Mail - Mountain Views Star Mail - 9th May 2023

Chucky’s Champs win

By Callum Ludwig

Three Bridges rally rider Daniel Sanders has picked up his first win in the FIM World Rally-Raid Championships in the Sonora Rally in Mexico. After his interrupted Dakar Rally and the decision to opt out of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, Sanders opted to get his groove and rhythm back training at home for the third round of the championships.

“I flew out two weeks ago and to America for a week testing just before the race in Mexico, it was a five-day rally covering about 2500km starting in Hermosillo and finishing in San Luis [Río Colorado] near the border,” he said.

“It was pretty hot and hot and dusty, about 37 degrees the first couple of days and got up to 41 on the last day up near Arizona.”

Turn to page 27

Bus users upset

By Tanya Steele

The Department of Transport and Planning (DOTP) released modifications to a number of outer east bus routes last week and the 684 changes have members of the Heasleville and Buxton communities frustrated and upset.

The initial press release on Wednesday 29

April stated the following about the 684. “Route 684 from Eildon will terminate at Lilydale Station allowing passengers to connect to train services to complete their journey to the city.

“In response to community feedback through the consultation process, the service will extend to Ringwood Station instead of

Chirnside Park Shopping Centre, providing additional transport and shopping connections.

“The service will also wait for up to 20 minutes at Ringwood Station for late running trains, ensuring Eildon passengers do not miss their connection”

Save The Bus Action Group convenor, an

arm of the Buxton Progress Association, Carmel Denham said the press release is confusing and raises so many questions.

“The plan to force country people to use the metro train is ill-conceived and demonstrates a disregard for this vital link to the city,” she said.

Continued page 3

Daniel Sanders celebrates winning the Sonora Rally.

Picture: KIN MARCIN/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

Sculpture mascots suffer

By Tanya Steele

The YAVA Art Street Library has had its little sculpture mascot destroyed for the third and last time in recent weeks.

Artist Mim Kocher who makes the sculptures was dismayed when she went for a walk past the library and saw her latest installation had been destroyed.

“I won’t make any more little sculptures as they take me many hours and I’m so sad anyone would do this continually,” she said.

Ms Kocher posted to social media about the most recent vandalism asking if anyone knew who had done it.

She has made three different sculptures in the last few years and all have been broken and destroyed.

“The first one was a little guy with headphones and he lasted about a year,” she said.

The second was an artist with a little paint palette, which Ms Kocher made to replace the first one.

“She was really cute, I was really proud of that one, it took me a long time to make,” she said.

In early April Ms Kocher saw that the second figure had had its head taken off, with only the body remaining.

The third sculpture was based on the famous painting “The Scream” and was was ripped off and destroyed within five days.

Ms Kocher’s husband Freddy installs the figures and they are reinforced with a strong adhesive.

The couple have cleaned and sanded down the little library, but have no plans to reinstall any more sculptures.

“Sadly, after two and a half years, I give up,” she said.

The YAVA Art Street library was originally Ms Kocher’s idea and was bought to life through funding from the Yarra Ranges Coun-

cil and featured paintings on the outside by artist Amanda Ruck.

“I’m happy to say they [the paintings] have never been touched,” she said.

The sculptures have all had pieces broken off progressively and Ms Kocher said it is unlikely that children could reach to do it.

“It cannot be little children, I don’t know who it is, someone said birds and it definitely isn’t,” she said.

Ms Kocher said the community have been largely kind and encouraging and she is glad she posted about it on social media.

“I really appreciated it, they said don’t be

discouraged, we like them,” she said.

Ms Kocher doesn’t plan to slow down as an artist, despite the treatment her little figures have received.

She hopes people will continue to enjoy the Yava Art Street library and that they always welcome new donations.

The tiny sculptures have all had pieces progressively ripped off them.

Picture: SUPPLIED

IN BRIEF

RBA cash rate hike

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) returned to a cash rate rise in May after last month’s pause. The cash rate has risen by 25 basis points, from 3.60 to 3.85 per cent.

RBA Governor Phillip Lowe said in a media release that inflation in Australia has passed its peak, but at 7 per cent is still too high and it will be some time yet before it is back in the target range.

“Given the importance of returning inflation to target within a reasonable timeframe, the Board judged that a further increase in interest rates was warranted today,” he said.

“The Board held interest rates steady last month to provide additional time to assess the state of the economy and the outlook.”

The most recent monthly indicator of Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation in March sat at 6.3 per cent, down from 8.8 per cent in February and 7.4 per cent in January.

Mr Lowe said while the recent data showed a welcome decline in inflation, the central forecast remains that it takes a couple of years

before inflation returns to the top of the target range (2-3 per cent).

“Inflation is expected to be 4½ per cent in 2023 and 3 per cent in mid-2025. Goods price inflation is clearly slowing due to a better balance of supply and demand following the resolution of the pandemic disruptions,” he said.

“The Board’s priority remains to return inflation to target. High inflation makes life difficult for people and damages the functioning of the economy. And if high inflation were to become entrenched in people’s expectations, it would be very costly to reduce later, involving even higher interest rates and a larger rise in unemployment,”

“Medium-term inflation expectations remain well anchored, and it is important that this remains the case. Today’s further adjustment in interest rates will help in this regard.”

A survey of 1010 Australians conducted by Compare the Market in April 2023 revealed almost half of Australians aren’t equipped or ready to go into a recession, with more than

a quarter saying they aren’t prepared and are barely getting by, while 14 per cent said they’re not prepared at all and will face financial setbacks if a recession occurs.

Compare the Market’s General Manager of Money, Stephen Zeller, said the Board’s decision to raise the cash rate for the eleventh time in 12 months was a necessary evil.

“Even though we can see these aggressive rate increases have had some effect on inflation, we’re still nowhere near the target range of 2-3 per cent, although it was a necessary evil for the greater good, many borrowers are going to be in a world of pain,” Mr Zeller said.

“A person with a $600,000 mortgage could be paying $1,351 more each month than they were at the start of May 2022, so it really does pay to do your research and be prepared for that fixed rate cliff. There’s a number of cashback offers available right now that are attached to competitive rates, if you’re not on a competitive rate, it’s time to consider switching – you could be saving thousands of dollars over the life of your loan.”

Bus users over the Spur remain upset

From page 1

Star Mail contacted the DOTP for comment regarding why the service was being altered in this way and how it would address people connecting in Ringwood Station.

A DOTP spokesperson said the changes are due to the fact that the 684 Melbourne to Eildon via Healesville is poorly patronised and that it duplicates a train line with a regular turn-up-and-go service from the outskirts of the city.

“We’re delivering a better bus network for the Yarra Valley later this year that’s simple to use, gets you where they want to go at the times you want to travel, and delivers value for money.” they said.

“This includes improving public transport links with the CBD on Route 684 with the Sunday timetable to match the Saturday timetable making weekend day trips to greater Melbourne for Eildon and Alexandra residents easier.” The DOTP labelled the 684 route inconsistent, with a hard to understand timetable that is unreliable due to regular delays on the Eastern Freeway and Melbourne’s metropolitan road network.

The Save the Bus Action Group has been frustrated by minimal communication and said the initial consultation sessions were poorly advertised and not directed at people living over the Black Spur. The group feels the DOTP has not understood the conditions of driving the Spur and minimises the positives of using the bus all the way into the CBD.

Last March, Ms Denham said the DOTP held a consultation in Healesville and Alexandra, but it was not well advertised at the time.

The DOTP stated that it consulted the public in March and April 2022 and this feedback helped improve on the proposed routes. Following community feedback the Route

684 will instead extend to Ringwood Station instead of the initially proposed Chirnside Park Shopping Centre, providing additional transport connections. Brad Sanders, manager at McKenzie’s bus service, has said the company was involved in the consultation process but is awaiting further communications as to when and how changes will be implemented. Eildon MP Cindy McLeish said the Public Transport Minister has also failed to respond to her request on behalf of the Buxton Progress Association to convene a meeting between them and the Department of Transport and that she is disappointed by the outcome.

“It is a real blow for those who rely on Bus Route 684 to travel in and out of the city, particularly to access the East Melbourne medical precinct,” she said. The DOTP spokesperson told Star Mail that hospitals along Victoria Parade can be accessed by taking the train to Parliament Station and exiting Collins Street to access the tram network to the nearby hospitals. Alternatively, passengers can walk approximately 250 metres from the Parliament Station Lonsdale Street exit to the hospital precinct, which is an approximately four-minute walk. Ms Denham said that one of the greatest benefits of hav-

ing a dedicated service into the city is safety; the bus drivers assist the aged, infirm, and children to get to their destination safely.

“Many of our members travel to Melbourne to attend medical appointments and have underlying health issues to make using the metro trains impractical and unsafe,” she said. The DOTP has stated that savings made from shortening this route at Ringwood will also be reinvested in the network enabling better and more frequent services including the planned improvements to the Sunday service on Route 684.

The Alexandra to Eildon bus service previously operated two return trips on Wednesday and Friday only. The service was expanded to operate two return trips Monday to Friday.

“This adds to improvements to the bus services between Alexandra and Eildon we delivered for the Murrindindi community last year,” a DOTP spokesperson said.

Ms Denham said the Save the Bus Action Group has over 100 members with an email inbox full of people pledging support to the group, many had tried communicating in March and prior with the Public Victoria Transport (PTV) complaints hotline before the recent press release. PTV responded with an acknowledgement email that stated the DOTP had collected feedback and would use it to inform planning for the routes. Concerns by people who contacted PTV are that their complaints were being met with the same scripted responses. The lack of communication and announcements have left the residents feeling misunderstood and unheard and Ms Denham invites the DOTP to walk in their shoes for the day.

“Come travel on the bus for a day to understand the concerns of the regional people who live in regional Victoria,” she said.

Tree down during school commute in Myers Creek

A tree completely blocked traffic on Myers Creek Road, Healesville in the early morning of 4 May, holding up morning commuters, including a school bus. The Healesville SES unit was on the scene from about 6am and closed the road while they worked to clear the large tree.

The SES thanked the community for their patience while they did the work, which had the road open again by 8.30am.

Barista Bros recall

Coca-Cola Europacific is recalling Barista Bros Double Espresso, Iced Chocolate, Espresso and Mocha (500ml and 700ml bottles), best before 30 September 2023 onwards.

The recall is due to a potential packaging fault leading to a possible contamination risk.

These products were available for sale nationally at Woolworths, Coles, Metcash/IGA grocers, Aldi, Independent retail stores and vending machines.

CORE webinar upcoming

Healesville Community Renewable Energy (CORE) will host an online webinar on 10 May with panellists ready to answer questions, and share experiences with different steps they have taken that have made a real difference in their own homes, and also their community.

The webinar will engage and empower the local community with home energy efficiency experts Lucinda Flynn and Amy Gregorovich fromYarra Ranges Council talking about Community Microgrids.

The webinar is from 7.30pm to 9pm. Register for the information session on the Healesville CORE website.

Wingspread in Toolangi has close call

The beautiful homestead Wingstead was lucky to sustain minimal damage to their property late afternoon on 4 May when the roof caught on fire. The blaze was due to the condition of the fireplace and the owners are very grateful that the situation was controlled quickly.

CFA from Toolangi and Healesville and Victoria Police fromYarra Glen attended the scene.

Work has already commenced fixing the damages sustained from the blaze. YREC open doors for coworking during highway closure

Any local businesses feeling isolated or cut off at home due to the Warburton Highway closure can head over to Yarra Ranges Enterprise Centres for a coworking opportunity.

New visitors can join the usual tenants and make the most of the time to create new connections, have conversations or simply get out into a social working environment.

The offer is free during the closure period, and anyone interested can contact Alison at contact alison@yrec.com.au to make a booking.

WOMENSPACE at Healesville Living and Learning Centre

The Healesville Women 4 Women (HW4W) group will host a six-week Women’s Space at the Healesville Living and Learning Centre from 10 May.The informal sessions will inspire and assist women to hold each other up and share issues around work and home, along with resources to work through them.

The course begins on 10 May and runs from 10 am to 12 pm.

Healesville traders unite

By Tanya Steele

Healesvile traders have come together to vote for the formation of an official business and traders group for Heasleville, on Tuesday 2 May.

The committee unanimously voted to incorporate the group and Nina Sturgess from Verso Books, the newly appointed president, said it is good that Healesville will have the traders group to provide a unified formal voice for businesses of the town.

“Healesville has had no official body in the town since 2016,” Ms Sturgess said.

“We initially started an informal group a few years ago, before Covid to communicate around events like Christmas shopping.”

The committee held the recent foundational meeting to cast the vote to incorporate and celebrated with other community business owners with a glass of wine afterwards.

The newly fledged group now has over 30 interested businesses, many of whom were present on the night with representatives from the Yarra Ranges Council and Casey MP Aaron Violi there also.

The group said getting everyone involved was a positive step and good for the community.

