The Local April 8 2024

Turning Japanese

The Local - The Heart of the Highlands

Front cover: Here at The Local we are Turning Japanese - because as you read this we will be in the Land of the Rising Sun. We had planned a trip for 2020 but we all know how that turned out! Enjoy the travel yarn, columns and a few photos. We also decided it was time for a few recipes from some of our favourite producers! The front cover is Kyle, towering over a few lovely Japanese women dressed in stylish kimonos - with mobile phones up their sleeves!

Image: Donna Kelly

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The Local is a fortnightly community publication covering the Central Highlands of Victoria.

The next edition is out on Monday, April 22, 2024. or online on Sunday, April 23 at www.tlnews.com.au

Space bookings: Wednesday, April 17

Copy deadline: Thursday, April 18

Editorial deadline: Thursday, April 18

General manager: Kyle Barnes on 0416 104 283 or kyle@tlnews.com.au

Editor: Donna Kelly on 0418 576 513 or news@tlnews.com.au

Editorial: Eve Lamb on 0493 632 843 or editorial@tlnews.com.au

Sub-editors: Nick Bunning, Lindsay Smith & Chester the Cat

Writers: Eve Lamb, Kevin Childs, Tony Sawrey, Narelle Groenhout, Simone Kaplan & Donna Kelly

Photographers: Kyle Barnes & Eve Lamb

Graphic designer: Dianne Caithness

Contributors: Glen Heyne (gardening), Darren Lowe (music), Sarah Lang (recipes), Clive Hartley (wine) & Bill Wootton (poetry)

Accounts | Julie Hanson Delivery | Tony Sawrey

Ancestry detective connecting generations

It’s the thrill of the chase in large part that makes family history research such an addictive pursuit for professional genealogist, Lynda Collier.

“My cousin is an actual detective and he said to me ‘you are a detective too, really’”, says the specialist researcher who lives at Wheatsheaf.

Because this niche area of historic research is all about identifying and confirming the links between one human being to so many others back through the annals of time, it also means “bringing to life” characters of the past, one’s own relatives. And this too especially appeals to Lynda.

“I spend a lot of time on DNA analysis,” she says. “Even in my own family we’ve got an unknown ancestor, my mum’s great-greatgrandfather.

I’ve been lucky enough to test both of my parents for their DNA. Every generation loses basically 50 per cent of your parents’ DNA, because you only get half-ish from each. And it’s not even. So from your grandparents you might have got 20 per cent and 30 per cent respectively. It can vary quite a lot.

“We’ve also got lots of cousins who we’ve been able to test and that helps with working out things with DNA, and I’ve done that for quite a few people with an unknown parent, or those who know a parent but where the name they’ve gone by their whole life wasn’t their real name. So the family always knew there was something unknown there, and through DNA they’ve been able to find the family.”

As a professional genealogist with a special interest in DNA, Lynda dedicates much of her own current life to researching family histories for others and also to delving more deeply into her own ancestry.

It’s a field of research that these days has gained a respectability in academia that it didn’t always enjoy, and that has been popularised by television programs like Who Do You Think You Are?.

Lynda says public interest in genealogy or family history has increased in recent times, augmented by significant advances in technology, particularly including DNA research techniques. She also believes developments in artificial intelligence have plenty of positive potential for unearthing historic family linkages and shedding light on familial ancestry in a manner not previously possible.

“Yes I think interest has increased,” she says of the uptick in people eager to uncover their own family connections going back through the generations. “You just never know who you might be related to.”

But there’s a cautionary note here when it comes to DNA. Those delving back into their past may be in for some surprises, Lynda says.

“Many don’t realise that what they find may completely change what they thought about their family, like finding out your father is not your biological father for example. All sorts of stories can come out.”

Of course, while the “surprises” that DNA analysis may uncover might be disconcerting in some cases, they may also be exciting, even flattering. Lynda says that when it comes to DNA research, the revelation of “surprises” in family trees is quite common.

Lynda’s own journey with genealogy dates back to the late 1980s when she tried, unsuccessfully, to encourage her own mother to get enthused about genealogical research. Lynda studied photography initially as a university student, going on to do honours in creative media incorporating a focus on family history.

She then went on to complete masters post graduate studies in history through Monash University, completing a thesis on the early female immigrants – the “needle women” who were assisted to immigrate gratis to Australia from England on a ship called the Culloden.

From there, her research tracing her own family history has taken her to the US and to the UK where she has unearthed here own Quaker antecedents while, in London, she uncovered a famed 1800s actor in the family tree.

Lynda also uncovered quite a few church ministers in her own family background, and she says the discovery of intriguing forebearers is all part of the attraction.

“I love it. Obviously. I feel like I get to know my ancestors,” she says.

As a full-time professional genealogist, Lynda is a member of the global Association of Professional Genealogists, the Society of Australian Genealogists and the Genealogical Society of Victoria.

When somebody approaches her with a request to research their own family history, the sorts of sources she typically turns to may include parish records, land titles, national and local archives, professional and academic organisations, old military records, census data, The Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages and even old land maps revealing the names of farms and former family properties from days long lost to the mists of time.

She says that it’s really only been over the last eight years that advances in DNA research have come to the fore in the field of family history – “before that it was very expensive, the cost has come down a lot”.

“There’s a lot online but it would be less than 10 per cent of the records that are out there,” she says.

Lynda says the reasons people will turn to a genealogist to assist them in their quest to find out more about their lineage are varied.

“Sometimes it’s because they don’t know how to go about it and sometimes it’s because they are too busy,” says Lynda, whose work in the field has resulted in the publication of quite a few books both for herself and for others, including in coffee table style and magazine style publications.

Her earlier background in photography has proven to be complementary to her work in genealogy and in the work of preserving family knowledge for posterity.

“I think a lot of older people are wanting to leave something for their children. They are concerned that it isn’t just all thrown out.”

Words & images: Eve Lamb

Turning Japanese

Japan must be one of the most popular destinations for Australians, if the newspaper and magazine advertising is anything to go by. And for good reason.

It's affordable, the people are lovely and there are myriad different spots to head to whether you love the hustle of the big cities like Tokyo and Osaka, the culture of Kyoto, the temples everywhere or the most remote areas like Shikoku or Hokkaido.

