Aboriginal children and young people will have a new advocate in the Commission for Children and Young People.

Minister Lizzie Blandthorn has announced that Dharug man Dallas Widdicombe has been appointed as Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People.

Mr Widdicombe brings expertise in child and family welfare and executive leadership experience at national, state and local levels.

As Chief Executive of the Bendigo and District Aboriginal Co-operative, he has driven new approaches in child and family welfare.

This includes the Aboriginal Children in Aboriginal Care program, improving outcomes for children and families.

In 2024 he was recognised with the Walda Blow Victorian Protecting Children Award.

This award was for his work establishing the Garinga Bupup Early Intervention Program for expectant mothers which resulted in a 63 per cent diversion rate from child protection.

Mr Widdicombe has served as Director of the National and Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and Bendigo Health.

He has also been a board member of the Victorian Aboriginal Children and Young People’s Alliance, and Chair of the Loddon Mallee Aboriginal Reference Group.

He holds a Bachelor of Social Work and Advanced Diploma of Business (Governance).

Mr Widdicombe has been appointed for a five-year term and begins on Monday, 15 June 2026.

Minister Blandthorn said Mr Widdicombe was ideally placed to serve as Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People.

“He brings a strong executive leadership record and focus on improving outcomes for Aboriginal children and families.”

Bees contribute an estimated $4.2 billion to Australian agriculture each year, yet the array of pollinators underpinning that system face threats on multiple fronts, including climate change, habitat loss, agricultural chemical use and the ongoing spread of pests and diseases.

Varroa mite, one of the world’s most destructive honey bee pests, has spread across the continent since its detection at the Port of Newcastle. Cost of managing the pest is expected to reach $70 million per year.
World Bee Day is approaching on Wednesday 20 May, and Chair of the World Bee Day Australia Steering Committee and Head Beekeeper for the Australian Parliament, Cormac Farrell, said World Bee Day highlighted a connection between bees and humans most Australians had never considered.
“Bees go far beyond honey production – they play a vital role in securing our food systems, supporting pollination services and maintaining the ecosystems that all life depends on,” Mr Farrell said.
“World Bee Day helps show just how much of the natural world relies on pollinators, and it provides a clear call to action: grow more flowers, restore habitat and reduce pesticide use in home gardens.
“It encourages people to act locally while thinking globally.”
Environmental educator and science communicator Clancy Lester, known to his 55,000 followers as The Bee Man, said young Australians had a particular stake in the future of bees.
“My generation has grown up knowing that the natural world is under threat, but bees are one of those issues where you can actually do something about it,” Mr Lester said. “The best time to act to protect our environment was 50 years ago. The second-best time is right now.
“Australia is home to more than 2,000 species of native bees that have been pollinating this continent for millions of years, and yet most Australians have never heard of them.
“Bees are under serious pressure, and World Bee Day is a chance to understand the full picture and act on it. Every bee-friendly native garden planted, every jar of pure local Australian honey bought, every conversation started – it adds up.”
World Bee Day is now observed in more than 100 countries and recognised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. It is marked on 20 May across Australia with events registered through World Bee Day secretariat, the Wheen Bee Foundation.
Wheen Bee Foundation CEO Fiona Chambers said this year’s event had never been more important.
“Bees are fundamental to food security, biodiversity and ecosystem health, and they need our support,” Ms Chambers said.
“The pressures on bees are real, they are compounding, and they are not widely understood by the general public. World Bee Day exists to close that gap and bring bees into the national conversation.”
One of the easiest ways to take part is the Great Bee Morning Tea, which encourages businesses, schools and community groups to come together over foods made with pure Australian honey, raising awareness and directly supporting Australian beekeepers.
“Buying pure Australian honey and hosting a morning tea is a simple, direct act of support for beekeepers who are under unprecedented pressure,” Ms Chambers said. “That’s what World Bee Day is for: turning care into action.”
To register a World Bee Day event for free visit worldbeeday.org.au. For tangible ways to help bees this World Bee Day, visit worldbeeday.org.au/get-involved.
About the Wheen Bee Foundation
The Wheen Bee Foundation is an Australian not-for-profit charity whose mission is to fund vital strategic research, education and conservation initiatives that strengthen bees, improve pollination efficiency and increase food security and ecosystem health. It leads World Bee Day in Australia and runs the Great Bee Morning Tea, alongside year-round advocacy, education and research initiatives.

