Mail - Mountain Views Star Mail - 11th January 2022

Mountain Views

Tuesday, 11 January, 2022

Mail

New police commanders at Lilydale Station

Looking back at 2021 top news stories

Sporting year in review

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PAGES 6 - 11

PAGE 19

A Star News Group Publication

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Thanking crews Mail PEOPLE OF THE YEAR

2021

Coldstream and Healesville CFA members - Josh Barter, Stephen Ford, Cliff Overton, Bill Poppins, Jac Lockwood, Sean Bethell, Ambulance Vic HV Andrew Turner, Healesville SES members - Andrew Worley, Paul Saleeba, Michelle Zwagerman and Simone Thomas.

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While there were many unsung heroes in 2021 who helped keep people safe, fed and connected, it was perhaps the most significant year for local volunteer emergency service personnel as they navigated a pandemic and a one in at least two decade storm.

At times risking their own lives and wellbeing to cut their way into houses, remove trees from roads, putting out powerline fires and working 24/7 to ensure the safety of others as trees continued to fall in the Dandenong Ranges.

Local SES crews responded to a record amount of calls in just one week, CFA crews banded together to help each other and throughout a pandemic, whenever they were needed, these crew members would show up.

This edition we dedicate our People of the Year to all the emergency service volunteers who put in countless hours not only in June but throughout the entire year, whether on the ground or behind the scenes. In this special edition of the newspaper, we reflect on 2021, take a look back at the top stories of the year in both news and sport and congratulate the many people who responded on 9 June.

To read more about the triumphs and tribulations of our emergency service volunteers, turn to page 4 and 5

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NEWS

New faces at the station

By Mikayla van Loon Before the end of 2021, Lilydale Police Station welcomed some significant changes to its staffing roster with two senior sergeants joining the uniform policing branch.

Mel Woods and Mark Knight have moved into managerial roles at the station, taking on the positions of station commander and emergency management coordinator respectively.

Having known each other for 32 years from a family connection, the pair are looking forward to working together and putting their own twist on how things are done.

“We’re different managers than the other two managers that were here. We’re very different in our styles and the way we think,” Sen Sgt Knight said.

“That’s not to say they haven’t run a wonderful place because we’ve inherited a really good shop, a really great workplace that we just hope to improve and put our spin on.”

Originally from the Lilydale area when she went to high school, Sen Sgt Woods found herself working as a detective at Yarra Ranges CIU before heading to Knox Police Station where she held the position of sergeant for over seven years.

Sen Sgt Knight was previously the station commander at Monbulk Police Station before moving up the ranks at the police academy where he taught emergency management.

Now the two new commanders want to place a large focus on reconnecting with the broader community, while also building a strong and healthy workplace for their members.

“I’ve got a young family. I’ve got a two year old and a five year old just about to start school,” Sen Sgt Woods said.

“So making that connection, raising the kids and having a healthy work life is so important and that’s what we pass on to the crew that it is about family and if they’re happy here, they’re happy at home.”

As part of a Victoria Police initiative, sergeants and their crew will be assigned a specific area to patrol as part of a neighbourhood policing centred approach to getting back out into the municipality.

“Our expectations will be that members actually can do foot patrols and speak to local traders. We are an intelligence led policing organisation now and our best intelligence comes from members of the public,” Sen Sgt Woods said.

“I really love the idea about getting police back in schools [for talks]. That’s one of my big things having come from a small station. You know your principals, you know the students, you know the staff, you have a great working relationship,” Sen Sgt Knight said.

“It will all flow in with the neighborhood policing. There’s schools within those areas that the sergeants will have, so that’ll be a big part of their responsibilities as well.”

Part of the foot patrols will be doorknocking in a major event or to check on the welfare of people during a recovery and rehabilitation stage after a storm, fire or other emergency.

Senior Sergeants Mark Knight and Mel Woods have joined the Lilydale uniform police as station commander and emergency management coordinator.

Picture: MIKAYLA VAN LOON Sen Sgt Knight said unlike a small town such as Monbulk or Yarra Glen, Lilydale has a much larger population but his aim is to begin connecting with other services to ensure a tight knit community can be established particularly when responding to emergencies.

Although Lilydale is the main 24 hour station in the shire, with two other 24 hour stations being Mooroolbark and Belgrave, as well as seven 16 hour satellite stations, both Sen

Sgt Woods and Knight want people to feel as though the whole area is being protected and covered by police.

But most of all Sen Sgt Woods and Knight would like the community to feel comfortable in reaching out should they need assistance.

“We would encourage the community if you see us out on the road, on foot patrol, on the bikes, say ‘hello’, have a chat. The members are always up for a chat because it’s something

different,” Sen Sgt Woods said.

“It might be something small like an issue within their street but it could be the missing puzzle piece to something bigger that’s going on that we’re aware of. So always approach the members and have a chat. We’re here to help and support the community.

“If we’re not told about something we can’t fix it. So the more we know, the better we can become.”

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NEWS

IN BRIEF Police seek identities of honesty box thieves

Fire danger period Healesville residents with the heat of summer finally upon us, the fire season has begun.

CFA has announced fire restrictions for Yarra Ranges Shire beginning 1am on Monday 10 January.

With a fire danger period being declared, fires cannot be lit in open air without a permit from CFA or a municipal fire prevention officer.

Victoria has received an above average amount of rainfall recently, which has led to greater growth of pastures around paddocks and roadsides.

The CFA said this is likely to increase the risk of grassfires throughout the summer period.

District 13 Assistant Fire Officer David Renkin said that even an average fire season can still be a bad one.

“Conditions through the last fire season were similar to what we’re expecting this year, and during those months we saw significant grass fires in the north and west of the state,” he said.

“Once again we’ve had plenty of winter and spring rainfall and now as the grass and bush rapidly dry out across District 13, the warmer weather, increased yield and potential fuel will mean the fire potential is heightened.”

Grassland and drier forests including woodlands and heathlands have been assessed as normal, however, shorter-duration fires are still likely to occur on hot, dry and windy days.

Mr Renkin said any additional rainfall Victoria experiences will produce more growth, which could very easily result in an even higher fuel load throughout the summer season if not properly managed.

“Reducing fuel loads by residents around their properties in these areas will ensure if a fire does break out, it has less chance of taking hold or spreading,” he said.

“While CFA and our partner agencies Fire Rescue Victoria and Forest Fire Management Victoria are doing everything we can to prepare for the bushfire season, we look to the

community to use common sense and take responsibility for preventing fires.”

Fire danger periods are based on local conditions and take into account fuel moisture, fuel loads, weather and rainfall.

During a fire danger period a written permit is required to burn off grass, undergrowth, weeds or other vegetation.

ACFO Renkin said there is still an opportunity to clean up properties if that work hasn’t already been done.

“Out-of-control burn-offs and unregistered burn-offs have already caused unnecessary callouts to brigades,” he said.

“You should also check and monitor weather conditions and not burn off in windy conditions or if high winds are forecast – not only on the day of your burn but for the days afterwards, “More information about burn-off restrictions specific to your area can be found by consulting your local council.”

$2.6 million investment in Warburton

By Parker McKenzie The California Redwood Forest area of Yarra Ranges National Park has received a $2.6 million funding boost from the state government.

The project will add 200 car park spaces, a public toilet, wet-weather visitor shelter and a boardwalk viewing area along the creek that runs through the National Park.

Northern Victoria MP Jaclyn Symes said the Redwood Forest has become a popular destination.

“These upgrades will help to manage that visitation while helping protect the stunning natural scenery that is its drawcard.” she said.

The project will also see the planting of 7,000 local indigenous plants to protect the banks of waterways. $2.3 million of the funding for the project has been allocated from the $46 million regional tourism investment fund and $300,000 from the state government’s parks and reserves fund.

Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio said the state government is continuing to invest in projects that improve accessibility, connect people with nature and sustainably manage visitation to parks and reserves.

“Opening up Redwood Forest carparking and upgrading facilitates will improve the visitor experience and encourage more people into this beautiful par of Victoria to explore.” she said.

Tract Consultants have been appointed

by Parks Victoria to complete designs of the project, with construction expected to begin in the middle of 2022.

California Redwoods in the Yarra Ranges

Police are looking for two people in relation to the theft of an honesty box stolen from a local produce supplier in Gruyere in October.

Lilydale Police would like to speak to a male and female who were driving a silver Ford Falcon with no registration plates on 3 October 2021 around 12pm.

Images of the pair, who were caught on CCTV footage, have been posted to Yarra Ranges Eyewatch, with the males t-shirt reading “They won’t hear us coming.”

“In Yarra Ranges we have many local farm properties who offer the honesty box for payment of their local produce. It is disappointing when offenders take advantage of this system,” the Eyewatch post read.

Anyone with information should contact Constable Banks-Canfor at Lilydale Police Station on 9739 2300.

Burglary and Theft Yarra Ranges CIU is seeking information about a theft of a John Deere Gator utility vehicle at a commercial property on Queens Rd, Wandin East between the 31 December and 3 January.

They ask if you have have seen this vehicle or have information to contact Yarra Ranges CIU on 9739 2401.

Rainfall The Yarra Valley had a relatively dry December in 2021 compared to that of 2020.

Alma Mitchell recorded 40.1mm of rain over nine days compared with 71.5mm over 12 days in the previous year.

The total rainfall for 2021 was 1192.9mm.

Covid-19 testing requirements

East Warburton Redwood Forest.

Picture: CLEM ROBERTS

National Park can reach up to 55 metres tall, while at full maturity – around 400-years-old – they can reach 115m.

The trees can live for over 2000 years and they are among the oldest living organisms on earth.

The Redwood tree was first introduced to Australia in the 1930s for softwood logging,

with more trees planted in East Warburton in the 1960s.

Their thick fire-resistant bark, developed through centuries of forest fires in Oregon and California, has helped them thrive in the Australian climate and bushfire season.

The species can also be found in the Otway National Park.

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Anyone who tests positive on a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) must now report it to the Department of Health as they will be regarded as a probable case.

Once a positive test has been obtained, the person must immediately isolate for seven days and notify their contacts.

The new system aims to have fewer Victorians waiting on the results of a PCR test, as well as reduce the pressure on testing sites across the state.

