The Castlemaine Fringe Festival was officially opened with a huge opening party in Mechanics Lane last Friday evening.
The fun and frivolity continues this weekend with a massive theatre program, family friendly gigs including the Monster Mash Day Party in Victory Park tomorrow Saturday March 25 from 3-7pm, free events such as the Reactivate Street Party tomorrow night from 7pm which will feature more than 100 performers and projections and will be staged over four venues in the town centre, the Art Window Trail, 30th anniversary exhibition at the Phee, exhibitions, performances and much more. Visit www.castlemainefringe.org.au. Photo: Craig Gaston.
Fringe festivities continue this weekend
Building a better future after prison
Minister for Corrections Enver Erdogan visited Loddon-Middleton Prison in Castlemaine on Monday to meet Corrections staff and prisoners who are part of the Vocational Education and Training (VET) Centre of Excellence program that provides prisoners with the opportunity to obtain civil construction licenses and tickets.
Former prisoners have turned their lives around by using the program to find employment and pre-apprenticeship pathways and land a job in the construction sector, a well as warehousing and traffic control.
Minister Erdogan said 32 prisoners were part of the initial pilot, including 18 from the Castlemaine facility. Such was the success of the initial pilot the program has now been rolled out to prisons across the state.
The state government has allocated $37 million in its 2022/2023 budget to support the program over the next three years to ensure prisoners have access to quality VET education programs that reduce the barriers to aid employment upon release.
The program delivered by Corrections Victoria in conjunction with Bendigo Kangan Institute and major employers provides prisoners intensive training over 12-15 weeks and focuses on practical skills such as operating forklifts, skid steers, excavators and elevating work platforms.
Twenty-eight-year-old Sarah completed the VET Centre of Excellence (COE) at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in July 2022 and told the Mail she highly recommends the program to other women in prison, so that they can also feel empowered to succeed.
“I was one of the first four women to sign up for the pilot back in March 2022 and I found the training was really comprehensive. They didn’t just hand us a white card at the end of the course, we learnt a wide range of skills such as forklift driving, skid steer (bobcat), excavation skills, Stop/Slow traffic management and the mathematics behind different aspects of civil construction. We had to reach certain hours of training on the various machinery to complete our course,” she said.
Sarah received tickets and licences in traffic management, skid steer, excavator and gained many more skills related to work in the civil construction sector.
During her COE studies, Sarah was engaged with the Women’s Employment Specialist (WES) service at DPFC, who provided pre and post-release employment support.
Following her release in August 2022, the WES introduced Sarah to SHEForce, a recruitment company giving women ex-offenders a second chance and was employed on a casual basis.
Sarah’s skills soon impressed her new employer and within a short period of time and with much support she is now employed full time on a large construction site.
Sarah said that she is extremely grateful for the skills she learnt in the VET Centre of Excellence, the support she received from the Women’s Employment Specialists and the second chance from SHEForce.
“I am now working on a big construction project. I earn good money and I have a good life. I am sober and clean and making the most of this second chance,” Sarah said.
She definitely recommends the program to other women in custody.
“Just have a go. Not everything will be your cup of tea but it never hurts to learn new skills. I was really pleased to have skills and a clear plan to put in motion on my release,” she said.
A plan for the future
Mount Alexander Shire played host to a ‘Regional Zero Emissions Forum’ at the Castlemaine Town Hall last Thursday March 16.
The event was held by the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance, Greater Bendigo Climate Collaboration and the City of Greater Bendigo.
The free event explored local opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the region, and heard addresses from a raft of key speakers include Annika Kearton from the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance and Richard Denniss from the Australia Institute, as well as Mount Alexander Shire resident Bill Grant from Federation University. Others included representatives from Renew, Clean Energy Council, SEA Electric, and Cassinia Environmental.
Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance Executive Officer Annika Kearton told the Mail they had a wonderful response to the forum with more than 140 people in attendance at the day long event which featured more than 12 speakers on a range of topics, panel discussions and a brainstorming session.
Ms Kearton said it was a terrific opportunity to learn about the work already taking place across the 13 councils covered by the alliance spanning across the Loddon, Campaspe, Mallee and Grampians regions and also to discuss areas of need and plans to take further action moving forward.
“We know we are in the last decade where we can make a real difference. A lot of the discussion focused on energy equity and making sure everyone, including low income earners and renters are in a position to make changes to their homes to reduce their emissions,” Ms Kearton said.
The three main areas of discussion were energy, transport, and agriculture.
