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BEECHWORTH - CHILTERN - RUTHERGLEN - STANLEY - YACKANDANDAH

Healthy thinking

Indigo 4Ms healthcare approach to promote age-friendly local conversations gpppgy

A NEW resource to deliver integrated agefriendly healthcare for older people launched by a prominent national senior health care professional on Tuesday is believed to be the first of its kind in Australia.

The project has been a seven-year collaboration led by Beechworth Health Service with six other

BY CORAL COOKSLEY ccooksley@ nemedia.com.au

North East Health Services and La Trobe University’s John Richards Centre for Rural Ageing Research. Held at the Grand Oaks Resort, Mayday Hills, National Rural Health Commissioner Adjunct

Professor Ruth Stewart said the project had been carefully co-developed and co-designed.

“This model can now be shared where others can learn from it,” she said.

The Indigo 4Ms project - incorporating what Matters, Medication, Mental Health and Mobility – has been designed to support the development of

a new model of healthcare sensitive to the needs of older people and stimulates discussion on long-term policy responses to support age-friendly environments.

Dr Rachel Winterton, senior research fellow at La Trobe University’s John Richards Centre, led the monitoring and evaluation of the project. She said collaboration

made sure age-friendly care in a rural context can be delivered.

“We’re really excited in what we as a collective have achieved for the project.

“We’re confident it will contribute to better health outcomes in the region and support older people to access more integrated, holistic care.”

■ Continued page 3

OVER THE MOON: Rutherglen Historical Society president Julie Taylor (left) and chief historian Nyree Wiggins are excited to continue works at the Rutherglen-Wahgunyah Old Carlyle First Settlement Cemetery. Story page 5.

PHOTO: Coral Cooksley

Sign up to save a life this Shocktober

WITH more cardiac arrests in Victoria than ever before, Ambulance Victoria (AV) is urging Hume residents to learn or refresh their cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills and sign up to be a GoodSAM responder.

A cardiac arrest occurs when a person’s heart suddenly stops pumping blood effectively around the body.

Last year, paramedics responded to 7361 cardiac arrest patients – an increase of six per cent from the previous year – and nearly 80 per cent occurred at home.

Victoria has the best cardiac survival rates in Australia, and among the best in the world.

Every day, around 20 Victorians suffer the medical emergency but only one in 10 survive.

October marks the fourth year of the nationally recognised Shocktober campaign aimed at improving cardiac arrest survival rates.

Ambulance Victoria medical director Associate Professor David Anderson said it is essential to know CPR, how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and where your closest defibrillator is located.

“Shocktober is about giving more Victorians who suffer a cardiac arrest a better chance of returning to their loved ones,” he said.

“CPR and defibrillation are critical.

“For every minute CPR is delayed, survival decreases by 10 per cent.

“Cardiac arrest can happen

to anyone, anytime, anywhere, at any age, health or fitness level, and often without symptoms.”

AV Hume acting regional director Steve Doyle said anyone can make a life-changing difference.

“Our message is simple – you don’t need to be a paramedic to save a life, just remember to call (triple zero 000), push (Perform CPR) and shock (use an AED).”

Mr Doyle also encouraged the community to sign up to be a GoodSAM responder.

GoodSAM is a mobile app that connects patients in cardiac arrest with a nearby volunteer who is willing to start hands-only CPR while paramedics are on their way.

More than 55 lives have been saved thanks to GoodSAM responders.

There are currently about 12,000 GoodSAM responders across the state, but we need more.

Chiltern resident Jenna Adams has been a GoodSAM responder for several years and said she finds it very rewarding.

“I’ve responded to two GoodSAM alerts and it’s an incredible feeling to know I’ve helped make a difference in the community,” she said.

“I encourage anyone who knows CPR to join. You could go on to save a life.”

For information about Shocktober, the GoodSAM app and how to learn CPR and use an AED (defib), visit ambulance.vic.gov.au/shocktober.

