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Local COVID test demand soars

By
Eve Lamb
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Health professionals photographed while running the drive-through COVID test clinic in Castlemaine this week. Medics have been extremely busy this week running the local clinics in response to the local upsurge in demand to get tested. Photo: Eve Lamb

Eve Lamb

Front line health staff running Castlemaine’s drive-through
COVID test clinics have praised locals for coming forward in
significant numbers to get tested since the state went into lockdown.
“We started running clinics as soon as we went into lockdown
from last Thursday, said Bronwyn Grieve, Castlemaine community health nurse overseeing the drive-through COVID testing clinic that has been busy swabbing people at the Castlemaine District Community Health drive through site all this week.
“We’ve swabbed up to 250 people and put on some extra clinics because we’ve had some exposure sites that have affected
Castlemaine quite a lot,” Ms Grieve said, speaking to the Mail at the clinic earlier this week. Read more in today’s Mail…

Speedsters warned to slow down

By
Lisa Dennis
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Police say motorists are failing to slow down to 50kph on the approach to Chewton.

Chewton residents have flagged concerns with local police about countless motorists flagrantly ignoring the 50 kph speed limit through the township.
Castlemaine Police say they have received complaints from multiple Chewton residents about motorists failing to slow down when they encounter the 50 kph speed signs just past Golden Point Road intersection and hooning through the sweeping bends through the township. As a result police will be increasing their presence in the region. See today’s Mail for the full story.

Paint the town gold!

By
Lisa Dennis
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Scott Berry and Rod Entwisle of Dales Discounts are excited to be part of the Golden Ticket buy local promotion. Get in an see the local experts for all your paint and tile needs.
Scott Berry and Rod Entwisle of Dales Discounts are excited to be part of the Golden Ticket buy local promotion. Get in an see the local experts for all your paint and tile needs.

Our 2021 Castlemaine Mail ‘Golden Ticket’ promotion is well underway! You will discover the third piece of the puzzle in today’s edition.
Rod Entwisle of Dales Discounts is proud to be one of the 21 local businesses featured in this year’s Golden Ticket ‘buy local’ promotion.
“We took over the local business just on five years ago and stock a wide range of paint, tiles and all the related accessories you need for your project,” Rod said.
“Our PaintRight store is proud stockists of Haymes Paints which are Australian made and owned. We know the importance of supporting local business and Australian made products,” he said.
“As your local experts we are happy to assist people with advice about their DIY project. We will even pop out and take a look if needed. We can advise on all things preparation and paint and tiles and design ideas.
“We also support local tradespeople to ensure they are getting the best products at a great local price,” he said.
“From heritage homes to modern projects we are proud to offer great service, competitive pricing and can even deliver to your door,” Rod said.
To be in the running to win a share of $5000 to spend at Dales Discounts or one of our other 20 businesses all you need do is collect the nine puzzle pieces which will appear in Mail over the nine weeks and paste them to the back of your ‘Golden Ticket’! First prize is $3000, second prize $1000 and third and fourth prize winners will receive $500 each. See the Mail for more details.

Women’s sport in focus

By
Lisa Dennis
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Raise the Bar which tells the inspiration story of a team of 8–13-year-old girls, who wanted to change the paradigm in women’s basketball in Iceland, will be one of the films to premiere at next month's festival.
Raise the Bar which tells the inspiration story of a team of 8–13-year-old girls, who wanted to change the paradigm in women’s basketball in Iceland, will be one of the films to premiere at next month's festival.

The countdown is on until the Castlemaine Documentary Festival (C-DOC) with just over a week until the 2021 event hits the big screen at Castlemaine’s historic Theatre Royal.
The festival will kick off with a launch party at Cream Town, 325 Barker Street Castlemaine, next Friday July 23 and will then see eight incredible films light up the screen at the Royal on July 24 and 25, including three Australian premieres.
One of these premieres will be Icelandic film Raise The Bar which tells the inspirational story of a young female basketball team battling for equality.
How controversial can one basketball team of preteen girls be? Very!
This is a story of a team of 8–13-year-old girls, who wanted to change the paradigm in women’s basketball in Iceland. But it could happen anywhere. See the Mail for the full story.

