I must admit I am a bit shaky right now, hives have broken out and a nervous tick has developed in my right eye.  

I think the reason for these new nuisances is trolling through the Covid  photos.  In 2020 there was a lot going on, we  had pivoted our publication to a weekly newspaper size and paper quality, which we only printed twice and then swiftly turned back to the magazine format, but we remained a free weekly publication for the next year.  

This tumultuous time, which included Donna’s mother passing away, not because of Covid but because of the disruption the virus had caused in hospitals, staffing situations and sheer making it up as you go along scenarios.  

My accountant Matt Richardson from Cooke and Foley in Ballarat had just had a newborn child which was adding to his stress levels. But he was on the other end of the phone helping me keep the air in the tyres of the business 24/7.  

Matt said something that stuck with me.

“If a pig had flown past the window at that point I would have simply acknowledged it, things were that crazy.”  

For me, if I had to pull my worst moment from the whole experience it would  have to be when former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian asked at a press briefing for companies which could re-tool to make respirators and lots of them. Bloody hell….  

But through the haze and the noise I must have had the presence of mind to ask for and store our communities’ images.

Unfortunately, I have no idea who actually contributed those images, but please take the time to reflect on them, and thank-you to the good folks who sent them in.  

While a lot of people were stuck at home under the doona or cleaning out their pantries, we dug in hard here at TL HQ.

The first hard job was to let everyone go and snap back to the original team, just Donna and I. As we made the calls through tears and frustration, all of our crew said they would work for free for as long as it takes,  which caused a lot more tears.  

For obvious reasons, advertisers rang in thick and fast cancelling their adverts with the exception of a few, who although their businesses were in hibernation, wanted to make sure our community kept its newspaper.

The historical newspaper for Hepburn Shire, The Advocate, quickly closed its doors after a hundred years or so profiting off the community. But you know what they say when the going gets tough, the tough get going.  

So, we pivoted and worked hard. The paper would go to the printer on Sunday,  we would allow ourselves a Monday morning sleep in and start the next one on the Monday afternoon.

I would shoot people photos in my studio which was the Glenlyon Reserve, it had everything I needed – lots of fresh air, social distancing, light and shelter under the trees from the weather.

And here we are five years later and all I  can say is thank F #K that’s over. Covid anniversary rant over…  

Daylesford Primary School students got into the swing of Clean-Up Australia Day – held recently – with pupils in grades five and six heading to Lake Daylesford.

Meanwhile, pupils in grades three and four hit the school grounds.

The grades three and four have also been tasked with sorting, weighing and graphing their finds as part of a learning unit.

Teacher Jon Halliwell said the pupils in grades three and four were the drivers of the day’s work.

By Donna Kelly

Congratulations to the five women inducted onto the Heather Mutimer International Women’s Day Honour Roll. They are Mary Harvey, Jessie Leggatt (posthumous), Mary-Faeth Chenery, Lynda Poke and moi.

It was an absolute honour to be included among these women – and many more who have gone before them – on this prestigious roll.

I hope to follow up with stories about each of the new inductees in later editions.  I must admit to having a bit of impostor syndrome but when I heard my citation I thought “wow, she’s done a bit”.

I also listened to a very inspiring speech by guest speaker Shae Graham, a wheelchair rugby Paralympian and world champion.

Apart from making me wonder what the hell I had been doing with my life compared to hers, Shae also said sharing stories was very important. So that was a nice  justification.  

I reckon if you read this column, even now and again, you have heard enough about me so I will use this as a thank-you opportunity, as I did with my speech last Wednesday night.  

First up, thanks to former Hepburn Shire councillor Heather Mutimer. Heather  spent many years as the only woman on the council and handled her role with  aplomb, strength and kindness. I saw her in action a lot and she was impressive. So  thanks for paving the way for many more women councillors and also for starting the  honour roll.  

Secondly thanks to Hepburn Shire Council for running the annual event, and to  the IWD committee for their hard work throughout the year.

