The Victorian Miniature Railway (VMR) project to establish at miniature railway at Harcourt has moved a step closer with its first building reaching ‘lock up’ stage. See the Mail for the full story.
Moran to lead Magpies
The Castlemaine FNC has announced that former premiership player and Victorian Country Football League (VCAL) representative Don Moran will lead the club as head coach in 2020. For the full story see the Mail out now.
Cannons fire
The Castlemaine Cannons Country Basketball League (CBL) side hosted Mildura Heat in round eight action on November 30.
The Cannons were firing on all cylinders and went on to take out a well-deserved win. See the Mail for more.
Food and funds
Bendigo Bank Castlemaine and Mount Alexander Community Enterprise (MtACE) handed over food collected for The Salvation Army Christmas Appeal and a generous donation. See the Mail for the full story.
Mural unveiled
Talented young Dja Dja Wurrung artist Daikota Nelson officially unveiled a new wall mural at the Castlemaine Secondary College’s Etty Street Campus on Tuesday. Grab your copy of the Mail for the full story.
Belly beautiful way to keep festive fit
It can be difficult to avoid piling on the Christmas calories and ending up with a midriff akin to Santa’s.
But in Castlemaine one group of women have a vibrant answer to keeping fit during the festive feasting season and beyond – belly dancing.
Anita Zacchigna’s regular belly dancing students signed on to learn the ancient dance form about four months ago and since then have been perfecting the traditional movements at their weekly Wednesday classes held at Castlemaine Community House.
Right now they’re excitedly preparing for their first big public performance – the final Castlemaine Community House lunch for the year, taking place on Tuesday December 17. More in today’s Castlemaine Mail – Friday, December 6, 2019.
Bracks launches The Paddock
Former Victorian premier Steve Bracks has officially opened The Paddock, Castlemaine’s cutting-edge environmental housing development.
Mt Alexander CEO Darren Fuzzard, mayor Cr Christine Henderson, and executive director of the Living Future Institute Stephen Choi were among guests attending yesterday’s launch on site.
Mr Bracks, who is also a former member of Friends of The Earth, has earlier connections to The Paddock developers Neil and Heather Barrett and hailed The Paddock as “a truly inspirational community response to the climate crisis” while also bemoaning what he regards as a failure by the current federal government to take adequate steps to address the global issue.
The former state premier congratulated the Mount Alexander Shire Council for backing the innovating housing project where stage one is now complete and the first seven residences have sold.
“It will be an example to the world that while our federal government has its head in the sand our community is helping to mitigate climate change bit by bit,” Mr Bracks said before planting a commemorative tree on site.
Designed to set the bar high on environmental values and act as an example for other building projects, The Paddock is built according to the rigorous Living Building Challenge standard which Mr Choi, founder of Architecture For Change, outlined as he addressed the launch.
“This is how we actually make change,” Mr Choi said on site describing the project as an example of “not actually damaging the world and giving back more than we take”. More in today’s Castlemaine Mail, Friday, December 6, 2019
Lions lend their support
The Castlemaine Lions Club has presented Castlemaine Health with a new wheelchair to be utilised at its aged care facility Ellery House. Catch last Friday’s Mail for the full story.
RSL gift
The Castlemaine Returned Services League (RSL) has been presented with a very special art work by renowned local artist Geoff Hocking thanks to a generous group of individuals within the Castlemaine Rotary Club. Catch the story in last Friday’s Mail.
Local swimmers make a splash
Castlemaine Amateur Swimming Club stars Jemma Cole and Andreas Ginis have been busy representing their local club at swim meets across the state.
Young gun Andreas Ginis, 12, recently made a superb return to the pool and qualified to represent District 15 at the InterDistrict Championships at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC).
Meanwhile fellow club member Jemma Cole, 16, recently represented the club at the National Short Course Championships. See last Friday’s Mail for the full story.
Adam claims state title
Castlemaine BMX rider Adam Ahearne claimed state championship honours after a top performance at the Victorian State Championships at Casey BMX Club on November 23 and 24.
The 36-year-old had a stellar day on the track on the Saturday to claim a silver medal and 2nd place plate in the 24 inch 30-34 men’s Cruiser Class. He backed his form up on Sunday to go one better, winning all his heats and claiming a gold medal and a hallowed 1st place plate in the 20 inch 35-39 men’s class. See last Friday’s Mail for the full story.
Bold new mural for The Mill
Courage is contagious asserts the new mural, freshly completed this week on a prominent wall at The Mill, Castlemaine.
Splashed in musk pink on the wall opposite the Taproom beer garden, and depicting a feisty young climate striker, it’s a message that’s both uplifting and hard to ignore.
It’s also both a gift from the artist who created it – Melbourne based Baby Guerrilla – and a nod to the climate strike movement and the young people driving it.
“It’s about children showing more courage, leadership, initiative than the people who are paid to lead us,” said Baby Guerrilla who chose to bring the work to Castlemaine as hometown for the founding members of the School Strike For Climate (SS4C) movement in Australia.
“It’s about action on climate change,” she said on site yesterday.
“We’ve got a prime minister twiddling his thumbs while Australia’s literally burning. Full story in today’s Castlemaine Mail Friday, November 29, 2019.