Mail - Upper Yarra Star Mail - 16th June 2026

Demolition approved for 10 sites, one saved

Girls go undefeated

The Outer East’s U16 Girls made history at the 2026 Vic Metro interleague carnival, going undefeated across three matches just two years after suffering 100-point losses.

Coached by Josh Plunkett, the team dominated the South East, Mornington Peninsula, and Frankston leagues. Molly Stolarczyk, Grace Rankin, and Ruby Collins starred in the thumping victories.

Plunkett highlighted the carnival as a vital pathway to the AFLW, inspiring players to pursue elite football through the Eastern Ranges or community clubs.

READ THE FULL STORY ON PAGE 30

The side put together three comprehensive victories over the long weekend. (Supplied)

Not McLovin’ it

By Gabriella Vukman

With a new McDonald’s destined to arrive in the town of Healesville, locals and visitors alike rushed to voice their thoughts and feelings.

From long-winded discussions on Facebook noticeboards to chatter on the street, the news of the approval of planning permits for the fast-food giant has quite literally been the talk of the town. In response to this community dialogue, the Star Mail has conducted a small study to gauge local attitudes towards the food chain’s introduction.

Star Mail found that key concerns among locals included an increase in litter around the town, taking business away from local vendors, ruining the country-town feel of Healesville, and health risks associated with the consumption of foods from the major retailer

On the other hand, the benefits voiced by locals included an increased number of jobs for the township, the potential for economic growth in Healesville, and a cheap and convenient food and beverage option for locals and visitors alike.

Despite being told when he opened that ‘a Maccas is going to come and take all of your business,’ local resident and co-owner of Monroe’s Burgers and Beers in Healesville Paul Stephens said he was not worried about the new McDonald’s affecting his patronage.

“Healesville is a bit of a foodie town.”

“Tourists and locals alike come here to seek out and frequent all of our businesses.”

“With so many amazing options, I am not sure people are thinking ‘Do I want genuinely amazing food, or an under-sauced Big Mac, with some lukewarm fries?;” he said.

On the other hand, a Facebook post by Sera Blair read, “It’s about a multinational company moving in with big bargaining power they use to keep wages low and profits high.”

“Run by franchisees chasing profit only, not locals who also support the local sporting clubs, schools etc. It will take trade away from local businesses.”

“We are below the population bracket for a location but it’s the tourist trade they want. That means the town will get bypassed by many people who used to stop and shop in town.”

The post went on to voice concerns about the health and environmental impacts associated with the introduction of the fast food giant.

READ THE FULL STORY ON PAGE 6

To Maccas or not to Maccas. (Greg Carrick)

MPs weigh in on new laws

By Gabriella Vukman

Local MPs have weighed in on Victoria’s new campaign finance laws after a High Court decision struck down the state’s previous electoral donations scheme, leaving Victoria without donation caps, foreign donation bans, or disclosure requirements just months before the 2026 state election.

The new laws were passed in parliament on the morning of Friday 5 June just before the King’s Birthday long weekend.

The new legislation, titled the ‘Electoral Further Amendment Bill 2026’ , introduces a $7500 donation cap over a four-year electoral cycle, with an interim cap of $5300 applying before the November election.

Also banning foreign donations, the reforms prohibit anonymous donations above $1250, require donations above the threshold to be disclosed within seven days, and give the Victorian Electoral Commission stronger enforcement powers.

Introduced after the High Court found Victoria’s previous donations framework unconstitutional, the new legislation was a result of the longterm fight for fairer campaign finance laws led by independent candidates Paul Hopper and Melissa Lowe.

Having run in the 2022 Victorian election, Mr Hopper and Ms Lowe successfully argued in the High Court that Victoria’s political donations framework placed an unjustified burden on political competition by favouring established parties over independents and emerging candidates.

Central to the High Court’s ruling was the treatment of nominated entities linked to Labor, Liberal and National parties, which allowed them access to legacy funds that were unavailable to independents and smaller parties.

Under the new laws, nominated entities associated with the major parties are now subject to donation caps, and certain unspent funds transferred before the High Court ruling must be returned.

All parties are required to return funds received from nominated entities that exceeded the former cap of $5030 during the period from 1 July 2023, and 14 April 2026 under the new legislation. Nominated entities include the Labor Party’s Labor Services and Holdings Trust, and the Liberal Party’s multi-million dollar Cormack Foundation.

While local MPs argue the new legislation restores transparency and integrity to the political system, critics say the reforms continue to favour major parties and could face fresh legal challenges.

State Labor Member for Monbulk Daniela De Martino said restoring safeguards around political

donations was an urgent priority for the Government.

“It was incredibly important to the Premier, and all of my Government colleagues, including myself, that transparency was restored in our donation laws.

“Our concern about dark money and foreign influence was the reason these laws were brought in as quickly as possible, and I am very pleased that they have been passed,” she said.

“The long sitting into the early hours of Friday morning was well worth it to ensure integrity and transparency were restored to our political donation laws. Victorians should have the right to know who is donating significant sums to political parties and independent candidates.”

“Our democracy needs to be protected. It’s important that we defend our system from being subject to the kind of influence that foreign and big money can have.”

Ms De Martino said the $7500 cap for established parties is the right balance.

“These laws also recognise that new candidates and parties need to get a foothold, which is why they will be able to receive double the standard cap to established parties,” Ms De Martino said.

State Liberal Member for Eildon Cindy McLeish said the Opposition supported banning foreign donations but remained concerned about other aspects of the legislation.

Ms McLeish argued the legislation places a greater burden on taxpayers and questioned whether the reforms will survive legal scrutiny in the future.

“The taxpayer is now going to pay more of the campaign funding, so everybody’s taxes are going to pay towards political campaigns, rather than have people raising money independently,” she said.

“We are not even convinced that what the Government has proposed is going to meet the High Court standards this time around.”

“Some of the minor parties and independents

are already talking about challenging the new legislation.”

Ms McLeish voiced concerns over donation caps and administrative funding arrangements, particularly where, under the legislation, Labor can enjoy the advantages of union-linked funding.

“The unlimited donations for unions are a problem,” she said.

AnimalJusticePartyMPGeorgiePurcell,whose party was among those supporting the legislation, said the previous system disadvantaged minor parties and new political contestants.

“Those laws were struck out because they were unfair, they were deemed unconstitutional, and they significantly impacted minor parties like mine.”

Ms Purcell said the legislation was an urgent response to a regulatory vacuum.

“We’ve got an election in November. It wasn’t just that we had bad laws; we had no laws after the High Court decision, and that meant that we were exposed to foreign donors and foreign interference through those donors.”

Ms Purcell also pointed to provisions allowing new candidates and parties to receive donations of up to $15,000 per donor.

“Importantly, we’ve also added in a clause for new entrants where they can actually take higher donations as opposed to us, so any new political parties starting out in Victoria before the election actually have doubled the cap.”

In response to criticisms of the ‘rushed’ nature of the legislation’s formation, Purcell said the reforms were never intended to be the final word on Victoria’s campaign finance laws, describing the legislation as an urgent response to the gap left by the High Court ruling.

“One non-negotiable that the government has committed to is to have another review of the legislation after the election and do a more fulsome update of the Act again,” she said.

Ms Purcell said she would like to see the donation cap and provisions for new entrants reviewed after the November election to assess whether they

are working as intended.

“I think after we have a test case of one election with the existing cap, it would be good to revisit it and see how it works in practice.”

According to Ms Purcell, the Animal Justice Party will be open to further discussion around the treatment of affiliation fees and administrative funding.

While Ms Purcell acknowledged some concerns about administrative funding, she rejected claims that the legislation created a separate set of rules for Labor.

“I think it’s fine for the opposition to criticise the fact that Labor could get increased admin funding through their access to Union contributions, but acting as if this is creating one law for the Labor Party and one law for everyone else is just fundamentally untrue,” she said.

President of the Victorian Animal Justice Party, Bruce Poon, confirmed that the minor party had not received any donations or campaign funding that it would need to return retrospectively under the new legislation.

State Director for Victoria’s Family First Party Jane Foreman was far less supportive of the new laws, arguing the legislation still disadvantages smaller parties.

“The new laws don’t apply equally to all parties, once again benefiting parties with established nominated entities that can funnel money to parties and discriminating against parties and candidates who may not achieve four per cent of the vote in a particular seat,” she said.

Criticising the treatment of the allowance of Labor’s access to union-linked funding, Ms Foreman said, “The union movement is a huge and unregulated contributor both directly and indirectly to the Labor Party – and these laws do nothing to address this.”

Ms Foreman confirmed the Victorian Family First Party would not be required to return any money under the retrospective provisions.

Arguing that the new legislation makes campaigning more difficult for smaller parties, Ms Foreman said the increased public funding has worsened existing inequities.

“There are serious structural inequities only made worse through the increased public funding provided in this legislation,” Ms Foreman said.

As the current debate between parties highlights the sharp divide over Victoria’s new campaign finance regulations, opposers and supporters alike can look forward to a review period for the new legislation after the upcoming state election.

For now, the nation will watch on to see how Victoria’s new legislation will impact the state election and whether it will withstand the High Court’s standards in the meantime.

Enquiries

Monbulk MP Daniela De Martino said this legislation was an urgent priority. (Supplied)

State Liberal Member for Eildon Cindy McLeish said the Opposition supported parts of the legislation but not others. (Supplied)

Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell backed Labor’s move but could understand concerns. (Supplied)

With new campaign finance laws in place for Victoria, parties rally to make sense of the new adjustments. (File: 370652)

Police reject crime, counter hours link

Victoria Police has firmly rejected any link between a recent surge in crime and the reduction of police station reception hours, arguing that keeping highly trained officers behind desks “detracts” from community safety.

The defence comes after reporting from the Herald Sun on Monday 8 June that drew a connection between police stations being closed to the public after dark and the number of residential burglaries.

These claims are amid rising political tension and sharp criticism from the police union over acute staffing shortages.

Victoria Police data cited that overall crime in Victoria has jumped 20.5 per cent over the past two calendar years.

In Local Government Areas (LGAs) hit by counter reductions in November 2023, crime rose even faster, increasing by 22.4 per cent.

Hours were recently reduced across three major police stations in the eastern suburbs, including Mooroolbark, Croydon and Belgrave.

“To be clear – Belgrave, Croydon and Mooroolbark police stations have not closed, and police continue to work and deploy from these stations 24-hours a day, seven days a week,” a spokesperson said.

Despite the numbers, Victoria Police stated they see no correlation whatsoever between fewer reception hours and rising offences.

Issuing a media statement on Tuesday 9 June, Victoria Police said, “Staffing a reception counter is never going to prevent a home burglary or result in the intruder being caught.”

Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said the operational focus had to be “more street than station” , particularly in metropolitan areas where

youth gangs, knife crime and licensed venues were more prevalent.

Police management argues that closing front counters overnight frees up personnel for highimpact frontline duties.

They pointed to Operation Trinity, an initiative targeting burglars across Melbourne every night since early 2023, which yielded over 1400 arrests last year, many within the exact communities where counter hours were cut.

Chief Commissioner Bush echoed this strategy, stating that skilled officers have become “burdened by bureaucracy.”

“Victorians want crime to reduce, and so does everyone at Victoria Police,” he said.

“For this to occur, our highly trained officers must be within the community, preventing crime and quickly arresting dangerous offenders, not stuck behind reception counters when no one is visiting or calling.”

Local adjustments highlight the shift. In Melbourne’s outer east, front desk hours were recently reduced at Croydon, Belgrave, and Mooroolbark stations, restricting public counter access to specific weekdays between 10.30am and 5.30pm.

While neighbouring Ringwood and Lilydale stations maintain 24/7 counter services, local crime in the Yarra Ranges service area still grew by 8.5 per cent over the past year.

To offset the counter closures, Victoria Police has launched a campaign to recruit 200 former officers as unsworn “reservists” to handle administrative tasks like answering phones, signing statutory declarations, and taking crime reports.

Acting Superintendent Lee Coulthard-Clarke told Star Mail in May there had been an “extraordinary response.” Over 600 former members have

now expressed interest.

However, the Police Association Victoria (TPAV) paints a starkly different picture of the workforce reality.

TPAV’s website’s count of current police officers totals 15,555, with a required number of 17,020 - a gap of just under 1500 members.

“The reduction in police numbers in Victoria is undeniable. So, too is the reduction in service delivery, the closures of our police stations, and the impact on frontline services,” TPAV Secretary Wayne Gatt told Star Mail in April.

He warned that hundreds of officers are leaving or off work sick due to immense strain, adding that even with increased academy graduates, “Victoria Police predicts it will take five years to return to its operating strength.”

The staffing vacuum has turned policing into a key battleground for the upcoming state election.

Opposition Leader Jess Wilson has centred her campaign on a $565 million plan to recruit 3000 additional officers over four years, pledging to reopen 40 police stations.

The coalition’s strategy relies on a controversial Western Australian model, offering $5000 relocation incentives to lure experienced officers from the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand.

Victoria Police is counteracting with its own recruitment push, noting a 56 per cent surge in applications last year after streamlining its entry exams and securing a new wage agreement.

For now, authorities maintain that physical stations remain fully operational for dispatch, instructing the public to use the Police Assistance Line (131 444) for non-urgent reports and to always dial Triple Zero (000) in an emergency.

IN BRIEF

Hells Angels members targeted

Across Australia and New Zealand, police have arrested 40 people and laid 145 charges as part of a national day of action targeting the Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle gang (OMCG).

The day of action took place across both countries on Wednesday, 10 June and focused on weakening the operational structure of the Hells Angels OMCG.

Victoria’s targeted enforcement, led by detectives from Taskforce Echo with assistance from the VIPER Taskforce, North West Metro Regional Crime Squad and Eastern Region Crime Squad, saw 98 unlawful association notices issued, targeting members 12 members of the Hells Angels OMCG Darkside Chapter, 76 unlawful association notices served on Hells Angels OMCG members and their associates (cross applications must be served on the 12, making up the total of 76), six firearm prohibition orders executed (FPO), compliance searches in Mickleham, Thomastown, Pakenham, Botanic Ridge and Mooroolbark, and the arrest of a 39-year-old Powelltown man for contravening an FPO. The man is expected to be charged on summons with possessing a firearm related item in contravention of FPO. Three men were also charged with significant drug and firearm offences, including a 21-year-old Pascoe Vale man, a 23-year-old Cranbourne man and a 21-year-old Coolaroo man, who will appear in court at a later date.

Drivers thanked after safe King’s Birthday long weekend

Police on patrol from the outer east over the long weekend have posted across social media to send thanks to locals and visitors to the area on Friday 12 June.

No lives were lost or serious road accidents were reported as the weather turned wintery over the four day holiday period.

“Thankyou,” read the post.

“Police members on patrol across the King’s Birthday weekend within the Knox, Maroondah and Yarra Ranges Police service areas, would like to thank our residents and their visitors for taking extra care whilst driving on our roads throughout this long weekend.”

“Your efforts, together with a highly visible police presence, resulted in no fatal or serious injury collisions being recorded across the four days of Victoria’s road safety Operation Regal.” Don’t cost the wild

Victorians are being urged to ensure their firewood purchases this winter are not supporting a black market that is destroying wildlife habitat and removing thousands of trees from forests across the state.

Crime Stoppers Victoria and the Conservation Regulator have launched the Illegal Firewood: The Cost is Wild campaign, encouraging Victorians to check their firewood has been legally sourced and report suspicious activity.

Around 9000 trees are illegally removed from Victorian forests and national parks each year –clearing land equivalent to nearly 180 Melbourne Cricket Grounds – with much of that timber sold as firewood to unsuspecting buyers.

Suspicious behaviour, including chainsaws operating in forests late at night, or sellers unable to verify where the wood was sourced, can be reported anonymously to Crime Stoppers.

Reports relating to the illegal take or sale of firewood can be made anonymously to Crime Stoppers at crimestoppersvic.com.au or by calling 1800 333 000.

Mooroolbark Police Station was one of three in the eastern suburbs to have reception hours reduced. (Stewart Chambers: 559000)

Council passes budget

By Callum Ludwig

Yarra Ranges Council has passed its annual budget at the Tuesday 9 June council meeting, taking into account 31 community submissions made after the draft budget was approved in March.

