A TLPromo. Words: Eve Lamb. Images: Supplied

IF you like a good brew… Espresso, filter, pour over, batch or cold brew. If you like your coffee you’ll love Daylesford’s Brew Jays.

This new kid on the block officially launched in January and specialises in all things coffee – particularly roasting its own ethically sourced beans.
Sited at Shop 5, 22-24 Howe Street, it’s quickly become a magnet for the coffee connoisseur. It’s a place where you can watch the single origin beans being roasted, absorb the delicious aromas, enjoy a perfectly made coffee (accompanied by a croissant s’il vous plait!) and leave with a stash of freshly roasted and ground beans.
“All of our coffee beans are ethically sourced and a lot are directly sourced from the farm to the roaster, “says Brew Jay’s Jay Gaschk, a Hepburn Springs local with a love of top notch coffee.
Unique flavour profiles are created on site by teasing out the beans’ innate natural qualities in the roasting process to emphasise tones including caramel, chocolate and berry fruits.
The results include unique coffee blends paying homage to nostalgic delights like Kit Kat, Cherry Ripe, Caramello Koala and Killer Python.
By evening Brew Jays has something else special to offer. It’s also a fast-paced cocktail bar with 15 different coffee martinis on the list.
“Our main focus is coffee roasting and we use our vintage Probat UG15 coffee roaster which was handmade in Germany in 1967 and imported into Australia about a decade ago, and completely refurbished so it can now do computer programming,” says Jay.
“This means we can use probes to find out exactly what’s going on in the barrel so that we can make sure the roast is perfect every time.”
When it comes to high end coffee, Jay knows his stuff, having started out as a coffee barista at age 15 in the Macedon Ranges. From there he worked in the fast-paced Gloria Jean’s in the Qantas lounge at Tullamarine, before honing his craft with inner city boutique coffee retailers, learning from some of the best in the business.
In creating Brew Jays, he’s joined with co-owners – “local hospitality legend” Daylesford’s Rubi Stone, Bendigo’s Sam Arye and Paddy Cummins, Melbourne’s Ben Ward who owns The Coffee Mob, and famed barista Craig Simon, one of the world’s elite coffee Q Grade instructors.
“I’m super passionate about anything to do with coffee,” Jay says.
“At the moment particularly cold brew and exploring experimental coffees and liqueurs.
“Our cold brew coffee is a really big seller for us. It’s made with a hard tank machine especially imported from Poland. We sell our cold brew in-house and it’s also used in our coffee martinis.”
The vision for this new coffee kid on the block is big.
They’re already selling their cold brew retail bottles into bars across Central Victoria. Their roasts can be found in retail outlets from Bendigo to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, with the launch of a website, enabling them to retail online Australia-wide, not far off.
There are also plans to offer coffee classes. “We’re looking to expand into offering classes like coffee cupping and coffee basics,” Jay says.
Noteworthy, too, is the fit-out at Brew Jays, custom built to create a space that envelops the coffee-needy customer like a warm hug.
“Once you step in you don’t want to leave,” Jay says.

DAYLESFORD’S Repair Café is alive and kicking after hiccups caused by Covid.
Over the past 12 months the café has stopped almost half a tonne (482kgs) of household items from ending up in landfill.
Spokesperson Nikki Marshall said more than 140 household items had been repaired and returned to good working order during the past year.

“Favourite clothes are now being worn again after darning and mending, garden tools are digging and lopping and pruning again, bikes are free-wheeling and toasters and coffee machines are back on kitchen benches,” she said.
“As well, electronic items like radios are tuned in and lamps are illuminating at night, knives and scissors are cutting cleanly, vacuum cleaners are again sucking up dirt, chairs are being sat on once more
and chain-saws are preparing wood for the winter months.”
Nikki said in addition to repairing items, the team of talented and generous fixers also share their skills with locals.
“Over the past year the café has run how-to workshops on darning and mending clothes, basic wood working, sharpening drill bits, bicycle maintenance, understanding electrics and electronic equipment, knife and tool sharpening, taking things apart and putting them back together and on chain-saw and garden-tool sharpening.”
The next workshop will be held at April’s Repair Café and focus on basic plumbing skills with Mr Fixit – Julian Alaba. People can learn how to change a tap washer and much more.
Nikki said the café does more than repair broken household items. “Thanks to
Meg, you can sit, share a cuppa along with your troubles, and experience how being
listened to helps with the healing process.
“In addition to our regular venue at Daylesford’s Victoria Park Pavilion, the café is branching out to other locations across Hepburn Shire.
“Last month, February, there was a buzz of activity in Creswick where the café
was hosted by Creswick Transitions Group and the Neighbourhood Centre. The
community is looking to set up a regular event in Creswick so please get in touch if
you are interested to offer a repair service – transitioncreswick@gmail.com”
The March Repair Café will be back at Victoria Park Pavilion this Sunday, March 19 from 1pm to 4pm.
Details: Veronica Baker on 0428 180 200 or Nikki on 0432 232 073.
Link: www.facebook.com/daylesfordrepaircafe/
Words: Contributed | Image: Tim Drylie

COMMUNITY groups keen to get their own community battery, fed by clean renewable energy, up
and going need to make sure they know their stuff first.
That’s the main message as Hepburn Energy releases a new booklet that carefully examines
the potential of community-scale batteries across Central Victoria – and offers clarity on their
opportunities and constraints.
“The community needs to be really cautious about the type of community scale battery they go for,” says key author Marie Lakey.
The booklet’s publication follows a Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance-led project called Community Sparks, funded under the state’s Neighbourhood Battery Initiative, assessing potential of community-scale batteries across the region.

