Mail - Lilydale Star Mail - 1st February 2022

Tuesday, 1 February, 2022

Lilydale

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The 2022 school year begins

Mt Evelyn’s Bobsled Bree off to the Olympics

Group looks to find independent Casey candidate

Remembering local fatal bushfires 60 years on

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A Star News Group Publication

Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808

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Aus Day honours

By Mikayla van Loon The Yarra Ranges saw an impressive line up of community members and groups be awarded with Australia Day honours last week.

From those doing charity work to helping the environment, there was a range of people recognised for their work in the community.

Most notably was Mount Evelyn’s Keren Greenwood, who was named Citizen of the Year for her foodbank and food delivery service across the Yarra Ranges that aims to improve food insecurity.

During the pandemic, Ms Greenwood still facilitated the delivery of 70 meals a week to three locations, one being Lilydale by pivoting to a drive-through service.

As part of the Vantage Point Church, Ms Greenwood said everyone needs a helping hand at some point and this is a small gesture to give them that help.

The Mooroolbark community had quite a bit of representation this year, with Caladenia Dementia Care being awarded as Community Group of the Year, while Geoff Earney received the Ian De La Rue Leadership Award.

The staff at Caladenia Dementia Care shifted their services throughout the lockdowns and Covid-19 restrictions to ensure they could provide support and care to those living with dementia and their carers.

Turning to phone calls and video calls, Caladenia made sure no one went without the necessary help, moral support and communication during the stay at home orders.

For a man who has been a leader in many aspects of his life, Geoff Earney was humbled by the honour of receiving the leadership award.

With many achievements under his belt, both as a volunteer with the CFA and in his professional life, Mr Earney has always taken on the role of manager or leader with dedication and passion.

When it comes to outstanding support and service to the community, Mount Evelyn RSL

Keren Greenwood was honoured as Citizen of the Year for 2022 by Yarra Ranges Council. models those qualities perfectly.

At the 2022 Australia Day Awards, the subbranch received a certificate of recognition for its historical significance, continued service to the community and importance in the lives of

the Mount Evelyn residents.

Each recipient was well deserving and each was humbled by the recognition.

The region also had some incredible people recognised on a national level with Order of

Picture: KATE BAKER Australia Medals and Ambulance Service Medals for their volunteer work.

To read more about these wonderful people who serve the Yarra Ranges and beyond, turn to pages 6 and 7

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IN BRIEF Kilsyth car thief arrested

School year starts It’s that time of year again where a new class of Preps take the leap into their schooling life.

At Rolling Hills Primary School in Mooroolbark, principal Craig Bradley said the school welcomed 45 new students to the campus on Monday 31 January.

This was a rather small cohort of Prep students, given last year the primary school had 69 students begin the year.

“What we’ve noticed is quite a few families across all the schools in the area are maybe making the move to regional Victoria or interstate,” Mr Bradley said.

“It’s a pattern, talking to colleagues, it seems to be that most schools are losing about 5 per cent to that migration.”

Mr Bradley said in the first year of lockdown, the school didn’t see any movement of families but it seems after the second year people have decided to take the opportunity to move elsewhere.

“We’ve put our falling numbers down to that rather than reflecting on anything that we’ve done as a school or as a body of staff or as a team.

“We’re quite happy, though, that we’ve got 45. It’s a nice full two classes and we’re just focusing on trying to make our return to school as enjoyable as possible for the children without the distractions that are out there at the moment.”

Parents were able to pick up their quantity of rapid antigen tests on Friday 28 January, while teachers distributed air purifiers to each of the classrooms ready for the safe return of all students.

Wanting to normalise the Covid-19 testing, Mr Bradley said he even filmed his own chil-

Rolling Hills Primary School welcomed its new Prep students on Monday, an exciting time for all.

Picture: ROLLING HILLS PS dren doing a RAT test to be shared with families so that students felt comfortable.

Many of the practices that were put in place over the last two years will continue into the 2022 teaching year, with the children separated into year level zones and outdoor activities conducted where possible.

Not wanting students to miss out on anything this year, Mr Bradley said he and his teachers will be looking at how they can do things differently to ensure their classes remain safe without compromising those experiences.

“There’s been so much that we’ve lost in the two years, experiences that they haven’t had.

Camps, excursions, incursions that we want to have this year. We want those back on the

table,” he said.

“But we want to make sure that we’re not running something that then sees us putting the kids at unnecessary risk.”

Schools have also had to consider whether children have been vaccinated and even though teachers are on the critical worker list so they can return to work if they are a close contact of someone, Mr Bradley said he doesn’t think his teachers will take up that option.

“It may not be something that teachers or staff take up because they know that even though they’re coming in without symptoms at that point, they’re actually mixing with 25 kids that aren’t vaccinated yet.”

The choice of getting children vaccinated lies with the parents and Mr Bradley said he will be as flexible and accommodating as possible, as some families have chosen not to send their children to school until their kids are vaccinated.

“The difficult thing with that is then your child’s absent really because the expectation to teach 25 kids is hard enough but if you’re teaching 22 and three at home, that’s not feasible really for a teacher.”

But as the rest of the week unfolds, Rolling Hills Primary School will focus on creating a fun and engaging space for its students, where the autonomy of learning from home is introduced on campus.

“It was [student] feedback to us ‘I do well when I can pick my own pathway’. So we’ve been introducing lots of things where they get choice and voice in what they’re doing.”

One on one sessions with teachers will also be carried over from last year, so that students who struggled throughout the pandemic can be helped on an individual level.

Calls for elective surgeries to resume

By Marcus Uhe A South-east resident is leading the call for the Victorian Government to restart elective surgeries which had been paused due to the number of people currently in hospital.

Elective surgeries were temporarily suspended on Thursday 6 January to reduce the pressure on the Victorian health system, as a rise in Covid-19 diagnoses saw a spike in patients admitted to hospitals and severe shortages in available hospital staff.

Noelene Nolan sustained significant injuries when she was the victim of two terrifying home invasions in Hampton Park in 2017.

Since 2019 she has been waiting for facial surgery to treat the wound on the right side of her face, where her parotid gland slashed during the home invasion, which has caused the onset of Freys Syndrome, a condition where saliva leaks from the wound on her face onto her cheek when she eats or drinks.

Delay in receiving treatment for injuries has meant that she cannot receive treatment

for respiratory issues, sleep apnoea or further surgery for vocal chord dysfunction.

“It started off as a category three, it is category two semi-emergency and soon moving to category one, because I risk permanent disfigurement,” Ms Nolan said.

“I have severe diabetes, I have severe lymphedema, I have the vocal chord dysfunction, and through constant long-term use, because I can’t get into a respiratory clinic, they’ve put me on prednisolone, which is a high-strength steroid which is now starting to cause the early onset of glaucoma, which means I will eventually lose my vision.”

The Injuries sustained by Ms Nolan during the home invasion resulting in “numerous back fractures” and significant damage to both knees, so much so that she requires a walking frame and limits time spent standing to 10-minute intervals to avoid experiencing substantial pain.

Ms Nolan has also criticised the decision to recommence in vitro fertilisation (IVF)

procedures in Victoria, announced on Sunday 23 January, citing double standards.

“How do we justify starting IVF treatment, and putting that above people who have serious medical conditions, which can be critical, and people are dying left right and centre?

“My biggest fear is that I’m scared I’m going to fall through the cracks, because all my other health conditions until my surgery, are being neglected.”

Speaking from Ms Nolan’s home, State Opposition leader Matthew Guy said that Victorians were experiencing a “health crisis”.

“People are suffering in this state because elective surgery has been stopped,” Mr Guy said.

“It is no longer tenable for the government to just say we’ll get around to it.

“The government’s got to stop treating people like pawns in a political game with Covid-19. Restart elective surgery and do it straight away.”

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Truck blocks Maroondah Highway Maroondah Highway was closed after an accident occurred just before 10am between Victoria Road and John Street in Lilydale on Thursday 27 January.

A truck was travelling towards Main Street when it was hit a to a large diesel slick on the road, causing the driver to swerve and lose traction.

Carrying a heavy load, the truck was unable to gain control, jackknifing and landing on the opposite side of the road.

Lilydale CFA responded to the incident with the help of Chirnside Park Fire Brigade.

Crews were able to get to the scene quickly to ensure the safety of the truck driver and the passengers from the other vehicles involved, as well as prevent a fire that could have erupted due to the excess diesel that had spilled from the truck’s ruptured fuel tank.

In a post on social media, Lilydale CFA confirmed all drivers were uninjured in the crash.

The CFA placed oil soaker on the road to prevent any fires from breaking out. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was called to assess the environmental impact.

Victorian Government schools started back on Monday 31 January, with school speed zones enforced from 8am. Drivers are urged to be patient and should expect an increase in road, pedestrian and bicycle traffic at drop-off and pick-up times.

Some school speed zones are permanent, while others operate from 8am to 9.30am, and from 2.30pm to 4pm on weekdays.

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Yarra Ranges Crime Investigation Unit detectives are seeking community assistance in identifying a male who committed a sexual act in Montrose.

At about 5.15pm on 15 August 2021 as male was sighted performing a sexual act at the Montrose Brickworks Flora Reserve near Emery Lane.

The male is described as being aged between 18 and 25 years, Asian in appearance with short dark hair with a beard and moustache and being 175cm tall.

He was wearing a dark coloured windcheater and shorts.

Any information should be conveyed to either Crime Stoppers or Yarra Ranges CIU detectives on 9739 2300.

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Lilydale police have put a call out to Kilysth residents who may have had their cars broken into in the early hours of Wednesday 26 January.

At about 6.30am an 18 year old male was arrested for a number of thefts from vehicles along Hawthory Road in Kilsyth.

Police investigating the offences anticipate there will be a number of unreported incidents.

Hawthory Road residents or those who reside on adjoining streets are being asked to check their vehicles and any CCTV footage should it be available to them.

The male was using a bicycle at the time of the offences.

If you have been a victim of an offence, or have CCTV, please contact First Constable Martin at Lilydale Police Station on 9739 2300.

