We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land and waters around us, and pay our respects to Elders past, present andfuture. We respect their cultural heritage, knowledge here in Forrest where the waters flow over Gadubanud and Gulidjan Country
This is your opportunity to learn about the health of the Upper Barwon River, what is being done to restore it, and what can be done. Bring your questions and walking boots!
Walk and talk with experts, managers and advocates for 3.5 km along the East Barwon River: we will start at the Wurdee Buloc Inlet Channel take-off point on the East Barwon River, then go upstream through where willows were removed and revegetation is underway, ending at the tunnel outlet from West Barwon Dam.
Bus provided by Upper Barwon Landcare Network from the Forrest Hall to the start point and back.Option available to just visit the start point and return to the hall.
Bring strong walking/waterproof boots, raincoat, hat and sunscreen.
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or phone 0488 522 448
Hosted by the Forrest Gerangamete Landcare Group, in partnership with Upper Barwon Landcare Network, Corangamite CMA and Barwon Water.
River, and researchers on East on removed the start point and back.
• Option available to just visit the start point and return to the hall.
• Bring strong walking/waterproof boots, raincoat, hat and sunscreen.
Did you know not that long ago, women used to gather at the river and do their washing in a copper over a lit fire? Leola McNama (nee Woods) told me this story before she died in 2020, aged 91 years. She lived in the last house in Hennigan Crescent before it descends to the bridge. One of her jobs as a child in the 1940’s was to take her younger sibling’s nappies down to the communal copper by the river, to wash and dry them with the other women. They took it in turns to keep the fire going and stir the washing. Presumably there were quite a lot of water changes required, so hauling water may also have been a task. I’ve seen women in Papua new Guinea and Timor Leste, doing this and it’s always a feature of documentaries, illustrating village life.
Sadly the Forrest Historical Society couldn’t find a photo of this activity. As John Frizon, President said “it was probably not glamorous enough.” The Barwon River, before electricity came to town was a focal point for entertainment.
Many people learnt to swim at the waterhole below the old mill. The Historical Society did find other photos of more glamorous uses for the river. Check out these photos of past residents enjoying the river.
This month Forrest Gerangamete Landcare Group, Upper Barwon Landcare Network, Corangamite Catchment Management Authority and Barwon Water are putting on a forum and river walk to discuss how we best look after the river in the future. We would love people to come along and have their say. Saturday 22nd October, 10 – 3pm at the Forrest Hall. See advertisement for more information.
Susan Langridge"Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert.
Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boiling water. Sort things, make 3 piles 1 pile white, 1 pile colored, 1 pile work britches and rags.
To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water. Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard and boil, then rub colored don't boil just wrench and starch.
Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch. Hang old rags on fence. Spread tea towels on grass.
Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy water. Turn tubs upside down.
Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs. Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.”
Forrest & District Neighbourhood House has contributed $5000 to help buy the projector and screen needed to show films regularly at the Forrest Hall. Combined with a $5611 grant from Colac Otway Shire, the contribution means installation can now go ahead. All going well, we could see the first film this summer. Forrest Flicks’ is a joint Forrest Public Reserves Committee and Neighbourhood House project, setting up a film society to show about 10 films a year. Showings will go throughout the year, with summertime ticketed showings for tourists as well. Once the equipment is installed, it can be used by hall hirers and the school for private showings or their own film events as well.
The FPRC and Neighbourhood House are calling for people to get involved to help choose films and manage showings, as soon as possible. A diverse group of people is needed to ensure the films cater for a wide range of tastes, so if you are interested in films, please do contact Renee Taylor at the Neighbourhood House: 0493 105 502 /email forrest.nh@gmail. com, or Mary Dracup: 0488 522 448 /email fpac3236@gmail.com. FPAC and Neighbourhood House representatives will support the group to manage logistics such as hiring films and paying usage rights.