Victorians who test negative on a RAT are not considered a household contact will be able to resume their lives straight away instead of quarantining.

An online form or a phone call must be submitted, where nine questions relating to symptoms and vaccine status will be asked of the person.

Basic personal details such as name, gender, and date of birth will also be required.

You can log your positive RAT result online at coronavirus.vic.gov.au or via the Coronavirus Hotline 1800 675 398.

The Yarra Ranges recorded 267 new Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours prior to Monday 10 January, bringing the total to 1356 active cases in the shire.

Flooding in Lilydale Severe flooding occurred in Lilydale on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 January after heavy rain fell.

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2021 - THE YEAR THAT WAS ...

Yellingbo CFA crew are looking forward to the year ahead.

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NEWSMAKERS

Hillcrest CFA responding to a large blaze in 2021.

Big year for volunteers

By Renee Wood, Mikayla van Loon and Parker McKenzie

Stephen Ford and Sean Bethell from Coldstream CFA and Bill Poppins, Josh Barter, Jac Lockwood and Cliff Overton from Healesville CFA were pleased to work together when in times of need. 263362 part to play when something like that happens that we can get in there and save a life basically.”

For the Upper Yarra SES unit, flooding was the biggest issue for the crews which saw the most requests for assistance during the June and November storms.

Upper Yarra SES Deputy Controller Michael Young said the flooding at the caravan park, was one that stuck in his mind part of the storm June event.

Mr Young said there was unverified reports of up to 200mls of rain during the June storm.

“The Dandenongs got hammered by the wind and we got hammered by rain.”

“The damage from the two main events this

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ing and are ready to go out on jobs, so hopefully, the weather gods decide to play nicely.”

There’s hope 2022 will also bring more community engagement opportunities, including recruitment drives.

“It’s basically been two years worth of an impact on that, so that has flow on effects - for the members that we do have, with a constant high demand on our services, and a pause on the number of people that were able to be recruited means that we have to do some catch up to bring that back into balance,” Mr Worley said.

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year, I haven’t seen it like that.”

Power and phone services being disrupted also affected Upper Yarra residents and crews, Mr Young said it was difficult for locals to actually call in with requests for help.

“The major issue for us there is the Telstra tower up on Mount Victoria, the generator which is meant to kick in – didn’t. So the battery backup for the phone tower was exhausted after several hours and therefore if you were with Telstra you had no phone service for a few days which made it interesting.”

Now all units are putting 2021 behind them and are looking for new recruits to join.

“In the last 12 months we’ve welcomed six new members, so they’ve done all basic train-

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A record breaking year for SES Healesville SES unit controller Andrew Worley said 2021 was an evolved version of 2020, posing greater issues and challenges.

“There was this constant balance juggling throughout the year. Sometimes lockdowns were the main issue, sometimes it was storms and floods, other times it was having to adapt to different ways of training because of restrictions,” Mr Worley said.

This produced a constant demand on SES services, impacting members and making the whole year busy rather than just traditional spring or storm seasons.

“I think 2021 was certainly trying its best to throw us, we had all the storm and flood events, quite a few landslips onto roads causing hazards or damaging the road, we had about 350 requests for assistance, which is above average.”

Although a rise in weather event calls, the local SES saw a decrease in road accidents due to people staying at home.

Michelle Zwagerman has been with the Healesville SES for a year and a half and said she joined after the 2019 bushfires when she wanted to step up in times of need.

“When that happened, I really wanted to go and help out and I called a few numbers asking if there’s something I can do – anything, and the answer then was, you’re not trained,” she said.

The June storms were also overwhelming for the new member but she was grateful to help the community during a difficult time.

“We had so many calls, the calls just kept coming and coming every time we arrived at a scene, we then had already two or three calls come in that we would have to attend to after that.”

A recent incident where a tree fell onto a driving vehicle was also another moment Ms Zwagerman helped to save a life.

“Just seeing that we have such an important

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2021 - THE YEAR THAT WAS ...

“In an emergency, when community really needs help, that you’ll be trained to actually play a role in that. And that role can be all sorts of rolls from from frontline with a chainsaw in your hands, to four to rescuing somebody from the car or filling sandbags to stop the house from flooding,” Ms Zwagerman said.

SES joins to help Ambulance Victoria 2021 also posed a unique opportunity which saw Ambulance Victoria and SES join together to support during emergency call outs.

Volunteers underwent Ambulance familiarisation training to allow members to provide additional support during surges for services.

“We had the surge forces created where professional paramedics split and paired with SES and other volunteers,” Andrew Turner, Ambulance Victoria Healesville team manager, said.

Mr Turner said Ambulance Victoria saw a 40 per cent rise in calls in 2021, which was an increase on previous years.

“Certainly in 2021 the demand for paramedic services has increased and to meet community needs we’ve needed other services to assist us.”

Mr Worley said the program allowed members to assist with some of the tasks to free up the hands of the paramedics to do their job.

“It’s driving the ambulance, particularly on the way to one of their call outs, carrying the gear, assisting in the handling of casualty and that sort of thing,” he said.

Fire brigades cope with wild weather events and lockdown fall out affects The region’s fire brigades stepped up instantly to help in times of need, responding to calls for assistance from locals and other brigades.

Coldstream CFA Captain Sean Bethell said the brigade has seen an increase in calls this year.

“We’ve done just under 200 calls this year, which is up probably about 40 more calls than previous years. And lot of that’s supporting into Lilydale a bit more than what we’re used to.”

The storms also posed a different risk for the community and CFA call outs.

“The storms that we’ve had, we’ve had some interesting different calls, with people having to use candles instead of still having their power on. So we ended up with a spate of house type related fire calls.”

Captain Bethell said he saw as many as ten calls for candle related fires, more than in previous years.

Crews also responded to more calls into Lilydale during the storms to help with trees down, and also went up the hills to help.

Captain Bethell was with one of the crews who went to clear roadways for emergency services and locals in Mount Evelyn and Kalorama.

“It was scary enough during the day up on Mount Dandenong and Kalorama area, hearing the wind howling and cracking trees, and then to be there during the night where you just couldn’t see what was above you would have been even worse.”

Covid-19 lockdowns were also playing havoc on crews being able to connect outside of emergency situations.

Yarra Glen CFA Captain Bill Boyd said it was hard for crews to not be able to get together.

NEWSMAKERS

Healesville SES members Andrew Worley, Michelle Zwagerman, Paul Saleeba and Simone Thomas responded to some of the worst hit areas during the June storms. 263362 “Yarra Glen’s normally a very, very tight brigade, in that we see each other regularly, we spend time together, we’re very family orientated and we weren’t able to do that,” he said.

Cpt Boyd said December was the first time the crew could all get together with their families, with the social interaction a vital part of the brigade.

“It was very therapeutic, because you don’t realise how much you miss the interaction that you would take for granted with people.”

Cpt Boyd also said this year’s storms were bigger than what he’s seen in his time living in the area and the 35 years he’s been in the brigade.

“I can’t remember growing up having these severe storms, you know, that we’re getting now.

“Our focus is normally on the fire season, but now everyone’s talking about severe storm weather coming in rain and flooding. It’s strange Mother Nature is having a crack at us now.”

Cpt Boyd is concerned about the repercussions of the pandemic in the years to come.

“I know that we’re probably going to be facing a lot more challenges as far as Covid goes, we’ve got a long way to go, so I just like to see people safe and happy.”

A tough year for Upper Yarra CFA crews Hillcrest CFA member Rochelle Poulton said it was a tough year for their brigade, but fortunately due to 2020 they knew what it would take to get by.

“Like most brigades it took time to get back into the swing of things once restrictions had eased but we are now at a place where we can call ‘normal’,” Ms Poulton said.

“We fought fires, attended accidents and even went to false alarms but no matter the time, day or lockdown we always had a crew ready to go and knowing we had that made this

Healesville Ambulance Victoria team member Andrew Turner. 263362 year a lot easier.”

For Rochelle, a callout for a switchboard fire at a petrol station stood out for her personally.

“This was my first time going to a job as not only an incident controller but also as lieutenant. Although challenging I knew that I had my crews from not only my brigade but also others there by my side offering me advice and solutions when I was seeking it,” she said.

“This has been something that has stuck with me for months and most likely into the years. I learnt so much that night and I am forever grateful for everyone who helped me further my knowledge and experience on that call.”

Yellingbo Rural fire Brigade Community Safety Coordinator Merril Brunt said 2021 brought challenges but there were some positives.

“2021 was a challenging year with Covid, power outages and the situation changing frequently but it was really positive to see brigade and community members alike coming to-

Pictures: ROB CAREW

gether,” she said.

“It was a fairly quiet year in terms of responding to bushfires, which we consider positive, however we did experience significant storm events out of the usual.”

Ms Brunt said the storms were “unlike anything that has been experienced in our living memory” and required a dedicated response from members to help with the clean up.

Although she said it was devastating to see the destruction, it was a phenomenal effort from all involved and it was a great opportunity to work with other brigades and the SES. While staying connected virtually did help, Ms Brunt said with the turn of a new year, the brigade is looking forward to being able to return to regular face to face sessions.

“We, like most others, are hoping for a quiet new year, with hopefully less Covid interruptions. We have been fortunate to have a couple of new recruits come through, and we are looking forward to getting some further training in with them. We would also love the opportunity to recruit some further members.”

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2021 - THE YEAR THAT WAS …

STORMS

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Excavators and other heavy duty equipment were required to remove trees from the roads, which arrived onsite at 3am on Thursday 10 June.

Mr Bethell’s crew responded to several incidents across Chirnside Park, Lilydale and Wonga Park, including a ruptured gas line in Cobden Crescent, Lilydale.

Healesville SES controller Andrew Worley said his unit responded to many calls of traffic hazards and flooded houses.

“We probably started just before midday yesterday (9 June) and finished up before 3am… We had some outstanding jobs and we’re back at it again this morning.

“Lots of people’s houses flooded so we did a lot of sandbagging.”

Healesville SES responded to a landslide on Myers Creek Road and assisted Lilydale SES in helping two motorists whose cars became stuck in flood waters along River Street.