Hepburn Energy and Hepburn Shire Council were key partners on the project.
Drawing on technical analysis from independent consultants, Orkestra, legal research from the University of Melbourne and a social feasibility study from Hepburn Energy, the booklet offers in-depth information about community-scale batteries.
“Our social feasibility study highlighted that community members are interested
in community-scale batteries. With terrible grid reliability in many parts of Central
Victoria, lots of residents are being proactive and looking for a solution,” Hepburn
Energy general manager Taryn Lane says.
Community batteries are proposed as a tool to address this issue. Advocates
suggest they can improve reliability, enable more solar, cut greenhouse gas emissions
and help households save on bills.
But the team at Hepburn Energy have found a more complicated picture.
“When we received technical reports back from Orkestra, we were stunned,” Ms Lane said.
“The conventional battery that many people are advocating for (one located on
the street level, at an electricity transformer) doesn’t seem remotely viable.
“They’re just too expensive, so community members would face an ongoing cost,
rather than saving, and there is a risk of stranded assets with that model.”
The booklet offers clear cautions about some models of community-scale batteries
but other opportunities are presented.
“There’s lots of potential for behind-the-meter batteries. These can be located at
community facilities, or even at an industrial facility, but in a way that offers benefits
back to the community,” Ms Lane says.
The Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance’s Dr David Gormley-O’Brien agrees
and highlights opportunities for community groups to install behind-the-meter
batteries on key infrastructure like community hubs.
“Installing behind-the-meter batteries on key buildings, using lots of solar on
the building, represents a real opportunity to help in emergency situations such as
bushfires or major wind events to enable emergency power supply,” Dr Gormley- O’Brien says.
“And if the battery is large enough we can get a surplus and participate in the
energy market.
“For a 300-kilowatt battery you are looking at something around $400,000 but we’re expecting prices to come down.”
Backup power systems are a “no-brainer”, Ms Lane says.
“Particularly for regional areas such as our shire, and another viable model is
batteries co-located at a community generator, such as what we’re proposing at
Hepburn Energy.”
The report examines these different models in detail, offering guidance on relevant regulations and case studies of existing community-scale batteries.
“We hope this booklet can answer lots of the questions we’ve been receiving about this technology,” Ms Lane said.
More information and downloadable copies of the report are available through Hepburn Energy.
Release of the report examining the community battery pros and cons comes as Hepburn Energy also facilitates a second heat pump hot water bulk buy from March 16.
Government rebates now mean premium heat pump hot water systems are cheaper than ever before, with bulk-buy participants able to save on a new hot water heater.
After the success of the 2021 round 1 sold-out heat pump bulk buy, Hepburn
Energy is now extending their round 2 bulk buy beyond the Hepburn Shire to
include neighbouring areas.
Hepburn Energy and installation partner t2zero will be running two webinars to
demystify the technology, explain the bulk buy process and give community members
an opportunity to ask questions.
Business executive with t2zero, Jürgen Rhyon says the benefits of heat pump
technology are clear as storage water heaters account for a substantial component of
household electricity consumption.
“Imagine being able to reduce this component of consumption by 80 per cent,” Mr Rhyon says.
“The Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificate rebate is at levels never seen before, making this a perfect time to transition to this technology.”
Those keen to find out more can join the Heat Pump Hot Water Bulk Buy webinar on Monday, April 3 from 6.15pm to 7.15pm.
Words & images: Eve Lamb

Elizabeth Huxtable is a former Daylesford resident and has written a memoir about her time in the town while parenting her daughter with disabilities, Lucy.

Lucy passed away 16 years ago but most of her life was spent in the town, attending Daylesford Primary School part-time, and Ballarat Specialist School.

Elizabeth, who was known by her first name Anne while in Daylesford, is holding a book launch for Lessons from Lucy at the Convent Gallery this Saturday, March 18 and would love Lucy’s former
school friends to come along.

She chatted with Donna Kelly.
Donna: What prompted you to write your book?
Elizabeth: I was hoping that sharing my experiences might give ideas and
inspiration to other parents of children with disabilities.
Donna: What do you hope it will give others?
Elizabeth: I learned to look at my situation from a very different perspective near
the end of Lucy’s life. It might save parents time by seeing what I learned. However,
as I wrote, I realised that this story has wider appeal. It can apply to any adversity in
life. When we change our perspective, we can see the gift in the situation.
Donna: What did it give you?
Elizabeth: Writing the book was a cathartic experience. In the intervening years, I
have done a lot of healing and when I looked back on the events that started 27 years
ago, I gained some powerful insights and understandings.
Donna: What are your top three lessons learned from Lucy?
Elizabeth: 1. My biggest regret after Lucy died was all the time wasted worrying
about the future. This stopped me from more fully enjoying the present moment. I
no longer look too far ahead. The future is unknowable and so it’s best to enjoy what
is happening right now.
2. Lucy was unable to communicate in the usual way since she was non-verbal. I
discovered that it is only when our mind is quiet and still that we can truly listen to
another person. It is easy for our mental chatter, worries and fears to interfere, and
allow us to presume we know what another person is trying to communicate, rather
than truly listening from the heart.
3. I learned that unconditional love is about totally accepting what is, and not
trying to change it. It’s loving completely what is, instead of what I wish, or what I
think could have been.
Donna: You lived in Daylesford for 10 years – how was that?
Elizabeth: I loved living in Daylesford. Right from the beginning, we were made
to feel welcome. Anytime I pushed Lucy up the main street, children would rush up
to say hello. During Lucy’s first year of life in Byron Bay, she cried for hours every day
but amazingly, as soon as we moved to Daylesford, the crying stopped. The energy of
the place really suited her. I felt supported emotionally, but also physically. The local
permaculture group came and constructed a concrete path and wheelchair ramp from
the car port to the back door of our house, which was a huge help.
Donna: You now live in Malaysia – how is that and what prompted the move?
Elizabeth: After Lucy passed away, I tried turning my house, with its
modifications, into a B&B for people with wheelchairs. However, most tourists
wanted to rent the whole house rather than share it with me, so it wasn’t a viable
business for me. My brother has a business in Malaysia and he needed help to manage
the warehouse so a year after Lucy’s passing, I accepted his offer to join him. It was a
chance to reinvent myself. No one knew about my past. I found it easier to move on
and heal from the grief and trauma of the previous 10 years.
Donna: The book is being launched at The Convent Gallery – was there a reason you
chose that particular place?
Elizabeth: A friend suggested it as a venue and I recall loving the beauty and
ambience of the place. Years ago, I attended a Singers Festival event in the chapel
and loved the acoustics. I’m planning to share some of my sound healing work, with
crystal bowls and voice, at the launch, so it seemed like the perfect venue.
Donna: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Elizabeth: I’m hopeful that some of Lucy’s classmates, in their mid-20s by now,
still live in the area and can come. It would be wonderful to see them again.
RSVPs to Marija at The Convent Gallery at marija@theconvent.com.au

Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Kyle Barnes and contributed

JON Barrell says he didn’t know what retirement looked like, so a few
years back he took some time off, headed to the outback with wife
Maureen and “sat under a tree” for a bit of thinking time.

The first move was to sell his share of Springs Medical Centre – that happened in
2021. And then in February this year he hung up his stethoscope after 36 years in
general practice – in Daylesford, Trentham and surrounds.
Many long-term patients, some belonging to generations he has cared for, have
wished him well saying they knew the day would come along eventually. They are
pleased for him, but sorry for themselves to lose a much loved doctor. Others, Jon
says with a wry smile, “are probably happy to see grumpy Jon go”.
Jon says he wasa sickly infant and child, which ultimately led to his medical
career, but not in the way you would think.
“I was going to be a maths teacher but with my parents in grave fear for my
health, I was home-schooled by Mum and did three years in two. That meant I
was young in year 12, just 16. I thought I would go wandering but Dad said: ‘No,
university’.
“I thought I might do marine science and get a job in Townsville, as far away
from home as possible, but I got my results and thought ‘I could be a doctor’. I wasn’t
really keen to do medicine, but I thought if I didn’t like it I could change to science.”
He did like it, and already thinking about becoming a country GP, Jon graduated
in 1980 and headed to Dandenong to do a two-year internship. “I thought a
suburban hospital would be better grounding than a tertiary centre in the city. I did
obstetrics, anaesthetics, intensive care and emergency and then went to England to do
obstetrics because there was a lot more hands-on experience.”
Jon returned to Dandenong for another year in anaesthetics – all the skill sets he
believed he needed to be a GP in the country.
With their first child Michael on the way, to be followed five years later by
Stephanie, Jon and Maureen chose Daylesford for their next chapter and moved on
Australia Day 1986 and started work with Dr Fred Eggleston and Dr Brian Coles – at
the business that would eventually morph into Springs Medical – the next Monday.
Jon says the work of a GP changed enormously over his career. “People live longer
so they have more chronic disease, and the level of intervention has significantly
increased. The treatment once for heart attack was lie in bed and wait until you
got better, now there are stents and angioplasty…the number of vaccines has vastly
increased.
“When I went to medical school there was no HIV or Hepatitis C, and of course,
Covid had never been noted. I presumed if you read the textbook you would learn all
the things you needed to know. Being a GP today is vastly more complex and detailed
but I still love the work.”
Jon said he chose to move to the country to be involved in the community. He is
a stalwart at the Hepburn Springs Golf Club where he is “indebted to the friendship
and support network for both myself and Maureen” and also did a four-year stint as a
councillor with the Hepburn Shire Council. He re-nominated, failed to get the votes,
“was sorry for about a day” and then got on with life. Maureen has banned him from
standing again.
Being a part of the community means there are also a few “tricky questions”
out of hours but on the whole people are respectful of boundaries, he says. “During
Covid and all those phone consultations, no-one ever rang me inappropriately. And
doctors aren’t special. Electricians, carpenters, all manner of people in the service
industries do the same thing. People have emergency needs and I say it is not a
bother, it is part of living in the country.”
Patients Googling symptoms before they see him doesn’t both Jon either. “People
have always done that. When I was a child, families would save up for a set of World
Book encyclopaedias to look up things, or Ma Evans’ herbal textbook. My job is to
nut things out and give advice. What’s going on here, what are the serious red flags,
what is the most appropriate path – and then arrive at a diagnosis.”
Like everyone, but perhaps more than the general public, Jon has been navigating
Covid for the past three years and says it has “been horrible”. “For the nation, for
the people, for the health professionals, for every other industry, it has been horrible.
There are just so many different components, the fear of getting Covid, vaccine issues,
the mandate issues, hand hygiene and PPE. The logistics of going into a healthcare
facility – everything takes longer.
“Working in full PPE is awful. It has changed general practice remarkably but full
credit to the government of the day and to general practices and the health industry, I
think we were all surprised at how nimble the government and general practices were
to find different ways to do things like iso pods and telephone consultations.

