Mail - Upper Yarra Star Mail - 29th July 2025

Odd condition affecting roos at Eastern Golf Club

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Laptops donated to students in need

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Yarra Centre history honoured in new mural

Thrilled for rides

By Oliver Winn

Fifteen years of hard work and dedication came to a head on Saturday 19 July with the first soft opening of the Warburton Bike Park.

Over the opening weekend a total of 1100 excited riders gathered at the Wesburn Park trailhead to try the first 30 kilometres of mainly entry-level trails.

Parking attendants on-site at the Wesburn Park trailhead managed traffic conditions, and trails were monitored by team members.

Experienced mountain bike enthusiasts wore exhausted smiles, mothers and fathers relished at the thrill felt by their toddlers in shotgun seats and adaptive mountain bike users were wide eyed with elation after conquering the trails.

said it was a tremendous feat to have finally opened the trails.

“After years of planning and development, we’re thrilled to have opened the first 30km of the Warburton Bike Park network, and to be delivering this incredible asset for our community,” Cr Child said.

Cr Child highlighted the $5 million invested into preparing for potential emergency events while SES units, Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria and the CFA have conducted large scale training exercises mimicking rescue scenarios likely to occur with the new Warburton Bike Park now open.

The Warburton Bike Park is undertaking a staged rollout approach to allow more effective management of operations which is a common approach for new visitor experiences.

Turn to page 6 to read more

Success of twilight event

By Dongyun Kwon

The annual Healesville twilight trading event was unveiled last Friday.

Nocturne: Healesville After Dark, organised by Healesville Traders Inc, changed the

Yarra Ranges Council mayor Cr Jim Child

main street of Healesville into a space where locals could spend Friday evening with their family.

Turn to page 10 to check out the photos taken by Star Mail journalist Dongyun Kwon

Sylvie (left) and Oli (right) enjoyed Healesville Hotel’s Christmas in July. (Dongyun Kwon: 492420)

Death was ‘not preventable’

By Callum Ludwig

The Coroner’s Court of Victoria has handed down a finding into the death of a man in specialist disability care who choked while on an outing in Healesville.

John Jurdeczka, 62, had lived under 24-hour care in a specialist disability home in Ringwood, staffed by Scope Australia since 2019, and died while in the intensive care unit at the Angliss Hospital in Upper Ferntree Gully on 28 September 2024.

John had autism, an intellectual disability and various chronic medical problems that had been stable in the six months prior to his death, including dysphagia (difficulty swallowing).

John had a Mealtime Management Plan, which outlined his ability to chew soft/tender foods without help, no swallowing problems and no increased risk of choking, but also included risk reduction strategies like close supervision at meal times, verbal prompts to eat slowly and cutting up his food into bite-sized pieces.

On 25 September 2024, two qualified casual Scope support workers, Baljit Singh Kanwar and Koshy Panicker took John and two other residents at the Ringwood facility on a day trip to the Maroondah Reservoir Park. Koshy had only worked two to three shifts supporting John and Baljit none prior to this day, though both had reviewed his support plans.

Koshy said they were aware John could move quickly and often had to be told to stop or slow down, including when eating while Baljit said they ahd been told by other workers tat John had an obsession with food, tending to grab at it and eat quickly, sometime without chewing.

On the day, they arrived in Healesville to heavy rain and wind so chose not to leave the bus and instead went to the Shell petrol station to buy some food for John and the other residents.

Koshy purchased some banana bread and coffee and while they normally ate outside, chose to eat on the bus due to time restraints and the weather, which is not unusual or inappropriate.

Baljit opened up the banana bread and John grabbed it quickly, Baljit slapped it out of his hand and it dropped to the floor before John grabbed it and put it straight into his mouth.

Both Baljit and Koshy then tried to remove the banana bread from John’s mouth which proved

difficult as he was in a difficult position and was flailing his arms and pushing them away.

As John attempted to swallow, the banana bread became lodged in his throat so Balhit called Triple Zero to request an ambulance, while having to ask the service station attendant for the address and if they had a defibrillator. Koshy attempted back blows to John to try and dislodge the banana bread but had difficulty due to the positioning on the bus and was unsuccessful.

At the advice of the emergency call taker, Koshy, Baljit and the attendant removed John from the bus, despite some difficulty due to the

wet floor from rain and spilled coffee.

Koshy and Baljit were about to commence CPR when an ambulance crew arrived and took over, about two to three minutes after the emergency call, and the Ringwood facility supervisor also came to the scene while emergency services worked to bring John’s client file.

John was first transported to the Box Hill Hospital emergency department and later to the intensive care unit at the Angliss, where a CT scan showed the first signs of brain injury from the incident. Two days later, John underwent brain stem testing which declared him clinically brain

appropriate.’ (File)

dead. John’s two sisters, who were his next of kin, had been contacted on the day of the incident while on holiday in Spain, and asked after the news of John’s brain death if the hospital could wait until they returned on 30 September to be with John as he died, but were informed of the risk of cardiac arrest the longer they waited. On 28 September, his sisters were present via video link as John’s ventilator was removed and he died. Coroner Simon McGregor found that John’s death was not preventable and that his care was reasonable and appropriate.

Phalaris staggers threat to roos found in Yarra Ranges

By Dongyun Kwon

Eastern Golf Club in Yering has confirmed it is experiencing phalaris staggers, which is impacting the kangaroo population.

Star Mail delved into what phalaris staggers is and how it affects kangaroos through an interview with Dr Tian Chen.

Dr Chen is a wildlife veterinarian in Victoria who studied phalaris staggers for his PhD at the University of Melbourne’s Veterinary School, and has been working on the disease for the past four years.

He said phalaris staggers is a neurological disease of animals caused by ingesting an introduced pasture grass used for agriculture called phalaris aquatica.

“During certain seasons (autumn and winter), the grass produces neurotoxins from a chemical group known as tryptamine alkaloids. The toxins are slow to build up, often requiring the animal to be consuming phalaris for over several weeks before developing notable disease. Multiple macropod species are known to be susceptible to the disease, including several kangaroo and wallaby species,” the wildlife veterinarian said.

“Initially, kangaroos may be seen with head wobbles with ears pointing downwards instead of straight up. This will then develop into uncoordination when hopping, where they are often described as being drunk, with zigzag hopping, tail swaying in all directions, and sometimes even circling to keep balance.

“At the final stage of disease, animals are often seen with muscle tremors causing them to fall repeatedly when disturbed and being mentally obtunded (depressed look), they may allow people to get very close to them due to their reduced awareness of surroundings, but can still be incredibly dangerous when agitated.”

According to Dr Chen’s explanation, there are currently no treatment options available for phalaris staggers.

“Cobalt, sprayed onto pasture or used as a

drench for sheep and cattle, is known to be a preventative treatment for the disease, but it must be done before the autumn and winter season,” he said.

“This has been shown to be unsuccessful in preventing the disease in kangaroos. We are still working on finding out why this is the case, but differences in gastrointestinal tract anatomy and gut bacteria may be the reason.”

Although not yet backed by scientific literature, Dr Chen shared some of his theories and recommendations for controlling staggers.

1. Removal of the grass (can be in stages, as long as there is progressive reduction): Herbi-

cides, physical removal, especially during its dormancy stage and planting plants that can compete and prevent it from coming back. For detailed methods, the golf club should consult a horticulture professional.

2. Exclusion: If there are small areas of concentrated phalaris, barriers can be built to prevent kangaroos from grazing in those areas. This can be costly, may need ongoing maintenance and could be unsightly.

“The staggers can be seasonal and vary greatly in severity year to year due to weather patterns also affecting how toxic the grass can become,” Dr Chen said.

“If the golf club is only seeing cases on occasional years, a more sustainable method could also be: 1. Put up signs to advise visitors of the current condition and ask them to stay away from kangaroos during the high-risk season for their safety, and report any suspected cases to the club.

2. Contact local wildlife rescuers and report any incidents to them so they can maintain animal welfare during the high-risk season (possibly for three to four months).

“Unfortunately, some animals may require humane euthanasia if their welfare is compromised, but often this is in a small number of cases.”

The Coroner’s Court of Victoria has found John Jurdeczka’s death was ‘not preventable’ and his care was ‘reasonable and

Phalaris staggers is a neurological disease of animals caused by ingesting an introduced pasture grass used for agriculture called phalaris aquatica. (File)

Gross find distresses

A Woori Yallock resident’s disturbing discovery of plastic bags stuffed with kangaroo and deer remains has shocked authorities.

Tracey Frazer was walking along Haggards Lane in Woori Yallock on 18 July when she came across the shocking sight of kangaroo and deer legs sprawled across the ground and in plastic bags.

She said she’d never seen anything like it before.

“I’m 52 now and I’ve seen a lot of stuff, but never seen that. I built this house here when I was 18, so I’ve lived here a long time,” she said.

Immediately she called Wildlife Victoria and the phone operator also expressed dismay at the discovery.

“It’s right behind where our primary school is. I know it was school holidays, but all the kids were coming here, riding bikes on the trail. So I didn’t want a child to see it.”

She alerted Yarra Ranges Council staff working nearby who then called on workers to dispose of the remains.

“A community member contacted Council on 18 July, with a distressing report after finding animal remains dumped on public property,” a council spokesperson said.

“Our teams were able to attend and dispose of the remains in the early afternoon. The community member was contacted to let them know that the remains had been removed.”

Dumping animal remains on public property is illegal and is also extremely distressing for community members.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers Victoria on 1300 333 000.

Victorian Kangaroo Alliance president Alyssa Wormald was shocked at the news and said it was horrifying to know that someone in the community could be responsible for it.

“Kangaroos are such gentle, family-oriented beings, and it’s horrifying to know that people in our community are treating them with such abhorrent cruelty.”

Ms Wormald said while it wasn’t uncommon for people to find butchered remains in a field after a commercial shoot, it was “baffling” that it was found in a public area.

“I suspect it was a result of illegal shooting as presumably if they had permits and permission to shoot from the landholder they would have disposed of remains on the property where the animals were killed.”

The Conservation Regulator received the report and is investigating the issue.

“All wildlife is protected in Victoria under the Wildlife Act 1975. It is illegal to hunt, take, destroy, injure, or interfere with wildlife without authorisation,” a conservation regulator spokesperson said.

Kangaroos are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975 and it’s illegal to harm them except when approved by an Authority to Control Wildlife, or as part of the Kangaroo Harvesting Program (KHP).

The Victorian Government’s KHP enables the authorisation of commercial kangaroo harvesting in Victoria in order to manage population numbers and provide economic benefits.

IN BRIEF

Seven corellas released after mass poisoning

After a week under the care of the veterinary teams at Healesville Sanctuary’s Australian Wildlife Health Centre, seven little corellas from Springvale have been returned to the wild by a wildlife carer on Monday 21 July.

Eight little corellas were handed over to the Australian Wildlife Health Centre after they were found between 12 and 14 July, along with hundreds of poisoned wild birds.

Unfortunately, one of them did not survive.

The other seven were back to the wild in stable condition after being looked after by the local vet teams.

McKenzie King Drive Playspace open

The children of Millgrove have another park to explore with the opening of the new McKenzie King Playspace.

The Yarra Ranges Council announced the opening on 24 July, and the new park was supported by the Growing Suburbs Fund as part of the council’s 10-year Playspace Plan.

The plan ensures every playspace in the Yarra Ranges receives the attention it deserves.

This inclusive space features accessible play equipment, a new picnic area, and improved pathways for all to enjoy.

Free English lessons

Your Library offers free English conversation sessions for people who speak English as their second language.

Join Conversation Circle to practice your English speaking and listening skills in a relaxed and safe environment with other adults.

People from all cultures are warmly welcomed.

Find a session at a library near you: tinyurl. com/2zb7j5su

Landcare Grants open

Following a successful round in 2024, Bupa and Landcare Australia are proud to announce the return of the Healthy Cities Landcare Grants Program in 2025, offering funding to support community groups and organisations across Australia to plant native plants in urban and peri-urban communities.

Friends of Kalorama Park was one of the 41 recipients in 2024 to assist the recovery of Kalorama Park and local residents after significant natural disaster.

The Yarra Ranges is included within the program, despite the council having requested to be exempt from the program.

Only professional harvesters are allowed to manage kangaroo populations and they must process carcasses and not leave them on properties.

Ms Wormald was concerned that programs such as the KHP could possibly be contributing towards entrenched attitudes of disregard toward kangaroos.

This entrenched attitude is reflected in the disturbing actions of individuals who view kangaroos merely as target practice.

The Game Management Authority also states on its website that all deer carcasses must be disposed of thoughtfully and should never be left at a campsite, in or near a waterway, on, or near, a track, road or someone’s dwelling.

Grants are available ranging from $5000 to a maximum of $25,000 and are open to a wide range of community groups and organisations, including landcare groups, networks and other community-led environmental groups, local government, natural resource management organisations, not for profits, Traditional Owners and First Nations organisations and state and territory landcare organisations.

For more information about the Healthy Cities Landcare Grants go to: landcareaustralia.org.au/ grant/2025-healthy-cities-landcare-grants/ Applications close Friday 22 August.

The remains were found off Haggards Lane, Woori Yallock. (Supplied)

It included kangaroo and deer legs. (Supplied)

By Oliver Winn

Homeless crisis worsening

By Callum Ludwig

Homelessness support services are crying out for more support and reform ahead of Homelessness Week, starting Monday 4 August.

