Mail - Upper Yarra Star Mail - 3rd March 2026

House rally

By Oliver Winn

The Seville Community House joined roughly 200 other groups across the state at Parliament house for the Keep Our Doors Open campaign, demanding a crucial funding increase from the State Government.

The campaign, led by Neighbourhood Houses Victoria (NHVic), started in October 2025 after analysis showed that without additional funding of $11.7m per year, hundreds of houses across the state could shut down.

Seville Community House manager Stacie Adams said a lack of funding left her community house short of cash and under pressure.

“It creates pressure to work unpaid hours, it creates pressure to be constantly searching for funding and resources above what is supplied.”

But a Victorian Government spokesperson said it was proud to contribute $43 million to community and neighbourhood houses every year.

“We continue to work with Neighbourhood Houses Victoria to support the sector which provide a space for local communities to access critical support.”

Read more on page 4

Outage outrages

By Gabriella Vukman

Healesville shop owners have been left outraged and uncompensated after AusNet’s last-minute cancellation of a scheduled power outage on Tuesday 24 February.

The cancellation occurred when traffic lights unexpectedly lost power after the outage, forcing AusNet to restore power to the network shortly after 9am.

No VicRoads assets were listed in the scheduled outage’s planned works scope, and no record of notification to the roads authority

had been made.

By the time businesses were notified the power outage was cancelled on Tuesday morning, shopfronts along Main Street were already dark and locked.

Staff had been stood down, deliveries postponed and customers turned away, only for electricity to return less than half an hour after it was cut.

Kitchen and Butcher owner Alison was infuriated after she spent $950 on a generator for the day and demanded compensation from AusNet.

“I couldn’t cancel the generator this time be-

cause they had cancelled the outage after the generator had arrived here,” Alison said.

At Wild Grains Bakery, co-owner Cristine said the 9.30am notification came too late to salvage the day.

“Finding out at 9.30 was too late because I had already cancelled the staff,” Cristine said.

“The chefs would have needed to be in by then,” she said.

In a statement to the Star Mail, an AusNet spokesperson said two planned maintenance works scheduled in the Healesville area were completed.

“Work on the WYK24 feeder (Koo Wee Rup Rd Woori Yallock) involved replacing poles and reconductoring power lines. This planned outage impacted 17 customers,” the spokesperson told Star Mail.

According to AusNet, work on the WYK24 feeder (River St, Healesville) involved replacing poles and impacted 46 customers. These works were also completed.

“We understand there is never a good time to be without power and we apologise for the inconvenience,” an AusNet spokesperson said.

Read more on page 5

Warning after battery fire

By Oliver Winn

A Launching Place family has warned the public to follow safe charging practices after their home was completely destroyed by a vicious house fire on Sunday 22 February.

The fire was caused by a charging lithium-ion battery which randomly started exploding like “fireworks” at 4pm - highlighting the consequences of not following safety advice.

Hillcrest CFA member Peter Jenkin said the house was almost fully enveloped in fire upon arrival.

“I was on the first truck that rocked up, my crew went into getting hoses out to get water on it. But yeah, it was obvious we weren’t going to save it at that point,” Mr Jenkin said.

Seventeen emergency service vehicles attended the scene within 20 minutes of the first call.

It was another normal day for home owners Phil and Eliza Hall when a “roaring noise” erupted from Mr Hall’s music studio.

“I ran in saw that the battery pack was like… what you imagine being up close to fireworks is like,” Mr Hall said.

“I yelled at Eliza to get me the fire extinguisher… I unloaded the whole thing from about a metre away and it did nothing.”

Mr Hall doused the battery with a second fire extinguisher to no avail.

“We’re beaten, get out. Yeah, it was scary as f-k,” he said.

Ms Hall said immediately after the fire started, her two teenage sons Jamison and Kai were

already jumping into action. “It wouldn’t have been 10 seconds after I said there’s a fire that Jami… was on the phone to Triple Zero and Kai was already taking the puppies out and loading them up into the trailer.”

Thanks to the rapid response, most of the family’s animals - which included three dogs, 14 puppies, seven chickens, two alpacas and two sheep - survived the fire, though the pet lizard unfortunately didn’t make it.

Mr Hall said he wished he’d heeded the warnings about charging his batteries outside of the house.

