Bendigo Magazine - Issue 78 - Autumn 2025

HOW ONE PERFORMER IS CAPTIVATING THE GLOBE DISCOVER THE PERSONAL WORLD OF FRIDA KAHLO

MANAGING EDITOR

Dustin Schilling

PHOTOGRAPHERS

dear reader,

There’s something special about print. The weight of the pages, the rich photography, the way a story unfolds in your hands. That’s why we are here, bringing you another issue of Bendigo Magazine, filled with the people, places and passions that make this city shine.

Autumn in Bendigo is a season of colour and celebration and at its heart is the beloved Bendigo Easter Fair, a tradition that brings the community together in spectacular fashion. This edition we step into the world of Frida Kahlo as Bendigo Art Gallery unveils an exhibition celebrating the iconic artist’s life and legacy. We also meet a gifted violinist whose music fills historic spaces with timeless melodies and explore a striking new architectural build designed by a local firm to embrace both innovation and the natural landscape.

It is a vibrant mix of tales, each a testament to the creativity, resilience and community spirit of central Victoria. So switch off the screen, turn the page and settle in, this issue is best enjoyed in print.

The Bendigo Magazine Team

Leon Schoots, AJ Taylor, Daniel Soncin, Bryanna Colliver, Olivia Johnson and Tyler O’Keefe WRITERS

Dianne Dempsey, Geoff Hocking, Lauren Mitchell, Raelee Tuckerman and Marina Williams

CONTRIBUTORS

Stephanie Dunne and Jennie Mellberg

PRINT MANAGER

Nigel Quirk

ADVERTISING advertising@bendigomagazine.com.au

PO Box 5003

Bendigo, VIC 3550 Phone: 0438 393 198

Bendigo Magazine takes all care but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Bendigo Magazine holds copyright to all content unless otherwise stated. ISSN 1833-1289. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the publisher accepts 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 the publisher.

PEOPLE & LIFE

24 Life on the run

- Dr Jill Wilkie

44 In step with our health

- Dr Naveen Tenneti

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

17 Art, strength, transformation

- Claire Tennant

30 An intimate legacy

- Frida Kahlo

38 Marching forward

- The Future is in Our Hands

50 Backbone and Beyond

- Kasey Chambers

58 Sketching our past

- Bendigo memories with Geoff Hocking

62 World on a string

- Evangeline Victoria

50 A passion for politics

- Amelia Leach-Unmeopa

74 Cass & Nick

- Wedding feature

91 At home on the range

- Bendigo Pistol Club

FOOD, WINE & HOME

70 Table talk - Wine tasting

80 Sanctuary in stone

- Home feature

You’d be surprised what we find in Bendigo’s sewer network.

Unflushables can cause nasty blockages and lead to costly repairs. Wet wipes alone contribute to more than 75% of all sewer blockages and spills.

To help, we inspect, clean, and repair sewer mains and sewer access points across the region every year.

These initiatives are part of our $1 million a year Stop the Block program that’s helping us avoid thousands of ‘flushing’ disasters.

But we need your help too!

Think before you flush In the Battle of the Cans, it’s only safe to flush the three Ps - pee, poo and toilet paper… Everything else should go straight in the bin! Learn more at coliban.com.au

LOCAL RACE DAY THE GOLD STANDARD FOR CITY-CLASS THRILLS

As the highly anticipated Golden Mile Race Day returns to the Bendigo Jockey Club for another year, punters are invited to embrace their best country casual attire and relax by the track to experience racing the way it’s meant to be.

Blending the prestige of city racing with a country atmosphere, the Golden Mile Race Day sees enthusiasts from Melbourne, regional Victoria and interstate unite in Bendigo for the 1600-metre event, won by Aussie thoroughbred El Soleado in 2024.

Several different viewing options are available. General admission grandstand seats offer sweeping views of the races, while trackside umbrellas or marquees provide an up-close look at the action, and Silks Dining allows for an indulgent and uninterrupted experience.

With a total prize pool of $1.5 million up for grabs throughout the day, the scenic beauty of the track, and the relaxed atmosphere, it’s easy to see why this metro race held in the country brings such a thrill to all in attendance.

The Golden Mile Race Day will take place on Saturday, April 12, at the Bendigo Jockey Club, with gates opening at 10.30am. Tickets and hospitality packages can be purchased via country.racing. com/bendigo

autumn buzz

From thrilling race days and vibrant festivals to captivating art exhibitions and wine tastings, Bendigo’s autumn calendar is packed with unforgettable events for everyone.

COMMUNITY AND TRADITION CELEBRATED THROUGH EASTER FESTIVITIES

Four exciting days of fun, food and family lie ahead for locals this Easter. Organisers of the Bendigo Easter Festival have crafted a program bursting with opportunities to make cherished memories, and activities everyone young and old will be delighted by.

Kicking off the festival on Good Friday will be the search for more than 85,000 Easter eggs hidden in Rosalind Park for the Vision Australia Easter Egg Hunt. Thousands of children of all ages will join in, and there will even be a special adults-only hunt – with blindfolds mandated for an entertaining challenge.

Easter Sunday will see Dai Gum Loong, the world’s longest imperial dragon, hitting the streets of Bendigo during the much-loved Sherridon Homes Gala Parade. The popular Rotary Market, Carnival Central, and the Bull Street Festival are also key events in the program again this year.

For many, however, the highlight of the 2025 festival will be the Saturday evening La Trobe University Torchlight Procession –commemorating the service of Rod Fyffe OAM, honouring a great man who did so much for our community.

The Bendigo Easter Festival takes place from April 18 to 21. To view the full program, head to bendigoeasterfestival.org.au

EXPLORE MEXICO CITY THROUGH THE LEGACY OF FRIDA KAHLO

To tie in with its latest show-stopping exhibition, Frida Kahlo: In her own image, the Bendigo Art Gallery is hosting a special talk exploring the history of Mexico City, the renowned artist’s home town.

In Frida’s footsteps, Mexico City then and now: talk by Paty Galán, will discuss key sites in Frida Kahlo’s life, including her high school and the museum she established with her husband, Diego Rivera. Audiences will gain an understanding of why these locations were so significant to her, and learn how innovation and design played a vital part in the rapid expansion of Mexico City in the 20th century.

The talk will be presented by Paty Galán, an architect and urban designer who trained in Mexico City, giving her unique insights into the challenges the city has faced as well as the strategies being implemented to ensure its future is more sustainable and liveable.

In Frida’s footsteps, Mexico City then and now: talk by Paty Galán will take place at the La Trobe Art Institute on Saturday, May 17, from 2pm-3pm. Tickets can be purchased through bendigoregion.com.au

RIGHT: Chen Ming, People and fish jump for joy, 1978. La Trobe University Stuart E Fraser Collection.

LOCAL EXHIBITION UNVEILS CHINA’S POLITICAL PAST

The Golden Dragon Museum has partnered with La Trobe University for its newest temporary exhibition, a rarely viewed political resource shedding light on mid-century China. Changing Times: Posters From the Stuart E. Fraser Collection features posters from the university’s collection promoting views on issues including civic duty, public health, community life, and unity.

The exhibition has been thoughtfully curated by Dr Jacqui Shelton, from the La Trobe Art Institute, who has selected 19 Chinese propaganda posters from more than 4000 in the collection. The works were acquired by La Trobe School of Education founder Emeritus Professor Stewart Fraser (1929-2001), during his many trips to China throughout the mid to late-1900s.

Designed to be thought-provoking yet relatable to a Bendigo audience, the exhibition highlights lion dances, New Year Nianhua, and Huxian peasant painters, giving a fascinating insight into the politics of the time.

Changing Times: Posters From the Stuart E. Fraser Collection can be viewed at the Golden Dragon Museum until August 17. For further details, visit goldendragonmuseum.org

LATE, LATE AT NIGHT: THE RICK SPRINGFIELD STORY

Written by award-winning Australian playwright Kieran Carroll and starring rising Sydney performer Jackson Carroll (no relation), Late, Late At Night is a pop-rock stage adaptation of Rick Springfield’s compelling and searing autobiography of the same name.

Directed by Robert Johnson, the show features over 20 fantastic Springfield gems – from Zoot to the present day – and includes many of his 17 Top 40 American hits from the 1980s.

A play adaptation written as a two act, one-man work, Late, Late At Night is a tumultuous and exhilarating journey of an AustralianAmerican songwriter whose sales of 25 million albums worldwide make him one of Australia’s most successful musical exports of all time.

It is an epic journey of a suburban boy whose journey to fame and fortune came with large personal costs.

Late, Late At Night is on at The Engine Room at 7.30pm on April 26.

ARTIST TALK TO EMPOWER DISABILITY THROUGH ART AND FASHION

Similar to famed disabled artist Frida Kahlo, Gippsland’s Michelle Roger has blazed her own path through her art to represent disability without fear or shame. Attendees of the Bendigo Art Gallery’s Representing Disability: talk by Michelle Roger will learn first-hand about her experience as an ageing disabled woman.

In 2015, Michelle integrated fashion and disability to create the representation she had always wished for in her work #UpAndDressed. The series of high-fashion self-portraits heavily and deliberately featured her wheelchair and walking stick, with the works inviting the fashion industry in but also boldly and unapologetically challenging it.

Representing Disability offers a look into Michelle’s creative practices, including the #UpAndDressed series, and how her artistic focus has changed alongside her health. This talk serves as an accompaniment to the Bendigo Art Gallery’s Frida Kahlo: In her own image exhibition.

The La Trobe Art Institute will host Representing Disability: talk by Michelle Roger on Saturday, May 10, from 2pm-3pm. Visit bendigoregion.com.au to purchase tickets.

Photo courtesy Ivan Kemp

MAGGIE BEER: MUSIC AND ME

As one of Australia’s most beloved culinary icons, Maggie Beer almost needs no introduction – her cookbooks, television programs and produce have brought joy to millions of people across the country.

To Maggie, music is every bit as important to her as food. It has been a constant part of her life since her early years and she is an opera lover, regular concert-goer, and member of a choir.

At the Ulumbarra Theatre for one night only, Maggie will be joined by Orchestra Victoria to present a concert of pieces handpicked for their significance to her life, interwoven with conversation in which Maggie will share the stories behind their selection.

Maggie Beer: Music and Me is on at 7pm on May 24 at Ulumbarra Theatre. To book, visit gotix.com.au

WIN BIG, GIVE BACK

The latest Play For Purpose raffle is here – and it’s your chance to score an incredible $250,000 prize pack while supporting Bendigo Health.

For just $10 a ticket, you could take home a brand-new Toyota LandCruiser Sahara plus $97,101 in cashable gold bullion – an extraordinary prize that blends adventure and financial freedom.

What makes this raffle even more special? Every ticket sold directly supports Bendigo Health, helping the organisation continue providing exceptional care to our local community. From life-saving treatments to compassionate support services, your ticket purchase contributes to vital healthcare initiatives that touch countless lives across Central Victoria.

Every dollar raised aids in providing high-quality care to those who need it most.

Whether you’re dreaming of off-road adventures or a boost to your bank account, this is your chance to win big and make a meaningful difference.

Get involved, support a great cause, and who knows – you might just be Bendigo’s next big winner.

Tickets are available at playforpurpose.com.au/bendigo-health until 8pm on June 26, with the draw at 9am on June 27.

Disclaimer: Promoter is 50-50 Foundation Ltd. Permits and T&Cs at playforpurpose.com. au/bendigo-health/terms

EASTER ART SHOW

The Rotary Club of Bendigo’s beloved Easter Art Show returns to the Bendigo Town Hall from Friday, April 17 to Monday, April 21, showcasing an incredible range of works from artists across Victoria and southern NSW. Now in its 57th year, this highly anticipated event continues to attract thousands of visitors – with over 2,300 attendees last year alone.

“All artwork is for sale, and with a sale rate of over 20%, it’s one of the most successful community art shows in Victoria,” says the Rotary Club of Bendigo. From captivating landscapes to bold portraits, the diversity and calibre of the work on display never fail to impress.

The event kicks off with an exclusive preview and awards evening on Thursday, April 17 at 7pm – an unmissable night for art lovers. Guests will enjoy light refreshments while mingling with exhibiting artists, including this year’s Artist in Residence, Michael Wolfe – a celebrated painter, photographer and printmaker whose work has featured in international exhibitions and major Australian galleries. The evening will also see the announcement of the show’s “Best in Show” award – worth $2500 – along with category winners, selected by judge Darren Crothers, a Julian Ashton Art School alum and Archibald finalist.