The Forrest Post is auspiced by the Forrest Men’s Shed. Every effort is made to remain current, accurate and non-partisan. Feedback, submissions and advertising are encouraged. Submissions may be edited. You can request an electronic version by email, find us on Facebook or online at issuu.com/theforrestpost for back issues
Editors: Susan Langridge, Marita Kennedy, Noor Petersen
Contributors Mary Dracup, Susan Langridge, Noor Petersen, Pauline Rostos, Nasser Kotb
Design: Nasser Kotb Print: Forrest & District Neighbourhood House.
Contact: theforrestpost@gmail.com
All contributions to be received the 22nd of the month.
Mary DracupIvy Jackson is Forrest’s star Aussie rules football player. At only 13 she played in her first grand final last Saturday (10/9) for the Colac District Football and Netball League in the under 14 and a half team against Irrewarra-Beeac! She was the only girl in a team with 17 boys, some of them bigger than her.
Although her team lost, they had a lot of fun and were happy. 18 of the 19 games were won by Irrewarra-Beeac and Apollo Bay won one game. Ivy was the first girl to play in this league and besides being the only girl in this grandfinal, she was encouraged by the boys in the team
Surprisingly the team play on a full-size oval in Colac! However the quarter breaks during game meant the running was easily managed. Her typical AFL gear includes shorts, a football guernsey, long sox and footy boots in the brown and yellow colours of the team and a Hawk as a mascot.
Ivy is very fit and practised twice a week and played a game every Saturday. She also went to the girls’ footy training every Wednesday. This season was her first and by reading, watching videos and watching a game she was ready to begin.
Ivy likes to try many sports and has already played her first season of cricket this year. They won the premiership and Ivy won the coach’s award. She also loves playing basket-ball and surfing. She attends Apollo Bay P-C school and has a few male friends who also play AFL.
The experience at Colac has been a very special one for her with a community that got behind it. To encourage the players they had a banner, streamers and a bus back to the club as well as a pub meal for them all.
Next year will be the last season for the under 14 and a half year olds. Then she will move to the all girls’ team the Torquay Tigers.
Ivy’s parents, Bianca and Brett, work hard to support her especially driving to her practices during the week and to matches on Saturdays.
Forrest welcomes Ivy to AFL football and wishes her happiness and success in the next season with the Hawks
Pauline Rostos.
DANCING: Monday at 6pm. Mind Your Groove freestyle dance at the hall (MYG).
Top up’ boxes (fruit, veg and bread) will be available for collection each Tuesday with arrangement through the coordinator. Please get in touch to receive a box.
WEEDING GROUP: Second Tuesday of the month 10-12pm.
FOOD SHARE PANTRY: Pantry is topped up each Wednesday and Friday evenings from ALDI collection. Available to all
SINGING FOR FUN: Wednesdays 12-1pm
ROLLERSKATING AT THE HALL: Saturday 15th October 6.30pm-8.30pm . BYO skates. $5 per skater.
$250
Forrest
BOOK CLUB: 1st Wednsday of the month @ 7.30pm
COMMUNITY LUNCH: Take away. Order the day before, pick up at 12.30 on Thursday. $5.
PLAYGROUP: Friday mornings 9.30am-11am. Gold coin
YOUTH SPACE: Friday afternoons 4.15pm-5.30pm, open to all youth from grade 6 and up. Games, snacks and wifi provided. Gold coin.
FORREST COMMUNITY GYM: Contact coordinator for membership information and to sign up.
The F&DNH is open during normal operating hours and running programs at usual capacity.
OPERATING: Tues, Wed, Thurs
8.30am-12pm.
AT
The wet weather and sodden ground has meant our caravan park was closed over the long weekend, but big plans are afoot. Rick Forr, current on-site manager and Area Manager for Belgravia Pro Matt Buttacavoli attended the Forrest and District Community Group meeting in September, to update the community on the developments at the caravan park.
