Midland Express Tuesday July 22 2025

Dancecrew‘Hollywood’bound!

LisaDennis

MovementZone DanceStudio in Castlemaine is settosend atalenteddancecrewto the Hollywood Bound DanceCompetition in Sydneynextmonth.

TheAugust15-18 event will be the crew's very first competition.

TheMZCrewisa diverse regional dance group part of avibrantand energetic communityatMovementZone.

Thecrewconsists of sevendancers aged between14and 18 who have trained together forfiveto10years

During this time, theyhaveperformed throughout centralVictoria, showcasing their dynamic styles, including hip-hop, funk, contemporary danceand breakdancing.

Studio director Sarah'Sas' Cook said the crew,which includes Cury Mountain, Callam Neilson Bridgfoot, Finn Girbon,Clarrisa Salvatore, Archie Cowan, Myah McDonaldYoul and Tully Paterson, were leadersintheir dancecommunity,consistently exceedingexpectations in their roles at MovementZone.

"Theyhaveactively engaged in various events—whether volunteering,assisting in classes, or advocating forthe danceindustry," Sassaid.

"Some membersare nowemployedas teachers,training and inspiring the next generation of dancers."

To maketheir dream areality these inspiring young people have been working hard to raisefunds fornew uniforms and travel costs.

Crew membershaveorganised and conducted three successful Kids DiscoParty fundraisersattheir Etty Street studio, and also held abarbecuefundraiser outside the Castlemaine newsagents last Saturdaytoraise funds fortheir campaign. They have also set up aGoFundMe to help their cause.

"Theywould liketothank the community forall its support and in particular send a massivethank youtoRotary Castlemaine for donating $2k towardsthe trip. They areso very grateful,"Sas said.

Crew member Cury Mountain said she was excited but nervous about thecompetition.

"Itwillbereally good to seethe standard of danceatthis sort of eventand scope out whatthe competition is likeand wherewefit in,"she said.

Fellowcrewmember Finn Girbonsaid he couldn't wait.

"It'sa rare opportunitytoperform ona hugestage and showwhatalittle country studio can do,"Finnn said.

"You don't have to liveinabig city to createexciting and fantastic dances. Ithink our routine is really coming together

"This is aregional eventand if we do well we willqualify forthe Nationals in Queensland. If we impress therewecould qualifytogotoAmerica.Astheysay,we'dbe Hollywood Bound!"

With severalofthe dancersfinishing school at theend of theyearand going offto university and into theworld this opportunity marks the end of an erafor the tightknit local crew,and theylook forwardtomaking the most of every unforgettable moment.

If you'dliketomakeadonation towards thecrew'sendeavoursyou canfind their GoFundMe pageatgofund.me/b363cb6a

Cleanersleave skid marks

Cleaning contractorsemployedbyMacedon Ranges ShireCounciltomaintain the public toilets at theKyneton Botanic Gardens have come under fireafter being caught repeatedly driving across the gardens and damaging the grounds.

Aconcerned local residentinitially raised the issue with thecouncil, prompting a temporary stop to the practice. However, the residentrecentlycaptured footageshowing the contractorscontinuing to driveover grassed areas, causing visible damage

DomTestoni, the council’sdirector of assets and operations, expressed disappointment overthe actions of the contractor’s staff

“Weweredisappointed tolearn thatemployees of the cleaning contractor had driven on and damaged the grassed areas while performing their duties,”MrTestoni said.

“Thereare designatedroads within the gardens forvehicles, including contractors, and we expect these to be used at all times unless specific approval is given by council.”

Mr Testoni said the incidentcreated an unnecessary mess in one of the shire'smost valued public spaces.

"Italso posed safety risks forboththe contractors andvisitors.Itissimply unacceptable,”hesaid.

Thecouncil has sincetaken immediate stepstoaddress the issue with thecleaning contractor

“Weappreciatethe community memberswho broughtthis to ourattention,” Mr Testoniadded.

“Wehaveactedswiftlytoreinforceour expectations with the contractor and to ensure thatsuch incidents are notrepeated.”

Plan to beautifyCastlemaine

Lisa DennisMountAlexander ShireCouncil adoptedanew StreetscapeLandscapeDesign forBarker Street and Forest Street, Castlemaine, at last Tuesdaynight'scouncil meeting.

Theplan could notbemoretimely with the recent completion and opening of the newWoolworths Supermarket at the gatewayto Castlemaine and renewedcalls forbeautification works along Forest and Barker Streetstoenhancethe major thoroughfaresinthe CBD

TheStreetscape Landscape Design is akey priority of the Castlemaine StreetscapePlan and Design Standards 2020, which recognises thatthe streetscapes of Barker Street and Forest Street should presentasgrand entrances through the commercial centre of Castlemaine.

When implemented, the StreetscapeLandscape Design will contributetoanenhancementofthe function and amenity of the Barker Street and Forest Street streetscapes.

Thelandscape implementation is anticipatedtostart this financial year.Itisscheduled to be undertaken over threeyears and is subjecttofunding by wayoffuturebudgetsubmissions and/or external grantfunding opportunities.

Theplan will see extensivelandscape works undertaken on the median strips, streetscape works and potential plans to 'uplight'the facades of four buildings of note including the Castlemaine Post Office, Faulder Watson Hall,Castlemaine Library and Former State Savings Bank (Cantwell Property).

Cr Toby Heydon said it wasanexciting project and would tiein beautifully with the works about to begin in Frederick Street and Mechanics Lane.

"We've allseen significantdevelopmentalong Forest Street,not just at theeastern end with the newsupermarket development, but also between HargravesStreetand Barker Street as well,"hesaid.

"This is avery comprehensiveplan. Themain reason Iamso enthusiastic is thatitstarts to address the amenity and appearance of thatsection of Forest Street between Urquhart and Hargraves Street nowthatwehavethe newsupermarket

"The first stageisset to commenceonthatparticular section from Urquhart to Hargraves Street,the second stagefromHargraves to Barker Street and so on.

"The areextensiveplans forhardlandscaping, nativeand nonnativeelements areproposed. Some ideas arenovel forCastlemaine but notnew to other heritagetowns suchasthe 'uplighting' of heritagebuildingfacades.

"I also note the engagementwith Djaaraand withUncle Rick Nelson and the idea of installing adirectional sign at the corner of

Fatalfire

Policeare investigating afatal house firein Carisbrook early last Thursdaymorning.

Emergency services were called to the blazeatapropertyonChurchStreetabout 1.05am.

Chris Shaw,a77-year-old Carisbrook man, waslocated deceased inside the property

Theexact cause of the fireisyet to be determined.

Forest and Barker Streetstoindicate the direction and distance to other local Aboriginal clans, which would be areal first forour town.

"Weall knowweliveonDjaaracountry and the lands of people who liveonwho speak DjaDja Wurrung, but very fewofusare awareofthe clan names of land theyliveon, this directional sign, possibly in astyle similar the wonderful totempoles up at Boort, would be areally enlivening elementtoadd to that corner," Cr Heydon said.

"This plan goes along waytobetterrepresenting our beautiful built and naturalenvironmentinCastlemaine,"CrHeydon said.

Cr Lucas Maddock said planting trees and plants wassomething thatwas alwaysgoing to gethim excited

"I would be moreexcited if theywereall natives, but Ialsoget the challengeoffinding suitable species forthese situations,"he said.

Cr Maddock expressed some concerns about restricting pedestrians crossings and potentially creating newsafetyhazards with people attempting to crossheavily plantedmedian strips.

However, Cr Heydon notedthatsuchcrossing points were not sanctioned or supported by DTP.

"I knowcouncil officers were interested in investigating at least one mid-blockpedestrian crossing option on Forest Street so Iam happytosupport this,"CrMaddock said.

Hotelcrash

Castlemaine SES volunteers, supported by Victoria Police and CFA, attended atwo-vehicle collision in Castlemaine recently,which resulted in one vehicle being sentontothe BridgeHotel'sveranda.

Theteam madethe area safe by propping up thedamaged structurewithan AcrowPropand taping offthe scene.

An artist’simpression of the proposed landscape and streetscape works in Barker Street

Tunnel tour forWoodend rail pioneer

Woodend’sPeterBishop playeda pivotal role inthe last transformation of Melbourne’s train network morethan 40 yearsago,assupervising engineer on the City Loop

Recently he and agroup of former City Loop colleagues had arareglimpse into the city’s next massiverail upgrade, with avisit to the MetroTunnel’sParkville Station.

TheMetro Tunnel will morethan double the sizeofMelbourne’s underground rail network when it opens laterthis year,with 9km twin rail tunnels under the city,connected to theSunbury Line, and fivenew underground stations.

Mr Bishop, 83, wasthe supervising engineer forconstruction of the loop tunnels when the city’sfirst underground railway wasbuilt back in the1970s.

TheCity Loop veterans, including architects and engineers, were guests of the MetroTunnel Project team fora guided tour of the newstate-of-the-art station, locatedonthe doorstep of Melbourne University,the RoyalMelbourne Hospital and PeterMac

Mr Bishop said the group wasimpressed by the design and architecture of the station.

“Having seen afew other metros in various other parts of the world Iwas pleased to seeit’sgot allthe facilities and technology that’sequal to anything else I’ve seen around the world,"hesaid.

“It’salsoanicestation (with) lots of naturallightand open spaceand the width of the platforms have been designed for peak loading in the future.”

Thetwo groupscompared the challenges of building train stations in the centre of amajor city and chatted about the advancements in technology

Mr Bishop said the construction of the

projects, though separated by decades, had similarities.

“The improvements in technology for doing work there’sbeen big improvements in both materials and equipment, which, in theory,makeiteasier,” he said

“Nevertheless, you’vestill gotthe people issues to deal with, in other words the labour force, and equipment.

Meet HandpickedEthical Floristry

Handpicked is an ethical floristry run by local floristAli and locatedatThe Mill in Castlemaine

“Unfortunately the floral industry is abig polluter,” said Ali. “I createdHandpicked as an alternativefor people who want to shop ethically.”

Some of Ali’ssustainable floristry practices include avoiding single-use plastics, working with Australian-grownflowers, using compostable wrappings, composting green waste, working with local farmersand educating customers.

We recently asked local businesses whatthey’redoing to takeaction againstclimate change.Theytold us stories about composting, collecting pre-lovedclothing, building biodiversity and lots more!

In July,we’resharing these stories with you, with the aim to inspireand learn from each other Meet the climate change-makers in business at shape.mountalexander.vic.gov.au.

mountalexander.vic.gov.au (03) 5471 1700

“It’sreally nota lotdifferentbut you’re able to do trickier things because of the improvements in materials and technology.”

TheMetro Tunnel is the biggest upgrade of Melbourne’s train network sincethe first part of the City Loop opened in 1981 and will transform the waypeople move around the city when it opens laterthis year

TheSunbury Line will be connected to the MetroTunnel, while BendigoLine passengerswill be able to changeatFootscray fora MetroTunnel service. Thenew underground stations are Arden (in North Melbourne), Parkville, Town Hall,State Library (both on Swanston Street in the CBD)and Anzac (onStKilda Road).

PeterBishop, David Simpson, KenDavis, PeterMcIntyre, RichardCameron and AlanChapellonthe concourse levelatParkville Station.

Oldschoolsite ‘nearlyready’

AmyHume

More than ayearoverdue, newly renovatedspacesatthe OldKynetonPrimary School siteare "nearly readyfor community use", CreativeVictoria has revealed.

CreativeVictoria has provided an update on theproject following probes foranswers from Macedon Ranges Shire Council earlier this year

TheVictorian Governmentinvested $12 million in the BayntonStreetsitefor community use witha gallery spacewith areas forcommunitygroupsbyMarch 2024.

Oneyear on from thescheduled completion date,the site remained fenced offand incomplete,prompting the council to ask fordetails on completedworks and timelines of works, for community benefit

Minister forCreativeIndustries ColinBrooks and CreativeVictoria CEOClaireFebeyresponded to thecouncil in June.

Ms Febeysaid phase one construction of the newgallery and events spacewas complete, and an operational model and approach to completing the phase twoworks on the 1980s building wasbeing finalised.

"Given the site’shistoric natureand the significantdeterioration of the buildings, the works were complex,"she said.

Delivered so faristransformation of the bluestone building into amulti-purpose gallery and events spaceand the old library spacesuitable fora rangeofcommunity and creativeuses.

Anew centralentrancebuildinghas also been completedaswell as landscaping across the siteand minor works to makethe rest of the 1980s building stable and secure.

"The newly renovatedspacesare fully compliant, and these works have ensuredthatthis local icon is nearly ready forcommunityuse as asafe, vibrantand uniquespace to gather for indoor and outdoor events," Ms Febeysaid.

"CreativeVictoria is working to finalise the arrangements foroperation and opening of these spaces. This has included meeting with severalstakeholders, including council staff,Working Heritage, Regional Arts Victoria and severalinterested community members.

"Details regarding opening of the bluestone building and surrounding outdoor areas, as well as phase twonextsteps will be shared with council and the community as soon as possible."

Council officers have sincemet with CreativeVictoria representatives and received further confidential updatesrelatedtothe activation of the site. Officers have committed to meeting with CreativeVictoria regularly

Other connection optionsneeded

AmyHume

VicTrack has stated it is willing to exploreoptions to improve pedestrian access from South KynetontoKynetonTrain Station.

Themove is one of twoconnection projects residents and developer Kynetonon Riverside arepetitioning forinabid to preparefor the town's growth.

They areseeking a1.5-metrewide footpath from the end of Mollison Street to the train station and avehicle bridgeoverthe Campaspe RiverfromEdgecombe Street

Macedon Ranges ShireCouncil told the Express it had been working with thedeveloper,VicTrack and VicRoads to unlock aparceloflandtoassist withthe footpath, but had so farbeen unsuccessful.

AKynetononRiverside spokesperson said afootpath proposalinits development plans had "sat unresolved fornearlya decade".

Last week, VicTrack told the Express thatthe land identified forthe project was required by V/Line forrailway operations and maintenance, and wasnot asuitable location fora shared path.

"The land next to the railway line at KynetonStation is required foroperational and maintenancepurposes,"a VicTrack spokesperson said.

"VicTrack is happytodiscuss the matterwith Macedon Ranges ShireCouncil to seewhether thereare optionstoconstructapathtoKynetonStation that meets rail safety andoperational requirements.”

KynetononRiverside's petition continues to gain momentum. It canbeaccessed online, via: southkyneton.com.au/petition

Book nowfor free home battery help

Thefederal government'sCheaper Home Batteries Programbegan on July 1.

Theprogram provides adiscountof about 30 per cent on the up frontcost of a solar battery,cappedinpracticeat~$344 per usable kWhofstorage

It is available forhouseholds, small businesses and communityorganisations with a neworexisting solar PV system.

Thebattery must be capable of being part of aVirtual PowerPlant but joining a VPP is optional.

Installation must be done by aClean Energy Council accredited installer

Therebate will conclude on December 31, 2030, with the incentiveamount decreasing each year

This federal rebate can be combined with eligible stateand territory battery incentives.

Therebate is delivered through the

Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, similar to theway rooftopsolar subsidies arehandled.

Youcan only claim onceper property, so gettingthe rightsized battery from the beginning will save money.

Victorian residents could also benefit from asolar panel rebate up to $1400 and an interest-freeloan equivalenttothe rebate amount

Note thatfreeone-on-one consultations on all aspects of electrification, including installing solar panels and home batteries, areavailable from carefully selected Trusted Partnersvia the Go Renewable Energy Group.

To book your free consultation, visit: mrsg.org.au/greg Aconsultation can makesurethatany proposed installation is tailored to your home and lifestyle, notjust therebate.

TheBlock to air

Daylesfordwill be the newhome of television series TheBlock forseason 21, which is expectedtoair this Sunday.

Theprogram will see 10 teams of two from across the country roll up their sleeves to create homes to auction in acontest to get the highest price above their reserve.

It hasbeen reported that, forthe first time ever,the contestants will be building their homes from scratch.

TheBlock is no stranger to theregion, having filmed its2022 season at Gisborne, on McGeorge Road

Season 21 of TheBlock is officially hitting screens on SundayJuly 27 at 7pm on Channel 9and 9Now

Forsale: RealityTV home

AGisborne home featured on Channel Nine's TheBlock TV series is on the market fora priceof$4.3million. Thefive-bedroom propertyat225 McGeorge Road wasrenovatedduring the showand sold for$4.075m, belowthe $4.08m reserve, during the season’s televised auctions. However, records detail thatafter being relisted witha $4.08m$4.4m asking range, it eventually sold for $3.9m in December thatyear– $180,000 belowits reserve. Thepropertyison5.3ha and features a40m-long hallway,outdoor wood-fired pizza oven,hot tub and heated pool. Realestate.com.au called it, "one of the least successfulhomes in TheBlock’shistory"

Busker off to Brazil

Gisborne’s belovedbusker,Melvyn Cann, who wasrecently honoured by the Melbourne ComposersLeague, has received another distinction. He is offtoBrasiliá to aperformanceofthe Orchestra of Claudio Santoro, formerly TheBrazilian National Orchestra. Melvyn is one of twolocal composers selected to writeworks forthis orchestra.Hehas been acting fortwo or three yearsasmentortothe composer Martijn Schröder,fromTrentham.Martijn has also been selected. Theperformances will be preceded by five intense days of workshops and rehearsals in which Melvynand Martijn will participate.Theywill have abriefstopoverinSantiago whereMelvyn, who is ahealer and inducted nangkiri and Elder of the Wirradjuri in NewSouth Wales, hopestomeetupwith Chilean indigenous healers. In Chile, unlikeAustralia, indigenous practices are officially acknowledged and included in thenation’s medical services. Traditional Machi work alongside orthodoxWestern doctors.

