moving line.

Urged forward three wide approaching the bell, the Victoria Oaks winner was surprisingly able to slide past the leader Come Cullect (gate three) which had crossed Glenferrie Baby (gate four) and proceeded to lead for the rest of the journey, accounting for Soho Tokyo (one/two - three wide home turn) and Glenferrie Baby in a rate of 2-01.2.

Man of moment

■ There would have been plenty of jubilation at Tabcorp Park Melton on Wednesday when Sportswriter/Clintons Maid filly Our Priddy Maid was victorious in the DNR Logistics 3-Y-0 Pace over 1720 metres giving Junortoun trainer Stephan (Pirie) Promnitz his first success as a trainer.

Driven by "man of the moment" Greg Sugars, Our Priddy Maid enjoyed a sweet passage from gate three trailing the pacemaker Ashkii inside her, with the well backed favourite Aurore (gate five) going forward three wide to park in the open.

Using the sprint lane, Our Priddy Maid ran home strongly to register a 2.7 metre margin in 1-57.3 over the leader, with Aurora battling away to end up third.

Stephen assists at Glenn Douglas' stable in Strathfieldsaye.

Kicked on final bend

■ Longlea trainer Danny O'Bree and Junortoun reinsman Scott Dyer are a combination to be respected in any race they contest and were successful in bringing up two wins in a row with 8-Y-0 Pass The Mustard/Ladybird Joy gelding Mister Pickles in the SEW-Eurodrive Pace for R1 class over 1720 metres at Melton.

Starting from the extreme draw, Dyer wasted no time in sending Mister Pickles ($2.30) forward to park outside the equal favourite Just Call Me Mac which led easily from the pole.

When the leader kicked on the final bend, it appeared that he had the race in his keeping, however Mister Pickles rallied under extreme pressure to score by a half head in a thrilling finish. Illawong Lively was a head away in third place after using the sprint lane off the back of the leader. The mile rate 1-58.7.

5 for Lilley at Melton ■ Bolinda's Brent Lilley enjoyed a "night of nights" at Tabcorp Park Melton on Friday, chalking up five winners on the program including two of features the $60,000 Noel Simpson Memorial Victoria Trotters Oaks with former Kiwi filly My Arya and the $30,505 Pryde's Easifeed Tatlow Stakes for Two Year Old Trotters with Kyvalley Tinman.

Six year old Live Or Die/Trustee Mota gelding Crusader Acey started the ball rolling by taking the DNR Logistics Pace for M0 class over 1720 metres.

Scorching away from outside the front line to lead, Anthony Butt restrained Crusader Acey to allow the favourite Macho Commacho to assume control racing for the bell.

After a cosy trip, Crusader Acey used the sprint lne to blouse Macho Commacho by a neck on the wire, with Blackberry Lane (outside leader home turn) third.

Next to arrive was honest Monarchy/Sun Mist mare Rosemma (Rod Petroff) in the Garrards Horse & Hound Trotters Mobile for T3 or better class over 2240 metres, leading throughout from gate five to account for Mister Independent (four back the markers - wide last lap) and Kapitan Claire (three back the markers) in 2-00.7.

Speedy 6-Y-0 Real Desire/Alta Vista gelding Lets Elope (Anthony Butt) snared the tab.com.au Pace for M1 class over 2240 metres.

Starting from gate two, Lets Elope (gate two) had little difficulty in striding past stablemate Hollywood Sign inside him to lead and was never headed, defeating Ardle McArdle (four back the markers along the sprint lne and Keayang Starzzz which raced in the open from the bell. The mile rate 1-56.4.

Quality filly My Arya (Anthony Butt) a daughter of Angus Hall and Belle Galleon, has enjoyed a tremendous season, winning eight of eleven outing on both sides of the Tasman for Christchurch owner Trevor Casey and with Anthony Butt in the sulky, led throughout over the 2240 metre trip from the pole to score from South Austrlian Derby winner Amarula (one/three) and Little Miss Zigzag (four back the markers) in 200.4.

Then came lightly raced Majestic Son/ Kyvalley Kitty gelding Kyvalley Tinman in the Tatlow over 2240 metres.

Again with Anthony

Baker’s Delight

Harness Racing

This Week’s Meetings

■ Wednesday - Charlton/Ballarat, Thursday Bacchus Marsh @ Melton/Shepparton, Friday Ouyen @ Mildura/Kilmore, Saturday - Melton, Sunday - Bendigo, Monday - Yarra Valley, Tuesday Ballarat.

Horses To Follow

Melbourne

Observer

len-baker@ bigpond.com

with Len Baker

Butt in the sulky, Kyvalley Tinman making only his second appearance at the races, sat without cover from gate five to outstay his rivals with authority, prevailing by 1.3 metres over Princess Phoenix (three wide - one/two three wide last lap) and Charlie Runkle which galloped shortly after the start. The mile rate 2-04.2.

With five for "Lil" and four for Anthony Butt, a great night was had by all.

(Nathan Jack) going forward from outside the front line to park in the open giving another first starter Anything For Love one/one cover.

Despite making the final bend four wide, Battle Born ran home stylishly to record a runaway 1.4 metre victory over Anything For Love and Herehecomes in a mile rate of 2-01.1..

Smart

■ Aucklander Mark Burley who has seen a fair bit of Australia's east coast recently having campaigned in NSW and now in Victoria, was successful in taking the DPR Insurance Brokers Trotters Mobile for T0 & T1 class over 2190 metres at Shepparton with a filly by the name of Little Miss Zigzag who is to start in the Victoria Trotters Oaks at Tabcorp Park Melton on Friday.

Settling three back in the moving line from gate two on the second row, the daughter of Love You and Meander With Earl was sent forward shortly after the start to stride past the leader Illawong Sunny (gate six) which had crossed Aldebaran Hest (gate four).

Travelling beautifully, Little Miss Zigzag gave her rivals the slip on the home turn to register an easy 8.9 metre victory in advance of a death-seating Im Havinaball and Illawaong Sunny, returning a mile rate of 2-04.5.

■ To cap off a huge night for the Macedon Ranges at Melton, Monegeetta's David Miles trained and drove smart Courage Under Fire/Pareen 4-Y-0 gelding Smokey Quartz to land the 2Construct Pace Final for C1 class over 1720 metres.

Bred and raced by Dorro Nominees, Smokey Quartz (gate six) tried to head off Masterofthurles (gate three) at the start without success, with Miles angling in behind the leader.

Coming away from the inside on the final bend, the pair raced away, with Smokey Quartz doing best to score by 2.8 metres in 1-56.4 (last half 56.4 - quarter 28). Thunder Fee (Lisa Miles) ran home from mid-field to finish third 9.3 metres away.

Stylish ■ Tuesday trots in Victoria were held at Shepparton in the Goulburn Valley and Long Forest trainer Andy Gath produced a nice Art Major/Our Southern Rose colt by the name of Battle Born to land the Saddleworld Shepparton 2-Y-0 Pace over 2190 metres when having his first start at the races.

Driven by wife Kate, Battle Born from gate six was taken back to the rear of the field, with polemarker Herehecomes retaining the lead and the well supported favourite Emiliana

Slip

Defeat

■ Popular Huntly (Bendigo) trainer Barry Quigley combined with Chris Alford aboard six year old Mach Three/ Janoela Star mare Sukovia to greet the judge in the Betta Home Living Pace for C1 class over 2190 metres.

Taking advantage of a mares concession, Sukovia led most the way from gate three to defeat the hot favourite Glory Daze (gate five) by a neck.

■ Ronal Borg, Lagoon Beach, Big Spook, Sweet Forty Seven, Anything For Love, Our Pearl Harbour.

Blitzed rivals

■ Shelbourne's Larry Eastman snared a stable double at a wet Maryborough on Thursday, taking the Mediatec Broadcasters Pace for C1 class over 2190 metres with quality Bettors Delight/Dont Answer Than filly Morton Plains and the Roma & Daphne Pocock 3-Y-0 Pace over 1690 metres with recent stable addition Boadiceas Fury, a daughter of Live Or Die and Armbroosky.

Morton Plains led virtually throughout from gate six, blitzing her rivals by 9 metres untouched in 200.9 from Milady Denver and Thankbonnie (four back the markers) a stablemate of the winner.

Boadiceas Fury starting from the extreme draw raced in the open from the bell to nose out Sazzasophie, (one/one) with Shadow Flag (three wide last lap) third. The mile rate 1-59.6.

To much in hand

■ Melton trainers Mario Azzopardi and Graeme Lang were winners during the day at Stawell on Monday, with Santanna Blue Chip/All Right gelding Pablo Santanna (Gavin Lang) taking the Trackside Bar & Bistro 2-Y-0 Pace over 1780 metres for Azzopardi and Altugo Franco (Lisa Miles) the Ray Martin Memorial for C1 class over 2170 metres for Lang.

Pablo Santanna after a sweet one/one trip ran well to prevail over The Jet Player which followed him most of the way and Dancin With Elvis (three back the markers) in 2-02,7, while Altugo Franco a 5-Y-0 gelded son of Lis Mara and Hilary Franco was sent forward from a solo second line draw to take over from Splendid Choice mid-race, having too much in hand at the finish for Zermanion off a three wide trail from last at the bell. Elsu Prince (one/two) ran his usual honest race to finish third.

The mile rate 2-02.5.

