Uncover Magazine - Volume Five by uncovervic

Leave the City B ehind

Conti nu ou s Voi ce s

The Quiet Achiever

Explor i ng the Py rene e s ca mpground s

A spa ce to conne ct a nd tel l t hei r stori e s

G ett i ng to k now t he G ra mpi a ns w i ne reg i on

V/ FIVE - 2021 - FREE

T H E B E S T O F B A L L A R AT A N D W E S T E R N V I C T O R I A

Contact Uncover Editorial: lucy@uncovermagazine.com.au Advertising: ads@uncovermagazine.com.au 0447 820 727

Editorial Team Eliesha Rae Della Vreeland Ali Webb Bianca Flint Shona Hendley Liana Skewes Bianca Slade Nikkole Stanton Belinda Price

Photographers Tara Moore Photography Melissa - Her Golden Point Liana Skewes

Editing Partner Joana Stevens Premier Strategy

Design/Publishing

From the Editor Hello again readers! Welcome to the latest Uncover! Fun fact, the editor’s letter is always the absolute

Roar Publishing www.roarpublishing.com.au lucy@roarpublishing.com.au

last job on my list before the magazine goes to print. By the time I get here I’ve read

Printer

HARD!

Sovereign Press

It also doesn’t help that I have Moana playing at full volume behind me, two dogs

Uncover Magazine is a venture of ROAR Publishing Pty Ltd. The Uncover Magazine team invites your feedback and contribution.

Disclaimer Uncover Magazine takes all care but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Uncover Magazine holds copyright to all content unless otherwise stated. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the information in this publication, the publishers accept no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or resultant consequences including any loss or damage arising from reliance on information in this publication. The views expressed are not necessarily endorsed by the editor or publisher.

and re-read the thousands of words that make up the issue and, needless to say, I’m a smidge exhausted, and coming up with something profound to say can be

and a cat playing chasey because it’s raining outside and two extremely boisterous girls re-enacting what can only be described as WW3. Oh, and one more thing… I have number three on the way. Call me crazy, but this madhouse is about to welcome another addition!

And in the spirit of openness and honesty that you will have come to expect around here - it has been a tough first trimester. I’ve had some health complications, but with an amazing family and a fantastic team of local doctors on my side, I am

stoked that everything is now going as smoothly as any pregnancy can, AND the cherry on top? I am so proud to have pulled a magazine together at all!

I’m so excited to be bringing you another issue filled with beautiful words and

stunning photography - from our cover story, where writer and photographer

Liana Skewes explores the beauty of the Pyrenees national park in the way only she can - camping in the back of her yellow van. Be ready to uncover the beauty of Mt Buangor.

To a poignant story of survival, as writer Della Vreeland sits down with abuse

survivor and artist Rebecca Russell in her first interview about her past and the

incredible work she is doing with the Continuous Voices project with City of Ballarat. And of course, we wouldn’t be Uncover without a healthy dose of good food

and wine. Eliesha Rae takes you on a journey to the thoroughly underexplored

Grampians wine region. Get ready to discover Mount Langi Ghiran, Best’s Great Western and the Seppelt Cellar Door.

Be sure to follow us on social media! And tag your pictures with #uncovervic

facebook.com/uncovervic Instagram: @uncovervic

So pour yourself a glass of wine for me (four and a half months to go and counting!!), sit back and enjoy.

Lucy

Lucy Gilbert Managing Editor

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Contents

10 14 18 22 26 30 34 38 56 72 78 82 92

LEAVING THE CITY BEHIND Exploring the Pyrenees

CONTINUOUS VOICES A creative endevour

A QUIET ACHIEVER

The Grampians wine region

A HEPBURN ESCAPE Sweet and savory

LONGMEADOW ESTATE

A reason to explore Glenelg

BALLARAT HERITAGE FESTIVAL A month long exploration

ROAD TRIPPIN'

Exploring the regions

ARADALE

A town within a town

WEDDINGS

Two love stories

THE ECO STYLE FILES

The wonders of the op shop

RENT A VINE

All about workshop two

JORDYN SMITH

Not just a crazy cat lady

PRIDE AND PREDJUDICE

A podcast to be proud of

U N C OV E R T H E B E S T O F B A L L A R AT A N D W E S T E R N V I C TO R I A

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Leaving the City Behind Words and pictures by Liana Skewes.

The drive to Bailes campground is an easy few minutes outside Beaufort. We stop at the IGA in town to pick up supplies because we arrived too late on our first day to pick up anything from a shop. We forgot about the limited opening hours that are part and parcel of country life. One of those reasons that it feels like life literally slows down when you leave the city behind.

Stocked up on tea and fruit we make the drive to the Bailes turn off. It’s a hard right turn off the highway and as we approach, we are already glad we chose this spot.

The road turns to dirt, well-kept for most of it, heavily

corrugated in a few small stretches. There’s a mob of roos on

the side of the road. They’re laying down in the late afternoon sun, dotted through someone’s yard like jagged tree stumps. The trees are tall. The sort of tall that makes you want to take a deep breath and feel the full reaches of your lungs. Behind them, mountains, their exposed rock faces bright orange in

the glow of the sunset. This is where the campground rests, flanked by mountains and ringed by tall gums.

We chose Bailes campsite because there are communal fire

pits as well as toilet facilities. You do need to book online. This isn’t to save a space but is more about the parks authority

seeing how popular the campground is, making sure there is enough toilet paper in the facilities and doing general

maintenance. Comforts aside, it’s a beautiful place. There

are two other campgrounds to choose from. Middle Creek is big and social with lots of cleared space for caravans

and in some spots you can pull your camper right up to the fire. Ferntree site is up the hill, with some levelling to allow

camping 200m from the falls. Bailes looks beautiful as we pull up.

We smell the forest as we get out of the van. Gums. Ferns. Damp bark. Earth. Campfire. There’s a small group also

camping there, but aside from them, it’s just bush. If you bring your own firewood and the conditions are right, you can have your own campfire. There’s some distinct square poo on

the ground near the van and I excitedly realise that means wombats. We decide to explore and check out the trails so we know where we will walk tomorrow. >

"The cockatoos wake us in the morning. There’s some sort of cockatoo conference and they’re debating something passionately." The bracken is as tall as I am. We can hear something in

When we picked up our supplies the day before, we

and a kangaroo jumps out and hops ahead on the trail.

seem to have an all-day breakfast ethos, so we decide

them and sure enough, a few more steps along the path We follow it for fifty meters or so. Each time we get close it lazily hops a little further ahead. Eventually, it meets a friend, and they jump off through the green and out of sight.

The cockatoos wake us in the morning. There’s some sort

of cockatoo conference and they’re debating something

to finish the trip with a visit to Skinny Sisters, which is on the left if you’re driving into Beaufort from Ballarat or

Melbourne. The breakfasts are delicious, and the staff are full of humour. Had we stayed for longer I would

have tried out their waffles as well one of the savoury breakfasts.

passionately. I look out the van windows hoping to see

That being said, we did manage to fit in croissants with

and sit to enjoy the sounds of the bush, counting how

comes out and it is warmed to a perfect temperature

animals nearby but no luck. We make a cup of tea

many different birds we can hear. I get to six before the cockatoos drown them out again.

jam as well as our eggs. I touch the croissant when it that makes me smile in surprise. And it’s delicious to boot.

While making tea for breakfast, we spot a wallaby and

The waiter tells us we’re having ‘breakfast dessert’. She

Between our camping party we have phones on both

Bailes Camping Area, Middle Creek Rd, Buangor (Mount

means the slow down and silence of the campground

active and enjoy one of the many walks or just rest and

joey only ten meters from the van.

Telstra and Optus but neither of us have reception. This is blissfully complete, so do your research and check weather and fire forecasts before you visit. We walk

to the nearby sign which gives us an indication of the

walking tracks. We decide to walk to the falls which is an excellent choice.

The area also has overnight hikes, and we see many

hikers as we drive up to the lookout point. While that area of the mountain is good for hiking, if you’re after a nice

destination to hike to, the falls are better than the lookout at the top of the mountain. When we visited, the falls were running gently with the low water.

spotted a tonne of cafes and bakeries in town which

isn’t wrong.

Buangor State Park) is a great base from which to get relax at camp, re-energising yourself as you immerse yourself in nature amongst resident wildlife, watching

crimson rosellas darting between trees or wedge tailed eagles soaring overhead.

For more information on campgrounds or things to do in the Pyrenees, please visit www.visitpyrenees.com.au

Continuous Voices Words by Della Vreeland. Picture by Tara Moore Photography.

“I’m still protecting him.” This sentiment is not uncommon amongst survivors of sexual abuse. For Rebecca Russell, it is a feeling that remains everpotent decades after she was first abused.

“Why am I still protecting him or that story? I don’t need to

anymore. We’ve held these stories to ourselves for so long.” As we sit in the corner of a quaint Clunes café, Rebecca shares some of her most personal thoughts, her most

traumatic memories, the intensity of her childhood. She

delicately expresses that this is the first time she has ever spoken publicly about her abuse. She is exposed.

The reason incidents of sexual abuse are going unnoticed is because those who experience it are afraid of how we, the ‘others’, might feel or behave when we find out about it.

But as Rebecca says, the conversation needs to happen. The awareness needs to be raised.

“It’s not an easy topic, but that’s no reason not to confront it,” Rebecca affirms. “We need people to sit with the discomfort and hear this.”

Rebecca was first abused by her paternal grandfather as a young child. For many years, she suppressed the memories that came alongside those most darksome moments, and to this day remains unable to clearly put the experience to words.

“I was really young when I was first abused. It wasn’t until I had my son that the extent of it really became apparent to me,” she recalls.

“I have flashbacks to when I was holding my baby and my son was crying and I perhaps didn’t comfort him in a way because I needed to separate from reality.

“Luckily, I have an incredible partner, so I wasn’t alone, but it kind of shocked me because I realised how tiny I was.

“Things would happen to me that I didn’t understand but I

think when I was a bit older, I was able to start piecing things together. Years of therapy have allowed me to unlock what was suppressed.”

A multi-disciplinary artist based in Clunes; Rebecca believes there are many ways to eliminate the taboo that comes alongside sexual abuse. In her opinion, one of the most powerful methods is through art.

She and her partner Ken Evans are the co-directors of

RUSSELL:EVANS – a company specialising in the creation and

curation of visual theatre that sets out to uplift, challenge and inspire.

“I always wanted to do theatre but had that external pressure of being sensible about my career,” Rebecca recalls. “After

being a teacher for 10 years, I retrained in theatre and found my people straight away.

“I discovered that directing and devising work was my real passion.”

While RUSSELL:EVANS was initially theatre-based, Rebecca says the work has evolved through the years, particularly during the last 12 months.

“Last year was a really interesting time to question everything. Why art? Why do we do this?” she says. “I’m really passionate about the role and power of art, so it was a deep time for contemplation and reflection.

“I didn’t think it was a creative time for me though because I felt very impacted in a strange way. I couldn’t describe why. We had a house, lots of land, we were safe. But I read that

during the pandemic, those people with childhood trauma really struggled because there was a lack of control and a lack of certainty.”

And so, Rebecca started to draw. She rediscovered certain

images from her childhood and began to use this art form to put her inner experience to paper. >

By Rebecca Russell

“I started to draw, which is something I’ve done a lot as a way

As well as providing an opportunity for survivors to connect,

a pen and journal and just draw,” she says.

amongst the entire population.

of dealing with what’s going on in my head. I will often pick up “I do a recurring simple drawing of a young girl. I have been

drawing her for years and years. She is inspired by a picture I found that I’d drawn when I was a young kid.”

“That was one way I was able to get what was going on in my body, out.”

Rebecca is one of the workshop facilitators taking part in the City of Ballarat’s Continuous Voices.

An innovative creative endeavour with a profound purpose, the project gives survivors of sexual abuse a space to connect, express themselves, and tell their stories.

Through a series of artistic mediums including drawing,

singing, sculpting, storytelling and photography, participants

will be able to share their experiences which will then inform a

permanent memorial in Ballarat – providing an ongoing voice to all survivors.

“What it creates is strength,” Rebecca says. “When you’re an individual voice, you doubt yourself and

people question you. But when you connect with people you

realise there are things that you have in common through this experience.

“There is a strength in voice and it is so important. For people

with a history of family sexual abuse, we often haven’t had the opportunity to connect and have our voices heard.”

Rebecca’s workshop, titled Drawing Connections, explores

the possible commonalities shared as survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

“Every person’s story is unique, but our bodies have a limited response to trauma,” she says.

“By focusing on those we can create a stronger sense of connection, regardless of our stories.”

Rebecca says she hopes the project will raise awareness

“We need to be louder in order to communicate with a nonsurvivor audience.

“That’s the other thing about art that I love. For us, it’s about creating things of great beauty, awe, and wonder and

opening people up to hear things they hadn’t thought about before.

“Continuous Voices is a project that in some ways is like

cracking open and shining light on difficult conversations

and bringing together this splintered community. It’s a first.

Certainly, in Victoria if not in Australia and one of few projects like it in the world.”

While Rebecca’s journey towards healing is likely to be

indefinite (she is participating in one of the Continuous Voices workshops herself), it hasn’t stopped this pillar of strength,

wonder and resilience from doing all she can to pave a better world.

“How do you break a cycle?” she asks. “I feel I have very strong matriarchs in my family, and each generation has made it a little better for their kids.

“But I feel like I’m the one who has the right education, the

knowledge, and the voice. In a way, the previous women in my family just didn’t.

“They were strong women but weren’t born at the right time. I’m a white woman. I have privilege because I’m white and

middle class. I want to do this work in an attempt to stop that

cycle, not just within my family. I want to help stop the cycle of sexual abuse everywhere.”

Find more information about the Continuous Voices project at www.creativeballarat.com.au/continuousvoices

There’s a secret on the edge of Victoria.

A spot you don’t find by accident, but with a purpose – a desire to ditch the urban rush and find refuge in nothing.

No noise, no queues, no crowds. No overdeveloped coastlines or underwhelming tourist traps.

Just breathing room. Space to explore the region’s diverse natural wonders, from sweeping beaches to untouched wilderness.

This winter, go out of your way to discover Glenelg.

You have nothing to lose.

www.visit.glenelg.vic.gov.au

SWEET NOTHING. 38°22’10.548”S, 141°24’27.222”E 17

Pictures of Mount Langi Ghiran

The Quiet Achiever Words and pictures over page by Eliesha Rae.

The Grampians claim to fame is its impressive natural scenery, which honestly, should be enough of a draw in itself to get me to drag my arse three hours west of Melbourne. I love a good hike, a mountainous backdrop makes all things better, and who doesn’t want to just breathe some fresh mountain air? But add in the promise of some world class vinos… and I’m there before you can learn how to pronounce Mount Langi Ghiran.

The Grampians wine region is a quiet achiever. Its

reputation for quality product has been growing steadily over the past few years and is becoming increasingly hard to ignore.

