Police are investigating following a fatal fire that occurred in Dunolly over the weekend.

Emergency services were called to Market Street about 10.50pm on 10 August after reports of a fire at a residential premises.

Fire crews extinguished the blaze and the scene was examined.

A 68-year-old Dunolly man was located deceased in the residence.

A crime scene had been established as fire examiners attempted to determine the cause.

Investigations were ongoing into the cause of the fire, which was not believed to be suspicious as at the time that the most recent police report on the incident had been issued.

Trentham’s newest event on the calendar, Winterfest, lit up the town on Friday, August 2 with businesses trading late and lighting up the town with colourful light displays.

The town’s traders embraced the cold winter night and celebrated with light projections, neon displays and special events.

Little Gallery held the opening night of their annual fundraising Winter Exhibition with proceeds benefiting local community groups and showcasing local and regional artists.

Belle Property director Will Walton, one of the organisers through Belle Property Trentham, said the feedback had been exceptional with the event attracting lots of crowds to Trentham hospitality businesses.

“The Trentham traders did a wonderful job embracing the event and putting on a bright colourful show. I imagine next year will be bigger and better.”

The next traders’ event is the regular Christmas traders’ night on the last Friday in November.

Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Belle Property Trentham   

Forever famed for his role as Dale Kerrigan in 1997 Aussie Move classic The Castle, actor Stephen Curry has quite a special connection to Bullarto it seems.

That connection has been highlighted in recent weeks by popular SBS program, Who Do You Think You Are?

The well-known actor who will always be remembered for his line “dug another hole” recently featured on episode 7, season 15 of the SBS lineage discovery show during which he unearths a paternal connection to British Bronze Age treasures and a “whistle blowing” gold rush banker in his mother’s family history.

Stephen learns that his own great-great-grandfather Thomas Hodgens, who emigrated from Ireland to the Castlemaine goldfields in 1852, went on to become a store owner, gold buyer, mayor of Chewton and branch manager of the Oriental Bank at Chewton up to 1862, during the heady days of the gold rush.

The actor’s intrepid forebear also had a pretty interesting life in the Daylesford area, particularly at Bullarto as members of the Daylesford and District Historical Society were able to help discover.

During the making of the episode, Stephen catches up with Smeaton-based Keir Reeves who is a professor of history at Federation University’s Future Regions Research Centre.

Through Professor Reeves, Stephen learns that some dubious activity involving a gold bar led to his great-great-grandfather Hodgens becoming a whistleblower and subsequently parting ways with the bank.

As Stephen and Professor Reeves catch up in the Red Hill Hotel in Chewton, Professor Reeves informs the actor that tragedy struck when his great-great grandfather, then lost his wife and, leaving Chewton, made his way, with his three young children in tow, to Daylesford.

“His story is an exemplar of many people on the goldfields,” Professor Reeves later told The Local. “I found it quite moving to follow the story and like so many families, there’s ghosts in the cupboard.”

During the making of the intriguing Who Do You Think You Are? episode, Stephen also meets with the Daylesford and District Historical Society’s Jan Smith on site at the Bullarto Hall where he learns about his own strong family connection to the site itself.

“It was a terrific time for many in Daylesford and Thomas obviously saw an opportunity to improve his life,” says Jan who, as part of the team of enthusiastic volunteer researchers with the historical society, played a vital role in providing background research for the episode.

Like Professor Reeves, Jan also appears in th episode, helping Stephen peel back the layers of his past and providing the research that shows his great-great-grandfather Hodgens had remarried, going on to have 10 more children with his new wife, Mary Jane, including Curry’s great-grandfather.

Jan is able to inform the actor that, while contending with a very large debt burden and 13 children, his great-great-grandfather Hodgens had in 1865 been granted 38 acres of land at the site where the historic Bullarto Hall itself now stands, building a house and also a hotel there.

After moving to the area he had also run a store, worked as a slaughterman, and also grew crops at Bullarto after he was granted the land.

