Castlemaine Bowling Club held their Charity Day on Wednesday and chose to support the ‘Harcourt Fire Relief Fund’.
There was a great response from bowlers from Castlemaine, Harcourt, Campbells Creek and Marong.
The weather was nice , and Castlemaine BC were very happy to have 56 bowlers all enjoying the facilities at Castlemaine Bowling Club.
It was a lovely atmosphere as Harcourt bowlers felt supported by their friends from surrounding clubs.
After two games of ten ends, bowlers enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea.
Club Director Gary McClure welcomed all players and said their hearts go out to all affected by the events of the past few days, assuring Harcourt members of fellow bowlers’ support.
Harcourt Bowling Club secretary Diane Marsh responded with thanks to Castlemaine bowlers for their support and friendship.
Money raised was in excess of $2500, the final amount is still being counted as donations have been still coming in.
Winners on the day were Pam Fraser and Regina Saville. Runners-up were Rod Phillips and Kathy Harding. Winners nearest the beach ball, Rink 1 Gary McClure. Rink 2 Christine Anderson.
Bowlers gather to raise funds
Work continues to contain fire – community urged to be vigilant
As we went to press Thursday morning, more than 50 homes have been reported lost or damaged in the Harcourt-Ravenswood fire.
A ‘Watch and Act’ message remained in place for the fire for communities at Barkers Creek, Dog Rocks Saddle, Harcourt, Harcourt North, Ravenswood South, Sutton Grange, and Walmer.
The grass fire has burnt out approximately 4,100 hectares.
The spread of fire had slowed and is not travelling outside the current burn area, but authorities warn that this can change at any time, and the situation is still dangerous.
Fire-damaged trees remain a serious hazard in the Harcourt area; until assessments are complete, strong winds may cause trees or limbs to fall without warning.
Restricted access is available to residents as advertised, in specific areas as determined by Victoria Police. Access to non-residents is strictly prohibited.
Smoke will be visible from nearby communities and will continue to show for the next few days.
A Recovery Hub for affected residents is open at the Castlemaine Town Hall, 25 Lyttleton Street, opening hours will be from 11-5pm this week. Many agencies and organisations are available to assist you through the recovery process, including temporary accommodation support.
This is anticipated to move to the Harcourt Leisure Centre when it is deemed safe.
Forest Fire Management are continuing burning out operations within the Mount Alexander Regional Park; this will create additional smoke which may be visible to nearby communities. Aircraft may be visible.
It is important for the community to know that these works are part of the plan and there is no need to be worried.
Powercor has restored power to most customers in the fire-affected community where it is safe to do so. They have replaced 270 poles in four days.
About 36 customers in the Harcourt fire area remain without power due to extensive damage to the electricity infrastructure on Mount Alexander.
V/Line services resumed early Wednesday morning following railway line and bridge repairs in the township.
Coliban Water was still working on repairs in the township and surrounds, with a ‘Do Not Drink Advisory – Harcourt’ still in place.
The fire has impacted communication towers on Mount Alexander, which has impacted radio broadcasting. Temporary measures are in place.
Free-to-air TV remains offline. The towers have been deemed structurally safe, but significant works need to be done to bring these back online and this cannot occur until it is safe to do so.
In addition to the Harcourt fire, 23 tankers attended a fire at Porcupine Ridge near Hepburn Springs on Wednesday evening, but fortunately, this was quickly contained, burning out approximately one hectare.
Community members are urged to keep an eye on the VicEmergency app for updates across the weekend.
Community urged to be prepared in wake of fire
Longtime Harcourt CFA member John Jenkin and his wife Jan, are feeling grateful to be among the residents who were able to save their home in Friday’s fire.
John had been in Longwood the night before to give his daughter and her father-in-law some much-needed respite from protecting her home against the Longwood fire.
“With Friday’s forecast of catastrophic conditions, I travelled home in case I was needed. My wife Jan and son David had set up the generator and hoses ready in case we needed them,” John said.
The family felt confident that their very well-mown and maintained four acres was defendable.
John has been to many large fires over his 57 years in the brigade, including Ash Wednesday, so he understands what needs to be done in the lead-up to every fire season, but no one could have foreseen what Friday’s conditions would bring.