Proceeds from the show support Rotary’s humanitarian and youth programs – a perfect reason to immerse yourself in Bendigo’s vibrant art scene this Easter.

Visit bendigoartshow.com.au for more information.

GABRIELLE MARTIN: A PORTRAIT OF PLACE

Cascade Art Gallery in Maldon is proud to present This Place, a new exhibition by acclaimed artist Gabrielle Martin, running from April 10 to May 4. The exhibition will officially open at 2pm on Saturday, April 12, with Castlemaine Art Museum director Naomi Cass leading the launch and all members of the public welcome.

Featuring a thoughtful collection of landscape, portrait and still-life paintings, This Place captures the quiet, familiar beauty of Central Victoria. “Some of the landscapes are views from my home, where a dark cypress hedge frames the gold of a medlar in autumn or the silver-grey of an olive,” says Gabrielle. “Others are inspired by my walks along the aqueduct – places I know intimately, observing the shifting light from dawn to dusk.”.

Her work reflects an evolving environment – pastoral land now dotted with native wirilda, eucalypts and blackwood, coexisting with wild fruit trees and stubborn blackberries.

“It’s an embattled landscape, but one that still offers moments of great beauty. The landscape is continuously transformed by light, as day moves to night and seasons change.”

A celebrated portraitist, Gabrielle has been a finalist in prestigious prizes including the Archibald, Doug Moran, and Portia Geach, and she won the Maldon Portrait Prize in 2022. This exhibition is a stunning exploration of resilience, light and place. For more information, visit cascadeart.com.au

BENDIGO VISITOR CENTRE

Open daily (except Christmas Day) 9am-5pm or freecall on 1800 813 153.

SHOWCASING THE BEST OF BENDIGO

Start your Bendigo experience by talking to a local at the Bendigo Visitor Centre.

Located in the historic post o ce building on Pall Mall:

• Book your accommodation and find places to stay

• Buy tickets to events and our main attractions

• Explore with maps, guide books and local knowledge

• Collect unique gifts and souvenirs at Uniquely Bendigo

• Taste the region and purchase specialty produce

• Connect with local artists and creatives in the Living Art Space

• Discover culture in Djaa Djuwima, our First Nations Gallery

• Join a heritage building tour and uncover our unique history

Bendigo

shaping our community

From innovative businesses to compassionate care initiatives, these stories highlight the people and projects making a lasting impact across our region.

NEW HOME A HUB FOR INNOVATIVE FINANCIAL EXPERTISE

Fortem Group has made an impressive mark on the Bendigo CBD with its new, custom-built, architecturally designed office space – a sleek, contemporary setting that perfectly reflects the company’s progressive approach to financial services.

This fresh, modern environment is more than just a workspace; it’s a hub where Fortem’s team can collaborate, innovate, and continue to help clients achieve both personal and business success. Fortem Group’s philosophy is built on creating tailored strategies to suit each client’s unique journey. Whether it’s growing wealth or streamlining business processes, Fortem takes care of every detail – empowering clients to focus on what matters most to them. This personalised approach has fostered long-term partnerships not only within Greater Bendigo, but also with clients across the country who value Fortem’s expertise and unwavering dedication. The new office space at 99 Queen Street embodies the team’s commitment to modern, forward-thinking solutions, providing an inspiring environment to match the dynamic, results-driven services. For those seeking professional, bespoke financial advice and business strategies, Fortem Group continues to set the benchmark – now from the heart of Bendigo.

To learn more or book a consultation, call 03 5441 3377 or visit www.fortemgroup.com.au

BRINGING NATURE AND CARE TOGETHER

GreenConnect Dementia Respite project is transforming support for people living with dementia and their carers across the Loddon-Mallee region. This free, community-based initiative offers an innovative, nature-focused alternative to traditional care – creating inclusive, dementia-friendly environments where participants can engage, connect and thrive.

Designed specifically for people in the early to mid-stages of dementia who live outside of residential aged care facilities – and their carers – GreenConnect provides access to nature-based experiences that support individual needs and preferences. From social gatherings to guided walks and hands-on gardening, each activity is thoughtfully designed to promote wellbeing, reduce stress, and foster a deep sense of calm and connection.

Whether it’s a quiet moment in nature or sharing stories over morning tea, GreenConnect offers meaningful opportunities to connect with others on a similar journey.

For health professionals, GreenConnect presents a valuable referral pathway – a holistic, nature-based program that enhances the physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing of both participants and carers. With no associated costs for activities, experiences, or accommodation, the project is fully funded by the Australian Government and supported by a dedicated local care team.

By harnessing the therapeutic power of nature, GreenConnect is setting a new standard in dementia support – helping individuals stay engaged, live well, and feel truly supported within their community.

To learn more or get involved, visit GreenConnect.org.au

HEARING HEALTH ON THE ROAD

During Hearing Awareness Week (March 3-9), Bendigo locals had an incredible opportunity to prioritise their hearing health – thanks to Country Hearing Care. The business’s hearing bus made stops at three key locations: Bunnings Epsom, Hume & Iser Mitre 10 and Eaglehawk IGA.

Throughout the week, the team offered free hearing checks and shared valuable information on hearing loss, prevention and treatment options. With hearing loss affecting one in six Australians, the initiative aimed to help the community recognise early signs and take proactive steps.

“Our goal was to make hearing care accessible and to help people understand how early intervention can improve lives,” says Malcolm from Country Hearing Care.

The week wasn’t just about hearing tests – it was also about empowering Bendigo locals to take charge of their hearing health and break down the stigma surrounding hearing loss.

Thanks to this initiative, many residents walked away with newfound knowledge and confidence to protect their hearing for the future – a powerful reminder that better hearing means a better quality of life.

If you missed the hearing bus but want to prioritise your hearing health, contact Country Hearing Care Bendigo on 03 5442 5800 or visit countryhearing.com.au to book a hearing check.

A new approach to dementia support

Caring for someone with dementia? You’re not alone.

GreenConnect offers nature-based activities, experiences, and accommodation that bring joy, connection, and support to people living with early to mid-stage dementia, who live outside of residential aged care facilities, and their carers.

This free, governmentfunded initiative provides a refreshing alternative to traditional care. Participants enjoy outdoor activities, social connection, and engaging experiences in welcoming, dementia-inclusive environments.

“[My partner] was relaxed and really happy on the day... He’s excited for the next trip too [and] I’m sleeping better at night now.”

– GreenConnect carer

For families and carers

Share meaningful experiences with your loved one in safe, natural settings.

For health professionals

Refer patients to a nature-based program that enhances wellbeing.

TO SHOW AND SHARE COUNTRY

Djaa Djuwima is a dedicated and permanent First Nations gallery on Dja Dja Wurrung Country that signifies an important cultural step towards reconciliation.

Djaa Djuwima means to ‘show, share Country’ in Dja Dja Wurrung language.

51-67 Pall Mall, Bendigo

Open daily from 9am to 4.30pm (except Christmas day)

Djaa Djuwima, Bendigo Visitor Centre

transformation art, strength,

From preserving bodies before surgery to capturing Shibari’s fleeting beauty, Claire Tennant’s sculptures honour resilience, personal milestones and the art of alchemy.

By Dianne Dempsey - Photography by Leon Schoots

On this particular day, Claire Tennant wanted the atmosphere in her studio to be soft and warm. She had asked Teresa to choose the music so they both listened to Roberta Flack as Claire worked. The process would take about 40 minutes and Teresa would have to be perfectly still for that time.

Teresa was nervous at first, but Claire talked her through the stages as she worked. First, Claire asked her to take off her bra and top, hoping the studio was warm enough to keep Teresa from shivering. She quickly mixed up the silicone compound and asked Teresa to sit in the hospital chair she uses to comfortably support clients. Claire then carefully painted the glue-like substance onto Teresa’s upper torso, including her breasts and upper arms.

Once the silicone skin set, Claire covered it with a plaster mixture and once that hardened, she peeled it away from the skin to reveal the inner mould of Teresa’s body. Teresa wanted the result to be true: she wanted to reveal the lines of her skin, the crevices and dimples, even the treacherous lumps under the surface of her breasts.

Teresa was preparing for a looming double mastectomy. She was about to lose the breasts that had fed her babies; the breasts that her husband had always so cheerfully loved. Having a sculpture made of her upper torso was her way of preserving that which would soon be taken from her. Teresa’s mould would be filled with bronze, resulting in a new skin of black and bronze.

“Some women have proudly displayed their sculpture in their homes or in one of my exhibitions; and others have chosen to keep their battle scars private,” says Claire. “Everyone heals in their own way and should be supported in doing so,” she adds.

To see Claire working in her studio – stirring her pots of metal and resin and breaking open casts – is to see an artist performing the ancient art of alchemy. One definition of alchemy is to transform less valuable metals into gold, and the gold in this instance is surely the sculpture of Teresa’s body.

Another work of alchemy occurred when a man who lost all four limbs after he developed viral meningitis, presented himself to Claire. The attack on his body included severe scarring on his back. Claire’s client instinctively knew that the only way he would survive a decimated body would be to transform pain and scarring into strength.

Claire collaborates closely with her clients before making the moulds, aiming to understand their needs, the shape of their bodies, and to ensure they understand the process.

In the case of clients who practise Shibari, the Japanese art of rope tying, Claire helps them showcase the aesthetics of the rope on a bound body. A normally fleeting dynamic becomes permanently captured.

Sometimes described as ‘industrial chic’, Claire’s art practice is complex and varied, messy, technically complicated, physically demanding and based on years of experience and study.

After graduating from RMIT in industrial design in 2002, she moved to England, where she worked in the film industry doing stop-motion animation and live-action films, such as Mary and Max, Fantastic Mr Fox, Gulliver’s Travels, and Tim Burton’s 2012 Frankenweenie. She made moulds of puppets and set pieces.

“I was on a two-year work visa and by the time I came back, I had an amazing portfolio, but by then the work on Australian films had dried up,” Claire says. “People didn’t want stop-motion at that point. So I went to Sydney, where I worked as a mould maker in a bronze sculpture foundry.”

She eventually started her own business, Claire Tennant Workshop, and rented a large warehouse so she could sub-let space to other artists. Here, the clientele varied from the film world, TV shows such as Master Chef and Snack Masters, large-scale public sculpture and requests from the National Art School and NIDA to lecture in sculpture and practical film production skills.

Claire was highly successful and busy for 15 years in Sydney, but every time her avaricious landlord raised the rent, Claire had to work harder.

“My kids were getting old while stuck in traffic in the back of the car and I was running faster and faster. I was truly burnt out,” she says. “It was a big, ugly time.”

Twelve months ago, along with her partner Ben Luck and their two children, Max and Charlotte, Claire retreated to Bendigo, where she has family connections and friends.

“The pace is slower in Bendigo and it’s so much easier to bring up our children,” Claire says. She also found a group of kindred spirits when she joined the Emporium Creative Arts Hub. Gradually, her energy returned and with it a flow of commissions.

She describes husband Ben, a landscaper, as her biggest fan. “He’s just finished building me a massive new workshop to accommodate the increased business,” Claire says, smiling.

Claire is now taking life-casting commissions for personal milestone events, couples casting sessions and sculptural mould-making services.

She will also be running creative workshops for the general public and master-classes for artists looking to grow their personal practice by developing skills in mould-making and casting.

And happily, Claire is working in partnership with Ben on landscape projects where they employ Claire’s bespoke sculptures.

Through the Victorian Association of Sculptors, Claire is exhibiting her work in this year’s Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show.

Claire can be contacted via claire@clairetennant.com.au or visit castmybody.com.au and clairetennant.com.au. Ben can be found at metriclandscapes@gmail.com or on Instagram, @metric.landscapes

SWEET SUMMER SCREENING

Gathered around the pop-up screen, families settled into Golden Square’s Cooinda Park for a night of film fun.

As part of the free Summer in the Parks program, prequel film Wonka delighted all in attendance, and while not quite as magical as the treats on screen, popcorn and snow cones were devoured by the crowd.

Caitlin, Harry and Besse

Donna, Beth, Angus and Ron

Christa, Fran, Lachlan, Oli, Maya, Lilly, Tara, Mila, Kennedy, Sage and Fraya

Melanie, Ella and Miles

Kayla, Remi, Sophie, Kerry and Oakley

FESTIVAL BRINGS BOROUGH TO LIFE

Film fanatics filed into the Star Cinema across three days in January for a lively showcase of film-making excellence.

Celebrating its fourth year, the 2025 Eaglehawk Film Festival featured seven films focused on the theme “It’s alive”, opened by the 1993 docudrama Alive. The beautiful Borough was also on display, with audiences exploring the area between screenings.

