HelloPlus: Exploring Life & Philosophy.
-
Exploring life and possibility
Local writer, author and director Madeleine Ryan launched her long-awaited second book The Knowing earlier this year and Northern Books is celebrating its release with a special event at Grafting Cellars in Castlemaine this Thursday. Ryan’s articles and essays have appeared in The New York Times, SBS, Vogue, The Daily Telegraph, The Sydney Morning Herald,…
-
Delve into Buddhism
The August Good Grief Lounge at Northern Arts Hotel Castlemaine will be held on Friday August 8 to coincide with ‘Dying to Know Day 2025’. The montly Lounge is facilitated by Jill Rivers of Good Grief – Art-full Living. Jill said the August event would celebrate this dedicated day focused on encouraging open conversations about…
-
Policy to target AI use?
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping industries and Macedon Ranges Shire Council will soon consider a new purposed policy to catch up. An Artificial Intelligence Policy is intended to “set clear direction for the safe, effective and innovative use of AI, support compliance with relevant legislation and guidelines, and build community trust”. Last week, Cr Kate…
-
Prepare for the inevitable with purpose
As part of the national Dying To Know campaign this August, local independent death worker, end-of-life consultant and artist Hayley West will be giving talks at the Kyneton and Castlemaine Libraries on the topic of ‘Reimaging Death’. Dying To Know aims to inspire you to begin to prepare for the inevitable, not with fear, but…
-
SES responds to wild weather
Castlemaine State Emergency Service volunteers were kept busy over the weekend, responding to 34 requests for assistance across Mount Alexander Shire between Friday evening and Sunday afternoon. The most heavily impacted area was Harcourt, where high winds brought down trees and caused damage to roads and properties. While the majority of calls related to fallen…
-
Where is YIMBY in mid 2025?
Back in early 2020, the idea for a community compost initiative was born around a kitchen table in Castlemaine. In the five years since, YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) compost has grown to a thriving, distributed community of composters, their contributing households and a small but dynamic coordination team. Recently YIMBY passed the milestone…
-
Three generations at the Coolroom
Famed Tango band TangoMundo will perform a concert of works by Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla at the Northern Arts Hotel in Castlemaine on Saturday, August 2. Faye Bendrups is a founding member of TangoMundo, as a singer and pianist. Two special guest musicians will join Faye and the band for the gig: Faye’s son Dan…
-
Anzac events in a spin
“Macedon Ranges council bureaucrats should hang their heads in shame” for decisions putting two local Anzac Day services in a spin, Bill Bates told the Express. The Malmsbury Anzac Day coodinator said he was “still shell-shocked” the council had refused $2500 for traffic management funding essential to run the town’s service. Last week, both Malmsbury…
-
Police raid ends in estimated million dollar drug bust
Police seized a cannabis operation holding a potential street value of $1 million after they raided a property in Darraweit Guim last Thursday. No one was present when police executed the search warrant at the Bolinda-Darraweit Road residence and arrests are yet to be made. Detective Sergeant Hayley Zagari from the Macedon Ranges Crime Investigation…
-
The kid with an AK47 in his hands
Charlie Thompson has a weapon in his hands; the 15-year-old wants a fight but can’t find one so resorts to his father’s shed in Kyneton. The old man is standing there among his paint-cans and a dusty six-pack of Carlton Draught. Charlie stares him in the eyes with eerie confidence and unloads the clip. BUP-BUP-BUP-BUP-BUP-BUP-BUP-BUP-BUP-BUP-BUP-BUP.…
-
Almost boilover of the season
Woodend-Hesket footballers went close to causing the boilover of the Riddell League season on Saturday as they led unbeaten top team Diggers Rest by 13 points going into the last quarter of a low-scoring affair. Desperate to retain top place, the home side threw everything at the Hawks and finished up with a 9.10 (64)…
-
Wet and wild slog for Magpies
The Castlemaine Magpies made the trek to Canterbury Park to take on Eaglehawk in soaking, muddy conditions on Saturday. The match was a slog from the outset after the previous two battles in the Under 18s and Reserves, coupled with steady rain, had left the ground a muddy mess. Both sides fought for control early…