The presentation focused on the capital works and the expected timeline. By the end of October through to the middle of November work should have started on a new office, reception area and bike storage area. From mid November to December Glamping tents will be installed – the intention is to have 10 of these. A new amenities block will be built in summer. New cabins will be installed and existing ones moved to a better location. The intention is to tidy-up the park and in the long-term to build disability accessible facilities and cabins. As Rick says ”Not only is this the right thing to do, offer a holiday destination for people with disabilities, it also makes economic sense.” As anyone with an elderly relative or having the need to push a pram around, most people at some point in their lives need more accessible buildings. For bookings go to www.forrestholidaypark.com.au
The Forrest Community Group meetings are open to anyone to attend. The secretary Anthony Griffiths, said the meeting in September was based on the economy of Forrest and as the caravan park is a major drawcard, was the focus of this meeting. Neighbours of the caravan park, representatives from Colac Otway Shire and interested locals also attended. “Everyone left happy, knowing their questions were answered or if unable to be answered, were being investigated.” said Anthony. Other meetings in October and November will be about Well-Being and Infrastructure. The AGM and Christmas drinks will be held in December. All invited to attend. Susan Langridge
Birregurra Pre-school present their 2022 Cow Pat Lotto fund-raiser!
Don’t forget to ‘like’ our Facebook page for up to date info and events! facebook.com/forrest.neighbourhoodhouse
CRAFT CIRCLE: Mondays 2-4pm. BYO craft projects and a snack. Gold coin.
STUDIO FORREST ART GROUP: Wednesdays 10-4pm. Contact for more info.
The F&DNH will be open to the general public Opening hours may vary at this time so please phone or email first if you need to book a time for printing etc. Density requirements, vax status and mask wearing must all be adhered to when visiting the F&DNH..
is
and operating on Monday mornings and Thursday afternoons.
Jessie on
or forrestosteo@gmail.com for more
“COUSINS” from the Schoenhofen lineage Meet Ollie and Bunji, two of Forrest’s new K9s. Ollie has recently returned from an exciting 6000+km trip along the East Coast where all along the way he was greeted as royalty! Bunji, a Staffi, has just begun her adventures.
Thousands of enthusiastic geeks work together to build a rival to Microsoft's mighty Windows and Apple operating systems. How could amateurs possibly cooperate to pull off something so intricate and complex? That's exactly what has happened with Linux®.
A freely available alternative to Windows and Apple operating systems developed mostly by brilliant young computer programmers in their spare time.
Many people—especially more technically savvy ones—don't like certain aspects of Apple and Windows operating systems and their "culture". They don't like their domination of the computer industry and the tactics they have allegedly sometimes used against their competitors. Some people just like to do things differently.
Linus Torvalds is one of those people. During the 1990s, this Finnish computer programming student thought he'd have a go at writing his own operating system, Soon, thousands of other amateur programmers had joined in the effort—and the Linux operating system was born. Since Linux is released under a "free" copyright licence, it's easy for people to modify and extend as they wish; most importantly, any modifications you make also have to be released to the world under a similar "free" licence.
With Linux there are no viruses, worms, or security scares to worry about. It typically runs faster than other operating systems and uses much less disk space. And it's "free" in both senses of the word: Linux and programs written for it are often given away at no cost; they also have fewer copyright restrictions so you can share them very easily.
If you decide you want to run Linux on your computer, you usually get it in the form of a convenient package called a distribution or "distro." A “live” copy can be downloaded from the internet for free onto a USB, CD or DVD. “live” copy is a version of a Linux distro that boots and runs from a USB/CD/DVD without affecting your existing computer setup.
Few Forresters are already Linux users. This is an encouraging sign to try Linux.
The Forrest Men’s Shed successfully gained a grant from the “Good Things Foundation” to run a workshop as part of the “Get Online week”.
