Bendigo Magazine - Issue 69 - Summer 2022

Evolution Pools is an owner-operated business so you will deal with our team from concept right through to completion. We are a small team dedicated to your entire pool project. We will keep your pool clean, healthy and safe all year round for your family’s enjoyment.

Evolution Pools offers a range of swimming pool options, including fibreglass, concrete and aboveground pools. We have been in the swimming pool industry for many years and are extremely experienced in the sales, installation, construction and service areas.

FEELING HUNGRY?

HAWKER @ THE MUSEUM IS NOW OPEN

Inspired by the tasty street food served in the night markets of Malaysia and Singapore. Lunch, Dinner, Dine-In & Take Away

Bendigo has had its share of hard times recently but, as always, residents have banded together to help each other in need. As the days get longer and the weather becomes warmer, we can enjoy celebrating as a community so many events that have been on hold due to unfortunate circumstances.

It’s an opportunity to smile and thrive in the wonderful company of others while supporting this amazing city we call home. Summer in the Parks is back, boasting a wonderful program filled with outdoor events from Carols by Candlelight to open-air cinemas, and live performances by talented local artists including Taylor Sheridan. There’s also the Bendigo Chamber Music Festival and Lost Trades Fair.

This edition highlights many of Bendigo’s creative talents, including composer and artistic director David Gagliardi, whose latest stage work Everyone Goes To Heaven In The Clothes They Died In was born from an idea inspired by a local manufacturing company. Louisa John-Krol is a writer and musician who has returned to her fantastical roots following a recording and touring career that’s taken her around the world. Also, writer Lauren Mitchell and illustrator Geoff Hocking have teamed up to create the children’s book Dragon Dance, a story of hope, resilience and creativity and a celebration of the city’s much-loved Chinese dragon tradition.

Take care, and we wish you all the best for this festive season.

FROM THE TEAM

MANAGING EDITOR

Dustin Schilling

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Leon Schoots, AJ Taylor and Daniel Soncin WRITERS

Dianne Dempsey, Geoff Hocking, Lauren Mitchell, Raelee Tuckerman and Sue Turpie

CONTRIBUTORS

Beau Cook, Stephanie Dunne, Anna Knight and Lisa Chesters

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.

Edible gifts

Unearth locally grown and produced delights from the City and region of Gastronomy. Indulge with delicious treats to take home and savour your Bendigo experience.

Can’t decide on a gift for that special person in your life? Come in and let us help you create a one-of-a-kind, City of Gastronomy hamper.

Shop in-store or online. Gift wrapping and click and collect available.

www.uniquelybendigo.com.au

VisitLivingSpaceArts the

Showcasing works created by local artists from Bendigo and the central Victorian region, the Living Arts Space presents exhibitions, workshops and artist talks throughout the year for a unique visitor experience celebrating the region’s contemporary arts, culture and heritage.

Find us on

Image credit: Daikota Nelson

& ENTERTAINMENT

OLD TRADES NO LONGER LOST

Did you know that luthiers are guitar makers? Or that chandlers make candles? If you’ve ever been curious about these now-uncommon professions, the Lost Trades Fair is the event for you.

Lost Trades is one of the largest traditional trades fairs in the country and will be back in Bendigo in March, showcasing and celebrating old-fashioned crafts and the skilled makers keeping them alive.

There’ll be over 150 artisans demonstrating their talents in ageold techniques. Take a stroll through the artisan village to discover blacksmiths shaping metal in their forges and silversmiths creating beautiful jewellery with expert precision. You might even get the chance to have a go yourself, and there are lots of hands-on activities for the little ones to get stuck into.

In 2023, the Lost Trades Fair marks its 13th year and the third time it will be held in Bendigo. An incredible 20,000 people attended the premiere Bendigo event in 2020, with 2022 attracting large numbers as well.

The 2023 fair is expected to be as popular as ever, especially following the news of its return to Bendigo in 2024 after the City of Greater Bendigo secured a three-year host agreement.

The Lost Trades Fair will take place at the Bendigo Racecourse on March 11 and 12, 2023. Visit losttradesfair.com.au to purchase tickets.

fun in the

FAMILY FUN RETURNS FOR THE SUMMER

December to February is often a busy period, but be sure to add some Summer in the Parks events to your calendar. There’s something for everyone in this year’s program, from Christmas events to live music and movies.

sunThe City of Greater Bendigo and Agnico Eagle have planned more than 15 free outdoor events for the 2022-23 season, with the highly anticipated lighting of the Rosalind Park Christmas tree kicking things off on Friday, December 2. From there, the month is dominated by carols and fireworks, a treat for those in the festive spirit.

January sees three family favourite movies airing on the pop-up big screen, with Clifford the Big Red Dog, Sing 2, and Minions: The Rise of Gru set to delight the little ones. The annual Australia Day celebrations round out the month.

Music fans will be excited by February’s line-up. Talented musicians Kid James Trio, Taylor Sheridan, The Grinners, John Grossman Project, and Alli and Andrew are all scheduled for Friday evening park gigs.

There is so much on offer this summer, so gather your family, grab a picnic and a blanket, and get down to our beautiful local parks for some fun.

Summer in the Parks events take place over December, January and February at various locations across Bendigo. The full program can be viewed at bendigosummerintheparks.com

It’s all happening across Bendigo with artisans, musicians, sports and the return of familiar favourites.

FILM FESTIVAL RETURNS TO EAGLEHAWK

After a successful inaugural event in 2022, the Eaglehawk Film Festival is back for another year of celebrating excellence in filmmaking. Rather than simply screening the newest films, the festival focuses on curating a diverse selection of films, hand-picked from different eras and cultures.

The 2023 festival will see eight films screened at the Star Cinema across four days in January, all with one thing in common – their title and the theme of the festival, Alone. All of the films explore this concept through a range of genres and filmmaking techniques. Opening the festival is the lesserknown 1997 American film Alone, starring James Earl Jones and Chris Cooper, with other scheduled films originating in Spain, Turkey, France, Russia, Germany and China.

Organisers chose the festival theme due to the cinema being one of the most widely accepted places one can go alone, however they encourage attendees to bring their friends, especially as Star Cinema’s new Chambers Wine Bar will be open for dinner and drinks on the first night. They also hope the Eaglehawk community will embrace and be proud of the festival, and for out-of-town attendees to experience what beautiful Eaglehawk has to offer in between film showings.

The Eaglehawk Film Festival will be held at the Star Cinema from January 13 to 16, 2023. Tickets can be purchased at eaglehawkfilmfestival.com

RACING TO RAISE FUNDS FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS

On February 18, the race will be on at the Bendigo Jockey Club to see who will win the annual Marong Cup.

The Marong Cup has a proud history dating back to the 1800s, with races held originally at the now-defunct Marong Racecourse. After World War II, it became a permanent tenant of the Bendigo Jockey Club, where it remains today as a fundraiser for local Catholic primary schools.

Staff from eight schools generously volunteer their time each year to help make the day a success, and there are many fun racing-inspired activities for the students. The usual race day recreations of live music, food and fashion are also key features of the event.

In 2022, Warrnambool-based gelding French Moon charged to victory. The school race was taken out by Eaglehawk’s St Liborius Primary School for the first time, leading to loud cheers from the excited students.

All eyes will be on the track in 2023 as the Marong Cup again brings people together in celebration of schools, the community and racing.

The Marong Cup will be held at the Bendigo Jockey Club on Saturday, February 18, 2023, with gates opening at 11am. For tickets, visit country.racing.com/bendigo

cast. 90-piece Melbourne Opera Orchestra conducted by internationally acclaimed Anthony Negus and David Kram AM. Directed by Suzanne Chaundy.

Presented in association with Bendigo Venues & Events Principal Production Supporter

BENDIGO HEALTH CHRISTMAS APPEAL

Play is so important to the healthy development of children that the United Nations considers it a basic right for every child.

That’s why Bendigo Health is setting out to create amazing spaces for its youngest patients to use during their recovery and rehabilitation. As part of its annual Christmas Appeal, Bendigo Health is raising funds to build an all-abilities outdoor play space to complement the redevelopment of the Clinical Services Campus on the site of the former hospital in Lucan Street. The play space will become a place for therapists and patients in the Victorian Paediatric Rehabilitation Service to use during therapy sessions and other times when children within the service just wish to play.

Children like 16-month-old Chloe and six-year-old Amelia will be some of those to benefit.

Like other children with cerebral palsy, Chloe has multiple appointments every week to encourage movement skills such as sitting, walking, playing, dressing and toileting. As she grows, having direct access to an inclusive play space during therapy will make sessions more engaging and fun.

Fiercely independent Amelia loves playing with and chasing her friends and older brother. Like other prep-aged children, friendships and play are essential to Amelia’s physical, social and emotional wellbeing. Amelia has attended regular rehabilitation sessions at Bendigo Health for most of her life and her family are strong advocates for the benefits she has received.

More than 100 children from across the Loddon Mallee region are treated by Bendigo Health’s rehabilitation services at any one time. You can help by making a taxdeductible donation or gifting an e-Card at bendigohealth.org.au/Christmas

CHAMBER MUSIC SET TO CHARM

Local classical music fans are in for a treat as the Bendigo Chamber Music Festival celebrates its fourth year. In February, some of the world’s finest musicians will make their way to Bendigo for five exciting days of chamber music.

In a first for the festival, two young talents will fly in from Europe as part of a partnership with London’s Young Classical Artists Trust. Jonathan Leibovitz, clarinetist and Classic FM’s 2022 Rising Star Artist, and Ariel Lanyi, winner of the Leeds Piano Competition, will perform exclusively for the festival.

Several Australian musicians are also joining the festival for the first time, alongside many returning favourites. The program promises a wide variety of extraordinary performances, with musicians joining forces to create unique and melodic ensembles.

Cellists Howard Penny and Chris Howlett developed the Bendigo Chamber Music Festival in 2020 as a way to share their passion for chamber music with regional audiences. In 2023, the event returns to its roots with concerts in original venues including the Bendigo Art Gallery, The Capital theatre and the Forest Street Uniting Church.

The Bendigo Chamber Music Festival will run from February 1 to 5, 2023, at various venues across Bendigo. Head to bendigochambermusicfestival.com.au for tickets.

WORLD’S BEST IN BENDIGO

It is an exciting time for Bendigo Radiology, which has been proudly providing high-quality medical imaging to locals for over 42 years, as its services are now more impressive than ever.

With the installation of a new CT machine at its St John of God Bendigo Hospital site, Bendigo Radiology is able to utilise the best and most cutting-edge imaging currently available to offer highly specialised imaging of the entire body, including for cardiac and oncology referrers.

Benefits for patients and referring doctors include significantly improved scan quality, which translates to ‘sharper’ images for the expert radiologists and interventionists to diagnose and treat their patients.

“The improved confidence in reaching a diagnosis for our patients is also achieved more safely, with reduced radiation exposure in ultra-low-dose imaging, resulting in better images taken more safely by our highly skilled team of radiographers,” says operations manager Joanne Marks.

Bendigo Radiology has three centrally located practices in Bendigo. To request an appointment or learn more about their services, visit bendigoradiology.com.au, call 03 5440 3500, or email referrals@bendigoradiology.com.au

solid summer business

Local businesses highlight how they’re forging ahead in their chosen industries.

SARAH PAINTS A NEW PATH

The pandemic inspired a career change for many people. Graphic designer Sarah Macumber traded the computer for a paintbrush and, after a sell-out first market, she opened an art studio as Sarah The Painter in late 2021.

With a team of family members in tow, the studio runs six-week art courses for children and adults. In addition, classes can be booked for private events such as hen’s and Christmas parties. The classes are very intuitive, with Sarah encouraging participants to learn through experimentation, as that is how she learned to paint.

Sarah also takes commissions for her beautiful artwork, working closely with clients to deliver the right painting for their homes. Alternatively, you can visit her website and purchase one of her original paintings featuring florals, cascading gums and holiday vibes, or buy a gift card for a loved one. Afterpay is available on all purchases.

To Sarah and her team, creating art is the key achievement of classes, not how the art turns out. As a result, the studio has become the perfect place for beginners of all ages to find their passion for painting, just like Sarah did.

This year, an exciting new team member has joined the studio in Stacey Ballard.

“We are so lucky to have Stacey come on board to take watercolour and kids’ classes. Her skills have helped take the business to another level,” says Sarah.

