ISSUE 59 AUTUMN 2019 PRICELESS
ISSUE 59 – AUTUMN 2019 FEATURES: 5
THE COUNTRY ROAD THAT LED TO A COUNTRY LIFE
7
BIG CATS IN BALLARAT
16 TOWN ON A PLATE 27 REGIONAL MARKETS 30 ASTROLOGY
Published by Secrets Magazine ABN 35 535 679 949 Mailing Address PO Box 356 Creswick VIC 3363 Phone 0427 103 217 Email info@secretsmagazine.com.au Web www.secretsmagazine.com.au Editor Norma Morton Design & Layout Nick Morton Cover Greg Parker - Ballarat Wildlife Park Contributors Lyndall McQuinn, Matthew Turner, Rebecca Sprosen-Bailey, Irene O’Duffy 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.
FROM THE EDITOR Yes it’s been hot and according to the ‘good guys’ at the Bureau of Meteorology the forecast is for the hot weather to be around for a long time yet. Climate change is here and taking its toll – floods in Queensland, bushfires in Tasmania and Victoria – it’s not good news. Most Australians are aware of it and doing there best to help, all we need now is to make sure the politicians leave their denial platforms and do something about it. On the positive side, there are so many opportunities with new industries in renewables just waiting to be taken up, surely with an election coming up, the pollies will start to take a stand for our future. At least one can hope. Our regular writer on sustainability building, Matthew Turner has written an interesting piece about what we can do to help. Our cover shot of Maneki, the Sumatran tiger now resident at the Ballarat Wildlife Park is an
amazing addition to the attractions of Ballarat. This writer met Maneki on a hot 37 degree day recently and to say she is a magnificent beast is an understatement. She was the only smart one that day as she dipped in her pool while we silly humans stood baking in the sun. The Parker family, owners and founders of the Ballarat Wildlife Park and visionaries in animal welfare are developing a million dollar Conservation Precinct and are working closely with the Tiger Protection and Conservation Unit in Sumatra - part of a Global Species Management Plan. We spoke with Robbie Doyle, Operations Manager and Curator of this fantastic initiative. Enjoy the glories of autumn, one of the cracker seasons as winter will be here soon enough. We’re already working on the winter issue. So until then. Cheers Norma
www.niimorijamison.com | 0405523597 | Ballarat
4
THE COUNTRY ROAD THAT LED TO A COUNTRY LIFE including Tara. Tara says, “At first, after six years of covering so many diverse shoots, I didn’t expect to be let go, but once I got over the shock, I realised that Country Road had actually done me a favour. I now felt free to develop my photography far beyond the formulaic tasks that had set in with the company and had taken a lot of the joy out of the job”. Travelling through Europe had developed a passion for stately old buildings for Tara and Ainsley and a day trip to Ballarat, seeing the city’s elegant architecture re-awakened that passion resulting in a relocation along with reinventing herself as a freelance photographer. Tara’s passion for the shutter began slowly from around the age of 14 when her father gave her a Richo KR5 Super 2 camera that lasted about 20 years. A few short courses, a Diploma in Applied Photography a number of successful exhibitions and a move into an advertising agency prior to her tenure at Country Road has given Tara a breadth of experience and know how of capturing stunning images through the lens. Together with fashion shoots, Tara is adept with weddings, portraits - in particular corporate portraits and art photography.
A love of majestic buildings, a desire to leave the city and a redundancy saw photographer Tara Moore and her partner Ainsley make the big tree change to Ballarat in June 2018. Tara worked as a photographer with Country Road covering all facets of the company’s product range for six years. When, like so many companies, Country Road moved their primary operation off shore and the majority of the Australian sector became redundant,
Being fairly new to country living, Tara and Ainsley are still finding their way around the region and discovering the amazing opportunities to capture the beauty of central Victoria through the lens. They try to find somewhere new each weekend, which is all they have for exploring with Ainsley still commuting to his motor mechanic’s job in Melbourne. With her vast experience and keen eye, Tara Moore is sure to be an asset to Ballarat and the photographic world and has proved that a country road can lead to a fulfilling country life. To see Tara’s work visit www.taracmoorephotography.com
5
A
P E NG U I N S
JO
RN
EW ATTRAC
TI
N
M
LI
LE
O
A Wild Family Adventure Awaits at Ballarat Wildlife Park.
TT
See Ballarat’s only penguin colony
TH
EM
EERK ATS O
F
LL
D
A
B
www.wildlifepark.com.au
!
6 Meerkats have joined the Ballarat family
AR
AT H AV E A R R
IV
THE FARMER’S WIFE CLOTHING HOME WARES
thefarmerswifestore.com.au 49 Albert St, Creswick Mon-Sat 10-4pm Sun 11-3pm
6
88 Jim Rd, Newham www.hangingrock.com.au ph 03 5427 0542
E
BIG CATS IN BALLARAT A visit to the Ballarat Wildlife Park is far more than a ‘day out’ and meeting fascinating animals. It’s a nod to the amazing plans for the new million-dollar Global Conservation Precinct. A family owned and operated business, Ballarat Wildlife Park has continually grown and evolved over it’s 33 years of operation and at the heart of their future vision is the development of the Conservation Precinct. In the centre of the precinct is the Tiger Sanctuary, a home to two critically endangered Sumatran Tigers, Satu and Maneki. After taking some time to settle in to her new home before greeting the public, Maneki can now be seen daily. She will soon be joined by a male Sumatran tiger called Satu. It is hoped that if Maneki and Satu like each other, there may be cubs in the future that will help secure the future for these amazing animals.
Leading the project is Operations Manager and Curator, Robbie Doyle. Robbie joined Ballarat Wildlife Park in early 2018 and brings with him 15 years’ experience of hand-raising and working alongside tigers at world-class facilities including Dreamworld’s Tiger Island and Australia Zoo’s Tiger Temple. When working at Dreamworld with the Clydesdale horses, Robbie was fascinated watching the big cat trainers work with the tigers, the start of his passion for these magnificent animals. Asked how he relates to the tigers, Robbie said; “its an absolute privilege to work with these animals. Each has their own personality with their different traits and while they appear quiet and gentle, we always have to remember that they are still wild animals” adding; “they are great ambassadors for tiger conservation and we work closely with the Tiger Protection and Conservation Unit in Sumatra.
