Featured
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Designs for Old Kyneton Primary School revealed
The Old Kyneton Primary School is set to be transformed into a creative precinct made up of eight zones, including a heritage forecourt, a town square, a market square, First Nations gardens and a reimagined play space. Local MP Mary-Anne Thomas launched a masterplan for the precinct last Friday and confirmed both the bluestone building…
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Top title for top town
Mount Macedon has been named winner of the Tiny Town category at the Victorian Top Tourism Town Awards 2022. The village was recognised for its nature-based experiences including Macedon Regional Park and nearby Hanging Rock that can be enjoyed year-round. Macedon Ranges mayor, Cr Jennifer Anderson, said the win was fantastic news for local tourism…
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Bust of the late Felix Cappy unveiled
Lisa Dennis A huge crowd gathered at the Castlemaine Town Hall on Sunday to witness the unveiling of a bronze bust to celebrate the life and achievements of the late Felix Cappy OAM. Felix was born and bred in Castlemaine and devoted his life to community service, charitable work and preserving the town’s history. Felix…
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From gallery to garden
Eve Lamb Castlemaine’s botanical gardens have a new feature … and if you think you’ve seen it somewhere else before then you’re spot on. Ever since it was created back in 2009 by local artist Zoe Amor, the striking bronze sculpture, Dusk, has graced the portico at the front of Castlemaine Art Museum in Lyttleton Street. But…
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Tragedy commemorated
Two prisoners of war with Kyneton family have been honoured in the 80th anniversary of their tragic deaths. Civilian Harry Darley Holland and Sydney McGregor, Private 2/22nd Battalion, were among those to perish on board the unmarked Japanese transport freighter SS Montevideo Maru. The freighter was torpedoed on July 1, 1942, off the coast of…
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Macedon Ranges mayor takes up Plastic Free July challenge
How can an environmentally conscious resident reduce their single-use plastic uptake even more? That’s a question facing Macedon Ranges mayor Jennifer Anderson this month as she tackles her own challenge for Plastic Free July. The Australian-born initiative is a global movement that encourages people to reduce their plastic use to lessen their environmental impact. This…
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Farmers push for strategy rethink
Farmers have united in a bid for a fairer deal in Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s Draft Rural Land Use Strategy. The strategy proposes rezoning pockets of Farm Zone land to Rural Conservation that would restrict primary producers who wish to diversify away from or change their agricultural focus. It’s a move that Pipers Creek farmer…
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Williams biopic filmed in Ranges
It was lights, camera, action in Macedon Ranges last month as filming got under way for Robbie Williams’ biopic Better Man. Directed and co-written by Melbourne-born Michael Gracey, Better Man will offer an introspective look into the experiences that shaped the popular UK entertainer. The film follows Williams’ journey from working-class roots to stadium-filling stardom, and the demons…
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Resilience group tackles emissions
Eve Lamb A survey conducted by Castlemaine’s West End Resilience group indicates a high level of enthusiasm for community-based energy solutions towards reducing carbon emissions. Members of the home-grown energy group say they’re are now looking into sustainable energy solutions that are accessible for all West Enders including tenants, home-owners and businesses, and also community…
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Hedgerow rejuvenation
Historic field hedges at Kyneton’s Windmill Farm are being painstakingly restored by a specialist hedgelayer. Property owner Sallyanne Craig said the 170-year-old hedges were significant enough to be heritage-listed, but were in poor repair. “Their advanced age and the absence of proper management for perhaps 70 years means they are in an exceptionally perilous state,”…
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Filmmaker puts body on the line
A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to support the completion of a local documentary film celebrating the journey of the Mt Alexander Falcons Women’s Football Club. The community is urged to get behind the campaign to help complete Equal the Contest, a feature-length documentary film following the development of the new women’s football club and their…
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Skate park priority
Macedon Ranges Shire Council will prioritise the Gisborne Skate Park and Pump Track in its application to the state’s Growing Suburbs Fund. The council is seeking $450,000 for the project which will rejuvenate the park and increase activity for users of all skill levels. In 2020 the Express reported then nine-year-old Thomas Gilmour’s campaign to council to…