Hi there, I am Tasia, a Jack Russell/whippet. I am a girl, just 13 years young and came to the
shelter because my owner sadly passed away.
I am very sweet and would love to find a forever home in a quieter household with lots of love.
Apparently, because I have a “senior’s card” you only need $50 to take me home with you.
My microchip number, whatever that is, is 956000006314861.
So, if you are keen for a new best friend, just contact the shelter in Castlemaine on 5472 5277 and we
can meet up.

Inner Melbourne original jazz stalwarts, the Reg Cole Quartet, are realising a decades-old dream in
playing their original music at the historic Palais- Hepburn on Good Friday.
Band founders and friends of 40 years, Sergio Ercole and Zac Teichmann, have wanted to play their music in the iconic Hepburn Springs live music venue since they formed the band back in the 90s in Melbourne.
Sergio, a renowned classical guitarist, said: “I’ve played at the Palais before but being on stage then I remembered how the band had always felt that our blend of jazz, latin and soul would be at home at the Palais.

“We played most of Melbourne’s best-known venues but the Palais had always eluded us. We are thrilled to finally realise that dream.”
The connection with Hepburn Springs goes even deeper, however, as Zac remembers coming to Hepburn
Springs every summer in his childhood, staying at his grandparents’ holiday house, Negev, across the road from the spa.
“I have such fond memories of walking down to the springs with them, carrying bottles and collecting mineral water at the pumps,” he said.
“Every summer I would stay with them for a few weeks, so playing at Hepburn Springs is really something special and personal for me.”
The Reg Cole Quartet normally plays every few months at the acclaimed Melbourne jazz venue, Paris Cat, but will be playing for the first time at the Palais on Good Friday.
“We play songs that we have written over 25 years, that cross genres of jazz, blues,
soul, latin and pop.
“We’ve been working on our sound and these songs since we met Justin (Justin
Lee on bass) and George (George Andrews on drums) in the early 90s at the Con
(Conservatorium of Music in Melbourne),” Sergio said.
Zac added: “We still get so much joy from playing together and we hope the audience feels that.”
Palais-Hepburn – Friday, April 7 at 7.30pm | Dinner & show available
Tickets: https://www.palais-hepburn.com/schedule/reg-cole-quartet
Link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=j_Xn2sIs4lw

with Darren Lowe

Palais-Hepburn, Hepburn
Saturday, April 1 – Ukulele Death Squad
The Ukulele Death Squad has grown bigger and better since its 2017 inception,
bringing a frenetic energy to the uke with their own flamenco, R&B and folk style.
Saturday, April 2 – Fanny Lumsden
ARIA Award, eight times Golden Guitar, AIR award winning Australian
artist Fanny Lumsden released her third studio album, Fallow, on Cooking Vinyl
Australia/Red Dirt Road Records, which took out Best Country Album at the 2020
ARIA Awards, and swept the field taking home five CMAA Golden Guitar Awards
including Album of the year, Female artist of the year, Single of the year Fierce, Video
clip of the year and Alt Country Album of the year.
Friday, April 7 – Reg Cole Quartet
The Reg Cole Quartet is an original jazz/soul/Latin outfit which formed in
the mid 90s while its members Zac, Sergio, George and Justin were all studying at
Melbourne University. They were regulars at venues like The Uptop, the Nightcat and
released a number of recordings. After a long hiatus the guys have recently re-formed
and are recording an album of new tunes which they’ll be performing alongside some
of their more popular pieces from the 90s.
Saturday, April 8 – The Rechords
A dynamic trio on stage, The Rechords demonstrate a passion for all things
Americana when it comes to the music they deliver, whether it be celebrating the
songs of artists who have influenced their journey or putting their all into the songs
they’ve created with the flavours of early country, rhythm & blues, rockabilly and alt
country.
Sunday, April 9, 2pm – CloudWine Music
CloudWine Music is an Australian acoustic duo consisting of Pri and Troy, two
musicians who have combined their talents to create a unique and soulful sound.
Their music is a blend of classics and modern hits, stripped back to their acoustic
roots and infused with their own unique style.

Odessa at Leavers Hotel, Creswick
Sunday, April 2 – Sunday Sesh – The Cartwheels (Dave & Wendy pictured)
Thursday, April 6 – Ernest Aines and Simon Phillips
Saturday, April 22 – Piano Wizard and owner birthday bash
Farmers Arms Hotel, Creswick
Sunday, April 2, 3pm – Lake Mist
Got a gig? Email news@tlnews.com.au

Volunteering to help out with staging The Great Trentham Spudfest has been a great way to make new friends and connect with the community for tree changer Belinda Tynan.
Belinda and her household shifted to Trentham from Melbourne about two years
ago and Belinda, who works in education as a consultant with Deloitte, was keen to
make connections with her new hometown.

