Peninsula Essence May 2024

PENINSULA

VINTAGE PENINSULA

Capel Sound photographer, Mandie Hawkins still feels a bit uncomfortable calling herself a photographer, yet she’s a natural. In less than six months, she has developed her own unique style, capturing iconic images of the laid-back idyll of Aussie beach culture.

T h e s e a p a r t m e n t s a r e m o d e r n a n d w e l l - a p p o i n t e d f o r c o m f o r t a b l e l i v i n g .

Scan below to book your COMPLIMENTARY ALL-On-5 dentist consult

A brand new smile may be CHEAPER THAN YOU THINK!

5983 5348

balnarringdentist.com.au

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Writers: Andrea Louise Thomas, Muriel Cooper

Recipe contents

Photography: Yanni, Gary Sissons Creative: Sam Loverso, Dannielle Espagne Publisher: Melissa McCullough Advertising: Andy Jukes, 0431 950 685, andy@mpnews.com.au Phone: (03) 5974 9000

10. Y’alternative Music

Golden Guitar winner, and alt-country singer/songwriter Lachlan Bryan almost had a career as a cricket player. Had his love for music not reemerged during his time in England, his life may have taken a reversespin.

14. Pre-loved Connoisseur

At Connie in Sorrento, proprietor Sarah Davis curates pre-loved mid to high end clothing and accessories like a gallerist curates art, with each piece chosen for its own very particular panache.

20. Proud Protector

Mount Eliza’s Joshua Sinclair-Wadham, a proud Boandik man and the Australian Federal Police’s first Indigenous Protective Service Officer to be promoted to Superintendent, has an exciting challenge – being the AFP's Australian Forward Commander for security of our Paralympians at the Paris Olympics.

Leading Arts

24. Vintage Peninsula

Capel Sound photographer, Mandie Hawkins still feels a bit uncomfortable calling herself a photographer, yet she’s a natural. In less than six months, she has developed her own unique style, capturing iconic images of the laidback idyll of Aussie beach culture.

28. Heading for 100

Known for his paintings of ships, renowned 97-year-old watercolour artist Ron Farnill’s optimism is something to admire. He’s going to ask the Mornington Peninsula Shire for a grant to hold his 100th birthday exhibition in 2027.

49. Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Recipe by Chef Joel Mielle.

History

59. Syd at the G

The unfurling of the 2023 premiership flag before the Collingwood game at the MCG would not have been complete without the presence of a Coventry. Son of Syd Coventry, Syd Junior has lived at Bittern for almost 40 years and was only too happy to allow PeninsulaEssenceto learn a little more about his family and his club.

6.

MAIN STREET EYECARE

These stunning polygonal frames by Oliver Goldsmith feature lightly tinted sun lenses intended to remove the brightness of interior lights or the sun’s glare on a winter’s day. They can even be used to ease the strain on eyes from digital devices. Part of the Winter Sun range, all frames can be fitted with RX prescription lenses by your optician.

Shop 7/68 Barkly St, Mornington 5975 3235

LUDUCO LIVING

KUSTOM TIMBER

Looking for flooring that commands attention and leaves a lasting impression? Look no further than Storm, an engineered European oak flooring from the Habitat range.

Factory 1/4 Torca Tce, Mornington

5910 3008

kustomtimber.com.au

PENINSULA Styles

PRODUCTS FROM THE PENINSULA WE'RE SURE YOU WILL LOVE

The Himolla Aria 2.5 seater recliner sofa features an intermediate table, led lighting and USB charging station. The sofa is Wall Free and has Zero Gravity recliner mechanisms in each seat. Covered in luxury Salino easy care wool fabric, the sofa is on sale as part of the Himolla Selected Floorstock Clearance Event – exclusive to Luduco Living.

Shop 10 1128/1132 Nepean Hwy, Mornington

5973 4899

luducoliving.com.au

BABYGOODS MORNINGTON

With the Forma backpack, function meets fashion to take you from birth to toddlerhood and beyond in style. This lightweight, quilted backpack offers a spacious interior with room to tote everything from snacks to spare outfits. Featuring elasticized interior pockets and insulated side bottle pockets, the changing pad pocket performs double-duty, acting as a laptop holder when traveling.

Shop 107, Mornington Village Shopping Centre, 241 Main St, Mornington 5977 0966

babygoodswarehouse.com.au

Photo: Simon Shiff Says

The School for ADVENTUROUS MINDS

At Woodleigh School we see children as knowledgeable, capable and principled learners, and foster every child’s voice, confidence and preparedness to grow.

Through an enriching range of academic and experiential programs structured to foster the adventurous mind, Woodleigh School educates the whole person.

To learn more about Woodleigh School or book your place at one of our regular Information Sessions or Campus Tours, scan the QR code or contact the Enrolments Team at enrol@woodleigh.vic.edu.au woodleigh.vic.edu.au/enrol

What's on?

MAY 4-5

GLASSBLOWING FOR CHARITY AT GORDON STUDIO

See talented glassblowers working in teams, creating colourful expressive goblets to brighten the days of patients and visitors alike.

Proceeds donated to The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne. Open from 10am to 4pm

90 Red Hill Road.

Cnr Dunns Creek Road, Red Hill gordonstudio.com.au

MAY 18

BIGGEST MORNING TEA @TYABB

Western Port Community Care and the MP Shire are hosting the third Tyabb Community Biggest Morning Tea with a “Mad Hatters Tea Party” theme. Plenty of great food, music and competitions $25pp proceeds going to a very worthy cause.

Tyabb Hall, Frankston - Flinders Road, Tyabb biggestmorningtea.com.au

MAY 11

SUNSET WITH THE KANGAROOS

Come and meet the resident mob of kangaroos at Seawinds Gardens. Learn about the habits of this iconic Australian marsupial, and the threats it faces. Watch their antics and you will fall in love with them.

5pm to 6pm Seawinds Gardens, Purves Road, Arthurs Seat peninsulakangaroos.com.au

MAY 25

LIFE DRAWING AT MCCLELLAND GALLERY

Leyla Bulmer will guide you in the drawing of the human form. Art materials, easels and refreshments are included. All are welcome, no experience is needed.

Tickets are $80 per adult 390 McClelland Drive, Langwarrin eventbrite.com.au

MAY 2024

MAY 12

MOTHER'S DAY CLASSIC

Breast and ovarian cancer take the lives of 12 women each day. The Mother's Day Classic has become a significant initiative and has raised millions of dollars for the National Breast Cancer Foundation's ongoing research since 1998. A Family fun day supporting women.

Peppers Moonah Links Resort, 55 Peter Thomson Drive, Fingal mothersdayclassic.com.au

MAY 30

ANAM AT BELEURA HOUSE & GARDEN

The Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) presents five sublime chamber music concerts featuring their musicians and faculty members, followed by afternoon tea.

Tickets start from $53 Beleura House and Garden, Mornington anam.com.au

BARN DOOR SALES

MONDAY TO FRIDAY 8AM - 4.30AM AND8AM-12.30PMSATURDAYS

Tired of stale tasting supermarket eggs? Our farm is family owned and managed. We have been producing quality eggs for over 40 years, supplying the public, cafes, restaurants and other businesses on the peninsula. Eggs are collected 365 days a year so you can be assured that you are buying the freshest eggs with the best yolk and flavour from our barn door. Come and visit our Free Range hens roaming in their paddocks!

FARM FRESH FREE RANGE

EGGS AT WHOLESALE PRICES!

CHOOK POO BY THE BAG

COME AND SEE THE CHICKENSROAMING FREE IN THE PADDOCK!

Y'ALTERNATIVE music

By Muriel Cooper Photos Gary Sissons & Supplied

Golden Guitar winner for his first album, Black Coffee, and alt-country singer/songwriter Lachlan Bryan almost had a career as a cricket player.

“When I left school in Mt Eliza, I went to England and played cricket, and that’s actually when my music obsession came back.”

While playing cricket with a team in Yorkshire, he was given accommodation and a job as a worker for a stonemason, Mick Spargo.

“He had a little studio under his house. I used to knock off work and play songs. It was great. I’d spend more time playing music there than my cricket, which was not the aim,” he laughs. “I loved playing cricket over there. The culture was different. I liked the sense of humour and the social aspects. It wasn’t serious – playing there was more fun. My Dad got it into my head to do it, and I’m really glad I did. It was a life-changing experience.”

It wasn't a lot of money in those days. It was still bushland, and I think people didn’t have the vision to see what it was going to become. If you go down there now, you can still see a few of the old houses in the area.”

Lachlan was into music as a kid. His family is all musical. But under his father’s influence, he went into playing sports, particularly basketball and cricket. He also found it an easier way to be liked.

“I learned piano at school and picked up the guitar when I was injured from sport and started teaching myself. I got into writing songs, and the guitar is like the songwriter's version of a typewriter. You learn to use it to the degree that you need to write songs. It’s only as I’ve become older that I’ve been more interested in being better at it.”

Bob Dylan invented this job, the singer/ songwriter

What sort of music was Lachlan playing in the stonemason’s basement back then?

