Matthew Barry from Wangaratta Jewellers has launched a petition calling for free, timed parking in Wangaratta’s central business district, based on what he sees from his Reid Street store, and the conversations he’s had with customers and fellow residents.
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PHOTO: Simone Kerwin
Homemaker centre flagged for former woollen mills 5.77-hectare property off Textile Avenue
Wangaratta’s Woollen Mills site has been conditionally sold and new owners are carrying out planning assessments for the land’s future development.
It’s believed that if all planning processes are met, a large format retail homemaker type centre will be built there, after a century of occupation by Wangaratta Woollen Mills and Australian Country Spinners.
BY STEVE KELLY skelly@
nemedia.com.au
Selling agent Mike Noble from Garry Nash and Co Real Estate said the buyers are outlaying considerable finances to assess the site.
“We marketed the business opportunity as a potential bulky goods/homemaker centre and that’s the intention of the buyers,” Mr Noble said.
The first change locals will see is the closure of the Mill Shop on 31 October, as Wangaratta Woollen Mills moves to online only sales. Its message on social media about the Mill Shop closure read: “Thank you for your support if you’ve visited our Mill Shop over the years, and we look forward to continuing to keep yarn on your hooks and needles via our online store”.
As for the existing build-
ings, Mr Noble said several are at end of life, however, he believes a couple would be kept on site.
The 5.77-hectare block has been home to the yarn industry since it opened in 1923, and its growth over the decades went in hand in hand with the city.
In the early 1970s staff numbers reached 500 before import tariffs and competition from imported yarns started to have a drastic effect.
Many Australian companies started to source their materials from overseas and local mill jobs were lost.
Staff numbers were quickly reduced to around 200.
The 1980s and 1990s brought the beginning of a new direction for the Wangaratta Woollen Mills when it was renamed Australian Country Spinners and acquired the brands Cleckhe-
aton, Panda Yarns, Patons Australia and Shepherd of New Zealand.
In 2017 Australian Country Spinners was purchased by Bendigo Woollen Mills. Wangaratta Woollen Mills has since had its original name reinstated and also its original purpose – to be a wholly Australian owned and operated spinning mill which produces the finest quality commercial and hand knitting yarns.
Give Wangaratta has announced the successful recipients of its 2025 grants, aimed at supporting and enriching the Wangaratta community through a range of impactful projects.
Seven grants totalling $30,000 have been awarded, bringing the total which Give Wangaratta has given back to the community since inception to over $200,000.
This year’s recipients include Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys to the Bush, Centre Against Violence, Open Door Neighbourhood House, Pangerang Com-
munity Hub, Thread Together, and Zonta Wangaratta.
Give Wangaratta chair Sarah Thompson said this year’s successful recipients have a particular focus on improving community connection and meeting community need.
“Each of these organisations is dedicated to fostering positive change and addressing critical needs within our community,” she said.
“We are thrilled with the calibre of grant applications we received and the tangible outcomes which we believe we can support through
these initiatives.
“We would like to thank our partners and donors for supporting this year’s grants”.
Ms Thompson said the grants were enabled by generous Give Wangaratta donors and partnerships with Madge Brown Charitable Trust and Wangaratta RSL.
Give Wangaratta was established in 2019 as a funding body for the municipality’s charitable needs and to grow long term funding across Wangaratta’s nonprofit sector.
It is a sub-fund of Into Our Hands Community Foundation.
with
competitors
converge on the starting line at Lake William Hovell. The premier multi-sport event attracts competitors from across the country who compete in a 15 kilometre run, 12 kilometre kayak and 39 kilometre cycle, before crossing the finish line at Powers Lookout. Race coordinator Liam Delany said both the women’s and men’s solo events would be hotly contested this year, with a $500 prize on offer for each, courtesy of sponsorship from Dal Zotto and Pizzini wineries.
Matthew Barry’s Reid Street store is well-located for him to be able to see and hear reactions to Wangaratta’s current central business district parking arrangement - and he says it’s clear it’s not working.
Mr Barry, from Wangaratta Jewellers, launched a petition nine weeks ago suggesting the EasyPark app system introduced by council to the CBD to replace ageing parking meters was “not the correct course of action”, and should be replaced by free, timed parking.
Residents eager to sign the petition have flooded into Mr Barry’s store, and many others around the centre of Wangaratta, with signatures now numbering more than 1000.
The petition will remain available to sign until the end of October, and will be handed to the Rural City of Wangaratta council in November, in a bid to highlight support for the issues Mr Barry outlined to council during a recent meeting.
“I rang council to let them
BY SIMONE KERWIN skerwin@ nemedia.com.au
know what I was hearing from people on the street,” he said.
“We all whinge to each other, but do we tell the people who can do something about it?
“So I rang council and they asked me to meet with them.
“I told them we’ve got a problem, and we need to address it together.
“Council was very good with me; they listened and I felt I was heard, and there was robust back-and-forth discussion on the issues.
“However, I haven’t seen a change.”
Mr Barry said the parking issues in Wangaratta’s CBD were two-fold.
“One is that you have to pay for parking, and the other is that you have to use the EasyPark app,” he said.
“I feel we could solve the second issue overnight, while free parking will take
some sorting through, but we have to at least have the discussion.
“To put more flesh on the bone, so it was not just me telling the story, I started the petition, and it’s been tracking along and has really gained traction in the last three weeks.
“It was put up on Facebook, and I have almost had to re-carpet the shop with the number of people walking in here to sign it.
“The word I keep hearing is ‘ridiculous’; people are really frustrated by (the appbased parking system).
“I feel for the current council administration, as they’ve inherited the situation as it is; I get it, it’s not a simple fix, but it would make a difference if we could at least change the method of payment - that is the biggest issue.
“I can see out-of-towners turn up and park across the road from our store, and they get out, look at the sign, look at their phone, and then get back in their car and leave;
you think, ‘Were they coming here, were they going to the shoe shop, did the sandwich shop miss out because they were going there?’
“Out-of-towners don’t want to download an app.
“Wangaratta is a service town, we service Bright, Myrtleford, Mansfield and the valleys, but people come here and don’t understand this parking system.
“We need to see some change.
“It’s got to be a two-stage thing; obviously agreements between council and the Co-Store need to be worked through, but we need to get some kind of physical infrastructure into our streets.
“We can’t wait five years with the current system; putting barriers between traders and customers is a situation we don’t need in the current climate.”
The petition initiated by Mr Barry can be signed at Wangaratta Jewellers at 70 Reid Street, and is also available at many of Wangaratta’s central business district stores.
IT’S NOT
said he had spoken to many locals who were only too happy to add their names to the petition calling for the removal of the EasyPark app arrangement, and a move to free,
An Everton man has been committed to stand trial over the alleged theft of almost $280,000 from a local business.
The 60-year-old appeared at a committal hearing at Wangaratta Magistrates Court last Thursday and told Magistrate Ian Watkins he pleaded not guilty in the case, which has been adjourned to Wangaratta County Court on 13 November.