“The discussion around transport was particularly exciting. Transport is responsible for 18 per cent of our emissions. While many people are moving to electric cars the modelling is telling us this will not be enough. We need to look at improving public transport and active transport in our regions so people can be confident to leave their cars at home. Many felt the Commonwealth Games would provide a great opportunity to harness the need for improvements in public transport infrastructure in regional Victoria,” she said.
Ms Kearton said it was fantastic to hear from local student and School Strike for Climate campaigner Arlo Foyn-Hill who urged forum attendees to bring emissions down as much as possible as soon as possible for his and future generations’ sake, and DJAARA project manager Oli Moraes who offered a First Nations perspective on the issue.
“It’s important that all voices are heard as part of this discussion including our young people and First Nations people who have such a wealth of knowledge to offer about managing our environment,” she said.
“At the end of the day we want to scale up projects that are working and make our climate response bigger, faster and fairer,” Ms Kearton said.
City of Greater Bendigo Manager Climate Change and Environment Michelle Wyatt said the forum was really all about sharing information and making sure everyone was on the same page moving forward.
“Our panellists raised a lot of issues and options and we workshopped these to get our priorities down on paper and look at the key things we want to achieve are moving forward,” Ms Wyatt said.
“It is about looking at what is working – such as one really amazing local retrofiting project – and looking how we can expand that right across the entire region. It is also important that we work together and that all levels of government – local, state and federal are also working together on this,” she said.
Ms Wyatt said a report will be prepared following the event and will help inform Regional Development Victoria, which funded the event, about the outcomes and help organisations to implement and advocate for priority projects moving forward.
At this week’s council meeting Mayor Rosie Annear spoke of attending the forum and the large number of people passionate about tackling climate change and reducing emissions that attended.
“I learnt an awful lot in the time I was there,” said Mayor Annear.
“Probably one of the most striking things was when one of the young school strikers spoke and pretty much blew the crowd away. Just their energy and their drive and passion is incredible and we’re very lucky to have the young people that we do, especially in our community, leading the way on this.”
Join Adventure Bingo!
Adventure Bingo, which initially launched in 2020 in the townships of Castlemaine, Maryborough, Bendigo, Wedderburn, and Kyneton, has now launched in the towns of Maldon, Dunolly, Romsey, Boort, and Gunbower.
Adventure Bingo, an initiative of Healthy Loddon Campaspe is a fun way to get physically active in towns across the Loddon Campaspe Region. Using a map participants are able to spot points of interest during their walk and once they’ve spotted three items in a line, they’ve got Bingo.
Last Wednesday the latest round of Adventure Bingo kicked off at the Maldon Botanic Gardens with members from the Young at Heart Playgroup.
Maldon mum Elisha said she attends three different playgroups each week and she is looking forward to walking the new adventure bingo trail in Maldon, and previous trails in Castlemaine, and Harcourt.
“It’s good to get out and about and just get out of the house, doing something that’s great for the kids,” Elisha said.
Brenda, who has facilitated the ‘Young at Heart Playgroup’ in Maldon for the past 18 months, has been attending playgroups with her children for the past 10 years said it’s a great way to meet other families.
“The kids can interact with each other and it’s great to be able to compare notes with other parents,” Brenda said.
Healthy Loddon Campaspe is also giving residents the chance to win one of 50 $20 sports store gift cards via a series of prize draws. Entries are open from Monday March 20 until Friday May 5, with five weekly draws starting from Tuesday April 11. Residents simply need to complete Adventure Bingo online to go into the draw.
Healthy Loddon Campaspe Coordinator, Alicia O’Brien said Adventure Bingo encourages physical activity, especially for children and families, in our local region in a fun and simple way.
“It also provides residents and visitors alike with a free, self-guided opportunity to explore walks in our region at any time that suits them,” Ms O’Brien said.
“The 2022 Australian Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Young People indicated that whilst most children and young people in Australia have access to public open spaces such as parks and playgrounds, just one quarter are meeting the national physical activity guidelines for their age. We hope that encouraging people to participate in Adventure Bingo, it will provide a fun, free reason for children and families to be more physically active.
“Walking is also the most popular form of physical activity in our region, according to statistics from the Active Living Census, and Adventure Bingo plays on this popularity by providing residents with a fun activity to participate in when out on a walk.
“You can get involved both during the prize afterward when you can challenge friends and family to see who can get Bingo first.”
The Mount Alexander Shire Adventure Bingo walk is located in Maldon. Hard copy maps and Bingo cards are available for free at Maldon Visitor Information Centre or Castlemaine Visitor Centre or residents can participate online.
Vinnies needs you!
Vinnie’s Shop Castlemaine is looking for volunteers to join their wonderful team, sorting and selling a range of goods to help provide crucial material and financial support to the people in our community who need it most.
