Murrindindi Guide Spring 2023

Experience the future of portable buildings with our “fully customisable Trail Cabins”

Engineered with precision and designed for the demands of the modern era, TRAIL CABINS offer exceptional flexibility and value catering to a wide range of domestic, commercial and industrial needs.

Designed, engineered and built with structural compliance for many building classifications (uses) in mind, these units offer a versatile platform that can be custom-built to suit your specific site or permit requirements and are easily transported using conventional tilt tray trucks.

With inherent strength and a high BAL rating as standard, we also have a range of service connection options available. What sets TRAIL CABINS apart, is their customisable comprehensive power, water, and waste discharge options.

• Power options include hard-wired, 15amp, off-grid, multiple inputs, LPG

• Reticulated or tank water supply connection options.

• Various options for waste/grey water discharge

DOMESTIC USES

Park cabins and rail trails

Wineries

Farm stay

Weekenders

B n B accommodation

Granny flats

Home office or studios

Worker accommodation

OUR DESIGNS OR YOURS – WE CUSTOM BUILD TO SUIT YOUR NEED

COMMERCIAL USES

Leasehold & Permanent Multi use buildings.

Custom multi use buildings are designed and built.

Sporting club rooms or storage buildings. Amenity or Ablution buildings. Portable Work rooms and stores. Medical sick bay. Emergency buildings. Remote area buildings. Off grid or Glamping units

SAMPLE 9 X 3.4m STUDIO PLAN with eave line deck.

SAMPLE 9 X 3.4m MULTI USE PLAN no deck

SAMPLE 8m STUDIO UNIT with eave line deck.

SAMPLE 7.5 BUNKHOUSE UNIT with eave line deck

SAMPLE 9 X 3.4m STUDIO PLAN with eave line deck.

SAMPLE 8m STUDIO UNIT with eave line deck.

SAMPLE ONE BEDROOM ENSUIT UNIT no deck.

SAMPLE: 9 X 3.4m STUDIO PLAN with eave line deck. See website for more sample plans.

SAMPLE: ONE BEDROOM ENSUIT UNIT no deck.

With frequent snow capped peaks in our surrounds, our cool climate provides us with an extended ripening season and keeps our yields low.

2019 was a an outstanding growing season with warm and dry conditions. This wine is a fine example of Shiraz with a sense of place. The colour is a lovely deep crimson hue, aromas of black pepper and spice, raspberry, and lovely integrated oak from maturation for 15 months in a mix of French and American small oak barrels.

The palate is medium bodied, with a fine elegant tannin structure, and generous length. This wine will reward medium term cellaring of 6-8 years.

Our vineyard, planted in 1988 is nestled between the picturesque rapids of the upper Goulburn River and the foothills of Mt Torbreck.

HANDCRAFTED

WINE & FOOD

Wine tasting experiences

Artisan cheese platters & charcuterie boards

Local art & sculptures

Farm relics sit side-by-side with fine china and silverware at Killingworth Hill

Café & Whisky Bar ~ it is rustic, traditional Australiana with more than a smack of sophistication. Drink in this history as you sample some of the finest drams you’ll ever come across. Enjoy a glass of wine, a charcuterie board made with the finest cheeses, meats, patés, pickles, fruits and nuts, or a bowl of homemade soup, a delicious dessert, tea or coffee. Weekly specials

SEDONA

goulburn river

The brand new Goulburn River Inn, formerly known as the Molesworth Hotel and Motel, is now open! We are under new management and we have opened the motel, bar and kitchen. We are proud to serve BERALDO coffee, cold drinks and delicious meals. Lovely beer garden. We also have free, pet friendly RV and Camper parking on site. A: 4364 Goulburn Valley Highway, Molesworth P: (03) 5797 6266 W: goulburnriverinn.com.au

Molesworth Bluegrass & Country Music Festival 3-5 Nov

Goulburn River inn presents to you the first Molesworth Bluegrass & Country music festival. Bringing the best in bluegrass and country

music to the banks of the Goulburn River. We have an amazing line up coming your way so don’t miss out! Camping sites available!

•

ABOUT US

Navy Blue Planning provides urban and regional planning services. With offices in Alexandra and Melbourne, we are currently assisting clients in Murrindindi Shire and more broadly across Victoria with residential, commercial, and industrial planning approvals.

SERVICES

• Urban & Regional Planning

• Planning permits, approvals, and reports

•

• Rezoning

• Planning investigations & studies

• Due diligence

• Advocacy & Representation

CONTACT US

Tom Harrington - Director

T: 0419 006 014

E: admin@navyblueplanning.com.au

W: navyblueplanning.com.au

Solving the fruit waste problem

By Emily Friedel

Sam Bate and Rob Christopher have an ambitious vision for the mountains of fruit waste currently going into stock feed or landfill. They want to build a local fruit-processing plant that can handle the thousands of tonnes of perfectly edible, but unsaleable, fresh produce coming off farms every year. Such a processing plant would enable fruit that is not fit for retail sales to be converted into highquality food products.

The problem of unwanted fruit harvests is a big one, according to Sam, and desperately needs a solution.

“We calculated that it’s probably around 3,000 tonnes which is wasted from cherries alone in Victoria [each

season], so there’s obviously still more contribution from New South Wales and Tassie, but that’s what we’ve anecdotally worked out from speaking to growers. And that represents around 20 to 30 percent of the crop,” he says.

“The industry is expanding positively, and this problem is not going away. There have been concerted efforts from certain people within the industry to tackle it, but no-one’s been able to do it really successfully just yet.”

Rob says the copious amounts of discarded produce also represent a substantial monetary burden for growers, who get no financial return from this imperfect fruit and may even have to pay for its disposal.

“These farmers have had to pay to grow

that fruit all year, they’ve fertilised the trees, they’ve pruned the trees, they’ve then paid to have the fruit picked, they’ve paid to have it transported and then graded, to then throw it away at a cost. So that’s massive losses for these growers,” he says.

Determined to find a fix for the enormous fruit waste problem, Rob and Sam set to work on their project: “Transforming cherry waste into commercially viable high value products”. Late last year, the project became a successful funding recipient through the Victorian Government’s Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre, delivered by Sustainability Victoria. This grant has seen Sam and Rob make tangible progress towards their grand vision, giving

Rob Christopher (left) and Sam Bate have big plans to tackle the ever-growing problem of fruit discarded from commercial orchards, pictured here in the Bonfire Station Brewery at Rob’s Taggerty property where much of their fruit recipe experimentation is taking place.

Cherries that are perfectly edible don’t make the cut for retail sales for a number of reasons, including split skin, being a bit too small, or not having the right firmness. Sam and Rob are figuring out how to turn these cherries into high-quality food products.

them the resources to invest in some infrastructure and devote more time to the venture. Their initial goal, as set out in the grant, is to divert 500 tonnes of would-be waste into food products. With Rob’s family owning Cathedral Cherries, cherries made a logical starting point for working towards this goal.

“We have been taking Cathedral’s current season’s crop, plus cherries from Wandin Valley, CherryHill Orchards, and Koala Orchards. So, they’re the three main growers, and they’ve all been donating cherries to us for processing. They’ve been supporting us not only with cherries but in any way they can,” Sam says.

Bellevue Orchards in Officer has also supplied equipment to pulp and juice the cherries. This equipment

Waste cherries being pulped. The products from this process can be used in a range of products, including alcoholic beverages and a unique “cherry fruit bark” that has the texture of honeycomb with the taste of cherries.

Some of the waste cherries have gone into this very popular cherry and apple cider, which makes good use of cherry juice with minimal processing.

has been set up on Rob’s property, which also houses the Bonfire Station Brewery, allowing the fruit waste experimentation to begin in earnest.

Sam, who has a background as a chef and caterer, has gladly accepted the challenge of developing high-end products from unwanted cherries. Rob’s brewing knowledge, and the brewery itself, have also come in handy. So far,

they have developed several viable products, two of which should hit the market in October. One of these is a unique “cherry fruit bark” made from cherry puree.

“When you start to pulp cherries, you have juice and pulp. Separating the juice and the pulp is really difficult with cherries. They’ll give you, say, 40% juice, and if you want any more than

that, they’ll fight you for it. They don’t make it easy. We wanted to not fight as much, and then hopefully trade off the virtues of what we had. So, the cherry fruit bark is simply cherry puree that has been freeze dried, and the freeze-drying process makes it crispy like honeycomb. We’ve also gone one step further and coated it in chocolate – it’s perfect for chocolate,” Sam says.

The versatile cherry pulp has also served as a base for producing some innovative alcoholic beverages.

“Cherries aren’t a stable product; they love to ferment. There’s a lot of sugar in cherries, they come off the tree with around 18% sugar, which is like wine grapes. The other thing that happens when you pulp fruit is that you release pectic enzymes, which further break that fruit down. And that releases more juice. However, it’s not easy to use that juice for still juice anymore because it’s starting to ferment. So what we’ve done is develop a distilled spirit using the pulp,” Sam says.

“It’s such an easy product to use a lot of cherries. So, one regular 700ml bottle of spirit at 40% ABV takes ten kilos of cherries. And there’s no sugar added, there’s no grain added, we’re just using the most amount of fruit possible in order to get that product.”

The pair are also trialling cherry vinegar,

a 100% cherry liqueur, cherry and apple cider, and whole cherries in liqueur. Sam says he is confident that all of these are promising products, and they’re only the tip of the iceberg.

“There’s definitely a market for any one of these products. And then there’s bulk juice products and bulk pulp products that we haven’t even dipped into”.

Their exciting range of cherry-based prototypes marks substantial progress, which has been facilitated by the generous industry support. However, Rob and Sam emphasise that they’ll need more people on board to achieve their ultimate goal.

“Our long-term vision is to see a big processing facility set up locally here where all the growers can bring their waste fruit, we process it, and then distribute it out to the big food businesses. That would be a multimillion-dollar facility, so we’re looking for financial partners,” Rob says.

Sam adds: “We’d also love people to get in contact with us with their own stories, trials, needs, ideas. Anybody. Even people with a small crop that they don’t know what to do with.”

And while cherries have been a convenient starting point, Sam and Rob want to expand their capabilities to deal with any fruit, including any other stone fruits and citrus, that would otherwise be wasted. They believe that with strategic collaborations, it is entirely possible to eliminate fruit waste and all its associated drawbacks.

“We’re doing all the development, and we’re looking for the right people to partner with to see this to fruition, to tackle this problem to the end,” Sam says.

For more information contact Rob and Sam via cathedralcherries@gmail.com.au or sambate@customcuisine.com.au

You can also find Sam on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelbate-14309473/

Cottages

16 Falls Road, Marysville Tel: 0419 103 834 E: info@dalrymples.com.au W: www.dalrymples.com.au

Stunning views

Great Food

Fun & Friendly Environment

Recently renovated with new menu items

BAR & RESTAURANT

BAR & RESTAURANT

Bookings: 0472 593 367 ellagobar.restaurant@gmail.com

Bookings: 0472 593 367 ellagobar.restaurant@gmail.com

The Marina on Lake Eildon | 190 Sugarloaf Road, Eildon

The Marina on Lake Eildon | 190 Sugarloaf Road, Eildon

ARTISAN BAKEHOUSE | CAFE | PANTRY

Schoolhouse Thornton is a hidden gem in country Victoria. The old Thornton primary school was beautifully renovated in 2020 and transformed into a quaint Artisan Bakehouse. Everything is made with love on site in the tiny bakehouse with focus on local produce and partnered with Merchant Coffee Roasters in Mansfield.

