with Clive Hartley

Place of Changing Winds growers series

Place of Changing Winds vineyard is located between Mt Macedon and Mt Bullengarook in the Macedon Ranges. Different clones of pinot noir and chardonnay vines were planted between 2012 and 2018.

Everything in the vineyard is a well thought-out plan to produce the best quality that the cool site can offer.

Vascular or sap flow pruning, three full-time staff to manage a tiny 3.1-hectare site including a Bordeaux trained manager/winemaker and dry grown vines shows their commitment and deep pockets.

The vineyard is owned by Robert Walters, a highly respected importer and distributor in Melbourne. His company Bibendum Wine Co has a stella line up of wines from around the world.

So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that their Estate wines are sought after and mailing list driven. Limited supply made them come up with a novel way of even sub-dividing their mailing list customers into ‘High Density’ ‘Fidelity’ and ‘General’ members.

One way of moving up the ranks of their mailing list is to purchase wines from their Grower Series. After tasting them recently you might simply stop with these as they are very good wines.

The 2022 Harcourt Syrah ($59) is grown on granite soils and matured for nearly two years. It is bright, with floral violets, blackberries and pepper, laced with cedar oak. Medium bodied with licorice, nutmeg spice and plums. Some fine grain tannins complete the finish.

Moving over to Heathcote, the 2021 Syrah ($59) is grown on red Cambrian soils of the Mount Camel Range. It has a surprisingly rich, fruit-driven nose, given that it received 33 months of ageing, with blackberry and black cherries as well as vanilla and a touch of licorice.

Whilst the fruit continues on the palate it comes over slightly more reserved, with fine chalk tannins on the finish. Overall, a well-balanced full-bodied wine.

Finally, the 2022 Syrah No2 ($38) is a blend of both the Heathcote and Harcourt sites. It is their least expensive wine, but I ranked it as high as the previous two.

There is a sense of reserve that runs through all their red wines that I liked. It displayed plenty of black fruits again including plum, black cherries and blackberry, some slight raisin and herbal notes as well.

This wine has that characteristic ‘light touch’ on the moreish, savoury, slightly leafy medium plus bodied palate. To round out the wine it has a dry, powdery tannic finish.

Link: www.placeofchangingwinds.com.au

Clive Hartley is an award-winning wine writer, educator and consultant. His 305- page full colour book Australian Wine Guide (7th ed) is available for purchase from Paradise Books in Daylesford or via his website – www.australianwineguide.com.au

Hi Glen,

I am sure you are the one who can tell me whether those beautiful moth orchids really do live and flower for years, and if so, what am I doing wrong? Because mine flowered just once with two blooms on the same stem. Then after a couple of weeks they just shrivelled up and fell off, leaving behind a bundle of dry sticks amid a rosette of large green leaves.

Should I just grin and give up? Or can you point me in the right direction for success? This was my second year of failure but when I am confronted by those magnificent living carpets in the stores I can’t resist their call of “take me home, I’m yours”.

Hoping to hear positive words of encouragement, or should I just give up and plant some geraniums? Can’t wait for some good news. – Miriam, Kyneton

Hi Miriam,

As much as I like and grow geraniums, not really, the answer is quite simple – it is a patience and confidence. Moth orchids, phalaenopsis, are probably the most favourite orchids because of their multi-coloured, long lasting flowers.

They are sturdy and need little care in our climate and, as long as they are planted in a sheltered spot, they make ideal indoor plants when grown in a well lit window but out of direct sunlight.

When grown out of doors they will bloom just once, either spring or summer, but they can usually be encouraged to bloom several times a year if they are treated kindly and allowed to rest in a state of dormancy in-between time.

Moth orchids bloom along slender flower spikes which can often bloom more than once, so don’t be in a hurry to remove the spike because you can often encourage the plant to have extra flowers. So always keep an eye out for the buds on any healthy looking spikes but remove any that are starting to turn brown or wither.

Clip them off at the base with a pair of clean and sterilised flower scissors or sharp secateurs to conserve energy.

