Humans on mase are filthy creatures, by and large their time is taken up by the need to constantly tend to their orifices.

The aliens looking down at us or rubbing shoulders with us (depending on your level of heightened conspiracy and paranoia) must shake their multiple green heads in disbelief, at the time we humans waste tending to our apertures, cracks holes and vents.

They must be weighing up the necessity to enslave us to gorge on or just move to another planet, call it what it is, a mistake to invade after decades of observation. As they watch us coughing into the crooks of our arms, expelling wind from down below or stuffing our heads with food. And when we give the food a rest, being on high alert to rehydrate carrying with us our bottles of water and coffee cups as if we are residents of the Sahara.

I am curious as to what the correct audible level is to blow your nose? as it seems the elders amongst us have given up gauging. I sat at a club the other day in Queensland during our winter break as an elder from the table next door let rip a giant blow into a handkerchief, but the sound wasn’t the worst of it. After the rattling acoustic wave passed, it was time to look at the contents of the handkerchief and give their rubbery old nose a couple of extra swipes and gently fold up the tattered piece of material with a sort of sense of pride.

Speaking of noses, since forever I have felt a wave of sickness just before a sneeze especially in the morning and I have never been able to get to the bottom of the nausea. As soon as I sneeze the feeling stops, but I have never worked out where you are meant to sneeze. Obviously not over the people you love, but I simply can’t control it, I have tried to sneeze into the crook of my arm, but the muscle spasm flings my arm open clouting anyone in the vicinity. And it is even worse when I am on the freeway heading to Melbourne my eyes start to squint and eventually shut for a second while the shockwave jolts the wheel. The lane departure signals cut in as I give the wheel a discreet wipe over and look at the worried faces of the drivers in the lanes either side.

Another worrying orifice I have is my right ear, I can’t seem to fit and keep an earbud in there, I see people on bikes, walking, jogging or simply sitting and talking on their phones. But the moment I move, swallow, or try to talk the thing shoots out of my ear at a rate of knots. And it’s not just the earbud, on a flight last Christmas I had to ask for a set of headphones as the earpiece that was provided kept flinging itself of my ear. Eventually a set of headphones materialised from what I imagine was the business class section of the plane. But it was the tiresome explanation I had to trot out to the air hostess, “it’s not you it’s me” style of rhetoric referring to the earbuds and my lack of ear cannel.

Speaking of hearing, I heard recently from a good source that The Local team have moved from the Central Highlands of Victoria to warmer clims, and I guess being a fairly integral part of the TL team that would include me. However, I am here to tell you apart from a couple of short flits during the rattiest part of the year like most of the members of our shivering community to warmer clims, for better or for worse, we haven’t relocated.

Orifis rant over…

By Donna Kelly

I WAS going to write about The Voice. It seemed appropriate given this week is NAIDOC Week. I know, National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee Week. I guess one day was not enough.
But then I started researching, even more than usual, and I don’t know enough about The Voice to write about it. And I think that could be the problem. A lot of Australians don’t know enough about it – even though millions will be spent on the referendum later this year.

And that is where, and I never, ever, thought I would say this, I agree with Peter Dutton. The referendum should be delayed. Of course, we all know that Yes is the correct answer to: “A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?”. But a lot of us, myself included, would like a
little more detail.
I think, as it stands, with the detail left until after the referendum, that the vote will be No. Australians are a suspicous lot and let’s be honest, there is still racism and ignorance to overcome. I have very good friends, who would do anything for us, salt of the earth, but were always going to vote No. Mind you, they also watch Sky News.
Anyway, I thought instead I could write about the pandemic – and all those lockdowns. I have even got a TL tee-shirt that says “We’re Victorians – We know lockdowns”. Who knew it would ever be a bit of fun.
So during the lockdowns some people rearranged their pantries, or painted their walls or learnt how to make sourdough – hands up if you have now thrown away your starters? You know what I am talking about. Feeding them was only fun for a while.

But other people, like former ABC legend Jon Faine wrote a book, and personal trainer Beth Whiting got herself ready to become a kettlebell world champion.
Millie Gouldthorpe, as she went blind, literally threw herself into painting and Clunes’ Karen Heap continued her amazing work as Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative CEO and has just been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.
These are some of the stories we have in this edition and I am, as ever, always amazed by the talent of the community. I know, Jon Faine does not live here, but he is a regular visitor and loves his time in the Central Highlands. So he gets a pass.
I have probably said before that when we first started The Local, Kyle asked what would happen if we ran out of stories. I told him that was never going to be a problem. And it hasn’t. This is Issue 283 and I reckon we do about six feature stories in each edition. So that’s roughly 1696 stories featuring people, places, history, festivals and events. And a total of 596 Just Sayin’…s and Kyle’s Rants.
(Those plural ss are annoying to look at – yet we must resist the temptation to make them possessive.) And we’ve even run 283 of Glen’s garden columns – might have to double his wage when we get to 300.
We are quickly heading towards our 10th anniversary in September this year. Never thought about that when we started but there you go. There will be a little bit of a celebration – invites are going out in a few weeks. (Let me know if you want an invite…) But I guess the main celebration for most of our readers has been 10 years of free reads each fortnight – and weekly for the first year of the pandemic. We just
felt we needed to keep our community informed. Will we be around for another 10 years? Why not? Powerball hasn’t come up yet. And even if we won, we would still be here for the community. Wouldn’t we? Just sayin’..

with Eve Lamb

Formerly Sister Maleita, serving as a nun with a French Order in New Zealand, Daylesford’s Millie Gouldthorpe came to painting later in life than many, but once she did – Oh Boy! The canvas really exploded. Millie’s style which emerged in a torrent of creativity during the time of COVID lockdowns is vibrant, abstract expressionist, and the way she revels in the sheer joy of colour is all the more fabulous for the fact that she is classified as blind due to the development of a degenerative eye condition. When she makes art, sometimes literally in the dark, this local arts talent almost seems to be channelling some higher force.

