How far can you go in a car worth under $1000?
Quite a distance if seems – as one local family seems about to prove.
Elphinstone couple Brian and Julie Colley were in for a little surprise when their Sydney-based daughter Erin called to inform them she’d just signed up for the famed Shitbox Rally – driving 3614km from Melbourne to Townsville via Birdsville in a “shitbox that cost under $1000” – all to to raise money for the Cancer Council.
The twist? She’d also registered them as her support crew for Team Wiggum Unpossibles, named after Simpsons tv series character, Ralph Wiggum – for the rally held over October 19-25. Full story in today’s Castlemaine Mail (Friday, September 27, 2019)
Tackling the … Shitbox Rally
Don’t seal our street: locals petition council
While railing against unsealed rural roads is a common complaint in many regional areas, plenty of residents in Castlemaine’s unsealed Butterworth Street ‘hood have a very different view.
They don’t want their road sealed and they’re prepared to fight to stop it happening.
Thirty-five people have signed a petition opposing the Mount Alexander Shire Council proposal to seal Butterworth Street between Reckleben and Brown Streets, Brown Street between Butterworth and Farnsworth Streets, and Farnsworth Street between Brown and Ray Streets.
“I walk along this road daily, value the natural feel and vegetation. Sealing it is a waste of money,” one signatory to the petition said.
“It will increase traffic, loss of indigenous plants and loss of character,” wrote another. Full story in today’s Castlemaine Mail (Friday, September 27, 2019)
On song
Regular customers at Harcourt’s Goldfields Track Cafe often get more than a caffeine fix when they drop in for a coffee.
Behind the coffee machine is James Park, singing barista and first tenor with Melbourne Opera.
The local barista loves nothing better than singing opera and he’s on song this week as he shoulders the role of a soldier in Bellini’s Norma that opened on Tuesday at Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre and runs through to Tuesday September 24.
James says he remembers the day he fell in love with opera. Full story in today’s Castlemaine Mail (Friday, September 20, 2019)
Decision a ‘cop out’?
Mount Alexander Shire Council has narrowly voted in favour of issuing planning approval for a controversial telecommunications tower to be installed at Wesley Hill, with angry objectors labelling the result a “cop out” at this week’s council meeting.
Optus says the proposed telco tower is part of its nationwide rollout to improve mobile black spots but local objectors view it as the telco seeking to profit at the expense of local residents and, particularly, visual amenity.
The proposal, which will see a telco facility atop a floodlight tower in the southwest part of Wesley Hill Recreation Reserve, has attracted fierce opposition from many local residents with the council receiving 64 objections.
The proposal is for a 35-metre monopole with three 2.5-metre-long antennas giving a total height of just over 38 metres, and a parabolic dish structure of 29 metres. Full story in today’s Mail (Friday, September 20, 2019)
Recycled threads claim the catwalk
Recycled, upcycled, reclaimed and repurposed fashions hit the catwalk in Castlemaine this Sunday as the Mount Alexander Sustainability Group holds its inaugural fundraising fashion parade.
Hoped to become the first of many, Sunday afternoon’s parade in the town hall aims to showcase the creative potential of otherwise discarded, forgotten or unloved items of clothing thereby helping to prevent waste and unnecessary landfill.
“The fashions have all been submitted by members of the public and have been upcycled, recycled and repurposed,” parade organiser MASG’s Allie Hanly says.
“It’s a major fundraiser for Mount Alexander Sustainability Group and we’d definitely like to see it become an annual event.” Full story in today’s Mail (Friday, September 13, 2019)
Grumpies set for show & shine
While their degree of grumpiness is subject to some debate, there’s no disputing the Guildford Grumpies’ enthusiasm for a good cause.
Since forming six years ago they’ve supported many – both local and further afield.
And despite speculation as to their general demeanor they’re clearly not always too cantankerous because in those same six years their membership has grown from six to more than 70, observes member Rob Wardley who serves as part-time chairman of the social division.
