Shaun Gedge became a member at Glenlyon Fire Brigade in July 2024 after arriving a month earlier from the UK. Shaun’s goal is to one day work full time in the Emergency Services.

Motivated by the opportunities the CFA presents, Shaun completed his training and became a fully operational firefighter in November 2024. He has since attended many emergencies from bushfires to motor vehicle accidents, greatly assisting our community.

Realizing that the Brigade is 100% volunteers and most funding is from community donations, Shaun is taking it upon himself to raise money for important equipment the brigade needs. Shaun has received approval from the CFA to complete “a fundraising walk” and it is hoped the Glenlyon community can support him. In Shaun’s words….

“I will be walking 240 km solo around the perimeter of the response area of the eight brigades that make up the Glenlyon CFA Group. I will be doing this walk over the period of 8 days, walking approximately 28.5 km on seven of the days and 12 km on the last day.

“I have established a GoFundMe link. I hope this walk can raise awareness and funds to help supply our brigade with vital pieces of equipment such as BA (breathing apparatus), new tools and in the future, we hope to add an ultralight tanker to our fleet.”

Shaun’s link, where you can read some more information and donate, is https://gofund.me/17f22de

The federal and state governments are delivering hundreds of new social and affordable homes for Victorians who need them most, through the latest round of the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF).

Acting Premier Jaclyn Symes and Minister for Housing and Building Harriet Shing has visited Rosanna where 45 homes are under construction as part the first round of HAFF – to announce where the first 500 homes of HAFF Round Two will be delivered.

The Rosanna development includes 30 social homes and 15 affordable homes with construction well underway, and works expected to wrap up early next year.

These new one, two and three-bedroom homes will be available for Victorians escaping family violence, older women, frontline workers, and First Nations Victorians.

Delivered in partnership with community housing provider Evolve, the five-storey development is being built on land made available following the removal of the dangerous and congested level crossing at Lower Plenty Road and the construction of the elevated Rosanna Station.

The second HAFF round will include the redevelopment of ageing estates at Bronte Court in Williamstown, Noone Street in Clifton Hill, Dunlop Avenue in Ascot Vale and Alamein Avenue in Ashburton – delivering more than 400 homes.

It will also include five new low-rise projects at Plunkett Street in Bellfield, Burnewang Street in Albion, Melon Street in Braybrook, Electra Avenue in Ashwood and Hilda Street in Glenroy – delivering more than 100 homes.

In total, these brand-new developments will deliver 506 social homes for Victorians who need it most – including women escaping family violence, older Victorians and Victorians who are sleeping rough.

This second round will help build and operate 1,275 social homes across 25 projects – backed by $991 million from the Federal Government and $360 million from the Victorian Government.

Work is also underway to finalise contracts and commence planning and consultation processes to make sure all social homes as part of HAFF Round Two are under construction by mid-next year.

Many projects delivered in the first round are already complete and ready for Victorians to move into, with hundreds more homes under construction.

The state government is leading the nation in protecting older Victorians from Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) – with a free vaccine now available for residents in public sector residential aged care services.

Minister for Ageing Ingrid Stitt has announced the Australian-first program, which will see the Arexvy® RSV vaccine delivered to residents aged 60 and over in public and Aboriginal community-controlled aged care services.

RSV is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can affect people of all ages but can cause serious illness in older people – particularly those with existing heart or lung conditions or weakened immune systems.

The Arexvy vaccine has been shown to reduce the severity of RSV infections, including the risk of complications like pneumonia and bronchiolitis.

The $2.2 million program complements the Labor Government’s broader investment in aged care with $34.6 million in the Victorian Budget 2025/26 to continue delivering high-quality care in Public Sector Residential Aged Care Services (PSRACS) and $7.5 million for infrastructure upgrades to improve comfort and safety for residents.

The RSV immunisation program is also supported by strong clinical guidance including from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) which recommend RSV vaccination for people aged 75 and over, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 60 and over and those with medical risk factors.

The state government is making it easier for households to safely dispose and recycle batteries with the expansion of battery collection points across the state.

Acting Minister for Environment Gayle Tierney has announced $1.7 million in funding through the Circular Economy Hazardous Waste Fund – Round 4  to improve access to battery collection sites.