Thanks also to Mayor Cr Don Henderson. I did not realise it but when the continuation of the roll was  looking a bit dodgy Don stepped in to keep it running.  

Fun fact. On the night, Don reminded me of a letter to the editor, anti all the  parks etc named after men, I ran in The Advocate – in my former life there. He called to ask if I would run a letter from him and I apparently had a go at him over the  phone.

The letter duly arrived, and I ran it, despite Don writing that people could be assured, that if another tip was ever opened it would be named after a woman, the  Donna Kelly Tip, for my services to journalism. Very funny really.  

Also thanks to Cr Lesley Hewitt for her wonderful MC-ing of the event. Even  though I was a little disappointed that when I ended my speech – and I was last up –  with “I am sure, like everyone here, you are looking forward to a glass of wine so let’s finish up and enjoy the refreshments” and Lesley leaned over and whispered “I don’t think there’s any wine”.  

And thanks to Cr Brian Hood for saying I should end my speech with a Just  sayin’… which I did. Oh, also thank you to Aunty Sandra for a great, and her first,  Welcome to Country – great job and really interesting speech. Don’t you love wombats.

And thanks to Ballarat MP Catherine King for coming along. Catherine certainly attends events when she can.  

Finally thanks to the young people from Daylesford College for their music and  speeches on feminism and what it means to them.

Jamie Martin-Lukoszek performed Anything by Adrianne Lenker while Zara Drogriski performed Teenage Dream by  Olivia Rodrigo, accompanied by Arlo Schwarz-Deakin.

Hayley Smith and Stevie Rigby talked about this year’s IWD theme which calls for action that can unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for all and a feminist  future where no one is left behind.  If they are representative of our young people, the future is bright. Just sayin’…  

Damn, I just read this to Kyle and he reminded me to thank him, as I did on the night. So thank you Kyle – for sharing the passion of sharing the stories of the community.

Hepburn Shire Mayor Cr Don Henderson has welcomed “Australia’s much loved renovation competition reality TV series, The Block“.  

Filming started at the Raglan Street, Daylesford site last week.  Cr Henderson said Daylesford was known for its charming streets, culinary delights, mineral springs and spa resorts, and was set to benefit from the anticipated  influx of visitors.

“The cast, crew and travelling fans, will be able to indulge in Daylesford and all of our shire’s hospitality and shopping at our artisanal businesses and the local craftsmanship.

“Hosting The Block is an excellent opportunity for our shire. It will deliver noticeable economic benefits and showcase our beautiful landscape, rich history and vibrant community to millions of viewers across the country.   

“As filming takes place over the next few months, we look forward to the business The Block will bring to our accommodation providers, cafes, restaurants, local trades  and suppliers.”  

“The shire stands to gain far more than architecturally beautiful homes, the exposure will boost tourism beyond the show’s broadcast, reinforcing Hepburn Shire as a must-visit destination for local and international travellers.

“Council and our  communities look forward to The Block shining a national spotlight on our shire’s  charm, heritage and businesses.”  

Meanwhile, The Block contestants took part in their first challenge creating floats for the ChillOut parade last Sunday.

The show will air later this year.  

Above, Daylesford’s first Bunnings Warehouse, on The Block site  Words & images: Donna Kelly  

The Local journalist and delivery driver Tony Sawrey  

Empty roads. Diary of a delivery driver in the times of Covid.  I like driving open roads. I find the activity good for thought. And when the  plague came in 2020 I had plenty of time to enjoy those empty expanses of bitumen.  

When you work for a regional newspaper, the fences separating different roles tend to fall over. When I started at The Local several years before, I was pecking out stories, maybe doing a little photography when needed and eventually I started sharing delivery duties.

Soon it became a regular gig, was better than loading Christmas trees and was a nice opportunity to tour the shire.  