“The thing that’s always amazing about delving into the past is that once you start learning their stories it becomes quite emotional,” Jan told The Local.

“I felt happy that we were able to provide a positive part of his great-great- grandfather’s story. Stephen was so happy that there was a good outcome for his great great-grandfather.”

Jan said that the Daylesford and District Historical Society’s volunteer research team frequently receives requests for assistance with interesting research projects, effectively drawing on 60 years of volunteer work and dedication in the process.

“The one thing he never lost sight of was the importance of optimism and I think that’s come down through the generations,” muses Stephen after Jan shares with him key details of his ancestral connection to the area.

Don’t worry if you missed the initial SBS free-to-air TV screening back on June 18, as the episode is easy to find online at SBS On Demand.

The episode also lifts the lid on some of Stephen’s darker family closet secrets going all the way back to Ireland in the 1800s.

These include the discovery that, while one of his early maternal ancestors was an extremely wealthy Irish merchant, another had been jailed for abducting a very rich young heiress in 1820, while another was jailed in 1884 for bigamy, having been married to at least five different women.

Words: Eve Lamb  

Fern Hill’s Lauretta Hanson crossed the line in 22nd place in the women’s Road Race in Paris on Sunday, August 5, in the 2024 Olympics.

Teammate Grace Brown, who already had a gold from a previous event, crossed the line in 23rd place both five minutes behind the winner, while Australian Ruby Roseman-Gannon was caught up in a mid-race crash and finished 39th.

The 157.2km epic race around the streets of Paris was won by American Kristen Faulkner in three hours, 59 minutes and 23 seconds.

The course started and finished in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower and included a 110km loop which crossed Paris’s left bank and the Hauts-de-Seine, Yvelines and Essonne departments before returning to the city for an 18.5km loop which included the ascent up Montmartre.

Lauretta described the race as an incredible experience.

“Every time up Montmartre you could hardly hear yourself,” she said.

“The crowds were phenomenal, we went out there and gave it our best, unfortunately we had a little bit of bad luck losing Ruby in the crash, but we tried and that’s all you can ask for.”

Words: Donna Kelly | Image: AusCycling – Josh Chadwick  

Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are continuing to investigate a fatal collision in Lucas, Ballarat on Saturday, August 10.

It’s believed a silver Mazda sedan collided with a white Toyota Prado on Carngham Road near Finchs Road just after 7pm.

A passenger from the Mazda, a 6-year-old Winter Valley child, died at the scene.

A second passenger from the Mazda, a 13-year-old Winter Valley child, was airlifted to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the Mazda, a 41-year-old Winter Valley woman, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver and sole occupant of the Toyota, a 78-year-old Haddon man, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The exact circumstances surrounding the collision are yet to be determined and investigations remain ongoing.

Anyone who witnessed the incident, with dashcam footage or any other information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a fatal crash that occurred in Kilmore earlier this week.

Emergency services were called to reports a car had struck a tree on Wandong Road around 3.30pm on Sunday August 11.

The driver and only occupant of the vehicle, died at the scene.

The exact circumstances surrounding the collision had yet to be determined as at the time a police report was issued on Sunday, and investigations remained ongoing.

Anyone who witnessed the incident, with footage or any other information was urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

The Hepburn Shire Council has today welcomed a Victorian Liquor Commission decision to refuse Dan Murphy’s a licence to operate in Daylesford.

The council had strongly advocated for the refusal during the submission process and at hearings, along with a number of committed community members.

Announced this morning, the Victorian Liquor Commission decision represents the first time the new definition of “harm” under the Liquor Control Reform Act has been used to refuse a licence, making it a landmark decision.

“The decision, which was announced this morning, was made namely on the basis that granting the licence could pose a public risk, encourage harm (particularly minors) and have adverse social impacts,” Hepburn Shire Council CEO Bradley Thomas said in a statement issued this afternoon.

