with Natalie Poole

A lifetime of service  

Trentham’s Edith Kathleen (Kath) Tresidder was born on March 12, 1907 in Blue Mountain, Trentham the second of five children to Martin and Ada  Tresidder. Her father was a farmer at Cold Spring Farm, near Trentham and her mother kept house.  

After leaving school she was a domestic, but yearned to help people. In 1934,  Kath with her eldest sister Frances, left home to commence nursing training at the Mooroopna Base Hospital in the Goulburn Valley.  

Kath graduated from her training and continued to work at the Mooroopna Base Hospital. A few years later, in July 1939, she qualified as a midwife at St George’s  Hospital, Horsham.  During World War II, Kath was nursing at Wembley Private Hospital in Horsham when she enlisted in the Australian Army Nursing Service on December 16, 1941, aged 34 years.

She saw service on Thursday Island and Rabaul from August 30,  1943 to May 16, 1947 serving 1817 days. She was promoted to lieutenant in 1943.  

While serving, she contracted tuberculosis and entered the Heidelberg  Repatriation Hospital upon her discharge from the armed forces in May 1947. She  lost a lung due to the condition.

Immediately following her discharge from the  Repatriation Hospital, Kath returned to Cold Spring Farm near Trentham where she  looked after her ageing parents, and sister Sarah who had chronic arthritis.  

She returned to full-time nursing in 1948 when she began at the Trentham Bush Nursing Hospital. Kath eventually became matron of the hospital and was the sole nurse for the six-bed hospital. She was assisted by a young woman who worked as the cook and laundress.  

The demarcation between nursing duties and domestic duties was not so clear in  those days and Kath involved herself in the preparation of meals and laundry duty as well as her matron and sole nurse commitments.

Dr Gweneth Wisewould was the town doctor at this time and Kath and Gwen got on very well and became friends.  

From the Trentham Bush Nursing Hospital, Kath went on to nurse at Clunes District Hospital where she continued until her retirement in 1980, aged 73 years.  

She moved to Bendigo in 1981 and became a resident of the Returned Serviceman’s League units. With a nursing background and having never married,  Kath continued in an informal way to serve the profession she had entered as a young woman by attending to other residents when the need arose.  

In her 90th year, Kath returned to the district in which she had been born and had lived a large part of her life.

In January 1997, she became a resident in the  Trentham Hostel, a facility attached to the then Bush Nursing Hospital.  

She had lived a wonderful life, serving many communities with her nursing skills  but ultimately wanted to return to the place she called home for her final goodbyes.  

Kath passed away peacefully on March 30, 1997 and is remembered on the Mooroopna Base Hospital Graduates’ Honour Roll and on her gravesite at Tylden, with the symbol of the Armed Forces.   

There can be few moments of relief greater than the recovery of a much-loved missing pet as the well-publicised rescue of labrador Ted from a Trentham mineshaft in recent days illustrates.

A big team effort on Monday June 2 saw local CFA crews and Bendigo’s Oscar 1 rescue team safely rescue labrador Ted from where he was trapped down an eight-metre deep mineshaft in Trentham bushland.

Ted and his Labradoodle buddy Penny had gone missing four days earlier on Thursday (May 29) sparking a huge community search and online campaign after the dogs’ owners, Chantal Henderson and family, discovered them missing.

Luckily, a neighbour had heard Penny’s frantic barking and was then able to locate Penny guarding the top of the shaft with poor Ted stuck inside.

On Monday June 2, faithful Penny and her stuck buddy Ted were found on Pronk Track in Trentham at around 11.43am that morning.

A quick call was made to Triple Zero and the Trentham Fire Brigade and Oscar 1 swung into action, with assistance also from Hepburn Shire Council staff and Forest Fire Management Victoria.

Ted was kept calm with food and water until rescuers could safely bring him back up at 2:53 pm, happy and straight into owner Chantal Henderson’s waiting arms. 

A very relieved Chantal had plenty of praise for all concerned with the rescue, posting on social media:

“Our family is ever so grateful for all the support and well wishes we have received these past five days.

“Thank you to Ruth and her daughter for their perseverance searching the bush after hearing their barking. Without you they would never have been found.

“Penny was found guarding Ted who had fallen down a straight 8 meter mine shaft some time before or around Friday lunch time. Both dogs are in unbelievable condition, a little lighter than usual, but otherwise excellent.