Covid had derailed the initial progress of the Healesville Traders, but the Yarra Ranges Council approached them to suggest they utilise some of the funding that was available for recovery in the business and financial group sector.

The unincorporated group has had the Healesville Rotary as their auspice, which has greatly assisted them in getting to this stage.

“It’s been really helpful and really instrumental in getting us up and running as well, we couldn’t have done it without the support of the Rotary,” Ms Sturgess said.

Having the backing of the Heasleville Ro-

tary meant the group were eligible for round one of the Council’s business and traders led recovery grant.

Maria Konecsny of Gewürzhaus Herbs and Spices said that the official purpose of the group is to connect and support members to work together to strengthen the township and business community.

They said they hope to be incorporated within a week and have their first committee meeting very soon.

Thereafter they will meet regularly and get a

Warburton Highway closed

Wednesday 26 April to Wednesday 10 May Allow extra time

Road closures will take place between Mayer Bridge and Hooks Road.

Use the detour along Old Warburton Road.

Local businesses are still open.

Delays expected, to plan ahead visit vicroads.vic.gov.au

website up and running and hope to get more businesses on board to join.

“We want to build value into the association, giving people really tangible reasons to belong to it,” Ms Sturgess said.

The Heasleville Traders would like to have community groups involved as well.

“Even though we have commercial interests, we are ultimately interested in the prosperity of the whole town and the whole community,” Ms Sturgess said.

Yarra Ranges Mayor Jim Child said the council recognises how important local businesses are to the community.

“Being a part of a business or trader group is a terrific opportunity to get involved, and really advocate for your business community,” he said.

The meeting bodes well for the future of Healesville and Ms Sturgress is thrilled the group has formed.

“It will make us a more resilient business community in the future,” she said.

Ambulance wait times improve slightly but still well below the average. 303384

One in three in for a wait

By Mibenge Nsenduluka, AAP

Ambulance response times continue to lag in Victoria, with new data showing it takes more than 15 minutes to respond to one in three Code One incidents.

Victorians continue to face long ambulance wait times as it takes more than 15 minutes for paramedics to respond to one in three critical dispatches.

New data released by the state government showed while there was a slight improvement in ambulance response times from January to March, the health system was still buckling under pressure.

Paramedics were called to 92,413 Code One cases in the January-March quarter and responded to 65.2 per cent within 15 minutes.

Despite a five per cent improvement on the previous quarter, this was still significantly lower than the 2014 response rate of 73 per cent.

The Victorian government previously said the Covid-19 pandemic was to blame for soaring demand for health-care services.

Premier Daniel Andrews said there was

still room for improvement.

“It’s a long journey to repair and rebuild,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

“Covid is not over from a hospital point of view.

“The rest of us are getting about our lives and we have kind of normalised this, but we still have more than 300 patients that are in hospital.

“Some of them are very unwell, and that still does put pressure and a burden on our staff.”

On average, nearly 54 Ambulance Victoria staff were furloughed every day because of Covid between January and March.

The state government has spent billions of dollars to improve the system, including a $26 million package to add 40 mobile intensive care paramedics across the state, increasing the total to 640.

It has also spent $1.5 billion on a Covid-19 catch-up plan, which enabled 46,548 patients to undergo surgical procedures in the past quarter.

Ambulance Victoria said a drop in its staff furloughed because of Covid-19, and across the health system, helped slightly improve response times.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Maria Konecsny of Gewürzhaus Herbs and Spices, Ben Arnold, of My Little Kitchen and Nina Sturgess of Verso Books form part of the newly-fledged group. Picture: TANYA STEELE

Feds target vape epidemic

By Callum Ludwig

The Australian Government has made a big budget commitment dedicated to stamping out the use of vapes and discouraging a switch to smoking as lung cancer continues to kill more than any other cancer in Australia.

$737 million has been allocated in 2023/24 Federal Budget to fund new measures to restrict importation and sales and improve the quality and packaging of vaping products.

Associate Professor Johnson George of Monash University Centre for Medicine Use and Safety and Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences said there is no place for vaping as an evidence-based smoking cessation strategy in the management of nicotine dependence.

“Efforts should be directed at improving access to subsidised smoking cessation treatments in combination with behavioural counselling,” he said.

“Prescription and non-prescription smoking cessation medications currently available are safe, efficacious and cost-effective. Other approaches should not be considered until such options have been exhausted.”

Vaping is particularly prevalent among younger people and due to the highly addictive nature of nicotine, concerns have been raised in recent years about the potential for lifelong addiction.

A Yarra Ranges school that wished to remain anonymous said they acknowledge that vaping is a significant community concern, especially amongst young people.

“We strongly support measures to reduce access and availability of e-cigarettes. There is clear evidence now that vaping has significant long-term health risks, not dissimilar to smoking,” they said.

“We have been educating our students over the past couple of years on the dangers of vaping in the hope they will make good choices about their future health outcomes.”

In an effort to quash the black market for illegal vapes, the federal and state governments

will be stopping the importation of non-prescription use vapes and banning all single-use disposable vapes, restricting colours, flavours ingredients and nicotine volume and enforcing pharmaceutical-like packaging.

Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler said vaping is creating a whole new generation of nicotine dependency in our community.

“It poses a major threat to Australia’s success in tobacco control and the Albanese Government is not going to stand by and let this happen,” he said.

“Australia needs to reclaim its position as a world leader on tobacco control.”

The changes will be supported by the proposed national tobacco control legislation announced in November 2022 and help achieve the goals of the National Tobacco Strategy 2023–2030 also released on Tuesday 2 May in reducing daily smoking prevalence to less than 10 per cent by 2025 and at or under 5 per cent by 2030.

Mr Butler said these reform measures will help protect the health of Australians, while reducing the pressure on our health system.

“Vaping was sold to governments and communities around the world as a therapeutic product to help long-term smokers quit. It was not sold as a recreational product - especially not one targeted to our kids but that is what it has become,” he said.

“Young people who vape are three times as likely to take up smoking. So is it any wonder that under 25s are the only cohort in the community currently recording an increase in smoking rates?”

Funding will also deliver a public health information campaign on the dangers of smoking and vaping to discourage new smokers and urge current smokers to quit, supported programs in nicotine cessation education and health practitioner training, a 3-year additional 5 per cent tax on tobacco on top of normal indexation, alignment of tax on loose-leaf tobacco products and a new national lung cancer screening program.

Health Minister Mark Butler announced the Federal Government will work with the states and territories to shut down the sale of vapes in stores.

Picture: LUKAS COCH/AAP

A person poses for a photograph as they vape in Melbourne. Picture: AAP/DIEGO FEDELE

CFA brigades’ joint training

By Tanya Steele

Coldstream CFA along with many other local CFA groups hosted a pumping training event at their local winery Domaine Chandon on Sunday 30 April, with great success.

The training was designed to simulate setting up and transporting large volumes of water in the event of a larger fire event and to practice setting up and laying the hoses.

“The day went really well,” said Sean Bethell, CFA Captain in Coldstream.

“A lot of planning went into the lead up for this,” he said.

Lilydale, Heasleville, Chirnside, and Socresby brigades assisted with moving water on the day andYarra Glen, Healesville and Badger Creek were also in attendance.

Some brigades from further afield in Kinglake and District 13 brought along specialised equipment for the training.

Mr Bethell said there were about 15 different types of fire trucks and crew carrier-type vehicles involved overall and at least 50 firefighters.

“There was a number of brigades there and all had roles in helping us set up and pack up at the end of the day,” he said.

The training involved practising hose layout, familiarising pump operators with how to move larger volumes of water and giving new volunteers an insight into larger operations.

“You might have dams a kilometre away from the building and we’re able to relay water long distances in large quantities to give them knock that fire down,” Mr Bethell said.

The event used a 100ml hose from the Scoresby Hose Layer which is a specialised fire

truck from the Scoresby brigade, a normal firefighting hose is only 38ml.

“100ml is really specialised for moving large amounts of water, its capable of moving 3,500 litres per minute,” said Mr Bethell.

The training pumped water from the bottom dam at Domaine Chandon and Mr Bethell said the winery was left in good condition with all the vines still standing.

“They’ve been really supportive of the bri-

gade,” said Mr Bethell.

Leading into summer the CFA units will continue with seasonally appropriate training.

“We try to run different scenarios and mix it up a bit,” Mr Bethell said.

Over $10,000 raised for the Upper Yarra SES Unit

By Callum Ludwig

The SES UpperYarra Unit’s Trivia Night fundraiser was a big success, with over $10,000 raised for the volunteer unit.

The money raised will be going towards vehicle replacements to best help members serve the community.

Deputy Controller of the SES Upper Yarra Unit Hannah Brunton said they had a massive turnout.

“We had about 150 people that came along, over 35 silent auction items that had been donated from local businesses and did six rounds of different themed trivia and games,” she said.

“The amount we raised was really impressive, much more than we were expecting. Nearly $6500 came from our silent auction, which shows how much support we had from our local businesses.”

The SES trucks need to be replaced about every 10 years, and the SES Upper Yarra Unit has to replace a truck this year and next year.

Ms Brunton said only about 30 per cent of the unit’s running costs are covered by the Victorian Government.

“We’ve got one state-owned vehicle, which is our rescue truck but the rest of our vehicles we have to pay to replace ourselves as well as our other costs,” she said. “If we don’t have the equipment that we need, we can’t do the job that we’re there to do, and that’s to help people in their time of need.”

The SES UpperYarra Unit will be putting their fundraising total towards an application for the State Government’s Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program (VESEP). This program provides emergency services $2 for every dollar they raise up to a maximum of $150,000 for essential vehicles and equipment.

Ms Brunton said it was really humbling to receive as much as they did.

“At the end of the day, the people who were supporting us are the people who are likely to call us and there was a lot of people who were willing to donate and willing to support us who we know to be struggling themselves,” she said.

“It was really humbling, really good to see and we felt very supported.”

The winning team - The Yogis.

Many brigades joined in on the training.

Picture: CFA CHIRNSIDELarge water volume pumping involves specialised equipment and training.

Ten years helping Yarra Valley business grow

bought with him more than 15 years’ experience managing a suburban Melbourne firm. Dalcorp Accounting Services, which specialises in Business Accounting, Personal Taxation, Cloud Accounting, Bookkeeping and SMSF’s, has grown beyond his expectations, and now employs a team of six people from| the area.

Marathon run makes point

A local accounting practice has reached a significant milestone and helped many businesses grow along the way. Dale Feim, owner and principal accountant at Dalcorp Accounting Services in Yarra Junction, held his daughter in his arms when he turned the sod on the site of his soon-to-be purpose-built office ten years ago. A decade on, he is proud of the growth he has seen in his own business, and even prouder of the advice and support his business has provided to countless local businesses in the Yarra Valley.

A true local, Dale was born in Don Valley and still lives locally with his young family, he has witnessed many changes in the region, and brings his wealth of experience and professional knowledge to help his clients prosper. This year, he has also stepped into the role of Treasurer for Warburton Valley

CEDA, an advocacy group for businesses and traders in the region. “We love to get out from behind the desk and visit our clients to get a real grasp of how their businesses operate. Being approachable to and contactable by our clients is really important and forms the foundation of how we operate our business,” says Dale.

When Dale first opened his practice in Yarra Junction on 13 May 2013, he

“A key factor of our success is that we have the rigour and experience that larger firms can offer, while being able to provide a personal and solution-focused professional service to small business. We can immerse ourselves in our client’s business and be uncompromisinginofferingthebestquality professional advice. “A large percentage of accounting practices are sole practitioners so Dale believes with the support of his team Dalcorp occupies a unique niche in offering the ‘best of both worlds’.

“Practice of the Year National Winner 2021.”

“What people need most, especially those in small business, is to know they can trust their accountant to provide timely, quality advice and be across the constantly changing legislative landscape. We feel honoured to have partnered with so many local Yarra Valley Businesses and feel content when our clients experience that wave of relief that we are taking care of them.”

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Dalcorp, Dale will be preparing his clients fortheEOFYwithhisusualtaxplanningand business advisory meetings. “I look forward to the next decade and I’m excited to see our local businesses and region continue to prosper.”

All enquiries to: Dale Feim on 5967 1312 or email: accountant@dalcorpas.com.au

By Callum Ludwig

Yarra Centre swim teacher Nicki Bennett swapped the pool for solid ground when she recently took on the London Marathon for charity.

After losing a friend to leukemia last year, Ms Bennett chose to raise money for the Anthony Nolan Foundation, which matches people with blood cancer to stem cell transplants.

Ms Bennett said her friend had a bone marrow transplant but had died from complications.

“I thought I would choose a charity that matches people with blood cancer with the stem cell registry and does stem cell research, a lot of people have been coming up saying they’ve been affected by blood cancer,” she said.

“I’ve got another friend whose son is going through treatment for blood cancer at the moment, he’s only 16 and my sister-in-law has had it as well, so it was a charity close to my heart.”

