Mail - Mountain Views Star Mail - 7th November 2023

Mountain Views

Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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Data Saves Lives calls for more transparency

Lyrebird College showcase new building for students

Where to attend your local Remembrance Day service

See Real Estate liftout inside

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PROPERTY PAGE 27 GUIDE

A Star News Group Publication

PR OP ER TY

Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808

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A pump track for all

By Dongyun Kwon

Coldstream Pump Track had the grand opening on Wednesday 1 November.

Picture: DONGYUN KWON

Coldstream Pump Track had the grand opening on Wednesday 1 November.

It marked the end of the whole project.

The public toilet and the car park finally were open to the public on the event, whereas, the track opened in December 2022.Yarra Ranges Council Yarra Valley Trail project manager Paul Goodison said the council reflected the recent trend and demand of local residents.

Turn to page 9 for more

Bulk billing boon The Australian Government is tripling the incentives for GPs to bulk bill children under 16, pensioners and other concession cardholders from 1 November.

The start of the month also marked the start of the indexation boost to Medicare payments announced in the 2023-24 Budget in May. “The tripling of the bulk billing incentive will help over 5 million children and their families, and more than 7 million pensioners and concession card holders to see a bulk billed

GP,” Health Minister Mark Butler said.

The bulk billing incentive increases with the rurality of the practice, increasing to between $6.85 to $20.65 in metro areas and from $13.15 to $39.70 in very remote areas, and is paid on top of the Medicare patient rebate for a GP consultation.

President of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Dr Nicole Higgins said it is a critical stopgap to slow the decline in bulk billing.

“Bulk billing has declined significantly in recent years because Medicare rebates have

YARRA RANGES

been below inflation for years, and are nowhere near the cost of care,” she said.

“We don’t like to think in these terms, but if people delay care due to costs, health issues can progress and not just cause more harm, but increase the strain on hospitals and cost more for the health system to address.”

Casey MP Aaron Violi, who expressed concern for the cost of a GP visit in a recent column in the Star Mail, said while the headline is quite impressive, the detail isn’t actually as generous.

“It’s great that they are benefiting, but my

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question is why not make it available to all Australians, it’s not just those groups that are struggling with the cost of living crisis,” he said.

“Increasing the bulk billing incentive is a start for these cohorts, but it doesn’t address the availability concerns that we have in our community, we don’t have a major hospital within our electorate and it looks like there is no plan for this government to put an urgent care clinic into our community.”

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NEWS

IN BRIEF Two trees blocks Ryans Road in Healesville

Chooks die in fire

Ryans Road in Healesville needed to be closed due to two trees on Thursday 2 November.

One large tree came down, blocking the road completely and also onto a private shed and fence.

As a result of the tree splitting at the base, another tree had started to fall and needed to be removed with heavy machinery as it was a hazard.

Healesville SES attended the scene with the Police, closed the road, and then handed over to Council crews and arborist contractors for the trees to be cleared.

By Callum Ludwig

Warburton Highway drainage works Following an assessment by Department of Transport and Planning (DOTP) crews in midOctober, drainage works on the Warburton Highway commenced on Wednesday 1 November and should be completed this week.

The site, where the landslip on the Warburton Highway occurred after the October 2022 floods, had been prone to minor flooding over the road after heavy rain.

DOTP surveillance observed that the materials were falling from the embankment on the high side onto the drain, though there was no reason to suspect a landslip.

DOTP crews are conducting surface drain cleaning works for the entire section (about 800m).

The site is subject to drainage works and cleaning every four months.

The Warburton Highway is classified as a Road Maintenance Category 3 Road – which means that it is formally inspected by DTP every week for hazards and defects.

Flames burst from the shed.

An orange glow permeates from the shed as CFA crews work to remove the shed door.

Pictures: ROCHELLE POULTON

Hillcrest CFA worked late at night to quell the blaze.

“If it was a couple of days earlier with the wind, it would have been a big story because on upon arrival a couple of trees had started to start to catch fire but we were able to put a stop to that pretty quickly,” she said.

“The shed wasn’t too close to the resident’s house however it was pretty close to their next-door neighbour’s house so thankfully the weather was on our side in that sense and it didn’t spread far.”

Some of the shed’s contents were insured, but some of the four cars inside were not, serv-

ing as an important reminder to have all valuables insured in the event of a fire. About 100 chickens inside the shed were also killed.

Ms Poulton said it’s believed the fire started from a reptile light globe heating up too much and causing the chook shelter to catch fire.

“It’s important to make sure you have adequate spacing, the required form of globes and for things like car batteries to make sure you have the right chargers and aren’t charging at night while you are asleep,” she said.

Grassfire is successfully under control

By Dongyun Kwon CFA responded to a grassfire on Badger Weir Road in Badger Creek at around 1.21pm on Monday 30 October.

CFA spokesperson said Seven CFA units, including Healesville, Gruyere, Hillcrest and Badger Creek, were on-site to extinguish the fire.

“Melbourne Water and Forest Fire Management Victoria were also on scene,“ CFA spokesperson said.

The fire spanned approximately 300 square metres and was deemed under control at 2.30pm.

There was a grassfire on Badger Weir Road on Monday 30 October.

Picture: DONGYUN KWON

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Victoria’ Police’s Operation Furlong, which kicked off on Friday 3 November, has seen police conducting widespread roadside alcohol and drug testing across the state.

A couple of motorists have already been caught in the local area, including at a PBT site in Healesville where a 53-year-old male driver returned an EBT result of 0.07 while a 59-yearold male driver returned an EBT result of 0.058 after being intercepted in Yarra Junction.

Both drivers will receive a $577 penalty notice and 6-month licence suspension.

Last year during the five-day operation, police detected 224 drink driving offences from 66,172 preliminary breath tests – a concerningly high strike rate of one in every 295 drivers caught over the limit.

Police anticipated that approximately 120,000 preliminary breath tests will be conducted by the end of this year’s operation, with volume testing impacted last year by strict Covid protocols that have now been scaled back.

A first offence for a fully licenced motorist over 26 years of age caught with a blood alcohol limit between 0.05 and 0.07 receiving a $577 fine and immediate three-month licence suspension. The penalties increase substantially for those under 26 years of age, those required to have a zero blood or breath alcohol level, those caught for second or subsequent drink driving offences, and those caught over 0.07 or above.

The number of lives lost on Victorian roads has reached 244 this year already, more than last year’s 241 total lives lost with almost two months to go, including the busy Christmas and New Year’s period.

Operation Furlong will conclude at 11.59pm on Tuesday 7 November.

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A number of Upper Yarra brigades were awoken early on Friday morning, 27 October, as they were paged to a fully involved shed fire in Launching Place.

Hillcrest CFA were joined at the scene by the Yellingbo Rural Fire Brigade, Hoddles Creek Fire Brigade, Seville Rural Fire Brigade, Yarra Junction Fire Brigade and Little Yarra CFA at 3am.

Hillcrest CFA member Rochelle Poulton said when crews arrived at the scene, it was very obvious the whole shed was involved.

“It was a large shed, and one of the struggles that we were faced with was water supply, just because it was in a rural area of Launching Place,” she said.

“One of the Yarra Junction members who was on the scene before us called for seven tankers to help with a water shuttle and once we were on scene, they handed over control to us.”

Supporting brigades carted the water back and forth to Hillcrest members, who went to work gaining access to the shed.

Ms Poulton said they parted and stripped into the roller door just to be able to gain access to the inside of the shed.

“Members are not to go up close to the fire unless they are wearing the correct PPC and clothing, we have what is called structure gear which allows us to get close to a structure fire without feeling the heat on our skin,” she said.

“It’s still something you have to be very careful of because we don’t actually feel the heat through the gear so it can get quite dangerous if we’re not aware of our surroundings and of just how hot something might be.”

Crew members used a grinder to gain access to the inside of the shed, also donning breathing apparatus to avoid inhaling toxic fumes or smoke. Grinders are becoming a common feature of brigade’s turnout equipment.

Ms Poulton said weather conditions were on their side.

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NEWS

Violi backs road data push

By Callum Ludwig A campaign from the Australian Automotive Association (AAA), of which the RACV is a constituent club, is calling for more transparent data on road safety and quality nationwide.

The Data Saves Lives campaign is calling on the Federal government to compel state and territory governments to make the ratings of more than 450,000km of roads, assessed to the globally recognised standards of the International Road Assessment Program (iRAP), publicly available.

AAA Managing Director Michael Bradley said until Australia gets serious about understanding the crashes occurring today, there’s no credible plan to prevent the crashes of tomorrow.

“The Commonwealth needs to compel state and territory governments to provide data held relating to road quality, crash causation, and law enforcement, as a condition of the $10 billion in annual road funding it provides,” he said.

“Data reporting is the first step to preventing crashes and saving lives, as it will generate the evidence on which future transport policy can be based.”

According to data from the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics’s Australia Road Deaths Database (ARDD), Victoria has seen a 6.7 per cent increase in road deaths in the year to September 2023 with 269 deaths.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)’s National Hospital Morbidity Database recorded a steady rise in annual hospitalisations due to road crashes in Australia from 2012 until 2019 before a dip in 2020, likely due to Covid-related travel restrictions. The latest data for 2021 saw incidents rise back up to almost pre-Covid levels, but it remains to be seen what the stats say for 2022 and 2023 where travel was unrestricted all year nationwide.

As part of the campaign, all Federal members were contacted to offer their support with

The Data Saves Lives campaign is calling for specific road rating data to be made publicly available.

Picture: ON FILE Casey MP Aaron Violi jumping on board.

Mr Violi said he is a big believer in data because if you don’t understand and know where the problem areas are, that’s the first step you need to go and understand before you look to fix an issue.

“I think it’s crucial, there’s two key elements to making it public and available and one is awareness; if people know that an intersection in their community is statistically one of the most dangerous in the country, you would hope it can play a little bit of role in mitigating their behaviour and potentially making them more

Container Deposit Scheme arrives with Visy The Victorian Government has marked the start of November with the launch of the Container Deposit Scheme (CDS Vic).

CDS Vic allows Victorians to return eligible drink cans, bottles and cartons for a 10-cent refund at designated points across the state. Most aluminium, glass, plastic, steel, and liquid paperboard (carton) drink containers between 150mL and 3 litres are eligible. It is recommended that they are not crushed, as some refund points won’t be able to accept them.

Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos said CDS Vic will maximise the number of cans, bottles and cartons being recycled into new products and keep them out of landfill.

“Our new Container Deposit Scheme is now open, which will reduce the amount of litter in Victoria by up to half - contributing to a more sustainable future while putting money back in the pockets of hardworking Victorians,” he said.

Currently, in the Upper Yarra, there are four over-the-counter refund points at: Wandin Newsagency, Shop 17-18, 2 Union Road, Wandin North, open from 6am to 6.30pm every day but Sundays Little Yarra Free Range Eggs at 150 Doon Road, Launching Place, open from 8am to 1.30pm Mondays, 12pm to 5.30pm Wednesdays, 8am to 1.30pm Fridays and 8am to 4pm Saturdays Millgrove Licensed Grocers, 3039 Warburton Highway, Millgrove, open from 8am to 6pm every day Tommy Finns Trout Farm, 3175 Warburton Highway, Millgrove, open from 9am to 5pm every day.

Residing all in the north zone means local refund points are overseen by Visy.

Within nine months of the scheme starting, the Zone Operators will be re-

cautious around that intersection,” he said.

“Equally importantly, it allows communities to understand where those fatalities and injuries are happening and then advocate to myself, to state MPs, to local councils and start campaigns to get roads improved and potentially also dispel myths.

“Nothing comes to mind but potentially people might think a road is quite dangerous but it actually hasn’t had any fatalities or accidents, so it’s not as big of a priority as we think it might be.”

The Australian Government is working with

E TO COM ALL OR ONE

states and territories on an Intergovernmental Road Safety Data Sharing Agreement as part of the National Road Safety Action Plan 2023-25.

A government spokesperson said national road safety data harmonisation is a focus.

“The Australian Government is working alongside states and territories to finalise the Intergovernmental Road Safety Data Sharing Agreement, which will be signed off at the end of the year,” they said.

“The Agreement will enable the collection, storage, use and sharing of road safety data sets by the already established National Road Safety Data Hub.” The National Road Safety Action Plan is agreed to by all state and territories, and local governments through the Australian Local Government Association, while the Federal government is also negotiating the next fiveyear National Partnership Agreement on Land Transport Infrastructure Projects, which will come into effect in July 2024.

Mr Violi said he thinks having a nationally consistent standard is crucial, particularly at the federal level where they’re making decisions across the country to allocate funding.

“If there’s different ratings between states then you get skewed data and you’re not working on the same information,” he said.

“Having a report that only goes to the minister or the government of the day doesn’t engender confidence within the community, so whatever they develop, my strong belief is it needs to be transparent and publicly available to all communities.

“I hope they can come together and implement this, this should be above politics, and it’s not about the parties, it’s about delivering better results for our communities and accurately understanding and mapping where these incidents are coming out.”

At the time of writing 45 per cent of MPs support the campaign, mostly Liberal and Independent MPs.

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Head of the Marketing Department at RMIT University Dr Linda Robinson people’s housing situation and access to recycling facilities are factors that will determine how a consumer engages in the scheme.

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NEWS

Bulk billing boost for kids

By Callum Ludwig The Australian Government has reduced the cost of a visit to a GP for millions of Australians, tripling the incentives for GPs to bulk bill children under 16, pensioners and other concession cardholders from 1 November.

The start of the month also marked the start of the indexation boost to Medicare payments announced in the 2023-24 Budget in May. Health Minister Mark Butler said bulk billing is the beating heart of Medicare and Labor will always strengthen it.

“The tripling of the bulk billing incentive will help over 5 million children and their families, and more than 7 million pensioners and concession card holders to see a bulk billed GP,” he said.

“Doctors’ groups have called this a ‘gamechanger’ and GPs right around the country have said this will help them maintain and even shift back to bulk billing.”

The bulk billing incentive increases with the rurality of the practice, increasing to between $6.85 to $20.65 in metro areas and from $13.15 to $39.70 in very remote areas, and is paid on top of the Medicare patient rebate for a GP consultation.

President Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Dr Nicole Higgins said it is a critical stopgap to slow the decline in bulk billing.

“Bulk billing has declined significantly in recent years because Medicare rebates have been below inflation for years, and are nowhere near the cost of care. GPs have been subsidising the full cost of care every time they bulk bill their patients,” she said.

“We don’t like to think in these terms, but if people delay care due to costs, health issues can progress and not just cause more harm, but increase the strain on hospitals and cost more for the health system to address.

Children under 16, pensioners and concession cardholders will benefit from an increased bulk billing incentive for GP visits.

“The average cost to the government for a non-admitted emergency department presentation in 2020-21 was $611, yet it costs the government just $79.70 to support a patient to spend 20–40 minutes with their GP.” The new changes have the following effects: A 20-minute in a major city will provide 34 per cent to the doctor and take the Medicare payment for eligible patients to $62.05.

In regional and rural Australia, the doctor will get 50 per cent more for the same length visit, with the Medicare payment rising to between $72.80 and $81.10, location dependent.

A new rebate for consultations that stretch over an hour will give patients back $191.20.

Casey MP Aaron Violi, who had recently published a column in the Star Mail concerned with the rising costs of a GP visit, said while the

· · ·

headline is quite impressive, the detail isn’t actually as generous as they’re making out.

“There’s no doubt children under 16, pensioners and Commonwealth concession card holders will benefit and it’s great that they are benefiting, but my question is why not make it available to all Australians,” he said.

“It’s not just those groups that are struggling with the cost of living crisis that we’re going through and it’s more expensive than ever for anyone to visit a GP. “Increasing the bulk billing incentive is a start for these cohorts, but it doesn’t address the availability concerns that we have in our community, we don’t have a major hospital within our electorate and it looks like there is no plan for this government to put an urgent care clinic into our community.”

The nearest Urgent Care Clinic that has

H A S

Picture: ON FILE

been opened is in Narre Warren, with the Australian Government planning to have 58 opened by the end of 2023. There are currently 23 open nationwide, and nine in Victoria. The locations of those to come have not been revealed.

Mr Violi said another concern has been that for some programs the electorate is considered Metropolitan Melbourne and for others, it is considered more regional overall.

“Where that line is drawn is really important, we know Yarra Junction has previously had some challenges with doctor availability because they were ineligible for some incentives, they weren’t considered regional or rural and that was adjusted,” he said.

“We’ve got to continue to watch where that line is and where those decisions are made because it is crucial to our community.”

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NEWS

Waste concerns raised

By Tanya Faulkner Controversy and concern rings out in the Yarra Ranges as locals come to terms with the new FOGO services being introduced to the municipality.

Several questions were raised by the public during question time at the Yarra Ranges Council (YRC) general meeting held on Tuesday 24 October.

Locals in attendance of the meeting questioned why councillors of YRC chose to ignore the majority of residents in a recent survey who wanted weekly rubbish collection to remain, and how the FOGO service responds to the diverse needs of the community.

Wandin North local Ms Wright asked council why they chose to ignore the majority of community feedback, after council’s own strategy revealed 60 per cent of the 7,000 residents who completed a recent survey wanted weekly rubbish collection, while 65 per cent of webinar attendees (less than 200) would consider fortnightly collection.

YRC acting director planning and sustainable futures Amanda Kern said the decision to transition to fortnightly collection was based on a range of considerations, including community sentiment.

“Council’s Community Resource Recovery and Waste Plan is based on waste industry research, best practice for FOGO collections, and other sector insights and community feedback.

“The collection frequency adopted in our plan is designed to maximise the recovery of organic material from landfill and ensure that we can meet Recycling Victoria targets by 2030, and that service provides the best value for the community,” she said.

Ms Wright’s question was followed by one from Malvern East local Mr Hurlston, who asked how the mandatory opt in FOGO service responds to the diverse needs of the commu-

The Yarra Ranges Council was questioned about its FOGO practices by locals at a recent council meeting.

Picture: ON FILE nity, given it has no consideration of those who compost or do not require the service.

Ms Kern said council understands the diversity of the community, with FOGO intended to complement those currently composting.

“You can place certain items into your FOGO bin that some home composting systems can’t accept, such as cooked foods, meat, bones, dairy and citrus.

“The FOGO service maximises the recovery of organic material from landfill and ensures the council can meet Recycling Victoria policy targets,” she said.

The Yarra Ranges Council is amongst several who have introduced FOGO services as part of waste management in Victoria, however they look different across the state.

A Knox City Council representative said “waste management services differ from council to council as each council determines the nature of its waste management services to meet the needs and priorities of its community”.

