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Thecountdown is on forone of the biggest weekends on the local calendar —the 163rdGrand Annual Kyneton Agricultural Show,coming to lifethis Fridayand Saturday! Packed with entertainment,music,animals and good oldfashioned fun, this year’sShowpromisessomething for everyone.
Kick offthe weekend at the Youth Stage, presentedby Music in the Sticks, showcasing talentedlocal bands from 6pm to 9pm.It’sthe perfect chancetocatch live music while soaking up the electric atmosphereofthe Show-
grounds, bustling with carnival rides, food stalls and family excitement.
Over on the main oval,experiencethe Whip Cracking Displayand the thrilling MadStyle Moto stuntshow— a high-energy,two-wheeled spectacular making itsKyneton Show debut.
Theevening will end witha bang as aspectacular fireworks displaylights up the nightsky at 9pm
“Every year,wetry to build on whatpeople love most about the Show —thatspecial mix of tradition and excite-
ment,” said Louise Conron, presidentofthe KynetonAgricultural Society
When Saturdayrollsaround, grab the kids aTreasure Hunt bag at the gate andexplorethe Show with the map provided —collecting goodies at eachstop along theway!
Thekids will love the Country Parkour obstacle course, Farmer Darryl’sAnimal Nursery,and the hands-on funatthe Woodwork Tent andFarm Shed, wherefreechildren’s activities run throughout the day.
Continued page4
VolunteersAnthonyWillis andKaren Piil arelooking forwardtothe Show this weekend.
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Getready –it’sshowtime!
From page 1.
Back by popular demand, theeverhilarious Paddyand hisCrazy Bikeswill have crowds laughing allday long, while the adrenaline-pumpingwood-chopping competitions bring aburst of traditional country action.
Don’tmissthe Life on the Land precinct, celebrating everything from alpacastobees,backyardgrowers, recycling displays andantiquetractors. With interactivedemonstrations andlive presentations, it’s agreat chancetolearn, exploreand connect with localproducers andrural life.
Andofcourse, theShowwouldn’t be completewithoutthe ever-popular animal competitions, featuring horses, dogs, sheep and sheep fleecesthroughoutthe day.
“The KynetonShowhas something foreveryone —fromthe tiniestkids in the animal nursery to seriousexhibitors showing offtheir skills,”saidJosie Rutledge,secretary of the KynetonAgricultural Society
“It’ssuch ajoy to see families, stallholders and volunteers come together
to keep thiswonderful country tradition alive.”
Be sure to wander through the Show Pavilion, bursting with creativity and home-growntalent.Discover astunning arrayofcrafts, jams, cakes, knitting, paintings andmore— all proudlymadeby local exhibitorswho keep Kyneton’srich Show tradition alive
“Our pavilion is whereyou see the heart and handiwork of our community on full display,” saidRenaiDudley, head steward of the pavilion
“Fromthe first-time junior bakers to our seasoned crafters,every entry tells a story and addstowhatmakes the KynetonShowsospecial.”
Whether you’re chasingthe thrill of liveentertainment, the charm of countrylife, or afun dayout with family and friends, theKynetonShowhas it all.
Ticketsare availableatthe gate or can be pre-booked onlineatwww.kynetonshow.org.au
Join in thefun this Friday andSaturday, November 14 and15— this year’s KynetonShowpromises to be bigger, brighter andbetterthanever!
Drinkdrivertofacecourt
A62-year-old Campbells Creekman will face court fordrink-driving and other offences afterpolicedetected he wasthree times overthe legal limit.
Newstead policewereout on patrol when they sawthe vehicle with number plates thatdidn't belong to it.
They also discoveredthe driver'slicencehad been cancelled and abreathtest gave a reading of 0.155.
AmyHume
Victorians could be stripped of third-party planning appeal rights as the state governmentpreparesfor what it has called the"biggest planning shake-upindecades"
Minister forPlanning SonyaKilkennyintroduced the Planning Amendment(Better Decisions Made Faster)Bill 2025 into the Victorian ParliamentonOctober 28 in abid to speedupplanning processes.
Under the changes, Victoria's newhomes, duplexes, townhouses and low-rise apartments will requirenonoticeand no thirdparty appeals.
Forhigher density apartments, only those who aredirectly impacted –likeneighboursinthe area –will getnoticeand be able to appeal.
"We’re fixing aplanning system that’s been slowing things down –this newBill is creating clearer rules, faster decisions, and fewer delays forpeople trying to build ahome,"MsKilkennysaid.
Information released statedonaverage aplanning permitcurrently took 140daystoget approved"–and if thereisanobjection, it blows outtomorethan 300 days".
Thestate government'sproposalaims to reducetimelines for stand-alone homes and duplexesto10days, townhouses and lowrise developmentto30days, andlargerapartmentbuildings to 60 days Planning has been asorepointinthe Macedon Ranges in recent yearsasthe shirepreparesfor growth but aimstokeep eachtown's individual character
Thestate hasset ahousing targetfor Macedon Ranges of an additional 13,200 houses by 2051.
Macedon Ranges ShireCouncil'sdirector of planning and environment, Rebecca Stockfeld, told the Express the council wanted the community to have avoice in planning.
"Atthis early stage, our initial concerns (with the state government'sBill) relate to changesincommunity involvementinplanning processes and the proposed removalofthird-partyrights,"she said.
"Council wantstoensurelocal voices arenot lost in the planning scheme amendmentprocess and thatcommunityinput continues to playa pivotal role."
TheMunicipal Association of Victoria is leading developmentof asector-wide position and will provide detailed information, advice
Morgan Reinwald
TheDepartmentofJusticeheld apublic forum in Malmsburylast Thursdaynightfor its first official meeting with residents since announcing the town's youth detention centre would reopen.
About 50 residents, local firstresponders and councillorsattended the DOJ'ssausage sizzle, held on the prison lawn adjacentto the carpark. Thecrowd informally gathered around the deputy secretary of youth justice, Jodi Henderson, who apologised forthe sudden nature of the government'slatest announcement.
"I apologise fortaking people by surprise, but really,weonly gota decision on the Mondayand Ithink we announced it on the Tuesday. So prior to that,wedidn't know whatdecisions we were going to getabout it. So it wasn't likewewantedtotakepeople
and opportunities forcouncils to provide feedback.
MAVpresidentCrJennifer Anderson said local councils had not been consulted on the legislation thatwould dictate howcommunities were shaped nowand into the future.
"The state governmenthas chosen to impose those newprovisions without testing them,"she said.
"The Bill aims forfaster decisions and greatercertainty,but the closed-shop approach to reform risks inefficiencyand mistakes. Ultimately,itrisks the erosion of public trustinplanning decisions and in government."
TheMAV is concerned proposals to wind back noticeprovisions would remove acritical quality controlmechanism,with local communities oftenproviding importantlocal knowledge.
"We’re calling forstate andlocal governments to pull together as genuine partners, to ensurehousing happens faster,better, and –most importantly –with community support,"CrAnderson said.
TheBill has been introduced but notyet adopted. Local councils will continue to work with the MAVand monitor developments closely
Planning Bill to silenceobjectors, speed up planning DOJfrontsMalmsbury
by surprise,"MsHenderson said.
Sheadded, "when the setting started to changeinterms of having to have athird precinct becauseofour anticipated numbers, we did believe thatMalmsbury could have a second chance.
"Weare only saying at this stage, and hopefully that'sthe case, thatit'supto30 young people [in the detention centre].
"Weare only taking asmall part of the sitewithkids who should be able to go out and about in the communityand go to TAFE and go to do the things thattheycan to rehabilitate themselves, but also we shouldn't stop planning forthe futureuse of whatthis sitecould look like."
Ms Henderson took questions from residents who made suggestions, alongside anecdotesofsuccessfully rehabilitatedinmates who worked with the community, Continued page10.
Under state governmentplanning changes, Victoria’s newhomes, duplexes, townhouses andlow-rise apartmentswill requirenonotice and no third party appeals.
ImprovedsafetyatMostynStreet crossing in Castlemaine
As partofour commitment to improving pedestrian safety across the shire, we’reupgrading the Mostyn Street crossing in Castlemaine.
Over the next twoweeks, thecurrent zebracrossing will be transformed intoa wombatcrossing.
This means araisedcrossing and newstreet lightsfor better visibility
Traffic managementand adetour is nowinplace. Some parking spaces in the area areunavailable during this time
Thank youfor your patiencewhile we completethis important project.
Working together forahealthy, connected shire mountalexander.vic.gov.au (03) 5471 1700
Chance to shapespending
Wheredoyou want Macedon Ranges ShireCouncil'sfundstobespent? Community membersnow have achancetoshape the 2026-27 Budget
From nowuntil ThursdayDecember 11, individuals, community groupsand organisations areencouraged to submit their proposals thatwill benefit thebroader community. MayorDom Bonanno said early engagementwiththe communityhelped councillors and council staffmakebetter-informed budget decisions.
"Community input is vital, whether through our annual grants programorthe budget process,"hesaid
"Starting the conversation early ensures thatideas from residents areconsidered alongside officer recommendations, giving ourcouncillorsastrongfoundation for decision-making."
Engaging the community at thestart of the budget process also allows thecouncil to potentially act faster on community-backedprojects.
Those interested in submitting an idea can do so via the council’sYour Sayengagement hub: yoursay.mrsc.vic.gov.au
Anyone needing guidanceonpreparing their submission cancontact Customer Service to speakwith council officersand strengthen their proposal.
Submitterswill have the opportunitytopresenttheir ideas at aSubmittersDelegated Committee meeting in early 2026.
Submissions canbemade online, posted to PO Box151, KynetonVIC 3444, or delivered in person at anyofthe council’s customer servicecentres.
Name change
formerger
Nexus Primary Health andSunbury and CobawCommunityHealth have announced the name, fortheir soon-tobe mergedorganisation, will be Omnia CommunityHealth. OmniaisaLatin word meaning “all”.
In astatement, thehealthservices said, "Omnia reflects our commitmentto providing inclusive, comprehensive, and connected carefor everyone. It symbolises unity,collaboration, and the belief thateveryone deserves access to quality health and wellbeing services"
Thenew name will officially launch on January 1, 2026, when the two organisations formally merge underthe newname.
Have your say
TheElectoral Matters Committee is inviting the Bendigocommunity'sinput on the 2025 federal election at its upcoming hearings.
Thecommittee wantstoreceive feedback from community membersabout their experiences participating in theelection.The committee willbeholding hearings in Bendigoon November 13.
As part of these hearings, membersofthe public will be invited to be on the record by making short verbal statements of up to five minutes.
Youdon’t need to have putina submission to register your interest, youjust need to inform the committeewhatyou want to talk about and how youparticipatedinthe 2025 federal election.
To registeryourinterestinmaking astatement,contact the committee secretariatby emailing: em@aph.gov.au
Oldhospital rebirthbegins
Embracia Victoria has begun early works on the redevelopmentofthe OldKynetonHospital into amixed-use destination.
Director SarahMacKenzie said Embracia had long awaitedthe chancetorestorethe Old KynetonHospital into amixed-use destination.
"The proposed adaptivere-use developmentwill combine commercial officesonthe ground floor,which will endeavour to support local businesses,"MsMacKenzie said.
"The first floor will be transformed into entertainmentand functionspacesfor hire, taking in views of the Campaspe Riveraswell as the rolling Kynetonhills.
"This project in combination withthe upcoming aged careconstruction on the western part of the site, due to commenceinNovember,will reinvigoratethe onceremarkable landmark, and welcome the public back to the old Kynetonhospital precinct.”
These early works will focus on investigating keystructuraland heritageconcerns to inform the extent of demolition and strip-out required, targeting late-century joinery and partitions while retaining all heritagewalls.
Thepurpose of this phase is to assess the condition of the original structure by removing existing plaster, furniture, fittings and floor finishes in identified areas to reveal underlying damageand determine themost appropriate restoration methods.
Abode Restoration, in collaboration with Embracia, HeritageVictoria and HeritageAlliance will lead this stagetoinvestigate and preparethe site forfullrestoration of the threeheritage buildings.
We’repleased to nowofferbulk-billed GP
consultations forour patients
GP services include:
•Women’s, men’s andchildren’s health
•LGBTQIA+ health
•Healthassessments
•Heart health checks
•Flu and COVID-19vaccines
•Mentalhealth
•Chronic disease management Valid
Earlyworkswillfocus on investigating keystructural and heritageconcerns to inform theextentof demolition and strip-out required.
Let your Shoes do the talking ...
87 Mostyn St, Castlemaine Ph 5472 1420 KN287205
From page5
DOJfrontsMalmsbury
while othersraised issue with the lack of transparency and communitysafety.
Oneresidentasked, "a lotofwork must have gone in before this announcement [last] Tuesday. That must have been known fora while. Howitwas so hasty?"
Henderson replied, "So, we [the DepartmentofJustice] putour submissions to the governmentbased on whatwethink. So that'show it came about. We have to preparebills forcabinettoconsider and it all gets pushed into the government. And so then cabinetmadethe decision on the Monday. Before that,thereisnoway we would have known, or could have known. Butwedid have Malmsburyaspartofour proposal"
Oneresidentsaid, "wehad rumours going around herefor aweek. We had contacts in the justicesystemwho said they were preparing abudget to reopen it".
Another said, "these kids could do alot around our town beautifying it.Every naturestrip could do with ahaircut"
Ms Henderson confirmed with representatives of the Malmsbury Progress Association thatanofficial line of communication would
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be setupwith them forcommunityconsultation. Shealsosaid the seeming consensus from local residents to replace'Malmsbury' from the prison's name –toremovesnegativeconnotations associated with the town –would be passed on internally
Second callfor aname change
Malmsbury local Simon Rogers has reignited acall to have the Malmsbury Youth JusticeCentrerenamed in order to protect the good reputation of the town.
"After the big breakout in 2017, the nameMalmsbury became mostly associatedwith thedetention centre and we thoughtifit had adifferentnametherewouldn't be so manyofthose bad connections,"MrRogerssaid.
"It'sfrustrating when youmention you'refromMalmsbury that people just thinkyou livenexttoa violentjail. Even nowwith the recent announcements it'sbeing reported as 'the troubled Malmsbury Youth JusticeCentre'."
Mr Rogers said locals wanted to remove 'Malmsbury' from the name and changeittosomething likethe 'Coliban Youth Justice
Centre'.
He pointedout therewas precedentfor this name change– the prison in Castlemaine is called the Loddon Prison as the Loddon Riverisnot faraway.
"The Coliban river runs through Malmsburysochanging the name to theColiban Youth JusticeCentreseemed agood idea,"he said."I organised apetition in 2018 thatgot more than 200signatures, from the thenpopulation of 800 or so. Isentthis petition to the officeofLocal MP Mary-Anne Thomas. Therewas no response.
"Seems likenot abad idea forthe politicians as it would be a very cheap waytoappease asmall community thatthoughtthe stigma of aprison wasfinally over, onlyfor the decision to be overturned within twoyears."
Jodie Henderson (pictured left,dressed in black) takesquestions from the crowd.Faces of DOJemployees blurred to protect identity. Photo: Morgan Reinwald
Volunteersrally forTownFolk
Lisa Dennis
Thehighly anticipatedTownFolk Festival returnstoDjaara/ Castlemaine this Saturday with yetanother impressivelineup of local and international music
Festival director and TheBridgeco-owner Jeremy Furzesaid last year'sfestival attracted morethan 3500 visitorstoCastlemaine and Saturday'sevent promises to be even bigger.
To ensure thefestival is onceagain asuccess, organisershave put the shoutout forvolunteersand morethan 150 plusvolunteershaveanswered the call
"Places pretty much filled instantly as soon as the link went live!" Jeremy said.
