A YEAR since works first started, Cobaw Community Health’s building is now completed. The purpose-built new facility, made possible by a $9.7M grant from the Victorian Government’s Regional Health Infrastructure Fund, will replace Cobaw’s main office in the centre of Kyneton.

Cobaw CEO Margaret McDonald said the design created a welcoming and flexible space which would ensure that everyone visiting Cobaw had access to the highest levels of comfort and professionalism.

“This vital part of local infrastructure gives us the capacity to provide a greater range of allied health and community services with significant increases in clinical spaces to meet the increases in service demand.”

The mix of exterior cladding and intricate brick work was designed to reference the local history, architecture, flora and the landscape of the Macedon Ranges.

“The grey cladding references the bluestone rock and brickwork found extensively in the area as well as the many farm sheds seen in towns across the region. The curves of the brick arches are a nod to the shop fronts of the old buildings as well as to hills of the local environment and the gold glass references Kyneton’s history as a service town for the goldfields. The internal colours reflect the colours of the natural landscape of the hills, rivers, trees and earth.”

The building is clearly visible as people come off the freeway at Kyneton and the entrance to Cobaw faces the Kyneton Health site, accessed via additional parking that has been added to the existing car park.

All of Cobaw’s services will be available in the new building including counselling, family and parenting support, homelessness support, LGBTIQA+ groups, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech pathology.

In addition, there will be a number of co-located and visiting services including the Centre for Non-Violence and Centrelink that will grow over the coming months with the increased space. In addition, multi-purpose rooms and a kitchen will allow community groups access to spaces for meetings that have state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment.

“We are pleased to be joining existing services on the precinct and particularly value the ongoing collaboration with Kyneton Health,” Ms McDonald said.

A small number of staff are on site setting up the new building in preparation for when Cobaw can open its doors again to the community.

Despite the doors currently being closed to all of its sites including at Romsey and Woodend, Cobaw continues to deliver all of its programs and services via telehealth and in person where necessary.

The contact details for enquiries and referrals remain the same – call 5421 1666 or email admin@cobaw.org.au

A COMMUNITY Engagement Report for Creswick Trails, 100km of purpose-built mountain bike trail, is due to be released this month, however an opening date remains some years away.

Hepburn Shire Council’s project manager Alison Breach, pictured, said since the completion of the community engagement on the Concept Trail Alignments in January, the team had been busy behind the scenes reviewing feedback.

The next move was a review and revision of the Concept Trail Alignments in collaboration with land managers and traditional owners to create a draft called the Detailed Design Alignments followed by a collaborative review of all background reports with land managers, she said.

This would be followed by negotiation of a Land Use Activity Agreement with the Dja Dja Wurrung which will include ways that the traditional owners will participate in the Creswick Trails now and into the future.

An application for a planning permit could be as close as August or September but there would then be a construction tender with construction taking up to two years.

“Public feedback has been that people are very excited about the proposed trails and also the prospect of having a regionally- significant outdoor recreational activity in their backyard.

“Also, for our businesses to see an increase in tourism and the opportunities that brings.

“Of course, the most common question we get is ‘why is it taking so long?’ and I completely understand that. The answer is that we are really trying to do this to best practice, with lots of conversations and lots of assessment and checking. There is no precedent for something of this complexity and history of the area. There is no process, we are forging that process as we go.”

Alison said to that end, the project was being keenly watched by other local governments keen to do something similar.

“We have absolutely had quite a bit of interest from others wanting to do the same thing, mountain biking is really growing in popularity – and yes, they are asking us for tips.”

Alison, an avid bushwalker whose father maintains part of the Appalachian Trail in America, said the project was really exciting and more important than ever.

“This project has the potential to help revitalise and refresh after something like COVID-19 through job creation with construction, maintenance and also jobs associated with an increase in visitation.

“We are able to provide people with that physical outdoor exercise that they may have been craving while inside Netflixing.”

The trail will start at the Hammon Park trailhead, pump track and car park and will be one of the Hepburn Shire Council’s flagship recreation assets, attracting more visitors to the region, boosting tourism and the local economy.  

The finished network will feature a variety of trail types and ride zones, including a series of accessible trails designed and constructed specifically for riders who have limitations, riding a standard, up-right, leg-powered mountain bike. These adaptive trails will be the first of their kind in Victoria.