With a focus on maintaining and renewing existing assets and infrastructure, this year’s budget will net a surplus of $5.9 million from the total revenue of $266.3 million.

Yarra Ranges Council mayor Richard Higgins said what they have heard over the last couple of years is about the council not necessarily spending on big, flashy, sparkly things.

“The reality is everything’s costing more to do and we’ve just got to spend the money a lot wiser on maintenance, maintaining our assets, keeping the things that matter to the community,” he said.

“Things like drains that are a big problem, particularly for the Hills and for the urban areas but everywhere there’s somewhere that’s a problem with drains especially with the climate as it is, we’re getting a little bit more rain more frequently, which is causing a few problems.

“We’ve had to shave a lot of money off the budget this year, which we’ve managed to do through Vince (Director of Corporate Services Vincenzo Lombardi) doing the hard yards with staff… we had 6 million dollars shaved off, which has been really as responsible as we possibly can without cutting any services at this stage.”

Key expenditures in the 2026-27 Budget include:

$25 million for maintenance of roads, footpaths, drains and trails.

$23 million to improve and maintain parks, trees, sporting facilities, bushlands and reserves.

$6 million to ensure a sustainable future and respond to climate change, including emergency management.

$17 million for programs and activities that support the community through all stages of life.

Mr Lombardi said the council has to at the whole asset portfolio based on how the assets

are being used and what requires more maintenance versus what requires less.

“It is quite a challenging one because we’d like to have a budget allocation to look at all 55 townships equally, but unfortunately, we can’t do that,” he said.

“We have seen the erosion of grants from state and federal government, and it does add to the challenge when councils are looking at an annual budget process to allocate that maintenance spend across assets.

“We just haven’t got the money to do some of the bigger projects and the Yarra Trail across Yarra Glen would have to be there, we just don’t

Stronger, broader labour hire laws apply from 1 June

The laws apply to all labour hire providers, including most and providers of meat processing and horticulture workers.

Labour hire businesses must meet new licence requirements:

• Tighter criteria apply to business operators and their criminal, compliance and professional histories.

• Businesses must comply with a wider range of relevant laws –including fair trading and corporate regulation laws.

• capacity to comply with their legal and licence obligations.

• Licences granted after 1 June 2026 in high-risk industries include new standard transparency and integrity conditions.

Under Victorian law, labour hire providers must be licensed, and hosts must only use licensed providers, to protect workers and improve the integrity and transparency of the industry.

Information session for labour hire providers

The Labour Hire Authority (LHA) is holding information sessions around Victoria and online to support labour hire businesses to comply with the new laws.

Session details:

Thursday, 25 June 2026

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

The Memo Healesville – Nan Francis Room 235 Maroondah Highway, Healesville

Register now:

have the money to be able to put a bridge there, but it’s a cornerstone for the trail so we’re advocating for all those things and we’ll just keep building on the ones that we do, tick them off as best we can.”

A total of $194,207,227 will be raised from ratepayers, including $156,497,169 from rates and $37,710,058 from waste service charges.

Yarra Ranges Council adopted the full 2.75 per cent rate increase allowed by this year’s rate cap, while waste services charges have also increased due to increased costs from the EPA’s landfill levy and disposal costs.

Melba

Ward councillor Mitch Mazzarella

said during the meeting that he stands by his belief that council should make every effort not to raise rates where they can.

“We can’t treat ratepayers like an endless ATM, data provided to councillors for the average resident in Mooroolbark, they can expect to pay an additional 91 dollars this year and Coldstream residents hit the top of the list with 187 dollars,” he said.

“This has been a budget constructed input from all of us and I believe the majority consensus has supported a 2.75 increase, with this in mind I will support the budget so as to not hold up the day-to-day business and services of council.”

Yarra Ranges Council also continues to advocate to the Victorian Government to not be responsible for collecting the Emergency Services Volunteer Levy (EVSF) and to not rollout a mandatory glass bin.

Cr Higgins said Council would continue to advocate strongly on key issues impacting the community, such as the ESVF.

“Council will continue to advocate on a range of important issues, including calling on the State Government to take responsibility for collecting the Emergency Services Volunteer Fund, rather than it being included on Council rate notices,” he said.

“We’re also continuing to say ‘no’ to the introduction of a separate kerbside glass bin, which is not included in this year’s budget, and instead support an expanded Container Deposit Scheme that delivers better outcomes for our community.”

“Our role is to make the Yarra Ranges an even better place to live, work and visit. We’ll continue to do what we can locally, while advocating to other levels of government for the changes our community wants and needs, particularly ahead of this year’s State Election.”

To read the 2026-27 Budget and associated documents in full, visit yarraranges.vic.gov. au/Our-Council/Corporate-documents/Policies-strategies/Council-Plan-and-Budget.

Hard rubbish and bundle branch review needs local feedback

Yarra Ranges Council is reviewing its hard rubbish and bundled branch collection service, and wants to hear from you.

The review is part of the council’s commitment to continuous improvement and ensuring the service continues to meet community needs.

Mayor Richard Higgins encouraged the community to share their feedback in a short survey, which opened on 2 June.

“We know our community is passionate about the hard rubbish and bundled branches collection. We’ve heard your feedback over the years; many are happy with the collection just as it is, some would prefer the collection to shift to a different time of year, and others would prefer a bookable (on-call) service.

“We’re asking residents to complete a survey to help us better understand how they manage hard rubbish and bundled branches, any challenges they might face with the current collections, and how we can improve the service in the future” , Cr Higgins said.

Feedback from the community, together with service costs, environmental impacts and contractor availability, will help inform the council’s decision on the service going forward. Any change to the hard rubbish and bundled branches collection would start in 2028 when Council enters a new contract for the service. Find out more and share your feedback at: shaping.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/hardrubbish The survey closes on 5 July 2026.

The 2026/27 Yarra Ranges Council Budget has been approved. (File)

Yarra Ranges Council is reviewing its hard rubbish and bundled branch collections. (Stewart Chambers: 319962)

Millgrove toilet block saved

During a council meeting on Tuesday, 9 June, Yarra Ranges Council approved the demolition of 10 ageing buildings and structures across the region, including disused tennis pavilions and public toilet blocks.

The original list of 11 sites spanned Montrose, Wandin East, Silvan, Launching Place, Millgrove, Woori Yallock, Selby, Healesville, Upwey and Lilydale, with each facility categorised as high, medium or low priority.

High priority sites included four tennis facilities: the Keith Hume Fraser Reserve Tennis Pavilion in Montrose, the Wandin East Recreation Reserve Tennis Pavilion, the Silvan Recreation Reserve Tennis Umpire Pavilion and the Wickhams Road Recreation Reserve Tennis Pavilion in Launching Place.

A further seven sites were listed across medium and low priority categories, most of them public toilet blocks.

These included facilities at Doongala in Montrose, Woori Yallock Recreation Reserve,

Selby Park, Queens Park Oval in Healesville, Upwey Recreation Reserve and Lilydale Recreation Reserve, along with the Millgrove Dee Road toilet block.

However, the Millgrove site became a focal point of discussion after concerns were raised during the meeting about the impact of removing the facility.

A submission was made to the council meeting by Maureen Halit on behalf of the Millgrove Residents Action Group, who raised concerns about the proposed removal of the toilet block in Millgrove.

Ms Halit said the loss of the facility would significantly impact the local area, given limited access to alternative toilets and increased use of nearby walking trails and the river precinct.

“We need toilets,” Ms Halit said.

She also raised concerns about hygiene and accessibility, saying existing nearby toilets were not always open or consistently available to the public.

Ms Halit described the proposal as a

“shock” to the community, and said locals had limited time to respond to the item before it was considered at council.

Councillors acknowledged the submission and discussed broader visitation trends in the Upper Yarra region, including increased use of walking trails, river areas and surrounding parklands, particularly during peak periods.

During debate on the motion, Cr Child

moved an amendment to remove the Millgrove Dee Road toilet block from the demolition program, deleting reference to any future endorsement for demolition.

The amendment was supported and carried unanimously - meaning the Millgrove site was removed from the list.

Following the change, the council formally endorsed the remaining 10 buildings and structures for demolition.

The approved list includes a mix of ageing tennis infrastructure and underused public toilet facilities across the municipality.

The decision means several older assets across the Yarra Ranges will now be removed as part of the broader program, while the Millgrove Dee Road toilet block will remain in place following community concerns raised at the meeting.

Millgrove Dee Road toilet block, which was initially listed for demolition before being removed from Yarra Ranges Council’s final decision. (Stewart Chambers: 559023)

Keith Hume Fraser Reserve tennis pavilion (Montrose) is set to demolish. (559023)

Keith Hume Fraser Reserve tennis pavilion (Montrose). (559023)

Keith Hume Fraser Reserve tennis pavilion (Montrose). (559023)

Silvan Tennis Club pavilion. (559023)

By Shamsiya Hussainpoor

Healesville locals aren’t McLovin’ it

By Gabriella Vukman

With the planning permits for a Healesville McDonald’s officially approved during a VCAT hearing in late April, discussion pertaining to the fastfood giant’s impending arrival has since erupted among locals.

The Healesville noticeboard was flooded with comments both for and against the arrival of the McDonald’s, with many locals voicing concerns for the economic stability of their town.

Key concerns among locals included an increase of litter around the town, taking business away from local vendors, ruining the country-town feel of Healesville, and health risks associated with the consumption of foods from the major retailer

On the other hand, the benefits voiced by locals included an increased number of jobs for the township, the potential for economic growth in Healesville, and a cheap and convenient food and beverage option for locals and visitors alike.

“McDonald’s designs everything for convenience: single-use, ultra-light, five-minute lifespan. Great for a drive-thru. Terrible for the bush. And guess who ends up picking it up? Not McDonald’s. Us. Locals. Volunteers. Landcare groups. Anyone who actually cares about the place they live,” a post on the Healesville Noticeboard by Kathryn Dickie read.

Another post by Adrian Green read, “You cannot demand better services, more jobs, more investment, more infrastructure, and more convenience while opposing every single development that arrives. It simply doesn’t work that way.”

“Younger families are moving into regional areas. Visitors pass through constantly. People want accessible food options, especially late at night or early in the morning when most local cafes are shut.”

“Before people start with the usual “it will destroy local businesses” line - local cafes and restaurants survive by being good. Healesville already has wonderful local businesses that offer things McDonald’s never could,” the post read.

Contrastingly, Sera Blair commented, “It’s not about liking the food or not… It’s about a multi national company moving in with big bargaining power they use to keep wages low and profits high.”

“They keep lobbying the federal government to pay staff partly in food not cash! Run by franchisees chasing profit only, not locals who also support the local sporting clubs, schools etc. It will take trade away from local businesses.”

“We are below the population bracket for a location but it’s the tourist trade they want. That means the town will get bypassed by many people who used to stop and shop in town.”

The post went on to voice concerns about the health and environmental impacts associated with the introduction of the fast food giant.

Celia Blackwood commented, “I wish it was built elsewhere in Healesville rather than being at the entrance to Healesville.”

Al Hollumby noted the employment potential the McDonald’s and its accompanying development would bring to the town.

Mr Hollumby commented, “Imagine a senior school kid looking for a job and having no license, they have to catch a bus or mum and dad taxi to Lilydale for a part time job.”

“Soon our local high school kids can walk to their Maccas job and home again while getting some valuable experience in how to put up with the public demands for their fast food.”

“I’m all for the progress out here and if it’s a Maccas then I’ll take that too! Now, if there’s a plan to put a Dan Murphy’s or Bunnings out here, then I’ll be pushing back,” Mr Hollumby’s comment read.

The Star Mail interviewed local resident and co-owner of Monroe’s Burgers and Beers in Healesville Paul Stephens.

Despite being told when he opened that ‘a Maccas is going to come and take all of your business,’ Mr Stephens said he was not worried about the new McDonald’s affecting his patronage.

“Healesville is a bit of a foodie town.”

“Tourists and locals alike come here to seek out and frequent all of our businesses.”

“With so many amazing options, I am not sure people are thinking ‘Do I want genuinely amazing food, or an under-sauced Big Mac, with some lukewarm fries?;” he said.

Mr Stephens did voice concerns that the new development would divert traffic away from the township.

“From a localist and small trader’s perspective, having a draw card just on the outskirts of town, directing potential business and traffic away from the central business area of Healesville is less than ideal,” he said.

“It would be better if people could park at Maccas close to the centre of town and walk around, visiting local shops, rather than just going through the drive-through.”

Mr Stephens also noted the installation of a McDonald’s signifies potential economic growth for the township.

“The fact that Maccas, a massive global company, thinks that there is enough economic activity and growth in our little town to support them, means that the same things that are attractive for them, should also be good for the rest of the businesses in town.”

Whilst remaining ‘indifferent’ towards the introduction of a McDonald’s to the town, Mr Stephens did support the new job opportunities for locals that would accompany the development.

“Healesville doesn’t have a lot of employment opportunities for young people, much of the hospo industry is very 18+ focused with wineries and distilleries,” Mr Stephens said.

“Maccas coming to town means more opportunities for teenagers to get their first job.”

Mr Stephens said his business would “glad-

(File: 500038)

Do you know where your nearest defibrillator is? Find out where your closest defibrillator is located and what hours you can access it.

By Gabriella Vukman

A new call for defibrillator clarity is echoing throughout the township of Healesville and its surrounds.

Local Rotarian Del Brown is leading an operation to build community awareness when it comes to where defibrillators are located and how to access them.

Ms Brown began her operation after a man was resuscitated by two nurses with a defibrillator at the Coldstream soccer Club on Saturday, 6 June.

“After the incident, I thought, ‘Where are all the defibrillators in Healesville?’” Ms Brown said.

ly accept resumes from people with experience at maccas who want a job in a fun environment with better pay and more social hours.”

Well and truly against the aesthetic of a ‘giant red and yellow striped monstrosity’ in the town, Mr Stephens has faith that the council will only allow for a more muted exterior of the new Maccas.

Owner of Babaji’s restaurants in Belgrave and Warburton Billy Crombie has already been through the new fast-food giant debacle, with her Belgrave restaurant weathering the opening of the new McDonald’s in Tecoma.

“We used to stay open until 4 or 5 am for the Sookie Lounge next door and at that time, we were the only late night option.”

“When the McDonald’s opened in Tecoma, we immediately lost about 60 to 70 per cent of our late-night business.”

Despite losing some trade, Ms Crombie spoke from experience when she said the introduction of a new McDonald’s in Tecoma has not yet had a catastrophic impact on nearby businesses.

“I really question how much loss McDonald’s in Tecoma really brings to the small businesses around Tecoma and Belgrave, because there are so many people who don’t want to eat there because the food is processed.”

“Most people in the Hills would rather have a relationship and a connection with somebody local, and eat much better quality food,” she said.

“Apart from the initial loss of night-time trade, I haven’t seen our business in Belgrave lose customers because of there being a McDonald’s in Tecoma now.”

While she has not yet seen her own Belgrave business diminish as a result of a new McDonald’s Ms Crombie sympathises with the position of small business owners.

“It feels very threatening to have something like that open near your business,” she said.

“You can feel very vulnerable as a small business owner.”

Overall, Ms Crombie believes the township of Healesville and its local industry will be able to weather the new McDonald’s storm that is headed for it.

“Maccas can have all the McFlurries in the world, but it will never have community connection,” she said.

“As a small business, community connection and quality is the most important thing, and that is what customers want.”

“That is why people come to Healesville.”

As part of her operation, Ms Brown has approached a number of people on the streets of Healesville to discern whether locals are aware of where to access defibrillators should an emergency arise. Asking the question ‘Where is the nearest defibrillator?” , Ms Brown has had a variety of answers, most of which she found concerning.

“I have got answers such as: ‘What is a defibrillator?’ , ‘I reckon the pub has one,’ and ‘the hospital probably has one’,” Ms Brown said.

“What I am trying to do is know where the defibs are and find a way to disseminate that information so that in an emergency, people can find out as quickly as possible.”

