The Magpies Senior Men’s Footballers put on a spirited performance against Gisborne last Saturday, keeping within four goals at half time. It was an improvement on previous years’ with the Magpies fighting hard through all terms, Gisborne kicking away in the final minutes.
The Magpie Netball sides battled equally hard on court with a standout performance by young goal attack Emma Winfield in A Grade. The side falling just eight goals short against the Bulldogs.
The Magpie Women’s Footballers kicked off their 2023 season with a massive 235 point win over the North Bendigo Women on Sunday.
Tonight, April 28 from 7.15pm the Magpie Women’s Footballers will play their first home fixture against Eaglehawk at the Camp Reserve, and tomorrow, April 29 the Magpie BFNL sides will host Strathfieldsaye.
Magpies valiant
A magical Parkrun
Castlemaine Parkrun held another great event last Saturday with 124 people taking to the track for a run, walk, or
stroll of the required three laps of our beautiful Botanical Gardens course.
Joe McNeill was the first across in a new PB of 19:48 and he was followed by John Gray, a Castlemaine ‘First Timer’ but parkrun veteran on 20:34 – Joe has 214 events under his belt which is impressive at whatever speed. Next across was Johnny Horrocks, again in a new PB at 20:42.
The first of our female participants to finish was Melissa McGauran in her first ever Castlemaine run at 23:21 and in only her ninth ever run. She was followed by Keely Williams on 24:16 and Bec Percoco just three seconds slower and in a new PB too.
While there were too many ‘First timers’ to individually mention, as in their first time at our event, we should note Gabriel O’Sullivan who ran a terrific 24:25 in his first ever parkrun. He was followed across by Jason Cordy in 24:23, Jen Hendry in 26:02, Abel Davies in 27:08, Helen Ashwell at 32:18, Simone McInerny at 46:02, Jackie Brierley at 50:04, Peter McConvill on 58:46, and Simone Woodrow on 1:03:33 in her first ever event.
This is something to celebrate, the arrival of eight new participants to the parkrun community and we’d like to see each of them become regulars to what is a fantastic community event.
These numbers were augmented by another 20 people who attended our event for the first time, having notched up events at other venues.
By way of contrast, we saw Paul David Sales notch up his 383rd event and Margaret Ann Sales her 381st – a remarkable effort by a couple of parkrun devotees.
Of interest is that of the 18 Personal Bests recorded, the vast majority were gained by relative newcomers, typically people with less than 10 parkruns under their belt.
The volunteer contingent, upon which so much depends was made up of Robyn English, Donna Faircloth, Geoff Faircloth, Marilla Faircloth, Quinn Faircloth, Jane Harding, Ross Jarvis, Dave Petrusma, and Jeff Rogers who got the show on the road – and kept it there. Jane, it should be noted, doubled up as the day’s Run Director and volunteer wrangler – ‘Great Job!’. Castlemaine Parkrun is very well served by its volunteers and in particular the Run Directors who do so much behind the scenes.
If you’d like to join our friendly parkrun community, just register online, turn up for the briefing a bit
before 8am and set off on your own parkrun adventure. We’d love to see you there.
Celebrate at Castlemaine Pride Week
Castlemaine Pride returns in 2023 and not even its founders could have imagined its phenomenal expansion. From a single afternoons picnic in 2018, the community-led festival has grown into a week-long celebration of the culture, history, creativity, and determination of the LGBTQIA+ community in Mount Alexander Shire.
The first Castlemaine Pride picnic was held as an act of healing after the dark days of the marriage equality debate. Since then, the LGBTQIA+ community has had some significant wins, but at a high cost; a cost the community — and trans and gender diverse people in particular — are still paying. Through it all, Castlemaine Pride has continued to flourish.
“There is a staggering amount of backlash directed towards the queer community at the present moment of time,” says Castlemaine Pride co-founder Sherene Clow (she/her).
