The Local Paper. Regional Edition. Wed., July 15, 2026

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2026

FIRE FAILURES HIDDEN IN REPORT

● ● ● ● CARTOON: Premier Jacinta Allan’s Government insisted on changes to a report by the Country Fire Authority about failures in the summer fires, according to Eildon MLA Cindy McLeish

Unanimous support for M’dindi motions

■ Murrindindi Shire Council has returned from the Australian Local Government Association National General Assembly having delivered one of its most significant advocacy programs in recent years.

National decision-makers heard murrindindi Council’s ciews on disaster recovery and resilience.

Murrindindi ZShire Mayor Cr Damien Gallagher and Chief Executive Officer Livia Bonazzi were in Canberra for meetings with senior Commonwealth representatives, participating in national policy discussions and working alongside neighbouring Strathbogie Shire Council to advocate for fairer recovery outcomes for regional communities affected by the January bushfires.

Murrindindi Council successfully presented two motions to the National General Assembly, with both receiving unanimous support from local governments across Australia. The motions focused on the growing impacts of disaster management fatigue on councils, volunteers and communities, and the need for more sustainable approaches to emergency recovery and resilience.

Cr Gallagher said Murrindindi used every opportunity to advocate for the community and share the region'ss experiences following the devastating bushfires this year.

■ Eildon MHR Cindy McLeish says the Labor State Government has sunk to new lows, selectively editing and watering down the Country Fire Authority’s damning report into the summer fires.

The firefighting authority’s blunt assessment of a lack of funding for firetrucks, staff shortages and cost blowouts were removed from the final report to a Parliamentary Inquiry.

Only two of the five senior operational staff in District 22, responsible for the Longwood area, were available in the week of the fires.

More than 5000 words were extracted from the original report as directed by the government, a 33-page document reduced to just 18 pages.

Ms McLeish said it was simply appalling.

“In my time in the Parliament I’ve never seen anything like this, it just demonstrates how far this Government will go to obscure the truth,” she said.

“Every CFA volunteer should be outraged that this government is not sticking up for them.

“They are more interested in spinning their own false narrative rather than confronting their failings.”

The original submission to the inquiry said progressive funding cuts to DEECA have "constrained" the statewide fuel reduction program and further cuts pose a "real risk to CFA fuel vegetation management activities".

It also revealed that the CFA sought $330 million in additional funding over three years but was granted just $118 million by the Labor Government, Ms McLeish said.

Local Briefs

Six months on from the bushfires

■ Six months after the January bushfires, Murrindindi Shire Council is standing with residents, families, farmers, businesses and communities still carrying the impact of one of the most devastating events in the muncipality’s recent history.

The scale of damage was immense: one life lost, 217 homes destroyed, more than 500 sheds lost, 405 kilometres of roads damaged, thousands of livestock and animals killed, and private fencing losses estimated at more than $120 million.

Murrindindi Shire Mayor Cr Damien Gallagher said the six-month mark may be difficult for some people, and should be met with care, respect and continued support.

“For some people, six months on is not just a date on the calendar. It can bring back the shock of what happened, the grief of what was lost, and the reality of how much work still lies ahead,” Cr Gallagher said.

“There is no right way to recover. People are rebuilding in different circumstances, at different stages and under different pressures.”

“This stage of recovery can be exhausting. People may still be navigating insurance, rebuilding decisions, financial strain, loss of routine, farm losses, business disruption, environmental damage, or the emotional impact of what they have lived through,” Cr Gallagher said.

“If you need support, please reach out. Whether it is practical help, financial guidance or someone to talk to, there are services available and people ready to help.”

“We recently held some community recognition events to thank the extraordinary efforts of local volunteers, neighbours, community groups and informal leaders who stepped up when people needed them most,” Cr Gallagher said.

“Our communities have shown extraordinary strength, teamwork and generosity through one of the toughest periods in our history,” he said.

“Council also recognises the many volunteers, community members and local leaders who have supported others in practical and meaningful ways.”

“In Murrindindi, recovery has been carried in many small but powerful ways - a neighbour checking in, a farmer helping repair a fence, a local group sharing information, someone making a meal, opening a hall or simply making sure another person is not left on their own.”

“Small acts of care can make a real difference, and staying connected as a community remains one of the most important parts of the recovery process.”

Murrindindi Council officers have also been impacted, with many staff living in or closely connected to fire-affected communities while continuing to support response and recovery efforts.

Murrindindi Council’s Recovery Team is working with communities throughout recovery, helping people find information, connect with services and navigate rebuilding.

The Council says that is here to help residents with rebuilding information. At this stage, there are no delays to planning applications, and Council continues to hold drop-in sessions across fire-impacted areas so people can speak directly with planning and building staff about permits, site considerations and next steps.

Local residents can contact the Recovery Team at the Alexandra Customer Service Centre on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and the Yea Recovery Hub at Yea Library on Tuesdays and Thursdays both from 10 am to 3.00 pm.

Support is also available through the Emergency Recovery Support Program

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2026

$40,000 GRANT FOR YEA FOSSIL PROJECT

■ A $40,000 grangt has been secured from the Federal Government for Murrindindi Shire Council to prepare a Heritage Management Plan for the Yea Flora Fossil Site.

The asite, on Limestone Rd, just north of the Goulburn Valley Hwy, is listed on the National Heritage List.

It is said to offer a scientific understanding of how and when plants evolved.’

Discovered in 1875, it is said to show traces of the first vascular plants that appeared around 415 million years ago, long before dinosaurs walked the Earth.

The site is noted as being one of international significance. It narrowly escaped destruction by a Yea Shire team in the early 1990s.

“Our region has a rich past, and these sites help us understand that history. Protecting them will mean preserving shared stories and strengthening local connection,” said Indi MR Helen Haines.

TRIBUTES FLOW FOR NATHAN FITZGERALD

■ Hundreds of supporters gathered at Epping Football Ground last Saturday (July 17) to salute the life of Nathan Fitzgerald, who died the previous week after an accident in a Reserves game the previous weekend at Lalor.

The 27-year-old teacher at Mernda Central College died after a head injury.

Last Saturday’s Reserves match between Epping and Heidelberg in the Northern Football Netball League’s Division 3 was cancelled, and the comemorative event was held instead.

Nathan’s jumper, number 34, has been permanently retired.

Nathan’s father, Gary, led the tributes at the event: “It teaches us a lesson about life, how precious it is.”

Reserves Assistant Coach Jacon D’Angelis said team members had met nightly since the accident to grieve their loss. Nathan was described as the “ultimate clubman”.

Nationally, black armbands were worn by players from all 18 AFL teams, and a minute’s silence was observed at the Melbourne-Richmond game.

includes a twocourse meal with Cotchin, photo opportunities and show. General tickets are available at $90 per person.

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● Billy Brownless at the RUOak Hotel in Alexandra last weekend

■ Sports media personality Billy Brownless stayed overnight the RUOak Hotel, Alexandra, after Patrons Day at Rebel Park last weekend.

Back from Canberra

■ Mitchell Shire Mayor Cr John Dougall travelled to Canberra to advocate for the growing municipality at the Australian Local Government Association National General Assembly.

While in Canberra, Cr Dougall, Cr Andrea Pac e and CEO Mary Agostino met with Federal Ministers, MPs, Chiefs of Staff and senior advisers to put Mitchell Shire's priorities directly in front of decision-makers.

From the need for major road, rail, health and community infrastructure to supporting one of Victoria's fastest growing municipalities, every meeting focused on securing the investment and partnerships the community needs now and into the future.

“Advocating to all levels of government is an important part of Council's role.

“These conversations help ensure Mitchell Shire's challenges, opportunities and priority projects are understood by the people making funding and policy decisions.,” as Council representative said.

Local News

Road pledge welcome

■ Outer Melbourne Councils have warmly welcomed the Victorian Opposition's $524 million commitment to duplicate Donnybrook Rd and remove the level crossing at Donnybrook Station

“The announcement strongly aligns with OMC's 2026 State Election Platform, which identifies Donnybrook Rd Duplication as a priority transport project requiring state government investment,” a group representative said.

“OMC, together with Hume City Council and the City of Whittlesea, have consistently advocated for upgrades to Donnybrook Rd, highlighting the need to address growing congestion, support freight movements and improve access to jobs and essential services.

“Outer Melbourne has experienced rapid population growth, with OMC local government areas absorbing almost half of Victoria’s population growth over the past decade.

“Despite this, government investment in infrastructure and services has struggled to keep pace with residential need, resulting in a growing gap.

“Targeted investment in key road corridors, alongside improved public transport services, is essential to keeping people and goods moving efficiently.

“This election commitment is a positive step toward addressing the significant transport challenges facing Melbourne's north, however further government investment is needed to meet the demands of rapidly growing communities in outer Melbourne.”

City of Whittlesea Mayor, Cr Lawrie Cox, said: “This announcement is significant. Donnybrook Rd is a critical transport link and delivering this level of investment will make a real difference in easing congestion, improving safety and ensuring our infrastructure keeps pace with growth. We welcome the commitment made by the Victorian Opposition to our community.”

Hume City Council Mayor, Cr Carly Moore, said: “For thousands of local families, this investment means less time sitting in traffic and more time at home with their loved ones.

“This upgrade of Donnybrook Rd will ease congestion, improve safety and enhance access to jobs and services for the people who call Melbourne’s north home. We look forward to the long-term benefits this will bring to our growing city.”

Yea Golf Club

■ After a week of no golf due to the wet conditions it was good to see Yea Golf Club competitions return this past week.

Saturday’s Monthly Medal at Yea Golf Club attracted just 11 players, while Wednesday’s smaller field contested a Stroke and Putting event.

On Wednesday, Bob Glenister (10) continued his good form to win with an excellent nett 68, finishing two shots clear of Luke Gregory (9) on nett 70. Luke did, however, take out the putting competition with just 24 putts. There was no winner for the NTP on the 11th, while Mick Sheather claimed the Club Award.

Saturday’s Monthly Medal saw Anthony La Grutta (14) take the honours with a nett 73. Jeff Aurisch (24) was runner-up on nett 74, with Jim Redmond (23) third on nett 75. Once again there was no winner for the NTP on the 11th, while Rob O’Halloran collected the Club Award.

In the Club Knockout, Peter Johnston defeated Rob O’Halloran to progress to the next round. Alan Pell

Coverage is less

■ Senator Sarah Henderson says regional Australians are finally seeing a clearer picture of mobile coverage, and it confirms what many have known for years: mobile coverage maps and real-world experience do not always match.

“The Coalition welcomes a new national mobile coverage mapping standard in force from 1 July, which requires all telcos to publish clear, comparable 4G and 5G coverage maps based on real service levels.”

Senator Henderson said for the first time Australians can better distinguish between where a phone might show a signal and where it can reliably make a call, send a message or access data.

““Under the definition of ‘usable coverage’, Telstra’s footprint reduces by as much as 860,000 square kilometres, roughly the size of New South Wales.”

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Across the Region

Stuck in the system

■ Euroa MLA Annabelle Cleeland says that ecovering from a bushfire is an incredibly tough road.

“While local recovery services handle a lot of the heavy lifting, I know some of the more complex cases are getting completely stuck in the system,” Ms Cleeland said.

“After pushing the State Government for better support, I have secured a dedicated escalation pathway within Emergency Management Victoria specifically for these complex matters.

“If you or a neighbour are hitting a brick wall with government agencies, facing major delays, or dealing with a messy recovery issue that isn't getting resolved, please reach out to my office.

”We can step in, advocate directly for you, and take your case straight to senior officials within EMV to get things moving.

“The Emergency Recovery Hotline and local hubs should still be your first port of call. This new pathway is a safety net for when those usual channels fall short.”

Upcoming surge

Taggerty local Geoff, 91, cops a Liberal ‘headlock’

Taggerty local Geoff, 91, cops a Liberal ‘headlock’

● When Liberal officials contacted the Taggerty General Store to advise that Opposition Leader Jess Wilson would be making a 15-minute ‘whistle-stop’ visit, the bush telegraph sprang into action, and there was quite a welcoming party at the store run by Ray Goss and Sandice McAulay. Ms Wilson and Eildon MLA Cindy McLeish caught up with locals includingn district identity, Geoff Sharrock, 91

LOCAL BURGLARIES: 3 MEN CHARGED

■ Alexandra Crime Investigation Unit detectives have charged three men in relation to recent burglaries, thefts and criminal damage incidents that occurred across the Murrindindi Shire.

Thousands of dollars’ worth of power tools, equipment and copper has been recovered by detectives as a result of executing search warrants in Alexandra, Kinglake West and Marysville.

A 36-year-old man from Alexandra was charged with burglary, theft, trespass and possess a prohibited weapon. He was bailed to appear at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court in August.

A 56-year-old man from Kinglake West was charged with handle stolen goods. He was bailed to appear at Ringwood Magistrates’ Court in September.

A 50-year-old man from Marysville was charged with burglary, theft, possess methylamphetamines and commit an indictable offence whilst on bail. He was bailed to appear at Ringwood Magistrates’ Court in September.

Police say they greatly appreciate the information and assistance provided by the community.

Breaking point

■ The Wilderness Society welcomes the FourCornersprogram examining Australia’s native forest logging industry and the impacts on forests, wildlife, and climate.

“The issues raised are not isolated to Tasmania - they reflect a national policy failure that continues to allow the destruction of irreplaceable ecosystems across multiple states,” Senator Henderson said.

“Australia’s native forests are in crisis. Decades of industrial logging, land clearing, and increasingly severe fires have pushed iconic forest ecosystems and threatened species to the brink.”

■ Victorians are being urged to prepare for the upcoming surge in seasonal respiratory illnesses. Public health experts warn that lower case numbers earlier in the season means Victoria will see a late winter spike. Victorians are being encouraged to save EDs and Triple Zero for the sickest patients.

Goulburn Valley Water bills cheapest

■ A comparison of water authority bills across Victoria by the Essential Services Commission shows Goulburn Valley Water to have the cheapest typical bill at $1076 per year.

The study examined bills from Barwon, Central Highlands, Colban, East Gippsland, Gippsland, Goulburn Valley, GWM, Lower Murray, North East, South Gippsland, Wannon and Westernport authorities.

The Essential Services Commission approved the maximum prices Victoria’s 18 water businesses can charge their customers for services such as water delivery and sewerage services in 2026-27.

The commission has approved the prices after reviewing tariffs for 16 water businesses and completing detailed price reviews for Melbourne Water and North East Water in June.

The average annual water bill for owneroccupiers will increase by around $73 (seven per cent) in Melbourne (including an allowance for the costs associated with the desalinated water order) and around $68 (five per cent) in regional Victoria (compared to 202526).

Water bills vary depending on factors such as water usage, changes in borrowing costs, and inflation. Inflation is the main driver for the increase in 2026-27 water bills.

The average owner-occupier South Gippsland Water customer will see the greatest increase in their average bill, of around $132 per year for a typical annual water bill. Gippsland Water customers will see the least increase in annual bills at around $42 per year.

South East Water has the lowest typical annual water bill in Melbourne for owner-occupiers ($1136) and Goulburn Valley Water has the lowest in Victoria ($1076).

The Essential Services Commission approves the prices Victorian water businesses can charge their customers each year for specific services.

This annual process helps make sure those prices stay in line with the commission’s water price reviews, which are conducted every five years.

Victorians can estimate their annual water bills (based on usage) by using the Commission’s Water Bill Calculator. The new maximum prices took effect on July 1.

New facilitator

■ The Northern Yarra Landcare Network has announced the appointment of Dillon Trew as Landcare Facilitator, effective immediately.

Mr Trew joins the Network through the Victorian Landcare Facilitator Program and will support Landcare groups, landholders and community members across the Northern Yarra region. In this role, he will help build community capacity, facilitate on-ground natural resource management activities, strengthen partnerships and contribute to the protection and enhancement of local land, water and biodiversity values.

“The Northern Yarra Landcare Network looks forward to working with Dillon as we continue to support our member groups and deliver positive environmental outcomes across the region,” said a group representative.

“His appointment will help ensure that Landcare volunteers and communities have the support, coordination and resources needed to advance sustainable land management and landscape restoration initiatives.”

Bank closures

■ Indi MHR Helen Haines has called on the Federal Government to urgently respond to the Senate inquiry into bank closures, as regional communities continue to lose essential banking services.

Dr Haines raised the issue in Parliament, pressing the Treasurer on why the Government has still failed to provide a response to the inquiry more than two years after its report was handed down.

“Regional communities too often feel like they’re the last to get services and the first to lose them – and that is exactly what we are seeing with bank closures,” Dr Haines said in a statement.

Armed robbery

■ Police have arrested a man following an attempted armed robbery in Epping on Sunday night, July 5.

It is understood the man approached the counter of a fast-food restaurant on the corner of High St and Cooper St just after 10.30pm.

Officers have been told the man produced a wooden bat and demanded a staff member hand over cash from the till.

When he was told the till was empty, he fled the scene on foot. No one was physically injured.

The 51-year-old Lalor man was located by police nearby. He was arrested and will be interviewed in relation to the incident.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Rabbit control

■ Residents are being asked to keep dogs on leashes and adhere to detour signage at local reserves as Nillumbik Council’s Rabbit Control Program gets underway.

Wild rabbits are an environmental pest and are prevalent throughout the Shire , causing a major threat to biodiversity and agricultural production. Council uses a nonchemical, non-poison approach by employing a specialist contractor who uses ferreting, netting and warren closure techniques.

The program runs from June to August at bushland reserves across Nillumbik. Reserves are selected based on factors including public usage, protection of biodiversity assets, rabbit numbers and prior investment in rabbit control.

Nillumbik Council also selects reserves where it can achieve a coordinated approach with large adjoining areas owned privately or by other public land managers.

The list of reserves to be treated are:

■ Mine Rd Reserve, Nutfield - complete

■ Gumtree Reserve, Research - complete

■ Heard Ave Reserve, Plenty - complete

■ Browns Lane Reserve, Plenty - complete

■ Bulwidj Reserve, Plenty - complete

■ Bunjil Reserve, Plenty - complete

■ Memorial Drive Reserve East, Plentycomplete

■ The Chase Reserve, North Warrandytecomplete

■ The Eyrie Reserve, Eltham - complete

■ Meruka Reserve, Eltham - complete

■ Wimbi Reserve, Panton Hill - complete

■ Scenic Crescent Reserve, Eltham North - complete

■ Dry Creek Drainage Reserve (Rotin Court), Plenty - complete

■ Proctor St Reserve, St Andrews - complete

■ Kalbar Environmental Reserve, Eltham - July 10

■ Eastern Etham Copper Butterfly Reserve, Eltham - July 10

■ Quarry Reserve, Eltham - July 13-15

■ Swipers Gully Reserve, Research - July 13-15

■ Yirrip Reserve, Panton Hill - July 16-17

■ Lenister Reserve, Eltham - July 20-23

■ Eltham Lower Park, Eltham - July 20-23

■ Griffith Park, Eltham - July 27-28

■ Eltham North Reserve (Laurel Hill Drive), Eltham North - July 29-31

■ Yirrip Reserve, Panton Hill - July 16-17

■ Griffith Park, Eltham - July 27-28

Works will continue in August at the following locations:

■ Murrays Wetland, Eltham - August 3-5

■ Challenger St Reserve, Diamond Creek - August 6-10

■ Nillumbik Park (Gipson St Reserve), Diamond Creek - August 11-12

■ Dianella Drive Reserve (Rangeview Rd), Diamond Creek - August 13

■ Ben Frilay Reserve (Riparian Area), Hurstbridge - August 17

■ The Island, Hurstbridge - August 18

■ Arthurs Creek Rd Reserve, Hurstbridge - August 19

■ Christian Rd Reserve (South), Cottles Bridge - August 20-21

■ Fergusons Paddock, Hurstbridge - August 26-28

It is illegal to interfere with the operations of any pest control program and fines may be issued.

Schools are back

■ Victorian schools have returned this week, with Term 3 running until September 16. Term 4 runs from October 5 until December 18.

Local Briefs

26 heifers missing

■ The community’s help is being requested to locate 26 Angus heifers missing from Burgess Rd, Terip Terip, since June 29.

Thesenine-month-old heifers survived the bushfires as calves, spent five months agisted while fencing was rebuilt, and had only recently returned home before escaping after a fallen tree brought down a fence.

Some 25 have yellow ear tags marked SALO 2 with a three-digit number starting with 5; one heifer is missing its ear tag

Despite extensive searching through surrounding bushland, they have not been found.