Deb and Phil

Dylan and Holly

Lorinda and Ruby

Dennis, Mary and Pip

Julian, Gabriel and Mathew

Patty and Tim

lifetheon run

When she’s not overseeing radiology reports, this medical professional is running marathons and riding her bike through remote regions to raise funds for underprivileged children.

By Raelee Tuckerman - Photograph by Kate Monotti

Determination, discipline, commitment and compassion. These traits have served Dr Jill Wilkie well throughout life, from the time she decided to pursue a career in medicine as a young girl to today, where she is one of Bendigo’s leading radiologists and breast screening experts.

But that’s not all. Jill is also among the best female marathon runners her age on the planet, having twice won the world championship race in the 55-59 years category.

“There are huge parallels between running marathons and working in medicine,” says Jill, who is a partner at Bendigo Radiology and director of BreastScreen Bendigo, the free preventative service operated by Bendigo Health that aims to detect breast cancer in its earliest stages.

“There are similar levels of dedication and commitment. In medicine, you have to work hard to get where you are and you always strive to do well. And with running, there’s the self-discipline of those times the alarm sounds and you really want to turn it off, but you don’t…

“It’s hard to train for a marathon when you are working, but I do silly things like get up at 3.30am and go for a two-hour run and then come into work.”

BreastScreen Bendigo turns 30 this year and Jill has been there for almost half that time.

Raised in the UK, she graduated from medical school in 1991 and completed general and specialist training at Royal London and St Bartholomew’s hospitals, the latter of which had a cutting-edge breast imaging unit that nurtured her growing interest in the area.

“I didn’t know until I started as a junior doctor what specialty I wanted to follow, but radiology seemed to be where all the answers were,” she says. “There were millions of questions and the answers were down in radiology. There’s a good combination of practical hands-on stuff as well as the intellectual challenge of working out puzzles and I also like art, so a field involving describing pictures seemed to fit well with the way my brain works.”

After nine years as a consultant with a focus on breast screening at Luton and Dunstable Hospital in Hertfordshire, Jill was looking for an adventure. So in 2010, she and husband David packed up their four children, then aged 7-12, and moved halfway around the world.

“We’d always wanted to work abroad and when this opportunity at Bendigo Radiology came up, we thought it would be an exciting experience for the family. The job fit really well because there was a strong breast unit here and also general radiology, which I loved, working in the public hospital as well as private work and breast screening.

“We came over for an interview and really loved Bendigo so we thought we’d give it a go… in our heads we thought we’d come for a few years, but we’re all still here.”

Jill was immediately impressed with Australia’s healthcare system and the way her family was welcomed into the local community by new colleagues and friends. Now, almost 15 years later, she is excited at what the future holds for breast screening.

“There is much more knowledge about risk factors now, so the worldwide trend is to try and target-screen appropriately to the women at higher risk,” she says. “Some women might require screening more regularly than others; we can develop the new techniques we have that might then be targeted at those at very high risk, while low-risk women might not need them.

“Things like breast MRI and contrast-enhanced mammography are very helpful for high-risk women, particularly those with dense breasts that make it more difficult to pick up cancers with standard mammography. The exciting way breast screening is going, is that we can provide a much more individualised screening program.”

Jill says she finds it hard to sit still. That’s why holidays usually revolve around marathons, bike adventures or similar, often catching up with her UK-based twin Pippa (also a doctor).

“My sister is more a cyclist and I’m more a runner so we try to meet up a couple of times a year and either cycle or run,” she says, detailing a recent bike ride in The Andes mountains and a planned cycling trip in Japan in May.

As a youngster, Jill was a county-level sprinter and hurdler who also played hockey and netball, but she didn’t take up distance running until just before her 40th birthday in 2005. It was something she could do while the kids – Matilda, Harvey, Frank and Solly – were asleep.

Her first marathon was in Melbourne, in 2013. “It was quite a fun thing to do with a friend and while I completed it in 3 hours 49 minutes, we ran and chatted and I thought I could do even better. So I decided to do some training and see what happened if I put a bit of effort in.”

Jill has now completed 15 marathons, including the famous Big Seven (Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York, Tokyo and Sydney). Her best time is 2 hours 56 minutes.

Even so, winning her first world age title in Chicago in 2023 was “a

Photograph by Kate Monotti

complete shock”, and the second victory in Sydney last year was also a surprise, given she was at the top of her age group and will soon move up into the 60-64 years category.

She says she is lucky to have a supportive partner in David, who “looks after me, looks after the family, the house and everything else that allows me to do all the things I love”.

Jill’s professional compassion extends into her personal life.

“I do a charity bike ride every year (with Pippa and youngest son Solly) called Ride25, going from London to Sydney in 25 stages, with a different bit each year,” she explains. “This year we’ll be travelling across the north of India, raising money for a charity in Uganda that takes street kids off the streets and gives them a home and an education.

“Out of 100 riders, there are nine women and we’ve been sponsoring two bright girls, who have just finished their nursing degrees. One has done particularly well and she’s going on to study medicine. It’s a lovely thing for us to do: we raise money while we’re riding, but we also contribute a little bit throughout the year to help some keen, intelligent young women.

“It’s a great charity because these children have no hope and it gives them a future and people who love and care for them. This shows in the way they manage to achieve great things.”

Past stages have included rides through Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan – “amazing parts of the world we might never get to see otherwise”. Jill has calculated she will be in her early 70s when the group finally arrives in Sydney, but she plans to be there riding into the Harbour City.

It seems there’s just no slowing her down. “I’m going to keep going until my body tells me not to,” she laughs. “But there’s no reason to stop at the moment. I love all the things I do.”

BreastScreen Bendigo is part of the free national breast cancer screening service. For information or to book, visit www.breastscreen.org.au or call 13 20 50.

AUSSIE MARKET A HIT

Perfect weather and national pride combined to make a successful Australia Day event at Lake Weeroona.

Once again hosted by the Rotary Club of Bendigo Sandhurst, the dedicated volunteers ensured there was something for everyone at the Family and Market Day, from delicious food to awesome entertainment, and even an impressive display of three-wheeled vehicles.

Open 7 Days

8 am to 4 pm

Public Holidays 9am - 4pm

We look forward to welcoming you seven days a week with our traditional opening hours. The Das Kaffeehaus & Coffee Basics Team

FRESHLY ROASTED IN CASTLEMAINE

Ella and Paul

Jared and George

Riley, Leanne and Remi

Citizen of the Year Glenda Serpell with Sunshine Bendigo Volunteers

Kohen and Ava

Tara and Pollyanna Smith, Bendigo’s Young Citizen of the Year

NEW YEAR SLITHERS IN

A spectacular start to the Year of the Snake was had by the Golden Dragon Museum and its supporters.

On the first day of February, the Dai Gum San Precinct was the site of a joyous Lunar New Year celebration, with crowds in awe of helium dragon Fei Loong flying above the dragon carriers.

Char, Mali, Andrea, Felix and Sophie

Melissa, Annika and Brentan

Sienna, Jayda and Ivy

Marni and Blaise

Natalie and Willow

Ava, Tim, Alby and Jackie

an intimate legacy

Explore Frida Kahlo’s personal treasures, including her wardrobe, photographs and cherished items, in this groundbreaking exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery. A rare cultural experience.

Google “most famous female painter of all time” and Frida Kahlo will be at the top of the results. Frida is one of the most sought-after artists of the 20th century; the subject of hundreds of books, documentaries, and a major motion picture starring Salma Hayek.

Musicians, visual artists, fashion designers and writers have created tributes to Frida, sometimes playful and celebratory, sometimes heart wrenching. She is the flower-crowned face on an infinite number of candles, tote bags, earrings, mugs, calendars, socks and cushions. She has steadily risen as a cultural hero to multiple communities, admired for her radical individuality and courage in life and on canvas.

In 1984, Mexico declared Frida Kahlo’s work national cultural heritage, ensuring it would be safeguarded by the highest legal and cultural protections.

Frida was not a prolific artist; she produced only around 150 paintings – far fewer than artists of comparable fame. Despite the scarcity of her paintings, the public fascination with Frida has inspired hundreds of exhibitions in the United States and Mexico.

Here in Australia, with our geographic distance from Frida’s homeland

and the immense logistical complexities of transporting irreplaceable artworks and historic objects across the globe, there have only been a handful of past exhibitions. A privately owned collection of Mexican Modernist art, including several paintings by Frida Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera, has travelled to Australia three times: to Canberra in 2001, to Sydney in 2016, and most recently to Adelaide in 2023.

However, only one previous exhibition has come to Australia directly from Frida’s very own museum, her former home La Casa Azul (the Blue House). That exhibition, titled ‘Frida Kahlo, her photos’, was held at Bendigo Art Gallery in 2018. It presented a swathe of Frida’s personal photographs – of friends, lovers and artistic peers – many kissed with lipstick and inscribed with her characteristically witty and passionate notations.

The exhibition was a huge success, attracting thousands of summertime visitors to Bendigo. Work on an even more ambitious project began. Born in 1907, Frida grew up in a close family with three sisters in the home her father had built in Coyoacán, on the outskirts of Mexico City.

ABOVE: Frida Kahlo in the courtyard garden of La Casa Azul, 1946. Photographed by Florence Arquin. Florence Arquin papers, 1923-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

BELOW: Frida Kahlo in the courtyard garden of La Casa Azul, 1946. Photographed by Florence Arquin. Florence Arquin papers, 1923-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

Frida Kahlo in blue satin blouse, 1939, photograph by Nickolas Muray © Nickolas Muray Photo Archives.

In that house, she was born, she convalesced for many months after contracting polio in childhood, and again following a near-fatal traffic accident in her teenage years. When, aged 22, she married the famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, he paid the Kahlo family’s substantial debts so the house wouldn’t need to be sold.

In the 1930s, Kahlo and Rivera renovated the colonial-style house to reflect their devotion to Mexican culture. They painted the grey walls a vibrant blue, constructed new elements in local volcanic rock, and filled the home with traditional folk arts and archaeological statues. The courtyard garden was developed with garden native cacti and other species, and Frida took in a menagerie of pets, including the distinctive hairless dogs of pre-Hispanic Mexico, Xoloitzcuintle.

Frida decorated her home with love, flair and fastidious attention to detail. Her friends describe daily rituals of arranging fruit and flowers into pleasing compositions on the dining table. She replaced Europeanstyle furnishings with simple wooden pieces typical of traditional rural homes and purchased traditional pottery and artisanal glassware for the kitchen.

The lively house became a crucible of art and ideas, attracting luminaries from across Mexico and abroad. Exiled Communist revolutionary Leon Trotsky, leading French Surrealist André Breton, mid-century American sculptor and designer Isamu Noguchi, and Nobel prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda were among the many guests at La Casa Azul.

In the final years of her life, Frida’s health and mobility declined rapidly as a result of her teenage injuries and years of surgeries and medical treatments. She spent many months housebound at La Casa Azul, painting when she was able, and long hours lying in a bed she had placed to overlook the garden.

On July 13, 1954, Frida died in her bed at the age of 47. Following her death, Diego Rivera made arrangements for La Casa Azul to become a museum in her honour, for the people of Mexico.

Many of Frida’s most personal belongings, including clothes, makeup, jewellery, toiletries, orthopaedic corsets and prostheses, letters, drawings and photographs, were sealed up on Diego’s orders, in bathrooms and trunks. His plan was to keep the items out of public view for 15 years, perhaps due to the personal and political sensitivities of some items.

BELOW: La Casa Azul. Photograph by Sebastián Monsalve. © Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera Archives. Bank of Mexico, Fiduciary in the Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo Museum Trust.

LEFT: Frida in the Library of the Blue House, Coyoacán, Mexico City (c. 1949). Photography Antonio Kahlo

TOP RIGHT: Frida Kahlo, Still life with parrot and fruit 1951. Nickolas Muray Collection of Mexican Art, 66.7. © 2020 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F.

TOP

Cotton blouse embroidered with glass beads; satin skirt with chain stitch and floral motif embroidery; holán (ruffle) and guatemalan waistsash. © Museo Frida Kahlo - Casa Azul Collection - Javier Hinojosa, 2017.

It wound up being 50 years later, in 2004, that a painstaking project to unseal and catalogue the treasure trove began.