Eve: How long have you lived in Daylesford now Millie?

Millie: Seventeen years. Came with my husband; he died in the front cottage. Then moved out to the back cottage with Jude who’d been a Loreto nun. And I also was a nun with Sisters of Our Lady of The Missions, a French Order, in New Zealand for twenty years in New Zealand. We entered the nun hood same day, same month, same year. Two different countries. Two different orders. We were both twenty years in the convent. She’s now my carer. I was Sister Maleita (that’s my real name). Born in Wales. Named after a cow. Entered the convent. They said ‘Can’t use that name’. I said ‘Oh. It’s a Holy Cow’.

Eve: Great story. When did you take up art?

Millie: I took up painting during the COVID period … and I suddenly had this burst of energy. I knew I had to paint. So I went out there (to the undercover space which has since become a studio) Pouring rain. Two o’clock in the morning, and got three canvasses at once. Got a yard broom, threw paint on the three canvasses, dragged the yard broom over the three at once. Could feel and see texture of blue and gold, and then I threw chalk paint and shoved a stick into the chalk paint… Later I was putting it outside and a friend, Miriam, came and said ‘Oh! You’ve drawn my homeland! The Wimmera!’. I said ‘Oh? Yes I have!’ (laughs) Anyway, she bought it! A triptych. But I was so driven with paint. And it sort of gave me a sense of independence. Of control and delight. Sheer delight with the colour. And because I wasn’t using a brush there’s no ego involved.

Eve: You obviously have a huge amount of fun. How do you paint? Do you just flick paint with the palette knife?

Millie: Yes. A stick, or anything.

Eve: Acrylic on canvas?

Millie: Yes. But I’ve gone through different stages.  I went through a stage of mono-printing, just splashing and squeezing (marked surfaces together) and some amazing things happened with that!

Eve: People really love your work. It’s amazing that you only took up painting during COVID. What have been some of the highlights for you since then?

Millie: Well an artist, a real artist, and friend of mine, said ‘why don’t you enter the Castlemaine Art Exhibition?’ And so I put three in. I had an enormous one that went through so many metamorphisms. And the joy for me is that I’m not despairing. I know there’s something emerging and I can’t control it. I have to let it happen. It draws me. It paints me… So suddenly I’m seeing the browns and the blacks – and I began to just put handprints. Some white. Some brown. And I called it ‘Reconciliation’ . And it sold and I got such a shock! Then I donated a dancing dragonfly to the Zelman Memorial Symphony Orchestra here last year. U3A were sponsoring it. I said ‘would you like a raffle prize?’ So I did this big dancing dragonfly. At the end of the thing I got a tap on my shoulder and the conductor said ‘Are  you Millie?” He said “I haven’t won the raffle but did you paint that?’

 I said  ‘Yes I did. Who are you?’ (I was upstairs and I couldn’t see). And he said ‘I was the conductor and I want to commission you’… I said ‘You don’t!’ He said ‘I have to’. So I’ve had three commissions from him.

Eve: So people are responding really strongly to your work and it’s an interesting irony, isn’t it Millie, that somehow with the loss of eyesight it’s really bringing to the fore an absolute passion and appreciation for vision and for colour.

Millie: Well. That’s exactly it.

Eve: So I have to ask you… What is the visual condition that you have?

Millie: It’s dry macular degeneration. The back of my eyes are covered over with whatever it is, so I can’t really see. I have to look up to catch you. So I’m relying on peripherals all the time.

Eve: How does the eyesight condition influence the way you go about creating work?

Millie: Well the other night the power went off. So I thought ‘Oh well I’m in the dark anyway most of the time’. So I reached  across to where I knew there was a fresh canvas and I pulled it over and then I put my phone on, and got the light on the phone and just hovered over five colours with the light. Gold, verde, black, those sorts of colours. And I filled five little frisky tins with the paint. I got four, five sticks and I just sat there in the dark, and I just threw the paint blindly. In the morning Jude came in and said  ‘Where did that come from!?” I said  ‘Oh I was just playing around’.

She said ‘But the power went out. We had a brown out’. I said ‘I know, but I’m blind anyway’.

And then a neighbour came and saw it and said ‘Oh I have to have it Millie! I have to have it. I’ve got the place on my wall’… I really  don’t know how to respond to you, other than that I have a passion, a feel, and I think that the fact  that I can’t see gives me freedom from ego and thinking. And, well, I’m connected to The Source. My influence is God. My faith. And I know that I’m imbued with the source of creation. I didn’t come to art. Art came to me.

Eve: Can people visit you and your work here at your Daylesford studio by appointment?

Millie: Yes. Probably by appointment.

Recently opened in Maldon, the MANet artists’ gallery is a collective of eight local artists who are all excited about the opportunity to exhibit, and sell their work, locally.
The group consists of six visual artists, a jeweller and a woodturner Each month one of the artists in the collective will exhibit their work as feature artist of the month.
From 26th June to 24th July Mark Wardle (Pictured above) will be the inaugural feature artist.

Mark uses woodturning as the basis of most of his work, with pieces often embellished with texture or carving. He has always enjoyed working with wood trying to bring out the natural beauty of the material whilst also working with the inherent imperfections that wood contains. Many of his pieces start with
preliminary sketches that are inspired by organic forms or different styles of graphic art. He has always enjoyed the challenge of adapting these elements into turned work. In this very retrospective exhibition, you will see many ways in which he has approached this challenge.
“It is my hope that the visitor will enjoy the many ways in which I have come up with ways to express these adaptions on turned work and also enjoy the contrast between the very delicate pieces, and others that reflect the ruggedness and brutality of trees that grow in Australia’s often-harsh environments.” Along with the exhibition of woodturnings will be some of Marks graphic art and kinetic sculpture (also made from wood) called ‘The Marble Steps’ (pictured above).

