Defining moments
BEST STORIES OF 2024
What a year 2024 was.
It saw a Lilydale boy score gold at the Paris Olympics, Holy Fools find a home in Lilydale, a community heartbroken by the sudden loss of a friend, Amigo, and movement on the management of stormwater after continuous community outcry.
But like all years, it also came with tough moments, as the Montrose intersection works started impacting business greatly and people again struggled with the rising cost of living, seeing community organisations providing higher amounts of food relief. Tragedy on Yarra Ranges’ roads was immense with accidents and in some awful circumstances, deaths of motorcyclists and pedestrians.
Star Mail also had a heavy focus on gendered violence and family violence, with a reflection of the work in this space over the year getting a space of its own in this edition.
Among all the good, bad and everything in between, the community has had a strong voice of reason and passion, and an ever growing sense of kindness and support.
As Star Mail takes a look back through the sto-
ries that made the year, re-read the inspiring story of Tom who’s love of trucks brought the community together to celebrate his 10th birthday and the remarkable outcome of his leukaemia diagnosis.
Revisit the call of SES volunteers requesting a new funding model and the moment a Mount Evelyn McDonald’s proposal was refused.
In this special edition, see a selection of the best stories, photographs, entertainment and art, as well as all the great sporting moments from Olympic debuts to sailing wins, national records and AFL draftees.
Lilydale’s Kelland O’Brien celebrated the gold medal win on Wednesday 7 August. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)
The Southern Aurora made a dazzling appearance in 2024 captured here by Hills photographer Tracy Dasler. (Supplied)
Stay safe on the roads
Road safety will remain a key priority for Victoria Police heading into 2025 following another devastating year on the state’s roads.
There were 282 lives lost in 2024 compared with 295 in 2023.
“It’s been another challenging year on Victoria’s roads – not only is the sheer number of lives lost devastating, but the increase in fatal collisions overall has been particularly concerning to us,” Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said.
“Let’s not forget, these are not just numbers we are talking about, but human lives: these are people who will be mourned by their loved ones for many years to come.”
While the number of lives lost is slightly below 2023, concerningly there has been an overall increase in the number of fatal collisions.
There has been a six per cent rise in single fatal collisions, with 256 in 2024 compared with 241 in 2023.
However, there was a significant decrease in the number of multiple fatality collisions, with 13 double fatalities in 2024 compared with 2023 which saw 14 double fatalities, four quadruple fatalities and two quintuple fatalities.
Vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, motorcyclists, bicyclists and e-scooter riders made up 45 per cent of all lives lost on Victorian roads in 2024.
There were 66 motorcyclists killed compared with 53 in 2023.
Pedestrians accounted for 47 deaths compared with 44 in the previous year.
Driver fatalities made up 45 per cent of all lives during 2024, with 126 driver deaths compared with 128 in 2023.
There were 133 lives lost on metropolitan roads, up from 123 in 2023. A total 149 lives were lost on regional roads, down from 172 in 2023.
November was the deadliest month on Victoria’s roads with 35 lives lost during the month.
Police have identified single acts of non-compliance or people making basic driving errors contributed to more than half of fatalities in 2024.
These are behaviours such as low-range speeding, lower-level drink driving, failing to obey road signs and distraction, like using a mobile phone while driving.
More than 20 people killed in vehicle collisions weren’t wearing a seatbelt.
“Again, we have seen so many examples of simple and avoidable mistakes that have resulted in catastrophic outcomes,” AC Weir said.
“It is a stark reminder of the responsibilities we all have as road users, to keep ourselves, our passengers and all other road users safe.”
Extreme behaviours such as driving without a licence, travelling at extreme speeds, high-range
drink driving, illicit drug driving or often a combination of these behaviours contributed to approximately a quarter of fatal collisions in 2024.
Police are determined to drive down road trauma in 2025 and are urging all road users to consider their actions and behaviours when getting behind the wheel.
“As we head into the New Year, we’re urging everybody to take this opportunity to consider your behaviour on the roads and what you can do to contribute to making our roads safe,” AC Weir said.
“Road safety is everyone’s responsibilitywhether that be slowing down and travelling at the speed limit, not driving after consuming alcohol or drugs, avoiding distractions like mobile phones and ensuring everyone is wearing a properly fitted seatbelt.
“It’s up to all of us to ensure road safety remains paramount in the year ahead – we don’t want 2025 to be a year remembered for all the wrong reasons.”
Victoria Police will continue to work closely with its road safety partners to reduce the number
of fatal and serious injury collisions.
Road policing enforcement will continue to be a priority, with a number of operations to be conducted throughout the year both during high-risk periods but also at random, in-line with an ‘anywhere, any time’ deterrent approach.
The 2024 figures released on 1 January are provisional only.
For more information and tips for staying safe on the roads, visit the Road Safety page on the Victoria Police website police.vic.gov.au/road-safety
Crime rise in the Yarra Ranges with more thefts, damage
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Theft, criminal damage and youth offending have continued to rise in the Yarra Ranges, a trend reflected across the state according to the newest Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) data.
The total number of criminal incidents recorded in the Yarra Ranges in the year to 30 September rose 11.9 per cent, with stealing from a motor vehicle, criminal damage, other thefts and stealing from a retail store all increasing from the previous year.
Theft and deception offences saw the largest increases in Victoria too, with theft from motor vehicle offences increasing by 13,924 to 68,042.
Number plate and power tool theft recorded the greatest year-on-year increase, followed by theft from shops, theft in general and vehicle theft. Meat, fresh produce, cosmetics and vitamins were among the most common items stolen from grocery stores.
“Inflation, cost-of-living pressures and high interest rates (are) driving record levels of alcohol and grocery theft,” Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Regional Operations Neil Paterson said.
While breaching a family violence order still ranked in the top five offences for the municipality, this decreased across the year.
Crime in Lilydale saw a sharp upward trend, with 1090 incidents recorded compared to 857 in 2023.
Mooroolbark, Chirnside Park and Kilsyth also saw rises in criminal incidents, while Healesville had a slight decrease from 341 to 316 up until September 2024.
The top five locations across the Yarra Ranges
where criminal incidents and offences occurred overwhelmingly happened in houses, followed by the street, driveways, service stations and retail stores. In Victoria, there were a total of 28,432 home burglaries.
Across the state, criminal incidents increased to
431,683, an increase of 15 per cent on the year before and the highest since the CSA started recording in 2004/05. Those aged 10 to 24 were behind 50,516 incidents, an increase of 13.5 per cent and crimes by children aged 10 to 17 reached their highest levels since 2009.
The 10 to 17 age group also became the second largest offending cohort in the Yarra Ranges seeing 583 alleged offenders fit into this category. The over 45 age group, however, still remains the highest offending group.
“Our intelligence reveals that around 40 per cent of all car thieves are children or youth,” Mr Patterson said.
For the first time in Victoria, over 100,000 family violence incidents were recorded in what was an already tragic year with 30 women killed, including 12 in regional Victoria, CSA Chief Statistician Fiona Dowsley said family incidents have reached their highest levels ever in Victoria.
“There have been increases in incidents involving serious assaults, particularly aggravated assaults against females and threats of serious injury,” she said.
“Aggravated assaults on females frequently coincided with breaches of family violence orders, criminal damage, and common assault, contributing to the overall increase in family incident-related offences.”
The aggravated assault of a female increased by 92.2 per cent year-on-year and family violence accounts for one fifth of all crime in Victoria, with 102,082 incidents.
Mr Paterson said these rates of violence were an “unwanted milestone”.
“That means police are out there responding to family violence incidents at a rate of 280 a day, or 12 incidents every hour, or one incident every five minutes across this state,” Mr Paterson told reporters on 19 December.
Victoria Police Road Policing Glenn Weir Assistant Commissioner said the number of lives lost on Victorian roads in 2024 was devastating. (File: 316738)
Mikayla van Loon, with AAP
Factory hit by fire
A factory fire in Kilsyth has been declared suspicious as detectives investigate the blaze which required an extensive effort from firefighters on New Years Day.
The Canterbury Road factory, a curtain and blind distributor, located between Liverpool Road and Mount Dandenong Road was the target of the early morning fire.
Montrose CFA led the response arriving at around 3.10am on 1 January where firefighters found the building “well alight”.
The response saw assistance from The Basin, Mooroolbark, Bayswater, Mt Evelyn, Ferntree Gully, Upper Ferntree Gully, Lilydale, Boronia, Yellingbo, Hoddles Creek, Coldstream, Chirnside Park and South Warrandyte fire brigades.
Fire Rescue Victoria stations 26, 85 and 22 provided pumpers and stations 1 and 25 assisted in gaining height via ladder platforms to douse the fire from above.
Scoresby CFA’s Hose Layer provided over 400m of 100mm hose to supply the two ladder platform appliances who were delivering a combined 7000 litres per minute of water onto the fire.
“A job of this size takes team work,” Montrose CFA posted on social media.
The fire caused extensive damage to the premises and required the closure of Canterbury Road in both directions, with city bound lanes and one Montrose bound lane reopening around 1pm.
No one was inside at the time and the investigation remains ongoing.
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) also issued a warning for local residents to avoid contact with water in Taralla Creek between Bayswater Road and Colchester Road because of firewater runoff affecting the creek. An odour may also be detected.
This was the second blind factory to be engulf in flames in the east, after a Bayswater distributor was also impacted on 23 December.
The Melrich Road premise was issuing smoke and flames at around 4.25am.
“Wearing breathing apparatus (BA) and utilising specialist aerial appliances to deliver water from a height, firefighters worked to extinguish the fire, bringing the incident under control within 1hr 45 minutes, having contended with a high fuel load and partial structural collapse,” an FRV statement said.
“There were no occupants on scene at the time of the incident and no injuries reported.”
Anyone with information, CCTV footage or who witnessed the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit an online report via www.crimestoppers.com.au
Croydon North cafe blackened by flames
Rocco’s Burger Cafe about 2.10am on 31 December.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said no one was inside at the time.
The spokesperson also confirmed the fire had been deemed suspicious, with an arson chemist attending to investigate the cause of the blaze.
This investigation remains ongoing.
Unfortunately, the Post Office next door and beauty business Day Six, which resides above Rocco’s, were both caught in the blaze, experience extensive damage.
Retail services at the Croydon North Post Office have had to close, with all parcels and PO Box Mail being diverted to the Croydon Main
post office. Temporary fencing has since been placed around the businesses, with Rocco’s boarded up with timber panelling. Anyone with information or who witnessed the incident is urged to contact Crime
IN BRIEF
High speed driver
A driver in his 20s was charged with dangerous driving after being caught 72 kilometres per hour over the speed limit on 31 December.
The 26-year-old was detected speeding at 132km/h in a 60km/h zone on Mount Dandenong Road in Kilsyth at around 8.20pm.
The Highway Patrol detection was part of Operation Roadwise, a 20-day road policing initiative for the holiday season.
His vehicle was impounded for 30 days at a cost of $1016.
He was charged with exceeding the speed limit and with driving at a speed dangerous.
If convicted, he faces a mandatory licence loss for a minimum of 12 months.
Boronia man arrested over burglaries Knox Crime Investigation Unit detectives have arrested and charged 47-year-old Boronia man with 70 offences following a spate of burglaries across the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
The burglaries, between October and December last year, were primarily at commercial premises in the eastern suburbs including, Bayswater, Monbulk, Wantirna, Knoxfield, Burwood, Upper Ferntree Gully, Forest Hill, Vermont, Mitcham, Kew, Hawthorn, Surrey Hills, Clayton, Notting Hill, Ashwood, Mount Waverley and Balwyn.
Detectives, with the assistance of the Dog Squad, executed two search warrants on New Years Day in Hayles Street and Rankin Road in Boronia where several items were seized. The man appeared before Ringwood Magistrates Court on Friday 3 January.
Illegal burn-offs
Yarra Ranges Fire Patrol would like to remind residents that Fire Restrictions are currently in force within the Yarra Ranges, Knox and Maroondah Council areas.
Police have a zero-tolerance approach to illegal burn offs and offenders will be prosecuted. There were four illegal burn-offs over the Christmas period, with four people expected to face court at a later date.
On 23 December a 36-year-old Silvan male was interviewed in relation to a burn off at an address on Queens Road, Silvan and will face court at a later date.
On 23 December a 36-year-old Berwick male was interviewed in relation to a burn off at an address on Olinda-Monbulk Road, Olinda and will face court at a later date.
On 24 December a 58-year-old Lilydale male was interviewed in relation to a burn off at an address on Maroondah Highway, Lilydale and will face court at a later date.
On 24 December a 43-year-old Olinda male was interviewed in relation to a fire at an address on Basin-Olinda Road, Olinda and will face court at a later date.
The penalties for recklessly causing a bushfire can include imprisonment. Reckless behaviour can include disobeying restrictions relating to Total Fire Ban or fire danger periods, leaving campfires unattended, burning off without a permit, or using unmaintained machinery or hot tools that emit flames or sparks. Those not taking appropriate precautions around fire will face the consequences and penalties.
Penalties for recklessly causing a bushfire or grass fire include up to 15 years imprisonment.
Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or log onto www.crimestoppers. com.au
Rocco’s Burger Cafe in Croydon North was the target of a suspicious fire affecting both the Post Office and upstairs beauty business. (Social Media)
Multiple CFA and FRV crews worked throughout the night to extinguish a major factory fire in Kilsyth on New Years Day. (Montrose CFA)
Scoresby Hose Layers provided over 400m of hose to equip the aerial pumpers. (Scoresby Hose Layers)
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Bystanders are stepping up
New research shows Victorians are more likely to survive a cardiac arrest compared to 20 years ago, thanks to increased bystander intervention.
The study, supported by Ambulance Victoria (AV), found Victorians who experience a bystander-witnessed initial shockable out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in 2021-22 were three times more likely to pull through than two decades ago.
The Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry (VACAR) was used to assess more than 102,000 OHCA cases attended by emergency medical services in Victoria between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2022.
The figures showed in 2022 Victorians were 4.5 times more likely to receive bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) compared to 2003.
Rates of bystander defibrillation from publicly accessible automated external defibrillators (AEDs) also increased 22-fold during this time.
AV Director Research and Evaluation Dr Ziad Nehme said the data reflected a positive change in bystander intervention.
“Sudden cardiac arrest is a major public health challenge so it’s great we’re seeing more people willing to jump in and help,” he said.
“We know survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest depends on the chain of survival and quick bystander intervention.
“This is why boosting the responsiveness of community members to these events is critical.”
This study is one of the first to examine long term trends in 12-month patient outcomes.
Since 2011, annual follow-up interviews with OHCA patients are completed to assess their health-related quality of life and functional recovery.
Among the 4452 adults discharged from hospital alive during 1 January 2010 – 30 June 2022, 93.3 per cent were alive at 12 months.
Of those who responded to the follow-up enquiry, 85.3 per cent had Glasgow Outcome Scale–Extended scores, indicating good recovery or moderate disability, and 38.5 per cent reported
full health.
Dr Nehme said the improved survival rates further supported paramedics’ call for Victorians to be familiar with Call, Push, Shock.
“Victoria has one of the best cardiac arrest survival rates in the world, but we can continue to im-
Sunburn sparks hospital visits
Experts are calling for Victorians to get SunSmart or risk sunburn, which increases your lifetime risk of skin cancer and can even result in presentation to a hospital emergency department.
SunSmart has released new emergency department sunburn data from the Victorian Department of Health reinforcing the urgent need for everyone to adopt all five forms of sun protection as the state reaches extreme UV levels over the coming months.
At a glance, the data shows 289 Victorians presented to emergency departments in Victorian public hospitals last year with sunburn, with nearly half (47 per cent) of these presentations occurring in January 2024.
Adolescents aged 15 to 19 years are most likely (19 per cent) to present to emergency departments with sunburn than any other age group, closely followed by young adults aged 20 to 24 (18 per cent).
Since 2004/05, men are slightly more likely to present at emergency departments with sunburn than women, 53 per cent male and 47 per cent female
Victorians are 11.5 times more likely to present with sunburn to emergency departments in the peak season (November - February) than off season (March-October)
Head of SunSmart, Emma Glassenbury said the data served as a reminder for just how serious sunburn can be.
“We want to encourage all Victorians to consider their access to shade, remember to regularly reapply sunscreen, keep their sunnies on, slip on covering clothes and don a wide brim hat this summer to keep themselves safe.
