34 gippsland the lifestyle autumn 2018 by gippsland life

Autumn ISSUE #34 gippsland culture

lifestyle | coast | country $7.95

fish creek

something fishy

foster

revitalised

new feature inside

food, wine accommodation features inside

spoil yourself THE BRANDY CREEK ESTATE RESTAURANT, VINEYARD & DAY SPA

more insid e ISSN 1838-8124

+ Regular Features Horoscope | Positive Lifestyle Tips | Canine Corner | Events + Markets

1 - 5 Roughead Street, Leongatha, Vic, 3953 P (03) 5662 2327 F (03) 5662 2642 E edney@dcsi.net.au W edneysleongatha.com.au LMCT 1500

editorial autumn #34 Welcome to Issue 34 and Autumn!

We hope you all love and enjoy this autumn edition, our 34th issue, as much as we have putting it together for you. Our magazine is all about Gippslander’s, the people who make this region the wonderful, diverse, creative place it is to live and visit. We have featured two remarkable towns, both with their own niche and close to Victoria’s extremely popular attraction, Wilson’s Promontory and several glorious beaches. Fish Creek, first settled in 1886, is a small town with numerous galleries, unique craft outlets and quirky cafes. The town biennially holds a stupendous, internationally-recognised festival to celebrate the humble tea cosy – a symbol of hospitality.

Foster, originally a busy gold-mining settlement has recently been transformed with new infrastructure and a revamped streetscape resulting in a renewed vibrant town with fantastic services and amenities. An appealing aspect of the town is the numerous garden beds filled with masses of flowers amongst herbs and vegetables, and its enchanting community garden in an attractive open-park setting for everyone to enjoy. Our Food Wine Accommodation section showcases our regions extraordinary wine makers, our delightfully diverse stays and our amazing food producers and providers. This is now complemented with our new exciting Gippsland Culture section celebrating Gippsland’s arts and innovation.

Writers:

Chris West, Wendy Morriss, Lyn Skillern, Lisa Maatsoo, Brendan Black, Trevor Stow, Ebony Knox, Garry Knox Contributors: Stuart Hay, Ali Fullard, Erin Miller, Kerry Galea, John Turner MAAPM, Jim Radford, Gary Jackson, Trevor Brown, Frank Butera Cartoonist: Steve White Quirky Pictures: Marguerite Sharlott Photographers: Lisa Maatsoo, Wendy Morriss, Douglas Pell, Ebony Knox, Garry Knox, Brendan Black, Carmel Trease Advertising: Douglas Pell Editor: Wendy Morriss Creative: Alex Smirnakos Printers: Graphic Impressions | www.gimpressions.com.au

index our content WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET – KINGBUILT HOMES READY, SET, COUNT! – WGCMA UP AND RUNNING SALE OF THE CENTURY FOR A BAT AND A CHAT, TRY RUSTY CRICKETERS GIPPSLAND WOMEN MAKING THEIR MARK STONY CREEK FK100 MILLY AND THE MILL TOWN CANINE CORNER MOUNT CANNIBAL SNAKE ISLAND CATTLE FEATURE THE E-BIKE REVOLUTION – RIVIERA CYCLES FARMING, BANKING & GOOD ADVICE FROM 1942 TRAINING YOUR GUNDOG RETRIEVER PART 2 BOATING WITH CRAWFORD MARINE FACEBOOK FOR BUSINESS BACTERIA WARS YOUR AUTUMN HOROSCOPE – KERRY GALEA FIND YOUR TRIBE – ERIN MILLER YOUR EVENT GUIDE TO THE AUTUMN MARKETS YOUR EVENT GUIDE TO THE AUTUMN EVENTS WHERE YOU CAN GET A COPY OF THE MAGAZINE

This edition of Gippsland Lifestyle is dedicated to Maree Bradshaw, former editor and part-owner of the magazine, who has worked tirelessly on the publication since its inception back in 2009. We would like to thank Maree for her enormous contribution and hard work and wish her all the best in the future. On behalf of our amazing team, I’d also like to thank all our contributors, advertisers and readers for their continued interest and support. Wendy Morriss Editor, Gippsland Lifestyle

GIPPSLAND THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE PO Box 862, Wonthaggi 3995 P: 0404 301 333 | E: thelifestyle@dcsi.net.au W: thelifestylemagazine.com.au facebook.com/lifestylegippsland

Front Cover Image Brandy Creek Restaurant, Vineyard & Day Spa www.brandycreekestate.com.au

fish creek feature index 8-10 12-13 14-15 16-17 56-57 58-61 62 64-66 67 70 90-93 94 96-99 100-101 124-125 126-127 128 130 131 132 134-135 161

gippsland food + wine + accommodation index Page 20

FISH CREEK GENERAL STORE FISH CREEK A SMALL TOWN TRANSFORMED THROUGH ART FISH CREEK HOTEL EARLY FISH CREEK THE HUB FISH CREEK’S CREATIVE GEM FISH CREEK GENERAL STORE THE TEA COSY FESTIVAL FISH CREEK FESTIVAL CELEBRATES THE HUMBLE TEA COSY

104-105 106-108 109 110-111 112-115 116-118 119 119 120-122

foster feature index FOSTER & DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL SHOW TAKING REFUGE AND DELIGHT IN REFUGE COVE FOSTER THE PROM’S DIVERSE REGIONAL CENTRE FOSTER SEAFOODS FOSTER’S DELIGHTFUL TRANSFORMATION A TALE OF TWO CREEKS FOSTER AND FISH CREEK MANNA COMMUNITY GARDEN IN AND OUT CLOTHING LEE DAVIDSON JEWELLERY REFUGE COVE CRUISES FOSTER RSL PROM MEATS FOSTER GOLF CLUB FOSTER & DISTRICT HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM NATURAL LIVING PROM COUNTRY LODGE PULHAMS FURNITURE & CARPET

71 72-73 74-76 77 78-79 80-81 82-84 85 85 85 86 86 87 88 89 89 89

our advertisers CAMPANIA OF MEENIYAN COAL CREEK COMMUNITY PARK & MUSEUM DINNER PLAIN DROUIN PRINTERS EDNEYS LEONGATHA EVANS BP PETROLEUM – WESTSIDE FARM WORLD FLOURISHING FIGURES GIPPSLAND MOTOR GROUP LMCT 11552 GROWMASTER TRARALGON HI TECH LEONGATHA

thelifestyle autumn 2018

5 7 19 133 3 102 4 18 164 123 68

KINGBUILT HOMES LYREBIRD HANDCRAFTED CRICKET BATS PAINT PLACE GROUP OF STORES RIVIERA CYCLES BAIRNSDALE SIMPLY WHITE ANTIQUES & HOMEWARES STONY CREEK GO-KARTS THE KORUMBURRA DENTIST – DR GARY WILKIE TNT EXPLOSIVE PRINTZ WEST GIPPSLAND CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY WONTHAGGI NEWSAGENCY & LOTTO

11 69 103 95 133 63 55 55 2 55,161

1870 - 1920's history of a coal mining town in South Gippsland. 53 historic buildings, on 35 acres of bushland, every building has a story to tell. Pack a picnic lunch, buy old fashioned lollies from the General Store, feed the ducks, ride the Bush Tramway. Experience the romance of a wedding in a bush setting. EASTER EGG HUNT Sunday 1st April 2018 10.00am - 1.30am Hunting licence $5pp Hunt for 3 Gold blocks to exchange for 3 Easter eggs STEAM TRAIN $10pp Coffee and food vendor Non-denomination service MEET THE EASTER BUNNY Tickets on Sale now

4TH HERITAGE CRAFT DAY Sunday 5th August 2018 10.30am - 4.30pm Steam Train FREE ENTRY DEMONSTRATIONS in Pioneer Skills and disappearing trades BEARD COMPETITION prizes for the best moustache, partial and full beards

A: T:

South Gippsland Hwy, Kooorumburra VIC 03 5655 1811

W: E: O:

coalcreekcommunityparkandmuseum.com.au coalcreek@southgippsland.vic.gov.au Thurs - Mon - 4.30pm, Open 7 Days a week Vic School Holidays

thelifestyle autumn 2018

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET by Kelly Koochew | Marketing Manager Kingbuilt

thelifestyle autumn 2018

Kingbuilt's ‘what you see is what you get’ display in Traralgon has now been sold and is closed to the public. Since it opened in November 2016, The Dignity has enjoyed enormous popularity on account of being the only display home in Victoria built entirely with standard inclusions. General Manager Lochlin Wall explains.

“We introduced the concept of building a display where literally everything you see is what you get, because we knew people were tired of not being able to work out what was and wasn’t included when they visited display homes."

The majority of our customers are second or third time builders, sometimes more. Their feedback was always the same; in the past they’d chosen a builder and a home based on a display, only to discover everything they liked about it wasn’t included without paying extra. You’ve been quoted $300,000 for the build but by the time its finished you’ve outlaid an extra $100,000. The best way for us to counter that was to build a house where everything you see is included; the crossover and driveway at the front, the rear path and clothesline at the back, all the finishes inside, it’s all included.”

thelifestyle autumn 2018

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET So why sell it?

“We are currently working on the design of a new display with the same concept. Its shaping up to be fantastic; a modern and innovative take on what we know people want to see,” says Mr Wall. “There are new features, materials and finishes we want to incorporate to show people what else can be done.” Kingbuilt's new display will be built in Traralgon and launched later this year.

thelifestyle autumn 2018

“The whole concept of what you see what you get is so well aligned with our philosophy of building without risk, of building with honesty, transparency and trust. Whether you choose to build a home based on The Dignity or an entirely unique custom build, what we quote you for the build is exactly what you will end up paying. No hidden costs, no surprises. Essentially, that’s what differentiates us.” To explore the potential of building your home with Kingbuilt, contact their customer care team on 1300 546 428 or visit their other display homes at 176 Cross’s Rd, Traralgon or 1 Amberly Drive, Drouin. kingbuilt.com.au

thelifestyle autumn 2018

READY, SET, COUNT! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not unusual to see the iconic Pelican soaring and swooping or gliding and preening around the Gippsland Lakes. But, in a Victorian first, BirdLife Australia are hosting the Great Pelican Count on Sunday, 8 April.

thelifestyle autumn 2018

According to Deb Sullivan, Birdlife Australia Project Officer in East Gippsland, the Great Pelican Count is a fantastic opportunity to get out with family and friends and enjoy the Lakes while contributing important monitoring data. “We’re calling on residents of and visitors to the Gippsland Lakes to register to be part of the Great Pelican Count,” said Deb. “The Count is a snapshot – like a census – of pelicans across the Gippsland Lakes taken at exactly the same time on the same day. “Anyone can be involved in the count; pelicans are distinctive and easy to spot making it an event the whole family can be involved in,” continued Deb. The Count will be held from 11.30am to 12.00pm on Sunday, 8 April at many locations around the Gippsland Lakes. “When you register to participate in the Count you will be allocated a site, relative to your registration preferences,” explained Deb. “We have both a nomadic and resident population of Pelicans at the Gippsland Lakes, but we don’t actually know a lot about them.” The Gippsland Lakes is home to one of very few permanent pelican rookeries in Victoria. Pelicans are colonial nesters, meaning they nest en masse. Their young form creches or up to 100 pelicans that stay together for around two months learning to fly, feed and fend for themselves. Continued and consistent monitoring is vital to help inform the future management of the Gippsland Lakes and its surrounding wetlands. Information gathered about species, like the

Pelican, helps us understand what management actions are working and what are the needs of the species into the future. “The Gippsland Lakes provide a refuge for nomadic Pelicans during time of regional and national drought,” continued Deb. “We would expect to see more pelicans around the Lakes in dry times as they look for food." “Data from the Great Pelican Count will give information about current numbers and their locations.” Pelicans are a highly mobile species and are renowned for their ability to leave their coastal locations when significant rainfall occurs inland. “Annual counts will help provide insights into population fluctuations from year to year and help understand the arrival and departure of nomadic populations using the Lakes in times of high or low rainfall or both."

“We want this to become an annual event so that data collected year on year can be used to build a more full and complete picture of the pelican population at the Gippsland Lakes." “Register for the count, grab your friends and family and get out and enjoy the Gippsland Lakes. Your observations as citizen scientists can really make a difference."

There will be at least 75 sites across the Gippsland Lakes with counters allocated to them. Some sites will have lots of birds, others may have none, but this also provides useful information. “We’re also keen to get some local knowledge of roost sites, or places where pelicans ‘hang out” continued Deb. “We need to find as many as possible so we’re asking people to give us a call or send an email to let us know.” To register for the Great Pelican Count visit birdlife.org.au/great-pelican-count or for more information email greatpelicancount@birdlife.org.au. Registrations close on Sunday, 25 March 2018. The Great Pelican Count has been adapted from the highly successful BirdLife Australia citizen science survey for Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoos in Western Australia called The Great Cocky Count. Now in its tenth year, the annual Great Cocky Count has provided important data and population changes for a multitude of agencies working with this species. It is also the largest citizen science program in WA. BirdLife Australia is dedicated to achieving outstanding conservation results for native Australian birds and their habitats. This project is funded by the Victorian State Government for the health of the Gippsland Lakes.

“This inaugural annual count will over time, help us to quantify the changes in Pelican numbers across the Gippsland Lakes and enable volunteers of all ages to participate in counting one of Australia’s most recognisable birds.”

thelifestyle autumn 2018

UP AND “But I don’t run,” is the commonly echoed response I hear as I launch into describing the healthy phenomenon of parkrun. It could be a friend; it could be a neighbour or someone I have known for only a few minutes.

The joy of parkrun does not discriminate between those that run and those that don’t and I do not discriminate with who I hope to inspire through running. I will begin my story at the age of four when I was diagnosed with chronic asthma. Having to always carry an inhaler with me, I was constantly at risk of having an asthma attack. On various occasions I would find myself blanketed by thick white hospital sheets, an oxygen mask over my face or being loaded into the back of an ambulance. On one occasion I found myself on board Heli Med One, destined for the Royal Children’s Hospital. While I knew there were other children doing it worse than me, I felt like I was missing out on life. Today I am making up for those years by living every day to the fullest. ‘Irrepressible’ is the word my dad uses to describe me. I have completed eighty two parkruns and seven half marathons. Three more are needed to achieve my goal of running a half marathon in every state and territory in Australia. Half marathons aside, the run that I am most proud of happens every Saturday morning on the Great Southern Rail Trail in Koonwarra. It also happens in 220 more locations throughout Australia and the list is growing. Across the world parkrunners are able to participate in one of over 1300 events in the United Kingdom, where parkrun originated and many other countires

thelifestyle autumn 2018

including Canada, Finland, France, New Zealand and Singapore. At 7.45am, a crowd begins to gather. Young and old, some pushing prams, some with a dog, some wearing the latest ‘on trend’ sporting fashions, a princess tutu and others in improvised active wear. Some arrive early to help put the flags out and organise the equipment. The rostered Run Director for the day oversees the event and supports the volunteers in their designated positions. There’s a timekeeper and back up, a person handing out finish tokens, photographer and barcode scanner. A tail walker ensures everyone is safe and well on the course and if wanted, may provide company to those that are unhurried and out for a morning stroll.

If you’re a first timer at parkrun, you will be acknowledged and welcomed. Nerves and any hint of feeling intimidated by a sprinkling of serious athletes are quickly dispensed. We are all here to do our best and achieve our own individual goals. If you’re a tourist visiting from another parkrun you will be welcomed with polite applause, an invitation to write in the visitors book and along with all parkrun participants, the opportunity to stay back for a casual chat and an optional replenishing of the calories in a café across the road. It’s hearing people’s parkrun journeys that inspire organisers.

RUNNING by Ebony Knox

It’s about bridging the gap between locals and visitors, runners, joggers and walkers. On a deeper level, this is where parkrun becomes more than a simple run in the park. In a speech made in front of 255 participants at the launch of South Gippsland’s first parkrun on Saturday November 4th, 2017, the Danish word ‘hygge’ was used to describe the support shown from individuals, businesses and organisations in Koonwarra and surrounds. It means the art of building a community, inviting closeness, creating wellbeing and a sense of connection and warmth. It’s about a feeling of belonging and a celebration of every moment, every day. Success comes in many forms. One participant has just completed 100 parkruns, another revels in being the first over the line. Someone else celebrates running three seconds faster than their personal best and another is well satisfied to just complete the five-kilometre course. To have ‘Gippslander’ status does not mean you have to be born, raised or live in Gippsland. It is parkrun terminology for someone who has ran all parkrun courses in Gippsland. It ensures a good conversation starter amongst parkrunners and is the equivalent of local parkrun royalty. At 8am a hooter sounds to symbolise the beginning of the event and numbers on personal and official stop watches begin to tick. The sound of movement on the gravel path is heard.

Conversation between serious runners stops. Up the back, pram pushers, family members and friends turn up the volume on life’s dramas, last week’s parkrun times or weekend plans. Youngsters are encouraged to keep an eye out for wildlife that inhabit the picturesque, three bridges course. One may also find themselves sharing life stories with a stranger. Out on the course the only pressure being felt is from the voice inside a participant’s head. ‘Too fast, too slow, sore legs, breathe’. Another voice can often be heard, this time it’s the encouraging cheer from a friend, a family member, a volunteer, or another runner. Receiving a high five from a stranger is not uncommon. It may only be a brief interaction, one that lasts until the barcodes are returned for scanning, or until you catch your breath and exchange more greetings. Nonetheless, it’s a connection that keeps people coming back for more. Parkrun is a free, weekly, timed 5km walk, run or jog held at 7.45am every Saturday morning. Gippsland locations include: Koonwarra, Inverloch, Phillip Island, Pakenham, Warragul, Churchill, Newborough, Traralgon, Sale, Bairnsdale and Lakes Entrance. It is open to all ages and abilities, organised entirely by volunteers, it’s friendly and fun. For more information or to register visit www.parkrun.com.au

thelifestyle autumn 2018

Sale of the Century By Garry Knox

Google the definition of Woodleigh Vale and you might find ‘quiet backwater, quality farmland’ and ‘friendly people’, so when one of Woodleigh's established families decide to sell up after 100 years of dairying, the occasion takes on Olympic proportions. The township of Woodleigh has gone the way of many small rural towns. Once it was a self-sufficient South Gippsland town beside the railway line with Wonthaggi one way and Nyora the other. It was home to the railway station and four railway families, a hall, a church, a school complete with school teacher’s residence, a general store and a post office. Now it's all gone except the hall, and the hall struggles for purpose and maintenance with table tennis, a Melbourne Cup Eve function and footy tipping being the only events.

A paddock smudger used each Spring to level paddocks of heavy clay Woodleigh river flats

Woodleigh Vale has geographic status only. Community spirit survives, albeit encroached upon by the neighbouring towns of Loch, Kernot and Grantville and the lure to bigger towns for shopping and commerce. Full-time farming families are now considerably outnumbered in Woodleigh by home owners, retirees and farmers with off-farm incomes.

This big day was brought on by the sale of Russell and Allison Jones' farm and their imagination and desire of a less hectic lifestyle. Russell and Allison's retirement from milking is both a reflection of a struggling dairy industry and fair acknowledgement of a lifetime of early morning milkings, muddy winters and the highs and lows of working with cows.

They all turned out though, for the Jones' Clearing Sale. Over 300 registered as prospective bidders (which suggests 400 attended) making it the biggest crowd in Woodleigh since the cricket club had the famous Toga party. The Jones' entire front paddock was bursting with people, endless rows of sundries, scrap and machinery, some spic some rusty, and tractors and vehicles, all testament to four generations of farming activity.

The Jones’ arrived in Woodleigh in 1920. It was Russell's grandfather who emigrated from Wales and started with a shovel on a market garden at Werribee before walking all the way to Wonthaggi to work in the coal mines. He then bought into Woodleigh. His son Gwilym based his agricultural contracting (hay making) at the Woodleigh farm and Russell and Allison have milked stud Friesian cows there for the last 40 years. Retirement may now allow Russell to indulge his passion for tinkering with old VW's.

Hay rake…endless haymaking every summer

thelifestyle autumn 2018

Allison Jones and Will Hunter on a set of Disc Harrows

Evan Jones, the only Jones left in Woodleigh, and the Woodleigh Hall, the only public institution left in Woodleigh. Evan reminds the writer that they are more correctly known as the Price-Jones.

A big crowd turned out for the Jones clearing sale

‘A Woodleigh clearing sale’ The fourth generation (Russell and Allison's children) have spread themselves well away from Woodleigh. Penny is in Kununurra, WA, Claire is in Geelong and David is in Holland.

The Jones’ have appreciated the network of good neighbouring families within the Woodleigh community. Along with long time contemporaries like the Hayes, the Hunters, the Crawfords and the Halls, the Jones generations have all made significant contributions to the Woodleigh fabric. For a century nothing happened or was built without input from these families. The school, the CWA, the Red Cross, the tennis, the cricket, the badminton, the hall and the church all benefited by these and other farming families.

A romantic might conclude that the large turnout at the clearing sale was the community saying to the Jones’ both past and present, “thank you and goodbye". It’s more likely the large crowd turned out to ‘snag a bargain’ as you try to do at a clearing sale.

Vendor Russell Jones with daughter Claire

But as one generation of well-satisfied dairy farmers depart, the Woodleigh community can be proud that one committed farming combination is being replaced by another. Dennis and Jules Bowler and sons Josh, Lachie and Mitch have moved in and Woodleigh is now their home. Good luck to the Jones’ in retirement and the Bowlers in the business of milking cows.

Hay used to be conserved as small square bales, rammed into shape by square balers like these

Row upon row of farm sundries

thelifestyle autumn 2018

Flourishing Figures Accountant & Tax Agent Located in lang Lang and servicing the surrounding area

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We help small to medium business owners to create a business that they love, so that they can fulfil their dreams and live the life that they want. If you are wanting to grow your profit, stress less about cashflow and sleep at night, knowing that your lifestyle and assets are protected then you should call us.

Shelley Beilharz CA BUSINESS ADVISOR

1300 865 624

info@flourishingfigures.com.au

www.flourishingfigures.com.au

lifestyle | coast | country

food + wine + accommodation Focusing on our extraordinary winemakers, our abundant and wonderfully diverse stays and of course our amazing food providers, producing fare from lush Gippsland farms or creating delectable dishes for the table.

index BASS RIVER WINERY Glenn Forbes BLUE HILLS RISE Cranbourne East BRANDY CREEK WINERY Drouin East BRENT SINCLAIR CATERING Leongatha GURNEY’S CIDERY Foster HARMAN’S WINES Wattle Bank HEALING LEAVES Mirboo North INVY ESPY HOTEL Inverloch LAMEZLEIGHS – ALANNA GOBEL Mirboo North LEONGATHA RSL Leongatha LITTLE RED DUCK Noojee MEENIYAN GARLIC FESTIVAL Meeniyan MIRBOO NORTH ITALIAN FESTA FEATURE Mirboo North MOO’S AT MEENIYAN Meeniyan MORWELL RSL Morwell MOUNTAIN VIEW Leongatha NOOJEE HOTEL Noojee PHILLIP ISLAND RSL – THE TERRACE Cowes ROSEDALE BUTCHERS Rosedale THE OLD HOSPITAL Loch TINY TEAPOT Korumburra TRARALGON VINEYARD Traralgon WIGGY’S RESTAURANT ON THE GREEN Foster WILLOW GROVE DUCK INN – Willow Grove WONTHAGGI STREET FESTIVAL Wonthaggi

38-39 162-163 Cover,21 24 48-50 32 42-43 31 22-23 28 44 26-27 46-47 25 33 45 52 40-41, 51 32 30 53 35 34 36-37 29-30, 54

gippsland culture index 10CC FEATURE ALI FULLARD ARTIST STUDIO & GALLERY ARTSPACE GALLERY WONTHAGGI BRIAGOLONG ART GALLERY BRUSH WITH FAME – FIONA KENNEDY CURTIS AUSTRALIA BAIRNSDALE GIPPSLAND GEEKFEST INVERLOCH ART SHOW LAURIE COLLINS SCULPTURE GARDEN NEW STREET ART MURAL – SALE RSL STEVE WHITE’S CARTOON THE REVITALISED PORT OF SALE PRECINCT THE WEDGE – BOSOM BUDDIES THE WEDGE – BOWIE UNZIPPED WITHOUT PIER GALLERY

Gippsland the Lifestyle Magazine PO Box 862, Wonthaggi 3995 P: 0404 301 333 E: thelifestyle@dcsi.net.au W: thelifestylemagazine.com.au facebook.com/lifestylegippsland

141 144-145 152 152 146-149 143,153 150-151 152 142 158-160 152 154-157 142 153 136-140

A FA NTAS T SELE CTIO IC N OF THE W OND ERFU HOS L PITAL ITY GIPP SLAN D HA TO O S FFER

thelifestyle autumn 2018

Lamezleighs ALANNA GOBEL

Owning a busy café - taking care of rosters, ordering goods, as well as managing staff and customers - could be enough to make all but the more adventurous among us break out in a cold sweat. And what if you're only aged 22? Despite her youth, Alanna Gobel sees running Lamezleighs café in Mirboo North as just a natural, rewarding and timely progression in her career. Born in Moe and brought up in Stony Creek, from a young age Alanna was raised in a hospitality environment, as her parents owned and ran a takeaway shop in Meeniyan. In Year 9, she was able to do work experience at the Dalliance café and chocolate shop in Mirboo North, and she later worked there in her "first real job". After six years there, Alanna decided she wanted a change of work environment and to broaden

thelifestyle autumn 2018

her skills, so she began managing a café in Traralgon, where she had all manner of duties. Working in a new and large business gave her a great confidence boost, making her realise she was comfortable and capable at undertaking such a valuable and stressful role. As luck would have it, she heard rumours that the owner of Dalliance was looking to move on, which was confirmed a short time later via email. Within the space of about four weeks, Alanna went from enquiring about the business to owning it, and it officially opened on July 8th under its new name. While the transition was swift, Alanna does not regret it in the slightest, as it just seemed like the right time for her to “go to the next level”. In fact, she recalls talking with her two sisters long ago about what they wanted to do when they grew up, and how cool it would be to own a

By Brendan Black

café together. Even though they aren’t involved in the venture, the café’s name is a nod to her sisters: ‘La’ from Alanna; ‘Mez’ from Mary; and ‘Leigh’ from Ashleigh. And if you’re wondering how to pronounce it, you’re definitely not alone: it’s la-MEZ-leighs, with the emphasis on the second syllable. Unsurprisingly, family is important to Alanna, and not just her own. The café has a delightful courtyard with a marquee, shrubs and trees, and an old police lockup out the back which is a reminder to the building’s past - and is often confused with the toilet. The space is very popular with families, and on summer nights it’s a great place to sit back with a beer or wine. Just before Christmas, local folk, Celtic and bluegrass band The Nigellas played to a packed venue, and every time live music is scheduled, the café is full.

Like many small businesses in country areas, Lamezleighs has a big focus on sourcing local produce, whether it’s meat for the pulled-pork sliders, dessert from Prom Coast ice cream, or specialty roasted coffee from Berwick and Newborough.

positive. She says she was lucky to work with a boss in Traralgon who was very “particular” about how customers were treated, that none should enter without receiving a smile or greeting, that no matter how good your coffee or food is, people won’t return if they don’t feel welcome. I was glad to find that this was my experience upon entering, which obviously helped to start my visit in a positive way.

They offer an array of dishes, such as sweet potatoes stuffed with Mexican beans, almondcrusted chicken, and lasagnas; at night they serve local cheeses and tapas-style finger food.

Changing an established business can be almost as difficult as starting one from scratch, which is why Alanna worked seven days a week for the first seven months. It wasn’t until she finally had a break over Christmas that she realised how hard she’d been working, and her tenacity has paid off. The café is still open every day, though for half a day on Monday and until 10pm on Friday. Alanna has three main areas of the business she

While Alanna is not new to hospitality, she is new to being wholly responsible for how a business is run. For this reason, she deeply values customer feedback, which so far has been overwhelmingly

would like to improve at some stage: installing a commercial kitchen so she can offer “real meals”, more substantial meals than what they can currently prepare in their cramped kitchen; turning the courtyard into an undercover, all-weather space; and having a kids’ play area, so the café is more inviting and accommodating for families. As she’s only using a quarter of the land that she’s currently renting, Alanna sees no reason why these plans can’t come to fruition. Given that Alanna is now 23 and she already owns a popular business, it’s safe to say that whatever she puts her mind to, she can do. While she won’t be buying another café any time soon, she’s already “living her future”, and doing really well at it.

thelifestyle autumn 2018

TRUCKING AROUND GIPPSLAND TO ALL YOUR EVENTS, WE CAN CATER ANY LOCATION. We are fully self-contained and can take care of everything including attendants. BOOK US FOR LARGE SCALE FESTIVALS - EVENTS - CORPORATE FUNCTIONS.

We also offer catering for many other occasions including birthdays, weddings and engagements. You can find us at Markets around Gippsland and we can prepare our menu to suit your event.

thelifestyle autumn 2018

When looking for a superior culinary experience from an intimate gathering to a lavish banquet choose Brent Sinclair Catering. Relax and have the Brent Sinclair Catering team handle all the details and tailor any menu to perfectly suit your event.

Call Brent Sinclair on 0447 728 547 146 McCartin Street, Leongatha, Vic 3953 E: brent@brentsinclaircatering.com.au www.brentsinclaircatering.com.au

moo’s at meeniyan Restaurant & Café

Savour the flavours at Moo’s at Meeniyan Restaurant & Café, which has a relaxed, fun ambiance and something for all occasions – South Gippsland’s top food, wine and service.

MOO’S IS OPEN OVER THE EASTER PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

Hours of Trading

Thursday to Monday 8.30am - 4.30pm | Dinner Friday & Saturday Nights from 6.00pm

moo’s at meeniyan 89 Whitelaw Street, Meeniyan Vic 3956 Phone: (03) 5664 0010 | Email: eat@moosatmeeniyan.com.au visit www.moosatmeeniyan.com.au

Meeniyan Garlic Festival Held: Saturday Feb 17, 2018 at Meeniyan Dumbalk United Football Ground Highlights of the Meeniyan Garlic Festival with approx. 6,000 people in attendance on a day of brilliant sunshine. There were many stalls, speeches and demonstrations and event organisers David and Kirsten Jones were delighted with the turnout.