This Sunday – September 8 – the Grumpies are likely to be in a more agreeable and less curmudgeonly frame of mind as they indulge one of their chief pleasures in life – namely hosting the Show and Shine on Guildford’s John Powell Reserve.
This will be the third such Show and Shine the Grumpies Car Club Inc has staged and members like club secretary Steve Cole say its shaping to be a beauty. Full story in today’s Mail … (Friday, September 6, 2019)
‘Too good to go’: residents oppose tree removal plan
A proposal to remove two mature gum trees at Castlemaine’s Camp Reserve oval as part of the reserve’s new draft master plan is raising objection from local residents who say the gums are valuable natural assets.
This week they told the Castlemaine Mail they’re also concerned that axing two mature elm trees in the central reserve has also been mooted as part of the plan, saying all of the trees concerned deliver a wide range of benefits for people, climate and wildlife and the proposal should be reconsidered.
“I’ve had confirmation from the council that these two large old gum trees are to be removed by the shire at the Camp Reserve as part of their Camp Reserve draft master plan,” one of those concerned, Mount Alexander Wildlife Network’s Nikki Sutterby said.
“These large old native trees currently have at least three large birds nests in them plus the potential for many more hollow nests for native birds.
“I’m asking whether a proper environmental assessment has been done because all sorts of native species like bats and possums live in trees like this, not to mention the fact they’re the only old growth gums I can see in the reserve. Full story in today’s Castlemaine Mail (Friday, August 30, 2019)
CSC works underway
Works have commenced on the final stages of the Castlemaine Secondary College redevelopment. Did you catch the story on the planned works in last Friday’s Mail?
We will also have an update in Tuesday’s Midland Express.
Demolition works have commenced on the old buildings and residents are urged to avoid the site over the next two weekends, August 24-25 and August 31-Sept 1, as asbestos removal works are carried out.
Plans afloat for shipwrecked spring ball
This year’s a big one for the annual Castlemaine Community House Spring Ball.
Set for Castlemaine’s Theatre Royal on Saturday October 12 the annual over-18s fixture heralds the stirrings of spring and this time it’s celebrating its quarter century.
Organisers have floated a potential-packed theme for this year’s ball – Shipwrecked. See today’s Mail for the full story.
Broadway coup
Castlemaine has carried off a musical coup as it prepares to host the Australian premiere of Broadway’s Bright Star.
Locally based theatre company Three’s A Crowd is getting set to stage the acclaimed musical with eight shows opening Friday September 20.
But before Bright Star’s Aussie stage debut happens at the Phee Broadway next month local audiences are in for an entree treat with a special fundraising show tomorrow evening serving up a feast of Broadway musical hits. Full story in today’s Mail Friday, August 16, 2019
Magnificent Seven
Now on show at The Taproom, The Magnificent Seven packs a punch.
Featuring seven large-scale works by established Taradale artist Phillip Head, it portrays seven iconic musicians – Jimi Hendricks, Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Robert Johnson and Brian Jones, who all died young – at or about 27 – thereby joining the famed “27 Club”.
Since launching at Castlemaine’s Shedshaker Taproom bar earlier this month The Magnificent Seven has been hogging the limelight with a number of the works quickly snapped up. Full story in today’s Castlemaine Mail.
Solar farm hearing: Local farmers speak up
Baringhup farmers have told a state planning panel the site proposed for the Baringhup solar farm is strategically valuable agricultural land that’s only likely to become more valuable for farming as climate change impacts into the future.
Fourth generation Baringhup farmer Peter Baker was among eight Baringhup locals to present to the panel during a well attended final day of hearings held at the Baringhup Hall this week.
Mr Baker vigorously disputed earlier evidence presented to the panel by an expert witness for the applicant, Res Australia, who had agreed that while the land was quality agricultural land it was not significant or versatile and there was no irrigation available to enhance its importance. Full story in today’s Mail …