The London Marathon was held on Sunday 23 April, and takes participants past a number of landmarks, running alongside the River Thames, past the Tower of London, near St Paul’s Cathedral and finishing up near Buckingham Palace.

Ms Bennett said in order to apply for a charity place in the race, she had to raise a minimum of 200 British pounds (equal to $3744).

“We did a few events to fundraise, we had a sausage sizzle at the Yarra Centre and I did a mini-triathlon with some friends at the Yarra Centre as well, which was a big success and my friends have been very generous,” she said.

“At the moment I’m currently sitting at 3600 pounds, which is about $6800. That’s the bit I’m most proud of, raising the money for charity, knowing that it’s going to have such a good outcome for so many people.”

A regular runner already, after finding out

AllsmilesforNickiBennettafterherLondon Marathoneffort. Picture:SUPPLIED

she was accepted in November, Ms Bennett followed a 16-week program to make sure she was ready for the event.

Ms Bennett said she wasn’t after a very quick time, but it was the most amazing experience.

“I just wanted to feel strong and keep a slow, steady pace, which I did, and felt good from start to finish. I flew over with my husband because he’s from England and his brother and sister came down from Yorkshire, so they were walking around watching me too,” she said.

“It was just amazing to see there was no bit of it where there wasn’t crowd support, I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

Anyone interested can still donate to Ms Bennett’s fundraising page at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ Nicki-Bennett1.

Feel Good Fridays offer free fun and carer respite

By Callum Ludwig

The responsibility of being a carer doesn’t always leave much room for respite, but an initiative from the Yarra Centre in Yarra Junction is providing an opportunity for carers to relax and recuperate.

While you’d be hard-pressed to find a carer who wouldn’t do everything they can to help their person in need, some time away is necessary to help prevent burnout and strain.

Community Engagement and Inclusion

Coordinator at the Yarra Centre Sandra Kelly said Feel Good Fridays will open up the centre for free to carers.

“Pre-Covid we used to have a carers program running and then coming back from all of that, we looked at relaunching it,” she said.

“But due to the fact that lots of carers need flexibility around times, we decided instead of having a set time each week, that we just open up one day a week where they can come in for free and use the whole centre.”

Feel Good Fridays will be a great opportunity for carers to connect and socialise and perhaps offer each other advice and support.

Ms Kelly said it s important because often carers don’t get a lot of respite from those they are looking after.

“Everyone that participated in the carers program has really enjoyed it, they love the fact that it gives them somewhere or something to do that’s not with all the focus on

the person that they’re looking after,” she said.

“Hopefully with us open for free on a Friday it gives them something to do, even if it’s just to come for a coffee and a chat.”

Carers will have full access to the pool and gym as well as any group fitness classes they would like to attend. They can even join in on the table tennis in the morning.

Ms Kelly said she is more than happy to answer any questions carers have.

“We are more than happy for them to work at their own pace and there’s plenty of support through the staff to get them started as well, if there’s something in particular that they want to do,” she said.

“We’ve only relaunched it over the last couple of weeks, so we still want to get the word out there and try to build some numbers so that there is that opportunity for carers to connect with other people in the community.”

For more info, call 5967 1675 or email skelly@yarracentre.com.au.

30 years of bird advocacy

By Callum Ludwig

The Helmeted Honeyeater has had a speciessaving turnaround in the last few decades and one man who has had a big hand in this improvement was recently recognised by his peers.

Senior Ornithologist in the Helmeted Honeyeater Recovery Program at the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) Bruce Quin has hit a 30-year milestone in his career helping the threatened species.

Mr Quin said it was in mid-1993 that he was first employed as a field ornithologist in the recover program.

“As time progressed, I became the senior ornithologist for the recovery program as well as overseeing the Yellingbo field program, so took on all the admin duties but was still very well involved in the hands-on area,” he said.

“It’s been a big thrill to see the rise in the population though we still know we’ve got a long way to go because having 250 birds in the wild is still a dire situation.”

On Sunday 30 April, friends and colleagues of Mr Quin gathered at the Plight of Our Faunal Emblems exhibit at the Yarra Ranges Regional Museum to celebrate all that he has achieved.

Mr Quin said part of the thrill of working in the program has been working with lots of other organisations and learning from them.

“The teamwork is critical because each organisation has its own area of expertise, but we’re all working for a common cause, and that’s to restore and enhance the habitat and numbers of Helmeted Honeyeaters across the landscape,” he said.

“The birds had their backs against the wall because of the Millennium drought and Black Saturday and we learned a lot of lessons from that, it feels like it has been a battle to get

the birds to 250.”

In 1990, just three years prior to the beginning of Mr Quin’s career, Helmeted Honeyeaters reached a record low of only 50 in the wild.

Mr Quin said he is planning to spend at least five more years in the field.

Look closer in your own backyard for creativity

By Tanya Steele

The Yarra Ranges Garden for Wildlife program (YRG4W) invites the public to get creative in their own backyards with a free online webinar on nature journaling on Sunday 21 May.

The session will encourage people to look closer at their surroundings by using the practice of writing or drawing to keep a nature journal in their own gardens.

Suzanne Burville from Yarra Ranges Council (YRC) Climate and Nature team keeps her own journal and encourages people to have a go.

“Nature journaling is a great way to make a connection with nature, it helps move your focus off your day-to-day activities,” she said.

“It gives you permission to just be out in nature and sit still and observe.”

The Gardens for Wildlife workshop is open to all and will be delivered as a webinar as part of the Gardens for Wildlife program.

Suzanne said the process of journaling doesn’t mean a person has to be “creative”.

“When you begin to journal you also begin to closely observe what’s happening with flora and fauna around you, it promotes in-

quisitiveness,” she said.

Suzanne said she hopes this webinar will provide the community with a way to document the changes in their gardens.

“You might see something you don’t know the name of such as a bug on a flower or a plant and you’ll be more inclined to find out more about it,” she said.

TheYRG4W program itself is a free program run through the YRC to assist residents with introducing small changes to their own backyards to encourage visits from the local fauna.

“People may notice as they introduce more indigenous plants to their patch, new birds or insects start dropping by,” she said.

“If they draw and write about it in their journal they will have a record of changes that took place over time.”

Participants will get a rundown on how to begin their nature journal and do some simple exercises to get started, materials required are a pen and paper and nature finds from the person’s own garden.

The session will run on Sunday 21 May from 10.30 am to 12 pm and is free to access, people can register on the Yarra Ranges Council website.

“I’m still highly motivated and thrilled by my role and it’s been a real privilege to work with so many really talented and experienced people and of course, with the birds themselves, which keep me so occupied,” he said.

“It’s almost a seven-day-a-week but not

quite 24 hours a day job because they do sleep, but it’s been my life for 30 years and I’m planning for that to continue for at least another five years, possibly longer, depending on how long I can last because I’m not a young man anymore.”

Koala ‘Dindi’ tucks into eucalyptus leaf lunch

Healesville Sanctuary Koala, Dindi, is back munching on eucalyptus leaves after a recent trip to the dentist.

It was discovered during a routine health check last month that 11-year-old Dindi had worn out his upper incisors, which is a common issue for older koalas.

Koalas have big incisors at the front of their mouth that they use to nip off eucalyptus leaves and then they use their big molars at the back of their mouth to grind those leaves into a paste to digest.

A dental specialist undertook a double root canal for the koala, which required two procedures: a temporary root canal involving drilling and the insertion of a filler to treat infection at the base of the teeth, and a second procedure creating tooth crowns permanently sealing the teeth.

Healesville Sanctuary Mammal Keeper Craig McQueen said the veterinary team continues to monitor Dindi’s teeth to ensure he maintains good health.

“As anyone who has had a root canal probably knows, it can be a bit of a painful procedure, but Dindi has been really keen for his food and he’s settled really quickly,” Mr McQueen said.

“We are lucky to work with specialists and have a team of dedicated vets and nurses at the Sanctuary’s Australian Wildlife Health Centre.”

“Dindi received pain relief while recovering and will have a follow-up check in a couple of months’ time, but things are looking good for him, and we are hoping that he’ll keep eating all those eucalyptus leaves for a long time yet.”

Dindi is named after Wurundjeri Elder Murrundindi.

Koalas are one of Australia’s most iconic animals and can spend up to 20 hours a day sleeping in a tree.

Dindi is back to munching leaves.

Their diet consists almost entirely of eucalyptus leaves.

Threats to this species include loss of habitat due to agriculture and development, and the disease chlamydia.

Visitors can see the koalas at Healesville Sanctuary from the beautiful Koala Forest boardwalk.

Learn more about these animals during the daily koala keeper talks at 11am and 2pm.

Zoos Victoria and Healesville Sanctuary visitors are reminded that all tickets must be pre-booked online at zoo.org.au.

Zoos Victoria Members no longer need to book but are required to scan their Membership card to gain entry.

Bruce Quin (front row on right,holding plaque) celebrates his milestone with friends and peers.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Picture: ZOOS VICTORIA

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

‘Expressions’ anew

By Callum Ludwig

After four years in the wilderness, the Yarra Ranges Photographic Society’s (YRPS) ‘Expressions’ exhibition is back for its fourth edition over the next few months.

The exhibition will be opened at the Arts Centre gallery in Warburton on Thursday 25 May and there will be plenty of opportunity to catch a glimpse running almost all through winter until Sunday 20 August.

President of YRPS Rob Wagner said the first ‘Expressions’ exhibition was in 2015 and they planned to hold it every two years.

“We had one in 2015, 2017, 2019, and then a certain disease came along and screwed it all up and got out of sync, so this is the first time in four years since we’ve actually had a chance to have a go at it again,” he said.

“The photography has been contributed by probably half of the members of the club, in a number of different genres such as portraiture, landscape, flora and fauna, black and white images, abstracts, macrophotography, astrophotography and some creatively enhanced images.”

There is no particular theme to the exhibition, it is simply a collation of 41 of the favourite photos ofYRPS members to appreciate and enjoy.

Mr Wagner said YRPS members come from all across the Yarra Valley with different skills and interests.

“The idea of the exhibition is to be a way of giving these people an opportunity to present their work publicly every two years, which they may find a bit more difficult to do themselves otherwise,” he said.

“The images they’ve picked are things that mean a lot to them, that made an impact with them, or they put a lot of effort in, or it may

have been a really challenging circumstance to try and take a photograph or it might be just something that speaks to them emotionally.”

The YRPS vary in experience and ability, consisting of everyone from retired professional photographers all the way to new members learning and improving with every snap.

Mr Wagner said if you want to start dabbling in photography without actually having to spend a whole lot of money on equipment, use your phone and get started.

“The standard of phone cameras has really improved a lot, and just getting out there and experimenting with it is half the fun of it. Our group represents a real cross-section of people, but particularly people who are interested in really taking their photography to another level,” he said.

“While a lot of clubs lost members or fold-

History is celebrated

By Callum Ludwig

The Mont De Lancey Historic Homestead recently celebrated 30 years since the opening of its museum.

ed, we have actually grown a little bit over the last few years. It certainly proved that out in this part of the world, there’s a need for and a desire for people to get out and take photos.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about the YRPS or the ‘Expressions 4’ exhibition can do so at www.yrps.org/.

Mid-year MEYVAS exhibition is now open

By Mikayla Van Loon

The Mount Evelyn andYarraValley Arts Society (MEYVAS) has just opened its mid-year exhibition called Retrospective at the Warburton Waterwheel Art Gallery.

Displaying a range of artworks from the society’s members, president Bev Hardidge said it has quite the variety.

“There’s 15 artists and it’s a big variety because you can imagine that with 15 people there’s lots of different styles and types of art. So it’s a pretty decent exhibition and we’re pretty proud of it,” she said.

The gallery space took a full day to transform and curate given the large range of works, which include paintings of various sizes, sculptures, jewellery, ceramics, cards and unframed works.

“Thankfully, the gallery is such a lovely big gallery now and we expected we would get quite a few works submitted, but I guess we didn’t quite expect as many [as we got],” Ms Hardidge said.

“In the last couple of years we discovered the Waterwheel and we found that to be very convenient and good.”

Ms Hardidge said the exhibition is a combination of both old and new works produced by members, many of which have been influenced by the local environment or classes MEYVAS has undertaken.

The Society has been giving artistic people an opportunity to explore their craft, while socialising, for many years now.

“Nearly everyone is an artist of some description, whether they’re just beginners or more advanced, or really advanced,” Ms Hardidge said

“We’ve got a variety of abilities, I suppose you could say but usually, the reason why they’re joining is because they’re already arty and interested in that sort of thing.”

Retrospective will be the last formal exhibition as a society, with members looking to explore new pathways, away from the formalities of an incorporated group.

Ms Hardidge said, however, MEYVAS will still be a place for creatives to get together and paint or craft on days out in the Valley.

In the meantime, she hopes people come to enjoy the beautiful and outstanding work of some of the Yarra Valley’s lesser known but esteemed artists in their own right.