It is easy to confuse the flower spikes with aerial roots but these can be easily spotted – they are lighter in colour and have rounded tips. Their appearance is usually a signal that the plants’ root system is getting a little crowded and nourishment sparse.

There’s little need to remove any aerial roots unless they are overcrowding the plant and then it is maybe time to consider repotting them into larger homes. This will improve their health and make flowering more likely, especially if the plant is still in the pot your brought it home in.

Store-bought moth orchids are usually potted into various types of moss and placed into plastic containers which retain too much moisture which can cause roots to rot. This can be avoided by being repotted into a larger pot with drainage holes and using a bark-based orchid mix that allows the water to drain freely.

Fertiliser, especially developed for orchids and similar plants, can help maintain the health and growth of the plant, as can most organic liquid fertilisers made with kelp or fish emulsion, when diluted to one quarter strength with water. – Glen

Got a gardening query? Email glenzgarden@gmail.com

Did former Premier Dan Andrews deserve the nation’s highest honour, the Companion of the Order of Australia for his service to Victoria, public health, policy and regulatory reform, and to infrastructure development?

I guess it is all about what he did for our community during the Covid pandemic. It certainly wasn’t a normal time in the world although it certainly became the new norm.

But what is “normal”? According to the dictionary, it is the usual, typical or expected state or condition. And while my typical state may be different to everyone else’s, I expect that the government will look after the people in the best way possible using the resources they have gleaned from the people, namely tax dollars.

And I don’t proclaim to be an expert, however the sometimes draconian measures were a little hard to swallow.

Like the bloke who was walking along Back Glenlyon Road without a mask who got pulled up by the police and requested to don his facemask. If you have ever walked along this road you will understand the irony, there is nobody there but the odd cow.

I understand that we had to wear the masks but it was more about the enforcement. Dan and his cohorts had to make blanket rules to keep the great unwashed in check. Yes, the rules were hard to take and the hardship was horrendous but it was all about keeping the community safe until a vaccine could be made available.

I am pretty sure looking at the latest budget he didn’t leave anything in the tank financially, and most people were able to get by and businesses incubated until it was safe to reboot things.

And yes, a few businesses didn’t make it as no one wanted to go back to highly populated areas, but you must remember that 60 per cent of businesses in Australia will fail within their first three years of operation with 20 per cent of businesses failing in their first year of operating.

Yes, lockdowns were hard and grinding and the divorce rates went through the roof and as a result of the sudden “out of the gates” move, post pandemic spending and inflation has caused a cost-of-living crisis.

But these problems are global, they are not caused by the Dan Andrews’ government, everywhere around the world is teetering on the edge of recession. And so, it goes as in the Oils song, “the rich get richer, the poor get the picture”.

Personally I don’t believe that Dan should have been given the Order of Australia by Charlie for doing what is effectively his job.

However, it was one hell of a job he got lumbered with, not the usual turning sods of soil at green sites and talking up one’s political party.

The job Dan did was constantly keeping us updated, rolling out the cash and going grey on the TV before our eyes. So good on you Sir Dan rant over…

By Donna Kelly

I had some time last week so I did a bit of a Google around about farmland and farm zones. I realise there are experts just waiting on Facebook but instead I went to the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning.

Anyway, I found some interesting words and thought I would share them. From a guide for planning authorities about the strategic work required to apply the different zones, the purposes and features of each zone and where they may be applied.

I might have cherry picked a little, but it was a long read. And I only get this little column so I have to be sparse with words. Here goes:

“The rural areas of Victoria accommodate a range of farming, residential, industrial and commercial uses and contain many of the state’s significant natural resources, such as native vegetation, minerals and water. They also provide important resources for recreation, tourism and timber production.

“The suite of rural zones for Victoria: recognise the state, regional and local importance of farming as an industry and provide greater protection for productive agricultural land: discourage ad hoc and incompatible use and development; and recognise and protect rural areas that are environmentally sensitive.

“Victoria’s changing rural landscape requires planning authorities to think strategically about their farming areas and rural settlement patterns, so that sustainable farming is promoted and potential conflicts between farming and other land uses are avoided.