3 Back Eildon Road, Thornton 03 9118 8998 jody.cater@schoolhousethornton.com.au @schoolhousethornton

They pride themselves in quality baked goods and beautiful coffee along with great hospitality. Enjoy the unique experience within the School grounds. Let the kids play cricket, basketball or chalk draw while you enjoy uninterrupted tranquillity or take away delicious treats on your journey through the region.

PRIVATE, GATED, ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARK

This is the perfect location for your holiday home, safe, secure, tranquil and low maintenance

• 60 acre property, 2km river frontage, small boat access

• Central lake for canoeing, rafting, yabbying

• Large sites with bathroom facilities

• 2 tennis courts, 3 swimming pools, children’s playground, volleyball court, motor bike track, 9 hole mini-golf course, basketball court, recreation room with BBQ facilities, table tennis and a large open fire

Pete Olive in front of his shed. The timber finish showcases Pete’s ingenuity and work ethic - it cost him a slab of beer and a great deal of effort.

Above: something old is new again – an old tacked-on verandah room turned into an ensuite and laundry.

By Emily Friedel

Pete Olive of Custom Carpentry & Construction in Alexandra has found a niche among local building businesses. His skill set is perfectly suited to jobs that are too small for a builder but too big for a handyman.

And when it comes to those mediumsized jobs, Pete is willing to do anything that doesn’t require a licensed trade. This means he will tackle everything from post-and-beam structures all the way down to intricately tiled splashbacks.

“I don’t really let anything get in my way, so I tend to give everything a go. I’ll put my heart and soul into whatever I’m doing. But the finish has to be as good as – preferably better – than what I’d pay someone else to do, and if I wouldn’t put it in my own house, I wouldn’t put it in someone else’s,” Pete says.

Pete didn’t start out in carpentry and construction. His prior career was in the engineering sector, predominantly working as a qualified automotive machinist and professional engine builder. Although he enjoyed the work, having a family meant it was no longer the financially sensible option.

“Nearly 15 years ago we had my first daughter, and a year later we had another daughter, and a year and a half later we had a son. In between those three crazy years, I realised that as much as my prior trade was lots of fun and I really loved it, it wasn’t really paying the bills,” he says.

“I had already renovated a house and was on a second house of our own. I enjoyed carpentry and I was able to turn my hand to most things. I had a friend in the building game at the time who offered me a bit of building work.”

Pete subcontracted to other builders, first in the Yarra Valley then in the Murrindindi Shire, until the subcontracting work slowed down in 2018. Rather than being a setback, this was a turning point for Pete.

“I took on a couple of jobs of my own and haven’t looked back. My current business has got to a point where I’ve been considering putting someone on for a while – I think the opportunity’s there to ramp things up.”

And while he no longer works as an automotive machinist, Pete says the skills he developed in that trade have transferred to his current one and help set his work apart.

He also credits the engineering background for developing his keen attention to detail, which is especially important when taking on his favourite type of job: ones that other builders don’t want.

“I like doing jobs on older houses as well as new ones, but I get more of a kick out of doing older ones. I particularly like taking on jobs that no-one else will touch. When you’ve got old finicky stuff it could take a week, but it could easily push out to two weeks. So I guess that’s why other people don’t take it on, because you just don’t know what you’re getting into. To try and get that high-quality detail on something old is that much harder, but I like that – I like a challenge. And I like getting the detail right; all those tiny little aspects are important, and I think it makes the job what it is in the end.”

Pete describes his style as modern rustic and says that doing it well is more a matter of resourcefulness and creativity than money spent on materials. He put those qualities to good use when building a shed for himself.

“I’ve got a bit of a theme going at home with barns. Our house is actually an American-style barn, so I thought I’d do an Australian barn [for the shed]. I only

More of the old water tank interior with custom made barn doors. Pete describes this job as a “labour of love”.

Above: Bathrooms are one of Pete’s specialities. Below: The modern rustic style that characterises Pete’s work.

Inside the old water tank: Pete did everything from the stone work to the timber bench top.

The beginnings of a roof for the old concrete water tank.

had a certain amount of money, but I’ve found the rustic style is better with no money because there are certain aspects that money just can’t buy. It takes lots of time, lots of effort, lots of thought, and lots of looking for material.

“The finish on my barn came about with four recycled packs of seasoned hardwood timber from the Yarra Valley that were a nightmare to get here. I paid a slab of beer for them, then it took an entire weekend to drag them here, with a multitude of problems. Once I got them here, I spent I don’t know many days and hours machining bits and pieces and making the timber workable, and the end result is a unique timber-clad barn.”

Pete’s main lines of work are decks, pergolas, bathrooms, and general renovations. But his willingness to think outside the box and do most processes on his own have led to some unique projects.

“I had a client with an old concrete water tank they wanted to turn into something, so I had to construct a hexagonal-style roof. It was all exposed beam and was actually quite complex once I got into it and realised there’s a lot more compound angles than first thought, but the finished result was amazing. I ended up doing all the stonework, all the tiling, I rendered all the inside walls, I made the kitchen bench, barn doors, the list goes on. When you look in that building and you look at each little detail, that’s all my work, so that’s probably been one of my favourites,” he says.

The satisfaction Pete gets from this type of job has spurred him on in his second career, and he is now on the cusp of

Decking is another one of Pete’s specialities, and spring is a great time to get one for the pool or outdoor area before the heat of summer hits.

expanding. His attention to detail, can-do attitude and love of a challenge will no doubt mean taking on more jobs that are too small for the builder but too big for the handyman in the future.

“Changing trades was a bit of a gamble, but I think it’s paid off in the end. And I have always been able to enjoy it too, which has been helpful. I’m quite happy with where it’s gone and hopefully where it’s going.”

To contact Custom Carpentry & Construction you can call Pete on 0407 095 220, email pete@customcc.build or go to www.customcc. build

You can also find more information on Facebook and Instragram #customchippy

2022 Award winning Gourmet Pies

Shop 3, 45 Murchison St Marysville 3779 Vic 0492 879 503 marysvillegourmetpie@gmail.com

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Pizza Deal $35 / Family Deal $50 / Pasta $30 / Parmas $40 & Combo Burgers

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• Garlic Breads

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Soft Drinks

Buffalo Wings • Chicken Nuggets

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Small Pizza . . . 2 large pizzas with free garlic bread and 1.25 drink $34 ~ gourmet pizzas add $4

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Sun 9.30am-7.30pm

Burgers: Gremlin , Corvette, Pontiac, Cadillac, Buick, Shelby, Pistol Pete, Charger, Chevy, Elvis or the Torino the Bucking Bull.

Loaded Fries

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Goulburn River a platypus Mecca

By Emily Friedel

For over 30 years, Geoff Proctor has been traversing the Murrindindi Shire’s waterways to share their beauty with others. Among these waterways, the Goulburn River has a special place in his heart, as do the many platypus that call it home.

Geoff conducts his platypus tours in a rubber raft, quietly drifting down the river with the current or gently steered with oars to minimise disturbance. Those who accompany him are treated to plenty of platypus sightings, no matter what the time of day, and may also get a glimpse of some other local wildlife. At present, Geoff operates on word of mouth, and earlier this year a visiting Swiss family were lucky enough to get word of his tours while holidaying in the area.

“They had the best day out. We came along, and first of all we saw a platypus early in the trip. Then we came around a corner

and there was a wombat sitting on the bank of the river, so that was pretty special. And sure enough, we went around the next corner and there was a kangaroo,” Geoff says.

Having spent so much time with the Goulburn’s platypus population over the last three decades, Geoff is confident they are doing well – unlike populations in some other areas. Even after last year’s floods, Geoff says they seem to have bounced back.

“We do tours on other rivers, but the Goulburn is the platypus Mecca. The best we’ve seen in one day paddling down the river is 40. Even the last time we went out [in early June] we saw 25. We were a bit concerned after the floods. Initially we didn’t see many after the floods, but they’re back again now.”

Geoff puts his keen observations to good use, regularly reporting sightings to the Australian Platypus Conservancy (APC) website and communicating other noteworthy

Geoff Proctor conducts guided tours along Murrindindi Shire’s rivers with a focus on platypus spotting. Travelling quietly down the river in a rubber raft is ideal for observing local platypus and other wildlife.

Australian Platypus Conservancy director Geoff Williams says citizen science is important for developing a full picture of platypus distribution. For novices, having an experienced platypus spotter like Geoff Proctor to provide some tips on what to look for can be very helpful. Photo credit: Barry Baker. Inset: Fishing line is a serious and potentially lethal problem for platypus. Once entangled, like the platypus in this photo, they cannot get it off and will likely suffer grave injuries, sometimes resulting in death. Geoff Proctor urges fishermen to take unwanted fishing line home and dispose of it in the bin.

information directly to researchers. Geoff is passionate about supporting efforts to conserve platypus and hopes others will get involved too.

“We’re exceptionally lucky to have a river that has a population that anyone can come down and see – they don’t have to come with me to see one, they just need to go down to their local waterway. And if they do, I strongly encourage them to go online and register the sightings because that helps the Platypus Conservancy to get a real picture,” he says.

Citizen science is crucial for keeping track of platypus and understanding how they’re faring in the wild, according to biologist and director of the Australian Platypus Conservancy, Geoff Williams. He explains why the public’s help is so important, and for those new to platypus watching, why a platypus tour may help them hone their citizen scientist skills.

“The platypus is a very difficult species to study in the wild, and there is much that we do not know about its current status and distribution. Survey techniques used by researchers, such as live-trapping or eDNA sampling, are extremely labour-intensive and costly. That is why any report of a sighting is valuable in adding to the picture of where platypus currently occur. Even better, standardised visual surveys using the Australian Platypus Monitoring Network are a great way for citizen scientists to help keep track of local platypus numbers over time.

“There is a popular myth that platypus are almost impossible to spot in the wild. In fact, they are relatively easy to observe if you are prepared to be still, quiet and have patience. But, having an experienced platypus

Photo credit: Ken Mival.

A juvenile male platypus caught during one of the Australian Platypus Conservancy’s surveys in the Murrindindi Shire. Photo credit: Australian Platypus Conservancy.

Geoff Proctor describes the Goulburn River as a platypus Mecca; you can see platypus on the Goulburn at any time of the day and any time of the year.

spotter such as Geoff Proctor on hand to point out the key signs to look for is a huge advantage for any novice.”

While Geoff Proctor’s local platypus surveillance operation suggests the Goulburn’s population is doing well, he says they still need help. In particular, he has experienced first-hand the problems that litter causes for these semi-aquatic animals.

“The Goulburn isn’t as bad as creeks around Melbourne where you get a lot of rubbish. Out biggest thing is fishing line. We have caught a couple [of platypus] and have had to cut the fishing line off them after they’ve gotten tangled in it. It’s always good if you’ve got fisherman on board to explain to them, don’t just throw your fishing line away, take it home and put it in the bin,” he says.

Geoff Williams describes why rubbish is such a problem for platypus and fishing line is especially harmful to this species.

“Litter entanglement is a big problem because platypus mainly search for food at the bottom of a waterway, where

Geoff Proctor and Sue Sedelies are the people to contact if you want to organise a local platypus-spotting adventure.