Queen’s choristers crown concert year

QUEEN’S College chapel choristers from the University of Melbourne will perform at the last of this year’s concert series in Beechworth’s historic Christ Church on Sunday, October 15.

Vicar Matthew Healy said the choir’s program will feature sublime works from 19th and early 20th century composers who populated what has become the great tradition of English cathedral music.

“It’s truly a program not to be missed,” Reverend Healy said.

College choirmaster John Weretka, who lives in Beechworth, will direct the 20-voice choir with chapel organist David Agg at the keyboard of the church’s 1882 colonial-built pipe organ.

They will present works by Edward Elgar, Felix Mendelssohn, Charles Villiers Stanford, John Stainer and Hubert Parry.

Christ Church music director Sandra Williams will feature as associate artist.

Soloists Christopher-Jack Andrew, Rebekah Weaich and Mr Weretka will also perform Josef Rheinberger’s Sechs geistliche Gesänge (Six Sacred Songs), and two of Johannes Brahms’ Vier ernste Gesänge (Four Serious Songs).

“We’ve had five wonderful concerts this year which contribute greatly to the tuning and maintenance of the church’s organ and grand piano,” Reverend Healy said.

“This is the last of them for 2023 and I acknowledge the fine work of

Call for Volunteers

Beechworth Community Christmas Lunch 2023

Beechworth Community Christmas Lunch Working Party are seeking volunteers to support this year’s Community Christmas Lunch.

We are seeking a community volunteers to become members of the working party, as well as volunteers to assist with a number of practical tasks to ensure the lunch is a success.

These tasks may include: packing hampers in the days before Christmas

setting up and decorating the hall on 22 December

helping out on Christmas Day drivers to deliver meals on Christmas Day

pack perishables on Christmas Eve

All volunteers on Christmas Day must have a National Police Check. The Working Party is able assist arranging this documentation and we look to have this finalised by 01 December 2023.

If you are interested in being a member of the working party or jumping on board in anyway, please contact the Working Party via Gabriella Tange on 03 5728 0200 or E: gabriella.tange@beechworthhealth.org.au

parishioner Kate Sutherland who has co-ordinated each of the annual series in recent years.”

The Queen’s College concert will start at 2:30pm.

Tickets cost $40 ($30 concession) and can be bought online at https:// rb.gy/hlcr9 or at the door.

This Saturday, October 7, Reverend Healy will lead the annual blessing of animals at Beechworth Farmers’ Market, held in the churchyard, at 9:30am at the church entrance.

All people are welcome to bring the creatures who share their lives to the short service.

Refurbishment and X-Ray upgrade - Acute Unit

There are a number of upgrades and refurbishments works at the health service. New flooring is being laid and painting of the rooms is underway is in our Acute Unit. BHS Acute Services have been reduced temporarily while these works are being completed. This disruption is expected until Christmas.

The installation of new X-Ray machine is now complete and X-Ray services will commence for the local community in mid-October.

VOICE: Queen’s College choirmaster John Weretka (left) and college organist David Agg take a break in rehearsal at the William Anderson colonial-built pipe organ in Christ Church Beechworth.

PHOTO: Jamie Kronborg

Community members back local healthcare takeover

YACKANDANDAH Health members have voted in favour of the business’ sale to nationwide health provider Apollo Care.

At a special general meeting held last week, members elected to approve the takeover of the community’s ‘Yamaroo’ aged care facility, its GP clinic and the ‘Little Yaks’ early learning centre, having initially voted against the move earlier this year.

Under the agreement, all staff, residents and children at Yackandandah Health Limited (YHL) facilities are set to retain their existing

BY RYAN MALCOLM rmalcolm@ nemedia.com.au

terms and conditions, according to a joint statement issued by the healthcare provider and Apollo Care.

Some 70 permanent and nine respite residents are currently housed at Yamaroo and six residents enjoy independent living units, while 44 children are enrolled at Little Yacks.

