Chewton Chat June 2023

Mitch Nivalis, photographer, videographer, footballer...

Studio Visits with Jackie and Julie Mitch Nivalis, Photographer, Videographer

For this month’s studio visit we headed to Fryerstown to meet Mitch Nivalis. Mitch has worked for seventeen years as a freelance photographer and videographer and invited us into their attic room workspace. Looking at Mitch’s website www.mdpphotovideo.com. au we can see great quality photography, some famous faces and an impressive list of corporate clients. More importantly we see that Mitch is dedicated to using the mediums of photography and video for social change. Mitch is particularly drawn to projects that help disadvantaged communities and people such as indigenous, LGBTIQ, disabled and multicultural communities and projects that help the environment, education, gender equality, the prevention of violence against women and mental health issues.

In 2020 Mitch completed a research study on the role of photography to create social change and more recently is extending that research to complete a Master of Arts (Photography) at Photography Studies College - Melbourne. For Mitch’s Master of Arts project, they decided to document the story of the Mount Alexander Falcons after first seeing a poster mentioning that the Falcons are a team particularly welcoming gender diverse people. Mitch felt drawn to the culture of this team who outwardly promote themselves as creating a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for women and gender diverse people.

Mitch started visiting the Falcon’s training sessions with camera in hand to document the story of this footy team with the progressive and friendly ethos. Mitch was invited to have a try at playing footy and though they had never had much interest in football, Mitch began to love the game. Mitch is now an enthusiastic member of the team. This allowed Mitch to document the story from a different perspective, as a player. A small camera was strapped to Mitch’s chest allowing unique video footage of playing the game.

The footage Mitch has taken has been artfully put together in a dynamic feature length documentary film called Equal the Contest – When the Rules Exclude You, Rewrite Them. The film follows the story of starting a football team from scratch, failed

attempts to be accepted into the AFL and their eventual acceptance into the Riddell District Women’s Football League. Individual players share their amazing stories, and the film includes talking to a 94-year-old Chewton woman Mavis Herbert who many decades ago played football in a women’s team. Most of all the film shows the positive benefits for all when there is a culture of inclusiveness. We see how much the team members thrive and build strength and confidence when given the right support and encouragement.

Equal the Contest has been accepted in the Castlemaine Documentary Festival and will be shown at 5pm Saturday 17th June. This will be the world premiere for Mitch’s film and there with be a question-and-answer session with Mitch after the screening. The promotion for the film reads: - “When a filmmaker joins a new local footy club in Central Victoria, a simple desire to play becomes a complex journey of inclusion and belonging. An unexpected turn of events means the team has to fight to play. Their campaign challenges age-old traditions and

joins the wider movement for gender equity.” It looks like it will be good viewing. Tickets to the premiere of Equal the Contest can be purchased at cdocff.com.au/2023festival/equal-the-contest

As well as the documentary film, Mitch has put together another work based on the Mount Alexander Falcons. It is a video where football images are overlayed on images of body fragments. The images overlay and fade in and out. Mitch says that this is to honour the bodies that allow a person to play a game like football. This video will be the next in a series that are projected on the façade of the Castlemaine Art Museum at nighttime.

It was a pleasure to spend time with Mitch and appreciate their talent and commitment to social change. You can see more of Mitch’s work on their website www. mdphotovideo.com.au

Also check out www.mtalexanderfalcons.com. au and the Castlemaine Documentary Festival on www. cdocff.com.au

Thanks Mitch and GO THE FALCONS !!!!

Words by Jackie McMaster, photos by Julie Millowick and Mitch Nivalis

A gracious gold rush era home and three acre garden of national significance in Castlemaine

A unique collection featuring the Arts & Crafts movement Locals enter FREE when bringing a paying guest

The Red Cross Pillowcase Workshop in the Chewton Town Hall...

It was the Red Cross Pillowcase Program is a disaster resilience education program designed to help children prepare for, cope with and respond to emergencies, developed by the American Red Cross after Hurricane Katrina and delivered in schools by Red Cross volunteers and staff. The workshop encourages students to be active participants in their own emergency preparedness.

The program includes a discussion about the importance of being prepared, as well as interactive activities to help students prepare their minds for an emergency and consider what to pack in an emergency kit. Students are then given a pillowcase to decorate and take home to start their own personal emergency kit, hence the program’s title.”

In Australia the activities are linked to the school curriculum and designed for 8 to 10 year olds but Grades 5/6 have now been added to the program. The activities work effectively with CFA objectives and Rediplan. And kids seem to love it!

Antoinette Birkenbeil.

Support your Community

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We are recruiting for positions in all local areas across Victoria, the Incident Management Team and Learning and Development team.

Becoming a volunteer will open the door to amazing opportunities for training and leadership development. For more information, please email us at vicesworkforce@redcross.org.au or view roles at www.redcross.org.au/volunteer.

Checkmate!

Looking at the changes and refinements to the Chewton School infrastructure that were opened and shown off recently, I was blown away by a chess set! Not just any old chess set, but the hand carved chess set made by Tom Taft and presented to the school in 2017. Six years ago! And here it was, featured in pride of place in the newly modernized library.

Back in 2017 the September Chewton Chat had an article headed: “Smart moves at Chewton School”. It began with the words of Tai, a student at the time. “On Tuesday, a local wood carver named Tom came to our school. He showed us a really cool chess set, and told us lots of tips for future carvers in our class. He told us that all of his chess sets had different themes, and this theme was the Eureka Stockade and it featured miners and the minority as blue, with troopers and other law enforcement as red. It took hours and hours making that lovely chess set, but he was so generous and gave it as a gift to our school. Everybody loved the chess set and I think it will be a lot of fun for years to come at Chewton.”

Yes, it was a great moment at Chewton school that week as Tai explained. Tom Taft had made an appointment and turned up to present the school with a chess set – a hand carved chess set that is based on the Eureka Stockade. The troopers versus the miners in two distinctive sets of colours. Tom introduced the set to Scott’s class and explained how each piece was carved after examining the grain and the strengths of each piece of wood. And each piece averages four hours of work! With a very sharp knife! It didn’t take long for the kid’s mental arithmetic to tell them the length of time involved in the making. Then there’s the board and storage box too. Tom was invited back to demonstrate his skills and inspire the children – and weren’t Tai’s words prescient? Having seen the chess set in the library, it only seemed natural to Invite Tom back look at his gift six years on – sitting proudly in the revamped school!

Pool proceedings…

Winter is coming, but the crew at the pool are still working; they are mowing the grass, paying the bills, washing the uniforms and planning for next summer.

Keep your eye on the Chewton Chat over winter, we will be announcing some fundraising and social events and asking for your support.

Don’t forget the pool needs volunteers and there is no time like the present, to put your hand up and keep us afloat.

www.chewtonpool.com.au

Avenues of Honour

Recent drives through country Victoria have provided spectacular views of Autumn displays. Many country towns and suburbs have prominent and beautiful rows of trees which are memorials to servicemen and women who were sent to war. Avenues of Honour are an important part of Australian culture. The movement of planting memorial trees to honour servicemen and servicewomen originated in the Goldfields area of Victoria and has spread with over 560 Avenues of Honour in Australia of which half are in Victoria.

The first recorded Avenues of Honour were planted in remembrance of Australia’s participation in the Second Boer War (1899-1902); however, most memorials were planted after World War 1 (1914-1918). Later, some memorials were planted in honour of the servicemen and women in World War 2 and some the Vietnam or Korean Wars.

Some Avenues of Honour have trees planted to represent a specific serviceperson who fought or died in a war. Many have a plaque stating the name of the serviceperson. In wartime, soldiers were often grouped by the place they enlisted, so a defeat often meant many men from the same town were killed in the same battle. This left a town experiencing a huge amount of grief. Planting a memorial Avenue of Honour was a way for the townsfolk to come together and channel their grief into something positive.

Many of the Avenues of Honour are listed with the Victorian Heritage Register or National Trust of Australia. There is also a great online project by Treenet which involves documenting, preserving, promoting and reinstating Australia’s Avenues of Honour. With most avenues planted after WW1 the trees are now over 100 years old. In Australia’s harsh

Mount Macedon

Manna Gums, Daylesford

Corindhap

climate many of the trees are at an age where replacement may be needed. Many of the original name plaques have been lost and in some cases some of the avenues have been decimated. As well as government funded programs it takes dedicated locals to actively work towards reinstating and caring for these memorials.

Some of the most notable local avenues include Bacchus Marsh Road, (281 Dutch Elm trees), Honour Avenue, Macedon (224 Oak trees), Kingston which has a particularly attractive avenue, and Ballarat which has the longest Avenue of Honour in Australia (3,912 trees spanning 22 kilometers) culminating in the impressive Arch of Victory. Locally, there are Avenues of Honour in Maldon, Newstead, Harcourt, Campbells Creek, Drummond, Woodend, Bendigo, Guildford and Daylesford. Some towns have more than one avenue to represent memorials to different wars. Another interesting one is in the town of Corindhap near Colac. Their avenue was planted with Cyprus trees in 1917. In recent years when some of the trees reached the end of their lives, rather than remove them completely, locals commissioned a local sculptor to carve images of WW1 from the tree stumps.

So, what about Chewton? Chewton’s Avenue of Honour consists of 35 mature Dutch Elm trees which were planted in 1920. Two rows of trees run along the fence line of the Chewton Soldiers’ Memorial Park along Fryers Road.

