A range of community Anzac Day commemorative services are planned to take place throughout the Hepburn Shire later this month.

Organisers are inviting everyone to attend any of the community events that include the following:

Creswick-Smeaton RSL Sub-Branch

Anzac Day – Saturday, April 25

Wreaths can be ordered up to April 19 via creswicksmeatonrslsec@gmail.com for $40.

Creswick 5.40am – Dawn Service – assemble at the Cenotaph (cnr Albert and Raglan streets) for a 5.50am start followed by the Gunfire Breakfast in the Senior Citizens Centre. (Water Street next to the Town Hall).

9.30am – Service at the Soldiers Graves at the Creswick Cemetery, 141 Clunes Road.

10am – Service at the Memorial Stones, RSL Hall, 60 Albert Street.

10.15am – Anyone wishing to take part in the March to assemble at the Splash Park (Bottom of Albert Street).

10.30am – March commences. Following the March – Anzac Day Service – Creswick Cenotaph. Incorporating “60th Anniversary of the Creswick-Smeaton RSL Field of Crosses”.

12.30pm – Two-up at the front of the RSL Hall.

Kingston

Kingston Friends of the Avenue Anzac Day service and wreath laying at Cenotaph. Time: 9am at the corner of Victoria and Kingston roads, Kingston.

Daylesford

Dawn service at 6.30am

March to the Cenotaph, Burke Square, at 10.30am for a service at 10.45am.

Hepburn

Service at 10th Street at 8am.

Eganstown

Service at 9am.

A woman killed in an ATV rollover accident on a Ullina property on Saturday was a top marketing executive who worked for companies including Medibank and Coles it has been revealed following the weekend tragedy.

Lisa Ronson, 52, was riding the vehicle on the property near the Clunes-Daylesford Road at Ullina, between Clunes and Smeaton, at about 7pm on Saturday, November 23 when the accident happened

A Victoria police spokesperson said emergency services had been called to the property but sadly Ms Ronson was unable to be revived.

Worksafe is investigating the incident and police are preparing a coroner’s report.

Ms Ronson was the chief marketing officer at Medibank having joining the company in July.

She had previously worked for Tourism Australia, Coles, Telstra, Westpac, David Jones and Visa and was also a board member for Wheelchair Rugby Australia.

The former owner of Smeaton’s Cumberland Hotel, Caleb Consiglio has had a court date adjourned to October after failing to appear at a hearing that was listed at the Ballarat Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Caleb Consiglio did not appear at the hearing that had been set at the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Monday, August 26.

He had been expected to appear in order to contest charges brought against him by Liquor Control Victoria.

Consiglio had previously run the Cumberland Hotel along with his former husband James Consiglio up to March last year, when the pair had left the business and the Smeaton area.

Consiglio is now facing three charges of making false or misleading statements to the liquor commission, and one charge of failing to produce documents, as required under the liquor control act.

Cj and Ja Consiglio Pty Ltd, the company in which Consiglio is the sole director, is also facing three charges of failing to notify the Victorian Liquor Commission that a person has become an associate and a single charge of failing to comply with its liquor licence.

Now the sole director of the business, Caleb is answering the charges against Cj and Ja Consiglio Pty Ltd as well as the personal charges against him.

At Monday’s hearing Liquor Control Victoria lawyer Michael Majewski attempted to hear the matter ex parte, without Consiglio present.

However Magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz decided not to hear the matter as it was unclear whether matters involving a company could be heard ex parte.

The matter has been adjourned to October 16, enabling Liquor Control Victoria to seek advice about how to proceed further.

The Red Dirt Ball will raise funds to halt the construction of overhead transmission lines and towers on valuable farmland, provide aid for rural mental health, and combat family violence.

It will be held at the Swiss Monte “Hangar Bar”, 60 Ti Tree Road, Smeaton on June 15.

One of the organisers, Kieran Prendergast, said he hoped people would join in the “prestigious black-tie event in the heart of the seven volcanic hills, as we come together to support mental health awareness and resources, particularly focusing on the well-being of Victorians in rural areas affected by government decisions”.