Contacts are:

■ Rachel Brown – 0418 506 795

■ Donald Coles – 0408 333 028

■ Brad Gleeson – 0417 810 811

Bridge demolition

■ Strathbogie Shire Council has awarded the contract for the demolition and removal of Chinaman’s Bridge , addressing longstanding safety and environmental concerns associated with the deteriorating structure.

Following a tender process, West Pacific Group was identified as the highest-ranked tenderer and awarded the contract.

Structural assessments have confirmed the historic timber bridge has deteriorated beyond repair and presents significant safety and environmental risks.

Strathbogie Council has secured the required Heritage Victoria permit, allowing works to proceed under strict heritage conditions.

The project includes demolition and removal of the bridge, preservation of identified heritage features and rehabilitation of the surrounding riverbank.

Strathbogie Mayor Cr Scott Jeffery said the decision follows years of investigation into the bridge’s future.

“While Council recognises the bridge’s historical significance, expert assessments have confirmed it can no longer be safely maintained,” Cr Jeffery said.

“This project will remove an unsafe structure, protect the environment and preserve important elements of the bridge’s history.”

The works are funded through the Council Flood Support Fund, with Strathbogie Shire Council receiving $1.31 million (excluding GST) for the project.

Theworks shouldbecompletedbysummer.

Impounded livestock

■ Livestock have been impounded by Mitchell Council’s Authorised Officers.

The stock includes 19 m ixed bred sheep impounded from McIvors Rd, Kilmore, on Thursday, July 2 by Authorised Officer L.Talarico. If the livestock are not collected and expenses paid by 10am Thursday (July 16) the livestock will be sold at auction.

The livestock auction will be held at 10am on Friday (July 17) at the Livestock Pound, Piper St, Broadford

Bidders must hold a Property Identification Number through Agriculture Victoria and provide the number to the Auctioneer.

Bidders must also have suitable means for transporting purchases which complies with Codes of Practice in relation to the transportation of livestock following the auction.

Petition to Shire

■ Representatives of Protect Our Farms submitted a petition to the July 6 Community Questions and Hearings Committee of Mitchell Shire Council, requesting the establishment of an Agriculture Advisory Committee

Gambling reforms

■ “Too many Australians continue to experience serious gambling harm, and too many families are paying the price while the gambling industry continues to profit.,” says Indi MHR Helen Haines.

“Australians are ready for stronger action. And let's be clear, reforming gambling advertising doesn't ban gambling.

“It's about putting sensible public health protections in place and ensuring people, particularly children and vulnerable Australians, are better protected.

“I'll continue working with colleagues across Parliament to advocate for the full implementation of the Murphy Inquiry's recommendations and to put people before gambling profits,” Dr Haines said.

Local News

W’sea welcomes Libs promise

■ The City of Whittlesea has welcomed a $524 million funding commitment from the LiberalNational Coalition to duplicate Donnybrook Rd

The Opposition has announced that if elected it will duplicate a section of Donnybrook Rd from Epping Rd, Woodstock to Dwyer St, Kalkallo

The election promise, made by Opposition Leader Jess Wilson, also commits to the removal of the level crossing at Donnybrook Railway Station

Whittlesea Council has long advocated for Donnybrook Rd’s duplication, with the project included as a top priority in its Advocacy Prospectus 2025-29

Donnybrook Rd is a key road connecting Donnybrook residents to essential services locally, as well as to the Hume Fwy and precincts to the west and northwest.

With Donnybrook’s population forecast to grow from 9100 in 2025 to more than 60,000 in 2041, the corresponding increase in traffic volumes will place considerable pressure on Donnybrook Rd.

Duplicating the road will increase capacity, reduce congestion and improve safety for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

City of Whittlesea Mayor, Cr Lawrie Cox , said: “Donnybrook Rd is a vital east-west link

that connects residents to employment, education, medical, commercial, sporting and social opportunities,” he said.

“Donnybrook’s rapid growth has placed a lot of pressure on Donnybrook Rd, resulting in poor traffic flow and long journey times.

“We have listened to our community’s concerns over Donnybrook Rd and advocated strongly for it to be upgraded for a number of years.

“We are pleased that the Liberal-National Coalition has committed to its duplication if they are elected in November,” Cr Cox said.

Forums across Strathbogie

■ More community forums are continuing across Strathbogie Shire.

Mayor Cr Scott Jeffery , Councillors and CEO Rachelle Quattrocchi are hosting a series of community forums across the municpality.

The forums are an opportunity to hear about the Council’s strategic direction, the 2026–27 Budget, 2025–26 achievements, the 2026 Bi-Annual Report and other key initiatives.

No RSVP is required. Tea and coffee will be provided.

■ Nagambie . Wednesday, July 15. 6pm – 7pm. Nagambie Lakes Regatta Centre, Loddings Lane

■ Euroa. Thursday, July 16.

6pm – 7pm. Euroa Council Chambers, 1B Bury Street

■ Graytown. Saturday, July 18. 10am – 11am. Graytown Community Centre, S Costerfield-Graytown Road

■ Avenel. Monday, July 20. 6pm – 7pm. Avenel Memorial Hall, Queen St.

H’bridge Community Shed opens

■ The much-anticipated Hurstbridge Community Shed has opened.

The Shed provides a permanent home for the Hurstbridge Shedders

While awaiting their new facility, the group operated out of a small storage room at Hurstbridge Basketball Stadium. This meant numbers and activities were limited.

With the new facility, the Shedders can now tackle projects both small and large. Current members are rolling up their sleeves and getting the space ready to welcome new members.

The Hurstbridge Community Shed is open to all locals, regardless of gender.

The Shed, which is located behind Allwood House, includes:

■ a large, dedicated workshop space

■ a breakout area for meetings and informal activities

■ practical storage to support Shed activities

a lift, accessible amenities and accessible parking to ensure everyone can use the facility.

The project was a collaborative effort, with funding from Nillumbik Council ($962,470), the State Government’s Growing Suburbs Fund ($364,352) and Community Bank Hurstbridge ($100,000).

Nillumbik Mayor Cr Naomi Joiner welcomed the Hurstbridge Shedders to their new home.

“The new shed will be an important space for the local community to connect, share and learn skills and contribute to local projects.”

Rates within cap

■ Mansfield Council says that it has contained rate increases within the 2.75 per cent cap insisted by the State Government, despite inflation of 4 per cent.

Mansfield Mayor Cr Steve Rabie said the Budget reflected a careful balance between fiscal restraint and the investment needed to keep pace with the Shire's growth.

"We recognise the cost-of-living pressures being felt by our community, that’s why we’re doing everything in our control to minimise how costs escalate for our community,” Cr Rabie said.

“We feel we have struck an excellent balance between economic restraint and providing the shire the infrastructure and services that accommodate for ongoing growth.”

"This is an important year for Mansfield Shire. This budget delivers projects that keep it country, while adding to quality of life for the people who live here and adding incentive for visitors to spend when they’re here.”

Major projects this year include continued development of the Mansfield Station Precinct, completion of the Lords Reserve redevelopment, upgrades to the Mansfield Aquatic Centre and improvements to the Mansfield Sporting Complex.

“This year's Budget includes resourcing to maintain an additional seven acres of open public space and 100 new street trees in Mansfield township.

“Our township and our shire is growing but wherever we can, Council will work with the community and with developers to ensure we protect our identity,” Cr Rabie said. Mansfield Council has secured more than $13.6 million in external grant funding for 2026-27. A cornerstone of these works is the continued transformation of Mansfield's historic Station Precinct , funded through the Federal Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program.

Some 45 submissions were received through Mansfield Council's engagement process – 80 per cent of ideas submitted were included in the budget reflecting Mansfield Shire Council’s ongoing commitment to listening and acting on behalf of the community.

Ideas include design work for a bike pump track in Jamieson, upgrades at College Park and the Bonnie Doon Community Centre and an expanded Winter Festival and moonlight cinema.

The Mansfield Resource Recovery Centre will move to seven-day-a-week operation from 2026, funded entirely through identified savings and efficiencies, with no added cost to ratepayers.

“We recognise how important the Mansfield Resource Recovery Centre is to the community, we are very pleased to be able to deliver its integral services 7 days a week at no extra cost to our ratepayers,” Cr Rabie said.

Reports due

■ A number of reports are due to be held at the Mitchell Shire Council meeting on Monday next week (July 20):

■ Sport and Recreation Victoria – Local Sports Infrastructure Fund 2026-2027

■ Governance Report

■ Cash Investment Policy Review

■ Planning Permit Application for an amendment to the plans, permit conditions and permit preamble for a caravan storage and repair facility at 10 Stotts Road Wandong

■ Options for Managing Waste Volumes for Households with Children in Nappies

■ Notice of Motion: No. 1083 – Elimination of the Office of Mayor and Deputy Mayor in favour of Rotation of Acting Mayor

■ RB Robson Stadium, Wallan – Gymnastic Extension Proposal

Young Voices

■ Nillumbik Council says that it is putting young people’s voices at the centre of local decision-making by releasing the 2026 Youth Summit Report Card, which includes a set of youth-led recommendations.

The report captures the ideas of 47 young people from across the Shire who came together at this year’s Youth Summit to share their perspectives and vision for Nillumbik’s future.

Issues that matter most to young people are mental health and wellbeing, gender equity, social connection, employment pathways, environment and sustainability, and harm reduction.

Regional Round-Up

Hands-off approach

■ Chobani Australia runs The Big Difference, a grants program investing $150,000 each year in Victorian community organisations tackling food insecurity.

Now in its second year, the program takes a deliberately hands-off approach: no conditions, no oversight, no strings. Organisations are trusted to spend the funding where they know it's needed most.

One of last year's recipients is Outer East Food Share, operating across Knox, Yarra Ranges and Maroondah; these are some of Melbourne's fastest-growing outer suburbs.

The numbers are hard to ignore: 40 tonnes of food redistributed each month, more than 50 community agencies supported across the region, and enough food to account for two million meals a year.

All of it driven by more than 90 volunteers. The Yarra Ranges is one of Victoria's largest and most geographically difficult local government areas - a mountain range sits between the communities they serve, and for agencies on the outer east side, the current hub is simply too far.

Those 50-plus agencies include everything from established food relief organisations to kindergartens running breakfast programs; this illustrates how far into community life food insecurity reaches in Melbourne's outer east.

The Chobani grant is funding the search for a second hub along the Maroondah Hwy corridor; this is the next step in getting food relief to communities that currently can't access it. Demand is still growing.

Comedy in the Vines

■ Tickets are now on sale for Comedy in the Vines, Australia's unique festival where stand-up comedy meets world-class wine in the Yarra Valley.

Across four days, the event will bring together acclaimed local and international comedians alongside exclusive wine tastings, masterclasses and live music.

Merrick Watts, George Lewis (UK), Lano and Woodley, Mel Buttle, Dave Hughes will be alongside 20+ Yarra Valley wineries Centre point is CherryHill Orchards, Coldstream, Yarra Valley, from ThursadySunday, October 22-25. comedyinthevines.com

Business featured

■ House of Mi Rin has been featured in Broadsheet. The article describes the inspiring journey of turning a dream into reality, the creation of a boutique farm-led retreat and dining experience in the Yea landscape.

House of Mi Rin, set in rolling hills, offers a tranquil retreat for guests to enjoy farmto-table cuisine.

Broadhseet highlights the founders' dedication to local produce and sustainability, creating an experience that nourishes both body and soul. Guests can explore the gardens and savour seasonal meals, making it an unforgettable escape.

Rural folk stranded

■ The State Government has been called on to explain why regional Victorians were left stranded after last week’s total shutdown of the V/Line network.

Leader of The Nationals, Danny O'Brien, said the chaos was further proof that regional communities were treated as an afterthought by the Government.

Every regional train line, including Bendigo, Seymour, Gippsland, Geelong and Ballarat, was suspended, leaving commuters stuck at stations with no trains and only a handful of replacement coaches able to run.

Passengers heading to work, job interviews and family commitments were forced to either wait indefinitely or find their own way to Melbourne

Thr disruption was triggered by a nationwide Telstra outage, it exposed the fragility of a regional rail network that the Government has neglected, he said.

Mr O'Brien called on Labor to explain why there are no contingency measures in place to prevent regional Victoria being cut off entirely when infrastructure fails.

"It beggars belief that our entire regional train network can be shut down because of a mobile outage. Where is the back up plan? Why doesn't the government have contingencies in place for these sorts of outages?

"Regional Victorians deserve better than being an afterthought.”

Local News

Pucka reservists refine skills

■ Army reservists from across the country converged on Puckapunyal to demonstrate and develop their skills during the 2nd (Australian) Division’s mortar concentration live-fire weekend.

For many, the transition was immediate, coming from their place of civilian employment on Friday, and sending rounds down range by Saturday morning.

The activity provided an opportunity to refresh individual competencies and build collective proficiency in the Division’s growing indirect fire capability.

Captain Richard Jones said it was the first time such a large-scale mortar concentration had been conducted across the command since Army Reserve mortars capability was re-raised in the division four years ago.

“So it’s been awesome to get the opportunity and see some really good training outcomes for everyone,” Captain Jones said. “We can’t wait to go again next year.”

While the live-fire serials formed the centrepiece of the weekend, the training extended beyond the gun line.

Soldiers were exposed to the broader systems and processes that underpin effective indirect fire, reinforcing technical understanding and team integration.

Life members at Kinglake

Life memberships to the Kinglake Football Netball Club were awarded on Saturday night (July 11) to Rodney Pratt, Damian Pywell, Ryan Hurst, Matt McAllister, Allen Anderson, Kylie Wilson and Penelope Forde.

Fast-track reforms: Haines

■ Indi MHR Helen Haines has called on the Federal Government to bring its Universal OutdoorMobileObligationBill on for a vote when Parliament returns in early August, following Telstra's nationwide outage.

The disruption affected mobile services and limited access to triple zero.

The Government introduced the Bill almost eight months ago, but it is yet to be voted on.

Dr Haines said the outages demonstrated why reliable telecommunications must be treated as an essential service.

"The Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation would require telcos to use satellite technology to ensure calls and SMS are always available outside, giving certainty Australians can access a reliable mobile service wherever they live, work and travel," Dr Haines said.

"While this legislation would not have prevented the technical failure that caused [the] Telstra outage, the Government's failure to progress these reforms shows it is not moving with the urgency required to address Australia's telecommunications challenges.

"This legislation is a generational opportunity to guarantee Australians a minimum level of mobile connectivity, but it cannot remain stuck on the notice paper."

"The Government must bring this bill on for debate and work constructively with the Parliament to strengthen telecommunications reliability and resilience.,” Dr Haines said in a media statement.

Council Rounds

Focus on advocacy

■ A major focus for Murrindindi Council is advocacy. The Council says that it continues stand up for the community, including seeking extensions to recovery deadlines and working with other levels of government to encourage greater flexibility in eligibility criteria, so support can reach people, farmers and businesses who need it most.

Murrindindi Mayor Cr Damien Gallagher said Council’s advocacy was focused on fairness, flexibility and funding that reflects the real scale of the damage.

“Murrindindi does not want special treatment. We are asking for recovery support that matches the impact our communities have experienced,” Cr Gallagher said.

“Our community was at the frontline of this disaster. It should not be at the back of the queue when it comes to recovery.”

The Council is also advocating for the repair of the rail trail, which is a major economic drawcard for the Shire and an important part of the visitor economy that supports local towns and businesses.

Murrindindi Shire needs financial support to recover from this bushfire. The Council is seeking funding that allows damaged infrastructure to be rebuilt better, not simply replaced like-for-like, so roads, bridges and community assets are stronger and better able to withstand future disasters.

The Council is also seeking greater support for environmental recovery, recognising the scale of damage to landscapes, waterways, habitat, roadside vegetation and private land across the fireground.

Farmers and businesses across the Murrindindi Shire also need financial support to remain viable as they manage lost income, damaged infrastructure, increased costs and the long tail of recovery.

The Council remains concerned about the limited mental health support available to the community. It has taken six months for local health teams in Murrindindi to secure more meaningful assistance, and there remain significant gaps for young people between school age and 25, particularly those who are not connected to school-based supports, including homeschooled young people.

The Council has raised concerns about funding equity. Murrindindi received 8 per cent of the Council Support Fund, despite experiencing 48 per cent of the damage from the January fires.

“Recovery is not finished because six months have passed,” Cr Gallagher said.

“For many people, this is the point where the outside attention has moved on, but the hard work, the decisions and the emotional load are still very real.

“Council will continue to walk alongside our communities, keep listening, and keep pushing for the support Murrindindi needs.”

Murrindindi Shire Council says that it continues to work alongside local communities, recovery partners and government agencies to support relief and recovery efforts across the Shire. The Council’s role includes helping connect residents with information, services and practical support, advocating for community needs, and supporting local recovery initiatives as communities continue to rebuild.

Free regional travel

■ Regional commuters will travel on V/Line trains for free this week after the State Government revealed how passengers can claim their fare compensation in the wake of the Telstra outage chaos.

State Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said: “For those commuters travelling on Monday and Tuesday along the V/Line network, if they’re not travelling to a metro point, all they have to do is turn up to the station, jump on a train and go on your way, no questions asked,” she said.

“If you’re using a V/Line train that connects with a metropolitan network what you will find is that there will be V/Line people who will be either on a train coming onto the metro network with you or indeed on the platform as you get off the train handing out those free vouchers.

NAIDOC Week visit

■ Alexandra District Health kicked off its NAIDOC Week celebrations with a special visit from the children and educators of Marysville and District Kindergarten, who helped launch the hospital’s Hands Together, Hearts Together community display. Triangle News

Restoration works complete

■ Murrindindi Shire

Council has completed critical restoration works at Walls Rd Bridge in Glenburn, and the South Cathedral Lane culvert in Buxton , improving the safety and resilience of key community infrastructure impacted by flooding.

The projects were delivered through the Australian Government’s Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, following the October 2022 floods.

“While the program supports the restoration of essential infrastructure, securing funding for resilience improvements required further assessment and approval to deliver stronger outcomes for the community,” a Council representative said.

Murrindindi Mayor Cr Damien Gallagher said the works demonstrate the importance of rebuilding in a way that better prepares communities for future events.

“These projects are about more than repairing what was damaged, they are about making sure our infrastructure is stronger and more resilient into the future,” Cr Gallagher said.

“Our communities rely on these connections every day, and it’s critical that when we rebuild, we try to eliminate the cost and inefficiency of the repairing the same infrastructure to old standards after successive emergency events.”

Walls Rd Bridge sustained significant damage during the October 2022 floods, including loss of protective rock around the bridge foundations and impacts to the waterway.

Restoration works included the installation of large rock protection along the bridge approaches to improve stability and durability.

The South Cathedral Lane culvert was also heavily damaged during the October 2022 floods, with deterioration continuing over time.

Flooding caused the structure to fail, with culverts shifting out of place and water escaping the channel.

Reconstruction included replacing the damaged culvert with a larger structure, increasing waterway capacity and improving how floodwater is carried through the site.

The crossing was also widened to improve safety.

Editor: Ash Long

Features Editor: Peter Mac

Columnists: Len Baker, Rod Basto, Matt Bissett-Johnson, Rob Foenander, Peter Kemp, Aaron Rourke, Cheryl Threadgold, Julie Houghton, Kevin Trask

Honorary Reviewers: Juliet Charles, Sherryn Danaher, Linda Hartley, Lyn Hurst, Kathryn Keeble, Beth Klein, Graeme McCoubrie, David McLean, Maggie Morrison, Peter Murphy, Lucy Nicolson, Jill Page, Elizabeth Semmel Logistics: Tim Granvillani, Erica Koldinsky, Tyler Sandiford

Following assessment and approval by the funding agency, works at both locations incorporated improvements designed to enhance durability and performance in future extreme weather conditions.

“This approach highlights the value of making betterment funding a standard part of disaster recovery, moving beyond like-for-like replacement and delivering infrastructure that is better equipped to withstand future events,” the Council representative said.

“The completion of the works marks an important step in Council’s broader flood recovery program, delivered over an extended period as funding approvals were finalised.”

Cr Gallagher said the projects highlight the need to embed betterment as a standard component of disaster recovery funding.

WEDNESDAY,JULY15,2026

Police Beat

Morwell death probe

■ Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a person in Morwell on Sunday afternoon (July 12).

The person was located unresponsive inside a property on Langford St just after 3.30pm.

A crime scene was established, and Homicide Squad detectives were to attend the scene.

Shots fired at cafe

■ Fawkner Divisional Response Unit officers have charged two men after shots were fired at a café in Essendon North on Friday morning (July 10).

Police will allege they witnessed multiple shots being fired into a café on Mount Alexander Rd about 2.45am.

An allegedly stolen Toyota Kluger was then observed leaving the scene.