Mark uses woodturning as the basis of most of his work, with pieces often embellished with texture or carving. He has always enjoyed working with wood trying to bring out the natural beauty of the material whilst also working with the inherent imperfections that wood contains. Many of his pieces start with
preliminary sketches that are inspired by organic forms or different styles of graphic art. He has always enjoyed the challenge of adapting these elements into turned work. In this very retrospective exhibition, you will see many ways in which he has approached this challenge.
“It is my hope that the visitor will enjoy the many ways in which I have come up with ways to express these adaptions on turned work and also enjoy the contrast between the very delicate pieces, and others that reflect the ruggedness and brutality of trees that grow in Australia’s often-harsh environments.” Along with the exhibition of woodturnings will be some of Marks graphic art and kinetic sculpture (also made from wood) called ‘The Marble Steps’.

The MANet Arts Focus gallery is located at 27 Main St. Maldon. It is open from 10am to 4pm Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and most public holidays.

By Karen Hunt

The Mount Players is incredibly excited to announce that our Youth Theatre will be back in Terms 3 and 4! We welcome Kerry Turpie and Mark Constable, two fabulous, highly-qualified teachers who will run each of the classes together for students aged from 10  – 19 on a weekly basis from 10 July. 

On the weekend of 8 & 9 July our annual One Act Play Festival finally returns and offers a weekend of short plays that are adjudicated with awards presented at the completion of the Sunday afternoon session.  Come for a session (just $15 a session) or nestle in for a cosy weekend.  Bar open and food available. Tickets only available at the door.

On the weekend of 22 & 23 July, the theatre welcomes a visiting Melbourne Company, The Good Girl Song Project, who will bring their performance of Voyage a new Australian musicalto our stage for just 2 performances.  It follows the immigration story of two women, who board a ship to NSW in April 1833. During the voyage, the two women form a strong friendship; one that must withstand the capricious whims of the Sydney colonists. For once they leave the familiar shores of their home, there is no going back. A simple set, stunning character transformations it asks audiences to reflect on their attitudes to women, migration, identity, colonisation and racism, and questions whether the attitudes of the 19th Century are still mirrored in contemporary Australia.

For full details of our Youth Theatre Program, One Act Play Festival and Voyage go to www.themountplayers.com or phone 5426 1892 for assistance.

The Creswick Town Hall is back to its former grandeur and ready to reopen to visitors and locals thanks to support from all three levels of government.

Member for Ripon Martha Haylett in recent days joined with Member for Ballarat Catherine King and Hepburn Shire Mayor Brian Hood to restart the restored tower clock, which is part of the works completed on the Hall.

The upgrades include roof plumbing, a new flagpole and access ladder, accessible entry, electrical work, painting, and masonry repairs. The restoration of this highly valued community asset will see the building serve locals for years to come.

The project was jointly funded with $500,000 from the Victorian Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund, $432,000 from the Australian Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, and $251,017 from the Hepburn Shire Council.

Creswick is an old gold-mining town that attracts visitors for its scenic bushland areas, parklands, mountain bike trails and local businesses. The upgrades to this iconic Town Hall will only add to its appeal for visitors wanting to learn more about the town’s history.

The Creswick Town Hall opened in 1876 and reflects the architecture of the gold rush period. It’s listed on the Victorian Heritage Register for its architectural and historical significance.

The Hall is in the centre of the town and is a key venue for local events from weddings to the annual 3-day music festival, known as ‘CresFest’. It was used as the Council chambers until 1968 and is now home to the Creswick Museum.

Hepburn Shire Council awarded the contract to deliver the upgrades to heritage restoration specialists SIDA Constructions Pty Ltd, who have previously completed projects including the North Melbourne Town Hall, Linden Gallery and Essendon Courthouse. The project created at least 5 jobs during construction.

Member for Ballarat Catherine King: “Creswick hasn’t been the same without the facade of the beautiful Town Hall, so it’s wonderful to see the scaffolding come down after these upgrades.

“This project is a great example of all three levels of government working together to deliver the best outcomes for the Creswick community.”

Member for Ripon Martha Haylett: “Places like Creswick Town Hall sit at the heart of our regional communities, and I’m so pleased we’re able to help restore these grand buildings to their former glory.”

“We’re supporting these upgrades so that regional towns like Creswick are vibrant and attract more visitors and events to the region for years to come.”

Hepburn Shire Council Mayor, Cr Brian Hood: “This fantastic conservation project has renewed and revitalised the iconic Creswick Town Hall. We appreciate the support of the Victorian and Federal Governments and their continued investment in our Shire.”

Words: Donna Kelly

Jon Faine left the ABC after 20 years as morning radio host in September 2019 – just a few months before Covid hit.

Used to a busy life, he had plenty lined up. First there were publishers knocking at the door looking for a memoir – to which he said no.

“I told them I was not going to leave a job I loved and immediately start reliving it, I wanted to look forward through the windscreen, not into the rearview mirror.”

A few gave up but eventually Jon agreed to write a “thinly disguised memoir” about a disputed deceased estate – with materials he had been collecting for four decades.

The book, Apollo & Thelma, A True Tall Tale, published last year, is the story of the Mighty Apollo, a strongman and circus performer and his sister, Thelma, the publican at Top Springs in the NT for more than 20, who died in 1981.

To tell their story, Jon says, he must tell some of his. But back to Covid.

“I had been collecting materials for this story for 40 years and whenever I found stuff that was relevant I put it in this box and tucked it away for later. Or I might meet someone I thought could add to it and would put in a cassette in those days. I had a lot of oral history. And it was one of those backburner things I could do when I retired.

