Courage is contagious asserts the new mural, freshly completed this week on a prominent wall at The Mill, Castlemaine.
Splashed in musk pink on the wall opposite the Taproom beer garden, and depicting a feisty young climate striker, it’s a message that’s both uplifting and hard to ignore.
It’s also both a gift from the artist who created it – Melbourne based Baby Guerrilla – and a nod to the climate strike movement and the young people driving it.
“It’s about children showing more courage, leadership, initiative than the people who are paid to lead us,” said Baby Guerrilla who chose to bring the work to Castlemaine as hometown for the founding members of the School Strike For Climate (SS4C) movement in Australia.
“It’s about action on climate change,” she said on site yesterday.
“We’ve got a prime minister twiddling his thumbs while Australia’s literally burning. Full story in today’s Castlemaine Mail Friday, November 29, 2019.
Bold new mural for The Mill
Buda yarn bombed for traditional arts fair
They’re a mysterious lot the Bendigo Yarn Bombers.
Not disclosing their identity is part of the mystique behind their super colourful yarn based bomb “attacks” which often target prominent infrastructure and assets.
This time Castlemaine’s historic Buda Home and Garden was in their line of fire as they helped add a blast of their colour-filled, yarn-fueled fun to the imposing property as it gets set to host this Sunday’s Traditional Arts Fair.
“It was a surprise for us,” Buda secretary Pat Grumont said as the yarn bombers focused their bombing efforts on the Buda Garden Room where the results will now remain on display during this Sunday’s fair.
“But it’s and honour to be bombed,” Pat added.
Following the success of last year’s fair, Buda is again preparing to showcase traditional arts, cooking and gardening in the spirit of the creative Leviny family that once resided at Buda. Full story in today’s Castlemaine Mail, Friday, November 22, 2019
Race the Train returns
Bike riders are bracing to take on the train in a contest of stamina against steam as the unique Race the Train event makes a return to Castlemaine and Maldon tomorrow.
After a hiatus last year the unique event is back with a full head of steam and a new management team – namely Melbourne based Sport Projects which has now taken on running the race.
“The core element of this event is fantastic. It’s super unique,” says Sport Projects managing director Steve Peterson who’s keen to see the 19 km bike VS train race grow in profile as a significant attraction.
Race the Train provides cyclists with a rare chance to race the vintage Victorian Goldfields Railway steam train on the 19km scenic course from Castlemaine to Maldon.
“We’d have more than 300 entries at this stage which is a good sign,” Steve told the Mail. Full story in today’s Castlemaine Mail, Friday, November 2019
She Shares luncheon
Local women with an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer are invited the next Pink Hope ‘She Shares’ event to be held at the picturesque Providence Gully venue at Sandon this Sunday November 17.
Pink Hope provides support to women and families that are at increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer due to genetic mutations, or because of strong family histories.
The charity has recently started running the She Shares events, which are designed for high risk women to meet, chat, laugh, cry and just share their stories.
The first Central Victorian event was held at The Stables in Guildford in May and attracted a handful of local women.
Local Outreach Ambassador and She Shares event organiser Shelley Watson hopes even more women will join them this weekend.
“After undertaking a preventative risk-reducing bilateral mastectomy in 2015, I know how important it is to make connections with women who are in similar situations and how vital these relationships have become and will continue to be throughout my journey,” Shelley said.
Providence Gully have kindly donated the venue for the event and Kristin at the North Kitchen will be catering.
“I encourage local women to join us for a lovely luncheon. It’s a great opportunity to meet and chat to other women in a similar situation,” Shelley said.
To register for the event visit www.pinkhope.org.au Registration is just
$10 and includes the luncheon and a goodie bag. For more information about She
Shares contact Shelley on 0438 006 913.
75 and going strong! Harcourt fireys celebrate
Things have changed a fair bit since the earliest days of the Harcourt fire brigade.
Back then 75 years ago people unlucky enough to be faced with a fire could expect the local brigade volunteers to turn out in an old lend-lease ex army Chevrolet.
These days a call-out to the fireys out Harcourt way is likely to be met with a high tech tanker fully equipped with computers and hydraulic gear.
This weekend the big changes that have happened over the past seven decades will give pause for thought as the brigade celebrates its 75th anniversary with a presentation dinner tomorrow evening at the Harcourt Leisure Centre, followed by a public open day at the Harcourt fire station this Sunday.
Brigade members are inviting everyone to get along to the fire station at High Street, Harcourt between 10am – 2pm on Sunday to enjoy the free sausage sizzle, memorabilia and equipment displays, special anniversary souvenirs including wine glasses, coffee mugs and coasters – and kids entertainment as well.
