Secrets Magazine - Issue 43 - Summer 2015

ISSUE 43 AUTUMN 2015 PRICELESS

Daylesford’s stunning new homewares store.

An eclectic mix of the quirky, elegant and unusual where vintage meets the new gathered from around the world.

39 Albert Street, Daylesford (a short walk from the main street) Open Thursday to Monday, 10am - 5pm Phone 0429 192 718

Cover photo by Adam Brentnall – ‘Journey By Light’ Photography

CONTENTS 5 7 8 9

10 15 17 19 19 21 22 24 26 27

Out on a Pledge 5 Things I Know For Sure War Remembered at Ballarat Art Gallery Echuca Moama and The Magnificent Murray A New Lease of Life For Old Timber Junction Gathers Steam The Past 23 Years of Jeremy Massey Journey Into Autumn Wine Lover’s Festival The Wild Colonial Girl’s Next Chapter A Unique Museum in an Historic Town Ballarat on a Plate The Cream of The Crop Autumn Ambience and Arts at BUDA

28 31 32 34 35 37

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All The Region’s a Stage NED Goes Back to Prison At Home With Russell and Joan Dicksonia Rare Plants Turns 35 Lure of Discovery More Than Meets The Eye at Bendigo Pottery Victoria’s Heart of Gold Life is Chilled in Maldon

REGULARS

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Autumn Astrology Markets & Visitor Information Centres

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FROM THE EDITOR Okay, so summer didn’t bring the long heatwave we had been warned to expect and backyard gardeners waiting on their bumper tomato crops are still waiting, but on the upside the weather was a little more bearable this year. And now to autumn, that sublime season when we expect benign days and cool nights.

This issue signals an exciting shift for Secrets, as we visit the twin towns of Echuca Moama.

Our northern neighbours have attracted our attention, with their focus on developing tourism as the major industry. This has resulted in the evolution of some rather spectacular businesses, utilising the mighty Murray River and showcasing the impressive food and wine producers.

This issue continues to deliver interesting stories about interesting locals and we are again delighted with the calibre of images we have to illustrate these articles. I don’t know who it was who coined the phrase “A picture paints a thousand words”, but they knew what

they were talking about (pardon the pun).

Talking about words, Linley Wilkie’s interview with writer Jeremy Massey is a ‘pearler’.

Jeremy has a turn of phrase that will have you pausing mid-sentence just to cherish the words and the images they conjure.

Lauren Mitchell’s story on crowd funding is a beauty, revealing the successes people have reached in funding new projects. Her article celebrating local theatre groups is equally noteworthy.

We are very fortunate to have so many clever people who contribute to Secrets. They are the people, literally on the ground who tell us what’s happening around us. Squirreling away in our office, we sometimes forget that there is a larger world out there with so many people creating life’s tapestry on so many different levels. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Secrets and we have met amazing people and discovered amazing things about our region and we haven’t even scratched the surface.

Editor Norma Morton

ISSUE 43 AUTUMN 2015 Published by

Secrets Magazine ABN 35 535 679 949

Mailing Address Phone Email Web

PO Box 356 Creswick VIC 3363 03 5348 1919 info@secretsmagazine.com.au www.secretsmagazine.com.au

Editor Features & Online Editor Artwork & Layout Business Development Photography

Contributors

Norma Morton Linley Wilkie Nick Morton Jessica Eve, Kerry Mitchell Adam Brentnall, Hilary Finch Lyndall McQuinn, Lauren Mitchell, Stephen Read, Lyndel Nash, Hilary Finch

All content in this publication is copyright and may not be re-produced in whole or in part in any form without prior permission of the publisher. Secrets will be distributed quarterly throughout Victoria and various tourism outlets.

Secrets is also available from cafes, restaurants, B&B’s, hotels and shops. All care is taken to ensure accuracy of articles and advertising, however the publishers accept no responsibility for errors or omissions and references are a guide only and not intended as a recommendation.

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Article by Lauren Mitchell

OUT ON A PLEDGE Central Victorians are turning to crowd funding sites to reach some remarkable goals. They state their case via sites like pozible.com and kickstarter.com, set a target figure and an all-or-nothing deadline, and hope for the best.

Pledgers choose their level of support in return for goods, services and incentives. Here’s how three very different campaigns went from idea to reality, all thanks to people power.

Filmmaker Matthew Holmes knows you should never let the budget get in the way of a good story.

When Matthew, of Two Tone Pictures, set out to capture the final days of bushranger Ben Hall, he knew his film would be a pricey production, so he turned to Kickstarter. “For traditional filmmaking, there’s no greater tool for funding,” he says.

Matthew’s campaign gave the public 40 days to pledge $75,000 for the film. “By the middle

of the 40 days I thought it was dead in the water. Even up to the last seven days I didn’t think we’d make it, but in the last 24-hours it really ramped up.”

The crowd kicked in a total $90,000, which has seen Matthew’s plans for a 30-minute film expanded to full-length. He credits much of that success to promoting the campaign on social media and in the communities where the Australian story is known and loved, even taking to the streets with good old-fashioned poster pasting.

Thanks to the support, Matthew and his cast – including Gisborne Actor William Lee - will be heading back to Kyneton for more filming in April.

For Bendigo’s Danielle and David Snowdon, the belief their 90-plus pledgers placed in their project was just as important as the $3000 they raised via crowd funding site pozible.com

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“We’ve since had a lot of emails from people asking us about crowd funding,” Danielle says.

“I say, ‘We’re not experts, but this is what we did…’”

Tammi Jonas of Jonai Farms is more than happy to share her family’s crowd funding success. Theirs was the first Australian farm to turn to people power, to upgrade the infrastructure of their ethical property near Daylesford. Now there are plenty of community-minded farms following suit.

The couple ran a two-month campaign to self-publish their adorable children’s book The Nerdy Birdy. The cash was raised, the book was printed, and life hasn’t been quite the same since. Graphic designer David and writer Danielle’s anti-bullying themed book has captured hearts around Australia.

“We worked together to produce the book as an experiment,” Danielle says. “We had no idea what to do and we’re still not experts at the whole self-publishing thing. We didn’t have any money, but we didn’t want that to stop us.”

They paid a friend to make a quirky video of themselves talking about their project in Rosalind Park.

“I think it helped for people to see our faces and see that we were quite young and wanted to do something positive,” Danielle says.

They raised enough money to print 400 books, however for the third print run last year, 4000 came off the presses.

A shortlisting in the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s 2014 Crichton Award for New Illustrators, alongside publications from Walker Books and Thames & Hudson, got national attention for the little bird that could. The book is now in schools, libraries and more than 90 bookstores across Australia.

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In 2013, Jonai Farms ran a campaign to raise funds to build a butcher’s shop on their property. Twenty days in they hit their $21,450 target, finishing with $27,570. The 166 supporters who pledged are now enjoying ethically-produced meat, from the farm to their plate.

Last year the Jonas’ made a second crowd funding bid to build a curing room. Thirty days and $30,000 later, supporters are now awaiting free-range salami, pate, cured meats and more.

“It means we’ll become a no-waste farm; the bones, the fat, the trotters, will all be turned into products,” Tammi says. “People really value our commitment to ethical farming and the fact that we do everything ourselves.

They love being part of the story of having supported this and of helping to build a different sort of food model in Australia.”

5 THINGS I KNOW FOR SURE Malmsbury conductor, musician and singing teacher Polly Christie on the importance of music in communities.

1. Singing in harmony with other people feels good and is good for you. I have heard choir members say multiple times after rehearsal that all the stress and tiredness they felt at the beginning of the rehearsal has been replaced with energy and a calmer, happier disposition.

Singing in harmony creates vibrations that are soothing to the ear and body-harmony has been used for centuries to create togetherness, joy and to express sorrow.

2. Choirs create and support healthy communities. When I first moved to Central Victoria I knew I needed to start a choir for many reasons, including meeting local people to sing with weekly. Since it began six years ago, friendships and connections within the choir have become strong. The “health” of a community is not necessarily when everybody is happy and jolly, but a “healthy” community has the time and ability to extend itself to help people.

3. Running choirs and conducting is what I am meant to do. I ran my first singing session at a Victorian festival in the 1990s. By the third day I had 90 people singing their hearts out, which was an electrical experience for me.

After running choirs for 10 years, I completed an honours year in conducting and developed my skills that now enable me to get the most beautiful and dynamic sounds out of choirs I never would have imagined.

4. Everyone can learn to read music. I have taught fully trained musicians through to beginners and have seen confessed music luddites finally reading from sheet music and making sense of it. The dots and sticks are just another language and if you can learn another language, then you can learn to read music.

5. Everyone has something to contribute.

Some of my singers have gentle, light soft voices and couldn’t be a soloist but then I find out they bake the best cookies, which is handy when we’re doing a fundraiser. Some of my singers take a while to learn a song, but I find out that they are great at telling a joke just when we need it. Some of my singers remember that we need to support someone in the choir during a difficult time and will organise meals for the family. If everyone came to choir with exactly the same to offer, it would be difficult to get the wonderful diversity of sound – true harmony, blending different voices, personalities and skill levels to create a unified, harmonically rich sound.