“Eventually when I did leave the ABC I had a number of things lined and then because ofr Covid they all collapsed. There was one time when I had absolutely nothing in my diary except a dentist’s appointment. That was it for the rest of my life and for someone who has been really busy that is actually quite confronting. I don’t mind telling you I got a bit miserable and felt sorry for myself and retreated into my shed where I started pulling things apart – I play with cars.

“But after a week or two I gave myself a kick up the arse, told myself to get a grip and to find things to replace the ones that had vanished. So I climbed up a ladder, pulled out the box and started going through it. I thought if I am ever going to do it, now is the perfect time, and if not now, when. So I got myself an office at the Abbotsford Convent and put in a second standup desk and acomputer and I used to lock myself in the room. The offices there are the old nun’s bedrooms and the walls are about a million metres thick and they are absolutely silent. Just read things, whole lots of books and interviewed people over the phone to fill in the gaps and it was very therapeutic. It was the opposite of what I used to do and for someone whose entire working life had been talking to people all week it was pretty different and probably good for me in hindsight.”

Jon said he delivered his first draft to his publisher who read it and said the first third was fine but then it fell apart. That was when Jon’s father died. The second draft was returned with the comment that the first two thirds were good but then…and that was when Jon’s mother died. Both were in their 90s “and it was horrible but it’s what happened”.

Jon was also told to give more of himself in the book which he found difficult as a private person and very much in charge during his radio work of how much he shared of his personal life. But he says publishers exist to save authors from themselves and editors “to tell you are not as good as you think you are”. “Once a book is printed it can’t be fine tuned – fresh eyes are vital.”

Jon said he was happy with the finished book but Apollo’s sons and Thelma’s nephews are not despite being interviewed on the record. Apollo, says Jon from his many interviews and personal knowledge was extremely vain, and Thelma, who he never met, was widely known in the 50s, 60s and 70s as a racist redneck.

“The sons are not happy with the final product. They view their father and aunt differently to everybody else. I describe their father in very complimentary terms but also as vain and they are furious that I have sullied his memory, yet he was the vainest person I have ever met. Families are complicated but I am really sad about that. I asked the oldest son if he would launch the book and he said no, he couldn’t do it.”

Jon, who also wrote a travel book about journeys with his son back in 2012, From Here To There, said he had no plans for another book but “you never say never”.

Currently he is working half-time at the University of Melbourne and “pretty much working harder than I have ever been”.

At 67 he says he is too busy and young to retire and it’s also not a good idea to go from “100 miles at hour to zero – a lot of people who retire are miserable”.

He left the ABC, a lifestyle, because he was tired of waking up at 4.15am and also wanted to choose his own time of stepping away. “Some people never recover from that shock when they get tapped on the shoulder. I never wanted to be one of those and I am quite saddened by what is happening at the ABC now but that is someone else’s problem.”

Jon is the guest speaker at Words in Winter and will be in conversation with Marieke Hardy at The Palais-Hepburn on Saturday, August 26.

He first met Marieke at her grandfather Frank Hardy’s funeral, just one of the many stories in his book, but said he had talked many times since. As to their August conversation, Jon said he had no wish to try and decide where Marieke would take that – “it could be as unstructured as my mind or as creative as hers”.

“Marieke is going to interrogate me and anyone who has been on the other side of a conversation with Marieke would be very brave to predict where it might go and I am not that brave. I have know her a very long time, she was just a teenager at the funeral, but then to reconnect in her glittered, celebrated media life and to host her in the ABC studio many, many times over the years is nothing short of a delight. When they said would you come and speak at our festival and we will ask Marieke as well, I just thought how wonderful that would be. I am really looking forward to me.”

Jon said he was also a regular visitor to “your delightful neck of the words as long as I can remember” and Hepburn was a go-to destination for holidays.

“So also to be invited to come and speak in a community that has been so consistently a place we have visited is just lovely and it doesn’t get much better.”

“These regional festivals are a really important part of the cultural life of a town or regional or state and they happen all over the place. They are a wonderful celebration of your community and what it has to offer and it is great to be asked to be invited to me a small part of it.” Link: www.wordsinwinter.com

Words & images: Eve Lamb

On a recent chill winter’s evening, just after dark, the mellow light that issues from our dining destination – the Daylesford Steakhouse – is warm and inviting.

My worthy dining companion, Paddy H, and I climb the small flight of polished wooden stairs to enter this central Vincent Street eatery – and thaw out.

At the top of the stair we’re warmly welcomed by the venue’s manager, Mike, and by the equally warming wood smoke aroma that can only mean a real log fire is present. In fact, Mike tells us, there are two fires on site to warm diners, and we can seat ourselves beside either, he suggests.

Whether you’re a carnivore or not, the Steakhouse gets full marks, straight up, for ambience. The lights are soft. The background music likewise, and the log fire that I strategically place myself beside, makes this a top spot to while away an extremely pleasant few hours. Particularly at this time of year.

Mike informs us that the new winter menu is just out – and we take our time perusing it over a generous glass of Geelong region pinot.

Now, let’s be clear, this is a steak house. It takes its steaks seriously. All of the Steakhouses’ steaks are local 100 percent pasture-fed Black Angus Beef, hormone and antibiotic free, the house literature tells us.

The menu contains an illustrated guide to ordering your steak, char grilled to your specific taste, with options ranging from “blue rare” to “well done” all technically detailed.

The char grilled steaks are, as you’d expect, a feature of the menu. The “standard house cuts” include Petite Mignon (200g), Eye Fillet (300g), Sirloin (400g), Scotch (400g), Highland Rump (400g), T-Bone (800g) and Cote de Boeuf (900g), and every steak comes with the diner’s choice of side and sauce.

Options for sides include: Grilled Asparagus, Stuffed Mushroom, Rosemary and Pumpkin Dauphinoise and more. Options for sauces include Truffle Sauce, Peppercorn, Béarnaise, Garlic Butter and more, while additional steak toppers include King Prawns, Grilled Vic Lobster Tail, Grilled Balmain Bugs – and more.