A different memorial can be seen on the outskirts of Daylesford on Glenlyon Road. A row of mature Manna Gum trees has been dedicated to the Dja Dja Wurrung. The sign says “Manna Gum Avenue shows respect and remembers our ancestors. Frontier Wars”

After my little bit of research about Avenues of Honour, now when driving through the countryside I not only enjoy the beauty the established trees add to the landscape, but I tend to think in a deeper way about these living memorials, the people who planted them, and the people who served in horrific wars.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Avenues of Honour Project and where to find the avenues, have a look at www.avenuesofhonour. org The website is gathering information, so if you can add more information then please share. Also, if you are interested in memorials to people who served in wars there is a great book called Remembrance beautifully written by local Castlemaine author and artist Geoff Hocking. It is illustrated with photographs by Christopher Atkins and local Fryerstown (and Chewton Chat) photographer Julie Millowick. Copies of this book can be purchased from Julie by emailing julie@juliemillowick.com

If you are interested in local history, Chewton’s People and Places Collection can be viewed at the Chewton Town Hall on the first and second Sundays of the month 1pm to 4pm.

Words by Jackie McMaster, photos by Julie Millowick and Jackie McMaster.

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A dramatic May Saturday:

Chewton had it all early in May! A house fire in Fryers Road to start with. The Chat began receiving messages from Wesley Hill readers about the number of emergency vehicles passing through, all heading in the Chewton direction. A traumatic situation for everyone who was aware of the event, but none more so than for the residents. The house is now surrounded by security fencing. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, a water leak in Pitman Street that had been reported a few days earlier erupted. It erupted spectacularly! Excess water finds its own level, and householders between the impressive leak and Wattle Creek suddenly found their properties and buildings needing protection. Again, emergency services were in Chewton. Maria Kalenjuk was able to make a video and take some photos during the crisis.

In praise of first responders

Staff and volunteers from the CFA, SES, Ambulance Victoria, Dhelkaya Health and others involved in responding to emergencies in Mount Alexander Shire gathered at Castlemaine Art Museum on Sunday 30 April. They were gathered together for the ‘In Praise of First Responders’ event presented by Castlemaine Art Museum and Dhelkaya Health.

One affected resident said, “My garage was filling up with water...got my car out first... already ankle deep in water. My concern was the second fridge that was in there... This should have been fixed straight away on Thursday morning when I reported it.”

Cr Bill Maltby thanked these everyday heroes for their contribution to our community on behalf of Mount Alexander Shire Council. Sue Race CEO of Dhelkaya Health acknowledged the extraordinary teamwork and collaboration between services in times of crisis.

Sue said in her address, “I know from experience that with service often comes risk and a burden of stress. Despite this, you carry on that I want to express the deep gratitude and admiration which we all feel for what you do.”

Christine Nixon AO spoke about how she valued her own involvement with art as a way of maintaining wellbeing and the pleasure of making and learning about mosaics. She passed on the advice given to her when she became Commissioner of Victoria Police: “This isn’t a race, it’s a marathon, and you need to take time out to care for your wellbeing to stay the distance.”

For Naomi Cass Director of Castlemaine Art Museum who initiated the idea for the event: “We were delighted with the attendance, particularly on a sunny Sunday in beautiful Castlemaine! Visiting Castlemaine Art Museum is free and has so much to offer First Responders looking for a quiet and uplifting experience, as an individual or as a group, children are welcome. Visitors are invited to experience the art and the museum collections in any way they wish, there’s no right or wrong way to experience art!”

There was very much a party atmosphere as guests and their families enjoyed both the gallery and each other’s company. Many families had two generations of first responders in attendance and many guests had served their community for thirty to forty years.

Taken from a Press Release.

Vandalism

close to home...

The front page of the Castlemaine Mail (May 26) had the headline “Historic mine site desecrated” and referred to the trashing of the Wattle Gully mine site that has been going on for a number of years. The March 2019 Chewton Chat included two photos that illustrated what was occurring.

Vandalism and theft from the site is an on-going problem and it begs the question - what can be done?

...and there’s other local vandalism too!

The last few year’s of Chat editions have unfortunately carried stories and photos of local vandalism. Signage damaged, vehicles driven where it has been obvious they shouldn’t, brochure boxes repeatedly smashed, rubbish dumped - ad infinitum and ad nauseum as the Romans were wont to say!

Rail trail feasibility study needs your input

We’ve partnered with the Central Goldfields Shire Council and Castlemaine-Maryborough Rail Inc. to determine the feasibility of a shared rail trail between Castlemaine and Maryborough. The proposed trail is 55km and passes through the communities of Campbells Creek, Guildford, Newstead, Moolort and Carisbrook. Residents living in proximity to the trail are invited to provide feedback on the proposal at this early stage.

The survey will be open until Friday 23 June and can be accessed at surveymonkey.com/r/cmrailtrail

Find out more about the project at cmrailtrail.org.au

It’s game on at sports reserves

We’re continuing our commitment to improve sports and recreation reserves across the shire. Over the last few years we’ve upgraded facilities at Harcourt Recreation Reserve and Wesley Hill Recreation Reserve, and we’re planning for improvements at Camp Reserve and Campbells Creek Recreation Reserve.

Works to upgrade facilities at Maldon’s Bill Woodfull Recreation Reserve are also on the way, with construction of a new pavilion and improved sports lighting set to begin in the coming months. These improvements will make local sport accessible for all ages, genders, abilities and backgrounds.

Keep your recycling loose.

By putting your recycling in the bin loose and not in a plastic bag, it can be turned into new things like park benches and tables.

A small act makes a big impact. Find out how at sustainability.vic.gov.au Authorised

A company of gentlemen

(and gentlewomen)

The 2023 Distinguished Gentleman's Ride was run on Sunday 21 May to raise funds for men's health charities.

Jirrahlinga Caption Comp...

The May Caption Comp for the Jirrahlinga family pass (two adults and two children) has been won by Glenda Dingwall who contributed: “Oh my ! Now I know what was in there.”

And the second prize went to Janine Purvis, “Damn. I’m sick of sharing my coat, can’t wait till you get your own.”

And now for the June caption Comp...

More than 70 riders (including more than a few Distinguished Gentlewomen), dressed in their dapper best Harris Tweed, suits and cravats, gathered at the Castlemaine Tourist Centre in Mostyn St. After a ride briefing, and some wise words from Lyttleton Street Medical Clinic GP, Dr Ali Clark-Akimi, the group headed off on a leisurely loop through Maldon, Newstead, Guildford and Vaughan before finishing at the Five Flags Hotel in Campbells Creek.

The ride concept originated in Sydney a decade ago and has grown to over 100 countries. This year's Castlemaine ride alone raised over $17,000 for prostate cancer research. The aim is for riders to don their best "Mad Men" attire while riding classic motorcycles for a good cause.

Special thanks go to organiser and fundraiser extraordinaire Brian Rix, local members of Victoria Police for their traffic control support, and all the Five Flags Hotel for their hospitality.

See you all next year. Mick Morgan Chewton

* Mick was one of the participants and provided this article and images to the Chewton Chat.

Wanted - a caption for this photo!!!

Your chance to win a free family visit (two adults and two children) to Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation and Wildlife Education Centre thanks to the generosity of Tehree and Hamish Gordon.

To win this exciting prize you need to provide us with the best caption for the photo below. This is open to all ages. Just compose the best caption you (or your family) can come up with – before June 23rd...

• put it in the letterbox at Chewton’s Primitive Methodist Church

• or email it to chewtonchateditor@gmail.com or post it as a comment on Facebook

• or post it to Chewton Chat, PO Box 85, Chewton 3451

A panel of Chewton Chat volunteers will then consider all entries and select the lucky family. Winners (and the winning captions) will be published in the July Chewton Chat...

Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation and Wildlife Education Centre

“Chewton Primary! Your $1.423m upgrade is complete! Such a pleasure to visit recently to cut the ribbon, take a tour, and say hello to everyone at assembly.

Works included upgrading classrooms and connecting them to outdoor spaces, and refurbishing the historic building.

An incredible school community - and they now have the facilities they deserve.

Thank you to everyone who advocated for this, so proud we could deliver this funding.”

Maree Edwards MP posting on Facebook.

$1.423 million upgrade at Chewton School now open

Students at Chewton Primary School are now enjoying upgraded and modernised facilities to learn and play, thanks to a $1.423 million investment from the Andrews Government.

Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards MP officially opened upgrade works at the 153-year-old school, which included:

• Refurbishing the historic main building

• Refurbishing existing classrooms to create more collaborative learning spaces

• Connection to the outdoor spaces for classrooms Ms Edwards said the upgraded facilities have transformed the school.

“Chewton Primary School is a brilliant school –and now, students and staff can enjoy facilities that they deserve,” she said. “We’re making sure that all students at the school can meet their potential and access great education. I congratulate the school community, architects at Roam Architects and builders Q Constructions for their brilliant work on this project.”

Visitors were taken on a tour of the school to look at the heritage-sympathetic improvements that have been woven into the structure. With children guiding and explaining along the way the visitors were left in no doubt of the pride the speakers have in this school. A short outside assembly, then the ribbon was untied. There was nothing left to do but pose for a group photo, and walk up the spectacular new ramp into the exciting new learning spaces.

And catching the eye in the new library were the historic photos of the school - and all polished and shiny on prominent display was the Eureka chess set carved and presented to the school in 2017 by Tom Taft.

New life breathed into an historic school building - a great day for Chewton!

Don’t forget this event...

What’s happening in the P-1-2 room?

Last Friday, Preps, Year Ones and Twos enjoyed a Tabloid Sports Day at the Wesley Hill oval. Students from local schools participated in a variety of games including tail tiggy, parachute activities and snowball tag. It was a great day for meeting new friends, team building and having fun.

Time to think about indoor fire safety

Inter-brigade training

We have kept up our regular inter-brigade training, working alongside our fellow brigades to understand each others’ local areas and how we can support each other best.

In mid-May we teamed up with Castlemaine, Campbells Creek, Harcourt and Maldon brigades at Chewton Primary School. Under direction by Chewton, all five brigades ran through a scenario designed to help us understand how to get the water where it’s needed in the event of a fire at the school.

