Zac Anthony has been performing on stages around the globe for over 20 years as the front person and songwriter for The Wellingtons.

Now this accomplished muso is headed to The Palais in Hepburn Springs to appear live next month as part of the venue’s Friday evening SupperClub series.

The Wellingtons’ infectious, feel good brand of pop rock earned them adoring fans especially in Japan and Spain where they’ve continued to tour in support of each of their 5 albums.

The band received high rotation on Triple M, Fox FM, and Nova FM and were featured on TV shows like How I Met Your Mother and Big Brother. For the first time Zac is going out and playing longer solo acoustic shows all around his home state of Victoria incorporating many of the songs that inspired his songwriting process.

On any night you can expect him to pay tribute to Elvis Costello, Crowded House, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne and whatever else is floating his boat that week. Zac performs with warmth and enthusiasm that will invariably convert into new fans on the spot.

Zac Anthony does the SupperClub Friday February 17.

A 38-year-old Mickleham man was arrested by Water Police officers after the intercept of a stolen boat at Point Lonsdale earlier this month.

The man was operating the boat in The Heads when he was intercepted by members of the Water Police South Port Phillip Bay strike team at 10am on Friday, january 20, police reported earlier.

The man was escorted back to shore by a second police vessel and was arrested at Queenscliff Marina a short time later.

The boat which was reported stolen from an address in Mickleham on 12 January was recovered along with the boat trailer and has since been returned to the owner.

Enquires by police have identified the man for a separate theft of boat and trailer from an address in Sunbury on the 10 January, which have also been recovered.

The man has been charged with two counts of theft of boat, theft of trailer, handle stolen goods, going equipped to steal and operating a vessel without a marine licence.

He had been remanded in custody to appear at the Geelong Magistrates’ Court on Monday 23 January.

Acting Sergeant Michael Greenwood: “Water Police will remain out in force this summer with strike teams deployed across the bay and in regional locations ensuring safety and compliance with zero tolerance for dangerous and anti-social behaviour”.

A 20-year-old man’s dreams of a hunger-crushing burger left police to wonder, “would you like fines with that?” as they woke a man in a fast-food drive-through in Preston earllier this month.

Officers were called to the restaurant on Bell Street after a man driving a Ford Ranger fell asleep at the wheel while making his food order about 6am on Sunday January 22.

The driver tested positive to a preliminary breath test and was taken to a police station where he returned a reading of .233.

His licence was immediately suspended, and his vehicle impounded for 30 days.

A Preston man was expected to be charged on summons with drink driving offences.

Armed Crime Squad detectives are investigating after a man was shot several times in Deer Park earlier this month.

It is believed the victim was stationary in a vehicle on Mt Derrimut Road just after 9pm on Friday, January 20 when the shooting occurred, police have reported.

The victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was being treated at hospital.

Investigators believe the shooting was a targeted attack.

The location of the attack is known to be busy, with multiple vehicles thought to have been nearby.

Anyone who witnessed the incident, with CCTV/dash cam footage or with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via Cime Stoppers online.

Blues-rock exponent Owen Campbell and folk-pop multi-instrumentalist both take to the stage Creswick’s Odesa at Leaver’s hotel in March.

Owen Campbell has cemented himself as one of Australia’s premier alternative blues-rock exports with three best-selling studio albums, 2 EPs and over 12 years of national and international touring. Owen Campbell is alternative blues and soulful cosmic rock at its best.

Inspired by the tempo of the ocean, Owen’s sound is best described as smouldering guitar work running from bluesy rifs and soulful finger-picking to lap steel guitar solos using a shot glass slide, with gritty caramel vocals.

Owen has wowed audiences in all corners of the world from the USA, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Netherlands, Japan, Hong Kong, India and even performed at the highest blues festival in the world, The Himalayan Blues Festival in Kathmandu, Nepal. Every one of Owen’s albums has hit the Top 10 on iTunes Blues Charts in over 10 countries.

Supported by Gabby Steel, an Australian singer-songwriter who has established an enthralling musical style created by her soulful vocals and folk-pop songwriting. Though the 23-year-old is inspired by the likes of Missy Higgins, Adele, and Courtney Barnet, Steel strives to create her own unique writing style by blending elements of soul, pop, and jazz. Gabby has performed all across Australia, including the main stage of Port Fairy’s iconic Folk Festival,and is looking forward to making her debut at Queenscliff( Music Festival in November.

In 2019, the Warrnambool local released her debut EP filled with evocacative lyrics that tackle big issues from mental health, gun violence, to bullying. The multi-instrumentalist has gone on to release a second EP Scuttle in 2022 and is excited to share her latest work early next year.

They’re playing Creswick’s Odesa on March 24.

Police have been investigating a fatal single vehicle crash that happened in Timboon in recent days.

