A total 994 animals were adopted from the Ballarat Animal Shelter last year, including 638 cats and kittens, 352 dogs and puppies, three rabbits and even a pig, who has gone on to live on a farm with other pigs and farm animals.  

A new report shows that June 2024 was a bumper month for adoptions, with 108 animals finding their new fur-ever homes during that month.  

The Ballarat Animal Shelter was overwhelmed with the community’s generosity during the annual December Christmas Donation Drive, which allowed some wonderful treats to be provided to the animals that stayed in the shelter over the holiday period, as well as sharing items with local not-for-profits such as Uniting and Soup Bus.  

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said it was heartwarming to see the generosity of the Ballarat community despite the current cost of living crisis.  

“People have been wonderful in donating treats and toys for our shelter residents to enjoy over the Christmas-New Year break, and help our staff provide great enrichment for these animals,” she said.  

Amazingly, the shelter is at capacity for donations and cannot accept any more items at this time. The shelter will advise when donations have been re-opened.  

While the City of Ballarat provides for a standard diet of Royal Canin dry food for both dogs and cats, and wet food as an additional treat, donations of treats are always extremely welcome.

Animals are always available for adoption and those interested to adopt should email animalshelter@ballarat.vic.gov.au, or visit 5A Gillingham Place, Alfredton to make an appointment. You can also check out the listings online for the current dogs and cats available.  

There is a rehoming fee of $420 for all dogs and $140 for cats at the Animal Shelter. Which includes all the necessary veterinary checks, microchipping, registration and de-sexing.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said pets are for life, and the choice to adopt a pet should not be taken lightly.  

“An animal can bring a lot of joy to you and your family’s life, why not adopt one that needs a home, and the Ballarat Animal Shelter staff can help find you a perfect match,” she said.

This story based on a City of Ballarat report

By Donna Kelly  

Went for a bit of a roadtrip over the silly season. Up to family at Port Macquarie, then to Queensland for more family time, and then back down again.  

We took the Tesla and it was a lot of fun. Mostly. There’s an EV thing called range anxiety. It happens when you start to wonder if you have enough power to get to the next charging station.  

It shouldn’t really happen at all because you can plan a trip and the car’s computer tells you exactly how much power you will have left when you reach the next charging station on your journey.  

That’s how it’s meant to happen. But one memorable day when we were going to end up in Coffs Harbour with 33 per cent, it trickled down to just four per cent.  

I was having a meltdown, not literally because the aircon was humming away, but certainly my anxiety was up.  

I managed to convince Kyle to call into our motel, about four kilometres from the charging station at the shopping centre down the road, and call for Tesla roadside service. Which we have.  

Turns out the problem, running out of power, is our fault, so there is no service provided. Just a tow at the owner’s expense.

I was a bit annoyed with that. I mean, if you run out of petrol, the RACV will come and top you up. We just needed a few extra amps. I probably should have looked around for an extension lead instead of heading to the bar, while Kyle did the grown-up thing and pushed through the last few kilometres.

Each to their own – again I chose the wrong year to give up drinking.  

Anyway, long story short, we got the top up and decided it was the extra hot,  humid day – and the aircon – that had drained the battery so quickly.  

After that, we had no problems and just enjoyed the quiet drive and the enforced breaks to power up – playing solitaire on the car’s huge screen. Not a bad idea really,  in the past we have often pulled in for petrol and decided to go “just another 100km” without getting a rest.  

The Tesla does well on the open road, no change between going up or down hills,  no straining on gears and quiet as – although it does beep now and again if you go too close to other vehicles or the white lines on the side of the road.

And there is that pesky phantom braking now and again. Just Google that…  

It was really nice to catch up with family too. Lots of kids on Kyle’s side and on my side more people trying to look after ageing parents and work their way through the tricky end-of-life stuff.

Dementia and cancer make for very hard work.

It also has those of us without children wondering who is going to step in and advocate.  

Back at Glenlyon now, to a very dry garden, but also the wonderful sounds of  summer – the cockies (as mentioned by Bill Wootton over the page there in his haiku) and lots of cicadas.

Our trip last year to Central America seems a long way back now, although Trump’s plans to reclaim the Panama Canal is a little triggering, and we have already  booked a trip to the Med in November – all going well.  

