Donna thinks I’m becoming a nutjob. We had our 30th wedding anniversary the other week and we ended up (as couples do) in a bit of an argument. The thing is, I told her about human brain cells being grown over a computer chip and she said I was a nutjob conspiracy theorist. But surely […]

A daffodil   Well hey, look who’s here! Sun-bright hair, long green limbs, round brown boots … A daffodil. Dance and laugh, smile and bow, stretch and grow … My daffodil. Bringer of hope, bringer of peace, bringer of joy … Hi, Daffodil! – Marg Robinson Marg lives in lovely downtown Broomfield, where the multiple […]

Hi there, I am Dipsy.   Funny, playful and definitely a kitten who has a mind of my own. I know what I like and am not afraid to let you know it. I love to keep busy and am always ready for some fun. That might be chasing toys, exploring my surroundings or getting […]

By Donna Kelly If you read this column regularly you will remember I broke my left ankle at the start of the year.   Of course, I hoped it was just a sprain but when I went for x-rays at St John of God in Ballarat, the surgeon came back with the bad news it […]

The state government has opened the $10 million Creating Safer Places grants program. Councils can apply for up to $250,000 to buy practical upgrades such as CCTV and improved lighting. This will help councils protect local businesses, workers and customers by making shopping strips and community spaces safer. Applications for the grants close on October […]

The Victorian Government has published the 2026-27 schedule for its popular Detox Your Home program, giving more opportunities to safely dispose of household chemicals and other hazardous waste free of charge. The program helps keep dangerous materials out of landfill and waterways, reducing the risk to community health and the environment while making it easier […]

Cafs is calling for more foster carers to open their doors and hearts. To mark Foster Care Week in September, Child and Family Services is encouraging people across Ballarat and the Central Highlands region to consider whether they could provide the safety, stability and sense of belonging that a child needs. Cafs Home Based Care […]

One of the unique features of the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra’s annual A Feast of Music festival in Daylesford is the intimate relationship that develops between musicians and audience over four concerts and a musical dinner. The freshness and immediacy of the performances are easily shared and appreciated, adding to an exhilarating chamber music experience. With […]

Once again, we’re teaming up with award-winning German-born charcutier Ralf Fink of Oakwood Smallgoods for a very special batch of Christmas hams. Made using our free-range Otway Pork, each full-leg, bone-in ham is carefully brined with salt, sugar and aromatic spices, hot-smoked over local river red gum and German beechwood, then slowly cooked in its […]

Brendan Hehir was running The Blackwood Times when the storm of June 2021 decimated the region, so, naturally he started reporting on it. Taking photos, getting stories from affected community members. But after a while, like others, he realised it was bigger than one paper, bigger than a few news reports. “About two months later, […]

CONFIRMED AS ATTENDING: Martha Haylett MP LABOR Jo Armstrong NATIONALS Megan Read LIBERALS Donna Buxton ONE NATION Tim Drylie GREENS WESTERN VIC. CANDIDATES Sarah Mansfield GREENS Bev McArthur MP LIBERALS www.kingstonanddistrictpoweralliance.org Community event hosted by Kingston & District Power Alliance DOORS OPEN: 2:15pm DEBATE: 2.45 to 4:30pm SUNDAY 4TH OCT. NEWLYN FOOTY CLUB STATE ELECTION […]

Lyster Opera presents Don Giovanni – The Charmer, the Scoundrel and Mozart’s Masterpiece at the Creswick Town Hall on Saturday, October 24  In its 10th year of bringing opera to regional Victoria, Lyster Opera has gained a well-deserved reputation of delighting communities of small country towns with exceptional productions of well-known and, perhaps, less well-known […]