“Thank you to our rescuers, Trentham CFA, Hepburn and Moorabool shire rangers/officers, Forest Management and CFA Oscar 1 Mine Rescue.”

 Trentham Fire Brigade Captain David Wheeldon said: “when we arrived, as you would expect, Penny was quite agitated, but luckily one of our firefighters knew the owners because they lived next door to them.

“We were able to get a hold of them to come down before Bendigo’s Oscar 1 crew started the rescue process.

“Throughout the morning, we were providing Ted with plenty of food and water.

“The members of Oscar 1 descended down the 8m shaft to safely extricate Ted and hand him back into the arms of his owners at around 2.53pm, happy, healthy and well.”

The “ruff” yet ultimately relieving incident serves to highlight the ongoing dangers posed by old mine-shafts in the area.

While on scene Trentham Fire Brigade members had worked with Forest Fire Management Victoria to locate and red-tape a number of open mine shafts in the area in an effort to help prevent future incidents.

Images: Supplied

Trentham groups are coming together on June 24 to launch Voices of Hope, a sponsor-a-tutor program to help young girls in Afghanistan continue their education.

Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2022, girls and women in Afghanistan have had their freedom, safety and rights stripped away. Everyone has the right to education. But girls and women in Afghanistan have been deprived of this fundamental right.

From the age of 14 on, they are no longer allowed to attend secondary school or higher education. In partnership with refugee-led groups Women For Education and Ride for Education, Trentham Singing Circle, Rural Australians for Refugees and Trentham CWA are launching Voices of Hope for Refugee Week 2025.

Lida Hazara Nayeeb, (pictured above) founder of Women For Education, will be speaking on the difference that the sponsor-a-tutor program is making in the lives of hundreds of girls in Afghanistan.

The country risks a lost generation as educated women are essential for its development. Afghanistan – or any other country – cannot advance if half of its population is not allowed to pursue an education and participate in public life.

Photographer and documentary-maker Muzafar Ali will be stopping in Trentham midway on his 4000km ride across Queensland, Victoria and South Australia in June to raise awareness about the need for education for refugees.

Hamida Samar, 27, arrived in Australia two years ago after fleeing the Taliban in fear of her life. Hamida and the Trentham Singing Circle will be performing songs for peace.

The Trentham Voices of Hope launch is timed for Refugee Week, an annual celebratory week across Australia to promote greater awareness of refugees and highlight the issues they face and their contributions to the Australian community.

The launch is at The Mechanics Trentham (pictured above) on Tuesday, June 24 from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. Head to www.events.humanitix.com/voices-of-hope-trentham Want to know more but can’t make it? Email rartrenthamgmail.com or call Sandy on 0401 714 880.

Trentham, and the wider region, are in mourning after community stalwarts Kathleen Brown and her son Craig Brown died in a car accident on the Midland Highway in Eganstown on May 12.  

Both Kathleen and Craig were dedicated members of the Trentham Fire Brigade, which posted on social media “with profound sadness”.   

“Kathleen served our brigade and community with unwavering dedication for 34 years as our beloved communications officer. Her calm voice and steady guidance were a cornerstone of our operations, and her   legacy of service, strength, and kindness will never be forgotten.   

“Craig, a committed member for 35 years, a long-serving lieutenant, brought courage, loyalty, and a quiet   determination to every task.   

“He was a steady presence both on the fire ground and within our brigade family, always ready to lend a  hand and stand by his mates.   

“Together, Kathleen and Craig gave over five decades of selfless service to our community. Their absence leaves   a deep void in our hearts and within the fabric of our brigade.   

“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Bill, the extended Brown family, friends, and all who were   privileged to know and serve alongside them.   

“We will honour their memory with every call, every training night, and every moment of service that lies  ahead.”   Kathleen’s grandson Ethan Brown, also a firefighter, told Channel 7 he had lost his “rock and best friend” and that his nan and uncle were “the spirit of what country communities are”.    

Little Gallery in Trentham is no stranger to high-profile artists exhibiting, as over the past 14 years the gallery continues to showcase many Central Victorian artists who have achieved greatness in their field.  

One of the founding members of the Little Gallery, Rose Wilson says: “We are truly blessed to be able to represent some of the finest artists that this region has  to offer, not only are these artists known within Australia but are internationally  acclaimed.”  