Contrary to popular opinion, there are currently no defibrillators at any of the three pubs in Healesville.

Another concern that arose from Ms Brown’s study was the overwhelming reliance on the ‘GoodSAM’ app, which is not designed to find defibrillators instantly.

“If you try the GoodSAM app, it is not going to tell you quickly where a defib is,” Ms Brown said.

“You have to have your ID and put it all in, and by the time you have done that, the person in need of a defib will have died.”

“People who think they can rely on the app need to check it out and make sure it will answer instantly.”

The next steps for Ms Brown are to gather as much information from the community as possible and publish it on Facebook Noticeboards.

“We need the community’s help as soon as possible,” she said.

“Knowing where all of the defibrillators are is important because a person could die without one.”

“Imagine for the incident on Saturday if there was a defib available just a few metres away and we didn’t know. A person would be dead!”

According to Ms Brown, community participation and feedback are most welcome.

“If people have got ideas, I would be very interested to hear them,” she said.

Ms Brown encourages locals to share their ideas and defibrillator knowledge, including where the devices are located, and what hours they can be accessed from.

All community contributions can be emailed to Ms Brown at dellbrown@bigpond.com

Sue Hutcheson protesting against a McDonald’s in Mount Evelyn. Picture: GREG CARRICK.

Healesville discusses McDonald’s. (Geonhui Lee /Unsplash).

Spotlight on spotlighting

By Callum Ludwig

Reports of a potential spotlighting incident are an important reminder for Yarra Ranges residents to only hunt legally and responsibly.

A Healesville resident reported a potential incident near their home at around 11.30pm on Monday 25 May.

A Conservation Regulator spokesperson said the Conservation Regulator has received a report relating to alleged harassment of kangaroos in the Healesville area.

“The information has been assessed, and there is insufficient information or evidence for an investigation to proceed,” they said.

“We encourage anyone with information about this matter, or any wildlife crime to report it to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.”

The nature of spotlighting incidents being at night and in less-populated areas, makes them hard to prosecute, but they have been a subject of concern in recent years with local police having cracked down on the practice in response to bullets hitting homes and animal carcasses being left behind.

The Conservation Regulator assesses all reports of offences against wildlife, while the Game Management Authority also targets the spotlighting of game animals like deer, which have been the target of other recent incidents.

GMA Director of Compliance and Intelligence Zac Powell said authorised officers from the GMA, Parks Victoria and Victoria Police are patrolling public and private land to help put a stop to illegal spotlighting.

“Our partnership with Victoria Police and Parks Victoria, allows us to share intelligence and target areas where spotlighting is most likely to cause risks to public safety,” he said.

“Our Authorised Officers are equipped with body-worn cameras and hi-tech thermal imaging equipment to help detect offences at night.”

Illegal spotlighting is when people illegally use a spotlight or thermal imaging device to

shoot deer at night. A spotlight is defined as any source of artificial light, infrared device, night vision or heat detecting device, such as thermal imaging equipment.

There are provisions for legal spotlighting when landowners or their agents need to control pest animals or problem deer on private property.

Thermal imaging equipment and spotlights can only be used under an unprotection order to control problem deer on private property where deer are causing damage or under an Authority to Control Wildlife.

People travelling in a vehicle or on foot in recognised deer habitat between 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise must ensure that firearms and ammunition are securely stored and separate from one another and that a spotlight is not in use.

Mr Powell said there are significant penalties for anyone caught breaching hunting or public safety laws.

“People caught hunting at night, illegally spotlighting game or possessing a spotlight and firearm in recognised deer habitat may face fines in excess of $4000,” he said.

“We can also seize their equipment including firearms, spotlights and vehicles.

“In some cases, offenders may face court prosecution and jail time.”

Community members can help put a stop to illegal spotlighting by reporting it to the GMA through its website at gma.vic.gov.au or by calling 136 186.

Wildlife crime can be reported to Crime Stoppers Victoria on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestoppersvic.com.au.

For urgent matters involving firearms, please contact 000 or your local police.

A potential spotlighting incident, targeting kangaroos, was reported in Healesville. (File)

Archery club fundraising

By Gabriella Vukman

As locals are reminded of the June 9 storm events of 2021 that rocked the Yarra Ranges, Yering District Archers are taking the opportunity to rebuild what was damaged exactly five years ago.

After a freak weather event during the June 9 storms destroyed their shooting shelter, Yering District Archers have been working to restore their club’s facilities, and are now almost at the

finish line.

Coaching and Barbeque coordinator at the club Ray Hudson said the club is raising money for a new shelter through a GoFundMe initiative, as well as through their bimonthly ‘come and try’ classes.

“The GoFundMe page is just to ask for a little bit of community help to get us over the line,” she said.

“We have the bulk of the funds, so now we are on the last legs.”

The club is aiming to raise $20,000 for their new shelter, with a rise in material and labour costs rendering the shelter significantly more expensive than originally planned.

Currently, the Club’s “come and try” sessions are held on the first and third Saturday mornings of each month, and are open to all members of the community to attend.

Sessions start at 10 am and are run by qualified coaches.

According to Ms Hudson, the club is intending to build a sturdier shelter than last time.

“Our previous shelter was wooden, so we are looking at a metal structure this time around,” she said.

Vice President at Yering District Archers, Jarrad Alston said the absence of a shelter has had an emotional impact on the club.

“The loss of the old shooting shelter was heartbreaking for many of us. It was a valued part of our club and held many memories for our members,” he said.

So far, the club has raised just over $60,000 since 2019. Still need 20,000 to build the shelter.

“It has been a lot of hard work from our volunteers over the years,” Mr Alston said.

“We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to everyone who has volunteered, donated, promoted, and supported our fundraising efforts thus far.”

In terms of fundraising efforts, Mr Alston said the response from the community has been “incredible.”

“While we still have a way to go to reach our goal, we remain committed to putting in the hard work needed to raise the remaining funds and deliver a new shelter that our members can be proud of for years to come.”

To support Yering District Archers in building their new shelter, head to the club’s GoFundMe page at www.gofund.me/5b80dbf7e

The Yering District Archers Club’s shelter was destroyed by storms in 2021. (Jarrad Alston)

The club is looking forward to the return of its shelter.

Local Healesville landscape designer helps secure gold

By Callum Ludwig

A Healesville landscape designer has helped claim the prestigious gold medal at the 2026 RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London.

Greg Palmer of Ayus Botanical was part of Patrick Clarke’s show garden team for The Children’s Society Garden, which is now being relocated to a Children’s Society Youth Club.

Mr Palmer said it was genuinely rewarding to win, particularly given the work The Children’s Society (TCS) does supporting young people through some of the most serious life challenges they can experience.

“Spending time with the TCS team, from the CEO through to youth programme leaders and volunteers, they are all deeply passionate about what they do, and their sense of pride and pure enjoyment in sharing a gold medal garden with visitors was contagious,” he said.

“One moment that stayed with me was when a group of young people involved in shaping aspects of the garden design (through the Young Creative Partners programme) came to visit ‘their’ garden. One young person was initially hesitant to step into the garden.

“The way the staff handled that and their dedication to the young person, giving space, supporting without pressure, was considered and calming. When they stepped into the garden, there was a visible shift. You could see their body relax, their face light up, and an obvious enjoyment in being within the space.”

The Young Creative Partners are 14-20 years olds supported by The Children’s Society who participated in a series of workshops with Mr Clarke over 18 months, including working on decorative stained-glass panels, outdoor seating and furniture, sculpture pieces and some of the planting in the garden.

“None of this would have been possible without the help of the charity’s ‘Young Creative Partners’ who provided me with some excellent ideas for the garden’s design features over the past 18 months and came to help build the garden where they put into practice some of their learnt workshop skills,” Mr Clarke said.

“Together we have created a garden sanctuary where teenagers can feel seen, safe and

connected, echoing the emotional support The Children’s Society provides through the early support services they provide across the country.”

Some participants were also invited to help build the garden alongside the expert team for the show, ensuring they’ve been involved in every step along the way.

Chief executive of The Children’s Society Mark Russell said too many young people are struggling with their wellbeing, feeling overwhelmed by the pressures they face every day, and as a society we cannot ignore that their happiness is in decline.

“Our garden, co-sponsored by Project Giving Back, is a message of hope and long-term commitment to improve the lives of our young people. It reflects the resilience we see in young people and the incredible difference that early support can make in their lives.”

“Through its use of reclaimed materials and the philosophy of wabi-sabi (imperfect beauty), this garden beautifully captures the idea that there is strength in imperfection.

“Just like the young people we support, it tells a story of perseverance, growth and a hope for brighter days ahead.”

Entrants into the Chelsea Flower Show often spend up to two years planning, preparing and designing before a three-week window to ‘build’ the garden.

Mr Palmer said he was invited by Mr Clarke, with whom he has worked on multiple occasions over 25 years, in a specialist role that supported each of the show garden elements.

“It was deliberately designed to move across the whole process of design, build, planting, logistics and project management — offering an additional layer of oversight and a critical eye, making sure things remained aligned with the RHS brief and were resolved at the standard required for a Chelsea show garden,” he said.

“In practical terms, a lot of my focus was on the ‘feel’ of the garden. Something simple, like placing specimen trees, their position, orientation and spacing, can make a significant difference to that final ‘feel’

“I suppose that instinct comes with the luxury of many years creating gardens across

different environments — in Australia and the UK. At Chelsea, that translated into a garden that felt quite different when you stepped into it compared to viewing it from the outside. That shift in experience was important to share with both the RHS judges and visitors to the garden.”

Born to a pair of keen gardeners in Healesville, Mr Palmer completed his apprenticeship at Black Spur Plant Nursery which he said was a ‘strong foundation’

Mr Palmer said the Yarra Valley offers an excellent environment to develop a craft, with the luxury of space, heritage gardens, and the ability to experiment with scale and a wider range of plant varieties.

“There’s a certain pace and quality of life that supports a calm mindset, allowing creativity and focus to come naturally, the landscape itself is a constant reference point and a source of inspiration,” he said.

“The wider Yarra Valley landscape itself: the waterways, the mountain ranges, shapes how you see and ‘feel’ natural environments… If something feels right in a garden, it’s usually because it aligns with those natural relationships and design principles set by nature.

“The seasons in the Yarra Valley are very distinct, and that informs how I think about gardens evolving over time — light, colour, growth cycles and stress. There’s always something shifting, and that’s something I feel is important to include when creating each garden, whether it’s a family home or a hospitality space.”

This year’s show was Mr Palmer’s third time building a garden in the show, with the focus on purpose-built gardens having a life after the show a key development since he last participated in 2008.

Mr Palmer said from the outset, the garden was designed as a place where young people could spend time, find a level of calm, and feel supported.

“The rebuild is currently underway with Surrounding Counties UK, and the slightly larger scale will allow the garden to take on a broader role within the Youth Club,” he said.

“That continuity, from show garden to a lived environment, is where these projects have the most meaning.”

Wandin North PS praised for leadership

Wandin North Primary School has been announced as the winner of the Curriculum Leadership School of the Year (Primary) at the 2026 ResourceSmart Schools Awards held in Melbourne on Thursday 11 June.

The award recognises schools that embed sustainability across lesson plans and units of work, with Wandin North praised for its wholeof-school curriculum planning, innovative programs and extensive community partnerships supporting place-based learning.

Wandin North Primary School has strengthened student learning and sustainability outcomes through close collaboration with its local community.

Over the past 18 months, the school has partnered with organisations including Yarra Ranges Council, Wandin Inner Wheel and a range of environmental and health groups to deliver programs focused on habitat restoration, gardening, sustainability education and community wellbeing through its HEROES (Harvest Eat Record Observe Environment Sustainability) program.

A standout partnership has been with the Wandin Rotary Club through the school’s award-winning Habitat Heroes project.

After winning the Coles and Planet Ark Sustainable Schools competition, the school invited Rotary members to help turn the project into a community-led initiative.

Rotary volunteers worked alongside Year 5/6 students to design and build habitat boxes, creating a hands-on, meaningful experience for students and the community. Judges praised the school’s HEROES program and its community partnerships.

“This is outstanding sustainability education delivered with clarity and purpose,” the judges said.

Sustainability Victoria CEO Matt Genever congratulated the school and said their model was highly replicable.

“Wandin North shows how curriculum leadership can drive deep and lasting environmental understanding,” Mr Genever said.

Sustainability Victoria marked 17 years hosting the ResourceSmart Schools Awards with the theme, ‘Our sustainable community’ This year’s winners were announced at a prestigious awards ceremony held at the MCG and hosted by TV personality Dirt Girl.

Twenty-nine schools were vying for an award with 11 schools taking home the top prizes.

ResourceSmart Schools is a free Victorian Government program delivering sustainability education to help Victorian schools minimise waste, save energy and water, promote biodiversity and act on climate change.

Since 2008, ResourceSmart Schools has reached over 1600 Victorian schools. Together they have planted more than 5.1 million trees, saved over $68 million through energy, waste and water savings, diverted 170,000 cubic metres of waste from landfill and avoided over 110,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

The 2026 ResourceSmart Schools Awards were made possible with the generous support of sponsors: CDS Vic, Bank First, Department of Education, RMIT and Premier Waste.

For information about this year’s winners, please visit sustainability.vic.gov.au/2026-rssa-winners

L-R: Healesville’s Greg Palmer and garden designer Patrick Clarke. (Julie Skelton)

Healesville landscape designer Greg Palmer helped The Children’s Society Garden win gold at the 2026 RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London. (Julie Skelton)

The garden is now being relocated to a Children’s Society Youth Club to give it a life long after the show. (Julie Skelton)

Wandin North Primary School’s Laura Attrill, Zara, Ollie and Paul Bailey celebrate their award win. (Supplied)

Flynn’s kicking goals again

By Callum Ludwig

The story of Seville’s Flynn Kroeger is one of hard work, determination and kindness.

Through his new venture, After The Bounce, Flynn has started to share his story in the local community and now it is spreading beyond.

Flynn grew up in Seville, played his junior football at Wandin and was drafted to the Geelong Cats with pick 48 in the 2021 AFL draft. A couple of years plagued by injuries meant Flynn didn’t get a chance at AFL level, but it is what has happened since that has inspired him to share his story and warn others.

In 2023, just after finishing at the Geelong Cats, Flynn crashed his motorbike at home and was not wearing a helmet. The outcome was a traumatic brain injury (TBI), resulting in five months in hospital and a rehab facility. After finally returning home, he still had to learn to walk, talk and eat food again.

But now, Flynn is kicking goals, both literally and figuratively, as he shares his story to students, followed by a footy clinic to work on their skills.

Flynn said he’s been loving it.

“I like working again, trying to be as normal as I can be and being an adult… it just puts a smile on my face,” he said

“(Never giving up) is going to stay in my system for a long time.

“It’s lucky I kept my kicking skills.”

While speaking about his life before and after the crash, Flynn focuses on spreading a few key messages.

“Wear your helmet, no one is bulletproof, I get stressed now if I see a kid riding a bike with no helmet, “ he said.

“Never give up, even when it feels hard, stay positive and find the fun in what you do. I’ve always done that.

“Keep your family close, be part of the com-

munity, they will help you when times get tough.

“Appreciate your family and friends and be kind to others, you don’t know what they might be dealing with, even if they look totally fine.”

Flynn has presented to a few local schools already, including Boronia Heights Primary School, Lilydale Primary School, Seville Primary School, Wandin North Primary School, Don Valley Primary School and Upper Yarra Secondary College. His goal is to spread his key messages and to make others aware.

“The biggest thing for Flynn is asking the kids to listen so they don’t make the same mistake,” Flynn’s dad Oli said.

It’s not just returning to work that Flynn has achieved. He works hard every day on his rehabilitation with the help of his family, friends and support workers. This is where his determination, resilience and positive attitude help him to continue with his progress. He has his

Pool icon floats towards his retirement

By Gabriella Vukman

The morning of Tuesday, 9 June marked the end of an era for local swimmers who frequent Healesville’s Jack Hort Memorial Community Pool.

On this particular morning, a sparkly banner spelling ‘Happy Retirement’ covered most of the pool’s west wall, and staff and swimmers alike could be heard babbling from across the facility.

