Journalist: Kevin Childs

Words in Winter founder
A certain neatness may be seen with the annual Words in Winter festival almost coinciding with its co-founder publishing a book.
David Hall’s Eastward is a work frozen in time. With two friends he travelled from London across Europe, Asia and the Pacific by car, train and boat.
As he writes, wars and social strife now make such a journey unthinkable.
Sixty-three years later David, now almost 95, recalls deciding to leave England and travel the world. Spotting an advertisement for a boat crew to Australia, he turned up to a meeting at a pub only to find most volunteers were about 40 years his senior.

Four wheels only
But he did meet a 29-year-old Australian and a 24-year-old Scot. Later, the Australian, John Koch, asked David if he would join him in a motorcycle trip across Asia. “I said, ‘No’,” writes David. “But if it was on four wheels, definitely, ‘Yes!'”
The Scot, Alec Moir, teamed up with them. They bought a second-hand Land Rover on which they painted “London to Singapore”.
David kept daily diary notes, which he regularly posted home, recording the warmth and hospitality they encountered, often from the poorest. From these came his book.
Camping mostly in paddocks or at the seaside, they initially covered about 8000km in six weeks, despite punctures, breakdowns and a busted drive shaft. Occasionally, one of them had to hitchhike to a town for a spare part.
David did much of the cooking, sometimes using Oxo cubes or rustling up a corned beef dish, while the other two proved experts at repairing the Land Rover.

Insects
An account of their trip would be incomplete, writes David, without mentioning insects. Flies, midges and mosquitoes tasted them. Beetles 2.5cm long, cuddly furry caterpillars, shy earwigs in the recesses of the men’s tent, spiders, moths which landed in food and drink. Grasshoppers sounded like a clock going too fast.
The cultures and religions of the world were there to see: the Acropolis and Delphi, with its ancient Oracle 400 metres up in “tremendous mountain scenery”. They saw the birthplace of Christianity and of Buddhism. They photographed Turkish caves where Christians sheltered in the 4th Century.
One revelation in Damascus was little kitchens outside in narrow alleys.

Ruins
Ruins of the grand, ancient ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire at Persepolis, contrasted with the many people living in mud huts, especially in now-closed Afghanistan..
Broken-down trucks littered the highways of Turkey, with one leaving its load of red and yellow paint splashed along the road.
A swim in the Dead Sea, “a slimy soup-like liquid”, made any attempt at swimming force David’s legs to rise, making him roll about.
A precursor of the horrors of the last few decades loomed in Arab-occupied Israel in the form of a desecrated Jewish cemetery.
Pictures of Iraq’s Prime Minister, General Qasim, seemed to be on every wall and window. He came to power when the monarchy was overthrown in 1958 but was pulled down and executed in 1963.

The police
One of the oddest moments came when David and his friends were questioned by police and soldiers for trying to photograph an attractive Iraqi mosque, which turned out to be part of the Ministry of Defence.
They were asked to leave Baghdad. Strange to think his travelling companion Alec Moir “over 30 years later would be travelling to Baghdad on a regular basis related to the design of many hospitals…”
Two Melbourne nurses driving home linked up with them in Iran. Later, a prosperous merchant wrote to the men asking their names. The nurses, however, were asked: “What is your price?”
Police insisted on accommodating them in one town, clearing out sleeping soldiers from a dormitory to provide beds for the night.
Afghanis revealed a great cannon proudly captured from the British in the 19th century. It boomed deafeningly at noon daily, so people knew the time.
David was making dinner when the three were surrounded by 20 armed men. The leader grabbed David’s jacket. By mime he explained that thieves were in the area, and they should pack and follow him. They slept in a village hut with 30 Afghani men, warmed by a big wood stove.

