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Extremely disappointing

By
Castlemaine Mail
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Name and address supplied


It is so disappointing that the Council has chosen to implement its Master Plan for Camp Reserve. The sportspeople of our town do deserve to have proper amenities but this area is the wrong place for these developments. The area is too small for what is needed and the whole area, lying close to three creeks is prone to flooding.
Modern sports facilities could find a home in many areas around our town. People want to play sport in good conditions with much better change rooms and facilities. This space could be found in another part of town like the Wesley Hill Sports Complex which could be extended. It might also be possible to maximise the potential of Campbells Creek Recreation Reserve where sporting facilities are currently in the process of being upgraded.
In fact, many people have commented that it would be a waste of money building excellent facilities on a flood plain at Camp Reserve. As well, with no increase in the size of the football oval, in this Master Plan, this site remains too small to meet the standard requirements of the AFL code.
As well, with an increasing population and more people playing and watching sport, more parking will be needed as well as improved traffic conditions. The upgrading of these facilities at Camp Reserve will create a lot more pressure on local residents who live around the grounds – lighting, noise, traffic, car parking.
Instead, small scale development (improved toilet facilities etc) on Camp Reserve could allow it to be used for farmers’ markets, the show and other activities, without destroying the heritage value of the site. It could be used as a historic hub, informing people about the past as they walk through from the railway station to Goldsmith Crescent and other interesting sights.
It should be preserved so all of us (including future generations) can enjoy learning about the past.
I urge the council to reconsider this decision.

More health services for Maldon

By
Castlemaine Mail
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The Maldon team- Jacqueline Cue (admin), Siw Wootton (lymphoedema nurse), and podiatrists Frances Elcoate and Hannah Wellick are taking appointments at the Maldon Campus now.
The Maldon team- Jacqueline Cue (admin), Siw Wootton (lymphoedema nurse), and podiatrists Frances Elcoate and Hannah Wellick are taking appointments at the Maldon Campus now.

Accessing healthcare closer to home has become even easier for the Maldon community, with a broader range of community health and wellbeing services now available at Dhelkaya Health’s Maldon campus.
Over recent weeks, our Community Services and Wellbeing team has expanded its presence at the campus, bringing more of the services people know and trust to Maldon. With even more clinicians now consulting throughout the week, residents have greater opportunities to access the care they need without travelling further afield.
The services are based alongside the Medical Clinic hub (on the corner of Adair and Chapel Street North) and share a central reception, making it simple and convenient for clients to find the support they’re looking for. They are also in the process of creating a dedicated gym space, and when complete, it will provide an ideal environment for exercise programs, rehabilitation and other therapy sessions designed to help people improve their strength, mobility and overall wellbeing.
Many of the most in-demand community health services (including physio, dietitian, podiatry, counselling, district nursing and several other specialists) are now available at both the Maldon and Castlemaine campuses, allowing clients to choose the location that’s most convenient for them.
Dhelkaya Health Ambulatory Care team member Jack Lawrence said they know that being able to access services close to home can make a real difference.
“By increasing the services available in Maldon, we’re making it easier for people to get the support they need while staying connected to their local community. “As the service continues to grow, the team at Dhelkaya are excited to keep building on what’s available and ensure the Maldon community has access to high-quality care in a welcoming, local setting.
Most of the programs don’t need a referral from a GP, so you can find out more by getting in touch with the Maldon Community Services team directly on 5479 8633.
GP referrals can be accepted by email via our central intake at intake@castlemainehealth.org.au

Rail Safety Week 2026

By
Castlemaine Mail
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Victorian Goldfields Railway urges motorists to take care near level crossings.
Victorian Goldfields Railway urges motorists to take care near level crossings.

The Rail Safety Week campaign runs between August 10-16 and is a reminder to all – road users, walkers, cyclists – that safety in and around the rail corridor is important.
A previous Rail Safety week campaign promoted the slogan ‘Expect the unexpected’ and while this is still relevant especially at level crossings, another short reminder from the Southern Pacific Railroad in the USA is also important: ‘Stop, Look and Listen’.
The Victorian Goldfields Railway fully supports the Rail Safety initiative and reminds all in the community that trains can run on any day of the week and at any time, including at night.
It is especially important for everyone to be careful at level crossings. If there are lights and bells working, please wait until the train has passed and the lights have stopped flashing red before moving on. Likewise, at level crossings where there are no lights and bells, please exercise all due care and make sure there is no train approaching.

