I find it strange that by and large when you walk into a place of work the people seem similar.

For instance, if you go over to Western Australia and visit a mine site, all the nonmanagerial FIFO employees are two to three axe handles across the shoulders and speak in a code of grunts and words strung together in an ocker way like “How-yagoing-mate-yeah-good”.

And then there are the bureaucrats, the type of curved-shouldered folks who hide behind laws and rules.

They have a huge sense of satisfaction when they never quite arrive at an answer and form a committee to umbrella the blame when a consensus is finally reached.

And then there are the rubbish bin operators, this clan of waste warriors have a completely different approach to training. I imagine, at the rubbish removal academy the lecturer shouting at “Johnno” the trainee driver…

“No, don’t place it down gently, if you do, back up and hit it with the arm of the pick-up device. Make sure it’s lying a minimum five metres from where you picked it up with the lid open, preferably in the gutter so it gets a gut full of water. That way you can maximise the damage when the bin gets collected and sloshes all over the residents’ clean clothes. Okay Johnno you have passed”.

Or something to along those lines. Then there are the guys at the security check-in at the airport. I imagine they would gather round like a bunch of giggling pranksters before their shift…

“Okay today, is it laptops removed from the bag or left in the bag? What about liquids? Should we tell them to have put them in clear plastic bags and then say ‘no sorry, you don’t have to have them out’ when they get to the checkpoint? And what about footwear or should we just ask every tenth blond person to remove theirs? Belts off?”

That’s always a fun one, watching all the overweight guys hanging onto their trousers while trying to collect their luggage. And there’s bound to be one person who will accidentally drop their strides for a good laugh to break up the mundanity.

And then a quick trip to an app development camp (which is my most recent experience) and it would reveal this conversation:

“How complicated should we make the sign-on given that it’s just a TV app, and after all the scammers can’t get much from someone’s free-to-air TV account information? Well, I think I’ll make them sign into their Apple account first because no one remembers that password.

“Once that’s complete, they should sign onto their Google account, because that’s harder to remember. And then we’ll set up a two-factor authentication code using their iPhone back at their Apple account to prove they are the same person who just signed into the Google account.

“Then we’ll send them a couple of automated security emails to make it look like we care. If they get through those hurdles, we’ll allow them to download the app, but not before they have to come up with a password, facial identification and a biometric scanner log-in.

“I think that is sufficiently complicated and we can all listen in to their phones as they swear and curse, and we’ll be in hysterics.

“And there is nothing they can do about it if they are serious about tuning in to last week’s MAFS series their wife missed out on.”

Overcomplicated rant over…

(Ed’s note. I really don’t know why I watch MAFS. It’s like an addiction. I am getting help now. Just the final catch-up and then I am done.)

A range of special welcoming Easter church services are scheduled to celebrate this important annual Christian event across the region.

They include:

Catholic Parish

Holy Thursday April 17, 5.30pm Creswick, 7pm Daylesford

Good Friday April 18, 3pm Creswick & Daylesford

Holy Saturday April 19, 7pm Easter Vigil Wendouree

Easter Sunday April 20, 9am Creswick, 10.30am Daylesford

Christ Church Daylesford

Maundy Thursday, April 17, 3pm Holy Communion

Good Friday, April 18, 10am Journey to the Cross

Easter Sunday, April 20, 10am Holy Communion

Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, Ballarat Central

Good Friday, April 18, 10am

Easter Sunday, April 20, 19am & 5pm

The Daylesford/Hepburn community is so generous, the Good Friday Appeal has created a video about the region – and local appeal coordinator Natalie Kirby.

Last year the appeal raised a massive $31,000 – $10,000 more than any other year, equating to $11 per person in the towns.

Natalie said the appeal got in touch and did the video along with her connection “and I just cried all the way through it”.

Natalie said with the Daylesford Town Hall currently tucked away, she was hoping for a marquee somewhere in Vincent Street but there would also be plenty of collectors roving around.

Cash is great but EFTPOS machines are now also on hand to take donations and to pay for raffle tickets. The raffle is still being finalised but Natalie says the business community has once again rallied for the cause – “they are so incredibly generous and supportive”.