“But sitting in your spare bedroom at home with your feet in the cupboard,
facing the wall with your laptop and mobile phone and wobbly internet and wifi
connections, and wondering how you are going to print and scan and post – the
novelty wore off after about two days.
“Thankfully I think we are on the far side of things but the notion that health
professionals will wear a mask for the rest of our days is challenging to me. Let’s hope
that doesn’t happen.”
So, after those days under the trees, what does retirement look like after 36 years?
It turns out Jon has not quite given up the stethoscope.
Jon says he will get some travelling in, mostly around Australia this year, but also
take on some locum work as both a GP and in emergency medicine. He already has
his first post lined up at Alexandra and will be back at Springs for Good Friday.
“I still feel like I have another 10 years of work in me and finally I will get to
choose when and where. I think after 36 years I have earned that right.”
And also after 36 years of a “sometimes difficult and very demanding life”, Jon
thanks Maureen, Michael and Stephanie for their support.
“I could not have done what I have done without their support. The life of
a country GP can be very demanding on the family. Maureen was a mothercraft
nurse before we married, she has always loved children, and it was her choice to be a
stay-at-home mum at our place at Coomoora. And we know we were very fortunate
to be able to do that. Horses were always her interest and she has passed that on to
Stephanie. And Michael always played golf with me. It’s been a wonderful life.”

Words & image: Tony Sawrey

IT IS comfortable to assume that local sporting clubs are a permanent
part of the fabric of any town. As if they have been there since the
beginning and will never disappear.
However the social disruptions caused by Covid over the past few years has seen
many community organisations fall by the wayside. Daylesford has been no exception
with several sporting clubs closing their doors.
However the Daylesford Table Tennis Association has proved to be an exception.
It continues to have regular social and competition gatherings as it has always done
since the 1950s.

“Cricket, basketball and squash have all folded,” says club president Monty
Osewald. “It has been tough the last few years but we have survived.”
The club is located in Victoria Park in a shed built by members in 1985. It has six
tables and holds regular sessions servicing the table tennis needs of over 30 people of
all ages and genders. Though that number is down slightly from the 40 or more who
used to duke it out in the ’50s it is still an impressive number of players.
“We take all comers and our members range in age from teenagers to over 60s,”
says Monty.
“People can be a little isolated out in the countryside at times but our club is a
great place to meet and socialise, even over the winter months.”
Table tennis first emerged in the middle of the 19th century in Victorian England
and due to its compact indoor layout, it is now enjoyed worldwide and even became
an Olympic sport in 1988. And because beginners can engage with the game almost
straight away it has become a common recreational pastime among players of all ages.
At the Daylesford club the oldest player is Ron Hewson who says; “Table tennis is
a game you can play all your life.”
Another senior player is Jane Bradfield who came to the sport seven years ago. “It
is dead easy,” she says, “and I got into it through U3A. I was a horse rider previously. I
have coaching every week and there is a lot to learn.
“The most important technique is brushing up on the ball, you don’t just whack
it; it is all art. I mostly play doubles, simply and purely because I’m not a chicken
anymore and you have more time between the shots.”
As Jane mentioned, the association has initiated a professional coaching program
for players of all levels to improve their game skills, which commenced early February
and is running for five weeks. It was made possible by a Hepburn Shire Community
Sporting Grant and costs only $1 per session. And there are more opportunities to
come.
“We are currently setting up a program in the second school term (early May) for
12- to 18-year-olds,” says Monty, “where we will have the participants bussed down
here to play and get coaching.”
If you are keen to have a go at table tennis, social play takes place every
Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from 10am to 12 noon with a competition evening
held every Wednesday from 7.30 pm to 9.30pm. Annual membership is $100
otherwise the walk-in cost is $3 per session. For more information or membership
queries contact Monty on 0448 667 738,
Link: www.facebook.com/DaylesfordTableTennis/

SOME fresh faces and feel-good favourites join the line-up as ChillOut
Festival approaches.
Choir of Hard Knocks and Lion will perform at the annual LGBTQIA+
pride festival event.

Australia’s most famous choir was introduced to the public in 2006 in the award-
winning ABC TV series Choir of Hard Knocks. Now in its 16th year, they continue
on their journey, with some of the original members from the award-winning
documentary, to ChillOut Festival’s annual carnival day.
The choir is an incredible tool for members to overcome social isolation and
homelessness through the joy and connection of singing.
Also joining the line-up is queer, black electropop/alt artist, singer, songwriter,
producer and dancer Lion who recently wowed audiences at Big Sound festival and
the Midsumma Festival Victoria’s Pride street party.
They join a star-studded rainbow line-up including MCs Nate Byrne and Art
Simone, Kate Miller-Heidke, Karen From Finance, The Lost Girls, Cerulean (Miss
First Nation 2021), Jude Perl, Elektra Lite, Tuck Shop Ladies, Greg Gould, Freddie
Merkin, Dean Arcuri, DJ Eddie, Diamond and York and DJ Du Jour.
Festival ambassadors Rudy Jean Rigg, commissioner for LGBTQIA+
Communities Dr Todd Fernando, Sally Goldner and Jude Munroe will also make
appearances.
Festival director Emma Ireland said that ChillOut Festival was for the whole
LGBTQIA+ community, young and old, city and country. “We’re so excited that
Lion will bring his high energy, joyful performance to the stage in Daylesford.”
The ongoing and regular contact the Choir of Hard Knocks provides to the
members has had a profound effect on their lives, leading many of the original 52
back to either part-time or full-time study or work.
Many had become socially excluded due to their socio-economic circumstances,
and the choir has enabled them to acquire new skills and rebuild personal confidence
and self-esteem, which Ms. Ireland said “is the goal of ChillOut Festival for the
broader LGBTQIA+ community, and the essence of this year’s theme ‘Find Your
Wings’”.
“ChillOut Festival was founded on the principle of being a safe space for people
to be themselves, connect, to create and celebrate community. The Choir of Hard
Knocks is a gorgeous example of that in action. ChillOut is a space for people to
overcome social isolation to connect with community. We are thrilled to have them
perform at ChillOut Festival.”
The full festival program features over 50 events running over five days around
Daylesford and Hepburn Springs. Events will range from large late night outdoor
dance parties, circus, drag and comedy shows, and a Sunday morning street parade, to
the more intimate, like art gallery exhibitions, social drinks, speed dating, all-gender
sport events, and rainbow storytime.
ChillOut Festival will run from March 9-13 (Victoria’s Labour Day long
weekend) in Daylesford and Hepburn Springs, with events also organised in nearby
towns Clunes and Creswick.
Lion will perform at Ballroom Blitz on Saturday, March 11, 8pm–midnight.
Choir of Hard Knocks will perform at Carnivale, Victoria Park on Sunday, March
12, 11am-5pm.