“Bob Dylan. He was really into Bob Dylan. There was a bit of country music in those songs. But Mick Spargo was obsessed with Dylan. He even looked like him and used to sing the older folky songs like him. He was also into The Kinks, T-Rex and those late-sixties and early-seventies bands. So he was one of my big musical influences. I was eighteen at the time, which makes me a bit of a late starter in terms of playing in bands, but I played in bands with his son over there, and that was probably the start of it.”

Lachlan grew up in Mt Eliza, and his family is still there.

“My family moved from Scotland in the nineteen fifties and moved around a bit for the first couple of years and then they built in Mt Eliza when it was fifty pounds for a block of land. That was my Mum’s dad, who I never actually met, but he was a builder, so they built the house, and my Mum still lives in it.

Like Bob Dylan, Lachlan’s songwriting is very much about storytelling, and Lachlan agrees; “I did a few gigs with the American Steve Earle about ten years ago, and I remember him saying, ‘Bob Dylan invented this job,’ the singer/songwriter. Whether you’re playing in an open mic in a local pub or whether you’re touring, one person with a guitar singing songs that they wrote, so we all owe him a bit of that debt.”

Lachlan’s inspiration to write songs like Ballad of a Young Married Man comes from being observant.

“If you asked me what I did with my car keys, I’d say, ‘No idea,’ but I will remember how I began a conversation or something someone said. That’s probably where my stories start”

Many people dream of having a full-time career as an entertainer but never make it. Lachlan had part-time jobs, including as a music teacher. He knew it was going to be a fulltime career when he was doing music more than the jobs and still paying the rent.

“I’m lucky that I like travelling, and you have to do that to make this your career,” he says. Lachlan tours extensively in the UK, Europe, Scandinavia and the US.

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“When we go to America, it’s a bit like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if we’re going to make any money here,’ but it’s important to do it. It’s almost like a pilgrimage to a religious place. Going to America frustrates the hell about of me when I go there. I love it and hate it all at once. But going to the UK and Europe is always pleasurable. It’s such a tradition of people who do this job – you travel – you go and spread the word. It goes back to Roman times.”

When Lachlan tells his stories in song at gigs, do people actually listen to the words?

“Yes. That used to surprise me that people would listen to the lyrics or the stories I tell between songs, but I’m really used to it now. It’s not the vision I had of playing in bands when I was a teenager. I didn’t imagine you would have people's attention in such a direct way.”

What is alt-country? Lachlan describes it as:

“Basically, anything that has a country element to it, a storytelling element. It’s a bit about the instruments you use, but it’s not mainstream/commercial. I think the word ‘Country’ has been associated with very conservative, right-wing, white people, and I think alt-country has branched away from that.

It has its origin in the blues. I don’t think about genre. I just want to make music that I like.”

“The only thing that’s really meaningful is people showing up to watch you play.”

Lachlan plays with The Wildes and Catherine Britt as The Pleasures. The Pleasures play at Beleura House and Gardens in Mornington on Friday, 7 June, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM.

IG: @lachlanbryan

Top and bottom right: Lachlan performing with 'The Wildes'

PRE-LOVED connoisseur

By Andrea Louise Thomas Photos Gary Sissons

Tucked away on a little side street off Sorrento’s bustling Ocean Beach Road is a very unexpected boutique called Connie. Inside the fashionable little shop is a treasure trove of pre-loved mid-to-high end clothing and accessories made more affordable in their second incarnation.

Proprietor, Sarah Davis curates clothes like a gallerist curates art. Each piece is chosen for its own very particular panache. Design, colour, cut, fabric and little bit of je ne sais quoi catches Sarah’s eye and she adds it to the exclusive collection of consignment goods.

“I collect all kinds of different things. Each piece has a story. Because I have a close relationship with my consignees, I know about the history of each item so I can tell my customers all about it. I love that and they love it too,” she says.

Connie (short for consignment) truly is a collection. There are clothes and accessories, new and vintage art, homewares, books, jewellery, shoes, boots and signature perfumes to set it all off.

People often buy too much and then never wear it all. Lots of things come in with the tags still on them

It’s a little fashion gallery full of delightful moving parts. No two trips to Connie will ever be the same. Items are often snapped up quickly. Sarah rotates the collection about every six weeks so there is always something new to discover. This kind of shop is very out of the ordinary and her customers know it. It’s why they keep coming back.

Whether Sarah is looking through a home wardrobe or checking out what a consignee brings in, she delights in the discovery. That might be a Zimmermann or Scanlan Theodore dress, a Lucy Folk towelling set, some Celine sunglasses, an Annie Bing blazer or a set of vintage Louis Vuitton luggage. She just never knows what she’ll find and that’s the fun of it.

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Dr Peter Scott and Associates are specialist orthodontists offering orthodontic care for children, teens and adults alike in both the Mornington Peninsula and inner Melbourne.

Dr Peter Scott is also a consultant at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

Specialist Orthodontists

Creating Beautiful Smiles on the Peninsula for over 30 years

Expertise In Child And Adult Orthodontics

Early Assessment Of Dental Development And Facial Growth

Ideal Age Of Initial Assessment 7-9 Years

Early Intervention

Where Appropriate For Best Outcome

No Referral Necessary

Interest free payment plans available

13 Beach St Frankston Ph: 9783

4511

www.drpeterscottorthodontist.com.au

www.facebook.com/drpeterscottorthodontist

Circular fashion touches on two points I love –finding diamonds in the rough and supporting a sustainable fashion industry

“I’ve always loved shopping and shops. I’m a bricks and mortar kind of shopper. I like the experience of going in and trying things on. I’ve always loved second hand, pre-loved and antiques shops where I can fossick through and feel like I’ve found a little gem. I want to create that experience for my customers,” she says.

Sarah is always happy to look at everything brought in because she never knows what she’ll find, but she tends to stick to items that are no more than three years old to stay with current trends. She can see when styles change. Something that’s ten years old will look out of fashion. Because she gets bombarded with clothing, having that three-year window also limits what people bring in. Then the pricing challenge begins.

“A lot of research goes into the pricing of things. A fair price is important. Most pieces move very quickly. Consignees can expect to receive between 50 to 70% commission on their pieces. As items sells, stock is quickly replenished. On top of everything in the shop, I have as much or more in storage. I bring pieces out seasonally or if I think it’s the right time for a particular item,” she says.

Supporting a circular fashion economy is important to Sarah. With the tragic consequences of ‘fast fashion’ she’s glad to be part of a conscious solution. She says, “Circular fashion touches on two points I love – finding diamonds in the rough and supporting a sustainable fashion industry.”

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Our Stories

Do you love Antiques Roadshow?

Inspired by the popular television show, ‘Our Stories: sharing the past, connecting community’, is a free event that showcases the history of the Mornington Peninsula.

Come along to:

• Browse stalls and collections by local historical societies and the National Trust

• Listen to guest speakers

• Get valuation or restoration advice from one of our experts (bookings required)

• View the ever-popular touring exhibition, 'Postcards from the Mornington Peninsula', presented by the Local History Network.

Saturday 18 May 2024, 10am - 4pm Peninsula Community Theatre

91 Wilsons Road, Mornington

This event is part of the National Trust’s Australian Heritage Festival mornpen.vic.gov.au/OurStories

“People often buy too much and then never wear it all. Lots of things come in with the tags still on them. It’s great to see these items go to someone who will wear them, appreciate and love them. It’s win-win to see these items get a second life” she says.

Sarah aims to shift people’s mindset that new is not necessarily better. One of the joys of shopping at Connie as she sees it comes from the knowledge that her shoppers are not only finding those unique pieces that are just right for them but also that they are making a sustainable and conscious choice too.

Having her shop in Sorrento is serendipitously full circle as Sarah grew up in the small coastal town of Torquay and went to university in Geelong. Being near the water is in her veins. It’s fitting that the girl who once dreamed of working for a fashion magazine now owns a fashion boutique.

Sarah enjoys being part of her local community and supporting local businesses. Buyers and sellers come from all over, but lots of locals in the know have become part of Sarah’s community of shoppers. When a new piece comes in, she often knows exactly who will want it.

Kiwi

House stocks a range of beautiful possum/merino garments and accessories in different styles, colours and sizes that will keep you warm this winter.

Next, she’d like to expand her website for shoppers who don’t live on the peninsula so they don’t miss out on that one of a kind piece. For four weeks from May 24, she’ll have a pop-up shop in Armadale at Kitte carrying a mix of winter and summer travel pieces for people heading to the Northern Hemisphere.

For a chance to give your pre-loved items a new life or for a shopping experience that is truly unique, take a peek at this little boutique at 58 Kerferd Avenue. Sarah and her tiny tight knit team will welcome you with open arms.

theconniecollector.com

IG: @theconniecollector

PROUD protector

By Muriel Cooper Photos Supplied

Mount Eliza’s Joshua Sinclair-Wadham, a proud Boandik man and the Australian Federal Police’s first Indigenous Protective Service Officer to be promoted to Superintendent, has an exciting challenge – being the AFP's Australian Forward Commander for security of our Paralympians at the Paris Olympics. “Look, I’m certainly not comparing myself to our Paralympians at all, however, their determination, struggle, and commitment is relatable. That nothing comes easy without hard work. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity.”

continued page 22...

