Iconic US pop-punk band Good Charlotte will bring the lifestyles of the rich and famous to Bendigo this summer for a high-octane night of hits.

The chart-topping band will headline a huge show at Bendigo Racecourse on Saturday, 21 February – in a set which will turn up the volume and light up the city, drawing fans from across Australia to the region.

Fronted by twin brothers and music icons Joel and Benji Madden, it will be one of the band’s first shows in Australia in almost a decade – and is part of their Motel Du Cap World Tour, celebrating the release of their highly-anticipated eighth studio album.

The crowd will also be treated to nostalgic 2000s tunes like The Anthem, Little Things, Lifestyles of the Rich & the Famous and I Just Wanna Live as part of a powerhouse performance packed with hits.

This is the latest in a pipeline of events in regional Victoria, with rock legend Lenny Kravitz playing at the Mildura Sporting Precinct on Friday, 28 November.

Pre-sale tickets for the Good Charlotte show are on sale.

For tickets or more information, visit the ticketmaster.com.au website.

A truck driver has defied the odds to survive a heart attack and cardiac arrest in the sleeper cabin of his vehicle – requiring more than 40 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and 12 shocks with a defibrillator before his pulse returned.

As part of Ambulance Victoria’s (AV) Shocktober campaign, Ralf Schuback was able to reunite with some of the people who helped save his life, including a farmhand and the local team of AV Ambulance Community Officers (ACOs) who began his critical, life-saving care.

Ralf, 64, began experiencing chest pain while unloading fertiliser from his truck at a farm in Kaniva. Farmhand Ethan Freemantle was concerned by Ralf’s symptoms and called Triple Zero (000).

“When someone that age is having heart trouble, I thought even if the ambulance comes and it’s nothing, it’s better than leaving it to chance,” Ethan said.

“It was a hot day, so Ralf went into the truck with the air conditioning on and lay down.

“In the end, I timed it pretty well – I wouldn’t have wanted to wait much longer to call.”

Off-duty Kaniva ACO Stacey Rabone was nearby and saw the alert on her pager, so went to see if she could help. She arrived to find Ralf in the sleeper cabin of the truck having an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a severe heart attack where blood flow to the heart is completely blocked and without quick treatment, it can cause the heart to stop and lead to cardiac arrest.

Soon after, on-duty and more off-duty members of the Kaniva ACO team – AV first responders employed on a casual basis to work on-call and trained to provide advanced first aid in rural and remote communities – arrived, and as they pulled up, Ralf did go into cardiac arrest.

“He was in the most awful position for us to get to,” Kaniva ACO team leader Michael Hodges said.

“In the truck, you’ve got two comfortable seats with high backs and then there’s a centre console. We couldn’t actually get into the bunk where Ralf was, so when we started CPR, one of us had to lean over the seat to maintain his airway and the other had to lean over the centre console and do compressions. There was no room to move.”

Despite the challenges, the ACOs gave high-quality CPR, used a bag-valve-mask to give manual ventilations and applied a defibrillator, giving the first of the 12 shocks they would deliver.

Ethan also took turns to continue chest compressions and use the bag-valve-mask.

“My mum is a first aid trainer and I’d done CPR at a first aid course before, but never on a person. It didn’t matter though, I knew there was a job that needed doing to help the cause,” Ethan said.

Ethan and the ACOs continued resuscitation efforts, with support from a growing crew of first responders – including paramedics from South Australia and Victoria, as well as Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) and CFA volunteers.

Ralf’s pulse returned and by the time he was ready to be airlifted to hospital, he was conscious and breathing.

“Everything was against him except his will to survive,” Michael said.

“There were a lot of people there by the time we got ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation), so we formed a human chain and got Ralf onto a board and finally out of the truck.

“I’ve been an ACO for about 30 years and have been to a lot of cardiac arrests, but this was the first time I’d been able to deliver a shock with a defibrillator and have a positive outcome.

“This is what you do it all for. There were five or six ambulance crews from Victoria and South Australia, a helicopter, firefighters and VICSES volunteers on a farm in the middle of nowhere, all because Ralf was sick.”

Ralf was taken to Bendigo Health by air ambulance where he spent just two and a half days before being discharged home.

Now, Ralf is back at work after five months of rest and rehabilitation, and a trip to Europe that had been booked before his cardiac arrest. He and his family are incredibly thankful to all of those who saved his life.

“I’ve been spending time reading about causes of heart attacks and cardiac arrest survival rates and understand how lucky a person I really am,” he said.