I think we have decided that rather than things, we really just want to gather up experiences as we get older.

And, like with Covid, you never know what is just around the corner.  So we are making the most of life, having fun and hanging out with family and  friends.

Oh, we even have two weddings to attend this year. One in Victoria and one in Sydney. One young couple – with one child, and one older couple who said it took 30 years to make sure they were the right fit.

I mentioned to a friend last night that I hadn’t been to a wedding for a long time.  She said, quite gaily I thought, that I could start looking forward to funerals now. I guess there’s always a silver lining. Just sayin’ … 

All are invited to get along to two upcoming Australia Day events organised by local community groups in the Hepburn Shire and taking place on Australia Day, Sunday January 26.

At Trentham there will be a flag raising ceremony with a community BBQ and entertainment. taking place from 10am in the town square.

At Creswick, the town’s Doug Lindsay Recreation Reserve will set the scene for a community event taking place from 9.30am and including speeches followed by morning tea at 10am.

Dear reader, After more than 60 years of writing and broadcasting on both radio and television, telling you what I thought you should know about growing the ‘perfect  garden’, my creaking joints, fading memory, and caring spouse, tell me it’s about time to wind back.  

Hence this note and changed format.

So for you to find out the answer to your particular garden problems simply email me at glenzgarden gmail.com, and with  luck, your answer will appear in the next issue of The Local. Just like the following.  

Hi Glen,  I have a pretty bare block and want to plant it up. Which is better (easier) native or exotic? I love roses…but which type would establish faster?  Louise, Eganstown  

Hi Louise, There are plenty of fast growing and sturdy trees and shrubs, both native and exotic evergreens. Obviously the natives grow pretty quickly if you choose the ones that originally came from this area or with similar soil and climate – mainly because they have been propagated in our soils and climate.  There are plenty of nurseries specially dealing in native varieties, who would be best suited to help you.  

Roses seem to thrive in most Victorian soils and climes as long as they are fed and watered well, and they certainly earn their place when they bloom.  

Hi Glen,  I need a good border plant for a side that doesn’t get much sun. What would work? Something up to about two metres. Is it better to buy bigger plants to start  with? How often do you need to trim them?  Mark, Creswick.

Hi Mark,  Firstly what do you want the border to achieve? If it’s a neatly trimmed hedge you would do well with something like a box – neat, closely growing, light green or variegated leaves, needing a light clip every other month to look great.

If it’s just an upright border plant for an edge marking effect then the choice is wide open. This  includes lavender, fuchsias, pelargoniums, diosma and marguerite daisies.  

Hi Glen,  I’m after some more pruning advice for my (once upon a time) straggly lavender border. Last time I worried that they were just sitting there all straggly, now they’re boisterous and full of flowers, ready to take on the whole garden. If I just pick the  flower stems, will that benefit the plants in any way?  Dora, Trentham.  

Hi Dora, Picking lavender flowers is one of the best and most pleasing ways of pruning  lavender I can think of. Not only does it mean a pleasant perfume indoors, it means  you are keeping them in shape.

Don’t you hate sentences that start with I’m not a — but,…They are often followed with things like I’m not a racist but, or I’m not homophobic but.  

Well, if you do, please don’t read any further because I’m not a conspiracy theorist but hearing the news about Trumpy and his sidekick Elon trying to take over their bit of the world has me worried. So read on to try and understand my deluded  conspiracy theory if you’re that way inclined.  

It is no secret that Trump, Putin and old mate Kim Jong Un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea, are chums. Putin recently delivered a gift to Kim, Russia’s version of a bulletproof limo a couple of weeks ago.

The two bandits could be seen laughing and cajoling as they cruised the countryside of the peninsula, probably running over the beggars as they pushed it through its paces.  

So that makes a foursome with Trump, Elon, Kim and Putin, and as they say in the theatre, there’s no show without Punch, and for me Punch is Xi Jinping, China’s top dog.

Then throw in Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu who has just demolished the  Gaza Strip and killed a fair portion of the population, so it’s now ripe for tourist resort development, and that makes five.  

My theory is that this bunch of misfits, who would look equally at home in the front bar of the Star Wars movie, are the most powerful dudes in the world.

