Otway life winter16

connecting communities across the ranges winter 2016 issue 11

INSIDE

Featuring Anglesea • Enviornment • Events • Arts & Books • Around the Houses

Images: Visions of Victoria

Otway living and visiting Winchelsea Y es HW Princ

ay Rd e O tw

Cap

Birregurra

Colac

Geelong Melbourne

Anglesea

Deans Marsh Barongarook

Aireys Inlet

Barwon Downs Ro

Forrest

t

ea Gr

Wye River

Beech Forest Princetown

Kennett River

Lavers Hill Skenes Creek Apollo Bay Hordern Vale

Cape Otway

Otway Life Magazine Winter 2016

ad

Lorne Oc ea n

Gellibrand

Our little magazine is now two years old... and we invite you to give us feedback and ideas for improvement either via this very quick survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/ H7KF2T6 Or email: otwaylifemagazine@gmail.com or our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ otwaylifemagazine/

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Editor’s Note Another season rolls around with all the joys and challenges of autumn transiting into winter. Water is the biggest concern at the moment and we hope for a wet Winter and Spring before Summer hits us again. So bring on those rain dances…

Thank you to the readers who participated in our survey and in response to your suggestions we have included a letters page and more profiles of locals.

We are grateful for all our supporters and contributors that help make this modest community magazine readable and relevant for both residents and visitors to the beautiful Otway Ranges and its coastal communities. Each issue is put together by enthusiastic volunteers – no one is paid – it was our hope to get to the point where there was enough revenue to cover costs as well as modest wages but

The Team Editor Nettie Hulme Design Gillian Brew Admin Helen Kurzman Published June 2016

by Forrest & District Neighbourhood House 14 Grant Street Forrest Victoria 3236 P 03 5236 6591 E otwaylifemagazine@gmail.com F www.facebook.com/otwaylifemagazine B otwaylifemagazine.wordpress.com T twitter.com/otwaylifemag View Online issuu.com/otwaylife.magazine Cover: Kangaroo near Anglesea shopping centre Image courtesy Otway Tourism Next issue (spring) deadline 31 August 2016 Otway Life Magazine acknowledges the aboriginal traditional owners of Victoria - including its parks and reserves. Through their cultural traditions, aboriginal people maintain their connection to their ancestral lands and waters.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this magazine and the advertisements supplied do not necessarily represent those of Forrest & District Neighbourhood House.

Printed by: Adcell Group on 100% recycled stock

Winter 2016 going into our third year of production we have to accept it will always be a labour of love. Some people may think we are ‘bonkers’ for attempting to establish a print magazine in this economic climate when even the mainstream printed media is struggling to survive. But we think it is important to provide a forum for local history, art, writing, music, knowledge and voices without fear or favour. However, the financial reality is that in order to survive at all we may need to become an online publication in the near future. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

We always welcome contact from you either via email: otwaylifemagazine@gmail.com or postal: c/o PO Forrest 3236 or www.facebook.com/otwaylifemagazine or blog otwaylifemagazine.wordpress.com/ Thank you from the Otway Life Magazine team.

Contributors: Stephen Brookes, Merrill O’Donnell, Neal Drinnan, Suzanne Frydman, Ami Hilleage, Sally White, Anna Sande, Nettie Hulme.

Contents

Talk to us ����������������������������������� 4 Community Profile �������������������������6-7 History Note - Alice of Anglesea ���������������8-9 Alcoa & Anglesea �������������������������10-11 Fish of the Anglesea River Estuary ������������12-13 Bendigo Bank ����������������������������14-15 Environment - Kangaroos of Anglesea ��������16-17 ANGAIR ���������������������������������18-19 Artist profiles ����������������������������20-21 Corangamara art prize ����������������������� 23 New Otway Writers - Anna Sande ������������24-25 Arts - GPAC ������������������������������26-27 People of the Otways - Caroline Hawkins ������28-29 Otway Book Review ������������������������� 30 Health and Wellbeing ������������������������ 31 Country based care �����������������������32-33 Sustainable Table �������������������������34-36 The Good Life ������������������������������ 37 Around the Houses ������������������������� 38 Community Calendar ����������������������� 39

4 This is a new section in response to our survey feedback from you. We will be sharing correspondence received by mail, email and social media. So get to and send us your thoughts and ideas about anything to do with The Otways. ____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

Hi there Nettie just picked up a copy of Otway Life Autumn. You mention about visitors spending money in the fire affected areas buying local.

Trish Jardine in response to The Surfer by Judith Wright

Leigh Hammerton in response to Ditchley Park Hotel and the Gardner Family Winter 2015

Today my wife and myself from Moolap drove along the great ocean road to Lorne for lunch.

However I thought about Apollo Bay and the local community.

I went into the store at Apollo Bay to buy some cakes for my wife, the cost was over $5 for a donut now that is steep. We drove back to Lorne and bought donuts for $3. So if the locals went tourists to visit their area how about making the prices reasonable for the public.

Regards David Sheridan Leopold Social media Lyn Foster I think it is a really top class magazine, the stories and information is very informative and the photographs and layout excellent. Good work, very professional. ____________________________ Maxi Lewis in response to: You know who your mates are Autumn 2016 The CFA and firefighters are brilliant.

I have horses and live in Apollo Bay and was really concerned the wind would change direction. Getting knowledge on the progress of the fire was great from the website!

Good job everyone!!

Otway Life Magazine Winter 2016

Ah, wonderful Judith Wright! I was surprised there was no mention of Nugget Coombs – such a wonderful love story. ____________________________ Mark Webster in response to The Webster Family of Laver’s Hill Spring 2015: G’day, I am Mark Ian Webster grandson of Stewart (Pop) and Francis Webster.

This is the first publication I have read of our family history in Lavers Hills and loved it thank you. I have one question to clarify the arrival year of Robert Bakewell Webster to Victoria as the sailing ship “Iberia” operated under this name between 1917 – 1919 it was built in 1884 under the name “Reliance” till 1907 gutted by fire sold then rebuilt and named “Ricard de Sloer” till 1917 before the sale that gave it the name of “Iberia”. Thanks again for this article it was shared to me via Facebook.

I have the original ‘illumination’ presented to John Gardner by locals when he left the area in 1920. It was bought at an Irrewarra clearing sale about 1980 as a badly damaged piece of thin cardboard stored in a farm shed.

How it ever ended up there totally un-recognised, I cannot work out! I have mostly restored the item and it has been put into a large, correct period frame. Lots of nice “Otways” artwork and signatures from all relevant people on it too. I also have many other photos of Beech Forrest, sawmilling and Gardners.

This is part of my private collection and not for sale, but will eventually be donated to the right place at some stage. Just so people know it is here in good hands. I live in Murtoa – ex Colac 1990. ____________________________

Kind Regards Mark ____________________________

You can talk to us via email at otwaylifemagazine@gmail.com and post: c/o Post Office Forrest 3236 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/otwaylifemagazine Twitter: https://twitter.com/otwaylifemag Our Blog where you can comment on individual articles: https://otwaylifemagazine.wordpress.com/

There was a time when the only form of communicating while on holidays was to send a postcard via the Australian Postal Master General, known as the PMG. The Otway Ranges and her coastal areas have been a holiday destination since Europeans first ventured this far south in the mid to late 19th century. From then until now, images of popular ‘beauty spots’ have been created into post restante cards and posted to friends and families in Australia and many places around the world. Here is is a selection featuring Anglesea and area.

Thanks to Murray Valley Views for permission to reprint these retro images.

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Find out more: www.visitgreatoceanroad.org.au/the-surfcoast/anglesea

Community Profile

Anglesea

From Torquay you follow the highway west through the remnant roadside native vegetation until you summit a hill and are rewarded with a sweeping view of Anglesea and Point Roadknight.

Located on the Great Ocean Road in the Surf Coast Shire local government area, Anglesea had over 2700 dwellings at the 2011 census, of which twothirds are holiday homes. It reaches a peak holiday population of over 10,000 people, of whom nearly 3000 are caravanners, campers and young people in youth camps.

It is the quintessential Australian beach holiday destination for people of all budgets. You can smell the suntan lotion from the main street in summer and the small town is transformed.

Originally known as Swampy Creek, the area’s name was changed to Anglesea River in 1884 when the township was established.

This part of the Otways has seen its fair share of troubles including bushfires: In 1966 fourteen houses were lost, in 1982 the camping ground was burnt and in 1983 the severe Ash Wednesday fires destroyed 142 homes.

In 1958 exploratory mining uncovered abundant brown coal, and six years later Alcoa of Australia Ltd began construction of a mine and power station to supply electricity to its aluminum refinery at Point Henry, Geelong. The site is now the subject of restorative work (see article in this issue).