India
Their first day in India meant blinding light from an oncoming truck made them force a cart loaded with grain into a ditch. The nurses’ Morris van wrecked the Land Rover’s front wing. The cart driver seemed unworried, but the Morris had a buckled wing and bonnet and damaged radiator and needed towing.
The journey was slow and tedious, but once repairs were made, they reached the Ganges, where funeral pyres blazed by the water.
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru emerged from his Delhi residence to meet citizens. David and his friends were also able to greet him. He appeared tired and strained from the conflict with China.
At their next stop, Nepal, they sold their Land Rover to the government. It had done 24,000km. Next, they went their separate ways, reuniting 55 years later.
David went on to four Asian countries, before settling in Melbourne, then Daylesford. “The journey had a profound effect on me,” writes David, “I overcame my depression, I became more confident, able to face challenges effectively.”
Eastward is available from Daylesford’s Paradise Books and Daylesford Library.

There are some dishes thatseem to have been designedspecifically for the tail end ofwinter, when the days are getting
longer but the evenings still callfor something warm, generousand deeply comforting.This one takes its cue fromthe French bistro classic
Steak au Poivre – that gloriouscombination of cracked blackpepper, beautifully brownedmeat and a rich cream saucewhich gives it a decidedly Sundaynight-at-home treatment.
Chicken is browned until the skinis deeply golden before beingroasted in a sauce of crushedpeppercorns, shallot, garlic,white wine, Dijon, thyme andcream. As it cooks, the chicken
stays wonderfully succulentwhile all those lovely roastingjuices find their way into thesauce below. The result is rich
and luxurious without being particularly difficult to make,always a combination I am ratherfond of.
You can use a butterflied chickencut into portions, or make it withchicken Marylands for an eveneasier version. Either way, bringthe casserole straight to the tablewith buttery mashed potato,
something green and plenty of crusty bread – because leavingthat sauce behind would be aterrible waste.
Happy Cooking!
For the full recipe, use the QR
code or head to our website.

By Sarah Lang

Kevin Childs and Maia Irell have been added to the Words in Winter Roll of Honour for their work from 2016-2022.
Kevin Childs said he was “honoured and grateful” to join the Roll of Honour.

“Briefly, I fell into Words in Winter through being interested in helping out with publicity, since one of my earlier jobs had been as media officer for the solicitors’ organisation, the Law Institute of Victoria.
“So I went along to the home of the wonderful co-founder of Words in Winter. I signed up with that force of nature that is Maia and away we went. It was enormous fun and luckily my role grew in later festivals as I was able to rope in writers I know, interview some and have one of my books read.
“It’s hard to think of a greater pleasure than to be in a volunteer role and to watch Words in Winter evolve over those six years from 2016 and hear from wise, funny, eccentric and passionate people.
“Recently, at the funeral of a friend, Barry Dickins, playwright, novelist, satirist, columnist and artist, one speaker talked of how Barry took words and almost spellbindingly produced a thread. There are so many threads in Words in Winter and, when woven, they produce a rich and fabulous fabric.
“One example is that few people who were there would easily forget how Bruce Pascoe reacted when asked about the loss of the critical Yes referendum. He explained that when he returned to Country, going home to Mallacoota, driving in to see the grasses, the rare Mallacoota gums, the messmate, silvertop ash and the yellow stringybark among them, helped heal his pain.
“I want to finish by saying what a delight it is to see how Words in Winter has expanded. Most people know that Devonshire Tea consists of tea with a scone split in two, then covered with clotted cream and berries on top. Please excuse the mangling of that recipe, but in this shire, we have our Devon, and with Words in Winter she has done a monumental job in putting the cherries of excitement, with its variation, on top.”
Maia Irell said it had been an honour to serve the community and “to work with Kevin to bring humanistic conversations and concerns to light in a community forum even when there was only one person in attendance”.
“The highest compliment I received was just after Covid when an older woman approached me at an event at Radius and said “thank you for organising this festival, I have been so lonely, it’s so wonderful to be here”.
“Kevin is the GOAT, and many thanks to all the amazing people who made it happen over the years. It enriched my life and made me happy.”
Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Contributed

The Local’s journalist Kate Foulds tells the tale of a familiar kookaburra insignia and how a simple story passed down by her family unlocked a “momentous” event in Daylesford’s history.