The project is funded through a partnership between Regional Development Victoria – $2.56 million and council – $1.5M. The resulting network will be maintained by council in partnership with land managers Parks Victoria, the Department of Land Water & Planning, Central Highlands Water and Hancock Victoria Plantations.

“This project has the potential to help revitalise and refresh after something like COVID-19 through job creation with construction, maintenance and also jobs associated with an increase in visitation.”

Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Kyle Barnes

The global pandemic might have stopped one of Victoria’s biggest regional art events in the 17th Trentham Easter Art & Craft Show but innovative thinking is instead seeing a stripped-down, online exhibition go ahead.

Show committee member Penny James has, with the support of the full committee, created Trentham Iso Art, an online exhibition which brings artists and art lovers together via Instagram.

Artists and craftspeople are invited to exhibit, and hopefully, sell online through May.

Iso Art judges will then decide prize winners in early June.

Iso Art will buy redeemable vouchers from local Trentham traders to offer instead of the normal cash prizes.

“The thinking was to create a concept that supports artists, supports local traders, helps continue to promote community spirit and is a bit of fun,” Penny said.

Artists are invited to address “Trentham in Iso” as a theme.

As an example, an early entry is an oil portrait of a wistful five-year-old who has not been able to have a hug from her Trentham grandparents since “iso” started.

Ms James wasn’t sure what support the event might receive but had a dozen entries and an initial sale within 24 hours of announcing Trentham Iso Art online via Instagram.

Artists of any age from anywhere – not just Trentham – are invited to submit works of any size in any medium by sending a good quality photograph to         info@trenthamartshow.org

The works are displayed at www.instagram.com/trenthamartshow/

Ms James, who said the Trentham Art Show committee were delighted with the quality of the early entries, said Iso Art wasn’t meant to be an exact but an online equivalent of the annual event.

“That event normally attracts a crowd of more than 3000 to enjoy more than 300 works,” she said.

“Iso Art is more like a stripped-down version that says the coronavirus isn’t strong enough to stop our arts scene or sense of community and will hopefully be an artistic sampling that will see us through to the return of the full scale show in 2021.”

Meanwhile, the Hepburn Council last week approved a $1000 Coronavirus Community Support Grant to Trentham Iso Art, which will be used to supplement the virtual exhibition’s prize money to artists.

Entries, pictured above, Peter Young has captured with oil on canvas, his grand-daughter, wistful Emily, 5, who has not been able to hug her Trentham grandparents since social isolation started

Below, Trentham digital artist Isabel Burgess, whose piece Serenity is a depiction of a peaceful interior in which to spend this Iso period, sold the instant it appeared on the Trentham exhibition’s Instagram site

Words: Peter Young | Images: Contributed

TRENTHAM photographer Mike Rutherford’s Lost Boy – Kerala, pictured, is a finalist in the Percival Photographic Portrait Prize.

 Another, World’s Biggest Laundry – Mumbai, is a winner in the Chania International Photo Festival and will be part of an exhibition in Crete in August.

They were both done on a visit to India in November-December last year with a theme to photograph ordinary working Indians.

Mike is a former international advertising photographer who bought the old Lying-In Hospital (for new mums) in Trentham, built in the late 1800s which he is renovating when not photographing.

In 2019 he did two trips to India for photography and he hopes to be exhibiting in Mumbai in 2021.

Mike has lived in Trentham for over 15 years and is passionate about showing a side to the region that is beyond the usual tourism shots.

The Percival Photographic Portrait Prize debuted in 2014. It was started to coincide with the highly popular Percival Portrait Painting Prize and to ensure a city-wide celebration of portraiture.

The Townsville-based exhibition, which has been growing with every edition, offers a major $10,000 acquisitive prize.

The winner will be announced on May 22.

MELBOURNE creative Lliam Amor is the winner of the Hepburn Swiss Italian Festa Artwork Prize for 2020.

The announcement was made by the Festa committee last week.

“Lliam Amor is a Melbourne-based illustrator and creative artist who also acts and improvises.

“Lliam has distant Swiss heritage, and family connections in the Castlemaine area, and said he had jumped at the chance to create an artwork for the Festa,” vice president John Stanwell said.