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LEONGATHA RSL • BISTRO OPEN 7 DAYS New Members Welcome. Reciprocal rights with RSLs in Victoria, South Australia & Tasmania

Members Discounts On meals and drinks 2 Function Rooms available Members Draw $800-$1000 to be won

Members Happy Hour

Relaxed and welcoming atmosphere Gluten Free, Kids Menu all available Reservations required for most nights of the week

Seniors Meals

Monday to Friday Now Available Fantastic Members Nights every Thursday and Friday

GUEST SPEAKER COMMANDER MATTHEW FERGUSON Anzac Day Service, Leongatha Memorial Hall “CMDR Matthew Ferguson joined the Royal Australian Navy on the 5th of January 1977, as a Junior Recruit at HMAS LEEUWIN W.A. After specialist training as a Radio Operator, he served in a variety of Postings, both onshore and at sea, including HMA Ships, JERVIS BAY, BARBETTE, BETANO, CURLEW, GEELONG and ANZAC. CMDR Ferguson was promoted to Petty Officer in 1992, and was a part of the Commissioning Crew of HMAS ANZAC. Upon promotion to Warrant Officer in 2000, CMDR Ferguson was selected for the position of inaugural COMMAND WARRANT OFFICER, Navy Systems Command, which was the second highest position for a sailor, in the RAN. CMDR Ferguson was awarded a Commendation for his dedication in that role. Commissioning as a Naval Officer in 2004, CMDR Ferguson specialised as a Maritime Combat Officer Communications and Information Warfare. CMDR Ferguson was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 2006, and thereafter was selected as the RAN Recruit School Executive Officer. A position for which he was further Commended. CMDR Ferguson was then promoted to Commander in 2014, at which time he assumed the role of Head of Maritime Warfare (South), which encompassed West Head Gunnery Range, the Boatswains Faculty, Seamanship School and the NAVY Fire Fighting and Flood repair training facilities, to name a few. CMDR Ferguson remained in that rewarding role until choosing to transfer to the RAN Reserves, after a stellar 41yr career."

NORMAL TRADING HOURS

EASTER TRADING HOURS

CONTACTS

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

GOOD FRIDAY 30TH MARCH CLOSED EASTER SATURDAY 12.00PM – MIDNIGHT EASTER SUNDAY 12.00PM – 8.00PM EASTER MONDAY 12.00PM – 8.00PM ANZAC DAY THURSDAY 25TH APRIL 12.00PM – 8.00PM

OFFICE: 5662 2012 RECEPTION: 5662 2747 BISTRO: 5662 4487

11.30AM - 10PM 10AM - 10PM 10AM - 11PM 10AM - 11PM 10AM - MIDNIGHT 10AM - MIDNIGHT 10AM - MIDNIGHT

www.leongatha-rsl.com.au Find us on Facebook

BOOK YOUR FUNCTION TODAY AT LEONGATHA RSL Weddings, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Any special occasion catered for Business Breakfasts Seminars

CALL RICKY TO ORGANISE A QUOTE! 28

Corner of Smith Street & Michael Place, Leongatha

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OPEN 7 DAYS

CAPTAINS LOUNGE NOW RE-OPENED

LUNCH & DINNER

1 A’Beckett Street, Inver loch 3996 (03) 5674 1432 www.invyespy.com.au BEST OVERALL HOTEL - REGIONAL B E S T FA M I LY D I N I N G BEST SPORTS BAR – REGIONAL

Wonthaggi Street Festival

"We heard it was fabulous. Will go next year." Last year was a wild success for the first festival with about 5,000 people coming along…mostly local but some people from as far away as Castlemaine! It was a blustery, blowy and wet night but in wonderful testament to the hardiness of the people of Bass Coast, in particular Wonthaggi, that didn’t stop the party. Well, thanks to the support of the Bass Coast Shire Council and the generous sponsorship of the business community and volunteers, it’s on again this year and we very much look forward to you being there!

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WonthaggistreetfestivalWonthaggistreetfestivalWonthaggist

HANNAH & FERGUS MCKITTRICK

Feedback from last year was music to the ears of the dedicated group of volunteers who all pitched in to make the night success. We also listened to the suggestions made and there will be some changes for this year. Here’s what you have to look forward to… It’s on an April Saturday again but this time on the 7th after daylight saving has finished so it will be darker earlier to take full advantage of lighting up the lanes. We’ll start at 3pm as before so families with small children can have loads of time for games and rides… and dinner! But we will finish at 10pm – anybody who wants to go on after can head to the Wonthaggi pubs and clubs for a longer night.

COLIN MATTHEWS

ERIC COLLIER DAVE GARNHAM AND THE REASONS TO LIVE

Fairy lights, LED lighting, lit up letters and some new lighting displays will feature again – lighting up the lanes and creating that delicious festival feeling. We have lots more things for little kids such as fairground rides and a few more games this year. All the rides are in the same location in APEX Park near the Mine Whistle in Murray Street. Jenga, Drafts, bowling and last year’s ‘big’ games will still be in the lanes and we’re adding Giant Kerplunk and Pool Table Soccer. More chances for play and more chances to watch the frenetic competitions – remember the Jenga games from last year? And remember the wonderful painted faces of the kids…well she will be back this year too! We’ll have Chalk the Walk again – this time in a better protected space but still with lots of room for creative expression… New this year will be a music space where kids of all ages can take a turn to play or sing – or chill and watch as others do their thing on a small stage in a dedicated area with comfy seating…very close to the sweet treats street where all the dessert vans are set up…mmm… The food stalls of course will be back – all from last year plus some drool-worthy additions. The main vans and tents will be set up all along Joengloed Lane with seating available near the main stage and dotted through the area. There will be curly spuds, donuts, coffee, golden corn, calamari, poffertjes, paella, sausages, coffee, fish and chips, hamburgers and an array of skewered delights.

BANDS FROM 3 - 10pm Wonthaggi Citizen’s Band will be marching (possibly) from McBride Avenue, Graham Street, to the main stage area, arriving at about 2.45pm 3-3.45pm 4-4.45pm 5-5.45pm 6-6.45pm 8-8.45pm 9-9.45pm

SILICON VALLEY HANNAH & FERGUS MCKITTRICK COLIN MATTHEWS ERIC COLLIER DAVE GARNHAM AND THE REASONS TO LIVE MATES RATES

NB: times are not concrete at the moment. In between acts we will have the kids from Dance Design Studio performing for one 15 minute session and we are still to work out with Jenny Garnham when and how long her rock n roll dance group will perform (they are bringing their own stage) The Wonthaggi Street Festival (name change for legal reasons!!!) will be on Saturday 7th April 2018 starting at 3pm in the IGA car park in Murray Street.

Music will be on the main stage again, with seating all around. This year there will be a roped-off, dedicated area for a pop-up bar in the corner where adults can have a quiet drink and listen to the music. As last year we will have an MC for the night and professional lighting and sound specialists to manage the music program. The line-up includes the bands and musos Silicon Valley, Hannah and Angus McKittrick, Colin Mathews, Eric Colier, David Garnham and Mates Rates. If you check out our Facebook page, Wonthaggi Streets you can find out more about the talented people who will add the music to the life of our festival.

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HARMAN WINES

SOUTH GIPPSLAND

• Delicious Wines • Wood Fired Pizzas • Live Music • Amazing Views • Family friendly •Functions • Local Produce OPEN 11AM-5PM WEEKENDS RUN NERS WOOD FIRED PIZZAS UP i n the 2017 EVERY SUNDAY BUSI BASS CO NESS AST REGULAR LIVE MUSIC BUSI AWARDS N

612 Korumburra-Inverloch Road Wattle Bank (C441) Ph: (03) 5611 3857 www.harmanwines.com.au

EXCE ESS LLEN (0-5 E CE MP LOYE ES)

Check website for more information and for our live music dates

ROSEDALE BUTCHERS Local Family Owned Country Butcher

Three generations of Vaux Family owned and operated business since 1977. In 1986 their first smokehouse was purchased and then later in 1992 a second larger smokehouse was obtained and are still used today, which allows them to produce the quality products that Rosedale Butchers have become known for. Ray and Janet Vaux took over the business in May 1977 with their son Neville starting his apprenticeship with them and eventually he and his wife Debbie took over the business in July 1995. In turn, in 2012 their son Matthew after completing his apprenticeship in 2012 took on the job of smallgoods making and created the line of Matty’s Gourmet Sausages.

Call now for all Meat and Smallgoods Needs 32 Prince Street, Rosedale 3847 Ph 5199 2210 Like us on Facebook www.rosedalebutchers.com.au 32

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MORWELL BOWLING CLUB

The Morwell Bowling Club is the ultimate in function dining! We delight in meeting your every requirement, through personalised professional service, attention to detail and friendly staff. The Morwell Bowling Club provides wedding packages or we can tailor to suit your needs. Morwell Bowling Club caters for group bookings, and is great for children. OPEN SEVEN DAYS - SERVING LUNCH, DINNER, COFFEE & DRINKS RESERVATIONS OR WALK-INS ARE WELCOME Visit www.morwellbowls.com.au for news and upcoming events. NEW MEMBERS ARE WELCOME Winner of Peoples Choice Award 2014 for Excellence in customer service

Winner of CCV 'Best Bowling Club'

Finalist of CCV 'Club of the Year'

52 Hazelwood Road Morwell 3840 Ph: 03 5134 3449 Em: functions@morwellbowls.com.au www.morwellbowls.com.au

Quirky Pictures

When Pierre the penguin took the family to Phillip Island, he was amazed by the stunning scenery, wildlife, exceptional food and attractions galore! “ ooooh la la,” he cried, “Who needs Paris!”

by Marguerite Sharlott

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We are a new restaurant located at the Foster Golf Club, bringing a new level of dining to the area. We specialise in seasonal and local produce. An ever-evolving menu changing with the seasons and including weekly specials. Highlights of the current menu include entrees such as roast tomato and basil arancini with pesto, aioli, sumac spiced chicken skewers and lemon pepper calamari, current mains include pan roasted lamb rump with carrot puree, minted potato cake and red wine sauce and crispy belly pork with spiced red cabbage and apple puree. We also serve the freshest Port Albert flathead, beer battered with house made tartare sauce and Australian favourite’s such as Gippsland reared porterhouse steak and hand breaded chicken Parmigiana. (I want the emphasis to be on the ‘proper food’ that we do but not alienate country folk who may think we are ‘too fancy’ for them). We offer excellent value for money and we are really trying to become a focal point and hub of the community. Dining is comfortable and relaxed with the log burner keeping the colder months warm, along with the year-round beautiful views of the golf course from the dining room. We are proud to serve only the freshest produce from local suppliers, such as Aherns Fruit Market of Foster, Foster Seafood and Moore’s Family Butchers of Yarram. We are also very lucky to have such wonderful products at our disposal from local producers such as Golden Creek Olive Oil and Annie’s Free-Range eggs both from Fish Creek. Everything possible is made by hand, in house, to ensure beautiful, fresh dishes every time.

CHEF WIGGY

Anthony Wignall, aka Wiggy, hails from Lancashire in the North West of England. He resides in Port Albert and has done so for the last 4 years. After travelling Australia, he and his wife settled in Gippsland and are really enjoying living, working and raising their daughter in this beautiful part of the World. Wiggy has been a chef for over seventeen years, starting as a humble apprentice when he was just 15, classically trained, he took his first head chef position at just 22 years of age running a successful Mediterranean restaurant. After then moving to a county pub specializing in game he took a step back from Head Chef roles to hone his skills at one of the best restaurants in Liverpool (his home city), before enjoying an exciting couple of years at the then new and now famous restaurant ‘The Blue Mallard’ in his home town. From here he moved to Australia and is loving the opportunity to work with all the amazing local produce at his fingertips. Firstly, running two restaurants in Melbourne simultaneously before heading to Tasmania and now Gippsland. Creating dishes and designing menus. Specializing in local (wherever that may be) and seasonal produce he is relishing his opportunity to call the shots at his own restaurant and has been blown away by the support and custom he has received after the first couple of months in business. Bookings are essential and can be made by calling the Foster Golf Club. WIggys Restautant On The Green 7 Reserve Street, Foster, Vic, 3960 Ph: 5682 2272

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TraralgonVineyard AWARD WINNING WINE, GROWN AND PRODUCED ON SITE

Unsurpassed views across the Latrobe River flats from Mt. Erica to Mt. Hotham. The restaurant enjoys full windows and a large deck to the north looking over our lake and vines. RESTAURANT/FUNCTION CENTRE Our Restaurant operates lunch Thursday to Sunday and Friday and Saturday nights. Private functions can be booked for any day or night with 20 guests or more. Conventions and weddings are our speciality as well as private parties.

CHAPEL Our onsite chapel is available for all types of ceremonies and drink can be provided on the deck afterwards overlooking the lake and enjoying wonderful views to the north.

WINES We Wholesale directly to the Public Clean skin Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz $8.90 All other top line reds $14.90 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2012 - 2013 Plus Moscato $11 Sauvignon Blanc $13.90 Sparkling Chardonnay and Pinot/ Chardonnay $14.90 (while stocks last)

Traralgon Vineyard For Enquiries Contact Marg and Leon Hammond 140 Burnets Road, Traralgon VIC 3844 ~ P: 03 5174 0557 ~ E: traralgon.vineyard@bigpond.com www.traralgonvineyard.com.au

THE DUCK INN 14 MOE-WILLOW GROVE RD WILLOW GROVE | 03 5635 2455 WWW.WILLOWGROVEDUCKINN.COM.AU

THE LOOK

A bit of a show piece in the town. A bluestone blockhouse with an almost Germanic bier Halle feel. An impressive wood and lead light door lets you in to a space that is heavily biased to dining. Exposed timber trusses and pressed tin dado on the walls makes for a large and serious space. An almost as large again alfresco area means you should never have to worry about not finding a table.

THE FEEL

Airy spacious and not too loud. It definitely has a food vibe. For the open nature of the room it is easy to feel you are having a private evening. large groups would feel welcome here and not guilty about impinging on others.

THE THEORY

A family friendly, Bistro driven Inn that is there for the locals and provides a dining destination for surrounding towns.

THE CREW

The business is owned by Simon Duck from the Noojee Hotel. he has entrusted this new venture to Adam Hart as manager, The New Head Chef is Gary Gore. Our waiter on the day was Blake Easton.

THE SERVICE

We were greeted by an amiable young man who was sure of himself and happy to inject his sense of humour and personality into his service. Very refreshing and enjoyable it was to. Pride in the food offering was evident in the way recommendations were made to us. A great touch were activity bags for kids to keep them occupied so mums and dads could chat together.

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THE TASTE

A shared entree platter consisted of earthy rich meatballs, brilliant prawns with a light dusting of lemon/pepper seasoning which left their freshness to shine.the duck shanks in a spicy plumb sauce were unique and delicious. Chicken skewers were solid but lacked the flair of the other offerings. The Spotted Dog Parmagiana was a great take on a classic.Tasty and Mozarella cheese blanketed egg,bacon and mushroom which were held together with caramelised onion and barbecue aioli, top a fresh chicken schnitzel with great chips and salad. It was a great Parma experience. My wife enjoyed the Pork belly which showed that lovely texture of crunchy yet chewy crackling and a marvellous twice cooked richness. The vanilla Pannacotta with raspberry coulis and candied walnuts was a subtle and simple delight. Clean slightly sweet milk custard given a tangy twist of raspberry. A light desert to finish an epic meal. It was of course washed down with a couple of Furphy Victorian ales.

THE PRICE

4 bottles of Furphy 30. Entree platter 30. Pork belly 30. Spotted Dog Parma 26. Pannacotta 18. Total of $134 for two Totally stuffed diners.

THE WASH

A unique venue with a surprising breadth of menu choices all of which were well executed. Great staff and a professional beverage offering which included local wines and signature cocktails. Round up some friends and take a drive to Willow Grove The Duck Inn will definitely show you a good time. By Stu Hay

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HOW TO PLANT

On the 4th January 2018, Bass River planted their forth vineyard block on the Bass River estate. We planted a red variety known as Gamay and named the block Northside due to its location on the property. The planning for Northside commenced in 2015 and two winters passed from the initial rip of the soil to planting the vines. As experienced vineyard planners we have to date managed to minimise some the issues that may have occurred while planting the previous three blocks.

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The first step in the preparation of the site for vine planting is the clearing of trees, stones, fences and wires. There may be reluctance to remove trees from the site. However, trees have the potential to shade fruit and leaf fall during the growing season may impact the grape flavour profile. If heavy timber has grown on the site the land may have to be left for 12 to 24 months to allow settling. The other reason for removing trees and settling the soil is to eradicate a fungal rootrot that impacts young vines.

You’ll need to know the length of your growing season to determine what variety will perform best. Some grape varieties require longer growing seasons to fully ripen some may be early ripening varieties.

Where I completed my Wine Science degree at Charles Sturt University, there was a saying that went something like “if you cannot see a vineyard next door, don’t plant one.”

In most vineyards the grape vines are planted in rows. The vineyard layout will most likely depend upon the parcel of land and the aspect. Mostly we prefer to run rows north – south as it permits maximum sunlight capture. However, on slopes vines may need follow the contour of the land.

If Gippsland grape growers adhered to that comment it would be unlikely for any vines to be grown in the Gippsland region. Thankfully, for the brave few, Gippsland is an ideal and diverse region for growing grape vines.

Grapevines in the wild are climbing plants, however in a domesticated vineyard the grape vine requires a trellis system. The most important point to consider is that the trellis system exposes sunlight and air movement to facilitate photosynthesis. This permits ripening of fruit and the control of diseases can be done effectively.

The English language does not have the exact translation for the French word terrior. But terrior is one of the few words that describes passion about soils. If wine is a product of the land then the wine consumer can link subtle variations between the soils on which they are grown. The soil composition of a new vineyard block requires analysis to determine; nutrient levels, acidity, drainage ability, aspect and soil fertility. Additions such as lime, organic matter and gypsum may be easily applied to the land prior to cultivating and building trellis systems. Climate conditions will mostly determine the variety of grapes that can be successfully grown on the site. No grape flourishes in every region of the world or Gippsland for that matter.

Finding a variety that will grow well on the site can be allusive. Luckily, most of that work has already been done in Gippsland. Since grapes are now grown all over the world, local knowledge exist just about everywhere.

Many factors need to be considered when selecting the appropriate variety for the vineyard. This includes the availability of vine cuttings or grafted rootstock. Planting the vine is fairly simple, but laborious and best planted by hand. Good soil moisture after the vines commence to show life is essential. Although, some vineyard operator claim to dry grow vines, for new plantings it is critical the vines have irrigation during the growing season. This is particularly important during the first growing season. To maximise the potential of producing a crop in Year 2 or 3 it is essential that the vine grows to the fruiting wire in Year 1. The young growth needs to be trained to safely grow to the wire. The period between planting of a new vineyard and the training of the vine frameworks is a difficult one.

A VINEYARD

Inadequate attention to the young grapevineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water and nutrient requirements may be detrimental. The first growing season of the young vine is particularly susceptible to weed competition. Weeds will slow vine growth either by competing for water and nutrients or by smothering the vine foliage. Removal of heavy weed growth is essential. Shoots and leaves are a priority for good vineyard establishment and need to be protected. Some critical attention and care is needed right now. A lot will depend on the weather and field conditions, but new vines are like newborns and will be vulnerable to a wide variety of ailments and threats. The challenges to a long and productive life are just beginning for the vine.

By Frank Butera

The first year is all about establishing a strong and healthy root system for the vines. This means encouraging plenty of foliage to feed the roots. Young vines are more susceptible to just about everything compared to older vines, such as disease, insects, weed competition, drought, mechanical damage, neglect, etc. Care in the first year, and especially right after planting, is important to get the vines off to a good start. Vines that are stressed early in life may never perform as well as healthy ones, so there are long-term benefits to early primary care. Frank Butera is the winemaker at Bass River winery. frank@bassriverwinery.com

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P HILLIP I SLAN D RSL by Brendan Black

thelifestyle autumn 2018

Businesses constantly need to adapt to keep up with consumer demand, and the Phillip Island RSL, which has undergone many changes since it opened in the 1930s, is certainly no exception. Having moved several times due to fire or lack of space, it has existed in its present location since 1996, and has been further developed several more times since.

The RSL has become a haven for locals and tourists wanting a great meal or relaxed drink in a family-oriented bistro. Due to customer feedback, it was decided to turn an outside area normally used as overflow for the bistro into a section for adults only, where they could meet and mingle after work, for a pre-dinner drink, or for casual dining, away from other distractions. And thus The Terrace was born. The Terrace was opened on December 8th 2017 and features bar and long tables and luxurious couches, with each section identified not by a number but a different part of Phillip Island, such as Red Rocks or Sunderland Bay. As one might expect, the dĂŠcor leans heavily towards a beach theme and the entire area has a different look and feel to the rest of the bistro. The Terrace has already become very popular with patrons, who've loved its overall ambience, the modern furnishing and table service, and particularly with females, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve appreciated a safe and welcoming environment to partake in a cocktail or cool drink over summer. Phillip island RSL is a great place in which to relax, have a nice drink, and enjoy the bistroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signature, mouthwatering eye-fillet steak. Open every day until late. The Terrace is open Monday to Friday from 4pm and weekends from noon.

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Healing Leaves

by Brendan Black

Judy Blomeley Severe illness can make you take stock of many of your life choices, such as employment or diet, and help you see how your life could take a different path. A cancer diagnosis forced Judy Blomeley, of Healing Leaves café in Mirboo North, to head in a direction she’d been pointing for over 30 years - she just hadn’t realised it. Judy was born in Mortlake and lived nearby on a farm at Dundonnell, on which cattle and sheep were raised. Her father, a soldier settler, had moved onto the land in the 1950s, and from there Judy went to boarding school in Ballarat. After high school, she went to teachers’ college in Geelong, then moved to Gippsland in search of greenery and trees. Married and with a child, Judy and family were self-described hippies and had “always been a bit green”. After teaching appointments in Yarram and Morwell, Judy took some leave and they settled down in Mirboo North and built a mud-brick house.

Judy loved spinning and dying wool, making cheese and bread, and preserving fruits, while her husband was a great potter, and they grew all their own vegies. In the mid-1980s, Judy went back to work fulltime, teaching in the Latrobe Valley, as well as doing welfare work and chaplaincy. She fondly remembers a trip to Lorne during that time, where she ate “the best lentil burger”, and she thought how good it would be one day to own a café that served food that was not only healthy but also tasted great. 2016 saw Judy diagnosed with an aggressive stage-3 cancer. As you can imagine, this knocked her around quite a bit, and she quickly made many changes to her diet and lifestyle. Judy underwent chemotherapy, although she said no to surgery and radiation, and instead focused on not only getting her body healthy, but also her mind and how she thought about what was happening inside her. While Judy’s doctors were concerned about her decision to not undergo surgery or radiation, the combination of chemo and dietary changes saw the tumour shrink. For over a year, Judy remained on sick leave, and when she was well again, she faced a decision: return to a job she loved but in a stressful work environment, or find something else? While undergoing some kidney treatment, a health practitioner stated that she could see Judy working in a juice bar; as Judy’s health kick had included a variety of nutritious juices, this seemed fortuitous.

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On the 45-minute drive back to Mirboo North, Judy had what she calls her “vision”. By the time she arrived home, she’d already worked out that she wanted to open a café in town and offer organic, fresh and seasonal produce, specially catering for people with diet restrictions who don’t want to sacrifice flavour. After eight months of hard work, including fitting out an old South Gippsland Health Service office on the main street and dealing with council and building surveyors, Healing Leaves opened on September 6th 2017. It soon became a beacon for people from all over the countryside, many of whom were thankful for having so many healthy and tasty food options.

While her son-in-law describes her as a “machine”, watching Judy at work and interacting with customers, you can see how much she’s enjoying her new role, and how relaxed she is. Though as she’s running the business by herself and no longer has a partner, it means she’s responsible for everything, which suits her in a way, as she’s “not so good at relaxing”.

Another positive is that, 18 months later, she is still clear and the cancer has not returned. With almost no promotion, Healing Leaves has developed a loyal customer base and great reviews. I can honestly say that I enjoyed my time and my food there, and their slogan of “yummy food for life” is well and truly spot on.

Nevertheless, Judy still managed to go camping over the Christmas break, and she’s looking forward to travelling more around Australia at a later stage, as “this is right for now”.

Apart from the coffee, milk and bread, everything in the café is made on the premises, from the salads and burgers to the cold-pressed smoothies and juices to the absolutely delicious cakes, muffins and protein balls (the “fruitini” and chocolate, macadamia and ginger balls are exceptional, as well as the gluten-free chocolate and quinoa cake - trust me, you can't taste the quinoa!) In addition to the creation of the food, the logo was designed by Kim, one of Judy’s eight part-time staff. They also sell handmade bags from villagers in India, who’ve now been able to afford sewing machines and overlockers to make their job easier. Judy has faced quite a learning curve in establishing Healing Leaves, yet the stress she experienced in teaching has now been replaced by the joy of once again being part of a great community.

A range of Dietary needs catered for Gluten Free

Cold pressed juices Water Kefir Organic Coffee

Vegan

We support Local

Fresh Organic food

Sustainability Projects

WHOLE FOODS, COOKED ON SITE

HOURS Weekdays + Saturday: 8.00am to 4.30pm Sunday: 9.00amto 4.30pm Closed Tuesday

71A Ridgway, Mirboo North 3871 Like Us on Facebook + Instagram thelifestyle autumn 2018

thelifestyle autumn 2018

Mirboo North

Italian Festa 2018

Held: Sunday Feb 11, 2018 at Baromi Park, Mirboo North This event was beautifully organised by Rosie Romano and Carmelina Manzo and the committee of the Mirboo North Italian Festival.

A record breaking crowd of approx. 15,000 people attended this event which is now a must do event on the social calendar of South Gippsland.

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SOUTH GIPPSLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED NATURAL CIDER BY WENDY MORRISS

GURNEYS HOPPED CIDER

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BILL MANAGES THE ORCHARD

Gurneys Cidery is a lovely family story that begins in Somerset, England, the home of the world’s best cider, to a beautiful part of South Gippsland overlooking Corner Inlet and the beautiful wilderness of Wilsons Promontory. The recently opened cellar door, just a few minutes from the town of Foster, offers a full range of naturally crafted ciders with added tastings of local fare. It is owned and operated by the Gurnett family – Bill, Lorraine and their sons James and Thomas. James, who manages the day to day affairs of the cidery, said the project arose a few years ago when his family were looking for something to do together. “We wanted to do something in agriculture, and cider came into the picture because we are originally from Somerset in England where everyone drinks it. We love South Gippsland, it has a great community and the area is beautiful but there was just one thing missing, and that was cider.” He said his brother Tom caught the cider fever after completing a course at The Cider and Perry Academy in the North of England, which was run by Peter Mitchell, a world-renowned expert on cider. Tom then worked for a while at Harry’s Cider Company in the UK and spent a bit of time in Europe working in cideries. “Tom brought his enthusiasm and expertise back with him and we all got on board and decided to grow apples and produce cider together as a family project, and Tom is our cider maker.” The cidery is situated on the family’s picturesque 28 ha-hill farm with breathtaking panoramic views. Around 2.5 ha have been planted out with 20 different varieties of apples and Bill, who also works with Parks Victoria as a ranger, manages the horticultural part of the business.

Lorraine, who is school principal at Foster Primary School, comes in to help out during the school holidays. The apples they grow are specific heritage cider varieties that originally come from the UK, America, Ireland and France. “They are the best cider varieties and some are quite old,” James said. “One variety dates back almost 700 years. The goal now is to see which varieties grow well in our climate because they haven’t been grown in Gippsland before. We’ll then extend the orchard with plantings of the successful varieties. We also have some planted blueberries, Perry pear trees and some pinot noir grapes that we’d like to incorporate into the cider at some point.” He said it’s a very new venture and because the orchard is only about four years old, they still have to source some apples from other local orchards to produce the cider. They hope however, that in a few years’ time, all the cider will be produced from their own apples. Gurney’s ciders are more wine-like, which is a more traditional approach. All the apples are pressed, fermented, aged and bottled on the farm. The ciders are completely dry so there aren’t any added sugars and they use traditional English cider yeast, which imparts quite a different flavour. James said his brother Tom, who also works as an engineer for VicRoads in Melbourne, comes out to the cidery when they are producing. “He manages things in regards to how much cider we produce, the type of yeast we select and the apple selection.” James’ background is finance. He previously completed a Batchelor course in statistics at University and worked as a data analyst for two years in a finance institution in Sydney.