“We have $2280 from Natasha Morgan for a workshop for eight people, accommodation from Kudos Villas and Penny Farthing, accommodation, and meals from Daylesford Hotel, vouchers from Cliffy’s.

“I think we have about 30 local businesses who have donated and people are still getting in touch.”

People can also donate online or via a huge QR code on a board outside Cliffy’s. Raffle tickets are being sold in the Coles breezeway and at this Saturday’s Hepburn Football/Netball game, and next Saturday’s Daylesford Football/Netball game.

Natalie says some of the funds raised now go to regional hospitals such as Ballarat Base.

“I think that is a really great change because they have recognised the importance of keeping kids and families close to home and how much that can help their journey.”

Head to their Facebook or Instagram pages for details – and that video.

Above, Natalie’s children and collectors, Xavier and Paddy

Overwhelming support for the return of the Phoenix Cinema at The Rex in Daylesford has been shown by a dinner that raised almost $24,000.

Jules McDonald, president of the Daylesford Cinema Group, said the generosity and goodwill shown at the event was a big boost to the team working hard to restore the cinema.

About 110 people enjoyed a fine demonstration of Indian cuisine courtesy of Raman Richards and his award-winning mother, restaurateur Puja Kumari.

There was keen bidding for items, including a distinctive David Bromley painting entitled Roll Camera, Action.

A rapt audience in the Victoria Park Pavilion heard one of Australia’s outstanding filmmakers, Daylesford’s Richard Keddie, talk of his experiences in making box office successes, internationally acclaimed documentaries and popular works for television.

One of the many valuable raffle prizes was two tickets to the world premiere of his newest documentary, on the late acclaimed satirist John Clarke, coming soon.

The next cinema fundraiser is a media trivia quiz on Wednesday, May 7 at the Daylesford Bowling Club, with doors opening at 6pm.

Words & image: Contributed

The Cosmopolitan Hotel is celebrating its 15th birthday with a Meet the Artists event over the Easter weekend.  

High Ace (Alison Ferrier & Jeff Lang) – Good Friday, April 18, 7.30pm – 9.30pm  

London-born and raised singer/songwriter/guitarist/violinist Alison Ferrier has released three solo albums and most recently has been touring and releasing music  with the highly regarded Opelousas alongside Kerri Simpson and Anthony Shortte.  

Their debut album Opelousified won Music Victoria’s Best Blues Album of the Year.  Acclaimed guitarist, singer/songwriter Jeff Lang has won three ARIAs,  collaborated with countless artists including Malian Kora virtuoso Mamadou Diabate  and Tabla maestro Bobby Singh in Djan Djan.

He’s toured the UK, US and Europe  multiple times and played extensively in Asia, including appearances in major festivals  in Japan, China and India. In 2021, Jeff published his first book – Some Memories  Never Die – a fascinating and funny memoir of his life on the road.  

Together, the wife and husband team have created a fascinating new musical  project they’ve called High Ace and have now delivered a fabulous debut album,  Snowcap Menace.  

Karl S. Williams and Sally Wiggins – Easter Saturday, April 19, 3pm – 5pm  

Karl S. Williams and Sally Wiggins make music that is steeped in delta blues,  gospel and old-time folk, with poetic sensibilities that call to mind the classic singer/  songwriters of yesteryear.

With a voice that sounds about a thousand years old, Karl  moves between guitar, piano and banjo while Sally holds it down on the kit with  mesmerising rhythms drawn from her wealth of jazz and Afro influences.  

Karl proudly traces his bloodlines to the Butchulla and Darug people of  Australia’s First Nations. This deep connection to the landscape of his pervades his work and infuses it with a spirituality that is older than time.  

Together, they are liberated to lean into the music, playing with space and silence  as much as notes – veering effortlessly from acoustic intimacy to fuzzed-out garage  blues. With a mandate to improvise, eschew convention and give voice to the human  spirit, they take audiences on an emotional ride, which is frequently described as  mesmerising.  

The Deserters (Brooke Taylor & Delsinki) – Easter Saturday, April 19, 7.30 pm –  9.30pm  

Two voices and many strings drawing on multiple influences, Brooke Taylor and  Delsinki bring a wealth of experience to the table in their exciting new collaboration  going under the moniker ‘The Deserters’.