It’s believed a vehicle travelling on Timboon-Port Campbell Road has rolled just before 3.30pm on Sunday, January 22.

The male driver, and only occupant of the car, had died at the scene, police reported earlier.

The exact cause of the crash had yet to be determined, police had reported.

Anyone who witnessed the collision, has dashcam footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report via the Police Crime Stoppers website online.

Officers from the VIPER Taskforce have charged a man and seized three vehicles, a Rolex watch, cash and drugs as part of a targeted investigation.

A Firearm Prohibition Order (FPO) compliance search was initially conducted on Tuesday, 10 January at a residential address in Tullamarine.

Police seized a Range Rover Sport, a RAM Laramie and a Mazda 3 (previously stolen from an address in Essendon in December), a radio frequency jammer, a Rolex watch, approximately $28,000 cash and what police said “appears to be cocaine”.

A further search of the seized vehicles was conducted over the following week, and on Wednesday, 18 January approximately 1kg of what police said “appears to be ketamine” was found concealed inside the Range Rover.

A 36-year-old Tullamarine man, who was not home when the initial FPO search was executed, was arrested by VIPER om Friday January 20.

He was subsequently charged with traffick large commercial quantity – ketamine, two counts of deal property suspected proceeds of crimes, traffick cocaine, possess cannabis, possess radio frequency jammer and theft of motor vehicle.

The man was remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 14 April.

The VIPER Taskforce is a tactical and investigative unit based within Crime Command focused on preventing, detecting, deterring, disrupting and dismantling the criminal activities of groups such as outlaw motorcycle gangs, organised crime networks and street gangs.

The taskforce, which commenced in July 2022, supports the work of specialist investigation units and regional police by providing further investigation tactics and enforcement actions.

VIPER is an acronym for visibility, intelligence, prevention, enforcement and reassurance.

Anyone with information about organised criminal or illicit drug activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a confidential report via Crime Stoppers online.

The Portland Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating following the theft of 12 chainsaws, valued in excess of $25,000, from a store in Heywood in recent days.

Detectives have been told at least two men are believed to have smashed their way into the Princes Highway store on Thursday 19 January about 4am.

Once inside the store the men took a quantity of cash and 12 brand new chainsaws of varying value and brand, before they left the scene.

Investigators have released CCTV and images (below) of two men they believe may be able to assist with their enquiries.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report via Crime Stoppers online.

A priceless collection of fungi has been replicated for the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to support research and management of biosecurity and food safety issues.

NSW DPI Plant Pathology and Mycology Herbarium curator, Jordan Bailey, said the fungal culture collection of Australia’s national science agency CSIRO has played an important role in Australian food industry research since its establishment by Dr John Pitt in 1970.

“The original Melbourne-based CSIRO collection contains fungal strains dating back more than 100 years and we are lucky to have a copy of this valuable resource at our Orange Agricultural Institute (OAI),” Dr Bailey said.

“The fungal collection contains living specimens unlike many scientific collections, which are dead and preserved – dinosaur skeletons, pinned insects and taxidermy animals.

“Fungal cultures are unique as they can be placed in stasis and remain dormant in long-term storage, where they are freeze-dried and vacuum sealed in glass ampoules.

“We can revive them as needed, sometimes decades later, to extend research studies which examine how these fungi live and cause diseases, or to sequence their genomes.”

This unique and invaluable collection of fungal cultures will be accessible for researchers in the scientific community and food industry, including the NSW Food Authority, who worked with NSW DPI and CSIRO to establish the OAI collection.

CSIRO scientist Nai Tran-Dinh, who worked on the collection with the late Dr Pitt, said it was one of the most extraordinary collections of its type in the world.

“The collection has more than 900 species from 114 countries, including 400 type cultures, the original strain on which the description of a species is based, some of which were isolated more than 100 years ago,” Dr Tran-Dinh said.

Castlemaine-based Maggie Jackson and the NYJazzQuartet are preparing to dispense their cool tunes at the Palias next month.

Performing as part of the Palais’ SupperClub Friday series Maggie and the quartet are on Friday Februrary 10.

With nine albums, three of which were made ‘CD of the Week’ by ABC radio and back from a successful performance in New York City, Maggie now presents her NYJAZZ QUARTET. Honed into lush jazz, smudged with the classics; Gershwin, Brubeck, Bach, Bill Evans and including originals.

The sound melts like chocolate, kicks like hot chilli and takes the audience with them… music for the soul. Rene Raulin – double bass, Peter Guilbert – percussion, Lee Bettereith – trumpet, Maggie Jackson – vibes, piano, vocals.

Pop-punk legend Brian Mannix and The Androids are preparing to play The Palais at Hepburn Springs on Saturday February 11.

Brian Mannix burst onto the Australian music scene in a blaze of ‘Pop Punk’ glory as the lead singer of 80s band Uncanny X-Men. In 2006 he performed on the Countdown Spectacular and at the 2006 AFL Grand Final.