Anyway, I was doing the fortnightly pick-up and deliveries when everything went unusual. Not that much changed in my area of the forest though. Things were  actually quite idyllic, what with the drop in traffic volumes and a total absence of anyone in the bush. Happy days.  

But gradually The Local turned into a vital means of public communication,  especially since many of the other regional newspapers decided to quit or move online.

And suddenly I had become an essential worker and was working harder than I had ever cared to before or since. The mag had gone weekly, I had to produce more  stories and of course the delivery work doubled.  

Out on the freeway heading off to pick up our consignment from the (now  closed) print plant in Ballarat the only vehicles on the road were trucks travelling in  convoy and me. No impatient BMW M3 drivers, lumbering caravans or commuting  tradies bunching up and weaving about.

It was a form of bliss especially to someone like me who likes to drive. It was like the 1970s all over again, me a kid in the back seat staring at the empty tarmac ahead while counting the passing big rigs.  

Every week I would go out, an essential worker as I was, distributing important material for the good of the community. What an unusual position to be in.

From  Daylesford to Trentham, from Clunes to Creswick I would drive, dropping off  bundles at empty supermarkets and general stores. Everything else was shut. No cafés, no tourist info centres, no hotels or eateries.  

And you know what? People were actually glad to see me. How is that?

I shifted from a ghost with a hand trolley, a nothing people stepped around getting their morning coffee to a form of good news walking.  

“Good morning. Is that the paper?” a bemasked elderly person would say. “It is so  nice to have a paper to read.”  

“It is great you are still delivering,” says another. “That other mob gave up.”  

These were typical responses. In times when nothing was particularly normal, all  people could do was wait for things to get better.

The regular appearance of a bundle of nice fresh crinkly Locals in the supermarket basket became more than just a paper.  The Local became almost like.. like a beacon of light, a hope for better days ahead and I, the delivery guy was the messenger.

Above, Tony Sawrey and Logic 

With Eve Lamb

Three Lost Children Walk, Daylesford, 15 km (total)

Part B

Today is the day we shoulder our packs once again to complete the final remaining half of Daylesford’s famed Three Lost Children Walk.

We start where we left off last time, in Hogans Lane at Musk Vale surrounded by comfortable homes on acreage, and it’s a couple of ks of hiking on gravel, across the Ballan-Daylesford Road blacktop, and onwards, following unsealed Hogans Lane right to its end. Then it’s right into Foxs Lane, then left into Manna Gum Track.

Here, finally, we begin to leave the lifestyle acres, goats and alpacas behind, and things start to get a bit bushy.  For a start there’s a large male kangaroo eyeing us off and making me feel just a tad nervous, recalling tales of how these fellas, who have every right to feel miffed at people invading their ancestral home, have been known to eviscerate folk with a well placed claw hook.

Thankfully the big roo merely stares peaceably. And we walk on.

We’re equipped with a well thumbed copy of the Three Lost Children Walk brochure, readily available from the Daylesford Vistor Information Centre, and my copy of Walks, Tracks & Hikes of Victoria by Derrick Stone.

The bush is dry. The day is hot.  We reach the point where the trail descriptions indicate we should swing left into Paddock Track. But a brief moment of confusion arises. There’s a marker post facing us but its face is bare, displaying no signage of any kind.

My walking accomplice, Paddy H, ever observant, takes a look and discovers that the about-facing side of the post does display the now familiar stylized Three Lost Children trail marker, confirming that this is, indeed, where we turn left. And we’re on the right track.

“That’s why I bring you along,” I tell Paddy H who accepts this as his due. As we gain a bit of elevation there are fallen eucalypts on the forest floor, relics of the famous June storm from a few years back. We’re on a rough-hewn dirt vehicle track, surrounded by the forest now. After a while, we hear the  engine of a vehicle drawing closer.

A ute appears, trawling slowly behind us.

Glancing behind me, peering back at it,  I see the occupants are a friendly-looking couple.

Paddy H stops to say G’day to the bloke behind the wheel, beside whom the female passenger grins back at me. Or is that a look of empathy?

