With Eve Lamb

My sturdy walking companion, Paddy H, and I had been planning to complete Daylesford’s famed 15km Three Lost Children Walk for this series, having trekked the first half for the last installment.

However, with weekend temperatures nudging 40 degrees we decided to delay until the arrival of kinder bush-walking weather. Instead, a leisurely mid-week sampler of the following fairly special new short stroll seemed just the thing. 

Since launching a couple of months ago, Trentham’s new self-guided walk honouring the life of Dr Gweneth Wisewould has been proving a real winner – much like the good doctor herself. 

Featuring an informative brochure, the self guided tour takes walkers around numerous Trentham township sites that were of central significance in the life of the much loved local medic (1884-1972). 

The new Gweneth Wisewould Walk brochure has been developed by the Hepburn Shire Council, drawing on detailed information that the Trentham & District Historical Society compiled a couple of years ago to mark the 50th anniversary of Dr Gwen’s January 1972 death. 

The walk brochures are now available at both Daylesford’s and Trentham’s information centres. So armed with our copy, as the mercury climbs to 32 degrees, we set out to follow it to the letter, starting at No 15 Market Street, the site of the good doctor’s surgery from 1938 to 1954. 

Along the way we are joined by Trentham & District Historical Society treasurer Nat Poole. The walk covers an easy distance of about 3.5 km all up and includes sites like Dr Gwen’s old surgeries in both Market and High Streets, the former butcher shop (now a cafe) where she used to store her perishable drugs in the cool room before reliable refrigeration arrived in the town, and the town’s former bush hospital site where she performed surgery and delivered a whole generation of Trentham babies. 

For those who haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading Dr Gwen’s biography by Ian Braybrook, or her own (at times hair-raising) autobiographical work, Dr Gwen arrived in Trentham late one rainy evening in 1938, steam erupting from the overheated radiator of her ancient Plymouth.

She would spend the next 34 years supporting the most vulnerable and sick in the Trentham district – and becoming much loved by the community in the process. 

She hailed from a wealthy Melbourne family and had recently left her role as a leading surgeon at the Queen Victoria Hospital (now closed). 

Together with her devoted housekeeper and companion Ella Miller Bell (Ellabelle) and their two dachshunds, Dr Gwen arrived in the Central Highlands seeking a new start – and what a new start it would prove to be. 

Her training and superb surgical skills saved many an injured local and those seeking treatment for all manner of incidents, mishaps and conditions, at the Trentham Bush Hospital. 

Dressed in her trademark boots and greatcoat, Dr Gwen often worked tirelessly through the night to attend to patients, driving all hours on muddy tracks in a variety of vehicles including her old Dodge truck – she was also known to ride a motorcycle. She was never known to refuse a request for help. 

The walk also takes in many more points of interest from her life including St Chads at 69 High Street, one of Trentham’s oldest residences which became Dr Gwen’s home after her prior Trentham residence was lost to fire. 

The walk brochure records that: “It (No 69) was built for Donald McPherson and later given by then owner Patrick Murphy to the Catholic Church and enlarged for use as a convent.

Following the loss of Westacres, Dr Gwen’s beloved earlier Trentham home of 20 years (in a 1965 house fire) St Chads was the house that the people of Trentham quietly cleaned and thoughtfully filled with new household goods as a surprise for the town doctor on her move-in day.” 

Especially noting the contributions of historical society member, Sue Worthington who is currently overseas, Nat says the walk is a great way for people to learn about this larger-than-life character whose community involvement also extended to plenty of lively civic activities as well. 

“I think everybody should know about her,” Nat says. “She was a pretty amazing woman. If you mention the name Dr Gwen, even today, people just start telling you stuff.” 

But Nat reckons that if Dr Gwen was to look down from somewhere lofty above today she’d be a bit “flabbergasted” to see herself honoured in such a way. 

“She was one of those people who just gave and gave and gave and never expected anything in return.” 