Sumatran Tigers (Panthera tigris sondaica) from the Indonesian island of Sumatra face many challenges to their survival, it is estimated that only between 500-600 Sumatran tigers remain in the wild, but the actual number may be as low as 400.
Robbie and the Parker family have created the new conservation display to ensure a stress-free environment for its new inhabitants, as well as training staff to provide a positive quality of life that every animal living in captivity deserves. The tigers’ new home features swimming pools, climbing poles, shady areas, heated dens and are double the size of the standard requirement for a tiger enclosure. The enclosure also includes stateof-the-art security to ensure the tigers and the community are kept safe.
The Sumatran Tigers calling Ballarat Wildlife Park home have come from Australia Zoo. Satu was born in captivity and Maneki was hand-raised at Australia Zoo. The tigers are part of a Global Species Management Plan and will be ambassadors for helping their wild cousins survive in the wild through education programs and promotion of conservation initiatives.
“This is a major coup for tourism in Ballarat, there’s not a lot of places where one can see these amazing creatures” said Mr Doyle. 7
DAYLESFORD MACEDON RANGES 2019
OPEN STUDIOS MEET THE ARTISTS
13-14 & 20-21-22 April (Easter) 10am - 5pm 24 Artists - 21 Studios Group Show - Convent Gallery Daylesford
AUTUMN IS A TIME FOR FUN Autumn is the optimum season for festivals and exhibitions in our region. Here’s just a few to add to your diary. Castlemaine State Festival 22nd – 31st March Castlemaine State Festival presents 10 days of over 70 performances, visual arts, talks and music programs in Australia’s largest regional arts festival. castlemainefestival.com Tudors to Windsors 16th March – 14 July A major new international exhibition is at the Bendigo Art Gallery in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery of London. www. bendigoregion.com.au/bendigo-art-gallery Mica Grange 6th April to 5th May A mix of stunning gardens and sculpture is well worth visiting for a brilliant day out. Open weekends and Easter Monday & Tuesday www.micagrange.com.au Macedon Ranges Open Studios 13th, 14th, 20th, 21st & 22nd April Showcasing the region’s art and artists who open their studios to the public for two weekends. www.dmropenstudios.com.au Bendigo Easter Festival 19th to 22nd April Australia’s longest running festival kicks off again in 2019. Three days of entertainment, fun and all things festive. www.bendigoeasterfestival.org.au Bendigo Autumn Music Festival 25th – 28th April One weekend in April brings an event to Bendigo that is so full of separate ‘gigs’, it will be a challenge to decide what you can fit into one weekend www.bendigoautumnmusic.com
www.dmropenstudios.com.au - find us on
OUR THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS Trentham & Districts Community Bank®Branch
& Hocking Stuart, Biggin & Scott, RT Edgar, Harkin Property
8
Clunes Booktown 4th & 5th May The Clunes Booktown Festival returns this May with a series of renowned authors and guest speakers with ideas and arts. Clunesbooktown.com.au Woodend Winter Arts Festival 7th – 10th June Creeping into winter, but worth a mention. Celebrating 15 years with at least 40 events over the long weekend. www.woodendwinterartsfestival.org.au
OPEN STUDIOS SHOWCASING REGIONAL ART Six new artists are joining this year’s Open Studios program with twenty-four artists in twenty-one studios inviting the public into their domain to see how art is created. The new artists join an established group who have helped build the program’s reputation for showcasing high-quality work since 2012. This year two exciting new initiatives have been introduced to the Open Studios program, adding inclusiveness to the artistic and cultural diversity. Indigenous artists, Janet Bromley is the Open Studios artist-in-residence located at the Old Auction House Gallery in Kyneton, funded by the Hepburn Shire. Janet is a Yorta Yorta woman and her art work explores her cultural heritage, displacement, past life experiences, vulnerable people and our management of waste materials. A weaver and maker, Janet uses non-traditional materials to produce art works influenced by her heritage and the modern world.
Three final year visual arts students from Federation and Latrobe Universities will be mentored during the event in the studios of artists Kianne Longley, Basil Eliades and Anthony Vanderzweep, all funded by Regional Arts Victoria. Open Studios draws more than 4000 visitors a year to the Central Highlands, an area regarded as one of Australia’s richest art regions. This Free Event offers visitors a rare chance to see how professional artists work, how their studios are set up and to ask how and why painters, sculptors, ceramicists, print makers, photographers and mixed media exponents do what they do. Open Studios will also hold a group exhibition at the Convent Gallery Daylesford with one example from each artist to help visitors select which studios to visit. The Gallery is open 10am to 5pm throughout the event except Easter Monday. See www.facebook.com/ DaylesfordMacedonRangesOpenStudios
9
RED DOOR GALLERY CLUNES Moving from the beautiful, but small gallery in the main street of Clunes, to a much larger space further down the street, has given owners of Red Door Gallery, Chris Lethlean and Chris O’Donnell greater flexibility in what they can present. This move to a great location attracts the many visitors who are now finding their way
to Clunes. Red Door Gallery with it’s diversity, style and variety of exhibitions is becoming recognised as a destination in the tapestry of a region becoming increasingly known as a hub for galleries and artists. The industrial style space with it’s exposed Oregon roof beams offers more exhibition space, the ability to run workshops on site, textile classes and exhibitions and whatever the two Christines feel the public would enjoy. The much larger and brighter premises also allows for bigger paintings to be displayed giving the viewer a wider impression of the artwork. Some of the planned workshops and classes include creative stitching, weaving, book binding, Japanese Ikebana and Japanese stitching, with more being added throughout the year. The space is so large it can accommodate lifesized wire sculptures by local artist Tom Rippon. Taking pride of place at the moment are two fascinating works - a full sized white horse and yellow tiger. Within this new space are individual areas for homewares, textiles, clothing, children’s ware and more, all made by local artists and artisans. Red Door Gallery has a gentle, restful atmosphere about it and is well worth a visit. Now on the corner of Fraser and Service Streets, Clunes reddoorgalleryonfraser.com
10
FOR THE LOVE OF BOOKS The Clunes Booktown Festival returns this May with a series of renowned authors and guest speakers joining the historic country town in north-west Victoria for a festival of the book filled with ideas and arts. The popular two-day event on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 May will feature a series of panel discussions and Q&A style talks with leading Australian authors, celebrating the love of books as well as shining a light on the creative township of Clunes. The Festival features Australia’s largest book shop, with the whole of the main street given over to bookstores, with festival-goers able to browse rare and collectible books, go inside heritage buildings, listen to live music while sampling local food and wine, watch street performers, visit exhibitions, and immerse themselves in stories.