Beloved pool manager, swim teacher, and overall Jack Hort Memorial Community Pool expert Ross Ilsley bid his customers and coworkers farewell on Tuesday, his last day of work before retirement.

Mr Ilsley spent his last day bantering with a sea of customers who were popping in and out throughout the day to say their goodbyes.

A Healesville local, Mr Ilsley, began his employment at the Jack Hort Memorial Community Pool almost 34 years ago and has become a well-loved member of the community, teaching multiple generations of Healesvillians how to swim and providing excellent customer service.

Swim School Coordinator at the Jack Hort Memorial Community Pool, Debbie Murty, said her first impression of Mr Ilsley was that he was fun.

“His job was serious, but he made it fun, and it was never a chore to come to work when he was here,” she said.

“It has been fabulous working with him.”

“It is going to be really sad for the community and for the pool to see him go.”

Ms Murty said it is Mr Ilsley’s joking character that has made him such a loved asset to the community.

“I think everyone loves him because he is so down to earth,” she said.

“He will have a laugh with you.”

“He will be sorely missed by lots of people.”

Longtime Healesville resident and avid community pool goer David Johnston described Mr Ilsley’s manner as chatty and earnest.

“You arrive at the door to the pool, and Ross is invariably there to collect your payment or whatever, and then for the next five, 10, 15 minutes, he then engages you in earnest conversation about all sorts of important things.”

“Ross is a very deeply caring person for all of the people who come to the pool.”

“He knows everyone’s name and has developed lasting friendships with many, many, many of those people.”

Mr Johnston was quick to note Mr Ilsley’s immense contribution to the pool and its functioning.

“Ross developed an extraordinary knowledge of the workings of the pool and often would carry out maintenance that was beyond his job description,” Mr Johnston said.

“He could have called a plumber, but because he’s a pretty handy sort of guy, he would do it himself to keep the pool running.”

“There have been times when Ross has actually been called out somehow by an alarm, to the pool at nighttime, and he’s gone down there in the dead of night and got that working again.”

Mr Ilsley also played a large role in funding the Jack Hort Memorial Community Pool before the Yarra Ranges Council took it on board.

“Ross traversed the tightrope between the Yar-

ra Ranges Council and Healesville High School, each often questioning which of them had responsibility for the pool, and its financing,” Mr Johnston said.

“He has been of enormous value to the pool and fundraising throughout those years.”

For Mr Ilsley, keeping the pool afloat has been a great effort.

“It’s been a lifelong fight to get this place properly funded,” he said.

“The Shire of Healesville, then the Shire of Yarra Ranges, only contributed $5,000 a year for nearly 30 years into the running of this place.”

After the Council recognised the pool’s value to the community and took responsibility for its funding, the asset was given an upgrade worth $1.5 million.

This has left Mr Ilsley confident that his beloved pool will continue to serve his local community.

“It’s a huge win that the pool is now fully funded through the Yarra Ranges Council,” he said.

Mr Ilsley starts his day at the pool early.

“I get up at six O’Clock to come to work, open the pool up to let the public in and then run programmes for the rest of the day.”

According to Mr Ilsley, it is the social aspect of his job that makes it special.

“The people I meet are the most important thing.”

According to Mr Ilsley, his next chapter involves a holiday, promptly followed by the arrival of two new grandchildren.

While he is leaving his position as manager, Mr Ilsley will not be leaving the Jack Hort pool forever.

sights set on driving once again. It’s important for others to know that even though Flynn works extremely hard, he is also very lucky.

Flynn is a much-loved assistant coach of the Wandin senior women’s football team, where he spreads his positivity amongst the team. He is also now back playing sports he loves, pickleball, basketball – wearing a helmet, having golf lessons and working on his running.

One of Flynn’s support workers, Kate said it’s not just the kids Flynn teaches.

“He teaches everyone around him to be thankful and to be happy for what you’ve got, because Flynn has been through absolute hell and he’s still smiling,” she said.

“A lot of schools’ curriculum at the time will be talking about resilience, community involvement, being kind to others and that just seems to fit perfectly with the key messages that Flynn came up with.”

“I’ll come back because I still need to swim, and I’ll come back and catch up with certain groups that I know what time they come in.”

Mr Ilsley expressed his gratitude to the local community for treating him well during his time at the pool.

“I just want to thank the community for their support for both me and the pool and for keeping the doors open so we could get properly funded.”

Upon starting this new chapter in his life, Mr Ilsley wants to leave the pool in a stable state.

“I hope the pool continues on the same way as it always has.”

“It’s always been an asset to the community, and I hope it stays that way.”

Flynn Kroeger is sharing his story with local schools through After the Bounce. (Callum Ludwig: 559366)

Flynn Kroeger training during his time with Geelong. (File)

L-R: Oli and Flynn Kroeger. (Callum Ludwig: 559366)

‘Happy Retirement’ decorations were hung around the pool. (Gabriella Vukman).

Ross and his colleagues pose for a picture.

(Gabriella Vukman).

Ned Kelly’s story has captivated Australia for generations - now you can experience it like never before.

Discover iconic relics in extraordinary 3D detail, alongside fresh perspectives from leading Australian writers.

Firefighters fight MND

By Gabriella Vukman

Among a sea of Yarra Ranges participants, Badger Creek CFA’s Sally Wannet braved the freeze on June 7 at Healesville Greyhound’s annual Big Freeze at the ‘Ville.

For Ms Wannet, launching herself into an ice bath in the name of raising funds for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) research was a no-brainer.

“I lost my grandfather to MND, so it’s a cause that’s very close to my heart,” Ms Wannet said.

“I have seen the devastation of the disease itself, and the impact it has on the person and their families.”

“I also work in the disability sector as a support coordinator, so community, families, and support are things that are very close to my heart.”

After seeing the post for the Healesville Greyhounds’ Big Freeze event, Ms Wannet immediate-

ly reached out to the club to express her interest in participating.

“Healesville Greyhounds have also been huge supporters of the CFA in District 13,” she said.

The Big Freeze event raised $56,548, just short of its $60,000 fundraising goal, with 25 volunteers taking the icy plunge on the day.

“There was an extra volunteer on the day, a young man who decided to participate at the very last minute, which was a bit of a thrill,” Ms Wannet said.

“He had spoken to me earlier in the day, saying that there was no way that he would do it, but by the end of the day, he changed his mind and had a slide which was great,” she said.

According to Ms Wannet, a few hundred people attended the event, some of whom were local brigade members who came along to support her icy slide.

Comic con for the hills

By Tanya Steele

Nerds and geeks across the region may rejoice as planning for a Yarra Ranges-style Comic Con event has begun in the Hills.

The Yarra Ranges Council youth team and Defrosted events crew have big plans after securing a State government grant at the end of May.

The team is in full swing, preparing their very own Yarra Ranges Youth Comic-Con, which will be the first of its kind in the outer east.

Short for comic book convention, a Comic-Con is a fan convention that celebrates comic books, pop culture, movies, television shows, video games, and anime.

Celebrating all geek culture, the events are hugely popular across Australia and worldwide.

Nardu, one of the Defrosted Events youth members who wrote the grant, said they are currently in the planning stages.

“We are looking at venues,” she said.

Armed with funding of up to $2,000, the Yarra Ranges Hills Comic Con grant was one among many given to several groups across Victoria by the State government to deliver events that showcase the achievements, talents and contributions of young people aged 12-25.

The Defrosted Events crew will host the event in September this year, and the free Comic-Con will have all sorts of interactive elements, from open mic to trivia.

The Yarra Ranges group are excited to brainstorm and plan, and Nardu said her personal interests are centred around anime and reading.

“I like fan fiction too,” she said.

Nardu, at 23 years old, has been a part of the group for nearly two years, balancing university study with her time volunteering and said the group has been a lot of fun and she and the others have formed a close-knit group.

“We meet fortnightly,” she said.

Defrosted Events is a group of young people aged 14 to 25 who support and celebrate music, art and cultural events across the Yarra Ranges.

The group have been busy, hosting regular free events, like Live at the Library, a series of monthly free performances celebrating local musical talent and the Yarra Glen Renfaire along with the Big Dreams market in Belgrave in September last year.

Yarra Ranges Youth Development Officer Sophie Farinacci said the upcoming convention will provide an important space for belonging and will engage young people through activities.

“My local brigade members got behind me,” she said.

“We actually took the truck out there.”

Ms Wannet’s picture of her sliding down the 4.5 metre toboggan slide into the ice bath achieved 10,000 views on the Badger Creek CFA’s Facebook page.

“I know a lot of people who saw the video donated to the cause afterwards,” Ms Wannet said.

Upon the conclusion of the event, Ms Wannet was asked how she felt about participating.

“I am very proud to have represented my grandfather,” she said.

Along with her grandfather, Ms Wannet also has a friend whose husband had recently been diagnosed with MND.

“It meant a lot to me to participate in honour of them and raise vital funds for the disease,” she said.

“It will be led by young people for young people,” she said.

Hills Comic Con will also involve a partnership between the Defrosted Events crew and a local market to invite businesses, performers, and artists to provide stalls, music, and activities for the day.

The youth team are now busy taking on the challenge to design and deliver their very own Comic Con, learning new skills on the way.

“They can showcase their talents and interests while they build partnerships with local organisations and initiatives,” said Ms Farinacci. They are currently preparing a youth music line-up for the Belgrave Lantern Festival.

Anyone interested in collaborating or volunteering should head to the youth development section on the Yarra Ranges website.

Sally Wannet and fellow brigade members before her icy dip. (Badger Creek CFA).

Ms Wannet taking the plunge. (Badger Creek CFA). Splashing into the pool. (Badger Creek CFA).

A hills-style comic con is on the way thanks to the volunteer youth team at Defrosted Events. (Unsplash).

WWII veteran dies aged 100

By Mikayla van Loon

Believed to have been the last remaining World War II veteran to have enlisted from the Yarra Valley district, Dorothy Mavis Mitchell, nee Skate, died aged 100 in May.

Born on 16 July 1925 in the Murray River township of Koondrook, Dot was the eldest of Bill and May Skate’s eight children.

Her early years were spent on a farm, milking cows and feeding pigs, while helping look after her younger siblings. She also worked as a telephonist.

In 1943, the Skate family packed up their life in northern Victoria, heading for an entirely different landscape of the Yarra Valley.

In an article celebrating her 100th birthday at Lilydale’s Bolton Clarke nursing home, where she was living, Dot said her family thought of their new home as “the big smoke”

“I think we were all very shocked when Dad said we were coming down here to live, because we couldn’t imagine it and no one had seen anything closer than Bendigo,” she said.

“It was all dirt roads and farmland back then – lots of sheep!”

Calling Coldstream home for just a single year, at age 19, Dot enlisted in the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS).

She completed her training like most WRANS servicewomen at HMAS Cerberus naval base in Victoria, where she qualified as an assistant cook.

First posted to Cerberus, she was then sent north to HMAS Magnetic in Townsville, Queensland. Dot spent two years in service, discharged in 1946 with a rank of Able Seaman and a last posting at HMAS Lonsdale.

In Dot’s biography, posted to the Virtual War Memorial Australia, it states that she was “proud of her war service” and “enjoyed meeting others and forming friendships”

“She recommends that current serving members ‘always try to achieve their ambitions’,” it read.

Returning home to her family and life in Coldstream, Dot’s engagement to Douglas Mitchell soon followed, announced in the newspaper of the day in 1947, with their marriage registered in 1948.

They welcomed two children, both born at the Dame Nellie Melba Bush Nursing Hospital in Lilydale, which would become Dot’s home decades later.

“When we first moved down it was still being built,” she told Bolton Clarke.

“It was a really nice hospital, I remember coming to it and there was a lovely big veranda along the front and from my room now I can see where the driveway entrance was.

“Back then, the nurses offered me a room but said if I didn’t want a room I could stay out on the veranda because it was all covered – you wouldn’t read about that now!”

In a full circle moment, Dot celebrated her 100th birthday in 2025, in the very same building where she gave birth, a day she insisted was “just one more day” in her life.

Dot died peacefully on 23 May and was described as a “beloved wife, mother, mother-inlaw, grandmother and great-grandmother. A friend to all those who knew her. A life well lived.”

Historian Anthony McAleer said that from all his research into the service men and women who enlisted from the district, he was not aware of any remaining veterans who served in World War II, most likely making Dot the last connection to the region’s World War II history.

“I know of no other World War Two veteran to have enlisted from this district to still be alive,” he said.

The Skate family were well known in Coldstream and the Valley, with Dot’s sister, Val Sheehan, better known as Mrs Coldstream, integral to piecing together the history of Coldstream, Gruyere, Yering and Killara, as well as a life member of the Lilydale and District Historical Society.

Her brother Les Skate followed in their father’s footsteps as a shearer for 25 years and later, as a self-taught builder, who established Skate Constructions, which built many of the Yarra Valley’s wineries.

Both of Dot’s siblings have memorials dedicated to them in Coldstream. Dot was a big supporter of her siblings, helping launch Val’s fourth book instalment of ‘As It Happened’ , which was completed posthumously following her death in 2015.

“They didn’t call her Mrs Coldstream for nothing,” Dot told Star Mail in 2018, adding that she hadn’t realised for a long time just what a hard job

Yarra Ranges is all in for reconciliation

A sold-out crowd heard powerful truth-telling, personal reflections and spellbinding performance at the Yarra Ranges Council 2026 Reconciliation Week event.

More than 150 students from local schools, including Worawa Aboriginal College, Badger Creek Primary School, Healesville High School, Upper Yarra Secondary College and Cire Community School joined community members at The Memo Healesville for this year’s event, which featured a performance from First Nations rapper, dancer and artist, Baker Boy. Yarra Ranges Mayor Richard Higgins said the event was a space for listening, learning, reflection and celebration.

“Every year, we at Council are proud to host an event for National Reconciliation Week, continu-

ing the work we’ve been doing for many years to move towards Reconciliation and support First Nations people,” he said.

“We were the first level of government to make a formal apology to the Stolen Generation, and we have a passionate team of experts who have developed strong, respectful and productive relationships with local First Nations groups for more than 20 years.

“This event is a chance for community members to hear more about First Nations history, cultures, stories, and the important steps we need to take next. “

Attendees heard from Darug man and professional Yidaki/Didgeridoo player Kiernan Ironfield, a panel discussion on treaty and truth telling, a comedy set from Sean Choolburra and

a personal reflection from Council CEO Tammi Rose, which was followed by a performance from Baker Boy that had the audience on their feet and singing.

Cr Higgins said this year’s theme, All In, is a call to action. A call for every Australian to actively commit to reconciliation.

“It’s a reminder that progress isn’t something that happens in the background, or something we can leave to others,” he said.

“Listening matters, being open to learning matters, and that’s how we make a start.

her sister had undertaken and how consuming it was, particularly when Val was working during much of that time as well.

Dot too will be remembered for her service to the community both near and far, during her two years with the Navy.

Her biography stated that in her spare time, Dot played basketball and badminton. She liked to knit and sew and enjoyed reading and listening to the radio.

“There was powerful truth-telling, deep listening and moments that stopped us all in our tracks. We walked away reminded that Reconciliation isn’t a word, it’s something we share, something we feel, and something we have a collective responsibility to achieve.”

Audience members commented that the day was “an unforgettable experience,” and a day “filled with learning, celebration, culture and connection.”

To find out more about Reconciliation and the council’s work in this space, visit yarraranges.vic. gov.au/reconciliation.

Dorothy Mavis Skate enlisted in the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) in April 1944. (Supplied)

Baker Boy performing at The Memo. (File: 556198)

Invite to open studios

Yarra Valley Arts is calling on artists to apply for the 2026 Yarra Valley Open Studios program, with applications now open.

Open Studios gives the community rare access to working studios across the Yarra Valley, offering visitors a chance to meet artists in their creative spaces, see work in progress, and connect directly with the people making it.

The 2026 program features two dedicated open studio weekends: in the Yarra Valley on 10 and 11 October (around Melba and Maroondah Highways) and in the Upper Yarra on 24 and 25 October (along the Warburton Highway), plus a month-long exhibition at The Memo in Healesville from Wednesday 30 September to Sunday 1 November.

