The 2023 Castlemaine Documentary Festival (June 16-18) will be officially launched tonight June 16 at Castlemaine’s historic Theatre Royal with opening night celebration ‘LOCALS’.
Following the success of the inaugural LOCALS event in 2022 which saw the Theatre Royal packed to the rafters, this evening’s showcase will once again see audiences enjoy a wonderful selection of creative short form storytelling from locals of Castlemaine and surrounds.
C-Doc board member and Suzanne Donisthorpe said in 2023 we will hear from 13 local filmmakers as they present a diverse range of intriguing stories up on the big screen.
“Once again, the colour and diversity of our local voices is set to impress. From explorations of “What Makes a Local” to a “moment of nature and its innate choreography”, contemplations of the “power of kindness in the context of a Truck Show” and insight into the creative process behind dance troupe Lady Fun Times and the birth of Castlemaine Fringe, LOCALS 2023 definitely celebrates the rich and vibrant community we find ourselves in,” says Donisthorpe who will MC the LOCALS event alongside Tony Jackson.
The LOCALS program has been coordinated by Kyla Brettle. Come along to hear local stories told by local voices at the festival’s opening event from 7pm! Tickets are just $18 Adults, Under 15s $10.
Saturday the C-Doc festival program kicks into full gear with four films to screen at the Theatre Royal including Australian premiere Trained to See, Wantandar My Countryman followed by a panel discussion, the world premiere of local film Equal the Contest followed by a panel discussion, and The Thief Collector followed by the Saturday Night Party – an 80’s Art Heist themed party and dance with M79 live!
On Sunday the screenings continue with Into the Ice, Weed & Wine, Young Plato followed by a panel discussion, and finally Grass accompanied by a live score by ZÖJ.
This year Castlemaine Documentary Festival (C-Doc) also introduced a second venue – The Yurt – a beautiful micro-cinema located at Western Reserve – easy walking distance to the Theatre Royal.
The Yurt features an alternative program of family-friendly sessions across the Saturday and Sunday mornings and enticing programs for young people in the afternoons and evenings. The full Yurt program and tickets can be found at https://cdocff.com. au/2023-festival/yurt/
C-Doc director Claire Jager said the theme for their ninth festival is ‘No One Has The Last Word’ and it will feature eight incredible films, four panels, the new Yurt program and much more.
“Once again the program features great storytelling, great characters and the opportunity for great discussion on a range of issues. We will also welcome the Stone Soup Kitchen from the Castlemaine Community House which will be serving warming soup to keep our film buffs warm between screenings in the Theatre Royal brick courtyard,” she said.
“For those who are unable to make it to the festival there is also the opportunity to view our films online from the comfort of your own home,” Jager said.
Continuing C-Doc’s spirit of innovation and bold storytelling this year, they are bringing a showcase from SENSILAB, a Monash University research lab at the frontier of new media technology.
From 2pm today at the Phee Broadway Theatre three world-renowned, leading industry experts Jon McCormack (SensiLab), Oscar Raby (SensiLab/VRTOV), and Nirma Madhoo (RMIT) will present the history of XR technology, and the future possibilities of XR to a general audience to get the community excited about the possibilities of XR technology, building an audience for future years.
Following these presentations will be a panel discussion, moderated by Kate Clark (Monash University).
Castlemaine Art Museum will also launch their next Terrace Projection ‘Equal the Contest’ by Mitch Nivalis today to coincide with the 2023 Castlemaine Documentary Festival. This commissioned video work will screen on the CAM façade every evening until September 10.
For tickets to this weekend’s festival visit cdocff.com.au
Hi Tammy, can you tell us about your early years?
I grew up in England and emigrated to Australia when I was 12. My dad was a gardener so we moved to Hesket and lived on an Azalea and Camelia nursery and I went to school at Braemar College. I was there when the fire started near Woodend (the week before Ash Wednesday). I remember they couldn’t get the keys for the buses so they decided we should walk down a dirt track amongst the trees and the smoke. We weren’t very far from the fire and couldn’t go home. Dad stayed and my sister and mum went to Melbourne. When we came back the Ash Wednesday fires came through (fortunately the fire went around the nursery and we didn’t lose anything). That was our introduction to Australia. I still can’t cope with the smell of fire. Not long after that, we moved to Woodend.
How did you meet your husband Darren?