The workshop named “Try Linux” will be held on 23rd October at the Forrest Men’s Shed 11 am to 2 pm. All are welcome to try various types of Linux on our computers. The workshop will include some snacks. Kindly register your interest by emailing fdms3236@gmail.com for catering purposes. Nasser Kotb
Forrest is a growing town with many new projects and a particular emphasis’s on climate changer adaptability, bushfire management and environmentally sustainable buildings. Looking back through recent copies of the Post you will find a collection of four articles featuring houses built to fire resistant and environmentally sustainable standards. They are all different and in their own way are beautiful and blend naturally into the local environment, part of a changing face of Forrest.
A fifth one of these houses was built by Kylie Pollock and Mike McCracken on ten acres on the Forrest Colac road. The house was finished three and a half years ago and while it was being built they lived in an old bus on the property. A guiding inspiration for the house was for it to have the least impact on the environment, be energy efficient and be beautiful in its natural immersion in nature. It also provided a gradual divorce from the city. Connection to the environment was made special by the design of the house.
As a passive solar building, windows, walls and floors are made to collect, store, reflect and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in winter and reject solar heat in summer. The house’s butterfly roof has a twofold purpose; the angles are designed to keep out summer sun and let in winter sun and it also provides optimal position for solar panels which they hope to get in the future. The house is surrounded by wildlife corridors, fenced grass paddocks for sheep and alpacas, a dam and a stand of native trees in the east to give wind protection.
There is a sewage treatment system with waste being pumped into tanks and microbial activity to break it down and then piped to a dispersal field to evaporate.
The architect guidelines were environmentally sustainable as well. The outside cladding is silver ash, matrix board and corrugated iron. The house is built on a slab with a wooden frame. The house windows face north which means no summer sun and a cross flow of air. They are also double-glazed. The window to wall ratio is 8.3 stars, an energy efficiency calculation. The house is all electric with a wood fire that heats the whole house. As protection against bushfire it has BAL of 19, use of hard recycled plastic and sawdust material and no trees planted within 10 metres of the house. There is a tank holding 20,000 litres of water plus an adaptor to fit straight into a fire truck! There are also individual features like a small cool store off the pantry, a charging station in a kitchen drawer and a cat flap more than a metre from the floor to avoid fire. The pale floorboards are American Oak milled in Birregurra. Kylie has an art studio in one of the outside sheds and her artwork is featured around the house and outside. Mike is restoring an old Porsche 911K in another shed!
Pauline RostosThis was the event of the decade!!!
Federico’s Fantastic Travelling Circus! The audience was electrified by all the infectious and talented acts and the popcorn!
Proud grand parents and families travelled from far and wide, joining the local community, young and old to ‘gasp’ ‘go wild’ and ‘boo’ and enthusiastic OOO’s and AAAA’s!
Candid audience comments :
Looking forward to seeing my daughter mime, to witness her not talking for 30 seconds!
My daughter would not reveal anything about the performance, saying it was a secret and we had to wait to see
A TOWN SPECTACLE!
A great opportunity for the town to get together and celebrate children and community...to be among all this.
Incredible massive effort from Liza and Kaz and all, from John Frizon and Pete with the lighting. Kids are really enthused. It’s a big opening for them.
The contagious excitement lingered long after the final bows. Families and friends mingled with the children, none in a hurry to leave the Hall and this exhilarating atmosphere. Massive appreciation to all the students of our wonderful school. To the staff and the more than two dozen community volunteers with this collaborative effort for such a magical night! CONGRATULATIONS!
Noor Petersen.
Nestled in a simple warm and cosy abode is Pete in his ‘industrial depression architecture’. He is surrounded by an array of spray painted polka dot tools and equipment. Pete began this brand of polka dotting as labels to his things when lending or when working with others so his things would not be mistaken. The dots seem more than the literal markings of this amazing person, but embrace a unique and rather whimsical character as many of us know him. A caring and sharing person who is always willing to respond to a call for assistance and friendship.