It is my  concept that behind closed doors the horse trading began a long time ago.  I have never heard this sort of direct rhetoric in politics before, particularly from America, where Trump is talking about taking over Greenland, Canada and taking back the Panama Canal.  

Canada’s prime minister has just quit, almost as if he wasn’t up for the fight. And Mark Zuckerberg has dismissed the fact checkers from Facebook. Again, getting ready for some political moves that seem to be afoot or just getting on the good side of Trump.  

South Korea’s politics are in a mess, so Trump only has to withdraw his 30,000 troops from the demilitarized zone for that little applecart to tip over.  

And what’s next? Russia getting the green light to take over Ukraine I suppose,  which has large reserves of titanium, lithium, beryllium, uranium, iron ore,  manganese and coal.

The first four of these elements are essential for making nuclear and other weapons. Then what happens with China, which has bases around the Antarctic to our south and plenty of friendly ports to our north, courtesy of years of buyoffs?

First it will be Taiwan, then a hop, skip and jump to the land down under and there wouldn’t be a damn thing we could do about it with our limited military resources.

Now this is just a theory from my overactive imagination so don’t hop on a jet to New Zealand yet. But there are some facts that underpin my deliberations, and these set out the next few years as incredibly interesting and historic and maybe a little unsettling.  I told you not to read it, rant  over…  

Newstead Live is held in the town’s various venues  from January 24 to 27.  

The festival of music features The Troubadour live music venue & wine bar, concerts, sessions, blackboard  spots, workshops, Australia’s original trad disco and  pool party, good food, camping, spacious setting and no sound spill between venues.  

Newstead Live offers six performing stages in easy walking distance around Newstead and there are always impromptu performances and jams in the streets between venues and around the pub.  

There is a wide range of food and drinks from the Newstead traders as well as a selection of van options.

 And there are plenty of accommodation choices in the district, including two specialty campgrounds.  

Just a few of this year’s artists include Ado Barker,  Alanna & Alicia, Belly Savalas, Bruce Watson & Caitlin French, Bush Gothic, Coral Reid, Dingo’s Breakfast,  Double Dole Stringband, Enda Kenny, Freya and Tom McGowan, Georgia Fields, Girl Friday & the Sepia Tones, Grim Fawker, Ian Bland, Jane Cameron, Karlo Arc, Keith McKenry, Kerryn Fields, LJ, Les Thomas, Maggie Rigby, Mal Webband Kylie Morrigan, Marilla  Homes, One Part Gin and Sage Roadknight.  

Link: www.newsteadlive.com  Words: Darren Lowe  

The Hepburn Shire Council is inviting all residents to attend a special event this Friday and celebrate the Community Award  winners for 2025, while also welcoming the shire’s newest Australian citizens.  

The free community event will take place at 2pm this Friday January 24, in the Loddon River Room at The Mechanics Trentham.

The council will announce its Citizen of the Year,  Community Event of the Year, and Hepburn Together Award winners.  

The Community Award winners for 2024 were ChillOut Festival  (Event of the Year), Pat Tacey and Neville Cartledge (joint Citizens  of the Year) and Alice Newitt (Young Citizen of the Year).

During last year’s event a Special Commendation was also presented to the local band Elysium.  

with Eve Lamb

The Three Lost Children Walk. Daylesford-Musk Creek 15 km (Part A)

The first day of 2025 dawns sunny and mild, temperature in the mid-20s with a promise to reach no more than 28 degrees. Ideal bushwalking. Too good to pass up.

I check in with my trusty walking companion, Paddy H, and we decide it’s more than time to tackle the famed Three Lost Children Walk. This bushland walk covers 15 km starting in Daylesford, taking in part of Hepburn Regional Park and part of the Wombat State Forest. It ends at Wombat Creek Picnic Area near Musk.

It commemorates the tragic tale from Daylesford’s gold-rush era when three small boys (William Graham,6, his brother Thomas, 4, and Alfred Burman, 5) wandered away from their homes in Daylesford on June 30, 1867.

Sadly, despite a massive search after it became clear they were missing, they were not found alive. No trace was found until September 13, 1867 when a dog came home to Wheelers Hill, 10 km south-east of Daylesford, carrying a small boot that reportedly contained a small foot.