“It’s never a good idea to drive through flood water, even if you think you can see the road, you don’t know what’s underneath or what’s happened to the road.”

Flood warnings were issued for the Yarra River at Yarra Glen which was sitting at four metres and rising steadily.

It was expected to reach its peak of five metres on the morning of Saturday 12 June.

Why the storm was so devastating A Yarra Ranges based weather forecaster has attributed an “unusual” wind direction to the high-levels of destruction occurring across the shire overnight on Wednesday 9 June.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster, Stewart Coombs said winds of “at least 120km/h” contributed to the extensive damage that saw trees flatten houses and vehicles, leaving many people trapped requiring rescue.

“The combination of the unusual wind direction, intense wind speeds with gusts reaching at least 120 km/hr in some places and heavy rainfall loosening the roots of trees caused widespread damage to trees. Unused to the wind direction, many trees were exposed to winds at speeds they were unused to and their root systems and structures weren’t set up to cope with,” Mr Coombs explained.

Mr Coombs said trees in the Dandenong Ranges are “used to northerly and westerly winds“, with the wind travelling from the south to southeast exposing many trees that are normally sheltered from intense winds.

“A deep low pressure system developed quickly over the eastern Bass Strait between Tuesday (8 June) and Wednesday (9 June). This low moved northwest across eastern Victoria and very strong south to southwest winds were directed across the Dandenong Ranges, Yarra Ranges and central ranges of Victoria as a result,” Mr Coombs said.

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Wild weather lashed the state On Wednesday 9 June the Yarra Ranges was hit by the wild storm causing some of the worst damage from across the state.

As of 10am on Thursday 10 June nearly 4400 calls had been made to the SES across the state, the highest number of calls for assistance in many years.

Lilydale SES Unit Controller Shaun Caulfield said every three to four years emergency service crews see 700 to 800 calls for assistance in one night across the state.

Usually crews from both the suburbs and regional towns can respond and clear the damage in two days but this was beyond anything they had seen in a long time.

“We don’t often see the whole state being smashed,” Mr Caulfield said.

There were major road closures across the Yarra Valley including the Black Spur between Healesville and Narbethong and the Maroondah Highway in Coldstream, according to VicRoads.

Coldstream CFA worked as part of a task force, working their way to clear roads to allow ambulances and other emergency services access to people in need.

Captain Sean Bethell said the Mount Dandenong region was heavily impacted by fallen trees.

“There’s quite a few trees that have come down across houses with people in them at the time… The Dandenongs have been hit really hard.”

Mr Bethell said that high winds coming from a south-eastern direction made a significant difference as the area typically receives south-westerly winds, which may have caused more trees to uproot.

Kalorama experienced some of the worst damage, with SES crews needing to chainsaw their way into an address where a number of people were injured.

Mr Caulfield said due to the fallen trees and debris, it was taking crews between one and a half to two hours to get to people.

“There are no small trees in Kalorama, they are all big trees,” he said.

“We had a very, very near miss, one of the four wheel drives from Emerald [SES] had a tree fall on it and the crew was standing very close. The car has been written off but the crew is all ok.”

After this incident CFA and SES crews made the decision to only respond to life threatening calls.

Winds of up to 100km per hour are to blame for the destruction across the mountain and throughout the Yarra Ranges.

Mt Dandenong Tourist Road was be closed for quite some time as crews clear the damage and hundreds of trees over the roads.

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2021 - THE YEAR THAT WAS …

Trees were pushed by the winds in a direction they were not used to, resulting in their root systems struggling to hold tight during the windstorm.

“The results were the widespread damage which we have experienced,“ Mr Coombs said.

Storm opens hearts Emergency services were still working hard to clear driveways and properties of felled trees across the Yarra Valley almost a week after devastating storms swept across the state on 9 June.

Waking to the destruction the next morning, the community banded together to bring warmth, food and a place to stay to strangers and neighbours without power and hot water.

Speaking to Star Mail on Tuesday 15 June, Healesville SES Unit Controller Andrew Worley said things were slowly returning “back to normal” as parts of Healesville regained power and his unit caught up with the many calls for assistance.

“Of the incidents we’ve attended, the vast majority have been tree down traffic hazards, with trees over roads and many trees blocking access to people’s properties so they can’t get in and out,” he said.

Areas in Healesville and Yarra Glen were primarily impacted by flooding, where the priority of the SES unit became preparing local residents with sandbagging as rising water levels threatened properties.

“It was about stopping the water from coming into people’s houses and then for others trying to prevent the damage from getting worse.”

Lilydale SES were smashed by calls for assistance spanning across the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges, according to unit controller Shaun Caulfield.

“We had our busiest year on record last year where we responded to 1183 jobs for the entire 12 months. We’ve had about 1260 jobs requested in the last five days (from 15 June) and we’re still getting on to them.”

The Lilydale SES teams had their truck damaged after it hit a rock while responding

Main Street Warburton shrouded in darkness. to an emergency. They worked with Healesville SES to borrow one of their vehicles to help carry goods to the worst impacted areas of Kalorama and Mt Dandenong.

Social media notice boards and community pages lit up with offers for people without a liveable house to take refuge. Businesses opened up their doors for people to stay warm, charge their phones and eat comfort food.

Branded Burgers and Bar co-owner Gina Braidner said the fallout from the storm was a “nightmare”. The restaurant decided to hire a generator on Friday night in order to run the business at half capacity before power was returned on Sunday morning.

“We were facing the prospect of losing $5000 of stock, so we had to make the decision to lose the stock and write it off and leave the staff without work for the weekend or to get a generator and be there for the community and give the staff some hours and that’s what we opted for.”

In Silvan, Carter Bros. Fruit and Veg gave away 50 boxes of fresh food for community members in need. Other businesses provided the simple gesture of electricity.

“We are lucky enough to have power. If you don’t, please use ours,” posted the business

Picture: SUZANNE PHOENIX owner of Healesville’s Kitchen And Butcher, who left a microwave, kettle and toaster outside their store for community use.”

Val Amour Salon put up their shower, washing machine and dryer for Healesville locals and even offered free hair washing.

Locals and SES members alike were grateful for the support of their community and a much needed free feed in the aftermath of the extreme weather event.

The Black Spur reopens The Black Spur was reopened ahead of schedule on the evening of Tuesday 23 June, once again reuniting the Maroondah Highway from Healesville to Marysville and townships in eastern Victoria.

More than 3000 tonnes of debris was removed from the highway since the wild storms earlier this month thanks to the coordinated efforts of the Department of Transport crews, contractors, arborists and geo-technical engineers. Crews worked to work to clean out drains, clear mudslides, and remove large trees blocking the road.

Some 32 hazardous trees identified by an arborist have been pruned or removed and an additional ten hazardous trees identified during works have also been removed, according

STORMS to the Department of Transport. All 12 landslips identified within the Black Spur have been repaired – with works continuing on the two remaining landslip sites in the coming days.

Heavy machinery was brought in from the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, including a crane. The narrow nature of the Black Spur meant that the crane took up the entire width of the road.

Wild winds again in October The Yarra Ranges was yet again lashed by storms and wild winds throughout the evening of Thursday 28 October and into Friday morning.

A severe weather warning was issued for damaging winds over southern Victoria and it’s believed they reached 100 kilometres per hour.

Vic SES received more than 7000 calls for help across the state as of Sunday 31 October and said, “Please be mindful of longer than usual wait times if requesting SES emergency assistance on 132-500. If your emergency is life-threatening, phone 000. Thank you for your patience.”

More than 100,000 homes lost power due to the storms and AusNet has worked to restore most of those however, 15,000 customers were still without electricity as of Monday 1 November.

Hundreds of homes went without power in Seville, Wandin East, Silvan, Mount Evelyn, Sherbrooke, Macclesfield, Wandin North and East, Healesville, Chum Creek, Monbulk, Olinda, Emerald, Cockatoo, Kalorama, Sassafras and Mount Dandenong.

While more than a thousand properties in Gembrook and The Basin were off the grid.

There was also reports of trees down across the region, including in Seville, Woori Yallock, Macclesfield, Healesville, Cockatoo, Emerald, Mount Dandenong, Sassafras, Gembrook, Mooroolbark, Montrose and Croydon.

Local SES crews are still working to clear many hazards and are still receiving calls for assistance as residents assess the impacts of Thursday and Friday’s wild weather.

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2021 - THE YEAR IN PICTURES

Woori Yallock boilermaker Carley Attard has been named as the State Apprentice of the Year.

Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS

Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Joy Murphy visited Woori Yallock Primary School for a traditional smoking ceremony.

Yarra Junction Primary School captain Charlie Ward succeeded in his promise to get a new cricket pitche installed at the school. Pictures: RENEE WOOD

Marlon, Trevor Schneider, Scout, Finlay and Madeline Ruffino created a treasure hunt in Healesville during Covid-19 lockdowns.

Year 10 student Benson Simmons and Lilydale Airport flight instructor Graham Bunn ready to take off in the Aeroprakt Vixen training aeroplane.

Millwarra Primary Grade six student Samuel from the Warburton Campus laying a hand made poppy at Remembrance Day service.

CARTOON

Russell Sebire stands near an uprooted tree on his property in Wandin.

Healesville resident Luke Donkin went viral on Tik Tok for his Bunnings ad impression. 234356 mailcommunity.com.au

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2021 - TOP NEWS STORIES

Highlights from the year Lockdowns and push to become regional Lockdowns and Covid-19 restrictions certainly dominated the headlines for the year of 2021.

It started with swift installations of five to seven day lockdowns only for them to be blown out to months on end during Lockdown 6.

Yarra Ranges pushed the State Government to make parts of the LGA regional, while regional areas were allowed to come out of lockdown.

Nothing was acknowledged by the government and the region was affected by three lockdowns during the year, the first being lockdown three in February and the latest and longest being lockdown six which finally finished in late October.

Vaccines were also made available to the public with the first at risk groups starting to get their Covid-19 jab in March.

Mandatory vaccines and freedoms for the vaccinated were also big topics discussed in the Mail later in the year and still remain so going into 2022.

Seville War Memorial unveiling The completed Seville War Memorial was unveiled to the community on Anzac Day as the remaining three panels honouring Seville soldiers now stand tall in a prominent position in the township.

