Mail - Mountain Views Star Mail - 22nd August 2023

Page-turners

By Tanya Steele

Book Week has been celebrated across Australia since 1945 and events are in full swing across the Yarra Valley and schools are celebrating with all things literary. Students from Healesville Primary caught up with Star Mail to chat about books ahead of the festivities.

Roni from grade three said she likes the Hotdog series by Anh Do and the Owly series by Andy Runton.

“They have really fun adventures,” she said. Roni said she likes reading because the stories take her on little adventures and the characters always tend to get into a bit of trouble Schools will participate nationwide and celebrate reading and books from 19 August to 25 August.

More to follow on Page 10

FOGO ‘is a no-go’

By Tanya Steele

Waste collection changes beginning in Yarra Ranges have been met with many objections and questions from residents.

Multiple residents have called Star Mail and aired their concerns about how the new FOGO system will work.

Niki from Mooroolbark said that her household already has a composting system and doesn’t need a superfluous bin that will

Thinking of Selling?

never be used.

“We were already forced to have a bin of one particular size,” she said.

Julia from Montrose said she doesn’t want to pay for services that she does not need.

“There are one or two things that do go in the rubbish bin, but apart from that - everything goes into the garden, everything is recycled, and generally our rubbish bins are quite empty,” she said.

Many of the concerns have been raised by

people who will not need to use the new system as they already compost and do not require the new light green lidded FOGO bin.

Currently, residents can change the size of their bins but there are no packages that don’t include all three bins, extra rubbish bins will cost a household $168.

The new FOGO service will be implemented from 2 October 2023 this year.

The frequency of collection for the red waste rubbish bin (which will be collected

weekly) is also an issue for households that don’t produce large amounts of waste.

“It takes us between three and four weeks to fill it. But to be told we have to put it out every fortnight to get it emptied is again a waste of resources,” said Niki.

Niki said she wants more options and would prefer to opt-out completely of the green waste bin.

More to follow on Page 5

Roni, Cooper and Penny in the school library chatting all things books.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

‘Tilly’ fever hits Ranges

By Tanya Steele

If you were looking for yellow and green party supplies this week you’d be out of luck as “Tilly’ fever swept through theYarra Ranges.

Up and down the highway people got on board to support Matilda’s with multiple live screeningsofthegamesanddecorationsgalore.

Healesville Soccer Club watched the Matilda’s games avidly and Ava Holman from the U14 Girls Whites and Healesville Womens Team said that watching the World Cup and especially the Matilda’s has inspired her to play even more soccer.

“Hearing all their stories and how they have got to the world stage has shown me that anything is possible. It’s so cool that the whole nation has got behind the team and has supported them,” she said.

“Even my friends that don’t play soccer have been getting into it - it shows just how influential the Matildas are.”

Charlee Riley who also plays for one of the Healesville girls teams said the Matildas fantastic performance inspired her to score her first goal of the season against the top of the ladder team.

Some residents were lucky enough to attend a few games at AAMI Park and Charlotte Archibald from the U14 Girls Whites and Healesville Women’s Team said the stadiums were full of fans and the atmosphere was incredible.

“It made me so proud to be an Australian and left me wanting more,” she said.

The Matildas game screenings were also shown at Arts CentreWarburton and had small but passionate turnouts.

Yarra Ranges Council Mayor Jim Child was very pleased with the events and said that the Council was very excited to be able to offer the community free events as the community came together a in time of celebration.

“It’s also very pleasing to showcase the multiple uses that our cultural venues can deliver to a wide audience,” he said.

Local businesses in Healesville celebrated the mighty soccer team with cheerful yellow and green shop displays.

Jo, the baker atWild Grains Bakehouse went all out with balloons, streamers and decorations.

“It took him a few mornings and he kept adding to it,” the staff said.

Barry and Kay from Crumbz Craft have hung pom poms and scarves in their shop front.

“We wanted to show our support,” Kay said.

Barry had the original idea and even learnt how to make the paper tissue pom poms he used to decorate the window, he then brought in some scarves from home.

“I just think it’s so incredible what they did,” he said.

The Matildas have created history at this World Cup and Ava said it will be something no one will forget.

“The fact that it has been on home soil is just amazing,” she said.

Healesville Soccer Club players and members at a Matildas game showing. Picture: SUPPLIED

Some of the U14 girls and womens team players for Healesville at AAMI Park for the Nigeria vs Canada game. Picture: SUPPLIED

Coming together to watch the game. Picture: SUPPLIED

Crafty creations included homemade poms poms. Picture: TANYA STEELE

‘Not guilty’ plea

By Mikayla Van Loon

A Healesville holiday park fronted the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court earlier this week for a committal hearing two years after a man died from a fallen tree branch.

Yarra Valley Park Lane Holiday Park entered a not guilty plea before the magistrate onTuesday 15 August to one charge under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

As the person in a position of “management or control of a workplace you failed to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the workplace and the means of entering and leaving it are safe and without risks to health”, the charge reads.

Knoxfield man Ben Murphy was camping at the Don Road facility on 13 March 2021 when a large tree branch fell in the early hours of the morning while he slept at campsite 93.

Despite emergency services arriving soon after, Mr Murphy died from his injuries.

The Victorian WorkCover Authority (WorkSafe) alleges the company failed to keep the workplace safe and without risk of harm to its patrons.

The charge alleges that Yarra Valley Park Lane could have engaged an arborist to conduct a yearly assessment of a number of trees in and around campsite 93 that were at risk of limb or branch breakage, which could have led to the injury or death of a person.

WorkSafe has indicated that this did in fact occur in the instance of Mr Murphy’s death.

The matter will now be heard in the Melbourne County Court after the magistrate directed the accused to stand trial in early September.

This year, all Australians will be invited to make history by saying ‘yes’ in a compulsory referendum to alter Australia’s Constitution by enshrining an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

The Constitution is the founding legal document of our nation, providing the basic rules for the government of Australia. The Constitution is our nation’s birth certificate.

Over many years we have spent a lot trying to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians, but we haven’t got better results.

If the referendum succeeds, the Voice to Parliament means Indigenous Australians will be consulted and give advice to Government

to design better solutions for issues that affect them.

This will lead to better outcomes for Indigenous Australians in health, employment, and education – because we know when Government listens to people, we get results.

For most of us, saying ‘yes’ won’t change much. But for Indigenous Australians the Voice will bring about tangible change. There is nothing to lose, but so much to be gained.

Cow injured at property fenceline

A young calf was spotted looking injured in its paddock by a good samaritan in Gruyere on Tuesday 15 August.

Lilydale police were contacted and attended the scene. The cow was put back into the field and fortunately did not require veterinary care. 1st Constable Robertson from Lilydale Police said that there was a hole in the fence that the calf had become stuck in.

“The fence has been repaired, the calf put back in the field and the owners have been notified,” he said.

The Cement Creek road bridge upgrades are now officially under way Upgrades to Cement Creek Bridge in Warburton have officially commenced, with works expected to be completed in eight weeks, weather permitting.

Yarra Ranges Mayor and O’Shannassy Ward Councillor Jim Child, said the upgrades were required to ensure ongoing community safety when visiting the Redwoods Forest, and thanked the community for their patience during this time.

“The Redwoods Forest is one of the most visited locations in our municipality, so having the bridge upgraded to accommodate the increased traffic to the area is a necessity,” Cr Child said.

Over the past three weeks, contractors have conducted preliminary works, culminating in the installation of a crane on August 15, which has already begun removing the older steel beams that were identified as corroded and requiring replacement. The next stage of upgrade works will include the installation of new beams and decking, and works are expected to be completed in Spring.

The upgrade project was expected to be delivered earlier, however, heavy machinery was unable to access the site due to the Warburton Landslip.

“The closure has obviously caused some disruption, and we know that there have been some challenges in getting boots on the ground to start this project, but I want to thank the community for their patience because our construction efforts are now back on track for the Cement Creek Bridge upgrade project and in eight weeks’ time we should have this popular location open again,” Cr Child said.

Monbulk-Seville Road remains closed between Ferndale Road and Parker Road

Vic Roads announced on their website on 26 July that works continue in the area. The website stated that geotechnical engineers had assessed a section of unstable ground and identified an active landslip on Monbulk-Seville Road near the intersection with Charteris Road. Works on Monbulk-Seville Road will be carried out between 7:30am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, weather permitting. During works, Monbulk-Seville Road will be closed between Parker Road and Ferndale Road, with a signed detour in place via Parker Road, Monbulk Road and Ferndale Road and there will be medium to high noise levels and some dust.

There will be up to a 30-minute delay when moving through the area. Plan ahead and allow extra travel time. Further information can be found at the Vic Roads website: https:// www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/.../monbulk-sevilleroad or people can call VicRoads on 131170.

Say yes!

The charge alleges that Yarra Valley Park Lane could have engaged an arborist to conduct a yearly assessment on site.

Yarra Valley Park Lane Holiday Park entered a not-guilty plea before the magistrate.

Pictures: TANYA STEELE

Getting back to good life

By Mikayla van Loon

For young people who find themselves disengaged from school, struggling with their mental health or on a path to committing crimes, sometimes it can feel like there’s no way out.

But that’s why a local Chum Creek woman began The Good Life Farm 18 years ago, to give these young people a chance to get back on the right path.

Founder and CEO Lesley Porter and her team of social workers, counsellors and mental health practitioners offer a therapeutic program, mainly focused around animal therapy and structure.

“It’s Animal Assisted Learning and it’s life, social skills and an environmental program based on permaculture,” she said.

“My love of permaculture is the core values which are Earth care, people care, and fair share.”

In a tour of The Farm on Tuesday 15 August, members of Victoria Police and Casey MP AaronVioli heard and learned about the impact it is having on local youth, as well as those who travel distances.

“Local police and VicPol are very supportive of any youth initiatives that are going to keep our youth out of trouble,” Healesville Police Sergeant Kirsty Swankie said.

Ms Porter said since the end of the pandemic “we do have a lot of school refusals” and a lot of young people are being homeschooled because of bullying, anxiety or entitlement.

Over 10 weeks, seven to 17 year olds from all over the outer east attend one day a week, with no access to mobile phones to ensure they are focused and are provided with a healthy meal.

“A lot of the young people nowadays don’t eat very healthily. So we are just trying to introduce good food as much as we can and carbs so they’ve got the energy to do the work throughout the day,” Ms Porter said.

A successful outcome for these young people is not rooted in setting life long goals, it is more about the ability to overcome personal challenges and find self belief.

“It really is about reengagement. So some kids will either go back to school, or go back and do a certificate but it’s about reengagement in some activity and from then on, we don’t know,” Ms Porter said.

“It’s enhanced social skills, it’s a much improved sense of self worth. It’s those sorts of

things that are the critical building blocks,” board chair Frank Dixon said.

Having recently had an external evaluation done on the benefits and outcomes of The Farm, it was found to improve mental and emotional health; improve peer functioning; improve sensory functions; and reduce negative, damaging or harmful behaviours.

The report also found that the most effective time period for a young person to attend was over two terms.

“Over two terms will make the most impact. Anything after that is based on social skills,” Ms Porter said.

“Young people who do come after that, it’s usually because they’re not attending anything

and The Farm really is just an anchor and they have made friends and that’s what you want to continue.

“But that depends on the funding. It depends on the needs of the young people.”

Working on the values of respect, care and connection, not only for people but nature too, Ms Porter said learning the basics of animal instincts was an important part of teaching the young people those values.

“We have really quite firm boundaries and we use those boundaries with the animals. So ‘that’s a really large cow. If you’re going to go out to that cow, this is the way you handle it and work with it’. And if they don’t listen, then they’re going to get hurt,” she said.

While never putting a young person at risk or in danger of getting seriously hurt because they are always accompanied by an adult, Ms Porter said listening was the foundational starting point of building trust to work with the animals.

Having always worked with children at pony clubs and little athletics, as well as coming from a somewhat traumatic background of her own, Ms Porter uses that to reassure the young people they are not alone.

“What changed my life was moving when I was 11 and I started working at a riding school and holiday farm and in those days in the ‘70s, you stayed there.

“All the kids that went there were actually in boarding schools, they had no parents. I had no parents either and it just changed my life and from that experience I thought one day I’m going to duplicate what that was.

“From every negative thing we have happen in our lives, there is a strength that you will gain from it.”

Empowering these young people with resilience to know that when something ruptures, they are able to repair it, means even if they graduate from the program and find themselves in a spot of trouble, they will always be supported by The Farm.

“The other thing about The Farm is the doors are never shut. So if they’re 20 or 30, I still get kids, not heaps, ring me and say can I come up or can I have a reference.

“The door is always open and I don’t think over the 18 years I’ve had one child that’s never been allowed to come back.”

The Farm has a range of animals, including anxiety detecting dogs Mr Dibs and Zeus, as well as a number of donkeys for comfort.

The Farm is based on the permaculture philosophy of Earth care, people care and fair share.

Casey MP Aaron Violi and Yarra Ranges Police Service Area Inspector Gerry McKenna toured the The Farm and got up close with the animals.

The Good Life Farm CEO Lesley Porter founded the animal based therapy program to help get young people back on the right path.