For more information, visit pollychristie.com

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WAR REMEMBERED AT BALLARAT ART GALLERY As part of this big year of military commemorations, the Art Gallery of Ballarat has prepared Australians at War 1914 – 1945, displaying Australian responses to the two global conflicts of the 20th century.

One of the strongest images to emerge from WW1 was the heroic digger and the exhibition demonstrates how this was developed by artists throughout the war, and revived and reinterpreted during WW2.

A key WW1 work in the exhibition was created

by Dora Meeson, who worked as a volunteer policewoman to protect vulnerable women in London. Meeson’s painting Leaving for the Front draws from her observations of the

effect the departure of menfolk had on the families left behind. Meanwhile, the art of WW2 illustrates the influence of Modernism, with artists such as Albert Tucker producing images that are rich in symbolism and darkly disturbing in their overtones.

During Ballarat Heritage Weekend, the Gallery will hold a range of other events, including special tours of the exhibition, readings of poems by renowned poets and their experiences at war, twilight talks, and a live performance of a radio play by the Ballarat National Theatre.

For more information, visit www.artgalleryofballarat.com.au

Australia at War 1914–1945

Saturday 18 May – Sunday 21 June Australia at War explores artists’ responses to the two World Wars including paintings, cartoons, political posters and more from the Gallery Collection.

Australia at War Twilight Talks Wednesdays 8 April - 24 June, 5pm Ballarat Heritage Weekend Programs Saturday 9 & Sunday 10 May

Norman Lindsay The Cause of The War (detail) 1918, printed broadsheet with illustrations Collection: Art Gallery of Ballarat, purchased, 2010 © HC & A Glad

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ECHUCA MOAMA AND THE MAGNIFICENT MURRAY The romance of paddle steamers meandering down the mighty Murray River, together with a Mediterranean climate and a history that is part of Australia’s heritage makes the twin towns of Echuca Moama a very attractive region to explore. The historic river port is now home to the country’s largest collection of paddle steamers, many of them fully restored and cruising daily.

With a trading port industry that spans more than 100 years, Echuca and Moama have moved on from their past and are now vibrant, sophisticated towns providing an idyllic lifestyle for the approximately 20,000 people who call them home. They are also exceptional tourist destinations, with the Echuca wharf and Murray Esplanade bustling with lively shops and cafes in heritage buildings. The surrounding countryside is great for exploration either on foot, by bike or for the not so energetic, by car. A visit to the region isn’t complete without experiencing a cruise on the Murray, either on one of the many paddle steamers or a hired houseboat.

Dining in the region is also an exceptional experience, with new restaurants such as The Junction serving food and wine that’s comparable to anything in Melbourne or

Sydney, together with friendly country pubs, traditional bakeries and wine and tapas bars.

The towns boast great accommodation, from family friendly budget-style, to more upmarket retreats such as Perricoota Vines Retreat, where the wellbeing of guests is paramount and a perfect venue for a wedding or function.

Tourism isn’t the only industry prominent in the region, with major timber recycling business Nullarbor Sustainable Timber servicing clients throughout Australia and overseas.

With its thriving food, wine and farm gates producing some of the best fare in the country, the region ideally lends itself to festivals. Be it music, food, wine or sport, there is probably a festival to showcase everyone’s passion. One of the new kids on the block is the Flavours of Echuca Festival, in May at Morrisons Winery.

Expect tempting tastings of food and wine, plus other attractions to appeal to the entire family. In keeping with the romance of the river, patrons can travel to the event on a paddle steamer.

An easy two and a half hours drive from Melbourne and even closer to the towns within Central Victoria, Echuca Moama is an essential destination on anyone’s GPS.

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Barry and Brendan Donchi

A NEW LEASE OF LIFE FOR OLD TIMBER There’s something appealing about a salvaged piece of timber furniture that has been given a new lease of life. Perhaps it’s the beauty within the grain, perhaps the accompanying story that divulges its journey. The latter is surely the case for the Donchi family, who have been engrained in the timber industry for more than 150 years and are Australia’s longest serving reclaimed timber supply business.

Based in the twin cities of Echuca/Moama, with a showroom in Melbourne, Nullarbor Timber’s origins speak not only to the history of the Donchi family, but also the origins of Australia’s recycled timber industry. The family began cutting timber in an era when the affordability and durability of old growth forest meant it was one of the few building materials available, used to produce infrastructure such as railways, wharfs and wool stores.

“In the early days, the family were born into it, as a family might be born into farming or blacksmith work,” says Nullarbor Timber’s managing director Brendan Donchi. “You did what your dad did and so on.”

Brendan’s ancestor Battista Donchi arrived in Australia in 1855, a ship building guru who

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based himself in Chiltern and whose love of Australian forests was shared by his children.

His eldest son Jim was drawn to Gippsland’s prosperous timber cutting industry, one of his three sons, Pat (Brendan’s great grandfather) unsurprisingly becoming a sleeper cutter. “All those old boys working in the bush to cut their quota of sleepers often took their kids,” Brendan explains. “My great grandfather did and as my grandfather (Geoff) matured, he’d do the same thing and my father (Barry) would tag along with him and learn a lot of the oldschool skills.”

Brendan says Geoff was one of the first generation of timber cutters who was forced by the efficiency of automated timber mills to find work elsewhere. He worked on oilrigs until retirement, when his unwavering passion for timber inspired him to open a sophisticated little joinery shop “He had a real understanding for timber and used a traditional method of joinery,” Brendan says. “For him it was just as much about building something to last 500 years as it was about making it aesthetically pleasing.” Geoff loathed waste and would often collect railway sleepers from roadsides, before manufacturing them into a

resource or saleable item. That small salvage operation inspired Brendan’s father Barry to take it up a notch during the late 1970s early 80s – ripping out weatherboards and floors from a dilapidated house and pulling out the nails in the hope of making the timber saleable was a unique business opportunity.

Barry had tapped into a new market; people building low-cost housing who required second hand materials and those Brendan describes as “hippie environmentalists”. “That very early clientele became the backbone of where the industry started,” he says. “For someone to come up with the idea of taking the nails out of timber and turning it into something else seems pretty obvious now, but at the time it was revolutionary. And as forests became more restricted, using some old timber was not that bad of an idea.”

Recycled timber is now highly sought after, people increasingly drawn to building materials with history, character and personality. Nullarbor Timber sources timber across Australia, from the St Kilda pier, to a Port Adelaide wool store and closer to home, an old Moama wharf. For Brendan however, salvaging timber is also vital to maintaining the industry. “Timber has always been popular

and probably always will be, but today access to new timber is very expensive and extremely restricted,” he says. “To use old timber is extremely sound environmentally and economically. In those early days it was just the hippies and out-there architects who might request it, but now it’s amongst the top priorities an architect will ask for.”

Will the Donchi tradition continue? Brendan and his wife Mandy (who manages the company’s marketing) have three boys, aged 12, 10 and eight and like generations before, Brendan accompanies them on little timber hunts and they enjoy visiting the mill to make a cricket bat. “I certainly wouldn’t force them into anything, but I hope they have an interest in our industry and I hope our industry is prosperous enough to give them that opportunity,” he says. “Time will tell.”

Nullarbor Recycled Timber has two locations – the Melbourne Showroom is at 221 Kororoit Creek Road, Williamstown and the Head Office and Timber Mill is at 92 Graham Street, Moama. Visit www.nullarbortimber.com.au

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Recycled Timber Flooring Recycled Timber Bench Tops Timber Posts & Beams Decking Cladding Screening

Melbourne Showroom 221 Kororoit Creek Road, Williamstown 03 9399 9300

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Moama Head Office & Timber Mill 92 Graham Street, Moama 03 5480 0044

Simply put – many of our timbers are virtually impossible to find elsewhere

www.nullarbortimber.com.au admin@nullarbortimber.com.au

port of Echuca discovery Centre

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ju nction is a n ov er 18 v en u e

r ich i n her itage a n d a bu n da n t i n loca l produce, ju nction is a gather i ng pl ace celebr ati ng t h e r e gion’s f i n e s t.

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ju nction moa m a.com.au

JUNCTION GATHERS STEAM Junction opened its doors in December last year, but it’s already appealing to visitors and locals alike.

This is a place where everything comes together, both in name and nature. Junction is a place where the industrial meets the gentle, rustic meets modern, relaxation meets sophistication and where heritage meets contemporary – and so far, it seems to be a place that meets and exceeds all the expectations of those who visit the region looking for something wonderful.

The Echuca Moama region’s influence on Junction is obvious and the Murray River’s history seems to flow through the entire building. The name pays homage to the Junction Inn, established nearby in 1847 by town founder and local legend James Maiden. The commissioned concrete vases were designed by artist Maddie Sharrock and inspired by the layers of stone, sand and sediment that make up the Murray River.