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Tuesday, 1 February, 2022

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Cire expands in Lilydale Cire Community School is expanding its reach with a new campus in the heart of Lilydale to provide a positive alternative for young people struggling in mainstream education.

The new site in John Street will be a welcome extension of the Mount Evelyn campus which has almost reached capacity for its Year 7 to 12 students.

The recent approval from the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) to operate the Lilydale campus has topped off a particularly significant year for the Community School which introduced Year 5 and 6 at its Yarra Junction campus and also expanded to the City of Casey with a secondary school campus at Berwick.

The school is a core part of Cire Services Inc., one of the largest not-for-profits in the Yarra Ranges and unique to the region.

Cire’s CEO Gus Seremetis said the new Lilydale campus will help meet increasing demand among vulnerable youth for a positive alternative to mainstream education, realistic pathways to employment and training and the confidence to work towards a positive future with optimism.

“Cire is an established school of choice in this specialist sector,” Gus said.

“Based on the Berry Street model, we have a strong reputation for our holistic approach to meet the individual needs of each student and our trauma-informed practices. We are proud of our dedicated team of qualified staff with specialist expertise in the sector and for some, lived experiences.”

The school’s standing is reflected in its enrolments which have almost tripled since it commenced at Yarra Junction and Mount Evelyn in 2015 with a total of 99 students. In 2021, the school has 286 across its three campuses.

Cire Executive Manager Education Peri Dix said young people can struggle in mainstream education for all kinds of reasons.

CEO Gus Seremetis, Executive Manager of Education Peri Dix and Mt Evelyn campus Principal Stephen Duke toured the new Lilydale site and were pleased with the facilities that are ready to welcome students.

Picture: SUPPLIED “Cire aims to minimise the risk of students disengaging from their education, or help reengage them, by providing alternative opportunities to learn and grow and become successful adults,” she said.

Cire enjoys a strong reputation and track record for engaging students who have previously struggled; some have not attended school for up to 18 months or more.

Successful outcomes include students transitioning to TAFE and further education, employment including apprenticeships and traineeships, and returning to mainstream school.

Cire Community School’s success is under-

pinned by specialist wellbeing teams and dedicated staff on each campus where each student is respected as an individual with unique needs.

“Our flexible and innovative approach is reflected in individual learning plans for each student, enabling them to achieve at their own pace and in their own way,” Peri said.

Cire Community School campuses offer a welcoming environment to ensure students have a sense of belonging, purpose and growth and are supported in their learning, wellbeing and life goals.

The expansion to Lilydale aligns with Cire’s Strategic Plan to source opportunities, par-

ticularly focusing on areas of need and growth that complement existing campuses in the Yarra Ranges.

Powered by its mission to meet the identified needs of people of all ages and help empower them through flexible education and training opportunities, Cire’s other core operations are Cire Early Learning (formerly Cire Children’s Services), Cire Training, an awardwinning Registered Training Organisation (RTO), and Cire Community Hubs.

For those interested in learning more about what Cire Community School has to offer, please call 1300 835 235 or visit www.cire.org. au

Sent – 15th Feb

Sent – 23rd Feb

On the mend.

Glad I’m back!

Greg (work) – 1st Feb

Greg (work) – 20th Feb

How are you?

See you soon.

The sooner you get in touch after an injury, the better the return to work journey.

If you’re recovering from a psychological or physical workplace injury, or if you are an employer supporting an injured worker, make contact as soon as possible. It just takes a few simple words to make a big difference.

The sooner, the better. worksafe.vic.gov.au/thesoonerthebetter

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Bree Walker will represent Australia at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in bobsleigh after making the transition from track and field.

Pictures: AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

Bree first took to the ice in October 2016 where she made her debut as a bobsleigh competitor.

Cheers for Bobsled Bree

By Mikayla van Loon Mount Evelyn’s very own Bree Walker has been selected to compete at the Beijing Olympics, representing Australia in the bobsleigh.

Probably an unusual and unknown sport to many, the 29-year-old had always known she would eventually make the move to the winter activity.

Starting out at Yarra Ranges Athletics doing little athletics, she was mainly running the 400 metres before taking on the 400 metre hurdles, where she won the state championship in 2013 and went on to nationals.

Bree’s athletic capability got her a scholarship with the University of Arkansas in the USA but after some injuries and a different training program to what she was used to, she decided to return home.

“I was watching the Rio Olympics and I had

to ask myself the big question ‘was I going to be able to compete for Australia at the top level internationally and at the Olympic Games with 400 metre hurdles?’ And the hard answer was no,” she said.

“Bobsleigh was something I thought I would do after my athletic career but I was young and I still had a lot more to give, so I just signed up for the talent identification camp.”

At the time, bobsleigh was being revamped in Australia for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and Bree was selected to head to Canada in October 2016 to learn bobsleigh.

“I guess the rest is history,” she said.

Inspired by Cathy Freeman in the 2000 Olympics, Bree’s goal was always to represent Australia at the highest level in any sport she could.

“It wasn’t just about going to the Olympics, it was about representing Australia at the top

level and showing the rest of the world what Australians can do.

“Now that I’ve been able to do that in bobsleigh, I’m really proud to represent Australia because it’s obviously not a sport that’s very common for Australians to do but I think we’re holding our own and doing the country proud.

“I hope it opens the door for other people who have ideas like I had and so they can have opportunities like I’ve had.”

For Bree’s family and friends, the reaction to her wanting to pursue bobsleigh wasn’t so much a shock because she came from a town without snow but because she had always had crazy ideas.

“It wasn’t a big surprise to my family and friends that I want to go and do something so crazy because I’ve done it in the past, I’ve traveled around the world with athletics and and those things kind of just pop up out of the blue

and I’m just like ‘yeah I’m going to go do it’.”

Now based in Germany, Bree hasn’t been home to see her family in two years but plans to head home for a little while after the Olympics have finished.

“I’m so excited to see my family and friends and I’m so excited to just drink a lot of Melbourne coffee. I miss it so much.

“I was such a local in Lilydale and I’ve missed going out for coffee with friends, so I’m very excited to do that and just catch up with everybody.”

Bree will be gracing the screens on the last two weekends of the Olympic games when she competes in both the monobob and two women bobsleigh.

The Olympics get underway with the opening ceremony on Friday 4 February. The Star Mail will be following Bree’s Olympic campaign closely.

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PROPERTY GUIDE Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808

PROPERTY GUIDE Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808

Back to school!

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A Star News Group Publication

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Mail

School students across Victoria made their return to school following summer holidays, while 2021’s preps got their first taste of primary school life. Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Joy Murphy conducted a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony for Badger Creek Primary School students and staff.

See page 7 for more back to school excitment.

Back to school!

TEST DRIVE NOW

School students across Victoria made their return to school following summer holidays, while 2021’s preps got their first taste of primary school life. Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Joy Murphy

Centre in the lead up to Christmas. Many locals far and wide were able to keep up their Christmas tradition in getting a family photo with ‘The Real Santa’ who they had grown to love.

The unlikely tandem tallied upwards of $30,000 from their family Christmas photos and then selected four charities to each receive

$8400 to help make the lives of children better.

The four recipients of the funds included: Backpacks 4 Vic Kids, A Better Life For Foster Kids, HeartKids and Chum Creek’s Good Life Farm. The organisations shared how the funds had already been put to good use.

Backpacks 4 Vic Kids CEO and founder Sally Beard told Star Mail the donation came as a “delightful surprise”.

“We’re very, very grateful on behalf of the children, whose lives that it will impact,” she said. “We have absolutely put that money to good use.”

Ms Beard shared that the $8400 donation from Branded is aiding 112 children in need with care packs filled with toiletries, spare changes of clothes, a toy and more.

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It’s February, but Santa Claus’ gifts keep on coming for several charity organisations who benefited from a partnership between Saint Nick and Seville’s Branded Burger Bar. The burger bar came to the rescue when they partnered with Santa, who had seen his role replaced at Chirnside Park Shopping

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www.lilydalemitsubishi.com.au Tuesday, 1 February, 2022

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MAIL 5

NEWS

Citizen of the year

By Mikayla van Loon

Geoff Earney received the Ian De La Rue Award for Community Leadership at the 2022 Australia Day awards ceremony.

Picture: KATE BAKER

Earney, a true leader

By Mikayla van Loon Every year Yarra Ranges Council recognises a member in the community who has shown outstanding leadership by way of the Ian De La Rue award.

This year Mooroolbark’s Geoff Earney was selected by the Mayor and his peers for his involvement with a number of volunteer organisations and community groups.

Most notably it was his start with the Ferny Creek Scouts that put Mr Earney on the path to leadership, becoming a Scout Master at a young age.

From there he joined the Ferny Creek Fire Brigade to follow in his father’s footsteps where he worked to save the community in the 1962 Dandenong Ranges Bushfires.

As a young man, Mr Earney served in the 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, in the Vietnam War, and was one of the last Australian troops to leave Nui Dat. Upon returning to Australia, Mr Earney joined the Mooroolbark Fire Brigade where he spent 30 years serving his community, 12 of those as captain and received a life membership for his work.

Later he joined the Mooroolbark Chamber of Commerce and Mooroolbark Traders Association, as well as taking over the family business in MethvenProfessionals Real Estate.

Yarra Ranges Mayor Jim Child said nearly every progressive community organisation has benefited from Mr Earney’s contributions.

“Geoff has supported and sponsored numerous community groups, charities and individuals through his work, all throughout showing a deep commitment to his community,” he said.

Nominated by Mount Evelyn based historian Anthony McAleer OAM, he said towns need people like Mr Earney.

“Every town needs a Geoff Earney, someone with the passion and dedication to progressing the lives of those who call it home in so many practical ways.”

Upon receiving the award at the Australia Day ceremony, Mr Earney said he was humbled by the nomination.

“I’m really honored and humbled to be given this award. I’m somewhat surprised because I don’t think what I do is anything special,” he said.

“When I was elected captain of the Mooroolbark CFA in 1984, one of the firemen said to me, you are nothing without us and that’s stuck with me for all of my life.

