18th June 2025

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St. Arnaud, Charlton, Wedderburn & Surrounding Districts

Est. 1864

18 Napier Street, St. Arnaud. 3478. - Advertising & Editorial Material - Ph.: (03) 5495 1055; Fax.: (03) 5495 1937. Email: ncn@iinet.net.au Published weekly.

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New Resident Handbook to help with smooth transition PEOPLE who have made or are looking to make Northern Grampians Shire home can benefit from a new guide showcasing important information for residents.

Northern Grampians Shire Council (NGSC) has released an updated version of its New Resident Handbook, which aims to bridge the local knowledge and awareness gap that can accompany moving to a new town or city.

Mayor Karen Hyslop said council staff had created the guide to ensure new residents felt supported and connected.

“The handbook features a range of information such as introductions to our various townships; details for local businesses, sporting and community groups; and contact information

Left: The New Resident Handbook.

for our health organisations such as medical centres and hospitals,” she said.

“It also includes where to find more about various council services to help make the transition into Northern Grampians Shire a smooth one.

“Whether someone is growing their career, building a strong base for their family to thrive or settling for a slower pace, they can find all they need and more right here.”

Hard copies of the New Resident Handbook are available from council customer service offices and libraries in both St. Arnaud and Stawell along with local businesses and real estates.

People can also visit www.ngshire.vic. gov.au/Residents/New-Resident-Handbook to read a digital copy.

Stage one of St. Arnaud pool redevelopment underway ST. ARNAUD community will be able to enjoy redeveloped swimming pool facilities this summer, with upgrades officially underway.

Northern Grampians Shire Council (NGSC) is delivering the $2.57million St. Arnaud Swimming Pool redevelopment project in two stages.

Stage one includes a refurbishment of the change rooms, which started last month.

Work is on track to be completed in time for the opening of the 2025-26 summer season.

Stage two, which includes repairs to the pool, will start in early 2026, at the end of the summer period, meaning the peak swimming season will not be inconvenienced by construction works.

However, there is community concern that this work should have been completed

first and pool maintenance will not be completed for this coming season .

NGS mayor Karen Hyslop said while the region’s residents would greatly benefit from the redevelopment, the council did not want construction works to restrict access throughout summer.

“The reason we are not delivering both parts at once is to avoid delays that could result in the pool opening late or not at all, which would be disastrous for the community and not a risk we are willing to take,” she said.

The project is being funded by a $1,947,853 grant from the State Government’s Regional Community Sports Infrastructure

Above: Work is on track at the St. Arnaud Swimming Pool to be completed in time for the opening of the 2025-26 summer season.

Fund and $650,000 from the council.

Kelly Architects completed the design stage and Build Forth is delivering stage-one works.

“Council engaged with St. Arnaud Swimming Club and the schools that use the facility to help determine the project’s priorities and objec-

Inside today • Northern Grampians Shire

Council - Mayoral report ... Page 2.

• St. Arnaud Police report ... Page 7.

• Wood Heater fire scare for Tatura family ... Page 11.

tives,” Cr Hyslop said.

“Once completed, the St. Arnaud community will have access to modern change rooms with upgraded shower and toilet facilities; new tiling and painting of pools; and an upgraded administration, first aid and kiosk area.”

Cr Hyslop said the project was aligned with the council’s Sport and Recreation Strategy 2024-2034.

“A key element of stage two is a new access ramp to the pool, which will help us to support the health, wellbeing and social

inclusion of more of our residents,” she said.

Cr Hyslop said swimming pools were wonderful community assets for people of all ages, with more than 8000 visits to the St. Arnaud pool throughout the 2024-25 summer period.

“The redevelopment is part of council's commitment to ensuring we offer the pool facilities our community needs over the swimming period, beyond casually cooling off after school or on a weekend,” she said.

She said the council was always looking for ways to improve or add to services, with swim teachers delivering Learn to Swim lessons for infants and preschoolers for the first time during the 2024-25 summer period.

“We had more than 130 students participate across all lessons last season, which is an increase on previous years.

“We will be looking to run them again when the pool reopens later this year,” she said.

Editorial Are we on the verge of REVOLT?

NORTHERN GRAMPIANS SHIRE COUNCIL

Mayoral Report: Karen Hyslop

I am calling for urgent action regardAS this week is nearing the end of the Marland ing the prolonged era and commencement of the Earl era, we decided delays in the duplication of the Western to throw caution to the wind and do an editorial Highway between that borders on the extreme. This is not because Ararat and Stawell, folwe are ourselves extreme, but because the lowing yet another thoughts were put to us during this last week tragic accident on this critical regional transand we could see some merit in them and it got port corridor. us thinking. Do you think that the people, that On Wednesday, May is the masses that are not government or corporate 28th, 2025, a devastatbusiness, are on the verge of revolt and what would ing multi-vehicle collision near this or may this mean?

Armstrong claimed the Analysis of mass revolts over time often lives of three people. focuses on their causes; from political grievances, The collision involved political instability, economic inequality and two cars, a B-double social injustice. Peaceful Protests, demonstratruck, and two smaller tions, marches, and rallies, are often the initial trucks. The incident stages of mass revolt and these then become viohas reignited commulent protests that will involve clashes with nity concern over the authorities, property damage. We are seeing this safety of this undupliin the USA currently and these are now expandcated stretch of road ing across the world, when peaceful protests following a string of became violent protests. Why? All forms of mass tragic accidents. revolt are forms of civil disobedience where Council is deeply strikes and non-cooperation are used to challenge concerned that the conauthority. Governments (such as this week in tinued delays are USA) may use force to suppress protests, leading putting lives at risk to further instability and escalation. and undermining the The Trump administration’s mass deportation safety of residents, program seems to be deliberately cruel and freight operators, and provocative. It was always only a matter of time visitors who rely on before protests broke out. The extreme language this vital corridor. coming out of the Trump administration, sugDespite the Western gests it is laying the groundwork for further Highway being a key escalation. Trump’s longstanding attacks against freight and passenger independent media, what he describes as “fake route between news”, are escalating. There is a reason that Melbourne and Qld during the current protests, a law enforcement Adelaide, the Ararat to 4217 section officer appeared so comfortable targeting a A Stawell journalist, on camera. remains in the planThe Trump administration is also actively tarning phase, with284no 1 800 652 geting independent institutions (Harvard and confirmed construction F Columbia universities); targeting and undertimeline. To date, the mining judges and reducing the power of E highway between independent courts to enforce the rule of law.

Ballarat and Buangor Under Trump, the federal government and its has been duplicated state-based allies are targeting and undermining since the project began the rights of minority groups – policing the bodin 2013. While works ies of trans people, targeting reproductive rights, between Buangor and and beginning the process of undoing the Civil Ararat are on hold, the Rights Act. Ararat to Stawell secWe can hear you say ‘oh but that is America. tion has seen no It would not happen here’. We say to you that we physical progress, did not think it would happen in America either, despite years of advobut it did and it does. So what is to say that it cacy and planning. will not happen here.

Tedthe Whillier In April 2019 Mass protests increased annually by an averFederal Budget, the C age of 11.5% from 2009 to 2019 across all regions C o Elaine m m oWatson nwealth of the world, with the largest concentration of Government commitactivity in the Middle East and North Africa and C Rosemary J to the ted $360 million the fastest rate of growth in sub-Saharan Africa. duplication of the Analysis of the underlying drivers of this protest Western Highway suggests that this percentage will only increase. between Ararat and These drivers are global economic growth, Stawell. Of this, $13.1 worsening effects of climate change, and foreign million has been meddling in internal politics via disinformation released to update the and other tactics. business case. These The world is becoming a place that looks works are currently different from what it did yesterday. There is underway, including more chaos, there is more extremism, there is reviews of previous more violence and what has happened yesterday VicRoads studies, techseems somehow to not hold that much credence nical designs, and to predict the future.

What can we do about that? First of all, we must all hang on to our ethics, our morals, and our belief systems. There is a need for improved understanding and responsiveness between governments and their citizens. Start today, do not procrastinate, start with the world we can change and that is local; start with our communities, start In spite of temporary with our local government and improve your victories, violence never knowledge of what is going on around you so that brings permanent peace. you can improve your understanding of their world and respond in a educated and non-violent Martin Luther King way to the issues.

Jnr.

18 Napier St., St. Arnaud, Victoria 3478.

Phone: (03) 5495 1055; Email: ncn@iinet.net.au

approvals to meet current standards. Council is now calling on the Victorian Government to prioritise the completion of the duplication, including a bypass of Great Western. With limited public transport options, residents and businesses in the Wimmera-southern Mallee are heavily dependent on the Western Highway. This is the busiest road transport corridor in our region and the third-busiest interstate D freight route in Australia. Its duplication is not just a regional priority – it’s a national one. Council urges both state and

St. Arnaud, Charlton & surrounding districts

N.C.N. INFORMATION The North Central News is 100% locally owned, independent newspaper, established in 1864. With a circulation of 1,400 copies, and an estimated readership of over 3,500 throughout the Northern Grampians and Buloke Shires.

Above: Mayor Cr. Karen Hyslop. federal governments to work together to deliver this long-overdue infrastructure.

The community cannot afford further delays.

Qld 4217

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North Central News is published weekly by Peter Marland, 3279 Charlton/St. Arnaud Road, Slaty Creek for 1 800 652 284 NCNews Pty. Ltd., 18 Napier Street, St. Arnaud.

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No. 8564

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ACROSS 1 Went by 5 Uncooked 9 Banish 11 Angry 14 Paradise 15 Worshipped 16 Roman emperor 18 Wagers 19 Former Russian ruler 20 Summit 22 Fewer 24 Owns 25 Efface 27 Limb 29 Narcotic 30 Stop 32 Wise man 34 Decorative plant 35 Periods of time 36 Slanders 38 Window stone 40 Drive back 41 Temporary relief 42 Become firm 43 Method

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Page 2 - NORTH CENTRAL NEWS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 18th 2025.

See this week’s solution on page 4.

DOWN 2 Greedy 3 Climbs 4 Attire 5 Colour 6 Representatives 7 Draws to a close 8 Colour scheme 10 Shelf­like surfaces 12 Garments 13 Stifled laugh 15 Irritation 17 Garden tools 21 Radiolocation 22 Convict 23 Withdraw from federation 26 Steal cattle 27 Cavalry weapon 28 Precious stones 29 Longing 31 Breaks out 32 Prophets 33 Catches the breath 34 Gets on 37 Otherwise 39 Ignited

Buloke Council receives funding for Youth Fest 2025 YOUNG people across Buloke Shire will have the chance to take the lead in shaping a new youth festival to be held later this year, following a successful grant from the Victorian Government.

B u l o ke Shire Council has received $2,000 through the Victorian Youth Fest 2025 program to support ‘A Celebration o f B u l o ke Yo u n g Pe o p l e ’ , a n e v e n t planned for September that will be led by the newly formed Buloke Yo u t h Advisory Group.

The festival is

expected to include live music, interactive activities and workshops, and will be timed to coincide with the school holidays.

In the coming months, the Youth Advisory Group will work closely with Council’s and local community organisations to design a program that cele-

brates young people’s talents and contributions and provides opportunities for them to have their voices heard.

Yo u t h A d v i s o r y Group member Fletcher HolmesBrown said the grant will help deliver something fresh and meaningful for local young people.

“I am super stoked for the Shire to have been able to receive a Youth Fest grant, and for the opportunity to harness this money and implement something new into the Buloke community that the youth actually want!” Fletcher said.

Fe l l o w Yo u t h Advisory Group member Les Cooper said the funding brings exciting possibilities.

“Receiving this

grant is very exciting as it means we could potentially organise activities for Buloke’s y o u t h t h a t a r e n’ t necessarily things we have available to us in our Shire,” said Les. The event will align with the aims of Victorian Youth Fest 2025 by involving young people in its planning and delive r y, promoting positive images of youth, and creating

spaces for them to express their ideas and connect with their community.

It will also join a series of youth events and activities across the shire with Birchip Neighbourhood House, Charlton Neighbourhood House, East

Wi m m e r a H e a l t h Service, and Tyrrell College also receiving funding through the Victorian Youth Fest 2025 program.

B u l o ke Shire Council acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government.

Locally screened movies to enjoy! ____________________________________

St Arnaud Brass Band Presents

A Fundraising Movie and Supper evening

“TINA” Fri 20 June @ 7.30 pm _______________________ “KARATE KID - LEGENDS” Fri 27 June @ 6.30 pm Just $10.00 pp !

Sun 29 June @ 2.00 pm

Just $17.00 pp !

Organization fundraising Ph. 0447 673 696 Gift Passes 5 for $45.00; 10 for $90.00

Above: Members of the Buloke Youth Advisory Group planning upcoming youth activities (left to right) Les Cooper, Darcey Poyner, Savannah Nicholls and Fletcher Holmes-Brown

Please check our website and Facebook page for updates www.starnaudcinema.com or Ph. 0447 673 696

NORTH CENTRAL NEWS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 18th 2025 - Page 3

St. Arnaud 100 Years Ago: June 12th – 19th 1925 State School Plantation A State School Plantation established under the Forestry Endowment Scheme on an area of land North East of the old Lord Nelson dam is making excellent progress.