“It’s wonderful to be outdoors, enjoying our beautiful state and climate. However, time outdoors also means exposure to extreme levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation that in the peak of summer can cause the first signs of sunburn in as little as 11 minutes without sun protection.”
Director of the Victorian Melanoma Service at the Alfred Hospital, Professor Victoria Mar, said she hoped the numbers of Victorians experiencing extreme sunburn would start to fall in coming years.
Someone who knows all too well the harms of UV damage is 33-year-old Sarah Sheridan.
Ms Sheridan describes herself as ‘solar
powered’, someone who loves being outdoors. But these days you’ll find sunscreen stashed in every handbag, plus long-sleeved clothing, a hat and sunnies always within reach.
“I remember a horrific sunburn where my entire back blistered and peeled. I was even partial to a 10-pass solarium special deal when I was in my late teens to early 20s. But these days, it’s SPF 50+ every day.
“A few years ago I noticed a mole on my face changing shape. My GP suggested it be removed as a preventative measure. Then testing showed damage to my eyes – and my optometrist suggested I work hard to limit sun exposure.
“If I could go back and tell myself to avoid getting so sunburnt often, and to get out of that sunbed, I’d do it in a second. But I can stop further damage to my skin, and look after it the best I can!”
Ms Glassenbury echoed Ms Sheridan’s sentiments and urged those heading outdoors to get prepared for sun exposure.
“Summer is a time for fun with friends and family. Let’s keep it that way and remember to stay SunSmart together,” she said.
“The good news is that skin cancer is one of the most preventable cancers and we can protect ourselves and our loved ones by using all five forms of sun protection. We want all Victorians to enjoy a sunburn-free summer and reduce their risk of skin cancer.”
For
prove those rates by increasing education,” he said.
“Anyone who witnesses a cardiac arrest should call Triple Zero (000), start chest compressions and, if there’s one nearby, grab a defibrillator and apply shocks as prompted before paramedics arrive.
“In three simple steps you may not only save the patient’s life but improve their quality of life long after the event.”
The research paper is available online at Wiley and was published in the December issue of the Medical Journal of Australia website.
Bystander defibrillation has contributed to greater survival rates in cardiac arrest cases. (Ambulance Victoria)
Call to be prepared for fire
Victoria has already started to see the effects of the warmer weather and dry vegetation with fire and emergency service agencies responding to bushfires throughout Victoria; and it is a reminder for residents in Yarra Ranges to be prepared.
Fire and emergency service agencies meet on a regular basis throughout the year as the Yarra Ranges Municipal Fire Management Committee (MFMPC). Its function is to coordinate strategic fire management activities in accordance with the strategic objectives of the Yarra Ranges Municipal Fire Management Plan.
“The purpose of the MFMPC is to coordinate, develop and implement through its membership, plans to reduce the likelihood and impact of fire, establish plans and actions to respond and recover from fire and assist planning for the usage of fire for public safety and environmental benefits across the municipality,” MFMPC deputy chair, Senior Sergeant Mark Knight said.
The CFA are also represented on this committee, with community safety manager Tammy Garrett urging the community to understand that fire safety is a shared responsibility between fire services and the community.
CFA members are actively engaging with communities to help them understand local risks and prepare for the challenges of summer fire danger.
Residents in the Yarra Ranges need to be aware that we are within the Declared Fire Danger Period, which started 23 December 2024, where burning off in the open is not permitted due to the heightened risk. Police will attend in the case of illegal burns with potential fines and court proceedings as a result. This summer season, Crime Stoppers Victoria and Victoria Police are partnering together for the ‘You Light it, You Own it’ campaign, which reminds community members to be cautious to avoid recklessly or accidentally starting fires.
Other agencies on this Committee include Fire Rescue Victoria as well as Yarra Ranges Council, Melbourne Water, Parks Victoria, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and Department of Transport and Planning who carry out
comprehensive programs to manage the fire risk on the land they manage.
The other important partner in reducing the risk and consequences of uncontrolled bushfire fire is our community. Whether it’s a small resi-
dential property or rural acreage, residents need to consider and carry out property preparation works and have a plan should a fire occur in their local area. Visit cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare to plan and
prepare now for the summer season and potential fire risk.
Stay up to date with Fire Danger Ratings on the Vic Emergency App and website to monitor conditions in your area.
Emergency services across the Yarra Ranges municipality are urging residents to be responsible this fire season as summer heats up. (Supplied)
YEAR IN REVIEW
The fight against violence
Australians rallied against the devastating incidents of violence against women and alarming rates of domestic and family violence incidents that were occurring around Australia in 2024, with crisis talks being held between politicians, police, courts and support services.
Here’s how the dire issue rose to prominence in 2024 and how the community campaigned against it:
Community health service EACH offers qualified family violence counselling throughout the Outer East and EACH’s Head of Service Design and National Practice Lead for Family Violence Olivia Sinn said government funding needs to increase so support services can help women and children live free from violence.
“EACH’s Family Violence Program supports people affected by both past and current family violence, but ever-growing demand for this program far exceeds our capacity,” she said.
“We need to provide services to meet community needs, including flexible and extended services to reflect the long recovery journey.
“When a child or young person reaches a different developmental stage, or an ex-partner is released from prison, people should not have to go back to the start.”
By the time of the Star Mail’s office closure on 18 December, the death toll of women killed by violence for the year stood at 76 according to Destroy the Joint, already much higher than the already alarming 64 in 2023.
Victoria Police’s Family Violence Command Assistant Commissioner Lauren Callaway fronted a press conference on Friday 26 April to discuss the issue and said it seems like there’s another terrible news story every day.
“Those of us who work in family violence are equally disheartened by the statistics and they’re not just statistics, they’re people who have suffered the most tragic circumstances of family violence,” she said.
“I do think that some of the conversations we need to really think about is that it shouldn’t be on women to change everything, we know who is committing the violence and we know what needs to change and some solutions, I think, place too much emphasis on women to do the changing and we know that that’s not the longterm solution,”
“We need to really remember that the majority of violence committed against women is done by men who are known to women and it’s in places where they’re expected to be safe like their home.”
The outrage at domestic violence throughout the country ended up with a powerful video born in the Yarra Valley resurfacing.
In 2015, former Warburton-Millgrove footballer Brendon Murphy created a video to raise awareness of domestic violence with two more mates, Rick and Bill starring local footballers from the Yarra Ranges Football Netball League, now known as Outer East Football Netball League.
“About nine years ago, there was a surge in domestic violence, it felt like every time you picked up a paper or turned on the TV, you were hearing about another woman being killed,” Murphy said.
The video Yarra Valley Domestic Violence PSA is available on YouTube at: youtube.com/ watch?v=jtAjHiYrn90.
Murphy is still frustrated that there are not enough efficient actions to reduce domestic violence.
“We’ve done a lot of research and investigations at a political level, and the actions that come out of those things are what we’re waiting for next, but we don’t actually start implementing the actions that we’ve already found out from past investigations,” he said.
“We also need to reform our bail laws, so we keep violent offenders better managed until their case is heard. How many times do we hear them out on bail?”
In May, an otherwise fiscally conservative Victorian Budget for 2024/25 prioritised investment in addressing family violence.
$269 million was committed to initiatives designed to prevent family violence and improve safety for women;
$42 million was directed to ‘deliver timely and individualised interventions and continued support’
$39 million was set aside for schools and early childhood services to continue to deliver the Respectful Relationships program,
$24 million aimed to bolster the informationsharing capabilities of police, courts and agencies through a Central Information Point
$16 million was dedicated to providing community-led and culturally safe responses to family violence in Aboriginal communities with Aboriginal women anywhere between 35 to 45 times more likely to experience violence than non-Aboriginal women.
A Victorian Government spokesperson said Victoria leads the nation with our work to strengthen how we prevent and respond to family violence and violence against women.
“We know we have more work to do for a future where women, children and young people are safe,” they said.
In early November, the Star Mail reached out to local domestic violence support service Free From Family Violence (FVREE, formerly EDVOS/ Eastern Domestic Violence Service) and chief executive Christine Mathieson said ongoing investment from both Federal and State Governments is essential across all aspects of the family violence continuum, particularly in primary prevention and recovery.
“For example, our organisation does not receive sustainable funding for our primary prevention initiatives and relies solely on grants, donations, and fee-for-service work, while we recognise that achieving prevention outcomes requires time, violence rates will not decrease without supporting initiatives that tackle the root causes of violence - gender inequality, at the systemic, community, and individual levels,” she said.
“Additionally, securing long-term recovery services is challenging, as many survivors struggle to access the therapeutic support necessary for their healing,”
“Another critical area is holding perpetrators accountable for their actions, as the incidence of murders continue to rise, we must shift our focus as a society from questioning the behaviour of victim-survivors—asking ‘Why doesn’t she just leave?’—to examining why perpetrators choose to use violence.”
FVREE advises victims of domestic, family, and sexual violence to contact 1800RESPECT, the national counselling, information and support service. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic or family violence, you can call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit their website: 1800respect.org.au.
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence also brought the issue back into the spotlight, including the second annual Walk Against Family Violence organised by Boorndawan Willam Aboriginal Healing Service (BWAHS) at Lillydale Lake on Tuesday 26 November.
BWAHS chief executive officer Adam Frogley said it was under the awful circumstance of women killed by violence in Australia that brought 150 people from the community together.
“One woman is killed every 11 days, and one man is killed every 91 days. It’s not acceptable,”
he said.
“We need to stand up as a community and make sure we’re putting our best foot forward, if we can use that term, to ensure that family violence remains a very high focus particularly for government, and to ensure we’ve got the ability and the resources to do the jobs we do working with community.”
Walking 560 metres to the first stop, Mr Frogley said it was representative of the estimated 56 women killed by family violence at the time of the event.
“In other spaces, you would hear that that was someone’s daughter, wife, sister or mother, and all of that is true, but they’re also the woman from your neighborhood who could grow the best tree, who was always kind, that lit up a room with her smile,” he said.
“Who fought all of her life, a warrior to the end. Someone who could have cured cancer, taught others to read, a role model for her community… she should have been safe.”
The Star Mail also reflected on over a decade of reporting on the issue during the 16 Days, including the work of a team of reporters at Mail News Group in 2011, Mara Sowden Pattison, Casey Neill and Kath Gannaway who ran a six week series sharing the stories of women who had fled such violence but also the remarkable people who had dedicated time to supporting these women through horrible circumstances.
Reflecting on the intention and catalyst for this series, Ms Gannaway said it was very much the story of one woman in 2010, Jeannie Blackburn, which prompted the need to bring gendered violence to the fore.
“Her partner had been jailed for abusing her and the abuse was horrific, she lost her eyesight in one eye. She came to us with that story, and he’d already been jailed, so there were no impediments to reporting on the story, and she just wanted to get that out there about abuse,” she said.
“The same issues that were written about then, about the controlling nature, about all the reasons behind it, and the indicators like isolating people from their families, all those things are still relevant.”
A former Yarra Ranges woman, 19-year-old Isla Bell, was missing for over a month prior to the discovery of what is believed to be her remains at a waste management facility in Dandenong on Tuesday 19 November.
Her family joined others in attending a march against gendered violence.
Isla, who had moved to Brunswick and would have turned 20 on 22 October, was last seen in her new suburb on 4 October and last heard from on 6 October.
Isla hailed from the Dandenong Ranges and worked at a Kallista based nursery before moving to live with her uncle, and on a press conference on her daughter’s birthday, her mother Justine Spokes said her heart just aches.
“Isla, you’re deeply, widely loved by so many
people, and your family and friends are just so distressed, darling,” she said.
“Me and your dad, and your sister, we just can’t wait to hold you, bub. We love you so much. We just want to know you’re safe.”
53-year-old Mariat Ganiev appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday 20 November charged with Isla’s murder while 57-yearold Eyal Yaffe from Hampton, faced a charge of assisting an offender with murder.
A Victoria Police summary alleged Ms Bell was seen entering the apartment for the last time on October 5 and was never seen to leave again. Two days later, police allege a fight can be seen through a gap in the front kitchen window of Ganiev’s apartment.
“Investigators observed what appears to be Bell’s head whipping around as if she has been struck,” the summary said.
“She falls to the ground and Ganiev can then be seen striking her on the ground of the kitchen.
“What appears to be Bell’s head can be seen rising up before being pushed back down by Ganiev’s arm.”
Ms Bell was captured on CCTV through the same window up until 2am on October 7.
On 7 December, there was a planned then cancelled vigil, flags at half mast, ribbons dangling from trees in the hills and a charity fund raised in her honour – Isla Bell will rest in power.
The date was supposed to be a vigil for the young woman whose alleged murder sent shockwaves through the nation.
Organisers instead requested people hold their own private vigils and to tie red and orange ribbons around the hills in her memory.
Australian Femicide Watch run by Sherele Moody posted to social media on 7 December that instead a secret vigil was held for Isla, alleging the event was cancelled due to threats of violence from men.
‘“...because abusive men threatened to harm anyone going to the public event,” she wrote.
On the same day the vigil for Isla Bell was to be held, her family launched a charity in her name.
In honour of Isla, the Isla Bell Charitable Fund has launched an art award celebrating creative excellence and created a scholarship for young women pursuing studies that reflected Isla’s passion for art, animals, and nature.
The Isla Bell charitable fund was founded by Isla’s mother, Justine Spokes, her dad, Sean Ryan, uncle Kieran Dionysus and Dr Atalanti Dionysus and you cand find out more at the-isla-bell-charitable-fund.raiselysite.com.
Other tributes further afield have been made in Isla’s name, a group of young RMIT art students decided to withdraw their works from their university’s end-of-year showcase to pay tribute to her and the other women who lost their lives in Australia in 2024. The showcase, held from November 19-24, was considered the ‘biggest event’ of the students’ three-year course.
Instead of displaying their art, the students turned their canvases away to conceal their works and painted the name ‘Isla Bell’ across the walls.
A wave of people joined the second annual Walk Against Family Violence at Lillydale Lake. (Mikayla van Loon: 446672)
Justine Spokes, mother of Isla Bell. (AAP Image/ James Ross)
Red ribbons for Isla Bell in Kallista. (Stewart Chambers: 448499)
Flooding: talk of the town
By Mikayla van Loon
Without a doubt, 2024 was a year where flooding and stormwater management dominated Star Mail’s headlines, primarily in Lilydale and Mount Evelyn, but also across the Yarra Ranges.
The year began with the stories of residents impacted severely by continuous flooding especially in suburban Lilydale.
Having finished 2023 with a letter of complaint to Yarra Ranges Council and a story on the inundation seen throughout the Gateway Estate, it wasn’t far into January that residents began telling their own stories of flooding.
In January and February, Star Mail spoke to various residents, from Megan and Billy who live on Hermitage Street, to Rosemary and Marlene who both live on Chapel Street and to a group of residents who live on or around Bristol Crescent.
Each had experienced immense flooding, some over a period of at least 20 years.
The stories were repetitive in some ways, with complaints of inadequate stormwater management to cater to the growth in the region and increasing heavy rainfall events.
Although they experienced some flooding instances in the 40-odd years living on Bristol Crescent, resident Julie said the issue was only increasing.
“It’s getting worse. With climate change and the torrential downpours it’s getting worse of late,” she said.
“The volume of homes in the street has doubled but they haven’t upgraded anything and every time they put a unit in, they dig across the road and they tap into this pit. Everyone’s just tapping into this one point which is right at the foot of our property and it can’t cope,” Billy said of Heritage Street.
and infrastructure director Hjalmar Philipp said assessments and investigations were underway.
In speaking with Star Mail, Lilydale Flood Watch member Michelle said at the top of the list when it comes to putting the stormwater plan together, “regular, empathetic and genuine face to face engagement” and “inclusive and prolonged and proactive consultation” would be a priority for residents impacted by the experience of flooding.
“[I would like to see] Yarra Ranges Council officers actively survey the land with members of the community whose streets and homes which experience flooding to accurately hear first-hand of the direction, velocity, frequency and the impact of the upstream housing subdivisions and what impact it is having downstream,” she said.
Yarra Ranges Council’s draft budget in April allocated an amount of $16 million to drainage and infrastructure over six years.