Sarah The Painter’s studio is located on Level 1, 22 Williamson Street, Bendigo, and is open for booked classes and by appointment. Contact Sarah on 0456 149 169, follow her on Instagram @sarah_thepainter, or visit sarahthepainter.com.au

BRIGHT BEGINNINGS FOR BLUME BEAUTY

One of Bendigo’s newest beauty businesses burst onto the scene in October 2021. Blume Beauty owner Abbi opened her Queen Street salon with a goal – to provide a place where clients could relax and feel confident in their own skin, while receiving high-quality services.

A year on, Abbi has developed a loyal clientele, who appreciate the care and detail she puts into her work. Creating a deep connection with clients is of great importance to Abbi. She’s there for them on special days such as weddings and debutante balls, and in return, they keep coming back to Blume for their beauty fix.

Although Abbi is a sole trader, there is no shortage of services you can receive at Blume. Since becoming a beauty therapist in 2019, she has specialised in eyelash extensions, waxing, tinting, tanning, brow lamination and makeup application. A big believer in continuously improving her skills, teeth whitening was also added to Abbi’s impressive services list in July.

Blume Beauty turned one in October, and Abbi is thankful to her clients for their support during her first year of business. The future is big and bright for this young beauty guru, who always gives her all to her clients.

Blume Beauty is located at 136 Queen Street, Bendigo. Bookings can be made by calling Abbi directly on 0418 708 390. For more information, visit blumebeauty.godaddysites.com, Facebook or Instagram.

PROVIDING POTENTIAL FOR PROPERTY SALES

When looking through real estate listings, have you found yourself gravitating towards properties pictured with furniture and styled décor?

You are not alone. During a successful real estate career, Ann Kenny listed many ‘empty’ properties, noticing that they were not as appealing to buyers.

Ann knew furnished and styled homes got better results, so in 2015, she created The Styling Co. With a wide range of furniture and décor to suit any property, Ann’s understanding of function and style ensures a home looks more inviting. Staging and styling for a sale highlights the key features of a property and allows buyers to visualise the property’s potential. Ann has also found her work has frequently led to a higher price and faster sale for her clients.

Selling a house can be a stressful time, however Ann’s calming nature and understanding approach are incredibly helpful for her clients. Her passion and knowledge help create beautifully staged and styled properties. Some clients have said they wish they could move back and keep the furniture and décor after seeing Ann’s work!

If you are looking to sell and would like to explore property staging and styling for your home, The Styling Co. offers free, no-obligation consultations. To book, visit thestylingco. com.au, call Ann on 0407 537 372, or reach out via Instagram @thestylingco_ and Facebook @thestylingco

MANUFACTURING A ROCK SOLID BUSINESS

If you’ve ever built or renovated a home, you know how important quality work and finishes are, especially in the kitchen, the heart of the home. The VSTONE team knows this as well. It’s why they pride themselves on manufacturing stone and porcelain products in the highest quality and safest possible way, with their impeccable work making it easy for clients to be excited and proud of their design choices.

Director Kane Vereker started the business in Kyneton in 2008, when it was known as Vereker Stone. In time, the business rebranded as VSTONE, with Andrew McCollum joining Kane shortly after in launching VCLAD and VSPLASH.

Another step in the evolution of the business has seen long-term team members Steve and Kelly Haw announced as directors and part-owners of VSTONE, alongside founders Kane and Jess Vereker. The team credits the success of the business

to encouraging innovation, continued investment in the latest technology and showing integrity in all areas of their business operation, as well as a deep commitment to their customers during every step of the process.

While VSTONE specialises in kitchen benchtops, supplying and manufacturing natural and engineered stone, the skilled stonemasons also work with large-format porcelain cladding and splashbacks as part of sister businesses VCLAD and VSPLASH, of which Steve and Kelly have also become part-owners.

They have now expanded to a team of 15, continuing to service the areas of Bendigo, Kyneton, Woodend, Daylesford, Trentham and Melbourne.

Contact the team at VSTONE to discuss your stone and porcelain needs by calling 03 4436 1020 or visiting vstone.com.au. Their recently refurbished showroom is located at 104 Beischer Street, East Bendigo, and is open by appointment.

HERE’S TO 10 YEARS OF PERCY AND PERCY

When wandering into Percy and Percy, you’ll always be greeted with big smiles and an irresistible aroma. The skilled baristas will be pumping out the carefully crafted coffees the cafe is well known for, as many regulars duck in for their fix.

If you sit down for a delicious breakfast or lunch, you’ll have a choice between the cosy tables inside or the lovely courtyard area outside. No matter where you sit, you’ll notice nods to the past. Long before it was Percy and Percy, the building was home to a grocery store owned by Percy Watts and a milk bar owned by Percy Forbes, the two inspirations behind the cafe’s name. Flashing forward to 2022, owners Elisha and Dan are proudly celebrating 10 years of Percy and Percy. Since starting the business from scratch in 2012, their aim has been to embrace the history behind the site, support local producers, and create quality food.

With a menu drawing inspiration from Melbourne’s brunch scene and a friendly team of 18 who treat customers like family, it’s no wonder the cafe has been so beloved over the last decade by locals and visitors alike.

Percy and Percy is located at 110 Hargreaves Street, Bendigo. To get in touch with the team, call 03 5442 2997 or visit percyandpercy.com.au

By Dianne Dempsey

As a composer and artistic director, David Gagliardi is very aware of the creative process that flows beneath his work. Author Elizabeth Gilbert has described this process as capturing magical ideas. Indeed it is precious, this business of creating something original from the core of a simple idea.

Take for example the origins of David’s latest stage work, Everyone Goes To Heaven In The Clothes They Died In. It started in 2019, when he was attending a talk at La Trobe University: on that occasion, he says he “received” a small idea inspired by local manufacturing company Australian Turntables.

“I thought, now wouldn’t it be interesting to have three pianos placed on a turntable. As the turntable rotated, the volume would naturally decrease and increase.” The idea had been planted. He put it aside.

About a year later, while getting up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, that small idea suddenly reappeared. Only it

wasn’t small anymore, not at all. “Instead of three pianos, I now had six pianos. The backdrop is a floor-to-ceiling projection screen. In front of that, the six (upright) pianos, backs facing the audience, are lined up across the stage. They form a wall of sound and act as six individual projection screens, where animations depict each character’s final moments.”

Ruefully, David says ideas can arrive at inconvenient times. But no matter: he quickly scribbled some notes on a pad and returned to sleep. From the basic idea, he was to eventually create a highly sophisticated, integrated work of art. The heart of the performance is an examination of our mortality. David’s six characters are captured in the moment of dying. We glimpse their life, and we mourn their death. A first test-run of the work was shown to a small group at Ulumbarra recently, as part of the creative development process. David’s audiences told him he turned their darkest fears into something beautiful and approachable.

It only takes one idea to evolve, as David Gagliardi explains his creative process in relation to his latest stage work.

over time

Everyone Goes To Heaven In The Clothes They Died In - David Gagliardi.

First test run creative development stage 5, Ulumburra Theatre December, 2021.

Photo by Press 1 Photography.

Photograph by Leon Schoots

To further explore this concept of creativity, it is helpful to go back to the artist as a child and examine his environment and influences and, most of all, his inclinations. The eldest of three children, David was born in 1980 to loving, working-class parents and grew up in Frankston.

“As a child, I was fascinated by music. I always loved it,” he says. “I never had any formal training in music. I taught myself from a children’s picture book, which had a very basic keyboard in it. Later, my mother bought me a guitar. When I told Mum I couldn’t actually play guitar, she shrugged that off and said she was sure I could figure it out. Well that’s what I did, and I went on to ‘figure out’ the drums and bass and pursue my desire to write my own songs. “When I was eight, in an attempt to listen to as much music as I could, I used to put my small tape recorder in front of the TV and record Rage. The other music I listened to was my parents’ record collection. So you know, Dire Straits, Phil Collins, Eurythmics, Midnight Oil. As a teenager, I headed towards Nirvana and Sonic Youth. When I finished school, I bypassed uni and went straight to work for the record company that had released my first band’s EP, and where I had done work experience.”

In his 20s, David was playing with the alternative, post-rock band Laura and living life large as a busy performer and songwriter. Laura released multiple recordings, including the albums Mapping Your Dreams and Radio Swan Is Down, on David’s own independent label. The Triple R crowd loved Laura. They were promoted in music magazines and gathered an enthusiastic online audience that swelled out to America and Japan.

And the band loved the audience. “They would typically position themselves the same way,” David says. “The 18-year-olds would be right at the front of the crowd, then would come the millennials, and hanging out at the back would be the middle-aged fans. We loved that Laura had such a broad appeal.”

Their intense shows featured the band’s signature wall of sound and its dramatic and at times chaotic dynamics. They played national headline tours and festivals and they toured Japan. As well as writing for Laura, David was also creating music for the BBC, American TV dramas and documentaries. He was busy, he loved working full time, writing music and performing. And then he stopped the merry-go-round. As he approached his 40s, he paused and looked around.

He moved to the region with his young family and worked as an arts management professional. No longer performing, his writing became more reflective and orchestral. When the ideas visited him, they now embraced matters of life – and death.

Photograph by Leon Schoots

Photograph by Leon Schoots

It was after his move to Bendigo in 2019, and with the aid of various grants, that he started work on Everyone Goes To Heaven In The Clothes They Died In. It eventually employed 24 creatives and stagehands, 18 of whom were locals. He is following up on several opportunities to tour the production nationally and internationally with the option of virtual performances.

As part of his current residency with the Emporium Creative Hub, David goes to work every day from nine to five. In his briefcase are a keyboard and a computer. He’s like Nick Cave, who has breakfast, says goodbye to the family and then goes to the studio. David’s latest project is developing the six vignettes he wrote for the six pianos, extending them into six separate works. He tries not to chase the muse, but waits for ideas to come to him, no matter in what order. Excitement these days is not found in the heady euphoria of a loud, live, rock performance. It is in the thrill of capturing an idea and giving it a shape and form. “These things most often happen inside a structured process,” David says. “You place yourself in a situation where you can receive the idea. You’re ready, prepared and waiting. And then you act.”

You can see filmed footage of Everyone Goes To Heaven In The Clothes They Died In on David Gagliardi’s website: davidgagliardi.com.au

Photo by Press 1 Photography

Photo

Photo by David Gagliardi

Photo by David Gagliardi

BRIGHT MOON IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Locals gathered at the Dai Gum San Precinct in September to observe the Harvest Moon Festival.

The event, hosted annually by the Bendigo Chinese Association, marked when the moon was at its brightest.

Participants joyfully indulged in food from different Asian cultures and were entertained by community groups.

Night dragon Yar Loong also wowed the crowd.

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Chris and Linda

Laura and Steph

Oliver, Brad and Lenny

Jemma and Audrey

Max, Nicole, Luca and Adrian

Vanessa and Nathan

A stroll through the Bendigo CBD proved to be a splendid spring evening activity.

The free Bloom After Dark event showed off the city’s annual tulip display like never before. Illuminations and interactive displays along Pall Mall delighted locals each night, with 60 other events also making up the Bloom calendar.

Brodie and Imigen

Janine, Lachlan, Oliver and Paul

Michael and Margot

Elizabeth and Karen

Martha and Angelina

Willem, Lana and Thomas

PUTTING BENDIGO FIRST SINCE 1976

Established in 1976 as Craig Tweed and Co, our company has been privileged to be a part of the exponential growth of Bendigo and today, have cemented our position as the most comprehensive real estate agency in Bendigo.

Recognised as an iconic locally owned company, TSFN employs the most highly trained and accomplished sales, property management, commercial, marketing and o ce management sta of which we are 40 individuals strong today.

We are at the cutting-edge of real estate marketing and sales strategy, networking with national industry leaders to give our clients a competitive edge.

Tweed Sutherland First National is all about its people and its community. We look forward to sharing our knowledge with you.

52 Mitchell Street, Bendigo VIC 3550 tsfn.com.au

return of the pixie punk

Photography by Leon Schoots

How do you find a fairy? Firstly, try looking for the house of colour in a street of brown brick veneers. Follow your nose to a leafy garden of lavender and rose. And listen for the ethereal tones of , resident fairy of Strathdale.

We arrive on a grey day to discover a home trimmed in daffodil yellow, hot tea brewing and a trip down memory lane to a life lived with joy, art, optimism, and at least one foot firmly planted in fairyland.