Jan evacuated with their other daughter and grandchildren, who were staying in Harcourt with them while their family battled the Longwood fire, leaving John and David to defend their home.
The first tanker to arrive was Chewton, and David directed them to the Kinder, where the fence was already on fire.
Fortunately, the father and son were able to save their home, grateful for the support of two other tankers that assisted.
Their efforts to defend their strip of property are credited with preventing the fire from passing through to houses in Binghams Road and across to Harmony Way.
“It is so important for people to be prepared; keeping property clear and mown can help in making a place defendable. But on a day like Friday, it was also important for people to heed the advice of authorities to leave early and evacuate when emergency services arrive, rather than trying to be a hero. Houses can be replaced, but people can’t,” John said.
At Wednesday’s press conference in Castlemaine, CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan also reiterated the importance of property owners being prepared as we still have a long summer to go and traditionally February is the worst for fire activity.
“Knowing what those conditions were Friday, seeing what those conditions were and what we were up against. I am surprised we have not seen more devastation in communities,” Chief Officer Heffernan said.
“I went to bed Friday night hoping and praying that we would not see much more devastation and loss on the Saturday. I think its down to the hard work of our emergency service personnel, our firefighters, our volunteers. It’s down to the hard work of the community members who heeded the call, got out and ultimately made it easier for our firefighters. Whilst the loss is devastating for these communities, I feel the outcome may have been a lot worse,” he said.
Premier, ministers visit fire-affected
Premier Jacinta Allan, Federal Minister for Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain, Bendigo Federal Member Lisa Chesters and Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards visited fire-affected community members on the ground at Harcourt and at Castlemaine’s Bushfire Recovery Hub at the Castlemaine Town Hall on Wednesday.
Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister are using the Castlemaine visit as an opportunity to announce further funding support for those impacted by the fires burning across the state, including support for farmers and sole-traders.
They were joined by Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch ESM, and CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan, who both gave updates on the fire situation.
Maldon mobilises for Blaze Aid
The Bluelight Camp on Derby Hill in Maldon has been brought back to life after sitting dormant for years.
On Wednesday, a group of 20 local volunteers dedicated their time to clearing out the cobwebs, piles of dead leaves and debris from the old buildings, fixing plumbing and electrical issues. They were getting it ready for the Blaze Aid volunteers to help with critical bushfire recovery.
Local plumber Marty Mulholland and electrician Kirk Wojniusz volunteered their time to remedy plumbing and electrical issues.
The camp can accommodate 110 people, and while some of the Blaze Aid volunteers will bring their own caravans, they will be able to utilise the facilities and bathrooms at the camp for the next three months.
Leading the clean-up efforts was Maldon Lions Club member Renee Thompson, who has 36 years of experience with the CFA and 12 years with the Red Cross.
Mr Thompson said she is incredibly grateful to Mark Ward, the owner of the property and Noddy Pattern, the caretaker.
“Mostly, the rooms were just dusty and full of cobwebs and needed some love,” she said.
“We rang the shire on Wednesday morning to help with access to the property for the caravans, and within half an hour they turned up.”
Blaze Aid was established by Kilmore East farmers Kevin and Rhonda Butler out of the ashes of Black Saturday 2009. It is a volunteer-based organisation that works with families and individuals in rural Australia after natural disasters such as fires and floods.
Working alongside the rural families, the volunteers help to rebuild fences and other structures that have been damaged or destroyed.
Blaze Aid volunteer coordinator Lyn Rasmussen said they have more than 30 volunteers ready to help.
“We will be making our way to Maldon on Wednesday and are hoping to have the team out by Friday, dependent on the safety of the properties,” she said.
“So far, we have more than 30 jobs lined up, big and small, so when it’s safe to do so, the teams will help remove the damaged fence and put new ones up.
“The biggest problem we will have is with supply, as all of Victoria needs fencing, so if you want to pop down to your local supplier and get packs of steel posts and fencing wire, that would be great.
“And our volunteers will be taking lunches out with them, so slices, biscuits and fruit would be great.”
If you are interested in making donations, email Lyn at Lynrasmussen54@gmail.com
For more information, click here.
Photo essay: Fire-ravaged community unites
As the weather cools and the risk of imminent danger eases, the residents of Harcourt, Walmer, and Ravenswood slowly begin their return home.
