By Donna Kelly  

Like many, our first Radio Springs experience was during their first week.  Ken and Jackie had opened during Easter and it was a disaster.  

Service was crap, food was late, no one seemed to know what was happening…  But still, it felt like our kind of place.  

So we gave it another try. And then another try. And then finally it was our place.  

We were Radio Springers.  What caught our eye was the fun, the eclectic experience, the bar where anything could, and would, happen.  

Ken was the maestro, Jackie was the perfect host, people like Simon, Julian and then Graeme, were the perfect bar people. Great with bar banter and great with whatever drop you preferred.  

The kitchen was always pumping. Chips from local spuds, my favourite of all time, the scallop salad reigned supreme, and Kyle found his best scotch fillet with multiple gravy and jus combinations. And plenty more.  

The late, great, David Wellings called it the Centre of the Universe, and it was.  We filmed a fun little piece, I don’t know why now, with some Daylesford locals  chanting: “Time travel, when do we want it? It doesn’t matter.” I kid you not.  

Strange things happen at that pub. Magic perhaps.  

Thanks to Radio Springs you are still reading The Local. It was early days and the cost of our print bill was killing us.  

We sat at the bar and wondered how we would continue. Then I looked down the  bar and slowly said: “You’re not Tony, are you?” And the guy said: “Donna?”  And we realised we had worked together on the Frankston Standard, before Leader days, in the 1980s.

And we told Tony about our printer issues and he told us about an affordable printer and we were away again. The magic of Radio Springs.  

Another time we were sitting there and Kyle said to some bloke: “You’re not Grubby (from radio) are you? and he said:”That’s my brother.” And it turned out to  be my late uncle’s best friend whose daughter had just bought in Glenlyon. Talk about the six degrees of seperation.  And so much more.  

Kyle spent many days over many months working with the late Don Breen,  another great bloke. They worked on the generator and Don shared plenty of  knowledge with Kyle. Slowly changing him from his usual “rip, shit, bust” to a more  methodical way of working.  

He also taught Kyle to worry less. Kyle called Don his “Daylesford Dad”. Sweet.  

With The Local we have covered so many events from car club gatherings to the longest lashes, from the opening of the Henri Langlois Screening Room to Toga parties. Always wild and wacky.  

Of course, not everyone got Radio. You could sit at the bar and watch people come in and they were either in the “I love this” camp or the “how odd” camp.

The lovers lingered and came back again and again, the odd ones drank up their wine or  beer as quickly as possible and drove off in search of a pub with televisions, perhaps  pokies, and maybe not someone behind the bar, looking a little like Tim Finn,  wearing a suit with a vest and tie.  

But despite all the big memories I think most of all I will miss just heading over on a Thursday or a Sunday arvo, pulling up a chair or a barstool and just shooting the breeze with whoever is behind the bar, whichever local has turned up, or one of  the “lovers” who has pulled in on a whim and randomly found the Centre of the Universe. And get it.  

Radio Springs is just one of those magical pubs where things happen. And you never know if you will end up friends with the republicans but it has happened. And that is just lovely. Ken and Jackie are now our friends, and we feel very lucky to have them in our lives. Even though they went and closed our favourite pub! Just sayin’..  

Last drinks called for Radio Springs Hotel  Radio Springs Hotel has served its last drinks after 17 years providing  refreshments, and plenty of bar banter, with locals and visitors alike.  

The final day, Sunday, January 26, saw many people make their way to  the Lyonville pub to say farewells and reminisce about great times over the  years.  

The decision to close the doors came after owners Jackie Airey and Ken Parfrey started to think about the next phase of their lives.  

“We’ve been doing it for nearly 17 years now and we felt we might like  to move on,” Jackie said.

“However, on the weekend, two weeks ago, we had a sudden change in our staffing and we thought about it and whether or not  we had the energy to recreate what we’ve got.  

“We’re pretty picky about our staff so it would take us a while to find the  right people and train them up. And we thought, well, would it be right to do that for only a few months, take on new people and all that kind of thing?  So we thought maybe we’ll just call it now.”  