Usede sprint lane

■ Gordon part-owner/trainer/driver Tim McGuigan was victorious at Tabcorp Park Melton on Wednesday with 4-Y-0 Four Starzzz Shark/Classic Amy mare Classic Shark in the Join The Pegasus Club Pace for R0 class over 1720 metres.

Settling on the back of the trotter Invasive which flew away from gate six, Classic Shark used the sprint lane to perfection, scoring by 1.5 metres in a rate of 1-59.5 over Invasive and Dayraid (one/one).

Wide on turning

■ Local Melton trainer Doug Adams combined with Charlie Borg to land the Harness Breeders (Vic) Pace for R1 class over 2240 metres at TP with 5-Y0 It Is I/Classic Glenmar gelding Glenmars Tiger who registered his first victory in almost 18 months.

Starting from the extreme draw, Glenmars Tiger settled mid-field in the moving line, following up Steely Blue three wide home in the final circuit.

Although very wide on turning, Glenmars Tiger finished best to score by a half head over the leader Courageous Eagle who would have landed a decent plunge for Bacchus Marsh's Jaime Madruga, withTop Trio a neck away third after trailing the pacemaker and gaining a split between the pair in the straight. The mile rate 1-59.9.

Harness Review

■ Listen to Len Baker on Harness Review, 8pm10pm Mondays, on 97.9 FM, streamed in 979fm.com.au

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Every Week in the Melbourne Observer

e urn lbo Me

Observer Showbiz

ver N ser IO Ob T C SE 3

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Radio: Honour for Denis Walter ............................... Page 34 Theatre: Glenn Miller Orchestra in Melbourne ........ Page 35 Country Music: Rob Foenander reports ...................... Page 34 Jim and Aar on: Top 10 lists. movies and DVDs ............... Page 36 Aaron: Cheryl Threadgold: Local theatre shows, auditions ........... Page 37 PL US THE LLO OVATT”S MEGA CRO PLUS CROSS SWORD

John Edward crosses over Gender Spender

● Jessica McKerlie ■ A new cabaret slamming down gender barriers and celebrating gender fluidity can be seen as part of the Melbourne Cabaret Festival at The Butterfly Club from June 16-27 (no shows 20 or 22).

Crowtown’s Gender Spanner asks the question: Are you a man? Are you a woman? Are you sure?

This one-person variety show weaves together personal and universal stories with a blend of cabaret, burlesque, vaudeville and circus.

Gender Spanner is the brainchild of Melbourne artist Jessica McKerlie . The production is inspired by McKerlie’s own explorations and understanding of gender fluidity.

Jessica says while developing the show in London, Sydney, and here in Melbourne, she realised her work has become more and more involved in the concepts, definitions and constraints of gender.

“While it is not everyone’s experience, I started to see myself and my art as being somewhere in the middle of a sliding gender scale that is so rarely discussed in mainstream media”, says McKerlie.

Taking these themes on board, the production is directed

by Stephen Jones (Kabarisque, Miss Chief and Mayhem).

Each ‘act’ within the variety night unfolds another perspective, another query on understanding of gender. At one moment it is investigated through cinematic plate spinning, at another through a simple original song with ukulele in tow.

“I want audiences to have to think about their accepted ideas and to leave feeling like they can talk about it,” says McKerlie.

“I hope by telling my own story other voices will join the conversation.”

Performance Season: June 16 – 27 (no shows June 20, 22) Times: Vary. See website.

Tickets: $25-$32 (Bookings recommended) Bookings: thebutterflyclub.com - Cheryl Threadgold

Showbiz Briefs ■ Former 3SH and 3TR General Manager, Geoff Rudge, has passed away after a year long battle with cancer. A memorial service was held at the Grain Shed, Church of Christ, Swan Hill, on Friday (June 5).

■ The Survivors group of show business veterans will meet at South Melbourne on Saturday, June 27 for the first of its twice-yearly luncheons.

■ Steve Woods from Bang The Drum Media, has completed his role at Magic 1278 Melbourne where he helped change the music focus to target a younger demographic, reports Greg Newman of Jocks Journal.

■ Former Nine Network and radio station 3AK owner, Alan Bond, has died in Perth, aged 77. He died after heart surgery complications.

Love, Love, Love

● American ‘psychic medium’ John Edward ■ Patrons attending Melbourne’s Hamer Hall on Friday, November 13 at 7.30pm can experience psychic phenomena with ‘psychic medium’ John Edward.

Captivating audiences worldwide on his TV shows Crossing Over and Cross Country, John Edward is the author of numerous critically acclaimed New York Times best sellers.

John returns to Australia in November for a national tour, and says he loves Australia and doesn’t need an excuse to keep coming back.

Patrons will see John connect with the ‘other side’, and there will be question and answer sessions, and messages from loved ones on the other side and more.

As a medium, author and lecturer, it is said John has, over the past three decades, helped thousands with his uncanny ability to predict future events and communicate with those who have crossed over to the other side.

Born and raised on Long Island, NY, John exhibited psychic abilities from an extremely early age, and was deemed "special" by many in his family.

The fact that he would uncannily know family history and events that took place prior to his birth solidified that fact. Because no fuss was made over these early experiences, he maintained as normal a childhood as possible.

Since psychic phenomena was so accepted by his family, it was easy for his abilities to flourish. John embarked on developing his own abilities after an encounter with famed psychic Lydia Clar. Lydia made him aware of his abilities and told John his life’s work would be teaching people about it.

That mission has been channeled into his work as a medium, which enables him to bring comfort and hope to people by reuniting them with those who they loved, lost ... and crossed over.

Anyone attending a John Edward Seminar should anticipate and feel as if they are part of a large Crossing Over television gallery. There will be Question and Answer sessions, a guided meditation, and messages from the other side. No one attending a seminar is guaranteed a reading.

Performance Date: Friday, November 13 Time: 7.30pm – 9.30pm Venue: Hamer Hall, Melbourne Bookings: www.artscentre.com.au - Cheryl Threadgold

● Ella Caldwell and Paul Ashcroft in Love, Love, Love.

Photo: Jodie Hutchinson ■ Red Stitch’s latest offering, Love, Love, Love, follows Kenneth and Sandra from their first meeting in 1967, through to 1990 and finally to 2011.

Act One finds the conservative Henry (Jordan FraserTrumble) waiting to greet his new girlfriend, Sandra (Ella Caldwell).

Henry shares a flat with his younger brother Kenneth (Paul Ashcroft). It is always harder to age down than age up and Caldwell’s attempts to be youthful and zany as the 19-year-old Sandra saw her tip occasionally into caricature.

Ashcroft fared better as the lay-about, dope-smoking Ken. Sadly, this was the last we saw of Fraser-Trumble who was very believable as the put-upon, cuckolded Henry.

Jacob Battista’s set design was clever and appropriate to the various periods. The scene change between Acts One and Two was quickly done, transforming the very brown 1960s flat into a comfortable London family home with just the addition of some furniture coverings and a few lamps and ornaments.

Act Two takes place in a family home in London in 1990 where Ken and Sandra now live with their teenage children, Jamie (Rory Kelly) and Rosie (Jem Nicholas).

Far from being the adventurous free spirits of 1960, the adults are heavy drinking, absent parents whose marriage is disintegrating. Nicholas and Kelly were very good as the sullen, bickering teenagers.

Act Three opens with Jamie and Rosie who confusingly hadn’t aged despite it being 21 years later. Whether it was due to the writing or the direction by Denny Lawrence, the play lends itself to histrionics and this time it was Nicholas’s turn to go over the top.

This is a strangely unsatisfying play and, despite some worthwhile performances, the overall impression was of a lot of talking and very little substance.

Love, Love, Love continues at Red Stitch until July 4.

- Review by Barbara Hughes

Page 34 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Observer Showbiz

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Radio Confidential News from stations from around Victoria

Gong for Denis

Country Crossroads

Streaming

info@country crossroads.com.au Big Breakfast Show. Southern FM 88.3.

Tues. 6am-9am.

Rob Foenander

John Denver story ■ Australia's Rick Price returns from his current home base in Nashville, USA, to present the John Denver story once again.

Rick narrates the late singers life and times and also gives voice to more than 20 of his greatest hits.

Rick is accompanied by his band The Colorado Quartet in the two-hour show currently playing at the Athenaeum Theatre from June 9 -13. Tickets from Ticketek.

Open Road for Steve ■ Yarra Valley singer-songwriter Steve Eales has released his sixth studio album to rave reviews around the country.

All but one of the 12 tracks are Steve's own songs and also includes him playing a lot of the instruments on the album..

The genre is very much country rock influenced and showcases a highly dedicated artist determined to stamp his mark in a very competitive industry.

More details: www.steveeales.com

Taste of Tamworth ■ The annual Taste of Tamworth series of shows returns to the Hallam Hotel on Thursday, August 6.

Multi award-winning artists and Victorian based Carter and Carter along with Jetty Road are joined by NSW singer songwriter Roo Arcus.

All acts bring their own unique form of music and personality to the stage and then team up for a fun filled finale.

More details: www.hallamhotel.com.au - Rob Foenander

Media Flashes ■ Shane Bourne is the new co-host of the Seven Network’s Dancing With The Stars.

■ The Di Gribble Argument will be staged in October at the Wheeler Centre as part of its fifth anniversary celebrations.

■ The final edition of MX will be published on Friday.

■ Theopening of an exhibition and artist's talk by Damon Kowarsky.will be staged from 5.30pm on Friday (June 12).