“I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to save my life under challenging circumstances.”

Every day, around 21 Victorians experience a cardiac arrest and only one in 10 survive.

Early CPR and defibrillation are critical – for every minute CPR is delayed, survival decreases by 10 per cent.

This Shocktober, AV is calling on all Victorians to learn CPR and know where your nearest publicly accessible AED is, so you can help save a life if someone nearby experiences a cardiac arrest.

Learn more at www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/shocktober

Keen garden-lovers helped raise more than $10,000 for the Phoenix@The Rex community theatre.

They revelled in garden tours of Musk Manor and Musk Farm as a fund raiser for the cinema sound and projection equipment, taking 12 separate trips from Daylesford on the vintage Spa Country Railway.

Wandering the gardens with a glass of wine added to the day for many guests, with tastings from neighbouring Passing Clouds winery and the Heathcote Lake Cooper Estate.

The new cinema as portrayed on The Block is in the dress circle of the revamped Rex building. The urgent need now is for the Hepburn Shire Council to believe that the community wants it to spend just 3 percent ($50.000) of its $2.1m reserve fund on the cinema’s equipment.

Parents who have lost a child are helping other families who suddenly face the same heartbreaking loss through a specialised program now available in Victoria as part of a national expansion.
The Ladybird Care Foundation was established by Wayne and Maree Pascoe following the death of their 18-year-old daughter, Emma Louise in 2014.
The Foundation funds a Peer Mentor Program that has now trained 50 bereaved parents to become qualified mentors, providing support and care to families struggling with recent loss.
Victorian-based Peer Mentor Program Manager, Naomi Mason, said the national expansion is a critical step in ensuring families, no matter where they are, don’t feel alone. The support is at no cost to families.
“Parents say it’s a club nobody ever wants to join. Ladybird Care’s mentors have shared experience, and knowing you’re not alone is truly comforting,” Ms Mason said.
“Counselling and therapy are important, but they don’t always meet every need. Peer support brings the kind of empathy and understanding only someone who’s lived it can offer – and can complement clinical care when needed.”
Haidee Murnane was supported by the Ladybird Care Foundation after her son, Harper died, aged five, to Batten Disease in 2022. She is due to complete the Peer Mentor training at the end of October to support other families.
“Unless you’ve been in those shoes, no matter how kind people are, it’s impossible to truly grasp what it feels like,” Ms Murnane said.
“When I was paired with my Peer Mentor, I finally had someone who truly got me, who understood my story without me needing to explain it.
“The Peer Mentor Program is an incredible concept. Everyone should have the chance to connect with someone who has walked this path, so they don’t have to walk it alone. I ‘m honoured to give that same support to someone else.”
Co-founders Wayne and Maree Pascoe said it was their experience that highlighted “just how big the gap in bereavement support for parents in Australia really is.”
“When our daughter Emma passed away, we left the hospital completely lost. There was no follow-up, no one to talk to, and no guidance on what came next,” Mr Pascoe said.
The Foundation marked its first event outside of Queensland (11 October) with a community gathering for bereaved parents and supporters in Melbourne.
Mr Pascoe said, with the help of other co-founders Greg Beech, Craig Barke, Mike Delport, and Colin Ginger, and generous supporters, the goal was to support families in every state and territory because tragedy knows no border.
Information on how to support Ladybird Care Foundation is here.
Support also available through: Griefline 1300 845 745 Grief support 8am-8pm (AEST) 7 days a week; Lifeline (13 11 14) 24/7 Crisis Support; 13 Yarn 24/7 Crisis Support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Well here I am penning another article for you, the reader, to enjoy…
This time I’ll be showcasing broad-leaved plants for your garden. These bold beauties can add a striking “tropical” feel to the landscape, evoking thoughts of those early Victorian garden enthusiasts from England who wanted to create a luxurious environment to promenade through…think of a lot of our regional and urban botanic(al) gardens in Australia that reflect this movement.
So here we go…