"Our volunteersare thelifeblood of the festival and the keyto ensuring it is asuccess, particularly when it comestoour commitmenttosustainability
"Wehavevolunteerssign up foreverything from set-up, packdown, parking,ticketing to merchandise. Butwithall our food vans serving their dishes in reusable crockery to reducethe impact of so-called ‘compostable’packaging and single-useplastics, the majority of our volunteers will be focused around the MountAlexander Sustainability Group's Wash Against WasteTrailer."
Volunteersmanager and festival veteranFionna Allan said volunteersundertook 2.5 to 3-hour shifts and thenhad the opportunity to enjoysome of the livemusic on offer.
"Our volunteersare really the heart of the festival. They really takepride in welcoming festival goerstoCastlemaine, giving them agreat experience,and showcasing whatour wonderful town has to offer,"she said.
"We've placed aparticular focus on trying to getyoung people involved this year.Theyare thefutureofthe festival and we are really encouraging them to takeownership of it to ensure it thrives into the future."
Thefestival will takeplaceacross three belovedlocal venues TheBridgeHotel, Boomtown Winery and Bistro, and Shedshaker Brewing —witheach stageoffering its ownunique atmosphere, as well as aMain Stageonthe grassySunken Oval at the centre of it all.
Town Folk’s signature multi-stage, multi-venue formatinvites audiences to roam between sites, discover newartists and experience Castlemaine’s arts and hospitality scene.
This year'sfestival will be headlined by Sharon VanEtten and TheAttachment Theory,genre-defying singer/songwriter Meg Washington, Yolŋusurf-rock powerhouse KingStingray,cult
Zambian psychedelic rockersWITCH, and legendary Indigenous Australian band Pigram Brothersjust to name afew
Plus therewill be plenty of local acts including Annie-Rose Maloney, Charm Of Finches, Cool Sounds, Didirri and Rowena Wise, Ella Thompson, Hana Stretton,Jerome Blazé, Merpire, Mika James and Milly Strange.
Festival-goershavethe option to camp or to travel stress-free with adedicatedfestival bus servicerunning return trips directly to Castlemaine andback. Easy access via V/Line train services also makes day-tripping simple from anywhereonthe line.
Maintaining its family-friendly spirit, Town Folk Festival will feature kids activities, food trucks, craftbeerand regional wines, and welcoming spaces formusic lovers of all ages.
Anotably accessible festival experience,the single-dayfestival on SaturdayNovember15allows punters to choose their own musical adventure
Ticketsare sellingfast so grab yourstodayat www.townfolkfestival.com
Town Folk volunteersDavid, Rosie, Suli, Sam, Rebecca, volunteers manager Fionna Allan and festivaldirector Jeremy Furzeare pumped and ready forSaturday’sfestival
Full circlemomentfor merry-go-round
Morgan Reinwald
Achildren's merry-go-round considered atreasureofFootscray by locals who lived there in the back-end of the 20th century,resurfaced in the MalmsburyMansions recently,which is undergoing renovations in preparation forits newowners.
O'Halloran's Shoes wasa shop in Barkly Street,Footscray, thatspecialised in children's shoes. Store-worker Brian O'Halloran built themerry-go round out the back of the store, and it wasdragged outthe frontofthe storeeach dayfor children to playon.
Honorary caretaker of the Malmsbury Mansions, who refers to himselfasBaz, grew up in Footscray andsaid he sawthe merry-go-round at the Kyneton Auction House 18 yearsago
"I sawitand knewwhatit wasstraightawaybecause I
went on itwhen Iwas alittle kid when my mum took me to get school shoes,"Baz said.
"It'sanimportantpieceof Footscray's historyand Iwant to pass itontosomeone who will do it up and look afterit. I won'tevenchargeanyonefor it. Ijust want it to be looked after."
The Express tracked down living family membersinthe O'Halloran family whosaid they were shocked to re-learn of its existence.
Margaret O'Halloran, daughterofBrian, said he made the merry-go-round to keep kids happywhile being fitted for their shoes.
"Myfather made it with his father.Theyhad amassive workshop and made all sort of signs and things forthe shop They built the merry-go-round with avery oldengine and painteditthemselves. They were perfectionists,"she said.
"The merry-go-round was afixturerightupuntil they closed the shop in the'90s.
"Weused to getdragged down to theshop, which we hated, but we would have satin the merry-go-round."
Thefamily is settoattend the MalmsburyMansions in the coming week to be reunited with the possession. Historic photosofthe shop and merrygo-round canbeviewedonline at the Express' website.
Strengthening Medicare
Threeweeks, three scams
Jade Jungwirth
moneytodifferentbank accounts.
From November 1st, 2025 GP appointments bulk billed for allpatients with avalid Medicare card. Call ourreception team or book online.
Castlemaine Police Leading Senior Constable Koby Buchan has warned residents to be awareofscams anddeception. Her warning comesafter three residents have been scammed out of large sums of money in the last three weeks.
"One person had $30,000 stolen and another person $17,000,"LSC Buchan told the Express.
"Each of the scams wasdifferent, so it's important, particularly forolder residents, to be awareofwhattodo."
LSC Buchan said one of the residents received acall from someone claiming to be from Telstra, asking the person to move
"Theywerevery convincing with ID numbersand quoting addresses,"she said.
"Another asked the person to put their cards in their letterboxfor someone to collect."
LSCBuchan advised residents to make suretheynever gave away personal or bank details.
"Banks will neverask to remote into your computer or foryou to upload apps," she said.
"Ifyou geta call from an unknown caller,hang up and call your bank and never use the details provided by the caller."
Formoreinformation or to report a scam,visit: www.scamwatch.gov.au
Speaking up against censorship
Jade Jungwirth
High-profile Palestinian-Australian academic and author Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, who wasatthe centre of this year'sboycottatthe BendigoWritersFestival, is coming to Castlemaine on November 20 forwhathas been described as 'A nightof solidarity and speaking up against censorship'.
Amulti-award-winning author of 12 books and Future Fellow in the DepartmentofSociology at Macquarie University,Sydney, Dr Abdel-Fattah wasscheduled to appear on apanel titled 'On Reckonings' discussing her newnovel Discipline during the popular writers' festival.
Twodaysbeforethe festival opening, Bendigo City Council senta code of conduct advising participants to 'avoid languageortopicsthatcould be considered inflammatory,divisiveordisrespectful' It also required guest speakersatthe La Trobe University-sponsored sessions to comply with La Trobe's anti-racism plan, which included acontroversial definition of antisemitism,implementedas part of changes made by Universities Australia in February
Board director opportunities
Theaction waspromptedbya letter sentby5A(Australian Academic AllianceAgainst Antisemitism)raising concerns about Dr Abdel-Fattah's invitation to discuss her newbook, which draws on themes relatedtothe warinGaza.
Afterreceiving the code of conduct, Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah and Goorie and Kooripoet, editor and educatorEvelyn Araluen both withdrew from the festival. They were joined by morethan 50 speakerswho boycottedthe event.
Sharing her withdrawal letter on Instagram, Dr Abdel-Fattah wrote, "Ata time when journalists arebeing permanently silenced by Israel’sgenocidal forces, it is incomprehensible thata writers’ festival should also seek to silencePalestinian voices”.
The Minist f Health, the Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas MP, is pleased to
At 7pm on ThursdayNovember 20, at the TheatreRoyal, Dr Abdel-Fattah will be in conversation with Australian-Palestinian writer and educatorMicaela Sahhar to discuss her newnovel
Described as 'blistering and brilliant', Discipline confrontsuncomfortable realitiesof what’satstake when people speak truthtopowerand theugly truths about thesacrifices people arewilling to makeinpursuit of what is right.
Dr Abdel-Fattah will be joined in conversation withEvelyn Araluen and Gunditjmara, KeerraayWoorroong, Djab Wurrung woman and former member of the FirstPeoples Assembly of Victoria, SissyAustin.
As a direct ou will be doing more than just contributing time or knowledge. Being appoint position of leadership, accountability acr
Hosted by Micaela Sahhar,thisdiscussion will examinehow censorship is operating today, howinstitutional languagemasks complicity,and howtosafeguard intellectual rigour, artistic freedom, and democratic principles in thefaceofsystemic silencing.
Applicants ar elected f their capabilities, including personal and oria or, within ds
While Victorian public health boards are based on capabilities, boards ar ent the richness of Nations people, people living with a dis div equality, and upholding human rights. We ticularly int ested in hearing from candidates with
Dr Randa-Abdel-Fattah. Photo:MacquarieUniversity
Fire danger periodsdeclared
Thefiredanger period forthe Macedon Ranges and MountAlexander shirecouncils will begin November 17 at 1pm
TheCountry Fire Authority declares the firedanger period foreach municipalityatdifferenttimes in the lead up to the fireseason. It depends on theamountofrain, grassland curing rateand other local conditions.
Anyone who breaches aTotal Fire Bandeclaration is subject to heavy legal penalties including large fines and even imprisonment.
Fordetails on whatyou canand can't do during this time, visit the website: cfa.vic.gov.au
Chance to name mascot
As part of the Lions Romsey Skatepark Upgrade, Romsey Primary School students have the opportunity to name the project's mascot
Thekoala has been designed by Kyle Brightside from CreativeSparks Projects who also is engaging with Romsey young people to co-design and paintnew murals on the toiletblocks at the park. If youare between the ages of 14-24 and areinterestedinbeing part of this project, email kyle@creativesparksprojects. org Places arelimited so register now.
or areserving in
open to anyone who would liketobecome a member
asocial level.Download the form online or see our friendly
amember. Everyone is welcome at your local RSL.
RomseyPrimarySchool principal MelStewart with students (fromleft)Evie, Oliver,Astinand Layla
Passion project nears completion
AmyHume
AModel TFordtruck will celebrate its 100th birthdayinJanuary with anew purpose to promote men'shealth across the Macedon Ranges.
It's restoration has been abig project for the Romsey Men'sShed sincelocal identity Doug Newnham donatedthe vehicle two and ahalf yearsago
Theproviso wasthatitberestored to its original working condition and remain with the Romsey Men'sShed.
Abareskeleton, the vehicle required muchwork, but members accepted the challengewithgreat enthusiasm.
Shed member,ex-Army Reservemechanic Jeff Smith, said it had been an enjoyable project thathad broughtpeople together
"Some aspectshavebeenareal effort, but with patienceand the righttools and knowledge, we have been able to achieve this, and we areontrack fora January reveal,"hesaid.
Jeff is one of four keyshed members steering the restoration, alongside Paul Green, John Freestone andMick Purtill. Each have offeredtheir ownareaofexpertise andskills.
Detailed research has been an essential part of the project as well as sourcing rare parts and connectingwith fellow T-Model Ford enthusiasts who have shared their knowledge.
Features of thevehicle nowinclude handmade steel brackets, reconstructed wooden wheel spokes, customised wooden tray, RomseyMen's Shed maroon cabin paint, and its original bonnetand guards restored to near perfection.
Therestoration is nowalmost complete Final stages areinstalling a1920s style upholstered seat, gold sign-writing and the vehicle's floor, which areall well under way.
This project has certainly achievedone the shed'smainobjectives of bringing people together and sharing skills. Romsey Men's Shed is anot-for-profit association that supports men's mental health by providing a meeting placewheremen can come together and work shoulder to shoulder
Sincethe project began, community membershaveshared old images of the
Model TFordtruck in its former glory with the Men'sShed. It has revealed the vehicle's birthdaywas about January 1926. Membersaim to have the restoration completedbythatdatefor abig reveal. It is then hoped the vehicle will be regularly out in the community to help raise awareness of the Men'sShed and the importanceofmen's health.
RomseyMen’s Shed’sJeff Smith, Paul Green, John Freestoneand Mick Purtill arepictured with the Model TFordtruck.
Butterworth paints Beer in portraitchallenge
AmyHume
Kynetonartist Daniel Butterworth has capturedchefand Australian icon Maggie Beer in aonce-in-a-lifetime portrait challenge.
He wasone of the first contestants on the ABC's Australian Portrait Artist of the Year programthataired on November 2.
Notknowing who the celebrity sitter wasuntil picking up his paintbrush, Butterworth said he washappy to see it was Maggie Beer
"I have alot of respect forMaggie. She'sanassettothe country.She wasthe most positive, bubbly person. It wasgood fun,"hesaid.
Butterworth wascompeting against eightother artists in afour-hour challenge but managed to producetwo portraits of Maggie during thesitting: aclose up of Maggie's face and afullfigure.
He selected the close portrait forthe final judging.
"I washappy about whatIdid,"hesaid.
"Therewas alot of respect forthe way Iwork. Therewerea lotofdifferentmediums being used and some people gridding up their work. Ijust threwitstraight on.It wasgood funand greattobepart of."
Of course, Butterworth wasworking with his signature housepaintwitha cardboardcanvasonthe day.
"It'sa good medium,"hesaid. "I use house paintand theway thatitglides overthe cardboardisgreat
"A lotofpeople don't realise thatthere have been alot of greatworks produced throughout history on cardboard."The well-recognised Edvard Munch's The Scream (1893) is one such work.
Butterworth features on episode one of the Australian Portrait Artist of theYear series, which can be viewedonABC iView.
Kynetonartist Daniel Butterworth wasone of the firstartists to featureonthe ABC’sAustralian Portrait Artist of the Year
Butterworth paintedMaggie Beer’sportrait with his signaturemedium
Repair Café making adifference
TheCastlemaine RepairCaféhas been breathing newlife into belovedbrokenknick-knacks, appliances and clothing and keeping these items outofour local landfill sinceApril2017.
TheMountAlexander Sustainability Group initiativewas kick-started by agroup of residents from Castlemaine and surrounds who wanted to create aspacewherepeople could extendthe life of household items instead of throwing them away Over the past eightyears theyhavesaved approximately 4023 kilograms of wastefromlandfill.
Castlemaine RepairCaféspokesperson Chris Hooper said Repair Caféswerefor repairing, butalsofor collaboration, volunteering, afriendly placetodropintoand ashared commitmenttoa sustainable future.
"Theyprovidepeople with aplace to gather and work on repairing everydayitems suchaslamps, vacuum cleaners, toasters, mechanicaldevices, computers, bicycles and clothing,"she said.
"Repair Cafésare typically held at community locations and deviceownerscan watchand maybe help the volunteer repairers.Theyaim to reducewasteand overconsumption and reignitethe do-it-together and do-it-yourself spirit."
Learn basic bicycle maintenanceorhow to sewonamachine. Join the Mending Circle and learn to darn those woolies, makenew crocheted clothes or repaircrochet, hand sewetc or if you'reexperienced come along and swap tips.
Maybe getApple Macadvice.
Have small fiddly things likejewellery looked at.Broken small wooden items repairedand knives sharpened. TheCafé is on the last Sundayofthe month from January to November MASGhas manyterrific projects happening, including the BrightSparksProgram (info about going all electric)and the Retrofit Program(making older houses climate ready).They're alwaysopen to newpeople as volunteersand anyone interested can contact Kerrily on 0489 151 682 or development@ masg.org.au.
Join thecycle
Thejourney of your 10-centcontainers
Ever wondered whathappens to your drink cans, bottles and cartons afteryou return them fora 10-centrefund through Victoria’s Container DepositScheme?
With National Recycling Week (November 10–16) around the corner,CDS Vic shares howevery returned container helps power Victoria’s circular economy.
This year’stheme, Join the Cycle, perfectly aligns with the mission of CDS Vic: keeping eligible drink containersinthe recycling loop so they can be remade into newproducts, said Marianne Doyle, interim chiefexecutiveof scheme coordinatorVicReturn.