The memorial features four glass panels reaching four metres high each displaying a soldier who contributed to Australia’s war efforts.

In 2019, the first panel was unveiled showcasing George Ingram, the Yarra Valley’s only Victoria Cross recipient. The weekend saw George Cassidy, Bruce Bethune and Bert Read honoured on the remaining three panels to complete the project.

Book showcasing First Nations women In March, a new book sharing the stories, poems and artwork of First Nations women in the Yarra Ranges was recently launched.

Balit Bagurrk: Strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women of the Yarra Ranges features historical information, deeply moving personal accounts and photographs to tell the stories of strong Indigenous women whose actions shaped the Yarra Ranges and many who live here.

The book, created by Yarra Ranges Council and Oonah Health and Community Services Aboriginal Corporation (formerly HICSA), and funded by VicHealth’s Gender Equity for the Arts Program, was launched on Tuesday, 9 March at The Memo Healesville.

Seville skate park petition Seven year old Seville resident Millie launched a campaign to see a skatepark or BMX pump track constructed in Seville as an attraction for older children in March.

Millie was inspired to create a petition after feeling like her older brother Zach (11) didn’t have anywhere to spend his free time. She explained that the Water Play Park and nearby playground cater for a younger audience.

“My petition is to make a skate park in Seville for all the big kids,” she said. “It’s so I could practice all my tricks on my skateboard, roller skates and scooter and bike… Everything with wheels.

Saving Boinga Bob’s treehouse In May, the community rolled up their sleeves to help out in a mammoth effort to save Boinga Bob’s beloved home. The community help came flooding in after Yarra Ranges Council threatened in 2016 to demolish the iconic treehouse if structural improvements were not made.

Council cited a number of general concerns, including deterioration, electrical faults and a need for weatherproofing.

A Facebook page, titled ‘Save Boinga Bob’s House’ was created to raise awareness of works needed, with a dedicated group of volunteers jumping at the chance to put in the hard yards and help save 81-year-old Boinga Bob’s home.

The page had over 3,000 members, while a Go Fund Me page is constantly updated to help raise money for different repairs needed.

“I am very grateful for the community because these are all things I can’t do by myself.

I’ve got a lot of respect for our community because they are very loving and cohesive and generous and they get together. I am genuinely trying to make something nice for the community here art wise,” Boinga Bob said.

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In June, Seville’s Branded Burgers and Bar, Kilsyth’s Just Cruize-In Diner and Healesville’s My Little Kitchen teamed up to raise funds to purchase backpack beds for those in need across the region.

In May, the community rolled up their sleeves to help out in a mammoth effort to save Boinga PICTURE: STEWART CHAMBERS Bob’s beloved home. 236920 Burgers 4 beds Across the month of June, Seville’s Branded Burgers and Bar, Kilsyth’s Just Cruize-In Diner and Healesville’s My Little Kitchen teamed up to raise funds to purchase backpack beds for those in need across the region.

The Burgers 4 Beds campaign saw each venue create a specialty burger, where proceeds from each meal would go towards Holy Fools. Each of the business owners came together on Thursday 15 July to present a cheque to Holy Fools founder and CEO, Neal Taylor.

Branded Burgers co-owner Gina Braidner said the month-long campaign saw over $6200 raised, enough to purchase an estimated 60 backpack beds.

“It’s amazing. It still only feels like a small contribution, but we’re proud that it went really well,” Ms Braidner said.

VicForest wins appeal but had to pay costs VicForests was ordered in June by the Full Federal Court to foot the bill for their case against Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum, despite successfully appealing to overturn a ruling in May that found it had breached conservation regulations.

The state logging agency will pay the conservation group’s full costs for the original trial along with 50 per cent of the appeal costs.

Environmental Justice Australia said the costs decision in the possums case was made in light of findings that the state logging agency breached Victorian law and its operations posed a major threat to two native possum species at high risk of extinction.

The costs judgment stated: “FLP was overwhelmingly successful at trial in establishing, as matters of fact, that VicForests contravened state legislative instruments with respect to the endangered Greater Glider and Leadbeater’s Possum species. Those factual findings were not disturbed on appeal.”

Housing crisis in the Upper Yarra In June, a Warburton social worker shared fears about the future of housing in the township after seeing more local families struggling to make ends meet and in some cases sleeping rough.

Redwood Community Centre Manager Kate Barratt said she has seen more and more families pushed out of their rentals as landlords look to sell their properties in a favour-

A sign was placed in Healesville against the Maccas development. able market or turn to AirBnB. “We’re a referral support centre and we are getting phone calls, usually to do with material aid, food and referrals to council. But recently it is just so much to do with housing and the fact that people can’t find a rental.

“People are given their notice period and they are actively searching for rentals but there are none around here… If you look at Realestate.com.au there’s virtually nothing.“ Maccas hate In July, A Healesville resident has taken aim at McDonald’s by posting large signs at the site of the 17 Maroondah Highway development voicing their disapproval of the fast food franchise.

The sign reads, “McTrash” in place of the McDonald’s logo and puts a different spin on their usual slogan, “I’m hatin’ it”, while encouraging residents to “eat local”. Another sign read, “I’d rather eat my own s***”.

The signs were taken down just days after they popped up, but were replaced with new signage featuring a similar anti-McDonald’s message. mailcommunity.com.au

2021 - TOP NEWS STORIES Olympic fever There was an Olympic’s buzz in the air during August as Australians used their extra couch time during lockdown to follow their favourite sports at the Tokyo Olympics.

The residents of a Healesville aged care home took their Olympic fever to another level by hosting their own events to keep active and entertained during an otherwise difficult time.

Holmwood Aged Care residents took part in several events, including shooting thanks to some toy Nerf guns, discus using frisbees, virtual swimming, a miniature basketball tournament, bean bag shot put and even quoits.

Holmwood’s lifestyle coordinator Ben O’Brien said the residents “loved” the Olympics action.

“A lot of the residence have sporting histories, so it was perfect for them, instead of just watching the live events, we delivered it to them.”

Tribute to Walking Man If you’ve lived in the Yarra Ranges for some time or visited here often, the chances are you’ve seen ‘The Walking Man’ striding on a trek through the region with two walking sticks.

The man behind the legend and familiar sight was Chirnside Park resident Joe Pulcin, but sadly The Walking Man died on Sunday 15 August, just shy of his 86th birthday.

Joe was a well loved member of the community, named The Walking Man and previously known as ‘The Running Man’ with Joe unknowingly made his presence felt one step at a time since 1984.

Joe was an explorer but he was also filled with kindness and had a caring nature, something his neighbours the Cogan family came to learn after moving next door to him nine years ago.

Inga Cogan said, “Joe was a soft hearted, soft natured man who kept to himself, we couldn’t have asked for a better neighbour. He will be dearly missed by so many.”

Earthquake During such unprecedented times, Victorians added an earthquake to their already shaken up lives.

Geoscience Australia confirmed a 5.9 magnitude earthquake was recorded at 9.15am Wednesday 22 September at the epicentre near Mansfield at a depth of approximately 10kms.

Yarra Ranges residents have reported feeling the quake, including Chum Creek resident Cameron Betts who was working at home.

“It sounded like rumbling and I thought it was the washing machine and then my wife said quick come here and we have some pretty big glass planes in our windows and they were just flexing like nothing else,” Cameron Betts said.

Students back in the classroom Secondary students returned to the classroom early October after months of remote learning. Primary students also soon followed and skipped back into the schoolyard with joy, welcomed by smiling teachers happy to see their return.

Yering Primary School Principal Deanna Cole was thrilled to see her students return and said it’s been a tough term going through another stint of remote learning.

“It felt like a really long term last term, we put in a lot of effort to make sure that everyone’s still getting the most out of their remote learning again, so we are thrilled to have them all come back for term four,” Deanna Cole said.

Splitting the shire The talk of de-amalgamation from the Yarra Ranges Council stirred among outlining areas as the region continued to be connected to the metro ‘restricted’ way of life.

The Healesville Action Group has been in support of a ‘Healesville Shire’ to form for many years and said that it’s now back on locals minds as the pandemic exposes our rural nature.

Spokesperson John Anwin said he noticed the desire for a new shire growing on a petition earlier in the year for regional reclassification.

“As part of that change.org, the number of people who supported that the rural areas get reclassified for Covid, there was also a tremendous report that said we want to get away from Yarra Ranges all together on a permanent basis,” John Anwin said.

YREC takes ownership Despite torrential rain, there were smiles all round from the 70 guests invited to a celebramailcommunity.com.au

In June, Seville’s Branded Burgers and Bar, Kilsyth’s Just Cruize-In Diner and Healesville’s My Little Kitchen teamed up to raise funds to purchase backpack beds for those in need across the region.

Students proved their resilience through another year of remote learning. tion at Yarra Ranges Enterprise Centres Ltd (YREC).

On the 9th November, YREC took ownership of the property at 21 Woods Point Road, Warburton after leasing this property from the Victorian State Government since June 2000.

After the site was unexpectedly deemed surplus to the Government’s needs in 2016, YREC faced an uncertain future. With a stronghold of business and community support via the “Save YREC” campaign, negotiations successfully enabled purchase of the property.

The celebration event included current and past Directors of YREC, including David Hodgett MP who was one of the founding Directors responsible for the establishment of the organisation in 1998.

Hospitality and retail’s rocky year Hospitality and retail saw many changes throughout the year as restrictions continued to evolve alongside the pandemic.

Friday 19 November marked the first day businesses were able to operate without any density limits following the State Government removing most restrictions from lockdown six.

Changes made include opening up dance floors and no density caps at cafe, restaurants or retail stores for double dosed patrons, meaning you can stand up and have a drink and a boogie at a bar.

Herd Bar and Cafe owner Toby Wiadrowski said it provided a sense of relief however, it also brought mixed emotions as staff and businesses adapt to a new normal.

“It’s a whole new layer of challenges and re-

adjustments for everyone including the staff, because it’s fantastic to be able to have more patron capacity but there’s also challenges associated with running the business,” Mr Wiadrowski said.

Workforce shortages Farmers and hospitality are facing sever labour shortages due to the Covid-19 pandemic, lockdowns and no international workers.

