June
Front page: Colour dominates the life of the phenomenal Prue Acton. Her eyes sparkle when she talks about it.
From the age of 15 she learnt life drawing for four years, yet nothing about colour, before becoming the golden girl of Australian fashion. “Colours are my alert system,” she says. “Not sound, vocal, or feel. Just colour.”
Now living in Daylesford, the fashion icon chatted to journalist Kevin Childs. Read her story on page 13.
Image: Richard Cornish
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The Local is a member of the Victorian Country Press Association, with editor Donna Kelly, a former director.
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The Local is a fortnightly community publication covering the Central Highlands of Victoria.
The next edition is out on Monday, June 15, 2026 or online on Sunday, June 14 at www.tlnews.com.au
Space bookings: Wednesday, June 10
Copy deadline: Thursday, June 11
Editorial deadline: Thursday, June 11
General manager: Kyle Barnes - 0416 104 283 | kyle@tlnews.com.au
Editor: Donna Kelly - 0418 576 513 | news@tlnews.com.au
Sub-editors: Nick Bunning, Lindsay Smith & Chester the Cat
Writers:
Kevin Childs, Tony Sawrey, Kate Foulds, Kyle Barnes & Donna Kelly
Photographers: Tony Sawrey, Kyle Barnes & Donna Kelly
Graphic designer: Dianne Caithness
Contributors:
Darren Lowe (music), Jeff Glorfeld (US life), Bill Wootton (poetry), Dr Marita McGuirk (wildlife), Natalie Poole (history) & John Beetham (gardens)
Accounts: Julie Hanson | Delivery: Tony Sawrey
2026 Community Awards
Hepburn Shire Council's Community Awards have recognised the valuable contribution of community members and volunteers in the shire. The awards were presented during Volunteer Week.
Citizen of the Year went to Daylesford's Frank Page, Event of the Year went to to art event Radical Fields and was accepted by Glenlyon's Ryan Kennedy and the Hepburn Together award went to The Biggest Morning Tea and was accepted by Bill and Lois Hetherington.
There were no nominations for Young Citizen of the Year this year.
Mayor Cr Tony Clark congratulated all the award recipients and expressed his gratitude for their profound positive impact on the shire.
“All our award recipients are well deserving and should be proud of what they have achieved. Our volunteers are the heart of our communities, and those who have made exceptional contributions deserve to be recognised. Volunteers are the heart and glue of our community and Hepburn Shire’s punches above its weight.”
Frank Page has contributed to the cultural, environmental and civic life of Daylesford for more than four decades.
A Vietnam veteran, heritage advocate and garden lover, Frank has led countless local initiatives through the Friends of Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, Friends of Lake Daylesford, Christ Church Anglican, the Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre, and regional tourism organisations.
At the same time as his involvement with the Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre, Frank was also engaged with the Fitzroy Learning Network, an innercity neighbourhood centre supported by the Myer Foundation. As a long-term Myer employee, Frank worked with the foundation after retirement, helping to establish a partnership between the Fitzroy and Daylesford centres. This initiative enabled refugee families from Fitzroy to visit and connect with Daylesford, building productive and positive cross-community relationships.
Frank was also a committee member of the Williamstown Little Theatre for several years and oversaw marketing and production of the monthly newsletter, which helped the 80-year-old community theatre sustain engagement and morale throughout the Covid pandemic.
His leadership is defined by creativity, cooperation and persistence - qualities that have brought people together across generations and interests.
Cr Clark said Radical Fields had positively impacted the shire community by engaging and encouraging community participation and celebrating our unique culture.
The Biggest Morning Tea also had a positive impact on the community by bringing people together to participate, promoting inclusiveness while recognising and valuing diversity, and building a more resilient community.
Above, from left, Ripon state MP Martha Haylett, Mayor Cr Tony Clark (with Timmy), Frank Page, Lois Hetherington, Ryan Kennedy, Cr Shirley Cornish, Cr Pat Hockey and Ballarat federal MP Catherine King
Below, Radical Fields in action
Speeding?
Expect a minimum fine of $254.
fine of $254 and 1 demerit point. Police and speed cameras can be anywhere, so why take the risk? Chances are you will be caught. Anywhere. Anytime. Anyone. cameras
Daylesford resident appointed to Craft Victoria
Daylesford-based designer and creative practitioner Ty Symonds has been elected as a non-executive director on the board of Craft Victoria, one of Australia's leading organisations for contemporary craft and making practice.
The appointment was confirmed at Craft Victoria's AGM last week. Ty, who lives and works in Daylesford, brings more than two decades of experience in design and creative leadership to the role.
He is best known for his work as general manager of Country Road Home, where he oversaw the creative direction of the Home division during a period of significant growth and cultural influence.
Since departing the corporate sector, he has established Ty Symonds Studio, an independent studio practice in Daylesford, working at the intersection of art and design.
"Daylesford has a remarkable community of makers, artists and creative practitioners," Ty said.
"Living and working here has fundamentally shaped how I think about making and about what objects mean to the people who use them. I hope to bring some of that thinking to Craft Victoria's work."
Craft Victoria, established in 1970, supports makers across Victoria and nationally through exhibitions, retail, mentoring, professional development and public programming.
It champions the cultural and economic value of craft and design as a vital part of Australian creative life.
The appointment adds to Symonds' existing role as chair of the Swinburne University Industrial Design Advisory Committee. His studio, Ty Symonds Studio, operates from Daylesford and works across art practice, object design and creative advisory.
Links: www.tysymonds.com | www.craft.org.au
Words & image: Contributed
Max loving giving back at Hepburn House
Max Primmer has been on the Ageing with Pride committee at Hepburn House for many years.
And that evolved into running Ageing Disgracefully where residents could get together to watch a movie, or head to the Amazing Mill Markets for a coffee morning.
That then evolved into Max deciding to also volunteer to chat to residents who perhaps did not have many visitors, for whatever reason.
"Some of the residents don't come out of their rooms for various reasons, so I go inside and visit them in their rooms and talk to them. And for two or three hours every week I go down there and talk to people, play bingo and just enjoy being there."
Max said when Ageing Disgracefully got started, just after Covid, quite a few people called to say they were keen to get involved but felt they lacked the confidence to just show up.
"They asked, 'what if no one says hello or what if no one talks to me?' So I said we'll fix that up by you messaging me when you get to the Mill Markets car park, I'll come out and walk in with you, introduce you and then straight away you're going to be okay with people. That's been going on for four years now and there's new people coming in and joining us all the time now.
"And it's not just Hepburn House residents at the Mill Markets gatherings. Anyone is welcome to come along. We meet every Thursday at 11am and it's for everyone. It's easy to get parking and it's a great venue."
Max is also keen to hear from other people who want to spend a few hours chatting with residents at Hepburn House - and the Mill Markets.
"There's people who would love to have someone come and say hello to them once a week or maybe twice a week, if they have spare time and would like to get involved. The residents have so many stories to tell, they've lived so much life, it's a marvellous thing to get to talk to them and sit with them and discover what their lives have been like."
Max said if people were keen to get involved they could call Hepburn House and talk to the manager Shelley Simpson.