And ignore it we shall not! I should say up front that a

single Sunday afternoon is nowhere near enough time to properly explore this region.

After making the journey west with a new puppy on board, we speed through Beaufort at about 1pm,

ignoring tempting looking signs for country garage sales and op shops that are a crime to leave unexplored. But

we are already running late for our first appointment, at Mount Langi Ghiran Vineyard and wines to drink trumps op shops to shop (when the choice is one or the other, obviously “both” would be a much better option).

Pulling up the driveway to Mt Langi, it’s already obvious that we’re going to be experiencing a quality product, vines are netted as far as the eye can see, and

netting to stop birds is a big expense, especially on a 60-hectare vineyard, it smacks of perfectionism.

The Mt Langi cellar door is nestled in the shadow of

Mt Langi Ghiran herself, the “Sleeping Woman”, who watches over us with zero judgement as we knock

back four of MLG’s best drops paired with a thoughtfully composed cheese and charcuterie plate and a floor to ceiling view over the vines themselves.

Alas, the weather gods were not smiling down on us on this particular trip, and if they had been we may have taken the opportunity to take a couple of the cellar door’s bikes for a spin around the extremely scenic

vineyard or availed ourselves of the picnic facilities. >

Unfortunately for us, the rain did not let up all afternoon.

Seppelt’s original Mt Ida vineyard was initially planted by

when the weather is a little less… thunder cloudy.

ceiling) as a tax dodge and has come a long way since its

Fortunately for us, we’ve already sworn a blood oath to return We leave Mt Langi our bellies a little fuller, our wallets a little lighter and our wine collection a little more extensive than

when we arrived. If this is what the Grampians has to offer as far as wine touring, I am already sold.

Next stop, Best’s. About half an hour closer to Hall’s Gap,

James Halliday’s “Best Value Winery of 2020” and one of the oldest continuously family-owned and operated wineries in

Australia, established in 1868. Here you can taste wine made from the gnarly vines that have stood in the soil of their

“Nursery Block” for 150 years. There are 38 different varieties of grapes within this block, eight of which have yet to be identified, despite the CSIRO’s best efforts.

It would be the easiest thing in the world to spend a whole

day here. Chatting to Nicole (wife of Ben, 5th generation wine wrangler), who dropped by at ten o’clock that morning to

drop something off and is still run off her feet when we arrive at nearly 4pm. They’ve had over a hundred visitors through today and when an unexpected busload pulls up fifteen

minutes before quitting time, it’s no trouble for these legends. It’s Nicole’s laundry day and she claims she feels like she’s wearing pyjamas as she whisks us through underground

cellars, hundred-year-old barrels (that exploded at some

point due to a pump malfunction and sent a river of maple syrup-esque port flowing down through the cellar) and a

private tasting room in an old wine tank lined with beeswax (!!!). Pyjamas or not, the feeling at Best’s is familiar, family

oriented, welcoming and undoubtably will have us visiting again (and again, and again).

As much as we wish we could hang around chatting with

Nicole all evening, we pinkie swear to let her know when we’re coming back and shoot through to our last stop of the day.

Just squeaking in under the wire we make it to Seppelt (which is only five minutes from Best’s) with 20 minutes to taste our way through their extensive list.

Leonard French (famous for designing the NGV’s stained glass humble beginnings. Clearly build to withstand the hordes of wine tourists looking for their favourite Sparkling Shiraz (fun fact – Sparkling Shiraz was invented at Seppelt in around

1893), the Seppelt cellar door offers tours of their underground cellars as well.

There are dozens of historic and boutique wineries scattered across the undulating Grampians and Henty regions. From the sustainable organic vineyard practices and traditional

winemaking at Clayfield Wines, to the wine, craft beer, cider

AND cheese at Pomonal, there is sure to be a winery for every variety of wine lover. A Sunday afternoon is hardly enough

to experience everything these spectacular regions have to offer.

Lucky we only live a few short hours’ drive away. Details: Mt Langi Ghiran’s Premium Wine Tasting with cheese and charcuterie costs $35pp

Best’s Private Tastings in the converted wine tank start at $35/ head and can select back vintage wines, birth years, etc (and food!) to cater to any budget.

Seppelt’s underground tours cost $15pp and run on the hour from 11am-3pm daily. Wineries Visited Mount Langi Ghiran Vineyard 80 Vine Road, Bayindeen VIC Best’s Great Western

111 Bests Road, Great Western VIC Seppelt Cellar Door

36 Cemetery Road, Great Western VIC For more information on the Grampians Wine Region, please www.visitgrampians.com.au

The Glut Farm

A Hepburn Escape Words by Della Vreeland. Pictures supplied.

Real. That is how Allison Jones describes regional Victoria. “I love that it is very real. The community is close and looks out for those who need it, yet you also get to have a lot of space and privacy that you don’t always get in the city.”

For Allison, the Hepburn region, and Daylesford in particular, is

no exception when it comes to embodying a community vibe. “I’ve been connected to Daylesford for 14 years and I fall in love with it every time I am there,” Allison says.

“The feeling when you emerge from the forest into the pretty

little town, with its hilltop convent and churches, is so relaxing and magical.

“It makes for a perfect escape from the city - leaving your worries behind you.”

Known country wide as the spa centre of Australia, Daylesford has indeed made a name for itself as an idyllic spot to escape to, particularly amongst Melburnians.

Its location along the Melbourne-Hepburn corridor makes it especially convenient for those city slickers searching for a quick road trip down the way.

And while the Hepburn region has well and truly had its

name on the map for many years, it seems there is always

something new and exciting to uncover during one’s getaway. A place to stay Allison and her husband founded the acclaimed Sugar Republic in 2018.

A lover of travel and quirky museums, Allison says the idea

came to her when she thought about creating an experience dedicated to another love of hers – snacks and lollies.

“When I saw an ad for the lease of the old MacRobertson’s chocolate factory in Fitzroy, my ideas came together and

I brought in a group of creative friends and local artists to make the first Sugar Republic,” she recalls.

“It really took off in Melbourne, and I think this is because

Melburnians have a love of new and different experiences and will really get behind them.”

Last year, Allison took inspiration from Sugar Republic to

restore a charming miner’s cottage into a candy-laden, cookie-craving, neon-sporting haven.

According to Allison, the cottage boasted a well-established garden and solid foundation, but was quite dated and in need of some extra TLC.

Though it took a couple of years to get the space to where it needed to be, Allison says she is really chuffed with the outcome.

“We started to turn it into the Sweet Retreat in early 2020, and

the whole Sugar Republic team has been involved in making it a really unique space.”

And unique it definitely is. As soon as you enter the sweet

abode, you are greeted by a rainbow staircase and dozens of multicoloured Care Bears – immediately bestowing feelings of happiness and calm.

Each of the home’s rooms has its own theme, and the entire house pays tribute to the wonder and glee associated with Australian milk bars.

A giant Paddle Pop stands loud and proud in the kitchen, large Iced VoVos adorn the mantle in the Tea and Biscuits room, a

ball pit punctuates the Peach Room, and neon artworks bring life and light to every nook. >

Combine all this with soft furnishings from Kip & Co, a bunch

“The dining experience we’re providing is all about great food,

a dining room wall covered in retro signage, and you have an

to be for all occasions, with white tablecloths on tables in the

of hand-picked vintage pieces, a delightful pink kitchen, and accommodation space defined by nostalgia, quirky design and whimsicality.

window for special anniversaries, more casual spots at the marble bar, and candle-lit tables in cosy corners.”

“I wanted to create a space that takes people away from their

With Head Chef Giovanni Da Rin Betta leading the kitchen,

special,” Allison says.

Italian cuisine. And with a special chef’s selection menu,

every day and makes an escape to the country even more

“The overall feeling is of being a child again, letting go of your worries and allowing time to pass slowly.” A place to dine “It was a whirlwind time,” Samantha Mackley recalls when she remembers the opening of her latest culinary offering Beppe. “We had spent several months renovating the building,

painting, installing a wood-fired oven, reconfiguring the

kitchen, and then, all of a sudden, when it came time for

our soft-launch, there was all this chatter of COVID being in Australia.

“We had been working towards opening for months and all of a sudden we’d had this uncertainty thrown at us. After a

couple of days the state was swiftly put into lockdown so we set up our takeaway and delivery offering.”

Samantha and her partner Michael Chapman are also the

Samantha says the menu is highly influenced by northern offering seven mouth-watering dishes, Beppe really is a place to entice the senses.

“Our energy is put into being the best restaurant we can be.

What we do is a reflection of who we are and the experience we want to provide for our guests.” A place to while the day away Though new offerings are always emerging in Daylesford

for the discerning traveller, there’s no denying the tried and tested are just as alluring.

Only recently, a few girlfriends and I visited Hepburn

Bathhouse and Spa in order to take a much-needed break from the stresses and strains of everyday (mothering) life! Attracting visitors from near and far for decades, the

Bathhouse remains one of the area’s star attractions, and for good reason.

co-owners of Daylesford’s beloved Cliffy’s Emporium which

Patrons enjoy a range of mineral wellness experiences,

Condon in 2018.

Mineral Springs Reserve, as well as the luxurious multi-faceted

they took over with their friends Liam Thornycroft and Daniel Located in a quirky, historic shopfront in Daylesford, the

cafe is one of the town’s most popular haunts, known for its showcase of local fare and pantry products.

“You hear a lot about businesses that fail when business

partners don’t get along, families broken up and friendships ruined,” Samantha says.

“Fortunately for us, we get along really well and have a great appreciation of each other’s working style and a sound

understanding of what we want the business to be. In fact, we had so much trust in each other that we took on our second venture, Beppe!”

Officially opening in March last year, but with a few COVID

interruptions along the way, Beppe is an Italian eatery with a

focus on handmade pasta and Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizza.

“We felt the town was missing an Italian restaurant that

offered the kind of Italian food we liked to eat,” Samantha says.

friendly service and a buzzing atmosphere. Beppe is set up

including the main bathing pool overlooking the banks of the Sanctuary (the Magnesium Salt Pool and Outdoor Creekside Bath were among our faves).

The Bathhouse’s private pure mineral water baths are also a must-do. Dubbed as liquid gold, these waters are drawn

direct from the source and deliver a therapeutic effect on the whole body.

The curative waters are complemented by added elements including Celtic sea, Himalayan and Epsom mineral salts, making for an optimal spa experience!

Upon leaving the Bathhouse, one of my friend’s daughters

remarked that she had never seen her mother look so relaxed. “You need to do that more often, Mum.” To that, we will happily oblige.

*The writer was a guest at Sweet Retreat and Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa.

Longmeadow Estate Words by Liana Skewes. Pictures by Marnie Hawson.

Just another reason to pack up and head into the Glenelg Shire. Longmeadow is the perfect place to curl up in front of the fire, or head out on those ever loved winter walks along the private beach.

Longmeadow Estate is a stunning 10-acre property between

Portland and Port Fairy. A place to hide away from the world, wander sand dunes or the private beach or stroll to the lighthouse. Booked regularly for weddings or by families looking to reconnect, the

homestead hosts up to fourteen people in a magical private setting. Sophie, who got married at the estate herself, tells up about their family property...

So what is the story behind the property? Longmeadow was originally part of a larger property and

neighbouring farm, ‘Springfield’. This was subdivided and sold

roughly 20 years ago. The original cottage was built in 1920. Our

Dad purchased the property in 2016. Since then, we have hosted a

number of family events at the property, and it is regularly booked out for short stays and weddings.

Do you have a favourite season to share the property in? The garden is absolutely incredible in November. This is our most

popular time for weddings as the roses are just outstanding. Winter is also incredible as you can curl up next to the open fires after a quiet stroll along our private beach.

Whales migrate here from May to October. You can try your hand

at spotting them from the sand dunes during this time. We have a bench seat and binoculars set up in the dunes especially for it! >

What sort of beautiful moments have you witnessed on the estate?

I was married here in 2018 which was incredibly special and definitely takes the cake for me. We have had

nothing but incredible feedback from all the couples who have married here. There is definitely magic in the air at Longmeadow.

The property is also very popular with families wanting

to escape the hustle and bustle and reconnect. We have received some heart-warming stories and feedback

The beach! It stretches for miles and miles. You will very rarely see anyone else down there, it’s pretty incredible. What local spots in Port Fairy or Portland are guests most excited to check out?

Bridgewater is an unspoilt little beach town about a thirty minute drive from Longmeadow. You can walk along the cliffs and through the petrified forest, there are also seal tours and a cafe on the beach for lunch!

throughout the years, from groups that have experienced

In Port Fairy, Sophie recommends Bank St & Co for

opportunity to take time out together and enjoy life’s

homewares, Mason & Francis for clothes shopping,

real hardships. Longmeadow has given them the

brunch, The Oak & Anchor Hotel, Beleka for beautiful

simple pleasures.

Golden Store for clothing, homewares and accessories,

What are some favourite wedding spots for couples that use the property?

The outdoor area leading off the formal living and dining room is very popular for ceremonies. It’s a more intimate

space with the beautiful white French doors and reading room as a backdrop.

The large expanse of lawn at the front of the property is perfect for the reception and can easily fit a large marquee for sit down meals.

The beach and dunes are perfect for photos and we

have even hosted an intimate wedding ceremony up there, overlooking the shipwreck coast.

What favourite walks do guests capitalise on?

and finally Conlan’s Wine Bar which has beautiful food and a great selection of wines.

Her list for Portland, which is only 15 minutes away

includes Little Decorum where they shop regularly for

Longmeadow, Bedazzled for beautiful bedding and soft

furnishings, Lido Larder for coffee and lunch and also The Bake House which she describes as an amazing bakery that you have to get to early or risk missing out.

How far in advance should people consider booking? I recommend booking as soon as you can. This year is

already heavily booked and 2022 is filling up fast. If you find availability online, take it!

Bold Art, Artisan Crafts and Big Beards Pictures supplied.

Bold art, artisan crafts and big beards – the Ballarat Heritage Festival is back in 2021, better than ever, running from May 7 to 30. Originally a single-weekend affair, this year the festival is running for more than three weeks for the first time in the event’s history.

After the event was held online in 2020, this year’s Heritage Festival is set to be not only a celebration of the city’s rich history but a

chance for people to reconnect and celebrate being able to come together and experience what Ballarat is all about.

The beautiful buildings set the scene for what the festival has in

store. But don’t expect traditional exhibitions that match the age of the architecture, this festival is all about mixing old and new,

retro vibes paired with innovative thinking, celebrating country and culture, a city that’s proud and historic while evolving to meet the needs of its community.

Expect thought-provoking art, hands-on experiences, exciting

installations and the ever-popular beard & stache competition! From beer school and instagrammable public art installations to

craft demonstrations and progressive lunches, this year’s extended 24-day program sees the return of festival favourites as well as a series of new COVID-safe activations to discover.

Enjoy a self-guided augmented reality walk at your own pace and take a glimpse of Ballarat through the eyes of those gone before. Follow the trail with your phone in hand to uncover scenes from Ballarat’s past.