Although the town’s main beach usually has reasonable surfing conditions, many surfers opt for the beach known as Guvvo’s, just west of town at the end of O’Donohue Road.

But Anglesea is not just about summer fun and surf and people who live here all year round also love the way the rain drips off the trees and the heady perfume of wet eucalyptus in the winter months.

The way the morning mist rises off the estuary and the sight and sounds of the mighty black cockatoo who calls the local trees home. With the benefits of both the bush and the beach it is little wonder that there is a lot of art being created here (see artist

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profiles in this issue). With improved roads east, it is now an easy commute to Geelong for those who want the best of both words.

The town’s golf-course is renowned for its resident population of eastern grey kangaroos which graze on the fairways (see article issue).

In September the town hosts the very popular Angair Wildflower Festival (see article about ANGAIR).

The Surf Coast Walk passes through the town and can either be followed north-east along the coastline to Torquay or south-east towards Aireys Inlet and Moggs Creek.

Anglesea’s tourism began with the formation of the Surf Club in 1952 and currently has over 2,000 members. In the 2015-2016 season ASLSC undertook over 5600 hours of patrol, performed several major rescues and over 1100 preventative actions.

Anglesea Riverbank Market 9am to 4pm, Anglesea Riverbank.

Set in one of the most picturesque locations, this Sunday market is a sprawling treasure trove of eclectic stalls and stallholders. Alive and vibrant, a lap of the Riverbank market reveals astonishing variety to the visitorm – food, fashion, tools, toys and trinkets, jewelry and books, plants and gardening good. The Riverbank Market raises funds for the primary school and football club.

The safest place to swim is Point Roadknight.

The Angelsea area has a variety of surfing locations that cater to both beginners and experienced surfers. The patrolled main beach and the sheltered beach at Point Roadknight provide a perfect surfing environment for beginners. More experienced and adventurous surfers can tackle the exposed beaches to the north and south of the town, or several offshore reefs, which are accessible via boat or a lengthy paddle from shore. These “bombies” can produce challenging waves during large swells – so please be safe!

Find out more: www.angleseaslsc.org.au

8 History

Alice of Anglesea House

by Merrill O’Donnell and Stephen Brooks When the Anglesea Hotel was destroyed in a bushfire in 1898, it was yet another hurdle licensee Alice Jackson had to overcome. Just as she had prevailed before, this strong woman from early pioneering stock “rose from the ashes”, negotiated temporary premises and was granted a special licence until the new hotel was built. The original hotel had been insured for £600 and the new building, which she decided to locate closer to the beach, required a further £400 investment.

Alice Victoria Parker, daughter of a former mayor of Geelong, married John Stewart Jackson, entrepreneur, architect and talented artist, on 22nd January 1884 at St Paul’s Church in Geelong. Alice’s first child was born before the year ended and early the following year her husband was sued for nonpayment of a debt. It was the first of several times he

The first Anglesea Hotel

Otway Life Magazine Winter 2016

would front the court on money related matters.

By April 1886, an advertisement appeared in the Geelong Advertiser for J S Jackson’s “newly-built establishment... Anglesea House”. A grand opening took place the following November and described a “rather impressive weatherboard construction ... three-storeyed with two large balconies around it” and it contained 20 rooms. In the centre of the building was a 75ft tower which provided extensive views of Bass Strait. Within months of the opening, Alice gave birth to her second child, while John was working as an architect and also as an agent bringing entertainment to Geelong. In 1890, Alice applied for a licence for the premises and indicated that the name would be changed to the Anglesea Hotel. From then on, all advertising carried the name of A V Jackson.

History 9

Coach leaving the Anglesea Hotel

John’s fortunes continued to plummet and it seems the marriage disintegrated. Early in 1892, with the financial support of some Geelong friends, John left Geelong with hopes of a new start in Western Australia. Prior to leaving, he had drawn a panoramic historical portrait of Geelong measuring 2.5 metres in length, which is now held at the Geelong Heritage Centre. Upon his arrival in Perth, he drew a cyclorama of that town, which is in the State Library of Western Australia. John made an initial impact in Perth but soon fell out of favour and two lines in The Argus in 1903 informed of his death in that town.

By 1898, Anglesea had become a popular coastal resort and, in the height of the summer season on the morning of Tuesday 8th February, a fire that had been burning in the bush swept down unexpectedly and destroyed the hotel. Guests tried desperately to beat out the flames, but once the fire took hold, the heat became too intense and the timber building was burnt to the ground within fifteen minutes.

Welcome Home

The Anglican Church nearby suffered the same fate.

Despite having lost both her home and her business, the very next day Alice was making plans to establish a temporary place of business and to rebuild. Ten months later, Alice celebrated the reopening of the hotel with a “sumptuous banquet” for 70 to 80 ladies and gentlemen from Melbourne and Geelong.

During the toasts she was “highly eulogised for the determinedness with which she had stuck to the place in the face of many difficulties and losses with which she had been confronted”.

Alice remained at the helm of the hotel until 1920 when she sold it for £3000 to Elizabeth Fraser. She was 62 years old and had spent more than 30 years raising her two children there and catering for the needs of guests. After selling the hotel, Alice moved to Yea with her daughter’s family where she remained until her death in 1934. She is buried in the Yea cemetery, yet her history shall be forever inextricably linked to Anglesea, the town she helped to develop.

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Alcoa & Anglesea Alcoa has a proud history in Anglesea. After 46 years of operation, Alcoa made the difficult decision to permanently cease operations at the Anglesea Mine and Power Station effective August 2015.

The planning for the remediation and closure of the mine site, and the decommissioning and remediation of the power station, has begun.

A local project team, backed by the company’s global project and asset management group with expertise in environmental remediation, facility decommissioning and project management, will work within the regulatory frameworks to restore the power station and mine site to a land use that is safe and stable for future generations.

This is expected to be a complex process over a period of three to five years. Final decommissioning and environmental and remediation requirements to meet long term land use objectives, will be closely interrelated. Alcoa has estimated $US40 - $US45 million for asset retirement and environmental remediation.

Otway Life Magazine Winter 2016

The Alcoa site Alcoa leases approximately 7,221 hectares of unreserved Crown Land, under provisions of the Mines (Aluminium Agreement) Act 1961.

Additionally, Alcoa owns approximately 143 hectares of freehold land. The lease document sets the ‘specified mining area’ at 545 hectares and Alcoa has mined approximately 325 hectares of this area.

Closure, decommissioning and remediation process The mine remediation and closure process is consistent with the endorsed Anglesea Mine Work Plan and is regulated by the Victorian government’s Earth Resources Regulation, part of the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources. The power station decommissioning and remediation process is consistent with the National Environment Protection Measure (Contaminated Sites) and is regulated by EPA Victoria. Community engagement is a key part of these processes.

Alcoa & Anglesea 11

A statutory Clean Up Notice was issued by EPA Victoria in October 2015 as is due process, requiring Alcoa to manage any environmental contamination specifically at the power station site in preparation for future use. The notice requires the completion of environmental site assessments by 30 September 2017 and the appointment of an independent environmental auditor by 1 April 2016. Quarterly reports are submitted to the EPA and are available on the Alcoa website.

Alcoa’s aim is to ensure its remediation and closure of the mine site and power station is developed in conjunction with community and government stakeholders. A Revised Mine Closure Plan for the mine will be developed and submitted to regulators for approval. A Draft Master Plan for the power station freehold land will also be developed.

Technical reviews, site assessments and community engagement are now underway. It is anticipated that the physical decommissioning of the power station will commence approximately August 2016, and physical works in the mine will commence in 2017.

Share your views about the future of the Alcoa site Alcoa is now seeking the community’s input to help inform the development of a Revised Mine Closure Plan, and a Draft Master Plan for the power station freehold land.

Consultation and engagement with stakeholders is a priority in the development and approval process for the mine’s remediation and closure and the decommissioning and remediation of the power station site.

Community engagement activities include a range of public activities, an online engagement platform and the continuation of the Alcoa Community Consultation Network (CCN) meetings.

Further information is available at www.alcoa. com.au/anglesea, or by contacting Alcoa via email angleseaps@alcoa.com.au orInlet. telephone 5263 4200.

View to Split Point Lighthouse, Aireys

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Fish of the Anglesea River estuary Fish survey information for specific purposes Following the acidification events of late 2010 and early 2011 the Arthur Rylah institute was requested to undertake a survey to determine the fish present. This has given some insight to the impact and recovery of the system to acid water events.

The short report accompanying the data stated, “The fish assemblages of estuaries are highly dynamic, change seasonally and may be resilient to disturbance events�. This type of resilience is favourable given the regular acidic episodes in the Anglesea River.