CLUNES BOOKTOWN
festival
Located approximately 90 minutes from Melbourne by car, the small country town of Clunes is a member of the International Organisation of Booktowns, the only one in Australia. A Booktown is a small, regional, community-focused town with a concentration of booksellers – mainly secondhand or antiquarian bookshops. Each year Clunes Booktown Festival attracts over 15,000 people across the two day event to the historical town, tempting book lovers with its sensational line-up of speakers and enticing weekend explorers with its culinary delights and surprises. Clunes Booktown Festival is on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 May. Tickets are $10 from clunesbooktown.com.au where the full program can be found. Above image by Aldona Kmiec
Author talks, local food, live music & thousands of new and collectable books
4 & 5 MAY 2019
www.clunesbooktown.com.au
@clunesbooktown #clunesbooktown 11
ENDURING DOMAIN ARCHITECTURE
ENDURING DOMAIN ARCHITECTURE
Creating your Future Heritage using appropriate materials, technology and strategies.
ENDURING DOMAIN ARCHITECTURE
ENDURING DOMAIN ARCHITECTURE enduringdomain.com.au matt@enduringdomain.com.au
www.vicplanning.com.au info@vicplanning.com.au 0456 173 281 Site Analysis & Feasibility Reports Planning Permit Applications & Amendments Bushfire Management Statements Landscape Design Land Management Plan Reports Planning scheme reports
12
BAM - A HUGE WEEKEND FOR BENDIGO One weekend in April brings an event to Bendigo that is so full of separate ‘gigs’, it will be a challenge to decide what to see, when and indeed, how many gigs can you fit into one weekend. The Bendigo Autumn Music (BAM) festival kicks off on Thursday 25th April with an Opening Night Gala at the stunning Ulumbarra Theatre. This special one night event begins the inaugural festival with a selection of short performances, offering a musical taste of what is to come. Heading up the line up for the evening is Australian music icon and ARIA Award winner Deborah Conway and long time collaborator Willy Zygier. Having met in 1991, the critically acclaimed pair have together released 10 albums over a 27 year collaboration. The line up of performing artists, is an immersion of musicians from around the country and the world, bringing a broad and eclectic mix of music and performance to a variety of venues in and around Bendigo. BAM is the brainchild of festival director Glenn Wright who has been producing music events primarily around New South Wales and Queensland for twelve years. Working with music agents Red Square, Glenn wanted to bring the festival concept to Victoria and the availability of elegant buildings providing the right mix of acoustics, space and ambience in Bendigo ticked all the right boxes. With a huge list of artists performing throughout the weekend, a list far too extensive to list here, (but can be found on the website www.bendigoautumnmusic.com) the Bendigo Autumn Music festival appears to have something for everyone. The Bendigo community is very supportive of this event taking place with full council backing and assistance from Bendigo Tourism. The organisers maintain strong sustainable practices, suggesting there be no single cup use and encourage patrons to walk from venue to venue. The organisers also run a youth mentorship program, which is a fantastic opportunity for
local emerging artists (primarily high school students) to learn from established artists over the course of the festival. To add to the festivities, there will be a street parade that will travel down View Street, into Pall Mall to Rosalind Park. Workshops will also run throughout the festival. There has been a lot of effort and thought given to engage the community in the event with volunteers invited to be involved over the festival – this can include working at a venue or even billeting artists. For full details of the event, youth mentoring and the volunteer opportunities, visit www.bendigoautumnmusic.com.
13
AN INSIGHTFUL ARCHITECT He may not have fallen out of the cradle wanting to be an architect, but it was pretty close. Richard Teed decided at primary school that architecture ticked all the right boxes of what he would find fulfilling in a profession, creativity, inspiration, artistic, people focused – there was never any question about alternatives. After University, he settled into an established practice in Melbourne, learned a lot, but slowly realised that the corporate landscape didn’t fit well with his own values and ethics. That’s when the ‘light bulb’ flashed, sparking a move to Ballarat. A move that brought Ric back to his roots as his family has a long connection to the Central Victorian region. It didn’t take him long to discover his heritage was distinctly rural. He quickly found a place in a Ballarat practice and then took the plunge to fulfil a long held desire to set up his own, independent architecture practice. Currently, Ric divides his time between Ballarat and Creswick, however he and fiancé Mari, who also runs her own upholstery business, are about to build a combined home and office in Creswick. Already Ric has discovered that living and working in a regional town has additional benefits he hadn’t expected. Just a simple walk down the main street, being greeted with a wave and smile from comparative strangers underlines the sense of community that he enjoys. Ric has also found that local industry professionals have been very helpful and he is slowly building a coterie of like minded people.