“Crazy, hateful stuff like anti-trans rallies. But the way we overcome that as a community is with our joy. And so what we’re aiming for in this year’s Castlemaine Pride is the loudest, proudest, most joyful celebration of the diversity that our queerness brings to the world,” commented Sherene.
To that end, Pride-goers can enjoy a program that includes talks, tennis, cinema, live music, drag, a scavenger hunt, and a dance party.
Trans and Gender Diverse Bendigo and Beyond will also be bringing their famous clothes swap back to Castlemaine Town Hall on Sunday, April 30.
“Safe and affirming spaces are important,” says Event Organiser Zara Jones (she/they).
“But safe and affirming spaces where people can have a great time are essential, and generally, when we come together as a community, that’s exactly what happens.”
The flagship event of the festival is still the Castlemaine Pride Picnic, which will kick off proceedings on Saturday, April 29 at the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens from 11 am until 5 pm. The picnic — as with the majority of events in the festival — is free to attend, with food trucks and entertainment laid on. This year the lineup includes performances from Cath Jamison, Australia’s leading female magician and mentalist, and Polly Filla, the Goldfields’ own drag icon, as well as the ever-popular Petstock Dog Show.
Always a family-friendly event, this year there will be some extra special entertainment for the kiddos courtesy of The Connected Circus.
Castlemaine Pride has been made possible largely through the hard work of volunteers, who have put in hundreds of hours to make it a reality. When asked why, volunteer Rani
Kerrin (she/her) comments, “It’s a labour of love, and the reward is a LGBTQIA+ community that’s thriving and vibrant.”
For more information or to download the full program of events visit: www.castlemainepride.org.au.
Local legend to feature
Local actor John Flaus stars in the newest feature film Mr Cripes Blimey screening at the Northern Arts Hotel next month. The offering has been written and directed by Saidin Salkic.
The film explores the many spheres of mood and excitement, hitting strong and hard and introducing audiences to a character and a story yet inexperienced by the Australian film public. The hero is desperate, aged, and enchanted by the forest he is in and by his magic clock which is making him younger. He is desperate to win the horse race and he wants to collect his money desperately.
“I want my money desperately, I want to claim my money, desperately,” screams Mr Cripes Blimey.
He celebrates his ‘regrowing’ hair in the mirror, as his reverse clock starts to make him feel younger. He is unsure as he faces the mirror, with honesty, delusion, and fear.
Mr Cripes Blimey is: “…starting to feel strange”.
The forest has surrounded him and he can not find his way out. His desperation grows and his will is keeping him strong. What audiences don’t know yet; it is Mr Cripes Blimey’s birthday today.
The film will be screening at the Cool Room at Northern Arts Hotel at 5.30pm on Sunday, May 14.
Local artist honouring our Diggers
The Central Goldfields Art Gallery’s latest exhibition – IMMORTALS– featuring the work of Castlemaine artist Clayton Tremlett will be officially opened by Councillor Geoff Lovett this Saturday at 2pm.
Immortals is an exhibition that brings together a portrait study of the faces of 54 Digger memorials throughout the State of Victoria. Through his comparative portrait study of the Digger memorials, Tremlett provides us with an opportunity to focus on cenotaphs to fallen soldiers in World War I.
This is the first ever visual record of Victorian Digger memorials which took four years of research by local artist and restoration expert of historic monuments.
The result of Tremlett’s extensive research shows that each Digger Cenotaph is a unique individual and not just mass-produced generic faces as may be assumed by the onlooker.
This study celebrates and connects a shared history for regional communities. The series invites the community to reflect on a time when Australia was a fledgling nation that answered a request to send troops to a war in foreign countries.
Presented just after ANZAC Day, the exhibition also provides the opportunity for audiences to focus on the Maryborough memorial situated in McLandress Square just a few minutes walk from Central Goldfields Art Gallery.
The sculptor of the Maryborough memorial was the remarkable Margaret Baskerville (1861- 1930) who is known as Australia’s first female sculptor. The Maryborough Womens’ Patriotic League campaigned for Baskerville to sculpt Maryborough’s memorial.