The defendant is facing around 150 charges of stealing, obtaining property by deception and falsifying tax and payment documents from Everton Fuel and Farm (EFF) from 2013 to 2021.
Police are accusing the alleged fraudster of taking farm supplies including sheep and cattle feed, fencing equipment, crop, wire, gate sets, generators, batteries, fertiliser, seeds,
vaccines, hardware and pet food, as well as various household items.
Police allege the defendant used false business accounts to fraudulently order and pay for the stock.
The court was told transactions of stock reached as much as $10,407 in a single charge, which was alleged to have occurred across June 2015.
The defendant was formal-
ly charged with the offending on 28 August, 2024 following an extensive police investigation.
He sat silently in court last Thursday as three witnesses, including the police informant, were cross examined by the defence and prosecutor.
Defence barrister Charles Morgan, briefed by Geoff Clancy, argued that while his client could have committed the crimes, there was
no evidence to support that claim or that others weren’t responsible.
“The items found at my client’s residence and farm could be found in any shed in the North East, there is no direct evidence they came from EFF,” he said.
Prosecutor Marcel White said the accused had the ability, access and the capability to commit the alleged crimes.
“The criminality here is that there are two ghost accounts, misused for good and services,” he said.
“The accused is the only person who had access during the period when the thefts are being investigated.”
Magistrate Watkins said after hearing submissions, there was enough evidence to support a conviction and he committed the defendant to stand trial.
COUNCIL
and Colleen
Angie
By JORDAN DUURSMA
The Caring and Ageing Well Festival was a great success, with hundreds of seniors and carers visiting the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre last Wednesday to learn about the wide variety of services, community groups and initiatives available to them in the North East.
The free, community event was held in partnership with the Rural City of Wangaratta and Open Door Neighbourhood House, coinciding with Victoria’s annual Seniors Festival as well as National Carers Week.
Local stroke survivor and NDIS participant, Julie Davey who attended the festival supported by Bonnie Jackson, said she found the event educational.
“It has been great to learn about the services in the North
East, I have a greater understanding of what is available now” she said.
The festival hosted over 30 diverse stallholders and exhibitors; ranging from healthcare services to fitness providers to local social clubs, and will also promote local grassroots organisations.
Some of the stallholders and exhibitors featured included; My Aged Care, Open Door Neighbourhood House, Gateway Health, Country Care Independent Living Solutions, The Centre for Continuing Education Inc, local Home Care Package providers, Care Finder, aged care homes, Office of the Public Advocate, Elder Rights Advocacy, Cycling Without Age, Upper Murray Family Care, local fitness studios, Vision Australia, U3A Wangaratta, and the Wangaratta Woodworkers.
Very dry conditions have persisted over most of Victoria for the first half of October, with an exception being well above average rainfall of 119mms at Wilsons Promontory. Since the start of July, 613mms has been recorded at the ‘Prom’, which is the wettest for this period since 646mms in 2013.
By contrast, October to date in North East Victoria has been our driest in more than a decade with only 2.6mms of rainfall in Wangaratta, 7.2mms in Benalla, 14mms in Rutherglen, 1mm in Yarrawonga and 4mms in Albury.
Mean maximum temperatures at all five towns were
WHAT’S UP WITH THE WEATHER?
around 20 to 21 degrees which was about a degree below the October normal.
Mean minimum temperatures were around two to three degrees below normal, being the coldest to date in October since 2006 and before that in 1982.
The mean minimum to date at Benalla is 4.6 degrees and this is more than three degrees below the October normal and the coldest on record.
DRY EARTH: Wangaratta and district soils have seen less than 3mms of rainfall so far this October.
The previous coldest was 5.2 degrees in October 1946. Interestingly, the period November 1946 right through to May 1947 was decisively warmer than normal with a high frequency of thunderstorm activity mainly in November, December and from
February to April 1947.
There were more frosts than usual at these major North East towns during the first half of October.
There were five mornings of light frosts at both Benalla and Wangaratta; four mornings of frosts at Yarrawonga;
nine mornings of frosts at Rutherglen and only one morning of frost at Albury.
Alpine resorts at Falls Creek and Mt Hotham all recorded minimum temperatures three degrees below the October normal to date.
The persistent dry conditions will continue in the North East for the rest of October with hot days up to 33 degrees and will last into the first week of November with a notable hot spell of 35 degrees.
Rain and thunderstorms are expected during the second week of November.
Elsewhere in the country this month, very hot conditions well over 40 degrees have been recorded over
northern WA across to Tennant Creek.
Some of this extreme heat has filtered across northern NSW and may reach northern Victoria later this month.
Sydney has been notably warmer than normal since the first week of October.
The mean maximum temperature up to mid October in Sydney is 27.3 degrees, which is more than five degrees above average.
The warmest Octobers in Sydney were in 1867, 1988 and 2013.
All followed high rainfalls in Sydney from February up to August or September which did also occur this year.
BY ANITA McPHERSON amcpherson@ nemedia.com.au
Oxley artist Donna Prentice has been selected as a finalist in the prestigious 2025 Holmes Prize for Excellence in Realistic Australian Bird Art.
Only 35 entries were chosen by a panel of judges, made up of artists and avian experts, out of hundreds who enter the national art competition each year, described as “the equivalent to the Archibald for Australian bird artists”.
The reference image for Donna’s watercolour called Mirror Mirror was a photo of a turquoise parrot, considered a vulnerable species locally, taken by local photographer Chris Tzaros from Birds, Bush and Beyond - so she says it is really a collaboration between artists and wildlife.
What is even more remarkable is that Donna has only been painting for a few years, but has now found herself in the company of longtime practicing artists.
“I’m still pinching myself a little bit,” she said.
“It is such an honour to be included among such talented artists from across the country, and I’m proud to be representing our local creative community on a national stage.”
Having lived in Oxley for about a decade, Donna makes a habit of getting outside and drawing from nature every day, because she sees things which then translate into her art subconsciously.
She said she’s fortunate to live in a place where there are about 92 species of birds which appear throughout the year.
“There is always something to observe and you tend to look differently when you have a pencil in your hand,” she said.
“You can look and name something, but when you observe enough to try and draw it, you start to notice details you otherwise wouldn’t pay attention to.”
Donna said she’s been looking at birds and embracing wildlife her whole life, encouraged by her father - a fisheries and wildlife officer - who
would identify different species to his children while on drives and hikes; the family also looking after orphaned animals in their home.
Donna said portraying them in a realistic style was a way she could share her love of wildlife with others, and add a bit of peace and joy to the world.
“I like to capture them as closely as possible, but it’s never as good as a the real thing,” she said.
“Being able to look at something and recall the moment you were there with the animal - that connection with nature - comes through more easily in realism.
“I think it’s more accessible to everybody in some respects, because unless you already have an appreciation of other art styles, it can be harder to connect with the piece.”
