Christmas is done and dusted and now it’s time to kick back and chill – whether you want to add Netflix or not is completely up to you. 

It’s also time for the crew at The Local to have a little bit of downtime but not without completing a great look back at the year that was. 

Some people might think this is a lazy edition, an easy way to fill a paper without much work involved but I can sincerely say it is probably the most work I have done in a while – especially because I kept slipping down memory lane and reading way too much from each edition. Like when you look in a real photo album. But I digress.

This edition is mostly, well completely, about the good news that happened over 2024 – because we get enough bad news on the morning television.

 So, while I understand many things happened which were challenging and led to plenty of tears (the Daylesford tragedy anniversary) and others led to lots of conversations (Hepburn Shire’s town plans), we decided to focus on the festivals, the people and then fun – all the things we all love about living in the Central Highlands. 

If you have a read through you will see most of the people we wrote about during the year and if you didn’t make it onto these pages don’t worry, it just might be we had too many great stories in one month to choose all of them. 

This edition is also featuring our Artists of the Central Highlands which run every second edition, along with our Walks of the Central Highlands. Both are written by our talented journalist Eve Lamb, whom many of you would have met by now. 

She is always out and about with not only writing her stories but also taking great photos. And we all know she will never run out of artists to interview or interesting walks to trek along. 

I would also like to thank all of our wonderful crew and contributors – they really put in the hard yards and keep The Local punching well about its weight. 

I hope you enjoy this edition and feel free to delve into more stories from the year at www.tlnews.com.au under archives.

 Oh, if you have any ideas for next year please let us know. Someone recently said sudoku would be a good idea – but they still want us to keep the crossword going. 

Personally I can’t do it but I did see many people on our recent cruise heading to the library every morning to pick up the latest puzzle. I guess I am more about the words. 

Catch you in 2025, January 13 to be precise or online on January 12, with all the news that’s fit to read. And more. Happy New Year, Donna 

For the second year in a row, The Local Publishing Group has been awarded Best Regional Home & Country Lifestyle Media Publishing Group in APAC Insider’s ninth annual Australian Enterprise Awards. 

Awards executive Melissa Bramall said the judging panel and research team takes into consideration the commitment, expertise, and innovation demonstrated by nominees through nomination information and voting information. 

APAC’s website says over the years it has been committed to shining a light on the very best of Australian business. 

“Australia is known for its diverse and resilient economy, with the country experiencing an uninterrupted period of growth over the three decades prior to the Covid-19 outbreak of 2020. 

“In the years following the pandemic, Australian industry has experienced various challenges but has been recovering at a quicker rate than many of the world’s other top economies. 

“In fact, Australia currently ranks as the 12th largest GDP worldwide, which it has achieved despite its much smaller population in comparison to the countries placing higher in the list. 

“Through the Australian Enterprise Awards 2024, APAC Insider recognises the key players driving innovation across the variety of sectors that make up Australia’s dynamic business market. We use a strict merit-based approach to assess all nominees.” 

Editor Donna Kelly said The Local Publishing Group was thrilled to receive news of the award. 

“To win the award for the second year in a row is fantastic. You always hope you are doing a good job – and we do get lots of great feedback – but when something like this comes into your inbox it’s lovely. Makes your day.” 

General manager Kyle Barnes said the industry had been challenged during the pandemic but now it was back on track and stronger than ever. 

“We had a few moments there when we thought we might have to just produce a digital publication but really, if you are not in print, then you’re not really a newspaper. 

“And our readers still love print. Even when they have already read us online at tlnews.com.au, they still pick up their printed copy from around the shire. 

“We also want to thank our clients and readers. We do it for them really. This is their award.”

I just wanted to throw a few numbers around.

4 website stories per day.

7 days per week.

10 locals employed.

11 years old this September.

108-page magazine.

300th issue.

17,000 unique website visitors per month.

And to all the corporate idiots who shouted from the rooftops “print is dead” as we started our fledgling magazine in 2013 with a rag-tag gang of volunteers – you just weren’t paying attention!

Numbers rant over…

By Donna Kelly

So, we just hit the 300th edition of The Local. That’s a pretty big milestone for a little local paper. Well, not so little. This edition is 104 pages. Massive.

It created a little bit of consternation at the office. You see, our printer can only do 80 pages – something to do with staples. So as we reached 72 pages of real estate, The Local side of things was looking a bit sad. Just 8 pages for all the news, well no news, just adverts.