Don’t
"Maybe you could take someone for a drive for a cup of coffee once a week? It doesn't sound a hell of a lot but to those people getting out and just looking at the trees and having a coffee in a different place means so much to them. It's amazing.
"I've always said you give a little bit of yourself but you get 115 per cent back. You've made a difference in someone's life for that half an hour, that hour whatever it might be, you've you've made someone happy, made a difference in their lives.
"I think sometimes you get a bit more mature and you get into a place like an aged care facility then you feel like you're not contributing anymore. But they have had interesting lives and done things that nowadays you wouldn't even think about. It's fabulous just talking to them. A real privilege."
Hepburn House: Fostering independence; enriching lives; and offering personalised care in a progressive, highly advanced and compassionate country setting – it’s the next best thing to home. Enquiries: 5348 8100 | www.hepburnhouse.com.au (Advertorial)
Everyone 6 months and older is recommended to get the flu vaccine each year.
The flu vaccine is free for:
• Children aged 6 months to under 5 years
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 6 months and older
• Adults aged 65 years and older
• Pregnant women (at any stage of pregnancy)
• Individuals with certain medical conditions that increase the risk of severe flu.
Protect yourself and your community. Book today.
'Disciplined, responsible' budget up for comment
If state and federal governments continue to ignore the needs and wants of Hepburn Shire, council and the local government sector would have no choice but to cut additional services and operations in future budgets.
This is the warning from Hepburn Shire Council's Mayor Cr Tony Clark after the draft budget was put on public exhibition last week.
Cr Clark said the draft budget was disciplined, financially responsible and responded to external cost pressures, and had been developed in a particularly constrained financial environment.
A media release said the draft budget had been developed in line with council’s Financial Vision 2024–2027 and long-term Financial Plan 2025–2035.
"These plans underpin the direction council needs to take to ensure financial sustainability, while safeguarding the services the community relies upon. The Victorian Government rate cap of 2.75 per cent has been applied," the release said.
"Council has budgeted a minor operating surplus ($511,000), with a positive unrestricted cash position. This is a positive trend and an improvement on prior financial years. Importantly, this operating surplus reflects council’s position of ensuring all our financial reserves are ‘cash backed’ which is positive financial management, and not something that is legislatively required.
"A $10.5 million capital works program is planned, funded by council cash, reserves and grants, with no new borrowings. The program prioritises asset renewal and current project completion over new assets, with $4.83 million allocated to roads. Funding includes $2.8 million from grants and contributions."
Cr Clark said the budget reflected a careful balance of maintaining financial discipline, responding to rising costs, and continuing to deliver strong outcomes for the community but raised the possibility of further funding cuts.
"Many households are making difficult financial decisions, and we recognise the importance of balancing our financial responsibilities with empathy and understanding.
"If state and federal governments continue to ignore the needs and wants of Hepburn Shire, council and the local government sector will have no choice but to cut additional services and operations in future budgets.
"Staying the course may require difficult choices at times, but it remains the only way for us to ensure a viable and resilient organisation. Despite significant constraints, I am proud of what we continue to achieve. Council consistently delivers high-quality services and meaningful outcomes for our customers, even in a tight financial environment. This is a testament to the dedication, innovation, and commitment of our people, who work hard to provide important services to our community."
Cr Brian Hood said at the meeting it was important to consider the budget’s historical context.
"The draft budget has been prepared with the backdrop of an ambitious and expansive capex program costing $80m over the past seven years. Over that period cash reserves have declined by $10m and an additional $16m of new borrowings have been taken out. The projections indicate such investment in capex cannot continue.
"Through the 2024 planning work five conclusions were reached: there would be no cash to construct new assets; no cash to make co-contributions to grants; no surplus cash to fund disaster recovery works; cuts to services would be necessary; and a 10 per cent rate variation was needed. That work also identified the need for advocacy to the state government to address matters outside council’s control and the ESC called for more changes when they approved the rate variation.
"These factors each in their own right place serious questions against HSC’s viability. With only 12,000 ratepayers spread across multiple population centres the factors combine to present an extremely challenging position.
"This budget reveals a fresh challenge that again points to risk and unsustainability in the long run. Put simply, cash projections now indicate the amount of cash available for renewal capex works on existing assets cannot keep pace with depreciation. This draft budget should be released tonight. The sooner that genuine consultation and informed discussion takes place the better."
An online survey is open until Sunday, June 14 at Participate Hepburn and a public hearing will be held Wednesday, June 24. Register via Participate Hepburn.
The council will consider the adoption of the draft 2026/27 Budget at a Special Council Meeting on Tuesday, June 30. Words: Donna Kelly
Mudbrick Home Amid 40 Acres of Native Woodland 143 WALKERS LANE, SANDON 3462
Set among 16 hectares of beautiful native woodland, this three bedroom mudbrick home offers a peaceful off-grid lifestyle in the heart of Central Victoria. About 20 minutes from both Daylesford and Castlemaine, and only 7 minutes from Newstead, the property combines privacy, sustainability and natural beauty.
Built in 2000, the home has been designed for passive solar living, with orientation to help keep the summer sun out and welcome the winter sun in. The mudbrick residence sits within a fenced domestic area of about 0.28 hectares, and enjoys lovely outlooks across the garden, surrounding bushland and one of the property’s two dams.
The land features mature eucalypts, wattles, native grasses and abundant wildlife. A conservation covenant protects the bushland beyond the fenced domestic area.
Property features include: an open-plan living area with high raked ceiling, concrete flooring and excellent natural light; wood heater; galley kitchen plus walk-in pantry; large double-glazed windows framing garden, bushland and dam outlooks; three bedrooms, two with built-in robes, and one is currently used as an office; central bathroom and separate toilet; two artist studios within fenced house area; 5kW off-grid solar system; four rainwater tanks; two dams; five raised wicking vegetable garden beds, fruit trees and native gardens; two storage sheds; double carport. Internet and 5g mobile broadband coverage available.
Private inspections available by appointment, call the owner on 0428 391 707.
There will be an open for inspection on Sunday, June 7 at 11am.
Link: www.realestate.com.au/property-lifestyle-vic-sandon-700406488
Just briefly...
The first ever Fever-Tree Gin & Tonic Awards saw the Best in Show G&T pairing awarded to Daylesford Spirit's Miner’s Gin & Fever-Tree Mediterranean Light Tonic.
In addition to taking home the cup, the winners will also enjoy a five-night break away to enjoy a luxury holiday for two in Singapore’s historic Raffles Hotel and visit the Long Bar where the Singapore Sling was born and search out the history and delights of this great destination.
The Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club will hold two events in June.
On Friday, June 12 at 7.30pm a Zoom meeting will be held about Brown Brood Frogs (Bibron's Toadlet); Adding to the Knowledge Pool with speaker Max Sonnemann from Deakin University. To join click on https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/ register/FdbIPG85ScWRDepoSjs3-A On, Saturday, June 13, from 9am, an Aboriginal history and culture field trip to Boort will be led by Paul Haw and Sue Luke. The Yung Balug Aboriginal Artefacts Museum houses a vast collection of important Aboriginal artefacts, some found and donated by local farmers. The garden includes indigenous food plants. Register attendance via SMS to Sue Luke on 0419 445 226.
Communities across Australia will help create vital habitat for bees and other pollinators thanks to the Trees for Bees Community Tree grants.
