Central Highlands Water and the Hepburn Shire Council joined forces last week to launch a new Choose Tap drinking fountain at Creswick’s new Hammon Park Trailhead. 

The new fountain will provide easy access to quality drinking water, for the Creswick community including cyclists and other recreational user groups, including VOGA Cycling Club. 

This new amenity, combined with CHW’s ‘Choose Tap’ program, will continue to encourage the local community to choose tap water over bottled water, for heath, cost and sustainability benefits.

Hepburn Shire Council Mayor, Cr Brian Hood: “The Choose Tap drinking fountains are not only a great choice for your health, but also for the environment. It’s great to see more of these fountains being installed across our Shire and here in Creswick as part of the new Trail Network.”

“These will no doubt be well-used by the community including members from the VOGA Cycling Club and other active cyclists utilizing the park.”

Central Highlands Water Managing Director Jeff Haydon: “We are dedicated to improving the health of the local community, and are joining forces with Hepburn Shire Council to actively support initiatives that promote the importance of keeping hydrated all year round.”

“The new Creswick Trail Network creates a positive community link to encourage living a healthy and active lifestyle, while providing the opportunity to refill their reusable drink bottles, as we help reduce single-use plastic bottle waste. We can all do our part for the environment, make the sustainable choice and Choose Tap.”

Cat and art lovers alike will be heading to the Creswick Town Hall this long weekend.
The Cats Come to Creswick Art Show is on from September 29 to October 1 and is the brainchild of Sandy Campbell, board member for the town’s John Curtin Aged Care Centre and event coordinator.
While musing on a good way to raise some money for the centre, Sandy realised that cats were perfect as a central theme for an art show for several reasons.
Firstly, they are ubiquitous creatures in our lives, she says, and secondly, artist Norman Lindsay, one of the town’s most famed historic figures, simply adored the feline species. Alongside human nudes, for which he is particularly known, he painted plenty of them, Sandy says.
“Creswick is very proud of Norman Lindsay and aside from painting nudes he also painted cats. He loved cats. There’s even a book dedicated to Norman Lindsay’s cats. To have them as the theme for an art show seemed like a logical thing to me.
“Wherever you travel in the world you will always find a cat. They are so ubiquitous.”
The art show will feature works by 51 artists, many of them professional, and many from throughout Central Victoria.
Well-known for her printmaking, Loris Button, who previously taught at the Ballarat Art School, says turning her hand to depicting the cat in art has been a bit of a different experience for her as well.
Portraiture, including self-portraiture, is usually more her thing, but Loris took this opportunity to create three prints honouring her own dearly departed, much- loved house moggie. “They depict our late cat sleeping. She was 23,” says Loris.
There’s also a couple of artists from interstate, and even some from very close to home including John Curtin Aged Care’s own CEO, Steve Bruechert, who usually paints entirely different subject matter.
However, Sandy was able to convince him to turn out some feline-themed works for the cause, which is to raise money for a new automatic minibus for the centre so staff can take residents on regular outings.
“We need to get a new bus to take the residents on outings and picnics and it needs to be equipped to take wheelchairs.”
Art will be for sale and is “first in, best dressed”, Sandy says.
“One of the works will be a compilation put together by a number of our residents with some help from a lifestyle team member.
“They’re being very secretive about it and it’s being unveiled at the preview event for artists, sponsors and board members on Thursday night.”
There will also be some attractive raffle prizes up for grabs as part of the show, and a cat-themed sales table including limited edition handmade toy cats and souvenir mugs.
The Ballarat Cat Lovers group, dedicated to finding good responsible homes for real cats, will be present during the show. Entry is $5 with children free.
Words & image: Eve Lamb

Do you sometimes despair when your child sings around the house, perhaps not quite in
tune while banging out some crazy rhythm on the kitchen counter? Don’t!
The Creswick Neighbourhood Centre knows that your child is sending you a message that
says look at me! Your child is developing all sorts of skills in readiness for the next stage of
life. And the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre has the very program to harness the energy of
your child to make more than just music. Music is fundamental in all areas of childhood
development and skills, from listening and reading, counting and sharing, to learning to be
part of a team.
The Creswick Neighbourhood Centre has tailored a special music program that includes
singing, African drum playing and being a member of a choir. The program is run by Stella
Savy who is probably one of Australia’s best-known advocates for and specialist of music for
young people.
“I’ve been working with young people for over 30 years and I see the way in which music
helps the overall development of these wonderful children. The sounds and the rhythms
that we work with help the body and mind work together. The freedom to move and express
themselves encourages the building of motor skills and, of course, music strengthens
memory skills. Music is the most amazing package: learning, development and fun wrapped
in one happy bundle.”
For your child to be part of this innovative program, which starts on Wednesday 4 October,
bookings can be made through Humanitix or through the CNC website.