Pictures: MIKAYLA VAN LOON

FOGO bin cost concerns

By Tanya Steele

Waste collection changes beginning in Yarra Ranges have been met with many objections and questions from residents.

Multiple residents have called Star Mail and aired their concerns about how the new system will work.

Niki from Mooroolbark said that her household already had a composting system and didn’t need a superfluous bin that would never be used.

“We were already forced to have a bin of one particular size,” she said.

Julia from Montrose said she didn’t want to pay for services she did not need.

“There are one or two things that do go in the rubbish bin, but apart from that - everything goes into the garden, everything is recycled, and generally our rubbish bins are quite empty,” she said.

Many of the concerns were raised by people who said they would not need to use the new system as they already composted and did not require the green-lidded food organics and garden organics (FOGO) bin.

The frequency of collection for the red waste rubbish bin (which would be collected

weekly) was also an issue for households that don’t produce large amounts of waste.

“It takes us between three and four weeks to fill it. But to be told we have to put it out every fortnight to get it emptied is again a waste of resources,” said Niki.

Niki said she wanted more options and would prefer to opt-out completely of the

green waste bin.

The Resource Recovery and Waste Services Policy formally known as the Waste Services Policy reflects the new operational waste collection services and requirements that are now needed to comply with recent changes to statewide waste management legislation.

As Victoria as a whole begins to adapt to the legislation, the Yarra Ranges Council will need to cater for residents and properties with a large spectrum of requirements.

The last council meeting on 8 August moved an amendment to the proposal to adopt the Resource Recovery and Waste Services policy with the caveat that an informal review will occur in six months.

The motion was carried unanimously. Councillor Johanna Skelton said at the time she considered the move a final piece in a puzzle.

“It’s still a whole lot cheaper for us to go on this journey as a community and all look at helping out everyone else who’s not there yet,” she said.

James from Helaseville spoke in objection to the waste changes and said he wasn’t too happy about them.

“I’ve always been a firm believer in mulching my yard trimmings and the chipping of any old woody material... to reinvest in my garden beds and yard. The green waste bin system never worked for me. And I see it as a waste of time for myself,” he said.

Cr Tim Heenan shared James’ concerns at the meeting.

“I accept that there are many people and I live in Mount Evelyn and so they do exactly the same as you.

“I’ve got many friends that have been putting all of their organics out and making sure they’ve been composting their gardens for decades... it’s a frustration that we share,” he said.

Cr Len Cox said many people would have issues with medical waste, in particular sanitary napkins and pads.

“It’s a serious issue and will affect a lot of people in the community,” he said.

Currently, residents can change the size of their bins but there are no packages that don’t include all three bins. Extra rubbish bins will cost a household $168.

The new FOGO service will be implemented from 2 October this year.

Remembering Vietnam’s forgotten veterans, 50 years on

By Mikayla Van Loon

Gathering for a small service onVietnamVeterans Day, Mount Evelyn RSL members paid tribute to all 60,000 men who served and to one of their own, Roger Boness.

On Friday 18 August, the sound of bagpipes rang through the town marking the occasion at 11am.

Taking the opportunity to remember and honour Mr Boness, former RSL president, vice president John Sumner told a snippet of his service.

“Roger was in control of many fire support operations with his mates of 106 Field Battery. He was known to be a very brave soldier,” he said.

“He believed in the veteran motto, which is mateship, sacrifice and pride through his later years.”

Veteran Ken McKenzie recited the Ode, Tom Steele played the bugle and Mr Sumner laid a wreath at the foot of the cenotaph.

50 years on from the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War, those who served are still only now being recognised for it.

Mr Sumner and Mr McKenzie in mid-August each received the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, some 55 years after serving in the war.

Even after the fierce battle at Long Tan, Mr Sumner said the Australian government wouldn’t allow its soldiers to accept medals which saw the South Vietnamese govern-

ment hand out other items like cigar boxes to honour their gallantry at the time.

Mr Sumner, at just 19 years old, volun-

teered to serve his country, becoming part of the artillery unit 176 Air Dispatch.

“We used to lift the guns from one fire

support base to the other. Our job was very harrowing as well because I fought at the Battle of Coral Balmoral,” he said.

It was only in 2018 that Mr Sumner was recognised with a Citation for Gallantry for the Battle of Coral Balmoral which occurred in May and June 1968.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who attended an event in Ipswich on Friday, said Australians respected the valour, integrity and character of those who served in Vietnam.

“Let us say to every one of our Vietnam veterans, today and every day, we honour you, we thank you and we are sorry that as a nation it took so long for us as a nation to do so.“

He said the nation had matured enough to embrace the truth that “we can disagree with a war without diminishing the respect we feel for every man and woman who puts on our uniform and serves in our name“.

For the estimated 35,000 Vietnam veterans still living, 50 years later they feel as though they have the respect they deserve for taking up arms and putting on a uniform.

Veteran Russell Kennedy travelled from Melbourne to mark the occasion at the Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial in Canberra.

“Today is closure,“ he said.

“We weren’t accepted when we came home.“

Piper Iain Townsley played to mark the beginning of the service.

Mount Evelyn RSL vice president John Sumner led the service speaking of the late Roger Boness.

John Sumner laid a wreath at the base of the cenotaph. Pictures: MIKAYLA VAN LOON

The FOGO bins with their composting caddy can assist people to dispose of waste that would end up in landfill. Picture: TANYA STEELE

Schoolkids spark action

By Gabriella Vukman

Amid the bracken and shrub along Little Yarra Road, a new sign stands tall, warning drivers to be cautious of wildlife around the area. The students of Gladysdale Primary School are to thank for this new addition.

After a Koala, subject to road kill, was found lifeless near the primary school, Gladysdale students aged five to 12 wrote persuasive letters to the council, requesting that something be done to protect the local wildlife.

Gladysdale Primary School teacher Airlie Wray said it was“really lovely” for the students.

“We weren’t sure that there’d be anything that would actually eventuate from it.”

This activism in the form of letter writing was endorsed by Gladysdale Primary’s ‘making a difference’ unit, wherein students learnt the importance of taking action and contributing not just to their own community, but to the world around them. The letters outlining ‘why we should have wildlife signs’ amongst others campaigning for wildlife protection, were sent out to the council around April.

Ms Wray said she first spotted the new sign “a couple of weeks ago.”

“They’ve been thrilled that the signs have actually gone up and feel like they are having some impact on their local community and in general,” she said of the students.

“The focus was [on] protecting the koalas and then, in turn the rest of the wildlife.”

“People are slowing down for koalas, they

are slowing down for all the animals.” Vincent, a student from the primary school’s grade five and six class said he is“glad” the school’s letters “have worked.”

“Hopefully we can make a difference.”

For the students of Gladysdale Primary School,witnessingtheireffortsgeneratechange in the community has been an exciting jour-

ney and provides a great sense of achievement. “It’s shown [the students] that it’s always worth putting in the effort…and often you will get results if you do,” Ms Wray said.

Pop, bubble, bang! Students host a science expo

By Gabriella Vukman

Thanks to the Australian Science Teachers Association (ASTA), Seville Primary School students hosted a Science Expo on Tuesday 15 August.

A morning of show and tell with the other classes, followed by an afternoon expo for friends and family, prompted much excitement among students.

An osmosis of concoctions concerning bicarb, static electricity, alka-seltzer tablets, vinegar and food dye filled the science room along with the curious smiles of onlookers as they passed through.

Auslan and relief teacher Joe Mac said “to receive funding has been really, really beneficial.”

“This is the first time that we’ve actually received funding to be able to do something like this,” Ms Mac said.

The expo was conducted as a part of National Science Week, a nation-wide festival that is supported by CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), the Australian Science Teachers Association and the ABC.

National Science Week is designed to encourage and celebrate the sciences.

School captain Lily, said that she enjoyed conducting “the actual experiments” rather than “just writing stuff down.”

“Instead of doing all the writing, I like doing actually something that you can use with your hands,” classmate Emma said.

Statistics show that active learning such as participating in experiments is an effective and long-lasting method of learning.

“Practical experiments are fantastic and when they’re fun they’ll want to do more,” Ms Mac said

“When they have to explain it, that helps them understand.”

Funding from ASTA was put towards purchasing the ingredients for the experiments as well as for having enough supervising staff on hand.

“It would be really expensive to take all these things out of the budget,” Ms Mac said.

Upon being asked what schools and governments should do to better facilitate science in education, Ms Mac said having a “designated” science teacher and science room is important along with funding.

“Teachers have to be well trained in science too.”

Grades 5 and 6 class teacher Zoe Mcdonald notes the excitement of the students and said “they were most excited to show it off to the other grades.”

“It’s great because there’s been a lot of collaboration…[and] they’ve got a lot of ownership over what they’re doing,” Ms Mcdonald said.

Students performed their experiments for friends and family during their afternoon expo.

Picture: GABRIELLA VUKMAN

Students of Gladysdale Primary School celebrate council action as a result of their prompts.

Picture: GLADYSDALE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Defib boost for community

By Tanya Steele

More vital life saving equipment has been supplied to the community in Badger Creek with a new defibrillator or AED (Automated external defibrillator) recently installed in the area.

Badger Creek Primary has installed a AED close by in case of emergency, highlighting the need for after-hours access to the life saving devices in the area.

Bonnie Van De Ven a parent on the Badger Creek School Council said that the group had realised they needed access to a defibrillator after 5pm because they were in a bit of a black spot in their area.

“There are some other defibs around the area, but none the public can access after hours,” she said.

Using an AED before an ambulance arrives can significantly increase someone’s chance of survival in an emergency.

The primary school reached out to Yarra Ranges Council for a Community Recovery Grant, which MsVan DeVen said is designed to help with mental help, connection and community.

Dixon’s Creek has also successfully received a defib as a result of the same grant.

Ms Van De Ven said the primary school worked closely with the Badger Creek CFA to get the defib installed on site in an easy to access location for the public.

“It’s now been installed in an outside location, we worked closely with them throughout this,” she said.

A spokesperson from Ambulance Victoria

said AEDs are used to shock the heart back into rhythm following a cardiac arrest and it happens when a person’s heart suddenly stops beating, which can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere.

“Minutes matter and the sooner a person receives cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation from an AED, the better their chances of survival,” they said.

“It’s important the community learns how to perform basic CPR and use an AED so we can make a difference, the more people that know what to do in an emergency, the more lives will be saved.”

The AED installation will be officially celebrated in an evening of awareness of help featuring first aid, defib and mental health training by sessions for the public by Life Con-

nect and Badger Creek CFA. on Monday 4 September.

“Some of the remaining grant money will go to the first aid course as well, so that people can attend for free,” Ms Van De Ven said.

Life Connect will also have an informal chat and run a ‘Responding to emotions’ workshop at Badger Creek Primary from 6.30 pm and Badger Creek CFA will host back to back defibrillator and first aid sessions from 5 pm to 8 pm.

“We’re aiming to raise awareness about the defib in the community and let people know it’s there and it’s available for people to access after hours,” Ms Van De Ven said.

For more information contact info@emergcarefiresafety.com.au

Locally Owned and Run

The Power to Save project will research how local families use energy,motivations to reduce power use and help the environment,and what barriers stand in their way.

Picture: UNSPLASH

Families invited to save

Families interested in power-saving have been invited to a collaborative project between Deakin University and Yarra Ranges Council.

The organisations partnering on a project which will focus on reducing household energy use in the Yarra Ranges.

The Power to Save project will research how local families use energy, motivations to reduce power use and help the environment, and what barriers stand in their way.

Yarra Ranges Mayor, Jim Child, said the result of this research will help Council and other Local Governments understand how to better help families.

“There’s a lot of small things we can do as community members to reduce our power use, save some money and shrink our environmental footprint, but there are also a lot of hurdles that can stand in our way,” he said.

“We know that household energy use increases dramatically after children are first born, with families with teenagers using the most energy. There are many reasons for this, and this partnership with Deakin University will help us understand how people use power, how we can help them reduce power use and reduce emissions and ener-

gy bills for them along the way,” he said.

Parents of children aged 0 to 18, who live in the Yarra Ranges, are eligible to join the focus groups.

The focus groups will be run at the following times

· Monbulk - Wednesday 6 September, from 5pm – 7pm

· Healesville - Friday 8 September, from 12pm – 2pm

· Yarra Junction - Wednesday 13 September, from 5pm – 7pm

· Lilydale – Friday 15 September, from 10am – 12pm

“Council will be holding focus groups for local families, where we’ll ask them a few questions about how they use power at home. This will inform research and the result will be a better understanding of how we can lend a hand through programs, subsidies or communications,” Cr Child said.

To express interest in participating in the focus groups, please fill out an Expression of Interest on the Shaping Yarra Ranges web[age by 27 August.

For more details, please visit the Shaping Yarra Ranges page or contact Amy Gregorovich, Energy Resilient Communities Officer, via a.gregorovich@yarraranges.vic.gov.au

The life saving device has been installed at the entrance of Badger Creek CFA.

Pictures: SUPPLIED The defib is available for the Badger Creek community.