Now in its fourth year, the Trees for Bees Community Tree Grants program provides grants of up to $500 to schools, clubs and community groups to plant pollinator-friendly trees and shrubs in their local area. Applications close on Monday, July 20. Link: www. wheenbeefoundation.org.au/communitytreegrants
Magpies are on top after Australians counted a record-breaking five million birds in one week during BirdLife Australia's Aussie Bird Count.
The figures include more than five million birds counted, 64,000 participants submitted a combined 153,000 checklists and 621 different species observed. Held in October last year, 64,000 Australians took part in the count. The Australian magpie swooped into top spot as the bird Australia sees the most, followed by: Rainbow Lorikeet; Noisy Miner; Sulphur-crested Cockatoo; Magpie-lark; Galah; Red Wattlebird; Crested Pigeon; Welcome Swallow; and Common Myna.
Child and Family Services Ballarat (Cafs) is inviting community members from across the Central Highlands region to help shape services for children, young people and families by joining its Community Advisory Committee.
The group plays an important role in Cafs’ governance by providing feedback, insights and community perspectives to help strengthen services, programs and organisational direction. Cafs CEO Wendy Sturgess said the group played a key role in ensuring the organisation continues to reflect and respond to the communities it serves.
Hepburn Matters is holding an event about the Hepburn Shire Council's "finances now and beyond".
Join Mayor Cr Tony Clark, Cr Brian Hood and Cr Tim Drylie in a discussion facilitated by Hepburn Matters, to be held at the Bendigo Bank meeting room, 113 Main Road, Hepburn Springs on Tuesday, June 2 from 7pm to 8.30pm. RSVP via Humanitix.
Join Milton Moss for an engaging talk about his paintings and photographs of the Moolort Plains, Joyces Creek and surrounding Central Victorian region with stories about his exhibition, Capturing the Wild – A series of photographs and paintings by Milton Moss, his art practice and storm chasing.
Milton's talk will be at the Central Goldfields Art Gallery, Maryborough on Wednesday, July 29 at 10.30am.
Hepburn Springs Village is coming together to support the Cancer Council with a community morning tea on Sunday, June 21 from 9.30am to 11.30am.
The event will be hosted at the Old Macaroni Factory, with guests gathering in the H.D.C. Longroom and Lucini’s Lounge. Adding to the community spirit, The Surly Goat, Lotte, Cello, Shizuka Ryokan, Hepburn General Store and F&CK are generously donating cakes and treats for the occasion. Tickets available via Trybooking. Link: www.oldmacaronifactory.com.au Proceeds to the Cancer Council.
Council news...
Hepburn Shire Council has secured $2.22 million of state government funding for six projects around the shire. The council is contributing $321,000 across all the projects.
The funding comes from the government’s Safe Local Roads and Streets Program which provides funding to support infrastructure upgrades that reduce road trauma and improve safety outcomes.
The projects are: Victoria and Cambridge streets, Creswick; Pearsons Road and James Lane intersection, Fern Hill; Ligar Street, Clunes; Stanbridge Street, Daylesford (Stage 1 and Stage 2); Bath Street, Trentham; and Central Springs Road, Daylesford.
The six projects are at different stages of delivery and approval from the funding agency, with construction anticipated to be completed by end October 2026.
Hepburn Shire Council awarded three contracts at its May meeting.
The first was for kerbside recycling processing to Cleanaway for a two-year term. This followed a public tender process held in February and March 2026.
The second was for the design development stage of the Daylesford Town Hall upgrade project to Lovell Chen, a Melbourne-based architecture company, for $90,620 for the schematic design being progressed to detail designs and improvements and new works to the Daylesford Town Hall/Senior Citizens’ Building.
The third was for works in Cambridge and Victoria streets in Creswick to Butler Excavations for $523,810. The project will deliver better pedestrian pathways and crossings, more organised and formalised parking, and other upgrades to enhance safety, accessibility, and the overall streetscape.
Hepburn Shire Council has decided to temporarily close a pedestrian bridge on the Domino Trail in Trentham, after independent advice confirmed the structure is unsafe for use.
The bridge crosses over Stony Creek, just to the west of Station Street and is a short distance from the historic Trentham Railway Station. Users can detour via Victoria Street and signage is being put in place.
Words: Kyle Barnes
Recognition for helping shape community
Macedon Ranges Shire Council has recognised the exceptional individuals and groups helping shape a strong, inclusive and vibrant community through the 2026 Macedon Ranges Celebrating Community event.
Held during National Volunteer Week, the event included special recognition for community volunteers and leaders, and the Community Awards program.
This year saw strong interest across all 8 award categories, with a total of 35 nominations recognising contributions across youth leadership, inclusion, the environment, arts, sport, and community events.
2026 Community Award recipients are:
• Youth Leadership: Molly Clare for compassionate leadership as a mentor with Full Spectrum Theatre.
• Young Citizen of the Year: Tate Kemp and Matilda Matthew. Tate for powerful advocacy for disability inclusion through All Abilities Public Speaking; Matilda for outstanding youth leadership, community volunteering and advocacy for social justice and youth voices.
• Contribution to Environment: Macedon Ranges Wildlife Network for their dedicated volunteer work rescuing and caring for injured wildlife while educating the community on wildlife protection.
• Contribution to Community Arts: Natalie Davis for contribution to community arts, creating inclusive projects that uplift and connect communities.
• Contribution to Sports and Wellbeing: Woodend Cricket Club for using sport to visibly advocate respectful relationships.
• Inclusive Communities: Social Foundry for work supporting vulnerable community members through inclusive training, leadership and volunteering opportunities.
• Community Event of the Year: Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group Veg Action for Edgy Veg Awards for inspiring healthier and more sustainable food choices while supporting local businesses and producers.
• Citizen of the Year: Kathleen Wyatt for outstanding service to the community, fostering connection and contributing to community safety. Image: Kathleen Wyatt and Mayor Kate Kendall | Contributed
Colour My Life
Colour dominates the life of the phenomenal Prue Acton. Her eyes sparkle when she talks about it.
From the age of 15 she learnt life drawing for four years, yet nothing about colour, before becoming the golden girl of Australian fashion.
“Colours are my alert system,” she says. “Not sound, vocal, or feel. Just colour.”
We last talked for a book a mere 42 years ago. Then she was almost full to overflowing with a passion for philosophy, politics, psychology and a love of surfing. That, plus a warmth for Japan and its food (which includes eating raw chicken). “She’ll eat anything!” said the locals.
Just as her zeal continues, so does her crown of curls.
Her early success was nothing short of astonishing. At 22, Prue was producing more than 350 designs a year, selling an average of 1000 dresses a week. By 1982 her worldwide sales were estimated at $11 million a year. The first Australian woman designer to show her range in New York, she sold 5000 frocks on Fifth Avenue in just a few months.
Her background reflects her drive. Her grandfather had seven sheep properties. Her grandmother had eight children, four of them orphans of relatives. Prue’s mother was a partner with her husband in self-service stores and supermarkets.
Prue won a media-bestowed unofficial gold medal at the Montreal Olympics (for uniform design). At the Los Angeles Olympics, the roar of applause from the crowd as the Australian team entered in bright yellow uniforms and Driza-bone hats stays with her. “It was the biggest day of my life.” This earned her another first prize.