They said there has been a 45 per cent reduction of waste going to landfill.

“In the first three months of the new weekly food and garden bin service, Knox residents have diverted 72 per cent of all green and recycling waste from landfill, up from 50 per cent in 2022.

“A total of 6828 tonnes of food scraps and other organics have been recycled into compost. This is the equivalent of 487 truckloads.

“About 6000 tonnes of greenhouse emissions have been saved, which is equivalent to pulling 4000 cars off our roads each year.

“Pleasingly, there has been no increase in contamination in recycling or food and garden waste bins and no increase in dumped rubbish or litter in public rubbish bins.

“While there have been some big changes to our bin services, our community has embraced these changes and residents should feel proud of the results we have collectively achieved,” they said.

The Knox municipality has the same services offered as the Yarra Ranges, offering fortnightly collections alongside the FOGO service.

However, Maroondah Council is providing a point of difference in the Hills, retaining their collection frequency for organics and general waste bins, with decisions made following community consultation and informed by evidence and research.

Maroondah Mayor, Cr Rob Steane said in 2019, the council engaged with the community on a range of waste services including introducing a FOGO service and general waste being diverted to an energy from waste facility.

“The feedback from residents was that they did not support a change in their general waste collection frequency, but they supported a FOGO service.

“We also undertook research, which assessed how full Maroondah household general waste bins are, how often they’re being placed out for collection, and what is being placed in them.

“This research found that food represented about 10 per cent of the volume of the general waste bin, 82 per cent of households presented their bins weekly, and 90 per cent of bins were more than half full.

“Based on this, removing the food from general waste bins would only remove 10 per cent of volume, or 20 per cent of volume over a fortnightly period,” he said.

Cr Steane said his council was concerned about introducing a fortnightly frequency change for general waste at the same time as FOGO, for fear of an overflow from the general waste that could potentially increase contamination of the FOGO service.

“This is the greatest risk to the service’s long-term feasibility.

“Based on research and feedback from the community, a decision was made to retain the current bin collection frequencies and encourage the separation of food as the first step to reducing general waste to landfill.

“Council will continue to monitor the FOGO service and measure general waste bin usage.

“If the evidence supports a shift in frequencies, we would again engage with the community before determining a way forward,” he said.

YRC’s Ms Kern said council will review the system following its six-month implementation to ensure it best meets community needs and delivers on the broader environmental targets.

Jim Child reflects on service as Yarra Ranges Mayor

By Callum Ludwig Yarra Ranges Council Mayor and O’Shannassy Ward Councillor Jim Child announced at the end of the jam-packed Tuesday 24 October Council meeting that it would be his last as mayor.

He was elected as a councillor for the first time in Yarra Ranges Council in 2012 and first served as mayor from 2012 to 2013 and most recently from 2021 to 2023.

Recalling achievements, Cr Child said it’s been a big two years.

“We came into that first year with storm recovery from that significant event back in 2021, dealing with the issues from that especially when you think about that particular property owner up in Kalorama,” he said.

“We’ve just recently gone to the minister for a planning scheme amendment, which will eventually change the planning scheme so that she may be able to build again, so that was a terrific outcome for me.

“I’m also a strong advocate for the Warburton Mountain Bike Destination, we’re well on the road to that now with the planning scheme amendment in front of the minister, and we expect to sign off on that shortly and begin construction in April next year.”

Cr Child’s work in local government in the region extends beyond his 2012 election, having previously been elected to the nowdefunct Shire of Upper Yarra in 1982 and becoming shire president in 1985.

Cr Child said he thinks the biggest challenge over those two years was earlier this year when there were problems in the gallery at council meetings.

“We ended up in the Supreme Court with a matter being raised before Justice Richards questioning Council’s actions in regards to the Monbulk Urban Design Framework and whether we did the appropriate consultation, and my and the CEO’s actions to close meetings down,” he said.

“To be vindicated by the Supreme Court that we were correct in what we did was a great feeling for me because it was a period of 8 MAIL

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Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

Cr Jim Child announced it would be his last meeting as Mayor of Yarra Ranges Council at the Picture: ON FILE Tuesday 24 October Council meeting. 334058 time for concern.

“I think that what was happening in our gallery was really challenging democracy, where we have an elected council which was being challenged by a minority group who disrupted proceedings.”

The current Deputy Mayor is Melba Ward Councillor Sophie Todorov. Cr Child said he did realise going into the role it would be a challenging time, particularly with state and federal elections taking place.

“Little did I know how the rest would pan

out, as well as a referendum where we as Council had to take a neutral place, even though we did recognise the Uluru Statement from the Heart, but it wasn’t for us to direct people how to vote.

“Our job was to really say to people, make sure that you do your homework, check both sides of this, yes or no, and make an informed decision, don’t go to the referendum poll uninformed, so that was an important piece for me.

“There were some things I did expect to be

challenging, to be on ABC’s Meet the Mayor four times and all the other media commitments as well, I’ve probably never known the mayor’s role to be so busy in that space, but I think what’s come out of that is that the time went so quick and I’ve got no regrets about my team in the chair.”

There’s one mayoral term to be served by whoever is to be Cr Child’s replacement before the next Yarra Ranges Council election in 2024.

Cr Child said he thinks they’re well equipped as a council.

“We’ve got nine councillors that are very well connected as a councillor group, with no political factions and that’s what I found inspiring through the difficult times I had to go through,” he said.

“The support I had from those eight other councillors and the offices of our municipality was nothing short of outstanding.

“I will not stop my advocacy on behalf of my constituents, on behalf of the people of the O’Shannassy ward and the Upper Yarra, it’s always been the reason why I’ve stood for local government and I’ll continue to do that.”

Cr Child was formally thanked for this work over the last two years by Yarra Ranges Council CEO Tammi Rose, Streeton Ward Councillor Andrew Fullagar and Walling Ward Councillor Len Cox OAM after his announcement.

Cr Child said he thinks the main learning from anyone who sits in a chair of responsibility is that each and every person who sits around that table in the chamber has an equal right to have a say.

“I think in the two-year period of my mayorship I dealt with probably one amendment, maybe one or two amendments to a council motion and not all resolutions were unanimous either,” he said.

“I think that what that shows and what our council does well is that we can have a very strong debate in regards to items, we can have that respectfully and we can do it through a democratic process.” mailcommunity.com.au

NEWS

A new recreation ground for local pump riders Coldstream Pump Track finally had its grand opening on Wednesday 1 November.

It has been open since December 2022, but the recent grand opening was to celebrate the end of the whole project after the construction of a public toilet and car park was completed.

Yarra Ranges Council Yarra Valley Trail project manager Paul Goodison said the project was funded by the State and the Federal governments.

“We got half a million dollars out of the State government and half a million dollars out of the Federal government to develop this formerly unused railway land,” he said.

Pump tracks are gaining in popularity all around Melbourne, used by skateboarders, bike riders and scooter riders.

Mr Goodison said the council reflected

the recent trend and demand of local residents.

“We didn’t have any pump track except for a small crushed rock one in Mount Evelyn and the trend was for sealed asphalt pump tracks like this one [the new pump track in Coldstream],” he said.

“There’s another one about to finish construction in Wesburn.”

Pump tracks are expected to be recreation grounds for locals from a broad age group along with bringing health benefits.

“It’s great to see that many people like this place. From the first day it was opened [last December], we had a crowd of kids here,” Mr Goodison said.

“It’s always popular with full of people from very young kids on balance bikes through to adults, unless it’s raining and wet.”

The pump track will bring health benefits to locals.

One more pump track in Wesburn is about to open to the public.

By Dongyun Kwon

Lyrebird College in Coldstream had their new building for senior students. Pictures: DONGYUN KWON

Easton presented a sketchbook which included the written form of the Acknowledgement of Country in front of the public.

James read the written statement on behalf of Federal Minister for Education Jason Clare.

Building for new skills

By Dongyun Kwon Lyrebird College in Coldstream has opened their new building for senior students funded through a grant from the Federal government.

The college is an independent school, pursuing excellence in the education of children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder from foundation to year 10.

Principal Julie Kugler said the new building has changed the whole education opportunity.

“Now we can cater for students right through the primary into the secondary setting and offer a lot more programs in an art room, increased ICT and individualised access to different playgrounds and areas of the school,” she said.

Lyrebird College was established aiming to provide better education studies to the highest level of autism so that families could be in good hands.

“We wanted to create a really joyful, vibrant school community to offer a good quality of education with advanced facilities to children with the highest level of autism because we believed that our students can do what other children do,” Ms Kugler said.

After several years of operating, the school has been getting closer to its aim and students proved it during the event.

Easton presented a sketchbook which included the written form of the Acknowledgement of Country and Siddhu read the student’s address followed by James reading the written statement on behalf of Federal Education Minister Jason Clare.

“Today, the opening ceremony was phenomenal. Our students stood in front of the public and made a speech in their own way,“ Ms Kugler said.

“There was no way, in the first two years, I would have ever got a child to stand beside me to do what we did today. When we first opened, mailcommunity.com.au

we saw our children all in their little separate faces throughout the school, just doing their own integration. Now they communicate and interact. That’s what our education is about.”

Many parents were deeply touched by the work and progress of their children.

Siddhu’s mother Kalpana Venkatesan said Siddhu has bloomed into a brand-new boy reaching his potential after he came to Lyrebird College.

“The learning is different for every kid and my son also learns differently. And I just wanted someone to give him an opportunity and have some patience to teach him,” she said.

“Lyrebird College is not just a place where he’s safe, but he’s also learning exponentially.

His learning has just progressed so well and he’s very happy. He’s growing appropriately and having some friendships here. He’s having everything he needs.”

Evelyn MP Bridget Vallence and Casey MP Aaron Violi attended the opening ceremony and were surprised by the development of the school.

“Every student deserves to reach their potential. I am happy to see the work and the dedication from educators and families for the students to reach their potential.” Ms Vallence said.

Mr Violi emphasised the importance of cooperation of the whole community to provide a better educational environment for young students.

“It took a vision and drive and determination of many people to bring this together.

“The more we can do as a community, as governments, to help all children have the opportunity that they require. That’s what we need to continue to do,” Mr Violi said.

The Federal government has contributed $880,000 towards the school under the Capital Grants Program.

Coldstream Pump Track finally had its grand opening day on Wednesday 1 November.

Pictures: DONGYUN KWON

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NEWS

New station opens doors

By Dongyun Kwon Coldstream CFA opened their new station to local residents on Sunday 29 October.

Captain Sean Bethell said the event was well received by the community.

“There would have been about 300 to 400 people coming to the station,” he said.

The event was for CFA to build a better connection with local people by having a chance to introduce their work along with free conversations.

“CFA holds an open day for the local community to appreciate the hard work that our emergency services do in the fire brigade,” Mr Bethell said.

“We’ve got a new fire station and it was also a celebration for that.”

Mr Bethell said the visitors looked around the fire trucks and the new fire station while enjoying diverse activities.

“Kids learnt how to get down low to get out

of the smoke and participated in the colouring-in competition,” he said.

“We also had toy fire truck races. Kids squirted water to little toy trucks running along the length of the hose to see how well they did.”

“We had literature for adults to have a look at and an antique hand side pump they could pump some water with.”

Coldstream Primary School students were on site to sell sausage sizzles to fundraise for the school.

Mr Bethell called for locals to join as new members.

“The open day is also to see if there are any members of the public that are interested in volunteering their time to become firefighters,” he said.

“We’re always looking for new members, especially members who are around during daytime hours when other people are working.”

Visitors looked around the fire trucks and the new fire station while enjoying diverse activities.

Picture: COLDSTREAM CFA FIRE BRIGADE FACEBOOK

Reverend Ross Duncan (front) blesses local CFA crews.

Picture: SUPPLIED

A blessing for crew safety

By Callum Ludwig With the fire season well and truly upon us now, having seen major fires rage in Gippsland in October and in Queensland and northern New South Wales now, it’s time to keep firefighters in our thoughts.

The annual blessing and thanksiving for some of our local brigades took place on Sunday 29 October.

Vicar of the Anglican Parish of Wandin, Seville and Mt Evelyn Reverend Ross Duncan said it’s an opportunity to connect with the volunteers and their families andpray on behalf of their safety for the upcoming fire season.

“We pray for them during the season and to be able to provide whatever support we can in terms of their operations, it’s not necessarily going out and fighting in the field, but it could be supporting their loved ones or support in practical means such as food, clothing and assistance,” he said.

“I think it’s really important that we as a community get behind our volunteers and vocally tell them about support, care and love for them and to actually be practical in the way that we assist them.”

Crews from the Wandin, Seville, Gruyere and Yellingbo brigades turned out in a total of five trucks and a support vehicle.

Rev Duncan said each brigade gave a bit of an account of what’s been happening and their concerns at the moment for this season.

“The brigade from Wandin have had an extremely busy year in terms of call outs to serious accidents so we prayed that they’d be released from that, Yellingbo are tracking along okay with their preparations for the

CFA crews from Wandin, Seville, Gruyere and Yellingbo received the yearly blessing. season and they’ve been grateful for the update of some of their equipment,” he said.

“Gruyere is struggling in terms of membership so they’re looking for further volunteers, as is Seville, they’ve both found coming out of Covid that they had lost some of their volunteers and there’s not as many people that are putting their hand up to come along to be involved.”

Crews from local brigades across the region have already extended their support to the major fires that have already hit the country, with crew members from Seville, Hillcrest and Little Yarra heading up to Queensland over the first week of November.

Rev Duncan said they also prayed for the mental wellbeing of firefighter’s families.

“Their families are often under just as much pressure as they are, they make a sacrifice in terms of time and their lives with their loved ones being away serving the community,” he said.

“They’re having to wait at home, concerned about their safety and that’s hard especially on days like Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.”

Yarra Ranges draft Housing Strategy Now Open for Comment In early 2022, Council released a Housing Strategy Discussion Paper asking for feedback on the important housing issues in Yarra Ranges. This feedback has been used to inform Council’s Draft Housing Strategy, which is now open for community consultation until 11 December 2023.

The Draft Housing Strategy will guide Council’s planning for housing over the next 15 years to ensure that our policies and planning regulations provide for the diverse housing needs of our community now and into the future, particularly in relation to affordability, housing diversity, environmental sustainability, infrastructure and neighbourhood character.

The draft Housing Strategy and further information, including on how to get involved and provide feedback is available from Council’s website at shaping.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/housing-strategy-2023.

Council officers will hold a webinar information session online, on Thursday 9 November 2023 6.30-7.30pm, which is open for anyone to attend by using this link yarraranges-vic.zoom.us/j/85102099739.

www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au

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NEWS

A natter and cuppa Rescue joy for Sugar

By Tanya Faulkner As one gets older, it can become lonely after kids leave home, friends move away, or life just gets in the way.

However, a group of local residents is banding together to give elderly Hills residents more opportunities for social connections, and to make new friends in their own backyard.

The CHAOS Network is bringing locals together in conversation through its social prescribing project - Living Our Best Life.

Research in Australia showed around one in 10 or 1.8 million Australians aged 15 and over reported lacking social support, and around one in four reported they were currently experiencing an episode of loneliness.

CHAOS community connector Gary Cantwell said the network’s program was inspired by a concept adopted in the United Kingdom.

“There’s a concept known as social prescribing that has been successfully used in communities to improve the health outcomes of people experiencing loneliness.

“It has been so successful over there that we’ve adopted it over here,” he said.

Over the past three years, the Neighbourhood Houses in the outer-east has trialled a local version of social prescribing with people aged 60 and over, with great success.

CHAOS currently has 10 groups across the south-east, with a vast majority in the Hills.

The project includes Community Connectors trained to support individuals referred by Health Practitioners to join in community activities.

They help them learn about their choices for local social activities and provide introductions to community agencies including accompanying the participant for their first visit to ensure that they feel supported and confident.

The project also includes talking cafes, where locals can meet for one hour weekly in a local cafe and make new connections.

Mr Cantwell, along with Healesville attendees Kaye Ambrose, Evelyn Burin and Dianne Firth, all said it was a great tool to get reconnected with others in the community, and reduce the loneliness that can be experienced in the later years of life.

Mr Cantwell, who was one of the first volunteers with the program in 2020, said there were several ways for locals to get involved.

“People either get referred from doctors or allied health professionals, or they can self refer or come with a friend.

“We bring them along to one of our talking

By Callum Ludwig

Healesville taking cafe participants Gary Cantwell, Kaye Ambrose, Evelyn Burin and Dianne Firth.

370229

cafes close to them, or if they don’t want that, we help them to find other things in the community, like getting involved in sport or connected to a community house,” he said.

For Mr Cantwell, the best part of the experience is when new people come along.

“The best part is meeting new people like this.

“Sometimes when new people come along they’re quite shy, so we like to tell them a story about what the group is, and they tend to open up a bit more,” he said.

The weekly groups have been designed to help locals have regular conversations and connections with others in the community.

Mr Cantwell said other groups had tried fortnightly sessions, however, people just don’t tend to show up with the irregularity.

“Having these sessions each week means that people don’t have to think about it.

“They just think “I’ll go to Healesville at 2pm, and have a good time.

“Our sessions are only meant to go for an hour, but sometimes we stay longer for almost two hours,” he said.

Ms Burin said it was a great tool to encourage older locals to find something to do in the community.

“I find it really good for those living on their own.

“I live in a village, but we still don’t see each other every day. People, as they get older,

stay inside more.

“It’s good for people to get dressed up, buy a cup of coffee, and talk to people,” she said.

Ms Firth said most of the time the talking cafe was more than just a chance to chat.

“I find the people very supportive in the group.

“If you don’t know something you can ask someone in the group and get a personal recommendation “It becomes a bit of an information centre too, unofficially, like more of a support group,” she said.

Other participants said the groups had made such a difference to their lives.

“My volunteers’ enthusiasm has made such a difference. I felt like a dried out sponge. She gave me the water and I’ve soaked it up.

“My health has changed greatly, it’s chalk and cheese. Everybody needs some kind of purpose and I had nothing, and now I have found one or a few!

“Making some good friends out of this, meeting some nice people,” they said.

For Yarra Ranges locals, a new talking cafe has recently started in Yarra Junction, alongside sessions in Seville, Lilydale, Healesville, Boronia, Knox, Heathmont and Vermont South.

For more information, email the project worker – livingourbestlifeproject@gmail.com or phone 0457 646 384.

Edible Warburton garden to open for all

By Callum Ludwig Local residents are encouraged to visit the Edible Garden in Warburton on Sunday 26 November for a celebration of community gardens as part of the inaugural National Community Gardens Day. Held by Community Gardens Australia, the event is an opportunity for local gardens to open their doors to all for a day.