Uncanny X-Men are known for their hits such as “The Party”, “How Do You Get Your Kicks?”, “50 Years” and “Everybody Wants to Work”.

Mannix is also known for his television work appearing as a regular on the ABC television quiz show Spicks and Specks. He was also a contestant on Channel 7’s Dancing with the Stars and appeared regularly on Australian cultural icon, Hey Hey it’s Saturday.

In 2016, Mannix was cast as “Buddy,” a leading role in the successful stage musical We Will Rock You based on the music of Queen and written by Ben Elton. The musical ran for six months straight from 30 April to 30 October 2016, Australia wide, where it closed with a spectacular performance on Sunday, 30 October 2016.

Brian is a highly successful author and is one of the most charismatic front men the Australian music scene has ever spawned.

Couple that with The Androids, who are fronted by Tim Henwood (The Superjesus, Rogue Traders and a hugely successful international session musician and record producer in his own right), Marty Grech (Drums), Matt Tomlinson (Bass), Sam Grayson (Guitar), and you’ve got lightning in a bottle.

The Androids brought their own brand of Pop Punk to the early noughties and had a huge international hit with “Do It with Madonna”, followed by two more top 20 hits and touring the world playing to packed houses as headliners as well as supporting PINK at 40 sold-out stadium shows in 2007, KISS, The Darkness and many more.

The Androids have blown the roof off many television shows including Rove Live, Top Of The Pops UK, The OC, Channel V, The Footy Show, Video Hits, Sunrise and MTV.

Booking details can be found via The Palais website.

Central Victorian Response Unit officers (CVRU) have arrested two women following a four-month investigation into drug trafficking in the Bendigo area.

The operation culminated in the execution of warrants at two properties in Plante Court in Strathdale and Maple Street in Golden Square earlier this week – on Tuesday, January 23.

A number of items were seized from the properties as part of Operation Possum including:

• more than $7,000 cash

• quantities of alleged methylamphetamine

• liquid believed to be GHB valued around $15,000.

A 29-year-old Strathdale woman and a 35-year-old Golden Square woman have been charged with traffick a commercial quantity drug of dependence.

The women have been remanded to appear in Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on 24 January.

Central Victorian Response Unit officers were supported by the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) as part of the investigation to ensure a safer community and to disrupt the drug supply in Bendigo and throughout the broader community.

Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, has announced the 10 deep-tech game changers from Australia’s universities and research community selected to develop their high-potential innovative ventures through the On Accelerate program.

CSIRO Chief Executive Larry Marshall said the ON program has been part of transforming Australian innovation since 2015.

“As the national science agency, CSIRO solves Australia’s greatest challenges with science, and there is no greater challenge than our innovation dilemma – solve that and we can solve anything. CSIRO’s ON Program has become a world-leading innovation catalyst because it inspires Australia’s scientists to turn their science into real world solutions for our greatest challenges,” Dr Marshall said.

“ON recognises that innovation thrives on diversity and doing things differently. When you redefine old school paradigms of leadership, you can drive financial performance and reinvent industries.

“Since the ON Program began in 2015, 66 new companies have been formed, raising more than $110m in investment capital and creating more than 500 jobs. I’m excited about the potential for this cohort to continue to create the new industries Australia needs to thrive in our innovative future,” he said.

Police were investigating after an allegedly stolen vehicle was followed by police across several suburbs earlier this week.

The car was first observed on Orbis Drive in Derrimut about 2am on Tuesday, 24 January.

With assistance from the Air Wing, the vehicle was followed through Truganina.

It is alleged the car was dumped on Grendon Street before the male occupants got out of the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.

Four men were arrested a short time later at a property on Dromana Way.

A 22-year-old Truganina man, a 20-year-old St Albans man and a 17-year-old St Albans boy have been released pending further enquiries.

A 19-year-old Tarneit man has been charged with possessing an imitation firearm.

There were no injuries.

Police are continuing to establish the exact circumstances around the incident and the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report via Crime Stoppers online.

If you’ve ever found booking detailed travel arrangements a tad stressful, then a free event happening in Castlemaine may be just what you’ve wished for.

The free Be Connected:Researching and booking ravel online event will take place at the Castlemaine Library on Thursday February 2 as part of the Goldfields Libraries ongoing series of free events

The hour-long free event starts at 2pm and organisers say those who make it can expect to learn how to safely research and book travel online. It also covers tips for finding the best deals, safely accessing finances while travelling,and what is needed when travelling with medications.

Organisers say it’s a great chance to discover how your mobile device can help to make travel in Australia or overseas safe and enjoyable.

Be Connected is an Australian Government initiative aiming to empower everyone to use the internet and everyday technology to thrive in our digital world. More information is available through the Goldfields Libraries website online and while it’s free to attend, bookings are required and can be made via the library website.