I wait beside the track while Paddy H and the bloke behind the wheel converse. And wait. And then wait a bit more.

Finally they’re done.

“Nice bloke,” surmises Paddy H as we start moving again. “He’s concerned about climate change and the impact it’s having on the forest.”

Pretty soon it becomes apparent that our printed walk guide has failed to mention just how gnarly, and flinty this walk is. Let’s just say there are some undulations here that could bring delight to hard core theme-park enthusiasts if you ran a light rail over them.

And once again I find myself thinking of those poor three lost little tackers whose tragic 1867 meandering this walk memorializes. This is no leisurely pleasure promenade. I marvel especially, for the hundredth time or so, at how their small-child legs could ever have carried them so far.

Sweating as we tackle the dusty undulations beneath the blazing February sun we reach the almost-evaporated and rather sad-looking Specimen Hill Dam. More of a bog hole today really. History records that it was near this spot that a young man called John Quinn had encountered the lost children and (unsuccessfully) attempted to turn the three doomed smalls back for home.

“Good advice,” I reflect aloud.

“Reminds me of the bullock driver in Joseph Furphy’s ‘Such Is Life’,” muses my walking companion, cryptically.

“I’ll have to read it.” We still have a fair way to go and I need to conserve energy.

The walk description is proving fairly straightforward to follow, though, and the trail well-marked. We reach, and cross Specimen Hill Road that wends its lonely way on through the Wombat State Forest bushland as far as the eye can see from this juncture.

And from here we trudge on along the dusty and evocatively named Cockatoo Track for about 3km to finally reach the Wombat Creek Dam.

The walk officially ends here at the Wombat Creek Picnic Area. The “dam” water storage reservoir is a decent little body of water. On a hot day like today just reaching it is a very welcome reward.

Note: The first part of this walk review appeared in the January 13, 2025 edition of The Local.

Springs Medical Centre GP Brad Wyer  

When I reflect on our journey over the past five years with Covid, you need to remember the different stages and what we knew at the time.  

As medical professionals, early 2020 we were watching a virus cut through Europe, in particular Italy, where young, healthy people and pregnant women were suddenly dying, not to mention those with health concerns and over 70.

It was rumoured Italy did not have enough health resources and would not ventilate a patient with Covid if they were over 60 due to the level of disease.  

So, when Covid came knocking on Australia’s door there was a lot of fear about what was to come. Primary care centres, it must be said, at the start were left out in the cold by the government.

We could not procure personal protective equipment,  we were not included in health policies on how to protect certain locations, it was all hospital and aged care based.  

For the first few months we had to fend for ourselves. I remember vividly my wife  asking me on Tuesday night, March 10, 2020 as I stared vacantly at the ceiling: “Was  I ok? “No I was not”.  

If we had a staff member with Covid, it meant all those in contact isolating for two weeks, which meant we had no staff to care for the public or help the hospital.  

Amongst all that fear, came a moment the people of the Central Highlands should  recognise, what great people you have working at Springs.  

It was then we divided into work teams, three groups who would never work  together and were asked not to mingle together after work even outside lockdowns.  

This to operate Kyneton (a clinic we had only just opened at the time), Trentham  and Daylesford. This they did for many months, and it meant no matter what, we  always had a team available to care for the community.

Over the year, we did get great  support from Central Highlands Rural Health in staffing clinics to test for Covid,  (the nurses were amazing) and Western Victorian Primary Health Network worked  diligently to get us PPE to protect our staff.

We rolled out vaccination clinics when  the time came to vaccinate over 10,000 people.  There were many difficulties along the way and new learnings.

Protective shields  at the front desk, the ever-changing isolation criteria, and questions our staff had to ask such as if people had been holidaying overseas to having contacts with Covid, which meant a telephone consult first.  

Consulting at times in face masks, shields and gloves made the interaction alien  and difficult. The number of times I was speaking loudly to have patients hear me, combined with the fact the face shield acted like an echo chamber, making it louder  for me.  