DAYLESFORD’S Victoria Park has been chosen as the site of Tinder’s Big Rainbow with the aim
to have installation completed by the ChillOut Festival in March.
Daylesford was selected from a shortlist of four locations around Australia, including Broome in WA, Hay in NSW and Katherine in the NT, and announced as the winner in October last year.

Hepburn Shire Council then invited feedback from the community on where the Big Rainbow should be located with four potential options in Daylesford – Victoria Park, the Lost Children’s Reserve, the Community Skate Park and Lake Daylesford.
The landmark is six metres high by 12 metres wide and painted in the colours of the 2018 Progress Pride Flag. It is made from marine-grade plywood.
Mayor Cr Brian Hood said Victoria Park was the standout position from both a community and council view. Cr Hood said each of the other three sites had concerns which played against them being a viable option. The Lost Children’s Reserve was not the place for a “secondary feature” for historical reasons, the skate park did not have the room and Lake Daylesford was seen to be a natural environment. Victoria Park also had the connection with ChillOut and the LGBTIQA+ community, along with staging other events, plenty of parking and easy accessibility for people wanting to visit the Big Rainbow and have their photo taken.
“It just seemed like the logical choice of the four – and it certainly had the strongest vote from the public of the four sites.”
Cr Hood said things like lighting and signage were still under consideration with the issue of vandalism also being monitored closely once the installation was complete. Most “big” installations in Australia are privately owned and closed at night.
Tinder will pay for the installation and maintenance for three years after which
“the council of the day” will make a decision on its future.
Cr Hood said accepting the donation of the Big Rainbow from a dating app was carefully considered but at the end of the day, the symbolism of acceptance, understanding and diversity won out.
“Tinder was a topic of conversation, and we are mindful that dating apps have
their problems, but on balance overall we thought the positives were pretty strong
and it was compatible with council’s policies and that swayed us.”
Cr Hood said extra visitors, keen to be photographed with Australia’s latest “big thing” would also bring an economic benefit to the region.
Asked if people might try to climb the structure for the ultimate selfie, Cr Hood
said, with a height of six metres, that would be “fraught with danger”.
“I hope that people would just want their photo taken from the ground but you
can’t rule out that people might be tempted to try and climb it.”
Tessa Halliday, the council representative on the shire’s LGBTIQA+ Advisory Committee said the need for a symbol of pride was still relevant.
“We have come a long way but until we can say that every member of the LGBTIQA+ community is safe, accepted and included we still have work to do.
“We are lucky to live in a very supportive community, however this doesn’t mean that there aren’t people in our community that are struggling with their identity or sexuality. “The symbol of pride lets them know that they are important to the community and that they are safe to be themselves. The Big Rainbow says ‘you are safe here’.
Daylesford is also a haven for visitors, a place where they feel safe to be themselves as
they may not be able to at home.”
Cr Halliday said it was easy to look at the positives in the community, “from amazing accepting parents to supportive health providers, however not everyone has this experience”.
“Mental health and suicide rates are still the highest in the LGBTIQA+
community compared to the wider community. It is important that we remember
that the rainbow is a symbol for the LGBTIQA+ community, not a symbol for a
dating site. The dating site will not have any signage on the Big Rainbow.”
In answer to a few other questions from The Local, a council spokesperson said
the Big Rainbow would be a public structure with time-controlled lighting to be
installed to illuminate it.
The spokesperson said the council was still planning signage options and would
ensure the Big Rainbow was well signposted.
In relation to people climbing the structure, this will be discouraged by plantings
around the base.
The Big Rainbow was designed in collaboration with members of the LGBTIQA+
community and the First Nations community.
As part of the promotion, Tinder is also donating $100,000 in grants to a number
of community groups around Australia.
Tinder did not get back to The Local after emails asking which groups would be
in the running for the grants.
Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Contributed

Words: Kevin Childs | Image: Contributed

LIKE a never-ending game of chase, the campaign to protect the Wombat State
Forest manages to save some trees, then logging starts elsewhere in this vast area.
Now it appears to enter a new phase with a threat to Daylesford’s water.

And one of the many odd aspects is that taxpayers subsidised VicForest’s logging with $54 million
last year, a figure predicted to double this year. The increase is expected to come from the cost of paying
retainers to contractors, who may have no work.
Another curiosity, according to Daylesford forest activist David Stephens, is that it is 21 years since the
local ALP branch voted to have the forest managed as a national service, providing clean air and water.
That same year the party pledged to create a Wombat National Park.
Instead, according to Mr Stephens, the most massive equipment to enter the forest has been
clearing swathes. “There has been overwhelming forestry reduction, with the greatest damage ever
seen,” he says.
“Muddy water is running into the Wombat Dam, which is Daylesford’s water supply.
“Removing ground cover leads to erosion and pollution. Then the fine regrowth increases the fire
risk because there is more fuel. It takes 40 years to get sufficient regrowth.”