The federal government is continuing to deliver for regional communities, with more than $23 million committed to four Victorian projects under the latest round of the $400 million regional Precincts and Partnerships Program.

The funding will support projects across regional, rural and remote Australia, driving local jobs, economic growth and more resilient regional communities.

This includes $607,000 to support the Ballarat Trades Hall to become a more inclusive, accessible and sustainable venue.

The Hall’s current infrastructure needs, and lack of disability access are a challenge to the many community groups and organisations who utilise this historic space.

They also limit the potential for the Hall to host art and music events, stifling the venue’s future financial sustainability.

Founded in 1883, Ballarat’s Trades Hall is the second oldest purpose-built trades and labour building in the world.

Following the Eureka Stockade and the formation of the Ballarat Eight Hour Committee, funds were raised to construct the iconic building in its central location in Camp Street.

The Hall’s door is always open for workers seeking support or tourists seeking to experience Ballarat’s rich history.

This funding is part of more than $23 million invested in this round of the program across four projects in regional, rural and remote Victoria.

Further announcements will be made in due course about projects to be funded in this round across the rest of Australia.

For more information and a full list of funded projects in Victoria, visit infrastructure.gov.au/regional.

Further applications to the program are currently under assessment.

Member for Ballarat Catherine King said the regional Precincts and Partnerships Program was all about delivering meaningful projects in regional Australian that served communities and supporedt local economies.

“Ballarat’s iconic Trades Hall is a true community asset. It’s used by a multitude of organisations from Saines Lucas Lawyers and the many unions who call the Hall home, to the yoga, health and dance groups who use the space weekly.

“It’s also an integral part of Ballarat’s history, so it’s important not only that the Hall is maintained, but that the people who work here can do so in a safe and appropriate environment.”

Child and Family Services Ballarat (Cafs) is celebrating National Families Week 2026 (11–17 May) by shining a light on the many different ways families live, grow and care for one another across the Central Highlands region.

This year’s national theme, “Every family, everywhere”, recognises the rich diversity of families in Australia and the importance of ensuring all families feel supported, valued and included. As Cafs marks 160 years of service to the community this year, the theme strongly reflects its long‑standing commitment to walking alongside families in all their forms, at every stage of life.

This commitment is further strengthened through initiatives funded by Respect Victoria as part of the Respect Ballarat initiative, a community-wide approach focused on early intervention and the prevention of gendered violence. Through this funding, Cafs will deliver Primary Connections: Respectful and Safe Relationships in Middle Childhood, and For Baby’s Sake, supporting children, parents and caregivers at critical points in their lives.

Primary Connections will work with children aged 8–12 and their caregivers to build respectful, safe and healthy relationships, while For Baby’s Sake, delivered for the first time outside the UK, will implement a specialist, evidence-based, trauma-informed two-generation model, providing intensive therapeutic support to both parents from pregnancy through the first two years to address trauma, reduce the risk of family violence, and strengthen safe, nurturing parent–infant relationships.”

“For us, Families Week is about recognising that there is no single definition of family,” said Cafs CEO Wendy Sturgess.

“Families can look very different, by culture, structure, experience or circumstance, but every family deserves access to care, connection and practical support when they need it.”

First Nations trailblazers have been recognised for their contributions at the Aboriginal Honour Roll Ceremony.

Minister Ros Spence inducted 10 new artists, advocates and activists onto the 14th Honour Roll.

They join 158 First Nations Victorians recognised for achievements across arts, education, health, sport and community leadership.

The 2026 inductees are:

• Uncle Henry Atkinson, a retired professor, educator and author, and leader protecting First Nations culture.
• Aunty Margaret Rose Atkinson for decades of service at the Aborigines Advancement League and Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency.
• Kylie Anne Belling, first Aboriginal graduate VCA graduate, founding ILBIJERRI company member and actor in The Sapphires, The Flying Doctors, Prisoner and Redfern Now.
• Dr Destiny Deacon Hon FRPS (posthumous), a globally recognised artist, activist, educator, and LGBTIQA+ trailblazer.
• Aunty Jemmes Handy PSM, for a lifetime of service across youth programs, community organisations, and justice advisory groups.
• Aunty Helen Morgan, who served for decades in Aboriginal health and community in the Bairnsdale region.
• Uncle Joel Wright, inaugural producer for ABC’s Speaking Out, and advocate for justice, culture and language.
• Aunty Annette Xiberras, archaeologist, unionist, proud gay woman and one of Victoria’s first Cultural Heritage Officers.
• Felicia Dean, CEO of Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative with more than 25 years’ service to her community.
• Aunty Daphne Yarram, advocate for women’s voices in First Nations policy, and driving force behind Yoowinna Wurnalung Healing Service.

