Geelong Coast Magazine Spring 2018

LADY TRADIES

Meet the women on the tools

FLYING HIGH

How Avalon Airport went international

OCEAN GROOVY

Why the locals love their town

LOCAL LOVE

Prudence and Sean tie the knot

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

Pete Comer’s quirky critters

HISTORY REPEATED

The protector of The Rip

IN CONVERSATION

SIMON GLEESON FROM THE

TO

WEST END

GEELONG

SPRING 2018 AUS $5.50 (inc GST)

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International?

So easy.

Avalon’s brand new international terminal will boast some of the latest security technology and simple comfort.

With all the ease and efficiency you’ve come to know and love at Avalon domestic departures, you will experience: 1 The quickest of trips from Geelong 1 Super easy parking right out the front of the terminal 1 Fast check-in 1 Connections to Sydney, Adelaide and the Gold Coast

1 Duty Free 1 A comfortable departure lounge experience 1 Fantastic SkyBus fares (make sure you check out the incredible family deals)

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Avalon goes international on 5 December Fly direct to Kuala Lumpur with AirAsia, and onwards to more than 130 amazing destinations with unbelievably low fares.

At Avalon Airport, we believe that travel should be comfortable and affordable. So hop on our website and start planning your Asian adventure now! avalonairport.com.au

Group/Geelong Independent publication.

MANAGING EDITOR: Tony Galpin WRITERS: Elissa Friday, Luke Voogt, Justin Flynn, Gillian Cooper PHOTOGRAPHY: Rebecca Hosking, Lousia Jones CREATIVE: Creative Services Manager: Chris Beale ADVERTISING: Sales Executive: Elissa Friday

CONTENTS

Geelong Coast magazine is a Star News

6-7 Watch This Face

10-13

30-33 Local Love

36-37 Local Sounds

In Conversation

elissa.friday@geelongindependent.com.au ISSN: 2200-6605 ABN: 55 006 653 336 ACN: 06 653 336 GEELONG COAST MAGAZINE Level 1, 78 Moorabool Street, Geelong 3220 (03) 5249 6700

14-17 Lady tradies

19 Locals cleaning up

All material appearing in Geelong Coast magazine is subject to copyright unless otherwise stated or it may rest with the provider of the supplied material. Geelong Coast magazine takes all care to ensure information is

20-23

38-40

Flying high

Artist in Residence

24-28

62-63

Ocean Groovy

Social Network

correct at the time of printing, but the publisher accepts no responsibility or liability for the accuracy of any information contained in the text or advertisements. Views expressed are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher or editor.

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Olivia FOY LEARNING to play instruments at the age of five was the start of Olivia Foy's musical ambitions.

Now 24, the rising country music singer and songwriter first learnt the flute before teaching herself guitar then going on to singing lessons, which inspired her passion for vocals.

By 12 she was writing her own songs, which she began recording in her teens.

“I've probably written over 100 songs,” says Olivia, who grew up in Newtown.

"I haven't recorded all of them but I’ve demoed about 30."

Formerly a student at The Geelong College, Olivia's completing a double degree in Melbourne with a major in music technology despite setting out on a different path.

I've probably written

OVER 100 SONGS says Olivia

“I initially wanted to major in engineering but decided it wasn’t the right path for me. I actually graduated in science from Melbourne University but I always wanted to do music.”

WORDS: ELISSA FRIDAY

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Then came a course assessment requiring her to write, record and produce a song.

Instead of techno, Olivia went country.

She put together about "90 per cent" of the song, outsourcing contributions from professional musicians in the home of country music, America's Nashville.

The result, Kiss Me, earned positive feedback from classmates.

“I really liked it, and my classmates thought it was really catchy,” Olivia says, "so I thought, ‘Maybe I’m onto something here'.

“That was when I decided I was going to pursue country pop music.”

After the positive initial response to her song, Olivia was keen to take Kiss Me further than the classroom.

“I was concerned with what people might think because in Victoria country music isn't so popular. It’s more popular in New South Wales and Queensland.”

But she decided to "go for it anyway", releasing Kiss Me in February.

The song earned airtime on Foxtel’s Country Music Channel, with Olivia also making it available online.

“The song is semi-fictional and semi-true," she explains.

"It’s about feeling a bit insecure and being scared to go out into the world. I’m quite a shy person, so the song talks about being shy and scared."

With Kiss Me released, Olivia now wants to "challenge the stereotype" surrounding public expectations of country artists.

In particular, she detects "a bit of underrepresentation" in the country scene, which she describes as having "not as much diversity as there could be".

“Everyone who hears me tends to compare me to Taylor Swift but when they see me and learn that I'm from Chinese decent they're shocked I sing country music," Olivia says.

“Some people think country music is about having things like long blond hair and having a farm.

“A lot of people don’t fully understand country music today, due to it being very influenced by popular-culture music with a lot of crossovers, too."

Oliva takes her music inspiration from American country pop star Kelsea Ballerini, who she describes as "an incredible songwriter and artist”.

“Her songs are so catchy. We have a similar way of storytelling and she’s not much older than me, so I feel I can relate to her.”

Olivia hopes to follow in her idol's footsteps with the help of a newly formed backing band, featuring experienced musicians who play on her second song, Something 'Bout You.

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Olivia initially dabbled in electronic music but felt she wasn't being "true" to herself.

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The Best of the Bay awards’ winning hairdresser in 2017 is a L’Oreal colour specialist and expert at blow waves, straightening and curling, with spray tans and waxing now also available.

Salon Meraki offers haircuts for men, woman and children of all ages.

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Inspect military history A vast selection of militaria from Samurai swords to uniforms and photos are on display in central Geelong’s hidden museum.

Armor Antiques and Military Museum recently unveiled an intriguing addition: a World War II rations tin and its contents.

Tucked away over two levels at the rear of an antiques shopfront, access to the museum costs only a gold coin.

Armor Antiques and Military Museum is at 200 Moorabool Street, Geelong, phone 5221 8662.

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…

Elephant & Castle’s exhibitions Geelong’s favourite hotel is hosting a British Music Experience Exhibition of images from Darryn Lyons’ private collection.

The display provides a visual complement to the hotel’s new spring menu, emphasising fresh local produce. Lunch and dinner are served seven days a week, with a snack menu available 2.30pm to 5.30pm weekend.

The Elephant & Castle Hotel is at 158 McKillip St, East Geelong, phone 5221 3707, email enquiries@elephantandcastle.com.au or visit elephantandcastle.com.au.

…

The Waralillly lifestyle Geelong’s favourite new estate is inviting the public to “experience the Warralily Way of Life“.

Waralilly’s collaborated with 17 of Victoria’s top builders to create a display village showcasing the latest home designs.

The 28 contemporary, affordable homes set alongside the tranquil Mirambeena Park help show why Waralilly’s vibrant growing community loves life where the city meets the Surf Coast.

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Memberships are available from Oakdene’s cellar door at 255 Grubb Road, Drysdale, or visit oakdene.com.au/wine-club.

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Marcus and his team of master jewellers pour all that expertise into their eternity rings, which are perfect for anniversaries because they don't date.

Check out their work at 98 Moorabool Street, Geelong, or phone 5229 9088.

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[in] conversation

SIMON GLEESON From starring on stage in London's West End to life with Mamma Mia's Natalie O'Donnell in Geelong, Simon Gleeson speaks to LUKE VOOGT about love, acting and family.

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HAVE YOU ADOPTED GEELONG AS YOUR HOMETOWN AFTER MOVING IN 2011?

I don’t think I have a hometown.

You sort of lose that as a result of going to boarding school.

Home is pretty much where the suitcase is or where I’m standing now.

But I’m certainly happy to be here.

The standard of life you can give your children is so much better than in Melbourne.

We’ve met some wonderful people here too. And there are a lot of actors moving to Geelong now.

WHY DID YOU MOVE TO GEELONG? All of Natalie’s family have been in Geelong for generations.

Her grandmother went to the same primary school as her and her great-grandmother might have too.

We were living in London before I did Les Miserables, and we got married and had our daughter there.

Later we moved to Melbourne to be closer to family but we realised we might as well have been living in London still. So we moved to Geelong.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT GEELONG? There’s plenty! I love that I can get my kayak into the bay in four minutes.

I really love what they’ve done with the esplanade and Geelong’s laneways.

They’ve got that great little pocket of coffee shops and wine bars.

In comparison to the congestion and how built up Melbourne, Sydney and London are, the lifestyle’s fantastic.

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>>>

WHERE DID YOUR PASSION FOR THEATRE ORIGINATE? Simon Gleeson as Jean Valjean.

(Ian Bird)

I was very young. I had an older sister who was in theatre and my dad did amateur theatre.

It was certainly something that was encouraged in the house but it was never seen as a viable job.

Go and study something proper was the general suggestion from my parents.

I had done at least a year of what they suggested (a bachelor of accounting) and then I thought it’s time for me to do what I love.

A friend of mine had just signed and paid for an application to go to drama school and he said I should just go.

He went to Sydney and I went to the Western Australian Academy of Performing Art (WAAPA) in Perth.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT NATALIE’S RECENT ROLE AS ‘DONNA’ IN MAMMA MIA! THE MUSICAL? I’m immensely proud of her - it’s not easy to do a role of that size and be so available as a mother and wife.

On a more personal level, she had to sacrifice quite a lot as I toured with Les Mis for a number of years.