The exhibition continues until June 26 at Portland Bay Press, 19-21 Julia St, Portland.

■ The cast of Jekyll and Hyde will be announced on Monday.

r Observbei z Show

● Denis Walter ■ Melbourne radio personality Denis Walter was named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours announced on Monday.

Walter, of Geelong, was recognised “for service to the performing arts as a singer and entertianer, and to the broadcast media”.

Walter, who presents the afternoon program on 3AW, won the ratings in the afternoon timeslot, in the survey results announced last week.

3AW has an extraordinary representation in the Order of Australia honours, Morning presenter Neil Mitchell was awarded with an ‘AO’ award in 2007; the late Keith McGowan was named as an OAM recipient just after his death; and Promotions Manager David Mann OAM is a member of the Australia Day Committee (Victoria).

Presenters Bruce Mansfield and Philip Day have been Australia Day ambassadors.

Gossip ■ There is chatter that Muriel Cooper, last heard on 3AW early afternoons, might be considred for 774 ABC. ■ J-Air 87.7, which transmits from the Glen Eira Town Hall tower, has just celebrated its first anniversary.

■ Triple M is ahead of 774 and 3AW for Saturday football audience numbers.

On This Day Friday Wednesday Thursday June 11 June 12 June 10

■ Judy Garland was born as Frances Gumm in 1922. She died aged 46 in 1969.

New Zealand-born TV-radio comedian Tony Martin was born in 1964 (51).

Radio man Kyle Sandilands is 44.

Fashion designer Paula Stafford was born in 1920 (95).

■ French scientist Jacques Cousteau was born in France in 1910.

He died aged 87 in 1997.

Irish actor Richard Todd was born in Dublin in 1919.

He died aged 90 in 2009.

Actor Gene Wilder (Jerome Silberman) was born in 1935 (80).

■ The late Bob Davis, Geelong football identity, was born in 1928.

He died in 2011 aged 82.

American singer and actor Jim Nabors was born in 1932 (83).

Australian actor Tom Oliver was born in Hampshire, England in 1938 (77). He plays Lou in Neighbours.

■ Melbourne’s Golden Days Radeio is averaging 1034 new listeners per week via its internet streaming service.

Manager Alex Hehr says the number of people tuning in on average weekly is 5007.

“The real number however is most likely more given that we have many people tuning in via iTunes Internet,Apple TV, web2TV, our mobile ‘app’ and other streaming providers,” Hehr says.

Most hits to the station’s website are coming from Australia, USA, UK, China, Ukraine, Canada, Russia, Japan, Germany and Ireland.

Award ■ Light FM’s George Morgan now has the ‘OAM’ postnominals after being named in honours.

The retired law firm managing partner has been involved with Christian radio for the past 23 years.

“Mr Morgan’s focus on his Christian faith saw him serving in a number of community organisations, including as a member of the Melbourne City Mission for some 25 years. “ Mr Morgan was Chairman of Melbourne Christian Radio (later known as Triple Seven Communications and then LightFM), for 23 years, from 1989 to 2012.

LightFM commenced transmission on December 1, 2002 and continues to broadcast to an audience of 804,000 per month.

Cadd chat ■ Radio man Gary Mac interviewed music legend Brian Cadd at the Marquee showbiz luncheon at Toorak.

Radio Briefs

■ Jason Akermanis, who was part of the failed Melbourne Talk Radio experiment with Steve Price, was inducted into the Australian Football League Hall of Fame last week.

■ Melbourne’s original community station, 3CR 855AM, is currently conducting its fundraising radiothon.

■ A Vespa PX-150 scooter is being given away as part of the fundraising activities at 3PBS-FM 106.7FM.

INDEPENDENT THEATRE: I SEE ME AND MERYL STREEP

● Alexandra Keddie in I see me: and Meryl Streep ■ Seventeen-year-old ingénue, Meryl Jacobson, lives her life by one simple rule: what would Meryl Streep do?

Preparing her performance piece for her VCE drama prac, Meryl junior eschews her drama teacher’s age appropriate suggestions and instead decides to floor the examiners with her rendition of her idol and namesake Meryl Streep’s cancer-stricken, gravelly-voiced Matriarch’s monologue from August: Osage County.

Loyal to her obsession despite the cruel jibes of her peers the dewy-eyed and charming Meryl J, self-confessed Meryl S tragic, presents a whirlwind tour of Streep’s most famous roles, accents, acceptance speeches and songs from her posterfilled bedroom.

Alexandra Keddie is what’s known in showbiz as a triple threat: she acts, she dances and she sings.

In fact, Keddie is a quadruple threat: she is a writer as well.

I see me: and Meryl Streep, Keddie’s foray into cabaret, is a rollicking laugh out loud ride from start to finish.

Keddie fangirls her way through Streep’s greatest, and less than great, theatrical moments.

From Karen Blixen to Karen Silkwood, from Miranda Priestley to Margaret Thatcher, Keddie captures, not only the spot on impression of Streep, but also the earnest effervescence of the ardent young understudy wanting her turn in the spotlight, all handled with impeccable comic timing.

Pianist Daniele Buatti provides musical accompaniment, interludes and the occasional foil for some comic banter.

Katharine Hepburn famously hated the aspiring young actress, Meryl Streep, waiting in the wings to take her acting crown.

Ms Streep may well want to watch her back. Alexandra Keddie is an upcoming force to with which be reckoned.

- Review by Kathryn Keeble Melbourne

Observer

Saturday June 13 ■ Australian actor June Dally-Watkins was born in 1927 (88).

Country singer Slim Dusty was born as David Kirkpatrick in Kempsey, NSW, in 1927.

He died aged 76 in 2003.

TV vet Dr Harry Cooper was born in 1942 (73).

ABC 774 presenter Red Symons is 66.

Sunday June 14 ■ Actor and folk singer Burl Ives was born as Burle Icke Ivanhoe was born in 1909. He died aged 85 in 1995.

Actor Ross Higgins was born in Armadale, Vic., in 1931 (84).

TV news man Peter Mitchell was born in Frankston in 1960. He is 55 today.

Monday June 15 ■ US country singer Waylon Jennings was born in Texas in 1937.

He died aged 64 in 2002.

American actress Helen Hunt was born in Los Angeles in 1963 (52).

Australian actress Pia Miranda was born in Melbourne in 1973. She is 41 today.

Tuesday June 16

■ Comic actor Stan Laurel was born as Arthur Stanley Jefferson in England in 1890. He died aged 74 in 1965.

Melbourne radio host Philip Brady is 76 today.

Comedian Peter Helliar was born in Melbourne in 1975 (40).

Thanks to GREG NEWMAN of Jocks Journal for assistance with birthday and anniversary dates.

Jocks Journal is Australia’s longest running radio industry publication.

Find out more at www.jocksjournal.com

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

ShowBiz!

Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 10, 2015 - Page 35

Observer Showbiz

Show must go on

● Stage Manager Rhiannon Williams discusses Rusty Bugles with director John Gauci (left) and Playhouse Players’ Administrator, Graeme McCoubrie. Photo: Melissa Paydon ■ Playhouse Players Incorporated presented a successful three week season of Rusty Bugles, the iconic World War II play by Sumner Locke Elliott, at the Richmond Theatrette.

However, the unexpected can happen in theatre at any time, and while driving home after the show’s fourth performance, Stage Manager Rhiannon Williams experienced a tyre blowout.

The subsequent crash resulted in Rhiannon’s hospitalisation for a week, followed by rehabilitation, and Rusty Bugles was now without a Stage Manager.

A quick solution was urgently needed for this complex play with its plethora of hand props, lighting and sound cues, to continue.

The show went on when Playhouse Players’ Administrator, Graeme McCoubrie commendably stepped into the breach as Stage Manager at short notice, and ensured continuity of the show for the rest of the season.

Rhiannon was eventually able to attend the show to see the fine work of her stand-in Stage Manager, and review the season with Director, John Gauci.

More good news is although still wheelchair bound, Rhiannon has learned she should enjoy a full recovery.

Now Rhiannon is awaiting the next call for PPI’s season of Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet, being presented October 9-18 at the Richmond Theatrette.

- Cheryl Threadgold

At Bennetts Lane ■ Four men: Jo Lovano, Paul Grabowsky, Philip Rex and Dave Beck. Four instruments. A basement.

A refrain. Individual sounds and instrumental voices.

Seemingly disparate threads and rhythms. They come together.

It’s not so much harmony as a symbiotic creativity. Each instrumental voice is unique, considerate of the other, yet capable of distinctive expression.

It all merges into what jazz musicians call, “making music” where the threads converge and create an atmosphere that compels the audience along.

The Jo Lovano Quartet, named for the occasion after the award-winning saxophonist, was a combo of equally versatile musicians, pianist Paul Grabowsky, bassist Philip Rex and drummer Dave Beck.

They performed as part of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival at the soon to be closed Bennetts Lane Jazz Club last Friday night.

The venue was iconic and the performance memorable. The experience of being imperceptibly absorbed in the music being crated, a sound that may have started with one instrument and one sound, is what the experience is all about.

The calibre of the musicians was awe inspiring; each able to demonstrate mastery yet willing to concede, share and express for the sake of the music they were making. That’s jazz.

