Mail - Mt Evelyn Star Mail - 18th November 2025

Explorers flying by

Three female pilots, who all trained at Lilydale Flying School, will be jetting off in early December to tackle by air the Burke and Wills exploration trail in a day.

The nearly 3000 kilometre trip will take them through differing climates and landscapes, with the final destination being Karumba, in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Undertaking the flight is all part of the International Dawn to Dusk Challenge, something Theresa MacDonald, Amanda Deed, and Delia Jones have each completed at least once before.

And because of the distance they’ll be travelling through outback Queensland, it seemed appropriate to the team to fundraise for mental health and support charity Outback Futures.

To read the full story, turn to page 12

Time’s up for crime

By Mikayla van Loon

Police command met with the Mooroolbark community on Wednesday 12 November, for a Neighbourhood Policing Forum to provide a candid overview of policing challenges and reforms in the Yarra Ranges.

Eastern Division Two Superintendent Steve White, who oversees 660 officers across Knox, Maroondah, and Yarra Ranges, highlighted staffing shortages as a key concern. With approximately 60 personnel off work in his division, often

due to mental health, he stated that police are “running on minimum resources.”

In response, Superintendent White supports Chief Commissioner Mike Bush’s announced reforms to shift officers from station reception duties onto the streets, potentially leading to station closures. He argues this is a necessary step to boost police visibility and get officers where they can best deter and respond to crime.

A significant topic was the rising number of family violence reports, which police view as a positive indicator of increased community confi-

dence in reporting.

Superintendent White noted that police success is measured by this rise in reports, which helps them hold perpetrators accountable. Detective Inspector Troy Andrews, who manages the Yarra Ranges Crime Investigation Unit, confirmed the unit’s “victim-focused” approach, aiming to disrupt high-risk offenders through “pro arrest, pro remand” tactics.

Youth crime was also identified as a major priority, with a notable increase in offenders aged 10 to 17 this year.

Superintendent White confirmed that police are actively targeting groups like the Mooroolbark-based Burmese youth gang, ABZ38, known for aggravated burglaries and stealing high-end cars for “street cred” on social media.

Detective Inspector Andrews noted that these young people are “a different style of offender” who exploit the justice system, often starting with serious crimes like armed robbery.

To read more, turn to pages 2-4

Pilots Theresa MacDonald, Amanda Deed, and Delia Jones will follow the inland trail of explorers Burke and Wills. (Mikayla van Loon: 517526)

Crime front and centre

By Mikayla van Loon

Police and the community came together on Wednesday, 12 November, in Mooroolbark to discuss all things crime and prevention in the Yarra Ranges.

Hosting the Neighbourhood Policing Forum, the Eastern Division’s highest-ranking officers provided an update and overview of the key challenges facing the police service area.

Eastern Division Two Superintendent Steve White oversees three local government areas, including Knox, Maroondah and Yarra Ranges.

Based at Knox, he manages a roster of 660 police officers.

Staffingwasoneofthefirstchallengeshementioned, highlighting the “resource-strapped” workforce within Victoria Police.

“I’ll mention it just the once during this forum, VicPol has got 16 or 17,000 sworn police members, and we’re supported by two or 3000 VPS public servants who do awesome work,” he said.

“Right now, in Victoria Police, we’ve probably got eight or 900 people off work, and mostly that’s for mental health. I’m not going to be using that as an excuse, but the reality is we are short of staff, and it impacts us in the outer east division as much as it does anywhere else.

“At any given time, we’ve got about 60 people off work, so forget about the people who go sick every now and again, or people who are on leave…We’re not running on empty, but we’re running on minimum resources.

“From my perspective, our division does an awesome job for the people who are at work to keep the community safe as best as we possibly can. It’s not perfect. We’re the first ones to admit that.”

Superintendent White said from a leadership perspective, he has so far been encouraged by the changes Chief Commissioner Mike Bush has announced in how policing is done and resourced.

The focus will shift to reducing serious crime, like aggravated burglary, while still ensuring road safety and all other aspects of policing are a priority.

In October, Chief Commissioner Bush announced major reforms to the organisational structure of Victoria Police by slimming down the executive team and trialling the release of sworn officers from police station reception counter duties.

“Right now, police spend more than 4000 hours per day – or 1.4 million hours per yearstaffing reception counters in police stations. This is poor use of their invaluable skills and it’s not what they want to be doing,” he said.

“We must get more police – your police – out of their stations and onto the streets where they can respond to and deter crimes.

“What is important to me is that our members on the frontline know that help is coming – and it is coming soon.”

Earlier this month, news outlets also reported that minimum staffing standards for police stations would be scrapped, potentially closing stations to the public, to get more officers on the

roads.

“The chief is talking about closing down stations. I support that, because in reality, we just don’t have the staff to be sitting at the counter waiting for someone to come in and get a document signed. That’s the reality,” Superintendent White said.

“So the more people we can have out on the road going to whether it’s Lilydale Marketplace, Chirnside Park, Main Street, Croydon, I know it’s just outside of the patch, but those sorts of areas, that’s what I want our police to do, because that’s where the perceptions of safety skyrocket.”

Among the reforms Superintendent White supports is the inclusion of two new values for Victoria Police as an organisation.

“I like the fact that he’s putting compassion in in terms of the values because, as a 38-year veteran, what really grates on me the most is not providing compassion. So treat people the way you would like to be treated. I really find that to be a key value,” he said.

“And courage, having the courage of our convictions, it doesn’t mean running into a burning house necessarily. Often, we talk about the courage to call out bad behaviour.”

Topics for the day included crime trends and crime prevention, family violence, young people, road policing and emergency management.

Star Mail will provide stories on each topic.

Family violence reports on the rise, a positive police say

By Mikayla van Loon

The rise in the number of family violence reports in the Yarra Ranges may come as a shock to the community, but for police, it’s actually a positive step forward.

“Victoria Police measure family violence on reports, and we’re deemed to be successful if the reports are going up,” Eastern Division Two Superintendent Steve White told the gathered community members at the Neighbourhood Policing Forum on Wednesday 12 November.

“So the more people are reporting family violence, the better we are, the more breaches of intervention orders that the police make, when someone reports that a perpetrator is on the property when they shouldn’t be. That is deemed to be a good statistic.

“We actually want people to report family violence, and we want to breach people, which sometimes means they’re remanded in custody if they breach the family violence order.”

For the last financial year, the Yarra Ranges recorded 2041 family incidents, up from 2018 the year previous, and 1237 breaches of family violence orders, up from 1010 the year before.

Detective Inspector Troy Andrews, who was in charge of the Croydon Family Violence Unit for seven years, now manages the Yarra Ranges Crime Investigation Unit.

The family violence unit, Det Inspector Andrews said, has a specific focus on higher-risk perpetrators “to prevent serious injury or death”.

“The goal is to disrupt high to extreme risk offenders, pro arrest, pro remand,” he said.

The team of three detectives, a detective senior sergeant, three detective sergeants and 12 detective senior constables, on average, deal with and assess 400 family violence reports each month.

Uniform officers respond to and manage the majority of family violence incidents, but these cases can be escalated to the specialised unit should that be required.

For low to medium risk offenders, Det Inspector Andrews said police officers engage key stakeholders and support services for intensive case management to “reduce the recidivism”.

“Victoria Police’s response to family violence has evolved faster than anything else has in our organisation’s 160-year history,” he said.

“Everything is victim-focused. Everything’s about supporting AFM, who is the victim or af-

Police use all means available to ensure perpetrators of family violence are held accountable. (File)

fected family member, and holding the perpetrators accountable.”

Det Inspector Andrews said when charges cannot be laid for several reasons, whether because of insufficient evidence or a victim doesn’t wish to, police will use other means to ensure the affected person is safe.

“The very nature of family violence means often there’s not an ability to charge someone, but we still have the ownership of keeping them safe,”

he said.

“So we do that by certain tactics, such as we might get an intervention order that bans them from a local government area.

“For matters where we know people are committing high-end family violence, and a victim may not want to press charges, we essentially will start intensive monitoring of those people using overt and covert methodologies…we find other ways to hold them accountable for their actions.”

Someone who is regarded as high-risk will be managed by the Family Violence Investigation Unit for a minimum of three months, sometimes for up to 12 months, or until the risk is mitigated.

When other factors may be contributing to the violence, like mental health, alcohol or drug use, or, as one community member addressed, gambling, Det Inspector Andrews said the appropriate service would be engaged to help both the perpetrator and the victim.

“We also make sure we focus on the people who vicariously live the trauma of that, so the support agencies, and where we can, we provide support for extended family and friends, who also bear the brunt of what’s going on when they support them.”

Eastern Division Two Superintendent Steve White. (Mikayla van Loon: 517662)

Snr Sgt Cass Forbes, Acting Snr Sgt Luke Schroder, Inspector Lee Coultard-Clarke, Snr Sgt Mark Knight, Snr Sgt Brendon de Schwartz, Sgt Cal Cunningham and Snr Sgt Tim Evans manage the stations around the Yarra Ranges. (Mikayla van Loon: 517662)

Youth crime in focus

By Mikayla van Loon, with AAP

Managing and preventing youth offenders in the Yarra Ranges has fast become one of the top priorities for police as organised networks and gangs rear their head in the region.

In recent years, Eastern Division Two Superintendent Steve White said police officers have had to turn their attention more fully to youth offending, creating a shift in the hierarchy of crime and the required response.

Not only is it the number of children and young people committing crimes but the types and seriousness of these crimes that concerns police.

Last year, 520 alleged offenders were children aged 10 to 17. That figure increased to 568 alleged offenders aged 10 to 17 this year, according to the Crime Statistics Agency.

One of the leading offender groups in the Yarra Ranges are a Burmese youth gang who go by the name ABZ38, referencing the postcode of Mooroolbark.

“There’s probably three tiers of this gang, so we’re talking about the kids that do high end offending, so that’s aggravated burglaries,” Superintendent White said.

“They sneak in the middle of the night, stealing keys for your car, usually high end cars, drive it really quickly in the streets, potentially engage with the police in a pursuit with the air wing above and most often not they’re doing that for likes on their social media, not for any financial gain.

“We do have a team of people working out of the Croydon Police Station who are actively targeting them. So when they commit an offence, they’re following up and making significant regular arrests. At the moment, some of them are locked up.”

Superintendent White said there are around 30 people in the gang, from the leaders to those at risk of becoming fully fledged members, many aged around 13 to 14 years old.

Working with leaders from the Burmese community and parents, Superintendent White said “we are working hard to try and get that issue un-

der control as best as we can”.

“We know we have a problem and we’re well aware that they do impact your perception of safety,” he said.

“It’s probably our most significant issue in this outer east division at the moment.”

The Proactive Policing Unit also frequently engages with schools to help ensure those who may be recruited to the gang can see a different path for themselves.

On a lesser scale, but still hugely concerning, are the youth networks across the region who are known for theft and burglaries within shopping centres, as well as stealing cars.

“We have network youth offenders who act in concert for certain styles of offending, whether that be street level robberies or aggravated burglaries,” Detective Inspector Troy Andrews said.

“The Crime Investigation Unit late last year, identified that there was a spike in aggravated burglaries where high end cars were being stolen.

“They were not operating as we would call a gang, but they were networked, and they were operating for street cred on Instagram.

“Six or seven of them would break into people’s houses, and they’d go as far as Williamstown and down to Cows. They all lived here. They were dumping cars here.

“So we put together a mini task force to identify who was involved. There were 46 persons of interest, ultimately, that were working together at varying levels. There were 90 persons that were charged multiple times with over 1500 charges laid, multitudes of offences across the state. We stopped it pretty much in its tracks, eventually.”

Det Inspector Andrews said, unfortunately, these youth offenders know the system and the lack of consequences for committing crimes of this nature, meaning they usually reoffend.

“A lot of these youth cohorts know between themselves that as an adult if they do these offences, they’ll be locked up six, 12, 18 months or more,” he said.

“As a child, often they don’t even get remanded. They’re aware of the system. They exploit the

system, and they do it with impunity. That’s an added layer for us.

“When there’s emerging spikes of crime, such as that outside of our gangs, we jump at it pretty quick and when we identify the people involved, they get actively targeted. If we can’t charge them, we actively work on them and make their life very complicated.”

New laws announced by Premier Jacinta Allen on Wednesday 12 November will see “adult time for violent crime”.

Under the legislation, children 14 and over who commit home invasions, aggravated home invasion, recklessly or intentionally causing injury and aggravated carjacking must be dealt with in the County Court.

Kids as young as 14 convicted of aggravated home invasion and aggravated carjacking would face a maximum sentence of life in prison under the plan.

The principle of jail as a last resort for children would also be dumped and judges obliged to prioritise community safety in their sentencing decisions.

Lawyers, human rights leaders and Aboriginal advocates queued up to condemn the move, declaring it wasn’t backed by evidence.

“We can’t just lock children and young people away and hope for a safer community,” acting Principal Commissioner for Children and Young People Argiri Alisandratos said.

One thing Det Inspector Andrews said was that in his 30 years in the job, primarily as an investigator, young people are now “a different style of offender”.