Analysis from Homelessness Australia has highlighted a rise in women and children experiencing homelessness, Everybody’s Home has shone a light on drastically increasing rental pressures and the Council to Homeless Persons is continually concerned by a lack of social and affordable housing in Victoria.

These pressures and concerns are being felt on a local level too by local homelessness support services Anchor, Holy Fools and Stable One.

Anchor chief executive officer Heidi Tucker said the statistics and experiences raised by homelessness peak bodies provide a stark reminder that far more urgency and funding are required to address this national emergency.

“Despite an ambitious and considered housing strategy, the Albanese Government’s efforts are still being outpaced by the severity and scale of the homelessness crisis, rental affordability and accessibility are beyond the reach of most Australians and social housing stock is minimal with unmanageable waitlists in Victoria,” she said.

“What is troubling is the number of families seeking support where there are two full-time working parents, who are still falling into experiences of homelessness,”

“In the Yarra Ranges, there are very few emergency accommodation options because rental affordability and availability have gotten so challenging. It’s driving more people to seek help, while at the same time, organisations like ours have less ability to connect them with options for stable accommodation.

Homelessness Australia’s recent snapshot analysis found that the number of women and children experiencing homelessness in Australia has risen 20 per cent (from 24,517 to 29,449) between May 2022 and March 2025, with those at risk of homelessness up by eight per cent. 45 per cent have also experienced domestic and family violence.

Stable One chief executive Katherine Kirkwood said they are so saddened by the recent statistics released, and through walking alongside their guests at the Yarra Valley Winter Shelter, are acutely aware of the difficulties faced by those without stable accommodation.

“The lack of social and affordable housing leaves people with no safe options- whether it be returning to a violent home, sleeping in a car, or living in a tent,” she said.

“We would love to see bold, intentional action from all levels of government to increase the supply of affordable housing, invest in wraparound support services, and prioritise longterm, person-centred solutions that restore dignity and hope,”

“We are certainly hearing stories from our guests that reflect growing need in our region, our partners at Anchor - who manage all guest assessments - are well-placed to see these trends more clearly, and they’ve noted increasing complexity and pressure across the homelessness sector locally.”

Everybody’s Home’s Out of Reach report highlighted that rents for houses and units have risen a combined 56.8 per cent nationally over the last 10 years, including 33.5 per cent in the last three years and 2.5 per cent in the last year.

Ms Tucker said the Yarra Ranges urgently requires more social housing options, particularly for young people.

“With over 45,000 children in the Victorian care system and more than 28,000 young Australians

experiencing homelessness on any given night, this is a national crisis that we believe doesn’t get the attention it demands,” she said.

“The difference for the Eastern region is that it is not a growth corridor, so we are not seeing a similar level of new social and affordable housing builds being allocated to this region. A lot of the planned social housing builds in the outer-east only come out as far as Box Hill,”

“We are advocating for long term housing and homelessness policies that shift away from crisis response into prevention and early intervention – like Housing First programs, it is much more expensive to work in the crisis space than prevention and early intervention.”

One positive piece of news in the sector was recently confirmed by the Council to Homeless Persons, with 18 homelessness programs renewed in the State Government’s May budget set to be fully indeed to keep up with inflation and wage increases.

Ms Kirkwood said building projects take time, so one of the most urgent actions needed is for governments to cut through the red tape that currently makes it difficult to provide simple, safe housing options - particularly tiny homes, caravans, and other movable dwellings.

“There also needs to be greater flexibility and clearer provisions for homeowners who have a bungalow or granny flat and are willing to informally house someone experiencing or at risk of homelessness,” she said.

“At present, the legal and regulatory barriers can discourage people from stepping in to help, even when they have the space and the heart to do so,”

“Stable One is currently working on developing a new initiative that seeks to support homeowners willing to offer their accommodation spaces to individuals or families experiencing or at risk of homelessness, in our recent experience, many people are open to sharing their accommodation but are unsure how to do so.”

Anyone interested in Stable One’s proposal can express their interest by contacting info@ stableone.org. If the project gets off the ground, Stable One will aim to properly equip property owners with the tools and support to offer accommodation to people experiencing housing insecurity.

Holy Fools founder Neal Taylor said he’s very concerned that the situation is getting drastic here in Australia.

“We seem to have a lot of words about it from not only the government but also the sector and no one seems to want to admit that we’re struggling and we need to do better,” he said.

“We’re seeing people who are on the verge of homelessness because of rental stress and also food stress, asking do they pay rent or do they buy food, we’ve referred a lot of people to Anchor for help because they’re in danger of being evicted,”

“I would encourage if anyone is wanting to do something, if they don’t want to get involved lo-

cally, there is always the campaigns that Homelessness Victoria and Homelessness Australia are running about advocating the government for changes… or they could make donations because we’re always struggling to keep this place going, but the need for our place is phenomenal.”

Some upcoming events for Homelessness Week include:

The Homeward Bound Walk held by the Eastern Homelessness Network on Tuesday 5 August at Ringwood Lake from 10am-12pm.

A fundraising barbecue at Holy Fool’s Felix House, 19 Hutchinson Street in Lilydale on Monday 4 August with more details to be confirmed. Mr Taylor said he thinks addressing the issue is a community effort, not just an effort from the government or agencies.

“It affects everyone from the fact that it costs the government, it costs the society, it’s a health issue and we need to be doing something more about it than we are,” he said.

“Short-term there needs to be a freeze on rent increases,particularly since we’re supposed to be in an economic crisis, because it just seems unfair that people who are struggling already and then suddenly they get their rent increased, it just seems ludicrous,”

“In the next 10 to 20 years, we need some more of the Big Build out this way, considering that the Yarra Ranges has no crisis accommodation or even short or long-term affordable accommodation, it just makes sense that we need something out here.”

Data shows suicidal thoughts linked to bullying in kids

By Callum Ludwig

Concerning data released by yourtown, the operator of Kids Helpline, has highlighted an increase in young Australians who express that they are victims of bullying are also experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Released as part of the Kids Helpline Impact Report 2024, the rise is most prevalent among children of late primary-school to early secondary-school age.

yourtown Virtual Service Manager Tony FitzGerald, who manages Kids Helpline, said over 3500 Kids Helpline counselling sessions were directly related to bullying, a figure on its own has been relatively steady over a period of time.

“What has stood out for us is that we’ve noticed that one in seven contacts of kids aged 10 to 14 who sought support around that issue also reported current thoughts of suicide and those figures have increased,” he said.

“When we go back and have a look at the last five years and even the last 10 years, those figures have gone from one in 20 10 years ago to about one in seven now, so the prevalence of young people reaching out for support around bullying has remained relatively constant over the years but the severity and impact of this issue has become more and more acute clearly,

“It’s starting to impact children who are of a younger age as well and that’s a very deep concern for us.”

This figure worsens for 12-year-olds in particular, with as many as one in six kids of that age who contacted Kids Helpline and spoke to counsellors about bullying reporting current thoughts of suicide.

Mr FitzGerald said while the general online

environment for our young people contains many, many positives, there are also harms online that are starting to increase and starting to exacerbate that impact of bullying on our young people.

“The way bullying occurs in the lives of our children and young people has evolved over the years, a long time ago it only occurred in the schoolyard and then we saw the advent of mobile phones and social media and we started to see the spread of that online,” he said.

“But what we’re now starting to see is the further prevalence of tools and online AI being used to further weaponise bullying in a way that is quite insidious, such as using AI to generate deepfakes, and using those tools has only made this issue evolve even further,”

“We can’t stand still in this space, we all have a responsibility, whether it’s services like Kids Helpline, whether it’s our education sector, or even whether it’s parents and carers of young people and young people themselves, we’ve got to stay on top of some of the advances in technology that are being used in a harmful way, just as we would stay on top of general harms for our young people in the broader community.”

A further 208,000 people also accessed bullying support content through the Kids Helpline website.

headspace operates mental health centres for young people across Australia, including two centres in Lilydale and Knox for young people in the Outer East and a spokesperson for headspace Lilydale and Knox said according to headspace’s national figures, rates for cyberbullying have been increasing since 2015.

“Bullying is a common concern for young people and it can take many different forms, people

Kids Helpline has identified a worrying trend where children reporting bullying are increasingly experiencing suicidal thoughts. (Phil Williams: 469833)

can experience a range of emotions; anger, stress, anxiety and a sense of isolation and it can impact on how you work and study, and on your friendships,” they said.

“There are different things that people can do, depending on the circumstances; we’d encourage anyone experiencing support to reach out to a trusted adult for support and to talk through their options,”

“Or, reach out to a school counsellor or your closest Headspace Centre.”

If young people want to talk to someone, they can call Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800, 24 hours a day, seven days a week or use WebChat or email services at kidshelpline.com.au

“Early intervention is key and when we talk about early intervention we’re also talking about teaching our young people, our children, what a respectful relationship and what respectful behaviour looks like so that we’re trying to break that cycle of bullying and that also means role modelling that behaviour as adults as well,”

“It’s important that if a young person or a child has experienced bullying that we try and get them to the support that they need early before it escalates to a long-standing and highly impactful event on their mental health because we know that the impacts of bullying can be long-lasting and in some cases life-lasting.”

Mr FitzGerald said it’s important that young people understand that if they are being bullied that they’re not alone, there are options for them and they should look to speak to a trusted adult or service.

A rough sleeper’s campsite set up near a township. (Supplied)

28 objections are overruled

By Dongyun Kwon

Yarra Ranges councillors approved a planning application in Healesville despite the 28 objections being submitted.

The proposal is for buildings and works to construct a two-storey dwelling at the rear of the existing dwelling on the land, construct a new carport for the existing dwelling, a two-lot subdivision and removal of vegetation at 7 Ryrie Street, Healesville.

The proposed dwelling is a three-bedroom with two car parking spaces to be provided.

However, the application received 28 objection submissions, raising concerns related to over-development, loss of amenity, tree removal, height and scale, overlooking, possible short-term accommodation use, parking and traffic and inaccuracies on the development plans.

Ryrie Ward councillor Fiona McAllister moved a motion to resolve for approval.

“I have considered the material provided to us by our planning team. It’s in compliance with the planning scheme. (I) also read through all of the objectives and the applicant’s proposal, and I am willing to support the recommendation that the council resolve to approve the planning application,” she said.

Cr McAllister started by explaining how hard it is to make decisions for the planning permit application as a councillor.

“These are the, perhaps the most difficult decisions for us to make, not simply because of the complexity, but because our role and responsibility under the Local Government Act is quite specific and quite limited, as always a reminder that our responsibility is to determine whether applications comply with the planning scheme or not,” she said.

“While it may, especially given I’m moving to support approval, feel (objections are) not

being heard. I would like to say that the objections that we hear do influence our decisions around updates and advocacy for changes, both to the Yarra Ranges planning provisions and Victorian planning provisions.”

The application has undergone multiple design amendments with subsequent multiple public notification processes.

Overall, the proposed development achieved an acceptable response to the relevant planning policies, including the Planning Policy Framework, Zone, Overlays and provisions of the Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme.

Cr McAllister continued, explaining why she was supporting approval of the planning application.

“The tree removal, most of the trees that will be removed actually don’t require a permit, and it is a large tree fern that requires the permit, which actually will be relocated on the site. So the vegetation removal is minimal,” she said.

“There have been amended plans, changes to design, amendments to accuracy of the plans and a range of things seeking to resolve some of the concerns raised by objectives, and certainly, as we see before us tonight, our planners are confident that what is proposed actually is compliant with the planning scheme and local planning provisions.

“Neighbourhood character has been raised, and we’ve been provided with precedent that’s been set in terms of decisions that Yarra Ranges Council have made in the past, and unfortunately, restricting neighbourhood character is not about no change. It is about alignment, in terms of building style, and existing patterns in the neighbourhood.”

Cr McAllister also spoke about the other issues raised by objectors.

“The visibility, the line of the roof of the proposed dwelling is actually lower than the roof line of the current property on at 7 Ryrie Street,

and the scale has been raised as an issue, but in fact, site coverage is actually only 24 per cent, in garden area 52 per cent, which are substantially less than would be allowed on that property if maximum site coverage and minimum garden area were part of the design,” she said.

“Other issues that have been raised, there are many that are around the use with Chaplet House, the front property, or the front dwelling actually being used as an Airbnb, and concerns about amenity impact and impact on neighbouring residents if this second dwelling were to be used for Airbnb. But as we all well know, unfortunately, that is not a consideration. Use is not a consideration under the planning scheme.

“And as a council, we’ve had many conversations about Airbnb, controls and protections in our community that sit outside our planning decisions, but rest assured to our community and certainly to my fellow councillors that there is high consideration and focus on the right balance in our communities around short term accommodation and long term residence needs, however, that is not a decision or not an aspect of our decision making in terms of this planning application.”

None of the speakers from either side attended the meeting.

The motion to approve the planning application was carried unanimously.

Heritage ‘mockery’ claim as White Dog decays further

By Mikayla van Loon

A renewed push to protect Lilydale’s “cornerstone of the community” from further disrepair and dilapidation has been touted again due to increasing safety fears.

Concerns for Lilydale’s famed White Dog Hotel, also known as Duke’s Saloon and formerly Lilydale Hotel, have reverberated through the community for more than a decade.