More species and individuals were sampled in November 2011 than on previous occasions. The number of species detected in the Anglesea River estuary in November 2011 (17 species) was higher than that of several nearby estuaries sampled over the same period including Aire River (10 species), Gellibrand River (7 species) and Kennett River (10 species).

A combination of electro fishing and netting techniques was used across multiple surveys to gain an accurate understanding of the fish species and population levels present.

Without long-term surveys using similar methods there is not a lot of comparative data. But results showed a trend of recovery over a 12-month period.

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Otway Life Magazine Winter 2016

Fish of the Anglesea River estuary 13

Heading Common name

Scientific name

Black Bream

Acanthopagrus

Description

Black bream complete their entire lifecycle in the estuary and are well adapted to variable levels of salinity

butcheri and temperature. They are omnivorous and will eat other small fish, crustaceans and plant matter. The fish Subhead/quote usually mature after two to five years and spawn in Spring or Summer, releasing the eggs at the halocline

Copy

Eggs Float at halocline, laid on substrate

Recreationally important

Spawning period/ location

Yes

Spring.summer

No

AugustSeptember

No

Unknown

(the boundary between the fresh and salt water. Juveniles usually inhabit the bottom of the estuary. Black bream are an extremely popular species for recreational angling.

South Australian Cobbler

Gymnapistes marmoratus

Cobblers are mostly found in inshore waters of southern Australia. They usually lie dormant during the day and feed at night. Juveniles eat small crustaceans while adults eat other fish. They have venomous spines located in their dorsal fins which can sting humans wading in estuaries.

Eastern Blue Spot Goby

Pseudogobius sp.

The Eastern Blue Spot Goby is a small fish which grows up to seven centimetres in length. It usually inhabits the muddy bottoms and sea grass beds of brackish estuaries and has also been known to move up into the freshwater verges of estuarine systems. They feed on small crustaceans and algal matter in the sediment of river beds.

Flounder

Rhombosolea tapirina

Flounder are distributed throughout the coastal waters of New South Wales to Western Australia and usually Unknown inhabit sandy protected bays and estuaries. During their transition from larvae to juveniles they undergo a process of metamorphosis where the left eye migrates across their body. They predominantly feed on marine worms, invertebrate eggs and mollusc larvae.

Yes

Unknown

Marble Fish

Aplodactylus arctidens

Marble fish (also called Southern sea carp) live amongst sea grass beds and rocky reefs in South-Eastern Australia and New Zealand. They feed on algae and small invertebrates.

No

Unknown

Smooth Toadfish

Tetractenos glaber

The smooth toadfish is endemic to Australia and New Zealand and is common in estuaries and embayments. Pelagic They feed on crabs and molluscs and will often follow the tide into estuaries. It is not a species targeted by anglers as the flesh is poisonous.

No

Unknown

Spotted Galaxid

Galaxias truttaceus

Spotted Galaxids, also known as mountain trout and spotted minnows, are a small fish found in coastal streams across southern Australia. They often inhabit the areas close to banks with plenty of vegetation cover and rock and wood cover. They mostly feed on insects throughout the entire water column which puts them in competition with the introduced Brown Trout.

Freshwater on stream margins above water level

No

June-July

Tasmanian Blenny

Parablennius tasmanianus

The Tasmanian Blenny is a common fish regularly found in rock pools and shallow estuaries throughout Tasmania and Southern Australia. They tend to inhabit sea grass beds and muddy substrates where they feed on small crustaceansa nd worms.

Demersal, lays eggs in pebble nests

No

Unknown

Bridled Goby

Arenigobius bifrenatus

Bridled gobies are widely found throughout southern Australia. They have a habitat preference for the sandy Demersal, lays or muddy bottoms of bays and estuaries. They burrow themselves into the sediment where they feed on eggs in burrows invertebrates.

No

Spring-Summer

Common Galaxid

Galaxias maculatus

Common Galaxids have a high tolerance for salinity and are hence extremely widespread, being found as far Terrestrial away as South America and New Zealand. They are carnivorous feeding on insects, crustaceans and molluscs. vegetation on the They lay their eggs on the edge of estuaries when inundated by high tides. The eggs are out of water for two edge of estuaries weeks until high tides again cover them and the larvae hatch.

No

March-June

Flathead Gudgeon

Philypnodon grandiceps

Flathead Gudgeon are found in both freshwater and brackish estuarine environments. They feed on small fish, crustaceans and insects. They lay their eggs in inland waters, attached to rocks or logs.

No

Late Springearly Summer

Luderick

Girella tricuspidata

Luderick are often found in areas with abundant plant life such as rocky reefs and sea grass beds in estuaries. Pelagic They mostly feed on algae and small invertebrates. They spawn near estuary entrances. The larvae then move into the estuary proper to live amongst shallow seagrass beds.

Yes

Winter

Short-finned eels predominantly live as adults in freshwater streams and lakes. Once they reach sexual maturity (14-24 years) they migrate to the sea where they travel to deep oceanic breeding sites to spawn.

The larvae travel back on ocean currents to coastal waters before metamorphosing into glass eels and migrating back into estuaries.

Open ocean

Yes

Summer to Autumn

Short-finned Anguilla Eel australis

Benthic

Unknown

Inland waters

Southern Longfin Goby

Favonigobius lateralis

The Southern Longtin Gaby lives throughout southern Australia on sandy bottoms within estuaries and embayments.

Benthic

No

SeptemberNovember

Tamar River Goby

Afurcagobius tamarensis

Tamar River Gobies are found throughout south eastern Australia. They burrow into the sandy/muddy bottoms of estuaries and coastal streams. The females lay adhesive eggs on rocks and wood matter.

Benthic

No

Spring

Tupong

Pseudaphritis urvilli

Tupong are common throughout coastal streams of southern Australia. They have a broad diet of aquatic Demersal insects, benthic worms and crustaceans. Adults migrate to the tidally influenced parts of estuaries to spawn, laying their eggs in sandy, weedy areas. When the juveniles hatch they move upstream and spend nine months within the estuary.

Yes

SeptemberDecember

Western Australian Salmon

Arripis truttaceus

Western Australian Salmon occur in waters from north of Perth to the western parts of Victoria and Tasmania. Adults congregate in large schools along exposed beaches while juveniles utilise shallow bays and estuaries as nursery areas. They eat mostly small fish and are predated on by sharks and dolphins. They are also a very popular recreational angling species.

Pelagic/Coastal

Yes

February-June

Yellow-eye Mullet

Aldrkhetta forsteri

Widely distributed from north of Sydney to Shark Bay in Western Australia Yellow-eye mullet inhabit the sandy bottoms and sea grass beds of estuaries and embayments as well as the greater water column. They feed on a wide range of food including detritus, invertebratesa nd algae. They spawn large numberso f free floating eggs in both estuariesa nd the open ocean.

Free floating Pelagic/Estuarine

Yes

Late SummerWinter

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Chaos, inspiration, and optimistic chickens For reasons we may choose to keep to ourselves, we look forward to the cooler months.

Reason #1 - We get our towns back.

Sure, at face value we might be judged as shortsighted, even a little selfish. After all, it’s the visitors to our piece of the planet who keeps businesses afloat and food in our bellies.

But this year, it seems, there’s another reason to take solace in the change of seasons - we need a rest!

Frankly, there’s been a bit going on of late. Thankfully, these events gave us many reasons to celebrate the Surf Coast.

The inaugural Hunt & Gather Winchelsea Festival showed there’s more to our region than meets the collective eyes of tourists, scanning the horizon for their first glimpse of sand.

For four days, farmers and manufacturers showcased their latest innovations, fresh produce was sold by the SUV load, and hopeful chooks and geese waited for the auction hammer to seal their fate.

Otway Life Magazine Winter 2016

Over on the coast another first-time event (and by far the most aptly-named) was underway. Three hundred children converged on Anglesea for Kids Adventure Outdoors (KAOS).

In a display of masterful logistics and distraction, these young adventurers were given the opportunity to canoe, ride, run, surf, cook and camp - with not an iPad in sight!

To Lorne and the Spinners cycling team mounted up to tackle their 10th 500km Murray to Moyne ride, raising funds for a much-loved local who recently suffered a stroke.

Over the years, the event has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local causes and charities. If we ever had reason to doubt the love for each other in our region, simply look to the Murray to Moyne to restore your faith.

There’s a common thread tying optimistic chooks, chaotic kids, and inspiring riders.

Bendigo Bank Supporting Communities 15

Follow that thread and it leads to the Anglesea and Winchelsea Community Bank® branches.

