TWR Volume 38 Issue 4 Wednesday 22nd February 2023

A self-described Vagabond” artist, Val Wilkinson has explored, photographed and painted over 600 National Parks across Australia. In her radically modified 60-series Landcruiser, Val literally travelled 124,351 km across our wide, sunburnt country, “ticking off’ the parks, state-by-state which she described as “the best decade of my life”. Glimpses of Australian Parks, Val’s second solo show since studio33 opened, showcases 14 acrylic works on canvas at Puzzleflat Gallery from 25 February until 9 April, 2023. Entry is Free.

Photo by Katie Revill Cont’d… on Page 3

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Welcome to the Art Issue which this week showcases two different artists – Val Wilkinson and John Moir. Our community is very lucky to have such a vibrant Arts scene with celebrated artists residing and creating art, so close to home. A gift that many rural towns simply do not have and should support.

In fact, our Music, Social Gatherings and Community events are gathering pace with the increasingly great weather that we have decided on a What’s On in Dunolly page to keep us all “in the know” each weekend and what’s Coming Soon. So please keep us “in the know” so we can keep this page up-to-date each week. We hope you like it and find it useful.

By now, you may have noticed the changes in the way our beloved “Book” looks with fixed, regular pages where you’ll find quick information, local stories and news.

We hope you will find it much easier to read with a fresh new typeface and are able to find the information you need, each week.

Like any community paper, we look forward to your feedback and suggestions on other sections you may like to read.

To contact us, please use our NEW email address welcome@thewelcomerecord.com.au. Please do use this email address to contact us as the previous iiNet email address will soon be removed.

Our office is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays 9.30 am to 3.30 pm.

Pick up a copy of The Welcome Record at the following Dunolly outlets: The Dunolly Pharmacy, The RTC, All Day on Broadway, The Dunolly Butcher, The Dunolly Bakery, Neighbourhood Centre and IGA - The Friendly Grocer or read it online at: Dunolly News | The Welcome Record » Current Issue

Email: welcome@thewelcomerecord.com.au Web: www.dunollynews.org

The Welcome Record aims to present a diversity ofviewpoints which reflect the concerns and interests of the community.It will not print contributions whicharedefamatoryorbeingusedasanalternativetoapersonalapproachindealingwithapersonalissue. Duringelection campaigns,all communicationspertainingtocandidatesmusthaveauthor'snameandpostcodepublished inaccordancewithelectoral regulations.

Val Wilkinson – Glimpses of Australian Parks

Cont’d from Page 1

Most of our National Parks are vast such as Australia’s biggest national park, Munga-ThirriSimpson Desert (3.6 million hectacres) is twice the size of Kakadu (19,804 sq.km) and far exceeding Kati-Thandi Lake Eyre ( 13,488 sq.km) . But all three are dwarfed by Val’s favourite – the Murray-Sunset National Park (6,330 sq. km.)

With most of our iconic parks being extremely remote with limited access and often impassable when wet, she still considers her greatest challenge was not getting to the parks nor was it the isolation but selecting which of “the far too many fabulous features” to photograph and paint in each park.

Val says, “It’s impossible to sum up any single park with a single image be that a painting, sketch, photograph or a journal entry” as reflected in the title of her show –Glimpses of Australian Parks. Early on in my expedition, I quickly realised I was never going to be able to fully explore every park. Time, fuel, food and water as well as access made that impossible. All I could ever hope to do, weather and terrain permitting, was catch a fleeting glimpse of the characterandcreaturesofeach. The geology, ecosystems and flora and fauna varies dramatically in the big parks”.

Due to the space limitations of her mobile homestudio, Val was restricted to works on paper. “My ‘en plein air’ works (French term for painting entire finished pictures out of doors) were of necessity small and often times completed very swiftly in watercolours, ink and graphite, or charcoal from the campfire.” she explained.

As her remarkable and idyllic decade drew to a close, Val began to think of staying somewhere on a more permanent basis. For

reasons still not fully explored, she ended up in Dunolly. “It took a few years to renovate the house, revamp the garden, convert the old garage and stables into studios. But once all the hard yakka was completed, I felt ready to slap paint on much bigger surfaces than had been possible

the window of my now immovable studio did become a tad boring.” The show at Puzzleflat Gallery includes several of Val’s ‘fave pink lakes’, and are all based on one or other of the many hundreds of ‘en plein air’ works completed on paper during her happy, vagabond decade.