This role she’s doing at the moment is hugely vocally demanding. I was delighted for her to be able to flex her muscles in that way.

HAVE YOUR CHILDREN SHOWN ANY ACTING TALENT? Certainly our daughter Molly (11) is heading down that path.

She’s only little but she loves watching it and she loves doing it.

That was kind of when I took it seriously.

While we’re certainly not pushing her, we’re encouraging her - it’s obviously her passion.

OTHERS HAVE DESCRIBED YOU INTROVERTED. WHAT’S IT LIKE BEING BOTH AN INTROVERT AND AN ACTOR?

The desire’s a pretty obvious thing as a parent.

What I love about theatre is I’m absolutely not myself. I’m certainly not introverted on stage.

Off stage I just enjoy my own time and my own company.

Maybe that’s what being introverted is - I’m not sure.

My personality doesn’t suit the attention that comes from acting.

For me it’s all about the story-telling.

She just has to be passionate about it for the right reason - the doing of it, not attention and signing autographs - there’s not much longevity loving it just for that.

Rafferty (7) has shown no passion for it but we’re perfectly OK with that.

WHAT FIRST ATTRACTED YOU TO NATALIE WHEN YOU MET AT AGE 19 AT WAAPA? For anyone who meets her, it’s unmistakable how warm-hearted and generous she is. It’s the heart she has.

All my good friends put up with me just to be around Nat. We started dating just around the time she started playing Sophie (in a 2001 Australian stage production of Mamma Mia!).

Before then, we were studying so hard I don’t think we would have survived if we dated for those few years.

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WHAT’S YOUR CAREER HIGHLIGHT? It’s hard to go past Les Mis as a highlight because it’s such a monster to play.

You pinch yourself because of the history attached to that show - it’s been going on the West End for 33 years. To have a part in that is amazing.

We’re not in control of the work that comes our way, that’s in the control of who pulls the purse strings.

A lot of the time you’re just riding the waves - unless you make your peace with that early in your career you don’t last.

HOW FAR BACK DOES YOUR CONNECTION WITH LES MISERABLES STRETCH? Nat and I were both in the ensemble in an Australian tour in 1998. It was our first ever professional job. We hadn’t even finished drama school!

DO YOU HAVE SOME TIME OFF WITH YOUR WIFE PLAYING A MAJOR ROLE? Not really. Last night I just finished three months on An Ideal Husband for the Melbourne Theatre Company.

A month before that I did Oklahoma in Melbourne.

It just affords me the chance not to take on a long-running project and support her, so that’s nice. It’s just a matter of making sure our focus is on the children and making sure they’re doing alright.

Simon Gleeson with wife Natalie O'Donnell.

(Ian Bird)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HUGH JACKMAN’S PORTRAYAL OF JEAN VALJEAN? Hugh’s great - we had a chat about the massive scope of the character.

I thought he did a fantastic job. He probably enjoyed the fact that he didn’t have to do it eight times a week. But filming it wouldn’t have been a picnic either.

HOW DOES PERFORMING IN GEELONG COMPARE TO THE WEST END? Geography doesn’t really matter.

You can do amazing work in a shed somewhere in Colac and see terrible work in the West End. The standard of work we’re doing here is equally as good as the West End. We just don’t have the population that they do who can support it.

Personally I’d like to see them start producing more plays here. There’s an opportunity to widen the talent available.

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Automotive apprentices Sophie Driscoll and Shyla Tobin with counterparts painter Jess Webb, carpenter Tanya Tartaglia and cabinetmaker Amy Skelton.

LADY TRADIES Photos: Rebecca Hosking and Louisa Jones

Only two per cent of tradespeople in Australia are women, despite many trades having vacancy rates of half or more.

But, as LUKE VOOGT discovers, Geelong’s rapid expansion is driving an influx of local women on the tools.

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“Whereas some of the boys struggled a bit,” she says.

“A lot of people go into it not knowing how involved it is and how much maths you need to do.”

When Teneille started working on homes in 2013 she was the only female tradie onsite.

“But now it’s becoming more common,” she says.

Teneille now owns her own business, works fulltime as an electrical infrastructure auditor, rows for Victoria and is completing wiring on her new home.

“I’ve got more work than I can handle!” she says.

She has worked on major projects, like Epworth Hospital in Waurn Ponds and Geelong’s WorkSafe headquarters.

TENEILLE LINEHAN

TENEILLE Linehan could never see herself “sitting in an office job” despite excelling in maths and science in high school.

Thanks to her trade, the Hamlyn Heights sparkie owns her “dream car” and just built a family-sized home in Charlemont with her partner.

“It’s probably put me four years in front of others my age,” the 24-year-old says.

Geelong sparkie Teneille Linehan has a bright future.

Teneille chose “hands-on work” over a HECS debt from studying environmental science at university.

“Even if you can’t get a job you can start your own business you’ve always got a trade to fall back on.”

Working a day with an electrician at Castlemaine’s smallgoods factory during year 10 work experience got her hooked, and after finishing school she aced the bookwork in her TAFE electrical course.

Even if you can’t get a job you can start your own business...

Negative or sexist comments on the job over her career are rare enough to “count on one hand”, Tenielle says.

“The majority say ‘it’s great to see a female sparkie’. Most people are just really happy to see you having a go.“ But being “the littlest onsite“ means she’s often sweating up in the roof on a hot day with insulation sticking to her.

“I’m always the first to go up and when I am working for myself I don’t have anybody else to do it.“ Tenielle will join a Geelong Women in Trades contingent building a home for a rural family in Cambodia this month.

“I like helping others that are less fortunate than us.“ 15

>>>

row now and you sort of get sick of it.

“It’s good to get up, make something and get your hands dirty.

“I really like being able to stand back and say, ‘I made that house’.“ Jess is also studying carpentry at Gordon TAFE. “I was learning everything, so we decided I might as well back it up with a qualification.”

She never thought of doing an apprenticeship at high school.

“For whatever reason, that was sort of perceived as something you do if you’re not good at school,” she says.

First day I just started out cleaning bricks...

JESS BROWNSEA

JESS Brownsea is mixing high-end design with hammers and nails to become both a qualified carpenter and architect.

“I’m learning to draw what I’m building and I’m building what I’m learning to draw,” the 22-year-old says.

Jess is two months from finishing her Master of Architecture at Waurn Ponds while working as an apprentice carpenter.

“I started architecture in 2014 straight out of high school,” she says.

A year later she began labouring for her dad, a builder in Warrnambool.

“First day I just started out cleaning bricks,” she says.

“Then I started digging stumps, putting down flooring and building wall frames - all things you’d probably do in the first year of your apprenticeship.

“I’ve been at school 18 years in a

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“But at trades school the teachers have been really happy with my written work.”

Having dad as boss helps Jess juggle work with study.

“But uni’s only a couple of days a week, six months a year,” she says.

“I think he’s proud. He likes to take photos and show my mum what I’ve been doing.”

Jess urges women to give trades a go, even if they’re at university.

Male tradies might be stronger but “if you work at your muscles and weights, it doesn’t have to be a limitation”, she says.

“I tend to keep the worksite a bit cleaner than some of the blokes too.”

She can’t wait to design a project and build it from the ground up.

“If I could see a project through from start to finish it would be really exciting,” she says.

and took the plunge into painting.

“It just felt like I was being more honest with myself and the life I wanted to live.”

Alisha painted on a range of worksites during her apprenticeship, sometimes alongside up to a hundred tradies.

But she says there was far less sexism on her male-dominated worksites than some people might expect.

She never had any issues herself, which she attributes partly to her assertive personality.

“They knew they couldn’t say that sort of thing to me,” she says.

I had wanted to do painting since I was 15...

ALISHA GRANT

ALISHA Grant’s parents had doubts when their academically-gifted daughter announced she wanted to be a tradie.

But a few years later, the Drysdale painter is loving the autonomy of her own business and has jobs booked until next February.

“When my parents saw how happy I was they were really happy as well,” the 24-year-old says.

Her love of painting began in high school but teachers never talked about it as a career, she says.

“I had wanted to do painting since I was 15 but I never pursued it because I thought I’d get bored of it. I didn’t even know it was an option.”

After leaving school Alisha began studying biomedicine.

“But I realised I was doing it because I thought I had to, not because I wanted to,” she says.

So she “decided to just go for it”

“If you’re confident and happy to be where you are, you’re not attracting that sort of negative attention.”

A mate working in real estate gave her a few clients after she completed her apprenticeship this February, and word of mouth did the rest.

“I qualified on a Friday and on Monday I started my first job,” she says.

“I haven’t stopped since.”

She loves being creative and designing colour pallets.

“I like making a house look nice again for someone - especially an old run-down job,” she says.

Alisha will join an adventure to Cambodia this month with Geelong Women in Trades to build a home for a poor rural family.

The ability to help others is just another reason for women to consider doing a trade, she says.

“There’s no reason why you shouldn’t just have a crack.”

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LOCALS cleaning up Jenny McMillan surveys her handiwork.

FIFTEEN years ago Drumcondra's Jenny McMillan decided to become a little hands-on during her recreational walks.

Her mission was to clear away rubbish washing up on the shore of the bayside Geelong suburb.

After living in the area for over three decades, the 66-year-old says she couldn’t help noticing the ugly build-up of debris and litter increasingly stretching toward neighbouring Rippleside.

