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10 AUGUST, 2022
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A finger pickin’ show The Hobsons Bay Men’s Shed and the Newport Fiddle and Folk Club are uniting to show off the beauty of the guitar and the skilled musicians who make them sing this weekend. As part of the Newport Folk Festival Presents series, the clubs will host the ‘All Things Guitar’ event at the Newport Bowls Club on Saturday, August 13 from 1pm to 5pm. The afternoon will begin with a free exhibition of 30 guitars which Hobsons Bay Men’s Shed members created. The creators will be on hand to explain the art of guitar making, while guitarists will demonstrate the instruments and illustrate the differences between each of the guitars. Australian guitarists and previous Newport Folk Festival performers Nick Charles and Jordan Brodie will then be wowing audiences from 3pm with their fingerpicking skills. Details: www.nffc.org.au Matthew Sims
Newport Fiddle and Folk Club president Michael Stewart and Hobsons Bay Men’s Shed members Allan Blackstock and Ted Smith are excited for the upcoming exhibition and concert. (Damjan Janevski) 292102_03
Anger grows as axe falls By Matthew Sims
12533599-HC07-22
Maribyrnong council has begun works to remove 12 heritage-listed trees along Footscray’s Bunbury Street, despite an online petition attracting more than 600 signatures calling for all works to cease immediately. About 50 English elms and desert ashes make up the Bunbury Street avenue, with the council deciding to remove 12 of the trees citing their risk to the community following two large limb failures last December. Maribyrnong chief executive Celia Haddock said independent arborist’s reports confirmed
a decline in their structural condition and the presence of internal decay. “Council cannot knowingly put its residents and visitors to the area at risk,” she said. “It is because of the serious risk to public safety that the trees are being removed and why on this occasion the community has not been consulted.” Ms Haddock said council would work with residents on creating a tree planting renewal plan. With a number of the English elms initially planted in 1903, a May 4 Homewood report said many of the elm trees were “over-mature
and becoming unmanageable in the landscape due to heavy trunk decay and cavities at the base of large stems”. An April Arbor Survey report said any works to recreate the historic bluestone kerbing as part of any streetscape improvement works may require further removal of trees along the avenue. Footscray resident Ronch Willner said the community was calling on council to cease works immediately, engage in respectful discussions with the community, engage a heritage arborist, look at management options to extend the trees’ life and immediately
replace any trees with identical mature stock. “The historical avenue of the trees along Bunbury Street needs to be retained because of its significance to Footscray, contribution to the history of Maribyrnong and its contribution to flora and fauna,” he said. “The residents have continually raised concerns to the council that the trees have not been looked after. “Not every old tree deserves a death sentence.” Details: www.bunburytrees.com or www. change.org/p/save-the-historic-bunburystreet-trees.
Kenyon-Smith Denture Clinic A family tradition for 60 years 100 Pier Street, Altona 9315 9231 • 27 Old Geelong Road, Hoppers Crossing 9748 8204
Dental Prosthetists Full dentures, Partial dentures, Repairs - relines • Victorian Denture Scheme • Veterans’ Affairs John, Andrew, Simon and Paul Kenyon-Smith