It was inaugurated in July last year on a plot of two acres containing 1,000 young sugar gum and ironbark trees.

The plot of 52½ acres is fenced with posts, barbwire and three plain wires.

The block extends within a few chains of the Charlton Road to Millett St.

- by Heather Pritchard Practically the whole of the plantation work has been completed by the headmaster Mr W D McPhie and senior pupils.

Last year the sugar gums were purchased by the School Committee from the Educational Department for £7 for 700.

This year Mr McPhie established a nursery at his home in Millett St where there are over 1,000 sugar gums, grey box and iron bark slips ready for planting.

Another block of 40 – 50 acres to the right of Watson’s

L ake Road for a High School plantation will be stocked with mainly iron bark trees

Accident At 5 o’clock on Saturday night Mr W J McLay, manager of the St. Arnaud Branch of the E S &A Bank was standing outside the bank when he was knocked down by a horse and cart.

The shaft struck him in the back and he was taken home and medical aid summoned.

He is expected to be confined to his bed with fractured ribs and torn muscles for about three weeks.

Football As usual the St. Arnaud Junior teams played first, with the South End team 3-10 defeating the North End team 3-2. Best players for the South End Cecini, Leigh and Rowe and for the North End team Giles, Ward and Pavey.

At King George Park, St. Arnaud v’s Donald, a large contingent of Donald players and supporters arrived on the train at 3 o’clock but as a result of both teams dilly-dallying it was after 3-30 when play finally commenced.

The last quarter was played practically in the dark and there were many complaints about the late finish by

the crowd of a thousand spectators, especially those having to travel.

Scores – ¼ time Donald 5-3 St. Arnaud 1-3, ½ time Donald 7-3, St. Arnaud 3-4, ¾ time Donald 12-7 St Arnaud 7-7, final ¼ Donald 149 defeated St. Arnaud 12-7.

Best players for Donald McConville, Gambetta and Hood and for St. Arnaud Backway, Nicholls and Fithall.

Skating A special ½ mile bicycle race held at the skating rink between H Hicks and H Coleman resulted in a win for Hicks when Coleman fell in the last round.

Fur coats Mrs Davy of St. Arnaud – fur coats renovated and relined - all kinds of fur work done.

Annual meeting St. Arnaud Golf Club Elections – President Mr J Burrows, Vice-presidents Mrs H W Dunkley, Miss J McKechnie, Mr Wm Mitchell and Mr R H McKechnie, Secretary Mr N Grieves.

Subscriptions gents £1/1/- ladies 10/- and male or female under 20 years of age 10/-.

Mr J Ogburn has donated two golf balls a month for three months to players

handing in the smallest net score each month.

Sales Miss S E Pilgrim sells 81 acres at Gre Gre to R Hill of Gre Gre North at £9/3/0 Acre.

Belcher & Son of Emu sold 20 superior heavy draught horses 6 to 9 years, extra good workers, staunch and sound.

Charles Appleby sells 40 acres on Blink Bonny Road, 2 miles from St. Arnaud, well fenced and good dam, adjoins J C Dunstan and Geo Spence, was sold to J C Dunstan at £6/10/- per acre,.

Weather Very cold week with 34 points.

LYAL EALES STORES Annecto collapse leaves Mallee residents RINGERS WESTERN

in ‘transition’ limbo from 1 July

shock announcement that Annecto will cease Katherine Cowgirl Jeans $119.95 THE operations across Australia in just 3 weeks will a huge impact on 3,000 vulnerable Jillaroo 1/2 Button Shirt $64.95 have people, including the aged and people living with disabilities, Member for Mallee Dr Anne $64.95 Webster Hawkeye Shirt said this week.

Annecto announced Insurance $159.95Qld on their website they Disability Minamurra Hat Agency, the A 4217 would be ceasing operDepartment of ations in Victoria, NSW, Veterans’ Affairs and Black/Military Green Hoodie $84.95 1 800Qld 652 284 and the ACT on other key stakeholders F July 1st. to ensure the seamless $46.95 Ringers T/Shirts Annecto Chair transition of our cusE .................

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LYAL EALES STORES •Camping •Disposals •Hardware •Homewares 59 NAPIER STREET, ST. ARNAUD. PH: (03) 5495 2021 Monday to Thursday 9am - 5.30pm; Friday 9am - 6pm; Saturday & Sunday 9am - 2pm

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Page 4 - NORTH CENTRAL NEWS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 18th 2025.

Colleen Furnaletto OAM said they were working closely with the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, the National

Ted Whillier Elaine Watson Rosemary J

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tomers and staff to trusted and quality accredited providers.

Dr Webster despaired that transition would not be ‘seamless’ but be more like limbo for regional Victorians, given what is an already dire workforce shortage.

“I worr y about clients’ wellbeing if continuity of service cannot be secured,” Dr Webster said.

“In my former role as Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health I was saying for 2 ½ years that the Albanese L abor Government’s approach to aged care was disconnected with the realities in regional Australia and was pushing services to the brink.

“I called a Regional Aged Care Summit in mid-2023 due to my concerns, and I said as recently as late April that the aged care sec-

Solution No. 8564 P A S S E D R A W D V C R E L E G A T E I R A T E E D E N C I D O L I S E D N E R O T B E T S G T S A R C R E S T L E S S K H A S E R A S E L E G D D R U G C E A S E S A G E S F E R N M E R A S T R A D U C E S E S I L L R E P E L R E P R I E V E T S S S E T S Y S T E M

tor was faced with Mission Impossible complying with Labor’s 1 July timeline, including the former Minister’s callous process on the dawn of the election to fund regional home care services.

“With the unachievable 1 July start date looming large, only last Wednesday did the Health Minister at last relent and pushed back the start date to 1 November.”

“The spin, nonsense and disregard for the aged and ser vice

providers in regional Australia was just papered over in that 4 June media release.

“I hope that both Annecto clients and staff get the comprehensive support and genuine transition they deserve through the Albanese Labor Government.

“Mr Albanese keeps repeating his mantra ‘nobody held back – nobody left behind’ – but sadly it looks like that is exactly what will happen for Annecto clients and staff.”

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Above: Captain Kate McKay with her commendation and her husband Rick Murray.

- PHOTO: Facebook

RFS Captain with her roots in St. Arnaud receives commendation CAPTAIN of a Clarence Valley District Rural Fire Service was recognized for her valuable contribution to the service in a Commissioner’s Commendation in the 2025 awards.

Captain Kathryn ‘Kate’ McKay was awarded the high honour at the NSW RFS St. Florian’s Day awards.

St. Florian’s Day is named after the patron saint of firefighters and is the day when RFS members come together to recognize their volunteers and staff who have gone above and beyond with acts of bravery in protecting their communities.

Kate is the wife of Rick Murray and the daughter of Keith and Francie McKay (both deceased) and

the sister of Helen and Leanne and lived at Dark Bonnie.

She attended the St. Arnaud High School and returned for the reunion a few years ago.

The recipients of these awards are nominated by their peers which makes the honour even greater.

In announcing the award Captain McKay was noted for her various roles in leadership a c r o s s t h e C l a r e n c e Va l l e y Communications and Glenugie brigades.

Since joining the Glenbugie brigade in 2014 Kate has risen through the ranks from Deputy Captain, Community Engagement Officer and RFS Association RFSA Representative.

NORTH CENTRAL NEWS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 18th 2025 - Page 5

Charlton 100 Years Ago: June 13th – 19th 1925 - by Charlton Golden Grains Museum

Tree planting The 35 trees sent by the State Forestr y Department from Macedon have been planted at the Charlton School.

These include mahogany gums, pinus insignus, pepper trees and silky oaks.

Almost all are doing well.

Winter feature The euchre parties and dances held fortnightly in St Joseph’s Hall have established

themselves as a pleasant feature of Charlton’s winter life.

On Wednesday 30 tables were occupied for the euchre.

The ladies first award (a handsome bedroom clock) was secured by Miss V. Bilton; and the ladies secret prize (a pretty fruit dish) by Miss M. Sweeney.

The gentlemen’s first award (a set of hairbrushes) was won

by Mr Frank Soding.

For the dance some 50 couples took the floor.

Without supper, such occasions would be deprived of half

their pleasure.

The arrangements were in the hands of Mrs Tormey and Mrs Donaldson.

Football 1 Teddywaddy Rovers put up a remarkably good show against the strong-going Charlton Second Eighteen at Charlton.

The game, on the whole, was fairly well contested, and interesting to watch.

Charlton had 11 scoring shots against the Rovers 5, but the young blue-and-whites did not make good use of these as did the Rovers of theirs.

Page 6 - NORTH CENTRAL NEWS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 18th 2025.

Above: 1910c Charlton State School Charlton is about the hottest stuff in the competition to date.

Final result: Charlton

3.8; Rovers 3.2.

Goals and minors were kicked as follows: Goals: Charlton: G.

Wilmot 2, L. Jenkins; Teddywaddy: H. Sait 2, T. Maher. Behinds – Charlton: L. Jenkins 3, Frank Soding, Arundell, Wilmot, Cassell, McAuliffe; Teddywaddy: W. Sait, Glasheen.

Football 2 As Buckrabanyule Football Club were unable to get a team this season, they amalgamated with Wychitella.

For geographical reasons, it was not convenient for a number of the Buckrabanyule footballers to play in the Gladstone area, and some went to other clubs.

It seems rather a pity Buckrabanyule had to retire this year; but there was no way out.

The Tennis Ball From the social point of view the Tennis Club Ball, held in the Victoria Hall, has not been surpassed in Charlton this season.

The attendance was smaller than might have been expected with the object in view – assisting to provide the new concrete courts.

But the occasion was all the more ideal from the dancing point of view.

The ladies who prepared the supper, which consisted of fruit salads, jellies, sandwiches of seven varieties, cakes in profusion, were Mesdames Wilson, McMaster, O’Donnell, Luth, White, Lynas, Robertson, Babidge, Bowe, Reynolds, Raynor, and Wood; Misses Frahm, Jean Wood, Blanche Wood, Elsie Wood and B. Morris.

Presbyterian Mutual Improvement Society(MIS) An attendance well filled the Presbyterian

Hall for the musical and elocutionar y evening.

A feature was the clever Highland dancing by Miss Winnie Paterson.

Other items were: Songs, Mrs J. Norris; recitations, Miss E. P. Grewar, Master Ken Clarke, Miss M. Frost; duet, Mrs Henr y Davies and Miss E. Philpott; Solo, Mrs Davies.

Games paved the way for the splendid supper that rounded off the evening to perfection.

Cookery Centre When the ladies’ School Improvement Committee met lately, a small grant was made to the Cooking Mistress (Miss M. Sweeney), to provide little additions to the Cooking Centre, to make it more comfortable for parents and friends who come to sample the skill of the girls.

Ladies’ Golf Club The opening day was a foursome match played over 9 holes.

A large number took out cards; and there was a very close finish, the winners being Mrs Alex Robertson and Mrs Reynolds, 66-18-48.

Afterwards players and visitors were entertained at afternoon tea in the Club house by Mrs Frahm.

On Thursday a singles match was played over 12 holes.

Miss E. Robertson handing in the winning card, 77-24-53.

(Information from East Charlton Tribune)

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St. Arnaud Police report Police catch drug driver – Kings Avenue A St. Arnaud man will spend the next six months walking after being caught in a routine intercept.

The 37-year-old male was intercepted by police on Kings Avenue St. Arnaud shortly after 5:00pm on Friday April 18th 2025 and was required to undergo a Preliminary Oral Fluid test.

The result of the roadside test indicated the presence of an illicit substance in his system.

Upon accompanying Police back to the St. Arnaud Police station, the driver provided a sample of blood which returned a positive result for cannabis.

The driver received a $593 fine and had his driver’s licence suspended for 6 months.

Driving whilst suspended – caught and court again On June 4th 2025 at around 4:30pm, St. Arnaud Police observed a 41-year-old St Arnaud man driving whilst his licence was suspended.

The male was driving on Dunolly Rd in Carapooee, hoping he would not be noticed by Police.

This is the second time he has been caught driving whilst suspended.

His motor vehicle was impounded for another 30 days at a cost of $2700, and he will face

the St Arnaud Magistrate’s Court once more on traffic related matters (pictured above right).

Driving whilst disqualified – caught and court again At approximately 8.20pm on Sunday June 8th 2025, St. Arnaud police intercepted a 34-year-old St Arnaud male driving in James Lane, St. Arnaud.

The male driver, whose licence was disqualified for three years in 2022, denied that he was driving.

This is the third occasion that the male has been caught driving whilst disqualified and he will have to appear before the magistrate yet again to explain why.

His vehicle was impounded for thirty days at a cost of $2575.

Just remember, even if you’re driving the back streets, police will be patrolling, and you will be caught. Anywhere, anytime, anyone (pictured below right).

Police catch male riding e-scooter on footpath A St. Arnaud man was intercepted by police, riding an electric scooter on the footpath in Napier Street last Friday morning.

The rider was aware that he wasn’t allowed to ride an electric scooter on the footpath and provided no reason to Police for doing so.

As a result, the 39-year-old male received a $296 fine.

Secure letterboxes St. Arnaud Police would like to remind residents to secure their mail following a number of reports of letters stolen from private letterboxes.

