The recently approved expansion of Woolworths in the Yarra Junction Shopping Centre has left local traders “devastated and disappointed“.
Among the local businesses affected, the Cortella discount store has been forced out of their store and Cortella owner Clea Reynolds said the council “didn’t make the right decision“.
“I think I’m just really disappointed, I feel for the community really more than anything.”
“From the customer’s point of view, they are
all pretty disappointed. I think they’re pretty concerned about it, but they’re also very annoyed with council.”
The controversial decision to approve the planning application, submitted by retail property service provider RetPro, was approved at the 15 October council meeting in the face of strong push back from business owners and community members, bolstered by a petition with 889 signatures and 54 formal objections made to council.
The planning application will also move the
other traders to face the car park.
Council mayor Jim Child said this application “has weighed heavily” on himself and the other councillors.
“I feel for those tenants, their business has been disrupted.”
But Ms Reynolds said Cr Child’s comments felt disingenuous.
“It really didn’t come across that there was genuine feeling or regret in that manner.”
Yarra Junction Community Group Monica
Making history
By Oliver Winn
The Upper Yarra Valley Historical Society (UYVHS) will turn 60 in December as it marks another successful year of preserving the past.
On 7 December, the UYVHS will have an open day free to members of the public to celebrate this milestone.
UYVHS president John Bramley spoke on the history of the group.
“The first meeting was held at Green Gables Chalet, Warburton on Monday 15 November 1965. They initially met as the Warburton and Yarra Valley Historical Society.
“The next meeting was held again at Green Gables Chalet on 13 December 1965, and the name Upper Yarra Valley Historical society was adopted,” he said.
The museum was then officially opened at the Yarra Junction Railway Station on 10 December 1972.
Since 1977 it has hosted the Crank Up festival.
To this day, Crank Up continues to take place each year, with 2025’s iteration being a major success.
Read more on page 10
Blanchfield spoke at the meeting and urged the council to reject the application as it was contrary to the Yarra Junction Place Plan’s vision, of which she helped curate.
But Yarra Ranges Council planning and sustainable futures director Kath McClusky said the application relied on guidance from state policy and that the Yarra Junction Place Plan “is not incorporated into the planning scheme“.
Cr Child said he couldn’t refuse the application as it would be against the planning scheme.
Turn to page 3 to read more
Upper Yarra Valley Historical Society president John Bramley. (Stewart Chambers: 512295)
Uncertain future amid sale
By Callum Ludwig
A public housing facility in Healesville is set to be sold, with the future uncertain as to whether it will remain an affordable housing option.
Kalimna House on Bradshaw Drive in Healesville was previously owned by Community Housing Victoria Limited (CHLV) and is currently under offer.
Eildon MP Cindy McLeish said it is disappointing that the Kalimna House property is being sold when there is such a shortage of community housing and beds available for those who need them most.
“This would be great short-term accommodation for women living without a roof over their heads or in their cars,” she said.
“Once again, the Allan Labor Government has missed an important opportunity here to support those in the Healesville and Yarra Ranges community.”
CHLV was unable to comment as the property is on the market and the intentions of any future owner are unknown.
Ms McLeish has raised the underuse of Kalimna House multiple times in state parliament in recent years, with concerns about the facility being underutilised.
In May 2023, Ms McLeish asked then hous-
ing minister Colin Brooks why only four of five people with low incomes were living in the facility and again on 14 October this year, ques-
tioned why there was only one occupant despite the need for more social and affordable housing options.
Mr Brooks said in a response in September 2023 that at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, keeping Kalimna House occupancy at a lower density alleviated some of the renter safety, health and wellbeing challenges.
“CHVL recently organised an independent assessment of Kalimna House to determine options for the dwelling moving forward,” it reads.
“CHVL will consider a redevelopment of the site to provide a design that better meets the needs of the local community and high-quality accommodation inclusive of environmental sustainability.”
Current Minister for Housing and Building Harriet Shing was contacted for comment.
According to the listing, Kalimna House is a 22-bedroom, 19 bathroom facility on a 2801 square metre block, with the actual building accounting for 768 square metres. It has two fully functional kitchens, a commercial kitchen in need of refurbishment, a large common space and 10 car spaces.
With an indicative price of $1,040,000, ‘the property presents endless potential to reimagine and repurpose into respite accommodation, a retreat centre, medical facility or a largescale rental opportunity’ according to Mark Gunther First National Real Estate in Healesville who are managing the sale.
Local business swept up in wrongful Meta suspensions
By Callum Ludwig
A Healesville business has been caught up in a global trend in Meta accounts being wrongly suspended for breaking community guidelines, despite no feasible offence occurring.
Luke Bibby, who owns the Habitat1 shared office space in Healesville’s main strip, had his personal account banned around June or July, which was linked to the profiles for the business, subsequently resulting in all his accounts being banned for months.
Mr Bibby said his access to the accounts was only reinstated on Tuesday 21 October and that his personal account only contained pictures of his dog, his donkeys and of himself and his wife.
“A two-second fly through social media will show you the amount of people that are running a business solely off social media, I was lucky that the office space is filled but if I had two or three clients leave, and it’s quite a few months without that, I’m in a lot of trouble because I can only advertise on social media,” he said.
“You look over the internet and there’s hundreds of thousands of people worldwide that have just had all their social media removed, people with much bigger followings and much bigger businesses than me, just gone.
“It actually scared me how much it impacted me…how helpless you are, you’re completely helpless, there’s no phone number to call, there’s no complaints department, if this was an Australian business, it’d be straight on the phone to Consumer Affairs or the Ombudsman and they would be dragged over the coals.”
Mr Bibby lodged an automatic appeal and
attempted to email a help email he estimated ‘70 to 80 times’, but only received automated responses.
Mr Bibby said he had prepared to ask his partner to hop on one of the local notice boards and post a picture of an office space, but worried about it looking illegitimate.
“It’s an office space attached to no social media, no one can follow a link, it’s not professional, it just looks dodgy,” he said.
“I went through three or four government avenues and they can do nothing… I ended up sending an email to the Minister for Small Business (Anne Aly)...she seemed very concerned and was going to try and escalate it.
“So many people are are trying to run a small business because the cost of living is so bad now
so they’re trying to get a bit extra money in and I think what people need to remember is the whole social media thing, it seems like it’s easy, it’s a right and everyone’s got access to it but they’re a business and they can very quickly decide that they don’t want you and remove you.”
Mr Bibby was eventually advised to try creating a new account for his business, which was also removed, and has been reinstated alongside his other accounts despite having little to no use for them.
Mr Bibby said he has realised he now can’t be reliant on any platform attached to Meta.
“I will be leaning more on YouTube and TikTok, which I really didn’t want to do, but that spreads me across Google and TikTok as well, so the chances of all of those things being shut
down are pretty slim,” he said.
“The only option they gave me was to write a letter to Meta legal in states, I put my name down for two class actions in the states because of this problem, but because you’re not US based, they don’t really care, it’s just a really horrible feeling and I didn’t know how long it was going to go on.
“I just think people need to be very very aware of it…don’t for a second think it’s not going to happen to you.”
A change.org petition about the issue has garnered over 46,000 signatures and be found at change.org/p/meta-wrongfully-disabling-accounts-with-no-human-customer-support.
“We take action on accounts that violate our policies, and people can appeal if they think we’ve made a mistake,” a Meta spokesperson said.
Meta uses a combination of human and technological review to find and remove accounts that don’t comply with the platform’s rules.
TheABChaspreviouslyreportedonanumber of instances where a number of Australian Meta users had accounts banned for allegedly breaching rules regarding child exploitation material. Meta does use technology to identify violating content, as well as to identify signals of potentially suspicious behavior - such as when adult accounts are reported or blocked by teen accounts, or search for violating child safety terms. Meta takes action based on the strength and number of these signals, ranging from preventing these accounts from interacting with teen accounts, all the way to removing them completely.
Kalimna House is a 22-bedroom, 19 bathroom facility on a 2801 square metre block. (Stewart Chambers: 512291)
A change.org petition about the issue has garnered over 46,000 signatures and be found at shorturl.at/8RelK.
IN BRIEF
Missing 13-year-old
Traders devastated
By Oliver Winn
A small business owner in the Yarra Junction Shopping Centre has been forced to move after the expansion of the Woolworths strong-armed them from their location.
Cortella discount store Clea Reynolds felt “devastated and disappointed” in the outcome after having campaigned against it since July.
“I think that council, they didn’t make the right decision, but they’ll see the effects of that down the track when the plans go ahead,” Ms Reynolds said.
The controversial decision to approve the planning application, submitted by retail property service provider RetPro, was made at the 15 October council meeting in the face of strong push back from business owners and community members, bolstered by a petition with 889 signatures and 54 formal objections made to council.
It will see the expansion of Woolworths kick out the Cortella discount store, swallow up the arcade and move shopfronts to face the car park.
Ms Reynolds said she felt for the community and that her customers also shared the concern.
“I think I’m just really disappointed, I feel for the community really more than anything.”
“From the customer’s point of view, they are all pretty disappointed. I think they’re pretty concerned about it, but they’re also very annoyed with council.”
Council mayor Jim Child said this application “has weighed heavily” on himself and the other councillors.
“I feel for those tenants, their business has been disrupted.”
But Ms Reynolds said Cr Child’s comments felt disingenuous.
“It really didn’t come across that there was genuine feeling or regret in that manner.”
Cr Child said in an ideal world, the application would be refused.
“We can sit here as a council and refuse this application, everyone can go home happy, the mayor and ward councillors have done the right thing.
“But I can’t do that, because it would be against the planning scheme which we govern, it would be against the original strategy plan.”
Yarra Junction Community Group Monica Blanchfield spoke at the meeting and urged the council to reject the application as it was contrary to the Yarra Junction Place Plan’s vision, of which she helped curate.
“We clearly do not want to have our shops in the car park. We want to have a nice main street and we are disappointed that the place plan was used against it to justify this whole design.”
But Yarra Ranges Council planning and sustainable futures director Kath McClusky said the Yarra Junction Place Plan “is not incorporated into the planning scheme”.
“We do rely on the planning controls that are set out in the local and state policy. As part of the application, the officers have looked at the design outcomes and what we can do and what we can reasonably ask the developer to do in this instance,” Ms McClusky said.
Despite the outcome, Ms Reynolds said she was grateful for the support of her customers.
“Our customers are supporting us and they’re always coming with all their kind words. So we’re lucky that we’ve got that support behind us.”
Police are searching for Maison, who was last seen in Wandin North on 7 October.
Police and family have concerns for the 13-year-old’s welfare due to their age and the length of time they’ve been missing.
Maison is known to frequent the Healesville, Lilydale, Chirnside Park, Bayswater, Glen Waverley and Narre Warren areas.
Anyone with information on Maison’s whereabouts is urged to contact Lilydale Police Station (03) 9739 2300.
Yarra Junction Bakery reopens after food safety standard shut down
The Yarra Junction Bakehouse was shut down for nine days on 15 October for being in an “unclean and unsanitary condition and in a state of disrepair”.
A notice was found on the front door of the bakery, which is located in the Yarra Junction Shopping Centre.
The notice was sent by the Yarra Ranges Council.
Warburton Bike Park reopens
The Warburton Bike Park has reopened after it closed on 22 October due to severe weather.
Trail maintenance crews cleared the trails on 23 October.
Check the Warburton Bike Park Facebook page here for updates: facebook.com/WarburtonBP
Please always check conditions before planning to ride in Warburton.
Coin collection owner sought
The police are seeking to find the owner of a large coin collection recovered from a stolen BMW at the start of the year.
The Yarra Ranges Eyewatch Facebook page made the post on 22 October which depicts a large collection of pre decimal and numerous foreign denomination coins.
It is believed that these coins are likely to belong to a long term coin collector.
If you think you may be the owner or recognise any of these items, please contact Ringwood police property office on 9871 3032 and quote property reference 202501-E-2340.
New info wanted on old missing person case
Police are looking for new information on missing person Warren Meyer, who went missing on 23 March 2008.
Warren Meyer went bushwalking at 7.45am and was meant to meet up with his wife and friends for lunch at the R.A.C.V. club in Healesville but did not arrive.
Warren was wearing shorts, a light top and his walking boots.
Warren’s white Subaru Forester was found parked at Dom Dom Saddle car park in Yarra Ranges, a 15 minute drive north of Healesville.
If you have information that may assist police to locate Warren, please contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppers.com.au. Owner of lost iPad sought
Yarra Glen Police are seeking the owner of an iPad handed into police on 26 October.
The iPad was located on Coldstream West Road, between Maroondah Highway and Victoria Road.
If you believe it’s yours, please contact Yarra Glen Police on (03) 9730 1296.
Clea Reynolds said her customers share the disappointment in the council’s decision to approve the Woolworths expansion. (Stewart Chambers: 512307)
Progress but ‘not enough’
By Oliver Winn
Conservationists have labelled the Allan Government’s plan to include protected water catchments in the Yarra Ranges National Park as a “missed opportunity” as further changes to state forests were ruled out.