YHL also employs some 140 staff

“Our priority has been to

Apollo Care acquires Yackandandah Health in favourable vote p q

determine the best and most realistic solution which will place our valued services on a strong footing for the future,” YHL board chair Patten Bridge said.

“We’re confident Apollo Care will ensure highquality care is provided to residents – it has proven residential aged care management expertise plus the capital to improve the operations and resident amenity.

“Apollo Care can support expansion of the early learn-

ing centre and medical services.

“Apollo Care understands the unique challenges of residential aged care in regional settings like ours, and it respects and values the role played by local communities in delivering essential care services.”

YHL joins seven other facilities throughout Queensland and New South Wales under the Apollo Care umbrella, each of which were acquired by the company

while in some form of distress.

Apollo Care chief executive officer Stephen Becsi said the company would gradually de-risk YHL by funding its operations and progressively investing in staff, systems and buildings.

“We know that maintaining identity, purpose and connection to community is just as important as survival to the Yackandandah community,” he said.

“Our innovative operating

and financial models will strengthen Yackandandah’s services while ensuring they retain their strong local community identity.”

Alongside YHL, a notfor-profit Yackandandah Community Association (YCA) has also been created, which has appointed two local community members to sit on the YHL board. YCA will also appoint a member to sit on Apollo Care’s Community Advisory Board.

Age-friendly approaches to healthcare planning

■ From front page

Two tools developed in the care planning with older people are one for the older generation to use as a conversational guide with healthcare providers while the other is for healthcare professionals to guide conversations with older people.

“These tools will lead to more informed discussions between health services and the communities they serve,” Dr Winterton said.

“We think this is really important because the tools that have been developed through this project are really going to support older people and healthcare providers to be on the same page with conversations.

“It is about how best to support older people to live the lives they want to live in the best health that

they possibly can.”

Consultant and researcher, Dr Kathleen Brasher had provided advice and support to local agencies on building age-friendly communities since 2018.

Dr Brasher said part of the project process had been working with around 40 people from the community including older people and health care professionals.

“They decided conversation between an older person and their health workers needed to be enriched on how health and wellbeing is maintained or improved as we grow older,” she said.

“It’s not just about aged care, it’s about caring for all of us as we grow old and beginning to understand that we might have a number of different health conditions.

“What this resource does is pull all of that together to focus on the things that we value and will keep us healthy.

“We now have funding to put this into practice and work with area health services where Beechworth Health Service will again take the lead.

“If you manage common conditions of growing old such as vision, hearing and memory, keeping people connected and moving, you increase their chance of being able to stay at home too.”

Beechworth resident Wendy Kelly said being part of a project that improves the outcomes for older people had been an opportunity to be part of something from the ground up.

“I could express what

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matters to me and members of my community,” she said.

Beechworth Health Service CEO, Dr Mark Ashcroft, said agencies looked

forward to putting the tools into action.

Partner agencies are John Richards Centre for Rural Ageing Research, La Trobe University, Albury Wodon-

ga Health, Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service, Beechworth Health Service, Corryong Health, Gateway Health and Tallangatta Health Service.

The Dr. Meg Warren Scholarship for Rural Health

The Dr. Meg Warren Scholarship for Rural Health is an education and study award established conjointly by Beechworth Surgery and the Beechworth Health Service Board of Management to encourage local people to take up studies in health-related disciplines at either undergraduate or postgraduate levels and return to practice in the local area.

One Scholarship will be awarded annually on a competitive basis. The Scholarship will be available to all residents Beechworth and surrounding townships to undertake a course of study at recognised Australian Universities or other recognised tertiary education institutions.

Applications must be made in writing and addressed to the Practice Manager, Beechworth Surgery on the application form by Friday 27th October 2023 at 5.00pm.

Please contact the Beechworth Surgery Practice Manager or Beechworth Health Service CEO to obtain an application form.

John & Christine Haddrick welcome their daughter Kat to their team.