The full list of inductees is available at firstpeoplesrelations.vic.gov.au/aboriginal-honour-roll-inductees.

Minister Spence said the Aboriginal Honour Roll was a list of legends who have shaped their communities and Victoria for the better.

“These trailblazers are prime examples of how First Nations excellence and advocacy make our state stronger.”

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) is urging the Federal Government to use the upcoming Budget to directly address Australia’s severe shortage of skilled tradespeople and apprentices, warning that housing supply targets will not be met without decisive action.

“Australia simply cannot meet its housing needs without a significantly larger and more sustainable construction workforce,” said HIA Chief Executive Industry & Policy, Simon Croft.

“Workforce shortages are now one of the biggest constraints on home building, renovations and the delivery of housing across the country.

“Speak to any builder anywhere in Australia and they will tell you the same thing – the single biggest challenge to delivering more homes is access to skilled workers and apprentices.

“HIA’s Federal Budget submission highlights that demand for skilled trades has consistently outstripped supply, with acute shortages in carpentry, bricklaying, plumbing, electrical trades and other critical residential construction occupations.

“At the same time governments are seeking to dramatically increase housing supply, the industry is grappling with an ageing workforce, falling apprentice commencements and growing competition for skilled labour across multiple sectors.

HIA is calling on the Government to prioritise practical, targeted measures in the Budget to rebuild the residential construction workforce, including:

• Boosting apprentice commencements and completions through stronger employer incentives, improved wage support and reduced regulatory complexity for small and medium businesses,
• Expanding and fast‑tracking skilled migration pathways for residential construction trades, with occupations lists, visa processing and qualification recognition aligned to industry needs,
• Increasing investment in vocational education and training, including industry‑led job‑ready training and ‘try‑a‑trade’ pre‑apprenticeship programs, and
• Reducing the cost and risk of employing apprentices, particularly for small builders and tradies who train the majority of apprentices but face rising cost pressures.

“Around 90 per cent of residential builders are small businesses. If we want more apprentices, we must better support the employers who take them on and reduce the financial burden and red tape associated with training.

“HIA is also calling for a coordinated, long‑term workforce strategy that aligns housing policy, infrastructure investment, migration settings and training systems.

“Stop‑start policies and short‑term funding announcements do not build a workforce. A credible housing supply strategy requires a sustained commitment to growing skilled trades over the next decade and beyond.

“The upcoming Federal Budget will be a critical test of the Government’s commitment to boosting housing supply and the Budget must deliver real, practical solutions that get more apprentices on site, attract skilled workers to Australia and back in the employers to take on more workers” concluded Mr Croft.

Private Healthcare Australia (PHA) has warned the Federal Government’s proposed changes to the private health insurance rebate for older Australians could threaten the viability of dozens of private hospitals that regional communities rely on for essential healthcare.

PHA said many private hospitals serving large populations of older Australians are at risk of a significant reduction in patient activity if thousands of seniors are forced to drop or downgrade their health insurance because of steep premium increases expected next year.

Under the Government’s proposed changes, many Australians aged over 65 on low and fixed incomes will receive a reduced private health insurance rebate, increasing the amount they pay out-of-pocket for cover. More than 3 million people will be affected by the change including more than 400,000 pensioners with health insurance.

Australians aged 70 and above with Gold hospital cover could see premiums surge 21 per cent from next April. This translates to an annual premium increase of about $807 for an individual and $1614 for a couple.

“Regional communities will be among the hardest hit if these changes proceed,” Dr David said.

“In many country towns and regional centres, the local private hospital is not a luxury – it is an essential part of the health system.

“If activity drops significantly because older Australians can no longer afford their cover, some private hospitals will struggle to remain viable. That would mean fewer local healthcare options and more pressure on already stretched public hospitals.”