Jackie said what the next phase was remained unclear.  

“We haven’t really had a chance to decide all of that. We’d started  thinking about all those alternatives but we hadn’t really come to any conclusions yet. And so with this sudden decision to close we’ll just wait for  the dust to settle and then we’ll have a good think.  

“We don’t want to make a rushed decision, we want to make the right  decision.”  Jackie said deciding to close came with a sense of freedom but also sadness.

“If you could imagine all the possible feelings that anybody could  have at this stage, I think Ken and I are feeling all of them. It’s very hard to  describe, just think of anything and add it in.”  

Jackie said she and Ken never set out to create something as magical as Radio Springs and being at the “coal face”, didn’t realise how much it meant  to their patrons.  

“For us, we just created a place that we would like to go to. We just  trusted our sense of this is what we would like a pub to be. But we didn’t  realise that we’re so weird.  

“When we first started putting this all together and gathering stuff over  our long renovation, we had a chat about what kind of pub are we going to  be? And we thought nothing that we do is going to please everybody. And we  have to live here.  

“We’re going to be here 24 seven. And it’s going to be our lifestyle as well as anything else. So we had to feel comfortable and happy in it. We knew there would be some people who like it and some people who don’t. And  that’s how it’s worked out.”  

Jackie said their reincarnation of the Lyonville pub came after they bought the property to live in.  

“And then while we were here, people would drop in all the time and ask  us when we were going to open the pub and that they needed a pub, there wasn’t anything. Back then, that was in 1997, there wasn’t anything decent between Woodend and Daylesford.  

“That coincided with Ken and I feeling that we didn’t necessarily want to  stay in the careers that we had for much longer. And so we thought, maybe we’ll open it just as a B&B.

“And then the continued numbers of people  who were calling in made us think maybe we’ll expand that and open it as a pub. And then people said we need food. So it just really grew like Topsy, it became a bit of a juggernaut in and of itself.”  

Jackie said while there had been times which had provided challenges – like Covid – overall it had been a great part of their life.  

“I met so many people and got to the point where I would get such a  kick out of watching people enjoy themselves and listening to laughter and  watching people eat and really enjoy their food.  

“And there are a lot of people who have, through the hotel, become very  good friends of ours who we wouldn’t have met otherwise and we wouldn’t  have been able to welcome into our lives.”  

And the final word?  

“I want to thank all the patrons and customers and all the regulars and all the locals who have supported us over the years. Because really, without all of  those people, the pub’s just a pub.  

“I mean, it’s like a theatre or cinema. Unless you’ve got an audience, it’s  just celluloid. It’s just words in an empty space.

“You can be as quirky with your decor, as fancy with your food and as comprehensive with your wine list  as you like. But if you don’t have customers, it’s an empty space.”  

Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Kyle Barnes  

The CFA is hosting a Bushfire Planning Workshop for the Trentham and Lyonville region next week.

The workshop will take place on Monday 18 November from 7-9pm.

The event is aimed at helping residents and local landholders to prepare in the event of a bushfire while also providing an opportunity for attendees to test out their bushfire plans.

The event will take place at the Trentham CFA shed in Market Street, Trentham with more detail available from CFA West Region.

Australia’s music and comedy superstars have dazzled and enthralled huge audiences around the world…but now they are headed to a retro performance space in Lyonville’s Radio Springs Hotel to play a unique live show.      

Less than 40 people at a time will get into this remarkable venue and the shows will run for about 90 minutes.

The MC will be Australia’s most experienced comedy compere Simon Rogers who will interview each star about their careers, their best gigs and their worst gigs and take questions from the audience.

He says he loves the vibe of this small theatre experience with its classic movie seating, tiny stage, choc tops for sale, lush red velvet curtains and intimate atmosphere.

The shows are deliberately in the moment and won’t be podcast or recorded.      

“It’s a one-off experience. It’s the cream of Australia’s performing arts chatting to me and you and a few friends and if you ain’t there you miss out.