Melvyn’sorchestralpiecefor Brazil is called Amen.Itisbuilt around theplagal cadenceused or the 'Amen'inProtestantHymnody.Martijn’s piece is called Abaporu Thename is constructed from twoTupi-Guarani wordsmeaning 'cannibal'.However the pieceisnot at allghoulish. Thewordhas been taken up in contemporary artistic circles since about 1920 to mean theabsorption and integration of forms of expression from another cultureinto one’sown. Theintegration of indigenous and Western medicine in Chile can be seen as an application of thesameprinciple.

"Oswald de Andrade took themotif of cannibalism to suggest symbolically ingesting artistic influences both from modern European art and traditional Brazilian culture,"Melvyn said.

"The aim wastoproduce astyle that wasnew, anddistinctly Brazilian.

"Martijn has absorbed influences in his music which he hopes will communicate with aBrazilian audience. It is clear thatthisphilosophical program hasbeen successful."

PANACEA Program

Fridadraws acrowd

Frida Kahlo: In herown image at the BendigoArt Gallery has drawn105,135 domestic and international visitors.

Theexhibition is the first time this collection has been shown in Australia sawthousands visit to experience artworks, photographs and personal belongings of the iconic artist. More than 90 per cent of visitorscame from outsideBendigo, with local hotels, restaurants and tourism operatorsreporting increased bookings and activity throughoutthe season.

Theexhibition explored the connection between Kahlo’spersonal style, her revolutionary artwork, and the striking images thatmade her aglobal icon.

Melvyn will soon be saying “Hello!” to the worldfromBrasiliá with anew work written for the BrazilianNational Orchestra.Hereheisdiscussing thescore with his travel agent, Paul Pearman.

No ordinary kangaroo book

Reinwald

RedBox WildlifeShelter gifted one of its volunteers– avet student–$1500 worth of books last Saturdaytosupport his studies in an area lost on most veterinary scientists: marsupials.

TomLaw is apostgraduate university studentand lives in Melbourne but regularly travels to theregion to donate histimeat the shelter.Hesaidhewas fortunate to have received the books and hoped to pass around the books to like-minded students.

"I'm notthe only vetstudentthat'sinterested in wildlifeand doing work up here, but Iguess I'm one of the luckyones thathas these resourcesnow," Mr Lawsaid.

"I'm certainly notgoing to gatekeep any of the knowledgethatIfind."

Shelter operator Nikki Medwell applied fora grantfromthe DepartmentofEnergy, Environmentand Climate Action to have the books gifted to Mr Law. They will better his knowledgeonconsultation days when wildlifecarersbring in injured wildlife.

"I got them to help withhis studies. He can takethem and when he's aqualified vetwehope these books will then be able to guide thenextgeneration of students. There'snot enough knowledgeout there," she said.

Mr Lawworks under the guidanceofDr Mark Sayerwho also donateshis time at the

shelter.DrSayer said the studies of marsupials, which includes kangaroos, koalas and wombats, waslostonmanyvets.

"Most vets don't have these books,"he said.

"When Iwentthrough university,there wasprobably one lectureonmarsupials. But that'salong time ago. It is changing. There is alot of post-grad work nowthatyou can do.

"SydneyUniversity couldn't cope with asurgery fora kangaroo witha fractured tibia this week. They didn't really have the expertise to do it and asked if Icould do it Youknowwehavetobeable to rehabilitate these animals back to thewild."

Animal JusticeParty MP Georgie Purcell wasalsoatthe shelter last Saturdaywhile wildlifecarersbroughtininjured native animals to be seen by the Dr Sayerand Mr Law. Shesaidwhatshe witnessed wasa "game changer"

"This is one of the most sophisticated setups I'veeverseen at awildlifeshelter and Ithink having the vetserviceon-siteis agame changer.WhatI would sayisthat it'sreally disappointing thatitrequires the wildlifecommunity, andparticularly Nikki, to band together to makethis happen. We really need the governmenttofinally acknowledgethe importanceofour wildlife and support the peopledoing this work,"Ms Purcell said.

Morgan

Members from RedBox WildlifeShelter and Georgie Purcell’sofficeposewith rescued baby wombats and kangaroos.

Letthere be art

TheLittle Gallery's2025 Winter Art Show's opening nightwas ahugesuccess, bringing in hundreds of visitorstoTrentham within its first week. In minutes of opening the doors, punters flowedthrough the doorseager to geta glimpse of the newart on show. Thegallery wasatfull capacity with guests spilling out into the street

This eventhas gained momentum overthe yearsand is an annual calendar highlightfor art in the region, forlocals and visitorsalike

Founding member of the Little Gallery Rose Wilson said the gallery had run these fundraising art exhibition foryears, each time endeavouring to exhibit newartists from around the region.

"This exhibition upholds itsreputation of sourcing quality emerging, established and award-winning artists to exhibit in an outstanding lineup," she said.

As amajor fundraising event, theLittle Gallery calls outfor local support and volunteerstoensureexpenses arekept to aminimum so as nottoimpede on the overall funds raised through the sale of art and the art raffle.

This year'sWinterShowevent wasoverwhelmed with the generosity of wonderful donations and support from local retailers, pubs, cafes, newspapersand helpers. In addition, the Little Gallery wasfortunate to receivea Community Events Grant from the HepburnShiretohelp with reducing costs.

Opening the eventwith AcknowledgementtoCountry wasHepburn Shire councillor Brian Hood, before guestspeaker and exhibiting Indigenous artist Antio-

netteBraybrook gave an inspiring address. Braybrook is CEOofDjirraand is ahighly regarded advocate andpublic speaker who gives voiceatstate, national and international levels forAboriginal women who have experiencedfamily violence.

Following this, representatives from Trentham Health were invited to speak aboutthe Treehouse Program, which is thisyear'sbeneficiary forthe Winter Show fundraising.

TheTreehouse programsupportslocal

people living at homewithdementia, and promotesindependenceand engagement by maintaining social and community connections in apositive, safe environment. This enables these residents to livewell and to remain part of their local community.In addition, it provides families and carersan opportunity forsome respite.

Apercentageofall artwork sold goes towardsthe charity, and100 per cent proceeds of the Little Gallery art raffle will be donateddirectly.The art raffle

prizes aregenorously donatedbythe Little Gallerysstableofcurrentinhouse artists, to viewthe art and buy your ticket go directly to thelink www.raffletix.com. au/2025wintershowraffle

TheWinterShowends on July 28, and even though thereweremanyred dots flying around on theopening night, there is still alot of amazing artworksavailable and it’sa wonderfulway to celebratethe arts cultureofour region as well as help a worthycommunity cause.

Artistsand crowd pleasers enjoyopening night.

Taking root andbranching out and branching

Have youeverbeen to a‘Listening In’? It’s like afilm screening only theysay the pictures arebetterand it feels more intimate

As part of LandcareWeek, the immersiveaudio documentary Taking Root in BarkersCreek will be presentedatthe Phee Broadway on theevening of Wednesday August 6.

Thesoundwork tellsthe almost 30-year story of the local landcaregroup and the long struggle to restorehealth to thegoldfields of centralVictoria.

Thepodcast is the work of Barkers Creek audio producer Kyla Brettle– whose podcast Everythingweneed wonthe Climate Awardatthe 2024 Australian Podcasting Awards –and also features many Mount Alexander Shirepeople and stories.

“It’sgreat to have an opportunity to sharelocal stories with alocal audience,” Kyla said.

“Landcaregroups areatthe coalface of the ecological crisis and provide akey servicefor the whole community.”

Kyla said it wasironic thatMountAlexander Shirehas the greatest concentration of environmentgroups in the world –but still abig need formorehands. Shehopes people might come to theListening In out of curiosity or because theywanttolearn moreabout what landcaredoes.

TheListening In is part of abroader eventcalled 'Taking Root and Branching Out'.It’srun by BarkersCreek Landcareand WildlifeGroup and Connecting Country to launch an ambitious plantorestorehealth to a35ha bushland reserveinBarkers Creek.

Secretary of the group Cath Jolly said everyone wasexcited by the project "Welovethe idea of out competing the weeds by repairing the landscape, retaining

some waterand helping indigenous plants to be healthy,"Cathsaid.

"It’sa well lovedsliceofnaturein the heart of BarkersCreek, and we look forwardtoworking withDjaara, Parks Vic, Connecting Country and our neighboursto turn upside down country the rightway up again."

Part of the purpose of the eventis to shareevidence-based strategies for ecological repair of landscapes damaged by the gold rush.These techniqueshavebeen developed by the not-for-profit Central Victorian Biolinks Allianceand will be presentedbylocal ecologist Paul Foreman.

“The aim is to makesurethe bush and waterwayscan regenerateand survive moreextreme conditions,"Cathsaid.

"The techniquesinclude ripping along contour lines on the slopes to help retain water, rather than create erosion and run off. We also plan to do some tree thinning, promoting the growth of largertree canopies and encouragemoreunderstorey growth.

"Wewill measure andmonitor impacts, so thatwecan respond to whatisorisn’t working."

Connecting Country director and co-host of the eventLori Arthur said the Barkers Creek project added to momentumofseveral environmentprojects led by landcare groupsthatwerehappening across Mount Alexander Shire, including the Campbells Creek and also Forest Creekwork and broader shireperspective.

"It’sgreat to seelandcareand friends of groupsswappingstories and sharing knowledge– and hopefully the eventwill attract afew unfamiliar facestoo,"Lori said.

To secureyour ticket to this special event, visit www.trybooking.com/events/ landing/1419684

Understand carbonneutral farming practices

Farmershavethe chancetobetterunderstand carbonneutral farming practices in two free sessions coming up at Romsey

Presenters will include AgVic'sAdamBuzza whowillspeakonfundamentalsand driversofcarbon farming, RegenSoils'Declan McDonald who willspeakonimproving soil health forcarbon co-benefits,and GHG accounting'sNick Dudleywho will speak on onfarm emissions action plans

Thesessions willbeheldatRomsey Hubacross twodays: Thursday,July31from 10.30am to 3pm, and Thursday, August 14 from 10.30amto12.30pm. Register via MacedonRanges ShireCouncil's events page online via: mrsc.vic.gov.au

Take control of

your health today

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GP servicesinclude:

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atFromtheveryfirstmeetingwithBrendon completedRenderSolutionstheworkshavebeen inahighlyprofessionalmanner Ontime,onbudget,withgreatattentionto fodetailandaboveallelse,anawesometeam Forwhomnothingwastoomuchtrouble. forallthingsrenderingandpaintingwehave Solution.undRenderSolutionstobethePerfect Kindregards Olaf "

Thepodcast is the work of BarkersCreek audio producer Kyla Brettle. Photo:Carmen Bunting

New Telstra mobile coverage

Telstrahas expanded 4G and 5G mobile coverage throughout Kyneton, witha series of newmobile sites nowdelivering improvedconnectivity

Anew 4G and 5G mobile base station at theshowgrounds has been switched on and will support an additional 10 5G small cells thatwererecently rolled out through the area.

Telstraregional engagementmanager Marcus Swinburne said the newsites had expanded Telstra’scoverageinthe area for residents and visitors.

“Weknowthe community’s been looking forwardtoimproved mobile coverage andI’m pleased to saywe’ve completed construction and thesiteisnow on-air,” Mr Swinburne said.

“The additional 4G and 5G coverage will allowcustomers to make callsand access our network in moreplaces, and also

improve capacitytoensurea better experience.

“Asacompany, we heavily invest in improving regional connectivity and this siteisanother example of our commitment.”

Telstra’scommitmenttothe Macedon Ranges is driven by local insights and community engagementwith the local Telstra team.

“Wehavenearly 30 people who liveorwork in the Macedon Ranges and areinvolvedinthe local community,” Mr Swinburne said.

“Weunderstand the importanceofbeing local, either by showing up on social media forums and assisting, including sponsoring local community groups, through to working collaboratively with the Macedon Ranges ShireCouncil and our local federal and state membersofparliament.”

Macedon Ranges ShireCouncil CEOBernie O’Sullivan, Telstraregionalengagementmanager Marcus Swinburne and TelstraGisborne’s Lily Johnson are pictured in frontofthe new4Gand 5Gmobile base station at the KynetonShowgrounds.

ATOapp puts protection in your pocket

As millions of Australians arepreparing to lodgetheir tax returns, scammersare actively seeking newwaystoexploit personal information. If successful, theycan usestolen details notonlytocommit fraud against theAustralian Taxation Office,but also carry out broader identity theft and financial crimes across the community

TheATO has reported asharp rise in impersonation scams, with a150 per cent increase over thepast 12 months. Ninety per cent of ATOimpersonation scamsare currently being sentvia email.

Scammersare constantly enhancing their methods to impersonate the ATO, making it increasingly difficult forindividuals to recognise fraudulentmessages. Staying informed and vigilantisessential to protecting personal information. To help keep your personal information safe andprotected, the ATO’sapp now has powerful newsafetyfeaturesdesigned to giveusersreal-timecontrol overtheir tax affairsthrough alerts and instantaccount locking to help stop fraudstersintheir tracks.

Theapp enhancements bolster the ATO’s existing fraudcontrols thathavebeeninplace forsome timetodetect unusual or out of pattern behaviour on taxpayers’accounts.

ATOAssistantCommissioner RobThomson said this wasthe time of year when people were awaiting their tax returnsorexpecting to hear from the ATO, andscammers knewit.

"That’swhy we’vestrengthened the ATO app with newsecurityfeatures. It’s fast, free and putssecurity in your hands, giving youthe powertomonitor your accountinreal-time and instantly lock it if something doesn’t feel righ,"hesaid.

"Downloading the ATOapp is asimple and effectiveway to stayone step ahead.

"Ifyou receivea notification and something doesn’t feel right, lock your accountimmediately in our app, and verify and report the interaction on the ATOwebsiteorbycalling 1800 467 033 during business hours to discuss anysuspicious activity."

Fraudstersare getting smarter,but so are the protectivefeaturesinthe app. TheATO app nowincludes newsecurity features designed to help youstayprotected, such as: •Real-time messages when changes are made to your ATOrecord.

•Quick accountlocking when youreceive areal-time messagetoprevent unauthorised access or fraudulentrefunds.

These features provide peaceofmind knowing your accountisprotected and you remain in controlofyour tax affairs anytime, anywhere.

TheATO works closely with the National Anti-Scam Centre,which operates under the ACCC,toprotect Australian’s identityinforma-

The ATO’s app now has powerful new safety features designed to give users real-time control over their tax affairs through alerts and instant account locking to help stop fraudsters in their tracks

tion from scams through awareness and education thatfocuses on threesimple steps –stop, check, protect. This partnership strengthens our ability to detect and respond to scam threats, especially during peak periods liketax time.

ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe said thatifyou received an unsolicited contact claiming to be from the ATOand offering anyofthese options, it wasvery likely a scam

"Scammersmay also use spoofed phone numbers, fake caller IDs, and convincing email templatestoappear legitimate,"she said.

"Don’t letscammerspressureyou. We urge allAustralians to ‘stop, checkand protect’beforereacting to an unexpected call or messageand keep frontofmind thatthe ATOand myGovdonot uselinks in their messages."

Fraudstersand scammersplanonyou being distracted and thriveonweak security.Your first line of defenceisthe ATO app,followedby:

•Using adigital ID likemyIDtosecurely access online services. It’s unique to youand helpsprotect youfromidentitytheft and fraud across platforms like tax, education, and governmentservices.

•Knowing howtospotand report scamsimpersonating the ATO. It only

takes afew seconds to stop andcheck an interaction is legitimate.Remember,the ATO will neversend youalink asking foryour personal information or foryou to loginto online services.

•Turning on multi-factorauthentication wherever possible.

•Using strong and unique passwords or passphrases.

•Keeping your devices and software updatedtoblock the latest threats.

Andmost importantly,never shareyour TFN,myGov login, or bank details even in privatemessages or emails. These arekeysto your identity.

If you’vereceived asuspicious call, SMS, email or social media message:

•Visit verify or report ascam to checkor

report it.

•Ifyou’vesharedpersonal information or paid ascammer,callthe ATOimmediately on 1800 008 540.

•Find out moreatato.gov.au/scamsafe

Bigadventures forlittlelegs

Onetravel-loving family is sharing their adventures around theregion through aguide that captures highlights from theMacedon Ranges and MountAlexander BigAdventures forLittle Legs:Northern Victoria is the family'slatestself-published full-colour guidebook, featuring 101 outdoor destinations forchildren.