The river’s importance to the region and to the venue may be obvious, but nowhere is the region’s character more on display than in the kitchen. Head chef Michael Giarrusso brings a wealth of knowledge and passion, having previously worked with major hotel chains and alongside Masterchef’s Gary Mehigan in his acclaimed restaurant, Fenix.

The menu’s focus on seasonal, local produce is also complemented by its emphasis on a more social dining experience which perfectly reflects the relaxed, warm environment of the venue.

Giarrusso only recently moved to the area with his family and already knows his way around the region’s finest flavours. He’s gathered everything Australia’s food bowl has to offer and put it on display for guests to see, smell, taste and share. From the Meredith goat’s cheese in the fritters, the Shaw River buffalo mozzarella on the pizzas, Millewa hen’s eggs, Green Temple garlic grown in Katamatite, the Bundarra Berkshire pork or Inglewood steaks, the entire region is represented.

When you fancy something a little more liquid, Junction’s comprehensive drinks list combines premium wines and boutique beers, with an impressive and hand-picked selection of local Victorian varietals and craft brews. There’s also an exciting line-up of cocktails boasting fresh fruits and herbal flavours.

Junction is a brand new experience for locals and an exciting way to share a little of that local flavour with the region’s visitors. Stylish, elegant and inviting inside and out, Junction is destined to become a favourite during the day and long into the evening.

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MOONGATE ORIENTAL ANTIQUES & GALLERY CLOSING DOWN SALE 106 Main Road, Hepburn Springs 5348 4396

Open Thursday to Sunday 10am - 5pm (Moongate Accommodation still operating)

Beautiful objects by creative people. Gifts for him, her and child. Apparel, footwear and vintage industrial homewares 72 Vincent Street, DayleSforD 03 5348 1177 www.alpacapassion.com.au

22 Raglan Street, Daylesford

(next to Daylesford’s famous Sunday Market)

Strategem Bendigo Winemakers Festival 2015 at the Botanical Gardens in Castlemaine

Easter Sunday 5th April 11am - 5pm

Wine tasting and sales will conclude at 4pm GO3542-11

www.bendigowine.org.au 16

Check us out on

THE PAST 23 YEARS OF JEREMY MASSEY It began in Dublin, circa 1992. A 22-year-old Jeremy Massey was working for his family’s undertaking business and received a runof-the-mill call to visit a family and make “arrangements”, as they are colloquially known in Ireland. Their youngest son, also 22, had been killed in a hit and run. The solid, working class family welcomed Jeremy into their modest home, offering him bread, alcohol and cigarettes. “They were as beautiful as an Irish family in Dublin can be,” recalls Jeremy.

“I remember thinking what a lovely, warm ambiance came from their home. I imagined what would happen if I had been the guy who killed him then split and thought, ‘I hope I get away with that one’, before coming into work the next morning and getting the call to sit with the very people whose son had been robbed of his life.” That grisly scenario stayed with Jeremy, magnifying into, ‘Imagine if I had knocked down the brother of The General (heavy duty Dublin criminal, the late Martin Cahill) and had to make arrangements with someone of his intelligence and level of intuitiveness’. “That’d be a story,” says Jeremy.

“It kept going around in my head like a grain

of sand in an oyster and eventually presented itself to me as a pearl.”

Fast forward to 2015 and Jeremy is sitting in his Macedon home, with a copy of his first novel – sparked by those early imaginings – sitting on the kitchen table. Titled The Last Four Days of Paddy Buckley, the story has taken on various guises since its inception, but Jeremy has remained committed to its fruition for those 23 years.

When Jeremy departed undertaking (he worked in the business for five years, plus another seven part-time) he had no inkling he would become a writer. Instead he attended an acting school and was enticed by the arts.

“What I was really drawn to was story,” Jeremy reasons. “That’s why I think I wanted to be an actor, to be around stories.”

Jeremy’s other passion was film (it wasn’t unusual for him to watch two or three movies a day) and for almost 17 years he wrote and developed screenplays with various film companies, before growing disillusioned with lawyers and producers.

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It was while working as a location manager on a feature film in Dublin that he earned enough money to buy a new computer before moving to the west of Ireland to begin writing the screenplay Arrangements (the book’s original medium and title). “It started spilling out of me like oil from the ground,” he says of the six-month process. “I was surprised that I could finish a full-length feature screenplay in that time, with interesting characters and Dublin crackling and popping off the pages.” Upon returning to the capital he met his future wife Holli, who grew up in Macedon. They settled in Australia to raise their three children and after moving to Holli’s hometown, Arrangements was reworked from a screenplay into a novel, written in the first person. “You’re really putting yourself in the seat of the character, all their fears, hopes, memories,” he says, noting that he also added a preface so readers immediately understand the main protagonist, Paddy Buckley, is narrating from beyond the grave. “You know he’s in so far over his head, he’s gonna get clipped.”

Having lived in the region for 10 years, Jeremy is keen to take the family on an adventure worthy of more story telling – perhaps to Italy, the setting of his next novel. But for now, he’s content writing in his little shed at the back of their garden. “There’s something about this place that’s so perfect for the creative act. I’m looking forward to getting back to Europe for a stint, but if that doesn’t happen for any reason, you couldn’t put me in a better place to create.

I love it here, just love it.”

In 2012, a determined Jeremy sent his manuscript to 75 agents. It grabbed the attention of an industry stalwart, who secured publication with Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin in New York. The Last Four Days of Paddy Buckley is currently available on Kindle, with the hardcover version to be released in May (Amazon). “It does feel good,” he says of arriving at this point. “Hopefully it’s the beginning of more. Obviously I’ll continue to write screenplays, but it’s like going from completing a cryptic crossword to having a game of pool in a pub – you can bang out a screenplay in six months. But I know now I’m very much drawn to the novel as a medium.”

“Learning for life, from life and throughout life.”

Nurturing children from Playgroup to Class 8 Cnr Rilens Rd and Pyrenees Highway, Muckleford 03 5479 2000 enquiries@castlemainesteinerschool.com.au www.castlemainesteinerschool.com.au

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JOURNEY INTO AUTUMN The leaves are turning into their glorious autumn colours and the dewy mornings and slight chill in the air are giving us a glimpse of those chillier days of winter soon to descend. We can still expect warm days in autumn when it’s hard to think about heavier clothing, but it is the perfect time to plan your winter wardrobe and you’ll be looking for that snuggly garment to make those chilly days happy days. Alpaca Passion has to be on your “must go there” list when preparing your new wardrobe. Alpaca Passion has an enormous range of fine alpaca garments, scarves, beanies, socks, gloves, in fact all you need to get through the coming cold weather and all made from that lovely natural alpaca fibre – warmth without itch.

The Alpaca Passion range is selected from the most stylish and cutting edge alpaca fashion

suppliers in the world, countries such as Peru and Bolivia, the home of alpaca and some very fine lines from Australia and New Zealand.

Alpaca Passion also carries a complete range of Vigorella Bodywear – the Australian made bodywear in wool, cotton and nylon blends.

With Alpaca Passion so accessible, there is no reason to feel chilly.

WINE LOVER’S FESTIVAL The annual Strategem Bendigo Winemakers Festival is a fantastic opportunity to meet the region’s winemakers and sample their best wines, such as Sutton Grange and Black Jack Wines (right). Held on Easter Sunday each year in the beautiful Castlemaine Botanical Gardens, Bendigo Winegrowers Association’s Bill Blamires says the event has become a favourite for wine enthusiasts from far and wide. “With up to 20 wineries represented, this is a great chance to hear about the latest vintage firsthand,” he says. “To give the event a family atmosphere, we’ve got live music, facepainting, an Easter Egg Hunt and a kid’s performer to bring fun for the whole family.”

Locally produced food will be available at a wide variety of stalls. Free buses operate between Bendigo and Castlemaine and free home delivery courtesy of Fastway Couriers for wine purchases of more than six bottles.

The Strategem Bendigo Winemakers Festival is on April 5 from 9am to 5pm. Tickets are available on the day, with adult tickets $35 and children under 18 free. Strictly no BYO alcohol.

For details visit www.bendigowine.org.au Discounted tickets available at trybooking.com

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CLIFFY’S E M P OR I U M

9-5 DAILY 3 0 R AG L A N S T R E E T DAY L E S F O R D 3 4 6 0 V I C TO R I A TELEPHONE 5348 3279

w w w. c l i ff y s . c o m . a u

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Lee Medlyn

Home of Bottles Glass With Class

70 Bailey Street, Clunes 03 5343 5281

HOME OF OVER SIX THOUSAND OLD BOTTLES, TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE, ART GALLERY & SOUVENIRS FOR SALE

Photograph by Damon Girbon Australian Author illustration Danny Snell

THE WILD COLONIAL GIRL’S NEXT CHAPTER When the Castlemaine State Festival rolls around this autumn, among the locals enjoying the stellar line up will be Kirsten Krauth. As well as taking in the sights and delights, the writer and editor will be attending in a professional capacity, covering a handful of performance and dance pieces for RealTime’s website. It’s the second time Kirsten has covered the festival for the publication, which provides a critical guide into contemporary art.