Paddy H and I continue on to complete the walk, including the final resting place of Dr Gwen, a peaceful grave-site at the town’s cemetery. At rest also in the same plot are Ellabelle and Dr Gwen’s foster sister Dorothy Bethune. 

As the walk brochure notes: “All three graves face west to capture Trentham’s gorgeous bush sunsets.” 

The Trees Endure, The Land Has Memory is an immersive series of photographic works by David Rosendale. 

The exhibition, created on DjaDja Wurrung Country within the Hepburn Regional Park and Wombat State Forest, captures the essence of place and the profound ties that bind us to the land, David says. 

The exhibition will be held at Radius Art Space, Hepburn, from March 1 to April 12. The opening is on March 1, 3pm – 5pm.

Emerging during the global pandemic in 2021, David’s work represents a meditative response to an unprecedented time of adversity.

The series reflects the unique opportunity for introspection and exploration afforded by this period – time to reconnect with the local landscape, delve into art history, and investigate the timeless themes of struggle, survival, and reinvention. 

Through daily wanderings in the forests and waterways of Hepburn and Daylesford, David discovered metaphors for these universal themes, mirrored in the landscape’s rich and varied histories: ancient Indigenous connections, colonial legacies, and the scars of gold mining.

Yet, the series moves beyond historical documentation, offering an intimate and painterly exploration of personal connection and resilience. 

The Trees Endure, The Land Has Memory combines painterly qualities with photographic precision, blurring the boundaries between visual mediums.

With minimal human presence in the works, the focus rests entirely on the land’s narrative – the sun rising each day, the forest transforming from darkness to light, and the profound beauty of rediscovering the world ‘en plein air’. 

This series is both a reflection on the restrictive nature of the pandemic and a celebration of liberation and rediscovery. 

A percentage of any profit will go to both the Daylesford SES & Daylesford CFA

Words & image: Contributed 

Answering a query from The Local, after a widely circulated report from Council Watch Victoria about alleged issues with the Local Government Inspectorate investigation into Hepburn Shire Council and The Rex, the Inspectorate says it does not intend to take any further action.

Instead, it resent a media release from last September saying the LGI received a complaint in 2019 relating to the Hepburn Shire Council’s involvement with the Rex Theatre redevelopment.

The release said it had since undertaken a rigorous investigation, found insufficient evidence to uphold the complaint and would not be taking any action or publishing any report.

The Council Watch Victoria report says the LGI lacked the legal authority to release any findings and reports from its investigations.

After 30 years together, Kevin Quick and Ivy Owen have said “I do”, marrying in Creswick on February 5.

The pair met in 1994 and spent the next 14 years together travelling around Australia. However Ivy thought she was still married to her first husband and would need a divorce to marry Kevin.

After years of not knowing, in 2024, she found out her first husband had died in 1986. She was free to remarry and the idea became a reality. 

The wedding was held at Creswick Health’s nursing home on Wednesday, February 5 – with Ivy, aged 91 to Kevin’s 83 years, joking she was a cradle snatcher. 

The event was planned by staff at Creswick Health who went to town ensuring the aged care facility was transformed into a wonderful wedding venue. 

The ceremony was attended by many of the residents in the nursing home, as well as family, friends and staff from Creswick Health and was presided over by Ballarat civil celebrant Tania Gunn. 

Tania, who also works full-time in aged and community care for Grampians Health, said it was a beautiful event. “

It brought tears to my eyes because there was so much love for Ivy and Kevin – and event organiser Cindy Stone and her team went above and beyond. 

“They even had a lovely honeymoon suite for them to have a nap and Kevin stayed on for the evening meal. It was all just delightful. 

“They are the most senior couple I have married and are just as in love as the younger couples I’ve married.” 

Tania said Ivy’s dress was beautiful. “It belonged to the grandmother of Cindy, and it looked gorgeous on Ivy. It was a dress with jacket and she had a beautiful necklace of pearls to complement that along with a lovely bouquet. 

“It was a very emotional day and there were lots of tears from everybody there.” 

Kevin, who lives independently in Clunes, proudly uploaded photos to the community’s Facebook page within an hour of the nuptials. 

Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Contributed 

ChillOut president Matt Clarke was born and raised in regional Victoria in the small town of Wycheproof.

The youngest of six kids, life was all about “heavy” farming, agriculture and local sport. “And then you finish school and move away and come up with whatever you’re going to do for the rest of your life,” he said. 

“I was a bit lost when I left school, I didn’t really know what I was going to do. I could have been a lot of things. I wanted to be a vet, I wanted to be a paramedic. I wanted to be a heap of things. But I had a really underlying passion for horses and the equines.” 

Not into doing things by halves, Matt headed to a big harness racing stable in Great Western, Victoria and spent the next 15 years there, on and off, training horses and competing all over Australia and New Zealand. 

It was a hard life, but one he loved, with the only downside the region and industry not offering the chance to open up as “a proud gay person, or lesbian or trans”. 

“That just wasn’t something that would happen. I mean, I was never scared to come out and I had to my family, it was just the environment you were in. It was a challenging space. But, you know, if people believed or had an idea that I may have been gay, that’s fine, and if someone was to ever ask me, I would have talked about it.

“But in such a small community people just had their own views and mindsets, and that is just how it was.” 

After a while Matt, doing that full-on thing again, moved to Ballarat for “the love of my life – but that didn’t work out”. 

He puts the end of the relationship down to a few things including having his mum pass away from a quick and sad death from melanoma. 

“That was really challenging. I was extremely close to my mum. So I guess that played on a lot of the emotions and the challenges of a relationship.” 

Matt said he remained in Ballarat but was lonely and without a tribe. 

“I’d been to ChillOut a number of times, viewed the parade, been to Carnival Day and just immersed myself in that from a distance. And then there was a call-out for a meet and greet for potential committee members. 

“It was a workshop day where you were asked to talk about yourself, like is there something that is going to let us know a little bit about yourself. I got up and I explained to the group about two tattoos that I had put there after my mum had died.

“One thing she always said to me was that she didn’t want me to have a challenging and difficult life as a gay person and before she died she told me to be strong and she told me to be happy. 

“The first tattoo on my left arm is a symbol of strength. And then the second tattoo on my right arm is a symbol of happiness. I look at them every day and they remind me of those powerful words. I shared that story to a group of strangers and just burst into tears.” 

Matt learned more about ChillOut and its history and “a little bit of a fire was lit”. Next thing he was on the committee and then the president. 

“It’s been great. A really satisfying journey on a personal level of growth and development and connection.

“It’s also seeing the festival continue to evolve, also in terms of engagement from community stakeholders and sponsors.

“We’re up to our 28th consecutive festival and rolling into our 30th anniversary, which is really exciting.” 

Matt joined the committee in the first year of Covid. A challenging space, he says.

“We all had to learn about Skype and Teams and FaceTime calls and how do we communicate. And then the ever-evolving process of, are we allowed to be together? What do the spaces look like? 

“The festival did go ahead in a live space, down at the amphitheatre at Hepburn Springs with big circles drawn on the grass and people having to sit within their circle. They essentially had to be self-contained.

“And the flagship event of the weekend, the parade, took a whole new turn. It was done virtually and we asked our supporters to record a clip of themselves in full gear or costume and we blended them into a streamed parade. And we took that as a tick, it was a festival.” 

Matt said this year’s ChillOut would offer many of the loved activities like the Bush Dance, the Grand Parade, Carnival Day, the Youth Muster and the Friday night opening which will be held in the Big Top at Victoria Park instead of the currently under renovation Town Hall. 

The theme for the weekend is Circus, which gives people plenty of scope for fun outfits which relive the fun times of country carnivals and circuses. 

Matt said his many skills from the equine industry and also in sales and management had given him a great skillset for ChillOut and he was loving the role.  

“One of the things that we love is seeing all of the businesses get involved in the festival. I mean, there are many queer-owned businesses in Daylesford and those that aren’t are just as welcoming to a queer community in regional Victoria.

“When the committee members go down and line the streets with our bunting, many of the businesses ask if they can get more – because they love the festival.”