Following Police investigations into these and other reported crime, a 32-year-old St. Arnaud male has been arrested and is assisting police with their investigations.

Police advise residents to lock letterboxes and ensure mail is collected daily. If you are going to be away, ask a trusted neighbour to check and empty your letterbox.

Assistance is always welcome If you have any information relating to criminal activity, no matter how big or small, or if you think something you saw or heard might not be important, it could still help. CCTV, dashcam footage, or even the smallest detail could be crucial to our ongoing investigations.

Please contact Crime Stoppers Victoria on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at crimestoppersvic.com.au You can also call the Police Assistance Line (PAL) on 131 444 for non-urgent matters or contact the St. Arnaud Police Station.

In an emergency, always call Triple Zero (000).

Please note that, often due to privacy, operational considerations, or other factors, some incidents may not be included in this public report.

NORTH CENTRAL NEWS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 18th 2025 - Page 7

St. Arnaud to host community conversation Powercor ramps up tree cutting across Buloke townships to keep the power about ‘BIG Weather’ network safe and reliable ST. ARNAUD and district residents are invited to participate in a community-wide conversation about ways to better respond to extreme weather events and shape solutions that make sense for the region.

Make a Change Australia, in partnership with Northern Grampians Shire Council and supporting organisations, will host a ‘Let’s Talk About BIG Weather’ community event on Tuesday, June 24th.

The event will be at St Arnaud Town Hall from 11am to 12.30pm.

Make a Change Australia executive director Karen Corr said Let’s Talk About BIG Weather was designed to bring together residents, businesses, students and community groups to share experiences, spark ideas and build stronger local responses to the impacts of heatwaves, fires, floods and other extreme weather events.

“This is a community-led initiative, tailored specifically for the Northern Grampians, and focuses on fostering bottom-up, locally relevant solutions,” she said.

“It’s also a first step in building stronger connections between locals, young people and the organisations working on climate resilience and recovery.”

Ms Corr said extreme weather was already having a lasting impact on Northern Grampians Shire residents’ homes, livelihoods and wellbeing.

She said following recent fires and ongoing climate pressures, there was a clear need to prepare for what might come next.

“We think young people in particular have a vital role to play in shaping how our communities respond to climate-related challenges,” she said.

“They bring fresh ideas, lived experience and are likely to have a strong interest in what the future holds.

“Despite being increasingly aware of these challenges, young people are often left out of the conversation.

“This project aims to change that. It’s about giving them a seat at the table and supporting their leadership so we can co-create local solutions that last.”

Mayor Karen Hyslop said the community event would provide a welcoming space for intergenerational conversations, practical advice and real connections between people who cared about the future of St. Arnaud.

“We’re pleased to partner with Make a Change Australia on this project,” she said.

“Let’s Talk About BIG Weather provides an opportunity for youth to take the lead, so I encourage all young people to consider attending this free local gathering, along with other residents and representatives of businesses and community organisations.

“We will hear from guest speakers, enjoy morning tea and share ideas on how we can prepare, adapt and recover from the challenges of ‘big weather’ more effectively.”

Tickets for the community gathering are free but are required for catering purposes and are available online at https://events.humanitix.com/northern-grampians Ms Corr said Let’s Talk About BIG Weather was part of a broader plan to connect local experience with practical action, and to inspire greater participation from young people and emerging leaders across the region.

“If you can’t make it to the event, you can still take part by sharing your views online,” she said.

“Community members are encouraged to reflect on their own experiences and ideas around extreme weather through a short survey.”

Pe o p l e c a n c o m p l e t e t h e s u r v e y a t https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/northerngrampians Ms Corr said feedback would help shape future programs and contribute to a growing network of residents working together on climate resilience and community wellbeing.

“This project also builds on existing initiatives and recovery efforts, helping to link people, ideas and support – now and into the future,” she said.

Page 8 - NORTH CENTRAL NEWS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 18th 2025.

POWERCOR will be cutting tree branches away from powerlines across several towns in the Buloke Shire this month as part of its work to keep the power network safe and reliable.

Starting this week, crews will be trimming vegetation near powerlines to accommodate at least two years of future growth, ensuring trees and shrubs are kept well clear of lines.

Residents may notice trucks and crews conducting the work in Wycheproof, Sea Lake, Charlton, Donald and Birchip.

There will be some temporary impacts to roads and pedestrian access, with traffic management in place to keep crews safe.

Powercor's Vegetation Program Delivery Manager, Rick Hill, said trees growing too close to powerlines can lead to power outages for homes and businesses.

"These works are all about keeping the network safe and reliable for our customers," Mr Hill said.

The works in Buloke Shire's township areas followed significant cutting in the more rural and higher bushfire risk areas around the region.

Complementing the vegetation cutting work, Powercor helicopters are scanning powerlines from the air in Victoria's north-west during June and July.

People may see and hear the choppers, which fly about 300 metres above the ground and use technology known as Light Detection and

Ranging (LiDAR) to scan the distance between tree branches and powerlines.

Using the LiDAR data, Powercor teams create 3D models of powerlines and their surroundings, helping to inform what vegetation needs to be cut.

"Inspecting and managing vegetation growing near powerlines is an essential part of how we keep power safe and reliable for our customers," Mr Hill said.

"By capturing data every year, we can track growth rates of vegetation across our network, helping us plan where to cut right now and when we may need to conduct cutting in the future."

Each year Powercor uses a fleet of three helicopters to inspect 100 per cent of more than 77,000 kilometres of powerlines across western Victoria.

How our cutting program works • Trained cutting teams can enter private property to cut trees back from powerlines, and also work on public land across our network.

• Teams need to meet clearance requirements that are regulated by Victoria’s energy safety regulator, Energy Safe Victoria (ESV).

• Larger clearance areas are required in areas of higher bushfire risk.

• For private property, the teams notify customers of cutting required at their address, complete the required pruning work then return to remove debris.

• When urgent cutting is identified, we aren’t always able to provide advance notice.

Catholic Education Week Cluster Day brings schools together What’s On at the St. Arnaud Secondary College

STUDENTS and staff from St Patrick's St. Arnaud, St Joseph's, Charlton and St Mary's Donald came together to celebrate Catholic Education Week with a special Cluster Day event.

The day began with a meaningful Mass, bringing together the school communities in faith and reflection.

After Mass, everyone enjoyed a shared morning tea, giving students and staff a chance to mingle and build connections across schools.

The highlight of the day was an engaging "Mad Science" incursion held at the St. Arnaud Town Hall. The interactive science show sparked curiosity and laughter, making learning fun for all.

Following the show, everyone came together once again to share lunch, wrapping up the day with a strong sense of community, friendship, and celebration of Catholic education.

Shop locally, support local business and secure your children’s future

Year 9 VET Taster Day Last week, Year 9 students travelled to Charlton to participate in the VET Taster Day. This day was set up so that Year 9 students from all schools across the North Central Network could experience all of the VET subjects that the NCTTC has on offer for them in Years 10, 11 or 12.

It was a great opportunity to find out about all of the subjects on offer and the facilities that the NCTTC has to offer.

Tree Pruning and Removal This week, tree maintenance and removal will be performed by a tree maintenance company.

Year 9 to 11 Exams and GAT Year 9 to 11 students will be undertaking their end of semester exams this week. This is an opportunity for them to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have gained throughout the term in all their subjects.

The GAT or (General Achievement Test) is a test undertaken by all students who are completing a Year 12 scored subject and for those students undertaking Unit 3 and 4 Vocational Major (VM), which include all our Year 11 and 12 VM students.

The GAT has two main purposes, firstly to moderate internally marked SAC’s and as a measure of basic literacy or numeracy for VM students.

Above: ‘Mad Science’ at the St. Arnaud Town Hall was a big hit.

Tina stars at St. Arnaud Cinema Pupil Free Day THE title Tina is Samoan for Mother, and although Tina is not a true story, it draws on real-life events and scenarios in New Zealand.

- Contributed The story is about a Samoan woman called Mareta who grieves the loss of her daughter in the Christchurch earthquake.

Mareta becomes a substitute teacher at an elite school and unexpectedly she discovers the students are lacking in guidance and care.

Despite racist opposition from the school’s leaders she starts a school choir.

It is Mareta’s love and support that provides inspiration which slowly begins to change the students’ attitudes and their lives.

They work towards a goal; a real-life competition in New Zealand called The Big Sing.

This wonderful movie is a real tear-jerker and shows the power of love to change people’s lives.

Starring Anapela Polataivao, Antonia Robinson, Beulah Koale, Dalip Sondhi.

Tina screens as a fundraiser on Friday June 20th at 7.30pm for The Brass Band followed by a delicious supper.

The cost is $17.00 per ticket.

Friday, 20th June is a Pupil Free Day as all staff are expected at school and will be undertaking professional development.

Year 10 Pre Driver education The College is fortunate to have access to the Driver Education program in Charlton which provides an excellent service and wonderful learning opportunity for students.

This course is for students of all driving abilities and experience – and often, the students who think they know “how to drive” that learn the most during this experience. All Year 10 students will attend.

NORTH CENTRAL NEWS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 18th 2025 - Page 9

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Charlton Probus Club report - Contributed

CHARLTON Probus Club’s latest outing was to Bendigo on Friday 16th May. We travelled by car to the Central Deborah Gold Mine precinct and had a walk around the surface displays. Some of the highlights were the Blacksmith’s Shop, the Winding Engine, the Hand of Faith gold nugget replica, the Crushing Battery and the Poppet Head.

We then boarded a Vintage Talking Tram tour to learn about the city’s golden heritage, and to see spectacular landmarks and monuments along the route.

The tram we boarded was used in Melbourne in the 1940s.

Some of the landmarks were Charing Cross, Pall Mall, the Cenotaph, Rosalind Park, Soldiers’ Memorial, Law Courts, the Chinese precinct, St Killian’s Church, Lake Weeroona, the Joss House and the Shamrock Hotel.

After an enjoyable lunch we visited Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Page 10 - NORTH CENTRAL NEWS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 18th 2025.

Above: The Bendigo Tram.

We were given a brief history of the cathedral. Work was begun on the cathedral in 1896 and it enabled the church to give outof-work miners employment.

The Cathedral is, architecturally, English Gothic.

The Tower and spire were completed in 1977.

Our General Meeting held on June 13th went smoothly even with a last minute change of venue to the Uniting Church Hall.

There were 36 members present.

Margaret Byrne gave a two minute talk about author Robyn Howarth who spoke in Donald recently.

On Friday October

6th 1972 two masked men burst into the Faraday school room and kidnapped the young female teacher and 6 female students, Robyn being one of those students.

Robyn spoke about the horrors they went through.

Counselling was unheard of at that time but a few years back Robyn undertook counselling and can now hear the word ‘Faraday’ without trembling.

Our Guest Speaker was Doug Gretgrix who spoke about his involvement with Harness Racing.

He was pestered by Matt Donaldson and his brother Stanley, both trainers, to join the committee which he did in 1979 and immediately became the Assistant Starter in the local area.

In 1980 Doug started his first race meeting.

The mobile barrier in those days was primitive compared to the computerised version today.

In 1987 Harness Racing Victoria called for starters.

There was a starter in Echuca and

Horsham and Doug was appointed to do the area in between but when the roster came out one of the first places he was listed for was Geelong.

Sometimes he was in Melbourne as a back up starter.

There are 28 clubs in the state and within 3 or 4 years he had started at most tracks.

His next goal was to be starter at the A. G. Hunter Cup – the biggest standing start race in Australia at that time.

He achieved this goal in 2009.

In 2017 Doug was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal which is pre-

Above: Speaker Doug Gretgrix.

sented to those within the industry who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve Victorian Harness Racing. Some people Doug mentioned were Kerryn Manning as a driver at only 17 years of age and Gavin Lang – the best male driver Doug has seen.

Doug mentioned Jane Bunn and Danny Frawley as two of the celebrities who have ridden in the back of the mobile.

Many local people have also had this experience.

Harness Racing Victoria is currently finding it hard to stay afloat. Charlton used have 16 meetings a year but has been cut back to 12.

In two years’ time there will be no harness racing in the afternoon and it would cost $2m $3m to put lights at Charlton.

Charlton has a great Training Centre and is one of the best clubs – set up well and very friendly.

Doug had on display Ted Lambert’s and Stanley Gretgrix’s colours and other memorabilia.

Above: Speaker Doug Gretgrix’s display.

Weekend to inspire at The REX Wood Heater fire scare for A heart-warming tale of family and an afternoon of quality music and song makes an ideal winter program at The Rex this weekend.

The generational movie “Funny Birds” (a tale about three generations of women), plus the live performance of “In A Persian Garden” (an ode to love and life) will captivate audiences with their passion and humanity.

In a Persian Garden Rachel Buckley Director of the Dunolly Gilbert and Sullivan Society, which is copresenting “In A Persian Garden” with The Rex - shared her thoughts on the production and the importance of creating opportunities for rural communities to have access to quality music.

Having seen the production in Melbourne, Rachel was smitten – especially as the work was created by a female composer.

“While I hadn’t heard of Lisa L ehmann before, this piece really impressed me”,said Rachel. Set for four voices – soprano, con-

- Contributed tralto, tenor and bass – the work sets to music quatrains (verses – rubaiyats ) from the ancient Persian poem “The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.”

