Community News
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The amazing water-holding capacity of good compost
When our soils are healthy, active with soil life and rich in well-decomposed organic matter they can hold many times more water than the same type of soil in poor condition. Research from the University of Sydney has tried to quantify this effect and found that increasing the organic carbon content of a soil from…
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Come plant with us!
National Tree Day is coming up on Sunday July 27. National Tree Day is a call to action for all Australians to get their hands dirty and give back to the environment. To celebrate, Connecting Country is partnering with the Friends of Campbells Creek and others to bring you a community planting day and nature…
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A welcome to babies
Dhelkaya’s Aboriginal Health Liaison team partnered with Mount Alexander Shire Council to bring a much-anticipated event to Castlemaine – the very first Welcome Baby to Country ceremony, held last Wednesday at the Botanic Gardens during NAIDOC Week. The Maternal and Child Health staff, along with the Midwifery Group Practice staff, all contributed to this cultural…
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A different ability
Mel Stephens has zero vision and no complaints. If someone offered to restore her vision, she would tell them to “go jump in the river and don’t come out”. “I had (vision). It was fun. If I could see with my iPhone screen, that’d be good. But I don’t need it and I don’t want…
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Humus, magic or myth?
Gardeners who are tuned in to the benefits of healthy soil probably know the term ‘humus’ and likely have a sense of what soil with this quality feels like; rich, moist, almost ‘greasy’ in quality. The problem is, it is possible humus, as a substance, does not exist at all! In the early years of…
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Macapella to screen on world stage
A short documentary created in Castlemaine has been officially selected for The Women’s International Film Festival in New York City, hosted by Women in Media – Newark. Created by Lucy Armstrong, Fred Farquhar and Rich McLeish, Macapella first premiered at the 2024 Castlemaine Documentary Festival. What began as a local story rooted in the heart…
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Reconciliation for Hepburn
Hepburn Shire Council is officially launching its Reconciliation Action Plan INNOVATE (RAP) as part of NAIDOC Week celebrations, marking a significant step in its commitment to truth-telling, respect and meaningful change. The launch event will be held on Friday, July 11, from 1pm to 3pm at Hepburn Pavilion, Mineral Springs Road, Hepburn Springs. Community members…
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Cow manure. Great, if you can get it
Cow manure is one of the best manures for our compost pile and many early compost recipes recommended cow (dairy) or cattle (meat) manure as one of the major ingredients in a good compost recipe. The question is, can we still get our hands on a good source of it? Sir Albert Howard, the father…
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Conversations about life, death and dying
The monthly Good Grief Lounge returns to the Northern Arts Hotel in Castlemaine this Saturday. This month’s special guests are lawyer Vesna Pocuca of Robertson Hyetts and arts therapist Marita Jacobsson. Vesna will explain how to make a will and Marita of Thresholds Art Therapy will lead a poetry writing experience using pre-cut words, block…
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Feasting and daring to believe
For 12 years, Mohammad (not his real name) lived with uncertainty and dread. Now, he can at last dare to believe. In 2013, he fled Afghanistan in fear for his life. Targeted by the Taliban, he was forced to leave his wife and children behind. The distress he felt can barely be imagined – all…
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Keeping warm in winter
With temperatures plummeting at the arrival of winter, tenants of rented homes can now access a video on how to make their home more comfortable and cost effective. The video was developed by the My Home Network Tenants Rights Working Group and the West End Resilience Energy Group following a well-received workshop on how simple…
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New chapter for book store
Lancefield residents are so fond of their local bookstore they have hatched a plan in a bid to keep it open. Red Door Books’ owners announced in May plans to close the much-loved store they introduced to the community 18 years ago. Yesterday marked their last day behind the counter, but in their final weeks,…