Good friends

A dedicated team of Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater (FoHH) citizen science volunteers hit the tracks last week to survey various species inYellingbo.

Over the 10 and 11 of August, young people from the youth reference group and the general citizen science program went out in force to survey and collect vital data.

Amy Gregorovich, FoHH Committee Member andYouth Reference Group Convenor said that regular activities now happen about once a month.

“We do things like creating mesh cages to protect endangered orchids from browsers, weed removal, habitat revegetation, twilight frog surveys, and much more,” she said.

The group said was great to see quite a number of moths and other insects buzzing around - which is a sign of spring warmth coming.

Zali Clark who is part of the youth reference group said that she has gained a deep love and respect for Yellingbo from working with the FoHH.

“I appreciate all the diverse work being done to support and restore its beautiful ecosystem,” she said.

FoHH is a volunteer run non-for-profit working to improve the status of the Helmeted Honeyeater, Victoria’s critically endangered bird emblem.

The group’s scope of work includes habitat restoration, revegetation programs, community education and advocacy, and numerous collaborations with partner organisations.

The FoHH’s citizen science program recognises that Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area (YNCA) is a refuge for many threatened, regionally significant and common species, all of them having importance to a healthy ecosystem.

Through events that require little to no specialist equipment or prior knowledge, community members of all ages and backgrounds help in gaining a wider understanding of the current and changing ecology of the YNCA, whilst learning and having fun.

Data is uploaded to scientifically rigorous online platforms, which is then used by scientists to understand where species live, when they’re active, and any changes happening in the local environment – in this way anyone can be a citizen scientist.

FoHH’s Youth Reference Group was formed in 2022 to offer citizen science opportunities for young people aged 18 to 31+ who have an interest in conservation.

Deer plan is welcomed

Ms Gregorovich said the youth reference group was formed as an opportunity for young people to gain transferable skills in the environmental sector whilst giving back to local conservation efforts.

“It’s a two-way relationship where the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater receive volunteer support for our programs, and young people can get field work experience working alongside like-minded individuals,” she said.

Since the youth group formed Ms Gregorovich said they have partnered with different organisations to have experts attend workshops, which teach various skills.

“This has included frog surveys with Melbourne Water, adaptive planning workshops with Parks Victoria, and wetland ecology surveys with researchers from the University of Melbourne,” she said.

The whole team also recorded the following six mammal species - common wombat, ringtail possum, brushtail possum, sugar glider, yellow-bellied glider and swamp wallaby and 21 bird species including at least one Tawny Frogmouth and a Southern Boobook heard calling.

Invertebrates were not left out of the survey and the team found along with land slug species, a few leeches were found hitching the occasional ride.

The group is always looking for new members, and schedules activities on different days to consider work and study commitments.

“I have also made lifelong friends who like me find joy and purpose in making a difference for the better here inYellingbo and for the Helmeted Honeyeater,” Zali said.

For more information and to sign up to an event, please visit https://www.helmetedhoneyeater.org.au/volunteer-query-form/

Get out and get snapping

By Gabriella Vukman

In order to protect the biodiversity of eastern Victoria, the Yarra Ranges Council is participating in the Bio Blitz competition.

Open to any Yarra Ranges, Casey and Baw Baw residents (see list below for other participating shires), the competition’s purpose is to document the local flora and fauna in order to gather data that can be used to protect our many species.

Climate and Nature team member Suzanne Burville identifies the opportunity for locals to take part in the research of their home.

“Ordinary people can go out and take photos of flora, fauna and fungi,” Ms Burville said.

The competition opens 1 September and will run until the end of the month. Not only does this competition aim to record as many species as possible, it is also a way of uniting the community in celebration of the beauty, biodiversity and conservation of our local area.

During this Biodiversity Blitz competition, participants snap photos of any form of native biota, this includes insects, plants, legumes, fungi, animals and any living organism. These images are then uploaded by entrants to the iNaturalist app or website.

“Last year during our Bio Blitz month of September …6076 observations were added to the project.” To get involved, download the iN aturalist app, create an account, join the Yarra Ranges Bio Blitz 2023 project and start snapping away.

The Bio Blitz competition started around four years ago with the City of Dandenong, who invited other shires to join in. Verifying the photos that are sent in is a calculated pro-

BioBlitzprogramspeciespicturesubmission.

Picture:SUZANNEBURVILLE

cess. Being an Artificial Intelligence platform, iNaturalist identifies the uploaded pictures automatically, using AI. The next step in the process is for the system-recognised species to be verified by human experts.

Once someone else has verified the species in the photo, the submission becomes “research grade” and then becomes accessible to scientists and researchers alike.

“The AI on it does an absolute amazing job. I’ve uploaded some pretty ordinary photos… of… birds that are obscured by leaves and … it pretty much gets it right,” Ms Burville said.

Exciting discoveries surface from community science projects such as this.

“Some species that have thought to be extinct in specific areas have been found through citizen science projects like this.”

Yarra Ranges Biodiversity Blitz website: https://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Experience/Events/Biodiversity-Blitz-2023

iNaturalist website: https://inaturalist.ala. org.au/projects/biodiversity-blitz-2023-melbourne

By Tyler Wright

Groups have welcomed the introduction of the federal government’s new deer management plan, but are calling for more action to be taken to eradicate the “feral species”.

The National Deer Action Plan, released on Monday 14 August, sets out 22 actions to reduce the impacts of feral deer on the environment, agriculture and communities.

In recent years, deer have become a growing threat to Australia’s primary industries, natural environments and community values as their population continues to expand; most prominently in eastern Victoria.

Cardinia Deer Management Coalition member Johannes Wenzel said even under the state government’s Peri-urban Deer Control Program, only relatively small areas of Parks Victoria’s land have undergone culling activities.

“Significant areas where threatened native species flora and fauna and communities are impacted by feral deer are missing out most likely because of insufficient funding,” MrWenzel said.

The National Deer Action Plan was developed by a working group and supported by the National Feral Deer Management Coordinator, in partnership and consultation with stakeholders across Australia.

One of these groups was the Cardinia Deer Management Coalition, which submitted suggestions during the consultation process for the plan.

“[The plan] highlights the need of landscape scale, cross-tenure feral deer control with at least 35-50 per cent of deer to be removed to just keep the numbers at a steady level or better more to achieve a reduction,” MrWenzel said.

“Another big problem is the fact that nobody knows the number of the feral deer population in the Dandenong Ranges and therefore it is impossible to establish a 35 per cent or 50 per cent [decrease].”

In 2021, the Cardinia Deer Management Coalition conducted an aerial thermal helicopter survey of feral deer over 110 square kilometres between Emerald in the north, Harkaway in the South, Menzies Creek in the west and Mt Burnett in the East, and identified a density of 15 deer per square kilometre and an abundance of 1695, plus or minus 324 deer in the area.

There have also been recent reports of property damage as a result of deer invading residences and car accidents caused as a result of the species infiltrating main arterial roads in the Dandenongs and Yarra Valley.

“Hopefully public and private land managers, mainly the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action (DEECA, previously DELWP), ParksVictoria and MelbourneWater will follow that recommendation,” MrWenzel said.

“It is important to realise that deer control has been sadly neglected and underfunded for many years. Under stewardship of those agencies deer numbers have increased dramatically over the last 10 to 15 years.”

The Invasive Species Council of Australia has also welcomed the plan, but warned that feral deer are on track to spread across the whole country and “severely damage’ world heritage areas unless significant funding is also committed by the federal government.

“This plan should be a wake-up call for the Victorian and Tasmanian governments, where deer are still legally protected as a

game animal, reflecting an outdated attitude to a serious invasive species,” Invasive Species Council officer in Victoria Peter Jacobs said.

“Feral deer overgraze and trample native grasslands and ring-bark native shrubs and trees. They cause erosion and degrade water quality by wallowing in wetlands and streams, impacting the homes of native species like the platypus.

“As deer spread into urban areas, including around Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Brisbane, they are threatening the lives of motorists, destroying gardens, contaminating critical water catchments and damaging the few remaining patches of urban bushland.”

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Murray Watt and Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, issued a joint media release on Monday announcing the plan.

“Feral deer numbers have exploded from 50,000 in 1980 to between one and two million, today.They are the‘next rabbit’ of Australia’s feral species,” Ms Plibersek said.

“The National Feral Deer Action Plan will develop and trial new tools, to build capacity to detect, cull and prevent further spread of this feral pest.

“Feral deer do enormous damage to our native wildlife and precious places – they kill threatened species and damage critical habitat.

Ms Plibersek said the government is committed to “protecting our precious species” and leaving nature “better off for our kids and grandkids”.

“Feral deer are estimated to cost Australian communities and primary producers $91 million a year, they cause extensive environmental damage, spread disease, and are increasingly becoming a traffic hazard.”

MinisterWatt thanked the National Deer Management Coordinator, Dr Annelise Wiebkin, from Department of Primary Industries and Regions in South Australia, who together with a working group, delivered the plan.

“The Albanese Government understands the importance of managing feral animals in Australia to protect our agricultural industries and the environment,” he said.

“That’s why in June I announced almost $1 million in funding to extend the national feral deer management coordinator program for another two years to help deliver the Plan.

“This builds on over $4 million invested in deer control projects through my department.”

MrWatt said many dedicated stakeholders are working together to tackle the challenges of feral deer.

“Managing feral deer is a shared responsibility between landholders, community, industry, and government—and under the Albanese Government we continue to do our share, supporting you to get the job done.”

Mr Wenzel said the national deer control plan is a “brilliant opportunity” to raise public awareness.

“Yarra Ranges Council received some funding from the peri-urban deer management project and is delivering a pilot deer control program in the Yellingbo area to protect the remaining habitat for the Helmeted Honeyeater and the lowland Leadbeater’s Possum,” he said.

For more information on the plan, visit https://feraldeerplan.org.au/

Rainforestdamagethroughbrowsing,rubbing,tramplingandwallowingatMonbulkCreekin theDandenongRangesNationalPark.

Picture:ALEXMAISEY

Unleashing creativity

Healesville Hotchpotch, a charming indoor market nestled in the heart of Healesville, Victoria, is redefining the shopping experience. Owned by the dynamic duo, Cherry and Brendan Garratt, this market is a haven for creativity, community support, and a delightful assortment of unique treasures.

Since its opening on December 1 2022, Healesville Hotchpotch has been enchanting visitors with over 100 stalls showcasing a diverse array of products. From handmade items, upcycled clothing, and vintage treasures to re-purposed goods and collectibles, the market caters to all tastes and preferences.

What sets Healesville Hotchpotch apart from other suppliers is its commitment to an ever-changing, inspiring shopping experience.

Cherry and Brendan take pride in refreshing the market regularly, ensuring that each visit is as special as the first. This magical transformation captivates shoppers and ignites their creativity, making them feel like they’re stepping into a wonderland with every return.

Healesville Hotchpotch goes above and beyond to support small businesses in the local area. As makers themselves, Cherry and Brendan understand the value of providing a platform for artisans to showcase their talents and passions. By supporting the market, visitors directly contribute to nurturing the dreams of numerous independent entrepreneurs.

Beyond being a shopping destination, Healesville Hotchpotch is a thriving hub of activities and events that foster connections among people. Cherry and Brendan are passionate about creating a space where learning, creativity, and celebration can take place. The market hosts workshops conducted by talented stallholders, allowing visitors to learn and create alongside these skilled artisans.

The “artist in residence” program further

connects shoppers with the creative minds behind the products. Clever stallholders proudly display their craft at the front of the shop, offering insights into their artistic process and

the stories behind their creations. Additionally, Saturdays at Healesville Hotchpotch are elevated with tantalizing taste testings, making the market a feast for the senses.

With its bright and airy ambiance, Healesville Hotchpotch beckons explorers, dreamers, and seekers of unique treasures. The market’s excellent prices, friendly workers, and variety of stalls make it a true one-stop shop. Whether you’re searching for a thoughtful gift or a hidden gem, the market promises to fulfill your desires.

Healesville Hotchpotch opens its doors seven days a week, including most public holidays, ensuring visitors can experience its magic whenever they please. For those who can’t make it in person, the regularly updated website allows them to explore the market’s offerings from the comfort of their homes.

Join the Healesville Hotchpotch community today and embark on a shopping adventure like no other. Discover a world of creativity, support local businesses, and make cherished memories in this wonderland of a market. Unearth treasures, forge connections, and experience the magic of Healesville Hotchpotch!

Explore their regularly updated website at https://healesvillehotchpotch.square.site/ For inquiries, reach out to Healesvillehotchpotch@ outlook.com or call 0493605264.

Healesville Hotchpotch is a creative wonderland located on Main Street. 351412

Healesville Hotchpotch owners Brendan and Cherry. 351412

Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS

Adventure books for kids

By Tanya Steele

Book Week is in full swing across the Yarra Valley and schools are celebrating with all things literary.

A few students from Heaslevile Primary caught up with Star Mail to chat about books ahead of the festivities.

Students joined us for a chat in the library to cover off on what the kids are reading at the moment.

Roni from grade three said she likes the Hotdog series by Anh Do and the Owly series by Andy Runton.

“They have really fun adventures,” she said.