14
Ric specialises in contemporary, high end residential architecture with a strong sense of place. He says; “I want to create beautiful homes that reflect the client’s view of where they are in life, whether it be small scale, every day items or the larger projects”. Ric believes good architecture “requires an unrelenting level of rigor, constantly asking yourself, is this appropriate? Is this solving the issues at hand? Can this be better?” With that depth of insight and with his desire to provide clients with a home that reflects their vision for the future, this young architect will go a long way. www.mobyarchitecture.com.au
By Matthew Turner – Enduring Domain Building Design
CLIMATE IS CHANGING, OUR BUILDINGS ARE NOT The results are in, the climate is changing and the world is warming, undisputedly as a result of human activity. The main culprit is the burning of fossil fuels and according to a CSIRO study, carbon dioxide production has increased from 5 gigatonnes per year in 1900, to 40 gigatonnes in 2016. A 2010 study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change puts heating, cooling and electricity consumption in our buildings as contributing to 25% of the global CO2 production, the single biggest polluting sector. Sure air conditioners use less energy than they did ten years ago. But when you consider that the average Australian off the plan home, even supposedly constructed to a 6-star energy efficiency level are barely habitable when the outside air temperature gets above 30 or below 20. Add the fact that more new homes are being built than ever before, means a lot of electric air-conditioning hours day in day out throughout the country. There has been a call for a raising of the bar for minimum energy efficiency standards in the National Construction Code, with proponents observing that several European countries have already adopted Passive House standards into their building codes. Passive House is a construction system relying on extreme air-tightness and controlled mechanical ventilation to reduce heating and cooling requirements. It has been developed, tested and implemented for thirty years in
Europe, but as the foothold in the Australian context continues to strengthen, questions are being asked about its suitability here in our wildly varying climate. The building industry is being told that we need to start sealing up our buildings better, but our holistic understanding of what happens to the building when we do this is less studied and much less acted upon. Frankly, a newly constructed home, which produces condensation and develops mould is totally unacceptable but this happens on a daily basis. Australians have a fixation with big homes with big windows, which let the outside in. Unless you are living in Perth or Byron Bay there’s not much of the year when you want what’s outside to be in. The primary function of the home should be to provide healthy shelter and to be adaptable to the fluctuations of weather, yet all too often when someone is considering building or renovating the main considerations are resale value. The home is considered as more of an investment rather than something to nurture your family long-term. There are ninety-six climate zones in Australia so perhaps a one size fits all construction code is not the answer. Of course more understanding and education is required within the construction industry, but unless people really care about the bigger picture impact of our practices, can we really do enough to limit our climate impact?
15
TOWN ON A PLATE NAMASTE NOURISHMENT Namaste Nourishment is a first for Ballarat being the only raw food restaurant in the city. This plant based eatery opened its doors in January, 2018 and has enjoyed a slow, but steady growth. Adding to their point of difference is that Namaste Nourishment is a breakfast and dessert bar, designated as such by owners Scott Keating and Markeeta Hines because breakfast is their favourite meal and Markeeta loves desserts. Markeeta has been vegan for over 38 years and is a plant based nutritionist, looking much younger than her years, which she attributes to the fact that she hasn’t eaten any animal products most of her life. She was the head raw chef in a Bali health resort for two years and when she and Scott returned to Australia they wanted to open a raw food café and realising that Ballarat hadn’t set foot into the vegan cuisine decided this was where they would start. Markeeta says, “more and more people are accepting that we are what we eat and are making conscious decisions to adopt
16
a plant based diet”, adding “it hasn’t been easy. Ballarat is very conservative and slow to try something new. We have even had people walk out when told that we don’t use cow’s milk in our coffee – we have the choice of many delicious alternatives. When customers do try our plant based dishes, they say how much they enjoyed them and keep returning”. Desserts are a speciality of this interesting café. Who would have thought that ‘deliciously tasty cakes’ could be made from cashew nuts and still look like anything you would find in a French patisserie. As Markeeta says “its decadence without the guilt”. Namaste Nourishment is very environmentally conscious and responsible. They only use recycle smoothie cups and coffee cups, paper straws and glass straws in the café. This very attractive and interesting eatery is well worth checking out, whether you are vegan, vegetarian or are a carnivore. As they say “don’t knock it until you try it”!
BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES WITH CARAMELISED BANANA AND ICE CREAM Gluten free and vegan, light and fluffy pancakes
INGREDIENTS 1 cup of buckwheat flour 2 tsp baking powder pinch salt 2 tsp cinnamon
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (your choice) 1/3 cup water
1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice) 2 tablespoons Maple syrup 1 or 2 bananas
METHOD Mix all ingredients (except bananas together to make a batter, but don’t over mix Drop about 5 or 6 spoonfuls of batter into hot pan When bubbles appear flip over to cook the other side When lightly golden, remove and stack on plate Cut bananas into small pieces and toss in pan with coconut sugar until lightly golden
Serve with fresh fruit, caramelised banana and coconut ice cream.
17
Your Guide to Vintage Fashion and Retro venues of the Bendigo Region. Vintage fashion & retro
Explore the Bendigo Region
1 (bob boutique) om bendigoregion.c
Pick up your own pocket guide and create your own vintage fashion and retro itinerary throughout the beautiful Bendigo Region. From cute vintage stores, unassuming op shops, antique bazaars and curated markets, the Bendigo Region is your own treasure trove.
This guide will be your perfect tool to experience the regions wealth of vintage fashion and retro delights.
For additional regional day trips and more to do in the Bendigo Region, please visit www.bendigoregion.com
VINTAGE FASHION AND RETRO BENDIGO
LODDON
Bob Boutique Nestled under the verandah of the Hotel Shamrock building, there is a sweet little space filled to the brim with beautiful things. This is bob boutique. Sonia Brit opened bob in 2004 and created a magical space that is curated with locally made home wares, art, clothing, accessories and so much more. bob.net.au
Fusspots From small beginnings in 2006, this expansive venue offers selected antiques, vintage homewares and kitchenalia, collectables and curios, old wares, pottery, china, records, books and more tins than you can poke a stick at. 39 Brooke Street, Inglewood. Search Facebook for Fusspots At Inglewood
CENTRAL GOLDFIELDS MOUNT ALEXANDER Enfilade Plus Nestled in the charming, historic town of Maldon is a romantic wonder world of exquisite imported linen and lace. Formerly known as Lavender Lace and Living, a visit to Enfilade Plus is a delicate step back in time to a gentler era, when creamy hand made lace and crisply pressed pure linen adorned even the most humble of cottages. Today. the soft furnishings of Enfilade Plus sit equally comfortably in a modern environment. www.maldon.org.au/enfilade-plus
Barefoot Annie Barefoot Annie stocks garments and items from Yesteryear, Today and Tomorrow. Clothing to make you feel happy. Recycled, Upcycled, Vintage and New. Fyfe Street, Talbot Call 0429 957 981 or see www.facebook.com/pg/barefootannietalbot
19
A CRUCIAL PHONE CALL A phone call in 2006 was the start of a major life change for retired couple Bede and Mary Gibson. Their daughter asked if they would look after her property, Mica Grange in Central Victoria as she was moving back to Melbourne. Bede and Mary fell in love with the property, so leaving their home in Sydney, they entered a new adventure at a time when most people are considering taking life easier. Mary had a background in fashion and design while Bede’s background had been in marketing and advertising. Together they set about developing Mica Grange, opening it for Open Gardens Australia in 2011. “We wanted to do something different so we asked a number of local sculptors to exhibit in our open garden. We also wanted to keep a balance between work and pleasure, to manage an activity which kept us in contact with people, provided a small financial reward, but still gave us plenty of time to enjoy life. “said Bede. Today, Bede and Mary open their stunning gardens at Mica Grange for five weekends each spring and autumn with some sixteen sculptors exhibiting. This is complemented with a wide variety of garden art, plants and preserves from their vegetable garden and orchard. Also on offer is morning, afternoon tea and lunch. The concept is to provide an environment where people can meander and relax and to present ideas on how art can add interest and enhance the beauty and enjoyment of the garden. Each exhibition has
new creations with prices ranging from $10 to $7000 so there is something for everyone. Group bookings occur during weekdays. The autumn exhibition will be open from 6th April to 5th May, including Easter Monday and Tuesday. The Gibson’s are often asked why they don’t open more often but they are happy with their current work/life balance and will leave that to someone else when they move on.