Funding is available to local councils and registered charities to establish convenient battery drop off locations, supporting battery recovery rates and keeping batteries out of household bins.

E-waste, one of the fastest growing waste streams in Australia, includes embedded batteries in vapes, e-scooters, shavers and toys, and poses an environmental and health and safety risk when not disposed of correctly.  

Waste collectors and fire rescue organisations, including Fire Rescue Victoria, have reported an increase in waste truck fires related to batteries being put in kerbside bins.

Local councils and charities are invited to apply for grants of up to $22,000 to support the purchase, installation and promotion of battery drop off units.

The funded facilities will accept a wide range of battery types including loose household batteries, batteries from e-cigarettes, embedded batteries in small devices such as electric toothbrushes, and larger batteries weighing up to 60 kg.

Round 3 Hazardous Waste Fund had two projects share in $3.5 million to establish lithium-ion processing and recycling facilities – increasing Victoria’s capacity to process lithium-ion batteries by 19,500 tonnes per year.

With only a small quantity of lithium-ion battery waste currently being processed in Australia, the two projects based in Stawell and Campbellfield will play a crucial role in in increasing Victoria’s capacity to reuse valuable battery materials.

For decades, medical research has omitted women from studies – this inequality is contributing to a lack of attention into women’s health issues.

Now, the state government is bridging this gap, with the $1.5 million Women’s Health Research Catalyst Grants program helping to advance the understanding of how disease and other health issues effect women.

Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas has announced the 15 successful recipients who will share in grants, ranging from $15,000 to $150,000 – providing seed funding for Victoria’s best and brightest researchers to look at innovative ways of improving women’s health.

The successful grant recipients will be conducting research on areas including sexual and reproductive health, cardiovascular health, oncology, orthopaedics and chronic pain.

Among the successful recipients is Dr Lakshini Gunasekera at Monash University who received funding to trial hormonal treatment for menstrual-related migraines.

Prof Helena Frawley, Dr Karin Jones and Dr Marlena Klaic at the University of Melbourne will also be funded to investigate clinical outcomes for a new model of care for multidisciplinary pelvic pain designed for regional areas. 

Dr Louise Segan at the Baker Institute will also receive funding to better understand sex differences in symptoms and outcomes for women experiencing atrial fibrillation is a common type of irregular heart rhythm that can result in blood clots, stroke, heart failure, and other heart-related complications.

All grant recipients are undertaking research in a health or medical field, including discovery, pre-clinical, clinical or lived experience – their work further cementing Victoria’s reputation as a global leader in medical research.

The package has also expanded the sexual and reproductive health hub network to 20 locations, including 12 in regional locations as well as increased access to laparoscopies for endometriosis and associated conditions, and providing scholarships for more than 150 women’s specialists.

A lack of housing and resources leaves 20 per cent of victim-survivors without crisis accommodation: new report.

A new report has found years of underinvestment in social housing and a lack of resources in Victoria are fuelling a crisis in emergency accommodation for women and children leaving violence.  

The Bridging the Gap between Homelessness and Family Violence Services report has found a staggering 20 per cent of women and children leaving family violence are “ping-ponged” between family-violence and homelessness services, only to end up with no crisis bed at all.

“Imagine leaving violence with your children, knocking on two different doors, and still sleeping in your car that night,” Council to Homeless Persons CEO Deborah Di Natale said. 

The report prepared by Council to Homeless Persons (CHP) and Safe and Equal has found the “bounce-back” effect is devastating for survivors and demoralising for already overstretched frontline workers.

“A lack of social housing driven by years of underinvestment is creating a “bottleneck” in crisis accommodation, and for too many women that can be a matter of life and death,” Deborah Di Natale said. 

Domestic and family violence is the single biggest driver of homelessness in Victoria, with the report citing data showing more than half of all women, young people and children who visited a specialist homelessness service reported they were also experiencing family violence in 2022-23. 

“A woman is killed every three weeks in a domestic and family violence-related incident in Victoria. Women and children are disproportionately affected by homelessness brought on by this kind of threat to their physical and psychological safety. We must improve our systems to protect them, “Deborah Di Natale said. 

The report recommends the Victorian Government commit to building around 8,000 new social homes each year for the next decade, as well as boosting funding for both Specialist Homelessness Services and Family Violence Services to fund more frontline staff. 