NEW AGE: Dr Rachel Winterton (left), Glenda Chapman, Dr Kathleen Brasher, Wendy Kelly, Adjunct Professor Ruth Stewart and Dr Mark Ashcroft at the launch of delivering integrated age-friendly healthcare for older people held at the Grand Oaks Resort on Tuesday.

PHOTO: Coral Cooksley.

Indigo to paint the vineyard pink

By CORAL COOKSLEY

A local ‘PAINT the Vineyard Pink’ fundraiser to be held on Sunday, October 15 will help the McGrath Foundation fund its breast cancer nurse support to people with breast cancer and their families.

Indigo Vineyard in Everton Upper held its first event during breast cancer awareness month in October last year, raising $6000.

Indigo Vineyard chief executive officer Rob Hawkings said this year’s event had a $10,000 target to raise vital funds.

“Most people have been touched by cancer in some way, be it family or friends,” he said.

“Our aim is to have a breast care nurse speak at the event of the day too.”

Mr Hawkings said local musicians – sisters Asha and Samara Bright - will entertain event-goers on the ‘all things pink’ afternoon.

“There will be lunch in the garden with a glass of our latest release of our rosé , raffles, and a silent auction of hampers with local produce donated by local food and wine suppliers,” he said.

“People can make a donation direct to McGrath Foundation on the day too.”

Mr Hawkings said $2 from every bottle of rosé sold by various outlets will be donated to the McGrath Foundation during the month of October.

The Foundation’s goal is to fund 250 McGrath breast care nurses by 2025 around Australia including in Victoria’s North East.

The McGrath Foundation funds breast cancer nurses with practical support to help with the emotional, physical and psychological well-being of breast cancer

patients and their families.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare statistics indicate more than 20,000 breast cancer cases will be diagnosed in females this year with breast cancer the most commonly diagnosed cancer for females in Australia.

For more information or to make an online booking for the event, visit www.indigovineyard.com.au.

Direct donations to the McGrath Foundation can also be made at www.pinkisthecolour.com.au/fundraisers/IndigoVineyard/ paint-the-vineyard-pink

Historic organ given national acknowledgement

By MARK STEPHENS

The visit to Beechworth by the Organ Historical Trust of Australia last Tuesday was an outstanding success.

A total of 72 members came from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT, South Australia and the UK and arrived at the Beechworth Anglican Christ Church to listen to its historic organ and to learn about its remarkable history.

The beautiful instrument

was built in Melbourne in 1882 by William Anderson and installed at Beechworth five years later.

By 2008 it was badly in need of repair and with funds raised by enthusiastic parishioners and generous benefactors a major restoration was completed by Wakeley Pipe Organs.

At the end of Tuesday’s presentation, Beechworth organist Sandra Williams pulled out all the stops and everyone sang the wellknown hymn “Let Jesus Christ Be Praised”.

The second part of the day was a visit to the very historic Beechworth Town Hall Organ. Members and locals walked through the rain to discover the amazing single manual English Chamber Organ which by the design of its classical-style casework and console would date it from the 1850s. By 1906 it was sold and moved to Melbourne until in 2018 it was discovered, brought home and restored by the Beechworth Organ Society.

LARGE GATHERING: Organ Historical Trust of Australia members visited Beechworth’s historic organ last week.

PHOTO: Mark Stephens

GREAT TIME: Beechworth’s Cheryl Keylock (left), Heidi Freeman and Kerry Taylor had fun at last year’s Indigo Vineyard’s fundraiser for the McGrath Foundation.

PHOTO: Coral Cooksley

Old Carlisle Cemetery discoveries add to Rutherglen’s history

By CORAL COOKSLEY

RUTHERGLEN Historical Society has shared in a pool of $423,000 with 41 other organisations including the Stanley Athenaeum in the latest round of the State Government’s Local History Grants Program.

The society, which is run by a group of dedicated volunteers, received $2365 for its Rutherglen-Wahgunyah

Old Carlyle First Settlement Cemetery project as part of the 2022/23 funding.