MICA GRANGE OPEN GARDEN
Sculpture Exhibition
Open each weekend 6 April to 5 May
(plus Easter Monday, Tuesday) 10am to 4pm Group bookings available during week.
Morning Tea, Lunch and Afternoon Tea. Garden Art, Plants, Preserves available. 373 Faraday Sutton Grange Road, Sutton Grange www.micagrange.com.au 20
Entry
$6
Children free 54748262 / 0499897242
By Lily Mason - Central Vic Planning Consultants
5 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU APPLY FOR A PLANNING PERMIT The process of building a house in Victoria is not straightforward. Meeting the requirements of local councils can depend on so many factors: the zoning of your land, what overlays cover your property, which council you’re with and so on. A planning consultant can help clarify all this and work with you to realise your dream home. But here are a few things to think about before you start filling out the paperwork: 1. KNOW WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN’T DO Being clear on what is possible given your specific circumstances is a must before you begin the costly and time consuming exercise of applying for a planning permit. Your local council’s planning department can help you determine whether or not you need a permit. They will advise you on whether your plans are feasible given your zoning. They are also keen to guide you on what additional information the planners might need to get the permit passed. 2. WORK OUT WHAT YOU WANT Going into the planning process without being very clear on what you want to achieve – and what is possible – can be very time and budget consuming. How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you need? Can you orient your home and garden to take advantage of a northerly aspect? Do you want to build a shed as part of the development? 3. FIND A BUILDER Once you’re clear on what you’d like to build, it’s time to find someone who can make your dreams a reality. And that might mean talking to several builders to find the one who understands what you’re trying to achieve. Get several quotes and ask lots of questions!
4. TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBOURS To maintain great relationships AND to smooth the process of building your home, it’s a great idea to talk through your plans with your neighbours. You’ll then be aware of any potential issues and can address their concerns early on in the process – saving time and money later. 5. GET ADVICE FROM THE PROFESSIONALS Planning is a complicated process and as the old saying goes: two heads are better than one. Planning consultants have all the information and inside knowledge you’ll need right at their fingertips. Often they’ll be happy to have a chat about your proposal to assess how viable it is. You can seek a feasibility study if you’d like more concrete advice. And, of course, they can do all the complicated paperwork and speak with council on your behalf.
21
CASTLEMAINE ONCE AGAIN EMBRACES THE ARTS Take a plunge into the unknown this March when the Castlemaine State Festival presents 10 days of over 70 performances, visual arts, talks and music programs in Australia’s largest regional arts festival. Festival-goers are invited to the opening night dance-party, Equinox to enter the Castlemaine atmosphere where audiences are divided into Zodiac groups and taken on an holistic journey through movement, chanting and fantasy. From fantastical theories to postcabaret fantasia, Circa’s Peep Show promises human pyramids and awe-inspiring acrobatics, while there’s no sense to be made in Korea’s Ambiguous Dance Company’s Body Concert - 10 acts of wild movements and a soundtrack covering everything from Mozart to Daft Punk. The communal spirit of Castlemaine is beautifully showcased in Dialogues, a program of talks and ideas exploring the future of living regionally in an ever-changing world. The elegance of the old goldrush buildings that adorn the streets of Castlemaine are reflected through the music of masters such as Germany’s classical piano darling Mona Asuka and Italy’s favourite contemporary harpist Floraleda Sacchi who will present pieces by Nils Frahm, Phillip Glass and more. The diversity of people and the landscapes they inhabit is conveyed through works such as Australian poet Adam Ford’s Dance to the Anticlinal Fold and performances by world music and folk legends such as TimorLeste’s award-winning songwriter Ego Lemos and Bosnia’s queer tattooed, flamboyantly longhaired and bearded Božo Vrećo. Hosting a contemporary music program, the popular and historic Theatre Royal will feature Laura Jean, Emma Donovan and the Putbacks, Mildlife and Castlemaine’s very own Devo cover band, Davo as well as local legends Puta Madre Brothers. Iceland’s JFDR will perform exclusively at the Festival and Mick Harvey will put his own spin on the songs of Serge Gainsbourg. Contemporary film program, Not Your Sheila, 22
will shine a spotlight on bold new works by Australian women in cinema and visual art takes pride of place in myriad venues around Castlemaine including the historic Art Museum. A series of free exhibitions and talks will take place across the ten days from local and international artists including local Castlemainian Cameron Robbins, Hayley Millar-Baker (Australia) and Jazoo Yang (Korea). The region’s unique ability to communicate and connect globally is celebrated through multiple works from South Korea and collaborations with artists from Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Italy, Germany and TimorLeste. Exclusive-to-Castlemaine Festival artists include Mona Asuka (pictured), Ye-Eun Choi, Federico Albanese, Floraleda Sacchi, JDFR, Ambiguous Dance Company, (pictured) Abdi Karya, and Chun Liang Liu. The Castlemaine State Festival takes place from 22-31 March 2019. Visit castlemainefestival.com.au.
