Work on the new, multi-million-dollar Gisborne Ambulance Station is complete with paramedics now operating from the upgraded site.
Located on Robertson Street, the new Gisborne Ambulance Station includes a four-bay garage for ambulances, four rest and recline areas for our hard-working paramedics to recuperate, training facilities, a fully equipped kitchen and improved security and car parking to make sure paramedics are safe.
The project involved knocking down the old Gisborne Ambulance Station and replacing it with fit for purpose amenities to give local paramedics the modern facilities they need and deserve to support their life-saving work.
It’s one of more than 30 new ambulance stations built by the state government since 2015, Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas says.
Delivered by the Victorian Health Building Authority in partnership with Ambulance Victoria, the new Gisborne Ambulance Station is one of several new ambulance stations being delivered across the state – including in Rochester, Euroa, Paynesville, Avoca and Yarram.
Minister for Health Infrastructure and Ambulance Services, and Member for Macedon
Mary-Anne Thomas: “Our paramedics are the very best of us, and in areas like Gisborne, we know locals rely on their expertise, compassion and commitment in times of crisis – making the bigger and better new Gisborne Ambulance Station all the more important.”
“The new Gisborne Ambulance Station will provide paramedics a fit-for-purpose workplace with the latest equipment and facilities to keep them safe and ensure they can deliver world class care to their community.”

Three local sports clubs are among others statewide that will share in more than $600,000 for their efforts in campaigning to eliminate road trauma in their communities.
The state governmentand Transport Accident Commission in recent days announced this year’s
recipients of the TAC Club Rewards program, incentivising grassroots clubs across the state
for showing a commitment to promoting road safety during the 2023 season.

In Macedon three clubs have been successful:
-Gisborne Giants Football Netball Club
-Lancefield Jnr Football Club
-Woodend Hesket Football Club

Delivered in partnership with AFL Victoria, 251 clubs will receive rewards of up to $10,000
through the program, the highest number of recipients in the program’s five years.
The program encourages clubs to engage with players, members and their communities on
key road safety issues and promote safe behaviours, with the dangers of distracted driving a
key focus of this year’s campaign.
Successful clubs are able to use the money for a range of initiatives including education programs, club transport initiatives, new equipment and uniforms and facility upgrades and improvements.
Distracted driving is one of the major causes of fatal and serious injury crashes on Victoria’s
roads and is particularly concerning on regional roads where people are travelling at higher speeds.
AFL Victoria-affiliated clubs from across the state were able to apply for the program by
showing how they supported road safety throughout the year, including taking part in the
TAC’s Road Safety Round ‘Band Together’ campaign.
The TAC Club Rewards Program is part of the TAC’s 31-year partnership with AFL Victoria, aiming to empower clubs to develop a culture where players and members are expected to be safe on the roads.

G’day! I’m Colin. I’m a bloke in my prime at five-and-a-half years young. I appreciate attention and I love human company, yet I am an individual and I don’t appreciate being crowded. I reckon I just need a family or special person who will give me a bit of space to just be my own cat when I need it. Yes, I have a bit of catitude. It’s what makes me the cool cat I am. I best suit to a home with no small children. You can make a time to come and meet me here at the Mount Alexander Animal Welfare Shelter in Castlemaine. Microchip no. 956000010096624 Adoption fee $150