PUZZLEFLAT GALLERY, 82 1 pm, Saturdays and Sundays. Other times by appointment ph:

Sand spit, Kati Thandi Lake Eyre NP

Val and Karinya at end of 450km of dirt...

What’s On Dunolly

Saturday, 25th February 2023

Exhibition Launch: Glimpses of Australian Parks by Val Wilkinson

Puzzle Flat Gallery, 82 Broadway, Dunolly at 1 pm.

Dunolly Gay Group “Catchup”

The next informal “catchup” BBQ will be Saturday 25th Feb. at the Gordon Gardens at 5 pm. BYO everything. All welcome.

Railway Hotel Dunolly

8pm till late

Scott Sanders- Great mix of acoustic music.

Dunolly Pool Party

Jumping castles, giant slide, slushies, popcorn and fairy floss - with Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse, Scooby doo and Elmo, all making an appearance throughout the day. There will be great raffle prizes to drawn at 6 pm with all proceeds going directly to the Dunolly CFA and Dunolly Community Garden. The pool canteen will also be fully stocked with cold drinks & ice creams - Please note it is cash only. So come on down, enjoy the fun and support our local CFA and Community Garden.

Sunday, 26th February 2023

Railway Hotel Dunolly

Sunday, 26th February 2023

Open Mic 2pm till 6pm

Dunolly Country Market

It’s finally here this weekend!

Starting at 8.00 am till 12 noon. Over 38 registered stalls with an exciting and great mix of Fresh Produce, Art & Craft, Bric-a - Brac, Plants etc. which looks to stretch all along Broadway’s Shopping Precinct from the Town Hall to the Pharmacy on both sides of the street.

Come and browse, catch up with friends, buy some great things and simply, enjoy the day – Dunolly Country Market style. It’s not too late to book a stall, call Lynda Vater on 0418 875 453 or Lynda.vater@gmail.com

To register your event, gathering or activity for the upcoming weekend(s) on this page just email: welcome@thewelcomerecord.com.au with the Subject Heading – What’s On.

JAZZ Tribute

to Billie Holliday and Bessie Smith

Friday 3rd March, 7pm at the Welcome Stranger Café and Co.

It's the launch gig for the new group Smith & Holiday consisting of: Melinda Traves on vocals, Vinnie Bourke on trumpet, Bruce Millar on guitar and Matthew Bishop on drums. Dinner Service available commencing at 5pm. Bookings

Essential.

Please call 0493 243 005

Letters and Notices

Dear Editor

The Gold and Grain Cafe has been a favourite place for me. Whether it was for coffee and cake, lunch or dinner, it has always been enjoyable. Georgine and Lynda created a welcoming ambience and their staff have always been very helpful. So it is with some regret that I see it is closing this weekend. I wish them all good luck with any new endeavours.

MEETING

Maryborough and District Garden Club meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday March 1st. at the Senior Citizens Hall, Phillips Gardens Maryborough. The subject is - Dahlias. All welcome.

FOR SALE

Single Bed, Timber Colonial/Slats. Sleepeze Spinal Support Mattress. Broadway. 0492 826 161

Vicky Frizzell

BEALIBA BULLETIN

BEALIBA Community Hall

LINE DANCING

Wednesday 22nd (cancelled); Wednesday 1 March. Beginners most welcome.

Contact : Chris – 0423 600 728

BEALIBA Community Hall

INDOOR CARPET BOWLS

Thursday 23th Feb, 7pm Beginners most welcome. Contact : Bowls Secretary – 0423 600 728

Golf Club Fund Raiser

Another full house at Dunolly golf club on Sunday. The fabulous Gina Hogan performing her women of the 60s show. A true professional and a delight to work with. Also big thanks to all the volunteers, helpers and foodies for a great effort in making the day a success. Would like to also

Rosie’s Ramble

Wow! I thought we had skipped the worst heat of summer, but the last few days have proved me wrong. It has been a bit warm.

A man was in court, charged with exceeding the maximum legal velocity for a vehicle. What had he done? Exceeded the speed limit! (this was a clue in a crossword puzzle).

When I first had CK cat come to live with me, I bought her a belled collar. This disappeared almost straight away followed by several more. One reappeared recently when I was using the whipper snipper on some long grass.