My dad was heavily involved with the state emergency services, and Darren volunteered. I think it was a Christmas party, and they ran a pretend car accident scenario and Darren was playing a casualty in the car accident. I was 17. We got married when I was 19 and had our first child when I was 21. In between we started our business- we worked together for 33 years.
What sort of business was it?
It was a spare parts business- Autopro in Kyneton. Darren had been working in spare parts so he had contacts in the industry. I was also working at Ben Hunter Motors, A Mitsubishi Dealer in Kyneton at the time, so I used to do the paperwork for our business during my lunch breaks! I stopped working at Ben Hunter Motors a month before my first child was born but I never stopped working in our business. I used to bring my daughter to work with me or work from home. Then 12 years ago we bought a second business- KRB Motors in Castlemaine.
How did you come to work at the Castlemaine Mail?
We used to be regular advertisers with the Mail so when we sold the business I had to tell the paper and a few weeks later they asked if I wanted a job working in Sales Support and Admin – I’ve been in the job for two years now. The two things we noticed when we sold the businesses was that our phone never rings now and we get weekends off!
Have you travelled much?
I’ve been back to England once when Jess and Nic were little and we’re planning a trip back in a few years. We’ve been to Bali and Thailand but mostly we’ve travelled around Australia in either a camper trailer or tent. One of the most memorable trips was a six-week journey travelling from the most easterly point of Australia in Byron Bay right through the centre to the most westerly part at Steep Point WA.
What hobbies do you enjoy?
Embroidering, quilting, yoga and gardening (I’m doing a lot of re-vegetation on our 15-acre property in Drummond).
What sort of music do you enjoy?
It’s varied. I like Ed Sheeran, James Taylor, and the 70s and 80s.
What are you reading at the moment?
I can’t remember the name of it – but I like light and easy.
Who are your dream dinner guests?
I think it’d be cool to invite my four grandparents (who have passed) but when they were the same age as I am now. I’d love to know how they lived their life back then.
What philosophies do you live life by?
I treat people the way I like to be treated and I like to do the best I can at anything I do.
Finally, what do you love most about the place you call home?
Our neighbours and the quietness – I like being in the bush.
The Rotary Club of Castlemaine’s 34th annual Art Show Exhibition and Sale drew fantastic crowds over the long weekend.
This year there were over 450 exhibits displayed by 140 artists and in a fantastic result for our local artists 76 pieces sold totalling more than $31,000.
The show was officially opened with a sparkling evening last Thursday night at the Town Hall where the winners of the various categories were announced.
It may have been cold outside but the atmosphere inside was warm and the food bountiful.
Art Show judges Naomi Cass and David Frazer have did an amazing job selecting winners from such a talented field.
Rotary Castlemaine president Grant Thomas thanked the judges, art show coordinators Robert Cordy and Judy Kinnersley, curator Catherine Tait, all the volunteers and of course their generous sponsors which helped to make the event a success.
Winners were as follows:
Major Art Prize 2D (Belle Property) $1500 – Les Thornton, ‘Castlemaine Health’.
Best 3D Work (Belle Property) $500 – Beverley Tyack, ‘Jewellery Tree-Gold’.
Best Oil or Acrylic 2D (Pyrenees Quarry) $250 – Karen Holland, ‘Hanging in There’.
Best Water Colour 2D (Gunangara) $250 – John Lam, ‘Morning Light’.
Best Photographic Work (Maltby Property) $250 – Andy Idrans, ‘Chaos and Calm’.
Best Work on Paper (Castlemaine Office Supplies) $250 – Leah Mow-Yoffee, ‘Little Raven Sings Under the Silver Wattle’.
Across the weekend visitors to the exhibition were invited to cast a vote for the People’s Choice proudly sponsored by Parson’s Motor and Body Shop ($150). The winner was Adam Weston for his magnificent eagle which stood in pride of place near the Town Hall stage.
Adam said he was really delighted with the response to his work.
“This particular piece took around 150 hours to complete. I was thrilled with the reaction it received and delighted it sold,” he said.
The local artist works as a security guard and said his artistic pursuits began tinkering in the shed where his business ‘Ambience of Nature’ Sculptures was born.
“It has been slowly building through word of mouth, but it was great to receive this wider recognition,” he said.
The popular annual raffle was also drawn Monday. The winners were 1st Anita Cappy, 2nd Lachie Fortune, 3rd Cassandra Davey and 4th Matthew Driscoll.
The club thanks all the artists for their support and all those who turned out to enjoy the incredible talent on show across the weekend.
