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Sizzling aths action: Camp hosts the Gift

By
Eve Lamb
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Castlemaine Gift director Darryl Nettleton (right) with James Sorahan executive director of the MCA Victorian Division which is sponsoring this year's $5000 Castlemaine Gift 120 metre men's feature race. Photo: Eve Lamb

Eve Lamb

Castlemaine’s Camp Reserve is looking fast ahead of hosting some sizzling athletics action this Sunday with the running of the annual Castlemaine Gift.
This year’s Gift has drawn a particularly strong field of entries from across Victoria and interstate with the Victorian Athletic League meet an increasingly important one ahead of the famed Stawell Easter Gift.
“The entries are really really good,” pleased race director Darryl Nettleton says.
This year’s running has additional significance also as it marks the 100th anniversary since Castlemaine’s Gift was first run on the Camp Reserve.
It’s also the first time that the meeting will be live-streamed, with boosted prize money up for grabs in some of the key features and the introduction of a new event – the Castlemaine Invitational over 120 metres – a handicapped contest for both women and men.
“This is for quality runners who … Read more in today’s Mail

Amalgamation approved

By
Lisa Dennis
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Dhelkaya Health CEO Sue Race (CEO) is pictured with Board Directors Peggy Ronnau and Vanessa Healy.
Dhelkaya Health CEO Sue Race (CEO) is pictured with Board Directors Peggy Ronnau and Vanessa Healy.

The state government has approved the amalgamation of the Maldon Hospital and Castlemaine Health.
The boards of Maldon Hospital and Castlemaine Health have welcomed the government’s approval of their integration proposal.
The new look health service will be united under the new title of ‘Dhelkaya Health’ and will officially merge to one service next Tuesday March 1, 2022.
The integration follows more than 42 years of strong collaboration and partnership between the two health services.
Castlemaine Health and Maldon Hospital CEO Sue Race will continue in her role as Chief Executive Officer for the newly integrated organisation.
Ms Race said that staff, residents and the community can expect the same excellent care they always have, with local teams focusing on the needs of patients and residents at each health service. See the Mail for the full story. Out Now.

Catch the Gift live stream

By
Lisa Dennis
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The debut live stream of this Sunday’s Castlemaine Gift athletics meeting will be shown via Athletics Exclusive’s YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages with individual race footage uploaded to Athletics Exclusive’s YouTube channel.
This weekend’s running of the longstanding Victorian Athletic League meeting marks the 100th anniversary of the Gift taking place on Castlemaine’s Camp Reserve with a packed program of racing set to start from 10am with the junior program. Hotly contested main features on the day’s program include the $5000 men’s 120 metre Gift, women’s $4000 120 metre Gift, and women’s $4000 400 metre final. The official opening happens 12.10pm with the first of the 120 metre masters’ heats scheduled to start at 12.20pm. The program concludes around 6.40pm with the open 400m final. Read more in the Mail.

Celebrating a life rich with colour

By
Lisa Dennis
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After 20 years respected Vaughan artist Jenny Morton is saying farewell to her family home and studio ‘Art at Morton’s Fork’ and will have a retrospective exhibition of her artwork this weekend.
Her large and colourful paintings, mostly in oil, cover subjects from Morocco, the Australian desert and other places she has visited on her travels.
The exhibition which will run from today February 25 4pm to 7pm, Saturday February 26 and Sunday February 27 from 10am until 5pm (or by appointment).
‘Art on Morton’s Fork’ can be found at 54 Greville St Vaughan, just up the top of the hill from Vaughan Springs
entrance. An official opening will be held on Saturday February 25 from 3pm.
For more information visit jennymorton.net.au

Photography winner announced

By
Lisa Dennis
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The winner of the I Be Human Maldon Portrait Prize 2022 Photography Section is Cailin Jansen. Cailin Jansen is proudly pictured here with her self portrait Mirror Me at last Saturday’s awards presentation. Be sure to drop in this weekend can catch the final weekend of the photographic exhibition at Edge Galleries February 25-27.
The gallery is located at 35-37 Main Street, Maldon in the Calder’s Ironmongery building and is open from 10am to 4pm daily.
An ‘I Be Human’ online exhibition and People’s Choice Award audience voting will take place from March 1 – June 15, 2022. Keep an eye out for details at www.maldonartistnetwork.org.au