Surveying the damage, they are met with the acrid smell of smoke, the sound of helicopters circling, and fire trucks wailing, and the devastating, unfamiliar sights of a once-familiar landscape.
The number of people who have lost their homes and a lifetime of belongings numbers in the hundreds, with over 45 houses lost.
As people rummage through the wreckage to find even a scrap of the familiar, the birds perform an eerie dance of flight above, hunting for easy prey on the blackened ground.
Neighbours bury their exhaustion and fear in feelings of guilt at their gratitude for being spared. They grapple to find a new normal, cleaning the rotting debris from their darkened fridges, wiping soot from the kitchen benches, tending to their animals with care.
Nearby townships, shadowed by the brightly burning mountain, exist in a strange stillness as friends and acquaintances engage in a social dance, carefully inquiring about the impact of the fire.
Forgetting, even for a short time, is nearly impossible as phones beep with constant reminders of emergency warnings and updates, and great columns of smoke rise into the sky.
TV, radio, and the internet are flooded with horrifying stories and images and news of friends and acquaintances who have lost everything.
Tears, embraces, and stories are shared freely as the community collectively wraps its arms around the fire-ravaged townships, offering support, services, shelter, and friendship.
These same feelings, actions, and thoughts ripple across Victoria, replicated in fire-affected townships with different landscapes but the same enduring community spirit, as the stories move slowly to become part of the state’s history of Black Friday 2026.
Ray Fowler, who lives in a neighbouring community, joined the community in Harcourt as they gathered in the days following the worst of the fires.
Supporting Harcourt after the bushfire
On January 9, 2026, a catastrophic bushfire rapidly swept through Harcourt and surrounding areas, destroying homes, properties, and treasured parts of the small community.
In a matter of minutes, many families lost everything — their homes, personal belongings, livestock, and sense of security.
The full scale of devastation is still being realised. Dozens of structures were destroyed, livelihoods disrupted, and families displaced. While emergency services worked tirelessly to protect lives, the road to recovery for Harcourt will be long and challenging.
The Harcourt Progress Association, a long-standing local community organisation that supports the wellbeing, development, and resilience of Harcourt, has set up and will manage the Harcourt Progress Relief Fund.
All funds raised through this campaign will be administered by the Harcourt Progress Association and directed back into the Harcourt community to support individuals and families affected by the bushfires.
Funds raised will provide practical, immediate, and community-focused support, including: emergency relief for displaced families, essential household items such as clothing, bedding, and food, short-term accommodation and relocation assistance, support for uninsured or underinsured losses and community recovery initiatives to help Harcourt rebuild and move forwar.
Insurance and government assistance, while essential, will not cover all losses or urgent needs. This fund helps bridge that gap — offering dignity, care, and timely support where it is needed most.
Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a difference. By donating or sharing this fundraiser, you are directly supporting Harcourt’s recovery through a trusted, local organisation.
Thank you for standing with Harcourt during this difficult time.
Together, we can help our town recover, rebuild, and look ahead with hope.
Click here to donate
Councillor encourages connection
Local farmer and councillor for the Harcourt ward, Tony Cordy, was one of the first property owners to be impacted by Friday’s devastating fires.
The fire, which started on the East side of Mount Gaspard at around 2.30pm on January 9, resulted in five houses being under threat in the initial stages, including Tony’s. While Tony’s home and two others were spared, sadly, two homes were lost.
“The emergency response from CFA, FRV, local volunteers and two helicopters was on site very early, but the conditions were impossible,” Tony said.
Determined to slow the spread of the fire, Tony jumped on the tractor with the sprayer, which unfortunately rolled. He then took to smothering the flames with the tractor’s bucket and creating fire breaks with the plough.
Despite his efforts, roughly 80 per cent of the 2,000-acre farm was burned as the fire made its way steadily towards Harcourt.
The family farm has been in the family since the 60s, and Tony can vividly recall the ’69 fires that came through when he was just 12-years-old.
“While the ’69 fires didn’t have the same impact on homes and the community, it was a massive fire,” he said.
Tony extended his thanks to all the emergency services people, volunteers and those who offered support across the community.
“For those of you who have lost homes, my heart goes out to you. Many of you I have known all my life. Please look out for each other, and do what you can to assist,” he said.