Words and images: Eve Lamb

It’s a job many would envy and Creswick Woollen Mill’s Farmer Maddy says it’s one she’s not about to swap for a desk any day soon.
Maddy Viola – also known as Farmer Maddy when she’s at work – is one of two farmers at the Creswick Woollen Mills on site demo farm, the other being local resident, Lyn Wozny who is also a shearer.
Besides tending to all the basic needs and creature comforts of their four-hooved charges, Maddy’s and Lyn’s job is to talk all day long about one of their all time favourite topics – the critters in their care.
“It’s fun. I get to hang out with the animals all day and provide information about them – their names, their ages, their breeds,” Maddy says.
“It makes a lot of people happy, especially the little kids.”
The Creswick Woollen Mill, famed for its beautiful fibre products including fine alpaca and merino fleece luxury items, has been operating at Creswick for more than 75 years now, becoming an important tourism drawcard.
But the global COVID pandemic had an impact, with a significant drop particularly in the number of Chinese and other Asian visitors, who up to then had been visiting the Creswick attraction in droves. They’d often come in coach-loads after visiting Ballarat’s Sovereign Hill with the Creswick Woollen Mill a must-do on their Aussie itinerary.
“Before COVID we used to have hundreds of internationals every day, and yes they’re slowly starting to come back now,” Creswick Woollen Mill store manager Cassandra Ellis says.
She says that now the pandemic is over they’ve also been able to start bringing the animals back to the site, something that’s only happened over the last few months, although not quite to the same levels as pre-COVID.
“Pre-COVID we had forty-plus alpacas here and crias (baby alpacas) being born here,” Cassandra said.
Alpaca shearing demonstrations took place twice a year on the especially built demonstration stage, prior to the pandemic, and now, Cassandra says, management thoughts are once again turning to bringing these back as well.
“There’s a lot for love for the animals,” she says. “They’re all super-stars. People come up from Melbourne to learn about them.”

The animals at the Mill farm now include adorable seven month old chocolate male alpacas – Choc and Chip – whose very apt names are the result of a recently concluded naming competition.
There’s also full-gown alpacas – Solomon who is a Suri alpaca and who sports a particularly cool fleece that would look right at home on the head of a surfer, and his best buddy, Juicy Bear, who is a Huacaya breed alpaca.
Then there’s Babar the sheep and his mate Shawn the sheep who has just celebrated a birthday in style. In fact, Farmer Maddy and Cassandra say all of the animals get to have their birthdays properly celebrated with cakes especially prepared to their personal taste – think something along the lines of a tasty mixture of specialty pellets and lucern chaff.
Maddy says getting to know the unique personalities and character traits of the animals in her care is part of what she most enjoys about her work.
“Shawn is like a teenager. Every now and then he has temper tantrums and tries to head-butt me. Juicy bear and Solomon have brotherly fights over food. But they all love each other,” she says.
There’s also the super pretty little multicoloured Persian Cross Dorper lambs, Bill and Ted and, as of very recent weeks, two special new additions – rare Valais Blacknose lambs Milo and Timmy who have beautiful white fleece with charming black point markings.
Sometimes known as “the cutest sheep in the world,” the Valais Blacknose breed originates from the Swiss Valais region and there are still very few of them in Australia.
“Milo and Timmy are rare Valais lambs from the Alpine region and the breed is new to Australia,” Cassandra says.

Maddy, who also works on a local horse property, says chatting to children and educating people about the animals is a really rewarding aspect of her work at the woollen mill farm.
“I could never sit down for a whole day at a desk,” she says.
The farm at Creswick Woollen Mill is open to the public to visit, see the animals and chat to Farmer Maddy or Farmer Lyn, five days a week, Thursday-Monday from 11am-3pm.

