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A grant for new bugles will allow Ben Thomas to perform The Last Post authentically to honour the ANZACs at tomorrow’s service.

■ Story page 2 PHOTO: Kurt Hickling AUTHENTIC BUGLE FOR THE LAST POST

DIAL IN TO PHONE ISSUE

WANGARATTA High School executive principal Dave Armstrong believes the wider community is the “missing link” in safeguarding young people from excessive use of devices and social media apps.

Admitting to grappling with the issue both as an educator and a parent, Mr Armstrong said while there were definite benefits to emerge from the technology, smartphones posed a significant distraction for teenagers, and this was being regularly noticed at school.

“I think this whole issue needs a lot more attention,” he told the Wangaratta Chronicle.

“While our generation had a playbased adolescence, our children are having a phone-based adolescence.

“(Excessive use of mobile phones) is linked to depression and anxiety; we

are creating an anxious generation.

“Never has youth mental health been so bad; other things have happened too, of course, like COVID, but there is a direct link between (excessive) use of smartphones and poor mental health.

“As parents, we’ve put more controls in place and stopped young people doing things we used to do, like playing outside and going out all day, but have allowed - through smartphones - unchecked, uncontrolled access to the internet 24/7; we didn’t see the danger right in front of us.

■ Continued page 3

ANZAC SERVICES

By JORDAN DUURSMA

Authentic bugles to honour ANZACs ANZAC Day services in Wangaratta and district

THE sounding of The Last Post is one of the most moving and memorable moments of an ANZAC Day service.

And musicians will perform The Last Post with an added touch of authenticity, using traditional bugles at Wangaratta and district services today and tomorrow.

The Wangaratta Concert Band has purchased two new bugles and a tenor saxophone with funding from the Strengthening Rural Communities Grant courtesy of Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal (FRRR).

Rural City of Wangaratta manager of community services Ben Thomas, who is also a local musician, worked with the Wangaratta Concert Band on the grant application to purchase the new bugles.

“We have been playing The Last Post on trumpets which wasn’t quite how the Diggers remembered it,” Mr Thomas said.

“I was fortunate to get to try a bugle and see what it was like, it has the sound that is definite-

ly appropriate to the situation and it’s what has been used for many, many years.”

Mr Thomas said having two bugles will enable band members to cover multiple events in the local area.

“Often there are other rural services at the same time as Wangaratta, so buying two means it can be used at all services,” he said.

“We are using them for the two Wangaratta services and the 9am Everton service on

ANZAC Day this week, as well as the 10am Greta service on Wednesday, April 24.”

Mr Thomas said he has been practising frequently in preparation for the ANZAC Day services.

“Hopefully it kicks in on the day,” he said.

For more information about ANZAC Day services in Wangaratta and surrounding areas visit https://www.wangaratta.vic.gov.au/Residents/ Whats-On/ANZAC-Day-2024.

Students value ANZAC Day

By SIMONE KERWIN

YARRUNGA Primary School leaders are looking forward to the chance to march in tomorrow’s ANZAC Day parade.

The COVID-19 pandemic has restricted the school’s involvement in recent years, but YPS captains and vice-captains plan to march behind the school banner on Thursday morning in the parade which moves down Ovens Street towards the Wangaratta Cenotaph.

School captain Hannah Snowdon said ANZAC Day was an opportunity to “respect the people who fought for us and our land”.

Her fellow captain, Gavriel Kwofie, agreed, saying the day “reminds us to cherish those people who fought in wars, and to respect them”.

Vice-captains Matilda Snowdon and Lucinda Forster also know the importance of ANZAC Day, which has been a focus during recent class-time at Yarrunga, with students making poppies for display.

Matilda said she had added to her learning about what life was like for people who served in war for Australia, while Lucinda said she was glad the school could be involved in making sure those people were remembered.

“We definitely want to keep

ANZAC Day services will be held in Wangaratta at dawn and 11am on Thursday, April 25 to commemorate Australian service members.

People are asked to assemble at 5:45am at the cenotaph in Docker Street to the attend the dawn service, commencing at 6am and concluding around 6:25am.

Veterans, wives, partners and their carers are invited to the Gunfire Breakfast at the Wangaratta RSL at 6:30am.

Intermezzo Cafe, opposite the cenotaph, will be open for light breakfasts, coffee and tea from 5:30am, for those who cannot attend the breakfast.

To participate in the March leading to the 11am service, assemble on the footpath outside of the King George Gardens in Templeton Street (opposite RSL) at 10am.

Participants will be called into their positions at 10:20am and the march will step off at 10:40am.

The march will proceed up Ovens Street and the service will commence at 11am.

Wangaratta RSL invites all veterans, their families, friends, and carers to come along and support one another.

All veterans are welcome and members of the public are encouraged to line the march route along Ovens Street.

At the conclusion of the service, participants will march back to the RSL where they will be dismissed.

The Women’s Auxiliary Lunch is available to veterans and their families in the 2/24th Battalion room following the march, but not the general public.

Reserved seating for the service can be arranged by contacting ceremonial officer, Liz Rouse Salmon, via phone at 0438 573 357.

Transport for the march and main service can be arranged by contacting welfare officer, Colleen Davis, via phone at 0447 217 768.

For more information and enquiries, please visit or call the Wangaratta RSL on 03 5721 2501.

After the main service, there will be an outdoor bar and rounds of 2Up from 1.30pm in the RSL carpark.

Vehicle access to Templeton Street will be restricted from 9:30am until 11am and from 12pm until the marchers have dispersed. Other road closures in the surrounding streets will also be in place.

MORE LOCAL SERVICES

Other local services members of the public can attend are:

those thoughts with us, and then be able to pass them on to other people,” Matilda said.

Wangaratta RSL Sub-Branch ceremonial officer Liz Rouse Salmon said several local schools would be represented by their leaders during tomorrow’s parade.

Other school students and young people are encouraged to line the route of the parade along Ovens Street, to offer their support and pay their respects to veterans.

The march will step off at 10.40am, and proceed to the memorial gardens on the corner of Ovens and Docker streets, where the 11am service will be held.

• Wednesday, April 24, 10am Day Service at the Greta Cemetery.

• Thursday, April 25, 6am Dawn Service at Eldorado Community Hall and Cenotaph.

• Thursday, April 25, 6am Dawn Service at the Cheshunt Hall.

• Thursday, April 25, 9am Day Service at the Everton Cenotaph. Thursday, April 25, 11am Day Service at Thoona hall, morning tea to follow provided by Thoona CWA including homemade ANZAC biscuits.

This year is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, which were the beginning of the end to WWII. The theme for ANZAC Day 2024 is ‘The Peacekeepers’.

Australians are still serving in this capacity in various places around the world.

HONOURING THE PAST: Yarrunga Primary School captains Hannah Snowdon and Gavriel Kwofie, both 11, and vice-captains Matilda Snowdon (10) and Lucinda Forster (11) understand the importance of ANZAC Day.

PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

BUGLES FOR THE BAND: The Wangaratta Concert Band has purchased two bugles to traditionally commemorate ANZAC Day, with Ben Thomas having the honour to sound The Last Post at tomorrow’s service.

PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

Don’t be driven to distraction

By CHLOE JAENICKE

DISTRACTED and impaired drivers will be a key focus for police over the ANZAC Day long weekend.

Operation Tribute is a statewide operation that will run from 12.01am on Wednesday, April 24 until midnight on Sunday, April 28.

Community needed to

During this period police said they will be “out, anywhere, anytime”.

“Local police with specialist units will be concentrating on the major arterials and people can expect officers to be out both locally and in those remote areas,” Sergeant Shaun Hillier of Wangaratta police said.

“We’re obviously concentrating on not only the Hume (Freeway) and people travelling to those holiday destinations as they typically do over these long weekends.”

Sgt Hillier is urging people to drive safely, saying police’s highly visible presence across Victoria in both metro and regional areas seeks to deter

poor road-user behaviour.

He said key focusses will be speed, impaired driving, fatigue, driver distraction and seatbelt non-compliance.

“We’re anticipating high volumes of traffic over the weekend, so allow plenty of travel time, take regular breaks and most importantly, be patient and courteous to

other road users,” he said.

“Whilst ANZAC Day falls on a Thursday we know many people will plan for a long weekend and travel to regional areas.

“If you are travelling this long week end you can expect to see a high visible police presence.”

Last month 29 lives were

lost on Victorian roads compared to 21 in the same month last year with 59 per cent of those occurring on regional roads.

So far this year, 90 lives have been lost on the roads across the state, three of which have occurred within the Wangaratta Police Service Area.

back local school efforts to curb smartphone use

■ From page 1

“I think we often don’t realise this is happening around us.

“We have unwittingly allowed tech companies access to our children and allowed them to ‘engage’ with our children in ways that are nothing like the real-world experience with others that they need to learn about socialisation, communication and real engagement.

“This virtual ‘engagement’ is engineered for addiction and is sedentary, isolated, artificial and incompatible with childhood and adolescent development.

“Smartphones are, in hindsight, one of the biggest uncontrolled experiments on humans in history, with every one of the tools they feature designed with addiction in mind.

“I think we’ve lost perspective.”

The high school follows the State Government’s policy on mobile phones in schools, introduced at the start of 2020, which requires all phones to be switched off and stored securely during the school day.

“Phones can have educational benefits, but they’ve got to be really, really tightly controlled,” Mr Armstrong said.

“During a school day, they are a distraction, and are taking away from learning.

“They’re so pervasive, and it’s the times they’re used in such a bad way, such as in cyberbullying, that are really concerning.

“We want to have this time at school as a sacred time for learning, socialising and play.”

The high school’s mobile phone policy was updated in 2022 with a change to consequences for breaching the rules; confiscated phones are now returned not to students, but to parents or guardians, who are asked to collect

WHAT do you think about the issues raised in this story? If you have a strong opinion, email us a letter to the editor at edit.chronicle@nemedia.com.au

Keep you opinion under 250 words and provide your name and contact number.

them no earlier than the next day.

“The ban had already been implemented, but in 2024 we have really been consistent, persistent and relentless in the application of the policy, because it was becoming a real point of conflict,” Mr Armstrong said.

“The consequences are an important part of the ban.”

Mr Armstrong said he was hopeful more parents would hold off as long as possible on putting a smartphone into their children’s hands.

“I’d encourage parents to talk among their peer groups, and band together to say, ‘We’re going to wait to provide a phone’, particularly in primary school, and as long as possible after that,” he said.