According to the Vinnies Shop Castlemaine manager Kim Perry the store lost a number of volunteers during the height of the pandemic, leaving them shorthanded.
“It doesn’t take over your life, people work at their own pace and to their capacity,” Kim said.
“Some people work a few hours a week and others work every day. We work around people’s lives, holidays, and time with grandkids. Volunteers provide a real support network for each other with lots of banter. I call it my Vinnies family.”
According to Kim people volunteer for many different reasons including giving back to the community, for social interaction, or to bring structure and meaning into people’s lives.
The need for assistance from the Vinnies Support Centre in Castlemaine has increased significantly in recent years with the rising cost of living and the shop proceeds from the shop provide essential funding to assist with bills, food, rent, and pet care.
“We get a lot of donations that all need to be processed,” Kim said. “But if we don’t have enough volunteers then we are forced to close down donations.”
At present the op shop has 22 volunteers working various shifts, but they require at least another 10 volunteers to process donations and work front-of-house, to help take the pressure off. They also require volunteers trained to ‘test and tag’ electrical items as part of the ‘Green Sparks’ program which launched last year and is designed to save electrical items from landfill.
“We’d love to have anyone over the age of 15 come and volunteer. It can be a great way for school kids to learn job skills in a retail setting,” Kim said.
“There’s great support with training resources and a buddy system to assist with learning,” Kim told the Mail.
“My volunteers are a good tribe. I’m really blessed.”
Vinnies Castlemaine is open seven days a week 10am to 4pm and is located at 244 Barker Street.
For those interested in volunteering at Vinnies Castlemaine, drop into the shop for a chat during business hours and/or submit your interest via Vinnie’s volunteer website at vinniesvic.carrd.co/.
This too shall pass
The work of late local photographer, Mary Thompson, has been given new life after a series of old slide films were discovered in an abandoned mine.
The son of local artist Melissa Urquhart, and a friend were venturing in the bush when they stumbled across the historic mine site and a series of slides of local landmarks and buildings.
“The boys didn’t even know what the slides were, but knew I liked ‘weird old stuff’, so brought them home to me,” Melissa told the Mail.
“As a child, I loved slide film. It was like a magic little world that you wouldn’t know about until you held it up to the light.”
Melissa found the name Mary Thompson penned in ink on one of the slides and reached out to residents on the Castlemania Facebook page for information. She received two messages and an obituary for Mary who died on March 12, 2021, written by Jackie McMaster.
Jackie wrote that Mary had lived in Chewton for many years on her charming property, Tranquil Valley, and remembered her as a kind, warm, caring person who was very community-minded.
“People also remember Mary as inspiring, bright, adventurous, progressive, creative, and bold,” read the obituary.
“Mary is known for being a much-loved craft and photography teacher at Castlemaine Tech as well as a volunteer for many community organisations and causes,” Jackie wrote.
Melissa has celebrated Mary’s work in an installation entitled This Too Shall Pass, using an array of found objects of wire, bone, monofilament, glass, and wood, currently on display in the window of Saint Florian Cafe in Templeton Street. The translucent objects used in the piece capture the light and give attention to pieces that are no longer commonplace, particularly the slide film.
The mystery of why Mary’s slide film was discarded remains unsolved, but in this installation, her work is celebrated in a posthumous collaboration.
“I feel like I’ve done a collaboration with an awesome woman. I hope I’ve done her justice,” Melissa said.
Business hub for Castlemaine BIG4
Federal Member for Bendigo, Lisa Chesters MP visited the BIG4 Castlemaine Gardens Holiday Park last Thursday to announce their successful grant of $90,420 to build a business hub.
Park Manager Claire Height took over the tourist park 14 years ago, upgrading and expanding the three-hectare park which now includes 90 sites, bell tent, safari tents and a glamtainer with a views across the creek to the Botanical Gardens and a newly planted sensory garden with indigenous bush tucker.
Claire has seen an increase of approximately 40 per cent in visitor numbers since COVID with a significant increase in digital nomads between the age of 25 and 45.
“We’re getting a lot of people that work from home and live in the inner city of Melbourne,” Claire said.
“The business hub will be a nice space with screens, printers and a coffee machine – a quiet place for people to work or plan their journeys.”
The building, which is being constructed off site, has been designed to fit within the surrounding landscape and to incorporate the heritage trees on site.
“It’s a gorgeous area of the park so the design incorporates the scenery with skylights, windows and a wide deck,” Claire said.
The facility is expected to be operational by May 2024 and will be available to hire for business conferences or community groups.
Ms Chesters said caravan parks are one of the most popular holiday accommodation choices, particularly for families, budget-conscious travellers and travellers that want to get off the beaten track.