“Once upon a time, kids were involved in very minor offending, shoplifting, and theft of money. These people are opening their accounts with very serious crimes. Their first time offending might be an armed robbery or carjacking. And they’re learning and exploiting the system. They know about social media. They know about technology. It’s all fun.

“They’re anything but innocent. They know what they’re doing, and they’re dangerous.”

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IN BRIEF

Man charged for non-fatal shooting

A Mooroolbark man has been charged after a non-fatal shooting in a supermarket car park in Bayswater earlier this month.

Detectives from the Armed Crime Squad arrested the 30-year-old Mooroolbark man on Monday evening, 10 November.

He was interviewed by investigators and charged with intentionally causing serious injury, reckless conduct endangering life and as a prohibited person possessing a firearm.

The man was remanded overnight to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

With assistance from Maroondah Crime Investigation Unit and Divisional Response Unit, search warrants were executed at residential addresses in Mooroolbark and Croydon.

A cut up firearm was located at the Mooroolbark property.

Emergency services were called to an incident on Station and High Streets just before 4pm on Saturday 1 November after a man was located with a gunshot wound.

It’s understood two men were seen arguing in a supermarket car park just prior to the incident.

Police believe the parties involved are known to each other.

Anyone with information on illicit firearm activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www. crimestoppersvic.com.au

Teens arrested and charged Knox Crime Investigation Unit detectives have charged two boys after an alleged robbery in Ringwood on Thursday 13 November.

Police responded to reports a group of alleged offenders assaulted victims and stole a jumper in the food court of a shopping centre on the Maroondah Highway about 4.30pm.

It was also reported one of the alleged offenders made claims of being in possession of a machete.

Fast responding officers quickly located and arrested two alleged offenders, a 13-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy, both from the Maroondah area. The victims, two 14-year-old boys and a 13-year-old boy all from the Maroondah area, were not physically injured.

A third alleged offender, a 14-year-old boy also from the Maroondah area, was located and arrested by investigators inside the same shopping centre later in the evening.

A machete was not located.

All three alleged offenders were interviewed by detectives.

A 15-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy were both charged with robbery and bailed to appear before a children’s court at a later date.

A 13-year-old boy was issued with a caution for handle proceeds of crime.

Allegedly stolen property was located, seized and returned to one of the victims.

Five-ways, Warrandyte consultation

From 17 November to 7 December 2025, Big Build Roads is seeking community feedback to help shape the design and planning for the upgrade of the Ringwood-Warrandyte Road, Croydon Road, Husseys Lane and Brumbys Road intersection.

More than 8000 vehicles use the intersection daily, and the upgrade aims to make it safer and more efficient for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.

Residents and local businesses can have their say by visiting engage.vic.gov.au/warrandyte5ways by Sunday 7 December, or by speaking directly with the project team at the Riverlea Estate cellar door, 485 Ringwood-Warrandyte Road, Warrandyte, on Sunday 30 November from 10am to 3pm.

Youth crime in the Yarra Ranges has become one of the main priorities for police. (AAP Image/James Ross)

Preventing road trauma

By Mikayla van Loon

Eastern Region Division Two Highway Patrol is increasing its focus on high-risk driving behaviours in the Yarra Ranges through intelligence-led operations, a dedicated road crime team, and expanded educational programs.

Senior Sergeant Brendon de Schwartz, who leads the unit of 37 members and seven sergeants, detailed the initiatives at a recent community forum.

Changing driver behaviour, improving road user safety and educating young drivers has been adopted as the philosophy of the highway patrol unit.

A key tool is the Road Crime Tasking Team (RCTT), which focuses on extreme speeding through red lights, and dangerous activities like hoon meets and burnouts, using intelligence from traffic cameras and other sources.

“We also have a drone operator, and we use the drone in a lot of our specialist operations to try and reduce road trauma,” Snr Sgt de Schwartz said.

One such operation, Operation Aero, dedicates eight members to one of five high-risk feeder roads identified as having a high rate of motorcycle fatalities, especially during the warmer motorbike season from October to March. This is currently operational.

Snr Sgt de Schwartz said specific and targeted operations are coupled with the state based initiatives, focusing on four risky driver behaviours being speed, distraction, seat belts and fatigue.

“Hopefully we’re changing driver behaviour by saturating certain areas at certain times of the day and week,” he said.

“We’re trying to modify and change driver behaviour for everybody. We’re driving towards these intelligence-led rostering and policing, because we get a lot of intelligence that tells us when we are hurting the most.”

Something Snr Sgt de Schwartz said he is pushing within the unit is education of young learner drivers and also their parents “to try and educate our younger drivers and younger learners how to survive on the roads, how to actually be safe and not become a statistic”.

A sergeant from the Yarra Ranges group is now embedded with L2P (learner driver) programs at METEC to teach both learners and their parents how to be safer drivers.

“P-plate drivers, especially male P-plate drivers, are one of the highest risk categories of persons on the road for collisions, fatalities and being injured.

“I want to go into that educational sphere because it is important that we get the safety messaging out to the people that are going to be our future drivers.”

Two area-specific concerns were raised by the community at the forum, which were noted for action.

Following a complaint about heavy vehicle drivers ignoring temporary 40km/h roadwork signs on the Melba Highway and forcing other drivers off the road between Yarra Glen and Yea, police confirmed they would take action and liaise with the Department of Transport and Planning (DoTP).

While Snr Sgt de Schwartz said speed signs and setting of speeds are under the jurisdiction of either DoTP or the council, police can influence change and assessments.

This was most recently actioned on Melba Highway in Yering after the speed limit was reduced from 80km/hour to 70km/hour.

“That is a direct result after we were having significant road trauma out there and as a result of the engagement that I had with the DoTP and our stakeholders.

“There was a whole process around the review of that stretch of road, and ultimately, DoTP deemed it prudent to reduce the speed zone. So we gave a recommendation that we’d like to see a speed restriction changed to actually try and save more lives.

“They reviewed it, and then they acknowl-

edged it, and they put in the appropriate speed restriction zone, which is now 70km.”

The issue of cyclists on mountain roads riding two or three abreast, particularly in the single-carriageway areas near Sassafras, was also raised. It was also connected to the risk on high fire danger days and emergency vehicle response.

Snr Sgt de Schwartz acknowledged the challenge and highway patrol would look to action greater messaging and enforcement to keep cyclists and drivers safe.

Highlighting that it’s everyone’s responsibility to help keep each other safe on the roads, Snr Sgt de Schwartz’s message was that driving is a privilege that can be taken away.

“It’s important as a community we understand that driving is not a right, it’s a privilege, and to keep our privilege and be able to go to work, feed our family, pay our bills, go on a holiday and earn the money that we do, we need to drive safely,” he said.

“Because if we don’t drive safely, then there’s consequences to not doing that, which has compounding effects depending on the circumstances.”

Joint effort hopes to help young drivers be safe

By Callum Ludwig

A cohort of Year 10 students at a Yarra Valley school received an important lesson in road safety that will hold them in good stead behind the wheel.

Lilydale Heights College students headed to Box Hill Institute in Lilydale to take part in the Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) program, run by Road Safety Education Limited (RSE) and supported by Rotarians, on Monday 15 November.

Local RYDA facilitator Andrea Bigham said she has been part of the RYDA program for 10 years and is very passionate about it, having attended many car crashes volunteering for her local fire brigade.

“RYDA helps young drivers to prevent crashes before they occur as both drivers and passengers…it’s definitely not about shocking or scaring students, we’re actually about empowering them with the right information to make the right choices,” she said.

“It’s about introducing them to what I call the basic building blocks of staying safe on our roads as a driver and passenger.”

The schedule for the day consisted of a rotation of six workshops that taught students the impacts of road trauma on our communities, practical advice and tips about how to stay safe on our roads and how to support themselves and their friends to make smart decisions.

Year 10 Learning Leader at Lilydale Heights College Jane Scobie said the RYDA program is a fantastic initiative that greatly benefits Year 10 students at the important stage of becoming the next generation of drivers on our roads.

“It offers students a holistic overview of road safety and encourages students to see themselves as part of a broader community of road users,”

she said.

“It was important for students to work with each other and ask themselves what kind of friend they think they are and how they can be supportive of others to make the right choice.

“Students had the opportunity to speak with people with lived experience of road trauma and discuss the ongoing impact of this on their lives.”

Workshops provided students with the opportunities to do role plays, take part in debates, hear from people with lived experiences and watch demonstrations, including a presentation on speed and stopping where professional driving instructors show just how long it takes to stop

when driving at speed.

Ms Bigham said education for young drivers is vital.

“Let’s face it, we’re all young once and totally felt invincible at that age group but unfortunately, as you get older, you see the consequences of things going wrong in life and we need to get through to the young that they must prevent that crash from occurring in the first place,” she said.

“You can’t rewind or scroll back to change the outcome of any crash.”

Three Rotarians from each of the Lilydale and Nunawading rotary clubs volunteered on the day to assist with the program.

Lilydale Rotary Club President Des Shiel said he believes that all student should attend this course or a similar course to prepare them for the responsibility they gain when they get their license.

“As the course shows, they’re at their most vulnerable in the first very short time after they receive their P-plate license and the statistics shows just how dangerous it is,” he said.

“One person in the car doing the right thing can change what the outcome is for the whole car load of people if it’s handled correctly.”

Funding from Yarra Ranges Council and the Rotary Club of Lilydale supported the program.

Ms Scobie said it is vital for young people to be aware of the rights and responsibilities of road use.

“We want to educate and empower them to feel confident to make the right decisions about how they drive and who they drive with, many of the teaching team lamented not having a similar experience in their secondary school years,” she said.

“The program offers students a mix of lecture-style, workshop and practical advice ranging from safe breaking speeds, blind spots, decision

making and the potential impacts of peer pressure. “Thank you to the wonderful RYDA staff and Rotary volunteers for their professionalism and organisation, we had a fantastic day.”

Billanook College students are also set to take part in the program at the start of December.

Ms Bigham said she encouraged young drivers to remember they have one chance at life and huge potential in front of them.

“You know the difference between right and wrong, but you need to have the strength to stay with that conviction, especially when peer pressure is going the wrong way, you need to have the strength to speak up and protect your life and the lives of loved ones around you by making the right choices because you know what the right choices are,” she said.

“Unfortunately, our road statistics are appalling, people, I think, are complacent and apathy is high about our roads until someone that they love near is involved in road trauma, then whole worlds shatter and people’s lives are never the same again, but that is too late.”

Highway Patrol Sergeant Andrew Sands, Senior Sergeant Brendon De Schwartz and Acting Sergeant Mick Pryor. (Stewart Chambers: 508662)

Yarra Ranges Highway Patrol use everything in their arsenal to prevent road trauma. (Stewart Chambers: 508662)

A series of six workshops helped students understand how to stay safe on the road. (Supplied)

Lilydale Heights Colle students with motorbike crash survivor Scott Harris. (Supplied)

Richard Higgins new mayor

By Callum Ludwig

The Tuesday 11 November Yarra Ranges Council meeting was set aside for a mayoral election, with two new faces in the role of mayor and deputy mayor.

Chirnside Ward councillor Richard Higgins is stepping up from the deputy role to sit in the mayor’s seat, while Chandler Ward councillor Gareth Ward will be his right-hand man.

Cr Higgins said it was an honour to be up in the mayor’s seat and to be elected by his peers. “The role, for me, is to look after you guys, look after the staff and look after everything we do in this wonderful place,” he said.

“Coming down the hill to Lilydale tonight and for the first time in, I don’t know how long, there was a full-blown rainbow across the whole of Lilydale and the Yarra Ranges and I thought that’s the first time I’ve ever seen that looking down into the valley.

“And I thought how appropriate, when I’m trying to think up words of what it’s like to be looking after this wonderful place, it’s like a pot of gold, it’s a fortune, a treasure and that’s what we all do when we’re here.”

Both Cr Higgins and Cr Ward ran unopposed for their selected role, with Yarra Ranges councillors traditionally understanding who they wish to elect to the role prior to the meeting each year.

Cr Higgins said there are nine councillors who’ve each got different attributes, different systems, different knowledge and different abilities.

“All of us have something in this room to give to our council, which makes it very unique but the one thing we all have in common is that we’re looking after our community and where we live,” he said.

“I’m not going to go on about the budget and how hard it is to make it balanced and how all those things are, we’ve got some real challenges here at Yarra Ranges, we’ve got both urban and rural and we’ve got natural disasters that are coming our way, whether we like it or not.

But I believe that I’m up to the challenge, I will strive to my best to rise to that occasion but I’m sure I’ll be able to because I’ll have you along with me, which is really nice.”

Cr Higgins also took the time to thank outgoing mayor O’Shannassy Ward councillor Jim Child, listing the multitude of roles, responsibilities and achievements he managed during the previous 12 months.

Cr Child said he just wanted to thank them all for their support.

“Along that journey, there’s been a few health issues as well and every time that there’s been that challenge for me, there’s always been a team here behind me as well, so I thank you sincerely for that,” he said.

“To you Richard, I couldn’t ask for much more from a deputy and that’s why it was my pleasure

to nominate you here tonight so I look forward to working with you and again, of course, with all my fellow councillors and the officers.”

Cr Higgins was first elected in 2008 and previously held the role of mayor in 2019–2020.