“I wish that I’d had a metal box, like potentially a large toolbox or something, equipped with a foam extinguisher and maybe even a fire blanket, and had had a power point installed somewhere out here that was away from all our things,” Mr Hall said.

Energy Safe Victoria released its Before You Know campaign on 20 January, which aims to promote awareness about the dangers lithium-ion batteries can pose when owners don’t follow safe charging practices.

“When something feels familiar, it’s easy to assume the worst won’t happen,” Energy Safe chief executive officer Leanne Hughson said.

“Even though most people know that lithium-ion battery fires can happen, that moment of assuming that it won’t happen to you, can have a powerful impact on safety at home.”

Victorian fire authorities report attending one lithium-ion battery fire every day, and Energy Safe Victoria reports around half of these incidents take place in homes and apartments.

In most cases primary factors was charging and “thermal runaway” and more than a third of incidents occurred between January and March.

“These fires don’t usually happen because someone deliberately ignores safety advice,” Ms Hughson said.

“They happen when everyday shortcuts creep in, like charging overnight or using the wrong charger – and people assume nothing will go wrong.”

Mr Hall said though he’d made a habit of charging his children’s e-scooters outside, he’d grown complacent with charging lithium-ion batteries for his various gardening tools.

Mr Hall had a mix of genuine and non-genuine batteries, making it hard to determine which battery was responsible for the fire.

Energy Safe Victoria recommends these habits that can significantly reduce risk.

Buying from reputable brands and looking for the Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) to ensure products meet Australian safety standards.

Users should also avoid suspiciously cheap or unknown online sellers, while only using chargers supplied or approved by the manufacturer of the battery.

Don’t charge devices unattended, overnight or near exits or in bathrooms.

Stop using batteries that are damaged, swollen or overheating and in event of fire, evacuate immediately and call Triple Zero (000).

Sprinklers trialled

By Oliver Winn

Seven outer east CFA brigades went on the defensive in Woods Point on 21-22 February to protect the town from a threatening fire in Gaffneys Creek.

Wandin CFA joined the asset protection strike team, where they drew battle lines around the town with strategically placed sprinkler systems.

Luckily, conditions were milder than expected and brigades travelled back home on Sunday afternoon.

Wandin CFA fourth lieutenant Phil Smith bolstered the strike team and said locals were reassured at the CFA’s presence in town.

“It was mostly about providing that protection in case it did go wrong, and for the peace of mind of the locals,” Mr Smith said.

With the nearest town some 55 kilometres away, Woods Point residents are quite isolated and they rely on the support from other towns.

“Knowing that they’re not forgotten and people are willing to come out and make sure they’re safe and they’ve got somewhere to sleep tomorrow night is really important for residents.”

Mr Smith estimated roughly $60,000 of hose was laid around the town to set up the sprinkler defence system, which was a first time for the CFA.

The system was set up by the strike team which arrived earlier on the Saturday, which comprised brigades from Rowville, Mooroolbark, Chirnside Park, Ferntree Gully, Kallista and The Basin.

“From my point of view as a firefighter, it [the sprinkler system] was really good.

“I just don’t want to be the guy that has to go pack up all the hoses,” Mr Smith joked.

The brigades were briefed on the system and were told of a potential ember attack that could occur in the early morning.

“There was nothing much happening when we got there so we retired and had the arrangements in place that if shit hit the fan we’d be woken up and told where to go and what to do.”

Generous locals opened up their doors to the firefighters on Saturday night, providing a roof over their heads as they rested up for the next day.

“The people opening up their homes - it’s the first time I’ve seen that happen. It was really nice to have a home basically to live in, even if it was only for one night.

“Which was always very much appreciated, because often on these things you sort of get... a nice flat bit of ground there [to sleep on],” Mr Smith said.

The Sunday was spent stationing the trucks around the town’s edge, splitting it into two sections.

“Hanging around, talking to the locals, seeing what their fire preparations were like, how defendable their properties and everything were in case the fire turned bad,” Mr Smith said.

He said the deployment went well and the brigades were sent back home at 4pm.

“There was a couple of unique things up there and they worked out really well and everything worked out best for the town,” Mr Smith said.

IN BRIEF

Construction starts for new Wesburn Park car park

Construction works have begun on a new car park at Wesburn Park to help accommodate an anticipated increase in visitors due to the Warburton Bike Park.