Elevated to the Fashion Industry Hall of Fame, she was awarded an OBE in 1982 and honoured on a commemorative postage stamp in 2005.
She stepped away from designing in the late '80s, saying there was more to life than making money.
“I was trying to save the Earth.” She campaigned to save native trees and chuckles as she remembers family land being sold to a timber company on the pragmatic basis that someone else would have done so anyway.
Prue vividly remembers leading artist Clifton Pugh returning from the Outback to show her the red-gold earth and green-blue foliage. These colours led her back to painting and being taught by Pugh, later accompanying him on 16-day Outback painting tours.
When we meet, she has been working for three days on a large work (“Eightyfour by eighty-four”). “By Monday I was buggered,” she candidly says. “I need absolute quiet, every ounce of concentration. Quietude.”
Her development as an artist was helped by other outstanding painters, all now deceased, including Andrew Sibley, Charles Blackman and Brett Whiteley. She tells of Whiteley’s wine-coloured Sydney studio and a conversation with him that revealed “his incredible brain. And unbelievable intelligence.”
She has exhibited at Pugh’s gallery and across Australia. Paintings are on the floor of her home, on a table and many walls: reclining figures, geometric figures, landscapes and still lifes. Two of her especially powerful works, often thought to be surreal, show the sky near Canberra after bushfires.
For 30 years Prue ran workshops with her partner, the late Mervyn Moriarty, an outstanding painter and legendary figure in Queensland art, famous for founding the Flying Art School, now the Flying Art Alliance. They met when he took over outback painting tours and Prue had decided to leave business for painting.
In 1976 Moriarty used prize money from an arts award to learn to fly so he could teach art in the outback. Some of his award-winning works are on her walls.
Through him, artists, educators and communities gained so much exposure to contemporary art, says Prue, that Queensland’s rural art standards are, for example, greater than those of New South Wales.
Her passion for the arts is clear as her arms go wide in anger at the destruction of the central state arts body, Creative Victoria, which suddenly cut funds for eight successful arts organisations, with seven others being given a chance to reapply. A total of $20 million has been cut from its budget since 2022. “There is no money!”
Prue, who turned 83 last month, moved to Daylesford from Tatura in the Goulburn Valley at the start of Covid, buying her house unseen on-line. She says she has always been a country girl, spending most weekends out of Melbourne.
Of all her homes she says she is a "regenerist" in that she allows her gardens to return to nature. One was 147 acres, the current one is a quarter acre. As we talk, there are tiny birds just an arm's length away. It's all about the amazing Central Highland's volcanic soil.
We return to colour. She has long thought about it and developed a theory. During her next touring exhibition, called The Colour of Nature, she will talk on “Why Colours Matter”.
Words: Kevin Childs | Image: Richard Cornish
To build or not to build, that was my query
Hmmm. The end of May was upon us and we were ready for the slab to be poured. Hooray.
But - I hate buts - we were then sent the plans through an online portal, a brilliant method of keeping customers in the loop, to sign off on.
Now I can write a pretty good story but show me anything technical or financial for that sake, and I am lost. When I worked for another local paper I was the managing editor which meant I had to head to a weekly meeting with my P&Ls. (Profit and Losses - as I found out.)
Now the paper did really well, and always made a profit, but after every meeting I just threw the report into the back to the car where it stayed until the next week.
Anyway, we got the plans and Kyle looked over them. I also have a really great out for doing this sort of stuff because Kyle was the one who wanted to build.
Looking at the plans he found that the hot water system and the LPG services had been placed on the road side of the build. This has already been talked about with the builder because the house will be on a corner block and we really want to conceal all the services to the other side.
But, there that word is again, it then turned out the amended plans - as in we were now building with Sherridon and not our original choice of builder (too expensive) - had not been lodged with Hepburn Shire Council.
We had the stamp for the first building, and it is on pretty much the same building envelope but the council still needs to give it another stamp.
As it turned out Sherridon thought we had submitted it, because we have a good working relationship with council, while we thought Sherridon, as our builder, had done it.
The long and short of it, mostly the long, is that it will now take longer to get the amended plans through and that means no slab and no building just yet.
(If anyone in the council planning department is reading this, please help us...we will put you on our Christmas party invite. It's a good party.)
Anyway, apart from the time, and paying interest on a mortgage, we are still looking forward to moving in later this year - and I have been looking around on FB Marketplace to find some retro furniture for one of the lounges.
I already have a really cool Parker piece that my nan gave to my mum and then I inherited it. Along with some really cool Tessa chairs that mum gave Kyle who has had them reupholstered. So I am on my way.
Kyle meanwhile continues to work on his secret room - with a door that no-one will know about. It opens with an old book. So I need to go op shopping and get some more oldy worldy books.
Secret rooms must be a guy thing. Every single male friend Kyle has spoken to is rapt with the idea. Some have even already done one. Every single female friend I talk to says "why". And I don't know the answer. But it keeps Kyle happy. And you know the saying "Happy husband, happy wife".
Home Watch.
NB: As I said in the last edition, the slab should be in by the end of the month! Words: Donna Kelly
Joan Pickering's life’s work - doing for others
The first time I met Smeaton’s Joan Pickering she was encouraging a craft group at Daylesford Library to weave vintage lace, wool and fabric into future projects.
Joan, now 86, was clearly in her element after being taken by a community carer to see for herself where surplus materials, sent to the group on earlier occasions, had landed.
Her eyes lit up when a piece of stretch fabric was pulled out of a box by someone determined to turn it into a pyjama top, putting the material to good use.
Wasting time and things simply isn’t in Joan’s nature; a quality developed growing up in a block of houses built for returning WWI veterans.
“My parents got it just as the second world war was starting...my father was a signalman, at a time when they sent messages out with carrier pigeons,” Joan said.
However, being born in 1940, it’s her father’s post-war charity work and time at the PMG (Postmaster-General's Department), she recalls.
“We all called the PMG ‘private monkey's garden’, it was like Telecom, took in public phone boxes and all that sort of thing,” she said.
“I remember my father saving little globes and torches from the PMG. He painted them all different colours and then he wired them up so we had lights on our Christmas tree which was a piece of pussy willow - there was no money for anything as frivolous as Christmas lights.”
Joan credits her father, who belonged to a band of charity entertainers, for her own creativity and community spirit.
“My father would dress up as a girl, white stockings, white dress, red wig, and they’d go around entertaining on the back of a truck to raise money for dogs for the blind.”
But it was Joan’s mother and brothers she was with the first time she set foot in a dance school.
“Mum lost a baby and we were out walking; in those days there was a dancing school in nearly every empty hall (and) Mum took us in one, I was only a tot then, hadn’t even started school, and I just loved it.”
Joan said her community-minded father organised debutante balls at Preston Town Hall and as a result when she was six or seven she led a deb set as part of their presentation.
“I had to do the whole length of the hall on my toes, today there’s no way you’d have ballet shoes on at that age, but in those days if the ballet shoes fit you’d do it.”
When Joan was 19 one of the mothers in a dance class she was enrolled in asked if she would like to teach, pointing towards an empty hall.
