HelloPlus: Exploring Life & Philosophy.
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Re-imagining the shire’s future
A community art project is celebrating the stories, spaces and creative spirit of Castlemaine and beyond. Mapping Our Futures is the brainchild of self-confessed ‘map nerd’ Michael Chew, a local designer and social ecologist. Michael worked alongside four other talented local artists, Wendy Hopkins, Sarah Taylor, Kirsten Moegerlein and Eunice Rigo, to bring the project…
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Rescued, then arrested
A high-speed police pursuit out of Melbourne ended when the driver of a stolen vehicle crashed and flipped it on its roof at Woodend last week. The 30-year-old driver from St Albans was taken to hospital after he crashed the car near a level crossing on Tylden-Woodend Road about 12.30pm last Tuesday afternoon. Police allege…
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State forest surveillance increases
Vic Police shut down an illegal rave in the Wombat State Forest earlier this month, which had more than 1000 people in attendance. The Conservation Regulator is working in conjunction with police to increase surveillance in state forests and prevent illegal raves, amid the ongoing fire danger period. It identified the Loddon Mallee region and…
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Tatts for a cause
Forest Creek Tattoo is gearing up to hold a ‘Home is where the Harcourt is’ Tattoo Flash Day this Sunday February 8. The Castlemaine-based tattoo studio has hosted a number of Flash Days in the past for causes close to their heart, and wanted to do something to support the community of Harcourt and surrounds…
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Guildford pub, store closed
The Guildford community has been dealt a second blow with the town’s beloved general store closing its doors for the second time in two years on Sunday, just a month after the closure of the town’s historic pub. In a post shared to the Guildford General Store Facebook page on January 24 they announced, ‘Due…
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It truly is the world’s ugliest lawn
To the untrained eye, Jarno Coone has failed to maintain his lawn. “My philosophy is to kind of not work when it comes to the lawns,” said Jarno, whose job includes maintaining the lawns and gardens at the Candlebark and Alice Miller schools. However, Jarno has put in many hours to have his yard appear…
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Battery sparks rubbish truck fire
By Lara Prust Gisborne CFA responded to a rubbish truck fire last week, believed to have been sparked from household batteries disposed in a resident’s general waste bin. The driver noticed the fire in the truck’s skip bin during the early hours of Monday morning, and as a safety measure, dumped the entire rubbish load…
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Community a ‘lifeline’ to small business
By Lara Prust Kyneton’s Super Sushi had customers lining up outside their doors for the first time in years over the long weekend. Local resident Danni Gray had her eye on Super Sushi since it opened in 2013, thinking how “ballsy” it was to open a sushi store in a small regional town. Four years…
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Local favourite misses out
In the feature event at Saturday’s Woodend Cup held at the Kyneton racecourse, the locally trained mare Luvya Mumma was sent out as an odds-on favourite and looked a likely winner in the home straight, before missing out in an extremely close photo-finish. The winner was five-year-old gelding Sea Strike, from the expanding Ben Brisbourne…
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Time running out for Kyneton women
The Kyneton Women’s Football Club has less than a month to save their 2026 season after AFL Victoria upheld an appeal to block the club from competing in any affiliated league. KWFC was formed in late 2024 after more than 30 players walked away from the Kyneton Football Netball Club amid claims of inequitable treatment…
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Gisborne one-day champs
Gisborne turned in a sterling performance with bat and ball to score a decisive victory in the One-Day Final played at Gilbert Gordon Oval on Sunday. The Dragons defeated last season’s inaugural champion Woodend with seven overs left, and six wickets in hand. Man of the Match was Gisborne captain-coach Jarryd Vernon, who captured two…
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Harcourt Rising comes to Castlemaine
Castlemaine’s Shedshaker Brewing is hosting a massive weekend of fundraisers for the Harcourt bushfire recovery over the weekend of February 20-22. Called Harcourt Rising, each event aims to support businesses and residents affected and bring some fun to the community. Starting on Friday February 20, the Taproom will be showcasing a range of Harcourt wineries…