Maayan Licht set to dazzle

By
Castlemaine Mail
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Maayan Licht, the dazzling sopranista hailed as one of Europe’s most electrifying new stars, will visit Castlemaine this Friday. Photo: Matthias Jung
Maayan Licht, the dazzling sopranista hailed as one of Europe’s most electrifying new stars, will visit Castlemaine this Friday. Photo: Matthias Jung

The Castlemaine State Festival is counting down the days until its next highly anticipated fundraising event this Friday August 14.
Imagine Farinelli meets Freddie Mercury. Enter Maayan Licht, the dazzling sopranista hailed as one of Europe’s most electrifying new stars, making his long-awaited Australian debut which will include a stopover right here at the Castlemaine Town Hall!
With a stage persona as flamboyant as it is fearless, he unleashes devilish trills and high-voltage charisma on the virtuosic arias of Vivaldi, Handel, and Porpora.
At his side, the brilliant early-music master Neal Peres da Costa leads a hand-picked baroque ensemble which will see the soprano joined by two violin players, one cello player and a harpsichord, driving the drama with glittering brilliance. Expect a night where baroque fire meets rock-star glamour. But it isn’t just about the high notes. Licht brings a quicksilver sense of character to every phrase, switching between tenderness, swagger and bite with effortless confidence. What could be pure display becomes something far more engaging — music with personality.
A voice like this is rare. Hearing it this close is rarer still.
The event is proudly supported by Live at Yours.
Make sure you get your ticket at https://castlemainefestival.com.au/event/mayaan-licht/

Outdoor recreation closer to home

By
Castlemaine Mail
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Council is designing a new play space in Wesley Hill adjacent to the Wesley Hill Hall.
Council is designing a new play space in Wesley Hill adjacent to the Wesley Hill Hall.

Mount Alexander Shire Council has allocated $40,000 in its 2026/27 Budget to design a new play space in Wesley Hill, creating opportunities for local children and families to enjoy outdoor recreation closer to home.
The proposed play space will be located on council-managed land in Van Heurck Street, adjacent to the Wesley Hill Hall. The site is already a well-used community gathering place and home to activities including the popular weekly Wesley Hill Market.
Mount Alexander Shire mayor Toby Heydon said the project would help address a gap in play opportunities in the area.
“This investment is an important step towards creating a dedicated play space for local children and families in Wesley Hill,” Cr Heydon said.
“Currently, there is no playground equipment in this part of Castlemaine, with the nearest play spaces located at Victory Park and Chewton Soldiers Memorial Park. Developing this space at the Wesley Hill Hall precinct will improve access to play opportunities and strengthen the area’s role as a community hub.”
The new play space is planned to complement existing activities and facilities at the site, enhancing its appeal as a place for people of all ages to play and spend time together.
Council officers will work with the Wesley Hill Hall Committee throughout the design process to ensure the play space meets local needs.
Community members will also have opportunities to provide input as the project progresses, helping to shape the design and future features of the play space.
Further details about consultation opportunities will be announced as the project moves forward.

Chess: Where 319 billion possibilities meet one very good idea

By
Castlemaine Mail
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CSC teacher Mark Johansson, together with student mentors Edward Harris and Michael Miles, introducing Campbells Creek Primary School students to the mysteries of the opening moves.
CSC teacher Mark Johansson, together with student mentors Edward Harris and Michael Miles, introducing Campbells Creek Primary School students to the mysteries of the opening moves.

The 22nd annual Mount Alexander Schools Chess Challenge will be held at Castlemaine Secondary College on September 15, but the tournament has already begun in a sense.
Not on the chessboards perhaps, but in the minds of the students preparing for it. Over the next eight weeks, Castlemaine Secondary College is trialling an innovative Chess Mentoring Program in three local primary schools.
The initiative is led by CSC teacher Mark Johansson, assisted by a team of enthusiastic secondary students who are discovering that teaching can be every bit as challenging as remembering where you left your queen.
Johansson, together with CSC student mentors Edward Harris and Michael Miles recently visited Campbells Creek Primary School to introduce students to the mysteries of the opening moves.
Former local teacher, chess mentor and advocate, Kevin Brown said it was an encouraging sight.
“Seeing experienced players guiding younger ones through a game where every move has consequences, rather like deciding whether to tell your parents you’ve finished your homework before they’ve asked.
“Mark shared a fascinating statistic with the students. Within the first eight moves of a chess game—four by White and four by Black—there are 318,979,564,000 possible move sequences, or nearly 319 billion ways to begin a game before anyone has even agreed on what ‘a simple opening’ means.”
It seems unlikely the mentoring program will cover all of them in eight weeks, though one suspects some education departments may still request a progress report. The remarkable complexity of chess explains why it has earned a respected place in many schools’ mathematics programs.
“Every game encourages students to think logically, recognise patterns, visualise spatial relationships and solve problems several moves ahead. In other words, it develops exactly the sort of thinking that proves useful in mathematics; and occasionally in deciding who gets the last sausage roll,” Brown said.
“Perhaps the greatest strength of the program is that it extends well beyond the chessboard. Primary students gain confidence from working alongside older mentors, while the CSC students develop leadership, communication and patience.
“Explaining why a knight moves in an L-shape to an eager Year 4 student is excellent preparation for almost any future career,” Brown said.
“By the time the Mount Alexander Schools Chess Challenge begins in September, not every student will become a chess champion. But they will all have practised thinking carefully, planning ahead and learning from their mistakes. And if they can master those skills while remembering there are still 318,979,563,999 opening variations left to explore, they’re already well ahead of the rest of us.”