Over the years, the artist-run space has had a number of high-profile artists as  members of its dynamic team with the most recent addition of sculptors Maria Coyle,  pictured above, and Jimmy Rix, pictured below.

Woodend-based, award-winning ceramicist Maria Coyle has been working as a  professional sculptor for 30 years. Her works are held in many private and corporate collections, and have been acquired nationally, and internationally in New Zealand, Asia, UK, Italy and the Netherlands.  

Sculptor Jimmy Rix, based in Malmsbury is an award-winning artist, who has been commissioned to make large-scale public art in Australia and China and is a regular exhibitor in many outdoor sculpture exhibitions such as Sculpture by the Sea.  

Jimmy’s work is widely collected with such pieces acquired and held by Parliament House. He is also represented in Sydney and Melbourne by Australian  Galleries.  

Jimmy and Maria, along with painters Rose Wilson and Helen Cottle, and ceramicist Kim Haughie, make up the Little Gallery in-house team of resident artists.  

Also on display at the Little Gallery are short-term featured artist Jennifer Barnett  and Kyneton-based wood artist Brian Falkenburg along with the gallery’s stable of commission artists.  

Rose said the gallery’s annual Winter Show fundraising exhibition would open on July 11 with 16 local artists exhibiting to celebrate regional identity through art.  

“Each year we source new, emerging and established local artists to participate  in this exhibition, and they are Dale Cox, Nadia Kliendanze, Julie McKenzie, Mark  Dober, Jill Nobel, Antoinette Braybrook, Neil Matterson, Brian Falkenberg, Rowena Hannan, Diane Thompson, Maxine McKee, Jonathon Lane, Fiona Orr, Jennifer Leggat, Jody Galvin, and Emma McAdam-Marmont in collaboration with Struan Hopwood.”

Little Gallery is open 10am to 4pm, Thursday to Monday and most public holidays to visit, meet the artists and chat about their work.

Contributed

Trentham’s Catherine (Kit) Anne Trewhella , pictured below was born on February 23, 1897 to William Trewhella and Margaret Landrigan.

William, was the designer of Trewhella Jacks and other innovative tools which he patented and manufactured at Trewhella Brothers’ Engineers, known locally as the Foundry. 

After leaving school, Kit went to Melbourne to learn the skill of drafting with Johns and Waygood. She became a draftsman which was a rare profession for a woman of the time and on returning to Trentham, joined the office staff at the foundry.

Following with family tradition while working at the foundry, Kit was a trailblazer, inventing and patenting an automatic door closer. The family business was managed by male family members, while Kit managed the office in the roles of secretary and paymaster. 

Financial decisions were usually made by males but that didn’t bother her at all. Kit, highlighting her individuality and technical expertise, was the owner of the first motor garage and hire car business in 1921 in High Street, Trentham where mechanical repairs were undertaken, petrol pumped, and cars hired with a driver. Her brother Harry was placed in the role of manager. 

Kit was fortunate enough to be one of the first women in Trentham to drive a car and in fact own one herself. She realised cars were to be a way of life then and into the future. Kit never married.

She was a devout Catholic and her association with the church made her aware of the disadvantaged people in the town.

With her great friend, Dr Gweneth Wisewould, the local family doctor for the district, and Kit the office manager of the main employer in town, the private circumstances of most residents were known to them. 

When crisis hit the town Kit and/or Dr Gwen would provide medical support, money, food, a place to sleep or whatever was needed, promptly and without the need for recognition.

Helping people in the community and hosting children from Catholic schools and orphanages at her farm in Newbury over the summer holidays was her way of giving back to the district. She was a role model for women and was looked up to in town.

For many years, she was the secretary of the Roman  Catholic Church, taking a role often played by men, rather  than the traditional female role in the Catholic Women’s Guild where they would run euchre parties and sell homemade goods.  

Over a long life, she was a trend-setter, taking on female roles if necessary but determined to break with  tradition and relishing in the male roles.  

Though not universally loved later in life due to her forthrightness and abrasive manner, the town still  respected and remembered her, putting her name forward for the Heather Mutimer Hepburn Shire Women’s Day Honour Roll.

Kit was posthumously added to the Honour Roll in 2015.  (A local tells me Kit was fond of a man named Norm who helped out at the farm, but Norm never asked Kit to marry him.

