Country Week 2022/23 has been full of surprises for the Castlemaine and District Cricket Association (CDCA).
The U13 team has had a successful start to the campaign. Competing in Pool A against the top age Ballarat and Gisborne sides as well as the Grampians. In both round 1 and 2 they have recorded wins to put themselves in contention for the final for the first time in many years.
Round 1
Tuesday saw a nail biting win over Gisborne. After being asked to bat first, the CDCA got off to a strong start reaching 1-105 in the 22nd over. Great batting from Dec Brasher (43) and Jack Archer (24) built great momentum for the innings, however, a great collapse ensued. Charlie Cordy was the only other batsman to reach 10 and the team was dismissed for 136.Gisborne started in a very positive manner making the most of some wayward bowling reaching 2-76 by the 22nd over. Castlemaine struggled to take consecutive wickets and Gisborne continued to build partnerships and with 10 overs to go, Gisborne only needed 43 to win with seven wickets in hand. Great second spells from Jack Smith (0/11 off 6) and Dec Brasher (2/12 off 6) helped to bring the game down to the last ball where a run out from Abe Isdale resulted in a one run win to Castlemaine.
Round 2
Castlemaine travelled to Stawell Wednesday to play the Grampians. Grampians won the toss and batted first and were held well early with the first seven overs bringing only 7 runs and some missed catches. From this point, the Grampians accelerated as Castlemaine missed chances in the field. Throughout the remainder of the innings, the runs came at about 4 per over and the Grampians reached 133 before being dismissed. In the best performances it was a special day for Will Garsed in his first Country Week match. A late inclusion into the team, Will took 4/20 with his leg spin as well as a catch. Other performances of note were Ted Cordy also picking up 2/16 and a catch, Fletcher McAinch 1/9, Rufus Bester 1/10 and Dec Brasher three catches.The run chase got off to a shaky start with the loss of both openers leaving Castlemaine 2-10. There was an excellent rebuild of the innings by Jack Archer and Charlie Cordy as Castlemaine saw off the early accurate bowling and then accelerated as the loose balls began to flow. When Jack Archer retired on 43 we had 36 runs to win with ten overs remaining. Cullen Foreman joined Charlie Cordy and after a period of time settling in, the pair closed out the match with five overs to spare. Charlie hit 39 not out and Cullen made 23 not out.
Heading into Thursday’s match, Castlemaine were scheduled to face Ballarat in round 3 at Muckleford and then again in the final in Ballarat on Friday. It will be the first time in many years where CDCA will compete in the main final in U13 Junior Country Week and the association looks forward to seeing what our players can do.
Country Week side bound for final
A juxtaposition of life in Lviv Oblast Ukraine
Castlemaine Art Museum’s (CAM) latest ‘Summer Terrace Projection’ installation features a photographic series by talented local photographer Piper Albrecht from the artist’s time in Lviv Oblast, Ukraine, in May and August of 2022.
The 21 year old said the images tell a story about the juxtaposition of life going on in a city amidst constant reminders of war.
“My photos are not about war-torn Ukraine, but a snippet of life in the city furthest from the front which is, nonetheless, deeply affected by the war,” Piper said.
The artist discovered a love of photography whilst studying locally at Castlemaine Steiner School and later the Castlemaine Secondary College Steiner Stream, before pursuing a career in elite mountain bike racing which has seen him compete on the international stage at World Cup events across Europe. Despite his passion for the sport he always had his trusty camera in hand capturing mountain bike action, landscapes, wildlife and more on his travels.
Piper said that he found himself at a crossroads in 2021.
“In August of that year, as Kabul was falling to the Taliban, I, alongside the rest of the world, watched helplessly at the scenes of despair being played out across our many screens. Seeing that triggered something in me to try to do some good in the world, and among other reasons helped me make the decision to retire from bike racing,” he said.
“Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 reignited a war ongoing since 2014. Within months of making that initial decision to quit racing, I had an opportunity to put my photography skills to use for some good. Out of that came my first collection of documentary images, from my time in Lviv Oblast, Ukraine.”
Piper said that he found passage into Lviv Oblast after a chance meeting with a clown.