- Review by David McLean

TV, Radio, Theatre Latest Melbourne show business news - without fear or favour

Glenn Miller in Melb. ● The Glenn Miller Orchestra ■ Honouring the centenary of ANZAC, Miller’s life, including those paying tribAmerica’s The Glenn Miller Orchestra ute to the first and second World Wars.

Choreographer Debbie Grahampresented a great concert last week at Hamer Hall, as part of the Melbourne Loyd’s vibrant swing and tap routines were impressively executed in limited International Jazz Festival.

Musical Director and trombonist Rick onstage space in front of the orchestra, Gerber paid a lovely tribute to by the Broadway Swing Dancers. Their Melbourne’s Hamer Hall, referring to it colourful costume changes added addias the ‘crown jewel’ of the many con- tional visual impact.

It was interesting to see a mixed age cert halls they perform in throughout the demographic of audience members atworld.

Gerber presented interesting com- tending this show.

Older, young-at-hearts were there to mentary throughout the show on big band musician, arranger, composer, and reminisce about musical memories of bandleader, Glenn Miller’s life and his- the past, a thirtyish young man was nostory of his music, which blended well talgically reflecting on the Glenn Miller with the tuxedoed 16-piece orchestra’s music played by his school band, while splendid rendering of Miller’s toe-tap- a lady said she was one of many swing ping, sometimes sentimental, numbers. dancers there to relish Miller’s dance Vocalists Wendy Smith-Brune and band music.

A memorable concert, but it has to be crooner Mark Kopitzke enhanced the Glenn Miller Orchestra with their knock- said that the male and female dancer out performances, as did the sensational conversing onstage while Rick Gerber Sydney-based Broadway Swing Danc- was discussing CDs with the audience at the end of the show, was not a good ers.

Moonlight Serenade, A String of look.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra can next Pearls. Rhapsody In Blue, Stardust, Pennsylvania 65000, Little Brown Jug, be seen on Sunday (June 14) at 2 pm at and extra popular Tuxedo Junction, were Deakin’s Costa Hall, Geelong Waterjust a few of the many musical numbers front. Book at gpac.org.au or 5225 1200.

- Review by Cheryl Threadgold presented from various phases in

‘We Get It’ at Southbank

■ Independent theatre company Elbow Room presents the final production for MTC’s 2015 Neon Festival of Independent Theatre, We Get It, from July 9-19 at The Lawler – MTC Southbank Theatre.

For thousands of years, they’ve haunted our stages. From our childhood, they’ve stalked through our dreams, tears in their eyes and blood on their teeth.

Beautiful, monstrous, they challenge and taunt us to explore the limits of experience; they dare us to walk in their footsteps, to speak in their voices.

But who are these heroines of classic theatre?

Where do they really come from? What do they want from us? And what, in our weird and wired world, do we demand of them - and from the people tasked with bringing them to life for our entertainment?

This new performance turns gender anxiety on its head in a witty and playful evening that pitches

● Emily Tomlins in We Get It. five ‘re-imagined’ classics We Get It will be diagainst each other, in a rected by Marcel Dorney battle to show us as we are and Emily Tomlins. now.

Cast and co-creators Since forming in include Tamiah Bantum, Melbourne in 2008, El- Amy Ingram, Kasia bow Room have been Kaczmarek, Maurial recognised for their dis- Spearim, Sonya Suares tinctive combination of and Emily Tomlins intellectual curiosity and Performance Season: performative wit.

July 9-19 Works such as After All Times: Tues - Sat This, The Motion of Light 7:30pm, Sun 4pm in Water and Prehistoric Tickets: $25 have garnered multiple Venue: The Lawler – awards (including Green Room wins for writing, MTC Southbank Theatre, directing and ensemble 140 Southbank Bouleperformance), critical ac- vard, Southbank Bookings: 8688 0800 claim, sell-out seasons in several cities, and mul- or online at www.mtc. tiple re-presentations by com.au - Cheryl Threadgold festivals around Australia..

Review: The King And I

● Megan Coe (Anna) and Ju-Han Soon (The King) in The King and I at the Whitehorse Centre.

Photo: Gavin D Andrew ■ A beautiful production of Rodger and Hammerstein’s classic musical The King and I brought the exotic East to the Whitehorse Centre, Nunawading.

Forget the ‘non’ in ‘non-professional theatre’ – this show is tops, under the masterly direction of Alan Burrows, and presented by Babirra Music Theatre.

A wonderful cast, Ben Hudson’s terrific orchestra, David Dare’s striking set design, Di Crough’s first-class choreography, Ann Hubbard’s stunning, richly-toned costumes, Deryk Hartwick’s mood-enhancing lighting and Greg Ginger’s sound design combine to present a visually splendid and memorable theatre experience.

Age-old cultural differences and romance are as relevant today as they were in the 1860s, as young British widow Anna Leonowens arrives in Bangkok with her son Louis at the request of the King of Siam to tutor his many children.

Concerned the West regards him as a ‘barbarian’, the King seeks Anna’s advice about introducing Western culture to his kingdom.

Particularly impressive is the production’s impeccably disciplined, well-rehearsed dance and movement by the Royal Wives, Children and Male Ensemble, especially the delightful entrances of the Children, and The Small House of Uncle Thomas ballet, all creatively devised by Di Crough.

Vocally strong, standout performances at the show I attended include Janneke Ferwerda (Tuptim), Josephine Grech (Lady Thiang) and Raphael Wong (Lun Tha).

Young stars of the future George Missailidis (heir to the throne Prince Chulalongkorn), and Luc Bogemann (Louis) are great in their roles.

However, the show belongs to Anna and her King, and Megan Coe (Anna) and Ju-Han Soon (The King) command the stage with their presence.

Beautifully articulate Megan captures Anna’s fragility, strength and determination in her exquisite interpretation, while Ju-Han depicts well the King’s intimidating manner and his human, soft side.

The Shall We Dance? number is particularly joyful to watch, with Ju-Han combining ballroom dancing skills with Megan’s dance expertise.

- Review by Cheryl Threadgold

Showbiz Briefs

■ Opening night for the new season of Rocky Horro Show will commence at 5.30pm at the Comedy Theatre this Sunday (June 14). Stars include Craig McLachlan and Bert Newton.

■ The Women's Circus is objecting to a portion of Australia Council being redirected into a new body - the National Program for Excellence in the Arts that will be managed by a ministerial department under the direction of George Brandis.

■ MasterChef continues to attract audiences of more than one million in the five capital cities,

Page 36 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 10, 2015

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Movies, DVDs With Jim Sherlock and Aaron Rourke

What’s Hot and What’s Not in Blu-Rays and DVDs

American Sniper

Top 10 Lists THE AUSTRALIAN BOX OFFICE TOP TEN: 1. SAN ANDREAS. 2. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD. 3. SPY. 4. PITCH PERFECT 2.

5. TOMORROWLAND. 6. WOMAN IN GOLD. 7. THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON. 8. POLTERGEIST. 9. A ROYAL NIGHT OUT. 10. TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS. NEW RELEASES AND COMING SOON TO CINEMAS AROUND AUSTRALIA: JUNE 4: ALOHA, ENTOURAGE, SLOW WEST. JUNE 11: HOT PURSUIT, JURASSIC WORLD, STRANGERLAND THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES, THE MAFIA KILLS ONLY IN SUMMER.

● Star Bradley Cooper and director Clint Eastwood talk through a scene in the multi-Academy Award nominated drama American Sniper.

FILM: FOXCATCHER: Genre: Biography/Sport/Drama.

Cast: Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo.

Year: 2014.

Rating: M. Length: 134 Minutes.

Stars: **** Verdict: Compelling true story of Olympic Wrestling Champion brother team who join Team Foxcatcher led by multi-millionaire sponsor John du Pont as they train for the 1988 games in Seoul, a union that leads to unlikely and tragic circumstances. Comedian Steve Carell is captivating and ultimately chilling in his Oscar nominated role as the eccentric multi-millionaire John du Pont, and now joins the ranks of other legendary comedians who have excelled in dramatic roles. Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum as the wrestling brothers are equal standouts. Firmly directed by Bennett Miller this is an atmospheric, well paced, tightly wound and provocative experience.

FILM: TAKEN 3: Genre: Action/Thriller..

Cast: Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace Year: 2014.

Rating: MA15+.

Length: 109 Minutes.

Stars: *½ Verdict: Liam Neeson as our ex-government operative is back for this third "Taken" outing and this time he is accused of a ruthless murder he never committed, and brings out his unique skills to find the true killer and clear his name. Sadly, even at its peak the action, pyrotechnics and car chases come across flat and full of cliché. Star Liam Neeson seems bored with his character no matter how hard he tries, and the Russian villains he pursues are equally uninspiring throughout a muddled plot.

Nonetheless, Taken 3 was a box office smash and will no doubt ensure another outing, but one can only hope that this may put an end to it all.

FILM: SHOCK CORRIDOR: Genre: Drama.

Cast: Peter Breck, Constance Towers, Gene Evans, James Best.

Year: 1963.

Rating: M. Length: 101 Minutes.

Stars: ***½ Verdict: Spellbinding "B Grade" film from maverick director Samuel Fuller of a journalist determined to win the Pulitzer Prize gets himself committed to a mental hospital in order to track an unsolved murder, but things don't work out as planned. This is filmmaking at its most raw, powerful and unforgiving. Writer and director Fuller makes no apologies as he shifts gear with the impact of a sledgehammer tackling such issues as mental illness, racism, nymphomania, communism and paranoia, to name a few. Not without its flaws, its surreal structure and complex use of sound and imagery combine to create a psychological journey that will hold you as tightly bound in a straightjacket.