Among today’s long-serving volunteers, Peter Wilson has been with the Harcourt CFA for 61 years and laughs as he recounts a few of the changes that have taken place in his time with the brigade.
“We’d use either the old lend-lease chevvie or an old Austin truck and we’d have to use a hand pump to fill it,” he says. Full story in today’s Castlemaine Mail, Friday, November 8, 2019
Play space captures the imagination
Did you catch our story about the opening of the new play space in Victory Park? The new play space has certainly got a work out since its official opening with youngsters loving the flying fox, climbing boulders, balance beams, accessible carousel and basket swing. The play space also includes a shadow wall featuring an indigenous design by Nalderun, a grinding stone and a yabby sculpture with Bunjil overhead on the shade sails. See last week’s Mail for the full story.
HALT goes national
Local suicide prevention group HALT (Hope Assistance Local Tradies) took their message to Canberra recently staging one of their renowned ‘Save Your Bacon’ brekkie events at Parliament House. Catch last Friday’s Mail for the full story.
Birds and flowers
Shades of Gray unveiled its highly anticipated annual spring exhibition Birds and Flowers last Saturday, November 2. The exhibition runs for nine days culminating this Sunday November 10.
The exhibition is open 10am to 5pm each day and is not to be missed with three galleries and the garden full of Chelly and Peter Gray’s stunning artworks created from recycled materials. To find out more grab last Friday’s Castlemaine Mail.
Solar savings
When Castlemaine Secondary College (CSC) won a 20.625kw full installed solar system valued at $26,000 from Origin Energy in 2018, the school made the bold choice to invest in a larger 50kw system in an effort to reduce its operating costs and lower the school’s impact on the environment.
In just under a year this investment has proven to have paid off. The college has managed to reduce their energy bill by around 30 per cent, delivering annual savings of about $13,000-$14,000. See today’s Mail for the full story.
Origin Energy is hosting free one-on-one solar power sessions for local small business owners this month in the Castlemaine and Bendigo area. For more information small business owners interested in installing solar panels can arrange to meet and discuss their options with an Origin solar expert by calling 1300 134 138 or registering online: https://www.originenergy.com.au/business/solar/contact-us.html
It’s Show Time …
Castlemaine show gets cracking this evening with a street parade and wood chop part of the opening schedule – plus a fireworks display, weather permitting.
Gates to Camp Reserve open with pavilion displays, fleeces, horticulture, cooking, art and craft all on display alongside the classic showtime attractions of sideshows and rides.
Working furiously behind the scenes, Castlemaine and District Agricultural Society secretary Debbie Hamilton is more than a bit delighted that the dodgems have shown up this year after several years of absence due to clashes with other shows.
“It’s very exciting and they’re very new dodgems,” she says. Full story in today’s Castlemaine Mail ( Friday, November 1, 2019)
Council vote paves way for permaculture farm
A council decision has paved the way for a new permaculture farm and associated new house to be established at Harcourt North.
But it was not at all certain that the proposal by Sydney based couple Lana Dermody and David Foley would get the green light they hoped for with the council’s planning department recommending refusal of planning approval for the couple to build a dwelling and outbuildings as part of their vision for the Eagles Road site in Harcourt North.
The matter came before Mount Alexander Shire Council last week with councillors tasked with voting on the recommendation of refusal on grounds that the 10.4 hectare site is in the farming zone and, because the property is less than 40 hectares in size, construction of a dwelling did “not achieve the outcomes and objectives of the farming zone and the provisions of the planning scheme aimed at protecting agricultural land from non-agriculutral uses”.
The application had attracted one formal objection and a Harcourt landholder personally addressed last Tuesday evening’s council meeting stating that he believed allowing it would “place further pressure on other land to be developed as smaller lots”.
“It would be the thin edge of the wedge,” the objector told the meeting.
But the couple behind the plan, Sydney based David Foley – a software developer who was raised on a farm in Ireland – and Sydney schoolteacher Lana Dermody also both addressed the meeting, arguing their case to establish the permaculture farm at the site with a passive energy efficient dwelling an integral part of their proposal.
They told councillors their vision for a permaculture farm included vegetable and herb gardens, revegetating and restoring the property’s natural ecosystem, and rehabilitating the land to turn it into a productive permaculture farm. Full story in today’s Castlemaine Mail (Friday, October 25, 2019)
Access and inclusion
Castlemaine Community House (CCH) will soon benefit from improved universal access thanks to the state government.
Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards MP announced on Monday last week that disability access upgrades will be undertaken at CCH to make sure all members of the community enjoy safe and easy access to the valuable services provided by CCH. See last Friday’s Mail for the full story.