Despite opposition, they were successful and the Maryborough Memorial was dedicated in 1926 with the support of the council.
Tremlett visited and documented all of the monuments depicted in this exhibition. With most of the monuments facing east, the artist was often onsite at sunrise to capture images of the faces of the Diggers in these memorials in the light of the rising sun. Each monument was digitally photographed between 80 and 120 times with one selected image transformed via digital editing software. The image was then separated into five tonal (grey) layers and produced as a screen print that resembles a WW1 studio portrait.
Clayton Tremlett’s artwork is represented in collections around Australia including the National Gallery of Australia, Geelong Art Gallery and the State Library of Victoria.
Refreshments will be provided at the opening and the community and visitors to the region are welcome and encouraged to attend.
The exhibition will be on display until June 11, 2023.
Central Goldfields Art Gallery is situated at 1 Neill Street, Maryborough. The gallery is open from Thursday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm and entrance is free.
The exhibition will also feature a Art History Tour next Sunday May 7, an Artist’s Talk on Sunday May 14 and an Art Talk by Barbara Nielsen on May 18.
For more information visit www.centralgoldfieldsartgallery.com.au
Anzac Day crowds pause to remember
Community members turned out in force at Anzac Day services across the local region on Tuesday April 25.
A huge crowd gathered to honour our Anzacs at the Castlemaine dawn service followed by another sizeable crowd at the main service.
The Castlemaine Highland Pipe Band led marchers from the Castlemaine Town Hall along a new reversed route down Hargraves Street and into Mostyn Street to the cenotaph. Marchers included ex-service personnel and family representatives, Castlemaine Returned & Services League (RSL) and Legacy members, CFA and SES personnel, local Scouts and Girl Guides, school students and the mayor Rosie Annear.
The crowd was welcomed by Master of Ceremonies Alan Lane who gave an acknowledgement of Country and oversaw the mounting of the ‘Cenotaph Guard’ of local Scouts and Guides.
Mr Lane said the Anzac Day tradition was not a time for the glorification of war but for sombre reflection.
“The sight of so many graves (crosses) reminds us of the terrible cost of war and, of course, the tragedy of so many young lives lost did not end there. The pain of their loss lived on in the hearts of all those who loved these sons, husbands, fathers, brothers, and friends. While war may at times be unavoidable Anzac Day is a time to remind us of the preciousness of peace,” he said.
Mr Lane also spoke of the Pacific War campaign in Papua New Guinea and the bravery of the Papua New Guinea people which risked their own lives to protect our troops, the 50th anniversary of the cessation of the Vietnam War and the 70th anniversary of the Korean War.
“Forty Australians are still listed as Missing in Action in Korea,” he said.
“As we look around us at the sacrifices that those who lay here made despair must not be our tribute to them, rather as we consider the enormity of their sacrifice let us remember that their true and lasting legacy is the freedoms that we continue to enjoy to this day,” he said.
The Castlemaine Highland Pipe Band then performed a stirring rendition of the Highland Cathedral.
Alan then welcomed RSL president John Whiddon to the podium.
John acknowledged the recent 100th birthday milestone of WWII Corporal Maisie Douglas the oldest local service member.
John also shared the inspirational story of Royal New Zealand Airforce pilot Vance Drummond who served in the Korean War and survived interment as a prisoner of war before later serving in the Vietnam War and being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Emma Sayer and the Thompson’s Foundry Band then performed the hymn ‘Oh God Our Help in Ages Past’ before Mount Alexander Mayor Cr Rosie Annear gave her address.
Cr Annear acknowledged that the ceremony was being held on Dja Dja Wurrung country and honoured our elders past, present and emerging and all those indigenous people who served and continue to service in Australian military forces.