“It’s not a TED talk – you can’t watch it again and again on YouTube, the bloopers won’t be turned into memes… It’s more like Midnight in Paris where you’ve accidentally stumbled into a dinner party of comedy and music icons and they invite you to sit around the table and have a chat.”      

Before or after the events, guests enjoy fine food and wine in front of a crackling wood fire and can even stay overnight in one of the beautiful, olde-style bedrooms.      

The “An Afternoon With …” series will host regular shows on a Sunday afternoon throughout 2024 with more headliners to be announced soon for 2025.      

So far songbird royalty Marina Prior and her husband renowned actor Grant Piro perform on October 6, comedy legend Tony Martin on October 13, star of The Merger and Double Act comedian Damian Callinan on November 10, stand-up comedian and broadcaster Richard Stubbs on November 17, and the musical genius of David Bridie, frontman of My Friend the Chocolate Cake and Not Drowning Waving will be shared on December 1.

Bookings: Radio Springs Hotel on 5348 5562 or trybooking.com          

In a move likely to please local bushwalkers, Forest Fire Mangement Victoria has recently installed a new boardwalk on the Domino Rail Trail.

The Domino Rail Trail is an attractive six kilometre stretch that links Trentham and Lyonville, running through the Wombat State Forest.

The new boardwalk replaces a bridge that was severely damaged in the 2022 rain events.

The new upgrade complements surface works recently completed by the Hepburn Shire Council, and new signage installed by the Committee of Management.

The new boardwalk is 15 metres long, and crosses the headwaters of the Coliban River, keeping the slippery ground safe and firm for locals and visitors walking the trail in the wetter months.

Extremely p…… off barely comes close to what Lyonville’s Suzi Donovan felt when she discovered her beloved silver birch trees had been “butchered” by a contractor acting for Powercor in recent days.

The eight silver birch trees are on Suzi and husband Tony Donovan’s Lyonville property, inside an established hedge where Suzi had lovingly planted them about five years ago as semi-mature saplings that cost $150- $200 at that time.

The local artist says she had been out, and very busy with a new exhibition, on April 10 when she returned home to find the treasured trees had been “butchered” that morning.

It was only after the act that she and Tony learned that a notice had been placed in their mail box at 8.30am the day before, informing them that some “light trimming” would be carried out on the trees due to their proximity to power lines.

“I was out (on April 10) and Tony heard a knock on the door that morning and when he answered the door a young man at the door said ‘can we do a light trim on the trees?’.

Tony had given the OK to the “light trim”.

“Tony went back inside and had a shower and by the time he came out the damage was done,” Suzi said.

“It was not a light trim.”

Following the incident, the Donovans became aware of the notice that had been left in their letter box at 8.30am the previous day.

“But we don’t get mail every day here in the country and we had no idea the notice had been left,” Suzi said.

She says several of the trees were cut in half and she now fears they will never achieve the correct and desired form for their species.

“The trees were not close enough to any powerlines to pose a risk, or to be rated as requiring “urgent” cutting in my opinion,” she said.

However that was how they had been rated according to a box that had been checked on the notice left the prior day.

And this rating, according to the notice, meant that a standard default 14-60 day period from the date of notice being given prior to any work being carried out, had been summarily axed, Suzi said.

“It’s a huge upset. A hack job by someone who was not a qualified arborist.

“If they’d just given us the chance to respond to the notification we could have told them we have a gardener booked in to carefully trim the trees later this month.

“I understand that you have to have trees away from powerlines but these were nowhere near the lines. There was no danger to the power lines.

Suzi says her subsequent calls to Powercor have not been answered or returned and, after contacting their local councillor, they are now considering contacting the Ombudsman’s office to file a formal complaint.

“There are eight to nine trees and some have been cut in half vertically and three have been cut in half horizontally. This was not a light trim as the letter stated and the diagram, accompanying it, indicated.

“This was major destruction. I think we’ve been treated very badly and I am told this kind of thing is all too common. I think Powercor should be held accountable. I feel as though I’ve been physically attacked.

A Powercor spokesman contacted for comment said: “vegetation cutting is an important part of how we keep our power network safe and reliable”.