Louisa is a writer and musician with a recording and touring career that’s taken her around the world. In 2018 she came full circle, returning to the place it all began.

“This is where it started for me, when I was at Gravel Hill Primary School in Bendigo,” she says, producing a heavy volume of Brian Froud’s Faeries. The discovery of the cult classic book of nymphs, silkies and dryads inspired a childhood in tune with ethereal elements. Louisa planted fairy gardens, immersed herself in nature, began writing stories and learning music.

Like her peers, she listened to Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nix, Abba and The Seekers. Welsh choirs, too. “Kate Bush was a huge influence in my late teens. Then came more esoteric stuff,” she says.

After attending Flora Hill High School, Louisa began boarding school in Melbourne, where she “dabbled in opera” and taught herself to play the mandolin. It would become her ticket to another world. The growing passion for music, especially songwriting, also sustained her though university.

“I play the mandolin like a punk,” she says. “A pixie punk. The Europeans were horrified. My husband is Polish-Australian, and he says one thing he loves about Australians is we’ll take any idea and throw it around. We’re not intimidated by tradition.”

Louisa picked what she loved about fairy lore and began singing of unicorns, dragons and dryads. “Chasing a record deal, I was told to stop singing about all that and start singing about sex, love and war,” she says, adding the former can be metaphors.

And so, she released her first album, Argo, independently, in 1996. It was closely followed by second album Alexandria. “I wrote for fairies, muses and dead poets,” she laughs. “I really didn’t have a following.”

That all changed when German label Hyperium Records re-released the second album and distributed it to a global scene of fairy culture followers. A French label was next, and Louisa remained a faithful feature artist for 15 years.

LAUREN MITCHELL finds a fairy at the bottom of a garden, with tales aplenty.

Travels to record solo and with others in quaint studios and haunted castles in France, Italy and Greece followed, plus performances alongside goth acts in the Moulin Rouge district and on some of the world’s big festival stages, such as Trolls et Légendes in Belgium and Faerieworlds in Oregon.

In 2009 in Belgium, Louisa met her childhood hero, author and puppeteer Brian Froud, who said her music “was the love child of Led Zeppelin and Enya”.

Reviewers raved. US magazine Ethereality & Ecto described her music as “giddily beautiful… mandolin mad… untamed and lovely”. German title The Penny Dreadful declared “all borders broken and crossed” by her dreampop/gothic classical-ambience/medieval folk.

For someone inspired by the western world’s mythology and early classical times, it was a charmed experience. “But I was also devastatingly homesick,” Louisa says.

A choice to slow down, retain family ties and keep in touch with a grounded life of teaching in Melbourne happened just before the 2008 global financial crash, which Louisa says hit fairy culture hard. Many publications, record labels and festivals shut down almost overnight.

“I’m grateful my husband and I never put all our eggs in that basket,” Louisa says. Alongside or between music and storytelling, Louisa worked with ecologists or taught humanities, mostly with immigrants, including refugees and asylum seekers. And then there was COVID.

“The French record label closed, after some 30 years and hundreds

of releases. Friends weathered cancelled tours, or low attendance. Political polarisation hit alternative and underground arts hard. I’d already ceased touring and signed off my label. Yet the polarity schism was an earthquake, splitting tribes. Any counterculture has fringes, but the merge of extremists into one global cult was brutal. “Luckily, most of our friends shunned those conspiracies and held true to progressive moderation: that climate change is real, vaccines and masks are sensible, and democracy and diversity matter. Although my art is more poetic than polemic, I respect political astuteness. Being fey is not escapism. It’s about delving deeply into life. Preferably with wonder, love and grace… The scene is still there, and I believe it will survive, but that did change things.”

Louisa’s most recent album, Elderbrook, arrived in 2017, after which time she returned to Bendigo, to plant a garden, paint a house, adopt extra beloved cats, and play.

“We don’t fully grow up,” she says of her fairy self. “We don’t become cynical. I see it as a belief, in the same way anyone with any spirituality believes we come from somewhere else and we’re going somewhere else. What makes a fairy is a belief in the magic and beauty of life… we’re into the narrative of the soul and its journey.

“People think we must be ‘away with the fairies’ and yes, one can get a bit vague and unworldly, but if you think trees have spirits, you’re less likely to cut them down. With climate change and environmental degradation, it doesn’t hurt to have people wandering around thinking those trees are more important alive than not. So, it does have a practical purpose.”

Last year, Louisa received the Australian Fairy Tale Society Award for her remarkable contribution to fairy arts in music, storytelling and writing. She was also on the society’s anthology team, which published a book through Serenity Press. South of the Sun: Australian Fairy Tales for the 21st Century, for adults and young adults, features Louisa’s writing, plus that of fellow Central Victorian authors Carmel Bird and Cate Kennedy, the artwork of Lorena Carrington, among many intercultural contributors.

“The faeries are here,” she says, noting other creative locals who take more than a passing interest in the lore.

Louisa is now working on fantasy and magic realism manuscripts, while enjoying being back in Bendigo.

“You can’t really do much better than Bendigo on this planet,” she says. “It has a cosmopolitan feel, with excellent coffee, great artists, great bookshops, yet there’s no noise or peak-hour traffic or pollution like Melbourne. We have the best-kept secret here.” We think Louisa would know…

You can hear Louisa’s music at www.louisajohn-krol.bandcamp.com

A CELEBRATION OF LOST ARTS, RARE TRADES AND HERITAGE CRAFTS

The Fair celebrate s s kills, cr aftsmanship, making things by ha nd, herit age crafts and t r aditional trades. All day entertainment, gr ea t local food and live mus ic on stage. Watch demonstrations by b lacksmiths, w oodworkers, m etalworkers, instrument makers, pott ers, t ailors, st onemasons, leather workers,spinners , wea v ers, decor ative art ists, see vi nta ge m achinery and take pa r t in a ctivities. ww w.losttradesfai r.com.au

Tickets on sale now trybooking.com

YOUTH PARTY A GLOWING SUCCESS

Our region’s young people were in the spotlight when the first BendiGLOW Youth Fest occurred in Eaglehawk.

Skate workshops and a dance party were just some of the fun activities planned by FReeZA and YO Events, with guests encouraged to dress in their best neon attire.

Abbey, Ben, Zak and Greg

Frank and Andie

Jessica and Izzy

Frank and Emerson

Hunter and Ryder

Kate, Julie and Lucy

FRESHLY ROASTED IN CASTLEMAINE

SIREN SOUNDS ON SEASON

The pouring rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of Bendigo Football Netball League grand final attendees.

Gisborne’s senior footy team was victorious for the first time in 16 years, while the Sandhurst Dragons bagged their fourth consecutive netball premiership. The cheers from the Queen Elizabeth Oval crowd were thundering during the championship matches.

The future requires ambition, determination and resilience. It’s fueled by positivity, a growth mindset and openess to new ideas, new ways of doing things. It needs a moral compass and the strength of character to stand up when required and be accountable when mistakes are made.

The future requires ambition, determination and resilience. It’s fueled by positivity, a growth mindset and openess to new ideas, new ways of doing things.

It needs a moral compass and the strength of character to stand up when required and be accountable when mistakes are made.

The future is the ability to collaborate, to support others and applaud their success. To truly be part of a team while recognising and embracing individuality.

The future is the ability to collaborate, to support others and applaud their success.

To truly be part of a team while recognising and embracing individuality.

It’s reaching out and reaching up, lending a hand to friends and strangers alike. It’s saying “yes” and putting kindness above self interest.

It’s reaching out and reaching up, lending a hand to friends and strangers alike. It’s saying “yes” and putting kindness above self interest.

The future is now.

The future is now.

To nd out more about the Girton di erence and how we can help your child become future ready, including scholarship opportunities, call our Registrar on 5441 3114 or see our website: girton.vic.edu.au

To nd out more about the Girton di erence and how we can help your child become future ready, including scholarship opportunities, call our Registrar on 5441 3114 or see our website: girton.vic.edu.au

Bailey, Harley, Kyal and Cail

Jacob, Corey and Jackson

Lewis, Darby and Llogan

Carly, Matt and Nic

Jason, George, Pip and Eddie

Pippa, Olivia and Jemma

for the love

Sunny and Nai Nai can’t wait for their town’s annual dragon parade.

But when the loongs don’t wake up, Sunny must find a way to save the family tradition.

of loongs

Dragon Dance is a story of hope, resilience and creativity, and a celebration of the much-loved Chinese dragons on the Australian goldfields.

About the creators: Six generations of Lauren Mitchell’s family have watched the Chinese dragons dance in Bendigo, since her Cornish great, great grandfather arrived to mine for gold.

Lauren has been sharing stories of Bendigo’s culture and community for more than 20 years, as a journalist, editor and author.

She loves cups of tea, singing in the kitchen and bushwalking behind her Bendigo home. Dragon Dance is her sixth book.

Award-winning artist/illustrator Geoff Hocking was born in Bendigo in the first half of the last century.

Bendigo is about to get its own children’s book, with the pending release of Dragon Dance, a story of hope, resilience and creativity, and a celebration of the city’s much-loved Chinese dragon tradition, by author Lauren Mitchell and illustrator Geoff Hocking.

He began illustrating for publishers in London in the 1970s and has, over the past 50 years, illustrated, designed, written and published umpteen books.

Today he lives in the old goldfields’ town of Castlemaine.

If he is not in his studio he can usually be found in his garden, willing vegetables to grow or feeding his chooks.

When a stormy day meant the Bendigo Easter Procession was cancelled this year, for the third time in a row due also to COVID, Lauren had found herself something to write about.

ISBN 978-0-6451971-3-6 | BILLY BUTTON BOOKS

“I was reflecting on the losses of the pandemic, especially for children,” she says. “It dawned on me that my youngest son had never seen the procession.

A local author and illustrator team up to tell a universal story from a very Bendigo perspective.

Photography by Leon Schoots - Illustrations by Geoff Hocking

d R agoNdance

LAUREN MITCHELL GEOFF HOCKING

Lauren Mitchell | Geoff Hocking

“My mother-in-law has always been the one to take the grandchildren. She’d pack the fold-up chairs, rugs, snacks and drinks and head out early to claim the same position each year, on the corner of High and Bridge streets near St Kilian’s church. It just got me thinking about this big pause to an event that has meant so much to local and visiting families.”

In the story, main character Sunny takes it upon herself to save her family’s Easter tradition and, in turn, make new memories for them to cherish.

“For those of us with kids in our lives, they were often the ones who got us through those tough lockdowns,” Lauren says. “We had to remain positive for them and keep active for them. I got a lot out of seeing children embrace the simple home pleasures we all went back to and that can so easily get lost in our busy lives. This story was also about holding on to some of that.”

In her bid to see the story published, Lauren asked Geoff if he’d look at it. The pair are long-time contributors to Bendigo Magazine. Lauren has worked as a reporter, editor, copywriter and columnist in Bendigo for more than 20 years. Geoff has been an illustrator, author, graphic designer, book designer and fine artist for more than 50 years. His past children’s titles include It’s One World, The Boy Who Painted the Sun, by Jill Morris, and Dromkeen Medal winner I Shot an Arrow, by Robin Klein.

“Robin Klein was my favourite author growing up, and I’ve long admired Geoff’s work, so I really hoped that he would like my story,” Lauren says.

She’d heard, every autumn, they’d wake from a long, deep sleep to dance the streets.

But she’d never seen one move.

Geoff says the timing of Dragon Dance arriving in his inbox was perfect, as he’d been looking for an opportunity to illustrate a new book for children.

“I thought the story was charming,” he says. “I liked the subtext that the dragons didn’t appear for two years because of COVID, but that this is not actually said in the text. It is an oblique reference to people waiting and hoping they come back – and they do.

“For several years, I had been thinking about painting a very long picture of the dragon. It is something I had done at art school more than 60 years ago, long lost now, but the idea of painting all those legs and repeating all those scales forced me to abandon the idea, time and again. Dragon Dance has satisfied that desire. Not too many legs are shown in these new drawings.

“It has been such a pleasure to include bits of Bendigo in the drawings and to be part of a new book that celebrates this important part of the rich culture of my hometown. I jumped at the opportunity to be involved in visualising Lauren’s story onto the printed page.” Lauren says it was a joy to work with Geoff, who has brought the words to life through his pictures, design, and the photographs he took of Sun Loong on parade in the 1970s.