- James Sherlock

● Star Bradley Cooper and director Clint Eastwood talk through a scene in the multi-Academy Award nominated drama American Sniper.

■ (MA). 132 minutes.Available Now Kyle's home life and war encounters on DVD and Blu-Ray. to be explored equally.

After a rare mis-step with last In fact, the rather over-rated The year's disappointing musical drama Imitation Game has a similar story Jersey Boys, Clint Eastwood makes structure, but its screenplay (which a potent return to form with American somehow won an Oscar) keeps charSniper, which has surprisingly become acter and incident sketchy and ill-dethe most successful film (almost fined, which makes for rather super$350,000,000 worldwide) of this ficial viewing. iconic star's long and distinguished After heavy-handed, one-note war career. films like Fury and Lone Survivor, Based on a true story (though some who want to present soldiers as nothof the facts have been changed or ing more than superheroes who redropped), the film centres on Chris main ultra-tough and cool no matter Kyle (Bradley Cooper), a young, aim- what obstacle is thrown in front of less Texan who would go to become them, it is refreshing to see a seriousan elite SEAL member in the US mili- minded movie that is prepared to delve tary. deeper into a soldier's psyche, and that Over numerous tours in Iraq, Kyle cruelty, violence, and death has genuwould attain the highest amount of ine weight and consequence on their confirmed kills as a sniper.

As the dark shadow of war begins mind and soul.values are of the highto take hold of Kyle, we see the ripple estProduction order, with first-rate work from effect it has on his family, especially cinematographer Tom Stern and edihis wife Taya (Sienna Miller). tors Joel Cox and Gary D Roach, both An alarming amount of criticism has been aimed at American Sniper Eastwood regulars.

Like Matthew McConaughey, for being pro-military and pro-war, but this is simply not true, and sadly it Bradley Cooper has been a revelaseems as if some people have missed tion in recent years, proving his worth as a real screen presence in films such the film-makers' point and focus.

Jason Hall's screenplay, based on as The Silver Linings Playbook, Kyle's book, initially concentrates on American Hustle and The Place Bewhat makes a person want to join the yond The Pines.

This should cement Cooper's credarmy, but then slowly switches paths to how war changes a person, and how ibility as a dramatic actor in the same it can distort their outlook on life and way Born On The Fourth Of July did disconnect them from the people they for Tom Cruise back in 1989.

The whole cast however is wonlove.

Hall is respectful towards soldiers derful. American Sniper is another and the sacrifices they make, but sterling effort from a master filmwants to give some kind of insight into maker who, at the age of 85, is still how intense, bloody, and sustained delivering work that provokes and combat can damage a human being, challenges, making audiences think and how hard it can be to return from about the action that is happening on screen, and this fine film will defithe heart of darkness.

The madness of war is also con- nitely be one of the best viewing exvincingly shown, as the prolonged periences this year.

RATING - ****. conflict in Iraq now seems like a civil war between Allied soldiers and ex- Aaron Rourke. tremist militants, while the toll on ci- DVDs and Blu-Rays kindly supplied vilians who get in the line of fire is

by Video Vision, 177-179 Carlisle both despairing and tragic.

Street, Balaclava. For information Under the guidance of Clint or bookings on this title please call Eastwood, every aspect comes to 9531 2544, or check online at three-dimensional life, as he wants videovisiondvd.com.au

THE DVD AND BLU-RAY TOP RENTALS & SALES: 1. TAKEN 3 [Action/Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen, Forest Whitaker].

2. FOXCATCHER [Drama/Steve Carrell, Mark Ruffalo, Channing Tatum].

3. AMERICAN SNIPER (Drama/ War/Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller].

4. THE IMITATION GAME [Drama/ Historical/Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley].

5. INTERSTELLAR [Sci-Fi/Adventure/Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain].

6. THE GAMBLER [Drama/Crime/ Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Lange, John Goodman].

7. MORTDECAI [Comedy/Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow].

8. FIFTY SHADES OF GREY [Drama/Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson).

9. PADDINGTON [Family/Comedy/ Adventure/Hugh Bonneville, Nicole Kidman].

10. UNBROKEN [Drama/Jack O'Connell, Takamasa Ishihara, Jai Courtney, Domhnall Gleeson].

Also: DUMB AND DUMBER TO, HORRIBLE BOSSES 2, BLACKHAT, EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS, NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 3, INTO THE WOODS, PENGUINS OF MADAGASCA, THE HOBBIT: The Battle of the Five Armies, THE HUNGER GAMES: Mockingjay Part 1, BIG HERO 6.

NEW RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS ON DVD THIS WEEK: THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING [Drama/Romance/Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones].

BIRDMAN [Drama/Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts].

THE INTERVIEW [Comedy/James Franco, Seth Rogen].

SKIN TRADE [Action/Dolph Lundgren, Ron Perlman, Peter Weller].

NEW RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS ON BLURAY THIS WEEK: THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING [Drama/Romance/Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones].

BIRDMAN [Drama/Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts].

THE INTERVIEW [Comedy/James Franco, Seth Rogen].

SKIN TRADE [Action/Dolph Lundgren, Ron Perlman, Peter Weller].

Turn To Page 41

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 10, 2015 - Page 37

Observer Showbiz

Local Theatre With Cheryl Threadgold

‘Book of Everything’ at 1812 Cabaret at Beaumaris

● Can-Can girls Brontee French, Robyn Walker and Mandy Lay dance in delight that the season of Beaumaris Theatre’s cabaret show Une Belle Farce, is now a sell-out.

Photo: Miranda Pezzimenti

KURT ELLING

● Kurt Elling with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at Hamer Hall.

Photo: Daniel Aulsebrook ■ Bing Crosby once made the observation of rival Frank Sinatra: “Someone like Frank Sinatra comes along once in a lifetime. Why did it have to be in my lifetime?”

Kurt Elling, like Sinatra is arguably peerless. His classically-trained, four-octave baritone voice is perfect, his technique seamless, and his warmth and heartfelt love of his craft and the people dear to him, shine through. Elling is no primo uomo.

Witness Bonita Cuba, off Elling’s latest album Passion World.

As he told it at Hamer Hall, in one of the highlight performances of this year’s Melbourne International Jazz Festival, on the last evening of a Caribbean jazz cruise, Elling heard Arturo Sandoval playing a sad trumpet melody from his adjacent cabin.

Elling asked if he might put lyrics to this melody, and Bonita Cuba took shape. Said Elling: “the song redeems some small portion of the vast, lost expanse of 90 miles that continue to separate Sandoval from his homeland, and gives the sadness room to sing.”

Many of the other songs on Passion World also have noteworthy origins. Elling learned Loch Tay Boat Song in college when he spent a year abroad studying at Edinburgh University, and it has percolated in his mind ever since.

But let’s get back to Frank Sinatra, who despite his mortality, continues to outdo the likes of Kurt Elling in the sales department. And let’s also not forget the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Benjamin Northey, which played arrangements that lifted Elling and his quartet out of the jazz club and onto the big stage.

Let’s start with Fly with Me. If Frank Sinatra was reincarnated and came back as a young jazz singer, he would be buying front row tickets at every Kurt Elling concert.

Other classics covered by Elling were More, All the Way and finally there was Nature Boy and the lyric that gets your attention every time: “the greatest thing you’ll ever learn, is to love and be loved in return.”

In between there was a collaboration with Australian singer Michelle Nicolle and tenor sax player John Mackie and more from the new album.

Kurt Elling is jazz royalty and it’s a tribute to the organisers of this year’s jazz festival that they placed him with the MSO, which probably lifted the bar for both institutions.

- Review by Martin Curtis

AUDITIONS

■ Babirra Music Theatre: The Boy From Oz June 18 - 21 at Highfield Road Uniting Church Hall, Highfield Rd., Camberwell.

Director: Chris Bradtke; Musical Director: Danny Forward; Choreographer: Louisa Mitchell. Audition bookings: 0407 891 056.

■ CLOC Musical Theatre: The Drowsy Chaperone June 20, 24 at 6.00pm; June 22 (Dance) and June 24 (Callbacks). Audition bookings: 1300 362 547.

Melbourne

Observer SPAMALOT

SHOWS ■ The 1812 Theatre: The Book of Everything (by Richard Tulloch) Until June 20 at The 1812 Theatre, 3-5 Rose St., Upper Ferntree Gully. Director: Chris Procter. Tickets; $27/$20. Bookings: 9758 3964 www.1812theatre.com.au ■ Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre Company Inc: Secret Bridesmaids' Business (by Elizabeth Coleman) Until June 13 at 39-41 Castella St., Lilydale. Director: Catherine Carr. Tickets: $25/ $23. Bookings: 9735 1777 or www.lilydaleatc.com ■ StageArt: Dreamgirls Until June 14 at Chapel off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St., Prahran. Bookings: 8290 7000 www.chapeloffchapel.com.au ■ Beaumaris Theatre Inc: Une Belle Farce (by Eugene Scribe) Until June 13 at 82 Wells Rd., Beaumaris. Director: Maggie Morrison. Tickets: $25/$22. Bookings: 9583 6896 www.beaumaristheatre.com.au ■ The Owl and Cat: Riot (by Thomas Ian Doyle) Until June 13 at 34 Swan St., Richmond. Director: Gabrielle Savrone. Bookings: www.owlandcat.com.au 9421 3020.