“When my parents started the business here, I felt like I was missing out,” he said, “so I moved back to south Gippsland a year ago to give them a hand. It’s all very different but it’s fantastic. I originally grew up here and went to the local primary and secondary school so it’s moving back home and I just love it. It’s also nice working with local producers who are as passionate about what they are doing as we are, and working with my family. We all work really well together and have a lot of laughs so it’s all really great fun.” James and his family are proud of the unique types of ciders they produce that are full of character and flavour and different to anything they believe most people have tasted before. Their Scrumpy Cider is made only from locally hand-foraged apples that they obtain from roadsides, farmer’s paddocks or properties they’ve been invited onto to harvest apples. “There are probably about 20 to 30 different varieties of apples in our Scrumpy and each batch and each year is a little bit different because wild apple trees fruit biennially, and the apples vary significantly from tree to tree in regards to acidity, sugar levels and tannin levels,” he said. Their Original Dry Cider is a really clean, crisp cider that is the core of the business. Their Wild Cider is fermented using wild yeast. “We juice the apples and then we let it go so the yeast for that one comes from the apples and the air. Each batch of the Wild Cider is a little bit different and it’s probably very similar to cider you can find in Normandy in France, where they do a lot more wild fermentation.” Their Hopped Cider has fresh hop flowers added, which are normally used in beer so it tastes very citrusy with a small amount of bitterness

thelifestyle autumn 2018

GURNEYS CIDERY OVERLOOKS CORNER INLET AND WILSON’S PROMONTORY

JAMES & HIS FATHER BILL GURNETT

KINGSTON BLACK CIDER APPLES IN THE FAMILY ORCHARD

that you’d normally find in beer. It’s quite wellbalanced and refreshing. The Method Traditionale Cider is still a few months away from being ready. It’s made the same way as traditional champagne, which includes the labour intensive process of turning the upturned bottles every day for six months. The Orchard Reserve is one they will produce entirely from their own cider apples but it won’t be ready until the end of this year, or the next depending on the harvest. The family’s cidery building is contemporary, beautiful and interesting, built by Daniel Bright of nearby Amber Creek Sawmill. “He tried to source as much timber as he could locally,” James said. “The large beams in the venue come from Koonwarra.” He said the light green timber planks on the inside walls are repurposed signs from the national park in the local area. “Two years ago they were going to landfill and my father asked if he could have them. We think they look fantastic and the parks were really excited about the sustainability and recycling aspects of reusing the signs.” Access to the cidery from the Great Southern Rail Trail at the bottom of the property, means many visitors can walk or cycle from Foster, which either way would take about 25 minutes.

thelifestyle autumn 2018

SOUTH GIPPSLAND’S BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED NATURAL CIDER

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thelifestyle autumn 2018

For a bat & a chat, try Home for the Rusty Cricketers is the Loch Memorial Reserve, and the beauty of the Reserve is not lost on these cricketers who ply their trade in a peaceful setting of rolling hills, green grass and grand old oak trees. Maybe it’s fitting that in the twilight of every Monday evening, here are half a dozen or more cricketers in the twilight of their cricketing careers having a nets session just for fun. Purposeful, keen…relaxed. Now into its third year, Rusty Cricketers is different things to different players.

thelifestyle autumn 2018

Some need a weekly dose of their beloved sport, but haven’t the energy, the inclination or time to devote a full Saturday. One hour in the nets is perfect. Others feel as if they are lost in amongst 22 teammates on a Thursday night and use Rusty Cricketers as extra preparation for Saturday competition. Others are there for banter and camaraderie. You could call it a Men’s Shed in the cricket nets – but not limited to men, one promising young women’s cricketer is a regular. Last season, one young cricketer stumbled upon Rusty Cricketers when he went to the reserve to throw hoops in readiness for a basketball match.

To his annoyance the backboard had been vandalized. He joined in with the cricketers after declaring that he hadn’t played cricket since his school days. Now it is fair to say, that this young bloke was a bit out of condition and he’d had some trouble keeping his driver’s license, yet he became a Monday night regular. Eighteen months later, he has a steady job and his cricketing skills have taken him from being a number eleven batsman, to someone who could play Saturday cricket. All of us at Rusty Cricketers like to think that our encouragement has played just a small role in this positive turn of events.

Rusty Cricketers Words by Garry Knox Photos by Doug Pell

One week the Rusty Cricketers team turned up and found a strapping fifteen-year-old bowling balls to no one. (His Grandmother was watching on). We invited him to join in. He was relatively new to the area and unaware that Loch had an Under 16 team.

He went on to play in an Under 16 Premiership. Just proves that Rusty Cricketers come in all shapes and sizes. Our ‘team’ consists of a cricket bat maker, for a while the local Minister was ‘in the team’, a retired auctioneer, one of the most respected

current local cricket umpires, a father and son combination, some over 60s cricketers and the keenest fisherman who has just had surgery to replace the fishing rod with a cricket bat.

Every Monday night during the cricket season, you can become a Rusty Cricketer and join us at 6.30pm at the Loch Memorial Reserve… How’s That!

The transplant was so successful that this keen fisherman has made an appearance in Saturday cricket with the Korumburra B Grade team. Although Rusty Cricketers is run under the umbrella of the Poowong Loch Cricket Club, everyone from everywhere are welcome. It’s free, just bring your enthusiasm for cricket and an hour or more of your time.

thelifestyle autumn 2018

GIPPSLAND WOMEN making their mark

By Lisa Maatsoo

Maree McPherson and Margie Warrell are two locally raised Gippsland women who have forged successful careers and are now using their knowledge and experience to encourage other women to achieve their full potential. A story of inspiration themselves, Maree and Margie are great examples of how women in regional and rural areas can set and achieve their own high reaching goals.

thelifestyle autumn 2018

MAREE MCPHERSON Maree McPherson, founder of Maree McPherson Consulting, is a leadership coach, facilitator, speaker and author who works with corporate organisations, not-for-profits and individuals. In her practice, Maree helps people aspire beyond what they think they are capable of. Maree is an evangelist for women creating possibility in regional and rural areas. The city isn’t necessarily a better place to have a career, run a business, or raise a family. Not enough women know that they can have a fulfilling and rewarding life outside the CBD. Based in Traralgon, the thing that sets Maree apart is that she is what she preaches - her diverse and varied career background has been possible in regional Australia and she has experienced many of the challenges and joys that regional women describe. Maree is an experienced not-for-profit, government and community leader, and small business owner. She is a creator of strong relationships across multiple stakeholder groups and a proven effective broker of partnerships, with 30 years’ experience including as a CEO in the public and not for profit domains. She is a member of the Victorian Government’s Regional Development Advisory Committee. In November 2017, Maree published her first book, Cutting Through the Grass Ceiling – Women Creating Possibility in Regional Australia. The book is shaped around her own experiences, and those of other women working and building their careers in regional areas. Maree explains the concept behind her book:

“I have often used the term ‘grass ceiling’ in conversations with women I have mentored. I’ve used it in the context of living in dairy country with lots of green grass. The fenced pastures around me always show me their natural beauty. Yet in other ways they are a reminder that we can be fenced in by our own and others’ attitudes and perceptions. The grass ceiling is a play on words, based on the glass ceiling. Women are hitting the glass ceiling in regional areas in my view more often than their city sisters. I have always treated the term in a light-hearted way. Some years ago, when a woman I mentored told me she thought it was helpful - and one she would always remember - I started to think of it seriously. I started using it in speeches, in wider conversations, and in my writing. It started to have a deeper meaning. What I’ve discovered is that other writers had used the term in different contexts. Angela Pippos wrote about the grass ceiling in her book. Pippos covers the extraordinary transformation taking place in Australian sport where women are competing for a fair go. My research led me to academic work undertaken in the late 1990s by Margaret Alston. Alston’s grass ceiling was a compelling read. It was a powerful description of the challenges facing rural women.

I wonder if she thought that 18 years later the issues she raised would still be as relevant? Alston’s book drew on extensive interviews conducted in 1997-98 with Australian women engaged in agriculture as leaders, farmers, and bureaucrats, and with chairs of boards developing agricultural policy. The book explored discriminatory treatment of rural women and the need for many of them to work what she termed ‘quadruple shifts’ which included farm work, paid work off-farm, child care and housework. As far back as the Karpin Report in 1997, increasing women’s access to decision-making in rural areas was a human rights issue. More critically, women’s participation in the rural economy was known to improve Australia’s position and performance in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). While a lot has changed and there are many more women working and governing in rural Australia, many still experience frustrations in what they see as a lack of career choice and lifestyle options available to them. It’s no longer the elephant in the room – it is talked about openly. There are many resources for women about how to enhance their career prospects. Rural women tell me they feel much of this advice is aimed at their metropolitan sisters who have many more choices. In my view, there are several factors at play: · · · · ·

a fixed vs growth mindset; an external vs internal locus of control; understanding of our own values; perceptions of choice; and preparedness to be visible.

For the women I work with across regional Australia, real change occurs when they open their minds to the options available, know their own values system, are willing to explore outside the ‘small pond’ and can create their own visibility. Possibilities they never thought of before start to arise. My passion is seeing women achieving the things they aspire to. That means getting the jobs they want, meeting the people they want to influence, and having fulfilled lives. I help women flourish in their careers. It’s like helping women cut through their own grass ceiling to step out onto the manicured lawn of their choosing.” Cutting Through the Grass Ceiling is available for purchase at www.mareemcpherson.com.au You can connect with Maree at: Facebook www.facebook.com/mareemcphersonconsulting Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/mareemcphersonconsulting Instagram www.instagram.com/mareemcpherson

When Alston published her book Breaking through the grass ceiling: Women, power and leadership in agricultural organisations in 2000,

thelifestyle autumn 2018

GIPPSLAND WOMEN making their mark

...examples of how women in regional and rural areas can set and achieve their own high reaching goals

thelifestyle autumn 2018

MARGIE WARRELL Margie Warrell is a Forbes columnist, bestselling author and speaker who is passionate about helping people live braver lives and make a bigger mark in the world. Margie walks her talk when it comes to living bravely, having travelled widely since growing up on a dairy farm in Nungurner on the Gippsland Lakes and attending high school at Nagle College in Bairnsdale. Margie draws on her background in business, psychology and coaching to run leadership and courage-building programs in organisations worldwide from NASA to the United Nations Foundation. An adventurer at heart, Margie is an intrepid traveller and mother of four untidy teens. Margie is a regular media commentator and Australia’s Ambassador for Women in Global Business, her four bestselling books - Find Your Courage, Stop Playing Safe, Brave and Make Your Mark - have been published in six languages. Below is an excerpt from Margie’s latest book, Mark Your Mark.

"In today’s culture of fear, living bravely has grown increasingly indispensable for living well." I know you have a heartfelt desire to live a deeply meaningful life, one that inspires you even as it challenges you. A life rich in purpose and fused with passion. A life you can one day look back upon without regret but with a deep sense of satisfaction, gratitude and wonder. Yet I am guessing that there are times you find yourself feeling stuck, wondering whether there is more to life than the one you are living. Whether there is more you could be doing. Whether you are playing too small, living too safe or settling for too little. I’ve felt that way myself. Many times. Sometimes I still do. Which is what has brought us together, here, right now. Because I know that I’m not alone; that there are millions like me who also sometimes wonder, ‘What else?’ or ‘What if?’ People with wonderful talents and burning dreams who want to do more and be more, but who so often doubt whether they can. People like you and me who aren’t content to settle for less than the life we are capable of living, but who so easily get swept along by the shallow currents of our culture. A culture that celebrates the superficial which feeds our ego, at the expense of the meaningful which feeds our soul. Of course, there is no shortage of social-media posts and t-shirts emblazoned with catchphrases imploring us to Think Big, Shoot for the Stars and #JustDoIt. Few people would argue with their sentiments. Yet, for all the messages we get encouraging us to ‘lean in’ and ‘aim high’, most people struggle to live them out. The reason is simple:

Forging a deeply meaningful life is fraught with risk.

It’s hard because, at the core of our being and woven through every thread of our psychological DNA, we are terrified of falling short—far short— of achieving our goals, much less ‘reaching the stars’ or leaving a legacy that will far outlast our years on earth. Hardwired into our boards at birth is a potent and primal force against change, against exposing ourselves to anything that might threaten our sense of identity, security and belonging. And so, for all our good intentions to be strong and brave, we so often hold back from doing the very things we know deep in our hearts will help us create more of what we want and to change what we don’t. More fulfilment, more connection, more growth. Less melancholy, less conflict, less spinning our wheels in a frenzy of busyness without feeling like we’re moving any closer towards the very things we yearn for most. But let’s face it, we humans are wizards when it comes to distracting ourselves from the real work of thinking hard about living well. We hurry through our days, from one activity to the next, juggling balls, spinning plates and bending ourselves inside out to measure up or avoid missing out. All the while we never quite get around to getting real about our inner lives or, to quote industrialist John W Gardner, ‘to probe the fearful and wonderful world within’. What I’ve learned since growing up on a farm with a vision that extended little beyond the back paddock, is that our lives are as big as we dare to make them. It’s why you cannot afford to wait until ‘one day’ before you make time to create the highest vision for your life. One day, when your kids are older. One day, when the mortgage is paid. One day, when you’ve lost your doubt or ‘found yourself’ and finally feel like you’ve grown up. There is no ‘one day’. There is only ‘this day’. Today. I hope this book will serve as a roadmap—your own personal ‘life GPS’—to help you navigate from where you are now to where you most want to go (and, if you’re unsure where that is, to help you figure it out!). "Your future is still an open book, waiting to be written. You are its author." Make Your Mark is available to purchase at www.margiewarrell.com

Connect with Margie at: Facebook

www.facebook.com/margiewarrell Linkedin

www.linkedin.com/in/margiewarrell Instagram

www.instagram.com/margiewarrell

The risk of failure, the risk of rejection, falling flat on your face and feeling like a fool. Given we’re wired to avoid all these risks, it’s little wonder so many people veer away from them. Taking the road less travelled just seems so hard. Too hard.

thelifestyle autumn 2018

STONY CREEK RKA F100

Retro Karting Australia is for pre 2000 karts and engines using 100cc direct drive air cooled reed or rotary valve engines. In 2018 further race events will be held in Victoria, NSW and Qld. RKA held at Stony Creek on Feb 24

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON STONY CREEK GO KARTING OR RKA PH : 5664 7272 | EM: info@stonycreekgokarts.com.au | WB: stonycreekgokarts.com.au 62

thelifestyle autumn 2018

Stony Creek Go-Karts is now well and truly one of the highlights of South Gippsland.

■ Hire Karts ■ BYO Kart Membership (Day/Yearly Rate) ■ Corporate Days ■ Group Bookings ■ Birthday Parties & Functions ■ Driver Education ■ Phoenix Kart Agents ■ Kart Sales & Spares ■ Café

OPEN 7 DAYS FROM 10am

Please check website for dates and times.

PH : 5664 7272

EM: info@stonycreekgokarts.com.au For more information visit stonycreekgokarts.com.au Please Note: When Stony Creek Racing Club is holding a race meeting the venue will be closed. During the winter period the venue is closed mid week unless prior booking is made. thelifestyle autumn 2018

Millie When my beautiful 16-year-old dog Midge passed away, I swore I would never have another. That was until Millie the wonder dog came into my life and things have never been the same since... She was all I ever wanted in a dog and past the puppy stage when I inherited her from a friend. She has brought me more joy and companionship than I could ever have imagined. The other side benefit has been that she has sparked an interest in discovering places that I had forgotten about or never been to, despite them only being a stoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s throw away. Millie and I have roamed and explored many places in Maffra where we live and she has led me to other hidden gems. Walking and exploring with Millie has become a lifestyle choice that I never expected. We have recently been to Heyfield, only a short drive from Maffra and she took me to the wonderful Heyfield Wetlands. Even though it is so near and I have driven past it so many times, I had never taken the time to stop, but now I have, thanks to Mills.

thelifestyle autumn 2018

I found an amazing haven for birds (and people) on this 28-hectare site almost adjacent to the main street of the town. We wandered around the walking tracks, down tree-shaded avenues that encouraged us to stop, look and just appreciate the native environment that has been created on what was once a racecourse reserve. Bird life abounds as well as sculptures, exercise stations and views that provide a restful respite from the daily grind. Millie and I only walked a fraction of the way on what will be our first and not our last visit. We intend to return. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incredible the amount of invaluable work that volunteers have done to return what was originally wetlands, then pasture, back to its original purpose. They have created a sustainable ecosystem through a series of ponds to hold outflows of storm water and grey water that is progressively purified as it flows from one pond to the next. Pollutants are broken down and the water is oxygenated so that at the end of the process the water is clean. The most amazing thing is, to a casual observer like me, it just looks natural and was always like that. It actually exemplifies the whole ethos of the small country town of Heyfield.

There are so many community driven projects in Heyfield that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s difficult to believe such a small community could achieve so much. Two recent examples are the fantastic Heyfield Museum at the refurbished old post office and the memorial to timber workers who had lost their lives. A small group of dedicated towns people who were interested in preserving the history of their town and its people were in desperate need of a new home for their growing collection of artefacts and stories. They took on the mammoth and seemingly impossible task of raising an enormous amount of money to buy their iconic old post office building in the middle of Heyfield. Once they did that, they had an equally huge task of repurposing the building into an innovative and interesting museum. I returned to visit one Sunday morning, minus Millie, and was amazed at their ingenious and clever ways of displaying the myriad of items they had available. An old suitcase held photos with descriptions of the many migrant families who became vital members of the town. Old doors were display boards and the massive original post office counter became an ingenious display facility with the drawers

MillTown

& the

By Ken Roberts

thelifestyle autumn 2018

hiding surprise postal items from the past. A simple typewriter seemed to fascinate younger visitors as they could try to type out a letter. It’s again a tribute to the dedication and hard work of the committee and the many people who donated money and labour to make it possible. As is the memorial to timber workers whose lives were lost in the often dangerous industry that was a dominate part of the establishment of the town. Nestled in a grove of eucalypts, a small iron building is surrounded by stone cairns, which contain the names and stories of those whose lives were lost. The cleverly constructed rusty walls of the building display scenes of trees. Inside is a hearth and fireplace depicted in a bush home with photos on its mantelpiece. This too was the work of a dedicated committee of local people who made a dream to honour their loved ones happen. I have passed by this memorial many times without stopping. Millie encouraged me to linger and spend the time seeing what was before my very eyes... To finish our roaming we headed out of Heyfield, just down the road to Glenmaggie Weir. This was a favourite family haunt as a child and we

thelifestyle autumn 2018

would frequently be fishing, swimming, boating, and camping along its shores. Once again, even though it’s not far away, I never find the time to visit now. Millie and I wandered along the shore, enjoying the peace and quiet, of the pristine lake that is the lifeblood of the fertile Macalister irrigation district. Not only does it provide recreational facilities for boaties, skiers and jet skiers but it also allows vegetables and milk production to thrive in the lush soils of the river plains. I also stopped at the Glenmaggie cemetery, something I had always wanted to do. It was thanks to Millie for giving me the time to slow down and see the things I wanted to see. We wandered around this pioneer cemetery perched on the side of the hill with the most majestic view – an eternal resting place to die for! Again, I mused on why, with or without Millie, I hadn’t taken the time to see what had always been before my eyes. While being swept up in modern life, I just hadn’t made the effort to do so. Walking Millie had given me an excuse to wander at a slower pace and to experience what I had been too busy to stop and see.

George

Bunny

Benson

Tess

r e n cor Buddy

Tippy

Herbie

Zac

Angel Peppi

Lucky

Angel Charlie

Sirrus

Do you want to place a photo of your dog in Canine Corner ? It's easy, just email us your pic and their name at thelifestyle@dcsi.net.au thelifestyle autumn 2018

BAT REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE

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Lyrebird Cricket makes high quality handcrafted English Willow Cricket bats, using Australian Willow Blue timber. All of our blades are sourced and manufactured 100% locally here in Gippsland and skilfully crafted using time honoured traditional methods and lots of pride. Our range includes Men’s, Women’s and Junior bats and all can be custom made to your requirements. We also stock a full range of cricket equipment, and undertake bat repairs and maintenance. With the season ending, why not get your bat refurbished before putting it away for the winter. Our refurbishments include a full sand and oil, new grip, and application of an anti-scuff sheet and toe goo.

So whether it’s a new cricket bat, equipment, repair or refurbishment, get in touch with us via Facebook, Instagram or our Website Call us on 0421 046 294. Gift vouchers also available

www.lyrebirdcricket.com.au

ELEVATION 230. AGE: 250 MILLION YEARS. FUTURE: UNKNOWN By Ebony Knox The signage tells us echidnas can be seen ambling through the bush and in the warmer months a lace monitor may be seen basking on an exposed rock face. The smaller rocks too provide shelter for many butterflies, spiders, lizards and other insects. The four and five-year-old show no sign of slowing down as with each step, some almost but never quite steep enough for little legs, we get closer and closer to the top. My dad, or Poppy as he is known today, carries the two year old on his shoulders while the mother of three scans ahead for safety.

Mount Cannibal is quite literally on Gippsland’s front door step. It proudly stands 80 kilometres south east of Melbourne and only a stone’s throw from the nearby township of Garfield. It’s the perfect day out for a family, a romantic couple, an individual in need of fresh air or anyone seeking to reconnect with nature. For an adventurist, wanderer and lover of all things natural like me, it is an unexpectedly simple and enjoyable local walk. Accompanied by my dad, agile at the age of sixty two, my sister and her three blond off spring aged five, four and two, we pile into the seven seater, map at the ready and in no particular hurry. Arriving at the foot of the scarily named mountain and within moments of tying our shoelaces and setting off on the well-maintained gravel track, we pause to take in half a dozen kangaroos. This is a sight not uncommon to locals who frequent the track.

thelifestyle autumn 2018

Together we reach the Summit in time to hear the description of Mount Cannibal’s history. For those who are tech savy, an app on a smart phone provides information we would otherwise not be aware of. We savour the fantastic views. We discuss the age of Mount Cannibal. The answer is old, very old. Older than any of us, older than the eucalypt trees that tower above us, older than the township of Garfield. The farmland that lies ahead and below us, neatly divided into paddocks has not always looked the way it does today. We collectively imagine what the view was a million years ago – the vegetation thick, the Allosaurus dinosaur huge and the volcano active. Mount Cannibal may be 250 million years old and is spectacular but what does the future hold? Positioned in a nearby paddock there’s a sign asking for help to save and protect Mount Cannibal, its wildlife, its native orchids and its Australian bush. Visitors are alerted to a potential quarry and we are urged to follow the Facebook page. There is a campaign against a construction and cement group's plan to build a granite excavation site less than 400 metres from the boundary of Mount Cannibal.

Not only would the sweeping farmland views from the Summit of Mount Cannibal be jeopardised, the proposal would add havoc to already threatened species of flora and fauna. Water flows, traffic and road safety issues, agriculture production and tourism are all worthy concerns. As we bundle and buckle into the car and head into Garfield, I consider who in the future will be able to enjoy Mount Cannibal. Will it be the bouncing kangaroos or ambling echidnas and the four and five year olds that were amazed by what they discovered? Will it be the farmers, who work in the shadows of this great mountain? Will it be the tourists and shop keepers, the adventurers and nature lovers, or will it be the mining companies? Whatever the outcome, Mount Cannibal is a spectacular outpost well worth a visit. Congratulations to the custodians who maintain the steps and toilets and monitor the wildlife, the service clubs that provide signage and marker points and the locals who regularly enjoy the climb. Mount Cannibal is a well-kept Gippsland secret.

Member for South Gippsland Danny Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Brien

FOSTER & DISTRICT agricultrual show Mannagum Community House

Rob and Tayla

Ann and Heather from the Tea Cosy Festival Committee

thelifestyle autumn 2018

TAKING REFUGE AND DELIGHT IN

REFUGE COVE BY GARRY KNOX

I purchased a newspaper from the friendly bloke at Port Welshpool General Store expecting to have plenty of downtime on the eight-hour ecotourism cruise I was about to embark on. Such was the scenery and activity however, the newspaper remained folded and totally unread. Touring with Refuge Cove Cruises is a sensational new Wilson’s Promontory experience that leaves Port Welshpool at 9 am, daily. I chatted to two people fishing on the wharf while the tour group’s magnificent new boat, the Game Changer was filled with 3500 litres of fuel – enough to take us to Tasmania. In fact by midday we would be in Tasmanian waters. This beautiful $700,000, 42-passenger catamaran, which was launched in December last year, was designed by Damien Smith Design and purpose built by Alumarine in nearby Inverloch. It is 1200 horse power with a top speed of 37 knots and cruises at an easy 20 knots, the same as the Manly Ferry.

thelifestyle autumn 2018

Our captain is Dale, our host and co-owner of the boat is Jason and our guide is Jeremy. All three, who are well-qualified to skipper the boat, provide us with a unique and outstanding guided tour of Wilson’s Promontory from the sea. While cruising through endless clear blue waters, surrounded by breath-taking scenery, I thought of the millions of visitors who come to the Prom by car and hike or swim at Tidal River. Refuge Cove Cruises however, gives passengers a whole new exciting and spectacular perspective of the Prom and its flora, fauna, its granite dominated coastline and pristine beaches. As we head due south, past Snake Island and down the east coast of Wilson’s Prom, Jeremy, a former ranger that worked on the Prom for 24 years, acknowledges the indigenous heritage and the tenancy of the Gunai and Kurnai people. He was one of 90 Rangers at the Prom and accordingly has an intimate knowledge and love of all things Promontory. He now thrives on sharing that information and mingling quietly when time permits with the passengers. He remembers the

2009 bushfires on the Prom and notes the scrub has recovered extremely well. He intrigues us with stories of pirates and cannon balls. He tempts us with tales of Portuguese sailors and the possibility of hidden treasures in one of the many caves we can see from the boat. He then serves morning tea. We head further south finding action and adventure as the swell grows and the occasional spray of surf replaces calmer waters. The southernmost point of mainland Australia is populated with seals lounging on Skull Rock. Several delightful dolphins escort the boat while in view are resident sea eagles and cormorants. Penguins are visible but keep their distance. Shoals of salmon make the water sparkle, while balls of bait fish are being rounded up by something much larger and more sinister down below. The captain suggests we come back between July and November and add whales to our bucket list conquer.

By 2pm, the boat has turned and heading north. The highlight of our tour is a stopover in Refuge Cove, a deserted pristine beach now only intruded upon by the Game Changer as it slides comfortably up onto the sand. A lone wallaby provides us all with a lengthy photographic opportunity. Jason, Dale and Jeremy offer us lunch that is set up with china and cutlery matching the quality of the meal, which we all immensely enjoy. Two hours on the beach flies by while some passengers sunbake or swim and others are led by Jeremy on a ten-minute walk upwards to take in the commanding views. After watching some beautiful blue wren, we meet two overnight hikers who have witnessed the beauty of the increasingly popular cove. We wish them well as they begin their 19 km-trek back to their base, while we continue to enjoy our day with Refuge Cove Cruises that have now made it possible for everyone to experience touring the well-hidden coastal landscape. After leaving Refuge Cove in all its tranquillity, we cruise gently homeward. We wave to fishermen in a speed boat. We are surprised to see the Water Police, their boat as big as the Game Changer, travelling in the opposite direction. Jeremy points out an old whaling station, an old pier, mentions shipwrecks and valuable cargo. He tells us he once was within metres of a whale rubbing itself on a large rock to rid it of barnacles. Home Cove and Mt Wilson pass on our port side. (Mt Wilson and Wilson’s Promontory were both named in 1799 by navigator, George Bass after Thomas Wilson, a London friend of Bass's companion Mathew Flinders).

Passengers happily deliver volunteered hearty applause to the captain and crew of the new, very Australian, Game Changer. No one has fully explored South Gippsland until they have seen the remoteness and natural splendour of Wilson’s Promontory with Refuge Cove Cruises. For more information visit: refugecovecruises.com.au

Our captain makes light work of the last half hour, cruising full steam ahead back to Port Welshpool with his passengers all thoroughly enlightened, inspired and satisfied after a magical and memorable 140 km round trip of Victoria’s most visited 50,000 ha-national park.

thelifestyle autumn 2018

THE EXCHANGE HOTEL

FOSTER THE PROMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DIVERSE REGIONAL CENTRE

By Wendy Morriss THE EXCHANGE HOTEL WAS BUILT IN 1907

thelifestyle autumn 2018

Foster, originally a busy gold-mining settlement is now a peaceful rural town and major service centre for the surrounding area, including Victoria’s beautiful Wilson’s Promontory National Park.

FOSTER'S PEARL PARK

The culturally stimulating hub was recently transformed with new infrastructure and a revamped streetscape resulting in a renewed vibrant town with wonderful services and amenities. An appealing and striking aspect of the main street and other parts of the town is the numerous garden beds filled with masses of flowers amongst herbs and vegetables. In addition to this, is Foster’s enchanting Manna Community Garden brimming with native flora, fruit, vegetables and herbs, in an attractive openpark setting for everyone to enjoy. The friendly town, with a rich arts culture, is surrounded by natural beauty, picturesque rural countryside, spectacular views and wonderful wildlife and only 20 kms from Gippsland’s stunning coastline and Corner Inlet. Twenty-two kilometres southwest of the town is Shallow Inlet and pristine Sandy Point Beach, while 24 kms to the east is Agnes Falls, Victoria’s highest waterfall. The region is known for its fishing, grazing, dairying and fresh local produce including awardwinning cheeses, cold climate wines, beers, fruits, preserves and potatoes. Prior to Europeans arriving in the area, it was home to the indigenous Brataualung people. Foster was originally a resting place for drovers and known as Stockyard Creek, named after the creek that flows through the town. In 1860, John Amey, an ex-convict from Tasmania, took up land several miles east of the creek and established a productive farm. His daughter married Port Albert's crown land ranger, who not long afterwards travelled to Stockyard Creek to investigate the illegal logging of black wood. While the timber cutters, who were alerted by John Amey, cleared their camp and pretended to be gold prospectors, they found a rich strain of gold. The registered claim was named ‘The Great Uncertainty’ and a gold rush followed that finally ended in the 1930’s. Police weren’t present at the site during the rush, so a magistrate named William Henry Foster was called in to settle disputes in 1871. The town was then renamed Foster.

THE FORMER FOSTER POST OFFICE IS NOW THE FOSTER AND DISTRICT HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM A TOWN MURAL

At the time, 345 men and 24 women lived in the area. A mechanics institute and a bank were built and a school and post office were established the following year. By the end of the decade, the gold rush had come to an end and many local people started turning to dairying. In 1892, the railway arrived and two years later, the people of Foster successfully campaigned for the creation of the new Shire of South Gippsland. The railway closed in 1993. In 1905, Foster held its first agricultural show. Two years later, a butter factory commenced operations and electricity was connected to the town in 1916. In 1962, the butter factory amalgamated with a larger company, which eventually merged with Murray Goulburn. Foster’s milk factory closed in 1975, and milk was then transported to Toora and Leongatha.

thelifestyle autumn 2018

Memorials to commemorate the town's gold mining history are located in the town’s picturesque Pearl Park, with pretty Stockyard Creek running through it. A timber foot bridge passes over the creek and a marker on the bridge shows the exact spot the first alluvial gold was found in 1870. Apart from the park’s historic interest, it is a lovely shady place to relax with picnic and barbeque facilities and public toilets. Walking tracks, parking and park information is also available. Opposite the park, in the former post office that was built in 1890 and operated until 1975, is the Foster and District Historical Society Museum. The museum contains information about John Amey and memorabilia of the town's rich and colourful past and how the district developed from the discovery of gold in 1870, to the establishment of a thriving dairy industry in later years.

