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Kicking back…

By
Eve Lamb
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For community sportspeople like Castlemaine’s Aaron Shooter, the COVID-19 pandemic has meant a significant aspect of social life has been on hold.
But this week has seen a positive shift for the Castlemaine Goldfields Football Club president with the slight easing of restrictions to allow cautious outdoor gatherings of 10.


“It’s not going to be anything like full training yet but it will be a step closer towards it,” the club president told the Mail following this week’s announcements by premier Daniel Andrews.


“As an official club we’re linked to Football Victoria so we’ll need to wait for guidance from them to put on club activities,” adds the local club president while chatting from 1.5 metres distance in the autumn sunlight at Chewton Soldiers Memorial Park – home to his club.
“For our members, if they want to get out and have a kick around under their own steam, they’re welcome to. See the Mail for the full story. Out now.

$20M boost to help victims

By
Lisa Dennis
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Isolation Quarantine Coronavirus

Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards and Bendigo East MP Jacinta Allan have welcomed $635,006 for local family violence services as part of a $20.2 state government million funding package announced last week to provide support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 


The funding will allow local support service providers to respond to the increase in demand for family violence support for women and children during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.


Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards said for some women, the biggest fear during this pandemic won’t be coronavirus – it will be the fear they can’t escape a violent partner. “That’s why this funding is so important – it will give them and their children a safe place to go,” Ms Edwards said.
Central Victoria’s Centre for Non-Violence has welcomed the state government’s commitment of extra funding.


Centre for Non-Violence chief executive officer Margaret Augerinos said support for victim/survivors of family violence will be further strengthened through additional funding for phone-based and online responses and outreach support.  See the Mail for the full story. Out now.

Keep up the good work

By
Lisa Dennis
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The efforts of staff, volunteers and the community have kept coronavirus at bay. Ellery House Ward Clerk Carrie Smyth is pictured with Paul Kent, who was volunteering Wednesday, at the Ellery House visitor entrance.

Castlemaine Health CEO Ian Fisher has praised the work of hospital staff, local doctors, volunteers and the wider community in keeping Coronavirus (COVID-19) at bay.


Speaking the to Mail on Tuesday Mr Fisher said they were very pleased with the response so far.
“We have only had the six cases in the region to date and we have still had no cases detected at the hospital itself,” Mr Fisher said.


“This is a credit to the community, they have done the right thing, heeded the warnings and restrictions and stayed at home and this has prevented the spread of the virus.” See the Mail for the full story. Out now.

Remember the Rock: local lolly icon rusts

By
Eve Lamb
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Castlemaine industrial art enthusiast and resident Randall Berger is concerned about the future of the iconic Barnes' Castlemaine Rock lolly tin. Photo: Eve Lamb

Remember Barnes’ Castlemaine Rock?
No doubt most Castlemaine residents – and Victorians with a sweet tooth do.
The iconic local lolly making business may have shut down operations back in 2018 after a massive 165 years of making life a little sweeter for generations – but someone who has not forgotten is Castlemaine local Randall Berger.
The promotions professional who has formerly worked on interpretive displays for Melbourne Museum has a passion for industrial art.
As such, he has become concerned about what the future holds for the unique Barnes’ Castlemaine Rock largescale lolly tin that still sits atop the former micro factory roof in Wesley Hill’s Wallace Street.
“The bottom’s rusting out of it and it’s just looking terrible,” says Mr Berger who wants to see options explored to conserve and publicly display the big tin as an important piece of Castlemaine’s history.
“It is essentially a work of industrial art,” Mr Berger says.
“My concern stretches right back to when Barnes was in trouble and nobody seemed to be coming along to save it. I mean, I think I bought my first tin back in the ’70s.
“Castlemaine Rock was so much associated with the town.
“I’ve always loved Castlemaine and this is part of Castlemaine’s history. If you don’t celebrate your history you’re going to forget it.”
Mr Berger wants to see a public conversation around options for the tin, suggesting the Castlemaine Art Museum, “up on the Hill”, the Visitor Information Centre or The Mill Castlemaine as all being potential venues for its prominent public display.
“Even if they offered Barnsey a chance to just take the tin and put it in the Visitor Information Centre or something as part of the history of this town,” he suggests as a public conversation-starter. More in today’s Mail, Friday May 15, 2020

Go for Gold!