With structural cracks clearly visible and many of its exquisite little features broken and decayed, the historic fountain in Queens Park, Clunes, is clearly in need of some significant TLC.

Responding to questions from The Local, the Hepburn Shire Council has, in recent days, confirmed that it intends to explore future funding opportunities “to achieve renewal works to the historic feature”.

Much to the concern of locals – and visitors – who appreciate and value unique heritage assets, the little 1880s fountain is visibly falling victim to time and weather.

The Local wanted to know what’s being planned to restore and renovate this much-loved aesthetic treasure before it crumbles and cracks much further. In an email responding to the questions Hepburn Shire Acting CEO Bruce Lucas said:

“The Queens Park fountain is a much-loved historic feature in the township of Clunes. Our Parks and Open Spaces team monitor the fountain and carry out water quality maintenance as required.

“The Queens Park Masterplan, that has established the long-term vision for the parklands, was formally adopted at the 19 March 2024 Council Meeting.

“The Masterplan identifies and addresses gaps in infrastructure requirements; improved accessibility and safety; and increase participation, visitation and reserve connection opportunities for the local community.

“One of the actions contained in the Masterplan is to ‘Refurbish the existing Queens Park Fountain and check for any damages, leaks or blockages, (and to) provide feature paving around the fountain which is consistent with the post-contact heritage aesthetic’.

“Delivering this action from the Masterplan is currently unfunded and would need to be considered with other Council priorities and attracting relevant external funding.

“Council has commenced implementation of the Masterplan actions through the installation of a shade structure over the Queens Park playspace. The project is co-funded by the Victorian Government’s Tiny Towns Grant Program and Council.

“Council will continue to explore future funding opportunities to achieve the renewal works to the Queens Park Fountain.”

Featuring a recurrent floral motif, the unique little fountain was built to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887.

Words: Eve Lamb

It has been the saddest of years for the family and friends of Samantha Murphy. 

An unfathomable loss of a wife, mother and a friend. We continue to hold them close in our thoughts and to support them.

Amid the shock and sadness we all feel, the community has stepped up in a way that shows the best of us in dealing with the worst possible news. And not just once.

The community has also stepped up following the deaths of Rebecca Young and Hannah McGuire which also happened during the last 12 difficult months.

Grief can be a long path to walk and having the support of people around you actually helps. As I have said before, we the community have another task as well – making the world we live in a safer place for women.

Simply living your life shouldn’t put you in danger. Women shouldn’t have to worry that being out by themselves at night or in the early morning, or even being behind closed doors in their own home puts them at risk. 

I wrote in an op-ed last April that how we educate our boys in this community matters, what opportunities they have to learn how to be the fabulous, beautiful men we all know in some aspects of our lives, actually really matters. 

Governments have a role to play too – with campaigns, early intervention services, a national plan from all levels of government, as well as legislated paid family and domestic violence leave and better access to childcare and early education. 

There are signs of small change. Ballarat resident Pauline O’Shannessy-Dowling has told the ABC that when she is out running, which is what Samantha was doing, men who are also running make the effort to let her know they are not a threat. 

We saw at the Ballarat Marathon, the first one last year, a concerted effort of dads running with their daughters, and really wanting to come together as a community to show how much they care about their girls. 

And there are signs of a much bigger change underway in our community. A partnership of organisations, business clubs and groups led by Women’s Health Grampians and called Communities of Respect and Equality – CoRE – Alliance share a vision for safe, equal and respectful communities. 

Membership of CoRE Alliance usually sees between one and five new organisations join each year. Since February last year, when Samantha went missing, 19 organisations have joined – 13 of those from Ballarat including a number of schools. And this significant increase is being driven by the students themselves. 

There has also been a notable increase in enquiries from organisations and individuals – particularly men – interested in CoRE and what they can do to prevent gender-based violence. 

Men’s initiative information sessions saw a massive increase in registrations, and in December, Women’s Health Grampians and the City of Ballarat held a leadership forum for men interested in learning more about how they can lead change to prevent gender-based violence in the organisations they are part of. 