So she signed on as a volunteer with the Spudfest committee and volunteered to
help stage the annual feature for the first time last year. She enjoyed that experience
so much that this time around she’s now serving as the committee’s coordinator of
volunteers as the town gets set to host an expanded version of the festival on May 6.
“Last year it was only in Market Street but this time we’re expanding into High
Street as well,” Belinda says. “We’ve got more entertainers, more vendors, more
makers from around the region, a classic car display.”
The festival celebrates the humble, and not-so-humble spud, in all its glory and
multitude of culinary guises, and also celebrates the local farmers who grow them. It’s
an important fundraiser for the community.
“It’s a great chance to buy spuds from the local growers including some lesser-
known and unique varieties,” Belinda says.
Spudfest entry is free but a gold coin donation is invited and appreciated, with all
proceeds raised going back into the community.
“The volunteers really make the event happen and we’ve already got a healthy
number of old and new volunteers but we could do with some more,” Belinda says.
“Volunteers do a whole mixture of things from collecting the gold coins, to
supervising the kids’ area, to helping people on and off our horse and cart, to traffic
management. We’ve also got our Burly Brigade which is our volunteers, both men
and women, who help with set up and pack down.”
The volunteers enjoy a great sense of community themselves with a special little
wrap-up session and barbecue after the event.
Anyone who thinks they may be able offer a bit of time as a volunteer can get in
contact now by emailing Belinda at belindatynan2@gmail.com

Easter Saturday is a special day in Blackwood. Each year, the town hosts the Blackwood Woodchop & Easter Carnival, now in its 121st year, and the second-oldest festival in Australia.
The event was recently awarded the title of Moorabool Shire’s Community Event of the Year 2023.

Spokesperson Fiona Ross, on behalf of the Blackwood Progress Association, said the street parade, featuring striking costumes and floats, was a highlight of the morning’s events.
“Accompanied by a brass band, the parade makes its way from the town centre down to the Lerderderg River and the Recreation Reserve – known as ‘the prettiest sportsground in Victoria’ – where the carnival and woodchop take place.”

The Blackwood Woodchop is one of the oldest woodchopping competitions in
Victoria, with axemen and women travelling from across the state to compete for the
coveted titles and prize money.
“The carnival is action-packed, with tug-o-war, gumboot throwing and a pet
show among the many activities happening throughout the day. And to honour
Blackwood’s gold-mining history, there is the chance for everyone to try their hand at
gold-panning.
“A family-friendly event, there is loads of other fun stuff for kids too – the treasure hunt, novelty games and races, face-painting and more. With live music, market stalls, delicious eats and licenced bars, the Blackwood Woodchop & Easter Carnival offers something for everyone,” Fiona said.
The event is organised by the Blackwood Progress Association with proceeds from
ticket sales going to support numerous community groups.
Discounted earlybird tickets can be bought online in advance or buy your tickets
at the gate on the day, Easter Saturday, April 8.
Tickets: www.trybooking.com/CFPDV

AS A a paramedic, Baydon Beddoe says he picks up the injured by ambulance. As a boxer, he says, he knocks ‘em down.
Now he’s up for a state title that could lead to a national championship. And all this after surviving bowel cancer.

A father of girls aged five and eight, 46-year-old Baydon, of Miners Rest, is training at his father Denis’s boxing club in Wombat Dam Road, Daylesford, for the State Masters Championship today Saturday,
April 1. And if 76-year-old Denis passes a fitness test he will also box in an exhibition.
Baydon will be fighting for a trophy he’s never won, a championship
belt, and coincidentally it’s against a boxer who beat Baydon 23 years ago in Baydon’s first professional bout.

That was seven years after Baydon started training, representing Victoria in the Nipper class in 2000, later competing in Olympic trials on the Gold Coast and twice in the Australian Masters event before Covid hit.
In that time, he’s moved through weights such as welter in 2000, light-heavy 19 years later and is now an 86-kilo cruiserweight. “You get heavier as you get older,” he says.
Cancer hit him in 2014-15 but looking at the fighter in the ring sparring with his father that’s hard to believe. “This year’s a bit of redemption,” says Baydon.
He’s been training daily since January, running half an hour in the morning and then spending up to 90 minutes on a punching bag, working on his footwork, getting ready for the four two-minute rounds.
Baydon thumps a speedball, rhythmically hitting it with one hand, then both. Then he picks up a big stuffed strike shield used for injury- free sparring.
Nearby is the Wombat Fight Club’s motto for sparring: “Only hit as hard as you want to be hit.” “Men fight in the ring, dogs fight in the street,” says another big sign.
Baydon has more one-liners: “Some think defence is the thing that goes around the yard.” “One boxer thought he’d won a title, but the only one he has is for his house.”
And a parting zinger: “There are three sorts of fighters, orthodox, southpaw and piss-poor.” Being only one of these, I make a retreat.
Words: Kevin Childs | Images: Kyle Barnes