The Hunt & Gather Winchelsea Festival was an initiative two years in the making, made possible by the financial and physical backing of these Community Bank® branches.

Murray to Moyne riders experienced the good these Community Bank® branches do. Grateful riders armed with their bikes and luggage were transported by the donated Community Bank5 bus, which also guided them along the 500km stretch.

And even KAOS needs to be organised. Branch staff volunteered their time and the branches provided funding so kids could get their hands dirty, and see life from the other side of the screen.

If you feel tired just reading about the events supported by the Anglesea and Winchelsea Community Bank® branches, relax. There’s no need for you to break out your bike shorts.

Just bank with them. They’ll do the rest, while you have one (well-deserved of course).

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Drop into your nearest Bendigo Bank branch in the Otways or phone 1300 Bendigo.

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16 Environment

The Kangaroos of Anglesea

by Nettie Hulme

Even though I didn’t personally know Coco, Don, Josh, Lugg, Noah, Pete, Otis, Rex, Sav, or Uno I do feel sad to hear of their deaths.

They have all died after being hit by cars, becoming part of the roadkill we see all too often throughout the Otways. Distressing for all concerned.

Does giving an animal a name make it personal – more tragic somehow?

Mention Anglesea and often the first thing people think of is kangaroos. That’s because there are lots of them, everywhere. On the golf course (where the population has ranged from 142 in winter to 359 in summer) and roaming the nearby tracks and loitering in residents’ gardens, sometimes even on the beach. And they are huge. The Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) can grow to 66 kg (weight 145 lb.) and stands almost 2m (6.6 ft.).

They are the most common of the largest marsupial in Australia and the population is estimated to be in the millions and spread all along the eastern side of the continent.

Giant kangaroos were one of the megafauna that roamed Australia during the Pleistocene era 1.6 million to 10,000 years ago.

They provided a steady source of lean protein for the Aboriginal population and they hold a central

place in Dreamtime mythology. They figure on the Australian Government’s Coat of Arms (along with the emu) and are often chosen as the mascot or animal ambassador for sporting teams and events. Kangaroos, along with koalas, are part of the contemporary Australian ‘brand’.

And we love ‘em. Some of us even remember Skippy.

(Did you know that TV series was so popular in Norway that t hey named a chain of shopping malls after her? – and yes Skippy was a girl.)

But while having the roos living in urban areas is fun and an attraction for tourists, it is not so great for them. As with other wild animals, their proximity to

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17

Homo sapiens spells danger. Not intentional of course.

Many of these ‘urbanised’ kangaroos are being hit and killed by cars each year.

Most of the kangaroos on the Anglesea golf course have ear tags and/or collars with names.

Zoologists from the University of Melbourne have been conducting various studies since 2007, ranging from population surveys, movements, birth control and parasites. These tags and collars help the researchers and Anglesea residents to identify their study animals and record their activities.

It seems that everyone in Anglesea has a kangaroo story. Not all stories are positive, but we have learned a lot more about how kangaroos make themselves at home in the town and people have done a great job learning to live with kangaroos.

Assoc Prof Graeme Coulson The University of Melbourne

But sadly, researchers estimate that 50% of all tagged males and 20% of tagged females have died on roads, mostly during the autumn and winter seasons.

So please, take extra care driving particularly in early morning or evenings through Anglesea and indeed all throughout the Otway Ranges. Descendants of Coco, Don, Josh, Lugg, Noah, Pete, Otis, Rex, Sav, and Uno will thank you.

Ref: Coulson, G., Cripps, J. K and Wilson, M. E. (2014) Hopping down the main street: Eastern Grey Kangaroos at home in an urban matrix.

Animals 4, 272-291.

You can read the full article here: www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/4/2/272/htm Vintage image of kangaroos from 1880’s German Natural History Book – artist unknown

Photo Credit: Graeme Coulson Pete was killed by a car just the weekend after the photo was taken, Otis was killed by a car about 8 months later.

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18 ANGAIR

An old Anglesea favourite returns... naturally

by Sally White

The award-winning ANGAIR Wildflower and Art Weekend will be back in Anglesea on September 17 and 18 this year.

Want to take a guided tour to some of Anglesea’s finest wildflower spots? Wander around the magnificent displays of indigenous flowers in the Anglesea Memorial Hall? Buy some local plants for your garden—or swap some environmental weeds for indigenous plants? Let the kids get up close and personal with Roaming Reptiles’ menagerie of Australia’s snakes and lizards? Buy a local natureinspired art work?

The heathland behind Anglesea contains about onequarter of Victoria’s flora, some 620 plant species.

Eight of those are rare or nationally threatened and even more are rare or threatened within the State.

Two species occur nowhere else in the world. And more than one-quarter of Victoria’s terrestrial orchids occur in the heath. It is also home to 29 mammal species, more than 100 bird species and several fish and reptile species.

Those are a few of the attractions at the annual show that last year won the Surf Coast Shire’s Community Event of the Year award.

But ANGAIR’s activities are not restricted to lobbying for more environmentally sensitive policy decisions.

It has a hands-on approach to conservation.

The show is now as embedded in the Surf Coast community as ANGAIR itself. ANGAIR—officially the Anglesea, Aireys Inlet Society for the Protection of Flora and Fauna—was established in 1969 to help protect the area’s native flora and fauna and maintain the natural beauty and environments of Anglesea and Aireys Inlet.

Volunteer weed busters go out weekly to destroy environmental weeds such as Boneseed, Sallow Wattle and other nasties on public land. For the scientifically minded, there’s a monthly microscope session to examine the finer details of our local plants.

The first show was held the following year.

Show proceeds go towards the organisation’s educational and environmental protection activities which, over the past 47 years, have notched up an impressive record.

ANGAIR has been a driving community force behind the return of several environmentally significant areas of land along the coast into public ownership.

It campaigned and raised funds to purchase private land at Urquharts Bluff, Pt Addis Ironbark Basin and parts of the O’Donohue and the adjoining Mansfield land west of Anglesea were acquired.

It was also a community consultant in the 2002 landmark agreement to manage the future of the unsung hero of the area—the Anglesea Heath that is registered on the National Estate. The agreement was the first partnership in Australia between conservation agencies and a mining company, Alcoa, to manage an area to international standards to ensure its extraordinary biodiversity.

Otway Life Magazine Winter 2016

A plant propagation group meets weekly to raise indigenous plants for sale to residents and at local markets. The group also works with the Anglesea Primary School to teach children about their local flora, helping them plant and maintain the school’s lovely native gardens.

Then there are monthly bird-watching trips and weekend bushwalks so that residents and visitors can enjoy and learn about the rich and diverse natural environments within the Surf Coast Shire.

The ANGAIR Wildflower and Art Weekend is an annual showcase for something much more enduring—the commitment to, and preservation of, one of Australia’s most beautiful and richest natural environments.

The ANGAIR Wildflower and Art Weekend is on September 17 and 18 at McMillan Street, Anglesea, open 10 am to 4.00 pm.

Artists can enter studies of flora or fauna or the Australian environment in any medium until September 5. Entry forms are available on the website: angair.org.au.

19

20 Artist profile

Nathan Patterson- Iluka Design Nathan Patterson is a proud Wagiman Man who is now residing in Torquay on the south coast of Victoria. His people are from Pine Creek, near the Daly River Region in the Northern Territory, where the Wagiman clan are the traditional landowners. Nathan was born 1981, in Preston Victoria and adopted to white parents. He met his biological mother for the first time when he was 15 years of age. His passion for painting first emerged during his teenage years which led to engaging in the study of Fine Arts in 2002 at RMIT, Melbourne. Nathan art career is flourishing and this year he designed the Collingwood AFL dreamtime Guernsey He previously had designed the ones for Essendon and Richmond - no other indigenous artist has done this.

culture, my family and pushing the boundaries of what Aboriginal art is.

I am inspired by sharing my culture through my art.

Which artists have influenced your work?

The late Lin Onus, Ray Thomas and Jandamarra Cadd.

What are your hopes for the future?

My hope for the future is to build a self-sustaining business with my own studio and gallery located in the Otways. A place where people can drop in and see me at work as well as relax and view my artwork.

A touring national exhibition would be fantastic and maybe an international one to take my art international!

Otway Life Magazine spoke to Nathan about his current life and passions

I would love to be able to employ young emerging Indigenous artists to support them in their personal life and career and at the same time to give back to the community.

What brought you here to this part of the world?

I moved to the Surf Coast from Melbourne to be with my current partner Kit-e. I used to holiday here with my family at Torquay Holiday Park when I was young and always had a soft spot for the area.

Where can people view and buy your art?

People can view and purchase my art via my Facebook page and website. Keep a look out for exhibitions which will be happening regionally over the next 2 years.