Corporate services director, at the time, Andrew Hilson agreed “it’s probably never going to be enough” but it would have to be a smart investment over time.
“We’ve just got decades of old drainage infrastructure that needs to be upgraded over time. So it’s going to take some time. It’s going to take this kind of conservative investment over a long period of time,” he said.
With many residents submitting petitions to Yarra Ranges Council, council meetings were regularly attended by residents seeking action and responses to questions or submissions.
It was at the Tuesday 12 March meeting that the first mention of a “catchment analysis” and stormwater management plan was heard.
“There’s unmade gutters and nothing from the corner [of Clarke Street] except the dip in the land. There’s no continuous drainage to allow the water to get away,” Rosemary said.
Councillors also voted at this meeting to put forward a motion that would ask the Municipal Association of Victoria to advocate on behalf of the shire for the State Government to improve flood mapping data, develop a Flood Information Framework and invest in flood mitigation infrastructure.
Questions were still being raised in April on the progression of the stormwater management plan, to which council’s building environment
“I imagine there’ll be plenty of people who sort of say, actually my road or my area isn’t on the list for the next couple of years. That’s probably true.
“There’s only so many dollars that have to be prioritised in terms of what we can do quickly and now and then the rest has to come over time.”
The fear of further flooding and greater impacts for houses downstream of the Olinda Creek when a 50-house retirement village was proposed for the land opposite Bellbird Car Park.
Yarra Ranges residents impacted by flooding over numerous years gathered for a council meeting to show the number of people affected. (Supplied)
YEAR IN REVIEW
Despite both concerns of the land at 375 Swansea Road being a floodplain and in direct connection to Olinda Creek’s platypus population, the council voted in favour of the proposal, approving the build.
“This is an inappropriate development on a floodplain for a retirement village, and with three lifestyle villages already in Lilydale with current vacancies on appropriate sites, this is not the right thing to do to protect our vulnerable community,” objector Kim-Maree said at the Tuesday 14 May council meeting.
Come June, the long awaited stormwater management plan had been released as a draft for community consultation.
“There’s been a definite shift in the council’s thinking around the importance of drainage and flooding over the past 12 months,” then councillor Andrew Fullagar said.
The 10 year plan looked to not only mitigate the flood risk but “protect and maintain the natural water cycle and health of waterways from urban development impacts” across the
whole municipality.
By July, Lilydale and the rest of the Yarra Ranges was once again inundated with flood waters.
The rain event which increased from Monday 15 July through to the early hours of Tuesday morning, Lilydale SES unit controller Shaun Caulfield said, saw sharp bursts of heavy rainfall in specific locations.
“With the changes in our weather patterns, we’re not having more rain, we’re just having it in shorter bursts which seems to be the pattern of the last couple of years,” he said.
“So our average rainfall for the year might be a very similar amount but we seem to be getting it on less days.
“A lot of the rain was focused over the Ferny Creek, Kallista, Olinda and Mount Evelyn area.”
The discussion of flood impacts also reached the ability of SES to respond after the October 2022 flood inquiry report was handed down.
It confirmed a lack of funding to the SES, inadequate resources and a changing climate making it increasingly difficult and unpredictable.
“It was good to see those recommendations reflect what we’ve been saying for a long time, which is that SES in Victoria has been grossly underfunded for decades,” Lilydale SES unit controller Shaun Caulfield said.
“So it’s fairly reassuring to see that recognised, that there’s both a gap in the funding for equipment, also the funding for training volunteers, but also in terms of being able to attract and retain new volunteers, as we need to over the course of time.”
Returning to the adoption of the stormwater management plan in August, it was deferred after two objectors, Michelle de Lima and Karen Kestigian, raised concerns about transparency in the plan and the need for immediate assistance for areas that experience flooding.
Speaking at the 27 August council meeting, Ms de Lima outlined multiple items missing from the documentation as well as administrative errors in the reports.
Despite the inaccuracies, Ms de Lima said “the stormwater management plan and policy
are progressive and highly important initiatives for the future development of the Yarra Ranges Shire, the state of Victoria and its agencies.”
But she said “as a guiding principle for the next 10 years, it has to be 100 per cent right”.
The plan was given the green light in September.
October brought with it yet another major flood, seeing an estimated 75ml of rain falling per hour, seeing pooling water under the Lilydale Train Station and Beresford and Cave Hill Roads requiring police assistance to direct traffic around flood waters.
The November elections put flooding, drainage and stormwater management at the top of the list for nearly all council candidates, confirming it as their issue of the year, as well as the topic requiring the most discussion in 2025 and beyond. Flooding and stormwater management will certainly continue to be a heavily talked about topic but 2024 really was a momentous year for enacting change to past practices and the community making a stand for their safety.
Residents of Bristol Crescent. (Mikayla van Loon: 385585)
Flooding under the Lilydale Train Station bridge from October’s downpour. (Supplied)
Chapel Street flooded with drains unable to cope with the excess water. (Supplied)
YEAR IN REVIEW
The stories that made ’24
A dream come true
Star Mail started off the year with a good news story - Holy Fools found its home in Lilydale making it a dream come true.
Putting it down to just the right timing, founder and chief executive officer Neal Taylor said the Hutchinson Street building would become a relief centre and hub for urban Yarra Ranges, providing cafe-like facilities, a shower and laundry, as well as information about where to find help.
“This has been our primary dream, to have a space like this,” Neal said.
“There’s lots of possibilities but we need to be wise about what we’re doing so we’re not just doing it for the sake of doing it, we’re doing it for a reason.”
In January, the space was still very much a blank canvas but by October when Star Mail revisited, the empty room had been transformed with the generous support of the community and local trades.
Power outages and 50 years of service
February brought with it “one of the largest (power) outage events in the state’s history” with 530,000 customers affected at the peak after storms lashed the state on Tuesday 13 February.
The Dandenong Ranges were yet again one of the hardest hit with power poles snapping in half and trees and debris spread across roads.
Telecommunications across the east were also down as a result of the high winds, rain and lightning.
Telstra saw disruptions across 223 mobile sites around the state and almost 5000 landlines, with the 4G, 5G and in some places 3G mobile network being affected.
Anger over feeling “isolated, uninformed and useless in a crisis” because of the telco outages, people commented that “nothing’s changed since black Saturday. It’s disgusting.”
Casey MP Aaron Violi called for bipartisan support to improve the infrastructure.
“This is not a criticism of the government. This is bipartisan because it is a challenging situation. I acknowledge the terrain, the topography…to make (the community) as safe as possible.”
The shortest month of the year also brought us the story of George Caruana, an employee of McDonald’s for 50 years, who began his working career at 19-years-old at the Collingwood franchise in 1974 and now works mostly at Lilydale.
“Me and mum decided to go and get something to eat and try this new McDonald’s. It was the third McDonald’s in Melbourne and as we were enjoying our food, a manager came out exactly like I do today.
“He comes out into the dining room and says, ‘G’day, is everything okay with your food?
Do you like it?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, I love it’.
“He said to me, ‘would you like a job?’ and he started showing me around the store and he came out to mum and said, ‘I gave your son a job’. I started the week after.”
Intersection disruption for Montrose Montrose was thrust into shock when the intersection upgrade works began in March, seeing businesses start a petition for compensation to help their survival.
In as little as three weeks, The Little Flower Shoppe business owners Chloe Oswell and Sigrid Petersen felt the reduction in trade so significantly they started a petition which reached over 1000 signatures.
“I was pretty naive in thinking the roadworks wouldn’t affect us or not as significantly as they have,” Sigrid said.
The Montrose Fruit Basket owner Sopath was also trying to stay positive but said it was hard when his customer base dropped.
“In one year’s time, how are we going to get the money to pay the rent? This is a long period of time,” he said.
But in an effort to support the Montrose community, Monique Naudi started a social media series, posting about the businesses that needed a little extra help.
“It’s just to spread love and remind people that we need to support these businesses because it’s going to be a really long year,” she said.
Tom’s truckie treat
Ten-year-old Tom celebrated his birthday in style in April as truck drivers from around the Lilydale area banded together to surprise him with a visit.
Diagnosed with leukaemia in the middle of 2023 after experiencing a sore shoulder, Tom was instantly treated with chemotherapy and the family had to shift part-time to Lilydale’s Pine Hill
As a lover of trucks, particularly Peterbilts, Tom not only marked his 10th birthday but also the completion of 10 weeks of chemo and his dad Troy’s $10,000 fundraiser for the Leukaemia Foundation with a visit of two of his favourite trucks.
Troy said the doctors had given Tom a “very good prognosis for full recovery” early on, given his age and the type of leukaemia they were treat-
“We’re very lucky that the type of leukaemia he has is a more common type of leukaemia, and it’s one of the more treatable ones,” he said.
A fight for funds
In May, Victoria’s State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers broke their silence on the systemic and decades long underfunding of the frontline response unit by launching the Fund VICSES campaign on Monday 20 May with an awareness
convoy flooding the Bolte Bridge.
Lilydale SES unit controller Shaun Caulfield said this was something that had been “brewing for decades” across “successive governments” on both sides of the political spectrum.
“Relative to the number of resources and the risks and the amount of jobs we do, SES has been drastically underfunded pretty much since its inception in 1975,” he said.
The SES currently receives an annual unit subsidy but has to fund all other costs, aside from PPE, through fundraising.
Calling for a “combined emergency services levy that also funds SES as well as fire services” or a separate levy for SES, Mr Caulfield said for as little as $30 per ratepayer the SES could maintain vehicles and buildings to ensure volunteers and the community were getting the best resources possible.
Aged care concerns voiced
Concerns over aged care services were voiced in June with both the Federal Government’s access to in-home care, as well as Yarra Ranges Council’s aged care services coming into question.
Casey MP Aaron Violi outlined in a private members motion in parliament on Monday 3 June multiple cases of residents being unable to access in-home care.
Mr Violi said “these aren’t ‘nice to have’ packages; these are necessities for older Australians”.
The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) said recent senate estimates showed that 68,000 people were on the waiting list for home care packages.
“Access to home care packages has decreased over the past six months and we expect further pressure on the system as the population ages,” OPAN chief executive officer Craig Gear said.
“Some older people and families have reported to us that they have been waiting nine to 12 months to access a level 3 package.”
The transition out of actively supplying some aged care services also came with uncertainty for Yarra Ranges residents who had been receiving council-run support.
A meals on wheels volunteer, who spoke to Star Mail on the condition of anonymity, said their client base had dropped from 22 to five by March but barely any communication had been delivered on what was happening until 22 May.
At the beginning of June, the council confirmed new providers after being questioned by Star Mail.
Continued page 11
Tom celebrated his 10th birthday on Saturday 13 April surrounded by his adopted Lilydale family at Lillydale Lake and his favourite trucks. (Mikayla van Loon: 401246)
George Caruana celebrated 50 years of employment at McDonald’s with a burger cake and certificates at the Lilydale store on Friday 23 February. (Supplied)
YEAR IN REVIEW
From page 10
Community victorious in Mount Evelyn
After plans for a McDonald’s and a childcare centre in Mount Evelyn came to light at the end of 2023, the community rallied to oppose the fast food giant’s proposal for their ‘village town’. By July the community came out victorious after the plans were quashed by the Department of Transport and Planning which determined them to be “unacceptable”, “incompatible” and “likely to compromise road safety” giving Yarra Ranges Council grounds for refusal.
No McDonald’s in Mount Evelyn lead campaigner Amy Kidd said she was pleased to learn of the decision and grateful that the over 400 objections submitted to the council were taken into consideration.
“We’re absolutely thrilled with this decision. It’s a real testament to the Mount Evelyn community who really got behind objecting to this proposal, and we’re really glad the Yarra Ranges Council has listened to our concerns and rejected the plan,” she said.
Farewelling Amigo
Mount Evelyn farewelled a true community man in August - Sam Abounajm, or Amigo as he was better known.
Sam Abounajm, was more than the Red Robin Milk Bar owner, he was a family man, a loving father, dedicated husband, a confidant, a community member and an immigrant twice over.
The real life Wonka of the small, hilly township was endlessly positive, spreading joy, love, a warm smile, some humour and of course lollies with all who walked through his shop front door.
With Sam’s sudden passing on Monday 12 August came shockwaves and an outpouring of support for his wife Sue and children Nina and Will.
“He had the warmest heart, the biggest heart, and he genuinely cared about people. He was really humanistic and he could feel anyone’s pain,” Nina said.
“He had this gift of being able to know what to say to each person, whether they were young or, a child or teenagers or adults or seniors.
“He made everyone feel special and important, and it didn’t matter if he saw you every day, or if he saw you once, you were all important.” Major Federal Government announcements September was a month of Federal news, with community legal centres receiving a much-needed $800 million funding boost and the final recommendations handed down in the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
Yarra Blue Pool and Spa Shop
YarraBluePoolandSpaShophasbeenproudlyservingtheLilydale community and surrounding regions since its establishment in March 2023. While the business may be new, its roots run deep. Owner Adam has been in the industry since 2020, working under the previous owner and bringing years of experience and passion to the table.
From a young age, Adam’s love for pools and problem-solving sparked a lifelong interest in pool care. Growing up in the Yarra Ranges with a backyard pool, he developed a fascination with the chemistry and maintenance involved in keeping pools pristine. Today, Adam channels this enthusiasm into providing top-notch products, services, and solutions for pool and spa owners.
Eastern Community Legal Centre (ECLC) chief executive officer Michael Smith welcomed the government’s funding announcement especially the acknowledgement of legal services being the quiet frontline workers of the family violence support system.
“So much of our time and effort goes into responding to family violence, whether it’s through the intervention work in the courts, or whether it’s through prevention programs or early intervention programs but often people don’t understand how important that legal support is,” he said.
“For the Prime Minister, National Cabinet and the Attorney General to talk about uplifting legal services responding to gender based violence is really critical.”
Star Mail sat down with Boronia Veterans’ Advocacy Centre president Dave Menz after the handing down of the report, who said the good thing is they’ve done it.
“We want them to accept and implement the recommendations fully,” he said.
The report had 122 recommendations to address cultural and systemic challenges that are failing serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members and their families – and costing lives.
Mauling of kangaroo
The dreadful news of a kangaroo mauling, and subsequent euthanasia, at Lillydale Lake in October was a stark reminder of the importance of control and recall for dogs who are off leash.
At around 9.30am on Friday 11 October a walker at the Lake witnessed the attack as two dogs, one said to be a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the other a Whippet, chased a young adult male kangaroo around the off leash dog park.
Three rescuers from Vets For Compassion, Vicki, Jacob and Jacquie, responded to the Lake, with founder, unpaid chief executive officer and vet Elaine Ong on Facetime to assess the injuries sustained.
“It had a broken jaw, multiple bites everywhere to its face, feet, body, and it was ready to die, I suppose,” Dr Ong said.
“We made the decision to put him to sleep. It was very, very sad for our rescuers.
“Our message is that if you own dogs and you walk in parts where there are kangaroos, please have them on leash, unless you’re confident your dogs will obey you and recall and come back to you.”
Continued page 12
YarraBlueoffersacomprehensiverangeofpoolandspachemicals, including chlorine, acid, buffer, premium salt, algaecides, and specialty products like chlorine-free spa sanitizers and cleaners. For equipment needs, customers can find saltwater chlorinators, pumps,filters,androboticpoolcleaners.Alongsideretailofferings, the shop provides multi-tiered service programs tailored to suit pools and spas of all sizes. These services include regular maintenance, one-off cleanups, equipment handovers, urgent troubleshooting, and equipment inspections.
As a proudly local and independent business, Yarra Blue Pool and Spa Shop is deeply connected to its community. The shop operates from the oldest pool shop in Lilydale, a landmark that has served the area for decades. Adam and his team prioritise customer savings and satisfaction, reflecting their commitment to supporting their neighbours.
The team boasts exceptional expertise. Jordan and Mick bring years of industry knowledge, while Erin, who joined in October 2023, has quickly proven to be an invaluable member of the crew. Peter, a veteran with over 25 years of experience in leak detection, acid washing, and surface restoration, joined in March 2024, further enhancing the team’s capabilities. The newest addition, Bailey, started as a pool cleaner in December 2024, assisting Mick and Peter during the busy summer months.
This January, Yarra Blue is offering 30% off selected pumps and saltwater chlorinators while supplies last (installation charges may apply). Stop by for expert advice, quality products, and a team that treats your pool like their own.