PHA said the Government has forecast around 44,000 older Australians will leave private health insurance as a result of the rebate changes, but the assumptions underpinning that figure have not been made public.

Health funds are deeply concerned about the potentially much larger number of older Australians expected to downgrade their policies to cheaper products with fewer services covered.

“That could mean many older Australians losing cover for procedures such as joint replacements or mental health treatment, which are included in Gold policies,” Dr David said.

“Patients who can no longer access treatment through the private system may instead end up joining public hospital waiting lists, creating additional strain on regional public hospitals already under pressure.”

PHA has identified regional private hospitals where more than 70 per cent of privately insured patients are aged over 65, making them particularly vulnerable to changes in older Australians’ insurance participation.

Hospitals of concern include:

• In Queensland: Eden Private Hospital, Nambour Selangor Private Hospital, St Stephen’s Hospital, Hervey Bay Surgical Hospital and Noosa Hospital.
• In New South Wales: Forster Private Hospital, Border Cancer Hospital, Mayo Private Hospital, Toronto Private Hospital, St Vincent’s Private Hospital Lismore, Figtree Private Hospital, Berkeley Vale Private Hospital, Nowra Private Hospital, Port Macquarie Private Hospital and Shellharbour Private Hospital.
• In Victoria: Beleura Private Hospital, Maryvale Private Hospital and Mildura Health Private Hospital.

Dr David said there is also concern about services in Tasmania because it has an older population than the rest of Australia. She said the consequences for regional communities could be severe if local private hospital services were reduced.

“In some areas, losing local private hospital capacity could force patients to travel many hours for surgery, rehabilitation or specialist treatment,” she said.

“These hospitals support local jobs, local specialists and local healthcare services. Once services are lost in regional Australia, they can be very difficult to restore.

“We are urging the Government to carefully consider the unintended consequences of these changes before the Budget is handed down.”

Submit your expressions of interest to exhibit artwork in the Phee Broadway Theatre Foyer from July 2026 through to June 2027. Local artists, group shows and community organisations all welcome.

This program is designed to build artists skills in developing exhibitions. It provides opportunities for locally connected emerging artists, curators and artist groups to display a small art exhibition in a prominent venue without paying hire fees, and with access to support and advice from Council officers.

We welcome applications from exhibitors who can demonstrate a committed arts practice, and who seek to explore a concept that is relevant to the community. The Phee Broadway Theatre Foyer is only suited to two-dimensional work.

Expressions of interest close on Monday 25 May 2026, with the first exhibition to open in July.

This was an interesting edition to write. Lots of stories – somehow seemed to be a bit Daylesford-centric but sometimes it’s just how the edition turns out.
I used to be the editor of a newspaper that covered Sandringham and Brighton. I regularly had people getting in touch to say it was “all about Sandringham” and at the same time others said it was “all about Brighton”.
I actually added up the yarns and it was 50/50. With a story about Hampton thrown in for good measure. Sometimes you can’t win.

Anyway, I had a good chat with Robert Burrowes about the war service of his uncles and his father, and his mother for that matter. It is a sad story but one I think that was good to tell. Although they have all now gone I did ask him to pass on my gratitude for their service to Australia, and its people.

Anzac Day has come and gone but there is a new WWI memorial in Daylesford now. It has been a long time coming and only happened thanks to many people. Huge congratulations to all involved. Too many to mention but you know who you are.

It’s great to see Anzac Day return to being a big event. A few years back it looked a bit doubtful but it has truly been embraced by a younger population – which is great. Kyle and I always attend a Dawn Service – our first was when we met on Hamilton Island. We walked up the hill together, hand-in-hand, only to find out we were an hour too late – 5am start in Queensland. Oh well.
And then we have the education feature. Thanks to all the schools who got involved with this one – school is so different from my past. Thank God.
I remember my mum teaching me how to write my name in cursive before I got to prep and when I showed off my skill my teacher told me “we don’t do that yet”.
Another teacher asked my grade 1 class “who would run with these scissors to take them to the next door class?”. I shot up my hand – and was told off because I was prepared to run with scissors. Talk about a setup.
Mostly I liked my time in the library, both in primary school and high school, reading books and writing to my favourite authors. I got a letter back from Ivan Southall once which was a thrill. I read later he replied to every letter he was sent. That is commitment.
I also joined the religious education lunchtime group during high school. That was because it was held inside and meant we could avoid the freezing winter. The same for the Scrabble Club – although I was pretty good with words.
Mind you, when I headed to England for a year in my 20s I spent some time doing a job called granny bashing. It was nothing like that, you were just a companion for an older person or couple for a few weeks. It was a good gig. Board and food, a wage, and generally a very nice house. And no personal care.
But one woman I stayed with loved Scrabble and I had to play every night for four weeks. And she always won. One of those people who had a Scrabble dictionary by her side. I have not played since.