And If the standard house cuts don’t “meat” diner’s requirements, the menu suggests that they “see board for larger steaks cut to order”.

But don’t worry if you’re not a big meat-eater, or even a meat-eater at all. Besides all the multiple vegetable side possibilities, there’s also plenty of seafood options to choose from. These include: Apple Cider Mussels, Stuffed Lobster (half or whole), Atlantic Salmon Steak, Grilled Seafood Platter and Lobster and Seafood Pasta – to name some.

For starters I go with the Panko Funky Brie ($19). It’s crisply fried on the exterior and deliciously melted within, accompanied by a Tomato and Mango Chutney.

Paddy, recounting that his mother used to be a dab hand at making the traditional Scotch egg, nominates the Steakhouse Posh Scotch Egg with Truffle Aioli and Tomato Relish ($25) for starters and, on sampling, declares it to reward with “nostalgic” flavour.

For mains Paddy opts for the Petite Mignon ($59) with Garlic Butter and a side of Broccoli and Bacon. The steak arrives swiftly, criss-crossed with char grill sear lines and the aroma of hot coals. Paddy declares it “Spot on! Beautifully tender”.

I go for the Apple Cider Mussels with Tomato, Butter, Mustard, Parsley and Dipping Fries ($39) as a main. While the menu informs that they come with dipping fries, my gluten intolerance is obligingly accommodated and, instead, mine is arranged to come with a locally grown, baked and deep-fried spud, which proves particularly satisfying. As to the mussels – the serve is generous and pops an instant and transportive taste of the sea.

When it comes to desserts ($16), Mike highlights the ‘Disco’ Crepes Suzette as a flambéed house speciality. Other possibilities include the Salted Caramel Fried Ice Cream Bombe, the Classic Affogato, or the Cheese Plate – Blue and Brie with Relish. But Paddy is a self-confessed cheese cake nut who once confided that, if on death row, he’d select cheesecake as his last mortal crumb. So no surprises that it’s the New York option here for him.

I’m very tempted by the Ultimate Choc Fudge Sundae – containing “nuts and awesomeness”. How could you not be? But my gluten sensitivity compels me to instead select the Vanilla Crème Brulee, a dessert choice that (I may have mentioned) I always find hard to ignore. This one has a really home-made, delicate quality beneath its crunchy toffeed top. Both desserts are accompanied by the Steakhouse signature “glorious whipped ‘schlag’ vanilla bean ice cream” … and following their arrival, are rapidly transformed into sweet memories.

It should be mentioned, here, that one of the ‘house attractions is the100-plus different cocktails – “and if there’s a cocktail that you really like and we haven’t got it, we’ll have a go at making it,” Mike mentions.

It’s true to say that we’re sorry to have to leave the warm embrace of our respective club chairs beside the log fire, but this place is clearly popular and, with a degree of difficulty, we bid its mellow ambience farewell. Until next time.

More people have contacted The Local to speak out against in-home care provider, Benetas.
One of them, a male who asked not to be identified, said the service was “a shambles” and he was thinking of quitting because of the stress of trying to get regular carers for himself and his home.
The man said the carers were all “great people” but they were being let down by Benetas and its lack of
organisation.
Benetas took over the Commonwealth Home Support Programme from the Hepburn Shire
Council 12 months ago.
A woman, quoted in the last edition of The Local, (June 19) said she had a number of concerns with the service.
They included the cost of using the in-home CHSP care services rising by around 130 per cent for her, with the changes becoming effective from July 1.
The woman, who also asked not to be identified, said there was also a lack of support workers, saying it was sometimes just the “luck of the draw if your support worker arrives on the day allotted to you”.
A Benetas spokesperson told The Local the organisation was concerned about the experiences that had been raised.
“We would like to assure our clients and the community that we are improving our systems and processes to provide consistent support.
“As a not-for-profit provider, our absolute focus is on ensuring that we can provide our clients with a level of service that is appropriate and supports the diverse health needs of the local community.
“As the broader health and aged care sector continues to experience workforce challenges in regional Victoria, we are making every effort to ensure that our valued clients in the Hepburn area receive the most consistent care possible.
“We encourage any of our clients who may be experiencing difficulties with their service to contact us to discuss their individual circumstances and how we may assist them.”
Hepburn Shire Council CEO Bradley Thomas said the council had continued to work with both new aged care and disability service providers, Benetas and mecwacare, after the transition of service delivery in July 2022.
“Council has received both positive feedback about the transition, and a very small number of concerns from clients, relating to scheduling and communication around the services they receive.
“In these instances, council has worked with the new provider to ensure client needs are met and have supported clients to engage with the service providers directly where appropriate, with positive outcomes.
“Council continues to work actively in the positive ageing space, undertaking a number of actions to support our community and on priorities for access and inclusion for people living with disability, in addition to the services provided by Benetas and mecwacare.”
In regards to the increase in pricing, a Benetas spokesperson was quoted in the June 19 edition, saying that in order to keep pace with cost of living increases and supplier charges, there had been a review of the organisation’s pricing.
“This has resulted in price increases for some services, in line with pricing recommended by the government.”
“As a not-for-profit organisation, it is essential that we remain competitive on pricing compared to other service providers in the market, so we can provide the best level of care for our clients in the long term.
“In order to keep pace with cost of living increases and supplier charges, we have recently completed a review of our pricing schedule. This has resulted in price increases for some services, in line with pricing recommended by the government.
“We continue to invest in improving the services we provide and in supporting our team members with appropriate remuneration in recognition of the important contribution they make in caring for our clients.”

Words: Donna Kelly & Eve Lamb

Do you have feedback on your service provider? Email donna@tlnews.com.au

Words and images: Eve Lamb

Italian born Daniele Tarasco brings a personal passion for fresh, flavoursome food and his background as a high-end chef to running Meraki certified organic farm at Newlyn North.

