A small mouse with a big heart is helping share a powerful story of courage, connection and recovery following the January bushfires in Harcourt and District.
Harcourt Valley Mouse, a locally written and illustrated children’s picture book, will be officially launched as part of a special event at the Victorian Miniature Railway in Harcourt this Sunday July 5.
Created by local resident Rachel Vanstone, the book was inspired by her experiences volunteering at the Harcourt Bushfire Donation Centre.
Through the eyes of Violet, a small mouse navigating fear, change, hope and belonging, the story gently explores resilience, recovery and the importance of community.
“This story celebrates the bravery, kindness and care shown by the community, and I hope it can support other bushfire-affected communities in the future too,” Rachel said.
The book honours Harcourt District’s people, places and wildlife, featuring local landscapes, native animals and the Victorian Miniature Railway — a place that provided connection, support and community spirit throughout the fire response and recovery journey.
The community-led project was developed with input from local educators, community members, authors and artists, with feedback from Harcourt Valley Primary School and Harcourt Preschool. It was printed locally by Greengraphics Castlemaine.
A generous local donor fully funded the first print run of 500 copies, allowing about 170 copies to be gifted to local families, including kindergarten and primary school families, families who lost homes, community organisations and the Castlemaine Library.
Importantly, proceeds from remaining book sales will support the Harcourt and District Lions Club and contribute to community initiatives, with a focus on supporting local children. Such is the positive response to the new book that a second print run has already been ordered, and the Lions Club will print further copies if needed.
The launch event itself also aims to raise funds for the VMR.
“VMR played a vital role before, during and after the bushfires. Their work slashing and preparing the site and their brave efforts to fight the blaze using two of their water tankers, and allowing the CFA to tap into the dams on site, has been credited with helping to save much of central Harcourt township,” Rachel said.
“VMR also opened its doors in the wake of the disaster to be a base for the initial relief effort, providing a space for locals to gather as a community and access essentials such as food, water and internet services,” she said.
Funds raised from $5 train rides and donations at Sunday’s event will help support the VMR’s ongoing development, including the construction of a community barbecue pavilion that will allow local organisations to hold fundraising activities and community events throughout the year.
“The Lions and VMR have managed to complete Stage One of the works and had hoped to secure a Tiny Towns grant for Stage 2 but were unsuccessful. Come along and help us make this important project a reality. The barbecue facility will be used to raise funds by a wide array of community groups from the Lions to the Harcourt Football Netball Club and the pre-school to the VIEW Club (The Smith Family),” Rachel said.
The launch event gets under way at 11am Sunday and will include the first public reading of the book, author meet-and-greet, book signings, food and miniature railway rides. Community members are invited to celebrate a project that honours the strength, kindness and connection shown throughout Harcourt and District’s recovery journey while helping support the future of a much-loved local community tourism asset.
Local author Carmel Bird describes the book as “a warm and charming tale” that encourages people “to persevere in hope, even in the face of great disaster”.
Following the launch, copies will be available for $17 at the Little Red Apple, Harcourt Produce and General Store, Harcourt Valley Community House, and Victorian Miniature Railway. A digital version will also be available for free download from the Harcourt Valley website.