“If it’s seen as critical (for them to have one), a non-smartphone which only allows phone calls and text messages is better for primary-aged students.

“The same applies for early adolesence, when I advise parents to hold off as long as possible from providing smartphones, to allow life

experience and maturity to develop; I recommend that social media should not be accessible before 16 years of age.”

Mr Armstrong said young people were not effectively learning the nuances of direct personal contact, and in many cases were addressing large numbers of people at once in social media chats, which required skills they had not yet developed.

“When sending messages to a large group, young people will of course worry about their reputation; making a mistake or not doing well can affect how many people see them,” he said.

“Because of this, online communication is often more about showing off, can cause more stress than simple face-to-face talks, and is a significant driver of anxiety.

“Kids experiencing puberty online often face more issues - like constantly comparing themselves to others, feeling self-conscious, dealing with public embarrassment, and ongoing anxiety - than

teenagers in past generations.

“This can make their developing brains constantly defensive.

“If you go to any school, you will see this issue is a big challenge, but we aim to have our students turn off their phones at 9am for the entire school day.

“We also encourage parents not to ring or message during the day; if there are urgent messages, they can be relayed through the office.

“We have to consider that when our child is at school, they are uncontactable via mobile phone.”

Mr Armstrong said the other key thing parents and the community could do was support more free play, independence and responsibility in the real world.

“Play sports; walk to the shop to buy milk for the family or do other errands; go on school camps; do community service; walk to meet friends and relatives: the same level of freedom that most adults experienced when they were young,” he said.

Air quality reached “very poor” in Wangaratta

WANGARATTA’s air quality reached the “very poor” level at 8am yesterday, as smoke haze continues to impact the rural city and surrounding areas.

According to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) AirWatch monitor, the city enjoyed good to fair conditions on Sunday, climbing to a poor and a very poor spike on Tuesday morning, before dropping back to fair.

A poor, very poor or extremely poor category is reflected when the level of a pollutant registered is higher than its air quality guideline or standard.

The EPA advises that during periods of very poor air quality, the general community should avoid outdoor physical activity if they develop symptoms like cough or shortness of breath, and when indoors, close windows and doors until outdoor air quality is better.

Those sensitive to air pollution should stay indoors as much as possible.

The EPA says good to fair air quality is expected in the next 48 hours with possible smoke haze due to use of residential wood heaters in addition to planned and agricultural burns, with poor air quality possible for areas closer to burn sites.

Forest Fire Management

Victoria has advised there will be continued ignition of a 2403 hectare fuel reduction burn at Cheshunt South, Evans Creek, located 23km south of Whitfield, while it continues to patrol a number of other burns in the Ovens district, including a burn six kilometres east of Cheshunt at Carson Track.

ISSUE NEEDS ATTENTION: Wangaratta High School executive principal Dave Armstrong believes the community is the missing link in safeguarding young people from excessive use of devices and social media apps. PHOTO: Simone Kerwin

Petite Miniature Textiles make a grand return to Wangaratta

ONE of the region’s most popular exhibitions, Petite Miniature Textiles, will make its return to the Wangaratta Art Gallery this week.

Thirty small-scale textile artworks have been selected from hundreds of entries received by artists from across the country, each responding to the theme “of the times”.

This year the works have been selected by guest curator, artist and previous Petite exhibitor, Susie Losch, along with Wangaratta Art Gallery director Rachel Arndt.

Topics such as mass production, war and the recent climate activist attacks on irreplaceable artworks are explored, and questions are raised as to how widespread access to artificial intelligence may affect the arts.

Showcasing innovative textile practice from across

Australia, the biennial exhibition is an important part of the gallery’s exhibition program.

Wangaratta Art Gallery has a particular emphasis on textile art, realised through the development of its collection, exhibition program and its presentation of the most significant acquisitive prize for textile art in Australia, the Wangaratta Contemporary Textile Award.

This focus echoes the importance of textiles to the history of Wangaratta and the continuing textile story.

Janita Ryan is one of several artists in the exhibition who have contemplated the extensive use of artificial intelligence as part of her work, creating a piece which is based on an AI generated image of her ideal holiday.

Ms Ryan says while it may be of a miniature landscape - a time-consuming petite

embroidery and a postcard unsuitable for postage - the conversations it sparked (stitching on public transport) were grand and wide as commuters discussed the very real threats to our times.

Artist Laura Canty also questions how artificial intelligence may be used in creative pursuit, cheekily submitting the prompt words “Artificial Intelli-

CATHEDRAL SEEKS NEW DEAN

By SIMONE KERWIN

WANGARATTA’S Anglican diocese will this month begin the process of selecting a new Holy Trinity Cathedral Dean.

Fr Ken Goodger - who has held the position since 2014 - departed the role after Easter, and Bishop Clarence Bester said consultation would take place in coming weeks to choose his replacement.

An appointment is expected to be made by mid-June; in the meantime, Bishop Bester will oversee the cathedral parish.

“We are very grateful for Ken’s ministry,” Bishop Bester said.

Fr Goodger said he and his family had enjoyed their time in Wangaratta and at the cathedral.

“We are now moving on to something new,” he said.

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gence” into the AI text-toimage website Stable Diffusion, as she was interested in creating a pertinent design which would act as a template for her embroidery, but also to examine how AI represents itself.

Ms Canty subsequently created a detailed embroidery based on this image and the results are spectacular, colourful and dynamic,

yet more like the computergenerated imagery of 80s and 90s video games such as SimCity.

Ms Arndt said the artists in Petite 2024 provoke conversations on uncomfortable social issues, all with the hope of a better world.

“They use AI to explore creativity, practice and process, and its implications there on,” she said.

“They address the unease of a world at war, the chaos, anxiety and uncertainty, with a persistent yearning for peace.

“They look to past generations and textile traditions to inform future attitudes and burgeoning technique, some with nostalgia, others with reverence - mass production, current affairs, slow craft and a bit of everyday life thrown in.”

The exhibition has a following across the country

and Wangaratta Art Gallery is one of only a few galleries internationally to hold such an event every two years.

Works have been selected for their articulation of contemporary issues and ideas, combined with the quality of execution, mastery of technique, and the artist’s interpretation of the term miniature (in this case 25 x 25 x 25cm or smaller).

Petite 2024 will be opened by Melbourne-based fashion designer Tara Whalley, at the opening reception on Friday, May 3 from 5.30pm at Wangaratta Art Gallery and runs until 23 June 2024.

The launch will also celebrate Shadow Murmurs, an exhibition of drawings and sculpture by Julie Monro-Allison presented in Gallery 2.

All welcome and free tickets can be booked by visiting www.wangarattaartgallery. com.au.

Generous donors set record over $160,000

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

By SIMONE KERWIN

GENEROUS Wangaratta residents have delivered their highest ever donation to the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

In raising a whopping $160,226 – well ahead of its previous high of $110,000, Wangaratta was second only to Geelong’s $540,463 total on the regional Victorian tally board.

It ranked higher than Ballarat, Echuca and Bendigo.

The Wangaratta total fell just short of the $180,000 target set by local collectors striving to rack up $2 million since the rural city began collecting for the appeal in 1969.

But Wangaratta and district appeal co-ordinator

Alex Carmody said the area should be proud of the strong support it showed for the hospital.

“We got over $15,000 more on the fire trucks this year than last year, and there were a lot more people with $50 and $100 notes handing them over, even several at the traffic lights,” Mr Carmody said.

He said a larger number of volunteers this year, as well as cars reaching areas the fire trucks couldn’t, had helped boost the total.

“There were people everywhere – in the parks, outside IGA, and the ladies auxiliary were able to do some collecting this year in the cars too,” he said.

“I’d say thanks to everyone for the generosity – it’s just great.

“We average a contribution of $5 a head, which is pretty good.

“People have really stepped up this year.”

Mr Carmody said the number of people who mentioned to him that their children or a relative or friend had recently been treated at the Royal Children’s Hospital brought home the importance of the fundraising.

“It makes you realise just how much we need the hospital there, and how much it is used by local people,” he said.

GENEROUS WANGARATTA: Young Lukas O’Brien, pictured with senior station officer Sean Crosthwaite and firefighter Graham Mathey, was among the many Wangaratta residents who contributed to the city’s highest ever total for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal. PHOTO: Marc Bongers

OF THE TIMES: Petite Miniature Textiles 2024 includes 30 small scale artworks such as Janita Ryan’s Me, The Glasshouse Mountains, 1829 kilometres and AI, 2023-2024. PHOTO: Janita Ryan

CHANGE: A new Dean will be chosen for Holy Trinity Cathedral following the departure of Fr Ken Goodger.

PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

There’s nowhere to hide for family violence offenders

By BAILEY ZIMMERMANN

POLICE are calling on the community to continue to report family violence after a statewide crackdown led to a record number of offenders being arrested or brought to court.

Crime Statistics Agency figures show 29,233 family violence offenders in Victoria were either arrested or summonsed to court last year, which is up by more than 350 on the previous year.

More than a third of recorded criminal offences in the police service were family violence related incidents. The vast majority of local offenders were arrested for outstanding warrants or unserved family violence intervention orders (IVO), serious family violence crimes, as well as actively avoiding police detection, stalking and making threats.

Inspector Anthony Town, investigation and response

In the same time frame, Wangaratta police recorded 614 family violence incidents in the area with a combined 80 per cent of solved offences resulting in arrest or court summons of offenders.

manager said police in the Wangaratta area were committed to ensuring every member of the community is not only safe but feels safe.

“This includes a strong focus on supporting victimsurvivors of family violence and holding perpetrators to account,” he said.

“To deliver this commitment our frontline police and dedicated family violence investigation units work closely with the community and key stakeholders.

“These stakeholders include the Centre Against Violence, the courts and other

READING CHALLENGE IS ON

‘EXPLORE, Learn, Enjoy’ is the theme of this year’s Premiers’ Reading Challenge, which encourages Victorian children to record and celebrate their reading efforts.

The Premiers’ Reading Challenge promotes the importance of reading and setting children up for life with this essential skill.

Students between early childhood stage and year 10 are encouraged to read a set number of books during the year.

A book list recommending ageappropriate texts that children may like to try is available, but any book counts towards their challenge totals.

Children who have not yet started school are encouraged to join the challenge by reading 40 books with the help of their families; picture books, short stories, poems and non-fiction books in any language are all eligible for the challenge.

Participating students can read books in languages other than English, and can also use alternative supports and resources.