Intriguingly, VicForests did not comment on the water supply threat but acknowledged that it has
paused all commercial harvesting while a new survey is done, while insisting that its work is recovery, not harvesting, subject to external audits and independent sustainable forest management standards.
Another worry for locals, says Mr Stephens, is that six B-double trucks have been seen on narrow bush roads, concerning parents of children at Bullarto Primary
School.
Such was the worry that a woman, pictured, supported by about 20 peaceful
protestors chained herself to some equipment on January 30. After talking to
authorities she undid her lock and was allowed to leave but is expected to be charged
by police. Logging has stopped in this area.
Mr Stephens, long a community activist and mentor to forest community groups,
says up to 20 hectares have been cleared at Barkstead, off the Daylesford-Ballan road.
“We would like to see a moratorium on all industrial-scale extraction until laws
are introduced to protect Wombat Forest.
“We have seen logging protection lifted in 2019, allowing drainage lines to run
into Wombat Creek. Anything dead on site is washed by rain into the catchment.”
After an exacting inquiry, state government agreed to adopt almost all
recommendations, including preserving and protecting the forest, but no laws have
been introduced.
The Supreme Court agreed to protect the vulnerable greater glider in the Central
Highlands, but there is no such protection in the Midlands.
Logs from here go to mills in Sale, Orbost, Beaufort and Heyfield. “This,” says
Mr Stephens,” is the last resort.”
And the future? More than 7000 hectares are listed for logging. As for VicForest,
it said “recovery work” in the forest is in response “to removing debris and treating
hazardous trees” after the 2021 storm.
“Timber removed through these operations will be going to the highest and best
end use. This potentially includes community use, utilisation by traditional owners,
customers, as well as community firewood.”

Daylesford’s Alexis Saville and Odin Jonsson, who has just moved from
Trentham to Ballarat, have been dating for just one month but have known each other
for 10 years and been best friends for seven.
“So it feels like it’s been forever,” Odin says.
The 21-year-olds are working on Valentine’s Day, Alexis at Kadota and Odin at Bells’
Watergardens, but Odin has a suprise weekend planned.
In the spirit of love the couple agreed to meet for a photo on the ‘Love Locks’ bridge at Lake
Daylesford – adding their own lock to the 453 already there.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Images: Kyle Barnes

CAROL White is calling time on Lavandula Swiss Italian Farm, putting the historic Shepherds Flat property up for sale.

Carol said it was time to move on from working seven days a week and return to travelling around the world.
“Covid has been a bit of a nightmare, reopening every time after lockdowns just took every bit of my energy. It was like a juggler getting their six plates back in the air and then realising the stick was bent. It really crushed our momentum.”
Carol, who bought the property 35 years ago and started out with just 1000 lavender bushes “from some guy in the Dandenongs”, said she hoped a new buyer would bring new energy and continue to conserve the history of the property.
“It would be lovely if they ran it in a similar way, with weddings and events, it is perfect for that, but I am not going to tell anyone what they can and can’t do. Whoever it is will probably do a better job than I am doing now and take it in a slightly different direction. I just hope they respect the history and the stone buildings.”
Carol said when she bought the 38-hectare property it was pretty much bare farming land with a couple of derelict buildings still standing.
“My marriage was on the rocks and I thought I would start a business with a little patch of lavender, a romantic notion from my trips to Provence. I thought ‘I can manage that’ and started from there.
“You couldn’t get lavender in those days, it was hard to find and not in fashion at all, not like it is now as people have become more herby and realised their true value. A guy from the Dandenongs brought up 1000 bushes and I did some research on growing them but it was pretty much trial and error. Lavender doesn’t mind snow but it doesn’t like the harsh frosts we get, but it worked.
“And there were no trees here. I got in touch with the forestry place at Creswick which had all European trees and dragged thousands of them here. I just started planting in swathes, a swathe here and a swathe there, and then people started coming and I started making product.
“It was really popular and then we started with our festivals, European-style festivals, and we had up to 10,000 people and the police told us we had to stop because we had cars banked up on all the roads.”
Not one to give up, Carol then held seasonal festivals, which also proved extremely popular although the one in winter was dropped because it was too cold.
“So many people came, they wanted to see the farm in each season, but they were a lot of work and if you asked me to do one next week I just couldn’t. I am done.”

Carol, a former nursing sister who said that job gave her the organisational and delegation skills needed to run her own business, said Lavandula would be open until the end of May and then close for a period of time.
“I want to sell but I am not forced to sell and I will certainly be around in the background if someone wants to buy and needs some help to start with. But it may take some time to find the right person.”
So by winter Carol will be thinking about travel: “Probably the south of France, and I have friends in Italy and Norway and family in England, so some sort of world trip of gardens which is how I travelled before and was probably the inspiration for the farm.”
And will she miss what is pretty much her life’s work?
“Yes, I will miss the stone buildings and we have had some fabulous people work here, some so dedicated they have worked with me for 35 years, and our repeat customers have been extraordinary. But I won’t miss having to say no to every single social engagement on the weekend, or that I can’t take Easter off or plan a holiday. They are the things I am looking forward to.
“It is the end of an era but if I dropped off the perch that would be the end of an era as well, so this is a decision. I am time poor and there are things I need to do and want to do. I might even sit at home and do my own garden for six months. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
Lavandula Swiss Italian Farm is for sale through McQueen Real Estate in Daylesford.
Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Kyle Barnes

Who are the Comellis and the Bromleys?
Eddy and Malinka Comelli are long-term locals. Eddy received a life membership
of the Central Highlands Football League in 2021 after many years as president and
describes himself as a farmer, businessman and property developer.
In an interview with The Local in 2016, Eddy said he had a desire to see
Daylesford become a better place to live, with more maintenance, landscape and
beautification.