Theteam has designed the book forfamilies to get engaged in nature-based exploring with featured local sitesincluding theOak Forest, Specimen Gully Ruins, TheCascades, and the EnchantedForest Railway Walk in Taradale. Thebook covers allthe waytothe NSW border

This family of five, hailing from theBellarine Peninsula, comprisestwo parents and three boys aged two, fiveand eight.

"Wespent yearsdoing weekend road trips and having countless 'wow'moments in nature, and were amazed morepeople weren'theading out offthe beatenpathmore,"aspokesperson forthe BigAdventures team said.

Their travels arebrokenintoaseries by destination and northern Victorian wasthe first to release.

"Northern Victoria is oftenoverlooked in favour of coastaloralpine destinations, butit’spacked with family-friendly adventures. We wanted to shine alight on all the incredible places north of the Divide —especially those thatare affordable and accessible for families,"theysaid.

"The Macedon Ranges sit rightonthe divide between the north and west, so we’veactually split this region across twobooks.

Forthe north book, our favouritefind wasConglomerateGully in Riddells Creek —anincredible little spot thathardlyanyone knows about, even with aseasonal waterfall!

"Inthe MountAlexander area, it would have to be the EnchantedForest in Taradale. It’s peaceful, magical, and ideal forkids, especially with the little fairy forest lovingly createdbylocals. There’ssomething really special aboutthatplace and we love stopping by there."

Thebook is currently in pre-release, with full availability expected mid-August.Itwill be stocked at regional bookstores and other locales including Castlemaine Visitor Centre,and available online.

KynetonRSL presidentMikeGrettonispicturedwith KynetonDistrict Tennis Club’s secretary

ShelleyAda,treasurer JennyLander,and

Keeping courtsinplay

KynetonRSL Sub-branch has helped Kynetonand DistrictTennis Club keep its courts up to scratch with$2640 formaintenance.

Last week, RSL presidentMikeGretton presentedthe club with acheque forthe works thatkeep the courts in play. Thefunds areone example of howmoney is returned to the community through the club's gaming revenue.

Tennis club lifemember Rick Lander said theRSL had shown good supporttothe club overthe years.

"We're so appreciativeofKynetonRSL's support. This club owesa lottothe RSL,"hesaid. In the past the RSLhas also assisted the club with funding forother items including rollers, shedding and nets.

Susie Baldwin, committee member

life member Rick Lander

MountAlexander’sOak Forest wasaamong the natural gems explored in BigAdventures forLittle Legs: Northern Victoria.

TheSpecimin Gullyruins at BarkersCreek is one of the locations to feature.

TheBig Adventures team described the EnchantedForest at Taradale as “peaceful” and “magical”

LOCALSencorescreening Saturday

What do crossing guards, compost bins and co-housing have in common?They all featureinthe upcoming Castlemaine Documentary Festival'sLOCALS Encore Screening —a joyfuljumble of short films made by local legends.

Aftera sold-out firstscreening,LOCALS is back forround twothis Saturday July 26. This special encoreincludes all 18 short films submitted to screen at this year’sCastlemaine Documentary Festival, celebrating the humour,heart and creativity bubbling up in our ownbackyard.

From chicken coopsand sacred icons to heartfelt tributes and experimental gems, it’sa chancetosee our community on the big screen in all its unexpected,creative and heartfelt glory.Join CDoc foranafternoon of local storytelling, complete with an interval to grab asnack, stretchyour legs and have ayarn withyourneighbours. Don'tmiss out twice!

Films to featureinclude:

Through Fading Light– JimElson

Ason rediscoversthe artist his mother oncewas, through her fading memories.

TheWINC Middle Women Housing Fund

Acompelling portrait of older single women facing housing insecurity —and the grassroots initiativeworking to build them afuture.

Commuter –ElissaSandgrove

Asensory loop between country and city, movementand meaning.

ILiveInThe Country –James Brook Alyrical filmthatchallenges rural stereotypes through music and imagery rooted in Castlemaine and DjaaraCountry

JollyNice–BergenO’Brien

An oldwoman withdementia and a house full of uni students. What could go wrong?

YIMBY: TheSoil of Life– Cath South and Lucy Young

Compost, communityand connection— one bin at atime.

Sober– Ella Williams

Araw,personal journeythrough addiction, nightlifeand recovery

TheElusiveHeart Rock –Trace Balla Apoeticmeditation on rocks, friendship and DjaaraCountry

Dropping the Feed Dog– SamDowning Textiles, community and radio waves— stitched together

PuuO)))– Alexandre Ries

An immersivemeditation on nature, movementand sound— filmed among Finland’sautumntrees.

INTERMISSION

Eikon– Michael Harkin

In aquietCastlemaine studio, 75-yearold SallyMorgan revivesthe ancientart of iconography, asking whatmeaning remains in modern devotion.

Lollipops –Hannah Moon

Meet Jeremy:school crossing supervisor,local legend and unlikely star

AHorseWalksIntoAPub

–Bianca Malcolm

Alocal publican’s quest to learn horsemanship becomes an unexpected journey of trust,humility and connection.

My Generation Rising From TheAshes –BenDubuc-Timson Ahopeful plea from onegeneration to

Workshops give permissiontoplay

Maggie Date ArtTherapy is hosting asix-week expressivearts workshop foradults to explorewhat'spossible when we giveourselves permission to play

Theworkshop is an invitation to playwith colours, movementand voice.

Come as youare –curious, tired, playful, or uncertain, this is aspace to exploreand express through art, movementand sound:gently,creatively and without judgement.

Each session offers spacetocreatewith colour andtexture,move with freedom and presence, express through voice, breath and sound, and connect with othersinasafe, supported environment.

Materials areprovided. Participants areencouraged to wear comfortable clothing, and to bring awater bottle and an open mind.

Theworkshops will be held across six Tuesdays,beginning July 29, from 9.30am to 11.30am. Spaces arelimited. Forbookings and enquiries, contact Maggie Date ArtTherapy viaemail: hello@maggiedate.com.au or phone: 0434 674 983.

protect thenext.

Constructing Change– AlexRiches

Meet the tradespeople breaking barriers and building futures.

ASharedCoop –Sam Loy Chickens. Disability support. Lifelessons.

ForGeorge –Martine Murray

Atribute to ahumblegrocerand the market thatmatters

Ticketsare sellingfast! $20 full /$10 concession.

Book now: www.trybooking.com/ DDANN

An artist’s journey

Michael Howes' exhibition

AnotherVision is one man's journeyfromphotographytopainting, and showcased this August in TheGallery'sFocus Room

Howesdiscoveredalovefor photographyat10years old when he wasgiven aKodak Brownie Starlet.

This passion stayedwith him through to thedigital era. His subjectschanged from focussing on distantand scenic images to thoseinthe foreground. He nowfocusses largely on the details of objects.

In some cases, he uses extreme cropping to create abstracted images. Michael then began his journeyintopainting.

In 2020, Michael found himself yearning to branch out from photography,for anew creativechallengethatallowed both spontaneity and ameditativeprocess.

He turned to cold waxmedium (mixed withoil paints), and acrylics which arefast drying, but when using cold waxprocesses, the longer curing timeand thicker natureofthat medium to eachlayer gives the artwork depth.

This exhibition also features some of the abstract images Michael has createdoverthe last fewyearsusing photography. Another Vision opens on Monday,August 4until Sunday, August 31. Meet the artist at his opening on Sunday, August 10, at 2pm.

TheGallery is at 684 MountMacedon Road,MountMacedon next to theTrading Post. It is open FridaytoTuesdayfrom10am to 4pm.

An Invitation to Play

With Colours Movement and Voice A

What’sold can be new again

Gotanitemthatneeds to be fixed? The next Castlemaineand surrounds Repair Cafe is on Sunday.

Some the items thatcan be broughtnew lifeare broken electrical appliances, household items and broken small wooden items

Bluntknivescan be sharpened, sewing repairs canmakeclothing last longer or youcan getover-locker advice.

There'salso achance to pick up newskills

likedarning andcrochetatthe Mending Circle

Learnbasic bicycle maintenanceand getApple Macadvice

People areasked to considerthe repairers, andmakethe job easier by cleaningitems before bringingthemtothe repaircafe.

Take allcomponents forthe item, such as speakers forstereos and peddles formachines, so theycan be tested

Youare required to staywith your repairer

to answer questionsand maybe help ThenextCastlemaine andsurrounds Repair Cafe is on Sundayatthe Castlemaine Community House 30 Templeton Street from 10am to 1pm. Enjoya cuppa while you'rethere. Agold coin donation is appreciated If theCafeisbusythe last item maybeat 12.30pm. Forfurtherinformation, callChris on 5470 5508.

Abstract photography.

Maggie Date

CDoc’s encore screening of LOCALS will featureall 18 short films submitted forthis year’sfestival

Lancefieldbringsnourishment

High Street Lancefield is home to thetown's monthly farmersmarket, offering an inviting setting along the historic Centre Plantation to shop, indulgeand enjoylocal performers.

Children areinvited to afreeface-paintfrom Pass-the-Parcel every month, courtesyofthe Lancefield Neighbourhood House. Themarket features agreat diversity of produceand unique products from 85 local and regional producers.

Highlights this month include; Piper Street Food Co –returning to themarketwith their award-winning pies (takehome and heat), Landscape Hill Garlic –grown in Tallarook, Jingliberry Farm –alpaca fleece, wool and knits produced in Broadford, Double Oaks Estate –fresh truffles growninLancefield.

Market dayoffersa rangeoffoods originating from across the world including; Greek, Cantonese, French, Italian, Turkish, Spanish, SriLankan, Scottish and Aussie!

Those seeking awarm placetorejuvenate following their shop canexplorethe local cafesand restaurants thatoffer take-awayand sit-down meals.

This market is an initiativeofthe Lancefield Neighbourhood House and has been proudly trading for22years, offering avital placeofcommerce to local producers.

Catch‘FarFetch’atArtpuff

ArtpuffatThe Mill Castlemaine is settounveila newsolo exhibition, FarFetch, featuring prints, sculptures and assemblages by Jackie Gorring this Thursday.

Cast your hearts and minds as farasyou canthrow them. Entertain (and beentertained by)the farfetched, the whimsical, the unstoppably creative, and the quiet truths that sit beneath it all. Adelightful and abundantbody of work.

Createdinher Allendale studio, Palace of Wonder and CreativeAbandon, Jackie’s latest work gives us TV presenters,drones (cropspraying, pizza delivering, transporting medical supplies), neighbourhood horses and dogs, and the occasional capybara. Andthat’sjust the beginning!

Reliefprints on canvasand paper and sculptures using materials likekelp and found wood sit alongside plastic vessels made by repurposing, cutting andetching found plastics –techniques of etching without inking that the artist likens to Inuit Scrimshaw

Jackie says herart practicefor FarFetch is diverse.

"The sculpturesare found wooden lumps and sticks, carved, scraped, sanded, constructed, glued, engraved, embellished with plastic and bone and etched surfaces basically my driveand love of making employsanything and everything!”

Thereishumour and poignancy in every piecethatmakes up this fabulous show. Equally,the complexity and richness of sustained artspracticeisevidentbeneath every polystyrene print, every transformed plastic bottle and every re-usedsurface.

Gorring has exhibited nationally and internationally,been afinalist in and recipient of numerousprizes, participatedinartist residencies, including the Global Arts Village NewDelhi,Ragani ArtVillage, Nepaland Baoying China and featured in Dr Sasha Grishin’s Australian Printmaking in the1990s.Her work is collected by National Gallery of Australia, CanberraGallery and Museum andParliamentHouse Canberra, and many other institutions.

Jackie wasawarded aRegional ArtGrant in 1976 and 2007.

An opening celebration will take placeatArtpuff, Studio 38, TheMill, 9Walker Street,Castlemaine this FridayJuly 25, from 5pm-7pm Don’tmiss it –everyone welcome. Theexhibition runs untilAugust 10.

Jackie Gorring, Rosie, 2025, relief printoncanvas, 43 x66cm.

An age not long past

Golden Dragon Museum's latest exhibition, Changing Times: Postersfromthe Stuart EFraser Collection,features 19 Chinese propaganda postersfromthe1960s to the 1980s.

These curious, oftenbeguiling images from an agenot long past,are at firstglanceoften seen just as brightly coloured, attractiveimages. Butoncloser inspection someoftheir meanings –hidden in plain view– become apparent.

Sinceopening earlier this year,visitorsto the Bendigomuseum have been fascinatedto learn moreabout these images with everyone seemingly having adifferentfavourite.

Many like thecherubic children featured in some. Otherspreferthe postersfeaturing groups with scenes thatlookforwardtoa brightand productivefuture.

Ticketsand further information areavailable from Eventbrite: eventbrite.com.au

Many postersfeaturegroups with scenes thatlook forwardtoabrightand productive future.

9amto1pm

This Saturday, July 26

Featuring 85 local and regional producers youwill find all the ingredients fornourishing warm dishes and hot market dayfaretoenjoy while you're there! Greatcommunity vibes and liveentertainment from TheSunsets to warm the soul. Rug up and embracewinterinLancefield!

FollowusonFacebook and Instagram

High Street, Lancefield Ph: Meggs 0493452 757

DamianSandercock –Piper St Food Co,Kyneton.

Take home oneofPiper Street Food Co’s award-winning pies.

Photo: Haakan's Honey&Hives, Pipers Creek

@ YourOPINIONS

Baffling!

TW Bird, Lancefield

It's rather difficult to follow the logic of the Macedon Ranges ShireCouncil in lowering the speed limits in various towns in the shirewhen, morethan twomonths ago, theyraised the speed limit in High Street,Lancefield, from 50km/h to 60km/h. Baffling!

More wildlifecarnage

Susie Kilby, EastTrentham

It must be noticeable to all motorists driving in this region the number of dead or injured kangaroos, their joeys,wallabies and wombats. Macedon Ranges Shirescoresfar toohigh, in fact it has the highest number of wildliferoad strikes in Victoria. Whyyou mightask? Onefactor is the prolonged period of droughtfollowedbyquickly descending winterconditions. Wildlifetook to theroadsides to feed offthe green shoots, with canopies of large trees and dense shrubbery offering protection from ground frosts. Open paddocks and forest areas bore little sustenance, grass being slowtorebound with these conditions. Allwildlifeisonthe move,turning up in placesnot seen before on thefringes and streets of our towns.

SPEEDLIMITS: Those particularly at risk are travelling across roadsinsearch of food wherethere areeither no speed limits(defaulting to 100km/h) or speed limitsof100km/h day, twilightand night. These arescenarios forwildlifedeath, injury,motor vehicle damageand human injury.‘Driving to the conditions’, Iunderstand is to slow down. These are the conditions and whyanimal sheltersare bursting at the seams, overwhelmed by the sheer numbersof orphaned joeys andthe injured.

We love the natural environments of our town-

Local knowledge (1 point)

1. TheMacedon Ranges Grand Tour event is acelebration of what?

2. WhereisPorcupine Villagelocatedin the MountAlexander Shire?

3. What is the name of Gisela ErvinWard’s debut children’s novel?

4. DogRocks is an attraction in Mount Alexander: true or false? (3 points)

5. CricketerObus Pienaar will join which local clubfor the 2025/26 season?

General knowledge (1 point)

6. In whatyearwas the animatedfilm Madagascar released?

7. Atoiletiscommonly referred to as a ‘WC’,short forwhat?

8. Australian comedian JimmyRees was also known as ‘Jimmy Giggle’onwhich children’s television program?

9. Thefollowing authorsall hail from which country: CharlotteWood, Hannah Kent,Robert Drewe, Chloe Hooper,and TrentDalton? (3 points)

10. Of the following countries, which one does NOThaveacoastline on the Black Sea: Turkey,Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, or Georgia?

ships and forest surrounds. It’s adrawcardfor tourists too.

It’s incredibly distressing to witness these strikes, to seedead and injured wildlifeonthe roadsides. We can do so much better by reducing our speeds.

Have the wildlifehelp numbersinyour phone WIRES 1300 094 737, do some research into your local wildlifeshelterstoalso add them, be awareofyour speed, there’snochanceat 100km/h when the road verges aretreed and have dense understorey.ATM I’m down to 6065km/h of anightasthe ‘hotspots’are in astate of flux

My plea is to treasureour wildlife, this includes birdlife. Toot your horn if it seems they arereluctanttomoveoff the road,but takecare they don’t turn back onto the road as the young unseasoned aviators can do.

Slow down day, twilightand night. Thebelief thatwildlifeonly movesattwilightisa myth Please be awarethatit’swildlifesheltersthat carry the burden, need funding and morevolunteerstoassist their importantwork.

Abalm to oursouls

Joan Reilly,SurreyHills

My dad camefromBendigoand as achild we had some holidays in centralVictoria. I’venever forgottenthe magic –the history of gold mining, the mullockheaps, thewarble of magpies and the smell of gum leaves. Recently Ienjoyeda winter holidayinthe region, along with lots of rugged-up families taking advantageofthe school holidays

Theolde-worlde charm remains but today thereare also so many greatbakeries, cafesand shops to explore.