Cr Gareth Ward, who was elected last year, said he wanted to thank everybody for the opportunity, for which he is truly honoured, and he looks forward to doing his very best.

“I wanted to begin by acknowledging and thanking our outgoing Mayor, Cr Jim Child, over the past year, your leadership has guided this Council through some challenging and defining moments, you’ve set a high bar in professionalism and commitment to our community, and I wanted to thank you for the example you’ve set for us all,” he said.

“To our newly elected mayor, congratulations. I think it’s going to be a really great year ahead. I’m genuinely looking forward to working alongside you and I know that we share the same commitment to serving our residents with transparency, respect and a genuine drive to make our community stronger, you have my full support every step of the way.

Cr Higgins and Cr Ward will each serve in their roles for a year before the next mayoral election.

Cr Ward concluded the election and said he also wanted to thanks his fellow councillors and his family.

“To my fellow Councillors, thank you for placing your trust and confidence in me, and I give you my word that I’ll tackle this role with humility, hard work and integrity, and I’ll do my very best not to let you down and to be a Deputy who represents us all fairly and responsibly,” he said.

“Lastly, I would also like to thank my wife, Rachel, and my kids who are in attendance tonight, you’ve put up with countless meetings, late nights and weekends where I’ve been elsewhere in the community instead of at home, your patience and encouragement have not gone unnoticed.”

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L-R: Mayor Richard Higgins and Deputy Mayor Gareth Ward. (Supplied)

NEWS Kinders left ‘hamstrung’

By Oliver Winn

Parents claim Yarra Ranges’ kindergartens have been financially “hamstrung” by the State Government’s fee-free kinder under the Best Start, Best Life reforms, placing the quality of kinder services at risk.

But in a response from Yarra Ranges Kinders’ interim chief executive officer, Juliette Hammond, she iterated that changes to session times and potential composite classes were not based on funding challenges.

“Decisions regarding session structures and age groupings are based on educational quality, enrolment demand, workforce availability, and sustainable service delivery—not on the operating deficit,” she said.

Launching Place Kinder Parent Support Group (PSG) president Emily Arnold told Star Mail that free enrolments meant kinders were losing their main source of income, which has resulted in cost-cutting measures from senior management.

Ms Hammond also disputed this, stating that while fee-free kinder changes the funding model, every Early Years Manager in Victoria now operates under the same system.

“While we absolutely listen to parent and educator feedback, we must also balance enrolment demand, the rights of all families to access kindergarten, and the viability of each program,” she said.

Yarra Ranges Kinders (YRK) is an Early Years Manager (EYM) that manages Launching Place Kinder alongside 22 others in the Yarra Ranges.

In its 2024 annual report, YRK recorded an operating deficit of over $850,000.

This deficit, Ms Hammond put down to several reasons, citing it as a “temporary operating deficit”.

“2024 reflects a period of significant investment in payroll, IT, facilities management, compliance, and the foundational reforms

required under Best Start, Best Life,” she said.

“These investments were necessary to ensure long-term organisational stability and improved services for children and families.

“We continue to operate within our funding requirements and remain committed to providing high-quality kindergarten programs without compromising educational or safety standards.”

Ms Arnold said, however, it felt like YRK was attempting to make up for the deficit by increasing session times, combining three and four-year-old classes and drawing on teachers

to ask parents for fundraiser donations.

“We’ve gone from the standard three fivehour sessions to two seven-and-a-half sessions per week, and this was dropped on us last year with no consultation.”

Ms Hammond said the mixed-aged groupings were a “well-established model” used by many community kindergartens in Victoria. Kinders are funded on a per child basis, with the standard rate being $3831 per child.

In an email between YRK and Launching Place Kinder PSG, YRK asked parents to fundraise $5000 to renovate an outdoor area in

order for “increased program capacity”.

Ms Arnold said the main purpose of the project was to increase the program capacity, which she claimed would put teachers under more stress and compromise child safety.

Ms Hammond confirmed the improvement at Launching Place was “not a required safety or compliance upgrade” and that it was “a long-standing and common practice” to “enhance kinder environments through fundraising”.

“No staff member or family was obligated to fund it,” she said.

The State Government provides funding for EYMs in addition to per-child funding streams, which have increased by 45 per cent since 2021 to meet operational costs.

This means kindergartens receive core funding at a rate of $3831 per child, and then EYMs such as YRK receive an additional $18,963 in funding.

A Department of Education spokesperson said EYMs play a critical role in the delivery of early years services in Victoria.

“Early Years Managers engage directly with families and local communities in managing their kindergarten services to strengthen participation and make sure children succeed.”

Frustrations between parents and YRK have risen after other kinders under its management have spoken out.

Parents from Lancaster Preschool in Mooroolbark started a petition demanding Ms Hammond resign after similar changes were made.

Indigenous treaty is law

By Rachael Ward, AAP

An Australian-first treaty with Aboriginal people will take effect just before Christmas but will not be up and running until mid-2026.

The signing of the agreement has been hailed as a historic moment, but critics question how effective it can be.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria co-chairs Ngarra Murray and Rueben Berg inked the treaty at a formal ceremony at Government House on Thursday morning, 13 November.

It then received royal assent from Governor Margaret Gardner.

The state’s Indigenous representative body has been granted expanded powers and acts as a voice to parliament that the government must consult on laws and policies affecting Aboriginal Victorians.

The body is elected by Aboriginal people in Victoria, independent from government and will operate from a dedicated room at Parliament House but has no right to veto or make laws.

A public celebration will be held on December 12 when treaty officially commences.

However, consultation on legislation will not start until about six months later, before the November 2026 state election.

UNSW law and justice Associate Professor Harry Hobbs said it was not as legally significant as Native Title and more an incremental agreement that paved the way for future localised treaties.

world with modern institutions and was once thought impossible.

“Today is a recognition that ancient systems of law and the modern institutions of our democracy can stand side by side,” Ms Allan said.

MrBergthankedpeoplewhohadadvocated for treaty “across generations”.

“We will make sure that we deliver on these promises that are set out in this process,” he said.

Ms Gardner said the treaty was a historic achievement of modern parliamentary democracy.

The legislation passed Victoria’s upper house in October after negotiations between the government and Assembly, which followed a truth-telling inquiry exposing the mistreatment of Aboriginal people since colonisation.

Victoria’soppositiondoesnotsupporttreaty and has vowed to repeal it it wins government.

“It is supposed to set up a pathway or a process for more agreements that will I think will be more significant, that will recognise rights to land and rights to governance,” Mr Hobbs told AAP.

Changes under treaty include involving the body if geographic features are renamed using traditional names, the creation of a fund to finance construction, and using the truth-telling inquiry’s report in schools.

It does not allow individual financial reparations and is subject to integrity oversight just like other non-government organisations.

Ms Allan said the treaty created a partnership of the oldest continuing culture in the

NationalsMPandoppositionspokeswoman forAboriginalaffairsMelinaBathsaidthecoalition should instead focus to close the gap and bring a better outcome for Indigenous people.

Political strategist, Indigenous leader and anti-Voice advocate Warren Mundine was concerned the statewide treaty would not lead to meaningful change.

He instead favoured local treaties negotiated by individual traditional owner groups.

“We’re setting up a huge bureaucracy and it’s going to grind things down,” he said.

Premier Jacinta Allan and First Peoples’ Assembly co-chairs have signed the treaty agreement. (Justin McManus/AAP Photos)

In an email between YRK and Launching Place Kinder PSG, YRK asked parents to fundraise $5000 to renovate an outdoor area in order for “increased program capacity”. (Stewart Chambers: 517192)

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Solemn day to reflect

By

It may have been wet and cold for this year’s Remembrance Day, but that did not deter Lilydale locals from attending the 11am service on 11 November.

Umbrellas and winter clothing donned, the flag at half mast, the Lilydale CFA siren sounded over the township of Lilydale as the community gathered in sombre silence at the War Memorial.

Lilydale RSL treasurer John O’Donoghue opened the service, following a minute’s silence, recalling the significance and history of Remembrance Day.

He cited the first iteration of Remembrance Day, observed in 1919, and the suggestion from Australian journalist Edward George Honey, who wrote to the London Evening News in May 1919 that a five-minute silence be put into practice.

The monarch at the time, King George, instead insisted on perfect stillness, seeking all movement and locomotion cease, so “the thoughts of everyone could be concentrated on reverent remembrance with a two-minute silence”.

The five minutes were never taken up, but the observation of a minute’s silence began with two minutes.

“Now on Remembrance Day, we commemorate the loss of Australian lives in all wars, in conflicts and peacekeeping operations, and on this remembrance day in 2025, it’s also a time to reflect on the price paid by those who have gone before us to secure the freedoms and the way of life that we enjoy today,” Mr O’Donoghue said.

“And it is a reminder that with the world once again suffering with conflict and tensions, including our own Asia Pacific area, that we may once again be called upon to defend those freedoms, and we should ask ourselves, are we prepared to make the sacrifices as those before us have done in order to keep our way of life and our freedom?”

Evelyn MP Bridget Vallence spoke of the sacrifice made by so many Australians in the First World War and of course, the 672 men from Lilydale who volunteered, of whom 129 never returned.

“Australia’s contribution to the war effort was

both great and costly. More than 332,000 Australians fought in the Great War, and Australia paid a terrible price. More than 60,000 Australians died, 45,000 on the Western Front, and 152,000 were left wounded,” she said.

“Those grim statistics mean that only one out of three Australians who went to war got through it unscathed, at least physically, with a population of only four million in Australia at that time.”

She spoke of Ralph Goode, the first man from Lilydale to join the Australian Imperial Forces at the age of 26.

He served in the Second Field Ambulance Unit as a stretcher bearer at Gallipoli before being transferred to the Western Front where he completed three and a half years.

Ms Vallence also paid special attention to the nurses who served and sacrificed so much.

“More than 2000 women served in the Australian Army Nursing Service during the war. Many of them served abroad in places such as Egypt and France, and it wasn’t easy for the nurses.

“They were expected to pay their own way in order to join the service. Nurses also had to be single or widowed in order to be eligible to serve. If a nurse did get married, they were immediately discharged.

“All these women went above and beyond in the treatment and care they provided to the wounded men, there is no doubt they saved countless lives for which we remain eternally grateful in the years since.”

The congregated community members then heard from naval chaplain Miles Fagan and students from St Patrick’s Primary School, Lilydale High School and Lilydale Primary School.

This was followed by a procession of wreaths being laid at the cenotaph, while piper Rob McKay sounded The Lament.

After the Ode was recited by Mr O’Donoghue, bugler Wally Dunkley sounded The Last Post and the Rouse, with a minute of silence between.

Mr O’Donoghue thanked all who supported the hosting of the Remembrance Day service this year and particularly the community members who came out despite the rain to honour the fallen.

Lilydale RSL’s Neil Doig, John O’Donoghue, Anthony Walters, Miles Fagan and Chris Newell. (Mikayla van Loon: 517132)

The cenotaph was surrounded by school children, volunteers, business owners and former serving members paying their respects. (517132)

The eternal flame burned as a moment of prayer was cited. (517132)

Piper Rob McKay. (517132)

Yarra Ranges Councillor Richard Higgins. (517132)

Evelyn MP Bridget Vallence. (517132)

Chaplain Miles Fagan led the gathered community in prayer. (517132)

Lilydale RSL treasurer John O’Donoghue led the service. (Mikayla van Loon: 517132)

The crowd, donning umbrellas, stood in sombre remembrance. (517132)

A cohort of the Lilydale CFA members attended. (517132)

Mikayla van Loon

Heartache inspires arts

By Shamsiya Hussainpoor

The Forge Institute, a not-for-profit arts organisation for young people aged 13 to 20, has officially launched in the Dandenong Ranges.

The institute, spearheaded by Dandenong Ranges designer and photographer Brent Dakis, who also serves as president, was born from both heartbreak and hope following the tragic passing of his 13-year-old daughter, Ivy, in September this year.

In the months since, Mr Dakis has channelled his grief into building the creative community they had imagined together - a place where young people can feel safe, connected, and inspired to create without fear of judgement.

He said art is more than expression, it’s survival.

“The arts are often framed as luxury or extra,” Mr Dakis said.

“But for many young people and adults too creativity is how we make sense of ourselves in the world, it’s not negotiable. The Forge isn’t trying to churn out the next famous artist. We’re here to build resilience, personal reward, and community, one drawing, zine, song, or photo at a time.”

He hopes this immense loss will become a lasting legacy for youth in the area.

“The Forge Institute started as a half-formed idea,” Mr Dakis said.

“I couldn’t find a youth photography class for Ivy, and thought, well, if it doesn’t exist, maybe I should build it. When she passed, that idea pressed itself against my mind constantly, not just as something creative, but as something vital - the Forge is now a living response to that question my attempt to build the kind of space she needed, and that so many young people still need.”

For Mr Dakis, every part of creating The Forge has been both painful and purposeful.

“It’s grief and purpose, constantly woven to-

pain, to transmute it into something that can hold others. It’s not about making something productive out of tragedy; it’s about refusing to let the silence win. Ivy mattered. Her voice mattered. So in her name, I’m creating a space where other young people’s voices will be heard loud and clear.”