Yarra Ranges Council Design and Delivery Team commenced construction on 23 February on land adjacent to the Wesburn Park Pump Track. The works will take place on Old Warburton Road within council land.

IT issue resolved

An IT issue which delayed the Tuesday 24 February print edition is now resolved, and Star Mail newspapers will be distributed as normal.

The Star Mail apologises for any inconvenience caused.

Wetland works

Wetland construction works are underway along Milners Road in Yarra Junction for the next eight weeks.

The works aim to improve stormwater treatment for the neighbourhood, increase water absorption and reduce runoff, boost biodiversity and enhance recreational opportunities.

Yarra Ranges Council workers will be onsite at the works, which are located near the track which can be found near 20 Milners Road.

The works will take eight weeks to complete, subject to favourable conditions.

For further information contact Yarra Ranges Council on 1300 368 333 or email mail@yarraranges.vic.gov.au.

Free women’s health clinics

Women from the Upper Yarra will have the chance to get free 45 minute health consultations in March.

From 2 to 13 March, the Women’s Health Mobile Clinic will be in Yarra Junction and Warburton This service is for women of all ages and teenagers.

One clinic is located at Each, 2468 Warburton Hwy, Yarra Junction VIC 3797, running from 2 to 6 March.

From 10 to 13 March another clinic can be found at the ADRA Community Centre-Redwood, 3505 Warburton Hwy, Warburton VIC 3799.

For more information visit breastscreen.org. au/whmc and to book call 03 9675 0050.

We encourage the community to prioritise their health and book an appointment today.

Some minor patching works are taking place in Wesburn and Yarra Junction in March.

Maintenance works at the intersection of Britannia Creek Road and Madeley Drive in Wesburn will take place on Tuesday 10 March.

On Wednesday 11 March, works will take place at Riversdale Road in Yarra Junction.

Lowes Road in Yarra Junction will take place the day after on Thursday 12 March.

Works will be completed by Yarra Ranges Council’s contractor May Asphalt Group, between 7.00 am and 4.00pm.

The Yarra Ranges Council will take every care to make sure the works are completed within the specified period, though circumstances out of its control may affect the program.

One lane closed at the time of works where applicable and emergency access will be available.

Commuters can expect delays to be kept to a minimum, with maximum being 15 minutes.

Junior firefighters rising

By Oliver Winn

The next generation of CFA volunteers are about to come of age as they gear up to protect the Yarra Valley.

Ten members in Hoddles Creek CFA’s junior program have risen into the senior ranks this year, opening up fresh opportunities for another round of young people to join the program.

Hoddles Creek CFA junior coordinator Kristen Couzens said it was crucial for new blood to be coming into the ranks.

“In the Yarra Valley you’ve got your aging population and your really young population… we’re trying to fill that middle gap,” Ms Couzens said.

She said it was important to recruit more junior members, as when they age into the senior ranks, it helps encourage those in their 20s or 30s to join too.

“We’re trying to promote the juniors to go into the firefighters or within the CFA to start to try and draw in that younger… crowd so that we don’t end up not being able to make trucks or, you know, help the community because we are an older population.”

“It’s more about getting the young blood into the CFA and continuing the legacy that CFA has had,” Ms Couzens said.

The Hoddles Creek CFA Juniors is the Yarra Valley cluster’s dedicated youth program, with 30 juniors training together from Wanding to Reefton.

Five of the aging juniors are going to Yarra Junction CFA, two are going to Wesburn-Millgrove CFA and one will join Mount Evelyn CFA, which sits just outside of the Yarra Valley group.

Ms Couzens spoke of the many benefits young people gain from becoming a junior CFA member.

“The way our program works compared to some other junior programs in the state, we are training our juniors to be what we call role ready,” she said.

The juniors program teaches young people interpersonal skills such as working in a team, demonstrating leadership and effective communication, while also preparing them for the fire ground with skills such as maintaining safety, map reading and radio communication.

Ms Couzens said the program helped build confidence in the juniors through practical, real world lessons.

“They react and engage with the adult population within the brigades a lot smoother, because they’ve been around them and they’re not just learning. It’s not just like a classroom environment for these kids.

“The leaders and the helping firefighters, the

adult helpers, they treat them as if they’re already firefighters.