Roni said she likes reading because the stories take her on little adventures and the characters always tend to get into a bit of trouble

Cooper said he doesn’t have a favourite at the moment but enjoys the Book Week celebrations and how much reading he gets to do during the event.

Penny from grade three is an avid reader

said she liked “Seven Wherewithal Way” by Samantha Ellen-Bound - which is a book about magical realms, flying buses and portals.

Penny said she is also looking forward to dressing up and has floated the idea of Cleopatra with her parents.

“We practised a braid this morning, but Mum said that was too hard,” she said.

Roni said she and a mate have explored some options at the shops and Cooper has not settled on a costume idea yet.

Book Week has been celebrated across Australia since 1945 and the theme this year is “Read, Grow, Inspire”.

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) presents annual awards to Australian books of literary merit and for outstanding contributions to Australian children’s literature.

Schools will participate nationwide and celebrate reading and books from 19 August to 25 August.

The next generation of book lovers catch the bug

Zoe, Grade 5

1. What’s your favourite book and why?

Miles Morales Shock Waves by Justin Reynolds/Pablo Leon– It’s a good fit for me, and I love graphic novels. The pictures help me visualise and get involved in the story.

2. Do you have an all-time favourite character?

Miles Morales

3. What’s the first book you ever remember reading?

Probably an ABC type book with lots of pictures as I was learning my alphabet

4. If you could write your own book, what would it be about?

Maybe a book of poems set to one mood. I’d try to make my reader connect to what emotions I want to make them feel. And maybe try to get a message across.

5. What do you enjoy about reading?

It sets my mind at ease and also, like music, you can match a book to your mood. There are so many different ones out there, there’s a book for anyone and any mood.

Jayden, Grade 4

1. What’s your favourite book and why?

Matilda - Roald Dahl. I like it because it’s interesting and keeps you thinking.

2. Do you have an all-time favourite character?

Piranha from Bad guys

3. What’s the first book you ever remember reading?

Peter Rabbit’s Happy Easter

4. If you could write your own book, what would it be about?

It would be about a life lesson, like the Bare-

foot Investor for Kids

5. What do you enjoy about reading?

It takes you into a magical world and it feels like you are inside the book with characters. I feel like I’m part of the story but they just haven’t said my name yet.

Piper, Grade 3

1. What’s your favourite book and why?

Wings of Fire. I love the adventure and not knowing what’s going to happen. It’s full of surprises.

2. Do you have an all-time favourite character?

Glory from Wings of Fire

3. What’s the first book you ever remember reading?

Polar Polar Bear What can you Hear? Eric Carle

4. If you could write your own book, what would it be about?

It would be an adventure book with lots of excitement.

5. What do you enjoy about reading?

I love that every new story is a new adventure.

Conor, Grade 3

1. What’s your favourite book and why?

The Cat Wants Custard – It’s a book to just laugh at and enjoy. It’s funny!

2. Do you have an all-time favourite character? Cat in the Hat

3. What’s the first book you ever remember reading?

Mr Smiles

4. If you could write your own book, what would it be about?

Sonic the Hedgehog

Jayden(Grade4)withhisfavouritebook MatildabyRoaldDahl. 354424

Pictures:STEWARTCHAMBERS

5. What do you enjoy about reading?

I love how you can imagine the story in your mind and I like getting pulled into the story.

Conor(Grade3)lovesTheCatWants Custard. 354424

Zoe(Grade5)withherfavouritegraphic novelMilesMoralesShockWaves. 354424

Piper(Grade3)lovesanadventurein abook,that’swhyWingsofFireisher favourite. 354424

Bookweekwillbeinfullswing.

Picture:STEWARTCHAMBERS

Author fires up the fever

By Tanya Steele

Primary school students recently came together at the Healesville Library in a creative and sports fusion for an exciting talk by author Kristin Darell.

Students from three different primary schools were treated to a special presentation and workshop by the well known author of the “Football Fever” series on Monday 14 August.

Chum Creek, Healesville Primary and St Bridgets students formed the creative cohort and Children’s Service Officer Rose Herring said it was the biggest event the library has hosted.

“We had over 270 students for the sessions,

it was great,” she said.

“My mind is blown by how the day turned out and the kids had a great time.”

Ms Darell ran two back to back workshops to get the students inspired about character and plot development said she really enjoys coming out to more regional locations to work with kids.

“It was an amazing opportunity for me to come and talk about what I’m passionate about - which is stories,” she said.

The workshop went through some tips and ticks for character development and Ms Darell said that anyone can write and read and they can do that in ways that work for them.

Read these books

By Kylie Orr: Author

What book are you currently reading?

I am currently reading “Dark Mode” by Ashley Kalagian blunt. It’s a crime thriller with stalker murderer vibes, someone who wants to stay offline so they can’t be tracked, but they have to for business.

What is the first book you remember reading?

TheVery Hungry Caterpillar. I remember the holes you could poke fingers in with the food throughout the book.

Where is your favourite place to read?

In winter I like to get cozy next to the fire, or in bed, and in summer there’s a back deck on my house with a nice view over the valley so I like to read there.

What book has had the most impact in your life?

I think it’s the book calledWe need to talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver. She’s actually a female author, and the topic matter was full on, but at the time I was a new mother and the book is about a school shooting in America.

What is a book you think everyone should read?

Everybody should read mine so i can feed my kids! I’m joking. The Alchemist maybe? Actually, The Book Thief, because it was an interesting perspective (perspective of death) such a unique position to take in a book. It was an important moment in time in history, like the development of the relationships within it, the story surrounds a love of books and the banning of books back in the day.

What is your favourite book?

I can’t choose a favourite book, it’s like choosing a favourite child - you can’t! It’s hard to choose just one. My favourite book of this year would be Salt and Skin by local author Eliza Henry-Jones.

Tanya Faulkner - Reporter

What book are you currently reading?

I am currently reading the 8 Rules to Love by Jay Shetty. I’ve been obsessed with his podcast for the last few years and never miss an episode, and his last book Think Like a Monk absolutely changed the way I think about myself and how I interact with situations.

What is the first book you remember reading?

With my parents, it’s definitely Winnie the Pooh, I loved Tigger, but on my own I think it was the Harry Potter Series when I was 10 or 11 years old. I love the way J.K Rowling wrote the books, and they still hold a special place in my heart.

Where is your favourite place to read?

So being from New Zealand, my favourite place of all time was at this lookout up the road from my parent’s house, or with a pile of blankets and cushions on the back tray of a ute, facing the beach. These days I like to get cozy in bed or on the couch at home.

What book has had the most impact in your life?

Umm... All of my books seem to go back to NZ authors - but I have two in mind. One was called Under the Mountain by Maurice Gee - it’s NZ fiction from 1979 about creatures called the ’Wilberforces’ that lived under the mountains that make up Auckland, and this mission to destroy them before they destroyed our planet. There’s a couple of movies out as well, but I find the original film to be better than the re-make. Secondly is a book called The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse-Anderson, and it’s just a really well written book about PTSD and how war can impact children in families as well as their parents.

What is a book you think everyone should read?

Oooh... this one is hard... recently I’ve been really into my self-development and mindset books and podcasts, so off the top of my head I would say Atomic Habits by James Clear or The Subtle Art to Not Giving a ****.

“Books are a mirror – you can see yourself in books, which is a good thing for kids to be able to see into other lives but they’re also a door to let you walk in the shoes of other people,” Ms Darell said.

‘Football fever’ action-packed junior fiction series which features real players from the Matildas and Socceroos and Ms Daarell said the books had genuine quotes from real player experiences in them.

“To me the importance of storytelling and creating a generation of kids who believe in stories and want to tell stories, however it is they want to do that be it fiction or nonfiction, because stories are a time capsule,” Ms Darell said.

The event itself was planned well in advance and with the deliberate intention to catch a large group of kids to experience the workshop.

“I wanted to put on an event that was something that the schools maybe couldn’t put on their own that would go across all the primary schools and that we could put on here and it just was great timing,” said Ms Herring.

“We really wanted to get more events out this way for kids,” she said.

“The heart of all the stories I write is really the importance of kids doing something that they love with other kids who love it because then you feel brave enough to be you,” Ms Darell said.

Students from Healesville Primary and St Bridgets with Rose Herring (Left) and Kristin Darell (right).

Pictures: TANYA STEELE

Kids were really engaged for the author’s talk and writing workshop.

What remains for humanity

By Tanya Steele

A den of sculptures and imagery to please and astonish has emerged in the Yarra Valley and provides a thought-proking display that crosses time.

The breathtaking display of modern art is on display at YAVA from 17 August to 10 September and will lure eyes in every direction with an installation by artistic duo Ian George and John Bodin

“Museum of the Post Anthropocene” delivers a feast for the eyes with sculptures, constructions and photography to wander through.

“We’re in the time was called the Anthropocene now, which means the time of humans,” Ian George said.

The artist has imagined a post-apocalyptic landscape which provides only leftover materials and what humans will leave behind.

“After we’ve done what we’ve done to the earth - after we have all vanished from it, how does life recovering utilise a world that’s lacking in resources,” he said.

George’s sculptures are surreal and ethereal, created with found materials and play to the imagination of how life will evolve.

“It’s looking at the utilization of radioactive materials and their growth in their biological processes,” George said.

John Bodin’s photography offers a stark contrast to the sculptures and his images centre around urban urban decay and skyscrapers which serve to remind of the people that

have been before.

“I like to comment on just mankind’s trace on the landscape, the utility of the landscape and the enterprises that leave behind it often, with a sort of semi-abstracted process,” he said.

It is the first time the pair have exhibited together and they met through the YAVA gallery initially.

“I wanted more artists involved and to go in a slightly different direction and medium, so we got John on board,” George said.

Bodin said the exhibition is didactic in nature and he wants to help bring awareness to people being “agents of change”.

“It’s through our choices that will make a difference from this point or in this in this in this period of time,” he said.

George said the key words that emerge for him are ‘grief and hope’.

“It’s a point of grieving but the hope that life will continue on after us,” he said.

The exhibition will run at the YAVA Gallery and Arts Hub at 252A Maroondah Highway (upstairs) Healesville until Saturday 10 September.

A “Bushdance Hootenanny” has been announced for residents on Saturday, 26 August at 7.30 pm

The event will be held at the Gruyere Hall and hosted by Rotary Lilydale, which has gained funding from the Yarra Ranges Council under the Valley Community Recovery Grants Program to run the dance.

It is a free community event but bookings are essential, it invites people to come together in a family event.

The Bushdance will provide an opportunity for local musical students to perform as a group with an audience.

Support local small businesses in the musical field and give the community the opportunity to participate in an enjoyable, relaxing, fun and entertaining evening.

All enquiries to Sharon 0428 666 212

Yarra Valley Ecoss to host an Upper Yarra Youth Concert

The Upper Yarra Youth Concert will kick off

WHAT’S ON AROUND THE VALLEY

on 15 September from 5pm to 8pm.

The concert is produced by a group of local young people, featuring local young musicians, for local young people and it is an official Victoria Youth Fest event. The event will feature fabulous local musical acts and a range of delicious food stalls and other items, there will be something for all.

BYO food if you prefer and set up a picnic on the lawn area in front of the outdoor

stage.Whilst this event is marketed for young people aged 13-25 years, all ages are most welcome.

Please dress for all kinds of weather -if raining, the concert will be moved under cover.

Bushdance Hootenanny at Gruyere sure to delight COMMUNITY DIARY

Contact Louise Wigg for more information: 0407 838 961 or louise@bodyofwellbeing. com.au

Sports Grants are now open for regional sports funding

Delivered in partnership with the AFL, AFL Victoria and Netball Victoria, the Country Football and Netball Program provides funding to assist regional football and netball clubs, associations and umpiring organisations to upgrade and develop facilities in rural, regional and outer metropolitan locations.

Applications must be submitted by an authorised representative of a Local Government Authority (Council).

Contact Yarra Ranges Council for more information.

Community Grants Round

by Bendigo Banks in Warburton and Yarra Junction closing by 23 August

Community groups, organisations, sports clubs, schools and Not-For-Profits in the Upper Yarra are invited to apply.

A Community Bank Grant might be just the help you need to deliver a ‘wish-list’ project applicants need to be based in a town with a 3799 or 3797 postcode.