“We inspect 100% of our network each year and we cut back trees and branches from around 50,000 powerlines spans annually,” he said.

“In this case, our team visited the address the day before, provided notification of works and spoke with a resident, who approved cutting to take place.

“This location is in a Hazardous Bushfire Risk Area, so all precautions were taken to ensure compliance of at least two meters, plus allowing for at least two years’ growth.

“We’ll continue to work with our contractors and cutting teams to ensure they remain sensitive to aesthetics and neighbourhood character wherever they can, while ensuring that we remain compliant with regulations.”

The spokesman also provided background information stating the following:

“Our trained cutting teams can enter private property to cut trees back from power lines, and also work on public land across our network.

“Our teams need to meet clearance requirements that are regulated by Victoria’s energy safety regulator, Energy Safe Victoria (ESV).

“Larger clearance areas are required in areas of higher bushfire risk. For private property, our teams notify customers of cutting required at their address, complete the required pruning work then return to remove debris.

“When urgent cutting is identified, we aren’t always able to provide advance notice.”

But Suzi says the incident has served to highlight a widespread need for landholders to be better informed, and more proactively advised, about the guidelines around how close they can safely plant new trees to power lines.

“I think all landholders, for example when they buy a property, need to be provided with basic information about how close they can plant to powerlines.”

Words & Image: Eve Lamb

With Eve Lamb

Lyonville artist Suzi Donovan is not sure how to describe her artistic style. She is still experimenting with landscapes, clouds and still life but also trying seascapes, rocks and forests. Also extending into abstract work, this local creative is busy right now preparing for her first public exhibition, together with fellow artist Gayle Cykner, at Trentham’s Cosmpolitan Hotel.

Eve: How did you come to art?

Suzi: From an early age I always wanted to be a fine artist. My parents steered me into graphic design.

Eve: How did you nurture your innate arts talent? Studies?

Suzi: As a teenager I went to the Maryland Institute College of Arts (in the US) where I did a three-month course in drawing the human form from skeleton to skin. I learned to “see” as an artist. It was amazing. As a graphic designer before computers, I was trained in all disciplines – illustration, photography, drawing, typography and design. In my 30s I took up watercolours and botanical art for many years.

Eve: Where do you do most of your art work Suzi? Where is your home studio?

Suzi: I now work in what was the potting shed at my home in Lyonville. There is lots of natural light and I’m nestled right in the garden which is lovely. There are sparrows nesting in the roof who chatter away constantly.

Eve: That sounds like a suitable ambience for creative endeavour. Can I ask you which artists have influenced your work?

Suzi: I love the work of John Olsen, Fred Williams, Margaret Olley, Manet, Monet, Chagall, Matisse and Brett Whiteley.

Eve: Are there any other factors that have influenced your creative practice?

Suzi: I have always been an observer. I am very influenced by the beautiful landscapes and skyscapes surrounding us here in the Macedon Ranges. I love colour – colour is important to me.

Eve: Yes we are so lucky here with our landscapes and skyscapes. What is your media of choice?

Suzi: I now paint in oils. On holiday I take my drawing journal, pencils and watercolours.

Eve: What is your subject matter of choice?

Suzi: I paint landscapes because everywhere I look around me is a beautiful painting. I paint the clouds because the sky is so big here. The clouds are so big. I paint a still life of something important to me – my nana’s vase, my grandmother’s teapot or homegrown veggies on a kitchen bench.

Eve: The beautiful things in life! Have you ever worked in any other areas besides working as an artist?

Suzi: I am a yoga teacher. I have taught yoga asana, pranayama, meditation and yoga Nidra to children, teenagers and adults for about 20 years. The practice of yoga has taught me to observe on a deeper level. After graphic design I worked as a colour consultant for a few years. This work enhanced my awareness of subtleties in colour.

Eve: What are you working on at the moment?

Suzi: I am currently working on a large abstract landscape.

Eve: Any particular projects in mind for the future?

Suzi: In the future I hope to work on larger canvases. I would like to try mixing media – maybe try creating more texture, going more abstract. Having more fun.