“We’ve got such a variety of artwork there. Anyone who loves art would find something

Pictures:

Originally opened on March 14 1993, the museum became the new home of ‘The Wandin Collection’ a collection of items gathered from the pioneering families ofWandin. President of the Mont De Lancey Historic Homestead Museum Jill Sebire, whose husband’s family were one of the pioneering families, said 30 years is quite a feat.

“30 years is a long time for volunteers to keep something going, and it was really nice to see some of the original people that started the whole thing,” she said.

Annette and Neville Lord pushed for the opening of the museum, convincing Graeme, Eileen, Olive and Lance Sebire to help chip in for the purchase of the Mont De Lancey homestead and three acres of land on Wellington Road.

Ms Sebire said the museum continues to be important because if you lose your history, you don’t get it back.

“Eventually, there’s no one left to tell you what happened, so it is important especially as we’ve got lots of family histories here because there are still a lot of people in the district that descend from the pioneering people,” she said.

“I know the Sebire’s are obviously all interested, but there are a lot of others and I think younger people are looking now to find who was who in the beginning, because it was a big job to come and clear the land and start off and we’ve reaped the benefits of it.”

After the homestead and land were purchased, the Wandin & District Historical Museum Society was formed, with Fred Gaudion appointed as the first president and about $200,000 went on to be raised to help establish it.

Builder Ray Johnston, electrician Rob Johnston and plumber Keith Ross all played a big role in the conversion and maintenance of the site to what it is today. Annette and Neville Lord and Olive Sebire made Mont De Lancey the beneficiaries of their estate, with their generous contribution a substantial part of the continued works, upgrades and additions to the site over the years.

Long-time president Gordon Champam AM and original volunteers Edna and Gwen Parker from the Rouget and Blanksby families were in attendance for the 30th anniversary and had the honours of cutting the cake.

that they like there. There’s something for everyone really, whether you like modern art or more traditional.”

The exhibition will be on display until 12 June.

From left: Gwen Parker, Edna Parker and Gordon Chapman AM. Picture: SUPPLIED

The Mont De Lancey Historic Homestead. Picture: FILE

The Mount Evelyn and Yarra Valley Arts Society has opened its Retrospective exhibition at the Warburton Waterwheel.

SUPPLIED

The exhibition features a range of artworks, from watercolour to acrylic paints each made by society members.

Sculpture and ceramics have also been included in the display.

Stef Kruger, Jill Bell and members of the Society at their Wirrawilla Rainforest Walk photoshoot.

Picture: SUPPLIED

‘Bonnie Doon’. Picture: CAROLINE SENIOR

‘Mojo Funk’ high calibre

By Tanya Steele

Healesville Blues and Roots rockers Smoke Stack Rhino will launch their album ‘Mojo Funk” on May 19 and are amped to share it with their audiences.

Singer and guitarist Ash King is glad that it has come together through a lot of hard work by the band.

“We’re really excited to get the vinyl out there,” King said.

King said that the album is a busy lot of organised chaos.

The vinyl it is pressed on also represents this, with art by Ben Giles showcasing an eye catching collage set onto blue vinyl.

Giles is a UK artist who creates handmade collages using antique and vintage materials to create colourful and detailed artworks. Smoke Stack Rhino persisted with a high calibre approach to recording, collaborating with engineers and sound producers to achieve a result they were happy with.

The album is mixed by Callum Howell who produced for producer of Ocean Alley, winners of Triple J’s Hottest 100

“He’s just a wizard with what he does,” King said.

Until now the band have been releasing their music one single at a time, learning about the digital landscape and how their art. King said the band’s energy and music are filled

with the most part positive and authentic energy.

“It’s blues rock, psychedelic and a bit heavy,” he said.

King moved to Healesville from Ringwood North at age eleven and found it and the outer east to be a nourishing environment for an artist.

“Growing up you’re surrounded by beautiful hills and fresh air,” he said.

“You’re getting exposed to different ways of

looking at things.”

The Yarra Vally trio formed in 2013, taking live shows to Healesville Music Festival, Blues at Bridgetown, Moruya Blues and Roots, Airey’s Inlet and Rock The Turf festivals.

The band will celebrate the launch with a live gig at the Toff in town on May 20.

The high energy psychedelic funky blues rock group have been working on a set that they know will deliver.

The band will be supported by fellow Yarra

Valley locals Suneden, The Seg Street Jam, and Rhys Sund.

After getting through this major milestone, the band hope to continue performing at festivals throughout Australia. King said it is positive to have the album launch.

“We’ve been through a fair bit and been really well supported, it’s a nice moment to have this coming out,” he said.

The album Mojo Funk album launches on 19 May.

Mythology and creatures great and small at gallery

By Tanya Steele

The YAVA Gallery opened a new exhibition on 4 May that is filled with wonder and delight, inviting people to explore a stunning curation of mediums.

The exhibition is headed with sculpture work by Nerissa Box and a curated selection by over 20 YAVA artists and holds the eyes captive within a mystical space.

Tecoma artist Box brings a dedicated and anatomically fantastic feel to her sculptures and presents two very different styles within her work.

“I’m obsessed with anatomy and creatures, I have always been interested in it,” she said.

The sculpture Icarus was created with a bronze powder coated and is a cold cast statue that invites the eye to wander over the fine details of the Greek mythology figures’ wings.

“I really wanted to extend myself as a sculptor and I chose to create the sculpture before Icarus takes flight,” she said.

Box’s work ranges from hyperrealistic to fantastical creatures, inspired by movies like ET, Labyrinth and the Muppets.

Box said that using found objects within these pieces has sparked a creative pathway for the creatures, which helped to give them a narrative.

Her little creatures range in size and all have an agenda, some are either happy being where they are or are on the move.

“You’ve got Sparky is trying to Oxy his way out and you’ve got Slick who’s trying to lick her way out, I had a whole bunch of all these different characters,” she said.

Box began her career through scenery but jumped to prop work because she loved anatomy so much.

“A theatre camp in the States really triggered my interest in sculpture and props,’ she said.

“I did work experience on Jim Henson’s

Creature Shop on a show called Farscape.”

The theme of the exhibition has allowed for the artists to share the mystical and fantastic themes that they have within their art forms.

Box said that having the platform to present her work alongside the other YAVA artists is an asset.

“There’s not necessarily exhibitions that focus on fairytale fantasy myths,” she said.

Vanessa Flynn, YAVA Gallery Manager is excited about the group show and said the curated exhibit will work across a range of mediums that tie in with the theme.

“You’ve got your light and your dark approaches, with dreams and mythological creatures,” she said.

Ms Flynn said she is glad to have a wonderful team of volunteers on board including Ari Smith, Lynn Baxter and Alex MarshallRoth, which helps greatly when preparing for the exhibition, from installation to lighting.

“Lynn worked on the installation across the two full days with us and we couldn’t do it without volunteers,” she said.

The exhibition will run at the YAVA gallery until 11 June.

The band are excited to release their latest album.

Picture: DARREN CLARKE

From Left: Gallery manager Vanessa, artist Nerissa Box, and volunteer Lynn.

Pictures: TANYA STEELE Fantasy creatures great and small are currently residing at YAVA.

Seville honours service

By Callum Ludwig

Tuesday 2 May marked a special day at Seville Primary School as they unveiled a plaque memorialising three former students who served the country in war and died during or shortly after.

Bruce Bethune, Jack Drummond and Ken Berry have now been immortalised on the school grounds, a permanent replacement for three Cypress trees planted in their honour that were inadvertently removed.

Principal Chris Dossor said the school has over 100 years history and context to bring to the forefront and let students know about.

“It’s not something on a piece of paper, something the teacher is reading in front of them, a video that they saw, there’s a connection in the conversations that our three readers today were having with the family of those fallen, it was real for them,” he said.

“It paints a wider, broader picture for them and it’s conversations that we continue to have in class, it really tells the story, tells a narrative for them.”

Seville Primary School received a $1000 grant from the State Government’s 2022/23 round of the Victoria Remembers program to create the plaque, which was largely organised by the parents in the school council.

Mr Dossor said the students were intrigued before the unveiling, wanting to discuss it and know what was happening.

“Now when we are having conversations in class about World Wars, about the ANZACs, about our history, we only have to walk 10 feet away and there’s a story there for us to be able to connect with, which is really good,” he said.

“Prior to the school holidays, we had discussions in class. There were some inquiry

modules that we looked at with our Grade 5s and 6s, connected to our understanding of the ANZACs and how important it is with our younger students.”

Family members of each of the three honoured servicemen were in attendance and shared details and expanded on their stories:

· Bruce Bethune’s nephews Alistair and Ian and niece Helen,

· Jack Drummond’s nephew Ian Drummond,

· Kate Lewis, whose father was the cousin of Ken Berry.

Private Bruce Bethune died on 14 October 1943 while serving in the 24th Australian Infantry Battalion in Papua New Guinea, aged 27 and is buried in the Lae War Cemetery in Papua New Guinea. For a number of reasons, his family has never been able to visit his grave.

Major Jack Drummond served with the Australian Army Ordnance Corps in Papua New Guinea and died aged 27 due to cancer on 30 July 1945 having had to leave the war due to his illness. He is buried in Springvale Cemetery.

Flight Lieutenant Ken Berry served as part of the 36 Squadron of the Royal Australia Air

Force (RAAF) and died aged 37 on 7 March 1947. He is buried in the Euroa Cemetery.

Mr Dossor said the plaque will be a small reminder of how important it is to remember.

“Every person, every area, every community has that connection in there and while it did happen many years ago now, it doesn’t mean that power, what our people went through, what our community went through, wasn’t real and doesn’t have an ongoing impact.”

“I think the memorial will keep giving it that relevance, giving it that power and let students know that we have contributed.”

Willy Wonka with a sweet twist, all in their own words

By Tanya Steele

Chum Creek Primary School is bringing a fresh take on an old classic to a sold out audience on Wednesday 10 May.

School drama captain Reuben is excited to perform the musical theatre show to the community, after many months of rehearsal at the school.

“Everyone has played a part and put in a lot of effort,” he said.

The school kids have pulled together an original script based on the books which puts new characters into the candy land factory we know from the story.

“We’ve added a twist and made it a bit modern,” Reuben said.

New characters like ‘Tony TikTok, Nick Nintendo and Playstation Pete’ will make their debut in this version, along with an interesting role to be played by the school Principal.

Reuben is playing Willy Wonka and said his character will be a little bit sarcastic.

The cast will be performing musical numbers to “Video Killed the radio star” and“Don’tWorry Be Happy” and the cast be Auslan signing to the lyrics.

Reuben has always loved the magic of Willy Wonka and prefers the original book and the more recent movie remake.

Teacher Kate Bilton said she admires how much effort the kids put into the show.

“They wrote the whole script themselves, I’m just impressed,” she said.

Students shared out the chapters to the story to re-write the popular story with their own modern twist.

The production will be performed at the Healesville High School, which will allow the primary school students to experience the magic of performing on a larger stage will full lighting and music.

The kids have put hard work into costumes and set design and decided on the theme as soon as their production from last year wrapped.

“The audience will enjoy the costumes, they’re just crazy,” Reuben said.

Ian and Alistair share a collection of items from Bruce Bethune’s service.

Pictures: CALLUM LUDWIG

From left: Helen, Ian and Alistair Johnson, Ian Drummond and Kate Lewis unveil the plaque.

Oompa Loompas at Chum Creek not just stealing the chocolate, they are stealing the show.

These squirrels are here to put on a show.

The Chum Creek Primary School have sold out all their golden tickets.

Pictures: TANYA STEELE

Embrace change and thrive

Small businesses across the Upper Yarra are invited to come to connect, network and share their expertise with one another at the free Warburton Valley Community Economic Development Association (WVCEDA) Business Expo from 1pm to 7pm on Wednesday 17 May at the Arts Centre in Warburton.

The theme of the event is ‘Embracing Change’ with a keynote speaker, business workshops and social media health checks all part of the opportunity to enhance your business ventures.

President of WVCEDA Cleo Silva said they want to connect, promote, develop and strengthen local businesses.

“Warburton Valley CEDA is really trying to bring local businesses together because we can be a little isolated just working on our businesses all the time, and we all have a lot of similar and different experiences so it’s a great chance to connect,” she said.

“We’re really trying to get the message out there that we’re working towards creating a vibrant business community.”

At 4.30pm Strategic Futurist Marcus Barber will be presenting his ‘What do you want to achieve, and by when?’ speech, aimed to help you identify the goals you want to set your sights on and create a streamlined and efficient timeline for you to achieve them.

Prior to the speech, a series of workshops will be underway:

At 1.35pm, Stephen Dowling will lead the first workshop on successful grant writing, a fantastic opportunity to learn how you can apply for and access grants that can bolster your business and unlock potential opportunities and growth,

This is followed by a 2.30pm workshop on purposeful wellbeing processes to help your staff flourish with Peter Maguire from Ridge-

line HR, as a happy workplace environment goes a long way to ensuring a sustainable and successful business,

After a break for afternoon tea, a Content Marketing, Email Marketing and Video Marketing workshop at 3.30pm will commence with Clarissa Harris from True Tribe to help show the world your business, what you offer and why they should want it.