Words: Eve Lamb. Image: Fiona Watson

It’s not a sound you’d generally expect to hear emanating from a little community hall in regional Victoria after dark.

Many voices raised together as they belt out some rhythmic pulsing songs of South Africa, followed by a traditional number or two from the Pacific Islands and chased down with a heart-wrenching Croatian piece – all sung in the languages of origin.

But this is exactly what happens pretty much every Wednesday night – other than term breaks – at the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre Hall.

There, well known Ballarat-based musician, singer and choir leader Stella Savy puts the Creswick Chorus through its paces.

Group members say they themselves sometimes find it hard to believe that they’ve just got their tongues around a song in Zulu or French Creole, for example.

But Stella seems to have a gift for making music happen – in many languages – and for bringing people together.

“Within ten minutes of introducing a song to us Stella has us singing three-part harmony in a language that we’ve never seen before, and we even think to ourselves ‘Gee we sound good!’ and yet ten minutes earlier we couldn’t have imaged it,” says Creswick Chorus regular Julie Moten.

Chorus member, Creswick’s Jenni Sewell says singing in the group tends to be a wonderful confidence and wellbeing booster as well.

“I always like how I feel when we’ve just finished our session. I’m as high as a kite and sing all the way home in the car,” Jenni says.

With an emphasis on world music, they also do quite a few fun songs in English as well including some funky stuff and a bit of Gospel to boot.

There’s also a Creswick Kids Chorus group that Stella leads as well, and right now both the adult and kids Creswick Chorus groups are looking forward to being part of a special fundraising concert coming up in Ballarat on Sunday, September 10.

The Stand By Me concert is being presented by the Ballarat Dementia Alliance and the Bigger Hearts Choir with money raised going towards using music to support people diagnosed with dementia and aphasia, a cause to which the Bigger Hearts Choir is devoted.

The concert will feature singing groups from the Creswick and Ballarat areas with the Creswick Chorus joining forces with Ballarat’s Thursday Night Choir to perform together on the day, something Stella says is a real benefit for choir members.

“Other choirs do things slightly differently and so it’s great when you see choirs coming together and singing together,” she says.

“For all reasons singing is good. It’s good for your health it’s good for your mind, for your sense of connectedness,” Stella says, also mentioning that new members are always welcome to rock up and join the Creswick Chorus.

Ballarat’s Bigger Hearts Choir itself will be among the groups performing at the upcoming Stand By Me concert with tickets (that include afternoon tea) available through Humanitix or at the door.

The Stand By Me concert happens at 1.30pm-3.30pm at Ballarat’s York Street Church of Christ York Street Ballarat, Sunday September 10.

The Hepburn Shire Council has confirmed that it is working on possible security measures after the new electric vehicle charge station at Creswick was vandalised recently, rendering it currently offline.

Damage is understood to have been done to at least one of the charge guns and Hepburn CEO Bradley Thomas has described it as “very disappointing”.

“The Creswick EV Charger was vandalised a couple of weeks ago and is currently offline while we wait for a quote on repairs and undertake the works,” Mr Thomas said.

“The damage is very disappointing. Council is working on possible security measures given increasing incidences of damage at our facilities and to the EV charger. “

The damage comes as the rate of electric vehicle uptake continues to grow at a significant rate. The number of EVs on Australian roads almost doubled last year, growing from 44,000 at the beginning of 2022 to more than 83,000. Global electric vehicle (EV) sales increased more than 50 per cent from 2021 to 2022.