There’s a bunch of new songs, some choice  new covers, all presented with the same down-home charm and urbane wit they have  become respectively known for.  The Deserters promises to be an exciting new chapter in the career of this pair of  much-loved and hard-working Melbourne players.  

Jess Parker – Easter Sunday, April 20, 3pm – 5pm  

Summoning the dark folk spirits from her home in the Victorian Goldfields and  making them dance to sweet country blues, Campbells Creek guitar picker Jess Parker  has been sharing her stories state-wide for the past eight years.  

Gearing up to release her third solo record and having shared the stage with the  likes of Cedric Burnside and CW Stoneking during her career, Jess is one not be  missed.  

Steve Kilbey – Easter Sunday, April 20, 8pm – 10pm  

Steve Kilbey was born a long time ago and very far away. In 1980 he formed the  best group in the universe called The Church who have released over 30 albums. But  there is much more to his musical journey…  This will be a special intimate evening with the lead singer of The Church.

Steve  is set to perform all the hits and deep cuts from The Church, plus songs from his solo  career and cover versions, all accompanied by anecdotes, tall tales and true, and pithy  observations of the music business and his 45-year career.  

Bad Debts – Easter Monday, April 21, 1pm – 3pm  

Bad Debts are a local Castlemaine outfit, fronted by three individual songwriters  in Pete Daly, Al Carr and Mitch Dillon. They came together in mid-2024, joined  by Al Stanley on drums to rehearse an initial batch of material variously described as  loose rock’n’roll and open sky roots music.  

They played one well-received hometown gig in late 2024, as well as a quick trip  down the Calder to play for a Melbourne audience at the Old Bar, before hunkering down in local studio Ragged Gum to record their first album. The album will be out  in mid-2025.  

Coming up next Saturday, the annual Blackwood Woodchop & Easter Carnival offers an action-packed day out for the whole family.

The Carnival begins  with a street parade, followed by the woodchop and live music, plus loads of  fun stuff.

Carnival organisers say those who get along this year can expect plenty of gumboot throwing, the popular pet  show, treasure hunt, kids novelty  games and races, face-painting, a tug-o-war, market stalls, delicious eats and licensed bars.

It all happens at the beautiful  Blackwood Recreation Reserve.  See you there, Saturday, April 19 from 10am to 6pm.  

Image: Contributed  

Broadcast journalist Nicole Chvastek and Australia’s pre-eminent journalism  ethics expert Denis Muller seek out the media industry’s good, bad and ugly, taking you behind the headlines in their revealing podcast Truth, Lies and Media.  

New episodes are out each Wednesday. Episodes already aired, from the latest, are The Election Circus, The Judge and the Journalist, Streets of Fear, Great and Powerful and Attack Dogs.  

People can support the crowdfunding show by donating at www.buymeacoffee.com/truthliesandmedia online.

Nicole, who is well known as the former host of the ABC Statewide Drive radio  show and lives in Malmsbury, said it would be appreciated if people are enjoying the show, that they share it around, and write a quick review on their Podcast platform of  choice.  

“Every piece helps us reach a wider audience. It’s very much appreciated!”  

Denis Muller, also a resident of Malmsbury, is a former associate editor at The  Age. The pair hosted the Behind The Media segment for eight years on ABC Radio.  

Words: Donna Kelly  

Students at Daylesford Dharma School, St Michael’s and Trentham, Hepburn, Bullarto, Newlyn, Daylesford and Yandoit primary schools are  learning cyber safety – even those in prep.  

Inform and Empower’s director and educator Marty McGauran said 380 were taking part in the Australia-wide initiative with a parent seminar happening at the  Daylesford Primary School on May 29 at 6.30pm – with all welcome.  

The program was made possible by funding from the Daylesford Foundation and  the Community Bank Daylesford District. Inform and Empower has also partnered this year with the Community Bank Creswick & District for work with Creswick,  Creswick North, Mt Blowhard and St Mary’s Clarkes Hill primary schools.  