Donna draws with graphite every day, but her favourite medium is to paint with watercolour because of its lively nature.
“I love the fact that it’s unpredictable - you can only tame it to a certain point - but then it always does its own thing, a bit like nature,” she said.
“I like that you can be really detailed and specific, but then you can also just be completely spontaneous with it.”
Donna’s artistic career began after she had been painting for a few months and then went on a trip to Hall’s Gap where she met internationally renowned pastel artist Steve Morvell, who saw her early work and almost immediately offered to mentor her for the rest of her career.
pictured with an incomplete watercolour painting of a heron in her Oxley studio.
LOCAL SPECIES: A watercolour painting of turquoise parrot by Oxley artist Donna Prentice, referenced from a photograph taken by Chris Tzaros, is a finalist in 2025 Holmes Prize for Excellence in Realistic Australian Bird Art.
The mother of three undertook an intensive week of tutoring with Morvell and finished feeling like she couldn’t return to “real life”, so with the encouragement and support of a friend, and her husband, embarked on her dream career.
“I’m never going to stop learning - this is really still only the start of the journey,” she said.
Mirror Mirror took Donna about a week to paint, but other larger works can take up to a month.
She says she will continue to focus on wildlife and native bird species, particularly those from North East Victoria, because there is so much variety.
Donna and her husband plan to attend the exhibition where a major prize winner of $15,000 will be announced on Thursday, 23 October,
By SIMONE KERWIN
Raffle books are selling fast for the 2025-’26 Rotary Club of Appin Park Wangaratta community raffle. The annual raffle supports local groups and businesses, with all funds raised going back into the community. It offers a number of ways for local clubs to raise muchneeded funds.
Tickets could be sold at club-run events, or distributed among members for them to sell before 15 December.
Clubs raise $3 per ticket in a handy fundraiser which is quicker and easier than a raffle which clubs need to organise themselves.
The raffle has a prize pool of $33,350.
First prize is a Hyundai
Venue from Wangaratta Motor Group, with other prizes including a travel and accommodation package from Travel and Cruise, air conditioning unit from JCS Industries, A1 Tyrepower voucher, tool package voucher from WBAIS and electrical package from Harvey Norman.
Local groups interested in selling raffle books are invited to contact the Rotary Club of Appin Park Wangaratta at rcapw.communityraffle@ gmail.com or 0419 533 898.
GREAT PRIZE: Tyson Beamish from Hyundai at Wangaratta Motor Group with Bev Maher from Rotary Club of Appin Park Wangaratta alongside the Hyundai Venue, which is first prize in the community raffle.
along with four awards of excellence and a people’s choice award.
She is also looking forward to catching up with fellow artists and friends she has made online over the last few years, who have also made the finalists list.
“These are really my heroes and I’m just so excited to be among them,” Donna said.
“I can’t wait to go and see the art in person - this is the best in the country, and I can’t wait to see it.”
The 2025 Holmes Prize for Excellence in Realistic Australian Bird Art exhibition from Friday, 24 October to Friday, 21 November at Sunshine Coast Art and Framing Gallery in Minyama, Queensland.
Donna’s artwork can be seen online at www.dprentice.art or at the Garage Gallery in Dunkeld.
By SIMONE KERWIN
The calendar is ticking down to this year’s Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues, which will be held from 31 October to 3 November. As well as ticketed shows, the festival will again feature a community stage, this year based at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Docker Street.
The free stage will run across the weekend, featuring family entertainment, food trucks and live performances from school bands, as well as groups like Royal Motown Revue, Gusto Gusto, The Blues Brothers, and Geoff Atchison.
Wander further, and you’ll find Old Faithfulls Hanger Market on the Sunday from 9am, Wang’s Big Record Fair over the Saturday and Sunday from 10am, the Oxley Bush Market on the Saturday from 9am, and the King Valley Art Show across the weekend. Tarra Blues is also happening at Tarrawingee’s Plough Inn from 3pm on the Saturday and Sunday from 11am. It promises to be a weekend of music, markets and regional hospitality. For more information, visit wangjazzblues. com.au
In a heartening show of community spirit, Give Wangaratta has announced the recipients of its 2025 grants, with seven local organisations sharing in $30,000 to support projects that will enrich lives across our region.
Since its inception in 2019, Give Wangaratta has returned over $200,000 to the community, and this year’s grants continue that legacy.
The successful recipients represent a diverse cross-section of local efforts aimed at strengthening connection and addressing real needs.
From mentoring youth and supporting survivors of violence, to providing clothing for those in crisis and creating inclusive spaces for learning and growth, these organisations are the lifeblood of Wangaratta’s social fabric.
While the spotlight often shines on major projects and funding announcements, it’s the tireless work of Wangaratta’s volunteerdriven community groups that truly keeps our town thriving.
These organisations, many of which rely almost entirely on volunteers, are the quiet achievers, offering support, compassion and practical help where it’s needed most.
Their work is often unseen, yet its impact ripples through families, schools and neighbourhoods.
Supporting these groups through initiatives like Give Wangaratta’s grants is not just about funding, it’s about recognition.
It’s about saying, “we see you, we value you”, and it’s about ensuring that these organisations can continue to do what they do best: care for our community.
We all benefit from their dedication, so let’s not wait for a grant announcement to show our appreciation.
Whether it’s donating, volunteering or spreading the word, we all have a role to play in uplifting the people who uplift Wangaratta.
1. In which ocean is Mauritius located?
2. The 1993 album, A Century Ends, was the debut album of which famous singersongwriter?
3. In which decade was the Australian Red Cross established?
4. Mount Bartle Frere is the highest mountain in which Australian state?
5. In 2015, Meg Lanning joined which WBBL team?
6. Olfaction is more commonly known as the sense of what?
7. What is the capital city of Kenya?
8. In relation to the Western Australian Government statuary body, PMC, what does PMC stand for?
9. Ubud and Legian are located on which island?
10. Who was the main star of the 2017 Australian TV series, Newton’s Law?
11. When he was 10 years-old, Heath Ledger was the Western Australian junior champion in which game?
12. In which US state was Barack Obama born?
13. Who wrote the 1915 novel, Of Human Bondage?
14. Peter Pan is the leader of which gang?
15. In 1975, Angola gained independence from which country?
16. Who was the first indigenous Australian to win an Olympic gold medal?
17. What were the surnames of the Two Ronnies?
18. In which 2005 movie did Steve Carell play the role of Andy Stitzer?
19. Which boxer won the 2017 Don Award?
20. Gdańsk is the principal seaport of which country?
Facebook users this week commented on local student Abbie Woodbery competing in a state gymnastics championship over the weekend.
Trudie Oats: Look at you go well done Abbie!
Good luck girl Kylie Bakker: Congratulations Abbie. We are all so proud of you.
Tammy Atkins Clare Conway: Amazing Abbie!
Laura Kelly: Congratulations Well Done
The constant failures here of our emergency number Triple Zero are unforgiveable and an indictment on those at the top.