Is terrorism the worst-case scenario?

“I think if you look at Paris and the history of that part of the world, terrorism would be high on the threat level. Apart from a huge natural disaster, I don’t think it gets much worse than that.”

Protective Service Officers are first responders to national security threats, look after parliament houses, defence establishments and consulates, and provide protection and security for Federal Members of Parliament and visiting foreign dignitaries.

Joshua was recently the Acting Australian Federal Police Forwarded Commander for Melbourne in charge of the protection of delegates to ASEAN, the first time a PSO Superintendent had taken on such a task. Joshua put himself up for the role and says, “I’m very big about those who come behind me – for those members that are worried that they can’t achieve or there are roadblocks, or they might not be up to it or the organisation doesn’t see them as valued. I’m really passionate about paving the way for them.”

“I usually say she was a servant, but she wasn't paid, so I guess the term slave is the best way to put it. They obviously had affection for each other and had several kids, which is how my grandmother, my father and I came about. They were raised on the Hawkesbury and ran the postal service up and down the river by boat because there was no bridge across the Hawkesbury at that point.”

“I didn’t know who we were or where I belonged. As a young boy, I always knew I was aboriginal but didn’t really know where from. There was a big void –something was missing. I didn’t really understand where I fitted, and my father didn’t either because they never spoke of it due to shame, but there was always this yearning or calling to know more.”

I didn’t know who we were or where I belonged

Born in NSW, Joshua grew up on the Central Coast in Darkinjung country not too far from the sea. His family moved there from Mooney Mooney on the Hawkesbury River, where his great-grandfather was given an allotment after WW1 and lived there with his great-grandmother, an Aboriginal woman and part of the stolen generation.

“When I was around 13-years-old I met an Aboriginal guy, probably about the age I am now, who told me that it wasn't uncommon not to know that side of it, and he said, 'You've got to start your journey and try tom listen and learn.' I can’t remember his name, but we did a cultural camp for two days, and we were walking along the beach – interestingly, in years to come the same beach where I proposed to my wife – having this discussion about not worrying about things that aren’t in your control. He said, 'You’ve got a proud history; you need to seek it out,' and something clicked.”

Joshua joined the military and served in East Timor and in the Solomon Islands, worked with the armed forces in the US,

Malaysia, Fiji,Tonga, Papua New Guinea and Thailand, making lifelong friends throughout his travels.

“It was exciting, but I can’t pretend there weren’t some scary moments. At the time, I didn’t have any children, so I didn’t have that burden of missing home. It was a bit of an adventure. The military gave me a lot, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say it took a lot away as well.”

Joshua had some close personal encounters with death and lost four or five mates over his time in the Defense force. He often thinks about how fortunate he is to still be here and his lost friends and their families are always on his mind. He felt immune to it at the time but says, “I think that catches up with you later in life especially when you have kids.”

He encountered the AFP when he was deployed to the Solomon Islands in a joint task force.

As a kid, I was always fighting for the underdog. I remember that walk down the beach and I try and be that influence. I talk about the crossroads moment at 13 or 14 where you can make a really good decision or a really bad one about where your future goes.” Joshua takes his yidaki (digeridoo) with him and uses it to start conversations.

“My culture is the cornerstone of who I am. Everything that I am and do is linked to my culture. The main thing I do is through my children, but I’m also on the board of Derrimut Weelam Gathering Place at Mordialloc. I do a lot of stuff with the kids, making and playing didgeridoos. I can be myself. When you’re with mob, it’s different; you can have a laugh, and no one judges you. For me, it’s where I feel most at home.”

...Everything that I am and do is linked to my culture

“We worked fairly closely with the AFP doing some highrisk things, knocking on doors, some pretty rough stuff. Then they came in and did the paperwork and made the arrests, and I wondered what they got paid when we were doing all the work,” Josh laughs. “It was pretty substantial compared to us.”

Joshua put in an application and was successful.

“I came into the AFP as a Protective Service Officer, and I looked at that word—protection—and right through my time in the military, the AFP, and the work I do in the community, and in schools, the protection aspect is really big for me.

Does Joshua experience overt discrimination?

“If you’d spoken to me before the Voice referendum, I was really embedded in the community and really passionate. My biggest fear is that by pushing my culture – and I’ve pushed my children to be loud and proud – I’m a little bit scared that the country’s not ready for them, and I’m wondering if I’ve made the right decision.”

“The Voice nearly broke me. But many of the schools here on the Peninsula lean so hard into Aboriginal culture; they do their acknowledgment of country, and the kids know all the terminology. I recently held up an Aboriginal football, and a prep student yelled out, 'It’s a Marngrook' (part of the origins of Aussie Rules), and I was nearly in tears.”

“That’s the future right there.”

VINTAGE peninsula

Capel Sound photographer, Mandie Hawkins still feels a bit uncomfortable calling herself a photographer, yet she’s a natural. In less than six months, she has developed her own unique style, capturing iconic images of the laid-back idyll of Aussie beach culture. Mandie doesn’t use professional cameras or fancy equipment, she shoots everything on an iPhone.

Summer vacations on the Mornington Peninsula as a child made an indelible impression on the girl from suburban South East Melbourne. Now, she wants to share that sense of nostalgia with her colourful, quirky, beach-themed photos showcasing the Peninsula’s 'Mid-Century Modern' beach shacks, the vintage eskies and camp chairs she collects, classic Australian cars, caravans, surfboards, beach boxes and Kombi vans.

By Andrea Louise Thomas Photos Gary Sissons & Supplied

I want to convey how things were back then...

At 21, Mandie travelled around the UK, Europe and the United States. She lived in London for a while where it was always grey and dreary. Over Easter holidays she made a break for the beach in Cornwall. She was surprised to see surfers crossing the main street. A convoy of Kombis rolled past and she thought to herself, ‘When I get home, I’m getting one’. She’s had one since 1996. Her current model, ‘Gidget’ is a 1967 VW Kombi camper van named after the classic 1960s TV show starring Sally Field.

Everything Mandie photographs comes from a place of nostalgia. She loved growing up in the 1970s and '80s. Childhood was carefree and free range. “I want to convey how things were back then. People were more relaxed. There was an ease to everything. Life was more connected. It was a simpler time,” she says.

Mandie fondly remembers family road trips sitting in the back of her father’s Holden heading to the Peninsula. After setting up their beach umbrella, camp chairs, towels and cool drinks in the esky, she and her family would run and jump into the surf. Sea as foreground, beach boxes as background made memories none of them would ever forget.

Photography was never on Mandie’s radar. She trained as a pastry chef and worked in that field for many years. Her photographic journey began during COVID lockdowns. Due to circumstance, Mandie resided in Williamstown and Capel Sound. In both places she could wander down to the local beach. She particularly liked shooting sunrises and sunsets, bookending another day tolerated in lockdown.

Mandie also enjoyed roaming around her Capel Sound neighbourhood admiring the 'Mid-Century Modern' beach shacks. It struck a chord. She feels this type of architecture is largely overlooked and underappreciated. She wanted to capture these architectural time capsules before their inevitable demolition. It’s a good thing too because many of these old beach shacks have since been bulldozed.

Her artistic inspiration comes more from artists than photographers. She loves Reg Mombassa who also captures the essence of iconic Australian suburban architecture in some of his paintings. She admires Californian artist/designer, Shag, whose art has a Mid-Century vibe reminiscent of classic cartoons of the 1960s, like the Jetsons.

In fact, Mandie ‘tweaks’ her images to give them a little bit of that cartoon-like feel. She won’t say how as it’s her trade secret, but it adds to the sense of fun and nostalgia in her photographs. Mandie also makes unique greeting cards. Her sense of humour is evident in the sassy messages on some. Fair warning; they are not PG!

Mandie has been selling her cards and prints at Emu Plains Market for the past few months. She also sells through her website and at a couple of lucky local shops: Elephant in Sorrento and Flock of Seagulls in Rye carry her work.

Markets are not new to Mandie. She had her own market stall for ten years selling bright, fun, funky home and tableware. Her business was very successful, but she wanted to try something new. That’s when she went to William Angliss Institute in Melbourne to train as a pastry chef.

She spent the next 14 years decorating cakes. Last year, she was ready to start another chapter. Her new venture, That Pink Shack Design Studio, was born.

Now Mandie happily cruises around in Gidget looking for places to photograph. “I love the excitement of driving into a street and discovering a new beach shack. I imagine what might have gone on in there over the years,” she says.

Her favourite place on Port Phillip Bay is Anthony’s Nose for its proximity to the sea and the uninterrupted stretch of water. Sometimes she sets up her drone camera to follow her on pastel hued sunrise or blazing orange tinted sunset drives. Her favourite back beach is Portsea where she enjoys watching the rolling surf and spotting a whale if she’s lucky.