Later in the month we joined Elphinstone and Taradale brigades in a visit to Elphinstone Primary School so that Elphinstone could walk us through the best ways to approach a fire at the school.

May saw Chewton CFA attending a number of callouts across the area, including a mix of outside and inside emergencies. It’s a good reminder that fire safety preparation is needed all year round, even in the cooler months.

With the cold coming in we are all using our heaters and fireplaces more, which means it’s time to brush up on fire safety inside the home. The CFA North West Region Community Safety Facebook page is a good place for tips about home fire safety – follow them for weekly messages and advice. You can find them on Facebook by searching for “CFA North West Region Community Safety”.

Flying the flag for inclusion

You may have seen us on the pages of the Castlemaine Mail recently, celebrating our raising of the Progress Pride flag to mark IDAHOBIT, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. IDAHOBIT takes place every year on 17 May. It was established in 1990 as a day for everyone to reflect on and take a stand against LGBTQIA+ discrimination, which sadly is still a reality in our community.

We took this action to signal to everyone in Chewton and beyond that we aim to be a welcoming and inclusive brigade. We know there is work to be done to make the CFA and our brigade a more welcoming place for everyone, and we are committed to doing that work.

Both schools present their own unique challenges in terms of the location of water resources relative to the school, and how a truck could safely approach these resources and the school building. This kind of planning enhances the experience and confidence of local brigades when it comes to preparing to fight fires locally. Thanks to everyone, both from our brigade and our fellow brigades, who worked hard to make these training sessions possible, and thanks to everyone who made the time to attend.

Adam Ford.

Chewton Domain Society (CDS)

The May CDS meeting was held on the usual third Monday of the month, May 15th, but it seemed to come around very quickly!

• There had been a recent phone inquiry regarding the Verey photo of Sir James Brown Patterson 1833-1895 that is kept in the Chewton Town Hall. When the photo was looked at it was found one of the corners of the plaster frame had been damaged. We’ve had the offer of a qualified person to assess and repair the damage and clean the picture.

• Another contact was about research being done by a consultant to update the Diggings guide booklet that was published some years ago.

Continued vandalism at the Wattle Gully Mine is also of concern and the current responsibility for managing the site always poses a problem.

Council’s Parks and Gardens will now maintain the area identified by the low bollards recently installed in Ellery Park and the missing rubbish bin (left) near the BBQ has been reported again. With the BBQ getting used regularly the lack of a nearby rubbish bin has consequences!

The readership of the Chewton Chat continues to increase with many recent viewers going online to access it. Recent State Government advertisements also add to the information made available to its readers.

The grant process for the painting of the “Little House on the Hill” is being finalised - Chewton’s incredibly popular public toilet is to get a facelift.

An email has been sent to those Chewton Film Society members who have become CDS members – and is also a reminder for those who are already members and that memberships will be due again after July 1st, 2023!

Membership: Welcome to our organisation, the Chewton Domain Society!

As a CDS member you are (and have been if already a CDS member!) now a part owner of the Heritage Listed Chewton Post Office and Chewton Town Hall and the adjoining Ellery Park!

A healthy membership allows us to access other support funding to manage and preserve these heritage listed properties.

You are also most welcome to be involved in CDS programs and be an active part of our community:

• Chewton Chat monthly newsletter

• People and Places Display

• Monster Meeting

• www.chewton.net website

• chewton.net Facebook page

Some recent history:

We’re an incorporated body that was registered in 1996 mainly because the new Mount Alexander Shire Council commissioners had put the Chewton Post Office on a list of assets for sale and the townsfolk rallied to maintain local public ownership of the important and much-loved local post office.

In response to the many expressions of community feeling, the Commissioners then passed the Post Office back to the people of Chewton, along with the Town Hall and Ellery Park and the ‘Chewton Domain Society’ was founded to act as its community ownership organisation.

The task of managing, preserving and improving these assets is now handled by the volunteer members of the Chewton Domain Society Management Committee elected by CDS members at an Annual General Meeting.

A monthly report is published in the Chewton Chat keeping everyone informed of what is happening. If you would like to receive a coloured electronic copy of the Chat, please contact the editor on chewtonchateditor@ gmail.com

Your membership will officially start on July 1st for the 2023/24 financial year.

If you have any questions please email chewtondssecretary@gmail.com

The CDS appreciates your interest and support!

CDS has also received notification that it’s application to MASC Community Events Support Program has been successful and will help with the Monster Meeting celebration to be held in December.

Cathouse Players Chewton connections

Two of Chewton’s theatrical identities, Peter Bevin, and Emma Webb have standout roles in Kyneton’s Cathouse Players June production.

Under the Umbrella Title of Deception, Artistic Director Bette Sartore has chosen four vastly different and intriguing One Act Plays, three of them Festival winners, and all guaranteed to thoroughly entertain, with many humorous moments to maintain the balance.

Keeping to the theme, Emma Webb, as “Daphne”, expertly combines her comedic talent with a hint of dramatic pathos, as she reveals her back story. But is it truth or fiction?

Peter Bevin plays a pivotal role as Peter Walker, in the fourth play, Over She Goes, a World Premiere, written by Elphinstone resident and Cathouse member, Helen Gramberg, appearing onstage as “Veronica Walker”.

Online researching Archival Family History has become a passion for Veronica, but her husband Peter, perceives this as an obsession, impinging on their marriage, and strongly insisting that his family’s past should remain there. But why? As relaxation for them both, Peter suggests an escape to the country for a weekend get-away.

5 performances only, (June 17-25) at their warm and cosy pop-up theatre, at the Masonic Centre of Kyneton, 7 Yaldwyn Street West. $25/$20, all inclusive, with Matinee Interval refreshments, “High Tea with Bubbles” or wine and cheese for the evening show.

www.trybooking.com/CEUSG

Phone bookings/enquiries: Katie or Brian: 0490 485 850

www.cathouseplayers.com.au

Photo 1: Cathouse Players Rehearsal Room shot of Peter Bevin as Peter Walker and Helen Gramberg as Veronica Walker in Over She Goes.

Photo 2: Rehearsal Room shot of Emma Webb as Daphne – her play title is actually Disturbed but I don’t want to mention that it as it may confuse some people with Deception! Der ….

Rail trailing...

Mount Alexander Shire Council is partnering with Central Goldfields Shire Council and community group Castlemaine-Maryborough Rail Trail Inc. to determine the feasibility of a shared rail trail between Castlemaine and Maryborough. The proposed trail is 55km long and passes through the communities of Campbells Creek, Guildford, Newstead, Moolort and Carisbrook.

A survey is now open to the community, which aims to evaluate the business case for the trail, and to provide recommendations about the trail alignment, design and management. It will also gather information about community attitudes and expectations.

The survey is open until Friday 23 June and can be accessed at www.surveymonkey.com/r/cmrailtrail Find out more about this project at www.cmrailtrail.org.au

Photo thanks to Castlemaine-Maryborough Rail Trail Inc

Taken from a Press Release.

Photographs by Nicole Katiforis

Graffiti

Letters appear in the press pointing out the ugliness that has taken hold of areas of Melbourne. A couple of recent ones are included. It is widespread problem now, and a trip along any train line in the metropolitan area provides stark reminders of the issue. Public property, businesses and private property affected – the problem in our capital city is well recognized but is so well-established that solutions aren’t readily forthcoming. Turning this around now, after years of passively watching and wringing hands, is a seriously daunting (and expensive) task.

Locally, we have a persistent problem. Not as big as Melbourne’s but worrying all the same. Do we wait for it to reach the metropolitan proportions? Or do we move earlier? That answer should be obvious.

The large overpass at Faraday (a VicRoads asset and a VicRoads responsibility) is still offensively emblazoned despite it being reported to VicRoads months and months ago. Infrastructure belonging to other agencies is regularly uglified and, disturbingly, private property is becoming a more frequently used target.

“Doing something” to try to eliminate the graffiti sprawl is the responsibility of the community, and our community is made up of more than just the council, the police, the schools, the business owners and the resident families. But it seems obvious this community needs leadership to bring these disparate groups together!

Our elected council would seem to be in the perfect place to fill this leadership role - to establish and support a tasked committee that could monitor the problem and provide advice. Until we, as a community, are seen to be concerned and overtly addressing our graffiti problem, agencies such as VicRoads can easily ignore their problems that increasingly exist in our area. That Faraday “billboard” should not have been allowed to remain after VicRoads received the photos – our community obviously doesn’t count because we’re not regarded as a community that cares. There will be another update on the Faraday ugliness next month, and in the meantime if anyone would like to contact the Department of Transport and Planning, DTP (formerly VicRoads/Regional Roads Victoria) on 131 170 about this - feel free to do so.

By way of background, it was reported in early March, with a response from VicRoads (with a reference number) received on March 7. The graffiti was still there today (May 24) so a follow up phone call was made – I was told it had been removed! Oops! Since then, more calls from VicRoads have explained why we are still faced with that confronting graffiti. It’s a big job requiring a team of 6 and harnesses - and flood recovery of affected roads has taken priority. So what next? We’ll wait with interest.

Incidentally, council’s proposed budget for 23/24 has a proposed $60k. for “introducing a graffiti management program.

The Faraday overpass in all its glory... waiting and waiting and waiting for attention!

Phoenix Chewton Country Women’s Association

A Home is a Luxury for Some in Our Community

Did you have a nice warm shower this morning, toast or porridge for breakfast and turn the heating on because, brrrrr another cold day?

You could easily assume that this is just a natural start to the day. In this land of abundance, you could think that these mundane rituals are available to everyone. Truth is there is an ever-growing group of people that either don’t have the basics or are barely getting by, and would see a hot shower and a warm house as an absolute luxury.