Eve: Sounds like you’re having a fair bit of fun already. When you work in the studio do you like to play music and if so what is your music of choice?

Suzi: Yes, I do play music – depends on my mood – usually I like music that is peaceful. I often play yoga music.

Eve: To date, what have been your career highlights as an artist?

Suzi: I am very new to oil painting. I had my first private exhibition last year when we opened our garden for the Real Gardens of Lyonville event. It was so exciting to sell my work for the first time and people loved it. One couple drove all the way from Melbourne to buy one.

Eve: Do you have any exhibitions or special arts events coming up that you would like to let others know about?

Suzi: My first public exhibition is coming up in April. The opening is on Sunday, April 14, at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Trentham from 3pm to 5pm. I am exhibiting with my friend Gayle Cykner. The paintings will be on display until mid-May.

Eve: That sounds like an event to attend. Suzi, what would you rate as the greatest rewards derived from your personal artistic practice?

Suzi: The greatest reward for me is to create a painting that celebrates the beauty around us – a painting that I love and that brings joy to others.

Get along to the Radio Springs Hotel (AKA the centre of the universe) for the longest lash feature event.

Police have been investigating the circumstances surrounding a fatal car crash in Lyonville last Saturday evening, September 16.

It is believed a vehicle was travelling along Daylesford-Trentham Road when the driver lost control and crashed into a tree just after 5pm.

The male driver and sole occupant of the vehicle died at the scene and had still to be formally identified when police released a report on the incident over the weekend.

The circumstances surrounding the crash had yet to be established and the investigation was ongoing, police reported.

Anyone with dashcam footage or information was urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report via the Crime Stoppers online website.

It’s time to hit the kitchen and get practicing for the Lyonville Bake Off.

The tasty local annual fundraiser is coming back with the date set for Sunday 22 October 2023 from 10.30am – 3.30pm.

Organisers say the event will be taking place at the Lyonville Hall in Lyonville, and competitors and spectators are already licking their lips in anticipation of “another day of decadent deliciousness”. 

“Join us at the Lyonville Hall on Sunday 22 October from 10.30am to gaze in amazement at the creations of the many talented local bakers and cake makers,” one of them told The Local.

There are six competition categories: kids; decorated cakes; general cakes; cupcakes and slices; tarts and pies; special dietary.  Entries should be dropped off at the hall between 9.00 – 10.00am so the judges can do their work.

Refreshments will be available including Devonshire teas, light lunches and barista coffee.  Once the prize winners have been announced, the competition cakes will be available for purchase.

Entry is by gold coin donation.  All proceeds go to the maintenance and development of the Lyonville Hall.  We look forward to seeing you there.

Any queries: Dorothy Fuller dottifuller@gmail.com or Vicki Jackson  vickicj102@gmail.com

Words & images: Eve Lamb

FLOWERS are good for the soul. So says Lyonville’s Janae Paquin-Bowden. And she should know.

Together with her husband Chris, Janae owns and runs organic family flower farm, Fleurs de Lyonville, where the couple live with their two young children and their yin and yang, black and white, little terrier dogs. It’s the sort of job description that makes the word “idyllic” spring to mind.

“It’s physically hard, and a bit taxing on the body, and the weather is challenging,” Janae says to the suggestion that this work environment is more than a little enviable.

“But there’s so many rewarding stages,” she concedes.

Chris and Janae both have professional backgrounds as teachers. In fact they met as teachers, and that background comes in handy when they deliver their on-farm events ranging from flower arranging workshops to farm tours.

In business these days, it’s accepted wisdom that you need a good story to tell. And theirs is a beauty.

The couple’s organic flower farm journey started back in 2014 after they experienced some issues in finding flowers for their own wedding.

“We found it quite difficult to source local organically grown flowers for our own wedding,” Janae says.

“Thankfully we came across Matt and Lentil from Grown and Gathered who were growing flowers for trade at the time.

“When Lentil pulled up in her van and opened the back door, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The van was full of flowers and foliage from foxgloves to Queen Anne’s lace…we knew this was what we wanted to do on our farm. Grow flowers.”