“Everything about my work revolves around the bay and back beaches. The Peninsula is the perfect place to be a photographer. Often, I am the only person on the beach at sunrise or sunset. It’s incredible. We are so lucky to live here,” she says. I couldn’t agree more. thatpinkshack.com.au

e: marlenemiller3@bigpond.com

Specialising in antique jewellery, as well as newly-made jewellery by Melbourne’s top jewellers

HEADING FOR 100

By Muriel Cooper Photos Yanni

Renowned 97-year-old watercolour artist Ron Farnill’s optimism is something to admire. He’s going to ask the Mornington Peninsula Shire for a grant to hold his 100th birthday exhibition in 2027.

Known for his paintings of ships, Ron came from a seafaring family which sailed Cape Horn, but his grandfather broke from tradition and started a factory in the landlocked city of Leeds. Ron is sure he inherited the salt in his genes because when they went on holiday to the seaside, he could never understand why they didn’t live there. “We used to go camping,” Ron says, “and I must have been a terrible worry to my family. There was a sand hill and a creek that used to go down to the sea. I was only four or five, and I used to nick off and make dams. The people on the beach used to see me and take me back to the camp, but in no time at all, I’d sneak off again.”

Ron didn’t intend to be a sailor. He was an electrical apprentice but was conscripted into the Navy during WW11 and became an aircraft electrician on a small aircraft carrier. “I was all full of enthusiasm. You’re just brainwashed. It was crazy. All these people killing other people that they don’t know.”

By this time, Ron was a cyclist and knew a professional bike rider at the same table as Betty. They met and became friends. Ron couldn’t get an electrician’s license in Sydney, and Betty suggested he take time out to go on a camping holiday with family in Melbourne.

“I found out that Australian camping holidays were entirely different from the UK,’ Ron says. We were camping in a farmer's field. The water and ablutions were the creek down at the bottom. We caught fish in the creek. I got the job of shooting rabbits for the stew, and we used to lift up the potatoes in the farmer's field and pick out a few potatoes, put the plant back, and then move on to the next one. The farmer didn't seem to mind.”

...I decided it was about time I painted for myself rather than for other people

Post-war, Ron and his brother faced conscription to go to Malaysia, but by then, the family were all pacifists, so they sent the papers back saying they no longer lived there.

“We buggered off to London and got a cancellation on one of the P&O ships going to Australia, so we went to Sydney. Another serendipitous thing was that Betty (who later became Ron’s wife) got a message to say she was needed back in Melbourne because her father had had a bad fall, and she was also on the boat by chance.”

“After the holiday I went to the State Electricity Commission in Melbourne, got my licence and got myself a job.”

Ron began to paint when he was very little and wasn’t enthusiastic until he got a new art teacher. Ron says, “She said, ‘What do you think it would be like to live down at the bottom of the sea.’ I was really into it from then on. Teachers and students would vote for which painting was best, with the lowest-scoring ones being removed and, before long, I moved up the scale. In 1938, there was an all-school art exhibition where all the schools in the UK could put in two paintings. They selected one of my paintings, and I got an award.”

Ron didn’t paint again until years later when he and Betty were married and living on the Peninsula. They both started a diploma course, but Ron said, “They insisted that we copy, and that just wasn’t me. I decided it was about time I painted for myself rather than for other people.”

continued page 30 ...

Unfortunately, Betty had an aneurysm and developed brain tumours, and Ron became her carer. This was when he discovered watercolours. “Betty was having a seizure, and with oil painting, you can’t just drop everything, but you can with watercolours.”

Watercolour does things that you couldn’t do with oil if you tried...

Ron entered an art show in Hastings and won a prize. With the prize money, he bought a book by Robert Wade on watercolour. “I did everything he was saying in the book, but it wasn't working,” Ron says, laughing. “Then, by chance, the Peninsula Artists Society advertised a four-day workshop by Robert Wade. I signed up for it mainly to go crook at him, but when I actually saw how he did it, I realised it wasn’t him not giving me the information; it was me misinterpreting it. I was still trying to paint like an oil painter. Watercolour does things that you couldn’t do with oil if you tried. The paint runs here, the paint runs there, it’s got a life of its own, and then people ask, ‘How’d do you that,’ and when you tell them you don’t know, they don’t believe you. They think you’re just keeping it a secret. I have one warm eye for warm colours and one cool eye for cool colours.”

“I still can’t really copy. I go outside to paint. Outside painting has got something about it. The paintings have a feeling about them. With watercolour, you’ve got to work quickly. There’s this beaut spot down the road in Flinders where you get a great view of West Head, and one day I went there and did some sketches.

When I went back to do the painting, a big pine tree had fallen and blocked the view and the only way I could see the view was to stand in this bunch of blackberries. While I was painting, a bus full of tourists pulled up, and a whole lot of Japanese visitors got out and took pictures of this silly old bugger standing, painting in a heap of blackberries.”

Ron lives alone in his Red Hill South home and still drives to the shops once a week for supplies. He’s philosophical about his age and doesn’t believe he’ll go anywhere when he dies. “In about 1940 there weren’t any air raid shelters in Leeds, only cellars. The anti-aircraft guns were firing, there was shrapnel flying, and we were running down the street to the shelter, and I said to the bloke up there, ‘STOP IT, my Mum’s not happy, and if you don’t stop it, I won’t believe in you’. I expected to get zapped, but I didn’t, and that’s when I stopped being religious.”

Ron’s paintings can be viewed and purchased online.

gallery247.com.au

IT BEGINS WITH AN IDEA...

Every new home should start its life with the occupants needs and lifestyle at the forefront of the design. Add to that, a floorplan that complements the lie of the land and captures the best outlook and orientation for natural light and energy considerations; and that’s just the start of the list on reasons why a custom home could be the solution you are looking for.

Building a custom designed home is becoming more popular with many home owners as they discover that an off the shelf design isn’t the best option for such an important project that will impact every day of their lives.

The Special Project team at Aspire Designer Homes have been supporting their clients for over four decades with a streamlined approach to the custom design and building process. Collaborating closely with you, their knowledge and expertise will not only review the important information on your land and location, but they are genuinely committed to guide and support you with every stage of your project from concept through to the handing over the keys to your new home.

Starting with a site review and an informal meeting to discuss the aspirations of your new home, Aspire’s team will prepare a concept and with your input, mould that to become a design that will offer functionality and longevity as dynamics of the family transitions through time. Adding a void for a future lift in a double storey home or adding a downstairs bathroom instead of a powder room may seem like simple considerations, yet are often overlooked until one day, the climb upstairs isn’t as easy or possible as it was when you first built your home. By taking the time to understand their clients immediate and broader family dynamics, your Project Manager will offer advice on design features that will potentially make your home future proof!

So why would you want to consider building a custom home? Apart from the benefit of having an individual design and flexibility with the finishes in your new home; building a custom home can be the best direction for many reasons. For example, building a new home on a sloping block of land or designing a new home around a protected tree, can often be the setback for many. Or perhaps you want to knock down and rebuild on a main road, like Pt Nepean Rd on the Mornington Peninsula but most builders won’t entertain the logistics of traffic management. Aspire Designer Homes will provide a solution to what many other builders consider a problem. Options to build your home on stumps or creating a split level floorplan to work with the contours of a sloping block of land is what they do best and they’re definitely not scared of main roads or school zones either!

Whilst site and structural costs are typically higher, there is never one size fits all and a custom design home may be more affordable than you expect. Whether you need support with a design or you already have your own plans, with transparent information and detailed pricing from the concept stage that will be updated as you progress through the stages of preparing to build your new home, Aspire Designer Homes could be just the building team that you are looking for to support your aspiration become reality.

As they say; nothing ventured, nothing gained.

You have nothing to lose by having a conversation … why not get in touch with the Aspire team today

p. 9785 5100

e. enquiries@aspiredesignerhomes.com.au

THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA URGENTLY NEEDS FOSTER CARERS!

Feel that tug on your heartstrings? It's calling you to make a difference.

With families facing challenges like breakdowns, substance abuse, and mental health issues, more kids than ever need safe temporary care, making now the perfect time to become a foster carer.

Foster care is a lot more than providing a child with a place to stay; it's about offering stability and building resilience. By opening your door, you can create positive relationships and joyful experiences that last a lifetime.

Foster care isn't just a one-size-fits-all commitment. Whether you can offer short-term or long-term care, there are flexible options to suit your preferences and lifestyle.

As a foster carer, you'll receive comprehensive training on parenting approaches, including first aid and behaviour management. But the real growth comes from within. You'll cultivate resilience, empathy, and interpersonal skills while expanding your perspective on human complexities.

Remember, you're not alone in this journey. When you choose to foster with Uniting, you’ll have specialised support with you every step of the way. With dedicated case workers, financial assistance, and round-the-clock support, help is always within reach so you can foster with confidence.

Becoming a foster carer isn't just a role; it's a journey filled with profound moments of connection and fulfillment. You will get to experience the transformative power of love while shaping the lives of children in need.

So, why wait? Start your fostering journey today with Uniting and be part of something truly impactful.

TENNIS THAT THRIVES IN A WELCOMING ATMOSPHERE

For over four decades, Overport Park Tennis Club has been a leader on the Mornington Peninsula’s tennis scene.

Boasting 14 courts, including nine under lights for evening play, the club is committed to providing a premier tennis experience. However, what truly sets Overport Park apart is its welcoming, family-friendly environment.

