Newstead teen Caitlin Richardson continues to rake in the award honours having been named the Big V Basketball Victoria Youth Championship Women’s Most Valuable Player for season 2021.
The Bendigo Braves player had a top year on the court in the Big V comp and at the Country Championships.
The latest accolade comes just weeks after the 17-year-old finished runner-up in the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League’s prestigious Nalder-Tracey Trophy for the league’s Best and Fairest A Grade.
Caitlin also claimed the ‘Rookie of the Year’ and ‘Maryborough Advertiser Netballer of the Year’ honours at the MCDFNL awards night. See the Mail for the full story.
Stellar season for Caitlin
Orbit celebrates local artist
Castlemaine Art Museum’s (CAM) latest ‘Orbit’ exhibition features the work of talented local artist Alvin Darcy Briggs.
This is the seventh exhibition in CAM’s Orbit program; a series of exhibitions by artists who live and work in Central Victoria.
Alvin’s Dad is Yorta Yorta, Taungurung and his Mum is Nario, Walbunja. Alvin lives and works in Castlemaine. He learnt different crafts through family and Elders.
“I’ve been drawing since I could walk and have always been encouraged to draw. My Dad was always making artefacts, design and poker work and now I make artefacts too,” Alvin said.
“He introduced me to the machine I use today which utilises a heated wire to make free marks. This technique is called pyrography which means ‘writing with fire’. See the Mail for more…
Winters Flat kicking goals!
Winters Flat Primary School in Castlemaine has claimed second place in the Loddon Mallee Waste and Resource Recovery Group’s (LMWRRG) ‘Sustainability Goal Kicking Competition’ which was open to any school registered with ResourceSmart Schools in the Loddon Mallee region.
Winters Flat was among 25 schools from across the region to take part in the challenge to see who could kick the most ‘sustainability goals’ and vie for the chance to win a share in $10,000 in prizes including: Elphinstone PS, Kyneton PS, Malmsbury PS, Langley PS, and St Brigids Gisborne PS.
St Mary’s Echuca came first, followed by Winters Flat PS in second place and Malmsbury PS in third.
Winters Flat was delighted to win a nesting box made by the Maryborough Men’s Shed, two BioFilta recycled plastic wicking beds, a year’s worth of seeds from Mr Fothergill’s and $750 cash to spend on their garden. See the Mail for more…
Castlemaine links to Our African Roots
Eve Lamb
A new documentary film exploring the untold story of Australia’s African past and set to premiere on SBS this month was directed by Castlemaine based Tony Jackson and produced by Castlemaine based production company, Chemical Media.
The debut televised screening of Our African Roots is scheduled for 8.30pm on Sunday October 17 on SBS as the sixth stand-alone documentary in SBS’s Australia Uncovered strand.
The landmark documentary that tells the lost story of Australia’s African heritage was also directed and co-produced by Castlemaine’s Tony Jackson and edited by Castlemaine’s Bergen O’Brien.
In it, the film’s co-producer and presenter, author and journalist Santilla Chingaipe rips up the monocultural myth of
Australia’s white foundation narratives and colours in our nation’s history books by re-telling the stories of the black African convicts, bushrangers, feminists and rebels who played a seminal role in events that shaped the nation.
“When Santilla came to my company with the proposal our jaws just hit the floor,” says Jackson who owns Chemical Media.
“Our jaws just hit the floor and we were like – ‘What! How do we not know this?!’
“SBS were equally as excited at the prospect.”
Last week Jackson told the Mail that key scene re-creations featured in the historic documentary were shot locally at Redesdale with other significant moments shot in Castlemaine and Campbells Creek. Read more in today’s Mail…
Stoush over ‘manuka honey’ spills into NZ tribunal
Eve Lamb
Castlemaine honey producer Peter McDonald is among many around Australia speaking up and watching closely as a lengthy, multi-jurisdictional stoush over who can use the words ‘manuka honey’ intensifies in a New Zealand tribunal this week.