Since the challenge began in 2005, 4.3 million students across Victoria have read more than 60 million books.

“From toddlers to teenagers, the Premiers’ Reading Challenge

government and non-government organisations.

“Local police are focused on preventing and addressing the far-reaching harm and trauma family violence causes.”

Across the financial year period, more than 6400 unique clients attended local women’s and children’s family violence services.

Wangaratta-based Centre Against Violence chief executive officer Jaime Chubb, said while the number of people charged with family violence being brought before the courts seemed like a huge

figure, it was just a glimpse of the true number of people experiencing family violence.

“We support and respect the work being done by Victoria Police to support victim survivors and help keep them safe,” she said.

“It is imperative that we continue to invest in prevention work to support people to break the cycle of violence.

“We applaud the courage and resilience of victim survivors who reach out for support from police and services.

“We know that this can be an incredibly difficult thing

is about reading as many different types of books as possibleinstilling a love of reading into every Victorian child,” Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said.

Minister for Local Government

Melissa Horne said many of the books on the Premiers’ Reading Challenge list could be found in local libraries for children to

borrow and enjoy for free. For more information on the challenge and to see the book list, visit www.vic.gov.au/premiersreading-challenge

to do and we are here to help.”

Support is available 24 hours a day through Safe Steps by calling 1800 015 188 or emailing safesteps@safesteps.org.au.

If you or someone you know needs our help due to family violence, contact the Centre Against Violence team during business hours at the Orange Door on 1800 271 157.

If you require immediate support outside of business hours, please call Safe Steps on 1800 015 188. If you are unsafe, call the police on 000.

TEST YOUR SKILLS: Wangaratta’s Mitchell Avenue skate park will host the latest round of the North East Skate Park Series on Sunday.

City set to host skate park series round

ROUND five of the 2024 North East Skate Park Series will be held at Wangaratta’s Mitchell Avenue skate park on Sunday.

Open to skateboards, scooters and BMX, the all-ages event will kick off at 11am, with registration and warm-up from 10.30am.

Run by Wodonga indoor skateboard park Al’s Skate Co, this year’s series has already seen events held in Wodonga, Rutherglen, Mansfield and Myrtleford. Wangaratta is also set to host round nine in September, following the competition’s three-month winter break.

Those interested in taking part on Sunday are encouraged to drop in to the Mitchell Avenue venue from 10.30am to register their details.

The event is drug, alcohol, smoke and vape free.

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EXPLORE, LEARN, ENJOY: Wangaratta Library children’s and youth services officer Tanya Hopper with some of the Premiers’ Reading Challenge titles available to borrow at the Docker Street library. PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

Help perpetuate the ANZAC spirit

THE theme for this year’s ANZAC Day commemorations is peace keeping services.

One notable mission was the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) and this year marks the 25th anniversary of the Australian-led deployment of more than 5000 personnel to the 22-nation regional force to address the humanitarian and security crisis that took place in East Timor from 1999–2000.

It is also the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, often referred to as D-Day.

ANZAC Day services allow communities throughout the Rural City of Wangaratta to pay homage and reflect on the sacrifices made by service men and women who served for their country.

The story of the ANZACs is a well-known one and it symbolises the Aussie spirit from which modern day Australia was carved from - the will to lend a hand and help a mate or a stranger in need.

They are ANZAC qualities such as endurance, courage, ingenuity, good humour, and mateship.

It’s this ideology that our forefathers would want us to promote and perpetuate so that their sacrifices are not taken for granted.

Many local people have relatives who served in any of the three divisions of the Australian Defence Force - Army, Navy and Airforce.

There are many stories of service about the sacrifices they made to continue the legacy of those who have fought before them.

It’s important that these stories are told and passed down to our younger generations, so they too can carry on the legacy and the Australian way.

■ See service venues and times on page 2

The Australian QuizNo.72

1 Which TV series stars Bradley Whitford as Commander Joseph Lawrence?

(a) The Handmaid’s Tale

(b) The Walking Dead (c) Star Trek: Picard

(d) Star Trek: Discovery

2 If you flew due west from Mauritius, which African country would you reach first?

(a) Somalia

(b) Mozambique

(c) Tanzania

(d) Madagascar

3 What is the medical term for whooping cough?

(a) Paraesthesia

(b) Pertussis

(c) Geraytosis

(d) Garditulia

4 The agreement known as the Dayton Accords was a peace agreement ending which war?

(a) Vietnam War

(b) Korean War

(c) Bosnian War

(d) Irish War of Independence

5 Who was referred to as “the face that launched a thousand ships”?

(a) Helen of Troy

(b) Joan of Arc

(c) Lady Godiva

(d) Cleopatra

Library funding crucial for society’s health

I AM deeply concerned to learn of the predicted funding cuts for Victoria’s regional libraries.

As a former teacher and someone passionate about fostering opportunities for people at all levels to be able to contribute to a healthy society, I consider the community hubs provided by libraries to be crucial.

Libraries provide a space for people of all ages and abilities, to come together to learn, participate in reading clubs, children’s storytime events, craft activities contributing to social inclusion and community needs, host exhibitions of e.g. climate change urgency, access to the internet, space for exhibitions of regional artists etc.

For homeless people, of which there is an ever-increasing number, for those living in violent home situations, or those who are lonely, libraries can provide a safe place of rest and temporary shelter anonymously, in what must be long and lonely days.

Libraries play such a prominent and vital role in building a healthy society.

It is such a short-sighted view, in my opinion, to limit funding to this important resource infrastructure.

We decry anti-social and criminal behaviour but fail to prevent these things when we deny adequate funding necessary to build a wholesome, law-abiding community.

I urge Premier Jacinta Allan, Treasurer Tim Pallas and Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks to ensure that our regional libraries are adequately funded so that people living in regional areas are guaranteed access to the wonderful services provided by them, which contribute greatly to a healthy society.

Rae Quigley, Wangaratta

New vehicle efficiency laws to slash pollution

CLIMATE Council analysis, released this week, shows the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard will cut more climate pollution than getting all Aussie homes off gas.

The standard, soon to be debated in Parliament, can prevent 20 million tonnes of pollution from being pumped into our atmosphere by 2030 – more climate pollution avoided than is produced in two years by the 5.1 million gas-con-

6 The netball team of which country has the nickname, Sunshine Girls?

(a) Trinidad and Tobago

(b) England

(c) Jamaica

(d) South Africa

7 In 1991, who had a hit with the song, Unfinished Sympathy?

(a) Massive Attack

(b) Guns N’ Roses

(c) R.E.M.

(d) Living Colour

8 What is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands?

(a) Isle of Skye

(b) Majorca

(c) Tenerife

(d) Tahiti

9 Which Rodgers and Hammerstein musical featured the song, June Is Bustin’ Out All Over?

(a) Carousel

(b) The King and I

(c) Oklahoma!

(d) South Pacific

10 Lote Tuqiri did not play rugby league for which of the following teams?

(a) Melbourne Storm

(b) Penrith Panthers

(c) Newcastle Knights

(d) All of the above

Have your say in Wangaratta Chronicle poll

Visit our website to vote at www.wangarattachronicle.com.au

Do you plan on attending an ANZAC Day service?

nected homes in Australia.

By 2035, the standard is set to prevent 80 million tonnes of climate-wrecking pollution, equivalent to the pollution from every gas-connected home in Australia for more than nine years.

Transport is Australia’s fastest growing source of climate pollution and the The New Vehicle Efficiency Standard is an impressive step in the right direction.

It will bring more efficient vehicles to Australia, putting us on the road to cleaner air and cheaper bills.

Our climate and our wallets will benefit once this standard kicks into gear.

With some car manufacturers’ sales responsible for as much pollution as our dirtiest coal mines, delivering the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard will keep them honest and unlock more supply of cleaner cars that are cheaper to run.

Amanda McKenzie, Climate Council CEO Ryley Street not the place for a 7-Eleven

WANGARATTA does not need another

servo/supermarket on Ryley Street.

We have Coles, APCO/IGA all in close proximity to this proposed new development.

Put this 7-Eleven project in the Yarrawonga Road area, there is nothing on that side of the city.

It is a major development area, surely it makes sense to cater to an area lacking in these services.

Hopefully VCAT sees sense and denies the application.

Urve Fulton, Glenrowan

Winton Wetland’s Wetland’s second annual car p muster carp muster

By JORDAN DUURSMA

MORE than 160 people gathered at Winton Wetlands on Friday, April 12 to join in the second annual carp muster, aiming to reduce the number of carp in waterways to protect native species.

The family friendly school holiday event was led by teams from Swamps Rivers and Ranges and Winton Wetlands, with Moyhu Lions Club running a barbecue and prizes donated by Benalla Bait and Tackle Shop, Adventure Camping and Fishing Wangaratta and the Mokoan Hub and Café, for the ‘largest fish’, the ‘most fish caught’, the ‘smallest fish’ and an ‘encouragement/ dedication’ award.

Project coordinator for Swamps Rivers and Ranges, Sophie Enders, said the event was a great opportunity to engage with public and explain why car need to be removed from waterways, to benefit native fish and the environment.

Winton Wetlands restora-

tion manager, Dr Lisa Farnsworth, said carp presence negatively impacts on the health of waterways/wetlands in a variety of ways.

“Their ‘mumbling’ (stirring up the bottom of the waterway) and foraging activity will physically uproot and damage native aquatic vegetation and increase the muddiness of water through

stirring up the base of water body,” she said.

“Carp also prey directly on all life stages of native fish and frogs (including our local threatened species).

“Carp removal activities through community carp musters and electrofishing works will reduce the size of the local carp population, leading to a reduction

in damage to aquatic plants, animals and an increase in wetland function and health.

“It will also lead to reduced predation pressure on our Growling Grass Frogs and other newly reintroduced threatened species including Purple Spotted Gudgeon and Southern Pygmy Perch.”

Swamps Rivers and

MANY

Ranges has been collaborating with Winton Wetlands throughout the duration of their Growling Grass Frogs Project, which has seen the threatened species bred and reintroduced to the wetland.

“Taskforce growler is about broader education and and engagement around wetlands, healthy ecosystems and in general specie

recovering a threatened species is an important piece of a much broader picture.

“Communities being well educated about what a healthy ecosystem looks like, and getting them involved is key.” aid.

BIG CATCH: Lance Lloyd, Winton Wetlands aquatic ecologist, holding a carp that has been removed from the local ecosystem.

HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK: More than 160 people volunteered at last week’s carp muster.

Sports action

Oxley Primary School

THE Oxley Learning Cluster Schools recently held their annual Marmungan School Sports. Student Will Perkins was among those taking part, sprinting to the finish line in one of the many track and field events.

Time for table tennis

Carraragarmungee Primary School

KIDS were thrilled to find a brand new ping pong table waiting for them after the Easter break.

As part of being an active school, it is always looking for new ways to encourage kids to move their bodies, practice social skills and engage in turn-taking and problem-solving.

Needless to say Carra is now ping pong mad for at least the rest of this term.

FUN AND GAMES: Carra students (at front) Milly Richardson, Max Hermann-O’brien, Giorgio Panozzo, Jarrah Waldhart and Archy Nottingham are among the students enjoying the new table tennis table.

ALL DRESSED UP: Students

ALLDRESSEDUP:

Misha

Easter fun

Wangaratta Primary School

THE school’s Easter Parade was a riot of colour and joy, with kids donning bunny ears, vibrant costumes and carrying baskets filled with treats. Laughter filled the air as they marched in a delightful procession, showcasing their creativity and spreading cheer among the school with a great end to term one.

Student development

Appin Park Primary School

INDEPENDENCE and being able to play with, and alongside, peers are a real focus for the students at Appin Park.

Recess and lunch breaks are a valuable time for unstructured play, where communication, sharing and working through minor disagreements certainly builds the resilience of the students.

Instead of an adult intervening and sorting out their problems, students are encouraged to find a positive way to move on, supporting each other.

Many young students will play in the large sandpit, sharing space and toys.

PLAYING TOGETHER: Appin Park foundation students Oliver Holmes, Tyrone Diclas, Ayla Kiely and Evie Freeman enjoy their free play in the large sandpit.

Older students will often find themselves on the basketball court, the oval or their own playground spaces.

Issues will arise but it is great to see so many of them working through them so that play can continue, which is a great skill to have.

Easter run

Wangaratta West Primary School

STUDENTS showed great determination and perseverance during cross country races.

A special shout-out went to the parents and friends who helped to make the day run so smoothly.

Also, to the staff who led junior runners around the track in Easter bunny costumes, creating an unforgettable experience.

RUN RABBIT RUN: Staff members (from left) Dylan Browne, Brody Bouker, Mat Burns and Hayden Johnston, donned bunny ears to inspire students including (from left) Lucas Daly, Will Freeman and Finn Norris.

1Where would you find a philtrum?

3How many legs does a dragonfly have?

2Which chemical element makes up more than 50% of a human’s mass?

4True or false? Humans have never seen a star explode with the naked eye.

5In chemistry, what does sublimation mean?

records of people seeing supernovas throughout history. In 1006 AD an exploding star now known as SN 1006 lit up the night sky, and was even visible during the daytime! 5. Sublimation is when a chemical turns straight from solid into gas without becoming a liquid. One example is dry ice, which turns straight to carbon dioxide gas.

For more CSIRO Double Helix science visit www.csiro.au/helix or call 02 6276 6643. QUIZ ANSWERS: 1. A philtrum is the groove in the middle of your upper lip, and is common to many mammals. 2. Humans are about 65% oxygen. 3. Dragonflies are insects and have six legs. 4. False. There are many

Dykes, Noah Fogarty, William Cook and James Callahan wore Easterthemed headwear at the school’s Easter celebration.

TOP EFFORT: Oxley Primary School student Will Perkins sprints to the finish line in the annual Marmungan School Sports.

TOURS

WHAT’S ON

Cluedunnit Murder Mystery Dinner

SET in the Memorial Hall at the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre, participants will enter the village of Pokeingham-Softlyon-the-Wold in a classic murder mystery dinner experience coming to Wangaratta next week.

Meet crime writer Jonathon Mapletree and a cast of suspicious characters as you solve this quintessentially British whodunnit, beginning with a welcome drink and canapes on arrival, followed by a sit-down two course dinner.

Question the suspects, decipher the clues and work to crack the case, with everyone invited to come dressed in the stylish Art Deco period and fully immerse themselves in this experience to die for.

Dinners will be held on Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4 from 6.30pm to 9.30pm, with tickets available at wpacc. com.au.

Wool Day in Milawa

WANGARATTA

Handweavers and Spinners together with North East Yarns will present its annual Wool Day event at the Milawa Community Hall on Saturday, April 27 from 10am to 3pm.

The theme for this year is “InVESTed” with a feature display of vests demonstrating the skills of crafters and a variety of techniques.

There will also be a display of completed entries for the 2024 International Scarf Exchange and traders will have fibres, yarns, equipment and crafted items for sale.

Entry is $2 with refreshments available all day and funds raised contribute to improvements at the hall.

Platypus and Rakali discovery event

THE Rural City of Wangaratta along with North East Catchment Management Authority (NECMA) and Wangaratta Landcare and Sustainability will present a Platypus and Rakali discovery event at the Mullinmur Wetland on Friday, May 3.

The event is a chance to learn more about Australia’s fascinating water mammals: the renowned Platypus and the lesser-known Rakali (Australian Water Rat). It will be an enriching event featuring insightful presentations by local specialists, engaging interactive exhibits, enjoyable family activities and a barbecue.

It will be held at 3.45pm and is free to attend (byo water bottle, sturdy shoes and mosquito protection) with registration at events. humanitix.com/mullinmurplatypus-rakali.

Shadow Mur mur s Murmurs ar rives at arrives Wangaratta Ar t Art Galler y Gallery

AN exhibition of drawings and sculptures by Julie Monro-Allison is being presented in Gallery 2 at Wangaratta Art Gallery. Shadow Murmurs explores themes of transformation and the evolution of form – from drawing to sculpture.

Monro-Allison’s ink and graphite drawings, ceramic forms, bronze and woven cane sculptures were developed from sketches made while investigating and observing living organisms and their cycles of life: in this instance the termite mounds in Far North Queensland. These striking and monumental sculptural forms are habitats that termites create for themselves through their manipulation of material.

Wangaratta Art Gallery director Rachel Arndt explained that

as with all living things, there is evolution at play in both art and life; an expression of multidirectional movement, formal variation and response to external factors.

“Through a process of interpretation, iteration and transformation, the end point of Monro-Allison’s practice presents something entirely unique,” Ms Arndt said.

Julie Monro-Allison is a Canberra-based visual artist and researcher.

In 2021 she was awarded a PhD in Fine Arts from the Australian National University, and she has exhibited her work in artist-run and regional galleries in south-eastern Australia.

Her organic sculptures are centred around her drawing practice.

In her 2021 doctoral thesis ‘In-

Ross Wilson and The Peaceniks in Wangaratta

ONE of Australia’s most awarded, respected and well-known artists, Ross Wilson and his all-star band The Peaceniks, will perform 50 Years of Hits at the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre on Friday, May 10 at 8pm.

The show includes all the Daddy Cool and Mondo Rock favourites you’d expect, along with the latest offering from an almost six-decade career, tracks from his latest EP and everything in between.

Twice inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, Wilson’s live performances are legendary, with tickets available now at wpacc.com.au.

Historic Winton arrives in May

THE 47th annual Historic Winton, Australia’s longest running, all-historic motor race meeting, will be held at Winton Motor Raceway on May 25 and 26.

Over 400 historic racing cars, motorbikes and sidecars from the 1920s to the 1980s are expected to battle it out for line honours, supported by vehicle displays, an automotive trader market, food vendors and more.

Tickets are available at historicwinton.org.

yourstars

tracorporeal Entanglement’ she writes: “In my practice, drawing tends to be more immediate and more playful than textiles or sculpture, and I found that sketching and drawing lead to new ideas and different approaches to the concepts of… imagined space and of division and connection.”

Julie Monro-Allison will be speaking about her work on Friday, May 3 from 5pm, prior to the opening reception of her exhibition Shadow Murmurs at 5.30pm, at Wangaratta Art Gallery.

The launch will also celebrate Petite Miniature Textiles 2024, the popular biennial textile exhibition.

All are welcome and a free ticket can be booked by visiting wangarattaartgallery.com.au.

Shadow Murmurs is open to the public until June 9 in Gallery 2 at the Wangaratta Art Gallery.

Pop in for Bright Singers coming shows

BRIGHT Singers are bringing you a smorgasbord of classic pop tunes with two nights of performances spanning music from the 1950s to early 2000s.

Bring along your singing voice to join in with the singers’ rendition of My Fair Lady (1950s), Unchained Melody, Eye of the Tiger and more.

The performances are a $5 entry and will both be held at the Bright Senior Citizens Centre at 10 Cobden Street from 4pm on Sunday, April 28 and Sunday, May 5.

 Vicar of Dibley on stage in Beechworth

BEECHWORTH Theatre Company presents the classic British television comedy

The Vicar of Dibley live on stage at the Beechworth Memorial Hall on Friday, May 10 at 7.30pm, Saturday, May 11 at 5pm, Sunday, May 12 at 2pm, Saturday, May 18 at 5pm, Sunday, May 19 at 2pm.

Tickets $30 adult, $25 groups of six or more, $20 student/concession, $15 kids 6 to 12, kids under 6 free.

Purchase tickets at Stickytickets.com. au or at the door.

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) A little woolgathering is OK, but don’t let that dreamy state linger beyond midweek, when you’ll want to be ready to take on new workplace responsibilities.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Love rules the week for single Bovines seeking romance. Attached pairs also find new joy in their relationships. The 29th should bring news about a business opportunity.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Home becomes the center of a new social whirl, as you show off your talent for hosting great parties. You can expect to impress a lot of people who’ve never seen this side of you.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) The Moon Child might have to raise those powers of persuasion up a notch to get a still-wary colleague to agree to go along with your plans. Finding more facts to back up your position helps.

LEO (July 23 to August 22)Hold off trying to fix the blame for an apparent mishandling of a work situation. A full investigation could reveal surprising facts on how and why it really happened.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22)

Your ability to see the details that others might overlook gives you an advantage in assessing an offer that possibly seems too good to be true. A trusted colleague has advice.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22)

Expect to be called on once again to act as the peacemaker in a long-simmering dispute that suddenly flares up. Offer advice, but be careful to stay out of the fray.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21)

Your organizational skills help you line up your priorities so that you get things done without added pressure. The weekend could hold a special surprise.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) New ventures are favored, but don’t launch yours before rechecking all the facts and sources. Also, be sure that you can rely on support from certain people.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19)

Don’t be pushed into renegotiating an agreement, even though it might help avoid a potential impasse. Get legal advice before you sign or agree to anything.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18)

Helping others is what Aquarians do so well. But this time, someone wants to help you. Expect to hear some news that will both surprise and delight you.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20)

Things go so swimmingly by mid-week that you’re tempted to take on more tasks. Best advice:

Finish what you have now, then enjoy a wellearned relaxing weekend.