Volunteer and chief historian Nyree Wiggins said it had been a privilege to be among recipients.

“We are over the moon, excited and really proud of how hard we’ve worked over the last five years on this project,” she said.

Ms Wiggins said an historical signage board with detailed history including information about interments will be erected working with Indigo Shire Council on the heritage signage.

She said people from all over the world had been on the Goldfields in the early days and before the Goldfields’ settlement.

“People tend to think of the colony of Victoria and New South Wales as being

significantly British, Irish and Scottish-inhabited but there are people who came from countries such as Greenland, Norway, China, and Italy,” she said.

Ms Wiggins said the project had aimed to establish the early cemetery’s existence with help in a variety of ways from other volunteers including topography, mapping, research and access to land, with people’s

fascinating stories uncovered along the way.

Rutherglen Historical Society president Julie Taylor said volunteers respected earlier groundwork undertaken by members who had been with the Historical Society for a long time.

Building on earlier foundations generously set up for the work, Ms Taylor said a succession plan is now in place.

“It’s exciting and we are activating this now so that we can pass the incredible history inherited to our children and grandchildren, and also to tourists who come to the area,” she said.

Ms Taylor said Rutherglen offered food, wine, cycling and interesting history.

“It’s also about respecting everyone who’s gone before us including Indigenous

cultures who have been here for more than 65,000 years and moving forward as a harmonious group,” she said.

Ms Wiggins said the group believed from data being collected at least 150 burials date back to the earliest history of the area and cemetery from around 1848 until 1865 when the New Carlisle cemetery opened.

OVER THE MOON: Rutherglen Historical Society chief historian Nyree Wiggins (left) with president Julie Taylor are among volunteers excited about the recent grant.

PHOTO: Coral Cooksley

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Mentally prepared for emergency

By BAILEY ZIMMERMANN

NORTH East Multicultural Association (NEMA) has moved onto the next stage of its disaster support program for local multicultural communities.

Editor Ryan Malcolm Correspondent Coral Cooksley Sport Bailey Zimmermann

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The crisis management and women’s health session was held on September 20 at the Gateway Hotel, where 41 community members from three LGAs (Wangaratta, Alpine and Indigo Shire) attended.

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ising is the third stage of NEMA’s Community Cultural Advocates Project.

The aim of this stage is to prepare community members mentally and emotionally for crisis events.

Ms Khan said she had received “incredible” feedback from the community members who attended the first crisis management session, which focused on coping with the sharp mental strain of a crisis event.

Member

During the session NEMA project manager, Faryal Khan, briefly explained the project and its purpose, stages, achievements, and success.

Crisis management and social-

“Most people mentioned to me and my co-workers they had learnt new activities and techniques including mediation, exercises, breathing exercises, and they also received informa-

tion and awareness about local health support and their contact details,” she said.

Physiotherapist and mindfulness educator from Hogan Health, Amanda Hogan, and Gateway Health Wangaratta psychologists Kim Haebich, Melissa Harris and Alexandra Nixon were guest speakers for the session, providing crucial information on mentally dealing with a crisis.

Ms Hogan presented on anxiety and Breathing Exercises to stop and settle, while providing resources and health booklets for attendees to take home.

She also donated a white scarf of wellbeing and compassion to

everyone which is made in Nepal, which has three handmade knitted lines indicating breath, body, and mind to calm yourself.

Gateway Health Wangaratta’s presentation was focused on dealing with crisis and connection with people, going through a mental health care plan, local support programs and how local community can access their facilities.

The fourth stage will be the final stage of the project, focusing on emergency assessment, review and reporting.

A similar crisis management and socialising session is planned to be held in Mansfield in the near future.

TRAINING THE MIND: The group of 41 community members from Wangaratta, Alpine and Indigo shires taking art in NEMA’s third stage of their disaster support program.