While you’re in town, experience the thriving foodie scene, don’t

forget to grab a coffee, a cocktail and a meal at one of the many amazing establishments, many of those housed in some of the

most beautiful heritage buildings that adorn the Ballarat streets. As part of the festival, there will be a number of special foodie events, including beer school, high tea and a picnic in a cemetery. >

Our six must-see events “We’ve lived through an incredibly difficult time in our recent

history, so I invite you to look back on our shared past to learn and experience the lessons of yesteryear,” City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Daniel Moloney said.

“We know Ballarat is known for its rich heritage, but we are

inviting people to delve a bit deeper and find out more about what makes our city special.

“Stories of our history will be told through new immersive

technologies, hands-on experiences, demonstrations and community programs.

“By looking to our heritage, we can discover our unique strength and resilience.

“I encourage you all to dust off your tweed, oil up your retro bikes, sign up for the very entertaining Beard & Stache

Competition or take a ride on a heritage steam locomotive. “Embrace past innovations and learn more about how we can take lessons from the past to better our collective future.”

For more information and a full list of events, see page 62 or visit www.ballaratheritagefestival.com.au

Ballarat Tweed Ride: Saturday 8 May Ride through Ballarat’s historic and picturesque autumn

streets in high style. This is a casual event of fashion, cycling

and fun. Riders dress in vintage and heritage-inspired outfits wearing tweeds, velvets, capes and kilts and ride through Ballarat’s beautiful streets.

All bikes are welcome, however, the best vintage, replica,

interesting and stylish bikes will be invited to enter the Tweed Fashions on the Field at the Ballarat Mining Exchange. Beard & Stache Competition: Saturday 29 May The Ballarat Beard & Stache Competition is an annual event celebrating all forms of facial hair.

With more than $1000 in prizes the Beard & Stache

Competition is one not to be missed by those with a face full

of hair or those who are keen to do something a little different. As well as the men’s facial hair categories, there will be a Just

for Fun category for gentlemen, ladies and children who want to get creative.

Hosted at Hop Temple, this event promises good food, good beer and good beards.

Craft Lab & Design Expo: 15, 16, 22, 23 May

Self-Guided Digital Heritage Tours: every day

An initiative of the UNESCO Creative City of Craft & Folk Arts

Explore Ballarat’s diverse historical landmarks and experience

who will trace their heritage through the language of their

are 10 locations to visit, and just by scanning a QR code, you

program, this expo will showcase highly skilled practitioners, crafts.

This two-weekend event will represent up to 18 different

trades, makers and crafters with a spotlight on First Nations

creatives. Visitors will walk through a curated exhibition of their exemplary works and experience live demonstrations of their

crafts. They will also be able to buy unique hand-crafted items straight from the makers.

Ballarat Nostalgia: every day Instagram favourites Sugar Republic will bring various Ballarat locations to life with a distinctly nostalgic feel for the Ballarat you remember as a kid.

Be transported into an experience with a modern twist. You

a new way to interact with the heritage streetscapes. There

can experience the history through a new augmented reality platform. This experience is done best with the audio tour,

which includes compelling stories from various perspectives, featuring interesting and quirky facts about each location. Steam Train Shuttles: Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 May Steamrail Victoria invites you to ride their historical steam

shuttles, departing from the heritage Ballarat Railway Station. Journey behind two vintage steam locomotives, including

132-year-old Y112, built at the Phoenix Foundry in the heart of Ballarat. Listen to the engines work hard up the hill towards Melbourne, before they branch off on the old line towards

Geelong, for a scenic return ride towards the town of Lal Lal.

may strike it rich with gold shimmers, get lost in neon or send

From here, the second locomotive will take charge and lead

CBD and Lake Wendouree precincts to experience the pop-up

journey. With V/Line’s modern high-speed trains speeding

yourself back in time. Take a leisurely walk around the Ballarat fun throughout the Heritage Festival.

us back towards Ballarat Station, completing the one-hour past, you will travel at a more leisurely pace, experiencing

‘old-school’ air-con with the windows open in our heritage wooden carriages dating back to 1906.

Port Fairy: Britt Gaiser on Unsplash

Road Trippin' the Regions Words by Ali Webb.

Sand never ever escapes a car. It doesn’t matter how much I vacuum my vehicle; the sand keeps on turning up, reminding me of now distant summer road trips. There’s something so joyfully nostalgic about a classic road trip: the loaded boot, filled sky

high with bags and boogie boards, a roaring playlist reaching into the depths of 1970s sad cowboy songs, and starting the engine ready to hit the highway for an adventure.

Gone are the days of squeezing between my two brothers on the vinyl-covered stinking hot backseat of the Corolla, manually winding down the windows while mum puffed away on

a ciggie in the front seat, changing the Dire Straits cassette and daydreaming through the windscreen, road atlas by her side.

Today as I tighten up my seatbelt for a roadie, a giant wave of freedom rides over me. The journey itself is sometimes more exciting than the destination. I’ve become somewhat of an expert in booking last minute accommodation, but the fun part comes with the drive

through small towns where I rummage through op-shops and second-hand bookshops or turn off the main road to follow a sign that leads to a waterfall or picturesque walk.

Even better is when I pull up at an old pub, order a classic counter meal and make the immediate decision to book a room upstairs (and have a few extra vinos).

My favourite road trips this year have been meditative goldmines, where I have felt stress soar out the open window as I drive across the magnificent state of Victoria. Discovering an excellent road-side eatery like Bank Street Pizza and Wine in Avenel just off the Hume

Highway or the vast Jurassic Park-esque volcanic space of Tower Hill offering a moment in time to simply sit still.

Keen to hit the road? Let me share my favourite road trip destinations of the year, all located in Victoria and all family friendly. >

Halls Gap: Photo by Fábio Hanashiro on Unsplash

Beechworth: Photo by Johan Mouchet on Unsplash

Port Fairy

Mansfield

Stay: This sweet village by the sea is filled with

Stay: The magnificent and grand Mansfield Hotel is situated

stayed in surf-side bungalows, above the pub and in Airbnbs

destination for foodies and a meeting space for cycling and

accommodation options – a regular destination for me. I’ve dotted around town.

Play: Adventure to Pea Soup Beach and up to Griffiths Island

lighthouse for some seaside air. Stop in at Blarney Books for a peruse of the shelves or for an adventure novel to take home and enjoy of an evening.

Eat: Coffin Sally makes the best pizza in town. Also check out

Merrijig Hotel – Victoria’s oldest hotel – for a pleasant outdoor vino and snack in the beloved backyard.

Halls Gap Stay: If travelling with friends, there’s nothing more

entertaining than the local caravan park. Sitting on the cabin veranda and watching the kids ride bikes and the little emu family run around is more entertaining than the TV while waiting for your snags to cook.

Play: The awe-inspiring Grampians is an adventure

playground for little and big legs. Run yourself wild and follow the many walking track around the mountains and discover something new along the way.

Eat: Keep it simple, pack some chips, sausages, sauce and

some square-cut bread and pretend it’s 1990 all over again.

smack bang in the centre of Mansfield. It’s also a great walking groups.

Also check out Running Creek campsite – a riverside location to start or end your day of walking.

Play: Where do I start? Let nature be your playground as you

explore the wonderful waterfalls and picturesque landscape.

Stay for a few nights, strap on your hiking boots and plan your walking adventure.

Eat: Social Bandit Brewery has a great selection of beers and terrific wood fired pizza. You’ll probably devour two after an epic day walking through the bush.

Beechworth Stay: The caravan park is not only pet friendly, but humanfriendly, where you are destined to make friends by the affordable lakeside accommodation.

Play: Lake Sambell is beautiful at sunset with a sandy ‘beach’ for fun picnic times. A walk around the gorgeous Gorge is a

must. Check out the nearby Woolshed Falls and vintage stores in Yackandandah.

Eat: A sip of beer and wood fired pizza at Bridge Road Brewers

completes this journey or Gum Tree Pies provides you with the perfect on the road snack.

Aradale Words by Bianca Flint. Pictures supplied.

“Just don’t run your hands along the walls,” our tour guide Jim tells us as we prepare for our twohour adventure at one of Victoria’s most intriguing places. Immediately regretting my decision to wear high heels, I look around, taking in the property and its grandeur.

Jim goes on to explain that the Ararat Asylum

The decommission began in the early 1990s.

to a health scare that required all staff and

and other facilities. The Forensic Psychiatry

Tours have only recently been reopened, due

volunteers to take blood tests. These amazingly old buildings, although beautiful, and the

structure itself strong, pose a significate health risk. It appears the building is showing its age.

Paint that once glossed over the walls making it one of the grandest places of its kind, now flakes off onto the floor causing havoc. The

lead-based paint, now disturbed, is taking the

lead levels on the property to a dangerous high. But as Jim assured us, as long as we don’t run

our hands along the walls, and don’t come back in the next month, we are perfectly safe. And it was time to start our tour.

The Ararat Asylum, which was later renamed Aradale, opened in 1867 and was home to

both voluntary and involuntary patients. It was built as a “town within a town,” having its own

Patients were transferred to community living Centre was the only remaining ward by 1993.

Once closed as an Asylum, Aradale was used to house female prisoners during the building of the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre until 2001.

Our tour is detailed and full of interesting facts about the buildings, the staff, the patients and what life was like inside the walls that many

called home. Jim leads us through the property, telling tale after tale about the history and

the people that walked the paths, it’s quite

incredible. The buildings are breathtaking, and I find myself spouting cliché after cliché, “they don’t make them like this anymore” and “if

these walls could talk”. And while the buildings themselves are fascinating, it’s the stories of

the people who lived in them are what most intrigued me.

vineyard, market gardens and livestock. The

It’s hard to imagine now, that everyone suffering

Unit being the last building to be added in

up in a facility. But I guess it’s important to

“town” comprises 63 buildings, with the Forensic 1991, only two years before the facility was decommissioned in 1993.

from depression or anxiety would be locked

remember that psychology was in its infancy,

and clearly there was a lot to learn about these mental health conditions. >

With mental health statistics now telling us that 1 in 5 people

Of course, we’ll never know everything that happened here,

thing that the science of psychology has evolved.

lot of the decisions made, and the general running of a facility

will suffer from a mental illness in any one year, it’s a good

Among the many stories that our friendly tour guide regaled

like this.

us with, there’s one in particular that stayed with me. Perhaps

Jim shows us through the kitchens, the main dining hall and

friends that suffered with Post Natal Depression... Either way,

mouldy rooms, with the paint peeling from the walls, and

because I’m a mother myself, or perhaps because I have

it’s probably one of a million heartbreaking stories that this place holds, many of which we will never know.

Jim speaks of a patient who was put into the Asylum following the birth of her fourth child, her fifth child and her sixth!

the morgue, among many others. I look around the damp,

wonder what it must have been like all those years ago. Filled with furniture and with patients and staff bustling about. I

wonder how different it felt, was it a cheerful place? Was there laugher? A sense of hope?

“There’s a bit of a pattern there, wouldn’t you say?” Jim smiles

Standing in these rooms now, it’s hard to imagine such hope,

into the Asylum at this time, required two signatures from

wondering again, if only these walls could talk.

at us. Jim goes on to explain, to admit an involuntary patient professionals. To be released, required seven. Following her

last admission, this Mother was never released and spent the remaining 28 years of her life in the facility.

Although it’s incredibly sad that these conditions weren’t

recognised and treated like they are today, I get the sense that patients were treated well overall. Jim shares many

stories of patients being included in staff games, helping

out around the facility and being valuable members of the Aradale “town within a town” community.

and it’s hard to understand the thought processes behind a

it’s hard to imagine anything but sorrow. I found myself

The tour concludes after just over two hours of exploring this

amazing snapshot of Ararat History. I can highly recommend visiting and taking the tour.

The Asylum also runs Ghost Tours, but you’re on your own with that one! After exploring it in the day, I can only imagine how creepy this place would be after dark...

NOW SELLING

Nestled in a tranquil part of the community, your new life in the Lucas Sanctuary neighbourhood will have you closely connected to nature with the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail and largest wetlands precinct in Lucas right on your doorstep.

Contact Luke or Kym on 03 5326 0307 or visit lucasballarat.com.au

Babies Sleep? Words by Danielle Foley.

Being a parent is like nothing else in life. There is nothing else that can make you feel as happy, as sad, as exhausted, or so incredibly in love. But let’s be honest - while it may be the best job in the world -

Choosing to work with a sleep consultant can help parents

getting enough sleep.

catnapping, resettling, establishing daily routines, supporting

it’s also HARD. Especially when you and your little one are not

Frequent night wakings are common for babies and toddlers, however, we can help support our little ones to learn the skill

navigate some of the most common sleep challenges;

positive sleep associations, all of which become transferable into great night sleep.

to self-settle possibly as young as 4 months. This is a skill that

If you’ve experienced some of these sleep challenges, then it

become a skill for life.

Consultant at Ballarat Baby Sleep Co. Our tried and tested

will continue to support them through their toddler years and

might be time to call on the services of a trained Baby Sleep

gentle baby sleep programs will help you and your family get the sleep you deserve.

If I get help from a sleep consultant, are they going to tell me

You mentioned the sleep environment, what is important

This is THE most common question that we are asked. We just

It’s important to create the best environment to foster good

use the ‘Cry It Out’ method. At Ballarat Baby Sleep Co, we

for your little one’s sleep environment – darkness,

that I have to let my baby cry it out?

want to put your mind at ease and tell you that no, we don’t believe that every baby, child and family is unique.

That’s why we want to get to know all about your story. We

have all arrived at this point in a different way and we want to acknowledge that your journey is so important, and your goals are very individual to your needs.

So, what techniques do you use to settle babies to sleep then?

We use a range of settling techniques to help settle babies

and toddlers. There are no rules when it comes to your baby and sleep. The most important thing is that you love and

nurture your little one, so they grow feeling supported. We

create personalised sleep packages that give your baby the

basic foundations of sleep to enable your family to thrive and not just simply survive.

At Ballarat Baby Sleep Co, we will give you the tools to gently

about that?

sleep habits for your child. There are three key considerations temperature, and white noise.

By providing a dark environment for sleep, you’ll be helping them to settle into healthy sleep cycles at an early age.

The temperature can also play a role in your little one’s sleep. Children under 18 months of age cannot self-regulate their body temperature and so they rely on us to dress them

appropriately and keep the room at a steady temperature. White noise acts to create a familiar environment for your little one and buffers noise outside the room.

The culmination of these three factors helps to maintain a

consistent environment that will help transition your little one between their sleep cycles, allowing them to sleep for longer periods.

Want if I need some extra help?

guide your baby through their sleep cycles and develop

If you are concerned and feeling overwhelmed about your

knowledge which works with your baby's own natural

our chat, we can discuss how we can achieve healthy sleep

age-appropriate patterns of sleep. We use science-based

little one’s sleep, you can book a free 15-min consult. During

circadian rhythm and observes your baby’s natural sleep

habits for your little one with a tailored sleep package just for

windows.

them.