“He was travelling across the border with a Spanish foundation, which has been supporting the people of Ukraine for 30 years, to do a circus performance for children which were among 170 refugees living there.
“I went along to photograph his performance and stayed with the foundation and in my two trips to the Ukraine have made many friends and connections, including a group of mountain bike riders which I enjoyed rides with,” he said.
Piper said he chose to capture his images with an analogue camera as those that have done before, shooting on 35mm Kodak Portra 160 and 400 film, these images are recent, yet still reminiscent of conflicts decades ago. Despite the advances in technology and the terrible lessons learned from our past, history continues to repeat itself.
“This series grapples with the conflicts and social issues we have brought with us into the future. Wherever you look in Lviv Oblast there are street performers, bustling cafes, Ukrainian flags, posters, banners and ribbons, with crowds singing along to songs of the resistance. The mood is lively, but with a worried tension underpinning daily life,” Piper said.
“There is a heightened military presence, bordered windows, protected monuments, sandbags and air raid sirens. In the four weeks I spent in the Ukraine, five missiles landed in Lviv Oblast, less than 80km from the European Union. But life in the city goes on amidst these perils. This series offers insight into Lviv Oblast – a busy city with cosy cafes and streets like any other, alongside vivid reminders of war.”
Piper said many people question why the residents don’t just flee their home.
“They all know someone fighting for their freedom in the war and they feel that if they leave, what is the point, what are their loved ones fighting for?” Piper said.
“People don’t want to leave everything they have ever known behind for a life of uncertainty.
“They told me the conflict highlights what’s important. Spending time with friends and family and making the most of every day,” he said.
So what’s next for Piper?
The artist is currently focused on working as a professional sports photographer in the mountain bike sphere and in his spare time aims to keep using his art to bring focus to social issues across the globe.
“I’m yet to figure out the intricacies of creating powerful images to motivate change, but this is all part of a journey I’m on and I’m not stopping anytime soon!” he said.
Using the medium of light, CAM is bringing contemporary images and ideas to the streets of Castlemaine in this new series of exhibitions and commissions with local and national artists.
You can catch the Lviv Oblast projection nightly from 9pm on the façade of the Castlemaine Art Museum in Lyttleton Street until February 2.
For more on the exhibition and the artist visit castlemaineartmuseum.org.au
The Goldfields: World Heritage, or a Legacy of Shame?
Two former premiers are the face of a World Heritage bid for the Central Victorian Goldfields. All 13 local councils have supported the bid, including Mount Alexander Shire Council.
However, local writer and former barrister Brian Walters AM SC says the push raises important questions about our history and how we value it.
Previously a prominent Melbourne QC, Brian Walters regularly appeared in high profile court cases. In his speaking, writing and court room work, he has become known for his advocacy of public interest causes, including conducting landmark human rights litigation before the United Nations.
Brian is committed to a better community, formerly serving as President of Liberty Victoria, as Vice President of Free Speech Victoria, and he was a founder of the Greens in Victoria. A keen bushwalker, in 1981 he co-founded ‘Wild’ – Australia’s most respected wilderness adventure magazine.
The environmental advocate says World Heritage status is generally reserved for places of ‘outstanding universal value to humanity‘.
Australian places inscribed on the World Heritage list include the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru-Kata Tjuta, and the Sydney Opera House.
Are the goldfields in this category? Do we want to celebrate what was done in the mid-nineteenth century, which caused so much lasting damage? Walters says it is a question of what we value.
“Heritage and history should not be confused. The Victorian gold rush is a fact of history. It brought some good things – including fine buildings of that era. It brought population and
wealth to the fledgling colony of Victoria. It produced the Eureka stockade that helped shape our democracy,” Mr Walters says.
“But it also brought massive environmental and cultural devastation. The damage done by the gold rush is still with us – almost the whole of central Victoria was dug up, often to a
depth of several metres, and turned over. This created what is often called ‘upside down country’ – with hydrology deranged, the topsoil gone, and depauperated soil unable to
retain moisture and hosting only a fraction of the biodiversity that once flourished here,” he says.