It came after the government responded to the Eminent Panel for Community Engagement (EPCE) which gave recommendations on the future of 390,000ha of state forest in Victoria’s Central Highlands, which would include the Yarra Tributaries Forest Reserve.
Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA) parks and nature campaigner Jordan Crook said it was a “missed opportunity” to not act on the full recommendations laid out by the ECPE.
“It’s definitely fallen short, the eminent panel laid out a fairly good plan… but we definitely need more additions and more joining up of the existing national parks instead of just leaving them unprotected,” Mr Crook said.
The Yarra Tributaries Forest Reserve is a collection of small concrete weirs which were built to divert water into the Silvan Conduit, which connects the Upper Yarra Reservoir to Melbourne.
Mr Crook welcomed the move to include the Yarra Birrarung Tributaries in the Yarra Ranges National Park due to its role in supplying water to Melbourne.
“The 5000 or so hectares of the Yarra Birrarung Tributaries, it’s good to see them added to the park finally, as they should have been.
“We know logging has a really bad impact on water production, so looking after those upper chippy trees is very important, and there’s been quite a bit of logging up and around there, so there’ll be lots of recovery of those forests,” Mr Crook said.
Though public access to the Yarra Tributaries Forest Reserve was already prohibited, the national park status will enshrine it with the highest protections against logging and other threats.
The ECPE proposed parts of the Yarra State Forest to be a forest park - a new type of land category which promotes recreational uses (including hunting) while prohibiting logging.
Shadow Minister for Public Land Manage-
ment Melina Bath said if the government accepted the recommendations to adapt forest parks, it would be establishing the Great Forest National Park by stealth.
“Behind closed doors Labor’s created a blueprint that lays the foundation to lock up vast areas of public land without transparency, community consultation or the workforce to manage it,” Ms Bath said.
But, the government reiterated its position in not legislating the proposed 525,000ha Great Forest National Park, which would’ve included significant portions near Warburton and Healesville.
But the Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos has previously stated “we’ve been very clear that the Great Forest National Park is not and never has been a government policy”. The government also did not act on the recommendations to establish the new forest parks.
Hunters embrace new $1m purpose-built hunting hut pilot
By Oliver Winn
A “game-changing” $1 million pilot will establish purpose-built hunting huts across the Yarra Ranges and Victoria in order to boost recreational deer hunting.
The initiative was announced on 13 October by the Minister for Outdoor Recreation Steve Dimopoulos as the State Government works with hunting organisations to establish where the huts will be located.
Australian Deer Association head of advocacy Sean Kilkenny said it was a “fantastic stepping-stone” in facilitating sustainable recreational hunting.
“This is a fantastic stepping stone towards having recreational hunters embraced by not only the government but the wider community, and having their passion and love for the great outdoors recognised and celebrated.”
The new huts enable recreational hunters to safely store more venison and extend their trips, positioning them to better reduce deer populations and the damage they cause to native ecosystems.
Mr Kilkenny said huts could potentially be located in the far east of the Yarra Ranges, to-
All bush users will be able to benefit from the new huts. (Unsplash)
“There might be some quite suitable locations out there that we’re keen to hear about.”
Sporting Shooters Association of Australia communications manager Barry Howlett said these huts gave bush users an opportunity to explore “real back country”.
“If someone wants to go for a hunt in a completely unexplored country, normally they’d have to live very ruggedly.
“Having those huts as a base in that more
rugged country allows hunters to go in there and stay in there for an extended period of time, and really explore and have that adventure,” Mr Howlett said.
Mr Kilkenny said the new huts will benefit all bush users - not just hunters.
“All park users will be able to benefit from utilising these huts. These huts will provide shelter, basic amenities, possibly sleeping bunks, possibly fires. It’ll have the ability for people to store long-term food for emergency
situations.”
With the huts being free for any bush user, the huts could also foster companionship between different groups of bush users and break down barriers.
“This will break down barriers between different user groups whereas traditionally people may have been focused on what they do and not come into contact with others,” Mr Kilkenny said.
“This now gives them a great opportunity and facilitates that engagement.”
Hunting brings economic activity to regional Victoria, and with over 58,000 registered hunters in the state, Mr Howlett said the State Government was making a “smart investment” by facilitating recreational hunting.
“It’s a smart investment from the government to fuel that passion and give really good opportunities to hunters, because hunters contribute an awful lot to society particularly outside of the city.”
Once the initial hunting huts pilot finishes, a review will determine where further hunting huts are located.
“It’s only the start, not the end of our ambition,” Mr Kilkenny said.
The Yarra Tributaries Forest Reserve will now receive the highest protections against logging and other threats. (File: 309772)
wards Woods Point.
Reforms ‘missed the mark’
By Mikayla van Loon
It’s been five years since the State Government announced the first-ever review of the Wildlife Act 1975. Just this week, the environment minister released his response.
This has been met with some disappointment by leading wildlife organisations, who said it was a “step in the right direction”, but did not go far enough to address escalating challenges and pressures.
Wildlife Victoria, the peak not-for-profit emergency response service, responded to 160,000 requests for help and cared for nearly 98,000 animals across more than 450 species last year.
Chief executive officer Lisa Palma said Wildlife Victoria welcomed the reforms but would have preferred a new Act to be adopted.
“Despite these positive steps, Wildlife Victoria remains concerned that the State Government has failed to introduce the most significant and important reform recommended by the Expert Panel, a new Act that better protects and conserves wildlife, rather than simply revising the current Wildlife Act,” she said.
“While the announced changes are welcome, they are not enough. Wildlife Victoria will continue to push for stronger protections, ethical management, and better support for wildlife and those who rescue and care for them, across Victoria.”
Similarly, Humane World for Animals Australia director of campaigns Nicola Beynon said the reforms announced fall short of adequately protecting native animals in the state.
“The legislation desperately needs updating as it has allowed the devastating destruction of millions of Australian animals since its conception half a century ago,” Ms Beynon said.
Environment minister Steve Dimopoulos released the government’s response to the Wildlife Act Review on Saturday 18 October. The Wildlife Act hadn’t been reviewed since it became law 50 years ago, although many amendments had been made.
The review was announced in May 2020, with an expert panel delivering its final report in late 2021. Over a thousand submissions were made during the feedback period.
Out of the 40 recommendations listed in the document, 10 recommendations were not supported by the Victorian Government.
Two of the recommendations not accept-
ed, which were highly criticised by advocacy groups, were “to list all deer as a pest animal” and “no longer prescribe duck season to occur automatically”.
In relation to deer, the government responded by stating that “six of (the) eight species are classified as game” and “the current arrangements are not a barrier to effective deer control”.
The expert panel suggested that duck hunting could continue to occur but only under the direction of the responsible minister if “duck populations are stable or improving and hunting will not jeopardise their conservation”.
RSPCA Victoria head of prevention Rebecca Cook said the organisation believes all native birds should be protected under this Act and should not be allowed to be hunted with shotguns.
“We are extremely disappointed to see the government continues to support recreational native bird shooting – something both the expert advisory panel and a Parliamentary Inquiry recommended be banned,” she said.
The call to set up an independent regulator was rejected, as the government stated “the Conservation Regulator is functioning well under its current arrangement as a Division of DEECA”.
Adopting the definition of fauna to mean “any animal-life indigenous to Australia, whether vertebrate or invertebrate” was also rejected. The government’s reasoning said “it is not clear what the benefit would be of including all invertebrates under the proposed definition of wild-
life” and that other legislative acts gave fish and aquatic invertebrates protection.
Biodiversity Council policy and innovation lead Lis Ashby said the proposal will do little to address the state’s catastrophic rates of biodiversity decline.
“One quarter to one third of Victoria’s terrestrial plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals are threatened with extinction, and that the longer-term outlook for many threatened species is poor,” she said.
“Victoria’s 2023 State of the Environment Report reported that assessments of the state’s threatened mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs, invertebrates and freshwater fish determined each to be in poor condition and deteriorating.”
Expert advisory panel member and Biodiversity Council co-chief councillor Yuin man Dr Jack Pascoe from the University of Melbourne said generally the response was underwhelming and lacked ambition.
“The Victorian Government appointed Expert Panel invested extensive time in consulting Traditional Owner and other groups about their perspectives and priorities for wildlife management, and there was an opportunity for some very good work,” he said.
“Many people who participated in consultations in good faith are going to feel let down by the lack of ambition and progress from the Victorian Government in what has been released.”
With seven recommendations specifically focused on Traditional Owners’ self-determination, all were only supported in-principle and deferred for further engagement as Treaty progresses and the findings of the Yoorrook Justice Commission’s report are considered.
Federation of Victorian Traditional Owner Corporations interim chief executive Kaley Nicholson said this was inadequate and an excuse.
“The Government’s known for nearly four years what this panel would recommend but sat on its hands. We know good policy takes time, but another indeterminate delay is just disrespectful. It’s not good enough,” she said.
“Why hasn’t the Government been talking to us about wildlife since 2021? Stop using Treaty as an excuse to kick reform down the road, and pick up the phone – talk to us.”
Both Ms Ashby and Ms Nicholson pointed to the vagueness of the adopted recommendations, with no specified timeframe or implementation strategy.
‘Time for a rewrite’: Wildlife carer echoes wider calls
By Mikayla van Loon
A local wildlife rescuer and carer has echoed the calls of key wildlife advocacy organisations, that “it is time for a rewrite” of the legislative act that is supposed to protect native animals in Victoria.
Bungalook Creek Wildlife Shelter operator and rescuer Emma Cash said the reforms announced by the State Government in response to the Wildlife Act Review didn’t even come close to what would be required to protect wildlife in Victoria.
“Our native species can still be slaughtered with permits. We know, and see time and time again that the Authority to Control Wildlife, which in lay persons terms is the permission to kill native wildlife, lacks transparency and accountability,” she said.
“Duck shooting will still occur automatically, even though the independent panel recommended that this was ceased. And there is still no protection for wildlife habitats.”
Ms Cash, like Wildlife Victoria and the Humane World for Animals Australia, would have liked to have seen a complete rewrite of the Act, “where native wildlife and the protection of the wildlife and their habitat are put first”.
“The Humane World for Animals Australia has wrapped my thoughts into the Act perfectly. We need to create a new Act ‘that recognises fauna’s intrinsic value and provides for the inherent rights of wildlife to exist without undue interference or impingement on quality of life’,” Ms Cash said.
As part of the reforms, the State Government announced it would enact stronger penalties for the illegal killing of native animals but Ms Cash said she doesn’t believe this will deter many.
“Most times the perpetrators are never caught and when they do it is such a long and lengthy court campaign that rarely results in a conviction.”
Another aspect of what the government announced was a package of $2.9 million to set up a new animal hospital in Kyabram and help fund rescuers, carers and shelters.
But while any funding is welcomed for these volunteers, Ms Cash had her doubts about how far the allocated $300,000 for a Wildlife Rehabilitator Rebate Scheme to help carers cover the costs of treating sick and injured animals, would spread.
“To put context around this, carers and shelters may be granted up to $3000 a year if our grant is successful,” Ms Cash said.
“One bag of formula costs almost $600 (so approx. $15,600 in formula a year) and in busier
shelters this will only last a fortnight. We easily spend upwards of $50,000 per annum to rescue and rehabilitate wildlife. Most of this is self funded.”
Ms Cash said it’s important for people to know and understand that “all licensed shelters and foster carers are volunteers” and do this work because of their passion and care to ensure wildlife is given the best possible chance of survival.
“We pay for the rescue and care for these animals from our own pockets. Please consider finding out who your closest wildlife shelter is and if you can help with a donation (monetary or for items they need) and are in the position to do so we would really appreciate it.
“If you can’t but the shelter has a Facebook page then sharing the work that they do helps as well.”
Year round, Ms Cash said, wildlife shelters are busy but spring breeding brings “a different kind of hectic”, with more possums and young birds coming into the shelter.
She said it was everyone’s responsibility to help protect wildlife in their own backyard.
“Please keep cats indoors, not just for the wildlife’s sake but also the cats. Indoor cats can’t be ran over by cars or get caught up in fights. If your dog is showing interest in a particular area of the garden, go and check, as we have had many young possums arrive due to dog (and cat) attacks.
“If you see a young bird on the ground, ask a licensed wildlife shelter if what you are observing is the correct behaviour for that species.
“We certainly don’t want magpies, tawny frogmouths and wattle birds ‘bird napped’ if not required, but we also need to ensure the animal is not injured and is ok to stay where they are.”
Find Bungalook Creek Wildlife Shelter on Facebook, contact via email: bcwildlifeshelter@ gmail.com or call: 0405 057 220. To make a report via Wildlife Victoria, visit: wildlifevictoria.org.au/report or call (03) 8400 7300.