Air Wing followed the vehicle through Keilor and into Taylors Lakes , where it was located parked on Mahon Ct

The occupants went into a property on Old Calder Hwy . Officers from the Critical Incident Response Team arrested two men without incident.

Two Keilor Downs men, aged 18 and 20, were charged with numerous offences.

‘HUMAN HEADLINE’ HINCH DIES, 82

Crime Watch

Hit-run turns fatal

■ A man has died following a hit-run collision in Cockatoo

It is alleged a 44-year-old Cockatoo man who was driving a Ford Territory struck a cyclist on Pakenham Rd about 3pm on Friday, June 26.

The cyclist, a 47-year-old man of no fixed address, was airlifted to hospital with lifethreatening injuries. He died in hospital on Saturday morning.

The driver of the Territory allegedly failed to stop at the scene, then dumped the vehicle at a nearby reserve on Hillside Rd

The 44-year-old was arrested on June 27 and at the time was charged with internationally cause serious injury and dangerous driving causing serious injury.

Homicide Squad are now investigating the matter and will consider whether the charges will be upgraded.

The Cockatoo man was remanded to next appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on September 18.

Mordy robbery

■ Moorabbin Crime Investigation Unit detectives have charged a man following an armed robbery in Mordialloc. It is alleged the man approached the counter of a bakery on Main St about 7.55am on Friday, July 31.

ARIES (March 21 - April 20)

Lucky Colour: Yellow

Lucky Day: Thursday Racing Numbers: 7-1-4-3

Lotto Numbers: 2-5-10-17-36-43

A very social life with periods of fun and games is indicated. Many Aries could have the time of their lives. You may meet a future love; let past experiences guide you.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 20)

Lucky Colour: Pink

Lucky Day: Wednesday Racing Numbers: 4-4-1-9

Lotto Numbers: 21-23-29-39-40-44

A period of surprises is indicated, not all of them pleasant. However, it will keep you on your toes. This could be the right time to catch up on chores you have been neglecting.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 21)

Lucky Colour: Orange

Lucky Day: Sunday Racing Numbers: 5-6-9-1

Lotto Numbers: 5-21-29-30-37-41

A delightful and successful period is indicated. It will give you more confidence and enjoyment in mixing with others. Old romances or forgotten romantic involvements may make a comeback.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22)

Lucky Colour: Brown

Lucky Day: Thursday Racing Numbers: 10-5-7-1

Lotto Numbers: 2-10-14-26-35-40

Because you may worry over trifles, you could seem rather testy. Some may be preoccupied with health matters, but will find their anxieties were unfounded. A surprise with a twist is coming up.

LEO (July 23 - August 22)

Lucky Colour: Yellow

Lucky Day: Monday Racing Numbers: 4-3-1-2

Lotto Numbers: 3-4-11-13-23-27

This should be a pleasant period for you. You may be very popular and enjoy the company ofb loved ones. Obstacles will be overcome, and using tact rather than force will usually bring success.

VIRGO (August 23 - September 23)

Lucky Colour: Blue

Lucky Day: Friday Racing Numbers: 1-1-6-8

Lotto Numbers: 6-11-14-15-37-45

Expect the unexpected. Many may be travelling further than usual, perhaps even overseas. A more generous mood will make you more popular with loved ones.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23)

Lucky Colour: Magenta

Lucky Day: Friday Racing Numbers: 5-1-6-4

Lotto Numbers: 5-16-27-28-31-41

Romantically, you may feel confused; matters will make more sense later. A special gift from someone important and unusual social invitations will keep you busy.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22)

Lucky Colour: Red

Lucky Day: Thursday Racing Numbers: 4-10-5-8

Lotto Numbers: 4-10-18-19-28-37

Many may have more money to spend on luxuries, and some could experience a stroke of real fortune. Avoid becoming involved in other people’;s political arguments.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 20)

Lucky Colour: Blue

Lucky Day: Friday Racing Numbers: 9-1-3-4

Lotto Numbers: 9-13-24-26-35-42

There may be a tendency towards nervous tension. It is best to stay away from contentious issues. Work-related problems can feel overwhelming; however, patience will bring solutions.

CAPRICORN (December 21 - January 19)

Lucky Colour: Black

Lucky Day: Saturday Racing Numbers: 4-8-1-11

Lotto Numbers: 4-8-13-22-26-40

Happy times with family are indicated. Beware of being over-generous with money, or you may find it difficult to track your finances. More guests could arrive at your doorstep.

AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 19)

Lucky Colour: Green

Lucky Day: Tuesday Racing Numbers: 3-2-1-6

Lotto Numbers: 2-3-16-29-30-39

You and your coworkers may not be on the same wavelength so that misunderstandings could flare up. Budget carefully, as money may come and go quickly.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20)

Lucky Colour: Green

Lucky Day: Tuesday Racing Numbers: 1-8-2-7

Lotto Numbers: 1-16-18-27-35-45

An urge to spend could lead to real bargains. Someone exotic and unusual may enter your love life. Workmates could be tense or erratic, so it is wiser to keep your head down for now.

HINCH: Fuelled by imperfect principles and righteous outrage

■ It was May 1999 and Derryn Hinch had been called into the manager’s office at Adelaide’s 5DN . The ratings for his morning program had been tumbling, and after less than a year on air he was told to pack his things.

At the time, I was writing a profile of him for The Australian newspaper and happened to be in his office as he gathered his belongings.

He told me that after the station manager broke the news he responded with two demands: the biggest possible payout, and the right to tell the press the truth about why he’d been sacked.

According to Hinch, 5DN offered him an ‘out’ to give to the media. The station was happy to say he’d resigned to write a book. But Hinch was having none of it. “Nothing annoys a journo more than being bullshitted,” he said.

As well as being the “human headline”, Hinch was known for his towering ego and unfailing tabloid news sense. But those who knew him well also say he was a straight shooter, immensely likeable and, as he demonstrated after his fifth sacking in 7½ years, also disarmingly self-deprecating.

“I’ve been to more stations than the Southern Aurora,” he joked.

Principled, in his own way I first met Hinch in the early 1990s in the studios of Channel Ten , where he’d taken his eponymous current affairs program after it had been dropped by Channel Seven. He let me observe the production process for a documentary for Radio National’s Media Report

Frankly, some of what I saw behind the scenes was shocking, including one of the program’s reporters faking footage because they’d got to a story late and missed the action they were there to cover.

But the most memorable moment was sitting next to Derryn as he wrote his tubthumping nightly editorial with which he famously began each show.

That night he was accusing a judge of being too lenient

Last week’s death of broadcaster Derryn Hinch has produced many complimentary eulogies. Hinch said: “All we owe the dead is the truth.” Andrew Dodd, Professor of Journalism at the University of Melbourne, tells his truth in The Conversation.

because he’d given a sex offender a light sentence. As I watched him pounding away on the keyboard, I noticed his source was a three-paragraph news brief on a ripped-up piece of newspaper sitting on his desk.

I questioned whether he knew enough about the case to be so judgemental? Perhaps the judge might know more about the circumstances of the case than he did? Perhaps a light sentence was appropriate in this case?

No way, replied Hinch . Too many judges are too lenient, they all need to toughen up, too many offenders are getting away with appalling crimes. I asked whether he had sought a comment from the judge himself. Of course not, he replied, there’s no point doing that, they won’t talk to the Hinch program. That was Hinch Endlessly outraged and untroubled by the norms of balanced or considered reporting. But also principled in his own way, especially on the issue of sex crimes and the abuse of children.

It was the cause for which he was imprisoned in 1987 for contempt of court after disclosing the prior convictions of paedophile Catholic priest Michael

per after 11 years working in the United States and Canada

In 1978 he worked for Melbourne radio station 3XY before joining 3AW as the morning presenter the following year.

In 1987, Seven’s then owner Christopher Skase walked into his office and told him “I want to make you the Walter Cronkite of Australia ”. The idea appealed to Hinch’s outsized ego and soon his racy current affairs program was born.

In 1992 he moved to Network Ten , but that only lasted two years before he was recruited by Nine to present the Midday Show

Sacked after just a year, he moved to 2GB, which also fell apart quickly, as did a stint at Melbourne’s Gold FM and then Adelaide’s 5DN

Glennon , who was then facing trial. He was also convicted of contempt of court in 2011 after defying several suppression orders, and sentenced to home detention. And he was convicted again in 2014 for detailing the criminal history of the man who murdered Melbourne woman Jill Meagher.

Hinch’s friend and colleague Steve Vizard – who regularly impersonated Hinch as a bearded zealot crying “shame, shame, shame” down the barrel of a camera –told ABC Radio that Hinch’s disregard for the legal process increased the possibility of guilty sex offenders walking free.

“If you derail a trial you’re inflicting your own verbal punishment in substitute to proper legal punishment,” he said.

However ill-conceived it was, Hinch’s commitment to the cause was heartfelt and drove his move into politics at the age of 72 as a senator for Victoria between July 2016 and June 2019.

Hinch was born in New Zealand and worked for the Taranaki Herald before moving to Australia to become police roundsman for the Sydney Sun. He later edited the pa-

His ratings in Adelaide had fallen to just 4.5 pr centj, suggesting he’d either lost his oncefamous tabloid news sense or that he was too “eastern states” for Adelaide listeners.

On that occasion, Hinch was sanguine. He conceded he had no one to blame but himself, unlike his dismissal from 2GB , which he attributed to a falling out with owner John Singleton. At the time, his longtime friend and former producer, Paul Barber , concluded that Hinch’s saturation coverage meant he had gone the way of TV personalities such as Bert Newton and Don Lane . “People become so totally over-exposed that the public become exhausted and doesn’t bother anymore, we’re all becoming Derryn’d out.”

But apparently not. In February the following year, 3AW called a press conference to announce that Hinch was back, as the presenter of the station’s popular Nightline program. At the press conference, I asked him whether he was still drinking heavily. It seemed like an appropriate question as this was the sort of thing he routinely asked others and because his excessive drinking had been a theme throughout his career.

Cotinued on next page

● The Argus. July 14, 1951.

Canberra doubt

■ Australia has no alternative but to resist this treaty. There is so much at stake tor us: now, tomorrow, and in those homing years in which our history is to be finally made or marred and Canberra doubt

Doubt in Canberra , reservation in London , satisfaction in Washington

This summed up the attitude in the three capitals last night as the draft Pacific Pact were examined.

Power cuts eased

■ Here’s some good weekend power news for users of electricity in homes and factories.

From Monday, householders may use either one light OR any electric appliance except a radiator between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. (At present one light only is allowed.)

The 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. ban on radios will end, and all Victorian industries may use more electricity.

Industries will be allowed to use the same amount of power as they did in the corresponding period last year.

Gas on again

■ Severe gas restrictions will remain in fore today and lomorrow though a gas 'blackout' next week has been averted

After midnight on Sunday, however Melbourne will lean to the milder form ofv rationing that has pievailed in recent months

Gas for bread baking and other industrial purposes will be unrestricted after mid night tomorrow

Cattle shot, boy blamed

■ A youth has been arrested and charged with having shot 60 sheep and seven head of cattle with a .22 calibre rifle in a paddock near Armidale on Sunday. The stock, which belonged to diflerent graziers, was valued at more than £300.

President invites Royals

■ President truman has invited Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip to visit the United States

He announced this at his weekly Press conference, when a correspondent mentioned the Royal couple's plan to visit Canada late in September.

Tommy Tycho: Behind The Baton

■ Tycho! Beyond the Baton is the remarkable story of a post-war immigrant whose music infiltrated the ears of most Australians

Tommy Tycho became a household name in Australian television as conductor, composer and orchestrator of the music for a wide range of shows, from the Mavis Bramston Show to Number 96, not to mention creating the music for the hit film Young Einstein

And if you can’t immediately think of something you know that was created by Tycho , just think of the way the Australian National Anthem is performed at so many events.

Originally regarded as something of a dirge, Tycho orchestrated it to include emotion and pathos, so when singer Julie Anthony recorded it, her version of Tycho’s arrangement became the gold standard.

What is incredible in this documentary is the huge range of people whose lives have been influenced by Tycho , from Olivia Newton-John and Peter Allan to local artists such as Kamahl, Rhonda Burchmore, James Morrison, Simon Tedeschi and John Foreman

Tommy made his concert debut with the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra playing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue at the age of 10.

But when war came, as a Jew, Tommy was interned in a labour camp, and after the war was unable to finish his academic or musical studies when the Communists moved into Hungary

Tommy and wife Eve settled in Australia in 1951, where he eventually as musical director at Channel 7, Tommy became a household name to variety show viewers.

He was also a prolific composer, with over than 1000 compositions to his name.

In 2008 a serious stroke paralysed his left hand, but he continued composing, and playing with his right hand until he died of complications from pneumonia is 2013 at the age of 84.

This is a fascinating documentary about the man and musician behind the name, who was beloved by so many of Australia’s top musicians and performers.

Tycho! Beyond The Baton will be screened at Cinema Nova in Carlton on Saturday (July 18) as part of the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival Julie Houghton

Imperfect Hinch

● ● ● ● From previous page

■ His excessive alcohol consumption would be the primary cause for the cancer and cirrhosis of his liver which led to a liver transplant a decade later.

Derryn Hinch spent a decade hosting the Drive program on Melbourne’s 3AW after previously being sacked by the station.

Despite this, he assured the media he had his drinking and infamous long lunches under control.

His return to 3AW made him the surprise winner of the cash-for-comment scandal that had rocked the commercial radio industry, especially Sydney’s 2UE, and had claimed the scalp of longtime 3AW presenter Bruce Mansfield Hinch knew he was lucky to be back and had even accepted a smaller salary. He promised not to waste the opportunity, but it too didn’t last long.

Today, former colleagues and friends have spoken about Hinch with great fondness. They agree that unlike the fearsome public persona he once had, he was in fact extremely likeable.

Up close he was personable, a superb listener and, most endearingly, open to criticism and scrutiny. He was quite used to the rest of the media criticising him for his tabloid style and didn’t seem to mind it at all.

His longstanding and always-busy lawyer, Nic Pullen , told ABC Radio Hinch was bombastic and larger than life, but also humane and genuine. It’s these traits that makes his death at age 82 “a sad day for Australian journalism”. Andrew Dodd

The Conversation

REG LIVERMORE’S

NED KELLY MUSICAL

■ Victorian Opera presents the Melbourne debut of Reg Livermore's Ned Kelly: The Musical from July 24-25 in the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne in Carlton.

The acclaimed new production premiered in late March with an exclusive run at Her Majesty’s Theatre Ballarat , marking the musical’s long-awaited return to the stage nearly fifty years after its original premiere.

The production is directed by Victorian Opera’s Artistic Director Stuart Maunder (Follies,The Pirates of Penzance), with Simon Holt (Cats, Sweeney Todd) returning to conduct.

Both Maunder and Holt worked closely with Reg Livermore to further refine the musical, with Holt contributing additional music and new orchestrations for this revised version of the score.

On the production, Stuart Maunder notes: “ Victorian Opera is thrilled to have given new life into Reg Livermore’s iconic musical some five decades after its premiere.

“We are proud to have brought this work back to the stage with care and finesse, allowing this legendary part of our national identity to speak and indeed sing in our own voice.”

Fresh from appearing in Waitress, rising star Ethan Jones returns to the role of Ned Kelly following his striking portrayal earlier this year.

He is joined again by celebrated stage veterans Maria Mercedes (Candide) as Ma Kelly and Robert Grubb (Sunset Boulevard) as Superintendent Hare .

As members of the Kelly Gang, Liam Head (Wicked) joins the cast as Joe Byrne, alongside Darcy Wain and Luke London, recently in Victorian Opera’s The Pirates of Penzance, as Steve Hart and Dan Kelly.

Chelsea Dawson (Six) performs as Ned’s sister Kate. Rohan Campbell (The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale) stars as Aaron Sherritt , the friend-turned-informant whose betrayal shaped the Kelly story.

Sally Bourne ( Sister Act) appears as publican Mrs Jones, and Darcy Carrol l ( The Pirates of Penzance ) joins the cast as Judge Redmond Barry , who famously sentenced Kelly to death.

Victorian Opera’s current and former Opera Prize winners feature as supporting cast, including Douglas Kelly as Sergeant Fitzpatrick and Edwin Living, Rachael Joyce as Ellen Sherritt, Bailey Montgomerie as Constable McIntyre , and Alessia Pintabona in the ensemble.

The ensemble also includes Teddy Bur-

What’s On Paw

Patrol returns

■ Nickelodeon, VStar Entertainment Group and TEG Life Like Touring have announced an all- Australian cast for PAW Patrol Live! Race to the Rescue, for its 10th anniversary tour, performing in Melbourne on August 22 and 23 at the Margaret Court Arena.

Playing the lead as Adventure Bay’s tech-savvy human leader, Ryder , will be Green Room Award winner Nicholas Dugdale (Tarzan! The Stage Musical, hit Netflix series The InBESTigators). South East Queensland’s Trent Sinclair (Neighbours,PAW PatrolLive! “Race to the Rescue” 2024 Tour) is stepping into the spotlight to tackle the dual roles of police pup Chase and the adventurous snowboarder Jake A Queensland Conservatorium alumni originally from the Gold Coast, Trent is delighted to be performing for his home-state fans.

TV and stage actor Kristie Nguy (Scrublands, Miss Sultanah, MTC’s The Robot Dog) performs both Everest and Farmer Yumi.

Hanna Harvey (Plied and Prejudice, feature film Saccharine) plays the beloved, green-clad recycling pup Rocky , while Zayneb Zerzouri (The Lord of the Rings – A Musical, PAW Patrol Live!) stars as the fun-loving, water-rescue dog Zuma . Fan-favourite construction pup Rubble will be performed by Matthew Mitchell ( PAW Patrol Live! Australia and Indonesia tours, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines ), with Callum Smith ( The Wedding Singer, Sister Act - The Musical) as Marshall and Captain Turbot and Jess Phillippi ( PAW Patrol Live! Australia and UK tours) as Skye and Resident Choreographer. Gabrielle Ward ( Mary Poppins, Gabby’s Dollhouse Live!) returns to the production as the female onstage Swing.

Reg

a cameo role as Mr Tarleton, the Bank Manager.

Ned Kelly’s name is etched into Australian folklore. The infamous bushranger, his gang, and the iconic suit of armour continue to spark national debate: was he a champion of the underdog or a coldblooded criminal?

Cheryl Threadgold

Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity

■ Theatre Works presents Nadia Tass's production of MasterpiecesoftheOraland IntangibleHeritageofHumanity from July 21-August 1 at Theatre Works, St Kilda.

Written by acclaimed playwright Heather McDonald , Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity is described as ' a haunting and urgent production that interrogates the cost of survival and the endurance of art in the face of devastation.'

Set within the crumbling walls of a warravaged museum turned makeshift prison, the story follows three women forced into an uneasy alliance: a soldier hardened by violence, a nurse guarding deep secrets, and an art restorer desperately fighting to preserve the last remnants of beauty.

In a world once again torn by conflict and division, the play asks a powerfully relevant question: “When history is erased, who will remember what made us human?”

The cast includes Jane MontgomeryGriffiths, Kate Cole and Laila Thaker.

Performance Season: July 21 - August 1 (Opening night July 23)

Tickets: $55 Full, $48 Concession, $40 Preview Venue: Theatre Works – 14 Acland Street, St Kilda

Bookings: www.theatreworks.org.au

Cheryl Threadgold

● ● ● ● Tolarno Galleries presents Danie Mellor’s new exhibition of mixedmedia works, Awake (in the Dream). It is on display across both gallery spaces.

The production also showcases Tasmanian talent, with Dean Schulz ( Midnight-TheCinderellaMusical,Gabby’s Dollhouse Live!) taking the reins as the show's Resident Director and the male onstage Swing Returning to the stage as the hilariously scheming Mayor Humdinger is seasoned mainstage artist Stephen Valeri (Chicago the Musical, GreaseThe Arena Experience, Peppa Pig Live!), who previously played the role to critical acclaim across Australia , the UK , and Asia . He stars alongside Vanessa Menjivar ( Daniela - In the Heights, PAW Patrol Live!), who returns as the kind-hearted and strongwilled Mayor Goodway Ryder and the pups share lessons for all ages about citizenship, social skills and problem-solving as they make several heroic rescues on their race to the finish line.

This year's tour is proudly partnering with Assistance Dogs Australia , celebrating 30 years of training life-changing assistance dogs, with donation collections taking place during the tour.

Since its debut in 2016, PAW Patrol Live! shows have been seen by seven million people in over 50 countries around the world.

Melbourne Performance Dates: August 22 and 23 at the Margaret Court Arena.