Q & As
Hey Glen, I have a batch of healthy young tomato seedlings, almost growing out of their pots. Now the weather has started to warm up, would it be safe to plant them out now? If not, then when? – David, Hepburn
Coming, as they do, from the sunny Mediterranean, young tomatoes can be damaged by chilly night air like we are getting now. Unless you have some form of protection for them until the weather turns, I would suggest you hold off for a while.
In the meantime, bring them out of doors during the sunny hours and reduce their water uptake. You should find their main stems will darken to purple. That will tell you they’re ready to take on any cold snap.
Hey Glen, I have an interesting problem with my three-year-old lemon tree. A few months ago I noticed a very healthy new growth coming from the stem just below the main stem. I wasn’t concerned until I noticed it was putting out long spikes and much larger leaves. Should I encourage this new growth, or is it going to take over? – James, Kyneton
Sorry to tell you James, but the original plant, which happens to be a wild lemon, has got bored and decided to take over control. You can fix things by simply cutting it off, right at the main stem. Clean up the wound with a sharp knife and smear it with Vaseline or some other antiseptic cream.
Pruning citrus
Spring is the prime citrus clean-up time of year, the time to remove weak and spindly growth, dead wood and, of course, invasive foreign growths.
As citrus trees grow they tend to accumulate dead, woody twigs and light growth towards their centre. By using a sharp pair of pruners and a little patience, you can open up the tree and allow plenty of sunlight in, thus preventing the build up of diseases, moulds and insect pests that normally thrive on weak, shady growth.
Do not take too much growth from the top or centre of the tree, because citrus prefer a healthy cover of leaves all over as protection from the scorching rays of the summer sun.
Help your trees to health
Healthy trees growing in their native habitat seldom suffer seriously from insect attack. The tree’s inbuilt defences and the insects’ natural enemies provide a balance. But when the trees are taken out of their natural environment, that balance is lost. Some insects, such as the gumtree scale, can multiply to the point where they can cause serious defoliation and, sometimes, kill the tree.
It becomes necessary in an artificial environment, to help nature control those insects before they reach plague proportions.
If and when insect activity is noticed on a tree or shrub, the insect should be properly identified before any control is attempted. Natural controls, such as disease and predators, may prevent serious damage. Insecticidal sprays applied wrongly or at the wrong time may do more harm to the natural control than the pests. If the insect is no longer present, sprays will be useless and other harmless, beneficial species could be needlessly killed.
The presence of some insects, such as borers, often indicates a reduction of the health and vigour of the tree. These insects enter trees dying from old age or trees damaged by humans, or natural factors such as drought, frosts, wind or intense summer heat. When the insects are finally discovered in those cases it may already be too late to save the tree.
Got a gardening query? Email glenzgarden@gmail.com

So, the No’s have it. Well it was an overwhelming No in terms of The Voice vote, and it (The Voice) is probably doomed to being kicked down the road like an unwanted can.
But is there a way we could just tear things up and start again? The Constitution is our foundation document but does not recognise the original inhabitants of Australia, and maybe this is the thing that needs to change.
From that point, a retrospective treaty could be created, and life would be fairer. That’s just my take on it. And people reading this, don’t bother putting your two cents worth in by contacting me as there has been enough division over the subject.
Hand on heart, I voted yes, however it wasn’t before a fair bit of deliberation due to my lack of trust when I was told to simply “trust in the process”. And I even had a run-in with one of our senior journalists, who ended the argument with “I’m right and you’re wrong and that’s the end of it” – simply because I wanted clarification around what it meant to vote yes.
But back to the Constitution, the nation’s birth certificate. According to the document:
“The Australian Constitution was then passed as part of a British Act of Parliament in 1900, and took effect on 1 January 1901. A British Act was necessary because before 1901 Australia was a collection of six self-governing British colonies and ultimate power over those colonies rested with the British Parliament. In reality, however, the Constitution is a document which was conceived by Australians, drafted by Australians and approved by Australians.”
It talks about government structures, the Queen and her representative, the Governor-General, and structures of parliament. Check out these couple of extracts that I found while tediously pouring over the 51-page document.

59. Disallowance by the Queen
    The Queen may disallow any law within one year from the Governor-General’s assent, and such disallowance on being made known by the Governor-General by speech or message to each of the Houses of the Parliament, or by Proclamation, shall annul the law from the day when the disallowance is so made known.
60. Signification of Queen’s pleasure on Bills reserved
    A proposed law reserved for the Queen’s pleasure shall not have any force unless and until within two years from the day on which it was presented to the Governor-General for the Queen’s assent the Governor-General makes known, by speech or message to each of the Houses of the Parliament, or by Proclamation, that it has received the Queen’s assent.
    And there’s lots more where that came from, dry dribble about how we report back to Old Blighty.
    So, my point is, rather than trying to cram something new like The Voice into the old crumbling out-of-date document, wouldn’t it have been better for our leaders to have used The Voice money to become a republic in a timely manner? I don’t know when – oh yes, like when the Queen died.
    And then we could surely use this opportunity to put in whatever we want including recognition of our First Nations people.
    Money-wasting bureaucratic rant over…