Selected pieces were displayed to the public for the first time in 2012, at La Casa Azul, in an exhibition called ‘Appearances can be deceiving: Frida Kahlo’s wardrobe’, curated by Circe Henestrosa. The precious items discovered in La Casa Azul include some of the most fragile materials imaginable: handmade cotton, silk and wool textiles, historic gelatin silver photographs, delicate pencil sketches, and brittle plaster corsets transformed into works of art by Frida.

All movement and handling of the items is carefully planned and overseen by the expert staff of the museum. The care of this priceless collection, and the respectful stewardship of Frida’s legacy, is a responsibility that the staff of La Casa Azul and their governing trustees undertake with immense dedication and sincerity.

Since its discovery, the collection has travelled outside La Casa Azul just a handful of times – to cities such as London, New York and most recently to Paris.

Bendigo Art Gallery is exceptionally fortunate to have formed a partnership with La Casa Azul to present these incredible pieces in Australia, their first time in the southern hemisphere, and to be working with curator Circe Henestrosa, who has studied these materials intimately for over a decade.

For fans of Frida Kahlo, a visit to La Casa Azul, Frida’s beloved home, filled with her favourite things, is an almost spiritual experience. To explore this exhibition of her most intimate and treasured belongings is the next best thing.

Lauren Ellis, Curatorial Manager at Bendigo Art Gallery, is the managing curator for the exhibition in Australia.

Photograph by Leon Schoots

ABOVE: Frida Kahlo, Self-portrait with thorn necklace and hummingbird 1940. Nickolas Muray Collection of Mexican Art, 66.6 © 2020 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F.

RIGHT:

SYMPHONY OF TALENT

The Capital theatre hosted the performance of a lifetime as 18 classical musicians opened the Bendigo Chamber Music Festival.

The Wednesday evening gala was just the first of 14 incredible concerts across five days, featuring talented local and international artists. The Bendigo Symphony Orchestra was also showcased at the sixth iteration of the festival.

Cascade Art Gallery is a destination gallery. Visitors are always surprised by the wealth of talented artists we present. Exhibitions change every 4 weeks and we have extensive collections in the archive too. Our print collection is highly desirable and collectable.

Artists include David Frazer, John Wolseley, Judy Holding, Dean Bowen, Jeff Gardner, David Moore, Liz Sullivan, Sam Varian, Craig Gough, Julie Andrews, Chris Delpratt, Stephen Tester, Robert Maclaurin plus more. To receive email invitations to exclusive events and news, please subscribe on website.

• magnificent, exceptional artists

• well priced for a variety of budgets

• feature & small paintings, sculptures & editioned prints

• set in sublime 1863 Gothic Revival Church

• friendly, approachable and helpful staff

The Church, 1A Fountain Street, Maldon Victoria Thursday - Sunday 10am - 5pm and by appointment (Check website for seasonal holiday hours)

0408 844 152 info@cascadeart.com.au cascadeart.com.au E maldonsfinearttreasure Q cascadeartmaldon

Angelina, Miriam, Lloyd, Théonie and Cindy

Felicity, Terry, Judy and Rosemary

Mark and Gaynor

Dave and Peter

Heather and Dianne

Rosslyn and Ian

FORTEM’S BOLD MOVE

Fortem Group has officially unveiled its striking new office at 99 Queen Street, marking an exciting new chapter for the innovative financial firm.

The opening event welcomed clients, partners, and community members to experience the sleek, architecturally designed space—built for collaboration and growth. With a strong focus on tailored financial strategies, Fortem continues to empower businesses and individuals from the heart of Bendigo.

Lisa, Darren and Tim

Briana, Kaitlin and Narelle

Dan, Jay, Hugh, Kurt and Rob

Steve, Stephen, Darren and Jacqueline

Melissa, Tim, Craig and Fiona

Craig and Kristy

marchingforward

International Women’s Day catchcry “March forward – It’s time to turn promises into progress” demands that gender equity commitments move beyond acknowledgment and into action.

Photograph by David Darrah

Bendigo has always been a place of progress, a city built on stories of resilience and innovation. Meg Champion, founder of local organisation We Are Untold, believes these attributes will positively guide us into our future.

Last year, Meg launched two community art projects – Women of Gold, and The Future is in Our Hands – that weaved their way into our cultural fabric and transcended their role as exhibitions to become catalysts of change.

Marching forward to 2025, Meg has taken the leap into leadership coaching with the intention of turning the promises of her initiatives into progress.

“When I founded my organisation, it was outcome driven. I endeavoured to tell untold stories that would positively impact the way we live, learn and work, toward a more equitable future. Over the last two years, I have discovered how important and impactful this change can be within our community leaders, organisations and institutions,” she says.

The Women of Gold project continues to illuminate the untold stories of women in Bendigo. Featuring public art installations and film, it proved that visibility matters – placing women’s experiences at the heart of our city.

“Women’s stories are a movement, a force for change. Now, we must ensure that visibility translates into influence,” says Meg.

Meg believes education plays a crucial role in dismantling gender biases and fostering respect from an early age. Schools that teach values of equality, consent and respect for diversity within the structures of their institutions, cultivate future generations that are committed to fairness and equality in all aspects of life. This strengthens relationships, families, workplaces and communities.

Meg advocates for men to play a vital role in championing change.

“Male role models – fathers, teachers, community leaders and public

figures – have a unique ability to influence attitudes and behaviours within their circles,” she says. “When men actively challenge stereotypes, advocate for equality, and model respectful behaviour, they contribute to shifting societal norms and improve their own connection to community, which has positive mental health outcomes for everyone.”

This was the inspiration behind Meg’s recent 16 Days of Activism campaign, “The Future is in Our Hands”, highlighting the crucial role men play in eliminating gender-based violence and fostering a culture of mutual respect.

It features quotes from male role models alongside decorated paper hands pasted by primary school students, featuring their thoughts on respect.

Meg’s own story compelled her to produce these projects and highlights how diverse storytelling can impact policies.

From an early age, she was dismissed by doctors and specialists about her debilitating period pain. It was not until she was 40 that Meg was finally diagnosed with endometriosis.

After an operation, Meg miraculously fell pregnant naturally. When her daughter was one, she discovered she was pregnant with twin boys. At seven months’ pregnant, she slipped and pulled the cartilage at her pubic bone apart and permanently separated her pelvis.

After the twins were born, Meg was discharged from hospital and told to ‘rest’, using a wheelchair or walking frame whilst looking after her 16-month-old daughter and newborn sons.

Her husband was desperate to bond with his babies and care for his daughter and wife, but was initially denied parental leave. However, now with Meg’s injury, his employer relented and agreed to the standard two weeks, on the stipulation that he travel overseas for a conference soon after.

During this time, at eight weeks post-partum, Meg was unable to walk or carry her children without acute pain. Caring for three children under 18 months, she began to suffer from severe insomnia, anxiety and panic attacks.

In the months that followed, Meg had an overwhelming sense of fear that she could not keep her children safe. “I asked my doctor, ‘but what if I need to grab them and run?’.” Puzzled, he replied: “What would you need to run from?” Fear consumed her and led her to doubt herself, her safety, and her sanity. “I felt completely powerless and worthless. I found it hard to imagine a positive end to my story,” she says.

After two years of physiotherapy, rehabilitation and slowly building up her walking, Meg started to look for work, wondering what her career options could be, living with a chronic injury with three children under three.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, Meg’s survival switch went into overdrive. “I was consumed with wanting to leave my children with a legacy, so that if I wasn’t here to guide them, they could find their way,” she states.

She began to imagine a world where her children could thrive regardless of gender, background, or circumstance. As she designed this legacy, she began to live it herself – finding her purpose and creating We Are Untold.

“I was designing a new world for them, and a new life for me. It saved me. My purpose gave me a destination. Another chapter to my story.”

Meg’s story revealed the systemic structures that failed her family, and reinforced her belief in storytelling, education, and diversity initiatives.

“We are witnessing a turning point in our world. I believe it is DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) or DIE,” she states. “Society has long functioned as a machine without humanity woven into its structures. The system is not broken, it is designed that way. We have the power to change it.

Photograph by David Darrah

Photograph by Daniel Soncin

“Invisible unpaid labour of women must be recognised in our GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to acknowledge that the world cannot function without it. This is how we begin to value the care economy.

“Male carers and fathers must be visible and valued for their humanity, so they become equal partners in the care economy. We need female leaders and decision-makers to influence policy and inform the systemic changes needed to build more equitable structures in our society.

“Children must understand their worth is not based on their gender and their existence is not futile and destined to be a replaceable part of a machine. Are we raising humans? Or are we raising soldiers and prisoners of the system?”

Meg compels all sides of our government. “Women are marching forward, as we have been for decades,” she says. “It is not fair to ask women to march with that burden strapped to our backs. We need the rest of the nation, organisations, and institutions to march with us and help carry the load. It is time for the system to bear the burden of change.”

She asks: “This is a new chapter in humanity. What do we want our story to be?”

In 2025, Meg begins her new chapter as a director at Sertori Consulting, with her mentor Leah Sertori, who has been a leader in our community for two decades. She is excited for the future.

“We will march forward together, using creativity and connection to energise our community. Storytelling is the foundation of change, shifting attitudes, inspiring policies, and forging pathways that empower all people.

“We will educate, inspire and ignite community leaders, organisations and institutions to build on their stories and create meaningful change.”

As Meg forges her path and leads the way, the future of our community is in good hands.

Women of Gold and The Future is in Our Hands are exhibited at Pennyweight Outdoor Story Gallery, in Bendigo’s Pennyweight Walk, until the end of June.

Photograph by David Darrah

PERFECT POOLSIDE

EVENING

Equipped with an acoustic guitar, local musician Ally Gook set the ideal soundtrack for a Saturday night by the pool.

As kids splashed around and families lazed on picnic blankets, Ally’s sweet tunes filled the Golden Square Pool for the Summer in the Parks event.

Amanda and Chantelle

Ellen, Hazel and Charlie

Linda, Shane and Emily

Nicole and Isaiah

Hayley and Freddie

Mitch, Duke, Isaac, Bowie, Rory, Xav and Jagger

GRAISON JELBART

“Every lesson is valuable and efficient, and my teachers are so knowledgeable.”

YAZ HARDIE

“I’m so grateful to BSSC and for being able to study the subjects I love.”

AMY JEFFERIS

“I’m grateful for this school. It has given me so much and I feel so lucky to be here.”

HARVEY JENKYN-TAYLOR

“All my teachers respect and care for their students’ wellbeing, as well as help them to succeed academically.”

TRIUMPH AT THE CUP

The excitement of the Marong Cup crowd couldn’t be contained as trainer Liam Howley claimed back-to-back victories.

Following Station One’s triumph in 2024, this year gelding Bogues won the biggest of the historic eight races. The day also acted as a fundraiser for local Catholic primary schools, with students taking part in their own racing events on foot.

BSSC offers the greatest choice of subjects for senior secondary students in Victoria. With a wide range of specialist programs and flexible learning options, BSSC is designed to create an environment that supports learners at every level. Like to find out more?

Phone: 5443 1222

Email: admin@bssc.edu.au

Amelia, Peyton and Willow

Jess, Tania, Shellie and Bianca

Kia, Katie, Charlie and Emerson

David, Chris and Shane

Kellie, Marita and Kerry

Dee, Al, and Morgan

our health in step with

Dr Naveen Tenneti has found both positions and purpose in Bendigo, and the community may be the biggest benefactor. LAUREN MITCHELL meets a health professional walking the talk.

Photography by Leon Schoots

Naveen Tenneti came with the rain of 2022.

When the public health physician first drove up the Calder from Melbourne, the area north of Bendigo was deep under flood waters. Naveen had taken a position with the Loddon Mallee Public Health Unit, and his first task was to respond to the natural disaster. It was a crash course in adapting to the region.

“The role of Bendigo Health’s Public Health Unit at that time was very focused on mosquito-borne diseases,” Naveen says. “One of the bits of advice around protecting yourself against mosquitoes was to get rid of standing water and I just remember driving out to drop-in community sessions and past kilometres and kilometres of completely flooded paddocks.

“When they give that advice, they’re thinking of a metropolitan context, but how do you enact an action like that? It’s totally different. It’s still relevant advice, but what does it practically mean at a community level?”

These are the sorts of questions Naveen is asking himself daily, as both the Public Health Unit clinical unit head and the recently appointed chief operations officer at Bendigo Community Health Services. The fact a public health physician is in this role at BCHS is unique, and could mean big advantages for the future health of Bendigo.

“A traditional doctor treats the patient that sits in front of them, whereas I consider my patient to be a local community,” Naveen says.

“It’s about taking that step back, looking at an entire population and trying to understand what’s needed. There are probably less of us compared to other specialities, so it’s a slightly less-well-known medical area.”