She then went on to teach tap, ballet and character dancing in Lalor and Preston venues between 1959 and 1976 through her own school.
“It started as JD Dancing School because my brother was with me, it became the Miss Joan Scott School of Dancing. My mother took over playing the piano.”
Joan said early craft skills learnt at school, from her mother and a young Scottish woman in her neighbourhood, allowed her to become a costume creation seamstress.
“Most of the mothers were working, so the first year there wasn’t much in the way of costumes, you’d ask for them and they’d turn up with flowers attached with safety pins and what have you, so I started doing costumes for one or two of the girls and by the next year I was doing the whole lot, about 200 pieces, two or three pieces to a costume.
“I loved the dancing, putting concerts together, the colour, everything about it, but I love helping people, that’s been my life since I was a little kid.”
Joan said when she was six or seven one of the returned soldiers who lived a few doors up from her family home was in a wheelchair following his war service and after school she would “sit on the grass and talk to him because he was on his own and had no-one to talk to”.
“You were involved with everyone. You didn’t have meals on wheels, if someone was sick up the corner of your street everyone went up and took a meal up or did something. There was one phone in the whole block so everyone would come and use it and paid sixpence for the use of the phone.
“If you were growing rhubarb and people knew you had it they’d come up and get a bunch of rhubarb from you for sixpence and that sixpence would buy your sausages for tea from the butcher.”
Today Joan, who moved to Smeaton when she married her second husband Louis Pickering 20 years ago, is herself thankful to have lovely neighbours nearby and fellowship within St John’s Creswick Church community, particularly since Louis passed.
She said it was too late for her to have children of her own when she married her first husband at 36 years of age, but she doted on her dance students, occasionally taking those with busy parents for outings to Como House and other interesting places during school holidays.
“I like doing the quilts, hand embroidering, knitting, crochet, cooking, gardening - anything I can make - it keeps you going.”
Joan said she would like to think sharing her crafting remnants encourages others to make good use of their hands through a hobby you can enjoy at home or with others. “That’s been my life’s work - doing for others.”
Above, Joan in her self-embroidered apron; inset, a School of Dancing advertisement (contributed)
Below, debutantes and partners at the Fairytale Ball in Northcote 1969-70 hosted by Cr Larkin and Mrs Larkin
Words: Kate Foulds | Images: Kate Foulds & Darebin City Council
Spa Quilters Guild
The Spa Quilters Guild of Daylesford will hold its biennial Quilt Show on the King’s Birthday Weekend, June 6 and 7, on Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday, from noon to 4pm at Daylesford's St Peter’s Catholic Church and Parish Hall, Duke Street, Daylesford.
The theme is Peace.
There will be a challenge display, raffle, member’s boutique and quilt shops in attendance. Entry fee is a gold coin donation.
The proceeds are used to make quilts for children in foster care and people in aged care homes.
Sometimes when children are taken into foster, kinship or residential care they will arrive at a home with nothing but the clothes they are wearing.
These quilts provide comfort, warmth and represent something handmade (with love and care) that the child can keep wherever they go in the future.
Spa Quilters has been operating for 41 years and new members are very welcome. They meet at the St Peter's Parish Hall on Thursday from 11am to 4pm.
Enquiries: Carol on 0407 668 938 or Denise on 0407 252 746.
Woodend Air League
Australia’s oldest uniformed cadet organisation, The Australian Air League, founded in 1934, is establishing a new squadron in the Macedon Ranges.
The AAL is an organisation open to anyone aged 8-18 and adults as officers (18+) with aims to promote an interest in aviation among young people and enable them to become better citizens, serve the community and achieve their full potential.
The AAL fosters a sense of pride, discipline and increased confidence in cadets which has advantages beyond parade nights, camps and reviews. A regular parade night includes drill (marching), education and games.
Cadets start with the very basics of aviation and can work their way to a pilot’s licence. A wide variety of courses can be undertaken from meteorology, space flight, first aid and navigation through to drone activities, cabin crew and many more.
Adults are also needed as officers with training provided following regulatory checks and interviews. As well, parents of cadets are encouraged to become involved in the formation of a committee to support fund-raising projects and support officers.
The first parade night for the Woodend Squadron will be on Tuesday July 7 at 6.45pm at the Norma Richardson Hall, Buckland Street, Woodend. An information night will be held at the hall on Tuesday, June 30 at 6.30pm.
Link: www.airleague.com.au or call 1800 502 175
Draft 2026/27 Budget ready for feedback
Council has endorsed the release of the draft 2026/27 Budget for public exhibition. The 2026/27 Budget is community-focused and prioritises our Shire’s needs while balancing external cost pressures with the community’s capacity to pay.
Aligned with Financial Vision
Council’s draft 2026/27 Budget has been developed in line with the adopted Financial Vision and Financial Plan 2025–2035. This budget is focused on long-term sustainability.
Financial health
Council has budgeted a minor operating surplus ($511,000), with a positive unrestricted cash position. This is a positive trend and an improvement on prior financial years. There are no new borrowings and the Victorian Government rate cap of 2.75 per cent has been applied.
Capital works program
A $10.5 million capital works program is planned, funded by Council funds, reserves and grants. The program prioritises asset renewal and current project completion over new assets. Funding includes $2.8 million from grants and contributions. $4.83 million will be spent on our local roads.
Investment in projects
There will be small investments in key projects next year to improve community engagement and customer service. Council will also review the Financial Plan 2025–2035 and alternative revenue sources.
Reduction in waste charge
The average waste charge will reduce from $610 to $540.
Cash managed responsibly
Council also has all its reserves ‘cash backed’ (available and on hand). This is positive financial management, and not something that is legislatively required.
The future
The draft 2026/27 Budget relies heavily on Council’s own resourcing and limited revenue streams. A lack of support from state and federal governments over the last decade has meant councils are facing unreasonable cost pressures. Council will continue to monitor and review its financial performance.
Have your say…
Have your say before midnight on Sunday 14 June
Visit www.participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/budget for more information on how to have your say.
Community Award winners
The winners were:
• Citizen of the Year to Frank Page
• Event of the Year to Radical Fields (accepted by Ryan Kennedy)
• Hepburn Together to The Biggest Morning Tea (accepted by Bill and Lois Hetherington)
Congratulations to all these worthy winners.
Image: Martha Haylett MP, Cr Tony Clark (and Timmy), Frank Page, Lois Hetherington, Ryan Kennedy, Cr Shirley Cornish, Cr Pat Hockey and Catherine King MP
May Council meeting outcomes
• Quarterly Finance Report - Quarter 3 - noted
• Glenlyon Recreation Reserve Pavilion (project update)approved
• Draft 2026/27 Budget for public exhibition - endorsed
• Adoption of Creswick Flood Mitigation Study - approved
• Algerian Oak Planning Scheme Amendment Authorisationapproved
• Awarding of three contracts (kerbside recycling contract, Daylesford Town Hall upgrade design and Cambridge Street Creswick) - approved
Watch the recording and read the meeting minutes at www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/agendas-minutes
The next Council meeting will be held on Tuesday 23 June.
Cr Lesley Hewitt
Cr Brian Hood Cr Tony Clark
Cr Tim Drylie Cr Pat Hockey Cr Shirley Cornish
On 21 May we hosted the Hepburn Shire Community Awards, a National Volunteer Week event.