You can stick to the main tourist thoroughfares or head to places off the beaten track where the locals will be happy to say hello or practice their English.

It's just important to remember the temples are real places of worship, not just tourist attractions, and no one likes a loud tourist.

Cherry blossom season is happening now and while people do flock to take photos of the flowers, it's also an important time of the year for new employees to start work and students to head back to school. A time of renewal.

If you do find yourself in Japan during cherry blossom or ohanami - which translates as watching the flowers - find a local vendor for a tatami mat, grab a spot to sit and also pick up some food and drink. There's plenty of bento boxes or food on sticks to choose from, and there's sake and beer everywhere on offer. If you don't drink, the Japanese respect that too - they are a healthy bunch.

And if you want to try and few different foods, head to the department stores under most train stations. They often have food samples and are only to happy to give the foreigners a chance to try something different.

At the moment, the yen is pretty much 100 to the Australian dollar, so really easy to work out as you shop.

Oh, accommodation. There are plenty of hotels you book online or perhaps try a couple of nights at a old style inn. You might find yourself on a futon on the floor, and with an Asian style squat toilet, but it's all part of the experience - and you will definitely find old fashioned hospitality.

Transport is pretty easy. The trains run on time and the shinkansens are fantastic for their speed and convenience. Not to mention the lovely wait staff wandering along their aisles offering food and drink. If you do step off at a station to grab a bento box make sure you watch the clock, the bullet trains wait for no one.

O tanoshimi kudasai! Please enjoy!

Words & images: Donna Kelly

Creswick fireys impress at state championships

Creswick’s CFA brigade team has put in an impressive effort at the recent State Firefighter Championships, showing plenty of promise ahead for this young competitive running crew.

“This is their first year running together and I was very impressed,” said coach Jason Paterson, who besides coaching the brigade’s runners also serves as second lieutenant with the brigade.

Seven members with the brigade team, plus coach and supporters, attended the state championships in Mooroopna over March 23-24, competing in the urban seniors’ division.

More than 75 CFA urban and rural brigades from across the state competed in the championships with events for different divisions spread out over the two last consecutive weekends in March.

“We came fourth in the four-man Y event and we were pretty consistent throughout,” Jason said. “It was a great display of how we work in a team.”

Among the team members competing in the Urban Senior Firefighting Championships on Saturday March 23, Logan Hand, 18, has been an active member of the brigade for two years, following in the footsteps of his three family members who volunteer with Creswick.

“I’ve been around the brigade my whole life and I’ve been marching with them for as long as I can remember. I always wanted to get involved as soon as I could,” Logan said.

“The championships are a great opportunity to mix with different brigades. I really enjoy the camaraderie and the friends that you get to make, both in your own team and in others.”

In the lead-up to the championships, Logan said he had been most looking forward to the ladder and cart events “as they are a bit more interactive and challenging for me”.

The team had hit the ground running early in the season, having started training twice a week from October with hopes to overcome their biggest challengers Osborne Park and Melton.

It had notched up wins in the B-Section Hose & Ladder 5 & Wet Hose with removable back cap at the Western Districts Championships held at Warrnambool in February. “We figured because we’re a new team, we should get in some good practice,” Logan said.

Charles Huang, a 22-year-old medical student, has been a brigade member with Creswick for just over a year, but has been putting his best foot forward on the track.

“I always go into training with the mindset of wanting to better myself and to find ways to improve my technique. I really want to get stronger and faster. I wasn't very good at the ladder run initially. So, in the past few weeks, I've become really motivated to get better at doing it.”

Charles said he had also been particularly looking forward to the cart events“because it is such a team effort, and everyone has a role to play”.

“It’s also really exhilarating to push a decently heavy cart down the track.”

As a comparatively small team, Charles said that prior to the championships the Creswick crew had identified what they most needed to work on and had been drilling that in at training.

“A few of us weren’t powerful enough yet for the cart event, so we practised that initial segment over and over again. What we found was with each iteration we could really refine our technique. For me, I needed to work on my hand grip on the handle and make that a smoother transition.

Taking part in the cart event, from left, Charlse Huang, David Swain

“But after several run-throughs, I was able to actually do what we wanted.”

The brigade’s runners will now take a break from their regular twice-weekly training sessions before they resume training again around June-July ahead of the next major inter-brigade comps held towards the end of the year, Jason says.

He says that getting involved in the brigade running team is a great opportunity to encourage new memberships, with those who start out as runners with the brigade, usually ending up contributing as general brigade members as well.

While the runners take a breather, general brigade training continues at the Creswick fire station on the third Tuesday of the month and on Sunday mornings.

Jason says that for those interested in joining up, more information is available through the brigade’s Facebook page.

Based, just under 10 kilometres to the north west of Creswick, the Ascot and District A team, fared notably well in the Rural Juniors category at the championships as well, ending as overall winners.

Words: Eve Lamb | Images: Contributed

Above, from left, coach Jason Paterson, Landen Kotara, Marshall Hand, Logan Hand, David Swain Charlse Huang and Darren Hand

and Logan Hand

THE NOT A BAD VIEW BIT

At the immersive BBC Earth Experience, you’ll see the world from an entirely new perspective. It’s not the only place this happens in Melbourne either. Just wait until you find the thought-provoking art galleries, boundary-pushing theatre and sporting events that ignite something deep inside you. Get ready to see and feel it all, all over the city.

Open Evening

Monday 22 April, 4pm – 8pm

Book Online: shckyneton.catholic.edu.au

Hands on activities, information sessions and displays – lots to see and do.

Sacred Heart College Kyneton

www.shckyneton.catholic.edu.au

T: 5421 1238 E:dlawrence@shckyneton.catholic.edu.au

Hepburn House's Memory Lane Unit

Hepburn House's Memory Lane, a 15-bed unit built specifically to assist residents with dementia, is now open!

Hepburn House is at 1 Hepburn Road, Hepburn. Book a tour of the new unit or the existing accommodation and living areas.

Bookings: dianne@hepburnhouse.com.au

For everything Hepburn House has on offer head to www.hepburnhouse.com.au or call 5348 8100. (RAT tests may be required.)