Mr Stanwell said each year the Swiss Italian Festa featured an original artwork or design that appeared on posters, programs and marketing materials.

“This year, local artists, photographers and designers were invited to submit an original artwork for the 2020 Festa Artwork Prize.

“Through generous sponsorship support from the Farmers Arms Hotel Daylesford, the Festa committee was able to offer a Festa Artwork Prize of $1000.

“With the cancellation of the 2020 Festa due to COVID-19, the Festa committee will focus this year on upgrading the Festa’s website and social media platforms.

“Lliam’s artwork will be the face of this enhanced online presence for the Swiss Italian Festa. The winning artwork will also be used to promote a range of online activities that the Festa will host in the coming months.”

Mr Stanwell said the Hepburn Swiss Italian Festa would be back in 2021.

“The Festa celebrates the heritage of the Italian-speakers from Switzerland and northern Italy who settled in the region during the 1850s goldrushes. Their legacy is the mineral waters, vineyards, architecture and food traditions still evident and treasured in the region today. Viva la Festa!”

Lliam has appeared in film with Escape From Pretoria and on television in Hawke, Underbelly, Tangled, Thank God You’re Here, The Micallef Program, Neighbours, Micro Nation, The Nurses, You’re Skitting Me and various TV commercials.

His artwork will be unveiled when the new website is launched.

Last week, I espoused the benefits of, and more importantly, the absolute need for us to find ways to protect our gardens from pests and diseases, without harming ourselves or our environment. These days there are many harmless – to us and our pets, at least – botanical and biological sprays and compounds to cover almost every garden pest or pestilence.

One of my favourites and an early starter is Dipel, a bacterial compound exclusively attacking larvae, grubs and caterpillars. My first encounter with this product was when I was filming a segment in the Melbourne Zoo’s Butterfly House, mainly to demonstrate the original environments of the plants we struggle with as indoor specimens but also to promote the newly-opened facility. 

I was told Dipel was being used to great effect in keeping the zoo gardens grub- free, but for a time had apparently created havoc in the butterfly breeding area, until they found that Dipel residue on the keepers’ work clothes had been sufficient enough to exterminate the young caterpillars.

If you would prefer to make your own remedies, here are a few tried and true recipes…

Insecticides

Eucalyptus spray:

Cut up 1.5kg of freshly-picked eucalyptus leaves and boil them in 3.5 litres of water for 30 minutes. Allow them to cool. Mix 125g of soft (or liquid) soap in hot water. Strain and blend the two, and bottle when cool. Use the mixture at the rate of 250ml to 2 litres of water.

Garlic spray (excellent for smaller insect pests):

Chop up and mix 90g of garlic cloves with two teaspoons of liquid paraffin. Soak for 48 hours, then add 600ml of warm water and 15g of a good oil-based soap. Store in a sealed bottle and use at the rate of 25ml per litre of water.

Rhubarb spray:

Cut up 2.5kg of rhubarb leaves and boil them in 3 litres of water for 30 minutes. Allow to cool. Mix 125g of soft soap in 3 litres of hot water. When cool, strain and blend the mixtures for use at the rate of 250ml per 2 litres of water.

Fungicides

Bordeaux mixture (ingredients readily obtained from any hardware outlet):

Stir 90g of copper sulphate into 5 litres of hot water and leave overnight to cool. Next day, mix 125g of garden lime with 4 litres of cold water. Mix both liquids together and use immediately. This mixture is excellent for most fungal diseases but does not store for more than a couple of days.

Chive tea (for scab and mildew):

Use dried chives. Do not boil but pour 500ml of boiling water over 50g of dried chives and allow it to infuse for at least an hour. Strain the mixture through a nylon stocking (preferably vacant) and bottle. Use diluted at the rate of one part mixture to two parts water.

By the way, because these and most of the new breed of commercial, organic sprays are thankfully non-systemic they don’t remain in the sapstream (like our bloodstream). Especially in rainy weather it would be a good idea to follow up with another spraying, perhaps in a fortnight, to catch any latecomers.

Silent Spring

Last week I mentioned the book Silent Spring by the late, widely-acclaimed, marine biologist Rachel Carson, which exposed the destruction of wildlife through the widespread use of pesticides, despite the condemnation of the US press and attempts of the chemical industry to have the book banned. First published in 1962, it was last released as one of Penguin’s Modern Classics in 2000, so not easily found in the bookshops. I obtained my current copy online.