STOCKYARD GALLERY

Next to it is the Stockyard Gallery that incorporates a visitor information centre and craft shop. The community gallery and shop showcase the works of Gippsland artists in a wide range of mediums. The iconic Exchange Hotel, built in 1907 with its unusual conical turret, was modelled after a hotel that the proprietor, Anastasia Thornley saw in Ireland. It was designed by J. Edmund Burke from Melbourne and built from shipped Western Australia Jarrah. YEP gallery in Foster showcases unique paintings in local Yanakie earth pigments by Prom Country artists, and exquisite artisan jewellery, textiles and wood art. The Foster and District Agricultural Show held on the fourth day in February is a not-for-profit event that has played an important role in the community for more than 100 years. The Foster showgrounds generally used for local sporting pursuits comes alive with many spectacular events, a variety of animals, bands, local produce and craft exhibits. The Prom Coast Seachange Festival, rich in cultural events and held in and around Foster during March, is a celebration of all that’s wonderful about living and visiting the Prom Coast. The Great Southern Rail Trail is accessible at Foster and consists of a walking, cycling and horse riding trail that passes through several small towns from its beginning at Leongatha to Yarram. Hayes Walk, which begins from the car park behind Foster’s main shopping centre, takes you over Kaffir Hill and past the site of Victory Mine, Foster’s largest gold mine. The Bratuaulong Walking Track, which incorporates Cody Gully Walk and Ophir Hill Walk, is accessed from McDonald Street. Cody Gully Walk was named after Michael Cody, who worked one of the first claims there in 1871 with Francis Doran. It has a gentle slope suitable for all walkers. Ophir Hill Walk continues on from half way around Cody Gully Walk past remnants from the days of gold mining. Agnes Falls Scenic Reserve features the highest single-span waterfall in Victoria. It’s where the Agnes River cascades over rocks 59 metres into a deep gorge. Visitors can take a short walk though blue gum forest to a viewing area or relax and enjoy a picnic on the banks of the river.

thelifestyle autumn 2018

FOSTER'S PEARL PARK

Specialising in Local Fish

Order Your Seafood

For Easter Holidays Now

For all

the best in fresh

Seafood

For all the best in fresh seafood, there is none better than Foster Seafoods This shop has everything for the seafood lover. Alice and Lachie Duncan have added new lines to their business along with the freshest and best fish caught locally within Corner Inlet and Bass Strait.

On offer are freshly cooked Prawns, Moreton Bay Bugs, Crayfish, freshly opened Oysters, Mussels and a large variety of Local Fish â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whole or filleted; along with our beautiful sauces. Just give us a call or drop in. You are always welcome!

And you can be assured that the quality and service is still the best!

Crumbing: Sardine and Garfish fillets Smoking: Hot Smoked Atlantic Salmon, Chilli Mussels & Smoked Sardines all in Olive Oil Pickling: Local Scallops, Oysters with Tartare and Seafood Sauce, Home Made Chilli Sauce on the Mussels

35 Main Street, Foster, Vic 3960 Tel/Fax: (03) 5682 2815 Monday to Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm, Saturday 8:30am - 12:00pm Contact: Alice and Lachie Duncan

thelifestyle spring 2015

FOSTER’S

delightful transformation By Wendy Morriss

The small rural service town of Foster has recently undergone a complete transformation with new infrastructure and a revamped streetscape resulting in a renewed, vibrant, aesthetically pleasing, ameniable town with wonderful services and amenities. John Davies has been a member of the Foster Chamber of Commerce for almost 40 years and president for the last five years. He said the project had been under discussion with the South Gippsland Shire Council for about ten years before funding finally became available and the project came to fruition. “It was a massive project and there were a host of issues that had to be dealt with,” he said. “To begin with, VicRoads controlled the main street, so a memorandum of understanding was drawn up between VicRoads and the shire to swap the control of the main street with another that bypassed the town.” He said a new carpark was built at the back of the town to service some of the shops and another carpark and roadway along the creek. All the deep drainage in the main street had to be dug up and replaced because there were asbestos water pipes and some of the drainage had collapsed so water wasn’t getting away in a storm situation. There were also very large tree stumps, some more than 100 years old in the road that had to be removed.

thelifestyle autumn 2018

All the footpaths along the main street were broken up and replaced outside every shop; curbed channelling was put in and the road resurfaced.

“There have always been small laneways and some have painted artwork on the walls, but they will be revamped with roofs, resurfaced floors, seating and more artwork,” John said.

The project, which started in February last year, was completed in November. “It did knock some of the businesses around in some ways but everyone remained optimistic,” he said.

Last year, the Foster Chamber of Commerce, with assistance from the FCA, held a street party for participants in the Great Victorian Bike Ride and Foster was voted by the cyclists as the most welcoming town.

An appealing and striking addition to the main street and other parts of the town is the numerous garden beds filled with masses of brightly coloured flowers amongst herbs and vegetables. “Most towns have small gardens but the shire gardeners have continued to plant flowers with vegetables in Foster, which has been embraced by the community and visitors,” John said. “It’s amazing, every day I see someone looking at, or picking some of the produce and it’s welcomed. Yesterday someone picked some rhubarb. There’s an open community garden in the town as well.” This year the town will see an added transformation through a laneways project. It will be auspiced by the Foster Community Association; a community group that often work in conjunction with the chamber of commerce and one that John is also involved with.

John and his wife Mohya, who served as a shire councillor between 2008 and 2016, own and operate Prom Meats, a business in the town they purchased from the Hobson family in 1977 where they employ five local people. They also produce beef and lamb on their own 160ha property. John initially ran a meat processing plant with his brothers that closed in 2000. “We try to have only local produce and to keep down the distance the livestock travel,” John said. “During the holiday season, all the meat that goes through the shop is off our own farm and processed in Warragul. It’s a really strong selling point because it places us at the top end for quality. We also supply supermarkets in a few nearby towns.” When John joined the Foster Chamber of Commerce, it was known as The Foster Traders Association. He said the name changed in the early 90s. Since then the organisation has held a Christmas street party each year and they hold market days in the town in conjunction with the supermarkets at various times of the year.

John Davies, president of the Foster Chamber of Commerce outside his retail shop

Flowers growing in the upgraded town with vegetables and herbs “The supermarkets have big sales and we encourage our members to get involved with market specials on the same day." “We also have a gift voucher system that has been operating for some time to encourage people to shop locally.” He said the organisation has acted as a group able to communicate with local councillors and the shire. “We have always encouraged the establishment of new businesses in Foster and supported new business owners. Most people that have businesses in the town are members.” Foster was once a service town for farms but as farms have closed or grown larger, many of the houses have been sold to weekenders who have also purchased houses in places like Sandy Point and Waratah Bay.

“Our population has certainly evolved with the arrival of sea changers and tree changers that have a long term view to come entirely and stay. These people have really added to the community, not only have they brought their capital with them but also their skill sets. They enjoy being involved in the community and Foster has been good at welcoming them.” He said tourism in the area has always been big because Wilsons Promontory is Victoria’s most visited national park, although it really only encourages campers but they do come up to Foster to do their shopping while they are on holidays.

John Davies and staff member Leanne Garrow

“Foster and some of the surrounding towns have their different niches. Nearby Fish Creek with a population of 200 has five galleries. That complements the sort of things that Foster has to offer although Foster has a few strong galleries as well, particularly the Stockyard Gallery/Tourist Information Centre and a new gallery called Yep.”

thelifestyle autumn 2018

ATale of Two Creeks FOSTER & FISH CREEK

by Lyn Skillern

The early history of Gippsland is full of unique stories; one of the best is the founding of Foster. It all happened around Corner Inlet a place where indigenous people had been living a relatively comfortable lifestyle. The Brataualung tribe, a sub group of the Gippsland Gunaikurnai people, lived in the area between Woodside and Cape Liptrap for over 40,000 years before any Europeans arrived in the area. Living mainly along the coast, their lifestyle was in many way idyllic. They were expert fishermen using bark canoes in the waters of Corner Inlet and the stream flowing into it. The diet was varied consisting of fish, water birds, reptiles, insects, shellfish, eggs, seeds, grasses, leaves, roots, fungi and honey. They wore possum cloaks in cold weather and made all they needed from local resources. The lifestyle of the Brataualung was destroyed forever in the early 1800s. The sealers kidnapped women treating them as virtual slaves. These sealers also introduced diseases and by the time the pastoralists arrived in the 1840s the indigenous population had been greatly reduced. They were pushed off their land by pastoralists causing conflict with other tribes and many were deliberately massacred by those pioneers. Explorer George Bass sailed into Corner Inlet in 1798 but it would be 43 years before a European settlement would be established on the inlet. In 1841 Port Albert was settled and it became a vital port for the export of cattle to Tasmania. A rough stock route was developed linking Port Albert with Western Port. To help in the movement of cattle stockyards were established to rest the animals on the bank of a creek that flowed into Corner Inlet north west of Port Albert. This creek was then given the name Stockyard Creek.

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By 1860 John Amey, an ex convict from Tasmania, had taken up land at Bennison east of Stockyard Creek and established a successful farm. Interestingly one of the crops he grew, processed and sold to travellers was tobacco. He took his produce to Port Albert by bullock dray and packhorse. Amey’s daughter Charlotte married the crown ranger James Simmons who was stationed in Port Albert.

As was usual in gold mining settlements, disputes broke out over claims. William Foster the police magistrate and gold and mining warden at Sale was called to Stockyard Creek to adjudicate. He arrived in February 1871 and decided that this new settlement needed a name. The name Foster was suggested by a resident wanting to curry favour with the magistrate and those present agreed. The town of Foster was born.

In late 1869 a group of five timber splitters set up camp on Stockyard Creek. They cut timber illegally and transported these timber staves by boat for sale elsewhere. A boat carrying this timber was wrecked near Port Albert and some staves were washed ashore. The ranger decided to find the source of these staves and he travelled to Stockyard Creek to investigate stopping to rest at his father- in-law’s house. Amey managed to inform the splitters that they needed to cease timber cutting. He suggested the men hide the timber and move upstream to pose as prospectors. Amazingly the splitters found alluvial gold and the settlement that was to become Foster came into being.

Many miners were able to make some sort of living but others pushed on through the dense forest to try their luck at Turton’s Creek 31 kms to the north. Men continued to come to Foster, more substantial huts were constructed and women started to arrive. In April 1871 there were 345 men and 24 women in the town. Also in that year funds were raised to build a Mechanics’ Institute. In the following year a post office and school were established and in 1874 a Methodist church was constructed.

The five men and Amey registered their two claims and thus the news was out and the rush began. Men quickly moved into Stockyard Creek and a shanty and tent town grew. Miners came to Port Albert by sea and then on Captain Pinkerton’s boat ‘Tarra” to the Stockyard Creek landing. Others walked overland from Melbourne via Western Port. By 1871 tracks were cut from Moe and Rosedale to Foster

Gold discoveries continued for the next few years but as gold mining declined , land selectors were needed to expand the settled area. By the early 1880s land in the coastal plains nearby was mostly taken up and potential farmers sought selections in the hill country near Foster from 1884. This land was soon purchased and Foster as a service centre developed. Originally in the Alberton Shire, Foster, with its increase in population following the arrival of the railway in 1892, sought to have a Shire of its own. In 1894 the South Gippsland Shire was established with its headquarters in Foster.

Education was seen as important by the early settlers of Foster and an education committee was formed in November 1871. The committee wrote to the Board of Education in Melbourne (pre Education Department) stating that they had a building for 100 or more children and sought funds to hire a teacher. The committee advertised and hired Mr James Ingram and renovated the old skittle alley. Mr Ingram and family arrived in February 1872. They travelled by sea to Port Albert from Melbourne, hired a bullock dray to take their possessions overland to Foster, went by boat to the Stockyard Creek landing and on foot to the township of Foster. School started in Foster on March 18th 1872 with an attendance of 35. Later numbers increased to 100 after education became compulsory when the Education Act of 1872 was passed and the Education Department formed. Even though the former skittle alley was unsatisfactory, Foster State School officially opened in it in the new year of 1873. The school moved to the Mechanics’ Institute and a new school was eventually constructed.

The Foster town centre, The Post Office in the centre of the photograph is now the Foster Historical Museum. Photograph from Foster & District Historical Society

The railway came to Foster in 1892 with the station being some distance from the main town. The following is an extract from a story of a rail trip to South Gippsland written in 1893.

….our destination for the night, the township of Foster, nestling among the hills.… there we were standing on the station, and there was Foster about a mile away, but how were we to get to it, there is no road between the two. It seemed as if the Great Southern line is a very high minded, self-willed sort of line, pursuing its own independent course utterly regardless of the wants and supplications of the people round about it.

Thornley’s Hotel Foster before 1905. Photograph from Foster & District Historical Society

The Illustrated Australian News (Melbourne) 1 Jan 1893 by J M

The Exchange Hotel is a very special feature of Foster. It opened in 1871 and was called Thornley's Hotel after its original owners William and Anastasia Thornley. William died in 1874 and Anastasia ran the hotel on her own for another 33 years. In 1905 the hotel was destroyed by fire and Anastasia had the hotel rebuilt in jarrah timber from Western Australia and the best materials available at the time. The unique tower was part of the new design. The new Exchange Hotel opened on 20 May 1907 but sadly Anastasia did not see this event as she died a few months earlier.

The Victory Mine Foster. Photograph from Foster & District Historical Society

Anastasia Burke had come from Ireland to Australia as a single young woman and made a very special contribution to the town of Foster in her role as local publican. She is buried in Foster cemetery. The history of Foster and district is being well preserved by the local Historical Society. They had the former post office moved to their site in the main street and it is now the Foster Museum. Other buildings on the site include former schools from the area and these are used for special exhibitions. REFERENCES Patricia Fleming ‘Stockyard Creek to Foster’ Barry Collett ‘Wednesdays Closest to the Full Moon’ Early Foster showing the creek. Photograph from State Library of Victoria

thelifestyle autumn 2018

The 300-year-old manna gum that graces the entrance.

Manna Community Garden By Wendy Morriss

Foster’s enchanting Manna Community Garden brimming with native flora, fruit, vegetables and pretty herbs, in an attractive open park setting, has been established by community volunteers for everyone to enjoy.

She gained much of her knowledge while growing up on French Island where her family had to be reasonably self-sufficient. “My mother grew a lot of food, we milked a few cows and we were fairly isolated,” she said.

The serene, productive environment is an inspirational space that calms the spirit and stimulates the senses with a magnificent 300-year-old manna gum, in a lovely grassed picnic area, gracing the entrance.

Her interest in community gardening began when she volunteered to establish a kitchen garden at Foster Primary School 20 years ago. A few years later, the school applied for the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program and she was then employed to teach gardening for five years.

Tucked neatly away in one part of the garden is a rustic, cottage-style garden shed that is home for the Manna Community Garden Group headed by group leader Juneen Schulz. “Manna is more than a garden,” Juneen said. “It’s a place where people can come together with the same passions to learn and to find new friends. It makes me feel really chuffed that these new friendships have developed because of the garden and often they are between people that may never have met otherwise.” Juneen, an endearing person and passionate gardener with a permaculture background is the brainchild behind the project. She voluntarily established the garden with a small group of volunteers about 18 years ago.

A year later, with a desire to establish something similar in the town, Juneen was offered a small plot beside the community house. A centrelink volunteer assisted her and they ran some gardening workshops through the community house, which helped them gain more enthusiastic volunteers. The larger plot, now the current site behind the community house, became available a few years later. Funding for the project initially came from the South Gippsland Shire and the garden has continued to develop with grants from FRRR (Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal), Bendigo Bank and South Gippsland Water.

“We chose to name the garden as Manna Community Garden many years ago,” Juneen said, “not only because of the manna gum but the parks and garden officer from the shire who helped us acquire the land said Manna meant heaven and I thought that was a lovey way to think about the garden as well.” Some of the garden plots are hired by individuals and the rest of the garden is shared. People involved in the garden group, including Juneen, are all volunteers. Some have lived in the area for many years, while others are relatively new and want to become involved in the community. “We do see more of the older generation,” Juneen said. “Some young mothers come to the garden, but they are often busy with children or work and aren’t able to hang out as much as they would like to. We also have a few volunteers from Centrelink who work 15 hours a week in the garden. We’ve had a few over the years and some have stayed while others have gone into jobs and other courses.” She said not everything they do is focused entirely on growing food. People coming to the garden want to learn and there’s something for everyone.

thelifestyle autumn 2018

Group leader Juneen Schulz amongst the plums

It could be having fun making scarecrows, meditating, propagating or finding out how to grow a food forest. “One woman has been with the group almost since the beginning and we all learn something from her because she has a goat at home and she makes her own cheese and bread. It’s very special to have people like that as part of the garden that can share their knowledge and skills with us.” The garden group meet every Monday to harvest, plant, water and maintain the garden or to just wander amongst the trees, talk to others and share ideas. The public are welcome to look, smell and appreciate the garden and come and go as they please and many walk through on their way to

the township. Anyone wanting to benefit from the harvest can join the group on a Monday. “Some people call beforehand especially when the cumquats are loaded,” Juneen said. “People in the community who want to make jam will call to ask if they can pick fruit.” When asked if not having fencing around the garden created any issues with vandalism, Juneen said they’d only had a few problems in all the years they’ve been there and they haven’t been a real issue. “A few times when we’ve come in on Monday we might find something like all the cabbages harvested. Of course we don’t mind if someone takes a few lemons or an apple but not a whole vegie crop. Now that we have food growing throughout the town as well, I think we’ll see less of that happening.”

The community garden shed, home for the Manna Community Garden Group

Manna Community Garden

thelifestyle autumn 2018

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48 MAIN STREET FOSTER 3960 MOBILE: 0429 821 494

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em: info@insideoutclothing.com.au insideoutclothing.com.au

thelifestyle autumn 2018

FOSTER RSL

WAR ME MORIAL BU ILDING

REGINALD ROY PATERSON

Foster RSL Hours of Operation Thursday To Sunday: 4pm to 8pm | Hours may vary according to patronage Foster RSL is an incorporated licensed club with full bar facilities & a dining area. President: Bruce Lester | Secretary: Janne Raimondo 46 Main Street Foster Vic 3960 Tel: 5682 1489

Gippsland Natural Beef Gippsland Lamb Free Range Poultry & Eggs

thelifestyle autumn 2018

OPEN TO MEMBERS & GUESTS ALIKE Situated approximately 2 hours south-east of Melbourne, the Foster Golf Club is 1.8 km from the South Gippsland Highway and a short drive from the picturesque Wilson's Promontory coast. The 18 hole course features flat to undulating fairways with small greens: relatively short in length, but still challenging for all golfing levels.

LUNCH TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY | DINNER WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

7 Reserve Street Foster Vic 3960 | Ph: 5682 2272 | Em: fostergc@commander.net.au fostergolfclub.com.au

FOSTER & DISTRICT HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM Originally known as South Gippsland Shire Historical Society when it was formed in 1973 it became the Foster & Districts Historical Society with the amalgamation of local Governments. In 1974 the Society opened the Foster Museum in the former Post Office Building, which was moved from the corner of Main Street and Station Road to its present location near the site of the old Victory Gold Mine. The Museum features the Foster and districts gold, timber and dairying history, together with an extensive collection of photographs, the former Agnes State School, a furnished early settlers cottage, replica bark hut, and H.L. Lasseter’s work boat amongst other fine displays.

MUSEUM OPEN: Saturday – Sunday 11.00am – 3.00pm School Holidays Daily 11.00am - 3.00pm All other times by appointment MUSEUM CLOSED: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Good Friday

Marilyn Smith and Kerry Corcoran

Photo supplied by Marilyn Smith and Kerry Corcoran

thelifestyle autumn 2018

Mail: Foster & District Historical Society Inc. PO Box 231 Foster Vic 3960 Web: www.promcountryhistory.org.au

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SnakeCattleIsland Trip

with Carmel Trease

thelifestyle autumn 2018

the e-bike revolution By Gary Jackson, Riviera Cycles

Around ten years ago, bicycles with electric motors had a stigma; they were only for lazy people. Electric power assisted bicycles are now rightfully seen as a vehicle for opening up the freedom of cycling to more people who otherwise might struggle to ride a bike due to health, strength or age. The opposite of the old stigma is now true. You ride an electric bike because you actually want to go out riding and get some exercise and the electric bike facilitates this. It gives you the confidence to tackle longer rides, hills and headwinds knowing that even if you start to get too tired, you’ll be able to get home. Electric bikes also allow riders to keep up better with others, giving you the confidence to join in on group rides or ride alongside your fit friends. Nobody needs to miss out on the fun!

Great on the flat roads but they tend to bog down on the hills, and struggle and strain to get up the steeper hills, right when you need the assistance the most.

There are two types of motor systems available in most bike stores, the hub-drive motor and the mid-drive motor. I’ll only talk here about E-bikes that are legal for use on our roads. There are many online ‘bargains’ to be had that are poor quality, don’t have spare parts and service backup or have motor systems too powerful for legal use on public roads and trails.

All Mid-drive bikes (and some hub-drive) deliver their power only while you are pedalling and therefore are an extension of you, making for a very natural bicycle riding feeling.

Hub-drive motor E-bikes are generally less expensive to purchase and use motors that comply with the 250 Watt legal limit (200w with hand throttle activation). However they have a limitation that is likened to having a bicycle with only one gear.

Most E-bikes these days use Lithium-ion batteries as they are very lightweight for their size. With proper charging techniques, they should last between 4 to 5 years. It’s a common misconception that a battery will die; the truth is they are killed!

We recommend Mid-drive bikes as they drive through the bicycles chain and therefore the gears, allowing you to shift onto a lower, easier gear so the motor doesn’t need to strain to get up the hill. It effectively multiplies the motor’s torque allowing you to tackle steeper hills.

Full-E+ 1 Pro Electric Mountain Bike

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It is very important to recharge the battery after each use, and to make sure that it never sits with a discharged battery. If you are unable to ride the bike for a period of time, it is most important that the battery still gets a full charge about every 3 weeks. They are pricey to replace at the end of their life with most being between $600 to $700. It is hoped that battery prices will come down however, prices have been holding steady these last few years. Pop into your local Gippsland bicycle shop for a look. Most will have E-bikes on display and may even have them available for test rides. Look for motor brand names such as Bosch, Shimano and Yamaha as the better quality units, or Bafang (China’s largest E-bike motor manufacturer) on the lower priced bikes. There is fun and exercise to be had for everyone on the tracks, trails and quiet roads of Gippsland. Happy riding! Gary Jackson

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Farming, Banking & Good Advice from1942

By Garry Knox

A lazy Christmas and it seemed timely to rummage through one of the many boxes of books and papers that my late father-in-law left behind.

My father-in-law was Cliff Parton and both he and his wife Betty, along with five of his six children, migrated to Australia as ‘Ten Pound Poms’ in 1965. He subsequently farmed at Lang Lang in South Gippsland for the next 50 years and we suspect that one of the books he left behind, the ‘1942 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria’, was either given to him or he procured it for a crash course in farming ‘down under’. The book is a compilation of the twelve-monthly government agricultural magazines published in 1942 and is now seventy-five years old. It’s dusty and musty. Its condition and antiquity however, is an intriguing insight into the farming practices of the 40s, the agricultural advertisers of the day, the language of eighty years ago and the disruptive and perhaps forgotten connection between agriculture and the Second World War (19391945). The following is a glimpse of what interested me in the cloth bound 1942 edition of the Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. The keen farmer was encouraged to grow sugar beet. Our sugar came from Queensland, but if ’shipping lines were disrupted’ Victoria would need an alternative source of sugar. It was sugar beet, a turnip look alike… now a forgotten crop. This almanac of all things agricultural told us of the symptoms of gooseberry weevil, discussed the pros and cons of both Paspalum dilatum and Paspalum distichum and championed the weeping willow as fodder, an erosion tool, and enhancing the aesthetics of our properties. Today Landcare gives farmers financial incentive to root out willows. The journal gave us instruction on the fine art and financial merit of drying rabbit skins. Prices were high due to the fur being used extensively in the USA for the manufacture of military hats and the

skins for gloves and boots. In addition, ‘rabbits provide a good white wholesome meat for human consumption and a substitute for skim milk as pig feed’. Pig feed in 1942 is trendy restaurant tucker today. Hay making was important in 1942. The Department of Agriculture told us that on improved pasture, the luscious spring growth might be fifty times greater than that of winter growth. The aim should be to conserve two tons of hay or five tons of silage for each dairy cow. Pictures in the August 1942 edition show hay making using both horses and tractors, hay sheds protected by picket fences (barbed wire was scarce due to the war), stationary hay presses and the Women’s Land Army assisting with the harvest due to a manpower shortage. In the article titled ‘Salvage on the Farm’, farmers were reminded of the importance of recycling for the war effort. Useful scrap includes worn out gumboots, rubber ware from the dairy, the tyres of perambulators, metals of all kinds and although bags are not officially scrap, firms are offering ‘substantial rebates’ for the return of empty bags. Hay wire should not be left around lest an animal ingest it, rather it should be recycled or reused. Sprinkled throughout are paid advertisements. Trewhella Bros P/L at Trentham spruik the merits of their Trewhella Monkey Grubber. ‘It pulls trees and stumps from one and half acres without changing anchor’. James Hardie advertise the virtue of their genuine Fibrolite asbestos cement building materials, not knowing the heartache it would cause decades later. In addition, with similar repercussions, W.D and H.O. Wills portrays Havelock Tobacco in a different light than today. ‘For cooler smoking and finer flavour’, they say…fine cut or ready rubbed. Gippsland and Northern had offices in Collins Street and Flinders Lane, Melbourne. They routinely advertised on page 6 of each month’s

edition. They were agents for Lister cream separators and Eclipse milking machines; they wanted to buy and sell our grass and vegetable seed; they told us to ‘consign your eggs to the farmers C0-Op, G&N’, as well as conducting cattle, sheep, pig, real estate and clearing sales. G & N’s Melbourne phone number was 3141, nine lines no less, or you could send them a telegram. You could contact them in Leongatha, Warragul, Orbost, Tallangatta or Wodonga. G& N were a forerunner of today’s Landmark.

ELDER SMITH AND DALGETY PLACED OCCASIONAL ADVERTISEMENTS AS WELL. The Victoria Stud at the State Research Farm in Werribee advertised Friesian bulls for sale at 25 guineas and Red Poll bulls at 22 guineas. The School of Primary Agriculture, Burnley had Jersey bulls for sale. Jerseys were by far the predominant breed in Victoria in 1942. The September issue produced the Advanced Register of Merit for Standard Herd Test. Jerseys occupied ten pages, Friesians just half a page, while Ayrshires, Dairy Shorthorns, Guernsey’s and Red Polls combined, consumed another half page. Friesians however, dominate today’s livestock landscape. The Cooks in Loch get a mention as Jersey breeders and E J Vagg at Leongatha (whose descendants still milk Jerseys today) had a champion cow in Rydon May Queen 2nd. The May edition of the Journal of Agriculture proclaimed Banyule Tiddlewinks the 26th (a Jersey) as the All Time Record Standard Herd Test holder. She gave 935 pound (425kg) of butterfat in 273 days and was owned by Mr. C. Gordon Lyon from Wangaratta.

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In 1942, the beef industry was worth four million pounds to the Victorian economy. Today that figure in dollars can be achieved in as little as a week at the Koonwarra saleyards. Beef returns were such that ‘very few farmers are able to accept the returns from specialised beef production’. Consequently, of the two million cattle in Victoria in 1942, only a quarter were beef cattle. The principal beef-producing breeds were Hereford, Aberdeen Angus, Shorthorn, Devon, Dairy Shorthorn and Red Poll.

ANGUS DOMINATE THE BEEF INDUSTRY TODAY. In January 1942, the Commonwealth Government decided that ‘owing to enemy action and limited shipping, superphosphate will be rationed’. ‘From January 1, all consumers will be limited to 60% of the quantity of superphosphate they used in the 39/40 financial year’. A crop that received special dispensation due to the war was flax. Flax was necessary for ‘the effective prosecution of the war’. Flax was the boom crop of the forties. In 1939, 2000 acres of flax was grown in Australia and all of it in Victoria. By 1942, Victoria was growing 26,000 acres and the commonwealth crop had grown to 56,000 acres. Victoria had ten flax mills and six deseeding depots. Practically the entire crop was exported to the British War Office to meet the requirements of the armed forces. Flax was selling at six pound a ton. It’s another forgotten crop. In another government initiative, and maybe the first real attempt toward decentralisation, the Minister for Agriculture introduced the Inland killing of Livestock Bill. The loss of bodyweight in bringing live lambs from the country to the Newmarket saleyards, the delay in having these lambs killed and the savings of transporting carcasses rather than live lambs were enormous. The Hon. E J Hogan, argued in Parliament that trucking live lambs from Bendigo to Melbourne cost eight pence a head, compared to three pence a head if the lamb was a carcass.

Farming, B & Good Aanking dvice from194 2

Indeed, all agricultural produce was keenly sought to support the war effort. Dairy farmers were encouraged to cull or join cows to Hereford or Shorthorn bulls to rear calves for meat. Potato plantings were up by 50% but many more were needed; nine new cheese factories were being built and even opium poppies for the production of morphine were being trialled. The war affected the availability of worm drenches. ‘Overseas supplies are very restricted and expensive’. Carbon tetrachloride was needed for ‘other essential purposes’. Alternatives involved bluestone and bluestone arsenic mixtures. For Nodule worm, ‘use the enema treatment’, whatever that is…. ‘It is very effective but must be administered skilfully’. Thankfully, our treatment for blackleg in cattle has been streamlined. The Government Veterinary Officer tells us that ‘the practice of making incisions into the animal’s muscle swellings will not cure the animal but more likely distribute the organisms about the property’. In 1942, blackleg vaccine was obtainable from the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories, Parkville on presentation of a permit issued by a government veterinary officer or stock inspector. The burning of pasture could assist in the control of lungworm and the liquid extract of the male fern frond mixed with milk, linseed or castor oil would help with liver fluke. A vaccine was available for mastitis (or ‘mamitas’ as my Dad used to say) but results were neglible. Culling or milking infected cows last was the treatment of the day for mastitis. The award for the best reflection of the times and the biggest change in attitude goes to Victoria’s own bank.