I remember at one of our first ‘flu vaccination clinics, a woman attended  amazingly well dressed. I had to ask where she was going as we were in lockdown at the time.

She replied: “Brad, I haven’t been out for six weeks so I wanted to make an  effort.” These are the beautiful memories I keep.  

Now five years later, I try to look at the good that has come from it. I sympathise  with those who have lost loved ones to this virus, or those who suffered consequences of the vaccination program. But within that, there is no doubt the program has saved  lives and health costs.  

The introduction of telehealth was brought on by Covid-19. The ability for patients to have Medicare rebates to get health advice over the phone has been  something we have wanted for years.

I also believe we all now have insights into when  we are unwell, not wanting to spread an illness. Gone are the days where one of the  easiest places to get sick was the doctors’ office, where people would sit in the waiting  room with fevers, and coughing and spreading the illness they had.

Now we have the  safety of the isopod where we can safely see ill patients to protect ourselves, staff and  others. Previously I would get sick from patients two to three times a year.  

Finally, my biggest take home, working at Springs Medical. Watching these wonderous staff support people who were scared and frightened, helping them through the worst, and also dividing into teams so as to mean we always had a workforce available.

This they did while looking after their own family. You could not  ask for a better bunch of people.  

Police were left a little constricted when they found a python during an arrest in Strathmore recently.

It is alleged a woman attended a property on Milton Court in Heidelberg Heights on February 23 where she allegedly damaged property.

A 34-year-old Essendon woman was located and arrested by Transit police at Strathmore Railway Station about 9.20pm on March 5.

During the arrest, the woman claimed she had a snake down her pants.

Officers searched the woman and located a small python.

Her slithery co-offender was safely put into a box and collected by DECA.

The woman was charged with criminal damage and trespass.

She was bailed to appear at Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on April 29.

Words: Supplied, Victoria Police. Images: Supplied, Victoria Police

Social media went a little viral recently with people wondering if Daylesford’s Victoria Park was an off-leash area for dogs.

After queries from The Local, the Hepburn Shire Council has confirmed that the park is an on-leash dog park – and has been for many years.

Development and Community director Ron Torres said there were two designated off-leash dog areas in Hepburn Shire, one at Trentham and one at Clunes.

The fenced off-leash dog park in Clunes is situated on the town’s Scenic Drive while Trentham’s off-lead park is in Market Street next to the pool and now includes picnic table facilities.

“Council works with dog owners through raising awareness and education on responsible dog ownership,” he said.

Daylesford Health has received another generous gift of $250,000 from the Maddicks Estate in January 2025, bringing the total donated since 1999 to an incredible $778,000.

To recognise the family’s legacy, Central Highlands Rural Health has renamed the surgical ward the “Maddicks Theatre” for a minimum of 10 years.

The funds will be used to improve facilities, upgrade medical equipment and resources for patients,
residents and clients across Daylesford Health services which include acute, theatre, community nursing and community health.

The official unveiling of the new name was celebrated with an afternoon tea on February 20 attended by Hepburn Shire Council Deputy Mayor Lesley Hewitt, Gary Lawrence and Barry Files from the Daylesford Historical Society and Central Highlands Rural Health’s (CHRH) Board, Executives and staff.

Central Highlands Rural Health Board Chair, the Hon Mary Delahunty visited with estate executor Mr Tim Byrne and his wife Eunice on February 28 to share the new signage.

The Hon Mary Delahunty: “Generations of the Maddicks family were well known and well loved by the Daylesford community and now their legacy lives on through their incredible investment in rural health.

“We are thrilled to honour them by naming the operating ward the Maddicks Theatre. On behalf of Central Highlands Rural Health’s Board and staff, I’d like to thank Mr Tim Byrne for taking such good care of Harry’s estate and legacy.”