“Access to safe and affordable housing is absolutely critical – without it, it is nearly impossible for a victim-survivor to safely leave a violent relationship and rebuild their life,” Safe and Equal CEO Tania Farha said. 

“Devastatingly, when the systems that are meant to help are stretched to breaking point, the options for victim-survivors become extremely limited,” Tania Farha said. 

Other recommendations include doubling the capacity of family violence refuges to reduce a reliance on motels for emergency accommodation, as well as boosting investment in Safe At Home responses which take the burden off the victim-survivor by finding alternative accommodation for the person accused of violence. 

Key findings

• 1 in 5 victim-survivors receives two referrals but zero accommodation.
• A lack of social housing driven by years of underinvestment is creating a “bottleneck” effect in crisis accommodation.
• Overloaded staff and rigid eligibility rules exacerbate the problem.
• Motels and caravan parks often feel less safe than returning home.

Key recommendations

• Commit to an annual pipeline of around 8,000 social homes each year for 10 years
• Boost funding to Specialist Homelessness Services and Family Violence services for additional frontline staff.
• Double the capacity of family violence refuges in Victoria to reduce reliance on hotels. 
• Increase funding for Safe At Home responses, which allow victim-survivors to remain in their homes, by finding alternative housing for the person accused of violence.
• Lift income supports above the poverty line to increase housing retention.

 Fast facts:

• 102,000 people sought assistance from homelessness services in Victoria in 2023/24 (up 4% from the previous year)
• 60,000 of them (58%) were women
• 13,000 were working Victorians (up 23% in 5 years)
• One third of people seeking homelessness assistance in Australia are in Victoria, but we have the lowest proportion of social housing in the country (2.9%)

Agriculture Victoria is continuing to back our farmers and regional communities through the drought, with more one-on-one support services and practical workshops.
Acting Executive Director Agriculture Sector Development and Services Kate Linden said agriculture organisations, service providers and consultants are encouraged to apply their expertise to help support farmers across the state.
‘Agriculture Victoria is seeking quotes from service providers with specialist farm management technical expertise to work with us in delivering one-on-one consultations and group-based events.
‘Every farm is different, so it’s critical that we have a range of service providers to deliver the professional business and technical advice our farmers need right now.
‘Technical specialists such as agronomists, livestock nutritionists, veterinarians, pasture and grazing specialists, and farm business advisors are encouraged to submit a quote to deliver practical advice on subjects such as feed budgeting, farm business and financial management and managing farm water shortages.
‘We are looking for specialists to deliver our one-on-one service, which offers farmers the opportunity to sit down one-on-one with a consultant to discuss the best way forward for their business in the current season.
‘The one-on-one advisory service has been well received in south west Victoria, with 140 farmers taking up the opportunity since last October. It’s been pleasing to hear that 90% of participants have already implemented the action plan created with their consultant.
‘We are also seeking partners to deliver farm group events in local farming districts across the state, to discuss topical drought management issues and opportunities, and connect with like-minded farmers.
‘Having access to specialists and sharing challenges and approaches with other farmers at a workshop, field day or farm walk is incredibly valuable.
‘Between September 2024 and June 2025, a series of 45 workshops were held across the south west, attended by 955 farmers.
‘The events provided practical, science-based support to manage feed and water supply, animal nutrition, and pasture planning,’ said Ms Linden.
Request for quotes are invited up until Thursday 31 July.
For more information and to register visit the Agriculture Victoria website.
To view the full range of financial, technical and wellbeing support available to drought affected farmers visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/drought or phone 136 186.

Emma McAdam-Marmont grew up in New Zealand and studied at Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland, majoring in sculpture, photography, and mixed media. She moved to Australia in her early 20s to work in advertising and eventually became a television producer. That’s how she met her husband-to-be Struan Hopwood – they were both working creatively, just not yet as painters. Struan was born in South Africa and moved to Melbourne in 2003. He studied arts and fine art here, but was always painting in some form – from sketchbooks and murals to spray-painted boards and canvas. He says he always knew he’d find his way into a studio practice. The pair chatted with Donna Kelly.