“I’ve never forgotten those words and I’m very fortunate that everything I’ve done, I’ve always been supported by a great group of people.”

Mr Earney also thanked his family, colleagues and friends for the support they have shown him because he said with them the work he has done could not have been possible.

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Yarra Ranges Council has awarded Keren Greenwood as the shire’s Citizen of the Year for 2022 for her work in the foodbank and food insecurity space.

A Mount Evelyn resident and a Pastor at Vantage Point Church, Ms Greenwood has been alleviating food insecurity for over 25 families each week in the Yarra Ranges.

The project started four years ago and has grown considerably, particularly through the pandemic.

Mayor Jim Child said the foodbank helps to fill a gap where public transport may limit people’s access to services in the shire and Ms Greenwood’s compassion makes her the perfect individual for a community outreach program.

“She brings more than 30 years of work in the wellbeing and care space to this work and selflessly offers a listening ear, her time and referrals to whoever she encounters in the community,” he said.

Ms Greenwood’s co-workers nominated her for the award because of her dedication throughout the pandemic to ensure families still received food packages of essential items, frozen meals, fruit and vegetables and dairy products. “[Her] heart to serve and persevere to lead makes her an inspirational role model in the community,” Ms Greenwood’s co-workers said in nominating her.

Ms Greenwood in turn thanked her team of volunteers for their dedication and passion for serving people week in and week out, as well as Vantage Point Church for resourcing the program.

“I feel extremely honoured to receive this Citizen of the Year award for the Yarra Ranges

Keren Greenwood was presented with her Citizen of the Year award at the 2022 Australia Day ceremony hosted by Yarra Ranges Council.

Picture: KATE BAKER and I just feel so privileged to be able to serve my community,” she said.

In her acceptance speech, Ms Greenwood congratulated Yarra Ranges council for its ‘Be Kind’ initiative, knowing the power that kindness can have when serving the community.

“Those two little words, be kind, when they are actioned upon make a significant difference in people’s lives and I’m just so proud to collaborate with a city with such a value.”

Mayor Child said without people like Ms Greenwood the community would not function as it does or be able to provide such sup-

port to families in need.

“Food insecurity affects many in the Yarra Ranges and outer-east and is interconnected with insecurity in housing, accessing services and long-term health and wellbeing,” he said.

“There are many incredible individuals in the region who are working and volunteering to support others in the community, and there is a very real impact of this work on every person that receives this support.

“These efforts mean the world to those on the receiving end, and we as a community are stronger for having such compassionate, empathetic, dedicated people among us.”

Vital care service honoured

By Mikayla van Loon

Caladenia Dementia Care CEO Sarah Yeates accepted the Community Group of the Year award at the Australia Day ceremony.

Caladenia Dementia Care has been recognised as Community Group of the Year in the Yarra Ranges Council Australia Day awards for 2022.

The Mooroolbark care service is a dedicated not-for-profit organisation that employs both staff and volunteers who help support people with dementia, their carers and people who are in the early stages of a dementia diagnosis.

Mayor Jim Child said the Caladenia Dementia Care staff have excelled at ensuring their patients receive the utmost care particularly during the pandemic.

“Community members living with dementia face significant barriers to everyday activities, and require compassion, empathy and care which Mooroolbark Caladenia Dementia Care offers in spades,” he said.

Adapting to the new ways of doing things as Covid-19 closed face-to-face services, Caladenia staff moved quickly to providing care through phone and video calls to offer relief to family members and carers.

“In a time when the importance of social connection has been extremely high, but access has been increasingly difficult, the work of Caladenia staff and volunteers to engage with and support community members has been so crucial for every person receiving it,” Mayor Child said.

“The work of Caladenia has helped to reduce the devastating impact of lockdowns on community members, while keeping them safe from Covid-19 – a wonderful and commendable effort.”

CEO Sarah Yeates accepted the award on behalf of Caladenia Dementia Care at the Australia Day awards ceremony.

“I’d just like to say thank you so much on behalf of Caladenia’s 19 staff, 40 volunteers and 63 service users and their families,” she said.

“Plus the group we call the Friends of Caladenia who have helped us to remain creative, connected and continuing to support people with dementia living in the Shire of Yarra Ranges. Thank you very much.”

Small RSL that punches above its weight

By Callum Ludwig Mt Evelyn RSL has been recognised at the Yarra Ranges council 2022 Australia Day Awards for its historical significance and continued service to the community.

For over 50 years, the RSL has been an important place of gathering for Mt Evelyn residents, and particularly for the representation and education of the plights of service people.

The RSL has been a key place of connection for ex-service people and has worked to provide support for their welfare after armed conflict.

Mayor Jim Child believes it has encouraged the wider community to celebrate and commemorate the lives and sacrifices of these people.

“A key part of cherishing our history is presenting and sharing with future generations, a role that Mount Evelyn RSL has enthusiastically taken on,” Mayor Child said.

“Ceremonies, memorial and publications

give our community a chance to learn and reflect on those who came before and served in armed conflict.”

This is seen in the significant attendances at the RSL’s ANZAC Day services, which has become a beacon of community engagement and part of the rich history of Mt Evelyn.

Beyond these efforts, the RSL has remained extremely active in the community through fundraising, commemorative and collaborative events, showcasing the support and appreciation for the community.

Upon receiving the award, Mt Evelyn RSL representative John Sumner shared the gratitude the RSL has for being recognised for their hard work.

“On behalf of the president of the Mt Evelyn RSL, I would like to thank the Shire of the Yarra Ranges for this award on Australia Day,” Mr Sumner said.

“I would like to quote an old boxing saying for a small RSL, we definitely punch above our weight.”

Mount Evelyn RSL vice president John Sumner accepted the certificate of recognition on behalf of the sub-branch and its members. mailcommunity.com.au

NEWS

Decades in conservation

By Callum Ludwig Kevin would like to acknowledge and pay his respects to the Wurunderji Elders past and present of the Kulin Nation, on whose traditional country we stand today.

Devoted Healesville Sanctuary volunteer and former zookeeper Kevin Mason has received an Order of Australia medal for his service to conservation and the environment.

Mr Mason previously held roles at the sanctuary including Head Keeper, Special Projects Curator, and Customer Relations Manager in a career spanning 50 years from 1960 to 2010.

Visitors to the zoo may also notice the dingo’s enclosure has been named in his honour, ‘Mason’s Hut’.

The OAM recipient officially retired from the sanctuary in 2010, but it hasn’t been much of a retirement at all, as he continued to volunteer as a team leader of the archives.

Mr Mason said his role as an animal carer was about observing, listening and talking to the animals in order to understand them.

“If you gain their trust, you will receive a deeper appreciation and insight into their behaviour, habits, and requirements,” Mr Mason said.

“There is nothing more special. It is pure joy.”

Mr Mason’s conservation and community efforts have spanned for a remarkable 40 years.

Throughout that time, he was a part of conservation groups who undertook field surveys for the orange bellied parrot, leadbeater’s pos-

Australia Day Honours OAM recipient Kevin Mason. sum, helmeted honeyeater, superb lyrebird and powerful owl.

Mr Mason said he always felt very privileged to have been involved in conservation projects through Healesville Sanctuary and elsewhere, believing looking after native fauna and flora is paramount.

“I’ve greatly enjoyed my involvement in the

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

rehabilitation and release of all animals,” Mr Mason said.

Contributing to several wildlife groups further highlights his dedication outside of his working career over the years, as a member of Bird Observers Club of the Yarra Valley, (now Birdlife Australia, Yarra Valley Branch) and past member of the Sherbrooke Lyrebird Survey Group.

Mr Mason also devoted his time to the endangered Helmeted Honeyeater as a Foundation Member of the Helmeted Honeyeater Recovery Team, raising 13 chicks who were part of the initial foundation breeding stock for the species recovery.

His involvement in the Healesville and Badger Creek Indigenous communities can also not be understated, having served as the contact at the sanctuary for First Nations people and assisting in indigenous cultural surveys in the sanctuary and Coranderrk bushland.

Mr Mason has held other leadership roles in community groups, including being the current president of the Badger Creek V.C. Mullett Hall Committee, a founding member of the Old Badger Creek School Building Committee and a founding member and current vice-president of the Healesville and District Historical Society.

Numerous awards have recognised his contribution to the community, and Mr Mason has also been inducted into the Zoos Victoria and Australian Society of Zoo Keeping Halls of Fame.

The OAM is yet another recognition of the passion and dedication he has given to his life’s work.

Healesville Sanctuary’s current director Ross Williamson said it’s people like Mr Mason who make the sanctuary so special for wildlife, staff and visitors.

“It’s wonderful to see Kevin’s dedication and generous giving of time as a volunteer being recognised in this way,” Mr Williamson said.

Ambulance Victoria volunteer honoured for service

By Mikayla van Loon When Ian Dunell moved to Kinglake and the opportunity arose to join a volunteer Ambulance Victoria response unit, he jumped at the chance, something that has now led him to an Australia Day honour.

“Long story short, I was involved with a child who had an accident and I knew nothing and that was pre mobile phone days,” he said.

“Then we moved up to Kinglake and read about the CERT team and so we went along to it and learnt some stuff and basically tried to help out.”

CERT or Community Emergency Response Teams are located in rural areas where Ambulance Victoria crews are limited, particularly on night shifts.

Volunteers like Mr Dunell give their time to be on call and respond to any jobs where an ambulance cannot.

Now 16 years later, Mr Dunell has been recognised for his service to the community both as CERT member and team leader with the Australian Ambulance Service Medal awarded on Australia Day. “I’ll be honest, it is pretty humbling, I sup-

Ian Dunell has been volunteering with the Kinglake Community Emergency Response Team fro 16 years, 10 of those as team leader, a position he stood down from in March 2021.

Picture: SUPPLIED pose. I certainly didn’t expect it but it was really nice to feel like you’re being respected,” Mr Dunell said.