Council votes ‘no’ on supermarket stance

By
Eve Lamb
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Eve Lamb

Mount Alexander Shire Council will not be supporting the latest amended plan for a proposed new supermarket for Castlemaine when the matter goes before VCAT next month.
Following a closely contested vote at this week’s council meeting the council resolved to go against an officer recommendation that would have seen it supportive of the latest amended proposal for the supermarket that’s controversially mooted for Duke Street.
The matter is listed to go before VCAT in March with the civil affairs arbiter set to determine whether the controversial proposal by Lascorp Investment Group, will be able to go ahead amid some strong opposition to the latest plan for what is now an unbranded supermarket at the old gas works site on one of Castlemaine’s signature gateways.
When the controversial matter was dealt with during Tuesday evening’s council meeting, mayor Cr Bill Maltby declared a conflict and left the council chamber.
Councillors Stephen Gardner, Tony Cordy and Christine Henderson all voted in favour of the council officer’s recommendation that would have seen the council take a supportive stance of the latest amended plans when the matter goes before VCAT.
“This is a position to VCAT. It’s not a decision of this council,” Cr Henderson pointed out.
Cr Henderson also indicated that she believed it unlikely that VCAT would knock back the amended application, and that supporting it represented the best chance for the council to now help lock in changes thrashed out in an effort to address multiple concerns including those relating to traffic flow, visual amenity and liquor sales.
But councillors … read more in today’s Castlemaine Mail

Acheron unveiled!

By
Lisa Dennis
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The Victorian Goldfields Railway’s (VGR) latest beautifully restored first class carriage – the Acheron – was officially unveiled with much fanfare on Wednesday this week. VGR vice president and train driver John Hoy, guard Iain Atkin, Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards and fireman Graeme Campbell are pictured with the newly completed carriage before it’s first trip to Maldon. 

Named after the Acheron River in Central Victoria, the carriage was originally purpose-built as a sleeping carriage and celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2023.
The newest addition to the VGR fleet was officially launched by Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards and Peter Stubbs of 3AW – whose promotion of VGR’s work to restore its K160 locomotive helped secure a generous $160,000 donation towards the locomotive restoration. See the Mail for the full story.

A new leash on life

By
Lisa Dennis
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Tarrengower Prison GAP program supervisor Will Dodson, Greyhound Racing Victoria CEO Alan Clayton, Minister for Corrections Natalie Hutchins and Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards are pictured at Monday's milestone celebration.
Tarrengower Prison GAP program supervisor Will Dodson, Greyhound Racing Victoria CEO Alan Clayton, Minister for Corrections Natalie Hutchins and Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards are pictured at Monday's milestone celebration.

Tarrengower Prison is celebrating the rehabilitation of its 500th foster greyhound, ‘Boston’ – trained through a program giving four-legged companions and prisoners a new lease on life.
Minister for Corrections Natalie Hutchins visited the minimum-security women’s prison on Monday to mark the Greyhound Adoption Program’s (GAP) major milestone.
For more than a decade, prisoners at Tarrengower have worked closely with retired racing dogs, taking them through a training regime to prepare them for adoption into new homes.
The four-week program is part of the Prison Pet Partnership between Corrections Victoria and Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) and teaches selected prisoners valuable new skills to assist with their transition back into the community upon release.

Champions to compete

By
Lisa Dennis
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Lee Bastin and James Oliver played out one of the closest men's championship finals in recent history last Sunday, with Jimmy emerging victorious by one shot.
Lee Bastin and James Oliver played out one of the closest men's championship finals in recent history last Sunday, with Jimmy emerging victorious by one shot.

The Bendigo Bowls Champion of Champions event will be played this Sunday February 20 at Bendigo East. Castlemaine Bowling Club will be represented by James Oliver playing at 9.30am and Pam Hunter playing at 11.30am.

James defeated fellow Castlemaine bowler Lee Bastin in a thrilling club final on January 30. Both players were chasing their first singles title. In a match where the momentum changed many times James played an absolute bomb on the last end to draw three shots and win by the narrowest margin possible 24/25. Lee bowled well to almost add to his breakout Championship Pairs win with Steve McCoombe.
James was absolutely thrilled to emulate his grandfather Brian Medbury’s achievement of winning the Club Championship at Castlemaine. James wore his grandfather’s shirt, perhaps that helped with the final end. James said the challenge is now for his father Steven to win and make it a trifecta.