“The adults are actually engaged with helping the kids with their hands-on learning. So we find that the youth who go through the junior program are more confident and have the ability to interact with the adults at a much more advanced level, compared to when they first start at the age of 11.”

Ms Couzens found the Hoddles Creek CFA Juniors program was conducive to all walks of life and the training could be curated to the needs of the juniors.

“We’ve got some juniors who are neurodiverse, but they’re thriving in the junior program. They’re thriving with the structure and the fact that we’re treating them as adults. We’re not treating them as children in a classroom.”

“Then we’ve got some that are coming from more difficult walks of life, and juniors and CFA is their safe place. Eventually, juniors and the CFA become a family.

“There’s really no common thread that links all of these kids. A lot of the kids are not necessarily friends at school, but are friends in the ju-

nior program or develop friendships in the junior program.”

Ms Couzens said she was proud to see the juniors develop into highly-trained young firefighters.

“I’m looking forward to… five years down the track, getting on a fire truck with our neighbouring brigades and seeing the juniors as firefighters or potentially lieutenants.

“To see them grow into the people that they are now, it’s a proud moment. It’s because of them that I keep doing what I’m doing.”

Community houses fear closures, demand funding increase

By Oliver Winn

Keep Our Doors Open campaign, demanding a crucial funding increase from the State Government. The campaign, led by Neighbourhood Houses Victoria (NHVic), started in October 2025 after analysis showed that without additional funding

CHARTERS & TOURS

of $11.7m per year, hundreds of houses across the state could shut down.

NHVic chief executive officer Keir Paterson said the State Government must commit to an increase in funding before the state budget in May, or risk widespread closure of the state’s crucial community infrastructure.

“Without urgent action, communities risk losing the safe, inclusive spaces thousands of Victorians rely on every week,” Ms Paterson said.

Seville Community House manager Stacie Adams said a lack of funding left her community house short of cash and under pressure.

“It creates pressure to work unpaid hours, it creates pressure to be constantly searching for funding and resources above what is supplied.”

But a Victorian Government spokesperson said it was proud to contribute $43 million to community and neighbourhood houses every year.

“We continue to work with Neighbourhood Houses Victoria to support the sector which provide a space for local communities to access critical support.”

The Keep Our Doors Open campaign argues the current funding isn’t enough and Ms Adams said the arrangement is making it hard for the Seville Community House to provide its basic services.

“Instead of looking for funds, we would have the funds so we could just run the program. We could do things for cheaper, we could do more things, we could have more staffing hours, all of that kind of stuff,” Ms Adams said.

Ms Paterson echoed the sentiment, which is being felt by over 400 community and neighbourhood houses in Victoria.

“Rising costs, growing community demand,

and eroded core funding are forcing houses across the state to cut hours, staff, and programs.”

“Years of underfunding has pushed almost half into deficit, leaving them at risk of closure,” Ms Paterson said.

According to a survey by NHVic, community houses in Seville, Lilydale and Mount Evelyn delivered just over 1700 sessions in 2024, providing an estimated community value of $1.1m.

Every week, more than 185,000 Victorians access community support and local services through the 400 neighbourhood houses in the state.

Evelyn MP Bridget Vallence said community and neighbourhood houses are vital and that a Victorian Liberal government would increase funding if elected.

“Community Houses are vital, providing safe places to connect and learn new skills – whether playgroup for babies and new mums, activities for older or vulnerable residents and families, or support programs,” Ms Vallence said.

“It is now up to the current Labor Government to confirm ahead of the state budget in May this year that Community Houses will receive the funding they need to ensure their doors remain open.”

Ms Adams said the benefit to community outweighs the cost of investing in community and neighbourhood houses.

“One dollar in doesn’t equal one dollar out for neighbourhood houses. It’s so much more than that,” Ms Adams said.

Silvertine Farm up for sale

By Oliver Winn

The farm growing some of the Yarra Valley’s best produce will close later this year after it was put up for sale on 17 February, marking the end of a 10 year long era.

The Silvertine Farm is a small scale market garden that supplies the Yarra Valley ECOSS market every Friday.

Known for its fresh and organic produce grown locally in Wesburn, the farm’s produce drew in crowds every week - but soon it’s coming to an end.

Silvertine Farm co-owners Tobias Mager and Josh Tucker made the bittersweet decision to hang up the tools in order to chase new ventures in life

Mr Tucker said though the farm would stay open for the next couple of months before the property is sold, there’d been some anxiety surrounding its closure.