In those 16 years of service Mr Dunell has experienced two unprecedented events being the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Working alongside his wife Vicky and best mate Bart, Mr Dunell said his teams’ job was to look after the firefighters as they returned

from the frontlines and check on the community in their homes.

“We did house searches looking for any person who might be burnt and we did that for probably nine days, day and night.”

Mr Dunell was also instrumental in rebuilding the Kinglake CERT after the bushfires left the team reduced and deflated.

Part of that was his ability to establish a response criterion to ensure the community had enough experienced personnel to cover the area, while also providing support to less experienced team members before they responded as independent clinicians.

During what could have been quite a confronting experience, Mr Dunell said the peer support provided by working in a team of three made things easier to handle and deal with at the time.

That camaraderie and friendship has been an important part of Mr Dunell’s time with CERT. “I became involved in CERT and my wife became involved 12 months later so all of a sudden you’ve got a social group because everyone’s of the same mind and are giving people, so our best friends are within the CERT group.”

During the height of the pandemic, Mr Dunell said it was difficult to maintain training without being able to meet physically but online video calls kept everyone connected and learning.

“It was also very frustrating that we couldn’t get together to do the proper training, the hands-on training but we did what we could do.”

Currently, Mr Dunell and his wife Vicky have been working as part of the Covid surge team to support paramedics.

“To help out the paramedics with the hospital situation, my wife and I have been working at the Northern Hospital as part of an offload team.

“So we probably go two to three days a week for Ambulance Victoria. It means the ambulances hand over their patients to us so they can get back out on the road. We look after their patients until they get admitted to hospital or discharged.”

Being retired, Mr Dunell said he is happy to give his time to the CERT team and offer assistance where he can but hopes at some stage throughout the year to travel across Australia in his caravan and enjoy some much deserved time off.

Smile Squad is on its way The Victorian Government is making it easier for our kids to get the dental care they need.

Find out more at smilesquad.vic.gov.au

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NEWS

Holy Fools seeks wheels

By Mikayla van Loon Lilydale homelessness service Holy Fools relies on its ‘hope’ van to transport meals and other supports to people all over the Yarra Ranges.

But like most vehicles there comes a time when they start getting more expensive and as a not-for-profit, CEO Neal Taylor said he will need to look at replacing the van in the near future.

“The van we’ve got has been a real workhorse and we’ve had it now for close to seven years,” he said.

“We bought it second hand with some funds that were donated and it’s starting to cost more and more to run. We’ve just recently had to have the radiator replaced and the mechanic has advised me that there is going to be more and more stuff.”

Although probably still a year off, Mr Taylor said he hopes he can use the next year to fundraise enough money to purchase a brand new van.

“We thought it would be better maybe to replace the van while we can and that’s why we thought, ‘oh, let’s go for a brand new van.’ If we go for a brand new van then we’re thinking we’ll have a longer period with it.”

The van is an essential for the work Holy Fools does in the community, from transporting food, materials, blankets and sleeping bags, as well as backpack beds.

It also carries all of the equipment needed for the Street Angels lunches held every Wednesday in Melba Park and has also helped people move into houses who have previously been sleeping rough.

“So it gets used all the time regularly and is the central tool that we have for the work we do particularly with all of the outreach stuff that we do,” Mr Taylor said.

To purchase a new van, Mr Taylor said the not-for-profit will have to raise $60,000 both through community donations and hopefully from grant programs.

The Holy Fools ‘hope’ van, commonly known as Bill Poole after a volunteer, is starting to need some repairs and will need replacing with the year.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS 218423 Coming off the back of the busy Christmas period, Mr Taylor also said donations have been lacking and funds are running low.

“Our budget has been eaten into quite considerably with the Christmas lunch. We did have a lot of support from people for Christmas so we were really thankful for that.

“Donations have been down and have always traditionally been down in January and I’m just hoping that they start to pick up.”

Mr Taylor would like to start signing people up for monthly monetary donations, whether it be $20 or more, to have those continuous funds coming into the charity.

Having held the Christmas lunch, the pantry and stock of food has been left drained, something Mr Taylor would like to rebuild each week.

The team at Holy Fools may try a different technique of taking donations this year, just

to give people a weekly focus, taking donations of pasta one week and baked beans the next.

Mr Taylor said there are some exciting things coming up for Holy Fools and he hopes the community gets behind the charity as they always have.

To donate to the van fundraiser, go to https://www.mycause.com.au/ and search for Holy Fools.

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NEWS

Former President of Voices for Indi and the Victorian Women’s Trust Alana Johnson with current Indi MP Helen Haines.

Picture: CHLOE STRAHAN

Community Member Fionn Bowd helped lead the information night.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Finding a voice for Casey

By Parker McKenzie Voices Of Casey has launched its campaign to find an independent candidate who represents the views of the community for the next federal election with an information night, drawing from the experience of other political engagement groups who have helped elect independents to parliament.

The meeting was held on Tuesday 27 January and was attended by 21 community members and two guests: Alana Johnson, a past president for Voices of Indi, chair of the Victorian Women’s Trust and a director for the community independent program, and Susan Benedyka, an independent Senate candidate for Victoria.

Spokesperson Fionn Bowd led the meeting and began by outlining what Voices of Casey is trying to achieve.

“Some of you may know a little bit about this and some of you may not have heard of the Voices movement that is sweeping the land,” Ms Bowd said.

“Alongside existing members in Helen

Haines and Zali Steggall, we’re also seeing a large number of community independent candidates who are standing for election all around Australia, “Some of the issues that seem to be really bringing people together around Australia in the community are climate action, gender equality, action in relation to gender violence and gender inequality and also federal accountability.”

Voices For Indi, which formed in 2012 after people within the electorate felt they weren’t being represented by their elected officials, launched a framework of community engagement which has inspired over 40 similar groups around Australia.

Voices for Indi helped elect Cathy McGowan to federal parliament in 2013 and 2016, and Helen Haines in 2019. Indi is the only federal electorate to be represented by two successive independent candidates.

Ms Johnson said you cannot count the number of different ways the Voices For movement is important.

“Voices groups are actually an antidote to

the ills of our representative democracy dominated by the major parties, who are becoming increasingly involved in partisan politics,” she said. “it’s not going to happen unless we take action.”

Ms Johnson said Voices For has changed how people view politics in Indi.

“Our whole modus operandi has to be different and it has to be driven by ordinary people,” she said.

“People now have a sense that politics is part of our everyday life, politics doesn’t have to be a battleground, that you can talk to people who have different party preferences and still talk about what’s best for Indi.”

A Voices group, using the model developed in Indi, also endorsed Zali Steggall in Warringah when she beat former-Prime Minister Tony Abbott in the 2019 federal election.

The Casey electorate is located in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne and includes the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges. Suburbs in the electorate include Belgrave, Kallista, Kalorama, Monbulk, Olinda, Sassafras,

Tecoma and Upwey.

Voices of Casey will be hosting a meet-andgreet with former Indi MP Cathy McGowan and writer Tim Flannery on 8 February before they begin to choose a candidate for the federal election.

Anyone interested in running as the Voices Of Casey candidate has until 7 February to apply, before an intensive selection process begins.

Ms Dowd told Star Mail on 25 January the panel to select the candidate will be made up of members from established Voices groups like Indi, to give guidance to a new group with dwindling time before a federal election that will be held in May at the latest.

“The philosophy isn’t vote for me, it’s about voting for someone who represents the communities’ values,” she said.

“If they tick all those boxes when they apply, there will then be a panel interview.”

For more information visit www.facebook. com/VoicesofCasey or www.voicesofcasey. org/candidate_search

Free women in trade skills day coming to Lilydale

By Mikayla van Loon and Callum Ludwig A free women in trade tools skill day is coming to the Yarra Ranges to help boost women’s confidence in stepping outside their comfort zone to try a typically male dominated industry.

Box Hill Institute’s Lilydale Lakeside Campus is hosting the event on Thursday 10 February, with the program open to women of all ages and backgrounds.

Charitable organisation Empowered Women In Trades (EWIT) is bring the program to Lilydale and will include tool handling skills for plumbers, electricians, carpenters and automotive mechanics.

EWIT CEO Hacia Atherton completed work experience in the corporate side of her family’s business manufacturing sterilisation equipment and infection control products for the hospital, medical and scientific industries.

Coming from a long line of plumbers, Ms Atherton felt as a woman there were different expectations for her to go to university and take a path more commonly ‘suited’ to a woman.

Seeing first-hand the skill shortage in trade industries while working at her family’s business, she thought there was an opportunity to combat women’s financial hardship in Australia if women were encouraged to fill the gaps in employment.

As hands-on as the program is, it is also about developing the mental and human skills to build confidence, resilience and build fair and equal workplace relationships just as much as the practical skills.

“As soon as I put the welding helmet on, and the welding gloves and got a welder in my hand, I absolutely fell in love with that exmailcommunity.com.au

Hacia Atherton (pictured left) would like women and girls to have the opportunity to take part in a free tools skill day to empower them to take up a trade as a career.

Picture: EMPOWERED WOMEN IN TRADES perience,” Ms Atherton said.

“It got me thinking why more women are not considering trades as a viable option. I interviewed a whole bunch of women and a lot of them said, ‘it’s just not an opportunity for us, we can’t access it’.”

Ms Atherton wants the program to give women the confidence and techniques to help them pursue careers in trades without feeling as though society is holding them back.

A key focus of the program is to enable women to use positive self talk and to give them permission to not be so hard on themselves.

“[We want women to] have the mental tools to be able to deal with those emotions, thoughts and feelings when actually picking up the physical tools in your hands as well,” Ms Atherton said.

“We’ve brought a lot of positive psychology stuff around identifying negative self doubt and talk, the things that happen when you step outside of your comfort zone naturally.”

The event will also include a presentation from a Tradie Trailblazer, a female tradesperson with lived experience who will try to provide guidance on the next step in an apprenticeship.

Whether the course inspires a career

change or not, Ms Atherton said she hopes women learn about themselves and their capabilities to try something new.

She also said working in a trade does not mean women have to lose themselves and their femininity but rather can embrace it.