Co-coordinators of the Edible Warburton Garden Tarnya Harper and Jennie De Vine said they are part of a network of community gardens in the Yarra Ranges, which is tey they became aware of the event.

“We took it as a good opportunity to showcase Edible because we’re just getting back into gear after a few years of not much activity, so we’re really trying to boost up our numbers of volunteers and involvement,” Ms Harper said.

“Over the last few months, we’ve just been finding new ways to engage with the community through school workshops and weekly working bees and thought this was a great addition to engage the broader community.”

As part of the day’s festivities, attendees can take part in a free mini-wicking bed-making workshop, face painting, a visit from a fairy, games, raffles, a garden stall with local handmade produce and access to check out and pick from the Edible garden.

Ms Harper said they just hope that people will become aware of what’s available at Edible. mailcommunity.com.au

L-R: Edible Warburton co-coordinators Jennie De Vine and Tarnya Harper.

“The gardens open any time and it’s available for anybody to come and sit, garden, relax, meet up with other people and pick and harvest the produce, we’ve also got a share shelf where people can share their extra produce even from home,” she said.

“We just hope it becomes a little space that people can meet and engage with more and create that community feeling of nurturing and caring for one another, it’s right in the heart of town and it really is that beautiful central space.”

Volunteers at the garden meet every Thursday between 9.30-11.30am for ‘Garden Buddies’, a little working bee to help maintain the garden, though anyone is welcome to help out

A wily and woolly adversary is back is safe and well after a six-month-long hiatus in the Sugarloaf Reservoir bushland in Christmas Hills.

Sugar the sheep was captured by a dedicated team of volunteers from Melbourne Water, the Forever Friends Animal Rescue (FFAR) in Gladysdale and Vets for Compassion.

“Recognising the importance of ensuring the safety of all animals and preserving wildlife in the community, the team of volunteers promptly sprang into action to rescue the stranded sheep,” Ms Duncan said.

Rehomed at the FFAR sanctuary, Sugar will be examined by the Vets for Compassion team and was given a welloverdue shearing by Shear Delight.

“Sugar’s successful rescue serves as a reminder of the importance of community involvement in safeguarding and protecting animals in need,” said Vets for Compassion’s Operations Manager Nicole de Haan.

“The successful rescue of ’Sugar’ the sheep exemplifies Forever Friends’ commitment to the wellbeing of the most vulnerable animals,” said FFAR Sanctuary Manager Lachlan Barnard.

Sugar’s rescue was critical as we head into the warmer months, where in the wild he may have overheated without being sheared, as well as being at greater risk of disease and infection.

FFAR founder Saskia Adams said Sugar is recovering well from his adventures, though he’s a little overwhelmed by his new celebrity status.

“Melbourne Water’s Georgia Duncan has been watching and following Sugar around Sugarloaf Reservoir for the last six months, and various rescue efforts have been unsuccessful until recently,” she said.

“Everything has been attempted, from trying to round up Sugar with sheep dogs to motorbikes. When Vets for Compassion and Forever Friends Animal Rescue also became involved recently, a plan was hatched between the three organisations, and a team of 19 pulled it off.”

Melbourne Water employees are encouraged to volunteer at animal welfare clinics on two days of paid leave a year.

Ms Adams said Sugar received a vet check upon rescue from Vets for Compassion and a careful double-shearing at the Forever Friends’ Sanctuary by Gladysdale local Peter Pryor on Friday.

“He’ll now stay in quarantine for another ten days and then Melbourne Water’s own Georgia Duncan wants to adopt him.”

Picture: SUPPLIED

at any time.

Ms Harper said a community garden teaches people to be self-sufficient and helps them engage with one another.

“It takes more than just ourselves to live sustainably and I think when you come together as a community, you benefit a whole lot more as a team,” she said.

“We will be having a lot of things pop up through the coming year, holiday programs and workshops and other things, which people can keep up to date with on our socials.”

To register your interest in attending the event, go to facebook.com/ events/1031190418332481?active_tab=about

FFAR Sanctuary Manager Lachlan Barnard lies on a bed of Sugar’s wool.

Picture: SUPPLIED Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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NEWS

Veterans hook a success

By Mikayla Van Loon In as little as 12 months Mount Evelyn RSL’s Veterans for Fishing initiative has gone from strength to strength, building bonds and improving mental health.

Established as a way to engage with veterans of all ages, particularly those struggling with post-service mental health conditions, Veterans for Fishing has started reaching beyond its borders of the Yarra Ranges.

For president of the group, Chris McAleer, and Mount Evelyn RSL president Matt Crymble, the response of the community has been astounding.

“It is working and I’ve been amazed with how quickly it’s taken off and how people have really gotten behind us,” Mr McAleer said.

But what’s on the horizon for the group is expected to be even bigger next year, with plans in place to expand the program and its offerings.

“When we first started it, I was unsure if anybody was already doing it. There’s only one other group I found and that was a group called Reeling Veterans who are up in Darwin and they’ve got another chapter in Townsville,” Mr McAleer said.

“They’ve been doing it for five years and they do it on a really grand scale. Once a year they have a trip for five days where they go from Darwin and to the Tiwi Islands. They’ll have a mothership and then they have up to five or six smaller boats skippered by veterans.”

Having been lucky enough to join the group of 10 veterans and crew on the most recent trip, Mr McAleer said it is now something he would like to implement here in Victoria.

“The plans we’re going to put in place for Veterans for Fishing next year are going to be ginormous,” he said.

“We’re going to try and emulate what they’re doing. We haven’t gone through all the details yet but in theory, it’s going to be a houseboat, four days and will emulate exactly how they do it, where we have veterans apply.”

Witnessing the power of veterans being with other veterans while undertaking the calming activity of fishing in Darwin, Mr McAleer said despite not being a counselling body, Veterans for Fishing has the ability to allow former service people to open up.

“What we do find is that veterans being around other veterans, they open up and they relax a little bit more, even if they don’t know that veteran, once they just relax, they realise we’re all the same.

“There were veterans of all walks of life.

There were older veterans, younger veterans.

There were veterans that have never been deployed. There are some that have done multiple deployments, and from all branches too Army, Navy and Air Force.”

Seeing the success of the first 12 months, with hundreds of veterans reaching out for group fishing days, individual fishing and the family days, Mr Crymble said it’s something he and the RSL are incredibly proud of, especially to see the impact it is having.

“It sounds a bit silly but Chris is busy every weekend fishing. That sounds like a whole lot

Veterans for Fishing president Chris McAleer and Mount Evelyn RSL president Matt Crymble can’t believe the impact the program has had in 12 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS months. 370916 of fun, but it’s all a lot of work and our club’s most appreciative of how much work Chris is putting into the job,” he said.

Mr McAleer said the act of fishing is much more than just attempting to catch some fish and is much more about the meditative effects, connection and repair.

“We tend to go to the Goulburn River, it’s picturesque, the fishing is always pretty good but it’s mainly the scenery.

“We can have a fish, we can form a spot on our own and then every now and then I’ll just say ‘hey, remember to look up and have a look where we are’. It’s just beautiful. Yeah.

“Sometimes they just sit and put their feet in the water. It’s just the calming effects of the water flowing by. It’s probably a bit of a cliche, but it tends to wash away a lot of things and they change.”

Not only does it help the individual veteran but Mr McAleer said for those ex-service men and women who have families, family fishing days can help create a “little bit of healing as well”.

“Partners deal with everything at home.

They’re holding the children together, they’re holding everything and if there are issues with a veteran, that tension at home is right through and fishing can help all of them.”

With the major age group attending events being between 35 to 55, Mr McAleer and Mr Crymble said it’s still challenging to engage the younger demographic of veterans “It’s still hard to get the younger blokes involved, they do feel a bit out of it but when they when they come along they tend to relax “It’s the same with the older generation too…I really enjoy seeing the older veterans come because that’s the barrier that really needs to be broken between the younger vets and the older vets.

“The stories are exactly the same, they’re just 30 years apart. But you can definitely laugh about the same stuff. Nothing has really changed in the army in all those years. It’s the same stories being rehashed, just the uniform has changed.”

Veterans for Fishing has linked with an exservice organisation called Young Veterans, who have sponsored some of the group’s activities

“Traditional ex service organisations, number one being the RSL, they’re finding it difficult to get the younger members and this is a means to target those younger vets and let them know that we’re here. We’re here to support them and hopefully encourage membership,” Mr Crymble said.

“The RSL would be happy to work with some of these newer organisations. Young Veterans haven’t been around too long, but we’re all on the same team and it’s about supporting veterans.”

Gaining momentum and sponsorship has really increased the capability of Veterans for Fishing, with gear being provided by Shimano, monetary donations from Mt Evelyn Community Bank, Veterans Coffee Company, Ministry of Chocolate and the backing of Lilydale and Monbulk RSLs. Finishing off the year will be the final family day in Riddells Creek at a private lake that has been stocked with over 500 fish for the event on the last weekend of November.

To keep up to date with what’s ahead for the next year, find Veterans For Fishing on Facebook.

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NEWS

War history nears an end

By Mikayla van Loon The Lillydale Shire’s final chapter of war history will be forever documented after a grant to fund the project was received by Lilydale RSL. Historian Anthony McAleer, backed by the sub-branch, was a recipient of the Federal government’s Saluting their Service grant program to complete the fifth installment of his war history books.

Having conducted 30 years worth of research starting with the colonial wars, the $10,000 grant will go towards the production of The Shire of Lillydale and its Military Heritage: Vol 5 Korea to Kuwait (1945 - 1995).

The series of books, Mr McAleer said, began in 1994 as a way of “uncovering the military history of the area” and the “role this area would play in Australia’s military history”.

Two years later the Shire of Lillydale became the Shire of Yarra Ranges but Mr McAleer remained within his original boundaries of Lilydale, Wonga Park, Coldstream, Yering, Gruyere, Wandin, Seville, Silvan, Monbulk, Olinda, Kalorama, Mount Dandenong, Montrose, Mooroolbark and Mount Evelyn.

With veterans still living in these suburbs who fought in some of the main conflicts of the time, especially Korea and Vietnam, Mr McAleer said it will be the perfect time to record their stories to ensure they are enshrined in local history.

“It’s probably one of the first areas that’s ever looked in any detail at that period. Usually, there’s a lot of books about World War One and World War Two but not so much about this era,” he said.

“We’re hoping the fact that there’s still a lot of people around who have memories of that we’ll be able to access their memories.”

It will focus on occupation forces in New Guinea, the Pacific and Japan post-World War Two, the Korean War, the Malayan emergency, the Borneo confrontation, national service of the ‘50s and ‘60s, army reservists, the homefront, peacekeeping operations and ending with the Gulf War. “Over the past 30 years, I’ve been slowly researching this and I’ve interviewed quite a lot of people who had experiences in those conflicts but I’ll also be looking at doing more interviews and getting more research together,” Mr McAleer said.

“And certainly going out there and trying to find people who lived in the area during that period, and what their opinions were on the

Historian Anthony McAleer has partnered with the Lilydale RSL to publish the final book in his war history series. Pictured RSL president Bill Dobson and secretary Chris Newell. The image held is of Sgt A Studeman from Lilydale erecting the First Royal Australian Regiment badge over barracks in Japan, 1950.

Picture: MIKAYLA VAN LOON military aspects that affected that era.

“One of the major aspects is the whole thing about communism and whether that was going to be a danger to us and looking at how do we stop communism affecting our lives.”

Despite having access to impeccable military archives for World War One and Two, Mr McAleer said it is somewhat of a different story for the more recent conflicts.

For those who served in Vietnam and Korea especially, only the veterans themselves, or in the case of their death, the next of kin can read their military file.

“There’s limited information available. Certainly with World War One and World War Two, what makes it so much easier is where they enlisted from is also detailed on the nominal role.

“For Vietnam and Korea it doesn’t have where they enlisted from, it has where they were born.”

That’s why speaking with veterans and their families about their service is a necessary way of holding onto the Lillydale Shire’s war history.

This final chapter of a 30 year long project, Mr McAleer said, is also possibly one of the most important in providing recognition to the sometimes forgotten veterans of that time.

“Certainly Korea is known as the forgotten war because it came between two large wars that had a huge impact on Australia and Australian society, being World War Two and Vietnam.

“We all would agree there’s been a huge change in attitude in the last 10 years in regards to how we look at our involvement in the Vietnam War and there’s been more of a concentration on those who served and there’s certainly been a great pride that’s developed in the community about those who served our country in Vietnam.

“Whereas going back 20 years ago, there was still a lot about the anti war movement and did these guys do the right thing. Nowadays, we accept that their services were certainly extraordinary and deserve to be acknowledged.”

Lilydale RSL president Bill Dobson said the club was “delighted to be part of the project” and he too is looking forward to learning about the region’s unknown war history.

After many years, Mr McAleer said he expects the fifth and final volume to be released in mid-2024.

“To be able to put it out there as a permanent record for the community to see, to learn from, to be educated from will be good.

“It will certainly be a great gift that we’re giving to the district because it’s one of the very few that have ever had its military heritage ever recorded in such detail and over such a long period.”

Commemorating Remembrance Day across the region On Saturday 11 November, Australians will again pause to remember those citizen soldiers who gave their lives to maintain our freedom.

Here’s where local residents can pay their respects: Yarra Glen RSL The Yarra Glen RSL will hold a Memorial Service starting at 10.40am at the Yarra Glen Cenotaph, located at 20 ANZAC Avenue, just west of the CFA Building.

Following the short service, individuals may place their remembrance poppies at the base of the monument.

A reception will follow in the RSL rooms in the Memorial Hall.

The tradition of using poppies to remember veterans who paid the ultimate price for freedom was started back in 1915.

Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian Army Surgeon, wrote the following poem after the terrible battle in Ypres, Belgium.

In the nearby cemetery, McCrae could see the wild poppies that sprang up in the ditches in that part of Europe, and he spent twenty minutes of precious rest time scribbling fifteen lines of verse in a notebook.

Poppies were first sold in England on Armistice Day in 1921 by members of the British Legion to raise money for those who had been incapacitated by the war.

The practice began in Australia the same year, promoted by the Returned Sailors’ and mailcommunity.com.au

Poppies and wreaths at Yarra Glen War Memorial.

Soldiers’ Imperial League of Australia (now known as the Returned & Services League of Australia or RSL). Since 1921, wearing a poppy has enabled Australians to show they have not forgotten the more than 102,000 Australian servicemen and women who have given their lives in wars and conflicts during the past 100+ years.

Healesville RSL Commencing at 10.45am, the Healesville RSL’s service includes performances by the local Healesville High School band and po-

Picture: ON FILE

ems by 2024 School Captains, Celeste Duthie and Ethan Nikcevich.

The keynote speaker for the event this year is Bruce Argyle who has lived in Healesville for over twenty years and is actively involved in many local community groups including as Chair of the Community Bank and as a presenter on Community Radio.

Bruce grew up seeing the impact of the First World War on the extended family and subsequent generations of the Argyle family, with two of his Grandfather’s Brothers having

been killed on the same day at Gallipoli. They were aged 18 and 21 years.

Walter Skilton will play the bagpipes, preservice.

Local bugle player, John Stanhope OAM will again play The Last Post and John Harris will perform The Ode. If any community groups want to lay a wreath at the cenotaph during the service, please ensure this is delivered to the Healesville RSL no later than 9am on Saturday 11 November.

The service will conclude at approximately 11.20am, followed by morning tea in the member’s lounge.

Warburton RSL The Warburton RSL Sub-Branch will commemorate Remembrance Day at a service, starting 10.45am at the Warburton Cenotaph.

Seville War Memorial Despite the recent vandalism, a service will proceed at the Seville War Memorial near the Seville Water Play Park on the corner of Warburton Highway and Monbulk-Seville Road, beginning at 10.45am.

Millgrove Memorial Rock Millgrove residents can attend a service at the Millgrove Memorial Rock, located between the Millgrove shops and the CFA, at 10.45am.

Wandin Cenotaph The Rotary Club of Wandin will be hosting a service at the Wandin Cenotaph from 11am.

Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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NEWS

UYSC student art pride

By Callum Ludwig Upper Yarra Secondary College students headed up the road to the Redwood Community Centre on Tuesday 31 October to see their work on display.

30 UYSC students were among the 50 young local artists who submitted artwork for display, funded by a grant from the Victorian Youth Fest program, which can be found along the walking track on the centre’s back fence.

Youth Worker at Yarra Ranges Council Nikiti Aldridge said they really wanted to work with Warburton for Youth Fest this year.

“It’s been a bit of a turbulent year for Warbburtonn with the road closure andother political things happening within the town as well so we thought we’d get in touch with the young people of the area to produce something that they really wanted to do,” she said.

“After consulting with a couple of the young people they really spoke about how they wanted some artwork to be showcased within Warburton, something that they think represents the relationship that they have with Warburton.”

75 pieces of art ranging from photography to painting to pigeons can be seen along the walking trail by the river.

Ms Aldridge said getting in touch with Upper Yarra (Secondary College) was a bit of a last minute decision.

“We had a bit of trouble getting young people to submit some of their artwork and so we just had an idea where we sat down and wondered how we could get to the young people,” she said.

“Instead of trying to get young people to come to us, we thought ‘Why don’t we go to where the young people are?’, so that’s when I got into contact with Mitch Gray and he was amazing, he was able to pull together a work-

L-R: year 9 UYSC students Shae and Ariel with their pigeons piece.

Some of the Upper Yarra Secondary College artists with their works. shop at the drop of a hat.”

Within a week Year 9 Level Leader Mitchell Gray had organised a workshop in the last week of term, and students were more than happy to oblige.

Mr Gray said anytime they get a chance to showcase young people, he’s all for it.

“For a lot of the kids, this is something where they excel and somewhere they could express themselves which was fantastic and I

Pictures: CALLUM LUDWIG

was really pleased to watch and see the different ways they did it,” he said.

“They start with some basic form and then they went off in different directions, they had a chance to do some written stuff as well as some photography and it was a fantastic opportunity for them to effectively be published,” “Young people get a bad rap a lot of the time and I just constantly deal with such impressive young people so to see them out here achiev-

ing, feeling proud of what they’re doing and knowing that we’ve had a little bit of part of that, that’s a really nice feeling.”

Students Shae and Ariel decorated a pair of pigeons for their submission, with contrasting themes.

“I went for a fire theme, Ariel went for a water theme, and I did mine all about my friends and how they’ve supported me throughout the whole time, it’s based on what friendship is meant to look like for us,” Shae said.