Translated in 1859

by Edward Fitzgerald, the poem created massive interest and became hugely popular throughout the English-speaking world at the time.

The Rex performance will be brought to life by four experienced vocalists from Melbourne - Amelia Le Plastrier (soprano), Helen Hill (contralto), Brett O’Meara (tenor) and Ian Woolford (bass). The quartet will be accompanied by pianist, Geoffrey Urquhart with narration by Rachel Buckley.

Rachel is certain that audiences will be captivated by the work, with the piece being sung in English and the words being available in the program.

“The first half of the program will feature general works by Lisa Lehmann and the second half will be the performance of “In A Persian Garden”,” Rachel said.

“I believe that rural audiences should get to see the high quality performances which city people can regularly access, so we are working to make that a reality with presentations such as this.”

In A Persian Garden – Saturday June 21st at 2pm Tickets: $35 Bookings: https:// www.rextheatre.org.au/ live-shows.html | boxoffice@rextheatre.org. au| at the door

Movie: Funny Birds Exploring three generations of women and their last chance at reconciliation, “Funny Birds” stars French actress Catherine Deneuve in this story about family and relationships.

The story unfolds with young Charlie (Morgan Saylor) returninghome from boarding school to take care of her sick mother L aura (Andrea Riseborough) - the owner of a small organic egg farm in the New Jersey countryside.

It's a struggle to look after her mother, run the farm on her own and keep up with her studies.

Their day-to-day life

on the farm, already strained by years of unspoken resentment, is turned upside down when Laura’s mother Solange (Catherine Deneuve) shows up unannounced.

Solange is an eccentric French feminist who left America many years ago.

She's never had much of a relationship with her daughter.

Laura's sudden illness motivates her to reconnect.

But can these three women, opposite in so many ways, learn to live together?

To combat the unexpected bird flu epidemic that threatens the farm, they must rise above conflict.

Only love and laughter can heal old wounds and help them to accept each other's differences.

A movie to touch the heart, with a spark of light comedy thrown in, “Funny Birds” is sure to charm and engage.

“Funny Birds”( M97 mins |Drama | Comedy) screens on Saturday June 21st at 8pm, Sunday June 22nd at 2pm and Tuesday June 24th at 8pm.

Tutura family A wood heater fire that tore through the home of a Tatura family has Victoria’s fire services calling for vigilance when warming homes this winter.

Wi t h t h e c o o l e r weather arriving with force in recent weeks, one Tatura household had a lucky escape when bedlinen drying in front of a wood heater quickly became engulfed in flames.

The fire burned t h r o u g h b l a n ke t s before hitting the floor and spreading into the living room.

T h a n k f u l l y, t h e family was alerted to a fire in their home thanks to their newly installed s m o ke alarms.

Tatura Fire Brigade Captain and Incident Controller Peter Bevan hoped this common incident reminds residents to keep items drying at least one metre away from all heating sources.

“The family had only headed outside to the back shed for an hour before they h e a r d t h e s m o ke alarms going off,” Peter said.

“They couldn’t see any smoke or flames until it started coming

through the air conditioning swamp cooler on the roof, which is initially what they had thought caught fire.

“Once the clothes horse had fallen on the floor, the flames travelled right across the room into a cupboard where the switchboard was and then made its way up into the ceiling.

“There is extensive damage to the living area, and the curtains and carpets are all destroyed.

“The smoke managed to affect 80 per cent of the house.

“To set the scene more clearly for people, the radiant heat alone was so strong, it blew out a couple of the glass windows in the kitchen.”

Fi r e Rescue Victoria (FRV) and CFA responded to more than 150 heater fires through May 2024 to March 2025, with sleeping and living areas the most common room of fire ignition for incidents

that result in serious injuries or death.

CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said this is just one example of how leaving portable heaters and fireplaces unattended can have distressing impacts in a matter of moments.

“We are so pleased the family had just installed working smoke alarms to alert them to safety.

“It is really important all households have them in every bedroom, hallway and living area to ensure you have enough time to safely evacuate,” Jason said.

“It goes without saying, but please reconsider where you place your washing to dry.

“It’s a popular set up to place them near our heaters and wood fires, but a mistake that can be easily avoided.”

F RV Deputy Commissioner Community Safety, Joshua Fischer said now that we are spending more time indoors, heaters should be turned off before you leave the house.

NORTH CENTRAL NEWS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 18th 2025 - Page 11

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DEATH NOTICE BARBY - Anne A truly remarkable friend to us and a talented musician who created and sang our wedding song - ‘Two Hearts’.

You bought so much fun, love and laughter to our friendship over many years and we are truly thankful for that.

Sing with the angels Annie.

Love to Peter, Brenda and John and families.

- Macca & Sue xxxx BARBY - Anne Fond memories of a special friend to the St. Arnaud Ol’ Timers and partners.

Anne, we will all miss you and your beautiful voice.

Love and thoughts to Peter and family.

MCGURK Shane ‘Wiz’ Robert Loved and treasured son of Alan and Lynette.

Adored brother and brother in law to Michael & Caitlin and Kate & Troy.

Special Uncle to Emily and George.

Dedicated friend to many.

‘Forever In Our Hearts’

0458 885 266 St. Arnaud Serenity Storage

EMPLOYMENT Job Vacancies Campus Negotiable • Central Intake Nurse • Community Nursing – Nurse Unit Manager • Graduate Registered Nurse • Graduate Endorsed Enrolled Nurse St Arnaud • Food and Domestic Service Assistant • Education Coordinator Further information available at: https://ewhs.org.au/careers EWHS is an Equal Opportunity Employer, we welcome applications to all positions from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, LGBTQI+ People, and People of All Abilities.

Page 12 - NORTH CENTRAL NEWS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 18th 2025.

TO ADVERTISE PH: 5495 1055

McGURK Shane Robert Passed away 5th June 2025. Aged 40 years.

Dearly loved nephew of Greg and Leonie McGurk, Deb and Gerald Feeny.

Much loved cousin of Andrew, Erin, Marcus; Olivia and Maya, and families.

So many happy memories will be treasured forever.

FUNERAL HARVIE Laurence English “Laurie” The Funeral Service for Mr. Laurence English “Laurie” Harvie will be held by the graveside at the Charlton Lawn Cemetery on MONDAY (June 23) at 11 am.

If you would like to view the service live, go to: www.williamfarmer.com. au/tribute-centre APPLEBY FUNERALS 25 Brooke Street, Inglewood. 5438 3189

FUNERAL MCGURK Shane ‘Wiz’ Robert The family and friends of the late Mr Shane ‘Wiz’ McGurk are invited to attend his funeral service, being held in its entirety at Yakka Park, Lucindale on Monday, 23rd June 2025, commencing at 11:00am.

Sarah Hamilton Wattle Range Funerals Naracoorte 08 8762 0099

CHURCH NOTICES ST. ARNAUD UNITING CHURCH ST. ARNAUD Sunday 22nd June 9.30am Peter Welsh.

All Welcome.

PARISH OFFICE Chris & Rob Batters Pastorial Co-ordinators Enquiries 5495 6223

Laughter was surely the best medicine from Past President CHURCH NOTICES

ANGLICAN PARISH OF ST. ARNAUD Christ Church Old Cathedral St. Arnaud 9.30am Every Sunday Eucharist Bealiba 8am 2nd/4th Sunday All Welcome Rev. Peter Downes Enquiries phone: 0412 957 383

ST. ARNAUD CHURCH OF CHRIST Cnr. Queens Ave & Alma St. Sharing faith in Christ Thurs. 19th June 10.30 a.m.: Faith Group Sun. 22nd June 10.30 a.m.: Worship & Communion Speaker: Peter Fleming Tues. 24th June 4.00 p.m.: Discovery Time for Grades 1-6 Enquiries: Church Ph: 0494 391 466

DISTRICT CATHOLIC CHURCHES East Wimmera Parish BIRCHIP Sunday June 22nd 10.30am Live Stream in BOORT Sunday June 22nd 10.30am Live Stream in BANYENA No Mass CHARLTON Sunday June 22nd 10.30am Live Stream out to churches without Mass

ST. ARNAUD Lions Club held their Changeover Dinner on Wednesday June 11th at the Shire Café with President Phil McRae taking the helm for another year. The club bulletin held a bit of interest and humour around the tables, which we couldn’t resist sharing.

Two little boys are sitting on the back of a ute. One asks, “Does your family say a prayer before you eat?” The other replies, “Nope. We’re Irish and my mum knows how to cook!”

Although the laughter set the tone for the meeting, the President’s Report with a list of donations and events that the Lions Club has participated in for the year making for serious listening.

BBQs are always big and the last

twelve months Lions have organized them at the St. Arnaud Cup Day, the Christmas Procession, and the Australia Day breakfast.

Regular newspaper pickups, cakes and puddings, Meals on Wheels, Traffic management at the Murray to Moyne, cleaning up the Wimmera Highway, where all Lions members have participated.

Donations galore – with $500 to the St. Arnaud Primary School to assist a student going on a study trip to Canberra, $1,500 towards a community fund to raise funds for a Da Vinci Laser operating machine.

As well, $250 was donated to a Lions Club campaign to assist students with school supplies.

The Lions Club also assisted in raising over $24,000 for the Royal Children’s Hospital which included the Goods and

Services Auction at the Farmers Arms Hotel.

At the end of each year the Lions Club manages the Christmas Procession, House Lights and the colouring competition for junior students.

At the Changeover Meeting there were many thanks being handed out, many raffles being won (we won’t name the main recipient) and Peter and Amanda Marland received thanks for their retirement from North Central News.

New Office bearers for the St. Arnaud Lions are as follows: President – Philip McRae Vice-President – Arnold Bond John Beggs - Secretary Ralph Wacker - Treasurer David Hines – Tail Twister George Sinclair – Lion Tamer

DONALD Sunday June 22nd 10.30am Live Stream in ST.ARNAUD Sunday June 22nd 8.30am Mass WYCHEPROOF Saturday June 21st 7.00pm Mass Parish Coordinator: Noeline Hogan 0476 617 976

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Above: The Lions Club new Office Bearers and members who attended (left to right) Clive Hancock, Norm Bales, Phil McRae, Arnold Bond, David Hines, Ralph Wacker, Denis Goode and Brian O’Donnell.

NAFD Member

Birthday wishes to: June 18th Ruby Swanton June 20th Adam Devereux Brian Wharton Stuart Finch June 21st Sue Austerberry Amanda Elliott Daniel Needs Clare Ostarcevic

Lindee Parry Stephen Scilini Chris Cameron June 22nd Nick Baldwin June 23rd William Morris June 24th Val Hines Elisha O’Donnell Miranda Hoare

Above: Guests at the Changeover Dinner (left to right) Julianne Clift Guest, Phil McRae President, with Northern Grampians Shire Councillors Karen Probst and Murray Emerson.

Above: Peter and Amanda Marland who were presented with a gift and certificate of appreciation for their time at North Central News

NORTH CENTRAL NEWS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 18th 2025 - Page 13

In The Paddock Be alert for triple fungicide resistant Barley net form net blotch BARLEY growers in Victoria should keep watch for signs of net form net blotch (NFNB) disease following the recent confirmation of a triple fungicide resistant mutant of NFNB at Streatham.

Agriculture Victoria cereal pathologist Dr Hari Dadu said NFNB mutant was discovered after a suspected fungicide resistance sample of RGT Planet barley was sent to the Centre for Crop Disease Management (CCDM) for analysis.

This NFNB mutant

may have existed for several years prior to its detection.

“This mutant form of NFNB is resistant to several active ingredients within 3 different kinds of fungicide: Group 3, Group 7 and Group 11,” Dr Dadu said.

“NFNB has the

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potential to reduce barley yield by up to 40% and grain quality, so resistance to key active ingredients within the 3 main fungicide groups used to control the disease is very concerning for growers.”

He said the net form net blotch starts as pinpoint brown lesions, which elongate and produce fine, dark brown streaks along and across the leaf blades, creating a distinctive net-like pattern.

Older lesions continue to elongate along leaf veins and often are surrounded by a yellow margin.

Dr Dadu warned growers that this new mutant form of NFNB might be more widespread than first thought.

“Fungicide resistance to Group 3 and 7 fungicides has been around for several years and was again confirmed during 2024 in barley samples collected from Inverleigh, Hamilton, Horsham

— By Glendon Hancock

THE Australian wool market has fallen this week, although only by the barest of margins on each day.

The series was held in an unusual Wednesday/Thursday pattern, this was to accommodate Monday Public Holidays in Sydney and Melbourne, while Fremantle also moved to avoid selling in isolation.

With Fremantle returning to the selling program the national offering rose by 6,076 bales compared to the previous week, there was 28,882 bales available to the trade nationally.

Although the smaller than normal offering received good buyer support, particularly higher yielding types which continued to be highly sought after, from the opening lot it was apparent that the prices on offer for many types were not reaching the levels available at the previous sale.

By the end of the first day the movements in the individual AWEX Micron Price Guides (MPGs) for merino fleece were mixed.

There were pockets of positive movements, a 10 cent rise in the 20.0-micron MPG in the North the highlight.