“I encourage all community members to attend the Castlemaine Recovery Hub at the Town Hall. The resources there are fantastic, and you will see people you know. Connecting and talking about what has happened is important.
Update on power restoration efforts in Harcourt and across western Victoria
Powercor has restored power to Harcourt’s township and is continuing to rebuild parts of its fire-affected network to get power back on to about 317 customers.
Since Friday’s fires, field teams have replaced more than 215 damaged poles as well as powerlines and other infrastructure.
More than 200 field employees will be working across the fire-affected areas in Harcourt, Skipton, Natimuk and Cobram today, continuing repairs with the aim to get all affected customers back on by the end of tomorrow.
Today’s work includes
- Ravenswood and Harcourt:
More than 700 customers were restored yesterday to large parts of Ravenswood and Harcourt townships. Work will continue today, with 17 poles to be replaced. Most of the remaining 153 customers off supply are expected to have power restored by tomorrow. Planning work is underway to rebuild power supply to Mt Alexander communications tower as soon as it’s safe to access the site. - Natimuk:
Crews completed construction work on a major powerline and final clean-up work is expected to be completed today. Power is expected to be restored to the 37 customers off supply. - Cobram:
Field teams are expected to finish all construction work in this area today and power is expected to be back on to the remaining 26 customers. - Skipton/Streatham:
Crews will be replacing at least another 30 poles, as well as transformers and powerlines. Yesterday, teams replaced over 60 poles. Power is expected to be restored to the remaining 46 customers by the end of tomorrow. - Shelford/Meredith:
Crews completed the final repairs yesterday and restored power to all customers.
Crews are still unable to safely access and assess some areas due to active fires.
Based on current assessments, Powercor expect to have customers back on by the end of Wednesday.
However, these estimated restoration times may change based on any further assessments by the Powercor team, and they will keep customers updated via their outage map, SMS, contact centre and other channels.
On-the-Ground Support
Powercor emergency response vehicles and community support teams will be on the ground in Castlemaine and Skipton from 10.30am today, providing assistance to residents affected by recent outages.
Customers can speak with their teams about their power supply, charge mobiles or other devices, or grab a coffee. They are at:
- Castlemaine Town Hall, 25 Lyttleton St, Castlemaine
- Skipton Mechanics Institute Community Hall (Town Hall), 5 Anderson Street, Skipton
Come down and have a chat with the Powercor team.
Reconnecting Private Properties
While supply is expected to be restored to all areas by end of Wednesday, some customers may need to conduct repairs on their private properties before they can reconnect to the network.
Customers returning to their properties are advised to make sure it’s safe before turning on appliances as water or fire may have affected electrical equipment.
- If any switches do not turn on, or automatically shut off, this indicates the wiring may be affected.
- You’ll need a licensed electrician to test your wiring and appliances.
If you have rooftop solar panels, then contact your installer or a licensed electrician to check the condition of these panels before turning the system on.
Powercor will be waiving reconnection fees for properties affected by these bushfires.
- If your property has been disconnected or affected by fire or water, you will need a registered electrical contractor:
- Search by location through Energy Safe Victoria at:
https://esv.vic.gov.au/licensing-coes/public-register-and-searches/ - The electrician will complete a safety and compliance inspection
- Once any repairs are done they will issue a Certificate of Electrical Safety to us (at info@powercor.com.au)
- They’ll arrange the reconnection of your power through us by phoning 1300 360 410
More information is available at:
www.powercor.com.au/media-and-resources/blog/reconnecting-electricity-after-a-fire/
UPDATE 9.30am: Powercor has restored power to most customers in fire-affected communities where it is safe to do so.
About 36 customers in the Harcourt fire area remain without power due to extensive damage to electricity infrastructure on Mt Alexander.
With the fire still active on the mountain, our crews have not yet been able to safely begin repairs on the line that also supplies the local communications tower.
We are working closely with emergency authorities and will start repairs as soon as it’s safe to access the site. This work will include replacing nine poles and installing new lines.
A further two customers are still off due to fire damage in other parts of the network, with power expected to be restored today.
Since Friday, our teams have replaced more than 270 poles, installed hundreds of kilometres of powerlines and other electrical infrastructure to restore power to areas impacted by the Natimuk, Skipton, Harcourt, Cobram, Meredith and Otways fires.