“Sound strategic planning for rural areas is essential to ensuring that land use and development achieves the planning authority’s vision and strategic objectives for an area.

“It can help ensure that: farmland and farming industries of state, regional or local significance are protected; future use of existing natural resources, including productive agricultural land, water, and mineral and energy resources, is sustainable; scarce resources, such as water, are protected; existing visual and environmental qualities of rural areas are protected; and conflicts between farming and other land uses are avoided.

“(Any) strategy should include an assessment of: the physical attributes of the land and its capacity to support productive agricultural uses including soil type, climate, vegetation cover, access to water, slope and drainage; agricultural trends in the area, including agricultural productivity, changes in farming practices and processes, and farm investment patterns; and the natural resources and environmental features in the area and their importance including flora and fauna, significant habitats, wetlands, scenic landscapes and sites of archaeological or cultural significance.

“(A) farming zone – a zone that is predominantly focussed on protecting and promoting farming and agriculture.

“Farming Zone Purpose: To provide for the use of land for agriculture; to encourage the retention of productive agricultural land; to ensure that non agricultural uses, including dwellings, do not adversely affect the use of land for agriculture; to encourage the retention of employment and population to support rural communities; and to encourage use and development of land based on comprehensive and sustainable land management practices and infrastructure provision.”

And I think that just might be my submission to council. Thanks Department of Planning. Done. Just sayin’…

The desire to go to Gallipoli for the Dawn Service burnt strongly in Daylesford’s Alan Eaton. Major heart surgery and three operations firstly stopped him, but even when he did go it was with an undiagnosed broken leg.

His father always wanted to attend the service, but died without fulfilling his dream, so Alan ‘took’ him in the form of a treasured photo of the pair of them.

At each cemetery out came the photo. At the Anzac sector he sat on the beach. “I felt my father was standing next to me. Many people say if you don’t shed tears, you are not human.”

With him, too, were his grandfather’s medals from WWI.

To Alan’s surprise, a young girl on a pilgrimage with her father, found the grave of Corporal Alma May, son of James and Frances May of West Street, Daylesford.

Wounded by machinegun fire, Corporal May was taken to an aid station but died the next day, aged 24. His name is in the Avenue of Honour. Alan lay the medals on Corporal May’s plaque.

“The chances of finding a grave of someone from your hometown are slim,” says Alan, with some understatement.

He stood, too, at Lone Pine, where seven Victoria Crosses were awarded. To him, Gallipoli is where Australia was blooded as a nation.

His fascination with the Victoria Cross also took him to “Jacka’s Country” where Jacka the VC winner killed seven Turks in a trench by bullet and bayonet.

At Shrapnel Gully Alan saw where Simpson cheerfully earned a form of immortality as he brought down the wounded with his donkey, five of whom died before he was killed.

Alan’s family is steeped in military history, as shown by the books and pictures crowding his den. He was in the Army for 26 years until 1999.

His grandfather was seconded from the British Royal Navy in 1911 to help form the Australian Navy and fought in the first action in 1914, taking part in the capture of a radio station from the Germans in Papua New Guinea.

Alan’s father was in the artillery as part of the anti-aircraft force, guarding the steel works in Newcastle, and then in Darwin. Alan’s older brother Wallace went to Vietnam in 1970.

“I enlisted in ’74, just after Vietnam,” says Alan. He served in Malaysia, Canada and Hawaii.

Now 68, he was medically discharged from the Army, then spent 13 years as a contractor to the Defence Department. “I enjoyed it,” he says emphatically. “I would not change a step.”

Alan stoutly denies the stories that have sprung up that the Anzacs landed at the wrong place, saying there was 1.6 kilometres of land for them to come ashore.

Then there is the Turkish side. A professor from that nation told the Anzac pilgrims of their 86,000 soldiers killed, including those who charged with bayonets because they had no bullets.

“The world has learnt that a nation will fight to defend itself,” says Alan, instancing Vietnam, Korea and the Ukraine.

“The trip was all I wanted it to be.” Now he has his sights on another storied Anzac battlefield, Villers Bretonneux in France, where 2500 died saving the town.