At Yarra Blue Pool and Spa Shop, we’re more than just a pool shop—we’re your trusted partner in creating a clean, safe, and enjoyable aquatic space.
You can find Yarra Blue Pool and Spa at 260 Maroondah Highway Lilydale or contact Adam on 9100 3600
Rescuer Jacob was able to carry the mauled kangaroo to shore after an attack at Lillydale Lake. (Morganna Magee)
Looking back on the news YEAR IN REVIEW
From page 11
Police strike for better
After the first police strike at the Victoria Police academy, Croydon Police Station soon joined the action taking part in a work stoppage on Tuesday 19 November calling for better pay and conditions.
“Everyone here is standing up and we’re saying ‘we’ve had enough, we’re burnt out, we’re understaffed, we’re underpaid, and we need some more resources’,” Croydon Sergeant Karen said.
A number of the 30-minute work stoppages followed, reaching Lilydale Police Station, the largest in the Yarra Ranges, on Wednesday 4 December.
“We have 1000 members off. We have 700 members on sick leave. When is enough enough? It gets to the point where we are all at breaking point,” Leading Senior Constable Peter Williams said.
“If it’s not fixed quickly, then the numbers will reduce. It’ll just get worse. And my biggest fear is actually that members of the public who are potential victims will be in need of assistance and that’s not coming.
“And that’s what we’re here for, the victims.” Kyeema: memories and aviation’s future
In October, Star Mail published a story on the devastating and deadly tale of the Kyeema plane crash after a newly authored book The Weeping Mountain by Joel Martin was released.
It documents the plane’s untimely demise but more importantly the stories of those onboard the flight including that of a potential Prime Minister, a trio of winemakers and a newly wed couple.
“It’s fascinating because on the surface it’s just a story about a plane crash, but it’s a love story, and it’s one about a mum on the plane who was flying because the last time she was near a train, it was sending her son off to war, and he didn’t come back,” Joel said.
“So she said, ‘I’m never catching a train again. I’ll catch a plane, it’ll be safer’.”
From that story, the Star Mail was contacted by a former Montrose resident, Joan Balcombe, who was 11-years-old at the time of the plane crash in 1938, remembering the moment she jumped in her uncle’s ute to travel up to the site.
In December, Star Mail brought you her story and memories of the plane crash but also of Montrose at the time.
A portrait of Sam Abounajm by local artist Louise Tesoriero with a red robin on his shoulder, wearing Mt Evelyn maroon, surrounded by floral tributes. (Mikayla van Loon: 427373)
Residents of Mount Evelyn opposed to the McDonald’s proposal met for the first public meeting on Thursday 4 April with
plans being made in July. (Supplied)
Croydon Police Station members and staff joined calls for better pay and recognition as part of intensified industrial action. (Mikayla van Loon: 445178)
Holy Fools founder Neal Taylor stands in the empty new home of the drop in centre at 19 Hutchinson Street Lilydale. (Ljubica Vrankovic: 382855)
Flying high
of the Collins Street Falcons has been on an epic rescue and rehabilitation journey since the live streaming cameras were switched off for the season, with Melbourne Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary teaming up to help.
The famous fledgling found itself stuck behind a glass balcony screen on a skyscraper in Melbourne’s CBD with Wildlife Victoria the first responders on 15 November.
“A huge thank you to everyone involved – from the member of public who called Wildlife Victoria to report the injured falcon, to the team at Melbourne Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary for providing veterinary treatment and rehabilitation,” Wildlife Victoria chief executive officer Lisa Palma said.
“Stories like these are possible thanks to the dedication of volunteers, who are on the frontline of wildlife rescue each day.
“I encourage all Victorians to call Wildlife Victoria’s 24/7 Emergency Response Service on 03) 8400 7300 to report any sick, injured or orphaned native wildlife.”
It’s common for juvenile birds to have misadventures when leaving the nest, so after experienced carers rescued the bird, they attempted to release it in Fitzroy Gardens.
However, the falcon couldn’t fly due to a possible soft tissue injury to its right wing.
Melbourne Zoo’s Marine Response Unit, who regularly attend wildlife callouts, were contacted and the bird was transferred to the Zoo’s veterinary clinic for its initial examination including X-rays and blood tests.
To ensure the falcon received the specialised care it needed, it was moved to Healesville Sanctuary’s Raptor Rehabilitation Centre.
The purpose-built centre, a six-metre-tall donut-shaped building, forms a continuous 100-metre flight tunnel for birds to build up their fitness before returning to the wild.
Flight fitness is an important recovery milestone for a bird receiving medical care, to ensure they can hunt for food and avoid predators.
After receiving anti-inflammatory medication, resting, and building up its flight fitness, the falcon was safety returned to a park location near the Yarra River, in its home range last week to allow it to thrive in familiar territory.
Healesville Sanctuary life sciences manager Gerry Ross said the team was thrilled this bird was soaring back through the skies and delighting Melbournians again.
“It’s incredible to have this Raptor Centre and for the zoos to work together so one of city’s most iconic birds can return to wild where it belongs,” she said.
As the falcon is at an age of independence, it no longer needs to return to life on the ledge with its parents and will forge its own way in the wild.
Peregrine Falcons are a bird of prey. These birds are expert sky divers and are known for their incredible speed, up to 300km per hour. They don’t build nests but instead lay their eggs in shallow dips in rock or cliff faces, tree hollows and ledges of tall buildings.
Bin fire damages pitch
By Callum Ludwig
The Wandin Cricket Club was frustrated by another vandalism incident which compromised the pitch at the Wandin East Recreation Reserve before Christmas.
A bin fire on Friday 20 December lit on the middle of the pitch at the reserve caused significant damage to the surface.
Bryce Edwards from the Wandin Cricket Club said he was made aware of the incident by one of the club’s members Leigh Curwood, who is also a member of the local fire brigade.
“He informed me and sent me the photos saying that someone had taken a wheelie bin out in the middle of the Wandin East oval and set it alight, which has done some significant damage,” he said.
“It hurts because it’s a brand new pitch which we got from the Rotary Club of Wandin, I think it’s probably been 18 months now and this is the second time now it had been damaged in a period of eight weeks (before Christmas).”
A previous incident damaged the area of the pitch around the stumps at one end.
Mr Edwards said Yarra Ranges Council were looking at repairs straight away for the club, but how long it takes they just don’t know.
“It has a great impact because we have to find another ground for us to play it, we can’t play at our home ground, and we have to either go play out at Warburton or anywhere that there’s a free ground like Wesburn, and obvi-
bin fire
oval at Wandin East Recreation Reserve. (Supplied)
ously it affects our players as well because we have to travel further and then players don’t come back to your club after the game because it’s further away,” he said.
“I believe with all the work they do out of the showground 9Wandin East Recreation Reserve), they have the car shows there, they have the field day there, they have the archery up there, and obviously cricket and football training, it’s highly used now,”
“I think it’s time for us to get some development up there and turn it into a proper cricket and football ground in particular, and hopefully get the facilities upgraded out there, we need more security clearly, whether that’s through cameras or otherwise, but I’d like to see the ground actually developed to cater for what we’re doing up there.”
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KILSYTH Kilsyth Laundrette Unit 7/87 Colchester Road
LILYDALE Aaron Violi MP Office 110 Main Street
LILYDALE Lilydale Marketplace SC33-45 Hutchinson Street
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LILYDALE Lilydale Munchies7/75 Cave Hill Road
LILYDALE Point of View CafeLilydale Lakeside - Jarlo Drive
LILYDALE Freda's Cafe2 Clarke Street
LILYDALE Barry Plant Real Estate88 Main Street
LILYDALE Ray White Real Estate164 Main Street
LILYDALE Hello Harry245 Main Street
LILYDALE Noel Jones Real Estate 281 Main Street
LILYDALE Professionals Real Estate111-113 Main Street
LILYDALE Grubs Up1 Industrial Park Drive
LILYDALE Mc Donalds RestaurantMaroondah Highway
LILYDALE Olinda Creek HotelMaroondah Hwy
LILYDALE Crown Hotel Maroondah Hwy
LILYDALE Yarra Ranges Council 61 - 65 Anderson Street
MONTROSE Montrose Authorised Newsagency 912 Mt Dandenong Road
MONTROSE IGA Supermarket Mt Dandenong Road
MONTROSE Bell Real Estate 896 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road
MOUNT EVELYN Fast Fuel 1 Hereford Road
MOUNT EVELYN IGA Supermarket 38- 40 York Road
MOUNT EVELYN Post Office 12 Station Street
MOUNT EVELYN Authorised Newsagency 1A Wray Crescent
MOUNT EVELYN Red Robyn Milk Bar 35 Hereford Road
MOUNT EVELYN Library 50 Wray Cresent
MOUNT EVELYN Milkbar 28 Birmingham Road
MOUNT EVELYN Bendigo Bank 2/35-39 Wray Cres
MONTROSE IGA Supermarket916 Mt Dandenong Road
MOOROOLBARK Coles Supermarket15 Brice Avenue
MOOROOLBARK Bendigo BankUnit 19/66 - 74 Brice Ave
MOOROOLBARK Corner Milk Bar38 Bellara Dive
MOOROOLBARK Fang & Yaoxin Mini Mart108 Hayrick Lane
MOOROOLBARK BP Mooroolbark103 Cardigan Road
MOOROOLBARK Coles Express2 Cambridge Road
MOOROOLBARK Professionals Real EstateBrice Avenue
MOOROOLBARK L J HookerBrice Avenue
MOOROOLBARK Fletchers Real Estate 1/14 Manchester Road
MOOROOLBARK Mc Donalds RestaurantManchester Road
MOOROOLBARK 7-Eleven Manchester Road
MOUNT EVELYN York on Lilydale138 York Road
WANDIN NORTH Wandin Newsagency Shop 2 /18 Union Road
The
caused significant damage to the pitch on the
Melbourne Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary teaming up to help rescue and rehabilitation journey of a falcon. (Jo Howell, Zoos Victoria)
One
YEAR IN REVIEW
The ‘pic’ of the bunch...
Every year, Star Mail takes a look back at the moments and stories which made up the year and of course, that wouldn’t be complete without the photos that captured joy, celebrations and extraordinary sightings of the Southern Aurora. These photos went a long way in helping tell the important, heartwarming and major stories of 2024.
Natalie and Mark Buttenshaw started creating their dream productive garden 10 years ago which they opened to the public in February. (Stewart Chambers: 384081)
Sebastian and Camila were just two students on the trip on a life time, exploring Australia on exchange and being hosted by Birmingham Primary School. (Stewart Chambers: 393506)
Mercy Place Montrose resident Dale Macalister after his Tiger Moth flight, ticking off a bucket list item. (Mikayla van Loon: 403967)
The Aurora’s second visit was captured by Hills photographer Tracy Dasler. (Supplied)
Stephen and Casey Cameron with their Karate Australia jackets on as they prepared to qualify for the World Championships in Italy. (Stewart Chambers: 399212)
Yerrin Biik public art mural depicting Wurundjeri elder William Barak on the Mooroolbark Library. (Stewart Chambers: 387927)
Montrose resident and paramedic Alison Bowen conquered the Everest climb in May. (Supplied)
Andrew Kreibich was able to capture parts of the milky way as well as the Southern lights when the Aurora visited. (Supplied)
Isla and Hugo enjoying 2024’s Celebrate Mooroolbark festival. (Stewart Chambers: 395551)
BlueCross Baradine Mooroolbark resident Shirley with Little Buddy Poppy both enjoying the bubbles. (Stewart Chambers: 410409)
Annabelle, 7, cut off all her hair to donate to Sustainable Salons and raise funds for Cancer Council. (Stewart Chambers: 405047)
YEAR IN REVIEW
From stage to gallery, art and entertainment shined
Entertainment, from play and art to exhibition, was one of the important topics in the local community in 2024.
Here are five of the best entertainment stories selected by Star Mail. Emma brings the laughs Warrandyte-based playwright Emma Wood brought to the stage first Australian showing of Piece of Mind.
The dramedy follows the story of two near retirement age nurses who drum up a bizarre business plan to fund their exit from the workforce, at the Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre.
Having been an actress for much of her life, Wood made the transition to playwriting one day in her 30s, when she woke up with a burning idea.
When setting out on starting her playwriting journey, Wood said it was always a desire of hers to create strong female lead roles, especially for ageing women.
“It’s really been a bit of a conscious desire right from the start when I wrote my first play, which is called me Water Child, to write better roles for women,” she said.
“Not because there are none. There are some good roles but in general terms especially with the classics, the cast is heavily based on male roles. Women often end up as the wife or girlfriend or the daughter and so I do like to put women front and centre in all my plays.”
Powerful, profound play
After being delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, powerful, captivating performance
paired with the real life complexities of a dementia diagnosis was finally brought to life by the Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre Company.
Director Alan Burrows and lead actress Angela Glennie were both touched by dementia in their personal lives, with Glennie saying “it’s been a bit of a passion project for the two of us”.
Glennie said the play was another attempt at bringing the conversation around dementia into the light.
“Dementia, Alzheimer’s is not a happy topic, but it’s often kept in the dark and in silence, and often not spoken about or only spoken about when you’re living it, when you’re supporting someone,” she said.
“People are now comparing stories, and building connection and support and healing because of what the play has done.”
Actors from the east take to the Wicked west stage
Adam Murphy, from Eltham and Andrew Kroenert, from Croydon, were seen in the latest rendition of Wicked, being brought to audiences in Melbourne until 30 June.
Attracted to unusual characters, Murphy was cast as Dr Dillamond, a goat and teacher of life sciences and a philosopher at Shiz University, as well as the secondary Wizard, when not played by Simon Burke.
Kroenert, cast as part of the ensemble, also stepped into the Dr Dillamond role when not played by his counterpart Murphy.
Each taking different paths to get to their
ultimate goal, Kroenert performed while at Maroondah Secondary College before heading off to do a degree in music and drama, landing various roles like those in Frozen, Fiddler on the Roof and School of Rock.
Murphy on the other hand, went from school productions to amateur theatre and then to semi-professional theatre productions, saying “I feel like my whole career I’ve trained on the job”.
Healing Stories of Giants
Star Mail interviewed Olinda-based fine artist Emma Jennings who ran an exhibition Stories of Giants, which was rooted in creative recovery for the Dandenong Ranges community from the trauma of the 2021 storms.
The focal point of the exhibition, launched on 8 June at Yarra Ranges Regional Museum in Lilydale, was the six individual stories of people and places who represented a cross section of the broader community impacted in some way, shape or form.
The subjects of the artworks, many formed from the connections Jennings made throughout the initial recovery period at the Olinda emergency relief centre, include Kalorama CFA captain Bill Robinson, Yarra Ranges Council community recovery officer Deb Sargentson, Emerald SES unit controller Ben Owen, Red Cross volunteer Sharon, Jennings’ former neighbour Errol and Mount Dandenong Preschool.
“I just really wanted to document these stories. There’s only six here, I wanted to do a lot
more but they represent hundreds of people in the community who had similar stories,” Jennings said.
“I really wanted to paint this weird and conflicting thing that happened. Throughout this whole period there’s been awful destruction and trauma and grief of people losing their homes and cars and living out of the area and moving several times.
“But then there’s this beautiful stuff that’s happened as well. The connections in the community, the friendships, the regrowth in the forest, the colours.”
The final form of Whyte
A master of pottery, both in life and in death, Alistair Whyte’s legacy as a humble teacher shone through in a posthumous exhibition hosted by YAVA Arts Hub and Gallery.
As a nod to Alistair’s 50-year long career as a potter and artist, as well as a celebration of what would have been his 70th birthday in early August, his family decided to pay tribute to this man of sheer talent but also the kind-hearted educator who gave much of himself to others.
“It’s really an exhibition to show the breadth of his work but also his skill because he was a working artist for about 50 years,” eldest daughter Emi said.
“There’s probably not that many of his early pieces because looking through the studio we tried to find really good examples of the very different styles that he’s done over the years.”