What inspires you as an artist?

I am inspired by nature. I am inspired through my environment; the birds, animals, creatures, landscapes and the coast. I am also inspired by my

Anything else you may like to say?

I am very passionate about my art and my culture and am very blessed to be able to share it with people. www.ilukadesigns.com.au

Otway Life Magazine Winter 2016

Artist profile 21

Cinnamon Stephens Surf Coast artist, wife of Rowan and mother to Chloe 16 and Kobi 10, Cinnamon has been creating art work since 1992.

Choosing to work from home, Cinnamon’s studio can be found in the coastal town of Anglesea on the Surf Coast. In recent years her artwork has enjoyed an added strength and vibrancy thanks to the collaborative support of her husband Rowan.

Cinnamon chooses steel and copper as her prominent medium when making her purely sculptural pieces and creative functional artworks.

Inspired by organic and whimsical shapes and forms, Cinnamon’s artwork is very distinctive.

With twelve solo exhibitions and numerous group shows under her belt, Cinnamon’s work can be found in restaurants, civic spaces and residences all over Victoria. Examples of her work can also be found in private collections in America, England, New Zealand, Canada, Sydney, Perth and Tasmania.

Thanks to an overseas travel scholarship, won through Ballarat University where Cinnamon gained her Fine Arts degree, she travelled through selected parts of America and Europe in the early 90s. In 2012 Rowan and Cinnamon travelled through the inspiring country of Japan. These experiences are echoed in her artwork.

2016 will see this couple collaborate in creating a sculpture inspired by the Italian countryside during an artist in residence in Umbria that Cinnamon was selected for from international applicants.

Cinnamon’s artwork can be seen on her website www.cinnamonsart.com or keep up with her ongoing creations on www.facebook.com/ cinnamonsart For commissions or more information, feel free to contact Cinnamon email: inlethideaway@bigpond.com

22 Art

Otway Life Magazine Winter 2016

Art 23

2016 Corangamarah Art Prize RRRTAG (Red Rock Regional Theatre and Gallery) in Cororooke, regional Victoria, is once again proud to host the 2016 Corangamarah Art Prize. Inaugurated in 2006, the annual art prize was conceived to provide the ‘Corangamarah Residential Care’ facility with colour and life. The name Corangamarah originates from a Colac district landmark ‘Mount Corangamarah’, more commonly referred to as ‘The Hill’, on the western edge of Colac.

the winning entry. Jason Smith, the new Director of the Geelong Gallery, will this year select the winning entry. Finalists from 2006 – 2012 were exhibited at the ‘Otway Estate Winery and Brewery’ in Barongarook, Victoria and in 2016 will be exhibited at ‘Red Rock Regional Theatre and Gallery’ in Cororooke, Victoria.

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There are three prizes in total for this event. 1. Artists for the $7500 acquisitive art prize may interpret the 01 event in any medium of two dimensional 5w Ro inn a j format, with a maximum size of 100 x 200 er ‘S Son eeing t he Forrest’ by x 10 cm (inclusive of frame), illustrating the The notion of developing a collection of art inspiration of the conceit. 2. con.ceit’16 Small Art for residents was extended to creating a narrative of Prize: all artworks less than 50 x 50cm (including our time; weaving a story around present-day issues frame) will be considered for this $500 prize. 3. The that inspire discussion and enjoyment by members People’s Choice Award: A one year membership to of the local Colac and greater Victorian communities. a NATIONAL ART GALLERY of the winner’s choice.

The winner of the People’s Choice Award will be The acquisitive Corangamarah Art Prize has become determined on the final day of the exhibition (Sunday a mainstay in the calendar of Australian artists and 28th August) when all votes are counted. is an exciting opportunity for contemporary artists and local community. Artists are invited to submit an The Exhibition Opening and announcement of artwork inspired by a contemporary issue or event, prize winners (a ticketed event) is on Saturday 6th demonstrated through the Prize theme ‘conceit’ – ‘a August at 7.30pm with the Gallery closed during concept; that which is conceived, imagined or formed in the day while judging takes place. Exhibition the mind, an idea, thought, image, a personal opinion’. open to all from Sunday 7th August - Sunday 28th August. For more information about the art prize In order to maintain a high standard of artistic and and to see the artworks of previous winners go to: interpretive merit, all entries are subject to a process http://www.redrockarts.com.au/corangamarah-artof pre-selection. A three person judging panel prize.html selects finalists, from which the finalist judge selects

24

What we know by heart

by Anna Sande

Lake Corangamite, early 2016

Greg Day’s article, ‘Through the Prism of Ancient Practice’, prompts sharing some vistas from a little further inland – will there emerge a new expression to rival Day’s to gammage.* Inland is the crater, lake and grassy plain area of Kanawinka. Gulidjan country, is ‘my’ part. Old photos looking down from Red Rock nearby show more stubby tree growth on the rock face than is evident today, whereas Day’s early benchmark, Nicholas Chevalier’s Louttit Bay towards Point Grey, (1862), shows less. Last year local man, John Clarke, atop Red Rock, swept his arm north-east: ‘Once grassland, as far as you could see’.

Another Chevalier The Hill, Residence of William Robertson, Overlooking Lake Colac, (1863), makes a bucolic idyll of the perspective, Red Rock and Mt Warrion seem just rising above lake and tree speckled grasslands, ‘borrell-a-kandelop’ – ‘resting place for water birds’ in local dialect. The straight lines of demarcation that patchwork the landscape now, were not there ‘then’. This reminds me of the means of boundaries. Easter 2015, when Otway Life Magazine Winter 2016

out looking to honour family ritual of gathering rosehips at this time, I notice that on this poor and arid side of the highway, among the tough craters and lakes, there were no hips to be found. Not for these parts the grace of the rose – it is the African thornbush that marks the line and dissuades the pugging animal from straying. These bushes are slowly being uprooted eradicate traces of desperate early measures to tame – another vestige of floral archaeology disappears.

What of time and trace, and time and no trace – how well do we look, how well do we see? What do we remember? Geert Lovink (2011) answers, most poetically: What we know by heart defines a country.

How well Aboriginal people know this. How we need to revere our artists – who digest what they see, in their hearts!

Several times lately I have accompanied artists out to the eastern shore of Lake Corangamite – our cries of delight at its austere beauties repeatedly hit the breeze.

New Otway Writers 25 Salt sparkles seductively within colours so subtle that even in these almost waterless times there’s a visual feast – pale pale pinks and multitude saline greys even in the day’s ferocious light, the littoral more determinedly colourful with lacings of Sea Blite, Beaded Glasswort and low salt bush.

The lake and its environs so inspired these artists that it has blossomed, uncommissioned, in their artwork. In April WINDOWSPACE-BEEAC has had the pleasure to show and share Quiet Chimes, (2016), Georgia Harvey’s ceramics. Lee Mullen will show in May ‘an impermanent propositional placard for banded stilts’ and so the interaction of art and landscape and fauna continues.

Georgia Harvey, Quiet Chimes (2016)

The weathered façade of WSB, with its layers of proprietary claim, bears some resemblance to its salty context too. WINDOWSPACE-BEEAC, 79 Main Street, formerly Gaingers’ Garage, offers a handsome window display area, now repurposed as a not-for-profit artist run initiative (ARI) showing contemporary art work and enabling sharing of artists’ responses to the area.

A blog cataloguing window installations can be viewed at windowspace-beeac – local artists are encouraged to make proposals by emailing acsande@gmail.com with their ideas. * To gammage - to marry an artist’s representation from the historical archive with close observation of the present-day landscape

WINDOWSPACE-BEEAC, 2016

Lee Mullen, SS (2016)

26

Saving the Tiger Quoll, one sip at a time!

100% of Spotted Ale profits go to saving the endangered Tiger Quoll Available online at www.pricklymoses.com.au, at the Brewery Outlet and at Tastes of the Region.

Also on tap at the Great Ocean Road Brewhouse.

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Conservation Ecology Centre Cape Otway

Otway Life Magazine Winter 2016

Arts 27

GPAC making history with Extinction After 35 years of being the stage for great shows, Geelong Performing Arts Centre (GPAC) is stepping out into the spotlight to secure the future of great new Australian work. The centre is working with Red Stitch Actors Theatre to produce Extinction, written

by Hannie Rayson and directed by Nadia Tass.

Production of new Australian work is rare, especially outside capital cities. The collaboration between GPAC and Red Stitch is a regional first. And according to GPAC General Manager Jill Smith, “legendary plays are only created through continued investment”. She’s calling on Geelong theatre lovers to help make history.