The Forge Institute’s programs are led by practising artists which will include workshops in photography, painting, illustration, and creative writing, as well as mentorships and exhibitions.

A youth ambassador network will connect schools, artists, and community groups across the region, but to the grieving father, the programs are just the beginning.

“In one word, I want young people to feel relief when they walk into a Forge workshop,” he said.

ideas are celebrated, not corrected. Where the staff “get it” because they’re artists too.”

That sense of belonging of having a “third place” outside of school and home is at the centre of what makes The Forge different.

Mr Dakis said Ivy often struggled to find spaces that were truly safe or welcoming.

“She needed a place where she wasn’t ‘too much’ or ‘not enough,’” he said.

“A space where she could be a bit messy, a bit chaotic, a bit brilliant and still held. The Forge is trying to be that space. Not for grades, or likes, or followers just for themselves.”

From the beginning, Mr Dakis was determined The Forge Institute wouldn’t become another top-down organisation.

“Institutions rarely listen,” he said.

“They program “for” young people, not “with” them.

I want our teens to be co-creators, not just participants,” he said.

Young people are already taking leadership roles within the organisation, including on the committee, teen office bearers will soon host “Forge Forums” which’s a roundtable discussions where peers can share what programs they want, what topics matter most, and how they want to be involved.

“Our facilitators are practising creatives sharing their tools, failures, hacks, and passion,” Mr Dakis said.

“It’s personal and real, we teach how we live, embracing the struggle, the isolation, the persistence and showing that even when things feel heavy, we’re still here, still creating.”

The Forge Institute was formally incorporated on 1 November as a not-for-profit association under Victorian law, and marked a major milestone in its journey from idea to reality.

Programs will initially run in borrowed community venues and mobile workshops before expanding into a permanent studio and gallery space and Mr Dakis has already got a dream lo-

“I have my heart set on New Belgrave Motors on the Belgrave roundabout,” he said.

“That building, that access, it would be perfect, but more than the building, my hope is that The Forge becomes a network of young artists supporting each other, mentors showing up without ego, families and communities seeing youth creativity as key, not optional.”

Mr Dakis hopes to honour Ivy’s creativity and spirit this non-profit organisation and ensure that no young person feels unseen or unsafe in their pursuit of art.

“If one day, a young person walks into a Forge program feeling completely unseen, then leaves with a sense that they matter,” he said,

“Then we’ve achieved what we came to do.”

For more information or to get involved, visit theforgeinstitute.au or follow them on Instagram @theforgeinstitute.inc.

If you or someone you know needs support, please contact headspace on 1800 650 850 or visit headspace.org.au, or reach out to ReachOut at reachout.com.

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Brent Dakis with his daughter Ivy. (Supplied)

13-year-old Ivy, photographed by Grace. (Supplied)

Life saving defibs are in

By Oliver Winn

The Lilydale Police have more ways to save lives after receiving two Automated External Defibrillator AEDs.

Valued at $4645, the two defibs were sponsored by the Community Bank Wandin-Seville and will contribute to public safety..

Community Bank Wandin-Seville executive officer Leah Thompson said the Lilydale Police had approached the bank for the sponsorship.

“We had them delivered over to us, and we went down and presented them to the police.

“They were super grateful,” she said.

One AED will be installed on a police response van while the other will be located at the Lilydale Police Station for public use.

AEDs are automated devices that are used during a cardiac arrest to shock the patient’s heart back into normal function.

They are designed to be used by anyone regardless of medical training as they provide simple, step-by-step instructions.

Ms Thompson said it was crucial for the police to have AEDs on hand when responding to emergencies.

“They were saying that a lot of the time when there’s emergencies or accidents they’re usually their first on the scene and they beat the ambulance and CFA.

“They’re always the first ones to know when something’s wrong and when something’s hap-

pening, so it’s super important,” she said.

The two AEDs for Lilydale Police Station are the most recent additions to recent AED sponsorships by Community Bank Wandin-Seville.

Community Bank Wandin-Seville have also donated defibs to Mont De Lancey Historical Homestead, Seville CFA and Seville Preschool. There are many defibs stationed around the Upper Yarra for the public to access in an emergency.

Ambulance Victoria’s latest data showed that Victoria has the best cardiac survival rates in Australia, and the third best anywhere in the world.

Ambulance Victoria medical director associate professor David Anderson said it is essential to know CPR, how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and where your closest defibrillator is located.

“We are urging the community to refresh their knowledge about CPR and how to use a defibrillator. For every minute CPR is delayed, survival decreases by 10 per cent.”

Mr Anderson said the Call, Push and Shock phrase was a good way to remember how to act in an emergency.

“Our message is simple – you don’t need to be a paramedic to save a life, just remember to Call (Triple Zero 000), Push (perform CPR) and Shock (use an AED).”

If you want to find out the closest AED to you, then you can check out the map at the link: goodsamapp.org/locatorMap

The two defibs were priced at $4645 and fully funded by the sponsorship. (Supplied)

Acting sergeant Samuel Hobden standing with one of the new AEDs.

Tuesday 2nd December 2025, 11am to 3pm

From south to north

By Mikayla van Loon

From inland Victoria to the coast of far north Queensland, three female pilots are set to embark on an incredible challenge following the trail of explorers Burke and Wills.

Theresa MacDonald, Amanda Deed, and Delia Jones, who all trained at Lilydale Flying School, are jetting off in early December to attempt to complete the trail by air between dawn and dusk.

It’s all part of the International Dawn to Dusk Competition, primarily a northern hemisphere challenge, but something the three women hope to encourage more Australians to participate in.

This next challenge will mark the third for Theresa and the second for both Amanda and Delia.

The three women will however, have a special guest joining them this time around, after Delia and Theresa connected with Australian comedian Sammy J at his Burke and Wills inspired show at the Melbourne Fringe Festival.

He jumped at the chance to join the trip.

Leaving from Melbourne and following the route of Burke and Wills, through the central parts of New South Wales and outback Queensland, they intend to arrive at Karumba, in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The whole trip is 2518 kilometres.

But the team, named Ships of the Desert, have factored in several contingency plans given the differences in climate, especially the unpredictability of the northern Queensland monsoon season.

“We’re now heading into the wet season. So ideally, in the wet season, you want to fly in the morning, but because we’re starting off down here, we won’t get there until the afternoon,” Theresa said.

“We’ve got contingency plans in case. If we don’t make it up there in a day, then we’ll probably get there the second day, and we’ll do it in reverse. That’s plan B.”

Amanda, who previously worked in central Australia and has now flown all over the world, said the outback flights provide a different set of challenges they have to consider.

“Any flight you do, where you go somewhere that’s unfamiliar to you as a pilot, in terms of flying, and especially like those more outback places as well, where there’s less chances of diversions and things like that, obviously, we have many, many contingency plans if we need to divert, but a lot more thinking and planning goes into how to actually navigate in those areas, and we will take our paper maps with us as well,” she said.

There were several reasons for choosing this trip, but a few standout points did influence the decision.

“It being linked to England with the actual Dawn to Dusk Competition coming from England, and the original explorers from there,” Amanda said.

“And then doing that outback exploration, and getting from south to north and finding that inland way that so many others either failed to do or didn’t get as far, or different areas and things like that, it’s quite interesting.”

Delia had also already begun researching the Burke and Wills trek for a potential book, making it a perfect fit to not only link Delia’s writing but also satisfy the criteria of the competition.

So far, her research has explored the towns that were there at the time, and those that came later, but also the story of the dig tree.

“There are so many interesting things about the little outback towns, and it would be so good to get people to visit these towns as tourists,” she said.

“The dig tree is where they came back to and found the people who were meant to be waiting for them had left in the morning of that same day. They were almost dying of starvation, and when they headed on towards Innamincka, Burke died, and Wills died.

“(John) King was looked after by the Aboriginals, which was very, very good, and then rescued a few months later by another explorer coming to find him. The dig tree is amazing. They were here, and all the suffering they went through.”

King lived with the Yandruwandha people, who saved his life using their knowledge of the land and natural remedies, for three months.

Of course, the beauty of the landscape and the contrast from the air were also deciding factors when choosing this route.

“It’s just seeing that beautiful aspect of going from Victoria into New South Wales and then into Queensland, and I love the red dirt,” Amanda said.

“I would probably say not a lot has changed, aside from the townships, and perhaps the river systems of outback Queensland, which had the floods earlier in the year as well.

“So the landscape will be looking quite different, no matter what time of year you fly, but certainly more washouts I’m expecting we’ll see from the air, but maybe a bit more green too.”

A hugely important aspect for these women when doing these flight challenges is fundraising for a cause.

Because of the large outback expanse the team will fly over, they have chosen Outback Futures as their charity.

Outback Futures supports the mental health and wellbeing of children, young people, adults, families, and entire communities living and working in rural and remote locations, where support services are few and far between.

Amanda said the impact of the floods in Queensland and the everyday challenges of living rurally, like the isolation from larger townships, helped set the target of $10,000 for Outback Fu-

tures.

Their message: Your donation will support real change, real support, and real hope in the outback. Support the Ships of the Desert mission. Fuel the flight. Change lives.

As of Friday 14 November, the team had raised over $4000 for the cause. To support Ships of the Desert, go to: gofundme.com/f/Ships-of-theDesert

To find out more about Outback Futures, visit: outbackfutures.org.au

Evan helps bag a world record!

It’s a long way to the top... if you wanna smash a bagpiping world record.

A crowd of 374 bagpipers in Melbourne’s Federation Square has done just that with a tribute to rock legends AC/DC, ahead of their first Australian concert in a decade.

The piping world record had been held by a crowd of 333 pipers in the Bulgarian capital of Sophia since 2012.

One of the bagpipers was Croydon-based Evan Laios. This is his account of the day:

“I was alerted by friends of a pipe bash to be held in the city about AC/DC’s Long Way to the Top Rock Film. So, naturally I volunteered. Why? Because it was a fun thing to do. It was to be held at Fed Square with hundreds of like minded pipers. I could only imagine the atmosphere, it would have been electric. It was.

After making my public debut on the past weekend with the band at Maroondah Festival, this city bash would’ve capped it off. This was all exciting for me, wearing my kilt, having to talk to appreciative people on the way in, about how the pipes made an impact in their families lives.

When I got to the city with just seconds to the official warmup, I was so lost. But a venue organ-

iser just grabbed me and parted the crowd, who clapped saying “Make way for the piper!” After a few nervous moments of setting up my drones, hemping up a loose chanter, I stood up without knocking anyone over, found my band mates and we stood still for the announcement to be made.

Then we just played as one, a big grand ol’ Scottish mosh pit. If my folks could see me now, if my mate who bequeathed his pipes could’ve looked down on me now, how proud could he

Kilsyth fest is back with new look

All the fun of the fair comes to Kilsyth this Sunday, 23 November, when the Kilsyth Festival returns bigger and brighter than ever between 10am and 4pm at the beautiful Elizabeth Bridge Reserve in Durham Road, Kilsyth.

The event has become a highly anticipated part of Kilsyth community life. It is run by the Kilsyth Community Action Group and Friends of Elizabeth Bridge Reserve in conjunction with Japara, with the benefit of a generous community grant from Yarra Ranges Council.

Organising committee chair Mike O’Meara says that those who come along to join in the fun will notice a change in the Festival layout.

“For the first time there will be attractions across both sides of Durham Road. The road will be closed in both directions between 8am and 4pm from the eastern end of Japara to the western end of the Reserve, next door to Little Penguin Childcare.

“As well as providing greater safety for our patrons, the new look opens up more food and entertainment centres for people to enjoy. We’re especially excited to be hosting a youth precinct with special stalls and features like 3D printing and a youth art project to appeal to our young people,” Mike said.

There will be something to interest everyone. Up to 70 stalls will offer everything from crafts, workshops, clothing, fitness, and community service. Activities for the children will include cupcake decorating, face painting, sports games, and pet and wildlife displays. And there is a rumour circulating that a special white bearded Christmas guest will be dropping in at around 2pm.

In the meantime, there will be plenty of performance acts to keep everyone entertained. This will include a demonstration by Croydon Obedience Dog Club, a roving bubble artist, local buskers, and the Ruccis Circus group will be back with their spectacular aerial show.

The centre stage will feature a wellknown favourite West African drummer, Kofi. He will be joined by L J the Magician, Street Dance Studio and talented local artists like Rhys Sund and Sole Butter.

If all of this makes you a bit hungry or thirsty, there will be plenty of food and refreshment stalls to make sure everyone is satisfied.

Parking includes the car park at 150 Cambridge Road (the former school site). Anyone who is driving in the area at the time is asked to be mindful of pedestrian traffic and particularly the road closure and detours in place.