DURING the current lockdown situation, when dining out is not possible, take-away becomes the only option. But, what options there are.

This includes the Daylesford Hotel which now offers a take-away dinner menu Wednesday to Saturday, 5m to 8pm and a Saturday lunch noon to 3pm. Just phone ahead with your order and pick-up at their bottle shop drive-through when ready. Your selection is brought to the car window straight from the kitchen.

A nice touch is the fully recyclable packaging (hot and cold in separate bags even) which kept everything fresh for us during the 10-minute trip home back to the hills.

My selection was a cheeseburger ($12), an all-time favourite with house-made pickles, onion, sauce and real American cheese. Purists may disdain it but no burger is complete without a slip of Robert L Kraft’s pasteurised cheese product melted over a freshly ground beef patty.

Amanda choose the falafel burger ($12). It was crisp and tangy with garlic yoghurt, cos lettuce, a generous helping of feta and mild, green pickled chillies (guindillas). Both dishes come served on fresh milk buns made on the premises. The ultimate TV dinner would not be complete without a side serving of crisp french fries (small $4, regular $6), creamy coleslaw ($6), and just maybe, onion rings ($6).

For dessert there was a choice between sticky date pudding with butterscotch ($7) and New York-style baked cheesecake ($7).

I like cheesecake, especially when it’s fresh with a slice of poached pear. As does our dog Logik, pictured. On a chilly evening watching free-to-air telly Amanda has a preference for warm sticky date pudding with cream. So no arguments were generated picking and choosing this time. A great take-away feast and we managed to finish it all before the movie started (something in French on SBS).

Words: Tony Sawrey 

Image 1:  contributed

Another week goes by in this strange new world we find ourselves in, and I’m just longing to go to the pub for a pint of Guinness. It looks like it’s going to be a while until we can, but they’ll eventually open up again and we’ll all sit around and tell stories and tall tales from our lockdown days.
Tonight’s cocktail is a nod to the ‘good old days’ when we could go to the pub and stay till closing and hearing the call for LAST Drinks and frantically ordering just one more for the road.

The Last Call

Ingredients:
45ml whiskey
30ml Campari
25ml port
20ml of Earl Grey tea syrup

Method:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and add ice. Shake until the shaker is cold in your hands. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a slice of dehydrated or fresh orange.

The big four banks have shut their squiffy eyes

to the fates of people they robbed with such aplomb.

Though whitewash covers their criminal enterprise,

we see their faults and know where they’re coming from.

Here in Glenlyon, the only banks are the Loddon’s.

What a relief, to sit here watching the water,

at peace with the flow of time and feeling unmodern

in the nakedly open ancientness of nature.

Capitalism dies broke, but what’s being born?

Maybe a global dictatorship this time,

a communism emerging out of the storm

of shut-downs and fears and making freedom a crime.

A source of satirical humour for decades to come,

our time is a time of not-so-funny limits,

but here by the Loddon, the tune the river hums

uplifts me by the spirit of nature in it.

Mushrooms are popping up like little moons.

We’ll hear the frogs’ quaint choirs in the night.

The trees will sweep the clouds with leafy brooms.

In nature, every autumn turns out right.

Now’s the time to visit the Falls, where the rain

has forced the flow to dash and splash at the rocks.

Negative ions fill the air again

and the thrill of it all is enough to warm your socks.

As ever, the world is rorted by stupid men

who favour, not love, but power to have their way.

They come and go and come and go, but then

they disappear by the Loddon. Hip hooray!

James Baillie

James Baillie lives in Glenlyon and runs a business called ‘The Arthritis Man’. He has been writing rhythm and rhyme as a hobby since age 11.

Poems for Local Lines come predominantly from a group of poets. However, other locals who would like a poem considered for publication can contact Bill Wootton – cottlesbreedge@gmail.com

THERE are many ways to tell a story – and Anne E Stewart knows all of them.

She has had to, because the COVID-19 pandemic has posed some interesting questions about how to continue a storytelling event, the Cicada Slam, when people can’t be in the same room together.

“We were having it at the Daylesford Hotel – they would load the fire for us, and it gave the whole thing a lovely feel – we love them, they’ve been our great sponsors,” Anne E explained.