The current crumbling state of the building’s front verandah has reignited calls for Yarra Ranges Council to enact make-safe works to ensure the structural integrity of the heritage-listed facade.

Friends of The White Dog Facebook group founder Rob Hall made a submission at the 22 July council meeting requesting action to fix the facade or fine the owner for neglect.

“The White Dog is 160 years old and needs our help. So far, the heritage overlay protection isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on and continues to make a mockery of our local heritage laws,” he said.

The original iteration of the White Dog was built in 1862, expanding from a single storey to double after several years, and then requiring refurbishment following a fire in 1902.

For 70 years, the Connelly-Bramich family owned and operated the hotel, where it affectionately received its name, the White Dog, because of a burly bull mastiff brought in to guard its owner, Joanna Connelly, during the height of the Silvan Dam construction in the 1920s.

Questioning the council on its ability to double the fines for damage to heritage properties and whether fines in general have been enforced, Mr Hall’s returned response from Amanda Kern stated that “council officers cannot discuss or disclose individual cases and actions that have been taken”.

“I ask, would any other buildings in the Main Street Lilydale be allowed to let fall into such disrepair without repercussions. If not, then why not?” Mr Hall said.

“It’s because the White Dog’s doors are currently closed, but the owner gets a reprieve.”

Examples like Bell’s Plumbing in South Australia, which “was gutted by suspicious fire,” resulted in the “landmark case against the owner who was charged and found guilty of neglecting a heritage-listed building,” and the Corkman Pub in Carlton, which was illegally demolished in 2016, seeing the developers fined over $1 million,

jailed for a month and having to pay legal costs.

“Thankfully, in this case, the White Dog is still standing,” Mr Hall said.

But the state of the heritage facade has been called “a hazard” by two long-time Lilydale residents, who are now in their seventies and eighties and can’t believe the site has been allowed to decay as it has.

“It’s dangerous…It looks like it’s going to fall down,” they said.

“The concrete is breaking apart. The steel is all rusty. And we said to the council, either get it demolished or get the owner to put a barricade around it for safety reasons.

“If it was laying out in the middle of nowhere, even then it should still be looked at but to be in the centre of Lilydale, an eyesore and people walking past it, and no one cares how Lilydale looks?”

Lilydale CFA has long held concerns for the White Dog as well, running crucial pre-fire planning exercises in case of fire, a growing possibility according to captain Warren Davis.

“Kids, they’re treating (the White Dog) now like it’s a haunted house, breaking into it constantly and our concern is that someone’s going to set fire to it,” he told Star Mail in March.

Councillor Tim Heenan said, unfortunately, heritage laws and trusts “in some ways, are a toothless tiger” and “local government…can only do so much”.

“We have had conversations with the owner many times. We’ve tried to engage on many different levels over many different years, and we’ve had to go in there and take care of some of the security arrangements,” he said.

“We continue to be disappointed, though I must confess that I believe our patience is running really thin now because of the current state of the front facade and the fact that Yarra Ranges Council might have to take on board its responsibility for the public health and safety of people walking along that footpath.

“It breaks my heart to know that a building built in 1862 is not sitting there in its former glory, or at least in some part looked after till it gets back to that.”

The council put forward an updated statement of significance for the White Dog Hotel in 2022 as part of a raft of heritage overlay amendments.

Although unable to change current heritage protections, it sought to amend the outdated statement and make suggestions on conservation

measures like the restoration or replacement of original elements of the building.

Approval for the amendment was granted by the planning minister and came into effect on 5 June this year, the date the notice was published in the Victorian Government Gazette.

Local law provides Yarra Ranges Council with two avenues to enforce private owners to act on dilapidated buildings or neglect of buildings, as confirmed in 2022 after a community question.

The first of those being the use of a building emergency order “when there are life, health or safety issues such as structural concerns or where the building is being accessed or occupied by

squatters or rough sleepers.”

Under this, the council can evict the occupants and instruct the owner to complete ‘make safe’ works.

The second option would be to issue a ‘notice of comply’ under the Yarra Ranges Neighbourhood Amenity Local Law 2020, sections 12.6 unsightly land and 12.7 dilapidated buildings. If owners do not comply with the notice given, financial penalties can apply.

“Council officers are actively trying to engage to see whether or not there is the willingness to, at least, have a conversation with regards to the future opportunities to protect the building,” planning and building manager Amanda Kern said.

“We are certainly monitoring it closely with regards to the current state of that facade and we do have the ability, while that facade is showing signs of some decay, to at least make safe that front verandah area, and will pursue it and make those approaches with fairly determined activity to make sure at least that make safe work is completed through our building act responsibilities.”

To read a full history of the White Dog Hotel and understand the push for protection, read Star Mail’s articles here: lilydale.mailcommunity. com.au/news/2021/06/08/see-you-at-the-whitedog/ and here: lilydale.mailcommunity.com. au/news/2021/06/16/whats-to-become-of-thewhite-dog/

7 Ryrie Street, Healesville. (Dongyun Kwon: 492275)

Concerns about the decaying front facade of the beloved White Dog Hotel have been raised. (Stewart Chambers: 491906)

Fred Bramich’s mum and aunt with Duke the white bull mastiff. (Supplied)

Bike Park lives up to the hype

By Oliver Winn

Fifteen years of hard work and dedication came to a head on Saturday 19 July with the first soft opening of the Warburton Bike Park.

Over the opening weekend a total of 1100 excited riders gathered at the Wesburn Park trailhead to try the first 30 kilometres of mainly entry-level trails.

Experienced mountain bike enthusiasts wore exhausted smiles, mothers and fathers relished at the thrill felt by their toddlers in shotgun seats and adaptive mountain bike users were wide eyed with elation after conquering the trails.

Yarra Ranges Council mayor Cr Jim Child said it was a tremendous feat to have finally opened the trails.

“After years of planning and development, we’re thrilled to have opened the first 30km of the Warburton Bike Park network, and to be delivering this incredible asset for our community,” Cr Child said.

Yarra Ranges Mountain Bikers president Andrew Howieson said the opening was an incredibly important moment in his life.

“The genesis of this project dates back to pre2010, so to be there on opening day and to be a part of that was probably one of the highlights of my life to date,” Mr Howieson said.

Parking attendants were on-site at the Wesburn Park trailhead, and trail conditions monitored by team members across the weekend.

The trails, built by contractors World Trail, were praised by riders both experienced and beginner.

Mr Howieson said the green trails were especially exciting despite being an experienced rider himself as they were “progressive, ahead of the curve” trails which incentivised new riders to grow.

In the past, Mr Howieson said green trails were often seen as a “tick the box” exercise and would not have much thought put into them by the trailbuilders.

But these new green trails were designed with care and attention - by including an optional jump or two, it meant beginner riders had the opportunity to tackle harder movements in a safe environment.

“So for beginner riders that want to get into riding and learn and progress, there’s not going to be many places in Australia that will rival Warburton in terms of the volume of green riding that we’ve got.”

Cr Child noted the significant support the council had received from the community and said it couldn’t have done it without them.

“The Upper Yarra Community Enterprisethat’s our local Bendigo community banks at Warburton and Yarra Junction - contributed $300,000 towards this project, so it had this strong community backing, not only in spirit, but also in monetary commitment.”

The Federal Government has also committed

an extra $3 million funding for the full Southern Network of trails set to be completed in 2028.

The Warburton Bike Park is undertaking a staged rollout approach to allow more effective management of operations which is a common approach for new visitor experiences.

Cr Child noted there were concerns surrounding the threat of bushfires and other emergency events with the trails.

“There’s been some concern in the community in regards to the bushfire aspects and running this type of project in the summer months.

“But I have to emphasise that the five million dollars investment that was made at the minister’s request covered all those issues, traffic management, emergency management, everything.”

On 8 May emergency services partook in a large-scale multi-agency training exercise at Wesburn Park to prepare for the inevitable increase in callouts for the Warburton Bike Park.

The exercise replicated a scenario in which emergency services had to respond to a call out on the trails and draw upon their respective skill

sets to perform the rescue.

The Warburton Bike Park has also passed the notoriously strict Environment Effects Statement (EES), an assessment of potential environmental impacts.

Cr Child said the Warburton Bike Park would bring a significant boost to the local economy.

“It’ll be good for the local businesses. I think it

shows that the Wesburn Park can manage these types of events.

“But the other important thing is that going into the future this will open up for other visitation opportunities. So just don’t come to the Upper Yarra to enjoy the mountain bike destination. You can do all those other activities,” Cr Child said.

Unique opportunity to protect threatened fauna on private land

By Oliver Winn

A new initiative will empower Yarra Ranges landowners to protect Victoria’s most vulnerable animals.

The Melbourne Habitat Forever project aims to create 15 new sanctuaries on private land for threatened animals like the powerful owl, southern brown bandicoot, and growling grass frog.

Spearheaded by conservation organisation Trust for Nature, the unique approach to conservation would add to the 1500 plus landholders currently engaged in protecting biodiversity on their properties around Victoria.

Trust for Nature south central area manager said the Yarra Ranges was full of significant ecosystems, habitats and species you couldn’t find anywhere else.

“It’s not just a beautiful area to look at, it also has all these amazing threatened species in communities that aren’t necessarily represented in other places,” Mr Cullen said.

“It’s got species that occur in that area that just don’t occur anywhere else.”

Species of interest include, but are not limited to, the critically endangered Leadbeater possum and helmeted honey eater.

He hoped for more landowners to come forward and show interest in establishing a conservation covenant - an agreement registered with the property’s title that permanently protects sensitive habitats and wildlife on the land.

With its incredibly diverse ecology, it’s not uncommon for properties in the Yarra Ranges to have species and habitats that are globally significant.

It’s one of the reasons why Trust for Nature hoped to enshrine these covenants in property titles, as it meant that when land is sold, the next buyer is aware of obligations to protect and care for the land.

“We have a lot of changing landholders in the Yarra Valley at times with people coming in… they might suddenly be managing some really threatened species and communities mightn’t realize they’re doing damage to it.”

The Melbourne Habitat Forever project is funded by Melbourne Water and its service futures executive general manager Chris Brace said the partnership is a great example of how landholders and community can help secure Melbourne’s environmental future.

“Protecting biodiversity and healthy waterways go hand in hand. By supporting habitat on private land, we’re creating vital links across the landscape for species, ecosystems and future generations,” he said.

Grassy woodlands, wetlands and habitat along waterways are some of the threatened ecosystems that the project will focus on, which are increasingly under pressure from climate change and development.

The helmeted honeyeater only exists as a tiny population in the Yellingbo Nature Conservation

Reserve, while the Leadbeater possum is only found in the mountain ash, alpine ash and snow gum forests in Victoria.

Mr Cullen said the conservation covenants also ensure the protection of species in the future.

“Even if your property doesn’t have the most

significant things, we’re still really keen to talk to you about protecting what’s there, because you might be looking after something that’s going to be not as common in 10, 20 years.” Follow the link to find out more: trustfornature.org.au

All smiles at the Warburton Bike Park. (Supplied)

Planning the ride. (Supplied)

A mountain biker steadies on. (Supplied)

Protecting habitat will improve health of Melbourne’s waterways. (Trust for Nature)

Excellence in Yarra Glenn PS

By Dongyun Kwon

Yarra Glen Primary School has officially announced its skilled, caring, and devoted team of integration aides has been nominated for the Australian Teacher Aide of the Year Awards.

Yarra Glen Primary School’s education support team comprises five members, led by team leader Danielle Joseph.

Despite having different levels of experience in education, the team has the same goal of helping students in their growth.

“We support students in the classroom with not only their education but also their well-being to make sure they can access the learning that the teacher’s giving and make connections with students so that they feel safe, supported and connected,” Ms Joseph said.

“When they feel safe, connected and valued, then they can access their education and flourish.

“The main thing this team does really well is make connections with students and meet them where they’re at.”

Australian Teacher Aide of the Year Awards recognise exceptional teacher aides and teacher aide teams, working in state, Catholic and independent schools across Australia, who are making a positive difference to student learning and wellbeing.

Ms Joseph has worked as an education support for five years.

“I started to become an ES (education support) because I wanted to make sure that every child felt like they were valued, cared for and safe at school,” she said.

Kai Martin has been part of the team for about four years and said he’s enjoyed teaching and

seeing kids grow.

Alli McVicar, who has worked at the school for nearly four years, said she gets her happiness from watching the children’s well-being grow and flourish.

Ms McVicar also said she loves helping the children who struggle to build friendships.

“That gives me good joy,” she said.

“Each day is always a new day. We just keep building on the positives and never giving in till they achieve the growth that’s needed.”

Kay Corless and Belinda Russell are more experienced than the other teammates, as Ms Corless has worked with various schools for 11 years, and Ms Russell has worked with children for about 28 years.

Ms Corless said she still enjoys working with children, and Ms Russell said she has satisfaction from seeing the children’s growth and building connections with them.

Not only does the education support team help teachers in the classroom, but they also run small learning opportunities, such as the Mini Lit literacy program, led by Ms Corless and Ms Russell.

Assistant principal Jessica Amey complimented the Mini Lit program.

“We’re seeing a lot of growth from the students in the Mini Lit program in their reading, spelling and their confidence,” she said.

“Their confidence has increased out of sight.”