As a Rotary Project, all staff were volunteers but there were some expenses, so the final fundraising tally from entry fees and the raffle is still being finalised.
Saturday was the final round of the Castlemaine Rifle Club’s Championship for 2022-2023.
The event consists of eight stages contested over 12 months to determine the Club Champions in ‘Target Rifle’, ‘F Class’ and ‘F Open’.
Distances from 300 yards to 900 yards are shot over in all types of weather from hot to cold, wet and dry, and varying degrees of wind and mirage.
The winners, ‘The Club Champions’ are the shooters who can shoot with the most accuracy and skill in all of these conditions over the twelve months, proving to be the best shooters at the club.
Shooting was over the long distances of 800 and 900 yards in pleasant conditions.
At the first range, Club President Richard Ruddick started well with 49.2 in Target Rifle.
In ‘F Class’ Sam Swagemakers scored 55.2 to lead Greg Brown with 54.1.
In ‘F Open’ Dan McColl had the best score of 57.3 to lead Tony Skinner with 53.2.
The next range was our longest distance being 900 yards.
Target Rifle was again led by Richard Ruddick with 53.6 followed by Chris Jolme with 39.0.In ‘F Class’ Greg Brown scored 62.1 with Darren Trevena next with 58.2.
In ‘F Open’ Tony Skinner scored 59.2 followed by Dan McColl with 59.1.
Final results for the day saw Richard Ruddick win Target Rifle followed by Chris Jolme.
Chris won the handicap from Richard.
In ‘F Class’ Greg Brown won the day with 116.2 followed by Sam Swagemakers with 111.5.
Sam won the handicap from Greg.
Dan McColl won ‘F Open’ with 116.4 from Tony Skinner with 112.4.
Tony won the handicap from Dan.
The next was the totals to determine this year’s Club Champions.
The ‘Target Rifle’ winner was Richard Ruddick from Chris Jolme and Gary Ryan.
Chris won the handicap from Richard and Gary.
The winner in ‘F Class’ was Greg Brown with Darren Trevena second and Sam Swagemakers third.
Sam won the handicap from Greg and Darren.
This was Greg’s first win in the Club Championship.
F Open was won by Dan Mc- Coll.
This was also the first win for Dan.
Second place went to Jamie Griffin with third Phil Smith.
The handicap was won by Jamie Griffin with Dan second and Phil third.
It was a tough fought contest in all grades with the winners deserving the title of ‘Club Champion’.
This weekend is the second round of the Victorian Precision Service Rifle Series commencing with a practice on Saturday.
This event has really grown in popularity around Australia with entrants coming from many parts of Australia to Castlemaine to compete.
For more information on the sport of big bore rifle shooting call the Captain on 5474 2552 or see Max at Castlemaine Fresh.
Perth artist and former Little Birdy frontwoman Katy Steele released her second long awaited solo studio album Big Star last Friday June 9 and to coincide with the release she will be heading out on a massive national tour which kicks off in July.
The tour will include a stopover at Castlemaine’s Bridge Hotel on August 5 and Katy told the Mail she is looking forward to sharing her new music with the local audience.
The new album features recently released alt-pop track Come And See Me plus previous singles End Is Near and Feel So Bad.
The album was created and recorded at her home in Perth alongside life partner Graham McCluskie over a period of time where they became parents to two beautiful girls.
The latest offering is completely DIY and really shines a light on Katy’s craftsmanship as an artist as well as her ability to do it all as a musician and mother.
Katy reflects on the process, “Of course, like many projects that demand so much energy and creativity, there were times I questioned everything. However, one of the most important lessons I’ve learnt about myself is that I will never stop creating, no matter what life throws my way. This is what I was born to do,” she said.
“All of the elements that you will experience when listening were lovingly created and recorded in my home studio, by me and my life partner. To be able to hit record whenever you feel that spark inside you is pretty incredible. The world we live in is forever changing and now this album is a part of it.”
If there’s one thing that you remember about Katy Steele it’s that voice. Undeniable, ethereal, dramatic and melodic. She’s a one and only. A creative chameleon. A singersongwriter. An artist with almost two decades in the Australian music industry who continues to impress.
Katy is no stranger to hard work. At 19, and as the lead singer of one of Australia’s biggest bands Little Birdy, she travelled the world building her music career and releasing three studio albums with the band (BigBigLove, Hollywood, Confetti).
The success of which came with a myriad of ARIA nominations as Little Birdy continued to make its mark on the music scene.