“I’d also like to acknowledge and honour the sacrifices made by all members of our armed forces – those who paid the ultimate price, those who returned with scars both seen and unseen, spoken and unspoken, and to all those family members and friends who waited at home for all their loved ones gone to war who supported our service members through good times and bad. We thank you for your service,” she said.
Local singer and musician Maggie Jackson then shared a beautiful moving tribute to our Diggers with a performance of Lee Kernaghan’s ‘Spirit of the Anzacs’ which acknowledges that those who so bravely fought and died for our country and the freedoms we enjoy today were everyday Australians – a farmer, a drover, a city lad.
Castlemaine Secondary College School Captains Laura Smolak and Lucie Price also spoke sharing their thoughts on Anzac Day.
“My speech today is inspired by one of my favourite novels Gallipoli Street. As I read I realised how blindsided the Anzacs were, just pawns in a game of chess for the politicians of the world. A number, a statistic, not treated as the sons, husbands and fathers they were,” Laura said.
“As they sailed away from home some thought it would be a trip away, a chance to go and weed out the Turks in a week or so and return home heroes. They didn’t know they were sailing into an awaiting ambush. Two thousand men, some even younger than I, died on that first day at Gallipoli,” she said.
Community representatives then took the chance to lay wreaths at the cenotaph which was surrounded by a sea of little white crosses honouring each service person from our local region which has served our country in conflict and peace keeping missions since World War I.
RSL president John Whiddon then led the crowd in the citing of the Ode to Fallen Comrades before a member of the Thompson’s Foundry Band sounded out the Last Post and community members observed a minute’s silence in remembrance.
Emma Sayer and the Thompson’s Foundry Band then rounded out the service with performances of God Save the King, Advance Australia Fair and God Defend New Zealand.
Those in attendance were invited to join the RSL for morning tea and an Anzac biscuit to follow the service.
Anzac Day Services also took place at Campbells Creek, Chewton, Maldon, Newstead, and Harcourt and last Saturday an Anzac Day match was also contested between Campbells Creek and Carisbrook with Anzac Medals awarded to the Best on Ground and Court on the day.
Maldon Brass Band leads marchers to the cenotaph. 
Colin Peake served in Vietnam, Ray Lindstrom – wearing his father’s medals, and Gordon Tigg who served in Korea are pictured at the Maldon Anzac Day Service. 
Maldon Primary School students pay their respects at the Maldon cenotaph. 
George Milford pays tribute to the fallen at Harcourt’s afternoon Anzac Day service. 
Master of Ceremonies Alan Lane addresses the large crowd gathered at the Castlemaine cenotaph. 
Chewton community members gather to pay their respects at Chewton Soldiers Memorial Park. Photo: Max Lesser. 
Thompson’s Foundry Band perform at the Castlemaine Anzac Day service.
Councillors disappointed by response
Councillors at last Tuesday’s meeting of the council expressed their dissatisfaction and disappointment at the Department of Transport’s response to safety concerns from residents regarding Duke Street Castlemaine.
A group of Wesley Hill residents wrote to Mount Alexander Shire Council (MASC) requesting support to approach the Department of Transport (DOT) regarding road safety along Duke Street Castlemaine.
MASC Mayor Councillor Rosie Annear said she hopes that DOT takes this matter seriously.
“We heard a lot of stories about near misses, close calls, and actual accidents that may not have been captured by data,” commented Mayor Annear.
“Many of these involved children, older people, people living with a disability, and also cyclists and we’re committed to making roads safer for these people.
“I would prefer our community is as safe as possible and that we are able to address safety concerns before an accident occurs, not afterward,” Mayor Annear said.
A council officer followed up with DOT and was advised that it would investigate a reduction in the speed limit from 60km/h to 50km/h, however, they advised it may not be consistent with speed zoning guidelines.
DOT also advised the council that they would investigate the provision of a pedestrian crossing, but it may be a low priority for funding considering the relatively low pedestrian volume and lack of any reported crashes in the last five years.
Cr Gary McClure said that Duke Street splits activity at Wesley Hill down the middle and people do need to cross the very busy road, including children catching buses.