Sometimes I just want to know, why won’t my baby sleep?

We hope these answers will be helpful in understanding your

For some families it can be a real balancing act to get their

little ones to sleep, not to mention to stay asleep. Here are the four most common reasons why your little one might not be sleeping well. •

They are overtired

•

They are hungry

• •

little one’s sleep better. Remember, every child is different, so it’s important for you to observe your child’s tired signs early

and support their change in activity to support them the best. For more information, please get in contact with Danielle Foley via her website www.ballaratbabysleepco.com

They are under-tired Or - their sleep environment

Date Night Anyone? Words by Nikkole Stanton @nikkoleisafoodie Picture by Charlie Powlett.

Your guide to the perfect Ballarat date night

First thing’s first: bring on the drinks and laughter. 18th Amendment Bar

After your amazing dinner, it’s time for a little entertainment and romance.

Whether it’s a first date or a five-hundredth, this stop will

Regent Cinemas

both break the ice and set you up for an amazing date

night experience. 18th Amendment Bar will take you back in time to the Prohibition Era of early Chicago, where the

18th amendment to the United States Constitution declared “production, transport and sale of alcohol” illegal. Whether

you’re looking for something boozy or boozeless this bar has you covered. Can you handle the electrifying experience of

the “Thomas Edison” or the carnival-inspired twist on the bar’s most popular drink, the Jitterbug? 14 Camp St, Ballarat Central -

It’s just a short (and may we say - romantic) stroll from Moon & Mountain to Lydiard Street and the incredible Art Deco

Regent Cinemas of Ballarat. Consistently keeping up with the times in screening all the new release big Hollywood blockbusters, plus the occasional throwback, there is

something for everyone at this incredible cinema. Topped

off with the red velvet chairs, enchanting staircases and ever so glamourous candy bar, the Regent’s opulent setting will take you straight back in time (and maybe into the future, depending on your movie choice).

www.the18thamendmentbar.com.au

49 Lydiard St N, Ballarat - www.regentballarat.com.au

Next stop: dinner and elegance...

After you’ve taken in a screening, you might be forgiven for

Moon & Mountain The boys at Moon & Mountain set the scene with their take

on a Modern Asian Eatery, inspired by the incredible Hawker Dining Bars of South-East Asia. And the food coming out of

this kitchen? Is nothing short of PHENOMENAL (not to mention

that Teddy, Drew and Liam are the proprietors of not just this restaurant, but also sister-restaurant, Ragazzone, the new

upcoming kid on the block - so if you can’t get a booking at M&M - you know where to try next!).

Moon & Mountain serve a banquet only menu every

Wednesday – Sunday for dinner starting from just $49pp for their “Half-Moon” Banquet, perfect for any date night! The

food is modern, creative and beautifully plated, all while being melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and they are happy to cater to any dietary requirements. They will leave you wanting more (despite being so full you might need a little help standing from your seat!).

Moon & Mountain remains beautifully humble despite winning various Golden Plate awards over the years including; Best

Chef, Best Value, Best Customer Service and Best Cocktail Bar (just to name a few!).

220 Mair St, Ballarat - www.moonandmountain.com.au

thinking that your night might be nearing the end, but we

are going to let you in on two little tips to really take this date night to the next level.

First - while it’s very likely that you may be full from your

amazing dinner and that sneaky popcorn and/or choc top in the cinemas topped off with a coke (no judgement here!) - if you’re still a little peckish or looking for a late-night dessert - you and your partner in crime can sneak down to the

Hamburger Cart in Little Channel Street and pick up a couple of what might just be Ballarat’s best-kept secret - Hot. Jam. Donuts.

This well-established food truck makes a nightly appearance from 6pm til late serving up chips, hamburgers and epic

cinnamon and jam donuts. Once you’ve picked up a couple,

of dozen (made fresh to order), jump back in the car and set your GPS for Lake Wendouree.

And yes, we know what you’re thinking, it’s like midnight! She’s beautiful at sunrise and epically picturesque at sunset and

bright at all hours during the day... But have you ever seen the lake on a crisp evening with the night lights reflecting off the

water? While eating fresh warm donuts? With the love of your life by your side?

This date night will leave you not only more in love with your significant other... but with our beautiful hometown as well.

Your Must Reads The Push by Ashley Audrain Blythe Connor doesn't want history to repeat itself. Violet is her first child and she will

give her daughter all the love she deserves. All the love that her own mother withheld. But firstborns are never easy. And Violet is demanding and fretful. She never smiles. Soon Blythe believes she can do no right - that something's very wrong. Either with

her daughter, or herself. Her husband, Fox, says she's imagining it. But Violet's different with him. And he can't understand what Blythe suffered as a child. No one can.

Blythe wants to be a good mother. But what if that's not enough for Violet? Or her marriage? What if she can't see the darkness coming?

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams Esme is born into a world of words. Motherless and irrepressibly curious, she spends her childhood in the 'Scriptorium', a garden shed in Oxford where her father and a

team of dedicated lexicographers are collecting words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary.

Esme's place is beneath the sorting table, unseen and unheard. One day a slip of

paper containing the word 'bondmaid' flutters to the floor. Esme rescues the slip and stashes it in an old wooden case that belongs to her friend, Lizzie, a young servant in the big house.

Esme begins to collect other words from the Scriptorium that are misplaced,

discarded or have been neglected by the dictionary men. They help her make sense of the world.

Let your mind wander... Mon - Thrs Friday Saturday Sunday

9:00am - 5:30pm 9:00am - 8:00pm 9:00am - 5:00pm 10:00am - 5:00pm

22 Lydiard Street, Ballarat, Vic 3350 Ph: 03 5331 7411 46

On Lydiard

Everybody Loves Lucas Words by Shona Hendley. Picture by Liana Skewes.

Often when you think about living close by to family – whether it’s near the in-laws or even your own parents, visions of Marie, Frank and Robert Barone, Ray’s family in the sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond spring to mind. But for Kristy Kinnersly living in the same neighbourhood as

“Being close to my family, especially during Covid-19 has been

nothing like that particular TV show - nope there are no

been crazy and exhausting, but my family has always literally

not only one, but two generations of her family is (thankfully) desperate attempts to hide from each other here - in fact, it is the opposite.

Being the second eldest of seven children, family has been an important value for Kristy and one she has always prioritised throughout her life.

This meant that when Kristy and her husband, Aaron decided to build their first home in 2016, ensuring that it was in close proximity to Kristy’s family was of the highest priority.

“The reason we chose to build in Lucas was because my

parents were also building in the area and I knew I wanted to stay close to them.

“Most of my other siblings are still at home and still at school. Knowing I’d be having a family of my own in the foreseeable future, I knew it would be nice to have them within walking distance,” she says.

When Kristy and Aaron welcomed their first child, Elijah in 2019

and their second son, Oliver earlier this year, having her family

lifesaving! With a newborn and an 18-month-old, things have just been around the corner if I need their help. Whether it’s

them walking a cooked meal down to us or Elijah having his

aunties and uncles come to play with him. He gets so excited to go walk to "Mimi and Poppy’s’ and knows just how to get there.”

Although not as commonplace as Europe or Asia,

mutigenerational family households (multiple generations living under one roof) are increasing in popularity within Australia. But even when different generations aren’t

residing in one house, they are often still choosing to live

close by, within the same, or nearby suburbs. For Kristy, this ‘multigenerational neighbourhood’ doesn’t just include her parents and siblings but her Pa, Anton as well.

“My Pa lives in his own house a street away from me and

across the road from my parents. He loves the area too and

is out walking every day. He also grows his own veggies in his garden which keeps him busy and supplies us with ample

tomatoes. My son loves to go help pick them too,” she says. >

just around the corner has been a huge support to them all.

With a wide offering of facilities for residents of all ages to live

“Another thing that’s super handy is the Lucas Child

amenities like Vision Australia, healthcare facilities, accessible

our appointments,” Kristy says.

a comfortable life, including parks, open spaces, community shopping and a community hub, Lucas provides ageing

members of the community in particular, security and tailored support.

But integral to her Pa’s wellbeing is the close-knit community, specifically her family based in Lucas which offers a sense of comfort to Kristy as her Pa gets older.

“Lucas is a great area for Pa, being that he is close to his

family. It’s nice knowing we can walk and check in on him,” she says.

Outside of her family, Kristy also identifies the location,

community and amenities as a major advantage of living in Lucas.

Community Health Centre, it’s great for being able to walk to For Kristy’s parents, Rona and Bruce, liveability was one of the key reasons they decided to build in Lucas.

“My mum and dad chose Lucas for the same reason we did as well. With three younger children who still go to school it

offered great potential for families. Living in Lucas is just easy and comfortable and fun. It makes it easy for busy lifestyles.

We all just love it here and can’t see ourselves anywhere else.” With three generations of Kristy’s family being proud Lucas residents for over two years now, there is a clear sense of belonging and community that makes their home truly

where the heart is (oh, and importantly there is still no Barone behaviour in sight).

“We live facing the wetlands and I love that it’s our view from the front window. Elijah also loves to sit and watch the world go by outside and gets excited over seeing birds, or people walking their dogs (this really helped during lockdown). We

also absolutely love being within walking distance of the park! We spend a lot of our time there.”

Personal Care. Beautiful Babies. Specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Founder of GrowMyBaby, an online pregnancy education program. Available to all Dr Pat's patients as part of your pregnancy package.

www.drmoloney.com.au P: 03 5332 9940

@grow_my_baby

Co-host of The Kick Pregnancy Podcast +300,000 downloads

hello@banyandahhomestead.com.au www.banyandahhomestead.com.au

95 Inala Road, Wattle Flat Victoria @banyandahhomestead 51

Photo by Baylee Gramling on Unsplash

Oh baby, You’re Having a Baby! Skin changes during your pregnancy by Australian Skin Face Body.

Mineral makeup is free of irritants such as talc and chemical dyes, making it a great choice for people with sensitive skin prone to itching, dryness, and redness.

Look for products that contain active ingredients that address your skin concerns.

There are some skincare products and treatments, however, that are not recommended during pregnancy.

If you’re unsure, chat with your dermal therapist about your It’s only natural you’re busy preparing for the big event, but

it’s more important than ever right now to set aside time for

some self-care. Your body’s going 24/7 making a tiny human,

it takes A LOT out of you - so much so, that even your skin may experience noticeable changes.

The team at Australian Skin Face Body Ballarat has put

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recommended you avoid laser treatments during pregnancy and wait until your hormones have normalised before

resuming. The team at ASFB can advise on safe skincare

products and treatments you can use in the meantime to

maintain your skin, keeping in mind there are several factors

to consider when recommending a suitable product, such as hormonal changes and production of pigmentation.

Make an appointment with your dermal therapist so they can tailor a treatment plan ideal for your skin concerns.

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fibres and collagen in your skin and typically appear as bands causing skin texture and colour changes.

Some people are genetically prone to stretch marks and

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Micro-Needling with Radio Frequency (RF), available at ASFB,

Melasma

works by stimulating new collagen to reinforce and help

Melasma is a hormonal pigmentation condition that can

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worsen during pregnancy. These brownish-grey patches on

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Learning on the farm, a great opportunity Words by Ballarat Grammar.

Ballarat Grammar’s 120 acre Mt Rowan farm campus is only

ten minutes away from the grounds of the main Wendouree campus, and yet it feels like a world away. The campus is

home to its innovative year-long Year 4 program and the School’s Agriculture/Horticulture programs.

Do you remember playing outdoors as a child? Climbing trees, riding billy carts, building forts or camps, collecting

insects? In the past twenty years, safety fears, lack of family time and addiction to technology have helped to shape a

generation of children who spend less and less time outdoors. COVID-19 has sparked a re-focus on the importance of

getting back to basics and improving our connection to the natural world.

The Ballarat Grammar Year 4 program is an innovative

model which has a focus on place-based learning, designed to empower students to become active members of their

community and to nurture a love of nature. Students travel

to Mt Rowan on buses from the main campus each day, with one day per week spent at the main campus for specialist classes such as Music, Art and Dance/Drama.

Each year, Year 4 Coordinator Ms Clarice Lisle is thrilled

at the way new Year 4 students take hold of the different

experiences the campus offers. “Students are immersed in rich learning opportunities, encouraging them to connect

with the natural environment and develop a deep respect

and appreciation of the interdependence of the human and natural worlds.

“For example, the students run a number of clubs, of their

own interest and choosing; one of these is the Chicken club,

where students are responsible for taking care of the flock of chickens under the guidance of a teacher.

As well as caring for the chickens, working together, the

students also collect and sell or cook produce with the eggs – it’s a great way to introduce the basics of farming enterprise, and the simple joys of working with nature, including the

disappointments that come with that. It is also wonderful

to see our students’ sense of wellbeing blossom and their confidence in their place in the world continue to grow.” Students are immersed in an academic program that

has been carefully linked to the Australian Curriculum and the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program, which Ballarat Grammar delivers throughout the Junior

School. The natural environment at the Mt Rowan campus

acts as a springboard for the explicit teaching of skills in core academic subject areas, particularly numeracy and literacy,

as well as inquiry-based learning, where students are inspired to learn through their own curiosity and interests.

“Mount Rowan makes me feel more connected with the environment than I ever have before” - Asher

"We love learning here" ................................................................................................................................................................

Find out more about our innovative Year 4 program at our Mt Rowan Farm campus To book a tour, please contact Admissions on (03) 5338 0830 or admissions@bgs.vic.edu.au

bgs.vic.edu.au

BALLARAT AND QUEEN’S ANGLICAN GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Melissa & Christopher Wedding shot by Hey Babe Photography. Location: Banyandah Estate.

Who’s tying the knot? Melissa Yu and Christopher Sharam Wedding date: Saturday, 3 April 2021 Originally, we were meant to get married on October 10, 2020. However we decided to make the call in May that we might

still be in some form of COVID lockdown, or even if we weren’t, we didn’t want to get out of lockdown only to have a couple of months or even weeks to plan a wedding. Everything was already so uncertain.

By February 2020, we had already picked out all the vendors we wanted to use so it was all a matter of contacting everyone and figuring out what was the earliest date everyone was available. April 3, 2021 was it.

Location: Banyandah Homestead - 95 Inala Road Wattle Flat As uncertain as our wedding date, our original wedding venue had to change too. Chris’s parents had offered to host our

wedding at their property in Warrenheip and it seemed like

the perfect choice as it held a lot of sentimental memories for the family and it’s also somewhere our kids enjoy visiting as there’s so much space to run around in.

However, although the property is a 5-acre block, it was

classed as residential and under the COVID restrictions at the

time, could only host five visitors. We had to make yet another call about seven weeks out from our wedding date that we needed to change venues.