A band hiatus saw her move to New York to work on song writing and production allowing her to develop and explore her own sound while navigating a personal and emotional evolution.
Out of that experience came her first solo album Human, including It Ain’t Me, Everywhere With You and Where’s The Laughter.
Speaking to the Mail during her recent stint as the Double J Artist in Residence Katy said it was wonderful to have the ability to experiment and build on the sound for this latest album.
“It was also incredible to have input into the art direction as well. We had control over every aspect of the project,” she said.
“It involved growth, strength and determination but I am really proud of the final result and so excited to be able to share it with a live audience,” she said.
For tickets visit oztix.com.au
Richard McLeish
Local community radio station MainFM’s annual MAIN Game football fundraiser drew a crowd of birdwatchers, musos and legends alike to Camp Reserve last Sunday.
As the siren sounded it was two footy teams of a different persuasion than usual that had taken centre stage.
Dressed in pink, grey and white, with plenty of glitter and face-paint to match, the Radio Galahs held off a fast-finishing Rockatoos in red, black and yellow to take out bragging rights.
Connecting three pillars of Mount Alexander’s diverse community – sports, radio and music – the MAIN Game has become a prominent feature of the local events calendar since its inception in 2018.
In front of a 700-plus crowd of all ages dressed largely in the colours of their preferred team, this year’s battle of the birds didn’t disappoint.
After the sporran-donned Highland Pipe Band sounded the opening of the afternoon in fine style, the ball was bounced and the feathers began to fly.
With some efficient use of the ball inside 50, the Galahs managed to kick three goals in the first quarter utilising the breeze.
Sam Wills snagged a pair, offering a strong target up front and leaving the Rockatoos scratching their beaks for defensive answers.
But with a change of direction in play to downwind, the Rockatoos went to work in the second quarter chipping away at the deficit.
The mixed-gender nature of the game saw the ladies take the on-ball roles in the even quarters, with players from both local female teams – CFNC and The Falcons – racking up the stats and matching the physicality of their counterparts with prowess.
The seven-piece Presbyterians took to the stage at halftime in an assortment of footy tops, belting out originals and familiar favourites such as Electric Six’s Gay Bar and Morphine’s Thursday, giving the crowd something further to cheer about as they snacked on sausages cooked by the Castlemaine Football and Netball Club (CFNC) and sipped locally brewed beer from the Taproom.
As the action returned to the field for the third quarter and the players’ hammies began to tighten and the height of the Galahs came to the fore.
A series of intercept marks helped them hold off the hard-running Rockatoos who were contained in their defensive half for much of the term.
Play was briefly suspended as an unidentified streaker graced the field wearing a head-to-toe ‘nude’ onesie before being subdued by a dubious-looking figure of authority.
The boundary rider for the MainFM broadcast, which ran all afternoon on 94.9FM, was also in a full-length He-Man costume complete with inflatable sword, in line with the costumes of the day – Castlemaine loves to dress up.
A similar pattern of play continued for the final term, where the Rockatoos spent most of the time in their forward line trying to pierce through the solid Galah defence.
Alas, their comeback was ultimately denied by the clock as much as anything else.
But by that stage of the afternoon, most of the crowd mightn’t have even noticed.
The winner was indeed the event itself and nobody left the ground with a frown.
Final scores were Radio Galahs 5.1 (31) to Rockatoos 3.4 (22).
Rockatoos captain Paddy Tobias took out best on ground with a swag of possessions.
The attention to detail reflects the commitment to such events in a testament to the passion of the local community.
Professional-grade team songs were recorded in the build up to the match by Rockatoo Tim Johnson.
Football cards have been a fixture, along with plenty of merchandise.
It’s an event that totals more than the sum of its parts, and rivals anything like it, including the Reclink Community Cup in Melbourne that inspired it.
It’s been a challenging month for many involved in the sporting community of the region after the tragic passing of local footballer Dallas Keogh-Frankling late last month.
Players and officials acknowledged the resilience and solidarity of the late young footballer’s family and the community around him with a minute’s silence before the game.
The trending hashtag #putyourbootsoutfordallas had featured prominently among the social media accounts of MAIN Game players in the build-up to the match.
Regional rocker Tim Rogers graced the DJ decks at the afterparty held at the Bridge Hotel as the sound of bird calls were heard late into the night.
The MAIN Game happens each year on the King’s Birthday Weekend at Camp Reserve in Castlemaine.
Visit www.mainfm.net for more details.