After I parked in the IGA carpark in the shade of the big trees, I was almost inspired to start singing "Raindrops keep falling on my head," substituting Acorns for Raindrops. I was under a very large oak tree, which for some reason was shedding lots of were thick on the ground and while not heavy enough to damage the car, they certainly made a noise on the roof.

I wonder if it was the hot weather which caused the shedding, or if the tree was just getting rid of

Rosie

Located in the old Nurses’ Home beside the hospital on 18 Havelock Street (top of Bull Street). Monday to Thursday 9.30am to 3pm; and Dunolly Arts Hub, on the corner of Thompson and Alice Streets.

Monday

• Mosaics at the Arts Hub from 10am.

• Ballroom Dancing at St. John’s hall from 6pm (times may vary) Intermediate skills required, call for further details.

• Card making with Rhonda: third Monday of the month from 1.30pm at the Centre.

Tuesday:

• Woodwork - 9am until 12.30.

Wednesday:

• Table tennis at the Golf Club on Separation Road from 9am-12pm (evening session available if enough people are interested).

• Craft at the Centre from 10am- BYO activity.

Thursday:

• Croquet at the Golf Club on Separation Road from 10am- plenty of mallets available, so come and have a crack!

• Family History: from 1pm at the Centre. Discover your roots - our members are very skilled and happy to help.

Saturday:

• “Got A Song To Sing!” from March 11th. Meet at the Arts Hub from 2pm; call me at the Centre to register interest.

Sunday:

• Golden Triangle Archers meet on the fourth Sunday at 10am, Deledio Reserve on Elgin Street (behind the RL Williams oval). Covered shoes compulsory, and parents must stay with children.

Whispering Weeders’ upcoming outing to Bridgewater Nursery

This coming Monday the 27th sees our Weeders visit the charming Bridgewater Nursery, with its extensive range of plants and gifts to explore.

The group will lunch at either the Bridgewater Hotel or the Bridgewater Bakery, and are always keen to welcome new members- so why not join them?

Meet at the Centre from 10am, and carpool to Bridgewater for a lovely day out.

Table tennis at the Golf Club

Our table tennis group meet at the Golf Club on Separation Road on Wednesday mornings from 9am. It’s a relaxed and entertaining morning’s game, and they’re always on the lookout for new members. Don’t worry, it’s a non-contact sport! Come along and enjoy a game or two. We also have the option of starting our evening group up again if there’s enough interest, so get in touch.

COMING SOON: Introduction to computers. Start time will be confirmed once we have a tutor organised. Feel free to contact me at the Centre to express interest, and once we’re up and running I will get in touch with the details.

Dunolly Neighbourhood Pantry

Mon to Thurs 1.30 to 3pm at the Centre. This is a ‘dry pantry’, so we stock items that have a long shelf-life. Bring your own bag; this service is open to any community member needing that little bit extra.

Dunolly Neighbourhood Pantry

‘After Hours’

This is available all the time, in the chest of drawers on the veranda. We invite any community member needing a little bit of help to make use of this service.

Kath Ryan, Co-ordinator 5468 1511

admin@dunnhc.com.au

Councillor Liesbeth Long

Dunolly and surrounds are blessed to have the use of a local Community Bus.

It runs every Friday to Maryborough for people to do their shopping or attend appointments, which is a fantastic asset for the community. This bus has been made possible through a partnership between the Central Goldfields Shire Council and the Dunolly Rural Transaction Centre (RTC).

This partnership was established in 2018 and saw ownership and maintenance of the bus vested in Council and the RTC responsible for garaging of the bus, managing hire of the bus, ensuring all bus logs and other vehicle reports are maintained and up-todate, ensuring the bus is cleaned and well maintained, ensuring the reporting of any damage and ensuring only appropriately licensed drivers drive the bus.

Usage of the bus is not restricted to community groups within the Dunolly district either, any community group which meets the criteria for usage developed by the RTC is able to use the bus. Of late, there have been rumours that Central Goldfields Shire Council are going to cancel the Community Bus because the Bealiba Bus runs the same day.

I can assure you that this is totally untrue.

There is an issue at present with the bus’ parking, due to the fact that parking at the CFA depot is no longer available as the CFA have a new vehicle and therefore no longer have room.

Council and the RTC are in communication to see if the land directly behind the RTC, which is owned by the RTC, can be utilised as a parking spot.

Planning is in it’s infancy, as funding will need to be secured for works to happen.

But please watch this space and rest easy that Dunolly will not lose its Community Bus!