For further details, please see the Festival website and Facebook page, and the Japara Facebook page.

have been? It didn’t end there. Going home on the train I was surrounded by smiley people. One kid who sat opposite me remarked, “Do you get tired playing them?” Yes, I do but its fun. I gave him the last of my lollies. Chatted some more. Thats it. I’ve been piping for three years, it hasn’t been easy but when you play with a band and you’re in tune, its a wonderful thing.” - with AAP

Pilots Theresa MacDonald, Delia Jones and Amanda Deed are attempting to fly south to north of Australia in a day. (Mikayla van Loon: 517526)

Croydon’s Evan Laios joined the crowd of 374 bagpipers to break the world record. (Supplied)

Kilsyth Festival is returning on Sunday 23 November. (Supplied)

Don’t miss all the performances happening at the Kilsyth Festival. (Supplied)

Pilot Theresa MacDonald and comedian Sammy J. (Supplied)

Delia Jones and Theresa MacDonald met Sammy J after his show Fiasco, inspired by Burke and Wills. (Supplied)

Richard Higgins is mayor

On Tuesday, 11 November, I had the privilege of being elected as Mayor of Yarra Ranges by my peers, along with Chandler Ward Councillor, Gareth Ward, who was elected Deputy Mayor.

For the coming year, I’ll be working with my Deputy and my fellow Councillors to maintain and improve the things we all love about the Yarra Ranges – the environment, our local infrastructure, and our programs that service more than 150,000 community members.

Though my ward is in the urban area of the municipality, I’m keenly aware of the opportunities and issues that impact our regional areas, such as the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges – both through my time at council and through

the passionate advocates that are my fellow councillors.

This will be my second term leading the Yarra Ranges, having been Mayor through the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, lock downs

and restrictions.

I’m proud of how Council and its staff led the community during this time, and though this coming year will surely have its own unique challenges, we’ll rise to meet it as we always have – together.

As I step into the Mayor’s role, I’m mindful that we’re facing the potential of an extraordinarily warm summer. I’d like to start my term by asking every community member to think of their emergency plans and make sure they’re up to scratch before the weather heats up.

Just make sure that, as we head into the summer months, you have an emergency plan in the event of a bushfire or natural disaster. It’s easy to do when you don’t need it, but it’s crucial to have

Terrific acting garners rave review

The 1812 Theatre

Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica

A romantic story written by David Williamson.

A story of love between two very different people Gary, a trasdie and Monica a retired violinist with tendonitis in her shoulder.

Miss Monica was played by Angeline Thompson.

A wonderful performance and worked well with Gary.

Some of her scenes were a sheer delight with a change of heart from classical music to understanding Country and Western Music.

Actually, she didn’t really like Country and Western but her tradie, Gary did.

Monica was a violinist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and some of her scenes while listening to classical music were delightful.

Gary, played by Nigel Leslie was a tradie bought in by Miss Monica to redo her kitchen.

But Gary turned out to be a Country and Western singer called Rhinestone Rex and has a spot on the local community radio.

Gary started work in the kitchen then asked Monica what she was playing. He was not impressed.

Nigel gave the character a great performance working well with Angeline.

They worked well together and some of their scenes were remarkable.

A good performance from both characters.

The 1812 Theatre had a great set, Miss Monica’s apartment the lounge room with a door to the audience’s right to the kitchen where Gary was working.

This changed into a bar at the local pub by swinging the audience right wall out and the pub

scene indicated by two chairs and a table.

Aneline’s performance in this scene was terrific, a contrast to how she played her role previously. Nigel balanced her performance with expertise and left the audience wondering what they were up to.

A wonderful evening by the 1812 Theatre and a shoe worth seeing.

Maho Magic Bar Direct from Japan Australia’s favourite Japanese magic bar delighted and stunned Melbourne audiences in 2023 with rave reviews.

With new and astonishing illusions, Maho Magic bar by Broad Encounters is returning to Melbourne as part of the brand new Spiegel Haus Melbourne, ready to astound afresh.

With fresh tricks and even fresher cocktails, Maho Magic Bar jets audiences straight to a neonlit Tokyo night, with all the mischief, mayhem, cocktails, and laughter you could wish for.

To enter Maho Magic Bar is to find yourself an intimate, bespoken space in which your every sense will be stimulated.

Take a seat, elect a drink and be ready to be wowed in disbelief as the very best of Japan’s superstar sleight-of-hand specialists perform exclusive magic shows at our table.

Audiences will see these masters at work at

it, if the worst occurs.

Factor in meeting places, when to leave early, and what happens with animals, and make sure everyone in your family is across your plan.

We’ll be working to prepare the region in our parks, gardens and reserves, with our bundled branches and hard waste collections coming up over summer.

Now, and year-round, we’ll continue to work hand in hand with our community to make the Yarra Ranges the best place to live, work and play in.

I’m honoured to be your Mayor for the coming year, and I look forward to meeting many of you over the coming year.

best of the year of king

The Running Man Starring Glenn Powell, Colman Domingo and Josh Brolin M

3.75/5

Based on the 1982 novel by Stephen King (previously adapted in 1987 with Arnold Schwarzenegger), The Running Man is a decently entertaining time but the weakest of this year’s many King movies.

In a totalitarian future United States, Ben Richards (Glenn Powell) signs up for The Running Man, a deadly game show in which contestants must survive on the run for thirty days.

point blank range, putting a wild contemporary spin on magic traditions which date back to Japan’s Edo period.

• Where: Spiegel Haus 217 Lonsdale St Melbourne.

• Season: 25 November – 15 February 2026. Eltham Little Theatre Whodunnit?

This Broadway success by the author of Sleuth takes audiences to Agatha Christie’s England.

Six strangers and a butler have gathered for a black tie dinner in a wealthy lawyer’s mansion during a thunderstorm.

The guests include an aged rear admiral, a bitchy aristocrat, a doddering old archaeologist, a dashing young cad and other Chistie types.

One of the guests is an unscrupulous bounder, who tells the others (each in private) that he has the goods to blackmail them.

He’s ripe for murder and so it happens. Whodunnit?

This is the company’s dinner table seating event.

BYO Food and Beverages.

• Season: Friday 21 November – Saturday 6 December

• Bookings: 0411 713 095

The Roud Theatre Flop Fresh from a hit season at The Edinburgh Fringe, Arthur Hull brings us his best songs from the worst musicals ever written.

The neon lights aren’t always bright on Broadway.

This show is a love letter to the rollercoaster world of musicals and the people who make them.

Powell is an ever-likeable lead as Ben, and Colman Domingo is a supernova of charisma as Bobby T, the exuberant host of the Running Man show. The film’s bombastic first act establishes the severe poverty of much of the population and the miasma of commercialism and junky reality TV that keeps them in check, and the crass, gaudy atmosphere reminds me of Night City in the video game Cyberpunk 2077. The film’s highlight is a funny sequence of plucky revolutionary Elton Parrakis (Michael Cera) repelling Network troops with Home Alone-style traps, but the rest of the action is unmemorable.

The Running Man has a big problem managing time and magnitude. Ben lasts more than two weeks before striking back at the show’s organisers; this long timespan, which often jumps forward several days, drains the urgency somewhat. Josh Brolin is compelling as Dan Killian, the unassailably confident producer of the Running Man show, but Ben is effectively ordained for success as Dan exerts a Machiavellian control over every aspect of his journey. On some level, Ben is a pawn of the media machine even as he wins, but he has limited agency and the threats he faces have little to no impact anymore.

The Running Man has fun characters and intoxicating satire (especially in the first act), but never quite comes together as an action movie, and is playing in most Victorian cinemas.

- Seth Lukas Hynes

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

No nun-sense for this tale

The charming tale of Sister Amnesia and her journey to becoming a country music star will once again grace the stage in Lilydale, as Nunsense Jamboree prepares to open on 20 November.

For lead actress, Fiona Carter, stepping back into the habit of Sister Amnesia wasn’t just another role; it was a familiar, joyous reunion.

Returning to Sister Amnesia, having first played her in Nunsense I in 1996, in the latest instalment of the beloved nun-centric musical series, she was brimming with the high-spirited energy of the production.

“It’s mostly just fun,” Fiona said.

“There are a lot of songs, and there’s dancing, and it’s really interesting to hear more stories about the nuns and where they came from and why they became nuns.”

This particular show is the third in the series, following the original Nunsense I and II and the later Nuncrackers.

It delves deeper, revealing the histories of the beloved characters, while still promising the audience a light-hearted escape.

The original storylines follow Sister Amnesia winning the lottery in the first show and dealing with mob-affiliated brothers in the second.

This narrative arc in Nunsense Jamboree sees Sister Amnesia return from Nashville, where she recorded her first album, I Could’ve Gone to Nashville.

“We remind the audience of some other nuns who aren’t with us, but are named, and that’s a bit of fun to bring them up. And we’ve got a new nun, and we’ve got a new brother in this one that we haven’t had before,” Fiona said.

For those unfamiliar with the earlier shows, Fiona reassured, “It works both ways.”

The script also has a “little refresher” line: ‘You all do know that Sister blah, blah, blah… and a little bit of what happened there’ to ensure the new audience can keep up, but Fiona emphasised the story was designed to “stand on its own”.

Exploring Sister Amnesia once again was a pure delight for the actress. Fiona was playing her for the umpteenth time, a role that had become like an old friend.

“She’s childlike and she’s innocent, and she loves people. She really does.”

Fiona admitted the character’s amiable nature made the role “slightly easier” because it mirrored her own personality.

The musical challenge has been exhilarating for Fiona, though one song from the first show was repeated with slightly altered lyrics, a tricky hurdle to overcome decades of muscle memory.

“The rhyming is good, the melodies are good, and there’s lovely, lovely harmonies.”

Adding to the excitement was a brilliant new choreographer, making the movement “interesting to watch, and active”, and “that matches the songs”.

Working under the experienced direction of Alan Burrows has helped shape the nuances of the familiar character, particularly with the addition of a ‘country accent’ detail.

“It’s really good having a director who says, ‘Right, I want you to do this, this way and that, that way.’ Because the director’s vision is really important for it to be cohesive,” Fiona said,

“Alan is a terrific director, experienced and knowledgeable and very good at getting you to build the characters so that we know why she says

what she says and does what she does.”

As the year draws to a close and as the last show of the year, Fiona offered a final, heartfelt invitation to potential theatre-goers.

“It’s a really light-hearted way to finish the year with so many horrible things happening around the world and so much negativity.”

This play, she promised, is “simple, easy to watch and listen to...to walk away smiling.”

With opening night this week, Fiona is spending every day in practice, her brain full of lines, songs, and dances.

Don’t miss Nunsense Jamboree, opening Thursday 20 November and closing Saturday 6 December. Visit: lilydaleatc.com or call the Box Office on 9735 1777 to book your ticket.

Experience

Choose

Fiona Carter (centre) returns to the role of Sister Amnesia in Nunsense Jamboree. (Alexandra CarterWanderling Photography)

The original Nunsense cast from 1996. (Supplied)

By Mikayla van Loon

A REFINED HILLSIDE RETREAT WITH ENDLESS POSSIBILITY

HILLSIDE RETREAT WITH ENDLESS POSSIBILITY

PERFECTLY positioned at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, this elegant and expansive family home captures the essence of refined Hills living - sweeping forest and mountain views, tranquil surrounds, and the luxury of serenity without the upkeep.

Set in a peaceful, community-minded enclave at the base of the 1000 Steps, the home offers the best of both worlds - a private retreat just moments from Upper Ferntree Gully Station, shops, schools, cafes, restaurants, Angliss Hospital, and beautiful walking trails.

Designed for effortless family living and entertaining, the home unfolds across two spacious levels showcasing light-filled interiors, multiple living zones, and seamless indoor–outdoor connection.

Downstairs – A Private Parents’ Sanctuary

The lower level offers the ultimate parents’ retreat, featuring a king-sized master bedroom with ensuite, a generous living area with garage access, and private garden viewsperfect for multi-generational living or a selfcontained space (STCA).

Upstairs – Family Functionality and Views

Upstairs, the updated kitchen with breakfast bar forms the heart of the home, surrounded by four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a study. The open-plan living and dining area flows effortlessly onto a north-facing entertaining deck - a breathtaking spot to soak in panoramic views across the mountains and treetops.

Outdoor Lifestyle & Sustainability

Set on a beautifully tiered, landscaped block,

the property has been thoughtfully designed for practicality and sustainability. With solar power and Tesla battery storage, three separate driveways, and ample off-street parking, there’s space for a caravan, boat, or future shed (STCA). The secure, usable yard provides plenty of room for children, pets, and outdoor gatherings.

Crafted with care and designed for versatility, this property offers endless potential - whether for large families, multigenerational living, or those seeking a peaceful hillside retreat with exceptional convenience.

Highlights

• Picturesque elevated setting with panoramic mountain and forest views

• 5–6 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | study | multiple living zones

• Downstairs parents’ retreat with ensuite and private living area

• Updated kitchen with breakfast bar and open-plan living

• Expansive entertaining deck with sweeping views

• 13.82kW solar system with Tesla battery for energy efficiency

• Tiered gardens, three driveways & ample off-street parking

• Potential for caravan/boat parking, large shed or second dwelling (STCA)

• Ducted heating, split-system cooling & ceiling fans

• Moments from Upper Gully Station, shops, cafes & the 1000 Steps ●

TRI-LEVEL, ARCHITECTURALLY DESIGNED, VIEWS

THIS western red cedar home, inspired by mid-century modernist architecture, welcomes you into its generous open spaces - finished to a high standard - both inside and out. Elevated to appreciate the wondrous views incorporating the bay, city, and national park, you need to spend time here to find your favourite place to just ‘be.’

Sunsets, misty mountain vistas, native birds, as well as storms rolling in across the city and the bay are all experienced through the seasons from various angles and aspects.