By James McArdle
Architectural details have long been inspired by myth, heraldry and symbolism, dating back to the classical era.
Such is the case for Orlando Dutton’s bas-relief on the Castlemaine Art Museum’s façade.
Orlando Henry Dutton, whose initials and surname are on the sculpture, was an Australian immigrant born in Walsall, Staffordshire, on April 1, 1894.
After fighting in WW1 and contracting malaria in Malta, he followed other members of his family to South Australia in 1920, marrying there and completing four bronze reliefs that surround the obelisk of a war memorial in the town Booleroo Centre (confirmed in my query to State Library, SA) from memories of his own wartime experiences, before setting up in Melbourne.
The son of a baker, he was trained as apprentice to an architectural sculptor in Lichfield as a stone carver, and was employed on buildings in various parts of England before coming here, where he also fought in the AIF in WW2.
At sixty-one on a nostalgic return to England in 1955, he revisited his beloved home town, and his early sculptural commissions, intending to settle permanently with his then 75-year-old wife Emma. Tragically she died there.
He returned to Australia in 1960, and died two years later.
I have tried to discover if Percy Meldrum, architect of the 1931 CAM building, commissioned Dutton directly.
Perhaps he knew of sculptures on which Dutton was working for the façade of the Manchester Unity Building at the intersection of Collins and Swanston Streets.
Below is one of its duplicate sculptural groups from the facade’s bas-relief, from Ken Scarlett’s Australian Sculptors (they are six stories above the street).
Even with the assistance of young Stanley Hammond over 1930-32, Dutton was under pressure to complete these and other commissions at the same time.
His solution was ingenious; both the CAM bas-relief and the Manchester Unity sculptures are cast from moulds… expedient in the case of the Melbourne commission given the need for identical sets of figures (Faith, Hope and Charity) above each entrance on the corner block.
For that, he used high-fired terracotta cast in pieces and assembled for installation.
For CAM, since it had to be transported from his Melbourne studio, he cast the bas-relief in artificial stone.
The process is evident in the way none of the shallow figures is undercut, so that it could be easily extracted in three pieces from the negative mould, itself cast in plaster from a clay original.
That is why no chisel marks are visible, and you can see the incisions into wet clay that form spare line work… it is modelled additively, not sculpted ‘subtractively’ in the traditional sense.
That technique is echoed in the planters on the terrace by sculptor and textile artist Michael O’Connell, also from England, who made them and his house ‘Barbizon’ in (Clarice Beckett’s) Beaumaris in cast concrete. Their panels in warm artificial stone depict local native animals.
The subject of Dutton’s bas-relief is understood from its symbolism. The identity of the central female figure is conveyed by the fact that her throne bears on her left a ‘mural crown’ which looks like it is made of brick or stone blocks.
The crown descends from that legendary golden band or halo bestowed on the Roman soldier who was first to breach the walls of a city or fortress besieged by his army (though earlier mural crowns appear on heads in Greek sculptures too).
It was taken up in medieval heraldry, and appears on coats of arms of many countries, including that of Malta where Dutton fought, and is the symbol of the guard- ian deity of nations, states or cities.
So the woman at the centre of CAM’s building façade is the goddess of Castlemaine.
To reinforce her power, at her right appears the fasces carried by the attendants of any Roman authority figure, be they magistrates, senators, or emperors.
It is a bundle of birch rods – truncheons in effect – and when carried beyond Rome’s walls, they were bound around a battleaxe – in this case double-headed, to be used to punish any who would defy Roman law.
Originally a literal symbol of punitive ‘fascist’ authority, here, they may attach to another legend, that of Aesop’s tale of a despairing father whose sons were constantly fighting.
For their edification he presented each with sticks tied in a bundle which he challenged them to break. None could.
He then untied the bundle and gave each son one of the sticks, again inviting them to break them, which they did easily.
“United,” he said, “you are strong. On your own, you can be defeated. Agree, look out for each other, and you may thrive.”
That may be the intention here… it was a dedicated group of women who united to realise the building of CAM.
The figure we know is Castlemaine herself, gestures broadly.
On one side, she takes the gold dug out by the miners depicted on our right, labouring in the mud of Forest Creek with shovel and pan, and uses it to build Castlemaine.
On the other she gives of this wealth to artists; a painter, and a sculptor who perhaps carves a version of herself with his mallet and chisel.
The miners’ windlass and the sculptor’s plinth; and the mound of miner’s clay and the leaves of acanthus at the artist’s feet; in the corners these forms bracket the strict symmetry, like that of the whole gallery façade.