From Castlemaine and Maldon to Daylesford

and Trentham –all areineasyreach, and each has its ownspecial character

Butthe greatest tonic is the peacefulness. We city folk need thetranquillity of country landscapes and wildlife. It’s abalm to our souls.

Let’shope'progress' neverdestroysthatgift.

Workingingood faith

Bernie O’Sullivan, CEO, MacedonRanges Shire Council

In response to aletterfromChristine Clark in last week’s Express ('An open letter to Macedon Ranges ShireCouncil', Opinions,July 15), council would like to clarify its role in relation to theRiddells CreekMen’s Shed.

Council officers have been actively working in good faith with the Riddells Creek Men’sShed forseveral yearsnow,tohelp them find asuitable home and reopen, sincethe termination of an auspiceagreementbetween the Riddells Creek Neighbourhood House and the Men’sShed in April 2021, forthe shed thatisalready co-locatedatthe Neighbourhood House site.

Council wasdisappointedthe disputebetween the Men’sShed and the Neighbourhood House could notcome to amutuallyacceptable outcome. Council fully recognises the social benefits thatmen’s sheds provide to our local communities and we worked hardtosupport apositiveoutcome.

Council’swork has included coordination and funding of an independent occupational health and safety report forthe former shed; assisting the Neighbourhood House to drafta special hireagreement; and funding the engagementofanindependentmediator.

TheMen’s Shed has indicatedits preferencetocouncil to exploreother locations and presentedseveral options at arecentmeeting. Council officers gave adviceoneach of these options, including thatthe Men’sShed would need to converse directly with the relevant landowners, but broadly none of the four options presented areviable short-term solutions.

Specifically,the option of anew shed at the Riddells CreekRecreation Reservecould be considered through communityconsultation on twoyet-tobe-finalised strategic documents, being:

•A Riddells CreekRecreation ReserveMaster Plan, which council had been eager to progress as outlined in theBudget 2025-26, pending some additional funding required. Unfortunately,council wasunsuccessful in arecentVictorian Governmentgrant funding application,sothe developmentofthis is likely to be delayed.

•A renewedOpenSpace Strategy,which would include direction on infrastructurethatissupported at arange of open spacetypes (not specific to men’ssheds).Adraft of this strategy is currently being finalised and is expected to go out forcommunityconsultation towardsthe end of this year

Council is committed to continuing these discussions withthe Men’sShed andhas suggested thatthe membership base mayconsider utilising other men’s shedsnearbyasaninterimmeasure,until something morepermanent can be realised at Riddells Creek.

Virtualwomen’s healthclinicopen

Avirtual women’s health clinic is nowopentoall Victorian women and girls of anyage –offering free, expert medical advice, treatmentand care fora rangeofwomen’s health needs.

Ledbyspecialist nurses, the clinic can provide medical adviceremotely via telehealth, either online or on the phone –including endometriosis and pelvic pain care, menstrual health, cervical screening, menopause care, breast health careand abortion.

Minister forHealth and local MP,Mary-Anne Thomas, said the virtual clinic would makeiteasier forwomen and girls to getthe specific and advicetheyneedfor free.

"Thereisnodenying the gender health gap is real anditdisproportionately affects women living in regional or remote areas of Victoria –our new virtual women’s clinic is helping to breakdownthisand other barriersto care,"she said.

"We’re nottaking astepback when it comestoensuring women and girls can access the healthcaretheyneed–the newvirtual women’s health clinic will be agamechanger forVictoria."

Women in regional and remote Victoria will benefit the most– with services likecontraception and abortion traditionally harder to access due to distance from major towns.

Operated in partnership withcommunityhealth organisation EACH, itwill reducethe barriersand delays in accessing care, helping to avoid detrimental impacts on awoman’s health, their qualityoflifeand the ability to participate in school and employment.

Theteam of nurses will deliver an initial health assessmentand some treatment, while patients canalsobeconnected withaGPorget referred to arelevant health practitioner as close to home as possible.

In addition to treating immediate healthneeds, referrals can also be made to various mental health and wellbeing, alcohol and other drugs, and family violence community support services.

Thevirtual women’sclinic is available MondaytoFridayfrom9am to 5pm, by calling 1300 003 224 or via asimple, secure online form on the EACH website: each.com.au/services/virtual-womens-health-clinic

Localgig boost

Five Macedon Ranges area venues have received funding to support live local music

Newham Mechanics Institute, TheLancefield Hotel, MountMacedon Hotel, The1860 HotelinRomseyand Wombat Forest Vineyard in Denver,havebeen successfulinthe Victorian Government'sVictorian GigFund. Thefund aims to support the creativesector and localeconomy.

Charity garden breaks newground y new ground

From little things, big things grow—and that’s exactly what’shappening at Mark’sCountry Place, anew charity garden in Kynetonwherethe first trees were plantedon July 5.

More than 15 enthusiastic volunteerscametogether to plantmorethan 150 nativetreeand grass tubestock, contributingtothe transformation of the land surrounding the recently createdwetland.

Preparations began the daybefore, as adedicatedteam of volunteers carefully marked out planting locations, laying the groundwork forwhatwill become athriving grassywoodland. Thevolunteersdonatedtheir time, tools, awater trailer,and—most importantly—their energy,good humour and encouragementofone another throughout the twodays.

Local volunteer ScottfromKynetonsaiditwas agreat day, especially working together as ateam of volunteers.

"Over time,we’ll be able to watchthe garden grow—and most of all, see people witha wide rangeofneeds and abilities enjoyit,"Scottsaid.

"Mytwo sons arebothonthe autism spectrum and will love having aspace likethis nearby.”

FoundersSue and Stuart Colvin areproud to seetheir small idea taking root—quite literally.Sue said they were excited to seethings taking shape.

"Mark’sCountry Placewill be asafe, inclusiveenvironmentdesigned especially forpeople living withdisability Thegarden will support mental, physical and social wellbeing, and help builda stronger,moreconnected community.”

Theplanting weekend wasblessed with mild, sunny weather,perfect foroutdoor work. Saturdaybegan with a sausagesizzle at the maintenancecar park,beforevolunteersgot to work planting 115 nativetrees and 45 grasses. Despitealmost 100mm of rain in the lead-up, the ground

remained dry—though working with tubestockmade the planting easier.Each plantwas fittedwitha biodegradable guardand stakefor protection from local wildlife, particularly rabbits and kangaroos.

Afterplanting, trees were mulched and watered to help them establish. Sincethe event, an additional 25mmof rain has fallen—providing awelcome boost to help the new vegetation settle in and thrive.

TheboardofdirectorsofMark’s Country Placethanked the volunteerswho madethe planting possible and acknowledged the generosity of local tree management companies who donatedtruckloads of mulch.

With these firsttrees in the ground, Mark’sCountry Placeistruly beginning to grow—thanks to thehands and hearts of acommunity thatcares.

To learn moreabout the garden or to getinvolved as a volunteer,visit: markscountryplace.org

Volunteers came together to plantnative tree and grass tubestock, contributing to the transformation of the land surrounding the recently createdwetland.

THURSDAY, JULY 24

Charli Lake .turns 11

FRIDAY, JULY25

Lucinda Kaptein Gringel. turns 13

SATURDAY, JULY26

Ruby Taylor turns 11

Corey Plowman .turns 10

MONDAY, JULY28

Daniel Dimopoulos turns9

Covering the Macedon Ranges and MountAlexander Shires

Circulated throughout: Kyneton,Castlemaine,Gisborne,Malmsbury,Trentham,Woodend,Redesdale, Lancefield, Romsey,Macedon, Mt. Macedon, Metcalfe, Chewton, Harcourt, Newstead, Maldon, Taradale, Elphinstone, Campbells Creek, Guildford, Barkers Creek, Sutton Grange, Baringhup, Muckleford,Yapeen. ELLIOTT MIDLAND NEWSPAPERS

KYNETON

3MarketSt., PO Box153,Kyneton, 3444

Telephone: (03) 5422 1488

Facsimile: General (03) 5422 3173

CASTLEMAINE

13 HargravesSt., PO Box227, Castlemaine, 3450

Telephone: (03) 5472 1788

Facsimile: (03) 5472 4504

OFFICE HOURS

MondaytoFriday9.00 am-5.00 pm

EDITORIAL HOURS

MondaytoFriday8.30 am-5.00 pm

Email: Kyneton: ahume@midnews.com.au Castlemaine: ldennis@midnews.com.au

The CompostConversation

When our soils arehealthy, active with soil lifeand rich in well-decomposed organic matter theycan hold manytimes morewater than the sametypeofsoil in poor condition

Research from the University of Sydney has tried to quantifythis effect and found thatincreasing the organic carbon content of asoil from one per cent up to four per cent increases the waterholding capacity of asquaremeter of soil from 14.4 litres up to an amazing 57.6 litres, and thatis just in the first 30 centimetres of soil!

Ihaveobserved this effect in my own garden. When Itop-dress an actively growing summer garden bed with about 2–3centimetres of good compost on the soil surface, mid-growing season, Inotice Ican go from needing to waterevery second daytoaslittle as onceortwicea week.

This is ahugesaving in waterand abig saving of time. Theveggies benefit from the improvedwater-holding capacity of the compost, and the additional nutrients the compost provides forthe rest of the growing season.

Sometimes the useofterms like ‘organic soil carbon’can lead people to think thatany old organic material can be added to soil to getthis amazing benefit. Buta quick thoughtexperimentcan help us see this is notquiteright.

Imagine twogarden beds withthe same typeofsoil and as similar as they can be. Then imagine (likewedid in last week’sConversation)adding one very big logofwood (measuring one cubic metre in volume)toone of the garden beds and one cubic metreofrich, finished compost

to theother.I think we all knowthatthe garden bed with the compost is going to have muchbetter water-holding capacity (and growth rate) thanthe one with the one big loginit.

Over many yearsthatlog will getbrokendown, throughfungal, bacterial and termiteaction to ausefulsoil amendment. Butimmediately,and formany, many years, the compost is going to benefit the soil in our imaginary garden bed more than our logwill.

Along similar lines, we mightthink thatcompost is just compost,and adding anykind of compost to our garden will have essentially the sameimpact. Butthe differencebetween good home-made compost and many commercial ‘composts’, (thattendtobewoody and more‘mulch’ like), will become apparentwhen we feel their textureand observethe effect they have on our soil and plants.

Themorefully broken down the organic material in acompost is, the less it resembles the original bitsoffood and wood (and other things)thatwentinto making it, and the moreitbecomes anew homogeneous,wonderful gluey substance thatimprovessoil and holds water.

Is it time to fortifyyourgarden’s waterholding capacity with sometop-notch compost in preparation forthe summer ahead?

–Joel Meadows works with *Yes In My Back Yard,(YIMBY), acommunity-scale composting initiativeinCastlemaine and surrounds. Send questions or commentsto hello@yimbycompost.com, or to book in fora compost workshop

Educatorsneeded

Early childhood educators in the Macedon Ranges areencouraged to consider familyday careasa waytocombine their passion forchildcarewith aflexible, financially rewarding and professional home-based career

Sunbury and CobawCommunityHealth’s OurVillageFamily Childcareislooking for educators in the Macedon Ranges to support the growing number of families looking for home-based childcare. As afamily daycareeducator,you canset your ownschedule and hoursand design your ownchildcareprograms.Caring forchildren six weeks to 12 years, youhavethe opportunitytocarefor your ownchildren and earn an income while caring for others.

Educators receivesupport from the OurVillagecoordination team withthings such as marketing, the collection of fees and the initial setupofyour business. OurVillagecan also organise an assessmentofyourhome forits suitability forfamily daycare. Educators and children getthe opportunitytomeetwithother OurVillagegroups forfacilitated playgroup sessions as well as attend community outings.

Family daycareofferscareinasmall group setting and educators canprovide all-dayor part-day care, evening and overnightcare, casual care,respitecare, before and afterschool careand school holidaycare.

To help withthe costsofbecoming afamily daycareeducator,Family DayCareAustralia in partnership withthe Commonwealth Governmentiscurrently offering funding for eligible neweducators in selected regional areas, including Kyneton, Wooded, Romsey, Gisborne and Riddells Creek, throughthe Family DayCareCapability Trial.

To find out more, call AmandaUrban on 9744 9252, email amanda.urban@scchc.org.au or go to www.sunburycobaw.org.au/seeking-family-day-care-educators.

Thebest placetostore water forour garden is in healthy soil.

BUSINESS SINESS Booming

HIGHLIGHTING OUR REGION’S DIVERSE BUSINESSES

The stories behind the Macedon Ranges’ most unique, progressive and successful local businesses. From industry to retail, agribusiness, trade &local services, these businesses are providing sustainable and best-practice business models that will ensure a progressive local economy and employment now and into the future.

KENNEDYCO.

SUSTAINABLE & CREATIVE BUSINESS

TheKennedy brothers have been creating high quality, sustainable, client-focused homes in the Macedon Ranges for20years.Specialising in both renovations of period homes and the building of high-end architect-designed dwellings,nojob is toosmall or too challenging forthem to tackle

Renowned fortheir problem-solving skills,the Kennedyshavecollaborated with award-winning architects and designers to create some of the district’s most exceptionalbuildings

Some of their builds have even featured on GrandDesigns and Better Homes and Gardens

Owners: Robert, Patrickand Luke Kennedy

Phone: 0417 277 542

Email: kennedyco.build@gmail.com

Trading hours: Bookings by appointment

They have also worked on anynumber of smaller projects,working closely with clients to ensurebest value and the highest of standards at all times Givethem aproblem and abudget and they’ll problem solveitfor you.

As partofasmall family business working in the Macedon Ranges since the 1980s,the Kennedy brothers have grownupeatingand breathing their craft. They areproud of their status as a highly respectedlocal small business.As descendants of Irish castle builders (no

real evidence) they come from along line of tradespeople.They areinspired by possibilityand understand thatthisis your project.

KennedyCo’sdedicatedteam of subcontractors has been built over decades and understand their insistenceontop

qualityand their serious attentionto detail

If youare looking forcertainty of quality, creativityofideas and excellentadvice foryour building project, youwill find all these and morebycontacting KennedyCo.Build

MACEDON RANGES PRODUCE

Owner: Dan and Aleisha Ryan

Phone: 0416 504 835

TheMacedon Ranges hosts passionate producers making some of the best food and drink in the world due to the region’s rich soil and cool climate.But how do we get our hands on it when we can’t wait forthe monthlyweekend market?

That’s whereMacedon Ranges Producecomes in. Their mission is make it easier foryou to buy local Dan and Aleisha’s family run business is operated from their home in the Barringo Valley.Theysource food and drinks from small scale producers throughout the region and deliver it to your doorstep

“Whatwedo, essentially we make it easy forlocal families and food lovers to be able to easily access an online farmers market,”Dan said

“People can’t alwaysmake it to the market and our producers arelimited to the places they can be,sothishelps them too. We hope everyone wins.”

Not happywith your garden?

Let’sfix that.

Established in 2010 by Benjamin Carter,Boodle Concepts is asmall, detail-driven garden designand landscape construction business based in Kyneton. Bendoesn’t just plant gardens—he reinvents outdoor spaces.From wild backyardstobare blocks,hebringsthemto lifeacross the Macedon Ranges andMelbourne

With an eyefor structureand asoftspot forlowmaintenancenativeplants,Ben’s gardens aredesigned to grow beautifully and work hard.

it’s aweekend-ready courtyardora full garden

Email: hello@ macedonrangesproduce. com.au

Dan actually visits the farmer fortheir cuts of meat, the beadmaker who kneads the dough, and the cheesemaker pressing the curds.Then, he delivers it to your door

Their curatedhampers make forthe perfect picnic,date,or occasion. Andthese boxeshave been especially popular as gift boxesfor new families in the region or those coming up foraweekend getaway.

To tastethe region means their productisconstantly changing with the season. Thefood is better this way.

“I’m alwaysgoing to customers doors to deliverabox and people love to tell us whattheymade,”Dan said “I’m alwayshearing astory aboutwhattheycooked with their food.”

Planting +privacy screening 4 Architectural garden sculptures

Ben’sapproach is creativebut practical,professional but personal.His goal? To make your outdoors feel like anatural extensionofyour home

Mention this ad for50% off your 2025 garden consult. Let’s turnyour patchintosomething special

Looking forthe best of the Macedon Ranges? We bring the region’s finest meat, eggs, dairy, fresh produce, bakerytreats, pantry staples, meals, and award-winning wines straight from local producers to your home —every Friday. Supporting Local Farmers Delivering to Your Door Order online: www.macedonrangesproduce.com.au Questions? hello@macedonrangesproduce.com.au | 0416 504 835 Support local. Eat well.Share

MACEDON RANGES HOME FURNISHINGS

SUSTAINABLE & ADAPTABLE BUSINESS

Macedon Ranges Home Furnishings,alongside its second storeMattresses and More on Mollison Street in Kyneton, is a100 percentindependently owned furniturestore that sells unique,one-of-a-kind pieces as well as well-known Australian and international brands It’s also one of the largest stockist of IMG recliners in Australia.