Marty said he came from a primary school teaching background and now  specialised in supporting primary schools “in all things online safety and digital wellbeing”.  

“I always had a real interest in technology and how kids use the online space from a school perspective, so I was often the teacher driving the use of technology and saw the imbalance between skilling these kids up and they had even more access than they  ever had and then I was starting to see the challenges.

“Reports were coming to the principal and myself that kids were getting into  issues at home without that equivalent skill set to navigate the challenges. So it’s  all great throwing them on devices and there’s awesome stuff, but I really saw that  difference and then the hole in the market that we were really just educating kids with  a lecture every year.  

“We’d get a police officer in just to lecture kids and go, ‘don’t do this, don’t do that, great, off you go’. And I knew that I could apply what I know about teaching, and how kids learn, to this particular space as well.”  

Marty said the work was twofold.  “It’s in the classrooms every term where we live stream a learning session with  a teacher and it unpacks topics around being online, how to navigate the tricky  challenges, how to make the most of the opportunities and that will be happening  from prep to grade six.

“Alongside that is the parent education element. All the parents of those  schools are invited to come along where we will speak to them on a very adult level, unpacking the real challenges and what is best to understand as a parent in this 2025  digital space.”  

Marty said the sessions the Hepburn Shire students were tuning into were run around Australia at the same time, giving them the feeling they are part of a unique  delivery method and feeling like they’re almost part of the one community learning  about the online world.  

“We really begin at that young age to get the conversation started, particularly with teachers, just that the online world is not something to just leave to an older  millennial or a Gen Z or a boomer.  

“We really encourage the fact that the teachers are in there in the classrooms and  even from prep, just start to talk about the online world and some of the common  language about the games they play.

“The messaging for preps is really simple around talking about trusted adults to  go to when you’re online and it’s not until the upper grades where we get into the  really nitty-gritty of critical thinking and dis- and misinformation in the upper years.  

“It’s exactly the digital equivalent of letting kids know that when you’re online some people you’re playing with might say this is how old they are or might look like this in their online profile, but actually who could it be on the internet with you?  

“Just starting those early conversations with kids so that they’re aware that the  online space is not full of always safe people, just like we do in the offline world as  well.”  

Marty said after the parent sessions many came away with a new appreciation  of the world their children were in.

“Particularly parents of younger kids, if they’ve  only got six and seven-year-olds, they’re really ‘wow, okay, I know what’s ahead of me now – I sort of feel more prepared for what’s coming’. And with the parents of maybe  older primary it’s ‘oh, my kids are already in this world’.  

Marty said the most constant feedback was just the amount of information being  fed to children and even adults.  

“We have access to so much more that we’re just not designed to compute so much. So a lot of the time that overwhelming feeling that both kids and adults  experience at times because it is like a fire hose of information, whether it’s  entertainment or news or whatever it might be, the quantity is just unheard of and  there’s a lot of argument that we’re just not developmentally evolutionary ready for so much onslaught and it’s why we’re all battling a little bit, to be honest.”  

Words: Donna Kelly. Image: Supplied  

With Eve Lamb

Moonlight Gully Circuit walk, Blackwood 4km

The Lerderderg State Park offers some top bushwalking options and today my trusty walking companion and I are here to sample one of them – a short, sharp little circuit that sets out from the Blackwood Springs Reserve.

Driving carefully past the Blackwood Mineral Springs Caravan Park that nestles on Golden Point Road beside the Lerderderg River, we stop momentarily (on account of my walking companion’s admirable inclinations) to drop a requested $3 gate donation into an honesty box strategically positioned to catch the pious and unwary on entering the Reserve.

Once at the pretty little Springs Reserve picnic area we park, shoulder our day packs and stroll across the footbridge over the river, where we encounter a couple of bush-walking blokes filling a container with the waters of said springs.

“How’s the water?” I enquire.

“Tasty,” says one of the two, who are visiting from Werribee.

There’s apparently good reason for their summation of the waters as according to on-site signage the mineral springs here were described in 1887 by the French government analyst as “equal to ‘Apollinaire’, an expensive French wine”. Owing to a subsequent reduction in chloride and sulphate concentrations over the years since, the signage asserts, they have only improved with age.