WVCEDA members will have the privilege of booking a 20-minute social media and online ‘health check’, where you can speak with an expert about practical ways to im-

prove your online presence. These must be booked in advance and are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Attendance options are flexible, attendees can come and go as they please and the event is designed so you can access the workshops, opportunities and information most relevant to you, although for maximum benefit, it is encouraged to stay the whole afternoon.

Most of all networking with other local businesses, forming bonds or partnerships, and fostering ideas or collaborations is thoroughly encouraged throughout the day and at

a post-event “Cheese and Chat’ drinks catchup, all to find out more about the people behind the businesses in your region, make new connections and enjoy the buzz of a thriving business community.

All businesses, traders and service providers are welcome and should bring along a business card to enter the door prize for an hour-long one-on-one session with Ms Harris.

While free, booking your attendance is required and can be done at www.trybooking. com/CHJEC. For any enquiries email info@ warburtonvalley.org.

The 2023 Warburton Valley CEDA Committee.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Surprise, sparkles at Memo

By Tanya Steele

Artist Samantha Thompson invites adults to come to play at her exhibition “Relationship to Play” showing at The Memo until 11 June.

Thompson is an established monoprint and textile artist who has been working on the concept of play and spent a long time researching play throughout history as part of her work.

One thing that stood out to Thompson was the lack of theory and concept around adults in a play setting outside of the therapy zone.

“There was a big lack of theory about adult play and obviously people usually when they think of play they think of children,’ she said.

“Once we get to adulthood, play stops and becomes less important and life is more about achieving goals and being productive.”

Patrons are encouraged to approach the exhibition without an end goal and walk in with no expectations. “For me the concept of play centres around doing something because you simply want to, for the joy of it,” she said.

“Everyone plays differently and brings their own history with play, so see how it makes you feel.”

Some of the exhibition is interactive and touch friendly, so people can get up and into the play space.

The vibrant and colourful work tracks Thompson’s journey with her relationship with play from childhood to adulthood.

Her first memories of play as a child involved bright colours, blocks and filling large spaces on paper with pastels.

“I used to draw with pastels in huge bold patterns and had these colourful blocks I loved to stack,” she said.

The larger sculptures featured emerged when Thompson imagined these mono-print shapes as 3D.

“I started thinking, what would that look like if it was 3D,” she said.

“They have a painterly feel to them and you can move them around and interact with them.”

There are some surprises hidden in the exhibition, Thompson wanted to take people almost into another world.

“Suprise, sparkles and intrigue are part of my approach to play,” she said.

“I thought, what does that look like, standing in front of me.”

Encouraging people to interact and move is part of Thompson’s aim with the work she has on display.

Larger sculptures are on the ground and people can approach and interact with them.

Play is a core part of Thompson’s artistic

identity and she said now she has identified this, it will remain a fixture in her work.

“It has gone from on the wall, to on the ground and now to wearable art,” she said.

Some of her more recent wearable pieces are in the foyer at The Memo.

The exhibition is free at The Memo until 11 June.

Needlocalstaff?

thejob...

The 3D forms emerged from mono print and invite the public to interact.

Picture: TANYA STEELE

Upgrades and inclusion

Healesville Living and Learning Centre is pleased to be moving into another year of service to the Healesville community.

From our visit from Maggie Toko, Mental Health Complaints Commissioner, to our new Women’s Space group, we are making moves in many great community development areas. We also have some of our usual favourites returning in our ACFE space, including Computers and Devices, Auslan and Permaculture.

HLLC is dedicated to promoting inclusion through all aspects of our work. We have our regular Healesville Pride dinner; the next one coming up is on 25 May. It has been so lovely to join this ever-changing group, and listen to their experiences and needs. We would also like to form a steering group for our LGBTQIA+ community, to lead us forward in giving support and expanding our services.

Our Bush Tucker garden has had a recent upgrade. We are looking to share the benefits of this area with not only our ‘Knowing Australian Plants’ class, but are in discussions with Oonah and the Indigenous Health Team from Eastern Health to look at ways the garden can be utilised by their groups also.

HLLC recently became the auspice for the very well-established Healesville Women 4 Women. Our International Womens Dinner made a return after many years and we hope this is the first event of many to share. Our Women Space will begin on 3 May. We would like to say a big thank you to the Eastern Community Legal Centre for the many years of support offered to HW4W. You did a brilliant job and we have big shoes to fill!

Our Community Development Coordinator, Shona Rimmer, is available Tuesday to Thursday to assist with making connections to people and services in the community. You can access her support in accessing the State

Governments Energy Rebate and Casual Sick Leave Schemes, bookings are essential. We would love to hear about anything you would

like us to be offering, so feel free to pop in and have a chat.

Please call, or stop in to make a booking for

any of our programs and classes. You can contact us on 0359625982, Monday-Thursday 9 to 5pm.

From left: Maggie Toko (Mental Health and Wellbeing Commissioner), Merilyn Duff (Ochre Program Team Leader, Mullum Mullum) Kellie McPherson (Community Development Officer SYR), Shona Rimmer (Community Development Coordinator Healesville Living and Learning Centre), Ally Pain (Mental Health Complaints Commission). Picture: SUPPLIED

Local projects in doubt

Victoria is bracing for a horror State Budget on 23 May. Plagued by record debt that the Andrews Labor Government forecasts will reach a whopping $165 billion by 2025, and Big Build projects hitting $30 billion in budget blowouts, at least, the Labor Government has already foreshadowed troubling funding cuts to health (including community health), education, infrastructure projects, and plans to axe around 5000 jobs.

State debt is crippling, costing $10 million a day in interest repayments alone. That’s $10 million a day less to spend fixing the health crisis, funding more nurses or hospital beds, more teachers or police, more mental health services or crisis accommodation, or fixing dangerous roads.

Not only does Victoria have the highest

CARTOON

From my desk

Bridget Vallence Evelyn MP

debt than any other state in Australia, Victoria is also the highest taxed state in the nation. As cost-of-living pressures hit households and local businesses hard, the Andrews Labor Government has refused to rule-out hiking taxes further. Since 2014, the Labor Government has added 44 new or increased taxes, doubling its

Australians in Antarctica

A review of Ice Bound: The Australian Story of Antartica by Joy McCann

Ice Bound: The Australian Story of Antarctica is aninformativeandengagingaccountofthehistory of Australia’s connection with Antarctica.

Written by renowned environmental historian Joy McCann, this is a superb read for all who are mesmerised by the “vast, solitary snowland, cold-white under the sparkling star-gems; lustrous in the radiance of the southern lights; furrowed beneath the icy sweep of the wind” as described by Australian expeditioner Douglas Mawson.

No less fascinating than Mawson’s own book The Home of the Blizzard (1915), Ice Bound utilises “stories of exploration and adventure, exploitation and conservation, culture, science and governance” to examine Australia’s relationship with Antarctica.

The book also contains more than 200 historical images from the National Library of Australia, plus precious landscape photographs and documentary images captured by scientists. It is intellectually stimulating and visually stunning.

The comprehensive storytelling begins with the “heroic era” featuring prominent Australian and international explorers such as Mawson, Borchgrevink, Davis, Hurley, Scott and Shackleton. In sharp contrast are depictions of the gruesome fur and oil-harvesting business that drove Macquarie Island’s seals and penguins to near distinction.

Following the founding of the Australian Antarctic Division in 1948, Australia consolidated its sovereignty in Antarctica by building a permanent presence on the frozen continent. Mawson research station was set up in 1954, while Davis station was established in 1957 as part of its scientific program during the International GeophysicalYear.

The ensuing “scientific era” was a remarkable proof that nations could indeed put aside their contest for territory in pursuit of coordinated scientific research that would yield benefits for the whole world. The 1959 Antarctic Treaty further demilitarised the continent, ensuring that

PASSION FOR PROSE

WITH CHRISTINE SUN

it is dedicated to peace and science.

The “resources era” witnessed the introduction of other important international conventions aiming to protect Antarctica from exploitation and pollution.Today, the AntarcticTreaty System reflects public attitudes towards valuing the unique polar environment at the southernmost end of our planet as the impacts of climate change and population increases are felt.

As the book reveals, generations of Australian scientists, researchers and environmental activists have made considerable contributions to our understanding and caring of Antarctica. Unsurprisingly, there are also countless moments throughout this history when humans became acutely aware of their own insignificance and fragility in this majestic yet merciless land.

But this is also a land of imaginative possibilities, where “one felt this instantaneous fear at the first sight of it, that it would annihilate one; but this was overcome straight away by the sense of wonder in it” as observed by Australian artist Sidney Nolan.

Hence, in McCann’s words, a voyage to Antarctica is “not just a physical encounter with a hostile environment, but an inner journey of personal reflection and spiritual transformation”. Still, those of us who are unlikely to make this voyage in our lifetime can be content with Ice Bound.This splendid book is a must read for all who want to experience the intimate link between the “Gondwanan cousins” that are Australia and Antarctica.

tax take over its nine years in office, with tax revenue increasing a further 14 percent over the next three years.

Victorians are paying more tax than ever before and getting less for it. For example, we pay more in car rego, yet the roads around our state are in a woeful condition. Road maintenance and upgrading dangerous roads remains vitally important.

Excuses are wearing thin for the Andrews Labor Government after sitting for 4 years on $20 million in federal funding to upgrade Maroondah Highway Coldstream, including the dangerous Killara Road intersection. Just fix it!

Further, the government must reverse the savage $230 million cut from the annual road maintenance budget if it is serious about saving lives. The road toll is unacceptably high

with tragic fatalities on Yarra Valley roads this year, and some roads seemingly have more potholes than bitumen. So, it makes no sense for Labor to have gutted the road maintenance budget year-on-year. It’s time there was a transparent process to identify the most dangerous state roads, such as Warburton Highway Seville East, or Clegg Road at Wellington Road Wandin North, and ensure funding is guaranteed to fix them.

Our community needs and deserves safer local roads, better health services, upgraded school facilities, upgraded emergency services facilities, and duplication of the Mooroolbark to Lilydale railway, amongst other things. Sadly, a culture of waste and mismanagement will make it even harder for the Evelyn electorate to receive its fair share.

Getting involved at the 1812

The 1812 Theatre

Waiting for God

Season: 18 May to 10 June.

All your favourite characters from the original series are reimagined for the stage, facing challenges that come with growing old disgracefully in the era of the silver surfer.

At Bayview RetirementVillage, battle-axe ex traordinaire DianaTent conspires with new res identTom Ballard to give the conniving manager his comeuppance through an hilarious plot with unexpectedly heart-warming results. The production of a play at the 1812 Theatre involves far more people than just the actors on the stage.

No production is complete without the set on the stage. The building of the set involves design, painting, carpentry, furniture restoration and electrical work. Experienced chippies. electricians, artists, designers are always welcome along with people who are eager to learn and willing to get their hands a bit grubby. While the sets are being built the costumes are designed and made. Working with the director this involves machine and hand sewing and fitting of outfits on the actors.

This involves the changes made to the sets on stage during the live performances. This could range from providing an empty cup to

Kemp’s curtain call

an actor at a critical time before they go on stage to changes between acts while the lights are down.

The face of 1812, you could be greeting our patrons at the door, guiding them to their seats and making sure the audience refreshments between the acts and after the performance are ready to go when needed.

The designers choreograph the lighting and sound as part of the preproduction of the play. The technical crew and bio box operate the sound and lighting. With a wide range of lighting and sound equipment available, working in time with actors on stage, it’s a great experience to be the one bringing the stage alive with massive claps of lighting and rumbling thunder or the soft chirp in a lush forest scene.

STILL INTERESTED RING 1812 on 9758 3964 or email admin@1812theatre.com.au

Vol 3 is best Guardians and MCU movie in ages

Guardians of The Galaxy: Volume 3

Starring Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper and Chukwudi Iwuji

Rated M 4/5

Guardians of The Galaxy: Volume 3 is an outstanding conclusion to the Guardians series.

After his friend Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) is mortally wounded, space gunslinger Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and his team must confront the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), a megalomaniacal scientist, to save Rocket’s life.

Guardians of The Galaxy 3 features moving pathos, bright and creative art direction, well-shot action and far more organic humour than Ant-Man 3 or Thor 4.

Present-day Rocket is incapacitated for much of the movie, but a series of heartwrenching flashbacks explore his tragic origins as a science experiment. These flashbacks keep us deeply invested in Rocket’s survival and highlight the exploitative cruelty of the High Evolutionary, and as the quest to save Rocket progresses, the well-paced plot delivers more intrigue and obstacles.

In the previous films, the Guardians’ adversarial bond and mean jokes could get tiring or even toxic, so writer-director James Gunn gives them a more supportive dynamic and more opportunities to succeed as individuals. To that end, Mantis (Pom Klementieff) is less of a comic-relief punch-

ing bag, and fierce Nebula (Karen Gillan) and burly Drax (Dave Bautista) each show an unexpected gentle side.