New flooring for acute care facility

By CORAL COOKSLEY

FULL acute care will be back on track to accommodate 12 patients from the beginning of next year following improvements to facilities at Beechworth Health Services (BHS).

BHS chief executive officer Dr Mark Ashcroft said all flooring throughout the acute unit, the services wing and the community program area was being replaced and was due to be finished by Christmas.

“It’s a large area of work that

Upgraded radiology services for Beechworth

By CORAL COOKSLEY

LOCALS can now access radiology services without leaving town with a brand-new x-ray machine set-up at Beechworth Health Service (BHS).

BHS made the acquisition worth around $140,000 for installation of the new onsite x-ray equipment with funding received as part of the State Government’s 2020/21 Regional Health Infrastructure Fund.

The new acquisition replaces an older xray machine which offered limited types of x-rays for people.

BHS chief executive officer Dr Mark Ashcroft said a full x-ray service is now available for local people.

Dr Ashcroft said for people to arrange an x-ray, bookings need to be made with a GP referral to North East Health Wangaratta that provides the xray service at BHS.

“Our inpatients, aged-care residents as well the local community no longer have to travel out of town to for radiology services,” he said.

“The installation has just been completed and we expect services will commence next week.”

Dr Ashcroft said a team from Northeast Health Wangaratta will travel to Beechworth and operate the x-ray equipment.

How to make your answer matter

we’re undertaking in doing in stages and has affected room availability in acute care,” he said. “We have reduced capacity at the moment where we can only accommodate six patients.

“Normally we are able to accommodate up to 12 patients but are working hard to continue the service.”

Dr Ashcroft said plans to replace the floor covering in acute and essential service areas of BHS started as a result of 2022/23 Regional Health Infrastructure Fund support.

HAPPY: Delighted Acute Unit acting nurse manager Sarah Byrne in a ward where new flooring has just been completed.

PHOTO: Coral Cooksley

DELIGHTED: Acute Unit acting nurse manager Sarah Byrne with the brand-new x-ray machine installed at BHS.

PHOTO: Coral Cooksley

Ongoing commitment to local community

ROBYN Funston was born in the Melbourne suburb of Carnegie. With her husband Neil, she has lived in Beechworth for four years, and prior to the move to the town, the couple had lived in North East Victoria for a total of 26 years.

What do you do workwise?

I currently work at ‘The Finer Things of Life’ in Beechworth. It’s great meeting lots of lovely customers and being surrounded by fantastic jewellery. My working life has mainly been in executive assistant roles and working in our own business – Renaissance Chocolates.

What bought you to your role/career?

When I left school – decades ago – the choice of career for females was very limited. Not wanting to work in a bank, or as a teacher or nurse, I left school after Year 11 and went to business college. I started my working life as a junior stenographer at Kraft Foods taking shorthand and sending tins of vegemite and processed cheese to expats around the world, then moving on I loved the role of executive assistant to the Canadian Consul General.

What volunteer roles do you undertake in the community?

Robun Funston, Beechworth

EARLY VOTE: Wangaratta’s St Patrick’s Hall is now open for voters ahead of the October 14 referendum.

Kurt Hickling

Early voting open ahead of referendum

INDIGO Shire residents will need to travel to Wodonga, Bright or Wangaratta to lodge an early vote ahead of the October 14 Voice to Parliament referendum.

Early polling stations officially opened on Monday in Victoria, with facilities at Wangaratta’s St Patrick’s Hall, Bright Masonic Hall, and two sites at 37-39 Stanley Street and 82 High Street in Wodonga set to service much of the North East.

Sites at Benalla and Mansfield will also offer North East residents the chance to lodge their vote early, with more information on opening times available by visiting https://www.aec.gov. au/referendums/voting.

Those electing to vote on October 14 will have additional options closer to home, with a

number of local halls set to open their doors to welcome local residents.