Cats Come To Creswick Art Show, will be held at the Creswick Town Hall from Friday, September 29 to Sunday, October 1, and raise funds for a new bus for John Curtin Aged Care.
The cat theme cmes about because famed Creswick artist Norman Lindsay loved cats and painted quite a few, while internationally there is a long history of the cat in art and some wonderful examples of cat art out there to be appreciated.
Artists whose cat-themed work will be exhibited include Ro Bancroft, Craig Barrett, Clare Blake, Doug Bosher, Jan Bosher, Jennie Boyd, Georgia Brain, Steve Bruechert, Loris Button, Janet Cameron, Susan Clarke, Lyn Cooke, Peter Cooper, Peter Cougle, Maggie Dannatt, Dave Dawson, Louise Donovan, Jakki Eden, Ellie Edwards, Kate Edwards, Karen Garratt, Frances Guerin, Debbie Hill, Earl Ingleby (dec), Ken Kronberger, Di Lehne, Marilyn Lennox, Barbara Madden, Kirsty Madigan, Marie Mason, Julie Patey, Alison Parkinson, Jennifer Powell, Elizabeth Reyne, Jane Reyne, Valerie Richards, Kaysha Seamons, Elize Shutt, Selena Smith, Jo Street, Joanna Thomas, Lisa Timson, Gladys Toering, Jodie Toering, Selina Trevorah, Amanda Western, Xersa and residents. Tickets to get into the show will be $5 for adults with children free.

Local music lovers are in for a rare treat as world renown pianist Leslie Howard is giving a once-off afternoon matinee concert in Daylesford next month to support Creswick Health’s hospital and aged care upgrades.

“If there is a pianist alive who knows Liszt’s piano music more thoroughly, intimately and directly than Leslie Howard I would like to meet him – or her – but I doubt that there is anyone on the planet who does,” wrote Guy Rickards for Musical Opinion, reviewing Leslie Howard’s 2021 piano recital at London’s Wigmore Hall.

London-based Aussie pianist Howard is the first and only person in the world to have recorded the complete solo piano works of legendary Hungarian composer, Franz Liszt, who is regarded as one of the greatest pianists and most popular piano composers of all time. This mammoth project, which took Howard decades to complete, now comprises a 100-CD set and includes more than 300 premiere recordings. 

Howard has received enormous praise and numerous awards for his Liszt recordings, including the Guinness World Record for the Largest Recording Series by a Solo Artist, six Grands Prix du Disque and the Medal of St Stephen, presented to him by the President of Hungary. He has also held the title of President of the British Liszt Society since 1987. 

In addition to his impressive recording career, Howard maintains a busy international concert schedule, which has seen him perform regularly around the world for more than 50 years.

Coming up September 17 this renown Australian pianist, musicologist and composer will give a matinee (2pm) concert at Daylesford Town Hall to raise money for Creswick Health Service. It will be his only performance in Victoria.

The Guardian described Howard as a “master of a tradition of pianism that is in serious danger of dying out”. Those who make next month’s concert at Daylesford Town Hall can expect to hear Mozart, Beethoven and Liszt compositions rendered by a master of the keyboard.

Cost is $35 – proceeds towards to cause – with tickets through Humanitix

Words and Image: Eve Lamb

In his day yesteryear Creswick identity Simon (Simmy) McDonald was something of a household name in folk music circles.
The well loved local character lived on his family property at Springmount just out of Creswick, without electricity, all his life (1906-1986) eking out a living from gold fossicking and agricultural work.
But he was also a fixture at local pubs, particularly Creswick’s American Hotel, where he would sing for food and beer.
At a time when ‘The Folk Wave’ was on and folk music was the Rap of its era, Simmy was called ‘the best traditional singer in the British style ever recorded in Australia’.
Possessing a “fantastic voice” and a splendid repertoire of Irish and Scottish folk songs, he was also “a self confessed alcoholic” and no stranger to the town’s historic courthouse.
He even spent a night in the adjacent lockup, an experience about which, in true folk legend style, he penned a poem.
However, despite his misadventures with the law, Simmy’s folk music talent was so considerable that many hours of recordings from 1959-1967, featuring both his music and himself in conversation, ended up in the National Archives in Canberra.
And it was there that current day local Neil Adam (pictured above, outside the old Creswick Courthouse Theatre, with one of Simmy’s album covers) unearthed this rich recorded legacy, after learning about Simmy, who was in danger of becoming lost to the mists of time.
The result is The Simmy Show which is playing at Creswick Theatre this Saturday evening August 19 as part of the wider Words in Winter festival.
The show was sold-out when staged previously during Cresfest and features live music and discussion from Neil, himself a talented guitarist and singer songwriter, carefully curated excerpts from those precious archival recordings with Simmy himself, and also live music by Ballarat Irish folk singer Paddy Caulfield.
“Simon McDonald lived at Springmount just outside of Creswick, Victoria and became a bit of a household name in music circles during the Folk Revival of the 1950s and 60s,” Neil says.
“He made an LP of songs, a book was written about him, and there are hours of old reel-to-reel recordings of interviews with him. He had a fantastic voice.
“The old courthouse is a great place to stage this show because Simmy was an occasional ‘performer’ at the courthouse himself for public misbehaviours.
“He called himself an alcoholic and he wrote a poem about being locked up in 1939.
“He used to perform at The American (hotel in Creswick) where they paid him in food and alcohol. He had a great repertoire of songs and he kept these 200 songs alive in his head because it was helping him survive.”
Neil, who is also Creswick Theatre Company’s current president, describes this Saturday’s show as “half live music, half local history and half recordings from the National Library… So that makes it a show and a half,” he reckons.
Dollars raised from the show support the little courthouse theatre and tickets are available through Humanitix.
Neil says he’s also keen to get copies of the archival recordings with Simmy which are held in the National Archives made readily available at the Creswick library.