In announcing its decision The Commission: “concludes that granting the Licence would be conducive to or encourage harm, specifically to minors.

“In particular, the Commission concludes that there is an appreciable risk that granting the Licence would result in an increase of secondary supply of alcohol to minors in Daylesford and (therefore) an increase in alcohol consumption by minors and (therefore) increased harm from the misuse and abuse of alcohol by minors.

“This conclusion is driven by the accumulation of a number of factors … deriving from the “particular local, social, demographic and geographic circumstances” of Daylesford.”

The full decision can be found at https://www.vic.gov.au/liquor-decisions-and-hearings

Police are appealing for witnesses to a car crash that claimed the life of a man at Drummond, about 20 kilometres north east of Daylesford yesterday.

The 60-year-old man died at the scene and was the only person in his vehicle when it left the road and crashed at about 12.30pm yesterday, Tuesday August 13.

Emergency services had been called to reports of a car running off the Daylesford-Malmsbury Road at Drummond, police said.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident but suspected the crash may have been caused by a medical episode.

Police are preparing a report for the coroner and are urging anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

All students in years 3-6 from Hepburn, St Michael’s, Trentham, Yandoit and Daylesford primary schools participated in the Daylesford Region Interschool Olympic Games at Daylesford Primary on August 1.

Daylesford Primary principal Ali McHalliwell said the games were designed to foster essential values such as teamwork, belonging, and personal accomplishment.

“Through engaging in friendly competition, students experienced the joy of working together towards common goals and building a strong sense of community and inclusion,” she said.

“Additionally, this event offered a unique opportunity for students to learn about the rich history and significance of the Olympic Games, gaining a deeper appreciation for the spirit of global unity and athletic excellence.”

The Creswick Theatre Company is looking forward to hosting a night of live music and poetry on Saturday August 17.

Tickets have gone on sale at $12 each and are available via the local theatre company’s website and Humanitix.

The cabaret style performance is scheduled to start from 7pm while the onsite bar opens from 6.45pm with audience members also invited to byo nibbles as well.

The little local theatre company that punches well above its weight in the number and variety of events and shows that it annually stages is also looking ahead to November when it will stage its upcoming “interactive murder mingle” A Murder at the Derby.

Feeling rhythmic? Then a new series of drumming classes soon to start at Daylesford may just be for you.

The Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre will be hosting the new adults’ beginner drumming classes with the first in an ongoing weekly series set for Wednesday August 21.

“We are going to explore the sound and the rhythm of the drum; the focus of the class is to enjoy playing drums together while learning drumming technique,” organisers say.

“These classes are weekly, and they are organized as a block of consecutive classes which allows us to develop good rhythm, flow and technique. We are going to play West African rhythms, providing a lot of fun and knowledge.”

Nimba Drumming is leading the new hour-long classes and offering the first one free of charge for those who are not yet sure if drumming is for them.

Playing drums is a fun and healthy activity, it helps develop coordination, rhythm, exercises your mind and your muscles, creating a vibration that cultivates a feeling of inner happiness.

The cost of the block of six consecutive classes is $120 and organisers say there are no worries if you don’t yet have your own drum as spare drums are available.

More information is available from the neighbourhood centre.

Creswick Brass Band members are busy rehearsing for their upcoming cabaret night set for Saturday August 31 from 6:30pm at the Creswick Senior Citizens Centre.

Band members are encouraging all music lovers to grab a ticket and say it will be a night of fun with prizes, raffles, silent auctions and great music.

Tickets are $20 per adult (kids under 12yrs are free) and can be purchased online through Trybooking, or scanning the QR code on the poster if you see it around Creswick.

The band is also selling raffle tickets which are $5 each, $10 for 3 tickets or $35 for 10 tickets to win:

1st Prize: RACV Resort Creswick $300

2nd Prize: Creswick Woolen Mills $200

3rd Prize: American Hotel $100

A throng of more than 50 volunteers turned up in recent weeks to plant out hundreds of native plants on a crown land site at Johns Road in North Creswick.