(A total) 188 people attended that event, 60 per cent of whom were men. These are all the positive signs of change that we want. Again, the community is stepping up and importantly, men are stepping up very much as part of that. 

We all need to see change across our communities, and in mine, that has been incredibly important, and felt very deeply after the deaths of Samantha, of Hannah and of Rebecca. 

We want a community that is safe for everybody. Everybody, but particularly women. We need everywhere, in every community, in every place, to stop seeing violence against women. To stop losing women, like beautiful Samantha Murphy, who still had so much to give. 

And this, the week of the anniversary of her death, and as we are also leading into anniversaries for Rebecca and Hannah, my thoughts and my condolences continue to go out to their families. 

The legacy that we have from their deaths, is that we must do so, so much better to keep women safe in our communities. 

– Catherine King, Ballarat MP (Adjournment Speech, Federation Chamber, Thursday, February 6, 2025 

Midway through last year, the CFA West Region Community Safety Team was approached by the Friends of Cornish Hill in Daylesford, to look at the growth of gorse and other “woody weeds” in the reserve.

CFA Vegetation Management Officer Kay Richardson attended with Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) and local CFA Captain Glenn Webster.

Since that first meeting, collaborative efforts between FFMVic, the CFA Community Safety Team, and the Friends of Cornish Hill (FOCH) resulted in “notable improvements in vegetation management and track maintenance,” the CFA has now reported.

It has also offered significant opportunities to include the surrounding community in fire risk awareness discussions and shared responsibility.

The FOCH ran a ‘Backing onto bush’ session in late November 2024 which was attended by 36 community members plus agency staff including Hepburn Shire, FFMVic, CFA and Landcare. 

The day aimed to engage the community and highlight the fire risks they faced and what they could do to manage those risks as individuals and as a community.

“By the end of the session, the group was galvanised to assist the agencies to manage the fuel load on Cornish Hill as one way of preparing for fire,” the CFA has since reported.

FFMVic has completed grooming and grading the tracks on Cornish Hill. This work has not only improved accessibility but has also enhanced safety for maintenance teams and the local community.

Cath Matthews, Regional Vegetation Management Coordinator, expressed her gratitude to Midlands FFMVic for their work.

“A big thanks to Midlands FFMVic for undertaking the mulching of the gorse-infested tracks through Cornish Hill. This will now greatly facilitate access for brigades, enabling quicker suppression if a fire starts in the reserve,” Cath said.

Efforts to address invasive gorse, blackberry, and broom are ongoing, with the following key activities underway:

• CFA reports that it is “preparing to treat a block of woody weeds near the north-east corner of the hill”.
• The FOCH has engaged the “Gorsinator” to remove old, hard-to-access gorse from the north-west corner.

The progress achieved has been well-received by the community and stakeholders. At the FOCH Annual General Meeting, members expressed their encouragement with the rapid pace of work. Cath Matthews also highlighted the broader impact of these efforts.

“This work has strengthened relationships between the many stakeholders involved, and hopefully we can build on this to ensure continued reduction of fire risk within this reserve and with the community.”

The FOCH is now preparing funding applications to sustain the work that has been achieved.

This story based on a CFA report

The Daylesford and Trentham public outdoor pools are reopening this-afternoon (Thursday, February 13) while the Clunes pool remains closed until further notice following a chemical leak, the Hepburn Shire Council has confirmed.

In an online post the council yesterday (Wednesday) informed residents: “Thank you for your patience while we worked with an expert independent consultant to ensure that our pool operating equipment was safe and working as it should.

“Because of the interruptions to our usual service, the Daylesford pool will open from 3-6 pm (Thursday). Trentham will open as usual, 3-6 pm.

“Sadly, the Clunes pool will be closed until further notice.

“After the inspections this morning (Wednesday) we can now report that there was a chemical leak at the Clunes pool on Friday which saw the facility evacuated and emergency services called.

“Three of our staff were impacted by the incident because of pool operating equipment failure and were given medical treatment.