A friend asked why she didn’t ask him and her reply: “It is manners for a lady to wait until she is asked. Hence, wedding bells  never rang.”)  

Words: Natalie Poole | Images: Courtesy of Trentham Historical Society   

Around 1000 visitors paid a visit to the Trentham Easter Art and Craft Show, committee members say.

Organisers thanked volunteers and all of the community for “making this year’s Art and Craft Show a wonderful experience for artists and visitors”.

The committee’s Leonie Hehir reported: “the new Mechanics was a superb venue to host almost 400 art and craft works, 24% of which went to new homes.

“Around 1000 visitors came to see the variety of artworks on display over the four days of Easter,” Leonie said.

“The eight judges remarked on the high quality and breadth of art and found it difficult to choose the 17 award winners in each of the categories of art mediums.

“Children under 12 and youth 12 to 18 were also admired and bought for their talent, suggesting an exciting next generation of artists is coming up.

“Of the 163 exhibitors, 111 were locals (within 50km of the Trentham Post Office) reflecting a strong artistic community in our area.

Best Emerging Artist was won by Jeanie Dean

Best Local Artist was won by Carolyn Smyrk

Dr Gwenth Wisewould Portrait Painting Prize was won by Emma McAdam-Marmo

Stan Falloon Prize for Best Craft – soft medium was won by Anja Tusek

Stan Falloon Prize for Best Craft – hard medium was won by Yvette DeLacy

Phyllis Smith Prize for Best Watercolour was won by Judy Perfect

Best Oil was won by Shay Pappas

Best Acrylic was won by Wendy Webster

Best Drawing was won by Fred Mdamanyi

Best Mixed Medium was won by Helen McRae

Best Digital Design was won by Penelope Cato

Best Photograph was won by Pamela Kent

Best Sculpture was won by Jodi Galvin

Best Jewellery was won by Vanessa Pearl

Best Artisan under 12 was won by Jack Grant-Allan

Best Artisan 12 to 18 was won by Josephine Salanitri

The People’s Choice Award was won by Brian Nash

“The Committee would like to thank our major sponsor the Bendigo Community Bank Trentham and Districts, Trentham Lions and the Little Gallery, East Trentham Fellowship, Trentham Petrol & Stuff, Ruby Goose Foods, Cool Country Classics, Greg and Robyn Smith, Harkin Real Estate for prize sponsorships,” Leonie said.

“Also the local traders who assisted in the provision of food, coffee and alcohol for opening night (see list on the website).

“We especially appreciate Georgie Patterson for the magnificent flowers she brought us from her garden which graced the hall and foyer and were admired by the hundreds of people throughout the show.

“Save time at Easter next year to visit the Art and Craft Show and consider entering yourself.”

Discovery Day at Trentham’s Spudfest is Sunday, May 4, 10am to 4pm.

It’s a prime time to slow down and explore all that Trentham and the region has to offer, festival organisers say.

Those who get along to the upcoming annual feature festival will have the chance to catch the ‘Digging Deep: Cooks in Conversation’ event at Trentham Mechanicson Sunday morning with an all-star culinary lineup featuring: Alice Zaslavsky – cookbook author and TV host; Tony Tan – cookbook author and cooking-school teacher; and Liam Downes – regional chef from Black Cat Truffle Farm and Restaurant.

It’s allll moderated by ABC Radio’s Jacinta Parsons.

There’ll also be the chance to drop past the Spud Hub in Trentham Town Square to discover fresh spuds,
delicious farm gate foodie trails, or join a local farm tour.

Festival-goers can also sign up for The Great Spud Scavenger Hunt, take a gnocchi-making class, enjoy the Red Beard Bakery Scotch Oven tour, or spend the day eating spudtastic dishes at venues across the region.

Link: www.trenthamspudfest.org.au/

Jenna Bruton carries her family’s farming heritage with pride. As part of a four-generation Trentham spud farm family and an AFLW premiership player for North Melbourne, she understands the power of hard work, resilience and community.

Jenna’s family will be selling their spuds at The Great Trentham Spudfest Railway Precinct on Saturday and at the Spud Hub on Sunday.

Trentham’s beloved annual festival is back on May 3 and 4, serving up a weekend packed with spud-filled fun. 

The Great Trentham Spudfest isn’t just about potatoes (okay, maybe it mostly is) – it’s also a celebration of the vibrant Trentham community spirit and proud potato- growing heritage. 