MY dining companion (Paddy H) and I are ravenous as we enter the Daylesford Hotel for lunch, mid Monday, me having done a gruelling morning group weights class and Paddy having arisen
well before 11am.
And so, it’s with relief that we notice immediately the robust nature of the menu
on offer. There’s plenty here for the hungriest of carnivores – ranging from small
plates to share like the popcorn chicken with chipotle mayo ($18) and the confit pork
belly with apple and wild fennel slaw, celeriac puree and jus ($19) to the Scotch fillet
with buttered kipfler potatoes, beetroot puree, roquette salad and red wine jus ($49)
among the main meat options.

But, notably, we see vegetarians and vegans are also well catered for. The
roast Moroccan seasoned cauliflower steak and the spring saffron ricotta gnocchi
(handmade) are among the tempting options that leap off the menu in this
department. I’m also delighted to discover there’s also an excellent range of options
for those who do not tolerate gluten. At all. And it isn’t just a trendy lifestyle choice.
Atmosphere
We settle in. The atmosphere in the Daylesford Hotel dining room is welcoming
– mellow and relaxed. Green panelled timber walls, a high pressed metal ceiling,
beautiful stained glass windows and a gas log fire which is going (as though in
homage to the season’s shift) all enhance the soothing country ambience.
Nearby, the attractive bar is well stocked with all manner of glinting temptation.
Paddy does the honours, ordering us a lovely lunchtime local wine – Lachlan’s
chardonnay 2021 from Amherst Winery at Talbot. It comes in French glassware.

Starters
For starters (or “small plates to share”) Paddy selects the spiced lamb ribs served
with mint yoghurt, dukka and pickled cucumber ($22). I opt for the gluten-free
mushroom and mozzarella arancini with tomato relish (3 pieces for $15).
Arriving in no time, my choice of starter proves to be golden and crunchy on the
outside with an easily assimilated comfort food factor within. We make swift work,
Paddy happily musing on his selection: “old school flavours, tangy accompaniment”.
Mains
Next up I don’t resist the market fish (salmon) served with buttered kipflers,
avocado mousse, orange and fennel salad GF ($34). Paddy goes for the Daylesford
Hotel pie (beef bourguignon) served on a bed of mashed potatoes, peas and gravy
($29). Our mains also arrive swiftly and prove both ample and satisfying. By the time
they’re but a mere memory on our emptied crockery we agree we can hardly fit in
dessert.
Dessert
But we’re on a mission. So we push on, Paddy plumping for the house-made
decadent chocolate brownie with orange blossom syrup and ice cream ($16) while
I can never go past a good creme brulee. This one comes with vanilla ice cream and
strawberry and is also GF ($16). Both of our selections arrive with fresh violas for
garnish and multi-coloured sprinkles on the ice-cream.
There’s just the right degree of crunch on the brulee’s toffeed top while beneath
the surface my choice of dessert is pleasingly creamy. Paddy reports the brownie to be
“warm, rich, and very dark for chocolate lovers”.
Venue manager Trae Galea stops by to ask how things are, and we’re very happy to
report satisfaction. In response to my question, Trae confirms that the chicken dishes
on the menu here are free range. These include a parmigiana for die-hard devotees
with both half ($21) and full ($30) options available.
We note too that burger and pasta fans are well catered for, and that, beside my
large salmon plate of choice, there’s a good range of other seafood options including
classic fish and chips, chilli mussels, salt and pepper calamari, and barramundi which
comes with vegetables and lemon butter sauce.
Country pub
On the other side of the bar, supervisor and bar attendant Sion says the thing she
enjoys most about working here is the conviviality. “It’s just a very nice country pub
atmosphere, very friendly and a nice little community hub.”
Leaving with dessert lingering agreeably on the palate, we can see what she means.
Along with the satisfying portion sizes, good range of gluten free, vegetarian and
vegan options, the Daylesford Hotel gets a big thumbs up for laid-back ambience. It’s
somewhere you can really chill while getting a fill. Words & images: Eve Lamb

DAYLESFORD artist and musician Vanessa Craven has just published a children’s colour picture song book, Birds in My Tree: The Magic of Birds and the Joy of Singing.
“The Covid-19 lockdowns created a ‘stay-at home’ world in which I began to interact with the birds in my garden and in the bush around me,” she says.
“Several photographs of these wonderful feathered friends and a new song that I was moved to write, combined together to provide material for my children’s book, Birds in my Tree: The Magic of Birds and the Joy of Singing.