Finally I had a media release from the council with Mayor Cr Tony Clark thanking the “Albanese Government” for money to close off Albert Street. You don’t usually get official releases using Albanese instead of federal. Although Cr Clark is an ALP member. In reply to a query he said it might be protocol for federal funding – I don’t think so – or maybe just lifted from Ballarat MP Catherine King’s media release. Hmmm. Not sure about that one. Just sayin’..

Hi there, I am Summer. I am full of playful energy and thrive on interaction, whether it’s chasing toys, exploring the yard, or simply being close to my people. I am very friendly and outgoing, and love being part of the action. I have a social nature which makes me a wonderful companion for a household that can give me plenty of attention and engagement.

I am only young so need ongoing training to help me become a well-mannered adult. Microchip: 956000018388697 Come and meet me at MAAWs in Castlemaine.
5472 5277 | shelter@maaw.org.au

haiku

crabwalking
with heads cocked
bookshop browsers

pre-winter
arm(y) attack
flu shot

a cockatoo cry
unzipping the sky
what will fall out

first cake cut
on his birthday face
a cracked smile

on the stack
the click of bricks
unbuilding

– Bill Wootton

In between cleaning bricks, getting jabbed, writing haiku, Bill has been strolling the streets of Hepburn Springs.

Local Lines features poetry by locals about local and any other matters.
Please submit poems to Bill Wootton at cottlesbreedge@gmail.com

Sarah Gray is the next author for Paradise Bookshop’s Community Book Launch series with her book, It’s Not You, It’s Perimenopause. The event is on Thursday, May 21 from 5pm to 6pm at the Daylesford book store. Sarah chatted to Donna Kelly.

Donna: How did you get into this area?
Sarah: I am a pharmacist and nutritionist, and also a certified menopause practitioner. I moved to Daylesford in September last year, but before that we were in inner Melbourne and I’ve had an online clinic for women for nearly 10 years. And just naturally women with perimenopause and menopause have been sent to me by local practitioners mainly because they’re a similar age to myself, I think. You sort of tend to attract people that are like you.

Donna: Why the book?
Sarah: I’ve developed a bit of a system that really helped hundreds of women get through this; really understanding that as well. The full holistic view. And through that, all my patients were saying, I was always booked out and how could I get that information to more people? That’s where the idea of the book came about so I could really clear up some of that confusion on social media and everywhere these days with some science-based info that women could actually trust.

Donna: How did you choose this particular field?
Sarah: It found its way to me. I was a practicing pharmacist in pharmacies and then I studied nutrition when I developed my own personal food intolerances. I started the clinic mainly because it can be hard when you’re first starting out as a nutritionist. And then a local gym near where I used to live was sending all these clients to me. I just noticed it’s all women aged between 35 and 55. They all want to lose weight – it’s all midlife weight gain. And they had similar symptoms – brain fog, no energy, night sweats…I thought it has to be menopause transition.

Donna: What was the next step?
Sarah: I studied that more because I felt like I couldn’t help them as much as I wanted to. And then I worked out that there was this cluster of hormonal symptoms. And the more I’d tell people I did the work, the more doctors would refer and more people that would come to me for help. I think as an individual, you can help only so many people. But then with a book, you can help so many more with an affordable resource. I really wanted to be able to do that. It gives you something to use or to lean on while you’re waiting to get in with somebody as well. And if you scroll social media, you’ll always see misinformation. It gives you a source of truth. There are also a lot of women spending money they don’t need to on services and online programs – they’re calling it meno-washing, a real money grabber.