Amidst picturesque surroundings, players of all ages and skill levels can indulge in a variety of tennis activities including:

• Vibrant junior & open competitions

• Coaching tailored to individual standards

• Tuesday night mixed for intermediate players,

• Wednesday night mixed for the more advanced,

• Monday morning and Wednesday afternoon Men’s,

• Thursday night Men's

• Wednesday afternoon ladies walk-up.

Discover the joy of tennis in a setting where excellence meets warmth at the Overport Park Tennis Club.

P: 0418 365 014

E: admin@overportparktennisclub.com.au

LADIES SOCIAL DOUBLES WEDNESDAYS from 1pm

• Non - competition

• Non members welcome

• No cost and no commitment COME ALONG FOR A SET OR MORE

0418 365 014

SAVING THE WRITTEN WORD

Nestled in The Village behind the Tyabb Packing House in Tyabb, a quaint refuge emerges.

Dear Reader Books is a sanctuary for the written word on the brink of obscurity. This second-hand bookstore champions the forgotten, rescuing books from landfill oblivion.

The range encompasses crime and thriller, contemporary and historical fiction, classics, fantasy, sci- fi and children’s and young adult titles. The nonfiction section has a great range of biographies, cooking, gardening, performing arts, sports, business and politics, with a special section for inspirational reading and Christian fiction.

With a mission to rehome every tome, Dear Reader Books invites patrons to embark on a literary journey through time and imagination. Here stories find new beginnings, cherished by avid readers and collectors alike. The scent of aged paper hangs in the air, mingling with whispers of literary adventures waiting to unfold.

More than a mere shop, Dear Reader Books serves as a bastion of sustainability, offering solace to both book and planet. With each purchase, customers join a collective effort to safeguard literature and combat waste, ensuring that every story finds its rightful place in the hands of those who treasure it. IG:

THE MODERNIST MYSTERY

Every now and then we have a new client approach us at Graham Jones Design with a keen interest in the work that we do, with hesitation surrounding how modern or contemporary they want their house to look. While some have the confidence to have us design the home of their dreams, others are concerned about what their neighbours may think, whether council will approve the proposal, or if a contemporary design will truly feel like home. And they consider settling for a more traditional aesthetic. When it comes to your dream abode, there’s no need to compromise, and any great designer will be able to marry your brief with the challenges surrounding site, context, budget and council restrictions.

Whether it be your forever home or a holiday house, everybody deserves a dwelling that reflects their individuality and the way they want to live in the most positive and functional way possible. If you find yourself drawn to a clean and crisp contemporary style, then embrace it in all of its glory! Modernist homes have been around for over a century, so don’t fear that it’s an untried or untested architectural approach. While the style continues to develop and evolve over time, a good modern design will remain truly timeless and perpetually transcend any trends that come and go. A contemporary aesthetic offers a sense of drama, sophistication, and elegance to any home – and that will always stand the test of time.

When taking a Modernist approach to design, it is important to consider and implement a sense of texture, layering, and scale to relate it back to a human experience and avoid your home feeling too rigid or sterile.

This means carefully considering your choice of materials, the proportions of spaces and how each element fits together. In this regard, the expertise of our interior design team becomes important to aid in the selection of finishes, fixtures and fittings are selected to compliment and balance the overall design of the home.

With a Modernist aesthetic don’t forget that there are numerous, fantastic ways to reinterpret more traditional design approaches for a contemporary setting rather than attempting to reproduce – often poorly – styles befit of a bygone era. A prime example is the modern farmhouse designs, where you can take the quintessential silhouette of a classic Australian farmhouse and play with more streamlined architectural elements and materials. The same can be said for simplifying very ornate, classical styles in favour of a more honest and pure aesthetic with a calming, pared back effect.

Whether you’re in search of a bold, unique design, or looking for a modern interpretation of something more traditional, you’d be surprised what a great contemporary designer can imagine for your site.

Visit grahamjonesdesign.com.au or get in touch with a member of the team via phone or email to learn more.

P: 0477 394 864

E: reception@grahamjonesdesign.com.au

MAKING THE MOST OF EVERY DAY

“Every day above the ground is a good day,” laughs Kevin Nikkleson. And he should know! As a youngster, he plummeted 80 feet down an open mine shaft in the Grampians, breaking his back and spending an unimaginable 15 hours waiting to be rescued.

Kevin (pictured) was taken to hospital in Melbourne where he contracted polio and became a partially functioning paraplegic. Seven years later, at the age of 16, he emerged from hospital in callipers and crutches and with an iron-will to make something of his life.

And he did. He became a successful fitter and turner and married the love of his life, Nerida. He’s retired now, and the 83-year-old loves sport and is an avid woodworker, spending many happy hours in his garage making bird feeders and bird boxes.

To be honest, I really shouldn’t be around,” Kevin admits. “But I’m going strong and I’m determined to make the most of every day. I’ve still got a whole lot of living to do!”

Kevin, who now uses a wheelchair following a spinal operation, has a Government-funded Home Care Package through aged care provider Uniting AgeWell. Working with his Home Care team, he’s been able to tailor his package to suit his needs and continue to live safely at home. A ramp was installed and the bathroom specially adapted. He receives regular visits from a nurse and domestic assistance. The team also helps Kevin access the public pool and he says the hydrotherapy is working wonders.

“I didn’t let the accident or polio change who I am, and I’m certainly not going to let my growing older change anything either,” he says firmly. “I tell the team, this is the situation I’m in, just make it work for me.”

To find out how you can be supported to live safely and independently at home as you age, call Uniting AgeWell’s friendly and experienced home care team in Mornington today!

P: 5975 6334

W: unitingagewell.org

Help at home

Get assistance with personal and clinical care, household chores, assistive technology and transport

Community support and wellbeing

Remain connected with social groups, outings and carer services

Independent living

Maintain an independent lifestyle in one of our vibrant retirement living communities

Residential care

Specialist 24/7 care and support and respite stays are welcome Andrew Kerr Care Community in Mornington offers generous, stylish spaces, well appointed bedrooms and a vibrant lifestyle program

Call the Uniting AgeWell team today to find out how we can support you to live well with choice, independence and peace of mind as you age Living

Mt Eliza Gardens Aged Care is a brand new luxurious, 141 suite state-of-the-art aged care facility, located on the Mornington Peninsula and is now open for admissions.

The prestigious facility is part of the family-owned Australian Aged Care Group Pty Ltd (AACG), which prides itself on innovation in caring for the aged with a mission to excel in providing quality care services and accommodation.

Mt Eliza Gardens is architecturally designed with premium hotel-style accommodation that embraces older Australians in a place where they feel most comfortable, while still living in their local community. The facility has been purposefully designed with careful attention to detail in the quality of the living environment and services provided. It will be staffed to meet the increasingly discerning standards demanded by our ageing population. The multi level facility will provide care to residents with ageing in place programs offering all levels of care, as well as consulting suites for medical practitioners and allied health professionals. We also offer a dedicated Memory Support Unit. The spacious and elegant facility consists of several separate wings, adjoining central lounges, café, bar, reception centre and provides an extensive range of services to assist residents in remaining active and engaged.

Features include:

n Respite stay now available

n Single, spacious rooms/suites with ensuite bathrooms and comfortable living areas

n Ageing in place programs

n Larger suites with fully equipped kitchenettes and lounge area for premium style of living

n Spacious lounge, sitting and dining areas

n Individually controlled heating and air conditioning in every room/suite

n Telephone, Foxtel and Netflix connection points in every room/suite

n Expansive undercover car parking

n Courtyard and outdoor garden sitting areas

n Hairdressing & Beauty Salon

n Chapel (non-denominational)

n Gold Class Cinema

n Café and Bar

n Medical Suite incorporating G.P. Clinic, separate Physiotherapy treatment room and large fully equipped gym

n LED TV screens in every room/suite

n Dedicated bus for resident outings

n Wi-Fi

n Private Dining Room for special occasions

n End of Life Care

(After hours and weekend appointments also available)

To discuss your individual requirements and experience the Mt Eliza Gardens Aged Care lifestyle firsthand, please phone (03) 8001 8000 or visit our website mtelizagardensagedcare.com.au Mt

SORRENTO: A VILLAGE FOR ALL SEASONS

Sorrento, traditionally known as a perfect summer retreat with its stunning beaches and lively waterfront, is redefining itself. This transformation is spearheaded by the annual Taste Sorrento Festival, which invites everyone to experience Sorrento’s cultural, community and culinary delights throughout the month of June.

First, the festival is a culinary extravaganza, featuring some of Australia’s top chefs and cooks offering gala dinners, crafting tasting menus and showcasing local flavours in ways that linger in the memory long after the meal is over.

Beyond gourmet food, art also plays a significant role in the festival's atmosphere. With seven local art galleries opening their doors, visitors can explore a variety of exhibitions that highlight the work of both local and regional artists, showcasing the vibrant and diverse artistic community of Sorrento.

For the adventurous, the Sorrento Sailing and Couta Boat Club offers a Winter Solstice swim -ICE, an invigorating counterpoint to the culinary indulgence and an opportunity to connect with the natural beauty of the area.