Along with platypus, a trip down the river with Geoff provides opportunities to see other native birds and animals. rubbish accumulates. The platypus’ front foot is also highly specialised to function as a paddle – very good for swimming, but totally incapable of pulling off an entangling item. So, once litter slips around an animal’s neck or chest, it tends to stay there and gradually rubs through skin and muscle, eventually causing serious injuries and even death.

“Of all the many types of litter that get caught around platypus, discarded fishing line is probably the worst. Whereas some other types of litter, such as elastic bands, may eventually break and fall off, fishing line (even if it is of the ‘degradable’ type) will be virtually impossible for the platypus to remove before horrific injuries occur. We once had a platypus brought into us where the line had cut right through the animal’s ribs resulting in a slow and terrible death.” Such issues only provide greater motivation for Geoff Proctor to continue running his tours and share his knowledge about the Murrindindi Shire’s platypus. And given his long-term investment of time in watching and learning about these fascinating creatures, Geoff is uniquely placed to give a truly local perspective on what they get up to.

“The Goulburn River is a bit different to other rivers for the platypus because we don’t get the really high water in winter normally because they close the lake down to store water, and we get it from November onwards. And the platypus have actually modified their breeding habits; they’re a little bit later in the Goulburn than elsewhere,” he says.

“Normally you’d see young in September, but you won’t see them here until October at the earliest and normally in November. This is because a platypus likes to have one burrow underwater and then one above water, so if the river’s come up, they have to modify when they breed so that one burrow is above the water.”

With the weather warming up, spring is generally a wonderful time to see the Goulburn and its platypus inhabitants. However, based on Geoff Proctor’s observations of Goulburn platypus behaviour, a late spring trip may improve the odds of seeing some offspring. And they may be checking you out as much as you’re checking them out.

“You certainly know when mum’s kicked the babies out of the nest because the younger ones aren’t as flighty, so they will hang around when you’re paddling.”

Geoff says that not knowing exactly what you’ll see on each tour is one of the joys of going out on the Goulburn River. But there is one thing that is pretty much guaranteed for every trip: a greater appreciation for this beautiful waterway and the platypus that live in it.

To find out more about Geoff Proctor’s tours and get acquainted with the Murrindindi Shire’s resident platypus population, phone Geoff on 0417 028 004 or Sue on 0499 979 800 or email platypusescapes@gmail.com.

For more information on the Australian Platypus Conservancy or to register platypus or rakali (water rat) sightings go to platypus.asn.au

CHAINS

Produce

• Fully licensed

• Cocktails a speciality 41 Murchison St, Marysville Ph 0455 046 423

0429 699 969

www.saladinlodge.com

info@saladinlodge.com.au 1188 Maroondah Hwy Narbethong Victoria

Garden

EVENTS ~ car launches, reunions, parties, weddings . . .

CONFERENCES ~ small teams to large companies

56 High St Yea Ph 03 5797 3155

Great Aussie Pie Competition Winner

We have a wide array of products for special dietary requirements, including gluten free cakes and breads, also catering for diabetics Our award winning pies will be sure to tempt you kmgyea@bigpond.com

• 24 flavours of ice cream

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Open 7daysa week 6am8.30pm

• Lamb or chicken gyros souvlaki

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Peter and Maria ~ 68 High Street Yea Phone: 5797 2664 Mobile: 0411 415 520

FLOWERS + HOMEWARES + COFFEE 7 Station Street, Yea Vic 3717

linda@mcauliffe.net.au | 0412322419

flori e casa Wed-Fri 10am-4pm | Sat-Sun 10am-3pm

COFFEE BAR Toby’s Estate tea & coffee, biscuits, cakes all made inhouse

FRESH FLOWERS direct from local growers

GIFT LINES Commonfolk, Lillydale, Southern Wild Co & Queen Bee candles Huxter, Quail Ceramics, Anna’s Liberty, Lovely Linen, Bell Art, Bespoke Letterpress, 2Duck Market Baskets, Yummy You

ECLECTIC COLLECTION of vintage, basket ware, crockery, glassware, artwork

CARDS AND BABY PRODUCTS old, new and locally made with love

Call in and try our delicious range of cakes, pies, pastries and speciality breads

NESTLED ALONG THE PICTURESQUE EILDON PONDAGE WATERWAY

• Self-contained cabins

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• Jumping cushion and playground

• Fish from the park grounds

See all our facilities and accommodation options on our website

www.eildonpondage.com Toll free: 1800 651 691

Yea Riverside Caravan Park offers great accommodation located on the banks of the picturesque Yea River. With a choice of brand new two-bedroom villas or studio units that come equipped with air conditioning and kitchen facilities or powered and unpowered caravan sites, you’ll have a pleasant holiday at a price that will fit your budget.

Group / Club bookings welcome

Fully Equipped Camp Kitchen | Wood Fired Pizza Oven | Free Gas BBQ’s Kid’s Playground | Clean, Modern Amenities | Coin Operated Laundry Free Wi-Fi | Pet Friendly (sites only) | Guest Pool

Art on the Great Victorian Rail Trail

Explore a journey of artistic discovery through beautiful Taungurung Country.

Whatever your ability, at 134 km the Great Victorian Rail Trail has options for everyone – from a short walk or ride, to a multi-day adventure along the entire trail. With spectacular views and points of interest along the trail, Art on the Great Victorian Rail Trail is an exciting new addition for locals and visitors to enjoy.

Taking inspiration from the theme of ‘connections’, eight artists have created pieces based on connection to Country, connection to the local environment, connection to the history of the trail and connection to community. The artworks are situated along the length of the trail, spanning the three Shires of Mitchell, Murrindindi and Mansfield.

One of the artists is Taungurung Elder Mick Harding, who has created a series of 20 scar trees along the trail. Mick and his sons Mitchil and Corey removed the bark from eucalypts and carved symbols into them to articulate their relationship to their Ancestors and Country.

The work draws on traditional tree scarring practised by many First Nations peoples from the south-east of Australia.

Taungurung people have been removing the bark from trees for various purposes such as baby carriers, food collection vessels and canoes for at least 2000 generations. The trees will heal over time, leaving a lasting marker of the continued connection of First Nations people to Country.

You really need to get out on the trail to experience the full scale and impact behind the art installations, below is a short description of each to get you inspired.

We Scar Many Trees (Sites T)

The scar tree carvings symbolise the Taungurung relationship to Warring (Goulburn River) and its associated rivers, creeks and Ngarrak (Mountains).

For site locations see rail trail maps pages 38-39

Scar tree carvings

For more information about Art on the Great Victorian Rail Trail, visit greatvictorianrailtrail.com.au/art or drop into a local Visitor Information Centre. This project was funded by the Victorian Government’s Tourism Investment Fund through a $1.2 million grant.

Taungurung Elder Mick Harding at one of the scar tree sites.

Traces explores the forms of native plants, flora, and the environmental impact on this land. Inspired by the impression of natural elements and local plants, the work responds to the simple, organic shape of a seed as the key, to reveal the idea of growing and transition.

For sculpture site locations see rail trail maps pages 38-39

Sculpture sites

‘Things is crook in Tallarook’, an Australian colloquialism, speaks to a time when ‘making-do’ with great ingenuity and resourcefulness was a necessity. Inspired by the making of cotton-reel bush furniture, fabricated ‘bowls’ are joined to shape the sentinel forms.

Nook by Donna Marcus (Site A)

Traces by Yu-Fang Chi (Site B)

For thousands of years the Kulin Women used cool fire and aeration of the soil to grow Mirnong (Yam Daisy) and other useful plants. This trio of structures acts as carriers for lost stories, knowledge and shared languages.

Soul Train is suggestive of the engine car of a steam train and hints at the growth of industry and agriculture. It is designed to celebrate the rail history of the area in the form of a surprising and colourful folly.

Soul Train by Louise Paramor (Site D)

Mirnong by Christabel Wigley (Site C)

An iron tracing of a branch from a drowned tree, found washed up on the shoreline of Lake Eildon. In time the trees still standing in the lake will be consumed by the water, but this iron tracing will remain. Its hollowness holding a memory of what was here.

Responding consists of a 39m mobile phone tower that gracefully arches over the trail. In their usual display, phone towers sit at heights well above the landscape or our built environments. Here, the tower appears animated, falling close to the ground as if bowing to meet us.

Responding by Robbie Rowlands (Site G)

Remnant by Cara Johnson (Site F)

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Books At Yarck 9

Pre-loved, affordably priced books and magazines which you can peruse at your leisure in a comfortable reading area

Opening hours Mon 11.30am-3pm, Tues & Wed by chance or appointment

Thurs and Fri 11.30am-4pm Sat and Sun 10.30am-5pm

Catherine Wherry and Jeremy Morrison

Ph 0400 418 139 or 0488 353 940 6591 Maroondah Highway Yarck books.at.yarck@gmail.com

ALEXANDRA MUSEUM

BIKE HIRE

• E-BIKE $85 per day• HYBRID BIKE $50 per day

Mobile Service & Workshop

21 William Street, Alexandra 0417 179 313

• 20 powered • 50 unpowered sites available for caravans, campers and motorhomes in a quiet location great for rest and relaxation

• Toilets • Showers • Laundry • Drinking water • Dump point • Power hookups

• Children’s playground • Pet friendly

Start and end your rail trail experience at the Timber Tramway. Train rides, kids’ activities and refreshments

Station Street, Alexandra Open 2nd & 4th Sunday 10am to 4pm Group bookings welcome Alexandra Market 2nd Saturday of each month Ph 0427 509 988 www.alexandratramway.org.au

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Bakery & Cafe

70 Grant Street Alexandra Ph 03 5772 2272

• coffee and varieties of teas

• large variety of traditional sourdoughs

• cakes and catering for special occasions

• large variety sandwiches and rolls

Goods from Near and Far

The ideal spot for preloved and recycled wares

Tue-Sat 10am-3pm Sun & Mon CLOSED

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Alexandra Motor Inn 76 Downey Street (Maroondah Hwy) Ph 03 5772 2077 alexmotorinn001@bigpond.com.au www.alexandramotorinn.com.au

16 comfortable units, including family rooms, interconnecting suites with queen size beds. Each unit has en suite, reverse cycle airconditioning, large plasma TV, tea and coffee making facilities, toaster, microwave, refrigerator, wireless internet available. Lawned courtyard, BBQ and children’s play area, big boat parking, solar-heated salt water swimming pool

Alexandra/Eildon 106.9 MHz

Flowerdale 98.9 MHz

Kinglake Ranges 94.5 MHz

Marysville 98.5 MHz

Yea 88.9 MHz www.ugfm.org email news@ugfm.org Phone 03 5772 2722

Shelters: beside the Goulburn River between Tallarook and Goulburn Valley Highway, Goulburn River near Kerrisdale, Cheviot Tunnel, Eglington Cutting, Merton Gap, Woodfield Station and Olivers Road Mansfield.

BBQs available at Tallarook, Yea, Alexandra, Bonnie Doon and Mansfield.

Public toilets as indicated on map and also located at Tallarook, Yea, Yarck, Alexandra, Bonnie Doon and Mansfield.

We want the farmers back!

By Elaine White

The Yea Show committee are committed to providing all the attractions of a country show for the men and women on the land! The show is well supported by young families, and our committee is striving to provide all the attractions to make a great day out for the local farmer and family.