Following on from the one day workshop, EWIT plan on holding a two week program at a later date in conjunction with Box Hill Institute and prospective employers.

The program will run from 9am to 5pm and women can register through this link https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/toolskills-day-tickets-240710971997 Tuesday, 1 February, 2022

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NEWS

60 years since fatal fire

By Mikayla van Loon It’s been 60 years since one of the worst bushfires raged across the Dandenongs and threatened homes in the foothill towns of Montrose and Mount Evelyn.

For five days from 17 January in 1962 fires burned across the hills and the Yarra Valley wiping out thousands of acres of bushland and forest, as well as 450 homes and taking the lives of eight people.

It was the closest a bushfire had ever been to Melbourne, extending out to Maroondah highway between Ringwood and Mitcham.

Then Montrose resident Brad Martin was 10 years old at the time and can still remember the sounds of trees falling and the fear that ran through his body as the fire approached his home.

“In the first instance it was the fear of knowing that something was coming and was the knowledge that we had to get away because it was serious,” he said.

“Coming home and seeing just how black things were and living amongst. Listening to trees just crashing in the night. Trees were still burning and they burned for weeks and weeks afterwards.”

Mr Martin said he believes he can remember the fire so vividly because his family was always very fire conscious living on Sheffield Road.

Evacuating to his grandmother’s house in Box Hill, Mr Martin watched on from Middleborough Road as the fire burned from the base of the hills all the way up the mountain.

“I can still see that vision in my head. It’s just one of those crazy things,” he said.

His father and uncles stayed in Montrose to fight the fire as it edged closer to their family homes and throughout his life, Mr Martin’s father told stories of what happened during those few days.

“One of the most significant stories that dad talked about until he died 30 years ago was that this place would never have been here if it wasn’t for those 200 men who marched up with beaters, knapsacks and whatever else and just in a line were sent into the bush to wet down as the fire approached them,” Mr Martin said.

In those days, Mr Martin said the equipment and fire protective gear was nowhere near the standard it is now, making the men and women who fought the fires quite heroic.

Mount Evelyn CFA firefighter Ken Reed remembers the ferocity of the fire as it burned from The Basin right across to Kinglake and down to Yarra Glen before taking hold in Mount Evelyn.

“We started off on the Sunday with the fires in The Basin. On the Tuesday, we had the fire that started in Mount Evelyn which did most of the damage,” he said.

At one stage Mr Reed said he was pumping water out of a swimming pool to combat the fierce blaze but soon the fire grew, spreading to Olinda and connecting with the one in Mount Dandenong.

A state of emergency was declared for residents living in the foothills and Dandenong Ranges but fire still destroyed 450 homes and killed eight people.

“It met up with all these other fires, especially the fire at The Basin and when it met up with that, it went down along Inverness Road, down the hill into Sycamore Grove and we lost about 49 houses, they were all old shacks but we lost a lot of houses in that area at that time,” Mr Reed said.

Although only 11 at the time, Janice Newton also remembers the fear of her parents and fellow neighbours who were worried about the fires destroying everything in its wake.

“I remember the anxiety that there were three fires and people were basically saying Mount Evelyn was surrounded, there were fires coming at it from all directions,” she said.

But being as young as she was, Ms Newton said she probably couldn’t comprehend the danger of the fire.

“My sister and brother, we were actually excited as kids that there was this bit of drama and so we didn’t feel the fear of losing a house like that.

“It was just like, there was this drama and everyone was out talking about it. We were actually evacuated to my mother’s friend’s work and I remember the sky being black with a red glow where the sun should have been.”

After the 1962 fires, Mr Martin said his father and himself would do fuel reduction burns every year, while Ms Newton said the hedge around her property was removed due to fire risk.

Mr Martin said the summer fires in 1962 changed the way everyone in the community viewed fire preparedness. “‘62 changed the whole community and by the time we got to ‘69, the next big [fire] around Montrose, they were much, much better prepared,” he said.

“So often you’d just see a field of blokes literally whacking away at the fire to get it put out and those days quickly disappeared after 62.

“Places like Montrose and Mount Evelyn and The Basin are so much better for it because it made people wake up.”

Mount Evelyn and Montrose resident fled their homes in January 1962 as fires edged closer and burned everything in its wake.

Pictures: AMEWS

Geoff Bull’s photo captured the fire as it came down the hill, with people holding wet sacks ready to put out flames.

Men and women alike lined up with whatever they had to fight the fires that threatened whole region.

YV Water urges residents to ‘Make Every Drop Count’

By Callum Ludwig Yarra Valley Water has partnered up with City West Water, Melbourne Water, South East Water in a water conservation initiative called Make Every Drop Count.

The campaign’s main message is ‘Target 155’ to reach a daily average of 155 litres per person, per day to limit their water use.

Based on statistics, an average Greater Melbourne resident currently uses 159 litres of water per person per day.

Managing Director of Yarra Valley Water Pat McCafferty believes the campaign will making people think about their values and where they can start to reduce water consumption in the first place.

“We know over 80 per cent of people who live in the metropolitan area are keen on water conservation, but there’s almost a third who don’t think they’re doing enough,” Mr McCafferty said.

“Interestingly, over 60 per cent don’t actually know how much water they’re using.”

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Melbourne is the nation’s fastest growing city, with a predicted population of over 10 million by 2051 - almost double the current population.

As a result, greater pressure will be placed on water supplies and Target 155 aims to create incremental drops in water usage in order to maintain a sustainable level for future generations.

Mr McCafferty is excited by the discussion the campaign is encouraging, and particularly the ideas Yarra Ranges residents are coming up with and sharing.

“As we engage with people, particularly in the Dandenongs, there is a consciousness about looking at the environment and being sustainable,” Mr McCafferty said.

“There’s a lot of ways to save water around the home, but there’s no monopoly on good ideas.”

Residents of metropolitan areas as a whole have already adopted a positive attitude towards improving the efficiency of water usage, with 159 litres of water per person,

per day seeing a decrease from 162 and 161 litres per person, per day in 2018-2019 and 2017-18 respectively.

The Make Every Drop Count website also lists different ways you can reduce water usage in the bathroom, kitchen, laundry and outdoors.

Around the house, the bathroom is the primary use of water seeing 40 per cent of the total usage, followed by outdoors at 30 per cent, the laundry at 20 per cent and the kitchen at 10 per cent.

Using buckets to hold or collect water in the shower or when washing a car are two ways water usage can be cut down in the bathroom and outdoors, and leftover water can be reused on the gardens.

There are some permanent water restriction rules Yarra Ranges residents should also be aware of: Hand held hoses must be fitted with a trigger nozzle and leak free.

Gardens cannot be watered by anything

· ·

other than a hand held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle or an automatic watering system between the hours of 6pm and 10 am.

Hard surfaces (including, driveways, paths, concrete, tiles, timber decking) cannot be cleaned with water unless where cleaning is required as a result of an accident, fire, health hazard, safety hazard or other emergency, if staining to the surface has developed and then only once a season or in the course of construction or renovation.

In the laundry and kitchen, it is encouraged you try and only run your washing machine and dishwasher on a full load, and turn on eco modes if your appliances have one.

Target 155 argues residents all simply need to use only around half a bucket less of water each day in order to achieve the goal.

Yarra Ranges residents can also be in with a chance to win weekly spot prizes, or a grand prize of $2000 by sending in their own watersaving tips and tricks.

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MEDICALLY SPEAKING

Shipra Ojha (left) and Crystal Atkins in the Clinical Rooms/Sound Treated. 265306

All ears on Hearsmart

By Elle Cecil As a fully independent hearing clinic in Lilydale, Hearsmart Hearing is celebrating its 15th year of business this year.

Established in May 2006, Hearsmart offers full hearing assessments and rehabilitation, a wide array of hearing aid options as well as repair and maintenance, tinnitus counselling and treatment plans, wax removal services, and since 2020, vestibular balance assessments.

Owner and principal audiologist, Shipra Ojha, says that making a difference to people’s lives is what drives the business.

“We have no sales targets and our primary goal is helping our clients to reach their own goals,” says Shipra. “We stand by our values by offering a full audiological range of services including tinnitus counselling and vestibular assessments, and we stand apart from the ‘hearing aids only’ approach - this enables us to help clients with chronic conditions like tinnitus and dizziness, many of whom are told

they have no [treatment] options.”

As opposed to affiliated audiologist clinics, Hearsmart is not obliged to recommend or provide any particular market brand or service to clients. Rather, their independence is something that will greatly benefit their customers.

Clinical and vestibular audiologist Crystal Atkins specialises in vestibular assessments, allowing for detailed and careful investigations of balance disorders. Priding herself on the relationships she forms with her clients, Crystal

is always open to friendly conversation. With a Masters Degree from the University of Melbourne, audiology is a way for Crystal to have a positive impact on the lives of others.

Hearsmart is the only clinic in the Yarra Valley providing hearing care, tinnitus counselling and management, and balance evaluations and solutions. Hearsmart Hearing Solutions is located at 321 Main Street, Lilydale. For more information or to book an appointment, visit www.hearsmart.com.au or phone 1300 787 792.

FREE EAR WAX REMOVAL* THE FAMILY FRIENDLY MEDICAL CLINIC It is our great pleasure to welcome our new GP Dr Anthony Brown, who is now consulting at Mandala Clinic.

Dr Brown enjoys all aspects of general practice family medicine and chronic disease management.

Dr Brown has special interest in lifestyle medicine, family medicine all ages, mental health and skin cancer checks. He can also perform general practice procedures and skin cancer removal.

Please call our clinic to book an appointment with Dr Brown or book online via healthengine.com. au or our website.

Hearsmart your LOCAL and INDEPENDENT Hearing Clinic is now offering free micro-suction wax removal for pensioners and DVA cardholders. $45 for medicare card holders 321, Main Street, Lilydale Open 9am - 5pm Mon - Fri www.hearsmart.com.au

Mental Health Treatment Plan, Chronic Disease Care Plans and Children under 16 years are eligible for bulk billing.