“It is a colourful picture songbook on birds. Their antics and their individual
characteristics play an important part in the lyrics of the song. Each birdcall is a live
recording at the end of each verse pertaining to the bird.
“This book is an interactive tool for teaching kids about the different bird varieties
and their birdcalls, and inviting kids to recognise and have fun with mimicking. A
QR code and a YouTube link give free access to the live performance of the song,
Birds in My Tree.”
Vanessa said the “picture, music book and teaching tool” was filled with colourful
bird photographs, lyrics, guitar chords and music notation at the back of the book.
“It provides children, parents and teachers with an audio-visual experience and
an opportunity to learn about different birds, their birdcalls and learn a new song as
well. It allows for creativity and experimentation with creating bird sounds, flapping
wings, strutting about and having fun singing together.
“The book invites the reader to let their hair down and be part of a bird’s life and
enjoy interacting with them and embrace their quirkiness. It invites the reader to sing
or recite the lyrics in the book.
“I hope the book brings much joy and appreciation of our flighty feathered
friends. May their quirky personalities, bird sounds, photographs and the song
enlighten and enliven the imaginations of ‘little folk’, aged 4 to 7 years of age.
“I hope it gives them a love for nature, leading them to a sense and desire to
treasure, nurture and protect wildlife; to grow up and be advocates for protecting our
ever-diminishing wildlife and their habitats; to spend more time in the fresh air and
not lose the art of connectedness to earth, and nature.”
Originally from the foothills of the Himalayas in India, Vanessa made the move
to Daylesford from Melbourne and has built an eco-friendly house with her partner
and enjoys living in this beautiful area.
She is a singer/songwriter by profession, and has three CDs, two of which have
original tracks which won awards from the Australian Songwriters Association.
Her music is folk, blues, alt-country, pop and Latin. She has three bands, Lunar
Dust, Lake Mist and Sugar ’n’ Spice and plays music in a variety of settings including
folk & blues festivals such as Newport, Denny Blues and Roots, Newstead, Maldon
and the Girgarre Moosic Muster along with performing at pubs, clubs, art galleries
and special occasions.
“Music, art, photography and writing are my loves. My music reflects the Himalayas, Ganges to right here with the Murray River. My photography captures poignant moments and moods in flora, fauna and landscapes, some published in Birdlife Australia. My artistic flair stems from my observations of nature, life and living. I love letting the paint and ideas run freely together to create ‘something’. I am mostly self taught.”
Easter pop-up art exhibition
Vanessa is also a member of DRAC, the Daylesford Regional Arts Cooperative,
and will join its Easter Pop-Up Art Exhibition at 94 Vincent Street (next to the post
office) and be signing her book on Saturday, April 8 from 11am to 2pm.
Artworks from 10 local artists will be available for viewing and purchase with
media including paintings, tapestries, collage, printmaking and timber homewares.
The exhibition is open Friday, April 7, 10am-4pm, Saturday, April 8, 10am-4pm,
Sunday April 9, 10am-4pm and Monday, April 10, 10am-2pm.
Exhibition details: Sandy Angliss – sandyangliss@bigpond.com
Book links: www.vircravenbirdsongbook.com
Song link: https://youtu.be/IVMNggnhpiA
Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Kyle Barnes

IT’S been said that “clothes maketh the man” – and there’s little doubt that applies for women as well.
But sometimes obtaining snappy threads, so essential to making a vital good first impression, is easier said than done.
That’s where Thread Together comes in. Based in Sydney and also run in Victoria, under a partnership arrangement, by Ballarat’s Cafs (Child and Family Services) this not-for-profit provides new in-vogue clothing and accessories to those who otherwise could not afford such goods.
We’re talking new fashion house labels provided gratis to those doing it rough, thus diverting countless tonnes of perfectly good new clothing that would otherwise be dumped in landfill annually by big fashion houses.