The formidable cattle show at Yea is one of the biggest outside the Royal Melbourne and you can see all the breeds on the one day at Yea. Stud cattle come in from all over Victoria and southern New South Wales, including prominent schools’ agricultural teams from places like Findlay High School. The cattle show begins on the Friday night with the ‘heifer challenge’, which evokes keen interest from competitors as well as spectators and finishes with a barbecue and music around the campfire.

All breeds compete for championships in their own breed category as well as interbreed champions on show day. A prestigious Hoof & Hook competition always attracts keen interest and excellent prices as well as the kudos (and prize money) of winning the ‘champion carcase’.

The Northern Region Yea Cup Final of the Sheep Yard Dog Championships

is also held at the show. This is a culmination of four shows – Seymour, Euroa, Alexandra and Yea – with points from each show going towards the final trials at Yea. These amazing dogs and handlers show their skills working a pen of sheep and loading them onto a trailer. Competitors come from all over Victoria and the Riverina. The trials start at 7am and frequently don’t finish until 7pm.

The Central Victoria Axeman’s Association will be back again this year featuring the 275mm Combination Victorian Championships and the 250mm Standing Block Championships as well as skilled handicap and junior events and demonstrating their chainsaw skills.

The champion fleece at Yea last year won the Regional Champion Award and now goes on to compete at the Royal Melbourne Show. If you are just about to start shearing, save a fleece for the Yea Show, with Comeback, Crossbred and Merino classes.

A 5-ring horse show includes most breeds, junior and gymkhana classes and fancy dress, and an extensive poultry show and dairy goats always draw much interest.

New enthusiastic stewards in the cookery, preserves, horticulture, crafts and photography sections have

seen a resurgence in entries with many innovative ideas to ensure a spectacular showing in the pavilion. Several changes include the cookery and preserves moving to the tennis clubhouse this year and horticulture moving to the netball rooms, giving more space and light for new attractions including demonstrations and children’s hands-on activities.

A major entertainment at Yea Show this year will be ex-local Stewart Bryant and sons showing their extraordinary skills in whip cracking and horsemanship. They now perform Australia-wide at agricultural shows and many other major events.

Other attractions include a classic car display, farm machinery trade stands, a Clydesdale team, extensive local emergency services display, a schools display, Jumping J’s skipping team, line dancing displays, puppet show, animal nursery, face painting and much more. And if you need a new tractor, you can come to the Yea Show and talk to the dealers.

Yea Show is on Saturday 25 November 2023. Adult entry is $15 and concession $10. Although the day can be expensive for families with show bags and rides, the farmer can enjoy all-day entertainment for just $15 unless you decide to relax over a Devonshire tea!

Heritage machinery festival at the museum

The Alexandra Museum will come alive on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 October 2023 for the Alexandra Heritage Machinery Festival to be held on the former railway precinct area in Station Street.

The festival, now in its 10th year, will showcase working vintage and antique machinery of all classes including machinery from the nearby timber industry in the Rubicon and local farms. The festival is a totally unique family experience with a remarkable showcase

of steam, oil and fuel fired engines that powered the past, all displayed in a historic setting. There will be exhibitors coming from across Victoria to display and visitors can view rare agricultural and mechanical treasures from yesteryear working as they did in the past. A new addition will be a vintage cars and truck display.

Many of the exhibits include a range of smaller oil and petrol powered engines from days gone by that were once at the forefront of the development of our country.

The festival aligns with the Museum’s focus on recovering and preserving items of industrial tramway and logging machinery, with emphasis on the nearby Rubicon ranges, which was, for nearly 50 years, a centre of logging production. Over the past 30 years the museum has acquired a vast collection of industrial rolling stock and machinery items that now constitutes one of the largest machinery collections in the country.

The Alexandra Timber Tramway is a nationally accredited tourist railway which now has seven operational locomotives, including steam, diesel and petrol powered, in the collection. There is also a fleet of two carriages and a fuel wagon. Together with workshop facilities there is a two-foot gauge railway based on industrial railway standards which has been built around the station grounds.

A children’s activity area will be a real drawcard for young future heritage enthusiasts. Have your photo taken with the train crew and enjoy a platform barbecue lunch. A play area with old fashioned games will be a lot of fun for everyone and don’t forget to visit the Blacksmith’s Shop, tractor area and grab some souvenirs at the Lamp Light Kiosk.

A direct historical link with the Rubicon forest has been the restoration of the two

original diesel locomotives used on the Rubicon to Alexandra timber tramway. They were the first diesel locos built in Victoria and were manufactured by Kelly and Lewis Pty Ltd, Springvale in 1935, followed by a similar model in 1936. These represent the most important extant pieces of timber tramway motive power in the state.

The museum’s collection also includes the largest private collection of Malcolm Moore locomotives in Australia. Many other items of rolling stock and machinery have been rescued from the local sawmill scrap yards. The museum collection also includes financial records of defunct local timber companies, several hundred photographs, and recorded oral histories, and logging and farming machinery that have local rural historical significance, particularly machinery used on the land. Start or finish your journey at the terminus of the Great Victorian Rail Trail at the Alexandra Museum. The trail has spectacular views and the numbers of tourists seeking a different experience is always increasing.

The Machinery Festival will be open from 9am each day with plenty of food and drink facilities.

For further information call 0427 509 988 or check out updates on the Machinery Festival Facebook page.

A stroll down the garden path

Alexandra & District Open Gardens

Well it’s fourth time lucky for the Alexandra & District Open Gardens. After three years of cancelling, we are very excited to be able to go ahead with our event on the weekend of 28th and 29th October.

Some of the garden owners will be very happy the event has been confirmed as they have kindly been preparing their gardens now for three years!

There will be seven gardens to see this year; we have three town gardens in Alexandra and four country gardens between Molesworth and Taggerty to visit. At each garden, you will find additional attractions to enjoy and maybe even make a purchase. There will be coffee and food at some gardens, other gardens will have sculptures, plants and garden seeds.

Opening for the first time we have “The Old Molesworth School”, which is set on the Molesworth State School grounds. The school operated for 100 years before closing its doors in 1978. Then Jill and Andy Russell purchased the property in 1999.

After cleaning up the grounds, they were left with two fabulous oak trees, a magnificent spotted gum and some fruit trees. Then, with the advice from some family members – “no straight lines and good deep beds” – they started to plot the garden.

Trees were planted for shade and autumn colour, a camellia hedge for privacy, lots of flowers to keep their bees busy, and a vegie garden to grow some silverbeet for the chooks among other things.

“The main problem we have with our garden is the insufficient number of

days in a week,” Jill says. “Andy is my best garden implement.”

The pair adds, “for us, the garden is what we make of it – exercise, birdsong, creativity, perfume, solitude, surprise, colour, satisfaction, fresh air, enjoyment and much much more.”

Why not make a weekend of it in our beautiful Murrindindi Shire and enjoy one of our many local restaurants and cafes, and even book yourself into one of the local accommodation venues. Visit www.alexandraopengardens. com.au for a map of all the gardens and descriptions of what you can see at each one. Tickets are available at the Alexandra Information Centre, Alexandra Garden Nursery, Goulburn Valley Nurseries and at each garden gate, $5 per garden or $30 for an allgardens pass, which you can purchase on Trybooking.

Yea Garden Expo

The Rotary Club of Yea is pleased to be hosting two major garden events in spring that are sure to delight garden lovers everywhere. The first is the Yea Garden Expo on the weekend of Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th September. This is the time of year when interested gardeners are busy preparing their gardens for spring colour. The Expo provides an opportunity to purchase a host of garden-related products at the Yea Saleyards site (1 Flat Lead Rd) on the Yea – Whittlesea Road just two kilometres on the south side of Yea. The site is flat, sealed and easily accessible for everyone.

Take advantage of the $10 entry fee, which includes free parking, a wide range of goods and services, and a

plentiful supply of food and drinks, much of it homemade. Close to 70 vendors will be on site with exhibits ranging from bulbs, seeds, seedlings, flowering plants and trees to garden tools and equipment, garden art and ornaments, compost, fertilisers and more. Opening times are 9am-3pm daily. The popular speaker program will again be a feature of the event. An opportunity for visitors to both rest and learn! Visit the website (www. yeagardenexpo.com.au) or Facebook (Yea Garden Expo). Tickets may be purchased at the gate or prebook at www.trybooking.com/CGUBP

Yea Open Garden weekend

Now jump forward to November and the Yea Open Garden weekend (11 and 12 November) will have eight unique

gardens open from 10am to 5pm each day. Three fantastic country gardens in the Strath Creek area and five in the township of Yea and, for something a little different, the opportunity to take a stroll along Strath Creek and experience a totally regenerated natural area.

Yea Rotary will be operating a BBQ at Narangurnung, and Marmalades Café will be offering morning and afternoon teas at Carey Cottage in Killingworth. Multi-garden passes are available to purchase in advance through Trybooking, covering all eight gardens for $40 (saving of $9) at www. trybooking.com/CJTWN or on the weekend at individual gardens (cash only please) and the Yea Wetlands Discovery Centre. The cost is $5 for town gardens and $8 for country gardens

Why not make the most of your visit to Yea by visiting the Yea Wetlands Discovery Centre and experience the Indigenous Garden and nature specific to this area? You might also like to take a break at one of Yea’s cafes, all offering a variety of food to enjoy, or simply walk around this beautiful, historic town.

The Yea Garden Club will again have its annual plant sale selling hundreds of potted treasures at bargain prices

For further information please visit the Rotary Club of Yea website www.yearotary. org.au from September onwards or contact 0407 096 128

Sweet Peas Part 2

By Emily Friedel

Back in autumn, I wrote about getting your sweet pea seedlings started in pots. (If you missed the first article, you can find it online at https://issuu. com/murrindindiguide/ docs/murrindindi_guide_ autumn_2023.) By now, you should hopefully have some healthy baby sweet pea plants with strong root systems that are ready to plant out. If not, don’t worry – you can still sow sweet peas direct during spring or raise seedlings in pots, you’ll just have to wait a little longer for the flowers.

Here is the second half of the quick guide to a sensational spring sweet pea display:

Position and soil preparation

Sweet peas are sun-lovers, so pick a spot in the garden where they’ll get plenty of light. A position that is sheltered from the wind is also ideal to avoid damage from being blown around. They love rich, welldraining soil that is slightly alkaline – prepping the soil with plenty of compost is a must, and a dash of lime might be helpful if your soil is on the acidic side. And don’t forget to have support structures in place for your peas to latch onto and climb over.

Hardening off seedlings

To get your seedlings ready for life in the great outdoors, start leaving them outside during the day for a week or two, putting them back in the greenhouse or cold frame at night. Then leave them outside (day and night) for another week and they should be suitably tough to withstand transplanting.

Sweet peas come in an amazing array of varieties, including ‘spencer stripes’ as pictured here.

When to plant

The safest time to plant sweet pea seedlings or sow spring seeds is when the frosts have stopped (around Melbourne Cup Day). Even though sweet peas are frost hardy down to around –4°C, they don’t like being cold and wet. So cold temperatures in early spring can be a problem when combined with rain. However, if you’re keen for the earliest possible flowers and a wet spring isn’t predicted, you can get away with planting them in early spring. You can always put some in the ground early and save some for planting later as an insurance policy.

Planting out

If the weather’s warm, plant your seedlings out on an overcast day or in the evening to avoid heat stress. Sweet peas don’t like having their roots disturbed, so be as gentle as possible when removing them from their pots. Water in with seaweed solution to help them establish.