The house sits proudly, architecturally designed with functionality for both connection and privacy, the floorplan has the versatility to be multi-generational, support working remotely or invite multiple spaces for the family and guests to have their own spaces.

The top two levels host most of the day-to-day areas of the home, a designer kitchen with both walk-in pantry and separate butler’s pantry, polished stone bench tops, Smeg 2 x oven, grill and six burner stove, Asko dishwasher, coffee bar, clean lines, and functional bespoke cabinetry with LED lights. The expansive living spaces, where family and friends gather to share meals and stories whilst being surrounded by nature are comfortable, warm and flexible and include bespoke cabinets and storage areas. An indoor/outdoor flow, is offered seamlessly through floor to ceiling windows and Lift-andGlide Binq hardwood doors, with invisible pull-out fly screens.

Downstairs offers adaptability for a variety of needs, presently the primary suite, with sitting room, bedroom, and contemporary ensuite. It can easily transform into a separate accommodation scenario with a kitchenette and laundry, large living space or extra bedroom (currently utilised as an artist’s studio), private deck access, and the same amazing views.

The house sits proudly on a 1/3 of an acre of established and landscaped terraced gardens with fruit trees.

Upon inspection you will be able to feel the sense of tranquility, beauty and character of this extraordinary home. You will notice the quality of materials and finishes throughout; hardwood floors, Binq designer double glazed windows and doors (some with Tilt and Turn technology for security and sustainability), commissioned and customised timber fittings, wool carpets throughout – the attention to detail is exceptional.

There are also unseen upgrades, 6.3KW solar, fibre to the curb NBN, underfloor insulation, heating and cooling options including a Coonara wood fired stove, a house alarm, self-watering raised garden beds – a list of everything will be available.

The residence is approximately one hour from Melbourne CBD, easily accessible by rail at nearby Upwey township. Here you will find a supermarket, dentist and pilates studio, restaurants, cafes, specialty stores, also bus connections, pre, primary and secondary schools. Visit local wineries, berry farms, local markets and national park walks including the famous 1000 steps, as well as the spectacular vistas from Mount Dandenong – all a short trip from your doorstep. ●

A PRIVATE SANCTUARY JUST STEPS FROM TOWN

PERFECTLY positioned within walking distance of Gembrook’s town centre, schools, and parklands, this inviting three-bedroom, one-bathroom home captures the essence of relaxed modern living.

Set on a flat and fully fenced 803sqm block, the home balances character and convenience with a thoughtful layout and quality finishes throughout. The carpeted master includes a walk-through robe and bright ensuite-effect bathroom, while two further bedrooms (one with built-in robes) provide flexibility for family, guests, or a home office.

The kitchen features a gas stove, integrated oven, dishwasher, fridge recess, pantry, and generous bench and storage space. Flowing easily into the light-filled living and dining areas, the home is complemented

by 9-foot ceilings and gas ducted heating for year-round comfort.

Outdoors, a private entertaining area overlooks beautifully landscaped gardens, a solar-heated in-ground pool, and plenty of room to relax or play. A double carport, storage shed, and concrete driveway complete this picture-perfect property — an easy-care haven where everyday life feels like a holiday.

This property has it all so don’t miss outcall to arrange a private inspection today. 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.

Tuckedawayin aquietpocketofCockatoo,thisbeautifullyrefreshedbrickhomeon2,023sqm deliversrelaxedfamilylivingjustminutesfromtown,schools& publictransport.Freshlypainted& fittedwithnewcarpets,thehomefeelsinstantlyinviting.Highceilingsamplifythesenseofspace, whileair-conditioning &gasductedheatingkeepthingscomfortableyear-round.Theadjoining kitchenisbothpractical &welcoming,featuring agasstovetop,walloven,dishwasher &excellent storage— theperfectplaceforfamilyeverydayliving.Themasterbedroomenjoysprivacyatthe frontofthehomewith awalk-inrobe &ensuite,while 2additionalbedroomswithbuilt-inrobesare servicedby afamilybathroom &separatetoilet.Thelaundryopenstothebackyard,completewith apoweredsinglegarage,carport,gardenshed& ampleoff-streetparking.

SamanthaScott M 0438680032

HillsComfortonOver ¾Acre

PerfectlypositionedmomentsfromCockatoo’stownship,schools,andtransport,thisinviting 3-bedroom,2-bathroombrickhomeona usable3,103sqm(approx.)combinesrelaxedlivingwith everydayease.Inside,timberfloorsandnaturallightseta warmtone.Themasterbedroomincludes awalk-inrobe,ensuite,andsplitsystem,whilethesunkenloungewithbrick-surroundwoodfireand splitsystemensuresyear-roundcomfort.Thekitchenanddiningareafeaturestonebenchtops, gascooktop,integratedoven,dishwasher,andfridgerecess,openingthroughslidingdoorstoa pavedentertainingzoneandleafygarden.Twofurtherbedroomswithbuilt-inrobessharea family bathroomwithseparatetoilet.Outdoors, afullyfencedyardoffersspaceforkidsandpets, achook enclosure,woodshed,anddoublegarage —theperfectsliceofpeacefulHillsliving.

SpaciousFamilyLivingin aPrimeEmeraldLocation. Perfectlypositionedjusta shortstrolltoEmerald,supermarket &schools,thisimmaculate4-bedroom, 2-bathroomhomeon1005sqmofferstheperfectblendofprivacy &convenience.A welcoming entrywith9ftceilings &Blackbuttfloorssetsthetone,leadingtothemastersuitewithlargewindows, oversizedwalk-inrobe &generousensuite.3 furtherbedroomswithBIRarearrangedarounda centralbathroom &separatetoilet.Attheheartofthehome,theopen-plankitchen &diningarea impresseswitha stone-toppedisland,walk-inpantry,integratedoven,gascooktop &dishwasher.A secondlivingroomwithgaslogfire &slidingdoorstotheverandahoffers aquietretreat.Year-round comfortisensuredwithGDH& ductedvacuum.Outdoors,enjoyundercoveralfrescoentertaining, dualdriveways,poweredgarage,doublecarport,gardenshed& securepetarea.

LifestyleIncome. Tuckedawayon10privateacres,thisdouble-brickhomedeliversspace,comfort &lifestyleinone invitingpackage.Theopen-planliving& diningareafeatures awoodheater,whilethekitchen shineswithwhitecabinetry,darkbenchtops,stainless-steelappliances,largepantry &a servery windowtotheelevatedalfrescodeckwithglassbalustrading& leafyviews.Fourbedroomsinclude amasterwithwalk-inrobe &ensuite,whilethemainbathroomservestherest.Downstairs,a huge garageoffersparkingformultiplevehiclesplusextraundercoverspaceidealforconversion.A separate2-bedroom,1-bathroomstudiowithitsownentertainingareaaddsdual-livingpotential. Theacreageblendsnaturalbush& establishedgardens,withHydrangeassupplyinglocalnurseries, multiplesheds,coolrooms,ampletankwater &double-glazedwindows.

4OonahStreetCockatoo

$730,000 -$800,000

GRAND FAMILY ESTATE WITH DUAL LIVING

12.25 ACRES OF SCENIC EMERALD LAND

SET in one of Emerald’s most exclusive pockets, this stately, fully rendered brick residence delivers space, style, and flexibility on a grand scale. Melbourne, CBD is an easy hour away—yet here, you’ll feel a world apart.

From its elevated position, the home captures sweeping views across 12.25 acres of beautifully cleared land. Inside, the main residence offers four spacious bedrooms (all with WIRs), including a luxurious master suite with a superb ensuite. Multiple living zones— formal lounge and dining, family, meals, and rumpus—ensure comfort and room for the largest of families.

The gourmet timber kitchen is a chef’s delight, featuring granite benchtops and quality stainless steel appliances. Large, lightfilled windows frame the countryside views, while ducted gas heating and reverse-cycle air conditioning ensure year-round comfort.

A triple garage links the main home to the second, fully self-contained residence—ideal for extended family, guests, or even as an Airbnb income stream. Designed for complete independence, it offers two bedrooms (BIRs), a spacious living area, central kitchen, and large bathroom—all with separate utilities for ultimate privacy.

For the equestrian or hobby farmer, the property features eight fully fenced paddocks, each with water and electric fencing, plus a huge six-bay powered shed with lockable storage and hay bays. An extra-height 15m x 9m powered shed with drive-through access is perfect for trades, storage, or serious hobbies.

Outdoors, relax or entertain in the covered alfresco area, surrounded by immaculate gardens and sweeping lawns—ideal for summer cricket or family gatherings.

This is a rare opportunity to secure a premium lifestyle property just 4km from Emerald’s charming township. Grand, flexible, and beautifully maintained—homes of this calibre seldom come to market.

12MERVyNRoAD

IMMACULATELIFESTYLEPROPERTY

$1,495,000-$1,644,000

Proudlypositionedona beautifullylandscapedandfullyusable4,901m²(approx.) allotment,thisimmaculatelymaintainedhomeexudeswarmth,space,andtimeless character.With aversatile floorplandesignedformodernfamily living,thispropertyoffers exceptionalcomfortandlifestyle flexibility —allwithinminutesofWellingtonRoadand BelgraveCentral.

JanBrewster 0409558805

GrandFamilyEstateon12.5acres

Fromitselevatedposition,thehomecapturessweepingviewsacross12.25acresof beautifullyclearedland.Inside,themainresidenceoffersfourspaciousbedrooms(allwith WIRs),includinga luxuriousmastersuitewith asuperbensuite.Multiplelivingzones—formal loungeanddining,family,meals,andrumpus—ensurecomfortandroomforthelargest offamilies.

Large,light-filledwindowsframethecountrysideviews

MickDolphin 0429684522 CaitiEllis 0493136937

ClassicHillsHavenwithValleyViews

Stepintothecharmandcharacterofthisclassichillshome,perfectlypoisedtocapture beautifulviewsacrossthevalleytotherollinghillsbeyond Withhighceilingsanda warm,invitingatmosphere,thishomeoffers asunroom,also spaciouslivingzones,bothfeaturingcosy fires— idealforrelaxingorentertainingthrough theseasons.Thereardeckisperfectlypositionedtotakeinthestunningscenery,making ittheultimatespotformorningcoffeeoreveningsunsets.

MickDolphin 0429684522 CaitiEllis

Nestledina peacefulsettingwithleafyviews,thisbeautifullypresentedfour-bedroom homeofferstheperfectblendofcomfort,style,andpracticality— allwithinwalking distancetotown

Stepinsidetodiscoverlight-filledlivingspaces,includinga cozyloungewith awood fireanda contemporarykitchenfeaturing aporcelainsink,900mmstainlesssteel freestandingoven,anddishwasher.

MickDolphin 0429684522

CaitiEllis 0493136937

BINDAREE - A SCENIC HILLS ESTATE WITH VIEWS

PERCHED proudly along the ridge of Emerald’s most scenic stretch, “Bindaree” is one of the region’s most iconic properties - a timeless sanctuary where panoramic vistas sweep from the tranquil waters of Cardinia Reservoir to Arthur’s Seat on the Mornington Peninsula, and across to French Island in Western Port Bay.

From its origins as a charming 1930s Art Deco cottage, this residence has gracefully evolved into a magnificent family estate, crowned with a distinctive turret and surrounded by magnificent established gardens. Every corner of Bindaree reflects a devotion to craftsmanship and a reverence for its history - a home where past and present coexist in perfect harmony.

Step beyond the original fretwork porch and into an entrance hall featuring a pressed tin ceiling, a fitting introduction to the home’s rich character and well-preserved period detail. The master suite is a private retreat with walk-in wardrobes, a separate toilet, and a stately en suite complete with a deep bath and elegant shower.

A cosy lounge beckons with its original fireplace adorned with rose-blush deco tiles and bay windows framing the garden’s seasonal blooms. The heart of the home, however, is the stunning kitchen - a seamless blend of tradition and modern luxury, featuring white subway tiles, Victorian Ash benchtops, brass fittings, and premium stainless-steel appliances including a 6-burner gas stove, double oven, and twin-drawer dishwasher. From here, meals can be served in the beautifully wood-panelled dining room, or out on the wide veranda where sunsets paint the horizon in breathtaking colour.

The family room, framed by expansive picture windows and fitted with automated blinds, provides a spectacular vantage point for enjoying the ever-changing scenery - from morning light to twilight hues.

Downstairs, discover three additional bedrooms with walk-in robes, a bright sunroom opening to a private courtyard, and a newly renovated bathroom and laundry in crisp whites. The thoughtful layout ensures comfort with ducted heating, evaporative cooling, and split-system air conditioning throughout. Outdoor living is every bit as enchanting. The under-veranda terrace, tiled in terracotta and edged by Sasanqua Camellias, creates a tranquil garden gallery. The double garage offers ample storage for vehicles and leisure equipment, while the grounds are a true horticultural delight - a mature orchard boasting fig, apple, mandarin, grapefruit, tangelo, lime, lemon, guava, quince, orange, plum, peach, and pomegranate trees. Complementing this are a fully fenced vegetable garden, 22,000 litres of tank water, an olive arbour leading to a picturesque pergola, and even a croquet lawn for leisurely afternoons outdoors.