Donna: Do men understand menopause now?
Sarah. No. Women don’t even really yet. But you know what? Men are so receptive to the book. I think there’s a lot of men who don’t know what to do when their partner is going through or a loved one is going through this. And a lot of them buy the book just to learn more about it. Some brave men buy it as a gift. A lot of workplaces are interested in it at the moment too because women often drop out of the workforce at this time, with the sandwich generation as well. It’s a difficult time.

Donna: You must enjoy your work.
Sarah: I do, it’s really good. It can be frustrating because there’s lots of shortages and it’s hard to get access to care. But then when you really help somebody and they send you a note saying they feel better, it’s fantastic.

Donna: Why the move to the Central Highlands?
Sarah: We lived on a very busy main road in inner Melbourne near Yarraville. And we were living in pollution and diesel and were seeking a bit of a change. We’ve always loved this region and it’s also it’s more tied to my love for nutrition and health and I wanted to grow all my own veggies, have my own bees, which I’ll eventually get and have lambs and have chickens and do whatever I can. We want to build a life here, a fuller life, healthier living, nice community. It ticked all the boxes for us.

Donna: What can we expect for the launch?
Sarah: I’m going to be there for signing books and Devon (Paradise Book owner) is going to do a little interview. And I’m going to have some healthy treats from the book that I’m going to bake up. And then I haven’t told Devon this but I’m going to do a bit of a door prize as well.
Link: www.thenutritionpharmacist.com

Johann (John) Konrad Vorbach was born on November 28, 1826 in Nieder-Wiesel, Germany, the illegitimate child of Katharina Lander.

The father was Wilhelm Vorbach from Holzhausen, Germany. Wilhelm was present at the baptism of his child and gave the boy his family name. Katharina later married Nikolaus Winter.
John moved to England in 1842 to begin a new chapter of his life. Being an illegitimate child in those times would have been difficult and getting a fresh start may have been the reason for leaving his homeland.
He met a German immigrant Elisabetha Margaretha Schild, above, and they married on October 24, 1845 at St Michael’s Church in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire. Johann’s occupation on the marriage certificate was a farmer.
Gold fever had hit Australia and Johann wanted to try his luck. On February 26, 1857, the family left Liverpool on board the Pomona heading to the goldfields in Ballarat.
The ship reached Australia on May 30, 1857 and the family made their way to Ballarat. Later the Vorbachs moved to Smythesdale where other German immigrants were gathered, continuing mining for the next four years.
In 1865, John was the manager of the Derby Gold Mine at Hepburn and he was also a farmer and dairyman at Italian Hill, Daylesford. He then bought land at Bullarto and opened the eventually well-known Vorbach’s Hotel and Store.
John was the publican of Vorbach’s Railway Hotel in 1880. He was also contracted to provide prisoner rations to lock-ups during his time at the hotel.
The Argus newspaper dated February 22, 1886 talks of a disastrous house fire: “Early yesterday morning a fire occurred in Bullarto, by which Vorbach’s homestead, consisting of nine rooms and an outhouse, with the contents, was completely destroyed. Vorbach was awakened by a crackling noise, and found the kitchen in flames, and the whole of the building was speedily destroyed before assistance could be rendered.”
John was not insured but he rebuilt and continued on in his endeavours as a hotel owner. At this time, hotels numbered four or five in the Bullarto area and business must have been worthwhile for him to start again.
Having a general store would have helped trade. He was also farming at this time too. Life would have seemed pretty good.
Tragedy ensued when his wife Elisabetha secured a passage on the maiden voyage of the ill-fated Wairarapa to Auckland. It left Sydney on October 24, 1894 and just after midnight on October 29, 1894, the ship hit the steep cliffs near Miners Head on the northern tip of Great Barrier Island, off the coast of Auckland and was wrecked.
Sadly, Elisabetha drowned, with her body located sometime later in a shallow grave and returned to Victoria to be buried at the Daylesford Cemetery.
Vorbach’s Railway Hotel changed hands after the tragedy and John retired and remained living in the area. In early 1901, John was diagnosed with cancer of the liver, and he died on August 6, 1901 at Musk, aged 74. He is buried in the Daylesford Cemetery, alongside his wife.