I was reaching for a chardonnay when I realised there was a solution. Two publications. And insert House.Land.Home.Premium into The Local. Problem solved.

And that is how we are at 104 pages. Seventy-two of real estate and 32 of local news. No wonder I am tired.

So what do you write about in a column for such a noteworthy event? Hmmm.

I have decided to go rogue and talk about three of some of the most fun times in my career. All which happened while working on the Centralian Advocate in Alice Springs. A corker of a paper where, when I arrived, was told by the editor to park any “Mexican ideas”, which I think meant any progressive thoughts about indigenous issues. I kid you not. Anyway, racism aside, here are my three top fun times.

First, when we first arrived, (and of course Kyle came along) I was sent to the Camel Cup. Yep, annual event, good fun. But being youngish, and having no money, we looked at the beer prices and decided just one would have to do. But then we found the Media Tent. Free booze! (Remember, these are the good old/bad old days.)

So we got stuck in and then went to check out the races. And watched as a jockey fell off his camel and dropped a little pouch of something. Being kind, and street smart, Kyle collected it up and returned it to the jockey who then asked if we would like to partake of a little gunja. Why not? Of course, like Bill, we never inhaled.

Anyway, after a bit we wandered off, me still holding a glass of chardy, to try and find the way to the highway but eventually came across some Aboriginal people who kindly told us we were heading the wrong way into the bush and pointed us back to the road where we hitchhiked a lift in the back of a ute.

The driver dropped us at the Todd River and Kyle jumped out first, gesturing for me to follow. I leapt into his arms, a tad lighter at that stage of life, and he caught me, before we went hurtling down into the dry river bed.

Well trained, I jumped up, fullish glass still in hand and off we stumbled home to Caterpillar Court. Fun times.

Alice Springs was also Ground Zero for all the nutters in Australia. They headed for the local newspaper office to talk about their adventures and trips – on bikes, on pogo sticks, on unicycles (Sam is not a nutter), and even on ponies.

Luckily we had a young cadet, Crispin, and it was his job to take on all the people who thought they were the only ones to ever make the trek across the centre of Australia.

One day we had a couple come in who said they had spent the night on a space ship before their arrival into Alice. “Great,” I said. “Just one moment.” And I ducked out the back calling out “Crispy, one for you.” Only seasoned journos know how nice it is to duck shove a nut job.

Final story. A very nice female journo was talking to a contact who we all knew she fancied. She chatted and flirted over the phone as she sort of interviewed him and then finished the call – with – drum roll please: “All I need from you now is a headjob.” I kid you not. She looked like a deer in headlights, dropped the phone down and fell to the floor.

Being the deputy editor, I said she had to call back immediately and ask for a head shot. She refused. The story never ran. Just sayin’…

February 26, 2024 is the date of the 300th edition of The Local – in print and online – celebrated with a massive 104 pages of news, features, columns and real estate.

The first edition of the news magazine hit the stands on September 2, 2013. It was just 20 A4 pages, printed locally, with a distribution of only 500 copies.

The Local now covers the length and breadth of Hepburn Shire and beyond, keeping to its commitment of Connecting the Community.

Editor Donna Kelly said The Local was all about exactly what was stated on her email signature. Local journalism – it’s about connecting the community, sharing stories and telling the truth. On a good day -sometimes all at once.

“We started The Local because people told us there was a need for local news by local people – not news by those who lived in Ballarat, or even Sydney, and thought they knew what locals wanted,” she said.

“So we found a local printer and an InDesign program at a dodgy market stall – and off we went. No
business plan, no forward thinking.

“In fact we were going to publish monthly but we pretty quickly realised that people wanted the read and so the second edition was produced just two weeks later.”

Donna said the idea was to bring mostly good news “because we all turn on the television or radio in the morning and it’s all bad news”.

“We didn’t want to chase ambulances or spend days in courtrooms, or even hours in council chambers
working as minute takers.

“We talked to locals about what mattered to them, about good news, inspiring stories, all the great festivals we have and all the amazing people who live here in this fantastic community.

“And that worked. People wanted to read about that and then advertisers wanted to be in the paper because people were reading it. A win-win for everyone.

“We certainly don’t believe print is dead – we are online at tlnews.com.au but all of our printed editions
find their way out of our baskets – even taken home by people for their neighbours or to send to a friend or family member who has moved from the area so they can still keep in touch. That’s local. That’s relevant.”