Set on nearly two acres, Bindaree is a place where life’s most memorable moments unfold. Within minutes of Emerald Village,

local schools, and public transport, this extraordinary property offers privacy, beauty, and a sense of permanence rarely found.

An inspection is essential to experience the soul and splendour of this once-in-a-lifetime home. ●

EMBRACE THE LIFESTYLE AT ‘MAPLE COTTAGE’

A true gem ready for its next chapter, ‘Maple Cottage’ radiates character and charm, all wrapped up in a delightful little package. The cottage is wonderfully cosy, featuring polished floorboards throughout, high ceilings, sash windows. The master bedroom includes an updated ensuite, while the second bedroom is a generous size, the third bedroom, is bathed in natural light and offers a serene garden outlook.

Open plan lounge, complete with a cosy fireplace, flows seamlessly into the kitchen and out to a gorgeous patio area, creating a relaxed and inviting atmosphere with a divine aspect to sit back and enjoy.

Outside, you’ll find a studio, garden shed, and a garage with concrete floor, carport and multiple sitting areas where you can soak up the tranquility, and enjoy your garden with abundant fruit trees. Additional bonuses include solar panels and solar hot water, adding to the property’s appeal.

If you’ve been considering investing in the booming Warburton area, now is the time. With the highly anticipated Warburton Mountain Bike Destination opening up and several exciting new projects, this could be the property you’ve been waiting for.

Set on an approx. 800sqm block, this delightful cottage would suit a peaceful weekender or a charming home in a truly great location all just minutes from the picturesque walking trails and Yarra River, perfect for those refreshing summer dips. ●

RiversideLivingMadeEasy

Discoverthisneatandinvitinghomesetonaflat,lowmaintenanceblockdirectlyacrossfromthe picturesqueYarraRiver.Featuringthreebedroomsplusa study,thishomehasbeenthoughtfully updatedwitha modernkitchenandbathroom—readyforyoutomovestraightinandenjoy.The light-filledinteriorflowseffortlesslytoanoutdoorentertainingareacompletewithafirepit,idealfor relaxedeveningswithfamilyandfriends.Outside,you’llfind adoublecarport,plentyofadditional parking,anda super-tidyyardcompletewithlockupgardenshed,and afrontverandahideal forthemorningcuppa’s.Situatedjuststepsfromriverwalkingtracksandonlyminutestopublic transport,thispropertywillappealto awiderangeofbuyers—first-homeseekers,downsizers,orthose lookingforaneasy-carelifestylein abeautifulriversidesetting.

RebeccaDoolan M 0401832068

FamilyLivingatitsBestwithLoadsofExtras SittingonoverhalfanacreofflatusablelandandbackingontothepicturesqueHoddlesCreekthis locationissuperb.Thelargefamilyhomeboasts 4bedrooms, 3bathroomsand 2living/loungeareas with afunctionalandflexiblefloorplantosuitthegrowingfamily,thefreshmodernkitchenboasts qualityappliancesandfittingsthroughoutwithamplebenchandcupboardspace.Headoutside andenjoythefantasticoutdoorsanytimeoftheyearfromthecoveredentertainingBBQareato theingroundpool.Plentyofcaraccommodationwith ahugelockupgarage/workshopplusloads ofextraspacefortrucks,trailersandcaravans, aseparatebungalow/studioistheidealspotfor teenagers,weekendguestsorthedependentrelatives.A sensationalpropertyina gloriouslocation withjustminutesawaytolocalschools,shopsandtransport.

FamilySpaceandConvenienceina GreatLocation

Situatedinanideallocationjustminutesstrolltolocalschools,transportandWesburn’sever popularfoodandcoffeeoutlets -it’sa greatplacetobe.Thelargefamilyhomeoffersgreatvalue in afantasticlocationandoffering 4bedroomswitha largeopenkitchenwithamplebenchand cupboardspaceanda separatemeals/diningareaplus alargefamilysizelounge/livingroom.A greatsizeblockofapprox.790sqmwithsecurefencingforthekidsandpets. Alargeextrahigh carportidealforlargecars,trailersorcaravans,plusa gardenshedanda greatsizebackyardwith distantmountainviews.A superbpropertyin afantastic,convenientlocation- just afewminutes walktotheWarburtontrailandWesburnparksmountainbiketrailhubandsportingcomplex.

GloriousAcreswitha FantasticFamilyLifestyle Arareopportunitytosecurea beautifullypresentedsmallacreagepropertywithcommanding viewsinpeacefulsurroundings.Sittingonjustunder 7sensationalacreswith2 separateresidences andofferingtheidealrelaxedlifestyle.Themainhomeisspacious,beautifullypresentedandoffers 4goodsizebedroomsallwithbuiltinrobesincluding akingsizemasterbedroomwith awalkin robe,ensuiteandparentsretreat.Inadditiontothemainhomethereis aseparatewellpresented 3bedroomhomewithmultiplelivingandfamilyrooms,spaciouskitchenandmealsareait’sthe idealplaceforextrafamilymembersortheextendedfamily.Everyonewilllovetheoutdoorswith beautifulestablishedgardens,doublecarportplus atrueclassicoldstylebarnwithamplecar accommodationandworkshopspacewithupstairsgamesroomorextraaccommodation.

DavidCarroll M

24RiverRoad,Millgrove

PUZZLES

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18 People who abstain from all animal products (6)

21 Man’s formal evening suit (6)

23 Verity (5)

25 Effigy (5)

28 French term for a married woman (abbr) (3)

Kilsyth toppled in T20 match

By Les Hutchings

The Round Three T20 match between Kilsyth and Upper Ferntree Gully was played at Pinks Reserve on Thursday 13 November, rescheduled from Tuesday due to the weather.

Upper Ferntree Gully won the toss and elected to bat. Their team included two former Kilsyth players in Matthew Clark and Scott Nicholson. Andy Solomons captured the first wicket, caught behind by ’keeper Will Beard and UFTG were 1/24 after 3.1 overs.

The second wicket fell with the score on 43 from 6.4 overs when Mackenzie Scott-Thomas took a good catch at long on off the bowling of Sagar Ahir. When Ahir bowled Matthew Clark, who had batted well for 34, Upper Ferntree Gully were 3/51 off 8.2 overs. It was soon 4/60 when Ahir took his third wicket in his next over, clean bowled, to have UFTG 4/60 off 10.4 overs. Kilsyth were keeping it tight with the score

4/85 after 14 overs. The fifth wicket fell on 91 in the 15th over, when ’keeper Will Beard stumped Peter Dunlop for 17 off the bowling of Dylan Smith.

Another tight over from Mackenzie ScottThomas yielded only three runs and Upper Gully were 5/95 off 16 overs with Kilsyth well in the game. In the 19th over Andy Solomons picked up two wickets to see ’Gully 7/121 with one over to be bowled. One of the wickets to fall was that of Daniel Beyer, who skied a catch to ’keeper Will Beard after attempting a big hit. Beyer had made 34 to be the equal top scorer.

The other wicket resulted from Dylan Smith taking a very good catch at backward square leg off Andy Solomons’ bowling. The last over yielded 11 runs to see Upper Ferntree Gully finish on 7/132cc.

The wicket takers for Kilsyth were Sagar Ahir, 3/13 off four overs, Andy Solomons 3/35 off four overs, and Dylan Smith 1/12 off two overs. Mack-

enzie Scott-Thomas bowled economically to finish with 0/17 off four overs. Wicket keeper Will Beard took two catches and a stumping in a tidy display behind the stumps.

The target of 132 off 20 overs was well within the capability of the Kilsyth team but they got away to a bad start and were 3/16 off 3.4 overs with spinner Sajana De Silva capturing all three wickets. This brought Captain Andy Solomons to the crease and the score advanced to 40 after six overs. However, on the first ball of the seventh over, Mackenzie Scott-Thomas was caught at deep square leg off the bowling of Hayden Wilson for 12 off 14 balls.

In the next over, it was 5/51 when Andy Solomons was caught at cover off the bowling of Matthew Clark. Solomons had scored a brisk 19 off 15 balls, and Kilsyth had slumped to 5/51 off 7.4 overs.

It was soon 6/61 after 11 overs when Wilson picked up his second wicket, caught by Daniel

Beyer at mid-on. Nevertheless, the Redbacks recovered to be 6/100 after 16 overs with Pasan Ganegoda and Sagar Ahir forming a partnership. At the same stage, UFTG were 5/95, so Kilsyth were well in the match. The equation for Kilsyth was 33 runs to win off four overs.

However, it was at this point, Matthew Clark picked up two wickets in the 17th over to see the Redbacks 8/106 with three overs to go. Sagar Ahir was the first of the two batsmen to fall after scoring 16 off 18 balls. Following the completion of 18 overs, Kilsyth were 8/114 compared to UFTG’s 5/113 at the same stage. However, Scott Nicholson took the final two wickets in his next over in poor light to see the Redbacks all out for 117, 16 runs short of the target in a disappointing batting performance.

Pasan Ganegoda was a shining light with the bat and remained unbeaten on 32 not out off 29 balls (three fours).

Caton’s classy century to equal club record

By Les Hutchings

Last weekend Kilsyth Cricket Club’s top four men’s senior teams, as well as the U12-3s and U16s, commenced two-day matches, while the Women’s First XI, Fifth XI, U14 and U12-6 teams played one-day games. The highlight was Daniel Caton scoring his second century of the season, 111 not out for the Second XI against Warranwood. It was his tenth senior century for the Club, equalling the Club record for most senior centuries also held by Nigel Foden. First XI opening bowler Isuru Umesh took 5/47 against Warranwood. Other senior half-centuries were scored by Mark Unternahrer, 59 for the Third XI, and Joshua Bock, 51 retired not out for the Fifth XI. Good all-round performances in the Women’s team saw Stephanie Gibbs take 3/20 and score 34 not out, whilst her sister Serena made 41 and took 2/30. In the Under 16s, Joshua Bock took 5/20 against Koonung Heights, while Under 16 Captain Will Beard is currently 72 not out at the end of Day One and will continue batting next Saturday.

The First XI played at home against Warranwood in the Wilkins Cup competition. Warranwood won the toss and elected to bat. An opening partnership of 40 came to an end after 10.5 overs when Xavier Farrell was caught by Mackenzie Scott-Thomas in the slips off the bowling of Nuwan Sampath for 31 off 35 balls. It was 2/76 when fellow opener, Neil Brown, was dismissed in identical fashion after scoring 32 off 59 balls (five fours). In fact, Sampath picked up two wickets in the 21st over with the score on 76. The third wicket to fall was caught behind by wicket keeper Will Beard. It was 4/85 and then 5/89 when opening bowler Isuru Umesh snared two wickets in the 24th over. Then, Umesh captured two more wickets, bowled and LBW, to see Warranwood slump to 6/99, then 7/105. At the tea break, the Sharks were 7/117 off 36 overs. After tea, left arm spinner Scott-Thomas took the eighth wicket, caught and bowled, to have Warranwood 8/136. It became 9/139 when Umesh took his fifth wicket (LBW). However, a last wicket partnership of 54 between Thomas Keyhoe and Glyn James retrieved the situation for Warranwood who were eventually all out for 193 in 52.1 overs. The last wicket to fall was that of Keyhoe, who top scored with 83 off 128 balls, caught behind by Beard off the bowling of Sampath. James finished on 26 not out off 35 balls. For Kilsyth, Isuru Numesh captured 5/47 off 13 overs, Nuwan Sampath 4/44 off 10.1 overs, and Mackenzie Scott-Thomas 1/43 off 13 overs. ’Keeper Will Beard took three catches, as did Mackenzie Scott-Thomas.

Kilsyth had 27 overs to bat. However, the Redbacks lost early wickets to be 1/13 and 2/21 when Mackenzie Scott-Thomas was caught behind by Xavier Farrell for 16 off 16 balls, with opening bowlers Jake Gilbert and Cody Marshall claiming a wicket each. The score raced to 42 off 7.4 overs when Marshall claimed the prize wicket of Andy Solomons, caught in the slips for 24 off 20 balls (six fours). Chris Pahi and Pasan Ganegoda tried to steady the situation but with the score on 73, Ganegoda was yorked for 15 off 25 balls in Glyn James’ first over. Kilsyth were now 4/73 after 16 overs. When Chris Pahi was bowled by Jake Gilbert for 17 off 35 balls,

(Supplied)

the Redbacks were in trouble at 5/75 after 16.3 overs. Lahiru Randeepa and Will Beard then played out 10 consecutive maidens, the only run being a leg bye, and at stumps Kilsyth were 5/76 off 27 overs.

The Second XI played way against Warranwood at Quambee Reserve. Kilsyth won the toss and enjoyed a day out with the bat finishing the day on 4/287ccc off their allotted 80 overs. As mentioned earlier, Daniel Caton played a classy innings of 111 not out off 153 balls (14 fours) and was well supported by Sanjeev Rana, 46 off 83 balls (six fours), Jake Powell 43 off 125 balls, and Kyan Harper 40 not out off 62 balls. There were some excellent partnerships as follows: 54 for the first wicket between Rhys Kearney 16 and Sanjeev Rana; 99 for the third wicket between Jake Powell and Daniel Caton; and 94 unbroken for the fifth wicket between Daniel Caton and Kyan Harper. Warranwood had three individual wicket takers and there was also a run out.