Words: Kevin Childs | Image: Contributed

Lizzy Welsh, baroque violin, and Joy Lee, harpsichord, will present an exploration of composer-performer relationships from the 17th century to the present at Christ Church, Daylesford on Saturday, June 29 at 2.30pm.

The evolution of western art music has long been driven by the relationships between composers and performers.

As two of Australia’s leading interpreters and commissioners of new works, keyboardist Joy and violinist Lizzy, pictured, have extensive first-hand experience of these relationships and the influence they can impress upon the creation of musical languages.

Joy and Lizzy’s collaboration began initially performing new compositions in Australia’s leading new music ensembles.

As each of them independently trained in early music performance, their partnership evolved to include performing together on harpsichord and baroque violin.

Lizzy and Joy are both based in regional Victoria and have been playing together for over a decade. Lizzy is internationally renowned as a music-maker and performer of early music, new music and experimental improvisation, principally on the baroque violin and modern violin.

Joy has a special focus on contemporary music and collaborates with a number of Australian and international composers in realising new works for piano, harpsichord and clavichord.

As a harpsichordist her repertoire spans the breadth of the late Renaissance and Baroque eras to music written this year.

Link: www.trybooking.com/eventlist/christchurchconcerts

with Eve Lamb

Creswick Regional Park Walk II: St Georges Lake to Gosgrave Reservoir via the Old Koala Park,
Chinese Plum Orchard, and Eaton’s Dam. 9km return.

Paddy H and I are in luck as Creswick artist and keen bushwalker, Craig Barrett has kindly offered to guide us on one of his favourite local walks.

It will, Craig says, take in the old Creswick Koala Park, relics of the 1860s gold rush era, an old Chinese plum orchard and the notable stone walls of Eaton’s Dam.

“Sounds good,” I say as we plan the walk for Sunday when, the BOM forecasts, a lower chance of rain.

Craig explains that the walk starts from the St Georges Lake smaller, lesser-used south eastern car park, just out of Creswick, off the Melbourne Road. I’m particularly keen to see this Koala Park site that I’ve heard a fair bit about but never actually seen.

Off we set, carrying camera gear, lunches, a proper bushwalking kit including maps, compass, walk guide and first aid kit (in Craig’s case) and plenty of dark chocolate (in mine).

We are in the Creswick Regional Park, part of the traditional lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung People. In part, our walk ahead will follow a small snippet of the Goldfields Walking Trail (Buninyong to Bendigo) and in small part it also overlaps with where Creswick’s new mountain bike track is being built.

In fact there have been reports recently of some overly keen types ripping down protective temporary barriers to get at the new bike trail before it’s deemed ready to go.

Fortunately our prudent guide, Craig, has checked with the relevant authorities to gain approval for our walk today. Later, when I read authoritative warnings on this front, I am pleased he has.

But as we set off and morning sunlight splashes down through tall eucalypts lining our path, my mind is unfettered by officialdom. As soon as we set foot on the walking track headed south straight out of the car park, Paddy H and I can see this is a fantastic little hike.

“You should see it in spring,” Craig says. “Superb wild flowers.”

Gaining gentle elevation, striding through aromatic bushland for just under a kilometre, we soon arrive at the remnant boundary fence of the old koala park. In 1942, forestry students built the koala park by constructing a fence in a section of the forest to be used as a breeding area for koalas.

However, just a tad comically, they failed to adequately acknowledge koala climbing know-how and the furry little fellas swiftly decamped into the surrounding forest.

These days, the literature states, “there is just as much chance to see a koala in the surrounding Creswick State Forest as the old koala park. I look up a fair bit but do not see a koala.

Having finally visited, though, I can now say that the paucity of the much-loved marsupial does nothing to diminish the site’s value as a top walking spot, with a short 2km loop walk around the
entire former koala park another nice option.

Today, we stop here briefly to check out an old metal stile for helping humans, back in the day, to get into and out of the park, then we move on, following the Goldfields Walking Trail to the north of the koala park, running roughly alongside Creswick Creek. The creek used to be called Back Creek on old maps, Craig says.