Originally from Matera in southern Italy, he and his wife Liv Reppas, have had the six acre property on its rich volcanic soil at Newlyn North since 2015 when they began the three-year process of certifying the farm as organic.

Their ethos is captured in the name of their little patch of paradise – ‘Meraki’. It’s  a word  modern Greeks use to describe doing something with creative flair or passion — putting “something of yourself” into what you do.

“I’ve always worked with my hands from a young age,” says Daniele who left Italy in his late teens and worked for top notch eateries in London, Melbourne and Hepburn before getting into organic farming fulltime at Meraki.

“I’ve always been connected to food. When I was growing up food was a crucial cultural part of life and then I developed this passion for growing food. On school breaks in Italy I started to get into hospitality, into cooking.”

Since taking to culinary creation from the tender age of ten, he built a fine dining career with stints at Gordon Ramsey’s Maze and earning the title of Head Chef at No. 8 by John Lawson where he was nominated as The Age Good Food Guide’s Young Chef of the Year.

 Liv (Olivia) has a professional background working as an organic auditor working for property certifiers and, in the lead up to their establishing Meraki, had been looking into organic gardening as something they too could pursue.

“We found this place and we wanted to turn it into a small farm. While we were setting up the farm I was working at Peppers. I did two and a half years as head chef at Peppers before shifting fulltime into farming,” Daniele says.

Right now they’re growing all manner of delicious fully certified organic vegetables and also producing and selling certified organic eggs courtesy of their Lohmann Brown layer hens.

The layers are dutifully guarded by the couple’s two large handsome Italian Maremma dogs – Trajan and Luna.

A whole range of seasonal vegetables are currently flourishing on site and, when The Local visits for a quick tour on a recent drizzly winters day, Daniele lists what’s growing. It’s an impressive assemblage.

“At the moment there’s carrots, beetroot, Tuscan Kale, black cabbage, onions, garlic, turnips. swedes, potatoes, leeks, radicchio, pumpkin, brussel sprouts, celery, broccoli and we’ve also got some herbs – coriander and parsley,” he says.

He regularly does the local markets including the Daylesford Farmer’s Market on Sundays and also monthly markets at Creswick and Ballan, selling Meraki’s fresh organic produce direct to the public.

“I generally grow things I like to eat, and I grow mainly for flavour,” Daniele says.

“We’re also supplying Spade to Blade but my main focus is direct to the public either through the markets or home deliveries.

“Whatever is in abundance goes to a couple of local shops like Tonna’s in Daylesford, and Hepburn Wholefoods, and a couple of local restaurants.”

On the property there’s also a small, young apple orchard and a small, young olive grove. At this time of year the olives are just starting to colour up ahead of harvest time and Daniele says he has plans to pickle.

Edible flowers that play a useful role in the process of organic farming are also part of the bigger picture.

“I plant marigold and calendula to help with companion planting and to establish a niche for beneficial insects,’ Daniele says

Liv (Olivia) runs the couple’s other on-site venture – Little Luxe B&B accommodation –which particularly seems to go down a treat with city folk hankering for big skies, peace and tranquillity.

However, now, after about eight good years at Meraki, family circumstances have compelled Liv and Daniele to place their little certified organic patch of paradise on the market as they look to relocate to the Riverland area in South Australia.

 The organic certification comes with the property, so the listing is a chance for someone else who is keen to move into this space to make their own dream of farming organically become a reality.

 It can be hard work, particularly in cold blustery weather, but it’s something that they love at Meraki, as is improving the soil for future generations , a personal goal for Daniele,

“Over three or four years we have managed to raise the soil pH by 0.5,” he says.

Such a soil-sweetening movement, a reduction in acidity, may sound slight but it can make a big difference.

“When we moved up this way I also did a two year diploma in organic farming and it helped set up the farm,” Daniele says.

“Even if the work is not easy, you need to start thinking months in advance, and there are long hours, it is rewarding. I raise all my own seedlings from seed and at the end of it you’ve got this beautiful produce and you can actually taste the difference.”

 The positive feedback they receive from fans of the Meraki produce is particularly satisfying.

“You get feedback from people saying things like ‘these are the best eggs you can get in town’ or ‘these are the best onions I’ve ever eaten!” Daniele says.

While Meraki is now on the market, Daniele says they will continue to grow and sell their nutrient-packed fresh organic produce for the foreseeable future – including at the usual regular local markets, throughout this winter.

The Hepburn Shire Council has adopted a $59 million budget for 2023/2024, with investment focused on completing major capital works and delivering services to the community.

Rate increases have been capped at 3.5 percent in line with the Victorian Government’s Fair Go Rates System. This compares to a seven percent CPI increase in the year to March 2023.  

And the shire’s annual waste charges will increase on average by 6.20% reflecting increased service costs to users of the service.

This increase will amount to an average additional cost of $35 per property per year.  The standard annual fee for a residential property (weekly garbage collection and fortnightly recycling) will now be $570 or the equivalent of $10.96 per week.  

Mayor, Cr Brian Hood, said the new budget had been carefully developed in ‘one of the toughest financial environments in recent history’.   

“Council will deliver $19.4 million of capital works, completing some of the committed projects across the Shire and carrying out regular renewal works,” Cr Hood said. 

“This is in addition to our day-to-day operations which include delivering important community services such as libraries, community grants, parks and gardens, road maintenance, tourism, reconciliation and events, just to name a few,” he said. 

Cr Hood said this is a fiscally responsible budget that is constrained by many factors outside the council’s control.  

“Our Shire has been significantly impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic and multiple storm events over the last few years. Now we are also facing high inflation and interest rates, sector-wide shortages of construction contractors and extraordinary increases to material and construction costs,” said Cr Hood. 