“Recycling eligible drink containersmeans fewervirgin materials areneeded to makenew bottles and cans, reducing our impact on the environment,”she said.
Therecycling process begins when Victorians return their drink containersatone of the hundreds of refund points across the state.Theyare then sorted by material typeand senttorecycling facilities to be processed back into new products. Here’s whereyour containersgonext:
Plastic bottles aresortedbymaterial type (PET, HDPE andothers) andrecycled at facilities in Victoria. They’re cleaned, shredded into flakes, melted down and turned into pellets, then used to makenew products.
at
“Glass can be infinitely recycled, so returning your glass bottles through CDS Vic helpsconserveour natural resources,”MsDoyle said.
Aluminium cans arebailed before being shipped overseas to be reprocessed into aluminiumcoils. These arereturned to Australia wheretheyare used to makenew drink cans.
Sincelaunching in November2023, CDS Vic has helped Victorians recycle more, reducelitter and keep valuable materials out of landfill. Victorians have returned 2.3 billion drink containers, earning $230 million in refunds.
Every small action helps
KynetonTransition Hubispart of the worldwide Transition Town Movement, which wasformed in 2005 to help communities to develop local self-sufficiency and resilienceand to lessen their dependenceonfossil fuels.
KTH has focused particularly on local food production and we have aproduceswapstall at Kyneton FarmersMarket each month(except forthe three wintermonths),aswell as KynetonBackyard Growers,who grow producefor and run the Sunday morning Veggie Shareatthe Lions kiosk.
Growing food locally is one wayofreducing wasteand food kilometres and another wayis recycling.
"Atour farmersmarketstall, we have acollection pointfor items that can't go in our recycling bins but arerecycled by acompanycalled TerraCycle," said spokesperson NeaGyorffy
"Theybreak these items down into their componentpartsand process them into usable materials
"The items we collect areempty medication blisterpacks,household batteries, plastic bread tags, shaving gear (e.g.disposable razors), writing materials (pens, pencils etc.) and small plastic lids. Youcan also takethese itemstothe Sustainable Malmsbury stall at MalmsburyFarmersMarket."
Visit the Kyneton Transition Hubstall at the KynetonShowonSaturdayNovember 15 where therewill be free vegetable seedlings forchildren and ideas on sustainable gardening.
Glass bottles arecleaned and sorted by colour into glass cullet,
facilities in Victoria and SouthAustralia. Thecullet is then senttoglass manufacturing plants that use it in the production of newglass bottles and jars.
In Vogue at theKyneton Cup
Thevivid dresses,suits,watches, bucket hats andreflective sunglasses were allondisplayatthe track last Wednesday.
Left: TheLadyofthe Day (pictured centre) standsnexttothe runner up (left) and BestMillinery (right).
Right: The Express’pick forbest in show.
Above: Contenders for best dressed couplecontest walk the runway.
Right: These twogentlemen travelled from the other side of Melbourne to takepart in the fashionside of the day.
Right: Best matesgive their takeon fashion.
An unforgettable nightoffeel-good music
Olivia Bluemore
Blues Guitar Roadshow 'Ensemble Spectacular' is coming to Castlemaine this SaturdayNovember 15 at the TheatreRoyal after touring around the country with its lineup of some of Australia’s best musicians.
Established performerslikeGeoff Achison, who has acareer spanning three decades, as well as newerartists such as Kathleen Halloran, an emerging artist with acaptivating stagepresencepaired with bold and meaningful lyrics.
Other performersinclude TheMcNaMarr Project, made up of Andrea Marr and John McNamara, who have received global attention fortheir music, DaveHole, ahighly skilled slide guitarist praised by Metallica’s Kirk Hammettwho claimed he was“Oneof his favouriteguitarists”, as well as Anna Scionti, Wilbur Wilde, BrettGarsed and Shane Gilbert.
Theshowhas been playedtosold-out crowdsacross the country and received standing ovations and hugepraise.
Each artist gets their ownchanceinthe spotlightbeforetheyall come together at the end forthe 'all-star jam’when theywill perform as one.
Theaudiencecan expectashowfilled with energy and connection, plus maybe even the chanceoftaking home asigned guitar
RSPCA Victoria and CFAare calling on Victorians to include pets in their bushfiresurvival plans, as Victoria facesanincreased risk of fires this summer,especially in drought-affected areas.
Petownerscan save valuable timeinfireemergencies by having bedding, food and waterready to go fortheir furry friend.
RSPCA Victoria head of prevention, Rebecca Cook,highlighted the importanceofincluding pets in bushfiresurvival plans.
“Planning foremergencies is part of lifeinVictoria, and is critical during thesummer months,”MsCook said.
“We’re urging everyone to makesuretheir pets areincluded in their FireReady plans in placeahead of what could be avery dangerous fireseason this year
“Anemergency kit with medication, photosorscans on your phone of importantdocuments likevaccination certifications, and updatedcontact details on microchips and collars, arejust some of the items to prepareinadvance.
“Including your pets in your FireReady plans increases the chances of youand your petmaking it to safety in an emergency situation.”
CFAchiefofficer Jason Heffernan said the finer details matteredwhen preparing abushfireplan.
"Everyone should alwaysprioritise their ownsafety, however your bushfireplan isn’t fully complete unless it accounts foryour pets,"MrHeffernan said.
"When building your plan, think aboutwhatyourpetswill eat and drink, necessary medications, howyou transport them,and whereyou aretakingthem.
"Onceyour kit is prepared, keep it in an easily accessible place, with towels and woollen blanketsonhand to protect pets during the journeyand help keep them as cool as possible.
"Lastly,microchipping your pets foreasyidentification and ensuring your phone number is visible on their collar will help youget reunited sooner in case youget separated.”
Forhorses and livestock, aseparateplan is required.
"Ifyou aren’t able to evacuatelivestock, alarge,well-grazed, and fenced area away from roadswheretheycan move freely with access to water,would be the safest place forthem," Mr Heffernan said.
"A late evacuation will putyou and your animals at risk; Make sureyou’reprepared."
Go to rspcavic.org/emergencyplanning or cfa.vic.gov.au/planprepare/before-and-during-a-fire/pets-and-bushfires forhelp making your emergency plan this summer
Theall-star jam will be ahighlight.
Local warveterans will be honoured for their serviceinalarge muralnow in progress at Woodend RSL
Five yearsinthe making, the mural captures significantmoments from Australian warhistory spanning decades, including the images of severallocal warheroes.
"It'sasnapshotofthe people who have served thathavehad aWoodendconnection overthe years,"immediate past Woodend RSL presidentJohn McCausland said.
"When people in the community look closely they'll realise that thereare people pictured thattheyknow."
Thelocal artist behind the work is Chris 'Roy'Taylor and Macedon Ranges Signs has also helped bring the artwork to life.
John McCausland himself is one of those pictured. He served with the United Nations peacekeeping operations in India/ Pakistan and the Middle East 1974-75. He wasWoodend RSL presidentfrom2022 to 2024.
Ellen 'Nellie'Horan, trained at the KynetonHospital, in 1916 joined the Australian Medical Corps and wasone of the first Australian Nursing Sisterstobeposted overseas (Bombay)
Local residents mayknowSydneyAllan Johnson as Woodend'sfirst scoutmaster He enlisted in 1915 and served in Egypt and France. He wasa regular correspondentwiththe Woodend Star and became a founding member of the Victorian Farmers Union.
WordsSydneywrote home to his family in 1917 area featureofthe mural: "I think Ihavelearned muchinthis greatexperienceand IknowI have learned to appreciateWoodend"
James Daniel enlisted into the Artillery in 1940 and served in Palestine during that invasion of Syria. He returned home to run Daniel'sGrocery StoreatWoodend.
Alfred Tate enlisted in the RoyalAustralian Navy in 1942 and served on numerous shipsinthe defenceofthe northern approaches to Australia. He returned to a dairy farm at Hesket
Marie Morrow enlisted in the Australian Women's Army Servicein1942. SheservedatLand Headquarters in Melbourne. With her family,she operated atimber and hardwarebusiness at Woodend.
James 'Jimmy' Goble wasWoodend stationmaster in 1915. He enlisted for
pilottraining with the RoyalAir Force, then flewanti-submarine patrols overthe English channel and then in support of the ground battles on the Somme, being awarded DSC and DSO.Heassisted with the creation of the RoyalAustralianAir Forceand served as AirViceMarshall in World WarII. He wasthe first pilot to circumnavigate Australia.
Frank Donovanservedasa combat medic with DCoy 5RAR in Vietnam, 1966-67. He wasWoodend RSL president 2008-9.
Alan Mitchell Lappinserved with2 Commando CompanyGroup in Afghanistan in 2009-10. He wasawarded witha Commendation forGallantry
Themural also includes an Australian foot patrol at Tobruk in 1941, Light horsemen charging towardsBeersheba, Iroquois helicopters,Spitfirefighter aircraft, significantflora, the Woodend Clock Tower, andMountMacedon Memorial Cross
Theproject had state government funding through the Victoria Remembers programand wasalsosupported by Woodend RSL fundraising.
Immediate past Woodend RSL presidentJohnMcCausland is pictured beside the mural thatisnow in progress.
Welsh choir brings carols to Kyneton
TheGeelong Welsh Ladies Choir is bringing aChristmasconcert to Kynetonon Sunday.
JeanetteJohn, the choir’shighly experiencedmusical director,isfamiliar to locals. In November 2023 the Choir gave abeautiful concert in Gisborne to afull house. In November 2024 Jeanetteco-led Kyneton Sings Praises —anexceptionally inspirational gymanfa ganu. And350 people attended!
In consort with their accomplished accompanist Elizabeth Maher,the Choir’s 2025 concert includes exquisitesettingsin three-part harmonyofvarious well-known Christian carols and severalless familiar carols too—somejoyous, otherstender,some sung in Welsh. Alittle audienceparticipation also –afew carols to singalong.
Thesupport act is aviolin, harp and French horn trio —Rachel Williams, Elizabeth Maher and Alexander Maher
KynetonCelebrates Christmas will be held at 2pm on SundayNovember 16 at OurLady of the Rosary Church, 53 Ebden Street Arriveearly fora seat. Afterwards, afternoon teaisinthe church hall. Sandwiches provided. Contributions of cakes, slices, fruit plattersetc very welcome. Gold coin/s donation.
Digital devicechanges forprimary schools
Parentswill no longer need to provide digital devices forprimary school students as the Victorian Governmentshiftsthe requirementtoschools.
Deputy Premier and Minister forEducation BenCarroll announced last month that schools would be required to provide access to tabletsand laptops forstudents to useat school. To furthersupport studentlearning and engagement, screen time limits will also be introduced to all schools.
Astatement released last month said thechanges would be phasedingradually to support schools’transition to thenew arrangements.
From 2027, primary schools will benefit from updatedguidancetohelp setsensible limits on deviceuse in the classroom. Primary schools will be required to limit digital deviceuse to amaximumof90minutesper day forstudents in yearsthree to six, andminimal devicetime forthose in prep to year two.
Thenew time limits aim to promote purposeful technology use, reduceoverexposure to screens and help students stayfocused and engaged.
Newguidanceand support materials will be distributed to schoolsinterm one next year to help schools plan lessons using digital devices. This guidancewill ensurethatstudents learn essential digital literacy skills, while reducing distractions in the classroom.
TheGeelong WelshLadies Choir is bringing aChristmas concert to Kyneton.
World-classguitarduo in Woodend
Get readyfor an unforgettable afternoon of world-class music in Woodend!
Internationally-acclaimed Australian guitaristsZiggy and Miles Johnston arereturning home to Australia and will perform aspecial concert that promises virtuosic playing, warmth and captivating artistry
Nowbased in NewYork, the Johnston brothershavebeen hailed fortheir “deeply considered musicianship, immaculate care and superlativetechnique” (5MBS). Winnersofthe 2023 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, they arerapidly earning areputation as twoofAustralia’s finest young musicians on the global stage.
Their Woodend concert draws inspiration from their time in NewYork City,showcasing the guitar duo’s signature strengths— intuitiveinterplay, seamless unity and the remarkable abilityto conjurethe depth and colour of afull orchestra.
At the heart of the programis Sidekick,a playful andpowerful newwork by Australian composer Katie Jenkins, writtenespecially forthe brothers. Jenkins capturestheir spirited dynamic perfectly, describing the piece as one that“makes fun of each other but needs each other—theycompete withone another but arestronger together”
Audiences will also be treatedtoZiggy and Miles’exquisite arrangementofClaudeDebussy’s Suitebergamasque,which finds newlifeonthe guitar,highlighting its intimacy and shimmering tonal palette. Theconcert opens with Astor Piazzolla’s fiery Tango no.1: Deciso andcloseswith Radamés Gnattali’s SuiteRetratos—two masterpieces of Latin American guitar music thatcelebratepassion, rhythm and freedom of expression.
When: Saturday, November 15 at 2.30pm
Where: St Ambrose Church, Woodend
Allprofits from thisconcert will go directly to supporting the Woodend Winter ArtsFestival, helping organiserstocontinue to bring exceptional music, art, and ideas to thecommunityeachyear Experiencethe magic of twoextraordinary musicians at the heightoftheir craft—in the heart of Woodend.
Book early—this is one concert nottobemissed! www.woodendwinterartsfestival.org.au
HOWITWORKS
•Onthe back of your card therewillbe5 puzzle pieces to collect.
•Eachpiece will be numbered 1–5
•Collect your card from anyofthe participatingbusinesses in your town,orMidlandExpress & CastlemaineMailoffices
•Eachpuzzle piece will appear on apage in the Midland Express commencing Tuesday11th November untilTuesday 9th December 2025
•Collect all5pieces and pasteorstick on the back of the card.Oncecompleteddropthe card into 3MarketStreetKyneton or post to PO Box153 KynetonVic 3444 or alternativelydropitinto 13 Hargraves Street,Castlemaine or post to PO Box227,Castlemaine Vic3450.
•Entriesclose by 5pmMonday 15th December 2025
•The Christmascardpromotion willbedrawn on Wednesday17thDecember @12noonand all winnerswill be notified by phone
•Eachbusiness will have aflyer in theirwindowtoshow that they arepartofthis promotion,during the promotional time
TERMSAND CONDITIONS
Must be the originalticket(no photocopiedcards)Enter as often as youlike. Each business that participates will be requiredtodisplay aflyer in theirwindowfor thepromotionalperiod.Promotionwilltakeplace from Tuesday11thNovember andprizesdrawn on Wednesday 17th December 2025 @12noon. Allmoneytobespent backatthe participating businesses.The prize moneywon canbedivided betweenbusinesses.Voucher amountswill be aminimumof*$100 andwill be limitedasper management discretion. No staff or family of staff to enterthe competitionand all rightswillbeatthe management of ElliottMidland Newspapersdiscretion.All winnerswill be notified by phone.Discretion of businesses regarding spending of vouchers
Poetry at thelibrary
Local poets Ross Gillett and Anne Gleesonwill be presenting their stories and poems in the KynetonLibrary at 2pm on ThursdayNovember 20.
Twenty yearsago,Anne and Ross metata poetry conferenceinWollongong and began working together,meeting every threeweeks to sharetheir poems and listen to thecritique of the other.Two decades later, theyare stillsharing their passion forpoetry
At this event, Ross and Anne will talk aboutthe people and places thatmattermost to them and present some poems thathaveevolved from these preoccupations. Afterthe reading therewill be timefor questions about the poems or whatitmeans to livelifeasa writer Allwelcome but the library does value bookings 5422 1365.