On January 25 in sweltering heat conditions members watched a fantastic contest for the Ladies Championship between Pam Hunter and Nina Hufer. It was an exciting game with numerous lead changes. It was perhaps the vast experience of Pam that counted in the end with the scores ending 25/15 in her favour. Good bowling to James and Pam this Sunday.

First Nationals birthing doco to feature

By
Lisa Dennis
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Theatre Royal Castlemaine will host a one-off screening of DJAKAMIRR, a two year documentary project filmed on the ancestral home grounds of the Yolnu First Nations people in North East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia.
The special screening will take place at the historic theatre next Wednesday February 23 at 7.30pm.
The film follows Lawurrpa and Sarah, two Yolnu women, on a unique journey through ancestral time, country and culture. As mutual trust develops between the two women, they hope to empower Yolnu and reclaim 60,000 years of birthing culture from the stronghold of Western medicine. This is their story of working with community to pilot the training of djakamirr – the caretakers of pregnancy and birth.

Red Cross honour dedicated members

By
Lisa Dennis
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Friends of Red Cross Castlemaine members Maureen Inwood (50 years), Malinda Melbourne (10 years), Janett Steet (10 years) and Margaret Boyle (20 years) celebrated their Red Cross service this week. Absent: Margaret Hynam-Smith.
Friends of Red Cross Castlemaine members Maureen Inwood (50 years), Malinda Melbourne (10 years), Janett Steet (10 years) and Margaret Boyle (20 years) celebrated their Red Cross service this week. Absent: Margaret Hynam-Smith.

Members of the Friends of Red Cross Castlemaine gathered at Hot & Crusty Bakery Cafe this week to celebrate the service of several of their hardworking long time members.
Among the award recipients recognised were Margaret Hynam-Smith – 60 years, Maureen Inwood – 50 years, Margaret Boyle – 20 years, Janett Steet – 10 years and Malinda Melbourne – 10 years.
The ladies also honoured the late Betty Adamson who amassed an incredible 30 years of service to the organisation prior to her death in December 2021 and was renowned locally as a fierce advocate and tireless worker for Red Cross.
Friends of Red Cross president Sue Tribe said that unfortunately Margaret Hynam-Smith was unable to make it to the celebration but they look forward to presenting her with her award honour.
Fellow member Maureen Inwood will be officially presented with her 50 year service medallion at Government House on International Red Cross Day in May. See the Mail for more…

Chance to help clean up Australia

By
Eve Lamb
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Castlemaine guides leader Julie Colley and Clean Up Australia guides hall site coordinator Alex Dannatt are inviting all to roll up their sleeves and participate this Clean Up Australia Day. Photo: Eve Lamb

Eve Lamb

All who like seeing Castlemaine and surrounds clean and litter-free will have a top chance to help make it happen when Clean Up Australia Day takes place on Sunday March 6.
Already a couple of keen local groups have registered to take part, but there’s still time for others to register a site to clean up.
Among the regulars who have already registered sites via the national Clean Up Australia website are the Castlemaine’s Girl Guides group.
The guides group has been participating in the annual day for about 30 years and welcomes all members of the community to roll up to their site meeting point at the guides hall in Kennedy Street and participate on the day.
“We will go from 2pm to 3.15 pm and even though it’s just a short amount of time we always collect a lot of rubbish,” site coordinator Alex Dannatt says.
“Anyone can join us but they just need to sign in with us on the day.”
“We break into two groups and one goes around the Camp Reserve area and one does along Kennedy Street to the railway station,” Castlemaine guides leader Julie Colley says.
“We get bags and bags of rubbish,” Julie says.
“And the council takes all our rubbish away,” Alex adds.
Alex and Julie say that over the years they’ve been participating in the national clean up day they’ve cleansed the Kennedy Street precinct of all manner of litter ranging from significant quantities of plastic packaging, coffee cups and bottles to a discarded couch.
While all participants are advised to wear sun protection and sturdy footwear, and to bring gloves if possible, they will be provided with high vis vests and official rubbish collection bags on the day.
The guides group even has an annual icy pole tradition to help enjoy a job well done.
Meanwhile, the Friends of Campbells Creek have also registered a clean up site focused on collecting rubbish along the creek and its trails.
Anyone interested can go onto the Clean Up Australia website and register a new site they’d like to clean up – or find out more about any of the existing registered sites to join.

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