■ StageArt: A Super Brady Cabaret Until June 13 at Chapel off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St., Prahran. Tickets: $39/$31. Bookings: 82907000 or www.chapeloffchapel.com.au ■ Wendy Woodhouse and Present Theatre: Dora (written by Wendy Woodhouse) Until June 14 at La Mama Courthouse, 349 Drummond St., Carlton. Tickets" $25/$15. Bookings: www.lamama.com.au ■ Moreland Theatre Company: Bacchae (by Euripides) Until June 13 at 8.00pm, June 13 at 2.00pm at the Metanoia Theatre, Mechanics Institute, 270 Sydney Rd., Brunswick. Director: Sam Browne. Bookings: www.moreland.org.au or www.trybooking.com ■ Theatreworks: From Here to Maternity Until June 14 at 14 Acland St., St Kilda. Director: Eli Evez. Tickets: $30/$25. Bookings: 9554 4879 or www.theatreworks.org.au ■ Q44 Theatre: Fool For Love (by Sam Shepard) June 10 - 28 at Q44 Theatre, 550 Swan St., Richmond. Tickets: $35/$27.

Bookings: www.q44.com.au/foolforlove ■ National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA): Last Orders! Circus Showcase 2015. June 11 - 20 at the National Circus Centre, 39 - 59 Green St., Prahran. Tickets: $33/$27/$22. Bookings: www.nica.com.au ■ Peridot Theatre: Shush (by Elaine Murphy) June 12 - 27 at the Unicorn Theatre, Lechte Rd., Mt Waverley. Director: Richard Keown. Bookings: 1300 138 645 or www.peridot.com.au ■ MLOC Productions Inc: Spamalot June 12 - 20 at the Phoenix Theatre, 101 Glenhuntly Rd., Elwood. Director: Jane Court; Musical Director: Ian Nisbet: Choreographer: Keir Jasper. Tickets: $35/$32/$28. Bookings: www.mloc.org.au/spamalot Enquiries: 9551 7514 ■ Peridot Theatre: Shush (by Elaine Murphy) June 12 - 27 at 8.00pm, June 14 and 20 at 2.15pm and June 21 at 4.00pm at The Unicorn Theatre, Lechte Rd., Mt Waverley. Bookings: 1300 138 645.

■ Mountain District Musical Society: Funny Girl June 12 - 20 at 8.00pm at the Karralyka Theatre, Mines Rd., Ringwood. Director: Tyler Hess; Musical Director: Anthony Barnhill; Choreographer: Craig Wiltshire. Bookings: 9879 2333 www.karralyka.com.ai/funnygirlaspx ■ Theatre Works: Rust and Bone (by Caleb Lewis) June 18 28 at Theatre Works, 14 Acland St., St Kilda. Bookings: 9534 3388 www.theatreworks.org.au ■ Windmill Theatre Company: Guys and dolls June 19 - 28 at 8.00pm at The Drum Theatre, Dandenong. Tickets: $40/$36.

Bookings: 8571 1666. www.drumtheatre.com.au ■ Mordialloc Theatre Company: Hotel Sorrento (by Hannie Rayson) June 26 - July 11, Sunday matinees June 28 and July 5 at the Shirley Burke Theatre, 64 Parkers rd., Parkdale. Director: Deborah Fabbro. Tickets: $25/$22. Bookings: 9587 5141 or www.mordialloctheatre.com ■ Theatre Works (presented in association with Metro Arts): Saltwater July 1 - 12 at Theatre Works, 14 Acland St., St Kilda.

Bookings: 9534 3388 www.theatreworks.org.au ■ Heidelberg Theatre Company: The Cripple of Irishmaan (by Martin McDonagh) July 10 - 25 at 36 Turnham Ave., Rosanna.

Director: Bruce Akers. Bookings: 9457 4117 www.htc.org.au

AUDITIONS ■ Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre: Daddy's Dyin' … Who's Got the Will? (by Del Shores) June 14 at 2.00pm, June 15 at 8.00pm at Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre, 39-41 Castella St., Lilydale.

Director: Helen Ellis. Enquiries: 0429 355 465.

■ Old Scotch Music and Drama Club (OSMaD): Oliver! June 15 - 22 at Scotch College, James Forbes Academy, Fordholm Rd and Montson St., Hawthorn. Director: Barbara Hughes; Musical Director: John Ferguson; Choreographer: Jenny Vincent-Green.

Audition bookings: 0414 413 013.

● Spamalot’s Knights of Ni: Margot Sephton, Karen Shnider, Clare Andrews. Barbara Mendleson and Mary Bryant.

Photo: Trevor Lowther ■ MLOC Productions’ Spamalot opens on June 12 and runs until June 20 at the Phoenix Theatre, 101 Glenhuntly Rd, Elwood.

Directed by Jane Court, with musical direction by Ian Nisbet and choreography by Keir Jasper, Spamalot pokes fun at the Arthurian legend and musical theatre stereotype.

With lots of laughs and catchy musical numbers, the production promises to be a fun, entertaining show for all ages.

Tickets: $35/$32/$28. www.mloc.org.au Enquiries: 9551 7514

THE REEL JAMES JOYCE

● Dan Walls (Charlie Chaplin) and Steven Gome (James Joyce) in The Reel James Joyce.

■ The Reel James Joyce is being presented as part of Melbourne’s 22nd Bloomsday Festival from June 10-16 at Library at the Dock, 107 Victoria Harbour Promenade..

Directed by Wayne Pearn, The Reel James Joyce explores the Joyce who was deeply in love with cinema (silent, until the late 1920s).

Not only was Joyce an enthusiastic consumer of film, but also an entrepreneur who set up the first cinema in Dublin.

Unfortunately it failed, as Joyce was no businessman and did not reckon with the difficulties of showing only foreign language films in French and Italian.. Translations were handed out at the door, which must have compromised the viewing experience.

The Reel James Joyce is based on historical research. What if, in the period he was attempting to make serious films, just after A Woman of Paris, Charlie Chaplin had been inspired to adapt Joyce’s Ulysses for the silent film?

What we do know is that Eisenstein sought the rights to Ulysses in 1929, and that just before the censorship tide turned, the novel was declared not to be pornographic in Justice Woolsey’s monumental 1933 judgment. Warner Brothers in 1931 also sought the rights.

A Woman of Paris (1924) had convinced Chaplin that he should not only direct, but also be a character in his own films.

What kind of Leopold Bloom might the sad clown have made? What might Joyce’s pitch to him have been?

What scenes would Charlie choose as representative and as ‘treatment’ pieces? How adaptable is Ulysses to the new medium of modernity?

The Reel James Joyce will feature Dan Walls as Charlie Chaplin, and Steven Gome as James Joyce.

Performance Dates: June 10-13 at 8pm; 3pm matinee June 14; June 15 – 16 at 8pm.

Venue: Library at the Dock, 107 Victoria Harbour Promenade Tickets: $38/$33 (Health-card and Student-card holders)/ Bookings: www.bloomsdayinmelbourne.org.au/bookings/ Enquiries for Melbourne events: Bob Glass 9898 2900.

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Page 38 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 10, 2015 Melbourne

Observer

Lovatts Crossword No 32 Across

2. Supervisory (position) 7. Pays brief visit (5,2) 11. Rule 17. Yacht pole 18. Untruth 19. Spanish cheer 20. Ellipse 21. Hangover symptom 22. Decreased 23. Woeful 26. Unfilled space 28. Citizen soldiers 29. Adolescent 31. Existence 34. World computer link 36. Archfiend 39. Female equines 41. Roused 43. Suspension of workers (3-3) 46. Morocco's capital 47. Writer, Emily ...

49. Frolicked 51. Pharaohs' tombs 52. Repaints (car) 53. Short-sighted 54. Lieu 55. Flip in air 56. Ill-treatment 61. Featured musicians 64. Nautical speed unit 65. Fellows 66. Extending 67. ... or nay 69. Possessor 71. US coins 74. Not apparent 76. Penny-pincher 78. Elderly horse 79. Phlegm condition 81. Anti-terrorist squad (1,1,1) 83. Wigwam 84. Aunt's husband 86. Scented purple flower 89. Desert illusions 90. Humility 93. Roll (dice) 94. Sailor's yes (3,3) 97. Made (wage) 100. From India or China 101. Saviour 103. Subway 106. Long letter 108. Short-circuited 109. Mistake (4-2) 110. Untied 111. Islamic governors 112. Renowned 113. Power group 115. Salon worker (4,7) 118. Minor roads (4,7) 121. Be without 124. Early harps 128. Hickory tree nut 129. Aimed 130. Cosmos scientists 134. Brings up (child) 135. Excessively fat 136. Overshadow 137. Fragrance 138. Existing

Across 139. Abandon 140. Alluring 143. Natural disaster, ... wave 144. Vote in 147. Film 150. Extinct bird 151. White flower (7,4) 155. Not justified 157. Chime 158. Smell 159. Concur 162. Snapshots 164. Harrowing trial 167. Doctor 168. Rid of lice 169. Comfy seat (4,5) 172. Journalists' credits (2-5) 173. Polite 174. Unassuming 177. Deprive of food 180. Islands 181. Flight from reality 183. Reconstructed 184. Notorious gangster (2,6) 186. Potato variety 187. In vain, to no ...