In recent days Thread Together, or TT, held its second ever pop-up day in
Daylesford, working in with the town’s Thursday Good Grub Club to reach folk in
genuine need of the innovative free quality clothing and accessories.
Cafs TT program and volunteer lead Nicole Roberts says Threads Together is
extremely rewarding to be involved with and, come July, will have been running in
Ballarat for two years.
She says TT held its first visiting pop-up event in Daylesford in March last year
and it was extremely well received, providing free quality new clothing and accessories
for men, women and children.
“I absolutely love it,” Nicole says, recounting some of the heart-warming stories of
those whose lives have been changed for the better as a result of TT.
“I remember one young guy, a teenager, who lived in a caravan at the back of a
factory and had been offered a job interview in hospitality, but didn’t want to attend
his interview because he didn’t have anything suitable to wear.
“We decked him out in quality labels including R.M. Williams boots. And he got
the job. He was so kind and grateful.”
In the time it’s been helping out residents of Victoria’s Central Highlands
region TT has helped so many people doing it tough including some who have led
comfortable lives but, due to circumstances, have found themselves in a place they
never thought they’d be.
Sometimes it’s domestic violence escapees, sometimes it’s prisoners coming out of
prison with nothing, who need to find work and reintegrate.
“Sometimes it’s people with a serious illness who can’t work,” Nicole says.
“There was a lady, a single mum, who had a terminal illness and had nothing to
wear to her son’s debut. We were able to deck her out in a beautiful Carla Zampatti
dress.”
Besides Daylesford, TT is also delivering its pop-up visiting van services to
Bacchus Marsh and Ararat, driving out to locations in the Cafs van full to capacity
with new fashions of all sizes and styles.
“But now we’re about to get a new dedicated wardrobe van – and we will be
returning every three months to Daylesford in the future,” Nicole says.
She says presenting well in new, impressive attire for a job interview, work
placement or application for a rental property can be the first step towards a better
life for many doing it tough.
“It can break that cycle. It’s that one step forward, which means someone can
then keep taking more steps forward,” she says.
To use TT clients have to first receive a referral to it from another agency – or
from Cafs itself.
“All of the clothing is new and is donated from fashion houses. The fashion
industry regularly pays for landfill and TT was started about 15 years ago by Andie
Halas, a partner in Seafolly, who thought that surely it would be possible to do
better,” Nicole says.
Thread Together headquarters remains in Sydney and Nicole says the donated
clothing is transported free of charge by Toll.
As a non-profit, TT runs on fundraising, and the Hepburn Springs Golf Club has
become a staunch supporter through its annual Tee-Up for Kids Day, held in memory
of Ian Stanley.
Now, as TT introduces its new quarterly seasonal pop-up visits to Daylesford with
its new dedicated wardrobe van, Nicole says it is keen to provide the pop-up visits for
those in need wherever it can throughout the Central Highlands region.
“We are open to everywhere that it’s possible to get to,” she says.

Words: Eve Lamb | Images: Contributed

PHOTOGRAPHY in the 21st Century is a remarkably easy medium to engage with. Every phone has a
camera and digital technology, including editing and digital filters which can generate results that satisfy most people.
With such conveniences available, it is easy to ignore the fact there is actually much, much
more than meets the eye if you truly want to understand the craft.
Margund Sallowsky is a master of the medium including the use of equipment and chemicals that defined the practice of photography before digital cameras took over around 25 years ago.
Her passion started when she took her first shots with her father’s Agfa camera at the age of 11. That was in her homeland of Germany and today, the long-time Hepburn resident continues to develop her knowledge.

“I strive to take my skills to the next level,” she says: A level of photographic acuity far beyond that of your
average camera phone user for sure.
“My professional development as a photographer commenced as an apprentice,” she says.