This year, groups and collectives of two or more independent artists without a dedicated studio are encouraged to apply, with the option to indicate whether they are available to host other artists or interested in joining an existing studio space. Artists can also opt in to open across both weekends, and a trial buddy system will pair first-time participants with experienced artists to help prepare for the program.

“Open Studios is about celebrating creativity, connection, and place. It’s an invitation to step inside a working creative practice and see the Yarra Valley through the artist’s eyes. We’re proud to be growing the program in 2026 and we’d love to hear from artists who are ready to open their doors,” Yarra Valley Arts president Beth Williams said.

Individual artists, groups and collectives based in the Yarra Valley are encouraged to apply. Applications are assessed on the quality of artwork and studio practice, and the artist’s ability to open their space to the public on the designated weekend/s. Applicants must hold, or be willing to obtain, a current Member Plus membership with Yarra Valley Arts. Artists who are not yet members of YVA are welcome to apply (membership can be obtained as part of the application process).

Applications close 30 June 2026. Artists will be notified of outcomes on 14 July 2026. For more information, FAQs and to apply, visit: yarravalleyarts.org.au/open-studios-2026-applications

WHYLD’s winter solstice

Join the WHYLD Community Group at the Woori Yallock Scout Hall on Sunday 21 June between 4–7pm for a magical Winter Solstice celebration.

The event will feature live music, free face painting, free lantern decorating and a lantern parade at 6.30pm, a community bonfire, roast chestnuts and toasted marshmallows and hot food and drinks available to purchase

This is a free family-friendly event but donations to Hillcrest CFA are greatly appreciated. Come together to celebrate the warmth, light and community spirit of winter.

WHYLD will also hold its monthly Movie Matinee on Friday 26 June, with free entry at 11am. This movie is Apollo 13, and it will be shown at the Sydney Halbish Hall at 22 Old Dalry Road, Don Valley. Attendees are asked to please bring some-

thing to share during the intermission break.

Exhibition launch

Mont De Lancey invites you to Creating Connection, a solo exhibition by its artist in residence, Donna Legg.

Join them for the Grand Opening on Saturday 20 June at 10am, with drinks and nibbles provided as we celebrate the opening of this special exhibition.

The exhibition runs from Saturday 20 June to Sunday 5 July. Donna will be in the gallery throughout the exhibition, welcoming visitors and sharing the inspiration behind her work. Come along to experience a collection celebrating connection, belonging and friendship through art.

Help needed

Warburton Online has moved to The Redwood Centre at 3505 Warburton Highway and

needs some help with the move.

They need help with rearranging their room (desks, metal cupboard) and to carry a large printer upstairs in the next week.

If you can help, please contact Warburton On-

line via email at warburtononline2020@gmail. com

Share your memories

Help the Outer East Football Netball League (OEFNL) bring its history to life by sharing your memories and memorabilia from throughout the years. As the league (formerly the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football Netball League) marks 60 years, they are looking for old photos, team gear, newspaper articles, event programs, vintage memorabilia and special memories and stories to showcase.

Visit the link form.jotform. com/261390617614053 to submit photos, documents, and memories online, or drop off at the OEFN Office at 95 Colchester Road, Kilsyth. Every photo, story, and keepsake helps preserve and celebrate shared history.

Yarra Valley Arts Open Studios artist Crystal Tan. (Supplied)

Renfair magic lingering

By Tanya Steele

As winter sets in, no one would guess that a few short weeks ago, Yarra Glen was flooded with thousands of people dressed as anything from goblins to mermaids across two days on 16 and 17 May.

Put together by a leatherworker by trade, Melbourne’s inaugural renfair came into being through the work of a Mooroolbark local known as Konga, who said he had never run an event of this scale before.

“Now I can say, I am just a little bit proud of it,” he said.

“There was no judgment, just joy.”

From inception to the final weekend, the event came together across two years and once the idea was spoken out loud, it spread like wildfire.

Using his makers network after years of attending medieval reenactment and role playing events, Konga said that the concept spread quickly around Melbourne and even interstate, and everyone he spoke to wanted to get on board.

“When the time came, then we put tickets on sale, and they sold out in 24 hours,” he said.

Floored by the response, Konga said he didn’t expect that level of interest, but immediately, the venue became one of the hardest things to pull together.

After getting in touch with the local racecourse in Yarra Glen, Konga said the minute he walked into the location, he said he knew it would work.

“I could see how it would unfold,” he said.

The racecourse offered space for jousting, danc-

ing, food trucks and the goblin market and paved walking paths winding through it all for accessibility. Konga said he tried to lower the barriers for people to attend.

“We could organise shuttle buses to the Lilydale Station as well,” he said.

The renfaire offered the people of Melbourne a chance to dress up and cut loose, which they did, much to the amazement of Yarra Valley locals. Traffic stretched along the highway and up to the small town of Yarra Glen on the first Saturday morning with lines of cars and people half dressed in armour, cloaks, elf ears and more gathering to enter the venue.

Chief Executive Officer of Tourism East, Louise Scott, said the renfair’s sell-out success demonstrated the power of events to bring people together and drive visitation to the region and congratulated Konga and his team of organisers and volunteers on their efforts.

“Events like this are an important part of the visitor economy, creating reasons for people to travel, stay longer and explore local businesses,” she said.

“The renfaire not only delivered a memorable experience for attendees, but it also generated valuable economic benefits for the Yarra Valley and surrounding communities.”

Immersed in the world’s medieval reenactment and live action roleplay (or LARP as it is known) scene for over 20 years, Konga said the idea for the renfaire came after he realised the two words hadn’t really crossed over that much in Australia. Medieval reenactment is usually more historically accurate, while LARP operates in more fantastical

settings but with specific rules depending on the place it is written to.

“I wanted to create something for people to look forward to,” he said.

Playing the Celtic harp, entertaining crowds with both fantasy-themed and original tunes, self-described fantasy, sci-fi nerd and Tecoma musician Elizabeth Sutherland said the weekend was fantastic, and the whole vibe was positive.

“It was lovely to see the inclusive nature of the event where everyone was warmly welcomed and thought of,” she said.

Ms Sutherland said that having her friend Cathy act as her fairy roadie on Sunday was a big highlight, along with having a harlequin jester dance along as she played to the crowds.

“There were many thousands of happy faces passing by as I played,” she said.

Kylie Haberl, a drama teacher at the Ranges Academy Performing Arts (RAPA), attended with her family and said it was a truly extraordinary escape, describing it as a tonic to her neurodivergent family, who face daily challenges with significant invisible disabilities.

The family came resplendent as original characters in handmade costumes, and Ms Haberl said they still had moments of overwhelm as they navigated the large crowds and had to take some time to recover afterwards.

“Everyone was kind, inclusive, supportive, and joyously celebrating everyone around them,” she said.

“I didn’t realise how much of life is actually competitive, wearing the best clothes, getting the

best spot to sit in a grandstand, securing the best car park, snatching the best item at a market before anyone else can get it.”

Bringing together common themes across medieval and LARP genres with no strict guidelines on the fantasy dress code, the renfaire offered the people of Melbourne a chance to cosplay, as it’s known and become someone else for a day.

Around 98 per cent of the attendees dressed up across the two days, with dancing groups, reenactment groups, musicians, role players, medieval vendors, jousting, mermaids and more entertaining the crowds.

With the goal to create a space where people could literally step out of this world and into another one, Konga said that he felt it resonated.

“People want to get out of the mundane, go into this fantasy world,” he said.

Konga said he also wanted to show people some of the different special interest groups and hobbies that are out there across Melbourne, Victoria and beyond.

With plans for another renfaire already in the works, with another day added or even some interstate events, the event borrowed ideas from many realms, and Konga said he placed the Melbourne Renfair in his own fictional universe Valendor.

“If I’m proud of anything, it’s being able to create a space that people felt comfortable being free, being comfortable in their own skin to have fun and be free, and as an adult, that’s a hard thing to do,” he said.

First time festival organiser, Konga, a leatherworker from Mooroolbark. (Supplied).

Tecoma musician, Elizabeth Sutherland loved the event. (Supplied).

The event drew thousands from across Melbourne and Australia. (April Stevens: 559540).

Selby resident and drama school teacher Kylie (right) with her children Annabelle (middle) and Sophie as a Satyr (left) . (Supplied).

The lasting power of poetry

By Maria Millers

“It’s truly exciting news that Australia is about to appoint its first poet laureate in 200 years. At last, the Albanese government is giving poetry proper recognition as an art form that speaks to and for a country’s people, not something that exists only in schoolrooms, fusty old books or funky bars” - Jane Sullivan, The Sydney Morning Herald, 2023.

Alas, this exciting news of 2023 has been put on the back burner. And anyway, probably for most Australians, it would be far down on their list of priorities. What they would ask is what has poetry got to do with cost of living pressures, housing unavailability, climate anxiety, technological disruption and many other concerns of modern living?

And yet in past times of disruption, uncertainty and hardship, whether caused by war, political upheaval, economic hardship or national tragedy, poetry has often flourished.

Today, there is confusion about what kind of country Australians believe themselves to be, and what kind of country they are actually becoming. There is, however, little leadership in fostering a debate around this topic.

Modern life increasingly rewards speed, distraction, and simplified narratives. Poetry asks readers to slow down, notice details and tolerate complexity.

And poetry often succeeds where reports, speeches, policy papers, and news articles struggle. It distils political, social, and moral issues into images, stories, rhythms, and emotions that people can carry with them long after the details are forgotten.

Poets from oppressed or disadvantaged communities often articulate experiences that dominant institutions overlook. It’s this ability to transform public issues into human experience that’s one reason why poetry has remained politically and socially influential from the time of Homer to contemporary poets writing about climate change, migration, war, and inequality Poetry, of course, does not solve inequality di-

WOORILLA WORDS

rectly, but it can challenge assumptions, build empathy, and expand public understanding of whose stories matter and can express those feelings that many people may share but find hard to express.

A Poet Laureate can bring a different kind of leadership: a cultural and moral one, other than a political one.

US Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman’s poem The Hill We Climb, delivered at the presidential inauguration in 2021, emphasised democratic renewal and collective responsibility during a time of intense political division

We will rebuild, reconcile, and recover.

And every known nook of our nation and every corner called our country, our people diverse and beautiful, will emerge battered and beautiful.

When day comes, we step out of the shade aflame and unafraid.

The new dawn blooms as we free it.

For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it.

If only we’re brave enough to be it

Poets can also be critical and highlight injustices, inequality, moral failings, and invite people to reflect.

UK Poet Laureate 2009-2019, Carol Ann Duffy wrote poems responding to contemporary events, helping readers reflect on social and political changes, promoting unity while acknowledging difference

Imagine living in a strange, dark city for twenty years.

Many laureates seek common ground while acknowledging diverse experiences. Rather than issuing directives, they invite reflection and dialogue.

Current UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage promoted poetry projects that encouraged participation and reflection during the Covid-19 pandemic era. He believed that a laureate must be prepared to go into schools, prisons, communities, hospices, theatres, festivals and nightclubs and address social change.

Give

Simon Armitage

Of all the public places, dear to make a scene, I’ve chosen here.

Of all the doorways in the world to choose to sleep, I’ve chosen yours. I’m on the street, under the stars.

For coppers I can dance or sing. For silver-swallow swords, eat fire. For gold-escape from locks and chains. It’s not as if I’m holding out for frankincense or myrrh, just change.

You give me tea. That’s big of you.

I’m on my knees. I beg of you.

This is a remarkably simple poem, spoken by a homeless person sleeping in a doorway and asking for some compassion from a stranger.

The longest serving Poet Laureate was Lord Alfred Tennyson (1850-1892), best remembered for The Charge of the Light Brigade, written shortly after reports reached Britain of the disastrous cavalry charge at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War.

The charge resulted from confused orders and led hundreds of British cavalrymen into devastating Russian fire. It was recited publicly, memorised by schoolchildren, and helped sustain morale during a difficult war. The poem simultaneously rec-

A better retirement lifestyle

ognises bravery, but also military incompetence. Most recall the lines. Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die.

By the twentieth century, poets such as Wilfred Owen felt freer to challenge patriotic narratives directly.

Poems such as Dulce et Decorum Est changed public perceptions of war. Owen did not debate military strategy; he showed readers the suffering of a single soldier during World War I.

Writing today, Mohammed Mousa, in They ask me who I am describes Gaza as the ‘largest openair prison’ but this does not prevent him from holding on to hope: nothing I want more than a homeland, unrestricted birthplace, no fences of tyranny, no walls of oppression, no checkpoints to undress my fears, with clouds heavy enough to carry my soul.

Australian Indigenous poets have often used poetry as both art and advocacy, transforming social and political issues into powerful personal testimony. Their work frequently addresses dispossession, racism, cultural survival, identity, incarceration, environmental stewardship, and reconciliation.

Australian Indigenous poets such as Oodgeroo Noonuccal had transformed political arguments about Aboriginal rights into direct, personal, memorable language. Even today, her voice continues to inspire new generations to honour their roots and stand tall in the face of adversity: poets like Ali Cobby Eckermann, Ellen Van Neeren, Tony Birch, Emily Araluen follow in her footsteps. We are as strangers here now, but the white tribe are the strangers.

We belong here, we are of the old ways.

The Woorilla Poetry Prize 2026 is now open for entries via Submittable. Visit woorilla.org.au

Close to all amenities - health professionals,

Supermarkets, public transport

Village volunteers can assists you around the house

Village bus for shopping excursions Monthly calendar of events 24 Hour Emergency Assistance

Baulking at the state budget...

How much is $200 billion? Well, it’s the equivalent of replacing every school in Victoria – not once, but twice; or rebuilding the Maroondah hospital more than 100 times. But no, $200 billion, is the size of the Victorian debt. It’s the money you; your children and grandchildren will have to repay in extra taxes for decades to come – $1m in interest adding to that obscene sum of money every hour, every day.

This year, as I listened closely as the Treasurer deliver her second Budget speech, I hoped to hear a bold vision to repair the damage done to Victoria’s economy and a serious plan to get the state moving again.

Instead, we were told “global pressures” were to blame for Victoria’s debt blowing out from $20 billion in 2014 to almost $200 billion by the end of the decade — despite other states avoiding the same financial disaster.

And that was really it. No major reform. No economic vision. No serious plan for recovery. Just excuses, spin and more debt.

By almost every measure, Victoria is now the worst-performing state in the country. Debt is soaring to record levels, services are struggling, roads are crumbling and confidence in the future is fading. Teachers had to march in the streets, Parks Victoria staff are refusing to clean the toilets at Redwood and Maroondah Dam, one in three

The state state of

affairs

Cindy McLeish MP Member for Eildon

ambulances don’t get to critically ill patients in time, elective surgery waiting lists keep growing and families are paying the price.

Next year, Victoria will spend more on interest repayments alone than it will on Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria and all kindergarten services combined — and still have money left over. That should alarm every Victorian.

To me, this Budget felt like it came from a government that has run out of energy and ideas. But I haven’t given up on Victoria, and I don’t believe Victorians have either.

I strongly believe this state can once again become the best place in the country to raise a family, start a business and build a future. But turning Victoria around will take honesty, discipline and hard work.

That starts with telling Victorians the truth about the challenges we face. For too long, governments have hidden behind half-truths and unrealistic promises. People deserve honesty about what can be achieved and what it will take to fix the mess.

As the alternative government, it is our responsibility to provide a credible and properly costed plan for Victoria’s future. That is why we have developed a Ten-Year Economic Plan focused on restoring confidence, reducing debt and rebuilding the economy.

Our plan is about putting people before politics, delivery before headlines and responsibility before convenience. It is about reducing waste, lowering the tax burden where possible and making sure essential services are properly funded and prioritised.

None of this will be easy and none of it will happen overnight. But if Victoria is serious about paying down debt and restoring services, things must change.

This is the approach I will take as part of a future government — disciplined spending, responsible decision-making and a clear focus on rebuilding Victoria for the next generation.

I encourage Victorians to look at our plan. It is a genuine roadmap to restore confidence in this state and create a stronger future.