Ziggy and Miles Johnston
Photo: Romer Pedron
Small Batch Artist Cards
Fair to delight
Buda Historic Home and Garden is gearing up to host its much-anticipatedTraditional Arts Fair this SundayNovember 16.
This eventisa must for anyone interested in traditional arts, cookingand gardening, all inspired by the spirit of the Levinydaughters.
You’ll findanimpressive variety of crafts, from intricate embroidery or printmaking to the moreunexpected delights of sock making and tinsmithing.
Whether you’reaseasoned crafter, gardener or cheforjust curious, there’ssomething here foreveryone.
No fairiscomplete without delicious food,and Buda’s Traditional Arts Fair is no exception. Indulgeinhandcrafted icecream, sip on freshly brewed coffee, or treatyourself to agourmet barbecue or laksa.
TheBuda Traditional Arts Fair will boast arangeoftraditionalart,craft, produceand more.
Threestages will host free demonstrations, with individual demos at each stall to getyou up close and personal with the crafts.
Roving musicians will keep the atmospherelively,and this year’sspecial guest artist in residence, DjaDja Wurrung, Bangerang artist AuntyKerri Douglas will add an extratouch of magic bringing us all in on her weaving adventure.
Thereare also magnificentitems up forraffle and Buda’s famous homemade produce.
To topitall off, Buda’s tour guides will be conducting guided toursata discounted pricefor one dayonly
Andlet’s notforgetthe kids! Therewill be plentyofactivities to keep the little ones entertained. At only $5 foradultsand free forkids, Buda’s Traditional Arts Fair is shaping up to be an unforgettable event.
Classiccars cruise in
TheTrentham Cool Country Classics Car Club is again hosting its annual Show and Shine eventfor 2025 at the historic Trentham Railway Station this coming Sunday.
CCCT club memberscollectively owna significantnumber of classic, vintageand veteranvehicles including cars, trucks, motorcycles and tractors, manyofwhich have been part of the history of the region for morethan 100 years.
Theclubwelcomes ownersofall classic, vintageand veteranvehicles to display at their Show and Shine. Displayvehicle entry is from 9am and publicentry from 10am, coffee and barbecue food will be available. Entry is by gold coin donation withproceeds going to local community groups.
Prodduction to delliver big-hearted laughter
Castlemaine’s theatrescene has long been known forits fearless creativity,fromsell-out shows at the FringeFestival that tackled tough topics head-on, to the lovingly handcraftedproductions thatmakeaudiences laugh, cry and think.
This month, Castlemaine TheatreCompanycontinues that tradition with PieceofMind,a sharp and heartfelt comedy by acclaimed Melbourne playwright Emma Wood, directed by Stephen Mitchell.
Opening this FridayNovember 14 and running until November 30 at the CTCEtty Street PerformanceStudio, Piece of Mind brings together astellar local cast –Jan Cook,Laura Elliott, Jennie McKern, Carolyn Palmer,KateStones and Michael Uniacke– in astory that’sfunny, intriguing, alittle odd and yetoh-so-familiar
Theplayfollows long-suffering nurses Gwen and Allie, who, with retirementand financial insecurity looming, decide to launch abusiness venturethat’sparttherapy, part farce: apeaceful parlour wherecouples can rent acoffin by the hourtoliterally “get things offtheir chest”
What starts as acleverway to make ends meetsoon spirals into chaos involving cross-generational clashes, eccentric clients and aformidable octogenarian auntwith deep pocketsand even deeper opinions.
Also on showisthe historic Trentham station precinct with the station buildings and vintagerolling stock, which arebeing gradually restored by volunteersfromthe Trentham Rail and TramwayAssociation.
An eventfor the whole family and agreat reason to visit Australia’s topTinyTourism Town 2025 Trentham on Sunday, November 16!
Andthen there’sthe coffin… Howdoyou makea comedy with acoffin?
Well, that’sjust Tuesdayfor thisproduction! At its heart, PieceofMind is about lifelong friendships, resilienceand the sometimes ridiculous ways people try to find meaning in life’slater chapters
“It’saquirky comedy thatstill manages to tackle universal themes —ageing, money worries, difficult relationships and thevitality of women’sfriendships,”saysdirector Stephen Mitchell.
Grab your ticket at www.castlemainetheatrecompany.com
Castlemaine TheatreCompany’sKateStones (asGwen), Jennie McKern (asAllie) and LauraElliott(as Tess)will start in CTC’sPieceofMind, which opens Friday
Photo:Diana Domonkos
More information on Facebook –Cool Country Classics Car Club.
Classic, vintageand veteranvehicles will be on show in Trentham on Sunday.
@ YourOPINIONS
Locals have to pay
S. Sutherland, Gisborne
Macedon Ranges residents be warned: if youwanttovisit Hanging Rock!
1. It will cost you$15 per car to enterthe reserve(up from $10 this year –a 50 per cent increase!).
2. Bring your ownwater –asthe cafe won'tsupplyany and youwill have to buy some bottled water.
3. Thesecond edition of the council's ShireLife newsletter each year contains a free entry voucher on the back page. Don't forget to save it. It gives local residents one free visit each until the end of thatyear
4. Youcan't avoidthe entry fee, as walkins, bikes and motorbikes areall charged$5 each.
5. It used to be thatifyou visited the Rock and purchased food from the cafe youwould geta tokentolet youout, but no more. Twolocal friends went therefor a birthdaylunch this week, but won'tbedoing thatagain!
If youdon't agree with this let your local councillorsknow.
Fair go for
country brigades
Leigh Harry, CFAVolunteersGroup Inc
As Victoria braces forwhatthe CFA warns could be adangerous fireseason, country brigades arepreparing forlong days,sleepless nights, and tough conditions —often with ageing trucks, limited funding, and growing pressureonvolunteers.
Outhereinthe country,the CFAisn’t
SUPER QUIZ?
Local knowledge (1 point)
1. Whoconducts thelocal ‘DavyWriters Prize’?
2. Local MP Georgie Purcell represents which political party?
3. IAmSomeone has just senta shipping container filled withessentials to which country?
4. What milestone has KynetonFarmers Market celebrated this year? (3 points)
5. What were thenames of the twostunt horses from Newham who were flagbearersatthe CoxPlate? General
6. Splitisacity in which country?
7. WhovoicesJoy in the 2015 cartoon film
Out? 8. Whodirected the 2010 film Inception? 9. Thefollowing areall types of what: schooner,brigantine, barque and bowrider? (3 points)
10. Adam Caporn is the head coachof which Australian sportsteam?
just an emergency service— it’spart of the community.We’re theneighbours, farmers, andlocal workerswho train, turn out, and fund-raise to keep our towns safe.But as fireseasons grow longer and conditions worsen, the strain on rural brigades is real. Many still operatewith outdatedgear,long travel distances fortraining, and fewervolunteers. We don’t expect special treatment —justa fairgo.
One-size-fits-all policies don’t work for the bush. What suits acity brigade doesn’t alwaysfit afarming district wherethe next truckmightbe20+ kilometres away.Country brigades need country solutions —fair funding, modernequipment, and training thatmatches ourreality
Afairgofor country brigades isn’t just about equity —it’sabout keeping every Victorian communitystrong,safe, and ready forwhatlies ahead.
Largely an illusion
Rhonda Maie Pryor, Ascot Vale
I’mnot aresidentofMalmsbury,but I spend manyofmydayshereand have come to know anumber of people in this interesting and diverse community
Last nightIattended ameeting called by the StateJusticeDepartmentabout the reopening of the Juvenile JusticeDetention Centre.The meeting, accompanied by asausage sizzle, washeld in frontofthe building. Jodie, the Department’srepresentative, wasdifficult to hear,and no effort had been made to provide amicrophone or other means of communication forthose attending. As aresult, most people could not followthe discussion or could only make out fragmentsofwhatwas said.
Afterthe meeting Ibecame curiousand spentsome time this morning reading about the history of the centre and the reasons for its closure twoyearsago.The reports paint atroubling picture: chronic understaffing, questions aboutthe qualityofmanagement, an over-representation of FirstNations kids, and—remarkably—the useofthe facility in 2023 forthe filming of aGuy Pearce movie, during which the young people were locked in another section of the building to allow filming to proceed. That incidentreportedly led to ariot.
These areimportantbackground issues. Thebroader contextincludes the recent overflowinthe youthdetention system following changes to Victoria’s bail laws in August—changes thatmay have been made forreasons of political expediency and the government’sre-election strategy.All of this deserves closer examination.
My maintakeawayfromthe meeting, however, concerned the background of the older young peoplewho will be incarcerated at Malmsbury. Iamretired now, but in a previous lifeI worked with peoplecarrying a lifetime of trauma. From whatIcould make out of Jodie’s address, the young peopleto be housed in the reopened centre will be older and almost all will have experienced significanttrauma. Jodie mentioned that it wasunclear whether existing centralVictorian mental healthserviceswould provide support, or whether dedicatedmental-health professionals would be assigned to work with these young people.
During the meeting, locals asked arange of questions, butIdid nothear anyone ask wheretheycould read about the general background of those who will be transferred to Malmsbury, or the rationale behind their placement—obviously without
breaching confidentiality.The most pressing question, left unanswered,was this: given these young people’s traumatic histories, and the likelihood thatmanyare living with complextrauma, whyhas no comprehensive mental-healthplanbeenestablished before their transfer?
Afterall,itremains largely an illusion that Australia’s justicesystemiscommitted to genuine rehabilitation. From whatcould be deduced from last night’smeeting, these young people will requiresignificantand sustainedsupport. Without it,the reopening of Malmsburyrisks becoming notaplace of recovery,but another wound inflicted on those already deeply scarred.
We need public transport
Chris Hooper,Castlemaine
Iagree withJohn Ingram ('Aprime tourist railway attraction', Opinions,November 4) about the proposed biketrail along the Castlemaine Maryborough Rail line. If it were restored we could have passenger trains running on it.Thiswould be agreat tourist drawcardplus forlocals to getto regional towns easily.Itwould cutcars on roads, and the fossil fuels to powerthem. Iknowthatmanyofthe bridges need to be refurbished but the beautifulsolid rail bridgeoverthe Guildfordroad looks in perfect nick. When wasthatbuilt? Then rail wasabandoned forcar andtrucktransport Thebiketrail would also be atourist attraction and people riding bikes means healthier activities but don't we have afew biketrails now? Forexample, youcan follow the train line to Maldon on abike. Ijust think we need all the public transport we can get.
Encore lecture forlocal historian
By popular demand, respected local historian, teacher and author Ken McKimmie will presenttwo more public lecturesonearly Castlemaine township history at the Northern Arts HotelonNovember 21 and 28.
This lecturewas delivered at 'The AlchemyofGold' conferenceatCampbells Creek in May2025 to greatacclaim, and the conferenceorganisers Castlemaine Society Incare delightedtohost arepeatfor the public.
Theseating allocation forthe first session on FridayNovember 21 was exhausted shortly aftergoing live, but an encoresession has nowbeen scheduled forthe following FridayNovember 28toenable interested community membersthe chance to attend.
KenMcKimmie is the author of Chewton Then and Now and an expert on early MountAlexander township history
Hisrich collection of historical photographs of Castlemaine areregularly featured in our sister paper the Castlemaine Mail's 'Let's takea look back' column.
In this lecture, avast trove of early photographs and images areexpertly interpreted to demonstratethe developmentofCastlemaine from the Goldrush through to today.
Most photographs will be unknowntothe audience. AQ&A session will follow the lecture.This is arareopportunity nottobemissed! Doorsopen 7pm fora 7.30pm start
Allare welcome. Attendees areasked register forthisfreeevent as spaces arelimited. Visit: events.humanitix.com/selected-v-iews-of-the-mountalexander-goldfields-a-public-lecture-by-ken-mckimmie Alightsupper will be provided, with drinks at bar prices. Gold coin donations welcomed.
To find outmoreabout CASSOC –'Conserving the Character of Castlemaine', visit the websitecastlemainesociety.org.au
Local historian KenMcKimmie is settopresenthis encorelectureonearly photos of Castlemaine and surrounds, such as this imageofForestStreet.
MIDLAND Property &Living
Set along one of Castlemaine's most admired streets, Hillsvue is aVictorian home of light, character and quietsophistication.
Thebullnoseveranda, framed by sculpturalsucculents, hints at the craftsmanship within –high ceilings, polished baltic floorsand pressed metal detailing thattell astory of the home's 19th centuryorigins
Step inside and follow the hallway to theheart of the home, wherethe main living area opens up with warmth and light. Thecountry kitchen is both charming and functional, featuring agas cooktop, dishwasher and agenerous eat-in dining spacethatlooks out to the deck and garden beyond. Theadjoining loungeenjoys beautifulnorthern light, with acustom built-in bookshelf and direct access to theverandah andpatio –aninviting spotfor amorning coffee or eveningwind-down. On this levelare threecomfortable bedrooms, all with richperiod details including pressed metal walls, open fireplaces and timber dado panelling, echoing the home's enduring style.
Thefamily bathroom is spacious and well-finished, featuring alongtimber vanity,full bath and neutral tones. Thehome is fully insulatedand includes excellentbuilt-in storagethroughout, offering practical comfort in every season Downstairs, the home extends into aflexible and character-filled lower level. There'sa fourth bedroom, astudy/fifth bedroom, and asecond bathroom with laundry facilities, plusa uniquegarden room that opens directly to the outdoors.
Outside, the garden unfolds likea secret landscape– winding stone-edged paths weavethrough fruit trees, established plantings and productivewicking beds. It's both an ornamental havenand aworking garden, whereevery corner offers anew viewofbeautyand life, and the elevateddeckprovides the perfect vantagepointtoenjoyitall
This captivating single levelmodern farmhouse is positioned high on ahill at theend of atree-lined drive, creating agraceful entrancetoanidyllic setting. Generous proportions define beautifully renovatedinteriorsthatincorporatefivelarge bedrooms, or four plus a study,and three living areas, providing ample flexibility fora rangeoflifestyles and stages. A picturesque backdroptothe CobawState Forest and access via aquietlanewaypresents an ideal opportunityfor scenic horse rides, gentle strolls or adventuring with the family
Thebedrooms areall generously sized, withthe primary bedroom featuring awalk-in robe and ensuite. Twoadditional bedrooms come with plentiful bespokecabinetry and windowseats, and the fourth bedroom is vast and could double as achildren’s retreatasdesired. LuxuriousFrench oak engineered floorboards and NewZealand wool carpet together with stone benchtops, two-packjoinery and marble finishes punctuatethroughout the interior.Athirdliving connects to aseparatespace to suit growing families, and vast double glazed windows frame vistas of the surrounds with views across landscaped gardens and farmland. Awood heater features in the open plan living and atriple zoned Daikin reversecycle system provides comfort year round. Thekitchen is well equipped, featuring European appliances withintegrated dishwasher,dualovens and 900mm cook top. Thespacious walkin pantry allows forfurther storageand additional appliances.
Other features includethe family bathroom, awell-appointedlaundry/mudroom, concealed dry bar,and solar hotwater system. Outside aEuropean stone pavedcourtyard
together with the low-maintenancelandscaped gardens and lawns presentdifferentareas to entertain.
Thepropertyiscurrently running sheep with fenced paddocks offering options forvarious farming pursuits or possible agistment. Extensiveinfrastructureincludes alarge 18m x 9m shed with concrete floorand power, pony stables, potting shed, woodshed, substantial chicken coop andlarge double garagewith internal access. Thereis100,000L rainwater storagealong with aborethatservices the paddocksand afully automatedirrigation system to the gardens and lawns. Thereare also twodams and aseasonal creek, which ensures ample watersupply forstock.