“Given the same equipment is used at Trentham and Daylesford, we wanted to be certain there was no risk to staff and community and systems are safe at these locations.

“We understand that closing the pools is frustrating for the community however, the safety of you and our team is our main concern and we are pleased we can reopen the pools at Trentham and Daylesford.”

The ChillOut Grand Parade is becoming a bit of a circus but the Sunday, March 9 event in Vincent Street, Daylesford is shaping up to be a real crowd pleaser. 

The Amazing Mill Market director, and avid collector of weird and wacky stuff,rMark Ward is bringing in a new member of his family, and introducing her to the crowds on the day. 

Tipping the scales at 300 kilograms, but no fat shaming please, Elle is a fully motorised elephant. 

She was built in Disneyland for Myer Adelaide to attract more children to the store. But plans do sometimes go awry. 

Rather than attract more customers, Elle was so life-like she actually scared the kids away. And was quietly retired from her department store position. 

Luckily, Mark saw her merits, paid thousands for his new pet, and proudly drove her from Adelaide to Geelong in the back of his ute – gaining attention from numerous newspapers and even a police escort for part of the way. 

“Elle looks so alive, she blinks her eyes, moves her tail and flaps her ears. That was the best drive I have ever done.” 

Elle will be ridden down Vincent Street, decked out in circus gear, in keeping with ChillOut’s Big Top theme, and hopefully will not scare any children. 

Meanwhile, over at The Local, plans are underway for a clown car – complete with journalists and photographers. 

Editor Donna Kelly said TL HQ was generally “a bit of a three-ringed circus so it’s not too much of a stretch to put together the clown car float”. 

The Local is a media partner with ChillOut – a partnership which started in 2014. See you over the weekend! 

Words: Kyle Barnes

Hobsons Bay City Council CEO Aaron van Egmond remains suspended from his position. 

In a joint statement on February 1, Acting CEO Sustainable Communities director Rachel Sarah Lunn and Mayor Cr Daria Kellander said councillors became aware of concerns about safety in the workplace, as well as the CEO’s fulfilment of his duties and responsibilities more broadly. 

“Councillors continue to take these matters very seriously and made the decision to suspend Aaron van Egmond (on January 25), pending further investigations, following thorough and careful consideration. “

The Acting CEO has taken immediate steps to seek to ensure the safety of staff and the commencement of a fair, comprehensive and respectful investigation into a range of concerns, as well as supporting the continuity of council services. 

“Council requests that the names or other identifying information of council staff, and speculation as to matters under investigation, are not published in the interests of protecting staff safety and providing procedural fairness. 

“Council can make no further comment at this time.” 

Mr van Egmond was CEO of Hepburn Shire from 2012 to 2018 when he left to undertake the same position at Hobsons Bay City Council. 

Mr van Egmond could not be contacted for comment. 

Words: Donna Kelly  

After a Dan Murphy’s liquor store was banned from Daylesford because it could pose a public risk and encourage harm, especially to minors, an attempt is being made to overturn this ruling. 

Murphy’s is emphasising campaigning against under-age drinking as it prepares for compulsory mediation in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) this month. 

This will be followed by a July hearing, for which almost three weeks has been allotted. In what the Hepburn Shire Council called a landmark decision, the retailer’s application was rejected by the Liquor Commission in August last year, with the acting chair John Larkins saying that harm from the misusue and abuse of alcohol included family violence.

Now Murphy’s is asking VCAT to “make the correct and preferable decision” on the facts. Murphy’s says the VCAT decision was made on the “mere possibility” of risk. 

Those with knowledge of the events tell The Local that VCAT is confined to a matter of law, although the case is shaping up for a full hearing. 

A key issue is the nearness of the proposed store site in Bridport Street to the swimming pool, Lake Daylesford and other public locations. 

Twelve shire residents are involved in the VCAT hearing. Murphy’s is owned by the Endeavour Group. 