It’s not unusual for whole families to be living in caravans, tents and cars. For some lucky enough to have a roof over their head paying for electricity and gas is a cause of great stress, so no heating, a shower once a week, washing and drying clothing to an absolute minimum.

I’m not talking about a third world country, but right here in Chewton and Castlemaine. People are doing it really tough and it’s not going to get any easier in the near future.

As well as being a member of Phoenix Chewton CWA, I’m also a volunteer for Orange Sky. This is a charity started in 2014 that offers laundry service for the homeless and those doing it tough. Orange Sky operates from Sac of Suds on Thursdays from 1-3pm. The friends that use the service often chat with us and their stories reveal difficulties in just ordinary day to day living.

I’m writing this not to make those of us who live in a comfortable house feel guilty but just to raise awareness that there a many in our community who are struggling through no fault of their own. Having shelter, clean water and food are basic human rights.

If you find you are able to donate or volunteer, I’d encourage you to take up the opportunity. If you’re struggling don’t hesitate to contact organisations that can lend a hand, you are certainly not alone.

Madeleine Randall.

What is Orange Sky?

Orange Sky’s website tell us: “Orange Sky Australia is the world’s first free mobile laundry service for people experiencing homelessness – an idea founded in a Brisbane garage by two 20-year-old mates, Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett. In late 2014, the boys installed a couple of washing machines and dryers in the back of their old van and visited parks around Brisbane to wash and dry clothes for free. What started as an idea to improve hygiene standards and restore dignity to people doing it tough has evolved into something much bigger and more powerful.”

Orange Sky sounds like a wonderful initiative. As homelessness and rough sleeping takes hold around us there is certainly a growing need.

And there has been for a long, long time. Sampling some 1858 gold rush Mount Alexander Mails there are many examples of need, and even a plea “a local benevolent institution would be of service, and it does not redound very much to the credit of our community that we have not among us such an institution.” (MAM, 27 August, 1858 - below)

Mount Alexander Mail (MAM), 8 August, 1858

The Good Coat Drive initiative – we want your coats!\

Something to consider as we shiver through the morning weather...

Community Bank Maldon & District lending manager Lara Mulholland recently bought a new coat but didn’t want to go through the bother of trying to sell the old one privately, send it to landfill or drop into op shops which are often overloaded. She enquired about a coat drive online and couldn’t find anything in our local area, hence The Good Coat Drive was born.

Community Bank Maldon & District is partnering with The Good Op Shop in Castlemaine and Haven; Home Safe (the regional housing support service in Bendigo) to run The Good Coat Drive throughout May and June.

We are inviting the public to donate their old, but good condition, coats to The Good Coat Drive so that those sleeping rough or struggling to keep warm this winter will have a little bit of extra help. “It was important to partner with experts like Haven; Home Safe who are already connected to those that need the support and it was great that they were open to being part of this initiative” said Maldon Community Bank’s Executive Officer, Shannon Burdeu. “Being a local Community Bank, we can have an immediate and direct impact in our region, and it makes such a difference when we can partner with organisations which support some of our most vulnerable residents”.

Tiffany Inglis, Director of The Good Op Shop in Castlemaine was thrilled to be approached to get involved in the Good Coat Drive. “We have partnered with the Maldon Community Bank in the past for funds for a machine for Castlemaine Secondary College to shred plastic bottle lids, melt them down and turn them into a new product to sell,” said Tiffany, “so we feel very lucky to be a part of this team of different groups that are working together to get more to those in need. There are already enough clothes in the world now for many generations to come, so it’s just a matter of getting them to the right people. The Good Op Shop is keen to play a part in that - in sharing what exists so we don’t have to make new clothes and take the pressure off our natural resources.”

The Good Coat Drive is running now until June 30th and your good coats can be dropped at any of the following collection points:

· Maldon Community Bank, 81 High Street Maldon (Mon-Fri 9.30am-4pm, Sat 9am-12noon)

· Newstead Branch, Community Bank (RTC), 45 Lyons Street, Newstead (Mon-Thu 9am-1pm)

· Dunolly Branch, Community Bank (RTC), 109 Broadway, Dunolly (Mon-Fri 10am-2pm)

· The Good Op Shop, 4 Lewis Drive, Castlemaine (Thu-Sat 10am-4pm)

Taken from a Press Release.

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A new serialised book started last month...

Keep track of the spirit, the progress and the pages in coming months until we run out of puff!

Through my window I could see the Mayor and councillors from our local Castlemaine Borough.

Councillor PEG looked really pleased. Councillor PEG was really interested in helping small business succeed in the district, even though Thompson’s foundry was a really large, large, industrial enterprise. Small businesses in the town did supply items to the foundry. So it all worked together. There were so many people there, all cheering and clapping.

Real Estate Round Up

There have been two Chewton property sales for the past month. Three vendors have reduced the asking price for their properties. It is generally a slow market although some vendors are achieving a good result. At the time of preparing this report, here is the Round Up for June.

Belle Property:

• 28B Steele St, 691m2 vacant land. Clear block in a nice pocket of Chewton. $260,000

• REDUCED - 1 Adelaide St, 1,350m2 vacant land overlooking Chewton Soldiers’ Memorial Park. Mains services nearby. $325,000

• There are also several bush blocks available on the Vaughan/ Chewton Rd zoned Farm Zone which may or may not gain approval for building.

Bush Blocks and Buildings:

• \9 Pitman St, unusual opportunity to complete a renovation and extension to a California Bungalow home. The current 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom home has plans and approvals for a large living room, kitchen, bathroom and laundry extension. The flat block is 1,287m2. $690,000

Cantwell Property Castlemaine:

• 21 Browns Ave, elevated brick home on 1,320m2 block, overlooking the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park. Features central open plan living, dining, kitchen, with high end finishes. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, double garage, carport, water tanks. Energy saving features include solar back to grid, double glazing, good insulation and split systems in all bedrooms as well as living spaces. $850,000

Castlemaine Property Group:

• 65 Main Rd, 615m2 residential land with Crown Land or road reserves on all sides offers a greater sense of space. All mains services available. Close to town services and walking trails. $259,000

Keogh Real Estate:

• REDUCED - 61 Main Rd. 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom home in need of renovation. 1000m2 block in 2 allotments has scope for subdivision (STCA).

$495,000

Jellis Craig:

• 116 Fryers Rd, 1,034m2 township zoned block with Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park along the rear boundary. Water and sewer connected and power nearby. Planning permit in place with Mt Alexander Shire Council and house, garage and studio plans have been drawn up which can be viewed upon request. $298,000 to $320,000

PRD Bendigo:

Ken McKimmie has secured another reprint of “Chewton Then and Now”. These books are now available from the Chewton Post Office and from the Castlemaine Info Centre, Stoneman’s Bookroom and from Ken himself. Ken can be emailed at kjmckimmie@bigpond.com

• REDUCED-115 Miners Hut Road. This property has breathtaking views. The 2 storey home features 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, extensive use of stunning natural timbers, quality fittings and fixtures and extensive outdoor entertaining decks. There is a second dwelling on the large 36,422m2 block. The second dwelling has a kitchen, bathroom and various other rooms. The property is off-grid and has a well set up alternative power system. $1,350,000

Jackie McMaster.

Services for June at St John’s

• Saturday 3rd, 5pm Eucharist

• Saturday 10th, 5pm Eucharist

• Saturday 17th, 5pm Eucharist.

• Saturday 24th, 5pm Eucharist

“Into the Silence” - silent meditation continues on Monday afternoons, 2.55pm until 4pm.

Change to bus stops from Monday 10th July 2023!

From Monday 10th July 2023 the Castlemaine and Chewton Stops will be replaced with our new stop in Harcourt. Passengers travelling to the Airport will be picked up at the Bus Stop opposite the General Store on Harmony Way. Passengers travelling to Harcourt will be dropped off at the Bus Stop adjacent to General Store on Harmony Way.

The new stop in Harcourt will be the closest stop for passengers traveling to and from Castlemaine and Chewton.

Why is this happening?

The decision to consolidate our Castlemaine and Chewton stops into one new stop at Harcourt was taken after careful consideration. We appreciate that this change may cause some inconvenience due to the extended travel distance for a few passengers, and we do not take this lightly.

However, our primary goal is to deliver a more efficient and punctual service for the majority of our patrons. To this end, we have observed that most passengers board our service at either Bendigo or Kangaroo Flat. Adding stops at Castlemaine and Chewton extends our journey by at least 15 minutes for those passengers.

We have considered maintaining a flexible timetable that incorporates both Castlemaine and Chewton. However,

this approach would also mean that the bus could potentially wait up to an additional twenty minutes at subsequent stops for passengers travelling from these locations, which is far from ideal.

By consolidating Castlemaine and Chewton stops into Harcourt, we are able to reduce the total travel time in either direction to approximately 2 hours. In many cases, the travel time will be further reduced to around 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Please note that the fares from Harcourt will remain the same, despite this enhanced efficiency. However, due to the changes in our schedule and route, prices will increase for all other stops after July 10th, 2023.

We understand that this is a significant shift, but we trust that the overall improvements in service will be beneficial to the majority of our passengers. As always, we appreciate your understanding and your continued patronage.

Best regards, The Team at Bendigo Airport Service.

I

Take a trip on a sedimentary journey... the rise and anticline of humankind.

II

Metamorphosis and water

Liberated in crusts

Fluids that scavenge gold

Five parts per billion

Quartz veins and Gold deposits form

Anticlines

Lead to post office mines

Then extraction

And decline?