Ongoing care

Once they’re in the ground, your sweet peas don’t need much. They are quite a thirsty plant, so keep them well watered and use a thick layer of mulch for water retention. If you prepped your soil with a good amount of compost, they won’t need fertilising – in fact, using a high nitrogen fertiliser will just encourage lots of foliage growth at the expense of flower growth. However, they will appreciate a dose of seaweed solution every week or two.

Harvesting flowers

The opening of the season’s first sweet pea blooms is always exciting – their bright colours and heavenly perfume are a wonderful addition to the garden. Even more exciting is that there’s no need to wait before you have beautiful posies of them inside. The more you harvest the flowers, the more the plants will produce. If you want to keep flower production going for as long as possible, prevent the plants from setting seed pods by dead-heading any flowers you don’t harvest.

If you want to collect seeds for the next crop, you can wait until the end of the season to let them go to seed. Sweet peas self-pollinate before their flowers fully open, so you should mostly get seeds that are true to type even if you grow different varieties sideby-side.

Enjoy

Be sure to take the time to fully appreciate your sweet peas, whether outdoors or indoors. I like to sit with a cuppa and watch their blooms nodding in the sun while taking in their delightful fragrance – they’re such a joy to be around. And inside, I keep vases of them on the kitchen windowsill by the sink to make dishwashing more pleasant.

When the season is over and you’re pulling out straggly-looking sweet pea plants, you can indulge in the pleasure of planning a bigger and better sweet pea display for next spring!

You can start harvesting your sweat pea flowers as soon as they start to appear. If you’re looking for a cut-flower crop, grow varieties with longer flower stems.

Cracking the code on Macquarie perch

First described by European explorers in the upper Macquarie River near present day Bathurst, the Macquarie perch was one of south-eastern Australia’s most abundant freshwater native fish. Sadly, the Macquarie perch is now one of our most endangered. Macquarie perch, or “Maccas”, once thrived in the southern Murray Darling Basin, ranging from the Macquarie River in New South Wales through to the mountain streams of Victoria, and as far down the Murray River as Swan Hill.

In the local area Maccas, or “bream” as they were often referred to, were widespread along the length of the Goulburn River, and all of its tributaries. Alongside Murray cod, trout cod and catfish (and other native fish), Maccas abounded in the waters around Thornton, Alexandra, Molesworth and Seymour, pushing right up into the hills. For example, they were once known to be common in the Howqua River at least as far as the Sheepyard Flat area. They were a very popular target for local anglers, being highly prized for both sporting and table qualities.

The demise of Macquarie perch can be attributed to a long list of threatening processes, including habitat loss, gold mining, introduced fish such as redfin and man-made barriers to migration. This once plentiful fish is now reduced to a handful of fragmented populations across northern Victoria and southeastern NSW in small pockets of suitable habitat with little hope of reconnecting with each other and terribly exposed to the ever-present threats of drought, bushfire and in-breeding: they need help!

Fingerling release.

For many years scientists and river managers have tried to re-establish Maccas across their natural range through a combination of habitat improvement, reducing threats, restocking with fingerlings and translocating adult fish between populations. There have been many wins along the way, however the critical factor for the long-term survival of Maccas is to finally resolve the reliable production of large numbers of fingerlings in captivity; despite the best efforts of fisheries scientists across Victoria and NSW, they remain stubbornly resistant to being reared in hatchery conditions: we need to ‘Crack the Code on Maccas’!

A collaborative new research project, ‘Cracking the Code on Macquarie Perch’, for the first time will bring together fisheries experts from across Australia and abroad to work jointly on a dedicated program to resolve the captive breeding of Maccas. This will enable the re-establishment of wild populations of Maccas and give existing remnant populations a muchneeded boost in both numbers and genetics.

The $3.7million project, led by the Federal and Victorian Governments, features 12 partners across government, universities and community, including: Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA), Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC), NSW Fisheries, North East and Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authorities, Arthur Rylah

Institute, Deakin University, University of the Sunshine Coast, Monash University, and the Norwegian Institute of Aquaculture Research.

This dedicated research project will examine nutrition, hormones, the timing of breeding and other factors to understand how to consistently produce fingerlings for stocking – boosting the ongoing work to save the Macquarie perch from extinction. Once we can ‘Crack the Code’, we will be aiming to produce 500,000 to a million fingerlings every year at Snobs Creek hatchery for restocking, re-establishment of populations and recreational fisheries once again.

The support from recreational fishers for this project has also been overwhelming, with funding contributed to the project via the Victorian and NSW Recreational Fishing Licence Trusts (monies that are generated through fishing licence sales and then invested back into fish, and fishing). Whilst fishing for Macquarie perch in both states is strictly controlled, or in most waters totally prohibited, many anglers have grown up on the stories of the sporting qualities of Macquarie perch. Being able to bring them back from the brink so that future generations can enjoy this amazing fish will be a dream come true.

For more information on Cracking the Code for Macquarie Perch, go to Cracking the Code to watch a short film produced by the Victorian Fisheries Authority.

A beautiful Macquarie perch from the Livingstone Creek in Victoria, about to be released having been weighed, measured and samples taken for DNA testing. Photo credit: A Briggs, VFA.

Residential & Respite Care

Caring for the community

Darlingford is a lovely residential aged care facility that accommodates residents with a variety of care needs including permanent, respite, and dementia care. Darlingford provides a secure home environment, surrounded by more than 3acres of beautiful gardens and land, which is also enjoyed by native birds and kangaroos. Our qualified and passionate staff understand, respect and support the needs of residents and their families.

All inclusive services:

• Registered nurse on site 24 hours a day

• State government nurse/patient ratio in place

• Meals are prepared and cooked fresh on-site

• Cappuccino machine available for residents and visitors

• Personal clothing is laundered on-site

• All rooms have ensuite bathrooms

• Group and individual activities – including vegetable garden

• On-site entertainment, external outings and cultural celebrations

• Allied health consultants available:

Physiotherapist, Geriatrician, Dietician, speech therapist, hearing and dental services, podiatrist, occupational therapist, social worker.

• 7 double rooms ideal for couples, 37 single rooms

• Aged Care Assessment is required

A walk to remember

Save the date, readers! Coming up soon on the Sunday 10 September will be the annual Goulburn Valley Suicide Awareness Walk. The motto of this year’s walk is ‘Pause, Reflect and Remember’.

Our participants walk to honour the memory of those friends and family members who we have lost to suicide. The Goulburn Valley Suicide Awareness Walk was founded in 2021 by Jacky Gilbee and a committee of dedicated and passionate volunteers who wanted to create a grassroots mental health initiative to help support their community with an opportunity to come together and support others left behind after a suicide. Over 100 people took part last year and we expect to triple that number this year.

Registration for the walk is at 8.30am at

Yea Railway Station and this year’s walk coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day.

Jacky will kick the event off with a talk on how the walk began. The two amazing guest speakers this year will be Neil from 4 Child Safe, who will speak about the shock of losing a loved one, and Emma from Wellways, who will talk about what’s available to assist us moving forward.

Last year’s speakers were highly commended for both speaking with genuine understanding and empathy about their own experience of suicide of a loved one as well as providing information about various new organisations, mental health outreach programs and several support agencies. The walk begins around 10am after the guest speakers and honour read by

Cindy McLeish, MP. It continues to the 2 Twin Rail Trail Bridges closest to Melba Highway where a 50-metre banner is displayed for all to see, and concludes back at the Railway Park where Rotary will be hosting a sausage sizzle to help fundraise for local community support.

It’s a longer but leisurely walk this year and we encourage everyone to bring a buddy along even if that is a doggy buddy who we know bring us so much support and love.

Please contact us if you would like to donate, offer sponsorship or volunteer to help out on the day as well as register your participation through our website gvsag.org.au. Also be sure to follow us on Facebook: Goulburn Valley Suicide Awareness Group “GVSAG”. We hope to see lots of you on the second Sunday in September!

Eildon Chemmart Pharmacy

18A Main Street EILDON VIC 3713

T: 03 5774 2626

F: 03 5774 2525

ALEXANDRA PHYSIOTHERAPY

Libby Gobbart

PHYSIOTHERAPIST

B.App.Sc.

(Physiotherapy)

APAM, Cred MDT

54A Downey St

Alexandra

Ph 03 5772 2649

alexphysio@aapt.net.au

ND Podiatry Practice

Shop 2 / 2 Bakers Lane Alexandra 0439 205 999

Covering all aspects of podiatric care including: general foot care, diabetes, high risk foot, musculoskeletal including foot pain and biomechanics, orthotic therapy, footwear and paediatrics

Massage for the mind, body & soul

0427 216 724

11 Main Street Eildon

Instagram: Beauty and Bling Hairdressing

Facebook: Beauty and Bling Hairdressing Eildon

Denise Holschier

Remedial Massage Therapist 0409 814 344 d.holschier@bigpond.com 78 Grant Street, Alexandra

1 hour customised massage $80 or 45 minutes for $60

Holistic blend of remedial, relaxation, myofascial release, trigger point therapy.

ALEXANDRA Community Pharmacy

Mon to Fri from 9am-5.30pm & Sat from 9am-12.30pm 101 Grant Street, Alexandra

The Photo Lab within the Alexandra Community Pharmacy has a state of the art digital kiosks.

For After Hour Emergencies Only: Cinoj Thomas – 5772 3060

Ian Davis – 5772 2185 or 0409 354 782 Visit www.alexandrapharmacy.com.au for a full list of products & services provided or call 5772 2153 to speak to our trained staff

Alexandra: 0491 641 474

Mansfield: 0491 641 474

WE OFFER BULKBILLED EYE EXAMINATIONS

Alexandra Optical 106 Grant St Alexandra Wednesday: 9am-5pm or by appointment

Mansfield Optical 30c High St Mansfield Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 9am-5pm or by appointment

The painters & the potters exhibition

Three local Murrindindi-based women are joining forces to create an art exhibition running for two months in Yea.

Zeedee Douglas, Dawn French and Janine Arendsen have worked feverishly during 2023 to create a body of work including paintings, ceramics and macramé.

The gala opening night on 1 September 2023, sees the exhibition at Marmalades of Yea continuing until 5 November 2023. Marmalades owners Jane and Byron are excited to be filling their spaces with local art. “We love the idea of supporting local creatives and were thrilled to be approached by the Painters & Potters. Our team will get a kick out of seeing the bright works on the walls and in the windows, and customers will love it too!”

Zeedee Douglas

Zeedee Douglas, a Yea-based artist had the idea for the Painters & Potters exhibition. Her experience of being mentored by creative women, who ultimately challenged her belief that she couldn’t create art, led directly to the idea of this exhibition, which in turn drove a flood of creativity.

“I don’t remember a time when I didn’t create,” Zeedee says. “Sewing, threadwork, knitting, crocheting and gardening – I could turn my hand to most creative things.”

Much of Zeedee’s working life was dedicated to working on international aircraft. Living out of a suitcase was her daily reality, leaving no time for creative pursuits unless they were portable. Then the pandemic arrived, grounding Zeedee suddenly and irrevocably changing her life.

“I was determined to look at what I had, not what I’d lost. I rediscovered the precious commodity of time. Now I had time to dream, imagine and visualise all I wanted to create. I thought this was the end of my story, however I find that I’m at the beginning of my next chapter.”