As Fremantle was yet to realise the losses felt in the East in the previous series, the largest falls were recorded in the West, the MPGs dropping by between 18 and 26 cents.

The benchmark Eastern Market Indicator (EMI) dropped by one cent, a buoyant crossbred market preventing a larger fall.

The second day was very similar to the first.

General weakness in the merinos countered by strength in the crossbreds resulted in another one cent fall in the EMI.

National Offering Centre North South West Total

Week 50 50 50

Days Offering 11, 12 June 8,877 11, 12 June 13,734 11, 12 June 6,271 28,882

Future Offerings Week

51

17, 18 June

Source - AWEX

21,766

The EMI closed the week 2 cents lower at 1,197 cents.

When viewed in USD terms the market movements were positive.

The EMI added 3 US cents for the series, closing the week at 778 US cents.

Only Melbourne and Sydney will be in operation in the following series, with Fremantle absent the national offering falls.

There is currently expected to 21,766 bales on offer nationally.

Melbourne Ind. 1179 L +1 16.5 1708 +16 17 1662 +4 17.5 1628 +5 18 1597 +5 18.5 1552 -9 19 1516 -13 19.5 1476 -7 20 1440 -17 21 1412 -16 22 1390n 23 24 25 782 26 645 +21 28 445 +2 30 393 +11 32 335 0 MC 669 +24

Page 14 - NORTH CENTRAL NEWS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 18th 2025.

and Kaniva. ‘Growers of susceptible barley varieties and in particular RGT Planet and Zena CL should monitor crops closely and if they suspect new forms of resistance contact cropsafe@agriculture.vic.go v.au”, he said.

Growers should review their Integrated Disease Management processes and take the

following proactive steps to reduce the spread of the NFNB mutant: • Select and sow less susceptible barley varieties using Agriculture Victoria’s cereal disease guide.

• Do not sow Planettype barley for 1-2 seasons.

• Rotate crops.

• Manage stubble to

reduce disease carryover.

• Ensure the green bridge of volunteer plants between seasons is removed.

• Follow best practice fungicide management such as mixing and rotating fungicide groups and strategic timing of fungicide applications as advised by the Australian

Fungicide Resistance Extension Network (AFREN).

The cereal disease guide and further information on NFNB is available in the plant diseases section of the Agriculture Victoria website.

Grain, pulses and cereal diseases | Plant diseases | Biosecurity | Agriculture Victoria

Farmers leading the charge: Renewables driving down costs and pollution in agriculture THE National Renewables in Agriculture Conference and Expo will examine ways farmers could cut input costs. With droughts, floods and other extreme weather impacting farm profitability across the country, cutting input costs becomes even more critical to building a resilient future for Australian agriculture. On-farm renewable energy is proving to be a powerful tool to help farmers get there.

Gippsland dair y farmer Sandra Jefford, is working on a controlled microgrid, using solar for irrigation for her property.

She can monitor how much solar is powering her operations and how much is exported to the grid.

“We save significantly on power costs depending on the season.

“We’ve added more irrigation over the years which has increased our power needs, so we will be adding more solar to one of those sites in the coming months, and potentially more in the future.

“It just makes business sense to do so."

Another farmer, Mike Casey in New Zealand, has been electrifying his farm over

the last few years and has the first electric Monarch Tractor in the southern hemisphere.

He has recently installed batteries on his farm and converted a ute to electric.

“We have a six hectare cherry orchard in Central Otago with 21 electric machines that saves about $40,000 a year in energy bills which is a huge amount of inputs.

“The cost of solar and batteries are at such a good price now, that rolling those out will really reduce our costs of operations on farms as well as the cost of living in general.

“My batteries will actually earn an income for the farm over the year,” Mike explains.

“I’m on a wholesale

$10.00

electricity contract now, so I can use my large batteries for protection against exposure to the open power market, and that means I can turn what has always been considered a risk, into an opportunity for farming.”

Sandra and Mike are two of the speakers at the National Renewables in Agriculture Conference 2025, taking place in Bendigo, Victoria, on July 23rd.

The conference, happening in Victoria for the first time in six years, will bring together farmers, energy experts, researchers, industry leaders and government representatives to explore the practicalities, opportunities and challenges of renewable energy in agriculture.

Conference Founder and farmer K arin Stark says momentum is building across the sector.

“Farmers are

increasingly turning to renewables to tackle the challenge of rising diesel and electricity prices. But there’s still work to be done in making the right technologies available and ensuring regional contractors and services are equipped to deliver.”

She adds that the conference will also explore agriculture’s growing role in decarbonising the electricity grid.

“We’ll be discussing the evolving distribution network and microgrids, and the potential for smaller, distributed solar projects on farms—say 5MW systems—feeding directly into the local network.

“There are also emerging opportunities for farmers to be paid for providing energy services as new markets develop,” Stark said.

With consumers demanding lower-carbon products and farmers facing rising energy costs, the integration of solar, bioenergy, and electric machinery is no longer a vision of the future— it’s happening now.

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Charlton v Birchip-Watchem netball round 8 Maddi’s Round & All Cancers Round This weekend was a very special one for us at the Charlton Netball Club, we came together to remember Maddi Fitzpatrick.

This round will always be a special and significant one for us.

Maddi's passion for the game and her infectious energy will never be forgotten.

We will continue to play in her memory and strive to embody the same dedication and spirit that she brought to the court.

Every time I step on to the court, Maddi is on my mind, and I aspire to keep making her proud.

Maddi was a one of a kind netballer and she is deeply missed at the Charlton Netball Club and throughout the North Central League.

It was great to see so much green and purple around the grounds!

Thanks to the North Central League for all their hard work in keeping this round going. #noonefightsalone Chloe Walsh – Charlton Netball Club President 14 & Under A Charlton 0 def by Birchip-Watchem 30 Steels Butcher Best: Rosie Fitzpatrick FHN Ladies Auxiliary Coaches: Maddie Lanyon, Nutrien Ag and Roberts Windrowing “Have a Crack” – Sophie Roberts 17 & Under A The girls put in a solid effort this week!

The attackers moved the ball well but had to work hard against some tough and tall opponents.

Sarah Blair and Taylah Giles shot beautifully once again showing great accuracy under pressure.

Down the other end, our defenders worked

tirelessly all game, putting plenty of pressure on the opposition, with Erin Blair having a standout game!

The girls put up a good fight with Maddi in their minds, pushing themselves for the whole game.

A special shoutout to Anna Fitzpatrick and Lila Schofield for stepping up from Under 14s and doing an amazing job!

Charlton 31 def by Birchip-Watchem 50 Bendigo Bank Best: Erin Blair, FNH Ladies Auxiliary Coaches: Maggie Riley, Caffeinated Chaos Captains Coffee: Lila Schofield and Anna Fitzpatrick

Above: One Minute’s Silence - A grade sides unite as one.

C Grade Another full game effort from our girls despite the loss.

Goalers Emmy Nelson and Jac Leslie played really well together and starting to read each other.

The team worked well in the first half to bring the ball down to the shooters.

Some handy rotations in C & WD with Erin Blair and Stella Nicolson giving some fresh legs.

Our defenders Annie Olive and Zoe Carney did all they could against some very tall and accurate shooters.

Charlton 85 def by Birchip-Watchem 27 Vale of Avoca Best: Jac Leslie, JS Plumbing Coaches: Taylah Boyle, Caffeinated Chaos Captains Coffee: Annie Olive

B Grade A tough hit out for our B graders this week coming up against a well- oiled team in Birchip.

Positional changes did spark some action for our girls but Birchip’s defence were making it hard to get the ball into our goalers despite many opportunities from our defender’s intercepts.

Holly Thompson and Anika Holmes-Brown worked hard and combined well together.

Special mention to Emmy Nelson stepping in to WD and absolutely crushing it.

Our 3rd quarter showed to be our best with the girls showing off their front cuts beautifully and clawed back the score.

Charlton 24 def by

Birchip-Watchem 51 Teys Charlton Feedlot Best: Holly Thompson, Teys Charlton Feedlot Coaches: Emmersyn Nelson, Caffeinated Chaos Captains Coffee: Emmersyn Nelson A Grade A big honour for our A grade side this week, being presented with a special edition dress for Maddi’s Round – our girls were given their dresses Thursday night

by Kim and Shane Fitzpatrick a beautiful presentation to remember Maddi.

Our girls settled quickly in attack after the first whistle with Chloe’s height proving to be an advantage with early pressure from Claire Smith in defence providing balls for us to score off.

Remi Jeffery and

PHOTOS: Blake Lee Photography - Contributed Issy Soulsby worked well in the mid court to cover and shut down Birchip with also providing support in the transition to our attackers.

Claudia Lee in WA making some great feeds into the goalers with Lacey Smith coming on to create opportunities through intercepts in the last quarter.

An inspiring uniform this week for our girls, despite a loss everyone played with heart and pushed until the final whistle.

Charlton 43 def by Birchip-Watchem 67 Walsh Motors Best: Claudia Lee, Walsh Motors Coaches: Chloe Walsh, Caffeinated Chaos Captains Coffee: Maggie Riley

Above: U17s Taylah Giles passing off.

NORTH CENTRAL NEWS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 18th 2025 - Page 15

The 2025 Inter-hotels Pool Comp season ROUND Seven of the Inter-Hotels’ Pool Competition was played on Wednesday June 11th and, on the day that the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson died. the RSL team, with the bye, were dreaming of California Girls while a Wipe Out was to occur in each of the three matches contested.

The Country Cup One team did not need the services of the Sloop John B nor a Little Deuce Coupe to cross the Avoca River and take on the boys from the Pub in the Scrub, their thoughts being Wouldn’t It Be Lovely if they could win by enough to unseat the Logan from their spot in the four but not even their perennial black-andwhite optimists Heckle and Jeckle, in their wildest imaginings, would have envisioned the carnage that was to ensue.

Paul Mullins and Troy Shields began well

SUDOKU SOLUTION

for the visitors, winning their opening frames against Shaun McNaulty and Stephen Rodger respectively but the L ogan’s Peter Anderson had his first frame handed to him

by Dan Harkin who fouled on the black ball however Pete could not have foreseen that this was to set the pattern for the rest of the match for him and that he would be seriously inflicted with a fatal dose of melanophobia.

Mouse Robinson, filling in for Des Moulday who was still chilled out after the Magpies close encounter with the Demons in the Big Freeze match, saw his side leading by three games to one at the end of the first round after downing Jacob Vanrenen.

Round Two was to be a disaster for the Avoca Foresters and Good Vibrations were being felt amongst the cavorting Countr y Clubbers as Paul, Troy and Mouse surfed over

Shaun, Stephen and Jacob while Peter executed a foul on the black to send his match with Dan to equilibrium but worse was to follow as he was to repeat the performance in the only frame required in the third round to put the Club One into a commanding eight games to one lead at the end of the singles.

The languishing Loganites were now mortally wounded and collapsed in both doubles which included yet another foul-black loss in a frame that included pizza Pete.

The massive percentage differentiation that ensued from the ten games to one victor y resulted in the Logan falling to fifth on the ladder and the Club one being elevated to fourth.

Out amongst the gum trees, where the struggling growth on the fairways now has frost to contend with, The Country Club Two team hosted the Sporting Club side but it was to be a slaughter from the opening frame as the Club’s Harley Durward, Will Jackson, Grant Doyle and Jake Male made short work of Dayle Pitt, Jesse

- by Bob Wooley Cook, Cheyenne Vogler and Joel Nevill.

Only Dayle was to prevent four bad moons from rising when he was successful in one frame against Harley as the Rollers and Floggers scored in both doubles to take the match by ten games to one.

Similar happenings were to take place in the home derby of the night at the Farmers’ Arms hotel where the evening’s heroine was to be Two’s captain Alayne Cunningham who prevented the ignominy of a whitewash by taking a frame off Ben Medlyn while her teammates Ruby Smith, Jack Hodges and Luke Pole all fell before the cues of Leigh Watkins, Ned Gorrie and Geoff Watts.

With a win in both doubles the flying Farmers’ Arms One side had achieved the third ten games to one crushing victory of the round.

Ladder pts RSL 24 Farmers’ Arms 1 20 Country Club 2 16 Country Club 1 12 Logan 12 Sporting Club 4 Farmers’ Arms 2 -

Above: St. Arnaud's Erin Hayes battles for control of the ball in Saturday's North Central Hockey Association women's match against Boort.

North Central Hockey Association Under 12 Wedderburn 1 d.

Sea Lake Nandaly 0 Calder Untd 6 d.

Donald 0 Birchip Watchem 7 d Charlton 0 Boort 1 drew with St. Arnaud 1 Underage Calder Unt 2 d.