“People kept asking me

to do it, there was a lot

of popular demand to

bring it online, they wanted

the connection.”

“People having a drink and yarning on has been a big part of the Cicada Slam and that’s something we will miss, and it’s something that we’ll recreate online now.”

Recreating the wine part is easy. Anne E has her storytelling chair, live from her Storytelling House and Garden, set up with a cheeky red beside it ready to go.

The question was how to continue the storytelling part. Anne E has worked with so many different media during her decades-long career as a storyteller, on national radio and in schools and as an MC and at events around the world, that the switch to online seemed easy.

It was certainly in demand.

“People kept asking me to do it, there was a lot of popular demand to bring it online, they wanted the connection.”

Anne E and her team, including Anthony and Zane and Mya, set the Cicada up to go online at www.cicada.com. Making things happen, especially locally, is part of what makes Anne E an inspiring woman. And the online format is having a surprising benefit for the storytellers.

“When you work with a live audience, you get to respond to them so it makes it a little bit trickier but in other ways you might be a bit braver, because you’re a bit more anonymous.

“The hardest bit about it is setting up a bit of etiquette about storytelling – maybe we can interact, maybe we can see each other’s faces or maybe we can’t.”

And the first theme? Hindsight 2020.

“It’s such a perfect one to start the series with. We’re trying to get our themes back in synch with what’s on our website, but as with most things at this time, it’s a bit of a work in progress.”

The next Cicada Slam is via Zoom on Thursday, May 21 at 7pm with the theme My Brilliant Career. Enrol with anne@anneestewart.com.au for an invite.

Words: Kate Taylor | Images: Kyle Barnes

Pictured left, Niki na Meadhra, with Anne E Stewart, right

(This article is supported by the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas.)

THE Cartwheels. Contemporary country and country-influenced material. Always a surprise or two at every gig.

The new self-titled album is a gem, a lovely range of classic country material, played tastefully and with a respect for the traditions of the genre. These guys should know, Glenlyon couple Wendy Phypers and Dave Patterson and son Charley Phypers have played together now for many years, and are not afraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves.

There are some lovely Australian references to places like Koondrook on the Murray, with tales of heartbreak, regret and joy. Recorded jointly in Nashville and at Richard Pleasance’s studio in Hepburn, the album features an array of guest musicians, as well as the core family band.

Music writer Darren Lowe caught up with Dave for a chat for The Local.

Darren: Great album, probably amongst your best work, a real nod to classic country, was that intentional?

Dave: Absolutely, our favourite style of country is the stuff that was recorded from the 40s to the 60s so we always knew that we were going to do a traditional sounding album, particularly since we were going to be recording with musicians whose bread and butter is playing that style. Wendy’s song writing tends to lean toward that style.

Darren: The song writing even deals with classic country themes of cheatin’, lyin’, etc but is nicely contrasted with some very Australian references, such as Koondrook and kookaburras, so it all seems to fit together quite naturally.

Dave: We love using local references in songs and Kookaburra Calling is a snapshot of one of our many camping trips to Koondrook on the banks of the Murray. Off We Go Again is also autobiographical and is about our trips to outback Queensland and the joy of open blue skies, straight roads and flat tyres.

Darren: Tell me about the players you have on the album.

Dave: We were lucky enough to have three players from the Nashville supergroup The Time Jumpers: Joe Spivey (fiddle), Jeff Taylor (piano and accordion) and Andy Reiss (guitar). The Time Jumpers are an 11-piece band made up of the best players in Nashville – including superstar Vince Gill. Wendy was lucky enough to do a guest spot on one of their shows and the crowd went absolutely nuts. It was the highlight of our trip for me.

We also had Craig Smith on guitar, who recently toured out here with Jim Lauderdale and Doug Jernigan on pedal steel. Doug used to play with greats like Faron Young and Ferlin Husk and had some great stories to tell.

Darren: I love how you’ve managed to include a number of country styles such as some Tex-Mex with the wonderful piano accordion work and some traditional/bluegrass.

Dave: Country music is a beautiful mix of different regional influences. You can hear the sounds of early New Orleans jazz in western swing or an old English ballad in a Kentucky mountain tune. I love that about any style of music so we are happy to mix it up a bit. 