The challenge to explain himself became easier for Naveen during the pandemic, as public health physicians such as Victoria’s then-chief health officer Brett Sutton faced the media daily. Likewise, Naveen’s expertise was in high demand.

“Throughout COVID, I was working with the Victorian Department of Health, in a range of roles across contact tracing, vaccination, strategy and policy,” he says.

“As you could imagine, it was incredibly busy, incredibly stressful, and it got to a point at the start of 2022 that I was burnt out and really looking for something different to do. My COVID battery was empty, and then this opportunity came up at the Loddon Mallee Public Health Unit… I can’t recall having visited Bendigo before that, and I had no connection to the town.”

Naveen describes himself as “very much a city boy”, but life didn’t start out that way. Although he was raised in Sydney and then Melbourne, he was born into a tiny town in rural India, in a very small general practice run by his great-aunt and uncle.

“I was actually delivered by my great-uncle, in the same room that he delivered my mum in,” he says. “So, some of the initial inspiration around getting into medicine arose from that and the transition to public health came from wanting to be in the position to stop people from getting sick.

“The experience of clinical medicine is really rewarding, but sometimes you get the feeling that you’re just patching people up only to send them back into the conditions that drove whatever the illness or issue they have. Public health gives you the tools to shape those conditions and make an impact on a bigger level.”

Which brings us back to Bendigo; a city facing many of the same health challenges as comparable regional areas. Basically, on average our community smokes and drinks more, moves less, has a poorer diet, and less money than those in metro areas.

Naveen says the ensuing health challenges are less about individual choice, and more a result of the “social determinants of health”.

“Context matters,” he says. “Where your patient was born, lives, works and plays has profound implications for their life course and their health.

“People don’t live in a vacuum. We’re constantly shaped by our environment: what are the employment opportunities, the educational opportunities, the sporting opportunities? How easy is it to buy fresh produce?

“All of these things we take for granted and consider as basic expectations, but if any of those things are missing, it’s an enormous step backward in terms of the health of a community. For example, if it’s cheaper to buy calorie-dense food than it is to buy fresh produce, that’s a determinant of health for people… And you need people on the ground to understand that context.”

Naveen is getting to know the community and its challenges, and also its many beautiful benefits.

“It’s been wonderful from a lifestyle perspective,” he says. “My wife and I enjoy walking and running and getting outdoors. We now live 500m away from the national park and we’re often out there with our dog.

“And we don’t miss the Melbourne traffic. We joke that there’s an eightminute limit in Bendigo. When I first got here, it seemed like every time I put a destination into my phone, it came up as being eight minutes away.

“I’ve also found Bendigo terrific in terms of career opportunities. The assumption if you’ve not been in a regional area is that the opportunities are in the cities, but actually, for me, I’ve experienced tremendous growth here.”

Naveen is married to GP Dr Chavy Arora, who has also been warmly welcomed with positions at both BCHS and Bendigo and District Aboriginal Co-operative, helping fill a much-reported void of local doctors.

Naveen says Bendigo holds all the keys to encouraging health professionals to move here, or at least have an experience of working regionally.

“As we’ve seen across the health system, yes, we can try to throw money at things and put huge financial incentives in place, but what will make someone want to move to or stay in the regions will be a combination of economic opportunity, availability of housing, good schools, arts and culture, nice restaurants, fun things to do,” he says.

“I’m probably a bit biased now because I think Bendigo is great and ticks a lot of those boxes quite naturally, but that hasn’t come without an expense.”

Naveen says Bendigo walks a fine line in tackling current health challenges and remaining community-focused and affordable as it increasingly gentrifies. Ironically, gentrification can in turn have a determinant on people’s health as it increases the cost of living.

“At BCHS, our big challenge as a service with eight sites, 50 services and a multidisciplinary staff, is how do we respond to community growth and need and create a truly integrated and seamless service for patients, so they can enter at any point and get everything they need in as efficient way as possible?

“It’s no longer a case that you can just come and see a GP and have all your problems solved. We need to work as a team.

“BCHS has grown, we have a relatively new executive and a new strategic plan, and we’ve got this opportunity and responsibility to keep the service sustainable, but also to start shifting our model so it’s from the community’s perspective. We’re looking at how to achieve that.”

It seems it will take a diagnosis of all of us, together, to answer Naveen’s questions.

TALENTED TEENS ON SHOW

Amongst the beautiful Rosalind Park trees, musically gifted students from two local schools had the chance to perform in February.

The bands of Bendigo Senior Secondary College and Bendigo South East College were featured at the Summer in the Parks School Showcase Concert, as loud cheers could be heard from the proud family and friends watching on.

Ada, Catherine, Elouise and Graison

Johnnie and Roy

Percy, Alastair and Brendan

Elkie, Harper and Maeve

Kara, Heidi and Catherine

William and Ethan

CULTURAL FUSION CELEBRATION

Strathdale Park was the scene of an energetic gathering blending the diverse cultures and rhythms of Asia and Latin America.

For Summer in the Parks, the Asian Women’s Collective and the Latin Hour proudly danced, sang and played music from their countries, with people of all ages joining in the fun.

Year 6 at Girton provides students with an excellent platform to make the transition to secondary school.

Students enjoy a range of opportunities and experiences designed to make their last year of primary school memorable and rewarding. Leadership, sport, music, theatre, camp and more are combined with a strong academic focus and our renowned emotional intelligence education. Due to demand we’ve added an additional Year 6 class to our 2026 intake.

At Girton Grammar Junior School your child will be immersed in a caring environment, where positive attitudes and strong values are nurtured to ensure a seamless transition to the Senior School.

To make an enquiry about our additional Year 6 class for 2026 or to tour the school, contact our Registry Team on 5441 3114. www.girton.vic.edu.au

Anisha and Johanna

Indi, Jarrod, Mia, Mel and Georgie

Katik, Rekha and Urmile

Ernie, Claire and Jake

Johanna and Jeanna

Nemesha, Em, Sophie and Joel

a passion for politics

Meet

a proud Torres Strait Islander woman successfully combining an enthusiasm for politics with a heartfelt desire to improve the wellbeing of First Nations peoples.

By Jennie Mellberg

She was just six years old when Julia Gillard was sworn in as Australia’s first female prime minister. But Amelia Leach-Unmeopa remembers it clearly.

Two years later, her mum Cathryn watched intrigued as eight-year-old Amelia was glued to a 2013 televised political debate.

Amelia’s career trajectory may have been settled early, but she says her mum has worked hard and sacrificed much to provide the best preparation for life.

“She’s my greatest inspiration and supporter. There’s no way I’d be where I am – or who I am – without her.”

A political career making a difference for First Nations peoples became Amelia’s focus.

At Bendigo Senior Secondary College, she joined the school’s First Nations Leadership Team and then the Victorian Youth Congress, becoming a voice for regional youth.

Meeting monthly, the congress discusses legislation likely to impact Victorian young people – providing the government with valuable feedback.

“It also opened my eyes to the role of the Public Service and how important so many services are.”

In 2022, Amelia was celebrated by the Bendigo Zonta Club, which presented her with the Indigenous Women and Girls Achievement Award for her inspiring local leadership. At the beginning of 2023, she was named one of Bendigo’s Young Citizens of the Year.

Amelia’s connection with her culture and with other First Nations students blossomed at BSSC and The Scholars Hut was part of this.

Amelia points out there is no ‘standard’ First Nations curriculum – because each mob has a different traditional and cultural education.

But The Scholars Hut, where Culture is deeply respected, is a quiet study space allowing students to catch up with each other and the First Nations program coordinator. It supports young First Nations students to strengthen connection with Culture and Country during a Western-style education.

“I remember one beautiful experience when (teacher) Sue Pickles and Uncle Paul Chapman took some of us to a local primary school. I loved watching Uncle Paul play his didgeridoo and show the kids how to use clap sticks.

“BSSC also built the kind of independence and responsibility that set me up for the real world with skills to self-direct my learning in the role I now have. I’ve learnt your ATAR doesn’t matter as much as some people claim. What really matters is doing what you’re really passionate about.”

Amelia’s passion was to study politics at university. She also applied to join the Australian Public Service (APS).

A few months later, she left her Year 12 Economics exam to take a phone call offering her a position in the APS Careers Starter Program with the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA).

Within a matter of months, she moved to Canberra, found somewhere to

live, was meeting new people, taking on study, and beginning full-time work.

Amelia describes her early weeks in the national capital like a deep dive –an exciting yet steep learning curve – but walking the halls of Parliament House delivering papers to the Minister for Indigenous Australians (then Linda Burney) brought a sense of ‘living the dream’.

These days, a conversation with Amelia is to hear the voice of an enthusiastic young woman determined to do her bit to ‘Close the Gap’.

Once her Certificate IV in Government was completed, Amelia was offered a role as an executive assistant to the NIAA regional manager responsible for the Top End and Tiwi Islands. She has since also become an executive assistant to NIAA’s NT Strategy and Policy branch manager.

The NIAA focuses on issues including health, economic development, housing, education, land and environment, and works to empower Indigenous communities to influence issues affecting them.

Amelia’s work revolves around ensuring accurate and timely information aids the agency and government being fully briefed, and ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are aware of services the NIAA offers.

As part of the Northern Territory team, Amelia spent nine months working in Darwin last year.

“I loved being in Darwin. Everyone is so welcoming and open. I was privileged to have experiences I’ll remember for a lifetime, including flying to remote NT communities and experiencing their life first-hand.”

NIAA government engagement coordinators live and work in some of Australia’s most isolated areas. Amelia describes them as “amazing”.

“Part of my job is keeping in contact, and one of our Borroloola staff opened my eyes to the challenges some people face.

“I’d not realised how the wet season can impact food security for some remote communities. Cut off for up to six months – with flying the only way in or out – particularly severe wet seasons have seen some communities actually run out of food.”

Amelia relished being out on Country in the Top End and says she frequently saw a different story to what the media presents.

“I love visiting Tiwi Islands people and it was terrific to attend the Tiwi Cultural Festival. On another occasion, I was there for the signing of Tiwi Islands’ first LDM – an agreement protecting local self-determination and strengthening the relationship between the Commonwealth and Territory governments and Tiwi people.

Amelia points to the long history of First Nations peoples being told what they need. She says this approach is being replaced by a question: what do you need? And, equally importantly, what do you not need?

There is an echo here of Amelia’s role on the Victorian Youth Congress, where the focus was making sure the voices of youth were heard when legislation affected them.

In a sense, Amelia sits in a ‘middle place’ participating in federal government processes that aim to Close the Gap, while constantly deepening her respect for the remarkable resilience of her people: First Nations Australians.

A ROARING TRIBUTE

The life and legacy of a local icon were in the spotlight as author Dianne Dempsey launched her latest work.

The biography of Golden Dragon Museum co-founder Russell Jack - Saving Dragons: The Life and Times of Russell Goldfield (Louey Yeung Man) Jack - received a warm reception from the crowd at The Capital theatre launch event in February.

WINE. FOOD. FUNCTIONS, WEDDINGS & CONFERENCES

Visit our Cellar Door and Gallery. You can relax and enjoy wine tasting in air conditioned comfort or relax outdoors in the gardens.

“AN

JAMES

HALLIDAY

Amelita and Stellina

Chris, Alex and Doug

Karen, Zhalen, Jensen and Kaiden.jpg

Anita, Jacinta, Jack and Dianne

Edsell, Dianne and Haylee

Shaz, Susie and Martha

HUB KICKS OFF IN BENDIGO

An important program supporting the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community has found a home at Catherine McAuley College’s Coolock Campus.

A partnership between the school and AFL football team Richmond saw the launch of the club’s inaugural Korin Gamadji hub, bringing together students and players for the special event. The program fosters leadership, culture, identity and wellbeing.

Josh, Brian, Luke, Chelsea and Sahara

Poppy, Taj and Mia

Sam Banks, Tylar Young, Josh Gibcus, Judson Clarke, Mykelti Lefau, Seth Campbell and Taj Hotton

Nat, Taj, Tarkyn and Tasman

Tarkyn, Tasman, Mykelti, Brayden and James

beyond backbone &

A quarter-century into her solo career, this ARIA Hall-of-Famer is still finding new ways to tell her story.

Popular singer, songwriter, producer and author Kasey Chambers returned late last year with both her ninth solo album Backbone, and book Just Don’t Be A Dickhead (and other profound things I learnt) – a double offering that feels deeply connected.

The inspiration behind Backbone, Kasey explains, came from taking a step back.

