The Castlemaine District Netball Association (CDNA) is thrilled to announce that four of its up and coming netball stars have been selected to represent the North Central Netball Region at the upcoming state titles.
17 & Under netballers Shae Clifford and Eliza Oxley and 15 & Under netballers Megan Wilson and Paige Langley have each made the cut for their respective North Central Region State Title teams after months of try outs and training sessions.
The competition will take place in Parkville in October if restrictions allow and will see netballers from 19 districts battle it out for state title honours. See the Mail for more…
Rising stars selected
Sisters with Transistors
The Castlemaine Documentary Film Festival been hanging out to bring this one to you. And now it can!
Make it a night out with the big screen for Sisters with Transistors and the unique sounds of Louise Terra, live at the Theatre Royal on Thursday September 2 at 7.30pm.
Sisters with Transistors is the untold story of electronic music’s female pioneers, remarkable composers who embraced machines and their liberating technologies to utterly transform how we produce and listen to music today. See the Mail for more…
Community rallies for Nathaniel
Castlemaine man Nathaniel Muller was recently diagnosed with lymphoma, which was quite a shock to his friends and family.
Making things all the more difficult for the 49-year-old is that he is solely looking after his daughter Sasha, 17, and he also has two older children who live in Melbourne.
This year he also bit the bullet and started his start-up, The Healing Collective.
The business has been affected due to lockdown and he has had to cover the rent of the space largely on his own.
Nathaniel’s partner Beck Meyers has started a GoFundMe campaign for him and is hoping to raise $15,000. See the Mail for the full story.
Just nuts about chestnuts!
Eve Lamb
It may have been brrrrisk but the loyal legion of customers were not about to miss Castlemaine’s mid-week farmers’ market on Wednesday.
Adding to the enticing reasons to beat a bee-line to the regular weekly event, Henry Kovacevic, aka “The Chestnut Man” was offering some particularly warming incentives.
Roasting this season’s chestnuts grown at his Glenlyon orchard, Henry’s stall was among the many keenly sought out by loyal customers.
Henry was a man clearly enjoying his work.
“My main base is the Daylesford market on Sunday but I’ve been at this market for this year and last year, and I have found many chestnut lovers at this market and they keep seeking me out,” he said.
Beating the bleak conditions, he was offering not just fresh roasted chestnuts, but also warming mulled wine while simultaneously making further use of his roaster to toast marshmallow skewers for any market-going sweet-tooths as well.
“The mulled wine is a secret recipe I’ve acquired from the Italian Sports Club of Werribee after three years of supplying them chestnuts for their annual chestnut and porchetta function I winkled the recipe out of them,” he chuckled.
Henry grows the chestnuts on two acres at Glenlyon where he has 60 mature trees. Get the full story in today’s Mail…
Rolling up: vaccination update
Eve Lamb
Castlemaine Health has confirmed it is working with Bendigo Health to expand access to the AstraZeneca vaccine to 18-39 year-olds in the Mount Alexander community.
Bendigo Health’s Mass Vaccination Centre began administering AstraZeneca to people aged 18-39 as of Wednesday this week enabling younger people across central Victoria to roll-up their sleeves and receive their coronavirus vaccine.
The Castlemaine Mail contacted Castlemaine Health to determine whether the hospital’s own Castlemaine COVID-19 clinic will likewise be expanding access to the vaccine to the younger age cohort at the local clinic.
The hospital was quick to confirm that it’s currently exploring opportunities to do so.
“We’re meeting with Bendigo Health regularly and will update the community as those discussions progress,” Castlemaine Health Director Nursing Clinical Care Mark Nally said.
Castlemaine Health also confirmed that it has now passed its 3000 mark milestone for COVID-19 vaccinations now administered at its own busy vaccination clinic. Read more in today’s Mail…
Limits tested at Fryerstown
Eve Lamb
Safety concerns have prompted many Fryerstown locals to petition council, calling for speed limit changes for the township.
More than 40 have signed the petition recently presented to the Mount Alexander Shire Council at its July meeting.
“We’d like to see the extension of the 50 km limit from Crocodile Reservoir Road right through to the Campbells Creek-Fryers Road T-intersection,” says Fryerstown resident Glenda Athey, among 44 signatories to the petition.
“We also want the approach to the T-intersection on the Campbells Creek Road to change.
“We’d like to see it reduced to fifty as you’re approaching the T-intersection for safety.