188. Fulfilled (demand) 191. Actress, ... Diaz 195. See next page (1,1,1) 197. Megastars 198. Earphones 200. Idiocy 202. Middle-distance runner 203. Weeding implement 205. Protrudes (6,3) 206. ... de Cologne 208. Pleasant 209. Fireproof material 212. Funeral guests 215. US Mormon state 217. Feeble 220. Capital of Iowa, Des ...

222. Hiding game 224. Close watch (5,3) 226. Fries lightly 228. Wife, the ...

229. Bake (meat) 230. Crazier 232. Check 235. La Scala city 236. Dallas is there 238. Well-meaning person (2-6) 241. Spot 242. Admonish 243. Gain through will 244. Singer, ... Horne 246. Require 252. Mental stress 253. Renounce throne 254. Eyelid swelling 255. Focal point 256. Rug 257. East European 258. Opposition 259. Shipping route (3,4) 260. School project

Down

Down

1. Right on target (4-2) 2. Dr Jekyll's alter ego (2,4) 3. Ark builder 4. Moves (towards) 5. Recognise 6. Peru beasts 7. Battery segment 8. Grass 9. Weary sound 10. Xmas 11. Responds 12. Contraptions 13. Crocodile relatives 14. Taverns 15. Small lump 16. Wine jug 24. Trophies 25. Addressed crowd 26. Shaking motion 27. Listing articles 28. Actors Gibson or Brooks 30. Lamb's mother 32. Lack of aptitude 33. Instructors 35. Lament 37. Defence force 38. Beastliest 39. Raider 40. Glimpse 42. Map guide 44. Chooses 45. Thrifty 47. Long-snouted monkey 48. Ice-free Norwegian port 50. Rounded roof 53. Ponder 57. Freedom from guilt 58. Bare 59. Rocket ship crew 60. Talks keenly 62. Mountaineer's tool (3,3) 63. Oppress 65. Judi Dench stars in ... Henderson Presents 68. Aviator, ... Johnson 70. Vigilantly 72. Admission 73. Old photo colour 74. Open sore 75. Dessert, ... caramel 77. Kenya & Tanzania region (4,6) 80. Letter jumbles 82. Italian city 85. Come together 87. Daunted 88. Prince Edward, ... of Wessex 91. Biblical garden 92. Auction 95. Containing nothing 96. Upwardly mobile young people 98. Ripped apart, torn ...

99. Naked models 102. Group loyalty (6,2,5) 104. Nimble-fingered 105. Helps 107. Piercingly 113. Flowered 114. Requested from menu 116. US cotton state 117. Betrayal crime 119. Cavalryman 120. Codswallop 122. Accomplish 123. US motorbike stuntman, Evel ...

125. Extract (metal) 126. In the Arctic Circle 127. Specifically (2,3) 128. Sacred song 130. Astern

131. Weight unit 132. Record label (1,1,1) 133. Droop 141. Pseudonyms 142. US Rhode Island resort 145. Lengthy (4-6) 146. Droll plays 148. Totally preoccupies 149. Unable to read and write 152. Behaved 153. Louts 154. Finish 155. Great Bear constellation, ... Major 156. Jockey 160. Congers or morays 161. Native American tribespeople 163. Stitched garment edges 165. Cain & ...

166. Vending machine 167. Hitler book, ... Kampf 170. Vile act 171. Largest Turkish city 175. Leaves out 176. Praise highly 178. Panic 179. Current (permit) 182. Prison occupant 185. Progressed (4,2) 188. Names used wrongly 189. Most easily offended 190. Cigar dust 192. Almond biscuit 193. Most corroded 194. Flightless bird 195. Trite remark 196. Band 199. Induces 201. Made amends 204. Rowing aids 207. In present condition (2,2) 210. Companies 211. Samples (wine) 213. Coral bank 214. Safari 216. Large yacht 217. Scavenge 218. Tardiest 219. Your school, ... mater 221. Slip up 223. German or Greek 225. Eastern veils 227. In the past, long ...

228. Russian space station 231. Putrefy 233. Four score 234. Toughen (steel) 235. Liqueur, crème de ...

237. Afternoon nap 239. Most senior 240. Enfold 245. Urges on, ... up 247. Junior Scouts 248. Epic tale 249. Notion 250. Highest point

Solution on Page 27

Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 10, 2015 - Page 39

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Page 40 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 10, 2015 Melbourne

Observer

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Sport Extra

‘Contamination issue’: Wheeler

■ Another dog has tested positive to amphetamines as a drugs disgrace threatens to overwhelm the greyhound code in Victoria.

Top sprinter Dyna Villa was scratched from the Horsham Cup Final on the long weekend, and trainer Nicole Davis has had her licence suspended by Greyhound Racing Victoria after a swab sample returned positive following a race at The Meadows in April.

A clearly frustrated GRV Chairman Ray Gunston responded to this latest drugs saga, saying “It is appalling that another preliminary swab has come back with an irregular result for amphetamine."

Dyna Villa's owner, Paul Wheeler, stated that all of his dogs in Davis’s care will be transferred to other trainers. Ironically, Davis took over the training recently of dogs prepared on the same property by Jenny Hunt, who herself was banned after one of her dogs returned a positive swab for amphetamine and methamphetamine, otherwise known as ice.

Hunt herself took over training from her father-in-law, Graeme Bate, was disqualified for using prohibited substances on greyhounds last year.

Despite his apparent run of bad luck with trainers in recent times, Wheeler told the Australian Racing Greyhound website he does not believe the use of amphetamines has been a deliberate attempt to enhance the performance of his greyhounds.

"I think its a contamination issue or a situation where the kennel has been nobbled — either way there is a crack in the system at the training establishment," Wheeler said.

Greyhounds

with Kyle Galley

Guilty finding

■ Well known trainer Anthony Mills became the first Victorian to be found guilty of participating in live baiting last week.

A penalty for Mills had not been handed down as of last Friday, despite the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board finding Mills guilty a day earlier.

Mills, whose son Stewart was proprietor of the Tooradin Trial Track, where live baiting was secretly filmed by animals rights activists, has been a long time participant in greyhound racing and coursing, and was awarded the Ken Carr Medal for his services to the sport by Greyhound Racing Victoria in 2013.

Another of Mills's sons, Andrew, is a senior official with Greyhound Racing Victoria.

Nine Victorian trainers have been charged over live baiting, from a total of seventeen who have been suspended.

More trainers, including top conditioner Darren McDonald, will learn their fate in coming weeks.

Decimated ■ A report into the Queensland greyhound racing industry has described how the the sport has been "decimated" by the impact of the live baiting scandal.

Alan MacSporran QC handed down a comprehensive report recently, stating it would be extremely naive to think that the practice of live baiting was not widespread throughout the sport.

In April, responding to an ABC Four Corners television program which exposed live baiting in the greyhound industry, a Commission of Enquiry was established.

The final report states that Racing Queensland had failed in its role in regards to ensuring integrity and animal welfare standards, including the issue of over-breeding of greyhounds, such as the more than 600 dogs which were eligible to be named for racing over a three-year period, but were not.

Fifteen recommendations have been listed in the final report, and these recommendations will no doubt have a great impact on the way the sport operates in Queensland, along with altering the attitude of participants there. Recommendations include that a new statutory body be created to ensure the integrity of the Queensland racing industry.

It has also been suggested that an "all codes" board be developed, comprising of seven members, to become the controlling body for all racing codes in Queensland.

Four of those members would be completely independent from the racing industry.

Further recommendations relate to boosting animal welfare, and the ability to track a greyhound's whereabouts all through its life.

The consultancy firm KPMG will be appointed to oversee the implementation of the 15 recommendations put forward in MacSporran’s report.

Stood down

■ Further headlines have been made in Queensland with the three racing code boards stood down by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, following on from Alan Macsporran QC's damning report.

The Queensland All Codes Racing Industry Board, the Queensland Greyhound Racing Board, the Queensland Harness Board and the Queensland Thoroughbred Racing Board members have all been stood down.

Darren Condon, CEO of Racing Queensland, has also been stood down, and has been asked to show cause as to why he should not be sacked from the top job.

The Queensland Premier said that change had to come from the very top in the racing industry.

"We are starting a clean slate. We have appointed Ian Hall from KPMG to advise on implementation of interim administrative arrangements and to ensure effective ongoing management of Racing Queensland," Palaszczuk said.

"All Queenslanders want a racing industry that is based on integrity and proper animal welfare, not one that is characterised by cruelty, dishonesty and, at best, dubious regulation and an environment in which there is a failure of simple compliance measures.”

To retire

■ Bill Fanning, current General Manager of Racing and Integrity at Greyhound Racing New South Wales, will retire from the position on July 31. Fanning has served in the role since 2009, and a replacement has not been announced.

Date changes

■ Further changes to the racing calendar appear likely once the Traralgon track reopens for business soon.

Traralgon will reassume its Saturday night timeslot, and the new facility will score a second weekly meeting, to be held on a Monday afternoon.

This will allow Geelong to shift its second meeting from Monday to a Tuesday evening timeslot, and will create an extra weekly greyhound race meeting in the process.

Upcoming race meetings

■ Wednesday: The Meadows (Day), Bendigo (Twilight), Cranbourne (Night), Ballarat (N); Thursday: Warragul (D), Shepparton (T), Sandown Park (N), Warrnambool (N); Friday: Bendigo (T), Geelong (N), Saturday: Bendigo(T), The Meadows (N); Sunday: Sandown Park (D), Healesville (D), Shepparton (T), Sale (T); Monday: Ballarat (D), Geelong (T), Shepparton (N); Tuesday: Horsham (T), Warragul (N).