Hard work pays off
Since planting grapevines on an old potato farm in 1998, Passing Clouds has become a stalwart producer in the Macedon Ranges. At Musk, the vineyard is a lofty 742 metres above sea level on the edge of the Great Dividing Range, which is one of the most exposed and coldest vineyard sites in Australia. Not the kindest weather conditions for some, but perfect for making elegant pinot noir and chardonnay. So it was no surprise in it picking up the MCC Labels Trophy at the recent 2023 Macedon Ranges Wine Exhibition, as well as the Best Wine of Exhibition Award for its 2022 Estate Chardonnay. This is a great result given the stiff competition from the likes of Curly Flat. “It was nice to receive this for our chardonnay as last year it was the turn of our pinot noir to pick up a trophy,” said winemaker and owner Cameron Leith. Cameron puts some of his success down to the hard work done establishing a regenerative approach in the vineyard. “We started work in 2016 which involved improving the soils and our relationships with the land. It is a different approach than conventional viticulture and one which benefits both the soil and our planet.”
Since starting, he has seen a rise in the quality of his fruit coming off the vineyard as well as reducing the input costs, “purity of place has improved and now the wines remind me more of Europe”. As part of their approach, they planted over 700 native shrubs and grasses in different insectariums that encourage more diversity in insect life. This, for example, has helped curb the snail population which can cause havoc once in the vine canopy. They also have higher than normal organic material in the soil thanks to using natural fertilisers from their sheep and composting their winery and kitchen waste.
The trophy-winning Estate Chardonnay is an elegant, restrained wine with citrus and minerally, slightly saline, driven aromas, accompanied by some oak-derived struck-match complexity. The palate is where you see the cool climate shine brightly with fresh acid-driven citrus and stone fruit flavours yet laced with a savoury oak middle palate on a medium-bodied framework. This wine is delicious to drink now and will age well into the future.

Clive Hartley is an award-winning wine writer, educator and consultant. Want to learn more about wine? Try his Australian Wine Guide (7th ed) from Paradise Books, Daylesford, Stoneman’s Bookroom, Castlemaine or via his website – www.australianwineguide.com.au

with Eve Lamb

It’s a sterling Spring day, late October, as we set off to walk the nine kilometre Wombat Trail that sets out from Trentham’s pretty little Quarry Street Reserve.

While this little ripper of walk starts here in the township itself, crossing High Street and entering the Stony Creek Reserve, and then meandering through lifestyle-property-land, it doesn’t take too long before you’re in the forest with plenty of impressive eucalypts for company.

Today, I also have the company of my excellent walking companion, Paddy H, plus a packed lunch which is fairly quickly dealt with before we even leave the Stony Creek Reserve section.

So we’ve only covered about a kilometre by the time we hit the sandwiches and coffee, but we’ve already seen plenty of native birdlife and an unexpected sculptural monument entitled Inter-stelae.

Located at the edge of the Wombat Forest, this top little loop walk is both flat and well signposted and moseying along, we soon reach the historic Trentham Cemetery, alongside which the trail passes.

The cemetery itself is worth a quick stop to visit the grave of one of Trentham’s larger than life yesteryear characters, the former inimitable Dr Gweneth Wisewould. Signage shares a little of the good doctor’s eventful history (there’s her memoir ‘Outpost: A Doctor on the Divide’ to look up if you’re interested) and points out her final resting place here, facing the forest as she’d requested.

Leaving the cemetery behind, there’s a short section of trail ahead before we cross the Trentham-Blackwood Road, after which we enter the forest.

But just before we do, we encounter a couple of surprises: the first being the remnant chimney of a long-crumbled dwelling ensconced in a weedy but pretty swamp of forget-me-nots, and the second a large rusted historic boiler, a relic from the area’s past that features both gold mining and forestry. The latter helped to keep Dr Wisewould plenty busy.