“They [the farm’s customers] really appreciate what we do… and they’re also wondering what’s going to happen too because they’re a bit nervous about it.

“The customers who are incredibly loyal and they’re kind of the reason it’s all still going,” Mr Tucker said.

Yarra Valley ECOSS community engagement, market and events coordinator Leanne Hall said she hoped the next owner would continue the farm’s legacy.

“We plant seeds and someone else can then take it on and let it grow... and keep watering it.

“It’s come to the end of a cycle and it’s ready for… someone else to carry it on,” she said.

Mr Tucker and Mr Mager started the farm 10 years ago with a single 20-metre-bed of carrots.

“We now have two greenhouses that grow tomatoes and eggplants and capsicums and cucumbers… every veggie you could think of, we grow,” Mr Tucker said.

For roughly four years, the farm supplied the Warburton summer produce market, which Ms Hall runs to this day.

But when Covid-19 hit and the market shut down in March 2020, there was one question on everyone’s mind.

“Everyone wondered, ‘Where are we going to get our produce now’,” Ms Hall said.

The answer to that question was the ECOSS Valley Market, and within a week into lockdown, customers were getting their Silvertine Farm produce through the farm gates.

“I had to manage the Covid-19 because we would have huge queues of people coming.

“People queue up every Friday for this produce because it is good,” Ms Hall said.

“It really has been what’s kind of kept the market alive and kept people coming every week, there’s nothing else like it.”

Ms Hall said the farm not only provided the community with fresh produce, but also facilitated connections and relationships.

“But also just that community connection and bringing everyone together every week… it would be really sad to lose that.”

From the beginning, Mr Tucker said he knew he’d have to move on from the farm once the work got too strenuous for his body.

“Sometimes when you are sitting there weeding at a carrot bed for four hours you do go, ‘oh, I’m not sure if I could do this forever’.”

“It’s not always romantic obviously,” he said.

Ms Hall said farmers needed more support from the State Government as the work is labour intensive, yet incredibly vital for the community.

“There is a lot of strain… on farmers. I feel like there needs to be government incentives for the work that these guys do which is really hard work,” Ms Hall said.

If anyone is interested in enquiring about the property they’re encouraged to send an email to: chelsea@ecoss.org.au.

Healesville shop owners outraged by outage cancellation

By Gabriella Vukman

Healesville shop owners have been left outraged and uncompensated after a last-minute cancellation of a scheduled power outage on Tuesday 24 February.

The cancellation occurred when traffic lights unexpectedly lost power after the outage, forcing AusNet to restore power to the network shortly after 9am.

No VicRoads assets were listed in the scheduled outage’s planned works scope, and no record of notification to the roads authority had been made.

Local businesses were frustrated and some have demanded compensation from AusNet after spending money on generators.

Local butcher Steve is the owner of one of the 17 businesses affected by the outage.

“It’s ridiculous. Not only did I lose a whole day’s trade, but I’m going to lose another one when they reschedule it,” Steve said.

“They said the power would be out from 8.30am to 4.30pm and we set signs up to say we would be closed,” he said.

“We were closed, and then they sent a message just before 10 saying that they were rescheduling the outage to a different date.”

By the time the text message arrived on Tuesday morning, shopfronts along Main Street were already dark and locked.

Staff had been stood down, deliveries postponed and customers turned away, only for electricity to return less than half an hour after it was cut.

At Wild Grains Bakery, co-owner Cristine said the 9:30am notification came too late to salvage the day.

“Finding out at 9.30 was too late because I had already cancelled the staff,” Cristine said.

“The chefs would have needed to be in by then,” she said.

“We rang on the Friday to confirm that the power outage was definitely going to happen and they said yes.”

According to Cristine, the power was off for

just 20 minutes before being restored.

“The result of all this was we had no money coming in, staff not being able to work and unhappy customers because they could see the power was on, but we weren’t open,” Cristine said.

Tuesday marked the second time the outage had been cancelled, with the first occurring in early November 2025.

For some traders, the financial hit went beyond a lost day’s takings. Alison, owner of Kitchen and Butcher, spent $950 hiring a generator in preparation.

“I couldn’t cancel the generator this time because they had cancelled the outage after the generator had arrived here,” Alison said.