“I think it’s great that we get to showcase what we’ve done in school, that we’re learning things and that we’re bonding with each other,” “Knowing that people are looking at our work and it’s not going to waste is also really good to know.”

A special thanks was extended to Carla Gottgens, who curated the pieces for display and the ADRA team at the Redwood Community Centre.

The art will be on show until the first week of December.

Yarra Glen Primary School art exhibition ready to go

By Dongyun Kwon

L-R: QFO President Annette Stone and Secretary Deb Woodward.

Picture: CALLUM LUDWIG

Quilts for Orphans display

By Callum Ludwig The ‘fabric hugs’ of the Quilts for Orphans (QFO) group in Hoddles Creek are on display at the Mont De Lancey Historic Homestead.

The Quilt and Craft show is being held in the gallery from Saturday 4 to Sunday 12 November, with exception of a closure on Monday and Tuesday for cup weekend.

QFO Secretary Deb Woodward said there are quilts for purchase, quilts for display and quilts that will go to kids in need.

“The love and passion starts right from the beginning of the piecing because every person involved in the stage knows that it’s going to a child and the love and passion, somehow it travels with the quilt,” she said.

“We just know when we give it to kids they immediately just wrap it around themselves because everyone likes something soft and warm and when it’s bright and colourful it’s cheerful,” Since it started back in 2007, over 5500 quilts have been given to people in Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, Vietnam and Timor Leste, as well as in Mooroolbark, Warburton and Frankston.

QFO President Annette Stone said quilts symbolise shelter and warmth.

“It’s something that you can have for a long time, and we sat down one day and tried to work out all the ways you could use a quilt and we were getting up near the hundreds,” she said.

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Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

“It’s something a kid can call theirs and that belongs to them, especially as they might have been in a situation where all their goods and items have been washed away in a flood or where they’ve been had to leave home in a hurry because of a war situation.”

Quilts have been sent over the years to organisations like the Australian Syrian Association, Mahboba’s Promise and Change The One, as well to be used at the Royal Children’s Hospital and Monash Children’s Hospital.

Ms Woodward said the group has grown exponentially in recent times.

“We now have 70 members, it’s a nice place and a nice way to spend your time and for a group our size, we’ve got every cog that’s needed to run smoothly,” she said.

New members have come from across the region, including Yarra Junction, Warburton, Powelltown and Healesville to the hall in Hoddles Creek which the group call home and which they have made upgrades to in recent times.

It’s not only quilts available at the show, with an array of Christmas crafts, clothes, craft books, magazines and fabrics available, as well as a raffle to win a Christmasthemed quilt, a quilted beanbag or a quilt from the Samsui district of China.

Entry to the gallery at the Mont De Lancey Historic Homestead to see the show is free.

Yarra Glen Primary School will hold an art exhibition on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 November.

It will be a showcase for the students to introduce their one-year effort in art to the local community.

Each student created an individual piece and also participated in a major project for their grade.

Yarra Glen Primary School Business Manager Penny Lamble said the exhibition would be the culmination of students’ one-year artwork.

“I’m excited to show our talented students and their artwork to the local community.

They’ve been working on this during the art classes the whole year,” she said.

The two-day exhibition will include an auction of the major pieces by each grade while

the individual pieces will be also available to purchase for $10.

“The auction will start at 6pm on the first day, but the display will be ongoing including the sold pieces until the end of the second day,” Ms Lamble said.

“It is to fundraise for the upgrade of the school’s playground.”

Many students put their best effort into their artwork along with art teacher Lorraine Parfitt’s help.

Both the students and the teacher volunteered their own time to have extra classes.

“Yarra Glen Primary School is so proud of our students and art teacher who donated their time to put a wonderful exhibition together,” Ms Lamble said.

“Lorraine doesn’t just do it during her work hours. She stays late, comes early and even comes in on her days off to get this exhibition together.”

Yarra Glen Primary School will hold an art exhibition on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 November.

Picture: SUPPLIED mailcommunity.com.au

NEWS

To race or not to race

By Maria Millers Horses have been an integral part of Australian history, literature and folklore since the First Fleet. They have served as workhorses on farms, in wars and as transport. Horse racing was the first sporting event held in the fledgling colony of NSW. Celebrated in our literature from poets ‘Banjo Paterson’, Adam Lindsay Gordon to many novelists such as Gerard Murnane with his racing memoir Something for the Pain to Kerry Scuffin’s recent poem Totem Horse They have also long been figures of pride, not only to the people making money from their wins but also, as during the Depression, to an entire nation yearning for a symbol of hope. These thoroughbreds carry so many hopes and aspirations at race meetings all over our brown land but particularly on the first Tuesday in November, Melbourne Cup Day. Past winners’ names have entered our folklore: Archer, Phar lap, the legendary Makybe Diva, Winx, Black Caviar…

It’s the race that stops the nation. Victorians get a holiday, and across the country and the world millions watch. It attracts visitors, swells the state coffers and envelopes the city in a carnival-like atmosphere. For the ordinary punter it is an escape from the daily routine and a chance to get lucky; either on a rank outsider or in a workplace sweep.

WOORILLA WORDS But there are critics who claim it to be the most dangerous sport not only for the jockeys but also for the horses and see horse racing not as a sport but as an industry. Over $8 million in prize money alone.

They point to the large numbers of horses that end up in slaughterhouses from injuries or failure to live up to expectations. Each year approximately one third of horses are retired from racing. The fate of most of them is unknown.

To be fair, many are rehomed or repurposed, while thoroughbred stallions that were champions live lives of equine luxury and pampering and retire to stud.

But like all human activity, particularly where the stakes are so high, there will undoubtedly be instances of bad behaviour:

cheating, doping, substitution: ‘The Fine Cotton story includes ‘a vicious gangster, a usedcar salesman, a hapless horse trainer and a bucket of hair dye.’

Until Michelle Payne won the Cup in 2015 it was a rigidly gendered sport. Her acceptance speech minced no words (‘You can all get stuffed’) in the tradition of Julia Gillard‘s misogyny speech. This year Jamie Kah has committed to riding More Felons in the Cup. Fashions on the Field always plays a big part on Cup Day: from the elegant, to the ground breaking (as when in 1965 Jean Shrimpton broke tradition with a mini) to the cringe worthy. For the Cup colour rules with millinery creations vying for attention. Eye watering millions are spent on outfits, accessories and grooming.

And where you watch the Cup clearly defines your social status. The opulence of the Birdcage and the various corporate marquees are for notables, and celebrities.

But with all its flaws, it’s an event that has evolved for 162 years with a global reach of 750 million. The obligatory warnings of ‘Chances are you are about to lose’ make little impact when the thrill of thundering hooves throws all caution to the wind. And remember Michelle Payne’s historic win on Prince of Penzance, a six-year-old bay horse had the longest odds to win a Melbourne Cup since 1940 and the equal

Join the Rotary Club of Wandin for the first Custom car and Bike Show of the season on 15 November. Pictures: ON FILE

longest in the history of the race.

May you pick a similar winner!

Totem Horse There she is, spirit animal Totem horse, down by the dam, Struck by the dawn.

She’s the chestnut mare With a dash of Arab, half racehorse, And a bit of brumby bitch.

See her toss and twich!

Is she in the mood to be caught Or will she hightale off with a buck and a snort?

When the wind’s up She’s scatty as a foal, bound to spook and shy and roll her eyes…

Oh the terrors seen In the shadows and the green!

But get her right, she’ll stay forever Like Lightfingers.

Not one to use a whip on— responds best to tender words, songs, soft strokes And always keep her in a large paddock, Let her run, let her think she is free.

The Woorilla Awards Event will be held on Sunday 19 November at 2pm.

Visit woorilla.org.au

L-R: Tony Knox, Heinz Budweg, Warwick Bisley (seated), Peter Johnson, Pat Cullen (holding poster), Marc Bartsch, Ray Barrett from the Rotary club of Wandin.

Rotary Club of Wandin car shows on the road to return The Rotary Club of Wandin’s first Custom Car and Bike show for the season is coming up on Wednesday 15 November.

Proudly hosted at the Wandin East Recreation Reserve since 2016, the Car Show has become a magnet for car enthusiasts right across Victoria, showcasing vehicles manufactured prior to 1985.

All are welcome along to enjoy the varied selection of cars and motorbikes at the Wandin East Recreation Reserve from 4pm to 8.30pm.

Thanks were given to the event sponsors and the car enthusiasts who have helped Rotary raise money for The Royal Children’s Hospital and local community projects.

Over the last seven years, the Rotary Club of Wandin has given the Royal Children’s Hospital over $100,000.

The car shows are great family events, with ample free parking, live music, a variety of food vans, soft drinks and a bar.

The Rotary Club of Wandin enjoys support from the Wandin CFA, Wandin Cricket Club,

Upper Yarra Rotary and many individual supporters.

Entry for show cars and motorbikes is $10 while for spectators the entry fee is $2 to walk-in.

These shows are no BYO. All enquires are to be directed to: wandincustomcar@gmail.com.

Grants to build Men’s Sheds Applications for grants are now open to help establish, expand, or improve men’s sheds, as part of a $1 million investment by the Labor Government.

Opening the new grant round, Carers and Volunteers Minister Ros Spence said grants of up to $100,000 each would support communities across the state.

“Men’s sheds provide a place to learn new skills, share interests, make friends and contribute to local communities,” she said.

“This investment will support upgrades throughout the state and create more opportunities for Victorians to get involved with their local men’s shed.”

Men’s sheds provide a place for men to come together and build friendships and support networks. They improve the health and wellbeing of their members by reducing social isolation and promoting social inclusion.

Shedders get to share their skills, learn new ones, and make new friends in their local area.

They also help to support local communities including schools, emergency services like the CFA, and through donations of handmade goods to local charities.

“Men’s sheds make a powerful contribution mailcommunity.com.au

to the health and wellbeing of Victorians, bringing individuals together and strengthening communities,” Victorian Men’s Shed Association chief executive officer Derek O’Leary said.

“These grants will help men’s sheds grow and welcome new members.”

The last round of grants funded the construction of eight new sheds and the renovation of 21 others across regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne, covering the communities of Colac-Otway, Swan Hill, Baw Baw, the Mornington Peninsula and Echuca.

In addition to helping build new sheds, the grants program also helps successful applicants upgrade premises, and refurbish facilities, to make them more accessible and inclusive for people with disability.

There are currently more than 360 Men’s Sheds across Victoria, each contributing great value to their local community and the people who attend them.

Applications close at 5pm on Friday 8 December. For information about the 2023-24 Men’s Shed Funding Program, visit providers. dffh.vic.gov.au/mens-shed-program

Men’s Sheds are able to apply for grants from the State government. Pictured is Mooroolbark Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS Men’s Shed member Peter Gray. 283771 Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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MAIL 15

NEWS

L-R: Alfie and Freddie.

Picture: CALLUM LUDWIG

L-R: Sadie and Amelia.

Picture: CALLUM LUDWIG

Halloween’s a real treat

By Callum Ludwig It was a spooky sight in Yarra Junction as haunts, horrors and heroes alike took to the Yarra Junction town centre.

Cire Services’ annual Yarra Junction Halloween Street Party was held on Tuesday 31 October with families flocking to join the hunt for sweets and treats.

Manager of Communications and Content at Cire Services Kinnear Miller said this year’s Halloween Street Party was incredible.

It’s only getting bigger and better, this event is truly epic. I got a chance to chat with so many people, and let me tell you, they absolutely loved it,” she said.

“The best part for me was all those spooky costumes, seeing everyone dressed up was great. This year, we went all out to bring you even more activities to enjoy.”

1100 kids were registered to attend and with parents, other family members or guardians included, over 2000 people participated.

Ms Miller said a massive shoutout goes to all the local businesses and community groups for their incredible support.

“From the spooky Haunted Hallway at the Yarra Centre to the Storytime at the library, and with the incredible Fairy Abby and Wizard Herman entertaining everyone, it was an absolute blast. The community really rocked it and got involved in full swing,” she said.

“Black Snake Productions brought a baby crocodile and some snakes for the kids to meet, they even taught us how to stay safe around these incredible creatures in the wild.”

Participants started out at the Cire Community Hub to receive their showbag and scorecard, which helped them set out to collect stamps at spots around town, as well as the lollies to fill their bags with of course.

12-year-old Lucy from Mt Evelyn said she loves Halloween.

“I’m having the best time, lots of lollies and fun activities to do,” she said.

Ms Miller said they’ve always had deep roots in the community, supporting locals for years.

“Yarra Junction has always been our home, where it all began back in 1976, and seeing everyone come together like this is truly amazing,” she said.

“We couldn’t be prouder of our incredible team at Cire and the amazing support we receive from our community.”

L-R: Harry, Patterson, Sonny, Cooper, Flinn, Bryce and Wyatt.

What to choose?

The streets were filled with colourful costumes. Picture: CIRE SERVICES 16 MAIL

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Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

Picture: CALLUM LUDWIG

Picture: CIRE SERVICES

L-R: Joe and Kennedy.

Picture: CALLUM LUDWIG

Rock on!

Picture: CIRE SERVICES mailcommunity.com.au

MEDICALLY SPEAKING

Welcome to Dr DeSilva The Yarra Junction Medical Centre is delighted to share some exciting news with their valued patients and the community they’ve been serving for over 40 years.

They are thrilled to announce the arrival of Dr Nadeeka DeSilva, who will be joining the team of dedicated healthcare professionals.

At Yarra Junction Medical Centre, their mission has always been to provide top-quality medical services to the Upper Yarra Valley and the surrounding areas. With Dr DeSilva’s addition to the clinic, they are better equipped than ever to continue this tradition of care and service excellence.

Their clinic, conveniently located on the Warburton Highway in Yarra Junction, is a bulk-billing facility dedicated to making healthcare accessible to all. They pride themselves on their commitment to the well-being of our community, and Dr DeSilva’s presence will only enhance their ability to serve you.

Dr DeSilva will be joining an esteemed team of physicians, including Dr Gamini Colombage, Dr Brahma Malapurathattil, Dr Bin Shi, Dr Kim Ngan Le, Dr Leela John, Dr Kumara Jayasinghe, and Dr Manjula Rathnabharathie.

Together, they bring a wealth of experience and expertise to address the healthcare needs of the community.

For those in the Upper Yarra Valley and surrounding areas, Yarra Junction Medical Centre’s location is second to none. Situated at the intersection of Warburton Highway and Little Yarra Road, making it convenient for patients from Yarra Junction, Launching Place, Don Valley, and Wesburn. The centre offers ample on-site parking for your convenience, and for those using public transportation, the 683 bus route stops nearby on Warburton Highway.

The team of doctors is further supported by dedicated practice nurses, including Chanduni,

Yarra Junction Medical Centre team Dr Kumara Jayasinghe, Dr Leela John, Kim Lucas (nurse), Dr Manjula Rathnabharatie, Lana Robinson (reception), Chanduni Naotunna (nurse), Alison Dajlan (Practice Manager) and Dr Brahma Malapurathattil. 368719 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS Kate, Kim, and Michelle. They work tirelessly to provide comprehensive care, including assistance with complex health needs, health assessments, and various general nursing duties.

Yarra Junction Medical Centre is also pleased to announce their services will soon expand to include dietitian consultations by Will Jenkins and the addition of Abi, a diabetic educator, to the team. This development underlines their commitment to offering a broad range of healthcare services.

Moreover, Yarra Junction Medical Centre

Claim your optical benefits before December 22nd and we’ll give you a 12644107-AI45-23

$100 GIFT VOUCHER to use in the new year.

Terms & Conditions Apply: Valid for any purchase of prescription glasses or sunglasses before December 22nd. Minimum spend $250. Private Health Fund benefits must be used for purchase. See in store for more information

Phone 5967 2065 info@yarrajunctionoptical.com.au

BOOK ONLINE

Shop 6, Village Shopping Centre Yarra Junction 3797

and inquiries. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 5967 1606, or you can conveniently book anytime through the Hotdoc app or by visiting www.hotdoc.com.au.

The team is excited to embark on this new chapter with Dr Nadeeka DeSilva and look forward to continuing the tradition of providing exceptional healthcare services to the community. Thank you for choosing Yarra Junction Medical Centre for your healthcare needs, they are honoured to be your trusted healthcare providers.

Consultations available in person, Online Video, via Telephone Covid 19, Flu and Childhood immunisations

Mon to Fri - 9am to 5:30pm Saturday - 9am to 1pm

Skin checks, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Mental Health

PROVIDING ALL GENERAL DENTAL & EMERGENCY SERVICES

E.C.G, 24 hour Holter Monitoring, Chronic Disease Management

Check up, Clean, 2 X-rays

$197.00

hosts several other essential healthcare services on-site, such as Dorevitch Pathology, Glenister Podiatry, Hidden River Counselling Services, provisional psychologist Jasper Eames, and Dr Michael Jones, Cardiologist. Dr Jones and his team from Rural Cardiology conduct consultations and perform stress echocardiograms at the practice each month.

Current operating hours are 8.30am to 6pm from Monday to Friday and 9am to 3pm on Saturdays. A welcoming and friendly reception staff is ready to assist you with appointments

All your general Health needs Your Local Dentist in Lilydale.

Please call for appointment

9737 6453 Shop 43 Lilydale Market Place Hutchison Street Lilydale “Next Door to Lowes”

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mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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MAIL 17

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Award for Bird Child Spirit

By Dongyun Kwon Artist Peter Mcilwain won the Yering Station Sculpture Award 2023 with his innovative sound installation, Bird Child Spirit.

Mcilwain said he was honoured to be awarded after a long time of struggle.

“It’s a relief to know that I can actually keep going with my artwork in my 60s and I am really happy to have received recognition,” he said.

Bird Child Spirit features approximately 600 carefully selected sound recordings of children mimicking bird calls, all expertly guided and recorded by Mcilwain.

The recordings are woven together in a spatial composition using sophisticated software designed by the artist.

This captivating nine-channel installation is suspended within the enclosed grove of ornamental trees at Yering Station.

Mcilwain said the idea came from a question about how to relate people to sound.

“I’ve been thinking about this question for about 20 years and the idea of putting sounds out in bushland spaces started to develop gradually,” he said.

Drawing on influences from composers such as Messiaen, Lutoslawski and Peter Sculthorpe, Mcilwain emphasises the poetic possibility of natural soundscapes with a delightful disarming surface which invites deeper engagement.

Mcilwain said he tried to prompt people to listen to the sounds of birds in a different way by asking people to think about the meaning of it.

“I’m able to connect those sounds with a bunch of different cultural meanings. For example, the idea [that sound can represent] the voices of angels, spirits or beings from mythol-

Bird Child Spirit is suspended within the enclosed grove of ornamental trees at Yering Station.