Fans of strings music will be well pleased to see that Ballarat-based Klemantyne Ensemble have a few performances in the Daylesford-Ballarat region on their agenda.

This Sunday July 30 at 2.30pm they’representing an afternoon soiree, ‘Regency’in the Ballroom at The Grand Ballarat – a mix of baroque and modern melodies which ensemble members say will probably “transport both your heart and imagination back to another era”.

Nicci Dellar – leader of Klemantyne: “This advertised concert is a blend of Baroque music, some well known works eg, The Four Seasons, and then a big contrast to more modern works.

“We have named the concert “Regency” but it is also a little “Bridgerton” influenced… which is also suited to The Grand, Ballroom Venue.”

And there’s more in store for this local group of talented musicians with dates at Maldon, Creswick and Daylesford all on their program ahead.

“Our concert Number 2, is on Saturday 5^th August in Maldon at Holy Trinity Church,” Nicci says.

“This is a Baroque concert, which will tie in with the Maldon Gothic festival.

“Concert Number 3, is at the Creswick Woollen Mill on Sunday 15^th October… Stay tuned more to come.

“And finally, concert Number 4 is on Saturday 28^th October, back again at the Christchurch in Daylesford. We are hoping to have our lovely Harpist coming out from Italy. (That’s) not yet confirmed though.”

Words: Eve Lamb. Images: Supplied

There was a fair bit of wartangu happening at the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre as part of an occasion worth celebrating recently.

Wartangu? I hear you ask… It’s the Dja Dja Wurrung, Indigenous word for ‘coming together’ and this particular coming together celebrated NAIDOC week with the naming of several significant rooms at the local neighbourhood centre.

Centre manager Chrissy Austin had invited the state Member for Ripon, Martha Haylett, Hepburn shire councillors, centre committee and friends to the event which launched the new Indig names in the language of the Djaara People.

“I approached the Djaara Language Centre to gain approval to name a number of our rooms in Dja Dja Wurrung words in order to begin the passage of integrating Indigenous words into our own everyday language,” Chrissy said.

As a result, the centre’s programs room has become the wartangu (we come – learning/coming together/being together) room.

The computer room/learning lab is now the nyakang nyernang (seeing and hearing – learning/education/getting education room.

The shared kitchen is now the djakitj (food) room while the library is the Djimbayang (teaching/learning) room.

“We’re really keen to see the embedding of the Indigenous language into our everyday language,” Chrissy said.

“A main aim for us is to be more welcoming and inclusive and one of the ways is through language.”

After the naming event took place, Chrissy said that the Indigenous Djarra naming of the CNC rooms was already proving to be a valuable means toward achieving that goal.

“It’s proving to be a really good tool for our teachers and for our volunteers. It’s the start of a journey for us. We’re just hoping to grow it as much as possible and bring people on the journey with us,” she said.

“I want to encourage people to not be afraid to make a mistake with the new names in the rooms. They’re absolutely fantastic.”