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The State Savings Bank used their advertising dollars in a very patriotic way. Their trumpet call implored every citizen to ‘SAVE’. ‘The person who spends money foolishly at a time like the present is acting antisocially and is a menace to the safety of his own hearth. We must spend less upon ourselves, at present the nation is committed to abnormal expenditure on all the accoutrements of war”. Things have certainly changed considerably in banking and agriculture since the war years either side of 1942.

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Bob opens his arms and calls Aussie to "come'. The command is 3 bips on the whistle coupled with "come" and open arms. As time progresses the distance will be increased.

PART TWO

TRAINING YOUR

In the last issue we talked about buying your pup, health checks and training aids. In this issue we will look at training you pup, and your pup will need training whether it is going to be a house pet or a working gundog.

your command with the cord. Never give pup a command that you cannot enforce. A great way to teach pup to come is to take him for a walk. On the long lead, let him sniff around and enjoy himself but every so often call him in. Again use the lead where necessary and do not forget the treat when he arrives.

TEACHING PUP TO COME

I know one very successful trainer who trains his pups to come every night with their food bowl. He takes one item of dry food out of the bowl and calls pup. Pup normally races in to receive his reward. Our trainer then walks away. He then calls pup in again and gives him another item of food. This continues on until pup has eaten all his food. I must say that it is a bit tedious and takes some time but boy, does it work. Don’t forget not only to call pup but to also give him three bips on the whistle.

This is one of the most important things you can teach your dog. How many times have you seen a great working dog that will not obey ‘come’? He is out in the swamp chasing every bird that he can see, ruining the day for everyone and he won’t come back! How embarrassing or perhaps worse still, he is running across a road out of control. With all puppy training, the dog should be rewarded for good behaviour. A bag of treats kept in the house with a few in your pocket at all times, is your best training device for the first year of pup’s life. You should take every opportunity to reward pup every time he comes to you. There will be many times he will come to you anyway and not because you have called him. For example, when you come home from work and he bounds up to greet you, use this as a training opportunity. Whilst he is on the way to you, call him and then give him a treat when he arrives. You do have that treat in your pocket, don’t you? When you are taking out pup’s food and he sees you and comes charging in, give him a call followed by a treat. In a more formal arrangement, keep a light cord on pup when he is being trained. Wait until he is distracted and then give him a call. He will no doubt ignore you but then you can enforce

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TEACHING PUP TO SIT

Everybody teaches their dog to sit. Or do they? Most people are happy to see their dog sit but usually the dog almost immediately gets up and walks off as soon as the handler has turned his back. Let me tell you what ‘sit’ means. It means put your bum on the ground and leave it there until I tell you otherwise. ‘Stay’ is an unnecessary command because sit means ‘sit and stay’. To teach pup to sit, take a treat and hold it in front of his nose. As he goes to take it, slowly move it back over his head and between his eyes. He will then put his head up and his tail down. Timing is all important in dog training. As soon as his bum starts to lower to the ground, say sit and give the whistle one bip.

Sometimes a little push down on his rump with your hand is necessary in the early stages of this exercise. Repeating this exercise over a number of days will soon have pup sitting like a champion. Over a period of time get pup to stay in the sit position for longer and longer. Once he knows the drum, say sit, give him his treat and repeat sit again when he tries to move. Holding your palm above his head and giving him the command in an authoritative voice usually does the trick. When he gets good at this you can then take a step back, once again telling him to sit and reinforcing the command with the palm of your hand held in front of pups face. With the passing of time, you will be able to move quite some distance away from pup with him in the sit position. As time moves on you can start playing games with pup. Sit him and walk away and hide behind your car. After a few seconds, call pup to come. Later, extend the distance and extend the time you are hiding. Do not forget the whistle during this training. Remember one bip for sit and three bips for come. Siting is one of the most important things that you can teach pup. It is important in the field for obvious reasons but it is also important at home and in public. Think of how good it would be to have pup sit calmly by your side while you are talking to your friend down the street, or how good it is when you have guests in your home and pup has been taught to sit on his bed in the corner of the room and not bother anybody.

This is the correct starting place for pup before he starts to heel.Elle is close to Trevor's left leg and Trevor is about to move forward with his left foot first.

Bob gives Aussie the "sit" command. Notice that he has his hand up in front of Aussie to reinforce the command.

GUNDOG RETRIEVER BY TREVOR STOW

Once we have pup sitting solidly, it is time to teach him to come and sit on the way in. This is the first step to teaching pup to sit on the whistle at a distance. Like all dog training, we start at a short distance with the dog under the control of the lead or cord.

It's not all hard work being a gun dog.

Start with pup in the sit position and facing you. Take a couple of steps back. Call pup. When he has taken a few steps towards you, give the whistle one bip and say sit firmly. Lift the lead quickly towards the sky and ensure that pup is sitting. Give him a reward. Repeat/repeat/repeat. Increase the distance over a period of days until you can walk back three or four metres, call pup and have him sit several times before he gets back to you. Pup is only a few months old now but with the patience that you are showing him coupled with the rewards and the consistent training sessions each day, he is really progressing well. Let’s not be in a hurry though. Take as long as you need for his training. Dogs are like humans, they progress at different rates. Be patient and be consistent. In the next issue we will look at teaching your pup to heel and retrieve… Photographs by Trevor Stow (See the Winter Issue for the next instalment of Training Your Gundog Retriever)

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BP Service Stations Fish Creek

WESTSIDE

2 Falls Road, Fish Creek, Vic 3959 Tel/Fax: 5683 2521 Email: fishcreek@evanspetroleum.com.au

Foster 94 Main Street, Foster, Vic 3960 Tel/Fax: 5682 2008 Email: foster@evanspetroleum.com.au

Inverloch 25 Williams Street, Inverloch, Vic 3996 Tel/Fax: 5674 1442 Email: inverloch@evanspetroleum.com.au

Johnsonville 1760 Princes Highway, Johnsonville, Vic 3902 Office/Fax: 5156 4102 Workshop: 5156 4233 Email: johnsonville@evanspetroleum.com.au

Korumburra 2-8 Commercial Street, Korumburra, Vic 3950 Tel/Fax: 5655 1668 Email: korumburra@evanspetroleum.com.au

Leongatha 95 Bair Street, Leongartha, Vic 3953 Tel/Fax: 5662 2440 Email: leongatha@evanspetroleum.com.au

Muddy Creek Kerry, Caitlin McFarlane - Manager, Lisa Browning, Bec and Rosey.

26 Foster Road, Toora, Vic 3962 Tel/Fax: 5686 2324 Email: toora@evanspetroleum.com.au

Newmerella 5327 Princes Highway, Newmerella, Vic 3886 Tel/Fax: 5154 1601 Email: newmerella@evanspetroleum.com.au

Ridgway 106 Ridgway, Mirboo North, Vic 3871 Tel/Fax: 5668 2377 Email: mirboo@evanspetroleum.com.au

Sale 344 Raglan Street, Sale, Vic 3850 Tel: 5143 1030 Fax: 5143 2686 Email: sale@evanspetroleum.com.au

Traralgon 23-29 Shakespeare Street, Traralgon, VIC 3844 Tel: 5174 1138 Email: Tim@evanspetroleum.com.au

Westside 7 Anderson Street, Leongatha, VIC 3953 Tel/Fax: 5662 2834 Email: westside@evanspetroleum.com.au

Wonthaggi 103-105 McKenzie Street, Wonthaggi, Vic 3995 Tel: 5672 3988 Fax: 5672 5229 Email: wonthaggi@evanspetroleum.com.au

Yarram 325 Commercial Street, Yarram, Vic 3971 Tel: 5182 6019 Fax: 5182 6458 Email: yarram@evanspetroleum.com.au

WESTSIDE 7 Anderson Street, Leongatha, Vic 3953 Tel/Fax: 5662 2834 Email: westside@evanspetroleum.com.au Manager: Caitlin McFarlane

Evans Petroleum Head Office 22 Hughes Street, Leongatha Vic 3953 Tel: 5662 2217 Web: www.evanspetroleum.com.au

paint place

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Cowes

the paint specialists Cowes

PH: 5952 2522

215 Settlement Road, Cowes Vic 3922 Tel: 5952 2522 Email: cowes@paintplace.com.au Hours: Monday to Friday 7.30am to 5.00pm Saturday 8.00am to 1.00pm Sunday 9.00am to 1.00pm Manager: David Fusinato

Leongatha

Wonthaggi

PH: 5662 2941

52 Bair Street, Leongatha Vic 3953 Tel: 5662 2941 Email: leongatha@paintplace.com.au Hours: Monday to Friday 7.30am to 5.00pm Saturday 9.00am to 12.00pm Sunday Closed Manager: Luke Watson

Wonthaggi

PH: 5672 5522

5-7 Korumburra Road, Wonthaggi Vic 3995 Tel: 5672 5522 Email: wonthaggi@paintplace.com.au Hours: Monday to Friday 7.30am to 5.00pm Saturday 8.30am to 1.00pm Sunday 10.00am to 12.00pm Manager: Rob Geyer

A remarkable general store for Inside Fish Creek General Store

Carolyn Fryer is the proprietor of the general store (photo taken by Doug Pell)

Fish Creek’s historic general store, once threatened with closure was rescued for the community by the current proprietor Carolyn Fryer, who came out of retirement to purchase it with the neighbouring residence in 2013. Today the beautifully renovated store is a thriving business ready for the next proprietor to enjoy and the residence is now The Hub, a community space with affordable rental space for small businesses. The store was built in 1905. Initially it was used by a leather-goods trader that was either a saddler or boot maker but it soon became a grocer’s store and it has been a grocer’s store or general store ever since. Carolyn said apart from an extension through to the back, the building hadn’t really changed. The front of the building is the same as it was at the turn of the century. Carolyn stocks an enormous variety of products in the store that includes normal grocery lines,

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up-market products and she specialises in items for people with dietary needs. She also stocks a small amount of hardware and chemist lines because she said it’s difficult for people to find those things on the weekend when other stores are closed. “We are open seven days a week so we find people coming in for those things quite regularly because there isn’t a chemist, butcher or fruit and vegie shop open so we have all that,” The extended part of the store is a newsagency fully stocked with all the local papers, daily papers, magazines, cards and stationary. She said she’s taken the shop back to being the old grocery store. She decided from the outset not to use plastic bags and to keep and reuse the boxes and cartons for packing groceries in. “To begin with, we recycled plastic bags that people were bringing in from somewhere else but then in July last year, I said this is just perpetuating this terrible plastic bag thing so we banned plastic bags altogether.”

The local primary school helped out by making boomerang bags. They were made by mothers with children at the school and some of those mothers are also involved with the Handmakers Store in The Hub so the crafters there make them as well. “People can pick up a nice colourful bag that’s made by local people or have their groceries packed in one of our cardboard boxes,” she said. “It’s amazing how many people have embraced that. No one has complained.” She said International travellers generally have no expectation of getting a plastic bag. “They say that’s alright we don’t use them in our country either and they’ll pull out a fold up bag.” People that take boomerang bags can return them in the same town, another town or country. If they like them, they are welcome to take them and keep using them.

Fish Creek By Wendy Morriss

Emma Barnes who works in the store during the holidays

Carolyn moved to Fish Creek three years into her retirement, five years ago. She said because the store was going to close, she got involved and purchased it thinking she could bring it back to life and then put it back on the market. “I did that and it is back on the market because I wish to go back to my retirement,” she said. What Carolyn plans to go back to, is hardly what many people would consider retirement. She has a 30ha farm in the area where she fattens Angus steers and she has farm stay accommodation. She is also treasurer of The Fish Creek Community Development Group and a member of the local Red Cross and Landcare. Carolyn grew up in Welshpool and went to school in Foster. She then left and worked in Melbourne for 40 years before returning to the area. Many years ago she worked in the Travel Industry and then for 25 years, she was a financial planner.

“I’ve been away for a long time but it’s great to be back in the country,” she said. “Breathing new life into the town’s general store has been a fabulous experience, it really has. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. It’s been a huge learning curve but then I enjoy a challenge I suppose. It’s been an enormous opportunity to get to know the local people, there’s a fabulous community spirit here and it’s a wonderful thing to be a part of. I wouldn’t have had that opportunity otherwise.”

area but as it turns out, it’s very well supported by the local community, which is fantastic. I have customers come in and say they are just going to duck in and change their book over next door and that’s fabulous.”

Carolyn spent three months renovating the store after purchasing it and had an official opening on Melbourne Cup weekend in 2013. She then set about renovating The Hub as well and rented out the individual rooms for small enterprises.

She said she hopes what she has done with the store has been an advantage to the town. “I just wanted to bring it back so people can stay here and access the things they want. It’s a very successful business and I’d like to see someone else pick it up now and take it on from here and enjoy the community spirit, the town, the lifestyle and just everything about it. I think it’s a great opportunity for someone really. It’s been a great experience and I’m delighted that I’ve done it. It really has been wonderful.”

The central room in The Hub is community space with a gallery, information centre and book exchange that anyone can access. “I added the book exchange because I travel a lot and read. I decided to put them in The Hub for visitors to the

Carolyn employs four local people in the store part time. “We have long hours, we open at seven in the morning and close at 6pm and I can’t expect one person to do all that, so we do shifts.”

Employees Rocky Bega and Janine Walpole

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FISH CREEK A SMALL TOWN TRANSFORMED THROUGH ART By Wendy Morriss

Fish Creek, a small country hamlet with numerous wonderful galleries, unique craft outlets and quirky cafes is also the gateway to Victoria’s beloved Wilson’s Promontory National Park and close to breathtakingly, beautiful Sandy Point, Waratah Bay and Walkerville beaches. The town was first settled in 1886 near Fish Creek, which was known to contain many blackfish. The surrounding densely forested land was cleared to grow potatoes and graze dairy cattle with dairying later becoming the areas major industry. In 1892, Fish Creek became a railway station on the Great Southern Railway line that initially ran from Melbourne to Port Albert and later to Woodside. The line was closed in 1994 and the tracks were later removed. In 1998, the line from Leongatha to Foster became a combined pedestrian, bicycle and horse riding track known as the Great Southern Rail Trail. The trail was completed in 2016, and now covers 72 kilometres from Leongatha to Port Welshpool. For the energetic and not so energetic outdoor enthusiast, the terrain is gentle and accessible offering rural and bush scenery through Koonwarra, Meeniyan, Stony Creek, Buffalo, Fish Creek, Foster, Toora, Welshpool and Port Welshpool. Fish Creek’s railway platform in the centre of the town remained in good condition and for the past 13 years, it has been home for the town’s community garden.

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The Fish Creek and District Butter Factory in Falls Road, was initially a cooperative creamery established in 1900. Soon afterwards, it was taken over by a company that produced ‘Greenshields’ butter. The Fish Creek butter factory ceased production in 1967 and milk was then transported to Toora and Leongatha for processing.

More recently, the emergence of creativity in Fish Creek with several galleries that house works by notable artists, and craft shops that cater for locals and tourists, has seen Fish Creek become known as an arts village and a popular tourist destination. World renowned artist and children's author Alison Lester and botanical artist Celia Rosser both have galleries in the town.

The Fish Creek Memorial Hall built in 1930, is now used as a venue for several community activities including markets and school concerts. The historic building also houses an opportunity shop and the profits help fund the maintenance and enhancement of the hall facilities.

The Alison Lester Gallery and Bookshop is a dedicated 'Alison Lester' wonderland with over 70 different Limited Edition prints on display that are also available for purchase along with all of Alison's books.

The iconic Fish Creek Hotel affectionately known as ‘The Fishy Pub’ is a magnificent Art Deco building in the heart of the town. It was built in 1939 by C. Sherlock for the owner J F Ryan, to replace a timber building destroyed by bushfires. It was initially named the Promontory Gate Hotel. An alluring sight for locals and visitors alike is ‘The Big Mullet’, a giant fish sculpture by artist Colin Suggett that lies on its side, on top of the hotel. For many years, the town’s interests have been farming and football. The town’s Australian Rules football team that competes in the Alberton Football League is more than 100 years old. The Fish Creek Football Club has had a few players who have gone on to play AFL while the club rooms at Terrill Park are one of very few clubrooms that are still privately owned.

Celia Rosser Art Gallery is a contemporary new space with a unique display of botanical art. It incorporates The Banksia Cafe situated at the entrance of the gallery. Gecko Studio Gallery established by Fish Creek artist Kerry Spokes exhibits art and has a range of art supplies. It also incorporates a café and The Art Space accommodation. Other art spaces in the town include ‘Ride the Wild Goat Gallery and Workshop’, ‘People Places Things’, a landscape, portraiture, fine art, commercial and editorial photographic studio, Stefani Hilltop Gallery, in an historic home that specialises in local landscapes with prize-winning artist in residence, Bianca Biesuz-Stefani. The Hub next to Fish Creek’s wonderful general store is a place of business, exceptional creativity and community information.

Fish Creek artist Kerry Spokes in her Gecko Studio Gallery

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FISH CREEK

The Hub is home for The Handmakers Store, a craft collective and Hound Dog Woodcraft. After savouring the delights of local food and art, visitors enjoy exploring the spectacular natural attractions in the area, which are some of the best in the state. Wilsons Promontory National Park, affectionately known as ‘The Prom’, is managed by Parks Victoria. The southernmost tip of mainland Australia offers spectacular scenery of rugged granite mountains, rainforest, sweeping coastlines, pristine beaches and abundant wildlife. There are bushwalks through the Prom’s naturally beautiful areas that extend from under an hour to three or more days.

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Visitors have various accommodation options from camping to wilderness retreats at Tidal River, where there is also a general store and take away food shop.

Through their cultural traditions, the Boon Wurrung, Bunurong and Gunaikurnai people identify the Wilsons Promontory National Park as their traditional country.

The waters surrounding the Prom are Victoria’s largest protected marine area covering 15,550 ha that extends along 17 km of coastline. These marine parks protect sponge gardens, rocky reefs, kelp forests and seagrass beds. The offshore islands are home to many colonies of penguins, seabirds and seals.

The park has an early history of Aboriginal occupation with archaeological records dating back at least 6500 years. The area had and still has spiritual significance for different indigenous groups who knew the area as Yiruk or Wamoon.

An additional attraction on the Prom coast is Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse that was built from local granite in 1859 to improve maritime safety.

Today, local Aboriginal communities are active in establishing cultural and spiritual links with the park and in undertaking park management activities.

The iconic Fish Creek Hotel (1939) is a magnificently imposing Art Deco building located in the heart of Fish Creek. Seven comfortable upstairs bedrooms and nine motel units provide accommodation. With the Great Southern Rail Trail and art galleries on its doorstep, award winning wineries nearby and only 25 minutes from the gates of Wilson’s Promontory, it is ideally located as your accommodation base.

Enjoy a plate of fresh handmade Gippsland pasta. Craft Beers on Tap The Bar has TAB facilities and also provides Foxtel on a giant 100” plus HD screen to show all sports live. ◊◊◊◊◊ The Fish Creek Hotel ArtSpaces - a new exhibition space in the Art Hub of Fish Creek featuring local artists. ◊◊◊◊◊

BISTRO O P E N 7 DAYS

LUNCH Mon – Fri: Midday – 2pm Sat – Sun: Midday – 2.30pm

THE

DINNER Sun – Thur: 5.45pm – 8pm Fri – Sat: 5.45pm – 8.30pm

FISH CREEK HOTEL

1 Old Waratah Rd, FISH CREEK, Vic 3959 (03) 5683 2404 www.fishcreekhotel.com.au

BAR OPEN Mon – Sun: 11.00am till late

EARLY

FISH CREEK Photos supplied for the historical article on Early Fish Creek. All photos supplied by Foster & District Historical Society

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The Fish Creek rises in the Hoddle Range and flows into the Tarwin River not far upstream from where that river enters Anderson’s Inlet. Fish Creek was given its name because of the large quantities of black fish, eels and other fish found in the creek by early surveyors. The hills were covered in a dense forest of blue gum and mountain ash with a thick understory of acacias, tree ferns, vines and grasses. The soil was fertile and the area well watered. It was considered to have the potential to be high quality farmland. The area where the township of Fish Creek developed was first settled in 1886. Like many other areas in Gippsland, Fish Creek was settled by selectors who came into the region in the 1880s looking for farmland. The great increase in population during the Gold Rushes of the 1850s and 60s created a call to make land available for small farmers. This led the Victorian Government to pass a series of Land Acts of 1862, 65 and 69. These allowed men and women to select 320 acres of crown land before or after survey for £1 an acre. Large areas of Victoria were surveyed into farms and townships. These acts were very significant for Gippsland. They allowed the opening up of large areas of land consisting mostly of rainforest extending from Phillip island, where selection occurred in the 1860s, to the rest of the region by the late 1880s As a result there was a great increase in population and this led to the construction of railways and other infrastructure. For South Gippsland the late 1870s and 1880s was the era of the first selectors. Selectors came into the region by various routes. Some travelled by rail to Drouin and Morwell and then on bridle tracks south to where their selection was located. Others came into Port Albert, Grantville or Inverloch by sea and then on the tracks into the new country. The story of selection in Fish Creek is best illustrated by the story of the Farrell family as told by Meme Farrell in his booklet ‘Fish Creek -Good old Days’ published in 1977. One of the first settlers was Mick Farrell who came into Gippsland in 1886. He travelled from his farm in Heidelberg to Morwell by train and then walked to Foster with two companions. A guide showed them the land that was available for selection and considering this land suitable Mick returned to Heidelberg. He and his brothers then officially selected the land Mick had inspected. This process involved selecting the numbered blocks on a map at the Lands Office in Melbourne and paying a deposit. It was usual for the men of the family to come to the selection first as the country was covered in dense virgin forest. The men would clear first enough land to make a camp and then enough to enable some crops to be grown and a house to be built. It was at this stage in the development of a farm that the wife and children would come to live on the selection. After selling their farm in Heidelberg the Farrell family moved to South Gippsland. Mrs. Farrell and three children first travelled from Melbourne to Sale by train and then by coach to Port Albert.

The next stage was a boat trip from Port Albert to the Foster landing and then on a tramway to the actual settlement at Foster. The family remained there for three years until a house was finally constructed on the selection. The selectors were faced with the mammoth task of clearing their 320 acres. The blue gums and mountain ash could be 100m high and 4 metres in diameter. These big trees had to be ring barked and the dense undergrowth cut, put into piles and let to dry for 3 months. Later, on a hot dry day, the plies were burnt. Many fires got away and bush fires were common. It is amazing to think that all this work was done with saws and axes. Eventually pasture was sown and dairy farms developed. A township was needed to provide basic services to the selectors around the Fish Creek district and land was taken from a selection and surveyed as a township in the area between the proposed railway station and the creek. By the time the railway came in 1892 there was one building serving as a hotel, post office and general store. There was a school started in 1890 and several saw mills, some with access to the railway via tramways. Another tramway connected Fish Creek to the settlements at Waratah Bay. Dairying led to the development of a creamery in 1900 and this was followed by a butter factory. Farmer also raised pigs and these were sold and transported by rail to the Dandy Ham factory in Dandenong. By 1921 Fish Creek was described as having a State School, a post and telegraph office, church, saw mill, hotel, general store and two banks. After World War One, fifty soldier settlers came to Fish Creek. In the 1930s Italian workers arrived and in the 1950s Dutch farmers entered the area. With changes to the collection of milk, the butter factory closed in 1967 and local milk was transported to factories in Toora and Leongatha. To many people the most significant building in Fish Creek is the Promontory Gate Hotel. It is believed to be the 4th hotel on the site. A wayside inn existed in the early days and in 1906 Frank Wiles opened the fully licensed Fish Creek Hotel. The art deco Promontory Gate Hotel was constructed in 1939 following the destruction by fire of the previous weatherboard hotel. The most unusual and eye catching feature of this hotel is the 6.9 metre long fish that has been sitting on the roof of the building for nearly thirty years. Venus Bay artist, Colin Suggett made the steel framed mullet in 1990 for an exhibition in Mt Gambier. Rob Moncur the owner of the hotel visited the exhibition, purchased the fish and had it transported to Fish Creek and installed on the roof. The community of Fish Creek has prospered for over 120 years. They owe much to those early settlers who established the prosperous farming area we now know. REFERENCES Meme Farrell ‘Fish Creek the Good Old Days’ Shirley Westaway ‘The Fish Creek Pub – a concise history’

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b u H e h T

Peter Bassett and Catherine McGlead outside the Hub in Fish Creek

By Wendy Morriss

THE HUB

A cute cottage, originally a residence alongside the wonderful Fish Creek General Store, is now The Hub, a place of business, exceptional creativity and community information. The two buildings were purchased a few years ago by proprietor, Carolyn Fryer who is a stalwart in the local community and treasurer of The Fish Creek Development Group. She repurposed the cottage and established a community space with a gallery, an information centre and book exchange in the former dwellingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s large central room. She made the rest of the rooms available for local businesses to affordably lease. Artwork currently displayed in the community space is by Gillian Carpenter, a local artist whose attractive paintings depict the landscapes of the surrounding area. Two rooms in The Hub are leased by Myotherapist, Sarah Jordan and IT Consultant, Peter Burgess. The front room is leased by The Handmakers Store, which is a craft collective, led by Catherine McGlead and Helen Sammonds of Fish Creek, and Kerryn Mattingley and Michaela Dempsey of Foster. The back room is the home of Hound Dog Woodcraft and leased by the exceptionally talented Peter Bassett. The Hubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Community Book Exchange

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Paintings in the Hub by Gillian Carpenter

THE HANDMAKERS STORE The Handmakers Store features the work of local crafters that strive to use natural and ethically sourced materials to produce a diverse range of high-quality goods for personal use or for the home. They also stock a small range of crafting supplies and tools, and because they like sharing the joy of being a handmaker, they run regular workshops, classes and a social ‘Stitch Together’.

A few of the groups craft items with Peter’s Hound Dog Woodcraft, displayed invitingly along the Hub’s verandah creates an essentially welcoming ambience for visitors. The idea of a handmakers store was originally initiated by Catherine McGlead who said it was due to the resurgence of craft and the renewed interest that people have in learning more, particularly some of the older handcrafts. It was then finding a group of like-minded people and locating a place where they could sell their own work while at the same time providing a space for other people to sell theirs and where people could learn about crafting. “Four of us run the store and we each have a particular crafting skill,” she said. “We have about nine other suppliers and we take commission on the work we sell. “We wanted to encourage other people to get back to crafting. We also wanted to give local people, particularly small crafters, an opportunity to do what they love, and be able to recoup a bit of money to justify the time they spend on it.”

She said they organise classes and they run Stitch Togethers during the day and in the evening, when people just bring along whatever they are working on and enjoy a bit of what she calls ‘crafting company’. “We love the Stitch Togethers. Sometimes someone might say ‘I don’t know what I’ve done here’ or ‘I don’t like how this looks, what should I do with this’ and sometimes people just work and chat. It’s lovely to be able to see others peoples work as well.” The Handmakers Store is open six days a week and seven days during January. “We usually work in the store one week day each and then share the weekends and that works quite well,” she said. “Then if we are able to, or we have a particular interest, we come along to the Stitch Togethers or run classes and we get other people in to run classes as well.” For the coming months, they have organised a class with a retired soap maker who will teach making laundry liquid and a leather work crafter from Morwell who will run three classes. “Often these classes aren’t available in small towns and people have to trek to Melbourne for them, so to be able to offer them locally is fabulous.”

Inside the Handmakers Store Craft displayed on the Hub verandah

Catherine’s special skill is spinning and she likes knitting and dying commercial yarn. She works part time as the kitchen specialist at Foster Primary School and is involved in several local projects and community groups. This includes the Farmers Market, the Maker’s Market, The Community Garden and the Hall Committee. Helen crochets beautiful blankets, cushions, garlands and washcloths. Kerryn is a quilter and makes other things from fabric. She also makes some lovely little button brooches and Michaela specialises in making beautiful tote and satchel bags.

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The Hub

Both Kerryn and Michaela also work in retail, part time in Foster. Other crafts represented in the store are beeswax wraps and crayons in natural colours, magnificent macramé plant hangers, wall hangings and bunting and leadlight sun catchers that are all hand painted. There’s also an assortment of handmade jewellery, children’s clothes, screen printed tea towels, some wonderful table lamps a man makes from reclaimed plumbing fittings and Helen makes unusual Scandinavian Himmeli garlands.

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Catherine MGlead on the Hub verandah on a bench seat created by Peter Bassett

When the store is open, a bucket that contains knitting, needles and wool is placed on the verandah with a small sign that says ‘Please have a seat and knit a row’. The knitting is a scarf for KOGO (Knit One Give One), a not-for-profit organisation that distributes hand-crafted woollen items to homeless charities. “For us scarves are easy because people can pick them up and knit a few rows without having to think about following a pattern,” Catherine said. “It’s a good way to involve lots of people and over the few months we’ve been open, we have completed five scarves.”

Local crafters also make Boomerang Bags. “It’s a great project,” she said. “It’s something anyone can become involved in. People that aren’t sewers can do the cutting or the ironing. The bags all have stamps on them as well so sometimes we’ll have someone just doing the stamping. It’s a lot of fun when people work on them together. The completed bags are given to local retail shops and the idea is that people who haven’t brought shopping bags use them and then bring them back.”