Grant Applications close midnight Wednesday 23 August 2023

Visit the bank website to apply: https:// communitybankwarburtonyarrajunction. smartygrants

Enquiries to admin@upperyarra.net.au

Station 3458 Warburton Highway

Warburton Professionals Andrew McMath Real Estate 3371 Warburton Highway

Warburton Bell Real Estate 3407 Warburton Highway

Wesburn Local Fuel 2835 Warburton Highway

WooriYallock Foodworks Woori Yellock 1/1585 Warburton Highway

WooriYallock Newsagency & Tattslotto Shop 4/ 1585 Warburton Highway

WooriYallock Hillcrest Little Store Great Food 1745 Warburton Highway

WooriYallock Shell Service Station Foodies 1700 Warburton Highway

WooriYallock Australia Post LPO Shop 11 / 1585 Warburton Highway,The Centre

Yarra Glen Ritchies IGA Shop 1/38 Bell Street

Yarra Glen Caltex Petrol Station 66 Bell Street

Yarra Glen Newsagent 32 Bell Street

Yarra Glen United Garage 6 Bell Street

Yarra Junction Woolworths Supermarket 82-84 Warburton Highway

Yarra Junction Bottle O 2440 Warburton Highway

Yarra Junction Bell Real Estate 2457 Warburton Highway

Yarra Junction Newsagency 2454 Warburton Highway

Yarra Junction Professionals Andrew McMath Real Estate 2460 Warburton Highway

Yarra Junction Yarra Junction Community Link 2442-2444 Warburton Highway

Yarra Junction Gladysdale Bakehouse 2568 Warburton Hwy

Yellingbo Central Store 1942 Healesville-Kooweerup Road

IanGeorgeandJohnBodinofferquestionsfor theeyeandmindatYAVAthismonth.

Picture:TANYASTEELE

Local radical

John Morrison (1904-1998), short story writer, novelist and essayist, resided for a time in Mt Evelyn and was part of our local tradition of radicalism.

Born in Sunderland in the north of England, John Gordon Morrison left school at 14 and worked for two years in a local museum, before serving a gardening apprenticeship. He came to Australia in 1923 as an assisted immigrant. He worked his way through country districts of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, including the Dandenongs. Returning to England in 1927 because of a brother’s illness, he found himself homesick for Australia, and worked his passage back as a ship’s steward in 1928. On the voyage he met his future wife, an Irish-born maid, Frances Rosina Jones.

Morrison had a varied working life as a farm labourer, station hand, wool presser, wharflabourer, process worker and jobbing gardener. He was fortunate to be in work throughout the Depression, but was inspired as a social realist writer by the hardships he witnessed. This social and political awakening also led him to join the Communist Party of Australia (CPA). Morrison’s friends included the writers and fellow communists Alan Marshall, Frank Hardy, Judah Waten and Dorothy Hewett, and artist Vic O’Connor, who had lived in Mt Evelyn as a boy.

Success came in 1945, when Morrison won the Fellowship of Australian Writers Short Story Competition. In 1947 he received a grant from the Australian Literary Fund, which enabled him to leave work to complete a novel,

Looking back

Karen Phillips Mount Evelyn History Group editor

The Creeping City, published in 1949. The setting is‘Mabooda’, a fictionalised Monbulk of the 1920s, when the berry farms were being sold off for holiday homes and guest houses. His second novel, Port of Call, is set partly in the Dandenongs, and his story ‘All I Ask’ in an Olinda guesthouse.

In the early 1950s he moved to Silvan Road (Monbulk Road) Mt Evelyn. I could not find any stories with Mt Evelyn backgrounds, but his most famous story, ‘Dog Box’, is set on the Lilydale train.

Morrison left Mt Evelyn after his wife’s death in 1967. In 1969 he married Russian-born Rachela Anders (Amdurski) who, he claimed proudly, could read his translated works in five languages. Morrison had retired from work by this time. Without the inspiration provided by his job and daily commute, he wrote little in his final years. He died in 1998, aged 94.The Creeping City, serialised in the Free Press OctoberNovember 1947, also‘All I Ask’ and several other stories, are available online on Trove.

Remember the BlackBerry?

BlackBerry Starring Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton and Matt Johnson

Rated M 3.75/5

BlackBerry is a smart, funny historical drama about the rise and fall of BlackBerry, which was once the world’s leading smartphone brand.

As with Oppenheimer and Tetris, BlackBerry uses its very technical subject matter as a focal point to explore its engaging characters and their journeys.

Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel), co-founder of RIM and creator of the BlackBerry, is a naïve, awkward engineering genius gradually ground down by his heavy business responsibilities, and Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) is the aggressive marketing dynamo behind BlackBerry’s success.

Much of BlackBerry takes place in workshops and board meetings, and the BlackBerry is an obsolete, even obscure product nowadays, but the fast-paced plot has clever dialogue and relatable themes to latch onto. These include buzzing electronics, Chinese manufacturing, the importance of online data and the tectonic shift of the iPhone launch, and Blackberry depicts an all-too-common collision of innovation and greed.

BlackBerry has annoying shaky camera-

A mix of Hitchcock and a touch of Monty Python

The Basin theatre production ofThe 39 Steps

Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have The 39 Steps – a fast paced whodunnit.

In The 39 Steps, a man with a boring life meets a woman with a thick accent who says she’s a spy. He takes her home, and she is murdered. Soon after, a mysterious organisation called The 39 Steps is hot on the man’s trail in a nationwide manhunt that climaxes in a death-defying finale.

Kemp’s curtain call

work, and Matt Johnson leaves little impression as Doug Fregin, Lazaridis’ best friend and the other co-founder of RIM. Fregin is both a supportive partner and a Napoleon Dynamite-style free-spirited distraction, but contributes little to the narrative. The following reading might betray my Apple bias, but if Lazaridis is BlackBerry’s Steve Wozniak and Balsillie is their Steve Jobs, Fregin feels like a third wheel in the plot. BlackBerry also loses focus in the final act, with some last-minute conflict involving Balsillie’s attempt to buy a hockey team.

A witty, energetic portrayal of one of the biggest successes and failures in modern tech, marred by an extraneous main character and a slightly sloppy third act, BlackBerry is playing in most Victorian cinemas.

- Seth Lukas Hynes

The Basin Theatre gave its audience one of the most hilarious evenings seen for a long time. The sets were basic and interchangeable. Using chairs and tables which represented cars, trains and hotel rooms.

The cast were excellent and hilarious.We had the bored man Richard Hannay played by Michael Jewell and Michael was also codirector. As a performer, he was outstanding, playing one character always on the ruin with nobody believing his story. Jewell gave the funniest performance seen for an age. An excellent portrayal.

The only lady in the cast was BryonyWilson, who played various roles from that of the murdered spy with the thick accent to the wife of a Scottish hotel keeper, the local girl who did not believe Richard’s story which led to some hilarious scenes A superb performance and a wonderful change of accents depending on which character she was playing.

John Latham and Ozzy Breen-Carr are listed on the program as Clown one and two. Bothe were extremely good and their scenes were excellent. They played crooks, policemen, Latham as a housewife married to the villain. An excellent portrayal and hilariously funny.

Breen-Carr was respectively a policeman, a crook, Mr Memory .Audiences may not believe how hard it is for an actor to change characters during a play but the four actors in this play lived up to all expectations giving excellent and superb performances particular in changing characters. Mishel Jewell was lucky he played the same character throughout but as said earlier was the co-director. The Basin Theatre produced not only an excellent evening of theatre but an hilarious evening of fun fully appreciated by the opening night audience.

A reminder:

· The 1812 theatre – Of Mice and Men Season: October 5 – 28.

· The Basin Theatre – Belles Season: October 5 – 15.

Forthcoming crime thriller is a real page-turner

A review of Anna O by Matthew Blake

Anna O, written by British debut author Matthew Blake, is lauded as “the biggest new crime thriller novel for 2024 from an astonishing literary fiction voice”.

The book became a global sensation on submission in June 2022, with a recordbreaking 16 international offers within 48 hours. It ended up securing “three separate seven-figure deals in the US, the UK and Germany and another multiple seven-figure total from pre-empts and auctions in territories around the world”.

Anna O tells the story of a young woman who is accused of murdering her two best friends. Anna Ogilvy was found asleep, with a kitchen knife in her hand, her clothes bloodstained. There was even a text message containing her confession: “I’m sorry, I think I’ve killed them.” Trouble is, no one and nothing can wake her up.Those who believe in her innocence call her Anna O. Those who insist on

PASSION FOR PROSE WITH CHRISTINE SUN

her guilt call her Sleeping Beauty.

Four years later, Dr Benedict Prince, a forensic psychologist specialised in sleep-related crimes, accepts the task of supervising Anna’s treatment at the Abbey Sleep Clinic in London. His professional duty is to awaken her and get her fit to stand trial. But his moral duty is to see her return to a healthy, normal life.

Such a premise, full of mysteries and possibilities, is every storyteller’s dream. A lifelong fan of Agatha Christie and mystery fiction, Blake does a brilliant job pacing the story and maintaining its sense of suspense and thrill until the very last page, dishing out subtle clues and plenty of literary Easter eggs along the way to tease readers.

In true Christie fashion, the story is told from the perspectives of multiple characters, with Ben and Anna (mostly via her notebook) being the major first-person protagonists. Experienced readers would be looking for unreliable narrators (and often thinking they have found them), but anyone trying to sneak a peek at the end chapters would be risking their own peril. Indeed, the fun of reading this story is to go through the twists and turns while deciphering the dizzying yet delicious details revealed through numerous journal article abstracts, webpage summaries, diary entries, interviews, and government, library

and media archives. Particularly fascinating are the medical, legal and psychological sides of the story.

The dark side of the human psyche is forever awe-inspiring. Anna O not only delves deep into this darkness, but it further invokes empathy in the same way that some readers have felt for Dr Hannibal Lecter. Meanwhile, Ben’s love for his family and his compassion for Anna makes him an identifiable character, and his methods for treating resignation syndrome is a shining beacon in the shadowy, snarling world made so realistic in the story.

Anna O will be available for readers in Australia on February 1, 2024.

Disclaimer: This assessment is based on an advanced review copy of the book supplied by its publisher HarperCollins via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased evaluation (DRM PDF file output date June 28, 2023).

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

QUICK CROSSWORD

5

DECODER

WORDFIT

3

9-LETTER WORD

8 words: Good 12

F C N U F

I G

snug, SUFFICING, suing, sung, using

cuffs, fisc, fusing, gins, guns, nisi, scuff, scuffing, sign, sing, sniff, snuff,

colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural words ending in “s”. LETTERS ACT ADO ASH ASK ATE BAT CAW CHI COL COO EKE ERA ICY LET NEW OVA PRO RAN ROE SHE SKI TAB TIE 4 LETTERS ARCH ASKS CYST DAMS DOER LOTS OBEY PUPS SETS SEWS TEES TENS TSAR UGLY UPON 5 LETTERS ABOVE ACORN AGILE AWAIT AWAKE BANAL CAGEY CANES CHOIR CITES DELTA EAGER EARLS EATEN FACET FRETS GEESE GRIME HARSH HERBS INANE IRONY KEENS LAPSE LASTS LOCAL MUTED NOVEL POLAR RACER RAFTS RARED RENEW REPAY RIFTS ROOST SCARF SLEET SLEWS SNEAK STAGS STALE STYLE TIARA TWINE UPPED 6 LETTERS DETACH DIKING LILACS STRICT 7 LETTERS CHIEFER CONCAVE HYMNALS PICCOLO STIMULI SYNAPSE 8 LETTERS EMAILING ESCAPADE ETHEREAL GASOLINE 11 LETTERS ACCESSORIES 12 345678910111213 1415 1617181920212223242526 W V E S C N D Z A G K B P H Y J T I R L F U X M O Q 25-08-23 Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com 168273945 795341826 854932761 329415678 682759134 271564389 547896213 413628597 936187452 easy medium hard 641983257 437856192 572314869 783625941 925147638 398762415 259471386 816239574 164598723 532671849 278139654 621493578 716948325 165784293 389517462 894325716 943256187 457862931 1 14 7 20 2 15 8 21 3 16 9 22 4 17 10 23 5 18 11 24 6 19 12 25 13 26 MQ 14 MAIL | Tuesday, 22 August, 2023 mailcommunity.com.au HERITAGE & HERITAGE FUNERALS Lilydale 9739 7799 Healesville 5962 1600 HERITAGE PIONEERS CHAPEL 1414 Healesville/Koo Wee Rup Road, Woori Yallock 5964 6500 Head Office: 733 Boronia Road, Wantirna 9800 3000 info@ heritagefunerals.com.au www.heritagefunerals.com.au This week’s crossword proudly sponsored by The Heritage Family 1157336-CB40-14

OVER 10 ACRES OF YARRA VALLEY

NESTLED at the end of a tree-lined driveway stands a beautifully established barn-style home that offers potential buyers an inviting family-oriented living environment.

Situated on a beautiful 10 acres of land, boasting 4 bedrooms, a home office, and an impressive 5 living spaces, the choices are entirely yours to make. An array of features that capture attention include grand beams, distinctive wooden doors, an exterior crafted from mud brick and character timber cladding.

An entertaining bar and pool room area showcases a servery window equipped with an electric shutter door, complemented by a draft beer system and sink. This space effortlessly flows out to a deck area housing a pizza oven, a built-in BBQ, a dining table, and comfortable lounge seating - just paradise!

The impeccable kitchen offers a substantial stove catering to aspiring chefs, plenty of cupboard storage ensures organisational ease, and a breakfast island

enhances the already generous counter space.

There is so much in this property to be desired, an inviting open fire with a stone fireplace gracing the formal lounge, a separate wood heater in the living room, and ducted heating and cooling throughout the entire residence.

Externally, this acreage property boasts excellent infrastructure, a 4-car carport attached to the main house and two sizable sheds boasting concrete floors and ample clearance, ideal for accommodating vehicles, equipment, and recreational toys.