Words and Image Eve Lamb

You know those couples. The ones who, when called upon, can trot out a mean foxtrot, waltz or tango at the rellies’ wedding while you – er – improvise…

They glide across the floor, demonstrating superb synchronicity, smile smugly into each other’s eyes as they execute a tricky manoeuvre the way it’s meant to be done.

Well, chances are there’s quite a few of these types happily residing in the Creswick area.

I say ‘happily’ because taking the ballroom dance lessons that local instructors, Elizabeth Howard and Andrew O’Connell dispense each week through Creswick U3A, tends to boost participants’ happiness quotient considerably.

Partners in life as well as in dance, Elizabeth and Andrew have been teaching ballroom dance to the locals here for the past ten years.

Now, through Creswick U3A, they volunteer their time to take ballroom dance lessons every Tuesday, for all levels right through from absolute beginners to advanced dancers who can cut up the floor.

In fact a couple of those who regularly attend their advanced lessons have recently introduced a new monthly social ballroom dance at nearby Clunes. A bit more on that later…

For Elizabeth and Andrew, teaching ballroom dance is something they simply love to do.

Both have professional backgrounds as teachers and bring this to their ballroom dance lessons, patiently adapting the pace to match their students’ abilities.

The Tuesday classes through the local U3A take place in the Creswick Town Hall with beginners from 10am, transition from 11.30am, improvers from 1pm and advanced at 3pm.

For the participants the cost of the lessons is covered in their annual Creswick U3A membership which is $25 a year and provides members (aged 50 and over) with a wide range of other classes and activities to participate in as well.

Elizabeth says the focus of their ballroom dance lessons is firmly on having fun and socialising.

“It’s a happy-making activity,” she says.

“We love it. We teach foxtrot, waltz, tango and quick step, new vogue sequence and old time dancing.”

“We get compliments all the time,” Andrew says.

The couple, who reside at nearby Springmount, both started dancing fairly late in life but quickly discovered a natural aptitude.

Besides teaching the regular lessons through U3A at Creswick they also do occasional private lessons, typically for events like weddings, deb balls and the like.

Those who learn to dance with them can then take their skills to any of the social dances that happen around the region and beyond.

Clunes’ Graeme Grigson and Ballarat’s Helen Wallis are regulars in Elizabeth and Andrew’s Creswick U3A advanced class. But both had also studio-trained in ballroom dance previously and they recently took the lead in introducing a regular series of social dances to Clunes. These now happen on the first Friday night of the month from 7.30pm-11pm.

Helen says the new Clunes social dance is not just a great way for people who like to dance to come together and do just that. It’s also a great way of bringing life, and sometimes a dash of glam, to the “beautiful Clunes Town Hall”.

“We wanted to bring dancing back to Clunes. We both have a passion for dancing and for the town hall at Clunes,” says Helen.

The new series at Clunes started in June with the next dance set for August 4, and despite the chill winter conditions, devotees have been turning out in good number for this new social series.

“When we held our first dance we had 35 people turn up, and we had 26 last time,” Helen said.

“Yes people can just roll up, but it is sequence dancing so you do need just a little bit of experience.”

Graeme, an accomplished ballroom dancer, is also a member of the Clunes Tourism and Development Association which is supporting the new Clunes series of social dances.

Helen says participants bring supper, and any money raised through running the dance goes back into the community.

The new Clunes dance is among multiple social dance opportunities around the region including dances at Ascot, Newstead and Maldon.

“We’re not affiliated with the new Clunes social dance but we encourage our students to go to it,” Elizabeth says when we get to talking about its recent introduction.

It’s true to say that ballroom dance played a vital role in Andrew and Elizabeth getting to know each other.

“I started learning to dance in 2010 and Elizabeth started three years before,” Andrew recounts.

“We didn’t know each other. We actually met through TAFE college in Melbourne.”

“When Andrew asked me out, I asked him could he dance, and he said ‘Yes’… and then went straight down to the studio (in Ferntree Gully) to get a lesson,” Elizabeth chuckles.

“I got lessons for two weeks. I worked extremely hard, and I was then able to do a fairly complicated waltz that I’d seen Elizabeth doing with another chap,” Andrew says.

“So when it came on at the little social dance we used to go to on a Thursday I said -‘OK. I can do this’. And she said ‘What!’ and I said ‘Yes. Let’s do the Honeysuckle Waltz’. And we did!”