Donald 1 Birchip Watchem 1 lost to Charlton 10 Boort 1 lost to St. Arnaud 5 Sea Lake Nandaly Bye Women Wedderburn 3 d Sea Lake Nandaly 0 Calder Utd 2 d Donald 1

Boort 1 lost to St. Arnaud 5 Charlton bye Men Wedderburn 3 d Sea Lake Nandaly 1 Calder Utd 1 lost to Donald 2 Boort 1 drew with St. Arnaud 1 Charlton bye Ladders pts Under 12 Birchip Watchem 21 Calder United 19 Charlton 19 St. Arnaud 13 Wedderburn 10 Boort 4 Donald 3 Underage Charlton 21

St. Arnaud Boort Donald Calder United Birchip Watchem Sea Lake Nan

19 9 9 7 4 3

Women Calder United St. Arnaud Charlton Boort Wedderburn Donald Sea Lake Nan

18 15 15 9 7 4 0

Men Donald Calder United St. Arnaud Boort Wedderburn Sea Lake Nan Charlton

18 15 14 10 10 3 0

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Page 16 - NORTH CENTRAL NEWS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 18th 2025.

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North Central Netball Association Saints Under 17s edge out Boort in the fog 14 & Under Birchip-Watchem 85 Charlton 27 Boort 59 St. Arnaud 40 Birchip-Watchem 30 Charlton 0 Wedderburn 49 Sea Lake Nandaly 35 Wedderburn 21 Sea Lake Nandaly 12 C Reserve Calder United 18 Donald 23 Boort 34 St. Arnaud 12 Boort 81 St. Arnaud 15 14 & Under B Wedderburn 23 Sea Lake Nandlay 75 Calder United 16 Donald 4 Wedderburn 23 Sea Lake Nandaly 2 Boort 9 St. Arnaud 8 17 & Under Boort 39 St. Arnaud 39 Wedderburn 26 Sea Lake Nandaly 67 Calder United 87 Donald 17 Birchip Watchem 50 Charlton 31 A Grade Calder United 43 Donald 39 Birchip Watchem 67 Charlton 43 Wedderburn 52 Sea Lake Nandaly 34 Boort 73 St. Arnaud 28 B Grade Calder United 48 Donald 41 Birchip Watchem 51 Charlton 24 Above: Bridgette Douglas sends Boort 53 St. Arnaud 48 the Saints into attack against Boort Wedderburn 70 Sea Lake Nandaly 29 C Grade in North Central netball B Grade action on Saturday.

Calder United 70 Donald 10

A Par round at St. Arnaud Golf SATURDAY was once again cold and miserable but with a hint green - Contributed grass bought 14 men and 3 women out for golf.

The ladies played a stroke round for the monthly medal with Carmel Weir, Alison Fahey and Jenny Lanyon all finishing on 84 net.

The men played a Par round against the course with the course winning in most cases.

The winner of the St Arnaud Physiotherapy best score was Barry Batters with +1 from Leigh Hines square with the course on 0.

The major contest was for third with John Goode, Lindsay Baldock and Scott Wright all on -1.

Nearest the pins were John Goode on the short 6th, Ivan Jackson on the Caravan Park sponsored 8th, Trevor McDonald on the long 10th and

Lindsay Baldock on the Weirs IGA sponsored 18th.

Leigh Hines carried his coach and advisor Colin Reyne to win on 19th hole over Scott Wright and David Lanyon in the only 4BBB match played.

Next Sunday the grass will be greener for the 2nd round of the championships.

A grade will be a tight contest with Bill Rodger, Craig Burn and Scott Wright trying to hold off their challengers.

Leigh Hines will try to hang on to his strong lead in B grade and Daniel Needs has a 16 stroke lead to protect in C grade.

No two game winners - Contributed

IT was another interesting afternoon of Winter Social bowls at the St. Arnaud Bowling Club last Sunday.

No team could manage to win the two games of 10 ends, and the winners on the day took the prize-money by being just 2 shots up overall.

Numbers were down because of the Coomealla tournament

Above: Terry McSwain and Allan Welsh seem pleased with their narrow win. and the conditions were a bit cool at times during play.

There will be a third

Bendigo successes

Sunday of Winter Social bowls this month, the next round to be held on June 29th at 1.00pm.

Inside running

by Archie

THE Charlton trainer/driver combination of Michael Gadsden and Luke Dunne won the first race at Bendigo last week with the Patchewollock owned pacer “No Emotion”.

For the 9yo “Grinfromeartoear” gelding it was its sixth win since entering the Gadsden stable and its ninth lifetime success in a very creditable 1.58.5 for the 2150m trip.

Later in the programme the Birchip “crew” collected a double with the S Sanderson trained, A Sanderson driven pacers “Atua Magic”, 2 starts 2 wins, and “Smalltownsmokeshow ” a 3yo filly by “Always B Miki” from “Morton Plains” who was having her third lifetime start.

The filly’s dam “Morton Plains” was the winner of the 2015 $110,000 Vicbred Super Sires Series when trained by L arr y Eastman and ended her racing career in 2016 after winning at 2 of the last 3 starts and having won $193,445 in stakes.

The mare has had two foals to the races for two winners.

On Tuesday night at Euchuca owner/trainer John Tormey had his fifth win with* the 9yo “Betterthancheddar” gelding “Eastbro Jessie”.

The winner was driven by Jack Laugher.

At Ballarat on Thursday night “Jilliby Tidalwave” made it two from two for trainer Tori Hutchins.

Driven by Jordan Leedham the 5yo had twenty-eight starts before moving to the Charlton Training Centre for one win and ten placings.

Today, Wednesday, they race at Mar yborough and tonight at Bendigo with the upcoming Sunday and Monday being race free days.

A thick layer of fog blanketed Boort Park, setting the scene for a muchanticipated top-of-the-table clash between the Boort Magpies and the undefeated St. Arnaud Saints at the midpoint of the season.

Boort came out firing, adjusting more quickly to the slippery conditions to score the first two goals.

Clean possession was a challenge for both sides in what was tight, contested footy.

The Saints' midfield worked hard to move the ball into an open forward line, allowing Chase Zander to slot their first goal just before the quarter-time siren.

At the first break, Boort held the lead, 2.3 (15) to St Arnaud 1.0 (6).

In the second quarter, Bob Donald, Aidan Wickham, and Sean Bridgeman applied relentless pressure, giving Boort little room to move cleanly.

The Saints pushed the ball up the ground to lock it in their forward half and despite

the tricky conditions, managed to string together some effective passages of play.

Chase Zander remained a threat with attacking runs and forward pressure, setting up Archer Reyne, who kicked truly.

Down back, Will Thomas, Frazer Burke, and Jack Batters stood strong, while Talan Berryman directed play with composure.

Boort were held scoreless in the quarter by the Saints’ solid defence, which helped secure a one point lead at half-time, Boort 2.3 (15) trailed St Arnaud 2.4 (16).

Throughout the third quarter, as the fog slowly lifted, so did the intensity.

Hard-ball gets and fierce tackles from both sides across the ground

highlighted how evenly matched the contest was.

Boort missed a few scoring opportunities, while Archer Reyne added his second goal with a strong kick from 30 metres out.

Heading into the final break, it was Boort narrowly in front, 3.6 (24), to Saints 3.5 (23).

With the game on the line in the final term, the Saints managed to find crucial small wins across the ground and played well as a team.

Austin Lowe capitalised on an opportunity early in the quarter — a reward for his consistent effort throughout the game.

The defence held strong under pressure, while Nathan Saludes showed some classy moves, finding the ball

- Contributed and space at critical moments.

The Saints breathed easier after Kenna Lorusso took an important mark late in the quarter and slotted a goal to seal the win in a nail-biting finish.

Coaches Carl Leach and Mitch Birthisel would be proud of the boys’ efforts in what was a hard-fought contest played in challenging conditions.

Final scores: St Arnaud 5.6 (36) def.

Boort 3.9 (27) Goal Scorers: Chase Zander (1), Archer Reyne (2), Austin Lowe (1), Kenna Lorusso (1) Awards: Austin Lowe – John & Brenda Beggs, Chase Zander – Croplands, Will Thomas – Uniting Church, Nathan Saludes – Parkview Bakery, Sean Bridge-man – Canteen, Jack Batters – Sonya’s Hair Directors

Young Saints shine through the fog in IN cold and foggy conditions that made for a a spirited contest tough day out, the young Saints showcased grit, teamwork, and a healthy dose of sportsmanship in an entertaining four-quarter performance.

The opening term saw the Saints get off to a flying start, with Isaac Johns slotting a classy early goal after some great team play set the tone.

The Saints dominated much of the first quarter, and their strong ball movement paid off again when Chase Hendy launched a precise kick from the wing, ending with Ned Ezard finishing cleanly in front of goal.

As the clock ticked down, Chase Hendy found himself in the action again, kicking truly with less than a minute remaining to cap off an impressive quarter for the Saints.

The second quarter, however, saw the opposition lift their intensity noticeably.

They responded with two early goals, the second coming from a slick passage straight out of the centre bounce.

The Saints didn’t back down, though— some smart forward entries from Sam Greenway helped regain momentum, culminating in yet another goal for the hard-running Hendy.

Heading into the main break, the Saints held the momentum, but their coaches challenged them to show greater accountability, clean up their disposal, and sharpen up going forward.

The third quarter became a battle of effort over execution.

Chase Hendy and Charlie Baldwin worked tirelessly

through the middle, driving the ball forward with purpose, though the Saints couldn’t quite convert their hard work into goals.

A crunching tackle from Charlie Kirk sparked another forward surge, but the major scoreboard reward remained elusive in what became a non-scoring, hardfought stanza.

Despite the chilly conditions, the Saints weren’t done yet.

The final term saw them lift again, com-

Saints 6-14-50 vs Boort 4-5-29 bining pressure and composure.

A well-constructed play off the half-back flank started with Xavier Taylor, who found Finn Wilson in the middle.

Wilson linked up with Charlie Baldwin, who calmly slotted a set shot to keep the Saints in the contest.

Soon after, Wilson capped off his strong game with a goal off the ground from the goal square.

While they didn’t have it all their own way, the Saints’ team-

- Contributed work, intensity, and commitment to each other stood tall through the cold and fog.

With strong performances from everyone and a team-first attitude all round, it was a performance to be proud of.

Awards: BanavieChase Hendy, Uniting Church- Lewis Lowe, Parkview Bakery- Finn Wilson, CanteenCharlie Kirk, Sonya’s Hair Directors- Jack McNally and Croplands- Sami Weir.

NORTH CENTRAL NEWS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 18th 2025 - Page 17

It’s onward and upward for Saints Seniors The St. Arnaud seniors appeared to make significant strides in the right direction last week, as they continue working towards competitiveness.

Boort won the toss and kicked with the breeze, however some solid defensive work, and a pressure rating through the roof (aided by some bad kicking) saw the magpies take a slender 20 point lead into the first break.

It was up a gear throughout the second term, with the Saints out-scoring the Magpies 4 goals to 2.

Unfortunately though, it was another injur y to another important cog in the Saints wheel, when Harley Durward fell victim to what the

umpires judged a dangerous tackle from Magpie Harry Weaver, and subsequently sustained what appeared to be a significant injury. Well wishes to Harley on his recovery.

Boort lifted a gear throughout the 3rd term, adding a further 6 goals to their tally, however the Saints were up and about again towards the end of the term, adding two of their own, taking a bit of momentum into the final break.

It was a really competitive final term, with both sides having

moments where they controlled the play and tempo of the game. In the end, the margin remained as it was at the final break, 37 points.

The Reserves also started well, before being overrun by the Magpies.

For all 4 grades of Football, this week provides a big opportunity.

The Seniors will be looking to continue their trajectory, and continue to put out an improved performance.

Effort and intensity is already unquestionable, now,

Football, Netball and Hockey, we’re by far the largest community group in our area. We understand that we play a critical role, in supporting the well being of our young people. PLEASE, listen in to what our Headspace representatives have to say, it’s an important message, and it just might one day help you, or someone you care about.

it’s execution. For the Reserves and Under 14’s, It's the opportunity to right a couple of wrongs from their Round 2 encounter.

Both sides had moments where they could have won the game, but failed to do so. The task Saturday, simply get it done.

The Under 17’s and Under 14’s, they will be looking to continue their path, and sure up their position come late August, and into September It’s Headspace Round, and its always important to remember, we’re Stronger Together.

Between the

Saints G & S is on this Saturday The Live Auction is set to kick off this Saturday at 7pm in the Sporting Club.

The Online portion of the Saints G&S is

North-Central Football Roundup Goldacres Seniors SEA LAKE-NANDALY . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.2 6.3 8.4 16.6 (102) WEDDERBURN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.2 3.3 4.6 7.9 (51) Goals for Sea Lake Nandaly: Adam Pattison 5, Joshua Jenkins 4, Max Cahoon 2, Brodie Adcock, Trent Donnan, Jarvis Keogh, Jackson McMahon, Cruz O’Sullivan. For Wedderburn: Mitch Jensen 4, Jye Mortlock 2, Hamish Lockhart.

Best for Sea Lake Nandaly: Wade Donnan, Billy Mcinnes, Adam Pattison, Oscar Brownless, Jack Poulton, Charlie Cox. For Wedderburn: Joe Lockhart, Jackson McEwen, Jye Mortlock, Darcy Jackson, Isaac Holt, Ben Bacon.