Once a shy, humble tuber hiding underground, the potato finally gets its moment in the sun, basking in the spotlight with festivities dedicated to its starchy greatness and showcasing the very best this spudtacular region has to offer. 

This year, there are two days of fun-filled events, with activities for all ages, held against the backdrop of spectacular autumn colour. 

The Cosmopolitan Hotel is celebrating its 15th birthday with a Meet the Artists event over the Easter weekend.  

High Ace (Alison Ferrier & Jeff Lang) – Good Friday, April 18, 7.30pm – 9.30pm  

London-born and raised singer/songwriter/guitarist/violinist Alison Ferrier has released three solo albums and most recently has been touring and releasing music  with the highly regarded Opelousas alongside Kerri Simpson and Anthony Shortte.  

Their debut album Opelousified won Music Victoria’s Best Blues Album of the Year.  Acclaimed guitarist, singer/songwriter Jeff Lang has won three ARIAs,  collaborated with countless artists including Malian Kora virtuoso Mamadou Diabate  and Tabla maestro Bobby Singh in Djan Djan.

He’s toured the UK, US and Europe  multiple times and played extensively in Asia, including appearances in major festivals  in Japan, China and India. In 2021, Jeff published his first book – Some Memories  Never Die – a fascinating and funny memoir of his life on the road.  

Together, the wife and husband team have created a fascinating new musical  project they’ve called High Ace and have now delivered a fabulous debut album,  Snowcap Menace.  

Karl S. Williams and Sally Wiggins – Easter Saturday, April 19, 3pm – 5pm  

Karl S. Williams and Sally Wiggins make music that is steeped in delta blues,  gospel and old-time folk, with poetic sensibilities that call to mind the classic singer/  songwriters of yesteryear.

With a voice that sounds about a thousand years old, Karl  moves between guitar, piano and banjo while Sally holds it down on the kit with  mesmerising rhythms drawn from her wealth of jazz and Afro influences.  

Karl proudly traces his bloodlines to the Butchulla and Darug people of  Australia’s First Nations. This deep connection to the landscape of his pervades his work and infuses it with a spirituality that is older than time.  

Together, they are liberated to lean into the music, playing with space and silence  as much as notes – veering effortlessly from acoustic intimacy to fuzzed-out garage  blues. With a mandate to improvise, eschew convention and give voice to the human  spirit, they take audiences on an emotional ride, which is frequently described as  mesmerising.  

The Deserters (Brooke Taylor & Delsinki) – Easter Saturday, April 19, 7.30 pm –  9.30pm  

Two voices and many strings drawing on multiple influences, Brooke Taylor and  Delsinki bring a wealth of experience to the table in their exciting new collaboration  going under the moniker ‘The Deserters’.

There’s a bunch of new songs, some choice  new covers, all presented with the same down-home charm and urbane wit they have  become respectively known for.  The Deserters promises to be an exciting new chapter in the career of this pair of  much-loved and hard-working Melbourne players.  

Jess Parker – Easter Sunday, April 20, 3pm – 5pm  

Summoning the dark folk spirits from her home in the Victorian Goldfields and  making them dance to sweet country blues, Campbells Creek guitar picker Jess Parker  has been sharing her stories state-wide for the past eight years.  

Gearing up to release her third solo record and having shared the stage with the  likes of Cedric Burnside and CW Stoneking during her career, Jess is one not be  missed.  

Steve Kilbey – Easter Sunday, April 20, 8pm – 10pm  

Steve Kilbey was born a long time ago and very far away. In 1980 he formed the  best group in the universe called The Church who have released over 30 albums. But  there is much more to his musical journey…  This will be a special intimate evening with the lead singer of The Church.

Steve  is set to perform all the hits and deep cuts from The Church, plus songs from his solo  career and cover versions, all accompanied by anecdotes, tall tales and true, and pithy  observations of the music business and his 45-year career.  

Bad Debts – Easter Monday, April 21, 1pm – 3pm  

Bad Debts are a local Castlemaine outfit, fronted by three individual songwriters  in Pete Daly, Al Carr and Mitch Dillon. They came together in mid-2024, joined  by Al Stanley on drums to rehearse an initial batch of material variously described as  loose rock’n’roll and open sky roots music.  