The Australian Teacher Aide of the Year State Finalists and Highly Commended nominees will be announced on Thursday 14 August, and the winners will be announced on Thursday 4 September, during Australian Teacher Aide Appreciation Week.

Ms Amey said the ES team deserve the recognition.

“(The nomination) was just to highlight the outstanding work that this team does,” she said.

“They work so well together as a team, but then, within outside of that, they’re working with

a whole range of different teachers. It’s pretty complex work.

“The way that they support the students and the teachers that they work with is outstanding. I know that the teachers would really struggle to do their job without this team.”

Meet Ray, the retiree refurbishing laptops for kids in need

By Oliver Winn

A retired electrical engineer is fighting technology inequality by refurbishing second-hand laptops and donating them to schools in the Yarra Ranges.

Wandin District Senior Citizens Club member Ray Cooper collected, refurbished and restored over a hundred old laptops before donating them to the Upper Yarra Secondary College (UYSC) on 23 July.

The great-grandfather’s efforts resulted in 117 students from low-income families getting access to essential education technology without any costs attached.

“Every child in Victoria in school should have a laptop,” Mr Cooper said.

Many Victorian schools have a bring-yourown-device policy for students.

While it can save on costs for the school, it also has the potential to put some families in a tough spot.

Finder’s Parenting Report 2023 stated 15 per cent of families couldn’t provide a laptop or tablet for their children when they needed it for school.

It means out of 700 of UYSC’s students, there’s possibly 105 without access to their own laptop.

“That’s students who have to go through school either sharing a laptop, but when they leave school and go home, it’s minus a laptop.

“It affects a student’s education because it’s important now for every student to have a laptop,”

Mr Cooper said.

The majority of the laptops from Mr Cooper’s most recent donation came from Pinewood Primary School in Mount Waverly.

The private school’s generosity to give Mr Cooper the old laptops for free is something he wants to become common practice among big tech firms that sell its old computers and laptops to reseller companies.

“These corporations who donate one or two hundred laptops to companies who then refurbish them and sell them back to the school, their intent is to sell them.”

He was critical of these companies and charities still making money off selling the refurbished laptops, which is why he’d taken matters into his own hands.

“They [reseller companies] sell them online. And to sell them online to generate funds for various other charities is meaning that the kids here

do not get laptops.”

Mr Cooper certainly didn’t make a profit himself from donating the laptops - in fact, it’s left him $1200 out of pocket as he had to purchase power supplies and other essential components for some of the laptops.

“I know in

of kids that do it tough,” he told A Current Affair in October 2024.

“When I grew up, I was very poor, didn’t get much choice, so I can relate to them. You have to be there to understand it.”

Yarra Glen Primary School education support team, (L-R) Kay Corless, Alli McVicar, Danielle Joseph, Belinda Russell and Kai Martin. (Dongyun Kwon: 491755)

Melbourne, there’s thousands

Mr Cooper donated a total of 117 laptops. (Oliver Winn: 492376)

Ray Cooper brought a boot-full of laptops to the school. (Oliver Winn: 492376)

History pictured in new mural

By Oliver Winn

A new mural celebrating the strong history of Yarra Junction was unveiled at the Yarra Centre on Friday 11 July.

The mural depicts the town’s fight for a community pool through a haphazard collection of roughly a hundred historic newspaper clippings, carefully crafted photo collages and posters.

Built by Yarra Valley Signs and designed by the Supporters and Workers of the Yarra Centre Multipurpose Complex (SWYM), the mural has been in development since November last year.

SWYM member Rosemary Crowley said the aim for the mural was to teach the Yarra Junction community not only its rich history, but also the power of collective action.

“I wanted the mural to inspire people to work for what they want. If the community wants something, then they should not just sit back, they should get out and do it,” Ms Crowley said.

Yarra Valley Signs owner Brad Charman constructed the mural for SWYM group and said he felt proud to have played a role in the centre’s history.

“It’s been a real honour to be able to be part of that story, and to meet Helen, and Guy, and Rosemary, and the people behind it.

“It’s a good way to say thanks as well,” Mr Charman said.

The Yarra Centre was the culmination of endless community advocacy which all started in 1958 with the construction of the Yarra Junction Community Pool.

The pool would stay open until its closure in 1991 caused an uproar within the community who felt its hard work was being abolished by the Yarra Ranges Council.

But a strong and disciplined group of community members struck a deal with the council which would see a pool built, but only if the Yarra Centre Stadium was built first for other recreational facilities.

The Yarra Junction community raised funds for the stadium in whatever ways possible, which even saw an entire house built on a donated block of land and then sold with the proceeds directly funding the new stadium and pool by extension.

In 1995, the Yarra Stadium was opened and a huge opening ceremony was held - but Ms Crowley said fundraising for the pool itself was where the hard work started.

“Then we had to have the hard work. We had to find more money for the pool,” Ms Crowley said.

“So it’s 10 years of actually fundraising and working and working and striving for it.”

Eventually, the pool was completed in 2005 and the community finally had its beloved pool back.

Now, the Yarra Centre and its pool are a staple of the Yarra Junction township, providing a swathe of recreational and fitness opportunities for the community.

The mural’s approach to history is unique as there’s no sense of order among the articles - one could go from reading an article from 1958, to the opening in 1995, and back to the pool’s closure in 1991.

The scattered design is intentional though, as it meant people could discover a new story upon every visit of the mural.

“People can see a new part of the story each time they go there, because otherwise if it were just a picture and a story they would read it and probably not read it again,” Mr Charman said.

“It’s a little chaotic and I like that. It’s not dull, it’s creative, you know, it’s an art piece.”

But in a way, the “chaotic” display also reflected the SWYM committee’s struggle in getting the Yarra Centre pool built.

“I thought it really throws you into the experience of what they had to go through to get a whole lot of people to get this thing built,” Mr Charman said.

“The mural is not clean, and I don’t think the journey to getting it built was as well.”

Introducing local radio presenter, ‘Robberty Bob’ Burgess

By Dongyun Kwon

Reflecting on this Yarra Valley community member, people will come up with many different titles: award-winning bush poet, Vietnam War veteran, stroke survivor, and radio presenter.

Yes, he is Rob ‘Robberty Bob’ Burgess, who hosts three different radio programs at Yarra Valley FM.

Mr Burgess runs Steam Radio from 1pm to 4pm on Tuesdays, Edge of Country between 1pm and 4pm on Thursdays and Country Gospel from 9am to 10am on Sundays.

“Steam Radio is old school, old-fashioned and gives me a chance to be a bit opinionated and talk about social issues and stuff,” he said.

“On Thursday afternoon, (I play) music for country music fans, and on Sunday morning, (I play) Gospel music.”

Mr Burgess has been on the radio for more than five decades.

His radio journey began in 1968 when his girlfriend at the time, who worked at the 4BH radio station in Brisbane, suggested it.

“In 1968, I got a job as a radio announcer at 4NA Nambour, which was the commercial radio station for Sunshine Coast in Queensland. It was a night-time gig,” the radio presenter said.

“(My girlfriend) organised for her boss to spend an hour with me at 4BH in Brisbane, and he spent an hour with me, recording two 30-second scripts, and one week later, the manager of 4NA Nambour rang up and said, ‘We’ve got a position for a night-time radio announcer.’

“I went from there and after two years at Nambour, I got a job in 4CA Cairns, doing the morning sessions … The job lasted 15 years.”

The experienced radio presenter continued his passion at the local radio station in 2009 after he moved to the Yarra Valley.

“I started off with Tuesdays and Thursdays, which were both Steam Radio, but when we lost our syndicated country music program, we decided that we could turn the Thursday one to (The Edge of Country).”

Before he kicked off his radio journey, Mr Burgess was a Vietnam War veteran, serving in the Australian Army as a medic.

“I was doing what I thought was a pretty important job because I was working a portable X-ray machine in a base hospital,” the Vietnam War veteran said.

He had a stroke in 2004 at the age of 59 and said he’d like to encourage people suffering from a stroke to know that they can survive.

“Strokes have a long-term effect, and the longterm effect for me was emotional fragility,” Mr Burgess said.

“I just want to encourage stroke people that they can survive as long as they work hard at the rehab stuff.”

You can listen to Mr Burgess’ radio programs at yarravalleyfm.org.au/listen.html or 99.1 on your FM dial.

Rob ‘Robberty Bob’ Burgess. (Stewart Chambers: 491584)

R-L: Yarra Valley Signs owner Brad Charman, SWYM members Rosemary Crowley, Helen and Guy Nilsson. (Supplied)

An assortment of old articles, photos and posters was used to create the mural. (Oliver Winn: 491935)

The mural showcases the ups and downs of the Yarra Centre’s history. (Oliver Winn: 491935)

Partnership for local youth

By Dongyun Kwon

The partnership between two local boxing clubs not only provides free sport opportunities but also a space to learn about First Nations culture for children.

Coldstream Boxing Club (CBC) and Healesville-based Warrior Christopher Hume Boxing (WCBH) celebrated NAIDOC Week together on Saturday 19 July despite the week officially taking place between 6 and 13 July.

The cultural ceremony, including a smoking ceremony and a welcome to country, was led by WCHB coach Chris Hume, an Aboriginal elder who is the senior cultural educator for Wurundjeri Woiwurrung at University of Melbourne.

“The smoking ceremony was to bring the two gyms together and to celebrate that coming together so that you get more opportunities for the kids in the eastern metropolitan region,” Hume said.

“We’re bringing the kids together to bridge the gap between Aboriginal kids and non-Indigenous kids to bring everyone on the same level together and to close that gap in health and well-being as well.”

Hume, the 2023 Victorian Masters Boxing Champion, has offered free boxing classes to children and youth under the age of 18 in Healesville since 2022.

“That’s basically to give the kids something to do while they’re around town and take them away from the influence of belonging to the cultures of society like spray painting, drugs, alcohol and all that sort of stuff,” Hume said.

CBC coach Hayden Wright, who won the Victorian Heavyweight Championship last year, has also donated his boxing talent to the local children for free in Coldstream since March 2024.

After the cultural ceremony, the two gyms had a training session and sausage sizzles.

The collaboration between two gyms started about a month ago when Hume contacted Wright after seeing CBC’s great works for the children.

“We’ve been working together for the last month to bring the youth of the eastern metropolitan region together for health, fitness and

“We met a lot of new people and kids, and talked about what we’re about, what we aim to do in the future, and how we can benefit the youth as free boxing gyms,” Wright said.

A

cultural engagement,” Hume said. They have delivered free training sessions together ever since and finally had a special event for cultural engagement.

“Chris also provides free boxing classes to the youth in the community. We set some times where we could do a training session together to see if we had the same goals and the same beliefs,” Wright said.

“We had a number of training sessions together, then we started to think about the future, what we’d like to do for the Yarra Valley, what is good for the kids and what we believe in.

“And a lot of those goals were very similar, so we proposed the idea.”

Both gyms are looking forward to providing more opportunities for the younger generations in the region through the partnership.

better retirement lifestyle from $590k

Be part of a vibrant Community and enjoy the Facilities

CBC and WCBH celebrated NAIDOC Week together a week later on Saturday 19 July. (Supplied)

Learning to care for free

By Dongyun Kwon

Yarra Valley community members will have access to accredited high-quality education opportunities for two certificates.

Healesville Living and Learning Centre (HLLC) will introduce two free courses for community members thanks to the partnership with Pines Learning.

Pines Learning will offer two free Certificate III courses in Early Childhood Education and Care, and in Individual Support (Ageing and Disability) for the Yarra Valley community members.

Pines Learning chief executive officer Sally Brennan said Pines Learning is a communitybased not-for-profit adult education centre in Doncaster East.

“The Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care is the minimum qualification that you need to be able to work in childcare. You cannot work in early learning or an early learning centre without a qualification,” she said.

“We all know the challenges that early learning and childcare are facing at the moment, and Pines Learning is extremely aware of these, so our learners, our students are very well trained in this field. They know what’s appropriate behaviour and what isn’t.

“The second course that we’re offering is the Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing and Disability), and this is a course that will enable you to work in aged care or in disability as a support worker. In some parts of the aged industry, it’s not required. You can get work as a cleaner or a kitchen hand or anything like that, but you can’t work with residents directly without this qualification.

“And the same with the disability, there are certain areas of the disability sector where you don’t need a qualification, but we strongly believe that training is important so that you are able to provide those clients with a quality service. We’re hoping that people will come back to us at the end of this and think about doing the diploma.)

The two courses will be delivered through online classes two days a week and a face-to-face class monthly.

HLLC centre manager Robyn Coslovich said HLCC will support learners to successfully complete the courses.

“We’re basically a support service offering

literacy, numeracy assistance to people that are currently studying an accredited program,” she said.

“We’re there for people, who are not confident with their literacy, numeracy skills and feel that they might not be able to finish the program because of their skills, to assist them to make sure that they can complete their assignments so that they can successfully complete the whole program.”

The idea of delivering two courses for the Yarra Valley community came up after the representatives of the two organisations met each other at

a conference.

Ms Brennan has lived most of her life in Gladysdale and said she is well aware of the demand for accessible high-quality education from Yarra Valley community members.

“I see Healesville and surrounding areas as my home patch. I’ve worked in this area,” she said.

“I spent a very long time working at the Upper Yarra Community House, which is now Cire Services. I also spent some years at Swinburne, so I know how difficult it is for people in those areas to access quality training that’s not far from home.