Sea-quence of events

Turbidites spread out

Live earths Nutella

An ancient fella

Upward pressure

From cracks that open and seal, open and seal

Fault valve effect

Mudstone with sandstone

Sedimentary structure

Sand dunes, Sans human surfers

Old mother time

470 million years

Graptolites

Sand and sedimentary layers

Sandstone and shale

Young in east

Young in west

Gondwanaland

Tectonic plates

Ocean floors

Folds and folds

Buckles around layers

Of the Post Office Hill

Anticlines

And sinclines

Not songlines

All gone a long time

We think

Sphinx

And pyramids are wonders

Of the world

But real wonders

Are below our feet

Our own incline

Not sublime

But end of time for man and womankind?

Take a trip on a sedimentary journey

Washed over folds

Unfold with gold

Faults

Corellas on wing

They sing

That’s their thing

Where is our laundromat?

To wash away mankind’s sins on earth

Scares and contorted bedding

A geologist getting excited

And turbid not turgid

But learned.

III

Seduction zones

Not erroneous

Or erogenous

Heading towards New Guinea

North - South, pushes from the east

Enormous unseen geological beast

Oceanic crust not continental

Bread and butter to Clive

Who thrives, now tectonics are proof

Real science not magic

Within our lifetime

Like Earths DNA real today

But will it be here Tomorrow?

And alien visitors

Humankind arrive

Who then dig mines

Cross cuts

And driving

Following faults

To become rich

You dig a ditch

Of hope

And blood

sweat and tears

And no fears

Deep in the dark

No lark

Worry about sparks

And you can’t breath

But in the end around the bend

Back up top

That’s your lot

End of our time

The rise and anticline of mankind.

@theozgreenman

(After a walk with geologist Clive Willman on Post Office Hill Reserve)

On May 4th the Chewton Film Society screened Ida, another success story for CFS with the audience giving 4 and 5 stars – 5 being the highest possible score. You realise that a film has had a profound impact when there is absolute silence as the credits roll by for minutes and nobody stirs.

Our June film is the first in the winter – so please note that the session is on a Sunday, commencing at 3 p.m. –doors open at 2.30 for tea and coffee. The hall will be warm. This month we are screening Limbo – there is another film of the same name screening at Theatre Royal but it is not the same film!

The Limbo we are screening was filmed in the Outer Hebrides in 2020 and is about asylum seekers and refugees in Britain – a fictionalised account of actual people and their experiences. Ben Sharrock makes his debut as a director and also wrote the script for Limbo. Irene Gurtabai is the producer. Many ‘real life’ refugees appear as extras in the film.

Limbo scored 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated or won 13 awards. I am looking forward to seeing this film in the lovely warm Senior Citizens hall in Chewton.

Margot Ryan

OUR HALF-YEAR MEMBERSHIPS are now available: six screenings from July to December for only $50!

If you are interested in joining Chewton Film Society, you can fill in the membership form on our website: www.chewtonfilmsociety.wordpress.com or call Margot on 0407 533 339

FOOTSTEPS OF LONGING

Celebrating Refugee Week

20 to 26 th June

June 21 5.30 – 6.30 at Phee Broadway Theatre

In conjunction with FOCAL – Castlemaine Library, Rural Australians for Refugees (RAR) are thrilled to have two fabulous, interesting speakers to talk about their refugee experiences.

Arnold Zable, well known author and Pirooz Jafari, an Iranian who is the author of 40 Nights, will converse with Susanne Donisthorpe at the Phee Broadway theatre. Jan Wozitsky will sing two songs to entertain us before the conversation commences. Arnold and Pirooz have previously been warmly received at the Wheeler Centre. We are in for a treat.

This is a free session however it is possible for you to leave a donation for RAR at the door. Donations to be split between the ASRC, Brigandine’s and Refugee Legal.

Book your ticket: Castlemaine Library/Eventbrite

Post Office Hill Action Group – your community Landcare!

In winter all the singing is in the tops of the trees ~ Mary Oliver

With this edition of the Chat, winter is upon us – unless you, like myself, use the winter solstice as the first day of winter. With winter comes a lot of chores despite, or because of, the weather. If we discipline ourselves to be outside in the garden during all sorts of inclement weather it is very rewarding. We Pohaggers have found this to be the case as we continue our gorsing and rubbish clearing on Post Office Hill Reserve.

Listening to local radio one morning, as is my wont, I stumbled across a gardening program. The guest gardener was recommending the planting of Cootamundra Wattle. This made me prick up my ears because the Cootamunda Wattle is regarded as an invasive species and not to be planted in Central Victoria.

POHAG is seeing and dealing with the legacy of the popular ‘native garden’ phase of the 80s and 90s where non-local wattles were planted in gardens and nature strips and some Landcare groups, although with the best of intentions, also unknowingly planted nonlocal wattles.

A quick walk around the streets and back roads of Chewton show established old trees and, unfortunately, also recently planted non-local wattles such as Cootamundra and Early Black Wattles (or green wattle). These seeds spread through the natural processes via birds, wind and water movement and germinate, shading out and sometimes hybridising with, and often out-competing, our local indigenous wattles.

Fortunately we have a variety of local wattles to choose from instead, such as silver, wirilda, golden and blackwood wattles, and the smaller gold dust wattle and varnish wattle etc.

These local choices benefit our insects, birds, reptiles and mammals that have developed over a millennia to utilise these local plants and trees.

It is not easy to see the difference between the good and the bad wattles. North Central Catchment Management Authority has a brochure “Friend or Foe?” which is a guide to seeing the difference between the friendly wattle and the not-at-all friendly wattle.

Further information is easily found with the ‘Connecting Country’ publications, Castlemaine Flora website and local indigenous nurseries.

POHAG would like to give a big shout-out to Pat Radi from Bushco who did a fabulous job in removing a huge amount of gorse behind Church Street. This has opened up and made visible how lovely an area can be without the dreaded gorse.

Our next working bee is scheduled for Saturday 17th June and our monthly meeting will be Sunday 18th June. Please contact keranbo@hotmail.com for further information.

Kerry Bourke.

Rampant Cootamundra growing, and then ringbarked

Middle Years service delivery

Mount Alexander Shire Council is seeking community feedback on a draft plan to guide middle years service delivery into the future.

The draft Middle Years Plan 2023-2026 aims to support the needs of children from ages 8-12 years and their families.

It will guide Council and the community in working together to improve health and wellbeing, and learning opportunities for children.

The draft plan is themed into three priority areas:

• Happy and included: Middle years children and families are happy, well-informed, included and ready to transition to high school.

• Active and outside: Kids have opportunities to be physically active, to care for the environment and connect with Country.

• Safe and supported: Middle years children and families are safe and can access the support they need.

The draft plan takes into account key items from the last plan, as well as acknowledging that a lot has changed since the previous plan was written, including two years of pandemic, social isolation and remote schooling.

Some of the actions include:

• continued delivering of wellbeing education sessions for children and families, this is through the Making Friends with Worry and Parenting in the Modern World programs

• supporting children in their transition to high school

• increasing opportunities for children to engage in climate change action

• exploring ways to increase skate, scoot and cycling opportunities.

Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Mayor, Cr Rosie Annear, said that the draft plan was informed by feedback from children, families, carers and other members of the community.

“Throughout January and February we received over 300 contributions from the community who told us how they want Council to support children aged 8-12,” said Mayor Annear. “Importantly, 225 of these submissions were from middle years children, themselves.

“In March, we also held a workshop in the Council chamber with 38 middle year students, representing nine of our local primary schools and our homeschooling community, who helped us further develop the plan’s actions and priorities.

“It was particularly valuable to hear directly from the kids and understand more about what it means to be a kid today, what’s important to them, their peers, and their families, and what worries they have.

“After a lot of consultation, we’re now ready to bring the draft plan back to our community for review, to make sure we heard everything and didn’t miss anything.

“The more input we can get from the community, particularly our middle years kids and their families, the stronger this plan will be, so I encourage everyone to hop on Shape and take a look.”

Community members are encouraged to view the draft Middle Years Plan 2023-2026 and summary report.

Provide feedback on the draft plan

• Visit www.shape.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/lets-talkabout-what-kids-aged-8-12-need and complete the quick survey.

• Email your feedback to youth@mountalexander.vic. gov.au

• Give you feedback to a member of Council staff over the phone by calling 5471 1700.

• Send feedback in writing to Att: Middle Years Plan, Mount Alexander Shire Council, PO Box 185, Castlemaine VIC 3450.

• Pop into the Castlemaine Civic Centre and provide feedback in-person.

Submissions close on Sunday 28 May.

Council will finalise the Middle Years Plan in June, with the plan scheduled to go to Councillors for consideration in September.

For more information, contact Council’s Youth Development team on 5471 1700 or email youth@mountalexander.vic.gov.au

Taken from a Press Release.

Councillor’s Chat

Last time I wrote a piece for this newsletter it was about how council strategies are developed and the associated communications and engagement with the community. Recently council approved the draft Mount Alexander Shire Middle Years Plan 2023-2026 to go out for comment during May, before being finalised and formally adopted in a council meeting. It’s estimated that there are roughly 800 children aged 8 to 12, the so-called ‘middle years’, living in the Shire at present. Close to 200 of them completed surveys which asked what was important to them and their families, what were their main concerns. Another 95 surveys were completed by parents, carers and local organisations providing services to children. 38 middle years children from local primary schools attended an ideas workshop at council, responding to results from the surveys. I think it’s fair to say that this plan reflects the needs and concerns of our local middle years children.

So what are some of the main issues? Not surprisingly, but most concerning is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health, wellbeing and learning. Half of families said that their children’s learning had been impacted by lockdowns and extended online learning. Children identified the environment as their biggest worry and expressed a need for more climate action. Many parents report the increased stress on families due to insecure housing and the rising cost of living. Roughly one in twenty children have been diagnosed with ADHD, while one in seventy have autism.