At this point the canopy above us starts to become pretty impressive with some remarkable tall trees.

Crossing the Trentham-Blackwood Road, we enter the forested section of the walk and soon find fresh evidence of the trail’s namesake animal in residence. From here the trail offers a good bushland experience and further on ahead, the historic site of the former 1800s Trentham Racecourse – unused since 1907.

This is like no racecourse site you’ve ever seen before. In fact, were it not for the signage, you’d never pick this as having been a racecourse, let alone a 1.6km course that once boasted a grandstand.

Here, we’re surrounded by forest, an under-story featuring native grasses and a eucalyptus canopy through which the wind rushes in bursts like a restless inland sea. Myriad tiny white and purple native violets, sprinkled like micro fairy lights are abundant along this section of the trail.

We walk on, now navigating the forest-engulfed 1.6km racecourse loop that once hosted pounding hooves – anticlockwise as they would have raced – stopping where the grandstand once stood to imagine long-gone mug punters losing their pennies on punts and pints.

Having completed the racecourse circuit we stop for a well-earnt trail side tea break imagining ghost horses with flaring nostrils and thundering hooves… Perhaps it’s just the canopy zephyr?

From here it’s not far back to the township and the Quarry Street Reserve with its handy amenities, parking and proud new wood duck families enjoying the pond. Reflecting that we only encountered three other people along the entire trail, Paddy H and I celebrate the satisfactory completion of this little gem of a walk with a couple of bags of crisps. At 9kms, Trentham’s Wombat Trail is just the right length to tackle if you want a walk that gets you into the forest, with some unique points of interest in the mix, even if you’re strapped for time.

By Donna Kelly

It was a real shock to hear of the sudden death just last week of Serge Kislinsky. I hope you are not just reading it now in this column.
For who didn’t know Serge, and you are the poorer for it, he was a taxi driver for Daylesford Taxis, for many years. Most of us have been on a trip with Serge. Mostly a pretty fast trip. But always with great banter and humour.
The news has many in the community reeling. Everyone felt like they knew Serge. And he was just “Serge”. The guy who answered the taxi phone, who picked you up, sometimes coming into the bar or restaurant to find you, and delivered you safely to your front door.
Sometimes you would get a cheery “Hello lovers!” when you got in the cab, or “Hello beautiful people”as he passed you in the street. And there was the banter and the jokes, some good, some bad, and just the genuine smile.
My most memorable ride home was one late night where Serge was the only cabby on. He never wanted to keep people waiting so was going pretty fast. Well, really fast. (Let’s face it, he sometimes drove that cab like he was in the Grand Prix.) And as we headed into Glenlyon we were up around the 100km mark (maybe a titch more) with no signs of slowing down.
Kyle and I both pretty much screamed “Serge” and he hit the brakes, made the sharp right-hand bend and missed ending up in a huge gum. That became “our tree” every ride home after that. The three of us. Sort of funny. Hmmm.
But I will very much miss this gentleman of Daylesford. I think he has left a bigger hole than he would have ever realised. And so, here are just a few comments, of about 200, from a farewell posted on Facebook.
Daylesford just got a bit darker. I didn’t realise how much it meant to me being able to see Serge and him always take such an interest in my life and how I was doing and give me such sage advice and encouragement always with that shifty grin. We loved you mate!
Dear Serge, You were the best. All the jokes we shared, the way you flattered us all with so much sincerity, the two of us cracking jokes in mangled poor Australian/Russian hybrids….and most of all the times that you morphed into the Soup Nazi when anyone kept you waiting…God forbid it was during ChillOut. I am so sad – such a wonderful eccentric and generous personality.
This is just so so sad. Serge was the heart of Daylesford. The common thread that bound us all. He had the amazing ability to make you feel like the little snippets of life were just as important as the big chapter moments. I’ll always cherish my rides with Serge. Booking a taxi won’t be the same again, knowing it won’t be his cheeky face picking me up. A truly beautiful man.
We just adored our “Latvian Lothario” and enjoyed so much piss taking and much laughter together over the years. A huge loss for all. May you Shine On You Crazy Diamond.
You were such a friendly, funny, intelligent and empathetic man. You will be greatly missed. Thank you for always bringing our kids home safely.
Vale Serge, and as always, safe travels. You are missed already. Donna and Kyle x