The festival is particularly family-friendly this year, with activities designed to engage all ages. Family Fun Days, a cosy movie night, and the visually striking Winter Solstice Fire Event on the Foreshore ensure that families have memorable and engaging experiences. These activities are not only fun but also foster a sense of community and togetherness.

A special feature this year is Cath Collins, a former MasterChef contestant, who adds a personal touch by cooking and sharing stories from her time on the show. These sessions offer a unique blend of food and storytelling, enriching the festival experience.

Local engagement is evident throughout the festival, with new activities like pickleball introduced, reflecting Sorrento’s community spirit. Special promotions and offers during the festival also ensure visitors receive great value, encouraging them to explore and enjoy local products and services.

The Taste Sorrento Festival encapsulates the spirit of Sorrento as a village for all seasons, appealing to visitors whether they are day-trippers, overnight guests, or repeat visitors. The festival's diverse offerings promise something new with each visit, reinforcing Sorrento’s welcoming charm.

For those interested in experiencing this unique event, more details are available at tastesorrento.com.au. Sorrento’s invitation is clear: come and experience its transformation into a village that delights throughout the year, proving it is much more than just a summer destination.

W: tastesorrento.com.au

WINTER ESCAPE QUEENSLAND 8 DAY BUNDABERG STAYPUT

6 - 13 August 2024 *Fly/Fly

Come and join me on this wonderful winter escape to Bundaberg and the Southern Great Barrier Reef.

Over the next few day we travel North to Agnes Waters 1770 - Eurimbula National Park Coastline –Cruise to Lady Musgrave Island.

Visit to The Bundaberg Barrell, home of Bundaberg Brewed Drinks. We take a look at the True Brew Experience Tour, and so much more...

Cost: $3,860

Per person twin share/double (Single supp: $660)

DUE TO POPULARITY SECOND DEPARTURE NOW RELEASED!

8 DAY ADELAIDE SA & THE OVERLAND

Sunday 27 October – Sunday 3 November 2024

There is nothing quite like travelling by rail! The Overland operates a day- (Red Premium Class) Melbourne to Adelaide & return journey . Luxury coach for our 6 Night stay at the Hotel Alba Adelaide touring Adelaide, the coastal town Victor Harbor, a journey to Port Elliot on the Cockle Train and visit Port Adelaide. Including a visit and tasting to the iconic Barossa Valley & Sepplestfield Winery & Chocolate Company

Cost: $3,000

• Home pick up & return service metropolitan / Mornington Peninsula

• Tours escorted by Vickie Lamble

Detailed itinerary phone: 0418 853 810

Email: lambletours@bigpond.com

Per person twin share/double (Single supp $630.00) $200 Deposit ASAP to secure seat the overland & holiday. www.lambletours.com.au

DISCOVER THE JOY OF BACKYARD HEN OWNERSHIP ON THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA

Imagine waking up to the cheerful clucking of hens as they greet the day, their vibrant presence adding a touch of rustic charm to your backyard. If this idyllic scene resonates with you, then Talking Hens is your go-to destination for turning this dream into reality.

A family business owned and operated by Jason Nethercott and Giuliana Postregna, Talking Hens is more than just a business; it's a haven for families eager to embark on the rewarding journey of backyard chicken ownership. With roots tracing back to their free-range egg farm in Keysborough in 2012, Jason and Giuliana's dedication to these feathered friends has only grown stronger.

At Talking Hens, it's not just about purchasing hens; it's about fostering education and guidance. With over four decades of experience, including Giuliana's father's legacy as an egg farmer, the expertise runs deep. From informative talks to engaging workshops, Talking Hens equips both new and seasoned chicken owners with the knowledge to care for their hens responsibly.

The Hy-Line Brown laying hens stand out as a favorite for suburban backyards, known for their friendly demeanor and consistent egg-laying. Customers rave about their heartwarming tales, reinforcing the special bond between humans and their backyard companions.

But it's not just about the joy and companionship; sustainability lies at the heart of Talking Hens' philosophy. From recycled wood chicken coops to eco-friendly hemp products, they're dedicated to reducing their environmental footprint while enriching lives through responsible chicken ownership.

Embark on the adventure of backyard chicken ownership and experience the countless ways it can enrich your life. From fresh, nutritious eggs to entertaining moments and invaluable lessons for children, it's truly a rewarding experience.

Join us for our Introduction to Backyard Hens on Sunday 19 May 2024, at 2 pm! For just $29 per person (children free), immerse yourself in a world of feathered delight. Go to the website TalkingHens.com.au and visit the event page to get more details or contact us at talk@talkinghens.com.au.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to discover the joy, companionship, and sustainability that backyard hens bring.

We can't wait to welcome you into our flock!

Looking for backyard hens but unsure where to start?

Talking Hens is a business that enjoys backyard hens. We specialise in friendly, egg laying hens with quality products to keep them happy and healthy.

There’s nothing like the friendship and entertainment that you receive from our laying hens - a pleasure to be shared!

recipe

BEEF & BROCCOLI STIR FRY

INGREDIENTS

• 2 x 250g sirloin/striploin steaks, sliced. Alternatively, you can use rump, or flank

• 2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• 3cm piece ginger, thinly sliced

• 1 large red chili

• 200g (7 oz) broccoli, in florets

• 2 spring (green onions) chopped

• Fresh coriander (optional)

Marinade

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• ½ tsp baking soda

• 3 tsp corn flour (cornstarch slurry)

• 1 tbsp neutral vegetable oil

Stir-fry sauce

• ¼ cup oyster sauce

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp brown sugar

• Ground black pepper (be generous!)

• 2 tsp white vinegar

• ½ cup chicken stock

METHOD

1: Mix the steak slices with the marinade ingredients thoroughly. Let them marinate for 15 minutes.

2: For the broccoli, place in salted boiling water for 60 seconds, then drain and refresh in cold or ice water. Once cold, strain and set aside.

3: In a measuring or pouring jar, mix all the ingredients of the stir-fry sauces. Set aside for later.

4: In a small bowl, add corn starch and mix with a little water. Set aside for the end.

5: Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat, then add the vegetable oil. Add the beef pieces and spread the strips out in the pan quickly. Let it sear for about a minute before starting to stir-fry. Keep repeating the process of spreading and stir-frying until the beef is nearly cooked.

6: Add the finely sliced chili, green onions, ginger and garlic, stirfry for another minute. Then add the cooked, drained broccoli and continue stir frying until it’s cooked, approx. 1 minute.

7: Pour in the mixed stir fry sauces and cook until thick and glossy, approx. 30 seconds.

8: Finish by pouring in the slurry and sesame oil, mix well over high heat until the sauce is thick and glossy. Serve with steamed rice and garnish with coriander amd sesame seeds.

Tip

Get your rice on first so it's ready by the time you finish.

Wine Lovers Warehouse is the direct to public arm of our wholesale business specialising in restaurant, hotel, and function wines for over 17 years.

COVID-19 put a big handbrake on our wholesale business and so we made a decision to transform and stay alive, supported by our friends and the local community, which we will be forever grateful.

We opened the warehouse every week to the public, selling our wines and suppliers at trade prices and no retail mark ups. It is our commitment to remain open servicing the needs of our Wine Lover community into 2023 and beyond. Come along and say hello, grab a bottle or a case. Try before you buy at the Hastings store guarantees you will be satisfied with your choices.

on Dromana

Dromana is a bayside centre, nestled between Safety Beach and McCrae, and situated at the foot of the towering peak of Arthurs Seat, 66 km south of Melbourne.

Dromana's commercial centre is concentrated along the coastal boulevard of Point Nepean Road, with Arthurs Seat and its surrounding bushland providing a scenic backdrop to the shops and cafes along this route.

Dromana's foreshore reserve lines the coast and consists of grassy picnic areas, shelters, walking tracks and designated camping areas. The calm, sandy beaches provide safe swimming and boating opportunities. Points of interest along the coast include the Dromana Pier and the rocky cutting at Anthony’s Nose where a boat ramp is situated.

Heronswood is a historic property situated on an elevated 2 hectare allotment on Latrobe Parade, overlooking the bay. The house and surrounding gardens date back to 1871 and are open for visitors to explore and enjoy. The property includes a cafe which serves organic produce from the gardens and fresh food from local growers where possible. There is a retail shop and nursery, with garden workshops held regularly. Heronswood is managed by Diggers Club, Australia's largest garden club.

It is believed that the name Dromana is of Irish origin and that it came about from the influx of gold prospectors in the mid 19th century. There is a Dromana on the tidal section of the Blackwater River, near Cappoquin, County Waterford in Ireland, and this is the most likely origin of the name.

Dromana and neighboring Tuerong to the north, are home to a number of vineyards, some with cellar doors open for wine tasting.

In 1841, Hugh Jamieson purchased 5,120 acres (2,070 ha), or eight square miles, of land from the Crown for ₤1 an acre under the terms of the short-lived Special Survey regulations. The purchase included the northern part of the present suburb of Dromana to the east of Safety Beach. The area is known as Jamieson's Special Survey in cadastral surveys.