Peter Bassett in the Hub with his unique timber artwork

HOUND DOG WOODCRAFT Extremely talented Fish Creek artist, Peter Bassett creates magnificent unique and individual handcrafted items from reclaimed timber. It’s a hobby he has passionately pursued for the last 55 years and the wonderful fruits of his labour can now be viewed in The Hub. Peter has enjoyed making things from timber since childhood. He grew up on a dairy farm and later worked as a dairy farmer with his father who also worked in the bush as a logging contractor and saw miller with his brother in law. “There were bits of timber lying around and I remember making things from pieces of wood with nails before I started school,” he said. “There were times when we used to clean up windrows for farmers and collect the logs to sell to the local sawmills.” Later when he and his wife were married, which was 50 years ago; they needed furniture so he made it all from locally sourced reclaimed timber. Peter has done many other things during his life but said timber has always been in his blood. “It’s always been a hobby. I often had ideas rocking around in my head, and then whenever I had the opportunity to do something, I’d have a go.” The types of items he creates vary. “I’m not a person that likes to do repetitive work at all so everything I make is individual handmade items. “Often I look at a piece of timber and get an idea from that what I want to build out of it. The timber is mostly feature grade with faults and flaws, which can include things like bark inclusions, holes, cracks that can be filled, insect tunnels or water stains. For me those sorts of things add to the character of the timber. Then to the best of my ability, I work to bring out the best in the timber and use it to my advantage.” He produces some items using a wood-turning lathe, although most things are cut out and cleaned up afterwards with other tools.

Peter also has a portable sawmill and said farmer’s that have had trees come down or blown over and don’t want to waste them, will sometimes ask him to mill them and share the timber. He’s rescued other trees as well. Most of the timber he cuts is from Cypress macrocarpa, an introduced species often used as windbreaks on dairy farms. Other timbers he rescues and uses are Blackwood, messmate and peppermint gum. He has also purchased pieces of Australian hardwood from various places including wood shows or from friends he’s met over the years.

He said many people come into The Hub for his works. “It’s amazing the number of people that enjoy seeing the natural edge on the timber and like the feature grade and features in the timber. It’s great to see people really enjoy that sort of thing. Many years ago a lot of it was classified as degraded timber but now if the timber has gum cracks, infestation from grubs, insects or wind stress, it’s feature grade. It saves a huge amount of timber that once would have been thrown away.”

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A life size horse project Alison worked on with a group of children at the Melbourne Museum

FISH CREEK’S creative gem BY WENDY MORRISS

Gallery in Fish Creek and we started an online store. When the three outlets became busier and I had books at my place and she had other items at her place, we decided to look for an office to work from with space to consolidate everything. “When the shop in Fish Creek came up for sale we thought ok, maybe we could actually have an office everyone could come into and have a gallery as well.” After a month of renovations, the shop opened and John moved to Fish Creek to live. “I’m not much of a commuter and I think it’s important to be part of the community you are working in.”

Alison Lester Gallery/Bookshop in Fish Creek is an inspirational wonderland of art and literature for children dedicated to the popular, multi-award winning Australian author and illustrator Alison Lester, who has delighted the young and the young at heart around the world for decades. Alison wrote and illustrated her first book in 1985 titled ‘Clive Eats Alligators’, which was commended in the Australian Picture Book of the Year Awards in 1986. Since then she has created more than 45 picture books and two young adult novels that have been published in several languages and distributed world-wide.

Four years ago, Allison opened the Gallery/ Bookshop in Fish Creek, a place close to where she was born with a surrounding landscape that inspired classics such as My Farm, Magic Beach and The Quicksand Pony. The shop contains more than 70 different limited edition prints that are displayed and available to purchase along with all of her books and a wide range of greeting cards and wrapping paper. There is also a reading library to relax in and enjoy and wonderful examples of preliminary working drawings, sketches and displays that show how Alison develops ideas, and the process of turning those ideas into a picture book.

In 2005, she won the Children's Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year award for ‘Are We There Yet? A Journey around Australia’. Between 2011 and 2013 she was named the Inaugural Australian Children's Laureate with indigenous author Boori Monty Pryor.

The attractive, open creative space is efficiently run by Alison’s friend and administrator John Cooper, who worked for her part time prior to the shop opening.

She became an Ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation In 2013. In 2015 and ’16, she was shortlisted for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and awarded the Dromkeen Medal in 2016.

“When Alison became The Children’s Laureate, it was a major undertaking on top of everything else she was doing so she asked me to help her out with some administration,” he said. “During that time we organized a little pop up shop in Wonthaggi where I was living and working. We were selling prints and books through Gecko

John first met Alison in Melbourne in 1992. He was a primary school teacher in the Northern Territory and had applied to be part of the government’s ‘Teacher in Industry Program’. It meant being replaced with a relief teacher while going away to gain industry experience to bring back to the classroom and the community. John applied to go to Books Illustrated, a designated children’s picture book world in Melbourne. “It was a massive children’s book shop and upstairs they had a gallery where they sold illustrations and a workshop area,” he said.

Wild white horses preliminary work for the book Magic Beach

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John outside the Fish Creek Gallery/Bookshop

“I met Alison, the very first day. She was the artist in residence and she had four to five school groups through every day for five days. I was basically put in charge of looking after her. I’d never met her before but we spent the whole week working together and that’s how we formed our friendship, and we’ve been friends ever since.” After going back to the Territory, John moved around working in different indigenous communities. He said Alison came up regularly and did workshops with the children making books and painting murals.

“After initially forging a friendship through the schools, it’s really lovely after all these years to be working for her in this magical shop.” While it may have been a bit of a risk to open a book shop in a town of 200 people, he said it made sense to have the shop in the area where Alison grew up and where she draws on so much of the local landscape for her illustrations and stories. “People can get a sense of where she gets her inspiration from and when they drive to places like Waratah Bay, the Prom or Yanakie, they recognize the hills and the beaches.

It’s a special place that is more than a bookshop and gallery; it’s a destination and a snapshot of Alison’s life.” Alison visits the area often. She runs cattle on a family farm, sees family members and still has a beach house in the Walkerville area, where she wrote Magic Beach. When she can, she does regular book signings in the shop and spends time with John, who is the front of her business concerns, working through what they need to achieve. “There was a real burst of many completed books when Alison’s three children were young and she was at home,” John said. “Now she is a grandmother of six with one on the way and she has so much else going on. Often she’s on such a tight deadline, that she’ll finish the work, and on the way to the airport she’ll stop at Penguin Publishers and virtually throw it through the car window to someone before flying off to volunteer in an indigenous community or attend an event or conference.

to The Indigenous Literacy Foundation and every month she goes to the Royal Children’s Hospital. She has just finished writing a book with her friend and author Jane Godwin, which has been illustrated by the children in the hospital titled The Silver Sea. Its due to come out this year and it’s beautiful.”

John and part-time employee Sam Lyon reading The Very Noisy Baby

“It’s always down to deadlines because she’s so busy but it’s great because at the moment, she’s really in the zone of giving back the recognition she’s received. She’s had an amazing life and done so much and now she donates a lot of time Part of the preliminary work Alison did for ‘Are we there yet?’ An illustration from The Magic Beach ‘we swim in the sparling sea’

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FISH CREEK GENERAL STORE THIS SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS IS NOW FOR SALE! 27 19 to MAY 8 ay 201 EEK CR FISH AL HALL ORI MEM

Having become the “meeting place and hub” for the local community it provides a valued service as a General Store and Newsagency to not only Fish Creek, but Waratah, Walkerville, Buffalo, Shallow Inlet and surrounding areas. A very popular destination for the many tourists visiting Wilsons Promontory and other attracting destinations in this part of Gippsland. Providing fresh local meat, fruit and veggies and specialising in many local products - Olive oils, honey preserves, cheese, etc. Providing a valued service of daily and local papers, magazines and stationary.

come along to fish creek tea cosy festival 2018 Fish Creek is the Cosy Community of South Gippsland Proudly presenting the 4th Tea Cosy Exhibition judged by Loani Prior

A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE - FUN ENTERTAINING - LOTS TO SEE & DO Tea Cosy Competition & Exhibtion High Tea & Live Music Delicious Traditional Devonshire Teas Loani Prior Workshop Bendigo Bank Market Day InTEAnational Day Bruce Pascoe Dinner

DON’T JUST READ THIS AD, COME AND VISIT US AND TAKE A LOOK – YOU WILL LOVE IT! FOR MORE DETAILS PHONE 0411 754 430 or 0427 332 294

You can start your creative stitching now. Competition Entry forms: www.teacosyfestival.com.au Contact Susan Poletti 0429 936 325 thelifestyle autumn 2018

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FISH CREEK FESTIVAL CELEBRATES The Fish Creek Tea Cosy Festival, which is held biennially, is nine days of fabulous events celebrating creativity and the taking of tea. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s festival theme InTEAnational will highlight the many cultures where the making and taking of tea are symbols of hospitality.

One of the traditional tea cosies

THE HUMBLE TEA COSY

By Wendy Morriss

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The feature event of the festival is the tea cosy competition. An extensive variety of traditional and whimsical tea cosies that have been crafted using a range of mediums are exhibited every day. The festival is organised by a committed group of community members with many skills and talents and auspiced by the Fish Creek Community Development Group. Susan Poletti, secretary of the festival committee, has been involved with the festival since it’s inauguration in 2013. “This is the fourth festival I’ve been involved with,” she said. “When we held the first festival, people didn’t really know what we were about. It took a while to convince them that a tea cosy is something you can have a festival about and celebrate. The community have since really taken it on board and this year’s festival seems to be gearing up to be bigger than any we’ve had in the past. People right through Gippsland and from Melbourne are coming back for the second and third time so it’s really great.” The original idea of having a tea cosy festival was the brainchild of Deidre Granger, who arrived in Fish Creek with her partner Luke Dearlove from Melbourne in 2011, to reside in the town and run the post office. Deidre had dreamed of running a tea cosy festival for many years and thought it would be good for the town. “We’d never had a festival before like it,” Susan said. “She gathered a few people together and really got it off the ground and we all owe her a lot for that.” She said Deidre had many contacts and for the first festival, she organised to have renowned Australian fashion designer Prue Acton judge

the tea cosies and she invited comedian Denise Scott. She knew them well from her connections in Melbourne and it created more interest in the festival. “When Deidre asked me to come onto the committee, I really wasn’t sure what we did. Then when the first lot of tea cosies arrived I thought – yes, this is great. It’s when people’s imagination and creative flare really comes out.” She said at first they weren’t sure how many men would be interested but during the first festival, two men arrived from Melbourne on motorbikes to buy tea cosies for their wives, which was really encouraging. “Sadly, Deidre passed away in October 2015 before the last festival, which really rocked us because it was quite sudden. We now hold the festival to honour her memory. Luke continued running the post office until the end of last year and still lives in the area. He’s a big supporter of the festival because he knows how much work Deidre put into it.”

According to many people, Deidre never once doubted the success of her dream and thanks to her vision, Fish Creek has featured around the world. People come from all around Australia for the festival and tea cosies arrive from as far away as the United Kingdom, America, Japan, South Africa and New Zealand. “We now have a special exhibition with a category prize called the D’Cosy in remembrance of her,” Susan said, “and her partner Luke comes in and judges that particular award.”

Some of the highlights of the festival will be the Tea Cosy Exhibition, High Tea with entertainment by Ciao Bella, Tea Cosy Demonstrations and Workshops with Loani Prior, the Bendigo Bank Market Day with entertainment and a closing dinner with guest speaker Bruce Pascoe. More than 150 tea cosies will be exhibited in the hall created by people from far and wide, from the local community and by people of all ages including children and teenagers. A popular section is tea cosies made by men. “Many cosies are made from fibre and cloth but one year, a young boy made one from Lego,” Susan said. “A local artist created one from felt and a woman made one out of her bra and said it was a bra-cup tea cosy. The traditional cosies that are beautifully knitted and crocheted are just sublime and the whimsical cosies are fascinating. People come up with some amazing ideas and then there’s the children’s section and they do some really cute things as well. “Andrew McPherson, a Fish Creek artist who has Ride the Wild Goat Studio, made a terrific cosy from timber with hinges to open it. Andrew has been a big supporter of the festival. He created our large teapot in the community garden for our first festival and for the second festival he created a large teacup sitting on a saucer made from recycled black and yellow road signs. You can see the black lettering inside the cup.” Alison Lester, Australia’s beloved children’s book author and illustrator judged the tea cosies at the last festival. “She did a great job but it was more challenging I think than she realised. When you walk in and see them all you think my gosh, how do we ever decide who gets the prizes here.

Winner of the Men’s Junior section, 2016

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Susan Poletti, secretary of the festival committee (Images supplied by Fish Creek Tea Cosy Committee)

We were very grateful to her for doing it and she’s one of our supporters this year as well.” Loani Prior from Queensland, author of several books and considered Australia’s queen of tea cosies will be a guest at the festival. As well as running demonstrations and workshops, she will also judge tea cosies. Susan said an enormous tea cosy put together by the community for the event, is put over the big teapot in the community garden a few weeks before the festival and taken down afterwards. “The festival tea cosy was a project that began with us asking people to knit squares and everybody responded really well. Many were sent through the post and some of the men came and

helped us sew them together. A woman from Sandy Point knitted squares with a letter from the words Fish Creek into each one. “We sat in the community garden one day sewing it together while using it to keep us warm and we finished it off in the hall a week later. We all just sat around, knitting, sewing, talking and making cups of tea. It was just brilliant.” Guest speaker at the closing dinner will be wellknown indigenous author Bruce Pascoe from Mallacoota, who asserts that aboriginal people haven’t always been hunter gatherers but actually worked in agriculture and had permanent settlements.

Winner of the Men’s Section, 2016

The tea cosy festival is sponsored by South Gippsland Shire and the Bendigo Bank. Monetary prizes for the tea cosy categories have been sponsored by local businesses and others in the community have donated prizes for the raffle, which raises money for the community. “We are very grateful to those people,” Susan said. “Deidre’s vision was seeing people sit down and have a conversation over a cup of tea with a teapot in front of them. That’s her memory of taking tea and there were always tea cosies.”

THE FISH CREEK TEA COSY FESTIVAL

Festival founder Deidre Granger with Fashion designer Prue Acton at the 2013 festival - Photographer: Yianni Banikos.

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LAKE GLENMAGGIE STACER 509 CROSSFIRE

In this issue we are test driving the Stacer 509 CrossFire over the confines of Lake Glenmaggie, situated on the Macalister River in Central Gippsland. This versatile ‘in-betweener’ can be used for water sports and fishing on flat water. Named the CrossFire, the platform utilises the Nomad hull. The Internal layout is designed as 80% fishing and 20% fun. What I noticed was the smooth transition over the waters of Lake Glenmaggie, it simply purred through the waters and the manoeuvrability it afforded. Lake Glenmaggie was built between 1919 and 1926 and held 132,000 ML when full. After World War 2, extra water was required to enable returning soldiers the settle on land and farm within the district. This was achieved by raising the wall 3.6 metres by placing 14 radial gates along the top of the original wall. This increased the capacity. In 1987, the dam was strengthened to withstand major floods and earthquakes by drilling through the wall into the bedrock and installing 70 restressable steel cables. This effectively tied the wall to the ground to resist overturning. The lake harvests water for use in the gravity irrigation systems to properties in the Macalister Irrigation District, near the towns of Maffra, Heyfield and Stratford and the City of Sale. The Mercury outboard was doing what it does best, plenty of power when needed as it ploughed through the waters of Lake Glenmaggie which of course is famous for it’s power boat events which is a vibrant mix of drivers and families, still dedicated toward bringing world class Power Boat Racing to the local region.

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The Vee seat design up front adds space without impinging on space, providing a versatile set up for water sports and fishing. Families will love the options this package will open up while thrill seekers will find enough fun and performance with the Mercury motor.

Versatility is the name of the game with the Stacer 509 CrossFire and after spending an hour on this very picturesque lake with Terry Raymond of Crawford Marine I was convinced that this is a good all-round pleasure craft that ticks all the boxes. Once the craft is out of the water, all you need is a standard trailer with skids and mechanical brakes. It can be towed behind a standard medium sized family car. And on that note we headed off into the township of Heyfield and had a coffee at the local bakery which was packed with customers, no doubt a popular spot in the town.

CALL IN AND INSPECT OUR RANGE OF NEW AND PRE-OWNED BOATS

BOATING SINCE 1964

71-77 Chickerell Street, Morwell 3840 P: 5134 6522 E: info@crawfordmarine.com.au www.crawfordmarine.com.au

MEMBER

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for businesses Pretty much every article we have contributed so far has waffled on about Google, SEO and SEM. A few mentions here and there with regard to Social Media but nothing substantial and it's long overdue. So watch this space throughout 2018 and follow us on our journey as we explain how Facebook is awesome for your business.

THEME YOUR BUSINESS.

THE BASICS

This is very much what we were harping on about in November's issue last year.

Please make sure you have a 'Facebook Business Page'. Many SME's made the mistake of setting up a Facebook personal page for their business. If you are one of these businesses you'll need to clean that up first.

YEP, NOW WHAT?

If you already have a Facebook Business Page double check the details are correct. We recently had a client show us the page their partner set up for them. It had the wrong postcode. Folks, like a lot of things on the net, most of Facebook is FREE and the online support material supplied by Facebook is World Class. However, if you spell your address incorrectly and have the wrong postcode you are missing out on the awesome ability this social media platform has in terms of reach and frequency for your business.

We have said it many times over the past few years with websites and Google Adwords and it's still counts for Facebook. Break up your business into 5-7 main areas and use that as the basis for promoting your business: aka telling your story.

LET'S LOOK AT AN EXAMPLE

Let's look at last years example and add a few areas to the business. We'll assume you have an Accomodation facility in Gippsland with a Restaurant and Cafe. Some suggested 'themes' for your business could be: Accomodation Restaurant Cafe Catering – General Catering - Weddings

Segment C

Segment B

Segment D Segment A

THE SAME FUNDAMENTAL RULES APPLY FOR FACEBOOK AS THEY DO FOR GOOGLE.

The assumption here is that you are interested in Social Media because of how it can positively contribute towards your business. Just like building a website, advertising on Google or simply wanting to get better results with SEO, the fundamentals for Social Media are pretty much the same.

IN A NUTSHELL? Work out what you want to say to your Facebook

audience BEFORE you grab a beer/coffee/wine on a Sunday night and start punching away at your keyboard. To quote one of our clients who is a carpenter, measure twice, cut once.

WHERE TO START?

It's up to you but we recommend to clients to establish a rationale for WHY something makes it onto the list. A very easy approach is to consider the following questions: What type of Sales do I want more of this year? What type of Sales do I want less of this year? What are my my most profitable types of Sales? What are my least profitable Sales? If you have been in business for 12 months or more this exercise should take less than 15 minutes.

HAVE THE CONVERSATION

Now that we have our 5 areas or themes of our business, these will serve as the basis for our Social Media Strategy. Note: They should also serve as the page structure of your website, what brochures you get designed and printed, what you tell people when they ask you what you do and every other 'story' you tell about your business, including what you put on the back of your business card. We have said this before and it's worth stating it again,

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UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION

Identifying your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is just as important now online as it used to be offline. Just like we pointed out in November's issue you need to pin down those things you do (or can do) uniquely for each area of the business you have listed.

Then when you get to the end of one month and the start of the next you will have your ideas already thought out to post and advertise on Facebook. In coming issues throughout 2018 we will go over some of the tricks of the trade in promoting to audiences on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. Including: Custom and Lookalike Audiences, Generating Leads, creating adverts and boosting posts.

Let's flesh them out a bit, we call this 'flavouring' Accomodation – Weekend Weddings Restaurant – Tuesday and Wednesday Night Buffets Cafe – Only place in town with flavoured coffees Catering – General – Corporate meetings Catering – Weddings – 50 people or less specialists

WHAT NEXT? Set up 12 folders on your computer, one for each month of the year Give each month one of the above 'flavours' Work out how many posts you can realistically put on Facebook each week, let's say one or two. So we are looking at roughly 4 - 8 posts on Facebook per month. In each folder start saving Facebook post and advert ideas. Running a business is hard and you may not have time to sit and type up possible adverts and posts all in one hit but you can type up one here and there as you think of them and add them to your various folders. You might be enjoying a meal somewhere or sitting in the car waiting to pick up the kids from school and suddenly think of a great idea you can promote on Facebook for 'Small Weddings' for example. By already working out the main areas to promote and to have your folder system already set up you will now have somewhere to record your idea.

CALL US

Need help getting all this done? Call us and we'll help you 'Get Found in the Noise' If you want to get found in the noise, call us first! Disclaimer: This article is entirely based on our opinion and is in no way to be read as authoritative policy of Facebook the organisation. We are not a replacement for Facebook's online material and support.

For a FREE evaluation of content on your website contact our studio and we'll get you on the right track. Ph: 1800 774 119 Em: sales@imagedirect.com.au Jim Radford Image Direct Gippsland www.imagedirect.com.au About the author. Jim's Traralgon based company is Google AdWords Certified and Google Analytics Certified & has been building websites, managing SEO & Social Media in Gippsland for the past 8 years.

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BACTERIA WARS Bacteria are winning but in the fight against Bacteria is CRISPR our ultimate weapon? By John Turner B.Social Welfare, Master International & Community Development, MAICD, MAAPM Bacteria are single celled organisms that were amongst the first life forms to appear on earth and unsurprisingly are found throughout the physical environment including both within and on the outside of our bodies. Bacteria are an essential element of a healthy balanced environment. Indeed the literally millions of Bacteria that live in our gut (intestines) are essential for us to live a healthy life. Recent research has established that not only do these gut bacteria play an essential role in keeping our bodies healthy they are also very important in promoting early brain development Just as there are many good bacteria there are also many harmful bacteria that cause diseases such as Tuberculosis, Meningitis, Typhoid, Whooping Cough, Cholera, Rheumatic Fever, Scarlet Fever, and Syphilis; indeed the list goes on and on. Staphylococcal and streptococcal bacteria in particular cause many serious and deadly infections and were the major risk to patients undergoing surgical procedures until the early 1940s. Penicillin was the first bacteria destroying drug (antibiotic) available for general medical use and its discovery and subsequent introduction in 1943 substantially reduced the health risks from infections. Humanity and all other life forms have, from their very beginning, been in a continuous war against disease causing bacteria. As our bodies learn to fight a particular bacteria so that bacteria will find new ways of getting around our immune system’s natural defences. With the introduction of the Penicillin antibiotic there came with it the hope that we were at last on the cusp of winning the war and putting an end to the deadliest diseases. In hindsight this was a rather optimistic view, all wars lead to arms races, to battles lost and battles won and so it is with the war against bacteria Within a few years of the introduction of penicillin in 1943 the first penicillin-resistant bacteria appeared. Since then a dozen different antibiotics have been introduced - as many as four in the last twenty years - and bacterial resistance to them has quickly followed, sometimes in as little as a year or two. What is worse is that when one type or strain of bacteria becomes resistant that resistance quickly gets passed on to other types or strains of bacteria through an exchange of genetic information between them. For over 70 years antibiotics have been the miracle cure for almost all bacterial infections. However, to quote a line from a famous Bob Dylan song “The Times they are a changing” some bacteria have emerged that are immune to many different antibiotics, these are so called ‘super bugs’ of which Staphylococcus, Tuberculosis and E coli are the stand outs.

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Most alarming of all has been the recent emergence of bacteria that are resistant to all antibiotics. Without any doubt we are at present losing the Bacteria Wars and the consequences for our health and life expectancy that would follow from defeat are unimaginable. Even ‘minor’ infections and surgical procedures could in the future be life threatening. So how does resistance to antibiotics occur? The fact is that simply using antibiotics creates resistance; this is because the antibiotic will not kill all the bacteria, a few will be naturally resistant and survive. Unfortunately as well as killing the harmful bacteria, the antibiotics also kill the good bacteria which we carry inside us and on us. This means that the drug resistant bacteria can grow and take over the space left to them. These resistant bacteria then pass their resistance to other types of bacteria causing more problems. The unnecessary over-use or inappropriate use of antibiotics in both humans and animals means that many more bacteria become resistant and these resistant strains can be spread through faeces, poor hygiene, contaminated water and meat not handled or cooked properly. There is another way in which antibiotic resistance is spread which paradoxically also offers us hope in the war against harmful bacteria. This hope comes from what are called Bacteriophages, these are naturally occurring viruses which infect a bacterium and multiply in the host eventually killing it. There have long been attempts by some health professionals to use these natural enemies of the bacteria, most notably in Eastern Europe. To some extent they have succeeded but bacteria can quickly evolve resistance to natural Bacteriophages which means that medical researchers in this field have to continuously identify and isolate new ones that can defeat the same strains of Bacteria. Unfortunately Bacteriophages are also a means by which antibiotic resistance can be transferred from one Bacteria to another, I guess in modern warfare this would be called ‘collateral damage’. At this point enter ‘CRISPR’. Regular readers of the Gippsland Lifestyle Magazine may have read my earlier article about CRSPR in the Spring Issue 28, 2016 of the magazine. To recap, CRISPR is a very cheap and extremely accurate gene-editing tool.

The CRSPR method of altering a gene’s DNA has enormous potential for major breakthroughs in health, food production, bio-energy and many other applications. In the future CRISPR may be able to be used to eliminate some of the worst inherited health conditions or to cure cancers.

In a recent breakthrough, scientists using CRISPR have edited the genome of a Bacteriophage so that when the virus attacks a bacterium its immune system produces an enzyme that instead of destroying the virus, is turned on itself, killing the bacterium and therefore killing the disease. The initial tests on mice infected with antibiotic resistant bacteria have been so successful that the researchers are planning to begin clinical trials in 2018-19. Bacteriophages are generally specific to a single type of bacteria, so the researchers believe that they can edit them so that they will be able to reach into the human body in any single location and eliminate any single bacteria and therefore the disease or infection, they cause. Re-engineered bacteriophages will not replace antibiotics but they will complement them and could be a mighty weapon against the so-called super-bugs. Of course we should anticipate that bacteria will find ways to resist the engineered bacteriophages so researchers might have to constantly modify them to keep up with bacterial mutations; nevertheless the CRISPR modified viruses represent a major advance in the ongoing war.

REFERENCES Alanis, AJ, (2005) “Resistance to antibiotics: are we in a post-antibiotic era” Lilly research Laboratories, Eli Lilly & Company, Indianapolis, Indiana Pubmed, PMID 16216651 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16216651 Balcazar, Jose Luis (2014) “Bacteriophages as Vehicles for Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Envrionment” in PLoS Pathog 10(7): e1004219. www.plospathogens.org/article/ info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.ppat.1004219" doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1004219 Centers or Disease Control (2018) “Antibiotic Resistance Questions and Answers” www.cdc.gov Garrett, Laurie (1995) “The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance” Penguin Books Gootz, TD (2010) “The global problem of antibiotic resistance” Thomas Gootz consulting, Deep River, CT06417 USA Pubmed PMID 20370622 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20370622" http://www. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20370622 Reardon, Srah (2017) “Modified viruses deliver death to anti-biotic resistant bacteria” in Nature News www.nature.com/news/modified-viruses-deliver-death-toantibiotic-resistant-bacteria-122173" https://www.nature. com/news/modified-viruses-deliver-death-to-antibioticresistant-bacteria-122173 Victorian Government (2013) Better Health Channel Fact Sheet, “Personal Hygiene” www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au Wallinga, David (2013) “Does Adding routine antibiotics to animal feed pose a serious risk to human health “ British Medical Journal www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f4214

WONTHAGGI MEDICAL GROUP

Accredited Providers of High Quality Medical Services to the Bass Coast Community

YOUR LOCAL GENERAL PRACTICE FOR • Medical Services for the whole family • Obstetrics - Pregnancy Management/Birth • Palliative Care • Aged Care • Vascular Health Assessments • General Health Assessments • Healthy Kids Check

• Immunisation • Diabetes Management, Education and Risk Assessment • Asthma Management & Education • GP Management Plans • Chronic Disease Management - Team Care Arrangements • Skin Checks and Lesion Removal • Travel Health Advice

OPENING HOURS 42 Murray Street, Wonthaggi

8.30am - 6.00pm Mon - Fri 9.00am - 12.00pm Sat

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9.00am - 5.00pm Mon - Fri

Consulting Suites, Wonthaggi Hospital 2/1524 Bass Highway, Grantville

9.00am - 8.00pm Mon - Fri 9.00am - 4.30pm Mon - Fri early closing 1.00pm Wednesday

Holiday Season

MOO’S is closed on CHRISTMAS DAY & BOXING DAY Then OPEN 7 Days a Week until the end of January

Tel: 5672 1333 For Appointments and After Hours www.wonthaggimedical.com.au

AUTUMN MARCH APRIL MAY 2018 SUN SIGN ASTROLOGY Forecast with Kerry Galea ARIES 21 MARCH – 19 APRIL Memories arise to either stir renewed grief over past loses, or awaken heightened spiritual connections. This may be an inner confusing time but the outer world sees that you have knowledge, influence and your mind is open to new ideas. Mid-season, decisions and communications become difficult but it’s a perfect time to plan or to work on a project. Anybody that thinks they can tell you what to do will cause tension. Late-season, you are given the ability to communicate with everybody, including authority figures, with increased ease and grace. Prepare to change whatever YOU think is necessary to increase your comfort and security. TAURUS 20 APRIL – 20 MAY

Group activities bring a sense of community and harmony, but while you are thinking about what is good for the group or ‘team’, you must also think about what is good for you as an individual. Mid-season, your ‘sparkle’ increases, which means you can ask for a favour and it will be smiled upon. Late-season, a mismatch of ideals and beliefs with another person will lead you to a deeper search for what is meaningful. This is the beginning of a time of change, so you may as well get started right now… for Change is going to be your new keyword.

GEMINI 21 MAY – 20 JUNE

You are being seen and recognized for what you do in any role or workplace. Use it to make your working life a little more satisfying. Mid-season, mutual trust issues and tensions over belongings, which are normally shared, are likely. Can you count on yourself or are you supporting others, or need to let (or ask) others to support you either emotionally, ethically or financially? This will need to be diplomatically handled. Lateseason, look to the past, even to your childhood for patterns that have reemerged and remind yourself that you are all grown up, and can now manage far more easily than before.

CANCER 21 JUNE – 22 JULY

This is a time of learning, gaining knowledge and speaking your truth, especially of a spiritual or creative nature. New information about your job or changes with your role and its duties will help you gain benefits. Mid-season, awkwardness with loved ones or friends means a new level of mutual expectations are being explored and some will find it confronting. A new activity, a dash of playfulness or opening up to artistic, creative or spiritual learnings will help. Lateseason, I bet you are noticing rising excitement or increased tensions all around, but all you want is peace.