My walking accomplice, Paddy H, gives the waters a whirl and reckons they do taste pretty good.

The blokes say they’re planning to do the same neat little 4km circuit walk as us, only in the reverse direction.

Paddy H and I take the signposted option to the right and set out following the path that will take us firstly along the river then up to Sweets Lookout, and then on to Lake Shaw and Hard Hills to complete the Moonlight Gully circuit.

It’s a ferny ramble along the forest-fringed river with maiden hair and tree ferns growing among other attractive under-storey plants including native clematis with its fluffy silvery seed-heads catching the autumn light.

In a couple of spots along the trail we encounter taped-off cavities identifying the location of disused mine-shafts, legacies from this area’s intensive mid 1800s gold rush era history.

Gold was reported to have been found in the vicinity of the Lerderderg River early in 1851, according to my go-to walk manual, ‘Walks, Tracks and Trails of Victoria’ by Derek Stone.

The book’s potted history also informs that in November and December of 1851 gold was dug up in hefty quantities near Blackwood. But it took another four years before the real gold rush began. In 1855, 300 diggers arrived and within a short time there were 2000 milling about with a lust for the yellow shiny stuff which, Paddy H duly informs me, has been “breaking records” in terms of current day global prices.

But back in the day, a “rush” known as the Geelong Rush brought thousands of prospectors to the field to work the alluvials of the Lerderderg River. Over 13,000 diggers, shop owners, blacksmiths, and con men were on these gold fields by September 1855.

Fortunately it’s more serene now. After hiking on for about a kilometer we reach a signposted left-hand turn that heads up to The Lookout. This is where the sharp part of “short and sharp” comes into it.

The climb up to Sweets Lookout is the most exertion that this little circuit hike entails. The brief yet pulse-raising effort is rewarded more with simply reaching the top than with any spectacular vista as the view all round is pretty leafy. But then a good dose of leafiness is largely what we’re here for.

From the apex of Sweets Lookout we continue on straight ahead through the eucalypt forest, following the path toward where a bushland shelter, with more informative signage, eventually appears up ahead to our left, on the other side of a dirt road with which our foot track intersects.

We notice the shelter through the trees off in the distance before, on checking it out, we discover  that we have also arrived at the tranquil little pond-sized body of water that is Lake Shaw.

“Good spot for a coffee break,” suggests Paddy H. I agree and we crack out the thermos and cake and sit admiring the swaying reeds, watery reflections and mysterious ripples in the little lake for an hour or so.

From here we re-join the trail, which is clearly signposted, to complete this handy little Moonlight Gully circuit walk, observing the calling cards of resident forest wombats as we ramble along.

“You could do this as your evening walk if you were staying at the caravan park,” Paddy H muses, as we agree we should return.

Completing the circuit, we arrive back at our start point of the springs to find a newcomer is now filling a recycled yoghurt bottle with the subterranean mineral waters.

We end our walk on a promise to return and sample some of the longer Lerderderg Walks taking in more of the Lerderderg River and also the Lerderderg Gorge. As a nifty little introductory reconnoitre ramble today’s Moonlight Gully circuit walk has been ideal.

Words & Images: Eve Lamb

by Jeff Glorfeld

A movie made 37 years ago explains the crazy world of 2025.

The US filmmaker  John Carpenter could rightly be called a cult  artist. His movies always  attract a ready audience of  knowledgeable fans, and  are usually moderately  successful, but it isn’t likely  you’ll see him on a red  carpet during awards season,  nor is he a frequent guest on the chat-show circuit.  

One of Carpenter’s  best-known films is The  Thing, made in 1982, a  creature feature about a  shape-shifting alien doing  battle with the human  occupants of a research  facility in Antarctica.

It  was a remake of a 1951  production, The Thing From  Another World, which itself  was adapted from the 1938  novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell.  The 1951 movie was  made at a time when the  US was in the grip of one of its periodic internal wars,  as conservative politicians ginned up a “Red Menace” to instil fear in the populace.  

According to opportunistic politicians such as muck-raking Republican senator Joe  McCarthy, The Reds – communists – were living among us, undetected, biding their  time until their Soviet masters told them to strike, with the aim of destroying the American way of life.  