The Pacific Black Duck is a species identified as game in Victoria. (Ryan Alexander, CC BY-NC 4.0 DEED, via iNaturalist)
Bungalook Creek Wildlife Shelter operator and rescuer Emma Cash. (Stewart Chambers: 253323)
Ms Cash ensures wombats like Syd, who was found orphaned, are rehabilitated and returned to the wild. Stewart Chambers: 253036)
Harsher penalties welcome
By Mikayla van Loon
Despite criticism of the State Government’s approach to the Wildlife Act Review, wildlife organisations and advocacy bodies were encouraged by stronger penalties and rescuer support.
Thirty of the 40 recommendations were supported, either fully or in-principle, with environment minister Steve Dimopoulos’ response announcing new offences for wildlife crime and $2.9 million to support wildlife carers, shelters and rescuers.
“We’re delivering stronger rules and better tools to catch out wildlife crimes and end cruel breeding operations,” he said.
“We’re backing our dedicated carers and rescuers with more support on the ground and a new wildlife hospital in regional Victoria.”
Reforms will increase maximum penalties for wildlife crime offences, require a fit and proper person test for individuals who want to own, breed, control, display or care for wildlife, and extend the statute of limitations for investigating wildlife crime and filing charges for offences against the Act.
The partnership between Crime Stoppers Victoria and the Conservation Regulator will be ex-
panded to enable greater reporting of wildlife and forest crime, as well as the creation of an online form for submitting these crime reports 24/7.
“It is essential that the government has robust systems in place to address wildlife crime and hold offenders to account,” Wildlife Victoria chief executive officer Lisa Palma said.
“Stronger penalties for those who deliberately harm wildlife are long overdue, and we are pleased to see that this issue is now being taken seriously.”
Victoria will ban crocodiles as pets and update the licensing system for wildlife that is dangerous or has complex needs such as venomous snakes and monitor lizards, so they can only be held under tailored licences. There will also be limits on large-scale wildlife breeding to stamp out cruel breeding practices.
RSPCA Victoria’s head of prevention Rebecca Cook said these reforms were certainly welcomed.
“We are pleased to see the changes endorsed by the government will provide the Conservation Regulator with better enforcement and compliance tools to safeguard our native wildlife,” she said.
“In particular, we are pleased to see increas-
es to maximum penalties and the introduction of new offences to the Act to deter offenders and ensure those who do offend receive appropriate penalties.
“We’re also happy to see the extension of the statute of limitations for investigating wildlife crime and the filing of charges for offences against the Act.”
Alongside $2 million to establish a wildlife hospital at the Kyabram, $350,000 was allocated for vet outreach and training for wildlife carers and shelters in regional and rural area; $300,000 for a Wildlife Rehabilitator Rebate Scheme to help carers cover the costs of treating sick and injured animals; $100,000 to bolster the number of wildlife rescuers responding to emergencies like fires and floods; and $100,000 to manage wombat mange.
“The introduction of a more risk-based approach to managing native animals is also encouraging. Wildlife carers across Victoria work tirelessly to ensure animals receive the highest standard of care, and it is vital that everyone involved in wildlife management upholds those same standards,” Ms Palma said.
“Ensuring that wildlife is not subject to unnecessary stress or kept in unsuitable conditions is
crucial to improving welfare outcomes. We look forward to understanding in more detail how these new measures will operate in practice, particularly around compliance and supervision of enhanced regulations.”
While grateful for the reforms and the steps taken by the government, leading animal welfare and wildlife organisations said more needed to be done.
“The proposal includes some improvements that should be applauded, including a commitment to increase penalties for wildlife crime, but there is no evidence of the much larger reforms that are desperately needed to halt the decline of our wildlife populations,” Expert advisory panel member and Biodiversity Council co-chief councillor Yuin man Dr Jack Pascoe said.
This sentiment was echoed by Ms Palma.
“While this reform marks an important milestone, there remains scope for further improvements to ensure the legislation fully meets the needs of our wildlife,” she said.
“We would like to see further detail behind the changes and understand detailed implementation plan and look forward to continuing to engage with the government to strengthen protections across the state.”
Question marks for completion of Yarra Valley Rail Trail
By Gabriella Vukman
Frustration and hope mingled at last Thursday’s Yarra Glen community meeting, where council members and long-term residents gathered to discuss potential improvements for the town of Yarra Glen.
According to locals, the MacIntyre Lane to Yarra Glen, Yarra Valley Rail Trail and the voluntary Tarrawarra to Yarra Glen Rail Trail were particularly important topics for the 23 October meeting. The focus on the speedy delivery of the rail trail infrastructure projects to bring tourist dollars to the township of Yarra Glen, stems from a rise in local concern for the longterm prosperity of the town.
Yarra Glen resident Neil Cornish said he attended the session seeking clear deadlines and accountability for key projects.
“We want commitment from the Council that they are doing what they are saying they are doing,” Mr Cornish said.
Referring to the long-anticipated Yarra Valley Rail Trail and trail between Tarrawarra and Yarra Glen, Mr Cornish said, “We were told when we first came into town it was two years and it was going to be finished.”
“Now they keep telling us it is a couple of years more work every couple of years. They’ve done probably 10 to 15 percent of the project. There is still a long way to go.”
The Yarra Valley Rail Trail project encompasses a network of trails, connecting Lilydale, Coldstream, Yarra Glen, and Healesville together in a valley-wide loop.
The project’s vision is to link the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail at Seville East and Woori Yallock.
According to the Yarra Ranges Council’s website, the Yarra Valley Trail “will provide outstanding infrastructure for locals and visitors, connecting communities, increasing opportunities for recreation, nature connection and active transport, and creating local jobs.”
The Tarrawarra to Yarra Glen Trail is largely volunteer-run and aims to restore the historic line from Healesville through Tarrawarra to Yarra Glen.
The two trails are a development both council and locals say would bring a wave of tourism and business to the township. However, progress has stalled for over a decade, prompting
calls for renewed resources and attention.
Mr Cornish expressed sympathy for the volunteer teams, some of whom he knows personally, but said that without stronger council support, the community risks seeing the project fade into a perpetual “in progress” status.
“I think we need to put more resources in to get one of the trail projects done and worry about the other one later,” he said.
Mr Cornish also pointed out that the council-funded walking trail from McIntyre Lane to Yarra Glen, despite early promises, has only seen the build of two bridges and a small section of the trail be completed.
“They keep saying, ‘We’re nearly finished.’ Well, they haven’t nearly finished. We’re still waiting,” Mr Cornish said.
“People have come and bought businesses in the town. They were told it would soon be booming. Those businesses are closed now.
“They are saying it will bring prosperity to the town, but they haven’t worked out how to get over the Yarra River. Unless they get over the river, no one comes into town.”
Other residents echoed the need for revitalisation efforts to match promises. Marilyn Whiteside, another attendee at the Thursday meeting, noted that the rail volunteer base is ageing and in need of fresh energy.
Ms Whiteside said, “The volunteers for the rail from Yarra Glen to Healesville are an aging population.”
“They need more younger volunteers and people with skills that can help get the project going quicker.”
While the Tarrawarra to Yarra Glen rail trail went unmentioned in the meeting, council representatives reportedly assured residents that progress was being made on the Yarra Valley Rail Trail, with one section of the trail expected to open by December this year.
Despite the opening of the trail, it was confirmed at Thursday’s meeting that the completed section will stop short of crossing the Yarra River and hence, will not make it to Yarra Glen.
While the promise of completion is welcome, many remain skeptical. As Mr Cornish put it, “It’ll be good when it’s done, but I am not holding my breath.”
Yarra Ranges Council was approached for comment but maintained that there was no comment to add at this time.
Yarra Glen residents Neil Cornish and Marilyn Whiteside attended the Thursday 23 October meeting. (Supplied)
Tanya Horticulture
Dr Sinclair to vie for a seat
By Callum Ludwig
The first nominee putting their name forward to represent some Yarra Ranges townships after the 2026 Victorian election has been confirmed, with the Greens having preselected their lead candidate for the Northern Victoria region in the upper house.
Northern Victoria includes Yarra Ranges townships in the Upper Yarra from Woori Yallock east along the Warburton Highway, as well as the Yarra Valley towns of Yarra Glen, Healesville, Chum Creek, Badger Creek, Toolangi, Steels Creek and Dixons Creek.
Dr Cate Sinclair has been named as the lead of the Greens ticket and said she lives in the bush near Castlemaine.
“I’m an occupational therapist, I work with young people who have chronic pain and I’m also a researcher, the research that I’ve done that’s been done across the world now is showing that young people who have chronic pain that impacts their capacity to function and do things are directly impacted by the environments that they’re living in,” she said.
“When we see families who are having so much difficulty with housing security, cost of living and just paying for everyday groceries, that kind of pressure is actually experienced by the kids and so for me to keep doing the work I was doing just began to feel futile and I needed to look at the bigger picture.
“When we look at the environment and what’s happening with climate change, it’s climate upheaval that we’re all living in, it was enough for me to put my hand up and stand for the Greens.”
Dr Sinclair previously stood for the Greens in the 2022 Federal election in the seat of Bendigo and again ran for Northern Victoria in the Legislative Council for Northern Victoria that same year.
Dr Sinclair said the key message she’s gathered from her previous electoral efforts is that there’s a growing number of people who are very concerned about climate change and its impacts.
“Even in the last three years, the floods that we’ve had up north and now the drought that we’ve had that’s happened really quickly, and the way that people’s everyday lives are also impacted by the reduced funding for services has meant that the message is that people are still very concerned,” she said.
“There’s a sense that Labor is not doing enough and we need to have Greens in the upper house to actually influence and change some of those outcomes.
“Our plan is to have an increase in our vote so that we’re getting above 10 per cent, ideally, we want 16 per cent to get a clear quota and to be able to be voted directly in without needing preferences, and that’s why the Greens are active-
ly lobbying for the group voting system to be removed so that there’s actually a fair playing field.”
In July 2024, the Electoral Matters Committee recommended Victoria eliminate group voting tickets as the method of electing its Upper House, which other states have already done in recent years. The group ticket system means Legislative Council candidates must win a quota of the statewide vote, which can be achieved by winning votes directly or by sourcing votes from other candidates or parties in order to achieve enough of the vote to win, rather than being based on the voters preferences.
The Greens were unsuccessful in having a candidate elected in Northern Victoria in 2022, with Dr Sinclair receiving 6.66 per cent of the first preference vote (30,966 votes). The Nationals candidate Gaelle Broad was elected with 0.26 per cent of the first preference vote (1210 votes), Animal Justice Party’s Georgie Purcell with 1.53 per cent (7123 votes) and Pauline Hanson’s Ona Nation’s Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell with 3.68 per cent
(17,091 votes) ahead of her.
Dr Sinclair said we also need to be focusing on health issues and looking at the access that people have to have, particularly around the Yarra Ranges and Healesville.
“There’s a lack of access to urgent care and to medical services and that’s impacting everybody’s day-to-day life, the cost of medical care is enormous and there’s not adequate mental health services,” she said.
“The other thing is housing and housing insecurity, the cost of renting continues to go up despite there not being housing availability or affordability… particularly in areas like the Yarra Ranges and around Healesville where there’s high levels of tourism, that creates a lot of difficulty for local populations and being able to find housing for hospitality workers and health workers, teachers, everybody in our community is feeling that pressure.
“Those are things that we need action on now and also recognising that we’ve got increased
bushfire risk that has a huge impact on the local bush, farmlands and local towns, the risk of catastrophic fire days is increasing and we need to be prepared for that and it’s not really being adequately managed either.”
Anyone interested in contacting, donating or volunteering for Dr Sinclair’s campaign can do so at greens.org.au/vic/person/cate-sinclair.
Dr Sinclair said she will be down in Healesville, Warburton and the Yarra Ranges during her campaign to come and speak to people about what matters.
“That’s the part of campaigning that I think is really important,” she said.
“My plan is to head across to Healesville, I have an EV (electric vehicle) so I’m going to be driving across and lobbying for more EV charging station.
“The plan is to get around to the entire region, I’ve got 12 months to do that in, which is very exciting that we’ve got enough time to be able to plan to get across the whole region.”
Decision makers call for community health service funds
By Oliver Winn
Better funding support for community health services in the Yarra Ranges was the topic of discussion at an engaging meeting between Access Health and Community (AccessHC) leaders and politicians.
Federal shadow health minister Anne Ruston and Casey MP Aaron Violi met with AccessHC chief executive officer Anna Robinson at one of Lilydale’s busiest community health centres, Inspiro on Tuesday 21 October. Inspiro and AccessHC merged in May to combine resources and better serve its communities amid a lack of funding support from the State Government.
Ms Robinson is also a chairperson for Community Health First, and she said on 2 October that strategic investment of $75 million per year into community health services can unlock better care for Victorians.
“With strategic investment, community health can unlock up to $700 million in avoided healthcare costs, ensure tens of thousands more Victorians get the care they need when and where they need it, and deliver greater equity across our communities,” Ms Robinson said.
Community Health First represents Victoria’s 22 registered independent community health services and announced its 2026-27 Victorian budget submission.
Ms Ruston said it was important for invest-
ments into community health to be dictated by the community in order to address unique needs and circumstances.
“There’s an old saying that you’ve seen one rural and regional community, you’ve seen one rural and regional community,” she said.