They played one well-received hometown gig in late 2024, as well as a quick trip  down the Calder to play for a Melbourne audience at the Old Bar, before hunkering down in local studio Ragged Gum to record their first album. The album will be out  in mid-2025.  

Trentham Spudfest  Trentham celebrates its long history of potato growing with The Great  Trentham Spudfest, a community-led festival bringing together local potato growers, artisans, music, food vendors, and history to showcase the region’s  finest offerings across the weekend of May 3-4.  

This year marks the 17th iteration of The Great Trentham Spudfest, though the  deep red volcanic soils of the district have provided perfect potato-growing conditions since the 1860s.  

The two-day event, held against a backdrop of spectacular autumn colour, attracts  over 8000 visitors and is hosted throughout the historic town of Trentham and  surrounding districts.  

Festival coordinator Kye Theobald says Spudfest remains a largely free event, with  a selection of specially curated activities requiring tickets.  

New for 2025 is the inaugural Digging Deep: Cooks in Conversation event on  Sunday morning, featuring award-winning cookbook author and TV host Alice  Zaslavsky, local chefs Tony Tan and Liam Downes, and moderator Jacinta Parsons at  The Mechanics Trentham.  

The festival runs a different program on each day.

“On Saturday, our legendary Street Fair is held in the heart of Trentham town,  with four main precincts packed full of spud food, fresh regional produce, our local makers market, live music, and of course the fabulous Spud Olympics. It’s a  great carnival atmosphere,” says Kye.

“And if you want to buy a bag full of famous  Trentham spuds, Saturday is the day all our growers are in town.”  

Visitors can also join a Trentham Historical Society-led bus tour of the heritage protected Spud Huts, dotted across the local landscape.  

Saturday evening the fun continues with the Spudfest Cèilidh, a family-friendly  celebration of Celtic music, food, and dancing, to mark the halfway point of the  festival.  

On Sunday, Trentham Town Square will transform into the Spud Hub, with  freshly harvested potatoes on sale, exclusive Spudfest merch, details about all tours  and trails, and sign-ups for the Scavenger Hut.

There will be horse and cart rides,  guided historic walking tours and Red Beard Bakery tours.

Link: www.trenthamspudfest.org.au/  Words: Contributed | Image: Karen Malbon  

with Eve Lamb

Kevin Smith’s dynamic talent has made him no stranger to  winning art prizes, including an impressive collection of  the region’s most prestigious. This Little Hampton based  artist currently has a new exhibition of his work on show at Trentham’s Cosmopolitan Hotel.  

Eve: I hear you did nicely quite recently with a certain art prize?  

Kevin: Yes I won the landscape prize in the Daylesford  Rotary Art Show. It was a surprise on the night. It was a local  scene, the Trentham Falls. Petrus Spronk was the judge. I mean  it’s nice but I’m not in it for the prizes.  

Eve: You’ve been a practicing artist for quite a while now haven’t  you?  

Kevin: Sixty years. Since I was at art school. I was 16 and it  was called the National Gallery Art School at the time. It’s now  VCA at the back of the (National Gallery of Victoria) art gallery.  

Eve: But what drew you to art in the first place?  

Kevin: I was influenced by my older brother, anything he  was into, and he was into art. In my early teens I had a good art  teacher at college. The art students were seen as being ‘out there’.  I love the expressionists, especially the German expressionists.  

Eve: Now you’ve got this new show that’s just opened here at The  Cosmo in Trentham, how long will these works be exhibited here?  

Kevin: They’ll be on show here for a couple of months.  

Eve: There’s some fantastic large paintings here. How many  individual works are there in this exhibition?  

Kevin: Thirty-three, completed over the last year.  

Eve: What media do you prefer to use?  

Kevin: Usually oil but this lot is primarily acrylic.  

Eve: Can you tell me a bit more about this recent body of work?  

Kevin: There are some pure abstract, some expressionist  landscapes and townscapes. Some are just fun, like those Ned  Kelly ones. Young Ned Kelly was arrested near here, near Little  Hampton. There are also some social commentary pieces, a bit  political.  

Eve: Have you ever worked in any other areas besides art?  

Kevin: Yes. I’ve owned book stores and worked in the book  trade. My brother and I had a book store in Bourke Street, and  I also worked at the Adelaide Art Gallery. Ran their book store  for a few years. I did all the buying. I’ve also worked at Deans  Art Supplies and also as a stage hand working on sets including A  Country Practice. It was fun for a while.  