The alien in the story, The Thing, had the ability to kill people and then perfectly  mimic them, allowing it to infiltrate the human community and eventually take it  over. As analogies go, it isn’t subtle but it is effective.  

One Carpenter film that is mentioned surprisingly often lately in these bruised and bewildered United States – surprisingly because when it came out in 1988 it was  not especially well received – is They Live.

Carpenter fans who love this movie will concede that it’s not without some  glaring flaws, but what makes it noteworthy today is its central theme. Now, before  we go any further, SPOILER ALERT: here comes the big reveal.

They Live came out  37 years ago, so if you were planning to rent the DVD or stream it on Netflix this  weekend, sorry.  The central plot of the movie is this: Aliens have invaded our planet Earth – or at  the very least the US part of it – and taken control. But it was a bloodless conquest,  done by stealth.

These aliens have the ability to appear perfectly human and now live and  work among us. How? Doesn’t matter, something to do with technology.

More  importantly, the aliens have co-opted key humans into their takeover, by giving them access to vast wealth and power.  Again, the analogy isn’t deep.

When Carpenter made They Live – he was the film’s  director, co-wrote the soundtrack, and wrote the screenplay, based on a 1963 short  story by Ray Nelson – the US was being ruled by a conservative government fronted  by actor Ronald Reagan.  

At the time, in an interview, Carpenter called the aliens in his movie “free  enterprisers from outer space” who are “exploiting Earth as if it’s a third-world planet.  I began watching TV again. I quickly realised that everything we see is designed to  sell us something.

The only thing they want to do is take our money.”  It doesn’t take a background in literature or cinema studies to see the similarities  between Carpenter’s outlook in They Live and the world we live in today – the world  of Trump’s USA in particular.  

The aliens remain hidden but their human partners, the ones who have betrayed  their fellow earthlings in exchange for bigger yachts, more and better holiday homes,  and larger tax loopholes, are fully revealed.

In Trump 2.0, along with the accumulation of stupefying wealth is the demolition of almost 250 years of democratic governance and the rule of law, replaced by a  mutant hyper-capitalist oligarchy run by fanatics and ideologues.  

Most upsetting is that so many people who have not been invited to join the  alien invasion party and reap the rewards have been so thoroughly deluded by the  traitorous humans that they stupidly go along with the desecration and destruction.  

It’s like the chook helping out the farmer by sharpening the axe.  They live, but so do we. As the Neil Young song goes, keep on rockin’ in the free  world.  

After many happy years living and  working in St Kilda and Wheatsheaf,  Jeff and Carol Glorfeld decided to  retire to the motherland, California.  What a great idea (said in a sarcastic  tone of voice). We’ve kept our  Aussie passports up to date and our  eyes open for cheap airfares home.  Meanwhile, we stay busy.

Jeff has a  radio show, the Down Under Hour,  music from Australia, on KKRN  88.5FM, streaming at KKRN.org.  Have a listen.  

Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives have now charged a driver following a fatal collision that happened in the Ballarat suburb of Lucas on August 10, 2024.

It’s alleged a silver Mazda sedan collided with a white Toyota Prado on Carngham Road near Finchs Road just after 7pm.

A passenger from the Mazda, a 6-year-old Winter Valley child, died at the scene.

A second passenger from the Mazda, a 13-year-old Winter Valley child, was airlifted to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the Mazda, a Winter Valley woman, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver and sole occupant of the Toyota, a 78-year-old Haddon man, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Mazda driver, a 42-year-old Winter Valley woman, has in recent days (Monday April 7, 2025) been charged with dangerous driving causing death, drive in a manner dangerous, careless driving, fail to give way at an intersection and unrestrained child.

She was bailed to appear in Ballarat Magistrates’ Court.

The days when Jessie Leggatt was alive in Daylesford must have been richly interesting ones.

Jessie (1825–1907) was a pioneering philanthropist whose legacy continues to benefit the town today.

Her contributions recently came in for a current day share of the spotlight when she was posthumously named among this year’s inductees onto the Hepburn Shire Council’s Heather Mutimer Honour Roll.