General manager Kyle Barnes said he had been told many times, while working for another media outlet, that he should start something for the locals.

“Donna is a journo by trade and former editor and all that, and while I was a bit sceptical about starting up a publication we just bit the bullet and got it happening.

“Business cards and all that guff came later, we just jumped in at the deep end and gave it our best shot, and here we are at the 300th edition.

“I used to worry that we would run out of stories but Donna assured me that would never happen and it never has.”

Kyle said he wanted to thank The Local crew for their hard work and dedication.

“As any small business owner knows it’s all about who has got your back, and our crew has been just amazing. During Covid they went above and beyond and we could not have done this without them.

“And thanks also go to our advertisers. I hope everyone supports them because they are the reason you have a free read each fortnight.

“Our other motto is Love your Locals.”

The Local Publishing Group has been awarded Best Regional Home & Country Lifestyle Media Publishing Group 2024 in APAC Insider’s eighth annual Australian Enterprise Awards.

APAC spokesperson Kaven Oscar Cooper said to determine the results, “our judging panel and research
team take into consideration the commitment, expertise, and innovation demonstrated by nominees through nomination information, voting information, and any supporting evidence you have supplied – plus results from their own extensive research”.

APAC’s website says over the years it has been committed to shining a light on the very best of
Australian business.

“Australia is known for its diverse and resilient economy, with the country experiencing an
uninterrupted period of growth over the three decades prior to the Covid-19 outbreak of 2020.

“In the years following the pandemic, Australian industry has experienced various challenges but has been recovering at a quicker rate than many of the world’s other top economies.

In fact, Australia currently ranks as the 12th largest GDP worldwide, which it has achieved
despite its much smaller population in comparison to the countries placing higher in the list.

“Through the Australian Enterprise Awards 2024, APAC Insider recognises the key players driving
innovation across the variety of sectors that make up Australia’s dynamic business market. We use a strict merit-based approach to assess all nominees.”

Editor Donna Kelly said The Local Publishing Group was thrilled to receive news of the award.

“We found out a little while back we were nominated, not sure who by, and then they let us know
we had won.

“It was all a bit surprising but also such a great thrill. You always hope you are doing a good job – and we do get lots of very nice feedback – but when something like this comes into your inbox it’s lovely. Made my day.”

General manager Kyle Barnes said the industry had been challenged during the pandemic but now it was back on track and stronger than ever.

“We had a few moments there when we thought we might have to just produce a digital publication but really, if you are not in print, then you’re not really a newspaper.

“And our readers still love print. Even when they have already read us online at tlnews.com.au, they still
pick up their printed copy from around the shire.

“We know that every edition gets snapped up – and some people have collections back to the first edition in 2013.

“We also want to thank our clients and readers. We do it for them really. This is their award.”

The Local is celebrating 10 years of following its mantra of Connecting the Community. The first edition hit the presses for a publication date of September 2, 2013 and The Local is now up to 288 editions.

Editor Donna Kelly said it had been a fantastic 10 years with plenty of support from advertisers and readers. “Kyle and I realised there was a need for a great, local, community publication. People just love a good read – and print is not dead!”
Congratulations have come from people including Hepburn Shire CEO Bradley Thomas, Mayor Cr Brian Hood and Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas.
“Congratulations to The Local on 10 years of publication. It’s great to see a local business thriving, particularly having navigated the difficult Covid period. Council advertise regularly in The Local, given its strong online presence and reach across the shire.” – Hepburn Shire Council CEO Bradley Thomas
“I congratulate The Local on its 10-year anniversary. For any small business to survive and flourish over a long period requires much hard work and dedication. The Local does a great job promoting and celebrating so many events, festivals, causes and especially outstanding people within our community. Through storms, bushfires, floods and pandemics, as well as the good times, local media binds the community together and helps keep us going. Well done!” – Mayor Cr Brian Hood
“I congratulate the team at The Local who have provided local news across the Hepburn Shire for the past decade. I am proud that The Local survived through Covid and continues to bring the people of Hepburn the most up to date news and information, for us all to enjoy.” – Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas.