The film’s highlight is an inventive second-act set piece with a Fantastic Voyage aesthetic, in which the Guardians infiltrate a fleshy space-station grown from organic matter.

Quill’s efforts to reconnect with old friend Gamora (Zoe Saldana) feel extraneous. Will Poulter is fun but superfluous as Adam Warlock, a living weapon who doesn’t like hurting people, and the amusing thirdact setting of a nineties Earth-style planet populated by anthropomorphic animals are sorely underused.

A vibrant adventure that spins a genuine tearjerker story from a talking raccoon, Guardians of The Galaxy:Volume 3 is one of the best MCU movies in years, and is playing in most Victorian cinemas.

- Seth Lukas Hynes

ENTERTAINER’S PARADISE

IT’S very much a case of more than meets the eye in this spacious home that just keeps showing you more and more. Every window frames ever-changing garden vistas with seasonal bursts of colour amongst intense greens. No wonder the birds and wildlife love visiting here, there is even a pair of Tawny Frogmouths that are long term residents. The current owners have treasured living here for 40 years and now move on for new adventures, but Menzies Creek will always have a special place in their heart.

The Residence Features:

· 4 bedrooms, the main with luxurious ensuite, private deck and WIR

· Spacious dining area and a lounge room with cathedral ceilings

· Stunning timber kitchen, leadlight windows and a meals area that captures the essence of the home, the indoors welcoming the outdoors to your chairside

· The main family bathroom and laundry are both updated

· An entry foyer and study nook complete the interior

· Gas central heating system, cosy wood heater, plus a split air conditioning unit.

· 6.5 KW solar

Studio/Work from Home?

The studio will be the most ‘Zen’ space you

HOME ESSENTIALS

have ever worked in, looking out over the lush garden. You may even choose for this to be a yoga/meditation room. Perfect for artistic pursuits or even a teenagers chill out zone.

Outdoors:

You can be quite self-sufficient here, the vegetable garden is thriving, there are fruit trees, berries, and many herbs as well. The setting of this home is hard to put into words, the beautiful gardens, fabulous entertaining options, the courtyard, deck, and spa area, they all come together to create a wonderful place to live. Also, off-street undercover parking for 2+ vehicles plus ample space for a caravan, boat, truck and a large utility shed.

Location: Menzies Creek is delightful, a great community, supportive and active. There are both senior and primary schools nearby. Puffing Billy chugs through town and is always a comforting sound. Lysterfield Lake and Cardinia Dam are also close by. Wellington Rd is at the end of the road and takes you into the city in less than an hour (depending on traffic). Both Monash and Eastlink freeways run off Wellington Rd. It’s 10 minutes to both Belgrave and Emerald by car. ●

FOCUS

TICK ALL THE EXTRA BOXES OF ‘HILLS’ LIVING

SPACE for the family, pets, cars, and everything else you need to bring.

This home offers space for everyone and everything, multiple living spaces, including a kitchen meals area, a separate study area off the second living space, family room with a wood fire whilst ducted heating keeps you warm on those cold nights. The home consists of 4 bedrooms (or 3 and a study) including the master with walk through robe to ensuite.

The small loft space is also a great place to hide out or use for storage! Easily entertain with access to the paved area outside from the kitchen/meals area.

Outside is amazing with a home office/ studio or maybe an extra room for the kids/ teenagers, the shedding is fantastic with a 9m x 9m barn with an extra mezzanine level, 6m x 9.8m garage and a large carport that could potentially house six cars.

Enjoy the low-maintenance gardens and extra garden sheds.

There is so much to love about this house and Cockatoo in general, with its beautiful parks and gardens, fabulous local shops, schools, eateries, sporting clubs and with Emerald only a 7-minute drive away and Melbourne under an hour, you really will want this to be your new home. ●

STUNNINGHOME&AS/CSTUDIO

TICKSALLTHEBOXES!

Spaceforthefamily,pets,cars,andeverythingelseyouneedtobring!Thishomeoffers multiplelivingspaces,akitchenmealsarea,aseparatestudyareaoffsecondliving area,masterwithwalkthroughrobeandensuite,awood fire,ductedheating,asmall loftspace,pavedareaforentertaining,outsidehomeoffice/studio,9mx9mbarnwitha mezzaninelevel,6mx9.8mgarageandalargecarportthatcouldpotentiallyhousesix cars,low-maintenancegardensandextragardensheds.‘Hills’livingatit’sbest!

Situatedbehindasecuregate&awayfromtheroad,themainresidenceisastunning architecturallydesignedhomethatcapturesamplenatural lightintoitsuniqueopen-style planwhichfeaturesawallofglasslookingoutontoafull-lengthdeck.Includesadouble garage/workshop,landscapedgardenswithvariousfruittrees&vines,alargefenced-off vegetablegarden,chickencoop,watertanks&solarpanelsprovidefreeelectricity.The one-bedroomfullyself-containedunitisidealforextendedfamilyorasarentalpotential.

2780Gembrook-Launching PlaceRoad,Gembrook

SOLID HOME ON SCENIC ACREAGE

IF you imagine yourself at an acreage merely minutes from the convenience of bus transport and Belgrave township, this property is the perfect find. An immaculately presented all-original home on a terraced 4,271m2 (approx.) allotment with 2 single carports, rain water tanks, veggie beds, and pathways through lush landscape, there are infinite options of how this property will work for you.

Quality brick construction and a versatile interior ensures new owners immediate comfort and endless possibilities. The leadlight accented front door leads into a generous foyer that enjoys a sightline through to the leafy backdrop this dwelling is surrounded by. The hub of the home is the open plan family room and dining area with wood fire that is overlooked by the bright kitchen with breakfast bar. Vaulted timber ceilings, timeless cork flooring, and access to the wrap-around covered deck create a welcoming home with an inviting indooroutdoor flow.

On this upper level, there are also 3 generously proportioned bedrooms, a classic bathroom with skylight and separate tub and shower, and a family-sized laundry.

On the lower level with separate entry is the expansive rumpus room with exposed bricks, plenty of space to have a designated sleeping area, an updated shower bathroom, and abundant storage.

This sturdy home steps from Black Hill Reserve is a superb investment for astute investors. Don’t delay, plan your inspection today

· 4,2711m2 (approx.) property with covered parking, terraced garden areas, rain water tanks, and picturesque pathways

· Quality constructed brick home with vaulted timber ceilings, skylights, timber walls, and a blend of cork and carpet floors

· Open plan family room and dining area with wood fire and access to the wraparound deck with leafy hillside outlooks

· Bright kitchen with inviting breakfast bar

· 3 upper level bedrooms with ample storage

· Adaptable lower level 4th bedroom/large rumpus room with updated shower bathroom ●

Thisuniquepropertyoffersanoutstandingopportunityforinvestorsandbuyerssearching formulti-generationalspace.Boastingasprawling8,586sqm(approx.)allotmentwith2tiles, 3dwellings,andpotentialtosubdivide(STCA),thisisaone-offchancetosecureamultiresidencepropertyofimpressiveproportions. ContactBradforaninspectiontoday!

BradConder

M 0422639115| E brad@chandlerandco.com.au

DanielSteen

M 0434979142| E daniel@chandlerandco.com.au

ThischarmingHillscottageresidesonaconvenient1,042sqm(approx.)blockwithinwalking distanceofBaynesPark,MonbulkAquaticCentre,andMainRoadcafesandshopping. Idealasafirsthomeorfabulousweekenderamongstthegumtrees,thispropertyisbursting withappeal.

BradConder

M 0422639115| E brad@chandlerandco.com.au

DanielSteen

M 0434979142| E daniel@chandlerandco.com.au

20HazelvaleRoad,TECOMA

$690,000-$759,000

STYLISHSPLIT-LEVELHOMENEARPARKLANDANDTRANSPORT 3 A 1 B 2 C

Thisimpressivehome’stree-linedaspect,terracedlandscape,andtoplocationbacking ontobeautifulBirdslandReservewillprovidenewownerswithawonderfulwayoflifeinthe DandenongRanges.

Thecoveredverandahwithleafyoutlooksleadsintothewarmandwelcomingsplit-level interior.Bookendedbyvaultedceilingsandtimber floors,theopenplanlowerlevelisbright andbeautifullypresented.

BradSuzie

M 0422639115| E brad@chandlerandco.com.au

SuzieBrannelly

M 0490506910| E suzie@chandlerandco.com.au

5GriffithsRoad,UPWEY $1,150,000-$1,195,000 FANTASTICFAMILYHOME 5 A 2 B 4 C

ThisFabulous5-bedroomrenderedbrickresidenceistheperfectfamilyhomeandhas acharmingMediterranean flavorinsideandout.Superblylocatedonacornerblockof aquiet,leafy,andhighlysought-afterstreetbetweenUpweytowncenterandGlenfern ValleyBushlandReserve,thehouseiswithinwalkingdistancetoBirdslandReserve/ Lysterfield,1000-steps,localprimaryschools,andUpweyHighSchool,trainstothecityand theshops,gym/wellbeingcenter,restaurantsandcafesofthetown.

BradConder

M 0422639115| E brad@chandlerandco.com.au

DanielSteen M 0434979142| E daniel@chandlerandco.com.au

IMMACULATE COTTAGE ON LARGE BLOCK

MEANDER down the driveway away from the hustle and bustle into your own private oasis of green grass, mountain views and privacy.

This super cute cottage complete with bullnose verandah is pristine and you will literally walk in and pop the kettle on.

With your living, meals and kitchen at the front enjoying the mountain views, with cosy wood heater and split system its just gorgeous! A good size laundry, separate toilet and updated bathroom and both bedrooms with robes complete this package.

Outside its fully fenced, raised garden beds ready to grow, wood shed with plenty of storage, old chook shed that is now also storage plus workshop with parking for 1 car, with power, concrete floor and wood heater to complete the man cave.

Only a a few minutes walk to Upper Yarra Secondary College, a few more to St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School and an enjoyable walk to the main township with all it has to offer including shopping, medical, public transport, Warburton Rail Trail and Yarra River. Call now and get in quick. ●

43WoodspointRoad,Warburton$580,000-630,000

Stylishlivinginaconvenientlocation.

Youwillbepleasantlysurprisedwhenyouenterthishome!Spaciouslivingareaswithanuptodate stylethroughoutcompletewithkitchen,bathroomsandcolourpalettetomatch.Comprising3 bedrooms,2bathrooms,3toiletsandopenplanlivingwithextralargewindowstoseethemountains! Stepoutontoyourfulllengthverandahalongthefrontandputyourfeetupasyouwatchtheworld goby.Withwoodheatingforambienceandsplitsystems–allyearroundyouwillcomfortable. Outsideyouhave flatgrassedareaforequipmentforthekids,singlegarage,storage,extraparking andevenbetterviewsfromthebackyard.IntheconvenientlocationofWarburtonthereissomany optionsandpossibilitieshere-theyareendless.Callnowforinspectionanddon’tmissoutonthis Warburtongem!

eahBannerman M 0448924266 nspection: Sat3.00-3.30pm 3 A 2 B 1 C

7RupertRoad,EastWarburton$660,000-$700,000

Awonderfulplacetocallhome-Charm filledcountryescape

Boastingtwobedroomswithwindowsandnaturallight,thehome’sbathroomfeaturestimber panelingandalargeclawfootbathtuboverlookingtheprivategardens.Throughoutthe weatherboardhouse,you’ll findawealthofcharacter,fromthe floorboardstothehighceilings tothethree-quarterwraparoundveranda.Thespaciousopen-planlivingareaisperfectfor entertaining,withlargedoorsopeningontothedecking,acozyloungewarmedbya fireplace,and theconvenienceofsplitsystems.Thekitchenfeaturesalargebreakfastbench,dishwasher,electric cooking,andslidingdoorsthatleadtoanextendedundercoverlivingspace.Thebackyardboasts over1200squaremetersofcottagegardens,easyaccessandparking,acarport,garage,anda neighboringpipelinethataddsextraprivacyandspace.

RebeccaDoolan M 0401832068

Inspection: Sun1-1.30pm

2 A 1 B 2 C

3OldWarburtonRoad,Warburton$200,000-$220,000

Vacantlandoverhalfanacre

LookingforapicturesquepieceofparadiseintheheartofWarburton?Looknofurtherthanthis vacantblockofland!Withoverhalfanacreofprimerealestateandatranquilcreekrunning throughit,thispropertyistheperfectcanvasforyourdreamhomeorweekendretreat.Locatedin oneofthemostpopulartouristdestinationsinthearea,thislandissurroundedbystunningnatural beautyandisjustastone’sthrowawayfromalltheamenitiesthatWarburtonhastooffer.With amplespacetobuildyourdreamhomeSTCA,you’llhaveplentyofroomtodesignaspacethat trulyreflectsyouruniquestyleandvision.Whetheryou’reanavidhiker,anatureenthusiast,orsimply lookingforaquietplacetorelaxandunwind,thispropertyhasitall.