Central Victoria was home to Box-Ironbark woodlands. According to the 2001 Victorian Environment Assessment Council study into Box-Ironbark: ‘Old growth forest, as defined in most other Victorian forests, is virtually absent from Box-lronbark forests, because of their history of clearing and heavy use in the gold rushes, followed by intensive selective harvesting.’
“One and a half centuries on, we are seeing the disappearance of species once common across the area, while others, such as the swift parrot, the squirrel glider and the tuan, are
just hanging on. It is a dire legacy,” Mr Walters says.
“Although a mere flicker in the long history of this region, there is no doubting the significance of the gold rush. But chapters in history can be significant without amounting to
heritage: the White Australia Policy was significant, but who would elevate it to the status of heritage?
“Castlemaine was briefly the most productive gold-producing region in the world. The damage is still obvious, with denuded soils, mullock heaps and mine shafts, and old junk left
by miners,” he says.
“Community groups are working to restore Box-Ironbark. This requires repair of water retention features, and management to allow the woodland to regrow. On public land, each
step requires consultation and permission. Prioritising gold mining historic values will retard this work, imposing a further layer of restriction,” he says.
“The bid trumpets its (questionable) value to tourism, but tourism values and heritage values are distinct.
“Publicity material lists other values in the bid, including First Nations values, but inevitably the bid will prioritise gold rush history over other values.
“For me, living near Castlemaine, the legacy of the gold rush is a matter of shame. So much was lost for such ephemeral gains. There are many features of this area which would justify
World Heritage status – but not the tragic legacy of the gold rush. We should never include those values as part of any bid for World Heritage.”
Brian’s latest book ‘Treason’ on the German resistance to the Nazis is to be launched at The Taproom at Shedshaker Brewing as part of the Northern Books ‘Books at the Brewery’ series next Tuesday evening, January 10 at 6pm.
Kevin Costner’s travel app launched in Australia
Visitors to Castlemaine and surrounds can now discover more about the region’s past from the comfort of their car thanks to a new app – Autio.
Autio was co-founded in the US by actor Kevin Costner in a bid to share local history and stories.
“I love stories, I am the guy that stops at the historical markers along the highway, usually bringing moans from everyone in the car,” Costner said.
“But it was this continuing curiosity that I began to think Autio could satisfy without anyone having to leave the car,” the actor said.
Autio has announced its Australian launch, in partnership with the Victoria Tourism Industry Council, initially focusing on Victoria in the region between Castlemaine, Bendigo and Echuca.
Autio is a mobile audio entertainment app for travel that uses geolocation technology to automatically play stories of landmarks, cities and towns nearby. Headquartered in California with a mission to deliver a compelling story at the right time, wherever you may be; the app features over 10,000 stories in the United States and now hundreds in Australia.
The app won the Webby for ‘Best Travel App’ and has been featured as ‘App of the Day’ by Apple.
Autio Australia production director Daryl Missen said it is exciting to capture the wonderful stories of Australia, starting in regional Victoria.
“We are loving learning more and more about our amazing country on this journey, and bringing the stories to life,” he said.
“Every place has a story, now every story has a place. With over 200 stories and growing that are free to listen to, from Castlemaine, Bendigo, Echuca, Heathcote, Daylesford, Kyabram and more, Autio provides an entertaining, informative, and important record of these incredible Australian places,” Missen said.
Autio Australia Content Director Dan Bradley said some of the local stories to feature include content on the origins of Castlemaine, when it was originally named Forest Creek – and the influence of gold on the region, when John Worley who announced the discovery of gold in the area. It also includes content on local footy legend Ron Barrassi; the launch of the Theatre Royal and the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens; the story of Brownlow Medallist Dustin Martin growing up in Yapeen; the renaming of a stretch of the old Calder to Harmony Way after Henry Harmony Nelson of the Dja Dja Wurrung clan; and the origins of Maldon.
“We are adding to the content all the time. Each piece runs for two to four minutes,” Bradley said.
The Autio app is now available for download free from the Apple App Store.
Japanese art to feature at Lot 19
Lot 19 Art Precinct in Langslow Street is excited to launch its first exhibition of 2023 this weekend, Isabelle Kawai Vincent’s It’s too Black and White.