EVOLVING FORMS: Julie Monro-Allison works on Shadow Murmurs in her studio. The artist will speak about her practice at the gallery on Friday, May 3 from 5pm.

PHOTO: Julie Monro-Allison

A BLESSED COMEDY: Geraldine (Lyndal Perry) and Alice (Monique Hillenaar) ponder their latest lesson from life in Beechworth Theatre Company’s Vicar of Dibley which opens on May 10.

NECMA calls calls for community for input on King River plan

THE North East Catchment Management Authority (NECMA) is seeking community input to help it develop a rehabilitation plan for the King River, to address recent flood damage and protect and manage the waterway in the future.

NECMA will hold a series of drop-in sessions next week in Oxley, Moyhu and Cheshunt, where locals can raise their concerns, identify priority areas and say what they would like to see done.

The authority says the rehabilitation plan will “guide future investment to maintain the King River as a key environmental, economic and social asset for North East Victoria.”

The plan is being developed to address damage from recent flooding and to understand the future impacts of climate change such as more frequent and severe weather events.

NECMA project officer Phill Falcke, who is leading the initiative, confirmed the authority is seeing significant damage caused more often by flooding from extreme weather events.

“This plan will identify the most vulnerable areas, examine our methods of management and stewardship, and help us prepare and prioritise future actions that will guide government investment into the King River as it becomes available,” he said.

“We’re conscious more

BY ANITA McPHERSON amcpherson@ nemedia.com.au

work is needed following the flood damage over the past couple of years.

“This plan will make it far easier for us to demonstrate to government where work will deliver the best value.

“Central to developing the plan is understanding what concerns, priorities and aspirations the neighbouring landholders and community have for the King River.”

In 2020, 13 local landholders wrote to NECMA and signed a petition asking the authority to address serious issues of flood damage they had identified, and a site inspection took place.

The authority then wrote back to the landholders, advising them that while they acknowledged there was a problem, it “was not in a position to contribute financially to these works.”

Local landholder and petition signatory Brett Hennessy said he welcomed NECMA’s call for community input and was encouraged it publicly acknowledged the significant areas of damage the King River has suffered after many years of neglect, and more recently during a series of minor and major flood events.

But he said he was also concerned, as the group of landholders who own river frontage between Whitfield and King Valley had already

WANGARATTA Senior Citizens Club hosts an Anzac-themed event today from 1.30pm at its clubrooms in Tara Court, off Ford Street.

Indoor carpet bowls is on Thursday from 12 noon, cards (500) on Friday from 1.30pm, indoor carpet bowls on Monday from 12 noon, and cards (500) and hoy on Tuesday from 1.30pm, all in the group’s clubrooms or in the adjoining St Patrick’s supper room.

THE next Wangaratta Seniors Dance will be held on Friday, April 26 from 2pm to 4pm in St Patrick’s supper room, Ford Street.

Admission $5 members and $7 nonmembers, includes afternoon tea. Enquiries to 0407 357 226 or 0408 032 451.

OXLEY Garden Group will hold its next gathering on Thursday, May 9 from 10am at Gaye and Steven Loechel’s garden at 12 Bartley Street, Moyhu. BYO cup, chair and a small plate to share. Also bring cuttings, bulbs, etc and gardening tips to share.

Enquiries to Gaye on 0467 323 144.

All welcome.

King River. PHOTO: Anita McPherson

ANZAC Day services in King Valley

A DAWN service will be held on Anzac Day tomorrow at the Cheshunt Hall from 6am (refreshments provided).

A service will also be held in the Moyhu Lions Park at 10am where there will be a public wreath laying and refreshments provided by the Moyhu CWA and Lions Club.

If anyone would like to help the Moyhu CWA plant some poppies for the service, join them at the memorial today at 4pm.

There will also be poppies available for those who would like to place one on the memorial during the service.

Moyhu CWA meeting

THE next meeting of the Moyhu CWA will be held on Wednesday, May 8 at 7.30pm. Contact moyhucwa@ outlook.com or Moyhu Evening Facebook page for more details, with all welcome.

Old School night out in Edi Upper

been consulting with NECMA about their river issues for almost three and a half years.

“I feel that by the time we have more consultation, developing of plans, preparing of funding applications and then waiting for funding approval, it will be many more years before we see any actual physical works on our river,” he said.

“After years of inattention along our waterways, the advent of climate change and the passing of more time before something - or

WANGARATTA Sing Australia Group holds its weekly meetings each Wednesday from 7.30pm to 9pm at Purbrick Hall, next to Holy Trinity Cathedral.

For details, call Keith Fleet on 0491 114 480 or Cheryl Hoysted on 0419 005 062.

WANGARATTA Woodworkers Inc meet at the Wangaratta Showgrounds each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 9am to 12 noon (closing earlier if no-one is present).

The rooms are open on the first and third Wednesday of each month from 7pm to 8.30pm, and Sundays from 10am to 1pm.

All welcome - contact Bevan on 0437 196 118.

WANGARATTA Keenagers Table Tennis Club plays on Mondays and Thursdays at the table tennis centre at the Wangaratta Showgrounds. Play begins at 8am and new players are welcome.

Morning tea provided – please

anything - actually happens, is a luxury the river and the landholders along its banks can ill afford.

“The old saying that ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure’ can easily be applied to some of the problems that King River is currently suffering.

“I ask that NECMA fast track works where they know there is a pressing problem, and then develop a long-term community-based plan that will help our King River continue to flow proud and clean into the future.”

SOCIAL CALENDAR

bring your own cup. Contact Maureen O’Keefe on 0409 215 881.

WANGARATTA Orchid Club meets on the second Wednesday of each month from 6.30pm in St Patrick’s supper room, off Ford Street.

Meetings include flower shows and talks, and everyone is welcome.

Phone Hans on 0428 119 737.

SATURDAY Quilters meet on the first Saturday of each month from 9.30am in the Wangaratta Small Bore Rifle Club rooms off the river end of College Street.

Beginner and experienced members welcome. Contact Frances on 0417 158 220.

OXLEY table tennis weekly social competition is held on Mondays from 7pm at the Oxley Hall.

All are welcome to attend one of three drop-in sessions being held on Monday, April 29 at the Oxley Shire Hall from 10am to 1pm, and at the Moyhu Soldiers Memorial Hall from 2pm to 5pm, and on Tuesday, April 30 at the Cheshunt Hall from 10am to 1pm.

Mr Falcke said for those who can’t make it to a session, details of the project and an online feedback form will soon be available on our website at King River Rehabilitation Plan (necma. vic.gov.au).

Adults and secondary school students of all ages and abilities are welcome to join in.

Bring your own bat, $2 entry fee, and small plate to share.

Contact June Uebergang on 0497 860 785 (text only).

COME and play mahjong at the Wangaratta RSL on Thursdays from 11am. Beginners welcome.

Contact Jan on 0429 166 016.

WANGARATTA Toastmasters meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month from 6.45pm at The Centre in Chisholm Street.

For more information, contact Joanne Howell on 0417 558 881.

COME and try croquet at the Wangaratta Croquet Club, 46 Ryan Avenue, on Monday, Wednesday or Saturday at 9am.

Equipment and instruction provided.

Phone Susan Fischer on 0417 217 009.

AN event designed to bring the King Valley community together and remember the days of old school dances at the local hall, will be held at the Edi Upper Hall on Saturday, May 11 from 7pm.

The Rural City of Wangaratta Grit and Resilience Program team are partnering with jazz band Sweet, to present a fun night of music and dancing, with everyone welcome.

The Whitfield District Primary School will be catering for the event and drinks will be available for purchase at bar prices.

Book your free ticket at events.humanitix.com/oldschool-night-out-edi-upperhall.

Email wangsymphonyorchestra@ gmail.com or call Wendie 0408 495065.

THE Wangaratta Artists welcome budding artists to come along, and established artists to exhibit in the studio at Batchelor’s Green. The group meets on Mondays and Thursdays from 12 noon.

Phone Clare on 0419 365 149.

CYCLING Without Age Wangaratta offers free tri–shaw rides to the elderly, and to people of any age with disabilities or reduced mobility.

Phone 0418 387 089 or email cwawangaratta@gmail.com

PARKINSON’S Disease Support Group meets every Friday at the Wangaratta RSL for coffee at 10am.

Those who are able meet at the main entrance at 9.30am for a 30-minute river walk prior to coffee.

WANGARATTA Symphony Orchestra meets each Tuesday from 7.30pm to 9.30pm at Wangaratta Baptist Church, 1 Sisely Avenue.

Contact Dave James on 0409 011 953 or Ros Taylor on 0429 624 844.

FLOOD DAMAGE: Local landholders including (from left) Brett Hennessy, Allan Evans and Lidia Sartori have been consulting with NECMA for over three years in the hope of seeing action taken on significant blockages and erosion sites on the

CONCRETING, big or small jobs, paths, driveways, shed slabs, verandahs, 15 years experience. For a free quote, phone Trev Anderson on 0422 200 761.

MARK’S Mowing, reasonable prices, ride on mowing, edging, clean up, spraying and any waste removal. Ph 0472 603 156.

PAINTER, old school, for all your painting needs, commercial, industrial renovations. Phone Julian 0412 597 482. TILING, wall/floor, bathrooms, renovations. Phone Claude 0435 945 513.

Thursday, April 25 12 noon and Saturday, April 27, 8am, 13 Walter Street, Wangaratta, cash only.

APOLOGY. I am sorry for my disrespectful comments to our captain and for also putting our administration under immense pressure during hard times. All hail the king.

HOLDEN MOTOR AND PARTS, 161 Holden motor and gearbox complete, 2 EH and EJ Holden panel van back doors, wheelbarrow full of various Holden parts. Also selling PLANTS – plenty of plants left! Ph 0484 297 122.