“I like to feel the vibe of the place, not just the show, but the audience and location,” she says of her reviews. “The problem is getting around to everything.”

writers and artists were coming to, as well as being a good place for kids.” Kirsten says she’s now fallen in love with the place and plans to make it the setting for her next book (her first novel, just_a_girl, was published in 2013).

“This area is incredibly rich in so many ways,” she says. “You’ve got the gold mining history, the environment – just looking outside my bedroom window there’s kangaroos at dusk and beautiful birds. It changes the shape of your writing and I’m very much someone who likes to write about the place I’m in. I think a lot of writers are like that. I’m looking forward to getting stuck right in.”

Kirsten may be known to some thanks to her blog, The Wild Colonial Girl. Posts included interviews with fellow authors, literary musings, and reflections on life since the tree change.

“When I first moved here I got to talk to the locals, which I really enjoyed.”

Kirsten won’t have to wait very long, having recently scored a scholarship for a PhD in creative writing. “I’ve got three years to write a novel, so I’m in a very privileged position,” she says. Unfortunately (but not surprisingly), the Wild Colonial Girl blog has taken a back seat as these other exciting projects and opportunities have arisen. Kirsten is also kept busy editing literary magazines Newsright and more recently, Australian Author (her first edition as editor, pictured above, was released in December). In the meantime, we can enjoy her work via her critiques of the festival happening in her new hometown.

Kirsten moved to Castlemaine in 2012, after a 12-year stint in Sydney. “There wasn’t any scope for a creative life,” she says. “We (she and husband Damon have two young children) used to come to Daylesford a lot when we lived in Melbourne and kept hearing about Castlemaine being a thriving country town that

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A UNIQUE MUSEUM IN AN HISTORIC TOWN For a trip down memory lane and to prove to the kids there was an age before plastic, you cannot go past the Lee Medlyn Home of Bottles in Clunes. Artist Clayton Edwards has created what can only be described as a small township within the walls of the old Clunes Primary School, to house this unique and rare collection of bottles and ensure their longevity for generations to come. The original collection of more than 6000 bottles was bequeathed to the town by collector George Lee Medlyn after his death in 1994. Sourced from across Australia, most of the bottles hail from the late 1800s to 1910 and previously held everything from medicine, beer and spirits, to dairy products, poison and chemicals.

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MMR Secrets v2.qxp

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1/01/2002

2:09 AM

With the new displays, the museum has become a dynamic, exciting and must-visit destination and a focal point of historic Clunes.

The Lee Medlyn Home of Bottles is at 70 Bailey Street, Clunes, tel: 5345 3896.

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Macedon Ranges’ Boutique Day Spa

llenis SALON-SPA

39 High Street Kyneton 3444 service@ellenis.com.au 5422 3795 ellenis.com.au

THE

GRANDE

H E P B U R N

HOTEL

S P R I N G S

Jams

A great selection of home made jams.

Devonshire Teas Saturday & Sunday 10am – 4pm

Sunday Roast Good old delicious pub grub – steak, fish & parma 12 – 2pm Bookings recommended

Newlyn Hotel 2825 Midland Highway, Newlyn 03 5345 7070

Station House

RACV

Daylesford

Historic Homestead and Manor House Group accommodation Room for two Conferences & Weddings 15 Raglan St Daylesford Tel 03 5348 1591 www.stationhouse.net.au

Friday & Saturday dinner from 5pm Saturday & Sunday breakfast & lunch Sunday Jazz Club Monday “Local’s night” from 5pm ( N O N - P U B L I C H O L I D AY S )

Dinner Thursday–Tuesday from 6pm Lunch Friday–Tuesday from 11am Menu from $9.50–$22 Breakfast On weekends from 9am

1 C H U R C H AV E N U E , H E P B U R N S P R I N G S , V I C T O R I A

t. 03 5348 1978 e. manager@thegrandehotel.com.au www.thegrandehotel.com.au HepburnSpringsHotel TheGrandeHotel

Tuesday Night Curry & Hotpot $18 Friday Night Fish Night with wine $26.50 A La Carte also available

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BALLARAT ON A PLATE For the past 15 years, Peter Ford has embraced Ballarat’s local produce via his eponymous catering company.

This, combined with his broader work championing the region’s food bowl make Peter the perfect chef to interpret Ballarat as a dish.

“Lately there’s been a gentrification of Ballarat taking place and you can see that through this dish, which represents the communities appreciation for fine local produce. The bar has definitely been raised, with a certain element of people chasing finesse and not always looking to Melbourne for inspiration like they used to. Pork is being reared around the Ballarat district in numbers not seen in the past, from the Croaghs out at Mt Mercer, The Charles’ near Learmonth and further out, the Kumnick’s with their rare breed pigs. Spring Creek Organics is one of my go-to places for vegetables and there’s a terrific grove in Buninyong which is a repository of old English nuts.”

Pork belly, crisp hocks, caramelised rhubarb, olive oil pudding, pickled golden beetroot, shaved kohlrabi, toasted hazel nuts with cider dressing.

PORK BELLY 2kg pork belly skin removed and reserved 2 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp salt Mix together salt and sugar, rub over pork belly.

Cover and let sit in fridge for about 6 hours.

Heat oven to 200 degrees, discard liquid from pork.

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Lay the belly fat side up and roast for about an hour, basting along the way with the rendered fat.

CRACKLING

Turn the oven down to 120 and cook for another hour and 15 minutes.

Boil for about 2 hours in plenty of water.

When cooked, put in a clean tray cover with baking paper and press with a pot, leave to set overnight.

When totally cool, cut into portion sizes ready to reheat in oven.

Scrape as much fat off the skin as possible.

Carefully remove the skin and lay on a rack to cool and set in the fridge overnight.

Next day scrape any remaining fat off to ensure the final cooking creates a crisp crackling.

Now stick the pieces in a dehydrator for a day on high or a low temperature oven until it is completely dry and snaps if bent.

Cook them up like a prawn cracker and sprinkle with salt flakes and 4 spice.

KOHLRABI Fine julienne Dressing – picked thyme leaves, cider vinegar, grape seed oil Roasted hazelnuts, salt & pepper RHUBARB 2 sticks rhubarb, trimmed 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 1 cup sugar Dice two stalks of rhubarb into 5mm squares.

Make caramel with sugar and deglaze with balsamic vinegar, cool slightly then pour over rhubarb, set aside.

PICKLED GOLDEN BEETROOT 1 cup white wine vinegar 1 cup water 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons coarse salt Baby golden beetroots, very thinly sliced Place the first four ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar and salt. Decant into a large bowl, cool for 5 minutes.

When the mixture is still warm, add the beetroot.

Allow to steep for 20 minutes. Drain and use.

OLIVE OIL PUDDING 1 cup milk 2 egg yolks 40 gms sugar 20 gm cornflour pinch salt 30 ml olive oil Bring milk to the boil in a saucepan.

Pour a little hot milk into bowl and mix well, pour in remaining milk.

Return to pot and cook to a simmer whisking constantly, whisk in the olive oil.

Cool mixture and set aside.

BEETROOT GEL Beetroot gel 1 cup beetroot juice 3 gm Agar agar Pour juice into a pot, Sprinkle agar agar over juice and let soak for 5 minutes Bring to boil in and use a stick blender to ensure agar totally dissolved in juice.

Pour into bowl and let chill and set.

Return mix to vitamix and blend till smooth Place in squirty bottle or small piping bag and dot gel onto the plate.

In a bowl whisk yolks, sugar, salt and cornflour until smooth.

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Article by Lyndel Nash

THE CREAM OF THE CROP There is a conversation gaining serious momentum in regional Victoria, around agricultural and farming diversity, gastronomic tourism, sustainable food endeavours, personal beliefs, professional bravery, local produce and community connection. Case in point, family owned and operated milkprocessing business, Inglenook Dairy. For Rach and Troy Peterken, the Dunnstown dairy is more than just a business, it is a legacy emanating from Rach’s grandmother with the family’s long term commitment to farming in the region since the 1900s.

When discussions with extended family five years ago turned to the changing landscape in modern dairy farming (a lack of quality dairy products and challenging pricing structures), it was Troy who suggested bottling their own milk from their 250 head herd. Soon after, Rach and Troy established their on-site stateof-the-art milk processing plant, Inglenook Dairy. In hindsight they admit that starting the business from scratch was a “naïve decision”, driven by a persistent desire to meet the growing commercial demand for raw milk and the lack of unhomogenised milk available to discerning consumers.

The ambitious and practical pair built the processing plant with their own hands, with

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Rach drawing on her dairy farming heritage and Troy his qualifications in three separate trades. Troy also attended pasteurising courses and sought work experience with experienced milk processors - they laughingly tell how they also learnt a lot from Google. A processing license from Dairy Safe Victoria was issued following a stringent process and the dairy continues to be audited every six months.