Council news

MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

The wonderful events in our Shire have continued with another great ChillOut festival and Booktown in Clunes. Now the spotlight turns to CresFest and Spudfest. We are indeed fortunate to be able to enjoy such diverse cultural events throughout the year and they are a testament to both the talent and the armies of volunteers who work so hard to make these events such a success.

On 16 March Council staged the second Sustainable Hepburn Day Out, where a wide range of exhibitors showcased all things sustainability.

Councillors, officers and expert consultants have very recently conducted a series of workshops examining in detail the draft town structure plans for each of Clunes, Creswick, Daylesford/ Hepburn, Glenlyon and Trentham. These plans, which represent a comprehensive overhaul of the Shire’s planning regulations, will soon be released to the public for further consultation along with the draft rural strategy. The goal is to have the plans finalised by the end of the term and then forwarding them to the State Government for formal adoption.

You may have heard of the impending temporary closure of Daylesford Town Hall for much-needed renovations, including a new roof and electrical system. Council is doing the right and respectful thing by restoring this historic building. Through the period of these works the opportunity will be taken to explore how the functionality of the building can be optimised for the community’s benefit, possibly encompassing the inclusion of the Daylesford Library into this site. That will depend on expert advice. Through the formation of a Project Advisory Group (PAG) community members will have a prime opportunity to help steer this important project. Visit our Participate Hepburn site to register for the PAG.

Work continues on the preparation of a long term (10 year) financial plan. This work has the key objective of ensuring Council’s financial sustainability and necessitates a strategic review of Council’s service offering. Like most councils we face serious challenges in order to balance the books and at the same time meet community needs. The recently adopted financial statements for the half year to December 2023 again disclose a tightly constrained cash position. There are no surprises there. Sector-wide challenges, and some challenges specific to Hepburn Shire, focus attention on diligent cost control and the setting of affordable strategic priorities. That is the context in which councillors will be setting the long-term direction and the 2024/25 budget.

Mayor Cr Brian Hood

BIN COLLECTION CHANGES

A weekly food and garden organics collection commences this week (8 April) for township households throughout Hepburn Shire. General rubbish bin collection will change from weekly to fortnightly for all township households. Your bin collection day won’t change. Find out more at www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/organics

TOWNSHIP STRUCTURE PLANS

One of the major components of our strategic planning project, Future Hepburn, is the development of structure plans for five local townships - Trentham, Clunes, Creswick, Daylesford/Hepburn and Glenlyon. Council will be hosting a number of community dropin sessions across the Shire in May to get feedback on the draft structure plans, which will be out for community review shortly.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Arts and Culture Strategy - Are you part of the arts and culture community in Hepburn Shire? We would love to hear from you on the draft of our first Arts and Culture Strategy. Our community and visitors value our local arts and culture scene, so we want to ensure that we continue to be an attractive home for artists, artistic organisations and creative businesses. Read the draft and provide your feedback by Sunday 14 April.

Fair Access Policy - The policy seeks to address the barriers experienced by women, girls, trans and gender diverse people in accessing and using community sports infrastructure. We invite your feedback on this draft policy. Feedback closes on Wednesday 17 April.

Health and wellbeing survey - This survey will measure health outcomes in the region, helping to identify areas for improvement and report on changes. The survey will be available to complete in the coming weeks.

Visit https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/

STAND FOR COUNCIL

Council elections will be held in October this year. The Municipal Association of Victoria will be running information sessions for prospective candidates. Topics will cover information about the roles and responsibilities of a councillor and their council, the election campaign process and much more. There is also information on their website where you can find out more - www.mav.asn.au/stand-forcouncil-2024

PET REGISTRATIONS DUE

Remember, pet registrations are due by 10 April. If you already have a furry friend, make sure to renew their registration on time. There are discounts for desexed, older pets and working animals, plus the first period of registration is free. We also provide discounts for eligible Pensioner Concession Card holders. You can find out more at www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/pets COUNCIL

The Council Plan 2021-2025 describes how Council will strive towards our vision, where to focus efforts, and how to measure progress. Each Focus Area has a series of priority statements, with actions against each item.

EAT | DRINK | ENJOY

AUTUMN RECIPES

Herbal Lore

Herbal Lore Truffles of Desire

Ingredients:

185g chocolate (dark works best)

60g butter

3tbs icing sugar (sifted)

3tbs cream

4tbs Herbal Lore Tawny Port

Method:

Melt butter then remove from heat, add the chocolate, stir to melt (put over low heat if needed).

When the chocolate is melted, mix in sugar, then add cream, mix until smooth and shiny.

Add Tawny Port, stir then put in fridge until slightly hardened. Roll into balls, coat with cocoa or other desired mix (e.g. coconut, 100s & 1000s, ground hazelnuts, icing sugar, etc).

Other options: to add into mix you can use ground hazelnuts or finely chopped dried/fresh orange rind.

chocolate will melt easily in your hands. It’s easier, and less messy when colder.

Herbal Lore Liqueur Panna Cotta

Ingredients:

¾ cup of cream

¾ cup skim milk

½ tsp vanilla concentrated extract

¼ cup caster sugar (quick note, you can leave a vanilla bean in a container of caster sugar and use this instead of vanilla extract)

1 ¼ tsp gelatine powder (agar can be used instead as an option for vegetarians and vegans)

Herbal Lore Midnight Desire to serve

Method:

Place cream and milk in a saucepan, add sugar and vanilla extract, slowly bring to boil over a medium heat, stirring gently.

Remove once mixture has reached boiling point.

Place 2 tbs of boiling water in a cup, stir in gelatine until dissolved, then add to cream mixture.

Place in desired containers (glass, bowls, or moulds). Refrigerate for 4 hours.

To serve: drizzle on top with a generous amount of Midnight Desire from Herbal Lore and enjoy.

Herbal Lore is at Lot 2 Railway Crescent, Daylesford.

Phone 5348 1920 or email info@herballoreliqueurs.com

Opening hours: - Monday - Sunday - 10am – 5pm

SUPPORT OUR PRODUCERS

Sukiyaki (a nod to our Japan edition)

Meat and vegetables one pot with sweet sauce.

Preparation time 20 minutes.