Central Victoria – Yapeen - 380 Hectares / 940 Acres - Lifestyle, Grazing, Agriculture & Nature
‘Hilltop’ has been held by the Stuchbree Family for spanning 5
Lot has Homestead, Settlers’ Cottage, and extensive shedding. The brick for even Cottage circa 1870’s, can be privately let, providing another income stream.
Lot 2 would be a wonderful place to build a new homestead, with panoramic views. This lot has a Riparian Water Right to Campbells Creek and fertile creek flats for crop and fodder production.
Lot 3 is the largest of the allotments ooering cropping paddocks and
he farm is supplied by a well fronting Campbells Creek. There are
MIDLAND Property &Living
Grandeur amid landscaped perfection
Welcome to 'Thalgarrah',apropertythatembodies timeless eleganceand refined country living. Set on approximately 11.4 acres of rolling landscape, this magnificentproperty offers an opportunity to owna stylish home, additional cottages andextensiveinfrastructureall setwithin magnificently landscaped and curated gardens surrounded by rolling Australian eucalypt bushland.
Theestate unfolds across park-likegrounds framedbymajestic river redgums, granite bouldersand sweeping lawns. At its heart lies aseries of stunning landscaped gardens, whereclippedhedges, perennial borders, ornamental roses, nativeplantings, and stone walling create atapestry of colour and texture andahaven forbirdlife. Meandering stone paths lead to tranquil waterfeatures, including acascading stream thatflows into alarge pond alivewithbirdlife. An in-ground swimming pool, surrounded by asun-drenched terraceand pergola withornamental grapevine providing shade, offers aluxurious spacefor outdoor entertaining.
Step inside to discovera home thatcelebrates craftsmanship and light. High cathedral ceilings with painted timber cladding and beams soar above the open-plan living, dining and kitchen, while lead-lightlattice windows frame garden vistas at every turn.Agrand open fireplaceanchorsthe living space, creating warmth and character
Thecontemporary north-facing country kitchen is astatementinstyle, featuring sleek black tapware,anintegrated Miele dishwasher,Miele induction cooktopand an undermountoven.
Asecond living area/entertainmentroom has asoaring arched ceiling, built-in cupboards and aLopi wood heater. Frenchdoorsopentoaneast-facing private courtyard, aspace
perfect foryour morning coffee or quietreflection.
Themain house offers three beautifully appointedbedrooms, each designed to capture uninterruptedviews of the gardens. Twobedrooms featurewalk-in robes, while the spacious main includes built-in robes, aprivateensuite, and direct access to theoutdoors,aserene retreatfor relaxation. Thecentral bathroom is astatementofelegance, complete witha clawfootbath, shower, vanity andanangled skylightthatbathes the spaceinnatural light.
Adjacenttothe main house, the quaint'Gardener'sCottage' offers the perfect one-room home officeorfourth bedroom.
Theindependentperiod 'Caretaker'sCottageprovides privateguest quarters or Airbnb potential, complete with kitchen, dining, living, abedroom withfrench doorstothe garden, abathroom, carport and driveway.
Car lovers willappreciate the expansivebarn-style garagewith workshop, designed with privacy and functionality in mind. Featuringthree large doors, tintedwindows forsecurity,a hydraulic lifthoist,this spaceisideal formotor enthusiasts or collectors.
Property: ‘Thalgarrah’on11.4 acres
Address: 44 Bridgewater-Maldon Road,Maldon
Price: Expressions of Interest
Agent: Cantwell Property
Contact: TomRobertson 0473 642 644
Botanicalsanctuary with sweeping waterviews
Upon arrival at 545 Kyneton-Springhill Road,one is taken by surprise thatamongthis sparse and rather rocky,yet beautifularea, thereisanoasis of calm and solitude in themost magnificent botanic garden imaginable.
Of the 27 acres, thereare fivewell-fencedpaddocks and 8-10 acres of gardens. This propertyispart of the Open Gardens programand has been evolving sinceits inception more than 40 yearsago.The magnificentmature European trees and fotinias almost meetoverhead creating an avenue.Atthe end of this driveway thereis awell laid out cluster of garden sheds, chicken runs and green houses, strategically placed around the rambling kitchen garden of vegetables, orchardfruits, berries etc
Themain residenceisofsolid cream brick construction, and avery largeart studio and toilet(greatfor gardeners) is nearby.
An all-electric kitchen is warmed by aslow-combustion wood burner.Onthe ground floor thereisa sunroom, study,master bedroom, bathroom ane twofurther bedrooms. Up thesolid oak stairway arethree further bedrooms and abathroom withseparateshowerand toilet.
Outside aremultiple garden spaces and majestic trees and afully self-contained bungalowhas B&B potential. TheUpper Colibanisadjacentbordering the property likea hugelake. Enjoykayaking or fishing from your own privatebeach, just 10km from the centre of Kyneton.
Privately nestled on 8.64 hectares of exquisite gardens, ‘Hillcrest’ is aremarkable lifestyle propertyuniting natural beauty, thoughtful design and rural functionality.Close to Kyneton, Woodend and Daylesford, the five-bedroom residencefeatures generous proportions, high ceilings andexpansivedouble-glazed windows framing serenegardenvistas.
Pennington –Behind its early Victorian bluestone façade lies asignificant architectural renovation with refined interiorsbyStuart Rattle Blending heritage charm with contemporary sophistication, this remarkable residence is complemented by exquisitelandscaping, creating atimeless countryretreatdefined by elegance, craftsmanship and enduring style
semi-detached cottage offers acompelling dialogue between heritage and contemporary architecture. Nestled privately behind aleafy frontage, the home unfolds with spatial clarity and material richness, embracing light, texture, and adeep connection to nature.
3Ireland Street, Maldon Set in aprime position opposite the iconic Victorian
Railway Maldon Station, this period home on 644 sqm (approx.) offers ablend of character and potential. Elevated from the street, the property enjoys views from the front verandah, including glimpses of Mount Alexander in the distance.
this charming threebedroom period home blends timeless character with moderncomfort. The north-facing living room is filled with natural light and adjoins adining space and flows into the central kitchen. Asunny second living area opens via sliding doors to acovered alfresco
and
all on 640sqm (approx). Whether you’reseeking your first home, a savvy investment, or arenovation project, this threebedroom residence delivers on location, lifestyle, and opportunity
MIDLAND Property &Living
Arefined country estate withbreathtaking views
Set in one of MountMacedon's most picturesquepockets, 'Bellbird' is an exceptional five-bedroomresidencethatperfectly balances grandeur,warmth and nature.Spanning over 3.5 acres (approx.) of manicured grounds, it is ahome that embodies trueMountMacedon living; grand in scale, timeless in design and deeply connected to its surroundings.
From its striking clinker brick façade to thesoaring timberlined ceilings within, Bellbirdimmediatelyimpresses with its sense of proportion and presence.
Themain living and dining area is the heart of the home, framed by expansivefloor-to-ceiling windows thatcapture breathtaking views across the treetops toward the cityskyline.
Step through to the elevatedbalcony, the perfectplace fora quietmorning coffee or evening drinks, to sit back, relax andsoak in theambienceofthe bushland surrounds and the gentle song of nativebirds.
Multiple living zones, abilliardroom, built-in bar and open fireplaces makeentertaining effortless, while impressive finishes and naturalmaterials add authenticity and depth to every room.
Accommodation is generous and well zoned, featuring a luxurious main suite withdual walk in robes and aspa ensuite. Separate guest quarters, achildren's wing and adedicated study or fifth bedroom provide flexibility forfamilies or guests.
Modern comforts include zoned ductedheating and cooling, double glazed windows and extensivestorage throughout.
Outdoors, the property unfoldsintolush, manicured gardens framed by mature trees and sweeping lawns, all set against the tranquillity of MountMacedon's naturallandscape.
Property: Victorian cottage with delightful gardens
•Modern country charm meets luxury on 59 acres of timelessrural beauty
•Stylish 4-bedroom homestead with designer kitchen, and pool
•Complete lifestyle propertywith quality sheds,dams, and easy access to Bendigo.
ForSale
$1,325,000 View
Saturday15thNovember: 10:45am-11:15am
Narelle Waller |0408 571 131
RobWaller |0418 571 130
40AGreenhill Avenue, Castlemaine.
4 a 2 b 1 v 1260r
•Privatebrick home on 1,260m²ofestablished gardens just 500m from Castlemaine’s shops and cafés.
•Spacious 3-4bedroom layout with twoliving areas, ensuite, and north-facing deckfor entertaining.
•Practical extras include carport,sheds, veggie beds.
ForSale
$855,000 View
Saturday15th November: 12:15pm-12:45pm
RobWaller |0418 571 130
Blasi Mulholland |0417311 733
54 Specimen Gully Road, BarkersCreek.
2 a 1 b 2 v 4447r
•Charming 1940s home on 1acreoflushgardens, blending vintage characterwith moderncomfort.
•Two workshops, home office &solar power– ideal forhobbies, remote work,orsustainable living
•Peaceful location, close to Castlemaine,Harcourt &local amenities.
ForSale
$710,000 View
Saturday15th November: 10:45am-11:15am
Blasi Mulholland |0417311 733
RobWaller |0418 571 130
Scan to viewour currentlistings
Acreative sanctuary in nature
Step into aworld wherecreativity and nature come together at this one-of-a-kind Newstead property.
Lovingly handcraftedfrommud brickand recycled natural materials, this home radiateswarmth, character and soul. Every element–fromthe rustic timberposts to theorganic textures –tells astory,creating apeaceful havendeeply connected to its surroundings.
Thespacious open-plan living and dining area is bathed in naturallight, withsoaring timber ceilings and an earthyslate floor grounding the space. Agenerous sunroom provides aflexible area forcreativepursuits, ahomeofficeora welcoming family retreat.
Thekitchen blends seamlessly with the home’s rustic charm –not flashy, but functional and inviting, designed forcooking,
creating and connecting. Each bedroom has its ownpersonality: the master features abuilt-in robe, the second includes built-in shelving and the thirdoffersadelightful mezzanine reading nook.
Outdoors, the property rests on approximately three acres backed by natural bushland. Theland is well-fenced into two sections –one with adam plusafurther smaller yard at the rear of the homeisideal forpets. Thereare also single and double carports forconvenience.
Originally built as an artist’sstudio, the large outbuilding offers endless possibilities –use it forstorage,hobbies or as aworkshop. It includes araised platform accessed by atimber staircase, adding another creativedimension to thespace.
More than ahome, this is aliving pieceofart –asoulfulsanctuary ready to inspireits next creativecustodian.
Woodend 30 Morris Road
On 8512 sqft(791m2)
Amodest and unpretentious 1970s comfortable family home.
Ideally suited forafirst home buyer or entrylevel investment, accommodation includes entry, largesittingroom, kitchen/meals area, family living room,3large bedrooms,2 bathrooms,laundry, largegames/rumpus and study,plus attached garage,workshop and2 storerooms and good backyard and playspace
Inspection will probably surprise
Auction Saturday22November at 11am Reserve
Price$675,000
To viewcall John Keating 0419 880 444orRay Cashmore0419 851 334
Property: Unique Newstead home
Address: 23 Monash Street,Newstead
Price: $625,000
Agent: Property Plus Real Estate
Contact: Di Selwood 0488 148 358
Woodend 27 Corinella Road
Setting anew standardfor architectural design and sustainable living in Woodend
Thefirst 3detached townhouses in this superior qualityand landmark 13 dwelling projectbyaveryreputable local builder arenow completed and ready forinspection.
Varying in sizefrom169m2 to 182m2 (18sqs to 19.5sqs) included integratedgarages, each townhouse comprises brightopen roomsincluding twolarge bedrooms,large deluxekitchens,spacious dining/living spaces,2 bathrooms, laundryand an outdoor living area.
Price $1,250,000
Contact John Keating 0419 880 444 or RayCashmore0419 851 334
Road "Darjeeling"on11,000m2 (2 ¾ acres) With 2separatetitles
An exceptional property featuring astately 4/5 bedroomresidence set within one of the most beautiful gardens on MountMacedon. Theproperty features adetached guest accommodation unit, adetached games room, 3-car garage,tennis court, and is on 2separatetitles of 7,000 m2 and avacant4,000 m2 lot
Thegardens of Darjeeling arethe exceptionalfeatureand have been extensively renovated by the current owners,removing old stumps, maintenancepruning of the maturetrees andnew mass plantings of rare shrubs,bulbs and plants Auction Saturday6 December 2025 at 11am
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13
Blake Thomas turns 12
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14
Peyton Bright turns 12
NAME (PRINT)
Covering the Macedon Ranges and MountAlexander Shires
Castlemaine local, KenStewart,shows his in-ground worm farm setinaraised garden bed.
The Compost Conversation
Amoregrounded kind of worm farm
Whykeepour compost worms in abox when theyare probably happier in the ground? In-Ground Worm Farms do just this, bringing ourworms down into ourgardens.
Thesizeand shape of IGWFsvary greatly,but theyall sharethe same basic design. Thetop and access lid sit above garden levelwith theopenbottomand perforated lower sides buried into agarden bed. Unlike conventional ‘captive’ worm farms, withliquid traysatthe bottom, the worms arefreetocome and go as theyplease into the surrounding garden.
This freedom means theworms areless dependentonustomeetall theirneeds. If we don’t feed our worms regularly,orlet things dry out abit, the worms can just vacate to the surrounding garden bed, taking some of the pressureoff us,particularly in hotter weather
Collecting finished worm castings will be tricky and we won’tget anyleachate(‘worm wee’ –worms don’t actually urinate)fromthe bottom of an IGWF,likewewould with a conventional worm farm. Thegeneral idea is thatthe worms takethe nutrientfromthe IGWF out to thesurrounding garden.
Theproblem with this ‘theory’ is the confusion of compost worms with earth worms; quitedifferentspecies, playing quitedifferentroles in our soil’slife. Small, soft-bodied compost worms thatare well suited to breaking down organic matter inour composts arenot thesame as the larger, tougher-bodied earth worms that push themselves through our garden soil, eating, aerating and fertilising as theygo.
So don’t expect thecompost worms in asmall IGWF to spread fertilityall though a large garden bed, and do expect anutrienthot-spot(and arootattraction zone)directly under an IGWF
Compost worms work best just belowthe surfaceofdecomposing organic matter,so the surfaceareaofa IGWF is critical, determining just howmuch organic material our worms can process
ThesurfaceareaofanIGWFvaries from smaller home-made designs using a100mm diameter PVCpipe, or an up-cycledfood-grade bucket (250-300mmdiameter)tosmall round units –soldwith names like‘Worm-Buffet’and ‘Worm Feast’ (atabout 300mm diameter)– rightthrough to largerrectangular units, likethe nowdefunct ‘Subpod’ (see pic)orthe ‘Cool Seat’(the sizeofa drinks cooler).
Smaller diameter IGWFswill only be able to process avery small volume of food scraps before the effectiveworm-activesurface area is filled. So,unless we generate very fewfood scraps, or we arehappytohavedozens of little IGWFsdottedaround our garden, we areprobably better offgoing fora larger diameter unit.
In operation, IGWFsare runmuchlikeastandardworm farm, so look up previous ‘conversations’onthese topics fortips on howtofeed and carefor your worms and provide ‘worm blankets’.And remember,likeall compost systems, abalanced recipe, moistureand density arestill essential forawell-functioning IGWF
–Joel Meadows works with *Yes In My Back Yard,(YIMBY), acommunity-scale composting initiativeinCastlemaine and surrounds. Send questions or comments to hello@yimbycompost. com, or to book in fora compost workshop.