The Peterkens work hands-on in the business every day. Both remain resolute in their commitment to ensuring that they produce what they refer to as “Victoria’s best quality milk”. Inglenook Dairy’s unhomogenised “Cream Top” milk is naturally topped with a thick layer of luscious unadulterated, oldfashioned cream. The various milk lines have won multiple awards and they are currently in the process of developing a pot set yoghurt and a butter line.

There seems to be no stopping this pair of extremely hard working farmers with Rach saying, “It’s what we don’t do that makes our milk the best”.

Visit www.inglenookdairy.com.au for more information.

AUTUMN AMBIENCE AND ARTS AT BUDA Buda Historic Home and Garden in Castlemaine has an active program of special events and exhibitions each year which relate to the arts, heritage and horticulture in keeping with Buda’s vision, and complementing the existing assets that form the significance of this historic property.

Buda hosts two exhibitions this autumn, as part of its annual public program. Poetry in Glass features an exquisite selection of decorative glass objects, mostly from the 1920s and 1930s, by renowned French glassmaker, Rene Lalique. Complementing this is the detailed photographs of Darron Davies, who has produced the series The Waking View using Buda’s collection of historical objects as subject matter.

The 1.2 hectare historic garden at Buda is delightful during autumn, with the autumnal colours, balmy weather and serene ambience evoking a bygone era, when this was the Leviny family home. The Leviny’s collection of Victorian era furnishings, domestic items and fine art remain, giving visitors an appreciation of our early goldfields history and colonial family life.

Poetry in Glass and The Waking View runs until 19th April, coinciding with the Castlemaine State Festival. Buda has a program of special events and exhibitions each year, which relate to the arts, heritage and horticulture in keeping with Buda’s vision, and complementing the existing assets that form the significance of this historic property.

Rene Lalique: Poetry in Glass

A unique selection of decorative glass by famed French artist Rene Lalique

Darron Davies: The Waking View

An evocative series of photographs taken at Buda by photographer Darron Davies

For Buda events during the Castlemaine State Festival 13 – 22 March 2015 see website Address: 42 Hunter Street Castlemaine Open: Wed – Sat 12pm to 5pm, Sunday 10am to 5pm & Public Holidays Closed: Christmas and Good Friday Tel: 5472 1032 Website: www.budacastlemaine.org 27

Article by Lauren Mitchell

ALL THE REGION’S A STAGE Shakespeare gave the world many well-sworn phrases; a charmed life, heart’s content, all the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players. He could have been talking about Central Victoria. Every community here embraces a rich public theatrical life. School kids are taking weekend drama lessons, home-grown talents are writing local scripts and the most famous of musicals are expertly executed. Here, we touch on some of them, but they’re certainly not the be all and end all…

William penned that one too!

Think arts, think Castlemaine. There’s some magic elixir in the water here that’s intoxicating to creatives. Castlemaine Theatre Company secretary Kate Stone says that’s what allows the 55-year-old group to take the risks it does.

“There are a lot of creative practitioners in our community and they’re prepared to come and see more unusual work,” she says, adding the company’s last major show, the very dark Playhouse Creatures, was as challenging for the audience as the cast.

The company comprises a mix of amateur and semi-professionals, giving it serious stage cred. Kate has recently studied at the Victorian College of the Arts, such is her commitment to her craft. She says many of the country’s

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well-known television actors call Castlemaine home, and many are great supporters of the company. Not that it’s elitist.

Castlemaine’s fun side will come out later this year when it presents a stage adaptation of the cult TV series, Monkey. It’ll bring together local karate, ballet and circus schools for one almighty celebration of a priest, a pig and a primate.

“One of the things about living in a very creative, dynamic community is a lot of people like to get involved, but a lot of people also want to do their own thing,” Kate says. “Groups are starting up here all the time and I’d like to see more collaboration of the different groups.

That’s my personal aim.”

Monkey might just be the one to do it.

Keep an eye out for it at www.castlemainetheatrecompany.com Kyneton’s True Blue Theatre. The Kyneton community isn’t afraid of a little real-life drama.

When occupational health and safety issues saw their beloved Bluestone Theatre close in 2012, a hefty cast assembled to lobby for its repairs. And no one was calling cut until they saw the cash.

“We fought really hard,” says Suzanne Sandow, of Friends of the Bluestone Theatre.

Their efforts saw around $400,000 in state government, council and community funds pooled, with work now about to start on the historic former church.

The bluestone has been the home of community theatre here since the 1970s, and local groups are keenly anticipating its reopening later in 2015.

Suzanne says while temporarily losing the venue hasn’t dampened the strong offering of local acts, nothing compares to the exquisite ambience inside the bluestone. It’s why the likes of the Kyneton Theatre Company, the Cathouse Players and local youth theatre outfits Figment and DAAW adore the space.

She says while there are many theatre groups here for a relatively small community, they all offer something different – KTC loves musicals, the Cathouse presents carefully crafted theatre, Figment is exploring contemporary American works and DAAW is for school-aged kids. And they’re all prolific.

This year KTC and Cathouse will each present three major shows. And then there’s the one-act plays as part of the Kyneton Daffodil Festival. It’s the state’s oldest such one-act event and a highlight of local theatre since 1956.

In March, local professional playwright Chris Milne blurred that real and imagined drama when KTC presented his tongue-in-cheek show Kyneton, Darling!

Taking the mountain to Dunolly. If there was a musical about Rachel Buckley’s life, it’d be filled with big songs, hearty laughs and an unexpected twist in the plot.

Three years ago Rachel visited Dunolly, on the trail of a National Trust heritage building open day. She arrived a week too early, but her visit was still fruitful. “Instead of coming home with a souvenir tea towel, I came home with an old hotel,” she laughs.

A faded old pub for sale turned the day trip into a permanent affair. The fact the town held little theatrics for this singer/director did not deter her. “I thought I’d bring the mountain to Mohammad,” she says, on her efforts to establish this old gold town as a theatrical hub.

Rachel soon launched the Dunolly Gilbert & Sullivan Festival. She enlisted local students, teachers, volunteers, community and office workers to play the parts in the likes of The Mikado and Trial by Jury.

“It’s encouraging people who’ve never performed on stage before,” Rachel says.

“I’m not the world’s greatest director, but I recognise what is needed to bring people together and I set things up to work. The most wonderful thing for this community is they’ve realised how much talent they have.”

The Gilbert & Sullivan is now a biennial event, the next one in October. But in the meantime, Rachel is busy moving mountains, bringing world-renowned talent to tiny Dunolly. The next one will be a pianist from Berlin, who will play “operatic delights” at her hotel, Buckley’s of Dunolly.

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TOGETHER WE’LL LIGHT UP THE SKY Imagine a space for people – a place where everyone is welcome, where anyone can be themselves. Our space is defined by our combined potential, by our future together.

We are building an amazing space, it’s true, but with you it will be truly great.

Introducing the Ulumbarra Theatre Dreaming Program – giving you the opportunity to play your part in this exciting theatre development.

We hope you’ll be a part of our story.

For more information on the Ulumbarra Theatre Dreaming Program visit our website: www.ulumbarratheatre.com.au or call our Business Development Manager, David Stretch on 03 4408 6512.

www.ulumbarratheatre.com.au #gathertogether

NED GOES BACK TO PRISON The Old Bendigo Gaol has been the scene of much drama since it began housing the goldfield’s criminals in 1861, but judging by the City of Greater Bendigo’s latest plans, it ain’t seen nothing yet.

The city is set to launch the historic site as the new Ulumbarra Theatre, a 1000-seat auditorium for the arts. The Capital Venue and Events team has locked in the 2015 Ulumbarra program. While April’s opening celebrations will be a highlight, what comes next is truly special.

In May Ulumbarra will host the premier of NED, a new Australian musical, written and composed by one of Bendigo’s own sons of the stage.

Adam Lyon is fresh from playing the lead role in hit production King Kong. He cut his teeth as a teenager with the Bendigo Theatre Company, and is back home to pay homage to his grounding.

“It’s just the most fantastic opportunity and beyond everything else I’m exceptionally grateful,” he says on the chance to work with the Capital Venues and Events team to produce his show. “It means I get a chance to create new Australian work, and that’s a gift that’s a lot rarer than it should be.”

NED will bring together some of Australia’s most experienced theatre professionals alongside emerging local talent. “We’re trying to involve as many locals as possible,” Adam says.

In February locals had to chance to audition for the country’s biggest casting agent, Lynne

Ruthven, who chose the talent for the likes of King Kong and Strictly Ballroom.

“To be able to come back and give people the opportunity to be involved in a project of this scope is wonderful,” Adam says.

“My hope is that it finds a large scale producer for a Melbourne season for a life beyond Bendigo and hopefully a life beyond Australia.”

Adam has been keeping a close eye on Ulumbarra’s development.