Donna: How did you get together?
Both: We met in our advertising days, but it was during a trip to Prague – sitting on the banks of the Vltava River – that we decided to leave that world and build a life around painting. That was May 13, which is where the name Thirteen 05 (their Daylesford gallery) comes from.

Donna: What do you do, artwise?
Emma: I work mostly in acrylic, using spatulas, palette knives, and sponges to build texture and softness. My “Suits” series focuses on faceless, androgynous figures that carry a certain emotional weight – quiet confidence, vulnerability, sometimes nostalgia. I also paint nude works that treat the body more like landscape than object – soft, powerful, grounded in presence rather than performance.
Struan: I paint bold, character-driven work influenced by street art, manga and pop culture. There’s a lot of colour, linework, and symbolism in my pieces – sometimes humorous, sometimes darker. I work with acrylics, spray paint and acrylic markers, blending illustration with abstract textures.
Both: Our collaborative portraits combine both of those energies – Struan creates the character and linework, and Emma brings the skin, the flesh, and the realism. It’s an intuitive back-and-forth. Sometimes a piece will go between us five or six times before it lands.

Donna: What do you love about art?
Emma: That it says things we don’t have words for. It can stop someone in their tracks and invite them to feel something quietly and deeply.
Struan: That it can be cheeky, nostalgic and emotional all at once. I love that art holds contradiction – it can be fun and still mean something.
Donna: Are you competitive with each other?
Both: No, not at all. We paint in the same studio, share feedback constantly, and collaborate closely even when the work is technically solo. There’s trust in the process, and we’re usually better for each other’s eyes. If anything, the collaboration gives us permission to push further than we would alone.

Donna: Why are you part of the Winter Show at Little Gallery in Trentham?
Both: Little Gallery feels like a natural fit, we live in Trentham and truly appreciate and admire the team at Little Gallery – artist-led, thoughtfully curated, and committed to showing work with heart. The Winter Show has built a reputation for quality and integrity, and we’re really proud to have both our individual and collaborative work included.

Donna: Where else can people see your work?
Both: We run our own space – Thirteen 05 Gallery in Daylesford. It’s our own boutique gallery and is constantly evolving. New work arrives weekly, and we also showcase a selection of other contemporary Australian artists. We’ll also be exhibiting together at the Affordable Art Fair in Melbourne this August, alongside Sally Hastings and a few other brilliant creators.

Donna: Do you have a Central Highlands story?
Both: Like a lot of people, we came to Daylesford thinking we’d slow down – and we did, a little, but we also found this incredible, creative community and freedom to create a space that is ours. There’s room to think and make, and there’s genuine curiosity from the people who walk through our doors. It’s home now and has been for nearly nine years.

Donna: Anything else you’d like to add?
Both: Just a thank you to the Little Gallery team, to everyone supporting artists in real, meaningful ways, and to those who take the time to really look and have a conversation. That moment of connection between the artist and the viewer is the reason we do this. Lastly, if there’s something you think about, a passion of yours that pops into your mind every day in those quiet moments, we challenge you to take the step and do it. Create that thing, build that project, travel to that place. Life is short and you should do what you love.

The Little Gallery Winter Show opened on July 11 and will run until July 28, open 10am-4pm from Thursday to Monday.