So she took it upon herself to voluntarily begin picking up the offending items, disposing of them in nearby public bins.

“I started off picking up just a few bits and pieces,” Jenny says.

“I'd find mainly cans, plastic bags, straws and coffee cups.”

Jenny dons gum boots to literally get stuck in once a fortnight, usually accompanied by a friend armed with a rubbish bag.

“She walks along the edge of the bay while I pick up the rubbish and put it in the bag,” Jenny explains.

“Most of the rubbish is pretty grotty, so after collecting you have to go home and have a shower.”

Jenny’s clean-up bug seems to have caught on, with other residents of the area also helping out.

She guessed that the others had joined in when she noticed an absence of rubbish in its usual collection points.

“We don’t know each other’s last names, or in some cases even Christian names,” Jenny says.

“Another voluntary rubbish collector does his rounds at Western Beach in bare feet. I think that’s because he doesn’t want to dirty his shoes it really is sludgy.

“We all have a common interest in keeping the bay beautiful, and this is the one way of doing it.”

Jenny initially considered running a letter drop to encourage the formation of local teams with designated areas for collecting foreshore litter.

While noting the impact of the volunteers, Jenny has also observed during recent years a “huge decline” in the amount of rubbish washing up in the first place.

“Maybe it’s because our population doesn’t throw rubbish around that much anymore,” she says.

Lloyd Steele, Jenny McMillan and Niki Coates fill a rubbish bag on Geelong's foreshore.

“Maybe the boats have become more environmentally aware, too.”

But the natural growth in the area’s band of casual collectors made any organised drive for volunteers redundant.

Whatever the reason for the improvement, Jenny’s just glad to see her beloved neighbourhood looking its best.

“It’s not an organised thing. There’s not one bit of planning,” Jenny says.

“Drumcondra is a wonderful place to live,” she says.

“It’s sort of like a cult group that just gets down on the bay.”

“People who live here tend not to move.”

Words: Elissa Friday Pictures: Rebecca Hosking

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FROM gazing cattle to flying internationally, Avalon Airport is realising the dreams of countless stakeholds. LUKE VOOGT charts the course to success.

From cattle farming to connecting Geelong to the world, Avalon Airport has come far since the Commonwealth bought a Lara homestead for 110 pounds in 1952.

The airport is now a hive of activity as its new terminal takes shape for Geelong’s first international passenger flight, which lands on 5 December.

The airport’s chief executive officer Justin Giddings is watching as years of lobbying, negotiation and hard work take physical form.

“Recently, I was just over at the terminal having a look at it and thought, ‘Wow, this is going to be good’,” he says.

The Lara father-of-two led efforts to bring the World to Avalon since talk of international flights from Geelong began in earnest in 2011.

The new terminal could open a world of destinations for Geelong, according to Justin.

“I think New Zealand would be the natural next destination,” he says.

“I’d love to get to Hawaii as well.

Fiji, Bali, Thailand, China, India - all those destinations would be fantastic.”

The terminal is on track for completion in November, despite Avalon occasionally having to overcome challenges like Federal Government introducing CT scanners to airports. “(Other airports) have a year or two to put this in and we’ve got to buy brand new stuff now,” Justin says.

“That’s far more expensive (than X-ray scanners). I didn’t have that in the budget.

“We’re designing it as we go we’re still changing things all the time.”

Air Asia X will commence its twice daily return service to Kuala Lumpur on 5 December, with opportunities to relocate more 20

flights to Avalon.

“The deal we’ve struck with them is designed to encourage them to grow,” Justin says.

“With two flights a day there’s a big gap in the schedule and we really need to see that filled so we

get best utilization out of the terminal.”

But more importantly, the terminal will help Avalon Airport attract more airlines.

“Up until now, I’ve had to promise a lot of things that I actually

Flying HIGH

haven’t got on the ground,” Justin says.

get more as well, because it reduces costs for them.

into making international flights to Geelong a reality, Justin reveals.

“We’ve had a few (airlines) come knocking on our door. I think a lot of them are just curious at the moment.

“All the other airports are ringing me saying, ‘Hey how’d you do that?’”

He would often sleep three hours a night and get up at 3am to go for a walk - sometimes up the nearby You Yangs - to deal with the stress.

“(Air Asia is) encouraging (us) to

Many sleepless nights and hours of consultation and planning went

The international terminal under construction.

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>>>

“It was the most pressure I’ve been under ever,” he says.

Justin and his operations team had been working on bringing flights to the airport for several years.

But the quest really took off when he met Air Asia X chief executive officer Ben Ismail at a conference in Sydney in mid-2017.

“It was a perfect airline for a couple of reasons,” he says.

“They are willing to have a crack at things like Avalon. They’ve got a history of being successful in breaking into new airports and new markets all around Asia.”

The meeting would lead to gruelling pitch in Kuala Lumpur in September, where a dozen Air Asia executives put the Avalon proposal under the microscope.

Avalon Aiport chief Justin Giddings in negotiations.

Justin Giddings explains the international future of Avalon Airport to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Corangamite MP Sarah Henderson earlier this year before Mr Morrison’s elevation to the leadership.

“It was a very big moment for us and for them,” Justin says.

But Justin and his team knew every detail of their plan and the market inside out.

“I wasn’t nervous because I knew it. I’d been living and breathing it for months,” he says.

For hours he spoke about “considerable” cost and publicity advantages of moving to Avalon, tourism opportunities and the growth Geelong and Wyndham.

“They know regional Victoria’s a bit of an untapped market,” he says.

“If they got in first they could really own that market. “(After that) I went back to the hotel in KL and had a beer. I was certainly looking forward to that beer!”

Justin Giddings with Air Asia CEO Tony Fernandes and Avalon Airport owner Lindsay Fox at the announcement of international flights in February.

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The 45-year-old admits his wife and sons sometimes struggled to reach him as he negotiated a “huge amount of commitments” with state and federal governments, including customs arrangements.

“Half the time I was on the phone or still thinking it through,” he says.

“Being able to switch off was very, very difficult - it still is.”

Even during a family trip to the US work distracted him, as he

AirAsia X’s Barry Klipp and Benyamin Ismail, Geelong Mayor Bruce Harwood, Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, Andrew Goledzinowski, Avalon Airport CEO Justin Giddings and cabin crew at the launch of AirAsia Avalon flights at Kuala Lumpur.

A concept of arrival at the international terminal.

thought over parking, fuel systems, freighting, staffing, security equipment and other details.

We’re designing it as we go - we’re still changing things all the time...

“Sometimes when I am thoroughly zoned off ... you get a call and then you’re back on it again,” he says.

“Just constantly I’d be nervous about little things and in hindsight they were stupid.”

After the pitch he hosted various Air Asia executives as they explored Geelong’s laneways, Bellarine Peninsula wineries and the Great Ocean Road

A concept image of the completed international terminal.

“They are genuinely interested in the area,” he says.

But even when things looked almost certain this January he had doubts.

“To be honest, I’d been here so many times and so, to say we were excited, I was probably more just nervous.

“I never quite believed it until the launch.“ Avalon announced the new service in February, followed by a launch in Malaysia featuring Geelong wines and an Apollo Bay chef, who Air Asia flew in.

“I was just walking around the room and seeing - wow - they’ve

actually set this up as (a) Geelong (event).” Justin says.

He has modest plans for smallscale retail and coffee shops in the new terminal.

Passengers will be able to go through customs and walk to their flights to Malaysia, and the world beyond, in minutes, he says.

“The difference at Avalon is it’s just going to be so much easier.”

23

Ocean GROOVY

From sleepy holiday town to thriving lifestyle destination, Ocean Grove’s coastal charm remains intact. JUSTIN FLYNN finds out why ’Grovers’ just can’t stay away.

Old Grove is still the core of Ocean Grove and everything else has grown around it.

Ocean Grove has long been a favourite destination for those seeking respite from Melbourne’s daily grind.

The town has changed over the years from a sleepy hamlet to a thriving coastal town that has become the epicentre of

24

the Bellarine Peninsula.

New estates have radiated out from what is now Old Ocean Grove and development has taken hold, but the town still retains an unhurried and somewhat relaxed vibe for most of the year.

Summer sees the town’s population swell three-fold from its usual 14,000.

We speak with a ‘long termer’ who has lived in ‘the Grove’ since 1949, a seachanger who made the move a decade ago and a young family who migrated from Melbourne less than a year ago.

Bill Kelly has called the Grove home since 1949.

Picture: Rebecca Hosking

THE LONG TERMER I greet Bill Kelly at a local cafe on a cold early-August morning.

He’s wearing a blue fleece and is halfway through a still-steaming mug of coffee.

At 69, he looks fit and healthy and still surfs most days.

A former deputy police commissioner who spent 37 years in the Victorian police force, Bill came to Ocean Grove with his family as a two-year-old in 1949.

Childhood was kind to Bill and his mates. Life was simple.

“We’d get at the top of the hill in our billycarts and go straight down the hill, across The Parade, across The Terrace, and never got killed but should have been,” he laughs.

“Later on we started surfing and there was never any crime here.

Everybody left their houses open and their old bombs of cars open.

We even left our boards down at the beach for a week. We’d put

them in the sand dunes and walk home.”

Childhood was full of billycarts, canoes, surfboards, footy and spud picking at the potato farms that are now the Kingston and Oakdene estates.