By
Lisa Dennis
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Have you collected all nine puzzle pieces to complete your Golden Ticket as part of our Castlemaine Mail Golden Ticket buy local promotion?

If so be sure to pop it in an envelope and drop it under the door at the Castlemaine Mail office at 29 Templeton Street or post it to us to go into the draw to win a share of $5000 to spend at our 22 fantastic Golden Ticket businesses!!!!

Our first prize winner will receive $3000 in vouchers to spend at these local businesses, second prize will receive $1000 and third and fourth will receive $500 each.

Businesses which are part of this year’s promotion include ASQ Garden and Landscape, Autopro Castlemaine, Barker Street Cafe, Beehave, Castlemaine Hire Service, Castlemaine News and Lotto, Clifford Quality Cuts, Extremity Street and Sports, Greenaway Bins, Hot & Crusty Bakery, Dales Paint Right, Leechs Leading Edge Jewellery, Maine Shoes and Accessories, Maldon Hotel, Merchants of Mostyn, Mulberries Delicatessen, Protek Auto, Stocks Gifts & Gallery, Stevens Mensland, Tattoos & Curiosities of Castlemaine, Taylors Home Centre and Victorian Goldfields Railway.

If you missed a puzzle piece call us to secure a back copy of the Mail on 5472 1788. The draw of our winners will be live-streamed on our Castlemaine Mail Facebook page on May 22 at 3pm.  Good luck!

Bank celebrates 21st!

By
Lisa Dennis
-

The Maldon & District Community Bank celebrated its 21st birthday a little differently this year, with a toilet roll ‘cake’ and the giving of gifts to the community. 


Gifts of $1,000 were provided to two local groups, the Mount Alexander Community Pantry and the Dunolly Primary School community. 
The funding will help these organisations support vulnerable community members during the Covid-19 pandemic.


Branch Manager Adam Balzan said the community bank were keen to mark this exciting milestone, but had to be creative and adjust their celebrations in line with Covid-19 restrictions.


“We had a fun time creating a toilet roll cake, and we also decided to provide presents to the community as you can’t have a birthday without cake or presents! The equivalent toilet rolls were donated to the Mount Alexander Community Pantry along with the $1,000 donations to our communities,” Adam said. See the Mail for the full story. Out now.


Those doing it tough can order pre-prepared meals or food packages from the Mount Alexander Community Pantry via phone or email between 9am-3pm, Monday to Friday on 0472 537 866 or mtalexcommunitypantry@gmail.com

Keeping the fun in keeping fit

By
Eve Lamb
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The personal exercise regime of Barkers Creek based group fitness trainer Mandy Chilcott offers a great example of how to keep the fun in keeping fit.
In normal times, every week Mandy usually delivers her popular power bar strength classes through Castlemaine Group Fitness which also provides tabata classes for cardio fitness.


But since COVID-19 put all that on hold this local group fitness trainer has maintained a varied and enjoyable fitness schedule in her own life while finding other ways to remain connected to her regular class participants, helping to keep them motivated and healthy as well.


“I have a fairly regimented routine,” Mandy says.
“I meet with a friend every Saturday morning and we get on our mountain bikes and do a one-and-a-half to two hour ride.
“We generally ride in the Pinies along the Goldfields Track or the Baco. 
“Wednesdays I meet with another friend from Barkers Creek and we’ve got a one hour loop that we do on our mountain bikes. 
“And Mondays I meet with another friend who lives in Castlemaine and we’ll do a one-hour road ride.”


Mandy’s regular cycling routine in good company is proving a great way to stay fit and enjoy getting out and about while taking in the beauty of the local landscape, at the same time.
“It’s been awesome. It’s been my sanity,” she says. See the Mail for more. Out now.

Spoil your mum

By
Lisa Dennis
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Samantha Stocks of Stocks Gifts and Gallery in Mostyn Street is pictured with some of their Mother's Day goodies.

In the lead up to our $5000 Golden Ticket buy local promotion prize draw we have been chatting to some of the 22 local businesses featured in this year’s competition. This week we had a chat to Samantha Stocks of Stocks Gifts and Gallery Castlemaine.