The following day the children’s little bodies were finally found. Two of them in a hollow tree and the other close by. The Three Lost Children Walk follows the approximate route the poor little fellas walked.

You can’t really write a bushwalking series centred in the Central Highlands and not include this walk, with its tragic tale tracing the doomed trek of these three intrepid  little tackers.

You can pick up a good guide description of the walk, complete with map, from the Daylesford Visitor Info centre. I’ve been holding onto my copy for all of 2024.  I’m also equipped with my good old copy of ‘Walks, Tracks & Trails of Victoria’ (by Derrick Stone) which includes this walk, while Paddy H has the relevant one of his many beloved topographical maps.

To get 2025 off and striding, we’re going to tackle roughly half the walk. We’ll come back again, another day, and complete the entire walk for this series. Today, first up we plant my car at our designated stop point of Hogans Lane, Musk Vale, and then drive Paddy H’s car  to the walk start point.

The start point is the cairn in the Lost Children Reserve at the junction of Central Springs Road and the Midland Highway. We set out from the top corner of the Reserve, heading south along Table Hill Road then straight ahead down Forest View Lane.

The track becomes a sharp descent and we notice the dedicated Lost Children Walk trail markers.  These feature a little stylized emblem representing the three small unfortunate adventurers.

We cross a footbridge over the Wombat Creek. A jogger, impatient in his bright tangerine running shoes, rushes past and tackles the rugged short flight of steps that we also must take, upwards, on the other side.

It’s pretty straightforward going now, just carefully following the walk guide description, maps, and dedicated trail markers. But just ahead, a point of potential confusion arises when, wending our way toward Sailors Creek, we reach a bush-land point where a medley of different  dirt tracks interconnect and ping off in multiple different directions.

The trick is simply to keep calm and continue,  basically following the path you’re already on as the gully naturally slopes down toward Sailors Creek. We reach the creek and turn sharp left as soon as we cross it, then remain on a very short little section of the trail for about 200 metres as it curves around to connect with Black Jack Track.

Here we turn left onto Black Jack Track which we will now follow for a couple of ks through Hepburn Regional Park.

The eucalypt bushland is tall and deliciously fragrant. I breathe in its spicy, inimitable  aroma and then notice that someone has painted the word ‘Bees’ and an arrow pointing up, in yellow paint on a tree trunk to our left.

“Is it because we’re s’pose to be concerned we’re going to get stung  … or to enjoy them?” wonders Paddy H who maintains a couple of backyard bee hives.

The bushland is beautiful but also fairly rugged going, and you’ve really got to admire – and wonder at – how those three small gold-rush era trekkers and their little legs ever managed to get such a distance.

Peering  down at my own boots moving along on the track I see that two-legged pedestrians are not the only ones who’ve been navigating this path. There are horse hoof prints here too, etched in the sandy surface.

A bit further on, the source becomes evident when Paddy H spots, not a horse and rider, but …

“Look it’s a horse and sulky,” he says.

“What?”

Within seconds we’re meeting Glenn Conroy, a noted local harness racehorse trainer who trains in partnership with his sister, Anne-Maree Conroy.

 “I use the bush lane every day,” Glenn says as the handsome bay horse in harness, takes a bushland breather.

“You must see some interesting things,” I venture.

 “Yes. I see lots of people doing all sorts of things, walking, jogging, prospecting…” Glenn says, maintaining a steady grip on the harness reins as the powerful bay shifts about a bit.

“What’s your horse’s name?”

“When he’s in the stable he’s known as Smith, but he’s also more officially known as I’maboganboy,” chuckles Glenn.

The attractive bay seems fairly civilized for a bogan,  I think. But we don’t want to delay them any further and in the whisk of a tail they’re off again heading further along the track.

Up ahead, the track climbs a gentle rise and here we encounter three bushwalkers, a middle-aged woman, older teenage boy and a teenage girl, whose serious-sized backpacks all lay heavily on the ground as their owners take a break.

Paddy H gets chatting and as a result we soon discover that they are: A. from Melbourne. B. plan to camp, and C. don’t know that the track we’re all on is part of the Three Lost Children Walk, or the story behind the name.

As Paddy H takes it upon himself to give them a brief tragic history lesson, I re-read the description for this section of the trail and see that up ahead we’ll soon, again, cross Sailors Creek.