Tickets and information: pawpatrollive.com.au

State Theatre

■ Arts Centre Melbourne’s newly refurbished Ian Potter State Theatre will reopen on October 3, with a powerful premiere First Nations -led concert, Gugu Dindi Gunyah (ManyRivers.One Home) created by Mutti Mutti, Nari Nari, Yorta Yorta songman Kutcha Edwards and sung entirely in the Aboriginal languages of song keepers from across Victoria

Stage adaptation

■ The stage adaptation of one of The Shawshank Redemption, is coming to Australia. Direct from its UK tour, The Shawshank Redemption will play in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide from January, with other cities to be revealed. Waitlist now at ShawshankLive.com.au to be first in line to purchase tickets and receive the latest news.

Observations

Australasian Orch.

■ Melbourne’s Australasian Orchestra is renowned for presenting concerts of much-loved orchestral works, paired with new Australian contemporary works, and the mix is always a good one.

The next AO concert on Sunday July 26 will feature the stunning Romeo and Juliet overture by Tchaikovsky and the hauntingly beautiful Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun by Debussy.

Contributing the contemporary as is a premiere from local composer Hugh Crosthwaite , called The Island of Dr Moreau, based on the 1896 novel of H.G. Wells Crosthwaite’s work has 11 movements, and he says it can be read as a parable that warns of the risks of prioritising, pillaging, and experimentation on the wild and domesticated natural world at the cost of morality, dignity and compassion.

Crosthwaite’s l ove of the environment always inspires his compositions, many of which have been played by orchestras in Australia and across the world.

Crosthwaite has written The Island of Dr Moreau suite specially for the orchestra, following on from two previous Crosthwaite works AO has performed.

Conducted by AO artistic director Robert Dora, Prelude and Tragedy: Tchaikovsky, Debussy and Crosthwaite World Premiere is on Sunday July 26 at 2pm in James Tatoulis Auditorium, Methodist Ladies’ College , 207 Barkers Rd, Kew. Buy tickets at trybooking.com/ DJSGO or try your luck at the door on concert day.

Julie Houghton

National Final

■ The National Final of Musica Viva Australia's 2026 Strike A Chord competition is taking place at the Melbourne Recital Centre on Saturda, August 29, at 2pm.

Strike A Chord is Australia’s national chamber music competition for schoolaged students, part of Musica Viva Australia’s mission to create memorable musical experiences for musicians and audiences at every stage of life.

The finalists all perform live at the National Final, in an exhilarating showcase of the country’s best young talent.

Companies selected

■ Circus Centre Melbourne has announced the three companies selected for its new Company in Residence program: One Fell Swoop Circus, Darling and Daring, and 13 Eggs. Launched this year and built on a Community of Practice mode, the Company in Residence program embeds resident companies at CCM as active collaborators, offering access to studio space, workplace infrastructure, sector connections and platforms for visibility, in exchange for genuine participation in the life of the Centre.

The three companies will take up a 12-month residency at Circus Centre Melbourne's Collingwood home, where they will train, create and connect with the wider CCM community through open training, showings, skill shares and shared studio time over the course of the residency.

Sixth Sense

■ As part of this year’s Melbourne Magic Festival , Tom Weil: Sixth Sense was a highly enjoyable evening of amusing patter and some genuinely breathtaking “How did he do that?” moments of magic.

The staging of the show was simplicity itself with a single microphone, a few chairs and the mandatory (for a magic show) deck of cards amongst other sundry props and minimal technical support.

Making his debut at the festival, Weil entered to a modest fanfare and for the next forty-five minutes engaged his audience through good-natured humour and amazing tricks.

An experienced and polished performer who is a member of the prestigious magicians’ club The Magic Circle, Weil clearly enjoyed taking the audience through a retinue of magic tricks, many of which involved members of the audience joining him on stage.

To his credit, the selection of participants was always done in a polite and respectful manner and their involvement never felt forced or led to their embarrassment.

Also to Weil's credit was the unhurried laidback delivery of the show, with excellent use made of pauses and moments of silence to build suspense.

Weil had an affable stage persona which meant that his occasional gentle ribbing of audience members never felt threatening or aggressive; in fact it went a long way to creating a warm rapport between performer and audience.

He kept the show and the tricks coming at a fair clip and sailed effortlessly through a couple of sound problems on the opening night.

Opening a show like this asking for a show of hands from the sceptics in the audience was a bold and potentially risky gambit.

However, in the hands of the seasoned Weil it set a cheeky tone for the evening, one which the rest of Tom Weil: Sixth Sense more than lived up to.

Lots of fun for young and old alike.

Presented at Arrow on Swanston.

Review by Peter Murphy

The Last Resort

■ The Last Resort is a tense Danish-Norwegian drama set in a Canary Islands resort where a Danish family, Mikkel (Esben Smed) and Louise (Danica Curcic) and their two young children Sille (Sif Lucca Gersby) and Ella (Chili Olivia Jensen), are enjoying an idyllic holiday. Their relaxation is upended after they accidentally hit Ahmad (Aziz Çapkurt), an Afghan refugee, one night in their car. The couple takes Ahmad to the local hospital.

Hearing that it will be some hours before he can be seen, Mikkel and Louise leave Ahmad Mikkel , feeling guilty, gives Ahmad his phone number and the resort address and presses several euros into his hand.

In the days that follow, Ahmad repeatedly asks for their help. Initially eager to assist, the couple becomes increasingly concerned as Ahmad’s requests escalate. Ambiguity surrounding Ahmad’s motives raises suspicion that the accident was staged.

The reactions of locals and fellow tourists are depicted as involving a willingness to take drastic measures to protect their interests against perceived threats from newcomers.

They begin to override Mikkel and Louise’s empathetic response to Ahmad’s predicament.

The family’s evolving moral dilemma reveals a widening gap between their selfimage as liberal, compassionate people and their actual behaviour when their comfort and safety are at stake.

How much are they willing to risk aiding a stranger?

Director Maria Sødahl portrays all characters, Mikkel, Louise and even the refugees, as flawed, reflecting how fear of the “other” can quickly outweigh empathy and solidarity.

Amid a broader influx of migrants to the island, Sødahl crafts a gripping, tense narrative that builds in momentum.

At the same time, it provides an uncomfortable critique of Western privilege and the erosion of values in the face of realworld consequences.

Presented as part of the Nordic Film Festival.

Screening in Palace Cinemas . Visit palacecinemas.com.au/movies/nor26-thelast-resort

Review by Kathryn Keeble

More auditions

■ Footlight Productions, Geelong: Annie. Bookings open July 24. Auditions: August 16, Callbacks August 23. For an audition information pack, contact www.footlight productionsvic.coms

■ Eltham Little Theatre: Lend Me a Tenor August 5 at 7.30pm and 8 at 1.00pm in Eltham Little Theatre’s Rehearsal Room, 1603 Main Rd., Research. Audition bookings: trybooking.com/events/landing/ 1609282

MUBI Cinema Club

■ MUBI Cinema Club is a seasonal event series that will bring handpicked films to cinemas across Melbourne

Each event will be held at a different cinema and, before each screening, MUBI will host a special event that extends the film's world, bringing together local restaurants, artists, and creatives.

Cinema Club is MUBI’s way of supporting Melbourne’s cinema culture and independent venues. This winter, screenings of three powerful films about family, desire, and violence take place at three different venues, curated for a special local experience.

Roller Coaster

■ There’s a lot to discover within Roller Coaster by Brook Andrew. Come along for a free current four-tour tour with Angela Connor, MAPh’s Senior Curator, and hear about the ways that Brook Andrew unites his varied methods of creative practice with exploitations of arrival and institutional material. Every image, media, object and sound in this exhibit tells a story, and together they weave a fascinating tapestry. Season: July 15 - August 19. 1pm at MAPh, 861 Ferntree Gully Rd, Wheelers Hill. Peter Kemp

Shows

■ Leongatha Lyric Theatre: Billy Elliot the Musical Until July 18 at the Memorial Hall, Leongatha. Bookings: https:// www.trybooking.com/events/landing/ 1576537 s

■ Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre Company: Sleuth (by Anthony Shaffer) Until July 18 at the Lilydale Mechanics’ Institute, Castella Drive, Lilydale. Director: Ian Frost. Bookings: lilydaeatc.com

■ Heidelberg Theatre Company: Birdsong (by Sebastian Faulks, adapted by Rachel Wagstaff) Until July 18 at 36 Turnham Ave., Rosanna. Director: Michelle Swann. Bookings: htc.org.au

■ Friends of Black Rock House: The Jewel by the Sea (by Cheryl Threadgold) Until July 25 at Black Rock House, 3036 Ebden Ave., Black Rock. Director: Debbie Keyt. BYO refreshments. Bookings: Trybooking.

■ Theatrical: Bring It On. Until July 26 at the National Theatre, St Kilda. Director: Tahra Canon; Musical Director: Claire Gurrin: Choreographer: Louise Panagiotidis. Bookings: theatrical.com.au

■ Ballarat National Theatre: God of Carnage (by Yasmina Reza) July 23 – 26 at the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute, 117-119 Sturt St., Ballarat. Director: Ruby Abbott. Bookings: events. humanitix.com/god-of-carnage-bnt

■ PLOS Musical Productions: Jersey Boys July 24 – August 1 at the Frankston Arts Centre. Bookings: https://bit.ly/ plosjerseyboys Phone - 9784 1060

■ Mordialloc Theatre Company: The Truth (by Florian Zeller) July 30 – August 8 at the Shirley Burke Theatre, 64 Parkers Rd., Parkdale. Director: George Werther. Bookings: mordialloctheatre. com.au

■ Williamstown Musical Theatre Company (WMTC): Newsies Jr. July 31 – August 9 at Altona City Theatre, Civic Pde., Altona. Bookings: 1300 881 545

■ The VDL One Act Play Festival: August 1 at 1.00-5.00pm; 7.00-10.00pm; August 2 from 2.00-4.00pm at the Eltham Performing Arts Centre, 1603 Main Rd., Research. Email: oapf@vdl.org.au

■ Melbourne French Theatre: Il était un petit navir (SOS), Save Our Savings (by Jean-Pierre Martinez) August 4 – 8 and August 11 – 15 at La Maison de Maître building, 203-205 Canning Street, Carlton. Director: Paul Wanis. Bookings: melbournefrenchtheatre.org.au

■ The Basin Theatre Group: 84 Charing Cross Road (by James Roose-Evans) August 6 – 16 at The Basin Theatre, Doongalla Rd., The Basin. Director: Di Hoskins. Bookings: authebasin.sales. ticketsearch.com/sales/sales Phone: 0494 065 006 Email: tickets@thebasin theatre.au

■ The 1812 Theatre: Treasure Island (by Ken Ludwig) August 6 – 29 at 3 Rose St., Upper Ferntree Gully. Director: Erin O’Hare. Bookings: 1812theatre.com.au Peridot Theatre: Admissions (by Joshua Harmon) August 14 – 23 at the Clayton Theatrette, Cooke St., Clayton. Director: Alison Knight. Bookings: peridot.com.au

■ Brighton Theatre Company: The Trouble with Harry (by Lachlan Philpott) August 14 - 29 at the Bayside Arts and Cultural Centre, Cnr Wilson and Carpenter Sts., Brighton. Director: Dexter Bourke. Bookings: 0493 069 479 brightontheatre.com.au

Auditions

■ Fab Nobs Theatre: Jesus Christ Superstar July 15, 16, 17 from 7.30pm to 10.30pm, Dance call July 19, Callbacks July 22 at 33 Industry Place, Bayswater.Enquiries: fabnobstheatre.com.au

■ Williamstown Little Theatre: Ladies in Black July 19 from 11am and July 20 from 7pm at venue tba. Director: Barbara Hughes; Musical Director: Janet Provan; Choreographer: Jenny VincentGreen. Audition Form can be downloaded from wlt.org.au/auditions

■ Beaumaris Theatre: Georgy Girl –The Seekers Musical (Music and Lyrics by Judith Durham, Athol Guy, Keith Potger, Bruce Woodley, David Reilly, Malvina Reynolds, Paul Simon, Tom Springfield and others) July 25 and 26 at Beaumaris Theatre, 82 Wells Rd., Beaumaris. Director: Debbie Keyt: Musical Director: Rhonda Vaughan; Choreographer: Camilla Klesman. Bookings: beaumaristheatre.com.au

Places To Go

Travel Briefs

One of the best islands

■ Global travel site Big 7 Travel has officially released its annual list of 'The 50 Best Islands in The World', now in its seventhth year. This diverse list includes breathtaking islands from around the globe, each offering unique experiences and natural beauty.

Kangaroo Island was named one of the Best Islands in the World thanks to its status as a wildlife sanctuary, home to kangaroos, koalas, sea lions and penguins, alongside its rugged beaches, local produce and the recently reopened Southern Ocean Lodge.

To compile the ranking, the Big 7 Travel editorial team combined aggregated scores from previous media results and travel awards with insights from its social audience, before applying the expertise of its in-house editorial team to draw up the final list of 50.

Skydeck idea

■ Take your holidays up a notch and enjoy sky-high fun and savings these school holidays at Melbourne Skydeck.

Shane Sundaram , General Manager of Melbourne Skydeck says: “With the winter school holidays in full swing, there’s no better time to take the kids on an indoor city adventure high in the clouds than now.

“Enjoy breathtaking 360-degree panoramic views and elevate family memories, while exploring the highest observation deck in the Southern Hemisphere ,” Mr Sundaram said.

GREY NOMAD TRAVEL PLANS

■ As thousands of Australians prepare for the annual winter grey nomad migration, leading caravan and RV insurer CIL says rising fuel prices and ongoing cost-of-living pressures are changing the way many caravan owners travel.

New industry data shows demand for caravanning and camping remains strong, with Australians taking 17.3 million caravan and camping trips and spending $12.6 billion nationally last year.

However this year, according to CIL, many travellers are increasingly opting for shorter trips, staying closer to home and looking for ways to better manage travel costs.

CIL Manager Michael Porter said rising fuel prices were emerging as a key consideration for caravan owners heading into the peak winter travel season.

“Australians still love the freedom and flexibility that caravanning offers, but many people are becoming more conscious of travel costs and adjusting their plans accordingly,” Mr Porter said.

“We’re hearing from customers who are shortening itineraries, travelling shorter distances or choosing destinations closer to home to help manage fuel expenses.”

Each year, thousands of grey nomads leave the cooler southern states and travel north in search of warmer weather, supporting regional communities and tourism operators across Australia.

Mr Porter said that while travel habits may be changing, the appeal of the caravanning lifestyle remained strong.

Best cheese

■ At England's prestigious International Cheese and Dairy Awards, Castlemaine artisan producer Long Paddock Cheese took out the title of Best Australian Cheese

Adding to this prestigious win, the small central Victorian cheesemaker also took out second place in the same class.

Following intense judging against leading cheesemakers from around the nation, Long Paddock Cheese's Banksia was named Best Australian Cheese

Stay safe

■ With more Victorians searching for gold and gems, it is important recreational prospectors remain safe after recent wet weather and do the right thing to protect the environment. Recreational prospecting is a low impact way of looking for gems or minerals using metal detectors, picks, shovels, sieves and pans. Caution should be exercised after heavy rain when rocks can be dislodged and land near rivers may be unstable. It is crucial to keep up to date on weather forecasts and be aware of local road conditions.

Discover parks

■ Caravan & Residential Parks Victoria (CRPVic), the peak industry body for tourist and residential parks, is encouraging all Victorians to discover the unique experiences, community connections and outdoor adventures available at tourist parks across the state.

Places To Go

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2026

Bush Telegraph

$5 million for water

■ The Victorian Farmers Federation is calling on the both the Federal and State Governments to urgently commit $5 million to progress the Southern Wimmera and Northeast Pyrenees Water Supply Project , warning regional communities cannot afford further delays to critical drought resilience infrastructure.

Bush photography

■ Australia’s much-loved photography showcase, the Spirit of the Bush competition, is back for 2026, inviting people from across the country to capture the stories, landscapes and spirit of rural and regional Australia. Hosted by Rural Aid, the competition closes at 5pm Friday, July 31.

Milestone time

■ The Centre for Invasive Species Solutions welcomes the New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science Limited as its newest member – marking a significant milestone as CISS expands beyond Australia. The development represents a landmark in CISS’s journey from its earliest days as the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre and reflects CISS’s commitment to building strong international partnerships to tackle the growing challenges.

FARMERS STUMPED ON NEW ENVIRONMENT LAWS

■ The Victorian Farmers Federation says new Federal environment laws have made it much harder for farmers to manage their own land, with many now facing confusing rules, costly assessments and the risk of severe penalties for everyday activities.

Changes to the Federal Government's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act came into effect last December and the newly formed National Environmental Protection Agency began enforcement on July 1.

The new rules are unworkable for agriculture and place an unfair burden on farmers.

Under the changes, farmers may now need Federal approval before clearing vegetation that has not been cleared in the past 15 years, even if they planted the vegetation themselves.

VFF President Ryan Milgate said the changes had fundamentally shifted the way farmers are being told to manage their properties.

"These laws have changed the question farmers ask every day. Instead of asking, 'can I manage this part of my farm?', we're now asking, 'do I need the F ederal Government's permission to keep farming?'. That's a major change and most Victorian farmers don't even know it has happened,” Mr Milgate said.

Whiparound

Bird flu spreads

■ With avian influenza detected in Western Australia and concerns growing about its potential spread, Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park, a significant collection of native birds, including critically endangered orangebellied parrots and regent honeyeaters, has extensive experience in avian management, conservation and biosecurity.

Safe Food move

■ The Victorian Farmers Federation United Dairyfarmers of Victoria says the newly minted Safe Food Victoria must ensure transparent governance, appropriate oversight and clear accountability mechanisms are in place to ensure it delivers benefits for the Victorian dairy sector. VFF UDV President Bernie Free congratulated Mike Gooey on his appointment as inaugural CEO of Safe Food Victoria and said he looks forward to sharing the industry’s key priorities.

Data centre boom

■ Victoria’s $25b agriculture sector must not be forgotten in the face of a rapidly expanding data centre infrastructure boom sweeping the state, says the Victorian Farmers’ Federation.

Mention ‘Melbourne Observer’ for a free beer, wine, soft drink or coffee with each main meal lunch. Exp. Dec/31, 2026

Places To Go

Mention

WEDNEDAY, JULY 8, 2026

In The Pink

Flu vaccinations

■ Victorians are being urged to prepare for the upcoming surge in seasonal respiratory illnesses.

Public health experts warn that lower case numbers earlier in the season means Victoria will see a late winter spike.

It’s not too late to get a flu or COVID19 vaccination to protect yourself and loved ones, and to reduce the severity of symptoms.

Sustainable health

■ Private Healthcare Australia has welcomed the Federal Government's consultation on potential reforms to Australia's private health sector, saying the process provides an important opportunity to strengthen the long-term sustainability of the system while protecting the affordability of private health insurance.

Healthy places

■ The refreshed Healthy Places Healthy Futures initiative launched today supports more than 2500 Victorian schools and services to create environments that promote health, learning and lifelong wellbeing — where good health is part of everyday life for all Victorian children and young people.

The initiative makes it easier for schools to take action on what matters most.

HARMFUL MEDICINE USE COMES INTO FOCUS

■ Monash University is launching a nation-wide program to give general practitioners, pharmacists and nurses the support and confidence to deprescribe medicines that are causing harm or are no longer helpful.

Support-Meds is funded by a $5 million Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology grant from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, and takes aim at high-risk medicines.

Using a nationwide network of ‘knowledge brokers’ as well as online learning and evidence-based resources, the program will first focus on deprescribing medicines for sleep (benzodiazepines and Z-drugs) in older people, and opioids for persistent noncancer pain.

It will then expand to include proton pump inhibitors, antipsychotics for changed behaviours in people living with dementia, NSAIDs, and gabapentinoids (gabapentin and pregabalin) for pain.

Dr Emily Reeve, an Associate Professor at the Centre for Medicine Use and Safety at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences who leads the program, said the goal is to protect Australians from adverse events that come with unnecessary or inappropriate medicines.

“We know unnecessary medicine use is prevalent across Australia," Dr Reeve said.

Dr Emily Reeve

The Pulse

Public health threat

■ As antimicrobial resistance remains one of the world's leading public health threats, a new 10-year Australian study found that hospitals that regularly monitor their antibiotic prescribing are more likely to improve how appropriately they use these medicines over time.

Rerforms welcomed

■ Catholic Health Australia has welcomed the Federal Government's release of its first private health sector reform consultation paper, which puts forward concrete proposals to improve patient access, support struggling hospitals and deliver better value for consumers.

Negative attitudes

■ Despite increased awareness, negative public attitudes and behaviours continue to have a profound impact on the lives of people experiencing mental health challenges.