Cooking time 10 minutes.

Tip: A traditional sukiyaki pan can be purchased from Japanese stores although an electric frying pan is a good substitute. If you use a traditional pan and table-top stove, heat the pan in the oven first as they take a while to heat up on the stove. Sukiyaki beef is available fresh and frozen from Asian grocery and selected supermarkets. Small quantities of sukiyaki are cooked and served individually to guests, each guest has a small bowl containing an egg which has been lightly beaten with chopsticks, the hot food is then dipped into the egg before eating and the heat partly cooks the egg. Also feel free to use up any other vegetables you have lying around, experimental recipes based on this recipe and cooking is encouraged. Please be aware the pan is super-hot and can be dangerous while under the spell of traditional Japanese rice wine, good luck…

Recipe:

Any mushrooms including shitake, enoki, brown or cap - at least a handful for each guest

400g fresh gelatinous noodles, drained. 600g beef rump steak

Four green onions chopped finely. 300g wombok trimmed, chopped coarsely 125g can of bamboo shoots, drained, 200g firm tofu, pressed, cut into 2cm cubes

Four eggs

Enough steamed rice for four people - a rice cooker is great as it keeps the rice warm until needed

Broth:

One cup 250ml Japanese soy sauce

Half cup 125ml sake

Half cup 125ml mirin

Half cup 125ml water

Half cup 110g caster sugar

Cook over medium heat while stirring and add to jug ready for the sukiyaki pot.

Method:

Rinse noodles under hot water, drain cut noodles into 15 centimetre lengths.

Remove and discard mushroom steams cut a cross in the top of the caps.

Trim beef of all fat, slice thinly and retain a small piece of beef fat for greasing the sukiyaki pan.

Arrange ingredients on platters. Place both in a medium bowl. Break eggs into individual bowls, beat lightly.

Heat greased, sukiyaki pan on a portable gas cooker at the table, add a quarter of beef, stir fry until partly cooked, then add a quarter each of the vegetables, tofu noodles and broth. Dip cooked ingredients into egg before eating.

As ingredients in broth are eaten, add remaining ingredients and broth to pan in batches.

Add a bowl of rice for each guest if needed. Enjoy.

You can buy mushrooms from greengrocers, delis and supermarkets - and even markets. Autumn is a great time to try your hand at a new mushroom recipe. The Japanese word for mushroom is kinoko.

AUTUMN RECIPES

Garlic Prawn Pasta

Ingredients:

24 green prawn tails

500g spaghetti

80g butter

2 tbs olive oil

6 cloves of garlic finely sliced

2 tsp dried chilli flakes

1 lemon zested

2 tbs lemon juice

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped sea salt and cracked black pepper

Method:

Twist the little tails off the prawns and then cut prawns in half lengthways.

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 8-10 minutes until al dente. Drain reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water and keep warm.

Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, chilli and lemon zest. Cook stirring for 2 minutes or until golden.

Add the prawns and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until the prawns are tender.

Add the pasta, lemon juice, parsley and reserved pasta water.

Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper and toss to combine.

Slaty Creek Organics grows garlic and more on a 1.8-hectare organic property on the outskirts of Creswick. Produce is available at markets around the region, including the Creswick Market.

The less is more tomato salad

Ingredients:

Slice some quality, unrefrigerated beefsteak tomatoes, tear a few basil leaves, season with salt and pepper.

Method:

Drizzle with some Australian extra-virgin olive oil ( avoid imported oil, it's usually old and rancid), and a dash of balsamic vinegar.

Serve with some buffalo mozzarella cheese and a glass of vino rosso.

Prolific producer Florian Hofinger grows his tomatoes at Mt Franklin. You can find him at the Daylesford Railway Market every Sunday.

SUPPORT OUR PRODUCERS

Wine notes with Clive Hartley

Wines that stand alone

If you look closely at a label from the wine producer Sutton Grange its motto or byline is 'wines that stand alone’ and tasting through their line-up recently they lived up to their name.

Sutton Grange is located in the Bendigo region, sitting in the shadow of Mount Alexander, a 20-minute drive south of Bendigo and just 13 minutes from Harcourt. It is the same distance to Metcalfe, due south, which is the junction where the regions of Bendigo, Macedon Ranges and Heathcote converge.

The wines coming from this estate cannot easily be seen as Bendigo wines, they have nuances of Macedon Ranges, being grown on granite soils, but are hard to compare because they don’t make a chardonnay or a pinot noir. They make a shiraz (labelled syrah), but not like the full-bodied monsters you get from Bendigo or the brooding, intense Heathcote reds.

There is a theme running through their range. Whites are light, subtle and fresh, signalling the impact of a couple of recent cool vintages. The reds are elegant, medium-bodied and savoury with welcoming lower alcohol, compared to their neighbours. They stand alone, possibly aloof.

Their portfolio is a simple two-tier approach. At a lower price point is their brand Fairbank (the 19th Century name for the property) and then their pricier Estate Range. Here are the wines that caught my attention. 2021 Fairbank Ancestrale Sparkling Rosé was juicy, full of cherries, apricots and nutty lees contact. The palate is creamy with fresh red apple and yeasty bread notes.

Ancestrale means it finishes its primary fermentation in the bottle and then disgorged, leaving some yeast lees in the bottle, so it appears slightly cloudy.

Fairbank 2022 Rosé is a classic dry wine with plenty of red fruits such as strawberries, red cherries and a dash of red apple. Palate is long, firm and a touch savoury. It is simply delicious and has been recognised by some major wine commentators, so don’t just take my word ($35).

They do an interesting sangiovese in a light drink-early Beaujolais style which is very fruity, but dry, as well as a nice, light-bodied but savoury Vino Rosso which is a blend of aglianico and cabernet sauvignon. Both are Fairbank wines and priced at $35.

So far, the wines have all been estate grown, but in 2020 they had to buy in fruit due to a savage frost, so the Fairbank Syrah 2020 was sourced from Heathcote. It's a lovely medium-bodied wine with blackberry, blueberry and cassis aromas. Some liquorice and plums on a soft tannin, medium bodied, elegant palate.