Playwright Emma Wood’s first Australian showing of her play Piece of Mind. (Stewart Chambers: 385218)
Phil Lambert and Angela Glennie star as husband and wife in Still Alice. (Alexandra Carter)
Olinda-based fine artist Emma Jennings has told the stories of six people and places impacted by the storms of 2021. (Stewart Chambers: 407488)
Alistair Whyte’s daughters Emi and Yoko found the experience of designing the exhibition healing. (Mikayla van Loon: 421338)
NEWS More than $23K raised
The She Won’t Be Right Mate (SWBRM) 2024 car show and family day has made a significant impact in the Yarra Valley community and beyond, raising an incredible total of $23,227 in support of vital local health programs and services.
This achievement highlights the unwavering generosity and community spirit of local attendees, sponsors and supporters.
Despite the challenges posed by the extreme heat and the current economic climate, the event succeeded thanks to the dedication of car show attendees, volunteers and the general public who helped us raise these funds for Eastern Health Foundation.
While this year’s total narrowly missed its goal, the impressive $23,227 raised by all demonstrates the collective power of the community.
“Last year we were fortunate to have a private donation boost our total, but this year’s funds reflect the incredible commitment of everyone who attended and contributed,” SWBRM Director
Marcus Reeves said.
A formal cheque handover ceremony took place on 17 December at 1pm at Maroondah Hospital, where event organisers presented the donation to representatives from the Eastern Health Foundation.
The event was attended by federal Casey MP Aaron Violi, SWBRM Director Marcus Reeves and various other members of the “She won’t be right mate” volunteer team as well as Eastern Health staff.
This ceremony showcased how the funds raised would support local programs and services, helping people in the Yarra Valley and beyond during tough times.
For more information to learn how you can support future events, please contact:
• Marcus Reeves
• Event Organizer, She Won’t Be Right Mate 2024
• Phone: 0423 578 251
• Email: shewontberightmate@gmail.com
Files from a ‘daring’ historical bank robbery go public
Every year on 1 January, hundreds of Victorian archival records are made public through the Public Record Office Victoria, from historical court documents to hospital admissions.
Among this year’s release was the 1949 criminal trial brief for Albert Edward Skeggs, a man accused of having committed a ‘daring’ bank robbery in Ferntree Gully. Although he would later be found not guilty.
On Saturday 23 October 1948 the E.S&A Bank in Ferntree Gully closed at midday. Bank manager Victor Thomas Scott and his colleague Mr Naylor secured the bank safe and strongroom, then locked the front door as they knocked off for the day. When they returned Monday morning, immediately they knew something was amiss, the brief read.
“We noticed the two glass doors wide open and held back by two chairs…there was a smell of burnt gas of some type. We went to the strongroom door (and) noticed oxy-acetylene bottles and a hole in the door of the strongroom. We eventually opened the strongroom,” Scott said.
“There was a big hole cut in the safe...After we opened the safe we saw that the drawers were burnt away…We looked at the ante room and saw a rope hanging through the manhole which was open.”
A police audit found that £2139/8/7 was missing along with three revolvers, one automatic pistol and safe custody envelopes containing certificates of £50 each.
Detectives Newton and Tremewen soon arrived. Seeing the rope hanging from the ceiling led Newton to the manhole where he found two sheets of galvanised iron had been pulled up several feet which “left a hole big enough for a man to get through.”
The papers called it a “daring” robbery that “must have taken them six or seven hours.”
In early November, Skeggs visited an acquaintance at work, a Leonard Joseph Robertson, and offered “a little job I want you to do for me. I’ll make it worth your while.”
Robertson supposedly didn’t ask questions as he’d been struggling financially and the promise of some extra cash saw him meet Skeggs the following day, Tuesday 9 November, outside Fink’s Buildings in Elizabeth Street.
Skeggs handed Robertson a certificate for £50, asking him to cash it, and he would give him £5 for his troubles.
“He handed me a certificate. I looked at the back and saw it was signed J. Wilson. There were also the principal and interest on the back. The certificate had Oct 1952 on it. I entered the bank and presented it to teller at the War Savings counter and cashed the certificate…I met accused outside the bank and handed him the full amount. He gave me a £5 note,” Robertson said. They continued to numerous other banks around Melbourne. Skeggs waiting outside each time Robertson was tasked with cashing in the certificates.
“I did not ask him why he did not go into the
bank himself, I thought he was being generous to me. I knew of no reason why he should give me £5 of each £50 unless he knew that I was struggling along early last year,” Robertson said.
The final two certificates Skeggs left with Robertson, planning to meet him later on.
“I went across road to Nat. Bank. I presented two certificates to the teller at the counter. He examined the certs with a list of Nos. The teller left and entered a room and then served two ladies. A man came along and he took me to a room at the rear. A police patrol arrived…”
Robertson was caught red-handed with two of the certificates stolen from Ferntree Gully. It wasn’t long before police tracked down the other cashed certificates. Robertson was quick to tell police who had set him up.
Meanwhile, when Robertson didn’t show up to meet Skeggs as planned, he assumed the worst and went straight to the home of friend Kathleen Veronica Sutton.
“…Mr Skeggs came to my home. Before that it was 12 months since I saw him. He came into the flat. He had a conversation. He was there half an hour to one hour,” she said in the brief.
“Before he went he said “I am in a spot of trouble”. We did not ask him what it was. I (said) ‘I’m sure you’re only imagining it. Go home and forget about it.’ He handed two pens to me. He (said) ‘Would you mind minding these for me. I don’t want to lose them. One is mine. One is Norman’s’. He left the pens and went away.”
Eventually, Detectives Newton and Tremewen caught up with Skeggs at home where he admitted he’d seen Robertson and that he’d received a £50 certificate at a Mornington race meeting from a man named Snowy.
The Detectives then searched Skeggs’ flat to find a nervous wife inside, but no stolen goods. They took him into custody regardless, his Mornington races excuse not holding much weight once the Detectives looked up the dates of the
race meets, the last one at least two days prior to the bank robbery.
Skeggs responded “You think you’ve got me trapped but I have a bad memory.” The bad memory included not being able to remember anything about Snowy, or how many certificates he got off him.
Skeggs admitted to filling in the name J Wilson with the pens he had left with his friend Sutton. He also obliged by giving the detectives a handwriting sample.
He maintained, however, that he did not break into the bank.
His story about Snowy and the Mornington races, held on a date that didn’t make sense, seemed to have swayed the jury at trial. Or perhaps they just weren’t impressed with the Detectives’ evidence. Skeggs was found not guilty.
Drawers inside the safe were found burnt away. (Public Record Office Victoria) Bottles of oxy-acetylene were discovered in the bank.
A large hole was located in the door of the strongroom.
Funding raised through She Won’t Be Right Mate 2024 was handed to Eastern Health Foundation on Tuesday 17 December. (Supplied)
The gift of home gardening
By Erle Levey
One of the great things about gardening, particularly home gardening, is the gift of giving. This can be either in what has been grown or in time and effort.
For gardening identity Phil Dudman there are so many ways you can give from a garden.
“It can be just from having a visitor come on over and hang out in the garden - and to be able to share your passion,’’ he said.
We were talking over lunch at this year’s Queensland Garden Expo, which is being renamed as Queensland Garden Show for 2025.
“Whenever someone comes around to a gardener’s place, they are blown away by how you find beauty.
“Just spending time showing people around - they’re special places.’’
I know what it was like with my mother and grandmother whenever friends or family dropped around - there was always a cutting to share, a bloom to take.
For Phil, who is known for his appearances on ABC-TV’s Gardening Australia, on ABC Radio or writing for gardening magazines, it’s a matter of almost everyone loves a garden. He has a brand called Phil Dudman Gardening and Grow Your Food workshops.
“There’ll be some people who don’t like to garden because they find it too hard,’’ he admits. “It’s too much effort.
“Yet everyone loves to get into nature.
“If you have a good garden and it’s full of interesting things - flowers, fruits, vegetables and herbs - then every plant has a story.
“There’s common stuff and there are special things that you’ve got.
“It might be something that’s been given to you, then you give back to someone else. They take a little bit of that story.
“There’s a lot of giving that goes on with it - whether to a friend or a neighbour - and gardeners get a lot of pleasure out of that giving.
“It’s like sharing a little bit of yourself. You are planting an idea.
“It’s not just for yourself, it’s a lifestyle that you know - a nourishing lifestyle in which you feel good.’’
Phil is one of the regular guest speakers at the garden show - to be held over four days next year at Nambour Showgrounds from 1013 July.
It is Queensland’s premier gardening event and will showcase the biggest range of plants you are likely to see anywhere in the Sunshine State in one location.
Some of Australia’s leading gardening experts will take part in free talks, demonstrations, and workshops.
As we have found over a number of years, Phil, like fellow gardener Costa Georgiadis, is very giving of his time and knowledge at such events.
“You feel good looking at the garden - feel good stepping out in it. Then if you can give your neighbour some produce … a cutting, a seed or a seedling, then they grow it and get back to you about how it’s going so well.
“They feel there’s a story at their place that’s connected to you. That’s it. It Just goes around and around.’’
As well as the feel-good value of gardening there is the physical and mental side of it.
Living at Lismore in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Phil said mornings were a magical time for him.
“I wake up and see the fog in the valleys, knowing it’s going to be a great day.
“I wake up early - before the sun comes up. I don’t know, perhaps it’s just an age thing.
“And I think it’s okay to get up now because the birds are up - you go out there and they’re in the birdbath, in your trees.
“You can go out with a cuppa and greet the day. You get to know the different birds.
“I know I cannot live without it.’’
Another benefit of gardening is the way it can connect you with the seasons and the community.
“Giving is a pleasure, and a great way to build close relationships in the community,’’ Phil said.
“People who are fellow gardeners are always sharing seeds and produce, obviously … and these people will come back with some cake or something they’ve baked.
“It could be something to go into the cake, such as bananas, potatoes or zucchinis. That’s really nice.
“But there’s also things such as seedlings ... you might have too many of them.
“I took some brussel sprouts down to a friend and she’s never grown them … and some potatoes that I’ve been planting.
“It was a new experience for her, and she finds it a pleasure.’’
As far as being a great connection with community, Phil said elderly people in his street were always happy to receive some help or some produce.
“They are happy for me to set up gardens for them.
“I run workshops in my garden at Lismore and sometimes I take the team over to one of their places and do a blitz … it’s just a matter of setting up a garden.
“One neighbour has three or four big patches set up from my workshops and years of gardening. She couldn’t set it up physically, but she can do the ongoing gardening ... that’s a really nice thing to do with people.
“I love setting up gardens for them. Those who have never done it before or who are unable to do that.
“It’s a great way to share an expertise or skill in gardening.
“The whole gardening lifestyle is a recipe for happiness and a blueprint for living.’’
It is a blueprint for community living and connections that you may not have in any other aspects of your life.
“It’s connecting you with people in really beautiful ways,’’ Phil explained.
“It’s a really affordable way to do that. You don’t need a lot of time and energy to help someone.
“You don’t need a lot of money. You might - if you want to create some designer garden that you’ve seen on television but just to plant things and grow things - you can really start from nothing.’’
One of the first steps in creating a garden can be making compost and creating fertility in the back yard.
That is the big thing that a garden really thrives on and you can make that with virtually no money.
Another part of gardening that Phil is interested in is blue zones.
There are five original blue zones – the places in the world with the healthiest, lon-
“They know it’s that good - so they want to make sure that other people are experiencing that.
“We all believe gardeners ... if everyone in the world was gardening, there wouldn’t be any issues.
“All that we talk about is microbes and mycelium … we are just proud of what we do.
“If everyone was gardening, there would be this level of satisfaction in your life every day. Happiness and joy and satisfaction every day.
“Gardeners get a lot of pleasure out of that giving – it’s like sharing a bit of yourself.’’
Since the Queensland Garden Expo, Phil has been getting out and seeing more of Australia - Central Australia to be precise.
gest-living populations. Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California.
A common thing across the blue zones is diet, but lifestyle too. Gardening plays a big part in our physical and mental health, and these areas are big not just in gardening but connection among the community.
“It gives hope and an investment in the future.
“You are always wanting to plant things and see how they go.
“The one thing that is common is that they are all gardening communities.
“It’s part of their lifestyles. It’s the fresh food. It’s the physical work that you’ve got to do to keep a garden going.
“It’s also that when you plant something it’s an investment in the future.
“There’s no way that I’m gonna die if I know the tomatoes are coming on.’’
Like the seasons, gardeners are always looking ahead and are deciding what to plant.
“You’re always giving yourself a reason to get out of bed and to live and to thrive … because you are so thrilled about the harvest.
“It’s such a simple idea, but I reckon it works because I can see those effects in my life. It just keeps me wanting to do stuff.
“It’s a hobby, it’s a passion … it’s a way of life, a pleasure. It’s always there … a kind of low-level activity.
“You’re not jumping around and working out and pumping iron.
“You are moving around the space and finding things to do … sometimes you’re bending, sometimes you’re lifting, there’s a range of motions involved in gardening.
“But there’s also picking up the soil - some of it might go in your mouth but there’s nothing wrong with microbes. We started as kids with mud pies, so there is nothing as good as a good microbiome from the earth.’’
These microorganisms can help the immune system and the digestive system.
“A nice part of the whole thing is most gardeners are willing to give a bit of their time to help someone who has never gardened,’’ Phil said. “It can be someone who is new or needs some help because gardeners know the benefit to your personal wellbeing by having a garden.
Flying from Brisbane to Alice Springs, then driving a campervan, he and his wife went to Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park and Kings Canyon.
Together with the springtime colours and wildflowers, the landscapes exceeded their expectations.
“The colours - the greens, the yellows, the golds. It was awesome.
“We were so lucky to see these billy buttons flowers looking absolutely perfect, where we stayed in Trefena National Park in East MacDonnell Ranges.
“Nature created the most beautiful wildflower meadow for us to enjoy.
“I fell in love with Uluru. The colours are incredible ... the rock, the sky, the various shades of green in the foliage.
“The flowers and the bark of the trees combine to create nature’s perfect garden.
“And then there are those special moments of complete stillness and silence.’’
Being in a campervan, Phil stopped wherever they wanted and that helped create a wonderful trip.
“There were not many people out theremainly Aussies. Grey nomads who just go out and park there.
“It felt like a ’bucket list’ place for Aussies and I can see why. It’s a must-do.
“There are some iconic images and so much more vegetation than was expected.
“It was incredibly easy to get out and do it. We are budget travellers and it was not costly.
“There is so much to see.’’
Phil led a garden tour of Tasmania in October, and has a tour of Victoria in March then France in May.
His workshops at Lismore, NSW, will be in July and August.
For Phil, his outlook is simple: “Food is your life.
“When you eat from your garden you know what you are getting - it’s fresh and it’s nutritious.’’
Phil’s approach to life is a brilliant reminder of the importance of gardening to our lives. Getting our hands dirty - or simply admiring our own or someone else’s garden - promises many health benefits. And Phil’s exuberance, and appreciation of this gift, encourages us all to spend a little more time in the garden.
Phil Dudman conducts a home garden workshop. 392331_09
Phil Dudman and Costa Georgiadis. 447458_02
SENIOR LIVING
Bob and Faye are loving village life in leafy Lilydale
THERE are lots of different reasons why peoplemovetoaretirementvillage,butfor
Bob and Faye - who live at Tudor Village in Lilydale - one of the main drivers was to avoid becoming a burden to their children in the future.
“Both Faye and I had fathers who ended up being on their own, and we spent a lot of time in and out of hospitals, looking after them,” Bob explains.
“We wanted to future-proof our lives and make sure that if either of us should pass away, the other one would be part of a community, and have friends around to provide companionship and support.”
Bob and Faye, who have now lived at Tudor Village for 12 years, say they have already enjoyed the caring support of friends at the village.
“I recently had a long run of illness, going in and out of hospital, and lots of residents were contacting us to make sure we were ok,” Bob says.
“While I was here at home convalescing, people would call or drop around to ask if we were okay, needed anything or just wanted to chat.
“There is a real sense of community here... it’s really wonderful.” Bob says that one of the other key reasons for moving to a new home at Tudor Village was to say goodbye to the onerous maintenance required at their former home in Chirnside Park, whichwasmorethan40yearsold,perched on a steep, 950-square metre block, and
had a big garden, four bedrooms, three bathrooms, two kitchens and a double garage!
“I was around 70 at the time, and still quite active, but the house needed a lot of work, and the maintenance was starting to run amok,” he says. “It was on the side of a hill, up and down stairs, and I thought ‘enough of this, we should move to a village’, so we started looking around.”