Movies on show
Time magazine’s Film of the Year tops an outstanding display of the new and the classic in the latest films at Daylesford’s community-run Phoenix Cinema.
Combining the themes of the nature of fame, the responsibility of critics, the arrogance of genius and the nature of gatekeeping, The Christophers has what a reviewer calls a “blistering, brutal performance” by Ian McKellen.
This incredibly funny comedy-drama is on the edge of a thriller and makes working out a possible ending a tough task.
It’s on at 4.30 on both Thursday, June 4 and Friday, June 5 and 7pm on Saturday, June 6.
A front-row seat to a performance by the astonishing Michael Jackson is on offer in Michael on Monday, June, 1 at 4.30pm
Some Like It Hot (Monday, June 1, 11am) was voted Best Comedy of All Time by the American Film Institute and it is easy to see why. Marilyn Monroe is a vulnerable boozy singer caught up with jazz musicians on the run from the mob in this legendary drag comedy that sizzles from start to the famous last line.
Following that at 2pm is The Sheep Detectives. Who could guess sheep could solve a murder? This is hailed as an endearing experience which is bound to become a family favourite.
At 7pm, stand by for a re-dressed special as The Devil Wears Prada 2, which offers a lot for fans of the first version to enjoy.
Link: www.daylesfordcinema.org.au
community and shop local “Locals supporting Locals” Restaurants, Bakers, Butchers, ineyards, Distillers, Brewers and of course each other.
Remember we offer free delivery, T&Cs apply.
Delivery times are Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm.
We have an on-board EFTPOS.
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. Let’s support
Our region's history with Natalie Poole
Joseph Firth and his lasting legacy of Firth Park
Joseph Firth was born on August 12, 1853 in the Orkney Islands, Scotland and emigrated to Australia in 1872 when he was 17.
In 1873, he took up head gardener roles in the Mt Macedon area, firstly at Glencairn and more notably at Government Cottage - the official summer residence of the Governor of Victoria.
He later administered the holiday home of David Syme, editor, publisher and owner of The Age newspaper after Government Cottage was sold to him.
During the gold mining era and beyond, the Wombat Forest had suffered reckless overlogging due to mining companies needing a constant supply of timber. In 1872, the Macedon State Nursery was established to supply trees to enable the reforestation of the Goldfields.
In the mid-1880s, Joseph Firth took the position of nursery curator at the Macedon State Nursery and continued the work of supplying trees and turning the area into a showpiece for all to see.
Over many years he installed walking paths, planted exotic trees, landscaped gardens, erected a large arboretum and dug an ornamental lake at the nursery. Not a man to sit still, he embarked on a property of his own.
In 1890, he selected a 100-hectare block in the Wombat Forest, just next to Bullengarook Road, 11 kilometres from Trentham. He cleared and fenced some of this land, dammed the creek, built a small house and planted many exotic trees which included Californian redwoods, Monterey cypress, Engelman spruce and an evergreen Macedon oak (Quercus firthii) named after himself. He took his family here on weekends and school holidays.
While at the Macedon State Nursery, he passed on his great knowledge of botany and tree propagation to many trainee foresters including one of his sons, and many parks were planted in Woodend with the assistance of Firth’s generous work. In 1891, his work had paid off and he rose to the position of nursery superintendent at Macedon, a position he worked in until his death in 1922.
His obituary in the Woodend Star, (January 7,) 1922 shows the type of man Joseph Firth was. "The deceased gentleman, who was 69 years of age and had lived in the district for nearly 50 years, was widely known and popular with all classes. The passing of Joseph Firth removes one of Macedon’s oldest residents and landmarks. He came to the district about 50 years ago. He was always ready to place his services and sound advice at the disposal of any worthy object. Not only was his assistance and advice as to tree planting, garden designing etc. given freely in the locality of Macedon, but other parts of the surrounding district can bear witness as to the highly appreciated, gratuitous help rendered by the late Mr. Firth. A wife and 12 children remain to mourn."
In 1925, the Forest Commission purchased the block from the executors of Firth’s estate, now known as Firth Park. The dam was enlarged for firefighting purposes and this proved to be a saviour in the Black Friday fires of 1939 and the Ash Wednesday fires in 1983.
There is no doubt the lasting legacy left by Joseph Firth is enjoyed today by bushwalking groups and other people visiting Firth Park.
Images: Top, Trentham Historical Society | Below, Natalie Poole
Degas to Picasso
This landmark exhibition brings works by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Salvador Dalí, Paul Cezanne and Barbara Hepworth to the Shepparton Art Museum, spanning nearly a century of artistic innovation.
Facing Modernity features 37 extraordinary paintings and sculptures tracing the evolution of modern art—from Impressionism through to Cubism, Surrealism and post-war abstraction. Drawn from Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, these works have captivated audiences in Aotearoa New Zealand and now make their only Australian appearance at the Shepparton Art Museum.
This major international exhibition includes works from the significant Robertson gift to Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, offering a rare glimpse into one of the most important private collections of modern art. From the atmospheric brushwork of Impressionism to the bold experimentation of Cubism and the dreamlike visions of Surrealism, Facing Modernity charts how artists reshaped the way we see the world.
SAM artistic director Danny Lacy said the museum encouraged art-lovers from near and far to enjoy this Australian-exclusive exhibition.
"The artworks in this exhibition are something special and are spectacular examples of the innovation and raw creative energy of the modernists. We are honoured to be celebrating this extraordinary collection here in Shepparton and provide a home to magnificent works by Dalí, Picasso, Degas, Cezanne, Hepworth, Gauguin and more for the next four months. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience these works up close, in real life, in regional Victoria."
Alongside the exhibition, SAM will showcase a vibrant public program designed for art-lovers to explore the ideas and stories behind modern art. The program includes: curator and guest talks exploring the movements that shaped modernism; guided tours offering deeper insight into key works and artists; Petit Picasso Studio for Kids – a series of free drop-in workshops; Bar SAM Soirée - extended late-night openings with live jazz, food and after-hours access; and SAM Deep Dives Lecture Series introducing Modernism.
Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso is presented in partnership with Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki and is on display at Shepparton Art Museum until September 20.
Link: www.sheppartonartmuseum.com.au
Above, Installation of Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso from Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Shepparton Art Museum, 2026.
Image: Leon Schoots
Backyard volcanoes?
What happens when a creative artist is let loose amongst the old maps, glass plate photographs and treasures held within the bowels of the State Library of Victoria?
Blend this thought with an artist fascinated with geology, history and printmaking. Her connection to the area is at a property boasting a mini lava vent formed through volcanic action.
Daylesford Museum's next exhibition is A volcano in my backyard? showcasing art by Perdita Phillips.
Perdita connected with the museum as part of her recent State Library Victoria/Baldessin
Studio Creative Fellowship. She photographed some of the museum's geological collection and participated in field trips to significant landscape and geological locations within the shire. She looked at evidence of vulcanism, glaciation and mining and made prints, drawings and stereograph cards.
The exhibition will be supported with maps, geological samples and photographs from the museum collection, making connections between art and science.
Perdita is an Australian artist primarily interested in the environment who often refers to scientific understanding in her work. At the same time she is interested in things that aren’t explained by science which might be about what is not seen or logically sensible.