The International Women’s Day honour came about after Jessie was nominated by  Woodend local Rachel Hewitt in conjunction with the Daylesford and District Historical Society which assisted Rachel with research into the deeds and doings of this community-minded past resident.

Asked what it was like to see Jessie posthumously honoured, Rachel said: “It was fantastic because Jessie Leggatt lived in a time when women weren’t recognised as pioneers. I mean at that stage they didn’t even have the vote.”

Born in Scotland, Jessie and her husband Neil emigrated to Australia during the gold rush of the 1850s. Settling in Daylesford, they ran a very successful store-keeping and gold-buying business at Wombat Flat.

In 1865 they built Leggatt’s Hotel and Store, a local icon (also known today as The Coach House) that still stands today overlooking Lake Daylesford.

When Neil died seven years after the hotel was built, aged just 45, Jessie was left “a very substantial sum” as the sole beneficiary of his will.

Outliving her husband by 37 years, Jessie resided in the hotel, which she converted into a private residence, until her death in 1907 aged 82.

Jessie had no biological children, however a young local named Alfred Beckett was considered her adopted son and under her care he rose to become a councillor and Justice of the Peace with history recording that he was “looked upon as the most promising young man in the district”.

Sadly, his untimely death while aged in his 30s, left Jessie once again without immediate family.

But, as a woman of significant means, Jessie Leggatt went on to create her own legacy through philanthropy. 

As the Daylesford Advocate reported upon her death, she was “widely known for her large-heartedness and generosity” and “A case of hardship or destitution had only to be mentioned to her, to bring forth a liberal gift.”

Jessie’s contributions significantly helped build Daylesford’s St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, helped fund the Daylesford Hospital, and established a scholarship at the University of Melbourne.

Jessie’s foresight in creating long-term educational opportunities was ground -breaking for women of her era.

“She had this interest in education and in seeing people better themselves,” Rachel said.

Unfortunately, there do not appear to be any photos of Jessie in existence today. Yet physical traces of her presence remain.

Besides the church building itself, there also remains the foundation stone recalling her contribution at St Andrews, a gravesite monument in the Daylesford cemetery and the grand old house she once called home still stands at 8 Leggatt Street, overlooking Lake Daylesford today.

Words: Eve Lamb. Image: Supplied

More than just a smart way to ensure surplus garden produce does not go to waste, the newly launched Clunes Produce Swap is also aimed at strengthening community.

The first in what will now be an ongoing series of monthly produce swaps took place on Saturday  March 29.

It’s  the brainchild of Transition Clunes which is auspiced by the Clunes Neighbourhood House, that also provided a barbecue brunch for the debut swap.

The resourceful event took place from 10am-12noon  at the front of the Attitude Clunes building with local gardeners invited to bring along any excess fruit, veg or herbs to swap.

People could also bring  along seedlings, bunches of flowers and homemade goods made using garden produce – things like preserves, jams, sauces, relishes or pickles to exchange for like-valued items.

Other useful backyard produce like eggs or honey were also welcome to swap, as were handicraft goods such as useful knitted or crocheted items.

Terms like “re-localising” and “circular economy” do apply here, says organiser and Transition Clunes member Sandra Nichols who moved to Clunes some years back from the Blue Mountains where she ran a permaculture group.

“It’s about bartering or swapping goods, so no money exchanges hands. People don’t get stuff for free, they exchange items. But if we do have any produce left over we’ll take it up to Food Is Free (which operates from the back of the old Clunes Bottle Museum),” Sandra said.

“We’re also offering tea and coffee and the idea is that people hang about and talk and share knowledge.

“This is about building community. It’s an opportunity for people to talk to each other about what they’re growing, so you’re sharing knowledge about things like what type of plants grow well here.”

Sandra herself had some prized goodies from her own garden to exchange after the summer season left her with “a massive crop of almonds, my first crop ever”.

The keen local gardener also brought along bunches of sage, rosemary, mint and tomatoes while others had plenty of cucumber, zucchini and rhubarb to exchange for this first swap.

The next swap, set for Saturday April  26, is expected to feature quite a few quinces among all manner of other fresh produce.