Please note:

Cr Liesbeth Long

For community bus schedule contact the Rural Transaction Centre.

STREET TREE REQUESTS NOW OPEN

Residents across the Shire can now submit a request to have a street tree planted to increase shade coverage and aid with the beautification of our streetscapes.

To submit a request contact Council’s Customer Service team on 5461 0610. Requests close 10 March 2023.

Trees are limited to one per house block.

Residents will play a key role in watering the trees as they establish their roots.

L2P VOLUNTEERS WANTED

The L2P program assists eligible learner drivers to gain the 120 hours of driving experience they need to get their probationary license.

With a growing number of learner drivers wanting to participate in the program we are calling on more volunteers to help deliver this valuable program for our community.

For more information, and to register your interest in becoming a driver mentor, contact Council’s TAC L2P Coordinator Audrey Bartlett on 5461 0610 or email audreyb@cgoldshire.vic.gov.au

Dunolly Community Garden News

By Liz Spiteri

As expected, Thursday was awfully hot, so we organised to meet at 9am

Unfortunately, the time change didn't suit everyone. Lisa was able to duck in early and turn on the watering system so that the wicking beds were able to get a head start on filling up, which also meant the fruit trees got a good drop.

When Michael and I arrived, Anna had already tidied up the share table, as well as making a start in the garden. Michael busied himself with taking care of the watering system, picking some of the apples and pears that have suffered from codling moth and also picking up fallen fruit. So far this season we don't seem to have encountered the Queensland Fruit Fly, but we are being sure to dispose of all fallen fruit. While they were busy doing their chosen activities, I attended to the tomato plants.

In all my years of gardening, I've always wanted to keep my tomato bushes tidy, cutting off the suckers and sticking to a main leader, I'll be honest it NEVER happens.

Op Shop News

This year, at the community garden, having the tomato plants in raised gardens has given me the best opportunity to actually keep on top of this task! After pruning the bushes, I had the fun task of harvesting beautiful ripe tomatoes, is there anything better to harvest in summer? It was nearing 11am and getting quite warm so we packed up our tools, left produce from our own gardens and the community garden on the share table and headed home. We hope you'll visit us on a Thursday in the near future. No gardening experience needed!

Thursdays 3.30pm, 94 Maude Street Dunolly ( next door to the Dunolly Kindergarten.

IAN CAIN ELECTRICAL

Knitting wool from the Op Shop can be turned into baby booties, jackets, beanies by crafty knitters. Bring back these knitted items to the Op Shop, as we have dedicated collectors who ensure that your work goes to places which are in great need. Some items stay in Australia and others go to desperately-needy folk overseas. Small balls of wool can be knitted into squares and then joined with other knitted squares for knee rugs for the elderly. Knitting a small square is an ideal way to teach knitting. Our shoe collection is outgrowing the space provided for it. Shoes for every foot, from tiny child to large adult, are on the left before the Op Shop counter.

If you are needing shoes for all sorts of activities, from walking, dancing, running, golfing, going to bed, dashing over hot sand and anything else, they are available at a tiny price.

CDs at the Op Shop offer a wide range of musical enjoyment, also at tiny prices.

There are also plenty of DVDs in all genres. For the collectors amongst you, there are some good LP records.

Fox On The Run

Noisy mynah birds live near my house. Usually I take very little notice of them.

Sometimes they join the magpies in a bath under the sprinkler. They don't lift their wings and give themselves a thorough wash as the magpies do, preferring to skim through the top of the spray instead.

I have rescued a few out of the big plastic bird bath when it gets over full after heavy rain and their tails get too waterlogged for them to get out.

Since the spring I have put a couple of large rocks in there and no more life saving skills have been needed. They were never grateful for that service anyway. Watching them gang up on thieving crows in spring has been interesting, but mostly I don't take any notice of them.

Just after Christmas while taking my daily walk, I noticed the mynahs were being unusually noisy not far behind me. Always inquisitive, I turned to see about 20 of them swooping and diving at something. It turned out they were swooping and sometimes, hitting a fox. That desperate fox was really running for its life. One eye damaged by a successful mynah swoop and the fox's life could well be over. Within seconds it ran under a thicket of prickly bushes and the birds lost it. But they were still

patrolling the area calling noisily to each other.