It is showing a lack of maintenance, investment and competent management, by them.
The entire communications system has become more focused being a “cash cow” for investors and little about investing in infrastructure.
And it’s the rural sector that continues to suffer most of the consequences of that.
The run of Triple Zero failures shows where a lack of investment and use of technology and its implementation, along with forward thinking, makes it constantly vulnerable to failure.
We are never going to stop unplanned power outages, from such things as the normal storms and tempest.
NOTE: Comments as they appear online, without corrections.
Facebook users this week also commented on the local goverment authorities continued stand against the Emergency Services Volunteer Fund.
Tim O’Neill: United on this but also united in over charging on rates and services to get money for themselves. Can you imagine how high rates would be if they weren’t capped. Knowing this Council would be double digit % increases every year
Have your say Like
For decades, we have had on the landline phones, batteries to keep the system running if the grid power fails (No Break System).
This like some factories and radio and television installations may have some form of power generation to cut in and supply emergency power in the event of a loss of grid power (outage).
For decades we have had the “Uninterruptable Power Supply” (UPS); this will keep up power for computers etc. saving loss of data and enabling saving, until the battery is exhausted.
The time factor is dependent on the size of the battery bank.
We now have for solar installations massive capacity motive storage batteries.
It beggars belief that the Triple Zero and other systems cannot be run with redundancy, direct or as a UPS, from these batteries, which could easily run the systems for anything from days, to weeks.
The battery does not have to be charged, or maintained by solar grids on site, it can be kept topped up via the normal power grid, or back-up on site/ with hire power generators topping them up.
Marc Chick, Wangandary
Expecting the lowest funded public schools in the country to provide students with laptops and tablet devices is laughable.
The Education Minister last week announced that from 2027 public primary schools will be required to provide electronic devices from existing supplies and budgets.
Not requiring parents to pay for tablets
DELIGHTFUL SIGHT: Wangaratta Library children’s and youth services officer Tanya Hopper (pictured) said many visitors to the library have been entranced by the sight of this flowering Gymea lily in front of the Docker Street building. It’s believed to be the first time the lily has flowered since landscaping works were conducted along the street as part of the Wangaratta Railway Precinct - an $8.4 million project which also focused on Cusack and Norton Streets and took out two gongs in the 2023 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Victorian State Awards. The Gymea lily (or Doryanthes Excelsa) typically flowers from spring to early summer, but it can take many years for a young plant to start flowering. It is native to the coast and bushland around Sydney.
or laptops is a good thing, they should never have had to in the first place, but the Allan government is living in a dreamland if they think public schools have the budgets available to provide devices to all students when Victorian public schools are the lowest funded in the nation.
Instead of delivering the funding, Premier Allan has cut $2.4 billion from public schools through to 2031.
This is a disgrace and makes the claim that Victoria is the education state meaningless nonsense.
There is no way that Victoria’s public primary schools will be able to ensure students have access to up-to-date technology and secure devices unless the premier stops the con-job and fixes her public school funding mess.
Justin Mullaly, Australian Education Union Victorian branch president
eSafety has launched a comprehensive package of new resources to help parents, carers, educators and young people prepare for social media age restrictions due to take effect on 10 December.
The new resources explain what is changing, why it matters, and how to support young people through the transition. I strongly encourage parents, educators and young people to visit eSafety.gov.au,
download our resources and register for a live webinar where we will explain the social media age restrictions and answer questions in sessions tailored for parents, carers and educators.
Delaying children’s access to social media accounts until age 16 will provide valuable extra time for them to learn and grow, free of the powerful, unseen forces of opaque algorithms and endless scroll. It’s not a silver bullet and it won’t solve every safety issue kids face online.
But it is an important step that will give families and schools the opportunity to reset expectations, rebuild digital literacy and strengthen children’s emotional resilience before they enter high-risk online spaces.
Julie Inman Grant, eSafety Commissioner
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By AGNES MENANOPO
Wangaratta and district residents are invited to immerse themselves in the beauty of “Sable Park” during its open garden weekend on Saturday, 25 and Sunday, 26 October from 10am to 4pm daily.
Hosted by Les and Rosemary Bolitho at their picturesque property at 185 Lindner Road, the event aims to raise awareness and promote Carevan Wangaratta Inc.
Spanning five tranquil acres, “Sable Park” offers a garden with more than 700 roses, an extensive iris display, and a rich return of spring flowers, shrubs, and majestic trees to delight the changes.
Despite enduring a challenging “green drought” following a hot summer and dry winter, the garden has rebounded with renewed vigour.
Visitors can stroll along the boardwalk at Willows Pond, admire new plantings, and enjoy the dulcet tones of the tonal wind chimes and see the amazing Mandala sculpture by Sam Anderson that adds a touch of artistry to the natural setting.
The event features: Deli-
of sculptures, pathways and grottos for visitors to explore and enjoy.
cious Devonshire Teas prepared by Carevan volunteers; a display of Sam Anderson’s metal sculptures; a showcase of classic cars including the MGB Car Club; limited edition 2026 “Sable Park” calendars ($20 each) featuring 13 stunning garden views; and raffles hosted by Inner Wheel.
Toilets and seating are
available for guests’ comfort.
All proceeds from the open garden will benefit Carevan Wangaratta Inc, a volunteerrun, community-funded organisation that provides free, nutritious meals to those in need at Apex Park, four nights a week (Monday to Thursday).
Mr Bolitho said the event
last year raised about $6500 and he hoped to surpass that this year.
“Wangaratta Carevan is a very worthy cause and it’s a great pleasure for Rosemary and I to support them,” he said.
“People come along and can spend quite some time here, just enjoying the walk
around all the different aspects of the garden.”
Carevan Wangaratta’s Jennefer Houghton thanked the Bolithos for their continued support and encouraged the community to attend.
“We’re a non-government organisation solely funded by the community and run by volunteers who gener-
ously give up their time four nights a week to help people in the community,” she said. Entry to the Sable Park Open Garden is $10 with proceeds going to Wangaratta Carevan Inc. Come for the blooms, stay for the cause and help make a difference in the lives of those who need it most.
By MADELINE BLACKSTOCK
It’s no easy feat travelling the backroads of Australia, let alone on 70-year-old Fergie tractors, but it sure is worth every second when you raise more than a quarter of a million dollars for Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.
This is exactly what nine local blokes have achieved all on the back of their Fergie tractors travelling more than 1300km of dirt roads between Bourke and Birdsville at just a little over 20km/h.
Parkes mechanic Richard Jefferay and his son Mitch, Dave and Al O’Grady, Lindsay Wall, Brenton Trainor, Rodney Barnes, Troy Parker and Daniel McIntyre, and those behind the scenes of the incredible fundraising journey, have generated $254,236 (as of 13 October) smashing their original target of $100,000 and their new target of $150,000 - which quickly turned into $200,00 and then $250,000.