Yarra Valley Agriculture’s Kylie Ammerlaan said in the past mostly backpackers have serviced the Yarra Valley.

“At the moment we’re quite limited by the fact that we don’t have those people waiting around the Valley anymore,” Ms Ammerlaan said.

Oakridge Winery manager Simone Berner has also been unable to recruit new staff like many other Yarra Valley hospitality businesses.

“It’s extremely bad. There are no people around,” she said.

Student’s proposal to council A year twelve student presented a proposal to Yarra Ranges Council at the Tuesday 23 November council meeting to address women’s homelessness in the region.

Little Yarra Stiener School student Karuna Jones put forward her senior research project, discussing the growing need for more social housing to support women in need.

“I feel really passionate about the needs of housing in our local community, and particularly around homelessness, and specifically women’s housing needs. So what I have

Picture: SUPPLIED achieved this year is a report style proposal, looking at how council has a role in creating social housing as a solution to this housing crisis that we’re facing,” Miss Jones said during the meeting.

Councillors were very pleased with the presentation and supportive of Miss Jones’ proposal, saying homelessness is an issue they want to tackle together.

“Our director, Ms Jane Price, would like to have a chat with you as well to see how council can be involved with you and do an appraisal of what you’re putting forward,” Mayor Jim Child said.

State’s first landscape conservation area announced Some 3,000 hectares of biodiversity rich land and water frontages throughout the Yarra Ranges and Cardinia Shire will be preserved under a new ten year plan launched on Friday 10 Decmeber establishing the first conservation landscape area in the state.

Stakeholders and government bodies will come together to manage and restore the land now named the Liwik Barring Landscape conservation area, which is comprised of public land areas, including stream side reserves and existing conservation reserves, stretching from Healesville, Millgrove Hoddles Creek, Emerald and Cockatoo.

The ten year plan will deliver on four key themes with several goals connected to fire management, cultural heritage, healthy conservation landscape and community access and recreation.

Tuesday, 11 January, 2022

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NEWS

Conservation continues

By Healesville Sanctuary Senior Reporter Hannah Sly Despite many things being put on pause during the whirlwind year of 2021, the wildlife conservation work at Healesville Sanctuary continued throughout.

There were many moments of joy, growth, and serenity. Amid bursts of winter sunshine, the Sanctuary’s newest Kangaroo Island joey decided to poke its head out of mum’s pouch for the very first time and, eventually, keepers were able to confirm that it was a male.

The little one was named Munup [Pron: Mun-Opp], which means spirited one in the Woiwurrung language of the local Wurundjeri people. Munup and the rest of the mob can be seen along the Sanctuary’s Kangaroo Country track.

There was renewed hope in the fight against extinction of the critically endangered Helmeted Honeyeater, with both captive-bred birds from Healesville Sanctuary and wild birds be-

A wild caught Spotted Tree-Frog adult in the quarantine facility at Healesville Sanctuary.

Picture: ZOOS VICTORIA coming the 32 founders of a second population in Yarra Ranges National Park - a major milestone for the Helmeted Honeyeater Recovery Program.

Since 1989, the combined efforts of the Victorian State Government and a host of conservation partners has prevented the extinction of this charismatic bird and seen the last remaining wild population at Yellingbo grow from just

50 birds to 250 individuals.

In July, a quarantine bunker at Healesville Sanctuary was the location for a new captive breeding recovery program for the critically endangered Spotted Tree Frog.

Frogs were collected from fire-affected rivers in north-east Victoria after surveys by researchers from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), the University of Melbourne and the Threatened Species Recovery Hub confirmed multiple bushfires, flash flooding and sediment events, and a high incidence of the deadly fungal disease, had significantly impacted the Spotted Tree Frog population. If the captive breeding program is successful, frogs will eventually be released back into the wild.

Meanwhile, the Sanctuary’s Australian Wildlife Health Centre saw a record number of wildlife cases during spring. For the month of September, a total of 271 animals were seen by the expert veterinary team, which is about three times the number of cases treated the previous

year. For October, 283 wildlife cases were treated, and November was just as busy.

Healesville Sanctuary Director Ross Williamson said, despite the challenges, there is always hope.

“We have maintained the care and protection of our animals and the wildlife in our threatened species programs, and our capacity to care for animals continues in the right direction,” Mr Williamson said.

Looking ahead, Healesville Sanctuary has plenty of exciting plans for 2022, including the return of the Sundown at the Sanctuary event series, with the Sanctuary staying open until 7pm each Saturday in February so visitors can linger longer and enjoy live music while sipping on a local beverage in the bushland setting.

Healesville Sanctuary is also fundraising to build a world-class Platypus Conservation Centre, to replace the current building where the world’s first ever captive platypus was born in 1943.

Visit www.zoo.org.au/end-of-year-donation

OPINION

Happy New Year to all from the Yarra Ranges Mayor I’d like to start this first column for the year by saying Happy New Year to each and every one of you. 2021 threw many, many challenges at all of us, but our community got through the year as we always have – together.

Of course, the new year doesn’t mean an end to those challenges – recovery is continuing for our areas and community members devastated by the June storms, and will continue for quite some time.

The pandemic, as we all know, is still difficult to navigate. Thankfully, an extremely high number of people in our community have received their vaccinations, to reduce the chance of the worst-case scenario.

I strongly encourage everyone reading this to check when they can receive their booster,

From my

desk Jim Child book in as soon as possible, and continue to get tested if they are showing symptoms.

There is a significant amount of fatigue across the community as the pandemic approaches its third year. Despite this, it’s been really heartening to see the ways that our community has come together – lending a hand to

one another, supporting local businesses and cherishing the small moments of connection we can have during the uncertainty of the last few years.

It’s easy to despair when seeing the rising case numbers and long waits for tests, and it’s understandable to feel uncertain about the year ahead. But the connections we have across our community – to our neighbours, to our volunteers and groups and businesses – will get us through, no matter what new challenges 2022 brings our way.

At Council, we’ll be here to listen and support, to raise local issues with our State and Federal counterparts, and to continue delivering more than 120 services to you, the residents of the Yarra Ranges.

It’ll be a busy year ahead. The Ridges and Rivers Initiatives – RidgeWalk, the Yarra Valley Trail and Warburton Mountain Bike Destinations – all have significant stages coming up this year.

We’ll also be working on countless local projects – from playgrounds to policies, sports grounds and strategies - and seeking your input and feedback along the way.

If you’d like to stay up to date, and be notified about new community engagements, I’d encourage you to sign up at shaping.yarraranges.vic.gov.au.

In the meantime, please stay safe and remember the messages of the last two years – it’s never been more important to be kind, to support local businesses and to lend a hand to others wherever you can.

Cr Fiona McAllister looks back at a big 2021

By Cr Fiona McAllister Looking back, 2021 was a year of true grit, resilience, discipline, community spirit and caring for each other.

For some, it was a year that moved at a slower pace and allowed more time with family. For others, it was a year of financial, relationship or home schooling stress that took its toll on businesses, mental health and relationships.

It seemed we never knew what was around the corner but we all felt very grateful for the wonderful place we live in.

The year threw so much at us with the pandemic, storms, earthquake - and for Council every week there was a shift in priorities and new things that had to be done.

The road sealing program continued, debris pick up following the storms was undertaken and support for our local businesses was critical.

The storms saw us on the national radar initially but was then quickly forgotten.

Now we continue to fight for the $50+ million needed to rebuild the impacted homes, roads, drainage, parks, businesses and of course our community.

Coldstream Post Office Cnr Killara Road and Maroondah Highway Coldstream Supermarket Cnr Killara Road and Maroondah Highway Coldstream Roadrunners Roadhouse Cafe 629 Maroondah Highway Healesville Real Estate Yarra Valley 299 Maroondah Highway Healesville BP Ultimate 66 Maroondah Highway Healesville McKenzie's Tourist Services 13 Old Lilydale Road Healesville Newsagent 195 Maroondah Highway Healesville IGA Supermarket 199 Maroondah Highway Healesville SW Hollis Butcher 209 Maroondah Highway Healesville Sanctuary House Resort Motel 326 Badger Creek Road Healesville Shell Service Station Cnr Harker Street and Maroondah Highway Healesville Coles Supermarket 251 Maroondah Highway Healesville Caltex 370 Maroondah Highway Healesville First National/Mark Gunther 189 Maroondah Highway Healesville Beechworth Bakery 316 Maroondah Highway Launching Place Charlie's Milk Bar 2 Centella Place Launching Place General Store 2200 Warburton Highway Launching Place Caltex Log Cabin Service Station 2000 Warburton Highway Lilydale Shell Service Station 469 Maroondah Highway Lilydale United Petrol Service Station 473 Maroondah Highway

Once again, the loss of power and telecommunications made it clear we have to keep advocating to get this fixed.

And as we stare into another bushfire season more funding and improvements are critical.

We argued loud and strong for reclassification for the rural parts of the Shire and sadly this continued to be ignored. Don’t worry, we haven’t given up.

So, what’s important in the year ahead?

So many things were highlighted last year, including a need for closer to home access to mental health support and continued sup-

Lilydale 7-Eleven Lilydale Cnr Maroondah Highway 7 Cave Hill Road Lilydale Lilydale Village News Agents Lilydale Village Lilydale Coles Supermarket Lilydale Village Lilydale Lilydale Village Lilydale Village Lilydale Lilydale Aged Care 475 Swansea Road Lilydale BP Service Station 87 Warburton Highway Lilydale Eastern Laundries 2/4 Williams Street East Millgrove Newsagency Shop 5/ 3043 Warburton Highway Millgrove Millgrove Licensed Grocers 3039 Warburton Highway Millgrove Millgrove Village Bakery 4/3039 Warburton Highway Seville Woolworths Seville 568 Warburton Highway Seville Woolworths Caltex Service Station 568 Warburton Highway Seville Post Office 634-638 Warburton Highway Wandin North Fast Fuel Wandin 389-391 Warburton Highway Wandin North IGA X-Press Wandin North Plus Liquor 388 Warburton Highway Wandin North Landmark Harcourts Wandin Real Estate 1/362 Warburton Highway Wandin North Wandin Newsagency Shop 18/2 Union Road Warburton IGA Supermarket 3465 Warburton Highway Warburton K G Thomas Ply Ltd Insurance 1/3395 Warburton Highway Warburton The Valley Bakery Warburton 3415 Warburton Highway

port for our businesses to recover, find staff and stay open.

