Community News
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A stitch in time
Castlemaine’s Repair Cafe is getting set to return for 2019 bringing broken or dysfunctional goods back to good use while diverting waste from landfill. And as the eager band of Repair Cafe volunteers prepare to get going in their brand-new venue of the Castlemaine Town Hall, that’s not all they’ve been achieving. “It’s been fabulous.…
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AM for career in theology
Charles Sherlock spent 26 years among the exclusive membership of the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission. Just 18 scholars of theology are selected world-wide for ARCIC – nine from each of the two churches – tasked with bridging the gap that had grown between the churches since the reign of Henry VIII. Before the posting,…
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Valuer-General calls Woodend home
Woodend residents could be forgiven for taking pride in the knowledge that Victoria’s Valuer-General also chose the area to call home. Robert Marsh has lived in the district with his family – wife Victoria and daughters Lucy and Sophie – since the late 1990s, originally on a farmlet just out of town but now in…
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Young trailblazer
Last year Jessica Cockerill-Wright made history as Kyneton Fire Brigade’s first female member elected lieutenant in the brigade’s 134-year history. Since then, the Kyneton local has put her own true stamp on the position and been a role model worthy of Macedon Ranges’ Young Citizen of the Year, Australia Day honours. She first joined the…
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A strong voice
Just a few years ago Shaylyn Blyth, 17, did not expect to spark change nor the positive impact she has on those around her. Now a strong voice for youth and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, the Woodend teen has been named one of Macedon Ranges’ Young Citizens of the Year. Shaylyn is a founding…
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Worth his salt
Rob Renton is exactly the kind of bloke who could brighten your day when you are down on your luck. The Vietnam veteran has done that and so much more for many war widows and veterans in the community through his role as pension and welfare officer at the Kyneton RSL since 2003. He draws…
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Oz Day gong for Ken
Citizen of the Year for Mount Alexander Shire, Ken Maddern has not let having chronic fatigue stand in his way. Instead, the passionate local volunteer, sports administrator and junior sports promoter has done more to benefit his local community than many achieve in a lifetime. It’s a fact that on Saturday saw Ken named the…
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Parlez-vous Francais?
The hot, dry bushland of Walmer is a very long way from Canada’s French Quebec famed for its icy winter carnival. But you don’t have to chat to local French language tutor, Emma Dubuc, for long to see she loves the Aussie bushland she now calls home. Originally from Quebec City where French was her…
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Park plan push
Momentum is building for a Gisborne community park on the spot where development could have taken hold five years ago if it was not for a strong community campaign. Macedon Ranges Shire Council has endorsed the Wyralla Reserve Landscape Plan to develop the reserve on the corner of Wyralla Crescent and Kurung Court. The estimated…
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Local cactus warriors honoured
The Tarrangower Cactus Control warriors have been honoured with a national Froggatt Award. The accolade is awarded to those who have made a major contribution to protecting Australia’s native plants and animals, ecosystems and people, from dangerous new invasive species. The passionate local group have lured university students, local scouts and even Work for the…
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From Paris to Newham
This is the story of a reunion…the kind of reunion people who sold something years ago only to find it is worth a small fortune today will well and truly relate to. It’s also the story of a grand old fire truck with a secret life… It all began locally around Woodend way when well-known…
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New pooch park proving popular
Since it opened last month, Guildford’s new off-lead dog park has been proving very popular among dog owners and their four-legged friends who have been travelling from near and far to enjoy what it has to offer. This includes just over four acres of space to stretch, run, sniff and roll – all off-lead –…