The group travelled through Louth, Wannaaring, Tibooburra and Innamincka, trekking into three different states over 12 days in August. It wasn’t just a straight-forward 12 days through the dust though, there were many busted tractor parts along the way.
The Fergies were feeling the tough dirt road conditions with a morning of mayhem breaking out on the last day of the trek.
All within an hour Mitch’s tractor busted a tyre, rim, bonnet, torsion rod and steering arm, and five minutes later Dave had a flat tyre.
But among all the flat tyres and busted parts, the group shared enough laughs and memorable moments to last a lifetime.
One of those - described as the reason why this bunch of blokes were on this trek in the first place and their cause so important - was when they ran into John Montgomery.
They didn’t just “run” into John though, John took a detour on his way home from Cape York when he saw what the boys were up to and where they were - in the middle of nowhere on the Cordillo Road between Innamincka and Birdsville.
John is a 10-year prostate cancer survivor who shared his story with the crew and made an incredible $500 roadside donation to support the worthy cause.
Support for the boys’ trek came from all directions.
A mate of the trekkers drove all the way from Newcastle and tracked the crew down between Cameron Corner and Innamincka, guided by local talks and buzz around the fundraiser.
There was also many unexpected moments on the trek which caught the crew by surprise.
On day five they stumbled upon what they thought was a mirage at first but was actually The Nest-Golden Egg Cafe sitting on a
claypan between Tibooburra and Cameron Corner - in the middle of nowhere.
The cafe run by Rachel and Bodie Hill from Waka Station serves barista-grade coffee in one of the most remote spots in NSW and of course the Tractor Trekkers had to check it out and stop for a cuppa.
No outback adventure is complete without a climb up Big Red, Australia’s most iconic sand dun1e with most of the Fergies powering up like champions, with others needing a little extra horsepower.
Once they arrived in Birdsville after 12 days on the Fergies they had the privilege of meeting Glenn McGrath - cricket legend, co-founder of the McGrath
Foundation and co-owner of Outback by Air.
Glenn took time to chat with the team about the trek, the outback and the cause. His generosity and genuine interest meant the world to the crew.
The tractors may be parked for now, but the journey is far from over.
When a group of local blokes can turn a dusty outback adventure into a quarter of a million dollars for prostate cancer, you know this is more than a fundraiser.
This trek wasn’t just about getting old Fergies across the outback, it was about starting conversations, raising awareness and making a difference - and what a bang-up job Richard and his crew did at that too.
COMING HOME: Matthew Harris, Yeddonba, 2023, Ochre, charcoal and acrylic on hessian, 153 x 200cm. Wangaratta Art Gallery Collection. Acquired with the assistance of The Robert Salzer Foundation and Wangaratta Art Gallery Friends Inc.
Wangaratta Art Gallery is set to present the first solo hometown exhibition called “Overland” by Wangaratta born and Melbournebased artist, Matthew Harris.
The exhibition offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience the work of the Wangaratta-born talent.
Harris creates thought-provoking works in painting and sculpture that critically examine social power structures and historical narratives.
His exhibition, “Overland” unpacks the lasting impact of colonisation on the Wangaratta region and its First Peoples, presenting a new series of paintings informed by historical documents.
Overland also features “With a Warm Embrace, 2023”, a textile sculpture held in the Wangaratta Art Gallery collection.
This was created in tribute to Harris’s grandmother who spent her working life at the Wangaratta Woollen Mills and is inspired by her original design for a pair of koala toys handmade from her husband’s clothes and remnant wool.
Harris reimagines this familial object using recycled felt and acrylic yarn sourced from the mills,
honouring both personal memory and local industry.
The Wangaratta Woollen Mills are an important part of the history of Wangaratta, attracting post-WWII European migrants looking for work, fuelling the growth of Wangaratta’s textile industry and adding to the rich cultural mix of Wangaratta and surrounding region.
Harris’s sculptures uniquely capture the artistic record of this page of history of Wangaratta.
He explained that his work, which is now held in the Wangaratta Art Gallery Collection, is based on stuffed koalas his nanna made out of the coat she was wearing when she met his grandfather.
Harris said the original koalas are an inseparable pair and though probably designed to be toys, they’ve always been too special to play with and sit together in a cabinet as relics, now in his mother’s house.
“Aside from ourselves and a few other bits and pieces, the koalas are all we have left of my grandparents, they both died when I was little,” he said.
“Nanna worked at the Wangaratta Woollen Mills most of her life so the koalas are all sewn up with
wool from that factory, in a shade of grey the factory conveniently titled ‘Koala.”
Overland will also feature an important series of large-scale paintings entitled The British Museum, 2023, which was acquired by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in 2024, on loan to Wangaratta Art Gallery for this exhibition.
Wangaratta Art Gallery director, Rachel Arndt said Harris’s work is significant to Wangaratta in so many ways and she is very excited to be presenting this important work in the gallery.
“We are privileged in being able to secure the loan of The British Museum series of Harris’s paintings from the National Gallery of Victoria - a fantastic opportunity for our visitors to see work from the state collection, in Wangaratta,” she said.
The British Museum in London, UK, holds a staggering 6000 objects, many culturally significant, that are connected to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
In the series of six paintings, Harris depicts a silhouette of these artifacts and physical remains in the British Museum collection, in their racks and boxes.
Former NGV curator, Michael Gentle explained that in developing the work, Harris accessed the British Museum’s collection online and painted, in alphabetical order, a selection of these objects housed in the museum.
Gentle added that rather than providing detailed renderings, Harris gives an intentionally obscured representation, a meta-critique of the archive’s own tendency to abstract and decontextualise the objects within its possession.
Harris has exhibited at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, the National Gallery of Victoria for Melbourne Now 2023, Gertrude Contemporary, Neon Parc in Melbourne, Murray Art Museum Albury, Galerie Pompom, Alaska Projects, Sydney, and the Yokohama Triennial in Japan.
His work will feature in the upcoming Adelaide Biennial 2026. He is represented by FUTURES gallery in Melbourne and The Commercial in Sydney.
An exhibition opening celebration will take place on Saturday, 25 October 4pm and all are welcome.
The exhibition will then run until 18 January 2026.
A group of Italian language students from the University of Melbourne will present a play at Galen Catholic College next week, with the public invited to attend.
The group visited Wangaratta two years ago, and is looking forward to returning on Tuesday, 28 October for a public performance in the Galen Catholic College Performing Arts Centre from 5pm.
The Italian play is about a seemingly ordinary burglar who breaks into an elegant apartment, expecting an easy night’s work.
However, as the owners and their lovers arrive unexpectedly, the burglar finds himself tangled in a whirlwind of mistaken identities, secret affairs, and desperate improvisations.
For more information and to book free tickets, visit https:// nontuttiiladri.wordpress.com/
Players’ latest show on sale
Tickets are still available for Wangaratta Players upcoming production, Waiting for God.
The play looks at the challenges which come with growing old ‘disgracefully’; set in the Bayview Retirement Village, where strong-minded single woman Diana Trent conspires with new resident and ally Tom Ballard, to give the conniving manager his comeuppance.