“At the moment people can fly through half of Fryerstown doing 100 km and then it’s suddenly 50km.
“There’s more and more traffic coming through and there’s now a lot more children in Fryerstown,” Mrs Athey says.
“Our motivation is safety. There are children getting on and off busses, concealed driveways…”
The petitioners hope to gain council support in requesting the Department of Transport to have their suggested changes enacted.
It states: “The speed limits are placed in inappropriate places, on crests and approaching bends.
“Cars can travel 100km/h from Chewton right passed the Duke of Cornwall, it then changes to 80km/h on a crest and then immediately down to 50km/h straight after the bend. Get the full story in today’s Mail…
New focus for local charity
Castlemaine based charity Orphfund is delighted to announce it has a new name!
After 16 years, they will no longer be OrphFund, as of this very moment they are now known as ‘I am Someone’.
Orphfund founder Steve Argent said the change in name to ‘I am Someone’ marks a shift in focus to enabling an individual child’s dream to become a reality.
“In the beginning our goal was to save the world and help educate every child that needed help. That was always a huge task with 130 million orphans globally,” Argent said.
“We’ve come to realise that these are not one of millions of children who have no name, they are a child who has passions, dreams and goals and who can become anything, given the right support,” he said. See the Mail for the full story.
A local gem!
Our 2021 Castlemaine Mail ‘Golden Ticket’ promotion continues this week! You will discover the seventh piece of the puzzle in today’s edition.
This year’s promotion has been proudly supported by Maldon Crystals.
The relatively new business opened its doors in High Street at the entrance to Maldon in November 2020 and is a new venture for Maldon Lolly Shop operators Wendy McLean and Chris Clark.
Maldon Crystals stock a wide array of crystals renowned for their various healing properties, lamps, aromatherapy, candles, skincare and essential oils and a beautiful range of giftware including stunning crystal inspired soaps. The business also has oracle and tarot cards and supporting literature and offers regular in-house tarot card readings.
Maldon Crystals has also introduced personalised bra-fitting sessions with Intimo.
“I really wanted to offer services that you can’t find locally and that help customers look and feel great,” she said.
To be in the running to win a share of $5000 to spend at Maldon Crystals or one of our 20 other Golden Ticket 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.
Once you’ve collected all nine puzzle pieces, drop your lucky ticket off at the Mail office or post it to us at 13 Hargraves Street, Castlemaine.
You can enter as many times as you like but you must use the original golden ticket and puzzle pieces. You can obtain back copies of the Mail from our office when restrictions ease. See the Mail for more details. Out Now.
Footy returns
Bendigo Football Netball League (BFNL) and Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League (MCDFNL) will resume their 2021 competitions this weekend following the latest lockdown. Each league is hopeful they can successfully complete their home and away and finals seasons without further disruption. No spectators will be permitted at matches this weekend. Hopefully spectators will be able to return in time for the finals series. See the Mail for more….
Len Fox Art Prize now open
Entries are now open for the Castlemaine Art Museum’s (CAM) prestigious $50,000 Len Fox Painting Award.
The Len Fox Award recognises and promotes the work of Australian artists pursuing the artistic interests and qualities of E. P. Fox. These include engagement with colour and light; ambitious connections with international developments in art; and, an interest in travel and an engagement with the cultures of diverse regions and peoples. See the Mail for the full story.
Read all about it…
The third instalment of our Castlemaine Mail Newshounds program proudly supported by Don Smallgoods features in today’s Castlemaine Mail. The latest page has been created by the Newshounds at Langley Primary School. Be sure to pick up your copy and read all about the latest news at Langley.
It’s Census time!
Today is Census Day! The Census provides a snapshot of every person and household in Australia so it’s important we’re all counted. This year, you can start as soon as you receive your instructions. You can complete your Census online, by paper or with help from the ABS.
Remember, every person in Australia (with the exception of foreign diplomats and their families) must participate including international students and visa holders.
Castlemaine Library is hosting a Census pop-up hub this week, to help people with the Census.
It will be staffed all day with ABS staff today, Tuesday August 10, Wednesday August 11 and Thursday August 12 during library opening hours. Library staff are also assisting people to order paper copies if they need to.
For information about this year’s Census visit www.census.abs.gov.au or call 1800 512 441.
If you need help in your language visit www.census.abs.gov.au/help/languages or call the free Translating and Interpreting service on 131 450.