I could just about decipher their calls, "Did you see that!", “Did you see what I just did?", "Yeah it was great. Look at all the fox fur on my beak, I got him good!", " That old fox won't be back for a while!", “How brave were we!" - It all went on for quite a while.

I didn't know birds would gang up on a much larger animal like that. When telling friends about the incident, one said she had heard of noisy mynahs chasing cats away in a similar manner. When I thought about it this summer, there are no magpies, choughs, crows or parrots in that stretch of bush where there usually have been quite a few. The mynahs are now very vocal when the dog and I walk through. They have chased away all the other birds and are maybe now starting on us.

Vicky Frizzell

Jump Rope for Heart turns 40

Jump Rope for Heart this month celebrates its 40th anniversary. More Australian schools are being urged to sign-up for the program in a bid to improve the physical fitness of school aged kids. The call from the Heart Foundation comes as the organisation supports a new study which aims to understand whether staying fit in childhood reduces the risk of heart disease later in life. The program is a cultural icon for Australian school kids dating back to its beginnings in 1983. It has long been a way for schools to encourage kids to take up physical activity while learning about fundraising for heart health. Despite the program’s success, data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that kids spend more time sitting or lying down with digital devices than they do playing outside. Consequently, one in four Australian kids is either overweight or obese, and only a quarter of all kids aged 5 to 14 do the required 60 minutes of physical activity each day. For more information, visit www.jumprope.org.au

WATCH OUT- SCAM EMAILS

This month we are looking at Scam emails that are going around. Two popular emails going around at the moment are the MyGov Refund Email and the Mailbox Full email. How do you identify a scam email? Here’s a few easy steps.

“

MyGov Refund” Scam

If you get an email you are not sure of that may look similar to the one below there a few easy ways to identify if it is legitimate.

The link above says nothing about MyGov at all. For reference, this is the link to the MyGov login page https://my.gov.au/ For more information on known scams go to: Scams (my.gov.au)

Romance/ Valentine’s Day Scam

In the past year more than $40 million was lost to “dating/romance scams”. Consumer watchdog Scamwatch received 3,400 reports in 2021.

If you have been scammed: Report it to the website/app/social media site where the scammer first approached you

Check the Link. DO NOT CLICK ON ANYTHING!!!

If you are on your computer or laptop you can hover the cursor over the “Click me” button, in this case it’s the “Continue Signup” Button.

If you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact your bank/financial institution immediately

Report scams to the ACCC via the “report a scam” page. Report a scam | Scamwatch

Microblast Computers

Lovel’s Septic Tank Cleaning Service

For all your septic cleaning needs trust the family with over 30 years experience. Servicing Dunolly and surrounding areas.

For prompt service at extremely reasonable rates call: Mark 0428 179 870 or leave a message on 5468 1212

Monday 9.15 - late

Tuesday 9.15 - 2.30

Wednesday Closed

Thursday 9.15 - 12pm

Friday 9.15 - 12pm

Saturday and Sunday Closed

Give Bek and Casey a call today 0448 780 638

Local Artist’s Largest Work Unveiled

Well known and prolific local artist and owner of Alvah Art Gallery, John Moir, has recently unveiled his largest work to date, a mural, commissioned by a Carisbrook local, who was interested in helping to promote the town, whilst embracing the rich history of the area. The brief was for it to measure 6 to 8 metres in length and 1.2 metres in height. Much research went into the project by John, as he brought together the historical and social aspects of the proposed project. The mural depicts scenes from Carisbrook’s history, from an elevated aspect, with a great deal of artistic licence taken as to the chronological age and position of some of the landmarks. The object of the mural was to give viewers an impression of how the area may have appeared c1880. In viewing it, it draws you in, as you

observe so much of the historical detail, some later buildings having also been superimposed on the scene for context purposes.

John was eminently qualified to portray such scenes, with many years of painting subjects locally and from all over the world behind him, together with the fact that his childhood home was originally situated near where Aldi and the service station now stand in Maryborough.

painted a mural for the Dunolly Bowling Club and when he was much younger, he also painted theatre backdrops for pageants conducted at the Presbyterian Church (now the Uniting Church) in Maryborough. These backdrops were essentially large, however with the detail in the buildings not being as precise, being designed to suit the scenes in each pageant. I was fortunate to be able to observe the

of its progress and was privileged to see it unfold from its beginnings as a blank board to its completion as a highly-detailed portrayal of an imagined historical scene.