“Each community has got different challenges, different resources and different opportunities.”
Mr Violi said it was wonderful to see the result of the merger between Inspiro and AccessHC.
“Community health services like this play a vital role in bridging the gap for local families, offering affordable services for physical, mental and social wellbeing, and we are so fortunate to have this dedicated team right here in Lilydale,”
Mr Violi said.
She praised AccessHC for its work with the community to identify what services needed to be prioritised for funding.
“This merged organisation is actually making decisions that are in the best interest of this community.”
Ms Robinson said record investments into acute care in the past two years by the State Government had laid the groundwork for further funding, and now it was time for the government to act.
“Over the past two years, record investments by the Victorian Government have strengthened acute health services and launched critical health reforms.
“With these foundations in place, now is the time to amplify that impact by investing in community health – the services that keep Victorians well, prevent hospitalisations, and ensure timely, affordable support close to home,” said Ms Robinson.
The importance of connecting Yarra Ranges townships through better public transport and innovative technologies was also highlighted.
Ms Ruston said the government needed to incentivise innovations so people who live in smaller townships aren’t being disadvantaged.
“We need to be making sure that we’re investing in innovations and technologies because many of these services are able to be delivered in innovative ways.
“But equally we also need to understand that the revision of a big group of services like we’ve got here [in Lilydale] probably isn’t possible in every community,” she said.
She pointed to telehealth and said it was “one of the greatest advances in provision of health services that we’ve seen in our lifetime”.
Dr Cate Sinclair has put her hand up again for the Northern Victoria region. (Supplied)
L-R: Federal shadow health minister Anne Ruston, AccessHC chief executive officer Anna Robinson, federal Casey MP Aaron Violi and AccessHC board member Annette Mercuri. (Oliver Winn: 512310)
Primary school marks 150
By Oliver Winn
The Warburton Primary School celebrated its 150th anniversary on 19 October where students, parents, teachers and community gathered to mark the momentous occasion.
Over 400 people attended the day and Warburton Primary School principal Nathan Van Der Monde said the turnout was incredible.
“It was a fantastic day. The students had performances and the school captains gave speeches, as well as myself. We had some representatives from the Department of Education,” he said.
“So it was quite nice to have that sort of all the official parts of the day.”
Local Wurundjeri woman Stacy Piper gave a moving Welcome to Country ceremony and the day’s celebrations followed shortly after.
Mr Van De Monde said the school captain’s speeches were a highlight of the day as they spoke about what makes the school special.
“They spoke about the fact that it’s taught them that they do have a voice and they can make change, I think it’s really amazing that that’s what they took with them.”
With food stalls, a student musical performance, tree planting and a historical memorabilia display, the day had plenty on offer.
The rich history of Warburton Primary School instills a lot of pride in its students and Mr Van De Monde said it was good to showcase that.
“They’re pretty well aware of their school history and something that we’re very proud of.
“We talk about it a lot as a school, but I think it was nice for the community members, ex-staff
Six
and ex-students to come in and see,” he said.
Mr Van De Monde was grateful for the funding from the Upper Yarra Community Enterprise to help run the event as it wouldn’t have been “quite as grand” without it.
“They value what schools do… and they wanted to provide some funding to help us to have that day and to celebrate it with the community and make it a really big event.”
Looking back on its 150 years of history, Mr Van De Monde said a common thread of community support has formed the foundation of the Warburton Primary School.
From raising money for new school buildings, petitioning for better resources and simply having the belief that education is important, it’s always been a team effort at Warburton Primary School.
But, Mr Van De Monde said the school’s strong connection to the environment over the years had formed its “heart and soul”.
“Looking through old records, Warburton primary school also has championed a lot of those types of programs.”
He noted an old principal, Mr Bleakley, from the first half of the 20th century as pioneering many agricultural and environmental programs from his pine plantation.
Mr Van De Monde also thanked the Planning Team coordinator Jessica Eden for her leadership in organising the day, alongside all the other volunteers who helped make it as successful as it was.
“I also wanted to thank the parent planning team for all of their work because it was a massive amount of work.”
decades on and the historical society is still kicking
By Oliver Winn
From the old railway sleepers on the Warburton train line, to the Powelltown Sawmill which still stands today, the Yarra Ranges teems with history.
Since 1965, the Upper Yarra Valley Historical Society (UVYHS) has cherished the stories of those who came before us, and 2025 will mark its 60th anniversary.
On 7 December, the UVYHS will have an open day free to members of the public to celebrate this milestone.
UYVHS president John Bramley said he hoped to continue the work of prior members in preserving the history of the Yarra Ranges.
“The committee members are dedicated and are of great assistance and our team that looks after the grounds and maintenance do an excellent job.
“The archive work is ongoing, and the team are working through the older work as well as new artefacts and documents that are donated,” Mr Bramley said.
Both society members and the public can attend the open day for free in a rare chance to witness the artefacts of the past, and how the people of the present are preserving them.
“The public can attend and see what work is done by the members in maintaining the artefacts and documents.”
Mr Bramley explained a little bit of history on the society itself.
“The first meeting was held at Green Gables Chalet, Warburton on Monday 15 November 1965. They initially met as the Warburton and Yarra Valley Historical Society.
“The next meeting was held again at Green Gables Chalet on 13 December 1965, and the name Upper Yarra Valley Historical society was adopted,” he said.
The Green Gables Chalet in Warburton would be main meeting place for the society in years where they would organise displays of photographs and artefacts at various locations within the Upper Yarra Shire.
The Mechanics Hall was their main storage space, and in January 1967 the UYVHS was notified the Yarra Junction Station was to be demolished.
“It was brought to the attention of the UYVHS that the disused railway station at Yarra Junction was to be demolished or removed, but as being of historical value, it should be preserved.
“The UYVHS applied to the Secretary for Railways to establish a museum of local historical interest.”
It took two years, but by June 1969 the leasing arrangements had been finalised and the first meeting was held at the station with 26 people in attendance.
The museum was then officially opened on 10 December 1972.
Mr Bramley listed some of the highlights of the UYVHS over the years.
“One of the society’s first large artefact to be displayed was the former Powelltown Sawmills Fordson Rail Tractor which was transferred to the museum during October 1972.
“In June 1977, the first Vintage Engine Crank Up was held at the museum as a fund-raising effort for future works,” he said.
To this day, Crank Up continues to take place each year, with 2025’s iteration being a
major success.
It showed the thriving history of the Yarra Ranges continued to beat on throughout the valley.
The economic foundation of the Yarra Ranges lay in the grains of the timber harvested from its forests.
But Mr Bramley said there were other lesser known industries too which had a formative role in shaping the area’s history.
“The gold mining industry played a big part in the history of the Yarra Valley,” he said.
“The establishment of the Upper Yarra Dam changed the history and changed the area along with the O’Shannassy Aqueduct bringing workers to the area.
“Electricity was brought to The Valley due
to the establishment of these assets.
“Tourism is another factor bringing people to the area. Over the last years more people are coming to area to live with small acreages being developed.”
Though there are some struggles among many community organisations to engage youth to participate, Mr Bramley was confident in the future of the UYVHS.
“As with other organisations it is difficult to recruit the younger generation to become involved with artefacts and documents they consider are in the past.
“We have advertised for assistance with the archiving work and have received some enquiries and have had two people join to help,” Mr Bramley said.
Around 400 people turned up to celebrate Warburton Primary School’s 150th. (Warburton Primary School)
John Bramley with an old weighing machine. (Stewart Chambers: 512295)
Celebrating zines, comics
By Callum Ludwig
Healesville is set to host the first edition of a festival celebrating a unique kind of creative vessel.
The first ever Healesville Zine and Comic Festival will be held at The Memo on Friday 31 October and Saturday 1 November.
Event organiser Cora Zon, whose exhibition Cipher will be on display during the festival, said they are very excited to be hosting the first Healesville Zine and Comic Festival.
“Zines are the most accessible form of self publishing, anyone can create and publish their own work, whether it be art, photography, poetry or prose using a photocopier,” she said.
“I’ve run zine making workshops in libraries, schools, at festivals and events and, most recently, at Healesville Sanctuary and Tarrawarra Museum of Art, everyone, from young children to seniors, has enjoyed the process.
“There will be many examples of zines and independent comics at the fair to inspire your creativity, I hope the community feels curious and comes and has a look at how zines and comics could add to their enjoyment of life.”
Saturday will be the Zine Fair between 12pm and 4pm, followed by Read to Me between 5pm and 7pm where comic artists and zine makers will read their work aloud with the images projected on screen and concluded by a performance by zinemaking rock band Secret Migraines from 7.15pm to 8pm.
Between 12pm and 1pm, attendees can also view a presentation on the Silent Army Archive which highlights how independent comic making is a ‘community building experience, through collaborative publications, and social pursuits.’
Sarah Howell will host a Collage Comics workshop between 12.30pm and 2pm, where participants can bring a poem (an old favourite or one of your own) or flick through a book of poems during the workshop and create a collage.
Ms Zon said the most special thing about the
medium of zines is that they offer a window into the world of an individual.
“Everyone can make a zine and every voice is celebrated, zines are a fantastic way to share niche interests,” she said.
“I love seeing fresh perspectives on topics and feeling expanded as a result of reading these publications.
“Zines are fun, fun to look at, fun to make and fun to collect.”
Dungeons and Dragons and Spoken Word components will also be part of the festivities:
A Poet’s Breakfast (open mic) between on Saturday 10am and 1pm for poets of all ages and experiences hosted by poet and musician Andrew
Darling.
This will be followed by a Toastmasters presentation on public speaking between 1pm and 3.30pm.
Between 10am and 4pm on Saturday you can learn to play Dungeons and Dragons with dungeon masters Ally McNabb and Chris Godfrey, with a make your own dungeons and dragons zinemaking workshop also on offer with Alex Clark between 2.30pm and 4pm.
Star Mail cartoonist Danny Zemp will be facilitating a caricatures workshop throughout the festival and said it’s very exciting and the best thing they’ve done is keep it free for all to participate.
“It’s also away from a big city, you’re far enough away from the city that it’s like a holiday but it’s still close enough so you can make a day trip or even stay for the weekend,” he said.
“On Friday I’ll be working together with a few schools and making sure that they can attend and participate in some of the workshops that we’re running for comic and zine making.
“We also have a masterclass running on Friday that someone else has organised.”
Paid comics masterclasses will be held between 9.30am and 4.30pm on Friday 31 October (bookings required).
Between 1pm and 2pm that day, visitors can find out about the research project ‘Contemporary Australian Comics 1980-2020: A New History’ with the Australian Comics Folio Panel.
Mr Zemp said he loves comics, he lived, breathed and grew up on comics.
“But I didn’t hear about zines until I came to Australia, I’d never really participated in zine making until I became a Toastmaster and after that I embraced the simplicity of a zine, it’s cheap, it’s fast, it’s informative and you can get a message out there fairly quickly, it’s minimal effort,” he said.
“You progress further and go into comic making, it requires an awful lot of work, dedication, time and money… it’s essentially a labor of love because you’re not going to make money from comics, really a few people do and even from zines you’re not going to make a dollar from it.
“Everyone should come along who has an interest in pictures, comics and cartoons to see the people behind the funny pictures that are getting created and the effort that has been put in.”
The event has been supported by Yarra Ranges Council (through a Festival and Events grant), Yarra Valley FM, Toastmasters D73, Your Library, Healesville Sanctuary, Tarrawarra Museum of Art and Sticky Institute.
To find out more about the event, visit healesvillezineandcomicfestival.org/ or instagram. com/healesvillezinecomicfestival/.
Tim Bridges and Danny Zemp. (Stewart Chambers: 512289)
Foundation gathers steam
By Gabriella Vukman
Plans to secure the Healesville community’s financial future are underway, with a team of dedicated locals working to create a new initiative to support local organisations. - The Healesville Community Foundation.
Designed to attract and distribute funds to support community-based organsiations across the district, the foundation is being structured to qualify as a federally approved, tax-deductible charity by early 2026.
With these tax-deductions creating an incentive for donors who want to see their contributions go directly toward strengthening the Healesville and district community, the foundation will invest significant gifts to grow its capital base.
Other grants and gifts can also flow straight through the Foundation in the year they are received to support local projects.
The founding volunteers of the Foundation include Jan Cochrane-Harry who is the current Chair and Trustee of the Margaret Lawrence Bequest charity and Chair of the Healesville Community Bank Bruce Argyle, among others.
Along with Ms Cochrane-Harry and Mr Argyle, the Foundation will be chaired and serviced by local Healesville volunteers, a team which is yet to be announced.
Community Foundations are typically independent, local non-profit funds that build up charitable donations to disperse among a specific geographic area.
Unlike short term fundraising campaigns, community foundations usually build an enduring fund that grows over time, with investment earnings providing grants well into the future.
“In Australia we have about 40 community foundations which range from small local community foundations to large ones like Lord Mears Charitable Trust,” Mr Argyle said.