Celebrity Parkrun

By
Castlemaine Mail
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Lisa Millar and her sound man Ben post for a snap.
Lisa Millar and her sound man Ben post for a snap.

We all know that everyone who attends Castlemaine Parkrun is treated like a celebrity, but when Lisa Millar of Back Roads and Muster Dogs fame, and self-confessed parkrun fanatic, took time out of her busy filming schedule to join local participants on Saturday morning, there was genuine excitement.
Lisa is a fierce advocate for parkrun and its benefits, and is a regular at the Albert Park course, with 162 finishes under her belt and 51 volunteers.
She loves to talk about the ways in which parkrun provides friendship, connection, routine and a sense of belonging, in addition to the obvious health benefits, her television roles enabling her to be a regular parkrun tourist.
It was an episode of Backroads being filmed at Maldon that brought her to Castlemaine Parkrun on a ‘feels like -2.9’ degree morning and without gloves (a situation that was quickly remedied by Karina). She even dragged along her ‘sound wizard’, Ben Travers, who was one of two first timers on the day, the other being Denise Shead; both received a warm welcome.
There were only 96 finishers, the wintry weather obviously keeping some away, but there were five PBs recorded, beginning with first through the chute, Finn Girbon a parkrunner newbie with only two finishes, in a sizzling time of 17:44.
Congratulations Finn, and also to Daniel Cheesman (18:38), Paul May (24:36), Bev Cox (32:31) and Isla Lorenz (34:38).
There were visiting runners from a swathe of Melbourne events, including Lisa, but also from further afield in Werribee, Melton, Bacchus Marsh, Gisborne, Torquay, Gippsland, Sydney, Adelaide, ACT and Cairns.
Lisa says that she quickly realised volunteering was the key to making friends and building community at parkrun, and as we know, the volunteers are integral to the running of each event. The team who worked to bring the first August 2026 parkrun together were Tyrone, Brendan, Pam, Robyn, Bron, Zane, Ronder, Rosamund, Terry, Margaret, Robin and Elissa.
If you would like to hear more about Lisa and her love of parkrun, tune into the UK produced Parkrunners Podcast for a deep dive. And if you would like to come along and experience it for yourself visit www.parkrun.com.au to register and collect your unique barcode. Then join participants at the bbq shelter in the Botanical Gardens just before 8am on any Saturday.
You will be most welcome, whether you choose to volunteer, walk, jog or run.

Lisa with Run Director Tyrone Rice.

MIFF returns to Castlemaine

By
Castlemaine Mail
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Among the films to feature will be Mārama. This distinctly Māori Gothic horror, set in a haunted seaside manor, tells a terrifying tale of dark family secrets and one woman’s wrath in the face of colonial violence.
Among the films to feature will be Mārama. This distinctly Māori Gothic horror, set in a haunted seaside manor, tells a terrifying tale of dark family secrets and one woman’s wrath in the face of colonial violence.