“After receiving my trade degrees, I enrolled in a diploma in visual communication course at
the University of Applied Science in Dortmund.
“Later I moved to Australia in the early 80s and purchased a small cottage in Hepburn in 1989. Meanwhile I worked as a photographer at Phillip Institute of Technology (now RMIT University) and later enrolled there in a post-graduate diploma in fine art photography, graduating in 1992.”
Over a career spanning four decades Margund has worked with many different
subjects, but coming from one of the most industrialised areas of Germany she cultivated a particularly strong interest in industrial installations, architecture and worker photography, documenting the lives of labourers in the steel foundries and factories of the Ruhr valley.
Today she continues to work in a diverse range of photography fields, from virtual
reality technology that allows the creation of virtual tours of exhibition spaces, to
documenting landscape and weather. This includes not only numerous works of the
local region but further afield.
“I am very interested in photography of the natural environment and in 2017 I
went to Iceland. We did a flight by helicopter for three and a half hours over southern
Iceland and I took a whole lot of aerial shots.”
And after moving to Hepburn permanently in 2020, Margund was able to
put the time into producing a body of work from this journey – showing six works
and winning a prize for best commercial work at the 2020 Salon at the Centre for
Contemporary Photography Melbourne.
“It is quite time consuming but I want to continue working on further exhibitions for the Iceland images including showing them locally.”
Like with most subjects, sometimes the easiest part is taking the pictures. And for
an experienced photographer such as Margund, the technical considerations are an
integral part of the production process and almost second nature.
What is harder to attain and what takes considerably more thought and
experience is the ability to give images the means to transcend time and place. That is
to say, shifting an image from one of mere record or documentation into something that is art.
“The construction of the photo is the first thing, the feel you get when you see
a scene,” she says. “The other thing is then in post production. You want to express
some sort of emotion, it has to be strong, it has to show something to trigger a
response in the viewer and you want that to come out of the image.”
However, while Margund has an extensive knowledge of effects, filters and post
production colour enhancement so easy to attain with digital tools like Photoshop,
she is cautious not to overuse them.
“You want to say something with the image but I don’t want to lie. I don’t want
to say that was a sky that brought down 50 tonnes of rain, I want to keep it more
in natural light but in a way that still speaks to people. Some people are all obsessed
with really screaming colour which is fine, I’m not criticising that approach but it is
not my style of dealing with a scene.”
Today, after working full-time for RMIT and now as a casual contractor for the
National Gallery of Victoria and a freelance photographer for Scienceworks and
Government House among many others, Margund is content to spend most of her
time in Hepburn.
“The quiet of Hepburn is really important for me, I don’t want to completely
give up my professional life but I want to retain that time to create more of my own
work.”
Words: Tony Sawrey | Images: Contributed

This Easter is a great chance to support Daylesford and surrounds annual Good Friday Appeal raising funds for The Royal Children’s Hospital.

The main sponsor of this annual fundraising favourite locally is Biggin Scott, real estate agents in Daylesford.

Biggin Scott director Michael DeVincentis, pictured above far right, with fellow director Tom Shaw and local coordinator Natalie Kirby and her children, says it’s a cause close to his own heart.

“I spent some time in The Royal Children’s Hospital myself as a kid. They basically saved my life,” Michael says.

Michael survived that childhood playground misadventure and went on to have children and now grandchildren of his own.

“We all have kids in our lives,” he says.

Natalie also spent some of her childhood in The Royal Children’s where she forged some wonderful friendships.

As someone who also clearly cares deeply for children it’s a cause very close to her heart as well. She says there’ll be plenty of great opportunities to support this year’s appeal and help it strive to better last year’s record fundraising total of $22,981.

There are some great prizes to be won through the appeal’s raffle with tickets being sold at multiple sites ranging from Biggin Scott’s main street offices to local schools and childcare providers as well as various local businesses.

“We’ll also be selling tickets outside Coles (Daylesford) from this Saturday (April 1)  – so Saturday, Sunday and throughout the week,” Natalie says.

Then on Good Friday (Friday, April 7) Biggin Scott will have a marquee at the front of the Daylesford Town Hall in Vincent Street, Michael says, providing another prime chance to grab a ticket or several, and support the excellent cause.

Daylesford has a long history of generously supporting this cause. In fact this is the appeal’s 93^rd year.

“We couldn’t do it without the community and the generosity of local businesses,” Natalie says.

“We aim to raise a bit more each year and last year we raised nearly $23,000.”

Michael reckons $30,000 is a good goal to reach for this time around – “why not?” he says.

Those keen to contribute can go to the dedicated Facebook page for Good Friday Appeal Daylesford and Surrounds.

There’s also an Instagram account and dedicated fundraising page, making it easy to donate via the virtual tin shake.

The Good Friday Appeal relies on the support of the community to raise funds to ensure that The Royal Children’s Hospital is able to keep providing world-class care to young patients and their families.

Each year the hospital treats more than 44,000 children in the wards and medical centre, 91,000 in emergency and sees over 470,000 through telehealth or as outpatients in the community.