Full house for launch

By
Lisa Dennis
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The community turned out in force for the long awaited official launch of the Mount Alexander Shire Disability Advocacy Group (MASDAG) Disability Access Guide for the Mount Alexander Shire at The Taproom at Shedshaker Brewing on July 1.
MASDAG’s chair Lorraine Le Plastrier said the guide was produced with the support of a Community Grant from the Mount Alexander Shire.
“We are very grateful for the shire’s ongoing support,” she said.
Lorraine also thanked the MASDAG team for their work in helping to make all businesses and services available locally for everyone.
The Peace Choir performed at the launch and the singing was very enthusiastically received, turning into a resounding singalong. See the Mail for the full story. Out Now.

A frosty event with a warm welcome!

By
Lisa Dennis
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Runners dwarfed by the Tree of the Year in the frosty early morning light. Photo: Nicki Renfrey.
Runners dwarfed by the Tree of the Year in the frosty early morning light. Photo: Nicki Renfrey.

It had been a week of relentless frosts in Castlemaine and Saturday July 10 was no exception. The Castlemaine Botanical Gardens glistened in the sunlight as 50 dedicated runners took part in Castlemaine parkrun number 277 with temperatures as low as minus two.
Perhaps spurred on by the cold air, three participants, namely Jocelyn Pride, David Bennett and Sean Grant, recorded personal best times.

MIFF comes to Castlemaine

By
Eve Lamb
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A scene from Hating Peter Tatchell. Castlemaine has some significant connections to next month's Melbourne International Film Festival - particularly the Australian premiere of new doco 'Hating Peter Tatchell'.

Eve Lamb
Castlemaine’s historic Theatre Royal is getting set to host some remarkable new films as part of next month’s Melbourne International Film Festival.
Enhancing the Castlemaine connection, this year’s MIFF will include the Australian premiere of documentary film Hating Peter Tatchell co-produced by Sir Elton John, co-starring Stephen Fry and Ian McKellen – and edited in Castlemaine by locally-based film editor Bergen O’Brien.
The Theatre Royal’s Tim Heath says a further element of interest for Castlemaine audiences will be the theatre’s later (October) hosting of a live performance by renegade country music artist, Wanita – as featured in the film I’m Wanita which is an inclusion on the MIFF program screenings locked in for Theatre Royal.
“We’re extremely excited to be part of the regional program,” Tim says.
“MIFF is an internationally recognised film festival.
“We chose the films (screening at Theatre Royal) in conjunction with MIFF and we’re really pleased to present a program that we think will be in keeping with the diversity here in Castlemaine. Read more in today’s Mail…

Thriller rail run

By
Eve Lamb
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VGR Young Volunteers coordinator Fletch Cole with the retro diesel loco that will be hauling the movie car for next month's screening of rail-focused thriller, Unstoppable. Photo: Eve Lamb

Eve Lamb
A thrilling ride is to be pretty much guaranteed when the Victorian Goldfields Railway runs it’s evening movie train next month.
In a debut departure from its long running popular movie offering – Murder on The Orient Express – the tourist railway is preparing to also stage screen thriller Unstoppable on Saturday August 14.
Loosely based on a true story, Unstoppable is a heart pumping, nail biting action film that forces audiences to the edge of their seats as a veteran driver (Denzel Washington) and a rookie conductor (Chris Pine) race to stop a half mile long freight train barreling uncontrollably towards the City of Stanton loaded with some wagons filled with a highly toxic flammable material.
In keeping with the theme, the vintage VGR movie carriage will be hauled by the VGR’s own diesel locomotive for the screening which is an initiative of the tourist railway’s young volunteer group.
VGR young volunteers coordinator Fletch Cole says the upcoming movie run is already half booked out.
“We thought we want to try and get more young people interested in our movie screenings as well so we came up with Unstoppable which is train related,” Fletch says.
He says the evening screening set for August 14 will be a bit of a trial run. get the full story in today’s Mail…

Sunday’s swap meet ready to roll

By
Eve Lamb
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Maldon Swap Meet organiser Mark Blythe with his 1980 Yamaha XS1100 ahead of this Sunday's much-anticipated event. Photo: Eve Lamb

Eve Lamb


Hundreds of motoring nuts, rev heads and collectors of bits and bobs are headed to Maldon for this Sunday’s Swap Meet.
Organiser of the annual event, Maldon local Mark Blythe says there’s likely to be extra pent-up demand from swap meet devotees following the recent cancellation of this year’s Bendigo Swap Meet and other impacts of Covid on various events.
This Sunday’s Covid safe event happening at the historic Maldon Racecourse and Rec Reserve, had to be rescheduled itself, from its initially planned date that had been set for last month when the state experienced its last snap lockdown in May-June.
It’s all left stallholders, collectors and swap meet die-hards itching to get out – and with some 200 stallholders expected, this Sunday’s event is expected to deliver.
“People are bloated with things to sell,” says Mark who also organises Maldon’s Antique Fair and right now is planning to introduce a second one in October.
“We’re eclectic in as much as what turns up turns up,” he says of this Sunday’s swap meet.
While “eclectic” and sometimes surprising, there’s some staples that those who get along to the meet can expect – vintage motorcycle parts among them.
“We’ve got Dave Gittus, the iconic vintage and veteran bike collector,” Mark says. Get the full story in today’s Mail…