The first subdivision of Crown lands in Dromana occurred in 1854. Dromana Post Office opened on 12 April 1858.

The completion of Dromana pier took place in 1872, allowing the shipping of produce to the city markets. By 1881, Dromana was well established as a seaside resort.

A major contributor to the development of Dromana was Spencer Jackson. One of his greatest achievements was the facilitation of the construction of a road to the summit of Arthurs Seat in 1929. Dromana's pier was much longer in those days and Dromana shared with Sorrento the ability to accommodate the bay steamers which did much to promote Dromana as a tourist destination. The McKeown and Shaw families ran guest houses for over half a century.

The Dromana Drive-In cinema is a popular entertainment spot for locals and holidaymakers alike.

The Dromana Industrial Estate is home to a range of artisan producers, microbreweries and distilleries making it well worth a visit.

CoffeeSafari

Freshly brewed coffee is a must-have and the Mornington Peninsula's coffee haunts are second to none. Check out these when you're visiting!

Au Croissanterie

4A/277 POINT NEPEAN ROAD

A croissanterie and espresso bar, where friendly staff members are ready to brew your favorite coffee just the way you like. Serving freshly baked croissants along with delectable food and coffee every day of the year.

Pier St Kitchen

19 PIER STREET

Serving breakfast, brunch and lunch with a Mediterranean twist, Pier Street Kitchen is known for its friendly atmosphere, amazing food and extensive locally-driven wine list.

Laneway Espresso

167 POINT NEPEAN ROAD

A much-loved, eclectic space serving coffee made from beans by Odyssey Coffee Roasters alongside cafe favourites. Enjoy brioche french toast or maybe a croissant burger, while you soak up the sun in the laneway.

Little Rebel

22 COLLINS ROAD

A boutique coffee roaster situated in the Dromana Industrial Estate. Choose from the house blend, single origin blends, filter, pour-over or cold brew, all made by expert baristas

What to do

There’s always something fabulous to do in Dromana. Head down to the beach with its white sands and calm waters, and then enjoy a relaxed lunch at one of the many cafes or restaurants. Sip amongst the vines at one of the many wineries or taste an award-winning drop at one of the local distilleries. Check out the peninsulas must-visit Dromana Industrial Estate and the array of producers and hidden treasures to be found there. Catch a movie at the Dromana DriveIn, or for history buffs there’s plenty to check out at the Dromana Historical Society. And don’t forget to call into the picturesque gardens at Heronswood Estate, the home of the Digger’s Club.

Photos: Yanni

PROTECT YOUR HOUSE FROM FALLING LEAVES

• No more mud in your gutters

• No more vermin or birds in your roof

• Protect your most valued investment -your home, your building

• Gutters stay clean - no more cleaning

• Save money and cleaning time

• 28 year guarantee

SYD AT THE 'G'

By Peter McCullough

The unfurling of the 2023 premiership flag before the Collingwood game against Sydney at the MCG on 15 March would not have been complete without the presence of a Coventry. The photograph above is of 92 year-old Syd Coventry Junior who participated in the event wearing his original Collingwood woollen jumper.

Collingwood Football Club is noted, among other things, for the number of brothers who have pulled on the Magpie jumper: the names Richardson, Rose, Twomey, Richards and Collier are significant in that club’s Hall of Fame.

However the two brothers who are held in the highest regard are the Coventrys: Syd and Gordon. At Collingwood they are football royalty. Two of Syd’s sons (Hugh and Syd Junior) also played with Collingwood and, although their contributions may have been minor, they are still part of the club’s most famous family.

Syd Junior has lived at Bittern for almost 40 years and was only too happy to allow Peninsula Essence to learn a little more about his family and his club. This is Syd’s story.

Where did the Coventrys come from?

Thomas, a coalminer and farmer from Gloucestershire, came to Australia in 1848 bringing his large family, one of whom was my grandfather (Henry) who subsequently settled at Diamond Creek as an orchardist.

Henry also had a large family of seven boys and two girls. Three of the boys went to the First World War and one (Hugh Norman), who was considered to be the best footballer of them all, was killed at Pozieres, France, in 1916. Another son was gassed and did not live beyond 60.

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Above: Syd Coventry at the MCG on 15 March. AFL Photos

Below: The Coventry brothers

My grandmother apparently put her foot down and refused to allow any of the other boys to enlist, although my father and his younger brother (Gordon) were probably too young anyway. She thought that three was enough. As a result the family was sent a white feather, a symbol of cowardice!

All of the boys played football for Diamond Creek and at one point there were six Coventrys in the team. My father started when he was about 13 and he was later joined by Gordon who was 27 months his junior.

How did the Collingwood connection start?

My uncle Gordon was the first to go to Collingwood towards the end of the 1920 season. He was nicknamed ‘Nuts’ by the family at a young age, apparently because of his disproportionate-sized head as a child. When the Collingwood officials came to recruit him my grandfather shouted out “Hey Nuts, there’s a couple of blokes from Collingwood who want to see you.” The moniker stuck with him all his life; even his wife called him Nuts to his dying day.

Collingwood’s interest in Gordon led them to my father who had ventured down to Tasmania where he was working in the copper mine and playing for Queenstown. While there he was signed by St. Kilda but after a bit of a wrangle he decided it made more sense to join his younger brother. He started at Collingwood in 1922.

Above: The Coventrys of Diamond Creek. Syd Snr. is on the left and Gordon (Nuts) on the right. Left: Potential players recieved an "invitation to train". Note the date: 16 March!

Dad never went to secondary school; not many did in those days. His father, my grandfather, was out cutting wood at 13; even later he carted wood from Diamond Creek to the suburbs. However, on his return from Tasmania, my father joined the Board of Works where he finished up as an Inspector. Much later, when he was President at Collingwood, he would arrive at training in his ute; a bit different to these days when they turn up in suits and flash cars.

Your father had a reputation as an enforcer?

Even though he was just six feet tall he was powerfully built. He was highly respected by his contemporaries. I remember Harry Collier saying to me one day: “Your Dad was a terrific captain; he would look after the little blokes.”

At the start of the 1927 season Collingwood sacked its captain (Charlie Tyson) following rumours that he had played dead in the grand final of 1926. Dad was appointed captain and held the position until he finished at the end of 1934. So he was captain of what they called ‘The Machine Team’ which won four consecutive premierships (1927-1930).

Probably his best season was 1927: he was the club’s first Brownlow Medallist, won the inaugural Copeland trophy, and was instrumental in the Grand Final. Not a bad effort seeing his pre-season consisted of just a few runs as he and Gordon were pre-occupied in helping Diamond Creek in the cricket finals.

Incidentally, the 1927 Grand Final was played in atrocious conditions with Collingwood scoring two goals (both by Gordon in the second quarter) to Richmond’s one goal scored in the last quarter. The final scores of 2.13 to 1.7 were the lowest ever recorded. Apparently a sodden bagpiper struck up when Nuts scored each of his goals and 21 speeches were made in the Collingwood rooms afterwards!

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Above: Syd Coventry Senior.

Below: The Machine Team: With captain Syd (centre, front row) and his brother Gordon (back row, 4th from right).

The following year presented Dad with a different problem: he had to convince the players not to strike when the club decided to cut their weekly wages from 3 pounds to 2 pounds and 10 shillings.

Sometimes referred to as ‘The Perfect Year’, the team won all 18 home-and-away matches in 1929. However Richmond gave them a ten goal thrashing in the semi-final and only some astute moves by coach Jock McHale enabled the Magpies to reverse the result in the Grand Final. In 1930 Jock McHale was ill in bed on Grand Final day and was probably the only coach to win a premiership while listening on the radio. An official (Bob Rush) addressed the players before the game and the captain no doubt gave plenty of instructions on the ground; the result was that Collingwood beat a highly fancied Geelong side.

What prompted your father to go to Footscray as coach in 1935?

Dad had been badly hurt when he was king-hit in the match against Carlton in 1934 and he probably thought that his playing days were at an end; even so, Collingwood would only release him if he signed an agreement stating that he would not play for Footscray! Jock McHale was so well entrenched at Collingwood that no one else could get a look in. In fact, he was there until 1950 when Phonse Kyne took over and a few who had coaching ambitions had to look elsewhere.

As far back as 1919 there had been ructions when Dan Minogue, a former captain, left to coach Richmond. It was of course the

Above: Breaking the drought. The 1927 Grand Final was played in atrocious conditions

Below: Jock McHale

Bottom: The great Syd Coventry dips a toe into the football boot business

Great Depression years when Dad was coaching Footscray (193536) and the money was very useful as they weren’t all that well paid at Collingwood. (Footnote: Jock McHale played 261 games for Collingwood 1903-18 and 1920. However his coaching career extended from 1912-1949 for 714 games and 8 premierships.)

What are your recollections of Uncle Gordon?

He was quiet with a dry humour. He had enormous hands; they reckon he could hold two dozen eggs in his two hands. His hands were like a vice when the ball hit them. He was strongly built and relied more on his strength than high marking to get his kicks.