LEO 23 JULY – 22 AUG

A reflective mood soon changes into a practical one where you need to consult advisors and legally, financial or academic issues need sorting out so get their advice. Mid-season, your home is expanding, needing renovations, rearrangements, or a big clean up and you need to knuckle down to make it happen. Later in the season, rest a little and take care of your health. There are work changes coming so prepare yourself for a different job or a change in role. This will not suit somebody close to you but you are able to make it work.

VIRGO 23 AUG – 22 SEP

The focus is on partners and friends, so step back and let them blossom and shine. It’s also a time to renovate and resolve past family tensions. It’s an emotional time so give yourself some self-love. Mid-season, until the end of the season, there is reduction in creative momentum bringing a serious note to you or to the young people in your life. Pay attention to all that you have created or wish to create and that includes projects as well as children. After all, they are the ultimate in creation and they need your attention.

LIBRA 23 SEP – 22 OCT

Early in the season, after initially getting bogged down in duty and service, you are soon connecting, enjoying, communicating and talking to the special people in your life. You will have so many ideas that I suggest you write them down before you forget. The rest of the season, others are indecisive but you are ready to renovate or resolve past family tensions. This means undertaking home renovations both literally with hammers and figuratively with changing family dynamics. The old system of repair will not work any longer and a new approach is needed which will release past patterns and broken family connections.

SCORPIO 23 OCT – 21 NOV This is a time of creativity, expansion, risk-taking and a return to the playful inner child within. Have fun with it, for it will change your values. Soon a sense of responsibility returns along with unexpected costs to time, energy or money. Mid-season, habits seem set in concrete and changing them seems hard to do but take a stand for your new values and point of view for after all, this is about you…. and how you want to experience life. Late season is the time to make tough decisions for the future that you see. Other people will increasingly see it differently to you. SAGITTARIUS 22 NOV – 21 DEC Start the month with some peaceful times which will help you shine brighter in the world. If you feel exposed and vulnerable; get help to release you from past patterns. If you are happy with shining, then keep on being brilliant. Mid-season is a time to balance the books and sort out what is worth keeping and what must be labelled as bad debt. It’s not easy, as you were heavily invested but get practical before it costs you any more time, energy, money or emotions. Late-season, fears over money will not help achieve a better balance. CAPRICORN 22 DEC – 19 JAN

Early this season confusion reigns supreme and you can get quite annoyed about any problems… transmute this energy in a physical way by doing energetic jobs around the house. Roll up your sleeves, and knuckle down, but be clear in mind what you need done and have a specific list or it will be misdirected. The season is very active and if you are restless, it’s because you are trying to stay put, which is the opposite of what’s needed. Get moving but also allow yourself time to celebrate and to be creative. This will open doorways and lead to changes in your future direction.

AQUARIUS 20 JAN – 18 FEB Along with a restless spirit, you are being wasteful with money, possibly on something that looks great. Your time to make decisions comes mid-season. Nobody will see your inner world tensions but it’s not all ‘your stuff’. Some belongs to past family members, some belongs to old habits and some is the consequence of past actions. Are you ready to forgive or let go? Late-season, there is an increasing need to get a good work/home/life balance happening. Think deeply on where you wish to live your life. Does this mean a future move? PISCES 19 FEB – 20 MARCH You have star sparkle on your side to help improve whatever you give your time and energy too. Keep a good logical head on your shoulders as speedy reactions are not necessarily a good thing. Mid-season, your long-term goals, or a groups goals, will demand your time and energy. Is a group asking too much of you? Late-season is a time to make important decisions especially as you are thinking ‘outside the box’. This style of thinking leads to exciting innovations and a way of solving any problems. Neighbors or siblings could behave in unexpected ways and short journeys are likely.

KERRY GALEA ASTROLOGY Palmistry and Ancient Moon Gardening Email: kerry@kerrygalea.com.au Web: www.kerrygalea.com Web: www.ancientmoongardening.com

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find your

‘Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family; whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one’ Jane Howard, Margaret Mead We all want to experience a sense of community, to spend time with a group of like-minded people speaking the same language, who are on the same page supporting each other as a collective while sharing ideas, interests and working in harmony, be it professional, personal or otherwise. Find your tribe and then love them hard, those kindred souls that lift you up, raise you higher and help you to be the very best version of yourself; the ones that are there for you through the ebbs and flows of life.... But how do you find your tribe? It takes being intentional, consciously deciding to seek out those you admire and those who are willing to grow and learn with you – people you resonate with, friends with whom you share interests and challenges. It means getting real and raw, lifting the veil and revealing the real you and cutting through the crap of trying to keep up appearances. It takes being vulnerable and allowing yourself to be seen by your chosen people. It’s inviting them into your quiet spaces, sharing your strengths and challenges, that deep part of you. Then letting them teach you, guide you and show you the truth – that you are real, that you are doing your best and everything is ok. You quickly establish who has your back and who are willing to support your dreams and cheer you on. It takes more than one friend. Acknowledging that different friends bring different things to the table and each contributes something diverse. For example, one friend may be a good listener, another might lift our spirits and someone else may be great at doing something practical or helpful. I'm reminded here of the poem: ‘Friends for a reason, friends for a season and friends for a lifetime’.

tribe

It takes understanding that your partner and children cannot meet all your friendship needs. Often, we turn to our partner or children expecting them to fill the void we may feel in the absence of our tribe. By being mindful that this is not their role to play, that the relationships we have with them are different and what we require from others, takes the pressure off everyone. Women heal women, men need men and children play with children. Our partners and our children have to find their own people, their own tribe and the best thing we can do for them is to lead by example and model this. Finding your tribe is not an overnight thing, it’s often consciously choosing who you surround yourself with and who you share your life with. When you can lift the walls and get real with yourself and others, you will find real friends who can be real with you in return.

Here are some tips that might help you along the way: 1

Get specific with your intention. What type of people do you want to surround yourself with? You may have already found your tribe.

Get to know yourself. Be self-aware and connected with what is going on within you.

Release judgement. No one is perfect, raise each other up instead of tearing each other down.

Surround yourself with like-minded people. Your vibe attracts your tribe and you are influenced by the five people you spend the most time with so choose wisely.

Be brave. Start your own group and have your tribe come to you. You never know where this might lead or what connections you may find.

Stay true to you, authenticity is magnetic. Do it your way with courtesy, kindness, and respect.

By Erin Miller

‘Surround yourself with people who add value to your life, who challenge you to be greater than who you were yesterday, who sprinkle magic into your existence, just like you do in theirs. Life isn’t meant to be lived alone. Find your tribe and journey freely and loyally together.’ Alex Elle Do you have a question or a topic you would like Erin to write about? Send me an email at erin@erinmiller.com.au Erin Miller is a Holistic Life Coach, NLP Practitioner, Healer and Writer. Her aim is to live life with a sense of excitement, anticipation and energy! Her passion and purpose is to help and guide others to also find their true calling and zest for life!

For further information please call 0418 328 441 or visit my website www.erinmiller.com.au

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Your Market Guide to Autumn march | april | may BAIRNSDALE FARMERS’ MARKET

HEYFIELD COMMUNITY MARKET

LUCKNOW MARKET

BERWICK AKOONAH PARK MARKET

HILL END COMMUNITY MARKET

MAFFRA VARIETY & FARMERS’ MARKET

1st Saturday of every month – 8am-12noon Location Bairnsdale Secondary College Oval, McKean Street Contact John 5156 9342 or Ian 5152 3698

Every Sunday – 8am-1.30pm Location Akoonah Park, cnr High & Cardinia Sts, Berwick Contact Gary Maker (03) 9796 1455

BRIAGOLONG FARMERS & ARTISTS MARKET ‘BY LAND, OR BY HAND’ Sunday, 24 March 2018 – 9am–2pm Location Cnr Forbes & Avon Streets Contact: briagmarket@gmail.com or their Facebook page

BRUTHEN VILLAGE MARKET 3rd Saturday of month – 9am-1pm Location Mechanics Hall, Main Street Contact 0432 188 295

CALLIGNEE COMMUNITY MARKET 3rd Sunday of month - 8am-1pm - October to May Location Callignee Hall Reserve Contact Lex 5147 3808

CHURCHILL ISLAND FARMERS’ MARKET & CRAFT MARKET

4th Saturday of month - 8am-1pm Location Samuel Amess Drive, Churchill Island off Phillip Island Contact Peter Arnold 5664 0096

COAL CREEK COMMUNITY PARK & MUSEUM FARMERS’ MARKET AND CRAFT MARKET 2nd Saturday of month - 8am-12.30pm Location Coal Creek Community Park and Museum Car Park, Silkstone Rd, Korumburra Contact 5655 1811 FREE Entry/Ample Parking

COWES ISLAND CRAFT MARKET

2nd Saturday of month - 9am-2pm Location St Phillips Parish Hall and grounds, Thompson Ave, Cowes Contact Monica 0412 710 276 or 5678 8784

COWES MARKET ON CHAPEL (VARIETY)

4th Saturday of month – 8.30am-2pm Location Uniting Church, Chapel St, Cowes Contact Darlene 0428 603 043

DROUIN PRODUCE & CRAFT MARKET

3rd Saturday of month - 8am-1pm Location Civic Park, Civic Place, Drouin Contact John 0419 428 564 Drouin Rotary Club

FARMERS’ MARKET @ THE OLD CHEESE FACTORY 2nd Saturday of month – 8am-12.30pm Location The Old Cheese Factory, 34 Homestead Road, Berwick Contact Market Manager: Geoff Rankin 0407 968 841

PROM COUNTRY FARMERS’ MARKET

3rd Saturday of month - 8am-12pm Location Foster War Memorial Arts Centre Main Street, Foster Contact Catherine McGlead 0407 543 371

FOSTER PROMONTORY MARKET (VARIETY) ‘ BY LAND OR BY HAND’ Sunday 25 March 2018 9.00am – 2.00pm Location Cnr Forbes & Avon Street Contact briagmarket@gmail.com Or their facebook page

GRANTVILLE COMMUNITY MARKET

4th Sunday of month - 8am-2pm Location Grantville Recreation Reserve (weather permitting) Contact Pat 5997 6221 & check Facebook for updates

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1st Saturday of month – 8am-1pm Location John Greaves Memorial Park, Temple Street Contact 5148 3408 or 5148 2394

3rd Sunday of March Location Paynters Road Old Hill End School Contact Liza on 0422 520 722

INVERLOCH COMMUNITY FARMERS' MARKET

Last Sunday of the month – 8am-1pm Location The Glade, Opposite Inlet Hotel, Inverloch Contact Lions Club: 0417 361 436

INVERLOCH FARMERS’ MARKET 3rd Sunday of the month – 8am-1pm Location The Glade, Opposite Inlet Hotel, Inverloch Contact Melissa on 0419 351 878

JINDIVICK COUNTRY MARKET

1st Saturday of April and May Location 1070 Jackson’s Track, Jindivick Contact Jindivick Harvest Kitchen 5628 5227

JOHNSONVILLE COMMUNITY MARKET

1st Saturday of month – 8am-12pm Location Johnsonville Hall, Princes Highway Contact Perry 5156 4162

JUMBUNNA BUSH MARKET

1st Sunday of the month – 9am-1pm Location Public Hall, Cruickshanks Road Contact Dawn Wylie 5657 3253

KONGWAK MARKET

Every Sunday – 10am-3pm (Closed 24 December) Location Korumburra Road, Kongwak Contact Jane 0417 142 478

KOONWARRA FARMERS' MARKET 1st Saturday of the month – 8.30am-12.30pm Location Memorial Park off Koala Drive (Held in adjoining Halls on wet days) Contact Rod 0408 619 182

KOOWEE COMMUNITY MARKET 2nd Sunday of the month - 9am-2.30pm Location Koo Wee Rup Community Centre Cochrane Park Cnr Rossiter Rd & Sybella Ave Koo Wee Rup Contact Admin 9796 5744

LAKES ENTRANCE SURF CLUB FORESHORE MARKET

4th Sunday of the month - 8.30am-1pm Location Howitt Park, Princes Highway, East Bairnsdale Contact 0432 602 007

MALLACOOTA ARTISANS MARKET

SALE CHARITY VARIETY MARKET

MEENIYAN MID WEEK MARKET

SAN REMO CUPPA & CHAT MARKET

1st Saturday of month – 9am - 1pm (except January) Location Mallacoota Mudbrick Pavilion, Maurice Ave Contact Leah 0467 856 236 3rd Thursday of month – 10am-2pm Location Whitelaw Street Contact Tracey Robertson 0402 995 063

METUNG FARMERS’ MARKET 2nd Saturday of month - 8am-12.30pm Location Village Green in Metung Contact Tracey O’Brien 0409 233 648

MIRBOO NORTH COUNTRY MARKET Last Saturday of month – 8am-2pm Location Baromi Park, 49 Ridgway Contact Bev Cook 5668 1688

50 MILE FARMER’S MARKET 2nd Saturday of month – 8am-1pm Location Tarwin Street, Morwell Contact 0487 380 529

NEERIM DISTRICT ALLEY MARKET

4th Sunday of month – 9am-1pm Location 147 Main Neerim Road, Neerim South Contact 0409 090 725

NEWHAVEN CRAFT MARKET 4th Saturday of month – 8am-1pm Location Newhaven Hall, Newhaven Contact 5678 8163

NOWA NOWA FARMERS MARKET 3rd Sunday of month – 9am-1pm Location Mingling Waters Caravan Park Contact 0409 233 648

OLD GIPPSTOWN HERITAGE PARK MARKET 3rd Saturday of month – 9am-2pm Location Lloyd Street, Moe Contact 5127 3082

LATROBE COUNTRY MARKET

PAYNESVILLE LIONS CLUB MARKET

4th Saturday of month – 8.30am-1.00pm Location: Howard Street Contact: Julie 0412 515 854

LEONGATHA ROTARY MARKET 4th Sunday of month Location: Safeway Carpark Contact: 5662 5800

LOCH LIONS VILLAGE MARKET

2nd Sunday of month – October to April – 8.30am-1pm Location Loch Railway Siding Contact Barry Worsburgh on 0418 500 520

LONGWARRY FIRE BRIGADE MARKET

1st Sunday of the month - 8am-1pm (except Jan & Feb) Location Longwarry Fire Station, Bennett St Contact Janine 5629 9636 or 0419 158 946

SALE PRODUCERS’ MARKET

1st Sunday of month - 9am-1pm Location Main St/Johnson St, Maffra Contact Rob 0419 869 114

PAKENHAM COMMUNITY MARKET

LEONGATHA FARMERS MARKET

2nd Sunday of month - 8am-1.30pm Location Prince Street Reserve Contact 0473 543 906

3rd Saturday of month - 8am-1pm Location Sale Showgrounds enter from Maffra Rd Contact Cate 0404 840 128 (Craft) or Karen 0429 344 675 (Produce)

1st Sunday of the month – 9am-3pm Location Near the Rotunda - Foreshore, Lakes Entrance Contact Tom Morris 0407 098 805 or 5153 1916 Every Sunday - 8.30am-1.30pm Location Latrobe Road, Morwell (near Holmes Road) Contact 0449 294 453

ROSEDALE COMMUNITY MARKET

3rd Sunday of month – 8am-1pm Location Pakenham Football Club, Toomuc Reserve Contact Noel 0422 822 688

3rd Sunday of month - 7am-1pm Location Thomson River Canal Reserve Contact 5144 1258

2nd Friday of month - Bric-a-brac, cakes & jams 9am-1pm 2nd Saturday of month - Sausage Sizzle 9am-12pm Location St. Augustine’s Anglican Church, Marine Parade Contact Roma Caulfield 5678 5386

STRATFORD VARIETY & FARMERS MARKET 4th Sunday of month - 9am-1pm Location McMillan Street, Stratford Contact Rob 0419 869 114

TARWIN LOWER MARKET

Sunday March 11th 10.00am – 1.00pm Location Tarwin Lower Memorial Hall, Riverside Drive Contact Anita 5663 7345

TOORA COMMUNITY MARKET

2nd Saturday of month - 7.30am-1pm Location Former Bonlac Store, Jetty Road, Toora Contact 5686 2690

TRAFALGAR ARTS MARKET

1st Saturday of month – 9am-1pm Location Trafalgar Public Hall, Contingent Street Contact Wendy Hitchins 0407 710 180

50 MILE FARMER’S MARKET

2nd Saturday of month – 8am-12pm Location The VRI Hall, Queens Pde, Traralgon Contact 0419 568 772

TRARALGON FARMERS’ MARKET 4th Saturday of month - 8am-1pm Location Kay Street Gardens Contact 0409 232 715 Traralgon Lions Club

WARRAGUL ARTS MARKET

3rd Saturday of month 10.00am – 2.00pm Location Civic Park Warragul Contact Jessie McLennan 5626 7045

WARRAGUL FARMERS MARKET 3rd Saturday of month – 8.30am-1pm Location 1 Civic Place, Warragul Contact 0425 259 177

WONTHAGGI ROTARY MARKET

2nd Sunday of month - 8.30am-1pm Location Gilsenan Reserve Contact Lions Club 0400 327 526

2nd Sunday of month - 8am-1pm Location Apex Park, Murray St, Wonthaggi Contact Ash 0412 300 456

PAYNESVILLE FARMERS MARKET

YARRAGON COMMUNITY CRAFT & PRODUCE MARKET

4th Saturday of month – 8.30am-1pm Location Foreshore by playground Contact 0473 149 409

PORT ALBERT MAKE IT, BAKE IT, GROW IT 4th Sunday of month - 8am-1.30pm Location Victoria Street Contact 0437 247 242

4th Saturday of month – 9am-1pm Location Yarragon Public Hall, Campbell St Contact Alison Butterworth 5634 2209

YARRAM VARIETY MARKET

1st Sunday of month - 8am-1pm Location Guide & Scout Hall, Yarram Contact 0419 362 083

REH CORK CLUB CRAFT MARKET 2nd Saturday of month Location Kay Street Gardens, Traralgon Contact Chris Van Der Meer 0487 342 675

ROKEBY MARKET

2nd Saturday of month September to May Location Rokeby Reserve, Brandy Creek Road Contact 5626 8523

If you require your events or markets to be promoted please email Gippsland the Lifestyle thelifestyle@dcsi.net.au

SIMPLY WHITE ANTIQUES & HOMEWARES

Closed Tuesday and Sunday

51 Commercial Street KORUMBURRA 3950 Tel: 0418 554 267 Like Us On Facebook thelifestyle autumn 2018

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Your Events Guide to Autumn march INVERLOCH JAZZ FESTIVAL 25TH ANNIVERSARY Date: March 9 - 11 Contact: 0434 574 516 Email: info@invyjazz.com AFL JLT COMMUNITY SERIES COLLINGWOOD VS WESTERN BULLDOGS Date: March 10 Location: Ted Summerton Reserve, Moe Contact: Jess Middlemiss 1300 367 700 RACE THE RUBEENA SALE COMMUNITY FUN RUN Date: March 11 Location: Port of Sale Precinct, Canal Road Contact: Gerard Callinan 0401 660 314 Web: www.racetherubeena.com.au 7TH ANNUAL TOORA PEAR PARTY Date: March 11 Location: Mill Street, Toora Contact: www.toorapears.info STONY CREEK RACING CUP DAY Date: Location: Contact:

March 11 25 Stony Creek – Dollar Road 5664 0099

SUPER HERO DAY Date: March 11 Time: 10.00am – 2.00pm Location: Old Gippstown, Lloyd Street Moe Contact: Megan 5127 3082 RENASCENCE GIPPSLAND BY CHEF ALEJANDRO SARAVIA Date: March 17 Time: 12.00pm – 4.00pm Location: Biran Biran Gippsland Natural Beef and Lamb 685 Fish Creek – Foster Road, Fish Creek ROTARY CLUB OF MAFFRA MARDI GRAS 60TH ANNIVERSARY Date: March 17 Time: 4.00pm – 8.00pm Location: Johnson Street Maffra Contact: www.maffrarotary.org

THE 6TH SALE MUSIC FESTIVAL PICNIC ON THE GREEN March 11, 2018, 11.00am – 7.00pm, Sale Botanic Gardens Ph: 0407 965 313

KORUMBURRA WORKING HORSE AND TRACTOR RALLY Date: March 17 Time: 10.00am Location: 5875 Sth Gippsland Hwy, Lang Lang GLENMAGGIE BLUES & ROOTS FESTIVAL Date: March 17 Time: 2.00pm – 10.00pm Location: Glenmaggie Mechanics Institute OPERA BY THE LAKES Date:

Time: Location: Contact:

March 18

Gates open at noon Nyerimilang Heritage Park, Nungurner 0409 771 526 www.gippslandopera.org.au

THE HILLS ARE ALIVE 10TH ANNIVERSARY 3 Day Music Event

Date: Location: Contact:

March 23 – 25 The Farm – 10 minutes from Loch www.thehillsarealive.com.au

GIPPSLAND LEISUREFEST ROADSHOW Home & Outdoor Living Ideas Time: 10.00am Location: Kernot Hall, 50 Princess Drive Morwell Contact: gippslandexpo.com.au TARRA FESTIVAL – THINGS WITH WINGS Date: March 28 – April 2 Contact: 0434 242 567 tarrafestival@gmail.com

FOOD & DRINK ARTISTS MUSICIANS

STALLS LOCAL ATTRACTIONS ACTIVITIES SATURDAY 17TH MARCH 2018 10AM - 3PM CARRAJUNG MEMORIAL OVAL CNR STITCHLING & MCDERMOTT STREETS, CARRAJUNG

STALLHOLDERS WANTED - UP TO FORTY STALLS AVAILABLE. MUST BE WITHIN OUR ZONED MAP. VOLUNTEERS WANTED - FREE CAMPING AND FOOD SUPPLIED.

Email carrajung@outlook.com or

Facebook – ‘Grand Ridge Harvest Festival’

GRAND RIDGE HARVEST FESTIVAL

March 17, 2018, 10.00am – 3.00pm Carrajung Memorial Oval, Cnr Stitchling & McDermott Streets, Carrajung Email: carrajung@outlook.com

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Your Events Guide to Autumn april

EASTER EGG HUNT Date: Time: Location: Contact:

April 1 10.00am – 1.30pm Coal Creek Community Park 5655 1811

may

45TH WARRAGUL NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION Date: Location: Contact:

May 18 – 21 Warragul Downtowner, 55-57 Victoria Street Jane Woodcock 0425 741 799

FISH CREEK TEA COSY FESTIVAL May 19 – 27, 2018 Ph: Susan Poletti 0429 936 325 Web: www.teacosyfestival.com.au

WONTHAGGI STREET FESTIVAL April 7, 2018, 3.00pm – 10.00pm Apex Park to Jongbloed Lane Ph: 0427 587 104 Email: info@wonthaggibusinesses.com.au

THE GIPPSLAND RARE & UNUSUAL PLANT FAIR Date: Time: Location: Contact:

April 7 9.00am – 3.30pm Jindivick Public Hall David Musker jindigardener@bigpond.com

TINAMBA FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL Date: Time: Contact:

April 8 11.00am – 4.00pm 5145 1484

SOUTHERN GIPPSLAND SUSTAINABILITY FESTIVAL Date: Time: Location: Contact:

April 8 10.00am State Coal Mine, Garden St Wonthaggi Roslyn Jenzen 5951 3317

FARM WORLD Date: Time:

Location: Contact:

April 12 – 15 Thur – Sat 8.30am – 5.00pm Sunday 8.30am – 4.00pm 155 Burnt Store Road, Lardner Park Lardner Park Events 5626 1373

CAFÉ CULTURE 2018 SERIES RED DRESS AND THE SUGAR MAN Date: Location: Contact:

May 27 Toora Hall, Grey Street Mary 5682 1166

10CC ICONIC BRITISH BAND

Performing their greatest hits such as Rubber Bullets Date: April 30 Time: 8.00pm Location: The Wedge Performing Arts Centre 100 Foster Street Sale Contact: 5143 3200

If you require your events or markets to be promoted please email Gippsland the Lifestyle thelifestyle@dcsi.net.au

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COASTAL

until 15 April 2018 at Paynesville An exhibition of paintings and photography featuring Jennifer TARANTO | painter Brendon SIMS | Paynesville based painter and Gaetano ZAMMIT | photography

Without Pier Gallery Paynesville presents an autumn exhibition about the coastal lifestyle and habitat in paintings and photography. Without Pier Gippsland | Paynesville

Brendon Sims

A long time Paynesville resident and artist who is preparing for his first major Solo Exhibition at Without Pier Gallery in Cheltenham Melbourne in April â&#x20AC;&#x201C; see ad. Here Brendon will be represented by his drawings of iconic Pelicans on the Gippsland Lakes.

Gaetano Zammit Jennifer Taranto

a Melbourne based artist who in this series of works, explores light and colour, water and reflections . . . in the realist style. They are beautifully executed paintings that are calming to the eye. Jennifer has an established reputation as a Botanical artist where attention to detail and form are her strength.

Now Sydney based, but formerly from Melbourne, Gaetano presents beautiful bird photography that has been digitally enhanced to bring an artistic representation through modifying light and colour in these bird photographs from established Victorian wetlands. Presented on canvas through the giclee process and on fine photographic paper these are Limited Edition works to be admired and enjoyed.

Gippsland Lakes Escapes, 87 The Esplanade, Paynesville | enquiries@withoutpier.com.au | withoutpier.com.au

Gippsland Lakes Escapes, Without Pier Gallery 87 The EsplanadePaynesville 320 Bay Road Cheltenham Telephone: (03) 5156 0432 Telephone: (03) 9583 7577 Monday to Saturday 10-5pm Sunbday 12-5pm

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Among the most inventive and influential bands in the history of popular music, 10cc are one of the very few acts to have achieved commercial, critical and creative success in equal measure! They have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. Testament to 10cc’s ongoing appeal, the band can count a generation straddling array of fellow artists, everyone from Chrissie Hynde to The Feeling’s Dan Gillespie and Axl Rose to Sophie Ellis Bextor, among their many millions of fans. 10cc ruled the pop world at a time – the 1970s – when the charts were dominated by some of the most creative and colourful artistes in pop history. Don’t miss this incredible performance, it’s sure to be a night you won’t forget! In 2013, 10cc joined Status Quo for a tour of UK arenas, including London’s 20,000-capacity The O2.

In the years since, the band have toured in Australia, Ireland Japan, New Zealand across the UK and Europe and at London’s 60,000-capacity British Summer Time festival in Hyde Park. 10cc made a 25-date tour of the UK’s provincial theatres in autumn 2016, followed by a major city tour in March/April 2017, along with shows in Norway, Denmark and shows in Belgium, Holland and Germany. “Year on year we get busier and busier. It’s great, we love touring and playing together, and we get on really well. The audiences these days are very gratifying. You get the people you would expect, who grew up with 10cc, but you also get young kids who know the songs too,” says Gouldman.

With four decades of song-writing excellence and a crack band of musicians behind him Gouldman confidently promises, “This is as near as you’re ever going to get to hearing the perfect 10cc. Hit after hit after hit. It’s relentless. We show no mercy.” The Wedge performance is the ONLY Regional Victorian Show!

The Wedge Performing Arts Centre Monday 30 April 2018 at 8:00pm Address: Phone: Email: Web:

100 Foster Street, Sale VIC 3850 [03] 5143 3200 box.office@wellington.vic.gov.au www.thewedge.com.au

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Set in Jindivick’s rolling green hills discover an acre of recycled metal sculptures and browse the gallery space hosting the work of contemporary artists and Laurie’s small stories sculptures. Call in anytime, no cost and see the studio (amongst the metal chaos!)

RED TREE GALLERY EXHIBITIONS COMING UP AT THE RED TREE GALLERY JINDIVICK OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS ARE A RANGE OF SHOWS AND ACTIVITIES.

AUTUMN EXHIBITIONS 2018 APRIL

ADAM PRICE exhibiting here for the first time. Adam is an immensely talented ex-student of mine and his show here promises to be diverse and delightful.

MAY

MEREDITH LEAMON returning for a second exhibition of her wonderful quilts. Last time people commented on how beautiful they were and how inexpensive her prices were. Sure to be well patronised.

JUNE

PAULINE COLLYER further develops a textile theme with a collection of knitting art.. Good on ya and all the best Laurie

420 Main Jindivick Road, Jindivick VIC 3818 P: 5628 5224 | E: info@lauriecollins.com.au

www.lauriecollins.com.au

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FROM DESIGN TO REALITY hand crafting, restoring and remaking jewellery

By Paul Henderson

Most jewellery designs start with a sketch

Giving a ring a final gentle hand polish

Styles and fashions come and go, for instance rings are usually lower in height than they might have been in the seventies, and people generally prefer a lower ring for today’s busy lifestyle.

Creating unique jewellery is a speciality of Bairnsdale based jewellers Curtis Australia, whose studio makes many distinctive custom pieces every year. This simple and enjoyable process starts with a chat in the private Curtis showroom - a conversation about something entirely new, or possibly a remake of an existing ring. ‘The choice is very much up to the client as to which way they prefer, and because everything is hand crafted in house there’s a great deal of flexibility’, says Master Jeweller Glenn Curtis. ‘We see lots of different people, from couples wanting engagement and wedding rings to people wanting ‘just because’ jewellery – no two enquiries are alike’. Some clients prefer an all new piece, others want to incorporate existing gems or gold. Others again might want a remake of an existing, much loved ring, while in some cases a complete restoration is possible. ‘It’s our job to listen carefully to what our client wants and likes, so we can reach the right outcome’ says Glenn. This organic freeform ring is set with brilliant cut diamonds

‘What’s interesting about this process is that often people come in with no idea what they might like.To solve this, we start showing them different pieces, or photos of pieces we’ve made, and from these can quickly gauge what they do and don’t like.