We knew we did not want to postpone, we knew we wanted all our vendors and we knew we wanted to keep it local to

Ballarat. Some Google searches gave me a list of wedding

venues in the area and it was Banyandah Homestead that caught my attention. Gorgeous glistening lake, wide-open spaces, lush Aussie landscape. Everything you could ever

imagine a country wedding to be without having to do too much other than put a marquee on it.

Su was just so easy to deal with. Nothing was too difficult. We couldn’t get down to see the venue before we booked it as

we were in lockdown 3.0 but she sent us plenty of videos and even after we booked, as they were clearing the spots we

wanted, she sent little video updates. Just in constant contact to reassure us about all our other vendors that she had been in contact with as well as having a woman’s perspective

on where the marquee should be positioned so our guests

could enjoy drinks looking out at the lake and how the toilets should not be visible from the bridal table. Su and Pete from Banyandah just went above and beyond for us and our guests were just in awe of how stunning a venue it was.

Bridesmaids/Groomsmen: Our kids were our bridal party.

Aidan and Harrison as groomsmen, Zachary as page boy and Willow as bridesmaid How did you meet? We met through mutual friends, Lily and Sean at a group

dinner at Hutong Dumpling House. I went to high school with Lily and Chris had worked with Sean. Tell us about the proposal... It was my birthday in early December 2019 and Chris had

decided to surprise me with a weekend getaway in Daylesford like we used to do before the kids came along. He organised for the kids to stay with the grandparents for a night and

a fancy dinner at the Lake House restaurant. He planned a

long walk around the lake before dinner and he took me to

a little jetty on the lake where he got down on one knee and proposed.

Okay, we want all the details. Tell us about your day. We knew first and foremost that we absolutely wanted to be

present on the day and not stress about the little details. This

meant having a personal deadline for things the week before the wedding. >

We organised for cash payments to be made by family members. We wrote out names, phone numbers on

envelopes so all the family had to do was find the supplier. We also wrote out lists of people that had to be in group

photos and handed them out to them so they knew exactly which group they would be in

Because we had that personal deadline, we got to really enjoy the day without the stress of worrying about ironing things out with the suppliers or timelines of who was meant to be where and when.

Chris and I checked in to our hotel on the Friday night after

I’m a fan of the label Spell & The Gypsy and they’ve always

got the most gorgeous setups and amazing florals by nikau. flora. I just love that it all looks perfectly undone Where would you direct future brides? Social media: Facebook & Instagram. Such a great place to

gather all the ideas you like and of course great vendors who can then just pull all your ideas together.

Describe the elements of your day and how you went about it all

a family gathering at the local pub. Saturday morning, Jodie

Every part of this wedding planning was done online via

house to get himself and the boys ready. Willow, my mum

previous work and also which other vendors they had worked

makeup. We spent the day getting ready and other friends

we couldn’t go out to check things out for ourselves when we

porter arrived at 7.30am. Chris went back to his parents’

Instagram and Facebook. It was so easy to see the suppliers’

and my two mother in-laws arrived at 8.30m for their hair and

with in past weddings. This was especially necessary when

and family dropped by to get ready with us while we sipped

could only travel 5km from our homes.

champagne, had cups of tea and nibbled on antipasto platters and sandwiches. It was all very very chilled.

Then at 3.30pm, we set off for Banyandah. I kept waiting for the nerves to kick in but they never did.

Chris, meanwhile, even managed to get out littlest one to have a nap before our ceremony at 4pm.

Chris’s dad organised our ride to the venue in a 1959 stretch Chevy.

Banyandah is on 80-acres so we didn’t have to go very far for our photos and we got to go back and start celebrating with our guests pretty quick

When did planning begin? We started planning almost straight away and were pretty much done organising all our big-ticket items by February

2020 including the marquee set up, flowers, photographer, celebrant, dress, DJ and caterers. We didn’t want a long

engagement and we had most of it organised so didn’t see the point in dragging it out too long.

What was the hardest thing to get organised? There wasn’t anything hard to organise. We weren’t fussed

on not having everything perfect. Although it all did turn out perfect!! The main thing for us was that our kids were there

that we could actually get to enjoy a wedding day. Everything

after that, like having all our friends and extended family there, the glorious autumn weather that we had was all just icing on the cake.

Any hiccups? The marquee set up with the clear sides meant that the

toilets were visible directly behind the bridal table. There was no option for opaque sides. Luckily Banyandah organised for

some hay bales to make a hay wall behind the bridal table for a better backdrop and it all worked out fine.

Where did you draw inspiration from?

Photography: Hey Babe! Photography Could not recommend Alysha highly enough. Friendly, approachable, down to earth and her technique is so

unobtrusive, so you barely even notice she’s snapping away. Marquee: Elderberry Events Orla is a gun. She just knew what we wanted with very very

little description needed. 45 minutes was pretty much all she needed to create a brief of our dream wedding.

Wedding gown: Bluebell Bridal - Jenny Packham Saw her online in January. Booked in to try her on and it was perfect. Thought I better try on a few others just in case. But went straight back to the Alba gown. Music: DJ Masters

Flowers: Elderberry Events

Hair and makeup: Jodie Porter Rings: SH Jewellery

Catering: Paella Pan for tapas, Fat Cat Vans fancy catering Bar: A Vintage Affair vintage caravan bar Signage: Stone and Co

Celebrant: Tania Bannister Toilets: Paddock Dreams

Guest accommodation: Twighlight Glamping Photobooth: Wooshka Photobooths

Favours: Plantedbyh found on Insta

Earrings: Amelie George Bridal (found on Insta) What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day?

Getting out of the car and seeing Chris and the kids waiting at the end of the aisle. It was just so serene. I kept waiting for the nerves to kick in but they never did.

Shelter From the Storm Federation University’s Post Office Gallery exhibits a broad

This exhibition constitutes the visual outcomes emerging

recognised Australian contemporary artists.

University’s School of Arts.

range of works by local, emerging and internationally Open to the public, the gallery also displays works by

Arts Academy students and staff as part of its exhibition programme.

Well-known Ballarat artist, Tony Griffin, who completed a

Bachelor of Visual Arts at the Arts Academy and who is also a PhD candidate, is currently exhibiting Shelter From The Storm at the Post Office Gallery until May 28.

Tony’s impressive exhibition of 147 works explore the curious entanglement we have with everyday objects and the

proliferation and complex mutual dependencies forged between humans and things.

A Post Office Gallery Exhibition by Tony Griffin

from a practice-led Doctoral research project at Federation Tony is supported by an Australian Research Training Program (RTP) Fee Offset Scholarship through the university.

View Shelter From The Storm Wednesday – Friday, 1 – 5pm

at the Post Office Gallery, corner of Lydiard and Sturt streets, Ballarat.

Image: Tony Griffin Untitled, 2020 acrylic on board H20 X W20 cm Courtesy the artist

It’s going to be A blast from the past LIKE NEVER BEFORE as Ballarat once again, plays host to over three weeks of heritage events, exhibitions, tours, shows and much more.

BALLARAT TWEED RIDE I beard & Stache Competition

CRAFT LAB & DESIGN EXPO I STEAM TRAIN SELF GUIDED HERITAGE TOURS I NOSTALGIC INSTALLATIONS

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

For more details see event listing, or visit ballaratheritagefestival.com.au Bookings may be required, please refer to individual event details.

TIME

EVENT

VENUE

Online offering

Festival highlight: Self-Guided Digital Heritage Tour

10 iconic locations across Ballarat

Self Guided Tour

Henry Sutton History Walk - A Self-Guided Tour

Ballarat Info Centre | available online

Self Guided Tour

Festival highlight: Ballarat Nostalgia

See website for locations

Online offering

Restoration Ballarat Showcase

ballaratheritagefestival.com.au

7am - 10pm daily

Lucas and Arch of Victory History

Lucas Shopping Centre

9am - 6pm daily

Bull Allen - Exhibition

The George Hotel

9am - 4.30pm daily

The tallest trees from California in our Ballarat Botanical Gardens

Ballarat Botanical Gardens

10am - 5pm daily

Exhibitions

Art Gallery of Ballarat

1 - 5pm

Tony Griffin: Shelter from the Storm

Post Office Gallery

5.30pm

The Trouble with Heritage - Talk

Eureka Centre

10am

Festival highlight: Ballarat Tweed Ride

Pipers by the Lake

10am

Arch Precinct Tour

Arch of Victory

10am | 2pm

Mount Mitchell Estate Tour

Mount Mitchell

10am | 12pm | 2pm | 4pm

Ballarat Old Gaol Tour and Exhibition at Federation University SMB Campus

E.J. Tippett Library (enter through the gaol gates)

10am - 2pm

St Peter’s through the Stained Glass A self-guided tour

St Peter’s Anglican Church

10am - 4.30pm

Traditional Hedge Maze and Old-Time Country Carnival Fun

Maze House

11am

Ballarat Botanical Gardens’ Significance as a Heritage Site

Ballarat Botanical Gardens

11am

Guided Tour of the Sequoiadendron Giganteum Avenue

Ballarat Botanical Gardens

11am - 3.30pm

Heritage Tram Rides

Ballarat Tramway Museum

11am - 4pm

Ballarat Aviation Museum

12pm

Festival highlight: Tweed Fashions on the Field

The Mining Exchange

12pm - 1pm

‘Baby Giants’ - The Giants of the Tree World and our living heritage Ballarat Botanical Gardens (Botanikids)