FOR GENUINE SALE, the chance to purchase the complete package when it comes to heading off on the trip of a lifetime! The package includes a 2010 Toyota GX V8 trayback ute with extended cabin and steel and canvas canopy over rear tray, the ute has done a genuine 51,200kms, it has been fitted out with over $30,000 in extras, reg (1MP2DP). The caravan is a 2016 Jayco Silverline Outback, 21’6” in length, the Silverline was the top of the range in that model, it is fitted with all of the quality appliances you would expect in a van of this quality, it is also fitted with a queen size electric slide out bed, it has travelled approx 6000kms, all on bitumen surfaces, the van comes with over $10,000 worth of extras, it is a must see to believe what is included in this package. Would possibly sell the ute and van seperately, $150,000 negotiable, must sell.

Ph 0407 218 028.

CARAVANS & CAMPERS

2019 Ezytrail forward fold with annex and many extras including 95L f/freezer, $15,000, located Euroa. Ph 0437 064 426.

CARAVAN Phoenix Scorpion Off-Road, reluctant sale, $15,000. Ph 0407 373 167.

OLD cars wanted, cars removed. Ph 0435 083 115.

HONDA Accord Euro sedan 2005, red, auto, one owner, regularly serviced, runs well, reg (TNC309), no RWC, straight, 466,686km, Whitfield, $2200 ono. Ph 0447 526 403.

CLARKE, Robert “Bob”. Sincere love to our sister Dot, Kathy, Greg, Peter and families.

~ Gill and family, Pat and family, Gail and family.

MILLER, Mavis Olive.

10/3/1938 – 20/4/2024

HOLDEN Vy Commordore 2003, car is mechanically A1 serviced and maintained regularly, v ery clean inside and out, no dints or scratched, always garaged, comes with HSV body kit and door plates, 295 289km, reg till Sep 2024 (1CT5VS), $6200 ono. Ph 0427 214 821.

2006 NISSAN PATHFINDER, reg (UDQ911), 180,000km, 1 owner, 7 seater, second spare, roof racks, very good condition, $8000 ono. Call Robin 0412 485 113.

FORD XR6 sedan for sale (XIB978), aero blue, automatic, 54,000km, rego in December, $25,000, contact Debbie 0427 711 462.

2015 Skoda Octavia Scout Premium Wagon, diesel, roof racks, tow bar, 304,000km, service history, RWC, reg (AEV982), $8000 ono. Ph 0438 648 123, Milawa.

Passed away suddenly in Wangaratta. Loved and loving wife of Max (dec) for 63 years. Loving Mum of Suzi, Judi, Diane, Denise and their partners. Adored and cherished Granma of 11 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.

To hear your voice, to see you smile, To sit and talk a little while, To be together in the same old way, Would be our greatest wish today.

RICKARD, Diana Monica. 22/9/1944 – 17/4/2024

Passed away peacefully at Blackwood Cottage, Beechworth. Aged 79 years.

Dearly loved daughter of Herbert and Phyllis Rickard (both dec). Loved sister and sister-in-law of Bert (dec) and Wendy, Lance and Beth, Lester (dec) and Bettye, Kevin and Evange, Terry and Judy, Jenny and Tim. Loved Aunty to

DEATH NOTICES

SHERIDAN, Sandra Margaret.

Born January 26, 1969. Passed away April 18, 2024. Aged 55 years.

Much loved and loving Mum of Sebastian, Tobias, Declan and Nevi.

Devoted partner to Darren.

Much loved sister and sister-in-law of Ray and Terri, Karen and Barry, Helen and Fraser, Joyleen and Greg, Colleen and Rennie.

Treasured by all her nieces and nephews. Safe in the arms of Mum, Dad, Helen and Rennie.

Our heartfelt sympathy to Darren and family and all Sandy’s wonderful friends.

“Let your heart be free and your soul will fly!”

RIP Sandy.

The party will never be over!

As per Sandy’s wishes, privately cremated.

N.J. TODD

Member AFDA

BENALLA (03) 5762 2461 EUROA 1800 352 425

FUNERALS

MILLER

A service to celebrate the life of Mrs Mavis Olive Miller will be held in the Mason Park Chapel, 95 Mason Street, Wangaratta on Friday, April 26, 2024 at 10am. A private family burial will follow. In lieu of flowers a donation can be made online in memory of Mavis to the Cancer Council at www.cancer.org.au/

Mavis’ service can be viewed via livestream at www.masonpark.com.au/live-streaming/

Mason Park Funerals 5721 5060 masonpark.com.au

RICKARD

A funeral service to honour the life of Diana Rickard will be held on Monday, April 29, 2024 at the Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral, Wangaratta commencing at 11am.

MEMORIAL SERVICE

HAMPSHIRE, Allan John.

A graveside service for Allan will be held at the Wangaratta Cemetery on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at 12noon.

FLOYD

Gregory Allan September 5, 1973 - April 25, 2017

Loving father to Daeja, Aniston, Urban and Koda.

Beloved son to Dawn (dec) and Charles (dec).

Loved brother of Naomi, Rodney, Trudi, Murray, Annette, Neville, Justin.

“Always loved, will never be forgotten”.

FUNERAL DIRECTORS

Davis wins Leeton Cup

By KIM WOODS WANGARATTA

Chris Davis scored his first CopRice Leeton Cup on Saturday with jockey Brittany Button snatching victory on Jayzeal at the post.

Carrying 55kg, the fiveyear-old gelding came down the outside of the field with a big run and lunged at the post in a photo finish with the Holbrook Cup winner Dark Legacy in the $14,000 Benchmark 58 Handicap.

Jayzeal is owned by the Illowra Stud of Dr Nigel Berry, Mrs Meredith Berry and Mrs K Davis, notching up his second win in 27 starts.

The gelding covered the 1600m in 1.36.34 with the last 600m in 35.29 and paid $12.

Jockey Brittany Button has only been race riding since the Towong meeting on March 24 and the Leeton Cup was her third win.

Dark Legacy, trained by Craig Weeding, Wangaratta, led the field from the barriers with Jake Duffy in the saddle and was second by a short head.

A neck away in third was the favourite Fil, trained by Scott Spackman, Wagga Wagga, and ridden by Josh Richards.

Winning trainer Chris Da-

vis had brought a team of six horses to Leeton.

“I told Brittany to ride him cold as the track is very round out the back and to find a position with a little bit of cover,” Davis said.

“She was able to jump from barrier nine and about the 1200m she was sitting on the rail out the back comfortably.

“She did a really good job to ride him on the rail in a very economical run.

“We threw this horse in it because we think he is good enough, Dr Nigel Berry and the owners sent him to me, saying he would put the score on the board for us so to win the cup is grand.

“We’ve had three fourths with some nice horses, so we’ve had a good day.

“I love this track; I love coming here and the mile start right outside the jockey’s room.

“The straight here is just glorious as every horse has an opportunity - it’s a big open straight.”

Brittany went on to land her second winner of the meeting with Wagunda in the Leeton Hotel/Symtrek Pty Ltd Class 1 Maiden Plate over 1600m.

The six-year-old gelding was having his 24th start for Wangaratta trainer Andrew

second at Holbrook on April 13.

It was half a length to second, Stipulator, trained by Ron Hockley, Seymour, and ridden by Jake Duffy, while a length away in third was Factored In, trained by Con Kelly, Swan Hill, and ridden by Jack Martin. With the track rated a Good 3, the 80th anniversary Leeton meeting drew 63 acceptances for the six-race program carrying $74,000 in prizemoney.

In the Leeton Toyota/Leeton Floors Maiden Plate over 1150m, the four-year-old gelding Boyfriend, trained by Dan McCarthy, Wangaratta, stormed home in an



exciting win for the connections after the horse had a year off due to injury.

“It was a damn good run by Boyfriend first up after a year off,” part-owner Nick Senkic said.

“He won it pretty easily, and coming off a big injury he isn’t stretching out completely at the moment so the improvement that will come from this prep should be excellent.”

Ridden by Nick Heywood and carrying 59kg, Boyfriend ran the distance in 1.09.50, with the last 600m in 34.64.

One and a half lengths away in second was Shipshewana, trained by Simon Noble, Seymour, and ridden by

Samantha Noble, while oneand three-quarter lengths away in third was Flying Celebration, trained by Shane Bloomfield, Narrandera, and ridden by Jack Martin.

Former Leeton apprentice Josh Richards returned to his old track to win the PSP Haulage/Hotondo Homes Maiden Handicap over 1050m with three-year-old filly Maitimausu, trained by Michael Travers, Wagga Wagga.

Jessica Booth rode Irish Consort to a dominant finish in the Milbrae Concrete and Quarries Class 2 Handicap over 1050m to win by four and a half lengths. The four-year-old gelding was having his second win

in nine starts for Wangaratta trainer Dan McCarthy and ran the distance in 59.80 to beat Zoulane, trained by Steven Noble.

Jerilderie trainer Ross Purcell scored a win with Gobbo’s Mate in the Yenda Producers/Lanhams Jewellers Benchmark 50 Handicap over 1150m. Ridden by rising star Kayla Nisbet and carrying 61kg, the five-yearold gelding scored by half a length to Miss Beautiful, trained by Andrew Dale, Wangaratta, and ridden by Bradley vale.

One and a quarter length in third was Thrill of the Fight trained by Nathan Newton, Wangaratta, and ridden by Jason Lyon.

HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT FOR KATE FAWKNER

By CHLOE JAENICKE

AFTER many years of transitioning from male to female, Kate Fawkner was able to compete as a woman at the Australian National Para-Athletics Championships in Adelaide.

The championships took place on April 12 and 13 and Fawkner came second in seated discus and fourth in seated javelin.

Fawkner said she was proud to finally be able to compete as a woman and to be one of the oldest competitors at the championships at 66 years of age.

“I was just so happy to compete, it was quite a historic day because people got to see a transgender athlete competing, it was an unbelievable feeling,” she said.

“All the girls were very welcoming and I’ve known some of them for up to 10 years.

“I’m grateful to be able to finally continue my career as the female athlete I believe I am.”

While she was eventually able to compete in the female competitions, Fawkner said this wasn’t confirmed until the day before she flew out to Adelaide and

was initially given an ultimatum about whether she would qualify for the men’s or women’s events.

“The first option was to compete in the women’s competition where I’d get no results and wouldn’t be in contention for medals, so I definitely wasn’t going that way,” she said.

“My other option was to compete in the men’s but there were insufficient athletes competing so there would be no medals, but the performance would be recorded.

“After deciding to compete in the men’s competition it wasn’t until the day before I flew out that I received a call from Athletics Australia saying that I would be eligible to present as a female athlete.”