It was heart breaking to talk to some of the people involved in our home care story on pages 6 & 7.
Usually, as a journo, you try to offer a few words of comfort but in the case of the 92-year-old woman being cared for by her daughters so she can die at home, I had nothing to say. Just sorry. Sorry you are going through this hell. Might as well be thoughts and prayers.
Under her “package” (sounds like a Christmas present all tied up with string) the woman receives just four hours of respite care for the daughter who lives with her. That’s four hours out of 168 for the week. This is not a nine to five job.
And then there are three bed baths a week – and sometimes when only one carer comes along the daughter must help out. No refunds here. There is also a bit of money left for incontinence products and some sustenance from the Daylesford Hospital.
As one daughter told me, when the money runs out, it runs out. This is real life, not The Block where Scotty can always magically find another $5000 for a spendthrift contestant. At one stage they had to move their mum into Hepburn House for a couple of weeks so they could save on all those respite hours and bedbaths, and get a little nest egg started again. Is this really how we treat our elderly?
Oddly, they once received 16 hours’ respite and shopping and housecleaning. Assessed for higher needs, the services dropped. Go figure that one.
Less drastic but still hopeless, is the 86-year-old bloke who just wants to stay in his house and would like a safety rail for some steep steps. The occupational therapist says yes but the budget says no. Bit of gardening help? Sorry, already 1000 waiting ahead of you in the queue. If we help 100 a year we can get to you in 10 years. Luckily he’s a sprightly guy and probably will make it.
(The only good story was another bloke who had a Gold Card for being a veteran. I have always counselled people away from the armed forces, just seems like a poor choice at times, but I would now tell them to join up. Although I think you need to do overseas service – but that might be OK until we get involved in another war.)
No one I wanted to talk to wished to be named. Fair enough. You never know the backlash. And I reached out to all the care agencies involved along with Ageing Australia and the Australia Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. As of Saturday, all had returned my emails and calls, except the national peak body for aged care, Ageing Australia. Hmmm.
There are also a lot of other stories, some sad, some ridiculous, which are never published but true none-the-less. A personal story from the latter category is when my mum fell and hurt her spine. Not so much at-home care but temporary care.
She had to wear a back and neck brace for six weeks and we got her a spot in the nursing home just over the road from her retirement village unit. How lucky, we thought, until we arrived and there was just a bed in the room. I asked about a chair, for her or for visitors, and was told that was not available. Then I enquired about a television – six weeks is a long time to just sit. Again, no go.
So Kyle being Kyle, marched across the road and came back carrying a huge lounge chair from her home. And then went back again for a television and stand. All sorted. But as the above daughter pondered, what do people without children, and fairly able ones at that, do?
I know of another woman who moved into aged care after being on a home care package for a short time. Her daughter asked what happened to the leftover money and was told it went back into the general coffers. She called bullshit and was able to use the money for things her mum needed in aged care. Why do we always have to fight for our rights? And what if you don’t know how to fight, or don’t have someone to advocate on your behalf?
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing says: “Aged care is the support provided to older people who need help in their own home or who can no longer live at home. It can include: help with everyday living; assistive equipment and home modifications; personal care and health care; and accommodation. Aged care can help you to: stay connected to your community; be more independent; take care of your health and safety; and meet your cultural and social needs.”
I also call bullshit. It’s not about care and support, staying connected, being independent. It’s about money.
If you ever want a read, Google the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. Read fun things like: “Discovering the extent of substandard care in any human service should be quite straightforward. In Australia’s aged care system, it is exceedingly difficult. Those who run the system do not seem to know about the nature and extent of substandard care, and have made limited attempts to find out. “
I just turned 60 and was OK with getting older and being more carefree. Not so sure now. Just sayin’…

Hi there, I’m Buffy, a young canine girl full of love and zest for life.
I am friendly to everyone I meet and am always ready for a game or two. I also love a good snuggle session.
I am just 10 months old, black and white, desexed and a large breed mix.
Microchip no. 956000018518757
Come and meet me at MAAWs in Castlemaine.
Ph: 5472 5277.

Alex Stoneman has a distinguished career with the Victorian Education Department and is a long-term and much respected tutor with Maryborough U3A.
He will speak about Geological Inspirations at Central Goldfields Art Gallery on Wednesday, July 23 from 10.30am to 11.30am
Accompanied by visual examples of art works, Alex Stoneman’s focus is on representations of Australian landscape paintings by John Glover, above, Eugene Von Guerard, William Tibbits, Arthur Streeton, Russell Drysdale and Fred Williams.
Reference is made to the critical writing of Bernard Smith, John Berger, Patrick McCaughey and Wally Canuana. The talk raises questions about hidden ideologies in visual images.
Cost: $5, U3A Maryborough members free. Bookings essential as places are limited. To book please call 5461 6600 or email cgsc.art@cgoldshire.vic.gov.au
Link: www.centralgoldfieldsartgallery.com.au

muesli aftermath

      pasty flaps of nothing much 
      smelling of hospital corridor
      feeling like damp scabs of skin
      pallid triticale flakes taste 
      like tastelessness
      mere base for fruity cousins

      glistening with soy milk
      they park on ceramic noiselessly
      as they settle in for dry adhesion

Bill likes his muesli of a morning, especially when augmented with banana, berries and yoghurt.

Local Lines features poetry by locals about local and any other matters.