Images: Daylesford Historical Society

Sometime this year, a memorial service for Thomas Burrowes will be held, 83 years after his death. Tom was a wireless operator and air gunner on the Beaufort Bomber A9-211, when it was hit during a bombing mission to Rabaul during World War II on December 14, 1943. It was his first, and only, mission. Tom was 20. Of 10 aircraft to fly out on that mission, only one went down. Among those attending the service will be Daylesford couple Robert Burrowes and Anita McKone – and many other family members. Robert is Tom’s nephew, pictured. Sadly, his father, and Tom’s twin, Jim, died in July, 2024 at the age of 101, always wondering what happened to his brother. Worse, Tom was not the only member of the family to die during the war. Robert takes up the story with Donna Kelly.

“My father was born in 1923, he was a twin, and he grew up through the Depression, a pretty tough time as you can imagine, like it was for everyone in that era.
But then of course war broke out in Europe in 1939 and came to Australia in January 1942, a few weeks after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
Some months previously, Dad’s older brother volunteered, his name was Bob, and he’s the uncle I’m named after. Bob ended up in the 34th Fortress Engineers, deployed to Rabaul as part of Lark Force to put guns up at Praed Point to defend the entrance to Rabaul Harbour, or Simpson Harbour as it’s called in Rabaul.
Dad’s twin brother, Tom, had been an RAAF cadet from the age of about 16 so once the war started in the Pacific, he joined up but couldn’t become a pilot because he had rheumatic fever as a kid, but he was happy to be a wireless air gunner.
Not long after that, Dad had been looking after his mum and the family but he joined as well He said you went down to the barracks and they said if you’re a schoolteacher, an office worker…put up your hand. A few of them put their hands up, and the rest were infantry.
Dad ended up learning wireless and became a coastwatcher. So you’ve got these three brothers, and they’re all sent up to PNG rather than Europe, because at that stage the Japanese were working their way down the islands, the Philippines and Singapore.
Bob, the older brother, was in Rabaul on the morning the Japanese invaded, which was overnight on January 21, 1942.
Unfortunately, the commanding officer had given the order to make your own way, every man for himself type of thing, which wasn’t very good because there wasn’t any planning at all for the contingency.
It was an overwhelming Japanese force, and they came into Rabaul Harbour, and Bob, pictured below, was captured at Kokopo just out of Rabaul. He was imprisoned at the Malaguna Road Camp in Rabaul for about five months before being put on the Montevideo Maru, which was a Japanese POW ship that had come in to take prisoners back to Japan.

That ship was sunk. The Americans didn’t know it was a POW ship, and they torpedoed it, 1053 POWs and civilians were lost. It’s always been Australia’s greatest maritime tragedy, and it was a friendly fire, as they call it.
For three years the family wondered what had happened to Bob because there was nothing definite. It was not until after the war they found out.
Then on April 18, 2023, a search party combed the South China Sea out of Luzon and finally found the wreck in 4000 metres of water. All those men were in their graves at the bottom of the sea.
Dad’s twin brother Tom was doing his Air Force training and ended up being deployed to Goodenough Island, which is just off the south coast of PNG.
He was deployed for his very first mission on December 14, 1943, and the family’s got a coded letter he wrote that day, saying he was finally going on a flight. One got shot down of the 10 planes, it was the one my uncle was on.
The family was advised he was missing in action.
Dad had been deployed various places but ended up in the Banning Mountains sending back intelligence on radio about what the Japanese were doing in Rabaul.

For example, warning headquarters in Port Moresby or other coastwatching parties of Japanese aircraft and shipping movements.
The irony is he was overlooking Rabaul, and the place his twin brother had crashed years before was the Banning Mountains.
Dad was there for 10 months right until the end of the war and he’d sought permission from his superior officers to go into Rabaul and look for evidence of his brothers. His superior officer said it was just too dangerous.
He finally came back from the war, while he was away his father had died, and Dad headed straight to Bendigo because that’s where his older sister was having a baby. But he was just hours too late.
She died in childbirth, and so did the baby. He’d gone to war, with a family of seven, and came back to a family of three.
And then he waited 80 years for news in the case of the Montevideo Maru – we found out on 18 April 18, 2023 where it was. It’s not a big deal in a sense, but it’s funny what closure means.
Dad, who was a very successful business man, died on July 7, 2024. By 2021 we knew they’d found another Beaufort in PNG but with Covid and other things, there was a bit of a delay in checking out the site.
It wasn’t until last year they finally got a team up there in October and I got a call on December 6 from a flight lieutenant who asked me lots of questions, and about a week later, I got a phone call from Captain Grant Kelly, the head of Historic Unrecovered War Casualties of the RAAF.
He said he was ringing to officially inform me on behalf of the Royal Australian Air Force they have found my uncle’s plane. They’d found the compliance plate of the plane’s manufacture date.
Dad was the last living coastwatcher, one of the older World War II vets still alive because he was so young when he joined the war. And he was one of the last coastwatchers who played such a crucial role. US Admiral Bull Halsey said the coastwatchers saved Guadalcanal and Guadalcanal saved the South Pacific. You don’t get too many higher accolades than that.
The tragedy is Dad waited all his life to find out about his twin. Hopefully Dad and his brothers are up there having a good yarn.”