“The character, energy and colour that Geoff has brought to the story is beautiful,” she says. “There’s a lovely, subtle humour to his work, plus a love of this place and a sense of place that’s evident in his local scenes. I couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome for Sunny, her grandmother Nai Nai and the loongs of Dragon Dance.”

Dragon Dance will be launched by Anita Jack at the Bendigo Library at 10am on Saturday, January 21. The family-friendly event is part of the library’s Chinese New Year celebrations, which will feature the cracking of fortune cookies and the dancing of dragons and lions, thanks to the Central Victorian Lion Team. Details and bookings via the Goldfields Library website.

TINY HOMES ENLARGE MINDS

Bendigo Racecourse was the place to be in September for those intrigued by the tiny living movement.

Patrons of the Tiny House Festival were in awe as they toured the innovative spaces on display, imagining what it might be like to call one home.

GRAHAM

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

Like to find out more?

Phone: 5443 1222 Email: admin@bssc.edu.au

Allan, Jess, Mitchell and Rachel

Isy and Lily

Renae and Jasmin

Rosalie and Aida

Krista and Marian

Misa, Miomir and Anja

CHARLOTTE DASHWOOD

“I love the independence here and the freedom to organise myself.”

KEIRA LONG “BSSC is a warm and accepting place… my Aboriginal ancestry is respected here.”

ISSAC

“My Advisor has given me great guidance and advice throughout my time at BSSC.”

LIAM DUIVENVOORDEN

“At senior you can explore ideas and still have the full support of teachers.”

FANS IN FULL FORCE

Star Trek, Doctor Who and Star Wars were some of the pop culture icons celebrated at Bendi-Con.

The expo was attended by fans of all ages keen to embrace their ‘geeky’ side. Funds were enthusiastically raised for the Peter Mac Cancer Foundation through the cosplay contest, and the display of comics was as popular as ever.

Adam and Steph

Cass, Marshall and Indianna

Grace and Ron

Alex and Hser Nay Ta

Daniel, Jedda and Nathan

Michael, Luke and Dale

local legendsmake history

Photography by AJ Taylor

Eaglehawk Heritage Society members know a treasure when they see one, even if it’s blackened with soot and grime and first arrives as a pixelated picture online.

“I was nearly out of my mind when I saw the image of this thing come through on the computer,” says acquisitions officer Aylene Kirkwood OAM. “But if you could have seen the state of it!”

Aylene is referring to the society’s latest – and final – acquired piece of the past, an illuminated address, commemorating the Borough of Eaglehawk mayor of 1898-99, Michael Curtain.

The tall, gold-framed address features a photograph of Curtain, surrounded by portraits of his councillors, plus the ornate calligraphy text, with burnished gold and silver, that characterises such an object. It’s an opulent nod to a civic duty, and one Aylene believes would have been commissioned and paid for by Curtain himself.

“The Curtain family was related to my mother,” Aylene says, which is how they knew who to come to when the piece was discovered above the fireplace of a relative who’d gone into care. It’s believed to have hung there for the past hundred years.

“It’s the only one anybody’s ever seen. Bendigo hasn’t even got one, so we decided to accept it and restore it professionally.” The repair will cost $11,000, paid for by donations and sales of some of the society’s collection. “It’s our last hurrah,” adds Aylene.

The final four society members – being Aylene, Elaine Harrington, Bev Hanson and June McMillin – are currently packing up the work of almost 30 years as they prepare to farewell a labour of love to save and preserve the suburb’s rich and unique heritage.

The society formed in 1994. It’s no coincidence that was the same year the Borough of Eaglehawk amalgamated with neighbouring councils to form the City of Greater Bendigo. Locals were concerned their proud goldfields-cum-working-class identity would be

watered down without its independent status. (Time has allayed that fear, with the moniker ‘Eaglehawk – the Greater Part of Bendigo’ frequently quoted or stuck on bumper bars.)

“The aim was to retain Eaglehawk’s history, because prior to that, it was being thrown out,” Elaine says. “We wanted to retain the artefacts and things that gave us insight into Eaglehawk’s history, because without it, a town has nothing to grasp from its early days. We started in mining, and we had more people here on the diggings than Bendigo. Bev always says, if you’re a fifth-generation Australian, you will have a connection to Eaglehawk through your ancestors being here at one stage.”

For the first couple of years, the society met in the Eaglehawk Mechanics Institute, then the Town Hall. Postcards of historic images were published, along with books. In 1997, Eaglehawk’s Lifeline, a history of the tram service between Eaglehawk and Bendigo, was released by member Noelene Wild. Also that year, a series of booklets, Sent to the Logs, recorded the sordid early court cases ending with locals seeing the wrong side of the infamous log lockup. Then, the society took on the management of the former courthouse in Sailors Gully Road. And that’s when things amped up. Aylene says with a dedicated home and museum space, the donations started rolling in, and the society was soon custodian of a remarkable collection of ephemera, documents, artefacts, photographs and more relating to the Borough and beyond.

“People started donating things and we took everything, because we wanted to make it a museum, so school kids could come and see how people lived in the old days and how hard life used to be.”

The plethora of historic clothing, domestic items, mining relics and more meant the museum was an ever-changing space, responding to special occasions such as Mother’s and Father’s days, Remembrance Day and Anzac Day.

LAUREN MITCHELL spends an afternoon in the Eaglehawk Courthouse, witnessing a historic last hurrah for a much-loved local institution.

“When Eaglehawk Lodge Number 55 was closing down in 2009, it donated its entire collection, dating back to the 1860s,” Aylene says. The Freemasons had kept everything, including the minute books and membership details of the 19th century patriarchy; business owners, mine managers, mayors, judges and publicans. She produces one of the soft leather purses, which each member had to hold his neatly folded apron. The gold embossing bears the name of mine manager McCoy. “They say it’s not a secret society, but a society with secrets,” she says of the lodges. “These men would be rolling around in their graves knowing us women are handling these things!”

Bendigo Archives will take the minute books, while the City of Greater Bendigo will take the artefacts. Elaine says while they’re devastated to see the collection dispersed, the outcome for most of it is positive. “Even though it’s closing, everything is going to the right place. Back to the donors, or their families, or another significant place,” she says.

“We have seen a revival of interest…, with younger people happy to have things back because they’re part of their family history.” Just prior to chatting with Bendigo Magazine, Elaine had knocked on the door of a local person, explaining she wanted to return their grandfather’s schoolbooks. That person was “overjoyed” at the surprise return gift.

The military artefacts have already gone to the RSL, been digitised and made available on Victorian Collections. The same will be done for the lodge collection. Elaine says the way people research their family history now, being online, is part of the reason for the society’s closure. But mostly it’s about people power. “There was no way of saving it,” she says. “It wasn’t about money, it was people, and without new members, we just couldn’t continue.”

The items with no bearing to Eaglehawk are being sold to help pay for the Illuminated address restoration. Others have fetched big dollars but have been hard to see go, including an original windlass and kibble bucket from a local mine.

The cylindrical timber windlass was used to wind the barrel-shaped bucket from a shaft. Purchaser Phil Rackham, of mining supply shop The Prospector’s Depot in High Street, arrives to collect the items as we speak.

Acquiring two rare relics from the Borough’s mining past is as good as striking pay dirt for Phil. “It’s fantastic,” he says. “I was working at the Central Deborah Mine before COVID hit and was bitten by the mining bug then.” He plans to display the items in his shop. “At least this way, they’ll still be available for the public to see.”

Aylene, ever the wealth of local knowledge, adds: “My husband’s great-grandfather fell down a mineshaft in the 1800s, broke both his legs, and was brought back up in one of those buckets.” Hay Kirkwood was a mayor five times over, and a magistrate in this courthouse.

Aylene is a true keeper of the suburb’s history. She’s authored several books, including Reminiscing & Recipes, and co-authored Eaglehawk: Welcome Back with Bev Hanson, plus amassed a personal collection of archives.

“It’s been heartbreaking for me,” she says on packing up the courthouse, “having been in the acquisitions position for 28 years.” She has loved the lot, big and small, from the baby clothes to the ornate octagonal cabinet that once housed the crystal in Fitzpatrick’s hardware store. “They gave it to us, but we’re giving it back to them,” she says.

It was Aylene who the Grinton family entrusted with a biscuit tin of negatives in 2004. Kept in a Myers Flat shed for decades, the 800 images included Jack and Bert Grinton’s photographic account of The Great War, and an extraordinary glimpse into a soldier’s everyday life on the Somme. The images later formed a Bendigo Art Gallery exhibition and book, and brought national attention to the Eaglehawk Heritage Society’s work.

“We’ve saved a lot of Eaglehawk’s history,” Elaine says, adding they’ve also secured more than $100,000 in grants to restore and maintain the courthouse. “At the end of it all, we can be proud of what we’ve done.”

That ‘last hurrah’ illuminated address, once restored, will be hung in the Town Hall council chamber. Elaine says: “It will be a beautiful outcome for Eaglehawk.”

Anna and Rosie

Helen, Narelle, Jacqui, Cliff and Frank

Dirk and Vera

Sarah and Kristy

FESTIVAL FULL OF CARE

The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion came alive in celebration of animals, food and life for the annual Vegecareian Festival.

There was no shortage of tasty vegetarian and vegan food for guests to enjoy as they took part in cooking demos and tai chi. Beloved furry friends were also invited to join the fun.

Tessa,

Kate,

Tayla,

Nathan and Gabby

celebrating craftsmanship

Central Victoria is home to artisans doing what they love and sharing a passion for traditional craftsmanship and creativity. We introduce you to five talented locals who continue to ply their trades with skill and dedication.

DAVID ANDERSON AND KEN BRADBROOK – CANE FLY-ROD MAKERS

Entering the world of fly fishing – that beautiful art of casting ‘imitators’ over open waterways to lure in a catch – immediately conjures memories of the movie A River Runs Through It, directed by Robert Redford. In it, the main characters find solace in their differences and a connection to place through fly fishing the vast waterways in the US state of Montana.

Half a world away in Baringhup, David Anderson and Ken Bradbrook craft some of the most beautiful split cane fly fishing rods; rods that will travel to the lakes and rivers of the world, bringing relaxation and joy to the user.

This ‘lost trade’ – with origins in the 1600s, a widening uptake in the 1890s in England and America, culminating in the golden years of the 1930s and ’40s – is all about “creating useful things of great beauty”. The history of Australian rodmaking is no less rich, with a strong presence in Sydney and Melbourne during the ‘40s and ‘50s, when local companies made a variety of cane rods for the trout streams of NSW, Victoria and Tasmania.

David and Ken are passionate about their craft of building and making cane fly and spinning rods by hand. They trained under the tutelage of master rod maker and American Guild of Rodmakers member Jeff Wagner in the US, and are now passing on this knowledge through their business Riverstoned Cane Rods, conducting classes in cane fly rod making in their workshop near the banks of the Loddon River. Both avid fly fishers, they have a lifelong commitment to the sport of fly fishing and the craft of building rods in Baringhup, the place where just down the hill, a river runs through it.

SARAH WALLACE-SMITH – PAINTER, ILLUSTRATOR, FINE ARTIST

As an illustrator, painter and water colourist, Sarah Wallace-Smith is an interpreter of the landscape, of the flora and fauna and the objects we surround ourselves with. The rural landscape of Central Victoria and the wild Victorian southern coast serve as inspiration on a sensory level, resulting in artworks that conjure up emotion, meaning, beauty and intrigue.

Quiet observation finds its way through her hands and onto the canvas, sometimes interpreting nature and still life in quirky collaboration. Vintage crockery, butterflies, bones and found objects find their place in her original paintings. A large vase of orchids currently serves as the subject for the most delicate illustration presented in watercolour, perfectly matching the soft pale pinks of the subject. Right next to this work, another is in progress with the colours of petals so deep and rich – watching an artist whose skill is in watercolour is like watching a magical story unfold across the paper. The bleeding of intense colour through the paper to become almost translucent in the perfect spot is achieved with years of practised skill.

Across the wall of her retail studio space hangs a project of love and support of the treatment of black bears – as a little black bear peeks from behind a teacup.

Collaboration is very much a theme in Sarah’s passion, having a keen interest across a broad range of artistic practises from her formal degree qualifications in creative arts at La Trobe University. Falling down the rabbit hole of exploration in other mediums is a constant; exploring new ways to deliver artistic work to new audiences has enabled Sarah to arrive at a place of creative happiness.

