NEWS DESK
Plaque for environmental warrior THE life of dedicated Frankston environmentalist Kath Hassell was honoured at a plaque unveiling last week. Hassell was a Frankston Beach Association member and spent decades advocating for the preservation of Frankston’s natural open spaces. She died at the end of 2020. Last week, a plaque commemorating her life was unveiled at the Sentinel sculpture near Cliff Road in Frankston. A big crowd of friends and family gathered to remember the environmental warrior. Hassell’s daughter, Jennifer Hassell, said the Sentinel sculpture was the perfect location for a plaque. “While I think of this as mum’s bird, the Sentinel is about all of us – about community and the love of nature and a reminder of what we need to do to protect this,” she said. “We love the way the bird looks out across the foreshore and beach and on towards the creek – where you have all worked so hard.” Frankston Environmental Friends Network president David Cross said Kath Hassell “set an unequalled standard in conserving Australia’s coastal environment and she was greatly admired by all who knew of her outstanding work.” “It is accurate to say that without Kath’s enthusiasm, inspiration, knowledge and hard work, the City of Frankston would be a poorer place in which to live,” he said. Hassell received an Order of Australia Medal in 2017, and was named Frankston Citizen of the Year in 2000.
FRIENDS and family of Kath Hassell (inset) at the Sentinel sculpture, where a commemorative plaque has been installed. Picture: Supplied
G A L L E R Y TA L K
Know My Name: Australian Women Artists is a National Gallery of Australia touring exhibition that has kicked off here at MPRG on its two-year tour.
artist Kylie Stillman and fibre craft with local artist Elif Bradfield, as well as our VCE school holiday workshops to help VCE students get a headstart on their art folio for the year.
We’ve been so pleased to welcome visitors from near and far to see the work of these incredible female artists, to reacquaint themselves with some of their favourite artists such as Margaret Preston, Grace Cossington Smith and Cressida Campbell, and to be introduced to artists they may not have known - to see their artworks and get to know their name.
Sonic Textures and the Mornington Peninsula Shire will be presenting a series of acoustic music sessions at MPRG in January and February. This contemporary cultural event brings together the visual arts, acoustic music and local hospitality businesses. The program will be announced early January.
Alongside the NGA exhibition, we also have an exhibition featuring local artist Kylie Stillman, an installation by Natalya Hughes and an exhibition drawn from our collection of four female artists who supported each other’s work. January is full of school holiday workshops, including creating gift cards with a needle and thread with
mprg.mornpen.vic.gov.au Civic Reserve, Dunns Road, Mornington Ph 5950 1580
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Frankston Times
19 December 2023
The Gallery will be closed 24, 25 & 26 December, 1 & 26 January. Please check our website for up to date opening hours and to find out more about our exhibitions and special events. Hope you all have a wonderful festive season. See you at MPRG, soon. Danny Lacy MPRG Gallery Director
Graffiti concerns FRANKSTON Council is lobbying for faster response times to graffiti and litter on major roads. At their meeting last week, Frankston councillors agreed to prepare a motion for the Municipal Association of Victoria State Council addressing the state of state government roads. The motion will ask the state government to “deliver improvements and increased maintenance of state government owned road gateway infrastructure assets.” Sites identified by Frankston Council as needing more attention are the Nepean Highway, FrankstonCranbourne Road, Beach Street/ McMahons Road underpass, Quinn Link Overpass Precinct, Frankston Freeway, Frankston-Flinders Road/ Moorooduc Highway, Ballarto Road, and Dandenong-Frankston Road. Frankston mayor Nathan Conroy said that council could not clean up graffiti and other mess on those roads as the cost would be too great. “We are not going to take over their responsibility because once you take over, that’s us in for millions of dollars,” he said. “If you do look at the rubbish on the side of highways and freeways, if you look at the graffiti, if you look at the median strip on Cranbourne Road or Frankston-Flinders Road, we would love to get out there and [clean] it but it’s all the state government’s. It actually infuriates me that these things are happening and I know our local members want it to be done as well and it’s just not happening.” Conroy said council has improved its response times for graffiti in areas under its control from ten days to three.
Attention Schools, sporting clubs & community groups
Free advertising listings Each month the Frankston Times will run a Community Events page, where your school or organisation can promote upcoming events, fund raisers, social events, etc. at no charge. This page is sponsored by Frankston Arts Centre, and listings are completely free. Lisiting should be about 40 words and include event name, date, time & address.
Send your listing to:
Community Events
PO Box 588, Hastings 3915 or email
communityevents@mpnews.com.au