Growing up the first second generation Japanese Australian in Castlemaine Isabelle Kawai Vincent was surrounded by Japanese images from books, magazines, posters, kimonos, Japanese ornaments and music.
Whilst completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts, she embraced the innate Japanese influence that was becoming evident in her art, and initiated her own study of Japanese art as it was almost non-existent in Australia at that time.
The exhibition focuses on art Isabelle created whilst living and studying Kodaimoji, the ancient form of Kanji, Japanese Sumi-e Ink painting, in Japan for five years.
Isabelle will do a live painting performance, accompanied by live music on Saturday January 21. See the Lot 19 website for details.
Lot 19 are looking forward to a wonderful year, with the first quarter of 2023 seeing the venue hosting exhibitions from Cate Kennedy and Bill Gregory, as well as Open Studios during the Castlemaine State Festival, and their popular annual event Castlemaine Idyll during the Castlemaine Fringe Festival.
High octane speed boat racing at Lake Eppalock
The Victorian Speed Boat Club is hosting the annual Eppalock Gold Cup boat race this Saturday January 7.
The race meeting is a round of the Australian Power Boat Championship series and the Eppalock Cup itself is a Perpetual Trophy that dates back to 1958.
This high-octane event will feature some of the finest power boat racing in Australia.
It will feature many classes of racing boats, from 15 Hp Junior boats raced by kids through to 2000 HP monsters capable of speeds in excess of 270Kmh.
The GP Hydroplanes will be racing. They are the fastest, loudest, most exciting boats on the water. It’s loud, it’s spectacular, and it’s very, very exciting.
Other attractions on the day will be a Hot Rod car show, Vintage boat display and remote control model boat display.
Come Feel The Noise at the Victorian Speed Boat Club on the shores of Lake Eppalock, Speed Boat Road Derrinal.
The action starts from 9.30 am Saturday morning. This event allows families and friends to enjoy a fun day out of fast-charged racing action and exhibitions. Food and drink are available throughout the day, and kids under 10 are permitted free. Part proceeds will be donated to the Victorian Flood Appeal.
From our archives – looking back at the stories that made headlines
The Castlemaine Mail looks back at pages from our archives in this monthly column.
20 years ago
December 13, 2002
Castlemaine legal firm HSW Lawson and Co celebrated its 150 anniversary with a re-enactment of the opening of the first Supreme Court on the goldfields, placement of a time capsule, the planting of trees and a dinner. A former Castlemaine man was charged with armed robberies at Harcourt Post Office and Winters Flat Store, and local emergency services were called out to a truck rollover at Guildford. Fortunately the driver only incurred minor injuries in the crash.
15 years ago
December 7, 2007
The 75th anniversary of post World War One project – the Great Ocean Road – was celebrated. Castlemaine had a connection to both the project and celebrations. The first charge to begin the huge project was set off on November 19, 1919 by then Premier of Victoria Castlemaine’s HSW Lawson. To mark the celebrations the Castlemaine connection was kept alive with two local vehicles, Felix Cappy’s 1928 Delarge and Roger Rayson’s 1932 Invicta, part of the convoy which marked the anniversary. In other news Swan Hill tuned up for Bendigo Country Week with a hit out against Castlemaine.
10 years ago
December 28, 2012
Local men Jed McDonald and Mat Taft were honoured to receive Bravery Awards for their efforts to rescue a woman from floodwaters in 2010. Deirdre McDonough was driving home when her car was washed off the Pyrenees Hwy and into the flooded Muckleford Creek about 9.30pm. Jed waded out and freed the woman from her submerged vehicle but the pair were unable to make it back to safety, clinging to a tree. Arriving on the scene Mat called for assistance from emergency services before managing to pull the woman to safety using a rope and lifejacket. An SES volunteer managed to rescue Jed using the same method.
5 years ago
December 22, 2017
Taradale resident Michelle Guest and her husband were fortunate to escape injury after a massive tree crashed through their loungeroom. Michelle told the Mail if the pair hadn’t gone to check on their animals during the storm, they might have been in the path of the tree.