‘We prefer not to break up something we see with an antique value’ says Glenn, ‘I’d rather something with a history or a really unique character stays intact, and we see this most often when clients bring in their entire jewellery box for review’. There are plenty of pieces that are simply worn out, have missing gems, or are just not practical so these are candidates for some tender loving care. This simple and elegant princess cut diamond eternity ring makes a statement

From there, we can focus on a design theme or idea that will suit them perfectly. It seems as though everyone knows what they like when they see it!’ ‘Of course, some clients already have a precious ring that might simply be outdated in style or perhaps handed down by a relative. These rings can often hold enormous personal significance, so we’re very aware of the need to keep those memories intact. A great way to do this is by keeping the gems and redesigning the ring into something new. We might not use all the gems, or we can add some more to balance a design, it really depends on the design.’ The designers at Curtis usually draw a simple rough sketch to explain the idea, and if needed a more considered drawing comes next. Once that is approved, work starts on the ring itself. Curtis is unusual in that they make all their work themselves in their own studio – nothing gets sent away, giving their clients real peace of mind.

We encourage our clients to bring everything in for an informal chat, so we can discuss options and guide them towards something they will enjoy wearing.’ So, if you’ve got a ring or rings you don’t wear any more, or even a whole jewellery box full, talk to Curtis or your local jeweller about what can be done. You’ll be pleasantly surprised and once your special ring is complete you’ll be enjoying wearing your sparkling jewellery well into the future.

A collection of old rings and gems woven into something new

With over 40 years of jewellery making experience there’s not much that Curtis haven’t seen, from valuable antiques to jewellery from every era.

Glenn Curtis has been a jeweller for over 40 years. A Fellow and past Secretary of the Gold & Silversmiths Guild of Australia, Glenn has owned and run jewellery stores in East Gippsland since the 1990's, along with his wife Heather. About 14 years ago they formed Curtis Australia, now a recognised luxury brand creating fine jewellery and hand crafted writing instruments sold around the world. Their work in this area has won several international awards including a coveted 'Best of the Best' Award from the world's most read luxury magazine, the Robb Report, where they were up against such rivals as Cartier. This flowing, hand crafted ring embraces a client’s collection of sapphires and diamonds

Every diamond is set by hand in this contemporary ring

Glenn was also invited as the only overseas based expert to judge the inaugural Rio Tinto Diamonds

Global Jewellery Design Competition held in New York, something he modestly describes as reflective of the high standards of Australian jewellers in the international landscape. An important part of the work at Curtis Australia involves the local community, for who Glenn likes nothing more than creating custom made diamond jewellery and remodelling much loved pieces. Curtis Australia is based in a large purpose built jewellery studio in Bairnsdale, and also has an office in Melbourne's CBD, a convenient location to meet with clients from around the world. You can see more of their stunning work at www.curtisaustralia.com 03 5152 1089

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ALI'S ART

By Ali Fullard

"IMAGINE" NEW BEGINNINGS Photos courtesy of Lindsay Roberts

ABOUT THE PROJECT The architect firm FJMT was given the brief to make a functional, welcoming, enjoyable place for visitors and families to feel comfortable, and to make the Gallery a higher standard to attract better exhibitions to Gippsland. Local timbers from the Heyfield and Nowa Nowa timber mills have been used throughout the building. The Gallery’s permanent collection of 1700 works will be stored in new purpose- built racks and an area for 3D works is available. Gallery Technician Lindsay Roberts, who is currently Acting Curator and Education Officer Georgia Glanville have purpose designed areas to now carry out their activities.

A recent $14.53 million upgrade to the Sale Gallery over the last 30 months, funded by the Federal, State and Local governments has seen the previous 1975 premises, transformed into a “state of the art” art/library/civic complex. Local benefactor, the late John Leslie paid for the magnificent wave like ceilings over the previous courtyards. This area is now the main exhibition space which opens onto the community area encompassing the library, cafe and communal areas.

Simon, had input into the layout and design of the exhibition and storage areas. Simon explains. “There are now six main areas of the gallery. Gallery 1 is for the permanent collection. Galleries 2 and 3 for major temporary exhibitions. Gallery 4 is a project space. Gallery 5 is a Focus Gallery (predominantly collection). Gallery 6 is a Annemieke Mein showcase for her world- renowned Textile art. The content will change 3-4 times a year and will include Annemieka’s drawings and samplers. There will be a strong presence from Gippsland artists”. True to his word, Simon has included a selection of prints from local artists and Freestone Press Printmakers at Briagolong, a work of mine being included. I feel honoured, as do all the artists, to be included in this inaugural exhibition.

“Imagine”, the inaugural exhibition of the new Gallery, is a celebration of the human imagination in all its forms. “Imagine” combines the work of eightyone local, national and international artists, spanning five centuries of artmaking, to explore life on earth and the place of humankind in an evolving universe. To quote Acting Director, Simon Greg; “Imagine” is about beginnings- the beginning of the world, the birth of consciousness, an awakening to the possibilities before us, a melding of worlds where the possible is fused with the impossible. These artists share an overriding ambition to overcome the impossible by unleashing the potential of the imagination. “Imagine” is fuelled by dreams, by magic, by weird and wonderful art stuff. The imagination is life enriched; life supercharged. The imagination is the means by which we exist beyond our present state. The work in “Imagine” is a showcase for the imagination”.

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It is an experience to view a work from 1514 by Albrecht Durer next to a contemporary installation and sharing the same space! Every work has a “WOW” factor. Every conceivable genre of the artistic pursuits is on show. There have been over 15,000 visitors in the first 4 weeks! Dates. 6th January till 18th March 2018

Acting Director Simon Gregg & Mayor Carolyn Crossley

This was a council wide project. According to Simon “A huge team effort. Everyone from Wellington Mayor, Carolyn Crossly, the CEO and down. Stephen Dempsey, Arts and Culture manager was part of the Building Management team and is direct supervisor of Theatre, Library and Gallery Managers. Project manager was Sharon Houlihan. There was a steering group that comprised community representatives. There were 12 other working groups that each had responsibility for different areas (ie. staffing and rostering, relocation etc)”

Open 7 days a week 68-70 Foster St. Sale 03 5142 3500 www.gippslandartgallery.com

BRIAGOLONG & SURROUNDS

“I work across a range of media inspired by the natural world and dramatic landscape of the Gippsland region.” P r i n t s | D r a w i n g s | Wa t e r c o l o u r s Mixed Media | Digital images | Original cards

Open: By Appointment | All Welcome 75 Landy Lane Briagolong 3860 Ph. 0427327494 | Email alifullard@bigpond.com

Tamara Bailey | The keys to Tullaree

WHAT'S ON

BRIAGOLONG ARTGALLERY

“THE LADY OF THE SWAMP – THE REAL AND IMAGINED LIFE OF MARGARET CLEMENT” EXHIBITION BY TAMARA BAILEY Photos courtesy of the artist This extraordinary tale from Gippsland’s history, documented in Richard Shears’ book Swamp, forms the basis of Tamara Bailey’s latest photographic exhibition, to be held at the Briagolong Art Gallery on the 17th of March. Tamara’s images depict a reoccurring theme of water, which had an all-consuming effect on the lives of Margaret Clement and her sister Jeannie. When their fortunes declined – along with the rapid deterioration of their 17-room mansion – their ‘palace’ sadly became a prison of their own making and due to neglect, their once lush farmland turned into a foreboding swamp.

Tamara uses the symbolism of chairs being broken and one strong representing Jeannie’s unfortunate passing and Margaret’s strength to carry on. Margaret possessed incredible strength and determination by wading through the swamp to gather food for her and her sister several times a week for years. In 1952 Margaret went missing. A large search was conducted but her body was never found. Is she still out there? Is she still holding on to her beloved Tullaree? Tamara writes. “A lady that exuded Edwardian elegance and refinery, a belle of Victorian society. She was rich. Filthy rich. Garden parties that were talked about for years. A mansion, a swamp, destitution and squalor. The lady vanishes or is it murder?” Come and view these hauntingly beautiful images, involve yourself in the mystery! Dates: Saturday 17th March 2018 (with an opening at 2pm) till Sunday 22nd April

In a series of composite images, Tamara creates dream-like scenes that depict the refined youthful beauty that Margaret once was. A figure floats in a beautiful satin nightgown holding expensive pearls, which contrasts against a flooded swampy background, threatening to swallow up the innocent beauty. A figure in a black Victorian dress appears to be floating in the swamp, or is she just standing idle, accepting her fate? Mourning the loss of her past life, but refusing to let go of her most prized possession; her home Tullaree. The juxtaposition between the opulent life that once was, to the squalor that became their harsh reality for many years, Tamara is drawn to give the viewer a glimpse into that time. Still life images capture fine china chipped and worn, contrasting with gleaming silver, and a pair of Victorian era shoes caught in the swamp’s reeds.

Tamara Bailey | In thought

Tamara Bailey | Lady of the Swamp

BRIAGOLONG ART GALLERY

Cnr Forbes and Avon Streets, Briagolong 3860 Open Saturday and Sunday 11am to 4pm or by appointment Contact 03 51 455 439 or 0427 327 494 | Email briagolongartgallery@gmail.com | Web briagolongartgallery.com Find us on Facebook | facebook.com/briagolongartgallery

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h s u r B ith ame w F Kongwak-based artist Fiona Kennedy finds all the inspiration she needs from her surroundings in South Gippsland. Words: Chris West

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Had she adhered to the advice of her teachers at high school in Melbourne, things would now be very different for Fiona Kennedy. “They told me I shouldn’t paint because I wasn’t very good at it,” she recalls. When Fiona continued her education on to university, she opted to study clay and drawing.

“I was really drawn to the idea of going back to this area after my uni days and seeing what it was like there again. I just fell in love with it and decided we’d make the move down here.” Fiona relocated her family to Inverloch and established a small studio to begin her journey into an artistic career. Within months, she had given birth to her third child – a son, Michael, to follow older daughters Tamara and Jacqueline.

“I majored in those two subjects,” she notes. “Back then my artistic interest was all to do with clay sculpture. I was very tactile and loved working with clay. I still do. My first studio was going to be a clay sculptural studio until one day when I picked up a paint brush. That was fifteen years ago. From there it was just like a floodgate had opened and I think that’s when I found my true passion.” Fiona had always been creative from her childhood. “I think I got that from my dad, who is very much the creative type,” she suggests. “I always knew my passion lay in some sort of medium.” Fiona’s undiscovered flair for painting only emerged when she swapped city life in Melbourne for the coastal tranquility of Inverloch at the end of 2001. “I was really drawn to the ocean,” she explains. “I used to come down to this area with some mates from uni for weekends away. We’d stay on a 10-acre property at Point Smythe near Venus Bay, which the family of one of my uni friends had obtained as part of a hundred year lease arrangement.” Travelling to Inverloch to purchase supplies was not as straightforward as a simple car ride for Fiona and her friends. “We would catch a dinghy across from one side to another. After going to the pub, we’d stock up with food and get back in the dinghy to go back to the property,” she remembers.

Much to her credit, Fiona successfully balanced the development of her artwork with the demands of raising three children. After nine years at Inverloch, she looked for somewhere to establish a larger studio and found just the kind of place she was seeking at a property at 26 Williams Street in Kongwak. Adjacent to the residence on the property was an old shed structure with a roof, which she presumes had previously housed a tractor or some form of equipment. Fiona saw the hidden potential in this space. “I built it in and turned it into my studio,” she says. It is on this site in Kongwak where Fiona remains today. She has no doubt that being close to nature in her idyllic surroundings is hugely important to her creativity.

“I live in a bushland environment which I really love. You have to live within your sanctuary and for me I have to work within my sanctuary as well,” she observes. “I think if I had to work in a job that I didn’t particularly like I’d probably feel like I’d just shrivel up and die, but I’m in an environment that I’ve created as a sanctuary for myself and I need to work like that to be able to create the paintings that I create.” With her two daughters having grown up and left the coop and now living and working in Melbourne, Fiona structures her work schedule around her 15-year-old son Michael’s schooling at Wonthaggi Secondary.

“I’m in the studio every day, working around Michael’s school hours,” she says. Never far away from Fiona’s side is her golden Labrador named Ali, a gentle companion who adds to the homely feel of her work environment. Fiona admits that the studio is no longer big enough, which will necessitate either an extension or alternatively a move to new premises. “I’ve outgrown this studio now, so I’m not sure if we’ll be able to stay here forever, or maybe we will be able to add on to what we have here,” she says, adding that her preference is to stay put and extend if possible. Although Fiona says she didn’t have any particular early mentor in art as such, she was a great admirer of prominent French-born visual artist Mirka Mora, who emigrated to Melbourne in the early 1950s. “I loved Mirka’s lifestyle and her personality,” she remarks. “She had this wild look about her which I was quite drawn to and her artwork just spoke volumes to me.” Although Mirka Mora was an influence in Fiona’s artistic progression, she has developed a style of her own. Asked to describe her painting style, she pauses briefly to consider her response. “Well, it’s unique. I guess you could say it’s contemporary, vibrant and quite ethereal. I like to classify my work as symbolic and very emotional. They all tell a story,” she says. “A lot of people tell me they’ve never seen artwork like mine. I don’t really like giving it a label or putting it into some sort of basket, but it is what it is.” The logo Fiona uses for her business depicts a heart with wings. It is symbolic of a fundamental message. “It’s about sending out love through my art,” she says. In recent years, the majority of Fiona’s paintings have been commissioned works, but she is now finding more opportunities to produce pieces for sale to the general public as well.

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FIONA KENNEDY Whenever working on a commissioned piece, Fiona says she doesn’t get too influenced by what people are asking her to paint for them.

off to buyers from all sorts of different places, including some you might not expect like Scotland and Hong Kong.”

“I tend to paint more intuitively. I get to know the people and try to capture the essence of them rather than actually painting them in a factual sense. I find my inspiration from getting the feeling of who they are and that’s what I’ll paint,” she explains.

Fiona’s paintings appeal to a broad cross-section of buyers.

Fiona says this approach has proved very successful for her and her clients.

“My customer base is across the board really and covers all age groups. A lot are women and I think that’s just purely because I’m a female artist and they relate to the emotional side of my work. But it’s not just women; plenty of men also like my paintings,” she notes.

“I’ve never had any negative feedback. Everyone has been very happy with the end result,” she states.

Although her property is nestled in bushland and hidden from passing traffic on the main road, people know how to find Fiona and visit her studio.

Her rise in popularity has been a steady climb rather than any sort of overnight discovery.

“There’s a fairly constant flow of people, but weekends are busiest,” she says.

“It’s probably just been a gradual thing over the years that people are starting to find out who I am,” she comments.

“Most Sundays are particularly busy because a lot of people come out for the Kongwak market. It’s not just people travelling through town either. More and more, it’s people hunting me down now. I get people ringing me through the week asking if they can come down to visit from Melbourne and even interstate.”

Awareness has spread through a combination of exhibitions and an online presence through her website and social media platforms. “In terms of social media, Facebook is by far the most productive outlet for me. I have over seven thousand followers now,” she reveals. “It’s very interactive on Facebook. I talk about the paintings while I’m working on them. I’ll post from sketch stage all the way through to the finished product. People seem to love that.” Fiona also gains followers and new admirers from exhibiting her work. The solo exhibitions she has been involved at have mainly been local in last couple of years, but she has previously showcased her work in Toronto, Paris and Tokyo as well. “When we first moved down here, somebody stumbled across my initial little studio in Inverloch and loved my work. About a month later, I received an invitation from Austrade, which is a Government initiative that supports and encourages Australian artists. Through that contact, I was invited to submit a CD of my work which was sent to all sorts of places around the world. That’s how my overseas exhibitions came about,” she explains. “The first of these international opportunities was the Toronto exhibition in 2006, where I was one of fourteen contemporary artists from Australia chosen to exhibit their work. Over the years, I’ve had a lot of people wanting the original paintings and prints from my exhibitions and I’ve sent them

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Visitors to Fiona’s studio are usually there to make a purchase or watch her in action with brush in hand. She ensures they are always made to feel welcome.

“I’m constantly working on something in my studio. People have an understanding that it’s quite open for them to walk in and wander around and be part of the atmosphere. I’m more than willing to chat and talk about the paintings because it’s all about connection for me,” she emphasises. When at work in her studio, Fiona favours using the traditional tools of the trade. “I pretty much work straight out of the tube and don’t like to use too many mediums,” she states. “I really love the texture and the lustre of the oil and try to avoid mucking around with it too much.” It’s an exciting time for Fiona as two significant goals are close to being achieved.

“There’s a couple of special projects on the go this year,” she reveals. One is a short film which is being produced by a company called Whitecloud Entertainment and the second is a self-published coffee table book featuring a collection of her work and the stories behind them. The film focuses around Fiona’s recent painting called Mermaid and a Surfer, which is influenced by her son Michael’s love of surfing. “Michael surfs at the local breaks, wherever he can find good waves. I just watch and admire his talent,” she says. “The film combines footage of Michael going surfing and me painting Mermaid and a Surfer in my studio. It tells the story of how it all came together.” Fiona believes the film will be completed in March and will be shown on Youtube or other social media channels rather than any sort of cinema release. Whilst the film is almost ready, Fiona still has a bit more work to do to complete her book. “People were always urging me to do a book of my paintings, so I’m finally doing it and hope to have it printed by the end of this year,” she says. The book will use imagery and words to highlight a selection of about 150 of her paintings. “I’ve chosen the ones that I have felt people have been most connected to. Each painting has its own story to tell, which is what I am working on putting together at the moment,” she adds. Although Fiona has already accumulated a significant body of work, her artistic energy shows no sign of wilting. There is still much to come in future years and possibly some diversification into other art forms to complement her main passion for painting. “I put my early interest in clay to the side when I came down here, but I will fire up the kiln again one day,” she promises. “That is something I will pursue to some degree, but my art will always evolve around my painting. It is part of who I am and I discovered my life purpose in it. I really believe I will be painting when I’m ninety-nine and then I’ll take a year off and get my letter from the Queen.”

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HIGHLIGHTS OF GEEK FEST 2018 HELD AT COAL CREEK HERITAGE PARK, KORUMBURRA ON SUNDAY JANUARY 21st A great day and with the emphasis on Dr Who, it was a fun day for everyone that attended, costumes aplenty!

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ArtSpace Gallery

Centennial Centre 1 Bent Street, Wonthaggi 3995 www.artspacewonthaggi.com.au Ph: 03 56725767

Original artworks for exhibition and sale. Something for everyone.

Steve White CARTOONIST

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THE REVITALISED PORT OF SALE PRECINCT words & images by Lisa Maatsoo

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ASK + SEE + FIND

A transformation has taken place in one of Sale’s most significant buildings located within the newly developed Port of Sale precinct. The four year project lead by Wellington Shire Council was officially opened on Saturday 27 January 2018, with a ceremony and activities throughout the day attracting over 3000 people. ASK - SEE - FIND is the motto of the rejuvenated civic building, which encourages people to explore the new world inside. Originally built as the Esso-BHP administrative headquarters in 1975, the office building was designed by 31 year old Melbourne architect Michael Lindell. The architectural style followed the ‘brutalist’ movement which was popular at the time, and it became the first all concrete building to be constructed in Sale. When finished, it represented the strength and influence of EssoBHP in the corporate sector, and was seen as a sign of wealth derived from the region’s natural gas and oil industry. Following the move of EssoBHP’s head office to Melbourne, Wellington Shire Council occupied the building for many years before moving into a newly constructed premises in Desailly Street, Sale. This move made way for a redevelopment of the prominent Foster Street site. Despite the esteem and status that the EssoBHP building brought to Sale, the structure was not without its critics who did not warm to the uniform facades and monotone concrete finish.

Opinions surrounding the aesthetic appeal of the building have remained divided over the years, and so it was with great care that Wellington Shire Council planned redevelopment of the site. Melbourne architectural firm FJMT was engaged as lead consultant for the precinct project, and in February 2014 they began a thorough consultation process. Discussions were held with the building’s original architect, relevant stakeholders including representatives of the groups who were to move into the space. Members of the community were also consulted by Council who called for open ideas for the building and the precinct redevelopments. After much consideration, it was decided to maintain the external façades and outer shell of the building, as tribute to the historical and social significance of the structure. The internal space, however, was to be completely reconfigured. The most substantial change was to enclose the two internal courtyards that previously featured within the building space. A new curved ‘saw tooth’ roof was designed to cover each of the internal courtyard spaces, which not only provided more useable floor space, but created several lightfilled atrium areas inviting visitors to explore and enjoy the new building. The main entry to the refurbished building is now located on the southern side connecting the building more closely to the Port itself via a forecourt and plaza area. A large entry off Foster

Street is still available, with visitors entering from this direction greeted by staff and volunteers from Sale’s Visitor Centre that now resides in the building. In the same foyer, a centrally located retail shop leads in to Dock 70 Café. Located on the south side of the building, the café enjoys water views overlooking the landscaped outdoor space of the Port of Sale. The café is operated as a social enterprise business by George Gray Centre Inc. On the same level in the three-story building, the local library and art gallery have settled in to their new homes. Library spaces have been thoughtfully designed with separate openplanned areas for visitors of all ages. Quiet reading corners or desk study areas can be found, with group spaces also available. Young people are encouraged to BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) to share on-screen activities. One of the most popular spaces in the library is the bright, colourful and engaging children’s space located to next the café. Perhaps one of the greatest triumphs of the building is the new space for the Gippsland Art Gallery. Curator Simon Gregg has been working in the Sale gallery for several years, and his input into the retrofit design of the new gallery space was invaluable. One of the main aims he has is to bring new guests into the gallery, to provide a comfortable and inviting journey for those who have never visited a gallery before.

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PORT OF SALE PRECINCT Six different spaces have been designed into the gallery, all of which can house separate exhibitions as required. The current exhibition on show which extends through five of the six spaces and is called ‘Imagine’. This inaugural exhibition displays artwork from several local artists, and other artists who have a connection with the Gippsland region. Pieces on display are a mix of many different mediums, including painting, photography, sculpture, video, metal and timber works. The final space within gallery has been dedicated to internationally acclaimed local artist Annemieke Mein. The work of Annemieke will be permanently displayed in the gallery, with interactive video describing the skills and art techniques of Annemieke. Located on the top level of the building are the new Wellington Shire Council chamber and several community meeting areas. The Carang Carang Room and the smaller Wayput Room as well as the Council chamber are available for public hire. An activity room will be utilised for art and maker workshops where people can ‘get their hands dirty’. Workshops include children’s art classes including school and holiday programs and adult art classes. The overall building has been designed under universal design principles, which go beyond accessibility standards, and also integrate current technology into all of the spaces. Colours and materials used throughout have been selected to enhance and reflect natural light, and the use of local products was also a priority. An example of this is use of local Gippsland timber for feature walls and flooring and joinery furniture. As part of the project’s development, Wellington Shire Council required the architect to engage with local timber mills. This resulted in Australian Sustainable Hardwood in Heyfield supplying the Victorian Ash species for many of the internal elements. The architects also deemed an East Gippsland coastal stringybark milled out of Nowa Nowa by Montana Timbers as a suitably hardwearing product for feature flooring. The broader Port of Sale precinct extends to include The Wedge Performing Arts Centre with newly revamped Portside Café. Several outdoor civic areas encompass a skate park and children’s playground, barbeques and a newly landscaped space between the Wedge Performing Arts Centre and the Port of Sale building.

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This new landscaped area includes a feature trail walk with signage outlining the story of Aboriginal ancestors in the Gippsland region. The five shields of the Gunaikurnia clans are featured in the design of seating furniture scattered through this outdoor space. The cost for the overall precinct development totalled $14.53M, with the Australian Government contribution $4.5M, the Victorian Government $4.75M and Wellington Shire Council $3.78M. The remaining $1.5M was generously contributed by the John Leslie Foundation. The building works were completed by construction company Melbcon. Although this experienced firm was a Melbourne based company, local sub-contractors were used extensively throughout the project. The positive feedback already received from the local community is testament to the early success of the Port of Sale civic project. The strength of the development lies within the community and stakeholder involvement that was sincerely listened to by Council and all involved in growth of the precinct. This collaborative effort has created a valuable and worthy infrastructure asset that Gippslanders and other visitors will enjoy well into the future.

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By Lisa Maatsoo

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Marty Tanzer Vice President, Sale RSL Club

A recently completed outdoor mural has created much interest and conversation in the city of Sale. The wall in the rear carpark of the Sale RSL and Community Sub-Branch is now home to a 30m x 5m artwork commemorating the contribution of all Australians who have served in the Armed Forces. Officially recognised in a ceremony on Remembrance Day in November last year, the mural is supported by the State Government Victoria Remembers grant program. The scheme runs over the Anzac Centenary years (2014-18) and aims to help communities make personal connections with armed services personnel, and to create lasting legacies for future generations. Marty Tanzer has been Vice President of the Sale RSL and Community Sub-Branch for the last three years. He was part of local community team involved with the mural project since its inception about 18 months ago. The artwork is one of three street art murals commissioned in Sale, which were also jointly funded via a grant received from the Federal Government Reclaim Our Lanes program administered by Regional Arts Victoria. Local resident Jeremy Kasper was the lead artist on the piece of work. He worked together with the local community team and Robbie Farnham from the Gunaikurnai Land and Water Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC), to formulate the concept and design for the artwork.

Inspiration was drawn from Hoiser Lane in Melbourne where a street art mural includes a rising sun and the message ‘Lest We Forget’ in memory of the Anzac’s. Three faces are prominent in the Sale mural showing the diversity of men and women involved in the Australian Armed Forces. The indigenous contribution is also recognised with a shield from each of the five clans of the Gunaikurnai people in Gippsland. This section of the mural was painted by Robbie Farnham. The collage of images were selected to symbolise different eras of Australian war history, and to represent all three branches of the Armed Forces Army, Navy and Airforce. Images include Simpson and his donkey, the Light Horse Regiment, a battlefield scene, a P3 Orion RAAF aircraft, a Navy submarine, and the coloured strips showing the medals of those serving in WW1.

affiliate members, the Sale RSL has the largest membership of the RSL clubs in Wellington. RSL clubs support ex-military personnel and their families by providing a venue and activities to reduce social isolation. Regular events at the Sale club include live music every third Friday evening and Morning Melodies once a month. This year, the Sale Club is also organising three bus trips away – in March this year a cohort will leave for Canberra to visit the War Memorial, in June a visit to Seymour is planned and in September a group will tour Phillip Island. All trips are open to members and affiliate members, with further information available from the Sale club on 03 5144 2538.

In the words of Marty Tanzer: “We wanted to create a free-flowing mural that people can relate to in some way. It is up to them how they interpret the images, and what they take away from the artwork.” The Sale RSL and Community Sub-Branch is one of eight RSL clubs located in the Wellington Shire Council. With approximately 800 members and

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By Lisa Maatsoo Over the last few years, Jeremy Kasper has completed several ‘street art’ projects in the Sale area, the most recent being the feature wall in the Sale RSL carpark. One of the things he enjoys most about the murals is that they are ‘free art for everyone to enjoy’. Jeremy also loves getting involved in this art form on an educational level. Many of the projects he has been involved in have included working with groups such as Bug Blitz, Year 7 secondary school students, Sale College and Sale Community Mental Health Services. Canadian born Jeremy, moved to Australia about 15 years ago with his wife Vicki who was raised in Gippsland. Since living in Sale, the pair have embarked on a number of successful business ventures. Jeremy is trained as a professional chef, so for many years they ran a restaurant and then a catering business.

For the last 10 years, they have owned and operated a retail skateboard shop called Kurb in the main street of Sale. Kurb is the only dedicated skateboard shop in Gippsland. Whilst other similar outlets have branched into surf and ski products, Vicki and Jeremy have stuck to their core business providing products and services devoted to the lifestyle of skate boarding. This includes skating streetwear and footwear with products available for both males and females. Jeremy is the first to acknowledge how fortunate he is to have wife Vicki working in their retail business. Vicki’s experience working with all aspects of small business allows Jeremy the time to pursue his artistic talents. Whilst Jeremy enjoys the opportunities that come his way with ‘street art’ murals, his real creative passion lies in fine arts including photography, oil painting and other mediums. He recently completed a Visual Arts Diploma at RMIT in Melbourne and is about to embark on a Bachelor of Fine Arts through Federation University. Jeremy’s artworks have been featured in a Melbourne exhibition at Rubicon ARI and more locally in a recent Maffra art exhibition. In September this year, more of Jeremy’s works will be displayed at the East Gippsland Art Gallery in Bairnsdale.

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where you can get your copy GIPPSLAND LIFESTYLE OUTLETS

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Gippsland the Lifestyle Magazine is published quarterly. This magazine is distributed throughout Victoria. All photographs in this publication are copyright to Gippsland the Lifestyle, and if any are used in other publications or used in a commercial sense, you are liable to prosecution. Permission to use any photos in the publication must be obtained by contacting Headlites Pty Ltd via email to: thelifestyle@dcsi.net.au Disclaimer: Headlites Pty Ltd has the discretion to add or remove words or photos that are deemed unsuitable for the magazine. Gippsland the Lifestyle MagazineÂŠHeadlites Pty Ltd 2017. Headlites Pty Ltd is not responsible or liable for any inaccuracies, omissions, nor use of information contained within these pages, offering no warranties, either expressed or implied with respect to any material contained within the pages. Material in this magazine cannot be published or reproduced without Headlites Pty Ltd's written consent. Failure to heed to this could result in prosecution. The opinions and views expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers.

WONTHAGGI NEWSPOWER & LOTTO

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Family owned and operated - Blue Hills Rise joins the multi award winner Blue Hills Residences as the best 55 plus resort lifestyle options in Cranbourne East. Looking for the best way to spend your retirement, Blue Hills Rise offers six unit designs with modern furnishings and fittings. If you want to downsize our two bedroom Stephanie Apartments, may just be the answer. Live independently, within a secure, caring environment.

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Well, if you are looking for a quality home with access to some of the most amazing onsite facilities, then Blue Hills Rise is the best choice for you. This family owned and operated 55 plus resort, has a variety of home designs, all offering something just a little different. You will quickly realise that the Resort Owners, the Clarkson family, are serious about the homes they build in their very popular resort in Cranbourne East. No expense has been spared; all fittings and furnishings are of an extremely high standard.

The recent addition of Shopping On Clyde Shopping Centre right next door - you have a great variety of shops within walking distance. Remember Blue Hills Rise is only a 50 minute drive to Melbourne, and close to the Dandenong Ranges and the door step to Phillip Island and the Gippsland region.

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