“We’ve had to find $200,000 to make Extinction happen,” said Ms Smith. “We’ve done this with support from environmental partners, philanthropic trusts and generous individuals. We’re almost there, but now we need local theatre lovers to get behind this project and help get us over the line.”

Extinction will open as part of the 2016 Deakin University Theatre Season in July and travel to Canberra before returning to Victoria for a season at Arts Centre Melbourne, reaching significant audiences and becoming an important conversation catalyst.

The play is set in the Otways at the Conservation Ecology Centre and draws attention to the plight of the endangered tiger quoll - the largest marsupial predator on the Australian mainland. It also delves deep into the heart of our own morals, choices and tightly-held convictions, wrapping an important conservation message around a unique and personal human story.

Writer Hannie Rayson describes Extinction as “an examination of what it means for the soul to bear witness to the extinction of a species”.

“I don’t believe a single Australian citizen wants to be a despoiler of the natural environment. We are all making choices, sometimes in ignorance of their consequences, but weighing up competing demands on our money, our ambitions and our values.

“In writing Extinction, I wanted to run a mile from the agro and politically congested, ideologically jammed debates. I wanted to write about real people of good will, facing real decisions and real choices.

Hannie Rayson

“If there is money on the Nadia Tass table to do good, does it matter where it comes from? Would you take money from the coal industry? Would it be a more noble choice to disdain the money and sack 15 people from your staff? Furthermore, if you only have a limited conservation budget to address Australia’s dramatic rise in extinction rates, how do you decide which species is worth saving and which is not?”

Hannie and the play’s director Nadia Tass have thrown their weight behind the fundraising campaign, urging people who care about Australian theatre to chip in and make a donation toward this history-making project.

“GPAC has been valiant in its pursuit to make this happen,” said Nadia. “They have almost reached their target of $10,000, so if you are still able to participate in this appeal, you can find out more at gpac.org.au/ weneedyou Extinction comes to GPAC for five performances from July 13-16. For bookings go to gpac.org.au For further information contact Shannon Stevenson at Moomedia Ph: (03) 5229 8647 or E: shannon@moomedia.com.au

28

People of the Otways Caroline Hawkins – Basket Weaver

Caroline is an Anglesea resident who travels to Geelong to work with Diversitat Settlement & Community Program. www.diversitat.org.au/settlement-community Why do you live in Angelsea?

My husband and I migrated from the UK to Anglesea 25 years ago and raised our boys here. It suits us as it is reasonably close to Geelong, where I work, yet has all the benefits of the beach, the bush and a small close community.

What started you weaving your beautiful baskets?

I experimented with some eucalyptus bark from my garden, creating a small bowl and was fascinated.

Some formal learning soon followed. It’s very satisfying in that I feel a part of my surrounding environment as I search for suitable weaving plants. The more I learn about the techniques of weaving, the more I feel connected to the depth of knowledge and the ancient culture in a ‘hands on’ way.

What do you like to do in your ‘spare’ time?

Basket weaving! Walking locally with a friend. Yoga.

Attending art exhibitions to enjoy other people’s art and come away feeling inspired to keep developing what I do.

What book are you reading at the moment?

‘Under the Quandong tree’ by Minmia A fascinating glimpse of Aboriginal wisdom and spirituality. Her explanation on how to interpret our own connectedness to the land, plants and animals and understanding ourselves within the Dreaming struck a chord with me. The inclusiveness of all who live in Australia, I found very consoling as a migrant to this country.

Where are you planning to go for your next trip/ holiday?

Thailand. I work in Geelong with Karen people originally from Myanmar, assisting them in maintaining their culture through fabric weaving and basket weaving. I feel very lucky to have been invited to travel with our interpreter. We have an important task on behalf of the Geelong weavers to deliver a donation of funds to a refugee camp on the Myanmar/ Thai border.

Otway Life Magazine Winter 2016

People of the Otways 29

This bandicoot was inspired by the ‘bush toys’ made by indigenous weavers in the central desert.

A method of transforming readily available materials, straw and wool into a toy, to connect to the environment, educate and illustrate a story. I was taught how to make bush toys by indigenous artist Bronwyn Razem.

The southern brown bandicoot, once common sight in people’s backyards is now a nationally endangered species.

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30

Doing us slowly in Deans Marsh Deb Campbell’s last word on our last words...

In the sleepy hollow of Deans Marsh lives a woman of extraordinarily focused passion. She has taken on a topic few people (least of all politicians) want to talk about. Our right to die at a time of our own choosing. Deb Campbell has been a powerful advocate for justice and democracy in the region for a number of years but lately has honed her fine analytical skills on the discussion that won’t go away no matter how long pollies ignore it. Her new book Doing Us Slowly takes its name from a famed speech by Prime Minister Paul Keating in response to a question by then opposition leader John Hewson.

Hewson had repeatedly asked why Keating wouldn’t call an election to which he replied that he wouldn’t call one because ‘I want to do you slowly.’ A funny enough line at the time but one Campbell is now using to describe the debate or lack thereof around voluntary assisted death: Today, that phrase has lost its humour.

Australians are all being done slowly, as our personal agency is denied — and politicians and commentators ignore, reject or manipulate calls for reform.

The changes canvassed in this essay are minor: alterations to regulations of a specific pharmaceutical, and to the laws relating to assisted suicide in particular cases. Yet these small changes will require substantial shifts in our way of thinking about death, and to the practice of medicine.

Campbell’s argument is extremely compelling and very readable. Her observation that those who are at a point in their lives when they would choose to make a peaceful and gentle transition from this world is fraught with so many hurdles and obstacles that the process becomes altogether too daunting for many of us to contemplate; or worse, results in exit strategies that cause even more suffering to the departed and their loved ones: Matthew Harding - Within Tight Otway Life Magazine Winter 2016

by Neal Drinnan

In a way, the euthanasia issue can be seen as a case study of one of the many power struggles that are being played out in Australia on several fronts. While the major players in each of the battles over (for example) the environment, corporate malfeasance, military excursions, refugees, and the economy are different, in each case government and the media operate in tandem to contain and constrain discussion and exclude the people’s voices from the discourse.

It is the ‘people’s voices’ that Campbell has long championed, whether in the development of local government ventures, reclamation of church owned sites or the protection of the fragile Otway ecology. Her work as a researcher is needle sharp and the political landscape she paints is one of ‘good old paternalism’, founded on baseless scare tactics.

As seemingly inevitable conclusions about a range of issues from same sex marriage, climate change and our own right to gently conclude our lives find continued opposition in Parliament, Campbell’s voice is one of reason and compassion. She has met with Dr Phillip Nitschke and followed the issues surrounding euthanasia with an eagle eye. She returns again and again to the need we each have as individuals to feel less pain at the end of our lives rather than more.

There are many stakeholders in the anti-euthanasia debate, yet there are very successful models already at work in the world which citizens of those countries can avail themselves to when the time comes.

Deb Campbell is not afraid to take the bull by the horns and happy to leave us scratching our heads as to why her model isn’t public agenda number one.

I’d motion this!

Health & Wellbeing 31

The Elegance of Lowsumerism

by Suzanne Frydman

Is it ironic, or rather unsurprising, that in the age of mass information people are being drawn to the concept of Lowsumerism? Less is more, living and yearning for only what is necessary, and trading, fixing or making things can make us more creative and conscious.

Like any philosophy, Lowsumerism has been brewing for some time. The English poet Robert Browning’s ‘less is more’ is expressed across various minimalist movements in architecture, film, comedy, and fashion. Style and solid construction can create focus not only for objects, but for our minds as well. Too many passwords and pins, to-do lists, and desires can distract us from ‘what is enough’.

According to Coco Chanel, ‘always remove one thing before you leave the house’, and more specifically attributed to the fashion icon is, ‘before you leave the house you should look in the mirror and take one accessory off’.

Taking a brave and regular look into the mirror of our thoughts is an excellent mental hygiene practice, if we can remember Coco’s words often enough. Dropping some of our more destructive or addictive thoughts at the door could simplify many things.

The practice of Lowsumerism can bring joy by expanding our capacity for gratitude and giving.

Perhaps each time we leave home, we can take a few things with us to pass on. In a brief sweep we can probably find a few unused items around the house which might make someone else’s life easier or more meaningful. And if we can also sweep away some of

our own reactions and desires along the way, we can certainly make our own lives easier, and let go of first world problems or preoccupations.

Many people are quietly living in sustainable and inspiring ways all around us, particularly in coastal and regional centres. When we’re lucky enough to spend reflective moments in nature, and away from endless artificial adrenalin rushes, such spaces easily bring us home to ourselves. The rest of the time we can get caught up in excesses, whether thoughts or actions. Humans are geniuses at creating addiction and obsessions. Two of my recent ones were opportunity shopping and consuming any form of chips, hungry or not. These days I try to take something to the op shop on each less frequent visit. The other addiction I am still working on. We do what we can.