Bill says Ocean Grove has changed - obviously - some of it for the better and some worse.

“It’s sort of the same but it’s different,” he says.

“Old Grove is still the core of Ocean Grove and everything else has grown around it.

“It’s a shame to see progress in a way but it’s inevitable. I think the people who grizzle about it the most are the ones that just can’t accept it. You just have to accept it. You look at the main street and all the cafes and everything else, and it’s a great place.

“People don’t appreciate what they’ve actually got.”

However, Bill laments that most new backyards lack enough space for children to play.

“I saw a guy the other day putting tiles on a roof and the houses are that close together that he was standing on the roof of the house next door handing the tiles to his mate,” he says.

“You walk out the back door and your nose is up against the back fence.”

When Bill was a child no one worried about him going out without adult supervision.

“We’d go out playing and mum would say ,‘See you at tea time’,” he recalls.

“If you weren’t home for tea, the cop from Barwon Heads would come over and give you a kick in the arse and then you’d get another one from the old man.”

>>> 25

Sam, Rich, Harry, Maddie and Helen Stubs are loving their decision to move to Oceann Grove.

Picture: Rebecca Hosking

THE NEWCOMERS The Stubs family moved to Ocean Grove just in time for Christmas last year.

We love the

laidback lifestyle and the community feel.

Helen, Rich and their three children Maddie, 12, Sam, 10, and Harry, 6, packed up and made the seachange from Murrumbeena in Melbourne’s leafy eastern suburbs.

26

“I have had a holiday house in Barwon Heads since I was born, so I’ve always loved the area,” Helen says.

Grubbers, Sam pulls on the boots for Surfside Soccer Club, and Harry loves getting involved in Auskick for the Cobras.

“My mum has since moved to Point Lonsdale and my sister and her family live in Barwon Heads.

We also have a few close friends that have lived here for a long time.

“We take walks along the beach, go surfing and enjoy the great cafes and restaurants,” Helen says.

“We were sick of the traffic and the hustle and bustle in Melbourne.

My husband grew up in the Dandenongs and has always had space around him.”

The family quickly settled in, enrolling the children at Our Lady Star of the Sea Primary School.

“My sister’s children went there. We absolutely love it - it’s a fabulous school and such a beautiful community,” Helen says.

Maddie now plays netball for the

“We love the laidback lifestyle and the community feel. The beaches are so beautiful and it’s just so relaxing.”

The old saying that you have to be in Ocean Grove for at least more than 20 years to be considered a local hasn’t rung true for the Stubs.

“They have been so welcoming and friendly,” Helen says.

“Everyone’s settled in from day one - it’s the best place ever.”

>>>

27

It’s a

real community down at the beach

the old surfers who have been here forever but a lot of newcomers that discovered it later in life,” he says.

Peter loves chatting to everyone who walks past as he watches the waves roll in.

The beach is the hub of the town, he says.

“There’s always people around walking their dogs, backpackers pulling up in their vans, someone interesting to talk to,” he says.

THE SEACHANGERS Peter Garrett has lived in Ocean Grove since 2008.

Picture: Rebecca Hosking

Peter Garrett grew up in Essendon and met wife Eileen in Ireland.

They moved their family of five children to Benalla in northeast Victoria and lived a rural life, operating a cleaning business for 20 years.

Peter had always wanted to learn to surf and when the kids grew up and moved to the big smoke, the family bought surfing lessons for his 60th birthday.

“I spent most Sundays driving to

28

Ocean Grove, leaving at 5am,” he says.

“Some days I’d drive the four hours and if it was no good I’d just drive back home.”

Peter and Eileen bought a holiday house in Ocean Grove in 2006 but moved in permanently two years later.

Peter, in his 70s, surfs almost every day. Any day he doesn’t enter the water he will still be at the beach several times a day, just watching.

“It’s a real community down at the beach among the surfers; a mix of

“People complain about getting a car park and how crowded it gets in the water in peak summer but I don’t mind as I’m usually back home by 8am.”

Three of his five children now live locally.

Peter has travelled a lot, interstate and abroad. He thinks the beach at Ocean Grove is the best he’s seen. He couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

“The only thing I’d change here is I’d make the winters a bit shorter,” Peter laughs.

“But if you think it’s cold surfing in Ocean Grove, try surfing in Ireland.”

29

12395884-EPJ36-18

[local] love

Words: ELISSA FRIDAY Pictures: LOUISA JONES A dance-floor meeting leads to a temple-top proposal for central Geelong couple Prudence Laws and Sean Stockton.

30

“There were about a hundred other people there and Sean waited until everyone left to propose to me.

“We had to wait until the sun went down, which was about three hours. I was taking some photos when he got down on one knee.

“I was ecstatic. I was amazing and just incredibly romantic and unusual.”

THE RINGS Sean used a temporary ring for his proposal to Prudence.

But she was rapt with the special sentimental value of the real thing when it arrived.

"I love that it looks like mum's," she says.

"My engagement ring is aquamarine and mum’s is also an aquamarine."

The pair chose simple bands for their wedding rings.

“Sean's not fussy,” Prudence says.

There were about a hundred other people there and Sean waited until everyone left...

WHERE THEY MET “We first met nine years ago and started dating two years later,” Prudence says.

“Both Sean and I went to university in Tasmania, in Launceston, and we met on the dance-floor at a university party. Sean popped his head around the corner, we started talking, and it all started from there.”

THE PROPOSAL “We were engaged in 2017 and had about a year and a half engagement,” Prudence says.

Pictures: LOUISA JONES

The couple went on a holiday to Vietnam and Cambodia, where Sean proposed on top of a temple at sunset.

31

THE WEDDING PLANNING The couple wanted to keep their big day “pretty simple”, Prudence explains.

“Sean was very involved, which was really great.

“We had family to help but when it came down to it we both did all of it ourselves.

“We wanted to make sure our guests didn’t go away hungry and that they’d have as much fun as we did. I think they did, which is good.”

HENS AND BUCKS The couple had their shindigs over the Australia Day weekend.

“Sean went away to the coast in New South Wales for a weekend away,” Prudence tells.

Prudence’s sisters organised an Alice in Wonderlandthemed party at Torquay Bowls Club.

“I was dressed up as Alice. I really enjoyed it.

“It was heaps of fun and everyone got very into it.”

THE DRESS Prudence had tried on just a couple of dresses when she found ’the one’.

“I knew what I wanted,” she remembers.

“Marianna Hardwick was the designer and I didn’t have to alter it. It fit perfectly.

“It was done really well. It was too good to be true to fit so well off the rack.

“I was actually a little disappointed I didn’t have a lot of looking around to do for a dress.”

BRIDESMAIDS AND GROOMSMEN “I had two of my sisters as bridesmaids, Bianca and Magenta, and my best friend, Natalie, from kindergarten,” Prudence says.

“Sean had his brother, Neil, and sister, Amanda, and his best friend, Kareem, from primary school.

“Sean wore a tuxedo and the others wore black suits. Amanda fitted in with the bridesmaids.

“I also had my nieces and nephews, Mietta, William and Oliver. They were very well behaved and very cute.”

32

PHOTOGRAPHY The couple called on the services of photographer Louisa Jones.

“We knew her photos were vibrant,” Prudence says.

“We had photos done at my parents’ house and where Sean stayed at an Airbnb in Ocean Grove.

“We had photos done in front of a vintage bus that we also used for our transport during the day. We did some photos in the Drysdale Recreation Reserve pine forest, which was just out the back, and where one of my friends grew up over the road.

FLOWERS Prudence chose lively blooms of red and yellow.

“I’m not a pink girl. We just wanted it all to be bright,” she says.

“The flowers included dahlias, some orchids and some billy buttons.

“Florist Courtney also made a ground arbour, which we stood inside to get married.”

Prudence re-used the flower arbour later, creating multiple table displays at the reception.

THE RECEPTION The couple’s reception was at Flying Brick Cider Co. “It was so much fun,” Prudence declares.

“We had canapes for the first hour or so and we had shared mains on long tables. It was kind of like a big feast.

“And they made three lots of home-made ice-cream especially for us: honeycomb, white chocolate and fudge brownie. The guests loved it.

“The venue was so open and it was a lovely hot day too.”

THE CAKE Prudence’s mum and aunty made the wedding cake.

“It took a couple of weeks to make and it was amazing,” she says.

“Everyone said it was one of the best cakes they had ever tasted.

“Because there was so much, I think we will have cake for the rest of the year.

A “lolly bar” completed the sweet treats, Prudence says.

“The peach hearts were up there with the favourites, as were the strawberry clouds.”

33

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35

[local] sounds

When my life is getting a bit boring I write things about my friends...

36

RACH BRENNAN

By JUSTIN FLYNN

RACH BRENNAN knew she loved music from a young age but could never quite build up the confidence to go public.

The 24-year-old Geelong singer/ songwriter would dabble with singing and lyrics but never really thought it would take her far until the day she left school to study a degree in music.

“I’ve been playing music my whole life,” she says.

“Most of it was done secretly when I was really young.

“It wasn’t until I met Will Gardner (of Famous Will) and we started hanging out together and he said, ‘Let’s do some gigs together’.

“He gave me the confidence to believe in myself. I always thought people would laugh at me but I’ve had a couple of people show faith in me. I didn’t think there would be room for me in the industry.”