“Our mission is to raise funds, foster dialogue, and promote understanding around mental health challenges and family violence.”

Kieran said the Red Dirt Ball was born out of the need to address significant issues facing rural communities.

“Overhead power lines threaten our precious land, diminishing food bowls, ruining scenic vistas, and lowering land values. This event is not just a fundraiser; it is a movement to protect our environment and empower our community.

Link: www.reddirtball.com.au

Mill View, a passive solar house in Smeaton near Daylesford will feature as part of national Sustainable House Day this Sunday April 21 alongside over 100 of Australia’s most inspiring sustainable homes.

Established in 2001, Sustainable House Day is a national community-driven event hosted by Renew, that allows the public to see and learn from Australia’s greenest homes.

It aims to inspire people to live sustainably, showing them how to lower energy bills, live comfortably and help the environment through good home design, practices, and technology.

Architect Matthew Turner of Enduring Domain Architecture — owner of Mill View — will join more than 120 homeowners nationwide in opening their home to the community to provide tips and advice on building and living sustainably, including passive design, all-electric, off-grid living, innovative building materials, tiny homes, and tech such as batteries, solar and more.

Each home is showcased on the Sustainable House Day website and features a virtual tour and the
ability to connect with homeowners to ask questions about their homes.

Following the main event this Sunday, 21st of April, a number of homeowners will join industry experts to
participate in a series of online panel discussions taking place from 30th April – 23rd May.

These sessions will cover a range of topics including orientation, insulation, and air flow; solar, home batteries and EVs; prefab and modular house design; and building small and clever and allow a valuable opportunity for anyone embarking on their own sustainability journey to seeking guidance from those have completed their own projects.

Further information and booking links for these sessions can be found on the Sustainable House Day
website: https://sustainablehouseday.com/

Smeaton is again without an operating pub after a decision by the publicans to move on amidst setbacks and following a much publicised incident that left one of the publicans injured in February.

The earlier reopening of the Cumberland Smeaton by couple James and Caleb Consiglio had been strongly welcomed by the wider local community and countless visitors.

But late last month publican James Consiglio was left injured and recovering after allegedly being struck by a vehicle in an attempt to deal with alleged troublemakers during a Friday night incident.

Many locals expressed concern for the couple who had breathed much-welcome fresh life into the historic, attractive old pub and countless locals were disgusted by reports of harassing behaviour “from a small handful of community members”.

Fears the Consiglios may be shutting up shop were strengthened when removal trucks were brought in on March 17. Then this Monday, March 27, these concerns were confirmed when the publicans announced via their social media account “This is Goodbye” and offered full refunds for anyone who had purchased a voucher.

Their post included the following statements:

“We thank you.

We started on this journey, newly weds, we found a place we wanted to call our forever home, a place where we could offer exceptional food, local beer, wine and spirits, a community affair, and we did just that. we reunited a community, we showcased our small town boasting Victoria’s oldest weatherboard pub, creating a destination for travellers near and far. We created a venue in our region where people could be.

It was never easy, we never thought it would be, but we also never knew that we would be subject to so much hate and harassment from a small handful of community members.

We have made the tough but necessary decision to close the pub, and move on. We do not want to be another failed marriage. Nor should we be the subject of hurtful, pathetic and disgraceful rumours.

We tried, we worked tirelessly to restore the pub to her beauty. We remain proud of our achievements and will never forget the comments about the wallpaper!

We sadly got to the point where we could no longer keep fixing capital repairs at our own expense, we could also not operate a pub that was unsafe for our staff to work in and for our guests. We could not make the uneducated see sense and uphold accountability.

We thank you for your loyalty, the moments you shared with us and our 162 year old girl. The birthdays, engagements, Christmas parties, hens parties, the morning chats over a bacon and egg roll. We will forever cherish these.

Every night we would read the reviews change and learn from what need to be, and felt the warmth from the kind words.

We loved the pub, our home, and our guests. No one has loved it more, we believe we truly respected her beauty like no one ever had.

We will miss serving you the best wines, food and service in the region…

Thank you for a fantastic time.

Caleb and James Consiglio

Publicans | The Cumberland Smeaton”