A beautiful bronze kookaburra was a familiar fixture above the kitchen stove in our family home. I can’t remember the first time I asked Dad about the kookaburra. Perhaps he told me before I asked. But there comes a time when it feels right to share a story.
On Thursday August 20, 2026, that day arrived for my father.
Leading Daylesford Museum volunteer curator Gary Lawrence and I across paddocks the Rodda family farmed at Musk for generations, my father, Neil Rodda, reminisced about potato farming and pine tree planting before pulling up at an old fenceline.
“My father, Harold Rodda, used to tell a story about a plane he called The Kookaburra crashing in heavy fog on Wheelers Hill,” Neil said. “It was a biplane, a two-wing plane, struggling in the fog. It was foggy as foggy, the plane was coming in from the north, flying over the Rodda family farm on Wheelers Hill, when they got a bit of a break in the fog and the pilot tried to land but got his undercarriage or wheels caught in a fence. It somersaulted and flipped over…crashed in the paddock here.
“At the time, my father’s cousin, Bill Rodda, was working with his father in the shed cutting seed potatoes and they were only 100 metres away, right on the spot. We have aeroplanes fly over every day now but back then it was very rare to see an aeroplane and that would have got them going straight away and drawn them out of the shed. It was something out of the ordinary, like if a jet came flying over really low now, you’d go out and have a look.
“The authorities came up from Melbourne, the aviation people, and they dismantled the plane into smaller pieces. They employed my father, Harold Rodda, to help cart the plane pieces to Musk Railway Station and load it onto the railway truck to be taken back to Melbourne… my father told me he helped cart part of the wreckage down to the station on horse and dray and got paid to do that.
“He called the plane The Kookaburra and there was a bronze kookaburra emblem attached to the plane. Dad took that emblem and we’ve had it in our house ever since.”
Later, over a cuppa, Neil says it feels a little strange moving the bronze kookaburra from its central position above the kitchen stove. However, any uneasiness about his decision to donate the kookaburra insignia to Daylesford Museum dissipates when Gary passes him a photo of the Westland Wapita Biplane wreckage he had heard so much about but never seen.
Neil is thrilled to learn newspaper articles and a photograph published in the Daylesford Advocate on October 11, 1932 verify the essence of his father’s tale, while shedding light on facts surrounding the Kookaburra Training Squadron aircraft and the “airmen’s remarkable escape” from the wreckage site at “a fallowed paddock owned by Mr W. Rodda” in Musk Creek.
The article revealed “a chain of fencing was torn away” as “the machine rolled over across a ditch” before crashing through another fence and winding up “lodged upside down in the paddock”. It also detailed how Mr W. Rodda, his son and his sister, Miss Ada Rodda, aided the airmen they were “amazed” to see “crawl from beneath the upturned machine with only a few scratches”. The article described how the Rodda family “rendered every assistance and took the men to their home, washed their wounds and gave them refreshments”.
Research also confirmed Doctor Peter Harper treated the three men, who were on a cross-country cruise from the RAAF Laverton Base for “abrasions, cuts and shock” while “news of the crash spread quickly in Daylesford” with “a steady stream of cars on the Musk Road” alongside many walking and riding bicycles to view the wreckage.
An unexpected revelation was that Sergeant Langley, one of the three airmen aboard the aircraft, “a nephew of Mrs F. Bolton and Miss Langley of Glenlyon” had taken the chance to drop a message to his relatives a few minutes before the crash.
The newspaper excerpt Gary brought with him stating that a few minutes prior to the crash “the plane circled over Mrs Bolton’s residence, and Sergeant Langley dropped a message to his relatives”. I wonder what was in the letter that was delivered before the plane crashed into the “ploughed field in Musk”? While that question may never be answered, Gary said the kookaburra story demonstrated how a simple object could tell myriad stories.
“With something like the kookaburra you initially think, ‘how does that relate to anything?’ but it’s telling a story about something momentous that happened here. A plane crashing on a farm and how the farmers helped the airmen in that situation, the local photographer from Daylesford soon heard about it and raced out to take a photo of this event It’s a big story that can be told from something very small when you first see it, and not all that obvious.”
Gary said the kookaburra insignia was also a war story. “It’s a war story really, that’s why these airmen were up flying around doing training and they’ve flown past Glenlyon apparently because one of the airmen was related to someone down in the town, it’s got that lovely touch to it, so there’s a bit of family history related to that.