Unique charm
After looking at “every other “village in the area, the couple visited Tudor Village and immediately fell for its unique charm.
“All the other villages looked like they were cloned, and a lot of them afforded you little privacy, had carports instead of garages, were rundown or had rules and regulations that were just too tight, “Bob says.
“Tudor Village was the last one we looked at, and as we drove up Tudor Drive, we both said ‘hey, this is different’.”
Faye says she and Bob were drawn to the fact that all the homes were individual, with different home styles and gardens.
“It’s lovely and leafy, and it feels really welcoming,” Faye says. “As soon as we saw the village, we thought ‘this is the one’!”
Fitting In
While they were a little concerned about moving from their big property to a smaller one, fearing they’d have too much furniture, Bob and Faye were surprised to find that it would all fit in quite nicely.
Having moved from nearby Chirnside Park, Faye says they have been able to retain their current doctor, are close to many family members, and are already familiar with all the local facilities, including shopping centres, public transport and Maroondah Hospital, all
within easy reach.
“Everything is on your doorstep, and you’re at the gateway of the Yarra Valley ... .it’s a lovely spot to be,” Faye says. “There are so many reasons why we enjoy living here .. .it’s so relaxing, and it feels like home ... we love it!”
is located at 520 Maroondah Highway, Lilydale. To find out more about Tudor Village, call 9739 6122 Monday to Friday to arrange apersonalappointmentandvillagetour, orvisittudorvillage.com.au
Downsize without compromise at Tudor Village! This charming 2-bedroom home offers spacious Open-plan living, a modern kitchen, and a tranquil courtyard. Enjoy a vibrant community, convenient location near shops and transport, and the peace of mind that comes with a secure and welcoming environment. Plus, you’ll be close to family, your doctor, and all the amenities you need. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to embrace a relaxed and fulfilling lifestyle.
Charming 2-bedroom home in vibrant Tudor Village, Lilydale. Brand-new kitchen & bathroom, open-plan living, fresh paint, new carpets and hard flooring. Master with WIR, private courtyard with pergola. Close to Community Centre. Reverse cycle A/C, garage, separate laundry & WC. Your perfect retreat awaits!
Tudor Village
SENIORS LIVING
Vibrant retirement living
In the heart of Lilydale, where the lush Yarra Valley meets the Dandenong Ranges, stands Lilydale Valley Views – not just a retirement village, but a thriving community where residents relish every moment of their golden years. For the past 15 years, we have meticulously crafted an environment that goes beyond providing accommodation; it’s a place where the essence of retirement living is fully embraced.
Our village boasts an array of accommodation options, from stunning homes with valley views to cosy terrace living. With 139 homes, including semi-attached 2/3 bedroom units, each designed to ensure a family-like atmosphere, we prioritise creating a space that fits the unique preferences of every resident.
What sets Lilydale Valley Views apart is the commitment to offering a comprehensive retirement experience. Picture a heated indoor swimming pool and spa, providing residents with an oasis for relaxation and exercise. Imagine weekly Tai Chi and dancersize sessions, tailored to keep both the body and mind active and engaged. Our village bus takes the hassle out of shopping, offering a convenient door-to-door service, freeing residents from the need to drive and park.
One of the key pillars of our community is the vibrant social committee. This dedicated group organises a plethora of indoor and outdoor activities, ensuring residents always have opportunities for connection and enjoyment. From outings to social events, our calendar is brimming with activities that cater to diverse interests, creating an enriching experience for everyone.
Yet, the true magic lies in the residents themselves. A wonderful group of people with a wide range of interests, they form the beating heart of our community. The warmth and genuine sense of camaraderie that have flourished over the years are truly heartwarming. Newcomers quickly find themselves embraced by the community,
invited to various activities and social occasions, allowing them to tailor their level of engagement.
At Lilydale Valley Views, we recognise the importance of social connections for overall health and wellbeing as we age. Our environment is curated to facilitate an active and connected lifestyle, fostering a sense of community that extends beyond the physical boundaries of the village.
Centrally located near essential amenities, including medical practitioners, supermarkets, and the train station – all within walking distance – Lilydale Valley Views provides a seamless blend
of convenience and tranquillity. The nearby Warburton Trail offers residents the opportunity for scenic walks or bike rides, while a thriving veggie/flower garden on-site adds to the communal spirit.
As a testament to our commitment to excellence, we are proud to have built a retirement village that has evolved into a close-knit community. Lilydale Valley Views is not merely a place to live; it’s a place where people flourish, creating a tapestry of shared experiences and cherished moments.
some quite time
In celebration of our journey and the joy of vibrant retirement living, we invite you to explore Lilydale Valley Views. Come and witness firsthand the beauty of terrace living, stunning views, and the warm embrace of a community that defines the essence of retirement living.
For more information, contact Lilydale Valley Views at 471 Maroondah Highway, Lilydale, email manager@lilydalevalleyviews.com.au, or call 03 9735 5944 to speak with Rosemary Seymour our manager. Our doors are open from 9am to 4.30pm, welcoming you to a new chapter of vibrant retirement living.
Breathtaking views await residents at Lilydale Valley Views. (Supplied)Enjoy
with a book from the extensive library collection.
Meet and mingle with friends in the community centre.
Explore, prepare, enjoy
Welcome to 2025
The new year means 12 months of events, of community projects, or engagements, of exciting possibilities for every one of us, whether you’re in Mooroolbark or McMahon’s Creek, Yarra Glen or Yarra Junction, Belgrave or Lilydale.
Aside from project updates, as we move through our major Ridges and Rivers projects to get more people experiencing our beautiful natural environment, we’ll have plenty of engagements opening that we’d love your feedback on.
If you aren’t already signed up, shaping.yarraranges.vic.gov.au is our home of all community engagements and surveys – you can sign up to be notified directly when new engagements open,
From my From my desk
Jim Child
and your comments and thoughts will directly shape the work we do.
Now, we know that the holiday season means a clear out of the old to make room for the new.
Towards the end of January, our hard waste sea-
son begins in earnest.
Collection areas vary depending on your town, and even on the side of the street in different areas – don’t miss out on your collection, visit yarraranges.vic.gov.au/hardwaste to check your week and see what you can put out to be collected.
The summer weather is well and truly upon us. My last column, I spoke briefly about fire safety during the warmer months. In this one, I wanted to encourage everyone, no matter where you are, to prioritise some time to get outdoors with people you love.
People travel from all over the country to ride the Warburton Trail. We have fantastic mountain bike trails in the region – and we’re of course working on more this year – and there are thousands of kilometres of walking trails, hikes and parklands
to explore.
It can be easy to get swept up in the rush of the new year, to think about all the things to do before school holidays finish, before work starts up again. We live in one of the most brilliant regions in Victoria, let alone Australia. If you haven’t taken time to explore our backyard yet, I’d strongly recommend spending some time by the river in Warburton, exploring the Dandenong Ranges, having a barbecue at Lillydale Lake or taking the kids to one of our many incredible playspaces or water play parks.
In the meantime, on behalf of everyone at Council, I wish you all the best for the coming year. We at Council look forward to working with our community, getting projects underway delivering our very best with your help.
My new year’s resolution for 2025 is to be a joyful book reviewer.
Why? Because, after four years of writing the “Passion for Prose” column, I still get asked the question (read: interrogation and antagonisation): “Why do you want to write and publish book reviews for free?”
Thoughts on becoming a joyful reviewer PASSION FOR PROSE
There are several presumptions behind this question. The first and foremost, I think, is the surmise that doing something on a voluntary basis is the same as (a) slave labour or (b) exploitation or (c) a waste of time and energy or (d) pure stupidity or (e) all of the above.
Another equally obscure supposition is that all media organisations, like all online platforms operated by multinational enterprises, are rich, ruthless, exploitative and manipulative. They make you feel you are doing meaningful work because they want to profit from it.
What I suspect is a more fundamental “principle” is that, because my time is valuable, I shouldn’t waste it on useless things such as writing reviews and sharing them with others for free. i.e. It’s fine for me to read free library books, but people should pay to read
WITH CHRISTINE SUN
my writing!
But what hurts the most is when I truly enjoy doing something and work really hard to build it in the ways I want it to be – as a writer, a journalist and even an academic – that something is deemed worthless and futile. As if whatever I do, no matter how hard I try, it is not good enough. As if I am not and will never be good enough.
Well, that’s not the way to start a new year, is it? No, no, no.
So, my new year’s resolution is to be a joyful book reviewer – to spread the joy of reading,
the joy of discovering new books and revisiting good ones, and especially the joy of reviewing and recommending great books.
(In other words: “To hell with you, my inner critic! I can and will be a better critic than you! Just watch me!” )
I’ve always subscribed to renowned Australian literary critic Kerryn Goldsworthy’s view, that a good book review should be “both favourable about its subject and skilfully, knowledgeably written on the basis of a careful, thorough reading of the book in question”. More importantly, Goldsworthy stresses: “A book reviewer has a responsibility.”
Not just to readers and potential readers of the book, but also to the writer(s) and/or editor(s) of the book. And to the publication for which you’re writing. And to yourself. Most of all: “To the literary culture in particular and indeed to the culture in general, to make a worthy contribution to it and not demean or devalue it by adding junk rather than good useful stuff.”
If I can achieve this... then, does money really matter that much?
A selection of the best cartoons of 2024
Dracula by another name
Nosferatu Starring Bill Skarsgard, Lily-Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult Rated M 4.5/5
The fourth film from writer-director Robert Eggers, Nosferatu is a tremendously tense horror masterpiece.
In 1838, Thomas (Nicholas Hoult), a young estate agent, travels to Transylvania to sell a manor to Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard), but the vampiric count hungers for Thomas’s wife Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp).
Now an iconic horror property in its own right, the silent 1922 original was an unauthorised, unlicensed adaptation of Dracula with all the names changed. The 1979 remake was directed by Werner Herzog and stars Klaus Kinski, whose volatile partnership ranged from deep respect to violent hatred.
The first act of Eggers’ Nosferatu, as Thomas brokers the estate contract in Orlok’s gloomy castle, has the brilliantly unnerving ambience of a nightmare: uncomfortable situations of inhuman logic, which Thomas must endure for the sake of his job and decorum. With enthralling dialogue and shocking moments of gore, Eggers wields incredible layered suspense throughout the narrative, conjuring an ever-tightening dread as plague sweeps the city, Ellen weakens and slips into madness and Orlok closes in on his prey. The film features an intriguing dual colour palette of moonlit, almost black-and-white blues and fiery oranges, with the latter often reflecting Orlok’s influence or those working against him.
The cast is universally excellent, with Willem Dafoe both eccentric and formidable as Professor Von Franz, but Depp and Skarsgard are the standouts. Like with Pennywise in It, Skarsgard vanishes into his grotesque role as Count Orlok, and Depp delivers a performance just as heartbreaking, scary and physically committed as Nell Tiger Free in The First Omen or Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley in The Substance.
Playing in most Victorian cinemas, consider Nosferatu a late second or third place in my list of 2024’s best films.
- Seth Lukas Hynes
The cartoon genius of Danny Zemp was rife in 2024, with his take on key issues, news stories and things happening around the Yarra Ranges adding to the year’s content. Danny compiled his favourite cartoons from the year, putting together this mash up of 2024.
AN EXQUISITE HAVEN OF LUXURY
AN EXQUISITE HAVEN OF LUXURY, ELEGANCE AND POTENTIAL
STEP into a world of grandeur with this spectacular Porter Davis masterpiece, built in 2015 and set on an expansive 3060 sqm estate. Offering the epitome of opulence, sophistication, and potential, this home is more than a residenceit’s a statement. With the option to subdivide (STCA), this property combines extraordinary living with exciting investment opportunities.
From the moment you enter through the grand electric gates, the meticulously landscaped gardens, adorned with ambient lighting, set the tone for the elegance that lies within. The striking entryway, featuring high ceilings and tiled flooring, welcomes you into an architectural triumph of light, space, and luxury.
The heart of the home is the open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area, awash with natural light streaming through expansive windows and glass doors that lead seamlessly to the alfresco entertaining area. The gourmet kitchen is a culinary haven, showcasing a vast Caesarstone island bench, premium appliances, and a butler’s pantry complete with a second sink, providing both functionality and flair.
For moments of refined relaxation, the formal living area is a haven of luxury, featuring plush carpeting, a gas fireplace, exquisite drapes, and a dazzling chandelier. A private study at the front of the home and a state-of-the-art theatre room at the rear ensure every lifestyle need is met with impeccable style.
Ascend the majestic, carpeted staircase to the upper level. The master retreat is nothing short of extraordinary, with his-andhers walk-in wardrobes, a lavish ensuite with a spa, and a private outdoor terrace overlooking the manicured grounds. Three additional bedrooms, each with walk-in robes and luxurious ensuites, provide unparalleled comfort, while a grand rumpus room with balcony access completes this opulent level. Outside, the estate continues to captivate. Imposing electric gates, double garage with internal access, fully fenced perimeter, and security system ensures privacy and peace of mind. The immense backyard, with its lush lawns and garden lighting, offers endless possibilities for relaxation, play, or future enhancements.
Concept plans for an 8 car garage and
HOME FOCUS
STYLISH FAMILY HOMEON ON 1,756M2
LOCATED in the heart of Emerald this stunning family home sits pretty on the impressive 1,756m2 allotment. Nestled amongst picturesque landscaped gardens and tastefully updated inside and out, this property offers a move in and do-nothing opportunity straight out of a magazine.
You are welcomed inside into the light filled open plan living area, boasting floating floorboards, double hung windows, split system and a cosy coonara for those cooler evenings, you and the family can sit back and relax comfortably year-round. The stylish renovated kitchen features stainless steel appliances, dishwasher, stone benchtops, island bench, pendant lights and excellent storage space.
The adjoining dining area steps out to both the outdoor entertaining area and the decked patio. Upstairs, the huge master suite is a true parents retreat, boasting a stylish ensuite bathroom with double vanity and a fully fitted walk in wardrobe, decked balcony views across the garden.
On a clear day you might even catch a glimpse of the bay!
There is a split system heating and cooling unit upstairs for year-comfort. The secondary bedrooms are both downstairs and are serviced by the modern family bathroom.
For those who love to entertain, the paved and covered alfresco style outdoor entertaining area boasts a coonara for the cooler months to allow for year-round enjoyment. The spectacular landscaped gardens are carefully designed and manicured to create your own private oasis featuring steel edging, mature plantings, a cozy fire pit area and expansive lush lawns.
Securely fenced for your peace of mind, the kids and four-legged family members can run and play safely. For the toys and tools, there is a fantastic Colorbond garage and excellent secure off-street parking for the trailer, boat, caravan or all of the above.
Positioned in a highly sought after pocket of Emerald, everything you need including schools, cafes, restaurants, sporting facilities, parkland and so much more is right on your door step. Properties like this one don’t stick around for long. Inspection is a must.
AN EXCEPTIONAL LIFESTYLE PROPERTY
DISCOVER your dream home, an architecturally inspired masterpiece set on a sprawling 2586m² block surrounded by lush, landscaped gardens. This property combines modern sophistication, impeccable design, exceptional attention to detail and endless lifestyle features to create the ultimate family retreat.
From the moment you step inside, you’ll be captivated by the designer presentation throughout. The home boasts four bedrooms, including a luxurious master suite complete with a fitted walk-in robe and ensuite and a sliding door out to a deck where Sunday brunch can be enjoyed as you take in the beauty that surrounds. The remaining bedrooms all have built in robes and are located in their own private wing and are serviced by a stylish family bathroom with a striking freestanding bath as its centrepiece.
The home’s living spaces offer something for everyone. The formal lounge room, with its soaring ceiling, parquetry flooring, and gas fireplace, provides a warm and inviting atmosphere. A second living room with a wood fire offers a cosy retreat with garden views, while the adjoining sitting/meals area connects seamlessly to a State-of-theArt kitchen. This culinary haven features a 900mm under-bench oven, five-burner gas cooktop, dishwasher, stone benchtops
including waterfall island bench, servery window and abundant glide-shut cabinetry and flows on to the meals area.