Doctors: Dr Khai Mark, MBBS

*Conditions Apply

Dr Anthony Brown, MBBS, FRACGP

We Can Help! Call Today

1300 787 792 12529631-BL05-22

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We offer Care Plan Assessments and new patients are welcome.

Dr Farhat Zia, MBBS, FRACGP

Mandala Clinic 360 Belgrave-Gembrook Road, Emerald Phone: 5968 3733 Opening Hours: Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm | Sat: 9am-12pm Closed on Sunday and Pubic Holidays

www.mandalaclinic.com.au

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OPINION

Casey’s trainees for 2021 In late December I announced the winner and runners-up of my 2021 Casey Apprentice/ Trainee of the Year Awards.

With the pandemic and the economic challenges it has brought, it is more important than ever to recognise, reward, and encourage careers in local trades and small businesses.

Local apprentices and trainees, like all of us, have had to get used to a lot of change over the last two years. Lockdowns meant that many could not work. Despite the difficulties, my annual awards have sought to encourage and value excellence in our local trades.

Since 2009, my Casey Apprentice/Trainee of the Year Awards have been doing just this.

The apprentices and trainees of today will help form the backbone of our small businesses and local economy into the future.

Of course the vast majority of our local ap-

From my

desk Tony Smith MP

Federal Member for Casey prentices and trainees are young, however mature-age apprentices, some over the age of thirty, have also been chosen as the overall winner on a number of occasions.

I again offer my congratulations to Lily from Alowyn Gardens & Nursery, the winner of the 2021 Casey Apprentice/Trainee of the Year

Awards, and the two runners-up, Brenton from Bayswater Truck Centre and Joel from Motosign in Kilsyth.

Along with the finalists, each was nominated by local business owners and operators who value and support their workers.

Local trades and businesses are crucial to economic life in our suburbs and towns. Encouragingly, businesses have nominated successive apprentices/trainees over the years.

A committee of four prominent local business leaders met to decide on the finalists and the winners for each year.

In a speech in Parliament towards the end of last year, I thanked the judges: Phil Munday from the automotive sector, Sue O’Brien from hospitality, Nick Fraraccio from manufacturing and Clive Larkman from horticulture for

giving their valuable time and being part of these awards from the beginning.

I think it’s something special that a group of four people who donate their time to do this, have stayed together for all those years in dedication to our local community.

2021’s winners, along with all of the nominees, came from a range of industries: manufacturing, horticulture, landscaping, electrical, plumbing, glazing and automotive.

Due to tough times, some sectors including, retail and hairdressing/beauty were not in the position to nominate, but over the years, they have provided many nominees and finalists.

2021’s winners and finalists, like those from the past, have so much potential to achieve in life and business.

Popular books from 2021 Now is a good time to discover what books captured Australian readers in 2021. as ABC RN Breakfast recently asked some of our country’s most renowned authors what they have been reading. For example, Helen Garner has spent her summer on The Dancer by Evelyn Juers, a biography of Sydney contemporary dancer Philippa Cullen.

Meanwhile, Tony Birch has just re-read The Way It Is Now, Garry Disher’s latest crime novel. “Good crime writers know how to drive a plot; they’re remarkably good at establishing really three-dimensional characters,” he said.

“We can learn a lot as writers by reading crime fiction.”

Another way to discover bestselling titles from 2021 is via Booktopia’s FAB – Favourite Australian Books. Among the Top Ten are household names such as Liane Moriarty’s Apple Never Fall and Matthew Reilly’s The One Impossible Labyrinth.

Other leading books include The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni, The Backyard Adventurer: Meaningful and pointless expeditions, self-experiments and the value of other people’s junk by Beau Miles, and Your Head is a Houseboat: A chaotic guide to mental clarity

by Campbell Walker (aka Struthless) – just to name a few.

This reviewer would further recommend the 100 bestselling books at Readings in 2021. The majority of the Top Ten titles are by Australian authors, such as Beautiful World Where Are You

by Sally Rooney (#1), The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams (#4), The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey (#5), Devotion by Hannah Kent (#6), and How We Love by Clementine Ford (#8).

Particularly attractive are #9, Old Vintage Melbourne by Chris Macheras, and #10, Adrift in Melbourne by Robyn Annear. The former is a collection of historical photographs that open a window to our past, while the latter features a series of walks that showcase the

PASSION FOR PROSE WITH CHRISTINE SUN histories, buildings and characters of our city.

Finally, Readings also has a list of 50 great reads from First Nations writers and Australian writers of colours in 2021. These include fiction, biography, poetry, children’s novels, history and more, but readers can surely find other masterpieces by culturally diverse Australians.

Our readers are already familiar with many First Nations authors, including but not limited to Bruce Pascoe, the aforementioned Birth, Sally Morgan, Boori Monty Pryor, Claire G. Coleman, Stan Grant, Anita Heiss, Ellen van Neeven, Evelyn Araleun, and Adam Thompson. Others, such as Cathy Freeman and Adam Goodes, have also come forth with wonderful stories.

As for Australian authors of colour, our readers may already enjoy the writings by Maxine Beneba Clarke, Alice Pung, Leanne Hall, Randa-Abdel-Fattah, Michael Mohammed Ahmad, and Lee Lai. Also worthy of our attention are emerging authors such as Jamine Marina Lau, Mehreen Faruqi, Chelsea Watego, Sara El Sayed, Ruhi Lee, Eugen Bacon, and Paige Clark.

So, which title from 2021 caught this reviewer’s eye? That would be She Who Became the Sun by Shelly Parker-Chan, an author “raised on a steady diet of Greek myths, Arthurian legend and Chinese tales of suffering and tragic romance”. A review is surely to come.

Good movie but generic Mother/Android Starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Algee Smith and Raúl Castillo Rated MA15+ The directorial debut of Mattson Tomlin, Mother/Android is a sci-fi paradox: a welltold but poorly-written story.

Several months after a violent android uprising, heavily-pregnant Georgia (Chloë Grace Moretz) and her boyfriend Sam (Algee Smith) struggle to reach a safe haven.

Mother/Android’s plot sets a clear dramatic objective in Georgia and Sam reaching Boston, and Georgie’s imminent labour and her turbulent relationship with Sam ramp up the stakes.

Moretz and Smith have solid chemistry, and the second act features a very effective stealth sequence driven by furtive movements and stark sound design, building to a genuinely shocking twist.

Mother/Android’s opening has some subtle world-building amid the uprising, but the rest of the film relies far too heavily mailcommunity.com.au

on spoken exposition, and much of the dialogue is contrived and long-winded.

Despite this, the film is frustratingly slim on details about the androids, and the EMP weapon is a poorly-explained plotdevice with little tangible impact on the plot.

The film also has some terribly jarring edits and very distracting shaky handheld camerawork (which is an increasingly prevalent problem in modern filmmaking).

The android designs are generic, with blue blood and Terminator-style skeletons.

Moreover, name-dropping Karel Capek’s 1921 play Rossum’s Universal Robots in a monologue about inevitable robot resistance is incredibly heavy-handed.

Mother/Android is a suspenseful, wellacted film with a great twist and an affecting human core, but has dire dialogue, irritating cinematography and few ideas of its own, and is available for streaming on Netflix.

- Seth Lukas Hynes

What’s coming to theatres

By Peter Kemp Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre: A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder After his mother’s funeral, middle-class Englishman Monty Navarro learns an incredible secret – he is the son of the daughter of the grandson of the nephew of the second Earl of Highhurst, making him an aristocrat - if he can just find a way to prevent the eight earls preceding him from inheriting the earldom first.

An Edwardian style, operatic farce, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder won the 2014 Tony Award for best Musical.

Season: 17 February – 5 March.

Bookings: www.lilydaleatc.com or 9735 1777 Office hours Monday, Tuesday and Friday 10am to 2pm.

· · ·

A Reminder: The 1812 Theatre is presenting Dracula – The Bloody Truth.

Travelling across Europe from the dark and sinister Transylvania mountains to the charming seaside town of Whitby, Professor Can Helsing and his three amateur actors stage a life-changing, theatrical production of Dracula – hoping to establish once and for all the bloody truth.

Season: 24 February – 19 March.

Bookings: 9758 3964 The Basin Theatre: Photograph 51 Anna Zeigler’s Photograph 51 goes back to 1950’s London where the discovery of the DNA helix structure would unlock ‘the secret of life’.

Season: 24 February – 4 March.

Contact: 1300 784 668

· ·

· ·

Tuesday, 1 February, 2022

|

MAIL 13

THE LOWDOWN Q&A

14 MAIL

|

Tuesday, 1 February, 2022

What is something people don’t know about you?

My husband, Charles and I have been married for 46 years, have four amazing children, three of whom are married with six grandchildren.

We all live in the Yarra Ranges.

How long have you been involved in the foodbank program and why was it important to you to establish such a food delivery service?

I have been involved in the well being and care space for over 30 years and four years ago taken on the management of the Foodbank program for Vantage Point Community in Lilydale.

What do you enjoy most about delivering food packages to people in your community?

To serve others with generosity and excellence knowing the food and friendship connection is making a difference in their lives.

What has been one of your most memorable moments while facilitating the foodbank program?

The moment I realised it’s never a ‘them and us’’ mentality. We are all valued human beings loved by God and we all need a helping hand at some point.

What do you love most about the Yarra Ranges and your Mount Evelyn community?

My husband worked in Lilydale for 30 years and we only moved to Mount Evelyn from Donvale five years ago. We absolutely love the beauty of the surrounds, the parks, cafes and of course the wonderful people.

What event, past, present, or future, would you like to witness?

Always wanted to attend Vision Australia’s Carols By Candlelight at the Myer Music Bowl.

This Christmas my dream was realized. The experience was far beyond expectations.

Which four guests, dead or alive, would you invite to a dinner party?

Mary (the mother of Jesus), my late Grandmother Eva, Grace Kelly, Aretha Franklin Who do you admire the most?

Authentic people What are some of your hobbies?

Music, gardening What is your favourite book and/or film?