CALDER UNITED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6.5 12.9 18.20 23.29 (167) DONALD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0.0 0.1 0. 1 0. 1 (1) Goals for Calder United: Jack Exell 8, Rylee Smith 4, Mitch Farmer 3, Cody Green 2, Zane Keighran 2, Steven Kennedy, Darcy Munro, George Turner, Tiger Vearing. For Donald: Nil. Best for Calder United: Rylee Smith, Steven Kennedy, Zane Keighran, Jack Exell, Josh Walsh, Koby Hommelhoff. For Donald: Charlie Campbell, Brady Griffiths, Daniel Pearce, Joshua Smulders, Thomas Reekie, Dyson Bell-Warren.

BIRCHIP-WATCHEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.5 11.9 16.16 21.18 (144) CHARLTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0.0 0.1 0. 1 1. 1 (7) Goals for Birchip-Watchem: Ben Edwards 6, Nicholas Rippon 3, Daniel Bell 2, Meyrick Buchanan 2, Jacob Christie 2, Marshall Rippon 2, Lachy Foott, Riley Hogan, Jack Lee, William Lee. For Charlton: Sebastian Zagame.

Best for Birchip-Watchem: Nicholas Rippon, Ben Lakin, Cormacc Wilson, Rhona Conboy, Hamish Hosking, Lachlan Ryan. For Charlton: Jed Thompson, Rhys Thompson, Bailey Hooper-Dixon, Elliott Fitzpatrick, Patrick Soulsby, Archer Patterson.

Uniting Church Under-14s

SEA LAKE-NANDALY 7.2-44 D. WEDDERBURN 2.3-15 Best for Sea Lake-Nandaly: Henry Cox, Riley Allan, Randy Bailey, Messer Bailey, Harry Wight, Finn Austerberry.

For Wedderburn: Zane Polkinghorne, Jack Dierickx, William Huismann, Atilla Clarke, Archie Polkinghorne, Luke Martin.

DONALD 9.9-63 D. CALDER UNITED 1.1-7 Best for Donald: Nullah Clapham, Noah Michael, Jhonrick Vincent Embate, Darnell Clapham, Emmett Geddes, Max Reilly.

For Calder United: Harry Humphreys, Smith Morrison, Emma Kilby, Riley Beattie, Desmond Polzin, Levi Hall.

BIRCHIP-WATCHEM 11.8-74 D. CHARLTON 4.1-25 Best for Birchip-Watchem: Morgan Greenaway, Liam Spezza, Toby Kemp, George Greenaway.

For Charlton: Charlie Zagame, Cooper Mcgrath, Xav Good, Henry Lanyon, Tamsyn McGurk.

ST ARNAUD 6.13-49 D. BOORT 4.5-29 Best for St Arnaud: Chase Hendy, Lewis Lowe, Finn Wilson, Charlie Kirk, Jack McNally, Sami Weir.

For Boort: Archer Lee, Connor McNally, Seth Muller, Liam King, Jed Perryman.

Positions of Teams

BOORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.8 4.8 10.13 12.16 (88) ST ARNAUD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0.0 4.0 6. 0 8. 3 (51) Goals for Boort: Jhye Baddeley-Kelly 3, Peter Barbopoulos, Jayden Dick, Carlos Egan, Lachlan Hall, Kieren Jaksic, James Keeble, Tom Potter, Kayne Rutley, Harry Weaver. For St Arnaud: Max Hungerford 3, Lucas Bridger, Luke Jackson, Jake Male, Bradley Organ, Brayden Phillips.

Best for Boort: Lachlan Hall, Harry Weaver, Peter Barbopoulos, James Keeble, Jarrod Fitzpatrick, Jhye Baddeley-Kelly. For St Arnaud: Max Hungerford, Bailey Durward, Mitch Birthisel, Kurtis Torney, Darly Schilder, Luke Jackson.

SEA LAKE-NANDALY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6.3 12.4 17.8 23.11 (149) WEDDERBURN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0.1 1.4 1.4 2. 5 (17) Goals for Sea Lake Nandaly: John Summerhayes 6, Zachary Wemyss 5, Joel Clohesy 4, Brayden Allan 2, Isaac Durie 2, Tye Griffiths, Luke Martin, Harry Pitchford, Brody Weir. For Wedderburn: Levi Sims, Ashley Younghusband.

Best for Sea Lake Nandaly: Brody Weir, Connor Michael, Joel Clohesy, Zachary Wemyss, John Summerhayes, Rylee McGarry. For Wedderburn: Chris Hargreaves, Dylan Caruana, Andrew Roberts, Levi Sims, Noah Winslett, Ashley Younghusband.

CALDER UNITED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7.7 12.11 19.13 23.18 (156) DONALD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0.0 0. 1 0. 1 0. 1 (1) Goals for Calder United: Angus Forrester 5, George Forrester 4, Alexander Hogan 4, Billy Forrester 2, William Ison 2, Jack Morrison 2, Rowan Jones, Dude Kelly, Daniel Murray, Joel Pardella. For Donald: Nil. Best for Calder United: Thomas Trewin, Angus Forrester, Zac Kelly, George Forrester, Dude Kelly, William Ison. For Donald: Jesse Lopes, Zackery Menhenett, Jack Tellefson, Chase Campbell, Hayden Clark, Jesse Lydom.

BOORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0.1 4.3 7.7 8.11 (59) ST ARNAUD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.3 1.4 2.4 4. 5 (29) Goals for Boort: Alex Cockerell 3, Chris Hatcher 3, Max Beattie, Jacob Mulquiny. For St Arnaud: Hayden Torney 2, Heath McNally, Harrison Meagher.

Best for Boort: Chris Hatcher, Max Beattie, Jacob Mulquiny, Cameron Ross, Nick Scott, Jack Hall.

For St Arnaud: Jake Hicks, Joshua Hicks, James Mckenny, Hamish Darby, Jarryd Kell, Zachary Notting.

CALDER UNITED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.4 5.8 6.8 13.8 (86) DONALD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0.1 1.2 3.6 5.6 (36) Best for Calder United: Beau Chapman, Angus Cowell, Tynan Perry, Tiger Vearing, Jacob Harrison, Darcy Coles.

For Donald: Luca Rice, Jesse Lydom, Chase Campbell, Hugo Funcke.

CHARLTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.3 7.5 9.6 12.12 (84) BIRCHIP-WATCHEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0.0 0.1 1.1 1. 1 (7) Best for Charlton: Sebastian Zagame, Leigh Van Boven, Isaac Bourke, Murphy Fitzpatrick, Rhys Gahan, Mitchell Boyle.

For Birchip-Watchem: Noah Dean, Willow Ryan, Bayley Kemp, Liam Spezza.

ST ARNAUD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.0 2.4 3.5 5. 6 (36) BOORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.3 2.3 3.6 3.10 (28) Best for St Arnaud: Austin Lowe, Chase Zander, William Thomas, Nathan Saludes, Sean Bridgeman, Jack Batters.

For Boort: Deklan King, Cooper Gooding, Jake O’Flaherty, Darby Perryman, Deacon Hird.

Ag 350 334 348 570 517 1130 922 1399

Haeuslers Reserves Pts % W L 32 745.76 8 0 28 347.64 7 1 24 240.84 6 2 20 189.74 5 3 12 34.95 3 5 8 81.01 2 6 4 38.74 1 7 0 8.28 0 8

For 880 737 749 721 267 384 277 94

Ag 118 212 311 380 764 474 715 1135

P 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

B

Community Bank Charlton and District Under-17s P Pts W L D B 8 32 8 0 0 8 24 6 2 0 8 20 5 3 0 8 20 5 3 0 8 16 4 4 0 8 12 3 5 0 8 4 1 7 0 8 0 0 8 0

Teams St Arnaud . . . . . . . . . . .

Sea Lake Nandaly . . . .

Calder United . . . . . . . .

Boort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Charlton . . . . . . . . . . . .

Donald . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Wedderburn . . . . . . . . .

Birchip-Watchem . . . . . .

Teams Sea Lake-Nandaly . . . .

St Arnaud . . . . . . . . . . .

Donald . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Wedderburn . . . . . . . . .

Calder United . . . . . . . .

Boort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Birchip-Watchem . . . . . .

Charlton . . . . . . . . . . . .

Uniting Church Under-14s P Pts W L D 8 28 7 1 0 8 28 7 1 0 8 20 5 3 0 8 20 5 3 0 8 12 3 5 0 8 8 2 6 0 8 8 2 6 0 8 4 1 7 0

• Signed Memorabilia • Hotly contested quality Dressed Lambs, Donated by Pete & Pat Knights, Chris Arbuckle, Nick Baldwin, Oakbank, McNally Family, Tony Pickthall, Glendemar MPM, Belbourie Merinos, and Dean Wandel, cut up by the Weirs Butchers.

• Hours and hours of labour, cartage and freight by some wonderful donors • Two unbelievable “best seat in the house” Corporate box experiences, one for any date remaining in the 2025 Home and Away Season, and another for All Saints Day 2026!

• “Hangar Bar Naming Rights” makes it’s debut, and “Number 1 Ticket Holder” returns!

All this and so much more available!

Upcoming dates This Sat. Online Auction Closes (View and Register for the Auction via the Saints G&S link at the below QR code) Live Auction at the Sporting Club Next Week Kids Night at the Sheep Pavillion July 5 Saints Ball at the Town Hall (Tickets available, scan QR code) July 19 Drag Bingo at the Town Hall You can find whatever Saints info you need on our Linktree at https://linktr.ee /StArnaudSaints

B

Tooleybuc Sporting Club Presidents’ Award

Community Bank Charlton & District Under-17s SEA LAKE-NANDALY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7.3 13.6 14.11 17.15 (117) WEDDERBURN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0.1 0.1 0. 1 1. 1 (7) Best for Sea Lake Nandaly: Brayden Allan, Henry Cox, Nate McClelland, Cruz Dowler, Callum Mott, Brody Kelly.

For Wedderburn: Tyson Blair, Benjamin Cunningham, William Cunningham, Trav Lowe, Ashton Bellman.

For 1139 1048 1038 880 658 265 383 159

Teams Calder United . . . . . . . .

Boort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Birchip-Watchem . . . . . .

Sea Lake Nandaly . . . .

Wedderburn . . . . . . . . .

St Arnaud . . . . . . . . . . .

Charlton . . . . . . . . . . . .

Donald . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Haeusler’s Reserves

BIRCHIP-WATCHEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7.2 9.3 12.8 14.11 (95) CHARLTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0.0 1.1 1.3 2. 3 (15) Goals for Birchip-Watchem: Matthew Berry 4, Tom Gibson 3, Stefan Pye 2, Lochlan Sirett 2, Tison Wiantara 2, Archie Lewis. For Charlton: Isaac Bourke 2.

Best for Birchip-Watchem: Tom Gibson, Lochlan Sirett, Stefan Pye, Nick Ryan, Joshua Woods. For Charlton: Luke Dunne, John Leathan, Billy Sexton, Fergus Bourke, Ethan Needs, Marcus Campbell.

Goldacres North-Central Seniors P Pts % W L D B 8 32 325.43 8 0 0 8 24 313.77 6 2 0 8 24 298.28 6 2 0 8 24 154.39 6 2 0 8 12 127.27 3 5 0 8 8 23.45 2 6 0 8 4 41.54 1 7 0 8 0 11.37 0 8 0

Teams Birchip-Watchem . . . . . .

Calder United . . . . . . . .

Sea Lake Nandaly . . . .

Boort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Wedderburn . . . . . . . . .

Charlton . . . . . . . . . . . .

St Arnaud . . . . . . . . . . .

Donald . . . . . . . . . . . . .

live, and ends at 9:30pm this Saturday, June 21.

Overtime is enabled (no bids in final 2 minutes or it continues) Head to the QR code below, and click the Saints G&S link to check it out, register, and make your bids!

Alternatively, text your name and the word ‘register’ to 0429 879 362 to be sent a link to register directly to your phone Here are a few of the items up for grabs, some online right now, and some live, This Saturday!

• Inclusive tickets to see OASIS Live in ‘25 Donated by Lawrence and Hanson, and QA Electrical • 4x Premium Inclusive “Presidents Club” Tickets for the August 2nd top of the table clash between the Magpies and Lions, Donated by CNW Ballarat • Sainter Wants a Wife • Medallion Club Tickets for the Bombers v Bulldogs, Hawks v Magpies, and Tigers v Bombers!

• A Day’s Shark Fishing for two, with Luke Maffescioni, thanks to Maffescioni Seed Grading • A 5% share in a trotter trained by our very own Shaun and Jason McNaulty • Robotic Pool Cleaner, Donated by Gordon Ave Pools & Spas • Hand Craf ted Stockwhip, donated and made by the master himself, David Hines.

Voting for round 8: Sea Lake-Nandaly: A. Pattison 3, W. Donnan 2, M. Cahoon 1.

Wedderburn: J, Lockhart 2, J. McEwan 2, J. Mortlock 1.

Calder United: R. Smith 3, S. Kennedy 2, J. Excel 1.

Donald: C. Campbell 3, D. Pearce 2, T. Reekie 1.

Birchip-Watchem: N. Rippon 3, B. Lakin 2, C. Wilson 1.

Charton: J. Thompson 3, R. Thompson 2, B. Dixon 1.

Boort: L. Hall 3, C. Egan 2, K. Rutley 1.

Saturday’s Leading Goal Kickers Seniors

Ben Edwards (B-W) 6 . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jack Exell (CU) 8 ............