Step through cafe doors to a covered outdoor entertaining area that promises yearround enjoyment. This space is equipped with a built-in gas barbecue, an overhead heater, and adjustable blinds, ensuring comfort no matter the weather. The alfresco area will become the heart of gatherings with family and friends. Beyond, an automated heated in-ground pool offers endless fun, while expansive grassed areas provide plenty of room for children and pets to play.
This property is further enhanced by sealed road frontage, sealed driveway with room for caravan, boat or trailer, an abundance of shedding and a four-car remote garage, perfect for vehicles and hobbies. Complete with all the extras there is ducted heating and refrigerated cooling throughout to ensure your comfort in every season and ducted vacuum system and a storage room to make the living easy.
Offering the best lifestyle package imaginable, this exceptional property is more than a home – it’s a dream come true.
Situated in a prized location within walking distance of the Country Club Estate Lake and walking tracks and a short drive to the town centre, this home sets the highest standard.
RUSTIC HOME ON SMALL LIFESTYLE PROPERTY
A private and picturesque location, this rustic farmhouse on small acreage offers a fantastic lifestyle.
Boasting 4 bedrooms and loads of space for the growing family, with a flexible floor plan of upstairs and downstairs living. Spacious family/living and lounge areas give everyone plenty of space to spread out.
The kitchen is spacious with an open feel and ample bench and cupboard space.
Get outside and enjoy the outdoors with the wide open space with just over 2.5 acres to explore and enjoy, a kids and animals paradise with a fenced off play area. For the horse enthusiast, separate paddocks, plus a riding arena and stables.
Open machinery shed and a high clearance carport for floats and caravans, plus the king of sheds with a huge lock up garage/workshop big enough to accommodate large trucks and trailers.
Entertain and enjoy the summer weather with a covered entertaining area and an above ground pool with decking all round - it’s the ideal spot to relax and unwind.
A fantastic small acreage property in a great location that has so much to offer.
FamilyLivingwithSpaceandConvenience
Setina quietendofstreetlocationthisneatfamilyhomeoffers acomfortable &convenientlifestyle. Boasting 3goodsizebedroomsplusa bonusbungalow,idealfortheextendedfamily,relativesora workfromhomeofficeorgamesroom,thefamily/livingroomisspaciousandoffersgreatspacefor thewholefamily.Thekitchenisfresh,modernanduptodatewithqualityappliancesandfixtures withamplebenchandcupboardspace.Ventureoutsideandexploreandenjoytheestablished gardensandthegreatsizebackyard,a gardenshedandlockupgarageoffergreatspaceforall thetoys,thebackyardissecurelyfencedforthepetsandkidstorunaroundandenjoy. Acovered entertainingareatositbackrelaxandunwind, asuperblocationandsituatedjust ashortstrollto localschools,shops& publictransport.
DavidCarroll
StunningAcreageand aRelaxedRuralLifestyle
Adreamlifestyleawaitsyouatthisstunningproperty,seton aglorious11acresofbeautifulrolling pastureit’stheidealplacetostarttorurallifestyle.Thelargeranchstylefamilyhomehasbeen caredforandlovedforover40yearsandoffers 4bedroomsincludinganensuiteinthemain bedroom.Separatefamily/loungeandlivingareasgivethegrowingfamilyplentyofspace.The freshmodernkitchenhasplentyofbenchandcupboardspacewithqualityappliancesandfittings. Ventureoutsideandyourspoiltforspacewithacresandacrestoexploreandenjoy.Amplecar accommodationwith alargecarport,doublelockupgarage,plusopenmachineryshedswith highclearancetosuitcaravans,boatsandfloats.A beautifullypresentedproperty,meticulously maintainedineveryaspectandconvenientlylocated. 115WaresRoad,Wesburn$1,290,000-$1,400,000
Quietcourtlivingwithmountainviews Ifquietcourtliving,northfacing,sunny,andneatasa pinhomearewhatisonyourbuyingcriteria, thenlooknofurther.Offering 2bedrooms,themainbedroomishugewithgenerousbuilt-inrobes andneutraltonesthroughoutwithlargewindowstoadmireyoursurrounds.Theloungeroomislovely andsunfilled,certainlytakingthemountainviewsforyoutoabsorbyourselfin.LuxuryVinylwood flooringthroughoutgivea modernfeelandlookwhilebeingconvenient.Thekitchenisquality timberthathasbeentastefullyupdatedandallowsenoughroomfora diningtablealso.Updated bathroom,plentyofstoragethroughout,anda greatlaundrywithcupboardsgalore.Outsideisa wellmaintainedyeteasygardentotinkeraroundin.Carportwithdirectentrytothehome,anda gorgeousverandatocompleteyourdayandtakeinallofyournaturalbeautythatsurroundsyou.
RebeccaDoolan M 0401832068
FamilySpaceina GreatLocation
Agreathomeinpicturesqueandcolourfulsettingwithplentyofspaceforthegrowingfamily, offering 3bedroomsallwithbuiltinrobes.Spaciouslivingandloungeareashaveamplespacefor thebigfamilytoenjoy.Thekitchenisopenandhasplentyofbenchandcupboardspaceplusa separatemeals/diningarea.Outsidethereisloadsofroomforthekidsandpetstoexploreand enjoyandwithjustover3300sqmyoucanletyourimaginationrunwildwithideas.Thewideshady verandah’ssurroundingthehomearetheidealspotforoutdoorentertainingallyearround,sitback relaxandadmiretheoutlookandestablishedgardens.A largelockupgarageandworkshoparea withplentyofextraroomfortrailers,boatsandcaravans. Agreatpropertyon asuperbblock.
COMPLETE STYLE AND CONVENIENCE
BY blending timeless character and top-tier contemporary elements, this beautiful home is one to be proud of. Immaculately presented and poised in a premier position within walking distance of Belgrave Outdoor Pool, Borthwick Park, Belgrave shopping and cafes, and Belgrave Station, you can step right into a sensational lifestyle here.
This quarter-acre property is accentuated by a sealed drive, double carport, terraced lawns, flourishing veggie beds, and garden/ wood shed. New owners will also benefit from a cost-saving solar power system with Tesla battery storage.
From the covered verandah, the leadlight front door opens into the generous lounge with wideboard floors, high ceilings, and a warm wood fire. At the rear of the home, the open plan dining area boasts a second fire and picture windows with magnificent outlooks. The adjoining kitchen with butcherblock benchtops, 900mm gas cooker, stainless steel dishwasher, and walk-in pantry will inspire even the most discerning chef.
The main bedroom with walk-in robe resides on the main level accompanied by a luxurious bathroom with soaking tub, rain shower, and herringbone tiles. Downstairs, the second living area is framed by 2 further family bedrooms, a convenient study nook, laundry, and second showcase bathroom with terrazzo tiles and separate WC.
This ultra-stylish and centrally situated home welcomes new residents to simply move in and enjoy. Plan your viewing today.
• 1,000sqm (approx.) landscape with double carport and terraced lawns
• Beautifully updated residence with breathtaking treetop views Generous lounge with high ceilings and a warm wood fire
• Modern kitchen with quality appliances and walk-in pantry
• Second living area, luxurious bathrooms, and spacious bedrooms.
SPACIOUS FAMILY HOME – WALK TO TOWN
THIS lovingly crafted family home, built by the current owner, offers warmth, space and an inviting layout perfect for family living. Situated within walking distance to the heart of Cockatoo and local school, this residence combines convenience with serene suburban comfort.
Upon entry, you are greeted by a light-filled lounge room, with large front windows that bathe the space in natural light.
The lounge flows seamlessly into the open plan kitchen, dining and family room, all featuring stylish floating floors. The kitchen, with large bench, abundance of storage, new 900mm gas stove and electric oven, dishwasher and designated fridge recess, providing functionality for family cooking and gatherings.
Down the hallway are 3 large, carpeted bedrooms, each with built in robes and peaceful garden views. A central bathroom
with separate toilet for convenient family living and laundry are located here also. The master suite is positioned at the front of the home and offers a tranquil retreat with large windows, walk in robe and private ensuite.
Recently painted, new curtains throughout, hot water service new 12 months ago, air conditioning and ducted heating throughout ensures year-round comfort for every room.
Step outside to enjoy a spacious, fully fenced backyard, perfect for pets to play safely, and a double lock up garage for secure parking or extra storage with mezzanine flooring.
With its prime location and thoughtfully designed layout, this home is an ideal choice for those looking to embrace a family-oriented lifestyle in Cockatoo.
This property has it all so don’t miss outcall to arrange a private inspection today.
14Gembrook-LaunchingPlRdGembrook
SpaciousFamilyRetreatwithScenicViews! Seton4070sqminGembrook,Justa shortdistancefromtheheartoftown,thepropertyenjoysa serenesetting.A horseshoedrivewayguidesyoutothetiledentrywaythatwelcomesyouintothe home.Themastersuitefeaturesa walk-throughwardrobe &ensuite.Theloungeroomflowsintothe largerumpusroom,withbuiltinbar& accesstotheoutdoorareawith abrickfireplace.Thekitchen istheheartofthehome,withextensivebenchspace,integratedoven,gascooktop& splitsystem, thoughthehomedoeshaveGDHthroughout.Theformaldiningroom/studyprovidesversatility& opensontothefrontdeck. 3additionalbedroomseachwithBIR,a centralbathroom &separate toilet.Outside, adoublegarage, a10m x6mshedwitha concretefloor &power,a 4.5mx8mshed with aconcretefloor& 7kVAgenerator.
“ROSEDALE”
Setamidstalmost2 acresofsprawlinggardens.This5BRresidence,isa homeofoutstandingquality. Traditionalloungewherea grandfireplaceisthecentrepiece,adjoinsthediningroom.Expansive kitchencraftedinsolidMyrtledoors,Stonebenchtops &Europeanappliances,witha generousWI cornerpantry.Themainbedroomfeaturingdoublemirroredwalk-throughrobethatleadstoan ensuite,inadditionto ahugeWIrobe.Thecentralbathroom,withitsclawfootbath.Informalfamily diningopensontothelivingroomwarmedby aslowcombustionheatersetin alimestonefireplace. TasmanianOakflooring,doubleglazedwindows& reversecycleairconditioner.Thepaved courtyardfeaturesa remote-controlawning.Expansivelawns,outdoorentertainingareas,cascading stream &stonefeaturewalls.GDH,doublegarage& shedarejusta fewofthenumerousfeatures.
CharmingMudbrickHome,WalktoTownLocation. This4BRmudbrickhomeona 2621sqmblockincockatooistheperfectblendofrusticcharmwith moderncomfort,with agated,sealeddrivewayofferingplentyofspacefor acaravanorboat, &walkingdistancetotown.Enterthroughtheundercoververandah,wheretimberflooring &tall ceilingscreate awarm,invitingambiance.Thegenerousloungeroom,witha woodfire &s/sforyearroundcomfort.Thekitchen/diningareabathedinnaturallightfrom alargeskylightisbothfunctional &elegant.Withexposedbrickwalls,softclosecabinetry& stonebenchtops.Themasterbedroom featuringstunningleadlightwindows,WIR& ensuite.Stepouttotheundercoverareawithviewsof thebackgarden.Threeadditionalbedroomsfeatureclerestorywindows.Fullyfencedgarden,witha courtyard,veggiepatchwithwateraccess,gardenshed,& fencedrearpaddock.
AaronDay M 0407365994
BrennanMileto M 0422996451
Bright &Spacious,WalktoEverything! Situatedon aspaciouselevated1015sqmblockona peacefulnothroughroad.Witha full-length frontverandah,thissplit-levelhome,withhighcathedralceilings &largewindows.Thelowerlevel contains 2livingareas,theloungeroomwithwoodfire,s/s,aswellasGDHthroughout, &separate openplandiningroom,kitchen &familyroom.Thekitchenisequippedwithanintegratedoven, largepantry, &D/W.Upa fewsteps,thesecondlevelhas acarpetedhallwayleadingtothemaster bedroomwithdoubleBIR& accesstothetwo-waybathroomwithseparatetoilet.Attheotherend ofthehallway,2 carpetedbedrooms,eachwithBIR. Alaundrywith aseparatetoiletisalsolocated onthislevel.Outside,under-housestorage,gardensoutthefront.Therearyardisprivate,hasa gardenshed &plentyofspaceforkids& petstoplay &3kWsolar.
PUZZLES
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.
ACROSS 1 Frisk (6) 4 Optimistic (6) 10 Earth (Lat) (5)
11 Reality (9)
12 Insurance (9)
13 Proficient (5)
14 English author Graham – (6)
15 Ornamental quartz (4)
19 Pig meat (4)
20 Two-piece bathing suit (6)
24 Japanese comics (5)
25 Impact; crash (9)
27 Globe-trotter (9)
28 Rome’s river (5)
29 Hue (6)
30 Approach (6) DOWN
1 Surroundings (8)
2 Condensed (8)
3 Monty Python member, Graham – (7)
5 Body of troops (7)
6 Cast out from society (6)
7 Japanese car brand (6)
8 West African nation (4)
9 Remaining; residing (7)
16 Sound of wood burning (7)
17 Lamentable (8)
18 Married Italian women (8)
19 High plains (7)
21 Very stupid (7)
22 Aid to vomiting (6)
23 Involve (6)
26 Old stringed instrument (4)
No colloquial or foreign words.
COWLES
7 Great Nieces and
9 Great Great Nieces and Nephews.
Sweet is the sleep that ended the pain, We would not wake you to suffer again.
John William
The family of John William Cowles are saddened to announce his peaceful passing at Bendigo Hospice on December 30, 2024 Aged 76 years.
Loving son of Vera and William (both dec.), sister Marian (dec.). Sadly missed by brother-in-law Ken, nieces Elizabeth and David, Melinda, nephews Rodney and Cheryle, Lyndon (dec.).
Nephews.
important all-round
Kilsyth clinches T-20 semi final spot
By Les Hutchings
Kilsyth Men’s First XI played Mooroolbark in the Third Round of the T-20 Finals (Quarter Finals) at Alan Smith Oval, Pinks Reserve on Tuesday 17 December 2024. Mooroolbark won the toss and elected to bowl. After Kilsyth lost an early wicket on 11 on the first ball of the third over, Mark Unternahrer and Andy Solomons put on 43 for the second wicket, when Solomons, who was batting well, was caught on the boundary by Andy Keane from the bowling of Jarrod McDowell for a quick-fire 27 off 21 balls, in the 8th over. At that stage “Unters” was on 17 not out. Unternahrer and Jack Childs then took the score to 90, when, on the second ball of the 14th over, Childs was stumped by Aden Higgins off the bowling of Bayley Driscoll for 12 (1 four), with Unternahrer on 41 not out. Mooroolbark Captain Jaylan Ross then captured two wickets off consecutive balls to see Kilsyth slump to 5/103 after 15.3 overs. Incoming batsman Pasan Ganegoda, who was recovering from a dislocated finger injury, survived the hattrick and then struck a nice boundary at the end of the over to see Kilsyth 5/107 after 16 overs. A further 31 runs were added in the final 4 overs to see Kilsyth finish on 5/138cc after 20 overs. After opening the batting, Mark Unternahrer played a great hand, carrying his bat through the entire innings and finishing on 63 not out off 49 balls (8 fours and 1 six). He was well supported in the final overs by Pasan Ganegoda, who was 18 not out off 15 balls. Jaylan Ross produced Mooroolbark’s best bowling figures, capturing 2/18 off 4 overs, whilst Bayley Driscoll took 1/9 off 2 overs, Jarrod McDowell 1/24 off 3 overs, and Jack Thomas 1/35 off 4 overs.
