Castlemaine’s Highland Pipe Band members are tuning up for Tuesday’s special celebrations to mark Australia Day – Survival Day in Castlemaine’s Victory Park.
When the free Mount Alexander Shire community event fires up from 10 am, the band will be opening proceedings with a 10 minute set including some classic favs.
As a CovidSafe event, registration is required to attend with tickets available online at bit.ly/MtAlexBoxOffice or at the Visitor Information Centre in Mostyn Street.
“It will be our second only public outing since we started practicing together again in November,” the band’s Pipe Major Vic Groenhout says, noting that Covid meant the band forwent group practice for about eight months last year.
Fortunately, their usual Wednesday evening practice sessions at the botanical gardens band room have resumed and now they’re not the only ones preparing for what promises a great day out.
Local Indigenous elder Uncle Rick Nelson will also be having an early start on Tuesday as he prepares to perform a traditional smoking ceremony at 6am on the summit of Leanganook – Mount Alexander.
The early morning smoking ceremony will be live-streamed, while Mount Alexander is inviting everyone to waste no time in registering to enjoy the free Victory Park program to run 10am to 12 noon.
It’s a chance to be the first to see the winners of the shire’s Australia Day awards and welcome the newest local Australian citizens in a special citizenship ceremony.
The family-friendly event will also feature a Welcome to Country and a BBQ lunch by the Rotary Club of Castlemaine.
“It’s a day to reflect on our nation’s history which began with the First Australians tens of thousands of years ago, and to respect and share the stories, histories and contributions of all Australians,” mayor Cr Tony Cordy said.
Celebrate Australia Day in the park
Algae warning for Barkers Creek Res
Coliban Water has requested people avoid contact with water in Barkers Creek Reservoir near Harcourt following detection of blue green algae.
It’s also currently advised that stock and pets should be kept away from the reservoir.
Coliban Manager Customer Operations Steve Dunlop said visitors to Barkers Creek could still sight-see and were encouraged to enjoy activities that don’t involve direct contact with the water.
“We are closely monitoring the presence of Blue Green Algae at Barkers Creek and will keep the community updated on any changes to this advice,” he said.
Signage has been erected at the reservoir to notify visitors and customers supplied by the Harcourt Modernised Rural System can use their rural water as normal and have been notified.
This is because the water source has been changed from Barkers Creek Reservoir to the Coliban Main Channel. Further information is available at 1300 363 200.
Sunday’s a picnic…
Extremely strong demand for tickets to this Sunday’s Newstead Live Picnic Concerts bodes well for the future of the town’s long running Newstead Live festival, the event’s director says.
“It’s a bit of placeholder,” Kelly Skinner says of this Sunday’s event happening when the festival normally would have – pre-Covid.
After a rip-roaring Newstead Live 2020 snuck in just before the pandemic struck, Newstead Live 2021 was cancelled due to Covid 19.
However, Victoria’s progress made in thwarting the virus spread since prompted the organising committee to go ahead with the scaled-back picnic concert instead.
It had been set for the town’s rec reserve but the heat now forecast for Sunday has now prompted and eleventh hour relocation to the town’s Community Centre.
“It’s going to be a scorcher on Sunday so we’ve shifted to the community centre,” Kelly notes.
“It’s not really a festival but it’s still Newstead Live and really it’s kind of a bit of a place-holder and a celebration of Newstead Live,” she says.
With Irish-born-Melbourne based Enda Kenny headlining and Ian Bland as MC, the program also features Cat & Clint, Mon Coeur and Skyscraper Stan.
Skate comp Saturday
Local skateboard riders of all ages are encouraged to get involved in a national competition being held at Castlemaine Skate Park this Saturday January 23.
The regional heat is part of the Australian Skate Park League series, which is a national grass-roots skateboard, scoot and BMX competition in Australia.
There will also be free parkour workshops running throughout the day, as well as a barbecue and refreshments available.
Mount Alexander Shire Council’s youth activities officer Jodie Hearn said the event is a chance to showcase the talent of the region’s young riders.
“Whether you’re new to the sport or an experienced rider, I’d encourage you to come along and be part of the day,” said Ms Hearn.
“Castlemaine has a fantastic skate park, which makes it an ideal venue for an Australian Skate League regional heat, as well as an awesome training venue for locals,” she said.
“There are lots of talented riders in our shire, and I’m looking forward to being able to cheer them on, and check out some of the amazing moves that’ll be on show.”
Entry to the competition is free. To register go to www.skateparkleagues.com and complete the online enrolment form. Competitors can also register on the day.
The event is sponsored by Mount Alexander Shire Council, FReeZA and the Victorian Government, and organised by YMCA Action Sports, Skate Australia, Victorian Skateboarding League and BMX Victoria.
The event will run from 11am to 4pm and will be alcohol, drug and smoke free and fully supervised. CovidSafe precautions will also be in place and helmets must be worn be all competitors.
For more details, including event accessibility, contact Jodie Hearn, Council’s Youth Activities Officer, on 5471 1700, email youth@mountalexander.vic.gov.au or head to our youth website www.mountalexandershireyouth.com.au. Details are also on Facebook and Instagram @mountalexandershire_youth.
Fossick in the Goldfields
Antique and collectables enthusiasts from far and wide are set to once again descend on Campbells Creek this weekend, January 23 and 24, for the ‘Fossick in the Goldfields’ Antiques and Collectables Fair.
Fair coordinator Brian Owens said they expect to welcome stallholders from across Victoria and South Australia.
The fair is now in its fourth year and will take place over two huge days at the Campbells Creek Community Centre.