Andrew’s sporting background may have assisted in his ability to pick up the coveted dance moves after just a fortnight of dedicated practice. The effort clearly paid off.

While it cannot be guaranteed that you’ll meet a new life partner by taking up ballroom dance, it’s pretty much a certainty that many other benefits will accrue.

“Co-ordination is one,” says Andrew.

“Actually getting up and exercising. You are moving quite a bit. Your spacial awareness is really heightened. Gets your heart rate going. Gets your breathing going. When I was first learning I forgot to breath!”

“People have to be over 50 to be in U3A but we have students over 80. We have an 83-year-old,” says Elizabeth.

“Also with dance you’ve got to think, move your feet, remember the moves, so it’s cognitive in so many ways. It’s fitness and thinking and social all at once.

“It’s heaps of fun and it feels beautiful to do, and you don’t have to have a partner to participate.”

“We joined Brian McDowell’s Ballroom Dancing Class at Creswick U3A soon after he started teaching in 2014, and became co-teachers with him,” Elizabeth said.

“He is also a musician. He reduced his teaching work as a result of our volunteering and retired from teaching several years ago, but he continues to play for our classes on a part-time basis. We may never have become dance teachers if he had not already got the ball rolling.

“Many (who take the Creswick U3A lessons) venture out to social dances in the region. There are many in Hepburn and Ballarat,” Elizabeth says.

“We put on two dances a year at Daylesford Town Hall. They frock up.”

Frocking up is part of the fun, Helen says, and right now she and other dancers who take Elizabeth and Andrew’s lessons are among the many particularly looking forward to the dance set for Daylesford Town Hall on October 7.

More information about Elizabeth and Andrew’s lessons is available through Creswick U3A or 0402777852. More information about the Clunes social dance series is available on 0417233373 or 0418536189.

The Creswick Town Hall is back to its former grandeur and ready to reopen to visitors and locals thanks to support from all three levels of government.

Member for Ripon Martha Haylett in recent days joined with Member for Ballarat Catherine King and Hepburn Shire Mayor Brian Hood to restart the restored tower clock, which is part of the works completed on the Hall.

The upgrades include roof plumbing, a new flagpole and access ladder, accessible entry, electrical work, painting, and masonry repairs. The restoration of this highly valued community asset will see the building serve locals for years to come.

The project was jointly funded with $500,000 from the Victorian Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund, $432,000 from the Australian Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, and $251,017 from the Hepburn Shire Council.

Creswick is an old gold-mining town that attracts visitors for its scenic bushland areas, parklands, mountain bike trails and local businesses. The upgrades to this iconic Town Hall will only add to its appeal for visitors wanting to learn more about the town’s history.

The Creswick Town Hall opened in 1876 and reflects the architecture of the gold rush period. It’s listed on the Victorian Heritage Register for its architectural and historical significance.

The Hall is in the centre of the town and is a key venue for local events from weddings to the annual 3-day music festival, known as ‘CresFest’. It was used as the Council chambers until 1968 and is now home to the Creswick Museum.

Hepburn Shire Council awarded the contract to deliver the upgrades to heritage restoration specialists SIDA Constructions Pty Ltd, who have previously completed projects including the North Melbourne Town Hall, Linden Gallery and Essendon Courthouse. The project created at least 5 jobs during construction.

Member for Ballarat Catherine King: “Creswick hasn’t been the same without the facade of the beautiful Town Hall, so it’s wonderful to see the scaffolding come down after these upgrades.

“This project is a great example of all three levels of government working together to deliver the best outcomes for the Creswick community.”

Member for Ripon Martha Haylett: “Places like Creswick Town Hall sit at the heart of our regional communities, and I’m so pleased we’re able to help restore these grand buildings to their former glory.”

“We’re supporting these upgrades so that regional towns like Creswick are vibrant and attract more visitors and events to the region for years to come.”

Hepburn Shire Council Mayor, Cr Brian Hood: “This fantastic conservation project has renewed and revitalised the iconic Creswick Town Hall. We appreciate the support of the Victorian and Federal Governments and their continued investment in our Shire.”

