Metcalfe Fire Brigade members joined together with CFA dignitaries, local MPs and the local community to officially open the doors to their new fire station last Sunday May 17.
Around 100 people gathered to celebrate the milestone which allowed the brigade to show everyone their new state-of-the-art facility.
The new station includes two motor bays, operational support areas, car parking and separate turnout areas with private change facilities to support gender diversity and accessibility.
Metcalfe Fire Brigade Captain Len Girvan said the new station was welcomed not just by the brigade but by the wider community.
“It has been a huge team effort, with a lot of different people putting in lots of work to make it happen,” Len said.
“It has turned into a really great space, with so much more room allowing us to grow as a brigade.
“The opening day was a great opportunity to celebrate with the community who are all so happy to see us in our new home.”
Metcalfe Brigade was established as the Metcalfe Bushfire Brigade. The brigade was presented with a certificate for 125 years service on the day.
Lots has changed in the area in that time and Len said he is sure it will continue to change into the future.
Metcalfe is also close to Ravenswood where one of the major bushfires burned in the 2025/26 fire season.
“Our brigade was heavily involved in this fire season,” Len said.
“This is opening is a celebration for the whole area.”
Black Saturday also had a profound impact on the town of Metcalfe.
The brigade also supported the response to the 2022 floods in Echuca, the 2019/20 fires, and many other major incidents throughout the years.
The brigade has 26 operational members, with another 32 filling non-operational roles.
Acting Assistant Chief Fire Officer for District 02, Archie Conroy, said it was great to see the brigade move into a new space.
“It will allow the brigade to continue to grow and support their community,” Archie said.
Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas said the Metcalfe brigade has always been there for our community when they have needed
them most.
“We’re proud to deliver a brand-new station to make sure our dedicated volunteers can keep doing their incredible work,” Ms Thomas said.
Minister for Emergency Services, Vicki Ward said this new station is a long-term investment by the state government in CFA volunteers
– the backbone of our regional communities.
The Skilbeck family will again be hosting a morning tea in the garden at Plaistow Homestead at Joyces Creek to raise funds for Cancer Council this Saturday May 23.
This year marks the 29th year the local family has supported the annual Biggest Morning Tea fundraiser.
Originally it began as an intimate event in the lounge room of the heritage listed 1860s homestead, but in the years since it has grown into a much larger community celebration in the gardens around the homestead.
2026 will see four generations of the Skilbeck family working across the morning, Lilian and Peter being general dogs bodies, son Marcus looking after the fires and keeping the water hot, granddaughters Madison and Poppie playing with flour and water, and seven month old great granddaughter Isabelle keeping an eye on them all!
Lilian and Peter said they will once again be supported by friends and relatives pouring fresh brewed tea and coffee, and delivering scones both jam and creamed and savoury to the guests.
“Every family can talk about members or friends who have experienced one or more of the various forms of cancer. We can all relate to people who have died from cancer, but as time goes on we can relate stories of those who have recovered,” Lilian said.
“The newsletters from Cancer Council regularly report on the cancer journeys of survivors with many of the stories being positive stories detailing the
results of research and new treatments funded by the generous donations of gatherings like this,” she said.
“The only funding Cancer Council receive is from donations and events. They use the donated funds to support research into the hows, whys and treatment of cancers, to fund nurse on call, financial supplements, the wig bank and respite holidays. Every cent raised at Plaistow is given to Cancer Council to support this work,” Peter said.
This year will be a little special as the Skilbeck family will be using the large Andrews double oven stove again following her (yes it is a female) total restoration by The 1910 Ironworks in New South Wales. Check out their Facebook page for a sneak peek at the restoration.
The stove was made in Geelong around the mid 1880s and originally used in a hotel kitchen in Beaufort. The stove has been in use at Plaistow since 1984.
The fundraiser will once again be complemented by a stall of plants from the lovely Beth Higgins, Sue Oldfield’s natural fibre knitting creations and entertainment by Platform Souls band from Maldon. There will once again be a mega raffle and also a raffle for a trailer of dry Strathlea firewood.