“The bushfires in 2009 saw the establishment of some community foundations as a way of rebuilding, strengthening resilience and capacity in communities such as Marysville, King Lake and others, but Healesville somehow missed out.
“The Healesville Community Foundation is about supporting non for profit organisations across the board but it is also shoring up and growing a fund that the Healesville community can fall back on.”
Belonging to the tentatively named ‘Healesville and District Community Foundation Limited’ company, the Healesville Community Foundation will rely heavily on the generosity of the community and will distribute funds to a wide range of areas including but not limited to disability, arts, education, homelessness and ageing.
Chair of the Margaret Lawrence Bequest Jan Cochrane-Harry said, “funding will be granted to community groups or non-for-profits.”
“The Federal Government are in the process of bringing in some new legislation surrounding Public Ancillary Funds that will slash regulation and make it easier for community charities to be set up,” she said.
Ms Cochrane-Harry also noted the role the Healesville Community Fund would play in the case of an emergency or natural disaster.
“When and if disasters hit, whether they’re winds that bring down trees or floods and fires, governments and communities can provide donations to a safe and trusted body, - the Healesville Community Foundation, that would receive those donations and then distribute them accordingly,” Ms Cochrane-Harry said.
“The great thing about community foundations is that they tap into the deep community knowledge and they’re responsive to local issues. They build engagement and a stronger sense of belonging.
“Sometimes you just need a bit of money in the right place to make things happen.”
Local service clubs and organisations are gradually being introduced to the idea of the Foundationand,accordingtoMsCochrane-Harry, the response has been supportive.
“Some of the groups that we have consulted have said that the foundation is the most exciting thing that has happened in Healesville and the community bank is very supportive,” Ms Cochrane-Harry said.
While the exact boundaries of the Foundation’s reach are yet to be determined, it is anticipated to include Badger Creek, Chum Creek, Toolangi, Tarrawarra, Gruyere, and Coldstream, in addition to Healesville itself.
The Foundation’s regional approach is intended to ensure that smaller communities surrounding the Healesville township also benefit from the fund’s shared resources and investment.
Nod to Gulf Station Historic Farm volunteer Mike Ridley
By Callum Ludwig
A long-time volunteer at Yarra Glen’s Gulf Station Historic Farm has been recognised for his efforts at the 2025 Victorian Senior of the Year Awards.
Mike Ridley, from Montmorency, received a Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria Senior Achiever Awards which ‘recognises local community champions that significantly contribute to positive ageing in their community.’
Mr Ridley has volunteered at Gulf Station for 25 years, starting just before he retired from working at the ABC, having originally set out to be a volunteer tour guide like his father had in his retirement.
Mr Ridley said it was a great honour but he’s one of many people who have volunteered at the station and it’s an award for the team as far as he’s concerned.
“If we didn’t have volunteers, then Australia would probably implode… all sorts of different shapes and sizes, and all different types of work that people do as a volunteer really is quite astounding,” he said.
“I had been to Gulf Station on a visit a couple of times, and as a young boy on school holidays, I used to work on a farm and so I thought that’d be good to to turn in a full circle and come back to work on a farm.
“That was in the late 1990s…I’ve been doing work at Gulf Station ever since in various capacities.”
Originally owned and run by the Bell family from the 1850s to 1951, the National Trust acquired stewardship of Gulf Station in 1976 and restored its buildings and cottage garden.
Mr Ridley said a lot of National Trust properties couldn’t do without their volunteers.
“The number of volunteers at Gulf Station on a good day is about 16 or 17 people… it dwindled down to about two or three people for a very short period of time and then it was boosted again but the National Trust is obviously strapped for cash,” he said.
“It’s very difficult for them to be able to put on and open up places like Gulf Station seven days a week, they couldn’t do it without volunteers and the maintenance of the properties couldn’t be done without the volunteers.
“If it wasn’t for volunteers, the place just wouldn’t exist essentially.”
Mr Ridley has undertaken various tasks at Gulf Station throughout the years, acting as a tour guide, organising horse festivals, revegetating the heritage site and restoring and refurbishing the buildings and fences.
Mr Ridley said it gives him and all the other volunteers a great feeling of satisfaction to be able to preserve the buildings and the site in general.
“When we see them being used and visited by the general public, it gives us a great deal of satisfaction to see that what work is being done, we’re not just doing it for ourselves, we’re doing it so other people enjoy it and enjoy the history,” he said.
“Visitors are coming along and seeing how people lived in the late 1800s and early 1900s and so we enjoy giving school groups tours too when they come around.
“Some of them have never seen some farm animals before and so showing them and telling them about that is a great satisfaction to us
all because it’s part of the education of young people.”
Mr Ridley was one of 10 recipients of the
Mr Ridley said before people retire, it would be a good idea if they thought about what they’re going to do once they retire.
“It is not only for planning your financial situation, it’s planning for your health and your wellbeing,” he said.
“Certainly, from my point of view, part of my wellbeing is to be able to go out to Gulf Station and do work for people that I enjoy doing, and that other people enjoy the product of.”
COTA Victoria Senior Achiever Awards.
Mike Ridley cleaning a scythe at Gulf Station. (Irene Kearsey)
Expert advice, friendly service at Treadworx
Right in the heart of Lilydale, Treadworx is a proudly family-owned business that’s been keeping locals rolling for more than seven years. Known for friendly service and genuine expertise, the team at Treadworx specialises in 4x4 vehicles, as well as everything from everyday cars to wheelbarrows!
With an extensive selection of tyres from trusted brands like Maxxis, Yokohama, Falken, Kumho and more, Treadworx has the perfect option for every vehicle — whether you’re after durability, high performance, or a balance of both. Their wheel collection is equally impressive, featuring favourites such as ROH, PDW, Lenso, Extreme 4x4, Dynamic, Sniper, and many others, ensuring your ride combines both style and strength.
As an authorised Fulcrum Suspensions and Tough Dog Suspension dealer, Treadworx also offers a complete range of suspension upgrades and products, expertly fitted to suit your driving needs, especially for off-road adventures.
Owner Nathan Hawkless sums it up best:
“With over 25 years of experience and a knowledgeable team, we’re committed to providing top-quality products and honest service at competitive prices.”
For expert advice, reliable service, and a team that truly cares, Treadworx Lilydale is your local destination. Drop by and see why so many drivers, especially 4x4 enthusiasts, trust them for tyres, wheels, and suspension.
A pair of recent events held in October provided important opportunities for connection among the Yarra Ranges autistic community.
Healesville-based author Sandra ThomJones, with support of grants from Yarra Ranges Council, was behind the second edition of Auti-magination, a published series of stories by local autistic writers, and Autism and Ageing, a discussion with older autistic people for the council’s Over 50s Festival.
Ms Thom-Jones said last year’s Auti-magination was lots of fun, very successful and a wonderful experience so they applied for grants to do it again.
“The focus of the workshop was really around exploring creativity, exploring writing as a medium, because many autistic people are very creative, and there’s a lot of myths around autism and the sort of misperception that autistic people are not very creative,” she said.
“The reality of it is that many autistic people have amazing imaginations and are incredibly creative, but often struggle in the very structured system that we face in schools.
“Last year a lot of people had said to us ‘I’m autistic and I’m very creative, but writing’s not really my medium’ so this year, we also included an art competition, where we invited autistic people of all ages living in the Yarra Ranges to submit a piece of artwork and we had that judged by artists with prize categories for primary school age, secondary school age and adult.”
Artists had their works on display in the Yarra Ranges Council Civic Centre for the week following the book launch event on 9 October.
Ms Thom-Jones said it was marvellous listening to people talk about how important and valuable it was seeing their work up on the wall.
“It was the same with the book, it was the first time people have had their work published and shared with the world,” she said.
“The stories in the book are amazing and the artworks are incredible and it was just such a great experience just to see how talented these groups of people are, and to be able to actually share that with the Yarra Ranges community.
“It’s novel for many autistic people to actually be comfortable and be welcome in public spaces and I think that was really nice for the participants to be able to come in the council building, be welcomed by the councillors, to feel part of the local community…valuing the role that we have to play in the community, I think that’s really huge.”
Four workshops were held for Auti-magination at the Lilydale Community House on Saturdays between March and June this year.
Ms Thom-Jones said Autism and Ageing is also something she’s really passionate about.
“One of the big misperceptions about autism is people who when they think of autism, they think of children, there’s a real lack of awareness and understanding of autism as a life-long condition,” she said.
“You’re born autistic, you stay autistic your whole life, you die autistic, and there’s a real lack of awareness of that in the community, in the health sector and in the service sector, which means that as people become older they face really serious challenges.”
“If you’re an older autistic person and you’re looking at interacting with the medical system, you’re looking at going into aged care, there’s all those concerns about are people actually going to understand my needs, are they going to understand the way that I communicate, am I going to be able to find comfortable safe spaces where I can be me and I can access the supports, the resources and the environment that I need to survive, feel safe and feel comfortable.”
Autism and Ageing was held on 13 October, also at the Yarra Ranges Council Civic Centre.
Ms Thom-Jones said one common topic was the awareness of sensory issues, which people are very aware of with children and less aware of with adults, like bright lights, loud noises or other things that are really challenging for autistic people of all ages.
“When we look at the services that are provided for adults when they are provided, they rely on a lot of neurotypical assumptions, that everyone’s going to like very active social events with bright lights and we’re all in here in this room doing everything together… that’s not necessarily what safe comfortable socialisation or safe comfortable aged care looks like for autistic
people,” she said.
“The other thing that was a big topic of discussion, was around how isolated older autistic people can become… autistic people tend to become very isolated, they don’t feel welcome and included in the community, so we do have a lot of older autistic people who are very separate from the community.
“They don’t have the social networks, they don’t have access to a lot of the supports and resources they need, they don’t have access to adequate medical care because of challenges with communicating with doctors…we just don’t
The aged up to 12 years winner of the art
have the supports and the resources set up for older autistic people.”
Ms Thom-Jones has been diagnosed with autism and has won two Scarlett Stilletto awards, ‘a national award for short stories, written by Australian women and featuring a strong female protagonist.’
Ambitious Christmas hamper appeal launched by Holy Fools
It’s a tradition that grows every year, as Holy Fools aims to help and support more people during the Christmas period.
This year is no different, launching the annual Christmas Hamper Appeal on Thursday 16 October, live on social media, with a goal of preparing and distributing 150 hampers.
“Christmas should be a time of hope and connection, but for many in our community facing homelessness or housing insecurity, it can be the loneliest time of year. These hampers aren’t just about providing food—they’re about showing people they matter and they’re not forgotten,” chief executive officer Neal Taylor said.
“We’ve set an ambitious goal of 150 hampers because we know the need is real and growing. Every hamper represents a family or individual in our community who will feel the warmth of knowing their neighbours care. That’s the true spirit of Christmas.”
Holy Fools is also seeking to raise
$20,000
by the end of 2025 to help cover the day-to-day costs of running Felix House and supporting those experiencing homelessness in our com-
munity.
“Felix House has become a lifeline for so many, and this Christmas appeal helps us keep
those doors open. When you donate to a hamper or contribute financially, you’re not just helping someone survive—you’re giving them dignity and hope for a brighter future,” Mr Taylor said.
Supporting the campaign by hosting a donation bin, and helping launch the appeal with Mr Taylor, Casey MP Aaron Violi encouraged locals to dig deep this Christmas.
“We are so fortunate to have Holy Fools and Felix House in our community, but they can’t continue to help those in need without our community coming together and giving this Christmas,” he said.
“It’s tough and getting harder for local families to donate, but if you can, please consider donating a few items because it makes such a difference to families at Christmas time. It’s not just about the food, it’s the nourishment of knowing someone out there cares about them and their wellbeing.”
Sandra Thom-Jones at the Auti-magination 2 launch. (Supplied)
L-R: YRC Community Partnerships Officer Natalie Montano, Sandra Thom-Jones and YRC Disability Inclusion Officer Amanda May. (Supplied)
The adult winner of the art category. (Supplied)
Casey MP Aaron Violi and Holy Fools CEO Neal Taylor launched the Christmas Appeal for 2025. (Supplied)
The aged 13-18 winner of the art category.
category. (Supplied)
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Magical unicorn paintings
By Oliver Winn
The public had its first look at the celestial and symbolic unicorn paintings of Yarra Ranges artist Lynette Orzlowski at the Re’em winery on Sunday 26 October.
This ever-changing exhibition is on display indefinitely and will be continuously updated by Ms Orzlowski.
Ms Orzlowski said she had “little butterflies in [her] heart” at the opportunity to showcase her art in Re’em.
“I’m ecstatic, it was basically just an opportunity that was given to me.”
Her roots in Seville and Healesville were influential in her fascination with everything equine
“I’ve been around them all my life, horses have always interested me and the unicorn and the pegasus are two magical creatures that I’ve always been in awe of,” she said.
Though she’s been an artist at heart since “knee-height to a grasshopper”, only since November 2024 has she painted full time.
“Throughout my life I’ve been married, had a kid, and divorced. I’ve worked in many different jobs, so a jack of all trades, master of none.