The Local is hitting the airwaves with the return of its Country Life podcast.
The fortnightly podcast unwraps each edition of The Local, and is brought to you by general manager, or
Ranter, Kyle Barnes and editor Donna Kelly. Kyle said the podcast was a down-to-earth look at the stories and their backgrounds, published in The Local.
“A couple of years back we ran a podcast four times a week during Covid to keep the community informed.
The podcast included many interviews and a wrap-up of the paper which was weekly at the time.
“This fresh approach is to have a bit of a look at the story behind the stories using plain speak and the
experience of the editorial team. There are also a few colourful anecdotes along the way.
“It’s all about being local and real. We are not comedians swearing and carrying on, just an editorial
team doing a wrap-up at the end of each production.
“And if people are a bit time poor but want to keep up with their local region, it is an easy way to do that.
“Like with all podcasts, and there are so many out there, you can check it out in the car while driving
around the region, at home while you are doing the boring stuff like the dishes or gather the family
around the wireless after dinner for some wholesome entertainment. Jokes.”
Tune in at www.tlnews.com.au and scan the QR code, which is always within the top four posts. Or head
to Spotif

Words: Eve Lamb. Images: Mitch Nivalis

When documentary maker Mitch Nivalis contacted The Local a little way back requesting use of an article the paper had published in 2017, editor Donna Kelly was happy to oblige.

Mitch, who resides just out of Castlemaine, was keen to include the article as part of their new doco Equal The Contest to help “connect the dots for the history of women’s football in the area.”

“I’m making a self funded documentary film called Equal the Contest about my football club The Mt Alexander Falcons in regional Victoria,” Mitch told Donna at the time.

Now that documentary is about to have its world premiere as part of the ninth annual Castlemaine Documentary Film Festival happening this month.

The film synopsis provides a taste for what Equal The Contest is all about: “When the rules exclude you, rewrite them,” it states, and continues…

“When a filmmaker joins a new local women’s footy club in central Victoria, a simple desire to play becomes a complex journey of inclusion and belonging. An unexpected turn of events means the team has to fight to play. Their campaign challenges age-old traditions and joins the wider movement for gender equity.”

The documentary’s premiere screening happens Saturday June 17 at 5pm and will be followed by a panel discussion with Mitch who also co-produced Equal the Contest with Tony Coombs.

Mitch’s role in making the documentary was initially Director and Director of Photography, but that expanded when they realised their own lived experience was a key part of the story…”So I’m not only the maker, but the participant, which was extremely challenging, confronting and in many ways healing,” Mitch said.

“During the making of the film one of our executives, Sam Henty, sent me a link to a 2017 article that had been written by Heather Mutimer and published in The Local about two women’s football teams that played two games in 1947 / 48 – The Castlemaine Woollen Mill women’s football team, and a Daylesford women’s football team which was a combination of two teams that existed in Daylesford at that time,” Mitch said.

“So that sent me on a quest to find any surviving members from the Castlemaine team. I did end up finding a woman called Mavis, who ended up becoming a much loved part of our story. So I’m extremely grateful to The Local for celebrating women’s sporting history and shining a light on some of the pioneers of our local area.”  

But Mitch saysbarriers still exist for women and gender diverse people to access and participate in sport across codes in Australia and hopes the documentary will contribute to positive change.

“I hope Equal the Contest creates an opportunity for people to understand how to create safe and inclusive spaces within clubs, particularly at the local level and to open up important conversations,” Mitch said.

“Conversations around fair and equal access to resources like gender neutral changerooms, playing and training times, distribution of club finances and allocation umpires, as well as conversations around access to safe spaces to participate for trans and gender diverse people.

“Historically, particularly male dominated sport, has focused on winning at all costs, on field aggression and making excuses for off-field incidences of violence and Equal the Contest shows how the Mt Alexander Falcons is leading by example to change club culture and provide a new model for community AFL. 

 “I’ve always been interested in documentary and I make short advocacy based doco style video content as part of my production company MDP Photography and Video.

“Equal the Contest has been my biggest undertaking to date though and the first time I’ve made a feature length film, although it comes off the back of a 35min doco called The Wonder of Improvisation that I made in 2017.

“Very quickly when turning up to the Falcons first ‘Come and Try’ day, I knew I had found a community unlike anything I’d ever been part of.

“The club and my teammates have become like a family to me and it has become a space where we are all able to celebrate each other, regardless of race, sexuality, gender identity, age, body size or ability.”

Those keen to get more information about Equal the Contest, the festival it’s part of, and to book tickets can head to: https://cdocff.com.au/2023-festival/equal-the-contest/