Part of his ritual was to sit down to a roast dinner before a match. Even when I was playing my mother insisted on giving me a steak at 11 am; these days they load up on carbo hydrates. Although he was generally regarded as unflappable, Nuts is remembered for two famous incidents apart from his legendary goal-kicking.

The most famous was when he was rubbed out for eight weeks when he retaliated after Joe Murdoch, the Richmond full-back, kept punching some boils that Nuts had on the back of his neck. He missed the 1936 Grand Final as a result. Nuts retired but was coaxed back to play one more season.

Prior to that, in 1934, which was Dad’s last year at Collingwood, Nuts ran the length of the ground to flatten a Carlton player (Gordon Mackie) who had king-hit Dad. Dad was carried from the ground unconscious with a fractured skull and, when he came to in the rooms and they told him of Nuts’ reaction, he shook his head

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Above: Gordon Coventry takes a strong mark

Below: The incident that led to Gordon Coventry's controversial suspension in 1936. Richmond players come in to remonstrate

in disbelief and said: “I only wish I had been conscious to see it.” The upshot was that six Carlton players were reported after an all-in brawl developed; no Collingwood player was reported. Mackie and another Carlton player got six weeks. Nuts considered himself lucky to escape. When he was told after the game what he had done, he found it hard to believe himself.

Nuts did not take readily to the modern game. When interviewed by Herald columnist Alf Brown in 1968 he commented: “Full forwards miss too many goals. They all want to kick goals with that drop punt. What’s wrong with the old-fashioned flat punt or the drop kick?” and “Training starts too early now and players do too much training off the ground. It is not necessary.”

Could you tell us about your generation?

My mother was Gladys Trevaskis who lived in North Melbourne; her family had originally come from Cornwall. Apparently she met my father at a dance at Diamond Creek but I’m not sure how she happened to be up there. When the boys went to a dance at the local hall they took a short cut home to the orchard through the cemetery; probably not everyone’s cup of tea!

After my parents married they lived in Alphington. There were four boys in our family: Hughie, Jack, myself and Gordon. Hughie played eight games with Collingwood in 1941. I remember one day watching him kick four goals against Richmond from a halfforward flank; he was a beautiful kick.

Then he went off to the war. When he came back he played a bit in the seconds. I saw him one day in a final; he was kicking drop kicks from full-back and they were reaching the centre. However he could never recover the four years that he had missed. What’s more, he was a bit unsettled.

The next brother (Jack) also served in the RAAF. Before leaving he had a few games with Collingwood seconds and was a promising footballer; he kicked 16 goals one day playing for Parkside. Jack had some unpleasant experiences as he was shot down over Italy.

I was born in 1932 and Gordon, named after his uncle, was born five years later. He was more Dad’s build and played in the back pocket with Port Melbourne. In the mid-1940’s I joined a junior club (North Alphington), then Parkside Football Club before moving to Collingwood where I played in the thirds, seconds (50 games) and then seven games in the seniors in 1954.

I was a good seconds footballer but not strong enough for the seniors. I tried to mix it but Dad told me to take it a bit easier. He said: “If you hand out six bumps they get one each and you get six.

Above: Syd Junior at North Alphington with younger brother (Gordon) as boundary umpire and parents Syd Snr. & Gladys. Below: Syd Junior prior to his first match in the seniors, 1954.

Who’s going to slow down?” These days they are told not to bump but to tackle; in fact you can get reported for a bump.

The best of my senior games was against Hawthorn at Glenferrie Oval when I played centre-half-back on a bloke from South Australia named Candles Thompson. He was 6 feet, 6 inches. Next week I was dropped to19th man against Footscray. I would have been on Ted Whitten which would have been an experience.

The Collingwood supporters were never kind. Even at training they would sing out: “You’ll never be as good as your father.” Dad was Chairman of Selectors and it was a bit awkward being there. I couldn’t see much future at Collingwood and after 1954 I thought it was time to move on. Besides, by this time I was married and had a career to look after.

After a season back with Parkside (1955) I bought a house in Cheltenham and had a season with Mordialloc (1956). They asked me where I played and I said “forward and ruck” as I was sick of playing on the backline. I enjoyed that and then I chipped a bone in my ankle and that was the end of football.

What about life away from football?

I did a course at Swinburne Senior Tech in chemistry in 1947-50. Many of my fellow students were rehab blokes who had been to the war and this had a maturing effect on me. Before Swinburne I went to primary school at Fairfield and then to Collingwood Tech. There were no secondary schools out towards Heidelberg and the choice was between Northcote High and Collingwood Tech.

Dad worked with engineers and encouraged me to go down the tech path. Because I was no good at maths I backed away from engineering and this led me to chemistry.

In 1953 I went to a dance at Heidelberg Town Hall where I met Edith Powell. Romance blossomed and we were married in 1954. Meanwhile I had started at the Gas & Fuel Corporation as an industrial chemist and stayed with them for about 20 years until they closed the gasworks when natural gas came in.

I then took up secondary teaching and did that for about 20 years. After a year of teacher training I started at Sandringham Tech teaching maths and science. I must admit that maths was always a struggle for me. After five years at Sandringham we decided that we would like a spell in the country so we bought a little farm at Arawatta near Korumburra. I taught at Wonthaggi for a year and then at Leongatha which was a fantastic school. After some years Edith was affected by the aerial spraying and we were forced to return to Cheltenham. I was posted to Monterey Tech which was a really tough school and I retired from there.

After a year back in Cheltenham we got a bit restless for the open spaces so we moved to Bittern. That was nearly 40 years ago. After a few years of retirement I decided to set up a little tourist business. I picked up people from hotels in the city and took them for day trips in the car, often to see the penguins on Phillip Island. I did that for about five years and then the driving started to get a bit hard.

Edith and I have six children: two boys and four girls. This has now extended to include 16 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. Neither of our two boys (Peter and Andrew) did much football wise and the only Coventry pulling on a jumper at present is a granddaughter who plays in the midfield for Tyabb. We are, however, a tightknit family and get together regularly for Christmas and birthdays. Barracking for Collingwood is, of course, compulsory!

Above: Syd Junior and wife Edith on the occasion of their 60th wedding anniversary in 2014

Eyewear

Any other interests?

When I gave up teaching I was at a bit of a loose end until I started playing social tennis at Balnarring on a Thursday morning. I played for many years and had a fantastic time; we would play from 10am to 2pm, getting in five sets of tennis, and then have lunch. I only gave it up as my knees were starting to play up and it was too tiring on a hot day. Meanwhile I had started bowling at Balnarring and it gradually replaced the tennis. I particularly enjoyed playing pennant on a Saturday; it was serious stuff! In 2023 I had to take a break for health reasons but I am planning to make a comeback this year. Incidentally, I was treasurer down there for several years which was hard work as I didn’t know much about bookkeeping.

Did you ever find that being a Coventry was a burden?

Never. When I first went to Collingwood Tech one of the teachers pointed at me and said: “This fellow down the front, Coventry, his father is the King of Collingwood. So that makes him the Prince of Collingwood.” All of my life I have been asked if I was related to the footballer. I always saw it as an advantage; in fact it has enabled me to meet a lot of famous people. This applies particularly to old footballers; although Dad would have clashed with them on the field, they were always good mates. I remember sitting next to Bert Chadwick one day; as well as being President at Melbourne he was also Chairman of the Gas & Fuel Corporation. I thought that I was the luckiest kid around as I was exposed to the Collingwood culture. When I went to the football with Dad I would sit beside the boundary line with the19th man and Jock McHale. I knew all the old players of Dad’s era.

For The Record

Gordon Coventry. 1920-37, 306 games and 1299 goals. Gordon held the record for the most career goals until surpassed by Tony Lockett. He was the first man to kick 100 goals in a season (124 goals in 1929), was the first VFL player to notch 300 games and kicked a record 50 goals or more in 13 consecutive seasons. He once kicked 17 goals in a match (against Fitzroy in 1930) which was a League record until 1947.He topped the club’s goalkicking every year from 1922-37 and was leading League goal kicker from 1926-30 and in 1937.He represented Victoria 25 times (100 goals) and played in five Collingwood premiership sides: 1927-30 and 1935, missing the 1936 grand final triumph because of suspension. He won Collingwood’s best-and-fairest in 1933, was selected in Collingwood’s ‘Team of the Century’ and is in that club’s ‘Hall of Fame.’ In the Australian Football Hall of Fame Gordon Coventry is listed as ‘Legend.’

Syd Coventry (Senior). 1922-34, 227 games and 62 goals. Syd was Collingwood captain 1927-34 during which time they won four successive premierships (1927-30). He won the Brownlow Medal in 1927 and Collingwood’s best-andfairest in 1927 and 1932. He represented Victoria 27 times before leaving Collingwood to coach Footscray (1935-37). He returned to Collingwood as Vice President in 1939 and was President 1950-62. Syd was selected as captain of Collingwood’s ‘Team of the Century.”

*Hugh Coventry. 1941, 8 games and 11 goals.

*Syd Coventry. 1954, 7 games and 0 goals.

* Both are sons of Syd Coventry Senior.

Above: Syd Junior in his lawn bowling kit, circa 2014

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