Wangaratta Players will present the Michael Aitkens play at the Stage Door Studio in Evans Street, Wangaratta from Friday, 7 November to Sunday, 23 November, with tickets available at trybooking.com/DDWJE.
Two artists and one exhibition
Two of North East Victoria’s most accomplished artists, Jennifer Paull and Kate Jenvey, are exhibiting their work together in a new exhibition titled Pencil, Pastel & Paint at the Art Gallery on Ovens in Wangaratta.
The multi-award winning artists invite audiences into a world of delicate detail, vivid colour and reverence for the natural world - Jennifer with her portraiture, still life and landscapes; and Kate with finely rendered animal portraits in graphite and coloured pencil.
The exhibition is open daily (except Tuesday).
Search over 10 million properties Australia wide. Whether you’re buying, selling, renting or researching, the View app has everything you need in one place.
ACROSS
1 To be quick to act, is to be what (6)
8 What is a drop of water falling from the sky (8)
9 Which plant is widely cultivated for its showy coloured flowers (6)
10 Name another term for belief (8)
11 What is a public way or road (6)
13 Name large-scale business activity (8)
16 Which term describes open disregard (8)
19 What is something hidden or concealed (6)
22 Name altar attendants of minor rank (8)
24 When one builds, one does what (6)
25 Which term describes the soldier or sailor in charge of the upkeep of small arms (8)
26 Which planet was Saturday named after (6)
DOWN
2 To respond, is to do what (5)
3 What is a confused general hand-to-hand fight (5)
4 What is the act of drawing or pulling (8)
5 Name a flying toy (4)
7 To agree, is to do what (6)
12 What, in mining, is a lode or vein (4)
14 Name kitchen cupboards (8)
15 To travel from place to place, is to do what (4)
17 What is a call for more (6)
18 What are Inuit huts (6)
Letters
6 What are common European vipers (6)
Some
20 To swindle, is to do what (5)
21 To go in, is to do what (5)
23 Which term describes sharp to the taste, sour or acid (4)
Letters A to Z have a number value. Some are shown in the right-hand cells. Create remaining values using clues in centre cells.
Find the following words in the grid. They may be read in any direction, even diagonally. Some letters are used more than once.
(a) To lie back (b) To be fretfully discontented (c) To feel sorrow for sin
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:
Beer (3)
Cartoon: written squeak (3)
Common aquarium fish (5)
Data format for image files (3)
Dress (5)
Dump (3)
Kind (5)
More pithy (7)
Small hole (7)
Ticketed cost (5)
Solve
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Our vision is to provide pathways for all to succeed based on their individual gifts and talents. Join our amazing team of educators and a professional environment that is passionate, collegial and focused on learning for all.
We are currently seeking applicants for the following ongoing teaching position: VCE Food Studies and/or Years 7–10 Food Technology Teacher
(The ability to teach Religious Education would be highly regarded.) We also welcome applications from educators seeking part-time opportunities.
Applications close on Wednesday, 29th October at 12pm For further details on how to apply please visit our website www.galen.vic.edu.au/employment/ Our school community promotes the safety, wellbeing, and inclusion of all children. Galen Catholic College embraces
and
and
Who are we looking for?
North East Media is looking for a driven and committed individual to join our advertising sales team at Wangaratta, where you will be responsible for managing existing clients while growing your own sales for group newspapers (including the Wangaratta Chronicle), websites and special publications.
The ideal candidate will have:
• The capacity to see opportunities and market trends and a drive to achieve results to help our business grow.
• Effective communication skills (verbal and written), enabling connection with a wide range of people across various industries.
• The capability to sustain existing relationships and continuously build new ones.
• An excellent work ethic and organisational skills (including maintaining current records in our company CRM program) enabling you to consistently meet deadlines and achieve your sales targets.
• The ability to collaborate (including with your manager, sales colleagues, our editors and graphic designers) to ensure seamless execution of advertising campaigns.
• A current driver’s licence
What are we offering?
A full-time position with an attractive remuneration package comprising a base salary, commission and employer superannuation contributions.
About North East Media
North East Media, a division of Provincial Press Group, is an independent familyowned media company publishing over 25 newspapers across North East Victoria, Central West and Southern NSW.
How to apply
If you are self-motivated, results-orientated and looking for a challenge in the media environment, then please forward your resume and covering letter to:
Leah Scott
lscott@nemedia.com.au
Advertising Manager North East Media Pty Ltd
SCOREBOARD: Saturday, October 18 2025/26 season
WANGARATTA
BENALLA BUSHRANGERS
Brayden Stepien lbw: C Clement 39
James Carboon c: C Matheson b: D Killen 63
Vaughan Kirk c: J Davies b: T Nanson 3
Jonty Priest
c: b: T Nanson 3
Lucas Ham c: b: T Nanson 3
Lee Brennan b: R Grant 5
Matthew Priest b: J Wallace 6
Dale Stratton b: J Wallace 1
Conor Brodie b: J Wallace 2
Mitchell Wheelens run out (J Davies, Z Wallace) 8
Xavier De Fazio not out 1*
Extras (7Wd, 1NB, 1LB, 3B) 12
Total 45 Overs (Run Rate: 3.24) 146
FOW: 1-49 Brayden Stepien; 2-66 Vaughan Kirk; 3-74
Jonty Priest; 4-78 Lucas Ham; 5-93 Lee Brennan; 6-103
Matthew Priest; 7-108 Dale Stratton; 8-125 Conor Brodie (b: J Wallace); 9-141 Mitchell Wheelens; 10-146 James Carboon.
BOWLING: (O-M-R-W): Chris Clement 5-0-27-1; David Killen 9-0-38-1; Tyler Nanson 9-0-22-3; James Thewlis 9-2-13-0; Rhys Grant 5-0-19-1; Jarryd Wallace 8-1-23-3.
WANGARATTA MAGPIES
Cooper Matheson c: b: C Brodie 30
Tyler Nanson lbw: D Stratton
Jack Davies not out 53*
David Killen b: D Stratton 30
James Thewlis c: J Carboon b: C Brodie 15
Nic Bonwick not out 4*
Chris Clement did not bat
Rhys Grant did not bat
Matthew Prestianni did not bat
Jarryd Wallace did not bat
Zachary Wallace did not bat
Extras (14Wd, 1NB, 2LB) 17
Total 32 Overs (Run Rate: 4.66) 149
FOW: 1-8 Tyler Nanson; 2-46 Cooper Matheson; 3-126
David Killen; 4-144 James Thewlis.
BOWLING: (O-M-R-W): Conor Brodie 7-2-29-2; Dale Stratton 8-0-57-2; Lee Brennan 6-1-19-0; Vaughan Kirk 4-0-10-0; Mitchell Wheelens 4-0-15-0; Xavier De Fazio 3-0-17-0.