Samantha Stocks reopened the doors to her popular Mostyn Street business this week just in time for Mother’s Day much to the delight of local community members.


Samantha is also the operator of neighbouring businesses women’s fashion outlet Ivy and Grace and leading fashion brand store aolita (formerly Dalrene on Mostyn).


The local businesswoman said it has been a tough few months for her businesses and staff but they are looking forward to having all three shops reopened from Monday.

Meanwhile Stocks Gifts and Gallery is packed full of Mother’s Day gift ideas for Sunday. See the Mail for the full story. Out now.

HALT launches tool kits

By
Lisa Dennis
-

Castlemaine based national grass-roots suicide prevention charity HALT (Hope Assistance Local Tradies) has launched a new Covid-19 Wellbeing Tool Kit aimed at supporting local tradespeople during the pandemic.


HALT founder Jeremy Forbes said the free booklets, which hit stores this week, are packed full of lots of helpful information about how to look after yourself, workmates, friends and family during this challenging time. See the Mail for the full story. Out now.

$399,000 for Castlemaine Diggings

By
Lisa Dennis
-

The federal government has awarded Parks Victoria a $399,000 heritage grant for the conservation and improvement of interpretation and access to the northern section of the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park.

The funding will improve future visitor experiences throughout the northern section of the park; focusing on improved access for all visitors and enhanced site interpretation to help people learn more about the area’s gold mining history.


Project components will include access improvements to parking, trails, and directional signage; interpretive signage at key sites, including Garfield Wheel; and interpretive signage on walking tracks to allow people to learn more about the park on self-guided site walks. See the Mail for the full story. Out now.

Garlic grab

By
Eve Lamb
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Peter Yates of Maldon's Nuggetty Garlic with some of his newly planted garlic crop. Demand for garlic has been particularly strong. Photo: Eve Lamb

The COVID-19 pandemic seems to have contributed to a skyrocketing demand for garlic this season, with local growers among those to benefit.
Peter Yates of Maldon’s Nuggetty Garlic has been growing and selling organic garlic for 10 years at local farmers markets.
He says this year’s demand for the flavoursome bulbs – long recognised for their medicinal immune-boosting properties – has been exceptionally strong.
“We were certainly astonished at how much we were selling as the season wore on,” Peter says.
“Demand usually goes down at the end of the season but it was going up and up.”
Now he says they’ve as good as sold out for this season.
“Pretty much. We’re only small growers. We just produce about half a tonne a year,” he says.
Peter believes the stronger-than-usual demand has been not only due to people’s wish to cook and eat fresh garlic – but also to plant the bulbs with a trend to backyard gardening another of the psychological phenomena seemingly driven by uncertainty associated with the pandemic.
“It’s both,” he says.

Read more in today’s Castlemaine Mail, Friday May 8, 2020.

Silver lining

By
Eve Lamb
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Daylesford's Andrew Bruno and Buda historic house curator Lauretta Zilles on site at Castlemaine's Buda Historic Home and Gardens this week. Photo: Eve Lamb

The virus may have put paid to public visits at Castlemaine’s historic Buda for now – but there’s a silver lining.
The COVID-19 lockdown has meant critical restoration works to repair and maintain the iconic local visitor attraction have been progressing far more quickly than would otherwise be possible.
“We estimate we’re now about two months ahead of schedule,” says a delighted Lauretta Zilles, Buda Historic House curator
“It’s been a silver lining. The tradies have been excellent to work with and it’s really been just one or two tradies here at a time so everyone’s been really good about observing the social distancing restrictions.”
The works being funded with a $120,000 state Living Heritage grant include significant render repairs on the south-facing exterior, foundation stabilisation, original brick repairs and repointing, interior plaster restoration and painting, and soon-to-start exterior painting of the house’s north facing visitor entrance.
Lauretta says the works are all being carefully carried out to faithfully reproduce the way the gracious old home would have appeared around 1910 – “the heyday of the Leviny daughters,” she says.
“It’s going to look terrific.” See more in today’s Castlemaine Mail. Friday, May 08, 2020.

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