Jhye Baddeley-Kelly (Boort) 3 . . . . . . . .

Max Cahoon (SLNT) 2 . . . . . . . . . . . .

Nicholas Rippon (B-W) 3 . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lachy McClelland (SLNT) - . . . . . . . . . .

Kayne Rutley (Boort) 1 . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mitch Jensen (Wedd) 4 . . . . . . . . . . . .

Thomas Cox (SLNT) - . . . . . . . . . . . .

Reserves

Zachary Wemyss (SLNT) 5 . . . . . . . . . .

Harry Weaver (Boort) - . . . . . . . . . . . .

Heath Senior (CU) ............

John Summerhayes (SLNT) 6 . . . . . . . .

Alex Cockerell (Boort) 3 . . . . . . . . . . . .

Alexander Hay (B-W) - . . . . . . . . . . . .

George Forrester (CU) - . . . . . . . . . . . .

Matthew Berry (B-W) 4 . . . . . . . . . . . .

Joel Clohesy (SLNT) 4 . . . . . . . . . . . .

64 42 38 23 21 20 20 20 18

23 20 20 20 20 19 18 18

CHS Broadbent Club Championship

(Senior win 10 pts., Reserves 6, Under-17s 4, Under-14s 2)

Next Round Round 9, Saturday June 21 -

Sea Lake-Nandaly v. Calder United Charlton v. Boort

Donald v. Birchip-Watchem St Arnaud v. Wedderburn

Calder United . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sea Lake-Nandaly . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Boort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Birchip-Watchem . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

St Arnaud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Wedderburn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Charlton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Donald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Page 18 - NORTH CENTRAL NEWS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 18th 2025.

Snr. 10 10 10 10 0 0 0 0

Res. 6 6 6 6 0 0 0 0

U-17 4 4 0 0 4 0 4 0

U-14 0 2 0 2 2 0 0 2

Ttl. 132 128 126 120 68 62 44 22

Above: Boort’s Jack Smith goes the spoil in the marking contest with St Arnaud's Harrison Saunders at Boort Park on Saturday.

SATURDAY 21st June @ 7.00pm at St. Arnaud Sporting Club, SILENT AUCTION - CLOSES 9.30pm ITEM DONATED BY

Thanks very much to all our donors. Come and enjoy the night, even dress in country attire if you fancy, and have a fun night out at the St. Arnaud Sporting Club LIVE AUCTION - starting 7pm Saturday 21st DONATED BY ITEM #1 Ticket Holder $300 worth of spreading 1 box Pork Belly 1 hr driving lesson 2 T Urea 2 tickets to Oasis 2 x Cobber Working Dog 2 x Golden Yolk 2 x tickets Marvel Stadium, The Medallion Club, Essendon vs Bulldogs, Friday 25th July 2025, 7.20pm 2 x tickets MCG, The President’s Club, Collingwood vs Brisbane, Saturday 2nd August 2025, 5.30pm 2 x tickets to Red Hot Summer Tour Bendigo 25 Clay target shooting experience for 4, BBQ and Beer Lunch.

3 nights accommodation at Nagambie Lakes Caravan Park - powered site 5 x 500ml Honey Pots 5% share of Yearling Trotter 6kg Box pork cutlets 6kg Cadbury Chocolate All Saints Day 2026 - All inclusive corporate Box Baking Bar Naming Rights in the Hangar Day shark fishing for 2, with Maffa at Port Fairy Dozen Eggs 2 x Dressed Lamb Dressed Lamb Dressed Lamb Dressed Lamb Dressed Lamb Education day with “Goffey” Elders Store Pack Fire pit Fruit Cake Fruit Cake Full Digital Access to 2025 Photo Catalog for 1 Full Tray of Slice of your choice Griffs famous Home Made Tomato Sauce 12 x 1L jars Jar Choc chip cookies Load of gravel (29.5t) carted locally Load of wood Load of wood (12X6) Load of wood (6x4) Meal for two and a bottle of wine Opportunity to lead 45 young Auskickers in their singing the saints song for their break up evening.

Saint Wants a Wife Signed Hawthorn football Jumper Special Occasion Makeup St Arnaud Netball Club: Football Corporate box Stock Whip The famous Summerfield winery lunch dining experience for 6 ladies Umbrella package Yeti esky

St.Arnaud Football Club L & D Meagher Daniel Needs Grampians Driving School North west Ag L&H and QA electrical Ridley Agriproducts Ridley Agriproducts Schneider CNW Ballarat Steve and Kelly Hicks Clover Valley White Suffolks Kurt Torney Harvey's Honey McNaulty's Rick Summers St Arnaud Junior Hockey St.Arnaud Football Club Christine Goode St.Arnaud Football Club Luke Maffescioni Bobby and Bowie Baldwin Warren McRae Chris Arbuckle Glendemar MPM (Ben Duxson) Belbourie Merino and Poll Merino Tony Pickthall Josh, Jimmy, Hayden & Wardy Elders St. Arnaud Farm Pro Tamara Wright Tamara Wright Jason Smith, Tara Lowe, Buloke Times, Blake Lee Steph Smith Wayne Griffith Christine Goode AP earthmoving Alistair Egan Jacob Vanrenen Zane Bigmore Logan pub St Arnaud Auskickers St.Arnaud Football Club Hawthorn football club Kate Donaldson Makeup Netball Club David Hines 4Front Construction St.arnaud Racing Club North West Ag

SILENT AUCTION - CLOSES 9.30pm $100 Ramjac Voucher Womens Hockey Team $200 gift voucher Tom's Small Engines $300 worth of spreading L & D Meagher $50 Coffee Voucher Six2Six 1 box Pork Leg Roast Daniel Needs 1 hr driving lesson Grampians Driving School 1 night babysitting Millie Hando 1/2 hr Photography session Oaklain Photography 10 class pack Active for Life (Seniors exercise group) St Arnaud Physiotherapy 10 class pack Mat Pilates St Arnaud Physiotherapy 12mths Subscription to Buloke Times The Buloke Times 1hr Photography session - family photos Oaklain Photography 2 cubic meters of mulch Greentime Nursery 2 hours free labour Downes carpentry 2 hours of rose pruning.

Johanna Medlyn 2 Light Truck Tyres St Arnaud Tyre Service 2 x 20kg Golden Yolk Chicken Feed Ridley Agriproducts St Arnaud Physiotherapy 2 x 5 pack Compression boot therapy Ridley Agriproducts 2 x Cobber Working Dog McNally Family 2 x Dressed Lamb

2 x Dressed Lamb 2 x Fire pit 2 x Load of gravel (29.5t) carted locally 2 x Pick up & Cart 10 Bales of Wool to Melb.

2 x tickets MCG, The President’s Club, Collingwood vs Brisbane, Saturday 2nd August 2025, 5.30pm 2 x tickets to Melbourne Spring Carnival, members access.

2 x wine 2 x Bulka bag Hay Pellets 20 tonne seed grading with 10L EverGol 2011 Summerfield Shiraz 20l Olive oil 27 Ton of Gravel to be picked up 2mtrs Concrete 2 x 45t of spreading (Lime/super etc.)

2 x 5 day cool room hire 2 x tickets to Pyrenees Unearthed $300 in store Voucher 4 hours labour 4 hours Labour 4 hours service and filters to match 4 x hours excavator work 4 x Medallion Club Tickets, Rich vs Ess @ MCG, Sat 12th July 7:35pm (bye weekend) 40L RX super 45t back load fertiliser freight 45t back load fertiliser freight 5 Fruit trees 5 x 500ml Honey Pots 6 bottles Lethbridge Wines 2021 Pinot 6 x Tradition Red wine 8 bottles Moonshine 8 hours labour 8 hours labour Astral Pool QB Robotic Pool Cleaner Auger Hopper and Spout B-Double of gravel (to be picked up) Backpack sprayer Bait caster rod and reel combo Bianco NXT inox 45 Pump and Polymaster Pump cover Blundstone Boots (anysize) Bunch of Flowers Car Service Car service to the value of $200 Carlton FC 2025 Team Signed Jumper Cleaning of Standard Size Loungeroom Collapsible BBQ from Top End Camp Gear Australia + 2 x T-bone steaks Day Labour Concreting Dometic CFF45 Fridge Freezer + Case Dressed Lamb Dressed Lamb Dressed Lamb Dressed Lamb Dressed Lamb Eufy security camera 2-pack wireless Evaporative Cooler Service Framed Scott Pendlebury 400 game memorabilia Free standing mirror (550x1700) Full Tray of Slice of your choice Gardeners Package consisting of: wheel barrow, potting mix, mini greenhouse, trowel, gardening gloves Geelong FC 2025 Team signed Jumper Gourmet Platter Great Northern Laser Cut Sign Griffs famous Home Made Tomato Sauce 6 x 1L jars Grilled 3 Burner Hooded BBQ plus side burner Group recovery session at The Recovery Lounge Harley Davison Laser Cut Sign Introduction to Geology and Prospecting with Andrew Bales the "weekend prospector" Light bar Local Cartage of 1 x B Double Load of Grain.

Oztrail "wentworth" Swag Patrick Cripps Signed game day football Polymaster pump cover Pot belly Pot Belly Heater Red Shield Digital 8 Gun Safe Round 22 hawks v Collingwood medallion tickets for 2 Shear 100 sheep Special Occasion Makeup Spray Tan Voucher Thermal Oil Skin Vest Truck wash, goggles, riggers gloves, penetrene, spray n clean, lynch pins, glass cleaner, bag of rags, nitrile gloves, hand cleaner Tyres to the value of $300 x 6 termite saw chains Yeti pack

Peter & Pat Knights Farm Pro AP earthmoving McKenzie Transport – Carl Hufer Fiona Batters GILMAC Luke Maffescioni & Bayer Crop Science Deleccas 4000 olives Mick Reeves.

Corbin and Elisha O’ Donnell ( Boral ) Nick Coghlan 4000 olives Bridgette Knights Trade link Horsham Petrie Mechanical Alistair Egan Casey's Truck and Tractor Jarryd Ezard Construction North West Ag Pickthall Transport Watson Bulk Logistics Marnoo UCM Donald Greentime Nursery Harvey's Honey Symal Contractors/Jack Cornwell Mark and Masako Summerfield winery Blue Duck Moonshiner Middle Creek Electrical Rob Fithall Gordon Ave Pools & Spas Harbergers Donald Martin Dean Sprayer Centre Zach Notting Hardinghams Tom Bertalli St.Arnaud Allsorts Morrow Motor Group Hendys tyre and battery Carlton Football Club Gold Country Carpet Cleaning Lowe Family Jarryd Ezard Construction Symal Contractors/Jack Cornwell Dean Wandel Chris Arbuckle Nick Baldwin Tony Pickthall Glendemar MPM (Ben Duxson) Dillon Baldock Hardinghams Matthew Goode Thomson Goode & Nathan Wait Steph Smith Donald Hardware store Geelong Football Club The Shire Cafe TPos Fabrications Wayne Griffith Tony and Jake Tillig Brooke and Brad Williams TPos Fabrications Raw Gold Petrie Mechanical Nick Coghlan Lyal Eales St Arnaud Carlton Football Club Polymaster Gerard & Daniel Goode Rockvale Enterprises Victoria Buloke Firearms Jarryd Kell Will Jackson Kate Donaldson Makeup The Polishing Room Nutrien St Arnaud

Bendigo Bearings Hendys tyre and battery Tom's Small Engines Torin & Alesha Petrie

NORTH CENTRAL NEWS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 18th 2025 - Page 19

SPORT

Page 20 - NORTH CENTRAL NEWS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 18th 2025.

HOME DELIVERY 5495 1055

Lady golfers faced damper and colder conditions for Ladies Club Championships LAST Wednesday was the final day of ladies club championships at St. Arnaud Golf played on softer conditions after some very welcome rain.

Scores were not as good as in previous weeks as players took some getting used to the softer conditions.

Club champion for 2025 is Brenda Proctor

who adapted to the conditions and finished 15 strokes in front of a bunched field Jenny Lanyon 282, Glenda O’Neill 283, Marilyn Knights

284 and Sharyn Erwin 285.

Winner of B Grade was Bernice Fithall 300 to Mary Elliott 309.

Joint winners of the Norfolk trophy were Brenda and Bernice with 231 points. (best 3 netts over the championships).

Winner of the day’s event was Brenda and also winner of the June monthly Medal.

Sharyn Erwin was winner of the May medal.

Nearest the pins:6th and 8th Marilyn Knights, 18th Jenny Lanyon.

Above: Smiles all around, as the ladies warm up, and then celebrate (left to right) Bernice Fithall Winner B Grade, Brenda Proctor 2025 Club Champion, who were also joint winners of Norfolk trophy.

NCA round robin croquet Charlton Croquet Club members played in the second of three North Central association round robin winter social matches on Saturday.

They were among 20 players from three clubs - Charlton, Swan Hill and Boort Lakeside - for golf croquet and association croquet matches at Boort.

Pictured above are Gwen Parker (Boort), Aileen Adcock (Swan Hill) and Charlton's Margaret Bowen and Nita Perry.

BATTERY REBATE - Starting July 1st Big savings available Contact us now for more information

107 Napier Street, St Arnaud