“Plus, I look in the local paper, and I don’t see

Healesville twilight trading event

By Dongyun Kwon

Healesville main street was crowded with hundreds of people who enjoyed the multiple offerings from the local shops.

Nocturne: Healesville After Dark marked another huge success on Friday 25 July.

Check out photos of the event taken by Star Mail journalist Dongyun Kwon.

anyone offering training in these areas. I can’t see that there’s any accreditation training being delivered to support people who want these workplace skills to get into these jobs.”

The info sessions for the two courses were held respectively via Zoom on Thursday 24 July for the early childhood education and care course, and on Monday 28 July for the individual support course.

To find out more, please visit Pines Learning’s website at pineslearning.com.au/all-courses or contact Pines Learning via phone on 9842 6726 or via email at info@pineslearning.com.au

Keeping Yarra Valley moving

For more than three decades, Fast Freddies Tyre Service has been serving the Yarra Valley from their Healesville base, providing comprehensive tyre and mechanical solutions to locals from Yarra Glen to Coldstream and beyond.

What sets Fast Freddies apart in the competitive automotive service sector is their mobile field service capability. Understanding that downtime costs money, particularly for local tradies and farmers, the business operates mobile response vehicles that bring services directly to customers’ worksites. This approach has proven invaluable for agricultural operators and contractors who can’t afford to have equipment sitting idle.

With 30-plus years experience in the industry, Fast Freddies has evolved to meet the changing needs of their community. Their purpose-built facility in Healesville features drivein, drive-out service designed specifically to accommodate large vehicles. Even B-Doubles can access the workshop, making it a go-to destination for commercial operators throughout the region.

The business specialises in both passenger and commercial vehicle requirements, with particular expertise in 4WD and light truck applications. Their comprehensive tyre services cover everything from standard passenger vehicles to earthmoving equipment, tractors, and industrial machinery. When stock isn’t immediately available, their supplier network typically ensures next-day delivery, minimising delays for customers.

Fast Freddies’ investment in the latest equipment demonstrates their commitment to quality service. Their facilities include computer-controlled wheel balancing systems and specialised tyre fitting machines designed to protect expensive alloy rims during installation. The workshop can handle wheels both on and off vehicles, providing flexibility for different repair scenarios.

Beyond tyres, Fast Freddies offers full me-

chanical services including vehicle servicing, brake repairs, suspension work, and front-end alignments. This comprehensive approach means local motorists and fleet operators can address multiple maintenance needs in one visit, saving both time and money.

The team’s highly experienced mechanics work across both passenger cars and four-wheel drives, understanding the unique demands placed on vehicles in the Yarra Valley’s diverse terrain. From daily commuters navigating suburban streets to 4WDs tackling mountain tracks, they provide appropriate solutions for each application.

For local businesses, Fast Freddies represents more than just another service provider. Their focus on minimising downtime through efficient service delivery and mobile response capability directly impacts the bottom line of area enterprises. Whether it’s a tradie’s van requiring urgent tyre replacement or a farmer’s tractor needing suspension work during harvestseason,FastFreddies’responsiveapproach keeps local operations running smoothly.

This combination of experience, equipment, and customer-focused service has established Fast Freddies as an integral part of the Yarra Valley’s automotive service landscape, supporting both individual motorists and the broader local business community.

Fast Freddies specialises in both passenger and commercial vehicles. (Supplied)

Fast Freddies has serviced the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges for over three decades. (Supplied)

Korean War vets honoured

By Dongyun Kwon

Mt Evelyn RSL once again brought to light the Australian heroes who sacrificed their youth for world peace.

At 11am on the Korean War Veterans Day, 27 July, the local RSL sub-branch held a short wreath laying service, commemorating the Australian soldiers who flew over to the Korean Peninsula to fight against the dictatorship attacking South Korea.

Mt Evelyn RSL conducts many services that other RSL sub-branches don’t normally host, including Korean War Veterans Day Service and National Servicemen’s Day Service.

President Matthew Crymble said commemoration is one of the core responsibilities of the RSL.

“Today’s service is about commemorating all those Australian men and women who served in the Korean War,” he said.

“A core duty of the RSL is to commemorate all those that have preceded us in Australia’s defence, especially those that paid the ultimate sacrifice.

“Mt Evelyn RSL last year conducted 13 such services. No matter where Australia has fought or served in operations, we will remember them. Lest we forget.”

The Korean War broke out when North Korea invaded South Korea on 25 June 1950.

Within a few days, South Korea lost its capital, Seoul.

With hope looking to disappear for South Korea, soldiers from all around the world flew to support South Korea as the United Nations Security Council declared North Korea the aggressor and set up the United Nations Command.

Australia was one of 21 members of the United Nations to send military forces to help South Korea.

Fighting formally ended on 27 July 1953 when

an armistice was signed by officials from the United States, North Korea and China.

Of almost 18,000 Australian Navy, Army and Air Force personnel who served in Korea, 340 lost their lives, over 1216 were wounded, and 29 became prisoners of war.

More than 150 Australian nursing sisters served both in Korea and Japan during the war.

They treated the wounded and sick in hospitals, aboard hospital trains and on aeromedical evacuation flights.

Mr Crymble said sadly, Mt Evelyn RSL’s last Korean War veteran passed away in 2023 at the age of 92.

“Frank Cannon served with the Royal Australian Navy and saw active service in the Korean War on HMAS Anzac,” he said.

“Frank was a gunnery sailor and once shared with me stories of shelling enemy positions in the war.”

A South Korean who attended the service said South Koreans really appreciate the sacrifice of soldiers from all around the world to protect their country.

“Thank you, Mt Evelyn RSL, Matt and everyone, for organising this special service. It means a lot to all Koreans, including myself,” the South Korean said.

“In school, we learnt about the history of the Korean War as well as the support from other countries to protect us from the North Korean dictator.

“Without all those veterans who sacrificed their time and life to come over to fight for peace in a country that they’d never heard of, I would never have been able to get opportunities to study abroad, come to Australia, make new friends and learn many things.

“Thinking of your sacrifice, I cannot complain about any small stuff, but I just am grateful for everything that I’ve got. I really would like to say thank you to all those veterans and their families.”

Mt Evelyn RSL conducted the Korean War Veterans Day Service on Sunday 27 July, (L-R) Tom Steele, Iain Townsley, Matthew Crymble. (Dongyun Kwon: 492426)

Mr Crymble read an introduction to the conflict, Mr Townsley laid the wreath and recited the Ode of Remembrance. (Dongyun Kwon: 492426)

Bugler Tom Steele played The Last Post. (Dongyun Kwon: 492426)

Mr Crymble spoke of Australian soldiers’ involvement in the Korean War. (Dongyun Kwon: 492426)

Two wreaths were laid, one by Mt Evelyn RSL and the other by a South Korean attendee. (Dongyun Kwon: 492426)

A South Korean attendee laid the wreath. (Joy Phillips)

Who was David Mitchell?

By Joy Gothe

Have you ever noticed the gold letters on the gates at Melba Park?

Right in the centre — a D and an M.

Most people walk by without giving them a second thought, but those letters have a story behind them that shaped not just Lilydale, but parts of Melbourne as well.

The gates were put erected by Dame Nellie Melba in 1928.

But this isn’t her story.

This is about the man she built those gates in honour of, her father, David Mitchell.

David didn’t start out with much.

But he had big ideas and the drive to make

CARTOON

things happen.

He moved to Lilydale and quickly became involved in local life.

By 1875, he was on the Shire Council, and a few years later, he was elected Shire President.

While serving on council, David heard mention of land with limestone at Cave Hill.

He bought the property, not just to build, but to supply the materials for building.

In 1878, he opened the Marble and Limestone Quarries at Cave Hill and on the farm started a dairy, made cheese, butter, and milk, ran a piggery, and even sold Cave Hill brand soap.

His stone and lime went into some of Melbourne’s iconic buildings, including Scots

Book review of I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang

I Am Not Jessica Chen is the fifth book by Ann Liang, a bestselling and critically acclaimed Australian fiction author for both adults and young adults.

A fierce, passionate read PASSION FOR PROSE

It is a prime example that highlights the author’s strengths in (a) knowing who her readers are and what they want, and (b) writing stories that make them feel “seen”.

The novel follows 17-year-old Jenna Chen, whose application to every Ivy League university is rejected, much to her own and her family’s disappointment. In contrast, her cousin Jessica Chen is infinitely smarter and much more sophisticated and successful, a perfect student that is every top-ranking university’s dream recruit, especially Harvard. Jenna loves her cousin, but she cannot help feeling inferior, envious and jealous whenever praises for Jessica’s brilliance and multiple achievements feel like reminders of her own mediocrity.

Bitter and desperately needing a breakthrough, Jenna wishes she could become Jessica – only for that wish to come true overnight.

This“bodyswap”tropeseesJennatentatively experimenting and then fully embracing Jessica’s life. However, she soon realises being the top student in a highly-competitive academic institution is not quite what she imagined: “You have to prove yourself over and over, and when the glory for your most recent achievement expires, as it must, as it always will, you have to start again, but with more eyes trained on you, more people waiting for the day when your talent withers, and your discipline weakens, and your charm wears away.”

“Success is only meant to be rented out, borrowed in small doses at a time, never to be owned completely, no matter what price you’re willing to pay for it.”

Further complicating Jenna’s situation is her shocking discovery that people around her

WITH CHRISTINE SUN

– including her parents and especially her love interest Aaron – are slowly but surely forgetting who Jenna Chen is.

In a clever twist from Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), Jenna finds her self-portrait increasingly erased, “as if painted over with dark acrylic... It’s a self-portrait of a stranger, someone unrecognisable, someone who might not even exist anymore”.

What makes this story outstanding is its indepth investigation of a young person’s raw but fierce ambition for power, fame and glory.

Set against a deliberately universal background, Jenna’s frustration and despair at her own seemingly lack of talents is felt by anyone and everyone who has ever wished they could be someone else. Relentlessly and ruthlessly, the story explores what success means and what sacrifices one is willing to make to achieve it. More importantly, it examines the nature and significance of jealousy and its profound impact on young people’s perception of themselves and others.

Combining these and interlacing them with a desperate yearning for love – another universal theme – the author presents an intense and urgent sense of morality concerning right vs wrong, consideration vs indifference, selfishness vs selflessness, and desire vs self-preservation.

Highly recommended.

Church, the Law Courts and the Menzies Hotel, the Presbyterian Ladies College in East Melbourne, even St Patrick’s Church right here in Lilydale.

His grandest accomplishment was the construction of the Royal Exhibition Building, which became the first Australian building to be awarded UNESCO World Heritage status.

His other business interests included a property on Steel’s Flats outside of Lilydale, St Hubert’s Winery and farm and a sugar plantation in Queensland.

He worked hard, hired the right people, and never cut corners, he built an Empire.

By 1856, he was one of the colony’s top contractors, actively supporting the Eight Hours

Movement, a pretty radical idea back then: eight hours work, eight hours recreation, and eight hours sleep.

David Mitchell died in 1916, but his mark is still here. In his buildings and right there on the gates of Melba Park.

So next time you walk through those gates, take a second to look at those golden letters — D.M. They don’t just mark an entrance. They mark the legacy of a man who built more than buildings. He built our future.

If you are interested in discovering more about the Lilydale’s past, visit our website at lilydalehistorical.com.au or email: info@lilydalehistorical. com.au

Karralyka Theatre

Moonwalker – Michael Jackson’s History

This is the world’s most comprehensive Michael Jackson tribute production.

Stage shows set to dazzle Kemp’s curtain call

Celebrating 30 years in 2025, this unique show features a live band, live vocals, a professional dance team, visual displays, special effects, covers over 40 songs spanning 40 years and is fronted by the three-time undefeated Michael Jackson Dance Off champion, Paul Rizzo.

Moonwalker’s mission statement is to entertain, educate and elevate through the enduring legacy of the greatest entertainer of all time.

The man.

The moves.

The music.

The truth.

This is Moonwalker - Michael Jackson’s History Season: Friday 17 October at 8pm.

CLOC Musical Theatre & Juliet

The secret’s out – Juliet’s rewriting her story.

CLOC Musical Theatre proudly presents the non-professional Victoria premiere of &Juliet, which will burst onto

Fantastic

Fantastic Four: First Steps

4.5/5

the stage of the National Theatre for a strictly limited season from 10 to 25 October.

Bookings opened to the general public on Monday 21 July.

This bold and electrifying musical flips the script on Shakespeare’s classic, asking what if Juliet chooses her own fate instead of Romeo’s.

Packed with chart-topping hits and a whole lot of heart, &Juliet is a celebration of female empowerment, love, second chances, and rewriting the rules.

Think Shakespeare meets Britney… Romeo who?

Don’t miss the show that has taken the world by storm & Juliet is here and she is not asking permission!

4.5 out of 5

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a smart, exciting and deeply affecting superhero drama, and the best MCU film by far in a strong year for comic-book movies.

The Fantastic Four, a group of astronauts who gained superpowers after a cosmic accident, must contend with the world-ending foe Galactus.

Set in a vibrant retrofuturistic world, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is equal parts sweet, sad and triumphant, drawing much of its conflict from the Four struggling to remain strong as a family under impossible odds and public expectations.