For years, NZ manuka honey producers have attempted to trademark the words ‘manuka honey’ but Australian producers like Castlemaine’s McDonald family argue they’ve no basis for doing so, since the plant from which the valuable honey is derived grows natively in both countries. Now the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand is hearing an application by the Manuka Honey Appellation Society which represents a group of New Zealand producers, for a certification mark on the word “manuka”. The Australian Manuka Honey Association is opposing the application.
Castlemaine’s McDonald family have been beekeeping and producing honey for generations.
Each season for years they’ve travelled statewide chasing honey flows from native Australian Eucalyptus and also from the Leptospermum (manuka) – a species of the myrtle plant family.
Mr McDonald says his parents started professionally beekeeping just after World War Two and used the term manuka way back then for the product produced here from the Leptospermum manuka plant species.
“We have always called it manuka,” he said.
“Manuka is a common name. It makes us really sad. We’ve always produced manuka honey in various parts of the state,” he says.
“It sort of feels like they’re trying to steal something off us, and trying to con the public to say manuka honey only grows in New Zealand when we know for absolute fact that is incorrect.”
Manuka honey is produced from the nectar of Leptospermum scoparium which is indigenous to Australia and New Zealand and has become valuable due to its purported medicinal qualities.
The term “manuka” is documented as having been used in Australia since the late 19th century. Read more in today’s Mail…
Supermarket debate continues
Castlemaine community members may have noted a scaffold structure go up on private land at the entrance to Castlemaine late last week.
The structure seemingly designed to give community members a ‘visual perspective’ of what the proposed supermarket may look like on the approach to town.
The Mail also received unconfirmed reports that the developers of the new supermarket have submitted revised plans to VCAT which increase the height of the proposed building. See today’s Mail for the full story.
CDCA prepares for late start
The Castlemaine District Cricket Association (CDCA) is set to get off to a late start this season due to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
CDCA junior coordinator and former secretary Brian Brasher said they are waiting for the state to reach the 80% double dose vaccination threshold.
“We are then allowed to return to play. Current government estimations are for mid-November start but date is linked to the 80% rather than any fixed weekend,” he said.
“Currently we are able to train and clubs are hitting the training track,” he said.
Brasher said that despite the late start the 2021-2022 season is looking good with more growth in the competition including three new women’s sides. See the Mail for the full story.
Truck Show convoy, photo comp to return
The Rotary Club of Castlemaine met on September 29 to confirm their commitment to celebrating the incredible contribution of the trucking industry in yet another challenging year.
Rotary Truck Show director Kerry Anderson said a decision has been made to proceed with activities that will not be impacted by last minute changes and the high regulation of patrons.
So what can you expect as part of the 33rd Castlemaine Rotary Truck Show?
The club is pleased to report its popular annual Truck Procession and Truckie’s Picnic will go ahead on Sunday November 28 and their Photo Competition, calendar and raffle will once again proceed. See the Mail for the full story.
Frosty blast
Eve Lamb
Forecast rain is welcome news for many of the region’s winegrowers following a frosty weekend that produced a sleep-deprived night for some.
At Harcourt, winemaker Ian McKenzie, who operates BlackJack winery and vineyards with fellow vigneron Ken Pollock was alerted to the frost in the small hours of last Sunday morning via their weather station alert relayed via New Zealand.
“I get a phone call linked to the weather station,” said Ian – “we have three weather stations in the vineyard.”
With budburst just starting now at the Harcourt vineyard, the minus 1.4 degree frost that impacted around 3am on Sunday morning meant it was time to activate BlackJack’s trusty gas-fired frost fan.
“Frost can wipe out all the fruit and can also affect next year’s as well,” said Ken.
“The frost fan draws warm air in. It pulls the warm air in and mixes it with the cold.
“It sounds a bit like a helicopter. Some of the apple growers around here also have frost fans.”