Kookaburra Calling just had this great cajun feel about it right from the start and Jeff and Joe totally got the sound we were after. We also love that although the music sounds like it’s from Louisiana, the lyrics are pure Australian.

Darren: The final song is a beauty, a very mature, well-written piece which rounds off the album beautifully.

Dave: Yeah, Heartbreaking World. Essentially the song is about life being tough but alongside that you have home and the ones that you love.

Darren: How was recording in Nashville?

Dave: Recording in Nashville was an amazing experience. We were fortunate enough to work with all the players we have listened to and loved for years and we totally immersed ourselves in the whole experience that is Nashville.

Of course working with Richard Pleasance is always fabulous. We recorded the drums and bass with Richard before we left. We have done quite a bit of recording with Richard over the years and it is always a joy. He is an amazing producer and musician.

Darren: Congratulations on the album again, I love it, even down to the cover with the crocheted quilt!

THE series continues in May featuring the Daylesford Court House (now the Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre).

In collaboration with The Local, Alice’s Journeys Walking Tours will take you on a virtual unofficial history tour of the Daylesford Court House.

To do this we need your help. If you’re cooped up at home during the COVID-19 crisis, when would be a better time to share some of your local memories with the community?

In your own words, tell us about an interesting story or memory you have of an event you experienced at the Daylesford Court House. Events might include a fungi workshop with Alison Pouliot, or a court proceeding before the mid-1980s when the court was officially decommissioned. Tell us the year, how old you were and what this experience meant to you. We’ll publish selected stories here in TL and on our website www.alicesjourneys.com 

Thanks to Les Pitt’s Mud Blood & Gold…Daylesford the early years first published in 2016, here’s a court house story of note from the mid-1800s.

Magistrate ‘court’ out

According to Ann Baker, “all sorts” visited her in the local 1850s diggings – even the very magistrate across the bench formally asking if men called on her.

Ann was a feisty character, one of the regular defendants at the local 1850s Daylesford courthouse.

As a sex worker charged with prostitution she was not unlike many of the goldfields women moonlighting to earn a living. 

Back then a woman could not obtain a miner’s licence so she’d have to be resourceful and find other ways to work. According to historian Claire Wright women quietly become the bedrock of gold-mining towns like Daylesford.

What happened to Ann Baker? It’s a history mystery as to whether her client Magistrate Daly let her go that day.

Did you also know William Stanbridge, the first Mayor of Daylesford was also a local magistrate, JP and state member of Parliament? No conflict of interest there?

Do you know about the rare architectural significance of the smiley-face design of the Court House built on the 1860s?

Do you have a memory of the Daylesford Courthouse?

Email: Lynda Poke at info@alicesjourneys.com

Words: Lynda Poke

Image: Contributed

Pictured: Lynda Poke in front of historic Daylesford Court House

WITH the stage currently empty and waiting with great anticipation for the next show to start rehearsing, The Mount Players’ vice president Karen Hunt wanted to share the history of The Mountview Theatre in Macedon.

IN 1972, resident Neville Thurgood gathered together a group of locals to form The Mount Players, with the intention of entering a one-act play in the Kyneton Daffodil Festival.

This began what is now a vibrant, active community drawing talent from far and wide. The newly-formed theatre company continued to perform one-act plays but had no permanent home. 

In 1975 they obtained a lease for the old Macedon Presbyterian Church located where the current theatre is today. Between 1975 and 1977 with a grant from the State Ministry for the Arts for $8000, members of the company together with local business groups donated their time and goods to convert the church into a tiny, cosy theatre with a seating capacity of 50. The theatre officially opened in 1977 with The Golden Legion of Cleaning Women.

Between 1978 and 1982 the company went on to produce a wide range of performances including murder mysteries, comedies, musicals and pantomimes.

In February 1983, on Ash Wednesday, tragedy struck when the theatre along with many members’ homes were destroyed. Original memoirs, photographs and programs were also lost. So began another period of being homeless which saw the company perform in venues such as The Mechanics Hall in Gisborne, Wooling Hill in New Gisborne, The Arts Centre in Kyneton, Gisborne Secondary College and The Macedon Family Hotel.