“It’s like rings of stories and there’s bound to be other people in the district that have this same sort of connection with something that happened in their family, every family was touched by the war, whether it’s World War II, Vietnam or Korea, it just goes on and on, so something very simple can lead to an endless number of stories.
“At our museum we’re connected into those rings that connect to the district and if you went to the Melbourne Museum they’re more concerned with the greater rings so it’s like each area looks after their particular part of that story, it’s like a Venn diagram, there’s the Daylesford connection, the Glenlyon connection, there’s the war story, there’s the airforce and they interact and cross over at different points.”
But Gary said stories could be easily lost if they’re not shared. “So often families will have things like this, someone’s elderly and passed on, and the family come back to clear up things and have forgotten about the story and look at something like the kookaburra and throw it out or take it to the op shop, then the story’s gone,” he said.
Gary said the kookaburra story demonstrated how some of the region’s most important stories are preserved and shared through seemingly unassuming items.
“A lot of people come to the museum and see something big and spectacular and think ‘oh, isn’t that beautiful’ but there may not be any story to it so what’s the point of it being there, when in fact someone might bring along a scrap of paper that’s got something very significant tied to a family story and that for a museum is far more valuable than that beautiful piece of furniture.”
Gary said he was excited to welcome the kookaburra into the Daylesford Museum collection, but families could also choose to share a photograph and accompanying story with the museum. “A photograph and story about the item is better than nothing, the highest priority is grabbing that story before there’s a disconnection, that’s the most important thing,” Gary said.
Meanwhile, Neil is looking forward to visiting the kookaburra once it’s settled into the museum. “It makes sense, as the museum will be there forever. The kookaburra will fascinate a lot of people and won’t be lost or buried.”