The film still has a healthy serving of action spectacle, however, with the centrepiece being an incredibly cool secondact chase sequence with elements of Interstellar, H.R. Giger and the first Star Trek film.

The tightly-written plot wields several clever pulp sci-fi concepts, and unlike some superhero ensemble pieces (including a couple of the Avengers films), every member of the core quartet is well-developed and has an active role to play.

Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal) is the team’s analytical but kind leader, his wife Sue Storm/Invisible Woman is the emotional anchor, her brother Johnny

Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) is a hot-head skilled in languages, and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) is the team’s rocky muscle but with an aura of lonely sensitivity.

Julia Garner brings a tragic note to Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer, Galactus’s subtly-conflicted herald, and the towering, boomingvoiced Galactus himself (Ralph Ineson) is a truly scary antagonist.

Like Superman, First Steps is another piece in a vast comic-book movie franchise, but both films are very self-contained and can be enjoyed with no prior experience. Unlike Superman, which had slightly obtrusive humour, First Steps’ humour is more restrained.

A thrilling superhero film full of heart and brilliant ideas, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is playing in most Victorian cinemas.

The

Starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby and Ralph Ineson M

MODERN CHARACTER HOME ON A FLAT SUNNY ACRE

MODERN CHARACTER HOME ON A FLAT ACRE

SITTING proudly in the middle of the block and set amongst a sublime acre (approx) of exquisite gardens, lawns and Manna gums, this residence offers the charm of yesteryear but with the reassurance of contemporary inclusions throughout.

Enjoying a wonderful series of garden outlooks from every room, the living spaces offer both casual and formal settings, the stylish lounge with fireplace, family dining and living areas with French doors to the covered deck. Indoor and outdoor spaces combine here for absolute lifestyle pleasure.

True to the owners’ intentions, the home is an entertainer’s delight, with the gourmet kitchen appointed with an oversize engineered stone island bench, decorative tiles, abundant storage, 2 Smeg ovens, gas hob, Siemens dishwasher, also a Butler’s pantry with sink and extra prep space.

The bedrooms all have built in robes, the main bedroom with an ensuite, and a family bathroom servicing the remaining two. There is a further option for a 4th bedroom/teenager space – or a ‘work from home’ scenario with separate access.

Relax with your favourite beverage on the verandah and look across the gardens, with beautiful visiting birds and wildlife mixing with the bursts of colour seasonally changing before your eyes. Enjoy the sounds of the pond with waterfall to sooth your nerves at the end of a hard day – come home to paradise.

The rear yard is perfect for a spot of cricket or kick to kick – you may even like the idea of a swimming pool here. Ample off-street parking, a double carport, and oversized garage with excellent storage. Plenty of room for all the toys.

Locally you have easy access to a bus stop nearby, kindergarten, Bam Bam restaurant, General Store, with Primary and High Schools in nearby Emerald. Rail connections in Belgrave and Wellington Road accessibility to M1.

This property truly is your piece of paradise in the hills – and only around an hour from central Melbourne – so be quick, this one won’t last. Call Mick Dolphin 0429 684 522 or Caiti Ellis 0493 136 937 to arrange an appointment.

UNIQUE LIMESTONE COTTAGE IN A QUIET COURT

shopping precinct, community centre and schools.

The home features 3 robed bedrooms, the primary bedroom with ensuite and walk in robe. The further two bedrooms are a generous size and are serviced by a bathroom with soaking tub, a shower, and a separate toilet. With two living areas including the dining area with plantation shutters which adjoins the well-appointed kitchen with a stainlesssteel wall oven, gas hob and dishwasher plus excellent storage and double sink. You will also enjoy the separate lounge offering an opportunity for your own space. The Limestone is the perfect year-round insulator; you also have a gas wall furnace and split system for added comfort.

Outdoors is wonderful, fully fenced, with a large, covered deck area, ideal for gatherings. A comfortable block of 530m3 (approx.), offering flat lawn areas with vegie boxes (the current owner has not used sprays) and a producing orange tree. There is a water tank to help look after the garden during summer, and two garden sheds. Parking is catered for with a single garage plus additional parking. Minutes to everything, a convenient location, and a perfect home to start in or downsize to.

Call Mick Dolphin 0429 684 522 or Caiti Ellis 0493 136 937 to arrange a viewing as this will not last!

HOME ESSENTIALS

Address: 19 Argyle Court, BERWICK Description: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 garage Price: $780,000 - $850,000 **Closing date for Offers 4pm Wednesday 13 August (unless sold prior!)** Inspect: By appointment Contact: Mick Dolphin 0429 684 522 and Caiti Ellis 0493

Time for a home loan health check!

HOME FOCUS

YOUR OWN RESORT WITH VIEWS TO DIE FOR AND GREAT HORSE FACILITIES

PRIVATELY located at the end of a quiet street, this property affords you a lifestyle that many can only dream of. Unparalleled for location and with amazing views, the infrastructure for this property is almost an endless list. A magnificent offering for both family and those with equine pursuits. Built and maintained to an exacting standard, the property is an entertainers’ paradise and great for family living.

The Residence: 4 bedrooms, 1 study, 2 bathrooms.

A quality finished home that includes a luxurious master suite with fitted walk in robe and ensuite. All rooms are positioned perfectly to take advantage of the stunning surrounds and picturesque views. Finished to a high standard you will be impressed CBUS system throughout and the automated everyday items, floor heating to the marble bathrooms, the jarrah cabinetry in the kitchen showcasing the Glem double ovens, Miele induction cook tops, new microwave and Caesar Stone benches. The library is, in the agents opinion, the best room in the house (and there are so many choices!), featuring leather inlaid jarrah desk and a secret passageway. Multiple living zones offer choices with one offering a local stone wall and new wood heater.

Entertain in Style: Indoors and Out.

The lower level of the home is all about entertaining and enjoyment with an inbuilt bar, dishwasher, games room and a home cinema that will put gold class to shame. Outside features a huge undercover decking featuring automated blinds, from where you can access the inground pool, change room, toilet and outdoor shower, and a separate sauna. You can have fabulous BBQs all year round from the large decking - ideal for parties and another opportunity to take in the incredible view!

Equine Infastructure:

Full sized arena 60 x 20 with viewing platform. 4 stables. Hot and cold water. Designated shed with washing machine, tack store and food store. Washing line. Tractor and Hay shed. 10 paddocks, many with post and rail fencing, all watered from spring fed dam.

Notable Features:

20 glorious acres with beautiful established gardens and trees offering 3 sealed driveways offering not only ample parking but the opportunity to turn your truck or float around without having to back up, automated gates (one gate does not work), 3 car garage with interior access, huge workshop, shed, solar, generator, wood store, 2 dams and a Billabong and neighbouring creek along a boundary, basketball area, CCTV, aluminium windows, steel and concrete stumps, attic ladder roof accessibility, refrigerated cooling, ducted

think 11 Brodrick Road, Macclesfield ticks all your boxes on paper, wait until you view it in person. We are proud to show you. Please contact Mick Dolphin 0429 684 522 or Anthony Iorlano 0494 142 438 to arrange your inspection today.

OffersClosingTuesday14thAugust@ 4pm(unlesssoldprior) Highceilings,timberfloors,light-filledopenplanliving& dining,contemporarykitchenwith stonebenchtops &Europeanstainless-steelappliances.Secondlivingspace,dedicated home office,travertinebathroom,well-equippedlaundry,second toilet& gDH. Covered alfresco deckwith outdoorkitchen,lush,tropicalgardens,sandstone-framedsaltwater pool,cubbyhouse, firepit,chookshed, doublecarport& securefencing

MickDolphin 0429684522

AnthonyIorlano 0494142438

DavidStewart 0411655611 CHARMINGCHARACTERHOMEONOVER½ ACRE

Nestledona tieredblockwithviewstotreedvistas &beautifulsunsets,thishomeoffers warmth,space &undeniablecharm.Timberfloorboards& aninviting open fireplace create acosyambiance,plus asplitsystemforconvenience.Featuring astylish renovatedkitchen &bathroomwhichincorporatestheEuropeanlaundry.generous windowsbathetheinteriorsinnaturallight &framethelush,leafyoutlook.ClosetoSelby PrimarySchool,parks& tenniscourts, &onlya five-minutedriveintoBelgrave. 3 A 1 B 5 C

JanBrewster 0409558805

FAMILY LIVING AT ITS BEST WITH LOADS OF EXTRAS

SITTING on over half an acre of flat usable land and backing onto the picturesque Hoddles Creek this location is superb.

The large family home boasts 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and 2 living/lounge areas with a functional and flexible floorplan to suit the growing family.

The fresh modern kitchen boasts quality appliances and fittings throughout with ample bench and cupboard space.

Head outside and enjoy the fantastic outdoors anytime of the year from the covered entertaining barbecue area to the inground pool, it’s just the spot for summertime entertaining. Everyone will enjoy and love exploring Hoddles Creek situated just a stones throw from your back door where you can sit back and relax to the tranquil sounds of running water.

Plenty of car accommodation with a huge lock-up garage/workshop plus loads of extra space for trucks, trailers and caravans, a separate bungalow/studio is the ideal spot for teenagers, weekend guests or the dependent relatives. A sensational property in a glorious location with just minutes away to local schools, shops and transport, a fantastic property the whole family can enjoy inside and out all year round.

LandForSale

15LyrebirdAvenue,EASTWARBURTON

$300,000 -$330,0004046sq.m

Wellmaintained &fullyfenced,picturesquelocation

215MilnersRoad,LAUNCHINGPLACE

$410,000 -$450,000 9Acres37471sq.m Superblocation,plans &permitsfora dwelling& outbuilding.

3RiverRoad,MILLGROVE

$250,000 -$270,000 838sq.m Primeriverfrontland,privacy& tranquilityawaits.

27YarraValleyCrescent,EASTWARBURTON

$200,000 -$225,0001751sq.m

Nearlevelallotment,ideallypositionedsurroundedbynature.

SeeourwebsiteforfurtherLandListings www.bellrealestate.com.au Contactourofficeon0359671277forfurtherinformation

SolidHomeinPeacefulSetting –WalktoYarraRiver& Shops! Whetheryou’rea savvyinvestororsearchingfortheperfectplacetocallhome,thisbrickhome deliversspace,comfort,andgreatvalue.Newlyrenovatedkitchenandbathroommeanthebig ticketitemsarealreadydone.Paintedthroughoutthehomehaslovelynaturallightandfeatures agenerousloungeandthreewell-proportionedbedroomsidealforfamiliesorthoseneedingextra space.Timberfloorsandsoftcarpetaddswarmth.Splitsystemwillcoveryourheatingandcooling needs.Thetranquilbackyardiscertainlythewelcominghubforeverydayliving.Outdoors,you’ll find alevel,lowmaintenanceyardand ahandyshed,greatforstorageortinkering.Nestledina quiet,familyfriendlystreet,thispropertyisjust ashortstrolltolocalshops,publictransport,andthe picturesqueYarraRiver. 29CarrollAvenue,Millgrove

FamilyLifestyleLivingona GrandScale

Abeautifulpropertywithanimpressivestreetappealboastingplentyofspaceinsideandout, setonjustover3/4ofandacre.Theclassichomesteadstylehomeoffers 4bigbedroomsplusan ensuiteandwalkinrobeinthemainbedroom.Theopenplankitchenareahasloadsofbench andcupboardspaceplus aseparatemeals/diningarea.Expansivelounge/livingandfamilyrooms ideallyzonedtogivethewholefamilyplentyofspacetospreadout.Headoutsideandenjoyand exploretheoutdoorswithbigwideopenspacesallround.Coveredveranda’sfrontandrearplus aseparatecoveredentertainingareaofferyearroundoutdoorentertaining.A largegarageand workshopprovideplentyofcaraccommodationandwithestablishedgardensallround,thisisan impressivepropertyfromeveryaspect.

aConvenientLocation PositionedjustminuteswalktoYarraJunctions’towncentrethischarmingpropertyoffersallthe convenienceatyourfingertips.Offering 3goodsizebedrooms,largefamilysizeliving/loungearea leadingoutto acoveredentertainingareaanda securelyfencedbackyardit’stheidealspotfor thekidsandpetstoenjoyandexplore.Thekitchenspaciousandhasplentyofbenchandcupboard spaceplusa separatemeals/diningarea,thelargefrontdeckingoffersextraoutdoorlivingand entertaining.Amplecaraccommodationwith alargedoublecarportandextracarspace, agreat propertyin aconvenientlocationandjust ashortstrolltolocalschools,shopsandtransport.

IMPRESSIVE, INTIMATE AND IDEALLY LOCATED

SET in a peaceful, family friendly neighbourhood with just a short stroll to the popular Belgrave Lake Park, this beautifully updated split-level home is a rare opportunity that combines comfort, style and practicality.

Thoughtfully designed with modern family living in mind, the home showcases open plan living with a seamless flow between the spacious dining area, expansive lounge and an impressive, modern kitchen. Equipped with sleek appliances and quality finishes, the kitchen is a true highlight that is perfect for entertainers and everyday family meals.

Glass doors from the lounge lead to a generous undercover decking area, ideal for year round entertaining or simply soaking in the beautiful tree top surrounds.

Offering flexibility for growing families or those needing extra space, the home includes four bedrooms - or three bedrooms plus a separate rumpus/second living area and

two beautifully appointed bathrooms. The lower level features a versatile space ideal for teenagers, guests, or working from home options. Whether you’re after a private bedsit, oversized office or a separate, relaxed lounge, this area is ready to adapt to your lifestyle needs.

