Local News
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Newham mascot sculpture stolen
A bronze sculpture of a pig has been stolen from the wall outside the Newham General Store. The little bronze porker has graced the Newham village centre since 2010 and was removed sometime overnight last Thursday. It appears thieves levered up a 200kg capstone to remove bolts anchoring the sculpture to the wall. Nicknamed Chin-Chin,…
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Party in the park for Kyneton Music Festival
Now eight years old and grown in stature, Kyneton Music Festival will hit the town on October 25-26. A huge lineup for this year’s festival has just been announced with Ali Barter, Stonefield, Jade Imagine, The Putbacks, Hobsons Bay Coast Guard, Martin Frawley, Black Cab, Glitoris, Buried Feather, Ben Salter, Ryan Downey, Cry Club, Quivers,…
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Who brews? Home brew comp comes to Kyneton Show
Do you have a mini-brewery in your garage or back shed? Do you brew your own pale ale, pilsner or lager? Do you make a stronger beer, a stout or dark ale? Perhaps you brew wheat or rye beer, sours, or fruit beers? No matter what your concoction, there’s a class for you with a…
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Local brigades warn Ashbourne fire is a sign of things to come
A fast-spreading fire in the bush at Ashbourne last Thursday is a sign of things to come, local fire brigades warn. Tylden and Trentham brigades were called to an out-of-control burn off on Keyes Road just after 2pm. On route Tylden captain Marcus Fidler saw a large plume of smoke and immediately called for five…
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Lost Castlemaine
While Castlemaine is noted for the heritage treasures that grace its streets today, many of its significant yesteryear structures have been lost to the ravages of time or misadventure. But now local writer-researcher Marjorie Theobald and artist Marieanne Heard have joined creative forces to produce a new book on Castlemaine’s lost built history, from imposing…
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Castlemaine branch of ANZ bank to close
A local business operator has slammed a decision by the ANZ bank to close its Castlemaine branch next March. Stephen Cross of Castlemaine Central Wine Store fears the move – part of wider branch closures flagged by the ANZ – will be detrimental for the town. “It is very disappointing and yet another example of…
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Cost blowout – Gardiner Reserve upgrades face setback
A major cost blowout for upgrades at Gardiner Reserve threatens to disrupt Gisborne’s 2020 winter sports season or delay the project by 12 months. The $462,099 shortfall for two pavilion upgrade projects is expected to push back works to game season: a scenario that has been described as “a nightmare” for five tenant clubs and…
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HEALTH SERVICES JOINING FORCES
CHIRP Community Health and Castlemaine Health will conduct a year-long trial to see if combining their community health services in a joint working arrangement can deliver better health outcomes for local people. But it’s not a merger – at this stage, Castlemaine Health CEO Ian Fisher and CHIRP CEO Di Couch say. “Not at this…
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Little local charity Orphfund makes big difference
Castlemaine art space Lot 19 is hosting an exhibition to celebrate the story of local charity Orphfund. The Orphfund Story: A photographic journey provides an insight into the charity’s work through the lens of Orphfund founder and fine arts photographer Steve Argent. The exhibition tracks Orphfund’s 14 years working at the coalface to change the…
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Ready, set … Run The Maine
This Friday public holiday is a big one for Castlemaine as the town hosts hundreds of runners for the annual Run The Maine. Event director Gavin Krasner says the half marathon course has been particularly hitting the mark with strong registrations from runners keen to tackle the 21km distance that will follow the Maldon to…
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IT’S TIME – Students join Melbourne Strike 4 Climate rally
Students from Trentham District Primary School joined the Melbourne Strike 4 Climate rally in front of Parliament House on Friday. In Australia more than 300,000 school children and workers in more than 110 towns and cities joined four million people world wide calling for climate action. Last week Hepburn Shire Council declared a Climate Emergency…
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Castlemaine cries out for climate action
A crowd estimated at upwards of 2000 turned out in Castlemaine’s CBD on Friday demonstrating support for the day’s global Strike 4 Climate with rally numbers across the nation recorded in the hundreds of thousands. Castlemaine’s Victory Park rally drew entertainers, school children, local business and community leaders alike and coincided with far larger events…