YARRAWONGA MULWALA
Fraser Smart c: C Ormond b: C Petersen 18
Matt Knight c: C Petersen b: J Marek 17
Brock McCabe run out 26
Devlin Webb c&b: J Marek 65
Jensen Hargreaves b: H Spring 10
Reid Clarke c: T Moore b: C Ormond 14
Kyle Archibald run out 34
Matt McCabe b: C Ormond
Xavier Mitchell b: A Brett 4
Angus Heslin b: A Brett 5
Tyrn Docking not out 4*
Extras (8Wd, 3NB, 14LB, 4B) 29
Total 44.4 Overs (Run Rate: 5.06) 226
FOW: 1-42 Matt Knight; 2-44 Fraser Smart; 3-120 Brock McCabe; 4-156 Jensen Hargreaves; 5-162 Devlin Webb; 6-201 Reid Clarke; 7-209 Kyle Archibald; 8-213 Xavier Mitchell; 9-213 Matt McCabe; 10-226 Angus Heslin.
BOWLING: (O-M-R-W): Jed Marek 7-0-32-2; Alasdair
Brett 7.4-1-42-2; Corey Petersen 4-0-24-1; Connor Ormond 9-0-43-2; Archie Crispin 9-1-34-0; Harvey Moore 4-0-21-0; Hugh Spring 4-0-12-1.
CITY COLTS
Thomas Moore lbw: A Heslin 13
Ben Feldtmann lbw: D Webb 4
Aaron Thrum c: K Archibald b: D Webb 3
Jed Marek c: M Knight b: D Webb
Alasdair Brett not out 51*
Max Marek c: D Webb b: T Docking 26
Mitchell Feldtmann lbw: B McCabe 12
Hugh Spring b: D Webb
Archie Crispin c: R Clarke b: D Webb 3
Corey Petersen c: F Smart b: B McCabe 12
Connor Ormond b: A Heslin 10
Harvey Moore did not bat
Extras (8Wd, 3LB, 6B) 17
Total 44.4 Overs (Run Rate: 3.38) 151
FOW: 1-12 Ben Feldtmann; 2-16 Aaron Thrum; 3-21 Thomas Moore; 4-22 Jed Marek; 5-76 Max Marek; 6-96 Mitchell Feldtmann; 7-99 Hugh Spring; 8-105 Archie Crispin; 9-129
Corey Petersen; 10-151 Connor Ormond. BOWLING: (O-MR-W): Angus Heslin 7.4-1-29-2; Devlin Webb 9-0-28-5; Matt McCabe 4-1-13-0; Tyrn Docking 8-2-19-1; Jensen Hargreaves 6-1-19-0; Brock McCabe 7-1-18-2; Xavier Mitchell 3-0-16-0.
BEECHWORTH WANDERERS
******** c: M Honman b: J Schonafinger 9
Will Prebble c: R McNamara b: W Graham 1
Campbell Fendyk c: R Collier b: W Graham 3
Brenton Surrey lbw: J Schonafinger
Matthew Ryan not out 50*
Henry Scalzo c: B Bartlett b: J Schonafinger 1
Jonathan Carson c: R Collier b: J Schonafinger
Taylor Thomson c: R Barnes b: J Wilson 34
Timothy Turner b: R McNamara 1
Jacob Howard b: W Graham 3
******** run out (R Barnes, R Collier)
Richard Worcester did not bat
Extras (10Wd, 1NB, 5LB) 16
Total 34 Overs (Run Rate: 3.47) 118
FOW: 1-6 Will Prebble; 2-14 ********; 3-14 Brenton Surrey; 4-14 Campbell Fendyk; 5-22 Henry Scalzo; 6-22 Jonathan Carson; 7-101 Taylor Thomson; 8-106
Timothy Turner; 9-118 Jacob Howard; 10-118 ********.
BOWLING: (O-M-R-W): Brady Bartlett 3-0-18-0; Will Graham 6-0-21-3; Jacob Schonafinger 6-1-6-4; Ryan Barnes 5-0-29-0; Reid McNamara 6-0-19-1; Charith Perera 3-0-13-0; Jeremy Wilson 5-0-7-1.
ROVERS UNITED BRUCK
Charith Perera not out 71*
Ryan Collier b: M Ryan
Reid McNamara b: J Carson
Jeremy Wilson c: M Ryan b: T Turner 11
Michael Honman c: B Surrey b: M Ryan 17
Jacob Schonafinger not out 8*
Ryan Barnes did not bat
Brady Bartlett did not bat
Susanka Gamage did not bat
Will Graham did not bat
Cormac McNamara did not bat
Ryan Parsons did not bat
Extras (6Wd, 3NB, 3LB) 12
Total 23.3 Overs (Run Rate: 5.06) 119
FOW: 1-7 Ryan Collier; 2-13 Reid McNamara; 3-40
Jeremy Wilson; 4-108 Michael Honman. BOWLING: (O-M-R-W): Matthew Ryan 5.3-0-29-2; Timothy Turner 4-011-1; Jonathan Carson 6-0-39-1; Richard Worcester 4-120-0; Henry Scalzo 4-0-17-0.
Yarrawonga Mulwala 9-125 def Rovers United Bruck 124; Benalla Bushrangers 4-152 def Wangaratta Magpies 9-150; Delatite 5-196 def Ovens Valley United 115.
B GRADE: Ovens Valley United 7-145 def Beechworth Wanderers - Stanley 130; Beechworth Wanderers 9-114 def by Merton B 6-115 Wangaratta Magpies 4-127 def Delatite B 5-126; Greta 9-155 def City Colts 5-137; Yarrawonga Mulwala 7-161 def Rutherglen United 138; Milawa 3-142 def Benalla Bushrangers 5-141.
C GRADE: Moyhu vs Beechworth Wanderers; Gapsted 5-224 def Delatite 73; Rutherglen United vs Greta; Gapsted vs Delatite; Yarrawonga Mulwala 179 def by Benalla Bushrangers 6-184; Rutherglen United 84 def by Greta 8-170; Yarrawonga Mulwala vs Benalla Bushrangers; Moyhu 8-217 def Beechworth Wanderers 5-126.
UNDER 16s: 2 Day: Yarrawonga Mulwala vs Beechworth-Ovens Valley United 8-203; Benalla Bushrangers 150 vs Greta; City Colts vs Rovers United Bruck 109; Delatite 6-129 vs Wangaratta Magpies.
UNDER 14 LEN HILL SHIELD: 2 Day: Yarrawonga Mulwala Rams 5-184 vs Yarrawonga Mulwala Bulls; Delatite 21 vs Benalla Bushrangers Blue 1-95; Ovens Valley United 9-257 vs Benalla Bushrangers; City Colts White vs Greta 5-237; Rovers United Bruck vs City Colts Blue 4-277; Wangaratta Magpies 0-6 vs Beechworth Wanderers 125.