AusNet maintained businesses weren’t eligible for reimbursement as it had complied with the Electricity Distribution Code of Practice (EDCoP) and that the cancellation was made on safety grounds.

Alison said her attempts for compensation were unsuccessful.

“I have been back and forth with them and they have refused to give me anything.”

In an email to Alison, AusNet said it had conducted an internal review and determined field crews stopped work and restored supply as a priority once the traffic lights failed.

The company said cancellation notifications were issued “as soon as practicable” after power was restored.

Under Victoria’s Electricity Distribution Code of Practice, distributors must provide customers with at least four business days’ written notice of a planned interruption, unless a longer period is requested.

The code also states that where a planned interruption is cancelled or rescheduled, the distributor must notify customers “as soon as practicable” via electronic communication if a preferred method has been nominated, or by hard copy in certain circumstances.

The notice must include a high-level reason for the cancellation and comply with broader notification requirements.

AusNet maintains those obligations were met.

In a statement to the Star Mail, an AusNet spokesperson said two planned maintenance works scheduled in the Healesville area were completed.

“Work on the WYK24 feeder (Koo Wee Rup Rd Woori Yallock) involved replacing poles and reconductoring power lines. This planned outage impacted 17 customers,” the spokesperson told Star Mail.

According to AusNet, work on the WYK24 feeder (River St, Healesville) involved replacing poles and impacted 46 customers. These works were also completed.

Despite confirming that the works had been completed, main street customers were informed that Tuesday’s works would be rescheduled to another time.

“To maintain a safe and reliable network, AusNet needs to undertake planned outages from time to time so that we can carry out essential upgrades.”

“We understand there is never a good time to be without power and we apologise for the inconvenience,” an AusNet spokesperson said.

For traders facing lost income and unrecoverable expenses, the apology has done little to soften the blow.

Alison said the refusal to compensate left small businesses carrying the cost of the error.

“They have admitted fault so they should offer up compensation.”

Tourism East in its infancy

By Oliver Winn

The merger between Yarra Ranges Tourism and Tourism East is still in its infancy as it navigates its first year, a report at the 24 February Yarra Ranges Council meeting has shown.

The Tourism East Partnership Activity Report noted the highlights of Yarra Ranges Tourism’s (YRT) and Tourism East’s (TE) highlights for the 2024-25 period prior to its merger, while focusing on key priorities for the next year.

Councillor Fiona McAllister was “pleased” with the report, noting the increase in market reach.

“This report’s interesting in that it shows quite a significant moment in time of transitioning from Yarra Ranges Tourism to the new Tourism East Partnership,” Cr McAllister said.

“This is really reflecting on achievement both in the previous entity Yarra Ranges Tourism, but also Tourism East, and the data is quite compelling around an increase in marketing reach, industry engagement and a whole range of other activities.”

The Yarra Ranges Council merged YRT with TE in July 2025, establishing a new state-driven Visitor Economy Partnership (VEP) which saw them combine forces with Cardinia and Nillumbik Shire Councils.

Cr McAllister said strong figures surrounding online engagement and visitation to the region proved the tourism industry was growing in the Yarra Ranges.

International spend in the region up was by 26 per cent to 47 million, while international nights stayed saw an 84 per cent increase.

“That is the evidence that the work that’s being done is actually having traction and impact on the ground,” Cr McAllister said.

“The flow and effects of tourism both from a primary perspective, a first tier of impact on direct employment, on the vibrancy of our townships right across the Yarra Ranges are also supported by second tier impacts which actually strengthens many local businesses and many other aspects that are critical in our community.”

The merger wasn’t without controversy - concerns surrounding a rushed process and lack of consultation arose when it was endorsed in April 2025.

In an April 2025 Star Mail article, Warburton Advancement League (WAL) vice president David Pratt raised concerns the merger was rushed and without proper consultation.

“In my assessment, based on this report, it is being rushed, reliant on untested assumptions,

lacking structural clarity, including even a defined constitution at this point for the entity in question, and the structure of the report with missing data,” Mr Pratt said in April 2025.

But, the State Government was going to cease funding for Yarra Ranges Tourism in June 2025, and the merger was seen as a necessity.

The funding numbers and the rushed feel of the report were attributed to timing and the need to hold onto State Government funds.