The newly-installed mural and tourist attraction can be viewed on the fence at 28 Bucknall Street, Carisbrook.

Jenny Scott Photoscourtesyof

ChurchNotices

Catholic Church, Dunolly

There will be assembly at St. Mary's Church, Dunolly on Sunday, February 26th at 8.30am. Lent discussions will take place at Janine Paley's 145 Broadway on Tuesday at 7.30pm R. Mecredy

Uniting Church, Dunolly

Worship on Sunday February 26 at 9.30am will be led by Pastor Miriam Darlow. KYB meets on Wednesday at 10.30am in the Church. Heather Cooper will lead Devotions. UCAF will meet in the church on Thursday March 2, at 1.30pm.

Uniting emergency relief will be in Dunolly on Thursday March 2 from 1.30pm. World Day of Prayer service will be held on Friday March 3 at 10.00 am at St. Mary’s. Op Shop is open on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10.00am.

St John's Anglican Church, Dunolly

Rev Canon Heather Blackman Parish Office, Nightingale Street, Maryborough. Phone 5460 5964

Please contact for service dates and times.

St Patrick’s Church, Bealiba

Fourteen Stations of the Cross – Musings for Lent Friday 24th February 6:30pm. All welcome. Cuppa to follow. Contact: Organizer - 0429 169 363

St David’s Anglican Church, Bealiba

Davies Street Bealiba

Sunday Eucharist: 8am second and fourth Sundays of every month. Priest-in-Charge Reverend Judi Bird. Communion Service Sunday 26th February 8am.

BEALIBA CWA

Welcome back everybody. 2023 looks like it will be a busy year with the East Wimmera Group exhibition in May and the CWA State exhibition to be held at St. Arnaud in July. Hope everyone is busy with their entries. It was good to be back with friends and a great chat was enjoyed in the morning while working on our branch exhibition entries. The afternoon meeting was longer than usual as we dealt with the postings from Head Office. The meeting was followed with afternoon tea and another chat.

Competition winners

Single bloom: 1st Jan Murphy, 2nd Heather Davis

Multi bloom: 1st Heather Davis, 2nd Jan Murphy

Competition: - everyone a point

Dates to remember

24th February: East Wimmera Group AGM and conference at Birchip; 7th March – St. Arnaud craft; 16th March- Meeting – craft at 10.30am, meeting at 1pm.

Pam Brightwell

Grants For Ripon’s First Nation’s Athletes

Member for Ripon Martha Haylett announced the Victorian Government’s next round of the Aboriginal Sport Participation Grant Program to help First Nations Victorians in Ripon get into more sport and active recreation. The grants of up to $1,500 are for teams to participate in state-wide or national sport carnivals, with grants of up to $1,000 towards team uniforms and sporting equipment and up to $250 per individual, for the purchase of sporting uniforms and/ or equipment and grants of up to $750 for travel and accommodation expenses. Since 2020, the Victorian Government has provided 270 grants worth more than $290,000 across the state. Applications for funding are open until 7 March 2023, visit sport.vic.gov.au

Stories from Cynthia

By Cynthia Lindsay

Mudbrick houses were comparatively rare in Victoria up until the 1940s, when a wave of interest spread, largely due to master builder Alistair Knox, who designed his unusual house in Eltham and then others further afield. Alistair was a friend of ours, so he was a big influence on my deciding to build my own muddie in St. Andrews. When my marriage ended, I owned nearly an acre of bush and had three small children. I was finishing my degree to start a new career in teaching, but was ineligible for a housing loan, however I was able to build the house using two personal loans. I was able to gain an adult studentship, covering my fees, books and travel, so that made sure the kids wouldn’t starve.

Building a mudbrick house is fun, although rather messy. Some friends helped with the construction and others with the brick making. You start off with a

metal brick mould, much bigger than a regular house brick, then dig up a good-sized mound of earth. I was fortunate having good, red thick clay soil which needed no additive as some soils need to have straw mixed in. Then soil was shovelled into a pile, water added and it was stirred, just like a cake. The resulting mud is placed firmly in the mould, smoothed down, then left to partially dry. Next day the brick is turned out of the mould to bake in the sun. Rows and rows of drying bricks are then left to harden.