The Bald Hills-Creswick Landcare group, with support from a Community Bank Creswick & District, Community Impact Grant, organised the planting of over 700 indigenous native trees, shrubs and grasses over a two-and-a-half acre crown land paddock.

President of the Bald Hills Creswick Landcare group, Steve Hemphill thanked the local scouts, joeys, cubs, parents and leaders from the 1st Creswick Scout Group.

Special thanks also went to Geocaching Victoria, with some of their members coming from Melbourne and Geelong to help out on the day – June 22.

Following 45 header fires last harvest season in the far north-west of the state, fire authorities are reminding grain growers to make machinery maintenance a priority ahead of the state’s new harvest season.

While fires in cropping paddocks during harvest have long been part of Mallee farming, occurring at a frequency higher than elsewhere in Victoria, on average CFA attends more than 200 header and harvest-related incidents across the state each year.

A report by CFA’s District 18 found some of the fires were spanning up to 535 hectares, and a total of 737 volunteers, 169 CFA vehicles and 16 aircraft were needed to fight these fires.

CFA Assistant Chief Fire Officer District 18 Gavin Wright said interviews were conducted with incident controllers and grain growers to explore factors that lead to ignitions, in conjunction with local factors such as extreme heat, wind and dust that are common in the area.

“Each year we see a similar pattern of ignition, with header hygiene a main cause, where chaff, dust and residue build up around the exhaust system and cause concern,” Gavin said.

“Bearing collapse or seizing of bearings also plays a large role, and annual replacement is strongly suggested, as is the use of an infrared thermometer to detect failure early.

“Often a piece of wire or a stone may get stuck in the back rotary beater or in the seed destructor too, and header pulleys can be over-tightened and overheat.

“We suggest a qualified header mechanic should conduct all repairs and that farmers use a high-capacity air compressor to blow down the header regularly.”

Gavin said fires may still occur under the most stringent precautions and maintenance regime, however it is vital that ignitions do not occur during periods of elevated fire danger. 

“Eight ignitions took place during three Total Fire Ban days over the 2023-24 season, which opens the door to greater risk of damage due to conditions that fuel rapid fire growth, speed and intensity,” Gavin said.

“As a farming community, we understand the decision to cease harvesting activities is not a simple one, with grain growers relying on the brief window of time they have alongside weather and financial pressures.

“However, be aware of any known risks or idiosyncrasies in your machinery that may increase the risk of fire and ensure you are carrying a method of water extinguishment at all times.”

Victoria produces 31 per cent of Australia’s grain, estimated to be worth $4.4 billion and cereal growers in District 18 contribute a significant portion to that, with harvest season seeing fuel loads of six to 10 tonnes per hectare of cereal, legume and lentil crop.

“From 13 November through to 18 December, we found that the increase in tonnage produced corresponded with an increase in calls to Triple Zero for harvest fires,” Gavin said.

CFA will look to develop a long-term community engagement strategy to provide ongoing support for cereal farmers across the Mallee and hopes the report will help drive conversations with community members about their own prevention and mitigation activities.

Farmers are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the harvest pre-season checklist at cfa.vic.gov.au/harvest.

Image: Supplied. Words: CFA

Luxury Italian brand Dolce & Gabbana has released Fefe, a new fragrance for pooches reportedly named after the co-founder’s own pet.

The $166.84 (£85) fragrance is described as an “olfactory masterpiece” featuring must, ylang ylang, and “creamy undertones” of sandalwood.

The bottle features a 24-carat gold-plated paw print and has elsewhere been reported to have been inspired by “the unwavering love for Domenico Dolce’s loyal companion, Fefe”.

The firm’s marketing department says it offers “a touch of opulence, making every walk a fragrant and fashionable affair”.

Fefe, the perfume for dogs, is alcohol free and D&G says it has been safety-tested and approved by vets.