Dawn French

As a migrant to Australia, Dawn French sees the natural beauty of the country

with fresh eyes. Now a Yea resident, her muse is the world she walks through every day.

“All my creative thoughts develop while I’m out doing everyday tasks. They may arise from the natural beauty of the flora and fauna I see, or from the shape and form of buildings and structures I observe while walking,” Dawn says.

“Then suddenly, while I’m working visual elements present themselves

Zeedee Douglas and examples of her work which will be on display at the exhibition.

from my recollections, guiding my hands as I shape my materials.”

Since arriving in Australia Dawn has lived in such diverse and far-flung places as to be the envy of many Australians. She believes she’s been tremendously fortunate that during her travels she has met people who were willing to share and show her the skills she needed to create her art objects.

Potters in Western Australia contributed to her growth as an artist, as did the First Nations Elders in Katherine who taught her how to strip Pandanus leaves. That sparked Dawn’s interest in weaving.

“I was taught weaving techniques locally by Cassie Leatham, a Taungurung DjaDja Wurrung woman, and was inspired by a sculptor to use items that would have otherwise ended up in landfill. My experience with all these teachers has encouraged me to continually seek new ideas. A large percentage of my work is experimental

and unfortunately a lot ends up in the bin or being de-constructed.”

The pieces that survive are always oneof-a-kind as she prefers not to produce multiples of the same thing. “My pieces tend to be unique and organic in form, with a muted colour palette. I look forward to people’s reactions to my work at the exhibition!”

Janine Arendsen

One day in 2019 Janine Arendsen felt the urge to paint a watercolour butterfly. The act of painting was so meditative and calming that she announced that she would paint one work every day for the next 365 consecutive days. Remarkably, she did. She created a large body of work, attracted commissions and even enjoyed exhibiting her work in a few local galleries and cafés in Murrindindi prior to the 2020 COVID lockdown.

Janine had always had an interest in

art, completing a major in visual arts in the 1980s, and during her 20s she completed a two year photographic course which she says definitely gave her a good eye for composition.

Since completing that full year of painting watercolours, Janine has expanded to other mediums, including acrylic and mixed media. “I want to discover my own distinctive style, to produce works that have recognisable continuity so that people can say, ‘Oh, that’s a Janine Arendsen painting.’”

Moving to her new home in 2022 she has established a dedicated art space, which allows her to spread out, make mess and truly immerse into her art practice.

More recently Janine has expanded her work to include art created entirely in the digital realm.

“The software that is available today is simply mind-blowing. You can take your

Janine Arendsen. Below: Janine’s artork named ‘Three Roses’.

‘Lily the Courageous’ by Janine.

knowledge of paint, mediums, brushes and even paper and apply it within these programs. It’s a lot less messy but equally as absorbing,” she says.

Some of these pieces will appear in the exhibition in the form of digitally printed canvases, mugs and cards.

Janine says that “art is about stepping outside self-imposed limitations – there are no laws about what’s valid. I consider my abstract acrylics and my digital creations are all part of my body of work.”

Everyone is welcome at the opening night, on Friday 1 September. Featuring a Welcome to Country by Cassie Leatham (Taungurung DjaDja Wurrung), canapés and live music, the $10 entry fee will benefit pLATform Youth Theatre and Yea River Catchment Landcare.

Drinks will also be available at bar prices. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at TryBooking.com/CIROT.

After the opening, the exhibition can be viewed by all Marmalades’ patrons, and will run until 5 November 2023.

‘Hare’ by Janine Arendsen.

Darren Gilbert @ Marian Rennie Gallery

Anew artistic journey of sculptures by Darren Gilbert at Marian Rennie’s fabulous gardens and gallery in Acheron will be held on Saturday 21 October to Friday 20 November. The new series of garden-friendly sculptures have been created over the last six months, revolving around a boat theme. A vessel that holds dreams, shapes and environmental elements.

Recycling these ideas and themes are the main elements used in this series of sculptures. Each piece of metal in the sculptures gives a sense of history to the materials, which have been sourced from around Victoria. Collected from old farms, sheds and homes, the sounds and stories the iron has absorbed over time creates a uniqueness to each piece, with its own story to tell or secret to keep.

One thing that stands out clearly in Darren’s work is the amount of planning, engineering and time that goes into each sculpture.

Darren explains the process behind each work.

“The Fibonacci Sequence or mathematical equation helps to map out each piece. In lay terms, the rule of thirds, from which everything in nature or every aesthetically pleasing artwork can be measured and is ultimately laid out in a spiral.”

Darren has lived in and around the Murrindindi area for 20 years and has come to love the area. When the opportunity arose to have an exhibition at Marian’s historical family property under the shadows of the Cathedral Ranges, it couldn’t be missed. Darren has a profound love of the Australian environment. It can be harsh and difficult to live in. To navigate through this environment you need to float on the top, like a boat.

Opening on Friday 20 October from 6pm with a cocktail party at Marian’s restaurant and meeting the artist, the exhibition continues on for the next four weeks.

The exhibition will be open from 10am to 4.30pm each day at Marian Rennie Gallery, 132 Breakaway Road, Acheron (more information phone 0412 109 129).

Marian Rennie’s Art Gallery is holding an ‘EVENING EMBERS SCULPTURE AND FIREPIT SHOW’ to showcase the works of amateur and professional, backyard, frustrated firepit enthusiasts or anyone who has an idea for a sensational firepit.

Come exhibit your firepits in the Rennie Gardens at Acheron on the opening night of Darren’s exhibition . . . we are envisaging a spectacular show of firepits glowing as the sun goes down. After enjoying Darren’s sculptures, stories can be shared around the fires as the spit cooks up and the sun goes down. So get creative in your sheds and enter your piece ... all works will be for sale. Contact Marian for further info 0412 109 129.

Horn Boat: metal, roofing iron and wood. 1000 mm (l) x 400 mm (w) x 2100 (h) est. Left: Circle Boat. Metal, roofing iron and wood. 1000 mm (l) x 400 mm (w) x 2100 (h) est.

Dindi Open Studios wil also be open on the weekend of 21 and 22 October. See the Dindi Open Studios website https://dindiopenstudios.com.au for more information.

Entries Opening Soon!

Demonstrations and other events all weekend

Best in Show $1000!

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW FOR OPENING EVENT FRIDAY 17 NOVEMBER

Follow the website and register your interest to keep up with the latest information.

Kinglake Community Centre, cnr Extons & Whittlesea -Kinglake Roads, Kinglake email: info@kinglakeartshow.com.au website: kinglakeartshow.com.au facebook: www.fb.com/kinglakeartshow

perform original songs that they have written about their hometown with help from Golden Guitar Winners Carter & Carter

SPECIAL WORKSHOPS

A variety of workshops for all ages are held throughout the festival – run by the performers. Festival attendees will have the chance to learn from professional artists the techniques and tips to be able to make a start, or an improvement, on an instrument or in a particular performance skill

Buxton – its past present, people and places – how it evolved

By Julia Foletta

It was a good idea. Buxton’s history needed to be told. This small Victorian town was changing, residents were ageing, and their memories of Buxton’s rich past were needed before being buried forever in the grave.

Our rural landscape was changing too. The dairies and timber mills had become memories. A changing economy and labour force, different family dynamics, plus land rezonings enabling dissection of some of the bigger farms. Houses, no longer humble, now scatter across what was virtually an uninterrupted landscape.

Buxton had been severely impacted by the 2009 Black Saturday fires, but this was not intended to be a book about the fires. Some stories had already been written by former students for the school’s 1975 centenary, but since then many school records have been lost.

In the 1980s dwindling student numbers had threatened closure of the school. Buxton school’s historic roll, a great source of names, addresses and parent occupations, had been sent to Marysville school for safe keeping. Marysville’s school burnt in the 2009 fires and, with those went the roll. Buxton school survived, but not so many of Buxton’s physical reminders. It became important to record the memories of what had been.

By 2014 Buxton

resident Nancy

Leslie

(nee Thomas) believed a history of Buxton was needed. She had already begun interviewing then writing stories from living Buxton residents. Approximately 17 had been gathered with 15 underway, all written with a degree of poetic licence, so they required editing and checking for accuracy with their subjects.

Nancy needed support for the project and gathered ten Buxton people, with various skills and interests, some of whom had a long association with Buxton. Since our family’s land had been purchased in the 1930s, and my own memories of Buxton harked back to the 1950s, I was one of them. The Buxton History Group (BHG) was formed. For various reasons BHG needed affiliation with an incorporated body, in this case, the Buxton Progress Association Inc (BPA).

More stories were needed. Through local media and personal contact, the

community was invited to write their personal stories. If, in 2014, Facebook and email had been widespread forms of communication, the message may have spread further.

The BHG met regularly, members were allocated key people to interview, mostly on neighbouring properties. This was only mildly successful.

By October 2014 we only had 33 stories. More key people needed chasing, but some were reluctant to share their stories. As Nancy and husband Max continued their mission of interviewing their contacts, I too chased, sorted, wrote, and edited more stories with assistance from another local, Graham Eddy.

Some BHG members dropped out but Denis Scott, from the pioneering Scott family, came on board with information about Buxton’s early developments and the Scott family. The Scotts had arrived in Buxton in 1862. Ian Jones who had grown up in Buxton in the 1950s and ’60s sent a copy of his personal story, his illustrated book ‘I still call Buxton home’. This was a valuable reference. Most benefit came from BHG members who had vivid memories of Buxton’s past, including lifelong resident and farmer, David Perry. Buxton’s Primary School was about to turn 140 in 2015. What better opportunity to call past and present residents together again for a reunion? All I can say is it was a huge amount of organisation for us and the Buxton school community. I had created a database of names, contact methods and timeline for each known resident’s written contributions. This proved invaluable, but some

secretarial help might have reduced my workload.

The very successful reunion attracted more than 160 people, most sharing stories, memories, and photographs. More stories dribbled in, some typed, some handwritten. The stories needed to be logged into the computer then edited, at the same time retaining the flavour with which they had been written. Somewhat prematurely and unrealistically, books were pre-sold at the reunion for $20. A total of 83 copies were presold, creating the expectation that a book would be forthcoming. By now there were about 80 stories, some just promised or unfinished. I set forth to edit them. The pressure was on to put these stories and people into the book. Time was of the essence, but time-consuming door to door interviews, with printed hard copies in hand, were required for fact checking with the subjects. Some of the key drivers were absent as they headed north for winter.

While group members thought the process might follow the path of the Narbethong book, our situation was different. There had been little discussion about how Buxton’s book would be edited, financed, and produced. Thanks to some early small donations, there was money for the materials required for printing of hard copies, the preferred medium for reading, checking, and editing.

By early 2016 I had been working one on one with the locals, sometimes writing

Julia Foletta.

their stories before they filled in the gaps. Graham found out more about the town’s historical development by scouring the old minutes of the Alexandra Shire council meetings.

By November 2016, perhaps realising the enormity of the project, plus the fact that they had decided to sell their Buxton property, Nancy and Max Leslie suggested mothballing the whole project. This meant all book purchase money would be returned and the files stored for future use by some interested person. While members of the BHG voted to continue with the project, I abstained from voting. I had other responsibilities. However, since so much interest and community goodwill had come from the project to date, we could not let the people down. Buxton’s history really needed to be recorded. I, with support of Graham and some BHG members, picked up the gauntlet.

