Community News
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The mask of disability
Jade Jungwirth A large group gathered in the sunshine at the Castlemaine Botanic Gardens to celebrate this year’s International Day of People with Disabilities. It was a morning of celebration with local musicians Joe Smith and Benz performing for the crowd as they enjoyed a delicious morning tea of cakes and honey joys. Between MainFM’s…
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Bank backs community
The Lancefield and Romsey community is celebrating an investment of $296,837 in 2022-23 sponsorships and grants. Community Bank Lancefield Romsey announced the funds at a special event in Lancefield last month. The funding included $211,087 in grants to 16 local community groups and not-for-profit organisations, $16,500 in continued investment in the local ShareRide vehicle, and…
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Zonta says no to violence
Wednesday November 25 was the International Day for the elimination of violence against women and December 10 is Human Rights Day. The 16 days that begin and end on these dates are recognised internationally as the ‘16 Days of Activism’ to prevent violence against women. This year’s global theme is ‘UNITE! Activism to end violence…
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Our versatile band
Castlemaine’s Thompson Foundry Band, now in its 137th year, is getting into the swing of Christmas. Bandmaster Dan Bendrups told the band’s recent annual meeting that “it matters for a town like Castlemaine to have a band it can call its own”. He said the band had played at range of community events and festivals…
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A little bit of Christmas magic
Jade Jungwirth A group of local women has spent endless hours making hand-crafted Christmas wreaths to place around the townships of Castlemaine and Maldon. Seventy-three-year-old Lana Osterfield organised the wreath-making efforts, using vines pruned from her ornamental grapevine, with eight other retired crafters. “The council had approached a group of craft people to make decorations…
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Laundry service for friends in need
A new initiative in Castlemaine is providing a free laundry service to people experiencing homelessness and members of the community doing it tough. The ‘Laundromat of the Future’ service is operated by not-for-profit organisation, Orange Sky, at Sac O Suds Launderette. Orange Sky provides people experiencing homelessness or doing it tough (whom they call ‘friends’)…
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Celebrating our goldfields past
Chewton Domain Society and Parks Victoria are holding a double celebration to mark the 20th birthday of Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park and to commemorate the Diggers’ 1851 Monster Meeting next month. The event will be held on Sunday December 11 at the Monster Meeting site in Golden Point Road, Chewton. Parks rangers will lead…
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Fringe media partnership with MainFM
Castlemaine Fringe has announced an official media partnership with MainFM 94.9 for the 30th anniversary of Castlemaine Fringe Festival in 2023. Festival chair Jacqueline Brodie-Hanns said they were pleased to be joining forces with MainFM for next year’s event. “We’ve got an exciting program in the works with the Shop Windows Art Tour happening again, Scrabble…
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Let’s celebrate
MainFM’s Able Radio and Windarring Castlemaine are putting on a get together to celebrate International Day of People with Disability. The event is on Friday December 2 at the tea rooms in the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens, and celebrates the contributions and achievements of people with disability and promotes inclusion in the community. Everyone is welcome…
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Museum spruce up
Kyneton Museum is getting a spruce up! The museum will close temporarily on December 12 to prepare for restoration works planned from mid-January 2023. Kyneton Museum is in the former Bank of New South Wales building in Piper Street, built in 1856. It houses changing exhibitions in the original banking chamber downstairs, while upstairs the…
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Flood recovery calls for volunteers
Amy HumeDisaster recovery group BlazeAid is calling for volunteers to assist flood efforts in the Bridgewater area. The volunteer organisation has helped farmers restore thousands of fences and clean up properties ravaged by disaster since the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires. Woodend volunteer Graeme Allen is coordinating the base at Bridgewater Recreation Reserve, which launched the…
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Wine, music and goodwill
Wine, music and goodwill towards refugees set the mood for a fundraiser at Norma Richardson Hall in Woodend last Friday. Special guest for the evening was David Laity, founder and CEO of Goodwill Wines. In 2009 David, like so many others, had his livelihood wiped out by the Black Saturday fires. But with the help…