“It is also all about building community resilience for an uncertain future. Supermarkets only have two weeks of fresh food in stock”.

From here on the produce swaps are planned to take place on the fourth Saturday of each month for the rest of the year with people keen to swap produce welcome to simple roll up with their goods.

Words & Image: Eve Lamb

The Victorian state government says it’s is cutting the cost of installing insulation in Victorian homes, which will help families slash their energy bills by around $400 a year.

Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio this week announced that from early 2026, Victorians can access discounts on ceiling insulation through the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program. 

The VEU discount will halve the average ceiling insulation install costs of $3,000 to $1,500, based on current certificate prices. 

Almost 60 percent of homes in Victoria either have no ceiling insulation or are under-insulated. These households are missing energy bill savings of more than $400 per year on average. 

The estimated 200,000 households with no insulation will be eligible for the first stage of the discount, with those wanting to top-up becoming eligible later.

New safety and quality standards for installation were also announced – to prioritise safety above all.

The program will include an insulation safety and quality assurance regime including audits and oversight requirements. This will make sure that only high-quality products are used – including Victorian-made insulation, and well-trained installers. 

Solar Victoria will work with industry, unions, training organisations and safety regulators on the implementation, with consultation kicking off today. Solar Victoria will also work with the Energy Efficiency Council to train, certify and expand the insulation installer workforce. 

To date, the VEU program has helped more than 170,000 businesses and 2.4 million households upgrade their appliances and equipment, slashing more than $440 million dollars off energy bills. The addition of insulation will help reduce emissions, support local manufacturing, and improve the energy efficiency of homes. 

Insulation works by acting as a barrier to heat flow, making homes more comfortable year-round, reducing energy consumption, and lowering heating and cooling costs.

Premier Jacinta Allan: “This will help families by halving the cost of insulation, cutting their energy bills by $400 every year and making their homes more comfortable all year round.” 

Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio: “We’re making sure installations are done safely and to the highest standard.

“We’ve helped 2.4 million Victorian households save on their energy bills with the VEU – they’re now using less energy which drives down everyone’s power bills.” 

Trentham Spudfest  Trentham celebrates its long history of potato growing with The Great  Trentham Spudfest, a community-led festival bringing together local potato growers, artisans, music, food vendors, and history to showcase the region’s  finest offerings across the weekend of May 3-4.  

This year marks the 17th iteration of The Great Trentham Spudfest, though the  deep red volcanic soils of the district have provided perfect potato-growing conditions since the 1860s.  

The two-day event, held against a backdrop of spectacular autumn colour, attracts  over 8000 visitors and is hosted throughout the historic town of Trentham and  surrounding districts.  

Festival coordinator Kye Theobald says Spudfest remains a largely free event, with  a selection of specially curated activities requiring tickets.  

New for 2025 is the inaugural Digging Deep: Cooks in Conversation event on  Sunday morning, featuring award-winning cookbook author and TV host Alice  Zaslavsky, local chefs Tony Tan and Liam Downes, and moderator Jacinta Parsons at  The Mechanics Trentham.  

The festival runs a different program on each day.

“On Saturday, our legendary Street Fair is held in the heart of Trentham town,  with four main precincts packed full of spud food, fresh regional produce, our local makers market, live music, and of course the fabulous Spud Olympics. It’s a  great carnival atmosphere,” says Kye.

“And if you want to buy a bag full of famous  Trentham spuds, Saturday is the day all our growers are in town.”  

Visitors can also join a Trentham Historical Society-led bus tour of the heritage protected Spud Huts, dotted across the local landscape.  

Saturday evening the fun continues with the Spudfest Cèilidh, a family-friendly  celebration of Celtic music, food, and dancing, to mark the halfway point of the  festival.  

On Sunday, Trentham Town Square will transform into the Spud Hub, with  freshly harvested potatoes on sale, exclusive Spudfest merch, details about all tours  and trails, and sign-ups for the Scavenger Hut.

There will be horse and cart rides,  guided historic walking tours and Red Beard Bakery tours.

Link: www.trenthamspudfest.org.au/  Words: Contributed | Image: Karen Malbon