So, a few of us forged on, albeit still with no plan of how we could supply the final product.

The stories were coming to me directly and via Graham. Some had photos embedded into the document, so original photos had to be requested and scanned. Information gaps in Buxton’s history were apparent. Buxton’s infrastructure, businesses, primary production, developments, significant properties and people were not yet documented.

By September 2018 when, we had

accumulated 127 separate stories plus photos, Graham consolidated them into one single manuscript. The dilemma was how to organise them into a meaningful book? We needed someone with fresh eyes to look at the manuscript. Stories were still missing, facts had been overlooked, interest by the BHG was flagging but locals continued to ask where their book was!

Early 2019 found Graham in intensive care and me burnt out. Quotes had been sought from various editors and publishers, all deeming the project as totally unrealistic without grants or significant funding.

There had to be a solution. Graham was still very ill, but we took the manuscript to well-known Alexandra publisher, Ann Dulhunty of Ann Friedel Publishing, and Ann’s daughter Emily.

Emily, who was suitably qualified for this editing task, offered a fresh and optimistic approach to our dilemma and came up with a quote. We took Emily’s proposal to members of the Marysville and Triangle Community Development Fund. Thankfully our grant application was successful.

And so, just as the Covid pandemic reared its ugly head in early 2020, Emily and I were able to work together on phase one of the editing process. Emily’s move away from Alexandra to an area with poor mobile phone reception meant that all contact had to be made via email. Along the way we dealt with missing information, people and places

who were needed to complete the whole story. The more we delved, the more we realised what was missing. I made appointments with Marysville’s History Centre which proved to be a valuable (and willing) source of historic information and photographs.

While the pandemic held the world at bay, for Buxton’s book it was a blessing. Despite wide travel restrictions, local regional travel was still possible, people were staying home and willing to talk on the phone or meet (masks on, of course). There was little traffic on the highway, but increased traffic on the internet sometimes delayed delivery of emails. I took many photos to fill the gaps, and, between Graham and myself, 25 newly written stories were added and sent to Emily, causing a ‘budget’ blowout! Graham found a way to deal with that.

Soon Emily had a structure for the stories, a working copy of stories that had been lightly edited for readability, and recommendations of what we should do next. Covid was still rolling on.

Once Graham had checked the whole manuscript it was time to mark the placement and caption the hundreds of photos that had been sought, scanned, labelled, and filed during the preceding years. Many more photos of suitable quality would be needed. Thankfully I had plenty from my years of community involvement.

By 2021 Ann was keen to take the stories and photos to the production stage. Our protracted project needed completing.

SPRING EXHIBITIONS & EVENTS

Open 10am-4pm daily 11 Murchison Street Marysville T: 03 5963 4567 www.marysvilletourism.com

August 26 – Play Music on the Porch Day ~ local musicians will be performing throughout the day in the main gallery foyer on Murchison Street. Why not come along to listen and support these amazing local artists and take a browse through our shop and gallery while you are here in Marysville?

August 27 – Victoria Concert Orchestra at Marysville Community Centre. Hosted by Marysville and District Lions Club. Tickets $25 at the door.

October 19 & 20 – Variety Club Fundraiser Moto Run https://www.savarietymotorun.com.au/

November 3 to 30 – Marysville Art Show plus arts workshops, films and music. For more information go to www.marysvilleartshow.com or email tag3779@gmail.com

November 24 & 25 – Marysville Music weekend ~ a great weekend of fabulous music with a line-up including Kate Ceberano, William Crighton, Frank Sultana and Cass Eager. To book your tickets www.marysvillemusicweekend.com

So, despite no forthcoming funding, we forged on. Ann promised discounted rates, I was just hoping we’d find the money somehow. I even considered ways to fund it myself!

While three willing proofreaders took their turn, I concentrated on the photos, matching them to the relevant text, getting the names right, and writing an accurate caption. Ann worked with the text, editing and formatting, and decided where the photos should sit on each page.

Once production and proofreading was complete, it was time to get some firm quotes from printers. Regrettably, printing a book of the size, quality and style in Australia would have been just too expensive. In August 2022 I obtained more affordable quotes from a very obliging printer in China.

Now, to find the money for Ann’s work and the printing, I met with the BPA, who in principle wanted to support the project. However, I was in trouble for undertaking a project with no guarantee of funding for production and printing.

That bit me hard for a while.

The book also needed an index. I created a list of names in the manuscript, then Graham undertook the arduous task of adding the book pages to the names.

The BPA ultimately agreed to manage the project, but the money was to come from future book sales. Fortunately, a smaller subcommittee of five, chaired by Andy Cowan, was set up to manage the book from there. We still needed an actual ‘book’, something to show the people. We wanted a quality product. Despite a little pushback from some, we opted for a slightly more expensive colour hard cover. We took a punt and some of our little committee chipped in money to get the ball rolling. We paid a deposit to the printers, then, after Ann had been given the go ahead to send the full PDF of the book off to China, they began printing.

May 30, 2023, was an exciting day. The sample printed book arrived and it was of the quality we had hoped for. Thanks to a very generous personal loan to the BPA, Ann could be paid for her work.

Thanks also to the generosity of the Buxton community, more donations and pre-sales enabled the printing presses to roll.

By Wednesday, July 19, 2023, five hundred beautiful books had arrived on Australia’s shores, cleared customs and were ready for collection. Importing the books and associated costs were funded by a community trivia night held at the Buxton Hotel on July 20, 2023.

Preparations and notifications to the wider community for the upcoming launch had been running in the background. Through numerous articles in local media, plus emails to the hundreds of people from my database, the message got out.

On July 29, 2023, more than 150 past and present Buxton residents came together for the book launch. After what has been a nine year journey, the people of Buxton could finally hold Buxton’s history in their hands.

‘Buxton-its past present, people and places’ can be purchased via the link historybook. buxtonprogress.org.au and through several local outlets.

10AM-3PM

Contact: Gordon Simpson 0409 577 212 or Rachel: alexandraeventsltd@gmail.com

www.alexandratourism.com

& Beyond Marysville

SEPTEMBER 2023

FRIDAY 1 TO SUNDAY 5 NOV ~ THE PAINTERS & THE POTTERS EXHIBITION

Marmalades of Yea, 20 High Street, Yea

Three Murrindindi artists exhibit their work, inspired by nature and the stunning.

P: 0407 017 694 E:zazadouglas@outlook.com (see ad page 59)

W: https://TryBooking.com/CIROT

SATURDAY 2 ~ TRIVIA NIGHT

Goulburn River Inn, 4364 Goulburn Valley Hwy, Molesworth

P: 5797 6266 W: goulburnriverinn.com.au (see ad page 9)

SATURDAY 2 ~ GOULBURN FISHING FESTIVAL

Lions Park, Riverside Drive Eildon

Celebrating the start of the trout fishing season and promoting Eildon as a fishing destination. Fishing industry traders, exhibitors, stalls. 10am-4pm

W: www.vfa.vic.gov.au/goulburnfishfest

SATURDAY 2 ~ EXHIBITION BY MAVA

MiRa, 11 Murchison Street, Marysville

“Osmosis” is metaphorical for the exchange of creativity, and inspiration between artists and their audience. 10am-4pm. (see ad page 65)

P: 5963 4567 W: miramarysville.com.au

SUNDAY 10 ~ SUICIDE AWARENESS WALK

Yea Railway Station to Two Bridges

Walking to remember those lost and raise awareness. (see ad page 55) W: www.gvsag.org.au P: 0417 907 278 F: GV Suicide Awareness Group

SUNDAY 10 ~ MURRINDINDI BLUES CLUB

Goulburn River Inn, 4364 Goulburn Valley Hwy, Molesworth

P: 5797 6266 W: goulburnriverinn.com.au (see ad page 9)

SATURDAY 23 ~ CREDENCE CLEARWATER SURVIVAL

Goulburn River Inn, 4364 Goulburn Valley Hwy, Molesworth

P: 5797 6266 W: goulburnriverinn.com.au (see ad page 9)

SATURDAY 23 & SUNDAY 24~ YEA GARDEN EXPO

Yea Saleyards, Flat Leaf Road, Yea

View a host of garden related products. (see ad page 44)

P: 0432 991 992 P: 0428 321 545 E: yeagardenexpo@optusnet.com.au

SUNDAY 24 ~ JAM SESSION

Goulburn River Inn, 4364 Goulburn Valley Hwy, Molesworth

P: 5797 6266 W: goulburnriverinn.com.au (see ad page 9)

OCTOBER 2023

SATURDAY 7 ~ TRIVIA NIGHT

Goulburn River Inn, 4364 Goulburn Valley Hwy, Molesworth

P: 5797 6266 W: goulburnriverinn.com.au (see ad page 9)

SATURDAY 7 & SUNDAY 8 ~ DARREN GILBERT OPEN STUDIOS

5 Giffard Street, Yea

Organic metal sculptures / pen and ink artworks of Australian animals. W: www.monkeytaildesign.com F:www.facebook.com/darren. gilbert.503

P: 0421 378 451 E: gmgilbert@skymesh.com.au (see ad page 38)

SUNDAY 8 ~ MURRINDINDI BLUES CLUB

Goulburn River Inn, 4364 Goulburn Valley Hwy, Molesworth

P: 5797 6266 W: goulburnriverinn.com.au (see ad page 9)

SATURDAY 7 & SUNDAY 8 ~ HERITAGE MACHINERY FESTIVAL

Alexandra Timber Tramway & Museum, Station Street, Alexandra Working engines, train rides and more (see ad page 43)

P: 0479 066 221 E: alexandra.rally@yahoo.com

SATURDAY 21 ~ YARCK CFA & NEIGHBOURING BRIGADES EXPO

Yarck Recreation Reserve, Goodear Lane, Yarck Emergency Services Expo 10am-2pm. Free event. Squirt a fire hose, learn CPR, fun for kids and adults, meet Captain Koala, jumping castle, face painting, sausage sizzle, raffle.

P: 0448 537 678

SATURDAY 21 ~ FLEETWOOD PAC

Goulburn River Inn, 4364 Goulburn Valley Hwy, Molesworth

Chris de Araugo solo acoustic before Fleetwood Pac.