Rach’s band, Rach Brennan & the Pines, recently released a new single, Weapon of Love, at to two sold-out launches in Geelong.

“It’s been a long time coming," Rac admits.

"I wrote it really quickly and it came together really fast.

“It would be almost easier to rehearse if we didn’t get along,” Rach laughs.

For now, Rach and the band are happy to focus on a new album, but the future is clearly in mind.

“We get so distracted. We co-write lots of stuff together and bounce ideas off each other.”

“We’re very serious in taking it as far as we can go,” Rach says.

Happily, Rach's music seems to strike a chord with her audiences.

“You do get comments from people saying, ‘Play something we know’, but it rarely happens,” she says.

“Rad festivals, meet cool people, travel - we’ll be doing this for a while.

“I love it. There’s no safer, more comfortable, happy place for me.

"I’ll never stop doing what I’m doing.”

“I’m proud of what we’ve got. I love what we do and what we play, and if someone else does then that’s great, but you don’t have to like it.”

When asked what she does away from music, Rach pauses.

“Cooking, yoga ... music,” she laughs.

Songwriting comes naturally to her but she finds she needs a reason to put pen to paper.

“I always find it easier to write if I have a connection with something,” she explains.

“When my life is getting a bit boring I write things about my friends. One friend had just come out of an eight-year relationship.”

“I sat there with a pen and I couldn’t get it out fast enough. In five minutes the song was done.”

Also making up the band is Rach’s brother Liam, her partner Levi Anderson, Kane Sherriff and Cam Jerabek.

Such is the chemistry between them that the band will often unintentionally delay rehearsals, chatting and catching up beforehand.

37

[artist] in residence

CROMER'S Quirky Critters WORDS: GILL COOPER

38

It was a calculated risk the Surf Coast artist doesn’t regret at all.

rat race and fully explore his creative talents. Now an established artist, his colourful work featuring Australian wildlife is earning recognition and commercial success.

Pete’s mission was to escape the

Pete’s fun abstract paper collages

TEN years ago Pete Cromer left the corporate jungle and his career as a graphic designer with a greeting card giant behind.

I like the chilled vibes and peace of quiet of Torquay...

Mt Duneed artist Peter Cromer contemplates his next colourful creation at home.

and quirky ceramic and resin artworks are both edging onto the world stage via a growing export trade, yet he is keen to return to abstract painting as a medium.

Grovedale. After 10 years in Melbourne, Pete has settled on acreage at Mt Duneed, near Torquay, with his partner of 17 years.

It’s almost full circle for the 37-year-old who grew up in

Pete admits to “no ounce of sporting ability” yet still likes the

ocean and going for walks on the beach and in the bush. Being surrounded by trees, birdlife and other wildlife inspires his art.

“I like the chilled vibes and peace of quiet of Torquay. This is our home, our community.”

39

>>>

Pete’s characteristic use of budgies first started when he was preparing for an exhibition two years ago at Outre Gallery in Elizabeth St, Melbourne. Now his wildlife art of all sorts is in high demand.

“Where we live we have lots of birdlife visiting - galahs and cockatoos and even gang gangs.

I’m always drawn to birds - they just crack me up with their personalities,” Pete says.

He also uses other Australian animals such as koalas and kangaroos and platypus in his work.

“I’ve always been into art and studied graphic design. I gained a lot of experience working with Hallmark and taking freelance jobs. When we first left the city I did a design job in Geelong for two years whilst I worked on my art at home.

“Then I quit to try and make a career of my art at 32. It had been niggling at me for a while and I wanted to try it. I didn’t want to regret not giving it a real go.”

It was a brave leap that’s paying off.

“Things are going better than I dreamed,” he says.

“Overall it’s so busy now that Mark works full-time in the business producing the concrete druids and resin budgerigars to keep up with orders.”

Currently Pete’s range of prints, greeting cards, pins, keychains and resin budgies are also stocked at Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane airports in domestic and international terminal stores.

So far his biggest online export markets for his quirky collection are the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. His collage artwork has also been

40

sold to buyers in the Netherlands and Oman.

Pete considers his new collaboration with homewares brand Maxwell & Williams “a really big deal for me”.

“The response when my collection of mugs and coasters was launched was amazing. Retailers and buyers have been so warm and positive about putting colour back into product.”

His cups and coasters are still rolling out with Maxwell & Williams nationally and internationally. Their products sell online and are stocked in Myer, Matchbox, House and independent stores.

Pete said he’s encountered “a huge learning curve” running a business enterprise at the same time as developing his art and now deliberately separates his creative studio from office admin duties.

He recently moved across to a larger studio space at Ashmore Arts in Torquay. It’s a great hub for other designers, painters, ceramic artists, sculptors, furniture makers, and even a blacksmith.

“There’s lots of inspiring art going on here - it’s an inspiring place to work with all sorts of people which is great,” Pete says.

“My earlier work was very abstract painting. I’ve been working a lot in paper and collage recently and really want to go back to my painting.”

His fresh focus for spring is pulling a body of work together for his next exhibition - a group show at the Outre Gallery during the AFL Grand Final weekend.

“I’m not afraid of failure,” Pete says.

“If it doesn’t work, it can always go on the bonfire!”

[art] and soul

Archibald BACK IN GEELONG High-profile, eagerly anticipated and often controversial, the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ Archibald Prize is Australia’s favourite art award, and one of its most prestigious.

Awarded to the best portrait painting, it’s a who’s who of Australian culture, with subjects often including politicians, celebrities, sporting heroes, authors and artists.

“We are excited to present the Archibald Prize in Geelong for the second time in two years,” says Geelong Gallery director and chief executive officer Jason Smith.

“There’s much anticipation in the region for the return of the prize and we look forward to presenting our community with extended opportunities to engage with artists, sitters and more generally with the genre of portraiture.

“We’re also again delighted to

present a comprehensive access and learning program, Who Are You, which we’re delivering in conjunction with our partner, Gandel Philanthrophy. As part of this program, the Who’s Who portrait prize will incorporate works from over 2000 children in venues throughout Geelong.”

This year’s exhibition features 57 portraits including 2018 Archibald Prize winner Yvette Coppersmith’s self-portrait.

The man behind the prize has intimate links to the Geelong region. Christened John Feltham, JF Archibald was born in Geelong West on 14 January 1856 and lived in the region beginning his journalism career in Warrnambool, aged 15.

A number of finalists in the 2018 Archibald Prize also have connections to the region, particularly actor Guy Pearce, the Geelong-born-and-schooled prize-winning portrait subject of Anne Middleton.

Yvette Coppersmith's Self-portrait, after George Lambert.

12388034-ACM36-18

GEELONG Gallery is the exclusive Victorian venue for the 2018 Archibald Prize.

41

[history] repeated

DATING back to 1860, Fort Queenscliff is steeped in history.

The first Allied shots of WWI were heard when a gun at Fort Nepean fired across the bow of German freighter Pfalz as she

42

attempted an escape to sea.

The orders to fire came from Fort Queenscliff.

Nowadays, the fort and museum is a popular tourist spot, drawing thousands of visitors each year

from all over the world.

Fort Queenscliff Museum manager Major Martin Gowling says the fort plays an important part in the local economy.

PROTECTOR of The Rip From the first shots of The Great War to providing one of the region's most-intriguing tourist attractions, Fort Queenscliff is a jewel at the ocean-side doorstep to our region. JUSTIN FLYNN digs into its past.

“Some stay on the Bellarine Peninsula while others are day trippers. In most cases they provide an economic boost to Queenscliff and the greater Bellarine region,” he says.

“To be the custodian of Fort Queenscliff, its historical buildings and its museum is an ongoing learning experience.

43

>>>

“I find it a rewarding and challenging opportunity. At every turn there is a story that needs to be told, and it is told to school children, tour groups and the general public when they visit the fort.”

While the fort played an important strategic role in years gone by, the human faces behind it today do their best to bring the past to life.

Fort Queenscliff Museum curator Sergeant Helen Janner never gets tired of looking at the structure.

“More often than not, when I’m here there’s another amazing piece of what I call ‘the fort puzzle’ that emerges: the vast collection of military items, images, documents and, of course, the stories that each and every building tells us,” she says.

“So much history - from the 150-year-old lighthouse to the magnificent cannons. Most of the structures here have been here for over 100 years.

“I am learning about them every day - and the view to the bay priceless! How lucky am I?” Tour coordinator Liz Fountain has seen the number of visitors to the fort change over the years.

“I have been tours coordinator since 2006, and tourist numbers have slightly increased since then,” she says.

“We expect about 12,000 to 13,000 this year. They come from everywhere in Australia as well as overseas.”

Ms Fountain says heritage venues that enjoy federal funding and promotion get much more national recognition than Fort Queenscliff.

She says the fort is still largely an unknown entity.

“Bellarine residents mostly know we are here, but many have never been on our professionally guided tour. Interstate tourists have a remarkable visit waiting for them if they can venture to Queenscliff on a holiday,” she says.

Keith Quinton is a researcher at fort museum library and was born and raised in Queenscliff.

“As I am one of a small group of historians attracted to the architecture of 19th-century fortifications and the development of coastal artillery defences, Fort Queenscliff has proved a valuable research source for my writings on Victorian coastal defences,” he says.

Although access to the museum is limited, due to Fort Queenscliff remaining an active military base, AAHU Museum staff and AAHU volunteers work to assist with a broad range of enquiries related to family research and military history.