By the time we’ve put a good bit more trail under our boot tread, crossed the creek and pushed hard up a gnarly little hill, admiring a gorgeous small pond on our left, to finally re-emerge from the bush in lifestyle-property-land at Hogans Lane, Musk Vale, we’re more than a tad happy to call it a day and sink into my awaiting car seats.

Is it the good life we’ve been living over the festive break catching up with us we wonder, as I simultaneously try not to get too upset thinking about those poor little lost chumpers. And I’m not even the clucky sort. Yet, later tonight when the lights go out, I will again find myself thinking of how terribly cold they would have been that frosty June long ago in the Central Highlands.

As we head for home we, by contrast, are sweating and looking forward to a summer salad dinner to round out our day on what has been a fairly ideal start to 2025.

Walk to be continued…

Local creatives living in the Hepburn Shire area are being encouraged to enter Violence Prevention Australia’s #stopitbeforeitstarts Art Comp now.

Competition co-ordinators say that amazing submissions are still being received but there’s not much longer to submit entreis as the competition closes on February 14.

The competition aims to promote intervening acts of kindness that reduce or prevent violence in homes and communities of any kind

Offering over $2,500 in total prize money, the competition is a chance for creatives across many different genre to get their art seen while helping others learn how to prevent violence before it starts.

Further details on how to enter can be found on the Violence Prevention Australia website at www.violencepreventionaustralia.com .

Entrants must be over 18 to enter and entries will be exhibited on Instagram #stopitbeforeitstarts @violencepreventionaustralia

Co-ordinators say the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) has provided sponsorship to help make the art competition possible.

The Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre (BALC) has introduced a vital initiative to equip children aged six to 14 years with essential survival skills in open water. 

Set to start on Monday January 20, the new Inland Water Safety Program is designed to increase children’s awareness of risks in unpredictable aquatic environments and arm them with skills that may help save their own life or the life of someone else. 

Different to traditional ‘learn to swim’ classes, this program focusses on environmental and risk awareness, survival and rescue skills in open water and introduces emergency response through interactive activities. 

Tragically, Australia experiences a spike in drowning deaths every year over the summer months. Since 1 December 2024, 50 people have died from drowning – three more than the five-year average for this time of year. 

As summer temperatures continue to soar, local waterways such as dams, rivers and lakes become popular places for people to cool off, increasing the risk of tragedy. 

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said the Inland Water Safety Program addresses a critical need in our community. 

“By teaching children how to respond to the challenges of unpredictable inland water, we can reduce the risk of drowning and foster confidence and awareness,” she said. 

“Water safety is a life skill that every child should have access to. We’re thrilled to offer this program to the community and make a meaningful contribution to preventing future tragedies.” 

The Inland Water Safety Program runs for three days, starting on Monday 20 January, with the first session held at the Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre.  

The following two days will be in the open waters of Lake Wendouree, enabling participants to practice their new skills in a real-world setting. 

Participants will learn how to assess risk, conduct rescues in open water, practice efficient movement through open water, and gain a stronger understanding of the local environment. 

The cost to participate is $75 which includes a one-hour session per day and a rash vest for each participant to keep. 

Registrations are now open on the BALC website or by calling 5334 2499.

This story based on a City of Ballarat report

A huge diversity of multicultural music and acts have been announced for this year’s CresFest that’s set to transform the township of Creswick over three days in early April. 

Headliners for the award-winning folk and roots festival happening April 4-6, range from Neil Murray, The Maes and Queenslands’ Joe Geia to Grace Barbe from the Seychelles, Grassy Strings from India and Kofi Kunkpe bringing West African grooves to the mix.

Festival co-directors Judy Turner and Stella Savy say that alongside the many featured concerts, festival-goers will also get the chance to participate in a packed program of workshops.

“Local players will be invited to perform with visiting professionals, in an inspirational two-way collaboration,” Turner says ahead of the multicultural  music feast.

Just before Christmas, the festival secured a $17,000 grant from Festivals Australia.

Festival co-director Stella Savy says the grant will enable a program of music to be taken into each of Creswick’s three primary schools in the lead-up to staging a featured African Extravaganza as part of the festival.