Temperature control is ensured year-round with both split system air-conditioning and gas heating.

Outside, a sealed driveway with easy access leads to a double carport, while additional storage sheds provide practical solutions for busy households. The low maintenance garden adds to the charm and lifestyle of this special property.

If design, functionality and location are high on your list, then 13 Park Drive delivers on every front. It’s impressive and intimate and it’s ready to welcome you home.

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.

ACROSS

1 Common carbohydrate (6)

4 One to whom money is owed (8)

9 Andrew Lloyd Webber

musical (5)

10 Water fowl (9)

11 Electronic read (1-4)

12 Yellowish-green colour (4,5)

13 Astonishment (8)

15 Roma is its capital (6)

16 Equestrians (6)

18 Ovine insecticide (5,3)

23 Infectious disease (9)

24 Body organ (5)

26 Comparisons based on similarities (9)

27 Might (5)

28 Hated intensely (8)

29 Varied mixure (6)

DOWN

1 Equal; even – (7)

2 Type of acid (5)

3 Savoury biscuit (7)

5 Seldom (6)

6 Dry spell (7)

7 Journeyed (9)

8 Domed building (7)

10 Components of a dollar (5)

14 Superfluous (9)

16 First given name of Ringo Starr (7)

17 Bases (7)

19 Tips (5)

20 Overshadow (7)

21 Depict (7)

22 Separate into parts (6)

25 Sound pronounced with an open vocal tract (5)

Using

Garside hits 42 points

By Ron Hottes

V.V.Vs:

No V.V.Vs again this week due to a number of reasons.

The girls will hopefully be back out oncourse next week.

Wednesday 23 July, Stableford:

Not ideal weather greeted the smaller than usual field on this day, must be the winter weather.

But, of those hardy souls who did front up, our best result came from Phil Garside.

The senior Garside brother had a day out,

because not only did he secure the top prize with a superb 42 points, but he also collected two NTPs on the way, with great tee shots on both the fifth and 15th holes.

A good day’s work, senior.

The runner up was Alan Macdonald, who edged out your loyal scribe for that voucher, with 38 solid points.

Alan’s result was the best one he has posted for some time.

Balls made their way down to 33.

The other NTPs on offer, went to Mr Hendy (3rd), David Hatt (9th) and to Neil “Mr. Scotland” Leckenby, (who nearly owns the tricky

12th hole.)

Saturday 26 July, PAR:

With fairly damp conditions prevailing, the smallish field battled against a tough course, with the most efficient battler being Craig Staggard.

Craig had a very creditable plus two to earn the top voucher.

Paul Osbourne grabbed the runner up prize with a solid plus one.

Balls have gone down to minus four on a countback.

NTP winners were Paul Osbourne (3rd), Troy Murphy (5th) and to Rob Ferguson (9th).

Horse Talk

By Anita Prowse

It was a rainy and chilly for Kangaroo Ground and Eltham’s Dressage Day on Sunday, 27 July. Pony Club Classes winners were:

1.2 - Sarah Leitch on Athena Van Francessca from Balnarring Pony Club, Sarah also won the 1.4 and Grade 1 Jackpot.

2.2 - Alli Eagleton on Don Lui from Mansfield Pony Club.

2.4 - Rowena Cummong on Benjamin FH from Yarra Glen and District Pony Club.

Alli took out the Grade 2 Jackpot.

3.2 - Shenae Spratling on Kosiusko Levi from Yarrambat Pony Club, Shenae also won the 3.4 and the Grade 3 Jackpot.

4.2 - Ruby Jackson on Lochs Hill Park Axel from Mt Evelyn Pony Club, Ruby also won the 4.4 and Grade 4 Jackpot.

5.2 - Zara Pryor on Keldur Toyboy from Kangaroo Ground Pony Club, Zara also won the 5.4 and Grade 5 Jackpot.

6.1 - Isabelle Armet on Gem Park Larikin from St Andrews Pony Club, Isabelle also won the 6.2 and Grade 6 Jackpot.

Open Class winners were:

1.2 - Kym Cross on Corwyn Versace.

1.4 - Amy Piltz on Ebony Park Aria, Kym won the Jackpot.

2.2 - Chloe Salter on WW Foxy Lady.

2.4 - Sarah Ross on Furstin Constellation, Sarah won the Jackpot.

3.2 - Ebony McConnochie on Art Major.

3.4 - Kylie Caldenwood on De Fine M, Jackpot winner was Ruby Calleja Goodman on LAC.

4.2 - Ashley Hunt on Lofty Star.

4.4 - Alysha Welch on Intergalactica, Alysha also won the Jackpot.

5.2 - Georgia McKinnon on Balinor Sundancer, Georgia also won the 5.4 and Grade 5 Jackpot.

6.1 - Dasha Giovaannetti on Delbrae Marcus.

6.2 - Pheobe Elston on Chancellor, Pheobe also won the Jackpot.

Well done everyone for braving the cold and dreary day.

A copy of the

can be inspected, free of charge, at the Department of

and Planning website at www.planning.vic.gov.au/ public-inspection or by contacting 1800 789 386 to arrange a time to view the Amendment. Lilydale; 21 Main Road, Monbulk; 110 River Street, Healesville; 40 Main Street, Upwey; 2442–2444 Warburton Highway, Yarra Junction and on the Council’s website at www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/223.

STUART MENZIES Director State Planning Policy Department of Transport and Planning

Jillian Edith "Jill" 02.12.1949 - 18.07.2025 Passed away peacefully at the West Gippsland Hospital, Warragul, Victoria. 75 years old. Proud and loving mother of Erika and Jacqueline. Loved grandmother of Devon, Hamish, Isabel and Luke. Loved sister and sister-in-law of Roslyn and Michael Walsh. Cherished Aunt of Andrew, Ashley and Lyndon. Dearly loved and sadly missed.

Poor weather conditions has seen lower numbers in the past few weeks. (File)

Mullett brings up season 100

By Oliver Winn

Wandin’s wonder boy Aaron Mullett has kicked 100 goals this season in a massive feat that could see the club go on for a premiership.

The ex-North Melbourne and Carlton AFL player kicked the century marking goal against second-placed Olinda Ferny Creek on 19 July.

Capitalising on a poor pass from Olinda’s Seymour, Mullett accelerated centre-bound, fended off two Bloods players before firing off a cracking shot that saw the ball float perfectly in the middle of the big sticks.

When Mullett sealed the deal, he said it was a moment he’ll “never forget”.

“I remember kicking that goal and just going on the run and kind of getting swarmed by all my teammates and a lot of friends and family came running out too,” he said.

As he got mobbed by all his supporters, beers were poured and hugs were aplenty.

“It was very overwhelming, the amount of people that came out.”

“Got to spend it with some close friends and family on Saturday night and celebrated with all my teammates, it was a really special day.”

When asked about his top supporters, Mullett pointed to his family as having been along for the whole journey.

“Definitely my wife and my two girls and I’ll definitely say my dad and my father-in-law, I reckon they’ve come to every game this year.

“They’ve definitely rode the journey with me today,” he said.

With 103 goals in 13 games under his belt for

focus remains on winning the premiership. (Stacey Sullivan)

the 2025 season, Mullett averages just under eight goals per game.

He kicked 12 goals in a single game on two occasions, against both Olinda Ferny Creek and Gembrook Cockatoo.

With 10 Best Player awards this season, he’s also only three more off his century for that award too.

But Mullett’s focus remained on securing the premiership rather than individual awards.

“I just want to win more premierships.

“The 100 goals is nice and it was a bit about me for that day and that moment, but the bigger picture is, they got me up there to help win premierships.”

With Wandin sitting on the top of the ladder with 52 points, they’re certainly on their way to a premiership, given the Dogs keep up their current form.

Wandin backs out from move

By Oliver Winn

Wandin Football Netball Club has withdrawn its application to transfer from the Outer East Football Netball League (OEFN) to the Eastern Football Netball League (EFNL).

The club announced the decision in a statement on 18 July and said the decision “was not made lightly”.

It came after Wandin’s committee met with OEFN board and management, where the parties discussed and explored proposed actions to strengthen and stabilise the OEFN.

“Following this positive and constructive meeting, Wandin FNC has formally withdrawn its application to transfer leagues for 2026,” the statement read.

Earlier in the year the club submitted an intention to transfer request due to concerns surrounding the long term viability of a two-division senior football and netball model in the league.

“Survey data from the league revealed an unusually high number of clubs also exploring potential league changes for the 2026 season.

“Based on this, our committee believed a potential single division senior football competition in the outer east would not offer the competitive balance required for a viable future,” the statement read.

According to the statement, three senior clubs and three junior clubs had also lodged transfer requests which influenced Wandin’s initial decision to transfer leagues.

But, the EFNL’s netball offerings swayed Wandin into withdrawing its transfer - in a Herald Sun article, OEFN chief executive officer Brett Connell said the EFNL “doesn’t fit them in netball, it’s as

simple as that’’.

The statement emphasised Wandin’s strong netball roots and said its decision was conditional on the EFNL being able to support a viable Saturday netball competition.

“Netball is central to our club’s identity and community spirit, as such any potential move had to reflect that.”

In the OEFN, football and netball games are played on the same day at the same ground, so its essential clubs have adequate netball facilities.

But not all clubs in the EFNL have the netball facilities to host games, resulting in the league’s netball being played at a separate location to its football games.

Netball games are played at centres such as the HE Parker Netball Complex or the Knox Regional Netball Centre.

Pakenham Football Netball Club were also eyeing a transfer to West Gippsland Football Netball League but its application was knocked back.

Pakenham Football Netball Club announced the news on its Facebook page on 24 July and said the news was “disappointing”.

Officer Football Club also announced on 23 July its bid to join the West Gippsland Football Netball League was unsuccessful.

Upwey Tecoma Football Netball Club have applied to transfer to the EFNL after a club meeting on 26 June, where 121 of the 138 members present voted for the change.

Wandin said it was dedicated to playing an active role in shaping a strong future of football and netball in the region.

“We extend our sincere thanks to both OEFN and EFNL for their professionalism and support throughout this process.”

Boost for Coldstream netball

By Dongyun Kwon

Coldstream Netball Club continues to improve its brand and make a positive impact in the local community, thanks to the state government’s support.

The club received $1000 as part of the Sporting Club Grants Program.

President Felicity Green said the club is grateful for the opportunity to support all of its volunteer coaches, who are a vital part of the club.

“It feels great for our small community club to be acknowledged by the government. Receiving some funding is a big boost,” Ms Green said.

“As a small club with nine teams entered into the LYVNA (Lilydale and Yarra Valley Netball Association) winter competition, it can be challenging to compete with the larger clubs that field 20 or more teams. That’s why this grant means so much.

“It allows us to provide our coaches with new polo shirts and coaching bags as a token of appreciation. We’ve also recently updated our merchandise through Icon Sports to help raise our profile and stay on trend. Any opportunity to get our name out there and showcase what our club has to offer is amazing for our Coldstream community.”

Coldstream Netball Club is located at 35 South Gateway.

Ms Green is inviting local residents to join the club and be part of the community sport.

“We are a smaller club located a little further out in Coldstream, but the community we’ve built at the netball club is truly magnificent,” the Coldstream Netball Club president said.

“We have grown this amazing little club from three teams in 2021 to nine competitive teams in this 2025 season. Our players and coaches share a strong passion for the game, focusing on developing skills, having fun, and fostering a love for netball.

“For us, it’s all about creating a safe and supportive space where players can learn, grow, and feel like they belong to an amazing community. We’re always welcoming new players, so if you’re interested, come down and have a look.”

Since 2014, The Sporting Club Grants Program has invested over $19.5 million in local communities to support thousands of sports and recreation clubs across the state.

Lilydale Cricket Club, Lilydale Lions Roller Hockey Club, Montrose Football Club, Mt Evelyn Netball Football Club, and Yarra Ranges Athletics have also been named as recipients of this grants program.

“There are so many clubs across Eastern Victoria that bring people of all ages and abilities together, and this is another way we’re supporting communities to get involved in the sports they love,” Eastern Victoria MP Harriet Shing said.

Aaron Mullett celebrating his 100th goal. (Stacey Sullivan)

Mullett’s

Wandin will stay in the OEFN after discussions with the league’s board. (File)

Coldstream Netball Club is excited to continue to improve its brand and make a positive impact in the local community with the state government’s grant. (Supplied)

All Reds prove too strong

By Sarah Bailey

At the season’s crunch time, Healesville teams delivered pivotal victories.

Healesville Premier Women 4–0 Bayswater Strikers

Healesville’s Premier Women travelled to Bayswater on a cold, grey Sunday needing a win to stay in the top-four race.

Missing several key players, and with head coach Soupi also abroad, the side featured eight U16s and was again led by fill-in coach Glen Stevenson.

Motivation wasn’t hard to find, with a Bayswater social media post earlier in the week calling the match a ‘winnable game’.

Healesville had other ideas.

Relentless pressure had Bayswater on the back foot early.

Olive ‘Betty’ B latched onto a bobbling ball in the six-yard box and nodded home her first of the season.

Centre forward Tess N added a second before half time, giving Healesville a deserved 2–0 lead.