The Daylesford Community Brass Band, with musical director Mark Lyall, deputy music director Sue Morris and artistic director Jenny Jordan, will perform at Christ Church Daylesford on Saturday, November 25 at 2.30pm.
Brass banding in Daylesford has a long history, with the first band being formed in 1862. There have been many iterations of the band, the most recent being the formation of the current band (originally known as the Daylesford Municipal Brass Band) in 1962.
Current members range in age from early twenties to eighties. Banding frequently becomes a life-long passion, and several members have been members of the band for more than 50 years. They are very much a family band, with partners, children and parents joining to share the joy of music making.
The final concert in Christ Church’s Winter to Spring 2023 series will showcase the Daylesford Community Brass Band with their concert, Light of Gold.
Eclectic in genre and style, Light of Gold demonstrates that all music, from classical to jazz, may paint vivid pictures in the heart and mind. The diversity of this program is ambitious and exiting.
Tickets: www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1040691

The Guildford Family Hotel loves November – and supporting Movember.
Owner Megan Evans said raffles would be held every Friday during the month at 7.30pm (with tickets on sale from 6pm) with the huge Shave-Off Raffle to be held on Friday, December 1.
Among those getting shaved for the great cause are members of the Daylesford Spa Country Railway, above from left, David “Jock” McCance, Liam Deppeler and Steven Fiume. Megan said she had known Jock, Liam and Steven “forever” and they were often at the hotel to support raffles for many causes.
“We stir each other a lot and I told Liam he needed to get rid of his beard and I knew the best way would be Movember. They are really happy to support such a fantastic cause.”
Helping with online pledges is Renea McCarthy who will be happy to take money from those keen to pay for someone to join the Shave-Off.
Shave-Off Raffle prizes include anything from loads of wood to train rides, and more are welcome. There’s also a donation vase – ready for donations – on the bar.
Also ready to shave is Hepburn’s John Beetham, below, who already has a Movember tattoo from a prior year.

Link: www.movember.com/m/15083302?mc=1

Final Edition is the creative practice of Craig Frankland: a teacher, designer and artist based on Dja Dja Wurrung land in Daylesford.
His current work, a series of small sculptural record holders, is fuelled by his passion for music and how we interact with it. Craig’s record holders are created to promote enjoying and creating a ritual of listening.
He combines traditional craft techniques and modern manufacturing processes and a significant part of his art-making is concerned with exploring sustainability and form.
“The idea is really about slowing things down and getting back to the enjoyment of making a space to consciously put on an album and listen to it in its entirety as the artist intended.
“This project was born out of that idea and I’m having a lot of fun tackling forms that will hopefully encourage this way of listening.
“Final Edition really kicked off during Covid as many things did during that time and has been about re-energising myself. I put a lot of energy into teaching so this is a creative outlet for me that also feeds back into my teaching as well.
“DJ culture has helped to keep vinyl around as a format and there has been a definite resurgence in people collecting, and listening to records in recent times.”
Craig’s own record collection continues growing as he meets and talks music with friends.
Final Edition record holders can be ordered online through Instagram, or purchased at Daylesford Records or Bad Neighbour Records in Geelong.
Come and support and meet this local maker at Daylesford Records (11 Howe Street) on Saturday, November 18, 4pm-6pm or follow along at Craig Final Edition on Instagram.

One of Victoria’s largest trees, a majestic River Red Gum (eucalyptus camaldulensis) located near Guildford on the Midland Highway, has been awarded the prestigious title of 2023 Victorian Tree of the Year by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria).
Known affectionately as The Big Tree, the tree is estimated to be more than 530 years old and stands at an impressive 32 metres. Trust CEO Simon Ambrose said the River Red Gum was a clear winner with more than 40 per cent of all votes cast. “Our winner is a well-respected landmark within the Guildford community, and voters have shown the significant contribution the River Red Gum has made to the local landscape with outstanding size and curious fusion of branches.”