After years of wrestling with the ideas of beauty and wildness she has decided that things are not simple: they are complex and contested and worth fighting for.
Phillips has used many different media including walking, mapping, drawing, sculpture, digital art, installations, ephemeral outdoor works/situations (eclogues), photographs, videos, book art, sound installations and spatial sound, found objects and collage.
Her work is marked by a continuing interest in the relationships between humans and non-human others (rocks, plants, animals, ecosystem processes). Underlying her practice is a general concern with imagining environmental futures.
A volcano in my backyard? will run from June 6 until August 1 at the Daylesford Museum, 100 Vincent Street, Daylesford. Open Saturdays from 11am to 3pm. Links: www.perditaphillips.com | www.daylesfordmuseum.com
Main image: Perdita Phillips detail of Hamilton (Bush scene, three women panning for gold, 1855-ca. 1910 - copyright)
Inset: Perdita Phillips at Merri Merri Creek | Kate Gorringe-Smith
Celebrating Trentham
The Trentham Rail and Tramway Association, TRATA, has opened the Community Mural, 1880s Goods Shed and Inclusive Native Garden.
The mural was painted by Natalie Davis of Chalky Signs, the Goods Shed refurbished by VicTrack and the garden and meditation area was completed by the TRATA committee and volunteers.
Hepburn Shire Mayor Cr Tony Clark said the dedication of a few people had changed the landscape of the Railway Precinct and that Trentham had a community asset to be proud of.
Cr Clark thanked the TRATA committee - Leigh Sutcliffe, George Tosi, Phil Davis, Ross Urquhart and Lea Davis - for their ongoing hard work.
TRATA secretary Phil Davis spoke of the progression made over the past three years. The mural was paid for by fundraising, a Hepburn Shire Community grant and donations from organisations and people in the Trentham district.
The Goods Shed was refurbished with funds from the VicTrack Restoration Fund, and the garden and meditative space was completed with a Stronger Communities Grant.
Ballarat federal MP Catherine King said the space was now a focal point for events and it will be important for the community to enjoy and use the precinct for events in the town.
Macedon state MP Mary-Anne Thomas said the newly-formed committee had a vision of beauty, history and the telling of stories.
"My heart bursts with pride at the transformation, completed with love and care." She added it was a focal point for tourism and the start of the popular Domino Trail.
The mural celebrates Trentham’s railway history and the fauna and flora of the area. The "two fat wombats, kangaroo and powerful owl" stand out, the flora is bright and colourful and the K153 engine and Walker railcar are testimony to local railway history. The garden is in its early stages of growth and will add another dimension to the area in time to come.
Meanwhile, the goods shed is an historical landmark which reflects the importance of rail transport and how it connected rural communities and facilitated goods trade.
The platform is still in place, and the old railway doors still hang inside the shed. The shed is 145 years young and future plans will provide it with a new lease of life.
Main image, back from left, Ballarat MP Catherine King, Hepburn Shire Council Mayor Cr Tony Clark, George Tosi, Brad Murnane (VicTrack), Cr Pat Hockey and Phil Davis, front, from left, Natalie (Chalky) Davis, Lea Davis, Mary-Ann Thomas, Ross Urquhart, Cr Brian Hood and Leigh Sutcliffe
Bottom image, Natalie Davis from Chalky Signs in front of her mural and the garden
Words: Natalie Poole | Images: Contributed
Kyle's Rant
The latest firebombings in Melbourne are a scary and real thing and threaten once again to push residents out of the CBD.
A quick look back at history in America reveals the same tactics - firebombings to businesses with a balance in damage so they can still trade but know they are being threatened. And for those who pay attention, there are serious modern gang tactics at play here which are quite brazen.
Back in the old days in places like Chicago in the 1950s, where the gangs took over the unions and standover tactics were brutal (not that I was around), you at least knew your enemy. They would get about with names like Hammer, Lefty or Tommy Two Fingers. These days it's most likely the modern gig economy which is basically digital platforms whose business model relies on matching independent contractors with temporary, on-demand jobs or tasks via apps. You can be a boss of a large gang of hoodlums as long as you have the money.
The trouble is, for guys like Lefty threatening people was an art, these days you don’t know what sort of imbecile you’re getting. Case in point is the luxury car dealership in Melbourne that three ratbags set on fire. In case you missed it, to be a good standover merchant you need to strike the balance between a threat and keeping the place open for business. And these bandits caused over half a million dollars of damage to a couple of Aston Martins.
And that’s the problem, you just can’t get reliable criminals on an encrypted messaging app, or can you? Is there a rating service where the villains have to say how good they are, maybe they have categories similar to Air Tasker. Communication: Did they keep you updated? Did they reply to your messages promptly and clearly? Punctuality: Did the tasker show up on time and complete the task within the agreed-upon timeframe? Eye for detail: Did they pay attention to your specific instructions and follow the task description accurately? Efficiency: Did they work quickly and effectively without compromising the quality of the work? Or in the case of Crime Tasker questions like: Was the unlawful lad on time? Did they clean up after themselves? Maybe if accelerant was used, did the bad guys accidentally set themselves on fire?
And what about the gangster doing the hiring, would they get rated as in when you are hiring someone on Air Tasker. Were they clear with their instructions? Were they honest about how long the job would take? Was the location of the job accurate?
All jokes aside, there are too many young people who are looking to earn a few bob and taking on these jobs firebombing businesses and homes in order to send a message from their bosses of “pay up or shut up shop”.
I have had a few instances with accelerant fires that didn’t end well. One of the latest was with a handful of sparklers on NYE a couple of years ago at TL HQ, where the liquid magnesium dripped under the deck and caught leaf debris on fire. A quickthinking mate doused the flames with beer. Meanwhile I saved my burning heel, which had also come into contact with the magnesium, by submerging it into the s-bend of the toilet.
The next was an outside fire that didn’t take off. I loaded it with petrol and then made a petrol creek as a fuse. Don't do this at home, kids. After quite a few attempts I finally got it going with a sound akin to a sonic wave reverberating through my body.
Low flashpoint accelerants are difficult to work with and it is apparent with the video footage of these young people. One day soon some bright spark will stitch all this footage together of trainee villains catching alight, throw a Benny Hill soundtrack in the background and make bank on YouTube. Boyband gang rant over…
Local Lines
etryetc.
hot day in lyon with his picasso t-shirt a man wipes off sweat
a plane tree leaf rising in the breeze her striped shirt
heat wave
lyon’s pastel buildings blanch a little more
- Bill Wootton
Bill likes to travel in France. France does not care much for air conditioning.
Local Lines features poetry by locals about local and any other matters. Please submit poems to Bill Wootton at cottlesbreedge@gmail.com
Pick me, pick me!
Hi there, I am Cash, a one-year-old
I am always ready for fun, whether it’s a game of fetch, a run around the yard, or learning something new.
I am very eager to please and thrive on attention, activity, and positive interaction. I am also smart and excitable, so I will need an owner who can continue my training and provide plenty of mental and physical stimulation. I would really suit an active home.
Microchip number: 956000018848790
Come and meet me at MAAWS. Call 5472 5277 | shelter@maaw.org.au
Pick me, pick me is run in memory of Rosie the Kelpie & Curly the Cocker Spaniel - we picked them from the Peninsula RSPCA.