Further on we pass alongside remains of an old gold mining water race running through the bushland, scars of 1800s picks still fairly evident in places.

Roughly two or so kilometres further along the Goldfields Walking Trail, Craig stops and points out the site of the old Chinese plum orchard, today a grouping of ghostly moss-encrusted fruit trees whose limbs stretch bare against the early winter light.

We take a little detour through this ghostly orchard and historic market garden site. “Black plums,” says Craig, and then recounts the vision of spring blossom that still blooms here all these decades on. It must be a sight.

And slipping back into the past, to a time long before any of us existed, Craig now points toward nearby sites where hotels once stood nearby – “the Springmount Hotel was there,” he says… “and the Munsters Arms Hotel … in that direction.”

We leave the old plum orchard and its ghosts and regain the Goldfields Track, continuing on until we reach the intersection with Jackass Road. Instead of turning left onto the road and continuing to follow the Goldfields Trail north here, we instead simply cross the road and rejoin the walking pad that heads on, eastward toward the historic site of Eaton’s Dam about half a k further on.

Our resourceful guide provides some literature which instructs that Eaton’s Dam is: “a well preserved example of a mining dam built in 1862 on Creswick Creek”.

The site was leased by American brothers Benjamin and Charles Eaton. While the dam was breached in 1933, and after that fell into disuse, there’s still plenty to see here including some pretty remarkable, high stone walls.

“It’s also one of my favourite places for forest bathing,” Craig muses.

In the cold summer sunlight, a mossy outcrop has something of the bushland shrine about it, complete with tiny exquisite wren attendants.

We stop and admire for a while and then Craig suggests we finish up by continuing on for a few hundred metres more to reach the Cosgrave Reservoir.

It proves to be an excellent place for lunch with two wedge tailed eagles circling above. As we sit there munching away, a man rolls up in a vehicle (the reservoir is accessible by car) and hops out brandishing swish Nordic walking poles.

“Where are you off to mate?” Paddy H enquires.

“Just walking around the reservoir,” says the bloke, bidding us all a cheery farewell and setting off.

Once we’re all fully fortified we head back, basically retracing our steps and listening to Craig recount tales of times well spent in France.

“And what do you like most about this walk?” I ask.

Craig pauses for only the briefest moment before replying.

“That there are great wildflowers. And there aren’t many people. I’m definitely a path less travelled type,” our guide says.

We continue on, all up covering roughly 9kms the round trip, and returning to a path more travelled to reflect on all we have seen and learned, over a warming red by the fire. It was a good day.

Words & Images: Eve Lamb

Daylesford Macedon Tourism will host Growth Mindset in Uncertain Times at the Macedon Ranges Hotel & Spa this Wednesday, June 26 from 8.30am to 3.30pm.

This year’s theme is about having a growth mindset in uncertain times. The conference will hear from some of the country’s most innovative and forward thinking leaders.

Topics for discussion include learning about using AI to generate content, how to market a business in challenging times, and why invest when others are cutting back.

There will be a chance to gain insights into the international market and what they expect, as well as real life examples of how to get traction in the weddings and events space.

A finance expert will talk about how to survive in a lower spend environment, and speakers from Visit Victoria and Tourism Australia will also keep the audience up-to-date with the latest marketing initiatives, and how to get involved.

The keynote speaker, Dan Monheit, CEO and the cofounder of Hardhat, is a behavioural scientist who has presented on the international stage and worked with the likes of Visit Victoria, and will talk about the power of a positive mindset and bring real life examples.

Also speaking are Macedon Ranges Shire CEO Bernie Sullivan and Hepburn Shire CEO Bradley Thomas, pictured above, on the theme: Housing, Planning and more: how councils are enabling growth.

The cost is $79 +GST for DMT partners and $158 +GST for non-partners.

Link: www.dmrtourism.com.au/events/

Words: Donna Kelly

As part of its Living and Ageing Well in Hepburn project, Central Highlands Rural Health has launched a series of community information events.

The next event is Staying Physically Strong and Increasing Independence with organisers inviting all local residents to attend.

It will be held on Tuesday, June 25 at 11am at the Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre.