It means local students will be able to learn repertoire with guest artist Ghana’s Kofi Kunkpe and Savy, herself a renown music teacher.

They will then be able to perform, participating in the African Extravaganza set for Saturday afternoon of the festival.

A coming together of cultures, it will also involve local choirs and the Creswick drumming circle as well as the featured African musicians and will “take over the street” Savy says in anticipation.

“We’ve got an incredible line-up of first nations and overseas artists. It’s so exciting.”

Encouraging people to check out the the festival website, Savy says another particularly pleasing aspect is the sizeable component of free community offerings and workshops, with the focus on participation.

In the countdown to the event, Turner says they’re now keen to hear from Creswick locals who may be able to host a muso – or even a group of performers.

She says hosting a performer or group promises to make for a rewarding experience.

It’s a chance to hear the music up close – “getting to understand more of the musician’s life and, of course, getting a free weekend pass for the festival in return for each artist hosted”.  

Ideally host houses will be situated within 5km of the Creswick Town Hall with those interested to know more able to check out the festival’s website and click on ‘get involved’.

And in a new initiative, the visually-minded will have a chance to win an attractive prize by capturing photographic images from the colourful annual event.

Turner says they’re introducing the new competition with festival-goers invited to enter up to three images capturing the festival vibe.

By entering their three top images they’ll be competing to win two day passes or one weekend pass to CresFest 2026. 

“We will be looking for funny, quirky, soulful, heart warming pics we can use in our reporting to partners and in marketing future festivals,” Turner says.

“All good quality images will be considered by a panel of local judges. Phone cameras of course accepted.”

Full conditions and details for the debut photo comp will be announced in early March.

Tickets to CresFest are on sale through the festival website at https://cresfest.com.au/.

Words: Eve Lamb. Images: Supplied

Construction works for The Block 2025’s sustainable pavilion-style homes are underway and local agents predict they are likely to fetch top sums on auction day, according to realestate.com.au.

The realestate.com.au website said new images of the 2400sqm Raglan Street, Daylesford site had given fans a sneak peek of the 21st season of The Block. 

“The hit renovation reality television show will see a new cast of Blockheads overhaul five homes, which will form a new neighbourhood within Hygge Property’s Middleton Field new housing estate, located at the regional town’s eastern entry point,” the website says. 

Last year, The Local reported on The Block coming to Daylesford, after plans for the 2024 edition of the show to be produced in the town were stalled. 

Executive producer Julian Cress, in a statement reported on by 9Entertainment, said Daylesford had been a destination for Australian and international tourists for a century and had “really cemented itself as one of the top weekend destinations in the country”. 

Mr Cress said Daylesford was originally intended to be the site for the 2024 season. “We put nine months of hard work into [Daylesford] before we had to pivot to Phillip Island,” he said. 

“But Phillip Island has taught us that taking the show to a place which is a holiday destination is great for The Block, and we hope it will be great for Daylesford as well. The fact that it was still an option seemed a no-brainer.” 

Mr Cress said he had been spending time with the Daylesford community.

“I think they are really excited for us to bring the show there. We think it will be a wonderful opportunity for Daylesford and for the community as a whole. 

“We also try to film much of our show focusing on the local community and whether that be renovating a community project, or just being able to showcase great local artisans and businesses, is something that is a real hallmark for The Block. 

“We want to make The Block not just about the properties in Raglan Street, but about the whole town. We work incredibly hard to make sure our houses are built with the best possible environmentally sound, modern practices available. 

“We are always looking at sustainability and environmental concerns, we are not just throwing up project houses, we are trying to build houses of the future.” It is believed filming will start in February. 

Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Kyle Barnes 

Central Highland pubs make up three of the best 10 regional pubs to plan a road trip around, food writer Richard Cornish says in an article in The Age’s Good Food, published on January 2. 

The Guildford Family Hotel, above left Radio Springs Hotel in Lyonville, above right, and the Daylesford Hotel, below, all made the grade. 

The Guildford Family Hotel is run by hospitality stalwart Megan Evans and her partner, music industry long-timer Tom Allen. The perfect pair for a hospitality and music venue. 

The couple took over the pub in 2021 and it’s now a great place for locals and visitors who enjoy the bar baner, beer garden and dining room. 