Pick me, pick me is also proudly supported by Daylesford's petstock - where pets are family.
Just sayin’...
By Donna Kelly
A major opinion poll last week forecasted One Nation would win dozens of seats if a federal election had been held then.
Pauline Hanson's party would have pretty much wiped out the Coalition, but also taken seats from Labor.
It's scary stuff. I know it is just a poll, and I mean, who would vote for One Nation? But then who in their right mind would vote for Trump? And there he is, playing golf day after day, telling himself the US is the most amazing country in the world.
And so do his followers. I wander through a few Facebook pages and the stupidity of his followers defies belief. But there they are, holding signs, hoping for Trump 2028. FFS.
We met a Trump supporter once on a cruise. Lots of crazy Americans but this woman seemed quite sane until she started mouthing off about the homeless - at a lavish cruise lunch. "The homeless," she said, "they just don't know what they want."
As I started mouthing back small things like "a home", "security perhaps", "somewhere to sleep", "a decent feed", I saw Kyle giving me the "hush now" look.
I honestly just think it would be a complete disaster if One Nation had a say in our country's future. I know Labor's not great at the moment, and I am not caught up with the Libs or the Nationals, but that doesn't mean you go down the rabbit hole of sheer craziness.
I was just reading that Hanson was first married to Walter Zagorski when she was 17 in 1971. Walter was a Polish refugee who migrated to Australia with his mother in the early 1950s.
Her first two children are to him but Wikipedia says he had a few affairs and then left her while she was pregnant with the second child. Maybe it's all just sour grapes? I popped onto One Nation's website and read about their immigration stand. It's pretty awful.
Send home visa overstayers, illegal workers,and unlawful non-residents who undermine national security, drive down wages and take advantage of public services meant for Australians. Hello ICE.
Deport any visa holder who breaks the law. Weak law enforcement policies have put Australians in danger for too long. If you commit a crime, you lose your visa and the right to stay. Sorry if you happen to be married, have a child, were starving so stole some food. Hello reverse convicts.
Introduce an eight-year waiting period for citizenship and welfare, ensuring new arrivals contribute before they take. Goodbye safety net.
Refuse entry to migrants from nations known to foster extremist ideologies that are incompatible with Australian values and way of life. Goodbye better life.
Finally, withdraw from the UN Refugee Convention because Australia will not be dictated to by foreign organisations when deciding who we accept into our nation on humanitarian grounds. Yeah, how dare they try to enforce a document which asserts that a refugee should not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom. And yeah, we are not agreeing to a document that outlines the basic minimum standards for the treatment of refugees, including the right to housing, work and education while displaced so they can lead a dignified and independent life. It also defines a refugee’s obligations to host countries and specifies certain categories of people, such as war criminals, who do not qualify for refugee status.
As Pauline says: "It's time to take back control of our borders, protect Australian jobs, and ensure a future where Australians come first."
It was during her maiden speech to Parliament in 1996 that she uttered her now infamous words: “I believe we are in danger of being swamped by Asians.”
“They have their own culture and religion, form ghettos and do not assimilate. Of course, I will be called racist but, if I can invite whom I want into my home, then I should have the right to have a say in who comes into my country."
She finished with the bewildering: “A truly multicultural country can never be strong or united.”
Along with the belief that a truly multicultural country will always be strong or united I also worry that she doesn't say who Australians are. Hmmm. Am I an Australian? I have only been here a few generations. Is Kyle an Aussie? He only came over about 30 years ago from New Zealand. Is our friend Phil an Aussie? He only came over about two years ago from the US. Hates America.
I might have to start sorting out my friendship group. Asking the question first about how many generations they have been in Australia, have they ever done anything illegal and do they agree refugees are just a headache we could do without.
I don't hold any sway but please think about who you are offering power to. We already have enough nuts running the world - we don't need one here. Just sayin'...
Business Directory - Buy Local
The Productive Garden Companion
Natasha Morgan was approached last year by Murdoch Books and this year, The Productive Garden Companion, the book she had hoped to find her entire life, was created. She chatted to Kyle Barnes.
Kyle: How did it all come about?
Natasha: They had seen one of my posts on Instagram and out of the blue one day, I got this email that said, I've long thought about you for a book. The publisher had used Spargo Creek as a location for a couple of book shoots so I was in the periphery. Anyway, (the email) was all about my productive garden workshop. She asked if could write about how gardens are beautiful and abundant, but they're also about being inhabited. So I said yes, I could do a book.
Kyle: Had you been asked before?
Natasha: Yes, a lot of people had said to me in the past I should write a book. I had worked as a professional landscape architect for many years at a super-high level on projects like the Australian Garden at the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens for a long time. And I’d done Spargo Creek with Oak and Monkey Puzzle. And now this one at Daylesford, which is all about re-imagining everything that I could have done at Oak and Monkey Puzzle, but on a residential block. It felt like a good time for me.
Kyle: What did you want this to be about?
Natasha: I really wanted this book to be something that I couldn't find. A lot of the books out there in the gardening and design world are full of information but they're not terribly inspiring. They're often really daggy books, a bit dense on information. And then the books that are super inspiring, the design books, full of beautiful imagery, are lacking substance. I've been gardening since I was a kid, but I'm also a landscape architect. So I thought how can I bring those two together and use the two properties as a case study? The book is all about productive gardens and what a productive garden means to me.
Kyle: What does that mean to you?
Natasha: Everything from our traditional sense of fruit, veg, herbs…but also for me, it's flowers, medicinals and then this broader idea of what productive means which is healing and mental health and mindfulness. That’s what my gardens give me and why I always return to them. Also it's about biodiversity and sustainability and resilience. Even during the course of the book, my definition of productive has evolved.
Kyle: And you help people find their way?
Natasha: Yes, it’s also got all of those high-level design skills, teaching people how to see the opportunities and also to unpack the way in which they want to inhabit their gardens and how they design for that. It's has 24 contributors from around the world who are exceptional people in their own right. People like Charles Dowding in the UK and the story of a beautiful woman in Ukraine who is gardening in a war zone and she's literally saving the seeds from her fourth-generation garden and selling them around the world to support them to survive the war. A productive garden that's beautiful is not always a luxury because as human beings, you know, beauty is a necessity.
Kyle: It sounds very inspiring.
Natasha: It's also a bit of a call to action. The end of the book finishes with a call to action to consider what would happen if everybody just grew one thing. If everybody learned to grow one thing and we swapped and traded and shared, or whether you just had the incredible contentment of knowing that you could grow one thing that you couldn't grow before, what would that world be like?
Kyle: It’s an amazing story. A life passion?
Natasha: Yes. I learned gardening as a kid just by sticking my hands in the soil. No one told me how to do it. I was just curious and I learned by doing it that way. And I think that is what the book encourages people to do as well, just give things a go. Even if you start with one seed or one square metre of garden or a pot on a balcony, everything that's in the book applies to any scale and any location. That was my ambition from the outset, to make sure that it was those fundamental things about growing - and how growing has supported a way of life for me too.
Pre-order The Productive Garden Companion at www.geni.us/ productivegarden Images: Emily Weaving