Castlemaine Art Museum is hosting an exhibition honouring the Guildford Biyal (Red gum) and works created from its timber.
Known locally as the Guildford Big Tree and recognised as the National Trust’s 2023 Victorian Tree of the Year, the Biyal is deeply significant to Dja Dja Wurrung People. It predates colonisation, and its grafted branch signifies it as a marker tree.
In February 2024, the Biyal dropped a significant limb. This was a pivotal event for Dja Dja Wurrung People and the broader community.
BIYAL, an initiative of DJAARA’s Guildford Biyal Project, is the culmination of a two-year journey to honour the fallen timber through the creation of art, artefacts and through storytelling.
Artists have been commissioned to produce artworks from the timber and inspired by the Biyal for the exhibition, which will also include non-commissioned pieces created by members of the community.
BIYAL intends to honour this ancient tree and its ability to bring connection and healing to Dja Dja Wurrung People, mob living on Djandak (Dja Dja Wurrung Country), and the broader community.
Dja Dja Wurrung Group CEO Cassandra Lewis said the exhibition reflected what happened when Traditional Owners were empowered to determine the way cultural resources were honoured and shared.
“Dja Dja Wurrung People have a cultural responsibility to honour the resources given by Djandak (Dja Dja Wurrung Country), and that responsibility has shaped every decision we have made about the timber given by the Biyal,” Ms Lewis said.
“We are proud of what has been created in good spirit, with respect to our ancestors and the significance they placed on this tree by turning it into a cultural marker.
“The tree has brought people together for hundreds of years, and BIYAL continues that legacy, so we are proud to share this work with the community.”
Dja Dja Wurrung woman Kerri Douglas, one of the first on the scene after the limb fell, and part of the Guildford Biyal Project team, said that despite the devastation of the moment, she knew the community would come together to honour a tree that holds something for everyone.
“To see that Djaara have shared this with other mob, and our friends and allies in the community has bought some great discussions about how we are connected and have much love for the Biyal,” Ms Douglas said.
“I look forward to seeing the magnificence of the artworks created, from the smallest daanak (coolamon) to the largest pieces – as each has a story of the Biyal.”
Castlemaine Art Museum CEO Leslie Gurusinghe said the museum was fortunate to work alongside DJAARA to host such a significant exhibition for the First Nations community on Dja Dja Wurrung Country.
“To stand as a meeting place, a place for reflection and a space for learning, these are all things that we value deeply and are at the core of our offering as a gallery,” Mr Gurusinghe said.
“So much time and energy has been poured into this work from all corners of the community – we hope that you will join us over the course of the exhibition and leave with a sense of the generosity that has been shared here in honour of this very special landmark tree.”
The exhibition is free and open until Sunday, November 29.
The Castlemaine Art Museum is at 14 Lyttleton St, Castlemaine.

Above: The Biyal’s grafted branch marking this as a special place for Dja Dja Wurrung People
Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Contributed

Victorians can prepare for next winter by collecting free firewood for personal use from state forest collection areas until November 30.
Forest and Fire Management Victoria Deputy Chief Fire Officer Michael Condon said there were 21 designated firewood collection areas in state forests in the Grampians region.
“Firewood for domestic use from state forests comes from naturally fallen trees and by-product from forest and fire management works. As a result, the amount that is available will vary.
“Collectors should prepare for less firewood to be available in the Midlands District – including the Wombat and Mount Cole state forests – due to the end of regional fire and storm recovery works as well as changes due to the creation of new national parks and conservation reserves.
“Free firewood collection from designated areas will remain during spring and autumn in the southern addition to Hepburn Regional Park, the addition to Bendigo Regional Park, and the new Barkstead, Blackwood, Fingerpost and Spargo Creek regional parks until July 1, 2029. Firewood collection will not be permitted in the new Mount Buangor, Pyrenees and Wombat-Lerderderg national parks or new Cobaw and Hepburn conservation parks.”
Mr Condon said three firewood collection sites would be available in October for those who previously accessed firewood collection areas in the Wombat State Forest.
“For people who previously collected firewood from collection areas in the Mt Cole State Forest, two firewood collection sites will be available.”
Mr Condon said people who relied on firewood for heating and cooking should plan early and organise their collection with maps available at www.ffm.vic.gov.au/firewood
Financial assistance is available for people on low incomes who buy firewood: www.ffm.vic.gov.au/firewood/energy-concession-and-support
“People can collect up to two cubic metres per person per day with a maximum of 16 cubic metres per household per financial year as long as they collect from designated firewood collection areas during a firewood season.”
Mr Condon said it was illegal to collect wood outside designated areas or to chop down or damage any dead or standing trees. It’s also an offence to take vehicles off formed roads to collect or load.
Words: Kyle Barnes

The great political guard dog – DEECA.
I have just read your “Just Sayin’…” edition 365 re – Pick me, pick me!. I’m surprised — though perhaps I shouldn’t be, given the mention of the word government — that the letter from Pet Exchange Register didn’t include a simple thank you for your efforts in advertising animals in need.

One would expect a bit more empathy from an organisation that aims to rehome these animals. Instead of just requesting additional details, a heartfelt acknowledgment of your work would have been greatly appreciated.