The final two wines were from their Estate Range and they really hit the mark. 2021 Syrah ($65) had a complex nose with black pepper, blackberry, floral and struck match notes. It was rich but reserved at the same time, with some green and black peppercorns and well-balanced acidity on a medium-bodied palate structure. Incidentally, I first went to this winery in 2012 and tasted their 2007 estate Syrah and it was outstanding. Price was $60. So only a $5 increase in 12 years.

Finally, their 2019 Aglianico ($65) was elegant and savoury with plenty of ripe tannins that are indicative of this southern Italian grape variety. There are plenty of cherries and rose petal notes mixed in with dried herbs. Again, medium bodied and elegant on the palate.

Clive Hartley is an award-winning wine writer, educator and consultant. His 305 page full colour book Australian Wine Guide (7th ed) is available for purchase from Paradise Books in Daylesford or via his website – www. australianwineguide.com.au

Rosemary and Parmesan Crusted Rack of Lamnb

We love our lamb and this simple recipe combines aromatics of rosemary, the punch of parmesan with the sweet tender meat of a lamb rack.

Making a little mustard glaze helps the panko crumbs stick to the lamb - panko crumbs are a little lighter and ‘crunchier’ than breadcrumbs.

This is a tried and true family favourite. And we reckon it will become a favourite for you too.

For this recipe and many others, click on the QR code or visit daylesfordmeatco.com.au

Meet you at the Bowlo, with new menu offer

Meet you at the Bowlo,” has been a part of Daylesford’s dinning vocabulary for many, many years.

While other establishments come and go, the Daylesford Bowling Club has been a centre of the community for 125 years. And that tradition is set to continue with recently arrived chefs Geoff Wellington and Sharnee Halson and a new menu commencing this month.

“We are just putting the finishing touches to it now” says Geoff, “including local beef cheek and mash with red wine, chicken scaloppini and scotch fillet.

“It will also feature some blasts from the past specials such as ham, steak and pineapple, lambs fry, steak and kidney, curried sausages and salmon patties.”

I decided to see what was on offer on a busy Sunday afternoon and brought friend Gabrielle along, who did not need to much convincing. Aside from the great selection on the current menu, there was a host of specials on the board.

I choose Sharnee’s chicken kiev with chips and salad ($36) and a Hollick the Bard Cabernet Sauvignon ($8.5). A fantastic dish and sure to become a popular choice from the specials board with sumptuous chicken breast drenched in garlic butter encased in a golden breadcrumb crusted chips and a crispy garden salad.

Gabrielle selected the pan grilled salmon with tossed salad, chips and hollandaise sauce ($36) accompanied by a 750ml bottle of Villa Jolanda Prosecco ($10). It was a great choice with a thick salmon steak grilled to perfection smothered with a fresh, vibrant hollandaise sauce.

Dessert was a straightforward matter with two choices. I took the pavlova with berries, couli and cream while Gabrielle had the sticky date pudding. Both were only $12 and the perfect finish to a great Sunday lunch.

The Daylesford Bowling Club is very much a part of the local community supporting families and the young and older with kids-eat-free offers and seniors' discounts. There is also a tradies' lunch Monday to Friday with a 25 per cent discount on all main courses.

Or opt for the Sunday lunch carvery with roast pork, crackling, apple sauce and vegies accompanied by one more selection of beef, lamb or chicken and dessert for $30.”

As part of the Bowlo’s 125th anniversary celebrations the club will also have a promotion where every main meal purchased gets a ticket to go in the raffle drawn on the first of every month.

First prize is a $125 club voucher. Second is any meal in the pub for $12.50 and 3rd prize will get you any drink including a bottle of wine. All this and one of the best views over Daylesford.

Words & images: Tony Sawrey

Writers launch new Chequerboard anthology

The Clunes writers' group is a diverse lot so it’s little wonder that their new anthology has something in it to appeal to just about every kind of reader.

There is short story, fiction, autobiography and memoir, poetry, haiku - even song lyrics. The group, which has been running for well over 15 years, launched the new 310-page volume called Chequerboard at the recent Clunes Booktown festival.

It’s the group’s second published anthology featuring the work of members and it’s being snapped up fairly fast with half of the copies published in the first print run already sold.

The new anthology showcases the talent, diverse interests and considerable background life experience of the group’s membership - and it’s an impressively consistent membership.

“We generally have about 14 to 18 members turn up each month so it’s fairly consistent,” says group convenor and writer Sandra Nichols.

When members gather, as they do on the second Monday of the month, they get the chance to read their latest work out aloud, taking to the mic to test out their creative output on others who appreciate the written and spoken word.

But members like Newlyn’s Julie Moran are quick to let you know that you don’t have to take to the mic with your work if you don’t wish to.

However, the fact that it doesn’t seem to take long before most are fairly itching to grab the mic speaks volumes about this welcoming and non-intimidating group.

“During our monthly meetings we encourage our members to read pieces aloud with a microphone,” Julie says. “We have a monthly theme and more often than not we all write to that theme. We don't critique each other’s work. We don’t pull the pieces apart. It’s a very welcoming environment.”

Fellow member, Clunes musician and writer Judi Palmer who, like both Julie and Sandra has a background in academic research and writing, agrees.

“It’s very laid-back,” says Judi, who contributed several original song lyric works to Chequerboard.

The new anthology was also published by Judi who runs her own local publishing enterprise, Harmony for Books, while the cover design features a quilt design by local textile artist, Mel Drummond.

Sandra says that for those group members who, like herself, do occasionally want a bit of constructive feedback, they can simply request and readily obtain it during the group’s monthly sessions.

“Quite a few of our members have been writing stories or poetry for a very long time,” says Sandra, reflecting on the benefits to be derived from being able to read your work aloud to others who share an appreciation for good writing.

Among the 20 different writers whose work is represented in the new anthology, Julie contributed three fictional short stories to Chequerboard, while Sandra contributed works of poetry.

Copies of the new book are available for purchase ($27) from BOOM Clunes at 28 Fraser Street, and it will also be for sale at this month’s Clunes Farmers and Makers Market on Sunday, April 14.

Sandra says new members are very welcome to join the group whose members come from Clunes and Talbot, Creswick, Newlyn, Newstead, Ballarat and Scarsdale, to attend the monthly sessions that happen from 1-3pm.