The event runs from 10am to 12.30pm.
Plaistow Homestead is located at 324 Rodborough Rd Joyces Creek. Follow the flags from the Pyrenees Highway Rodborough Road corner.
Entry by donation at the garden gate.
Parking is available on the drive or in the front paddock. Ask the attendants to assist with accessible parking.
Volunteers are most welcome contact 0419 884 710 or email plaistow@bigpond.com if you’d like to assist.
In breaking news, as the Mail went to press this morning, US fast food giant McDonald’s has confirmed it has purchased land in central Castlemaine with plans to build a new restaurant.
The site, on the corner of Forest and Wheeler streets, was previously owned by Brendan Blake of Maxi IGA, who confirmed McDonald’s was the buyer.
The 4300-square-metre block occupies a prominent position in the centre of town and was formerly home to the Hunt and Lobb Ford dealership.
The fast food chain is looking at plans for a single-storey restaurant on the prominent site at 72-80 Forest St, Castlemaine located opposite the Western Reserve.
A development application has not been lodged with Mount Alexander Shire Council at this stage. See the next edition of our sister paper the Midland Express for more.
Birds are ever-present in our landscape. They hold a place in our hearts, culture and community. Some of our local birds are very rare, and all of them are great indicator species, signaling the environmental health of a landscape. In this, birds cross the perceived boundaries of art, culture and science.
Jane Rusden’s art practice exists in these three realms. Her solo exhibition, Life on the Wing, soon to open at Artpuff Gallery in Castlemaine, is an inspiring, accomplished and
heartfelt ‘shout out’ to birds, the urgency of their survival, and the fundamental importance of their thriving.
In her work, Jane seeks to tap into our deep emotional spaces as humans and draw links with the natural world of which we are a part, using birds both as a metaphor and tangible creatures.
Jane’s background in zoology is fundamental to her practice, in all its aspects – process, materials, subject and environmental context. Her scientific knowledge very much shapes
the way she paints and draws birds on paper, using watercolour, ink, pencil and charcoal:
“Bird watching and the bird survey work I do influence the species I paint. I’m interested in the connections between bird species and their habitat, and in expressing these connections
through art materials and their interactions with water and paper, as water brings life to our landscape and paper is an organic material,” Jane said.
Particular to Life on the Wing is Jane’s focus on resilience in adversity, expressed through birds and insects.
“If given a chance to, indigenous species will flourish. So often, the pressures are so great that many species are grimly hanging on. However, Life on the Wing celebrates renewal,
resilience and adaptability. It is a show of hope and hard work in the field of species conservation, and a celebration of beauty, awe, and immersive delight in the wonder of the
natural world,” Jane said.
Life on the Wing asks us to stop, listen, think and honour the life of birds. This is an awe-inspiring show, its centrepiece, Female Gang Gang Foraging, Geebung an incredible five metres long and 1.5 metres high! Be sure not to miss it, from May 21– June 8, Thursday – Sunday 11-5, public holidays 11 – 3 pm (and online throughout).
Opening celebration Friday, May 22, 5-7pm, with speaker Kate Millar, CEO BirdLife Australia.
Artpuff is located at The Mill, 9 Walker Street, Castlemaine.
artpuff.com.au/shows/
Terry Willis, Harcourt North
The Inquiry into the 2026 summer fires across Victoria came to Harcourt on April 30. It was a triggering day for many of us. What struck me was the lack of acknowledgement at the loss of biodiversity and old growth trees from the fire and the clean up.
I spoke in the open mic section and chose to highlight that nature’s community houses were lost as well.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to honour the life of a tree lost on our property – a very, very old Grey Box scar tree. Most of its crown had been lost over time, but its hollow limbs still reached for the stars high above us. Our family was the last of many, many families that thought of this tree as precious – families both human and animal.
And then the fire happened. The CFA came at least five times to douse water on the smouldering stump over a period of two weeks after that first terrible day. Its root system stretched deep into the earth. The burnt base of the tree’s outer layer is all that remains, reaching like a blackened twisting claw out of the charcoal, in a haunting tribute to its former glory.