Photos: Rebecca Hosking

44

The federal government and Australian Army, through the AAHU (Australian Army History Unit), have provided resources for volunteers attending the museum library and resource centre over the last decade to carefully collate thousands of diverse documents, plans and photographs related to the defence of Victoria and Port Phillip Heads.

“Without this dedicated effort, public access to much of the material would have been lost,” Mr Quinton says.

“I am gratified to be able to foster this continuation of Queenscliff’s ‘garrison town’ heritage.”

Evan Donohue is also a researcher at the museum library.

“For me Fort Queenscliff displays one of Australia’s iconic heritage developments from a bygone era,” he says.

He found a great grandfather who sailed from Scotland’s Outer Hebrides Islands to Australia in 1883, and enlisted in the Victorian Permanent Artillery in 1884.

Records at the fort revealed he died within the Fort Hospital in 1899, aged only 35, of a brain tumour.

“I was amazed that this sort of record could still be unearthed in the fort library,” he says.

“This encouraged me to become a volunteer at Fort Queenscliff so I could assist others to find records of long lost artillery soldiers, who also endured the very hardy 1880s conditions of an artillery soldier within the Fort.

“Fort Queenscliff is an amazing place and everybody should take the guided tour.”

“Most Australians know of Eureka stockade in Ballarat, but Fort Queenscliff completely eclipses Eureka, due to many decades of artillery activity dating from 1860 until 1945.”

Mr Donohue discovered the fort when he began his family history search for unknown ancestors.

45

[collectibles]

TIN'S SECRETS revealed Graeme Acton amid his extensive antiques collection.

MILITARY antiques collector Graeme Acton buys and sells all sorts of relics and gear, including a large range of Samurai armour, at his two-storey shop and museum.

The tin's contents, on which solider's nourishment dependend.

A gold coin donation gives visitors access to the previously described “hidden” museum, situated in the heart of Geelong.

Recently Graeme added some new items to his vast historic collections, including an intriguing World War II rations tin.

Graeme believes the tin dates back to around 1944.

“The tin’s contents are less than perfect,” Graeme says.

“The tin was already open, so I’ve

now partially opened the sealed contents for the purpose of taking photos of it.

“The first thing you smell is that terrible curry powder.”

Graeme was fascinated to find that the tin contains three separate sealed bituminous paper-covered packs named 1, 2 and 3, which were dipped into a molten wax to waterproof the rations inside.

Labels on each pack reveal the contents, he says.

Meal 1 is carrot biscuits, a fruit and nut block, a meat and vegetable stew, peanut butter, barley sugar rolls, a caramel bar, skimmed milk powder, two tablets of salt, sugar,

The Australian World War II rations tin.

and four tablets of tea.

Meal 2 offers similar contents, including cheese, a meat and vegetable hash, and wholemeal biscuits, while 3’s features chocolate, blackcurrant spread, barley sugar rolls, and corned beef hash.

Other recent additions to Graeme’s historic collection include a World War II nurse trunk, a World War I blue enamel star badge, and a rare police station light.

Armor Antiques & Military Museum is at 200 Moorabool Street, Geelong.

More information is available by visiting armorantiques.com or by phoning 5221 8662 or 0416 941 566.

ARMOR ANTIQUES & MILITARY MUSEUM

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NEW UPSTAIRS MUSEUM NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

We buy and sell:- antique swords - guns – helmets – badges –uniforms - medals - books - authentic Samurai armour Services offered: - Medal mounting and framing - Valuations on most militaria.

Museum with many rare Militaria items from around the world 200 Moorabool Street, Geelong T: 5221 8662 Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm M: 0416 941566 E: armorantiques@hotmail.com Closed Monday & open most Sundays

www.armorantiques.com

46

[hair] and beauty

MERAKI expands again WITH its second birthday in November, Salon Meraki Colour Specialists has achieved early success that’s second to none.

After winning Best of the Bay’s award for Best Hairdresser of 2017 and then employing first apprentice Taylor, the small salon on Vines Road is expanding again.

“I’m so excited to welcome Hannah to our salon family,” says owner Vicky Polyzos.

“Her bubbly personality, her beautiful smile and the passion and love she has for her hairdressing was exactly what I was looking for when searching for the right stylist to join my team.”

waxing and spray tanning services in my salon and just in time for the spring carnival season.

“With spring here, clients are very conscious about their hair condition and want to bring life back into their hair.

Vicky Polyzos with apprentice Taylor Sadeghi.

“We love to make clients’ hair feel beautiful at the salon and at home, so we only use the best brands and products.”

Salon Meraki Colour Specialists prides itself on offering every client a personalised, unique service right from arrival to the moment they walk out with a glamourous new do.

Vicky describes Hannah as a “girl of many talents”.

The salon is open Tuesdays to Saturdays but appointments are essential, with each client greeted with coffee or tea on arrival.

“She’s a fully-qualified hairdresser as well as a waxer and spray-tanner.

I’m so excited to be introducing

More information is available at salonmeraki.com.au or by phoning 5298 3465.

Qualified hairdresser Hannah Mahoney.

77 Vines Road - Hamlyn Heights | 5298 3465 www.salonmeraki.com.au Monday closed | Tues 9-5.30pm | Wed 9-6pm | Thur 9-8.30pm | Fri 10-6pm | Sat 8-2pm | Sunday closed

12362154-RC39-17

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[night] out

MURPHY’S ON TOP GEELONG’S hottest venue has something for everyone with its restaurant and vibrant front and rooftop bars.

and his mates purchased the venue for its rich history and their mutual desire to revive Geelong’s much-loved Irish pub.

Built in 1855, Murphy’s is Geelong’s only Irish pub and the original home of the Cats.

“After a short period of operating Irish Murphy’s we realised the potential of the venue and got to work on designing the best customer experience we could while bringing something unique to Geelong: a great local pub with a vibrant rooftop bar.

Four mates bought the hotel in 2016, spending nearly $1 million restoring the iconic venue.

The pub now offers a Dublinmeets-Fitzroy vibe, retaining many of the drinks, fare and subtle quirks that made predecessor Irish Murphy’s so popular.

The new owners have added modern flair with the Rooftop Bar, featuring a pizza kitchen, craft beers, cocktails and great views.

Co-owner Shaun Aspinall says he

“We went to over 50 venues in Melbourne and overseas, taking notes, pictures and talking to people about what they loved about each venue. The brandnew Murphy’s is a culmination of two years of research into what makes a good venue a great venue.

“The biggest, most exciting change to the venue is the rooftop bar, which includes a rooftop terrace and sky deck with views of Corio Bay, the You Yangs and even Melbourne. It also has a dedicated pizza kitchen, and chef Enzo is from the birthplace of pizza, Naples, Italy.”

Tom Ward, Daniel O’Donoghue, Shaun Aspinall and Ian Nichols toast the success of the revamped Murphy's Irish hotel.

More information is available at murphysgeelong.com.au.

OPEN WEDNESDAY t0 Sunday

7 DAYS

from 12pm until late

Takeaway Dine In

(03) 5221 4335 30 Aberdeen St, Geelong West

murphysgeelong

murphysgeelong.com.au

12393045-SN36-18

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Mon - Sat 10am - 10pm Sunday 5pm - 10pm

Specialists in Lunch Sets Catering for Functions Fully Licensed & BYO (Wine Only)

161 Shannon Ave Manifold Heights 0H s

12398639-DJ38-18

pizza, cocktails, beer, wine, DJs & good vibes!

[what's] cooking

City guides HEALTHY CATERING

In the hectic, fast-paced 21st Century, much time is spent in the workplace or out and about involved in the community. It can be difficult to always bring healthy lunches from home, so many people often tend to go out to the corner shop to grab something on the go.

Healthy eating is a priority for City of Greater Geelong, which believes that businesses and organisations can play a role by providing healthy choices when catering for functions, meetings, training and group celebrations.

The City has developed a Geelong Healthy Catering Guide to assist with making healthier choices

GEELONG

HEATELRTINHGY CA

GUIDE FREE

when organising catering.

Promoting healthy eating can contribute to increased concentration, consuming adequate nutrients by eating a wide variety of foods, improving physical and mental health, and increased motivation.

The City’s health promotion officers assessed the menus of those restaurants and cafes willing to be included in the Geelong Healthy Catering Guide.

The officers based their assessments on the Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy Choices Guidelines.

The catering guide includes only menu items that fit into the guidelines’ green and amber category. Online menus contain a wider range but some items may

not be healthy options.

The catering guide and useful tips for organising food to cater for different people are available by searching for ‘Healthy Catering’ at geelongaustralia.com.au.

The guide online is print friendly and voice-over-able.

City of Greater Geelong has literally written the book on health catering.

MAKE HEALTHY EATING A PRIORITY! M A All businesses and organisations ccan play a role by providing h healthy choices when catering ffor functions, meetings, training aand group celebrations.

The City of Greater Geelong have developed the Geelong Healthy Catering Guide to help you make healthier catering choices.

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IF the saying, ‘You are what you eat’, is true then the vision we see of ourselves represents the choices we make every day.

Search for ‘Healthy Catering’ on www.geelongaustralia.com.au to find the guide and some handy catering tips.