In 1985, the now vacant church land was transferred to the ownership of the Shire of Gisborne and The Mount Players entered into a 21-year lease as tenants of the land and any buildings.

In 1986, following an intensive period of fundraising, building of the new theatre began. A local builder took on the building part-time with members helping with the more mundane jobs to help complete the project.

In 1987 the company was greatly saddened by the sudden loss of their then-president, Margaret Woods and former secretary and life member, Fred Blake.

As work continued it became clear that there weren’t going to be enough funds to complete the theatre so in 1989 an agreement was entered into with the Shire of Gisborne whereby the shire owned the building and The Mount Players were given exclusive occupancy of the theatre and were to manage and maintain the building from there on.

In November 1990 the new Mountview Theatre was officially opened with the performance of Scrooge. The rest, as they say, “is history”.

The Mount Players have continued to produce four quality productions a year, an annual one-act play festival and with the introduction of a Youth Theatre in 2007 its future is rosy.

How lucky are we to have this incredible theatre on our doorstep?

All we need now is to clear this virus so we can return to doing what we love the most, bringing live theatre to our audiences.

If you would like to read about our history in more detail and see photographs of past productions, we invite you to our website www.themountplayers.com

See you at the theatre…soon, I hope!

Clockwise from top, the former Macedon Presbyterian Church/Mountview Theatre, The Mount Players’ opening program, scenes from 12 Angry Men, Trial by Jury (October 1976) and Salad Days (November 1982)

Images: Contributed

Do you have a piece of history to share?

Email news@tlnews.com.au

MOUNT Macedon’s iconic Memorial Cross Reserve is being enhanced with $50,000 funding from the Victorian Government.

The reserve is a major attraction in the Macedon Ranges region and has a long history of community use, although an increase in visitor numbers has put pressure on the reserve environment and infrastructure.

The funding will go towards a detailed heritage analysis to preserve and enhance the site’s commemorative features.

It will also ensure more stories of local WWII veterans can be depicted at the site, in recognition of the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII this year.

The detailed planning and works follow the master plan for Mount Macedon completed by La Trobe University’s Community Planning and Development Unit last year, which showed a more than 66 per cent increase in visits to the cross in recent years.

The grant is one of 63 to be delivered across the state to build and repair memorials, preserve stories and maintain the wellbeing of veterans as part of four grants streams: Victoria Remembers, Restoring Community War Memorials and Avenues of Honour, the ANZAC Day Proceeds Fund and the 75th Anniversary of the End of World War Two.

Minister for Veterans, Robin Scott said the Mount Macedon War Memorial Reserve was one of the most significant war memorials in regional Victoria.

“This is about preserving the history of our state and ensuring that we never forget the great sacrifice our veterans made.”

Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas said the grant was “terrific news for our community and for everyone that has worked so hard to ensure the reserve continues to welcome visitors well into the future”.

“The Reserve has been attracting record visitors in recent years – this funding means we can cater for those bigger crowds and preserve the site for generations to come.”

For the past several years people have been finding stones of various shapes and sizes with images or words on them.

They are all around Daylesford, in random locations, especially found on forest and lake walks, restful seats and places of quiet contemplation. They say they are yours to take or leave and are called Love Rox by their creator.

The long term resident of Daylesford prefers to stay anonymous and sees the stones as being small gifts of love designed to put a smile on the faces of those who find them.

She likes to think that people who need them the most are the ones who find them. She says she often feels sad at the huge amount of suffering in the world and as a way to counter that she puts out joy and messages of love in the form of her stones.  The woman said that over the past few years she has put out well over 1000 Love Rox with many different messages and images to brighten people’s days.

In the present times when people are isolated and only get out for walks and essentials, she feels the stones are needed more than ever and so she has doubled her usual output of stones. She loves to hear stories about people who have found a stone and what it means to them.

“These stories really make me happy as it shows that such a small thing as a stone with a particular image or words found at the right time, by the right person, can really have an impact.

“I want people to feel free to keep them and take them home with them or otherwise leave them where they found them. My aim is to put good things into the world and to choose love and kindness over fear.

“This can be in all sorts of small ways and that is one of the good things that come out of challenging times, people get creative and find ways to bring joy to others, often strangers, in their own unique ways.”

If you have found a stone and it has connected with you, The Local would love to hear your story. Email donna@tlnews.com.au