Clearly a woman of determination with a keen eye for business, Janae became the main driver in getting Fleurs de Lyonville up and going, such that at the end of 2021 Chris too was able to leave his job as an assistant principal, to devote his working days to the flower farm full time.

“I haven’t looked back,” Chris says.

Late summer, on a sunny day, the farm occupying about just under half a hectare of their 3.2 hectare block is a dream to visit.

There are gleaming new sunflowers, the mauve gauze of globe artichoke heads, the cobalt blue structure of echinops spheres held aloft on silvery spikes, a riot of fragrant old-fashioned sweet peas, blousy cosmos on slender stalks, a field of bobbing poppies, and glorious musk pink dahlias…to name just a few of the floral abundance.

Chris and Janae say there’ll be plenty of chrysanthemums ready for Mother’s Day too, thanks to the recent addition of two big new polytunnels.

Not long ago they clinched a handy Agriculture Victoria grant that covered half the cost of installing the two new polytunnels, completed October 2021. It’s a move poised to deliver a major benefit in extending the flowering season beyond the warm, bountiful days of spring and summer.

“They have been a game changer,” Chris says.

The couple supplement the sale of their organic blooms and arrangements by also offering an array of on-farm workshops that, judging by the “sold out” posts, seem to be going down a treat with aesthetes and flower lovers.

Janae’s working background features ceramics and she says she’ll be offering some ceramic hand-building workshops as part of the series.

“Because we have a background as teachers, we love to talk,” she says. Janae knew starting Fleurs de Lyonville was a winning idea – although following through with such a vision is not for the faint hearted.

“It wasn’t an easy decision. But I’ve always followed my gut and I knew it was the right decision,” she says.
Post those difficult days of Covid lockdowns, the wedding trade picked up, Chris says, creating a strong demand for their blooms which are all grown with a careful eye to variety in form and colour.

“I do a lot of the picking and design work but after a while I just have to put my hands in the soil,” Janae says.

Being organic, working with nature, using birds and friendly bugs as natural little pest control agents is an important aspect of their operation, she says.

And getting their heads around succession planting, always planning ahead, being ever-ready for the implications of frost and heat is a necessity.

“We didn’t have a clue how to do anything at the beginning. We’ve learnt a lot through failure,” Janae says.

“We’ve lived and learned. We’re very proud of what we’ve achieved. The aim was to be together working off the land.”

IT’S time to crack out your cake tins and whip out the wooden spoon as Lyonville gets set to host its big bake off fundraiser on Sunday, October 23.

After a pandemic-induced break, the Lyonville Hall Community Asset Committee is hungry to again hold the Lyonville Bake Off, raising funds for the historic hall’s upkeep.

The committee’s Dot Fuller says there are six entry categories for budding or wellseasoned cooks alike to sink their teeth into.

“We’ve got categories for kids under 12, decorated cakes, general cakes, cupcakes and slices, tarts and pies, and a special dietary category which is a new category,” Dot says.

“So there’s lots of opportunity for enthusiasts to enter their baking creations and be in the running to win a rosette and a prize voucher. We’d also encourage anyone who has a speciality to enter on the day. We’ve already had one man enquire about entering croissants.”

Dot says that the first bake off was held back in 2015 and since then the Lyonville event has proven its popularity with those who like to bake – and those who like to eat.

 “There definitely are some talented cooks out there and we often have a bit of friendly competition between past winners. I’d encourage anyone to enter. Your entry doesn’t need to be professional or polished. It’s an opportunity for the community to come together. This is a community event run solely by volunteers with all proceeds going to the upkeep and improvement of the Lyonville Hall.”

Once the panel of judges have made their decisions on the day and the winners are announced, the winning entries are then auctioned off to the highest bidders. Hungry attendees also have the chance to buy slices of any of the other baked entries at the bake off cake stall.

 “Our cake stall on the day is an opportunity to sit down and have a tea or a coffee from our baristas as well,” Dot says. Those keen to enter can email Dot at dottifuller@gmail.com

 Words: Eve Lamb | Image: Kyle Barnes