“It’s so cool,” he says. “They’ve done a masterful job of combining the old architecture and the new. “It’s the finest quality regional theatre I’ve seen, they’ve gone to great lengths to make sure it’s a viable, professional venue for large shows to tour.” Or in this case, for large shows to blossom. NED follows the life of bushranger Ned Kelly. Adam hopes the legendary Australian story will appeal to a wider audience than traditional musical theatre lovers.

“The quality of the characters is something that really took me by surprise,” he says.

“The main thing for me is how exceptional everybody else in Ned’s life was – his mother, his sister, his brothers. “I do hope it gets bums on seats.”

NED will play from May 22 to 31.

Ulumbarra Theatre opens on April 18 with the Light up the Sky concert, featuring James Morrison. On April 19 the free A Place for People opening day will feature roving entertainment, the Trove market and guided tours. Book your tickets for all shows and events at gotix.com.au.

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Article and photography by Hilary Finch

AT HOME WITH RUSSELL AND JOAN Walking into Russell Petherbridge and Joan Mackenzie’s rambling mud brick home is like stepping into a living fairytale. A giant steel bat is suspended from the ceiling, while handmade light fittings, bobbing wire heads, sculpted babies and a mummified magpie animate every nook and cranny. Personal photos peppered between the creative display places the work in situ; made of family, nature and loving appreciation.

For more than four decades Russell has been forging steel into works of art and fashioning jewelry out of gold and silver. The artists 40acre property is situated in the picturesque rolling hills of Yandoit, a small gold-rush township 20 kilometres north of Daylesford.

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While a few nuggets may still remain, Russell and Joan agree it was their lucky strike to move to the property 10 years ago. Today some 300 whimsical works are dotted throughout the bush block. The dogs, cats and goat seem right at home under the shade of a whale’s tail protruding from the ground, or a larger than life figure of a girl skipping.

For Russell, sculpture is about adding “that extra piece of joy” into a landscape already saturated with natural beauty.

The son of an engineer, Russell initially followed in the same footsteps, citing his Dad’s best foreman, Jack Woods as the boiler maker who taught him about steel and made him “fearless of it”. It was 1966 and Russell was a young man of 19, impressed by “Wild Jack

who used to bend threepenny pieces between his teeth”. With such mentors it’s little wonder Russell has tackled monumental works; his ‘Metamorphosis’, a sensual female abstract, stands tall and firm at 400 pounds.

Russell, you’ve been an engineer, a professional football player, a jeweler and a sculptor. Yes, I was playing football for Bendigo in the early 1970s, when my coach Barry ‘Hooker” Harrison said, “Shave the beard off or go”, so I left. I had fallen in love with the countryside and set up a studio in Kooroocheang. It wasn’t hard to leave engineering as art had always been in the background, but at the time my parents just couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t until I got my first really major commission that my father cried after seeing how far I’d come. I finally had his approbation.

What are you making? These days I get a lot of commissions for what I call my functioning

art; custom design gates, pot belly stoves, candle sticks, staircases. Joan looks after the guesthouse, with many visitors over the years becoming great collectors of my sculpture.

Could you share a favourite work with us?

The magpie is probably the piece of most sentimental value. It was the first work I did after my wife, Pam passed away. I found a mummified magpie in a fire place and made a sculpture based on it. The piece was about death but also about new life and newfound creativity solo.

What is the value of art? As Churchill said, “What are we fighting for?” Take art out of life and it’s so mediocre.

What’s your greatest achievement? Keeping the same honesty and integrity that I started out with. For Joan and I, this property and family home has been one of our greatest achievements. It’s brought us great comfort and freedom.

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DICKSONIA RARE PLANTS TURNS 35 Tucked in behind the Trading Post on Mt Macedon Road is Dicksonia Rare Plants, a treasure trove of cool temperate gems.

Stephen Ryan (right) , a local institution, opened Dicksonia in 1980 – 35 years of collecting and selling rare plants is a feat even he can hardly believe. Full of child-like energy and wide-eyed exuberance, Stephen simply feels too young to be celebrating three and a half decades at Dicksonia. An extension of his already insatiable apatite for rare and interesting plants, the nursery allows him to share his passion and seemed a logical step for the avid plantsman and collector.

One of the things you notice when visiting Dicksonia is a lack of mass-produced, glossy labels. Instead, you find lovely hand written notes with the botanic names and the background of the plants, together with where the plants are from and grow naturally. The notes also include tidbits of information like expected growth habits and personal insights like how Stephen has used the plant in his own garden.

Years ago the local nursery was a place to explore and, like those at Dicksonia, many of the plants were propagated by the owners.

There was always something exciting to discover and take home to my own little garden. The joy of discovering something new

still exists at Dicksonia and it’s refreshingly difficult to find a familiar plant. Stephen is proud to have never stocked a Diosma and other plants are struck off the shelves as soon as they become mass-produced.

The gardens of Mt Macedon, visited by thousands of day trippers each year, owe a great deal to Dicksonia and Stephen, who has collected and propagated many of the plants that make the gardens unique. His connection to the gardens runs deep, as many of the older specimens were grown by his father in their original family nursery. A visit to the gardens of Mt Macedon is not complete without popping in to Dicksonia and perhaps taking away a rare treasure of your own.

Dicksonia Rare Plants is at 686 Mt. Macedon Rd, Mt. Macedon.

Stephen Read Principal Designer 0418 963 885

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W stephenread.com.au E stephen@stephenread.com.au FB facebook.com/stephenreadlandscape

LURE OF DISCOVERY Treasure-hunters flocked to the Loddon region in their thousands during the goldrush years and the lure of discovery is no less compelling today for lovers of antiques. Join us for a glimpse of what all the fuss is about.

There’s a definite European flavour at Septembre Vintage in Eddington, where owners Domenico and Virginie have reinvigorated the town’s former petrol station.

Virginie is French and the couple source some of their varied stock there.

In Tarnagulla, Matilda’s operates in a storefront run continuously as a butcher’s shop from 1862 to 1988. “I specialise in cute, kitsch and comfy,” owner Frances says.

At Bridgewater, Helen has opened Tumbleweeds & Toadstools in the town’s former bakery. “I started collecting egg cups years ago, but when I got to 1,000 I thought I’d try something else,” she says.

Inglewood is fast becoming a Mecca for antiques enthusiasts, with five busy shops.

Fusspots is located in the old Nixon Bros store, with owner Catherine selling vintage homewares, furniture, collectables and curios.

The Allan Nixon Grocery Museum is part of the premises.

Inglewood Emporium owner Denise operates in a building that’s 153 years old. “We have restored and rustic furniture, vintage clothes and collectables such as corkscrews, rope makers and cast-iron water fountains,” Denise says.

Chris, from Sharp’s Bazaar, has been in Inglewood for eight years after 15 years in Eaglehawk. “I like to have dolls and prams here, alongside my range of furniture, collectables, kitchenware and linen,” he says.

Liz, of Lizzie’s Vintage Wear and Wares, has been operating for 10 years, selling hippie clothes and vintage clothing, while Christine, of Gypsy Collectables, has notched up 35 years in the trade specialising in “heritage utensils”.

Further north, the Coach House Gallery and Museum at Wedderburn houses a general store displaying goods from the early 1900s, while a cellar contains photos, wheelwrights’ tools and a printing press.

For further information www.loddon.vic.gov.au

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AUSTRALIA’S OLDEST WORKING POTTERY

Features Ceramics, Antiques & Collectables, Artists’ studio galleries, Historic Museum & Cafe

Open 7 days, 9am to 5pm 146 Midland, Hwy Epsom www.bendigopottery.com.au

Come and have the time of your life horseback riding through picturesque bushland in Daylesford’s beautiful ‘Spa Country’ All rides are fully supervised by experienced leaders. Helmets supplied.

Please call to make a booking.

Tipperary Springs Road, Daylesford Phone 03 5348 2525 info@boomerangranch.com.au

Every 4th Saturday of the month.

Enquiries: 0407 860 320

Natural - Beautiful - Organic - Uplifting Shop online at www.lakshmiscircle.com.au 36

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE AT BENDIGO POTTERY With a reputation for making high quality ceramics since 1858, Bendigo Pottery has expanded the experiences at this historic site to include something for all ages.

Creating your own masterpiece. Working on a potter’s wheel is a unique multi-generational experience. Six group lessons run daily for up to six people at each time, aged 6 and over.

For the younger ones, a Clay Play Kit provides hands-on fun. Ceramic painting workshops run weekdays during school holidays.

Antiques & Collectables Centre. With more than 45 sites and cabinets this display is captivating. The individual passion of each dealer has created a treasure trove of furniture, glass, ceramics, jewellery, textiles, tools, retro kitchenware and commercial memorabilia from the Victorian, Art Deco and Mid Century eras.

The Time Gallery. The Gallery has a range of antique clocks and watches for sale, together with rare parts. Staff not only repair and restore antique clocks, watches and jewellery, but also French polish wood cases and re enamel dials.