QuickFix Garage Doorsisproud to provide affordable and reliable services to the Macedon Ranges and Bendigoarea. Whether you'relooking fora newgarage door installation, repairs, or maintenanceweare only a call away
Didyou knowthatgaragedoors aremeanttobe serviced yearly? In most casesthisisa simpleand easyservicethatsaves youhaving alargerproblem in thefuture or risking your door’s warranty.Aswell as general servicing we areable to replacemotors, panels, locks, weather proofseals, add motors to existing doorsand more.
Agaragedoorcan offer alevel of securityfor that car or caravan.
Ever thoughtabout converting your existing carport to include asectional or roller door? Luke from Quick Fix Garage Doorswill inspectyourcarportand tailor make asolution that fitswith your existing structure. Call us todayfor afreemeasureand quote on 0428019 273
KynetonRacecourse is settobenefit from afunding boost to upgrade their equipmentandboost the race dayexperienceaspartofthe stategovernment’songoing investmentincountry racing.
Minister forRacing AnthonyCarbines last week announced morethan $730,000 from theRegional Customer Facilities Programtoimproveracing infrastructureat18regional racing venues.
TheKynetonRacecourse along withthe Avoca Turf Club will sharethe use of 30 large market umbrellas, for shade and wetweather protection, worth $15,242.
Thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing clubs will receivegrantsofupto$100,000 to deliver projects thatupgradefunction spaces, improve public amenities and purchase newequipment–ensuring racegoersand communities can enjoythese venues all year round.
Under the Regional Customer Facilities Program, funded through the Victorian Racing Industry Fund, regional race clubscan apply forgrantstosupport projects thatimprove facilities and encouragegreater community use.
Theregional racing industry contributes $1.17 billion to the Victorian economyeach year and supports more than 9000 full-timeequivalentjobs across the state
Mr Carbines said regional racing clubs were at the heart of their communitiesand playeda vital role in supporting local economies.
“These grants will giveracegoersand locals access to better facilities thatcan be enjoyedwell beyond race days,” he said
Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas said the equipmentupgradewould makeKynetonRacecourse an even better placefor locals and visitorstocome together –not just on race days,but forcommunity events all year round.
“Racing is enjoyedbymanyhereinMacedon and these improvements will help keep the KynetonRacecourse agreat placefor locals and visitorstocome together,” she said.
Grants open
Applications have opened forthe latest round of the Sporting Club Grants Program with afocus on supporting growth.
Grantsofupto$5000 areavailable through the programfor clubs to improve the skills and knowledgeofvolunteers, coaches and officials, as well as grants of up to $4000 to help clubs deliver newprograms to the community Clubs canalsoapply forgrantsofupto $1000 to purchase uniforms and equipment, and $750 travel grants arealso available to participate in competitions away from home. Applications forthis round close November 26. To apply, visit: sport.vic.gov.au
Trainingtobegin
Kynetonfootballersfromthe seniors, reserves and Under 19.5s begin pre-season training next Tuesday, November 18.
Thesessions will be at 5.45pm each Tuesdayand Thursday.
TheKFNC'sannualgeneral meeting will takeplaceat7pm on Thursday, November 20.
Thevenue is KynetonBowling Club and the club is hoping fora largeattendance. Last week the Tigers announced aformer US collegebasketballer would boost their big man ranks this season.
Chan Hargreaves has been playing with the Footscray VFL team, and is very tall, athletic and aprovengoalkicker
Seventhround
Theseventh round of division one Highlands pennantbowls this Saturdaywill be highlightedbythe clash between the twotop teams, Kynetonand KynetonGolf
Thereare 18 home and away rounds this season and on resultssofar,Kynetonand KynetonGolf arealready strong favourites to securethe double chance.
Other matches on Saturdayare: Gisborne vBroadford DiggersRest vTrentham Lancefield vRomsey. Woodend vKilmore.
BFUA awards forChapman
Castlemaine district umpiring talent
Charlie Chapman has taken out twogongs at the 2025 Ballarat Football UmpiresAssociation Awards.
The22-year-old started as aboundary umpirewith the Ballarat Football Umpires Association Castlemaine Hubin2016.
He would playjunior football for Newstead in the mornings and thenbe the boundary umpirefor senior matches in the Maryborough Castlemaine Football Netball League in theafternoon.
As he gotolder,Charlie would also volunteer as acentral umpirefor junior matches.
Afternine yearsbalancing his footyand umpiring pursuits, Charlie decided to give away playing footyin2025 to concentrate on his boundary umpiring in the Ballarat Football NetballLeague and seriously focus on his burgeoning umpiring career
Themove paid off, with Charlie thrilled to have the opportunitytoplaythe role of boundary umpireinthe Ballarat League grand final.
He also gotthe call up to fill the role of boundary umpireatthe V/Line CupUnder 15 series, wherethe brightest futurestars of the VFL and AFL getthe chancetostrut their stuff,and up-and-coming umpires also getthe chancetohone their craft with the potential to step up to thebig leagues.
In 2025 Charlie has also taken aleading role in coaching other boundary umpires at the Castlemaine Training Hub, passing on all the skills he has learntoverthe past nine yearstoanew generation of local umpires.
At the recent BFUAawardsnight, Charlie wasawarded the 'Best Boundary UmpireAward'.
He also wonthe 'BFUAGoldenWhistle Award',which is awarded to themost valuable umpireinall umpiredisciplines (central, boundary and goal umpires).
This wasa mighty achievementgiven thereare about 400 umpires in the BFUA! LongtimeBFUACastlemaine Hub
member and respected local umpire, Les Vearing, said Charlie wonthe award, not only because of his outstanding season as aboundary umpire, but also his willingness to help train newboundary umpires, run twomatches on aday when they were short of boundary umpires at someofthe grounds alongway from Ballarat,and also helping out as acentral umpireatjunior matches during thefinals series.
Charlie said he washonoured to win the awards.
"It'sbeen alot of hardwork. I'veumpired in six differentleagues this year in various levels of competition. ButIenjoy the challengeand I'dlove to take it as far as Ican and umpireatV/Line Cupagain,
the VFL or even AFL levelone day,"Charlie said.
He encourages other young people who love their footytoconsider giving it ago.
"It'sagreat waytokeep fit and earn some money (upto$70 agame)atthe same time,"hesaid.
If youwould liketolearn moreabout becoming acentral or boundary umpire the Castlemaine Hubofthe BFUA would love to hear from you.
Training starts in March2026 at the WesleyHill Oval from 5.30pm to 6.45pm each Wednesday. Formoreinformation, contact LesVearing on 0418 995 308.
Local umpiring talentCharlie Chapman is proudly pictured with his BFUAGolden Whistle and Best Boundary Umpireawards.
TheKynetonRacecourse along with the Avoca Turf Club will sharethe use of 30 large marketumbrellas,for shade and wetweather protection, worth $15,242.
Play soccer forthe Rangers
Following ahugely productive 2025 season thatboasted arecord 11 competitiveteams from U/8 Miniroos all the wayuptoSenior Men, the Macedon RangersSoccer Club is nowinviting expressions of interest forplayers,coaches and other volunteers to join in 2026.
Thecommunity-focused club is based at the Romsey Park Recreation Reserveand competes in north-west/west metroMelbourne competitions from April through to September,withweeknighttraining across both ovalsand home matches playedatRomseyOval2 on
aSunday.
Theclubiscurrently seeking EOIs forthe following:
•Miniroos/Junior players: Girls and boys who will be between the ages of 7and 15 at some point in 2026 (i.e. born between 2011 and 2019).
•Clubvolunteers: Committee members, Miniroos/Junior coaches, team managers, game leaders/referees to help facilitate matches.
•Senior Men/Senior Women players:Open ages (the Senior Men had players as young as 16 and as
SteveDuffy and Garry Dykes, firstand second in Ballarat
Kyneton finishes onetwo
Thestrength of the KynetonCroquetClub wasondisplayinthe final round of the Goldfields Croquetpennantseason.
With KynetonYellowhaving already taken the title and having abye in the final round, the main interest wasinthe KynetonGreen vs Castlemaine match to decide second place. Paul Williams wonthe opening singles game forCastlemaine, just getting past Bill Caddaye sevenhoops to six, but from there Kynetonswept every game. David Laid won his twosingles games, Caddaye beatCatherine Pearson in his second game and Kyneton took the doubles, meaning Kynetonfinished one twointhe competition.
In other matches, Maldon had their second win of the season beating Quarry Hill. Terry Beck and GavanMcCarthylosttheir opening singles games, but then went on thewin their reversesingles games and the doubles. Eaglehawk Hawks also had their second win when theybeatfellowEaglehawk team the Eagles.
Playersfromcentral Victoria travelled to Ballarat on theweekend and produced some good results. On Saturday, Castlemaine's SteveDuffy took out theSection Twotitle going through undefeated. Maldon's Garry Dykeswas runner-up with his only loss being to Duffy.OnSunday, Duffyteamed up with Gordon Christensen from Ballarat to finish second, equal on wins with thewinnersbut going down narrowly on hoops run.
old as 58 in 2025).
•Senior coaches: To lead the Senior teamsintraining and on matchdays.Potential to be paid positions.
•Clubsponsors: To support the club financially or through inkind donations.
Informal 'come and try' sessions arescheduled throughoutNovember.Tofind out moreabout the club or register your interest, follow Macedon RangersSoccerClubon Facebook, visit macedonrangerssoccerclub.com.au or email macedonrangerssc@hotmail.com
C COLOUR ME IN FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN VOUCHERS FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES. We will draw prizes from each shire(Mount Alexander &Macedon Ranges.)
Entriesmustbereceived by Wednesday 17th December –Drawn Friday 19th December 2025.Age groups–6yearsand under and 12 yearsand under.Dropyourcolouringinto the Midland Express –3Market Street Kynetonand CastlemaineMail office –13Hargraves Street Youcan email your entryto kgleeson@midnews.com.au or lbrew@midnews.com.au.HaveFUN!
NAME AGE ADDRESS
U/10 Boys ‘Wallabies’.Photo:AuroraJoy Photography
Kynetonretains trophy –but only just
TheMelbourne and KynetonCups mayhavebeenoneveryone's mind last week, but the real action washappening rightinthe centre of Kynetontown. It wasthe return croquetmatch between Kynetonand Castlemaine, sponsored by IGAKyneton, known as the IGACastlemaine Challenge, complete with atrophymadebythe Kyneton Men'sShed.
In their last encounteratCastlemaine, Kynetonprevailed by 12-4 games and 91-81 hoops scored. That solid win wasbuilt upon 92-year old-GwenByrne and Graham Smith being undefeated. However, this time Byrne wasunavailable and Smith had defected to the Castlemaineteam, so it wasa whole newscenario. Fortunately,Kynetonhad the rarely available services of Victorian state player Damien Hadfield, and 94-year-old club legend John Teed, so the stagewas setfor avery even match. Castlemaine started very strongly, and at halfway,after eightgames, Cas-
tlemaine wasahead by 6-2 games and 47-39 hoops. With just 16 games all up, things were looking very gloomyonthe Kynetonside, witha feeling of inevitability thatCastlemaine would easily win three moregames and takethe trophy. Some of those early games were major contests, lasting almost two hours, but Castlemaine had prevailed. Smith and partner NigelHarland were undefeated forCastlemaine at this stageand looking very dangerous. Kynetonwas gone for all money!
Butthe Kynetonteams dug deep, regained their belief, andinthe third round, won3-1 games, bringing it back to 5-7 on games and even on 66 hoops each. Castlemaine needed to win just twoofthe foursgames in the final round to take thetrophy; Kyneton needed to win at least three to even the games 8-8and forceahoops countback.
Despitethe deteriorating weather and avery long day, Kynetonjustgot up, withtwo dominant7-2 wins and one
extremely tense 7-6 win on the final hoop to getthe three wins required. This made it eightgames apiece, but those strong final round wins, by Kyneton's David Lairdand Margaret Parker,plus Darryl Chiversand John Teed, were enough to giveKynetonthe win by 8983 hoops. It wasa result thatwentright down to thewire, with no one sure who had wonuntil the final gamewas scored.
ForCastlemaine, Smith and Harland wonthree games from four,asdid SteveDuffy and Heather Crawly,fresh from their Division 2win in the recent Goldfields pennantcompetition. For Kyneton, Chiversand Teed were the best performerswith threewins, ably supported by Hadfield and Deborah Bosman plusLaird andParker with two wins apiece.
Castlemaine might ruethe twogames lost by 6-7 on the final hoop, indicative of avery tightcontest, but conversely they wonthree of their eightgames by 7-6.
Town &District
GOLF results
CASTLEMAINE
MixedCanadian foursome teams turned out on Saturdaykeentoget their names engraved on the prestigious trophy.
Thedynamic duo of Marie Louise Fitzpatrick and Jason Thomson proved unstoppable with agross 78, while the mother-and-son pair of Marj and Gavin Lang captured the handicap title with75.5.
Theremainder of the field tackled a stableford event.
Joel Smith(25) topped the leaderboard with37pointstotakethe overall and Bgrade awards.
Lachlan O'Brien (14) edged out Peter Verlaan (12) on acountback to win A-grade with36points.
NTPswenttoAndrew Dzioba and Kade Campbell.
Afour-way countbackwas needed to determine the overall winner on Thursday.
Martin O'Brien (5) wasvictorious ahead of Will Dodson (13), Garry More (15) and Megan Carroll (15).
McCracken Country Club playerSamantha Larkin (39) wonC-grade with 35 points, twoclear of Alister Campbell (18).
ScottTinkler andPeterMcCoombe were NTPs
GISBORNE
An absoluteperfect dayonSaturday, if youwerea duck.
Forall thenon-duck golfers, the course wasclosed, and the clubchampionships cancelled.
Thechangeistoa54-hole eventover the next three weeks.
On Thursday, Daosiri Lock confirmed she is notonly the best golfer in the Lock household, butthe best in the whole Agrade Open competition by winning witha nett 71.
Antonio Ly wonthe B-grade open with anett70and Mark Fong, who wasmade to wear golf shoes, wonC-grade withthe same tally
In the monthly medal stroke eventfor the women, 21 participatedonWednesday.
Ruth Wilkinson wonA-grade with anett 73, one better than LynneSmith.
KYNETON
ColHodgson has claimed back-to-back clubchampionshipsatKyneton.
He denied strong winds, freezing cold and the challengeofteenager Thomas Beacheytowin the 36-hole open match playfinal.
Hodgson racedtoa 4-up lead after10 holes before the 16-year-old settled and wonthree of the next four holes.
At the end of the first 18 Hudson was2-up, then added four morebefore
Beacheycould record awin on the 8th.
Themargin wasfiveentering the home stretchand Hudson made the most of his reprieve,winning the next three holes to complete an 8-6 victory
TheBand C-grade finals were played over18holes
Adam Pyettpiled on theparsand never allowed2023 champion Terry Kottosettle, running out a4-3 winner in B-grade.
Brad Duncan got the bit between his teeth earlyinC-grade, keeping the blinkers on to denyhis mate GeoffDalglish 3-2.
Therest of the field playedstableford and scores were impressiveconsidering wind gusts up to 82kph.
Terry Gamble (9) overcame stumbles with three birdies to score36points, beating Louis Thompson (9) on acountback in A-grade.
Ross Foreman (15) came from seven points in arrearsofplaying partner David Ryan (14) after11holes to win B-grade on acountback from Ryan with 36 points.
Therunner-up had compiled 27 points in 10 holes before getting the wobbles coming in.
Shaun Neeson (24) continuedhis hot form to scoreonevery hole for40points and victory by sevenfromNoel Alldis (21).
Valme Smoors(34) wasbest of the women with33points.
NTPswereCol Wickham (alsosuper pin),Foreman, Gamble, Mick McQualter and Jason McClure.