Ms Fawkner has been competing athletics for most of her life where she said she has experienced many ups and downs.

Initially, she started off in sprint events but ended her track career in 1980 after an injury.

“One particular event, in 1980 I managed to run my best time and two weeks later I fractured my back and that was the end of my sprinting career,” she said.

She also suffers from a rare degenerative nerve disease called Charcot Marie Tooth syndrome (CMT).

“It’s slowly destroying my nerves and muscles, so I use athletics as something positive in my life,” she said.

Despite all the hardships throughout her career, Fawkner said her main advice to others is to persevere and keep working hard.

“With all my hard work my advice for kids is just enjoy your younger years in competition, find yourself a good coach and follow your dreams,” she said.

Fawkner said she has always wanted to transition from male to female but hasn’t had the resources, which has left her in limbo between men’s and women’s competitions until now.

“I’ve wanted to transition male to female for virtually all my life,” she said.

“I just wish with all of my heart that I could be allowed to always compete as a trans female athlete instead of being told which category I can and cannot compete in.

“I’m just glad I’ve arrived at a point in my career where I can truly be myself and be accepted.”

 PROUD ATHLETE: Kate Fawkner competed in the women’s competition alongside Julie Charlton and Chloe Tookey at the Australian National ParaAthletics Championships in Adelaide.

trainer

Dale and was coming off a win

Davis

LONG TIME COMING: Kate Fawkner qualified for the women’s athletic events for the first time since transitioning.

SILVER MEDALIST: Kate Fawkner came second in the women’s seated discus.

MATCHRESULTS

Bailey Robb 2, Taj Cooper 1, Liam McManus 1, Adam Morgan 1, Jordyn Notarianni 1. KANGAROOS: Will Graham 3, Ryley Downing 2, Sonny McCormack 2, Jamie Scheier 2, Edward Clayton 1, Billy Hiskins 1, Harvey Jacka 1, Archie Obrien 1. Mansfield 0.1 2.10 6.10 7.15.57

Junior Magpies 4.1 6.1 7.1 9.2.56

BEST: MANSFIELD: Hayden Desmond, Liam Smith, Andrew Friday, nick Taylor, Edwin Morphett, Jaxon McCormack. JUNIOR MAGPIES: Corey Petersen, William Petersen, Jackson Hewitt, Lachlan Suffield, Joel Comensoli, Riley Burrows. GOALS: MANSFIELD: Andrew Friday 3, Ethan Pigdon 2, James Benton 1,

MANSFIELD YELLOW: Zac Hotton, Isaac Crowe, Felix Smith, Lachlan Roberts, William Benton, Noah De Santis. BENALLA BLACK: Kobi Thwaites, Joshua Montgomery, Ben Wells, Hudson Blyss, Oliver Wardill, Hugh Ross. GOALS: MANSFIELD YELLOW: Oscar Pigdon 1, Mitch Rossiter 1, Mitch Storer 1. BENALLA BLACK: Oliver Wardill 2, Ryder Humphries 1, Joshua Montgomery 1, Hugh Ross 1. Mansfield Blue 2.6

Magpies

BEST: MANSFIELD BLUE: No best players have been selected. JUNIOR MAGPIES: No best players have been selected. GOALS: MANSFIELD BLUE: Regan Watts 4, Jay Kynnersley 3, Taj Kynnersley 2, Bodhi Killeen 1, Gus Robinson 1, Pichpanha Sorn 1, Logan Vanderkolk 1. MAGPIES: No goal scoreers have been selected.

Myrtleford

BEST: MYRTLEFORD: Matthew Morgan, Max McMahon, Noah Harris, Jake Jennings, Orlando Hunkin, Tex Cartwright. KANGAROOS:

POSITIVE RESULT: Hannah Swindley, pictured in last weekend’s clash with Melrose, said the draw with Boomers wasn’t a terrible result considering their players unavailabilities.

Devils men lose fourth straight game

By WILLSON MACK

WANGARATTA City’s form slump continued with a 3-0 loss to Boomers at Glen Park on Sunday.

Despite the returns of Vitaly Leschen, Alex Pitt and Mason Taylor, as well as the inclusion of Scottish goalkeeper Jamie Walker, Boomers led 1-0 at halftime before finding the back of the net twice in the second half to win convincingly over the struggling Devils.

Decha Saisnaid, Mangara MunguaKonkhwa and Max Lynch all scored in the one-sided affair.

The Devils are now 1-4 to start the season and face an uphill battle to get their season back on track. Wangaratta face the fifth placed Twin City this weekend before the bye but return to face Albury Hotspurs and Myrtleford in the following weeks in games that will shape the rest of their season.

Lady Devils deadlocked with Boomers

SUNDAY’S division one women’s match between Wangaratta City FC and Boomers ended in a stalemate at Glen Park, with the two sides splitting the points with a 3-3 scoreline.

The Lady Devils entered the match with a heavily impacted side, with many players pulling double duty from the earlier reserves match to help fill out the senior side.

Disaster struck early, after Sarah Morris went down with an injury, later confirmed to be a broken bone in the lower leg.

Despite this, the Lady Devils pressed on, fighting their way to a 1-1 half-time score.

Boomers managed to take control of momentum through the second half, finding the back of the net on two more occasions to lead 3-2 before the Lady Devils clinched an equaliser in the dying minutes of the game.

Senior player and division two women’s coach Hannah Swindley said given the difficulties the side faced, a 3-3 draw wasn’t a terrible outcome.

“We were really short on numbers that week, we had a couple of big names out,” she said.

“We had no Leanne (Branson), (Caitlin) Rizzo or Lara (Seeger), so it was always going to be a difficult game for us.

“We managed to hold on, we’re still learning to play with each other - we’ve got a lot of new players come into the

Wilson awarded Rising Star nomination

By WILLSON MACK

BY NATHAN DE VRIES ndevries@ nemedia.com.au

team this year, and a lot of young players.

“We were 3-2 down with a couple of minutes to go, and we managed to get a goal in the last few minutes to come away with the draw.

“It was quite an open game, to be honest, end to end, and we both had chances.

“It felt like a win with what we had available, so we can’t really complain about that.”

Swindley said a few players would work towards being able to run out a full game, with fitness a key area they could improve on.

“The first half was definitely better for us, I think fitness is still an issue we’re having this season, a couple of us need to get a couple more 90 minutes into our legs,” she said.

“The second half was always going to be a bit difficult, but thankfully the opposition was very similar to us - I think their first half was stronger and then in the second half they had a few fitness issues as well.”

Swindley’s reserve women’s squad managed to come away with a win in their clash with Boomers Red, with Samantha Cairns finding the match winner in the 1-0 result.

WANGARATTA’S Darcy Wilson has been awarded an AFL Rising Star nomination after a strong performance in St Kilda’s loss to Western Bulldogs last Thursday.

The six-game Saint’s effort showcased another strong link in a chain of impressive outings since making his debut against Geelong in round one.

Wilson recorded 15 disposals, 442 metres gained and a goal against the Bulldogs and is currently averaging 13.8 touches and 290 metres gained in his fledgling career.

Saints legend and development coach Lenny Hayes delivered the news to Wilson after training on Monday to the raptures of his teammates.

The No. 22 is St Kilda’s third Rising Star nominee in the past two seasons, following teammates Mitch Owens and Mattaes Phillipou last year.

RISING STAR: Darcy Wilson has been nominated for the AFL Rising Star. PHOTO: AFL Photos

LOSING STREAK: Lachlan Campbell and Wangaratta City lost their fourth game in a row, going down to Boomers on Sunday.

PHOTO: Kat De Naps Photography

PHOTO: Kat De Naps Photography

ROUND 4

NETBALLREVIEWS

Rovers on the board

■ From back page

Sami Kreltszheim shot 33 goals in a strong performance, while Reid said Mikaela Trethowan and Molly Murray were both strong.

“Mikaela played so well, she was awesome for us and has been all season – she’s so athletic and has a good leap on her,” she said.

“Sami was good in the ring and Molly Murray did really well in GK.”

The Hawks now hit the bye before returning with a clash against the last placed Lavington who are now the only side not to win a game in the A grade competition.

“We’ll take this week off, I want the girls to rest and recover before getting back into it next week,” Reid said.

“We then play Lavington so hopefully we take plenty of confidence into that game, we know how well we can play and

hopefully we bring that against them and get another win.”

Meanwhile, Wangaratta downed Yarrawonga by seven goals at JC Lowe Oval.

In what was the Magpies’ most impressive win for the season thus far, they led by six goals at the first break and never looked back as they grabbed a 44-37 victory.

Amanda Umanski was impressive under the ring netting 38 goals, while Katie Dean was ever present in defence.

Post-match, Dean said it was a tough battle .

“It’s always a tough battle when you play Yarrawonga, you can never count them out of the game,” Dean said.

“It doesn’t matter what the scoreline is they always come hard.

“We had to play patient and trust each other.”

NETBALLREVIEWS ROUND 4

Bats on the board, Demons demolish Tarra

JUNIOR NETBALL

By NATHAN DE VRIES

IT was a scintillating round of A grade Ovens and King netball on Saturday, with close calls and massive results across the competition.

Goorambat recorded their first win of the season, a thrilling two-goal result over a fired up North Wangaratta squad, the Bats home 46-44.

With new faces around the club and a few players carrying injuries, the Bats stretched their legs after half-time to take a five-goal lead into the final term.

Coach Amelia Gall said the composure and teamwork on display from the team was incredibly impressive to see.

“It took us a while to find our feet, but once we settled into place, we got our rhythm going,” she said.

“We kept driving forward and kept our prelim moves going, we’ve been working a lot on that at training to

make sure we do the hard work before the ball comes towards us, and I think that really paid off.

“Fatigue got to us in the end, it was a very hot day, but we just kept the rotations going, just kept fighting through.

“A couple had to double up from B grade and play A grade, so it was hard to keep those fresh legs on but we managed to keep possession and keep it nice and calm.”

Elsewhere, Milawa shot back after the bye with an emphatic 20-goal win over rivals Tarrawingee, taking the points 53-33.

“We had a great game against Tarra, they came out of the blocks firing and took control of the game in the first quarter,” Milawa coach Kerrie Gray said.

“We settled into the game in the second and were able to find some good connections down court and capitalised on our opportunities.

“It was one of those games

that the scoreboard didn’t necessarily reflect the game but I was really pleased with how our girls stepped up to the challenge and released the ball with confidence, paying dividends on the scoreboard.