UNDER 12 BLUE DIVISION: Rovers United Bruck 8-66 def Greta 8-59; Ovens Valley United Black 6-131 def by Ovens Valley United Orange 6-161; Wangaratta Magpies White 5-100 def by Rutherglen United 5-134; Milawa 21 def by Beechworth Wanderers 3-133.
UNDER 12 GOLD DIVISION: City Colts Blue 6-45 def by City Colts White 54; Delatite 3-94 def Benalla Bushrangers White 7-78; Yarrawonga Mulwala Rams 9-56 def by Benalla Bushrangers Red 6-115; Yarrawonga Mulwala Bulls 6-75 def Benalla Bushrangers Blue 6-59.
MATCH REVIEWS: Saturday, October 18 2025/26 season
rey’s foot, dismissed LBW
for a third ball duck. Graham would continue the trend immediately after, his first ball catching the outside edge of Cam Fendyk’s bat with the catch completed by gloveman Ryan
In the space of six deliveries, Beechworth lost three wickets for no runs and were in trouble at 4/14, before another Schonafinger masterclass would make it 6/22 after just eight overs.
Beechworth fought back through skipper Matt Ryan, whose gritty undefeated half century, as well as a 79-run stand with number eight bat Taylor Thomson, gave the visitors some hope.
The pair would bat for 18 overs, until Thomson was undone by Jeremy Wilson for 34, and the tail would be mopped up with Beech-
Schonafinger was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with 4/6 from his six overs, while Graham (3/21 off six), Wilson (1/7 off five) and Reid McNamara (1/19 off six) contributed well. Skipper Wilson praised his bowling attack for
their efforts early.
“Will Graham started really well again, the old boy ‘Schona’ had a day out, they turned the screws early and had a really good start which put them on the back foot from the get-go again,” he said.
“With the white ball, once it stops swinging and gets a bit softer, it is a bit harder to take wickets.
“Matty Ryan is a pretty good player and he and Taylor Thomson did what they had to do, played pretty straight and kept the good balls out.
“I think at the moment, you’d be looking at high 100s, 180-210 would be a par score at the moment at the Rovers ground – it’s quick, the ground is really quick.”
With bat in hand, Charith Perera’s hot streak continued, pummelling 71* from 70 deliveries, his second consecutive half century to help steer the Rovers to the target. It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Hawks – Ryan Collier advanced at a Matt Ryan delivery only for it to
cannon into the top of his off stump, removing the keeper for a duck, while Reid McNamara blocked a spinning ball from Jonathan Carson back onto his stumps. Wilson (11 off 14) and Michael Honman (17 off 42) helped steady the ship and allowed Perera to punish the bowlers should they stray form a tight line and length.
“He [Perera] got lucky in the third over of the day, he skied a pull shot and Matty Ryan put him down, so that was pretty costly for them,” Wilson said.
“After that, he really put his head down and took them apart again.
“He just puts the pressure back on the bowlers, he doesn’t slog it but he’s got so many shots on the off side and the on side.
“The batting’s been pretty solid so far, we’ve only batted for about 45 overs in the two games, but from the batting side, when you get your chance, make the most of it to put pressure back on the bowlers, keep turning the strike over.”
ROCKET PACE: Tyler Nanson picked up 3/22 to help the Magpies to a win over Benalla Bushrangers.
■ From back page
“We had more of a structured set-up, especially bowling to Steppo – what we wanted to do to Steppo didn’t work, we tried to stick with it and ended up getting his wicket which was good.
“After that, we just went back to boring two-day lines and made it hard for them to score.
“They kept punching it to our field, and we set up like that because the outfield
was that quick, you get it through and it’s four.
“We set a field and bowled to it and it worked really well.”
Once again, the Magpies’ top order shone brightly in the chase, with three scores of at least 30 coming from the top four batters.
After Tyler Nanson departed first ball, Cooper Matheson struck 30 runs in his usual rapid fashion, and forged a 38-run partnership
Colts’ ultimately unsuccessful run chase against Yarrawonga Mulwala.
with Jack Davies.
Davies kept the scoreboard ticking over and found the rope with ease, his unbeaten innings of 58* including eight boundaries.
David Killen (30 from 61 balls) and James Thewlis (15 from 15) played their supporting role exceptionally.
“Our top five is very good at the moment, we’ve all made some runs so far,” Matheson said.
“Jimmy made 30-odd the
week before and 80 in the praccy match at five, Tyler’s made a 50, I’ve made a 50, Jacko‘s made a 50, and I think Dave [Killen] has made two 30s, so our top five’s very strong at the moment.”
The Magpies head into their bye sitting second on the ladder after a fortnight of competition, behind the similarly undefeated Rovers United Bruck on net run rate.
HANDY INCLUSION: Jarryd Wallace took three wickets in his first A grade match this season.
Elsewhere, City Colts are yet to taste success in season 2025-26, defeated by Yarrawonga Mulwala by 75 runs.
Batting first, the Lakers piled on 10/226, anchored by Devlin Webb’s knock of 65.
The young guns starred for the Colts with Kookaburra in hand, with Jed Marek (2/32), Alasdair Brett (2/42) and Connor Ormond (2/43) all among the wickets.
The chase was tough for the Colts, who were at one stage 4/22, but Alasdair Brett’s composed and patient knock of 51* from 109 deliveries would provide some backbone in the middle order.
Unfortunately, there were not enough partnerships to allow the Colts to put the runs on the board, the innings coming to a close with two deliveries remaining, bowled out for 10/151.
Jacob Schonafinger celebrates after trapping Brenton Surrey LBW for a three-ball duck. The Hawks would post a six-wicket win over Beechworth.
Story on page 15.
Wangaratta Magpies claim second win on the trot with six-wicket Benalla Bushrangers belting
Wangaratta Magpies look to be the goods this season after banking a second win in as many weeks in the A grade competition.
Up against Benalla Bush rangers at Barr 2 Oval, the Magpies chased down the target of 147 set by the Bushrang-
BY NATHAN DE VRIES ndevries@ nemedia.com.au
ers with little hassle, passing the total in the 32nd over for the loss of just four wickets. After electing to bat, Be-
nalla’s Brayden Stepien got his side off to a flier, belting 39 from just 24 deliveries, making the most of the lightningfast outfield.
The big left-hander looked in good tough, but was undone when trying an inventive scoop over fine leg.
Wandering across his stumps, Stepien mistimed the scoop and was hit on the pads, adjudged LBW.
James Carboon was the anchor of the innings, batting for the entire innings for his 63 from 134 deliveries, but it was a revolving door of partners at
the other end.
No other Benalla batter would make more than eight runs, as Tyler Nanson (3/22 off nine overs) and Jarryd Wallace (3/23 off eight) ran riot through the middle order and tail.
“’Steppo’ [Brayden Stepien] got off to a good start for them, but credit to our bowling unit, we bowled a completely opposite way than we did last week,” he said.
■ Continued page 15
Magpies skipper Cooper Matheson said he was happy with his bowlers’ efforts on a quick deck.