The 2026 National Stigma and Discrimination Report Card , released by the National Mental Health Commission in partnership with SANE Australia and the University of Melbourne , provides the most comprehensive picture to date of mental health stigma and discrimination.

SANE Australia CEO Rachel Green said the results highlight a critical gap between awareness and action.

■ Frank Wilson began his showbusiness career in 1948 and during his lifetime worked as a singer, television host, film, stage and television actor.

Frank was one of our finest veteran character actors.

Frank Wilson was born in Northcote in 1924. He served with the Australian Army in Borneo and Papua New Guinea during WWII . He was in a stage show at the Melbourne Tivoli in 1948. Around this time Frank married his wife Beryl.

In the early 1950s Frank worked in the UK and had a very small role in th e Charlie Chaplin film, A King in New York

In 1958 he was back in Australia and onstage in the first successful Australian musical comedy – Lola Montez.

In 1960 I remember Frank Wilson hosted Club Seven which was a night time variety show on Channel 7 in opposition to Graham Kennedy’s In Melbourne Tonight

In 1962 he had a guest role in the popular American television series WagonTrain Frank joined Channel 9 in 1963 and hosted the talent quest show New Faces for 12 years.

In 1972 he won a Logie Award for his work on New Faces. He also hosted an afternoon quiz show titled Take the Hint. Frank was a guest star in many of the Australian television drama series such as, Homicide, Division 4, Cop Shop and Matlock Police

He had a wonderful role in the mini se-

Whatever Happened to ... Frank Wilson

By Kevin Trask of 3AW and 96.5 Inner FM

ries Power Without Glory where he played Tom Trumbleward.

In 1986 Lauren Bacall was in Australia for a national tour of the stage play The Sweet Bird of Youth and Frank Wilson was cast as ‘Boss Finlay ’.

Frank suffered a heart attack during the Melbourne season at The Princess Theatre . Apart from his family, Lauren Bacall was a regular visitor to the hospital to give support to her co-star during his convalescence.

His film credits include Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, The Club, Breaker Morant and Crackerjack. David Williamson wrote the stage play Travelling North especially for Frank

One of his final roles was in the brilliant television series Changi. On the day before he died in 2005 Frank was delighted to be told that he had won the Best Actor Award at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival for his role in a short film, The Chess Set

Frank Wilson was a great ‘all rounder’ who applied himself to many areas in the entertainment business.

Thank God that future generations will

Entertainment Extra

Sleuth

see for themselves what a marvellous film actor he was.

Kevin can be heard on 3AWThe Time Tunnel - Remember WhenSundays at 10.10pm with Simon Owens and Andrew McLaren. And on 96.5 FM That's Entertainment - Sundays at 12 Noon.

www.innerfm.org.au

The Arts Works inspire disabled to focus on strengths

● ● Elliot Shute and Timothy Murphy in Sleuth . Photo: Alexandra Carter, Wanderling Photography

■ The Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre Company presents Sleuth until July 18 at the Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre , Castella St, Lilydale

Written by Anthony Schaffer and directed by Ian Frost, Sleuth is described as “the ultimate game of cat mouse played out in a cosy English country house owned by celebrated mystery writer Andrew Wyke”. He has invited Milo Tindle to his house.

Milo , a young rival, who shares not only Wyke’s love of mystery writing but also shares his wife. Milo has come to lay claim to Andrew’s wife, Marguerite. Revenge is devised and murders are plotted as the two plan the ultimate whodunnit.

Performance Season: Until July 18

Venue: Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre, Castella St, Lilydale Bookings: lilydaleatc.com

Cheryl Threadgold

Port Fairy Festival

■ The Port Fairy Folk Festival will celebrate its 50th anniversary in March 2027, marking five decades of music, community and shared memories on the coast of South West Victoria.

From its humble beginnings in 1977, Port Fairy Folk Festival has grown into one of the world’s most respected celebrations of folk music, drawing artists and audiences from across the globe while remaining firmly anchored in the values that have defined it from the beginning: community, connection and love of music.

For the not-for-profit festival, led by a volunteer committee from the community and a small army of passionate volunteers, the excitement and pride to bring the Festival to such a historic milestone is palpable. Many of the children who once danced barefoot in their faded denims to music performed on the back of a truck are returning with children and grandchildren of their own. The Festival has become a multi-generation annual event with families, friends and music lovers heading to the seaside village of Port Fairy year after year, decade after decade.

The appetite for the Folkie’s 50th anniversary event has already proven extraordinary with a record-breaking number of tickets sold within the first week of release, highlighting the deep affection communities hold for the Festival.

Overcoming Adversity – Geoff Dosetor is a community exhibition exploring artistic expression when confronted by a life-altering injury.

After an accident in 2000 left him a quadriplegic, Dossetor began painting using brushes held in his mouth.

Painting has since been an important part of Dossetor’s rehabilitation, as he seeks inspiration in the places, creatures and themes he values as he battles adversity.

Dossetor is particularly drawn to celebrating his connection to Melbourne and places he has travelled to through landscapes, in turn, Dossetor hopes his works inspire those with disabilities to focus on their strengths.

Exhibition closes July 25.

★

Nourish – Joanne ‘budgie’ Jemmeson

Vibrant in colour and rich in textural detail, Nourish highlights the beauty of everyday objects.

Featuring compositions centred on fruit and vegetables, arranged with household objects and patterned materials, Jemmeson carefully considers light, form and colour in the recreation of each still life setting.

Passionate about colour theory, Jemmeson demonstrates meticulous brush techniques, empathising the tonal qualities and vibrancy, bringing each painting to life.

Exhibition opens July 1 and closes August 15.

The Town Hall Gallery 160 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn

Mornington

The Story So Far – Helen Britton

Living Treasures is a series of solo exhibitions honouring eminent Australian craft people, celebrating their mastery of skill, their achievements, and the unique place they occupy in the national design culture.

The Stry So Far traces the rich and complex world of country women and the creativity that shaped Helen’s early experience in Australia. The exhibition features new works including painting, installation, jewellery, drawings and objects alongside the first showing of the photographic work My Mother s House Exhibition closes August 23.

★

Sifted Light – Natalia Milosz-Piekarska

Contemporary jeweller and artist Natalia MKilosz-Piekarska translates the rare beauty of the Mornington Peninsula into a poetic collection of sculptural and wearable works.

Guided by her deep connection to the land and the sea, and shaped by years of craftmanship and internal experimentation, Natalia’s abstracted works seek to capture fleeting, luminous moments where light, texture and wonder meet.

These intimate forma act as vessels for memory and sensation, inviting stillness, reflection, and a sensitivity to place. Exhibition closes August 23. MPRG

Unit 2/350 Dunns Rd, Mornington

Brighton

In Search of Perfection –

Max Dupain & Ansel Adams

Max Sepain (Australia 1911 – 1992) and Ansel Adams ( USA 1902 – 1984) shaped the visual identity of their respective nations through the lens of modernist photography.

Though working on opposite sides of the Pacific, they shared a profound commitment to formal clarity, tonal precision, and the expressive potential of light.

This exhibition brings Dupain’s iconic modernistic studies of Australia’s built environments together with Adams’ majestic portrayals of the American wilderness in a compelling and illuminating painting.

These images are shown alongside works by their peers, including portraits and still lifes.

Exhibition closes August 30.

Bayside Gallery

Brighton Town Hall

Cnr Carpenter and Wildon Sts, Brighton

Peter Kemp

Brassaï: Secret Paris at Heide Museum of Modern Art

■ Brassaï: Secret Paris marks the most comprehensive presentation of the eminent Hungarian-born French photographer ever seen in Australia, and his first solo exhibition in the country in over five decades.

Presented from July 25 – November 15, the exhibition brings together more than 150 of Brassaï's original vintage prints depicting the City of Light between the World Wars.

It features his iconic atmospheric blackand-white images of Paris and its people by night, his relationships with leading figures of the Parisian avant-garde, including Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí and Henry Miller , among others, his experiments into Surrealism, and hallmark photographs of graffiti captured at the dawn of contemporary street art. Contributed

Annual auction

■ The Artists for Kids annual art auction will once again be a vibrant night of creativity, community and fun with 60 stunning works up for auction.

It’s another chance to support the AKC charity who enable children from lower socio economic families to have the opportunity to learn or be a part of the arts.

This includes art, music, dance, drama and other creative pursuits. AKC ambassador Brian Nankervis will MC the night with Dylan Lewis whilst songbird Ella Hooper will be the special musical guest. Memo Music Hall Thurs., Oct 22, commencing 7pm. Tickets at trybooking.com

Guitar showdown

■ Two of Melbourne’s guitar legends Geoff Achison and Jimmy Hocking along with the Souldiggers will “shred it out” at the Palais Hepburn on July 18. Expect a night of high voltage blues and rock from these masters who are renowned Australia wide for their guitar prowess. Tickets and more info at Oxtix.com

Theme night

■ Newport Folk and Fiddle Club will host an All Creatures Great and Small evening on Sept 12 at the Newport Bowls club.

Fans are invited to come along, sing like a bird, rock like a lobster or go totally ape for a celebration of (non-human) animals. Email for more info: nffcthemenight@gmail.com

‘SILENCE’ AT BRUNSWICK INSTITUTE

■ There is a sense in Moira Buffini’s Silence that little has changed since the medieval days.

The paranoid King Ethelred (Declan Magee) declares that the youthful Silence , a pagan Viking and current Lord of Cumbria ( Lily Thomson ) will marry Princess Ymma of Normandy (Morgan Godfrey) , a victim of abuse.

Roger (Lachlan Hughes) , a priest, must instruct Silence to overcome his heathen thinking while Ymma’s handmaiden, Agnes (Chelsea Rabl) , must deal with the consequences of Ymma’s trauma.

Ethelred’s bodyguard, Eadric (Sebastian Langkamer) , must then convey them all safely to Cumbria despite struggling with his own personal demons.

What the work reveals in the interaction between the characters is a discourse that pertains to untrammelled power, distorted religious beliefs, sexual discrimination and an ignorance of which we are all guilty today.

Remarkably, Freya Patience’s direction has enabled a balance between comedy and tragedy to be sustained throughout this well-paced landscape of ideas.

Even the play’s hallucinogenic mushroom scene conveys a sense of both threat and humour; ridiculous indulgences have consequences just as they do today.

The cast is raw at times but

all have found the comedic pathos within Buffini’s lines.

The nonsense that Silence is actually a girl, that Eadric can read people’s minds, and that Ethelred is obsessed with torturing others all work.

We can identify with the absurdity as there are sufficient contemporary examples by way of comparison.

Completing the picture is a very clever set ( Adelaide Jones); a multi-purpose moveable platform that can be a bed, parapet, wagon and cave.

The lighting and sound (Sam Martin, John Augustine Sharp ) sharply denote the changes of scene and location enabling the pace and momentum of the work to be sustained.

The costumes also evoke the period. ( Freya and Sharron Patience)

This is a clever work of theatre which the company has realised both in terms of the acting and interpretation of Buffini’s writing.

It plays until July 18 at the Brunswick Mechanics' Institute.

Bookings: events.humanitix. com/silence-a-play/tickets

Review by David McLean

● ● After four sell-out shows at its original ‘intimate’ home in the Gershwin Room at The Espy, RocKwiz have cleared the diaries for four more in August.

Kingston Writers Centre

■ Kingston Writers Centre is conducting their first annual writing awards, with entries closing on Friday, July 17.

All writers are invited to enter, whether experienced or those setting out to find their voice – and there’s cash to be won.

Kingston Writers Centre President Steve Carey says: “We can’t wait to see people’s creativity. We’re looking for fiction, non-fiction and poetry, and we particularly welcome entries from young people. Our theme is 'hope' – something that seems to be in short supply these days”

There are three prose categories:

■ 12-15 years old (500 words)prize $250

■ 16-18 years old (1000 words)prize $500

■ 19 years old and above (1,500 words) - prize $500

There is also a poetry category, open to any age, for poems of 50 lines and under, with a prize of $500.

In addition, the Johnstone Family Award will be given to one winner, with an additional $250 in prize money, to be presented by CrGeorgina Oxley , Mayor of Kingston Steve Carey explains: "You can write prose (fiction, non-fiction, memoir) or a poem. 'Hope' means something different to everyone, and you’re welcome to explore it as you choose. You don’t have to use the word in your writing, but we do want to see where it connects with hope. You’re the writer. Surprise us …”

Entries close on Friday July 17. Find out more about the Awards and how to enter at kwc.org.au/ writing-awards

Cheryl Threadgold

Dance Palace

■ Australian theatre company Finucane and Smith celebrates turning 30 by reopening Luna Park’s iconic Luna Palace with a festival of 'fearless fun', Dance Palace , playing every weekend, Thursday to Saturday, across August.

The company has made 36 fulllength shows, presented in 19 countries, toured and 'lovebombed' 160 Australian towns, with 1,000,000+ audience members, and won 21 awards, with not a penny of ongoing funding, is cracking out the hot chips and sauce.

A carnival of 'hot divas' such as pub rock queens and Bollywood love gods, torch singers and clothes flingers, First Nations genius, eye-bursting burlesque, toe tapping and swinging from the rafters, gothic legends, artists painting live, pants flying (also live!), plus WTAF, and art with an ahhhh.

Queen of Provocative Variety Moira Finucane , icon Maude Davey , transcendent diva Mama Alto , Butoh Goddess Yumi Umiumare , Indian Love God Govind Pillai and Temple of Desire, Yorta Yorta Taungurung legend Glennys Briggs , ShowgirlShowghoul Bendy Ben , Burlesque bombshell Maple Rose ; Soprano Piera Dennerstein and more - 30 divas over 12 August nights. Plus booze and hot chips at the bar. Invited by Melbourne’s other surviving entertainment icon, Luna Park in its 113th year, Finucane and Smith are reopening the iconic Luna Palace after five years' refurbishment to reveal wall to wall arched windows, stunning views and rafters ready for raising. Director and Queen Provocateur Moira Finucane says: “Turning 30 feels like the miracle of the little company that could; a miracle of cabaret over catastrophe, burlesque over bureaucracy, exquisite

voices over divisive drivel. I am so proud of our tiny but mighty company. We’ve travelled global cities to tiny country towns, lifting lesser heard voices. We are the defiant, big haired, hope-loving art company that always lifts extraordinary artists and communities shut out of centre stage."

Performance Details: Thursday to Saturday 7pm-9pm every weekend from August 6 to August 29.

Venue: Luna Park - Luna Palace, 18 Lower Esplanade, St Kilda Bookings: trybooking.com/ events/landing/1582908

Cheryl Threadgold

Playboy of the Western World

■ While a live National Theatre

London production is a rare experience for most Australians, Sharmill Films has made a habit of bridging the gap, presenting a steady stream of National Theatre Live screenings throughout the year, including the latest production of The Playboy of the Western World

Filmed with remarkable care and craftsmanship, these productions deliver an immersive theatre experience up close and from every angle.

What an absolute treat to watch Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton) working her stage magic as Pegeen in John Millington Synge’s classic Irish drama.

Coughlan plays the feisty daughter of a local publican betrothed to a local pious Catholic farmer. Her world is upended when Christy Mahon (E´anna Hardwicke) stumbles into her pub confessing to killing his father.

Inexplicably, in this day and age - the play was written in the early 1900s - Christy becomes a local hero for his courageous deeds.

The women of the town become captivated by his rebellious, outlaw persona, sparking a rivalry between Pegeen and the Widow Quin (Siobhán McSweeney)

Pegeen ultimately wins Christy’s affection, only for the truth of his story to emerge. His romantic myth collapses, revealing him as a cowardly liar, and he abandons Pegeen , leaving her to confront the ordinary life she had hoped to escape.

The play explores themes of hero worship and the tension between myth and reality, ideas that continue to resonate in today’s celebrity-driven culture.

While all performances are engaging and delivered with nuance, the richly poetic Hiberno-English dialogue, heavily influenced by Gaelic speech patterns, can at times be challenging to follow.

Director Caitríona McLaughlin brings a strong sense of purpose to the production, balancing humour and despair with care and precision.

The costumes, music, set design and lighting work together to vividly evoke a turn-of-the-century Irish pub, fully immersing the audience in the world of the play.

The Playboy of the Western World may take a moment to settle into, but its lyrical language, compelling performances and emotional complexity make it a rewarding experience.

Now screening at select Australian cinemas.

Review by Beth Klein

MSO Concert

■ In an evening composed of contrasting works, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra showed why its claim to be Australia’s preeminent orchestra is no idle boast with the successful innovative programming of Jaime conducts Dvorak, Smetana and Coll

Consisting of three works, the first two were Bedrich Smetana’s

Má vlast: Vltava followed by Francisco Coll’s Piano Concerto. After a short intermission the showpiece of the evening, Antonin Dvorák’s Symphony No.7, was performed.

Referred to as the father of Czech music, Smetana’s Má vlast (My Homeland) is a cycle of six symphonic poems with Vltava the second, most well-known piece.

A depiction in sound of the Vltava River’s journey as it flows through the Czech countryside, it was delightfully pastoral in tone with lush romantic use made of the strings and wind instruments.

In strong contrast, the Australian premiere of Coll’s Piano Concerto was an electrifying cacophony of sound.

Played by internationally-renowned pianist Kirill Gerstein, his virtuosic piano playing was full of a passionate ferocity equally matched by the orchestra, especially its percussion section.

Complex and chaotic, the concerto challenged the audience with its dynamism: exhilarating yet meditative; menacing yet playful; strident yet delicate. An astonishing composition played in an astonishing fashion.

After intermission came the centrepiece of the evening, Dvorak’s Seventh Symphony

Widely regarded as his symphonic masterpiece, it too was a complex work and one rooted in Czech nationalism.

Certainly not chaotic though as it had a rigorous structure of four movements portraying a dramatic journey from darkness to light.

The orchestra showed an impressive range of expression when going on this journey, playing with passion and skill as it moved from the dark intensity of the first movement to the celebratory and triumphant finale.

Overseeing the evening was the orchestra’s marvellous Chief Conductor, Jaime Martín. Up on the podium, his palpable joy was infectious and there was clearly a wonderful synergy between him and the ensemble of excellent musicians.

Venue: Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne

For further information about the concert: mso.com.au/performance/ 2026-jaime-conducts-dvoraksmetana-coll

Review by Peter Murphy

Winter Blues

■ The countdown is on for the 2026 Winter Blues Festival , with organisers announcing the final programme for this year’s muchloved Echuca-Moama event.

Returning this July 23-26, the Winter Blues Festival will once again transform the twin towns into a four-day celebration of blues, roots, soul and rock ’n’ roll, with performances across pubs, clubs, cafés, restaurants, outdoor spaces and special event venues.

The final program brings together a huge line-up of national touring artists, festival favourites and emerging acts, with music running throughout the weekend across more than 20 stages, and featuring over 50 artists at more than 150 performances

This year’s program includes Jeff Lang and Dom Turner, 19 Twenty, Ray Beadle, Kathleen Halloran, and Nathan Cavaleri , alongside a talented mix of returning crowd favourites and first-time festival artists from all over Australia

From intimate acoustic sets and late-night jams to family-friendly shows, the 2026 program captures the full spirit of the festival.

Winter Blues Festival Music Programmer Jon Howell said the final announcement reflects both the depth of the Australian blues scene and the unique energy of the Echuca-Moama festival weekend.

“For over 25 years, The Winter Blues Festival has been about bringing people together through great live music,” he said.

Rourke’s Reviews

Saccharine

■ (MA). 113 minutes. Now showing in selected cinemas.

After making a very impressive directorial debut with Relic in 2020, Natalie Erika James took an unexpected turn by taking on the Hollywood project Apartment 7A in 2024, a prequel to Roman Polanski’s brilliant, highly influential 1968 classic, Rosemary’s Baby.

While not a disaster (the film is watchable), and James’s direction can’t really be faulted, the script lacked genuine substance, and the whole endeavour felt pointless, especially when you know the fate of the main character.

James is now back with Saccharine, and thankfully so is her true creativity and emotional resonance.

Midori Francis is excellent as Hana , a plump twentysomething who has a lovehate relationship with food.

Trying to adhere to hardcore health plans, Hana never feels complete or worthy, and every step back feels like an utter, personal failure.

Hana is a medical student, and studies and parties with best friend Josie (Danielle Macdonald).

Hana is smitten with fitness instructor Alanya (Madeleine Madden) , who is promoting an experimental 12 week course, and at this time, she bumps into old school friend Melissa (Annie Shapero), who like Hana , was overweight, but is now slim beyond belief.

Melissa attributes her incredible weight loss to an expensive drug called The Gray, and in good faith, gives her two pills.