“I’m a little bit disappointed to hear that DOT are fairly disinterested in looking at this when they can see there have been no accidents in the area in the past five years,” commented Cr McClure.
“It’s terrible to think it would take an accident before they would look at this.”
Hope for the future of housing
“I never thought I’d be homeless. There’s always an undercurrent of people thinking you did something wrong, but it can happen to anyone.”
These are the words of a 52-year-old woman who immigrated from South Africa 10 years ago. After a series of unfortunate events left her broke and couch surfing, she was forced to leave Castlemaine in order to seek affordable housing elsewhere.
Last weekend My Home Network (auspiced by Dhelkaya Health) hosted a community housing forum in Castlemaine to provide community members the opportunity to talk with local government representatives about addressing the region’s housing crisis.
The panel of speakers included Federal Bendigo MP Lisa Chesters, Bendigo West State MP Maree Edwards, Mount Alexander Shire Council (MASC) Mayor Rosie Annear, MASC Housing Solutions Broker Clare Richards, and MASC Strategic Planning Coordinator Lauren Watt.
During the course of the afternoon, the panel listened to questions and personal experiences relating to the current housing crisis, with MP Edwards sharing her own experience of being inches away from homelessness.
“I remember lying awake at night wondering how I was going to feed the children. I do know that feeling,” Ms Edwards said.
Mayor Annear noted that the culture around the housing crisis needs to change and move towards empathy and understanding of different needs.
“What we need to do will take time, but in the interim, we need to make sure the community can look after each other,” Mayor Annear commented.
“I wish there was a quick fix but there’s just not.”
The conversations centered around the importance of the three levels of government working together to find solutions and while panel members acknowledged that the situation in the short term is dire, they expressed their hope for the future.
Some of the specific solutions discussed included; the state government’s removal of rate charges from social housing, filtering the money back into public housing, accessing the region’s share of available funding, trying to unlock state-owned land in Newstead and Maldon, and having input into the federal government’s 10-year plan for housing and homelessness.
Panel members also discussed the removal of planning permits required on rural living properties, looking at how best to utilise vacant dwellings and building quality, low-cost modular housing as well as ways to provide immediate and tangible support to people experiencing homelessness and housing instability.
If anyone is interested in providing assistance with the shire’s housing response there are a number of ways to get involved including; assisting with practical support (meals, transport etcetera), listing rental properties with a not-for-profit real estate, renting out rooms, joining the My Home Network working group or discussing donating or selling land to with a My Home Network expert. For more information visit: cch.org.au/community/my-home-network/ or email:projects2@centralvicpcp.com.au
My Newstead: Graeme Elshaug aka ‘Chicken Man’
Hi Graeme, you grew up in Newstead, can you tell us what that was like?
I was born in Castlemaine in 1954 – my mum used to work in the butter factory. Actually, that’s where my mum and dad met. Mum was a cream tester and Dad was a truck driver and mechanic.
Newstead is a lovely little town. I had a great childhood, rabbiting and fishing down at the river and I used to play tennis for Newstead. It’s still a good little town although it’s changed a lot.
It sounds idyllic. What sort of work have you done?
I started working at the National Bank when I was 18. I was there for 12 months and went from there to Melbourne for 15 years before moving to the Building Society in Bendigo (which is now the Bendigo Bank) where I worked as a loans officer.
Then Mum got sick with Crohn’s and I cared for her for 12 years. After Mum died I started looking after a friend’s son who has Down Syndrome and Autism and I ended up getting a job with the Shire. I was the first male carer in the Shire. I worked there for 20 years. I still have three NDIS clients – one I’ve been with for 18 years. It’s good. I love it.
You’re known to many as the ‘Chicken Man’- can you tell us how that came about?