Picture: DONGYUN KWON

Artist Peter Mcilwain won the Yering Station Sculpture Award 2023 with his innovative sound installation, Bird Child Spirit.

Picture: SUPPLIED

Bird Child Spirit features approximately 600 carefully selected sound recordings of children mimicking bird calls.

Picture: SUPPLIED

“As a community-driven art project, Bird Child Spirit engages local children, instilling a sense of ownership by amplifying their creativity in a professional work of art,” Mcilwain said.

“Ghilgai School in Kilsyth alongside numerous families from the region have enjoyed direct experience of this creative process.”

The artwork is supported by the community arts grant from the Yarra Ranges Council

and the installation has made a mark in Selby and Mount Evelyn prior to its current home at Yering Station.

As a result of Mcilwain’s distinctive approach, his work has been acknowledged internationally for its originality and significant contributions to contemporary sound art.

The Yering Sculpture Exhibition 2023 includes many well-known artists from the Yarra Ranges region including award winners.

ogy. The same thing is true for children. Children’s voices are often associated with other types of beings, supernatural beings,” he said.

“What I’m interested in is the idea that sounds in the natural world have the ability to take us into cultural imaginings and cultural spaces we don’t normally occupy.”

Bird Child Spirit is an ongoing project and approximately 60 local children have participated in it so far.

Gwendal Guery’s Misty Mountains exhibition is on show at the Warburton Wheel.

Pictures: CALLUM LUDWIG

Gwendal Guery took inspiration from bike rides through the Warburton forest for his paintings.

Wonder and awe in the Misty Mountains of Warburton

By Callum Ludwig It can be easy to take our natural environment for granted in a busy world and you can forget that for those coming from afar, a trip to the Upper Yarra to see the stunning rainforest can be a jaw-dropping experience.

That amazement and wonder have been captured by the latest exhibition in the Warburton Waterwheel Gallery ‘Misty Mountains’ by Gwendal Guery.

Artist Gwendal Guery said he arrived in Melbourne and Australia eight or nine years ago and always really loved the forest here.

“The flora and fauna is so different when you come from Europe, and the rainforest is just amazing, I’d been painting for a long time before, then I had a big break and I was starting to go back to painting a bit so the forest around Melbourne was really a big inspi18 MAIL

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Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

ration for me,” he said.

“I have a holiday house in Warburton, so I knew about this place and thought it was the place to start.”

Mr Guery tries to come spend his weekends in Warburton as well as some time through the week, even though his sevenyear-old daughter’s activities make it tricky at times.

Mr Guery said he’s always really loved nature, big mountains, and the feeling of being lost somewhere far from civilization.

“I never thought I would end up living in a huge city like Melbourne but that’s where I live now most of the time, so when I arrived in Warburton, I started riding in the forest,” he said.

“It’s amazing because I don’t feel like I’m under stress or pressure like I do in Melbourne, when I’m here I feel more relaxed

and more at peace because I feel connected with nature and forest and I really enjoy the birds singing,” “If I’m alone with just me and nature around, that’s really my happy place.”

Mr Guery is Breton, meaning he hails from the Lower Brittany region of northwest France. Most people in the region speak standard French as their first language nowadays, but the Breton language is the only Celtic language still widely in use in mainland Europe with just over 200,000 native speakers.

Mr Guery said he has travelled a lot, by bicycle mainly, including in North America, part of South America, Siberia, North Africa and Europe.

“Australia is really unique because if you go to all of the American continent, Europe, even North Africa, it’s not that different from what you can see in Europe, there’s bears and

wolves in Europe, North America and in Siberia, there’s the same big raven or pine trees everywhere,” “It’s beautiful and I love it, but in Australia, it’s just very different from other parts of the world, the birds are really amazing here, the kookaburras, the magpies and even just the songs of birds here are amazing,” “When you arrive, cities are different, lots of things are different and everything feels exotic for the first two or three years, then it’s just normal because you live there, but the forest and the birds, koalas and wombats that I can see here, that’s just always amazing time and time again.”

Mr Guery’s landscape paintings, using both acrylic and oil, on canvas or wood can be found in the Warburton Waterwheel Gallery throughout November. mailcommunity.com.au

THE LOWDOWN Q&A

with cadet journalist Tanya Steele

Tell us a fun fact about yourself!

I lived in Seattle for over seven years and worked as an elevator operator on the Space Needle.

What are you most passionate about?

Family, environment and people – I am a science fiction and fantasy nerd at heart.

Why did you want to become a journalist?

I’ve always enjoyed writing, so I wanted to pursue a career in an area where I could write every day – having a deadline is a good motivator.

What do you love about journalism?

The people and their passions - talking to people about their everyday lives and seeing how the world all ticks along with itself.

What would your last meal be?

I am a coeliac so for a last meal it would have to be a real pizza with a side of macaroni cheese!

What was your most memorable moment?

In life? That’s too hard! How about the time I caught a nearly meter-long fish as a kid while trawling in the Pilbara of WA. That hand reel flew out of my hand, got stuck in the corner of the boat and then my Dad spent a decent time struggling to wind the fish in. I’ve been assured first bite on the line means you caught the fish.

What was your favourite subject in school?

Theatre What event past or present would you like to witness?

The very beginning of human life on Earth is (in a safe bubble!)

Which six dinner guests, dead or alive, would you invite to dinner?

Julia Gillard, Myf Warhust, Robin Hobb, Florence Nightingale, Amelia Earhart and Marie Antoinette What are you currently reading?

I am not currently reading - on a break, but I love a podcast or two - try The Guilty Feminist or Bang on.

How would you describe your fashion sense?

Casual with a lot of colour.

Have you had a pet that has made an impact on your life?

I had a cat named Deva who was very social and into everything.

If you had to compete on MasterChef, what dish would you cook?

If I had to compete - maybe a nice soup like chicken tortilla.

Where is your dream holiday destination?

At the moment - would love to go to Japan.

What were you like as a kid?

I was a little reclusive, read books at recess and lunch and made friends with the librarian type of kid. I am more outgoing as an adult.

What is your favourite colour and why?

Cerise pink, because it is lovely :) Do you consider yourself an extrovert or an introvert?

Both? I love talking to people but appreciate some alone time as well.

Tanya Steele joined the Star News group team in February this year.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

y r t n E e e Fr G E T I N T O T H E H O L I D AY S P I R I T WITH THE TUDOR VILLAGE

Christmas Market Friday, 24 November 2023, 11:00 am - 3:00pm T U D O R V I L L AG E 5 2 0 M A R O O N D A H H W Y, L I LY D A L E

Shop for special gifts, indulge in delicious food, explore resident groups and win big in our raffles. Plus, bring your friends, family and view our available homes for a festive day out that might just become your forever home sweet home!

Don’t miss this chance to make your holidays brighter.

RSV P TO DAY. YO U R R E T I R E M E N T J O U R N E Y B EG I N S H E R E !

CA L L ( 0 3 ) 97 3 9 61 2 2

See you there!

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Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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MAIL 19

FIRE AWARENESS

Brandt Lilydale has all the best John Deere equipment to assist in preparing properties before for the fire season.

Pictures: SUPPLIED

Stop by the shop to see which product might be best suited to your needs.

Getting fire season ready As fire season approaches, take charge of your safety and security by visiting the team at Brandt Lilydale. Offering a comprehensive range of John Deere mowers and Stihl equipment, Brandt is your one-stop shop for everything you need to maintain your property this summer.

When it comes to safeguarding your home, a well-maintained lawn is a critical component of it. John Deere, a name synonymous with reliability and innovation, has been trusted by property owners for generations.

Whether you have a sprawling estate, a modest backyard, or a commercial property to

protect, John Deere mowers come in various sizes and configurations to meet your specific needs. From the compact and agile models for tight corners to the heavy-duty workhorses that can tackle large acreages, these mowers are designed for both efficiency and durability.

The advanced cutting technology incorporated in John Deere mowers ensures a clean, even cut, which not only enhances the aesthetics of your property but also reduces the risk of fire.

Shorter grass and well-maintained lawns act as natural firebreaks, preventing flames from advancing and providing a vital layer of protection.

While a well-kept lawn serves as the initial

barrier against wildfires, dense undergrowth and overhanging vegetation can still pose significant risks. This is where Stihl equipment, also available at Brandt Lilydale, comes into play. Stihl is renowned for manufacturing high-quality, dependable tools that are essential for clearing and maintaining firebreaks.

From chainsaws for swift and precise tree trimming to powerful brush cutters that can clear dense vegetation, Stihl’s range of equipment empowers property owners to take control of their property. Stihl’s products are not only durable and reliable but also designed with user safety in mind, providing peace of mind when undertaking essential

fire prevention tasks.

With a summer approaching where the likelihood of bushfires looms large, proactive fire season preparation is non-negotiable.

Brandt Lilydale’s range of John Deere mowers and Stihl equipment is a lifeline for those who seek to prepare their homes, businesses, and communities.

With Brandt Lilydale, you’re not just buying equipment; you’re investing in peace of mind.

Prepare, protect, and prosper in the face of fire season - because with Brandt Lilydale, you’re always a cut above the rest. Contact the Lilydale team on (03) 9735 0166 or visit brandt.ca/au.

View the full range of Stihl equipment, including chainsaws and brush-cutters, and check out our John Deere mowers to help you get your property ready for the season ahead.

Brandt Lilydale (03) 9735 0166 459 Maroondah Hwy, Lilydale

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Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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MAIL 21

FIRE AWARENESS

Prepare early for bushfire As Victoria’s weather begins to warm and we edge closer to an earlier fire season, CFA’s message to those in high-risk bushfire areas is clear – prepare your property.

Victoria can expect a warmer spring, contributing to higher fire risk in parts of the state this season, according to the latest Spring Seasonal Outlook.

There are a number of simple tasks people can complete to reduce their risk this season, and now is the time to start taking action.

CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said CFA crews right across the state are making every effort to prepare for this year’s fire season, but they need a collective community effort to reduce bushfire risk.

“Victoria is one of the most bushfire-prone areas in the world, so it’s vital for everyone to plan ahead,” he said.

“All it takes is some basic maintenance such as clearing your gutters, picking up loose leaves and twigs, pruning tree branches so they aren’t overhanging the roof of your property, or even just keeping your lawn under 10cm tall.

“High rainfall and moisture levels over the past 12 months will have led to vegetation growth on private properties, so it’s important to maintain your property through spring and into fire season.”

Chief Officer Heffernan also encouraged everyone to sit down with your family or household to discuss and practice their bushfire survival plan together.

“CFA has all the information you need on our website to create a clear bushfire plan with your loved ones,” he said.

“If you already have one, blow the dust off it and go over it with your family. Practicing your bushfire survival plan could save your family’s life.”

Keep grass short and rake up any leaves, sticks and excess grass to prevent fire fuel. Pictures: CFA Victorians can learn more about how to prepare their property at www.cfa.vic.gov.au/ prepare, and for more about bushfire survival plan, visit www.cfa.vic.gov.au/bushfireplan.

Take the following actions to prepare yourself and your property: Move your winter woodpile away from the house or sheds.

·

Ensure gutters are clear of debris heading into the late spring and summer season.

· Prune tree branches so they are not over- such as sprinklers, pumps and generators. hanging the roof or touching walls. quickest and easiest way to register your · The burn-off is by using the Fire Permits Victoria Clear your gutters. · website at www.firepermits.vic.gov.au/no· Keep grass shorter than 10cm. tify, or call ESTA on 1800 688 511. · Remove leaves and twigs from around your · Make sure your household has a Bushfire property.

Survival Plan. Find out how at cfa.vic.gov.au/ · Test anything that is part of your fire plan bushfireplan

VICTORIA IS FACING A HOT AND DRY FIRE SEASON. Fire can spread quickly, so it’s important for all Victorians to prepare.

Find out how you can plan ahead this fire season to keep you and your family safe.

Plan. Act. Survive. Go to www.vic.gov.au/knowfire Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

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FIRE AWARENESS

Heat prep in full swing resentative for YRERN Sue Brown said that people are used to coming into facilities for assistance with food insecurity but that the Tecoma church itself closes on extreme fire days.

“We understand that people still need to access service, especially if they are evacuating and we try to put out things like water or food that can be taken on the go,” she said.

“The church runs off solar and doesn’t have a battery – so if we do lose power, we do have issues. But we do the best with the resources that we’ve currently got.”

Ms Brown said that reflecting on the 2009 bushfires, she remembers there were weeks of really hot days.

“In the mornings you had to get off the mountain – it was really difficult for vulnerable people, particularly if they didn’t have anywhere else to go,” she said.

Accessing information in times of emergency is incredibly important and Ms Regan said it can be difficult to get that information to vulnerable people.

“If you’ve got people coming to a food pantry – well then get some emergency preparedness booklets on display at the food pantry, so people can be picking them up at the same time,” she said.

Ms Regan said the meeting was a chance to pose questions which will help develop plans surrounding resources like generators.

“It’s trying to share that load between a lot of different groups and look at what works best in each area because what works in Healesville isn’t the same as what is going to work in Warburton,” she said.

“What YRERN can do is be a centralised point for information – we’re one point that people can contact, and then we can contact the 50 or more organisations that are part of the network.”

By Tanya Steele Summer is coming in hot this year and local emergency services are getting prepared – with one organisation tackling the resource management and planning for extreme heat days across the Yarra Ranges.

The Yarra Ranges Emergency Relief Network (YRERN) met online on Tuesday 31 October - along with representatives of CFA, SES, Vic Police, Ambulance Victoria, members of the Yarra Ranges Council hazard planning and emergency management teams and over 16 community groups.

YRERN coordinator Fiona Regan said the session was themed around heat preparation and that YRERN aims to better support the groups who are working in the emergency relief space in the Yarra Ranges.

“In terms of offering support and advocacy, we look at things that people might need more information about that would be hard to source individually as organisations,” she said.

“We’re coming into summer, we thought it’d be a good idea to get grouped together and have a look at heat preparedness.”

Ms Regan said although the community was fairly aware of bushfire risk, the organisation also wanted to talk about heat risk and heatwave risk.

“Heatstroke is actually a health outcome far more dangerous than bushfires and we know that more heat waves are coming,” she said.

YRERN opened the session with a seasonal forecast for the coming months, held a Q&A with emergency services and Yarra Ranges council staff, and shared resources on planning for heat emergencies.

“We also started conversations between groups in four different Yarra Ranges areas - Urban, Valley, Hills and Upper Yarra - as making

The online forum began vital networking between community and emergency response groups across the Yarra Ranges.

Picture: UNSPLASH connections and forming relationships is a really important part of heat preparedness,” Ms Regan said.

The online forum gave attendees a chance to collaborate with YRERN and discuss potential issues with heat waves, such as power outages.

Ms Regan said a lot of the groups work in food relief and these issues require dconsideration and YRERN was encouraging them to think about the impacts.

“Particularly if you’re not in a fully structured organisation, it’s not necessarily high up on the list of plans on what your organisation is going to do in certain circumstances,” she said.

“If you’ve got clients who are relying on your food pantry to be fed, but either there’s a bushfire is coming, or the power has been out for three days – what’s actually your approach to that?”

Tecoma Food is Free volunteer and Hills rep-

AusNet prepares early to reduce risky of power outages Victorians are being urged to prepare for an early start to the fire season and potential power outages this summer.

The recently released Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook warned there was a high chance of an early start to the fire season in Victoria this year, and fires in the Gippsland region recently attest to that.

The Australian Energy Market Operator has also warned that there is increased risk of power outages this summer due to higher than usual electricity demand.

AusNet’s executive general manager network operations and safety, Prue CrawfordFlett, said energy reliability is a key focus for AusNet, with preparations for the upcoming summer well underway.

“This year, for the region that spans from Ferntree Gully to Warneet to Bunyip we’ve inspected 13,982 power poles from the ground and via helicopter. These inspections resulted in proactive maintenance on 1384 of these poles.

“Additionally, in this area we assessed 25,071 spans, which is the area between two power poles, for overgrown vegetation and cleared 10,313 spans as a result. This work is part of our commitment to improve safety and reliability ahead of the bushfire season,” said Ms Crawford-Flett.

“We invested $52.7 million this year on vegetation management programs to ensure the network is well maintained,” said Ms Crawford-Flett.

AusNet’s electricity distribution network covers 80,000 square kilometres, which consists of 45,985 kilometres of overhead powerlines, 7908 kilometres of underground cables, 417,145 power poles and 90,000 streetlights.

This year marks the completion of AusNet’s Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiter (REFCL) program as part of the Victorian Government’s Powerline Bushfire Safety program.

“REFCL’s operate like a safety switch, rapidly cutting power to fallen or damaged powerlines before a fire can start, reducing the risk of bushfires in our communities. mailcommunity.com.au

AusNet has been checking and assessing powerlines across the region to ensure power outages are reduced throughout the bushfire season.

Pictures: AUSNET

AusNet has had crews in regional parts of the area, out to Reefton, to maintain a reliable power source.

“Our REFCL’s have been built and tested over seven years and have detected a number of faults since 2018, potentially avoiding fires from starting,” Ms Crawford-Flett added.

AusNet will continue to prepare for Victoria’s energy future by investing in projects that increase network capacity, improve reliability, introduce more renewable energy into the network and protect our communities from bushfires.

Preparing for power outages It’s important to be power prepared and know what to do before, during and after a power outage. Life support customers should have an up-to-date emergency plan with their medical practitioner and be ready to use it during an outage. Our life support priority line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 1800 818 832.

Don’t wait for the emergency to have a plan. You should know your risk and have a plan in place for power outages, bushfires, storms and flash flooding.

Make sure you have a plan ready to go if

· If you have an electric water pump, stock up on bottled water. · If you have a private overhead electric line

the power goes out. The tips below will help reduce the impacts on you and your family and keep you safe.

Here are some tips to help you prepare before an outage: Make sure you have an emergency management plan know what you need to do in the event of an emergency.

Put together an emergency kit in an easy to access place and let everyone know where it is. As a start you should have battery operated devices such as a radio to receive important information in the event of an outage and a torch. Make sure you keep spare batteries in there too.

Check to make sure that your medical supplies are fully stocked.

Make sure you can open your garage or fence manually so you can leave your home if the power goes out.

Make sure your phone is fully charged.

Remember, some phones only work with electricity.

· ·

· · ·

on your property, ensure its clear of vegetation. Contact a registered electrician to repair damaged poles, or a certified tree clearer to remove unwanted vegetation.

If you are a life support customer: If you require oxygen, make sure the cylinders are filled and working.

