News
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Loss, pain and dementia
Woodend Lifestyle Carers is a group of people who have travelled the dementia path with a loved one. They have published their stories in the hope that other carers may reach out for assistance. Here, Irene Jones shares her story of losing her partner, the acclaimed English Australian actor Alan Cassell, to the disease. I’m…
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Farm Zone win for Lancefield family
A Lancefield couple has fought to build their dream home and business in a Rochford-area Farm Zone and won unanimous support from Macedon Ranges councillors, against planning department advice for refusal. The Sankey family purchased their 10.12-hectare property at Rochford Road seven years ago hoping to build a home, relocate their established earthmoving business and…
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Distinguished service to health and education
Julien O’Connell AM has carried the titles of pro-chancellor, chair and CEO but he credits the strong teams of people around him with helping him to achieve. The Gisborne man was made an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours for distinguished service to community health in the aged…
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Expanding opera’s reach
A long and distinguished career in opera has taken Dr David Kram all over the world, but it is his work here in Australia that fills him with the most pride. Born in London, Dr Kram studied at the Royal College of Music (London), at Luigi Ricci (Rome) and at Adelaide and Monash Universities where…
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An elite contribution
The worlds of football and ballet have collided under Susan Mayes’ world-leading physio research and she has been acknowledged for her work in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. The Riddells Creek resident has been named a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for significant service to physiotherapy, particularly to ballet. Working with elite dancers from…
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Fryerstown photographer gets OAM
Receiving a Medal of the Order of Australia, acclaimed local photographer Julie Millowick has taken this Queen’s Birthday opportunity to urge for decisive support for renewables transition, describing our times as at a “turning point”. The Fryerstown-based creative has received her accolade for service to the visual arts – particularly photography. The long-serving lecturer in…
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Queen’s Birthday gong for a ‘£10 Pom’
Arriving in Australia in 1957, aged 25 and a proud ‘Ten Pound Pom’, Ron Alexander never looked back. The carpenter loved the larrikin fun of Australian building sites and was soon dubbed ‘Ron the Pom’. “I didn’t take offence to it, it was a term of endearment as far as I was concerned. You give…
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Call for solidarity
Hundreds gathered in Castlemaine’s Victory Park on Saturday to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement and our indigenous community as part of the Castlemaine Solidarity Gathering – Declaration of Intent. The gathering was called by local Dja Dja Wurrung elder Uncle Rick Nelson in a show of support for real change as…
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You’ll never see another!
By the time Eric Burton stepped into his customised Styliner ’49er they were old friends. They had a long acquaintance stretching back 33 years because that’s how long it took Eric to get the old machine back into a decent state after buying it in 1987 from a car dealer in Golden Square. When he…
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Locals helping locals
Mt Alexander Community Enterprise Inc has donated $4000 to local groups in support of their COVID-19 work in the community. Representatives of Mt ACE attended the Community Pantry at the Castlemaine Church of Christ to hand over their contribution last week. Mt ACE recognises the important work local groups are undertaking during this difficult time…
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Teachers take the test
Castlemaine health services combined forces last week to undertake a mass COVID-19 screening of teachers and school staff from across Mount Alexander Shire. The state government introduced a voluntary testing scheme offering all Victorian public, independent and private school staff who were asymptotic the opportunity to be tested between May 13 and May 31. Castlemaine…
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In Your Face at Newstead
A new art project at Newstead will invite people to try their hand at portraiture, capturing the faces that make up the local community. The Newstead Art Salon In Your Face Portrait project has just received $3000 in grant dollars through Mount Alexander Shire Council’s latest community grants round with a series of 25 In…