“But the one thing that I have come back to all the time is art.”
“It’s been a lot of work, but it’s in my blood, so I love doing this sort of stuff, even though it’s hard work, it’s very rewarding.”
The opportunity to showcase her work at Re’em is fitting, since Re’em means unicorn in Hebrew.
Ms Orzlowski has become known for her unicorn paintings, which are often made using a mixed media of different forms of paint.
Her paintings are rendered in a realistic way, creating an element of “magical realism” in her work.
“So when you look at some of my work, espe-
cially my pastels, they’re quite realistic.
“The unicorns… some are realistic and some are a little bit more contemporary and impressionistic, but they’re still leading to the point that they look like real horses,” Ms Orzlowski said.
She sees unicorns as a symbol of guidance, innocence, and divine connection, and even the more realistic paintings brim with magic and spirituality.
“Animals have messages for us and sometimes when we see them, they’re actually trying to tell us something, so I was tapping into that.”
Top award for Yarra Junction student’s climate change photo
A vibrant dandelion, with its petals stretching outwards, against a brilliant backdrop of colourful bokeh - this is the picture taken by an Upper Yarra Secondary College student which won first place in a Victoria-wide photography competition.
Year nine student, A’isha took the top prize in Sustainability Victoria’s Through Your Own Lens photography competition – a state-wide initiative to inspire climate-ready thinking across schools participating in the ResourceSmart Schools program.
Up against 90 entries received from 28 schools across the state, A’isha’s image titled Growing Towards a Better Future, won the senior school category.
Her photograph features a vibrant dandelion thriving after winter and was praised for her striking composition and thoughtful reflection.
A’isha said the image “illustrates the small, simple wonders of our world.”
“The ability of this dandelion to grow back strong and vibrant after a cold, harsh winter is remarkable.
“To build a climate-ready future, we must protect these things that provide us with pollination and stable habitats, ensuring these treasures of life are safe,” the year nine student said.
This year, the Through Your Own Lens competition invited students across Victoria to explore the theme, building a climate-ready future, through photography and written reflection.
The initiative encourages young people to consider how communities, nature, and infrastructure are adapting to the impacts of climate change.
Judges praised A’isha’s entry for its “beautiful reflection with a striking image and creative use of focus”.
“We appreciate the natural light and colour in this photo, which really pop. The subject, colour and reflection together create a caring and empathetic mood,” the judges stated.
Students were recognised across three categories: lower primary, middle years and senior school.
Sustainability Victoria’s chief executive officer Matt Genever congratulated A’isha and
all entrants for their artistic visions of a climate-ready future.
“This competition is a powerful reminder of the creativity and insight young people bring to the climate conversation.
“A’isha’s image beautifully captures the re-
silience of nature and the importance of protecting it. It’s inspiring to see students leading the way with a strong sense of care for the world around them.”
Winners received cash prizes to support sustainability projects at their schools, a
One of Ms Orzlowski’s paintings, Beyond the Veil. (Supplied)
The opportunity to showcase her work at Re’em is fitting, since Re’em means unicorn in Hebrew. (Supplied)
printed and framed copy of their photograph, and an invitation to the 2026 ResourceSmart Schools Awards – Victoria’s largest celebration of sustainability in schools, where their work will be featured in a special exhibition of finalists’ images.
Her photo was praised for striking composition and thoughtful reflection. (A’isha)
Hall’s Corner, Healesville
Looking back
Bryn Jones
Healesville and District Historical Society president
Locals and visitors alike will be familiar with the florist shop on the corner of Healesville’s Green Street and Maroondah Highway, but flowers have played only a small part in that corner’s long history.
When the first land sales were held in 1865 in the newly established hamlet of Healesville, William Hall bought that block, on what was then known as Nicholson Street, and established his ‘Shoeing and General Blacksmith and Wheelwright’ business.
It remained in the Hall family for three generations, justifying its local description as ‘Hall’s Corner’.
In an age when the horse ‘ruled the road’ so to speak, the blacksmith was kingpin.
Horses had to be shod and drays, carts, and wagons maintained or repaired.
William Hall had chosen a prime spot which became Healesville’s busiest corner, diagonally opposite the Yorkshire Arms.
It was said that the ‘smithy’ became the resort of every man who owned a horse—and there were few who did not.
Their horses went to Hall’s and their drivers ‘adjourned’ to the Yorkshire Arms.
It was no uncommon site to see Nicholson Street filled with 200 packhorses all enroute to the terrible but fascinating gold tracks beyond the Black Spur.
On William Hall’s death the business passed to his son Ted, and in due course to his son, Ted jnr., but by the early years of the 20th century the old split-timber and palings building had become dilapidated, and on 4 July 1909 it was demolished bringing an end to a notable business dynasty.
But as times and circumstances change so a
Burrinja Theatre
Tex Perkins & Matt Walker
Two of Australia’s most revered musicians unite for a raw, powerful live show, blending new material, timeless covers, and iconic classics.
Tex Perkins has been around for a while now, with The Beasts, The Cruel Sea, The Dark Horses, and The Man in Black being just a few of his notable projects. Tex has built his reputation on a restless sense of adventure, an ability to evolve and adapt, a dark sense of humour, and a knack for teaming up with uniquely talented players who help bring out the best in him.
Matt Walker is one such player, long established as a respected singer-songwriter and a much-sought-after guitarist. He’s worked with many great people over his 30-year career.
Tex and Matt released the self-titled album Tex Perkins & The Fast Rubber Band in November 2021, which they wrote and produced together, and was followed by the band’s second album, Other World, in 2024.
• Season: Saturday 29 November at 8pm.
Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham
Two voices, one heart, zero pretence. Raw, real and ridiculously good, the music of this
unique duo has been described as folksy country, but it’s so much more than that.
• Season: Thursday 30 October at 8pm in the Lyre Room. The Round
The Midweek Matinee 2026 Season is here!
Enjoy a carefully selected season of shows sure to delight, evoking nostalgia for years gone by and the golden age of entertainment. You will be treated with magnificent music performances, an elegant ballet and of course, a Christmas singalong. To top it off. Enjoy a complimentary morning or afternoon tea in the beautiful light-filled foyer.
• February 25: Affinity Quartet. Take Four: Chamber Music for Everyone.
new era begins, and Hall’s Corner became the site for the next seven decades of garages and car distribution businesses, chiefly under the Ford banner, and continuing the general tradition of ‘transport’.
Names such as Roche, Pollard, McKenzie, Lyne and Griggs were associated with the corner, reflecting the changes that took place in the types of vehicles and services offered.
When the last dealership closed in 1981, the corner took on a different character, the most familiar business for a long while being ‘Grandma’s Kitchen’.
An interesting twist to the story is that the florist now on the site is also selling items made by a local blacksmith.
Frankenstein a great film
Frankenstein Starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi and Christoph Waltz MA15+ 4.5/5
Frankenstein is a thrilling, sumptuous, deeply moving triumph from Gothic grandmaster Guillermo Del Toro.
While the broader plot diverges significantly from Mary Shelley’s foundational source novel, Del Toro’s Frankenstein is one of the most faithful adaptations yet in how it portrays the monster (Jacob Elordi) as a being with intelligence and pathos, and its creator Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) as a man without empathy who failed his creation.
Even under heavy prosthetics, Elordi is achingly sympathetic as the monster, playing him as both ferocious and gentle, vengeful and wise, as he savours the beauty of the world but is constantly beaten down and rejected.
Isaac also has an enthralling arc as Victor, who is initially a roguish whirlwind of scientific passion but grows detestable as he mistreats his creation.
• March 11: Frankly Sinatra.
• April 24: Spirit of the Anzacs
• June 10: Bernadette Robinson = They Dang at Carnegie Hall
• July 15: The Broadway We Love: Promacs 40th birthday Celebration.
• August 5: The Australian Ballet School.
• August 2: Tenori Moment by Moment.
• October 14: The Australian Barbra Streisand Show.
• November 18: Pot-Pourri.
• December 9: The Christmas Belle.
REMEMBER:
The 1812 Theatre
Rhinestone Rex & Miss Monia
• Bookings: 9758 3964
• Season: 13 November to 6 December.
The Lilydale Atheneum Theatre, Sister Amnesia’s Country Western Nunsense Jamboree
• Bookings: 9735 1777, Monday, Tuesday and Friday between 10am and 3pm.
• Season: 20 November to 6 December
Christoph Waltz offers wry fun as Frankenstein’s benefactor Heinrich Harlander (a character invented for the film).
The one weak link in the cast is Mia Goth as the compassionate Lady Elizabeth, who is just slightly bland.
Del Toro has a talent for running dark themes through a fairy-tale lens, and continues his commitment to staggering art direction and grand, real sets and practical effects.
Frankenstein is told mostly through long narrated flashbacks; this presentation may bother some viewers, but the flashbacks are so tragic, stylish and visceral that it hardly matters that you know Victor and his monster will survive until the climax.
I am also convinced that the action moments on the ice pay homage to The Terminator, which is something a nerd like Del Toro would do (I say this with love, as a nerd myself).
Frankenstein will come to Netflix on 7 November, but I urge you to see this magnificent movie on the big screen during the spooky season.
- Seth Lukas Hynes
Warburton gets online
By Oliver Winn
A night of bingo, bowls and digital skill development took place at the Warburton Bowls Club on 22 October in celebration of Get Online Week.
Warburton Bowls Club grants officer Aimee Dostie said 40 people gathered to enjoy some entertainment and education for the event.
“It was a really good vibe. We had a lot of families, we had some children as young as four and then some grandparents probably in their 70s or 80s.
“The weather wasn’t bad enough to keep people at home.”
Get Online Week is an initiative which aims to close the digital divide and help Australians build practical online skills, with an emphasis on older Australians.
The initiative is spearheaded by the Good Things Foundation, an organisation focused on creating a more digitally inclusive world.
Ms Dostie said there was a lot of resources available to help people at the event develop their digital skills, while an internet-themed trivia
“We had trivia questions that were focused on internet type questions, as well as I would give information on resources and where to find them.
“It was pretty interesting and exciting to kind of see some people that you wouldn’t expect engage a little bit more,” Ms Dostie said.
Good Things Foundation chief executive officer Jess Wilson said Get Online Week supports older Australians to build digital literacy through events which are local and familiar.
“It’s about supporting older Australians to build their digital literacy and skills at local places close to them, so that they do have the opportunity to be able to learn something new, but also to be doing that in the local community close to where they are,” Ms Wilson said.
The median age of someone living in Warburton is 50, and it’s this demographic that are most vulnerable to complications caused by technology, and scams.
Research commissioned by the Good Things Foundation revealed over half of Australians over 65 relied on friends and family for help with tech problems.
These problems are diverse and can include simple navigation, fixing glitches, identifying AI
Local Haunt Comes to Light
Originally built in the late 1800s, the Grand has seen hundreds of guests pass through its doors. Mostly known for its great food, live bands, and humble yet fun atmosphere, the Healesville Grand Hotel has long been a favourite for locals and visitors alike. But behind the laughter and clinking glasses, spirits are not only poured at the bar but visit in another form frequently and some apparently never leave.
Staff closing the bar late at night or turning over the upstairs rooms alone often report strange happenings: doors creaking open, footsteps in empty hallways, and figures appearing where no one should be.
Rather than shying away or keeping it hidden, the team at the Grand are now embracing the building’s quirks and inviting the community to take a peek into its haunted and historic history.
If you would like a more intimate retelling and glimpse of the Grand, you are invited to Kyneton Paranormal’s investigation, where you’ll have EMF metres, spirit boxes, and a reliable tour guide to take you into the darkest shadows of our very old and beloved hotel.
Paranormal Night At Century Old Grand Hotel
The Grand Hotel has kept its secrets for over a century… until now Step beyond the bar and into the shadows. Join us on a guided journey through the hotel’s most haunted corners, where guests and staff have whispered of:
generated content and spotting scams.
Ms Dostie said the Warburton Bowls Club was positioned well to offer education on digital skills as the majority of its members were over the age of 50.
“Being a bowls club, it really is our demographic. We are happy and open to anyone, but probably the majority of members are over the age of 50 and this enables us to give them extra value,” Ms Dostie said.
In 2023, the Upwey-Tecoma Bowls Club were victim to a malicious scam which cost them more than $100,000.
The club was paying for repairs to its front green when an elaborate business email compromise scam saw the money sent to a bank account in Uganda.
The importance of digital literacy cannot be understated as scams become more prevalent.
Ms Dostie said even those who didn’t need the resources still saw value in the event, as there were people close to them that might struggle using technology.
“It’s not that you might necessarily need these resources, but you might know somebody else that does and they are available to you on the Good Things Foundation website, as well as the Be Connected Australia website,” she said.
• Those resources can be found on the following websites: goodthingsaustralia.org/ and beconnected.esafety.gov.au/
• Figures appearing in empty rooms
• Doors slamming on their own
• Strange reflections in darkened mirrors
• A chill that no fire can warm
Armed with ghost-hunting equipment and led by experienced investigators with KynetonParanormal, you’ll uncover the history and hauntings of this iconic Healesville landmark.