“I congratulate BIG4 Castlemaine Gardens on their success through this program. Building a business centre will add value to the park, helping to attract new people and add to people’s experience,” she said.
My Elphinstone: Andy Chapman
Hi Andy, you’re one of 13 kids. What number are you?
I’m number 11. I am now an uncle 143 times over with all the grand, great, and great-great grandkids.
Wow, that is a lot of nieces and nephews! Can you tell me a bit about what you’ve done for work over the years?
I grew up in Castlemaine and when I left school at 16 I went and worked as an apprentice baker at Preece’s Bakery. We were taught by the very last of the old blokes. We’d do the bread moulding by hand and there were no pre-mix cakes. I worked there for five years. My party trick is to whip up a batch of chocolate eclairs.
After that, I cooked at the hospital for eight years, and then in 1982 I went out to work for myself in earthmoving. I called the business AJ Chapman Pty Ltd and girls for my wife Kath and daughters Leah and Lana.
Walking into your home there are a pair of brigade overalls hanging in the entry and the CFA scanner is providing background noise in the kitchen – can you tell me about your involvement with the brigade?
It’s just a way of life. My mum, dad, and big brothers were all CFA. It was like a backbone you grew up with – it was always there. In the early days, I lived at the station. I joined in 1969 when I was 14 years old.
Kath, myself, and my daughter Leah have clocked up over 100 years worth of hours between us. There’s something really special about going to a job with your family, although it does put them in the line of fire.
What’s one of the most memorable fires you’ve seen?
I was up in Buckland Valley during the 2003 fires and saw fire behaviour I’ve never seen before.
I read a story about the 1939 fires, there was an inquiry that took place after the town was obliterated and three separate townspeople said they’d seen a huge ball of fire in the sky. They investigated and found this it was caused by gases gathering above the fire.
I witnessed it myself in 03′. The fire had come up and ran through the treetops, pushing the gas in front and by the top of the hill and there was a ball of flame the size of a football field about 300-400 metres above the ground. I gotta be honest, I feel blessed to have seen it – it was amazing stuff.
How did you meet your lovely wife Kath?
I was working at Mt Macedon after the fires and it’s a bit of a cold place so I went to the shoe shop in Gisborne to get some fur-lined boots and there was this little chick in there with the biggest eyes.
I think I’d bought a pair of gumboots, desert boots, and slip-on shoes before I asked her out! I took her for coffee and I only had $2 in my wallet and I thanked God she didn’t want another coffee!
That’s so funny! With work, the brigade, and family do you have time for any other interests?
I’ve got a 1969 HT Holden. I bought it in 1973 and had a bad smash in 76′ and sold it off. I found it behind someone’s house in 99′ – bought it back and spent six years rebuilding. There’s still a few blokes around who would remember me hooning around Castlemaine back in the day. Hubert the HT is the second love of my life.
What music do you enjoy?
60s – I just love it – Dusty Springfield and Silver Black.
What philosophy do you live life by?
Head down, arse up.
Finally, what do you love most about the place you call home?
There’s a lot to love – the hot rod/car scene and there’s lots of characters around.
Life-size sculpture honours the fallen
A life-sized sculpture honouring the 10th Australian Light Horse Regiment produced at Billmans Foundry in Castlemaine, has been shipped to Stirling Square in Guildford Western Australia where it was unveiled to a crowd of several hundred people earlier this month.
The commission of the sculpture, worth over $400,000, was brought about by the local historical society, the present-day light horse brigade, the local council, and interested members of the community.
The artist behind the work, Dr Charles Robb, senior lecturer at Queensland University of Technology, told the Mail that it took the committee six years of lobbying federal, state, and local governments to gain the required funding.
“This is a fantastic example of a community’s will, coming together to have history acknowledged in sculpture form,” Charles said.
“There is a great sense of duty and responsibility to the history of the regiment, which is central to the ANZACS. This made the project both appealing and daunting.
“I hope I’ve done the story justice,” Charles said.
“It was amazing to see the statue in its bronzed glory and to see the joy and feeling it aroused in people.”
Charles and his team spent more than two and a half thousand hours over a period of 18 months working on the moulds of the digger and his horse before sending it to Billmans Foundry in Castlemaine, where a further 300 to 400 hours of work were required.
A lot of the smaller elements of the sculpture including the buckles, badges, buttons, feathers, and even the hands were produced using a 3D printer.
“Once it was sent to Billmans that’s when the serious and ferocious work began,” Charles said.
Travis Billman told the Mail that it took five moulders and three welders, plus the assistance of Phil Mune from Eclipse Bronze Art in Elphinstone who worked on the finer details using a lost-wax casting technique.