Book: The Blue Bottle Club by Penelope Stokes Film: Out of Africa/The Tourist

Keren Greenwood was honoured as this year’s Citizen of the Year at the Yarra Ranges Australia Day awards ceremony.

Picture: SUPPLIED

CARTOON

12527815-CG51-21

CHIRNSIDE PARK Meadowgate Milk Bar 3 Meadowgate Drive CHIRNSIDE PARK Coles Supermarket 239-241 Maroondah Highway CHIRNSIDE PARK Woolworths Supermarket 239-241 Maroondah Highway CHIRNSIDE PARK 7 - Eleven 242 Maroondah Highway CROYDON NORTH Croydon Hills Milk Bar 158 Nangathan Way CROYDON NORTH Eastfield Milk Bar 11 The Mall KILSYTH Woolworths Supermarket Churinga SC, Russo Place KILSYTH Coles Supermarket 520-526 Mt Dandenong Road KILSYTH Kilsyth Laundrette87 Colchester Road KILSYTH Woolworths Supermarket Canterbury Road Kilsyth KILSYTH TSG Tobacco Churinga Shopping Centre Mt Dandenong Road LILYDALE Lilydale Marketplace SC 33-45 Hutchinson Street LILYDALE Lilydale Village SC 51-59 Anderson Street LILYDALE Coles Supermarket Lilydale Village Castella Street & Maroondah Highway LILYDALE Lilydale Community Centre 7 Hardy Street LILYDALE Eastern Laundries. 2/4 Williams Street East LILYDALE Lilydale Lakeside Conference and Events Centre 1 Jarlo Drive LILYDALE United Petrol Service Station 473 Maroondah Highway LILYDALE Caltex Lilydale 346 Main Street LILYDALE Caltex Woolworths 31 Hutchinson Street LILYDALE BP Service Station 87 Warburton Highway LILYDALE Shell Service Station 469 Maroondah Highway LILYDALE 7 - Eleven Lilydale Cnr Maroondah Highway & Cave Hill Road LILYDALE Coles Express 469 Maroondah Highway LILYDALE Hutch & Co Cafe 251 Main Street LILYDALE Round Bird Can’t Fly 170 Main Street LILYDALE The Lilydale General 110 Beresford Road LILYDALE Yarra Valley Smokery 96 Main Street LILYDALE Bee Seen Cafe 178 Main Street LILYDALE Blue Turtle Cafe 222 Main Street LILYDALE Gracious Grace Castella Street LILYDALE Melba Coffee House 33-45 Hutchinson Street LILYDALE Lilydale Munchies 7/75 Cave Hill Road LILYDALE The Mustard Tree Cafe 3/28 John Street LILYDALE Freda’s Cafe 2 Clarke Street LILYDALE Ray White Real Estate 164 Main Street LILYDALE Stockdale & Leggo Real Estate 281 Main Street LILYDALE Professionals Real Estate 111-113 Main Street LILYDALE Grubs Up 1 Industrial Park Drive LILYDALE Olinda Creek Hotel Maroondah Hwy LILYDALE Crown Hotel Maroondah Hwy LILYDALE Yarra Ranges Council 61 - 65 Anderson Street MONTROSE Montrose Authorised Newsagency 912 Mt Dandenong Road MONTROSE Bell Real Estate 896 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road MONTROSE IGA Supermarket 916 Mt Dandenong Road MOUNT EVELYN Fast Fuel 1 Hereford Road MOUNT EVELYN IGA Supermarket 38- 40 York Road MOUNT EVELYN Post Office 12 Station Street MOUNT EVELYN Authorised Newsagency 1A Wray Crescent MOUNT EVELYN Red Robin Milk Bar 35 Hereford Road MOUNT EVELYN Library 50 Wray Cresent MOUNT EVELYN Milkbar 28 Birmingham Road MOUNT EVELYN York on Lilydale 138 York Road MOOROOLBARK Coles Supermarket 15 Brice Avenue MOOROOLBARK Corner Milk Bar 38 Bellara Dive MOOROOLBARK Fang & Yaoxin Mini Mart 108 Hayrick Lane MOOROOLBARK BP Mooroolbark 103 Cardigan Road MOOROOLBARK Coles Express 2 Cambridge Road MOOROOLBARK Mooroolbark Coin Laundrette28 Manchester Road MOOROOLBARK Professionals Real Estate Brice Avenue MOOROOLBARK L J Hooker Brice Avenue MOOROOLBARK Fletchers Real Estate 1/14 Manchester Road MOOROOLBARK 7-Eleven Manchester Road

with Citizen of the Year Keren Greenwood

mailcommunity.com.au

PUZZLES SUDOKU

No. 066

To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.

easy

4

9

5

1

1 8 5 2 4 3

5 2 1 7 7 2

9 9 4 6 2

5 1 8 5 9 2

3 9

1

3

8 medium

3 2 5 8

9 7 4 9 1

QUICK CROSSWORD 5 6 7 8 10

ACROSS Sibling (6) One-storey house (8) Belonging to them (5) Maryland city (9) Lassoed (5) Painting of the countryside (9) Water-rich vegetable (9) Innumerable (6) Female name (6) Hushed words (8) Common greeting question (3,3,3) Make a speech (5) Brief statements (9) Florida city (5) Claptrap (8) Steal (6)

1 4 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 18 23 24 26 27 28 29

14 16 17 19 20 21 22 25

No. 066

Area of hilly land (6) Deny (7) Doppelganger (4-5) Time for leisure (7) Beauty and the Beast heroine (5) Female cleaner (9) US president (1963–69) (7) Recount (7) Periods of 60 minutes (5) He might have a carrot for a nose (7) From Stockholm, say (7) Song’s words (6) Separated (5)

DOWN Characterised by satire (7) Slumber (5) Domain of an earl (7)

1 2 3

DECODER

No. 066

6 8 7 5

7

8

1 5 4

4 9 3

3 6 6 4

5 7

2 hard

3

6 4 8 2

5 6 3 4 1 2

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

8 6

D T 16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

9-LETTER WORD Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once.

No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural words ending in “s”.

D

F

Today’s Aim: 5 words: Good 7 words: Very good

7 1 3 8 5 4 6 2 9

6 2 5 8 3 7 4 9 1

3 8 4 9 2 1 7 5 6

10 words: Excellent

1 7 9 6 4 5 2 8 3

8 4 1 3 7 6 5 2 9

9 3 6 4 5 2 8 1 7

2 5 7 1 8 9 3 6 4

I

F

A

4 6 3 5 9 8 1 7 2

7 1 8 2 6 4 9 3 5

4 6 8 1 2 9 3 5 7

2 9 5 6 7 3 4 8 1

9 4 2 7 3 5 8 1 6

8 3 1 4 9 6 5 7 2

6 5 7 2 8 1 9 4 3

5 7 6 3 1 8 2 9 4

3 2 9 5 4 7 1 6 8

1 8 4 9 6 2 7 3 5

3 6 9 7 4 8 5 1 2

5 4 2 6 1 3 8 7 9

7 8 1 2 9 5 4 6 3

4 7 5 1 2 9 3 8 6

8 2 6 3 7 4 9 5 1

1 9 3 5 8 6 7 2 4

9 5 4 8 6 2 1 3 7

6 3 7 4 5 1 2 9 8

2 1 8 9 3 7 6 4 5

Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com

I

A V

T

4 LETTERS BASE BUSS EBBS EGOS HERS HUTS ISLE LETS MITE MOST PALE PREY USES UTES

5 LETTERS ALONE APART AVERT AWARE AWOKE BERET BLAME BLEAT BUTTE CHASE DARES EARNS EDGED EDGES EGGED ELOPE ENTER FORGE GALLS HASTE

No. 066

HEART HELLO IDEAL LARGE LEAFY LEDGE LEPER MOIST MUTTS PACTS PESTS RADAR RAWER REEDS REPEL ROUGE SAUTE SEEDS SKITE SLEDS SMUTS

SPORT STEAL STRUT TENET TEPEE TESTS USING VIGIL WORTH 6 LETTERS CONFER OODLES REHASH RESIST

7 LETTERS CAPSULE GURGLED OUSTING REALEST RUSTICS STIMULI 8 LETTERS EMBARKED NAMELESS SERENADE TREATISE

adit, AFFIDAVIT, aida, avid, daft, data, davit, diva, fiat, vita

5 9 2 7 1 3 6 4 8

hard

4

medium

3

easy

2

5

1

9

15

2 3 9

14

7

3 LETTERS ACE AGE ALL APE ART ASS BUT CHI EEL EKE ELM FOG GAS GET ICE INN ION LAG LSD ODE RED TEA TEE USE

C P S U L H I O Z Q E WM

4 3 9 6

1

1

A R N Y X B G J K V F D T

7

1

WORDFIT

04-02-22

William Matthews Funerals FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED

24 HOUR SERVICE ALL AREAS

9739 6868 45 Cave Hill Rd, Lilydale www.williammatthewsfunerals.com.au mailcommunity.com.au

12410397-ACM06-19

Tuesday, 1 February, 2022

|

MAIL 15

LUXURY YARRA VALLEY LIVING BATHED in sunshine and mountain views enjoying privacy and the feeling of luxury at every turn, you will find this well thought out home with everything your heart desires and more!

Situated proudly and privately this home is immaculate from the moment you step through the door, offering 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 living areas and a great size home office. Entering the beautiful home, you have 2 master bedrooms to choose from! Either at the front - separate to the rest of the home with ensuite and walk in robe or towards the rear with ensuite and own private sitting room with glass doors opening onto decking – what a choice to make.

Down the hall from the front door you have wall upon wall of storage – everything has been carefully planned here and nothing, absolutely nothing has been left out.

At the end, you reach the open living area with high ceilings and 4 sets of doors that flow to your decking. The kitchen has absolutely everything you need with integrated fridge and dishwasher, stone bench tops, Induction cooktop, SMEG

appliances and bar.

The living and dining areas have a gas log crackling fire for those intimate moments and plenty of space with some beautiful mountain views.

Step outside to an inground pool with

a fountain, surrounded by immaculate gardens, decking and paving, pergola, double lock up garage with internal access, garden shed and more storage.