- Kyle Galley

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 10, 2015 - Page 41

Showbiz Extra

Melbourne

Observer Victorian Sport

■ From Page 36

Top 10 Lists

Down the track ■ With days flying away I thought it was time to have a look at the market for the Caulfield Cup in October.

Early markets have the international galloper, Hartnell, on top at $13.

Prepared by leading mentor, John O'Shea, he has taken all before him in Australia, mainly in Sydney.

He is a winner of the coveted, BMW Stakes in Sydney and in each of his Australian starts, he has shown plenty of heart and stamina in all his runs, and deserves to be the early favorite for the Caulfield Cup. Equal on the second line are the two best three-year old fillies in Australia.

Delicacy has taken racing by storm, starting off winning the Western Australian Guineas, then buttered up and won the Western Australian Derby, followed by the WA Oaks.

Connections then took her to South Australia to run in the South Australian Oaks, where she started a short priced favourite.

In the run she was a long way back and cluttered up, but somehow got out and in my opinion was still about a 6-1 chance at the 400 metres, but when her rider, Western Australia’s Peter Hall, got to work on her she sprinted quickly amazing racegoers at the ease that she went around them to winning running away.

Delicacy has had 14 starts for 10 wins, a second and two thirds, and is superbly bred being by the prolific stallion, Al Maher, from Simply Wicked, who throws back to the great dam, Scenic.

He is prepared by Grant Williams at Karnup in Western Australia, and without doubt will be a big chance in the race.

My only worry is that she does get back in her races and a race like the Caulfield Cup over the 2400 metres, hit and run, this could be a drawback.

The other top three-year old filly on $15.00 is Winx, one of my real favorites.

You only have to have a look at her last two interstate winning runs to see what I mean.

Ted Ryan

● Alpine Eagle Photo by SLICKPIX, phone 9354 5754

NEW AND RE-RELEASE CLASSICS ON DVD HIGHLIGHTS: VIVIEN LEIGH: Anniversary Collection: Includes: Fire Over England, Storm in a Teacup, Dark Journey, St. Martin's Lane.

NEW RELEASE TELEVISION, DOCUMENTARY AND MUSIC DVD HIGHLIGHTS: THE TWO RONNIES: The Picnic by the Sea. DCI Banks: Season 3.

THE LAST GOON SHOW OF ALL. RISE OF THE MACHINES: Series 1.

NEXT OF KIN: The Complete Series Collection.

LUKE NGUYEN'S UNITED KINGDOM. BBC SHAKESPEARE COLLECTION: Series 3.

TITANIC: Band of Courage.

BLACK SAILS: Season 2.

CIA DECLASSIFIED: The Series.

MYTH HUNTERS: Season 2.

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE: Season 4.

TRANSFORMERS PRIME: Season 2.

TRANSFORMERS PRIME: Season 3.

LOVE LIVE! SCHOOL IDOL PROJECT: Season 1.

ONE PIECE: Collection 31.

TOM & JERRY SHOW: Season 1 - Volume 4.

- James Sherlock

Sulky Snippets

Like Delicacy she gets a long way back, and like the Western Australian filly has a long searching run of about 600 metres, where she rounds them and then blasts them away, with her powerful finish.

Three starts back, she came from the rear to finish a good second to Gust of Wind in the ATC Oaks, over 2400 metres, but next start, went back to 1600 metres and blew them away in the Gold Coast Guineas coming from near last running away to score by just under two lengths.

This after coming from near last on the tight track, giving the big field at least 10 lengths start from the 600 metres.

She has started 12 times for six wins and three seconds for her connections winning just over a million dollars in stakemoney.

Top, jockey Hugh Bowman was on board for her last two wins.

Winx is prepared

by Australia's leading trainer, Chris Waller, who has a very high opinion of the daughter of Street Cry from Vegas Showgirl, very well-named.

My only concern like Delicacy she likes to be ridden off the pace, but they could be ridden differently as both have outstanding potential and by the time comes around for the Caulfield Cup, they will both be fouryear old mares and much stronger.

We will follow their path, as they contest their lead up races to the Cup in October.

On the next line at $17 is the international galloper, Almandin, purchased by Nick and Lloyd Williams with the Cups in mind.

The approaching six year-old has excellent form having won two races with four minor placings in his own only six starts.

He is nicely bred being by Monsun from Anatola, and at his last start at BadenBaden he defeated last year's Melbourne

● Contributer Photo by SLICKPIX, phone 9354 5754 Cup winner, Protec- strong looking colt who when he won the tionist, on September will turn four in August David Jones event in 1, over 2200 metres, has won four of his six good style over 2000 before the latter won starts with a second metres on Caulfield the Melbourne Cup in and a third, and has Cup Day. sensational style.

He will be therewon nearly $ 300,000 However as we all in stakemoney. abouts come Cup day. know, Protectionist His best run to date after being transferred without a doubt was to Kris Lees in Sydney his good second beafter his Melbourne hind the Gai Water- ■ The Bendigo Cup win, did nothing house colt, Wandjina, Jockey Club is gearon the track and was in the Australian ing up, for a big day, retired.

Guineas, who at come Sunday, June 28.

Almandin could present is about to The Mosstrooper be one to keep your challenge the best that Steeplechase Day eye on.

England has got to of- named after one of the Alongside him in fer. best jumpers to grace the betting is the very One you have to the racetrack, is angood galloper, Alpine pay plenty of attention other of their highlights Eagle, owned by Wine to is the smart gal- through their racing King, Wolf Blass and loper, in the John year. trained by Tony Mc O'Shea camp, is Many activities Evoy. have been organised Beautifully bred Contributer.

Like Alpine Eagle for the big day, includbeing by High Chap- he is impeccably bred ing plenty of action for arral from the good being also by High the children. mare, Zephyria, the The Club intends Chaparral from running a promotion Serisia.

His record speaks for racegoers, were for itself, having won they will have a several big events chance to have a go at winning four of his five a tipping competition.

If you can pick five starts.

They include the winners on the proRanvet in Sydney, the gram you have a Chipping Norton, chance of winning a also in the ‘coat hanger car.

Throughout the day city’ and he topped that in winning the there will be the runApollo Stakes all in ning of the hounds and a highland pipe band great style.

In all, he has won will entertain the racover a million dollars ing folk.

Big fields are aland the trip of 2400 metres of the ways the order of the Caulfield Cup is right day at the picturesque course with its up his alley. ● May The Horse Be Magic We saw at yesteryear's surroundPhoto by SLICKPIX, phone 9354 5754 Caulfield in the spring ings.

Big day

■ Parwan's Craig Demmler made a welcome return to the sulky at Melton and was successful with Major In Art/Tosca Lobo colt Lombarto in the Soho Standardbreds 3-Y-0 Pace over 1720 metres.

Raced by T & L Nominees Pty Ltd, Lombarto was given a beaut passge one/ one from gate two on the second line and when eased three wide on the final bend, ran home stylishly to register a 4.8 metre victory in 2-00.7 over Mystical Tilly (three wide last lap from last), with Amooran a half neck away third after facing the breeze.

■ Maree and John Caldow fresh from a weekend at the NZ Harness Jewels, landed the tab.com.au 3-Y-0 Pace over 1720 metres at Melton with ultra consistent Grinfromeartoear/No More Trouble filly Ears No Trouble much to the delight of owner/ breeder Harvey Delmenico.

Driven by John, Ears No Trouble was sent forward from gate six to park outside the poleline pacemaker Part Time Paradise and dictate the terms of the race.

Despite the tough passage, Ears No Trouble answered the call, scoring by 1.1 metres in advance of Our Pearl Harbour which used the sprint lane off the back of the leader who finished third 5.7 metres away. The mile rate 1-58.9.

■ Parwan's Jodi Quinlan was in fine form at a wet Maryborough on Thursday, chalking up a driving double with partner Craig Demmler's Christian Torado in the Aaron Grahame Electrical Claiming Pace over 2190 metres and her own charge Illawong Moonshine in the Seelite Windows & Doors Trotters Handicap for T1 or better class over the same journey.

Four year old entire Christian Torado (Christian Cullen/Rose Of Torado) came from last to swamp his rivals, accounting for the leader One Tough Reign by 7.9 metres, with Vital Sign (three back the markers) third, while 4-Y-0 Yankee Spider/Lunar landing mare Illawong Moonshine led most of the way to score by a neck from Miracle and Brynmor in 2-04.1.

■ The dominant Terang stable of Marg Lee was once again to the fore at Stawell, chalking up a double with Keayang Ebonyrose in the Norton Ford Pace for C0 class over 2175 metres and Jilliby Dreamtime in the Hygain Feeds 3-Y-0 Pace, both driven by son Jason.

Keayang Ebonyrose (Village Jolt/Secret Twirl) was untroubled to lead throughout from the pole to account for Sweet Forty Seven (one/two - three wide last lap) and Showem Shifty (one/one) in a rate of 2-04.2, while Jilliby Dreamtime (Somebeach-somewhere/Jilliby Jamilla) enjoyed a cosy trip from inside the second line trailing the poleline leader Officianado and using the sprint lane to score by 2.7 metres in 158.7. Hez The One finished third for Heywood's Bec East.

Page 42 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 10, 2015

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