I’ve loved chooks since I was nine years old. My mentor was Jack McPherson who gave me a trio of Australorps. I used to show chooks for a long time, until I was 21 and went to Melbourne to work. Dear old mum, she used to wash them for me. We’d have the lounge fire going with a box of chooks in there drying. In those days that’s what you did. It was a lot of hard work.
I’ve been going to farmers’ markets with Bill Wouda for the past 18 years. We do seven a month. I used to have around 600 chickens but now I only have around 40 because the cost of feed is too high.
You have a family member who is honoured by one of the trees at Honour Avenue in Newstead. Who was that?
Nana’s brother was only 17 when he went to war (he put his age up) his name was Bert Nicholas Martin. My sister Lynette and I found a package when our parent’s house burnt down and in it was a Bronze Medallion and a letter sent to our great-great grandmother from King George saying Bert had died.
What sort of music do you listen to?
The Seekers, the Beatles and I like country and western.
You’ve had a few overseas trips. Where did you go?
My sister and my two nephews shouted me a trip for my 50th birthday and we travelled to England, Scotland, and France all over. I went to Thailand for one of my nephew’s weddings, and to Spain for the other nephew’s wedding.
Who are your three dream dinner guests?
Elvis, John Farnham, and Johnny Cash.
What philosophies do you live life by?
Don’t worry about things – just get on with it. Life is what you make it.
Finally, what do you love most about the place you call home?
It’s a great little town. People are friendly, although there are not a lot of locals left.
Wedding industry winners
Local winery and wedding venue, Harcourt Valley Winery recently won ‘Best Wedding Venue’ in the Ballarat and Bendigo Wedding Industry Awards.
This is the third year in a row the beautiful winery has won the best venue and the first year their wedding coordinator Marie Bourne has won ‘Best Wedding Coordinator’.
“I didn’t even know I was nominated,” said Marie who began her career as a wedding coordinator after her own wedding ten years earlier.
“After my wedding in 2012, I coordinated a couple of friend’s events and it just kept growing. I was working as a teacher at the time and after a while, I thought I really like doing this. I could do this for a living.”
Mother of two boys aged three and eight, Marie said the hardest part of the work is the late nights and weekends but seeing the happiness of the couples at the end of the night makes it all worth it.
“My husband does so much behind the scenes, he quite literally does all the heavy lifting and I couldn’t do it without him,” she commented.
Marie is in the final throes of the season which involved an incredible 42 weddings, with two weddings a week during January.
“It was hectic! I’ve only got two more to go and then we’re closed for the winter break.”
Other winners of the Ballarat and Bendigo Wedding Industry Awards in the region include; Sandy Creek Clydesdales who won ‘Best Wedding Transport’, Makeup by Inez which took out ‘Bridal Hair and Makeup’ and a high commendation was awarded to Shedshaker Brewery as a Bucks and Hens Venue.
Enter our Trivia Trail competition!
Entries for this competition are now closed. Thanks to all who entered.
The Australian Heritage Festival
The National Trust Australian Heritage Festival in Castlemaine, Maldon and surrounds commenced this week. With events running until May 18 grab hold of the opportunity to immerse yourself in the region’s rich and diverse heritage, with special exhibitions, tours, talks, workshops, and more.
Some of the events and tours on offer are; The Storytellers Guide to the Goldfields- a self-guided audio tour brimming with knowledge and fun and complete with loads of historical and contemporary artworks and photographs, or take a trip back in time to the Victorian Goldrush at Castlemaine Diggings Heritage Park. Visit the Days of the Old Schoolyard Exhibit on display at the Maldon Museum or stop by the Newstead Railway Station for their open day Saturday, April 22, 10.00 am – 04.00 pm, and share your stories and memories about the railway station.
And don’t forget to pop by the Castlemaine Market Building and visit Boorp Boorp Boondyil, an interactive experience discovering the history and knowledge of our First Nation peoples.
For more information or to download the full program visit www.bendigoregion.com.au/visit-castlemaine-maldon/whatson/australian-heritage-festival-in-castlemaine-maldon-and-surrounds.