1. Bocconia arborea is known as a tree poppy and is native to Mexico and Central America, growing as a tall multi-caned shrub to 4m high with plumes of creamy white flowers that fade into insignificance compared with the deeply cut large leaves that may grow to 45cm long x 30cm wide. There are fine specimens growing in the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne Perennial Border.
2. Catalpa bignonioides (Indian bean tree), a deciduous tree up to (at least) 16m x 16m, has its native home in eastern USA and is infamous for its broad heart-shaped leaves up to 15cm long x 15cm wide…but not to be outdone, the large slightly scented flower clusters have an almost orchid-like appearance. The long brown flaky beans that may follow open to allow a featherweight winged seed to float away with the prevailing winds. There is a fab registered specimen growing in the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens – a visit here in mid to late December should guarantee a photo opportunity.
3. Fatsia japonica (Japanese aralia) is often seen as an indoor plant but seems quite happy growing outside here in the Central Highlands (you can find a spreading specimen in the full sun at the Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, Daylesford). I have trialled it in dappled shady positions in some of my landscapes and they are flourishing. The glossy large palmate leaves up to 40cm wide are home to large sprays of creamy white rounded clusters of flowers that are followed by jet black berries (better to photograph than eat).
4. Quercus dentata is native to China, Japan, Korea and the Russian Far East and is commonly known as the daimyo oak. I have included this deciduous wide- spreading tree (15m x 18m) because it is has the largest leaves of any oak species on the planet, up to 30cm long x 15cm wide. It’s certainly not for the small courtyard garden but would show off its majesty in a large paddock (offering stock a welcome refuge from our hot summer days). As a quick aside, many global tree conservationists feel that oaks may play an important role in battling climate change models…just saying.
5. Greyia sutherlandii is the last choice for your amusement. This spreading (almost scrambling) shrub can be seen growing in the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne (a welcome observatory of plant species from all over the world). The shock of bright red flowers complement the large leaves (like geraniums on steroids). Native to Southern Africa, it would do well planted within your arid plant border/rockery.
And so I must away. I hope you’ve liked my latest instalment. We know that spring has sprung but watch out for those dry spells.
Cheers JB (Trees in Australia)
Next time: Scented foliage and flowers for the garden

By the time you read this, depending on whether that is online on Sunday, or in print on Tuesday, The Block’s final room reveals may be over.
It’s been an interesting ride for the region and for The Local – with lots of bumps along the way. Here is my memory of the whole shebang.
It started with the planning permit being knocked back and Phillip Island being taken up as a better spot for 2024.
But those pesky people at Channel 9 do not give up easily and the permit went all the way to the top, the minister, and got rubber stamped for approval. Here comes The Block Daylesford 2025.
The land chosen was nicely presented on television as an idyllic piece of country paradise. But every local I spoke to, except for the real estate agents involved in the game – and fair enough, said that if they were spending $3 million on a house, they would choose some lovely quiet acreage with rolling hills, rather than somewhere on the Malmsbury Road, near a now very busy roundabout and a concrete works.
I agree. If anyone reading this wants a very private piece of land, in a lovely hamlet, just out of Daylesford, please get in touch. I was actually thinking of attending the auction and handing out brochures with: “Can’t afford Daylesford? What about Glenlyon?” Only joking. Sort of.
And then the building started and we found out each house had the same footprint – each with its own swimming pool. Now, for some reason, swimming pools just aren’t that popular in Daylesford, so to have five in a row is quite interesting.
When I worked on a Mornington Peninsula newspaper I remember taking a helicopter flight, and we wandered over Sorrento and Portsea. Every house had a tennis court but all that meant, the pilot told me, was that you could never get enough players. They were all in their own courts. Money.
So the houses went up and a few of the locals were up as well, in arms against the only McDonald’s in town. But it only served coffees so plenty of tradies were wandering the streets of Daylesford looking for breakfast, lunch and dinner deals. And so the locals were happy again. Most of them. Some are never happy.
And then the people from The Block decided to help out with some community organisations. And some of the people were unhappy again. Why should The Block help the community cinema when it is housed in a private building? Why should The Block help the Bathhouse, a private business housed in a council building?
No-one seemed to mind them helping out the Daylesford Men’s Shed, or the schools or being judged by the Daylesford CWA. Our friend Peta Heyne was one of the CWA judges and she had the position of telling Scotty Cam that his Chocolate Ripple cake was too late to enter – also it wasn’t cooked. Some people on The Block social media said they thought the judges were bossy. I think Peta, who is the nicest person you could meet, would have enjoyed that.
Kyle and I had a few visits to The Block over the year. It was muddy and cold, but fun and interesting. We attended a final lunch with everyone and met all the contestants. They all seemed really lovely – I guess the editing has to be done in a certain way to make for good television.
And now they are up for sale. Will they reach their reserves or beyond? As I write this I saw that Lambo Man had returned, despite saying he would bow out, so who knows. And Scotty Cam’s shed and land is up for sale – the sixth spot on The Block.
It’s been a fun ride, but I am kind of glad it’s over. And all the best to Mt Eliza in 2026. Just sayin’…

Driftwood

In the rolling trance of tidal pull
a lone piece of driftwood
circled the island
after his death.