Members say that those who think the Clunes Writers’ Group may be for them, are welcome to simply sit in on a monthly session.

Details: Sandra on 0438 415 715.

Words and Image: Eve

Above, from left, members Sandra Nichols, Judi Palmer and Julie Moran with copies of the group’s new anthology, Chequerboard

Lamb

Let’s support our community and shop local! “Locals supporting Locals” Restaurants, Bakers, Butchers, Cafe’s, Local vineyards, Distillers, Brewers and of course each other.

Remember we offer free delivery, T&Cs apply.

Delivery times are Monday to Saturday between 10am and 4pm.

We accept credit cards over the phone or we have an on-board eftpos machine. You will need to be at home for the delivery with proof of age if asked by the driver.

Give the Foxxy team a call on 5348 3577. Keep safe, everyone.

Bangs of flavour from our own beyond free-range Greenhills Natural beef, our diced beef chuck is perfect for slow-braising, casseroles and stews. THIS WEEKS SPECIALS

GREENHILLS WHOLE RUMP $99

One of the most versatile cuts, the rump is full of flavour. As the name suggests, it is from the backside of the cow so it is a hard-working muscle. Whilst not as tender as Scotch or Sirloin, it makes up for it with bangs of flavour.

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In search of the perfect bonsai

Despite popular belief, the practice of growing bonsai actually began, not in Japan, but in China when around the year 700, a group of avid gardeners began using special techniques to create miniaturised trees in small containers and so developed a practice called “pun-sai”,

It was quite some time later in the Kamakura period, that the Japanese adopted this bonsai and incorporated it into their culture alongside such related activities as suiseki (stone appreciation) and keeping koi fish (nishikigoi).

Popularity of bonsai grew, until the 14th century when they graduated from ‘outdoor ornaments’ to a highly regarded art form and became a fixture in affluent homes where they were placed on special indoor shelves for display.

It was about this time that Japanese garden artists, already famed for their delicate artistry and intriguing shaping of their gardens - took up the challenge and added bonsai to their own botanical culture.

The beautifully trimmed and shaped young Japanese juniper (pictured), has in a few years, already taken on the form and character of its older cousins - through a technique I’m yet to master.

Stay at ours while looking for yours!

In 1826, a Japanese nurseryman offered the famed biologist and world-wide plant collector, Philipp Franz von Siebold, a plum tree in flower, which was scarcely three inches (7cm) high. This little gem was grown in a small lacquered box of three tiers similar to those which the Japanese carried in their belts. In the upper tier was this plum, in the second row, a little spruce fir, and at the lowest a bamboo scarcely an inch and a half (4cm high).

Not too many years after this a weeping willow, only 15cm in height, changed hands for about $3000 at today’s values - the Japanese did not hold their hobby lightly.

But for a bonsai to be of such value it must be perfect, and perfection means that not only each branch, but each twig and every leaf must conform absolutely in direction and proportion to the laws which govern the art.

Anything short of this perfection would be worth only so many cents, and thousands of beautiful bonsai are sold at the monthly sales all over Japan for no more than that. Perfection doesn’t come very often.

Although we may not seek so high a standard on our own bonsai, there are certain basic rules which must be observed, otherwise we are not entitled to call our efforts bonsai at all.

The natural dwarf conifers which adorn many rock gardens may be true miniatures but not by definition bonsai and this is equally true of any tree which is allowed to grow as nature intends, no matter how small it be.

Suitable trees for bonsai

It has often been suggested that any old hardwood tree or shrub would be suitable, especially if it's a bit gnarled and distorted, but this isn’t always true.

Those with large leaves are useless unless they are deciduous, when the pattern of bare branches have an appeal and they start out again in spring with new leaves which will reduce in size in keeping with the proportions of the tree.

Conifers, especially those with small needles are the usual first favourites, as it is easier to ensure correct balance between the foliage and wood.

But most trees and many shrubs which bear smallish leaves and can be easily trained to grow on a single trunk will be suitable.

Got a gardening query? Email glenzgarden@gmail.com

“Did you know ... government supported funding still covers around half the cost of solar panels?”

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Kyle’s Rant

Japan is a country of juxtapositions. A Fuji photo booth sitting next to a plethora of vending machines offering porn magazines, smokes and booze in the middle of a rice paddy with a handful of workers and nobody else around sums it up for me.

My first interaction with the Japanese folk was as a wee boy of four out to sea with my dad and we happened upon a box-netting vessel just off the northern coast of New Zealand.

This led to some high seas swapsies with knives, food and ice. And when we arrived home Mum had to try to interpret how to cook a “Boil in the Bag” meal. This technology hadn’t made its way to NZ in the early seventies and we marvelled as she tipped the hot noodles on the plate. I must admit it was probably my first encounter with a noodle.

My next rendezvous with the culture was during the late eighties, this time as skipper selling to the Japanese market, making a killing and entertaining a bunch of Japanese for a weekend.

These fellas came over to see how we caught the fish and instruct us on how they liked to receive the fish. But the lessons were short and we mainly showed them the intricate secrets of the inside of the Houhora Tavern.

When I met Donna, a declared Japanophile, in the nineties, I went to the travel agent to enquire and pique my interest on the Land of the Rising Sun, but they had nothing, not even a brochure to give me.

So, I did my first of 10 or so trips to Japan in 2003 and it was a different country then. I stood head and shoulders above the crowd and one little fella yelled to his mother while pointing at me “nan da are”, which loosely translated means “WTF is that”. She hurried him away from the foreigner.

At first I was too afraid to go anywhere without Donna as it all looked the same, and in those times they spoke very little English. My language skills were also limited - I spoke enough Japanese to order a beer and then a few pints later, find the toilet. But the further into the sake we got the more we connected with the locals, coupled with a riveting karaoke rendition of Danny Boy which somehow bought a bit of praise and respect.

In that short amount of time since 2003 things have changed, Google Translate ensures a relatively smooth interaction. Not like when I asked a rather surprised massage therapist to be my wife for an hour. All I wanted was to send my wife down in an hour - for a massage.