Lowsumerism is an essential way of taking care of ourselves and a planet that is becoming exhausted.

We don’t have time to waste. Echoing Chanel, Australian model Emma Ishta warns that ‘unless you are Keith Richards, and can absolutely pull it off, less is more’.

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32

Country-based Care A new look at an ongoing challenge for rural communities

Based in Barwon Downs, Prompt Care wants to help older rural people remain in their own home longer and use local carers to achieve their goals.

How did Prompt Care get started and what is it all about?

in the not too distant future - it may be a relative, a friend, a neighbour or someone you work with.

Prompt Care started in Tasmania in early 2015, offering Hobart residents aged care at home. In 2016, we are getting our services up and running in the Otway Ranges and surrounding areas.

Our care teams provide “high level” government funded Home Care Packages (valued between $30,000 and $50,000 per annum). These packages are currently targeted to the Colac-Otway and Surf Coast Shires, where we believe people may be missing out on the choice of aged care at home.

We offer personalised and friendly help with jobs about the house, doing the shopping and getting to appointments.

The Prompt Care team is passionate about helping older people to stay at home. Aged care affects everyone - everyone knows and cares about someone who is growing older and may need care or support

Prompt Care is looking for people passionate about caring for others!

We are building our Colac Otway and Surf Coast Care Team focused on a new way of delivering home based community aged care.

About You: • You have a Cert III in Aged Care or you are an EN/RN • You love working in a team but are happy to take the initiative • You love innovation and enjoy trying out new technology • You’re up for a challenge and keen to be part of an exciting new way of providing home care for older people and family carers About Us: We operate a small, nurse-led team out of Barwon Downs using innovations drawn from international and Australian models.

We are committed to providing care and services that older people truly want and what they really need.

Be part of a bigger change!

Email your CV to careers@promptcare.com.au or call us on 1800 472 273

www.promptcare.com.au

Otway Life Magazine Winter 2016

33 Our main aim is to give people a real choice to stay at home - even when they may need regular care and assistance with showering, medications and meals. Nobody wants to go into a nursing home.

Most people don’t know they can get individual funding to pay for aged care at home via an Aged Care Assessment Service. We can assist you with this process.

We are committed to helping older people remain in their own home and in their local community.

Privately funded care is also available and some people prefer this. Our rates are very reasonable and our services can be tailored to suit. Many of our staff are skilled in the care of people with dementia and we are particularly keen to help older people in rural areas.

Our healthcare professionals are happy to visit older people and their families at home to talk confidentially about what is needed. There is no charge for the first home visit.

Why base home care services in Barwon Downs?

Therefore we set up a Home Care Resource Centre in the “old store” at 1588 BirregurraForrest Road, Barwon Downs. Visitors can access information, advice and referrals to all sorts of aged and home care services.

This is a completely free service for the whole community.

Our local knowledge (15 years’ worth!) and research showed there were few home care services but strong community networks in Barwon Downs, Bambra, Winchelsea, Birregurra, Deans Marsh, Forrest, Lorne, Apollo Bay and surrounds. To us, it just made sense to get a local team together to care for local people in these areas.

E AT | D R I N K | S TAY

Family members can ring to find out what help is available to assist them to care for an older relative at home. Many people prefer to speak to someone in person before they make an “official request” for government help - and that’s where we come in.

Call us now on 1800 472 273 The Old Barwon Downs Store 1588 Birregurra-Forrest Road, Barwon Downs 3243 www.promptcare.com.au

Molly Sulivan, Director of Care

I N T H E H E A R T O F T H E O T WAY S At Forrest Guesthouse you can stop and relax.

Enjoy the abundant nature and waterfall walks close by or if you like to move at a faster pace, ride the renowned mountain bike trails that wind through the Otways.

Onsite restaurant Bespoke Harvest uses fresh produce from our garden & surrounding farms that capture the taste & flavour of the Otways. Featuring 80% local ingredients for lunch & dinner.

Friday & Saturday dinner is a set menu where you relax and enjoy the local harvest. Our menu is continually changing as the produce provides.

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W F O R R E S TAC C O M M O DAT I O N.C O M . AU |

26/11/2015 3:53 pm

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Sustainable Table The temperate climate and typography of the Otway Ranges provide an ideal setting for the sustainable production of food and other products for the local community. A ‘sustainable table’ is one that uses local food that has been grown using ecological and ethical practices that: Contributes to a thriving local economy and sustainable livelihoods; Protects the diversity of both plants and animals and the welfare of farmed and wild species; Avoids damaging or wasting natural resources or contributing to climate change; Provides social benefits, such as good quality food, safe and healthy products, and educational opportunities.

Please support these local industries and be healthy at the same time! just duck by Jodi and Greg Clarke can be purchased via Paypal tab on website: greatoceanducks.com

Greg and Jodi Clarke farm free-range Aylesbury ducks on their 16-hectare property overlooking Port Campbell, near the Twelve Apostles and Victoria’s Great Ocean Road.

In 2009 they began with 30 Aylesbury ducklings and no idea about what they were doing. In late 2012 they began rearing Pekins (and feeding them strawberries and other fruits). In November 2015 they published a book featuring duck recipes from the chefs they sell their ducks to as well as stories from their farming adventure. The following is an exerpt.

Steve Earl is a restaurateur and farmer, and his restaurant La Bimba, on the Great Ocean Road, is often described as the finest place to eat in Apollo Bay. Steve refurbished his restaurant in 2015 with timber tables made from messmate and tallowwood he found abandoned at old mills. The tables he crafted himself are as fine as the views of the ocean and every bit as tasteful as Steve’s bistro fare.

Until recently, Steve produced truffles on a property he owned near Skenes Creek, just east of Apollo Bay. He still raises his own lamb and beef, and makes his own liqueur from blood plums, which he serves as a digestive to dinner guests as part of the La Bimba experience.

Once, Steve tried to take one of his duck dishes (Duck, Parsnip Puree and Pickled Wild Cherries; off the menu, but his regulars wouldn’t let him.

He is a great customer for us, not just because of his obviously discerning regulars, but because he knows the pain and pleasures of small farmers. He appreciates, as do all the chefs we work with, that if his orders are consistent it can help small producers like us stay in business.

Steve is more than just a customer to us now though.

We’ve shared food and wine over the years he’s been buying our ducks, and he sat next to Jodi on an episode of MasterChef that they both appeared on The Making of a Chef Steve grew up on a farm near Winchelsea, some 35km west of Geelong. His father is Australian, his mother Dutch. When Steve was 10, his uncle from the Netherlands came to the farm for a visit and, while on a holiday, inadvertently influenced the course of a boy’s life.

‘I was out driving with dad and mum’s brother who was visiting from Holland. Dad ran over a hare and my uncle made dad stop the car. I watched as he ran to pick the hare up off the road and then put it in the boot of the car. All the time I was wondering what was going on; I hadn’t a clue what he was going to do with it.

Otway Life Magazine Winter 2016

Sustainable Table 35

Steve Earl: Chef & Owner of La Bimba

‘When we got home I watched uncle Mari skin and clean the hare and cut out the damaged part of the meat. He put the hare into what I thought was a soup (but now know was a marinade) and left it overnight.

‘The next day uncle Mari braised the hare and while it was slowly cooking he made pasta with eggs from our chickens and picked vegetables and herbs from our garden.

‘I was fascinated by what he was doing. After we ate the hare and homemade pasta I said to my dad “I’m going to be a chef and open my own restaurant”.

Little did uncle Mari know how dramatically that one incident would shape my life.’

Steve Earl’s Recipe for Spiced Duck Sausage Serves 4–6 as a snack I like this recipe as it allows me to utilise the offcuts and trim of a duck. It’s a little like a terrine and beautifully sweet.

Preparation of the dish takes around 45 minutes, depending on your skills. Cooking takes a similar time.

Remove the bones from the duck legs. Cut the meat into strips, leaving the skin and fat attached. Set aside.

Clean the giblets and heart, then chop them up and put them in a bowl with the duck-leg meat. Put all of this through a fine mincer then place it into a mixing bowl. Stir in the ground spices, thyme leaves, brandy and sea salt and put the mixture in the fridge overnight.

The next day, cut the duck liver into 1cm squares and add it to the mince mixture. Add the egg and mix it through the mince with the liver.