Beechworth Senior Citizens Club, Wooragee Centenary Hall, Stanley Safer Place Recreation Reserve, Yackandandah Public Hall, Chiltern Senior Citizens Hall, Barnawartha Recreation Reserve, Tangambalanga Community Hall, Rutherglen Memorial Hall and Wahgunyah School of Arts will each open throughout the day to service voters.

The referendum asks Australians to write ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in answer to the question: “A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?”

I can’t remember ever making the choice to ‘volunteer’ it just came naturally to me as my parents and grandparents were outstanding examples. Since moving to Beechworth, I have continued my volunteer work with Share the Dignity, plus joined a small but committed group of volunteers at ‘Beechworth to Bridge’ who work and walk for mental health and suicide awareness – those who know me will smile when I say that I’m the catering officer! I’m also on the Drag’d Out Beechworth committee – it’s great fun and I’m happy to work towards an inclusive and accepting future society.

Is there an important community issue that you thinks needs addressing?

Difficulties surrounding access to Mental Health First Aid – a national not-for-profit health promotion charity focused on mental health training and research.

What do you see as one of the most important current world issues?

Excessive greed from superpowers who think going to war is the only way to feed that greed.

If the person you would most like to meet came to Indigo Shire, or was already here, who would that be, what would you show them, and why?

I’d be honoured to host Rochelle Courtenay to Beechworth as a guest speaker at a local fundraising event. Rochelle is the founder of ‘Share the Dignity’ which is a charity aimed at ending period poverty and giving dignity back to women and girls who menstruate and are unable to provide sanitary items themselves. In 2016 I volunteered as a ‘Shero’ in the ‘It’s in the Bag’ drive which occurs annually in November. Since then I have been able to collect, check, and top up at least 100-150 bags each

COMMUNITY PASSION: Since moving to Beechworth, Robyn Funston has continued her passion for voluntary work with Share the Dignity, Beechworth to Bridge and is a Drag’d Out Beechworth committee member.

year filled with essential items which have been donated by kind hearted people from our region who drop off these bags filled with love, sanitary products, bathroom items plus little gifts like a scarf, torch, raincoat, water bottle, jewellery and most importantly a note from one woman to another. I also make up at least 10-15 bags of my own to donate and with the help of my ‘Hero’ (Neil) we deliver them to charities to pass on to victims of domestic violence.

I would show Rochelle the generosity of a caring community and introduce her to some of the women who have received a bag full of necessities and love, plus introduce her to the local school children, Op Shop staff and volunteers who assisted me in 2022.

What book are you reading?

‘Queen of Swords’ by Sara Donati – the last in a series of five. Brilliant.

The referendum will be held on Saturday 14 October 2023. Voting is compulsory even if you are 70 years of age or older. If you can’t make it to a polling place on voting day, you may be eligible to vote early.

For more information go to www.aec.gov.au or call the AEC on 13 23 26

Appropriate COVID-19 safety measures will be in place at all polling places.

Voting is compulsory for Australian citizens aged 18 years and older. If you don’t vote, you may be prosecuted. Voting more than once is a criminal offence.

2023 Referendum, Saturday 14 October

aec.gov.au | 13 23 26

Wangaratta's premier audiology clinic

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PUBLIC NOTICE

Free Green Waste Weekends

Our free green waste weekends are back for 2023.

This year, drop off your green waste and collect some mulch free of charge, at the Beechworth and Rutherglen Transfer Stations on the following dates:

Saturday 14 October and Sunday 15 October

Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 October

This is a great opportunity to clean up your

Only domestic loads of lawn clippings, branches, garden pruning’s will be accepted.