Ian says they ran the vineyard frost fan for about four hours – a good move as they were able to effectively protect any tender new season’s vine growth with the fan able to cover and help protect 8000 vines growing over about 10 acres.
Ken and Ian say forecast rain is good news for BlackJack at this point.
“It’s a good start,” says Ian.
Sunday’s morning frost also meant a brisk start for Tim Sproal winemaker with Castlemaine’s Boomtown wines.
Tim was forced to get out to the vineyard he leases at Metcalf in the middle of the night to help protect tender new vine growth – by burning hay bales.
“I was there from 12 (midnight) to 3am burning haybales to create a warm air envelope,” said Tim who’s also busy putting out compost on the vineyard where budburst has already started. Read more in today’s Mail…
Smashing $20,000: virtual run bodes well
Eve Lamb
COVID may have forced last weekend’s Run The Maine to pivot to virtual format, but it’s done nothing to prevent the popular distance event from raising an impressive $20,000 for Castlemaine Health.
“We’re donating $20,000 to the hospital which is more than double the donation from last year,” RTM director Gavin Krasner told the Mail this weekfollowingthe weekend-long event.
For months, the RTM committee had been keenly anticipating a return to in-person format this year but, just six weeks out, the state’s lockdown uncertainty forced the reversion to virtual format as used for the first time last year.
Despite that, last weekend’s participation rate points to a bright future for the event.
“$20,000 is the second largest donation we’ve ever made so we are really thrilled,” Krasner told the Mail.
“Our ticket sale were up 15 percent on last year. Read more in today’s Mail…
Castlemaine health exposure site
Eve Lamb
Castlemaine Health has been confirmed as a COVID-19 tier 2 exposure site.
Hospital executive staff yesterday confirmed that the hospital main entrance and vaccination clinic had been identified as a tier 2 exposure site on Monday September 27 between the times of 8.27am-10.07am.
“Anyone who was in those areas – the hospital main entrance and vaccination clinic (between 8.27am and 10.07) am on Monday morning should get tested and isolate until they get a negative result,” Castlemaine Health executive director of clinical and community services Dianne Senior told the Mail.
She moved to allay worries around aged care, however, confirming that the hospital’s aged care facilities were not affected and were not part of the confirmed exposure.
“We are reassuring our staff that it has been minimal,” Ms Senior said.
In response to yesterday’s confirmation a pop-up swabbing clinic was set up at the town’s Camp Reserve and sprang into action yesterday.
Ms Senior said the pop-up clinic would continue operating at Camp Reserve from 9.30am-12.30 today with people needing to get a test required to book an appointment with Castlemaine District Community Health CHIRP on 54791000.
The Castlemaine exposure site confirmation came as the state yesterday broke triple digit numbers of new cases with more than 1400 confirmed for one day – a record for Victoria during the pandemic.
Mount Alexander shire residents are maintaining a high level of vigilance with multiple new exposure sites emerging in neighbouring municipalities. Read more in today’s Mail …
CriticalMassAppeal in the ‘maine
Eve Lamb
If we live in an age when “everyone has a hungry eye” then after catching Oli Dunlop’s debut exhibition there’ll be no need for dessert.
“I think it began when Mum collaged the toilet,” the Castlemaine weekend artist says.
“It was with an old masters theme.”
From that point on the young Dunlop, who now holds a weekday job with Castlemaine’s Don KR, never looked back. Collage was his thing.
“So I guess you could say I’ve been doing it since I could use the toilet,” he laughs.
The Castlemaine creative has just launched his debut solo exhibition at Castlemaine’s central CASPA gallery.
CriticalMassAppeal features largescale traditional collage works and prints made from them by deploying a creative process involving photography and digital printing.
The subject matter might best be summarised as concerned with the pop digital age of mass visual sensory input – some might say overload.
The result is both impactful and engaging. Read more in today’s Mail…