Garden lovers are in for a weekend treat, with the chance to visit three very different private garden openings in Castlemaine, Barkers Creek, and Flora Hill (Bendigo) with Open Gardens Victoria on November 11 and 12.
First stop is Clontarf – a stunning three-acre garden opposite the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens, next is Hedgehogs, a three-acre garden surrounding a 1923 farmhouse and finally, Lee Adams Garden in Flora Hill, an example of what can be achieved on an average-sized suburban block. Link: www.opengardensvictoria.org.au

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council is inviting community feedback on a planning scheme amendment that proposes rezoning land near Malmsbury’s eastern entrance help preserve the township’s character.

Amendment C157macr, which has been requested by the current landowners, applies to 9-25 (part of), 31, 33 and 35 Mollison Street, and will result in land being rezoned from commercial use to low-density residential.

The area was previously recommended for rezoning in the Macedon Ranges Small Towns Study 2006, which identified that commercial development of the land would not reflect the rural village setting of Malmsbury.

The area currently surrounding the site is characterised by single-story residential buildings of modest site coverage, with generous front setbacks and well-established gardens.

The council’s Director Planning and Environment, Rebecca Stockfeld, said the proposed changes were important to help preserve the area’s specific neighbourhood, heritage, environmental and landscape character values.

“Under the amendment, any new development taking place on the land identified will need to reflect the local residential character surrounding the site and of Malmsbury more broadly,” she said.

“It would include specifications around minimum lot sizes, maximum building heights, minimum street setbacks and site coverage.”

Community members can view the proposed amendment and supporting documents on the council’s website, or at the council’s Kyneton administration centre,

The closing date for submissions is Wednesday 13 December 2023 and the council says it will consider all submissions received and appoint an independent Planning Panel if necessary, with a final decision regarding the amendment to be made by the Minister for Planning.

Words & image: Tony Sawrey

Garry Powell is a prolific author with nearly 20 published books to his credit including several local histories such as Double Gold, the History of Mount Franklin and District co-written with Janet MacDonald.
His latest work, to be released later in November through the Daylesford and District Historical Society is The Friendly Fifties – Growing up in Daylesford and Hepburn in the 1950s. Across 130 pages, peppered with countless photos from the period, he presents a tableau of simpler times blessed with greater community cooperation and friendliness.
“I was prompted to do this book by Jan Smith at the historical society,” says Garry. “We were well into recording local oral histories when Covid hit and we had to stop.
“So instead, it was suggested that, since I had grown up in Daylesford and had many connections in the area, what about doing a bit of a history of when you were going to school? So I began work on it during lockdown.”
His work lays out in detail the minutiae of daily existence growing up in Daylesford and Hepburn in times that are clearly considered to have been happier than today. It is a picture of a perfect little rural town.
Wives at home, men out working, kids walking off to school and doing sport on the weekends. In his recollections, Garry captures an era evoking the atmosphere of a d’Arcy Doyle or David Bromley painting with children playing and holding hands.
In fact, as Garry points out, his most significant memory of growing up in the region is not anything specific, neither date, time or event but a state of being.
“I could walk down the street here as a kid and know everyone. It was just the friendliness of everybody, everybody knew everybody. How fortunate it was to grow up in such a close and active community.”
Nonetheless it could be said that The Friendly Fifties tends to avoid dwelling on the negative aspects of life in post-war rural Australia. While it was certainly a time of halcyon childhoods, the decade was also marked by a stifling Menzies-style conformity and conservatism along with rigid gender roles.
Not to mention the spectre of the Stolen Generations, practices of forced adoption and the repressed trauma of returned servicemen. All of these stories and more have local iterations.
However Garry makes clear that the difference between the life he experienced growing up in the town is far removed from that of today.
Above all, the economy of the area has shifted from that of an insular working town with industries such as woollen mills and timber to that of tourism.
And with these changes he believes the population has lost its connections with each other.
In the book’s foreword written by Professor Tom Griffiths of the Australian National University, Garry wonders if such strong, close communities continue to exist and asks of local people today: “Could they just walk into anyone’s home for a cuppa?”