Moving on to what we plan to do in response to the issues, the action plan for the next four years is in three priority areas. ‘Happy and Included’ aims for middle years children and their families to be happy, wellinformed, included and ready to transition to high school. It includes actions such as delivering kids’ programs such as preparation for puberty, mental health, identity, positive masculinity, social skills and online safety. Coordinating the delivery of mental health training for teachers and school staff and exploring better ways to support students to transition to secondary school are also in the mix.

The second priority area is ‘Active and Outside’, aiming for kids to have opportunities to be physically active, to care for the environment and connect with Country. Actions such as finding ways to increase skate, scoot and cycling opportunities, exploring ways to support families’ access to nutritious food and promote resources that encourage children and families to connect to Djaara Country and Culture come in this area.

The third and final priority is ‘Safe and Supported’, with the aim that middle years children are safe and can access the support they need. Actions include developing ways to ensure that middle years children and families are able to provide input into council’s planning and programs, advocating for an increase in the number of health and wellbeing services available locally.

When it comes to carrying out the actions in the plan, the Bulortj Childrens and Youth Network is the main player. This network, facilitated by council, brings together

representatives from our local schools, the library, plus local health and social support services. Council’s role is to support the network in carrying out the actions in the plan, keeping things on track, with quarterly meetings to review progress. Annual reviews will allow for actions to be modified if necessary to respond to changing needs.

So there you have it. The Middle Years Plan. The hope is that it will help to improve the lives of our middle years children in various ways. For some, it’ll be easier access to a counsellor or psychologist, for others a safer cycling route to school, or a more comfortable transition to secondary school. Much as we’d dearly love to, we can’t wave a wand to provide secure housing for all, or provide new skate parks in all towns, but this plan should lead to small gains and improvements in the lives of that precious cohort – those about to leave their childhood and launch into their teenage years, on the road to adulthood.

Cr. Christine Henderson, Coliban Ward.

Dhelkaya Health’s April Jardine wins Midwife of the Year

April Jardine, Dhelkaya Health Midwifery Clinical Coordinator and Educator, has won the coveted title of Midwife of the Year in the national 2023 HESTA Australian Nursing and Midwifery Awards. The high-profile awards ceremony was held in Sydney on 16 May.

Ms Jardine was nominated for her outstanding contribution to improving health outcomes for local women and was the driving force behind implementation of Dhelkaya Health’s innovative Midwifery Group Practice model. Ms Jardine also played a pivotal part in encouraging women to take part in studies evaluating women’s views and experiences of maternity care at Dhelkaya Health. The LaTrobe University evaluation report was published in March 2023.

Ms Jardine said of her work, and her win: “It’s such a rewarding position to be in, to be part of women’s experiences and share those beautiful experiences with them – there’s nothing better. And to see families so happy with the care they receive. I work with a fantastic team of nurses and midwives, and we share a vision of where we

want to go. We get to spend each day providing womencentred care and keeping the focus on what’s important to women and families.”

Sue Race, Dhelkaya Health, CEO said: “We’re incredibly proud of what April has achieved and are delighted to see her recognised as Midwife of the Year. April has been instrumental in implementing our new Maternity Services operational model and the associated recommendations. She has driven the improvements in communication, culture and processes, and has established a highly engaged and committed midwifery team. This award is incredibly welldeserved.”

Lifecycle Gym & Massage

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Ms Jardine has recently commenced a Master of Midwifery Practice at La Trobe University and as part of her program of study she will be exploring how to further enhance the service through the inclusion of water births as a safe option to be considered as a part of a woman’s birthing plan. She said: “The women in our community have said they’re really keen for us to start looking at water births, so we’re looking at how we can provide that in a really safe manner.”

In her acceptance speech, Ms Jardine encouraged others considering a career in nursing and midwifery to “Go for it!”

For more information about Dhelkaya Health’s Maternity Service visit dhelkayahealth.org.au/maternity Scholarships and funding for nursing and midwifery study are available through the Department of Health’s ‘Making it free to study nursing and midwifery’ initiative at www.health.vic.gov.au

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Lifecycle Gym is a pin code entry system and staffed part time so calling first is recommended.

Taken from a Press Release.

Walking together - towards Makarrata

Makarrata = ‘coming together after a struggle, facing the facts of wrongs and living again in peace.’

Mabo, native title, land rights and acknowledging Country

Pardalotes are busy under the newly replaced eaves outside my window. The beautiful birds may be looking to build a nest there. I consider my family’s journey to this place, struggles and privileges that brought us to Djaara Country and our impacts on land and life. Connections of ‘Country’ are inseparable from First People’s culture and lore. I think about how this relates to autonomy, community, resilience and well-being. With respect to the elders past and present, their sovereignty never ceded, I acknowledge Country.

Mabo Day on June the 3rd during Reconciliation Week, is the anniversary of a momentous turning point in the land rights movement, acknowledging First People’s ongoing connections to their lands and culture.

The far reaching Frontier Wars that occurred after 1788 resulted in vast displacement of First Nations people. Much truth telling is needed, but awareness is building. We know First Peoples have defended their rights to their lands, waters and self determination since the beginning of colonisation.

During the 19th and 20th centuries many were forced onto missions, stations and reserves, working under horrendous conditions. There were many deaths and family separations. Culture and language were usually disallowed. This occurred under government ‘protection’ boards. Forced into these areas, some eventually obtained land leases as happened locally in the 1840s in Franklinford. However almost all that lived here were then moved onto Coranderrk Aboriginal Reserve.

In 1966 hundreds of Gurindji Peoples walked off Wave Hill Station in the Northern Territory in protest. In 1975 the commonwealth government transferred land to them in a historic first. The Northern Territory Aboriginal Land Rights Act was established, leading to further hand backs. Some states followed, introducing land rights legislations, though greatly limiting lands that could be claimed.

In 1992 The Mabo Case, mounted by five Torres Strait Islander Meriam People including Eddie ‘Koiki’ Mabo, was successful in overturning the myth of ‘Terra Nullius’ (Land belonging to no one). The High Court recognised they had lived on their lands for thousands of years according to their own laws and customs. In 1993 the Native Title Act was passed with a promise to ‘rectify past injustices’.

In the years that followed, a series of High Court decisions tested the implementation of Native Title legislation. Claims proved to be very difficult. Those that had been removed off their lands now had to demonstrate their People’s continuous practice of lore and customs there since pre colonisation.

In 1996 in response to the Wik Peoples of Cape York Peninsula, the High Court Wik Decision ruled pastoral leases of crown land could co-exist with Native Title. These leases could now be more easily preserved over the rights of First Peoples. The extinguishment regime was furthered in the Native Title Amendment Act of 1998 and the 10 point plan.

The Timber Creek decision of 2019 was the first time the High Court considered and confirmed how compensations should be assessed for cultural and economic losses from violation of native title rights.

The South West Native Title Settlement was approved by the Noongar Nation in Western Australia. It was described by some as ‘Australia’s first treaty’, being the most comprehensive and largest native title settlement yet, commencing in 2021.

Here is a mere glimpse into a very complex history. The ideals of Mabo are yet to be fully recognised. I centre my acknowledgements, hopes and efforts in the truth of Mabo.

I am always moved by the strength of First Peoples and the love poured into self determination and community. Here locally, Nalderun, with the support of Friends of Nalderun and the broader community, are an inspiration as they strengthen connections throughout many areas of community, culture, grow proud generations, connect to the land and waters and nurture Country. I look forward to sharing more as I learn.

Mabo Day is on the last day of Reconciliation Week running from 27th May - 3rd June. Sorry Day was May 26th. Look out for the guide offering many locally run Nalderun events. The Reconciliation Week stall and exhibition will be on again this year at the Castlemaine Market Building.

Floria Maschek.

Floria Maschek is an ally and member of Friends of Nalderun (FoN). FoN members are guided by Nalderun Education Aboriginal Corporation and are diverse individuals and representatives of many local community networks, supporting Nalderuns visions and work. Nalderun Education Aboriginal Corporation supports the Aboriginal Community and is led by Aboriginal people while providing many learning and cultural opportunities to the broader community. Nalderun is a Dja Dja Wurrung word meaning “all together”. More information can be found at www.nalderun.net.au

“Scene” and snapped around Chewton...

Walking at the Garfield and a little thing caught the eye. Then two more little things – all koalas actually. Three little flag-bearing pseudo koalas entwined into the foliage… Reminds one of some other little things left all over the place at the Garfield after some foreign (definitely not from the Garfield area anyway) mercenaries (?) held an intense wargame

left everywhere for Parks Victoria staff to collect and clean up. Just little things…

A load of old ...! Bit of a mystery as to who or what left this tidy little pile. It dwarfs the 50 cent piece!

is going to

Whichever way you are coming from, it’s clear that a turn into Eureka Street will set you on the right path...

Kangaroo numbers seem to booming everywhere at present which presumably is why some folks continue to refer to them as Boomers. Not sure where this lonely soul came from, or where he was bound (sorry) but he was alone just behind the former Chewton Shop.

about 12 months ago. Psuedo bullets

A sad, sad sight is the stome wall along Forest Creek behind the Chewton CFA. The collapse is continuing and the wall obviously can’t repair itself. Built as a levee to keep floodwater out of the Chewton CBD, its effectiveness

be tested severely if and when floodwaters come down the creek again.

The Red Hill is a great place for a quiet contemplation, like wondering if it’s called the ‘Red Hill’ because the hill behind the pub was so denuded during the gold rush? Any answers to assist the contemplation of that question forthcoming? Forward to chewtonchateditor@gmail.com

Chewton’s Little Library seems to be doing a roaring trade, and is always well-stocked. Check it out if you haven’t already, between the Post Office and Cuppa Chewton.

Sam Wills of Old Slang brewing photographed by Stu Walmsley down at the Red Hill a few evenings ago...