The Hepburn Shire Council and Youth Gurus are running accredited Youth Mental Health First Aid training for local community members, so they can better support young people who might be experiencing mental health challenges.

A session is taking place at Creswick, alongside online learning, with the shire’s mayor, Cr Brian Hood, encouraging local residents who have contact with youth to participate.

“This training is ideal for parents, teachers, sports coaches, community leaders, and anyone who has contact with young people,” Cr Hood said.

“The free training is for people aged 18+. Places are limited. It includes four hours of online training and a face-to-face session, which will be held on Sunday 30 July from 9:30am to 5:30pm at Creswick Neighbourhood Centre.”

Those interested can find out more and register at www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/Young-people

with Eve Lamb

The creations of Creswick artist blacksmith Ernie Terry are the sort of pieces that stop people in their tracks and start conversations. Forged from fire, steel and beautifully burnished copper – among other  metals – they’re imposing, frequently life-sized and capture a fiery elemental energy that’s been winning this local creative plenty of fans and commissions – functional and purely aesthetic – ever since he opened his Lucky Monkey Blacksmith workshop and gallery at Creswick in fairly recent times.

Eve: G’day Ernie. You’re pretty well known for your blacksmithing artistry. Can you tell me a bit about how you got into blacksmithing?

Ernie: Well years ago I bought a property with my now–ex, and on that property was an old-school forge, and I always hung on to that and thought one day I would like to do blacksmithing. So about eight years ago now there were classes being run locally in Creswick and I just went to them and started my journey from there.

Eve: I hear your background is actually in forest fire fighting and prevention. How does that background feed into your creative work?

Ernie: I think it’s the nature-based aspect of that environment. You get to appreciate nature’s beauty. I’m fascinated by eucalypts, the species and colours… A lot of energy out there.

Eve: What other subject matter inspires you in your creative work? I know your horses and whales are pretty imposing!

Ernie: Leafy sea dragons I find fascinating. Leaves. Birds. Native Australian birds. I’m working on a couple of Australian birds, brolgas in particular. Maybe it’s a shape. It just sort of seems to flow.

Eve: Are there any artists or other creatives , current or historic, that influence you?

Ernie: Nah. They’re all boring! Just kidding. Yeh there are a few artists that I really do follow. One is Kitty Woodhouse over in Perth. Amazing. Staggering work that she does with recycled materials.

Eve: What are you working on at the moment?

Ernie: I’ve got commissioned horses to do. Today is play day making leaves and trying an enamelling process which is fascinating. I’ve also got two whale commissions to make.

Eve: Blacksmithing looks like it can get a little physically challenging at times. Does it? What are the main challenges?

Ernie: Personally I don’t find it physically challenging at all. In summer when it does get really hot and windy, if I know it’s going to be a really hot day I light the fire early so I’ll be finishing the work on the forge by lunchtime. Then I’ll shape it with hand tools when it’s too hot. This is a far more comfortable place in summer with a fire going then it is at a bushfire!

Eve: And not a bad place to be, by the forge fire, at this time of year I notice! Have you sustained any blacksmithing injuries Ernie?

Ernie: A few burns. The worse one I got when I took my eye off what I was doing.Touched the forearm with mild round steel. It was black heat so I didn’t realise it was that hot and I brushed my arm against it. Got a fairly deep burn. Put my arm in the quench bucket but the water was a bit dirty so it got a bit infected…I’ve only burned myself badly twice, which is not bad.
Eve: To date, what have been the personal highlights for you in your creative practice?

Ernie: I think just meeting some really wonderful people.
Eve: Do you have any exhibitions, special events or workshops coming up that you would like to let others know about?

Ernie: I’m basically in here all the time making stuff and it heads out to the world from here.

Eve: What are the main rewards that you derive from your creative practice?

Ernie: To me it’s like starting with that bit of metal and going into that space and then coming back with something else. It is alchemy. It’s kind of a discovery as I go.

Eve: It sounds like a bit of a meditative process.

Ernie: It’s brilliant.

Eve: And you teach people as well? A few kids are learning from you at the moment I hear.

Edie: Yes. I’ve got three children who are learning at the moment… Adults as well. I’ve had one man travel over from Warragul and spend a week here.