By Irene O’Duffy
CELEBRATING 15 YEARS OF THE WOODEND WINTER ARTS FESTIVAL Pianist Piers Lane, Viennese quartet Concilium Musicum and oud player Joseph Tawadros are among the performers featuring at this year’s Woodend Winter Arts Festival – now in its 15th year on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend 7-10 June. With at least 40 events over the long weekend, it’s an unmissable opportunity with experiences that you won’t easily find elsewhere. “We believe we have a magical recipe for success,” says Dr Jacqueline Ogeil, Artistic Director and founder of the festival. “We showcase international performers and design programs that are exclusive to the Festival. We have a dedicated team, devoted volunteers and a local community who have embraced the festival for the array of artistic endeavours that we bring to the Macedon Ranges every year.” A special solo piano recital with Australian pianist Piers Lane from London is not to be missed. Other international and national performers include violinist Davide Monti from Italy, Concilium Musicum from Vienna, oud player Joseph Tawadros and Simon Tedeschi from Sydney who will perform with the Sydney Symphony’s principal violinist Andrew Havaron. You could even experience a Tango concert preceded by a Tango dance lesson! Special salon sessions will be introduced this year allowing the chance to get up close and personal with speakers on a variety of
topics covering literature, writing, the arts, philosophy and politics. The ever-popular panel events and art exhibitions complete the program. For the past decade, the Opening Night Fireworks has provided family friendly fun, with opportunities for local community organisations to sell food or refreshments and raise funds. The event attracts a huge crowd of local and regional families. This year, Japanese drummers Wadaiko Rindo from Melbourne will bring their dramatic taiko performance, creating a soundscape before the fireworks display. In January, Artistic Director Jacky was awarded the 2019 Arts Ambassador Award for the Macedon Ranges Shire Council as part of the local Australia Day awards, while recently the Festival was awarded two Macedon Ranges Business Excellence Awards for Tourism and for Non-Profits. “These awards acknowledge the hard work of putting on events in a small community and the fact that the Festival brings tourism income and visitation to our town in a traditionally quiet time of the year,” says Jacky. Tickets for Woodend Winter Arts Festival 2019 go on sale on Tuesday 2nd April. This year’s festival runs from Friday 7th to Monday 10th June. www.woodendwinterartsfestival.org.au
23
A TIMELY NOVEL Bestselling Australian author Fiona Lowe has just had her thirty second book, Home Fires released and it couldn’t be more topical. Conscious as we are in Australia of the threat of and devastation caused by bushfires, which are becoming more intense and dangerous, Fiona has written a book that delves into the psychological aftermath of victims. With a background in health as a midwife, sexual health counsellor and a family support worker, Fiona is very experienced to write novels about family and relationships. A recipient of the prestigious USA RITA award and the Australian RUBY award, Fiona’s books are set in small country towns, featuring real people facing difficult choices and exploring how family ties and relationships impact our decisions. Fiona spent her early ears in Papua New Guinea where, without television, reading was her best form of entertainment, inevitably leading to a lifelong love of books. She didn’t set out to be an author, but always had conversations with fictitious people in her head. She started writing when she was thirty and her first child was born. In the plots to her stories, she said; “I like to put characters into challenging situations to see how they react”. Her latest book –‘Home Fires’ opens eighteen months after a small town is devastated and at a town meeting politicians are telling people that they now should be OK. But they weren’t OK. Fiona looks at what was happening with people before the fires and how those fires impacted differently on different people. Fiona researched ‘Home Fires’ extensively and drew on her own experience when as a young student nurse she was involved in the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983. At that time, she found herself attending to fire fighters with their injuries, especially smoke affected eyes. The book took seven months to finish the first draft and close to a year to complete. When she first started writing, it took ten years to have her first book published and after her third rejection, she became, as she says, “steely determined” to be a published author. What followed was a series of twenty-three
24
medical romances while living in America. A publishing contract with Penguin Books resulted in ‘Daughter of Mine’, released in 2017, followed by ‘Birthright’ in 2018 and now ‘Home Fires’. “Home Fires’ was not easy to write said Fiona. “Relating back to my own experience and what I learned of victims struggles, caused some health problems. When I was writing the fire scenes, I had really bad chest pains, so it took its toll.” Fiona is married with two grown up children and lives in Geelong. She continues to write prolifically - she just can’t help herself. www.fionalowe.com
A COUNTRY VET’S LIFE ISN’T EASY The life of a country vet isn’t an easy one, especially when you are a woman standing only around five-foot-tall and of slight build. Creswick veterinarian Barbara Henderson defies the image of the strong male attending horses, cows and other large beasts, but she has handled her share of large animals in the thirty years since she graduated. However, she is now backing off a little from working with the big beasts - as she says; “As you get older, you can’t jump out of the way as fast, although it would be good to be able to do more.” Adding “currently I’m looking for one or two more vets to join the practice and it would be great if they can work with large animals” Barbara trained in Queensland, then moved to Wagga before settling in Victoria working in Maryborough and Ballarat. Once her four children were grown and leading their own lives, she decided it was time to run her own practice setting up Goldfields Veterinary Service in Creswick a few years ago. As one of three veterinary practices in the town, one could expect with so much competition, it may be a struggle, instead the practice is growing and now supports several staff, work experience students and hopefully, additional vets in the near future. Barbara said “there is a large number of graduates locally who are juggling family, kids and work and hopefully they’ll find their way to our door”. She went on to say “Women seem to be more attracted to the profession – animals can’t tell you what’s wrong with them, so a large part of veterinary practice is intuition and women are pretty good at that. Men have become less attracted to a career as a vet, as it isn’t a highly paid profession. Barbarba explained; “Back in the 90s graduate professions were surveyed as to pay rates and vets came in at only 10th on the list. People think that because vet fees seem high, that we must be highly paid, but overheads are huge and there isn’t much left over at the end of the day.