We want to thank the communities for their understanding as we worked as quickly as possible to rebuild local networks. This is a challenging time for many people across these regions, and our thoughts are with them as they return to their communities.
Over coming weeks, we will continue repairing damaged infrastructure across these regions.
If customers have returned home and are still without power, please contact Powercor on 13 24 12.
Trains resume on Bendigo and Swan Hill line
| Trains have resumed on the Bendigo and Swan Hill lines following damage to infrastructure and the rail reserve from bushfires in Victoria’s north. Trains had been suspended since Friday, initially due to a day of catastrophic fire danger and then due to damage sustained by the Harcourt fire. Crews worked over the past few days to repair damage to the rail reserve and remove trees damaged by the fire. Trains on the Bendigo Line resumed with the 5.17am the first service to Southern Cross. The first service to Bendigo departed Southern Cross at 6.25am. On the Swan Hill Line coaches replaced the 7.39am Swan Hill to Melbourne service. All other services will run as trains. Trains resumed between Echuca and Bendigo on Tuesday. Echuca Line trains will run from Echuca through to Southern Cross today. Transport Victoria thank passengers for their understanding over recent days while crews worked to restore services. The V/Line website and mobile app will be kept up-to-date with the most current service information and passengers are advised to check the V/Line website or app before they travel. Passengers are also encouraged to keep up-to-date with the latest bushfire information via the VicEmergency website and app. Transport Victoria provides real-time traffic conditions and the latest public transport information at transport.vic.gov.au. |
Fire-affected residents to return today
Emergency services are hoping to allow residents from the fire-affected areas to return home and assess their properties from 5pm this evening. Central Goldfield Area Coordinator for Victoria Police Andrea Turner speaking at the online meeting today, said the police will lead and coordinate the return.
“I will put a message with firm plans on the council Facebook and website at 3pm this afternoon,” she said.
“We are well aware the priority in the community is to return but community safety is the first priority.”
Ms Turner said while she knows things may not be moving as fast as people would like, they need to ensure there is no risk of injuries.
Bendigo Incident Controller Michael Masters said that over night the fire hasn’t moved much, but the past few days has demonstrated that fire activity usually starts around 3pm.
“We are establishing a control line on the southern edge of Mount Alexander with large tankers dropping retardant to help secure the containment line,” he said.
“Burning out operations either later today or tomorrow will see an increase in smoke off the fire. Don’t be concerned, this is part of the work that is needed to remove unburnt fuel within the containment.”
He continued stating that while the weather conditions have been reasonably kind and there is nothing in the forecast to be overly concerned about, it is only the first week in January.
Mr Masters confirmed that the majority of community structures in the area have not been damaged. The primary school, nursery, services station, chicken shop, post office, community hall, recreation reserve, football club and mobile tower in Gaasche’s Road have been saved with a combination of good luck and the work of the firefighters.
“As of 7.30pm last night 46 houses and several out buildings were lost, six houses damaged and a number of businesses impacted,” he said.
“There has also been significant damage to power and water infrastructure in the town which is holding up the safe return of residents on a fulltime basis.
“Powercor reported that they have identified all the infrastructure they need to repair and have 45 workers in the middle of Harcourt and surrounds working on power,” Mr Masters said.
“Coliban Water say the do not drink remains in place, but they are hopeful they will have the supply reconnected tomorrow. There are significant damage points in water mains in Harcourt, but they are working to get these repaired.
“V-Line is working to have the rail line repaired and are hoping to have that completed by the end of the day on Wednesday which should see the line open from Melbourne to Bendigo.”
Mount Alexander Shire Council have opened a Recovery Hub at the Castlemaine Town Hall open each day from 11am to 6pm at 25 Lyttleton Street, Castlemaine.
A range of organisations will be on site to help aid fire-affected residents in recovery. Coliban Water and Telstra will be available at the Hub tomorrow, Tuesday January 13 to answer questions.
Free Wifi will be available at the Hub.
For more information check the council Facebook page or online at www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/Community-and-Wellbeing/Emergencies-and-preparation/January-2026-fire-event.
Make sure to keep an eye on the Vic Emergency app or listen to ABC radio 91.1FM