12 - 3pm

The City of Ballarat Municipal Brass Band

The George Hotel

1 - 5pm

Anson Aviation Museum

Ballarat Airport

2pm

‘The Giants’ - A Sequoiadendron Giganteum Avenue Presentation

Ballarat Botanical Gardens

4.30 - 6pm

Ballarat Foto Walks

National Centre for Photography

6 - 8pm

Murder Mystery Dinner

Ballaarat Mechanics Institute

10am | 12pm | 2pm | 4pm

Ballarat Old Gaol Tour and Exhibition at Federation University SMB

E.J. Tippett Library

10am | 2pm

Mount Mitchell Estate Tour

Mount Mitchell

10am - 4.30pm

Traditional Hedge Maze and Old-Time Country Carnival Fun

Maze House

11am - 3.30pm

Heritage Tram Rides

Ballarat Tramway Museum

11am

Ballarat Botanical Gardens’ Significance as a Heritage Site

Ballarat Botanical Gardens

12pm

Mother’s Day High Tea

The George Hotel

12 - 3pm

Ballarat Memorial Concert Band

McDonald’s Bandstand, Lake Wendouree

1 - 5pm

Ballarat Aviation Museum

1 - 5pm

Anson Aviation Museum

Ballarat Airport

1 - 2pm

Journey to the Southern Cross - Show

Ballaarat Mechanics’ Insitute

1.30pm

Heritage Walking Tours of Ballarat

Meet at corner of Lydiard and Sturt St

2 - 3.30pm

Ballarat Foto Walks

National Centre for Photography

2.15pm

Robyn Stacey in Conversation with Louise Tegart

Art Gallery of Ballarat

2.30 - 4pm

Beer School

Aunty Jacks

FRIDAY 7 MAY SATURDAY 8 MAY

SUNDAY 9 MAY

tuesday 11 may 9.30am - 12.30pm

Storylines Ballarat

SMB Library

10am | 2pm

Mount Mitchell Estate Tour

Mount Mitchell

7pm

Ballarat Historical Society: Spielvogel Oration

Ballaarat Mechanics’ Insitute

9am - 12pm | 1 - 3pm

Storylines Ballarat

SMB Library

1 - 5pm

Tony Griffin: Shelter from the Storm

Post Office Gallery

7.30pm

Ballarat City Fire Brigade - Virtual Tours

Ballarat City Fire Station

9.30am - 12.30pm

Storylines Ballarat

SMB Library

10am | 2pm

Mount Mitchell Estate Tour

Mount Mitchell

1 - 5pm

Tony Griffin: Shelter from the Storm

Post Office Gallery

7am - 10pm

Red Lion Hotel Counter Menu

Red Lion Hotel

1 - 5pm

Tony Griffin: Shelter from the Storm

Post Office Gallery

2.30 - 7.30pm

Celebrating Heritage and History in the Central Highlands - Talk

Ballarat Observatory

5.30pm

The Trouble With Heritage - Talk

Eureka Centre

7 - 9pm

Jiu Jitsu Suffragettes and Playing the Ghost - Show

Ballaarat Mechanics’ Insitute

7am - 10pm

Red Lion Hotel Counter Menu

Red Lion Hotel

10am - 2pm

St Peter’s through the Stained Glass -

St Peter’s Anglican Church

10.30am | 12pm | 2.30pm

Radio Play live: A Tangled Web

Art Gallery of Ballarat

10am - 12pm | 1 - 3pm | 3 - 5pm

Festival highlight: Craft Lab + Design Expo

The Mining Exchange

10am | 2pm

Mount Mitchell Estate Tour

Mount Mitchell

10am - 4.30pm

Traditional Hedge Maze and Old-Time Country Carnival Fun

Maze House

11am

Ballarat Botanical Gardens’ Significance as a Heritage Site

Ballarat Botanical Gardens

11am - 3.30pm

Heritage Tram Rides

Ballarat Tramway Museum

11am - 4pm

Ballarat Aviation Museum

12 - 3pm

The City of Ballarat Municipal Brass Band

The George Hotel

12.30pm

A union is brewing! East West Unites

Aunty Jacks

1 - 5pm

Anson Aviation Museum

Ballarat Airport

2pm

Mining Mud & Medals, Local WW1 History and Book - Talk

Eureka Centre

2pm

Organ Music for the Ages

St Peter’s Anglican Church

2.30 - 7.30pm

Celebrating Heritage and History in the Central Highlands - Talk

Ballarat Observatory

4pm

Gin Tasting Event

The George Hotel

4.30 - 6pm

Ballarat Foto Walks

National Centre for Photography

6pm

Ballarat Gin Launch

The George Hotel

6.30pm | 7.30pm | 8.30pm

Ballarat Murder Bus Tour

Meet at Post Office Gallery

8pm

Red Mill Revue! - Show

Ballaarat Mechanics’ Insitute

7am - 10pm

Red Lion Hotel Counter Menu

Red Lion Hotel

10am - 12pm | 1 - 3pm | 3 - 5pm

Festival highlight: Craft Lab + Design Expo

The Mining Exchange

10.30am | 12pm | 2.30pm

Radio Play live: A Tangled Web

Art Gallery of Ballarat

10am | 2pm

Mount Mitchell Estate Tour

Mount Mitchell

10am - 4.30pm

Traditional Hedge Maze and Old-Time Country Carnival Fun

Maze House

11am

Ballarat Botanical Gardens’ Significance as a Heritage Site

Ballarat Botanical Gardens

11am - 3.30pm

Heritage Tram Rides

Ballarat Tramway Museum

12 - 3pm

Ballarat Memorial Concert Band

McDonald’s Bandstand, Lake Wendouree

1 - 5pm

Ballarat Aviation Museum

1 - 5pm

Anson Aviation Museum

Ballarat Airport

1.30pm

Heritage Walking Tours of Ballarat

Meet at corner of Lydiard and Sturt St

2 - 3.30pm

Ballarat Foto Walks

National Centre for Photography

WEDNESDAY 12 MAY

tHURSDAY 13 MAY

friday 14 May

SATURDAY 15 MAY A self-guided tour

SUNDAY 16 MAY

2.30 - 4pm

Beer School

Aunty Jacks

2.30 - 7.30pm

Celebrating Heritage and History in the Central Highlands - Talk

Ballarat Observatory

9.30am - 12.30pm

Storylines Ballarat

SMB Library

10am | 2pm

Mount Mitchell Estate Tour

Mount Mitchell

9am - 12pm | 1 - 3pm

Storylines Ballarat

SMB Library

1 - 5pm

Tony Griffin: Shelter from the Storm

Post Office Gallery

7.30pm

Ballarat City Fire Brigade - Virtual Tours

Ballarat City Fire Station

9.30am - 12.30pm

Storylines Ballarat

SMB Library

10am | 2pm

Mount Mitchell Estate Tour

Mount Mitchell

1 - 5pm

Tony Griffin: Shelter from the Storm

Post Office Gallery

1 - 5pm

Tony Griffin: Shelter from the Storm

Post Office Gallery

5.30pm

Pecha Kucha - Talk

Sovereign Hill

5.30pm

The Trouble With Heritage - Talk

Eureka Centre

7 - 9pm

The Witching Hour Magic Show and A Ballarat Séance - Show

Ballaarat Mechanics’ Insitute

10am

Arch Precinct Tour

Arch of Victory

10am - 2pm

St Peter’s through the Stained Glass - A self-guided tour

St Peter’s Anglican Church

10am - 12pm | 1 - 3pm |

Festival highlight: Craft Lab + Design Expo

The Mining Exchange

10am | 2pm

Mount Mitchell Estate Tour

Mount Mitchell

10am - 4.30pm

Traditional Hedge Maze and Old-Time Country Carnival Fun

Maze House

10am - 5pm

Cemetery National Picnic Day

Ballarat New Cemetery and Crematorium

11am

Ballarat Botanical Gardens’ Significance as a Heritage Site

Ballarat Botanical Gardens

11am - 3.30pm

Heritage Tram Rides

Ballarat Tramway Museum

11am - 4pm

Ballarat Aviation Museum

12pm

2021 Victorian Pinup Pageant

Ballaarat Mechanics’ Insitute

12 - 3pm

The City of Ballarat Municipal Brass Band

The George Hotel

12 - 3pm

Ballarat Memorial Concert Band

Ballarat New Cemetery

1 - 5pm

Anson Aviation Museum

Ballarat Airport

2 - 3.30pm

Ballarat Foto Walks

National Centre for Photography

8pm

Red Mill Revue! - Show

Ballaarat Mechanics’ Insitute

Festival highlight: Craft Lab + Design Expo

The Mining Exchange

10am | 2pm

Mount Mitchell Estate Tour

Mount Mitchell

10am - 4pm

Pilot Training in Ballarat has a Rich History

Ballarat Aero Club

10am - 4.30pm

Traditional Hedge Maze and Old-Time Country Carnival Fun

Maze House

11am

Ballarat Botanical Gardens’ Significance as a Heritage Site

Ballarat Botanical Gardens

11am - 3.30pm

Heritage Tram Rides

Ballarat Tramway Museum

12 - 3pm

Ballarat Memorial Concert Band

McDonald’s Bandstand, Lake Wendouree

12.30pm

Buninyong Progressive Dinner ‘Taste of History’

Saltbush Kitchen, The Shared Table and The Red Door Pizzeria

12.30 - 2.30pm

Murder Mystery Luncheon

Ballaarat Mechanics’ Insitute

1 - 5pm

Ballarat Aviation Museum

1 - 5pm

Anson Aviation Museum

Ballarat Airport

1.30pm

Heritage Walking Tours of Ballarat

Meet at corner of Lydiard and Sturt St

2pm

Dog Beard and Mustache Competition

Hop Temple

2 - 5pm

Beardo: A Tableaux Vivant - Talk

Art Gallery of Ballarat

2.30 - 4pm

Beer School

Aunty Jacks

TUESDAY 18 MAY WEDNESDAY 19 MAY

thursday 20 MAY

FRIDAY 21 MAY

SATURDAY 22 MAY

3 - 5pm

SUNDAY 23 MAY 10am - 12pm | 1 - 3pm | 3 - 5pm

TUESDAY 25 MAY 9.30am - 12.30pm

Storylines Ballarat

SMB Library

10am | 2pm

Mount Mitchell Estate Tour

Mount Mitchell

9am - 12pm | 1 - 3pm

Storylines Ballarat

SMB Library

1 - 5pm

Tony Griffin: Shelter from the Storm

Post Office Gallery

7.30pm

Ballarat City Fire Brigade - Virtual Tours

Ballarat City Fire Station

9.30am - 12.30pm

Storylines Ballarat

SMB Library

10am | 2pm

Mount Mitchell Estate Tour

Mount Mitchell

1 - 5pm

Tony Griffin: Shelter from the Storm

Post Office Gallery

1 - 5pm

Tony Griffin: Shelter from the Storm

Post Office Gallery

5.30pm

The Trouble With Heritage - Talk

Eureka Centre

7pm

Faulty Towers Dinner Show

The George Hotel

wednesday 26 may

THURSDAY 27 MAY

FRIDAY 28 MAY

SATURDAY 29 MAY 9.45am | 10.45am | Festival highlight: Ballarat Steam Train Shuttles 12.45pm - 2.05pm | 3.45pm

Ballarat Railway Station

10am - 4.30pm

Traditional Hedge Maze and Old-Time Country Carnival Fun

Maze House

10am | 2pm

Mount Mitchell Estate Tour

Mount Mitchell

10am - 5pm

Ballarat Apron Festival

The Mining Exchange

11am

Ballarat Botanical Gardens’ Significance as a Heritage Site

Ballarat Botanical Gardens

11am - 3.30pm

Heritage Tram Rides

Ballarat Tramway Museum

11am - 4pm

Ballarat Aviation Museum

11.30am - 4pm

Devonshire Tea

Old Colonists’ Club

12 | 2pm

Guided Tours of the Old Colonists’ Club

Old Colonists’ Club

12 - 3pm

The City of Ballarat Municipal Brass Band

The George Hotel

12.30pm | 2.30pm

Billiards Demonstration

Old Colonists’ Club

1pm

Festival highlight: The Ballarat Beard & Stache Competition 2021

Hop Temple

1 - 2pm | 3 - 4pm

Where Do I Come From? I Ask Myself! - Show

Federation University - Courthouse Theatre (Building F)

1 - 5pm

Anson Aviation Museum

Ballarat Airport

2.15pm

Kait James in Conversation with Julie McLaren

Art Gallery of Ballarat

4.30 - 6pm

Ballarat Foto Walks

National Centre for Photography

6.30pm | 7.30pm | 8.30pm

The Ballarat Town Hall After Dark Tour

Ballarat Town Hall

SUNDAY 30 MAY 9.45am | 10.45am | Festival highlight: Ballarat Steam Train Shuttles 12.45pm - 2.05pm | 3.45pm

Ballarat Railway Station

10am - 4pm

Message up your Apron – Workshop

Art Gallery of Ballarat

10am - 4pm

Ballarat Apron Festival

The Mining Exchange

10am - 4.30pm

Traditional Hedge Maze and Old-Time Country Carnival Fun

Maze House

10am | 2pm

Mount Mitchell Estate Tour

Mount Mitchell

11am

Ballarat Botanical Gardens’ Significance as a Heritage Site

Ballarat Botanical Gardens

11am - 3.30pm

Heritage Tram Rides

Ballarat Tramway Museum

11.30am - 4pm

Devonshire Tea

Old Colonists’ Club

12pm | 2pm

Guided Tours of the Old Colonists’ Club

Old Colonists’ Club

12.30pm | 2.30pm

Billiards Demonstration

Old Colonists’ Club

1 - 5pm

Ballarat Aviation Museum

1 - 5pm

Anson Aviation Museum

Ballarat Airport

1.30pm

Heritage Walking Tours of Ballarat

Meet at corner of Lydiard and Sturt St

2pm

Facing Up - Show

Alfred Deakin Place

2pm

Presentation on Ferns and Ferneries - Talk

Ballarat Botanical Gardens

2.30 - 4pm

Beer School

Aunty Jacks 65

Bonnie & Brad Wedding shot by Pretty Flamingo Photography. Wedding planner: Lulu Events + Creative.

Wedding date: Friday, 16 April 2021 It was our fourth wedding date, an almost

Describe the elements of your day and how you went about it all

three-year engagement. We postponed our first

Event Planner: The real hero of the day was my

was more important at the time. The next three

Lucy from Lulu Creative and Events (and editor of

date because we decided extending our family postponements were due to COVID. We got

there, but three years is too much time to think,

I changed my mind on EVERYTHING, three times over.

Location: Trentham Cliffs, NSW We chose my parents’ property on the Murray

River, because for both of us, it’s our happy place. Bridesmaids/Groomsmen: I had my sisters, two

of my oldest childhood friends and my two best

friends! Brad had his two brothers, brother-in-law, cousin and two of his oldest friends. Tell us about the proposal... We were moving houses, getting ready to start

building on our forever block and like every Sunday

afternoon, Brad took me there with a bottle of wine, to light a fire, only this time he didn’t light the fire, he convinced me to take a walk out on our dam

jetty. It was there, with Paddy (our son) in my arms,

maid of honour, sister, and epic event coordinator Uncover!) I don’t understand how people know how to get married without a Lucy. She was

incredible, worked with all of my vendors to create a day that was not only beautiful, but perfectly articulated, even minute detail.

Pretty Flamingo Photography: Em and Eb are so

special to us, they have captured both of our boys when they were born, and know us so well, we couldn’t imagine the day without them.

Josue Films: David, our videographer shot my sister’s wedding only two years ago and was

incredible, he made it so fun and relaxed and his end result was amazing, so it was a no brainer! Tierra Events: A similar story with our marquee

crew, they had worked closely with my sister on

other events and my family have fallen in love with them! Kara and Winnie’s marquees are stunning

and the service they provide is second to none. >

that he got down on one knee and proposed. It was so perfectly us.

Refined Bloom Co: Our florist Annie, another wonderful Ballarat local, has made some beautiful pieces for my business and for friends, she did an amazing job on the day brining my vision to life. The flowers were show stopping.

Tracey at Charlton Catering: Our caterer was also another contact of Lucy’s, so easy to work with and everyone raved about the food! She

created a menu tailored to us and what we both loved and made the

whole process incredibly relaxed. There was also SO much food, I don’t think anyone would have gone home hungry.

Hair: We used a local hairdresser, Del and May, they did a wonderful job! Makeup: Our makeup was a collaboration with Maddy from My Makeup Chair and Coby from Ilios Skin, they did an incredible job making the bridal party look aisle ready.

Celebrant: Our celebrant was the star of the show, my Dad! Paul from My

Celebrant Buddy worked closely with Dad to create a beautiful ceremony, we signed the legal papers two weeks prior, so Dad was then able to

unofficially marry us on the day. It made the day so wholesome and so much more intimate! >

Signage: Our signage was designed my very own sister, the

editor of this magazine and owner of Lulu Events + Creative. Music: Our acoustic duo from Tillee Music, James and Tim,

created such a beautiful ambience throughout the ceremony and cocktail hour. Then the band, The Baker Boys, really got the party started and everyone danced well into the night! Dress: My first gown was Chosen by Kyha studios. I then changed into a party number by Hexie the Label.

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day?

I will never forget the way Brad was looking at me as I walked down the aisle and throughout the ceremony. Having Dad marry us, and Brad’s parents offer their blessing in the ceremony was so, so special to us.

Taking a boat down to the photo location with our wedding party was so fun, and such a nice time to catch our breath with our bridal parties. And of course, the dancing!

If you could, would you change anything about your day? I had some trouble with my dress alterations, I wish I had been more open with my concerns before taking the dress home.

In the few days before when I tried the dress back on it didn’t

fit right and I was really deflated. I ended up taking it to a local seamstress for a second opinion and she saved the day!

Also… four of my six bridesmaids came down with gastro the

night before and day of the wedding, nothing I could change, but I missed having them well and present with me on the

day. One of my girls had to walk away mid ceremony to vomit. We can look back and laugh now, I am just glad that it was very discreet!

Words by Della Vreeland. Picture by Liana Skewes.

Op Shops. There is a certain stigma associated with them and their contents.

Namely that they’re filled with junk. The clothes are dirty and unwearable. And only the disadvantaged shop there.

Well dear readers – let me use this opportunity to set the record straight. None of these misconceptions carry any weight.

The thing about stereotypes is they have a way of ingraining themselves to the point that our minds close up. But I’m here to plead that you read this

month’s column with an open mind and strive to chip away at those misconceptions.

I’ve frequented second-hand shops for most my life. I love the thrill of the treasure hunt and the

fact that I can spend hours rummaging through clothes, homewares, accessories and books in anticipation of that Eureka moment! Op shops are my happy place. So you can imagine my pure excitement when

the Salvation Army opened its newest thrift shop just down the road from my home!

Not to be confused with Salvo Stores, the

Salvation Army Thrift Shops specifically support

the work in the local area where they are located. So I can shop to my heart’s content, knowing I’m also making a difference in my very own neighbourhood.

“All sales from our thrift stores go directly to

The Salvation Army Delacombe, supporting the local community,” Salvation Army Delacombe Corps Officer Major Craig Farrell says. “This

includes family, youth, and children’s groups, that encourage community connection and aim to

cultivate a sense of belonging and participation.” “Our Salvo Stores support the wider national

work of The Salvos including homelessness, crisis support, family violence and other important services.”

Not only are op shops a great way to support

the community, but they are jam packed full of

goods, both second-hand and new, that can be bought at a fraction of their retail price.

Add in the sustainability factor, and you really can’t go wrong with a thrifting spree. >

“Op shops are not only great places to find cheap clothing

So next time you crave some retail therapy, consider an op

going to landfill,” Craig says.

your pocket, but will do some good for the environment and

or bargain books (but) they help to reduce unwanted items “Donating unwanted or unused clothing to op shops is really an important way to not only care for our environment but

help support and share our resources with others in our local communities.

“This practice also helps to care for our clothes more and not

your very own community.

Top tips to make the most out of your op shop experience:

take for granted the clothes that we own.”

Go in with an open mind! If you go into an op shop thinking

But Craig says people need be mindful before donating their

of opportunity! Go in with an open mind, knowing there is

goods. Op shops are not to be considered as junk yards, but places where shoppers go to source quality goods.

it is full of trash, then you’re immediately closing the door treasure to be discovered amongst all the chaos.

