Community News
-
Volunteers celebrate their garden
The gardens at Macedon and Mount Macedon Community House are in full bloom — and so too is the community spirit behind them. Surrounded by ornamental and productive plantings, the Community House has become a thriving hub for local volunteers who have spent the past year transforming the grounds into a series of vibrant garden…
-
‘Heroes amongst heroes’
The tight-knit community of Harcourt North held a gathering on February 13 to thank some of the heroes who assisted them during the devastating January 9 fire and its aftermath. Ravenswood South property owner Bryan Palmer thanked all the firefighters who came to their aid on that fateful day in “what must have been unfathomable…
-
Team Top Gun returns
For David Tyquin and his son Calvin, the 2026 Shitbox Rally isn’t just about driving a $1500 car across Australia, it’s about driving hope. The Kyneton and Malmsbury father-son team is returning to the rally to raise funds for the Cancer Council in support of families impacted by cancer. From May 1-9, they’ll tackle some…
-
Giving back to those who gave
In support of the Redesdale and District communities, the Redesdale Recreational Reserve Committee and the Redesdale and District Association are hosting a community barbecue on Sunday to support volunteer firefighters who lost their homes during the recent fires in Harcourt. “Our community barbecue is about giving back to those who gave so much for others…
-
Breaking down barriers
A welcome barbecue held recently at the Woodend Children’s Park brought together refugee families and local supporters, marking the start of the year for Macedon Ranges Rural Australians for Refugees. Despite cool and blustery weather, about 30 refugees and asylum seekers travelled from Melbourne to attend the event. Coordinated with support from the Melbourne-based Brigidine…
-
Music for Mark’s Country Place
Head to the Kyneton Mechanics Institute on Sunday March 1 for a special afternoon of classical music in support of Mark’s Country Place – a developing all-access garden in Kyneton dedicated to people of all abilities. Music for Mark’s Country Place is a Baroque concert featuring distinguished Melbourne Symphony Orchestra musicians and local mezzo-soprano Kristen…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
Fire relief ‘snowballs’
A community-led fundraiser in Woodend on January 18 raised more than $56,000 for victims of the recent Harcourt bushfire. Local resident and Rock and Ranges Brewing Cooperative co-director Penny Morton said she felt compelled to help after the fires tore through Harcourt. “We lost our beer in the fires at Harcourt Coolstore, so we held…
-
Compost for a cause
What a start to the year it has been! Floods, fires and a local township severely impacted, with buildings, business, homes, gardens and bushland burned. YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) sends love to everyone who has been impacted and thanks to everyone who has helped out so far. We know there is so much…
-
Kyneton’s new drive-through
Volunteer firefighters arriving to head out to the devastating Harcourt fires last week were treated to a delicious pre-dawn breakfast courtesy of the Kyneton Lions Club. Lion’s members Denis, Alan, Robert and Gerry were out of bed early to have everything ready for the CFA members who were drawn from brigades across area. The local…