Eddie’s forebears came from Udine, in north-east Italy, spreading across the
world in search of work in the 1960s. Eddie grew up in Preston, and his family began
farming in Daylesford in 1969, moving to meat wholesaling, pig raising and on to
buying the local abattoir in 1980. The Comellis own a number of rental properties
and businesses throughout Daylesford and the wider region.
Artists and entrepreneurs Yuge and David Bromley have lived in Daylesford for
the past 12 years but Yuge, also a lawyer, says her husband has had a connection to
Daylesford for about 18 years.
On their website, the artist couple says they “usually take on projects based on
our passion/obsession for art, design, interiors, fashion and generally liking to get our
hands dirty with whatever creative scenario we can immerse ourselves in”.
A biography for Harvey Galleries says David was born in Sheffield, England
and emmigrated with his family in 1964. “Bromley emerged as a painter in the
mid-1980s. In the early stages of his career, he held solo exhibitions in Sydney and
Adelaide and represented works in state and regional galleries, to include finalist in
the Archibald Prize, AGNSW, in 1999, 2001 and 2004.” David’s work is now known
around the globe.
Will the Daylesford Community Cinema go ahead?
Neither the Comellis nor the Bromleys are ready to say either way if the cinema
will be part of their plans. The volunteer-run cinema was already in The Rex when
it was sold to the council in 2016. After some concerns it would not return after
renovations, the council promised it would be a part of the Hepburn Hub. As
pictured, opposite below right, a shell was constructed upstairs to house the cinema
with room for seating, a ticket booth, the screen, a projector room and public toilets.
What about the long awaited public toilets?
Former Hepburn Shire Council CEO Aaron van Egmond first approached the
owners of The Rex when they closed the public toilets in the building. The council
eventually bought the property for $6 million in 2016 with public toilets, including
accessible toilets, part of the deal for its reopening as the Hepburn Hub.
When asked by The Local if public toilets were on the agenda, Yuge said they
“definitely plan to include toilets in line with our design”. “We want it to be a place
that people enjoy coming to and that includes providing even things like rubbish
bins.”
However Eddy said specific details including those relating to provision of public
toilet facilities still needed to be worked out. “There’ll definitely be toilets, but
whether they’re public …we haven’t had time yet to sit down and work that out yet.”
Hepburn Shire Mayor Cr Brian Hood said CEO Bradley Thomas would prepare
a scope to undertake a planning project reviewing possible solutions for staffing
accommodation and community facilities that were to be included in the Hepburn
Hub. “This will include consideration of accessible public toilets and will be carried
out during 2023 now that The Rex has been sold.”
Where is the Aboriginal artwork Fish Traps going to end up?
Cr Hood said with the sale of The Rex, the council had been working with artist
Aunty Marilyn on an alternative site. “A council briefing report was completed
prior to the end of year closure explaining that a range of council facilities had been
explored, and we are currently working on final details of the preferred location. We
are committed to the finalisation and installation of this artwork and will be able to
provide the location in the near future.”
Finally, will the Chips Rafferty signature remain?
When acting legend Chips Rafferty visited Daylesford in 1954 he left behind
his signature on one of the walls of The Rex when it was still operating as a theatre.
Historian Winsome Moffat remembers the day well.
“Chips was going around to all the theatres in Australia to try and drum up
money for a film he was planning (Walk into Paradise). He came and made a little
speech at The Rex and then just went into the street to talk to people.” A council
spokesperson said the preservation, or not, of the signature would now be up to the
new owners.
Words & image: Donna Kelly

CHRISTMAS ’22 came a few days early for two of Daylesford’s best known families who discovered they’d just become the proud new owners of The Rex.

Following a unanimous councillor decision at Hepburn Shire Council’s December 20 meeting, Eddy and Malinka Comelli and David and Yuge Bromley were delighted to discover their $3.75 million bid to purchase The Rex had been successful – from among the six EOIs formally submitted.
David Bromley said a clinching factor in their decision to submit their joint EOI together with the Comellis was a mutual love of the town and a wish to see The Rex become a vibrant contributor to showcasing its main street.
“Our mutual love of the town, our belief that the main street is one of the figureheads that you get to see when you come to town.
“We’re really keen to see it come alive and stop the blockage in the street and, ideally, to become the complete opposite – a resounding symbol for how stunning the street is. We all have a similar feeling about it. Between us we think we’ve got what it takes.”
Both the Comelli and Bromley families live in Daylesford, have strong connections in the community and say they’re now keen to make the most of The Rex’s considerable potential. They would not be drawn on whether the cinema will stay – or not – at this stage.
“We want to make it a really culturally rich hub, whether it’s retail, hospitality, art, entertainment. It’s going to be a real combination,” Yuge Bromley said.
“I think being part of the community, we are the consumers of those things ourselves so we feel like we do have a heartbeat connected with it.
“With both of our families local to the Daylesford community, the honour of purchasing and developing this iconic building into a thriving destination spot for both locals and visitors alike was our key driver,” Yuge said.
“We will take time to regroup and plan but our intention is to tap into our combined passions, connections and resources to transform the building into an evolving dining, retail and entertainment destination with a diversity of culture, food, art, music and entertainment.
“We have some initial plans regarding the arcade and atrium, making it a place where visitors local and from afar can frequent time and time again.”
Malinka Comelli said “honouring” the heritage-protected building was part of their plans for the future.
“Let’s see what we can do with it. It’s like a blank canvas but we’re going to honour the building for what it is,” she said.
And the new owners are also not closed to creative ideas and input from the community either, Eddy Comelli says.
“I’m excited to work with someone as creative as the Bromleys. I think we can turn this into something,” Eddy said. “We’ll give it our best shot.”
The price paid for the building – that’s sited next door to the Bromley&Co Daylesford gallery – was just above the reserve price of $3.7 million set in accordance with an independent property valuation and the Local Government Act 2020.
Hepburn Shire mayor Cr Brian Hood said the sale proceeds would be used to repay the loan linked to the council’s 2016 purchase of the site with remaining funds allocated to a financial reserve for future expenditure on staff accommodation and community facilities.
We bought The Rex – Bromley/Comelli coup
“We have begun our planning, and we will progress our investigation into options for staff accommodation and community facilities throughout 2023. This will include community consultation,” Cr Hood said.
He also acknowledged the challenging history of the building since the council bought it in 2016.
The council’s original purchase of The Rex building and other matters relating to the Hepburn at The Hub project remain under investigation by the Local Government Inspectorate.
Cr Hood was keen to point out that the council had cooperated fully with the investigation and called for the release of the inspectorate report.
“We’ve repeatedly asked for it to be released and we would welcome the release of the report as soon as possible,” he said.
He also emphasised that the decision to endorse the Comelli-Bromley bid was unanimous among councillors and followed careful consideration of each of the EOIs against multiple criteria, of which price was just one factor.
Cr Hood said the sale of the landmark building enabled the council and community to “move on to the next chapter of what’s been a long and problematic saga”.
“The saga has brought damage to council’s reputation and one thing I want to stress is that there is a huge difference between the 2016 councillors and management team and the current council and management team.
“It should never have been bought by council. This was a legacy issue, an inherited problem that we’ve had to fix.This is a decent outcome out of a very tricky and problematic situation.”
As to what the future now holds in store for The Rex, Cr Hood admits he personally would like to see the cinema within the building retained but says that decision rests with the new owners.
“It would be lovely to see that retained. I suspect most, if not all, of the councillors would be keen to see the cinema survive and thrive. It would be a shame to lose it but that’s now up to the new owners.”
Mr Bromley says the path ahead for The Rex will not be rushed.
“I think we’ll give ourselves a good three to four months if not longer to really make sure that we get it right,” he said.
“We’re going to be getting a lot of advice and really making sure that this time it is a big success. We’re open to the challenges.
“We’ll be making a lot of commercial decisions about its wellbeing. We’ll have to weigh up everything with a common-sense approach.”

