St Vinnie’s Foodbank hosted a morning tea at St Mary’s Catholic Church last Friday to thank representatives of Castlemaine and district churches, schools and community groups for their regular donations of groceries and other goods and produce.
They were told their generosity had helped many people put food on the table, especially during this difficult COVID time.
St Vinnie’s thank you
Warming win for winemakers
Eve Lamb
The snap chill in recent days has done little to diminish the warm glow out at Harcourt’s BlackJack Wines where they’ve just barrelled an above average vintage and picked up a prestigious award.
The well-established local winery is among five of the wider region’s wineries able to bask in the warming glow of have been recognised in a prestigious industry cellar door awards program.
Announced last month, The Gourmet Traveller Wine’s 10th annual Best Cellar Door Awards judged BlackJack Wines, Sutton Grange Winery, Mandurang Valley Wines, Balgownie Estate and Killiecrankie Wines among the best in Australia.
BlackJack Wines was named the region’s best tasting experience.
“It’s always nice to get recognition,” BlackJack’s Ken Pollock said when the Mail dropped in for a vineyard visit earlier this week. Read more in today’s Mail...
Joy for regional gym junkies
Eve Lamb
Local fitness and dance instructors are among those breathing a big aerobic sigh of relief after last night’s easing of COVID restrictions now mean the state’s regional gyms – and other indoor sports – are back in action.
The eased rules for regional Victoria mean fitness instructors like Castlemaine’s Dave Tobin can now resume doing what he loves best – keeping fit and keeping others fit as well – even it it’s dark and howling a gale.
The overnight easing of restrictions for the regions mean indoor sport including gyms and dance studios will also be able to reopen with careful limits on the number of people permitted at any point in time.
“All of my classes have quickly filled up,” the pleased local fitness instructor told the Mail just hours after hearing of the new rules for regional gyms that came into effect from midnight last night. Read more in today’s Mail…
Local trader celebrates 40 years
Long running local family business Taylors Home Centre in Castlemaine’s Mostyn Street is celebrating 40 years serving the local community.
The successful local business was formerly known as Castlemaine Art Furnishings and was purchased by Robin and Nancy Taylor in 1981.
Four decades later the business is now owned and operated by the couple’s daughter Julie and her husband Shane Tunn.
Robin said Castlemaine Art Furnishing Co was a long running local business which was formerly located at the bottom end of Templeton Street.
“It was founded by Harry Barton and operated there from the 1930s until 1954 when it relocated to Mostyn Street. It was purchased by Ian and Barb Bell in 1977.
“We had been operating a café next door – the Eloura Café – for around three years when the business came on the market again. We finished up at the café in the January and purchased Castlemaine Art Furnishing Co from Ian and Barb Bell on April 1, 1981,” he said. See today’s Mail for more …
Rotary celebrates 100 years
Members of the Castlemaine Rotary Club recently met to celebrate Rotary’s 100th anniversary.
Rotary started in Australia with the first club formed being Melbourne in April 1921.
The Castlemaine Rotary Club was charted on June 21, 1935.
To celebrate this milestone Castlemaine Rotary held a special dinner recently at the Castlemaine Bowling Club.
The night saw 62 people attend with many stories and great memories shared. It was a wonderful opportunity to catch up with past members and old friends. See the Mail for the full story.
Get in the swing
Local women are invited to try their hand at golf at two ‘Come and Try Golf for Women’ events planned at the Castlemaine Golf Club in June and July.
The initiative follows on from the club’s very successful ‘SwingFit’ initiative for women held back in 2019 which saw several participants go on to become active club members. See the Mail for more.
Seniors set to roar
A special information meeting of the Positive Ageing Advocacy Group (PAAG) was held recently at the Castlemaine Community House to inform various groups of the purpose of the organisation.
Members were delighted with the number attending, with some 20 individuals representing 16 groups.
PAAG chairperson Marilyn Bennet explained that the object of PAAG was to represent Seniors in the community who may need help and guidance in approaching bodies such as council and governments or other bodies or individuals. See the Mail for more…
Art Show raffle
The latest covid lockdown and ongoing restrictions on visitors to regional venues have seen this weekend’s annual Rotary Club of Castlemaine Art Exhibition & Sale postponed until later next month and the Castlemaine Jazz Show cancelled.
However, locals can still show their support for the Rotary Club by purchasing a ticket in their annual Art Show fundraising raffle.
A popular adjunct to the annual Art Show the traditional raffle features a total of five wonderful prizes.
First prize is a magnificent, limited edition photographic print titled ‘Red Knob Vaughan’ by award winning local master photographer John Tozer. See the Mail for details.
Footy prepares to bounce back
With the Victorian Government announcing a seven-day lockdown across the state last Wednesday all community football matches, training and Auskick were not be permitted to take place in Victoria last weekend.
MCDFNL operations manager Mathew Begbie told the Mail junior footballers and netballers looked likely to return to the court and field this weekend for round 8 matches.
Senior players will miss at least another week.
“The round 7 matches will be re-scheduled to July 3 which was a League bye weekend. Round 8 will replace Round 14 which is one of the three double up games; where clubs play each other twice,” he said.
Top of the ladder Harcourt are happy with the way their Seniors and Ressies have been travelling this season with some strong wins in both divisions. However, they realise there is still the majority of the season to go (covid willing) and they plan to tackle each game as it comes. See the Mail for more…
Future of goldfields gem uncertain
Maldon’s much loved goldfields tourist attraction Carman’s Tunnel remains closed to the public.
The 1880s goldfields relic was closed in early 2020 during the coronavirus lockdowns. However, the popular mine site failed to reopen for public tours when covid restrictions eased in October 2020 due to a lack of volunteer numbers and the need for major upgrades at the site.
DELWP has recently engaged an independent geotechnical engineer to assess Carman’s Tunnel and the works required to bring it up to modern standards. See the Mail for the full story. Out Now.
Hello Baby! First bub welcomed at Castlemaine Health
Despite news of the lockdown it proved to be an exciting week at Castlemaine Health as the hospital welcomed the first baby born under its new Midwifery Group Practice model of care.
The healthy baby boy arrived on Sunday May 30. Mother and baby are doing well and are now settling in at home.
Castlemaine Health CEO Sue Race said the arrival of the first baby for the service is wonderful news and they send their heartfelt congratulations to the family.
“News of the birth has spread quickly through the service and the community and has been greeted with much excitement,” she said.
Maternity Services at Castlemaine Health became fully operational on Monday May 3, 2021 after a nearly year long suspension, re-opening under a new model of care. See the Mail for more…
Local filmmaker scoops international award
Eve Lamb
A film by Fryerstown’s Alison Shirley is quickly gaining international acclaim after clinching its category at the prestigious Denmark Luminous Frames film festival.
The six-minute screen work has taken out the festival’s short film category dealing with life in pandemic.
Now Shirley’s Beauty in Decay has also been selected, and is in contention for another win, in the Experimental Dance and Music Film Festival in Los Angeles and Toronto.
“That was a beautiful surprise,” the local filmmaker told the Mail this week after learning of her recent success in Denmark. Read more in the Mail 04.06.21