In a double election year we need to push hard for funding.

Some of these funding initiatives include recovery and fire season preparedness (including the firestick project), business recovery, mental health services and projects that will be great for all of us and our local economy, such as our walking and riding trails.

I hope that 2022 is a kind year for you all with more certainty, health, happiness and prosperity.

Warburton Shell Service Station 3458 Warburton Highway Warburton Professionals Andrew McMath Real Estate 3371 Warburton Highway Warburton Bell Real Estate 3407 Warburton Highway Wesburn Local Fuel 2835 Warburton Highway Woori Yallock Foodworks Woori Yellock 1/1585 Warburton Highway Woori Yallock Newsagency & Tattslotto Shop 4/ 1585 Warburton Highway Woori Yallock Hillcrest Little Store Great Food 1745 Warburton Highway Woori Yallock Shell Service Station Foodies 1700 Warburton Highway Woori Yallock Australia Post LPO Shop 11 / 1585 Warburton Highway, The Centre Yarra Glen Ritchies IGA Shop 1/38 Bell Street Yarra Glen Caltex Petrol Station 66 Bell Street Yarra Glen Newsagent 32 Bell Street Yarra Glen United Garage 6 Bell Street Yarra Junction Woolworths Supermarket 82-84 Warburton Highway Yarra Junction Bottle O 2440 Warburton Highway Yarra Junction Bell Real Estate 2457 Warburton Highway Yarra Junction Newsagency 2454 Warburton Highway Yarra Junction Professionals Andrew McMath Real Estate 2460 Warburton Highway Yarra Junction Yarra Junction Community Link 2442-2444 Warburton Highway Yarra Junction Gladysdale Bakehouse 2568 Warburton Hwy Yellingbo Central Store 1942 Healesville-Kooweerup Road

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OPINION

New start in 2022 I greet you as most of us have been greeting each other almost in an obligatory form, ‘Happy New Year’.

Here we are starting a new year with a sense of apprehension given that the last two started with optimism and subsequent disappointment.

I for one became so locked into ’21, that thinking of ’22 might well have been trying to think of 3000.

But here we are and before we could have a ‘Swaggies Breakfast’ = (A deep breath and a look around) on New Year’s Day, we were hit with a younger cousin of all the Covid family who moved in next door – ‘Flurovid’, flying in from Israel.

The new starts and second chances that we are promised every day in the media, many times are not fulfilled and further disappointment sets in.

It appears that our health departments are doing their best with this ever enlarging snowball as it rolls downhill, but tell that to the drivers of kilometer lines of cars waiting for hours in the hope of a Covid test or a booster jab.

What is the answer?

To start with we could put our problem to the human Virtue Test.

My Google’s dictionary defines a virtue as, ‘An abiding character trait that makes one a good friend and a good citizen’.

Before listing some, in general they are

Focal Point

Graeme Dawson

known as ‘the state or character or habits of a person - behavior showing high moral standards’.

Now I don’t want to cast aspersions on any person or person or of leaders of any group in various areas of authority, so I want to bring it home to us - whoever we are.

I will name a few virtues that might temper authority’s responses to community and our responses in return, and in general, be helpful ways to live in harmony in community.

Brave – authorities and media brave enough to disseminate the truth and not spin.

Temperate – in responses to instructions and to be willing to cooperate. Temperate on the roads with other drivers.

Friendly – in responses to hard working check out people when we have to wait in queues or have to wear masks etc.

Benevolent – preparedness to let some go before us, or pay forward the $5 an old lady in front of us is searching for in her purse.

I spoke at our church on the first Sunday of this year on this same topic, saying among other things that we all experience failures in our lives and the consequences that go with them. Sometimes unfortunately we may have to suffer, and live with the consequences of someone else’s failures – abuse in its many forms that many will know what I am talking about.

I also spoke about Grace – God’s idea, defined as unmerited favor – with that grace He can not only forgive us if required, but set us free into a new life – A Grace that we can then take with us into our communites.

The greater proportion of our New Year’s resolutions won’t last long unless they are in line with the plan He has for our lives.

He used another old prophet, Jeremiah, Isaiah’s contemporary, to bring another message.

“For I know the plans I have for you - plans to prosper you and not harm you - to give you a hope and a good future”.

WOW what a book full of great instructions and promises – Hey? I genuinely wish you all a safe and Happy New Year, Many Blessings For contact, use my email first - csrsmokey@ gmail.com Graeme Dawson, Chaplain to Community

Matrix gets a redundant resurrection The Matrix Resurrections Starring Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss and Neil Patrick Harris Rated M The Matrix Resurrections is an entertaining adventure with some fascinating concepts, but is also easily the worst Matrix movie.

Thomas Anderson, aka Neo (Keanu Reeves), now a successful game developer, must escape the Matrix once again and, with the help of a plucky Resistance crew, rescue his lost love Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss).

The first act features a heavy metatextual layer that viewers may find cool or obnoxious.

The Matrix trilogy exists within the Matrix as a series of video games, and the very self-aware dialogue conveys director Lana Wachowski’s frustration with demanding studio executives and overanalysing fans.

CARTOON

Resurrections reworks elements from the original trilogy in clever ways. Jonathon Groff is fun as the new Agent Smith, conveying the venomous essence of the character without copying Hugo Weaving’s original performance.

Neil Patrick Harris clearly relishes playing the Analyst, the suave, cocky new villain.

Reeves’ performance as Neo is poignant and funny, reflecting the actor’s growth since the trilogy. Reeves and Moss still have great chemistry, and Neo and Trinity’s journey of escape and reawakening is very engaging, framed around a well-planted rooftop motif.

Unfortunately, Resurrections’ set-pieces rarely carry a strong sense of risk or direction, and the action is unsatisfying. The one-onone fights are somewhat well-done, but the brawls and gun-fights are poorly-framed and full of quick cuts, compared to the beautiful long takes and clear camerawork in the trilogy.

With compelling characters and concepts but limited suspense and sloppy action, The Matrix Resurrections is an underwhelming sequel.

- Seth Lukas Hynes

Kemp’s curtain call Welcome to 2022. Let us hope that 2022 will see more theatre than the previous two years.

So your correspondent has decided to remind the readers of this column as to what theatres there are covered by this column.

We commence with Ark theatre in Lilydale.

Athenaeum theatre Lilydale Contact number 9735 1777 Office hours Monday, Tuesday and Friday 19am – 2pm.

Bakery@1812 Ferntree Gully Contact number 9758 5964 The Basin Theatre The Basin Contact number 1300 784 668 CPP Community Theatre Croydon Contact Number 0417 014 534 The 1812 Theatre Ferntree Gully Contact Number 9758 5964 Fabnobs Theatre Bayswater Contact Number 0417 156 553 Gemco Players Emerald Contact Number 5948 2544 Stageworx Theatre Bayswater Contact Number 9729 8368.

Also in March each year the Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Victoria hold several afternoon performances in Sassafras.

As the time gets closer this column will keep you informed about each production.

Your correspondent has been advised that all the above theatres will be in full production for 2022.

Theatre lovers enjoy 2022 after the drought of the last two years.

· · · · · · · ·

Riding life’s rough waves

By Book Reviewer Christine Sun A review of On the Rough Waves of Life by Mieczyslaw Drelich On May 8, 2021, Hobart-based ABC journalist Rachel Edwards reported on a son’s hardwork to bring his father’s life story to the anglophone readers. “[My father] said that he wanted people in 200 years’ time to know where the name Drelich came from in Tasmania,” said Leszek, who spent more than 20 years translating his father Mieczyslaw Drelich’s memoir from Polish to English.

The translation process had been highly challenging because Leszek could read very little Polish at the start of the project in 1996.

Yet he persevered.

“I thought if I don’t do it [then] my children and my grandchildren will not be able to read my father’s story. It will disappear,” said Leszek.

Published by the Polish Museum and Archives in Australia in 2021, On the Rough Waves of Life (originally published in 1995 as Na wzburzonych falach zycia) tells the fascinating true story of one of the renowned Rats of Tobruk.

The translation reveals Mieczyslaw (19182012) as a charismatic character who had always wanted to wear the uniform of Poland.

Having joined the army in 1937, he was forced to flee to Romania when the Germans invaded Poland in 1939.

When the Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade was established in 1940 in French Syria, Mieczyslaw joined many other exiled Polish soldiers in Alexandria before landing in

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Returning to the theatre

Palestine to fight along the British forces.

In July 1941, Mieczyslaw found himself in Tobruk In his words, as translated by Leszek:“Despite the fact that I spent one hundred and sixteen days and nights there, I had no idea about the surroundings or landscape, because we landed in Tobruk during a moonless night, and the patrolling and reconnaissance escapades took place in total darkness.

What then could a man see?”

“During the day we sat tight behind rocks or slept in our dug-outs after sleepless nights, carefully avoiding sticking out our heads or even moving around in the trenches. Otherwise one risked copping a stray bullet or a chip of artillery shell which were constantly exploding around us at random times and places.”

To make a long and amazing story brief, after Tobruk, Mieczyslaw fought in the Italian Campaign and was later stationed in England.

Then, thanks to the Rats of Tobruk Association in Australia, he was among about 300 Polish “Rats” invited to make a new life in Australia.

The translation sheds light on Mieczyslaw’s settlement in Tasmania in 1947, where he worked on the state’s hydroelectricity scheme.

In 1949 he married Marysia, a Polish woman whose whole family were sent to Siberia in cattle trucks by Russian soldiers and who had been living as a refugee in London after the war ended.

In short, Mieczyslaw Drelich’s fierce love for his country and fellow countrymen is truly admirable. A pillar of the Polish community in Tasmania, Mieczyslaw had an endearing sense of humour and his son Leszek’s translation very much captured the man’s lively spirit.

Tuesday, 11 January, 2022

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MAIL 13

PRESENTATION PERFECT THIS beautiful home offers everything for the discerning buyer comprising 3 living areas, 3 bedrooms with built in robes plus separate home office, 2 bathrooms, 2 toilets and an abundance of outdoor entertaining space and quiet reading nooks.