Many stores also don’t accept things like electrical items

Take a list of items you’re searching for to make for a more

choosing where to donate.

the hunt for. Then you can direct your time in certain parts of

or mattresses, so it’s a good idea to research this before “It is important to remember that when donating goods

efficient shopping experience. Take a list of items you’re on the store, rather than needing to shop every space.

to charity shops you are doing so with the intention that

Shop EVERY rack! The thing with op-shopping is it allows

says.

across in regular retailers. If you have the time, shop every

“A good question to ask is, ‘will someone be able to re-use this

and let your imagination run wild. Don’t feel limited by size

someone else will also use and re-love your donations,” Craig

item or wear this piece of clothing?’

“Also, please avoid donating your rubbish. Sometimes it is easy to get mixed up with your donations and this adds additional cost and unnecessary work for volunteers.

you to get creative and seek out items you might not come rack, including the children’s, men’s, and women’s sections, either. You might discover something that’s too big, but which works really well belted, tucked in or even as a dress!

Know your fabrics. Because I’m drawn to vintage garments, I like to skim every rack until I see bold, bright, textured and

“Generally thinking of others when donating is key.”

synthetic fabrics that are typical of vintage clothing. If you are

Most op shops are staffed by volunteers who have to deal

tones, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for those specific

with daily operations such as donations, sorting, stocking, customer service, and checkout systems.

While the work can be quite demanding, it’s thanks to their devotion that the community at large can benefit.

more of a natural fibre guy or gal, or are all about the neutral

fabrics during your fossick. Saves you having to through items one-by-one.

Practice, Patience and Persistence! I’ve had so many people say they feel overwhelmed as soon as they walk into an op

“There may be some misconceptions around where the

shop. But trust me when I say that all it takes is a little practice,

from our larger stores, there would be a significant further

pro in no time!

money goes, but I can tell you that without funds generated strain on community social service programs,” Craig says.

shopping adventure. Not only will it have a positive impact on

patience and persistence. If you want to, you’ll be an op shop

Mary Quant: Fashion Revolutionary Words by Belinda Price.

The latest fashion retrospective exclusively at Bendigo Art Gallery is Mary Quant: Fashion Revolutionary. It

comes directly from a sell-out season at London's V&A Museum.

Drawn from Quant's own archive as well as V&A

extensive fashion holdings. The exhibition explores

the years between 1955 and 1975 showcasing over 110

garments as well as accessories, cosmetics, sketches, photographs and even Quant's own line of fashion dolls known as Daisy Dolls which rivalled Barbie.

Beginning in post-war London where she transformed her tiny boutique into an international brand.

Way before social media, Quant capitalised on

opportunities in marketing and promotion as she

embodied her label with the unmistakable daisy motif. "Mary Quant is a designer who transformed the

way young women dresses - moving away from

the dominant and often restricting silhouettes to

affordable, comfortable with a sassy mix and match designs" says Bendigo Art Gallery Director, Jessica Bridgfoot.

Mary Quant: Fashion Revolutionary provides an insight

into a career of one of Britain's most important fashion designers.

Bendigo Art Gallery is the exclusive Australian venue

for Mary Quant: Fashion Revolutionary on display until 11 July.

An exhibition organised by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Image one: Celia Hammond (right) and Jean Shrimpton modelling Quant designs, 1962 © John French / Victoria and Albert Museum, London Image two: Jean Shrimpton modelling ‘Rex Harrison’, 1962 © John French / Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Soul Aligned Money Words by Sarah Falkinder. Pictures by Melissa - Her Golden Point.

What is the number one thing my years working within the finance industry taught me?

That what we think we are aiming for is often not what leaves us feeling satisfied.

I’m frequently approached by people expressing that they’re

not achieving what they want financially. They tell me they’re

This can be used as the framework to guide major decisions, to check-in and ask, “Is this really important to me?”. As you start connecting with your values you will even start using

them for small purchases, giving yourself permission to spend on what meets your needs. 3. Create

going to tighten their budget, stop buying takeaway coffee

Once you have freed your mind and connected to your soul,

more savings, however until their relationship with money

knowledge of self, you have the ability to set fulfilling goals

and limit going out for meals. Sure, this might help them build is addressed at a much deeper level they won’t have the

success they desire. When people’s goals aren’t aligned with their values or inspired by their true self, they’ll either find

themselves continually distracted along their financial journey or will get to the goal with no satisfaction.

Repeatedly we sacrifice time with family and our health, we

self-critique our choices, forgetting one key aspect - we are

the ones in control. How we attain and use money are choices made by us and the scope of choice is much greater than

we perceive. We need to make choices that acknowledge the importance of happiness now as well as in the future. When we find that path, we subsequently find long term financial

success, because peace and clarity in this moment lets us set fulfilling long term goals.

These realisations took many years to develop and inspired

me to create Soul Aligned Money - a program to encourage a deeper knowledge of ourselves so that we can control

our money story. It has three simple components anyone

it is time to start creating aligned goals. From a place of

and also consider opportunities with a deeper understanding of what is right for you

After you’ve addressed the three elements above, you

can assess which financial tools are appropriate for you.

Knowledge of these factors will mean that you enter a money conversation confident in the truth of what is best for you.

When we start here, we can filter through biased judgements (both from our own mind and others!) and avoid missteps. Over time, the impact of this on your money position, but more importantly your overall happiness, is profound.

Money, when aligned to soul, becomes our tool towards happiness. It is a resource that we control towards our greatest needs.

Sarah is running workshops to teach her Soul Aligned Money system in Ballarat each month. Go to www.sarahfalkinder.

com.au/workshops to find out more or for inspiration follow her at instagram.com/sarahfalkinder.

can step through to gain greater self-awareness for setting financial goals. 1. Disrupt Get your mindset right. We can fail to realise the power of the history that impacts us. It is developed from birth, evolving through observing the way our parents dealt with money,

how it affected relationships, expectations of us and how our culture portrayed money.

Through this early shaping, we build patterns of thought that sub-consciously guide the opportunities we see and those we would prefer to run from. Acknowledging the impact of

this allows us to reprogram what we have been taught about money and stop cycles of continued disempowerment. 2. Empower Connect yourself, your desires, back to your soul and away

from what has been advertised to you as the “dream”, or what is expected of you through your close relationships. I find the

best approach to this is first to assess our values and list five

to seven core values that we consider when making decisions.

Rent a Vine Workshop 2: Picking and Crushing Words by Charlotte D. Nay. Pictures from Austins Winery.

The morning of Workshop 2 dawned, less bright and sunny and more

extremely overcast and drizzly than one might have hoped for. But as it turns out, bright and sunny isn’t necessarily the weather you’re looking for when it comes to grape picking, and despite the inauspicious start to the day, the

rain cleared up and my lack of preparedness in failing to pack a change of clothes (just in case of being soaked via downpour in the vineyard) didn’t end up being an issue at all.

And, as it turns out, all those memes and motivational mindfulness posters about getting your hands dirty and spending time in the great outdoors might have a point. I’m not saying I’m quite prepared for three weeks of

full-time hand harvesting in Burgundy just yet, but an hour in the fresh air,

without a thought in my head but filling my bucket with juicy looking pinot grapes was exactly all it was cracked up to be.

And so passed the first hour of our second Rent a Vine workshop. Spurred on by the success of Saturday’s pick, and looking fly in our fluoro yellow

high-vis Austin’s vests, our group managed to almost double the amount of grapes picked the previous day (just sayin’), amounting to enough for approximately 47 dozen bottles of five-star vino.

But before we move on – let’s just put that in a little bit of perspective… Apart from my wine nerdiness (and BBQ Shapes addiction), I’m also

somewhat of a stats nerd, so breaking down some numbers was at the top of my agenda.

In an hour, the forty or so of us keen amateur winemakers picked around

1/10th of an acre of grapes. Austin’s have 150 acres planted with grape vines. That means, with forty sets of keen hands picking, it would take around 188 days to hand pick the whole vineyard.

That’s more than six months. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Sports teams have finals. Students have exams. For winemakers, the big moment of truth, the event the whole year’s efforts have led up to – is harvest.

Typically, harvest takes place over 3-4 weeks. When those grapes are ready to be picked, there’s no time to waste. >

When you hand pick, bunches are individually picked from

If you’re as nerdy as me, maybe you’ve seen one of these

larger grape bins before shipping to the winery. This method

blogs out there), but it’s not until being part of the process

the vine using snips, placed into a bucket and transferred into of harvest is very gentle on the fruit and can help capture

more delicate flavours. However, as we now know, it is VERY labour intensive, expensive and time consuming. This is where machine harvesting comes in. When using machine harvesting, a machine drives over the

rows beating the fruit off and is caught in a conveyor, which is caught by a chaser bin. The fruit is instantly exposed to

oxygen and can be harvested with MOG (material other than

grapes), which needs to be removed before winemaking. This

that I really understood how it worked. The technology itself

is pretty basic really, it’s more like a giant spinning colander than anything, but it certainly makes shorter work of the

destemming process than hand sorting could possibly do. And almost before we can blink, the must is pumped back into a bin ready for the winemaking process to truly begin.

More microbiology than chemistry, the most important part

of winemaking at this stage is keeping your yeast happy. And not just any yeast, but the right yeast.

method of harvest is not gentle, but it is fast, efficient and can

We’re all used to hearing about yeast when it comes to bread

oxidation.

it’s just as important.

be done at night, when temperatures are low to minimise But mostly – it doesn’t take six months.

Who knew there was so much to learn just about getting the grapes from the vineyard to the winery?

And at this stage, we were only an hour into our workshop. As with Workshop 1, the time flew by. Once we followed the

fruit back to the winery, the fruit was weighed and recorded,

while we thoroughly washed our hands (can I get an “Amen”?) and took a tour of Austin’s winemaking facilities (complete

with a few tastings of pre-ferment, mid-ferment and postferment grape juice).

For such a huge operation, the footprint of the winery itself is surprisingly small. It’s humbling (and yes, a little thirst inducing) to imagine the quantity of quality vino being processed through this facility.

Speaking of things being… processed through things (that

segue could probably use some work), seeing the destemmer in action was definitely one of the highlights of the day.

EXPLORE THE GOLDFIELDS REGION

babies in operation on YouTube (or any one of a million wine

making, but when it comes to producing your favourite drop, There’s the sulphur dioxide to inhibit the ugly yeast and

bacteria that can come in with the grapes from the vineyard and leave the wine tasting like vinegar; the tartaric acid to

adjust the pH balance and keep the environment good yeast friendly; speciality tannin to bind with unwanted flavours; the decision on whether to use “wild yeast” from the winery or

inoculated yeast (and which sort) to start the ferment; and, maybe most importantly, temperature control – not only to

keep the yeast babies at optimal sugar eating capacity, but

also to control the quality, flavours and aromas of the finished product.

As it turns out, winemakers have to be farmers and gardeners, chemists and microbiologists, tasters and managers,

machine operators and calculators and round-the-clock grape sitters.

So, do we have what it takes? Only time will tell… www.austinswines.com.au

Reuse, recycle and repair Words by Ballarat Clarendon College.

Ballarat Clarendon College’s Sustainability Committee,

involving students from Years 11-12, recently participated in a clothes swap to raise awareness about sustainable fashion. 2021 marks the third year of the committee which is largely student-led.

“Our students want to extend sustainability beyond the

school and into their own lives,” said Co-Head of the Senior School, Laura Brady. “Their dedication and passion for their

roles within our school community is admirable, particularly regarding sustainable fashion and recycling.”

This year, the committee’s primary focus is addressing key

policies and procedures that have the potential to be more

eco-friendly. Clothing and fashion make up 10% of all global carbon emissions, while 40% of clothing is not worn. For the

Sustainability Committee, it is important to raise awareness of sustainable fashion and to encourage the community to reuse, recycle and repair fashion garments.

passionate people has been a brilliant learning experience,” said committee coordinator, Sehnil Nawar (Year 12). “It has

broadened my perspective on life, allowing me to become community.”

of Term 1, encouraging their peers to think sustainably about the clothing they buy and consider better ways to recycle their belongings. All remaining clothing was donated to

an Op Shop run by Specialist School students. The clothes

swap was a fantastic way for students of the Sustainability Committee to generate excitement for their practical clothing repair lessons, which will begin in Term 2.

“Being a part of the committee and working together with

BCC_ELCAd_2022_180x120mm_PRESS.pdf 1 29/3/21 further involved with the Clarendon and wider Ballarat

The students arranged a clothes swap during the final weeks

2:13 pm

“When people impact change in their local communities, it sets a foundation for future ideas and progress,” said

Sehnil. “By instilling practical plans of action and values

of sustainability early, these skills and mindsets can help

address the climate crisis head on, while creating a more environmentally friendly and ethical society.”

CMY

Words by Bianca FLint.

When you think “crazy cat lady” you might not imagine someone like Jordyn Smith. A 26-year-old Fashion Design graduate (with Honours) from RMIT, who is addicted to True Crime Podcasts, with a passion for sustainable fashion. But that’s exactly how she describes herself. 82

Living in Ballarat with her Partner, Luke, and two lovable felines,

When asked where she finds her inspiration for her work, she

only just getting started.

or anything. Things I find at the vintage store, or something I

Heidi and Peanut, Jordyn’s career in the Fashion Industry is

You might say she was always going to find herself working

explains; “it comes from tangible items, it could be everything see and need to explore more.”

in Fashion; a childhood spent playing dress ups at her

She also explains that even the music she listens to while

over mannequins, and watching her grandmother succeed

she might not realise it at the time. Her Graduate collection

grandmother’s clothing store, memories of draping fabrics

in her own right was bound to leave an impression. Jordyn’s grandparents played a significate role in her up upbringing, with her own mum only young when she was born. “I felt as though I had a few sets of parents, I was lucky”, tells Jordyn with warmth and gratitude.

working seems to infiltrate her overall body of work, although “Fashion’s Prometheus” has a strong 80s Rock vibe, inspired

by a high school photo of her mum in the 80s. Jordyn worked

with Ballarat’s Interknit to create a printed knit jumper with the image on it, it became the hero piece of the collection and has since been re-printed and sold.

Always a creative child, and long after the Fashion Parades at

Jordyn couldn’t believe her luck when she discovered the

be found with a paint brush or pencil in hand. She reflects on

Titled “Gold Rush Town”, the collection really came to life in

her Grandmother’s shop ended, as a teenager, Jordyn would this being a time when she knew exactly what she wanted to do, it was with such clarity that she looked to a future in

Fashion Design. But when the time came to choose a career path, Jordyn was swayed and decided that a degree in psychology was a more sensible path.

perfect backdrop for her Graduate Collection Photoshoot.

the heritage listed 1960s Robin Boyd home, located at Lake

Wendouree. It was the perfect stage for the collection. Current owners Alan and Bronwyn, graciously let Jordyn, along with

Photographer Ellen Eustice and Model Mitzi Radford loose in their home to create what can only be described as Art.