This was a tree that had witnessed over 400 years on Dja Dja Wurrung country.
A tree so wide at its base that our family of four could not hug it together.
A tree so loved that every new person to visit us would be proudly shown the scar tree.
A tree that survived an attempted ring barking, who knows how many years ago.
A tree that life centred around, providing a community house in the landscape.
A tree that sheltered possums, phascogales, Krefft’s gliders, bees, antechinus, cockatoos and galahs from the harsh conditions outside.
A tree that was a nursery for these creatures to raise their young.
A tree that nourished and provided food.
A tree that held soil together on the slopes of Leanganook.
A tree that gave life and hope.
Who knows how many more years it could have lived for? We don’t know.
This tree was one of many old habitat trees that were lost in the Harcourt fire. It’s a tragedy. You can’t rebuild this tree – it’s lost forever. No amount of nesting boxes will replace the homes it once provided.
It feels like an injustice that this has happened and fills us with deep remorse and grief”.
The DON KR Castlemaine team has raised $4,000 to purchase a new Mindray Vital Signs Patient Monitoring Machine for Bendigo Health’s Children’s Ward.
Raised through DON’s annual Christmas raffle at the Castlemaine factory and other Victorian sites, the funds will directly support babies and children receiving care at Bendigo Health.
When DON KR Castlemaine approached the Bendigo Health Foundation to partner on a paediatric project, the Foundation consulted nurses working on the ward to identify where the funds would have the greatest impact.
Bendigo Health Children’s Ward Nurse Unit Manager, Michelle Creed, said the team was unanimous in recommending a new vital signs monitoring machine.
“Of course, there is always a wish list of items we would love, but the team felt that the Mindray Vital Signs Patient Monitoring Machine would significantly strengthen the ward’s essential equipment,” Michelle said.
Director of Fundraising at Bendigo Health, Shaun Spence, said the hospital had initially planned to co-fund the equipment with DON. However, the fundraiser exceeded expectations.
“The DON fundraiser was so successful the machine was purchased outright, allowing other funds to be redirected to vital equipment, services and research,” Shaun said.
The Children’s Ward at Bendigo Health cares for children and adolescents throughout the Loddon Mallee region, including many from Castlemaine and surrounding communities.
The health service works closely with the Royal Children’s Hospital to treat patients locally wherever possible.
“We know how stressful it can be for families when a child needs hospital care, so being able to receive that care close to home makes a real difference.”
Paediatric Nurse, Whensday Bake, said the state-of-the-art machine measures temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation and respiratory rate.
“Having more equipment readily available allows us to take observations quickly and efficiently, while minimising disruption to children and their families during an already challenging time,” she said.
DON Program Manager, Helen Shaw, thanked DON KR Castlemaine staff for supporting the raffle and helping make the fundraiser a success.
“This new monitoring machine is already making a tangible difference in our local community,” she said.
To support Bendigo Health patients to stay close to home and their loved ones during treatment, visit: www.bendigohealthfoundation.org.au/donate
Castlemaine residents are being invited to support local emergency services at a fundraising high tea aimed at helping the Victoria State Emergency Service Castlemaine Unit replace a vital rescue vehicle. The event will be held this Sunday, May 17, from 2pm to 4pm at the Buda Historic Home and Garden.
The Castlemaine SES unit responds to a wide range of emergencies across the region, including storm damage, road crash rescue, and search operations.
Organisers say replacing the ageing rescue vehicle is essential to maintaining the unit’s ability to respond quickly and safely to incidents in the local community.
Event organiser Kristina Forbes said the high tea is designed to both raise funds and increase community awareness of the SES’s broader role.
“Many people associate SES with storms and floods, but our volunteers are called out to a wide range of incidents throughout the year,” she said.
“This event is an opportunity for the community to connect with our members and directly support the equipment we rely on to keep people safe.”
Guests will be welcomed with refreshments on arrival and can enjoy a selection of sweet and savoury items while meeting local SES volunteers and learning more about their work. Attendees are encouraged to wear orange in support of the SES, with prizes awarded on the day. A raffle will also be held, with a format allowing winners to select their preferred prize.