See if you can visit a friend, family member or hospital when the power is out.

Ask a neighbour to check on you during the outage.

Keep all important phone numbers handy for example your doctor, the nearest hospital, the local taxi service, and AusNet’s emergency number 13 17 99.

For further tips on how to prepare for power outages go to ausnetservices.com.au/ powerprepared and for updates on current outages, go to AusNet’s outage tracker at outagetracker.com.au.

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Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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MAIL 23

Ring Terry Miller direct for the the best best prices prices

BEST PRICE, BEST TANKS WITH A LIFETIME GUARANTEE It’s time to catch it, order and build your concrete tank NOW!!!

Ph. 0419 462 814 Concrete tanks built correctly will last a lifetime!

Terry Miller from Terry Miller Concrete Tanks has been in the concrete tank building business for nearly 30 years. Being from country Victoria himself, Terry realises the importance of good water storage systems.

Concrete water tanks built correctly will last a lifetime. They keep your water cool, clean and algae free. This is because our tanks have 130mm walls and a 300mm base, and are poured with 40-mpa strength concrete not 25 or 30 mpa. We also use plasticiser to keep up the strength in the tanks instead of water. And after 28 days of curing the strength of the concrete will be between 48 and 52 mpa. And each tank is poured individually on site. These tanks come out white, which is a sign of the strength in the tanks. The MPA is a measure of how much concrete there is as parts per 1000. The walls of the tank are vibrated all around to ensure that there are no air bubbles and that the concrete is compacted down. Terry generally builds tanks in three sizes, 50,000, 105,000 and 120,000 either with a silo (metal) roof, concrete top or open top tanks.

The tanks will not blow away or fall apart, and this is particularly important in areas where there is high wind, or in fire prone districts. In the event of a fire, a large tank (120,000 litres) can supply water back up to the main house. By setting up a petrol powered generator and pumping water up onto the house directly, via a reverse water sprinkler system, you will keep your home cool and wet. Or if need be, you can jump into the tank to keep cool and be protected from flames and radiant heat.

Water is our most important resource, and we cannot have too much of it! So for all your water storage needs when you are thinking of installing your next tank, please call Terry for a quote on 0419 462 814 or 02 6026 7021 or check out our website, www.terrymillerconcretetanks.com.au.

Nearly four years ago, we suffered our own fire here, in Barnawartha, and we were lucky. But it made me realise how important good water storage is. We are in for a long, hot, dry summer, and fire restrictions are in. Having an ample supply of safely stored water is imperative. So why not contact Terry now about your water supply needs, BEFORE, the heat builds up and water scarce. There is nothing more refreshing than your own cool, clear, clean water!

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Sizes from 22,000 to 120,000 litres 24 MAIL

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Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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OPINION

History seen Foe: not an F, but a low grade science fiction film everywhere Yarra Ranges Council, in consultation with local groups, has provided information boards on the history and the environment at several of Mt Evelyn’s trails and reserves.

There are four signs at Quinn Reserve, located at the various entrances. They deal with the history of the Reserve; the bush environment; the platypus, which is found in Olinda Creek; and work of the the Friends of Water Race and Quinn Reserve (FWRQR), a volunteer group that cares for the Reserve.

The Friends also care for the Water Race, which provided Lilydale’s first water supply.

Opened in 1905, the Water Race skirts the gully at Quinn Reserve and continues to the Puddle Dam on Birmingham Road. Another sign there gives the history of the Water Race and the Dam. Near the Hereford Road crossing on the Warburton Rail Trail, there is a sign with the history of the nearby First Aid Post, where Railway First Aiders from all over Victoria held their annual competitions. There are two recently installed signs on the Rail Trail between Monbulk Road and the Bailey Road bridge.

One deals with the Stringybark tree and its many uses for Aboriginal people. The other is a beautiful panel of the Birds of Mt Evelyn. These last two signs even have audio, powered by miniature solar panels. Press the buttons to hear bird names and a chant in the Woi Wur-

Foe Starring Saiorse Ronan, Paul Mescal and Aaron Pierre Rated M 3.25/5

Looking

Based on the novel by Ian Reid, Foe is a dull, tedious science fiction drama.

The lives of Hen (Saiorse Ronan) and Junior (Paul Mescal) are upended when a strange man named Terrance (Aaron Pierre) gives them a life-changing proposition.

Foe features starkly beautiful cinematography and a brooding score with exotic and electronic touches. The performances are sombre and graceful, and Pierre is compelling as a grinning, shady corporate man who infiltrates Hen and Junior’s lives, but the characters are thinly-sketched and the dialogue feels stilted and unnatural: dramatic, but without the writerly depth of The Devil All The Time or Past Lives.

Foe has some unsettling moments of Junior’s sanity slipping and Terrence getting under the couple’s skin, but the bulk of the flat, overlong narrative is just scenes of Hen and Junior’s stagnant but loving relationship. The film has a confronting climax in its surface emotions, but the question of whether a copy can replace and have the same complexity of feeling as the original

back Karen Phillips

Mount Evelyn History Group editor rung language of the Wurundjeri people.

Two further signs are located on the Olinda Creek Trail between Swansea Road and Olinda Creek (now within the Lilydale postcode area, but formerly part of Mt Evelyn). One sign deals with Aboriginal scar trees, of which there are a number in the Olinda Creek valley, and the technique of making bark canoes. The other sign is on the site of Walden Hut, where a group of young amateur naturalists camped to study the local bird life in the early years of the 20th century. Mt Evelyn History Group’s publication The Woodlanders of Walden Hut by Janice Newton was launched on 16 September. We are grateful to Yarra Ranges Council staff for their efforts in getting the sign installed in time for us to visit it as part of our book launch.

CARTOON

Final seasons of theatre Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre Fracked or Please Don’t Use the F-Word.

How would you feel about sitting in front of a nice village pub on a sunny afternoon while convoys of 40-tonne tankers roll past six feet away.

Deerland Energy’s plan to drill for shale as in the pretty village of Fenstock is going well.

The company is looking at big profits with scientists and Councillors open to lucrative offers.

The only slight snag is a ragged band of protestors, headed by just another ‘mad old biddy’, Elizabeth Blackwood.

Season: Thursday 16 November – Saturday 2 December.

Bookings: 9735 1777 Office hours: Monday, Tuesday and Friday between 10am and 2pm.

Mooroolbark Theatre Group Farndale Ave… Production of a Christmas Carol In festive mood, the Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society mounted another assault on the classics with their stage version of A Christmas Carol.

With great enthusiasm, the cast present a dizzy array of characters from the favourite

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Coldstream Post Office Cnr Killara Road and Maroondah Highway Coldstream Supermarket Cnr Killara Road and Maroondah Highway Coldstream Roadrunners Roadhouse Cafe 629 Maroondah Highway Healesville Real Estate Yarra Valley 299 Maroondah Highway Healesville BP Ultimate 66 Maroondah Highway Healesville McKenzie's Tourist Services 13 Old Lilydale Road Healesville Newsagent 195 Maroondah Highway Healesville IGA Supermarket 199 Maroondah Highway Healesville SW Hollis Butcher 209 Maroondah Highway Healesville Sanctuary House Resort Motel 326 Badger Creek Road Healesville Shell Service Station Cnr Harker Street and Maroondah Highway Healesville Coles Supermarket 251 Maroondah Highway Healesville Caltex 370 Maroondah Highway Healesville First National/Mark Gunther 189 Maroondah Highway Healesville Beechworth Bakery 316 Maroondah Highway Launching Place Charlie's Milk Bar 2 Centella Place Launching Place General Store 2200 Warburton Highway Launching Place Caltex Log Cabin Service Station 2000 Warburton Highway Lilydale Shell Service Station 469 Maroondah Highway Lilydale United Petrol Service Station 473 Maroondah Highway

carries little weight when we know very little about Hen and Junior in the first place.

Science fiction dramas such as Looper, Vivarium and After Yang feature subtle world-building that makes their futuristic settings all the more immersive, but Foe’s sci-fi world-building is paper-thin.

Beyond spoken exposition and some fleeting shots of a future metropolis and a space station, Foe could be any romantic drama set on a remote farm. The atrocious Loveland from last year is poorly thoughtout and steals its cityscapes from Blade Runner, but at least feels like sci-fi.

A shallow sci-fi drama about love, stasis and lack of fulfilment that fails to fulfil and can barely be considered science fiction, Foe is playing at select Victorian cinemas.

- Seth Lukas Hynes

Kemp’s curtain call Dickensian (and some which aren’t) under the ever-battling leadership of Thelma and Mrs Reece.

Throughout the play, Mrs Reece engineers some novel audience participation while bravely contending with a chatty-intrusive PA system.

A review of the play describes it as ‘another classic, dramatic massacre with an awesome, convincing idiocy that enthrals, despite one’s better judgment Season: 10 – 19 November.

Remember: The 1812 Theatre Art Bookings: 9758 3064.

The Basin Theatre The Sum of Us Bookings: 1300 784 668.

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Warburton Shell Service Station 3458 Warburton Highway Lilydale 7-Eleven Lilydale Cnr Maroondah Highway 7 Cave Hill Road Warburton Professionals Andrew McMath Real Estate 3371 Warburton Highway Lilydale Lilydale Village News Agents Lilydale Village Warburton Bell Real Estate 3407 Warburton Highway Lilydale Coles Supermarket Lilydale Village Wesburn Local Fuel 2835 Warburton Highway Lilydale Lilydale Village Lilydale Village Woori Yallock Foodworks Woori Yellock 1/1585 Warburton Highway Lilydale Lilydale Aged Care 475 Swansea Road Woori Yallock Newsagency & Tattslotto Shop 4/ 1585 Warburton Highway Lilydale BP Service Station 87 Warburton Highway Woori Yallock Hillcrest Little Store Great Food 1745 Warburton Highway Lilydale Eastern Laundries 2/4 Williams Street East Woori Yallock Shell Service Station Foodies 1700 Warburton Highway Millgrove Newsagency Shop 5/ 3043 Warburton Highway Woori Yallock Australia Post LPO Shop 11 / 1585 Warburton Highway, The Centre Millgrove Millgrove Licensed Grocers 3039 Warburton Highway Yarra Glen Ritchies IGA Shop 1/38 Bell Street Millgrove Millgrove Village Bakery 4/3039 Warburton Highway Yarra Glen Caltex Petrol Station 66 Bell Street Seville Woolworths Seville 568 Warburton Highway Yarra Glen Newsagent 32 Bell Street Seville Woolworths Caltex Service Station 568 Warburton Highway Yarra Glen United Garage 6 Bell Street Seville Post Office 634-638 Warburton Highway Yarra Junction Woolworths Supermarket 82-84 Warburton Highway Wandin North Fast Fuel Wandin 389-391 Warburton Highway Yarra Junction Bottle O 2440 Warburton Highway Wandin North IGA X-Press Wandin North Plus Liquor 388 Warburton Highway Yarra Junction Bell Real Estate 2457 Warburton Highway Wandin North Landmark Harcourts Wandin Real Estate 1/362 Warburton Highway Yarra Junction Newsagency 2454 Warburton Highway Wandin North Wandin Newsagency Shop 18/2 Union Road Yarra Junction Professionals Andrew McMath Real Estate 2460 Warburton Highway Warburton IGA Supermarket 3465 Warburton Highway Yarra Junction Yarra Junction Community Link 2442-2444 Warburton Highway Warburton K G Thomas Ply Ltd Insurance 1/3395 Warburton Highway Yarra Junction Gladysdale Bakehouse 2568 Warburton Hwy Warburton The Valley Bakery Warburton 3415 Warburton Highway Yellingbo Central Store 1942 Healesville-Kooweerup Road

12527817-BL51-21

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Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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MAIL 25

PUZZLES No. 158

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

6

2 9

5

1 8 6

5 3 2 3 5 9 6 4 9 7 2 1 6 3 5 4 3 2 3 5 8 2 1 5 4 medium

6

9 6 2 8 5 1

7 6 3 2 1

ACROSS

DOWN

Withdraws (7) Questions (7) Exaggerated statements (9) Cold meat dish served in a jellied mould (5) Sudden gust of wind (6) Actress, – Jolie (8) College (6) Yield (4) Biblical garden (4) Art of dwarfing shrubs or trees (6) Used to hold a letter (8) Part of former Yugoslavia; capital Sarajevo (6) Basic food made with water, flour and yeast (5) Belonging to a thing by its very nature (9) Someone who has stopped working for a living (7) Coach (7)

1 5 9 10 11 12 14 15 19 20 24 25 27 28 29 30

No. 158

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 13 16 17 18 21 22 23 26

Division (6) Mediterranean Island nation (6) Neglected (8) Frozen flakes (4) Australian state (10) Rubber (6) Broken (8) Athenian philosopher (8) Wooden spoon, proverbially (5,5) Recall (8) With the most mass (8) Camellia (8) Engineless aircraft (6) Simultaneous performance of action, speech or song (6) Shallow dish to hold a cup (6) Sport tidbit (abbr) (4)

DECODER

No. 158

1 3

4 6 2 3 8 9 1

1 8

4 7

QUICK CROSSWORD

5 3 7 1 5 hard

8 5

6

7

8

9

10 11 12 13

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

B Z 17

18

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26

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

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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”.

L

Today’s Aim: 8 words: Good 12 words: Very good 17 words: Excellent

C

E

O

S

E L

L

U

4 LETTERS DAUB DREW ERAS FEAT NICK ROSE SAGS SEES SITS STAG TOSS TRAP TUBS WEST 5 LETTERS ABODE ABOVE

No. 158

' 5 , ) 7

AGILE AGREE ALLEY AROMA BELIE BUYER CAGEY CHASE CHIEF CIVIC COPES DIMES DRIFT EERIE ERROR EVERY FIRES GONER GRANT GUILT HEADS HOARD

ICIER IMAGE INANE KILTS OGLED ORBIT PAVED PEARL SASSY SCENE SNOWS SNUFF SPICE STEER STYLE SURER TIGHT TSARS UNITY UNTIE VERGE WATTS

cell, cello, CELLULOSE, close, clue, clues, cole, coleus, coulee, cues, else, lose, louse, sell, sloe, slue, sole

9 6 7 8 2 4 5 3 1 5 2 3 7 9 1 4 8 6 4 8 1 5 6 3 2 9 7 2 3 5 9 7 8 1 6 4 6 4 9 1 3 5 7 2 8 7 1 8 2 4 6 3 5 9 8 9 4 3 1 2 6 7 5 3 5 6 4 8 7 9 1 2 1 7 2 6 5 9 8 4 3

6 8 5 7 9 1 2 3 4 3 1 4 6 2 8 5 9 7 2 7 9 5 3 4 1 6 8 5 6 3 9 7 2 4 8 1 7 2 8 1 4 3 6 5 9 4 9 1 8 6 5 3 7 2 9 4 6 2 5 7 8 1 3 1 5 2 3 8 9 7 4 6 8 3 7 4 1 6 9 2 5

2 5 6 4 7 1 9 8 3 8 1 9 6 3 2 4 5 7 4 7 3 5 8 9 1 6 2 7 3 2 9 1 8 6 4 5 1 6 8 7 5 4 2 3 9 5 9 4 2 6 3 7 1 8 6 8 5 1 2 7 3 9 4 3 4 7 8 9 6 5 2 1 9 2 1 3 4 5 8 7 6 Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com

4

16

hard

3

15

medium

2

3 LETTERS ACE AGE ALE BOA CHI DEN DIM EEL EGG EWE GNU ITS NET NIL NIP ODE OFF ONE ORE ROD SEE TOP TOY USE

P O H E G MN C V Y R U T

easy

1

14

6 3 4 5 9 1 7 1 4 1 7 4 9 9 6 8 5 1 7 4 9 6 2 7

K Q X S L D F I W J A B Z

5

WORDFIT

WHEEL WIDOW WIDTH YELPS

PARTNER SUNDIAL TERSEST

6 LETTERS CAPERS PEDDLE STAYED WRITES

8 LETTERS DEMUREST DEPRAVES INITIATE OMELETTE

7 LETTERS COUPONS DAMSELS OPOSSUM + ( $ ' 6 & 2 3 ( 6 & $ * ( < , 0 $ * ( $ * 5 ( ( 2 5 % , 7 $ 5 2 0 $ 9 ( 5 * ( 3 ( $ 5 / * 8 , / 7 6 ( ( 1 , 3 5 2 ' ' 5 ( : 6 & ( 1 ( :5 , 7 ( 6 $ & ( 7 ( 5 6 ( 6 7 : , ' 7 + 7 5 $ 3 6 $ * 6 6 , 7 6 % 2 $ , 1 , 7 , $ 7 ( ' $ 0 6 ( / 6 & 2 8 3 2 1 6 2 1 ( ) ( $ 7 ' ( 3 5 $ 9 ( 6 5 2 6 ( ( 9 ( 5 < : ( 6 7 2 3 2 6 6 8 0 2 5 ( 6 7 $ < ( ' 6 1 8 ) ) ' $ 8 % 1 , / ' ( 1 ' 5 , ) 7 * 1 8 , & , ( 5 8 1 , 7 < 2 * / ( ' :+ ( ( / & + $ 6 ( % ( / , ( 6 7 < / ( . , / 7 6 6 7 ( ( 5

SUDOKU

10-11-23

This week’s crossword proudly sponsored by

The Heritage Family

HERITAGE & HERITAGE FUNERALS Lilydale 9739 7799 Healesville 5962 1600 HERITAGE PIONEERS CHAPEL 1414 Healesville/Koo Wee Rup Road, Woori Yallock 5964 6500 Head Office: 733 Boronia Road, Wantirna 9800 3000 info@ heritagefunerals.com.au www.heritagefunerals.com.au 1157336-CB40-14

26 MAIL

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Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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PROPERTY

A RIVERSIDE OASIS See page 28

PROPERTY OF THE WEEK

‘BLACKWOOD MANNA’ – A RIVERSIDE OASIS THREE HOMES ON 8.5 ACRES DISCOVER this truly one of a kind property situated along the picturesque Yarra River.

Nestled on 8 & 1/2 acres of lush green fields, this estate features not one, but three distinct homes: the Main House, Oak Cottage, and Waratah Cottage.

The Main House is the centerpiece, standing proudly with Oak Cottage and Waratah Cottage on either side. Spread across two levels, it boasts a convenient lift for accessibility. Upstairs, you’ll find a spacious bedroom and lounge, perfect for a parent’s retreat. Downstairs, the kitchen is a standout feature, complete with a walkin pantry, a cool room, a pizza oven, and exquisite Blackwood kitchen countertops and cabinets crafted from reclaimed timber sourced from the property.