Owners:

Jason McKimm

Address:

145/153 Mollison Street,Kyneton VIC 3444

Phone: 03 5422 1155

Email: sales@mrhf.com.au

Trading hours:

Monday- Friday 8.00am -5.00pm

Saturday 10 00am - 3.00pm

Sunday 10.00am - 2.00pm

Unlike manyother furniturestores, customers can buy stock straightfrom the floor and they’ll have it delivered to your door within the week –and sometimes even on the day!

Seeking acustom dining chair or lounge suite, or a particular sizetable thatisn’t currently in stock? The team can order it in.

As well,customers can expect to find items fortheir home and officethatare notthe typical ‘cookie-cutter designs’seen elsewhere.

New customers arealwayssurprised when they come in to the storefor the first time.Its not just the amazing ranges throughout but the sheer sizeofthe building

Macedon Ranges Home Furnishings is knownfor excellentcustomer service. Staff go out of their wayto provide customers with all the information they need to make an educatedpurchase decision, plus,all furniture comes fully installed and delivered free within one and a half hours driveofKyneton.

Jason Mckimm,directorofMacedon Ranges Home furnishings and Mattresses and More, says he’s always looking at the latest trends when it comes to selecting furniturefor the storebut he also knowshis market and whathis customers expect when they walk in the door “Catering foradiverse range of customers is whatwedo

best,”Jason says

In theMacedon Ranges the style of homes range from large estates to apartments and small miners cottages,soweallowfor allstylesof furniturebut most importantly,all budgets.”

Jason is strong on supporting Australian manufacturing in both stores as he understands the importanceofkeeping the industries going for futuregenerations

Mattresses and More stocks all the major Australian-made mattress brands,rather than just the one,giving customers greaterchoice. Alltimber furniturestocked in both stores come from sustainable plantations or is made from recycled timbers

At theend of the day, thelongevity of thebusiness comesdownto continuing whatthey do best –providing outstanding customer servicecoupled withproducts youwon’t find anywhereelse and that is whythe business is nearing 60 years old! They promise youwon’t be disappointed.

Photo: Chloe Smith Photography

KYNETON ON RIVERSIDE

Formoreinformation, visit: kynetonriverside.au/

Kyneton developmentrewardslocals with up to $10K incentive

Abold new initiativebyKyneton on Riverside is putting locals first,offering up to $10,000 towards new home purchases forresidents working in the Macedon Ranges and Bendigo

In amovethatrecognises the value of local employment and regional resilience, the ‘LiveLocal,WorkLocal,Thrive Local’campaignoffers $5000 to all local workers,and $10,000 to essential workers—including nurses,teachers, police, carers and frontline staff

Theinitiativeisdesigned to supportthe region’s workforce by encouraging people to livecloser to wheretheywork, reducecommuting stress,and contributetothe vibrancyof Kyneton’s growing community.

Projectspokesperson Rick Lander says the campaignispart of along-termvision to strengthen the local economyby attracting and retaining essential skills within the region.

WATTS FRESH

Owner: Dean &SherrylLamb

Address: 167 -173 Mollison St. Kyneton VIC 3444

Phone: 03 5422 1651

Email: orders@wattsfresh.com au

Trading Hours: Monto Fri 7am-6pm Sat 7am-4pm Sun 8am-3pm

Watts Fresh ownerDean Lamb says he hasto ask the same question he asked one year ago,“Is business really booming”?

TheKyneton green grocer says thatwhile he’s very happyto sayhis business has continued to grow, he’s saddened by the number of small businesses around town thathehas seen close over the past couple of years

“Make no mistake owning andrunning a business is bloody hard!”Dean says “There arenoheadstarts,lazydaysorfreekicks when you’re in business

“Every nightthe news tells us we areinacost-of-living crisis, but whatdoes thatreally mean? Well,it’sreally apoor policy crisis,our governmenthas failed to create astate where investmentisencouraged and business can flourish, giving consumersgreaterchoiceand morecompetition.

“The old saying thatit’snot the street in your lifebut the lifeinyour street that’simportant, ringstrue. An eclectic collection of small businesses can really bring vibrancytoa townand joytoyour life.

“I pray forcommonsense policytoprevail thatsupports small business in real termsand shows some appreciation forwhatsmall businesses bring to atownand the extraordinarycommitmentthatsmall business owners make “Sonexttimeyou call in to alocal small business,take a minutetolet them know youappreciate whattheydo. It means alot to know your hardworkisappreciated.”

AGIWINDOWS &DOORS

Owners:

Alan Todd &Gillian Romeijn

Address: 38 BeauchampSt, Kyneton VIC 3444

Phone: 0412 210 010

INNOVATIVE & SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS

Windows and doors areone of the most importantparts of ahome

They set the tone —inside and out.Get them wrong and youhave a massiveexpense to change them.

AGIWindowsand Doorsisasmall,family-run business locatedinthe heartofthe Macedon Ranges whereits proprietors have livedfor manyyears

They understand the importanceofbuying in the local community and indeed,prioritise employing locals

Theteam at AGIWindows &Doors pridethemselves on being creative and innovative. They work with home owner’s plans and can create exactly whatisspecified or suggest alternatives,which theowners just mightnot have thoughtabout!

To them,innovation is thinking outside the boxand coming up with a solution to aproblem and making it work

“Wewanttoget it right, firsttime,”business owner Alan Todd says “Wewanttooffer yougreat choices,make sureyou understand our products,and give youtime to absorbthe information beforemaking your decision.”

“Originally from Scotland,we’re abrother-and-sister team who grew up with the saying,‘It’s nicetobeimportant,but it’s importanttobe nice’

“Together,weoffer youdecades of customer-serviceand fabrication experienceand,inour opinion, the best domestic and commercial windows and doors in the world.”

Email: info@agiwindowsanddoors.com.au

Trading hours: Monday- Friday 9 00am-4.00pm

At AGI, their number one concernisensuring they supply the perfect windows and doors to suit your job,whetheryou area home renovator,building anew home or developing an architectural masterpiece.

Everywindowand door is custom designed and built to your exact specifications from colour to hardware, size and finish. AGIcan accommodate huge panels,corner sliding doors,flush thresholds and much more.

AllofAGI’s windows and doors aremanufactured on siteintheir Kyneton premises

Andwhenthey see thatnew technology can improve their product, they invest.For example,theypurchased a computer numerical controlmachine about twoyears ago to improvethe accuracyofcomplex projects such as bifold doors

Andwhile the righttype of glazing can help people staywarmintheir homes,AGI Windows and Doors also takes sustainabilityofthe business into consideration by bringing in energy efficientmachinery.

Photographed by Tim Collins Media

KEATINGS TREE CARE

Owners:

MitchKeating & Emily Condon

Phone: 0448 032 003

Email: mkeating87@hotmail com

Trading Hours:

It’s no secret whypeople love living in this area; it’s only an hour from Melbourne but the natural landscapes feel as though we’resituatedsomewhere long lost in the countryside People visit forour autumn leaves, or aweekend getawayamong the trees, but almost all of us have these evergreens on our own property.Theybring life to our homes,birds and insects, provide shade,alfresco spots,and break the sun into shining rays across the lawn.

MitchKeating and Emily Condon, who run the familyowned business Keating Tree Care,refer to trees as “natural assets thatare one to protect”

MAGNUM SIGNS

Owner: Lindsay&FranThorne

Magnum Signs focuses on excellencein customer service, creating professional signage thatlooks sharpand gets your business noticed Allworkis completed in-house at their premises in New Gisborne, using only the best products in the industryand the latest practices to ensurecustomer satisfaction.

Magnum Signs offers afull signserviceincluding handpaintedsigns,digital printing,gold leaf work,fleet branding and awiderange of custom work

Mitchhas been operating his ownbusinesses forover10 years,and has aunique understanding and perspective on tree health and proper managementtoprovide an educatedopinion foravarietyofsituations –whether it’s rejuvenating,pruning,orchoosing the appropriate location foralongstanding life.

Mon- Thurs 7 30am-6pm Fri 7.30am-4pm Sat 8am-1pm

“Wealways give 100per cent caretoevery job, whether it’s the tiniest little thing,ora100-year-oldoak tree,wegivethe same qualityassurance on everyjob,”Emily says.“However, if thereisassistanceneeded in removing atree, we can do it safely and efficiently.”

They’ll turnyour tree into firewood or anatural mulch for the garden. Best of all,they can make themselves available when suited and visit in-person forafreequote.

“Wedon’t quotebased on photos; we need to see your tree’s unique qualityand situation. It’s free in cost and obligation.”

Address: 2/3 NewryDrive, New Gisborne VIC 3438

P: 03 54284913

They also offer the supply and printing of uniforms and apparel,custom pictureframing andmuch more.

Magnum Signs is creativefromdesignconcept and manufacture, through to installation.

Their framing studio utilises the latest softwareand equipmentwith high efficiencyoutput

Theteam at Magnum Signs have helped businesses across Australia brand themselves the rightway,withsignage that looks professional everytime.

E: lindsay@magnumsigns com.au

LindsayThorneisaniconinthe industry,ensuring his team produces remarkable signage,alwaysofthe highest quality.

TheMagnum Signs team defines innovation by creating moreeffectiveprocesses,designs,products and ideas for customers and the greatercommunity.

Magnum Signs is amulti-award winning business and was recently awarded back to back Telstra Macedon Ranges CommunityChoiceAwardsfor Excellence in Customer Service– Trades and Manufacturing 2023 and 2025.

THE OLD AUCTION HOUSE

CREATIVE & VISIONARYBUSINESS

Owner: Rhain DiPilla

Address:

52-56 Mollison Street

Kyneton VIC 3444

P: 03 5422 2047

E: admin @theoldauctionhouse.com.au

Trading Hours:

Weekdays9am- 5.00pm Weekends 10am -4.00pm

Closed only: 25th December to 1st Januaryinclusive

TheOld AuctionHouse is Kyneton’s creativehub and your one-stop shop forcraftysupplies and handmade Australian gifts. Theteam is alwaysready to assist youinfinding the perfect gift from their extensiveselection of more than 100 small Australian makers From delightful cards and stunning earrings to stylish accessories, charming homewares,and engaging kids toys,every item is designed and lovingly handcraftedinAustralia. By choosing their products,you not only acquirea unique gift butalso actively supportAustralian artists Forthe DIYers,they’vegot you covered! They provide all the tools and supplies youneed to bring your creativeprojectstolife. Sincetheir establishmentinKyneton in 2017, they’vebeen driven by apassion for offering affordable,high-qualityart materials suitable forkids and adults alike

Whether you’re into printmaking, polymer clay, brush pens,Japanese watercolour,stamping,oralcohol inks,they specialise in providing the perfect resourcesfor your artistic endeavours.

MIDLAND Property &Living

MountHawke is aMaldon landmark propertyofraresignificance. Established in 1860 by prominentlocal merchantSamuel Dabb, the home has evolvedintoone of Maldon's finest residences, seamlessly blending 19th-century grandeur with elegantcontemporary living. Set on beautifully landscaped grounds, theunusual construction of double brickwith aweatherboardexterior speaks to its rich history,while modern updatesprovide comfort, efficiency and style.

Thecentrepieceofthe home is the 'Ballroom', agrand formal living spacewith baywindows overlooking the north-facing garden, astunning ornate fireplace, and privateaccess to the wraparound slate-pavedverandah.The adjacentsitting room also features an open fireplacewithanintricate period surround, built-in shelving and frenchdoorsopening to the dining room,creating aseries of spaces ideal forbothformal entertaining and relaxedfamily living.

Thekitchen with dining is amasterstrokeofcontemporary design within aperiod context. Stainless steel benchtops, aFalcon dual-fuel cooker,a dishwasher and agenerous walk-in pantry with Crittall-style doors makethis an entertainer'sdream. Astriking Wave UX Island Rangehood and sculpturallightfixtureanchor the space, creating arefined focal pointabove the centralisland bench, which invites casual dining and conversation.The kitchen and dining areas open directly to asun-drenched entertaining deck, perfectly positioned to overlook the established north-facing garden, ideal foryear-round gatherings.

Thereare four generously proportioned bedrooms, eachwith character.The main bedroom includes built-in robes and aprivate ensuite. Thesecond bedroom features an original fireplacewithsurround and an ensuite. Athirdbedroom has astriking marble fireplaceand ensuite, while the fourth includes wall-to-wall built-in robes. Thecontemporary main bathroom features afreestanding bath positioned under alightvault alongside avanity and toilet. Additional features include acellar,a greenhouse, acitrus grove andastudio withdouble doors, aconcrete floor and windows on threesides, perfect fora creativespace or home office. Thegarden is fully landscaped with gravel paths, established trees, and structured planting, all of which aremaintained withaneight-zone, Bluetooth-controlled watering system for effortless care.

Thesolar-heatedinground pool, framed by atimber deck and pergola, is tucked privately into the rear of the garden, offering apeaceful and stylish retreat. Acarport leads to aremote-access garageand workshop, discreetly integrated into the grounds. Theproperty isalsofuture-ready,with a13.28kWsolar systemand Tesla 13.5kWPowerwall, along with NBN fibretothe node forreliable high-speed internetconnectivity

From its romantic verandahs and elegantinteriorstoits landscaped gardens and rich provenance, MountHawke is ahomeofextraordinary calibre. With views of MountTarrengowerand just moments from Maldon's historic main street, this most treasured residenceis aseamless blend of past and present

Positionedon2.9 hectares(7acres)thispicturesque property providesa multitude of options forfamilies, equine enthusiasts andfor anyone whocraves theirown sliceofparadise(andwho doesn’t?)North facing,withserene views of thesurroundingcountryside,there is an understated, timeless styleabout thehome, whichcombineselements of theranch andbarn styles withfloor to ceiling windows andawraparoundverandahproviding pleasing vistas fromevery angleand brings theoutsideworld in

145 Bald Hill Road, Kyneton

94 Verekers Lane, Kyneton Quintessential

Locatedonly 5kmfromKyneton,you will find this quaint countryhome,perfect for agrowing family –and thosewishing to be on theedgeoftown. Think 5acres,with agrazing paddock at the rear,sensational views, aspringfed damand sealedroad access.And whichchildhasn’tdreamedofa double storey home?Thispropertyalso boasts aspaciousstudio/living/officespace withpolishedconcretefloors,multiple rooms with endlessviews.Perfect forateenretreat, extended familyaccommodation or separate work fromhomebusinesses.The choice is yours!

Country life is calling.It’stimefor achange. Howdoes an off-grid,7-acrepropertysound?It onlygetsbetterwhen we mentionithas itsown bore anda large dam.The echoes of past European inhabitantscan still be felt in thevineyardand established,irrigated orchard. Yes, it’s romantic. Pictureitnow—homegrowntomatoesturnedintopassataand salami curing in thesheds.Couldthis be your future? The well-maintaineddwelling,completewitha double carport,was relocatedtothispropertyaround 20 yearsago.The modestfloorplanoffersan open kitchen, dining andliving area. Twobedroomsand abathroombranchoff thehallway Withthe wood heater, it doesn’ttakelongfor thehometowarmupand feel cosy throughout.

Down alongprivate driveway,thisbeautifully presentedhomedeliversserious serenityand paddock views.It’sthe ultimate lifestyle base —peaceful, privateand packed withquality upgrades.Inside there are3generousbedrooms(allwith built-ins, includingamasterwith sleekglass robe doors) and2modernbathrooms.The ensuiteiscleverlydesignedwith premiumlighting,a makeup mirror, newtoilet, plantstand in theshowerand smartdrainage.The open plan living areamakes abold statementinpeacock blue,while thestandoutkitchen featureswhite stonebenchtops,a walk-in pantry,induction cooktop, dishwasherand pendantlighting with dimmers. Aseparateformallounge at the frontoffersextra space forthe familyoranextendedparents’ retreat— completewith hallway doors to closeoff this entire wing or createefficient heatzones.

1Kyneton MetcalfeRoad, Metcalfe

Craftedasthe currentowner’s foreverhome,nodetailhas been overlooked andno expense spared. Approximately 95%off-grid, thehome features some remoteoperation appliances, includinga splitsystem, anddishwasher. Swing open thefrontcentury oldsunshine gate andget set to be delighted.Nestled in themiddleofabeautifully landscaped 1-acre (approx.)lot,thishome presentsa modest facade withafull-lengthveranda.Stepintothe open plan dining andliving area that revealsacompleteinteriortransformation, boasting inspiringdetails andnumerous‘wow’ moments

267 OldDrummond Road, Taradale

Setonarise overlookingthe historic Back Creek valley, this 1960shome wasrelocatedto itscurrentspot18years agoand is nowembraced by mature yellow boxgumsand cypress hedges.Itblendsoriginalretro charmwithmodernupdates,offeringawelcoming,openplan layout.The refreshed kitchen andbathroom mean youcan move in straightaway,withscope to addyourown touchesdownthe track.With3bedrooms (two with built-in robes),acentral bathroom,aseparate toilet anda generouslaundry,it’sagreat fitfor acouple, youngfamily or those lookingfor aspaciousweekender. Alarge machineryshed—with ahandy tradesman’s showerand plumbing forwashing machines—adds flexibility,whileasingle garageprovides secure storage

Seeking apeacefuland privatelifestyle?Thishomesitsonanextremely large allotmenton thetownboundaryand providesample spacetoenjoya semirural lifestyle.Beckoning afuture renovation, the1970s era brickhome is locatedinthe beautiful hamlet of Glenlyon,isaneasy stroll to thelandmarkGeneral Store,and is surrounded by stunning natural beauty,including nature trails, mineral springs andthe Loddon Falls.