Keep up the fantastic work, Donna and Kyle!
Who needs government approval anyway?
– Leonie K, Daylesford

The Trentham Lions will host “RU OK Trentham? Finding your way through…” on Thursday, September 10 from 6.30pm – 8.30pm at the Trentham Mechanics Hall.
This is a community event to promote mental health awareness in Trentham. Speakers are Tim Peck and Caroline Worth. Have a chat on ways to get through the difficult times.

Free admission but tickets through www.events.humanitix.com

Hepburn Shire Council will replace the eight trees that form the Avenue of Honour at Ullina, in the shire’s west, this spring.
The trees are suffering from significant stress due to their inability to thrive in the drying environment. Independent assessments undertaken by arborists recommend replacing the trees with more robust and resilient English elms. Name plaques have been removed and will be stored and reinstalled upon completion of the plantings.

Hepburn Shire Council will be hosting a variety of local events during the Victorian Seniors Festival, which runs from October 1-31 every year. The 2026 theme is ‘Connect, Create, Celebrate’.
Mayor, Cr Tony Clark, is encouraging residents to come along to these free opportunities, which include cinema and music.
“I strongly encourage our over-55s to pick up a guide to the festival and lock in some dates. We are excited to be screening two free films at the Phoenix Cinema in Daylesford, with afternoon tea provided, and hosting a concert at the John Curtin Aged Care in Creswick.”
The festival guide will became available on September 1 and can be collected from Coles supermarkets or our local libraries.
There will be statewide celebrations for the whole of October.
“Reuben Morgan, playing at the John Curtin Aged Care, is an acclaimed artistic director, conductor and composer and we are fortunate to have an artist of this calibre perform for us. I hope as many people as possible can take advantage of these free events.”
Registration is via the QR code found on the program, or via Eventbrite.
The morning matinee films to be shown in Daylesford are Up on October 5, and Song Sung Blue on October 19.
Tickets are free for seniors, but are limited.
Link: www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/Residents/People/Positive-ageing/Positive-Ageing-events

Creswick Licensed Post Office has been shortlisted as a finalist for Australia Post’s Our AP Way Licensed Post Office of the Year award.
The two other finalists are Lyndoch Post Office (South Australia)and Berrima Post Office (New South Wales). The awards will be announced this month.

Live4Life has received the 2026 Mental Health Program Excellence Award at the prestigious Mental Health Services Awards.
The national recognition highlights the program’s outstanding contribution to youth mental health and wellbeing across Australia and New Zealand.

Central Highlands Rural Health is a local partner in delivering Live4Life at Daylesford College, supporting young people to build mental health awareness, resilience and peer support skills.

Hepburn Shire Council’s Quick Response grants are designed to support community groups who may have experienced an unforeseen disruption or urgent issue, or to facilitate smaller projects that are significantly less costly than the amount specified in other grants schemes. The Local Community Events grants support community-based events and initiatives that engage local audiences and promote the culturally and artistically vibrant communities of Hepburn Shire. Funding up to $2500 is available. Link: www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/grants

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is advising residents to be vigilant to help protect the shire from H5N1 avian influenza (bird flu). Recently, a case of bird flu was detected in a greater crested tern in Kyneton.
Agriculture Victoria advises the risk to human health remains low. Human infections are rare and the virus is not known to spread easily between people. Residents who find a dead bird on their own property should report it through DEECA or by calling the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

Calling all BaTT Girls. Daisy and Debbie from Table Tennis Victoria invite everyeone to join them for a free fun and social morning at the Daylesford Table Tennis Centre.
Whether you’re picking up a bat for the first time or returning to table tennis, the morning is designed for women and girls of all ages and abilities and provide: coaching and tips; social play and doubles; fun activities and team challenges; light refreshments; all equipment provided; and best of all is fun and free. Head to the Daylesford Table Tennis Centre at Victoria Park on Thursday, September 17 from 10am to noon. Details: Daisy on 0418 377 205.