Speakers at Tuesday’s event will include a social worker and an exercise physiologist from Central Highlands Rural Health.

Link: www.chrh.org.au

The Daylesford Water Supply Pipeline Project has achieved an 80 per cent installation milestone.

Over 14 kilometres of the 17-kilometre water pipeline have been installed along the pipeline alignment, which includes areas such as Blampied–Kooroocheang Road, the Midland Highway, Hepburn Regional Park and Italian Hill powerline easements, as well as road reserves and landowner easements.

CHW’s managing director Jeff Haydon said the project was a substantial advancement in water infrastructure for Daylesford, providing a sustainable water network to meet the region’s water security needs, with an expected life span of 100 years and a design capacity to provide more than 300 extra megalitres per annum of supplementary raw water.

The final three kilometres of pipeline installation will see a reduction of planned major works with major asset connections and Midland Highway works to recommence in August.

Mining speculation threat to proven mineral water wealth

Large parts of Central Victoria are covered with mining exploration licences with potential to impact your home, property, our environment, our groundwater and waterways.

If you are in any doubt of the potential impact search out the Ballarat or Bendigo deep gold mine sites, check for the waste tailings dams, the huge pumping gear and then you might check what neighbours are experiencing.

For over a year local residents of Daylesford have attempted to alert the state government of the risk to our natural mineral water should a deep mine ever proceed anywhere within the groundwater aquifer.

A modern deep mine must de-water vast areas of underground groundwater to operate. De-watering will not only impact the flow and formation of mineral water but will increase acidity and activate the release of sulphates and heavy metals.

Over and again we are reminded that any risk will have to be managed somehow. A mine probably will never get off the ground. If there seems a risk then the mining operator will need to provide professional evidence that risks can be managed.

Not very comforting, when you understand how much the economy and employment of our area is underpinned by the culture of natural mineral water, or when all government departments suggest Earth Resources will ensure the mineral water is protected and they in turn call us to say it is nothing to do with them.

Our local MP Mary-Anne Thomas has still not found time to meet concerned residents.

We have several worrying concerns including that the local mining exploration company has excised parts of Daylesford and Hepburn Spring from their licence but it does nothing to protect mineral water in their target areas.

There is still a hold-up with MP Steve Dimopoulos approving the new Mineral Water Management plan. Perhaps this is because it mentions risks from deep mining.

The government states they are completely altering the new national park area in our region that did prevent any deep mining while state and federal governments are promoting the mining industry and the price of gold is ever increasing.

Natural mineral water is a resource already but is not given a financial value by our state government.

Potential impacts on iconic local mineral water springs are among concerns being raised over proposed gold mining exploration in the Daylesford area.

From: Gary Lawrence, Don’t Undermine Daylesford

Hepburn Regional Community Cheer’s Christmas in July Dinner will be held on Wednesday, July 24.

Funds raised by the event are used to purchase toys, groceries and vouchers that are distributed in December at an annual “Giving Day”.

Organisers say donations of goods and services that can be auctioned or raffled are needed.

Those who would like t find out more, make a donation or obtain tickets should email Christine or Emma at infohrcc22@gmail.com

An unlikely match produced an incredible 70-year bond for Joan and Stuart McEwen of Hepburn, who celebrate their platinum wedding anniversary next Wednesday, June 26.

It was possibly an unlikely match when a young airforce pilot officer courted an attractive young art student at Amberley RAAF Base in Queensland in 1953.

Joan was the only daughter of the senior accounting officer and was living on the base while attending the Brisbane School of Arts & Technical College.

Stuart, who grew up in Perth, had recently completed four years of officer training at Point Cook RAAF Academy and had been posted to Amberley where he was undertaking training on the RAAF 4-engined Lincoln Heavy Bomber aircraft, a derivative of the famous WWII Lancaster, which were shortly to see action in Malaya.

It must have taken some steely nerve one evening at an Amberley RAAF mess function for the young flight officer to approach the party of senior officers seated at a table with young Joan – a party that included senior wing commanders and commanding officers of the squadron, as well as Joan’s father.

