Leading members of Castlemaine’s RSL have welcomed the federal government’s announcement of a royal commission into veteran and serving defence personnel suicides ahead of this Sunday’s Anzac Day services across the shire.
Services will be taking place at locations throughout Mount Alexander with Castlemaine RSL secretary Barbara Templar confirming that all will be welcome to attend this Sunday’s Castlemaine Anzac Day services – while observing social distancing. Read more in today’s Castlemaine Mail.
Honouring our Anzacs
Footy is back!
The Castlemaine Magpies hosted South Bendigo in Bendigo Football Netball League round one clashes last Saturday. After a 12 month layoff due to covid the club were delighted to finally welcome their supporters back to the Camp. Magpie Declan Slingo is pictured in action against the Bloods. For Magpie news see the Mail. Photo: Max Lesser.
Horses return to the Camp
Castlemaine and District Agricultural Society is holding its Clydesdale and Miniature/Shetlands April Feature Show at Castlemaine’s Camp Reserve this Sunday April 18.
Show secretary Debbie Hamilton said it has been two years since they ran the popular April Show for Miniature Horses, Ponies and Shetlands in conjunction with the Clydesdale Foal, Filly and Mare Show.
“Due to Covid 19 we were unable to run any events in 2020. So we are super excited for this one. We expect the top state breeders to attend,” she said.
This year the society have included cross bred Clydesdales as well as pure bred gentle giants, along with foals, geldings, fillies and mares. There will be Ridden Clydesdale classes and long reins and a small horse harness section. See the Mail for full details.
A Prince among men
Following the passing of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, last Friday April 9, Castlemaine resident Hans Albers reached out to the Mail to share his memories of meeting the royal consort.
Mr Albers had the honour of taking Prince Philip on a ride aboard his Co & Co Coach at Lilydale during a royal visit to Australia in 1973. See the Mail for the full story.
Traders call for support
Traders in Barker Street Block 2 East are calling on Mount Alexander Shire Council to utilise some of the covid funding they have received from the state government to revitalise their precinct.
The traders have penned a letter to council urging them to put their plans for the revitalisation of Frederick Street precinct on hold to focus on cleaning up and rejuvenating their deteriorating streetscape, which they say is a key thoroughfare for community members and visitors to the town.
They would like to see footpaths repaired and regularly cleaned, ageing seating improved and planter boxes or other beautification works carried out to add some colour to the precinct. See the Mail for the full story.
Journey back in time
Community members are invited to take a journey back to our mechanical past at the Mount Alexander Vintage Engine Club (MAVEC) 24th Annual Vintage Engine Rally this weekend.
The rally is taking place at MAVEC’s home base at the Dave Bennett Reserve alongside the Muckleford Railway Station and is always a great day out for the whole family.
MAVEC will have everything on display from vintage chainsaws to drag saws and static engines to tractors.
There will also be a jumping castle for the kids, coffee and ice cream vendors and onsite catering.
The rally officially kicks off at 10am Saturday and runs through until 5pm and will run from 10am to 2.30pm Sunday. Entry is just $5 for adults and kids are free.
Indigenous land buyback: Mamunya crowdfund campaign
A new crowdfunding campaign aims to purchase a parcel of land at Chewton as a permanent base for the local Aboriginal community to run a wide range of Indigenous educational and cultural programs.
The campaign aims to raise $150,000 to enable the Nalderun Aboriginal organisation to secure the site of about five acres near Forest Creek at Chewton.
“It’s important that we have a place we can call our own,” local Dja Dja Wurrung Indigenous elder Rick Nelson said as the online campaign went live via the Chuffed this week. Get the full story in today’s Mail…
Fabulous festival
The 2021 Castlemaine State Festival has come to a close after 17 incredible days of music, live performance and visual arts.
Among the highlights of the final week was avant-garde cabaret and burlesque show – Yummy Unleashed (pictured) on Wednesday and Thursday evening on the Western Reserve stage. See the Mail for more…
Thanks one and all
Caroline Bellair, Castlemaine
I had a bad fall on the concrete footpath on Forest Street between Barker and Kennedy Streets at about 11.15 am on Wednesday March 24, which resulted in a compound fracture of my thigh bone. I would like to sincerely thank the passers-by, the paramedics and the CFA medical assist team who came to help me. I don’t know who you are, but I am very grateful for the efficient and compassionate care you provided. I am now recovering in the Bendigo Base Hospital.
New look for local store
Kosmac & Clemens Optometrists Castlemaine has a fresh new look and now has the capacity to welcome more clients.
Kosmac & Clemens business manager Michelle Thurlow said they closed the store on March 22 to undertake the refurbishment which includes a new spectacle lab, a new pre-testing area, refurbished original consulting room and the development of an additional consulting room which boosts the capacity of the store to welcome clients and reduce wait times.
The newly refurbished store opened on April 1 and also features a modern new reception area, new cabinetry, new flooring and has had a fresh coat of paint throughout.
“Our additional consulting room means we can now reduce our waiting times for clients and we are better able to cater for patients with ocular emergencies reducing the pressure on our local GP clinics,” Ms Thurlow said. See the Mail for more…
Magpies celebrate
The Castlemaine Football Netball Club will host its first match of the 2021 Bendigo Football Netball League season tomorrow against South Bendigo at the Camp Reserve.
The day will be one of celebration for the club returning to competition as a year off due to covid and also celebrating the 150th game of one of its favourite sons – David Stephens. See the Mail for more…
Church seeks review
A proposal by the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC) to establish a church hall in Castlemaine is headed to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal after the development’s planning application was rejected by Mount Alexander Shire Council last December.
Local Castlemaine members of the church yesterday provided an update on their proposed church hall development at 83 Blakeley Road.
The development application was rejected by Mount Alexander Shire Council in late December 2020, with councillors citing eight key areas of objection to the project. See the Mail for the full story.