BOOK IF YOU DARE 18+ event
Dates: Sunday 23 November 2025 Sunday 7 December 2025 (UTC+11)
Location: Grand Hotel | 270 Maroondah Hwy, Healesville Vic 3777
Book Now (limited numbers available) For tickets head to: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1475913
40 people braved the wild winds to attend the bingo night. (Warburton Bowls Club)
The event saw people connect over bingo and bowls while learning about digital skills.
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 Without a fixed address (8)
5 Climb (6)
10 Churlish (5)
11 Emission of energy (9)
12 Hammer (6)
13 Ultra (7)
14 Harsh (8)
15 Plaster artwork (6)
18 Rib (6)
20 Yearbooks (8)
21 Cannabis derivative (7)
24 Desired (6)
27 One of seven children (9)
28 Appropriate (5)
29 Killer (6)
30 Adieu (8)
DOWN
1 Dry fruit outer (4)
2 Citrus preserve (9)
3 Faithful (5)
4 Observation (8)
6 Strew (7) 7 Banish (5)
8 Perilous (9)
9 Lazy (4)
14 Combination into a whole (9)
16 Across the region
17 Variety of hot drink (5,3)
19 Free time (7)
22 Dividing walls (5)
23 Aid (4)
25 Passageway between seats (5)
26 Small duck (4)
3
ENCHANTING
HILLS
LIVING WITH ICONIC STYLE AND VIEWS
ENCHANTING HILLS LIVING WITH ICONIC STYLE
SET against a brilliant backdrop of the stunning Warburton Ranges and framed by colourful, seasonal gardens, this well maintained, character home captures the heart and soul of classic hills living. With its sweeping, wrap-around verandah, picturesque views and elegant period charm, 20 Upper Coonara Road is more than a home - it’s a complete lifestyle package.
Designed to blend seamlessly with its natural surrounds, this beautifully presented weatherboard home flows effortlessly between indoor and outdoor living. Relax and unwind in light-filled living areas that showcase the spectacular views, while the ever-changing colours of the garden provide a living artwork through every season.
At the heart of the home lies a chef’s kitchen, where no detail has been overlooked - from the Belling dual oven and grill, butler’s sink, to quality cabinetry paired with warm timber benchtops. Drenched in morning sunlight, this open-plan space is an inviting hub for family and entertaining alike.
The home boasts four robed bedrooms, with the oversized master suite offering a walk-in robe, spa ensuite, and a peaceful garden outlook. Creature comforts such as gas ducted heating, wood burner, and central cooling ensure year-round comfort.
The outdoors here is nothing short of magical. Nestled amongst a tapestry of Rhododendrons, Camellias, Maples and more, the home is perfectly placed within its own private botanical haven. Children and pets can play freely and safely, thanks to secure fencing, while the seasoned gardener will revel in the joy of discovery as the garden transforms through the seasons.
Practical features include a double garage, workshop, and ample off-street parkingall set behind a charming façade that’s as functional as it is beautiful. Ideally located just minutes from Olinda, Monbulk and Kallista, you’ll enjoy a choice of boutique cafes, restaurants, forest walks and bike trails, all at your doorstep. Commuters are well-connected with easy access to bus routes and train services to the CBD via Belgrave Station.
If you’ve been dreaming of a peaceful retreat that blends character, comfort, and convenience in one of Melbourne’s most beloved regions, this property is a must see. ●
A STUNNING SANCTUARY AT THE FOOTHILLS OF THE DANDENONG
ESCAPE the hustle and discover a private, selfsufficient lifestyle retreat on a sprawling 1,544 sqm block in the heart of Upwey. Designed for those who value space, sustainability, and comfort, this thoughtfully crafted home offers an exceptional indoor-outdoor lifestyle in one of the hills' most desirable pockets.
Step inside to find four generous bedrooms, including a luxurious master suite occupying most of the upper floor. With a private office, walk-in robe and ensuite it's the perfect sanctuary to unwind. A charming bay window bed adds a touch of character-ideal for reading, napping, or simply soaking in the serene garden views.
At the heart of the home is a light-filled, open-plan kitchen, meals, and family area, seamlessly connecting to both a formal living and dining space as well as expansive outdoor entertaining zones. The chef's kitchen is fully equipped with a gas cooktop, electric oven, and abundant bench space for effortless meal prep.
Outside, a true entertainer's paradise awaits. Host family and friends year-round with a natural gas outdoor kitchen and BBQ, relax by the solar-heated swimming pool, or enjoy quiet moments under the two pergolas or on the multiple decks overlooking lush, established gardens.
This property goes beyond comfort-it's a blueprint for eco-conscious living. With 10 solar panels, a 5,000L plumbed water tank, a Large garden tank and fruit orchards, it offers a level of self-sufficiency that's rarely found.
Year-round comfort is assured with ducted heating (Brivis), multiple Fuji split systems, and a wood fire Lopi Coonara in the main living area.
Property Highlights:
• 4 spacious bedrooms, including a private master suite with office and ensuite
• Master suite occupies most of the upper floor
• Open-plan kitchen/meals/family with additional formal living and dining spaces
• Bay window bed nook, perfect for reading or relaxing
• Chef's kitchen with gas cooktop & electric oven
• Natural gas outdoor kitchen and BBQ
• Solar-heated swimming pool with surrounding decks and pergolas
• Ducted heating, split systems and wood fire heating
• 10 solar panels
• 5,000L plumbed tank for laundry & toilets (auto switch to mains)
• Established fruit orchard
• Double carport, under-house storage, and large storage room
• Location: Natural Beauty Meets Everyday Convenience NESTLED at the base of the Dandenong Ranges, this serene setting offers a lifestyle of peace, privacy, and practicality. Enjoy easy access to local parks, walking trails, and lookouts, while still being just moments from Upwey Village's cafes, shops, and essentials. Families are well-served by Upwey Primary,
Contact: Brad Conder 0422 639 115 and Jerlyn Arradaza 0434 688 554 CHANDLER & CO REAL ESTATE, 9754 6888
WIRE INDUSTRIES
Woven Wire & Gates are Powdercoated in 8 standard colours.
connectivity to the city.
Live your dream of sustainable living without compromise.
10 Ferguson Street, Upwey is more than just a home-it's a lifestyle investment in space, selfsufficiency, and serenity. ●
Upwey High, and Upwey South Primary, with Upwey and Tecoma train stations offering quick
HILLS LIFESTYLE WITH VIEWS, SPACE AND
SET on a generous 2474sqm just moments from Emerald township and local schools, this inviting property offers the perfect mix of space, comfort, and flexibility for family living. Steps lead up to the wide verandah, where you can sit back and enjoy sweeping views across the hills. Inside, soaring vaulted ceilings create a sense of light and space in the openplan living, dining, and kitchen zone, complete with a woodfire and split system for year-round comfort. The kitchen is both functional and stylish, featuring a gas oven and cooktop, dishwasher, generous bench space, and plenty of storage, with a window overlooking the leafy rear garden.
The master bedroom includes a walk-in robe and large window framing the view, while two additional carpeted bedrooms share a recently renovated family bathroom with a skylight.
Outside, the grounds feature an undercover entertaining area, veggie patch, bird aviary/ chook house, and ample room for kids and pets to roam. A self-contained one-bedroom studio with kitchenette and bathroom adds fantastic flexibility for guests, extended family, or extra income potential.
Completing the picture is a triple carport, excellent under-house storage, and an enviable position close to everything Emerald has to offer.
This property has it all so don’t miss outcall to arrange a private inspection today. Call Aaron Day 0407 365 994 or Brennan Mileto 0422 996 451.
Please note: All property details shown are correct at time of publishing. Some properties may have been sold in the preceding 24 hours and we recommend that you confirm open for inspection times with the listing agent direct or the listing office. ●
Perfectly positioned within walking distance of Olinda Village, it presents a lifestyle opportunity seldom found in the hills.
Inside, the home is designed with family living in mind, offering multiple light-filled living zones.
A spacious lounge with a slow-combustion wood heater provides a cosy retreat for cooler evenings, while the central kitchen is wellequipped with generous bench space, abundant storage, and quality stainless-steel appliances.
A picturesque garden outlook adds to the sense of warmth and connection with the outdoors. Flowing seamlessly from the openplan family and meals area, the covered outdoor entertaining zone sets the stage for gatherings in every season.
The cleverly zoned bedroom layout ensures privacy for all, with the master suite tucked away as a peaceful retreat, complete with its own ensuite.
Each additional bedroom is generously proportioned, ideal for families, guests, or multi-generational living, and the updated family bathroom enhances the home’s fresh, modern appeal with quality finishes and a touch of luxury.
Outdoors, the true scale and versatility of the one-acre allotment comes to life.
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HOME ESSENTIALS
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Burras go down valiantly in pennant
By Garry Lewis
The 2025/2026 Pennant Season commenced on Saturday with both Warburton weekend sides playing away games.
Unfortunately, both teams were defeated despite giving their all.
The Burras welcome all the new pennant players to the club, including Bruce Quig, Ben Reed, Len Kent, Cameron Darwall, Belinda Nicolandos and our youngest member, Lawson Appleton.
Warburton One played Ferntree Gully One away on their slick and challenging green.
The home side got away to a strong start before the Burras settled into the conditions.
Steve Lord’s rink led for most of the game to win by four shots.
However, the other three rinks went down valiantly as the Burras were defeated overall, 99 shots to 64.
Rink scores were as follows: S. Lord 23/19; G. Walsh 14/33; R. McKail 12/26 and C. Neale 15/21.
They next play Mooroolbark One at home this Saturday.
Warburton Two played Croydon Four away with several players experiencing their first Pennant game.
The new players all performed well on the unfamiliar grass green.
Peter Woods rink held on to win by two shots, but the other three rinks all went down.
Overall, the game was played with good spirit and teamwork as the Burras were defeated, 61 shots to 89.
Rink scores were as follows: P. Woods
20/18; D. Nisbet 13/27, G. Wynd 13/25 and P. Summers 15/19.
They next play Mitcham Four at home.
The Division Two Midweek side will play their first game against Ferntree Gully One away on Tuesday 28 October.
Recently one of the Burras’ younger players, April Key, bowled in the Diamond Jack Singles Competition in Moama.
She performed extremely well to reach the final in the bronze division to finish runner up.
The Jack Attack Triples Competition, spon-
sored by Yarra Valley Professionals Real Estate, will commence on Wednesday 5 November from 6.45pm.
All teams are asked to be at the club by 6.30pm for the first night.
Entries for the Summer Intra Club Competitions are now open.
The Warburton Bowls Club will be commencing Barefoot Bowls evenings from Friday 21 November from 6pm to 8pm.
All equipment will be provided. Coaching will also be provided.
Horse talk
By Anita Prowse
The winners were:
■ Para Grand Prix - Bridget Murphy on Penmain Promise.
■ Inter One Anna Bolmat on Bette Valentine.
■ ADV 5.2 Kylie Pedder on Dicavalli Dimitri.
■ Med 4.2 Samantha Bingham on OEH For Chilli.
■ Med 4.3 Mandy Edwards
POSTLETHWAITE, Lily (Mary) late of Healesville.
Loved mother of Liz (dec), Douglas (dec), Cathy, Chris (dec), Andrew and Gary, mum-in-law to Rob, Val, Tony, Tracey and Kate. Gran to 16, great nan to 20 and great-great nan to 1. Mum born 12.04.1930 Benalla, passed 15.10.2025 at Shepparton.
A Celebration of her Life will be
22nd November at Badger Creek Old School, opp Sanctuary entrance, 1pm.
Fred Wagenaar bowling for the Warburton One side at Ferntree Gully on Saturday. (Supplied)
The Shirley Heights EC EA Training Dressage Competition took place on Saturday 25 October.
Yarra Junction ready to roll
By Elly Byrne
The winter and spring months didn’t stop the Yarra Junction bowlers from enjoying the sport and getting on the green at any opportunity.
A very successful winter pairs tournament was held in August along with the club presentation and awards night dinner.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of life membership to the current and well-respected club president Ian MacGregor. Ian has contributed to the development of the club in so many ways over the years he is a well-deserved recipient of this award.
September marked the opening of the green for the new season with 20 plus volunteers sprucing up the facilities grounds and green, a great turnout for a small club.
The 100 up competition was completed with Jason being the victor in a tight quality game with Howard, and interclub practice matches were held with Yarra Glen, Warburton, Cockatoo, Mooroolbark, Healesville and Garfield.
With several new members having joined the club this year coaching and interclub practice days were a great introduction to the sport.
The first round of competition for the 2025/26 commenced on Saturday 26 October and for the first time in many years YJBC entered two teams in the weekend competition, with seven players playing their first pennant game.
Having been promoted to Division Six after last year’s success Junction One competed against Lilydale away going down by a narrow four shots, winning on two rinks and drawing on one.
The inaugural Junction Two Division Eight had success at home with a six shot and two rinks win over Chirnside Park CC / Eastwood Golf.