Completing the property are 4 fenced paddocks, suitable for hobby farming and horses if your heart desires. Located only minutes walk to the highway giving easy access to public transport, school bus route, shops and local primary school, kinder and creche. This remarkable property offers features that are too numerous to detail here - seeing in person is the only way to truly appreciate its appeal. Don’t miss out on this Yarra Valley lifestyle opportunity! ●

MAGNIFICENT SCENERY ON HALF AN ACRE

THIS affordable home, cherished by one family for over six decades, is now available, boasting enchanting mountain vistas that include winter’s snow scenes on Mount Donna Buang.

This property encompasses a generouslysized big block spanning over half an acre, featuring sun-soaked clearings to relish this serene environment.

The expansive deck will be an entertainer’s gem, a sunlit haven for basking in the countryside ambiance and relishing those views.

With three bedrooms, an original kitchen adjoining a dining area, and a separate lounge warmed by a cosy fireplace, this home preserves its vintage charm.

A garage/workshop provides practical storage space, while the exceptionally large backyard invites you to savor tranquility.

With a bit of effort, you cawn rejuvenate this splendid abode and revel in the myriad delights of the vibrant township, merely a short stroll away from the Yarra River, shops, and transport. ●

RETIREMENT LUXURY FOR LESS

SITUATED in a rural setting, this strata title property in Valley Village Mews retirement village has a large north-facing private courtyard with pergola.

Opposite its own huge park is a pathway for all and pets near community bus surrounded by tall shady trees and gardens, a staffed community centre with gardeners/odd job men and nightly security guard checks.

It has two-way spacious roads lined with homes, gardens and private backyards, plenty of parking for cars/vans/boats/trailers. Communal garden, barbecue area and nearby nature bike/walking track suiting those who love the outdoors.

Next to Estia Health aged care home, Hospital and opposite Chisholm, walking distance or bus to the market, essential services & city

centre, this village is Dandenong’s best kept secret.

This two-bedroomTudor is one of few in the village and fully renovated inside and out, with an extra multipurpose room off the internally accessed single garage. It has vaulted ceilings, spacious bedrooms with main walk-in robe, modern bathroom and open plan lounge, kitchen, dining area. Solar panels, three split

systems for cooling and heating plus ducted heating, fireplace and gas heater with insulating, noise reduction security shutters.

Very low maintenance, low monthly fees including building insurance making this a rare opportunity to purchase in this village with a high star rating! ●

RARE & BEAUTIFUL TUDOR HOME

$595,000 - $615,000 | 12 SQ. Luxurious Fully Renovated Tudor Home

This is a rare opportunity to be the new owner of this beautiful jewel in the crown situated at Valley Village Mews in Dandenong. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own this renovated home in beautiful garden surrounds.

It’s a large and luxurious home with all the benefits of living the easy village lifestyle (12 squares/111sqm*). Boasting spacious bedrooms with a walk-in wardrobe and modern bathroom. The vaulted ceilings add light and air whilst the wainscoting panelling, hybrid flooring and fireplace all add a touch of sophistication and ambience. The modern kitchen and dining room is filled with natural light and looks on to the large north-facing rear yard. The garage is complimented with an adjoining multipurpose room for hobbies, yoga or just additional storage. Ducted heating and cooling with individual reverse cycle units means you will be comfortable year round in any room and security shutters add peace of mind.

With a location only 30 seconds from the parkland, it suits an active and picturesque lifestyle. One of only a handful of Tudor homes in the village, this one is undoubtedly the quaintest of them all. It will not last so inquire today because it will be gone tomorrow.

RARE FIND ON APPROXIMATELY 4000SQM

ESCAPE to serenity and embrace the idyllic country life that this property has to offer. This hidden gem is just a short drive from the town centre and minutes from the popular distilleries and wine bars. Situated opposite the RACV golf course, and nestled on nearly one acre of land, this property offers endless possibilities.

Step inside the charming Hardiplank home, well-maintained and presented. With verandahs at the front and rear, you can immerse yourself in the picturesque surroundings and enjoy the tranquillity of country living. The front verandah which looks towards the golf course and beyond is the perfect spot to unwind and relax at the start or end of your day.

Featuring three bedrooms - two with built-in robes, one with a large cupboard, a semi-ensuite bathroom, two toilets, and two separate living areas, this home provides ample space for comfortable living and entertaining. The split-level design and soaring ceilings add character and a sense of space. Your comfort year-round is ensured with the two reverse-cycle split systems and the wood heater.

External to the home you’ll find additional structures such as a 5.4 x 3.4m watertight shed with shelving, a small garden shed, and a chook pen. The land has seen various uses over the years, including a pony paddock, and now it’s your turn to unleash your creativity. Subject to council approval (STCA), you have the opportunity to build a large shed for car enthusiasts or tradespeople.

Imagine having enough space for a thriving vegetable garden, for keeping a couple of goats, or for any other endeavour you’ve been dreaming of – turning this property into your own little country retreat or hobby farm. Escape the urban hustle without compromising on convenience. This property offers the best of both worlds – the peace and quiet of the countryside, with easy access to all amenities nearby.

Don’t let this opportunity slip away! 19 Chum Creek Road is a rare find with so much potential and endless possibilities. Grab this chance to create the lifestyle you’ve always wanted. Act fast, as this special property won’t stay on the market for long! ●

HOME ESSENTIALS

MAKE YOUR NEXT MOVE WITH INTEGRITY

Integrity Real Estate is a family-owned real estate agency servicing the Yarra Valley, Kinglake Ranges and surrounds. Our team draws on over 70 years real estate experience to provide premium property services, with unmatched personal service that only a family company can provide.

PEACE, PRIVACY IN PICTURESQUE LOCATION

TIME for a change of scenery, this could be the spot, surrounded by lush bush and a picturesque location it’s the ideal place to relax and unwind.

The home is fresh, light and bright and offering great space inside and out with 3 good size bedrooms all with built-in robes. Luxurious main bathroom plus an open plan lounge/living area and kitchen with

modern appliances throughout.

Outside there is plenty of room for the whole family to enjoy, with a great size back yard plus a carport and lock up garage and with ample space for cars and trailers.

A fantastic property superbly presented and with nothing to do but sit back relax and enjoy the tranquil and peaceful surrounds. ●

Over10acresofYarraValleyblisswithenormouscharacterfilledhome

Situatedonabeautiful10acresofland,boasting4bedrooms,ahomeoffice,andanimpressive5 livingspaces,thechoicesareentirelyyourstomake.Anarrayoffeaturesthatcaptureattention includegrandbeams,distinctivewoodendoors,anexteriorcraftedfrommudbrickandcharacter timbercladding.Theimpeccablekitchenoffersasubstantialstove,plentyofcupboardstorage,and abreakfastislandenhancesthealreadygenerouscounterspace.Aninvitingopenfirewithastone fireplacegracingtheformallounge,withaseparatewoodheaterinthelivingroom.Externally,this acreagepropertyboastsexcellentinfrastructure,a4-carcarportattachedtothemainhouseand twosizableshedsboastingconcretefloorsandampleclearance,idealforaccommodatingvehicles andequipment.Don’tmissoutonthisYarraValleylifestyleopportunity!

Freshandbrightinahandylocation

Ideallylocatedwithlocalschools,shopsandtransportnearby,thisimpeccablyneathomeissuperbly presentedinsideandout.Offering2bedrooms,withalargeopenfamily/livingarea,agenerously sizekitchen/mealsareaandwithlovelyfreshcarpetandpaintthroughoutthehome,thereissimply nothingtodobutmoveinandenjoy.Outsideoffersaqualitypavedarea,gardenshedandcarport, providingamplespaceforoutdoorendeavors.Additionally,theaddedbonusofsolarpoweris anotherassetofthisproperty.Situatedattheendofthecourt,andsetinpicturesquesemirural surroundings,thispropertyistheperfectplacetoliveandenjoytherelaxedlifestyle.

145SettlementRoad,YarraJunction$1,100,000-$1,200,000

LifestylePropertyofover5acresabuttingtheRailTrailandLittleYarraRiver!

AhavenofsmallacreagenestledwithinthegorgeousYarraValley,thisinviting4bedroom homesteadoffersgreatinfrastructureinanidyllicsettingthatfeaturestheadjoiningRailTrailand tranquilLittleYarraRiver.Thehomesteadboastsfourgenerouslyappointedbedrooms,withthe mastersuitefeaturinganelegantensuite.Asupersizedkitchen,whereabundantbenchspace andstoragecomplementthemagnificentFalconcooker.Thekitchentransitionsintothelivingand mealsarea,wherethewarmthofawoodheaterworksinharmonywiththeconvenienceofasplit system.Ashowpiecesandstoneopenfireplaceaddsatouchoftimelessallure.Woodshedsand anexpansivebarnoffersversatilityandspaceforstorage.AprivategateopensontotheRailTrail, beckoningyoutoleisurelywalk.Thisproperty,boastsunrivalledlocationandpotential,enquirenow!

LeahBannerman M 0448924266

Inspection: Sat11.30-12.00pm 4

4TheCrescent,Wesburn$590,000-$640,000

Warm,WelcomingandIdeallyLocated

Awarmandwelcomingpropertyinaconvenientandsoughtafterlocation,anidyllicandattractive positionsetamongstasemiruralsettingandjustminutesstrolltothelocalprimaryschool,public transport,walkingtrailandtheeverpopularfoodieoutletsinthemainstreet.Aflexibleandfunctional floorplanoffersgreatspaceforthewholefamilywith3bedroomsandanopenplankitchenwith plentyofbenchandcupboardspace,aseparatemealsareaandlightfilledlounge/livingareas withfulllengthwindowsistheidealplacetositbackrelaxandenjoytherusticoutlook.Hoursof funoutsideforthekidsandpetstoexploreandenjoysituatedonapprox.940sqmwithamixtureof treesandshrubs,easyaccessforcarsandtrailersplusaseparatecarportcompletethisattractive propertyandwithservicesclosebyit’sagreatplacetocallhome.

DavidCarroll M 0419539320

Inspection: ByAppointment

COUNTRY CHARM, MODERN CONVENIENCE

PERFECTLY located in one of Emerald’s most highly sought-after locations is this magnificent Glen Thompson brick home that has been lovingly constructed by the current owners.

As you enter the property via the sealed driveway, you are presented with the stunning home sitting proudly on a manicured and landscaped half an acre allotment. The home is perfect for those who appreciate quality and style.

Boasting a flexible floorplan ideal for growing families, downsizers or investors, the open plan kitchen and meals area acts as the heart of the home featuring gas cooktop, wall oven, dishwasher and a bounty of cupboard and bench space. Entertaining friends and family is a breeze. The adjoining cosy lounge with open fireplace provides an ideal place to sit back and relax on those cooler evenings. Kitchen and lounge area enjoys peaceful garden vista views and is flooded with natural light from large windows. There are three large bedrooms in total, the master features a spacious walk-in robe and full ensuite. Bedroom two (currently configured as a sitting room/ office) and bedroom three (with built in robe) are separately zoned and are serviced by the spacious family bathroom.

Special features include gas ducted heating, evaporative cooling, large laundry, polished Tasmanian Oak flooring, ornate cornices, 9ft ceilings and quality fixtures and

fittings throughout. Also, under roofline the oversized double garage with internal access could easily be converted into an extra living and/or bedrooms if required (subject to council approval).

Outside, the front deck offers complete privacy whilst you enjoy relaxing views across the manicured front garden. The balance of the property has been carefully landscaped and terraced to take full advantage of the half acre allotment. A spacious paved outdoor entertaining area is nestled amongst terraced gardens that feature vibrant florals and mature plantings that are ever changing throughout the seasons. For the children there are expansive lawned areas to run and play as well as a swing! At the rear of the property, there is a spacious wood shed with water and power connected. In addition to the double garage, there is a double carport. Located in a picturesque parklike setting with an abundance of stunning walking trail opportunities at your door step, including Lakeside Drive itself as it is a secret spot for photographers, all while only a stones throw to the thriving Emerald township.

Indulge in the tranquil embrace of lush surroundings while enjoying easy access to contemporary comforts just moments from your doorstep. Offering everything you could ask for this one should be at the top of your list, inspect with absolute confidence! ●

105WarwickRoad, Gembrook

Yourveryown4acreOasis!

FORSALE.

GUIDE $650,000

INSPECT ByAppointment

CONTACT DaveReilly 0437347665

BarryPlantEmerald 59684522

COUNTRYCHARMWITHMODERNCONVENIENCE

FORSALE.

GUIDE $985,000-$1,080,000 INSPECT ByAppointment CONTACT RileyNicholas 0488501218 BarryPlantEmerald 59684522

READYTOENJOYINEMERALD’SBESTLOCATION!

FORSALE.

$790,000-$860,000

0408535075

59684522

ENTERTAINERSDELIGHTINAPARKLIKESETTING

FORSALE. GUIDE $1,220,000-$1,300,000

ByAppointment

JustinBarrot 0438683781

59684522

THEPERFECTRETREATORBUSINESSOPPORTUNITY

39LisheenRoad, Cockatoo 3 A T 2 B T

FORSALE.

