News
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Now that’s a shed! Rail precinct steams ahead
Measuring a whopping 160 metres long by 15.5 metres wide, the freshly completed carriage stabling shed at Castlemaine Heritage Rail Precinct is one of the town’s largest buildings. “It’s a bl…. big shed,” VGR’s Castlemaine Heritage Rail Precinct caretaker Andrew Reynolds said on site on Friday. “It’s the biggest open shed in Castlemaine and it’s…
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Radio to rock the Royal
Castlemaine’s not-for-profit radio station MAINfm kicked off its week-long ‘2020 Radiothon’ fundraiser on Saturday evening with an epic PubSing Castlemaine online sing-a-long to this year’s theme ‘Here Comes the Sun’, live from The Taproom at Shedshaker Brewing. The radiothon continues this week and will culminate with another massive virtual live music event – the Big…
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OVER BUDGET AND POORLY PLANNED
The state government’s controversial roadside wire rope barrier project faces a major cost blowout and has been less effective than promised. Victoria’s auditor general has found the project is eight months late, poorly planned and maintained, and already nearly $100 million over budget. Wire rope barriers were installed along 20 of the most dangerous highways…
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Challenges ahead for RM Begg
RM Begg Kyneton Aged Care is calling for financial support to help it survive. The community owned not-for-profit organisation has provided quality aged care to the district for more than 60 years but the challenges it now faces are increasing. Government funding of the sector is supplemented by interest earned on invested Refundable Accommodation Deposits,…
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CHASING CARS Leo Pruneau’s designs come to life in iconic Australian wheels
Not many people can lay claim to having flown first class on every business trip, and on the Concorde five times, but Leo Pruneau has the ‘souvenir’ glasses to prove it. Such was the jet setting lifestyle of a top General Motors designer, “in another life” as the now 88-year-old Woodend resident describes it. Responsible…
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Club joins positive role model move
As the footy season hopes to make a welcome return, members of the Woodend Hesket Football Netball Club are a part of a new online portrait exhibition called ‘Role Modelling Respect’. The portraits were taken early this year as part of a joint project between the club and Cobaw Community Health. At the WHFNC registration…
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Brewery on the way – New hospitality enterprise for Lancefield
Plans for a new brewery, restaurant and function centre are well advanced, with the exciting project for the middle of Lancefield likely to be operational by next February. A consortium of 10 locals is behind the enterprise, to be sited on a large sloping, triangular-shaped vacant block flanked by Main Road and The Crescent. The…
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Coronavirus update for Victoria
Twenty-one new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Victoria yesterday, bringing the total cumulative number of cases to 1762. Of the new cases, 15 have been detected in returned overseas travellers in hotel quarantine, two are linked to existing outbreaks and four have been identified through community testing. One of the new cases identified through…
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You need the numbers: MP buoys hopes for school reopening
Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards says she would be keen to see Guildford succeed in its ambitious campaign to reopen the town’s primary school. The historic primary school, which is still owned by the education department, was closed in 2017 due to declining enrolments. At the time, the school had eight pupils enrolled and if…
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Castlemaine Art Museum to reopen
Castlemaine Art Museum has announced that it will reopen its doors to the public this Saturday June 20 at noon. CAM will be open Thursday-Sunday only initially from 12pm-4pm, closing a little earlier to enable staff to clean the gallery at the end of each day. CAM renewal director Naomi Cass said CAM’s magnificent galleries…
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The district captured for the screen
Its natural beauty, gold rush history and character are just some of the reasons that have made Macedon Ranges and Mount Alexander attractive backdrops for film and television. From bushrangers and historical figures, to the setting of famous Australian novels, you may not be wrong in thinking you’ve spotted a local landscape or talent on…
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Kyneton’s cinema pioneer
With the Australian film industry on coronavirus pause and even Hollywood hanging up the slate, Kyneton set designer Leslie Binns is finding work as an illustrator until his film work returns. The talented art director has more than 40 feature film credits to his name including Healing and Moby Dick, and three of his film…