There’s something iconic about a good old fashioned billy cart battle.
And when the setting is a classic historic Aussie town like Maldon the traditional downhill billy cart race is hard to beat for pure spectacle.
This weekend’s annual Maldon Easter Fair billy cart race is shaping as no exception with young competitors honing their race day strategies and putting their hand-built racing machines through their paces.
Meantime, members of the town’s Men’s Shed have been busy ensuring their custom-built fleet of billy carts is in good order so youngsters who otherwise may not have access to a billy cart can still compete. Full story in today’s Mail …
Get set for Easter fair fun
Castlemaine CFA shakes up 60 years
This week members from the Castlemaine Fire Brigade were gearing up for their 60th year collecting for the Good Friday Appeal. See the Castlemaine Mail for more.
Bandidos back in town
The Bandidos Motorcycle Club held a lucky numbers fundraising ride for prostate cancer at the weekend and made Castlemaine one of their stops. For more see the Castlemaine Mail.
Kayaks, canoes get thumbs up at Barkers
After many decades of being banned, kayaks and canoes are now permitted to go out on Barkers Creek Reservoir.
Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards yesterday took to the local reservoir in a kayak herself as she announced the new move which is understood to be the first time a Coliban Water reservoir has been opened for on-water access of any kind. Full story in today’s Castlemaine Mail.
Get set to salsa!
Castlemaine’s Taproom is rearing for some racy rhythms as it prepares to host Salsa Social tomorrow night. Originally from Colombia, Salsa Social instructor Camila Serrano brought salsa to Castlemaine about four years ago, introducing regular salsa dance classes for locals.
Since then, Camila’s Salsa Social classes have taken off with some 50 to 60 regulars attending the classes she runs. Catch our chat with Camila Serrano – and some of her enthusiastic salsa students – in today’s Mail.
GP’s welcome
Junior doctor visit hopes to attract rural stays
With hopes of attracting more doctors to work in regional areas, a group of professionals have collaborated to proactively host a ‘GP Jaunt’ visiting Castlmeiane, Newstead, Kyneton and Maryborough.
The jaunt was held last Saturday April 6, and saw junior doctors and medical students visit the Botanical Gardens Health, Mostyn Street and Lyttleton Street medical practices as well as the Castlemaine hospital – Castlemaine Health.
Leading the initiative is the Monash University North West Victorian Regional Training Hub, Murray City Country Coast (MCCC) GP Training and Castlemaine GP, Dr Mark Farrugia. See the Castlemaine Mail for more.
Rental Squeeze
Finding a home to rent in Castlemaine is becoming increasingly difficult with the town ranked second least affordable in regional Victoria and reports of some being forced to leave for cheaper towns.
Castlemaine Housing Service team leader Michael McMahon says the rental squeeze in Castlemaine is pricing many out of the market, while a lack of social housing is also forcing some to leave and go to other regional towns like Bendigo and Maryborough to get a roof over their head.
Mr McMahon has observed that some of the housing stress they’re witnessing now is a result of owners needing to move back into their properties themselves, and he says the problem is increasing. Full story in today’s Mail …
The Big White Dyno
The stunning sheer salt white that is South Australia’s dried Lake Gairdner makes a dazzling backdrop in The Big White Dyno, a unique photographic exhibition of images by Castlemaine’s Darron Davies.
The Big White Dyno is now being staged as part of the Castlemaine State Festival and features numerous images Davies captured during annual Speed Week at this unique and remote location over the past three events held in March.
“This is my impressions of Speed Week held in remote south Australia at Lake Gairdner about 14 hours drive from Castlemaine,” explains the local photographer. Full story in today’s Mail …
Golden Ticket!
The countdown is on until the launch of our highly anticipated ‘Golden Ticket’ competition.
Be sure to grab your copy of the Mail next Friday April 5 to receive your Golden Ticket and begin collecting the ‘puzzle’ pieces to go in the running to win an incredible $3000 to spend at participating local businesses!
An Imperial projection
The character-packed face of Castlemaine’s old Imperial Hotel building will play a star role in a unique after dark projection art project tonight.
Part of the Castlemaine Fringe Festival, the Colours of Our Community projection art show will project art done by many local residents onto the historic facade of the classical revival building in Lyttleton Street.
“It’s a community engagement projection art project,” says Castlemaine projection artist Jim Coad who has notched up 15 years of projection art experience.
“I came up with this idea as a great way to explore surfaces and develop ideas and I thought well I can use this as a community engagement tool to get lots of people involved in the process.”
The works will be projected onto the Imperial Hotel facade from 9 pm-midnight tonight March 22 – alongside live music by Sons of the Blues from 9.15pm to 10.30pm. Full story in today’s Mail …
Larger than life!
Castlemaine’s Cr Max Lesser has a way of brightening most rooms into which he walks.
This is at least partly due to his preferred personal dress code – bright red with peg accessories of symbolic significance.
But now Cr Lesser is helping to enliven Castlemaine’s town hall civic building on the outside, and this time in arty black and white.
The local councillor and keen photographer is among a lengthy line-up of local creatives whose photographic portraits have been rendered as 90 large post-up images to grace the walls of various buildings in the CBD, Mill and Lot 19.
It’s all part of a MAPgroup project – the Beyond the Studio exhibition taking place during the Castlemaine State Festival, March 22-31.
The gaze-grabbing post-up portraits appeared in recent days and are the work of 18 documentary photographers with the the MAPgroup. Full story in today’s Mail …
Broiler breakthrough
After years of bitter dispute it appears the long running battle over intensive chicken broiler farms proposed for Baringhup may finally be about to end.
Baringhup landholders and other locals who’ve fought to prevent three intensive broiler farms being built on the Moolort Plains are this week welcoming news an agreement now reached is expected to lead to the farm applications being withdrawn.
Save the Moolort Plains members like Marg Lewis has told the Mail that Baringhup community members have been notified that a request has now been lodged with VCAT to vacate the scheduled May 6 hearing because a settlement has been reached.
The request lodged with VCAT proposes a process that’s expected to see the proceedings ultimately withdrawn by consent – and no broiler farms built.
“I just can’t believe we’ve actually got to this point,” another Save the Moolort Plains member Cathy McCallum said. Full story in today’s Mail…