Tickets are $55 per person and available online via Humanitix, with limited seating.
Funds raised will go directly towards the replacement of the unit’s rescue vehicle, supporting the ongoing emergency response capability of the Castlemaine SES.
There’s still a few tickets available so head to: events.humanitix.com/castlemaine-ses-high-tea
ONI Street Wear in Castlemaine is set to host a launch party tonight, Friday May 15, to showcase the winter collection of Rascal Clothing.
Rascal Clothing creator Casey Tosh said he is passionate about upcycling street wear into modern fashion.
“This is an area I started to explore after a collaboration in Seoul, South Korea, two years ago, with a fashion brand called Chemical Sister.
“I was screen printing my artwork on to vintage clothing and the two sisters would add colour and sewing designs,” Casey says.
“Since that time I have began to learn more about construction and sewing,” he said.
A chance meeting with Josh Salmon of ONI Street Wear has led to the latest collaboration.
“We met at the Castlemaine Artists Market where both had screen printed clothing displays. Josh invited me to visit his skate store and screen print shop,” Casey said.
“After seeing the space and what Josh was doing we agreed that it would be cool to work together.
“As a skateboarder and clothing designer I thought our work could be complementary, trading our different areas of expertise and skill sets.
“Where possible adding in some upcycled designs. Old fabrics are often of a higher quality in their design and materials. This also aims to address the problem of fast fashion,” Casey said.
Tonight’s launch will include a live performance by The Punk Monks. The band will be modelling some of the new designs.
There will also be a DJ set from Sir Elbow from Guildford.
The launch is part of a larger collaboration takeover, including an in-house art work, and will run for a month. Be sure to pop into ONI Street Wear at 22 Hargraves Street and check it out.
The launch will run from 5.30pm-8pm tonight, with the band to hit the stage at 6.30pm.
Jade Jungwirth
Castlemaine’s inaugural Town Open Day will be held this Saturday May 16 – giving residents a taster of the wide breadth of groups, teams and hobbies on offer locally.
A fun-filled day full of food, activities, demonstrations and workshops, the Town Open Day is the perfect place to meet new people, pick up a hobby and get involved.
From sports to choirs, and bird watching to roller skating, there really is something on offer for everyone.
Organised by Castlemaine Community House and Get Connected Mount Alexander, the family-friendly, accessible event is designed to help bring people together.
Community Connector Isis Jordan said there will be around 30 clubs and groups available on the day.
“It’s kind of like O’Week at university, a community open day with a range of hobbies, activities, and clubs,” she said.
“It can be really hard to find where the action is, especially if you don’t live in the centre of Castlemaine. Maybe you’re on the periphery, and you don’t know anyone, maybe you’re not tech savvy, maybe you’re not on Facebook.”
CCH executive officer Mahira Sobral said Get Connected is a social prescribing program that identifies the need for a more medical approach to social inclusion, one which identifies that mental health and community wellbeing are key.
“We see great outcomes from people being connected,” she said.
“Town Open Day is the brainchild of Get Connected – bringing that work to life in a physical space.”
Local holistic practitioner Rich Moffat is one of the many stallholders who will be offering demonstrations on the day.
“I teach yoga, Tai Chi, and Qigong; they’re all a little bit different, so it’s good for people to understand what they are, so I’m going to teach short classes on the day so people experience them for themselves,” he said.
Other groups include: the Falcons, Bird Life Castlemaine, Queer Book Club, the Nordic Walking Group, Silent Disco, Pickleball, Nalderun, and a variety of local choirs just to name a few.
Pizza De Wheels, Ice Cream Republic and Les Bean Coffee will be on site, plus a BBQ cooked by CCH.
Town Open Day will be held on Saturday May 16 from 10am to 2pm at The Goods Shed, 21 Kennedy Street (*no longer at the Botanical Gardens due to the weather).
This is a free event, and transport is available across the shire. Call CCH on 5472 4842 to book your place on the free bus.
For more information, please visit www.cch.org.au/town-open-day or follow Castlemaine Community House on socials for updates.