DOWNLOAD

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[what's] cooking

EBONY & IVORY celebrates EBONY & Ivory’s Jurgen Schlotzer and Ninni Stagno are celebrating their first year in business after taking ownership of the venue in 2017.

“Hospitality is absolutely new for me but the food industry isn’t,” Jurgen says, “and Ninni has 10 years of hospitality experience but this is the first business he’s jointly owned.“ Jurgen handles the administration duties while Ninni works the front of house, including making the venue’s signature coffees.

“We have a very good coffee grinder and every cup’s freshly ground,“ Jurgen says.

Ebony & Ivory offers restaurant and cafe areas, along with a beer garden that can hold around 30 people.

The versatile spaces provide options for meetings, business lunches, coffee and cake gettogethers, and small functions for up to 75 guests.

“There’s privacy for a romantic dinner, too,” Jurgen says.

Hand-made fettuccine, gnocchi and ravioli is a speciality at Ebony & Ivory.

“It’s made fresh daily from an Italian recipe. It’s not the dry pasta, it’s the real thing,” Jurgen explains.

“We also make a lot of homecooked Italian Sicilian dishes along with salads and vegetarian dishes.”

Chicken cacciatore and fish acqua pazza are just some of the mostly traditional Sicilian dishes on the menu.

The dessert menu also features house-made specialties, with Jurgen recommending the vanilla slice or Portuguese tart in particular.

“Our pastry chef also makes flourless cakes and bakes muffins every day.“ Ebony & Ivory is at 189 Moorabool Street, Geelong.

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Ninni enjoying the relaxing fireplace area at Ebony and Ivory.

cafe, restaurant, catering, functions + celebrations 189 Moorabol St, Geelong | Ph: 5221 6072 OPEN 7 DAYS Mon-Sat 8am to 11pm Sun 10am-3pm 50

[what's] cooking

Enter the GOLDEN DRAGON YUM cha is more than just food to Golden Dragon owner Tao ‘Bryan’ Mu - it’s an art-form.

“A lot of people think Chinese food is cheap takeaway,” he says.

“We have families who spend birthdays,

mother’s

days

and

father’s days with us.

“Yum cha is not just a sit down and eat - it’s an important time

“But we wanted to show people Chinese food is an art as well.”

for family and friends to gather together in Chinese culture.”

Bryan founded the restaurant after a drive to check out a vacancy at a “beautiful” old bank building in central Geelong in 2014.

He hired head chefs Ken Sang and Johnny Yong, who each have 35 years’ experience cooking in Melbourne’s Chinatown.

The restaurant serves vegetarian and gluten-free options, and can modify dishes to be gluten-free with prior notice.

“We wanted to bring authentic Chinese food and Yum Cha culture to Geelong,” he says.

“A lot of customers now say they can save the journey to Chinatown and get the same great-quality food here in Geelong.“ Golden Dragon specialises in Cantonese cuisine, yum cha and Peking duck.

“But we also have spicy Szechuan and other Chinese cuisine,” Bryan says.

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“The atmosphere keeps families coming back.

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[green] thumbs

A SHAW thing Jarred, Gabrielle, Simone, Rosie, Mathew and Peter Shaw in their backyard treehouse with pets Angel and Ruby.

PICTURE: REBECCA HOSKING

“I’M A product of the old Geelong tech school, which focused on trade and technical things,” declares Surf Coast landscaper Peter Shaw.

“It was a breeding ground for people who were good with their hands.”

And Peter's handiwork skills are evident nowhere more than Sunnymeade, the stunning coastal garden he created with wife Simone at their Anglesea family home.

Now a visual feast of native grasses, flowers, shrubs and trees, the garden has been a labour of love since the couple began working around what Peter describes as a house on "a bit of a building site" in 2003.

“We had temporary synthetic grass leading up to the house," he remembers.

WORDS: ELISSA FRIDAY

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“It was fantastic to move into the house but the garden was just not

happening at the time.

“The trees were okay though, and the kids had plenty of areas to play."

Possibly adhering to the maxim that the lawyer who acts on his own behalf has a fool for a client, Peter and Simone commissioned another landscaper to undertake the initial structural works, including concrete bases and brick walls treated with stonework.

“The way we did it was time consuming, being that it was a two-stage process,” Peter says.

“Now, though, we have timeless, beautiful stone walls, which all took five years to finish.

“Once the other landscaper was finished we had nothing left to build.”

With the garden structures in place, Peter and Simone rolled up their sleeves for the planting.

Seven years later Sunnymeade was finished.

“But a garden’s never really finished,” Peter observes.

“You always have to re-do an area later on.”

Sunnymeade showcases a canopy of “sculptural and mystical” indigenous trees, mainly stringy barks and gums.

The landscaping also worked around some of the site’s original foliage, preserving feature plants such as the Anglesea area’s renowned native orchids.

“It’s pretty special,” Peter says.

With pets and a young, growing family, hardy varieties were the preference for planting.

“We have the local correa and westringia, which are very common Australian garden plants.

Also, there’s the local daisy, olearia pannosa, which is quite lovely,” Peter says.

“Our local grower has been growing the daisy. It’s not available commercially.

“It flowers during spring and looks good all year around.”

section of moonah trees along the garden’s back fence back in 2001 before even building their house.

Now, with sculptures positioned underneath, the trees provide “a really nice backdrop”, Peter says.

“Our lawn is also a bit of feature, with its grassy and different-sized hills. You can lay in them, even have a picnic while sitting under the stringy trees.”

Growing a flourishing garden on the coast and under gums is far from easy, Peter explains.

He recommends teucrium, a silver-coloured Mediterranean plant that grows well in shade and under gum trees.

It flowers during spring

AND LOOKS GOOD all year around.

The couple also planted a large

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Peter advises clients to accept that they “can’t always do what they want to do” when it comes to a new garden.

“You need to ask what your site is asking for and what does it need,” he says.

“Honouring the environment” should be the first priority, and the barbeque area should be second - no matter how big.

“For example, the trees that you like most might not grow here.

Use plants that are already in the area, and in a way that’s appealing.

“I was at the club for four years in the mornings then went to Anglesea Bowling Club for about eight years where I was looking after the bowling greens,” he says.

Peter and Simone registered their landscaping business after marrying in 1995.

including an apprentice, so he finished up at the bowling club to take on landscaping full-time.

“Now we have 18 people working for us. We started off with 12 gardens and now we regularly maintain around 160.”

“It was just the two of us. I also continued doing the bowling club greens and gardening in the afternoon.”

With the team including three landscape designers, Peter has stepped away from the work on the ground and into management of the business.

By the end of the 1995 Peter had two staff working with him,

“I’m working on it but not in it,” he smiles.

“The plants often make a garden.

They keep changing as time goes on.

“They help the building nestle into the site, and nestle in with the broader picture of the neighbourhood.”

Peter’s landscaping philosophy is about creating “different rooms within the garden”.

“We encourage people to have flexible spaces,” he says, “like a lawn that could become vegetable patch or have a trampoline.”

Above all, Peter encourages householders to always consider their gardens, whether new or established, “with fresh eyes”.

“Gardens always change over time and they need maintenance.

Let the plants do what they’re supposed to do and reassess if necessary if something isn’t working.”

Peter was drawn to working with the environment after spending his early teens in the family garden.

“My mother’s a florist and I always did annual pruning with my dad in the garden, so work methods came from dad and more-creative practices came from mum”.

“At around 16 years of age I picked up some part-time work in a garden with local builder, Kevin Lyons. Kevin was a great mentor - it was old-school and he got me started with working outside.”

Then living at Highton, Peter went on to an apprenticeship at Drumcondra Bowling Club after completing tech school.

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Simone and Peter Shaw in their garden.

[interior] design

The great INDOORS So says Katrina Harmon, owner and qualified interior decorator at Design & Decorate Interiors.

Katrina believes that the best interiors have an aura of adventure and discovery, challenging anyone who encounters them to inspect, wonder and touch.

Hence, she continually strives to bring her Shannon Avenue store alive with colours, concepts and textures.

Design and Decorate Interiors boasts the largest range of wallpapers and wall murals in Geelong, along with a massive range of fabrics and textiles for window furnishings, bedding, homewares and furniture.

Katrina’s ability to really listen to the needs and dreams of her clients enables her to guide them in their choices.

She always stays abreast of current trends but unapologetically loves the best traditional products that never go out of style.

Innovation and modernisation are always high on the agenda at Design & Decorate Interiors.

Blinds and drapes can be motorised, while a beautiful range of decorative rods and tracks are always in stock to suit individual homes and tastes.

Anyone who wants to redecorate should make Design & Decorate Interiors their first port of call.

Design & Decroate is at 130 Shannon Avenue. Bookings for consultations with Katrina are available by phoning 5229 7712.

DESIGN & DECORATE INTERIORS KNOWS HOW TO ADD STYLE TO ANY HOME.

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IF someone desires life-changing interiors, the kind that make the heart beat just that little bit faster, then they need an open mind and a large dose of self-belief.

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[home] bodies

Focus on QUALITY

LOW-VOLUME builder Howard + Wade hopes to wow the public with its display home at Torquay’s Quay 2, says Lee Howard.

Howard + Wade builds only around 10 to 15 homes each year, he says, allowing it to focus on “absolute quality“.

“Our homes start as a complete package, we don’t build our home from the bottom and keep adding and adding, it comes as a complete package.”

Lee’s confident the display at the enviable Quay 2 estate will impress.