“Council is in a delicate and challenging financial position which must continue to be prudently managed if community needs are to be met and longer-term viability enhanced. 

“The budget could aptly be described as a business-as-usual budget, in terms of service delivery, but with a major focus on stabilising the longer-term outlook and completing storm recovery works, especially on the road network.” 

Major project investment includes: 

• $5.90 million – completion of Creswick Trails. 
• $3.00 million – renewal of the Historic Wheelers Bridge in Lawrence with $2.8 million Federal Government funding. 
• $2.73 million – renewal, resealing and gravel re-sheeting of roads across the Shire. 
• $2.02 million – completion of the Trentham Community Hub in early 2024. 

• $1.00 million – Stage 1 of remediation works at Daylesford Town Hall, with a further $200,000 for scoping and planning of staff accommodation and Birch ward community facilities. 
• $150,000 for detailed design of the Glenlyon Recreation Reserve Pavilion. 
• $100,000 to further designs for the Clunes Recreation Reserve Masterplan. 
• $140,000 for remedial works at Trentham and Drummond tennis courts. 

“Rates and charges make up over half of Council’s annual budgeted revenue and are vital to enable us to provide the services and facilities that our community needs. Council has not applied to the Essential Services Commission for a rate cap variation,” said Cr Hood. 

 A significant component of Council’s operating expenditure for the financial year ($6.50 million) relates to costs associated with storm recovery works undertaken by Council to support the community. 

This budget proposes $5.9 million of new borrowings to support the delivery of key infrastructure projects.  This includes $1.0 million allocated as stage one of vital remedial works for the Daylesford Town Hall and $4.9 million for the construction of the 60-kilometre Creswick Mountain Bike Trail Network.  The project is expected to be delivered for $9.4 million (2017-2024) with secured government funding of $2.57 million.   

Since developing the draft budget, the council has received $6.1 million in Federal Government Financial Assistance Grants, which was paid in June 2023 rather than in the expected period of four payments throughout 2023/24. This is simply an issue of timing in receiving this funding.  

A number of other minor changes were made by the council due to funding announcements, a review of the capital projects listing, and necessary corrections.  These changes, which are mainly timing, mean that Council’s targeted unrestricted cash balance as at 30 June 2024 has reduced from the draft budget amount of $1,044,000 to $963,520 in the adopted budget. This is recognised as a very small buffer against unforeseen events. 

“We will be undertaking a full review of the ten-year Financial Plan in coming months, along with a broad review of service offerings,” he said. 

“Balancing the financial outlook, community expectations and statutory responsibilities will continue to be challenging, especially given the pressures on government grant funding and from the State Government rate cap. 

“Despite the tough financial environment, we are pleased to have adopted a budget that allows us to fund important programs and projects that align to our Community Vision and Council Plan, while allowing us to continue the repair of Council’s financial position. 

“Thank you to everyone who took the time to make a submission on the budget and identify opportunities for future projects.” 

The newly adopted budget is now publicly available for those interested to view on the council’s website at https://www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/budget.

Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Contributed

Daylesford’s Beth Whiting has returned from the World Kettlebell Sport Federation championships in Hungary – with a swag of medals.
Beth walked away with six medals – three gold, one silver and two bronze. On her Integrate Fitness Facebook page Beth said the championships had been an incredible experience.
“To be a member of the Girevoy Sport Australia Association (GSAA) Australian Kettlebell team has been
nothing short of amazing.
“To make the team is one thing. To be a part of this team is another. I am honoured to call each of these
incredible humans my friends. We have shared the highs, the lows, tears, bloody hands, amazing experiences and so much more.
“On a personal note, I am so proud of what I have achieved in this competition.
“When my coach (Shannon Pigdon) asked me years ago what my goal was, to which I replied with a shrug ‘to make the Australian team’, I never quite understood the gravity of that statement. Whilst standing with him in the stadium it finally sunk in.
“I am a world class athlete and had just won gold at a world championship level. Standing on the podium
alongside other insanely strong women had made the years of hard work to get here absolutely worth it.”
Beth thanked her coach, her friends and family including her “rock”, her husband Brett, the Australian
crew and her Integrate Fitness family.
Beth told The Local back in early May, after qualifying for the world championships, that being good
at kettlebells was all about a combination of mental and physical resilience and the ability to keep going, no matter how tough that going gets. In competition, once you start, you never, ever put a kettlebell down.
Competitions include single and double lifts and range from 10 minutes to half marathons of 30 minutes
and full marathons of 60 minutes. The competitor’s weight, the weight of the kettlebell and repetitions
completed all come into the winning equation.

Words: Eve Lamb. Image: Supplied

“Grateful” is the way Clunes local, proud Yorta Yorta and Barkandji woman, Karen Heap humbly described being appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.

“I’m not really an awards sort of person,” said the highly respected Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative CEO, who was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the recently announced King’s Birthday honours. 

Speaking to The Local just ahead of NAIDOC week, Ms Heap (pictured above) said she is “fully supportive” of The Voice To Parliament and urged all Australians to support it.

The Clunes-based Indigenous leader also encouraged everyone to get along to any of the many activities taking place this week as part of NAIDOC Week including the NAIDOC Family Fun Day in Ballarat Showgrounds Great Hall this Wednesday July 5.

Her recent OA honour acknowledges the fact that for just shy of 20 years this Hepburn Shire local has been leading advocacy for the betterment of the region’s First Nations peoples. 

There are now known to be about 4000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the wider Ballarat region, and that figure is understood to be increasing with more people moving from Melbourne to regional Victoria.

Indeed, some of those making the shift report moving to the region due to BADAC’s reputation for healthcare and Indigenous support and cultural programs – programs which have expanded under Ms Heap’s leadership.

 “I just do my job and that’s the way I see it – just doing my best job for the community needs,” said Ms Heap who paid homage to the entire team at BADAC, stating all of the staff there were responsible for its achievements. 