The second half was even more dominant.

Kiah C and Kiera S caused constant problems on the wings, Ava H and captain Sarah C controlled the midfield, and the defence remained rock solid.

A sharp coaching sub saw Ruby M enter the game and immediately tap in a slick team goal.

The standout moment came in the dying minutes when skipper Sarah C collected the ball just inside the centre circle.

With time and space opening up, she took a touch forward, glanced up and launched a thunderbolt from 30 metres out.

The strike curled beyond the outstretched keeper and rocketed into the top right corner.

It was a goal worthy of any stage – an instant classic and a fitting exclamation mark on a dominant performance.

Healesville U16 Hurricanes 2–1 Berwick Blues

The U16 girls braved chilly, wet conditions at Don Road to take on the top-of-the-ladder Berwick Blues for the second consecutive week, this time in a pivotal league clash.

After eliminating Berwick from the Cup last weekend with a gritty 2–1 win, the Hurricanes entered the match just three points behind their rivals and hungry to make a statement.

Healesville applied relentless pressure, dominating territory and possession in the first half.

The breakthrough came from forward Charlee R, whose tenacity in the front third saw her win the ball deep in attack.

With composure and power, she delivered a low, hard cross that ricocheted its way into the net to give the home side an early 1–0 lead.

Not long after, attacking midfielder Mia K made it 2–0 with some dazzling footwork on the edge of the box, dancing past defenders before slotting the ball home.

Towards the end of the second half, Berwick surged.

With their unbeaten season on the line, they found a way through and pegged one back to make it 2–1.

Despite the pressure, Healesville held firm.

Goalkeeper Summer C was exceptional between the uprights, producing a series of vital saves.

The result sees Healesville draw level on points with Berwick at the top of the table, turning the race to be crowned Premiers into a thrilling final stretch.

Healesville U16s 5–2 Berwick

Away against Berwick, the U16s needed a win

to stay in touch with the top two teams.

It was all-out attack from the first whistle.

A nice header from a well-placed corner kick by Gordon K saw Pip M score Healesville’s first.

Shortly after, Charlie J slipped past defenders to knock in the second.

Another 10 minutes went by and Kieran O scored off a keeper deflection.

The home side scored immediately in the second and again a short time later before Healesville regained control.

Griffin H turned on a sublime performance down back, while the midfield returned to their best and peppered the Berwick goal line.

In a welcome return after injury, Aidan C took advantage of some sloppy defending and scored, then snuck another under the keeper to score two in five minutes.

Healesville U14 Red Devils 4–1 Blackburn

After a disappointing Cup defeat on penalties the week before, the Devils were looking to bounce back.

The game started flat, but Healesville managed to take the lead with a cross turn shot by our golden boot leader, Sia M.

A rev-up from the coach saw the girls start the second with increased intensity.

After two shots off the cross bar, one off the post and several great saves from the Blackburn keeper, it was beginning to feel like one of those days.

But the girls didn’t take their foot off the pedal and were soon rewarded with three quick goals, thanks to a brace from Evie T and a well-deserved solo effort from Ava H.

Isla LF continued her good form from last week with a solid display in the backline, and Henrietta IM was player of the match for her work.

Healesville U12 White Wolves 3–0 Lilydale Eagles

Away at Morrison Reserve, the undermanned Wolves were joined by U12s Ash, U11s Ryder C and Griffin T and U10s Louie A and Spencer, who answered our SOS for support.

Our supporting players fitted in seamlessly, with great work on both wings by Griffin and Ryder.

Will B relished the opportunity as striker, getting to a loose ball and evading the keeper to give Healesville the early lead.

Austin A was fearless in defence, and Robbie K tracked back to help and thrust forward when required.

Jon G was at his relentless best.

A thorn in the opposition’s side throughout, Zak G struck a high ball that gave Will B plenty of onside clearance to chase it down.

Will surged towards goal, making no mistake in the box to put the Wolves 2–0 up at the break.

Oliver R, captain for the day, was rock solid in goals, finishing with a clean sheet.

Play of the day went to Spencer, who pursued a great through ball angled away from the keeper and struck truly on the left towards the inside of the far post.

Healesville U11 Ninjas 5–2 Blackburn Jaguars

After a few weeks off, the Ninjas were in attack mode against Blackburn.

Percy, Felix, Kaspar and Jaxson formed a strong backline, the Hayden and Max partnership in midfield worked really well, and Leroy and Ollie made several great passes.

Always available in the forward line, Levi was rewarded with a lovely goal. Hayden, Leroy and Max also added to the score.

In the second half our formation fell apart a little, but thanks to Leroy’s efforts on the wing and another goal by Hayden (plus one disallowed be-

cause of the mercy rule) the Ninjas brought home the win.

Other results:

Healesville Men’s Firsts 1–3 One FC Goal: JJ

Seville repeats early season demolition of the Yea Tigers

By Oliver Winn

Seville Football Netball Club took a trip up north on 26 July to Yea Showgrounds to take on the Yea Tigers.

It was a rainy day where both sides turned up looking ready for a fight - Seville came in looking confident while Yea were hoping to snatch a win from the third-placed side.

Last time the two teams faced off was back in May where Seville came away with a comfortable 68 point victory.

This game proved a repeat of their last match up - but it wasn’t without a decent effort put up by Yea in the first term.

Yea kicked the first point of the game and despite Seville’s Nolan kicking a key goal, Yea re-

mained tight and managed to snag another two points after that.

The first term ended 3-9, a more favourable position than the end of first quarter in their last match up.

But it was in the second where Seville turned up the dial.

Despite the rain muddying the competition, Neal took matters into his own hands with three back-to-back goals putting Seville 18 points in front.

A couple of minutes later, Farrow extended the league for Seville.

Yea would score some consolation points, but it wasn’t before a goal from Seville’s Morrison ended the second term with a scoreline of 41-6.

Seville must’ve decided the 35 point lead

wasn’t worth an hour’s drive from the Yarra Ranges as they went and blasted another four goals in the face of Yea at the start of the third.

Cecere and O’Neill added themselves to Seville’s scoreline and Neal, Nolan and Morrison snagged themselves another goal for their tally.

Marks managed to kick a goal for Yea in the final minutes of the third.

It saw Seville head into the third quarter boasting an obnoxious 80 point lead.

Yet they weren’t finished.

If the rainy weather hadn’t already dampened Yea’s mood, then the fourth quarter would have. Seville upped the ante with another four goals in the fourth and half a dozen behinds kicked on top of that too.

It left the final scoreline at 102-12.

Seville’s best players were: Blake Morison, Tristen O’Neill, Joshua Neal, Mason O’Neill, Aspen Oneill and Jye Sciortino.

Yea’s best players were: Patrick Evans, Cameron Evans, Blake Seeley, Austen Ross, Zac Fawdry and Joe Bennett.

Seville take a trip along the Warburton Highway to face Powelltown next Saturday.

Healesville Men’s Reserves 2–2 One FC

Goals: Josh B

Healesville U12 Panthers 3–7 Gideons Warriors

Goals: Ryan, Jake, Milo

The U12s had a resounding 7-0 win over the Penguins. (Supplied)

The victorious White Wolves SOS team. (Supplied)

The Premier Women line up ahead of their 4-0 victory over Bayswater. (Supplied)

Seville crushed Yea on Saturday 26 July. (File)

Inaccuracy proves costly to home sides

By Steve Ebbels

After a week off for the split round, Healesville male footballers and netballers were off to Monbulk to take on the Hawks on their home turf.

With Healesville women’s team having a bye this week, first up for football was Healesville U18s.

First quarter was a relatively even contest with neither side dominating.

At the first break, it was Healesville with slight five-point advantage.

In the second quarter, the Healesville boys kicked into gear to take control of the game putting on three goals and hold Monbulk to just two behinds.

At half time, the score was Healesville 5.4.34 Monbulk 1.4.10.

In the third quarter, once again Healesville had the majority of scoring shots but due to inaccuracy only managed to increase their lead by four points.

In the last quarter, Healesville got their radar working again to run out convincing 40-point winners.

Healesville 11.10.76 Monbulk 5.6.36.

Best for Healesville: L.Senti, R.Bode, Gideon Houlihan, A.Crossman, T.Braden, T.Dunne.

Over to the netball courts first up was the B Grade.

Last Saturday turned out to be a really tough day out for Healesville girls with Monbulk completely dominating the game from start to finish and comprehensively winning every quarter.

As always though, Healesville girls fought it out to the end and again the club couldn’t be prouder of how this group has stuck it out all season and are always trying to find ways to improve.

Final score Monbulk 115 Healesville 5.

Best for Healesville E.Birch, E.Cameron, E.Roberts.

Next up on court was the A Grade team.

In the first quarter, Monbulk got out of the blocks very quickly to get out to a eight to one lead in the first five minutes before Healesville finally managed to even up the contest slightly but at the first break its was still Monbulk leading 18-11.

In the second quarter, Monbulk again took control of the game to increase their lead at the main break, Monbulk 39 Healesville 21.

In the third quarter, the Healesville girls rallied and dug deep to get some control of the game back and outscored Monbulk in the term to reduce the lead back to 14 goals.

During the last quarter, despite a valiant effort by Healesville, Monbulk proved just too strong.

Final score Monbulk 70 Healesville 47.

Best for Healesville: B.Erickson. J.Harris, K.Ryan.

Back to the football, the Reserves again struggling a bit for numbers but yet again blessed with a number of Healesville U18 lads backing up again after their great victory.

In the first quarter, Monbulk dominated play but failed to put Healesville away on the scoreboard kicking 1.8 to Healesville’s 0.1.

Monbulk continued to dominate for the rest of the game and picked up their kicking accura-

Monbulk crushes Healesville across all grades

By Armin Richter

cy.

In the end, Monbulk was way too strong with the final score Monbulk 15.17.107 Healesville 3.4.22.

Best for Healesville M.Holland, R.Bode, L.Warner, Gideon Houlihan, J.Cross, R.Ashby.

To the last game of the day and after a loss in the last two games, Healesville Senior boys were looking to get back on track.

Eight minutes into the game and this was looking like it was going to be real challenge with Monbulk dominating and putting on the first three goals before Healesville final managed to get on the board but then Monbulk got the next two and the score at first break Monbulk 5.0.30 to Healesville 1.0.6.

During the second quarter, Monbulk again absolutely taking control of the game putting on another five majors and restricting Healesville to just two behinds.

At the Half time, Monbulk was well and truly on top 10.1.61 to Healesville 1.2.8.

In the second half, Monbulk continued to have the game on their terms and with Healesville really struggling to find a way to get back in the game.

In the end, Monbulk was way too strong.

Final score Monbulk 17.9.111 to Healesville 4.4.28.

Best for Healesville N.Mende, L.Daly, A.Dobbin, T.Barclay, B.Rutley, D.Sikorski.

Next week all teams are finally back at Don Road Complex and a big challenge ahead with everyone taking on Wandin.

Creek 2.3.15 def Belgrave 0.3.3; Healesville bye Women (Div 2): Wandin 6.11.47 def Officer 0.1.1; Warburton-Wesburn 10.13.73 def Thornton-Eildon 0.2.2; Yea 9.5.59 def Seville 0.1.1; Emerald bye Veterans (Over 35): Gembrook-Cockatoo 9.11.65 def Officer 4.3.27; Mt. Evelyn 11.11.77 def Yarra Glen 7.2.44; Belgrave bye

Netball

Premier Division (Split Round 14)

A Grade: Monbulk 70 def Healesville 47; Mt. Evelyn 65 def Emerald 38

B Grade: Monbulk 115 def Healesville 5; Mt. Evelyn 63 def Emerald 37

C Grade: Mt. Evelyn 42 def Emerald 22; Monbulk bye

D Grade: Mt. Evelyn 36 def Emerald 16; Monbulk bye

Under 17: ROC Blue 26 def ROC White 21; Mt. Evelyn 33 def Emerald 12; Woori Yallock bye Under 15: Pakenham Maroon 35 def Monbulk Maroon 18; Woori Yallock 20 def Pakenham Gold 18; ROC Blue 34 def Monbulk Gold 9; ROC White bye Division 1 (Round 15)

A Grade: Belgrave 66 def Powelltown 31; Pakenham 52 def Yarra Junction 27; Warburton-Millgrove 65 def Alexandra 31; Seville 95 def Yea 36; Yarra Glen Bye B Grade: Pakenham 61 def Yarra Junction 19; Warburton-Millgrove 52 def Alexandra 17; Seville 88 def Yea 14; Belgrave 48 def Powelltown 23; Yarra Glen bye

C Grade: Pakenham 48 def Yarra Junction 27; Warburton-Millgrove 35 def Alexandra 22; Belgrave 46 def Powelltown 23; Seville 56 def Yea 11; Yarra Glen bye

D Grade: Pakenham 38 def Yarra Junction 3; Warburton-Millgrove 35 def Alexandra 10; Belgrave 33 def Powelltown 21; Seville 39 def Yea 7; Yarra Glen bye Under 17: Powelltown 26 def Pakenham Maroon 25; Alexandra 23 def Warburton-Millgrove 19; Pakenham Gold + Seville bye

Healesville U18’s wearing armbands to support TAC road safety awareness. (Supplied)

Jorja Wragg shoots one of her record breaking 106 goals for Monbulk B Grade v Healesville. (Armin Richter)

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