Barbara went on to say; “We do become involved with our clients, both the two and four legged ones. Yes, it can be a hard job, but it’s also very rewarding” It is well known that people derive great pleasure and health benefits from having a pet or two, or three. The wellbeing gained in caring for a companion animal, especially for older people and those living alone is incalcuable. Knowing that they have the support of a caring veterinarian is a great comfort. Goldfields Veterinary Services is located at 5 Castlemaine Road, Creswick. www.goldfieldsvet.com.au
“It would be good to see some government funding and/or support for pet owners – maybe a veterinary medicare system”.
25
COUNTRY PUBS – STILL A DESTINATION Hotels everywhere have needed to reinvent themselves over the past few years, becoming known as “gastro pubs” or “gourmet pubs”. Country towns, no matter how large or small had at least one pub, with many towns supporting three or four. As the population of these towns diminished, the pubs closed, one after another. In it’s hay day, Kingston (between Daylesford and Creswick) had twelve hotels with only The Commercial Hotel @ Kingston surviving today. The hotel, built in the 1800’s has had a chequered past with the original weatherboard building being destroyed by fire in 1904. Rebuilt a year later in red brick it was run over the subsequent 100 years by a series of different publicans, unlike many others that were run by families, passing from one generation to the next. The Commercial Hotel struggled on, but closed to the public 12 years ago, being converted into a private residence. However, around three years ago the current owner bought the the iconic hotel with the intention of retaining it as a private home, but seeing it’s potential sympathetically returned this grand old lady into an operating Hotel, Gallery & Cafe with a statement outdoor wood fired pizza area and beer garden. The venue exhibits local artisan’s works, local providores and trades in small antiques and curios. The bar area is an eclectic mix of old whiskey jugs and bar mirrors with a pool table,
pin ball machines and jukebox loaded with hits from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. The rear of the hotel has terraced gardens with roses, shade trees and manicured hedges, with a wood fired pizza oven and beer garden. The hotel is available for private functions and has boutique accommodation perfect for bridal parties looking for pre wedding day stays. The Commercial @ Kingston also operate magnificent vintage and classic wedding cars, perfect for transporting the bridal party. Open Wednesday to Sunday 11am to 6pm for lunch, or simply coffee and cake. Dinner is available Friday to Sunday during summer and autumn. www.thecommecialkingston.com.au or Facebook.
410 KINGSTON ROAD KINGSTON 3364 03 5345 6576 WWW.THECOMMERCIALATKINGSTON.COM.AU OR FACEBOOK 26
MARKETS
EVERY SATURDAY Wesley Hill Market Castlemaine 1ST SATURDAY Golden Plains Farmers Market Bannockburn
EVERY SUNDAY Daylesford Sunday Market – Railway Station 1ST SUNDAY Castlemaine Farmers Market
Ballarat Bridge Mall Farmers Market
Castlemaine Artists Market
Daylesford Farmers Market
Gisborne Old Time Market
Heathcote Bush Market 2ND SATURDAY Kyneton Farmers Market Ballarat Lakeside Farmers Market Bendigo Community Farmers Market Ballan Farmers Market 3RD SATURDAY
2ND SUNDAY Maldon Market – Hand made, home grown Clunes Farmers Market 3RD SUNDAY Woodend Market Talbot Farmers Market
Trentham Farmers Market Buninyong Farmers Market Creswick Market 4TH SATURDAY Ballarat Lakeside Farmers Market Lancefield & District Farmers Market
27
GARDEN REVITALISATION You invest a lot of time and effort into your garden. You derive joy from seeing the fruits of your labours, on your own dinner table and you get a buzz when you share your bounty with family and friends. Gardens, like all of us, struggle when the weather turns up the thermometre. This summer has been really hot and gardens are drying out quickly, so its important that you take steps to stop further deterioration. Gary Morris of Guerilla Gardener says he is receiving calls daily from desperate gardeners wanting to know how they can keep their gardens thriving. Gary says; “Even when the garden is being watered, there is a lack of food nutrients, plants are suffering or just drying out.” He adds; “I tackle this issue head on by treating the garden with a homemade worm juice nutrient with added castings direct into the soil and a thick mulch to finish off on garden beds and dry areas.
If your garden needs to be rescued, call Gary on 0438 324 074 at Guerilla Gardener for a free quotation to bring back the life into your precious garden.
Now is the time to focus on this treatment as it is still hot and dry. It’s also a great way to fruit and prolong vegetable harvests”. Gary goes on to say; “I’m finding, with my worm nutrient treatment on my own garden, my green leafy vegies have bounced back, including silverbeet, swiss chard, chives and spring onions. Its also prolonging my tomatoes and zucchinis. But before this treatment is used, most gardens need a good clean up and weeding.”
ALLENDALE NURSERY Specializing in herbs & vegetable seedlings. 4141 Creswick-Newstead Road Allendale Phone 0411 551 550 allendalenursery@gmail.com Find us on Facebook
28
Catch me at the following markets from October: 1st Saturday of the month 1st Sunday of the month 2nd Saturday of the month 2nd Sunday of the month 3rd Saturday of the month 3rd Sunday of the month 4th Saturday of the month 4th Sunday of the month
Woodend Farmers Market Gisborne Olde Time Market Kyneton Farmers Market Daylesford Farmers Market Creswick Market Talbot Farmers Market Lancefield Little Treasures Daylesford Farmers Market
INSECTS IN YOUR GARDEN Friend or foe insects have a role to play in our gardening world. Sometimes we encourage them in and other times we want rid of them. Ants: Beneficial Many ants are predators and feed on insects that attack lawns and gardens, and in the process of gathering food, they often pollinate flowers and distribute seeds. None of us want them in the house so sprinkle or wipe a few drops of lavender or peppermint oil around ant entry points to confuse their chemical trail. Blue Ants are actually a wasp and beneficial in our garden. One of our most common ant is the ‘Sugar Ant’. These ants love ‘honeydew’, which is a substance that caterpillars and aphids excrete so sugar ants will go to extreme measures to protect them. If you see a trail of ants going into for example broccoli it may be an indicator that you have aphids. Bees; Beneficial The world is experiencing a global bee crisis and with bees responsible for almost a third of the food on our plate, this is a crisis that could affect us all. Australia is the only country in the world where the bee population continues to thrive. For the home gardener have a variety of flowering plants to attract bees into the garden. Borage is a fabulous bee attractant plant.