Further features include gas ducted heating, reverse cycle air conditioning, ceiling fans and solid fuel wood heater.

All this is set in a beautifully private 900m² approx. allotment.

Only an inspection will give you the full experience.

For sale by Open Negotiation, an online flexible terms Auction system and is open to all qualified buyers allowing for flexible terms (pending Vendor approval). The property can sell at anytime.

For up to date bids visit www.openn.com.au ●

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 2 Hannover Road, HEALESVILLE Description: 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 garage Price: Online Auction - Open Negotiation Inspect: Private Appointment or Scheduled Open for Inspection Auction: Online Contact: Mark Gunther, 0448 62 3030, MARK GUNTHER - FIRST NATIONAL REAL ESTATE

14 MAIL

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Tuesday, 11 January, 2022

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Mark Gunther e in n l n o o cti au

R Fo le Sa

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

Healesville 2/9 Evelyn Grove

Healesville 8 George Road

Spacious Townhouse This 3 bedroom townhouse features a modern kitchen with stainless appliances, beautiful hardwood polished floors, large open plan living area opening out to a undercover entertaining deck. Comprising full ensuite & WIR to the master bedroom, a stylish central bathroom between 2 further bedrooms, both with BIR & a double lock up garage with internal access.

3A 2B 2C $580,000 - $640,000 Inspect

By Appointment or OFI Agent Mark Gunther 0448 623 030

e in n l n o o cti au

4 Bedroom Family Home!

Healesville 38 Newgrove Road

Healesville 7 Mt Lebanon Road

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Price Guide $650,000 $700,000 Inspect

By Appointment or OFI Agent Gary Lucas 0407 595 113

e in n l n o o cti au

FOR SALE

This magnificent residence has been in the same family for 50 years & is now looking for new owners. Are you looking for a project?

This property will require work but for those who love the character, this will be a labour of love! Featuring 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 living areas plus separate garage & carport, overlooking the township to distant mountains.

4A 2B 2C

Located on a quiet no through road, is this spacious split level home set on approx. 930m2.

Featuring a generous kitchen & ample storage which overlooks the central family dining area.

The lower level consists of master with ensuite & family living area, while on the upper level there are 3 bedrooms plus a study/home office.

Currently tenanted until 4/6/22 for $1,868pcm.

FOR SALE Grand Old Lady on Almost 5 Acres

5962 3030

markgunther.com.au 189 Maroondah Highway, Healesville

4A 3B 8C Current Bid $1,200,000 Inspect

By Appointment or OFI Agent Mark Gunther 0448 623 030

Calling All First Home Buyers!

3A 1B 3C

With a lot of the hard work outside already done on this cottage, it just leaves the interior for you to create your style of home. Offering 2 bedrooms plus 3rd bedroom/study, updated bathroom, open plan kitchen & dining & a separate lounge room. Outside there is a good size garage & workshop plus a single carport & set on a fenced block of approx. 1150m2.

Price Guide $590,000 $650,000 Inspect

By Appointment or OFI Agent Gary Lucas 0407 595 113

Tuesday, 11 January, 2022

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MAIL 15

PUZZLES SUDOKU

No. 063

To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.

easy

4 6 2

9 8 6 4 4 5 9 3 8 1 5 9

1 8 3

7

7 7 9 6 3 9 2 5

QUICK CROSSWORD Police officer (3) Responsiveness (11) Erected once more (7) Word formed by letters of another (7) Armed forces (8) Dove-like bird (6) Televisions (abbrev) (3) Of, or relating to, Palestine (11) Differing strikingly (11) Hearing organ (3) Its capital is Moscow (6) Force (8) Decorate food with other food (7) Sickening (7) Reminding one of something (11) Used a seat (3)

1 3 9 10 11 12 14 15 17 19 20 21 24 25 26

2 8 9 5

3 4 5 6

ACROSS

27

7 8 13 15 16 18 19 20 22 23

No. 063

Rapid (5) Ecologist (10) Modern Persia (4) Forming a mental image of (9) Of, or relating to, Israel (7) Arab state (5) Aid (10) Divide into parts (9) Compass direction (9) Quack medicine (7) Absorb, immerse (7) Tennis player Federer (5) Kick out (tenants) (5) Therefore (4)

DOWN Pertaining to colour (9) Small smooth stones (7)

1 2

medium

8 7 1 2 6 4 2 5 3 7

DECODER

No. 063

3 3 8 5 4

1 9 8 4 7

4 2 8 6 1 8 3 2 3

9

hard

6 5

1

4

4

3 4 3

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2

G

7

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

9-LETTER WORD Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once.

No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural words ending in “s”.

B

Today’s Aim: 16 words: Good 24 words: Very good 32 words: Excellent

D

T

I

A

N I

E

H

4 LETTERS APES BEST CARD CLOT CYST FEET GEAR HACK MASK MEAT PATE RIDE TENS TEST 5 LETTERS AGAIN

AGENT AGILE AGLOW ASHEN ASIDE ASSET AVAIL BELIE BLISS CAPES CHIDE CHIRP COBRA DOGMA EASEL EAVES EDITS FABLE FICHE FRONT GLINT

No. 063

GOOFY GRABS HARMS ISLAM LEARN LOSES MARES MERES MIRED MUFFS OBESE RABBI READY ROOTS SENSE SHARE SKIMS SLATE SLEET SLEPT SOLAR

SPORT STACK STYLE SUITE SWEAR TENSE TERMS

7 LETTERS BESEECH BETTORS FLASHER LESSENS PEASANT PENSIVE

6 LETTERS CHEATS EMERGE ENSIGN WHILST

8 LETTERS DOMINOES ENDORSED FORTIETH HABITUAL

ante, anted, anti, band, bandit, bane, bean, behind, bend, bent, bind, dean, dent, detain, dine, dint, entia, hand, hind, hint, hinted, indite, inhabit, INHABITED, neat, tend, than, thane, then, thin, thine, tine

9 7 1 4 8 3 5 6 2

6 5 4 7 1 8 3 9 2

3 7 2 5 9 4 1 6 8

9 1 8 6 2 3 7 4 5

7 4 5 2 8 6 9 1 3

1 2 3 9 7 5 4 8 6

8 6 9 4 3 1 2 5 7

2 8 7 1 6 9 5 3 4

4 9 6 3 5 7 8 2 1

5 3 1 8 4 2 6 7 9

4 5 8 9 2 6 7 3 1

6 2 3 1 7 5 8 9 4

3 1 6 5 4 7 9 2 8

7 9 4 2 1 8 6 5 3

2 8 5 3 6 9 4 1 7

1 6 2 7 5 4 3 8 9

8 4 9 6 3 2 1 7 5

5 3 7 8 9 1 2 4 6

1 9 6 2 7 5 3 8 4

7 3 4 6 8 9 5 2 1

8 5 2 1 4 3 9 6 7

5 6 8 7 1 2 4 3 9

4 1 7 9 3 8 6 5 2

9 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 8

6 8 1 3 9 7 2 4 5

3 4 9 5 2 1 8 7 6

2 7 5 8 6 4 1 9 3

Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com

4

hard

3

medium

2

easy

1

9 3

7

17

4

3 LETTERS AGE AGO ASH AVO BEE BET CHI CPA DIP EKE EWE FEE GEE HER HES ILK INS LAD LEE MEN RAG RID TEE UGH

F P BMT DA K ROU J Z

5

16

8

2

I

S C X E H V QWN L Y G I

3 2 4

3

1

15

8

5

14

1 9

WORDFIT

14-01-22

This week’s crossword proudly sponsored by

The Heritage Family

HERITAGE & HERITAGE FUNERALS Lilydale 9739 7799 Healesville 5962 1600 HERITAGE PIONEERS CHAPEL 1414 Healesville/Koo Wee Rup Road, Woori Yallock 5964 6500 Head Office: 733 Boronia Road, Wantirna 9800 3000 info@ heritagefunerals.com.au www.heritagefunerals.com.au 1157336-CB40-14

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Certain restrictions on the lighting of fires are in force during the Fire Restriction Period. Information about fire restrictions within the Country Area of Victoria can be obtained from www.cfa.vic.gov.au, your local CFA District Office or Municipal Fire Prevention Officer.

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Information about fire restrictions within the Fire Protected Area can be obtained from www.ffm.vic.gov.au, or your local Forest Fire Management Victoria Fire District Officer.

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CFA and Forest Fire Management Victoria will be introducing fire restrictions (Fire Danger Period and Prohibited Period, respectively) for all private land within the municipalities listed below.

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Tuesday, 11 January, 2022

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MAIL 17

SPORT

2nd ‘Callen’ shoot out

By Ian Callen January’s “Callen Column’s” Shot Gun” beat the weather on Friday just. The last group dashing from the 9th green as the downpour began.

From the “Lookout” Tee Block players took time to watch the weather close in along with the spectacular lightning display.

It was terrific to see the growing numbers at the monthly event and the RACV staff were terrific in taking care of the 30 attendees.

Preserving history

By Ian Callen Healesville’s Historian Bryn Jones was born in Wales in 1932 and as a young lad during World War II he spent much of his time with relatives in Newport near Surrey’s, Sortborton Docks.

Bryn lived through a time when the Luftwaffe’s unmanned V-1 cruise missiles regularly flew across the channel creating misery.

Laying in bed with the sheets pulled close to his chin, Jones learned to recognise the distinctive and terrifying engine noise of the 8 metre warheads flying overhead. This is a mere snippet of an extraordinary life story that needs to be told and I hope this piece is enough to encourage Bryn to put pen to paper, as he has done so many times, documenting the history of our township.

Under the Alba Paloma’s suitably named “Tree of Knowledge” I learnt of Bryn’s latest work, a book on the history of golf in Healesville and I’m told that the game was introduced to the township over a century ago.

The irony here, is that RACV Members are currently mystified as to the disappearance of their golfing silverware and other historical items that have been removed from display cabinets. These items were to make up a big part of our Historians brief so let’s hope the RACV can put them back on display.