Mr Owens said the fair has been steadily growing each year and in 2021 they anticipate they will have around 100 stalls feature.
The CovidSafe event will be held entirely outdoors with visitors required to register on arrival and maintain social distancing. See the Mail for more…
Middleton Prison to expand
Work is set to start on a major construction project in Castlemaine, with the state government signing a $37.6 million contract to expand the capacity of Middleton Prison by 39 beds.
The project is expected to create 165 jobs during construction, including around 50 in the Central Victorian region and generate opportunities for a range of local contractors. See the Mail for the full story.
$80M contract for Vossloh Cogifer
The team at Vossloh Cogifer Castlemaine are celebrating after winning an $80 million contract to manufacture rail turnouts for the Australian Rail Track Corporation for the Morrison Government’s Inland Rail project. The proud team are pictured with General Manager Boris Rozentoul and Senator Sarah Henderson at Wednesday morning’s announcement. See the Mail for the full story. Out Now.
Supermarkets are not beautiful
Jill Loorham, Castlemaine
I hope the councillors of our fair town will realise, before it’s too late, that supermarkets are not generally beautiful, nor are the car parks surrounding them.
The location of the site mooted for the new supermarket shows a glaring lack of care and concern for the safety of drivers and pedestrians and school children – and aesthetics. This supermarket will be an aesthetic abomination, an unlovely gateway to Castlemaine and a ghastly, blight on the Castlemaine landscape.
A supermarket, by the very nature of its use, is a bleak hub. In our world it is unfortunately a necessary necessity; it provides a means to purchase food. But beyond those needs, it is a fact that any crappy, unlovely piece of land could be THE perfect location for a supermarket to be built.
Looking at that crappy piece of land with an eye for the future, THAT new supermarket could be a well-planned, shady place. Trees planted throughout the car parks. Not a single storey building but a three-storey building with two levels specifically for lovely housing for older people, to enable shopping where they live. No need to get in the car to go to the supermarket. This new supermarket would adequate parking, recognising the likelihood of future growth of the town. It would be surrounded by undulating verges of shrubs and trees and raised vegetable gardens. This would truly be good town planning.
Some lateral thinking is essential before a dreadful mistake will result in Castlemaine being a lesser place if this unremarkable building (girt by bitumen and cars) gets built.
Juniors shine at Country Week
Castlemaine District Cricket Association’s Under 13 and Under 15 representative sides contested the Central Highlands Junior Country Week competition last week.
The young sides once again produced some fantastic performances with players from both sides achieving some personal best results with the ball and bat.
The CDCA’s Under 17 side will contest the Kirton Shield competition next week. The side will commence their campaign on Monday facing the Grampians at Stawell and then tackle Gisborne at Malmsbury on Tuesday. Locals can catch the side in action at the Camp Reserve on Thursday January 21 when they play host to Grenville from 10am to 5pm.
The CDCA is also looking forward to hosting Under 17 Girls 20/20 rep cricket at the Camp Reserve and Wesley Hill on Sunday February 7. Meanwhile the CDCA Under 14 Girls side are also gearing up for their rep cricket competition at Ballarat. See the Mail for the full story…
Nadia drops second single
Castlemaine singer/songwriter Nadia Phillips dropped her second powerful single Your Dark Side yesterday.
The new offering delivers the quality lyrics and musicality that have become a trait of this emerging artist who has taken her Lofi bedroom grunge out of the bedroom.
It follows her successful debut release On Reflection, which attracted insightful reviews in Australia, the UK and Belgium in October 2020. The music video for On Reflection created by a team of talented young local creatives also attracted rotation on MTV.
Catch the Mail for the full story. Out now.
To keep on track with Nadia Phillips and her music you can follow her @nadiaphillips.music. Your Dark Side will be streaming on all platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Soundcloud.
Truck driver trapped in horror freeway crash
A Bendigo truck driver has had an incredibly lucky escape after his semi-trailer plummeted 20 metres off a bridge on the Calder highway near Malmsbury early Wednesday morning.
The driver, 36, became trapped in his crushed cabin after the semi’s trailer landed on top of it.
“For someone to hit a concrete pillar at 100 km an hour, then fall 20 metres into a creek, then have a 20 tonne trailer crash on his cabin and survive with relatively minor injuries is triply lucky,” investigating, Leading Senior Constable Peter Dyer of Bendigo Highway Patrol said.
Castlemaine SES volunteers who attended the early morning crash scene have spoken of the difficulties encountered in reaching the trapped driver before using jaws of life equipment to free him.
Castlemaine SES deputy controller Daniel Bone said they were alerted to the accident about 5.45am after the empty north-bound rig lost control while crossing a bridge just north of Boundary Road, Malmsbury.
“It was extraordinary. The truck plummeted off the bridge and the trailer landed on top of the cab with the driver trapped inside,” he said.
“It was extremely difficult to access.” Read more in today’s Mail.
Unveiling Sunday
It’s been said that Chewton’s past is more than a tad colourful.
Now the town’s famed local historian Elaine Appleton has enhanced this reputation by having a significant slice of that history depicted in full technicolor glory on a mural created by friend and artist Anne Rittman.
Big, bright and bold the newly finished mural visually tells the story of Chewton’s settlement from pre-European Indigenous times through gold rush days and settlement.
The mural took Campbells Creek-based Anne Rittman three months to create and is being unveiled with fanfare and VIPs this Sunday at 2.30pm in Elaine’s Eureka Street front yard where the resident history buff intends to share it with everyone and anyone. Read more in today’s Mail.