With its charming rustic ambiance, the kitchen, featuring a wood-burning fireplace, is sure to be a hub for creating cherished family memories. The Main House also includes an additional bedroom or office space and a bathroom.

Waratah Cottage is a truly unique gem, offering the opportunity to connect with nature. Its balcony overlooks the natural bushland, allowing you to soak in the sights and sounds of the Yarra River. This twolevel cottage features two bedrooms, one

bathroom, and remarkable architectural details, including high ceilings and unique designs at every turn.

Oak Cottage, another charming masterpiece, exudes a loft-style vibe with one bedroom, a stunning kitchen, and a spacious yet cozy atmosphere. Its carefully placed windows provide breathtaking views of the surroundings.

This property presents a marvelous opportunity for a Bed and Breakfast, as the Yarra Valley is in high demand for accommodation options. Whether you’re interested in snowplay on Mount Donna Buang during the cooler months, exploring the stunning Redwood forest, or enjoying the year-round beauty of the pristine Yarra River, this location has something for everyone.

This property is a year-round delight with numerous possibilities, a private retreat, exclusive getaway, or a magnificent peaceful lifestyle.

Contact us today to schedule your inspection and discover all that this unique property has to offer.

Expressions of Interest scheduled to close 22nd November at 4pm, however, the vendor reserves the right to accept any offer at any time and sell prior to the closing date. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 5 Stuart Road, EAST WARBURTON Description: 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 3 garage Price: Expressions of Interest scheduled to close 22 November at 4pm Inspect: By appointment Contact: Rebecca Doolan 0401 832 068, BELL REAL ESTATE - YARRA JUNCTION, 5967 1277 28 MAIL

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Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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HOME FOCUS

PRIVATE, PEACEFUL AND PERFECT THIS charming 3-bedroom brick veneer home is perfect for a family downsizing or first home buyer, and is situated on a quiet street in a family-friendly area close to all amenities, located just off Glenfern Road and is walking distance to the bus stop and only 2 km to the main street of Upwey which is incredibly convenient for commuting to work or schools, plus has easy access onto Wellington Road for those that need to commute to the city.

The home has a charming covered front deck where you can sit and enjoy your morning cuppa, inside features lovely timber floorboards, a new bathroom, 2 toilets, a new dishwasher, gas heating and a split system.

Step outside to discover a flat sunny backyard providing a peaceful place for relaxation or family activities as well as being safe for children and pets alike, add one small gate and the yard is fully fenced.

There is also a double carport and large storage shed and ample off-street parking. ●

Opportunity Awaits You to start or branch out on an existing business at the Iconic Warburton Golf Club.

There are 2 rooms available to lease which can be used as Consulting Rooms or Office space.

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 38 Melaleuca Drive, UPWEY Description: 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 2 garage Price: $770,000 - $840,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Jan Brewster 0409 558 805, RANGES FIRST NATIONAL, 9754 6111 mailcommunity.com.au

• Toilets & Showers available to be used • Utilities included • Lease Term Negotiable

12643487-FC43-23

Perfect for those who work in the Sports Medicine, Chiropractic or Physio fields.

2/2460 Warburton Highway, Yarra Junctiion | Ph: 5967 2688 Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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MAIL 29

HOME FOCUS

FLAT ACREAGE, POOL AND BARN THIS magnificent property boasts an expansive flat acre plus of land, providing ample space for your family’s desires. With a total of five bedrooms, including two ensuited, this home offers the perfect blend of comfort and privacy.

Step inside, and you’ll immediately notice the extensive updates that have been carefully crafted to cater to today’s modern lifestyle. The result is a home that seamlessly combines contemporary amenities with timeless charm.

One of the highlights of this property is the inviting pool, where you can relax and unwind on sunny days. Surrounding the house are well-established gardens that add a touch of nature’s beauty to the setting.

For those who enjoy cooking and entertaining, the chef’s kitchen is wellappointed with top-of-the-line appliances, stone benchtops and walk in pantry,

ensuring that every culinary experience is a delight. The excellent living spaces provide the perfect backdrop for family gatherings and memorable moments.

Step outside and embrace the fresh air on the wide wrap-around veranda, offering breathtaking views of the property’s lush surroundings. This is the perfect place to enjoy your morning coffee or evening sunsets.

Practicality is not overlooked, with a 2-car barn with mezzanine and a double carport that provide ample covered parking for your vehicles.

Don’t miss the opportunity to make this spacious family home with its extensive updates, pool, established gardens, chef’s kitchen, excellent living spaces, and a wide wrap-around veranda your own. Your dream family home awaits. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 5 Francis Street, COCKATOO Description: 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 4 garage Price: $1,350,000 - $1,480,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Mick Dolphin 0429 684 522 and Erin Davies 0493 136 937, RANGES FIRST NATIONAL, 9754 6111 30 MAIL

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Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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Ranges SPACIOUS HOME WITH PADDOCK

BeLgRAve HeIgHTS 52 BARTLEy ROAD ReNTAL pROpeRTY wITH eNDLeSS pOSSIBILITIeS!

PRIVATE, PEACEFUL, PERFECT

$550 peR weeK 3A 1B 2C

Nestled in the picturesque enclave of Belgrave Heights, this delightful rental home on 1.2 acres of enchanting hillside terrain, offers an ideal blend of modern comfort and natural serenity. Featuring split systems in all bedrooms, freestanding robes, gas stove, breakfast window from kitchen to living/dining, newly painted and carpeted throughout, versatile workshop/garage/storage space and an optional paddock at no additional cost.

Conveniently situated to Belgrave South Township, reserves, schools & public transport.

Amy Carson 0455 891 116

We put you first

Mark Culley 0490 234 164

UpweY 38 MELALEUCA DRIVE SUNNY FLAT BACKYARD

$770,000 - $840,000 3A 1B 2C

This brick veneer home is perfect for downsizing or for the first-home buyer and is situated on a quiet street close to all amenities & walking distance to the bus stop. The home has a charming covered front deck, timber floorboards, new bathroom, 2 toilets, new dishwasher, gas heating & a split system. Step outside to discover a flat sunny backyard providing a peaceful place for relaxation and add one small gate and the yard is fully fenced. There is also a double carport, large storage shed and ample off-street parking.

Jan Brewster 0409 558 805

Ranges First National Sales department have sold 104 properties since spring last year.

5 Fairy Dell Road, Tecoma - SOLD, SETTLED THEN LISTED FOR LEASE WITH RANGES FN

Ranges First National Property Management department have listed and leased 51 properties since spring last year.

42 Benson Street, Belgrave - SOLD, SETTLED THEN LEASED WITHIN 24 HOURS WITH RANGES FN

9 Lynn Street, Sassafras. Received 4 offers, SOLD within 2 weeks at top of the range.

Considering the possibility of selling or leasing your property? Contact Ranges First National, your trusted local experts, at 9754 6111 for expert guidance and assistance in the real estate market.

9754 6111

rangesfn.com.au mailcommunity.com.au

‘We Put You First’

1660 Burwood Highway, Belgrave Shop 2/24 McBride St, Cockatoo Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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MAIL 31

HOME FOCUS

ARCHITECTURAL FLAIR WITH MAGICAL VIEWS PERFECTLY positioned on a beautifully landscaped, tiered block this architecturally inspired home takes in magical views across the Cotswold Valley and the skyline towards Port Phillip Bay and beyond. Spanning over a well-designed floorplan of three levels and boasting glorious windows that sneak a garden view from every room, there is much to love about this three bedroom plus wellequipped, built in study home.

There are two spacious lounge areas: The family room with gas log fireplace, built in shelving and warm carpets, the other, a sun filled sitting room that is perfect for a coffee and catch up with family. Gas ducted heating can be found throughout for quick heat control on all three levels of the home.

The central dining space boasts an outstanding backdrop of flat, green lawn and the picturesque views that make this property so special. Although original, the kitchen is in good condition and has a well sized pantry plus stainless steel appliances.

Privately positioned on the third level, the main bedroom provides substantial space along with an oversized walk in robe that could be used for an ensuite addition if desired (STCA). Multiple outdoor spaces to relax and enjoy the scenery include a large decking off the main bedroom, a front paved patio, rear courtyard and also the beautiful rolling green lawn that could host an amazing outdoor lunch with friends.

A sealed driveway, remote gates, double garage with workshop and sink plus great parking bay is all there for you to enjoy, just as these owners have done since building the home in 1993.

Surrounded by a much loved garden setting with pretty pathways, enchanting fish pond and in a highly desired location, this home is ready and waiting for its next family to love and adore it. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 81 Grantulla Road, MENZIES CREEK Description: 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 2 garage Price: $820,000 - $880,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Sharyn Chandler 0439 882 442 or Jess Lainis 0493 544 981, CHANDLER & CO REAL ESTATE 32 MAIL

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Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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P 5966 2530

3407 Warburton Highway, Warburton

320 Eacotts Rd, Hoddles Creek

$1,450,000 - $1,595,000

2/4 Douglas Parade, Yarra Junction

P 5967 1277

2457 Warburton Highway, Yarra Junction

$690,000 - $750,000

Federation Bungalow on over 20 acres with a 2nd home!

Loads of charm in this immaculate home

The Grand Lady with 4 bedrooms- A one of a kind for our area, entering through magnificent stained glass doors, and into the main lounge, you are greeted with hardwood flooring, sash windows, high ceilings and ornate plasterwork, and ensconced in a fire place is a combustion wood heater to keep the home snuggly and warm. The 2nd home a cute 2 bedroom weatherboard home with its own separate entrance off Eacotts Rd, private yard and even a paddock. 21.50 acres, picturesque open paddocks are plentiful, with room for horses or livestock to roam in the sunshine or shade under the native Peppermint stand. A stunning spring fed dam is the perfect place to drop in a kayak and paddle for the afternoon, or just laze by the edge and enjoy the cool and listen to the happy frogs chanting away.

A spacious and inviting environment with native plantings, stunning mountain views and a very convenient location adds to the appeal of this property. The home proudly showcases a large deck where the beautiful northerly views to the mountain range are a magnificent feature of this already lovely home. Internally you will enjoy quality furnishings, a spacious lounge and dining area with adjacent galley kitchen, great storage and a lovely outlook from your many windows. The master bedroom has doors to the deck where you can enjoy a nightcap under the stars and offers excellent storage in the walk through robe and into the stylish full ensuite. The light filled main bathroom services the further 2 spacious bedrooms, which enjoy quality carpets and double built in robes. This is a delightful home that will be a treat to inspect and an absolute joy to live in.

Samantha Price M 0438 795 190 Inspection: Sat 3.30 - 4pm

Tony Fanfulla M 0419 870 513

6

20 Grand Panorama Court, Launching Place

A

3

B

$600,000 - $660,000

Samantha Price M 0438 795 190 Inspection: Sat 12.00-12.30pm

13 Carter Street, Launching Place

3

A

2

B

$810,000 - $890,000

Breathtaking Views, Captivating home

Great size block, unbeatable location, 4 bedrooms - 3 bathrooms!

Built to enjoy the million dollar views, this neat and modern home will make your jaw drop with some gorgeous features. A large open plan kitchen, meals and living zone is perfectly positioned with stack sliding glass doors that open to your enormous deck to seamlessly integrate the indoors and out.

Entertaining will be a dream with café style kitchen windows opening to the outdoor bar bench, where your guests can sit with a wine in hand. Two spacious bedrooms are serviced by a modern bathroom & the master has a large walk in robe and retreat - ideal for a home office, sitting room or even make into an ensuite.There are some finishing touches to complete and ideal for you to put your own stamp on.

This well maintained four-bedroom home boasts three bathrooms and two living areas! Positioned within 50 meters of the local school, it offers a spacious combined lounge and dining area, a rumpus room with sliding doors that open onto a secluded deck, a well-appointed kitchen with lots of bench space, and 3 bathrooms. Entertaining will be a breeze for the weekend chef with a super large deck equipped with a built-in barbecue and outdoor kitchen cabinets. The property sits on an approximately half-acre nearly flat block, convenient car access to the backyard, through a garage and featuring a further 3 car garage with roller door, plus 2 carports providing abundant storage and many parking options for all the family vehicles.

Tony Fanfulla M 0419 870 513 Inspection: Sat 2.30 - 3.00pm

Samantha Price M 0438 795 190

2

A

1

B 1 C

Leah Bannerman M 0448 924 266 Inspection: Sat 2 -2.30pm

4

A

3

B 6 C

bellrealestate.com.au mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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MAIL 33

HOME FOCUS

SPACIOUS FAMILY LIVING BEAUTIFULLY detailed throughout, 22 Viewline Drive sits proudly in a highly sought after area and offers exceptional family living.

With high ceilings, quality carpets and sleek floor tiles, this home boasts a welcoming floorplan that consists of four bedrooms, home office, two bathrooms and four exceptional living zones.

The main bedroom offers space and privacy plus his and hers robes and a resort style ensuite containing a double shower, bathtub and separate toilet. Stone benchtops have been superbly selected to show the expansive space that this modern kitchen offers whilst connecting easily with both the dining area and outdoor entertaining that includes a built-in barbecue for dinners with family and friends.

Gas ducted heating can be found throughout as well as evaporative cooling and split system heating/cooling for zoned temperature control.

For extended, secure parking, there is a triple garage with remote access plus roller door to rear of the property. This also connects with the home office allowing an ideal set up for work from home options.

A property that will tick all of your boxes when it comes to floorplan and family favourites, this home certainly has it all. ●

HOME ESSENTIALS Address: 22 Viewline Drive Description: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 garage Price: $1,250,000 - $1,350,000 Inspect: By appointment Contact: Glenn Chandler 0418 410 689 or Sharyn Chandler 0439 882 442 , CHANDLER & CO REAL ESTATE 34 MAIL

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Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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Real Estate you can trust!

We ’ r e h e r e t o h e l p FOR SALE

24 Johns Road, SELBY

$795,000 - $870,000 3A1B4C

THE PERFECT PROPERTY PACKAGE ON 1 ¾ ACRES

Overlooking a tranquil, tree top setting and boasting a generous and useable 1 ¾ acre (approx.) block, this family friendly, three bedroom home has been meticulously maintained and showcases an outstanding lifestyle opportunity for all. Whether you are searching for a family home, a tree change escape or a home that offers work life balance with easy commute to the city, this property has it all.

FOR SALE

57 The Crescent, BELGRAVE HEIGHTS

$1,200,000 to $1,300,000 4A2B4C

FAMILY HOME WITH GARAGE, WORKSHOP, AND SHED

This idyllic family home on a generous 1,435sqm (approx.) allotment offers a wonderful way into this premier position. Designed for a lifestyle of abundance within an easy stroll of Belgrave Heights Christian College and picturesque Birdsland Reserve, this is a forever family home.

Sharyn Chandler M 0439 882 442 | E sharyn@chandlerandco.com.au

Jess Lainis

Suzie Brannelly

M 0493 544 981 | E jess@chandlerandco.com.au

M 0490 506 910 | E suzie@chandlerandco.com.au

FOR SALE

8 Huon Road, BELGRAVE HEIGHTS

$770,000 - $840,000

INVESTMENT ON BEAUTIFUL 1,863SQM (APPROX.) BLOCK

3A2B2C

FOR SALE

16 Kia Ora Avenue, UPWEY

$900,000 - $970,000

ENTERTAINERS’ PARADISE WITH STUDIO STEPS FROM TOWN

4A2B2C

This unique residence offers a ticket into this top lifestyle location. Perfectly blending immediate liveability, options to update if you choose, and an outstanding 1,863sqm (approx.) corner allotment that provides abundant peace and privacy, there are endless ways this property can work for you.

This entertainers’ paradise situated on a level 1,037sqm (approx.) allotment only 600m from Upwey township is a rare offering in just the right location. Set upon a circular drive and surrounded by lush lawn areas, a freestanding studio and a double garage for convenience, space and versatility are offered in surplus here.

Brad Conder

Brad Conder

M 0422 639 115 | E brad@chandlerandco.com.au

M 0422 639 115 | E brad@chandlerandco.com.au

Daniel Steen

Daniel Steen

M 0434 979 142 | E daniel@chandlerandco.com.au

M 0434 979 142 | E daniel@chandlerandco.com.au

9754 6888 1689 Burwood Highway, Belgrave VIC 3160 www.chandlerandco.com.au of fice@chandlerandco.com.au mailcommunity.com.au

Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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MAIL 35

networkclassifieds.com.au Trades & Services V Painters/Decorators

J.L. Hutt Electrical

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Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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SPORT

Two wins for Wandin ing a partnership between Galvin 28 and Marshall 50 which would see the side get over 100 and some belief in victory.

With their dismissals and the game in the balance G Gosland 39* would guide Wandin to a hard-fought victory with the remaining batsmen and see Wandin finish on 8/178 off 38 overs.

Wandin 3rd XI vs Kilsyth A home game for Wandin who won the toss and batted first. T Day and T Seeger got the Dogs off to great start putting on a 50-run partnership after 11 overs, T Day 25 and T Seeger 24.

C Leckie started off perfectly, with support from A Brown 7 and J Dowthaite 10 and after 19 overs Wandin were 4/82 with C Leckie going along nicely.

M Owens and C Leckie put on 82 and after 32 overs Wandin sat at 5/160. P Laws came in and went off, smashing a quick 26 not out in a superb effort, while C Leckie just missed out on a 50, out for 49. M iles joined P Laws putting on 40 in 4 overs which was absolutely great to watch, seeing Wandin finish the innings on 6/203.

Kilsyth started off very quickly with some big hitting early, racing to 1 for 159 off 23 overs but to Wandin’s credit, the players kept their spirits up. T Seeger bowled superb for 1/26 off 7, a great effort against some big hitting, M Rayner weaved some magic and tightened the game up with a superb 4/28 off 6 overs in a great spell and S Robinson bowled a treat 2 overs 2/1, fantastic by Sammy.

Kilsyth finished on 8/209 off 33 overs, and overall it was a great effort by all. Wandin fought to the end and the improvement each week is amazing.

Front foot batting from Wandin’s 2nd XI. Picture: SUPPLIED

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2023 AGM - Warburton Advancement League. The Warburton Advancement League is holding its 2023 Annual General Meeting at the Home Hotel in Launching Place on Wednesday November 15 at 7:00pm. All are welcome to attend. kevinbargar@yahoo.com

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PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION LOCATED AT MARYSVILLE Telstra plan to upgrade the existing rooftop telecommunications facility at 1071 Lake Mountain Road, Marysville, Victoria 3779 (Lot 8 on PP3500) www.rfnsa.com.au/3779003 1. Telstra Limited (A.C.N 051 775 556) are currently upgrading existing mobile network facilities to allow for the introduction of 5G to Telstra’s network. As part of this network upgrade, Telstra propose the installation of NR850 (5G) technology in the Marysville service area.