“There is a lot happening at BADAC and hopefully it’s for the betterment of the whole community,” she said. 

 “Our growth and being sustainable is important so we don’t need to rely on government.”

 The new OA appointee says sharply rising living costs are currently seeing growing demand for crisis support being placed on BADAC and other welfare organisations in the Ballarat area. 

 “We’re trying to think of new ways of supporting community,” she said. “We’re also supplying more emergency support.” 

Providing a new means to showcase the region’s, and other, Indigenous art talent is just one recent example of how the work of BADAC is benefiting the wider community as a whole.

Earlier this year BADAC opened its first gallery dedicated to Indigenous art and storytelling, while also preparing to open the cooperative’s third childcare centre in the region. 

Perridak Art Gallery opened in Ballarat’s Mair Street three months ago as a way to empower First Nations artists both through generating income and sharing their storytelling. 

Highly respected community Elder Uncle Frank Laxton, recounts that he identified Ms Heap as the future leader of BADAC way back in 2004.

“My heart is very full when I say that she has surpassed my hopes and expectations in every way,” Uncle Frank said.

“Since 2004, Karen has served untiringly as CEO of BADAC, giving many extra hours. Karen has driven the strategic vision and significant social, cultural and economic expansion of BADAC.

“Karen has introduced a wide range of family support services, including family violence programs, social and emotional well-being, kinship care, housing and justice.

“She envisioned, secured funding for, and delivered a brand new $6 million dollar culturally safe medical clinic and an Elders’ Independent Living Village.

“She drove the realisation of two culturally safe early years centres, opened by BADAC in 2021 and 2022, which re-connect Aboriginal families to education.

“Karen is widely regarded as an inspirational leader by her staff and colleagues, government agencies and bodies, and most importantly, by her community, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community of the broader Ballarat region.”

Words: Eve Lamb. Images: Supplied

There’s bound be quite a few local households glued to their teev screens for this evening’s premiere screening of new ABC comedy series Gold Diggers.

Not only does the new ABC TV and ABC iview series promise a uniquely comedic romp through the old central Victorian gold mining era, it also features many current locals from the wider Daylesford, Castlemaine and Ballarat area, who were extras for filming of the series that took place early this year.

The debut series was largely filmed at local locations including Maldon’s Porcupine Village which series producer Muffy Potter of KOJO Studios (that co-produced the series) says was just perfect as it’s already an 1850’s historical gold mining themed tourism attraction.

Gold Diggers is a riotous, rapid-fire, eight-part series that follows Gert and Marigold (played by Claire Lovering and Danielle Walker), two sisters who move to the gold fields in the 1850’s in the hopes of catching newly-rich idiots to marry.

The dialogue is modern and brilliantly witty, featuring modern day lingo that jars hilariously with the 1850’s setting.

“In total we had 72 extras from the local area,” said Muffy, speaking to The Local in recent days about what it was like filming in Regional Victoria amongst the rich gold rush history, and why it was important to cast some locals in the series.

“It was really important to us to find a group of locals from the area,” she said.

This was partly due to their ready availability on set when required, but the wealth of historical local knowledge held by those who reside in the area also came in extra handy during filming as well.

“Many of the locals (who were extras during filming) knew a lot about the gold rush and were happy to pass on that information,” the series producer said.

“We even had one local extra who was able to tell us that we weren’t using one of the props properly.”

Considerable effort was made to faithfully capture historical details and intricacies of the time with the production team also worked with local historian Fred Cahir.

“I should say that this is not a history lesson. It has a modern vernacular, but we were trying to stay true to history,” Muffy says.

“It (the gold rush era) was an incredibly exciting moment in history and a lot of story lines were very much inspired by actual events.”

Some of the shenanigans, that history indicates occurred on the old goldfields, are just one aspect that the series aims to honour.

“By all accounts there was a great deal of partying in the goldfields,” Muffy muses.

She also says it’s pretty interesting to see just how many issues from back then are still issues today.

“It’s surprising how relevant 1850s issues can relate to contemporary issues – like the evolution of feminism, society’s’ approach to equality – racial equality and gender equality. Also the distribution of wealth was very much an issue then as it is today.”

There is no doubt, though that Gold Diggers is “a comedic romp” the series producer says.

“Comedy pushes the boundaries and the envelope and goes to contemporary issues. Good comedy can push the boundaries when it comes to social issues.”

Muffy says about 50 percent of the filming for the series was done in the area, much of it at Maldon’s Porcupine Village with some scenes also shot at a couple of locations in Newstead and at a farming property at Baringhup West, just out of Maldon.

Muffy says filming had originally been planned to take place primarily at a location in South Australia, with the Maldon area initially down among the secondary alternative options. But when she visited Maldon and its unique historically themed Porcupine Village the series producer knew they’d struck gold.

“The (village) property had been put up for sale in 2020 and somebody sent me the ad,” she said.

“Once I walked down that street I knew that was our town. There are still diggings at the Porcupine Village. It felt really right”

While Gold Diggers premieres on ABC TV and ABC iview this evening, Wednesday July 5 at 9.10pm, Muffy says the series was always intended for an international audience.  This means that the central Victorian goldfields locality is destined to be showcased far and wide.

“The intention of this show is for the global marketplace and to show off this part of the world is very exciting,” Muffy said.

“It’s been fantastic to explore that local area. It’s absolutely stunning.”

She says that the producers are also “very hopeful” that this first series of Gold Diggers will be followed by a second series. Should that turn out to be the case, there’s no doubt, Muffy says, that the cast and crew will be returning to Maldon and the wider goldfields locality.

“We hope to have a series two and we would definitely return to the area and to Porcupine Village. We couldn’t afford to build something like that.”

Agriculture Victoria has launched a new monthly e-newsletter, Victorian Biosecurity Matters, to serve as a key hub for all biosecurity-related content.

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