After the break, Mooroolbark set about the run chase for a spot in the Semi Final. Kilsyth’s opening bowler Kamal Kuruppu delivered an accurate first over, which only yielded one run. Right arm off spinner, Pasan Ganegoda, then struck with his first ball when Uvindu Wimaladharma took a brilliant catch over his head to have Mooroolbark 1/1. Daniel Ivanovic joined Harry Trenwith and after 4 overs, Mooroolbark were 1/28 and back on track. Then Trenwith, who was particularly damaging with 19 off 14 balls (4 fours), was trapped lbw on the second ball bowled by Mackenzie Scott-Thomas. A 64-run third wicket partnership between Ivanovic and Aden Higgins threatened to take the game away from Kilsyth, as Mooroolbark cruised to 2/92 in the 14th over. It was then that Higgins, who had struck the ball with authority, was well caught at deep wide long-on by Andy Solomons off Mackenzie Scott-Thomas for 37 off 32 balls (5 fours). Soon after, Daniel Ivanovic was brilliantly caught and bowled by Solomons for 35 off 35 balls (1 four). Thus, at the end of the 15th over Mooroolbark were 4/99. At the same stage, Kilsyth were 3/103, so the game was evenly poised. Twenty-two runs came from the next two overs, with the Barkers needing 18 runs off the last 18 balls with six wickets in hand. The 18th over saw Kamal Kuruppu re-introduced into the attack. Five runs came from the first 2 balls, so the equation was now 13 needed off 16 balls with 6 wickets in hand. It was at this point that the game turned. Kamal Kuruppu claimed a wicket (lbw), and then Jack Thomas, who had been batting well, scoring 20 off 14 balls (1 four), was run out following a direct hit from Pasan Ganegoda. Mooroolbark were now 6/126 with 2 overs re-
maining and needed 13 off 12 balls. Andy Solomons bowled the penultimate (19th) over and 4 singles came from the first five balls, before the last ball resulted in a wicket (clean bowled). So Mooroolbark were now 7/130 and needed 9 runs off the last over to win. Kamal Kuruppu had the responsibility of bowling the last over for Kilsyth. The first three balls resulted in singles, so 6 runs were needed off the last 3 balls. A dot, then a single, took the score to 134. A four off the last ball would tie the scores and mean the game would go to a super over. With tension in the air and the crowd watching intently, the last ball resulted in a run out by Karmal Kuruppu at the bowler’s end and Kilsyth had won the match to advance to the Semi Final. The wicket takers for Kilsyth were Mackenzie Scott-Thomas, 2/18 off 4 overs, Andy Solomons 2/25 off 4 overs, Kamal Kuruppu 1/19 off 4 overs, and Pasan Ganegoda 1/35 off 4 overs. Congratulations to both teams on a great game of cricket.
On Saturday 21 December 2024 Kilsyth First XI played Norwood at Alan Smith Oval, Pinks Reserve with Norwood winning the toss and electing to bowl. On the first ball of the fifth over, Kilsyth lost their first wicket with 18 runs on the board. Then a 50-run partnership between Kevin Baldsing and Andy Solomons took the score to 68, when, in the 12th over, Solomons was caught behind, attempting a square cut, for an attractive 24 off 23 balls (3 fours and 1 six). So, Kilsyth
were 2/68 and it soon became 3/69 after 13 overs. Opener Kevin Baldsing played a good innings of 35 off 46 balls (4 fours) before he was bowled by Lewis Miller with the score on 81 in the 16th over. From there, wickets tumbled: 5/92, 6/100, 7/100 and 8/120 after 26 overs. In the meantime, Captain Marcus Adams was holding the innings together and at that stage was on 36 not out. There were still 14 overs remaining, but Kilsyth only had 2 wickets in hand. Kamal Kuruppu and Marcus Adams then worked hard to build the score. They added 40 valuable runs for the ninth wicket, when, in the 37th over, Kuruppu was unfortunately bowled by Miller going for a big hit. In the following over, a close runout at the bowler’s end attempting a two, to keep Adams on strike, was most unfortunate, as Kilsyth were all out for 164 in 37.1 overs. Marcus Adams, who had batted brilliantly, was left stranded on 62 not out off 69 balls (7 fours), with 17 balls not utilised. Norwood’s best bowlers were Andre Eramo, 3/19 off 6 overs, Lewis Miller 3/41 off 7 overs, and Nathan Lester 1/15 off 6.1 overs (3 maidens). Wicket keeper Justin Cook took three good catches.
After the tea break with the score on 5, Norwood lost an early wicket in the second over (bowled by Scott Nicholson). Ben Hastie struck 4 boundaries in his 19 off 28 balls before being well caught in the gully by Pasan Ganegoda off spin bowler Hayden Pleming. So, Norwood were now 2/34 after 10 overs with Kilsyth well in the game. However, a 101-run third wicket partnership between Sam Storey and former Kilsyth champion player Josh Turner put Norwood on the path to victory. It was then that Storey was trapped lbw by Uvindu Wimaladharma for 56 off 93 balls (4 fours), and Norwood were now 3/135 off 30 overs. Kilsyth continued to fight back when Andy Solomons was brought back into the attack and had Turner caught at mid-on by Mackenzie Scott -Thomas for 56 off 61 balls (6 fours and 1 six), with Norwood now 4/149 after 34 overs. It became 5/154 after 36 overs when Solomons struck again after another catch by Mackenzie Scott-Thomas. Then, a caught behind by Marcus Adams off ScottThomas had Norwood 6/158 after 37 overs. In his next over Andy Solomons struck again (lbw), and Norwood were now 7/159 after 38 overs. Unfortunately for Kilsyth, Norwood got the required runs in the next over to finish on 7/166 with 7 balls to spare. Andy Solomons took the bowling honours for Kilsyth with 3/19 off 5 overs. Uvindu Wimaladharma bowled well to take 1/21 off 8 economical overs, Hayden Pleming 1/15 off 4 overs, Mackenzie Scott-Thomas 1/31 off 7.5 overs, and Scott Nicholson 1/25 off 6 overs.
The Second XI played against Norwood at Mullum Mullum Reserve. Norwood won the toss and batted, compiling 6/186cc off their allotted 40 overs. Number 5 batsman Lloyd Jordan top scored with 55 off 57 balls (4 fours and 1 six), whilst opener Jake Sali contributed 44 off 80 balls, and Jordan Osborne was run out for 25 off 50 balls. For Kilsyth, the multiple wicket taker was Daniel Stapelfeldt who captured 2/30 off 8 overs, whilst Daniel Caton took 1/27 off 8 overs . In reply, Kilsyth were all out for 133 off 37.4 overs. The chief run getters were Sanjeev Rana 27 (5 fours), Daniel Caton 25 (4 fours), Captain Matthew Coghlan 23 (3 fours), and Dan Beard 19. For Norwood, Luke Raggett took 4/10 off 7.4 overs, and Lloyd Jordan 2/14 off 4 overs.
Local talent shines in AFLW Draft
More young footballing stars have emerged out of the Outer East, with four local girls picked in the 2024 AFLW Draft held on Monday 16 December 2024.
Olinda Ferny-Creek Junior Grace Belloni, former Kilsyth junior Georgie Brisbane, former Monbulk junior Georgia Knight and Moroolbark junior Grace Baba were all among the talented collection of players set to realise their AFLW dream ahead of next season. Grace Belloni was the highest draft pick of the local crop, with the inside midfielder/forward hybrid taken by the Essendon Bombers with Pick 9 after 120 games, 108 goals and 19 times featuring in the best players for her local club.
The Essendon Football Club said in a statement that Belloni was long touted as one of the standouts in a stacked talent pool this year. At 174cm tall, Belloni transitioned from a key forward prospect to become a full-time midfielder with the Eastern Ranges in the Coates Talent League, averaging 20 disposals per game and establishing herself as one of the most consistent players in her class,” it reads.
Her local club couldn’t hold back their excitement on social media, with a post on the Olinda Ferny Creek Football Netball Club Facebook page to supporters having said that their ‘hearts are so full knowing how hard Grace has worked to get to this exact moment’.
“We’ve been so proud to watch her grow up at this club and flourish into the beautiful athlete and person she has become. She continues to lead and set an example for future generations, and we can’t wait to see the continual growth she’ll achieve at this level,” the post reads.
Former Kilsyth Cougar Georgie Brisbane, who also spent time during her juniors with Blackburn and North Ringwood, is headed west to Fremantle having been taken with Pick 14.
Fremantle’s profile on Brisbane describes her as a forward who has also spent time on the wing and who showcased her talent over two standout years with the Eastern Ranges, including vice captaining and captaining the side in consecutive Coates Talent League Girls Grand Finals.
At Pick 26, the Collingwood Magpies selected ‘crafty and damaging forward’ Georgia Knight.
The Vic Metro and All Australian bagged an impressive 27 goals from 16 games across the Coates league season, finishing runner up in the goal kicking for 2024.
The last new local talent set to grace the AFLW stage is Grace Baba from Moroolbark who was taken by Hawthorn with Pick 28.
A profile by her new club said the ‘athletic defender’ featured for Eastern Ranges in the Coates Talent League across 2023 and 2024, notably starring in the 2023 Grand Final as a bottom-age player and in 2024 she earned a place in the Marsh AFL National Academy.
Olinda Ferny-Creek junior Grace Belloni (left) is presented with a Essendon Bombers Guernsey on stage after being selected with pick 9 during the 2024 AFL Women’s (AFLW) national draft. (AAP Image/James Ross)
Kilsyth Captain Coach Marcus Adams top scored with 62 not out off 69 balls (7 fours) for the First XI against Norwood in Round 9. (Supplied)
Andy Solomons played an
game against Mooroolbark in the T-20 Quarter Final and scored 24 off 23 balls in the Trollope Shield. (Supplied)
Mark Unternahrer played a great hand in the T-20 Quarter Final. After opening the batting, he carried his bat through the entire innings, finishing on 63 not out off 49 balls.
YEAR IN REVIEW
Year of sport milestones
Sailing to handicap win
From the windswept waters of Lillydale Lake to the rough seas of Port Phillip Bay, two sailors helped their crew cross the finish line with an impressive handicapped first place win in the Mornington Cup.
Members of the Lilydale Sailing Club (LSC) Jenny Campbell and David Thomas were part of the four-person team who crewed the Cole 43 ‘Minna’ on 14 January, racing from St Kilda to Mornington as part of the Hobsons Bay Yacht Club annual event.
“We just had a magic day out there. Everything seemed to be going just right. Minna likes a slightly stronger wind and we had a slightly stronger wind,” Ms Campbell said.
Despite the rain and the headwind, Ms Campbell and Mr Thomas, captained by Richard Downey, finished the race in four hours and 40 minutes.
Bradley breaks barriers time and again Often it can be difficult to find activities, social groups, and sports for young people with disabilities, but Bradley McMeeken has stunned everyone with a reminder that anything can be achieved with determination and hard work.
Prior to finding his way to competing in triathlons, Bradley was struggling to lift his arm above his head.
By April 2024, he was holding 78 medals – with his national gold medal being the top of his list. Dual milestones for Brit
A love of footy drove Croydon North MLOC player Brit Grech to reach two major milestones in the game.
On Saturday 20 April the key forward not only played her 200th senior game but kicked her 400th goal, scoring four in the opening round of the women’s season.
“Going into the game, I was so nervous. I needed to kick four goals to get the 400. The first quarter, I ran out and was just too nervous. The ball was flat. I was complaining to the umpire that the ball was flat, like ‘how am I gonna play?’
“And then came the second quarter, I kicked a goal and I’m like, ‘all right, I’m on’. The nerves dropped. I can focus now.”
Men’s laser run record set by Yarra Ranges teenager
A young Yarra Ranges athlete continued to make waves in the laser run but this time not in his own age category, setting a men’s record on the national stage.
Mitchell Pointon, 14, was crowned as the 2024 Australian Men’s Champion at the Laser Run National Championships held in Geelong on 14 April, setting a record for the fastest time by an Australian athlete in the current race format. Mid season draft picks two eastern suburbs rookies
The eastern suburbs were well represented in the AFL’s mid season draft with two former Montrose Football Club players selected for the sport’s top league.
At pick number four, Box Hill Hawks VFL player Max Hall was chosen by St Kilda for his midfield and half forward talent.
18-year-old Iliro Smit became Collingwood’s newest draftee coming in at pick number 10.
The 200cm tall ruckman was selected for his hitouts, physicality and aggression, with the club’s head recruiter Derek Hine commenting he would sit nicely as “a developing ruck” behind current listed player Oscar Steene.
McMahon whistles 500th
Racking up 500 umpired games over nearly three decades, Mooroolbark’s Matthew McMahon started his humble umpiring career as a teenager.
Stepping out onto the field for the 500th time donning the umpires green on Saturday 15 June, it was made even more special for McMahon as his daughter, 15 and son stepped out with him as both a field and goal umpire respectively.
“I get paid to watch the greatest game on earth, AFL football, from the middle of the ground,” he said.
Athletes head to the Olympics
Three athletes made their debut at the 2024 Olympic Games, with Warrandyte’s Abbey Caldwell taking on the 800m race, Mooroolbark’s Tayleb Willis looking to claim a podium in the 110m hurdles and Tim Anderson from Eltham taking on the rapids in the canoe slalom.
Boxer Harry Garside and cyclist Kelland O’Brien made a return to donning the green and gold in their second appearance after debuting in 2020 (2021).
Unfortunately for Garside, the 27-year-old fell to Richard Kovacs by unanimous decision in their round of 16 clash.
Making it through to the repechage round, Tayleb Willis, was already living out his Olympic dream, even if he didn’t make it further.
“He’s just always said ‘mum, I will get to the Olympics one day’, and the fact he’s done it at the age of 21, it’s just remarkable,” his mum Christine told Star Mail.
“He lives, breathes and sleeps hurdles. That’s
just all his life. He won’t do anything else.” Kelland strikes Olympic gold In the space of 24 hours, Lilydale local Kelland O’Brien became both a world record holder and a gold medallist at the Paris Olympic Games.
As a member of Australia’s Men’s Team Pursuit, O’Brien, a decorated national cyclist who went to Lilydale High School and started his career at Lilydale BMX Club, helped bring the team closer to gold on Wednesday 7 August.
O’Brien, alongside his teammates Sam Welsford, Conor Leahy and Oliver Bleddyn, completed the pursuit race in an incredible three minutes and 42 seconds to claim gold over arch-rivals Great Britain.
O’Brien said the team had a plan and stuck to it, not putting too much pressure on themselves after the record ride.
“It was a heated battle as it always is, hats off to those guys they rode an amazing race, and we just stuck to our process and nailed it,” he said.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the boys and Tim (coach Tim Decker) for getting it done, we’ve said all along it’s going to be won on day three and it was.”
Croquet 130 and croquet titles
It was a big year for the Lilydale Croquet Club, marking the 130 year anniversary of the club’s establishment, as well as bringing home some spring season titles.
The October milestone celebrated the second oldest club in Victoria, with Lilydale setting up at Melba Park in 1894 and retaining the location ever since.
In the present day competition, the Handicap team finished in first place ably led by their captain Murray Howlett and did not lose a game all season.
The Level Play division 2 team also finished in
first place, with Alan Jones captaining the team to victory.
Uhr-Henry becomes a Hawk
A Chirnside Parkian is the newest Hawthorn Football Club rookie recruit, seeing him switch codes to potentially play at the professional level. Jaime Uhr-Henry, 21, is known for his skill on the basketball court playing for both the Bulleen Boomers and the Dandenong Rangers in NBL One.
But the 209cm tall Uhr-Henry has been scouted by the Hawks as a potential ruck in a category B rookie pick up for the 2025 season.
“Standing at 209cm, Jaime clearly has some exciting physical traits, along with his professional basketball background we believe his progression will be one to watch,” Hawthorn national recruiting and list manager Mark McKenzie said.
Charlotte’s nationals tilt
Charlotte May, a Grade 6 student from Mount Evelyn, loves most sports but it was the discovery of shot put that led her to compete at nationals among some of the best athletes in her age group. And she did all of this while pushing through an extremely rare condition called Juvenile Neutrophilic Eccrine Hidradenitis (JNEH), of which she is the only known case in Australia, something that brings on sharp pain in her feet and saw her at one stage using a wheelchair.
But the 11-year-old returned from the School Sport Australia competition, held in Sydney from 28 to 30 November, with a finishing position of eighth.
“It was really good because I got to have competition not just in Victoria, which I’ve had a lot, but more like the whole of Australia, which was really good because then I got to meet others,” Charlotte said.
Australian hurdler Tayleb Willis (right) competes in the Men’s 110m Hurdles Round 1 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, as part of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games. (AAP Image/Joel Carrett)
Matthew McMahon umpired his 500th football game with his daughter and son also taking to the field with him. (Supplied)
Treasurer Stuart Brown with the historic photo of the Lilydale Croquet Club from 1899. (Stewart Chambers: 422712)
Charlotte May, 11, competed at nationals for Victoria in shot put where she finished eighth. (Stewart Chambers: 447954)
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