Don’t be judgemental of his colourful language!!! A gem is hidden beneath this idiosyncrasy. Pete was adopted, spending his early years ‘with really good’ parents. As a teenager he lived for a time in an ashram, followed by years of following various spiritual, (and the not so spiritual) pursuits that the 70’s offered. Breath meditation kept him out of prison and alive. This could be the link and the love he has of being On Country, which he has sorely missed over the past few years. He relays how he loves the community feeling this brings to him with the feeling of ‘being in the now’, expressed as an ‘organic process of caring’, making him feel more fulfilled.
Many may be aware of Pete’s recent brush with the law. He is not afraid to publicly reveal that he on prescription medical cannabis. A lawful substance that helps him deal with various conditions, as it does for so many. However the law is still rather nebulous about this and is often treated erroneously by many of the law enforcers. And this is what Pete has been embroiled in: a two year driving ban, court appearances, ostracism and vilification. This is a long and detailed story requiring a personal chat with Pete for the details.
Did you know that an individual can test positive (up to a dictated/certain amount) for cocaine, heroin, ice, MDA (ecstasy), alcohol and yet not receive a fine (if within the lawful amount) if driving with these in their system? But an individual on ANY amount of prescription medical cannabis (THC not CBC) is targeted.
Pete’s polka dot eBike with its new mega battery meaning he can travel greater distances. Note Pete’s sculpture on the food cooler and beneath Buddha’s feet is a naturally formed heart Pete stumbled across.
There are vague, and differing ‘rules’ for how much time one waits after taking this medical substance, and herein is the misinterpretation of these vagaries that have beset Pete’s situation. With his licence revoked he has been unable to continue to assist the needy in the community with supplying fire wood, taking them shopping and generally helping families.
ABC iView has an informative series The Science of Drugs. Highly recommended. Fascinating and educative viewing. Noor Petersen.
The trial is attempting to re-establish native bush lands that have been infected with Phytophthora Cinnamomi, commonly known as “die back.” The project will involve planting of native species that have been treated with phosphite, a salt solution, prior to planting. This phosphite treatment is like an immunisation for plants, it helps them resist infection from this devastating disease.
A healthy natural environment is important for our plants, animals, and communities. Phytophthora die back poses a significant threat to the Otways heath lands environment. This plant pathogen can spread easily, causing yellowing of leaves and eventual death. If untreated, die back can result in the loss of susceptible plants like our iconic grass trees in impacted areas.
Grass trees and other susceptible plant species found in our heath lands provide habitat critical for the survival of a number of our native mammals, including threatened species such as Swamp Antechinus, Long Nosed Potoroo and Southern Brown Bandicoot in our region.
The aim of this trial is to reintroduce plant species that are susceptible to Phytophthora die back to regain the vegetation structure and complexity of this habitat in areas affected by the disease.
There will be a focus on grass trees, Xanthorrhoea Xanthorrhoeas a species identified by the National Threat Abatement Plan (EPBC Act) as a critical element of ecological function and an important species of very high cultural significance to Traditional Owners.
The trial is being run by Deakin University PhD student Campbell Learmonth who is collaborating with Barbara Wilson Pty Ltd, Corangamite Catchment Authority, Parks Victoria and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. The seeds were obtained from areas in the Anglesea Heath and grown by Otway Greening and Aireys Indigenous Nursery.
Corangamite Catchment Management Authority’s Manager of Environmental Programs, Jessica Miller says, “The battle against Phytophthora is being fought on many fronts through the Wild Otways Initiative. The project is undertaking mapping of the disease, hygiene training and treatment using phosphite. This research is groundbreaking because a trial like this has never been delivered before in Victoria. Our research shows that a number of our threatened small mammals are effectively absent from these Phytophthora infected areas. This planting trial will recreate vegetation complexity and is another management tool that will support small mammal recovery. Most importantly, the community also has a role to play in stopping the spread of this devastating plant disease into our native bushland.”
You can learn more about how to do your part in protecting the Otways from plant die back by downloading the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority’s Phytophthora Management Hygiene Guidelines here: https://bit.ly/3AqRQt8
This project is supported by the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority through funding from the Australian Government.