2 duck legs (approximately 500g in total) giblets from 1 duck, including the heart ¼ tsp ground pimento (allspice) ½ tsp ground white pepper ½ tsp ground nutmeg ¼ tsp ground cloves ¼ tsp ground cinnamon sprig of thyme, leaves picked 30ml brandy 5g fine sea salt or Himalayan salt 150g duck liver 1 egg 1 duck neck skin, glands removed sourdough bread to serve beetroot relish to serve gherkins to serve

Remove the duck neck skin by cutting the skin at the neck where it joins the body of the duck. Once the cut has been made around the circumference of the neck, pull the skin off the neck completely, as you would remove a sock. Be careful to not tear or puncture the skin.

Once it’s been removed from the neck, rinse the skin and then tie one end of it closed with some butchers’ twine or cooking string. Using a piping bag, stuff the mince mixture into the neck skin, filling until the skin is firm to the touch. Tie off the other end of the sausage with twine to keep the mince in.

Put the sausage into a steamer or colander (with lid) over simmering water and steam gently for 45 minutes.

Allow to cool. The sausage can be eaten at room temperature as a terrine, or sealed in a heavy-based frying pan, until the skin is crispy, and eaten warm.

Serve with lightly toasted, crunchy sourdough bread and beetroot relish.

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Sustainable Table Winter and homemade soup go together whatever the weather.

It is an age old comfort food and a favourite across many cultures around the globe.

Easy to make with whatever you have at hand.

Forrest Soupfest celebrates this unpretentious meal with a day of activities designed to warm the cockles of your heart...and tummy. Mmmm... can smell the cooking from here.

Join us for some good old fashioned country tucker and the company of friends, old and new.

Sunday 12 June Forrest Public Hall Grant Street Forrest

Hearty Winter Bean and Ham Soup (La Ribollita) This traditional Tuscan dish with a twist may have its origins a long way from the Otways, but it suits our kitchen vegetable garden so well, that it features regularly at the farm dinner table.

It is the sort of slow food dish you can assemble on a Saturday morning before heading out to footy practice, knowing you have dinner sorted! This is my favourite type of weekend cooking.

Before you begin, take a quick scout around your vegie patch and gather as much of your own produce that you might have on hand.

You will need from your garden or your friendly neighbour or green grocer: 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and finely chopped 1 turnip and 1 swede, chopped (optional) 3 or 4 celery stalks, finely chopped. (I like to strip the fibrous strings from the stalks before I slice them) A good handful of Tuscan kale, (dark green leaves) or spinach. Stripped and chopped roughly 2 large cloves of garlic, crushed 1 zucchini chopped (I like to freeze some at the end of Summer for winter stews and soups) Bunch of parsley chopped finely To buy: 1 ham hock 400g tin organic tomatoes (You can use chopped up fresh tomatoes) 400g tin organic cannellini or borlotti beans. (You can soak a cup of dried beans overnight if you prefer the slower method) 1 liter chicken stock (use your own stock if possible) Extra virgin olive oil Bread to serve alongside Into a deep, heavy based pot, add a generous glug of olive oil and cook the onion slowly on your stovetop.

Add the garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.

Add the rest of the vegetables and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.

Place the ham hock into vegetables and add the stock to the pot. Top up the pot if necessary with a little more stock or water.

Put a lid on the pot and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer gently until the meat starts to separate from the ham bone. Keep an eye on the pot. Don’t let it get too dry. A couple of hours will get you to this stage.

Remove the ham hock carefully. Cut away the fatty skin. (the dog will love this treat!) Shred the meat and add it back into the soup.

Check for seasoning. Serve with warm bread.

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The Good Life

by Ami Hillege

Winter is here! It is a season we look forward to as we light the Rayburn stove again. This stove is the heart of the home as it provides us with heat throughout the cold months. At first when we moved into this old farmhouse and I came face to face with a mountain of cream cast iron taking pride of place under the kitchen chimney, I experienced a feeling of dread. In fact, a local who has a similar wood-burning stove issued a challenge to me the first winter we arrived. She said ‘I’ll give you a year, then you’ll pull it out’. Who can resist a challenge like that?! Not me.

about removing the existing firebricks from inside the hot box. These would then be replaced with a new set. A project like this always seems easy on paper, but when it came to installing the new bricks, we discovered that we needed to be very good a 3D puzzles! The bricks slotted into their locations in very specific order just like a giant jigsaw. When we finally had all the new bricks in place, they had to be cemented into position with special heat cement.

Was the air a tad ‘blue’ by the end of the day? The simple answer is ‘yes’!

With limited experience, we lit our first fire in the firebox and waited for the heat to build up in the oven. It took a few hours to reach a temperature where a chook could be cooked along with a batch of roast vegetables. It was a steep learning curve, especially as cooking on the top of the stove is very different to a conventional stovetop. It took a little while to get used to the ‘hot’ spots, and before long I was sliding pots and pans around the hot surface like a seasoned station cook!

The reward once this little ‘makeover’ was complete was a good night’s sleep for the man who fed the fire. Who would have thought that a small gap in a firebox could create such a problem?

But we had a problem. This stove was the equivalent of having a three month old baby living with us. Frans would get up two or three times during the night to feed the fire. If the fire was turned down and left for the night, inevitably we’d wake to a cold stove in the morning. In our quest to reduce our reliance on conventional energy, we were determined to work out how to warm our home without turning on a heater.

We discovered that some of the firebricks inside the firebox were cracked, which allowed the heat to escape, reducing the efficiency of the stove. There was only one option, and that was to let the stove cool down, empty it of all the ashes and then set

And so our cooking adventure on this stove began.

Soon we were enjoying dried fruits and 12 hour slow roasts. The warming box at the very bottom of the stove is perfect for cooking anything long and slow.

Heating a stack of plates on the edge of the cooking space is so practical. Winter soups bubble away.

We’ve had to make a few adjustments when preparing meals. I’ve learned that everything takes a little longer, which is fine if you’re organised and get your food prep out of the way by late afternoon. The fire needs to be stoked and the oven tended from around three in the afternoon to start cooking dinner at six. Trips are made to the woodpile a couple of times a day to load up the wood bucket to keep the fire going.

Who would have thought that a city girl could learn to love a stove that requires so much dedication!

Come on baby light my fire!

OTWAY FIELDS GROW  EAT  REST

 Newly renovated cabin overlooking the Otways  Gourmet basket featuring organically grown farm & local produce

 Close to the Great Ocean Road & Birregurra YOUR ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY

www.otwayfields.com Tel 0418 757 028

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38 38 Section Around the Houses Winter Forrest House

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14 Grant Street, Forrest 3236 Phone: Gillian on 5236 6591 Email: forrest.nh@gmail.com Open Mon, Wed, Thurs10-5pm

Regular events COLLEGE of FOOD PROGRAM RESCHEDULED The BDMF College of Food is a ‘rural food challenge’ connecting 10-16 year olds across Birregurra, Deans Marsh and Forrest. A great initial response to the College of Food saw both participants and sponsors lining up to be involved. Due to circumstances beyond their control, the organisers have been unable to go ahead with the launch as scheduled, but the good news is you have time to find out more and be involved if you missed the cut off!

It is anticipated that the program will now be launched toward the end of the year with an even bigger line up of exciting activities and events kicking off in 2017– more skills, food and fun for everyone.

If you are between 10 and 16 years of age and would like to get involved, we would love to hear from you. No cooking experience necessary!

If you have professional cooking experience and have an interest in helping young people, you can join a team as a community mentor Community members and businesses can also get involved by helping with: • Financial Support • Donations of produce • Conducting Food producer or manufacturer tours at your business.

CONTACT Birregurra Community Health Centre on 5236 4009 Forrest Neighbourhood House on 5236 6591 Deans Marsh Community Cottage on 5236 3388

First Monday of the month BINGO 1-3pm Light afternoon tea provided. Cost $5 for 2 books.

Tuesday COS Exercise and Weights class 11-12pm For all ages and abilities.

Stay on for a light social lunch. $3.75 or $7.50 with lunch.

Wednesday 2nd Wed of Each Month HOY Card game, prizes and afternoon tea. 1-3pm $5 Tai Chi 6.30-8pm $10/8conc Thursday Mind Games 11am-12noon. $2 Community Lunch 12.30-2pm $6 Friday Cert IV / Diploma Visual Art 10am-5pm.

Forrest Youth Group (FYG) 5.30-7pm Supervised activity based group. Next activity TBA Last Sunday of every month Music Jam and Pizza afternoon From 3pm. Join in or just relax and enjoy the vibes. Woodfired pizza available to purchase @ $2 a slice.

VOLUNTEERS,TUTORS & COMMITTEE MEMBERS WANTED Call Gillian to find out about opportunities to be involved or share your skills and earn income.

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Email: otwaylifemagazine@gmail.com Phone: (03) 5236 6591

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