Though sceptical, the pills work surprisingly well. Hana decides to analyse the drug at the university lab, and what the miracle cure is made up of will shock her.

What’s worse, it will lead Hana down a nightmarish path. Saccharine works on a number of levels.

The obvious, main one is Hana’s war with her own self image. An image that is abused, shamed, morphed and altered in the blink of an eye, especially in the era of social media, where influencers and product fuse together in an unsettling way, particularly when so many of these online hawkers have been cosmetically altered beyond belief.

Even Hana’s attraction to Alanya is ambivalent. Other levels appear through Hana’s mother Kimie (Showko Showfukutei) , who is always meticulously cleaning, sterilising and recording due to her marriage and social standing, never feeling complete in her own specific way.

This also surfaces when we see Hana’s father (Robert Taylor).

James masterfully examines all of these ideas and themes, making sure we never forget to see these characters as human beings.

Like Relic, James uses horror to look at human frailty and societal standards, imprinted on us in a manner that makes so many people feel inferior and worthless.

Here, James is tapping into a fear that if we are not accepted on a surface, physical level, we are not accepted as a basic, intellectual human being.

Similarities to the amazing The Substance are inevitable, but more films tackling this subject matter are a blessing. Francis is outstanding, but the entire cast is fine. Technically, the film is incredible.

Cinematography by Charlie Sarroff and Benjamin Morgan , editing by Sean Lahiff , production design by Josephine Wagstaff , along with sound design, score, and the eye-popping practical effects, are world class.

Saccharine is such a terrific film, and I hope mainstream audiences find and connect with its intelligent, creative brilliance as much as possible. For those who haven’t seen James’s Relic, please race out and do so.

RATING

- ****

Evil Dead Bum

■ (R). 110 minutes. Now showing in cinemas.

A very different tone separates this latest entry from the rest in the successful horror franchise, and while everything doesn’t hit the bullseye, there is enough to maintain interest.

The main characters this time around are brothers Will (George Puller) and Joseph (Hunter Doohan), Will’s wife Alice (Souheila Yacoub) and Joseph’s partner Thya (Luciane Buchanan) They are at Will’s popular bar to celebrate Joseph’s birthday, but Will’s aggressive behaviour, especially towards Alice, is souring the evening. In a drunken rage, Will drives off, but crashes head-on into a Deadite, and his ‘death’ will send everyone else on the kind of blood-soaked journey the series is known for.

Sam Raimi’s original Evil Dead (1981) was a stylish, gruelling experience, while his two sequels were very tonguein-cheek.

Evil Dead Rise (2023) brought the franchise back with a vengeance, pushing the nastiness to the limit.

Evil Dead Burn largely jettisons the humour, with cowriter/director Sebastian Vanicek attempting to give the savage material dramatic weight.

Looking at gendered trauma, possession takes on multiple meanings here, as we see women who are psychologically dismembered, not just the general demonic, physical kind.

The examination of family and its connection to domestic abuse is also interesting. They are fascinating themes to attach to all the carnage, but the results are frustrating, with some ideas not fully resonating.

Vanicek stages some impressive set-pieces, and places some nice references to the earlier films. Performances are solid across the board. For gorehounds, the film, once it gets going, certainly delivers the goods. Evil Dead Burn may turn off some fans due to its almost complete absence of comedy and seriously themed material, making the violence decidedly (but justifyingly) cruel and extremely brutal. But for those prepared to see this long-running series begin to take a turn down a more thematically darker path, will find this a wild night at the movies.

RATING - ***½

Country Leagues

Bendigo

■ Seniors. Golden Square 30.23 (203)

d Broadford 3.4 (22). Eaglehawk 18.20 (128) d Kangaroo Flat 5.7 937). South Bendigo 18.14 (122) d Castlemaine 5.11 (41). Strathfieldsaye 15.8 998) d Gisborne 12.14 (86). Bye: Sandhurst.

■ Reserves. Golden Square 27.13 (175) d Broadford 1.3 (9). Eaglehawk 3.7 (25) d Kangaroo Flat 2.3 (15). South Bendigo 11.11 (77) d Castlemaine 3.3 (21). Strathfieldsaye 4.8 (32) d Gisborne 3.4 (22). Bye: Sandhurst.

■ Under 18. Golden Square 18.12 (120) d Broadford 3.8 (24). Kangaroo Flat11.8 (74) d Eaglehawk 8.7 (55). South Bendigo 11.10 (76) d Castlemaine 5.1 (31). Strathfieldsaye d Gisborne, by forfeit. Bye: Sandhurst.

Kyabram District

■ Seniors. Undera 14.8 992) d Longwood 13.13 (91). Shepparton East 17.10 (112) d Tallygaroopna 8.6 (54). Lancaster 31.23 (209) d Girggare 2.2 (14). Stanhope 15.14 (104) d Rushworth 13.6 (84). Sunday, July 12: MurchisonToolamaba v Merrigum. Violet Town v Nagambie. Bye: Avenel.

■ Reserves. Longwood 12.6 (78) d Undera 7.9 (51). Shepparton East 10.11 (71) d Tallygaroopna 5.6 (36). Girgarre 7.7 (49) d Lancaster 5.4 (34).. Rushworth 9.8 (62) d Stanhope 5.13 (43). Sunday, July 12: Murchison Toolaba v Merrigum. Violet Town v Nagambie. Bye: Avenel.

■ Seniors. Undera 29.21 (195) d Longwood 0.1 (1). Tallygaroopna 9.8 (62) d Shepparton East 6.11 (47). Avenel 6,.15 (51) d Rushworth 2.6 (18). Sunday, July 12: Violet Town v Nagambie. Bye: Lancaster, Murchison Toolamba.

Ovens & King

■ Seniors. Milawa 21.13 (139) d Benalla All Blacks 5.9 (39). Greta 27.18 (178) d King Valley 6.3 (39). Bonnie Doon 9.7 961) d Tarrawingee 7.11 (53). Whorouly 16.20 (116) d North Wangaratta 10.11 (71). Bright 15.21 (111) d Goorambat 2.4 (16). Bye: Moyhu.

■ Rerserves. Milawa 16.13 (109) d Benalla All Blacks 1.3 (9). King Valley 14.5 (89) d Greta 7.6 (48). Bonnie Doon 10.8 (68) d Tarrawingee 7.4 (46). Whorouly 6.7 (43) d North Wangaratta 5.10 (40). Bright 26.16 (172) d Goorambat 0.0 (0). Bye: Moyhu.

Riddell District

■ Seniors. Gisborne Giants 11.14 (80) d Melton Centrals 1.13 (19). Kyneton 10.8 968) d Romsey 8.15 (63). Wallan 14.11 (95) d Woodend-Hesket 7.4 (46). Macedon 13.13 (91) d Diggers Rest 12.13 (85). Bye: Lancefield, Melton South, Riddell.

■ Reserves. Melton Centrals 2.10 (220 d Gisborne Giants 2.8 (20). Kyneton 12.12 (84) d Romsey 0.2 (2). Wallan 12.15 (87) d Woodend Hasket 0.4 (4). Macedon 8.8 (56) d Diggers Rest 3.6 (24). Bye: Lancefield, Melton South, Riddell.

■ Under 19.5. Woodend-Hesket 7.6 (48) d Wallan 5.6 (36). Kyneton 8.12 (60) d Romsey 4.7 (31). Gisborne Giants 7.9 951) d Melton Centrals 2.6 (18). Bye: Lancefield, Macedon, Melton South, Riddell.

AFL

Round 19

Thursday, July 16

Geelong Cats vs. St Kilda (GMHBA)

Friday, July 17

Sydney Swans vs. Adelaide Crows (SCG)

Saturday, July 18

Port Adelaide vs. Fremantle (AO) North Melbourne vs. Melbourne (MRVL)

Collingwood vs. Carlton (MCG) West Coast Eagles vs. Brisbane Lions (OS)

Sunday, July 19

Richmond vs. Hawthorn (MCG) Gold Coast Suns vs. Western Bulldogs (PFS) Essendon vs. GWS Giants (MRVL)

Local Sport

Siren

Scores from Saturday’s matches

Eastern

■ Premier Division Seniors. Doncaster East 14.5 (89) d Noble Park 9.10 (64). East ringwood 16.16 (112) d Blackburn 8.18 (66). Berwick 10.9 (69) d South Croydon 8.7 (55).

Saturday, July 18: South Belgrave v Rowville. CVermont v Balwyn.

■ Premier Division Reserves. Doncaster East 7.8 (50) d Noble Park 5.6 (36). East Ringwood 12.10 982) d Blackburn 5.10 (40). South Croydon 8.3 (51) d Berwick 5.3 (33).

Saturday, July 18: South Belgrave v Rowville. Vermont v Balwyn.

■ Premier Division Under 19.5. Noble Park 13.14 (92) d Doncaster East 7.4 (46). Blackburn 20.9 (129) d East Ringwood 7.8 (50). Berwick 11.5 (71) d South Croydon 7.5 (47).

Saturday, July 18: South Belgrave v Rowville. Vermont v Balwyn.

■ Division 1 Seniors. Boironia 10.12 (72) d Norwood 8.7 (55). Wantirna South 15.13 (103) d Montrose 13.13 (91). Mooroolbark 32.16 (142) d Bayswater 5.5 (35). Mitcham 9.4 A(58) d North Ringwood 5.10 (40). Park Orchards 21.12 (138) d Beaconsfield 12.10 (82).

■ Division 1 Reserves. Mooroolbark 7.9 (51) d Bayswater 7.7 (49). Park Orchards 20.17 (137) d Beaconsfield 2.3 (15). North Ringwood 11.15 (81) d Mitcham 6.6 (42). Boronia v Norwood. Montrose 8.10 (58) d Wantirna South 5.9 (39).

■ Division 1 Under 19.5. Beaconsfield 10.14 (74) d Bayswater-Heathmont 8.10 (58). Boronia 18.12 (120) d Norwood 0.3 (3). Montrose 14.17 (101) d Wantirna South 2.8 (20). North Ringwood 16,.17 (103) d Mitcham 3.5 (23).

■ Division 2 Seniors. Lilydale 14.9 (93) d East Burwood 7.9 (51). Mulgrave 15.15 (105) d Waverley Blues 6.4 (40). Surrey Park 8.9 (57) d Ringwood 4.9 (33). Scoresby 4.9 (33). Scoresby 16.10 (106) d Heathmont 8.8 (56). Templestowe 8.9 (57) d Croydn 7.9 (51).

■ Division 2 Reserves. East Burwood 7.13 (55) d Lilydale 4.8 (32). Waverley Blues 5.5 (35) d Mulgrave 1.16 (22). Surrey Park 8.11 (59) d Ringwood 4.4 (28). Scoresby 30.7 (127) d Heathmont 3.7 (25). Croydon 16.7 (103) d Templestowe 2.3 (15).

■ Division 2 Under 19.5. Templestowe 15.7 (97) d Croydon 4.4 (28). Lilydale 12.7 (79) d East Burwood 3.8 (26). Mulgrave 9.8 (62) d Waverley Blues 6.5 (41). Ringwood 13.8 (86) d Surrey Park 0.6 (6). Bye: Scoresby.

■ Division 3 Seniors. Knox 16.12 (108) d Coldstream 7.5 (47). Upper Ferntree Gully 11.13 (79) d Oakleigh District 4.2 (26). The Basin 14.19 (103) d Silvan 11.6 (72). Whitehorse Pioneers 8.10 (58) d Ferntree Gully 8.5 (53). Bye: Donvale.

■ Division 3 Reserves. Knox 27.14 (176) d Coldstream 1.1 (7). Upper Ferntree Gully 25.18 (168) d Oakleigh District 0.0 (0). The Basin 22.9 (141) d Silvan 7.5 (47). Ferntree Gully 10.6 (66) d Whitehorse Pioneers 7.1 (43). Bye: Donvale.

■ Division 3 Under 19.5. Whitehorse Pioneers 13.17 (95) d Knox 8.10 (58). Rowville 12.8 (80) d The Basin 9.4 (58). Upper Ferntree Gully 10.14 (74) d Donvale 2.4 (16).

■ Division 4 Seniors. Bulleen Templestowe 17.11 (113) d Chirnside Park 7.16 (58). Kilsuth 16.17 113) d Croydon North MLOC 6.7 (43). Warrandyte 14.15 (99) d Doncaster 7.5 (47). Fairpark 25.14 (164) d Nunawading 6.6 (42). Bye: Forest Hill.

■ Division 4 Reserves. Fairpark 10.11 (71) d Berwick Nunawading 1.0 (6). Chirnside Park 6.8 (44) d Bulleen Templestowe 4.8 (32). Kilsyth 10.7 967) d Croydon North MLOC 8.8 (56). Warrandyte 14.11 (95) d Doncaster 2.3 (15). Bye: Surrey Park.

■ Division 4 Under 19.5. Berwick 16.13 (109) d Fairpark 5.7 (37). Bulleen Templestowe 28.16 (184) d Chirnside Park 1.3 (9). Croydon North MLOC 20.17 (137) d Kilsyth 2.6 (18). Warrandyte 17.8 (110) d Blackburn 8.4 (52).

Essendon

■ Premier Division Seniors. Keilor 11.13 (79) d Aberfeldie 11.12 (78). Pascoe Vale 15.15 (105) d Greenvale 5.9 (39). Maribyrnong Park 17.13 (115) d Airport West 20.7 (67). Hillside 13.8 (86) d Deer Park 9.11 (65). Strathmore 14.9 (93) d Essendon Doutta Stars 9.6 (60).

■ Division 1 Seniors. Oak Park 11.7 (73) d Craigieburn 8.7 (55). West Coburg 16.11 (111) d St Albans 11.9 (75). Tullamarine 16.14 (110) d Taylors Lakes

5.8 (38). Moonee Valley 15.25 (115) d East keilor 5.3 (33). Rupertswood 11.13 (79) d Avondale Heights 11.10 (76).

■ Division 2 Seniors. Burnside Heights 19.19 (133) d East Sunbury 6.10 946). Coburg Districts 13.13 (91) d Northern Saints 14.6 (90). Sunbury Kangaroos 11.13 (79) d Keilor Park 7.10 (52). Westmeadows 13.13 (91) d Roxburgh Park 8.10 (58). Glenroy 24.17 (161) d Hadfield 5.7 (37).

■ Premier Division Reserves. Maribyrnoing Park 10.11 (71) d Airport West 7.10 (52). Pascoe Vale 26.10 (166) d Grenvale 6.7 (43). Hillside 12.18 (90) d Deer Park 1.5 (11). Essendon Doutta Stars 8.7 (55) d Strathmore 7.9 (51). Aberfeldie 5.3 (33) drew with Keilor 4.9 (33).

■ Division 1 Reserves. Craigieburn 9.10 (64) d Oak Park 4.11 (35). Tullamarine 5.8 938) d Taylkors Lakes 5.2 (32). Moonee Valley 15.17 (107) d East Keilor 1.2 (8). Avondale Heights 5.14 (44) d Rupertswood 4.5 (29). West Coburg 11.18 (84) d St Albans 5.3 (33).

■ Division 1 Reserves. Burnside Heights v East Subury. Coburg Districts v Northern Saints. Sunbury Kangaroos 18.8 (116) d Keilor Park 2.2 (14). Westmeadows 6.9 945) d Roxburgh Park 6.2 (38). Glenroy 16.14 (110) d Hadfield 3.5 (23).

■ Thirds South. Coburg Districts 27.21 (183) d Oak Park 2.6 (18). Pascoe Vale 9.14 (68) d Moonee Valley 6.3 (39). Essendon Doutta Stars d West Coburg, by forfeit. Glenroy 9.8 (62) d Maribyrnong Park 3.9 (27).

■ Thirds West. East Sunbury 13.14 (92) d Taylors Lakes 2.4 (16). Keilor 17.11 (113) d Avondale Heights 0.4 (4). St Albans 19.22 (136) d Keilor Park 4.1 (25). Hillside d Sunbury Kangaroos, by forfeit. Bye: Aberfeldie.

Mornington

■ Division 1 Seniors. Rosebud 10.8 968) d Devon Meadows 9.11 (65). Dromana 20.7 (127) d Sorrento 9.12 (66). EdithvaleAspendale 9.14 (68) d Pines 8.10 (58). Mornington 9.8 (62) d Frankston YCW 7.19 (61). Langwarrin 7.9 (51) d Mt Eliza 5.13 (43).

■ Division 1 Reserves. Rosebud 12.10 982) d Devon Meadows 4.3 (27). Sorrento 4.4 (28) d Dromana 3.9 (27),. Pines 8.10 (58) d Edithvale-Aspendale 7.5 (47). Frankston YCW 15.12 (102) d Mornington 3.7 (25). Langwarrin v Mt Eliza.

■ Division 1 Under 19 . Devon Meadows 15.13 9103) d Rosebud 4.7 (31). Sorrento 11.11 (77) d Dromana 4.7 (31). EdithvaleAspendale 14.16 (100) d Pines 2.1 (13). Mornington 10.4 (64) d Frankston YCW 4.10 (134). Mt Eliza 6.7 (43) d Langwarrin 5.3 (33).

■ Division 2 Seniors. Bonbeach 14.9 (93) d Rye 7.11 (53). Chelsea 16.6 (102) d Seraford 9.7 961). Hastings 10.10 (70) d Crib point 9.8 (62). Frankston Bombers 25.13 (163) d Tyabb 4.2 (26). Somerville 9.12 (66)_ d Red Hill 9.8 (62). Pearcedale 11.9 (75) d Karongal 10.7 (67).

■ Division 2 Reserves . Rye 12.8 980) d Bonbeach 6.5 (41). Seaford 7.9 (51) d Cheslea 7.6 (548). Crib Point 13.12 (90) d Hastings 3.0 (18). Frankston Bombers 16.27 (123) d Tyabb 1.0 (6). Red Hill 12.7 (79) d Somerville 3.3 (21). Pearcedale 12.14 (86) d Karingal 2.2 (14).

■ Division 2 Under 19. Bonbeach 6.8 (44) d Rye 3.4 (22). Seaford 6.12 (48) d Chelsea 3.14 (32). Frankston Bombers 20.15 (135) d Crib point 2.3 (15). Somerville 6.5 (41) d Red hill 5.10 (40).

Northern

■ Division 1 Seniors. North Heidelberg 11.11 (77) d West Preston Lakeside 8.10 (58). Bundoora 6.8 (44) d Diamond Creek 5.7 (37). Heidelberg 13.17 (95) d Banyule 7.3 (45). Greensborough 24.15 (159) d Hurstbridge 8.15 (63). Montmorency 14.11 (95) d Eltham 11.13 (79). Heidelberg 23.17 (155) d Montmorency 14.9 (93).

■ Division 1 Reserves. Heidelberg 15.11 (101) d Banyule 1.1 (7). Diamond Creek 14.15 (99) d Bundoora 1.2 (8). Montmorency 10.8 968) d Eltham 9.8 (62). Greensborough 14.16 (100) d Hurstbridge 6.5 (41). North Heidelberg 12.213 (85) d West Preston Lakeside 4.4 (28). Heidelberg 7.9 (51) d Montmorency 6.8 (44).

■ Division 2 Seniors. St Mary’s 15.12 (102) d Lower Plenty 8.7 (55). Thomastown 12.13 (85) d Macleod 6.6 (42). Old Paradians 9.12

(66) d Panton Hill 0,.5 (5). South Morang 12.5 (77) d Northcote Park 9.11 (65). Whittlesea 9.10 (64) d Fitzroy Stars 8.9 (57).

■ Division 2 Reserves. Lower Plenty 11.7 (73) d St Mary’s 10.10 (70). Macleo 9.12 (66) d Thomastown 6.6 (42). Old Paradians 5.11 (41) d Panton Hill 4.5 (29). South Morang 14.13 (97) d Northcote Park 7.9 (51). Whittlesea 10.21 (81) d Fitzroy Stars 4.6 (30).

■ Division 3 Seniors. Heidelberg West 15.12 (102) d Epping 8.15 (63). Ivanhoe 20.19 (139) d Kilmore 8.8 (56). Mernda 15.16 (106). Laurimar 13.19 (97) d Old Eltham 3.3 (21). Reservoir 16.8 (104) d Watsoinia 7.9 (51). Bye: Lalor.

■ Division 3 Reserves. Ivanhoe 22.19 (151) d Kilmore 5.6 (36). Mernda 17.13 (115) d Kinglake 1.2 (8). Laurimar 22.11 (143) d Old Eltham Collegians 2.4 (16). Reservoir 7.2 (44) d Watsonia 4.18 (42). Epping v Heidelberg, cancelled. Lalor: Bye.