It was 10 years ago that a group of Toolangi Cricketers came across what they believed a poem written by C.J. Dennis in the back of an old scorebook, which thankfully survived the ‘bonfire’. This has also disappeared but thanks to the cricketer who had reached the consensus that CJ, the Cricket Club Secretary, Umpire and Scorer, probably jotted it down during a rain delay.

It was over a few beers in the Toolangi Tavern, that the dedicated cricketers deciphered the verses:

It was Tarrawarra golfer Graeme Salter who took out the competition with 19 stableford points.

Roger Jones the Phantom award, Anne and Steve Whitemore the “Alba Paloma” dining voucher and the Four Pillars Gin to Diana Viggers, Barbara Vaughn, Fiona Oates and Susan Reid.

Newly appointed “Fines Steward” didn’t need a lot of encouragement when dishing out fines… all taken in good fun.

Bowls season returns

By Garry Lewis The Warburton Bowls Club are looking forward to recommencing the pennant season following the festive break. All teams are keen to display positive performances in the lead up to the second half of the season and the finals.

The Weekend Warburton 1 side play Bundoora RSL 2 at home this Saturday and are confident of an improved performance. They are currently in fourth place on the ladder.

The Warburton 2 team, currently in seventh place on the ladder, play Ferntree Gully 3 at home as they too look to have an improved effort overall.

The six-a-side team are in fourth place but have been struggling to field a team each week due to player unavailability.

The Mid Week Warburton 1 side play Mooroolbark 2 at home this week determined to get back on the winning list. They are in third place on the ladder.

The Wednesday Night Barefoot Bowls Triples Competition will commence on Wednesday 2 February, 2022. There are still vacancies for 6 more teams. This is always an enjoyable opportunity for beginners and the less experienced bowlers. Contact Tash Caneva 0428420661 for further details.

The Pink Triples Tournament, sponsored by Professionals Real Estate, will be held on Sunday 2 February, 2022. Women and men of all abilities may participate in this most worthy cause with all proceeds going towards Breast Cancer Research. A BBQ sausage sizzle, raffles and prizes during the day.

Prizes during the day. $10 per player Entry Fee. Contact Rayna Zunneberg 0419472450 for further details.

New Players, including beginners and experienced, are always welcome to join our small but progressive club. Social bowls continues to be played every Monday from 12 midday.

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SMITH, Robert 26.11.1949-28.12.2021 Formerly of Yarra Glen Sadly passed away at Kyabram Sheridan nursing home.

Aged 72 Son of Henry and Tossie Smith(both dec) brother to Marian and Keith Rest in Peace.

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“The Umpire” by C. J. Dennis Oh, he was old and he was spare; His bushy whiskers and his hair.

With a right boot in need of repair: And In his swag upon his back, A cricket bat oiled black as black.

“It isn’t hard to find a game” he said He then shook his head, So all the corks that hung around his hat-brim danced and swung And bobbed about his face He said they were for keeping flies The pesky varmints from his eyes.

He called me Codger Now you see I had me best days, said he I us’d to bend me back And I made it hit the track. zHe seemed a funny sort of man All this side of Bourke he’d played the game And umpir’n was close to the same And today he’s supposed he’d have to go Another 50 overs or so Nigh all my life the tracks I’ve walked I liked the way he talked And Oh, the places he had been I don’t know what he had not seen On every ground from every town All through the country up-and-down Young Codger don’t shun tracks that are dead And he put his hand upon my head I noticed then, his old eyes were blue And oh so very true I once I was a little lad, he said and he seem to grow quite sad I hope when my game is on the brink I’ll go umpir’n I think And hang some corks around my hat And lead a jolly good life like that.

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2021 - TOP SPORT STORIES

Our 2021 sporting heroes Son of a gun off to Bathurst He may be taking the Richards’ surname into its third generation of racing, but Coldstream’s Clay Richards is determined to make his own mark in the professional racing industry.

The son of five-time Bathurst winner Steven Richards and grandson of touring car legend Jim made his professional racing debut on February 26, 27 and 28, tackling mighty Mount Panorama as part of the Supercars season opener, the Bathurst 500.

The 20-year-old youngster took on the world-famous track as part of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia 86 Series, a “grassroots” support category for the 2021 Supercars Championship.

Speaking to the Star Mail prior to the race, Clay Richards described mixed feelings.

“I’ve never raced Bathurst before so it is very exciting, I’m also very nervous. There’s a little bit of pressure but not too much,” Clay said.

“A lot of people get caught out at Bathurst, you make one little mistake and it could be all over. If we could get through all sessions fairly unscathed then that’s a good weekend,” Clay said.

Clay said his goal for the weekend was to “just get through it, finish all the sessions and learn a bit as well”.

The Toyota Gazoo 86 Series is designed as an affordable entry-level series that provides the “perfect development environment” for drivers.

Rivals unite The Tigers and Blues are traditional footy rivals in the AFL, and that’s no different in the Yarra Valley where just seven kilometres of the Warburton Highway separates the Seville Blues and the Woori Yallock Tigers.

But the neighbouring rivals came together in February for the greater good in an effort that allowed many local women to play football, some for the very first time.

When both clubs struggled to make up the numbers to field a team in the AFL Outer East Senior Women’s competition, the clubs put their egos aside to join forces and the result was the creation of the ‘Woori Seville’ football team.

The name features both townships as the two clubs couldn’t come to an agreement on the combinations of ‘Woori Yallock Blues’ or ‘Seville Tigers’. The team even splits their home games between both townships, and wears both the navy blue and ‘S’ monogram guernseys and then the yellow sash jumper, depending on where their home game is being played.

The team’s captain, Nicole Kimpton, had been part of a group trying to get a Woori Yallock senior women’s team together since 2019.

Over the months and attempting to train sporadically throughout the pandemic, the club had about 12 players committed to play for the current season.

“We approached Seville and they had similar numbers as well, so we decided to merge,” she said. “Our first training session as a team was three weeks before the first round, so there was a lot of pressure for everybody to make friendships and to learn how to play. The majority of us, at that stage, hadn’t played before.”

Kimpton, a loyal Powelltown resident, said she never envisioned herself playing for Woori Yallock when she decided to take to footy, let alone Seville.

“It was a bit of a shock when we decided to merge and I couldn’t have imagined from the start that we would actually merge, but I think it worked out the way it was meant to because we’re all such great friends now. The Seville girls, the Woori girls, we all get along so well.”

Bowling for 130 years 2021 marked the 130th anniversary of the Healesville Bowls Club, one of the oldest bowls clubs in Australia.

Formed in 1891, you can see the history and development of the organisation when standing on the club’s green, where the two original clubhouses stand and are now used as storage sheds.

Today, Healesville Bowls Club prides itself on being a family club faulting many longtime members, in some cases 50 plus years. Some Healesville families have several generations mailcommunity.com.au

Clay and dad Steven Richards with the 86’ Clay will race this season as part of the Toyota Gazoo Australia 86’ Series.

Healesville Bowls Club members.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Vice captain Jami Liddelow and captain Nicole Kimpton will lead the Woori Seville women’s team.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Bayley Fritsch starred with six goals on AFL Grand Final day.

tied to the club’s membership.

President Adrian Beales said the club is the fourth oldest sporting organisation in Healesville after the football, cricket and tennis clubs.

“We’ve been situated here for the entire time over the past 130 years,” he said.

The club was one of the founding members of the Yarra Valley Bowls Association and when the competition dissolved, moved to the Metropolitan Melbourne Bowls Association just over ten years ago.

Club treasurer Leonie Fitzpatrick is coming up on five generations of her family playing bowls for Healesville.

Fritsch fever The AFL Grand Final saw Coldstream boy Bayley Fritsch play in the big dance, as The Melbourne Demons and The Western Bulldogs battle it out for the 2021 premiership.

Bayley’s dad Scott Fritsch said he was thrilled his son’s dreams came true but its bittersweet the family couldn’t be there in person to cheer him on.

Many Coldstream footy fans will be familiar with Bayley after he grew up playing juniors and seniors for the Cougars in the EFNL. The Demons forward put in a stellar performance in the big game, leaving his family glued to the screen at home cheering for 31.

“It’s the most amazing thing to happen for our family, we’re unbelievable so happy for him and the demons,” Mr Fritsch said.

Fritsch finished second in the Norm Smith Medal, booting 6.2 from 13 disposals, providing a menacing presence to kick the most goals in a grand final since Darren Jarman’s six in 1997 for Adelaide.

He was sublime in the air, mercurial at ground level and simply made things happen whenever he touched the ball.

His 2021 season yielded 59 goals - a brilliant effort in just his fourth season of AFL football.

If he wasn’t already a star of the competition, he is now.

“It’s crazy - surreal, I can’t really put it into words,” Fritsch told Melbourne Media postmatch.

“We did it, a lot of hard work’s gone into it we had a mission from day one of pre-season, and for that to come true is unbelievable.”

Fritsch was modest when talking about his own profound impact on the contest.

“I got pretty lucky, I got on the end of a few cheeky ones early - it sort of went on from there,” he said.

“To play a small part in what was an unbelievable performance is pretty special, and something I’ll look back on for sure.”

Golf returns After more than six painfully long weeks, golfers embraced their first chance to hit the greens with restrictions easing for social noncontact recreational outdoor activities.

Golf courses in the Yarra Ranges welcomed members and golf enthusiasts back to their clubs Wednesday 29 September, all happy to oblige the two person, masks and social distancing rules.

Warburton Golf Club Clubhouse Manager David Murch said almost 50 people booked in to tee off for the first day of freedom on the course.

“It’s fantastic to have people back on the course - golf courses are living breathing things and the members and people coming in are the heartbeat,” David Murch said.

“It’s just lovely to see people enjoying themselves in the fresh air again. I don’t think they like the scores, but they’re enjoying themselves.”

Despite the wobbly scores from a lack of recent practice, players are thrilled to pick up a club and return to the sport they love.

“There must have been 40 to 50 players out

Picture: MELBOURNE DEMONS

Scratch player Flynn Cousens was keen to return to the club on for the first day back.

Picture: RENEE WOOD which was really good, that’s usually what we see on a busy Saturday so people are obviously excited to get out and it’s only Wednesday,” Member Flynn Cousens said.

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