I travelled all over the place to source materials for the house, accompanied by friends with a trailer. I bought roofing slate for the floor, old beams from Bendigo Pottery, and railway sleepers for the uprights. Amazingly the old house in Cottles Bridge where we had been living was being demolished so I bought the lovely timber floorboards for the ceilings. I found a whole set of narrow French doors and a big overhead fan from a big ship being demolished. I certainly loved that house and felt very proud of it.

Since last week’s report, CGR&RAI has been investigating the possibility of that creek clearing permit to be obtained, this investigation has indications that it could be a reality. Extremely well done to all assisting this fantastic community project. This is a very important project and hopefully one that the whole Shire will get behind. Our next public meeting is anticipated for Dunolly on 4th April 2023,location tobe confirmed. We hear of projects which Council have not achieved. With promises of Gordon Gardens, the Dunolly dump point ongoing, lobbying for Deledio Oval, roadside slashing and maintenance, just to name a few. Is it time for the community to have that discussion with Council, insist projects are completed, and Councillors and Council start listening to the community? Our future is not a Council directive, it is a COMMUNITY EFFORT. We must walk that path together. We are seeing many Council tenders placed online, however a large

percentage of those tenders are being re-advertised several times. Just because it is placed for tender, does not mean it is going to be done. Could these repeated tenders just be a Council act to make it look like they are doing something? Where are the other book seats which have never seen the light of day? Community participation arts projects are just shelved or forgotten. The Imagination Stations, Book Seats and not to forget that sad public project the Dunolly Mosaics? So much community effort put into these projects, is this community effort respected by our Council? Time to get all the backlog of projects completed. The CGR&RAI's full Shire weekly report is available here- https://www.facebook.com/ groups/1164790124076391

Please keep an eye out for each other and stay safe. Wayne McKail, President.

Dunolly Bowls Club

Saturday 25th February - 2nd Final

Dunolly v Talbot Gold at Avoca

Skipper P. Waters A. Weir T. Galafaro

Third C. Williams G. Dobbin A. Parkes

Second T. Long F. Mifsud B. Lanfranchi

Leader S. Wintle J. Smith B. Cann

Manager P. Waters

Emergency B. Mortlock

Moliagul Build & Landscape Pty Ltd

onsite welding - retaining walls - pavingconcreting - roof sheeting - solid plastering owner builder assist - repairs & maintenance or freshen up that garden or create a new outdoor entertaining space

For an obligation free quote

Call Keith 0418 953 473 or email moliagulbl@gmail.com

Tuesday 28th February - 2nd Final

Dunolly v Talbot at Highland

Skipper A. Weir M. Davies T. Galafaro

Third J. Morse G. Dobbin C. Williams

Second R. Pickering F. Mifsud S. Chaplin

Leader B. Cann A. Raven K. Stephens

Manager S. Chaplin

Emergency K. Waters

BEALIBA BOWLS

It was supper night this week so that meant we were bowling to the kitty again. Some managed to roll the kitty down reasonably straight but some kept sending it to the side edge making the bowling exciting but a bit difficult. No team managed the perfect score but congratulations to Heather Cooper, Tiger Coburn and Ian Lovel with their two wins and to Shirley Coburn and Pam Brightwell who also had two wins. The raffle was won by Gary McClelland. Bowlers are reminded that if they wish to attend the day at St. Arnaud on Tuesday February 28th they must have their names in before Friday, February 24th.

Chris Evans

707 Operations ‘Grainlander’ visits Dunolly

Last Sunday, the ‘Grainlander’, pulled by heritage diesel locomotives, on its first slow rail journey for 2023, made a welcome scheduled stop at Dunolly Station, allowing passengers two hours in which to have lunch and explore the delights of Broadway.

These journeys are extremely popular and are usually fully-booked, as passengers vie to enjoy the luxury of the heritage sleeping carriages, some from the old Southern Aurora, the Overland and the Vinelander trains.

The destination for this and other trips has been the 33-metre-high silos at Quambatook, where Australian movies are screened. Other silos which are part of the Silo Art Trail can also be viewed, as well as many other small towns and tourist attractions.

We were fortunate to have them include Dunolly in their itinerary for this trip and it is to be hoped it will become a regular stopover, bringing more people from out of town to Dunolly.

As usual, with large groups visiting, it is often difficult for them to patronise every single business, often due to the limited timeframe in which they have available in which to eat and browse.

Each one of these people is a potential return visitor and will often bring their families back, so it is important to showcase what we have to

and the Town Hall also being open, in addition to the shops and eateries. We are all well aware that if further visits are to take