2. The proposed facility upgrade includes the UHFRQ¿JXUDWLRQ RI WZR H[LVWLQJ RPQL DQWHQQDV and the installation of associated ancillary equipment.

All internal equipment will be housed within the existing equipment room located within the building’s storeroom.

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Wandin 1st XI vs Warrandyte 3rd XI Wandin 1st XI returned to playing at home this week against Warrandyte’s 3rd XI searching for their first win for the season.

Wandin won the toss and chose to bat first.

David Thorne and Jamie Elliott would open the batting, getting off to a quick start with the bat, it would be David Thorne who would fall first and a few more wickets would fall before Tim Thorne would combine with Jamie Elliott and both would bat an absolute treat with the pair putting on a 50-run partnership.

Jamie Elliott would fall on 50, but then Tim Thorne would fall in 68 after some big hitting, but Wandin would be in a great position with Liam Senti coming in late with a handy 34 not out, improving the total to 9/241.

The Wandin bowlers would finally have a big total to bowl too and even though Warrandyte would hang in there with the bat, Wandin would restrict their total to all out for 214.

It was a great win for Wandin with all bowlers making a great contribution. Lachlan Alderman was the pick of the bowlers with 3/41 off 6 overs.

Wandin 2nd XI v Wantirna South 3rd XI Wandin would travel to Wantirna South, win the toss and elect to bowl first. In a tight first twenty overs between bat and ball Wantirna South would be 3/78 , A Webb 35 and J Galvin with two wickets. With Galvin taking two more shortly after the drinks break the game was evenly poised. This brought B Harrington 48 and A Kinghorn 28* to the crease, and they would quickly increase the scoring rate.

With the dismissal of Harrington off the bowling of M Kogleman 3/33 the last 10 overs would be controlled by Wandin and they would keep Wantirna South to 7/173, a gettable but tricky target.

Wandin would start poorly with the bat and quickly find three back in the shed before find-

12612433-AI24-23

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MITSUBISHI Lancer 2009 VR sportsback. 2 ltr engine. 5 speed manual.

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Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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MAIL 37

SPORT

Hamment’s first monthly medal win

By Ron Hottes

Max Reynolds in action fo Warburton 2.

Picture: SUPPLIED

All winners at Warby

By Garry Lewis The Warburton Bowls Club continued its steady improvement with all Pennant teams victorious this week.

The weekend Warburton 1 side played Upwey- Tecoma 1 away winning two rinks and drawing the other two. This resulted in scoring 16 points from their 89 shots to 62 victory.

Rink scores were as follows: S. Lord 16/ 16; T. Appleton 28/ 18; C. Neale 20/ 20 and S. Lee-Tet 25/ 8.

The Burras top side looks forward to the challenge of playing their section’s top side, Mooroolbark 1, away this weekend.

Warburton 2 played Heatherdale 1 at home in superb bowling conditions. Heatherdale were quick off the mark creating a handy lead in the early stages of the game, before the Burras fought back well to achieve a slight lead at

the break.

The second half saw the determined Burras side pull away by playing longer ends to achieve a well-deserved 88 shots to 58 victory, winning three rinks and losing one.

Rink scores were G. Lewis 26/ 11; P. Summers 27/ 12; F. Wagenaar 16/ 21 and M. Reynolds 19/ 14.

They too look forward to the challenge of playing their section’s top side, Vermont South 2, at home this weekend.

The Midweek side continued their great start to the season with another good performance away against Heathmont 3. They won two rinks and drew one to record a 57 shots to 44 victory.

Rink scores were as follows: S. Lord 18/ 18; G. Walsh 22/ 14 and R. McKail 17/ 12.

They play Healesville 1 at home this Wednesday, due to Cup Day on Tuesday.

The Social Bingo Nights concluded last Wednesday Night at the clubrooms with another big crowd in attendance with thanks again to the Mad Theatrics Group for hosting the evening as well and special thanks to all the businesses and members who donated prizes, including the grant the club received from the Yarra Ranges Council. Well done Aimee Dostie and Mat Stoessiger for their wonderful efforts organising it all.

The Wednesday Night Barefoot Bowls Triples Competition, sponsored by Yarra Valley Professionals Real Estate, commences this Wednesday 8 November. All Teams are asked to be at the club by 6.30pm for a roll-up in preparation for the 7pm start.

Social Bowls continues to be played on Mondays from 12 midday with everyone including new and beginning players encouraged to attend.

Contrasting fortunes for Yarra Junction

By Peter Brennan The Yarra Junction Bowling Club midweek team was coming off an agonisingly close one-point loss in round one, and if they could choose they would not have chosen to travel to Yarra Glen for their next game.

But the fixture is the fixture, so to Yarra Glen they travelled on a cold overcast day. The weather came good and it did not rain, more’s the pity, as the Yarra Glen hoodoo was in full force. They have trouble at Junction, and Junction has trouble there. The green plays narrow and slow and idiosyncratic, and once again Junction failed to perform well there. Yarra Glen on the other hand played their home ground superbly, and at the end of the day Junction suffered a crushing defeat. With two losses in two games Junction are sitting on the bottom of the ladder, and the pressure is coming on for a win.

The weekend team on the other hand was flying high with two wins and hosted Vermont South at home. The morning was overcast and cold but cleared to a sunny afternoon. Naturally, the wind picked up. Spring is the season of flukey erratic winds, narrow thermals and changeable gusts. It would be nice to have a wind expert explain why the flags turn in circles, and gusts seem to collide. Probably the only ones who understand are the birds of the air, and they aren’t telling. Certainly, the kookaburras were very free with their opinions, watching the bowlers struggle below, and cackling at their efforts. In the game itself, Junction took charge early and opened up a substantial lead. Vermont South failed to cope with the speed and width of the green, and the changeable wind did not help them.

Local knowledge is a wonderful thing, and by day’s end, Junction registered a huge win, win38 MAIL

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Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

One win, one loss for the Yarra Junction Bowling Club. 338488 ning all four rinks easily and winning overall by more than a hundred points. The season so far is going very well, and Junction are sitting second on the ladder.

The Community Cup began on Friday, and the early leaders by a narrow margin are the team from U3A. The club championships are underway, with many a hard-fought contest playing out. Barefoot Bowls will start after Christmas, which is suddenly not so far away.

Wednesday 1 November, Stroke & M. McGrann Bag-day qualifier: With comfortable weather conditions present, and a course in tip-top condition, winning results were always going to be tip-top too. Ex-President, David Hatt, has been in the placegetter’ stalls frequently in recent times, and on this day, he was the clear winner. Hatty has now qualified for the Bag-day play-off next month. And, his Nett 65 was also good enough to claim the top voucher.

An SGA golf club visitor, Cyrus Monk, returned a Nett 66, to claim the runner-up voucher. With winning scores like that, the ball rundown only reached Nett 68, as there were plenty of 67’s and 68’s.

There were 4 NTP prizes taken home.

They belonged to Des Ray (3rd), Junior Garside (5th), Neil ‘Mr. Scotland’ Leckenby (9th) and Glenn Forbes (15th).

Twilight: With continuing pleasant golfing conditions prevailing, plenty of the 40+ field made the most of it, shooting impressive 9-hole scores. A very impressive effort came in the form of 24 points, and that card was posted by Matt Maloney, giving him the bragging rights for this week.

Matt has been in sizzling form lately, so surely his handicap will shrink accordingly. Roger Mataele can consider himself very unlucky because his 22 points would win most other days, it’s only the runner-up prize for him!. As expected, the balls only went down to 18. The two Twilight NTP winners were Chris Leighton (12th) and Darryl Ward (15th).

Saturday 4 November, Stroke & Monthly Medal: Well, what a pleasure it is for this poor old Loyal Scribe to gush about a friend who shot the lights out and took home their very first medal.

Deb Hamment’s golf game has blossomed in recent months. It would not be an exaggeration to suggest that she is the most improved player in the Club at this stage. Deb won on this day with a sensational Nett 61, shooting a 94 off the stick (having never broken 100 in comp before). Of course, this was also good enough to head home with both the Medal and the top voucher.

But her superb score did not blow away the rest of the field as Josh Hin’s Nett 63, on any other day, would have easily been a medal-winning result. Poor old Josh just had to be content with the runner-up prize. Still, good shooting indeed, young man. Naturally, the ball rundown only reached Nett 69 one of the lowest ball rundowns for years. But we did have a full complement of NTP winners; Ken White (3rd), Darryl Ward (5th), Andrew McMath (9th), Clinton Toohey (12th) and Gary Vollmer (15th).

Picture: ON FILE

Many people express a curiosity about Lawn Bowls but fail to take the next step. It is easy to wander down to the club, down by the river, and try it out. It is a game that has intrigued and entertained since medieval times.

All visitors are more than welcome at Yarra Junction Bowling Club, with the use of equipment and free coaching available. There is no reason not to try.

Warburton Golf Club results.

Picture: ON FILE mailcommunity.com.au

SPORT

Historic first for family

By Dongyun Kwon It was a family affair at the Healesville Cricket Club with a whole family playing in the same team for the first time in the club’s history.

Three Hardings, father Matthew, mother Belinda and son Henry played together for Healesville’s 4th XI. Matthew said it was the first time his family could play together.

“It was fantastic. It was the first time we could do it because my wife has other commitments, but just the stars aligned, and we were able to play together today,” Matthew said.

“I’m proud to be the first family that mum, dad and son played for the same senior team.

It was a very special day for my family.”

Matthew has been into cricket as a coach and a player for many years.

His son Henry takes after his father and has played cricket since he was eight years old.

Henry is now 12 and has developed his skills well enough to feature for one of the senior teams.

His improved skill hasn’t made Henry let his guard down, rather, he has gotten more motivated as he plays for both his U14 team, which is coached by his father, and the 4th XI. “Henry is a leg spin bowler, but he also plays as a batsman quite well. Belinda is an allrounder and I am a batsman,” Matthew said.

Here are the club’s results, submitted as usual by Chris Handasyde: Seniors 4th XI: Healesville 102 defeated by Mooroolbark 7/136 Mooroolbark batted first at the Don Roa oval and it was a real arm wrestle early as Mooroolbark crept up to 7/136. Wyatt Coleman cap-

Belinda (mum), Henry (son) and Matthew (dad) played together for Healesville 4th XI on Saturday 4 November.

Picture: SUPPLIED tured his first senior wicket and Denzel Parsons took 2/16. A gettable score soon turned un-gettable as wickets fell constantly except those of Matt Harding 31* and Ethan Nikcevich 16.

U12-4: Healesville 3/134 defeated Coldstream 9/62 Healesville batted first and got off to a flyer with Ryder Hudson 26* and Louis Keath 17.

Another 5 batters all retired (Kael Senti 2*, Ahren Wicker 3*, Arthur Coleman 16*, Angus Morcombe 14*, Manny Winrow 13*, Ben Hunter 7*). Posting a high score, Healesville were in the box seat. Ben Hunter and Louis Keath both got 2 wickets as they kept Coldstream to 62 runs.

U12-9: Healesville 5/81 defeated by Mooroolbark 8/122 Playing away, Healesville batted first and got off to a great start with Reggie Morcombe 16* and Arlo Turner 11* putting on a good opening partnership. Mason Kincaid 6*, Rory JacksonWard 2* and Eli Keath 7* all batted well and reached retirement. Mooroolbark batted well and passed Healesville’s score but Healesville still took 8 wickets across 6 bowlers, with Eli Keath and Rory Jackson-Ward getting 2 each.

U14-3: Healesville won by Forfeit U14-7: Healesville 3/128 defeated Chirnside Park 43 Healesville batted first at Queens Park with multiple batters reaching double figures (Tom Quaggin 10*, Harry Thomas 15*, Summer Caldicott 28*, Manny Winrow 21*). Posting a match-winning score, Chirnside Park was never in the game as the bowlers were all economical whilst taking wickets continuously with Taylor Caldicott 2/5 and Kael Senti 2/1 the multiple wicket takers.

U16-4: Healesville 8/89 defeated by Norwood 3/135 Norwood batted first and Healesville battled to get wickets as Norwood scored steadily to reach 135 from their 25 overs. Healesville’s innings was a little different, losing wickets early however the middle order showed resilience with Lucas Frazzetto 20*, Cooper Bell 11, Gabe Houlihan 13 however the total was too much in the end as they fell short.

Seniors 1st XI: Healesville 154 defeated by East Ringwood 5/178 Both teams were undefeated going into the game as Healesville won the toss and sent East Ringwood into bat. Mitch Tampaline captured

an early wicket but East Ringwood got to work and put on 100+ runs before Healesville captured another wicket. Kris Anderson bowling his off-spin claimed 3/30. Chasing 178, 4 of Healesville’s top 5 batters didn’t make it to 10 so it was backs up against the wall batting from there. Ash Hamer 38 and Luck Chandler 21 got the innings back on track but both went out as Healesville were beginning to look a chance.

A good partnership between Tom Handasyde 21* and Mitch Tampaline 25 gave the side hope but balls were running out. In the end, they fell short by 24 runs.

Seniors 2nd XI: Healesville 150 defeated by St Andrews 3/151 Playing on a fast Queens Park ground, Healesville were off to a flyer with Jonny Heywood 46 and Max Wallace 39 hitting plenty of boundaries. But when these two were dismissed a constant flow of wickets saw the side bowled out for 150. Early wickets were going to be the key and Darcy English got one in the second over with his first ball. St Andrews’ top order was solid and wickets were hard to get as they passed Healesville’s score in the 30th over.

Seniors 3rd XI: Healesville 8/167 defeated by Kilsyth 4/212 On a small ground, Kilsyth batted first. Jack Drummond claimed an early wicket but that’s where the fun stopped for Healesville as Kilsyth piled on the runs to post 212 off 36 overs. Healesville’s innings didn’t start well with Matt Wilkinson bowled out with the first ball of the innings. A quick-fire 43 from ‘Don’ Braden and steady innings from Gabe Houlihan 35 and Sam Drummond 43* ensured Healesville batted the overs but the run chase was too high.

Mixed results for Healesville Bowling Club Horse Talk

By Ian Milgate

Tuesday’s Team 1 played at home against Bayswater who is hard to beat even when they play away, but to the credit of our bowlers we settled in early with Effie Laban’s rink making a great start and continued on for a convincing win.

Steve Graham’s rink bowled extremely well to also take a good win.

Steve Bulled’s rink got jumped on the first few ends dropping a 3 and a 4, but to their credit thought back to be within 3 shots before the ends ran out for them, but overall a great effort by all players.

Next week will be away to Warburton which should be a great game.

Steve Graham, Wally Mays, Hilda Gurney, Gerda Otto 22 - 9 Effie Laban, Bob Brown, Robert Ayres, Judy Veermann` 24 - 9 Steve Bulled, Robyn Turville, Damian Key, Ian Milgate 17 - 20 Tuesday’s Team 2 played away at Lilydale, but, unfortunately, could not come away with a win partially due to late withdrawals, illness and forced retirement.

It was great to see Rita Featherstone back playing again with her husband Mick who’s rink had a great win on the day.

Next week will be home to Bayswater so look forward to a close game.

Mick Featherstone, Colin Jarvis, Rita Featherstone(Ret.) Leonnie Fitzpatrick, Karl tok 24 - 14 Barry Parker, Gerry Gomers, John Howard, Jodie Ward 14 - 24 Len Cosson, Anne Holland, John Fitzpatrick, Glenda Graham 6 - 26 Week 2 Corporate Bowls Once again the weather was kind to us for the second week of Corporate bowls.

There were some very good bowls put down last night including two ripper drives that connected with the jack sending it back into the ditch for winning points.

There are also a couple of players not mentioning anyone Bodge, that would like some, one on one training during the week to expand his skills.

The three leaders from last week have been overtaken by: 1st. place Codear on 40 points 2nd. Stephenson Constructions on 37 points

By Anita Prowse

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· · ·

· · ·

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mailcommunity.com.au

Saturday saw the last of Upper Yarra Pony Club’s Freshmans show-jumping series in much better weather than some of the previous days.

The club’s next Freshmans Day is on Australia Day 26 January 2024.

A jam-packed Yarra Valley Horse Show coming up on 10 December, preentries are open now and at a much-discounted price from the entries on the day soenter now at event secretary.

Other dates for 2024 to save are as follows: 3 March UYARC Combined Training Day 11 and 12 May UYPC Dressage Jackpot Weekend 30 June Beginners Gymkhana 29 September UYPC Combined Training Day 5 November Cup Day Freshmans 23 November Freshmans 15 December Yarra Valley Horse Show Don’t forget to support your local clubs, buy your memberships and volunteer help whenever you can, more support for committees and clubs is an absolute must if you want your sport to thrive and survivie.

Happy Riding everyone.

Players reflected on the game.

Picture: SUPPLIED

3rd. on 36 points Watts River Brewing · John Clark, Steve Bulled, Colin Jarvis, Brad · Equal and provit cult.

Chandler 12 - 29 Next Wednesday is a bye, due to Melbourne · Mark Ward, Colin Lowe, Robyn Turville, RobCup, so see you all there on Wednesday 18 November.

November for some more tuff competition along with a snag and light refreshment.

Saturday’s Team 1 played away at Vermont South on a very quick green and struggled to make any headway during the day, apart from Steve Graham’s rink who were also struggling up until half time, but came out in the second half to turn it around and gave Steve’s rink, the highest winning rink for the 3rd. consecutive week.

Unfortunately, we still went down overall being beaten by 27 shots 70 - 97.

Adrian Beales, Effie Laban, Bob Brown, Gerda Otto 13 - 29 Steve Graham, Rob Broadhurst, Chris Hawting, Ian Milgate 21 - 19

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ert Ayres 14 - 20 Saturday’s Team 2 had a great win at home against Monbulk.

In fact, it was one of the gutsiest wins we have seen for a long time, considering they were short of players due to illness, so had one rink that had only 3 players and two of the players were only new to the club, with Jill Cookney only playing her second game and Husband Mark playing his third game. A super effort by all players.

Len Cosson, Anne Holland, Leonie Fitzpatrick, Mark Cookney 19 - 19 John Fitzpatrick, Mike Adams, Glenda Graham, Jill Cookney 26 - 7 Barry Parker, Wally Mays, Judy Veermann 20 - 14

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It was great weather for the last Freshman’s of the year. Picture: SUPPLIED Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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Tuesday, 7 November, 2023

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