Castlemaine traders will be open late again this Friday evening December 17 as part of two Late Night Shopping nights which have been coordinated by Business Mount Alexander (BMA) and supported by Mount Alexander Shire Council in partnership with the Castlemaine Fringe Festival and local businesses.
Business operators will be open until 8pm providing the perfect opportunity to cross some items off your Christmas list!
The Village Square in Frederick Street, Castlemaine will be abuzz with entertainment, a licensed bar and food trucks. Enjoy roving performers throughout the town and admire the kinetic sculpture installation at Victory Park and lightshow on the historic Market Building. So be sure to get along and support our local traders after another challenging year.
Shop local this Christmas
Organic farming co-op gets top biz gong
Harcourt Organic Farming Co-operative has been named Mount Alexander’s ‘Business of the Year’ among eight local businesses who topped a field of 27 finalists recognised for excellence in the 2021 Mount Alexander Business Awards.
The winners were announced at a gala event in the Castlemaine Town Hall last Thursday evening.
Harcourt Organic Farming Co-operative which includes member businesses are micro-dairy (Sellar Farmhouse Creamery), fruit tree nursery (Carr’s Organic Fruit Tree Nursery), a mixed orchard (The Orchard Keepers), a market garden (Gung Hoe Growers), and an online education business (Grow Great Fruit) was also declared the shire’s Agribusiness Award winner.
Castlemaine dance studio Movement Zone won a special award recognising best practice in accessibility.
And a Covid-19 Business Resilience Award went to the Castlemaine Farmers Market for adapting so well and professionally in the pandemic. See the Mail for the full story…
Colonel Bull Trophy event celebrates club’s 160th
Saturday was the fourth stage of the Castlemaine Rifle Club annual championship. Being the fourth stage it is the halfway mark and the ‘Colonel Bull Trophy’.
A large number of shooters contested this event over the long distances of 800 and 900 yards. Conditions were very difficult with the strong wind causing shooters to lose lots of points.
This is one of the club’s most important trophies as it commemorates the man who donated the rifle range land to the volunteer forces.
Colonel John Edward Newell Bull who came to Australia in 1842 was placed in charge of the Castlemaine volunteers in 1860 and the Castlemaine Rifle Range was gazetted in September 1861, making this year the club’s 160th anniversary. One of the longest histories of any sporting club in Australia. The trophy the club shoot for was donated by his great, great granddaughter Cheryl Looby on behalf of the family. See the Mail for the full story.
Council gets creative for Christmas
A towering moving sculpture, light shows and late night trading lead Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Christmas celebrations.
From Wednesday this week until January 4, Taradale artist, Alex Sanson’s towering kinetic sculpture Spherophyte, will fold and unfold in hypnotic motion in Victory Park, Castlemaine.
With 48 moving arms, the 6.5 metre sculpture inspired by meditative breathing will be in the shire’s commercial centre for the first time, following installations at Lot 19 in 2016, White Night Melbourne 2017 and Ballarat’s Summer of Fun 2021.
Castlemaine’s historic Market Building will also become a giant screen, displaying digitally projected drawings by senior students from Castlemaine North, Winters Flat and Chewton Primary Schools.
And Maldon Primary School students’ drawings will be projected, along with a film of Alex Sanson’s work, from Maldon’s award-winning Old Bank Corner, recently declared national Best Regional Main Street.
Castlemaine artist Jim Coad has created the projections.
Council is also partnering with Business Mount Alexander to boost Castlemaine’s night-time economy in the lead up to Christmas with late night shopping this Friday December 10 and 17 until 8pm.
Castlemaine’s new-look Village Square on Frederick Street, will be abuzz with free entertainment, programmed by the Castlemaine Fringe Festival.
Council is also supporting The Rotary Club of Castlemaine’s Christmas carols on Friday December 17 at 7pm in the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens.
The annual Christmas Twilight Market will also take place on Saturday December 18 from 3-7pm at Western Reserve.
‘Gather Harcourt’ to draw a crowd
You’re invited to get along to the inaugural ‘Gather Harcourt’ twilight market this Saturday evening, December 11 and help celebrate Harcourt’s wonderfully diverse community while enjoying live music, great local food, superb wine, cider, beer and some shopping at the market stalls.
The former Harcourt Twilight Market has been reinvented and ‘Gather Harcourt’ will feature live entertainment by Mandy Connell, Peter Chaffey and Blue Lucas.
Amongst the abundance of food vendors will be Duang Tentrirat, Icecream Social, Geeza & Co, Long Paddock Cheese and Vegan Food Heaven.
On offer at the Harcourt Progress Association Bar will be offerings from Harcourt Cider, Maison Lapalus, Henry of Harcourt, Loveshack Brewery, Boomtown Winemakers Cooperative, Shedshaker Brewing, Coliban Valley Wines, Mt Alexander Winery and Hepburn Distillery.
Join in the festivities this Saturday from 4pm to 7pm at James Park, Harcourt (next to the ANA Hall).
Plan to help keep it cool at the res
Eve Lamb
As the weather heats up so does activity at Expedition Pass Reservoir.
When the mercury heads north, many locals head out to the classic swimming spot off Chewton’s Golden Point Road to cool down.
But amid ongoing concerns, particularly around res-side traffic egress and parking, Mount Alexander Shire Council is now inviting public feedback to help improve safety at the res.