Having been warned “he didn’t have a hope” Stuart nonetheless, knowing faint hearts never win fair maidens, asked permission for a dance, which was accepted.

Romance quickly followed, but within three weeks Stuart was posted to Malaya where he undertook numerous bombing and low flying missions, and fulfilled roles as navigator, bomb aimer and front gunner.

However, correspondence continued between the young couple and on Stuart’s return 10 months later, they were married in St Peters Catholic Church in Daylesford, where Joan’s parents had returned to live.

Her father, Charlie Menz, had had a long family connection with the Swiss Italian and German settlers of the area, and went on to serve the community as a councillor, Justice of the Peace and and on the Daylesford Hospital Trust.

Stuart remained with the RAAF for a total of 19 years, saw three and a half years further training in England with the RAF on Canberras, a twin-engined light bombing aircraft, then spent several months in Tennessee in the United States where he navigated the second Hercules aircraft to arrive in Australia.

The couple raised four children but Stuart’s numerous postings with the airforce – which included Singapore, Richmond, Darwin and Townsville – was difficult when raising a young family, so when numerous offers came from Ansett Airlines to consider civil aviation it was eventually accepted.

With Ansett, Stuart flew innumerable times as flight navigator overseas to Holland, Seattle and the tiny remote communities of Cocos and Cook islands off the coast of Western Australia, no easy task as radio aid was limited and astro sighting of the stars was required for navigation.

After 20 years with Ansett, Stuart retired and in 1986 he and Joan moved from Gladstone Park, a suburb of Melbourne to live in Hepburn and into the family home built by Joan’s grandmother.

Joan, despite raising a young family, continued to pursue her painting interests and talent – specialising in watercolour, oils and crayon – and contributing to numerous exhibitions in the local area.

Her works feature beautiful local studies of older buildings and the landscapes of Hepburn and Daylesford, enabling a look back into the past of the area. Though now in her 90s she continues to paint and tend to a large garden.

It is a rarity these days for couples to remain together for such an extraordinary amount of time and we congratulate them on this remarkable achievement and wish them all the best for the future. (And happy birthday to Stuart, who will be 95 on June 28!)

Words: Mike McEwen | Images: Contributed

My Father’s Suitcase is described as a gripping tale of resilience and survival that offers hope to others who have experienced family violence and suffered at the hands of a sibling.

The book is a memoir which explores not only the troubled relationship between author Mary Garden and her younger sister, Anna, who died in 2023, but is also a big slice of social history of New Zealand in the 50s and 60s.

And while Mary may have started with anger about her sister, that changed as she wrote and her anger moved towards those around her who enabled the sibling violence to continue.

“I knew I had a focus on my sister’s treatment of me and this whole nothing of sibling abuse, it’s a huge missing part of family violence, but it is also about the dysfunctional family unit it exists within,” the Castlemaine resident and prolific feature writer, said.

“As I was writing I became less and less angry with her and by the end I felt quite compassionate, she had such a shit life. I mean, my mother used to say in front of Anna, ‘isn’t Mary pretty’, or ‘if only Anna was more like Mary’.

“And then I felt enraged about all those people who enabled it, the bystanders, all those people who knew about my sister’s violence and didn’t protect me.

“People say writing can be cathartic but I had already done a lot of therapy and work on my sister, so for me it provided more clarity and insight.”

My Father’s Suitcase grew out of her second memoir, Sundowner of the Skies, a biography of her aviator father, Oscar Garden, which was short-listed for the NSW Premier’s History Award 2020 for a book of international significance.

Her first book, The Serpent Rising, a memoir of her years entangled with various gurus in India in the 1970s, won the High Country Indie Book Award 2021.)

“In 2005 I did my first article on my father, who died in 1997 and had been a famous aviator. I did a feature article but when it was published it just exploded and I got emails from everywhere asking if I could write a book.

“I thought there was no way I could write a book but people pounded me for years and I started a book on my father and got a research grant, and I just hit a brick wall.

“I had a lot of self doubts, and of course I hated what my father had put my mother through, but I eventually went back to uni and did an editing course.