Trading the treasured

By
Eve Lamb
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Castlemaine Presbyterian Church Board of Management secretary Richard McArdle at the grand heritage church building that's now up for sale as part of the wider historic church property on Lyttleton Street. Photo: Eve Lamb

Eve Lamb


Deciding to put Castlemaine’s landmark Lyttleton Street Presbyterian Church property on the open market was not an easy one for the church’s board of management.
Like many others, the denomination is increasingly grappling with the cost of maintaining ageing, heritage-protected architecture which, while beautiful, may not be meeting the needs of today’s smaller congregations.
“They say it’s one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the state,” Castlemaine’s Presbyterian Church Board of Management secretary Richard McArdle told the Mail recently after the 1894 church along with its associated 1861 manse and original 1856 hall were all listed for sale on their half-acre parcel of prime CBD land.
“It’s a beautiful church. When they built churches back in the day they built them to be something magnificent,” he said.
“It’s been a hard decision. Unfortunately beautiful heritage buildings take money to maintain. It comes down to cash flow. You rely on grants. Over time you use up your resources.”
The manse has long been rented out as a private residence while the hall has hosted all manner of groups and events – “dance groups, art groups…” Mr McArdle says.
The grand church with its glorious stained glass windows, soaring ceiling and imposing lighting features said to be made by Castlemaine’s famed Leviny family creatives of the day has hosted contemporary live music events to great effect.
“The ABC came in here to record and said the acoustics are perfect,” Mr McArdle says.
“That place has got the potential to be magnificent but you need the capital, which we don’t have. Get the full story in today’s Mail…

Ready to rock: a railways repurposing project

By
Eve Lamb
-
VGR ganger Will Maylor (at front) and VGR workshop supervisor Mick Compagnoni on site at historic Muckleford station as thousands of tonnes of repurposed railway ballast was shifted there this week for the local tourist railway's use. Photo: Eve Lamb

Eve Lamb


A project repurposing old railway ballast from the Bendigo main railway line is set to save the Victorian Goldfields Railway hundreds of thousands of dollars.
V/Line is donating some 4000 tonnes of its old stone ballast to the local tourist railway as it replaces existing ballast as part of a main line works project at Elphinstone.
Castlemaine and Maldon Railway Preservation Society president Steve Strangward says the ballast that’s being recycled for the local tourist railway’s use is from the old Elphinstone railway tunnel that’s getting new ballast as part of a wider renewal works project.
VGR railway ganger Will Maylor says the donation of the old ballast to the VGR represents a huge saving.
This week trucks have been busy carting the old rock ballast from the VicTrack-owned Elphinstone Railway Tunnel site to historic Muckleford Station alongside the VGR track. Read more in today’s Mail…

Capturing Quakes

By
Eve Lamb
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Seismologist, Sandon's Gary Gibson with a seismograph similar to those used to measure seismic activity associated with the local area's ancient Muckeford Fault Line. Photo: Eve Lamb

Eve Lamb


When Castlemaine was rocked by an earthquake measuring 3.1 on the Richter scale recently Sandon seismologist Gary Gibson sprang into action.
Recording and studying seismological phenomena is all part of a day’s work for the long time local who numbers among Australia’s select few dedicated professional and practicing seismologists.
“There’s probably 15 or 20 of us in Australia,” says Mr Gibson, principal research fellow in seismology with the University of Melbourne.
Based at Sandon near Newstead, he also works with the Victorian-based Seismology Research Centre, sharing data with other seismologists nation-wide.
Mr Gibson keeps close tabs on a network of six seismographs strategically located to measure movements deep in the earth associated with the locality’s ancient Muckleford Fault Line.
Running from Bradford Hill north of Maldon, south to Welshman’s Reef it was the Muckleford Fault that shifted on May 27 producing a quake with its epicentre located two km north of Welshmans Reef.
In Castlemaine CBD – where it’s understood to have been most strongly felt, office workers reported mistaking the momentary shuddering and rumbling for a truck slamming into a verandah post. Read more in today’s Mail…

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