“Sarah Matthews-Vincent did a power of work in defence and Jordie Leslie had a great game in goals.”

The Demons take on Bonnie Doon this weekend, who will be eager to bounce back after their loss to Greta on Saturday.

The Bombers fought hard all day but were no match for the reigning premiers, with Greta taking the win 51-47.

Greta were on fire from the first whistle, leveraging a seven goal advantage at quarter time into a 10 goal margin by the end of the second term.

In other matches, Whorouly proved too strong for Bright 48-28, while the Hoppers handed King Valley a shock loss 38-31.

Junior netball returns for 2024

By WILLSON MACK

SEVENTY-ONE teams descended on the Wangaratta Netball Association Representative tournament on Sunday for the association’s biggest tournament to date.

Teams from all over the state and NSW came to test out their abilities.

Wangaratta had six representative teams from across four age groups.

Wangaratta under 15’s team was the most successful on the day coached by Megan O’Keefe and Felicity Lincoln.

They took out the grand final in extra time.

While Stacey Lamb’s under 17’s side went down in the decider by one goal.

ATTACK: Jordan Leslie looks for the best route to goal in the Demons’ 20 goal win over Tarrawingee.

PHOTOS: Kurt Hickling

FIRST WIN: Sami Kreltszheim and Wangaratta Rovers grabbed their first win for 2024 against Albury on Saturday. PHOTOS: Kurt Hickling IMPRESSIVE: Mikaela Trethowan impressed for Rovers.

More players roll up for the NE seniors tennis circuit

By DAVID GODKIN

THE latest round of the NE seniors tennis circuit was held under perfect autumnal conditions on Sunday, April 21 at Wangaratta Lawn Tennis Croquet and Pickle Ball Club at Merriwa Park.

Tournament organiser and club treasurer Kevin Callahan was delighted with 46 registrations to play. This is one of the best registration numbers at any of

the NE participating clubs as the group continues to regain momentum and recover well from the devastation of the COVID times.

Many players from Wangaratta supported the event but players also came from Benalla, Violet Town, Euroa, Albury, Shepparton, Yarrawonga and interstate players from Wagga Wagga. Two very keen players even ventured up to play from East Croydon in Melbourne.

The tournament was again sponsored by Gapsted Estate Alpine Valley wines, each court winner and runner up in the round robin format took home a bottle of their wine.

At the end of the day Kevin thanked the Wangaratta club members who contributed to the catering and cooking.

He then thanked everyone for attending and reminded players that the final round will be in two weeks time at

Yarrawonga and he hoped to see everyone there.

Results:

Men, Section 1 winner John Brunner 29-15 (Yarrawonga), runner up Phil Peck 27-22 (Wangaratta).

Section 2 winner Kevin Callahan 32-15 (Wangaratta), runner up Mark Brown 25-20 (Wangaratta).

Section 3 winner Brian Scobie 32-22(Wangaratta), runner up Ron Habel 28 - 24 (Shepparton).

Section 4 winner Ash Weston 35-23 (East Croydon), runner up Mike Lairson 2830 (Yarrawonga).

Section 5 winner Jason Tan 32-21 (Wangaratta), runner up Paul Ryan 27-27 (Wagga Wagga).

Section 6 winner Mark Gorman 30-17 (Wangaratta), runner up Rob Foster 24-23 (Wagga Wagga).

Section 7 winner Max Mc Cauliffe 30-11 (Wangaratta), equal runners upon

18-23 Bruce Boyd (Euroa) and Drew Porter (Wagga Wagga).

Ladies, Section 1 winner Maree Sullivan 30-11 (Wangaratta), runner up Kate Campbell 19-22 (Benalla).

Section 2 winner Amy Lairson 32-18 (Yarrawonga), runner up Chris Turnbull 2623 (Yarrawonga).

Section 3 winner Tania Mathews 28-18 (Albury), runner up Kim Davis 28-21 (Albury).

Junior women shine for Hawks

WANGARATTA Rovers’ open women team had the bye, so the under 14s and under 17s flew the flag during the club’s first home games at WJ Findlay Oval against Wodonga Bulldogs on Sunday.

The under 14s had six debutantes: Quinn O’Keefe, Amelie Booth, Eva Morris, Eloise Booth, Lily Webb, and Bella Boulton.

Captain for the day was Tessa Koop.

In the first quarter Issy Foster powered through the middle of the ground, Mia Simpson rebounded the ball well out of defence, and Webb was courageous in the contest, with the quartertime scoreline Rovers 0.1 (1) to Wodonga 0.2 (2).

Wodonga got the better of the play in the second term.

There was great rucking from Amy Lowe, roving from Inanay Gilson and Paige-Lee Dummett, and defensive 50 work from Lizzy Healy; Boulton began to show pace around the stoppages; and Zara McCrae and Eloise Booth applied great defensive pressure.

The quarter ended with Wodonga having registered two goals and three points.

Rovers showed improvement in the second half.

Foster weaved past several Bulldogs to register the first goal of the day for Rovers, and

there were some great defensive efforts came from Stella Ryan and Amelie Booth. A run and clearing kick from Foster into the middle of the ground found Eva Morris, who ran after her kick, collected the footy again, then kicked into the forward line where Ruby Newton collected the footy and finished with a lovely snap goal.

The final quarter was a great contest, with Healy putting on several goalsaving tackles, while Quinn O’Keefe, Darcy Murray and Ames Rea ran hard through the middle of the ground.

Simpson used her pace to outrun opponents to save another potential goal, and skipper Koop tackled any-

one close to her.

Final score: Wangaratta Rovers 2.3 (15) lost to Wodonga Bulldogs 4.9 (33)

Goals: Isabelle Foster, Ruby Newton.

Awards: Tessa Koop, Bella Boulton, Eva Morris, Lily Webb.

The under 17s were keen to get a win on the board

They welcomed Tasmyn Clunie, playing her first game for the club, and Mila Armstrong and Ammy Thompson returning from Murray Bushrangers duty.

The inclusion of Armstrong had an immediate impact, as she laid two crunching tackles in the opening minutes of the game. Her kick hit captain Mak Clark,

who calmly slotted the first goal for the Rovers.

A second goal came soon courtesy of Lily Gibb.

Ella Pund was brilliant in the backline, and her running kick-outs from full back launched the ball out of Rovers’ defensive 50.

A great pass from Jones hit Clunie, who led beautifully and then went back to score the Rovers’ third goal of the quarter.

They went into quartertime leading the Bulldogs 3.2 (20) to 2.2 (14).

The Hawks really started to get on top of the Wodonga Bulldogs in the second quarter, starting with a Mak Clark goal.

Immy Cook took on tack-

lers and won the ball out of the contest. Abbey Waide received a handball from Clark and kicked her first goal for the Rovers, with a second a few minutes later with her second.

Clare Collins’ work rate and her accurate kicking was a highlight.

Gemma Couch Trinder propelled the Rovers into attack from half back and a goal on the run by Gibb rounded out the first half, with Rovers leading 7.3 (45) to 3.5 (23). The Rovers’ dominance increased after half time, with Willow Foster moving from the backline into the middle with immediate impact.

The Rovers’ midfield

moved the ball with ease and Harper McGrath took a great mark in the forward line.

Foster picked the ball up, kept running and kicked her first goal for the Rovers.

Lara Maples was solid in the backline, while Jones and Lilias Coonan teamed up on the wing.

Clark kicked the Rovers’ ninth goal, and the Rovers took a commanding 9.5 (59) to 3.8 (26) lead into the last quarter.

Thompson worked tirelessly running through the middle; Chloe Mizzi was in everything; Hannah Carroll kicked it forward to Molly Thomas, who had snuck forward from the half back line, and she kicked a great goal on the run.

Gibb kicked her fourth goal of the game after dodging defenders, while Thompson shrugged a tackle, scored the last goal of the game.

The Rovers came away with their highest score and biggest winning margin in their history, defeating the Bulldogs 13.10 (88) to 4.8 (32).

Awards: Willow Foster, Lily Gibb, Abbey Waide.

Goals: Lily Gibb 4, Mak Clark 3, Abbey Waide 2, Willow Foster, Tasmyn Clunie, Molly Thomas, Ammy Thompson 1.

Final score: Wangaratta Rovers 13.10 (88) defeated Wodonga Bulldogs 4.8 (32).

COURT CAPTAIN AND HER CREW: Cate Geard from Wangaratta was court captain for Andrea Herrin from Mt Beauty, Gemma Kay from Benalla and Tania Mathews and Kim Davis from Albury.

MENS SECTION 1: Men’s section 1 featured Phil Peck from Wangaratta and Michael Reid, Kim Summerhill and Stuart McCurdy from Albury.

INTERSTATE PLAYERS: Jason Tan and Joel Eulenstein from Wangaratta with Paul Ryan from Wagga Wagga and Michael Smith from Benalla.

GETAWAY RUN: Lizzy Healy worked hard in defence during the under 14 game.

STRETCH: Amelie Thompson takes a goal-saving mark in the under 17 match.

LAUNCHED FORWARD

COLLEGE under 12 star Jack Tonkin sends his side forward against Centrals on Saturday.

■ Results and photos: Page 16

Rovers on the board

Wangaratta Rovers netballers win first game for 2024 season, Magpies down WRbllifif2024MidPiPigeons

BOTH local O&M netball clubs scored impressive wins over the weekend with Wangaratta Rovers downing Albury, while Wangaratta took care of Yarrawonga. Wangaratta Rovers are on the board for 2024 after a nine-goal win over Albury at WJ Findlay Oval on Saturday.

However, a 26-goal to 21 second half saw the Rovers win 52-43 and record their first win for the season.

Rovers coach Gracie Reid was stoked to get the first win.

The Hawks opened up a nine-goal lead at the first change, but the Tigers responded closing it to five goals at half-time.

“I feel like we’ve been ready for a win and it’s just reward for the hard work all of the girls have been putting in over the last few months.

“I’m really happy with the result and proud of the girls,” Reid said.

“Finally we got one and hopefully there’s a few more around the corner.”

The Rovers not only won but led from start to finish in a polished display.

“We were firing from the start and went nine or 10 goals up early which was impressive,” Reid said.

“We’ve been working on pushing for a four quarter

performance and we got pretty close on the weekend I think.

“We showed that we can do it for a whole game and that’ll give us plenty of confidence when we come back after this weekend’s bye.”

■ Continued page 18

PHOTO: Kurt Hickling