Mum walked alone with her thoughts
on the Day of Jubilation
when she came upon it
washed ashore on Dili beach.

We her other children kicked a ball
with local Timorese children
splashed our feet in the waves.
We didn’t see what she was doing.

She picked up the smooth wand
and wrote his name in the sand,
the crest and fall of her breathing
rhythmic sobs, grief’s ebb and flow.

Even the mighty tide
would not wash away
years of sadness
Tony Stewart

– Anne E Stewart

Storyteller and poet Anne E Stewart was a long-time Daylesford resident who now lives in Brisbane. Crossroads is available at Paradise Books or online at https://anneestewart.bigcartel.com/

(First published in Oystercatcher One
by Steve Meyrick (ed), 5 islands Press 2024
Reprinted in Crossroads: My stories of Balibo by Anne E Stewart)

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

I have read a lot recently in The Local about Daylesford’s Rex and the Phoenix@The Rex community theatre within it.

For those of us who have been around a long time, history in the news game has repeated itself. I remember dragging a few cinema seats out onto Vincent Street in Daylesford to take a photo for The Ballarat Courier, winding open the aperture in the dark cinema doing a few more photos for The Advocate and once again for The Local, with former president Gina Lyons, pictured.
And it seems like here we go again. Don’t get me wrong, I want the thing to work, especially with all the work the volunteers have put it into, along with the dollars and work from The Block.
But what has happened to all the stuff, investment and fundraising from the last venture after a mammoth effort from around 2009 until the eventual opening in 2013 by the last committee, in terms of fundraising and volunteering.
New seats were bought as well and the latest (at the time) of cinematic technology. I even remember plaques on seats being available for purchase then.
In 2017 the cinema was closed for what was only meant to be a year or so while the Hepburn Shire Council built the new hub.
Sadly, they eventually bungled the project, running into the streets with their hands in the air screaming “the sky has fallen in” and again the cinema’s future was unknown. So what happened to all the equipment and why isn’t it still around today to make the re-opening a little easier for the committee?
Well, here is the answer. After a quick phone call to The Local journalist and all-round ripper bloke and cinema volunteer Kevin Childs, I found out the following about The Rex cinema 1.0, 2013-2017.
In summary, $150,000 was spent on building and outfitting the cinema, and the expenditure did not relate day-to-day operations. The equipment purchased was re-usable and was therefore sold. The projection equipment had major issues as it was unused for some time, and the cinema group were advised that it would be best to sell it.
The cinema group still owns some sound equipment which is being reused by Radius Gallery for community screenings. The chairs were sold, as storage would have been too costly (wouldn’t the council have had some spare space somwhere?) and the donor tags will be displayed in the new cinema.
But here we are gazing into 2026 with no sign of the Phoenix pulling its body from the funeral pyre. I believe most of the renovations have been done but even that being the case, the entry to The Rex is still a worksite. And you can’t have theatre patrons traipsing through a construction site to get to the movies. Hard hats anyone?
On to worldly events – I nearly threw up when I heard the Israeli hostage families swooning over Trump, the great saviour.
I am all for peace but even a blind man can see that the horse trading was done months, if not years ago, and Gaza probably will never truly be home to the Palestinians again.
Not unless it is in the service of the world’s wealthy, jetting to what will be one of the best tourist hangouts in the world. Which is going to be built after the rubble is cleared by none other than Trump himself and his treacherous tribe. And it’s just another Trump real estate deal.
And now I read that the billionaire buffoon has just gotten into the banking game according to the Financial Post’s headline “US approves new bank backed by billionaires with ties to Trump”.
How much do you need mate rant over…

Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts – Hollywood Bowl, LA , 15/09/2025