From top, Thomas Burrowes, wireless operator and air gunner on the Beaufort Bomber A9-211, the compliance plate of the plane’s manufacture date, Bob Burrowes – Tom’s older brother, Jim at
Box Hill Cenotaph, and Robert Burrowes and Anita McKone – also volunteers at Rea-Lands Park in Daylesford

Images: contributed
thelastcoastwatcher.wordpress.com

Craig Lenaine-Smith did the tree change thing in 2008. He sold up his café in Thornbury and moved to Woodend with his wife, screenwriter Emma J Steele and their two young children.

May 4 front cover 2026 document
The café was one of those cool, hipster cafes in High Street – just about 20 years ahead of its time.
An actor, whose career had been on hold while raising a family and running a business for about 15 years, Craig discovered The Mount Players. They were putting on a stage play of The Breakfast Club, the coming-of-age film with a young Molly Ringwald, and it sparked his interest.
“I went along and saw that and I was really impressed with the theatre. The facilities were amazing. And I auditioned for their next show, Waking Eve, and I ended up getting the lead role in that, playing 10 different characters. I’ve been involved with them ever since.”
Craig started in the theatre in high school and university in Adelaide, where he and Emma both grew up, and after a while he moved into hospitality. “As most actors do.”
“I ended up sort of waiting tables at Bobby McGee’s as a Long Schlong Silver, the pirate, then got into management and ended up opening my own cafe. And there was a 15-year period of young kids, life, businesses – and theatre really took a back seat.
“Then I discovered The Mount Players up here in 2010 and I’ve been acting with them off and on, trying to do at least one show a year. “I’ve directed with them as well, joined the committee and I’ve been president for three years.”
Craig said people who gravitated to the theatre came from all walks of life.

“For actors it really depends on the shows too. We have a really varied season each year. We have the traditional classics like The Importance of Being Earnest that we did last year, then Australian plays, and Mr Bailey’s Minder which opens next week and then David Williamson at the end of the year, Money and Friends.
“Last year I directed a show called Puffs, which is a spoof on the Harry Potter series. That was with an all-youth cast. I had 18 kids on stage and all but two of them were aged 13 to 14.
“They had an absolute ball doing that. But we get people who have had a bit of theatrical experience, might have gone to VCA or studied drama at uni. And there’s also other people who just put their hands up for the first time.
“A particular lady named Mel, she’s got the lead role in the show that’s about to open next week, Mr Bailey’s Minder. She auditioned for me when I did Reservoir Dogs with an all female cast.
“That was the first time that she’d been on stage, I cast her as Orange. She’s gone on to act with another couple of theatre companies down in Melbourne.
“There’s also all the backstage stuff as well. We have a really active youth theatre program running classes twice a week for kids ranging from 11 to 18-19.
“We try to get them involved as much as we can backstage and operating our sound and lighting desk for us.
“One particular young man named Will joined youth theatre when he was 14. He had no interest in being on stage at all but loved the tech side. Our main technician, Roger, took him under his wing and mentored him.
“He’s 19 now, finished year 12 last year, didn’t do the exams and he’s already working in the industry straight away. Doing lights for Paul McCartney and big shows like Wicked down in Melbourne. That was his passion. He didn’t need an ATAR, didn’t want to go to university, already had a job lined up with this lighting and sound company.”
Craig said anyone interested in joining The Mount Players was welcome to check out their website or Facebook page.
Or contact him at mountplayerspresident@gmail.com
Words: Donna Kelly | Main image: Karlana Santamaria