Tim Byrne, Maddicks Family Estate Executor: “Harry wanted to support rural healthcare with his estate and I’m thrilled that the theatre will be named after his family.

“They were part of the Daylesford community for nearly 150 years and people still remember Harry taking their photo or loading reels at The Rex Theatre.

“The hospital staff have purchased life-saving equipment and other much-needed items with the funds which is great for the community.”

Recent purchases with the funds have included defibrillators for theatre and acute, an airway camera for theatre, a standing air chair for patient mobility and much-needed storage systems.

The Maddicks family arrived in Daylesford during the early gold rush days of the 1850s, where three generations lived and worked.

Henry Jnr (Harry), Thomas, Margaret (Peggy) and Kevin (were the children of Henry and Anastasia Maddicks. Henry Snr ran the Delta Photographic Studios from 1906 for over 60 years, and many of his treasured photos are archived at the Daylesford Museum.

Harry was a keen radio enthusiast and established a shop selling radios and household electrical appliances, and he continued to run the photographic business after his father’s death.

Thomas is buried with his parents at the Daylesford Cemetery. Kevin, who joined the war effort, was sadly killed while on service in New Guinea in 1945.

Their sister, Peggy, was an active tennis club member and quietly involved with many community groups.

None of the siblings married, and although private and reserved, they were actively volunteered in many of the community organisations and causes.

Harry was particularly interested in assisting the WWII refugees from the Baltic states at the Bullarto camp.

Words & Image: Supplied

Ballarat’s Bridge Mall redevelopment will officially open with a fun-filled community celebration tomorrow, Saturday March 15.

The official opening marks a major milestone in the transformation of the city’s oldest retail precinct, which has already led to new investment in the Bridge Mall.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves will join the community, Bridge Mall Business Association traders and businesses, civil infrastructure and landscape contractor 2Construct and landscape architects Hassell to mark the occasion.

The $23.3 million redevelopment will open with a Welcome to Country smoking ceremony and an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11am.

A cavalcade of vintage cars from the Vintage and Classic Car Club Ballarat, representing the decades starting from the 1900s, will then join some of today’s electronic vehicles to proceed along the bluestone carriageway before parking for a showcase display.

The event will feature carnival-themed festivities with roving entertainment, family fun, an outside broadcast from 3BA, a Rotary Club of Wendouree Breakfast barbecue, a display of historic photos of the precinct and a brand-new shopping experience.

The shopping and celebrations continue on Sunday March 16.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said the Bridge Mall redevelopment is a game-changer for Ballarat.

“The redevelopment brings a new modern public space, improved accessibility and a vibrant atmosphere that will benefit residents, visitors and local businesses for years to come,” she said.

“We are proud to deliver a space that enhances our community’s social and economic vibrancy and creates a more inviting and accessible destination for all.

“We encourage everyone to come along, celebrate with us and experience the new Bridge Mall.”

Bridge Mall Business Association President Wendy McLachlan said traders are extremely excited about the new space.

“The association continues to receive many positive endorsements about the new space – from traders, the community and the new investment the project has attracted,” she said.

“Our entrance from Sturt Street connecting our mall to the CBD is very grand and pedestrian friendly. 

“The shared space with vehicles will allow better access for our customers that are dropping off and picking up.

“We are all embracing positive change and loving the new space now and look forward to what the future holds.”

The Bridge Mall redevelopment features:

•    A landscaped entry into the mall
•    A portal view to the Yarrowee, connecting people with the river below their feet
•    Reflections of Wadawurrung Traditional Owners’ history and culture
•    About 20 new short-term car parks for pick-up and drop-off
•    Smart lighting on building facades
•    A dynamic new play space
•    New seating, gathering spaces and plantings
•    Bollards providing easy mall closure for events, markets and performances
•    A shared zone with a 10km/h speed limit, noting vehicles must give way to all pedestrians at all times
•    Better connections to cycling paths, including the Sturt Street shared path, and
•    Improved traffic flow through the Grenville and Sturt Street intersection.