TonyFanfulla

M 0419870513

nspection: yAppointment

SamanthaPrice M 0438795190

13RainbowTroutAve,EastWarburton$550,000-$590,000

PeaceandPrivacyinapicturesqueLocation

Timeforachangeofscenery,thiscouldbethespot,surroundedbylushbushandapicturesque locationit’stheidealplacetorelaxandunwind.Thehomeisfresh,lightandbrightandoffering greatspaceinsideandoutwith3goodsizebedroomsallwithbuiltinrobes.Luxuriousmainbathroom plusanopenplanlounge/livingareaandkitchenwithmodernappliancesthroughout.Outsidethere isplentyofroomforthewholefamilytoenjoy,withagreatsizebackyardplusacarportandlockup garageandwithamplespaceforcarsandtrailers.Afantasticpropertysuperblypresentedandwith nothingtodobutsitbackrelaxandenjoythetranquilandpeacefulsurrounds.

DavidCarroll

M 0419539320

Inspection: Sat1-1.30pm

PUZZLES

SUDOKU

No. 5836 26 7 726

QUICK CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Fraudulent schemes (5)

4 Traditional (9)

9 Reason (5)

4 Give way (4)

5 Extremely greedy (10)

6 Moodily (7)

918 71 2 8579

10 Gluttony or sloth for instance (6,3)

11 Famous people (6)

12 Guests (8)

14 Brotherhood (10)

15 Savoury cracker biscuit (3)

17 French word for “me” (3)

19 Synchronous (10)

23 Asset (8)

24 A spice (6)

26 Antiquated US car manufacturer (9)

27 Confuse (5)

28 Heights (9)

29 Dollars (colloq) (5)

DOWN

1 Pick (6)

2 Sharp-cornered (7)

3 Old type of trombone (7)

easy 25 36 2 475 3 63 94

7164 84 87

41 54 6518

DECODER WORDFIT

hard

34 637 1 46 2

51 7 7 315 89

medium 72 48 6 92 41

9-LETTER WORD

9

words: Good

14 words: Very good

F

E

fine, finite, genii, gibe, ignite, tent, tine, tinge

feint,

befit, BEFITTING, begin, being, bent, betting, binge, bite, bitten, feign,

No. 132

No. 132

No. 132

Healesville racers

The Healesville Greyhound Association (HGA) has announced an exciting cross-species racing partnership with its sponsorship of the Croydon Homing Pigeon Club and the Croydon Classic.

This one-of-a-kind partnership aims to foster camaraderie between the two sporting communities while nurturing the development of pigeon racing as a competitive and esteemed pursuit.

The Croydon Classic, one of Victoria’s most prestigious pigeon racing events, will take place on Sunday September 10, 2023, and will feature more than 800 birds. Starting in Mildura, the birds will fly throughout the day to their respective lofts located across metropolitan and regional areas including Croydon, Dandenong, Morning Mist, Geelong, Wallan and Melton.

Winners will be determined by their velocity, based on the distance travelled per minute, with each loft and liberation point having GPS coordinates to calculate the flying time

Trades & Services

and distance. The prize money, which totals $15,000, will be divided across the first 10 finishes.

HGA general manager Cynthia O’Brien is excited about the new collaboration and looks forward to cultivating a culture of mutual support and camaraderie between the two livestock sporting communities.

“Pigeon racing and greyhound racing have long been cherished activities that bring joy to communities and promote a deep bond between humans and animals,” Ms O’Brien said.

“We are delighted to collaborate with the Croydon Homing Pigeon Club and support the growth of this exciting sport in Victoria. This collaboration is a testament to our commitment to supporting local sports clubs and promoting sportsmanship in our community.”

In addition to backing the Croydon Classic, HGA will provide its premises to the Croydon Homing Pigeon Club to host its presentation day and to hold club meetings and events throughout the year.

Croydon Homing Pigeon Club president Steve Aquilina said the partnership would benefit the club financially and contribute to the overall development and recognition of pigeon racing as a sport.

“It is great that two livestock racing identities have connected,” Mr Aquilina said.

“The Croydon Homing Pigeon Club is really hoping we can have a partnership with the HGA for many years to come as this race is enhanced and grows over time.”

Mr Aquilina said the COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictions had caused pigeon racing to take a back seat. Despite being an outdoor sport, the five-kilometre radius restriction imposed during lockdowns meant pigeon racing was put on hold for almost two years.

“Pigeon Racing is not just a sport, it’s a passion,” Mr Aquilina said. “We are thrilled to be finally racing again. It’s a great experience to watch these beautiful birds take flight and showcase their natural abilities in a competitive setting.”

General Classifieds

Grade 1 winner Lilah Potter from Yarra Glen Pony Club. Picture: SUPPLIED

Horse Talk

By Anita Prowse

Pony ClubVictoria State HorseTrials was held at Balnarring PC last week with lots of local riders bringing home some fantastic results:

State Horse Trials Grade 1-

· 1st- Lilah Potter -Yarra Glen PC

· Amy Frazzetto - Healesville PC

· Best Performed OTT- Lilah Potter

State Horse Trials Grade 2-

· 3rd- Charlotte Armstrong -Yarrambat H&PC

· Mia Harris - Seville PC

· Isobel Morse- Seville PC

· Abigail Zammit - Yarra Glen PC

State Horse Trials Grade 3 A-

· 4th - Kami Dickins- Kangaroo Ground PC

· 5th- Ellie Casey- Kangaroo Ground PC

· Maeve Potter- Yarra Glen PC

· Yianni Fouskarinis- Yarrambat PC

State Horse Trials Grade 3 B-

· 3rd - Yarra Glen

· 6th - Seville

Employment

Some of Steve Aquilani’sr racing pigeons.

Pictures: SUPPLIED Birds on a loft.

Healesville soccer results

By Suzanne Tyzack

Healesville Senior Women Vs Monbulk

The Senior women lined up to face Monbulk at home this week. With a strong 16-woman lineup and three wins for three games of the season, they were eager to get their fourth at their home ground. Any nerves were quickly put aside as the team applied great pressure to a competitive Monbulk side early. The first goal came before halftime with a beautiful pass into the centre from Kiera Steventon, Melita Campbel connected and put her debut goal through for the Senior Women’s season. Spirits were high after a fantastic corner conversion by Naomi Hausmann brought the score to 2-0. Kiera Steventon continued her very strong season kicking two brilliant goals and taking Healesville to a strong 4-0 position. A very late goal from Monbulk brought the final score to 4-1 and the Healesville Senior women secure their fourth win and top position on the VCFA league ladder. Keep going strong women.

Senior Men vs Dynamo

The MPL2 Senior Men and Reserves fought valiantly in the rain against a very young and fast Dynamo outfit.

· Senior Men 1-4

· Senior Reserves 1-3

Healesville U14 Girls – Healesville Derby

Healesville’s two under-14 girls’ teams had their first Healesville derby early Saturday morning as the rain was just lifting. The girls faced each other with great spirits and plenty of smiles shaking hands to wish each other

luck before the Reds captain Evie Turner won the toss to kick off. A very early smashing goal from Melita Campbell boosted the ‘reds’ confidence and they were hard to stop from there with Mia Kristic scoring another two brilliant goals in the first half to bring them to 3-0 at halftime. The Whites kept the pressure on with Ava Holman nearly escaping the strong defence of the Reds but with Reds Hana Parker having one of her best games from the defence line there was no score in the second half and

the Reds took the victory this time.

Healesville U8’s – Healesville Derby

What a ripping Derby for the passionate U8s.

The most determined and committed boys who gave it their all. With a 5-5 draw showing thumping kicks, tremendous goalie saves and how to never give up. Couldn’t be prouder of both teams. Well done Healesville Strikers and Dragons.

Healesville U9 Redbacks v Yarra Valley

It was a chilly and drizzly morning in Millgrove

which didn’t distract the Under 9 Redbacks as they put on a dominant display against Yarra Valley Vikings. With a 5-0 win, the team held excellent structure throughout the game both in attack and defence with the highlight being watching striker BillyWhite netting his first hat trick of the season.

Healesville U12’s v Berwick

It was an unusually late start for the Healesville under 12s which ensured that all players could have their weeties, before they made their way down to the distant village of Clyde North to play their opponents, Berwick.

The game started the way it was going to finish, with the ball mainly in the away team’s favour. Healesville used this opportunity to look for passes and make the most of the wide space of pitch 3.The final result was 11-0 for Healesville.Two goals were each scored by Mika Kerst and Oscar Proud.

Healesville U14s

Took a heavy defeat on the weekend. Battled hard and we tried a new formation to slow the scoring. Unfortunately, we were just outgunned by a very strong Berwick side. But it’s all learning for future games. We knew we had a tough start to the season, just got to keep some spirits up and come home strong.

· HV 0 - 8 Berwick.

· Healesville U11’s v Northern Eagles 4-0 Win

· Healesville U9 White Lightning v Lilydale Eagles 2-4 Loss

· Healesville U10 Redbacks v Knox 0-6 Loss

· Healesville U10 Whites - BYE

Three Bridges’ Daniel Sanders claims first rally win

By Callum Ludwig

Three Bridges rally rider Daniel Sanders has picked up his first win in the FIMWorld RallyRaid Championships, claiming victory in the Sonora Rally in Mexico.

The race was the third round of the championships and a strong way to bounce back for Sanders, who had an interrupted Dakar Rally and opted out of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

Sanders said he got back into his groove and rhythm by training back home in Three Bridges.

“I flew out two weeks ago and to America for a week testing just before the race in Mexico, it was a five-day rally covering about 2500km starting in Hermosillo and finishing in San Luis [Río Colorado] near the border,” he said.

“It was pretty hot and hot and dusty, about 37 degrees the first couple of days and got up to 41 on the last day up near Arizona.”

The win takes Sanders up to fifth in the overall rankings, despite his tough start in the season.

Sanders said he felt really good all race.

“I started off with a good first day and then won the second, third and fourth days, it was pretty dominant and everything just worked

well for me,” he said.

“A couple of times I got a little bit lost on the navigation side of things, but that’s normal with rally racing.You just try to minimise the mistakes and I had no big crashes so that’s always a bonus, so it was a pretty smooth rally for me and probably the first one without any big dramas.”

The Sonora Rally is similar to the Dakar, in the fact that riders use a roadbook to navigate the journey.

Sander said it was a relief to get a good result.

“I wanted to push until the finish line and get that last-stage victory, so that was awesome, it’s been a tough last year from the injury and finally coming back and winning my first round,” he said.

“It was a fully stacked field, no one was out with injury so it was good to beat all the top riders in the rally team and gives me good confidence going into the next round in Argentina in August.”

The Desafío Ruta 40 is the penultimate race in the championships and will kick off in La Rioja, Argentina on 26 August, with competitors racing until 1 September.

Sanders

The ball skids away in wet conditions.

Picture: SUPPLIED

will be preparing by competing in the Tatts Finke and Hattah Desert Races in Australia over the coming months.

Daniel Sanders celebrates winning the Sonora Rally.

Pictures: KIN MARCIN/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

Daniel Sanders left the competition in the dust.

Daniel Sanders navigates with a roadbook.

From left: Tosha Schareina, Daniel Sanders, Luciano Benavides celebrate at the Sonora Rally’s finish line in San Luis, Mexico.

Daniel Sanders in action.

Healesville fights for win

By Anne-Marie Ebbels

Healesville hosted all football and netball games this weekend in the wintry conditions.

The Veterans were back in action this week against Phillip Island while the remaining football teams and netball teams hosted Berwick Springs.

In the women’s game, Healesville dominated the possession but didn’t make the most of their opportunities in front of goal.

The inaccuracy left the door open at halftime for Berwick Springs with Healesville having an eight-point lead.

In the second half, Healesville were still wasteful in front of goal, but also didn’t give Berwick any opportunities to score and ran out winners by 35 points.

Healesville started the Reserves game well and went into the first break six points down.

After quarter time Berwick Springs took control of the game and made it difficult for Healesville to get into their forward fifty and put a score on the board.

Berwick Springs were big winners by 79 points.

In the Senior Men’s game, Healesville got the score on the board early in the wet and slippery conditions.

Berwick Spring hit back in the second quarter reducing the halftime margin to six points.

After halftime, Healesville started to dominate the possession and shut down Berwick Springs forward movement, keeping Berwick Springs goalless in the third quarter.

Healesville continued to control the ball in the final quarter and ran out winners by 30 points.

The final football game for the day and under lights, the Veterans took on Phillip Island in the wet and very chilly conditions.

Phillip Island and Healesville went goal for goal in the first quarter with Phillip Island going into the first break one point up.

From the second quarter Healesville used the home ground advantage to run the opposition on the big Don Road ground and kept Phillip Island goalless for the rest of the game.