To set the scene…
A balmy LA evening, a perfectly located AirBnB a block from Hollywood Boulevard, and on the Monday evening, myself and Susan, my wife and fellow traveller, joined the throng of undeniable Neil Young fans.
I needn’t go into the unmistakable Neil Young demographic, perhaps I resemble that remark, heading into the Hollywood Hills, a short 10-15 minute walk to the Hollywood Bowl. A dream venue, so LA, so California, with its beautiful location and design which resembles Melbourne’s Myer Music Bowl, with ample seating and where picnics and even some BYO alcohol is encouraged. The unmistakable smell of something I vaguely recognised in the air and the presence of young people in a range of Neil Young tour t-shirts, certainly let me know this was no Australian gig.
As with last year’s tour with Crazy Horse, the presence of local and national environmental groups was in the foyers and entrances, and there was a stronger political presence with petitions, no surprise to which side they were leaning.
Following the warm-up of gospel-inspired environmental group, Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir and his sister, Astrid Young, Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts were looking like a band who had played together for a long time.
Consisting of Neil Young (vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano), legendary Spooner Oldham (keyboards, organ – fresh from a basketball injury at the age of 82), Micah Nelson (guitar, vocals), Corey McCormick (bass, vocals), and Anthony LoGerfo (drums), they are nothing short of superb. The setlist featured both acoustic and some extended electric numbers, and some new songs where he let his lyrics do the talking.
Gloriously ragged in appearance, the band began with Ambulance Blues, an unusual opening song choice, but certainly one for the fans. This was followed by some glorious, extended shredding, stunning version of Cowgirl in the Sand. The first of three extended electric guitar work outs, this was as blistering, raw and urgent as when it was recorded. Southern Man and Like a Hurricane received similar treatment.
Two selections from the performance concept album of 2003 Greendale featured. The first, Be The Rain, providing the introduction to a four-song political statement, with no spoken monologue. The disturbingly still-apt Ohio from the late 60s was received with rapturous applause and the very new, almost wet paint tune Big Crime, had no subtlety with its clear and poignant narrative.
A move to the piano for Long Walk Back served to provide another reminder that nothing much has changed, politically, since first being recorded, but also where the band could allow Neil to stretch out vocally.
New acoustic material included Silver Eagle about his tour bus, and there were crowd pleasers such as Only Love Can Break Your Heart and of course Harvest Moon.
Old Man allowed the band to add flourishes, helping to keep the light and shade of this set list. Hey Hey My My and Roll Another Number rounded off the evening.
Almost 80, Neil is showing no sign of slowing down. As he remarked at the start of the gig: “I first played here with Stills and The Springfield in 65, and here I am again.”

Town Hall Festival – Castlemaine, Saturday, November 15

The festival returns to Castlemaine, centred around central Castlemaine, with four venues within easy walking distance. This is an accessible, user-friendly festival, with various food and drink options and a great line-up.
Artists include Sharon Van Etten, King Stingray, Pigram Brothers, Witch, Jenny Don’t and The Spurs, pictured, Meg Washington, Jazz Party, Dan Kelly and Charm Of Finches.
Tickets are available online. The first performance starts at 12pm and the event finishes at 10pm.

Scott Cook & the Little Rippers will perform on November 7 as part of the Glenlyon Progress Association’s ‘Live Music at the Glenlyon Hall’.
Tickets are $35 (plus booking fee) with the doors open at 6pm for refreshments.
Music starts at 7pm with the Glenlyon Ukulele Group, then Scott Cook & the Little Rippers start at 7.30pm.
Scott was born in West Virginia and raised on the Canadian prairies.
In 2007 he quit his job teaching kindergarten in Taiwan to move into a minivan and embark on the life of a full-time troubadour.
Since then he’s toured almost incessantly across Canada, the US, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere, distilling his experiences into empathetic, keenly observant verse.
Scott has already completed 10 tours of Australia and his seventh album Tangle of Souls was recorded in Trentham and comes packaged in a cloth-bound, 240-page hardcover book of road stories and ruminations.

This year he’s returning to Australia with his eighth album Troubadourly Yours and has formed a new band called Scott Cook & the Little Rippers with longtime collaborator Liz Frencham on upright bass, Justin Vilchez of the High Street Drifters on mandolin and Pete Fidler on dobro.
Above, Trentham’s Liz Frencham
Bookings: www.glenlyoncommunityhall.org.au/event/scott-cook/

Lyster Opera, now in its 10th year of touring country Victoria, proudly unveils its latest production: The Merry Wives of Windsor, a spirited operatic adaptation of William Shakespeare’s beloved comedy.