Plenty of weekend action on Chewton’s Soldiers’ Memorial Park - as captured by Max Lesser

Grooming by Bushco

There was great excitement for POHAG members when Bushco said they had a grooming bobcat coming to Post Office Hill Reserve to tackle the intimidating gorse growth behind houses in Church Street. POHAG’s WhatsApp lit up – someone had to get photos without getting to close to the working machine!

Comments flowed after the photographs were shown,

• “A really big difference!”

• “You’ve gotta love Bushco. A nearly impossible job for us but a morning out for them. Now we just need to keep it tidy.”

• “A fabulous job.”

And the photos show the effectiveness of the work… from the starting point to the reasons for the excitement. POHAG – your local landcare group. Why not become a member and hook into the WhatsApp updates? Share the excitement of days like the grooming one!

After the grooming! Photos provided by POHAG members

Here’s to volunteers! And POHAG volunteers are something special…

Post Office Hill Reserve is a wonderful Chewton asset – and walking through it demonstrates that in spades! The hakea and wattle blooms looked spectacular in the morning sunshine. And the carpets of new growth are thickening up.

The local residents were interested to see visitors and stood to check what was happening. The nesting boxes are worth checking out too – was that a bird at home in there? And it looked like the bees may have left a calling card in one!

Apart from looking up, there’s a need to look down too. A few shallow mineshafts are up at the Pitman Street end, and some time in the past history of Post Office Hill they have been rubbished!

And the two slide gates that limited access to the reserve have had to be made more secure to prevent the habitual offroaders vandalizing the area by driving off to the side.

The challenge of managing this special reserve is being enthusiastically and energetically met by a great group of volunteers. And they warmly welcome new personnel into the group!

Volunteer Week 2023 has just ended – which gives a 12 month window of opportunity to become a POHAG member before Volunteer Week 2024 rolls around. And photos? Anything catch your eye while walking on Post Office Hill?

Send images of interest to chewtonchateditor@gmail.com so we can share them…

And a sobering sad, sad sight…

A savaged and dead Painted Button-quail has been found on Post Office Hill. It is believed to be the result of a cat attack rather than a fox because it wasn’t eaten. Domestic cats are fed by their owners so tend to do this hunting and killing recreationally.

In March 2023, several bird species that occur locally were approved for listing as threatened under the Federal Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999. The Painted Button-quail was one of those. It is also one of Connecting Country’s ‘feathered five’ and has been the focus of community engagement and ongoing woodland bird monitoring since 2015.

The Painted Button-quail was only seen for the first time on Post Office Hill in the last year.

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Hakea...

Wattles...

Local residents...

New growth...

Old mines...

Nest boxes...

Honeycomb’s a no-no..

Trying to keep vehicles out...

Feedback needed on the draft...

Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2023-2027

This plan will guide Council and the community in working together to ensure that Mount Alexander Shire is a welcoming and inclusive place for people of all abilities.

In creating the draft plan, Council worked with members of the Disability Action Plan Working Group, individuals with disability, carers and service providers, and consulted with the community in a variety of ways to ensure the plan reflects community needs and priorities.

to people’s participation in shire life, as well as delivering genuine and achievable results that will make our community more accessible and inclusive for everyone,” said Mayor Annear. “To make sure the plan accurately represents the community, we’ve co-designed it with people who have lived experience of having a disability or care for someone with a disability. We’ve also consulted with other relevant organisations such as Castlemaine Library, Sports Focus, Windarring, local schools, employment agencies and others.While we’ve done thorough community consultation, and I’m confident that the draft plan reflects what we’ve heard so far about the wants and needs of the community, we need to make sure that we’ve got it right and haven’t missed anything. The more people we hear from, the stronger the plan will be and the better the outcomes for our community, so I encourage everyone to have a look at the draft plan and let us know what you think.”

The draft plan shows Council’s commitment to making sure people with disability are included, and have equal opportunities, for housing, education, employment, and creative and social pursuits in the shire, and are able to access the services and support that they need.

The draft plan is themed into five key areas:

• Equal, respectful and dignified access.

• Opportunities and access to employment, volunteering, education and economic participation.

• Promote inclusion and participation in civic life.

• Change the attitudes and practices that lead to discrimination of people with disability.

• Wellbeing and safety.

• Council has outlined a range of actions within the draft plan that work towards a shire that is a welcoming and inclusive place for people of all abilities.

Some examples of actions include:

• the continuation of Council’s Parent Talk series, which includes neurodiversity topics and access to parent support networks.

• ensuring that all designs for new or improved parks, community facilities and streetscapes include a Disability Design Review

• support promoting the benefits of having a ‘quiet hour’ to businesses and service providers

• promotion of the Accessibility category in the Mount Alexander Business Awards

• disability awareness training for Council staff.

Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Mayor, Cr Rosie Annear, said that the draft plan focuses on how Council can improve inclusion across the shire.

“The plan focuses on how we can remove barriers

Lorraine le Plastier, a member of Council’s Disability Action Plan Working Group, said that the plan was developed through significant consultation with people with disabilities, their carers and families, and disability advocates and allies in our shire.

“Their insights and experiences have helped us to create a planning foundation for Council to reverse discrimination experienced by people with disabilities, and to help strengthen our community to ensure people of all abilities feel included,” said Ms le Plastier.

“Inclusion is when people see themselves in their community, where people feel safe, welcome and accepted in all parts of their lives, with services and events that are accessible, safe and welcoming for everyone.”

Community members are encouraged to view the draft Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2023-2027. Provide feedback

on the draft plan

• Visit www.shape.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/disabilityaction-plan and complete the quick survey.

• Email your feedback to disabilityinclusion@ mountalexander.vic.gov.au

• Give your feedback to a member of Council staff over the phone by calling 5471 700.

• Send feedback in writing to Att: Disability Inclusion Action Plan, Mount Alexander Shire Council, PO Box 185, Castlemaine VIC 3450.

• Pop into the Castlemaine Civic Centre to request a hard copy and provide feedback in-person.

Submissions close on Friday 9 June.

Council will finalise the Disability Inclusion Action Plan in July, with the plan scheduled to go to Councillors for consideration in September.

For more information, contact Sarah Grade, Council’s Social Equity and Inclusion Officer, on 5471 1700 or email s.gradie@mountalexander.vic.gov.au

Funding for coming events…

Mount Alexander Shire Council is pleased to announce that 17 local events will share in $33,000 in grants to activate the shire in the coming months.

Council’s Events Grants program supports local groups who are running public and community-oriented events.

Events funded this round will support a variety of cultural, artistic and community programs to take place before the end of 2023.

Projects to receive funding include the Castlemaine Kindergarten Fete, the Maldon Fire Garden, Run the Maine, the Castlemaine Farmers Market, and more. Live music events supported by funding through the program include the Castlemaine Folk Festival, the Resonance String Orchestra’s annual orchestral concerts, and the Goldfields Piping Weekend Headline Concert. There will also be a special summer party for young people at Castlemaine’s creative space and events venue, Lot19. Other events to benefit from funding include the Commemoration of the 1851 Monster Meeting of Diggers, an information evening exploring neurodiversity, the Goldfields Gothic Festival in Maldon, reuse and repair workshops at the Good Op Shop, and a community dance-off with the event Hot Moves. No Pressure.

Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Venues and Events Coordinator, Todd O’Brien, said that Council received a strong selection of applications

this round, including both annual and new events.

“Mount Alexander Shire is renowned for its vibrant program of events, and we’re really pleased we can continue to support that”, said Mr O’Brien. “Local events benefit our community in so many ways. They help bring our community together, support the visitor economy, and are a whole lot of fun to get along to and be part of.”

To read the full list of funded events, visit www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/Grants

The next round of Events Grants opens on 7 August 2023. For more information, contact the Venues and Events team on 5471 1700 or email events@mountalexander.vic. gov.au

Taken from a Press Release.

Australian art at Buda...

Did you know that Buda Historic Home and Garden has a significant Australian art collection? On Sunday June 11 at 11 am, Christine Lloyd, one of Buda’s specialist tour guides will present a special tour focussing on the Leviny’s extensive art collection and their role in establishing the Castlemaine Art Museum.

Following on from Sarah Frazer’s wonderful Creating CAM: A herstory in cloth and conversation and her Mother’s Day presentation at Buda, Christine takes a look at what inspired the Leviny sisters in their collection of works and their influence during CAM’s formative years.

You can book online at budacastlemaine.org

Pictured: Hollyhocks (1929) Hand-coloured woodcut by Margaret Preston (Buda Collection)

Young artists supported

Mount Alexander Shire Council is supporting young artists to showcase their talents by hosting a new art exhibition in Castlemaine.

The Little Maine Art exhibition, which is currently on display in the Phee Broadway Theatre foyer, features artwork from 18 artists aged between 10 and 20 years.

The exhibition is a project coordinated by Council’s Youth Advisory Group, which is a group of local young people who help Council better understand, and engage with, young people.

Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Youth Advisory Group member, Billy Lister, said that Little Maine Art gives young artists an opportunity to exhibit their artwork.“The aim of the exhibition is to showcase local creative talent,” said Billy.

“There’s a mix of paintings, illustrations and digital work. Some of the pieces are for sale, so come and support our young people and view the amazing artwork. Maybe even purchase one to take home!”

Little Maine Art is open to the public until Wednesday 7 June. The exhibition is on display at the Phee Broadway Theatre foyer (Mechanics Lane, Castlemaine) during Castlemaine Library opening hours.

The Little Maine Art project is an initiative of Mount Alexander Shire Council and is supported by the Victorian Government’s Engage and FreeZa grants.

Find out more at www.mountalexandershireyouth. com.au/portfolio/youth-art-showcase or contact Council’s Youth Development Team on 5471 1700 or youth@mountalexander.vic.gov.au

Stay up to date on youth events, activities and training opportunities by following the team on Facebook @MountAlexanderShireYouth and Instagram @ mountalexandershire_youth

Taken from a Press Release.