■ Division 3 Under 19.5. Bundoora 17.13 (115) d Kinglake 4.5 (29). Lower Plenty 7.7 (49) d Eltham 5.11 (41). Heidelberg 23.28 (166) d Watsonia 4.3 (27). Laurimar 10,.26 (86) d Macleod 3.8 (26). Old Paradians 14.15 (99) d Panton Hill 7.7 949). South Morang 27.l7 (179) d Epping 3.1 (19).

Outer East

■ Premier Division Seniors. Upwey tecoma 16.10 (106) d Gembrook Cockatoo 8.9 (57). Woori Yallock 21.14 (140) d Healesville 5.7 (37). Mt Evelyn 16.10 (106) d Olinda Ferny Creek 11.9 (75). Officer 9,7 (61) d Monbulk 2.14 (26). Wandin 24.17 (161) d Warburton Millgrove 4.9 (33).

■ Premier Division Seniors. Upwey Tecoma 18.8 (118) d Gembrook Cockatoo 5.1 (31). Woori Yallock 14.12 (96) d Healesville 5.4 (34). Mt Evelyn 16.11 (107) d Olinda Ferny Creek 3.7 (25). Wandin 17.21 (123) d Warburton Millgrove 4.3 (27).

■ Division 1 Seniors. Yarra Glen 37.31 (253) d Yarra Junction 2.3 (15). Pakenham 15.9 (99) d Seville 12.8 (80). Yea 9.8 962) d Emerald 6.12 (48). Belgrave 26.19 (175) d Powelltown 3.4 (22). Bye: Alexandra. ■ Division 2 Reserves. Yarra Glen 12.15 (87) d Yarra Junction 4.5 (29). Pakenham 13.11 (89) d Seville 2.2 (14). Emerald 11.10 (76) d Yea 6.4 (40). Belgrave v Powelltown. Bye: Alexandra.

■ Under 18 Boys. Mt Evelyn 18.18 (126) d Alexandra 2.2 (14). Wandin 19.14 (128) d Warburton Millgrove 2.2 (14). Officer 14.12 (96) d Monbulk 4.2 (26). Upwey Tecoma 20.20 (140) d Gembrook Cockatoo 4.1 (25). Healesville 14.13 (97) d Woori Yallock 4.4 (28). Seville 12.11 (83) d Pakenham 5.5 (35). Olinda Ferny Creek 9.7 (61) d Yarra Glen 4.10 (34). Officer 14.17 (101) d Monbulk 2.5 (17).

■ Division 1 Women’s. Upwey Tecoma 12.10 (82) d Pakenham 2.4 (16). Mt Evelyn 15.14 (104) d Belgrave 0.1 (1). WarburtonWesburn 6.2 (38) d Healesville 3.4 (22). Bye: Olinda Ferny Creek.

■ Division 2 Women’s. Seville 16.16 (112) d Gembrook-Cockatoo 1.0 (6). Wandin 4.5 (29) d Officer 3.8 (26). Yea 7.7 (49) d Emerald 2.0 (12). Woori Yallock 9.9 (63) d Thornton Eildon 0.2 (2).

Southern

■ Division 1 Seniors. Dingley 24.14 (158) d Hampton Park 8.3 (51). Port Melbourne 13.14 (92) d Springvale Districts 5.11 (41). St Paul’s McKinnon 10.11 (71) d Murrumbeena 8.8 (56). Cheltenham 8.12 (60) d Bentleigh 6.9 (45). Narre Warren 10.12 (72) d Cranbourne Eagles 13.7 (85). ■ Division 2 Seniors. East Malvern 14.16 (100) d Caulfield Bears 8.6 (54). Hampton 20.15 (135) d East Brighton 5.5 (35). Keysborough 8.6 (54) d Doveton Doves 7.10 (52). Highett 19.20 (134) d Chelsea Heights 8.9 (57). Mordialloc 9.5 (59) d Frankston Dolphins 6.15 (51).

■ Division 3 Seniors. Black Rock 13.20 (98) d Skye 9.7 (61). Berwick Springs 11.15 (81) d Hallam 1.2 (8). Heatherton 7.11 (53) d Lyndhurst 4.9 (33). St Kilda City 12.20 (92) d South Mornington 6.7 (43). Endeavour Hills v Carrum Patterson Lakes. ■ Division 4 Seniors. Dandenong West 14.6 (90) d Lyndale 9.8 (62). Doveton Eagles 8.17 (65) d Clayton 9.7 (61). St John’s 24.15 (159) d Moorabbin Kangaroos 14.7 (91). Narre South Saints 12.11 (83) d Ashwood 9.11 (65).

● ● Continued On Next Page

Local Football Outer East Scoreboard

Footy results from across Victoria

■ Division 1 Reserves. Dingley 15.11 (101) d Hampton Park 5.4 (34). Springvale Districts 25.21 (171) d Port Melbourne Colts 1.0 (6). Murrumbenna 11.2 (68) d St Paul’s 8.6 (54). Bentleigh 33.10 (208) d Cheltenham 3.3 (21). Narre Warren 13.8 (86) d Cranbourne Eagles 6.4 (40).

■ Division 2 Reserves. East Malvern 12.9 981) d Caulfield Bears 3.4 (22). Hampton 8.7 (55) d East brighton 6.4 (40). Keysborough 13.6 (84) d Doveton Doves 4.2 (26). Highett 23.16 (154) d Chelsea Heights 0.2 (2). Mordialloc 7.7 949) d Frankston Dolphins 3.4 (22).

■ Division 3 Reserves. Black Rock 8.8 (56) d Skye 6.8 (44). Berwick Springs 10.10 (70) d Hallam 2.3 (15). Lyndhurst 8.11 (59) d Heatherton 5.8 (38). St Kilda City 12.8 (80) d South Mornington 6.4 (40). Carrum Patterson Lakes 16.5 (101) d Endeavour Hills 5.9 (39).

■ Division 4 Reserves. Lyndale 9.13 (67) d Dandenong West 6.7 (43). Clayton 17.13 (115) d Clayton Eagles 2.0 (12). St John’s OC 25.28 (178) d Moorabbin Kangaroos 0.1 (1). Ashwood 5.19 (49) d Narre South Saints 6.7 (43).

■ Open Grade Saturday. Endeavour Hills v Murrumbeena. Black Rock 7.9 (510 d Skye 6.9 945). Pakenham, 13.10 (88) d South Yarra 1.6 (12). Mordialloc 18.12 (120)

Latest News

d Lyndhuirst 4.2 (26). Bye: Springvale Districts.

■ Division 1 Under 19. Officer 8.7 (55) d Heatherton 2.4 (16). Highett 12.10 982) d berwick Springs 6.9 (45). Murrumbeena 5.12 (42) d Narre Warren 5.10 (40). Bentleigh 12.14 (86) d Cheltenham 1.5 (11).

■ Division 2 Under 19. Narre Warren v Keysborough. Hampton 10.19 (79) d South Mornington 3.7 (25). Port Melbourne Colts 9.9 (63) d Frankston Dolphins 6.5 (41). Lyndhurst 6.4 (40) d Cranboiurne 4.11 (35). Ashwood 9.15 (69) d Chelsea Heights 4.7 (31). Endeavour Hills 16.7 (103) d Carrum Patterson Lakes 6.5 (41).

Western

■ Division 1 Seniors. Hoppers Crossing 10.12 (72) d Sunshine 9.14 (68). Yarraville Seddon Eagles 16.14 (110) d Parkside 9.9 (63). Albion 14.9 (93) d Point Cook 4.9 (33). Spotswood 12.8 (80) d Caroline Springs 10.11 (71). Newport 13.11 (89) d Altona 8.9 (57). Werribee Districts 24.25 (169) d Point Cook 4.7 (31).

■ Division 1 Reserves. Sunshine 9.7 (61) d Hoppers Crossing 5.11 (41). Yarraville Seddon Eagles 8.11 (59) d Parkville 4.8 (32).

Point Cook 10.9 (69) d Albion 4.4 (28). Caroline Springs 19.7 (121) d Spotswood 4.5 (29). Altona 8.4 (52) d Newport 5.8 (38). Werribee Districts 31.23 (209) d Point Cook 0.2 (2).

■ Division 1 Under 18. Spotsw2ood 9.12 (66) d Sunshin e 5.4 (34). Hoppers Crossing 7.8 (50) d Yarraville Seddon Eahles 7.7 (49). Point Cook 21.12 (138) de Altona 5.8 (38). Werribee Districts 10.8 968) d Newport 6.11 (47).

■ Division 2 Seniors. Sunshine Heights 12.10 982) d Braybrook 7.12 (54). Tarneit 9.16 (70) d Western Rams 9.9 (63). West Footscray 11.11 (77) d Albanvale 10.13 (73). Suns 142 d Laverton Magpies 10.13 (73), abandoned. North Footscray 8.6 (54) d Wyndhamvale 7.6 (48).

■ Division 2 Reserves. Braybrook 9.9 (63) d Sunshine Heights 8.8 (56). Western Rams 10.10 (70) d Tarneit 7.4 (46). West Footscray 8.7 (55) d Albanvale 6.10 (46). Suns 26.12 (168) d Laverton Magpies 1.6 (12). North Footscray 10.9 (69) d Wyndhamvale 5.7 (37).

■ Division 2 Under 18. Werribee 15.10 (100) d Newport 4.7 (31). Caroline Springs 14.15 (99) d Wyndhamvale 1.1 (7). Spotswood 16.18 (114) d Point Cook Centrals 7.5 (47). Albion 7.7 (49) d Point Cook 5.5 (35). Tarneit d Sunshine, by forfeit.

Boy charged following death of teen

■ Detectives from the Missing Persons Squad have charged a 16-year-old boy after human remains were located in Donald on Thursday (July 9) as part of a search for a missing teenage girl.

The 16-year-old has been charged with one count of murder.

The boy from the Swan Hill area was arrested by detectives on Friday (July 10) following the execution of a warrant at a residential address.

The charge follows an investigation into the disappearance of a missing 13-year-old girl who was last seen on July 4 and was reported missing to police by a family member on Sunday (July 5).

The boy was expected to appear before a children’s court.

Carjacking attempt

■ Police have arrested five people as part of an investigation into a series of carjackings in Melbourne’s north-west.

Three of the five were arrested following reports several youths, some armed with weapons, were seen fighting near Southbank Promenade about 1.50am Saturday (July 11).

Police responded and moved in on the trio after the allegedly stolen Hyundai Getz they were believed travelling in was spotted on Stawell Avenue in Dallas shortly after.

Enquiries by police revealed those involved in the fight may have been wanted following a series of carjackings.

A search by general duties officers, the Dog Squad, Public Order Response Team and Critical Incident Response Team located the teens nearby.

Two of those arrested, a 17year-old from the Hume area and a 15-year-old from the Hume area have been charged with theft of motor vehicle.

A 16-year-old from the Hume area was also interviewed and is expected to be charged with possessing a prohibited weapon.

Following the overnight arrests and as part of an ongoing

DIVISION 1 SENIORS

Y. GLEN ..... 9.9, 19.18, 31.27, 37.31 (253)

YARRA JUNC. ........ 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 2.3 (15)

Best. Yarra Glen: Luke Di Goldi, Sam Wood, Josh Hawkins, Austin Smith, Connor Barbera, Jared McCann. Yarra Junction: Allan Chandler, Daniel Spinks, Xavier Gurr-Vennix, Oscar Moreton, Timothy Peters, Pierce Jenkin.

PAKENHAM ....... 5.1, 6.5, 14.7, 15.9 (99)

SEVILLE .............. 0.1, 6t.4, 8.5, 12.8 (80)

Best. Pakenham: Luke Ryan, Adam Quirk, Rhys Clacy, Jamies Lee, Maqtthew Ryan, Sam Cachia. Seville: Jett Benninga, Blake Morison, Joel Koger, Paul Bailey, Max Shepherd, Jye Sciortino.

YEA

1.2, 3.5, 7.6, 9.8 (62)

EMERALD .............. 21., 3.6, 5.9, 6.12 (48)

Best. Yea: Daniel Evans, Patrick Evans, Cameron Evans, Corbin Sutherland, Sam Brewer, Joshua Buxton. Emerald: Brendan Wi,lson, Ben Lewis, Bradley Pepi, Bailey Grose, Luke Spaulding, Lawson Cocks.

BELGRAVE . 5.5, 10.10, 18.11, 26.19 (175)

POWELLTOWN ..... 1.1, 1.2, 2.3, 3.4 (22) DIVISION 1 RESERVES

YARRA GLEN .... 3.6, 6.9, 9.14, 12.15 (87)

YARRA JUNC. ........ 0.0, 2.3, 2.3, 4.5 (29)

Best. Yarra glen: Oscar Grenfellk, Simon van der Westhuizen, Chris Capuano, Jarrod Hull, Darcy Byron, Dereck Perawiti. Yarra Junction: Klye Dusley, Liam Barry, Kobe Thorsen, Brent van der Vlugt, Andre Dos Santosm, Aleck Beck.

investigation into a series of alleged carjackings in Coburg, Fawkner, Hadfield, Campbellfield, Mickleham and Wallan between July 1-10, two more people were also arrested. Investigators arrested the pair following the execution of two warrants in Broadmeadows and Meadow Heights . The 15-year-old and 16-yearold from the Hume area have been interviewed in relation to incidents in Fawkner and Hadfield on Thursday (July 9). The pair are expected to be charged on summons. The investigation is ongoing.

Glen Alvie fatal crash

■ Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are investigating a fatal crash in Glen Alvie. It is believed a car travelling on Glen Alvie Rd lost control

and rolled down an embankment just after 7pm Saturday (July 11).

A male passenger of the vehicle died at the scene.

Two other passengers sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to hospital.

The driver of the vehicle, a 25-year-old Noble Park man, was transported to hospital under police guard.

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision is ongoing.

Southern incidents

■ Police have charged six males following a series of offences across the Greater Dandenong area on Saturday (July 11).

Police responded to multiple calls regarding a vehicle being

driven erratically, stopping and starting in the Springvale area around 2.20pm.

The vehicle is alleged to have been stolen from a property on Wellesley Rd in Hawthorn

The occupants of the vehicle were then allegedly involved in three robberies.

The first was allegedly an armed robbery at a business on Cheltenham Rd in Keysborough just after 11.30am, then a robbery at a business on Corrigan Rd in Noble Park just before midday.

The third was allegedly an armed robbery at a business on South Rd in Moorabbin around 12.30pm where it is alleged threats were made with a machete.

The stolen vehicle was monitored through Moorabbin, Keysborough and then onto Eastlink and the Monash Freeway before a police vehicle boxed the car in just off the Monash Fwy near McGregors Rd .

Police deployed OC spray inside the car to affect the arrest.

All six people were arrested at the scene.

A 15-year-old and 17-year-old from the Greater Dandenong area have been charged with theft of motor vehicle and bailed to appear at a children’s court.

An 18-year-old Springvale South man has been charged with theft of motor vehicle and commit indictable offences on bail and bailed to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on November 21.

A 16-year-old and a 17-yearold from the Greater Dandenong area been charged with aggravated burglary with an offensive weapon, 2 x armed robberies and robbery.

They have been remanded to appear at a children’s court at a later date.

A 13-year-old from the Greater Dandenong area has been charged with aggravated burglary with an offensive weapon, 2 x armed robberies, robbery and serious driving offences.

He has been remanded to appear at a children’s court at a later date.

PAKENHAM ....... 2.3, 5.5, 8.7, 13.11 (89) SEVILLE ................. 0.0, 0.0, 1.2, 2.2 (14) Best. Pakenham: oscar Jones, Lochlan Menzelm, Ben Tranfield, Troy Clacy, Nick Verleg, Lewis Davies. Seville: Rhys Djohan, Blake Cameron, Hayden Pleming, Jordan Trollope, Jarrod Hardy, Daniel McNaughton.

EMERALD .......... 3.2, 7.6, 9.7, 11.10 (76)

YEA ......................... 1.2, 3.2, 5.4, 6.4 (40) Best. Emerald: ZackRozenboom, Jason Vallas, Steven Paull, Anthony Jaber, Jason Miles, Jack Martini. Yea: Aidan McSpeerin, Thomas White, Zayde Macloed, Benjamin Keyzer, Julian Mahon, Josh Cunningham.

Ladders

■ Division 1 Seniors. 1. Pakenham, 225.57, 52. 2. Seville, 273.59, 44. 3. Alexandra,c 185.40, 40. 4. Yarra Glen, 179.79, 30. 5. Belgrave, 163.59, 28. 6. Emerald, 128.27, 26. 7. Yea, 87.78, 20. 8. Powelltown, 15.39, 18. 8. Yarra Junction, 12.63, 4.

■ Division 1 Reserves. 1. Pakenham, 744.92, 52. 2. Emerald, 204.11, 40. 3. Seville, 160.00, 40. 4. Belgrave, 270.63, 32. 5. Alexandra, 157.28, 32. 6. Yea, 102.83, 20. 7. Yarra Glen, 28.94, 20. 8. Powelltown, 18.88, 12. 9. Yarra Junction, 18.76, 8.

Netball

DIVISION 1

■ A-Grade. Yarra Glen 63 d Yarra Junction 39. Pakenham Lions 39 d Seville 35. Yea 45 d Emerald 44. Belgrave 45 d Powelltown 39. Bye: Alexandra.

■ B-Grade. Yarra Glen 51 d Yarra Junction 35. Pakemham lions 40 d Seville 33. Yea 48 d Emerald 28. Belgrave 53 d Powelltown 27. Bye: Alexandra.

■ C-Grade. Yarra Glen 47 d Yarra Junction 18. Seville 43 d Pakenham Lions 30. Yea 37 d Emerald 36.

BYERLY BONUS UP FOR GRABS

■ The curtain is about to be drawn on the current racing season, and all thoroughbred horses will turn a year older on August 1.

For two-year-olds in their first year of racing and currently in training, only a few opportunities remain to achieve a win in this age group if success has eluded them so far.

One of these races holds greater importance than all others.

The Byerley Handicap to be run this Saturday (July 18) at Flemington over 1800 metres, carries with it an exemption from the ballot for the winner to compete in the 2026 Victoria Derby or VRC Oaks

Last year, Arcora won the Byerley and went on to finish a close second to Observer in the Derby

Therefore, the horse able to pass this early staying test with flying colours will almost certainly chart a course towards a spring classic start.

These gallopers stand out as possible contenders, and are likely to provide the winner following recent racing:

Marwooba

Stepped up to 1400 metres and broke through for his first victory at Rosehill. He came to Flemington off the back of that and ran out the 1600 metres strongly to win again after being given a textbook ride by Craig Williams. This appears to be a perfect progression to 1800 metres at the same track.

Star Of Macedon

Still a maiden following two seconds and two thirds from four attempts. Has shown he is suited at Flemington coming from well back to finish third over 1420 metres and then second at 1600 metres behind Marwooba last time. Ideally placed over the extra 200 metres.

Early Return

■ In addition to the rising stayers, there is another two-year-old event on the Flemington program for the sprinters over 1000 metres.

Those with exposed feature race form aren’t expected to be back at the races until they commence their three-year-old spring campaigns.

So, this could be a one-act affair for the following gelding who is up and going early, having impressed in recent jump outs: Hard Kick

Turned heads at his only start in February when he led from go to whoa at Flemington over 1100 metres. This son of All Too Hard was held together until the 300 metres mark when allowed to quicken and simply bolt in. It would take something special to beat him home here.

Flemington Cup

■ The National Gallery of Victoria holds in its collection a silver trophy from the 1849 Flemington Cup won by the racehorse Belzoni.

Although the inaugural Melbourne Cup would not be run until 12 years later, there was no connection between the two races.

The Flemington Cup was run in January and not even contested on the Flemington racecourse land.

Rod Basto

Despite this, the race was resurrected at this meeting in 2020 and has been run each year since, over a distance of 2800 metres.

In 2023, the race was renamed the Deane Lester Flemington Cup following the passing of the racing industry identity who had encouraged the return of the race to celebrate its place in history.

Given the time of year this race is run, the field usually includes some stayers equally adept over the jumps.

Possible runners include the following recent rivals:

Highland Blaze

Proven flat performer and jumper. Won the 2025 Grand National Hurdle and last start scored a big win in the Banjo Paterson at Flemington over 2600 metres. That was an emphatic victory last time and he

would most likely be the measuring stick for the chances.

Vegas Jack His winning run came to an end last start when unplaced behind Highland Blaze. Should come in better at the weights on this occasion, so it may pay to forgive him one failure.

Rising Stars

■ Races set aside for apprentice jockeys only are run throughout Victoria during the racing season.