Composed by Otto Nicolai and infused with the wit and warmth of Elizabethan England, this opera promises an afternoon of laughter, music, and theatrical delight.
Directed by Daniel Sinfield, this production brings together a cast of seasoned performers and emerging talent to breathe new life into Shakespeare’s timeless characters.
Sinfield’s direction blends historical authenticity with modern relatability, exploring themes of love, jealousy, and social mischief through a comedic lens that resonates with today’s audiences.
The opera follows the misadventures of Sir John Falstaff, a pompous knight who attempts to seduce two married women, Mrs Fluth and Mrs Reich, for financial gain.
The clever wives uncover his scheme and orchestrate a series of hilarious pranks to teach him a lesson. Meanwhile, romantic entanglements and mistaken identities ripple through the town, culminating in a jubilant finale that celebrates wit, loyalty, and love.
Along with Daniel as director, costume design is by Maddy Connellan, production imagery by Blair Parkinson with a cast of internationally experienced performers and rising stars from Victoria’s opera scene.
The production’s visual storytelling is enhanced by period costumes and evocative imagery, creating a rich theatrical experience that transports audiences to the heart of Elizabethan England.
Composed in 1849 by Otto Nicolai, The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comic opera in three acts with a German libretto by Salomon Hermann Mosenthal. It follows the Singspiel tradition, combining musical numbers with spoken dialogue, similar to modern musical theatre.
Nicolai, a child prodigy from Prussia and co-founder of the Vienna Philharmonic, tragically passed away just days after the opera’s premiere, making this work his most celebrated legacy.

Tickets for the Creswick performance on October 25 can be bought from www. lysteropera.com.au/coming-soon

Image: Phil Thomson

Genesis Baroque presents Death and the Maiden at Christ Church, Daylesford, on Saturday, November 8 at 2.30pm.

Founded in 2017, Genesis Baroque brings together some of Australia’s pre-eminent historically-informed musicians. In this program, the ensemble performs Schubert’s famed quartet, written in 1824 when he was in the throes of severe illness and aware of his impending mortality, trawling the depths of despair with unparalleled vibrancy and urgency.
Experiencing Schubert’s momentous work on gut strings will introduce audiences to the vivid colours and expressive sensitivities that Schubert intended, bringing it to new life. Coupled with the wonderfully rich palette of Beethoven’s quartet Opus 18, No.1, the second movement of which depicts the vault scene from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
The program will include Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet Opus 18, No.1 in F Major and Franz Schubert String Quartet No.14, D 10 in D Minor. Artists are Anna McMichael, period violin, Jennifer Kirsner, period violin, Meg Cohen, period viola and Josephine Vains, period cello.
Anna McMichael is a distinguished Australian violinist who returned home in 2010 after 17 years with major European ensembles.
Jennifer Kirsner is a Melbourne-based violinist and early music specialist passionate about chamber music. She has performed in diverse genres, from Renaissance ensembles to Ceilidh bands in Northern England.
Meg Cohen is a Melbourne-based violinist actively involved in various musical projects as a chamber musician, orchestral player, and artistic director of Moirai and Wattleseed Ensemble.
Josephine Vains is a prominent Australian cellist and chamber musician, frequently performing in concerts both locally and internationally. She collaborates with various artists across genres, including baroque, contemporary, and tango music.

Bookings: www.trybooking.com/eventlist/christchurchconcerts

There were a number of settlers with large families who felt a school was needed in the Trentham area and from late 1867, a movement had been afoot seeking aid from the Board of Education by way of a teacher’s salary.

