Castlemaine
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Surprise musical legacy for the men
It’s not every day you get left a surprising musical legacy. When dedicated Castlemaine Men’s Shed member Lindesay Hart passed away earlier this year he left a bequest for his mates at the shed – the entire contents of his own home shed. Turns out Lindesay’s shed contained a wide range of goods ranging from…
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Vote time in Don KR enterprise dispute
About 70 maintenance workers involved in an enterprise agreement dispute at Castlemaine’s Don KR Factory have been asked to vote on whether to accept the latest offer from parent company George Weston Foods Limited. Pay and conditions are at the heart of the enterprise agreement dispute which erupted in a series of stoppages and bans…
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On the house
Castlemaine café operator Dot Hardman of The Dot in Barker Street has embraced the community movement ‘One on the House’ that aims to brighten the day of locals doing it tough. Dot said well-loved local ‘Nana’ Barb Templar of the Castlemaine RSL first suggested the idea of ‘donating’ an extra coffee for those doing it…
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Castlemaine base for Glenrowan film shoot
Castlemaine has been chosen as the base for next year’s anticipated filming of Glenrowan, the latest ambitious film project of established filmmaker Matthew Holmes. Holmes is the filmmaker behind 2016 bushranger film The Legend of Ben Hall and with Glenrowan turns his attention to portraying the final 48 hours of Ned Kelly’s life as a…
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Push for defib
Momentum is building to get a defibrillator installed for after-hours public access in central Castlemaine. Bronwyn Grieve, community health nurse at Castlemaine District Community Health, is among those busy gathering signatures for a petition for a chance to win a defibrillator for after-hours public access. Bronwyn says Australian Hearts has a competition running and those…
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Castlemaine writer wins literary award
A Castlemaine writer has drawn partly on her own past experiences as an aerial circus performer to take out a prestigious $50,000 national literary award. But Libby Angel also drew on threads of early Australian history to pen her first novel, The Trapeze Act, which has just been named winner of the coveted $50,000 Barbara…
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Tower proposal ignites debate
Residents of Wesley Hill at Castlemaine are up in arms over proposed plans for the installation of a new Optus communications tower just a couple of hundred metres from nearby homes. The residents say it will be a ‘blight’ on the heritage landscape and will be visible as visitors drive into the gateway to Castlemaine.…
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Taking care of the Coliban River
The long-term protection of one of the region’s most important waterways is at the centre of an innovative 20-year plan bringing together government agencies, councils and local communities. A Healthy Coliban Catchment focuses on the health of the Coliban River and its tributaries upstream of Malmsbury Reservoir. For the first time, Coliban Water, the North…
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Travel writer sets down swag in the ‘Maine
There’s not much of Australia that Lee Atkinson hasn’t seen. But when it came to setting down her swag on a more permanent basis the acclaimed travel writer chose Castlemaine. And after buying a house with her husband Bill and shifting to Castlemaine from northern NSW about two months ago, Lee has just launched her…
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Don’t panic, call a beekeeper!
Spring is a busy time for beekeepers as this is the time of year when honeybees swarm. Castlemaine beekeeper Daniel BeeShepherd from the Castlemaine Bee Sanctuary recommends that if people see a swarm of bees that they stay calm and contact a beekeeper. “Seeing so many bees in once place can be very intimidating but…
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Lose yourself to dance
It’s Mental Health Week across Mount Alexander Shire and there’s no better time to put on your dancing shoes and lose yourself to dance. Join the next No Lights No Lycra dance session in Castlemaine this coming Friday. “Dancing is good for your emotional health and has been proven to help fight stress, anxiety and…
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Support networks vital
New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals suicide rates are at a 10-year high. The Causes of Death Australia 2017 report, released last week, indicates the national suicide rate increased 9.1 per cent over 12 months, with 3128 taking their lives in 2017 compared to 2866 in 2016. beyondblue clinical advisor Dr Stephen…