GUIDE $1,100,000-$1,200,000 INSPECT ByAppointment CONTACT RileyNicholas 0488501218

BarryPlantEmerald 59684522

243MtEireneRoad, Gembrook

21ACRELIFESTYLEPROPERTYWITHBAYVIEWS

FORSALE.

GUIDE $1,750,000-$1,850,000 INSPECT ByAppointment

CONTACT JustinBarrot 0438683781

BarryPlantEmerald 59684522

Experiencetranquillivingonalmost1/2acre

11EdmundsRoad, Cockatoo 3

FORSALE.

GUIDE $720,000-$780,000

INSPECT ByAppointment

CONTACT DaveReilly 0437347665

BarryPlantEmerald 59684522

29KitchenerParade, Cockatoo

COUNTRYSIDECHARMERON966M2

FORSALE.

GUIDE $750,000-$795,000

INSPECT ByAppointment

CONTACT JustinBarrot 0438683781

BarryPlantEmerald 59684522

TIMETOBUILDTHEHOMEOFYOURDREAMS

20HaylockAvenue, Cockatoo 1011.71m2

FORSALE.

GUIDE $330,000-$360,000 INSPECT ByAppointment

CONTACT LanaMaher 0408535075

BarryPlantEmerald 59684522

EASY LIVING IN EDINA!

PERFECTLY positioned, only a stone’s throw from Wattle View Primary School, Tim Neville Arboretum and within an easy drive to many local shopping precincts including Knox City, this beautifully maintained three-bedroom home provides you with easy living at its finest!

Only eight years old and spanning over two levels, the home provides spacious, open plan living and is filled with natural sunlight.

The well designed floorplan features a blend of timber floor boards and quality carpets throughout with the master bedroom and ensuite plus walk-in robe on the lower level, whilst the remaining bedrooms and

HOME ESSENTIALS

main bathroom are privately positioned on the top level.

Modern conveniences such as gas ducted heating and evaporative cooling have been added for easy temperature control whilst in the kitchen, a large island bench and stainless steel appliances make for a seamless finish.

Outside, the wide timber decking overlooks a low maintenance garden and caters for indoor/outdoor entertaining, allowing you to move in and simply enjoy.

With a double remote entry garage and in a quiet position being on the rear block, this home is ideal for families, downsizers or investors alike. ●

Address: 64B Edina Road, FERNTREE GULLY Description:

Contact: Rachel Eastwood 0401 117 761 or Sharyn Chandler 0439 882 442,

WELCOME TO SYLVAN GLADES

For loan licence agreement - not for individual sale SYLVAN Glades Retirement Village offers affordable, independent living for retirees over 55s.

Located in the highly sought after Dandenong Ranges, this private and peaceful village offers an affordable downsized lifestyle living. Our solid brick, bright and spacious units are available in both one and two bedrooms and offer flexible layouts with modern extras to make life even easier.

The units offer privacy with their own carports, private courtyards and beautiful landscaped gardens with walking paths.

Just a 5 minute drive to Main Road, Monbulk where you will find many cafes, Woolworths, Aldi and specialty shops you will love! or a short drive to Mt Evelyn and Lilydale.

All available units have been recently refurbished, with some offering brand new fully updated kitchens and bathrooms, appliances, floor coverings and fresh paintwork.

The landscaped gardens are all centred around the community hall which offers a fully equipped kitchen for social group use, activities/games area, library, relaxing lounge area, dancefloor and an outdoor BBQ facilities area.

Live the good life! Choose Sylvan Glades Retirement Village.

2 BED UNITS - $300,000

1 BED UNIT - $216,500

Contact Glenn Chandler 0418 410 689 or Sharyn Chandler 0439 882 442 for your tour and inspection today!

* Please note this accommodation is available for Loan License Agreement only, for all enquiries and inspections please contact Chandler & Co. Real Estate.

** Units will vary, photos & floor plan for illustration purposes only. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS

Address: 18/15 Anderson Road, MONBULK

Thisenviableentertainerwithexceptionalhillsideviewsisacompletelifestylepackage awaitingitsnewowners.Featuringaswimmingpoolandspa,freestandingstudio/home office,andsinglegarage,thispropertyboastsalltheelementsofaforeverfamilyhome.

BradConder

M 0422639115| E brad@chandlerandco.com.au

DanielSteen

M 0434979142| E daniel@chandlerandco.com.au

Thiswhimsicalresidencewillalightimaginationswithitscharm,potential,position,and 1,435sqm(approx.)property.Filledwithhandcraftedelementsandenrichedwithadouble carportandabundantoff-streetparking,thispropertynearbustransportandlocalshops isajoytobehold.Fromthesunroomentry,theinteriorbranchestoanamplehomeoffice/ studyandtheopenplandiningareaandkitchen.

SuzieBrannelly

M 0490506910| E suzie@chandlerandco.com.au

Ararefind,thiswellcaredfor,clearedandvacantblockof2311m2isinabeautifulpartof theDandenongRangesandoffersnearbyvalleyviews.Prettymaturetreescreatealovely canopyaroundtheboundaryandwillgivecolourandheightforyourgardentocome tolife.Buildyourdreamhome(STCA)totakeinthesurroundinggreeneryandenjoythe peaceandprivacyofthissoughtafterlocation.

SharynChandler

M 0439882442| E sharyn@chandlerandco.com.au

GlennChandler

M 0418410689| E glenn@chandlerandco.com.au

property.Featuringaclassichome,acovetedlevelblock,andaconvenientlocation only250mfromshopping,cafes,schools,andtransport,thispropertyisthetrifectaof investments.

SPORT

Women’s cricket all go

By Tanya Steele

Local League cricket in Healesville is set to include a women’s side for the first time in a welcome move supported by the community.

Healesville Cricket Club recently announced plans for their first-ever SeniorWomen’s team for 2023/2024 Season.

Women’s Cricket coordinator at Heasleville Cricket Club, Shannon Maile said the addition is something the club’s wanted to do for a while.

“With more and more talent coming through the club jumped at the idea of forming an inaugural side,” she said.

Healesville is already home to many successful girls and women’s programmes and Ms Maile said it will be great to have cricket be a part of that.

The Women’s team will be entered into the Ringwood District Cricket Association (RDCA) competition and will be doing 1-day games and 20/20 matches.

Players will need to be aged 15 years and over to play and games will be Sunday at Queens Park.

Previously, players in Healesville could play until 16 and then had to move to other clubs out of the area.

“The talent will now stay in Healesville,” Ms Maile said.

Linda Bailey, Inaugural Chair of the Ringwood District Cricket (RDCA) Women’s East Competition said the women’s teams are now another arm of the opportunities that RDCA offers for people to get involved in community cricket.

“Some of our clubs are not new and some like Healseville are, which is a wonderful thing,” she said.

Ms Bailey said the uptake has been more visible in the community recently, with things like the success of the Australian Women’s

Pre-seasontrainingfortheWomen’steamisalreadyunderwayandtheclubisstillactivelyrecruiting.

team and the effort organisations have made to connect with people contributing to the success.

“There is also more funding available to help establish women’s sporting clubs,” she said.

“Women of all ages are saying, well why not — community cricket is an amazing thing’’.

When communities offer cricket programs to women, Ms Bailey said it provides an advantage to all clubs.

“Quite often the first people who come on board are family members of male cricket players who play at the club - so they already have a connection,” she said.

The Healesville Cricket Club are still actively recruiting for the women’s team and Ms Maile said the community has been really supportive

“Other sporting clubs have been great, they’ve been a really good help,” she said.

Ms Maile herself played cricket in Healesville for many years as a younger player and

General Notices General Classifieds

NOTICE

OF APPLICATION FOR A PLANNING PERMIT

Notice issued: 17 August 2023

DETAILS ABOUT THE APPLICATION

REDGUM

V Pets & Services

said there is great value to get a side up locally.

“We do have such talented players in the community,” she said.

“It’s an exciting time, it’s our first woman’s team.”

Pre-season training has already commenced and the club is holding an information session on 3 September at 1pm - head to the Healesville Cricket Club Facebook page for more information or call Shannon Maile on 0493 766 285 or Chris Handasyde on 0422 231 260.

$275 per metre

The

You may view the digital application online at the below website. Simply search by the application number then click on “Documents”. http://yarraranges.vic.gov.au/track or The digital application can also be viewed at any one of the Community Link offices Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm.

An objection must include: • The application number and site address.

•The name, address and email of the objector/submitter.

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reasons for the objection and how the objector would be affected. Objections can be submitted online at http://yarraranges.vic.gov.au/track. Simply search by the application number then click on “Make a Submission”. If you object, the Responsible Authority will advise you of the decision. Objections can be made (and received) up until the decision date. For further information on the application, or to make an appointment, please contact the Planning Officer, Katie Cunningham by email: mail@yarraranges.vic.gov.au The Responsible

Authority will not decide on the application before: 4 September 2023

Picture:SUPPLIED

Cold comfort

By Sarah Morton

Healesville U9 Redbacks 5

–

0 Knox Strikers

It was a bitterly cold and wet morning for the Healesville home game vs Knox.

Everyone was struggling to stay warm, but the Redbacks were able to get off to a good start with some attacking play and a nice strike from Arlo netted our first goal.

All the players were working well together, with some good passes and more goals added by Max and Arlo.

Bo B was rock solid in goals and stopped plenty of shots plus sent the ball back into the Redbacks attacking half multiple times.

At the half time break with everyone cold and shivering, spectators and coaches included, the boys kept moving and were able to remain focussed then came out firing with some great team work once again.

Levi added to the score sheet and Billy was also able to nail a great strike. It was a great performance in tough conditions and the boys walked away at full time with a 5-0 victory.

Healesville U10 Whites 0 - 1 Croydon Ranges Reds

A drizzly, cold morning greeted the Healesville U10 White Wolves as they met for a match with the Croydon Rangers U10 Red.

However, the weather didn’t dampen the spirit or enthusiasm of the players, starting with great determination and energy. Missing their usual coach Joe, meant that Steve Campbell stepped up to rally the troops, and encourage the team with their positions and presence on the field. The forward players brought the ball to the goal regularly through the first half, with some incredible passing and footwork.

Strong and clever attempts at goal were thwarted by a strong goalkeeper on the opposing side, however Will, Robbie and Evan kept the movement forward.

The Healesville defenders kept up a strong focus in the slippery conditions, but Croydon scored a lucky goal before half time.

Evan K proved a strong presence in goals for the second half, and even though the game went Croydon’s way, it may have only been due to some luck.The skill and great sportsmanship shown by the Wolves was relentless, with encouragement and support on display by all players.

Healesville U14 4 – 0 Yarra Valley

Healesville u14s came up against their most evenly matched opposition this week.

Healesville and Yarra Valley have shared a number of narrow wins and draws in the past, and it started just as tough.

It took 10 minutes for Healesville to net their

Netball in Yea a nailbiter

By Anne-Marie Ebbels

Healesville netballers headed north to Yea for Round 17 which was the final home and away game for the A and C Grade teams who have bye next week in the final round for the season. The football teams and D Grade netball had a bye.

The A Grade game was a nail biter with scores level at quarter time and half time as the teams went goal for goal. Healesville managed to secure a mini break in the third quarter to go into the three-quarter time break with a two-goal break.

first goal but then the flood gates opened putting another three goals past the keeper in quick succession.

A half time reset and rest for a few kids still getting over a virus before heading out to a resurgentYarraValley and another typically tough half saw Healesville win their fifth game of the last six with a 4-0 score line.

Congratulations to Will W who scored his 30th goal for the season this week.

Healesville Reserves 0 – 1 Waverley

After losing 4-1 in the same fixture only a couple of weeks ago Healesville fielded a stronger team this time around.

As in the previous gameWaverley controlled possession, but this time a well organised Healesville team prevented them from creating too many goal scoring opportunities.

The opposition’s stand out player finally broke both the deadlock and Healesville hearts with a wonderful goal late in the second half.

Still, a lot of positives will be taken from a great performance from the Healesville Reserves.

Healesville Seniors 0 - 3 Dandy Casuals

For the second game in succession, Healesville played away to the Dandy Casuals.

After a rainy day the weather cleared up just in time for the game and allowed for some crisp passing as the ball skipped off the slippery surface. Healesville was dominant in both halves but unfortunately, the scoreboard would suggest otherwise.

Three sloppy goals were conceded in a game where Healesville created the majority of the chances but just couldn’t capitalise on them.

It always felt that Healesville just needed the one goal to break the shackles, but each time momentum was building another soft goal was given away taking the wind out of their sails. Other results

Healesville U9White Knights 0-2 to Knox Force

Yea clawed back the difference and when the final siren went Yea were in front by one goal. In the B grade game, Yea got out to an early lead by three goals and continued to increase their lead at each break.

Healesville fought hard to bridge the gap, but some errant ball handling letYea back in to secure the win by eight goals.

In their final game for the season C Grade let Yea get the jump on them in the first half with a strong second quarter and Yea was leading by six goals by half time.