Those leaves emerge from another Roman tale told by Vitruvius in which Greek architect Callimachus saw on the grave of a little girl that her nurse had set a basket of her favourite toys and placed a slate upon it to protect it.
Acanthus around the grave had grown through the basket, thus inspiring the ornate Corinthian capital.
Stout trunks growing beside the throne of the goddess Castlemaine sprout more leaves above her head; flowering gum to the right, and over the artists, laurel, the symbol of triumph worn by champion athletes and poets laureate, and of the women whose vision is realised in this building.
As you walk through the iron porch gates to enter the Art Museum you pass under another relief, a scallop shell in stone placed directly above the glass doors.
In heraldry it is the badge of those who had been on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, and here it belongs to pilgrims of art, the visitors to CAM.
Castlemaine Art Museum is open from 12-4pm Thursday, 12-6.30pm Friday, and 12-4pm Saturday and Sunday. To discover more visit castlemaineartmuseum.org.au
Last Friday ten staff from Castlemaine Arcare braved the cold wintery weather and allowed themselves to be dunked into the freezing water of the dunk tank, much to the joy of the residents and onlookers.
The Arcare Castlemaine Big Freeze Fundraiser has raised more than $2000 for Motor Neurone Disease (MND), more than doubling their original $1000 goal, with $731 in cash donations on the day, a huge $500 donation from Big 4 Caravan Parks Castlemaine and the Residence Manager Catherine McDonald donating $50 for each staff member that was dunked – a total of $500 for the 10 staff members that participated.
“Community engagement is an integral part of Arcare’s value system and being a home of avid footy fans, the residents and team have jumped on board to make this MND fundraiser a community event,” Catherine said.
The original idea sprang from one of the Arcare residents, Dot Farley who told Patrick Merrin (Arcare staff member) that she’d pay money to see him get a bucket of ice poured over his head.
“I mentioned the idea to Peter Dolan and it grew from there,” commented Patrick.
“Being footy season and with the focus on the upcoming ninth installment of ‘The Big Freeze at the G’ Melbourne v Collingwood match on Monday we decided to hold the fundraiser to coincide with the AFL event.”
Arcare Castlemaine would like to say a big thank you to their sponsors – Luke’s Plumbing, Jim’s Mowing and Cain’s Suck ‘Em Up Gutter Cleaning.
Donations are still open at: hub.fightmnd.org.au/diy-big-freeze-9/arcare-castlemaine-fightmnd-1 so hop on and donate today.
Castlemaine Rotary showcased ten apprentices and trainees last Wednesday June 7 as part of the 2023 Castlemaine Rotary Apprentice & Trainee Awards.
At a packed event at the Cumberland Hotel attended by the nominees, employers and proud family members, Rotary Club President Grant Thomas celebrated the excellence of the apprentices and the local workplaces that provide them with strong values and valuable learning.
Guest speaker Helen Butcher reflected on the value of the trades and the importance of networks and local businesses to provide employment for our young people.
Helen and husband Trevor have employed many apprentices over their years in business and she encouraged the young people in the audience to engage with the people around them.
“Be aware of who you are following, who is supporting you, and who you are leading.”
When announcing the awards, Vocational Services Director, Vin Cappy, said that given the high calibre of the nominees the judges had a difficult time narrowing down the field to just one.
“They all presented extremely well in the interviews and demonstrated great pride in their work, however, there was one compelling nomination that stood out,” he said.
That worthy winner was KW Thompsons Transport apprentice Griffin Day.
“We have been in the transport industry for 50+ years and have had many mechanics come through our workplace. But never have we come across an apprentice as dedicated and hard working as Griffin,” stated Keith and Scott Thompson in their nomination.
A clearly delighted Griffin was awarded the $1,000 prize.
Highly Commended Awards of $250 were presented to Caleb Betts nominated by David Anderson Plumbing & Gasfitting, and Andrew McCartney nominated by Kowelec Electrical Services.
A $50 encouragement voucher provided by HALT Australia was presented to the remaining nominees James McDougal (Rural and Outdoors), Dalton Williams and Kaine Fleeton (Maine Plumbing), Jack Waters and Max Chapman (Kowelec), Andrew Clover (Don KR) and James Kerr (Parsons Motor & Body Shop) ensuring that everyone went home smiling.
“Our future is in good hands,” Rotary President Grant Thomas said.