To contribute to the appeal head to:

Facebook: Good Friday Appeal Daylesford & Surrounds 

Instagram: goodfridayappeal_daylesford

Web: https://fundraise.goodfridayappeal.com.au/fundraisers/Daylesford

Words: Eve Lamb

Music students from Daylesford Primary School, Daylesford College, and Ballarat’s Loreto College
were thrilled to meet Canadian superstar violinist and conductor, Alexandre Da Costa, and his 1701
Stradivarius violin, at an afternoon tea in Stanbridge Hall, Daylesford in recent days.
One of the questions from the young students was “Have you ever dropped it?”, to which the answer, luckily, was no!
The event was organised by U3A Hepburn Shire and funded by the Community
Bank Daylesford District.
Students Lucy Martin-Lucoszek, Arlo Schwarz-Deakin and Olive Schwarz- Deakin with Alexandre Da Costa
Words & image: Sandy Scheltema

with Eve Lamb

DIANNE Longley’s considerable artist oeuvre depicts dreams and fantasies,
weaving real and imagined figures and landscapes to create works that intrigue
and beguile the viewer. Working at her Agave Print Studio in Trentham, Dianne uses both
traditional and digital methods and here she chats about her prolific creative practice.

Eve: How do you prefer to describe your artistic style?
Dianne: I think I have an idiosyncratic approach. I explore diverse techniques for making art and representing my ideas visually.
Eve: How did you come to art?
Dianne: Well, I always made things. Like fairy floss from cotton wool, cochineal and sugar,
cork platforms for my shoes, when they came into fashion and my sisters had them, out of wine
bottle corks placed in my mother’s electric mincer to grind them up. The mincer smoked with the
strain and then blew up.
Eve: Which artists – current or historic – have influenced your own work?
Dianne: David Hockney line etchings, his theatre/opera set designs, Hieronymus Bosch
paintings, early printed books with letterpress text and woodblock prints, devotional books of hours,
Paula Rego etchings, Jessie Trail prints, Dorrit Black linocuts.
Eve: What is your media or medium of choice?
Dianne: I work across a range of media including printmaking, pokerwork on wooden panels, artist books, mixed media encaustic works and small-scale bronzes.
Eve: What is, or are, your subject matter of choice?
Dianne: Theatre of life, chance and random interactions, absurd juxtapositions, visual narratives of imbalance and implied misfortune. How we as humans make our way in a troublesome world.
Eve: Have you ever worked in any other area besides your arts practice?
Dianne: I am currently studying ikebana, Japanese flower arranging, which has a
long history relating to Buddhism, but samurai warriors would create ikebana flower
arrangements as a meditation to reflect on man’s fleeting mortality. I go to Melbourne
for classes.
Eve: What are you working on at the moment in your current arts practice?
Dianne: I am currently working on a second book on printmaking, Printmaking
with Photopolymer Plates: a multifaceted approach. This new book is a combination of
a technical manual on photopolymer printmaking combined with prints by a range
of Australian artists using a diverse range of techniques. As well, I am participating in
group exhibitions in Adelaide (mid 2023) and Melbourne (early 2024).
Eve: When you work in the studio do you like to play music and if so what’s your
music of choice?
Dianne: Gregorian chants, Leonard Cohen, Freddie Mercury, Johnny Cash, Patsy
Cline, Antony and the Johnsons, contemporary classical, and audio books.
Eve: To date, what have been your career highlights as an artist?
Dianne: Australia Council Tokyo studio for three months in 1990, Tracing the
Echo – Artist books and folios 1978-2001 exhibition which toured SA, Victoria and
NSW. Teaching at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine, USA in 2011,
where the studios are open 24/7 and there are no locked doors anywhere. Travelling
to Oaxaca in Mexico to see the ethno-botanic garden.
Eve: Do you have any other projects in mind at the moment?
Dianne: Yes, some small artist books for my participation in Sydney Contemporary Works on Paper in September. A few ideas for concertina books and small pamphlet stitched books containing artworks and text.
Eve: Finally, what are the main rewards that you derive from your arts practice?
Dianne: Each and every day is unique and propositional.

CHILLOUT 2023 may be over but festival director Emma Ireland is already looking at headline acts for next year.
She is also busy catching up with people and asking how the weekend was for them, something she loves doing.
This year, she says, was exactly how ChillOut should be every year.