ScottGalloway(26)overcame ahat-trick of triple bogeys in Wednesday'sstableford to card36points and edgeout Ross Martin (13) on acountback.
JulieHarris (22) wasthe leading woman with 32 points, and the NTPswereMartin, Gordon Stevens, Joan Gibbs and Les Turner
Bert Cottingham baggedanother Thursdaynine-hole shootout win, with 21 points, one clear of hard-charging Adam Smith.
MelbourneCup Dayfeatured atwoperson Ambrose, and Tony Borg and Adam McNeil (10.5) galloped to victory with a nett 63 in the men'ssection.
Hudgson and RobMacRaeclaimed the mixedwith 63.75, and Vicki Nettletonand Michelle Werner (12) were the leading women with67.
Thethree-person team of David Hendy, Sian Harding and BenNorman (13) also carded a63.
LANCEFIELD
Anne Robinson has wonthe Lancefield women's championship forthe first time, leading throughout the 54-hole event.
Aformer tennis player, Robinson
switched to golf overa decade ago, and wasrecently appointedcaptain of the ladies.
Thedelayedfinal round wasplayed on Wednesday, andRobinson ended up winning with 104, 99, 103 —306 to finish 12 clear of Kaylene Cruise, with Sheena Flentjar one further back.
Robinson also claimed the prestigious BelvaBlombergTrophyfor the best nett scoreof216.
In B-grade, LynMurchison wasalso the gross (331) and nett (227) winner
TheC-grade champion is Janine Notman, withatally of 411. Bronwyn Wilson wasthe nett winner with257.
On Melbourne CupDay,three players all finished with nett 71s in the Legends.
In keeping with the themeofthe week, youngDarcy Creer (24) wonbya nose from David Morgan (16) withDean Budde (14) a close third
Darcysaddled up again in Wednesday twilighttobeatthe 'grey' Chris Enright. Enright(27 handicap)was improvedby the run and took out the ThursdayFix with 37 points, ahead of Luke Parks (22) 35 and BruceHay (28) 32.
In the first roundofthe stableford championships on Saturday, Enrightmaintained his form with 42 points. Minor placings went to Cash and Beau Ferguson, who will improve as they become accustomed to the course
MOUNT MACEDON
It wasa massively successful two-day Open tournamentfor 'Our Hidden Treasure on the Mount' earlier this month
Afullfield turned outfor the Mount Macedon Golf Club 27-hole Open on the Sunday.
CamPascoe (+2) wasthe 2025 Open winner,with the highlightbeing his equal course record 64.
Mt Macedoncaptain Mick Doyle(5) was the 27-hole nett winner,and the 27-hole A-grade scratch went to JimHynes (2) and J. Ryan (7) wasthe nett winner
WayneChristie(22) wonthe 27-hole B-grade scratch, and Hamish Allen(38)the handicap.
Patrick Doyle(3) wasthe 18-hole scratch winner,and Marcus Ward (16) the handicap winner
Nine holes: M. Willis (4); nett Marcus Ward NTPswenttoG.Edwards, M. Doyle,C Smith and E. Carracher
Overall winnersofthe SaturdayAmbrose were Braydn Beattie/Greg Paine with 54.5, from father and son Danand Tyson Paine 57.75. Gross winnerswereanother
father and son pairing of Bruceand Alex Fraser with 60.
Longest driverswereMikeSmitheram and G. Payne, withNTPsgoing to A. Fraser, J. Plowman,L.Rogan and Pascoe.
MMGCwarmly thanks major tournamentsponsorsVendi and Drummond Golf-Niddrie.
Michelle Edwards' Macedon Travel sponsored the eventwhich sawMikeHoiles (15) win overall and topA-grade with 35 points, on acountback from Oils Flannery (15). JennySvendsen (30) wonB-grade on a countback from Chris Martin (24). Flannery wasNTP
Thewintry blast on Saturdayled to the November monthly medal being postponed. It will be rescheduled.
TRENTHAM
Many golferstakeyearstofinally scorea hole-in-one. Some neverachieve one after decades of trying.
Playing with his dad Paul,Trentham junior golfer Harrison Kenton-Barnes, 17, scored ahole-in-one in his very first competition.
Playing offa handicap of 31 in the midweek monthly medal strokeevent last Thursday, Harrison aced the 120-metre par-3 13thhole.
Notonly did he scorethe hole-in-one, he also came runner-up in theC-grade competition on the daywith anett69.
As aconsequencehis handicap has gone down by fivestrokes.
Harrison joined Trentham at thestart of October and put his three cards in for handicap. He received his handicap to play competitions three weeks before his ace.
WOODEND
Acracking field turned out on Saturday in whatcan only be described as truly atrocious conditions.
To see so manylow scores wasacredit to switched on competitors.
Themonthly medal and B-grade went to evergreen campaigner Fergus Nevis, witha nett 63.
Jannaya James had an incredible nett 70 to land the women'smonthly medal.
Themen's A-grade winner wasWilliam McLean with anett65, while Alexander Browncontinued his good form to topCgrade withanett65.
Melbourne CupDay stableford: Michelle Jakovac(41)won easily with 43 points, with the minor placings going to WayneStott (14) and Stephen Bird (18) both 37.
Thewinning KynetonCroquetteam (fromleft)Deborah Bosman, Margaret Parker,David Laird, PatFahy, John Teed and Judy Aldred (with trophy).Absent: Darryl Chivers, Damien Hadfield.
Huge dayofathletics forLancefield
TheCommunityBank Lancefield Gift is settoreturn to Lancefield Park on Saturday, promising an exciting dayofathletics, featuring some of Australia’s best runnersand the spectacle of the Highland Games.
With $6000 in prizemoneyfor both the men’s andwomen’s 400 metreGift it is Australia’s richest 400m race.The $5000on offerfor thetwo big 120m sprints ensures some of Australia’s toprunners will be in attendance.
Aftera triumphantrevival in 2024, the first running of the Gift sincethe 1960s, this year’sevent is shaping up to beevenbigger and better.The 2024 meeting drew arecord number of entries and glowing praisefrom athletesand spectators alike.
“Last year’sGift provedthatLancefield could host atruly national event, the atmosphere, the racing and the community support were allincredible, so we knew we had to makeitevenbiggerthis year,” event organiser Chris Dynon said.
The2025 edition will featureanexpanded programofrunning events,the debut of November’sother big Cup, theLancefield Cupover800 metres, and the exciting addition of the Highland Games, ensuring afull dayofsport forall ages.
Firststagedinthe late 1800s, the Lancefield Gift wasonceone of the mostpopular meetings on Victoria’s professional running circuit in the 1920s, drawing athletesfrom across the state.After going into hiatus in the 1960s, it returned last year forthe first time in over half acentury,reclaiming its placeasakey eventonthe Australian athletics calendar
Last year’swomen’s champion, Bella Pasquali, returns in 2025 to defend her title afteranincredible season thattook her from Lancefield Park to theWorldIndoor Cham-
pionshipsinChina just afew months later, whereshe wona bronzemedal forAustralia. Pasquali’swin at Lancefield wasone of the highlights of the 2024 meet. Starting as the backmarker,she looped the entirefield to takethe Gift in spectacular fashion. On the men’s side, the Lancefield 120m Sprint provedtobethe leading guide to theStawell Gift, withhalf the field in theStawell final coming out of the Lancefield final including winner Jasper Thomas, who went on to finish second at Stawell.
“When you’vegot half the field in amen’s Stawell Gift final and aWorldIndoor bronze medallist forAustralia coming out of the meetfromlastyear,then youare right up therewith the big GiftsinAustralia,”Dynon said.
Thesuccess of the Lancefield Gift owes much to theefforts of local volunteers, communitygroups and sponsorsled by the Community Bank Lancefield and Romsey (BendigoBank), whose support has been vital to theevent’s rebirth and growth.
“The Community Bank’ssupportgoes far beyond funding,”Dynon said.
“They’ve been with us from the very inception of the idea, helping us revivean eventthat’snot just about running, it’sabout local pride, celebrating the greathistory and putting our town on showtopeople from all around Australia.”
This year’smeeting introduces an exciting newfeature event, theinaugural Lancefield Cup, an 800-metreracethatrevives the historic MatthewMaher Handicap, ahalfmile eventthatwas one of the meeting’s showpieces during the 1920s and 1930s. TheLancefield Cupadds amiddle-distance elementtothe day’sprogram and connects Lancefield’srunning heritagewitha new generation of athletes.
Sharp contrast fortop teams
Bill West
Kynetonand KynetonGolf both wontheir Highlands division one bowls matches in contrasting circumstances in cold conditions on Saturday.
Reigning premier Kyneton totally outplayedRomseyina replayoflast season's grand final, while Golf surprisingly struggled at home to Diggers Rest —finally winning by ONEshot!
Unpredictable heavy rain had an impactlargely in the southern area, but the only division one match washed out wasTrentham versus Gisborne, witheach side gaining eightpoints.
Changeofsports: Romsey lawn bowlers (fromleft)Glen Marshall,JohnBeaumont, Nick Williamsonand Greg ‘Squizzy’ Taylor were part of a15-strong contingentfromtheir club at KynetonCup Day.
At Romsey,the twocombatants were without their currentclub champions in Aaron Young and Greg Podesta.
Terry Kellystepped up as skipper forKynetonand had abig win, as did AnthonyMathison. Glen Marshall'sfour wasincontention forRomseyuntil the final end, but the overall outcome wasanall foursup46shots victory forthe visitors.
TheKynetonGolf vDiggers Rest match wasanabsolutethriller,with all foursclose, and Golf relieved to finally scramble home 53-52.
Third-placed KilmoreoutplayedLancefield to win by 35 shots at home, and Broadford movedintofifth spotbydowning Woodend by 20 shots. Norm Bickerdyke'sfour preventeda clean sweep.
Currentladder: Kyneton92points, KynetonGolf 88, Kilmore 62, Gisborne 48, Broadford 47, Romsey 42, Woodend 34, Diggers Rest 34, Trentham 25, Lancefield 8. Therewas one unplayedmatch (rain)insecond division, and three in thirddivision.
SATURDAY'S SCORES
Sixth round scores from Highlands pennantbowls matches on Saturdaywere:
Division 1: KynetonGolf 53 dDiggers Rest 52: A. Barker 20 dR.Treweek 15, A. Plowman 17 lost to Kylie Stafford 22, P. Linehan 16 dP.Robinson 15. Romsey36lost to Kyneton82: C. Austin 7lost to T. Kelly34, G. Marshall 17 lost to D. J. Thomas 18, D. Ely12lost to Ant. Mathison 30. Kilmore 83 dLancefield 48: L. Whitnall 29 dA.Brandolin 17, D. Carroll 20 d A. Andrews 18, D. Noonan 34 dJ.Holmes 13. Broadford 70 dWoodend 50:D.Ellis 16 dT Lennie 15, D. Kelly35dS.Pickles 15, R. Chapman 19 lost to N. Bickerdyke20. Trentham v Gisborne awashout.
“Australia nowhas twogreat Cupraces to celebrateeach November,” Dynon said.
“The world-famous Melbourne Cuponthe first Tuesday, and, just afew days later, the Lancefield Cupover800 metres rightherein Lancefield.”
It’s notjust aboutrunning thisyear. The 2025 Community Bank Lancefield Gift programwill also featurethe Lancefield Highland Games,acrowd-favouriteaddition thatwill bring strength and spectacle to the day. Events will include traditional displays such as the caber toss, heavy hammer throw and other Highland disciplines, showcasing ablend of Scottish heritageand rawpower that’ssuretoentertain spectators between the footraces.
TheHighland Gameskick offearly,starting at 8.30am, with the caber toss scheduled
for1pm. Meanwhile, the athleticsprogram begins at noon, withthe 800m Lancefield Cupscheduled foraround 3.30pm,the 120m sprintfinals at 5pm, and the rich 400m Gift finals, the men’s andwomen’s features, taking placejustafter 6pm.
EVENTDETAILS
Saturday, November 15, 2025 Lancefield Park, Lancefield, Victoria Highland Gamesfrom8.30am Athleticsfromnoon|Lancefield Cup 3.30pm |120m Finals 5pm |400m GiftFinals 6pm $6000 prizemoneyfor both Men’sand Women’s 400m Finals
Featuring the inauguralLancefield Cup (800m)
Plus the Highland Games–Caber Toss, Hammer Throwand more
Division 2: Kyneton62dMacedon 50: M. Plowman 24 dG.Dickinson 13, N. Jamieson 15 lost to I. Guymer 18, D. Knight23d I. Matthews 19. KynetonGolf 58 dRomsey51: R. Seymour 24 dG.Gilligan 15, J. McQualter 15 lost to G. Candy 22, J. Trounce19dR.Kozulins 14. Broadford56 lost to Gisborne 68: P. Hoskins 16 lost to B. Wylie 29, B. Goddard21 dJ.Evans 20, A. Cowen19tied with I. Ball 19.Diggers Rest vKilmorea washout Division 3: Kyneton67d Trentham 34: B. Toll 22 dL.Gent8,S.Fenton24dI.Bruton 16, J. Epps 21 dMax Hinneberg10. Allother games washed out.
Lastyear’swomen’s champion, Bella Pasquali, returns in 2025 to defend her title.
Photo:Neil Jameson
Geographics atestfor GDCA
Bill West
Theexpansion of Gisborne District Cricket Association in recent seasons has produced plenty of positives, but occasional headaches as well.
With heavy rain forecast in some areas on Saturday, the GDCAexecutivesentan advicememo to all clubs:
"Due to theenormousgeographic area thatmakes up the GDCAweare facedwith challenging days like todaywhen the north is going to be okay, but the south is an obvious washout.
"Asaresult we arenot calling offthe whole competition."
TheGDCA nowstretches from Eastern Hill (Seymour)inthe north to Melton South, Eynesbury and Aintreeinthe south-west.
FIVEWINS, 35 DRAWS!
Afrustrating scenario unfolded with the wash-up being 40 scheduled matches either the second dayintop grades or new one-dayfixtures in lowerranks— producing fiveconfirmed results and 35 washouts with points shared.
This statistical analysis wassubjectto confirmation at time of writing, as there were acouple of venues wherenooutcome had been submitted.
Certainly,there were plenty of venues wherenoplaywas possible, all due to persistent rain.
Theassociation advised topgrades to attend grounds and await the umpire'scall which is final
Wherenoumpireswereofficiating, home clubs were urgedtocontact theopposition about the state of the ground.
If the opposition wish to attend, they can do so, withcaptainsneeding to makea reasonable call together
With rain falling, and threatening to become heavier at some venues, some playersand frustrated spectators optedfor an enjoyable afternoon watching the televised final dayofthe Spring Racing Carnival from Flemington.
Women’scricket
Kookaburrawomen's cricket in the Gisborne Association wasplayedatfour venues on Sunday.
Thescheduled A-grade matchbetween Macedon and BacchusMarsh wasthe only one abandoned.
In A-grade, Gisborne dismissed Wallan for 63 and cruised to victory with 1/64, captain Brianna Woodburn being unbeatenon41. Lancefield Blackscored5/97(Luzanne de Kock 29, HayleyFisher 19 n.o.) then restricted Kilmoreto4-44 (Taylah Logie 23 Meaghan Lyons2-6).
In B-grade, Lancefield Yellowwas at home to East Sunbury and the visitorscompiled 1/105 Rhianna Kirk 40).
TheTigersrattled up 1/105 (Emily Consiglio 37 n.o, MollyConsiglio 20 n.o. in reply. In the other matchMelton Centrals made 1/122 (Katrina Hoenig 36 n.o., Rhiannah Jordan 35 n.o). Broadford repliedwith 4/88 (Melodie Bassett 24, BrookeJeffrey 20).