“I went completely off-grid for a while there, and I wasn’t focused on my career at all. I spent a lot of last year travelling with my family, and I took my kids back to all these places where I’d written songs over the years – which was a real soul-searching journey.

“Both the album and the book kind of naturally evolved from going back to my roots – it felt like everything had perfectly fallen into place.”

The book, says Kasey, complements the album in a way that brings both projects to life.

“The songs brought the book to life and the book brought the songs to life. They really enhance one another as you track along with the journey.

“Take Silverado Girl, for instance. It could be about a billion different things if you just listen to it by itself, but if you read the book you’ll find out it’s about some really uncomfortable things I realised about myself. I don’t know that you quite get the deep, heartfelt emotion of the album without the book. They both really put everything out there, which I was definitely worried about, but that discomfort is ultimately how we really learn about ourselves,” she says.

Despite working with A-listers like Paul Kelly, Nick DiDia, and Bernard Fanning on past records, this time Kasey took the reins on production.

“I have always had really beautiful experiences with all the producers I’ve worked with in the past. I just knew that this was going to be a very personal album – almost like the soundtrack to my life – and the fact that it was all my concept meant I thought it was best if I produced the album myself. It’s a little bit different, but there’s a lot of little differences on this album.”

Joining her usual bandmates (dad Bill Chambers, guitarist Brandon Dodd, and bassist Jeff McCormack), Kasey also brought in Sam Teskey from The Teskey Brothers and American drummer Brady Blade, known for his work with Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, and the Indigo Girls.

“I’ve always loved Sam’s guitar playing, and I knew I wanted the songs to have a real soul to them, so I asked if he wanted to come and play, and he was super keen,” Kasey says.

“I’d also always wanted to make an album with Brady, but the timing was never right, so I reached out and he flew all the way out here. It was everything I’d hoped for and more. He’s unlike anyone I’ve ever worked with.”

As for her upcoming Bendigo show, fans can expect a mix of old and new.

“There will be a few new songs from the album, but I’ll also be going back and playing all the old ones, too.

“I still love playing all my old songs so much – The Captain, Not Pretty Enough, Barricades and Brickwalls, etc. They are such a big part of who I am. I can’t wait!”

Tickets are on sale for Kasey Chambers’ Backbone Album Tour, with special guest Jenny Mitchell (NZ), at the Ulumbarra Theatre in Bendigo on Saturday, May 31. For more details, visit www.kaseychambers.com

COLOURFUL CHAOS FOR CHARITY

White shirts were the uniform for participants of the Bendigo Colour Frenzy – but the shirts weren’t white for long.

At the unique fun run and obstacle course, colour and bubbles covered the crowd as they completed laps of the 1km loop, raising funds for local animal rescue services and having an absolute ball.

Andrew and Fiona

Remi, Evangelia, Leo, Neve, Casey and Pelagia

Tim, Ben, Jake, Josh and Jess

Bryce, Alisha, Robert and Chelsea

Shaun, Carter, Ryder and Shania

Zarleigha, Michelle and Leila

HISTORY IN FRAMES

Esteemed guests of the Golden Dragon Museum were treated to a special sneak peek of its newest temporary exhibition.

In partnership with La Trobe University, ‘Changing Times: Posters From the Stuart E. Fraser Collection’ was officially opened by MP Lisa Chesters in late February, with attendees enjoying an exclusive look ahead of the public opening.

Andrew, Rachel, Don and Marj

Mollie and Jac

Xinyuan (Caesar) Li, Hugo, Jacqui, Andrea, Karen and Doug

Geoff, Karen, Rachel and Damian

Jacqui, Xinyuan (Caesar) Li, and Megan

sketching our past

GEOFF HOCKING reflects on Bendigo’s evolving landscape through a series of sketches, capturing the transformation of iconic structures from the goldfields era to modern times.

Words & Illustrations by Geoff Hocking

I have been walking backwards lately.

Last year, I published a small collection of drawings around Castlemaine. It was suggested to me that I should do the same for Bendigo, so that is what I have just done.

Originally I thought this would be an easy project to get my teeth into. After all, I grew up in Bendigo. Almost my entire family lived in the golden city, always within walking distance of a Methodist church. There were a few who had gone elsewhere, to the city, for various reasons, but I was surrounded by aunts and uncles, grandparents, cousins and second cousins and a vast collection of people we considered to be an extension of our own tribe anyway.

I thought I knew Bendigo. I had scoured the hillsides as a child; gone down shafts cut into hillsides; climbed over rusting machinery in the bush; snuck up unstable ladders on abandoned poppet legs. The goldfields were my bush kinder, my adventure playground, the abandoned places that offered scope for voyages of discovery. So, I started by going backwards. I visited those places I had clambered over more than half-a-century ago, only to discover that nothing was the same anymore.

The mining site opposite the Gold Mines Hotel on Marong Road is now fenced and there are walking paths and interpretative signs dotted

through the reserve to explain to visitors what it all means. As a kid, I wandered around here, found the crushing plant, threw rocks down the open shaft, kicked rusting tin cans and probably charged up and down the mullock heaps launching long stalks of pampas grass into the air. What is today the car park in front of the reserve, where the freeranging barista now has his coffee cart, was once the muddy-bottomed West Bendigo swimming hole.

I have a collection of photographs taken in the ‘50s by the husband of a cousin of my mother, who also enjoyed voyages of discovery on the Bendigo goldfields. He tootled about in his soft-top Austin, snapping remnants of mines from Sailors Gully to Fosterville. Most of the poppet legs he photographed back then have long gone. His snaps provided source material for some of my drawings once I had decided on how to tackle the idea of a collection of pictures of the Bendigo goldfields. Unlike Castlemaine and Maldon, where the streetscapes remain much as they were a century ago, Bendigo has undergone dramatic changes. Few buildings are untouched. The devastating council directive mandating the removal of cast-iron-laced verandas changed the character of the city as Bendigo attempted to modernise.

Some beautiful old buildings, banks, hotels and cinemas made way for modernised shopfronts and petrol stations on almost every corner.

As I wandered around looking for subject material, I decided to only draw buildings that are not being used today for the purpose for which they were originally built.

This latest portfolio of drawings, and some paintings, shows pubs that have become medical suites, or even churches. Churches have become private residences. Some grand residences have become tourist attractions, as have mines and poppet legs. Poppet legs have become lookout towers, moved around from place to place and found a new function lasting into the 21st century.

The transition from the unceasing cacophony of the mining industry to the comparative quiet of suburban domesticity has been gradual, but irreversible.

What has surprised me most is realising how little has changed on the strip of land that runs from Maiden Gully in the north-west to Golden Gully in the south. That strip of land followed the lines of reef through Sailors Gully, Eaglehawk, Long and California Gully, Specimen Hill, Golden Square and over the railway line to the south.

This land is still damaged: torn apart by mining and littered with the rock and mullock and piles of sand that were the result of quartz crushing and refining.

What shocks me even more is, when looking at old photographs, to realise the real pride of the original traders in what they built. The shop fronts are beautifully detailed with architectural ornaments, striped verandas and extraordinary signage beautifully lettered, extolling the virtues of the establishment. How poor by comparison are the buildings thrown up today, and how ordinary the standard of advertising and how cheaply realised. I can’t imagine attempting a portfolio of buildings made of concrete slabs.

While there are some stunningly beautiful houses built by those who had success on the diggings, there are dotted all over the district humble cottages that once housed the working men whose lives were largely spent underground. Both sets of my grandparents lived in such small dwellings that still stand today.

I drove up behind Grandma Hocking’s the other day and the rocky outcrop behind her house in Maple Street – where I played and crawled along a shallow trench into a short tunnel as a child – was still there. The land behind that straddled the hill when my grandparents lived

there was being scraped flat to make way for new houses. Modern machinery makes this change possible. However, out along the lines of reef where the poppet legs once stood, one after the other like sentinels over the city, the old shafts and plugs of concrete and remnant footings make plans for suburbia fade away.

I have collected more than 90 sketches of remnants of the golden days for this Bendigo portfolio. These include the little hairdresser on the corner of Eaglehawk Road and Creeth Street that once was a butcher shop; the Prince of Wales Hotel in Sailors Gully Road that became a general store before it morphed into a private residence; and Sims’ Grocer Shop on Barnard Street, which started out as a butchers, became a grocer, then a screen printer, even a stint as the office of Bendigo Magazine and is now a hairdresser.

There is the Fifeshire Hotel that is now a medical suite; a hotel that is now a church; and even the Fuse Factory in Wattle Street that is also a church – and there are churches that are now residences.

The goldfields certainly turned everything topsy-turvy, and everything seems to be turning upside down again. In contemporary Bendigo, in the 21st century, the city is fortunate remnants of the golden days remain. The basic bones of the golden city are intact, still in use but functioning differently.

Some of the artworks in this portfolio collection were drawn in the 1960s, others much more recently; together, they reveal the lasting architectural legacy of the region, both industrial and domestic, and how the pioneers built to last and how they built with style.

BENDIGO | The Legacy.

A Portfolio: Poppet Legs, Pubs and Corner Stores, Remnants of the Golden Days. To be published sometime soon.

a string world on

The musical life of this Bendigo violinist could have come straight out of the pages of the storybook that inspired her as a child. And there are many chapters still to be written.

By Raelee Tuckerman

From starting out on amateur stages around Bendigo, Evangeline Victoria is now a sought-after performer at marriage celebrations, corporate events, even international sports extravaganzas. You might say her professional repertoire spans weddings, parties, (almost) anything.

In 2024, Evie and her violin wowed crowds at 240-plus private and public events, including a stunning pre-match rendition of unofficial soccer anthem Seven Nation Army at a Melbourne Victory game at AAMI Park. Footage of her performance went viral, attracting millions of views and culminating in her being flown to Qatar in December to play live at the final of FIFA’s Intercontinental Cup between Real Madrid and Pachuca, in a stadium packed with almost 70,000 football fans.

Arriving back on a Friday evening, she took centre stage at Melbourne Victory’s Christmas derby on the Saturday, then returned to her former hometown to feature at Carols by Candlelight in Rosalind Park on the Sunday.

“It’s crazy,” laughs Evie, whose bread-and-butter is providing music of love and joy to couples committing to spend their lives together, both here in Australia and more recently in Europe.

“I love looking back on how far I’ve come. I don’t think I would have believed you if you told me this would be my life. I’m lucky in some ways

because going viral just happened from me doing my job. But at the same time, it hasn’t come easy and I work so hard behind the scenes, putting my heart and soul into everything I do.

“I often get people saying, ‘you blew up overnight’, and I think, you have no idea… But it’s very rewarding knowing all the work I’ve put in is now paying off.”

The essence of Evangeline Victoria Music as a business is getting to know each wedding couple as intimately as a celebrant would and creating a unique experience, just for them.

“My ideal clients are fun, easygoing couples who want to have a good time and who respect and trust in me as a vendor and resonate with me as a person. I like to say I’m here for the marriage, not the wedding. And I love the idea of giving my couples the opportunity to look back and say, ‘our friend Evangeline played at our wedding’, not ‘we hired a violinist for our wedding’.”

Her playlist includes everything from classical to contemporary to cultural music, and while she happily accepts requests and learns new songs on demand, she also loves curating a surprise selection of music she knows each couple will appreciate, based on their pre-nuptial chats. Now 28 and living in Melbourne, Evangeline grew up surrounded by music. Her dad John studied keyboard, flute and clarinet at the

Photograph courtesy Domenico Di Martino Media

Photograph courtesy Chamore Creations

Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and was an instrumental teacher at Big Hill Primary, where his daughter spent her junior years.

“I remember as a very young child, Dad rocking me, singing songs he made up about me and falling asleep in his arms. We’ve had the same upright piano in our house my entire life and he played that a lot.

“We also did a lot of road trips visiting family and to keep my annoyingly curious and impatient brain occupied in the car, I had a picture book with double-sided cassette tape called The Musical Life of Gustav Mole, about a mole born into a musical family who grows up and becomes a dad with his own children learning music. I could recite the entire book along with the tape just on the backing track side, that’s how much I read it.

“Gustav played the violin, and we believe that’s where the seed was planted for me.”

Evie took up the instrument in grade three and convinced John to join her. “In a class of five seven-year-olds, there was my 50-something dad learning violin with us as a beginner.”

Throughout her schooling, Evie danced, performed in Bendigo Theatre Company musicals like Wizard of Oz, Annie, Chicago, Godspell and Hairspray, and played her violin in various ensembles including string and symphony orchestras at Girton Grammar School, where she held music and performing arts scholarships.