When listing Kyneton’sfinest streets, SimpsonStreetissuretofeatureinmost topfive lists. Surrounded by stately heritagehomesand offering enviable proximitytoshops, PiperStreetand theriver walk,it’seasytosee whythislocation is so highlyregarded. 50Aprovides arare,affordableopportunity to secure afootholdinthis covetedarea without sacrificing qualityorcharacter.Thisclassic Californian bungalowboastssoughtafterperiodfeatures,including hardwood floors,decorative ceiling roses andpicture rails,all contributing to itstimelessappeal.

MIDLAND Property& Living

Aprivate sanctuary withstunning lake views

ThePond House and Pond CottageTrentham is an expansiveand stylish country estate just outside Trentham that spans 6396m²witha stunning spring-fedlake. Backing onto the majestic WombatForest, the propertyfeaturesastone driveway,two entrances and lush hedging, offering exceptional privacy

Themain residenceboasts elegantwhitepillarsand sixcolonial doorsthatopenupto the bluestone veranda. Inside, achandelier-lit entranceleads to breathtaking lakeviews, polished floorboards, and asunlitsitting/living area anchored by acommanding open fireplacewith aTasmanian oak ledgeand bluestone surround, complementedbya curvedbay window.

Themaster suiteincludes an ensuite, ample storageand direct access to theimpressive deck, which extends from both the master bedroom and the open-plan entranceand living areas. This expansivedeck includes an alfrescospace and leads to thelake’sgrand private jetty and landing dock as well as acircular landscaped area with outdoor seating and firepit.

Theopen-plan kitchen, loungeand dining area features floor-to-ceiling windows,a Philippe Cheminees slowcombustion/open fire, split heating/airconditioning system, carrara marble kitchen benches, island bench withintegrated Blackwood chopping board/food

229 Blackwood Road, Trentham

Auction details: 1st of August @2:30PM

Location: 14 Market Street, Trentham

Renovators Dream nestled on just over 1Acre

Nestled in apeaceful bush setting justminutes from the heart of Trentham, this four-bedroom, two-bathroom home sits on agenerous one-acreblock and offers the perfect opportunity forthose with vision. Surrounded by natureand full of potential, it’s aclassic renovator’sdream –ready to be brought back to lifeand transformed intosomething truly special.

Thehome itself offers aflexible floorplan with plenty of spacetoreimagine, while the established trees, cleared land, and solid shedding add further appeal. Whether you'relooking to create arelaxedcountryretreat, aself-suffcient lifestyle property,oryour foreverhome,the foundations areheretowork with.

With the added potential foroff-grid living and room forveggie gardens, animals or outdoor entertaining, this property offers ararechancetosecureaslice of Trentham with space, privacy, and loads of character Roll up your sleevesand makeityour own.

preparation area, an impressivePortofino Smeg oven, large floor-to-ceiling pantry cupboards and alfrescodeck access as well access to another deck to thespa area.

Threespacious bedrooms and sitting room/additional bedroom, three modern bathrooms (one with aspa bath)and astylish laundry complete the home, along witha converted garagethatnow serves as aversatile,climate-controlled multipurposeroom e.g. recreation/ gym or cinema or media room

Centralheating, astate-of-the-art septic system, tank water,and securityalarm system ensurecomfort and efficiency

Thenewly renovatedcottagefeatureshigh ceilings, limed pine panelledwalls and modern whiteinteriors. Itsopen-plandesign includes akitchenette, loungeand dining area withspectacular views.The master bedroom opens onto aprivate deck with an outdoor bath with privacy screens, while afirepit, alfrescoarea, modern bathroom and an additional bedroom add to its appeal.

Property: ThePond House and Pond CottageTrentham

Address: 226 Blackwood Road,Trentham

Price: $2,195,000 (offers invited)

Agent: Harkin Estate Agents Trentham

Contact: Francis Harkin 0425 766 799

Corner charmwith everyday convenience

Set on ahandycorner block, this 1970s cream brick veneer home has aflatroofand plenty of natural lightthroughout. Thereare threebedrooms, all with built-in robes. Aseparateformal loungeand acasual family/dining area offertwo distinct living zones. Thekitchen is filledwith lightand features wide benches, an electric oven and gas cooktop. Thelayoutincludes acentral bathroom, separatelaundry and asecond

toilet. Afull-widthcoveredpergola runs along the back, ideal forshaded outdoor use. There'satimber featurewall in the lounge, timber floorsthrough the main areas, and carpetinthe bedrooms. Ducted gas heating (connected to town gas)keeps the home comfortable.

Just 1.4km from thePost Officeand Main Street shops –only three minutes by bus –and 250 metres from thehospital.

Property: Light-filledbrick veneer home

Address: 2BartonStreet, Kyneton

Price: $480,000 –$520,000

Agent: Raineand Horne Kyneton

Contact: Jennifer Pearce 0427 422 508

Judith Stevens 0438 683 484

ModernHeritage Redefined 24 Adair Street, Maldon Mount Hawke is aMaldon landmark property Established in 1860 the home has evolved, seamlessly blending19th-century grandeur with elegant contemporary living. Set on beautifully landscaped grounds, the unusual construction of double brick with aweatherboardexterior speaks to its rich history

Family Entertainer 18 Brown Street, Castlemaine Set on approximately 1201sqm (approx) in aquiet, elevated position, this expansive, newly built fivebedroom, two-bathroom home offers the ideal balance of moderncountry style and family-friendly living, just moments from the centreofCastlemaine. $1,145,000

The Merry School House

4Templeton Street, Guildford

This beautifully preserved late three-bedroom Victorian residence offers timeless character, generous proportions, beautiful updates and a warm country charm. Resting on an expansive 2032 sqm (approx.), the double-fronted façade is finished in traditional Victorian block-front cladding.

Garden Charm and ModernComfort

9Yurunga Drive, McKenzie Hill

Set on agenerous 823 sqm (approx) in aquiet and well-established pocket, this brick veneer home offers space, comfort, and sustainable living across four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and two living zones. This well-maintained property is ideal for growing families, downsizers,orthose seeking a low-maintenance lifestyle.

$795,000

the

of

this well-presented four-bedroom sandstone home on agenerous 1089 sqm (approx) offers easy,relaxed living in apeaceful setting. At the rear,the lowmaintenance terraced garden and paved alfresco space invite you to unwind and entertain.

$695,000

Victorian Cottage with Mid-Century Style

20 Brown Street, Castlemaine

In one of Castlemaine’smost desirable locations, this two-bedroom Victorian cottage offers period detail, amid-century addition, and exciting potential on adeep 1287 sqm (approx) allotment. The generous block provides sweeping views across the surroundinglandscape and arareopportunity to renovate, extend, or subdivide (STCA).

$535,000 View Saturday 26 July

11:00am-11:20am Contact TomRobertson 0473 642 644

sqm (approx) blends historic character with contemporary updates, all in aprime in-town location.

0473 642 644

MIDLAND Property &Living

Abespoke1950sbeautyreimagined

Tucked away in the soughtafter North Castlemaine area, this renovated1950s home has been carefully reworked to offer something trulyspecial. From thestreet, its classic weatherboardfaçade gives little away –but step inside and you'll find ahome fullofpersonality,warmth and thoughtful detail. This is apropertythatrespects its origins while embracing afresh, contemporary wayofliving –designed forthose who value both comfort and considered design.

Awide, light-filled entrancehall leads youintothe heart of the home, whereoriginal polished floorboards flowseamlessly through thespaces, tellingtheir ownstory of decades past. Two generous bedrooms, eachwith built-in robes, arepositioned for privacy and comfort, while the fully renovatedbathroom offers ablend of textureand tone –terrazzo-style tiles, awalk-in shower, andastriking original brickwall paintedcrisp whitefor afresh yetgrounded feel.

At the frontofthe home, the loungeinvites youtosettlein with its north-facing windowand the ambientwarmth of agas logfireset within the original fireplace. Thebespokekitchen is astandout, designed with both style and practicality in mind. Custom V-groove panel cabinetry is paired with sleek black

hardware, while theexposed brick chimney– once home to a wood-fired stove– has been cleverly repurposed to house a premium 900mm SMEG cooker.There's also awalk-in pantry, dishwasher and breakfast bar,all contributing to the kitchen's intuitivelayout and elegantaesthetic.

Flowing from the kitchen, the dining room is abeautifulspace forhosting, with french doorsthatopenout to an elevatedalfrescodeck shaded by avine-coveredtrellis and surrounded by lush, established greenery.Thisprivate outdoor zone is the perfect extension of the living space– ideal forlong lunches, quietmornings, or eveningwine under the stars. Asplit systeminthe dining room ensures indoor comfort no matterthe season. Additional features include acharming laundry witha second toilet, asingle carport, and low-maintenance established gardens thatframe thehomewithout demanding your weekends. LocatednearbyCastlemaine Secondary College, the Botanical Gardens, the Mill, Kaweka Reserveand the golf course, this homeoffersnot just lifestyle, buta placeto feel truly settled. Astylish and soulful renovation thathonours its pastwhile embracing the needs of modern living –this is a home to fall in love with.

Property: Farmlet in picturesque environs

Address: 210 PeelersRoad, BarkersCreek

Price: $835,000

Agent: Castlemaine Property Group

Contact: BrettFitzpatrick 0419 833 510

BrettWaller 0407 610 268

Property: Renovated1950s home

Address: 40 North Street,Castlemaine

Price: $759,000

Agent: Belle PropertyCastlemaine

Contact: BlasiMulholland 0417 311 733 RobWaller 0418 571130

Asemi-rural lifestyle awaits

Beautifully situated in an idyllic pocketofBarkersCreek, this immaculately maintained property is setonapprox. 16,000m2 across twoCrown allotments, is serviced by water and mains powerand overlooks the historic BarkersCreek Cricket Ground.

Thehome presentsinexcellentorder and features large windows throughout, providing both an abundanceofnatural lightand lovely outlooks into the neighbouring rural surrounds. Thehome offers three bedrooms, acentral refurbishedbathroom, aseparatewater closetoff alaundry at the rear door,a largeloungeroom with solid fuel heating and asplit systemand ameals area overlooking arear yard.Externally,the grounds arepredominantly open pasturewith shade trees and thereisa largecarport giving direct entry to the home,a newly built shed of approx.7.5m x12m with concrete floor and powerand anumber of other olderstorage sheds. Awonderfulsemi-rurallifestyle awaits.

Belle Property Castlemaineand Maldon.

14 Edward Street, Castlemaine.

3 a 2 b 4 v 465r

•Architect-designedtownhouse just 300m from Castlemaine station, close to gardens, galleries, and TheMill complex.

•Privatetop-floormain suitewith balcony, plus twoground-floor bedrooms and spaciousopen-plan living.

•Alrescoentertaining, and panoramic views overCastlemaine.

ForSale

$1,150,000 View

By appointment

RobWaller |0418 571 130

Blasi Mulholland |0417311 733

21 Gainsborough Street, Castlemaine.

4 a 1 b 4 v 1013r

•1960s double-frontedbrick home, ideally situatedina peaceful, established neighbourhood.

•4 bedrooms, 2living spaces, modernkitchen, efficientducted evaporative cooling &ample storage.

•Situatedonagenerous 1013m²block, just 1.3km from town centre

ForSale

$795,000

View

As advertised

RobWaller |0418 571 130

Blasi Mulholland |0417311 733

313BarkerStreet, Castlemaine.

3 a 1 b 2 v 434r

•Charming,freshly updatedEdwardian timber& stucco home in centralCastlemaine –circa 1920s.

•3 bedrooms, grand box-baywindow, timber floors& cosy fireplaces.

•Level, privategarden with 2-car carport. Just momentsawayfrom North PrimarySchool, botanical gardens &CBD

ForSale

$692,000 View

Saturday26th July: 12:15pm-12:45pm

Blasi Mulholland |0417311 733

Narelle Waller |0408 571 131

Scan to viewour currentlistings

Arelaxed country lifestyle

Tucked away in aleafy pocket of Woodend, 10 Beves Lane is abeautifully craftedwestern redcedar home that instantly feels welcoming. From themomentyou arrive, you'll be captivated by the lush, established park-like gardens and winding gravel paths thatset the scene fora relaxed country lifestyle.

Step inside to discover soaring 2.9 metrecathedral ceilings and polished timberfloorsthatfill theinteriors with character and light. Agas logfireanchorsthe spacious living area, creating asense of warmth and comfort throughout the seasons. Therenovatedkitchen sits at the heart of the home, offering stone benchtops, agas cooktopand generous storagethrough thoughtfulcabinetry, while french doorsopentoanundercoverdeck, perfect for your morning coffee or gathering with friends overlooking the lush gardens.

Threebedrooms provide inviting accommodation, including acharming upstairs retreatwith pitched ceilings

and dormer windows.Acentral family bathroom services the home and is complementedbya practical laundry with direct access to outside.

Sustainable living is seamlessly integrated here, with 34 solar panels, aTesla Powerwall battery,and both town waterand rainwatertanks supporting the garden. Additional comfortsinclude naturalgas heating, reversecycle split systems, and electric panelheating to keep the home comfortable year-round. Thehome additionally offers a two-car garagewith automatedroller doors, an insulated artist'sstudio/workshop with areverse cycle split system, and agarden shed adding flexibility and practicalitytothe property,ensuring there'sspacefor all your pursuits. Whether you'researching fora restful retreatora place to putdownroots, this special home blends country charm and modern efficiencyina setting just moments from the heartofWoodend. Enjoythe ease of ashort stroll to the train station, medical facilities and villagecentre.

Mount Macedon 37 Taylors Road

Delightful 4 bedroom home situated within an attractive mixed garden environment on 4.5 acres

Perched high and nicely set back in order to clearly survey the front portion of this lovely block, this lightfilled 4 bedroom plus study bv home exudes charm and character Highlighted by its quality timber work and hardwood floors the home has a warm and welcoming interior This residence is indeed, ideal for a growing family

Price $1,475,000

View Saturday 26 July 12:30-1:00 pm or by appointment

Call John Keating 0419 880 444

Western redcedar home on half an acre Address: 10 BevesLane,Woodend

–1,300,000

Romsey 1749 Romsey Road

Within 2km of Romsey Town Centre

On 1.86 ha (4.6 Acres) of Rich Red Volcanic Soils

Your dream tree-change awaits in Romsey!

Recently renovated - move in with nothing to do

3 Bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 living spaces

Outdoor living that is a breath of fresh air

Perfect for horse enthusiasts & hobby farmers

Price $1,295,000

View Saturday 26 July 2:00 – 2:30 pm or by appointment

Call John Keating 0419 880 444

Arborea Tree Management

TrusttheExpertsatArboreaTreemanagementtohandleyourtree managementneeds.

HowWeWork

WeusethelatestArboricultureindustrytechniquesforclimbing trees.Usingropes,harness,ascendersanddescenders,advanced riggingsystemsandfrictiondevicestoclimbsafelyandefficiently, whiledismantlingtreemattertotheground.

WhatWeDo

Whatcan'twedo?Wecan'tleaveourcustomersunsatisfied.We worktothehighestindustrystandardsandqualificationstogive customerssatisfactionandsurety,whileourteamdoestheirjob competentlyandsafely.

Phone

Simpson, Dishlex, and Westinghouse. Simp www.kentappliancerepair.com.au kynetonappliancerepairs@gmail.com

Vale Penny Garnett

Who passed away on Monday 7th July at Ellery House, Castlemaine. Awonderful plants woman and much admired; along

Raymond ‘Jock’Conn

Beloved husband ofThelma (dec), father and father in law to Lynda and Chris, Helen and John, Adele and Bruce. Loving grandfather,cherished dearly by Dooley,Bodhi and Dale, Finn, Henry and Baxter,Bridie, Thomas and Ella.

Passed peacefully 15th July having recently celebrated his 90th birthday surrounded by family

FLETCHER

-E dward(Te d)

28.4.1932 –13.7. 20 25

Pa ssed peacefully surrounded by family.

Dearly loved Husband of Ru th for 66 years.

“The love of his life”

Loved FatherofStephen (Dec), Alif ewell lived and a rest wel le arned.

Time to putt he trowela way. Reunitedw it hSte ve

Ed (Dad ), We will mi ss youever y dayand we will neve rforge ty ou

have gone to be with St eve at that never ending race meeting Your legac yo fmemories, friendships,r es pec ta nd love will la st forever

Loving Dad of Trudi& Ji m. Loved Pa of Ja ck &Bec; Conor &J es s; Charlie &Zane; Ella &Darcy Loved PaPa of Amelia, Logan &L uc a.

The Funeral for Tedw as held on Mo nd ay July 21st 2025.

KN285203/L

In Ellery House, Castlemaine Health. Beloved wife ofT.R. Garnett. Cofounder of the Garden of St Erth.