P: 5797 6266 W: goulburnriverinn.com.au (see ad page 9)

OCTOBER 2023

SUNDAY 22 ~ JAM SESSION

Goulburn River Inn, 4364 Goulburn Valley Hwy, Molesworth

P: 5797 6266 W: goulburnriverinn.com.au (see ad page 9)

SATURDAY 28 ~ ALEXANDRA RACES ON COX PLATE DAY

Alexandra Race Club, Ruoak Way, Alexandra Racing on Cox Plate Day in Alexandra. (see ad page 40)

W: country.racing.com/alexandra E: walsh145@me.com P: 0467 413 767

SATURDAY 28 & SUNDAY 29 ~ ALEXANDRA AND DISTRICT OPEN GARDENS

Alexandra and District

Enjoy expansive country gardens and clever town gardens. (see ad page 44)

P: 03 5773 4323 E: info@alexandraopengardens.com.au

W: alexandraopengardens.com.a

SATURDAY 28 & SUNDAY 29 ~ FAWCETT HALL MARKET

655 Spring Creek Road, Fawcett

Cafe, market and stalls (see ad page 45)

Sandra P: 0400 240 409 W: fawcetthall.org.au

FRIDAY 25 TO TUESDAY 3 NOV ~ MARYSVILLE ART SHOW

MiRA, 11 Murchison Street, Marysville

Local and interstate works. Artsfest: outdoor live music entertainment, films and workshops throughout the 5 day period. 10am-4pm (see ad page 65)

P: 03 5963 4567 P: 0431 450 160 E: tag3779@gmail.com

W: www.marysvilleartshow.com

NOVEMBER 2023

SATURDAY 4 ~ TRIVIA NIGHT

Goulburn River Inn, 4364 Goulburn Valley Hwy, Molesworth

P: 5797 6266 W: goulburnriverinn.com.au (see ad page 9)

SATURDAY 4 & SUNDAY 5 ~ DARREN GILBERT OPEN STUDIOS

5 Giffard Street, Yea

Organic metal sculptures / pen and ink artworks of Australian animals. W: www.monkeytaildesign.com F:www.facebook.com/darren. gilbert.503

P: 0421 378 451 E: gmgilbert@skymesh.com.au (see ad page 38)

SUNDAY 5 ~ SPRING FAIR

Rotary Park, Alexandra

Children’s amusements, market stalls, live music (see ad page 66)

P: 0409 577 212 E: alexandraeventsltd@gmail.com W: alexandratourism.com

SATURDAY 11 ~ ALEXANDRA SPRING SHOW

Alexandra Showgrounds, 17 William Street, Alexandra

W: www.alexandrashow.com (see ad page 40)

SATURDAY 11 & SUNDAY 12 ~ YEA OPEN GARDENS WEEKEND

Yea and District

Eight gardens are available to visit in 2022 (see ad page 44)

P: 0431 752 367 P: 0428 321 545 E: woodsygm@bigpond.net.au

W: www.yearotary.org.au

SUNDAY 12 ~ MURRINDINDI BLUES CLUB

Goulburn River Inn, 4364 Goulburn Valley Hwy, Molesworth

P: 5797 6266 W: goulburnriverinn.com.au (see ad page 9)

SATURDAY 17 ~ BABBA

Goulburn River Inn, 4364 Goulburn Valley Hwy, Molesworth

P: 5797 6266 W: goulburnriverinn.com.au (see ad page 9)

SATURDAY 18 ~ YEA & ST PATS RACING CLUB RACE DAY

Yea Racecourse, Racecourse Rd, Yea

Great facilities ~ TAB & bookmakers, BYO or $5 cans at the Rustic Bar, free Kelly sports activities (see ad page 40)

P: 0438 048 178 E: mhcars@hotmail.com W: country.racing.com/yea

SATURDAY 25 ~ YEA SHOW

Recreational Reserve, Snodgrass Street, Yea Cattle show, animal displays, crafts (see ad page 40)

W: www.yeashow.org.au

SUNDAY 26 ~ JAM SESSION

Goulburn River Inn, 4364 Goulburn Valley Hwy, Molesworth

P: 5797 6266 W: goulburnriverinn.com.au (see ad page 9)

REGULAR MARKETS

ALEXANDRA MARKET

2nd Saturday of month 9am-1pm

Alexandra Timber Tramway, Station Street, Alexandra

Plants, herbs, local produce, unique handicrafts, bric-a-brac and collectables. Refreshments available – coffee cart, BBQ and cold drinks. Free entry. Train rides for a small donation. 0427 509 988 | market@alexandratramway.org.au | www.alexandratramway.org.au

GRANT STREET MARKET

1st Sunday of the month 9am-1pm

Grant Street, Alexandra

Various stalls, music, jumping castle. Contact Andrew Embling 0418 266 038

EILDON TWILIGHT MARKET

Saturday • 4 Nov • 9 Dec • 27 Jan • 17 Feb • 9 & 30 March ~ 4pm-8pm

The Eildon Pondage, Riverside Drive Eildon

Local food and beverage trucks, local producers, quality local artisans, artists and creators. Live music showcasing local youth and artists. Family activities, pet friendly (dogs must be on a lead). Gold coin entry.

Karine 0400 715 319 | karine.haslam@gmail.com

FLOWERDALE COMMUNITY MARKET

3rd Sunday of month 9am-1pm

Flowerdale Community Hall, Yea Whittlesea Road, Flowerdale

Country market stalls with arts, crafts, veggies, plants, bric-a-brac. Hot food, Devonshire teas, cold drinks available. New stall holders welcome, $10 a stall.

Alison 03 5780 1223 | Alron27@bigpond.com

KINGLAKE PRODUCE & ARTISAN MARKET

4th Sunday of month 10am-3pm (held on the 3rd Sunday in December)

19 Whittlesea-Kinglake Road, Kinglake

Fresh from us to you. High quality items, grown or made by our stall holders. Proving quality products and food every month, all year round.

0419 339 320 | kinglakemarket@gmail.com | www.kinglakemarket.com

MARYSVILLE MARKET

2nd & 4th Sunday of month – Murchison Street, Marysville Crafts, gifts, clothing, plants, locally produced preserves, jams, chutneys, lavender products, shortbread biscuits, honey, fresh fruit and vegetables and wine. Additional stallholders invited.

TAGGERTY 4 SEASONS MARKET

Saturday of Australia Day, Easter, King’s Birthday and Melbourne Cup Weekends 9am-1pm – 3 Taggerty-Thornton Road, Taggerty

Local produce including olive oil, wine, honey, fudge, baked goods, preserves, soaps, crafts, bric-a-brac, fruit, vegetables, plants, free range eggs, BBQ sausages and espresso coffee. taggertycommunityprogress@gmail.com

TALLAROOK FARMERS MARKET

1st Sunday of month (except January) 8.30am-12pm (second market in December on 3rd Sunday) – 44 Main Road, Talarook

Fresh local produce. Relax in the market cafe while listening to local musicians. Free kids activities.

0403 831 520 | Facebook Tallarook Farmers Market

YARCK COUNTRY MARKET

3rd Saturday of month 9am-1.30pm – Yarck Hall, Maroondah Hwy, Yarck

The market helps to fund the hall maintenance and provides an outlet for local produce, jams, craft, plants and wines.

0407 879 612 | yarckhall@hotmail.com | www.visityarck.com.au

YEA RAILWAY MARKET

1st Saturday of month – Yea Railway Reserve, Station St Yea

Fresh local produce, arts and crafts, children’s activities, playground and skate park. The market showcases local producers, growers and makers and is a community event with a gold coin donation entry - funds from entry are donated to local charities each month.

0427 722 624 | globalgemsandfinejewellery@gmail.com

CARAVAN

Produce yarckmeatandproduce.com

Secret Thai, Alexandra 0478 113 945

Snobs Creek Bar & Grill 5774 2903

Tallarook General Store & Cafe

Tallarook 5792 1687

The Provender Country Bakehouse Yea 5797 3155

Yea Take Away, Yea 5797 2664

ELECTRICIANS

Blackwood Electrics, Taggerty 0418 997 780 / 0434 100 518

E-Tec Electrical Contractor

Alexandra 0418 543 310

Grimshaw Electrics

Thornton 0429 808 596

J Williams Electrical Alexandra 0439 842 030

EQUIPMENT HIRE

Rural Equipment Hire, Alexandra 0429 394 166

FARM CONTRACTING

ES Hadfield Contracting 0429 931 127

FHN Black Angus 0429 020 619

FARM EQUIPMENT

Elders,

GIFT SHOP / CLOTHING / ANTIQUES

Goody’s Discounts, Alexandra 0438 702 982

Flori e Casa, Yea 0412 322 419

Lit & Beyond, Marysville 0422 239 754

Nanny Jan’s Emporium

Eildon Shopping Centre

Nice, Yea 0413 489 196

Redgate Bazaar, Alexandra 0407 683 712

Rustic Simplicity, Alexandra 0419 517 045

The Alpaca Yarn Lady, Alexandra 0427 879 998

GLASS PRODUCTS

Alexandra Windscreens & Glass

Alexandra 0427 577 839

Ridgeline Glass & Glazing

Healesville 5962 2888

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Ann Friedel Publishing 0418 556 107

HARDWARE / TIMBER STORES

Yenckens Alexandra 5772 2188

Mansfield 5775 2511 Yea 5797 2290

Jerusalem Creek Marina & Hoilday Park

Eildon 5774 2585

HEALTH / BEAUTY / WELLBEING

Alexandra Physiotherapy

Alexandra 5772 2649

Jessica’s Sheer Beauty

Alexandra 5772 3322

Moksha Massage

Alexandra 0409 814 344

ND Podiarty, Alexandra 0439 205 999

Terry White Chemmart, Eildon 5774 2626

HEATING

Bowd Heating, Alexandra 5772 1045

HOSPITALITY SUPPLIES

Mansfield Hospitality Supplies5779 1660

HOTELS / MOTELS / RESORTS

Alexandra Hotel 5772 1014

Alexandra Motor Inn 5772 2077

LOCAL PRODUCE

Buxton Trout Farm 5774 7370

Dindi Bee Supplies, Yea 0409 908 857

Thornton Butcher & Deli 5773 2224

Yarck Meat & Produce 5773 4226

MARINE SERVICES

Eildon

501 Cafe Bar & Grill

/ RESTAURANTS

Jerusalem Creek 5774 2585

Alexandra Bakery & Cafe 5772 2272

Burnsies, Alexandra 5772 2693

Cappa Rossi’s, Kinglake 5786 1783

Dindi Naturals Cafe, Yarck 5773 4349

Eildon Bakery & Cafe, Eildon 5774 2362

Elevation 423, Marysville 0455 046 623

El Largo, Eildon 0472 593 367

Elli & Ivy, Alexandra 5772 1823

Flowerdale Estate

Strath Creek 5784 9280

Kazza’s Diner, Alexandra 5772 2322

Keppel Cafe, Marysville 5797 2513

Killingworth Hill Cafe & Whisky Bar

Yea 0455 266 888

Mar ysville Gourmet Pies 0492

On Point Brewery

Alexandra 0413 562 693

Ros Ritchie Wines

Mansfield 0444 588 276

Saladin Lodge, Narbethong 0429 699 969

Schoolhouse, Thornton 9118 8998

0412 109 129

MIRA Marysville 5963 4567

Rustic Simplicity

Alexandra 0419 517 045

GENERAL STORES/ GROCERIES

Jerusalem Creek Marina & Holiday Park

Lake Eildon 5774 2585

Snobs Creek Holiday Park 5774 2903

Tallarook General Store & Cafe

Tallarook 5792 1687

Black Spur Inn, Narbethong 5963 7121

Bonfire Station Farmstay 0423 457 072

Buxton Hotel, Buxton 5774 7381

Eildon Lake Motel, Eildon 5774 2800

Flowerdale Estate

Strath Creek 5784 9280

Flowerdale Hotel 5780 1230

Goulburn River Inn

Molesworth 5797 6266

Holmesglen at Eildon

Eildon 5774 2631

Jerusalem Creek Marina & Holiday Park

Lake Eildon 5774 2585

Royal Mail Hotel, Yea 5797 2515

Rubicon Hotel Motel

Thornton 5773 2251

Snobs Creek Holiday Park 5774 2903

Taylor Bay Country Club

Taylor Bay 0497 889 353

Yarck Hotel 5773 4226

Yea Motel, Yea 5797 2660

Yea Peppercorn Hotel, Yea 5797 2000

LANDSCAPING

Itec Earthworks 0421 921 110

Murrindindi Shire East Map