Taradale was among the hardest hit areas during the storm which lashed the region around 7pm on Tuesday December 19, 2017 bringing down trees and powerlines. Ninety year old Joe Hancock lost a significant part of his roof and said it was the worst storm he’d seen since he settled in Taradale in 1961.
Take a look back at John Smith Store Yapeen
Circa 1890s
John Smith’s store was located on the Yapeen-Vaughan road on a sharp corner about 300 metres from the Guildford-Castlemaine Road. According to the local paper, he inaugurated his new premises in October 1864 with a banquet and invited 40 friends. The General Store indeed provided a comprehensive range of goods and services. Signage on the buildings indicates that it was a post office, it sold boots and shoes, and the ‘bar’ sign on the window under the verandah confirms it was also a hotel. He was also a local agent for the Colonial Mutual Fire Insurance Company. On the right, John Smith’s timberyard offered virtually everything that a modern day hardware store would sell including timber, steel, paint, galvanised iron, fencing wire, doors, glass and wallpaper. The hay and corn section of the business suffered a destructive fire in 1884 but fortunately did not spread to the general store and residence. John Smith died in 1898 and the business passed to his son, C.J. Smith.
2022
This is the exact same scene in the modern day and all the buildings shown in the earlier image can easily be identified with the former timber store on the right, the old general store in the centre and a timber structure on the left with a tall chimney behind the electricity pole. John Smith’s name is emblazoned on the front of the former general store in a similar location to the larger sign shown in the earlier photograph. Information and images courtesy of Ken McKimmie.
My Castlemaine with Amy Sattler
Amy Sattler
Hi Amy. You’ve lived in Castlemaine on and off for 20 years, what brought you here?
My parents bought a B&B when we were living in Melbourne and moved up here while I was in high school. I organised to board with people in Thornbury to finish school, but worked in Castlemaine on the weekends. Once I finished school I moved up here. I’ve always felt more connected to rural towns. We lived in Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory when I was in primary school. It was a remote desert town, I never wore shoes and was always out riding my bike. When we moved back to Melbourne I went to a girls school in the city, which was an adjustment.
You would be a familiar face to regulars at Saffs. How did you come to work there? What other careers have you had over the years?
I studied Early Childhood Education and worked with kinder aged kids in Castlemaine for 10 years. I still recognise their little faces – like they’re still three years old. The parents say to them, ‘do you remember Amy?’ and some of them look blank, but others remember.
I’ve always worked in hospo, even while I was teaching. I love food, I love making food. I’ve always felt there was a sense of community, particularly at Saffs. I first started working there 19 years ago in 2003. They were very formative years. I made a lot of friendships that I still have today.
What other work have you done?
I had always thought I would work in early education forever but one year my contract wasn’t renewed. Apparently that year there were low birth rates across the state. I was just sort of in shock.
I ended up getting a job in a food education program in Footscray for a homelessness and family violence service. I worked there for five years, developing a program working with traumatised women. It was an amazing program. I worked with Gardening Australia to design a rooftop garden and had a commercial kitchen. 25 women lived on site, from many different cultural backgrounds. Most of my work was building safety and connection to use skills they already had. It was a lot of fun. I played music and we would laugh, sing and dance.
But my son Oscar and I both yearned for Castlemaine. I loved Footscray, loved my friends and the work, but this was our home so we moved back here.
I worked at Bendigo Foodshare as a Community Services Coordinator for 12 months before coming back to Saffs. The owner had been asking me to come back for 10 years and I’d always said no. We worked out a role for me as general manager, he said, ‘I know you’re going to come here and try and save the world in some way so let’s build that into your role’. I’ve been back since August.
That sounds like an incredibly busy life! Do you have time for other interests?
I didn’t. I worked in jobs that were my interest, with social connection, creativity, food and culture. But I recently did a six month carpentry workshop at Castlemaine Community House. I’m constantly renovating. I like to make things, moisturisers, earrings, Christmas wreaths. And since I’ve come back I’ve started doing African Dance. I always try to do things with Oscar that are pretty wild adventures – we do a lot of camping.
What genre of music do you like?
I love so many different genres. I always make time to go and see live music. The most recent tickets I’ve bought have been: Nick Cave, The Waifs, Xavier Rudd and Baker Boy.