Bendigo Pottery. At the centre of this diverse and engaging complex is Australia’s oldest ceramic manufacturer. All made onsite in Epsom, there is an extensive range of decorative tableware and cookware.

Hand crafted on the wheel or moulded and hand finished, the extensive range is high temperature fired, hard-wearing stoneware.

Bendigo Pottery, the Antique Centre and the café are open daily at 146 Midland, Hwy Epsom, tel: 5448 4404. Shop online at www.bendigopottery.com.au

Artists’ working studio. Predominantly a metal sculptor, Yvonne George explores the relationship of space, form and scale with her nature observations, a constant source of design. Yvonne has created a range of water and garden features working closely with architects, councils and landscape designers to produce larger sculptural elements for public and private spaces.

The Great Australian Olive Store/Glenwillow Cellar Door/Etcetera Gallery. Glenwillow Wines is a family-owned, boutique winery with a vineyard at Yandoit. Chat with winery owner, manager and worker, Peter Fyffe whose wife Cherryl is an artist in the gallery, specialising in printmaking and handmade jewellery. Also available are local olive oils and delicious dressings. Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Salt & Pepper Gallery. Showcases the works of Catherine Brennan and Emily Crawford. Catherine is well known for her paintings, photography, jewellery and uniquely designed scarves. Emily upcycles glassware to use with her soy and beeswax candles, the aroma welcoming you to this gallery, which also has a range of specialty teas.

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- Lunch 5 Days Wed to Sun - Dinner 7 Nights - Tight Tuesday $14 Meals - Courtesy Bus Available!

We have been operating as a pub for over 150 Years and still to this day offer a great place for all to gather, eat, drink and have a darn good time! Always something happening at The Roo. www.thekangaroohotel.com.au Phone us 5475 2214 Follow us on Facebook

Exc ALL lud FAB ing LineRIC $ ns & 15p/ Quil m tba cks

The Village Patch Over 3000 fabrics in stock, kits, locally handmade quilts, gifts, threads and books.

Machine quilting service also available.

49 High Street, Maldon – 03 5475 2391 email enquiries@villagepatch.com.au Open 6 days, Wed–Mon 10am–5pm Secure online store www.villagepatch.com.au 38

VICTORIA’S HEART OF GOLD Well known as a picturesque town that boasts some of the most historic 19th century buildings, Maldon has made an art of marrying the old with the new. Declared as Australia’s first notable town by the National Trust in 1966, followed 40 years later by being awarded the title of ‘most intact heritage streetscape’, again by the National Trust in 2006, this is a town patently proud of its heritage. But it is definitely not stuck in the past. Wandering around the streets it doesn’t take long to realise that “the locals”, embrace the 21st century with passion and ingenuity.

Walking through the doors of Much Ado, a gorgeous homewares store at 22 Main Street it’s easy to see that owners, Jill and Julien Harrison-Rogers believe in timeless and classic design and that things should be made to last – designed obsolescence is totally alien to Jill and Julien’s philosophy. A visit to the store just may involve you in a chat and giggle with Jill, Felicity and Sally and maybe a glimpse of Julien developing quirky and bespoke furniture or working on the ever changing displays.

Across the road at 49 High Street is The Village Patch, an absolute delight for the clever crafty people among us. With 3000 quality quilting fabrics, a large selection of widebacks, battings and threads including full range of Cottage Garden embroidery cottons, interesting patterns, quilting books and quilt kits, children’s quilt panels and a large selection of quality quilting flannels, the range at The Vintage Patch is too vast to list here. It is well worth visiting the shop on your next visit to Maldon, or the online store at www.villagepatch.com.au and also keep up with what’s new at www.facebook.com/ TheVillagePatch.

When the munchies beckon on your tour, Wicked Temptations Café and Wine Bar offers the best in meals, tasting plates and tapas, or coffee, delectably decadent cakes and other goodies, all with Wicked’s modern take on gourmet foods. A wide range of boutique beers, regional wines and cocktails complement the relaxed atmosphere of garden dining and sophisticated indoor seating. A seniors menu is also available.

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While at Wicked Temptations, don’t forget to pop next door for all things Christmas at Vanilla Spice Christmas Shop. It’s never too early to indulge in Christmas gorgeousness.

Just a skip and a hop down the street is Maldon’s own ice creams, Cherry’s Ice Creamery, which you can read more about on page 42.

The Kangaroo Hotel has been a focal point of Maldon for 150 years and is still going strong. The relatively new management, pride themselves on using quality fresh local produce, sourced from the local farm gates to create the accepted pub classics and a large range of specials that change weekly. Local wine and craft beers complement the menu and the regular live music gigs, making a visit to the only Kangaroo Hotel in Australia a must.

With so much on offer, Maldon is an excellent base when exploring the region and of course that means finding good accommodation.

Eaglehawk Boutique Motel is a family owned and run business, which means that owners, Deborah and Christopher are committed to operating with sustainability in mind and seek to source all supplies and services locally

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wherever possible. This commitment extends to the service they offer their guest at all times.

Fairbank House is central to all the attractions of the Goldfields and is a great place to stay for a couple, or up to six people. This beautiful three bedroom, self-contained cottage offers the quality that is expected by today’s discerning travellers.

In keeping with Maldon’s connection with it’s early days, the Victorian Goldfields Railway takes passengers on a journey through the forest, bringing back images of how it used to be in days gone by. Run by volunteers, the railway regularly runs special events, details of which can be found on www.vgr. com.au as they arise. During Easter trains will be running each day with a special Wine and Cheese Train on Good Friday evening. In addition, Steam Trains For Kids Weekend is on April 11 and 12 and on the long weekend in June, trains will run in conjunction with the Castlemaine Jazz Festival.

It’s easy to see why Maldon is treasured by the locals and a destination for visitors.

VICTORIAN GOLDFIELDS RAILWAY

Maldon’s Eaglehawk Motel

Authentic Steam Era Experience Linking Maldon & Castlemaine Wednesdays & Sundays Easter Weekend 2015 Train will be running Friday – Monday Special Wine and Cheese Train Good Friday Evening

The small motel with a big difference.

It’s ambience and facilities provide a wonderful experience when staying in Maldon.

Steam Trains For Kids April 11 & 12 June Long Weekend Jazz Trains in conjunction with Castlemaine Jazz Festival

For times, fares and special events go to www.vgr.com.au Maldon Train Station – 03 5470 6658

35 Reef Street, Maldon 03 5475 2750 www.maldoneaglehawk.com

Fairbank House

Stylish house & garden for a couple, a group, or Celebration in Maldon!

Exclusive use property, 3 bed, 3 bath, ducted heating & cooling, indoor & outdoor entertaining Complementary wifi, Foxtel/Showtime.

For accommodation phone 0413 541 941 or email: enquiries@heritagecottages.com.au www.fairbankhouse.com.au

Photo courtesy of Bendigo Regional Tourism

Freshly made on premises using all natural ingredients.

22 High Street, Maldon Open Wednesday to Sunday 12 - 4.30pm

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LIFE IS CHILLED IN MALDON Ironically, Ian French says nothing frozen goes into his ice cream. He’s talking about the raw materials of more than 60 flavours he makes at his Maldon shop, Cherry’s Ice Creamery.

All the fruit is freshly purchased, pulped and added to his special Maldon recipes. And where possible, it’s sourced locally, like plump summer boysenberries.

Ian has shared his story as part of the Bendigo Region Food and Wine Fossicking App, but his shop is so much more than a digital experience.

On any given day around 20 perfectly-crafted flavours are on show and ready for tasting.

Think the likes of Bailey’s Irish Cream, Cherry Ripe, Chocolate Cake and Roasted Almond with Fig Sauce. “I’m sure no one else is making that one,” Ian says. “I rotate through the flavours and I try to get a mood from people as to what comes out.” The shop has been a staple of the heritage streetscape for more than 15 years. Ian, who once worked in banking in Melbourne, purchased it as a family

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business. He and his family moved to Maldon 20 years ago to manage their cottage B&B, later finding themselves looking after a dozen holiday homes on behalf of others. But these days, it’s all about the ice cream. After Ian took over the shop, he noticed the prevalence of food allergies among his customers, to things like artificial colours and flavours present in many commercial ice creams. “I thought I could put a Maldon stamp on our ice cream and at the same time give everyone a reason to enjoy something local,” he says on the decision to make the product from scratch onsite. So off to ice cream school it was.

“I like creating the ice cream, and even more than that I like the look on the people’s faces, their reaction to what I’ve created,” Ian says. “I like the town, too. You come into Maldon and it just has a really calming feel to it.”

You’ll find all the contact details for Cherry’s Ice Creamery, along with 50 more of the region’s foodie heroes, on the app – free on the App Store and Google Play.

Go

Food & Wine Go Food & Wine

Fossicking...

Fossicking...

Download the new Bendigo Region Food & Wine Fossicking app to find the best wineries, cider makers, growers, producers, restaurants and cafes from Heathcote to Castlemaine, Maryborough to Boort, and everywhere in between.