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www.indigoshire.vic.gov.au

Phone: 1300 365 003

More information: www.indigoshire.vic.gov.au/ greenwaste CHECK

Published every Wednesday in your Wangaratta Chronicle, Ovens and Murray Advertiser, Myrtleford Times and Alpine Observer

ACROSS

1 Which term describes journeying, as a medieval knight in quest of adventure (6)

7 What is a small car used to make short trips (8)

8 Name the green film on the surface of old bronze, caused by oxidisation (6)

9 Name the jurisdictions of popes (8)

10 To have made a loud noise, is to have done what (6)

11 Who, in Greek legend, was responsible for the blinding of the Cyclops (8)

14 Name one of a class of medieval musicians (8)

18 To join up, is to do what (6)

19 What, colloquially, is an eccentric person (8)

21 Name a large lizard of tropical America (6)

22 To have closed a cricket innings voluntarily before all wickets had fallen, is to have done what (8)

23 Which term implies that which has followed in order (6)

DOWN

1 What is a large store selling a great variety of articles (8)

2 Name a place in which bees are kept (6)

3 Name a particular burrowing spider (8)

4 To break suddenly, is to do what (4)

5 What is a contrivance for calculating (6)

6 Which term describes a division of a government department (6)

12 What is Christmas also known as (8)

E-QUATIONS

Letters A to Z have a number value. Some are shown in the right-hand cells. Create remaining values using clues in centre cells.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE CROSSWORD QUICK

13 Edinburgh is found in which country (8)

15 Jerusalem is the capital of which republic (6)

16 What is an implement for cutting grass (6)

17 Which books are used for the insertion of photographs, stamps, etc (6)

20 Name a fingerling salmon or trout (4)

Find the following words in the grid. They may be read in any direction, even diagonally. Some letters are used more than once.

WHICH WORDS

1 AUGER

(a) A soothsayer

(b) A carpenter’s boring tool

(c) A northern constellation

2 BURGEE

(a) A swallow-tailed flag or pennant

(b) A sailor’s dish of boiled oatmeal

(c) A light 16th century helmet with cheek pieces

BIYWORD

Build it yourself using the clues and each of the twenty-four letters once only to form ten words: five across and five down. A key word (bold clue) builds on the letter set in the grid.

CLUES:

Edge (5)

Fruitful (7)

Left over material (5)

Moose (3)

More spiteful (7)

Once more: ... again (3)

Possesses (3)

Prince William’s brother

Shift

Spider’s

SOLUTIONS SUDOKU

THINK

Solve the crossword. Each answer has four letters.

Back in action

By BAILEY ZIMMERMANN

BEECHWORTH Wanderers will begin their 2023/24 WDCA A grade season tomorrow as they head to Mansfield’s Lords Reserve to take on Delatite.

Despite a wet week, skies should clear just in time for pitches to dry and one day action to be played for round one.

Club president and A grade captain Brenton Surrey said the team had been training for the past month and will be bringing in an almost identical squad to last season.

“It’s much the same as everyone, the footballers have just started to turn up and some of the younger guys are a bit keener,” he said.

The Wanderers will have to wait until round four before their first home game at Baarmutha Park, as the ground recovers from a taxing football season, which saw the Bushrangers train at Wodonga from halfway through the year.

Surrey said the pitch would be prepared in time for their home opener as they repair patches of the ground which would be regarded as unsafe if there was play to resume there tomorrow.

“We’ve still got a bit of work to do, the wicket will be alright but we’re just trying to get the ground back in decent condition so it’s not too dangerous,” he said.

“It’s just specific areas that got fairly chopped up; it’s been a couple of wet winters in a row and it didn’t hold up too well.”

After a slow start to last season, the Wanderers made a resurgent charge towards finals including a win against Wangaratta Magpies as they finished just shy of the top four in fifth.

Delatite will be looking to improve on their seventh placed finish last season and will be eager to make an early statement against the Wanderers.

“First month of the year you don’t have a lot of expectations really or much of an idea of what other clubs are doing,” he said.

“Delatite battled a bit last year but picked up towards the end so hopefully whatever we do we can do well.”

The match will begin at 1pm in Mansfield, while the B, C and junior grade seasons will begin next week.

LET IT RIP: Tim Cogger fires a ball down last season as the Wanderers prepare to start their 2023/24 WDCA season in Mansfield tomorrow against Delatite.

PHOTO: Melissa Beattie