Tylden’s
AkaDaka
Tylden-trained galloper Aka Daka broke through forhis first win at his eighth race start on Sunday.
Thefour-year-old geldingwon a$55,000 Maiden over 1600matArarat, scoring by three-quartersofa length from favourite Neverenoughlego.
AkaDaka started as a$4chanceafter thirdplacings at Seymour and Kilmore, and wasridden by Luke Currie.
Thewinner is owned by Hirsch Racing, and trained by VincentMalady,who also has stables at Geelong.
MACEDON GO DOWN
In McIntyre 1sts, therewerefour matches drawnand one result —previously unbeaten Macedon sustained aheavy defeat at Broadford
Set ahealthy228 forvictory,the Cats stumbled early against speedster Nathan Woods.
Opener Gareth De Rosayrotop scored with 38 and Cam Clayton contributed 24.
Sikander Sharma and Woods each claimed four wicketsasthe Cats limped to 115.
Broadfordmade aquick89all out(Cam Howlett fivewicketsand Clayton four), withMacedon reaching 2/42 in sevenovers before stumps were drawn.
Romseydid notget acrack at overhauling Wallan's very reachable 8/154 c.c., Gisborne openersdid notfacea ball against Sunbury United, and heavy rain in Sunbury prevented Woodend battersshowing their skills.
In McIntyre2nds, all matches were called offapart from theWoodend vRupertswood encounterplayedatKynetonShowgrounds.
TheWoodsmen tried hard, but Rupertswood batted for45overs to chalkupa winning 6/148 (GregMatthews 3-39).
Lancefield found the task of defending 105 against Sunbury Kangaroos tootall a task in Johnstone 1sts.
CENTURYTOCOX
Eastern Hill'sBilly Coxscoreda match winning 114 as his side scored 3/211 from 40 oversatsunny Seymour. DiggersRest fell 67 runs short of victory in the Johnstone 2nds match
Thecurator whoworked so hardto ensurethe Malmsburyversus Rupertswood Jensen 2nds matchcould go ahead received abig patonthe back.
Malmsbury wasrestricted to 9/111 from 40 overs, with just twobatters scoring double figures.
Rupertswood lost three wicketsinchasingdownthe target. Theother fivegames in this grade were abandoned.
Bowlers
ALLTHE SCORES
McIntyre Cup1sts: Broadford 9/227 dec. and 89 (J.Nolan 28, R. Nolan25— M. Howlett 5-26, C. Clayton 4-36) dMacedon 115 (G.DeRosayro38—S.Sharma 4-28, N. Woods 4-35) and 2/42.
Wallan 8/154 c.c. drew with Romsey; Sunbury United 192 drew with Gisborne 0-10; Rupertswood 197 drew with Woodend 0-6.
Johnstone 1sts: Lancefield 105 and 0-23 lost to Sunbury Kangaroos 7/200 dec. (S Barry 61, R. Phillips 42); Eastern Hill 264 drew with DiggersRest; East Sunbury 5/252 drew with Eynesbury,Harkness 138 drew wih Kilmore3/93(D. Tassone 43 n.o.).
McIntyre 2nds: Woodend 145 lost to Rupertswood 6/148 (G.Matthews 3-39); Macedon 101 drew with Broadford 1/67; Gisborne 203 drew with Sunbury United; Romsey6/345 drew withWallan.
Johnstone 2nds: Eastern Hill 3/211 (B.
in
Castlemaine District Cricket Association AGrade sides commenced dayone of two-dayclashes in round fivelast Saturday. Fortunately the weather forecast did nothamper play.
AReserveand BGrade playedone-day contests and CGrade (Under 16) commenced dayone of their round 3two-day fixture.The Women had aweek'srest and return to thepitch this Fridayevening.
Thebowlerswereontargetwith araft of playersclaiming threewicketsapiece.
TheB Grade matchbetween Heathcote and MiaMia wasahighlightwithMia Mia'sMartin O'Sullivan making 101 not out withthe batand Heathcote'sDarby Kramer claiming 5-40 with the ball.
Resultswereasfollows:
AGrade
DayOne,Two Day
Guildford10-60 and 1-38 (HadleyBassett 17, Charles Bunting 18 notout (2nd Innings); Craig Pearce 4-11, Noah Thompson 3-6, Thomas Cox3-20) versus North Castlemaine 3-d/197 (Brenton Jones 80, John Howorth 74; Adrian Parsons 2-37).
Muckleford 2-28 (Daniel Peckham 17 notout) versus Castlemaine United 10-44 (LeviChaffey 72; David Envall 3-16,John Watson 3-44).
Newstead 10-113 (George Tillbrook 52, SamWinnard34; Mark Noonan 3-15, Chris McKnight 3-33, Nash Robinson 3-36) versus BarkersCreek 2-56 (Nash Robinson 31 notout).
Harcourt 1-16 versus Maiden Gully Marist 10-196 (Dean Trew 70; BenGibbs 3-24, Koby Simmons 3-37).
AReserve OneDay
fineform
Castlemaine United 8-145 (Dougal Barraclough 70; Neville Cooper 4-38) lost to Muckleford 2-146 (Marty Sharples 62 notout).
Maiden Gully Marist 2-80 (Brodie Hogan 33 notout)defeatedHarcourt 8-79 (Macklin Simmins 16; Robert Douglas 2-6, Noah Hadden 2-9).
North Castlemaine 7-225 (Darren Hinck 72, Gavin James 62; Jack Rees 3-27) lost to Heathcote3-245 (BradRowe 86, BradleyPolson 75; Darren Hinck 2-65).
Taradale 10-139 (Nicholas Tunzi 48; Faolan Gardner 2-14) lost to Newstead 5-140 (Nick Leerdam 63 notout; Ben Stokes 2-33).
BGrade
OneDay
Campbells CreekColts 9-135 (John Prendergast 32; Jack McLeod 2-22) lost to Muckleford 9-139 (Jamie Cox56; John Prendergast 3-18)
BarkersCreek 7-97 (OliverDaldy 24, Brodie Browne-Kerr 24 notout; Steve Curnow4-25, KymSzegedi 3-15) defeated Taradale 10-95 (Andrew Vance25; Jackson Byrne 3-15, Andrew Stephens 3-29).
Heathcote9-145 (Damian Jacques 65; Justin Greet3-17, WesleyEdwards 3-28) lost to MiaMia 9-276 (Martin O'Sullivan 101 notout,Justin Greet78; Darby Kramer 5-40).
Newstead 10-144 (Dale Osborne 30; PatrickDonehue 3-4) lost to Hepburn 3-146 (Corey Pedley82not out; Robert Cook 2-20).
Castlemaine United had the bye.
CGrade (Under 16)
Day One, TwoDay
Castlemaine United Gold versus Muckl-
Cox114, M. Speechley40, R. Grant 37 n.o.) dDiggersRest 3/145 (C.Morris 35); Kilmore drew with Harkness; Sunbury Kangaroos drew with Lancefield; East Sunbury drew with Eynesbury
Jensen 2nds: Malmsbury9/111 c.c lost to Rupertswood 3/112. Theother five matches were abandoned.
Jensen 3rds: Allsix matches abandoned.
Club North: Eastern Hill dLancefield on forfeit. Woodend 2/46 vMalmsbury Green Allother matches abandoned. Club South: Allgames abandoned. GDCAGAMES Thesixth round matches in McIntyre Cup 1sts cricket to be playedoverNovember 15 and 22 are: Gisborne vWallan. Romseyv Rupertswood. Macedon vWoodend. Sunbury United vBroadford
Castlemaine United’sAReservesidewent down to Muckleford at the CampReserve despitea 70 run effort by Dougal Barraclough. Photo: MaxLesser
eford6-149 (SethGross 46; Charlie Cordy 2-29).
Newstead 3-62 (Percy Blake27; Edward Crumpton2-10) versus Laanecoorie Dunolly 8-53 (EdwardCrumpton15, William Garsed 4-2).
ColtsPhelans 9-130 (Hudson Broad 28; Toby Douglas-Dowling 3-17) versus Castlemaine United Blue Barkers/North/Harcourt 10-103 (Darragh Pryor18not out; Tamika LooneGrundy 3-4) versus Carisbrook 0-2. Campbells Creek Colts had thebye
Woodend’sGregMatthews took 3-39 against Rupertswood in McIntyre2nds at the KynetonShowgrounds on Saturday.
TightfinishinKyneton Cup
Bill West
Last Wednesday's$125,000 bet365 KynetonCup produced an enthralling finish with the twomost fancied runnersbattling for supremacy over thelast 200 metres.
Theprevious daychampion jockey Jamie Melham became the first female to complete the Caulfield –Melbourne Cups double aboardHalf Yours, the only Australian bred runner in the 'Racewhich stops the Nation'.
At Kynetonitwas the vastly experienced and highly ratedLinda Meech who steered Lincoln Rocks to avery narrow victory over Navy King. Meech changed the original riding tactics as the race unfolded.
Shehas ridden aremarkable 2025 winners in acareer in the saddle.
As ateenagerider she left NewZealand and came to Australia on aholidayin1998, and neverwentback.
In 2018-19 Meech wasthe leading Melbourne jockey with 145 winners. Shehas been the topcountry jockey in Victoria five times, and has ridden formanyofthe top trainers.
"I'vealwaysliked riding at Kyneton,"she said, recalling her successes with former Kynetontrainer George Osborne.
Sheisthe second woman to rideaKynetonCup winner.The first wasMichelle Payne aboardLucky Eighty Eightin2011.
Sydney-based trainersAnnabel and Rob Archibald prepared the winner.Theyare making abig impression in theindustry with stables in three states.
"Annabel will have himfully fit,"Meech said before the race Kynetonclubpresident, Gary O'Meara,
pinpointedseven-year-old Lincoln Rocks as the likely winner in his early afternoon President'sSpeech welcoming everyone to the Cup.
As anticipated, local hope Station Oneled the field of seveninabid to win his second KynetonCup, butMeech movedLincoln Rocks up wide on the outside approaching the home turn in the 2000 metre feature event.
Thewinner foughtonstrongly after
Navy King looked likely to win as thecrowd cheered.
At the presentation of Cuptrophies, O'Mearasaidthe local clubwas proud to host the 152nd running of the time-honoured Cup.
He thanked all forattending, and praised bet365 forcontinuing as amajor sponsor,and commended the various other sponsorswho
Community spiritshines
Adverseweather conditions did little to dampen the spirit of participants and supportersatthe Lancefield Relayfor LifeonSaturday.
This wasthe 22nd time thecharitable fundraising eventhas been staged to support the valuable and on-going work of Cancer Council Victoria.
TheCancer Council is heavily involved in cancer research, prevention andsupport services.
Therewere164 relayers of various ages taking part, spread across 12 teams, at thenumber 2ovalin Lancefield Park Marquees and tentswereerected around the perimeter, onefalling victim to the blustery winds.
Theopening ceremonywas at 11am, with several speakers.
Aspecial first lap walk forcancer survivorsand carers followed.
At about 8pm,the time-honoured candlelightremembrancetook place, prior to theclosing ceremony.
At the opening ceremonyLancefield Relayfor Life leader,Amanda Mullins, summarised whatwas to takeplace, and howthe generosity of fundraisersand donorswas invaluable in the fightagainst cancer
It is estimatedthatvarious forms of cancer affects one in every twoAustralians sometime in their lives.
Thanks wasexpressed to theparticipating teams, and to entertainerswho freely gave up their time for the special event.
TheLancefield and Romsey branches of the Community Bank (BendigoBank) waspraised forthrowing its weightbehind the event.
Bank boardmember,BeverleyBeaumont, said the bank wasvery pleased to be able to assist such a worthycause.
Thespecial work of the KynetonPalliativeCare Group across Macedon Ranges wasalsooutlined.
Saturday'sevent wasa chancefor community memberstorecognise and celebratelocal cancer survivors, patients and their carers, to remember and honour lovedones, and to raise moneytohelp save morelives.
Former Lancefield Relayfor Lifepresident, Ken Wiltshire, cut the ribbon to launch therelay.
CLARKEFIELD ANDFRIENDS
TheClarkefield and Friends team, captained by Christine Shanahan, has been agreat supporter of Relayfor Lifefor quitesomeyears.
On Saturdaynightitwas announced the team was again the topfundraiser to this stage. Latest figure posted by the team is aremarkable $8373.
Clarkefield and Friends wasalsothe topfundraiser at the previous Relayfor LifeatLancefield.
Theprogressive total forthe 12 teams is well over the $20,000 mark, and donations arestill being accepted.
Cancer Council Victoria's acting head of fundraising and communications, NatalieGibbs, said the organisation wassograteful to everyone who supported the 2025 eventatLancefield.
"Wecontinue to be inspired by the groundswell of communitysupport shown forRelayfor Lifeeach and every year."
supported CupDay,and other events during the season.
OTI'sTerryHenderson, with along involvementinracing, accepted the Cupon behalf of the owners' group
Earlier,vice-presidentAsh Fraser had commended Prendergast Earthmoving for the large amountofwork carried out at the course.
Fashions on the Field attracted plenty of interest —see photosonpage20.
Scratchings heavy
KynetonCup meeting washit hardby34scratchings, withsometrainersapparently worried about further rain impacting the track.
Spread across the nine races, therewere69starters, and the running rail wasout ametre around the track, which wasofficially rated aheavy 8.
Extensivelead-upworkbyKynetonand Hanging Rock Racing Club ensured the track wasdeclared fit forracing, and jockeyssoon worked out wherethe most suitable ground wasfor giving their mounts thestrongest chance
Some of the gallopersthatwerescratched had no wettrack winning form, and manyonand off-course punters spenttime looking forthose thathad showna liking forsloworheavy tracks in the past.
Eventual KynetonCup winner Lincoln Rocks wasone that had been crying out fora heavy track and vied forfavouritism with last start Hamilton Cupwinner Navy King.
Nevertheless, the Cupmeeting wassuccessful with very little rain falling, much to the relief of allinattendance. Thevarious marquees were booked out well in advance.
Nash Rawiller,atop Sydney-based rider formanyyears, had two rides and in bothled throughout on strongly fancied runnersDollar Shot andGrid Girl, which wonthe Prendergast Earthmoving Handicap over 1454m by eightlengths forthe strong Hayesstable.
Most of the day'swinnerswerewell supported, with the only real outsider to win being Durban Harbour from the Sunshine Coast stable of 2024 Melbourne Cupwinning co-trainersJohn Symonsand Sheila Laxon.
Durban Lodgespent time being prepared at Macedon Lodgefor severalweeks.
Thewinners' prices forthe meeting were:
Cuppresentation: Kynetonclub presidentGary O’Meara, with winning jockey Linda Meech and Terry Henderson. Photo:Bill West
Close finish: Lincoln Rocks, ridden by Linda Meech, holds off NavyKinginthe 2025 KynetonCup. Photo:BrettHolburt /Racing Photos
The2025
Setheus $2.90, Asiatic $12, National Code $1.75, Delicate Lady $2.10, Precious Charm $9, Dollar Shot $3.20, Grid Girl $1.80, Lincoln Rocks $3.10, Durban Harbour$18.
Highest fundraiser: TheClarkefieldand Friends Team had raised over $7400when the relayconcluded on Saturdaynight. It wasbyfar the highest tally from the 12 participating teams, with donations still being accepted.
After the last race:JockeyLachlan King and dual Melbourne Cupwinning trainer Sheila Laxonafteroutsider RandomHarbour’swin in the EvolveInteriorsHandicap. Photo:Bill West
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