The Third XI played against Croydon Ranges at Pinks Reserve. Kilsyth won the toss and elected to bat. After being 2/30 in the seventh over, a third wicket partnership of 96 between Andrew Woolhouse and Mark Unternahrer took the score to 3/126 after 38.5 overs. Woolhouse was the batsman out for a well-made 41 off 93 balls (six fours and two sixes). Then two wickets fell quickly to see Kilsyth 4/134 and 5/136 when Unternahrer was bowled by Toby Warr for a top score of 59 off 103 balls (10 fours and one six). A

handy 34 not out off 102 balls from U16 player Tait Harper helped Kilsyth eventually be dismissed for 219 off 71.2 overs. Croydon Ranges Captain Matthew Stephen took 4/56 off 30.2 overs (10 maidens), whilst Noah Spencer-Wilburn finished with 2/35 off 13 overs (four maidens), and Toby Warr 2/51 off 10 overs. At stumps Croydon Ranges were 1/11 off eight overs with Matthew Burgess claiming the wicket, clean bowled.

The Fourth XI played a split innings twoday match against third placed Warrandyte at Warrandyte High School. Warrandyte won the toss and elected to bat. At the end of the first split of 36 overs, they had compiled 4/185 with Tom Ellis scoring 40 off 45 balls, Tim Winter 38 off 45 balls, Sean Dixon 28 off 13 balls, Noah Butcher 20* off 56 balls, and Mark Butcher 39* off 55 balls. Kilsyth’s wicket takers were Brodie Goodwin 2/49 off nine overs, and Shaun Goodwin 1/16 off six overs, with one run out. In reply, Kilsyth were 5/102 off 36 overs with the top scorers being Geoff Kennedy, 32 off 83 balls, and Greg Gommers 23 off 25 balls. Warrandyte’s Cooper Winter took 3/30 off 10 overs, Neil Ganju 1/5 off two overs, and Harry Marshall 1/22 off eight overs. In the field, Scott Brimelow took four catches.

The Fifth XI played at home against Templeton at Elizabeth Bridge Reserve. Kilsyth won the toss and elected to bowl. However, Templeton put on a batting master class scoring 3/247cc off

their 36 overs. The top scorers were James Parker, 51 retired not out off 40 balls, Jack Bartlett 35* off 26 balls, and Sean Meehan 33 off 39 balls. For Kilsyth, Louis Potter took two wickets and Stewart Gibb one wicket. In reply, Kilsyth scored 4/157cc with Joshua Bock making 51 retired not out off 68 balls. Dan Beard, playing his first game for the season, scored 43* off 36 balls, whilst opener Pat Moilanen struck 26 from 54 balls. Giuseppe Strati was the best of Templeton’s bowlers taking 3/14 off seven overs.

On Sunday, the Women’s First XI played the undefeated Mountain Gate at HV Jones Reserve. Mountain Gate won the toss and elected to bat. They got off to a good start with an opening partnership of 67 in 15.1 overs between Melissa Button and Molly McCoy, who was the first wicket to fall, well caught by Serena Gibbs at long on off the bowling of Stephanie Gibbs. At the halfway drinks break, Mountain Gate were 1/77 off 18 overs. On the first ball of the 24th over, Serena Gibbs had Melissa Button caught by Stephanie Gibbs at point for a solid 34 off 84 balls. From there, Kilsyth fought back to have their opponents 6/127 after 30 overs. They then rallied to finish on 6/168cc off their allotted 36 overs. Firuzza Afghan was 32 not out off 22 balls, and Mikaela Giulieri 10 not out off 17 balls. For Kilsyth, Stephanie Gibbs had the best bowling figures with 3/20 off six overs, whilst Serena Gibbs took 2/30 off seven overs. In the field, Captain Ashleigh Katoa achieved a direct hit run out as well as taking a good catch.

After being 1/0 after three overs, Serena Gibbs and Belinda Hutchings 11, added 37 for Kilsyth’s second wicket in 8.2 overs. However, the Redbacks then lost another wicket to be 3/38 after 13 overs. Subsequently, Serena Gibbs and Tegan Unternahrer added 39 for the fourth wicket before Unternahrer was dismissed LBW for 14 off 29 balls. In the same over, Serena Gibbs, who had batted very well, was bowled by Miah Beardshaw for 41 off 63 balls, and Kilsyth were now 5/79 off 22 overs. Stephanie Gibbs and Ashleigh Katoa then shared a good partnership of 39 before Katoa was out caught off a full toss for 10 off 16 balls, and Kilsyth were now 6/118 after 27.5 overs. However, the loss of another wicket saw the Redbacks 7/122 off 30 overs compared to Mountain Gates 6/127. From there, Kilsyth were bundled out for 132 after 33.5 overs. Stephanie Gibbs continued her good form with 34 not out off 33 balls.

Daniel Caton played a classy innings of 111 not out off 153 balls (14 fours) for the Second XI against Warranwood.

Isuru Numesh captured 5/47 off 13 overs for the First XI against Warranwood.

Cracking Chloe stuns state

By Callum Ludwig

A young Yarra Valley shooter has shown off her skills to the rest of the state at the recent 2025 Victorian State Trap Carnival in Echuca hosted by the Victorian Clay Target Association (VCTA).

14-year-old Lilydale High School student and Melbourne Gun Club junior member Chloe Hughes-Gage finished first in an astonishing five categories at the event.

Chloe said it was just a really good weekend and she was feeling lucky.

“I went into the event knowing that I would be up against some pretty good competition, but I guess things just happened to be on the right side,” she said.

“I was really in my zone when I was shooting.”

Chloe’s luck seemed to be accompanied by plenty of skill too as she claimed the titles of overall Ladies State Single Barrel Champion (total score of 46/50), C-grade Single Barrel Champion (46/50), Sub Junior Single Barrel Champion (46/50), C-grade Double Barrel Champion (50/52) and C-grade Champion of Champions (120/125).

Chloe said she started shooting in high school after her older brother went through the school’s

program.

“I looked forward to joining that when I got into high school, the way I got to the championships was mostly because my brother had made the Victorian team last year, and I didn’t get to participate in that event but I did this year,” she said.

“I know he (her older brother) will always help me if I have any questions, I’m sure he’d be able to answer them for me, so he always helps me out.

“I hope one day to get into the Victorian team for a discipline, and maybe even one day, one of my biggest goals, is shooting for Australia.”

“The first thing I’d say (to anyone interested in shooting) is to give everything a crack… it’s a great sport and a great community and although you may have ups and downs with it, just never give up.”

Chloe signed up as a member at the Melbourne Gun Club last year and practices at the range on Wednesdays, some Fridays and has started shooting in competitions on Saturdays after an ankle injury ruled her out of netball.

Both the Melbourne Gun Club and Lilydale High School congratulated Chloe on her achievements on Facebook.

Teams honour the fallen in dedicated round

For cricket traditionalists, real cricket returned on the weekend with all but the Sixth XI engaged in day one of two-day action. With the clearer skies this weekend, it also gave cricketers around the RDCA the opportunity to officially commemorate Remembrance Day, with Mt Evelyn Cricket Club, in conjunction with Mt Evelyn RSL, conducting a pregame service, and all senior cricketers wearing the poppy to recognise our service men and women.

The Mt Evelyn First XI had their work cut out for them against an impressive East Ringwood batting line up. Right from the word go, East Ringwood would capitalise on perfect batting conditions and some loose bowling. After five overs, the Kangaroos had raced to 0/49, and there would be no let up as they would cook their heels for the afternoon tea break in a commanding position of 2/206 after 40 overs. Taylor Gibson (121) and Cian Dickinson (95) would compile a more than impressive 159-run partnership to have the hosts devoid of answers. No bowler would go unchallenged. With the score at 6/367 in the 62nd over, the visitors seized the opportunity to have a dash at some late wickets to ram home the advantage on day one.

The Mounters would show some stout resistance at the top of the order, but with the Kangaroos snaring the wickets of openers, Adam Smith and Jesse Fraser, in the shadows of stumps, they would be well pleased with the position of the game having the Mounters wobbling at 2/33. The First XI have ample time to chase the score, but it would take a fine effort from their remaining batsmen to muster a challenge great enough. Bat the 80 overs, and you can guarantee they will be in the ball game.

The Second XI would also start their contest with the ball, travelling to Seville to take on a strong Burras outfit. Early in the contest it was an old fashioned arm wrestle between bat and ball. Batsmen would look settled at the crease, but couldn’t take significant advantage as wickets would fall at inopportune times. At 4/82 the game could’ve swung either way. The Burras would wrestle some control of the contest on the back of a blistering 91 from Jared Carroll and would be able to compose a challenging total of 253 being bowled out in the last over of the day. The bowling spoils would be shared between Luke Shepherd (3/34), Jamie Shaw (2/17), Billie Laird (2/32) and Kynan Yates (2/68).

This total will take a big effort to chase down, but by no means is this task unachievable. Wickets in hand at the start of the day will open the opportunity to attack any chase at the back end of the day, especially with the strike power the Mounters possess.

The Third XI’s contest at Templeton is evenly poised after day one. The Mounters would toil hard with the ball through the first ‘split’ to have the Taipans 5/119 after their first allotment of overs. The hosts looked to have the contest in their hands early as their openers would establish a solid foundation, but timely wickets

through the middle of the session, and a flurry of wickets at the end would have captain Graeme Foster more than pleased. New recruit Andrew White was the pick of the bowlers taking 2/6, whilst Sam Vanhoogstraten would take 2/35.

The Mounters reply would look very similar to their hosts’ split. A second wicket partnership of 53, between Cambell Finch and Vanhoogstraten, looked to have the visitors in prime position, but late wickets put a dint in their progress. At the end of their first 36 overs, stumps were drawn at 4/96. For both teams, the contest will go down to how well their experienced campaigners fair on day two. Both have a wealth of experience in the bottom half of their batting orders and if the Mt Evelyn old boys can lead the way, then a victory is well within reach.

The Fourth XI had an interrupted first day in their clash against Yarra Glen at Gruyere. Both teams would’ve been somewhat comfortable with the situation of the game in the 24th over with Yarra Glen sitting at 3/98. The versatile Zeke Tressider lead from the front with the ball taking 2/24. An unfortunate, and significant, injury to Alastair Churchill brought the game to an early close as his injury management became paramount to all those concerned. The good news is that Alastair is on the road to recovery, but his absence from the field will be felt by the Fourth XI with bat, ball and enthusiasm. Both teams will await further advice from the compe-

tition management as to how the remainder of this contest plays out.

The Fifth XI have put themselves in a strong position after day one against North Ringwood. On the small bottom oval, run scoring came easily enough for the visitors, but they would lose too many wickets along the way. The Mt Evelyn bowlers would be unrelenting as they would all make useful contributions in keeping the run rate in check and collect wickets along the way. The Bulls would finish their split at 9/166, a useful enough score, but with just one wicket in hand, they’ll be hard pressed to add significant runs.

On the other hand, the Mounters would crank the pressure up on their visitors as not only would their run rate race along, but they would keep most of their wickets intact. The highlight of the innings would be a century opening stand between Ezra Joyce and Craig Kenins. Unfortunately, Kenins would fall just after posting his half century, but Joyce would bat on through to close to be 77 not out at the close of play. The visitors would peg back a couple of wickets late in the day, but at 3/225 the damage is done. The interest in this game now surrounds the young gun Joyce and his pursuit of a maiden century, and whether the Mounters can press for an outright victory.

Once again, the Sixth XI managed to scramble a team together for their contest against

Warrandyte. They would win the toss and elect to bat, and courtesy of the steady hand of Angus Vanhoogstraten (39) and the strokeplay of Bruce Smith (49), the Mounters would have the upper hand early in the contest. The pair would navigate the innings to within reach of the drinks break with a well compiled 77-run partnership. Unfortunately, the pair couldn’t push their innings through to a half century, and retirement, and that would prove costly at the back end of the innings. New recruit Lucas Scott showed he has some talent with some enterprising strokeplay, but the inexperienced latter order of Mt Evelyn order would fall away quickly, and the innings would be closed rapidly for 139. Not enough on such a small oval.

Undeterred, the Mounters would give it their best shot to defend the total. With the younger cricketers providing energy, enthusiasm and nimble movement, and the older heads adding guile and guidance, the Mounters would be right in the contest at drinks with the Bloods staggering to 5/79. Vanhoogstraten would be the pick of the bowlers taking 2/24. With such a small total, the visitors had no room to move and a quick attack from the hosts upon resumption of play quickly put this game to bed. Within six overs, they would race to the target to claim victory. A disappointing result for the Mounters, considering the effort applied, but plenty of positives to come from a contest played in good spirits.

Teams stand in silent remembrance with the Australian flag at half mast. (Supplied)

Evelyn MP Bridget Vallence, Mt Evelyn Cricket Club President Tim Heaphy, Mt Evelyn RSL president Matt Crymble and Casey MP Aaron Violi.

Bugler Tom Steele and Piper Iain Townsley.

Chloe Hughes-Gage took the chocolates in five categories of the 2025 Victorian State Trap Carnival. (Supplied)

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