“There were over 40 pieces that needed to be assembled. Once completed it weighed half a ton,” Travis said.
Once assembled Peter DeGargis, a colour specialist from Melbourne, spent an entire day using different chemicals creating different temperatures with a hot torch to produce colour variations.
Charles noted that the staff at Billmans Foundry have an incredibly broad array of knowledge.
“They moved heaven and earth to pull together a very immense and complex in a seamless way, with a high level of attention to detail,” he said.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the team at Billmans who were lovely to deal with, positive, creative, and energetic. They invested as much love into the project as myself and my team.”
Harcourt Pony Club welcomes you
Nestled behind the swimming pool and on the grounds that once held the Harcourt Tennis courts, lies the Harcourt Pony Club, a hidden gem with a rich history dating back to 1993. Formed by a group of dedicated parents who wanted to provide their children with a local opportunity to ride horses, the club has gone through its ups and downs but has emerged stronger than ever under the leadership of Peggy Mills.
Despite challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and a devastating flood in 2022 that damaged the clubhouse and grounds, the club remains resilient and competitive. Members have renewed their focus on all aspects of horsemanship, and new members have joined the ranks. With a renewed sense of purpose, the club is gearing up for an exciting calendar of events, including a showjumping competition and an eventing clinic featuring some of the best coaches in the country.
But the most exciting event coming up is the Harcourt Pony Club’s Community Open Day on April 1. Everyone is invited to come along and experience the joy of Ponies! Starting with an Easter egg hunt at 10.30am there will be face painting, a reptile demonstration, pony petting, pony leading, riding demo’s and more. This is the perfect opportunity to discover all that the Harcourt Pony Club has to offer, and with a history spanning nearly three decades, it’s sure to be an unforgettable experience for the whole family.
Highs and lows for Harcourt bowlers
It was a disappointing result for Harcourt Weekend Pennant Division 6 side last Saturday. The Grand Final against Bendigo at Eaglehawk treated the sizeable crowd of Harcourt supporters to some great bowling. At the 12-end break the scores were level, although the second half saw Bendigo gradually take the lead and eventually win the game. Harcourt displayed some great bowling but were out bowled by the Bendigo side.
Weekend Pennant Grand Final results were as follows:
Division 6 Harcourt 72 lost to Bendigo 104. Darren Cunningham (s)15/27, Ron Douglas, Damian Bird, Diane Marsh. Russell Maltby (s) 12/39, Wayne Walsh, Rick Williams, Alf Manallack.
Ken Tribe (s) 20/12, Chris McAuliffe, Tim Carr, Wendy Chaplin. Terry Robinson (s) 25/26, John Grant, Les Harding, John Starbuck.
Ladies Drawn Pairs
It was a perfect evening for bowling for the Ladies Drawn Pairs last Thursday March 9. Ten teams were drawn to play three games of eight ends. As has become a tradition, the evening ends with a meal prepared and served by the bowling men – and they didn’t disappoint! The overall winners were the only 3-game winners – Wendy Chaplin and Mary-Anne Doyle. Runners-up were Heather Braid and Kay Francis. The Men’s Drawn (Gough) Pairs was held on Wednesday, results will be in the Mail next week.
Australian Women’s Choir visit
After performing at the Harcourt Apple Fest the Australian Women’s Choir relaxed at the Harcourt Bowling Club before returning home. They are pictured here enjoying our sunny deck.
Mount Alexander golfers tee off
Tuesday’s nine hole day at Mount Alexander Golf Club saw the ladies play a stroke round with Fleur Smith beating Eileen Strong on a countback for the win, both scoring 20-1/2 nett. George Potts was the best of the men on the day, also playing stroke George had 39-10-29. After a countback Laurie Hauser beat Joe Norris for the putting with 12.
It was the first Thursday of the new season and we opted for a fun, relaxing day playing a par 3 stroke round. Best for the ladies was Myrl Hauser with 46 nett, runner-up was Robyn Scoles 50 nett. Nearest the pins on the 2nd and 9th were both won by Fleur Smith. Joe Norris was the best of the men scoring 41 nett, r/up with 49 nett was Bob Pratt. Nearest the pins were won by Charles Cilia on the 2nd and George Potts 2nd shot to the 18th.
Saturday was the club’s annual opening with a Yankee Mixed. The weather was perfect and we had a great turnout from the members The day’s winners were Eileen Strong and Bob Pratt scoring a nice 65-7/8 nett. Nearest the pins on the 2nd hole were won by Jean Carmichael and Keith McLean, and on the 9th Joyce Smith and George Potts.