Photograph by Leon Schoots

ALICIA THOMAS – ARTIST AND PRINTMAKER

Alicia has been an artist her entire life. It just took a few decades of other life experiences to take their course and a serendipitous meeting with fellow artist Sarah Wallace-Smith for her to finally have that “light-bulb moment” in the shower during lockdown – and take the leap. Alicia set up her own retail studio space in a beautiful heritage building in Bendigo’s arts precinct to share the art she loves to create and to work towards self sufficiency as a full-time artist.

Creating art for Alicia is a deeply personal and emotional practice that combines a love of the natural world and a passion for drawing and creating art in many mediums. As a multi-medium visual artist, Alicia interprets the natural world on paper through traditional fine art techniques studied during her degree in creative arts (fine arts) at La Trobe University.

Beautiful fine-detailed illustrations in ink on old topographical surveyors maps from the 1960s are in progress, whilst her walls are lined with prints, etchings and original drawings and paintings. A reclining figure draped in linen and a large painting capturing draped fabric with intricate folds and shadows show the depth of Alicia’s work and artistic ability.

Her art is figurative, a reflection of the natural world and sometimes symbolic. Inspirations come from emotional places; love, loss, grief and celebration.

There is a story behind each piece with a foundation rich in meaning. Her artistic ability across a wide range of mediums – whether it be pencil for fine-detailed work or lino-cut prints for symbolic work –results in a studio space filled with art that has a broad appeal.

Photograph by Leon Schoots

STEVE BRIGHT – PRINT COMPOSITOR

His first job as an apprentice hand compositor (a specialist in setting type by hand) at Victorian Railways in the 1970s set Steve on the right track to a career in the printing industry that would see change, evolution, adaptation, success and arrive back full circle to be showing people the beauty of printing presses and the unmatched quality of letterpress. He is a printer with decades of experience and what could be described as a museum-size collection of stunning old presses.

Steve moved from the railways to Cambridge Press and his work as a hand compositor/letterpress printer were the first steps in what would become a lifelong career in the printing industry. He worked at the Bendigo Advertiser as a hand compositor before establishing Bart n Press, one of country Victoria’s largest print companies, 45 years ago. The industry has seen so much change over the past four decades, moving from a very manual trade where newcomers were apprenticed in the traditional way of typesetting to what is nowadays almost an entirely digital process – from design, layout, typesetting and printing.

Despite moving with the advancements in technology that his industry has experienced, Steve’s passion remains for the traditional ways of creating the printed word. He believes the individuality of hand composition, the layout of type, the time and effort in getting that type just right, and the original and unmatched result in the quality, texture, look and feel of a letterpress-produced page, poster, invitation or publication is why this trade and the machines that accompany it are so important.

In 2023, the Lost Trades Fair will celebrate 10 years, acknowledging to all artisans involved that what they do is relevant, important and passing these skills onto the next generation is paramount. With Bendigo boasting some of the country’s oldest continually running trades industries – including Bendigo Woollen Mills, Bendigo Pottery and the world famous Tramways Workshops – it makes sense that makers are attracted to this vibrant city.

The Lost Trades Fair will run at the Bendigo Racecourse on March 11 and 12, 2023.

Photograph by David Field

MATCHING WINES FOR A GOOD TIME

A five-course, winematched meal provided a perfect evening for patrons of The Dispensary Bar & Diner.

They partnered with Mandurang Valley Wines, expertly matching aged and new-release wines with delicious dishes for the ultimate dining experience. The event was featured in the 16-day Bendigo Uncorked Festival.

Superbly located opposite Mildura’s majestic Murray River and within walking distance to the shopping and dining precinct.

Elizabeth and Dominic

Kim and Ruth

Sharon, Leanne, Lauren and Oliver

Jan and Kylie

Scott and Sharon

Ewa and Stan

- AdvertIseMent -

- AdvertIseMent -

READY FOR THE REDS

Burnt Acre Vineyard teamed up with Cortille to deliver a unique experience for red wine lovers.

Participants enjoyed mouth-watering food, blind tastings of Burnt Acre’s 2021 reds, and a wine blending session during the Bendigo Uncorked Festival event. They even got to take home a special souvenir: their own custom red wine blend.

Lisa Chesters MP - a strong VoiCe for Bendigo

Lisa Chesters MP - a strong VoiCe for Bendigo

federal Member for Bendigo

federal Member for Bendigo

federal Member for Bendigo

I am honoured to have been elected as the Federal Member for Bendigo.

I am honoured to have been elected as the Federal Member for Bendigo. As your Federal Member of Parliament, my office and I can provide a wide range of services.

As your Federal Member of Parliament, my office and I can provide a wide range of services and support.

As your Federal Member of Parliament, my office and I can provide a wide range of services.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me anytime, either at my office on (03) 5443 9055 or by email at lisa.chesters.mp@aph.gov.au

I am honoured to have been elected as the Federal Member for Bendigo. As your Federal Member of Parliament, my office and I can provide a wide range of services.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me anytime, either at my office on (03) 5443 9055 or by email at lisa.chesters.mp@aph.gov.au

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me anytime, either at my office on (03) 5443 9055 or by email at lisa.chesters.mp@aph.gov.au

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me anytime, either at my office on (03) 5443 9055 or by email at lisa.chesters.mp@aph.gov.au

www.lisachesters.org

www.lisachesters.org

www.lisachesters.org

Anthony, Paul, Georgena and Jillian

David and Magnus

Georgie, Sarah, Pia and Julie

Cliff and Maureen

Geoff, Wendy and John

Shannon, Bronwyn, Nicola and Kim

Authorised

soulful sounds

By Sue Turpie

It is the beauty of carefully crafted music that takes the listener on a heartfelt journey which may not necessarily be relatable, but evokes empathy and understanding. Central Victorian musician Taylor Sheridan can do this and more, conveying emotion and creating depth with words and sounds in his music. He even describes his songs as “soulfully acoustic”.

Carving a career in one of the most competitive industries was not easy, but Taylor’s determination and talent have won out.

“I have been very fortunate to have some pretty surreal opportunities come my way and I never take that for granted,” Taylor says. “Growing up in Kyneton was great but there wasn’t much of a music scene, so that’s when I headed for Bendigo and started playing my first real gigs. Coming back to play in Bendigo means a lot to me because I get to reflect on where I started and also embrace where I am at right now. It’s a nice reminder that things are heading in the right direction.

“I consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to play music for a living and, in a lot of ways, I am living the dream. It takes a lot of dedication, perseverance and luck to make your way in the music business.

“Some days I feel like I’ve achieved a lot and others I feel like I haven’t even scratched the surface. Living the dream, to me, is loving what you do, no matter how hard it can be. It has to be worth it – and it has been worth every second of it for me.”

Industries struggled during the pandemic, especially arts and entertainment, and for many, including Taylor, 2022 has seen the resurgence of holding public gatherings and the chance to reconnect face-to-face with fans and work with music icons.

“At the start of the year, I had the great privilege of touring with Jon Stevens,” Taylor says. “I even had the chance to play guitar for him in Bendigo and The Capital theatre, which was sprung on me at sound check. It felt like a hometown crowd and they were so incredibly supportive. I couldn’t have wished for that happening at any other place.”

Prior to this, Taylor had toured with Pete Murray, Vanessa Amorosi,

“Social media has been a great way to connect with people all over the place and having that interaction is priceless,” he explains. “I received some great advice very early on that the best way to gain fans and move forward is ‘one-on-one combat’. I think the live experience is like nothing else and making that connection with someone in real time can never be replicated.”

This year’s Summer in the Parks is an opportunity for his hometown crowd to come out again and enjoy Taylor’s music.

“Every show I play is like it’s my last one. I try to put everything I’ve learned from all my years of touring into that one show. I am first and foremost a storyteller and when I perform, I make sure I paint a picture as clearly as I can so everyone in the audience is on the same page and we can share in something unique together.”

Looking forward, next year is already shaping up to be “one of the biggest years yet” for Taylor.

“I actually have a new album coming out in 2023, so I will most likely be playing a lot of songs off the album,” he says. “It’s all still a bit hush hush, but I’m looking forward to finally playing these new songs live in Bendigo.”

This debut album has been years in the making. And there’s also more live performances.

“I will be touring that all over Australia and I couldn’t be more excited to share this project with the people that have supported me over the years.”

Taylor is an inspiration for Bendigo artists who are dreaming of a life built on their creative pursuits. So, does he have any words of encouragement?

“My only advice is, if you think you can do it, you can. Being a creative isn’t the easiest pathway, but I promise that your journey will be rich and worth every single second.”

For more information on Taylor, visit his website www.taylorsheridan.com.au

With talent and perseverance, musician Taylor Sheridan has garnered the respect and praise of his peers and fans, and he’s back in Bendigo for this year’s Summer in the Parks.

Daryl Braithwaite and John Farnham. He understands the importance of maintaining an online presence but credits being on stage as the driving force behind his extensive fan base.

The ever-popular Summer in the Parks Program returns for 202223 and will feature free events and activities during December, January and February.

This city boasts beautiful outdoor spaces and botanic gardens, the ideal setting for family and friends to enjoy festive fun together.

December will also see the famous Lighting of the Christmas Tree in Bendigo’s CBD and the New Year will kick off with the fireworks display at the QEO.

In January, there will be fun family favourites screened at the outdoor cinema, as well as the Australia Day celebrations. Fans of live music will not be disappointed in February, with several large, free gigs planned, including Taylor Sheridan, Kids James Trio, Ali and Andrew, The Grinners and The John Grossman Project. For the full program, visit www.bendigosummerintheparks.com

GARDEN GROWS OUR LEARNING

A smoking ceremony welcomed the community to the beautiful new Larni Garingilang precinct at the Bendigo Botanic Gardens.

While admiring the garden’s wetlands, outdoor learning space, and over 15,000 indigenous plants and trees, guests celebrated the opening of the precinct with multicultural food and entertainment.

Brad and Ann

Helen, David, Pam and Anthony

Michael, Laura, Patch, Jimmy and John

Harriet, Tamarra, William, Charlotte, Chrissy and Isabelle Jamie, Oscar, Archer and Phoebe

Sahara and Kristie

The largest multicultural festival in Bendigo returned in October to showcase and celebrate the region’s growing diversity. The Garden for the Future hosted the fun festivities, which included henna tattooing, dancing, music and kung fu.

Amelia, Thea, Yo, Barbara and Hayley

Lani, Zoe, Maya and Jo

Ruby, Cassie, Joel, Gabriella and Krystal

Yasmine and Mouchira

Xiaoying and Xavier

Thurah and Poung

‘Zinda’ means lively in many languages, which is definitely how the Zinda Festival can be described.

well above average

A real-life situation inspired Bendigo Health nurse Yung-Hui Chen to pursue a PhD in older adults’ sexuality, developing a tool to help staff and families understand an unfamiliar and sensitive subject.

Photography by Kate Monotti

Yung-Hui Chen, by her own admission, was an average student. Her father encouraged her to get a stable nursing job to be able to support herself. “In our culture we always listen to our parents, so I did,” she jokes.

Fifteen years of study later, including as a current Bond University PhD student and working and settling in a foreign country, Yung-Hui’s education and profession is anything but average.

She began nursing in her native Taiwan, before moving to Brisbane to broaden her horizons by studying a Master of Nursing and working part-time in an aged care facility.

During her time in Brisbane, she was involved in a situation that would become the driving factor behind her PhD topic.

Two residents who had dementia developed a relationship inside the facility; both were married to other people, but were not cognisant of those relationships.

The reaction of staff and the families to the relationship illustrated to Yung-Hui there was a gap in understanding and knowledge of older adults’ sexuality.

“Some staff didn’t know what to do, how to respond to their needs and keep the families happy,” she says.

Yung-Hui’s PhD is focused on developing an assessment tool for healthcare professionals to help them understand older adults’ sexuality.

She hopes to run workshops explaining the tool once her PhD is finished.

“Sexuality is not just about sexual intercourse or sexual behaviour. For the older generation, they need someone to be with, a shoulder to lean on, because they’re lonely,” she says.

“They have a right to sexual expression. If we can provide that positive environment for them, it has the potential to reduce behavioural issues, reduce medication and improve psychological wellbeing.”