Robin, Gerald, Malcolm,Alison (dec) and Stephen, sixteen grandchildren and seventeen great-grandchildren. Funeral private.

Family and friends are welcome to celebrate her life in the CastlemaineTown Hall, 25 Lyttleton Street, Castlemaine on 9thAugust at 2pm. RSVP(to attend or zoom) robin.j.garnett@outlook.com PenelopeAgnes Marion Garnett (nee Frere) WRNS 25.6.1926 –7.7.2025

Amemorial gathering to remember Peggy’slife will be held at Buda Historic Homestead, 42 Hunter Street, Castlemaine on Sunday 3rdAugust between 1.30 and 4.30pm.

Family and friends are invited to attend Jock’sfuneral service, to be held in the Chapel of MountAlexander Funerals, 12 Campbell Street, Castlemaine TODAY(Tuesday) at 2.00pm.

To join with us via livestream, please visit Jock’stribute page on thewebsite of MountAlexander Funerals.

adonation in memory of Jock to RuralAid, with support for link on his

page.

We will celebrate the life of Andrew Darragh Joseph Crean. At theTJ Scott Memorial Chapel 5Piper Street Kyneton on Friday 25th of July2025 at 2pm. The burialwill follow at the Kyneton Cemetery

KN285214/L

Peggy Shaw

Funerals

Friends of C Castlemaine Library 9 30am - 3pm Saturday 26th July 2025

Employment

•Senior ProjectEngineer, Full time

•Senior Statutory Planner, Part time

Learn more: mountalexander.vic.gov.au or phone 5471 1700

Working together for ahealthy, connected shire

Castlemaine Library Foyer Mechanics Lane

Enquiries: focalcas@gmail.com

HUGE

If youhavefound lost property,we’ll help locate the owner free of charge Simply provide the details of your “find”,and your phone number forpublication.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

DISCRIMINATION IN ADVERTISING IS UNLAWFUL!

The Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 1995 makes it unlawful foranadvertiser to showany intention to discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy,race, age,marital status,political or religious belief or activity,industrial activity,parental or carer status, physical features,disability,lawful sexual activity/ sexual orientation, HIV/AIDSstatus or on the basis of being associated with aperson with one of theabove characteristics,unless covered by an exception or grantedanexemption under the

To be held atThe Social Foundry, cnr.High &Mollison St., Kyneton onTuesday,August 26th, 2025 at 7.00pm All FKBG members are invited to attendthe screening and light refreshments. Please RSVPyour attendance to theFKBG Secretary at: friendsKBG@outlook.com FOUND ADVERTS ARE PUBLISHED FREE!

FRIENDS OF KYNETONBOTANIC GARDENS INC.A0048471F NOTICEOFANNUALGENERALMEETING

3Newry Drive, New Gisborne. 2nd &3rdAugust 9am -3pm Caravan, Holden Ute, Ski-Boat, Motorbike, Camping Gear, Ski Gear,Child Car Seats, Books, BBQ, Bikes, KidsToys Household Bric aBrac &Furniture

2MunroCourt,Castlemaineisasmallfootprint housenestledintoalandscapeofgranite boulders,nativetreesandbush. Thiswelldesignedhousehashighquality credentialsresultinginverylowrunningcosts. Residentialzone-746sqmblock. 2bed,1bath,1carpark.Price:$1.15m

Seniors

GOALS: Gisborne: MMerrett 3BBernacki3CJohns2J Gray 2D Johnstone 2HLuxmoore2RBourke PMcKenna. Castlemaine:HStaples 2BRobinson KHuntly CMcLennan DHickey JChester JEyreMHartley PBalta BByrne BEST:

Gisborne: JGrayB BernackiMMerrett LEvans DYoung K Minns.Castlemaine:PBalta CMcLennanD Semmens K Huntly RJenkins HStaples

Under 18s

GOALS: Gisborne: LJones 3N Todorovic

Hannon. Castlemaine: SSieber-hogg 2JBarnes CMarkO Giddings JBalcombe BEST: Gisborne: LHannon LBorgW Elliott JMuscatL Carnell DBeggs. Castlemaine: PLeathem S Sieber-hogg OBritt CLordOGiddings JBalcombe

Reserves

GOALS: Castlemaine: RMuscat 2AGoddard2ADouglas 2T Whaley 2B Keogh AFrankling.Gisborne: JRyan2M Steinbach 2HDoricic. BEST: Castlemaine: RPedretti WMarks AFrankling DSlingo BBrowne-KerrT Hickey.Gisborne:J Long HOliveHDoricic HSimpson MPontonT Collings

Seniors

GOALS: Trentham: JRegan 6BHarvey5 JKeogh 3T Fuller 2C Webber-Mirkin2 JDovaston EFanning BEST: Trentham:

TFuller JDovaston TFordZGervasoni BHarveyC WebberMirkin.

GOALS: Harcourt: JArcher

BEST: Harcourt: JMoresiKSimmons FMcAinch

JArcher OLong

GOALS: Newstead: HHall 3M Runciman3 EHein NLord

JSmith. BEST: Newstead:JGoulton JSmith EMaltbyH McGuireHHall MRunciman TALBOT2.9

GOALS: Maldon:N McLaren 3A Woodman 2BJohns T

Webb BEST: Maldon:CBuchanan DKelly AWoodmanM Johns DWust BJohns

GOALS: Harcourt: JThrelfall 4BGurd2 TMcKnight2K

Mcbride 2MMcKnight 2LBurns CThiesz CAnderson

TBarnett RThiesz TWalters LAnderson BLeech. BEST: Harcourt: BVaz JThrelfall CThieszT McKnightL Anderson TWalters

Trentham: CWhelan 3B

2T Matkovic 2ANadin

SEvans BEST: Trentham: CWhelan TMatkovic HSundblom JNadinD Holden XKeighran.

GOALS: .Newstead: ZAshby2J

Entwisle BEST: Newstead: LChapman JThomas NWebster BVan egmond JEntwisle CElderfield

Maldon:COrton

Brasser PBarry ATurner REgleton

JArcher LDillon BLeech Keddy

0.00.0

GOALS: Trentham: Details N/A.. BEST: rentham: DSutton G Evans AShawE Walsh HKenton-Barnes APatterson

Under 14.5s

TRENTHAM3.0 4.1 5.5 6.5

NATTEBEALIBA0.0

GOALS: Trentham: JReid 3T James HThompson HKost. BEST: Trentham: MCourtney JReid HThompson CParkHowe ARyrie HEdmondston.

MALDON5.2 7.49.6 13.9 87 TALBOT 0.0 1.0 1.2 3.2 20

GOALS: Maldon:SGross 3O MerloLPascoeCMcGee W Govier JMuller CScoble BEST: Maldon:JFarleyC McGee LPascoe SGross

AVOCA3.2 5.77.1111.12 78 MARYBOROUGH1.2 1.21.2

NAVARRED NEWSTEAD

Under 11.5s

GOALS: Trentham: MThompson.

Trentham: OReid E Papet MThompson SBeattie ELeong TMartland

Consistency pays off

Bill West

Kyneton-trained PerSemprehas provedtobea very honest galloper,and chalked up her third win at Seymour on Sunday.

It wasthe fiveyear-old mare'ssecond win this month. Shehas been a model of consistency fortrainer and part-owner Charles Cassar

Celebrating Bastille Day

Forty Woodend Hanging Rock Petanque Club members, and a fewoftheir friends, celebrated Bastille Day in the chill that only Woodend can provide on Monday, July 14.

With no rain on the day, the eventcertainly turned outtobe agreat success with twogames playedbeforelunch, and another game to follow

Closeconnection:Per Sempreispictured with accomplished track rider Aftab Shaikh who rides the mareregularly in track work at Kyneton. He is also a licensed trainer.Photo:Jay Town/Racing Photos

July'sbeen a greatmonth for PerSempreand connections. At her 16th start she wonatWangaratta earlier this month as a$4chanceafter successiveseconds at Bendigoand Donald —following her Maiden win when ridden by Neil FarleyatWangaratta on May15. Ryan Hurdle has been the winning jockey at PerSempre'spast tworuns, both over1000 metres.

Theold racing adageof'Themoreyou win —the better the price' certainly applied on Sundayasshe went outasa $12 chance.

Hurdle gother to theline at Seymourwith less than alength to spare. Cassar came to Australia from Maltawithhis parents in 1975, and has alwayshad an interest in horses. He trains from his property at PipersCreek, and has had ashareofsuccess over theyears

Theclubprovided the celebratory lunch forthe 40 members as well as prospectivenew members. Committed club members cooked up astorm of some Frenchclassics and then with Frenchmusic playing as the afternoon progressed. Thereweresome winnersand losersonthe day, with Kenand LynMurchison coming first and second and then withShane Wellington picking up the thirdspot. Aspecial thanks to all who made the daythe success it was. Without thetireless work of the membersofthe committee,the club would notbeable to hold these events

Newmembersare always welcome. Go along and join in the on Mondaysand Thursdays from 1-3pm at the OldRacecourse ReserveinWoodend

CASTLEMAINE

Town &District

GOLF results

TheFrank EdwardsTrophyhas been wonbyJoelMaddern (20) with afine +1 in thesecond and final round on Saturday.

Themedleypar eventextends over 36 holes and Scott Tinkler (11) wasrunner-up to Maddern with -1.

In the second round, SteveCooper (19) wasthe day's winner in afield of 50 with amighty +3. Cooper wonCgrade with Maddern runner-up.

Gavin Lang (7) continued to shine and finished +1 to topA-grade from Tinkler

Mark Brackley(13) waseventocapture B-grade.

Simon Saundersand RobPrendergast were NTPs,with Klai Jermyn having three birdies.

Asmall group contested the nine-hole mixed stableford on Saturdaymorning.

Beth Livingstone (18) wasthe winner with 16 points, herfirst victory sincereturning from overseas.Carmel Gribbes (32) wasrunner-up on 16.

Mark Frankling's85-20-65 blitzed Thursday'smidweek medal strokeevent,with Ross Stevens84-14-70 runnerup.Tinkler had all three birdies, and he and Marty Beck were the NTPs.

GISBORNE

Aftera speedy round, Mick Rogan and TimMaddern wonthe four-ball best-ball on Saturdaywith48points.

Adrienne Fievez and Demons memorabilia collector Marg Ivory came second with46points, andBert McDermott and Dave 'Plucker' Plunkettwerethirdwith 46.

TheThursday A-grade open competition went to Michael Kaufman with 39 points. Samuel McMahon won B-grade with42points, andFrank Adornettotopped Cgrade with 41.

Marg Ivory andMaryanne Mocnik scored 43 points in the 4BBB on Wednesday, twoclear of Angela Cordell Lynne Smith.

We apologise formisreporting Margaret Brletwon the Saturdaywomen's eventwhen we meanttowrite'golf bandit' Margaret Barker wasthe winner

KYNETON

TheCCFisher doubles honour boardwill boast anew pair of names aftercaptain David Austin and Tien Ho romped to a6&5 victory on Saturday.

In cold and blustery conditions theunderdogs were neverheaded against Jason McClure (5) and Nick Williamson (11).

Ho andAustinwon the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th holes and turned 2-up, then winning thenextfour to end the match on the 13th.

Namik Akkurt has returned to form, almost completing astableford double last week.

Only fora waywardputter,hefelt he could have done

better than runner-up to David Pilcher on Wednesday. Pilcher completedhis thirdWednesdaywin in arow with37points, including 10 parsin11holes.

RobMacRae(21) wasthe women's winner forthe second week in arow aftera strong second nine, edging Julie Harris by one.

NTPs went to Akkurt (2), Thomas Beachey, Kylie Munro, Ross Foreman and Rachael McAndrew Akkurt (9) made sureofa win on Saturdaybyplaying the last eightone over, andfinishing with37points, one aheadofJohnWaddell (14) and ColHudgson (5) in thetop flight.

Waddell'sround wasremarkable, with 33 pointsfrom the last 13 holes afterreturning from achest infection.

Jordan Ryan (19) scored 34 to beatIvanSmolcic (15) on acountback in second division, while Denise Murphy(16) wasthe leadingladywith 28.

NTPs were McClure, Pilcher,Ho, TimBuhagiar and Cam Hendy (alsosuper pininsuccessiveweeks).

Vicki Nettleton(21) had 33 points to win Tuesday's stableford by four from Grace Parkinson. NTPswentto Murphy, Parkinson, Harris and Judy Aldred.

LANCEFIELD

Inspired by his team win in the 'Lancefield 1000' six days earlier,Bert Parks (15) retained the form in Saturday's stableford

He carded 37 points to win easily from ColinThomas (14) with 33, and DarcyCreer (27) 32.

TuesdayLegends: Greg Janky (22) 40 points, from Jason Byron(10) 34 and Graham Mau(15) 33.

Wednesdayladiesstableford:DiBrennan (23) 30 points on acountback from Sheena Flentjar (31) and Wendy

Nicholas (28) with29. NTP —Anne Robinson. MOUNT MACEDON

Therewas areally close finish in Saturday'sstableford aggregate event.

Nick Vicary (12) and Hayden Phillips (14) returned 61 points and survived acountback to prevail over David Watt (9) and Darren Mantynen (6).

Amasterful 41 points from Watt wasthe individual highlight.

Evergreen Tony Carter (12) wonthe midweek stablefordevent with 38 points.

Michael Smitheram (22) wasrunner-up on 36. NTPs went to Damien Leatch andGary Liddy ROMSEY

World number one Scottie Scheffler mayhavejust won the British Open at Portrush by four strokes, but it was Simon Donovan(8) who took out the stableford at Romsey on Saturday.

Donovanscored41points, with Andrew Clement(10) runner-upon38, and Mick Squirethird andlongest drive, on 37.

Sherif Abdel Sayed(26) wonWednesday'sstableford with35points, twoclear of David Jones (14).

TRENTHAM

Windy,wet,cold and muddy as 51 turned out forthe mixed par eventonSaturday.

Thebest scoreofthe daycame from Joedy Wallis (40) who topped C-grade with +3 from Larry Prowse (21) on +1.

Steven O'Hagan (7) finished +1 to win A-grade from Nathan Hrovatin (6) even, and RobEllis (16) wasbest in B-grade on +2, from ScottBatty (12) -1

Aspecial mention to MatthewWalker whoscoredthe firsteverhole-in-one on the 18th hole on thenew gold par3 course last Thursday.

WOODEND

Following the regrettable departureofclub captain Glenn Wright, who is moving interstate with work, the club is pleased to advise thatMattPayne is the new captain. Matt is afavourite son of RoyalWoodend, afine playerand club man, who will be captain up to the annual general meeting in November

Thanks to Glenn forhis contribution as captain —he will be missed.

It must be school holidays,aslikeclockwork one of our young guns, MitchRamanauskus, cleaned up theTuesday field.

Nowplaying off13, he chalked up 42 points to win by five from Will McLean (6).

Stableford grade winnersona very cold Saturdaywere: A— BarneyHearnden (5) 35 points; B—Mitch Ramanauskas (13) 34 points and C— NyssaPayne (35) 35 points.

KynetonGolf Club’s Tien Ho (atleft)and David Austin are pictured with their trophies

Winners (L-R): Lyn Murchison, Shane Wellington and Ken Murchison

Lionsand Saints record bigwins

Harcourt Football NetballClub had abig win overLextononthe road inround 14 of the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football NetballLeague last Saturday.

Harcourt setupthe win witha six-goal to oneopening term and the Tigers never recovered. TheLions running out winnersby 93 points.

Best forthe Lions were Jack Threlfall with 4goals, BraydonVaz,Carl Thiesz, Taylar McKnight, Luke Anderson and Thomas Walters.

Thewin sees Harcourt sittinginfourthspot.

In the 2024 grand final replay,Trentham turned the tables recording amassive 84-pointwin overfierce rivals Natte Bealiba.

TheSaints got outtoanearly lead in the opening term kicking fivegoals to three, but the damagewas really done in the all importantthirdquarter when Trentham piled on eightgoals and held Natte to asolitary point to blowthe game wide open.

Best forTrentham were Thomas Fuller, Joel Dovaston, Taylor Ford,Zachary Gervasoni, BrentHarvey who kicked fivegoals and Cooper Webber-Mirkin. League leading goal scorer JamesRegan baggedsix.

Thewin sees the Sainters claim topspot on the MCDFNL table and the Swans have

been bumped down to number five.

Newstead made thejourneytoNavarreto face offagainst the Grasshoppers and once again produced agreat performancegoing down by just 15 points.

Afteranevenfirst term Navarremade the most of its opportunities before goal in the second term and gotout to a23-pointleadat half-time.

TheSteadersfoughttheir waybackto within 10 pointsatthe final change, but the Grasshoppersfinished the gamestronger kicking twogoals to one to grab victory

Best forNewstead were Hayden Hall and Michael Runciman who kicked 3goals each, Jovian Goulton, Joel Smith, Ethan Maltby and Harrison McGuire.

Maldon made the trip to Talbottotakeon the Hawks.

Talbotled early kicking twogoals and holding the Dons to just point pointat quarter-time.