The carriageway will remain in event mode and be closed to vehicles throughout the Saturday of celebrations and will open to vehicles from Sunday March 16.

The Bridge Mall redevelopment is a key project of the City of Ballarat’s Bakery Hill Urban Renewal Plan.

The Bakery Hill Urban Renewal Plan is the first step in revitalising the Ballarat CBD and aims to reinvigorate the area as a vibrant destination for shoppers, diners, residents and visitors.

This story based on a City of Ballarat media release. Image: supplied

Newspapers usually see plenty of giant pumpkins, but Glenlyon’s Ralph Stewart has grown a giant apple.

And oddly enough it’s called a Monty’s Surprise Dwarf Apple.

Now it’s been picked and weighed in at almost a kilo, it will be turned into an apple pie for Ralph,
wife Sue and the grandkids.

Yum. And it’s surely got to keep the doctor away… Mind you, Ralph says “it’s just an apple”.

Image: Kyle Barnes

St Patrick’s Day celebrations are taking place at Trentham East on Sunday, March 16.

The day begins at 11am at the Sacred Heart Church to hear stories from local Irish people before the crowd, led by the bagpipes, marches to the Pig and Whistle Hotel, a pub with Irish history dating back to 1887.

There the celebrations kick off with a traditional Irish menu, plenty of Guinness on tap and live Irish music.

Hepburn Shire Council marked International Women’s Day on March 5 with a free community event celebrating the remarkable achievements of local women and marking the 20th anniversary of the Heather Mutimer Honour Roll. 

The Honour Roll, which celebrates the exceptional contributions of women in our community, inducted five new members this year: Mary Harvey, Jessie Leggatt (posthumous), Donna Kelly, Mary-Faeth Chenery and Lynda Poke.

These women have made significant impacts in their respective fields and have become role models for future generations. 

Mayor Cr Don Henderson said the program honoured local women whose achievements are paving the way for future generations, recognising their vital roles in shaping our community. 

“Tonight was a special occasion to reflect on the incredible accomplishments of local women and to honour those who have demonstrated unwavering resilience, courage, and dedication. We look forward to continuing to support women’s empowerment in our community and beyond,” Cr Henderson said. 

This year’s event featured a powerful keynote address from Australian Paralympian, Shae Graham. Once an avid sportsperson, Shae’s life took an unexpected turn at age 18 when a motor vehicle accident left her with a severe spinal cord injury, leaving her unable to walk. 

Defying all odds, Shae went on to become the first female to represent Australia in wheelchair rugby at the 2021 Paralympics.

Her resilience and passion for breaking down barriers in male-dominated sports have made her an inspiration to many. 

Former Hepburn Shire councillor Heather Mutimer made a speech at the event, which also showcased presentations from the next generation of changemakers at Daylesford College, offering a glimpse into the future of women’s leadership and empowerment. 

The Local will run stories about the inductees in future editions. 

Words & image: Hepburn Shire Council   

ChillOut favourite Marcia Hines shared her sound check time with Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health’s Country LGBTIQA+Inclusion Program’s Birds of a Feather members at Victoria Park’s Big Top on Friday, March 7.

Birds of a Feather gatherings are held every three months at venues across the Macedon Ranges and Central Victoria.

The events, usually held over lunchtime, offer an opportunity for adults who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex to come together in a safe and affirming space, hear from a range of interesting guests and feel a sense of belonging.

Friday’s event also included a round of applause for Daylesford’s Danny Moynihan who was introduced as “one of ChillOut’s most fabulous volunteers”.

Danny had a copy of one of Marcia’s albums he was hoping she would sign, gifted to him by his late, great, wife Roz. (Which Marcia signed…)

Anyone keen to attend a Birds of a Feather event should call Mez on 5421 1666 or email mez.lanigan@scchc.org.au.

Check out the video here: www.tlnews.com.au/marcia-hines-chillout-sound-check

Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Kyle Barnes