Bumper entries for Rotary Art Show

The show will open daily at 10am across the King’s Birthday weekend, from Friday 9 June to Monday 12 June, with a Gala Opening and presentation of prizes on Thursday 8 June at 7pm. Tickets will be available at the door.

The 2023 Castlemaine Rotary Art Show will be a bumper show if the number of entries are any guide.

“We are so pleased at the support of the show by the art community,” enthused Castlemaine Rotary Art Show committee convenor Robert Cordy.“The number of entries is up by nearly fifteen percent, eclipsing last year’s post-COVID recovery show.”

Bendigo artist Darren Crothers, a joint winner at last year’s show, gave us a sneak peek at one of his entries for this year (above).

Mr Cordy thanked local businesses Belle Real Estate (formerly Wallers), Pyrenees Quarries, Gunangara, Maltby Property, Castlemaine Office Supplies and Parsons Motor & Body Shop for their sponsorship of prizes for this year’s show.

“Rotary appreciates the enthusiastic support of local businesses for our events,” he said.

The Rotary Club of Castlemaine art show raffle this year features limited edition artwork, Rubicon Valley, by artist Jeff Makin as first prize. Tickets are $2 and available from Rotary members and at the Rotary table at Maxi IGA.

Taken from a Press Release.

The fourth annual COscars Youth Film Festival

Entries are now open for this Youth Film Festival, a competition for filmmakers aged 8-25 years. The film competition celebrates the talent and creativity of Mount Alexander Shire’s young community members. There are three categories open to filmmakers - Snapshot, Short and Short Film.

“The COscars is an amazing opportunity for young people to show their work, tell stories and make industry connections,” said Billy Lister, Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Youth Advisory Group member. “You don’t need an expensive camera to make a great short film. You can use any type of camera – mobile phone, tablet or laptop. Judges are looking for creativity, originality and story-telling rather than high production values. Films can be any genre or theme and you can use any kind of filmmaking technique, including animation, stop motion or live action.”

“This is an opportunity for young people to tell their stories, their way. And there’s cash prizes on offer for winners too. Grab an entry form and starting planning your film – you’ve got nothing to lose!” added Billy.

Categories:

* Snapshot - Runtime of less than or equal to one minute

• 8-13 years ($50 cash prize)

• 14-18 years ($50 cash prize)

• 18-25 years ($50 cash prize)

* Short - Runtime of between one and five minutes

• 8-13 years ($100 cash prize)

• 14-18 years ($100 cash prize)

• 18-25 years ($100 cash prize)

* Short Film - Runtime of between 5 and 10 minutes

• 14-25 years ($150 cash prize)

Entries are now open and close on Sunday 1 October.

Winning films and a selection of entries will be screened at the COscars Youth Film Festival on Sunday 29 October in Castlemaine.

For entry forms and guidelines visit www. mountalexandershireyouth.com.au/portfolio/coscars

For more information contact Shannon Lacy, Council’s Youth Development Officer, on 5471 1700 or youth@mountalexander.vic.gov.au

Stay up to date with youth events, activities and training opportunities by following Facebook @MountAlexandershireYouth and Instagram @mountalexandershire_youth.

Taken from a Press Release.

Pictured left to right above: Alex Foxlow, Thea Sydes, Luca Hines, Georgie Newton, Raffaella Amati, Lucia Amati

Printing of the Chat is generously provided courtesy of Thompson Family Funerals, and supplemented by Castlemaine Office Supplies.

CASTLEMAINE FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB

June Webinar and Presentation on Friday June 9th at 7.30 pm by Zoom. Louise Saunders “Botanical art - inspiring wildlife conservation”. Please email Peter Turner at munrodsl@iinet.net.au to register and receive the link to join the Zoom meeting.

EXCURSION: Saturday June 10th

McCay Reservoir (this was postponed last month) Leader: Kylie McLennan (Coliban Water) Meet at the car park opposite the Castle Motel, Duke Street for 1.30pm departure.

PO BOX 324, CASTLEMAINE 3450

http://castlemainefnc.wordpress.com/

The last word this month belongs to... Volunteers!!!

...Volunteering is time willingly given for the common good and without financial gain. Volunteers are often described as the glue that holds a community together - the community’s heart and soul.

Volunteering can help you make friends, learn new skills, advance your career, and even feel happier and healthier!

“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands: one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.”

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth...”

- Audrey Hepburn

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• 2020 - Winner - best history article

• 2022 - Winner - best photograph

• 2022 - Finalist - best community content

Published

A CDS subcommittee of John Ellis and Beverley Bloxham (Eds.), Gloria Meltzer, Debbie Hall, Phil Hall, Glen Harrison and Jackie McMaster is responsible for the publication. Many volunteers help with production and circulation. It is circulated on the first of each month, necessitating a deadline of about the 22nd of the month before. Material can be left at the Chewton Service Station, with any of the sub-committee members, sent by e-mail chewtonchateditor@gmail.com or by contacting 5472 2892.

Contributions of ideas, news items, articles, and letters are always welcome; as are advertisements that help meet monthly production costs. Circulation is via Chewton Post Office, Cuppa Chewton, Chewton Service Station, Red Hill Hotel and Grist in Wesley Hill as well as the Castlemaine Library, Market Building and Castlemaine Office Supplies. Mt. Alexander Hospital Residential receives monthly copies too. Whilst copies are free, there are donation tins at many collection points and donations can be mailed to the CDS address below. Subscriptions for mailed copies can be arranged. Circulation is now 600. A full colour Chewton Chat can also be read each month on www.issuu.com - as can some earlier issues. The State Library of Victoria has all issues digitally available at https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/ and search “Chewton Chat”.

Free email subscriptions are also available. Just request and forward an email address.

The Chewton Chat wishes to advise that the views or remarks expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views of the editor, the management team or the Chewton Domain Society and no endorsement of service is implied by the listing of advertisers, sponsors or contributors.

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Autumn is on its way out

Winter is near, the seven frosty morning temperatures –the first of the year – make that clear. The early appearance of the bare-branched deciduous trees, shedding their large European-shaped leaves make testament to the approach of winter. Some are still hanging on to their darker autumn greens, but most are showing their yellows, reds and crimsons, whilst the Council workers are busy blowing and sucking the fallen ones into their trucks - bound for the compost heap. I, on the other hand, do not recall a more resplendent display from the trees in my next door neighbour’s driveway.

Following last month’s mid-autumn rain of some eighty-nine millimetres, I recorded only fourteen (14) millimetres this month. It arrived over a period of eight days, accompanied by two NRS days when there was not enough rain to register but you could feel tiny droplets on your face. This was much more in line with the Bureau of Meteorology prediction of an El Niño event. The largest falls of 3.5 millimetres came on both the first and last weeks of the month. Coliban Water reports a combined holding of 79% of their total capacity, Malmsbury being 54%, Upper Coliban 81% and Lauriston 95% full. This implies a goodly supply of water for the next few months whatever the state of precipitation over winter.

Our days of the last month have been substantially cooler than the previous month of April. Our average daytime temperature was 14.8 degrees Celsius in May,

compared with nineteen (19) degrees celsius in April. Our top temperature day was on the last day of April, and the only day to make it above twenty degrees celsius, at 21.8 degrees C. Our coolest day was 10.2 degrees C. The mode was an unlikely high temperature of 19.4 degrees Celsius.

The May nights have been decidedly wintery. The average overnight low temperature was 3.9 degrees Celsius, whilst the highest overnight low was 11.8 degrees C. The lowest overnight temperature recorded was -2.1 degrees Celsius. Two nights of minus 0.6 provided the mode for the month. Seven ‘frost nights’, that is zero or less degrees celsius, provide the interest for the month of lows. Seven frosts are an unusually large number for autumnal monthly nights, indeed even for a winter month.

Reviewing my weather notes, I notice one frost occurred at 9.49 one morning. Being a tad suspicious I went back to check, but I think it was just one of those meteorological things. You got used to odd things at sea because you spent eight hours every day watching the weather and the odd or unusual events that could occur. It was a rare voyage or passage that there was nothing that was ‘out-of-the-ordinary’ to take one’s notice. Likewise, the weather station hangs around doing nothing else. It’s not often that the warmest part of an autumn day is at 4.30 in the afternoon, but it happened on the 19th. of the month.

John Leavesley.

Calendar of Events

Jun 1st Chewton School’s Reconciliation Walk (see page 13).

Jun 2nd Chewton School’s Reconciliation Walk (see page 13).

Jun 3rd Eucharist Service 5 p.m. St John’s Anglican Church, Chewton.

Jun 3th Chewton Community BBQ 6 p.m., Ellery Park.

Jun 9th Submissions close for the Disability Inclusion Action Plan (see page 38).

Jun 10th Eucharist Service 5 p.m. St John’s Anglican Church, Chewton.

Jun 17th POHAG working bee.

Jun 17th Eucharist Service 5 p.m. St John’s Anglican Church, Chewton.

Jun 18th POHAG Meeting 10 a.m., Chewton Town Hall.

Jun 17th Equal the Contest premieres at 5 p.m. (see page 3).

Jun 19th Chewton Domain Society Management Committee Meeting 5 p.m., Chewton Town Hall.

Jun 20th MAS Council Meeting 6.30 p.m., Civic Centre, Castlemaine.

Jun 23rd Jirrahlinga Caption Competition closes (see page 11).

Jun 23rd Last day for survey responses about the Rail Trail (see page 17).

Jun 23rd End of school term 2.

Jun 23rd Deadline for the July Chewton Chat.

Jun 24th Eucharist Service 5 p.m. St John’s Anglican Church, Chewton.

Jun 30th Good Coat Drive finishes (see page 21).

Jun 30th Distribution of the July Chewton Chat.

Don’t forget the June Jirrahlinga Caption Comp