The Board eventually decided to give the salary July 1869, provided the settlers organised the erection of a schoolhouse to approved specifications and also provided the necessary furniture for the school.
The Daylesford-Trentham Road site was decided upon which was close to Enders Steam Saw Mills. Mr Enders gave the timber for the building, Mr Phipps provided the shingles, and the settlers provided the labour to clear the site and fell the timber which was later used for the building.
The Union Steam Saw Mills School No. 1010 was finished on March 15, 1870 and was officially opened on June 27, 1870 by head teacher James Thompson. The school was well attended with 82 on the roll in 1874. Numbers eventually waned and the school closed in the late 1890s.
Trentham School No. 629 was opened on April 1, 1860 and was established by the Presbyterian Church in a rented building on land donated by Isaac Pearson. Ebenezer A. Gilruth was appointed the head teacher. The average attendance in the early years of the school was 25.
The Centenary History of State Education stated the School Committee had made a tentative approach to the Board hoping to have the school vested in 1868 (funded by government) but the proposal did not eventuate. In 1873, the rented building needed a lot of repairs and was deemed not centrally located. The Board suggested a new site for a school and No. 629 was closed on May 31, 1875.
Trentham School No. 1588 was the new suggested site with dual frontages on Victoria and Bridge streets in the heart of Trentham. This site was gazetted on May 22, 1874 and a 30ft x 18ft timber schoolhouse, plus teacher’s quarters of three rooms were erected.
The school was operational from May 10, 1875 but wasn’t officially recognised until June 1, 1875 after No. 629 was closed. Thomas Raw, head teacher at No. 629, transferred to No. 1588. Enrolments were 112 in 1884 and calls for a bigger school were necessary. Another classroom was added in 1885. Five years later enrolments peaked at 170 and more classrooms were needed. Late 1890, another room was added and the school continued to grow. The school grounds were also being cared for by the students.
The Weekly Times of July 9, 1910 reported: “On July 1 (Arbor Day) the correspondent of the local board of advice presented the association’s prize for the best-kept grounds to the Trentham State School. This is the sixth prize which now hangs on the walls of the school, and there are also seven first-class certificates from the Education Department awarded to the school.”
Fast forward 20 years and enrolments are 88 in 1930 and 98 in 1937. Two more classrooms are added and the school remodelled with an official opening for the additions on October 22, 1938. School enrolments stayed steady over the next 20 years with numbers at 90 in 1956.
Another 20 years passed when an invitation appears in the King Island News on October 9, 1974. “A Back to Trentham (incorporating the Centenary of the Trentham Primary School) will be held on March 14-16, 1975 and a warm invitation is extended to all ex-pupils and teachers of the primary school and of St. Mary’s and all ex-residents to return for the celebrations. A ball will be held on the Friday evening and on Saturday at 1.30pm a procession from the post office to the school, then the main gathering and reunion will be at the school.”
The school website shows in 1994 the school merged with Little Hampton Primary School after its closure by the Education Department. The school would now have a bigger capacity and accommodate more local families in readiness for an upcoming celebration. The Weekly Times of April 14, 1999 shows Trentham Primary School No.1588 holding its 125th anniversary in March 2000.
In July 2009, the new main building was completed, and the Minister of Education Bronwyn Pike opened the building on March 26, 2010. The school website states the first stage of the building included an office and reception area, four classrooms, multi-purpose area and library.
In April 2011 the school opened a second building, funded through the ‘Building the Education Revolution’ program, which houses the art program, a commercial kitchen for cooking classes and activities, and two classrooms and was opened by the Federal Ballarat MP Catherine King on December 6, 2011.
Next month, the school celebrates its 150th anniversary on November 23.
Current enrolments are 85.

Words: Historian Natalie Poole | Images: Trentham Historical Society
Next edition: The history of Trentham though the eyes of a young Jack Sleeman.

Random student memories from long ago

I once got the cuts (strap) from Miss Fahey and I didn’t deserve it. All I did was throw a stone up high in the air and this silly girl ran underneath and it hit her on the head. It wasn’t my fault.

One teacher had a car which he kept in a garage in the school yard. As it was on level ground, the car was normally left in neutral. The usual starting procedure was to set the choke, the hand throttle, turn on the key and then turn the motor over with the crank-handle until it started. Unbeknown to him that day, someone had sneaked in and put the car in gear and when the teacher swung the crank-handle, the motor fired, the car moved forward and shoved him up against the end of the garage, bruising his legs. Again, no offender was caught.

There was a rabbit eating things in the school garden and the headmaster Dan McCann asked me to get rid of it. After school I went home and got a trap which I set on the run where the rabbit went under the school. Early next morning I got on my bike and rode to school, but I was too late. There were signs to show that the rabbit had been caught, but the rabbit was gone and so was the trap. One of the kids had beaten me to it.

One teacher who stands out in my mind was Eric Coutts who often read to us poetry like The Man from Snowy River and Where the Pelican Builds her Nest. I never forgot them.

There was once a terrible thing, when the head teacher’s leather strap was chopped into little pieces. Many suspects were questioned but the culprit was never caught.

One year, mumps were very prevalent. Children with mumps in those times had to stay home for some time after recovery so as not to infect other children during the incubation period. Rupe Morris and several others who I have forgotten, used to take great joy during this incubation period in going rabbiting with the ferrets and the dogs past the school ground at play time and laughing at the poor kids at school.

Regional agricultural shows in Hepburn and Macedon Ranges shires date back to 1865 when the Glenlyon, Franklin and Daylesford Agricultural Society began having an annual show.