Words & image: Eve Lamb

Words: Eve Lamb | Image: Kyle Barnes

DAYLESFORD teenager Sebastian Streat has come a long way since the day a paediatrician once identified him as unlikely to ever attend school, or to read or write.
In fact the 18-year-old who lives life with mild autism has not just successfully completed year 12 through Daylesford College, he’s also just taken out the state’s title of Trainee of the Year (landscape gardening) attaining both the glory and CV enhancement, along with a beautiful trophy.
Announced at a special dinner in Melbourne recently, Sebastian’s award is a state-wide accolade, sponsored by the Kangan Institute, and administered through the Apprenticeship Employment Network.
Sebastian won the award after two years of school-based training to achieve his Certificate II in Landscaping, firstly completing a year of study through Ballarat’s Federation University and then, this year, completing a second year with Ballarat Group Training.
“He was nominated for the award through Ballarat Group Training and there were quite a number nominated from around the state,” Sebastian’s proud mum Krystal Phypers says.
“Being named as Trainee of the Year in landscape gardening is a real achievement for Sebastian. When he was first diagnosed with autism, a paediatrician said he would probably never go to school or read or write.
“I remember that day. I was 21 when I had Sebastian and I came out of that paediatrician’s office crying my eyes out. I walked out saying, ‘No. We’re going to prove this paediatrician wrong’.
“Now he’s just finished year 12. He has got such a passion for gardening. He is quite particular and he is a very hard worker. He has really enjoyed his training and met some wonderful friends. I think he loves gardening because it’s his outlet.”
Now Sebastian says he is keen to secure an apprenticeship in the field that he loves. “He would really like to get an apprenticeship now with the Hepburn Shire. That’s his dream,” Krystal says.

Words: Eve Lamb | Images: Kyle Barnes

WORK has begun to create a significant new attraction that’s projected to bring tens of thousands more visitors to Daylesford each year.
The man behind development of the new museum specialising in Australian history and Australiana is Mark Ward, already known to many through his multiple Amazing Mill Markets ventures including at Daylesford.
The entrepreneurial Mark, is in no doubt that the new Amazing Mill Markets Museum, now being developed on the same site as Daylesford’s Amazing Mill Market, will be the “biggest and best of its kind in Australia”, and that the flow-on economic benefits to the locality will be considerable.
“It’ll be without a doubt the best museum of its kind in Australia with beautiful cars, massive steam engines, and all aspects of Australian history including automotive, rural, industrial and commercial Australiana,” Mark says.
His personal passion for carnival, circus and sideshow memorabilia will ensure these aspects of the nation’s history and culture are also well represented in the new museum.
“The undercover area is just under a quarter acre in size and it will have a glass atrium down the centre,” Mark says.
“Building has already started. The total cost of the build and fit-out will be just over $2 million.
“The museum will have themed areas with high-tech lighting and 12 interactive screens to tell people about the items. The collection is valued in excess of $10 million and includes 23 magnificently restored cars.”
Work is scheduled for completion at the end of May 2023 with the interior fit-out then anticipated to take three months before the new attraction opens to the public later in the year.
“We anticipate opening in September-October,” Mark says.
“We’re creating a worthwhile destination for people to come to from all over Australia and overseas to spend several hours.
“Rest assured it will be the best of its type in Australia. This museum will bring millions of dollars to Daylesford every year. We are going to attract another 10,000 to 15,000 people into Daylesford per month.”
It’s not the only one of his projects that Mark is currently keenly watching take shape, with another exciting development set for Bendigo’s historic Flour Mill precinct, following the sale of the Amazing Mill Market at Ballarat.
“We have sold the Mill Market at Ballarat but we will be opening another one at the Flour Mill site in Bendigo,” Mark says.
“It will also include specialty shops and five-storey accommodation at the Bendigo Flour Mill precinct. The Bendigo Flour Mill is an historic building and we will be retaining as much of the infrastructure as possible.”
The $24 million Bendigo Flour Mill precinct development will be staged over five years and will also include a small museum, bar and bistro on site, Mark says.