“The intention was that everybody in the community created the overall festival
and by that I mean it wasn’t just myself and the committee putting on certain events
– everywhere you went felt like a mini ChillOut.
“All of the venues across Daylesford, Hepburn and surrounds just felt like
ChillOut and it was absolutely superb in that sense of connection with community.”
Emma said while some people had been wary during the pandemic with what
they could and could not do, this year many people who were on the sidelines last
year decided to step forward “and say ‘this is awesome, let’s do this’.
“A lot of people are already involved in ChillOut but there are a lot of new people
with new venues and properties who got fully involved this year and that made a
really big difference – everybody carried the festival.
“Even venues which had sat previously in the background realised it was up to
them. I worked really hard coming out of the pandemic to engage with community
to get involved putting on events in their spaces but this year everybody put their
own events on in their own spaces.
“And that is how ChillOut really works, when everybody gets involved. It was
fantastic because there was so much variety for people of all ages and all those events
really complemented the events we put on. People just had so many choices and no-
one was waiting to do something, there was enough for everyone.”
Emma said about 32,000 people attended the weekend, based on accommodation
bookings with even more people coming along as daytrippers on the Sunday for the
parade and Carnivale at Victoria Park.
“We know that accommodation for Daylesford and the rest of the region was full
so ChillOut was definitely bigger than last year but being spread across the village
made it less like a pressure cooker.
“It was also great having both the Daylesford Town Hall and Vic Park activated
for the main events, and then there were the Palais-Hepburn and the Daylesford
Hotel – there was just so much going on.”
Emma said the feedback on the Big Rainbow, which arrived at Victoria Park just
in time for celebrations, had been fantastic.
“Haters are going to hate, but we have a really strong voice in the community
and the feedback was really good. A lot of people loved that it was smaller than they
thought and much more glittery.
“It was prettier than I thought it might be too, and it just looks lovely and
complements what we do, and how cool to come to Daylesford and have your photo
by the Big Rainbow. It’s better than the Big Pineapple!”
Emma said with the weekend over the hard-working committee had pretty much
“gone to ground to hibernate”.
“We have only just finished taking down bunting but we are already working on
reports for the committee, the council and government and looking at headliners for
2024 as we move forward.
“The exciting thing is now having time to talk to people about how the weekend
was for them, those face-to-face mements with the community, I really love that bit.”
Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Nadine Jade

Words: Eve Lamb | Images: Kyle Barnes

FOR countless years the mysterious world of fungi has been the domain of a fairly
exclusive handful of boffins.
But now it seems our world is undergoing something of “a fungal awakening” and many more are
beginning to realise the truly huge potential and importance of fungi.

From using fungi to achieve environmentally sound food production and incredible new medical applications, to furniture and building material uses that may avoid the felling of forests,
or use as alternatives to plastics to help prevent marine life choking to death, the
list of emergent applications for fungi is awe inspiring.
One woman who has for three decades marvelled at fungi and the way they fit into the wider ecological picture is ecologist Dr Alison Pouliot who has just launched Underground Lovers – her third
published book focused on fungi.

Through her extensive research, Dr Pouliot illuminates the crucial role fungi
play in our ecosystems, from transforming nutrients to make them bioavailable to
regulating invertebrate populations and even helping to prevent landslides.
Based at Mt Franklin near Daylesford when in Australia, Dr Pouliot launched
her new book in Daylesford this month. In it she explores why fungi are suddenly
infiltrating fiction, film, design, biotechnology and some interesting counter-cultural
movements.
She also charts the fascinating cultural histories surrounding women’s knowledge
of mushrooms, including which fungi cured the ailing – causing women shunned as
witches, and which ones used to subdue a philandering husband.
Having spent the last 30 years researching mushrooms, mycelia and their
interaction with all of life on earth, Dr Pouliot’s fascination with fungi has taken her
from the Australian desert to Iceland’s glaciers and America’s Cascade Mountains.
She’s particularly interested in what fungi can teach us about our wider natural
world. Could they, for example, hold answers to helping us tackle the climate crisis?
“I selected the themes in the book very carefully, identifying gaps in what’s been
written previously to include aspects like the indigenous uses of fungi, women and
fungi, fungi and fire, fungi and aesthetics, fungi and land restoration,” she says.
The role fungi may have in terms of cooling the earth, stabilising ecosystems
and helping avert runaway global warming is one important fungal facet explored in
Underground Lovers. Straight away it’s making a whole new audience sit up and take
notice of this emergent mega-science.

“If we can keep the fungal networks intact they can play an important role in
helping to stabilise landscapes,” Dr Pouliot says.
Following the launch of her new book, this very busy ecologist tells me how she
spends half her time in Australia catching the southern fungal season (just starting
now) and the other half in the northern hemisphere, generally based just out of Bern,
Switzerland, catching the northern hemisphere’s fungal season.
“Fungi underpin pretty much every ecosystem on the planet,” she says.
“If we continue to ignore these organisms then we’re not really looking at the big
picture of what nature is and how it works.”
Dr Pouliot has a long list of public appearances and talks scheduled ahead
including at The Moorabool Mushroom Festival happening in Ballan on April 15-16.
Underground Lovers is published by NewSouth Books.
The Local has a copy of Underground Lovers to give away. For your chance to
win email news@tlnews.com.au with your name, town and contact details by
April 4.