Thevisitorslifted in the second kicking three goals, butthe Hawks had all the answerskicking another five.

To their credit the Bombersnever bowed their heads and found another three late goals in the final term. Butthe damagewas

CX action

Castlemaine Cycling Club hosted arecordbreakinground of the AusCycling StateCyclo-Cross Series on SundayJuly 13.

Theevent attractedthe largest number of entries forthe series so farwith over 110riders.

Forthose newtoit, Cyclo-Cross(CX) is afast, muddy and actionpacked style of racing thatcombines road racing, mountain biking and obstacle navigation —all on ashort, technical course.

Riderstravelled from across Victoria and the club wasespecially excited to seeabig increase in female and gender-diverse participants. This eventmarked anew direction forCastlemaine Cycling Club, which has traditionally focused on road and track racing.

By embracing CX, theclub aimed to bring fresh cycling experiencestothe localcommunity

Theevent came together with critical support from the Sheppartonand Brunswick cycling clubs, who loaned course-marking equipment, as well as local support from the Campbells Creek Recreation ReserveCommittee and the Campbells CreekFootball Netball Club.

Theday featured racesfor all levels, from open-entry events and balancebikeraces forjuniors, rightuptothe men’s andwomen’s elite fields.

Theclubisalready planning to return next year with an even biggerevent —and potentially aparty to match Club presidentEmma Jackson declared, “This is the most fun I’ve ever had at alocalsporting event!”

To keep up with Castlemaine Cycling Club news,upcoming events andmembership info,followCCC on social media.

done and the Hawks wonby65points.

Best forthe DonnerswereCallum Buchanan, DarcyKelly,AshleyWoodman, Max Johns, Damian Wust and Billy Johns.

In other matches, Carisbrook had a 27-pointwin over Dunolly and Avoca had a nine-pointvictory over Maryborough Giants. Campbells Creek had the bye Netball

On the netball court in AGrade matches, Harcourt 32 lost to Lexton 75.Best forthe Lions wasGemmaPapadimos.

Trentham 37 lost to NatteBealiba 82. Best forthe Saints wasJacquiBell.

Newstead 41 defeated Navarre35. Best forthe Steaders wasBrianna Jury Maldon 25 lost to Tabot65. Best forthe Dons wasEmmaWebb.

Carisbrook 75 defeated Dunolly 34. Maryborough Giants 59 lost to Avoca 78.

Campbells Creekhad the bye.

This weekend In round 15 matches this weekend, Harcourt hostsCampbells Creek, Dunolly welcomes Trentham,Maldon facesLexton, Newstead versus Carisbrook, Avoca welcomes Talbot. Maryborough Giants, Natte Bealiba and Navarrehavethe bye

Borg keen on achallenge

Highly experiencedfootball coachLisa Borg (pictured) says she is "really excited" aboutbeing appointedcoach of Kyneton Football Netball Club's senior women'steam forthe 2026 season.

In many ways there'sasense of 'coming home'for Borg,who has an undeniable passion forand commitmenttowomen's football. Sheispresently an assistantcoach with Sunbury Lions.

KynetonFootball Netball Club announced Borg's appointmentaswomen's coach last week, and the move to recruit players for2026 is expected to soon gain momentum

TheKFNC wonthe inauguralRiddell League women's senior football premiership in 2023, and lost by apointtoMacedon in the grand final last season.

TheTigersthen found themselves in the unenviable situation of being unable to field awomen's team thisseason through unavailability of manyplayers

Borg's appointmentisakey step forward to asenior women'steam playing at the KynetonShowgrounds next season.

In its first season, the newGisborneKynetonUnited women's team is competing successfully in the Essendon District Football League this season.

TheKFNC says it is excited aboutbeing able to welcome sucha high calibreand dedicatedfootball coachtoTigerland.

Borg said she had heardtheremay be a

vacancy,and made enquiries, witha mutually agreed appointmentbeing made.

Historically,Borgbegan her football career in the juniorsatNorth Kynetonand Kyneton, playing in apremiership side, being abest and fairest runner-up, and an interleague representative.

Shehas fond memories of the old Kyneton Junior Football League,and thetwo years she wascoaching at Lancefield.

Borg spentyearswith Sunbury Lions, being the first female playertochalk up 150 games forthe club. Shealsowon aLions best and fairest.

In 2015 she wasadriving forcebehind the creation of the KynetonWomen's Football team, being the first coachand akey member of the squad.

With the area population growing, Borg is confidentKFNC will be able to field a competitiveteam next season, serving as astepping stone forjunior girls who enjoy football.

"Wewill be having a'Meet the Coach' gettogether laterthis year," she said.

Anypotential playersfor 2026 can reach out nowbyemailing womensfootball@kynetonfnc.com

Centuryup!

It's noteasytoscore morethan 100 goalsinanetball match,but Gisborne's B-grade side achieved this at Castlemaine on Saturday.

Gisborne defeated the Magpies 101 to 9ina very one-sided contest. In the other games involving Gisborne and Castlemaine, the close matchwas in the 17&Under section. Gisborne managed to win 27-24, and took thehonors66-39 in AReserve, and 92-16 in B-Reserve.

In A-grade, whereGisborne had the bye, the currentladder is:

Kangaroo Flat 40 points, Sandhurst 32, Gisborne 24, South Bendigo 18, Eaglehawk 18, Strathfieldsaye 8, Golden Square4

Redbacks

recover

Twogoals in the last quarter enabled Romsey women's football teamtoscore ameritorious 3.10 to 3.4 victory overMtAlexander Falcons on Saturday.

Maisie Crowther and Megan Brundell were instrumental in the Redbacks' win.

Steadily improving, Riddell moved into second placewith a5.5 to 2.0 margin overMelton. Ruby Taranto starred with four goals forthe Bombers.

Unbeaten Macedon accounted forLancefield 8.7 to 1.1, withLilli Collins and Ruby Watts in fine form forthe Cats, while Georgia Champion and AliceBromley shone for the Tigers.Inthe last roundbefore the finals, Romsey playsLancefield, Riddell takes on Macedon, and the FalconsplayMelton.

Team-first footydisplay

Under challenging conditions at ablustery ClarkeOval, GisborneKynetonUnited dug deep to deliver acommanding win against the Sunbury Lions. GKU’sability to adapt and playconfidently both with and against thewind wasastandout featureofthe game.

Leading the scoreboard was Todorovic with abrilliantfive-goal haul, while Cowanand Williams each chipped in with two.Ainslie and Crooks added singles to roundout a strong team-scoring effort.Beston ground forthe daywereTodorovic, Ainslie,Bau,Crooks,Lenius and Chadwick.

It wasatextbook displayof team-first footy, with GKUmaintaining their intensity across allfour quarters. Themidfield did well to controlthe tempo, while the backline kept theLions quietfor most of the match. Thepressuredidn’tlet up, and the Lions could managejust asingle goal forthe day.

GKU10.14-74 defSunbury Lions 1.4-10.

Thewin solidifiesGKU'sposition at the top of theladder withtwo roundsremaining ahead of finals. Next up GKU takeon East Sunbury on July July 26 at Sankey Reserve, 11 50am

RDFNL games

Round15matchesin theRiddell District Football Netball League this Saturday are: KynetonvGisborne Giants. Romseyv Lancefield. Wallan vMacedon. Melton Centrals vRiddell. DiggersRest vWoodend/Hesket Melton South abye

Tasman Nankervis of the Bendigoand District club claimed victory in the Men’sElite 2division. Photo:FredFarquhar

Bill West

Riddell down, Cats on target

Bill West

In the battle forthe Riddell League minor premiership on Saturday, big occasion specialist DiggersRest liftedanotch to lead throughout and defeat Riddell by 22 points.

Thedrawcardmatch wasatRiddell, and this is the second time the Bombershave been unable to find an answer to Diggers Rest this season.

Macedon provided the other round 14 highlight, throwing offrecentspasmodic inaccuracy to kick adeadly 15.3 at Tony ClarkeOvaland defeat finals contender Kynetonby15points.

With its season on theline, aresilient Romseystood up andground outanimportantvictory against Melton South.

Lancefield cameback to earth after scoring its first win sincethe 2023 season with third-placed Wallan outclassing the Tigers in the second half to win by 94 points.

In the remaining match,Woodend-Hesketmadeittwo wins in arow by accounting forGisborne Giants by 22 points.

It wasanother cold,wintry Saturdayfor football, and the winnersand loserscan glean much from whathappened on the field with four rounds remaining before the finals.

Theprojected Final Sixisstill in an interesting state (see football details page forcurrent ladder).

SHOCK FORBOMBERS

Playing at home, Riddell expecteda tough match, but their loyalsupporters could notenvisagebeing four goalsinarrearsathalftime against DiggersRest.

Thevisitors, with avery even spread of in-form personnel, effectively wrapped up the match in the thirdterm, and resisted afive-goal burst from the Bombersinthe last quarter

"Onthe lawofaverages, we'll getour revengeongrand final day,"one rueful Riddell supporter quipped in an aftermatch reflection.

Macedon coachAlMeldrum was pleased his side continued its momentum

towardsplaying finals.

Theirrepressible Jason Cookeand Marcus Rutledge each producedfivegoals forthe Cats.

Hamish Yunghanns waslisted as Kyneton'sbest forthe second week in arow, but afive-goal deficit at the last change wassimply toomuchfor the Tigers to overcome despitea wind advantage.

Macedon travel to Wallan this Saturday fora blockbuster encounter, while Kyne-

Countdown to thefinals

Just four rounds to go before the finals, and Riddell District netball teamsare positioning themselves to be in peak form at the righttime.

Woodend-Hesket is undefeated, with sights setona record three A-grade premierships in succession.

TheHawks aretwo wins and percentage ahead of second-placed Riddell, withGisborne Giants in thirdplaceinits first season in the topgrade.

Macedon remains in fourth spot, witha healthypercentageof123.08 aftera clearcut 51-31 victory over KynetononSaturday.

TheCatshad abig 59-23 margin against KynetoninB-grade, and should have their toptwo sides in the finals on currentform.

Macedon senior coachKatie Clarkeis pleased with the flexibility available, seeing further improvementahead in severalofthe younger players

With HettyDonoghue out forthe season with afracturedwrist, Macedon secured the services of former star ClaireOakley.

Sheplayedthree quartersagainst Kyneton and finished with30goals, with versatile Molly McGrathinfine form as well.

"Wewerereally pleased to seeTaylah Chamraplayher 100th game,"Clarkesaid, while warning the Cats face adangergameat Wallan this weekend.

Kyneton'sbest were LauraBennie, Lauren Girvan and HayleyBourke.

Wallan toppledLancefield by 13 goals, and the Tigers have nowslipped to shaky fifthplace, half awin ahead of Wallan, with Romseylurking in seventhplace.

81 FORBELLETTE

Aceshooter Charlize Bellette absolutely dominatedwith81goals as Romsey thrashed astruggling Melton South91-10.

Woodend-Hesket showedits depth once again, defeating Gisborne Giants by 27 goals, with SarahDuff,Georgia Bowkett and Natalie McDonald the Hawks' best.

Forthe second match in arow,midfielder Mady Brownwas adriving forcefor Riddell in ahigh-scoring outing against DiggersRest.

Scores in A-grade were:Macedon 51 d Kyneton31, Woodend-Hesket 60 dGisborne Giants 37, Wallan 50 dLancefield 37, Riddell 67 dDiggers Rest 38, Romsey 91 dMelton South32.

Currentladder: Woodend-Hesket 52 points, Riddell 44, Gisborne Giants 40, Macedon 36, Lancefield 32, Wallan 30, Melton Centrals 28, Kyneton16, DiggersRest 16, Melton South 11.

B-grade: Gisborne Giants 51 dWoodendHesket 39, Macedon 59 dKyneton23, Riddell 77 dDiggers Rest 15, Lancefield 47 d Wallan 38, Romsey 69 dMelton South 27.

C-grade: Gisborne Giants 45 dWoodendHesket 26, Macedon 37 dKyneton17, Wallan 23 dLancefield 20, Riddell 44 dDiggers Rest 8, Romsey 39 dMelton South 29.

D-grade: Kyneton31dMacedon 14, Gisborne Giants 31 dWoodend-Hesket 14, Lancefield 40 dWallan 5, Melton South 44 d Romsey9,Diggers Rest 29 dRiddell 13.

19&Under: Gisborne Giants 49 dWoodendHesket 18, Macedon 30 dKyneton18, Wallan 26 dLancefield 20, Romsey30d Melton South 29, Riddell 34 dDiggers Rest 33.

tonwill be at home to Gisborne Giants and should return to thewinning list with so much at stake.

Romseywas pleased to be able to hold offthe Melton South challenge, with Nathan Raymentand Jack Jedwab (four goals) continuing their good form.

TheRedbacks will certainly notbe underestimating old rivals Lancefield this Saturday, despitethe big defeat inflicted on the Tigers at Wallan.

RyleyFerguson turned in another top game forWoodend-Hesket,who nowface thetough task of playing at DiggersRest on Saturday. Brad Mangan again led by example, with six goalsfor the Giants.

In the Under 19.5s, therewas avery close battle between Macedon and Kyneton— second and thirdbehindRomseyon the ladder

TheCatseventually scrambled homeby twopoints in avery lowscoring encounter.

Macedon’s Claire Oakley stretches high to grab the ball despite opposition from Kyneton goalkeeper Laura Bennie

Getting the messageKyneton’ssenior footballers takeonboardquarter-time instructions from seniorcoach Ethan Foreman.

BulldogsovercomevaliantPies

TheCastlemaine Magpies were overcome by adominantGisborne outfit at the Camp Reservelast Saturday.

TheMagpies had came intothe match feeling confidentafter anarrowloss to SouthBendigobut the Bulldogs were looking to back up aftera close win over Eaglehawk.

TheBulldogs were firstonthe boardoff the bootofHarryLuxmoore.

Castlemaine soon replied withgoals to Dylan Hickey andBodhi Robinson.

Gisborne snatched four morevia James Gray, BradleyBernacki, Ryan Bourkeand MatthewMerrett, before Magpie Jack Chester stood up and grabbed another for Castlemaine.

At the first break Gisborne led by 14 points.

TheBulldogs continued to pepper the goals in the second term smashing through another six goalstoCastlemaine's 1.4 to extend the margin to 42 points at half-time.

Gisborne cameout swinging again in the third, slamming through another three goals via PatMcKenna, Campbell Johns and MatthewMerrett, before the Magpies found some fightand goaled through Joshua Eyre

Four morefollowedfromMagpies Hunter Staples 2, BrodieByrne, and Bodhi Robinson. Thehome side winning the quarter but still trailing by 28 points at the final change.

Gisborne's BradleyBernacki goaled early in the last term, butthe Magpies again lifted and kicked three successive goals through Patrik Balta, coachMichael Hartleyand young gun Curtis McLennan to bring it back to 14-pointdeficit.

However, alategoal to theBulldogs' Dylan Johnston put the gamebeyond doubtand thevisitorsran out winnersby 21 points.

Best forthe Magpies were Patrik Balta, Curtis McLennan, DarbySemmens, Kalan Huntly,RhysJenkins and Hunter Staples, Best forGisborne were JamesGray, BradleyBernacki, MatthewMerrett, Lachlan Evans, DarcyYoung and Kane Minns.

TheCastlemaine Reserves turned the tables winning their clash 69-38.

Best forthe Magpies were RileyPedretti, William Marks, AshtonFrankling, Declan Slingo, BrodieBrowne-Kerr and Tyson Hickey

Best forthe Bulldogs were Jack Long, Hugo Olive, Hayden Doricic, HeathSimpson, Mitchell Ponton and TajCollings.

TheBulldogs Under 18s narrowly wona tightly contested clash52to46.

Thebest forthe Magpies were Patrick Leathem, SaxonSieber-Hogg,Oliver Britt, Caspian Lord,Oscar Giddings and Jackson Balcombe.

Best forthe Bulldogs were LucasHannon, LucasBorg, Will Elliott, JacobMuscat, Lucas Carnell and Declan Beggs.

Women's Football

TheCastlemaine Women's football side produced adominantdisplayagainst North Bendigodefeatingthe Bulldogs 148-0. Best forthe Magpies wasAbbeyBertram.

TheGisborne-KynetonWomen's football side had astrong win overSunbury 74-9.

Netball

On the netball court in AReserveGisborne 66 defeated Castlemaine 39.

TheBulldogs also dominatedinBGrade with acomprehensive100-9 win.

Gisborne's BReserveside also claimed the honours92-16 against avaliantCastlemaine.

The17&Under clash wasthe matchof the daywith the result going rightdownto the wireand Gisborne emerging victorious 24-27.

This Weekend

This Saturdaythe Magpie football and netball sides will hit the road to face Eaglehawk and Gisborne will welcome Sandhurst. TheCastlemaine Women's football side will also makethe triptoCanterbury Park to take on Eaglehawk Fridayevening at 7.15pm under lights in the Pride Round.

Magpie Carly Haddock leaps forthe ball.Photo:Max Lesser

Magpie Rhys Jenkins looks for an option as his Bulldogs opponents close in

Photo: Max Lesser

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