The kids have grown a lot taller on average and it seems that half the population of Australia is over there at any one time, so foreigners aren’t such a mystery. But it is still a special place in my heart. We leave the big cities to the tourists and head to the country where not a lot of foreigners have found our little city of Matsuyama.

The culture certainly hasn’t changed a lot, the bars are still a fabulous way of engaging with the locals. I have even found one bar that only allows one patron in at a time - a fair dinkum cardboard and wood box that the dude sets up every night.

And cherry blossom viewing is amazing. If you were to place 100,000 people into a park, ply them with alcohol for an entire day in Australia there would be trouble. But over there, no worries. There is no disrespect or fighting and harmony is all around as you look for the perfect blossom.

I am now a Japanophile rant over…

Fun fact. Kara means empty and oke is short for orchestra. So karaoke is empty music, or music without words. Te means hand. Karate. Lesson over.

Local Lines

The Hume

Driving dark country miles towards the Hume at 3 in the morning and it is as if I am alone on this planet.

In the small towns dim brown shopfronts fall away, broken facets of light reflect my passing lining edges, outling the dark shadows within.

Crystal sharp street lights stop start yellow red, stop, green go and I obey, though no-one else is there.

In the empty miles between these small places country roads snake ahead, my headlights scanning a shrunken world.

Ghostly trees reach toward me from the night’s edge and night creatures’ eyes flare, unearthly, perfect silver circles, cold, strange.

I slide out from the last town, and into the bright white freedom of the Hume and my body and mind uncurls and takes flight,

roaring into something infinite. The Hume is its own destination, a bright white line stitched through my night

against a ground of black velvet, unfurling majestic, shot through with the sequinned multicoloured lights of the big trucks

and silvery pinpricks of stars fading into my morning.

- Rhonda Cotsell

Rhonda finds poetry in almost every aspect of her life from everyday to capturing the unexpected or rare. She tries to write poetry people will get something new from reading, but also will identify a little with; as we all have more in common than we think.

Local Lines features poetry by locals about local and any other matters. Please submit poems to Bill Wootton at cottlesbreedge@gmail.com

Hey! I’m Duke. I’m a threeand-a-half-year-old, brindle American bulldog-American staffy. I’m a big, strong fella and I love going for walks and playing in the exercise yard.

I also love spending time with people and I would happily lounge around with my people all day. I have lived with children in the past and I prefer to hang out outside. I can be a bit wary of strangers and I’m not catfriendly. Some dogs are nice. I need high secure fencing.

Come and meet me at the MAAW shelter in Castlemaine. Ph: 5472 5277. Microchip no. 953010004194111.

(Pick me, pick me is run in memory of Rosie & Curly - we picked them. And proudly supported by Daylesford's

Just sayin’...

By Donna Kelly

A long, long time ago, just after the dinosaurs disappeared and the wheel was invented, I lived in Japan.

It was a very different world. There was no internet, well there probably was but I didn't know about it, no Facebook, no Snapchat, no email, no Instagram. We communicated by writing aerogrammes, filling every tiny piece of the very light, and light blue, paper to make sure we got our money's worth. You could also make a phone call but they were incredibly expensive so you wrote everything down you were going to say so there were no blank bits or ummms and ahhhs.

Anyway, I had been to uni and got a BA or Bachelor of Arts, which my Dad also called Bugger All. I like to think he was joking and it was the days when the government paid for the degree. But still not sure. He was an engineer after all.

And then I found work at a newspaper as a cadet journalist in Rosebud on the Mornington Peninsula. My career was going well and over the next two years I moved to Frankston and then to the Mornington Leader where I was the editor. Yep, at the grand old age of 22 I was chatting with MP Peter Reith as part of my role.

And then Mum found a newspaper advertisement. The Ministry of Education, or Mombusho, in Japan were looking for teachers of English. You needed a degree but no Japanese. I applied and missed out.

But about a month later I had a call from the Ministry saying a position had come up, about an hour out of Tokyo, and would I like it? The next minute, or so it seemed, I had said farewell to a boyfriend of six years, told Mum to come and visit and I was on a plane to Narita Airport.

I was picked up after a nine-hour flight by four, very stern looking, Japanese men, none of whom spoke English, and we spent the next couple of hours sitting awkwardly in a limo before I was dropped off at my apartment in the smallish town of Ome. They told me, in a sort of mime, they would pick me up the next morning at 7.30am and take me to the Board of Education, and promptly left.

I think I was pretty much in a state of shock. I had never lived away from home, spoke no Japanese and had left a fun journo job for the unknown of Japan. I looked out the balcony at the snow covered mountain over the road, turned on the television, watched as Arnie sold some products in halting Japanese, turned it off, and looked around the two rooms which were my new home.

My new employees had already pulled out a futon mattress from the cupboard, and popped sheets and a duvet on top, and I think they left me a loaf of bread, being a foreigner and all, for a breakfast of toast. Luckily I had a Western-style toilet and there was a lovely deep bath.

The next morning I got up early and was ready and waiting for my ride. We went straight to the office, no sight-seeing going on, and I met all the managers and took part in my first, all Japanese meeting. It only went for three hours. If you think Australian office meetings can be dull, try it in a language you don't understand.

I also asked for the bathroom and nearly cried when I saw the Asian-style squat toilets. I decided to hold on until something better turned up but after a few days realised I could do some internal damage if I only peed at home.

The next day I started at my first junior high school where the students spoke no English and neither did the English teachers. It was a bit of a struggle at times, especially when the students asked if I was a virgin. "Yes or no," the English teacher prompted. Hmmm. I said "no" but I am from Franganistan, where a woman in her 30s is generally the grandmother. Only Frankston people can make these jokes. What's a woman in a white tracksuit? The bride. But I digress.

Japan turned out to be the biggest, most fun adventure of my life. I stayed for three years, made loads of friends, learnt the language and ended up being a tour guide back home in Cairns and on the Gold Coast.

I have so many fantastic memories and until Covid hit pretty much found my way back there almost every year, dragging Kyle along after we met in the 90s. And he loves it just as much as me, although you do need to visit to really "get" the place.

It's all odd and fun and exciting at the same time. And sometimes scary. I was followed home a few times by strange men, had a few others on trains doing things under newspapers that are quite illegal, and worked for a friend in a "hostess" bar where I thought I was just serving drinks but some of the patrons had other ideas.