Points are awarded for the top five placings in each leg of this Rising Stars series.

Although the Rising Stars Final will be run at Flemington on Saturday, for which points are also awarded, the winner of the series is already known.

Due to having such a big lead, Emily Pozman cannot be overtaken no matter what the results on the day.

However, there is no doubt she would like to top off the series win with victory in the Final.

When considering the mounts of other apprentices in the Final, two young riders are just outside the top three positions in the Victorian Metropolitan Jockeys Premiership

Luke Cartwright and Logan Bates have taken all before them this season, so consider both if they have a ride in the Final.

Horses To Follow

■ Star Of Macedon

■ Kings Reflection

■ Boltsaver

■ Queen Peta

Racing Calendar

■ Wednesday, July 15: Sandown Lakeside

■ Thursday, July 16: Cranbourne

■ Friday, July 17: Mildura

■ Saturday, July 18: Flemington, Mildura

■ Sunday, July 19: Seymour, Coleraine

■ Monday, July 20: Pakenham Synthetic

■ Tuesday, July 21: Moe

Local gelding victorious at Charlton

■ Central Victorian racing at Charlton opened the week’s proceeding with an even six event card and locally trained 6Y0 Sportswriter-Redbank Under Fire gelding Sporting Rage was victorious in the 2100 metre Josie Harvey Memorial Pace.

Raced by Charlton’s Boyle family Mark, Janice and Kirk along with Tom Lloyd. Sporting Rage trained by Mark who has 280 wins to his credit began fast from gate five to lead throughout and with no pressure being applied, greeted the judge by 7.2 metres in advance of polemarker Myrtle May along the sprint lane after trailing, with Presidental Change/ (gate four – one/ one) thirm/md 2.1 metres away. The mile rate 1-58.6.

■ Horsham’s Aaron Dunn landed the 1609 metre Vale Carmel Fitzpatrick Pace with home bred and raced DownbytheseasideLittle Lyn filly Eyesealittle.

A winner at Mildura back in October last, Eyesealittle was restrained at the start from gate five to settle three back in the moving line as Hungry Hogarth led from gate four and after trailing No Emotion (one/one from gate three) forward three wide in the last lap, ran home best to prevail by last stride a head margin from a sprint laning polemarker Huxham Chubb who was third a half neck back. The mile rate 1-59.3.

■ The Stars and Stripes Maiden Trotters Mobile went the way of Riddell trainer Freddy Spiteri’s 4Y0 Southwind FrankCourcheve mare Aspen Bell.

Making only her second race appearance, Aspen Belle starting from gate two on the second line enjoyed a sweet passage one/two, then one/one at the bell with Bendigo’s Jack Laugher in the sulky and after angling wide on straightening sprinted fast to blouse the leader Speshal (gate five) by a head in a mile rate of 205.3.

I Am Skye Chiola (gate two) was enormous when third after galloping away shortly after the start to settle mid-field before going forward to lead prior to the bell.

Echuca

■ Echuca was Tuesday’s venue and 10Y0 Red Samurai-Starlights Sister mare Starlight Red brought up her 20th success in 218 outings (44 placings) when victorious in the Rich River Golf Club Trotters Mobile over 2160 metres.

Trained at Bunbatha by Brian and Judy Bourke, Starlight Red driven by regular reinswoman Laura Wilson spent most of the race buried three pegs from inside the second line as Jetaway Saint led from gate two after crossing polemarker Fling It Rainbow leaving Rastamon (gate four) going forward to race exposed.

Coming away from the inside in the last lap to be one/one on the final bend as Rastamon claimed Jetaway Saint, Startlight Red after angling wide on straightening finished best to gain the day by 1.3 metres over a game Rastamon and Fling It Rainbow along the sprint lane who was a head away third. The mile rate 2-03.6.

■ The VHRC / Mark Gurry& Associates Trotters Mobile saw Mundoona trainer/ driver John Newberry provided former NSW 4Y0 Majestic Son-Chevrons Sweetheart mare Jackies Gift to greet the judge no doubt pleasing wife Maree who is a partowner.

Beginning fast from the pole, Jackies Gift led throughout setting a new track record of 2-01.6 for the 2160 metre trip to register a 1.4 metre margin in advance of Poppy Popstar (gate two) which trailed coming off the leaders back in the straight. Faye McEwan’s honest gelding Watch An Act (three pegs from gate two second row) was third was a half neck away third after following the pair.

■ Moorilim owner/trainer Greg Fleming’s 5Y0 Yankee Rockstar-Whats Emma Got mare Whats Glenda Got driven by Ellen Tormey brought up two wins in succession by taking the VHRV / GBL Properties Pace over 1755 metres.

Starting from the extreme draw, Whats Glenda Got pushed through at the start to possy one/one as 13Y0 gelding Iamawingate showed great acceleration to lead from gate five.

Angling three wide on the home turn, Whats Glenda Got ran home nicely to score by 1.8 metres from Kimchi (one/two from

inside the second line), with Iamawingate holding down third 2.5 metres back. The mile rate 1-59.5

■ Local Fred McKenner’s 6Y0 Betting Line-Glenferrie Shuffle gelding Line Dance snared the 1755 metre VHRC/Benstud Standardbreds Pace to make it eight wins in 59 race appearances.

Driven by Jordie Leedham, Line Dance settled one/one after starting solo on the second row with Allgood Vinnie flying away from gate five to lead easily before surrendering to Hes Harrywho (gate four) which had been forced to face the open, Line Dance was left exposed but proved too tough at the finish for Allgood Vinnie along the sprint lane, with Hes Harry Who third. The margins 1.5 by 1.1 metres in a 1-57.3 mile rate.

■ Another local to win on the night was Wayne Lear’s 9Y0 Mach Three-Vertigal mare Wheres Wood Wood in the 2160 metre Alabar Bloodstock Mares Pace.

With Nathan Jack in the sulky, Wheres Wood Wood speared straight to the front from gate two and couldn’t be caught scoring by 5.3 metres from the lone second liner Dancingonstarlight (one/one – outside winner mid-race).

The favourite Clives Girl (gate four) after being eased at the start went forward to race uncovered before gaining cover when Dancingonstarlight vacated the prime spot was third 1.4 metres back. The mile rate 2-02.6.

Kilmore

■ Kilmore raced on Wednesday with a seven event card and Bolinda trainer Alison Alford and husband Chris were successful with beautifully bred 5Y0 What The Hill-Cold Sister mare Aldebaran Susan in the 1690 metre Coulter Legal Trotters Mobile.

Bred by Colleen Aiken and raced by her and Duncan McPherson’s Aldebaran Lodge Pty Ltd, Aldebaran Susan starting solo on the second line settled mid-field in the running line as Bolinda trained Queen Kizen led from gate two.

With plenty of pressure being applied by Off Your Faceski (gate three) through the middle stages, Aldebaran Susanne moved up stylishly three wide approaching the final bend and finished her race off well to record a 4.3 metre margin over polemarker Majestic Tooth also Bolinda trained which trailed the leader with honest gelding Dels Destiny (gate four – three pegs) running his usual honest race for third 3.8 metres away. The mile rate 1-58.

■ Brent Lilley combined with Nathan Jack aboard French bred 3Y0 gelding Just Me And You in the C&M Build Group Maiden Trotters Mobile over 2180 metres. Trailing the leader and stablemate Kyvalley Reeva (gate five) from the pole before swapping positions shortly after the start, Just Me And You given every chance at the head of affairs just lasted by a neck from Sambezia (gate three – one/one) in a 2-06.8 mile rate. Lezama raced exposed from outside the front line when holding third 22.3 metres back.

■ Kyabram part-owner/trainer Graham Lyon was in the winners stall following the victory of Rock N Roll Heaven-Neishars Jet filly Heavenly Flyer in the Kilmore Ford 3Y0 Maiden Pace over 1690 metres. Bred and raced by a large group which includes HRV Board member Dennis Bice, Heavenly Flyer driven by James

Herbertson settled one/one from gate three and after going forward three wide in the last lap, raced away to record a 7.1 metre margin over Heavenly Nikky one/two from inside the second line and Takao (gate six) which raced exposed finishing 3 metres away. The mile rate 1-57.4.

■ It was great to see Dunnstown’s David Murphy a winner after 4Y0 Cardigan BokoEureka Encounter mare Met With A Shrug scored in the 2180 metre JC Windows Trotters Mobile.

Driven by son Brent for mother Erin, Met With A Shrug following two placings prior settled on the back of the leader I Am Harro (gate five) enjoying a cosy trip, Met With A Shrug eased away from the inside on the final bend and finished her race off well to register a 8.3 metre margin over polemarker Little Tedey (three pegs) which used the sprint lane, with Im Miss Royalty after a slow beginning from a solo second line draw (one/four) also using the sprint lane from the tail for third 8.9 metres back. The mile rate 2-04.7. David had been enduring a tough time in recent months but is on the road to recovery.

■ Costerfield breeder/part-owner/trainer Michael Tobin combined with Leigh Sutton to land the MC Labour Pace over 2180 metres with Queenhigh Flush, a 5Y0 daughter of Art Major and Alta Flamenco.

Beginning best to lead from gate five, Restrained to allow local Miki Mark to assume control after going forward from gate four, Queenhigh Flush after a sweet passage was eased off the inside on the home turn and ran on best to register a 2.1 metre victory from Miki Mark. Rank outsider Belvu Bandit (gate three) finished with a wet sail from the rear for third 1.6 metres back. The mile rate 2-01.9.

■ Kyabram owner/trainer/driver Paul Railton’s Cardigan Boko-Soh Filthy Rich 6Y0 gelding Money Talks has shown rapid improvement in recent outings and after a number of placings returned to the winners list in the Picklebet ‘Get Your Pickle On’ Trotters Mobile over 2180 metres.

Taken back from gate four to settle four pegs as speedy Patnwill took up his usual front running role from gate three, Money Talks moved to be one/one in the last lap and after anging three wide on the home turn, raced clear as the winning post loomed to score by 3 metres from Patnwill who wouldn’t give in without a fight. Polemarker Player Del Carmen was third 7.5 metres back after trailing the leader. The mile rate a pedestrian 2-08.1.

Ballarat

■ Thursday was Ballarat with 10 races listed and 24yo Dunnstown reinsman Brent Murphy who has been amongst the winners in recent times added another to his tally to make it 85 all told when 4Y0 PeakHarper Lee mare Pique bred and raced by staunch stable supporter Alan Faux led throughout to snare the 1710 metre Boltons Office National Ballarat Maiden Trotters Mobile.

Rated to perfection, Pique coming off a second at long odds a week earlier at Geelong kicked clear on turning before being coaxed all the way to the wire in defeating the favourite Keayang Zita (gate five which raced outside her) by 1.3 metres in a 2-02.6 mile rate. Alcombbz (outside front line – one/one after being slow to score up) was third 8 metres away.

■ Bolinda trainer Kari Males has also been around the money of late combined with Josh Duggan aboard 7Y0 Sebastian KParis Pepperell mare Paris Kay in the ballarattrottingclub.com.au Trotters Mobile over 2200 metres to record a strong victory.

Beginning safely from gate three to end up outside the pacemaker after No Telling Heather (gate five) crossed Night Flight (gate two), Paris Kay extended to assume control racing for the bell and defied the favourite Keayang Tweetybird (extreme draw- one/three - three wide last lap) to register a 2.8 metre margin in a 2-00.1 mile rate. Night Flight held on gamely for third a head away.

■ The Meredith combination of Emmett Brosnan and father Richard were successful with 4Y0 Timoko-Purplepeopleater mare Moreep in the Hewitt & Whitty Trotters Mobile over 1710 metres. Driven by Emmett, Moreep starting from the extreme draw settled four back in the

This Week

■ Tuesday – Shepparton, Wednesday – Melton, Thursday – Kilmore, Friday –Mildura/Geelong, Saturday – Melton, Sunday – Cranbourne, Monday –Stawell, Tuesday - Shepparton.

running line as polemarker Kickabarrell led before surrendering to Metro Swish (gate three).

Kicking away on the home turn, Kichabarrell appeared to have the race in his keeping, bur Moreep which had moved to three back on the bend sprinted brilliantly out wide in the straight to blouse her by 1.8 metres, with Snickers Express (mid-field) – three wide last lap third 10.9 metres away. The mile rate 1-59.8.

■ Mount Wallace co-trainers David and Brad Barnes landed the 1710 metre Del Re National Foods Pace with Arzali Rockstar, a 3Y0 daughter of Yankee Rockstar and Sheluvesme.

Raced by the Barnes family, Arzali Rockstar driven by Jordan Leedham led throughout from gate two greeting the judge by five metres in advance of Fiction File (one/one from gate two on the second line), with Stephen Clarke’s Monsieur Flamel a game third 3.5 metres away after racing exposed. The mile rate 1-56.4.

■ One of Stephen Clarke’s recently relocated to Charlton team in the care of son Connor including 4Y0 Soho Tribeca-Aussie Made Lombo mare Woodville Flyer was victorious in the Woodlands Stud Maiden Pace over 2200 metres returning a 1-59.8 mile rate.

Driver by Connor, Woodville Flyer making her seventh race appearance began fast from gate five to lead all of the way and score by 2 metres over Imallattitude (gate three – one/two) and Zealyn (gate two –which followed the winner.

■ Ecklin South owner/trainer Mattie Craven’s team are going strongly at present and Southwind Frank-Jilliby Princess filly Roseofthewinds bred, raced and driven by him greeted the judge in the Radio Ballarat 3Y0 Trotters Mobile over 2200 metres following a first up victory at Horsham a week earlier.

Going forward from gate five as the mobile moved away, Roseofthewinds was restrained to allow Vance Lane outside her from outside the front line to take over.

Coming away from the inside on turning, Roseofthewinds finished her race of really well to prevail by 3.1 metres over Vance Lane, with solo second line runner Aldebaran Jasmine (one/two – one/one –death seating last lap) third. The mile rate 2-02.7.

Melton

■ At Melton on Friday, Darraweit/Bolinda breeder/part-owner/trainer Alexandra Hurley’s home bred striking grey 7Y0 mare Spun Silver, a daughter Follow The Stars and Tourbillion Dargent mare Spun Silver chalked up her 10th success in 77 outings by winning the Dynamic Print Group Pace over 1720 metres.

Beginning brilliantly as she can from gate six , Spun Silver with neighbour Tristan Larsen in the sulky to lead, Spun Silver as she usually does fought on courageously in defeating Aveiro (one/two from the extreme draw) which flashed home, with Tommys Lookout (one/three) third. No times or margins were available all night.

Brent Murphy was again a winner after 5Y0 Always B Miki-Young Janie mare Jainiebquick led throughout from the pole to land the Mimosa Homes Pace over 1720 meres, accounting for a death-seating Bettorsweetvictory (gate two) and All Things Spicy from a mile back.

Len Baker

General bye for the Alexandra Rebels

■ With our Senior footballers and A, B and C Grade netballers enjoying a well-earned bye last weekend, the Alexandra club's attention turned to Under 18 footballers and Under 17 netballers, who were both on the road representing the Rebels. Under 18 footballers travelled to Mt Evelyn for an early morning clash. Despite another determined performance and never giving up, the Rebels came up against a strong Mt Evelyn outfit, going down 18.18 (126) to 2.2 (14).

The boys continue to show great commitment each week and should be proud of the way they represent the club.

Award winners: Bowens Award: Heath Sutcliffe, Kia Chadstone Award: Harry Morely, AFNC Club Voucher: Connor Kaempkes, and Coaches Award: Zavier Cowell

Under 17 netballers travelled to Yea to take on Emerald and, with only seven players available, produced an outstanding effort. The girls matched Emerald for much of the game and remained in the contest until the final quarter before Emerald pulled away to claim a 29–22 victory. It was a fantastic display of determination and resilience from the team.

Award winners were Eva Twitchett and Taya

Yea Rotary honours

■ Rotary District 9790 held its annual changeover dinner in Wangaratta to thank District Governor Emma Davis and her team for her year and welcome new District Governor Paul Miegel into the position.

The Rotary Club of Yea was well up there. Immediate Past President Darryl King was acknowledged for his leadership and efforts following the Longwood fires with a Paul Harris Fellow

Gary Fitzgerald, who has held many club positions (currently the treasurer) and District positions (twice Treasurer and three times Secretary) was acknowledged for his 40 years of continuous service to Rotary Past President and Past District Governor David Anderson was acknowledged for his work to the Rotary Foundation at club, district and zone level.

The Rotary Foundation is Rotary’s own charity.

Past President Penny Paxman was acknowledged as a Club Mentor, who will be responsible for assisting five clubs in the local patch achieve their Rotary goals.

Barkley. This weekend the Rebels return home to Rebel Park, with Senior footballers and A, B and C Grade netball teams taking on Yarra Junction in what promises to be another great day of football and netball.

Under 18 footballers will enjoy a well-earned bye, and all our supporters are encouraged to get down to the club and cheer on the Rebels as the second half of the season continues.

Junior Football

Under 16s -Alexandra 44 defeated by Seymour 55

Award Winners: Reddrops Foodworks Award: Fletcher Van Lierop, Essence Coffee Lounge Award: Mav Burchall, Kazza’s Diner: Jayd Bennett, Gilligan Plumbing Award: Logan Conway, Coaches Award: Riley Galloway. Under 14s - Alexandra 27 defeated by Kyabram 82

Award Winners: Reddrops Foodworks Award: Hudson Brooks, Essence Coffee Lounge Award: Harish Balansag, Kazza's Diner Award: Clay Hilder, Coaches Award: Charlie Broadway Under 12s - Alexandra 56 defeated Wandong 14 Award Winners: Reddrops Foodworks Award: Max Bristow, Essence Coffee Lounge Award: Benjamin Cavill, Kazza's Diner Award: Nate Carter, Coaches Award: Zac Stephens, Phil Savage Award: Joey Creed

Under 10s - Award Winners: Kazza's Diner Award: Jedd Kelly, Canteen Voucher: Ollie Lynch, Footy Cards: River Lamaro & Roy Hedger

Under 9s - Award Winners: Essence Coffee Lounge Award: AJ Doyle, Sherrin Bounce Footy: Dallas Leary, Phil Savage Award: James Munro, Footy Cards: Ned Hedger and Jude

Nardella-Morcom

Junior Netball

Under 15 - Alexandra Black 44 defeated Alexandra Red 27

Alexandra Black Award Winners - Zoe Coller, Bella Twitchett and Tilly Milkjovic

Alexandra Red Award Winners - Sam Fraser, Chloe Woehl

Under 13 Black - Alexandra 14 defeated by St. Mary's 50

Award Winners - Lila Friswell & Haley Coghill

Under 11 Black - Alexandra 10 defeated Broadford 9

Award Winners - Isla Jenkins & Lalah Goodman

Under 11 Red - Alexandra 7 drew with Nagambie 7

Award Winners: Eva Nardella Morcum & Matilda Kerr

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Notice of Precipe

For the record, the woman living in her private capacity, known by her proper name, Leah Bridget of Elwood, Victoria, is permanently domiciled on the land and soil of the Terra Australis State (Terra Australis). I am not a voluntary transactor in commerce. I hold, by right of original claim, the paramount security interest over all estates, property, assets, and collateral, both registered and unregistered. This absolute security interest extends over all associated copyright-protected trade names, including LEAH FRAME, FRAME LEAH

BRIDGET, LEAH

BRIDGET FRAME, LEAH B FRAME, LEAH B. FRAME, L.B. FRAME, L B FRAME, FRAME LEAH, Leah Bridget FRAME, LEAH Frame, Leah FRAME, FRAME

Leah, LEAH B. Frame, Leah B. FRAME, Leah Frame, Leah Bridget Frame, Leah B. Frame, L.F., LF, LBF, L.B.F., and MS LB. My lawful reconveyance to the land and soil jurisdiction of Terra Australis was recorded under Public Recording Number RPP44 63900 05100 28447 50606 on the Proclamation Date 24 July 2025. Consequently, all usufruct subjugation ties with the corporate government of Australia are severed. I declare that I am no longer under government oversight, rescind government benefits, have removed myself from all voting rolls, and refuse and waive my right to enter into a RECOGNIZANCE everywhere as a person before the law. This standing reflects the peremptory norms of international law (jus cogens) from which no derogation is permitted, binding all state organs and corporate entities regardless of domestic legislative provisions to the contrary. The Australian government and its affiliates are hereby instructed to cease and desist misaddressing and misrepresenting the name Leah Bridget Frame in all capital letters contrary to the rules of standard English grammar and immediately cease and desist infringing upon my estate, private property, assets, collateral, and copyright-protected trade names. By the Christian woman: Leah Bridget.

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