Unmissable shows coming up near you

Eltham Little Theatre

Honk Jr.

A lovable, quacking retelling of the classic story of The Ugly Duckling. Honk Jr explores family, belonging, and showing that being authentically you is eggcellent. Ugly may not look quite like the other ducklings, but they have their talents, despite the rest of the farm animals thinking otherwise. Feeling down, Ugly waddles off on a journey of self-discovery, meeting a flock of friends and outsmarting a fowl foe as they try to find a pond to call home

Season: Saturday 27 June – Sunday 12 July. The 1812 Theatre Rumpelstiltskin – A Magical Pantomime

Looking for the perfect outing for children or grandchildren and the young art heart? Step into a world of laughter, magic and mayhem as The 1812 Theatre brings Chris Hodson’s Rumpel-

stiltskin to life in a bright, cheeky, family-friendly pantomime.

A fairy tale with a twist.

This delightful retelling of the classical fairy tale has everything you love about panto.

A boastful father who talks his way into trouble.

A greedy king desperate to get rich.

A helpless daughter caught in the middle, ASneakyRumpelstiltskinwithaplanofhisown.

Alien thriller lean on quality

By Seth Lukas Hynes

Disclosure Day

Starring Josh O’Connor, Emily Blunt and Colin Firth

M

3.5/5

In Disclosure Day, a sci-fi thriller directed by Steven Spielberg, cybersecurity expert Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) flees the draconian Wardex corporation with worldshaking archives of alien contact, and TV meteorologist Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) starts speaking in tongues during a broadcast.

Disclosure Day is well-shot and features a powerful score from John Williams, in his thirteenth collaboration with Spielberg. Colin Firth is the stand-out performer as Scanlon, the leader of Wardex, playing him with tightly-controlled menace and a fascinating balance of zealotry and weariness. Disclosure Day has some exciting set-pieces and stunts, and the animal motif infuses the extraterrestrial themes with a comforting fairytale note.

Disclosure Day shows the immense technical craft you expect from Spielberg and has some thrilling scenes and a great villain, and yet so many little annoyances kept me from fully engaging with it.

Disclosure Day has awkward humour and heavy-handed, sometimes painfully self-aware dialogue, but offers only shallow insight into how the existence of aliens might impact faith. The secrets Daniel stole drive him and his girlfriend Jane (Eve Hewson) forward, but the alien subject matter is almost incidental for much of the narrative (so is the World War 3 backdrop). Disclosure Day’s first half feels rather aimless, and Margaret’s burgeoning psychic abilities are an extremely inorganic way to bring the characters together. The plot-device of an alien tool that creates telepathic connections yields some gripping scenes of Scanlon intimidating and manipulating Jane from afar, but it’s also a blatant ‘make the characters do what I want’ button for screenwriter David Koepp.

I’m as surprised as you that I didn’t like Disclosure Day, a well-produced high-concept Spielberg flick about aliens (I was obsessed with aliens when I was little), but it’s a contrived misfire from one of our greatest living directors.

And a brave hero (plus three very determined blind mice) ready to save the day.

Expect big laughs, colourful characters, and plenty of audience fun as this whimsical story spins out on stage.

Season: 29 June – 5 July. Venue: Bakery@1812. Gemco Theatre

Open Stage Night

Welcome one and all to Gemco’s ongoing Open Stage Night. Hosted by Carol, the popular open stage has been running for many decades. Held in the cosy hall, you are welcome to perform anything you like or just come for the lovely entertainment.

Enjoy music, poetry, singing, monologue, or anything you wish to show.

Running the first Saturday of every month, now starting at 7pm.

Season starts 4 July from 7pm – 10.30pm.

The Round Water Mirror

Water Mirror is a breathing fusion of Taiko percussion, dance, acrobatics and cutting-edge projection and lighting design. This exhilarating production invites audiences of all ages to embark on a captivating journey that transcends traditional performance.

The Powerful rhythms of Taiko, led by a group of extraordinary percussionists, resonate throughout the theatre, captivating audiences with Danza del Arte’s athletic acrobatic dancers. The interplay between musicians and performers is sublime, finely crafted.

Set against a stunning backdrop, Water Mirror creates an immersive experience that engages the senses. With acclaimed reviews, award nominations, and standing ovations, this show is a standout choice for anyone seeking a remarkable and unforgettable performance.

Season: Wednesday 24 June at 7.30pm.

PRIVACY ASSURED, TIMELESS CHARMER

PRIVACY ASSURED WITH THIS TIMELESS CHARMER

PRIVATELY perched atop a hill on over 3 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds and forest, this unique character home offers a rare blend of old-world charm and contemporary convenience. Originally transported from Beaumaris in the mid-1980s, the fully restored weatherboard residence is rich in history, featuring decorative ceilings, stained glass, original Baltic pine floorboards, picture rails and double hung windows— all lovingly preserved to create a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Now enhanced with two brand-new bathrooms, new blinds and updated in a modern palette, the home effortlessly blends period elegance with fresh, functional living. The generous layout includes four bedrooms, a study, a fully equipped kitchen, a welcoming family room, and an informal dining space, ideal for family gatherings and that showcase leafy garden outlooks.

Peace and privacy are paramount here and

throughout the residence expansive windows capture breathtaking views, made even more spectacular by the rich autumn colours that frame the property. Comfort is ensured yearround with split-system heating and cooling, plus a cosy wood heater.

Step outside to a truly enviable outdoor sanctuary — a lazy afternoon G&T on the wide verandah overlooking a cascading water feature, while manicured lawns and landscaped gardens surround the solar-heated saltwater pool and covered entertainment area, perfect for a summer teenage hangout or BBQ.

Additional features include extensive shedding and a basketball pad, all within a serene, tree-lined setting.

This is the tranquil tree change you’ve been dreaming of, just minutes from Beaconhills College and Pakenham Township where you have rail connections to the CBD. ●

HOME FOCUS

PEACEFUL HILLS LIVING WITH A FAMILY APPEAL

TUCKED away in a tranquil leafy setting, 38 Deans Road, Upwey offers the perfect blend of comfort, flexibility and relaxed Hills living. Surrounded by nature and positioned on a beautifully tiered allotment, this inviting residence delivers an idyllic lifestyle for families, first home buyers or those simply seeking space to unwind.

Inside you will find the home welcomes you with warm timber floors, light-filled interiors and a practical floorplan designed for everyday living. The generous lounge provides a comfortable central living zone complete with a toasty fireplace, flowing through to the renovated kitchen complete with high quality appliances (Bertazonni oven- Heritage Series), ample storage and an adjoining meals area complete with orginial Louis Poulsen PH5 pendant lighting perfect for casual family dining.

Accommodation comprises three wellproportioned bedrooms, the inviting main bedroom finished with class and original Flowerpot VP7 lighting by Verner Panton. All bedrooms serviced by a stylishly renovated bathroom, while the versatile sunroom/study offers the ideal space for working from home, a kids’ play area, reading room or creative studio.

Stepping outside, the home truly comes to life with a fantastic entertaining deck capturing the peaceful treed outlook the perfect place to host family and friends or simply relax amongst the serenity. The beautifully tiered backyard creates a wonderful sense of privacy and includes tranquil seating areas that make the most of the natural surrounds. This property is also solidly build and with concrete stumps underneath.

Adding even more flexibility, the separate studio at the rear provides endless possibilities for a home office, art studio, gym, workshop or additional retreat space.

Further features include switch board upgrade, split system heating and cooling plus central (ducted heating), a single garage, excellent natural light throughout and a location that embraces the very best of the Dandenong Ranges lifestyle while remaining conveniently close to Upwey Village, schools, cafes, public transport and walking trails.

A peaceful family haven with flexible spaces and timeless appeal this is one you’ll instantly feel at home in. ●

FAMILY SPACE, STUNNING GARDENS AND APPEAL

NESTLED amongst beautifully established gardens on an impressive 1,902m² (approx.) allotment, just under half an acre, this spacious family home offers an exceptional lifestyle opportunity with multiple living zones, generous accommodation and an idyllic outdoor setting rarely found in today’s market.

Thoughtfully designed for comfortable family living, the home features a spacious family room, separate lounge and dedicated dining area, creating flexibility for both everyday living and entertaining. Warm neutral tones, feature brickwork, large windows and a cosy wood fire combine to create a welcoming atmosphere throughout.

The well appointed kitchen sits at the heart of the home, complete with excellent storage, a walk-in pantry and an adjoining meals area. From here, step out to the covered deck, paved entertaining area and multiple covered pergolas, providing the perfect spaces for hosting family gatherings or simply enjoying the peaceful garden surrounds.

Accommodation includes three generous bedrooms plus a versatile office/fourth bedroom. The privately positioned main bedroom enjoys a walk-in robe and ensuite, while the remaining bedrooms are serviced by a family bathroom and separate powder room. What truly sets this property apart is the magnificent outdoor environment. The expansive grounds showcase lush lawns, mature shade trees, established garden beds, exotic plantings and a park like setting that creates a sense of tranquillity and privacy. Whether it’s children playing on the sprawling lawn, entertaining friends amongst the gardens or simply relaxing and enjoying the changing seasons, this remarkable outdoor space offers endless possibilities.

Additional features include a double garage, carport, wood shed, excellent storage throughout, double glazed windows, split system heating and cooling and evaporative cooler, an estimated internal area of approximately 230sqm, plus the added benefit of a solar and battery system. Designed to help improve energy efficiency and reduce reliance on the grid and keep running costs down, this valuable addition offers everyday practicality and long term appeal for modern family living.

Positioned within easy reach of Monbulk’s shops, schools, cafes and local amenities, this outstanding property combines spacious family living with the beauty and serenity of a stunning garden estate.

RELAXED COUNTRY LIFESTYLE WITH VIEWS

COME and enjoy the glorious surrounds and fantastic Yarra Valley views at this beautiful property, situated on just over 10 picturesque acres with a mixture of undulating pasture and scattered bush it’s the ideal spot come and live the relaxed country life.

The home is superb and just a few years old offers the growing family a fantastic semi rural lifestyle with self sustainable off grid living with alternative solar power. Beautifully presented and offering 3 bedrooms with a luxurious main bathroom and ensuite in the main bedroom, the kitchen is stunning, light and bright with quality appliances and fixtures throughout with ample bench and cupboard space.

Welcome the outdoors in with the main living/lounge areas perfectly situated to sit back, relax and enjoy the ever changing Yarra Valley vista. Immerse yourself in the outdoors with established gardens and loads of space for the kids and pets to explore and enjoy, a fantastic small acreage property in a beautiful location with acres of space to create your own hobby farm. ●

ACharmingCountryRetreatwithSpectacularViewsandYearRoundComfort

Thoughtfullyupdatedwhileretainingitscottagecharm,thehomefeaturesstunningVictorian hardwoodfloors,abundantnaturallight,andacosywoodfirethatcreatestheperfectplace torelax.Theinvitingkitchenispracticalandeasytouse,complementedbygenerousstorage throughoutthehomeandtheconvenienceofaseparatetoilet.Thebespokebathroomshowcases beautifulcraftsmanship,withcustombenchtopsandshelvinghandcraftedfromoriginalhardwood salvagedduringrenovations.Outside,thepropertytrulycomestolife.Thepaveddriveway,solar panels,andwatertanksfurtherenhancethehome’sfunctionalityandsustainability.Natureloverswill delightintheabundantbirdlifeandwildlifethatregularlyvisittheproperty.Thisdelightfulproperty offersalifestylewherecomfort,beauty,andnatureexistinharmony.

AffordableLivingwithComfort,ConvenienceandViews

Featuringthreegenerouslysizedbedrooms,allwithbuilt-inrobes,thehomeisneat,wellpresented, andreadyforitsnextowner.Aspaciouslivingareaprovidesplentyofroomtorelax,whilethelight filledsunroomoverlooksthereardeck.Aroomykitchenoffersamplebenchspaceandstorage, whilecosycarpetsthroughoutaddwarmthandcomfort.Outside,thefullyfencedfrontgarden providesasafehavenforchildrenandpets,whiletheprivaterearcourtyardanddeckareaare idealforentertainingorunwinding.Additionalfeaturesincludearearcarportforconvenientoffstreetparkinganddistantmountainviewsfromthebackoftheproperty.Ideallylocatedwithin walkingdistanceofYarraJunction’sshops,cafes,andessentialamenities,aswellasthelocalhigh schoolandpublictransport,thispropertyoffersconvenienceandlifestyleinequalmeasure.

FamilyLivinginaConvenientLocation

Thisneat,wellpresentedhomesitsinapicturesqueandcolourfulsettingandisreadyandwaitingto moveinto.Offering3bedroomsplusaspaciouslounge/livingareait’stheidealspottositback,relax andadmirethesceneryandsurrounds,thekitchenareaoffersamplebenchandcupboardspace plusaseparatemeals/diningarea.Headoutsideandyou’respoiltforspacewithloadsofpotential sittingonapprox.1571sqmoflandthereisplentyofscopetoaddyourpersonaltouches.Plentyof thegroundworkhasbeendone,thispropertyisreadyandwaitingforit’snewownerstotakeittothe nextstage.Agreatpropertyofferinggreatvalueinapicturesqueandconvenientlocationsituated justashortstrolltoYarraJunctionsshoppinghub,localschoolsandtransport.

PrivateFamilyRetreat–SpaciousHomeon2.5AcreswithIndoorPool Setonapproximately2.5acresofbeautifullyestablishedgrounds,thisprivatefamilysanctuaryoffers abalanceofpeacefulseclusionandeverydayconvenience.Designedforrelaxedfamilyliving,the spaciousresidenceoffersmultiplelivingzones,generousaccommodation,andtheuniqueluxuryof anindoorswimmingpoolforyear-roundenjoyment.Attheheartofthehome,thecharmingcountrystylekitchenexudeswarmth.Thehomeoffersexceptionallivingspace,includingasubstantial loungeandanadditionallivingarea.Accommodationcomprisesthreegenerouslysizedbedrooms, allfittedwithbuilt-inrobes,whiletheprivatelypositionedmainbedroomfeaturesaspaciousensuite. Astandoutfeatureofthepropertyisthelower-levelindoorswimmingpool,completewithdedicated showerandtoiletfacilities,providingaprivateretreatforrecreationandrelaxationineveryseason.

DUAL LIVING LIFESTYLE WITH VIEWS

SET at the end of a no-through road just minutes from Gembrook township, this exceptional property delivers not one—but two beautifully appointed homes, each capturing sweeping views across rolling hills and lush pasture. Whether you’re seeking multi-generational living, a smart investment, or a lifestyle upgrade, this is a truly standout offering.

The Main Residence – Spacious, Stylish & Designed for Living

A warm and inviting ranch-style home, thoughtfully designed for both comfort and functionality:

• Flexible 4 bedroom layout, including a luxurious main suite with walk-through robe and full ensuite

Additional bedrooms have built-in robes, serviced by a contemporary bathroom featuring a bath, shower, vanity, and the latest on-trend finishes

• Versatile rumpus room — ideal as a home office, games room, or creative studio with its own access

The heart of the home: a stunning openplan kitchen and dining zone with a massive island bench, abundant storage, and quality appliances including a Euromaid oven and cooktop

• Generous separate lounge with a cosy fireplace—perfect for family gatherings Year-round comfort with gas ducted heating, refrigerated cooling, and a feature fireplace The Cottage – Light-Filled & Full of Charm Perfect for extended family or guests

• Welcoming front verandah to soak in the picturesque surrounds Bright open-plan living, dining, and kitchen with island bench, wall oven, hotplates, and dishwasher

• Three spacious bedrooms, all with built-in robes

• Large bathroom, separate toilet, and dedicated laundry

Comfortable living with gas heating and split system cooling

• Property Highlights

• Expansive 3,990m² (approx.) usable allotment

• Double garage, carport, and substantial farm shedding Impressive 14.1kW solar system with 20kW battery storage

• Above-ground pool for relaxed summer living Endless Possibilities Await

Ideal for multi-generational families, two buyers investing in a property together

– a home for each, this unique property blends space, privacy, and versatility with breathtaking natural beauty.