Responding to an inquiry by The Local, Endeavour says that it believes the Commission erred in its decision and did not appropriately consider the positive community benefits of having a Dan Murphy’s in Daylesford, particularly in relation to the community’s concerns about underage drinking. 

“Like the community, we were concerned about the claimed levels of underage drinking and the alleged provision of alcohol to minors in Daylesford. If these claims are true, we believe that there are a number of opportunities for existing licensees and the community to work together to address this issue. 

“Dan Murphy’s does not sell alcohol to minors and has an industry-leading approach to the requirement for identification to prove that our customers are adults.” 

It says that 44 million customers nationwide were reached in the 2024 financial year with messages about responsible drinking – the equivalent of reaching every adult drinker three times throughout the year. 

“We also have a ‘refusal of service’ policy that prohibits sales based on the risk of underage drinking and secondary alcohol supply and we exclude patrons from our premises for problematic behaviour. 

“Dan Murphy’s would support local campaigns (for example, DrinkWise’s ‘It’s OK to say nay’ campaign) to educate parents about the importance of saying no to their children if they seek alcohol before the age of 18, which existing licensees could be actively supporting.” 

Endeavour says the entire liquor industry has a role in minimising alcohol-related harm and that “our experience and knowledge – when applied to Daylesford” – could help the community. 

Endeavour says up to 30 new jobs would be created here as well as offering “local products that can be enjoyed responsibly by the Daylesford community and tourists alike”. 

“Daylesford is a unique community with a rich history and a strong sense of identity. Our goal would be to respect and contribute positively to the local heritage and culture, ensuring that our presence aligns with the community’s values.” 

Endeavour is confident that supporting local producers and regional pride initiatives, as well as contributing to the local environment and economy would be a positive contribution to the community without undermining its unique identity. 

History  

The decision to overturn the liquor licence for a Daylesford Dan Murphy’s last  August was the first time the new definition of “harm” under the Liquor Control  Reform Act had been used to refuse a licence.  

The packaged liquor licence was for proposed premises located at 63 Central  Springs Road, Daylesford.

On July 26, 2022, Victoria Police advised that it did not object while on August  12 Hepburn Shire Council CEO Bradley Thomas advised that the council objected.  

Another 204 objections were lodged to the original application.  Former Birch Ward Cr Jen Bray said it was “always going to be a huge battle to go up against a corporate entity as big as Dan Murphy’s but we felt we had to stand up  and let the Liquor Commission know how this was going to impact our children, our  teenagers and the broader community”.  

Words: Kevin Childs | Image: Contributed

Victoria Police is issuing an urgent warning to motorists following a horror start to the year on the state’s roads, with a significant rise in road trauma in regional areas.

There have been 38 lives lost in the first 37 days of the year – a 35 per cent increase on 28 lives lost recorded at the same time last year.

It is also significantly higher than the five-year average of 27 for the same period.

January recorded 36 fatalities, which is the highest number of lives lost for the month since 2001 when there were 44 fatalities during January.

Of the 38 lives lost to date, concerningly 23 have occurred on regional roads – almost double the 13 recorded at the same time last year.

Western Victoria has experienced a significant rise in fatalities, with 14 lives lost including five in the south-west district (Macarthur, Woolsthorpe, Coleraine and two at Princetown), and five in the Ballarat/Moorabool districts (She Oaks, Avoca, Pitfield and two at Wendouree).

Eastern Victoria has experienced nine lives lost to date, including five fatalities in the state’s northeast (Creightons Creek, Goughs Bay, Clobinane, Bowman’s Forest and Bethanga) and four in the state’s east (Ripplebrook, Jacob Creek, Mount Eccles and Cobbannah).

Provisional police analysis suggests almost two-thirds or 23 of the 37 fatal collisions occurred within 20km of the deceased’s residence.

Of those 23 people, 11 lived in regional areas while the remaining 12 resided in metropolitan and suburban locations.

Police are concerned about a significant rise in motorcycle fatalities, with 10 rider deaths this year – seven of which occurred on regional roads.