Healesville were the big winners by 65 points.

The netball was played in wet and slippery conditions with courts regularly needing

sweeping to remove the puddles.

In the D Grade game, Healesville were in touch with Berwick Springs in the first half but struggled in the second half to convert scoring opportunities.

Berwick Springs ran out winners by 17 goals. Berwick Springs took control of the C Grade right from the start in the worst of the morning weather conditions.

Healesville struggled to maintain possession and convert scoring opportunities with Berwick Springs winning by 25 goals.

Both Healesville C and D grade have struggled with an unsettled line-up each week which should improve in the next few weeks.

The A Grade game was a tight affair with the scores being even at halftime.

Berwick Springs managed to break a couple of centre passes in the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter which Healesville couldn’t clawback despite a full

court defensive effort.

Berwick Springs ran out winners by four goals.

B grade followed the A Grade game due to the live stream of the A grade game with a couple of players backing up from A Grade.

Similar to the D Grade game, Healesville was in touch at halftime with Berwick Springs.

In a strong third quarter with 14 goals to 5 goals, Berwick Springs were in control at three quarter time.

Despite winning the final quarter, Healesville went down by 13 goals.

RESULTS

Football

· Veterans Healesville 12.9 defeated Phillip Island 2.4 Best: G Newing, B Bell, Z Coleman, R Carruthers, G Thompson, H Lamaro

· Senior Men Healesville 8.11 defeated Berwick Springs 3.11 Best: N Mende, L Daly, D

Senior, W Kristelly-Kelety, S Gebert, M Donegan

· Reserves Men Healesville 1.7 defeated by Berwick Springs 14.8 Best: B Athanasopolous, P Houlihan, C McInnes, D Ebbels, C Boeder, J Barton

· SeniorWomen Healesville 4.17 defeated Berwick Springs 1.0 Best: E Cianci, CWilsmore, S Morris, S Potter, B Wandin, M Willimsen

Netball

· A Grade Healesville 31 defeated by Berwick Springs 35 Best: B Erickson, M Erickson, N Braden

· B Grade Healesville 23 defeated by Berwick Springs 36 Best:N Kaal, M Coleman

· C Grade Healesville 6 defeated by Berwick Springs 31 Best: C Haywood, G Young, T Pinkster

· D Grade Healesville 12 defeated by Berwick Springs 29 Best: J Peterson, M Alberico, C Mercuri

Golfers prevail Warburton Golf Club has a new champ

By Ron Hottes

Warburton is celebrating a new Club champion. Michael Batten won the title after shooting a combined 3-round score of 220. This pipped 10-time winner, Paul Mason by 2 shots. Michael’s last-round score of 75 was good enough to see him overhaul Paul in the last few holes. Well done, Michael on your first Championship win. The Nett Open winner, Shane Campbell, won that distinction only after a very tight countback from Clint Smallman. Both boys finished on Nett 212.

The B-Grade winner this year is Paul Osbourne, another first-time winner. Ossie’s gross 249 easily accounted for the rest of the field, as Lance Atwell came in seconf on 259, (mainly due to a superb last round of 79/67 but it still wasn’t enough) The Nett winner in this Grade was Ken White. You wouldn’t believe it, dear readers, but Ken was declared the winner after a 3-way countback. The unlucky runner-ups were Geoff Sharp and John Hall, also of course on 212.

Chris Leighton won the C-Grade title by a massive 31 strokes. His 257 would have seen him come second in B-Grade, such was his dominance here. Allan McDonald was officially the runner-up with 3 rounds totalling 288. Jack Sheehan, a relatively new member to our Club, is the C-Grade Nett winner with 212, followed by Kevin Conway on 217.

IntheLadies’events,Meredithisagainthe Open Champion, with a total of 249, whilst Jaqui Hall won the Nett scoring 222 over the 3 rounds. Jaqui is a dual winner, also snaring the B-Grade title, with a 285 total. Great job, Mrs. Hall. The runner-up was Ineke Degraaf with a 311 total but Ineke did not walk away

empty-handed. Her Nett 219 just outdid Jaqui’s 222! A newbie member, Deb Hamment, took home the C-Grade prize with a gross 335, comfortably accounting for the runnerup, Merilyn McDonald, with a 366. Sue Barratt’s Nett 240 won her that trophy.

Finally, folks, the Seniors title went to Meredith-Nursey with a 2-round 164 total. (If you qualify for this event, Ms. Nursey, then retirement must be on the horizon). David Wappett was the runner-up to Meredith with a 172. And, finally, the Senior’s

Nett winner is John Hall, who won on a tight countback from Kevin Conway! (Mind you, J.H. doesn’t play like a Senior, we may need to check his birth certificate) And it would be most improper not to announce that Seth Spenceley is the junior champion for 2023.

And so, we now start practising for the 2024 Championships, only a full 12 months away. Surely that’s enough time to prepare to shoot 3 consistent rounds. Good luck and a hearty congratulations to all 2023 winners.

By Ron Hottes

Wednesday 3 May, Stroke and M. McGrann bag-day:

Being generous, but given the inclement weather early on Wednesday every member who completed their full 18-holer round, deserves a ball. The conditions, though, did not stop some hardy players from returning a decent result.

The most decent of these, (and he is indeed a decent bloke), was posted by Paul Kennedy. A Nett 69 was enough to see P.K. qualify for the bag that is on offer at the end of the year.

The runner-up, with another decent result of Nett 70, was Barry Maltman. Good work, Baz.

Balls, not unexpectantly, reached to a Nett 74. The NTP winners on the day were Ken Barratt (3rd), Laurie Doyle (5th), Ross Machar (9th), Dale Horrobin (12th) and Ineke De Graaf (15th).

Saturday 6 May, Stroke and Monthly Medal: As if stroke events weren’t enough following the recent Club Championships, they have been followed up immediately with the Monthly Medal.

But, clearly, one member who loves playing stroke is Aaron Henderson, who returned a superb Nett 64 to win the May Monthly Medal.

Ryan-Wilson was a distant runner-up but returned a creditable Nett 69 in quite challenging conditions.

Players who posted a Nett 73, or better, can claim a ball next time they’re in the Pro shop. NTPs were claimed by Paul Kennedy (3rd and 5th—great job, P.K.), Jim Stewart (9th), Aaron Henderson (12th) and Paul Osborne (15th).

Cassie Wilsmore in wet conditions.

Picture: KYLIE ROWE Palua Pavic shrugs the opposition tackle.

New Club Champion Michael Batten. Pictures: SUPPLIED B Grade winner Paul Osbourne.

Ladies B-Grade winner Jaqui Hall.

C Grade winner Jack Sheehan.

River Pigs battle Burras

By David Ball and Alex Woods

Yarra Glen travelled to Warburton to take on the undefeated Burras in slippery conditions.

The home side started strongly, winning the ball in the midfield and moving the ball quickly to fast leading forwards.

They had 3 goals on the board before Yarra Glen had a forward entry.

Warburton was controlling play with a combination of short chips kicks and fast-forward moving handball chains to lead 5.1 to 2.0 at quarter time.

The second quarter was dominated by the River Pigs, they lifted their intensity forcing the Burras to turn the ball over.

Yarra Glen kicked to first 3 goals for the quarter, getting within 2 points before a late steadying goal for the Burras had them 8 points up at the main break.

As the rain came in the third quarter Warburton was on fire, blasting 5.5 toYarra Glen’s 2 points. Stung into action after being outplayed in the second, the Burras’ tackling pressure lifted as they ran and spread to take advantage of the many turnovers.

Yarra Glen was forced into rushed kicks when going forward. With the Burra defence set up well they were in place to rebound these errant kicks.

At 5.4 to 11.9 at three-quarter time, Warby looked poised for a big win.

To Yarra Glen’s credit, they fought hard in the last and as in the second, they outplayed their more fancied rivals before going down, Yarra Glen 7.7 to Warburton Millgrove 12.12.

The best players for Yarra Glen were Ryan Smith, Sam Wood, Tom Sullivan, Jayden Schille, Nick McKenzie, Richard Gurney and Marcus Kikidopolous with 2 goals.

Other River Pigs goalkickers were Nick McKenzie, Sam Wood, Anthony Harmon, Matt McCann and Ryan Smith.

For Warburton-Millgrove there was 3 goals from Bailey Humphrey, 2 fromTrent Elliott and Liam Westlake and 1 each for Nelson Aldridge, Tom Barr, Lachlan Marr, Blake Muir and Josh Sharp.

Ben Pretty, Dylan Walker, Tom Barr, Josh Sharp, Brayden Woolridge and Trent Elliott were all top performers for the match.

TheYarra Glen Reserves were also taking on an undefeated Warburton Millgrove outfit and they soon showed why they sit on top of the ladder.

With a large number of players unavailable, Yarra Glen did well to get a full team on the park.

The River Pigs tried hard, with Dayne Downward a standout in defence and Dan Galbraith marking and kicking a nice long goal battling against a quicker and more skilled opposition.

At quarter time Warby led 5.4 to 1.0.

This domination continued in the second and by halftime the Burras were up, 13.8 to 1.1.

Warby’s full forward, Damien Egan was unstoppable, kicking 13 goals in a polished display that had him named as best on the ground.

With rain falling, the Burras continued to pile on the goals, final score Yarra Glen 1.1 to Warburton Millgrove 24.15.

For Yarra Glen, the best players were Dayne Downward, Jarrod Hull, Stirling Twite Moore, Will Goodwin, Joshua Dick and Callum Tucker and the sole goalkicker was Daniel Galbraith.

For the Burras, on top of Egan’s dominance, Joshua Read also contributed 4 goals, Marcel Kocher with 3, Hudson Semple with 2 and Brayden Ferguson, Daniel Schlueter and Christian Toy all got 1 each. The team Kobi Gay, Daniel Schlueter, Marcel Kocher, Hudson Semple and Ben Gray also saw themselves in the bests for the game.

The Yarra Glen Netball D Grade started slowly in the wet against Warburton Millgrove.

The home team was moving the ball quickly and cleanly whilst theYarra girls were not connecting and turned the ball over numerous times to be 6 goals down at quarter time.

Whilst Yarra Glen improved their play, Warby continued to move the ball well and shoot well to run out winners, 30 to Yarra Glen 13.

Best players for Yarra Glen were Kim Chris-

tian, Sarah Matthews and Chantelle Farley.

For Warburton-Millgrove, Tamin Crunden, Tahlia Thornton and Camryn Patel all were top performers with Cam also contributing 13 goals. Cam Holland also made a return putting up 9 and Tayah Humphrey with 8.

The C Grade game started with both sides handling the wet conditions well.

Warby were just 1 goal up at the first break. The game changed in the 2nd quarter, the home side continued to move the ball quickly and cleanly whilst Yarra Glen turned the ball over as the pressure increased.

WhilstYarra Glen steadied in the third,Warburton Millgrove dominated the last to restrict Yarra Glen to just 1 goal.

Final scores Yarra Glen 19 to Warburton Millgrove 32.

Best players for the River Pigs were Ashley Shanks, Michele Young and Courtney Cochrane.

For the Burras, it was a great combined

shooting effort from Mel Hancock 15 and Camryn Holland 17. Nicole Winzer, Camryn Holland and Mel Hancock were all awarded top performers for the game.

Warburton Millgrove started the B Grade game strongly to take a 9 to 3 lead at quarter time.

The Yarra Glen girls started to link up and with some solid defence were able to outscore the home team in each of the next 3 quarters. It wasn’t enough to close the gap but it was a fighting effort from the Yarra girls in difficult conditions.

Final scores, Yarra Glen 20 to Warburton Millgrove 24.

Best players for Yarra Glen were Jasmin Wood, Alex Bray and Lily Toomer.

Jordana Butcher secured 13 goals and Alex Woods 11 for the Burras, with Tegan Butcher, Chelsea Barnard and Alex Woods the top performers for the match.

Expectations were high in A Grade for a close shootout between the top 2 teams.

Sadly it was not to be as Warby dominated every quarter to extend their lead from 8 goals at quarter time to 23 at the end.

The battle between the League’s top 2 goal shooters was the only highlight in a one-sided affair. Warby’s Karly Whappett shot 37 goals whilst Yarra’s Madeline Hargrave shot 34.

Final scores Yarra Glen 39 to Warburton Millgrove 62.

Yarra Glen’s players were Madeline Hargrave, Alana McGurgan and Kayla Toomer.

In the important win, Karly Wappett, Morgan Wyatt and Selina Fotia, all earned themselves top performers for Warburton-Millgrove. On top of Whappet’s sharpshooting effort, Bianca Daniels shot 25.

Tom Marr gets his kick away for the Burras.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Players compete in the marking contest.

Picture: JAYNE BASHFORD

Yarra Glen travelled to Warburton to take on the undefeated Burras in slippery conditions.

Picture: JAYNE BASHFORD

A fighting effort from the Yarra Glen team. Picture: JAYNE BASHFORD