After six months of studying psychology, although intriguing

Sustainability plays a huge role in Jordyn’s work, “It’s not

to that teenage girl who had such clarity. It wasn’t too late,

consider right at the start of the design process ... I like to tell

and a strong topic of interest, Jordyn wished she had listened she took a gap year, worked, travelled, and changed degrees. Now having completed an Associate degree, a Bachelor’s

degree and Honours; she’s certain her 15-year-old self would be proud.

After six long years of study and commuting from Ballarat to Melbourne Jordyn is enjoying a less hectic phase of her life.

Although she does say that the “post-uni slump” is real and a sense of feeling lost is definitely something she encountered. After the intensity of her degree, which not only involved

study and writing a thesis, but also designing and creating

the work, she is now enjoying the time to just hang out with

friends, to make deeper connections here in Ballarat and work on fun passion projects that don’t involve the stress of an assessment.

just an afterthought,” explains Jordyn, “It’s something that I

a story with my collections, each piece has a story to tell, it’s more than just a piece of clothing.”

Jordyn uses clothing she finds in second hand stores to

form new pieces, removing elements and replacing others.

A design process she refers to as “Frankenstein-ing”. Vintage

stores play a huge role in her process, both for inspiration and for quirky elements she can incorporate into her collection,

“I get so excited when I find a bag of discarded buttons,” she laughs.

When asked to describe her design style in one word... “A

mess”, she quickly replies with a laugh. Her design style is

unique, and with her many accomplishments thus far, her

“messy” and “Frankenstein-ing” approach seems to be hitting the mark with those experienced in the industry. >

Throughout University, Jordyn was awarded multiple times for academic excellence; including being chosen as one of only two recipients of the Jack Ward Scholarship in

2018. Nominated for the Australian Fashion Foundation

Scholarship in 2019, nominated for a VAMFF 2020’s Fashion

Film Award, and being selected for the VAMFF 2020 National

Graduate showcase. But her very impressive rap sheet doesn’t end there, she was also awarded the Grathlems prize from

RMIT and during her honours year, was a finalist for Melbourne Fashion Week’s student designer award.

Her work with Australian wool was also acknowledged;

earning a scholarship from the Australian Wool Education

Trust for her commitment to using wool in her final collection. With a long and no doubt exciting future in the industry, Jordyn has some clear goals and plans for the future,

“I want to intern in New York next year, gain some more

experience, and then return back to Australia,” she says.

Jordyn is passionate about showcasing what Australia has

to offer to the Fashion Capitals of the World. One of her more specific hopes and dreams is to have Harry Styles wear one of her knitted jumpers! But in the meantime, she’ll settle for rummaging the op shop, telling a story with her work, and happily playing with her cats.

Eureka Concrete has become a source for different pre-mixed concrete for all projects from large commercial projects, road construction, and housing to footpaths and driveways.

For more details go to www.eurekaconcrete.com.au

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Reading good books, enjoying delicious food, drinking fine wine, connecting with new friends.

Join now, visit: uncovermagazine.com.au/thegoodbookclub 85

Jordyn Smith 86

Photography: Ellen Eustice Model: Mitzi Radford Makeup/Hair: Kristin Jenkin Jewellery; GM Jewellery x

Our Local Pride.. and Prejudice Something you might not know about Ballarat is

The project concept was incredibly ambitious.

the city because of Pride and Prejudice, and it’s all

had never delivered a podcast and neither had

that thousands of people all over the world know because of a small local theatre company.

At the start of 2020, theatres worldwide were faced

with universal cancellations of seasons and closure of performance spaces. Ballarat National Theatre was one of thousands of companies impacted, postponing their entire season for the first time since they were founded in 1938.

Liana Skewes and Olivia French met while

performing together with BNT. At the start of April,

they, like all their theatre community, were looking at cancelled projects and shows and uncertainty stretching into the future. Looking for some form

of creative outlet, they reached out to their friends from the cast of BNT’s 2018 sell-out production of

Pride and Prejudice to catch up on zoom and have fun reading their script one more time.

Austen’s writing has, for many years, been a place of solace for people worldwide. After World War I,

it was prescribed to British soldiers to help recover from PTSD. Something about Austen’s writing is so wholesome that people return to it, to find

something familiar, as though a book were a home. As the BNT Pride and Prejudice cast returned to

Austen for that same happy sense of community,

Olivia and Liana came up with a revolutionary idea to take the beauty of Austen to their community: turning the Pride and Prejudice novel into a

The duo had minimal sound editing experience, directed or narrated a show before. The novel is a whopping 125,000 words and needed adaption to

prepare it for the type of production they wanted to do. They would need a big cast and a production team. But what they did have was a detailed and long-running knowledge of the story and the

passionate backing of Ballarat National Theatre. “Looking back on what we had yet to build and to learn and to go through, the scope of what

we were about to face was breathtaking,” says

Liana, who became the project’s sound editor and director. “I’m relieved I didn’t know it at the time, and I’m relieved I had Olivia as my co-creator. Without that ignorance and without Olivia, it probably would have crushed me.”

The cast of the original stage production joined them, they pulled in some amazing actors to

complete the remaining cast and they set to work. The pair each clocked around 30 hours per week

on the project, on top of their full-time jobs. At first Olivia and Liana thought that maybe their mums

and a few of the BNT theatre community members would listen to their weekly episodes. To their

surprise, they started getting messages on social

media and emails from people further and further away. Soon they realised that something big was happening. >

dramatized audiobook.

Olivia says that realisation was “like an answering light in the

Fans from Finland to France, America to Ireland bought

our own creative bubble on the podcast, but the pandemic

sent the store fan mail asking when the next episodes would

dark. We’d been so excited and had been working away in

and isolation had taken its toll on us too, and we were tired. To realise that we were reaching others and making a difference in their lives really reignited the drive to keep going, to keep spreading that spark of joy.”

People began telling them that the podcast had become a

light in the darkness for them. Teachers from Arizona. Retirees from England. Nursing home workers. The story became something personal, and letters flowed in from people

grateful that they found a sense of community, belonging and humanity in Austen’s words. And that through the story, they weren’t alone.

Partway into the production, the team set up a merchandise

store for the theatre company to try and give the fans a way to feel connected to the story and to give something back to a small company that had worked so hard to bring the

podcast to them. They commissioned a design from local

be published.

The hard work continued to be recognised as they went on. The podcast entered the iTunes charts in the Arts category five times, reaching as high as 75. Listeners tuned in from 121 different countries, with the most popular countries for subscribers being the United States, Australia, the

United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, New Zealand, Netherlands, Philippines and India.

The completed project is 30 episodes long and totals a

whopping 14 hours and 27 minutes of entertainment. It has

been downloaded over 100,000 times and took ten months to complete.

If you would like to listen to this internationally renowned, five-star reviewed production, you can find it at www.prideandprejudicepodcast.com.

illustrator Annie Gonzales to incorporate into the merchandise.

And if you would like to be part of the passionate community

support for the company while theatres everywhere remained

Theatre via www.bnt.org.au.

The store took off and became a little beacon of financial closed.

themselves t-shirts, mugs, facemasks, and hoodies. They also

that brought it together, then look for Ballarat National

Manpower @ Face & Smile It’s a stereotype for a reason that men are not... quite as good at looking after their health as women.

When it comes to dentistry - while women were the early

adopters of cosmetic dentistry, it’s taken the menfolk a little

At our practice, complete rehabilitations of broken-down

teeth and restoring function and smiles is primarily what we do and the number of men not happy about their dental

health and wanting to do something about it is growing fast.

longer to warm to the idea. More recently, however, there is a

The problems that men present with vary, from worn-down

to their teeth and smile (which they can do while improving

requiring a crown, or a single dental implant to fix their

growing trend of men taking the leap to make improvements their overall health at the same time!).

And while you’d be forgiven for assuming that it would be

hordes of younger men rushing to brighten and straighten

teeth or a single missing tooth affecting their smile and

problem, right through to the man presenting with almost

terminal teeth and living in fear of a future with dentures and looking for better long-term solutions.

up their pearly whites (to get that perfect Tinder profile photo

If you are concerned about the health of your teeth and gums

largely of patients over the age of forty, and we are finding

of your teeth then please contact us at Face & Smile for a

of course), the clientele at our practice is actually made up

that many men of a certain age are now coming forward to have their teeth rehabilitated.

In recent times, it was almost a badge of honour to walk

around with a visibly missing or crooked tooth, but this is fast becoming a thing of the past. Maybe they are at a point in

or find your self-esteem is being affected by the condition

consultation about what options are available we would be delighted to help.

Please phone (03) 5364 9500 and speak to one of our friendly team.

their life when they want to portray a more confident look

as they go about their work, or perhaps you’re approaching retirement and want to put things in order (and hopefully avoid the need to ever have to wear dentures!).

Fertility Preservation time to think One in six couples in Australia struggle to have a baby when

The role of egg freezing is to increase the likelihood of having

result of fertility treatments including IVF. Advances in Fertility

preserving their potential. The eggs don’t know that the

they plan to conceive, and one in 25 babies are born as a

treatments mean that many women and couples can now

confidently choose effective fertility treatment and expect to have a baby.

Across all ages, the chance of having a healthy baby is about one in three for each embryo transferred, which is excellent. Obviously, Individual success rates can be higher or lower

depending on the person or couple’s circumstances. Virtually

a baby by snap freezing a woman’s eggs at a younger age, woman is ageing, and function in five years’ time as they would have on the day they were frozen.

Women often ask about the number of eggs needed to have a baby. In short, there are never guarantees. The younger a

woman is when her eggs are frozen, the better the chances. Younger women also need less eggs frozen for a given likelihood of success compared to older women.

every embryo transfer at Ballarat IVF is a single transfer,

As a guide, a woman in her late 20s or early 30s may need ten

babies, and happier parents.

baby, but a woman in her mid to late 30s may need twenty to

leading to a lower multiple pregnancy rate, more healthy Fertility Preservation is a major component of services

to fourteen eggs frozen to have an 80% chance of having a thirty eggs frozen to have the same chance.

provided by IVF clinics such as Ballarat IVF. Women and men

Across the whole Ballarat IVF group, fertility specialists and

fertility, such as chemotherapy, are now routinely advised

frozen embryos in fertility preservation. Following a single

who are about to commence treatment that will reduce their to consider egg, sperm or embryo freezing to provide some background insurance for their fertility.

In addition to this, women with other conditions, such as severe endometriosis, which may affect the ovaries, are choosing egg freezing to preserve fertility.

Women who have a family history of early menopause, or infertility, are also now able to actively protect their future fertility with egg freezing.

Words by Ballarat IVF.

women are increasingly discussing the important role of

embryo transfer, and achieving a pregnancy, many women will have frozen embryos in storage. These embryos carry

the same chances of generating a pregnancy as when they

were frozen. So, as a result of having an IVF cycle, a woman or couple not only get to have a baby sooner but can actively

preserve their fertility. Their frozen embryos can be used when they want to have baby number two, three, or four!

For more information on egg freezing or fertility treatment please contact us on (03) 5339 8200 or visit our website.

This scholarship is awarded annually to one incoming Year 7 student for 50% tuition relief and is awarded for the duration

of a student’s enrolment at Damascus College (maximum of 6 years).

Primary School Principals support/endorse one Grade 5

student per year from their Primary School community, to

be considered for this Damascus College scholarship. This

annual scholarship opens in October each year and closes when enrolments close in February.

Bright Futures Scholarship Fundraising Breakfast Damascus College seeks to extend this scholarship

opportunity to be able to offer it to more than one Year

7 student per year, thereby hosting fundraising events to

support this worthy cause. This year’s Bright Futures Breakfast

A Brighter Future Words by Damascus College. When families are in crisis, disaster strikes or financial

disadvantage is overwhelming, keeping kids in school and on

track to succeed can be challenging, if not impossible. Around the world, 124 million children and youth are out of school. We believe that a brighter future starts with an education, and

giving a child the opportunity to thrive at Damascus College is the aim of the Bright Futures Scholarship.

Established in 2018 the Damascus College Bright Futures

Scholarship, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy (John Thirsk Estate), Fr Brendan Davey and Damascus College, is for

the purpose of supporting students and families who are

experiencing financial or personal disadvantage, and who

is on Thursday 3rd June, 7am – 8.45am at the Damascus Events Centre.

Proceeds raised at the breakfast will support this worthy scholarship fund, in order to extend its reach to multiple students each year.

We invite community members and our alumni of Damascus College, Sacred Heart, St Paul’s and St Martin’s in the Pines, to enjoy a sumptuous buffet breakfast, network with other

alumni and community members, and to hear from our guest speaker, Jocelyn Bignold (OAM).

Jocelyn Bignold (OAM) is the CEO of McAuley Community

Services for Women which provides support for women and children experiencing family violence and homelessness. Jocelyn has over 25 years’ service to the community and

was recognised for her commitment to making people’s lives better with a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2020.

demonstrate a strong commitment to social justice activities

If you would like to attend this event, please go to the

otherwise be able to afford a Catholic education.

www.trybooking.com/BQGKK

and contribute to their local community, but may not

Damascus College website or book your tickets direct at

Pleaseus BRIGHT FUTURES SCHOLARSHIP join FUNDRAISING BREAKFAST

DAMASCUS COLLEGE LTD A.C.N. 609066775

Thursday 3 June, from 7am - 8.45am at Damascus College, Geelong Rd Special Guest Speaker is JOCELYN BIGNOLD (OAM)

Jocelyn is CEO of McAuley Community Services for Women which provides support for women/children experiencing family violence and homelessness. Jocelyn has over 25 years’ service to the community and was recognised for her commitment to making people’s lives better with a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2020.

Book your ticket or table at damascus.vic.edu.au 97

Wholefood Simply Recipe and photography by Bianca Slade. Bianca Slade originally hails from Penshurst, a quaint

country town in Victoria’s Western District. However, for several years now, Bianca and her family have called beautiful Ballarat home.

Bianca has become well known online for her

simple and delicious recipes and, under the guise

of ‘Wholefood Simply’, has had ten books published. In addition to Wholefood Simply, Bianca is also a passionate Food Photographer and Food Stylist.

You can view her recipes, photography gallery and cookbooks at www.wholefoodsimply.com and her

Facebook and Instagram under the name Wholefood Simply.

MAKE CLEANING EASIER WITH A NANOKOTE GLASS AND CERAMIC COATING Stops Soap Scum Makes Cleaning Easier & Chemical Free Protects against Salt, Chlorine, Limescale and Mineral Staining Australian Made, 10 Year Warranty Applications: New & Old Shower Screens, Pool Fencing, Balustrading, Windows and more...

Ben. 0402 927 767 | ben@crystalsp.com.au | crystalsurfaceprotection.com.au 98

Four Ingredient Chocolate Rice Bubble Slice

Ingredients 1 cup peanut butter 1/2 cup honey 50g dark chocolate, melted 4 cups rice bubbles / puffed rice Method Place the peanut butter, honey and chocolate into a large

bowl and mix to combine. Add the rice bubbles and mix to

combine. Spoon the mixture into your prepared tin and press firmly down. Place in the fridge to set. Eat and enjoy.

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