Yung-Hui is a clinical support nurse and associate nurse unit manager at Bendigo Health’s Stella Anderson residential care facility. Her interest in study has encouraged her to teach, sharing knowledge with students and junior staff.

She has remained in aged care nursing through most of her career. “I never thought I would leave,” she says. “In aged care nursing, there’s more independence and ability to make clinical decisions. We don’t rely on doctors, as they’re not on site full-time, as they are in acute settings.”

Since coming to Bendigo Health in 2015, Yung-Hui has felt supported to continue her education journey. She is a recipient of the Australian Nurses Memorial Centre’s Michael Dent Scholarship, and recently presented at the Royal College of Nursing’s International Nursing Research Conference in Cardiff, Wales, supported by Bendigo Health.

“I just love learning, studying and finding out new ways to do things. I’ve had a lot of opportunities to develop and it’s helped my confidence.”

When her PhD is finished in 2024, Yung-Hui will have clocked up 17 years of study. Not bad for an average student.

ELMORE DOES IT AGAIN

Elmore may be small, but its population again surged when the Elmore Field Days returned.

Thousands attended the three-day agricultural event, which has a long and proud history in the town. A highlight this year was the last ever Ag Art Wear competition, where memorable garments from the past 20 years were modelled.

BIG CROWDS, BIG LAUGHS

During a terrible time of flooding, the Bendigo Comedy Festival provided much-needed laughs.

Although one day had to be cancelled, the first festival in two years was a roaring success. Venues were packed with patrons wanting to witness the hilarity and antics of their favourite comedians.

Bridget, Phil, Jacqui and Angus

Amie and Laihton

Edward, Jackson and Wyatt

Danielle and Belinda

Kyle, Rylie, Hunter, Aden and Cooper

Paige, Felix, Sam, Charlee and Archie

Cooper, Kelly, Shane and Anthony

Ash, Josh, Casey and Poppa

Georgie, Toby and Hugh

Oliver and Abe

Mia, Abbie and Libby

Virginia, Alwyn, Glenn and Thomas

Pat Brand Strategist

Kira Creative Director Bailey Video Producer

Linden Administrator Reece Creative Consultant

Courtney Graphic Designer

Caleb Video Strategist

Vanessa Content Creator

Dave Hub Manager

Louise Graphic Designer

Brent Brand Designer

Alyssa Lead Creative

David Creative Director

Aimee Program Design

Craig Creative Director

Ginny Illustrator

Henry Video Producer Rhiannon Marketing Manager

David Artist & Composer

Wendo Abuto Illustrator

“Creativity is not a solitary process. It happens within networks, when talented people get together, when idea systems and mentalities merge.”

— David Brooks

continuing to grow

With abundant flora and fauna, Bendigo’s Botanic Gardens provide the perfect wide open spaces for family and friends to enjoy during the summer months

By Lisa Chesters, Federal Member for Bendigo - Photography by AJ Taylor

The Bendigo Botanic Gardens in White Hills are a much-loved and wellused space for local families and community members.

Over the warmer months, families with young children like my own flock to the gardens to play on the playground and run around the great open spaces. The gardens have to be among the best play spaces in Bendigo. The gardens are also a place of choice for several community events, as well as family get-togethers, celebrations and picnics.

Alternatively, some enjoy wandering through the gardens as a way to detach and enjoy some fresh air.

The Bendigo Botanic Gardens have come a long way over the past decade.

The most recent development, the Larni Garingilang precinct, was

opened a few months ago. Its name means ‘home of growth’ in the language of the Dja Dja Wurrung.

This $7 million cultural precinct features a new cafe and function centre building, gardens with more than 15,000 local indigenous plants, gathering and education spaces, wetlands and ponds, and a stormwater harvesting system. The project was funded through the federal, state and local governments, as well as a contribution from Friends of Bendigo Botanic Gardens.

The new precinct has filled a void between the existing Bendigo Botanic Gardens and the Garden for the Future, encouraging people to connect and interact with the landscape and the Bendigo Creek.

This development is a passion project for the Friends of Bendigo Botanic Gardens group, which first raised this project with me a decade ago.

Their passion and advocacy does not begin and end with this project. They have a proud 20-year history of support and advocacy for Bendigo’s Botanic Gardens.

The Bendigo Botanic Gardens – White Hills Master Plan was adopted by the City of Greater Bendigo in 2010, setting out an ambitious strategy to enhance the existing historic Botanic Gardens and significantly grow them to include new areas and features.

Since then, progressive works have been implemented, including the construction of the $4.6 million Garden for the Future project, which opened in 2018. This space has hosted a vast array of successful community events, and concerns, including the recent Zinda Festival, celebrating our rich multicultural community.

In 2013, the Bendigo Botanic Gardens received a $1 million boost from the federal Labor government to help implement a master plan.

The Bendigo Botanic Gardens are one of regional Victoria’s earliest established botanic gardens, dating back to 1857. They are almost as old as Bendigo itself.

According to the City of Greater Bendigo, the site appeared on a plan of

the White Hills township just three years after gold was discovered in 1851.

In 2001, the Bendigo Botanic Gardens were placed on the Victorian Heritage Register due to their historical, architectural, scientific, botanical, aesthetic and social significance.

Looking ahead, the Master Plan reveals further vision for the space, including a regional level children’s playspace, aquatic facility, wetlands and arboretum to be built on the adjacent side of the Bendigo Creek to the Garden for the Future.

In the meantime, the Friends are still active in playing an integral role in supporting, promoting, developing and maintaining the Bendigo Botanic Gardens.

They are always on the lookout for new members and volunteers, with many and varied opportunities to become involved.

There’s also a regular plant sale each Saturday from 10am until noon at the Friends of Bendigo Botanic Gardens nursery, at the Samuel Gadd Centre within the gardens.

For more information, visit friendsbgobg.org.au

learning from Uganda

By Anna Knight - Photography by Leon Schoots

Having graduated in 2022, Dr Diana Nabbumba is now bringing insights from the social care system in Uganda to the local context, while advocating for improvements back home.

“My passion for ageing studies started way back,” she explains. “From when I was younger, being a Good Samaritan at a local church and helping older people, the homeless, or people living with disabilities was always important.

“But when I did my Bachelor degree in social work and my thesis looking at child poverty, I got to see that most of these children were living with their grandparents, and it got me thinking.

“I thought, there’s no way we can solve this issue of child poverty without looking at the lives of the people who are heading these households –and the majority of these people were older people who were also living in poverty.”

From then on, Diana knew she wanted to focus on ageing studies and gerontology (the study of old age, the process of ageing, and problems experienced by older people), and was able to undertake a Masters degree in gerontology through a Commonwealth Scholarship at the University of Southampton.

“But I knew it wasn’t enough. I knew I had to do more and really get to the core of social care in Uganda –to understand the system and the issues involved.

I thought, I have to do a PhD!”

Seeing an advertisement for a PhD scholarship through La Trobe University’s John Richards Centre for Rural Ageing Research was the beginning of a lifechanging journey for Diana and her young family.

Moving from Uganda to Bendigo in 2017, she began her research degree under the guidance of Dr Rachel Winterton at the Bendigo campus, and found herself welcomed into Bendigo’s vibrant community.

“Moving to Bendigo was so easy for us because of the local community. We were introduced to the Old Church on the Hill, and we’ve met so many friends through that community. Before you know it, you know so many people.

“There’s always so much going on – the summer festivals, music, all the activities happening across the city – we’ve never felt isolated here in Bendigo. My daughter says she’s more Aussie than Ugandan!”

Diana’s research looked at how social care (or aged care) works in the Ugandan context, and she interviewed stakeholders, caregivers and older people about their experiences and expectations for social care.

“We have a unique aged care system in Uganda, different from Australia. While in Australia there is government funding and support, in Uganda it’s families and communities taking care of the older people. But if those families or communities don’t have the resources, what happens to those older people?

“We know there’s a problem, but people want to see the evidence – and that’s what my PhD has provided. Talking to people and digging deeper, it’s clear that people aren’t coping – families and older people are under stress and there are negative consequences for everyone.”

However, Diana sees opportunities to bring insights from Uganda to the Australian context.

“I think there is knowledge mobility. When I work from the Ugandan perspective, there is a lot I can learn from Australia. But also while I’m working from an Australian perspective, there’s a lot I draw on from Uganda, particularly in terms of engaging families in the care of older people.

“As a care advisor working in Bendigo, I’m supporting people to continue living independently at home – and in Uganda, that’s the only option.

“Many people have been able to see how the support of a family member or a neighbour can make all the difference. Before you know it, they’re calling up to say they don’t need some aged care services anymore, because their niece or their brother-in-law or neighbour has stepped up to support them.”

Now that Diana has completed her PhD and is ‘Dr Nabbumba’, she says she’s often asked why she has stayed in Bendigo.

“People ask, why are you just working in aged care, and why are you still living in Bendigo? You could move to Melbourne.

“But I say no, I’ve been offered a job in Melbourne, but we (the family) prefer Bendigo. I think there are different seasons in our lives and it’s all about knowing which season you’re in, and what you have to do now.

“Being in Bendigo is the season I’m in, and what I have to do now is assist the community here, give back to the community that has welcomed me and my family.”

With a lifelong passion for helping people in need, Diana Nabbumba moved from her home country of Uganda to Bendigo to undertake a PhD at La Trobe University.

CUP BACK ON TRACK

A nail-biting finish and the return of trackside festivities made this year’s Apiam Bendigo Cup a memorable one.

New Zealand’s High Emocean, ridden by Harry Coffey, beat Port Phillip by a neck, cheered on by the first spectators since 2019. Stylish racegoers also strutted their stuff in the Bendigo Marketplace Fashion on the Field competition.

FUN

After weeks of rain, the sun came out just in time for the FunLoong Fun Day.

The National Children’s Week event returned to Hargreaves Mall after a COVID-19 hiatus, offering a wide variety of exciting activities for families to enjoy. The Central Victorian Lion Team and Baai African Dancers also put on an entertaining show.

Bailey, Joel, Sam and Nick

Alex and River

Brea, Elise, Jodie and Kiera

Hardeep and Ekam

Isabella, Gibson, Lockie, Jess and Andy

Lily, Phil and Ivy

Billy, Sam, Luke, Josh, Ted and Harrison

Eloise and Jared

Dylan, Tori and Callum

Jayden and Judd

Steph, Kate, Tess and Holly

Thomas and Archie

FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Pat Wannabe Sommelier

Kira Culinary Obsessed Bailey Amateur Psychologist

Linden Powertool Princess

Reece Nacho Wizard

Courtney Plant Lady

Caleb Creative Thinker

Vanessa Boardgame Fanatic

Dave Wannabe Rockstar

Louise Sweet Tooth

Brent Pepsi Ambassador

Alyssa Beer Nerd

David #1 Chelsea Fan

Aimee Vinyl Addict

Craig Garden Whisperer

Ginny Online Scholar

Henry Tech Enthusiast

Rhiannon Solo Adventurer

David Actual Rockstar

Wendo Abuto Stupadad

Giant smiles and high spirits couldn’t be contained at the Move for Mental Health reveal.

Bendigo Health’s October virtual exercise challenge raised a whopping $66,329.81 for Loddon Mallee mental health services. The funds will allow more people to access these vital services through the purchase of a patient transport bus.

Adrian, Melissa, Kate, Cathy and Sharna

Adam and Gabe

Abbie, Rachel, Carlie and Cindy

Skye, Dianne, Rachel and Caitlin

Karen, Dianne, Alex and Hannah

Skye, Kate, Rachel and Sonya

MARKET PRODUCES THE GOODS

Shopping lists were at the ready as locals perused delicious goods from the region’s best produce growers. The market is a beloved fixture on Bendigo’s calendar, taking place on the second Saturday of each month at the Bendigo Pony Club.

Cath and Mark

David and Chris

Hayley, Alfie and Meredith

Chaz and Sophia

Craig, Kelly and William

Vern and Beck

A lovely sunny morning was in store for the November Bendigo Community Farmers Market.

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In the lead-up to your event, we will help you select the most appropriate suite from our MCG and Marvel Stadium corporate boxes to best suit your theme and your clients. We will also help to tailor a delicious menu of food and premium beverages, to suit your occasion.

'we'll all be rooned'

Words and illustration by Geoff Hocking

Before the rains and the flooding, towards the end of October, I had decided to write this article about the vagaries of Bendigo weather and where the water flowed. I didn’t think it was going to rain all month, and then flood, as it has.