Ahead of an onsite public information session set for next Wednesday longtime local landholder John Ellis told the Mail about just a few of the concerns that have been raised.
“It’s a heritage dam that’s pretty fragile,” says John, a keen member of the area’s Golden Point Landcare group that keeps an ever-watchful eye on the health of the reservoir and its bushland surrounds.
“The parking situation’s been able to get totally out of control over the years. It’s a shocker really,” John says.
He also names dogs being allowed to run around there off-leash despite this being prohibited, trail bikes being ridden along the dam wall and all-too frequently off track damaging the ecology, and even a reported build-up of sunscreen pollution in the water over summer among issues. Read more in today’s Mail…
Health priorities in the ‘maine
Eve Lamb
The suicide rate in Mount Alexander Shire Council is almost double the state average, and executive staff at Castlemaine’s public hospital are more than a little eager to see a new health and wellbeing hub established for the town.
These were just a couple of main matters mentioned as federal member for Bendigo, Labor’s Lisa Chesters visited Castlemaine Health and took a tour of the hospital ahead of the impending federal election shaping for the first half of next year.
“It’s either going to be early March or in May,” said Ms Chesters, who’s entourage for her mid-week hospital tour included baby son Charlie.
“Either way, when he calls it – we’re ready,” the ALP local incumbent said, before detailing several reasons for her hospital visit. Read more in today’s Mail…
Dancing doc wins award
Eve Lamb
A local doctor occasionally known to use his personal passion for funk dance to boost morale, educate and improve health outcomes has just picked up a prestigious national award.
Known in some circles as the dancing doctor, Castlemaine GP Dr Richard Mayes is among the handful of winning medics to receive one of this year’s Royal Australian College of General Practitioners awards for general practice.
The awards recognise outstanding achievements and exceptional individuals for their contribution to rural general practice with Dr Mayes getting this year’s Brian Williams Award for outstanding contribution to medical education across all levels of training, and amongst his peers.
“It’s quite humbling because I work among an amazing group of GPs in our community,” the hardworking medic told the Mail as he took a quick break from his hectic schedule this week. Read more in today’s Mail…
Splash into summer
Eve Lamb
You know summer has arrived when the local pool opens.
From this weekend – weather permitting – Mount Alexander Shire’s outdoor public pools at Castlemaine, Harcourt, Maldon and Newstead are all expected to splash into the new season.
“We can open from this Saturday if the temperature is at least 23 degrees,” says Kaleb Laker, outdoor pools coordinator with the YMCA which manages the four local pools for the council.
“At this stage Sunday is looking good.”
As the temperature crept up earlier this week it was clear quite a few Castlemaine residents’ minds were turning to the start of the new pool season.
“We’ve had a few people come up and ask,” says team leader with the YMCA, Cam Anderson who will be stationed at the Newstead pool this season.
“We’re just looking forward to no COVID interruptions and welcoming the community back.”
There’s also a few new programs in store for the summer pool season ahead. Read more in today’s Mail…
Get your 2022 Castlemaine Mail calendar!
Our 2022 Castlemaine Mail calendars have arrived! Be sure to ask for your free copy with today’s edition of the Castlemaine Mail. Extra copies will be available for sale at our office at 13 Hargraves Street for just $2 while stocks last. The 1980s themed calendar will make a great stocking filler for the family! Thanks to the Castlemaine Historical Society Inc once again for their wonderful support sourcing images for the popular offering.
Community invited to ‘Gather’
The Castlemaine Commons Collective is inviting members of the local community to ‘GATHER’ together for an afternoon at Castlemaine’s Theatre Royal this Sunday, December 5.
The Castlemaine Commons are a collective who create media and events to foster new ways of communicating, community connection, sense making, catalysing action and creating the future together.
Castlemaine Commons member Alex Kelly said this weekend they are inviting people to attend a kind of public town hall event to share reflections on the pandemic and where we might go from here.
“With over 100 people already having indicated they will be attending we are expecting this to be a powerful and engaging event,” Alex said.
“We invite reflections about where we have been and where we might be going. For we know that while we are in the same storm, but not the same boat and we want to make space to share our diverse experiences and responses across the pandemic. We imagine an open conversation reflecting on what has happened and looking forward as our responses to covid shift again,” she said.
Alex said they wanted to provide an opportunity for people to gather again and share their experiences.
“We aren’t being too ambitious as we know people are fatigued, but we felt that we haven’t really had a chance to meet and share our stories, reflect on our experiences and look at what lessons which we can take forward,” she said. See today’s Mail for more…
Truck Show a success
As the dust settled and the rumble of big engines subsided into the distance last Sunday afternoon, members of the Castlemaine Rotary Club were left both exhausted and relieved.
Although far from the full two-day program usually offered, the 33rd annual Castlemaine Rotary Truck Show has been labelled an outstanding success.
Truck Show director Kerry Anderson said that up until six weeks ago they weren’t sure that they could hold the show.
“Then the big question was, would anyone come to a low-key event?” she said.
“Despite the uncertain lead-up, this year exceeded all our expectations,” confirmed Club President, Lyn Ellery.
“The public and trucking industry showed us how happy they were to be able to come out and attend. We were so grateful for the support of our Rotarians, the Lion’s club and other volunteers who worked tirelessly to cater for the unexpected crowds.” See the Mail for the full story and more images from the event.