Are there any philosophies you live life by?
I believe in continuing to learn and having adventures. I also access humour in situations people wouldn’t normally which has got me through so much.
What do you love most about the place you call home?
The people. I’ve lived in other places that are beautiful to look at like the Macedon Ranges, which is beautiful and green. But I love the red earth, the rocks. I raised Oscar as a young child outside of Fryerstown where there was a red dam and I’d be saying, ‘don’t fall down the mine shaft’. I missed that.
The community here are really unique and if you get sick there will be five meals on your doorstep.
It’s real connections to people, I feel aligned to them, their philosophies and way of life.
I guess it’s the combo of landscape and people. The place is alive and you can dip in and out of it as you need to, but you can have quiet times too, just jump in the Res whenever I want.
Honouring the Queen
As the school year recently wound to a close, Castlemaine Secondary College (CSC) students, staff and School Council representatives gathered with community leaders for an official ceremony to commemorate the trees planted in honour of the Queen’s Jubilee.
CSC received a $10,000 grant towards the project which celebrated the late Queen Elizabeth II’s incredible 70 year reign.
Funding for the project was made possible thanks to the former Morrison Government’s ‘Planting Trees for The Queen’s Jubilee Program’ and a plaque will be installed as a lasting reminder of Queen Elizabeth’s legacy.
CSC School Council president Beth Mellick welcomed everyone in attendance including Federal Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters and Mount Alexander Shire Council mayor Rosie Annear and thanked Ms Chesters for her support and encouragement of CSC in applying for the grant program.
Ms Mellick said the project faced a lot of obstacles with numerous delays and their proposed contractor falling ill.
“In the end we enlisted the help of parents and students to get the trees in the ground,” Ms Mellick said.
Mayor Annear said the trees planted in two locations will offer much needed shade during the hot summer months, but they also connect native vegetation from surrounding bushland into the school grounds.
“I’m told future plans include additional plantings of understorey vegetation and then a First Nations ceremonial circle. This is a wonderful inclusion considering the work this school does in creating a culturally safe space,” Ms Annear said.
Ms Chesters said a lot had happened since the grants were announced with the passing of the Queen and the election of a new government.
The local member said the project represented a moment in our history. “It’s very fitting to have two parts of our history here – our connection to the monarchy and our First Nations heritage,” she said.
Ms Chesters also announced the school had been successful in attaining a further $10,000 from the newly elected Albanese Federal Government to continue enhancing outdoor learning spaces and plantings at the redeveloped campus.
Don KR Castlemaine solar farm on the horizon
Mount Alexander Shire Council has approved Don KR Castlemaine’s application to build and install 9,400 solar panels on 26.977 hectares of farmland adjoining the factory.
The council received six objections relating to native vegetation removal, the use of farming-zoned land for industry, the use of barbed wire fencing, and noise concerns.
While plans have been altered to reduce tree removal, the development will still require the removal of five large and 12 small trees.
A Flora and Fauna survey, commissioned by Don KR, considered the vegetation to be in poor condition based on a high ratio of exotic species (13) compared to native species (19) found on site.
As part of the proposal Don KR is required to undertake seed collection from trees to be removed, propagate seeds, undertake replanting works on site, and install nest boxes for Powerful and Barking Owls, Honeyeaters/ Parrot, and Brush-Tailed Phascogale.
Once the facility has been constructed the land surrounding the panels will continue being utilised for grazing, no longer requiring barbed wire fences.
The solar panels will generate 3.5MW and are estimated to supply approximately 25 per cent of the site’s power.
At last week’s meeting of council Cr Gary McClure stated that the proposal will be good for Castlemaine, despite the removal of vegetation, particularly with work undertaken by Don KR and their consultants to reconfigure the proposal in order to reduce tree loss.
“It’s going to be a good outcome for the climate change emergency,” Cr McClure said.
Cr Tony Cordy agreed the project would be fantastic, particularly given the number of jobs dependent on the facility.
“Okay, there’s some native vegetation going to be lost,” Cr Cordy said.
“But on balance, the project is very much an environmental project with substantial investment by the company.”