Location is in the heart of Yarra Junction – access to the Yarra Centre for swimming

and gym, the Yarra River and surrounding walking tracks including the Iconic Rail Trail, shopping centre and local schools.

Book now for inspection and learn about all the other extras that are available in this amazing property. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 18 Birrarrung Rise, YARRA JUNCTION Description: 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 garage Price: $850,000 - $930,000 Inspect: Saturday, 11am-11.30am Contact: Leah Bannerman, 0448 924 266, BELL REAL ESTATE - YARRA JUNCTION, 5967 1277

16

MAIL PROPERTY GUIDE

|

Tuesday, 1 February, 2022

com.au

mailcommunity.com.au

HOME FOCUS

SOLID FAMILY HOME ON ONE ACRE WITH beautiful valley views that take in the nearby rolling green hills, this 4 bedroom brick home is in a fantastic location near the end of a no through road and is ready for your renovation ideas. Perfect for a growing family, there is plenty of room for everyone on this 1 acre (approx.) property that is gently sloping, full of sun and fully useable.

Inside, the home has an excellent floorplan with a spacious L-shaped lounge and dining room that adjoins the original kitchen and separate meals area. All 4 bedrooms are well sized, especially the master bedroom that features a walk-through robe and ensuite.

Perfect for kids of all ages, the rumpus

room is ideal for that extra living space or work from home options you have been searching for!

Multiple gas wall heaters can be found throughout as well as a wood fire in the main lounge while an air-conditioner will help to keep the temperature under control on those extra hot days.

Outside, a sealed driveway allows for great access and extra parking for those with trailers to store.

Enjoy dinners on the back patio whilst enjoying the scenery of your lush green rear yard and views to the hills beyond knowing that with some great renovation ideas and a bit of elbow grease, this solid home will soon be your dream come true. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 14 Agnes Street, GEMBROOK Price: $860,000 - $940,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Glenn Chandler, 0418 410 689, CHANDLER & CO REAL ESTATE, 97546888

18 Birrarrung Rise Yarra Junction

$850,000- $930,000

Launching Place

Luxury Yarra Valley Living – No Expense Spared!

Character home on 3 glorious acres The character home set on approx. 3 glorious acres offers 4 bedrooms including a walk in robe and ensuite in the main bedroom. The country style kitchen is superb, expansive living areas spread over 2 levels, with separate living/family & downstairs rumpus room or teenagers games room plus a classic period style formal dining/sitting room. Entertain in style with a covered entertaining area perfectly positioned overlooking the picturesque gardens and the colourful backdrop with stunning age old lush shady trees and beautiful established gardens. Plenty of car space plus a lock up garage with sealed pathways and plenty of under house storage, make the move now and come and enjoy the relaxed semi rural lifestyle and country atmosphere, it’s the perfect place to call home.

Situated proudly & privately this home is immaculate from the moment you step through the door, offering 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 living areas and a great size home office.

Entering the beautiful home, you have 2 master bedrooms to choose from!The kitchen has absolutely everything you need with integrated fridge and dishwasher, stone bench tops, Induction cooktop, SMEG appliances and bar. Step outside to an inground pool with a fountain, surrounded by immaculate gardens, decking and paving, pergola, double lock up garage with internal access, garden shed and more storage.

Contact: Leah Bannerman 0448 924 266 Inspection: Saturday 11 -11.30am (Photo ID Required)

bellrealestate.com.au mailcommunity.com.au

$1,180,000 - $1,295,000

Contact: David Carroll 0419 539 320 Inspection: By Appointment

5966 2530

3407 Warburton Hwy, Warburton com.au

5967 1277

2457 Warburton Hwy, Yarra Junction Tuesday, 1 February, 2022

|

MAIL PROPERTY GUIDE

17

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DISCRIMINATION IN ADVERTISING IS UNLAWFUL The Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 1995 makes it unlawful for an advertiser to show any intention to discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy, race, age, marital status, political or religious belief or physical features, disability, lawful sexual activity/sexual orientation, HIV/AIDS status or on the basis of being associated with a person with one of the above characteristics, unless covered by an exception under the Act. As Network Classifieds could be legally liable if an unlawful advertisement is printed, Network Classifieds will not accept advertisements that appear to break the law. For more information about discrimination in advertising, contact your legal advisers or the Equal Opportunity Commission.

mailcommunity.com.au

SPORT

Junior golfers on show

By Mikayla van Loon It was a successful start to the Victorian Junior Amatuer golf championships last week despite the extremely hot temperatures reached while out on the courses in Lilydale.

By the end of the week, event organisers were battling potential lightning and thunderstorms but that didn’t make much difference to the tournament winners.

Victorian Jeneath Wong and Queenslander Manato Nakatani took home the Victorian Junior Amateur both with an impressive lead on their fellow golfers.

Golf Australia event organiser Lachlan Scott said day one at Gardiners Run was a great start to the tournament, seeing Wong make a stand out performance, while the boys battled it out for top spot.

“We had some unreal scores yesterday (Monday 24 January). The best girl was 11 under and we had two guys that were seven under par. So they did really well at Gardiners Run,” he said.

Being a more challenging course at Yering Meadows on day two, Mr Scott said he was interested to see how the players handled the penalty areas.

“The girl’s leader (Wong), she’s definitely one of our strongest players so I’d be surprised if she wasn’t in a good spot after today.

“The boy’s there’s actually a lot around the mark with seven or eight within a couple shots.

So I think today (Tuesday 25 January) will determine a lot as to where everyone is.”

After day two, the players were seeded and ranked accordingly, indicating who they played against on Thursday 27 January at The Eastern Golf Club and Friday 28 at Yering Meadows.

Wong held her lead throughout the tournament, scoring rounds of 70 at Yering Meadows, 68 at The Eastern and 71 at Yering Meadows which saw her notch up a 20-under par and a 12-shot victory, her third in a row at the event.

It comes off the back of her victory at the Australian Master of the Amateurs two weeks ago and a runner-up finish at the Victorian Amateur in December.

Haruhi Nakatani finished second after her recent success winning the Tasmanian Junior Masters. Third place was filled by Molly McLean who finished with one-under par.

The boys competition was much closer in the leaderboard, with the Surfers Paradise member finishing at five-under par for the tournament, just one ahead of Hunter Gillard and Dujuan Snyman.

Nakatani gained a start at next month’s Vic Open in the process, while Wong had already

Umbrellas were needed at Yering Meadows on Tuesday 25 January, as the heat was already sweltering in the early hours of the day.

Jeneath Wong from The Metropolitan Golf Club took home the girls Victorian Junior Amateur championship with an impressive lead.

Pictures: GOLF AUSTRALIA qualified for the professional event at 13th Beach.

Mr Scott said Golf Australia chose this area to host the championship because of the close proximity of all the courses.

“We saw that as a good opportunity given we wouldn’t put too much of a burden on either course and we could spread it out across the four days,” he said.

“It’s also an area where we haven’t typically held too many events at all, not in my time in the last few years. So it’s exciting to come out to this region and bring some of the best junior golfers that we’ve got out here.”

Volunteers at each of the golf clubs helped facilitate the tournament’s success and ensured things ran smoothly, something Mr Scott said they did a wonderful job at.

“All the clubs have been fantastic. I think they’re struggling a bit in terms of staffing at the moment with Covid. So they’ve really gone the extra mile to welcome us and make sure it’s a good event,” Mr Scott said.

Manato Nakatani had to battle it out in the boys competition but ultimately came out on top.

Teeing off at different times throughout the day, the golfers took to The Nursery course at Yering Meadows on Tuesday 25 January.

Pictures: MIKAYLA VAN LOON

Casey’s off to the Games

By Renee Wood Don Valley local and Australian cross country skier Casey Wright will be heading off to compete in the Winter Olympics for a second time after receiving her official Olympic qualification for Beijing.

It followed a month of qualifying events in Switzerland in December which saw Ms Wright recommended to the Australian Olympic Committee to represent the country at the games.

“I was really happy to make it in the top two females for Australia, because we only had two spots for the women,” Ms Wright said.

This will be Ms Wright’s second Winter Olympics after making her debut in Pyeongchang in 2018.

Ms Wright was pleased to secured a spot, after losing many competition opportunities due to the pandemic since the last games.

“Basically coming off two years of not racing and then just jumping straight back into it with an Olympic qualification was definitely a little bit full on but I guess it’s like riding a bike - you never forget.”

Ms Wright has been based in Switzerland for trails since November last year but during mailcommunity.com.au

the pandemic, the skier was at home in Don Valley - the first northern hemisphere’s winter she’s missed in a decade.

Despite a lack of snow training, Ms Wright was able to maintain her fitness locally throughout the year to prepare for the winter games.

“I did do some training blocks up in Mount Beauty Falls Creek area, because that’s where my coaches are based, but majority of my season was spent around home.

Trail and mountain running and mountain bike riding have formed part of her regime in the local area.

“One of the great things about cross country skiing is that we have such a wide range of things we can do to keep fit. So majority of our sport is aerobically based and so anything that gets our aerobic system working is great training.”

Ms Wright will arrive in Beijing on Tuesday 1 February to settle in at the Aussie village and prepare for the games.

“We’ll just be spending the time learning the race courses, getting familiar with them and then also just testing our skis so that we have an idea of what the snow conditions are like.”

Swiss Championships, Sparenmoos Switzerland, Skate Sprint.

February 8 marks the 27 year old’s first qualifier as she looks to make it into the top thirty in the sprints to go through to the finals.

She’s hoping the experience gained from the past Olympic Games will help her deliver in Beijing.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t quite get the results I was hoping for in Korea, is just kind of poor timing with some illness right before

Picture: MANUEL LUSTI

the games. But what I came away with was a wealth of experience and a lot of that I’m taking forward into these games, just helping me be a lot more relaxed and calm and just to know what to expect.

“It is just unlike anything you will have experienced before, so just having that experience under my belt is definitely helping me with some pre-games nerves.”

Tuesday, 1 February, 2022

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