This interactive app features maps, opening hours, social media and events to whet the appetites of local and visiting foodies.

What are you waiting for?

Get fossicking!

Find out more at: www.bendigoregionfoodandwine.com

By Lyndall McQuinn

AUTUMN ASTROLOGY Lets expect a bumpy descent into autumn.

The Solstice of March 20 is joined with a Dark Moon Eclipse so descending is the practice we use for our rituals. Uranus and Pluto will make their last exact dance together which has been a dance of powerful turbulence over the past couple of years; luckily we have had Chiron’s gentility to help seal over the wounds.

ARIES: Your exhilarating rush of life has a couple of added extras. The Uranus contact to South Node is asking you to look back at the past and clean up the dross. Your sign begins this season with an eclipse and a dark moon in Pisces so for all the full speed ahead of the previous months; weighty baggage is asking to be flung into the wind.

Resolve and move on Aries. There is a mop up Dark Moon in Aries later in April for any spillage.

LIBRA: Life has tapped into the speed of Aries from across the wheel and you have the North Node in your sector so the future is calling you. Set the goals, make the plans and try to dodge the duality of mind that so often slows you down. Onwards into the future is your catch cry. Use April’s full moon with eclipse to illuminate the dreams.

PISCES: so much is happening for Pisces. Life is confusing and illuminating at the same time especially for Feb 28 Pisces; this could be a long autumn. Profound realisations come drifting in on the wilds of the cosmos if only we can ground them. Spiritually, this is a wonderful period; the dark moon eclipse gives an added portal on March 20. However as always with Pisces, the tendency to be weepy

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or unappreciated is lurking. Don’t swallow the misguided perceptions of how others perceive you.

VIRGO: You have the first full moon in March so time to be vigilant. You are more receptive and intuitive right now, which could bring out the creativity within. Allow the creations to evolve and try to leave the harsh critic to have a rest.

There will be time later to evaluate the work you produce.

AQUARIUS: You will really benefit from new input, either by friends or work colleagues. There is a calling in you for fresh ideas or a reordering of how you want to do things. Following this call will work well especially if you are travelling.

Use information from the past and reroute it into the future.

LEO: Jupiter has stopped its forward motion for a second, so it is pressing those born on Aug 6-8 applying abundant ideas that may go nowhere. It turns direct again in April so the richness of flow that has been your friend over the last nine months or so will bring new directions to flood into. A great sense of wellbeing blesses your sign. Watch out in all the exuberance for hidden power plays that bring sudden shocks.

CAPRICORN: Pluto continues to make profound change to our Capricornian friends. This year it will be those with birthdays 4-7 January. It is not wise to resist the changes that arise as the Uranian energy is also contacting Capricorn making change inevitable. The slowing down of your usual drive allows the gentle waft of Neptune situated in Pisces to add a creative or restful edge. Enjoy it.

CANCER: You will be flying under the radar this season, so you may get away with things you normally wouldn’t. You can master pushy people in your lives if you realise the game is about power and don’t push back. You may be surrounded by people in states of fall out – emotional of course; you are a great helper but don’t get hooked in. Directions may be a little difficult, but just wait for winter, which is a more profound season for you.

SCORPIO: Your Full Moon on May 4, is time to celebrate your Scorpionic charms. Beautiful Neptune visions move easily across to you from Pisces, so absorb and enjoy the depth of your imaginary mind. Great time to create or explore. Chiron too is beaming across from there, so gentle healing practices are also a great idea. Quiet and productive with a little tension from a Jupiter push, sounds delightful; create with ease and enjoyment.

SAGITTARIUS: Lets build Sagittarius, especially if you are born between 23-27 of November.

There could be lots of frustration and responsibility issues arising that you will need to deal with. In fact by taking them in hand you will be surprised how successful you can be. Even though you prefer to burn out of control in your own way, a little tolerance and perseverance here can teach you many things.

TAURUS: Mars in Taurus in April and early May is your hard work time; you will enjoy the amount of progress you make in this period.

The dark moon for you is a great time for evaluation at the end of May and the Mercury Retro period beginning mid-May add to this tendency to go over and re-do, re-think. Don’t get grumpy about this; see it as a time to review the decisions of summer and early autumn. This is a very productive time; don’t let the frustration of the review period diminish your efforts.

GEMINI: Autumn begins quietly enough, many ideas, brisk flow of experiences, but by birthday time you may find it a little frustrating.

Mercury is Retro in your sign for much of Gemini so that can turn things around and upside down.

Luckily it only lasts roughly three weeks. Those born on May 26 are really pressed and tested on their life path. Usual stuff, why doesn’t anyone hear you?

Lyndall McQuinn Astrologer and Tarot Reader 39 Albert St Daylesford 0428 425 923 www.lyndallmcquinn.com

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MARKETS EVERY SATURDAY Wesley Hill Markets Pyrenees Hwy, Castlemaine 7.30am – 1pm P: 0418 117 953 EVERY SUNDAY Daylesford Sunday Market Daylesford Railway Station 8am – 4pm, P: 03 5348 3503 1ST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH Ballan Community Market Lions Club, Main Street P: 03 5368 1203 Beaufort Market Memorial Park, Beaufort 9am – 1pm P: 5349 1184 M: 0448 192 087 Darley Market Bacchus Marsh Darley Football Oval, Fitzroy Street 7am – 1pm P: 0488 345 145 Daylesford Farmers Market Daylesford Primary School Oval, Vincent St. Daylesford P: 0421 458 891 Woodend Farmers Market High Street, Woodend 9am – 1pm P: 0407 860 320 2ND SATURDAY OF THE MONTH Ballan Farmers Market Mill Cottage, Inglis Street P: 0498 361 291 Ballarat Lakeside Farmers Market* (also last Saturday of the month) Lake Wendouree Ballarat 9am – 1pm P: 03 9533 0601 Bendigo Community Farmers Market Rosalind Park end of Williamson St. 9am – 1pm P: 0498 186 491 www.bcfm.org.au Kyneton Community Market Duck Duck Goose and Larder Piper Street, Kyneton P: 03 5422 4653 3

RD

SATURDAY OF THE MONTH

Creswick Market 19-21 Victoria Street, Creswick 9am – 1pm P: 03 5345 2356

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VISITOR INFO CENTRES Heathcote Region Farmers’ Market Barrack Reserve, High Street 9am–1pm www.hrfm.com.au

Avoca 03 5465 1000 pyrenees.org.au

Trentham Farmers Market Trentham Town Square, High Street P: 0427 542 811

Bacchus Marsh 03 5367 7488 discoverbacchusmarch.org

4TH SATURDAY OF THE MONTH

Ballarat 1800 446 633 visitballarat.com.au

Lancefield Farmers Market High Street 9am-1pm P: 0407 860 320 1ST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH

Beaufort 03 5349 2604 pyrenees.org.au

Castlemaine Farmers Market Victory Park 9.00am-1pm P: 03 5470 6340

Bendigo 1800 813 153 bendigotourism.com

Gisborne All Seasons Market Gisborne Village Shopping Centre 9am-3pm P: 03 5426 2448

Castlemaine 1800 171 888 maldoncastlemaine.com.au

Gisborne Farmers and Produce Market 9am-1pm P: 03 5428 3043

Clunes 03 5345 3896 visitclunes.com.au

Maryborough Sunday Tourist Market Carisbrook Trotting Complex 8am-1:30pm P: 03 5461 2819

Creswick 03 5345 1114 visitcreswick.com.au

2ND SUNDAY OF THE MONTH

Daylesford 03 5321 6123 visitdaylesford.com.au

Dunolly Market Broadway, Dunolly Lisa Mercer – 03 5468 1948 Maldon Market Fountain St, Maldon www.maldonnc.org.au 3RD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH Talbot Farmers Market Scandinavian Crescent and Camp Street 9am–1pm P: 03 5463 2001 Woodend Market High Street P: 03 5427 2255 4TH SUNDAY OF THE MONTH Avoca Riverside Market 0488 177 647 Trentham Farmers and Makers Market Victoria Street 9am-2pm P: 03 5424 8223

Heathcote 03 5433 3121 heathcote.org.au Kyneton 03 5422 6110 visitmacedonranges.com Loddon 03 5494 3489 www.loddon.vic.gov.au Maldon 03 5475 2569 maldoncastlemaine.com Maryborough 03 5460 4511 visitmaryborough.com.au Trentham 03 5424 1178 visittrentham.com.au Woodend 03 5427 2033 visitmacedonranges.com

There is something for everyone!

The Daylesford Sunday Market operates every Sunday 8am-3pm at Daylesford station.

Enjoy a trip through the forest and local countryside onboard one of our historic railmotors.

Trains depart every Sunday from the historic station.

10am -3pm

Enjoy an evening out with a difference!

Departs the first Saturday of every month 5:30pm Bookings essential

Daylesford railway station | 18 Raglan street Daylesford p: 03 5348 3503 (sundays only) | www.dscr.com.au