Only minutes from the cute quiet village of Gembrook, with its shops, cafes and Primary School at the end of the Puffing Billy Railway Line. All this approximately an hour from Melbourne with Pakenham approximately 20 minutes drive away.

Inspect today and experience the lifestyle you’ve been dreaming of! ●

Offeringexceptionalversatility&value,thisuniquepropertyfeaturestwoseparate dwellingsononetitle.Them inresidenceisbright&welcomingshowc singtimberfloors, light-filledinterior,sp ciousliving re , modernkitchen,GDH,front&re rdecks,plus privatecourtyard.Theunitfeatures2bedrooms,acombinedbathroom&laundry,and afrontverandah.Bothpropertiescurrentlyrentedfor$1000pwcombined,orexcellent accommodationforextendedfamily,multi-generationalliving,guestsorAirbnb(STCA).

MickDolphin 0429684522

ErinDavies 0494175410

FABULOUSSOUGHT-AFTERLOCATION

Thisinvitinghomeoffe sanexceptionaloppo tunityandpotentialfo fi sthomebuye s tosecureapropertyinasought-afterareajustmomentsfromBelgrave.Positioned onagene ous1300sqmusableblockwithaci cula d iveway,thislightfilledhome offe sfloo boa dsth oughoutthegene ousloungea ea,sepa atedining oomandan enclosed ea deck.Outsideyouhaveafullyenclosedya dandampleoff-st eetpa king withadoublega ageaddingfu the p acticality,cate ingfo multiplevehicles.

JanBrewster 0409558805

BREATHTAKINGVIEWSONNEARLY1ACRE

Setattheendofano-throughroadjustminutesfromGembrooktownship,thisproperty deliverstwobeautifullyappointedhomes,eachcapturingsweepingviewsacrossrolling hills&lushpasture.Perfectformulti-generationallivingorasmartinvestment.Justsome ofthecombinedfeaturesincludesversatilelayouts,rumpusroom-idealasahomeoffice, gamesroom,orcreativestudiowithitsownaccess,dbl.garage,carport&substantial farmshedding,14.1kWsolarsystemwith20kWbatterystorage&anabove-groundpool.

MickDolphin 0429684522

ErinDavies 0494175410

SOLDFOR$35,000ABOVETOPENDOFLISTINGPRICE! 64Buyersthrough4openhomes! 9Offersreceived! Result-$35,000achievedabovetopendoflistedrange! Westillhavebuyerswaitingthatmissedoutonthisproperty. Giveusacallforachatoranoobligationappraisal. Couldyoursbethenexttoachievetheseexceptionalresults?

CaitiEllis 0493136937

MickDolphin 0429684522

PUZZLES

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

ACROSS

1 Meagre (6)

4 Egyptian god of the afterlife (6)

10 Principal singer, – donna (5)

11 Pink, wriggly creature that lives in soil (9)

12 Unduly prominent (9)

13 Lord (5)

14 Made (6)

15 Comely (4)

19 Casserole (4)

20 Lengthy recitation (6)

24 Propelled (5)

25 Hosiery (9)

27 Elusively (9)

28 Take place (5)

29 Creations (6)

30 Losses (6)

DOWN

1 Assumed (8)

2 Aircraft pilots (8)

3 Ordinance (7)

5 See 6-down

6, 5-down Oxford student (6,7)

7 Seethe (6)

8 Prefix meaning half (4)

9 Store (7)

16 US dictionary maker (7)

17 Wooden panelling on the lower part of a wall (8)

18 Ugly buildings (8)

19 From Stockholm, say (7)

21 Irritating (7)

22 Word modifier (6)

23 Empty talk (coll) (3,3)

26 Black quartz (4)

4 LETTERS

Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural nouns ending in “s”.

SASH SAWS

5 LETTERS

AGILE ALONE AMAZE ANGLE APING ARENA ARIAS AROMA BACON BASTE BEGUN DEEDS DEFER DOZEN DRESS EDGES EERIE EXERT FROND GIRTH GRAPE HATES HYENA INANE LEAPS LINEN MENUS OARED OLIVE OUGHT PENCE REEFS REUSE ROADS SALAD SARIS SINEW SIZER SLEDS SPENT SUEDE TANGS TEENS TENSE TRADE

TSARS USUAL WAVES ZONED

6 LETTERS ARBOUR GOATEE HURTLE LEASES

7 LETTERS ALARMED CONSULS

Outer East girls undefeated

By Callum Ludwig

The Outer East’s U16 Girls interleague side made history over the long weekend.

Competing in the 2026 Vic Metro interleague carnival, the U16 Girls went undefeated for the first time in their three matches.

Midfield coach Josh Plunkett said it’s special for the community.

“Two years ago, the girls didn’t win the game and they were getting beaten by about 100 points without kicking a goal,” he said.

“Last year we won two out of our three games, we lost to Mornington, who are a really strong side, who we thought were going to be a big challenge for us this year as well.

“Our girls on the weekend played like they’d been together forever, like they are a natural team…not that they’ve only played three games with the way they were moving and controlling the football, it was like a team that had played together for a long period of time.”

Healesville’s Molly Stolarczyk was best on ground as the girls kept the South East Junior Football League scoreless in their opening game, 0.0, 0 to 13.14, 92.

Grace Rankin from Wesburn led the charge in another thumping win, this time over Mornington Peninsula with a 11.13, 79 to 2.2, 14 scoreline.

Up against the Frankston District Junior Football League, the girls put them to the sword with a 10.12, 72 to 1.1, 7 win. Ruby Collins from Healesville was best on ground.

Plunkett said he has either coached with or against most of the girls in his five years with the Wesburn Junior Football Club and they are something to be proud of.

“The purpose of the interleague program is to get recognition for our girls for the next step, they’re representing the standard of football within our league and our area, but they’re also exhibiting their skills for selection to trial for Eastern Ranges, which is the talent pathway to the

Trades & Services

AFL and AFLW,” he said.

“What I would say is, especially to all our girls that came through this year, is they’re all so talented and to keep pursuing the highest level of football they can and to keep enjoying it.

“I think that the level of skill and development that’s coming out of the Outer East currently puts us in really good stead to see more girls from our area on the big stage.”

In 2024, former Monbulk junior Georgia

Mr Plunkett said having role models from the Outer East in the space is really important, especially those who have gone to a higher level and seen that the dream is possible.

“It’s massive to see girls go to that next level but also to be respected in the Outer East for our level of football, and have the girls know that

Interleague sides are a great opportunity for talented young players to show their skills before teams are picked for talent pathways like the Eastern Ranges.

they’re in the right place for development is really important for parents and the girls alike,” he said.

“What I would encourage is if the girls don’t get the invite to Eastern Ranges there are a lot more pathways.

“You can trial with a VFLW team and you can go on to play at higher levels of AFLW by playing within the community clubs as well.”

Knight (Collingwood) and Olinda-Ferny Creek talent Grace Belloni (Essendon) were drafted to the AFLW.

The Outer East U16 girls went undfeated in a recent interleague carnival. (Supplied)

The side put together three comprehensive victories over the long weekend.

Tough challenges

Warburton hosted Mt. Evelyn for all nine games this weekend.

With both clubs having Genesis Motors as a major sponsor, the teams played for the Genesis Cup (most wins on the day).

Warburton had some tough challenges throughout the day. The rain did hold off nicely with a little shower here and there.

A Grade:

HT: Warburton-Millgrove 10 to Mt. Evelyn 26

FT: Warburton-Millgrove 24 def by Mt. Evelyn

65

Best: Lara Nathan, Aleigha Walter’s & Selina Fotia

Goals: Lara Nathan 13, Shae Gee 7 & Ally Langdon 3

B Grade:

HT: Warburton-Millgrove 11 to Mt. Evelyn 34

FT: Warburton-Millgrove 22 def by Mt. Evelyn

67 Best: Gabby Woods, Zoe Timoney & Sienna Muir

Goals: Tanner McCurdy 13, Cam Holland 9

C Grade:

HT: Warburton-Millgrove 11 to Mt. Evelyn 20

FT: Warburton-Millgrove 20 def by Mt. Evelyn

41 Best: Alex Woods, Nicole Winzer & Kelly Lewis Goals: Alexandra Woods 12 & Mel Hancock 5 and Tiahn Syme 3

D Grade:

HT: Warburton-Millgrove 9 to Mt. Evelyn 15

FT: Warburton-Millgrove 14 def by Mt. Evelyn

31 Best: Tamin Crunden, Nicki Cole, Tayah Humphrey

Goals: Amarli Weir 3, Tayah Humphrey 5, Tiana Purchall 4, Maisy Toy 2 17 & Under:

HT: Warburton-Millgrove 6 to Mt. Evelyn 26

65

FT: Warburton-Millgrove 10 def by Mt. Evelyn

Bests: Belle Syme, Lili Gentiliuomo, Evie

O’Regan

Goals: Miami Rowland 3, Maisy Toy 4, Belle Syme 2, Kaylee Feim 1

FOOTBALL RESULTS

Under 18s:

HT: Warburton-Millgrove 1.2-8 to Mt. Evelyn 8.5-53

FT: Warburton-Millgrove 1.3-9 def by Mt. Evelyn 15.13-103

Best: Kai Harrison, Logan King, Nate Lucas, Arlo Haynes, Blayden Tamme, Dash Oabourne

Goals: Nate Lucas 1

Reserves:

HT: Warburton-Millgrove 1.0-6 trailed Mt. Evelyn 7.6-48

FT: Warburton-Millgrove 1.0-6 def by Mt. Evelyn 14.16-100

Bests: Michael Read, Jackson Blake, Dale Morris, Brayden Ferguson, Harry Rothwell, Dane Cerveri

Goals: Brayden Ferguson 1

Women’s:

Taking on Belgrave team

By David Ball

Yarra Glen took on Belgrave, sitting fourth on the ladder but just 2 points ahead of their opposition in a must-win contest.

Under threatening skies, the River Pigs started well to be 22 points up at quarter time.

The midfield, led by Aussie Smith, gave the forwards plenty to work with.

Travis Cloke capitalised with two early goals.

Yarra Glen missed a few set shots, and it looked like Belgrave would make them pay after a strong second quarter, they had reduced the margin to 15 points.

The River Pigs came out firing in the third, and with Jake Ferris cleaning up in defence, Belgrave failed to score a goal whilst Yarra Glen added 5 of their own.

Going into the last quarter, 7 goals up, the River Pigs continued to dominate across the ground and with forwards Cloke and Hawkins proving too strong, Yarra Glen ran out convincing winners.

Final scores were: 16.11 to 6.14. The win keeps them in fourth spot at the halfway point of the season.

Best Players: Jake Ferris, Travis Cloke, Aussie Smith, Luke DeGoldi, Chris Webber, Jayden Capuano.

Goalkickers: Travis Cloke 7, Josh Hawkins 3, Jared McCann 2, Sam Wood, Cooper Barbera, Connor Walker, Luke DeGoldi.

The Yarra Glen Reserves faced a tough contest coming up against a top 3 team in Belgrave. They started well, kicking the first goal and competing well across the ground.

Belgrave, however, worked their way on top and started to show why they are a top 3 team.

Whilst the River Pig boys never gave up and showed glimpses of cohesion, they were unable to get through the Belgrave defence for the balance of the game. Belgrave had too many good players and ran out easy winners.

Final Scores were: Yarra Glen 1.0 to Belgrave 16.24

Best Players: Dylan Jarvis, Cal Tucker, Max Forbes, Dayne Fuss, Michael Evans, Mason Smith.

Goalkicker: Matt McKenzie.

The Yarra Glen Under 18’s were also taking on a top 3 team in Wandin.

Whilst the scoreboard had Wandin well on top, the River Pig boys played much better than the scores indicated.

With a number of strong passages of play and

their fair share of the ball, Yarra Glen created several opportunities to score.

At the end of the day, Wandin were just too good, but the boys showed great spirit and were not disgraced.

Final scores were: Yarra Glen 1.8 to Wandin 15.11.

Best Players: John Pavic, Sam Gloury, Spencer Boers, Dylan Shambrook, Tyson Oates, Alex Toscano.

Goalkicker: Tyson Oates.

The Vets came up against an undefeated Belgrave, and whilst they started in fine conditions, the heavens opened up at half-time.

The first two quarters were very even as both sides were working hard with and without the ball. Leading by just 5 points at halftime, the River Pigs showed great wet-weather skills to add 3 goals whilst great defence restricted Belgrave to just the 1 point in the third.

Being 22 points up and with horribly wet conditions the River Pigs were looking for a comfortable win.

Belgrave had other ideas and threw everything at Yarra Glen to reduce the margin to 8 points with 5 minutes to go.

In a desperate slog, the River Pigs were able to hold off a fast-finishing Belgrave to enjoy a great win in trying conditions.

Final scores were: Yarra Glen 7.3 to Belgrave 5.7

Best Players: Brad Deed, Kayne Henman, Dayne Downward, Adam Robert, Chris Capuano, Tommy Matthews.

Goalkickers: Richard Gurney 2, Tommy Matthews 2, Jim Marks 2, Adam Mowat 1, Bobby Walker 1

HT: Warburton-Millgrove 2.1-13 to Mt. Evelyn 2.0-12

FT: Warburton-Millgrove 3.4-22 def by Mt. Evelyn 3.2-20

Bests: Grace Rankin, Jas Enever, Lily Pagels, Em Robin, Marley Perry, Hollie Eckhardt

Goals: Jasmine Enever 2, Scarlett Henderson 1

Seniors:

HT: Warburton-Millgrove 5.3-33 to Mt. Evelyn

8.6-54

FT: Warburton-Millgrove 6.7-43 def by Mt. Evelyn 19.12-126

Best: Josh Berenger, Nelson Aldridge, Tom Barr, Tyson Henry, Jack Farrugia and Blake Muir

Goals: Joshua Berenger 1, Jack Farrugia 2, Bailey Humphrey 1, Liam Westlake 2

A good win for our Women’s Footy, knocking off Mt. Evelyn from top positions and completing their long undefeated run. At the end of the day, Mt. Rvyn took home the Genesis Cup, with winning 8/9 games for day. Despite the losses, a great day was had.

Hosting Woori Yallock next weekend.

Three wins for the netball

By David Ball

In the Netball all teams faced Belgrave.

The A Grade team were solid early and after leading by 10 at quarter time, they stretched this out to 13 at half time before a complete third quarter had them 20 goals up going into the last.

Whilst Belgrave finished with their best quarter of the game, Yarra Glen proved too strong to enjoy a very good 61 to 36 victory.

Best players: Elise Dobson, Kim Williams, Maddy Hargrave.

B Grade were looking for a win to lock in a top 3 spot at the halfway mark of the season, and from start to finish were in control of the game. Whilst only 6 up at half time, they were able to match everything Belgrave threw at them.

Great defence and some excellent shooting in the second half saw the Yarra girls finishing well with a 48 to 33 win.

Best players: Skye Corrigan, Kayla Collins, Katelyn Vanderkolk. In a battle between third and fourth, C Grade started really well, to be 13 goals up at half time.

Belgrave upped their intensity in the second half as the Yarra girls seemed to tire and with a number of turnovers, they were forced to battle in the last to hold on to a hard-earned 6-goal victory, 36 to 30.

Best players: Leah Haag, Tiah Large, Ash Shanks.

D Grade needed a win to hold on to fifth spot and faced a desperate Belgrave who were looking for their first win for the season. By the end of the third quarter the Yarra girls had battled their way to an 11goal lead.

Despite Belgrave lifting their game in the last, the Yarra girls held on for an impressive 38 to 33 victory.

Best players: Phoebe Boot, Ruby Bennett, Lily Dove. Next week the Under 18’s travel to Healesville whilst all other teams have a bye.