She initially planned to pursue theatre professionally, completing a 12-month musical theatre foundation course after VCE before realising it wasn’t for her.

What followed was a tumultuous four years at the Melbourne Conservatorium, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Music (violin and viola) but often felt singled out for unfair treatment. Feeling unsupported while trying to balance her studies with working with Orchestra Victoria, the National Institute of Circus Arts and in the orchestral pit for multiple theatre productions only added to her overwhelm.

“I put the violin down after graduating because I had no positive association with the instrument after that,” Evie says. “It’s really sad that I didn’t want to see it again and didn’t want to play it again.”

Instead, she worked as a personal trainer. When COVID hit, she became a fitness coach for a friend’s online business, learning valuable commerce skills she would later use building her own brand.

And when another friend asked her to play violin at her wedding, Evie’s life changed course.

“After finishing school, I liked the idea of going into the wedding industry but didn’t know how to do it as a solo artist. By itself, violin is very unambient and I didn’t know anyone to collaborate with who shared my passion.

“While preparing for my friend’s wedding, I had this epiphany to use backing tracks. I started researching how to find them ethically and collaborating with DJs and quickly created a repertoire. That’s where Evangeline Victoria Music was created.

“Because we were in lockdown I had so much spare time that I learned to build my website from scratch. I’m a big believer in learning how to do things yourself and I wear all the hats – managing, financing, social media, websites, building my repertoire, sales calls, all of that.”

The business launched in November 2021 with three bookings, and 18 in December. That grew to 87 events in 2022, 138 functions in 2023 and almost 250 last year. Evangeline has 55,000 followers on Instagram and more than 45,000 on both Facebook and TikTok. She’s been honoured with awards by the Australian Bridal Industry Academy for music performance.

She has also been recognised as “a very famous violinist from Australia” by a musician in Venice’s Piazza San Marco and a taxi driver in Athens (as well as being asked “are you the Melbourne Victory girl?” while shopping at her local supermarket, dressed down in tracky dacks instead of her usual workwear of beautiful dresses and gowns!).

Evangeline will return to Europe for two months mid this year and has weddings awaiting in Athens, several Greek islands and Italy’s Amalfi coast. These clients are mostly Australians and Americans celebrating destination weddings.

Photograph courtesy Anita Milas Photography

Photograph courtesy Andrew Avi Photography

Evie has Maltese heritage on her mum Vicky’s side and her coming travels will include side trips to Malta and Cyprus, where partner Michael’s family hails from.

“In Greece, I always have to tell people I’m not Greek. They say, ‘your face is Greek, your name is Greek, you can sing in Greek….’ I give up trying to explain. I even did a DNA test when I got back last year but no, I’m not Greek, nothing!”

For someone who knew little about soccer (and thought she was being booked to play in a corporate suite at the rugby when approached by her now-corporate manager about the A-League gig that went viral), Evie now counts herself as a true-blue Melbourne Victory girl.

“They treat me like I am one of the team and were all so proud of me after the FIFA game in Qatar,” she says. “They’ve asked me back multiple times and go above and beyond to look after me and truly make my experience with them so wonderful.”

Evie credits her talented dad, strong-willed mum, and supportive partner with helping her navigate life’s challenges to become the determined, dedicated, successful musician she is today.

She’s in a happy place personally and professionally, and this shines through whenever she picks up her bow.

“Knowing that my association with my instrument is very fragile from my experience at uni, I could easily fall out of love with it in the wrong environment. My whole business and brand is built around my personality and I’m not going to try to be someone I’m not, otherwise I’d attract the wrong clientele and end up working with people who don’t appreciate me.

“I am who I am. My performing style is very free and comfortable and I perform best when I’m relaxed – and people can relax watching me, which is always my goal.

“I love to work and I love what I do.”

Follow @EvangelineVictoriaMusic on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Photograph courtesy Talisa Tahli Photography

GLOBAL EDUCATION

WORLD-CLASS FACILITIES

WORLD-CLASS FACILITIES

INDUSTRY CONNECTED

INDUSTRY CONNECTED

GREAT EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES

GREAT EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES

FRIDA FEVER HITS TOWN

Enthusiastic art lovers, distinguished guests and media enjoyed an exclusive preview of the city’s latest much-anticipated exhibition.

They explored the stunning pieces on display as part of the Bendigo Art Gallery’s Frida Kahlo: In her own image, buzzing with excitement while sharing their impressions and soaking in the creative and inspiring atmosphere generated by exhibition curators.

Rory, Mark and Rebecca

Hayley and Gina

Annita and Cody

Jess, Sai-Wai, Itzel and Carlos

Lauren and Gannit

Chris and Karren

CRAFTING CONNECTIONS

Artisans around the world came to Bendigo to showcase their talents, but many left with lifelong friendships.

The Lost Trades Fair gave makers the chance to meet others vying to keep their traditional trades alive, as well as educate and impress the thousands of show attendees through demonstrations in blacksmithing, woodworking, ropemaking and more.

BEAUTIFUL LIVING SPACES

Samara and Corinna

Daniel and Christene

Noah, Bec and Eden

Aliza and Felicity

Kellie and Annelise

John and Jill

table talk

It’s lovely to alter the wine on your table with the weather – a simple way to stay in tune with Mother Nature. While we love a Bendigo white, it’s nice to welcome the reds back for the cooler weekends ahead, writes casual appreciator LAUREN MITCHELL.

Photography by Leon Schoots

MANDURANG VALLEY - 2024 RIESLING

Given the heat we’ve had, we started this issue’s trio of tastings with the white. The crisp, cool glass of Riesling from just up the road in Mandurang made me fret for my lemon tree and its curling leaves. Like the silver birch and the lilly pilly, the lemon has not coped with a long, dry summer.

With a sharp citrus tang and a lemon-lime hue, it reminded me to snake a hose below branches and let it drip. Zesty and fresh, the wine was the ideal way to (hopefully) see out an Indian summer.

Handcrafted with love from the Vine family, it’s one to ask for at the cellar door.

TURNERS CROSSING - 2021 THE FREDERICK SHIRAZ CABERNET

The year was legendary among local winemakers. Turners Crossing would go as far as saying 2021 was one of the best seasons Bendigo has seen. The mild and balanced conditions made for some great wines, and this Shiraz Cabernet from the Loddon River flats is the perfect ‘exhibit A’. So good, it was named after vineyard founder Phil Bennett’s grandfather Frederick, who was a Sydney publican in the 1920s.

Fred would no doubt approve of this deep red, robustly structured and textured wine. It displays aromas of ripe berries and warm cloves. It tastes of dark chocolate, cherries and aniseed. I’m keeping it on hand for the cooler months ahead to enjoy with a slow-cooked beef casserole or a rich and saucy lasagne.

SANDHURST RIDGE - 2017 RESERVE SHIRAZ

This premium, eight-year-old Shiraz likewise comes from one of the region’s best-loved vineyards, and the grapes were selected from some of its oldest vines. Winemakers are happy to encourage its enjoyment now, while cementing that good things come to those who wait; it could be cellared for a further eight years yet.

We weren’t so patient. We celebrated the season’s first cool evening and a welcome earlier nightfall, by unscrewing the cap and toasting the rain. With decadent plum and berry flavours, balanced by a savoury finish, it was a gorgeous accompaniment to a Sunday leg of lamb, roast potatoes, Kent pumpkin and bright broccolini.

Cass & Nick

From university sweethearts to a sunset proposal in Spain, Cass and Nick’s wedding was a heartfelt celebration filled with family traditions and stunning local touches.

Photography by Jim Aldersley from Justin and Jim – Photographer

Cass and Nick first met in 2014 at Monash University, both staying at Mannix College in Clayton. Cass, a first-year law and arts student, quickly formed a close friendship with Nick, who was in his second year of medicine. By the start of Cass’s second year, that friendship blossomed into something more – the beginning of a love story that would span a decade.

“We became friends so quickly,” says Cass. “Nick was always someone I could talk to about anything – it wasn’t long before I realised he was someone really special.”

Years later, while living in London, the pair decided to escape to Majorca for a summer weekend getaway. On their first night, they headed down to the beach for a swim. Cass, ever the sunset lover, was reluctant to leave the water. But Nick, uncharacteristically eager to move on, convinced her to walk toward Palma’s old walled city.

“I figured he must have been starving, he was so insistent on leaving before sunset – which is very unlike him,” says Cass. “It wasn’t until he pulled a ring box out of a pair of socks that I realised what was happening. I think I managed to say ‘Yup!’ After 10 years together, it felt right.”

On February 22, 2025, the pair tied the knot at the breathtaking Sacred Heart Cathedral, followed by a lively reception at Chateau Dore. Cass wore an elegant gown by Brisbane designer Ella Moda, while her bridesmaids carried bouquets from Ivy and Bloom. The day’s floral arrangements were beautifully crafted by family friend Jane Cisera, owner of Fleur Hart Flowers and Foliage – just down the road from the venue.

“Our flowers were absolutely stunning. Jane put so much love into every

detail – it felt like having family involved in every part of the day,” says Cass.

The wedding cake, made by Cass’s talented aunt Edwina Deledio, was extra special, using her late grandmother’s cherished chocolate mudcake recipe. The couple cut the cake with Nick’s grandmother’s heirloom cake knife, displayed on a lace tablecloth made by his greatgreat-grandmother – a nod to their family’s rich history.

“It was so meaningful to have that connection to family throughout the day. The cake, the tablecloth, the knife – it felt like we were honouring the people who got us to where we are now,” says Cass.

Photographer Jim Aldersey from ‘Justin and Jim’ captured the magic of the day, alongside videographer Dave Darrah from Twentyfour.18, ensuring every moment was preserved. Makeup artist Ashley Morales and hairstylist Emily Morris completed Cass’s stunning bridal look. As for the evening’s entertainment, the band ‘Stock Standard’ kept the dance floor alive all night long.

The wedding date itself held deep significance, coinciding with Nick’s parents’ anniversary and just two days after Cass’s parents’ own special date. Following in the footsteps of Nick’s maternal grandparents, who married on their parents’ anniversary, the couple embraced this meaningful family tradition.

“We loved the idea of continuing that tradition. It felt like we were weaving our story into theirs – and it made the date even more special,” says Cass.

Family connections ran through every part of the day. Nick wore his paternal grandfather’s cufflinks, while his brother, the best man, wore

a pair from their maternal grandfather. Rose petals, lovingly gathered from Nick’s aunt’s garden in Mornington – a place filled with treasured memories – were tossed as the newlyweds made their grand entrance.

Cass walked down the aisle holding her great-grandfather’s WWI prayer book, wrapped in a piece of her great-grandmother’s wedding dress. It was a powerful reminder of the love stories that came before hers.

“I felt like I was carrying a piece of my family with me. It gave me so much comfort knowing they were part of the day.”

For Cass and Nick, having all their loved ones in one place was the highlight of their wedding. Guests travelled from across Australia, the US and the UK to celebrate with them. Heartfelt speeches, including a touching tribute from Cass’s little brother Paddy, their MC, brought plenty of tears and laughter.

“The speeches were so emotional. My brother’s words really got to me… he had everyone laughing and crying. It was such a special moment,” says Cass.

The couple’s first dance – despite their self-confessed lack of coordination – became an unforgettable, intimate moment. Lost in each other’s gaze, they barely noticed the room around them.

“We’re not great dancers but, in that moment, none of it mattered. It felt like it was just us,” says Cass.

After the festivities, Cass and Nick escaped to Tasmania for a honeymoon adventure, exploring Cradle Mountain and Freycinet National Park.

Now, as newlyweds, they’re enjoying a slower pace of life, trading wedding planning for gardening and nurturing their new home. Their advice to other couples? Focus on what truly matters.

“At the end of the day, all you will want is to celebrate the love you’ve found,” says Cass. “Don’t sweat the small stuff. The most important thing is being together.”

GALA GOES FOR GOLD

All eyes were on our local athletes as the 59th annual Bendigo Sports Star Gala kicked off.

Held at the All Seasons, high-performers from a wide range of sports were recognised, with swimmers Col Pearse and Jenna Strauch sharing the spotlight as joint winners of the night’s top nod, the 2024 Bendigo Sports Star of the Year.

FESTIVAL MAKES A SPLASH

Every inch of the Golden Square Pool was covered in colour as the Indian Association of Bendigo marked a major Hindu festival.

Over 1000 community members took part in the Holi Festival of Colour, with their white clothing quickly turning multicoloured by the powder thrown during the high-energy celebration, the biggest one in regional Victoria.