“Unfortunately I got a high distinction so I ended up doing a diploma and then a wretched PhD on journalism and the use of blogs and Twitter. And I thought if I can do this 80,000-word PhD I can do this book on my father, so I whipped it out really quickly and put a whole personal thread through it.”

Sadly, Mary’s publisher was not keen on the final three personal chapters, asking Mary to concentrate on aviation, and left much on the stone, so to speak.

Happily what was left became the start of her new book, My Father’s Suitcase, although some people told her that with Covid happening, no one wanted to hear about trauma.

“But I talked to many people and people do, so my book is not really my book, it is their story too, things that resonate with many people.

“And I just sat down and wrote it, it literally just poured out. So much so I had to see a hand therapist. And it turned out not to be just my difficult relationship with my sister but it includes the social and cultural history of the time in New Zealand.”

My Father’s Suitcase is available at all bookstores with signed copies at Paradise Books in Daylesford.

Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Contributed

by Darren Lowe

The Rolling Stones – Metlife Stadium, NJ, 23/05/2024

A nasty, weekly weather forecast, was the focus of my and Susan’s attention preceding this very major concert, and was the main reason for our extended trip to The Big Apple.

Thankfully, thunderstorms and very heavy rain were all over by midday. The Stones played two
concerts at Metlife Stadium, a short 20-25 minute journey by coach from the port authority.

We attended the first Thursday evening after purchasing tickets when the sale went online at some ungodly hour. Stressful but we managed to get floor tickets.

This was an absolutely mind-blowing concert experience. The best stadium sound I can remember with a fantastic view, and a great, vocal and excited US audience. In fact, the walk from bus to entry was my first live view of the tail-gating phenomena.

Rows of people with full camp and BBQ set up with beverages and a different Stones song every
few metres at full volume.

This was a major event, in a city with a lot of major events, which was a talking point over the next few days as we walked the streets of NY in Stones’ logo t-shirts.

Jon Batiste, with a 10-piece band including back singers and dancers, gave us a wonderful 45-minute support set. The multi-instrumentalist was a consummate showman with his funk infused, New Orleans-inspired set.

Fantastic musicians, back up singers/dancers and a taste of how the catwalk was to be used. We were closer to the action than I can remember in any of the umpteen times I’ve seen The Stones.

The Stones came on stage about 9.25pm with a glorious, intense exciting build up including Mick’s silhouette through the very large rear stage curtain.

As has been the cast throughout the first few gigs of the tour, the band opened spectacularly, with Start Me Up.

Now, as I’ve said to many friends in the past few days, I really don’t care how old these guys are anymore. This gig was amazing.

To the set list soon but the musicianship is astounding, possibly among the best gigs I’ve seen the
band play.

Mick is often remarked upon re his fitness, but it really needs to be acknowledged, as I know it always is, that he is of a certain age, running about on stage for two hours while singing! Incredible.

For the first time I can really remember, I was able to distinguish the separate playing of Keith and Ronnie, they are in remarkable form.

Listening, waiting, knowing when to back-off. That fabulous loose Stones sound. Clear, crisp, particularly on Jumping Jack Flash and on their acoustic interlude where we got to hear the very exciting You Got the Silver.

The touring musicians, many long term, were exemplary. Chuck Leavell, Bernard Fowler, Matt Clifford, Darryl Jones, Tim Ries and Karl Denson have all played with band for extended periods.

More recently there has also been Steve Jordan, since 2021 and Chanel Hanes since 2022. As usual, she blew the house away with her part in Gimme Shelter.

Despite playing hits in the bulk of their set I don’t see them as a nostalgia act, as they are still playing remarkably well and with 60+ years of material to draw from.

Being in New York, sorry Jersey, we got Shattered and Miss You and the fan voted Wild Horses. Nice choice. And a sprinkling of early hits including Get Off My Cloud and Paint It Black. I personally loved hearing It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll.

You know it’s a great gig when you are on a high the next day, exciting, glorious rock sings, still played with passion and enthusiasm after 62 years.

Next edition – Neil Young and Crazy Horse at Forest Hills Stadium, NYC.