Monbulk, Mt Evelyn impress

By Armin Richter

14.9.93 def Seville 9.6.60; Olinda-Ferny Creek 6.9.45 def Gembrook-Cockatoo 6.2.38; Mt. Evelyn 15.13.103 def Warburton-Millgrove 1.3.9; Wandin 15.11.101 def Yarra Glen 1.8.14; Officer 12.14.86 def Woori Yallock 3.8.26; Healesville 14.11.95 def Monbulk 9.0.54; Pakenham 10.7.67 def Alexandra 6.11.47 Women (Div 1): Olinda-Ferny Creek 7.4.46 def Pakenham 1.2.8, Healesville 18.7.115 def Belgrave 2.3.15; Warburton-Wesburn 3.4.22 def Mt. Evelyn 3.2.20; Upwey-Tecoma bye Veterans (Over 35 - round 6): Gembrook-Cockatoo 5.7.37 def Monbulk 4.11.35; Upwey-Tecoma 8.9.57 def Wandin 6.6.42; Olinda-Ferny Creek 10.12.72 def Officer 2.4.16; Yarra Glen 7.3.45 def Belgrave 5.7.37; Mt. Evelyn bye

Division 1 Seniors: Pakenham 13.7.85 def Alexandra 10.13.73; Emerald 20.21.141 def Yarra Junction 1.6.12; Seville 28.22.190 def Powelltown 2.3.15; Yarra Glen 16.11.107 def Belgrave 6.14.50; Yea bye

Reserves: Pakenham 14.8.92 def Alexandra 3.4.22; Emerald 29.14.188 def Yarra Junction 1.1.7; Seville 19.13.127 def Powelltown 4.6.30; Belgrave 16.24.120 def Yarra Glen 1.0.6; Yea bye Women (Div 2): Yea 13.16.94 def Gembrook-Cockatoo 0.1.1; Wandin 14.9.93 def Emerald 2.2.14; Seville 18.13.121 def Thornton-Eildon 0.0.0; Officer 3.4.22 def Woori Yallock 2.3.15

Netball

Premier Division

A Grade: Mt. Evelyn 65 def Warburton-Millgrove 24; Wandin 61 def Upwey-Tecoma 11; Monbulk 60 def Healesville 47; Woori Yallock 54 def ROC 52; Olinda-Ferny Creek 57 def Gembrook-Cockatoo 23

B Grade: Mt. Evelyn 67 def Warburton-Millgrove 22; Wandin 71 def Upwey-Tecoma 23; Monbulk 67 def Healesville 28; Woori Yallock 65 def ROC 54; Gembrook-Cockatoo 56 def Olinda-Ferny Creek 43

C Grade: Mt. Evelyn 41 def Warburton-Millgrove 20; Monbulk 53 def Healesville 18; ROC 41 def Woori Yallock 34; Olinda-Ferny Creek 33 def Gembrook-Cockatoo 32; Wandin bye

D Grade: Mt. Evelyn 31 def Warburton-Millgrove 14; Monbulk 39 def Healesville 16; Woori Yallock 36 def ROC 26; Olinda-Ferny Creek 25 def Gembrook-Cockatoo 20; Wandin bye Under 17: Mt. Evelyn 65 def Warburton-Millgrove 10; ROC White 30 def Wandin 18; Monbulk Maroon 39 def Monbulk Gold 22; Woori Yallock 42 def ROC Blue 33; Gembrook-Cockatoo 32 def Olinda-Ferny Creek 11 Under 15: Wandin Blue 24 def ROC White 12; Pakenham Maroon 27 def Wandin Red 14; Monbulk Gold 57 def Monbulk Maroon 25; ROC Blue 43 def Woori Yallock 13; Pakenham Gold bye Division 1

A Grade: Pakenham 64 def Alexandra 25; Emerald 51 def Yarra Junction 30; Seville 108 def Powelltown 33; Yarra Glen 61 def Belgrave 36; Yea bye

B Grade: Pakenham 75 def Alexandra 20; Emerald 51 def Yarra Junction 33; Seville 90 def Powelltown 12; Yarra Glen 48 def Belgrave 33; Yea bye

C Grade: Pakenham 46 def Alexandra 18; Emerald 46 def Yarra Junction 14; Seville 78 def Powelltown 13; Yarra Glen 36 def Belgrave 30; Yea bye

D Grade: Emerald 24 drew Yarra Junction 24; Seville 59 def Powelltown 6, Yarra Glen 38 def Belgrave 33; Pakenham + Yea bye Under 17: Emerald 48 def Yarra Junction 4, Seville Blue 55 def Seville White 12; Pakenham Gold 35 def Alexandra 7; Pakenham Maroon bye

16

Teams played for the Genesis Cup and Warburton Millgrove faced some challenge on the day. (Supplied).

Sam Wood marking strongly under pressure from Belgrave’s Dyllan Wilson. (David Ball).

Men’s health week and world cup fever

Football is Life, it’s Men’s Mental Health Week and World Cup Fever with the Healesville Soccer Club.

From 10-17 June, It’s Men’s Mental Health Week for the VCFA.

Giving clubs and players a platform to celebrate the positive influence that sport and community have in supporting mental wellbeing for all. Healesville Soccer Club has embraced this initiative with a fundraiser and a social night at the club that was hosted last Saturday after a roster full of games.

The Men’s Premier League and the Reserves

Both played at home against Blackburn North FC. The Ressies were up first against a very competitive opponent conceding a goal in the first half and another in the first minute of the second half. The fight continued with a reply scored by Will in the 72nd minute boosting the boys morale. With the intensity raised a few yellow cards were handed out either side but the score remained at a 1-2 loss to Healesville. Just fifteen minutes later the firsts kicked off with fury as JJ hit the back of the net in the first minute. The pace was set as Daniel followed at minute 14 followed by Jasper at minute 31 and a second for JJ at 35 minutes. The boys went into half time 4-0 up and held tight for the rest of the game. A convincing win laid down from the whistle and three well deserved points.

The Men’s ‘Reds’

The team played away against top of the table Bayswater Strikers. The aim was to stay in the game and support each other as a good team does. Bayswater were held at 1-0 going into half time but the second half hit quick and fast as the home team netted a further three brutal goals. All was not lost though as Healesville produced a solid team effort to take back one with James scoring in minute 83. A 4-1 loss in the end but another great day playing our favourite football.

Senior Women’s Premier League Healesville 0 vs Berwick United 5

On a gloomy Saturday at Don Road Oval, Healesville welcomed second-placed Berwick in a top of the table clash. Newly capped captain Melita and Vice-Captain Charlotte led from the front, and keeper Teah was amazing in goal, showing maturity beyond her 14 years to keep it to 2-0 at the break. Work to do but not out of it. The girls battled hard in the second half, but the strength of the Berwick team took the win.

U16 Girls Healesville 3 vs 1 Berwick United The Hurricanes were significantly undermanned, with several players unavailable leaving Healesville without a single substitute for the entire match. Despite the challenge, the girls showed tremendous determination and resilience from the whistle. Healesville made the perfect start, with Evie continuing her impressive goalscoring form scoring after just three minutes. Four minutes later, Sophia produced a stunning strike to double the lead and register her first goal for the Hurricanes.

The home side controlled much of the first half, dominating possession and creating numerous opportunities. A brief lapse in concentration before halftime allowed the visitors to pull

Mid-week dressage

By Anita Prowse

Wednesday saw the June Series of midweek Dressage Competition at Shirley Heights EC, thankfully weather not as bad as forecast, Winners at the competition were:

Advanced - Caitlin Murphy on Aloha Maverick

Medium - Chloe McGoldrick on Glenyering Fritz

Elementary - Melissa Wheeler on Hpllands Blend Formidable

Novice - Kara Willand on QEC Fehra Fawcett

Preliminary - Isabella Bragg on Indarra Bacchus Then Saturday Pheonix ARC held their Dressage Jackpot at Wesburn Park, also very lucky weather wise, and Jackpot winners wereAdvanced - Madeline Marchese on Yarradene Forget Me Not

a goal back. Evie restored the two-goal buffer in the 45th minute, netting her second goal of the match. There were strong performances all over the park. However, the standout performer was Saskia, who produced her best game of the season, excelling in multiple positions and making an impact wherever she was needed.

U13 Boys Waverley City 2 vs Healesville Panthers 0

While the result didn’t go our way, this was a much-improved performance from the boys and a really encouraging game overall. Jack was captain, winning the toss. Healesville started strongly, showing excellent teamwork and moving the ball quickly. Ben was a standout, taking on feedback from previous weeks and using his skills to bring others into the game, producing around six good opportunities in the first half, but the boys just couldn’t find the finish. A long-range goal opened the scoring for Waverly, and then a late defensive error right before half-time saw them take a 2–0 lead before half time where it remained.

U13 boys Healesville White Wolves 4 vs Knox Strikers

Preparing for rain the boys hit the track promptly and warmed up thoroughly. A restructure using a stacked mid-field 4-2-3-1 really worked for the team. Following an early attack from Knox Flynn was able to turn the ball over and run it back to the Healesville half to drive the ball into the net for the first goal. Healesville felt the lift and two more close shots were saved by the very capable opposition keeper.

With Healesville’s confidence growing by the minute Robbie delivered a cracking corner to find Ardi’s head to bury the ball into the net making it 2-0 at the break. In the second half the advance continued as Robbie pressured the Knox defence and dribbled another 3 players pushing far right of goal before striking deflecting the ball into the goals- 3-0. From here, Healesville looked in control as Ardi finished the day with a second shot attempt- first denied from Ollie-however, the keeper only deflected it into the path of Ardi who made no mistake in making it 4-0.

U12 Boys Healesville Ninjas 1 vs Knox Force 6

A tough day was ahead as Healesville were up against undefeated leader of the ladder. The match started with a goal line scramble leading to the first of Knox’s six goals before Healesville could settle in. Even more impressive though was the response. An indirect free kick led to a stunning goal by Leroy who hit top bins! The halftime whistle gave Healesville confidence with some belief that it could end with a win or draw but it wasn’t to be. The power and individual quality of some of the Knox players shone through with a convincing loss.

U9 boys Healesville Redbacks 5 v Lilydale FC 1 The weather looked grim but the team were in high spirits going full blown attack from the outset. Ferocious tackling pressure from Axel in the midfield provided the first opportunity and Luca was clinical, dispatching what would be the first of his four goals.

An absolute highlight was the return from a goal kick by James that sailed over the goalies head and into the net. A huge celebration for the lads. A champion effort of the first half was August in goals, who is undoubtedly benefiting from the extra training given by senior keeper Stu with some truly dynamic saves. 2-1 at the break, the boys were able to drive home three more goals to take home the win for Healesville. The whole club and possibly the nation are now abuzz with World Cup Fever!

Watching our beloved Socceroos topple a formidable Turkiye on the big stage on Sunday afternoon. Let’s go!

Gutsy win for under 18s

By Matt Munro

In blustery and windy conditions away at Berwick, Yarra Valley U18’s showed plenty of grit and fight to win the match.

The under 18’s went up against Berwick over the weekend and came out on top, with final scores Berwick 1 - 2 to Yarra Valley

The players entered the game without four of their regular players and were fortunately able to muster a squad of 11 . With no subs or rotations, the team had to pull together all of their resources and every ounce of energy to make it through.

In the first half the team scored both goals playing into the wind. Rei scored a sharp goal within the box and beat the goalkeeper for power and pace. The second goal came from Jarra who scored a delightful chip over the goalie into the left corner. With the wind casing havoc the ball dipped and found the net.

The second half was a war of attrition and Yarra Valley relentlessly kept repelling Berwick’s attacks with organised structure and solid tackling. The team had some good looks at goal with turnovers and Toby was pivotal in the midfield to create opportunities. Finn was resolute in goal with some important saves and Manu led the team by example. A big shout out to Kaoru who turned up to help us make a full team. Her ability to hold her defensive position helped us greatly to maintain our team structure throughout the match.

Overall it was a gutsy and unified team effort to scrape out the win and get the points. The win was vital for our top three ladder aspirations and also gives the team a lot of belief that they can find a way to win in many situations.

Yarra Valley also sends big thanks go to all the parents who helped support the team in Berwick on the day.

Next Saturday they play Maroondah Valour away in Croydon at 9am.

Half time with the Wolves. (Supplied).

The under 13’s, the Healesville Wolves. (Supplied).

- Rachael Rudd on Tooradin Park Givenchy

- Ildiko Varga on Shadowfax

- Charlotte mansley on Biddlesdon Park

Swag

- Jacqueline Child on Millie Vanillie

L4B - Lynette fulton on Mingara Lovebug L5 - Holly Bray on Kaisa Se W/T - Anna Kramarev on Marindy Son Of Floyd Well done everyone, and Happy Riding!!

The June Series of midweek Dressage Competition was held at Shirley Heights EC, with fine weather a little cherry on top. (Supplied).

In blustery and windy conditions away at Berwick, Yarra Valley U18’s showed plenty of grit and fight to win the match. (Supplied)

The second half was a war of attrition.

They are successful in local business... but what do our Tip-Stars know about Footy? Follow them every week and give them the feedback they deserve...

Q&A

1. What emoji do you use the most?

Laughing Emoji

2. If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you bring?

Swag, Satellite phone, Matches

3. What is the most interesting place you have ever visited?

Healesville Toyota – Highly recommend it for everyone to visit.

4. What was your first car? Did you name it?

1989 Magna in Sky Blue

5. Where would you like to retire? Farm

6. What is the most unusual food you have ever tried, did you like it?

I would have to say a snail – not much

7. If you had any super power for a week, what would it be, and how would you use it?

Time travel – Know the Tattslotto numbers before the draw.

8. What movie title matches your job role?

Gone in 60 Seconds – Day disappears before I know it.

9. Which historical figure would you most like to date, and why?

Cleopatra would be interesting

10. What is the craziest thing you believed as a child?

Eating carrots would help me see better at night.

11. If you could have a conversation with your pet, what would you talk about?

Ask why they bark at the TV

Featured fireplace: Buller Pedestal

Energy Savings

Introducing the difference

Fresh Air Intake

With increasing energy prices around the world, people are increasingly turning to wood stoves as a sustainable solution for heating throughout the colder months. With the high efficiency of a Euro Fireplace, you will use substantially less wood than a traditional fan forced heater, and will save on your overall energy bills.

Natural Convection

Unlike traditional wood heaters in Australia, Euro Fireplaces do not require fans –they heat your home through natural convection. This process will heat your home more effectively and efficiently, using up to 3 times less firewood than a fan forced wood burner.

Low Emissions

In Australia, Emissions are tested in grams per kilogram of wood burned. At Euro Fireplaces, the popular Andorra range operate at just 0.8g and the Ribe at 0.4g –industry leading in Australia, and are a testament to the high efficiency and quality of our products.

Heat Bank

Many of our heaters utilise thermal mass to store heat whilst burning, before slowly releasing that stored heat overnight. This heat storage can either be achieved through attractive stone or tile finishes, or alternatively through optional refractory concrete blocks which are installed inside the fireplaces, hidden from sight.

Designed and manufactured in the Bavarian region of Germany, Brunner fireplaces represent the pinnacle of wood heating. Each fireplace can be installed with an optional BSK installation kit, consisting of refractory concrete blocks. The BSK concrete system allows quick assembly on site and provides large amounts of thermal mass for heat storage during operation. This type of assembly can be completed in a day, saving time and money compared to other high end inbuilt installations. Once assembled, the concrete surround can be left raw, or finished off in any desired method including render or tiling.

With houses becoming better insulated and increasingly more energy efficient, it is important to ensure that your fireplace has good access to fresh oxygen to facilitate proper burning. Most Euro Fireplaces now come with an optional fresh air intake connection, which creates direct access from the outside air to the firebox. This ensures the air inside your house is kept not only warm, but fresh for you and your family, as well as saving even more wood during normal burning.

Buller, designed for the high country

Designed especially for the Australian market, the Buller boasts one of the largest heating capacities in the Euro Fireplaces range. Inspired by traditional Australian wood stoves, the wide window and low profile modernises the classic designs people have come to expect from wood heaters. The two variants include a stylish pedestal stand, or a functional storage space. Despite the larger firebox size, the Buller maintains high efficiency and low emissions.

Specifications

Heating capacityUp to 280m2

EfficiencyAus 61% / EU 76%

Emissions1.4g/kg

Wood Usage2.7kg/hr

Weight158kg

H/W/D870-930/770/527

Heat Bank10kg

Ember Retention7hr+ With Heat Bank8hr+ Min Flue Length4m From Spigot ColorBlack Base options