I had a colonoscopy last week which turned into a double ender with an endoscopy suggested at the last minute.
To the chase, nothing is wrong, it was just a quick check, but when I met with the surgeon he had noticed something in a scan pertaining to my upper bowel, which again turned out to be nothing.
I have been waiting a long time for the check-up because I was told by a local doctor that it wasn’t necessary, the poo in the bag thing is sufficient. That was even when I explained I had one done in my mid-thirties and was meant to go back five years later and here I am at 57.
So, it was a doctor shop for me and I found a guy with the same view as me to get a referral for what is the gold standard in checking for bowel niggles.
A lot of folks know the pre-flight to a procedure like that, it requires plenty of dunny paper (thank God it wasn’t during the time of the Great Toilet Paper Wars in 2020), a quiet afternoon or for people like me, an early morning start.
At one stage I nearly moved the TV into the en suite, I was there that long, it felt like even my soul had departed. One particular incident involved hopping off the dunny only to make it to the door and then it was a quick reverse back.
Donna took the day off in sympathy as we made an hour and 40-minute movie stretch out for five hours due to my many intermission breaks.
Finally, I arrived at the hospital and dressed in my magic paper pants and robe I shuffled into the waiting room and made a friend out of a stranger after I asked him “how do I look?”
We then discussed our experiences of the pure hell we had both just faced, it was about that time my new brother in arms let me in on a little trick to use Vaseline. (Thanks, mate, where were you 24 hours ago?)
It is then I found myself toe-to-toe with the surgeon who wanted to do the endoscopy at the same time. I don’t know why I resisted at first, he’s the expert, but I didn’t put up too much of fight and drank the special liquid.
About five minutes later I was lying on the bed with my final words to the nurses to not forget to clean the camera and, unlike the old Covid swabs, start at the top and then work your way down. Surely that kept them laughing, the first time they have heard that joke.
Forward wind a few hours and I was talking to my quack and he informed me he had removed four polyps, which can be the pre-curser to bowel cancer, so I was right to chase the test. He also handed me some polaroids, proof that my bowel was not entirely clean. I told him I had done my best.
Finally I was home, feasting after the 40-hour fast. And feeling a few kilos lighter.
We are so lucky to live in a country that services its citizens so well in terms of health; imagine living in the no-medical safety net of America.
Big beautiful bill my arse rant over…

(Ed’s note: It’s like man-flu but man-colonoscopy. I didn’t really go out in sympathy it was just the furthest room from the toilet.)

Well, here I am penning another article for you, the reader, to enjoy…
This time I’ll be commenting on predicted climate change and what it means to those working in horticulture, landscaping, garden design and to the home gardener. The plants we’ll be looking at will be trees.
So let’s start with figures that were sourced from an app that was put together by various institutes including the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne and the Botanic Gardens Conservation International, supplying a wealth of information on trees that culminated in the climate assessment tool that I am using now.
The current mean annual temperature for Daylesford is 11.3 degrees Celsius, the projected mean for 2050 is 13.1 and for 2090 15.3 which amounts to an increase of an average 4.0 degrees over 65 years. It doesn’t sound a lot but these figures would make Daylesford’s future weather akin to a range of areas around the world including here in Australia from Parkes (New South Wales) to Toowoomba (Queensland), South-Central China and parts of Mexico. Scary hey, and by the way, Hepburn’s mean annual temperatures were consistently just 0.5 degrees warmer than Daylesford.
So how will this affect our choice of trees to plant? Well, for starters our range of trees available is dependent on current nursery stock and a lot of these trees have been tried and tested in the past and are now guaranteed best sellers.
At this point I think I’ll mention Climate Resilience which is to say that some trees will naturally adapt to increasing temperatures. This has already happened in the past with many species existing well outside their native climatic conditions – those that instantly spring to mind include many araucaria spp. such as A. bidwillii (bunya pine) from Queensland, A. cunninghamii (hoop pine) from New South Sales, Queensland and New Guinea, and A. heterophylla (Norfolk Island pine), magnolia grandiflora (southern magnolia) from the warmer parts of southern USA and sequoiadendron giganteum (giant redwood) from higher altitudes of the Sierra Nevada in California.
Of all those above only the giant redwood may struggle with forecast temperature increase. I am currently acting as a consultant to the Kyneton Botanic Gardens to research what tree species would be suitable for future plantings in the gardens and so I can tell you there are many fine trees that would make themselves at home here in Daylesford/Hepburn including eucalypts from southwestern WA, native rainforest species from around Toowoomba (figs and tulipwood – harpullia pendula), oaks and pines from Mexico, conifers and maples from South-Central China, drought and frost specimens from Capetown to Zimbabwe, camellia spp. from warmer parts of China to northern Vietnam and rhododendron ssp. from the Himalayas.
Of course it’s all very well to speak of such wondrous new trees from our own Aussie backyard and exotic parts of the world, but how will we source them? I guess it will come down to empowering the nursery trade to offer more of these suggested tree species for us to try in our gardens and so in the meantime consider choosing tree species that, as they mature, have a better chance of coping with warmer climes.
I thought to finish off I’d give you three climate-resilient tree species (see images) that I consider to be fine future additions to any landscape, garden design or the home garden: hymenosporum flavum (native frangipani) from far-eastern New South Wales into far-eastern Queensland and onto New Guinea, pinus patula (weeping Mexican pine) widespread throughout Mexico and Buckinghamia celsissima (ivory curl) from north-eastern Queensland.