Mum loved it too. Kept turning up every few months to outstay her welcome - she didn't care. The last time we went together was when she turned 80. She had been really crook, almost gone, and then pretty miraculously recovered. We went during cherry blossom season, rented a tatami mat and sat on the ground drinking Asahi beers.

Mum laid down on her back and sighed. I asked if she was OK and she said she was just enjoying the sky and the trees. I am in Japan this week and missing her so much. She would have loved one more visit. Love you Mum. Just sayin'...

W RD CROSS

Here is the crossword solution for Edition 302. How did you go?

All words in the crossword appear somewhere in the same edition of The Local.

To market...

Every Sunday - Daylesford Sunday Market

First Saturday - Daylesford Farmers Market, Trentham Neighbourhood Centre Makers Market, Golden Plains Farmers Market, Woodend Farmers Market

First Sunday - Castlemaine Artists’ Market

Second Saturday - Trentham Community Group Market, Kyneton Farmers Market, Ballan Farmers Market, Kyneton Rotary Community Market

Second Sunday - Maldon Market, Clunes Farmers Market

Third Saturday - Trentham Farmers Market and Makers Market, Glenlyon Farmers Market, Leonards Hill Market, Creswick Market

Third Sunday - Talbot Farmers Market, Woodend Lions Market, Malmsbury Farmers Market

Fourth Sunday - Trentham Station Sunday Market, Buninyong Village Market

Artists of the Central Highlands with Eve Lamb

From his earlier days as a rock musician and his years at the prestigious Academy of Art in Dresden, Germany to his new upcoming exhibition at the Convent Gallery, Daylesford’s Monty Osewald is the sort of vivacious talent whose creative work gets noticed wherever he goes. His personal story could be described as fiery, even phoenix-like. Ahead of his new show that opens later this month, he shared a little of that story.

Eve: Now I know you have an exhibition coming up at the Convent Gallery here in Daylesford, later this month Monty. When is the launch?

Monty: It opens on Sunday, April 28. I’ve been doing a burlesque series of prints of a stunning model, Mini Mayhem, who is a burlesque performer. She is going to open the exhibition at 2pm with a burlesque act and that will be followed with me doing a painting of her in her outfit for the day. Of course the show’s up as well.

Eve: Please tell me a little more about the show. What does it feature?

Monty: It’s 40 years of work. It’s called Forty Years of Painting, Drawing and Prints. There are about 50 works and it will run for a month. In one section there is the latest burlesque series done in 2023 and 2024, featuring Mini Mayhem. There’s a section for the Dresden paintings, the Samoan series, a Daylesford series and also a surreal series that I did following the death of my mother.

Eve: Monty can you tell me about your story as an artist? I believe it’s quite eventful.

Monty: I finished my rock 'n' roll career in 1984. I wasn’t getting paid enough in that so I thought, 'oh I’ll do some painting'. I did arts school years before that. I was at the Gordon in Geelong, VCA in Melbourne. But after I finished my qualifications I just went out and played rock 'n' roll for years. I started doing artwork with a group show at the Works Gallery in Geelong and then a solo show at an artist-run space called Artery in Geelong.

I hadn’t painted for years and all of a sudden it just burst out. That went pretty well and I got a show at the Geelong Gallery and was bought up by a Sydney Group called the Sydney Art Bank. In Sydney I bumped into a really famous guy called Kym Bonython, an art dealer and entrepreneur who brought bands like The Beatles out to Australia. He said ‘show me what you’ve got’. He said ‘bring all of it to my place in Kew’.

I pulled it all out and threw it down on the lawn outside his mansion in Kew. He said ‘I’ll take the lot’ - and we showed it in Adelaide and in Sydney and I ended up in group shows with people like John Coburn, Fred Cress, Charles Blackman. That gave me a lot of impetus to keep going.

I was in Geelong at that time. I ended up making fibreglass paintings and spent more than 12 months making this massive exhibition of paintings, each a couple of metres long and a metre-and-a-half high.

They were all finished and ready, and I had booked the Qdos gallery in Lorne and we had a show to do the next day. All the paintings were in the factory down at Fyansford. That night I went to bed probably at 3am. I lived at Lara. The next morning I woke up to go to school - because I was a school teacher as well - and I got a phone call in the morning. Somebody had set fire to the factory.

All of the 17 huge paintings that I’d done were incinerated in this massive fire. The guy that did it was an arsonist. He had problems. We saw him in the court. He got five years' jail. He had destroyed plenty of people’s businesses and caused millions of dollars worth of damage.

Eve: That’s terrible. How did you cope?

Monty: It wasn’t aimed at me but I lost out on a fabulous fibreglass show. Who knows what might have happened? I just sort of slumped. I didn’t know what to do next. I hung around for about a year and then decided ‘right, I’m out of here’.

I went and lived in Dresden in East Germany for five years. I was actually born in Kiel in Germany so I can speak German. I’d sent a video clip of myself working at my studio in Lara to all of the major cities in Germany. I arrived in Dresden and went up to the front door of Akademie Fur Bildende Kunste, a massive academy. Beautiful.

I said ‘I’m looking for the video tape that I sent’. They said ‘we can’t find it’. I said ‘I’ve come a long way, I’ll wait until you find it’. And while I was sitting there, waiting, one of the professors came over and said ‘can I have a look in your art folder’. He looked through it and said ‘come with me’ and he gave me a studio which I worked in for four years after that at the Academy in Dresden - for nothing.

Eve: That’s wonderful.

Monty: Out of the despair of the fire comes this.

Eve: And you’re still a practicing artist today. What is your genre of preference now?

Monty: I think that it’s expressionist.

Eve: And what is your preferred medium?

Monty: It’s oil paint. I use other materials but a lot of my collection are monoprints - oil paintings on aluminium plates and those images are transferred to paper through an etching press.

Eve: What is your subject matter of choice?

Monty: I’m really interested in people. But I also love doing landscape. Now I just love the fact that I am just painting for myself and just accepting the marks that come out. It’s a very spontaneous sort of mark-making ritual that I do. I’m living the life that I’ve always wanted to.

Image: Eve Lamb