I have strong memories of seeing Bendigo Creek in flood. Standing on one of the bridges across the creek at Golden Square while on my way to school, I watched the raging torrent, almost up to the top of the wide, stonewalled cutting, as it flushed its way from Kangaroo Flat to White Hills. Back then, I mused what it would be like if the creek was dammed at the eastern end and Bendigo Creek could be turned into a permanent water feature of the city, allowing for boating and punting from the Square to the park, alongside the City Family Hotel and under the fountain.

For most of the year the creek is just a slow trickle, confined to the very lowest central ditch, as it picks up a bit of water seeping through the drains. But when it really rains, Bendigo Creek carries a lot of water right through the heart of the city.

The founding pioneers of old Bendigo knew what they were doing when that creek bed was dug out, squared up and paved. Where once the indigenous inhabitants camped and hunted and held their ceremonies, then were forced away by the hoardes of diggers who pitched their tents along the banks of the gently flowing waterway, records show that Bendigo was flooded more than once in its short history.

When the first ‘permanent’ post office was constructed in 1853, at the lower junction of what is today known as Charing Cross, journalist William Howitt wrote in Land, Labour and Gold to offer his opinion of

Are these weather extremes the result of climate change or just El Nino and La Nina?

the decision to locate it by the creek: “…this (building) is built in a hole at a sudden bend in the creek, where it will be all winter up to its ankles in mud, except when the floods are out, when it will stand some feet in water, if the floods do not carry it clean away… the location of the office was absurd”.

Heavy rains in October 1870 inundated the lower reaches around the creek. The Age newspaper reported on October 19 that “rain has caused floods in several districts around Sandhurst. A considerable portion of the road in High Street was submerged… and almost impassable. There has also been extensive floods at Kangaroo Flat… the Prince Alfred, Alliance and Great Britain claims have been flooded. The miners working in the Prince Alfred were obliged to make their escape as expeditiously as possible”.

When mining pioneer George Lansell abandoned Bendigo in 1881, after refusing to entertain the demands of his miners, he left his mines untended. This caused flooding of mines across Bendigo. So much water drained into the vast network of underground shafts that the industry went into decline, throwing hundreds of men out of work. A beautifully illuminated petition containing 2628 signatures was sent to London, imploring the ‘Quartz King’ to return, drain his mines and rejuvenate the fortunes of all.

For most of the year, Bendigo enjoys beautiful weather, with clear blue skies, even all through the winter. But spring has always been a tricky time, bringing heavy rains that at times washed away the Sunday School picnics once enjoyed on the grounds at the lower reaches of Bullock Creek on Melbourne Cup Day.

I note that water was pouring over the spillway at Eppalock, and raging across the old creek bed. As a child, we often went on a Sunday drive to an unfinished Eppalock to observe how it was progressing, wondering if it would ever be full. In the last few weeks, it has joined other reservoirs around the district that are full to overflowing: Harcourt, Laanecoorie, Cairn Curran, Malmsbury, Golden Point, all forced to release excess capacity which, in turn, floods the creeks and rivers below them. Barkers Creek, which runs from Harcourt to Castlemaine, has joined with the ornamental lake in the Castlemaine Botanic Gardens, flooding across the nearby road and inundating some properties. The creek, which was realigned a century ago, reverts to its old ways and still floods the streets.

I grew up in Chum Street. My grandparents lived two doors away. Our properties joined up the back, leaving an old house between us. My grandfather held the back paddock of almost four acres under a miner’s right until the 1960s. This paddock was on the side of the hill that descended from Curnow Street to Chum, with a slight dip in the middle where an occasional ‘damlet’ held whatever drained off the hill. This area is now bounded by Banool Street and more than 20 houses are built on my grandfather’s mining claim.

When it rained, the small dam overflowed and poured down a deep drain dug by Grandpa, one metre wide and 60cm deep, from his

backyard to the roadway. It zig-zagged around his veggie patch and the house in between. When the housing development was under construction, the dam was filled in and a small drainage pipe installed just over the back fence.

Another house was built between our houses. One day, the new owner asked if I could check my mother’s plumbing up the back (she had a garden tap up there). He suggested it must be leaking as he always had water seeping across his rear yard and around his back door. I checked, but did not find her plumbing wanting. His problems came from the tiny drain installed after filling in my grandfather’s big gutter. Grandpa knew what he was doing all those years ago.

When it rains, water will go its own way. Even after decades of new gutters and roadway

construction, the diversion of creeks and building of new suburbs, water will resort to finding its old route.

Once, driving home from work, the heavens opened up just as I came to the foot of Big Hill. The rain was so heavy that I couldn’t see anything through the windscreen. I stopped beside the road and watched as a flood poured down the hill, raging beside me, and the gutter roiling with water as it looked for the easiest way to the old creek. And, then it was gone.

As they say, “it’s good for the garden”. But we have had so much rain lately, our garden is crying: enough. I guess the next thing we will be complaining about, it will be too dry.

“We’ll all be rooned,” said Hanrahan, in that famous weather-themed verse by Australian poet John O’Brien.

A day at the races was the perfect way to celebrate a busy year for many workplaces.

Teams assembled for some fun and frivolity at the Bertocchi Office Christmas Race Day, with guests having a great time eating, drinking and, for a few lucky workers, backing a winner.

Daniel and Marcus

Jack, Matt, Jack, Josh and Nathan

Shanae, Jess, Ainsley, Kiara, Hayley and Melinda

Dave and Sharron

Scott, Michelle and Alan Sian, Courtney and Bianca

FIESTA OF FINE WINES

Wine

aficionados rejoiced at the chance to taste the latest and upcoming blends at the Spring Wine Fiesta.

A celebration of 2022 vintage wines, the inaugural event was organised by Bendigo Winegrowers and Ray White Bendigo. Blues & Roots Music Festival artists were on hand to entertain the crowds at the Garden for the Future.

Corvan, Tim and Jordan

Billy and Feni

Josh and Kirby

Cameron and Arlene

James and Amy

Taylor and Emily

savour the

exotic flavours

By Beau Cook - Photography by Leon Schoots

BLACK BEAN NACHOS

Serves 4

Beans:

• 400g tin black beans, drained and rinsed

• 300ml passata

• 2 chipotle chillies in adobo sauce

• 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

• 2 tsp. raw sugar

• 2 tsp. smoked paprika

• 1 tsp. sea salt flakes

Salsa:

• 1 avocado, diced

• ½ red onion, finely diced

• 12 cherry tomatoes, diced

• Juice of ½ lime

To serve:

• 300g plain corn chips

• 60g grated manchego or cheddar cheese

• 200ml sour cream

• ½ cup coriander, roughly chopped

• Pickled jalapenos

Method:

1. Place passata, chipotle chillies, balsamic vinegar, sugar, paprika and salt into a blender and blend until smooth. Place into a bowl, then mix in beans and set aside.

2. Mix all salsa ingredients and set aside

3. Preheat oven grill on a high heat. Spread corn chips out over a large roasting tray or dish, randomly spoon over the bean mix then sprinkle over the cheese. Grill for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted and corn chips start to brown.

4. Top corn chips with salsa, spoonfuls of sour cream, coriander and jalapenos to your liking. Serve.

A delicious family favourite with its own twist on a traditional northern Mexican dish.

TONS OF FUN IN EAGLEHAWK

The sun was bright and the joy was endless during the Eaglehawk Children’s Festival.

Plenty of free, fun activities for kids were organised by community groups, including swimming at the Peter Krenz Leisure Centre. The afternoon at Canterbury Gardens was a collaboration between Agnico Eagle, the City of Greater Bendigo and Empowering Eaglehawk.

Allirah and Ellahnie

Ava and Claudia

Ivy and Ruby

Andy and Grace

Eaglehawk Community House

Myla, Harlow, Kira and Jacxon

Musicians Jake Fry, Alister Turrill and Joshua Batten took to the pop-up stage, while Cornella Brewery and Shiraz Republic supplied the drinks. Nacho Station artists also turned the venue into a canvas, impressing the audience with their creativity.

Bula, Mr. Dimples, Sophletta and Steven

Christine, Miranda and Karin

Helen, Alex, Lauren, Andreas and Lucas

Cheryl and Jo

Craig and Hayley

Jamie and Eliza

gift yourself wine

If ever there was a year worth toasting, it’s 2022. So, we’re raising a glass – or four – to a year sans lockdowns.

by Leon Schoots

A year of survival and revival; of reconnecting and resurfacing; of the simple pleasure of gathering with friends and family over good food, and yes, great wine. If the recent past has taught us anything,

MANDURANG VALLEY NV BRUTE

What is it about a fizzy bubble? The gentle sound of the rising beads, the spritzy tickle on the nose, the fine flute to hold. Let’s not analyse it too much, it’s just somehow the ideal celebratory drop, and especially at Christmas.

Pour your nanna a glass of gorgeous Mandurang Valley brute, clink and drink. This dignified, sparkling Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blend presents a fine and persistent bead. It displays green pear, summer citrus and ripe strawberries in both aroma and palate. It’s also the crowd-pleasing drop to bridge the generations this festive season.

it’s not to wait. Don’t wait to celebrate occasions small and large. It’s time to raise a toast, with four bottles hand-picked by people in the know; your friendly regional winemakers.

CA’MUNARI 2020 PROSECCO

We were surprised to find a bona fide Italian wine from our friends at Munari at Ladys Pass, near Heathcote. Turns out this family, with its own Italian roots, has hand-chosen and imported the wine, just in time to share this Christmas and new year. And it’s a gift.

Arriving from its traditional home in Veneto, north-eastern Italy, it’s of DOCG quality, which is the highest standard possible from the most famous Prosecco-producing region. The wine is the perfect blend of sweet and savoury, and has a beautiful small bead and fresh apple, pear and floral aromas. Gee, thanks Munari!

Photography

SANDHURST RIDGE 2022 ROSÉ

Rosé and summer make such a loved-up marriage; a fresh pink hue in the glass and a warm evening under the alfresco equals instant domestic bliss. This lovely wine from the vines of Sandhurst Ridge in Marong combines three varietals, romantically grown side-by-side on the Greblo family’s beautiful estate within the boxironbark forest.

Here, the brothers have made harmonious use of the savoury elements of Nebbiolo and Cabernet Sauvignon and the crisp acidity of Sauvignon Blanc. The wine is complex and fresh, with a slight coppery hue. The winemakers recommend cellaring for three years to enhance development, but who has time for that? Enjoy in moderation this Christmas.

TURNERS CROSSING 2019 ROSÉ

Continue to think pink with this 100 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon wine from the Turners Crossing vineyard by the beautiful Loddon River. It’s been gently pressed and settled for 30 hours before commencing fermentation using indigenous yeast. This slow and careful process has produced fresh berry aromas and a likewise fruity palate, balanced by a fine acidity leading to perfect length and balance. The Turners Crossing foodies say it’s ideal matched with barbecued or grilled fish, pork or veal dishes and vegetables.

In Strathdale, we pair it with a charcuterie board of cheeses, fruits and last year’s beetroot relish, just to team with the ‘think pink’ theme.

BUNJA THAI

AUTHENTIC THAI FOOD | DINE IN | TAKEAWAY

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

BENDIGO ERNEST HOTEL

STAY | DINE | SHOP | EXPLORE

Situated in the heart of the CBD, our new boutique offering provides holiday and business travellers a luxurious, modern and ambient getaway set against a grand heritage backdrop. Complimentary off-street parking. 100m from the Art Gallery. hotelbendigo.com.au

CAFE ESSENCE

COFFEE | CAKE | LUNCH | FUNCTIONS | CATERING

Whether it be a beautiful breakfast, lazy lunch or special occasion we are sure to have it covered. Come in today and enjoy a local wine on our balcony and soak up the Bull Street food precinct. Open Tues - Fri 7am - 3pm and Sat 8am - 2pm. cafeessencebendigo.com

STAR CINEMA

Plush couches, a licensed bar and an amazing programme of current and classic films for the discerning film enthusiast. Operating in the grand old Eaglehawk Town Hall, we screen 7 nights a week plus matinees Friday to Sunday. starcinema.org.au

PINOT AND PICASSO

PAINT & SIP

Not your average art class! Creative workshops with a BYO boozy twist. Perfect for catch-ups, birthdays, hen’s, team building events. Unleash your inner creative and surprise yourself! Book now! Hargreaves Mall, Bendigo. pinotandpicasso.com.au/bendigo

GOLDEN REEF MOTOR INN

STAY | DINE | SHOP | EXPLORE

An ideal base to discover the Bendigo region, with easy access to the CBD, major attractions and sporting events. Experience spacious, clean, modern and comfortable accommodation with pool, spa and free wifi available. goldenreefmotorinn.com

Madison and Nick

Red Rooster likely isn’t considered a special location by most, but for Madison and Nick, it’s where their love story started. They met in the Bendigo store seven years ago, and two years later Nick knew Madison was the one.