The main aim of the show was to serve as a meeting point for farmers who could share knowledge and showcase their produce and livestock. There was an extra incentive of prize money and the prestige of winning.
According to a blog on country shows by everythingaustralian.com.au, agricultural shows have written the history of Australian farming by providing farmer-to-farmer education and innovation. All the great technological advances have been revealed at these community events, from the first automated shearing machines to the first GPS-controlled tractors. The promotion of rural industries was an ongoing objective.
The earliest event showcased livestock, crops and farming innovations with the Daylesford Mercury of March 11, 1869 showing the classes for the events on show day, held in the Jamieson Hotel Yard.
They were Class C (cattle), Class D (swine), Class F (dairy produce), Class G (grain and farm produce), Class H (grapes and wines), Miscellaneous (honey, jam and pickles), Fruits and Vegetables, Implements and Machinery (swing plough, harrows, roller, grubber or scarifier). There was also a knitting and fancy goods section. These shows provided a social outing for townsfolk to appreciate and be educated on aspects of rural life.
The Argus newspaper, dated March 20, 1865, said there were just 60 entries and “in general the exhibition was inferior to what had been expected”.
“Some fine samples of wheat, barley and oats were sent in and the potatoes were unsurpassed in the colony. The cheese, bacon, butter etc were satisfactory. One or two of the entries attracted attention. The dairy department was not only the best represented but the most creditable to the district.”
Over time, the shows evolved and ‘sample bags’ were introduced. The earliest ‘sample bag’ in rural Victoria was in the 1920s and gave people the opportunity to try a product or two.
Initially free, the sample bags popularity grew and by 1930 a nominal cost was attached to the bags. Eventually, the bag contained more and more items and the highly sought-after contents saw prices rise.
Today, ‘showbags’ range from $5 for the Bertie Beetle (my favourite) to $168 for a beauty bag and you can get football teams, confectionery, cartoon characters, pets, TV and movies and so much more. The world of showbags has never looked back.
The showground rides were an exciting introduction by the Wittingslow family in the 1950s. The opportunity for children to have fun and experience the thrill of the carousel, the merry-go-round and the ferris wheel was only the start of the rides evolution.
Today, crazy cars, teacups, helter skelter and the roller coaster are high on the list for children. And let’s not forget the adults and the adrenaline-pumping rides on offer which could include alien abduction, freestyle, haunted houses and panic rooms.
Today’s agricultural shows are a mix of family entertainment, live performances, flowers and plants, craft demonstrations, petting zoos, sideshow alleys, rides and showbags. They still continue to showcase produce and livestock as a central aspect of the day with many opportunities to win ribbons, sashes and ‘bragging rights’ in the equestrian, sheep, poultry and cooking sections.
And with so many shows coming up, it’s time to go and organise your jams, pickles and preserves or maybe knitting, crochet, spinning and weaving if that’s your style.
For the artisans, leatherwork, metalwork, woodwork or ceramics may be more up your alley. If not, watch the show jumping, be in awe of the photographic demonstrations or take a gander at the preschool or school children displays.
Show days are filled with plenty to see and do as a great tradition continues on into the future. The show must go on!
Fun fact: The 1890 Glenlyon Franklin Daylesford Agricultural Show had a Class for the greatest number of sparrow eggs.

Head to the shows at Kyneton on November 14 and 15, Clunes on November 15, Daylesford on November 22 and Kingston on December 6 and 7.

Clunes
The first show of the Clunes & District Agricultural Society took place in 1868. The agricultural show, initially known as the Glendaruel, Beckworth, Clunes, Eglinton and Glengower Agricultural Society, has since become an annual event in the community. Many thanks to the Clunes Museum for the images reproduced with permission.

Kyneton
On October 29, 1856, a public meeting of farmers of the district decided to form the Kyneton Agricultural Association. The association’s first event was a ploughing match, held on the St Agnes Farm on Wednesday, August 5, 1857.
The association met every fortnight and quickly decided to establish a showgrounds to hold its annual ploughing match as well as an Exhibition of Stock and Grains. By 1857 it had successfully lobbied the state government and was given five acres opposite where the old Kyneton Hospital still stands today. The new grounds were quickly fenced, and cattle stalls and pens built to hold the First Annual Exhibition of Stock and Implements on November 10, 1858. This was the very first Kyneton Agricultural Show.

Kingston
The Agricultural Society originated at Smeaton and was formed in April 1859. In 1923 the name of the Society was altered to The Kingston, Smeaton, Newlyn, and Dean Agricultural Society. In 1984 the Society became incorporated, and the name changed to the Kingston Agricultural Society. In 1861 the first show of the Smeaton, Spring Hill, and Bullarook Agricultural Society was held at Smeaton. In 1873 the Grand National Show was held in Smeaton.