Eve: What do you enjoy most about the process of making art?  

Kevin: Just not knowing what you’re going to end up with. Playing with  colour and materials. I play music while I work, usually contemporary jazz.  

Eve: Do you have any significant events ahead that you are working towards?  

Kevin: I’m working on sculpture which will be going into the Trentham Art  Prize at Easter.  

Eve: What’s your subject?  Kevin: Dogs. My little foxy dog Bessie often gets worked into my work. I  don’t think she has for this (Cosmopolitan Hotel) one though. Poor bugger.  

The Hepburn Shire Council has secured grant funding of $400,000 for battery storage and solar PV installation at The Mechanics Trentham.

The funding has been announced as part of round two of the state government’s $42 million 100 Neighbourhood Battery Program.

The Hepburn Shire project is being funded as part of a joint project led by the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance (CVGA) in partnership with 10 councils across regional Victoria.

Hepburn Shire mayor Cr Don Henderson says that extreme weather events pose an increasing risk to electricity infrastructure in Hepburn Shire.

“The township of Trentham has experienced multiple severe storm events in recent years resulting in extended grid outages,” Cr Henderson says.

“With extreme weather events in the region becoming more frequent, there is a growing need for an energy resilient emergency relief centre in Trentham.”

Following extensive feasibility and business case work being conducted, the council had identified The Mechanics Trentham as a suitable emergency relief centre for the town and surrounding areas.

Currently, the biggest limitation to the use of the site as an emergency relief centre is the lack of suitable power generation in an emergency.

An energy backup system comprised of a 100kW/280kWh battery and additional 30kW solar PV system installed at the Mechanics Trentham has been identified as enabling the site to serve as an energy resilient emergency relief centre for locals in the event of an extended grid outage.

“The proposed system is expected to provide up to three days backup power for critical power and lighting circuits from the battery alone, with capacity to charge from solar in island-mode to extended backup power duration if required,” Cr Henderson says.

“This grant funding is an excellent step towards making The Mechanics Trentham a more energy-efficient and sustainable space for our community.

“By implementing solar and battery storage technology, we are creating long-term environmental and financial benefits while setting a strong example for others to follow.”

Story based on a Hepburn Shire media release

The state’s small business bus will soon roll into Trentham offering free expert business advice to small business owners and those wanting to start a business.

The Small Business Bus is an ‘office on wheels’ that travels across Melbourne and regional Victoria, providing in-person, expert advice to small business owners where they live or operate their business.

Since it first hit the road 14 years ago, the bus has made more than 3,300 visits and helped more than 47,000 small business owners across the state.

Small businesses in Hepburn Shire can seek general business assistance, as well as advice on
business planning, financial and cashflow management, marketing, business compliance and staffing issues – entirely free of charge.

With 22 per cent of the state’s small businesses located in regional Victoria, the Small Business
Bus plays an important role in connecting regional communities to services that help build and grow their businesses.

Victoria is proudly home to over 700,000 small businesses that make up 97 per cent of all Victorian businesses. Small businesses make a significant contribution to communities, local jobs, and the Victorian economy.

The Small Business Bus will be in front of Trentham Town Square from 10am to 4pm on March 31st. Walk-ins are welcome but bookings are recommended.

For those unable to attend in person, online business advisory sessions are available through Business Victoria.

More information about the Small Business Bus and to make a booking visit business.vic.gov.au/grants-and-programs/small-business-bus.

Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas MP: “Every business and every business owner in the Hepburn Shire is unique, which is why the Small Business Bus provides tailored expert advice for each business owner to help support them in the way that suits them best.”

Story based on a media release from the office of Mary-Anne Thomas MP. Image: File

Social media went a little viral recently with people wondering if Daylesford’s Victoria Park was an off-leash area for dogs.

After queries from The Local, the Hepburn Shire Council has confirmed that the park is an on-leash dog park – and has been for many years.

Development and Community director Ron Torres said there were two designated off-leash dog areas in Hepburn Shire, one at Trentham and one at Clunes.

The fenced off-leash dog park in Clunes is situated on the town’s Scenic Drive while Trentham’s off-lead park is in Market Street next to the pool and now includes picnic table facilities.

“Council works with dog owners through raising awareness and education on responsible dog ownership,” he said.