Healesville fought back in the third quar-

Tough game

By David Ball and Alex Woods

Yarra Glen Netball C grade got the day started at Woori Yallock in the 2nd - the semi Final against Warburton Millgrove and was set to be a set to be a tough game.

In wet conditions, the first quarter was goal for goal with Warby just 1 goal ahead at the first break, while Yarra Glen had the 1 goal lead heading into the second quarter.

In the second quarter the Yarra Glen goalshooters were off target whereas the Warby goalshooter missed nothing - leaving Yarra Glen to only score 2 goals to 9.

Yarra Glen were 6 goals down at half time.

The Burras extended their lead early in the third before a great fightback from the Yarra girls closed the gap and looked poised to run over their opponents.

Warby steadied late in the quarter to be 2 goals ahead at the last break.

Yarra Glen missed their chances whilst Warby nailed theirs to take a spot in the Grand Final with a 6 goal win, final scores Yarra Glen 22 to Warburton Millgrove 28.

ter to tie the scores at three quarter time. In a tight final quarter,Yea got a mini break and managed to hold on until the final siren winning by two goals.

Next week the footballers and B and D Grade head to Hallam for their final home and away game.

A win for the Senior footballers will secure a finals berth without waiting on other results.

· A Grade: Healesville 37 defeated by Yea 38

Best: J Agnew, AWhite, R Thompson

·

B Grade: Healesville 32 defeated by Yea 40

Best: H Condon, H Blackney, GYoung

·

C Grade: Healesville 19 defeated by Yea 21

Best: T Pinkster

Itwasatoughgameinwetconditions.

Best players were Ash Shanks, Michele Young and Courtney Cochrane. forYarra Glen. Warburton Millgrover came home with another well earned victory and Grand Final position with a full time score of 22-28. Cam Holland, Nicole Winzer and Courtney Irwin were the stars of the match.

Yarra Glen Seniors have no answer to Powelltown

By David Ball

TheYarra Glen seniors have made it to the first Semi-final and played Powelltown at Yarra Junction.

With the overnight rain and morning drizzle, conditions were wet and slippery.

The game started with both sides winning their share of the footy.

The big difference was Powelltown’s ball handling and kicking skills.

They moved the ball well while Yarra Glen fumbled and missed targets with their kicks.

The River Pigs’ 5 shots at goal produced only one major, whereas Powelltown kicked 5 from their 7 shots to be 22 points ahead at quarter time.

In the second and third quarters the Demons dominated, handling the conditions much better than Yarra Glen, proving too strong and skilful and with too many strong marking forwards.

Down by 59 points at half time, Yarra Glen offered little resistance in the third quarter and went into the final quarter trailing by 114 points.

To their credit, they fought hard in last to have more scoring shots, before being finishing up losing 3.12 to 22.16.

Best Players for Yarra Glen were Richard Wyles, Tom Sullivan, Callum Morison, Caleb

Yarra Glen B Grade played Powelltown at Yarra Junction in a cutthroat 1st semi, having beaten them the previous week.

The first quarter was a tight affair and with each team having a tall and effective goal shooter, both defences were under pressure from the start.

The Yarra girls started well to be 2 goals up at quarter time.

They stretched this to 7 at half time.

A great third quarter saw Yarra Glen pile on 15 goals to 5 to have the game wrapped up with a 17 goal lead.

The final quarter was even as Broadford lifted.

The final result saw Yarra Glen move into the preliminary final with a convincing 43 to 27 victory.

Best players were Jasmin Wood, Georgia Crundale and Meaghan Carter.

In netball, Yarra Glen A Grade were also playingPowelltownafterthetwoteamsplayed an exciting draw last week.

Powelltown came out firing withYarra Glen missing shots and turning the ball over to be 5 nil down early in the first.

The Yarra girls steadied and with Alana McGurgan controlling the centre they fought

back to level the scores at 13 all by quarter time.

Yarra Glen inched ahead to be 2 up at half time.

Maddy Hargrave was shooting well and rebounding any shots she missed.

Brooke McGurgan outplayed her bigger opponent to intercept many of the Demons forward moves. Yarra Glen went on to welldeserved 50 to 37 win.

Best players were Brooke McGurgan, Alana McGurgan and Maddy Hargrave.

D Grade played Yarra Junction in the last semi-final for the day, playing a team they had beaten easily in their 3 encounters this season.

The Yarra girls started well to be 6 to 1 ahead at quarter time.

Junction were working hard but had trouble getting throughYarra Glens defence.

Aided by hard work mid court, Yarra Glen converted under the ring to run out with an easy 29 to 8 victory to advance to the Preliminary final.

Best players were Mel Erickson, Sam Chetcuti and Kim Christian.

Next week all fourYarra Glen netball teams feature in the Preliminary finals being played at Broadford.

A & B grades face Broadford, whilst C & D Grades will take on Powelltown.

Picture:JAYMEBASHFORD

Surplice and Matt McCann. Goalkickers –Josh Hawkins, Blake Binion and Jamie Brereton.

U9Redbacksaftertheir5-0winagainstthe KnoxStrikers. Picture:SUPPLIED

Great weekend for Burras

By Alex Woods

A massive weekend was set to be had seven teams are in the qualifying position and playing for a spot in the Grand Final.

The morning started with D Grade playing against Powelltown.

The rain was set in for the morning, which made for wet netball conditions.

They got off to a strong start in the first quarter but Powelltown slowly bought it back for the Burras to have a 6 goal lead at the first break.

The second quarter gained more momentum for them to have a 9 goal lead, only allowing Powelltown to score 1 goal in the second.

The second half was much the same for the Burras, usurping their strong defensive efforts and converting them into goals, the D Grade girls secured their much earned Grand Final position with a 24-13 victory.

Top performers were: Courtney Godenzi, Cam Partel and Tayah Humphreyz, Tayah and Cam both shot 12 goals each.

B grade we’re on after and this was set to be a tough match for the girls.

Broadford had secured 2 wins against them and 1 for Warby.

Only going down by 4 goals over at Broadford a few weeks ago, they definitely had a good chance at securing a victory.

Burras got an early jump heading into the quarter time break 6-9. They looked and felt strong but had to continue it for another 3 quarters.

They second quarter was much the same but the Burras held onto a 2 goal lead heading into half time break.

A slight change in positions, the girls took control of the game and converted the turn overs into goals.

The defensive pressure caused Broadford to turnover the ball and into the Burras hands.

They scored 14 goals to Broadford’s 7, going into the last quarter with a nice 9 goal lead.

The last quarter was a big one for B Grade, hadn’t been in a Grand Final since 2016, but this was a completely different team, and the

only netball side to not have made it last year going down to Broadford in the Prelim.

Broadford had a big quarter shooting 11 goals to our 9 but thankfully our big 3rd quarter was enough for us to keep the lead and finish was winners by the final siren.

Chelsea Barnard, Jordana Butcher and Alexandra Woods were named top performers with Jordana shooting 23 goals and Alex with 16.

Reserves took to the footy field for their big clash against Powelltown.

Burras had the lead at quarter time with a score of 2.1-13 to 1.0-6.

The wet oval made for scrappy footy but the Burras held onto the lead going into the half time break by 4 points.

They had a much-needed reset and regroup to come into the second half even stronger.

They kept Powelltown scoreless in the third quarter and scored some much needed goals themselves to give themselves a nice lead heading into the last quarter.

The Burras had strong defensive pressure and managed to convert all the turnovers into some goals.

The last quarter they kept as their game, Powelltown scored 1.4 to our 2.1 in the last, the boys had secured the victory when the siren

Freshmans days lie ahead

HORSE TALK

By Anita Prowse

Upper Yarra Pony Club have a number of Freshmans Show-jumping days coming up at Wesburn Park.

These are open to anyone to attend and are an excellent training tool for riding a full round, which we quite often don’t have the facilities to do at home.

Horses are restricted to a MAXIMUM of 5 rounds per day.

All open riders must sign a Liability Waiver, and pay the fee required, as per Insurer’s cover requirements.

Heights start at 45cms, and increase during the day. Spectators are welcome and canteen is running for snacks and refresh-

ments.

The money taken from these days is put in our Grounds Account to raise funds for works, in particular, our cross-country fences which are well overdue for an upgrade. As the general public also use these facilities, supporting days like this are always important.

Even if you aren’t riding, our canteen can also be supported.

As always, any enquiries to anita.horses@gmail.com or 0409953345.

Dates are as follows –

· Saturday 9 September

· Saturday 14 October

· Saturday 4 November

See you there and Happy Riding!

sounded having a nice score of 7.5-45 to 3.725.

Earning themselves a Grand Final position in 2 weeks time.

Matthew Sidari, Aaron Pye, Joshua Read, Brayden Ferguson, Kobi Gay and Aidan Norfolk all had solid games with Josh Read kicking 3 goals, Tyler Bert, Damien Egan, Noah Erickson and Aaron Maguire all had 1 each.

A Grade started their game midday, taking on Broadford.

Game started close with Burras being 2 goals up at the first break (9-7).

They managed to create a nice gap heading into the second half with a score of 27-15.

The third quarter had strong defensive pressure, only allowing Broadford to score 1 goal, while putting up 6 themselves.

The A Graders had a nice lead heading into the last quarter (33-16) but the game was far from over yet.

This quarter was big for both teams, Broadford shot 13 goals but was enough to regain control of the game as the Burras put up a massive 24 goals to give a final score of 57-29. 4

The 17 & Under netball finished off the day over at the courts, taking on Alexandra.

They matched up last week with the Burras having a victory go 21-9, but finals are a dif-

ferent ball game.

Alexandra got the early jump having a 1-4 lead at quarter time.

Burras made some changes going into the second to regain momentum and the lead heading into the half time break.

Burras had a strong quarter scoring 7 goals to Alexandra’s 2, giving them a 2 goal lead heading the second half.

Thier defence worked tirelessly to keep Alexandra scoreless in the third quarter and converted into 3 goals to increase their lead.

Last quarter came around the Burras went out strong to finish off the day.

They managed to leave Alexandra to score only 2 goals and gained another 5 for themselves, giving a nice victory of 16-8 and a Grand Final position.

A nice clean sweep for netball and all sides into the last game.

Seniors finished off the day with a tough match against Alexandra.

Burras went down to Alex last weekend by a few goals and the conditions of the ground was going to make it a hard game.

Burras got a nice start kicking 3.3-21 to Alexandra’s 2.2-14 in the first quarter, Alex gained some momentum and managed to secure a 3 point lead heading into the second half.

Unfortunately, Alexandra took control of the second half and kicked 3 goals and 3 behinds to our 1.1.

The last quarter was much to Alexandra’s way and the Burras couldn’t convert their efforts into goals, kicking 3 behinds for the quarter to Alexandra’s 2 goals and behinds.

Alex took the victory with a final score of 5.9-39 to .16-70.

The Burras have a second chance against Powelltown on Saturday at Broadford.

Big week of training and working hard to get a hopeful victory.

Tyson Henry, Dale Morris, Trent Elliott, Dylan Walker, Thomas Marr and Tom Barr were named top performers with Trent Elliott kicking 2 goals and Tyson Henry, Tom Barr and Blake Muir all had 1 each.

Great weekend for the Burras!

Happy day out for ‘Happy’

By Ron Hottes

Wednesday 16 August: Stableford:

A field of 40+ meant that we could declare an A and a B-Grade winner on the day -and both winners deserved their vouchers with outstanding results.

First-up, Ray “Happy“ Gilmore , our AGrade Club-Captain posted the day’s best score, with a superb 41 points.

( That 14 handicap won’t last long, Happy!)

The A-Grade R/up was Dave-Hatt with a solid 36 points. In B-Grade, newly-appointed Master’s Pennant captain, Peter-Whitehead, celebrated that vital achievement by recording 40 impressive points.

This easily “trumped“ the rest of us B-Graders, with Kyle-Ferguson coming in 2nd, with 37 points.

With these scores being recorded, it will surprise no one that the ball rundown only extended to 33.

There were only 3 NTP winners because both the 5th and the 12th holes again proved too challenging for the whole field.

The NTPs went to Peter-Whitehead, (3rd),

Steuart-Hawke, (9th) and to Daniel-Adams, (a Yering guest—15th).

Saturday 19 August: PAR

A healthy field tackled the challenge that is PAR.

A couple in that healthy field DID rise to the challenge.

In A-Grade, that mercurial golfer, Shane “Bomber“ Campbell, posted the best score on the day, with a very impressive +4.

Good job, Bomber.

The R/up to Shane was last week’s holein-one specialist, Rod-Kempton, finishing “square“ but good enough to grab that voucher.

The B-Grade prize went to Ashley-Hall, with a +2 result.

Good score, Ash.

The R/up here was Glen-Patrick, with another “square“ result. In this grade, balls only reached -2, but in A-Grade, they stretched to -5!

NTPs went home with Josh-Hin, (3rd), Noel-Cross, (5th), President-Nursey, (9th), Robert-Scott, (12th) and finally to Dave-Wappett, (15th).

WGC had a big day.

B Grade captain, Chelsea Barnard.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Upper Yarra Pony Club have a number of Freshmans Show-jumping days coming up at Wesburn Park. Picture: SUPPLIED

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