Earwigs; Both beneficial and a pest Earwigs are an outdoor insect usually found in damp areas, such as under mulch, dead leaves, logs, and piles of firewood, boards, stones and other debris or in rotted wood. The earwig is a scavenger and will feast on aphids, mites, nematodes, slugs and their eggs. Although earwigs occasionally attack living plants, including vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants, they are considered only minor pests. Harlequin Bugs; Pest This pest is attracted to plants in the mallow family - so control any weeds like the common mallow (Malva parviflora) to reduce the bugs’ breeding grounds. For the vegetable gardener they love all brassica’s such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower and can attack tomatoes decimating your crop. European wasps; Pest An introduced species, they are a pest because they are far more aggressive than native wasps. Lack of predators and warmer weather conditions mean that the European wasp is an increasing problem in Australia. This insect likes to live around humans because of the ready supply of food and drink, particularly of the sweet varieties. Locate the nest, or nests and eradicate using an insecticide registered for the purpose.
Butterflies & moths: Beneficial Butterflies and moths are indicators of a healthy environment and healthy ecosystems so welcome them into your garden. Butterflies pollinate or carry pollen from plant to plant, helping fruits, vegetables and flowers to produce new seeds. Butterflies and caterpillars are an important source of food for other animals such as bats and birds.
Tip: A simple method of eradication for earwigs, harlequin beetles and aphids is to use a small spray bottle with liquid detergent, spray directly onto the insect and they will suffocate.
Dragonflies: Beneficial Dragonglies are great to have around your garden as they are insect eating machines. Dragonflies and dragonfly larvae particularly love to eat mosquitoes.
References: Wikipedia, The Old Farmers Almanac, Hortnews, Gardening Australia, Victorian Health services, Catalyst, Backyard Buddies.
This is just a small sample of pests versus beneficial so before you go for the poisons first check their purpose in natures life cycle.
Adult dragonflies also eat White Cabbage butterflies and other flying insects, which they grab in mid-air.
29
By Lyndall McQuinn
AUTUMN ASTROLOGY Autumn offers a sense of long lasting changes. In this season Saturn creeps closer to Pluto leaving a gap of three degrees. Pluto and Saturn create a dance of power and authority. It is also the season where Chiron and Uranus move to their new signs to stay for the next seven years, highlighting the signs of Aries and Taurus. Mercury will also be retrograde for most of March in Pisces and stays in Pisces for half of April. And Libra will host two full moons.
This means our Capricorn friends, especially those born the 8th to the 15th of January, have double the influence really pressing the point of the issues, most likely relating to control and power. Then both these planets, will be in retrograde motion so they will travel back over old ground that was thought to be completed. Slow and steady is the progress. Cancer you have the spin off from the approaching conjunction of Pluto and Saturn in opposition. This can bring in testing relationships and maybe the lesson of needing to be the nurturer can become a choice. It may also be a slippery slope of navigating when to take the authority stance and when to tread wearily. Chiron moves to Aries giving it a mood of; enough sitting around let’s get moving. Aries is likely to push forward spontaneously with action rather than sitting and waiting. There can be a burst of independence and time to remedy obstacles that inhibit the path. Chiron functions here as a warrior; so the impatience to clear the debris and move on is apparent.
30
Libra has influences directed at it from many fronts. It may be a time when you can heal the differences between others. It can also mean to do so you have to confront not so pleasing aspects of your behaviour that may or may not have been misinterpreted. Two Full Moons for you Libra; so there is much to come to light. Taurus, Uranus is back. Taureans are not change people but change is coming. In Autumn this mainly affects birthdays of April Taureans. This suggests this is a great time to prepare for change, dig out those dreams that have been buried into the drudge of everyday and dust them off. Mars is in your sign meaning things get done with effort. Scorpio you can be surprised by whom bounces into your life with seemingly little effort. Your ruler in Capricorn lets you get things organized quite easily. All flows deeply forward with a brief glimpse into the overview at the May 19 Full Moon. Any alterations can be made then before winter begins. Don’t forget to assure the financial details are in place. Aquarius this may be a time of reevaluating just where the boundaries are between what you offer to others and what your personal needs might be. New dreams and goals for creating the financial dreams that you require may evolve, but there is a need to ground the concepts.
Leo your creative urges are brewing, but your drive to be noticed is not. Travel is healing; learning and studying for your own creative needs fulfill you or just letting yourself rest and mingle quietly in smaller groups is the space for you. Leo is recuperating and attending to their own well being. Sagittarius is alive and feisty. Jupiter has been zooming through your sign but is going to turn retrograde so all the fast moving wonderful ideas may have a slight review. Maybe practicality facets arise asking you to be cost effective with your plans or maybe the speed of change has left you a little insecure. The focus is not the actual manifestation, but the uplifting expansion it brings to your life. Gemini this can be a confusing time with regard your life directions, but a healing time with friends and possible others who step in to offer partnerships that help out with the confusion. None of this needs to be long term, but having circles of positive people around is a great space. Pisces is feeling clearer about themselves. There can be extensive changes to friendships that leave you feeling uncomfortable or oppressed. There is no longer a need to have others set the boundaries. As Mercury retrogrades in your sign for
the beginning of Autumn, you revise your communication techniques to get your thoughts across. There are many opportunities on the career front that offer you breadth of vision and heal your financial visions. A new confidence is opening in Pisces. Virgo; life is feeling expansive as goals for either your living abode or travel are coming into being. Autumn is more about the dreaming and wishful thinking than the creating. Still all manifestation begins in the dreaming. It’s very healing to dream especially when the dream includes the intimacy of others. Lyndall McQuinn www.lyndallmcquinn.com
Editor’s Note: Lyndall has again been invited to be a key note speaker and workshop facilitator at the International Astrology Conference in Portugal in April. Testament to Lyndall being recognised as a respected and sought after practitioner amongst her international peers. Congratulations Lyndall
31
www.secretsmagazine.com.au