Just as their hot air balloon was taking off in the Yarra Valley, he asked her to be his wife. Over the beautiful winery views, she wholeheartedly said yes.

After a five-year engagement, Madison and Nick wanted their wedding location to be meaningful. Although they were living in Queensland at the time, they decided to honour Madison’s late grandparents by getting married at their Newbridge farm.

“The farm holds many memories, and having the wedding on the farm is now part of the many amazing memories created there,” Madison says.

September 10, 2022, may have been their big day, but the days leading up to it were just as eventful.

“We had rain on the Thursday… which meant we had multiple cars, caravans (and) portable toilets getting bogged, delaying the set up on the Friday,” Madison says.

Loved ones quickly gathered to assist, working into the night to ensure everything was perfect for the Saturday ceremony and reception. On the Sunday, Madison and Nick discovered additional small issues that had been swiftly and quietly taken care of without them even knowing.

“We cannot thank these particular people enough,” Madison says.

The wedding itself was thankfully stress-free and went as planned, under a beautiful marquee that made the couple feel like royalty. Two Sisters Catering provided a delicious two-course meal for guests, who partied into the early hours of the morning before retreating to their tents and caravans set up in surrounding paddocks.

“We loved to just be able to spend time with everyone, dancing, laughing and just sharing in what will be the most special memories of our lives,” Madison says.

A laid-back celebration at a beloved family farm was perfect for Madison and Nick’s long-awaited nuptials… after a few last-minute hiccups.

Photography by Justin and Jim Photographers

One of Madison and Nick’s most treasured memories from the day was when they ducked away for photos by the river. It was just the two of them and their photographer, Jim from Justin and Jim Photographers, giving them a quiet moment on an otherwise busy day.

The wedding day was just the start of a busy time for Madison and Nick. In the short time since, they have sold their house in Queensland and moved to Adelaide to be closer to their families. They’ve yet to have a honeymoon as a result, but they have one planned for the beginning of 2023. At the moment, they are focusing on absolutely loving life as a newly married couple.

When asked for wedding advice for other couples, Madison and Nick suggest planning ahead as much as possible, even the little things so nothing is left to the last minute. However, their biggest piece of advice was simple.

“As much as you would like to please everyone, at the end of the day, it is your day. Do whatever will make you happy, so that you have the day that you have always dreamed of.”

golden architecture

By Sue Turpie

The grandeur and elegance of yesterday sits in harmony alongside subtle additions in modern practicality for today, in this beautiful Maldon property.

Ethandune is an inspiring example of Victorian architecture, encapsulating the unique history of Central Victoria.

Built in Maldon in 1870, the home was owned by Mr R.D. Oswald Jnr, whose family operated the local mining company as well as the North British Mine and the Caledonian Crushing Battery. They were responsible for extracting some 242,000 ounces of gold, employing over 100 of the town’s local miners, and were actively involved in the civic operations of Maldon for many years.

During the goldrush, miners’ tents and cottages were erected alongside luxurious properties owned by the mining magnates. The region is proud of its history, which saw people from across the world converge on the goldfields seeking riches – and Ethandune is a perfectly preserved example of European influence in the heart of the region.

The home itself is positioned at the centre an allotment measuring some 3295 square metres. The attention to detail in its design and construction, as well as continuous maintenance since, mean that the home’s surrounds are still of an enviable standard and as aesthetically pleasing as they were 150 years ago.

The meticulously maintained gardens feature manicured lawns surrounded by mature box hedges and there is an oval driveway that brings guests directly to the front entrance. Established trees provide a canopy to the myriad of outdoor areas, as well as creating the feeling of complete privacy. Once you step inside the white picket fence, you are literally in your own private world.

The house is set back about 40 metres from the boundary and its attention to detail and beautiful furnishings make it one of the finest properties in the area. The current owners have spent the past 50 years lovingly restoring and enhancing the grand residence throughout.

The front door sits within a brick portico at the centre of a traditional porch, above which is an eyelash or concave veranda that extends to the sides of the home. There is an ornate transom above, with engraved windows that are complemented by glass panels on both sides of the door.

Stepping through the entrance into the foyer, the intricacy and ornateness of the home becomes even more apparent. Dark wood panels adorn the walls, decorative cornices and ceiling roses can be found throughout, and traditional colours add to the rich tapestry of a luxury family home. At the front of the building are three bedrooms that share the main bathroom, across from which is a sitting and dining room. Each boasts its own fireplace with marble, wooden mantlepiece or wrought iron grate.

The large kitchen features a traditional double woodfired stove, bay window and room enough for a kitchen table for casual dining. There is also a formal dining room that provides access to a long sunroom boasting flagstone floor and double-glazed, floor-to-ceiling windows offering uninterrupted views of the pool. And you can step down to the spacious cellar, where there’s an open fireplace.

There is gas hydronic heating throughout, with French iron radiators and modern panels perfectly in keeping with the heritage of the home. All light fittings and window furnishings also sit within the realm of the time period.

At the rear of the home is an inground pool, paved entertainment area, high brick fences and a variety of outbuildings, including a garage-carport with rear street access and off-street parking area, woodshed-workshop and garden bathroom, large kitchen garden, and a glasshouse with heating. On the other side of the building is a large, paved entertaining area.

For the first time in five decades, this historic Maldon property is coming onto the market. It is available through Waller Realty –contact Rob Waller on 0418 571 130 for further information, or visit wallerrealty.com.au

Scan the QR code with the camera on your phone and read why Megan and Colin chose to install a Cinderella Incineration Toilet in their Tiny houseand why they love it.

MODERN AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY TOILET SOLUTIONS

The award-winning Cinderella Incineration Toilets are world-class and are ideal for tiny houses, sheds, granny flats and leisure homes without access to water and sewage. The innovative water-free solution burns all toilet waste at high temperatures with the only outcome a coffee cup’s worth of ashes for a family of four during a week of use.

Cinderella, the natural first choice for those who place high demands on quality and functionality.

Photo:

GettyImages

a place to call home

A collaborative project has given the local Karen community a permanent venue to play their national sport, ensuring a special part of their culture can kick on in Bendigo for future generations.

By Raelee Tuckerman - Photography by Daniel Soncin

The pale blue line markings on courts at the Eaglehawk Tennis Club look unfamiliar, even to keen sports fans. Curious small circles in each playing area and semi-circles beside high nets are early signs this is no ordinary game. And when the athletes spring into action, sending a woven ball back and forth with spectacular agility using their head, torso and legs – but definitely no hands – first impressions are confirmed. This is caneball and it’s something else!

Also known as sepak takraw, caneball combines the rules of volleyball and soccer and is played across Asia, including in refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border from where many of Bendigo’s Karen population originate.

To keep this tradition alive in their new hometown, community members would gather at sports grounds for social games, but were often asked to leave when the ovals’ resident teams turned up to train or play.

As Karen community leader Nay Chee Aung and Sports Focus project co-ordinator Laura Bradley explain, the solution was a joint

initiative led by the City of Greater Bendigo to create two permanent caneball courts where players would always feel safe and welcome. “The council identified Eaglehawk Tennis Club, which was looking to be redeveloped, as a suitable site,” says Laura. “This work happened with the support of Sports Focus, the Bendigo Karen Youth Network and both the Eaglehawk tennis club and association.”

Crowther Street is now home to what is thought to be Victoria’s first permanent caneball venue, though Karen communities in other municipalities are campaigning for similar facilities in their regions.

“This means a lot to us and is an example of great leadership by the City of Greater Bendigo,” says Nay Chee. “Having these courts makes sense, especially when the city wants people to be more active. It’s a good outcome for the Karen community because we can promote caneball, get our people involved who have never played before, and encourage the broader community to come along and try our sport.”

Nay Chee says there are now around 200 people playing caneball socially in Central Victoria, with about 50 involved in regular competition, including tournaments sometimes hosted in Bendigo. Among them are Eh Soo, Yeah Min Soe, Pu Law, Eh Chri and Silver Moo, who all settled here because of family/community ties, job opportunities and the chance of a better life after arriving in Australia on humanitarian grounds.

Yeah Min, 27, learnt the game as a teenager in the Mae La refugee camp and is now known among friends as the “number one champion player in Bendigo”, where he’s lived since 2019. The “sparker” responsible for spiking the rattan or acrylic ball over the net, usually via an acrobatic leap and kick, says he’s thrilled to remain involved in the sport that connects him to his roots.

“It’s really great to see caneball being played in Australia and Bendigo,” he says. “That’s important for the next generation, to see us play and take it up themselves in the future so our sport is not lost or forgotten in our new country.”

Eh Chri, 21, recalls playing in the Mae Ra Moe camp before seeking refuge in Australia in 2016 but says having proper training sessions in Bendigo has helped him develop more quickly and he now enjoys attending tournaments that attract teams and supporters from many parts of the state.

Pu Law, on the other hand, had never tried caneball until COVID interrupted his local soccer season and he went looking for an activity he could do with his mates. “I saw my friend playing and thought I might enjoy it and yes, it was a really cool game,” he laughs. “At first it was very hard, especially when the ball hits you. But the people around me gave me confidence to commit myself to train and improve and now it’s very good. I enjoy playing caneball even more than soccer!”

Bendigo pair Eh Soo and Silver Moo proudly represented Australia at the King’s Cup World Championship in Bangkok in July, contesting doubles, triples and quads and winning several matches.

“The skill level was incredible,” says Eh Soo who plays the “feeder” role (similar to a volleyball setter). “Countries like Thailand, Korea, Vietnam and Myanmar have been playing for a very long time. The experience has inspired me to train more and hopefully if I get another chance to represent Australia, I can do even better.”

The star pair share a passion for developing caneball within their community as well as sharing it with non-Karen people.

“If anyone wants to try it, they can,” says server Silver. “We are happy to teach them how to play and we welcome everybody.”

Eh Soo adds: “I would like one day for Australia to formally recognise caneball as a sport – that’s my goal.”

Local interest is growing, with the Karen community reaching out to several primary schools in Bendigo to present their sporting culture and also recently engaging with a youth group from Maryborough.

“They enjoyed it thoroughly from beginning to end and were really impressed by our older people playing,” says Nay Chee. “They took home a caneball and hopefully they’ll start practising. They showed some passion already and I hope they can become involved in future competitions we organise.”

Bendigo is home to an estimated 5000 Karen residents, many of whom fled persecution and face both language and cultural barriers as they try to rebuild their lives here.

Posao ‘Nido’ Taveesupmai , who works in refugee settlement at Bendigo Community Health Services, asks for kindness and understanding to help them feel welcome.

“We, the Karen people, are born in the jungle or the refugee camps and don’t have access to anything: no rights, nothing,” Nido says. “We live behind barbed wire fences, and don’t know what’s happening in the outside world.

“We come from a very unstable background with very little English, and we don’t have much confidence because we’ve been trained to listen to authority, not speak up and talk to people. Many of us have seen bad things happen and come with a background of trauma. When we land at Tullamarine we have nothing, and we must start learning everything again.

“But we are trying. It might take us time to learn the language and culture, so when you see us, just say ‘hi’ – it’s a very universal word. And smile. That’s another thing we can share with one another.”

Nay Chee adds that Karen people are not here seeking handouts, they simply want a haven.

“We’ve had starvation and deprivation for so long. We just want a roof over our head, food on the table, and basic human rights. Our people come from such humble backgrounds but now we are working, buying houses, spending money locally and contributing to society here.”

And playing caneball on home courts built on collaborative foundations – something worth celebrating. The caneball courts are unlocked and free for anyone to use, any time, though priority is given to those with a booking. To learn more or find out how you can give caneball a go, contact the Bendigo Karen Youth Network via Facebook or email bendigokarenyouthnetwork@hotmail.com