Megan, who is well known to Daylesford locals after working at a number of hospitality venues in the town, loved the idea of running her own pub and “getting the old girl back to life”. 

“I have loved hotels and pubs my whole life, in fact I have spent pretty much 26 years in hospitality working in country pubs, and I just love the locals. I have a very genuine smile when anyone walks in and that is what country pubs are all about.” 

Jackie Airey and Ken Parfrey bought the Radio Springs Hotel in Lyonville in 1997.

The 90-year-old pub, once owned by TV and radio personality Ernie Sigley, had been closed for years but the pair slowly renovated and 11 years later, The Centre of the Universe opened. 

Ken said he knew they had something special. And the people who wander in, realise that too. There’s no television, no wi-fi, no pokies, but there is plenty of great chat, excellent meals and always something new to discover in the wonderful decor.

Throw in plenty of live music, the Back Beach Bar and the Henri Langlois Screening Room – and it’s a winner. 

The Daylesford Hotel, with some of the best deck views in town, has recently been taken over by those who did such a great job at Cliffy’s Emporium and Beppe.

They have also engaged chef Rob Kabboord, formerly of three-hatted Quay in Sydney. The food, including drive-through pizza, is fantastic, and the old pub is quickly becoming “the local” with its Friday night charity raffles and down-to-earth vibe.

Words: Donna Kelly | Images of the Guildford Hotel and Radio Springs Hotel: Photoshopped by Kyle Barnes 

Hepburn Shire Council has been awarded a $120,000 state government grant to support OCTAVE youth events in the community. 

To be delivered over the next three years, the funding will enable the continuation and expansion of the OCTAVE program, which engages young people in meaningful activities aimed at fostering leadership, skill development, and community engagement. 

The OCTAVE program focuses on empowering youth to lead their own projects. Through hands-on experience in event management, participants gain practical skills, self-confidence, and the opportunity to actively contribute to their communities. 

Mayor, Cr Don Henderson, said the grant was a fantastic opportunity to further invest in young people and give them the tools they needed to become leaders in their own right. 

“By providing young people with the opportunity to plan and deliver events, we are supporting their growth, building stronger community connections, and ensuring a vibrant future for our shire,” he said. 

The program will also offer inclusive social youth events, such as pool parties, skate competitions, live band performances and open mic nights. 

The OCTAVE program has already had a significant impact, giving young people the chance to participate and make a difference in the shire.

This new funding will help broaden the scope of future events, with five new events and one skill development workshop per year. 

In the council’s Youth Strategy consultation in 2021, 31 per cent of the population aged 10-24 were surveyed, providing key insights into their interests and needs.

A significant proportion of young people, especially those aged 10-14, expressed a strong interest in music and social activities.

Specifically, 47 per cent of 10–14-year- olds said they enjoyed music, and 69 per cent reported that they enjoyed spending time with friends outside of school. 

“Council is dedicated to supporting the health, wellbeing, and development of its young people. By focusing on youth engagement, leadership, and skill-building, the council continues to work towards a prosperous and inclusive future for the region,” Cr Henderson said. 

Moorabbin Crime Investigation Unit detectives came across an Audi RS3 allegedly speeding along the Nepean Highway about 4.30am on Sunday January 12.

Officers attempted to intercept the vehicle, which allegedly fled and began travelling at double the speed limit.

Due to safety concerns, officers took down the driver’s registration details and radioed in for some assistance.

Moorabbin Highway Patrol members waited at the man’s Waterways address until he pulled up at home.

His vehicle was impounded at a cost of $1046.80 and police had reported that he could expect to be charged on summons with numerous traffic offences including driving at a speed dangerous.

He wasn’t the only dangerous driver picked up by Moorabbin Highway Patrol members that morning.

Patrolling officers observed a Suzuki sedan driving irregularly on the Nepean Highway at Aspendale about 3am.

The 29-year-old P-plate driver was pulled over and breath-tested, returning an alleged reading of .247.

This is nearly five times the limit for a full licence holder let alone the .00 limit required for a provisional driver.

The Hampton Park man’s licence was immediately suspended and he would have to pay more than $1000 to have his car released from the impound yard in 30 days.

He would also be charged on summons with driving under the influence, drink driving and failing to give way, police reported.

This story based on a Victoria Police report