HelloPlus: Exploring Life & Philosophy.
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Fifty years of Folkie
In early 1974, a group of friends from central Victoria discussed the need for a local folk festival and decided that Maldon was an ideal spot. The first two festivals, held at the Bill Woodfull Oval, were little more than social gatherings for 150-200 musicians and listeners. They consisted of sessions at the Kangaroo Hotel,…
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Explore the ‘Vegie Patch’ at Shades of Gray
Castlemaine’s iconic Shades of Gray Gallery and Garden is getting set to launch its highly anticipated annual exhibition this Saturday and this year’s event is set to be the biggest and best yet. Shade of Gray founder and artist Peter Gray said this year’s exhibition was the culmination of 32 years honing his craft and…
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Market long weekend edition
The Castlemaine Farmers Market is happening again over the Melbourne Cup weekend featuring about 70 producers from the local region and beyond. Held on the Western Reserve, shoppers are encouraged to pack their own bags, baskets and trolleys, grab a friend and/or their friendly pooch and take the morning to explore the large selection of…
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Enjoy the beauty of garden and art
Yes, it is time to be out and about enjoying the wonders of nature, the beauty of garden, the delights of art and good food at the Mica Grange Open Garden Sculpture Exhibition. Located at the foothills of Mount Alexander with stunning views across the Sutton Grange Valley, the spacious gardens are full of creative…
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Get your show entries in!
The 171st Castlemaine and District Agricultural Show returns to the Camp Reserve this Friday and Saturday, October 31 and November 1. Be sure to get your horticulture, flower and cookery entry forms in by tomorrow, Wednesday October 29, at 5.30pm. These entries must be dropped off between 8am and 10am on Thursday October 30. Judging…
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HEDGE gardeners to open gates
The passionate ‘HEDGE’ gardeners collective in Mount Alexander will be generously opening their garden gates to the community once again this November. Held on alternate years to Castlemaine’s biennial Festival of Gardens, HEDGE (which stands for – Happy, Energetic, Dirt-Loving, Garden Enthusiasts) enjoy celebrating their love of all things gardening with fellow green thumbs. This…
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Three generations keep tradition alive
For the Collier family of Kyneton, the Agricultural Show isn’t just a date on the calendar – it’s a family tradition that’s spanned nearly 30 years and now three generations. It all began in the mid-1990s when Sarah and Ross Collier’s daughter, Steph, and youngest son, Andrew, first entered the pavilion competitions with home baking.…
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Free energy efficiency workshop
The Loddon Mallee Public Health Unit is launching free community workshops in Kyneton and Romsey to help residents improve home energy efficiency, lower bills and improve their health and wellbeing. Funded by La Trobe University’s Violet Vines Marshman Centre for Rural Health and delivered in partnership with Enviroshop, the workshop offers practical advice on reducing…
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The best drop of cool red
Kyneton Ridge Estate has won two national awards within a matter of weeks for their Skipping Rabbit Pinot Noir. On October 7 at the 2025 Australian Pinot Noir Challenge there were eight awards available for the best pinot noir in different regions across Australia. Those were: Geelong, Adelaide Hills, Macedon, Orange, Western Australia, Mornington Peninsula,…
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Community in the dark on Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre reopening
By Morgan Reinwald and Angela Crawford Malmsbury residents and the local Indigenous corporation have said they were blindsided by the state government’s plans to reopen the Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre. The government says it will reopen the centre, which was closed just two years ago, to manage stricter new bail laws and reduce the high…
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Hear six peaks speak
Newham and District Landcare Group is hosting a free presentation by Honorary Professor Barry Golding AM on November 7 in the Newham Hall. Professor Golding will reference his recently published book, Six Peaks Speak – Unsettling Legacies in Southern Dja Dja Wurrung Country, co-written with geologist Clive Willman. The book seeks to connect some of…
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Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre to reopen
The state government will reopen the Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre to accommodate spiralling levels of youth offenders in custody due to the state’s new strict bail laws. It comes despite claims made to the Midland Express by the Department of Justice just weeks ago that there were no plans to do so. The government has…