Merging two thriving educational wildlife parks is not a job for the faint-hearted. Fortunately Chewton’s Tehree and Hamish Gordon are anything but faint-hearted and over the past six months that’s exactly what they’ve been doing.

Following an earlier decision to sell their long running Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation Wildlife Education Centre property at Barwon Heads, the couple and their enthusiastic team have spent the last few months overseeing the physical merger of the popular coastal sanctuary with Chewton’s own Dingo Conservation Centre, which they also own.

“It’s been hard yakka,” Tehree told the Mail this week.

Shifting the entire merged operation to Chewton, they’ve relocated both animals and staff to the local educational sanctuary, and are now keen to show off recent renovations and share details about their new program of educational tours and work placement opportunities.

Supported by state government funding during COVID, the local centre has a wide range of native wildlife and a strong focus on education including a junior ranger program.
It now annually receives hundreds of requests from wildlife conservation and veterinary science students from around the world, keen to do work experience placements on site to learn more about Australia’s unique wildlife.
“We get hundreds of requests each year from places like the UK, Canada, China, Japan, the US, as well as national students,” Tehree says.
“It’s an amazing opportunity for us to work with students.
“We also work with people with special needs,” Tehree says.
“Due to personal health circumstances we decided to amalgamate and we have sold the Barwon Heads site and over the last six months we have relocated everything to Chewton.
“Some of our animals from Barwon Heads have come here (to Chewton) and some have gone out to other wildlife parks until we are ready to have them here as well.”

They have plenty of swashbuckling pirates… but what they really need now is a volunteer treasurer.
Castlemaine’s own much loved local theatre company is well into rehearsals ahead of it’s first live stage play production in almost three years.
They’re preparing to stage Peter Panto: Or One Flew Over the Second Star on the Right, a pantomime that the little local theatre co has already attempted to stage on two prior occasions – and been beaten both times.
“We’re hoping this will be third time lucky,” says CTC president Kate Stones who is also writer and director for Peter Panto that was thwarted in 2019 due to difficulty filling the cast roles, and then thwarted again in 2020 due to COVID.
Fortunately this time round they’ve again managed to secure a great cast for the production that’s set to be staged at Castlemaine’s Phee Broadway Theatre over the first three weekends in November.
A mash-up adaptation of Peter Pan meets One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest, it boasts a cast of 22 that’s currently rehearsing three times a week.
“It’s going to be hilarious,” Kate promises.
“We’ve got a fantastic cast including some from the original (2020) cast.”
So it’s not actors they need, but rather a new treasurer with Elaine Mathieson retiring from the post she’s filled for the past few years.
“It’s a voluntary role. We’re all volunteers, but it’s not arduous, just a few hours a week when we’re doing a show and when we’re not doing a show it’s only about an hour or two a month,” CTC vice president and publicist Clare Shamier says.
They’re also keen to secure more volunteers to fill front of house and backstage crew volunteer positions as well.
“It literally takes a village to get a show on the road,” Clare says.
Anyone who thinks they may be able to help out is strongly encouraged to contact CTC on castlemainetheatreco@gmail.com

The countdown to Castlemaine’s Run The Maine is on with just seven sleeps to go before the big day.
Running of the afternoon event on next week’s Grand Final public holiday – Friday September 23 – marks a much anticipated return to in-person format after two years of adapting to virtual versions due to the pandemic.
“Things have picked up,” event director Gavin Krasner told the Mail as registrations gain pace for each of the three feature events – the 21.1km half marathon, 10km run, and the 5km run/walk.
“The weather looks like it’s going to be good and I’m optimistic we’ll have at least 500 participants which will be good,” Gavin says.
“The half marathon is about 55 per cent capacity.”
Featuring a VGR heritage steam train ride from Castlemaine out to the Maldon starting line, the half marathon event is a favourite among distance runners and registrations are expected to book out, while this year’s five and 10 km events both feature attractive new courses that have also been gaining plenty of interest.
“From a runner’s point of view it’s got a lot of variety,” says keen local distance runner and RTM committee member, Michael Constable who tomorrow heads off to Anglesea to tackle the Surf Coast Century 100km run ahead of next Friday’s local event.
Gavin says Castlemaine’s RTM has multiple aims in the community.
“Our primary aim is to encourage health and wellbeing in our shire,” he says.
“But we’re also showcasing the wonderful place we live in and supporting the hospital as well.”
While early bird registrations have passed there’s still plenty of time left for intending runners – or walkers – to register to take part in the event that raises funds for the local hospital – Dhelkaya Health.
The afternoon event finishes under lights at Camp Reserve with hospital CEO Sue Race telling the Mail she’s looking forward to presenting place-getters medals, after also personally participating in the five kilometre option.

A peak Aboriginal health organisation is demanding urgent action to end Aboriginal deaths in custody following last Sunday’s death of an Aboriginal man at Castlemaine’s Loddon Prison
Mr Austin, a 38-year-old Gunditjmara and Wiradjuri man, died at Loddon prison near Castlemaine in Victoria on Sunday, prompting the call from the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation.
VACCHO has issued a statement calling for “urgent action to address the completely avoidable loss of lives that continues to shatter the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in Victoria”.
Corrections Victoria had earlier this week confirmed Mr Austin had died at the prison on Sunday September 11 and that the matter has been referred to the coroner.
In a statement, a Department of Justice and Community Safety spokesperson confirmed there were no more details surrounding the death at this time.
“As with all deaths in custody, the matter has been referred to the coroner, who will formally determine the cause of death,” they said.
There have been 24 Indigenous deaths in custody across Australia in the 12 months up to June this year.
In its statement the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation said it was deeply saddened by Mr Austin’s death and extend their most sincere condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of the deceased.
The organisation also noted that “this latest tragedy is the second Aboriginal death in custody in the state in five weeks”.