Cheers John Beetham (Trees in Australia)
Scan the QR code to JB’s Instagram post
Next time: the wonderful world of bark, flowers & foliage…

As a parent in a tourist town, it’s terrific when an affordable restaurant with family-friendly food opens up, and Eureka Pizza & Bistro in Howe Street ticks all the boxes. In the short time since this Italian-themed eatery opened its doors, it’s already become a Daylesford favourite, much like its flagship Ballarat restaurant, which is still going strong after 53 years.
My plus one for the night was my teenage daughter. She loves Italian food and is great company. And the fact that she can take food photos like a pro is an added bonus. We were warmly greeted by Martha who settled us in with drinks. There’s a small but well thought out wine list, soft drinks, Italian aranciata and chinotto, milkshakes and hot beverages. On the job, I decided not to have wine so we both settled for sparkling natural lemon mineral water.
Bella ordered her favourite pizza, margherita. The small pizza ($18) was still a generous size and even with my help we needed a doggy box. You’d think with minimal toppings you can’t go wrong but as said teenager attests, it’s a delicate balance and her verdict was ‘they nailed it.’
Small pizzas range from $18-$22 while the large are priced from $24-$28. Gluten-free bases are available as is vegan cheese.
I’m someone who routinely suffers from food envy, when I eat out I always order something I wouldn’t usually make at home. This time I went for the chicken and avocado risotto ($27). The creamy textures and rich flavours were delicious, and the serving was so generous, even with help, I couldn’t get through it all. Another thing I love about going to a family friendly restaurant – good sized portions.
We shared a garden salad which for the price ($6) was amazing and again a great size. It was fresh and colourful and the perfect pairing with pizza and risotto.
Eureka offers more than 20 pizza options, a range of yummy starters including minestrone soup ($16) and arancini ($15), as well as an extensive pasta menu with prices starting at $25.
Mains options include seafood (calamari and prawn dishes), steak (T-bone and scotch fillet), and favourites including chicken parmigiana and veal scaloppine which are already becoming hits with the locals. There really are options to cater for everyone.
Throughout the night there was a steady stream of takeaway pick-ups and for a Wednesday night, the tables filled up very quickly. One table said it was their third time visiting and that Eureka has already become their favourite local.
As one of the owners, BJ, is quick to point out, creating an environment where people of all ages and tastes are catered for is an important motivator for the restaurant.
“We try to ensure there is something for everyone on the menu and believe creating a restaurant where people feel comfortable and welcomed is what drives us. We love sharing great food and already we have had incredible support from a generous community.”
BJ said Eureka is supporting the local footy club by sponsoring Best on Ground and looks forward to becoming part of the community and giving back.
We were too full for dessert but that’s for next time because the homemade tiramisu ($13) looked like something out of an Epicure magazine shoot.
And the pancake stacks are a must next time we go back – perfect for a weekend afternoon tea on a typical winter’s day in Daylesford.
Words: Narelle Groenhout | Images: Bella Groenhout