Provisional analysis of this year’s fatalities suggests that driver behaviour and driving errors, including excessive or inappropriate speed, unsafe overtaking, illegal u-turns, failing to stop or give way, fatigue and distraction have been major contributing factors in these fatal collisions.

Police intelligence shows road conditions are not contributing to the significant rise in road trauma this year.

Police say they are determined to avoid a repeat of January and are urging motorists to take extra care in the weeks ahead to try and curb the rising road trauma trend.

Police will be highly visible and enforcing across the state, with a major focus on high-risk regional areas as well as motorcyclist safety.

A statewide road policing operation will be launched early in March to coincide with the Labour Day long weekend in Victoria.

Road Policing Assistant Commissioner, Glenn Weir: “Police are appalled at the terrible loss of life in January – the increase in regional fatalities is of particular concern to us.

“Last year we saw a significant rise in road trauma involving motorcyclists, and worryingly that trend has continued into this year.

“Early indications suggest driver behaviour and driver error is largely contributing to these fatalities. Many people are quick to blame road conditions and other factors, but the simple fact is many of the deaths are occurring close to where people live on roads known to them, complacency is a real issue.

“We know a visible police presence deters poor or careless driving, and while we will make every effort to be highly visible and enforcing across the state, we can’t just enforce our way out of this.

“All road users need to realise this is a problem that requires immediate attention, due care and commitment – it’s up to all of us to be more alert and prioritise safety when getting behind the wheel.

“Now is not the time to be complacent – if we can’t turnaround this rising road trauma trend, then we can expect to see this spike continue into the remainder of 2025”.

For more information and tips for staying safe on the roads, visit the Road Safety page on the Victoria Police website.

This story based on a Victoria Police report

A new medical centre has opened in the growing Ballarat suburb of Lucas.

UFS Medical has opened its newest medical centre in Lucas as Ballarat’s population expands to the west of the regional city.

The new clinic is taking new patients, with all initial GP appointments this month to be bulk-billed.

From March, bulk-billing will be available for pensioners, healthcare card holders, DVA card holders and children under 16.

UFS chief executive Matt Vagg says the new centre will help provide high-quality, integrated healthcare across the region.

The new centre is UFS’ fourth location in Ballarat and follows clinics already operating in Doveton Street, Windermere Street and Sebastopol.

Situated in Merz Street, the new Lucas centre features consulting and procedure rooms for GPs, nurses and remedial therapies.

Occupational therapy will be offered along with radiology and pathology services which are scheduled to begin being offered at the new centre in the coming weeks.

More than 50% of millennial Aussies have a pet for mental health reasons or as a support animal, a new survey has revealed. Rather than being a man’s best friend, pets it seems are these days, millenials’ best friends.

A poll of 1000 Australians from leading pet insurer Budget Direct found more than 71% of millennials (28-37 year olds) said they got their pet for companionship, while close to 40% said they got their pet solely to help improve their mental health. 

With millennials seen as being more open about mental health issues and normalising therapy, it’s no wonder they are the generation that depends on their pets the most.

“Like many pet owners, it’s clear that millennials consider their pets as part of their family. But the fact that almost 15% acquired their pets solely to be their support animal shows how emotionally important they are to this group,” a Budget Direct spokesperson said. 

“We share such a special bond with our dogs and cats and this really shows just how much we value companionship. Whether it’s social quality play time with the pet or taking them on walks in the park or beach, there’s no doubt about the happiness and contentment our furry friends provide.” 

When delving deeper into the survey, nearly 30% of cat owners were more likely to acquire their pets for mental health reasons compared to 25% of dog owners. But when it comes to pet ownership, more than 60% of Aussies own a dog, compared to 31% who own a cat.

Support animals offer emotional stability to those with conditions like anxiety or depression and their companionship is key to their support rather than having undergone specific training.

Any pet can improve quality of life and provide emotional support, regardless of where they come from–pedigree or rescue pets. 

Nearly 30% of respondents said they acquired their oldest or only pet from a shelter, with 19% of those surveyed being gifted their pet.

For the full breakdown and further insights from the Budget Direct Australian Pet Survey visit here.