“It becomes apparent when most people step in that it’s a quality home,” he says.

“Hopefully they think it’s a beautiful home full of a lot of textures that they normally wouldn’t find in a volume product.”

The home is fitted out with Neff kitchen appliances, which Lee 56

describes as “the Porsche of appliances”.

Quality is paramount, Lee says, right from the vaulted ceiling to the stainless-steel, four-burner Beefeater barbecue that comes as standard.

“From front to back across the home in 20, 30, 40 years it will still be standing strong,” he adds.

With land at a premium in and around Torquay, Lee says Quay 2 represents a great opportunity to get into the market.

“It’s two seconds away from the Surf Coast Highway, so whether you want to go down the coast to the beach or go into town to Geelong it takes you two seconds to get onto the highway,” he says.

“There’s schools, ovals, a shopping centre and there’s some nice parklands. It’s a great location.

“Available land is actually diminishing in Torquay, so there’s not a lot of approved subdivisions.

Land in Torquay is running out.”

Savvy home hunters will be wowed by the quality of the Atrium design, Lee says.

“Especially educated buyers, who've gone through the buying process, they immediately notice the quality.

“That’s not to say first-home buyers wouldn’t be able to purchase one of ours, but ours is more-targeted toward the subsequent home buyer who has already been in the housing market who appreciates quality and sees through all the smoke and mirrors.

“Even though we are a new entrant to the marketplace, my business partner (Steven Wade) has had a family business for 50 years, so he’s been around just as long as the other big-volume builders and I’ve come from a development background.”

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Holiday Rental Awards 2018

ECO MEDITATION RETREAT

A spectacular weekend getaway in a tranquil, lush rainforest haven on top of Erskine Falls. A bushwalker’s paradise, this venue offers exclusivity and is ideal for a cosy romantic weekend away, an intimate wedding, a corporate retreat, small groups or simply meditation.

Small Group Occasions, Weddings and extended stays. Corporate groups, Special Celebrations, Bed and Breakfast, Meditation

Lorne

OFFERING t TQBDJPVT CFESPPNT t #BS BMGSFTDP MJWJOH t TQMJU TZTUFNT t -PH åSF INCLUDES t A complimentary bottle PG XJOF PO BSSJWBM t 0SHBOJD CSFBLGBTU IBNQFS t $PGGFF UFB GBDJMJUJFT

Qiihouselorne.com.au $10 donated from every booking

12397567-CG38-18

[getaways] nearby

’UNIQUE’ Qii House HEATHER McFarlane-Kolb’s Qii House at Lorne has been shortlisted in the Unique category of 2018’s HomeAway Holiday Rental Awards.

As the new home of Stayz, HomeAway describes the awards as promoting “Australia’s greatest holiday homes”.

“We’d like to congratulate Heather on being shortlisted in the ‘Unique’ category for the 2018 Holiday Rental Awards,” said HomeAway spokesperson Simone McDermid.

relevance to the category.

The shortlisted homes will go through to the next round where each property will be judged by a panel of experts including Wendy Moore, Editor-in-Chief of Home Beautiful and host on House Rules, and Charlie Albone, Australia’s most-prominent landscape designer and Selling Houses Australia personality.

“We’re very excited to be shortlisted for the Holiday Rental Awards,” Heather says.

“This year’s shortlist features amazing properties from all over the country and we are very proud to include them in the list.”

“We work very hard to provide a comfortable and memorable experience for our guests here in southwest Victoria and this recognition is testament to that.”

Qii House and other shortlisted entries were chosen based on a criteria that focused on the quality of the guest reviews, property image quality, holiday home description, hospitality and

The Unique category highlights properties with a blend of distinctive architectural design, unusual amenities and comfort that holidaymakers come to expect from holiday homes.

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CALENDAR of EVENTS 21-24 September

3-5 October

24 October

Australian Unicycle Nationals

Prize Fighter

Geelong Cup

Unicycle riders of all ages and abilities will compete in this annual event while encouraging prospective novices to take up the challenge of one-wheeled cycling.

This unusual theatre production tells the story of a Congolese refugee struggling with the trauma of war while forging a new life in the ring.

Geelong's annual group-three thoroughbred race has been a national drawcard for racing enthusiasts since 1872, attracting a crowd numbering between 15,000 and 20,000 in recent years.

Riders from across Australia come together at the UniNats, showcasing skill, strength and endurance in events ranging from trials to long-distance riding.

Various locations, Geelong

22 September - 18 November

Based on a novel by Congolese refugee Future D Fidel, the play holds no punches as it depicts the battle between the main protagonist's past and his hopes for the future.

Geelong Performing Arts Centre, Geelong

Held over 2400m, the day's blueribbon race often provides an early insight to potential place-getters at the Melbourne Cup 13 days later.

Geelong Racing Club, Breakwater

2018 Archibald Prize Geelong has secured the regional Victoria rights to Australia's most popular prize for portraiture.

With almost 60,000 arts patrons attending the Archibald's first exhibition in Geelong last year, organisers are confident this year's diverse entries will draw even more fans of Australian art.

Geelong Gallery, Geelong

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13 October Australian Supercross Championships Australia's greatest supercross riders will battle it out on the home ground of the Geelong Cats in a night of high-powered excitement.

With an all-new Triple Crown competition format and a host of other on and off-course attractions, organisers are promising a "party-like atmosphere" under the stars.

GMHBA Stadium, Geelong

Bogan Jesus Australian funnyman Heath Franklin's on his way back to Geelong in the guise of his scariest character, colourful underworld character Chopper.

The show has won warm reviews for Franklin's in-character ad-libbing and quick, cutting responses to hecklers game enough to take on the man behind the sunnies and mo.

Gateway Hotel, Corio

9 November

17 November

Lighting of Geelong’s Floating Christmas Tree One of the biggest events on Geelong's family calendar, thousands of spectators line Geelong's waterfront to witness the annual lighting of the city's famous floating Christmas tree.

BABBA Billed as "Australia's premier ABBA tribute show", BABBA has been entertaining crowds around nationally and overseas for 24 years.

The lighting heralds the start of the tree's nightly light shows during the season, with onlookers enjoying the colourful sight every 15 minutes from 8.30pm to midnight.

The foursome's similarity to the looks, outfits and sound of the real thing will thrill ABBA fans as they sing along to all the legendary band's greatest hits.

Steampacket Quay, Geelong

Sphynx Hotel, North Geelong

4 November

11 November

Anglesea Riverbank Market

Centenary of Armistice Day - Remembrance Day

With a picturesque setting, this market is billed as a treasure trove of international food, fashion, toys, arts and much more.

One-hundred years ago to the day, the guns fell silent on the Western Front, marking the end of World War I.

Hand-crafted items and local produce are always a big favourite at the market, with more than 90 stalls set to open shop for the day.

The local centenary event will be conducted on one of the region's traditional war memorial sites, adding poignancy to the mark of respect at the 11th hour of the day.

Great Ocean Road, Anglesea

Point Danger, Torquay

Packages available to grow your own herbs. Includes a maxi tub, soil, plants and 1 year FREE sevicing.

Further information is available upon request.

INSTANT HERBS P/L INSTANT HERBS - INSTANT FLAVOURS

Contact Craig Rossington:

0448 024 404 E: instantherbs@gmail.com 61

12398983-LB39-18

27 October

[social] network

National Council of Women Geelong branch 74TH ANNUAL LUNCHEON 1. JANET PARK, ELIDA BERETON AND JANICE LATHAM. 2. JILL GRAHAM AND ELIZABETH FAIRLIE. 3. JAN KINLOCH AND JAN FAULKNER. 4. NADIA SOLOCZYNSKYI AND YANINA DUTKA. 5. JAN KINLOCH, CATHY ROTH AND DR JOHN ROTH. 6. HELEN BENDER AND MICHELLE CHALLIS. 7. ELEANOR BOWMAN AND ALEXANDRA JEFFREY. 8. CAROLINE LYTZKI AND WENDY GIBSON. 9. ALLISON SEAL, CAROLYN GUISE AND BEC O'MEARA. 10. WENDY BURTON AND MAREE GREENHAM. 11. ANN COOK AND JANICE BINNS. 12. VAL TRINDER AND NOELE COOK.

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[social] network

Geelong Business EXCELLENCE AWARDS WINNERS' Cocktail Party 1. CAITLYN MENZEL AND CHARLI NEKREP. 2. KIM UDVARDY AND ANDREW SMITH. 3. EMMA RUTHERFORD, ANDREW LOCKE AND CHAD WHELAN. 4. IAN GRAWICH, MIKE MCKINSTRY AND CHRIS MACKEY. 5. JESS MORRIS, SCOTT PARKER AND BEN FLYNN. 6. KAREN BIRCH, MIKE O'BRIEN AND JUSTIN HARTNETT. 7. KARL BLAKEBOROUGH AND ALLISON KERR. 8. MAREE PIGDON AND MAUREEN REYNOLDS. 9. MARK FOUNTAIN, CHRISTINE SMITH AND PETER TEMPLE. 10. NEVILLE WRIGHT AND KELLI FINLAYSON. 11. ROB BIRCH AND JOHN FITZGERALD. 12. SHERIDAN SALMON, NORM LYONS AND ELISE DODD. 13. SIMON FLOWERS, TINA PERFREMENT AND AMELIA TRETHOWAN.

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