YJBC is excited to announce that club members Jason and Marc are now running “RUSTIK” from the club premises every Thursday and Fri-
day night for dinner, and are also available for private functions, events, Christmas parties by arrangement. Bowling options are also available.
Contact Jason 0411 263 721 for enquiries and bookings or follow Rustik on Facebook to stay up to date with menus etc.
The annual Community Lightning Cup will be run again starting 14 November for three weeks. Contact Ian 0419 685 425 or Jason to get your team entered.
Yarra Glen outplay rivals Diamond Creek
By Rodney Bates
The round one opening games for the season saw some very close results for Yarra Glen. With a number of new players, the selectors had their hands full getting the balance of sides and teams just right, and no doubt will be reviewing the results to fine tune team combinations over the next few weeks
Our Division One side played a home game against Diamond Creek.
There is a strong rivalry between these two teams, and so it proved again.
In a game that see-sawed all day with momentum switches and a few weather challeng-
es, the result came down to the last bowl of the day. Yarra Glen prevailed by one shot, winning 74-73 (14 points).
M. Gardner 24/20; M. O’Halloran 16/19; Beau Simmons 20/19; Ben Simmons 14/15. Also playing at home was our second side.
After gaining promotion last season into Division Three, we were expecting a tough starting challenge against Ferntree Gully.
Scores were close at the break, but then the rains came, changing the playing conditions, which played into the visitors hands.
Final result a loss to Yarra Glen 60-67 (4 points).
S. Smith 17/15; C. Boland 18/12; B. Grund 9/22; A. Thurkle 16/18.
Division Six played away at Cockatoo.
Having been many years since the two clubs competed against each other, how the two match up these days was an unknown.
The rain stayed away in the hills, and our team prevailed with a three rink win 78-72 (16 points).
L. Baker 12/26; G. Baker 25/18; R. Thurkle 24/15; T. Dickson 17/13.
The midweek competition commences this Tuesday, with Division Two playing at Healesville, and Division Four at home against Heathmont.
Tough draw
By Ian Milgate
Today was the first round of the 2025/26 Pennant Bowling season and both teams had a tough draw against Heathmont at Heathmont and the second side against Ringwood at Ringwood.
First Side:
Heathmont had been relegated from second division down to third division from last season, so they were going to show that they were capable of second division.
Steve Bulled’s rink came out flying winning the first five ends against Heathmont. They started to claw their way back but Steve’s rink held on to win by nine shots, a great effort.
Our other three rinks struggled against a very strong side and at the end of the day Heathmont won by 22 shots, 85 -63. Next week we play Yarra Glen at home which will be another close game.
Ian Milgate, Bob Brown, John Fitzpatrick, Gary Broussard - 13/24. Barry Parker, Chris Hawting, Robert Ayres, Steve Bulled - 22/13. Col Jarvis, Steve Graham, Rita Featherstone, Mark Ward - 16/24. Gera Otto, Mick Featherstone, Robyn Turville, Adrian Beales - 12/24.
Second Side:
The second side played Ringwood away and this was going to be a tough game for them as the second side was made up of a lot of different players from last year with not much experience playing together as a team.
Healesville had no expectations, but were up for the challenge.
All rinks got away to a good start and the game was a very close encounter with nothing in it.
Karl Tok, Mike Adams, Len Cosson, Rob Broadhurst were just some of the players that contributed to a great performance by all players to finally beat Ringwood by three shots 57/54.
A super effort by all players.
Early days but Healesville are second on the ladder after yesterday and play Monbulk at home next week. John Allen, Mike Adams, Judy Veermann, Rob Broadhurst - 19/21. Karl Tok, Glenda Graham, Leonie Fitzpatrick, Len Cosson - 20/18. Jude Wallace, Anne Knibbs, Kenny Gallacher, John Howard - 18/15.
The Yarra Junction Bowling Club fielded two weekend teams for the first time. (Supplied)
It was a narrow victory for Yarra Glen against Diamond Creek. (Supplied)
Seville suffers first defeat
By Mitch Wynd
First XI v Warrandyte at Seville North Oval: Warrandyte won the toss and chose to bat first.
With First XI captain Kane Jones unavailable for the first week of the two-day match, vice captain Liam Kay took charge of the side for the first time in an important match against a strong Warrandyte side. Warrandyte won the toss and batted first - quickly losing their first wicket in the fourth over, Taylor nicking off to Jack Woodford for only three.
For much of the innings, Warrandyte struggled to piece together any meaningful partnerships, with batters getting set only to get out with the partnership at 20 or 30 and just about to get going.
Wickets were shared around evenly amongst the Seville attack, with Woodford, Riley Foster and Harvey Smith all taking two wickets each, singles to Jace Hamilton and Liam Kay, and a runout for Macca Hardy.
At 7/124, a sub-150 chase looked like it could be on the cards.
However, some late hitting from number ten Luke Bond (49) added frustrating runs at the end right when Seville would’ve wanted to close out the innings.
Seville reached stumps on the first day at 2/33, trailing by 176 runs.
Returning to complete the chase, the home side struggled to get a partnership going, with opening bat/keeper Finn Saurine (36) the only player to score more than 20.
Scoring was slow and difficult, and the second week proved just as good as the first for Warrandyte’s Luke Bond who took 6/71 to go with his first-innings 49.
Defeated for the first time this season, the First XI will be looking to bounce back at home next week in a one-day match against Chirnside Park. Warrandyte 209 all out (67.1) - Jack Woodford 2/27 (10), Riley Foster 2/37 (14), Harvey Smith 2/39 (11.1).
Seville 136 all out (54.5) - Finn Saurine 36, Jack Woodford 17, Riley Foster 17. Warrandyte won by 73 runs.
Second XI v Montrose at Keith Hume Fraser
Reserve One:
It was a tale of two contrasting weekends for the Second XI against Montrose - disaster with the bat on week one, and one of the all-time great innings on week two.
Montrose won the toss and sent Seville in, and couldn’t have hoped for a better start with co captain Leigh Aitkins dismissed with the first ball of the match.
That set the tone for the first week, with Seville bundled out for 90 in just over 30 overs on day one.
Montrose chased the 90 total with few worries, and set about trying to setup an outright victory
Lusatia nabs a second win
By Kieran Cantwell
First XI:
Lusatia Cricket Club picked up where they left off with solid batting against Warranwood, with a score of 0-15 chasing 211 at the start of play.
Michael Nicholls scoring a well crafted half century, eventually dismissed for 57.
Even and patient contributions all the way down the batting order had the score ticking along sedately, but consistently, helped by some dropped catches by the opposition.
When Lochie Winter-Annette came to the crease, he picked up the pace with a blistering 50 off 31 balls, including many trademark reverse sweeps, getting the score to 195 before being dismissed.
From then it was a formality, passing the score six down in the 61st over for a second win for the season.
Second XI:
Evenly poised at the close of play last Saturday, this game against Lilydale at The Gateway could have gone either way.
Chasing 246, the whole day was an almost comical series of dropped catches, near misses and bad luck for our Second XI.
We got off to a positive start with Stephen Morgan taking an early wicket, but then a 100-run partnership took a bit of the sting out of the game.
Finally, Jacob Frankovic broke the partnership with a caught behind.
The opposition opener chanced his luck with near chop ons, plays and misses, near catches, as well as being dropped six times to an innings de-
fining century.
Stephen Morgan and Jai Gupta kept the game interesting with late wickets; including two stumpings as Lilydale hurried to get the runs before the rain.
Eventually they passed the score seven down, with Morgs the pick of the bowlers, working tirelessly for 4-73 off 24 overs.
U14:
Our U14 team suffered their first defeat for the season, with a close game against Healesville at Queens Park.
The day started disastrously with run machine Jacob Ahmad being dismissed first ball of the game.
The team rallied, and Cam Philpot (17) and Alexander Mason (28 not out) leading the charge.
Oscar Broussard and Noah Kelsall also retired after solid batting.
Healesville’s chase went down to the wire, with two wickets each to Alex, Mason McNeill, Cam, and his brother Daniel Philpot.
Daniel’s both coming in a nail biting last over where Healesville passed the score nine down with a couple of balls to spare.
U12 and Mini Bash:
Our Friday night saw lots of cricket too, with our U12s and Mini Bash teams also taking the field, with great parent support in attendance.
Highlights included Oscar Broussard’s 2-4 with the ball and Zac Brandenburger hitting his highest score against Montrose, and six year-old Jaspa Hardy entertaining with his first ever cricket match against Wandin in the Mini Bash.
the following week.
Batting for a second time and with a deficit of 90 runs to overcome, things looked grim when Seville found themselves 2/5 and with both openers gone very early.
Enter Kane Jones.
Due to unavailability the first week, the club captain/coach was named in the Second XI for the second week only.
What came next was simply unbelievable.
In just 105 balls faced, Jones belted an unbeaten double century, with 26 fours and 11 sixes.
A 265-run partnership with co-captain Jared Carroll (54) provided Seville with a 190-run total to bowl to for a rarely-seen reverse outright victory.
Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain as Montrose chased down the fourth-innings 190 in 30
overs for the loss of five wickets.
Seville 90 all out (30.2) - Ned MacDonald 21, Elken Croydon 20, Jon Williams 20.
Montrose 180 all out (62.3) - Jordan Foster 4/52 (13.3), Ned MacDonald 2/30 (11), Jon Williams 2/31 (13).
Seville 3/280 dec (30.1) - Kane Jones 200*, Jared Carroll 54, Rowan Prouse 8*.
Montrose 5/191 (30) - Rowan Prouse 2/43 (8), Jack Darwall 1/17 (4), Ned MacDonald 1/44 (6).
Montrose won by five wickets (second innings).
Third XI v Wantirna South at Lewis Park Reserve Two:
The Third XI travelled to Wantirna South looking to keep their unbeaten record intact ahead of the Melbourne Cup weekend break.
Seville captain Jamie Hamilton won the toss and batted first on what was a slow field at Lewis Park Reserve.
Openers Nate Lucas and Riley Hamilton got to work quickly, racing to 0/41 after the first four overs.
In the end, Seville reached 8/188 from their full 36 overs.The defence could hardly have started better with Jamie Hamilton taking two wickets in the opening over to make a big dent in the home team’s chase. Wantirna South never really recovered and quickly found themselves 6/40 inside the 15th over. Seville took the opportunity to rotate the ball among the team, using 10 bowlers in total. With rain starting to close in, the last couple of wickets needed to be taken quickly, and it was the captain who wrapped up a 98-run win with his fourth wicket of the day.
Seville 8/188 (36) - Nate Lucas 50*, Dale Treller 33, Riley Hamilton 22 Wantirna South 90 all out (27.4) - Jamie Hamilton 4/10 (4.4), Mitchell Wynd 3/11 (4), Nate Lucas 1/5 (1) Seville won by 98 runs
Undefeated heading into the Cup Weekend break, it’s been a brilliant opening month for the Third XI. They next face the other undefeated side, Bayswater Park, on 8 November.
Early pressures sees Healesville score victories
By Chris Handasyde
First XI Healesville 238 defeated Chirnside Park 92
With 238 on the board the goal was simple, take 10 wickets. It was a dream start with Mitch Tampaline taking the first wicket with the score on one. Chirnside would steady to be 1/57 before Tarkyn Nicolandos struck last ball before drinks, dismissing the Chirnside Coach for 38. He would then strike first ball after drinks. Then in his very next over he took another two wickets in two balls!! Completely lighting up the game havingfigureof4/0offeightballsatthistimeand completely decimating the Chirny top order. A bit of calm would occur before Josh Handasyde 3/6 and Nick Zinghini 2/8 would wrap the game up with Tarkyn finishing 4/8 off eight overs and Chirnside 92 all out. With Healesville winning by 146 runs to kickstart their season.
Second XI Healesville 254 defeated Eastfield 119 Eastfield CC batted this week and were all out for 119 runs from 47 overs. Excellent bowling dis-
play from S. Drummond with figures of 10 overs, seven maidens for nine runs and one wicket. This pressure enabled our other bowlers gain rewards. M.Wallace 4/30, R.Hudson 3/35. A big thank you to Eastfield CC for playing the game in good spirit. We look forward to playing against Lilydale CC away in a one day game.
Third XI Healesville 115 and 190 defeated by Warrandyte 1/169 dec and 2/30
Warrandyte claimed first innings points early in the day and sent the Bloods back in. Stoic resistance from Owen Morcombe, Tyler Braden and Curtis Adamson ensured a fighting chance until rain ended what was shaping up as a climactic finish.
Fourth XI Healesville 5/190 v St Andrews 2/61 – match abandoned due to rain
Healesville batted first with Danny Hyndman 50*, Cody Anderson 53*, Harry Thomas 23* making runs. Healesville was in the box seat with St Andrews still requiring 130 runs from 20 overs before rain put a stop to play.
The Third XI have been undefeated this opening month. (File)
It was a great day for Healesville’s firsts and seconds, proving too good for Chirnside Park and Eastfield, respectively. (File: 146041)
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