Andy and Melinda

Col and Jenna

Madeline, Leila and Emily

Charlotte and Andrea

James and Carol

Morrie and Tony

Christa, Mila and Laura

Sevika, Arush, Aayam, Anod and Priya

Kylie and Arabella

Gourav, Ashish, Ajay and Karan

Scout, Anna, Ted and Tony

Sandeep, Sahib, Rahul, Munish and Prem Nath

Discover unparalleled real estate success with Greg Heard & Darcie Fry. With exceptional negotiation skills and a precise, measured sales strategy that ensures the optimal outcome when selling your home. Trust Greg & Darcie for outstanding results.

M: 0436 200 250

E: greg.heard@mckeanmcgregor.com.au

DARCIE FRY

M: 0436 200 250

E: darcie.fry@mckeanmcgregor.com.au

sanctuary in stone

Blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living, this residence transforms into a serene retreat built for lasting connection.

By

Marina Williams - Photography by Leon Schoots

Nestled in an established suburb near the heart of Bendigo is a striking contemporary residence – a refined expression of privacy, elegance and thoughtful design that harmonises effortlessly with its natural surroundings.

Created as a sanctuary for a retired couple, it blends architecture and landscape to offer a tranquil retreat from the bustle beyond.

“This project gave our clients the space to build their dream home in the suburb they have called home for years,” says Lucas Hodgens, director and architect at Eplus Architecture.

“The brief was to provide a private and secure home with strong outdoor connections and ample space for visiting grandchildren. Having spent a working life in the motor industry, they also needed a space to house their historical automobile collection.”

Designed by Eplus Architecture and built by BLR Provincial Construction, the 500sqm home makes an unforgettable first impression.

Positioned along a busy road, the house turns inward, using a solid stone wall as both a privacy screen and a dramatic architectural statement. This wall, reminiscent of the region’s sandstone, shelters a lush internal world centred around a courtyard and a glass-sided pool, dissolving the boundaries between indoors and out.

The house design focused on two key elements: privacy and security from the main road, and a central courtyard to connect the home with its natural surroundings.

Lucas says the design takes inspiration from compound-style architecture, allowing the home to “open up to itself” rather than the street. The street-facing stone wall acts as a front fence, screening the garage and creating a discreet, motel-style ‘porte cochere’ for guest parking.

Beyond this entrance, a series of curated internal and external gardens guide visitors through a journey of discovery. Entry unfolds through layers of open-air and glazed courtyards, reinforcing the blurred threshold between interior and exterior. “It was all about layering privacy while keeping a fluid connection to the landscape,” Lucas explains.

“The entry sequence creates an illusion where you pass through the ‘front door’ but are still outside. A glass entry leads to a courtyard garden that is actually inside the house, while another courtyard beyond it is outside. “This illusion of spaces creates a captivating experience for visitors.”

Inside, the layout continues the theme of spatial fluidity. The home comprises four bedrooms, including a secluded master suite with an ensuite and walk-in robe, an open-plan kitchen, dining, and living space, and a separate study and lounge area. Thoughtfully placed service spaces include a two-car daily garage, a sewing room, laundry, and a pantry.

At the heart of the home, the open-plan living areas embrace the courtyard and pool. Increased ceiling heights and highlight glazing invite natural light deep into the home. Exposed timber beams add warmth and craftsmanship, a testament to BLR Provincial Construction’s execution, says Lucas.

One of the home’s defining elements is the elevated glass-walled swimming pool, which is both a functional space and an architectural centrepiece. Using the natural slope of the land, the split-level design raises the pool 1.2m above ground, doubling as a compliant pool fence.

“The collaboration in getting those clear panels in place was incredible,” says Dan Bahen, from BLR Provincial Construction. “It was a challenge, but well worth the effort, as was the batten screening.” Timber battens surrounding the pool provide texture and a contemporary contrast to the stone. An operable stacking roof extends the pool’s usability to all seasons.

Beyond the main residence, the property extends into curated outdoor spaces. The original barn, the only structure retained on-site, has been reimagined as a pool house with a bathroom and play area.

Further back on the 3000sqm property, a bespoke car facility houses the owner’s prized automobile collection.

The material palette – a blend of stone, timber and glass – creates continuity between exterior and interior and, along with the floating roof, gives a nod to mid-century design.

“It was about creating a timeless aesthetic with natural elements that age beautifully,” says Lucas. Local interior designer Carla Anderson, of Inside Home Living, curated the furnishings, reinforcing the home’s tactile warmth.

Constructed amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project required adaptability at every stage. The close collaboration between architect and builder ensured that evolving material shortages and labour constraints did not compromise quality.

“When architect, builder, owners and trades work together, this is the result: a stunning and very special home,” Dan says.

Lucas reflects: “With its seamless integration of space, materiality and nature, this home redefines what it means to live well. It proves that great design isn’t just about aesthetics, but about creating a space that is functional, personal and built to be enjoyed for generations.”

A TASTE OF AUTUMN

A twilight market was the celebration of choice for Heathcote as autumn brought on another vintage for vineyards.

As they wandered through market stalls at the Heathcote Harvest Festival, locals indulged in some of the region’s finest food and alcohol, enjoying an evening outdoors with their families and furry friends.

Faith, Briony, Ellie and Deb

Lorraine and Gwen

Peter, Lucinda, Julie and John

Leila and Rebecca

Michaela and Peter

Simone, Daniel, Lola and Cooper

BOROUGH BLOOMS WITH JOY

Pure delight could be felt throughout Eaglehawk during a weekend of dazzling fun and festivities.

For the 52nd Dahlia & Arts Festival, residents embraced the ‘Fiesta’ theme, dressing in tribute to artist Frida Kahlo and showcasing their creativity and community spirit during the EUFS Pharmacies Gala Parade. The three-day extravaganza also featured a family fun day and school relays.

Ellen and Pat

Jenny and Tony

Mandy, Finn and Bluey

Danka, Austin, Chelsea and Alexis

Jenny, Dustin and Jack

Stephanie and Reece

BUNJA THAI

Bringing fresh and delicious Thai food to Bendigo’s CBD with Thai chefs and table service in an amazing Gold Rush Architectural masterpiece. Fully licensed and open for lunch Mon-Fri and dinner from 5pm Mon-Sat. bunja.com.au AUTHENTIC THAI FOOD | DINE IN | TAKEAWAY

THE CHAMBERS WINE BAR

at home on the range

Meet the sharpshooters who are harnessing their pioneering spirit to help bring a touch of America’s Old West to Bendigo through a unique quick-fire sport.

By Raelee Tuckerman - Photography by Leon Schoots

It’s high noon at the Bendigo Pistol Club and gathered at the Wellsford shooting range are a colourful collection of cowboys and cowgirls, lawmen and outlaws, businessmen, saloon ladies and various other townsfolk. But this is not the set of a Hollywood western; it is a bona fide sporting competition and the gunfight is about to begin.

Welcome to the world of Single Action Shooting, where participants combine marksmanship skills with their genuine interest in ‘Wild West’ history to pay homage to America’s frontier era.

“We use original or replica firearms commonly used in the Old West period of 1800 to 1899,” explains long-time club member Julie, “including single-action revolvers, lever-action and slide-action rifles and carbines, and lever-action or side-by-side shotguns.”

A typical event – known as a stage – involves firing a series of shots

from two handguns, then a rifle and lastly a shotgun in the order specified by the posse leader, aiming to hit reactive metal targets that either fall on impact or impart the distinctive sound of lead on steel. Time penalties are incurred for misses, shooting out of order, or protocol breaches – and the fastest gun in the west wins. ‘Single action’ means the trigger can’t be pulled until the gun is manually cocked. Under competition guidelines, those involved wear authentic period clothing and use individual aliases in keeping with the western theme, adding a re-enactment layer of context to the activity. The local contingent is collectively known as the Bendigo Bushrangers.

“I just love the costuming and we enjoy seeing what others wear,” says Julie, who shoots under the nickname Jaybird in a nod to her first initial and her maiden name Bird. Husband Richard goes by Slick Dick.

“There’s a term in our sport called The Spirit of the Game, which is to adopt an attitude that means you fully participate in what the competition asks. You try your best to dress the part, use appropriate competition tools and respect the traditions of the Old West. It’s also about showing good kindness to one another and not all sports are like that.”

Julie credits her parents for her love of shooting and inspiring her interest in 1800s history.

“They were field-to-plate, from-the-land people,” she says. “The day they married, my dad went out and shot the rabbits for dinner that night. Mum was a great cook with rabbit and duck and shooting in the field was very normal for me growing up, as it was for many people of the time.

“My most profound memories are from the ‘70s, listening to country music and watching all those western movies that went through a real revival then. I watched Paint Your Wagon with Lee Marvin and the song I Was Born Under a Wandering Star – that Hollywood influence is central to my memory.

“I have been doing single action shooting for around 20 years now and Dad did it before me. It sounds a little bit romantic, but besides the costume and the alias, I really love the competition – we’re here to have fun but there is that competitive nature in us all.”

Julie has travelled around Victoria and interstate for her sport, winning numerous titles over the years. She is the reigning Australian champion in the senior ladies’ category.

Fellow club member Alice (aka Lil Al) has been involved for about two years but only competed for the first time in mid-2024, along with partner Paul (aka Cody Bill, a rodeo icon).

“I’ve been a shooter all my life but Paul had that passion for cowboys and he wanted to find out more about single action shooting,” she says.

“Once I knew about it, I thought, there’s no way you’re doing this on your own! I went along and fell in love with it.”

Alice makes her own period clothing and enjoys the formal dinners held during competition weekends, where everyone attends in costume and in character.

You might sit next to Grizzly Grumps or Ima Kranky, Tennessee Tom or Texas Slim, Remington Rose or Whiskey Lil, Yosemite Sam, Captain Melville, Judge Ruger or Marshal Cleaver.

“It’s one of the facets I value most,” says Alice, adding there’s a national register of aliases so every person’s moniker is unique. “In fact, for 90% of other competitors, I wouldn’t even know their real names.”

Alice is very pleased with her progress in the sport. “I’ve halved my times since I started. I was averaging 70-100 seconds for a stage, now I’m averaging 35-42 seconds and I recently set a new PB of 28.6.”

She says the camaraderie among the single action fraternity is amazing.

“I’ve never participated in a sport that is as embracing and welcoming, where there is absolutely no judgment and everybody engages, supports and cheers you on. If your gun breaks or gets jammed, you have six people offering for you to use theirs.

“And the level of coaching we have received as newbies at the club has been fantastic. There is great mentorship, which has allowed us to progress as quickly as we have.”

Single Action originated in California in 1981 and has been practised in Australia for about 30 years, coming under the auspices of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia.

It is carefully controlled by gun licensing and ownership laws (pistol requirements are particularly strict). Protective glasses and ear wear are mandatory and stages are closely monitored by spotters to ensure a safe environment for everyone.

There are numerous competition categories, based on age/gender, dress code, the style of gun or mode of shooting. In Classic Cowboy/ Cowgirl, five costume items are required from a list including things like chaps and spurs, while B-Western showcases Hollywood-inspired leather and bling. Gunslingers use alternate hands; Duellist is onehanded; Blackpowder utilises specific ammunition.

Often, replica frontier towns are constructed on shooting ranges with facades such as churches, banks, sheriff’s office or blacksmith shop enhancing the atmosphere.

“Bendigo’s props are very simple and rustic but provide shelter and shade,” says Julie. “We built them out of almost nothing but having spent time with people locally pulling down a piggery for the iron and hitch rails and building our own little cowboy town means we built relationships, and that’s also important.”

At the end of the day, Single Action shooting is a competitive role-playing game (RPG) with a Wild West twist – just as some people attend pop culture conventions in costume or take part in tabletop or computerbased RPGs.

“It’s called escapism,” laughs Julie. “We go to a shoot for the weekend and leave all our worries behind. For that time, I am Jaybird and this is Lil Al and we can all go and take a break from real life for a moment and simply have some sporting fun.”

Single Action Shooting is held at the Bendigo Pistol Club on the first Sunday each month. For more details, visit ssaavic.com.au/disciplines/singleaction or email newmembers@bendigopistolclub.com.au to learn how to become involved.

15 March – 13 July 2025

Featuring Kahlo’s personal belongings, clothing, make-up and art from the Museo Frida Kahlo for the first time in Australia. Bendigo International Collections

Book online prior to your visit: bendigoartgallery.com.au

Image: Frida Kahlo in blue satin blouse, 1939, photograph by Nickolas Muray

Nickolas Muray