The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) returns to Castlemaine’s iconic Theatre Royal for its 74th edition with two weekends of screenings on August 14-16 and 21-23.
Proudly supported by VicScreen and Screen Australia, MIFF Regional is held across eight regional locations including Castlemaine, Star Cinema in Eaglehawk, Ballarat, Geelong, Healesville, Rosebud, Sale and Warrnambool and brings the spirit of the festival to film-lovers beyond the city in a celebration of storytelling, community and the shared experience of cinema.
Physical attendance at MIFF Regional grew by 25 per cent in 2025, and the 2026 showcase builds on that momentum with an expanded footprint, an ambitious program and a renewed commitment to meeting film-lovers wherever they are across Victoria.
MIFF Artistic Director Al Cossar, said Melbourne may be in the title, but MIFF is a festival that goes far beyond the city limits, presenting eclectic and exciting program highlights to cinema locations around our state via MIFF Regional.
“Through this program we continue to bring the best new Australian and international filmmaking, as well as a range of exciting guests, to centres throughout Victoria, meeting audiences where they are, and making MIFF a festival for all Victorians,” Cossar said.
“Additionally, even beyond our state, all of Australia gets to be a part of the Melbourne International Film Festival this year – make sure you also check out our MIFF Online, featuring at-home streaming offerings from major festivals and acclaimed filmmaking, amongst free short film programs, all accessible anywhere in the country. ”
The 2026 MIFF Regional program opens with Wicker, the Sundance-premiering, uniquely funny fable from Australian-born writer/director Eleanor Wilson and her filmmaking and real-life partner Alex Huston Fischer, which screens across all locations on August 14.
It tells the story of a cranky fisherwoman and the sexy handwoven husband she wishes for.
Beneath its whimsical surface, the film is a sharp critique of small-mindedness, superstition and overzealous conservatism – a tale that asks whether we truly know our heart’s desire. Screening as part of MIFF’s Bright Horizons Competition and starring Olivia Colman alongside a dazzling ensemble including Alexander Skarsgård, Peter Dinklage, Richard E. Grant and Melbourne’s own Elizabeth Debicki.
Wicker arrives in the regions fresh from its Australian premiere at the MIFF 2026 Opening Night Gala.
Others films to screen at Castlemaine will include: Broken English, Digby & Camille, Hen, Jebediah: Are We OK?, Mārama, Rose, Sovereign Shorts, Sweet Milk Lake, and Time and Water.
For audiences further afield – or those who simply can’t make it to a cinema – MIFF Online returns August 14-30, extending MIFF’s reach by one full week after the festival wraps. Available Australia-wide via ACMI’s dedicated streaming platform Cinema 3, MIFF Online offers a curated suite of festival films and free short films on demand.
For the full program visit miff.com.au and for local tickets visit https://theatreroyalcastlemaine.com.au/miff2026/

The MIFF Regional program opens with the cheeky film Wicker.

Mixed results for Goldfields

By
Castlemaine Mail
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Youth player Gene Edwards is pictured in action at Chewton. Photo: Max Lesser.
Youth player Gene Edwards is pictured in action at Chewton. Photo: Max Lesser.

Castlemaine Goldfields Football Club’s Youth squad played host to Shepparton United at Chewton Soldiers Memorial Park last Sunday.
It was a tight tussle from start to finish which resulted in a 1-1 draw.
Both sides work hard to make inroads into attack in the first half. Castlemaine was eventually rewarded with a goal to Joaquin Demaria O’Sullivan just shy of halftime.
The arm wrestle continued in the second half, but Shep found an equaliser via Asim Khan in the 79th minute.
Neither side could break the deadlock ending in a draw.
Despite the result the side sits in third spot. This weekend the travel to Strathfieldsaye to take on Colts United.
The Goldfields Div 1 Senior Women beat top team Spring Gully 1-0 at home, with a calculated header from Kasey Sparks at 28 minutes, from a millimetrically perfect corner kick by Sophie Milton.
They sit in second spot on the ladder and will enjoy a spell this weekend.
The Div 2 Senior Women were on the opposite end of a 1-0 result against Golden City at Shadforth Park. The side currently sits in third spot and will aim to bounce back this Sunday against Epsom at Chewton. Kick off is at 1pm.
The Div 2 Senior Men’s Gold side lost a tough clash against Border Raiders a Chewton 3-0. Green forfeited to Deniliquin and hope to regroup against the Border Raiders at Moama this Sunday.
The sides are currently sitting in fifth and sixth spots on the ladder.

Rodeo dream realised

By
Jade Jungwirth
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Maldon local Toby Collins has been crowned the 2026 Cowboy of Origin. Photo courtesy of PBR Australia.
Round one of thre PBR Australia state of origin between NSW VS QUEENSLAND on the 30 of may 2026 in Newcastle Entertainment center Toby Collins took on BarTender from MC Bucking Bulls and failed to cover him

Jade Jungwirth Winning the 2026 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Origin Series has been a wild ride for local cowboy Toby Collins.While the series decider in Sydney on Saturday was a tight race, Toby's ...

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Tagging incidents on the rise

By
Castlemaine Mail
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The Graffiti Busters recently attended the Castlemaine Mail building to remove vandalism from the side of the building.
The Graffiti Busters recently attended the Castlemaine Mail building to remove vandalism from the side of the building.

An increase in graffiti tagging across the township has led the Castlemaine Graffiti Busters to hold more 'busts'.Castlemaine Neighbourhood Watch and Castlemaine Graffiti Busters secretary Jane Cafare...

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Forces of nature

By
Lisa Dennis
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Australian aviator Deborah Lawrie is pictured in the studio with sculptor Ruth Lyon. Photo: Gail Power.
Australian aviator Deborah Lawrie is pictured in the studio with sculptor Ruth Lyon. Photo: Gail Power.

Lisa Dennis The filming of a new documentary, ‘Return of the Goddesses’ which documents the life's work of Bendigo sculptor Ruth Lyon has begun in earnest.The film is being created by Castlemaine film...

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