“We don’t really have much opportunity and while we can go out on our own, we won’t have access to State Government funding, and we won’t have a voice at the table… the reason for the relative rush is that State Government funding for YRT ends on 30th of June…” Ms Blakeway said.

Cr Child was also happy with the activity report and said it was a good indication of what was

to come.

“I believe [this document] really is showing us what this body is doing, as far as promoting our region, and doing it I believe so well,” Cr Child said.

The report noted there had been some challenges since the merger. It mentioned limitations on data reporting, economic impact on partnership renewals and the council’s financial position as being some of the difficulties experienced since the merger.

Changes to privacy settings on mobile devices (Apple and Google) had hindered the ability to track full digital results, the report stated.

While unique users increased to from roughly 650,000 to just over 800,000, metrics such as “time on page” had decreased, partly due to AI search behaviours driving visitors to specific pages rather than the home page.

The report noted a struggling economy had influenced industry uptake, with the current business partner amount sitting 12 below its target at 322.

This was still regarded as an “impressive achievement” considering cost-of-living pressures on local businesses.

Council puts forward local government advocacy priorities

By Callum Ludwig

Yarra Ranges Council has endorsed the motions they will take to the next meetings of the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) and the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA).

At the Tuesday 24 February council meeting, councillors approved five motions for the ALGA’s national general assembly for 2026 and three for MAV’s State Council in May.

To the ALGA, Yarra Ranges Council wants to campaign for improved housing options for older people, a national climate initiative called One Million Trees, a federal fund for small plant transitioning to support the push for Net Zero, to implement traditional owner organisation involvement in emergency management and disaster recovery and to introduce an ASIC regulatory mechanism activation to ensure insurance affordability.

To the MAV, the council is advocating for funding for youth community inclusion services and initiatives to improve youth mental health and prevent youth crime, help clarify the role of councils in water resilience from non-water authority managed assets and to progress the South-East Metropolitan Advanced Waste Processing Project to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill by 95 per cent, while also generating energy from waste (a joint motion, led by Bayside City Council).

Councillors were invited to speak to the mo-

tion after Mayor and Chirnside Ward councillor Richard Higgins put them in ‘layman’s terms’

O’Shannassy Ward Councillor Jim Child and Ryrie Ward Councillor Fiona McAllister highlighted the issue of youth mental health.

“There is a horrific statistic that is out there at present, youth suicide rates in the Yarra Ranges are significantly higher, 50 per cent higher, than our neighbouring councils, why, that is so important and is why we have to address this problem, we have to advocate in the strongest possible way that this has to stop,” Cr Child said.

“We can’t lose our young people, we just cannot.”

“In Yarra Ranges, it can take up to six months, if not more, to get an appointment with a psychologist who specialises in working with young people…if you were in a crisis state with suicidal thoughts, that’s not acceptable,” Cr McAllister said.

With youth crime also on the rise, Yarra Ranges Council believes ‘prevention-focused, place-based connection programs and infrastructure’ are the key, with improved youth mental health funding to support the many different kinds of at-risk children in the communities.

Billanook Ward councillor Tim Heenan said they need state and federal governments to understand that there are many aspects of things that they can’t do on their own in local govern-

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“Sometimes I don’t think that message gets across because I think they presume that we’re either whinging or complaining and then they’ll fire back a tirade of comments to say that local government gets this and local government gets that,” he said.

“Things are getting much more difficult now from a local government perspective and we need the support of our state government and our federal government in many different ways, both from a financial point of view, but a greater degree of understanding, because I don’t think that is being played out in politics at the moment.

“I can’t understand why, because we are the closest form of government to the people… we need their help, and it has to be ongoing.”

The nine councils involved in the South-East

Metropolitan Advanced Waste Processing Project, want MAV to note that the project is currently being held-up as a result of an EPA decision regarding a proposed transfer station being appealed at VCAT and want them to call the State Government to intervene to expedite the process of approving the proposed waste transfer facility.

Lyster Ward Councillor Peter McIlwain said he believes local government is the spearhead of economic development in our country.

“It’s a great underexplored or at least under-commented aspect of the Australian economy that the coalface of where economic development happens is actually at the local level, we know that investment in local council has a multiplier effect many times greater than other forms of government investment and I’ve seen reports of two to three times more,” he said.

“This is a very substantial and very overlooked element of economic development and these motions are indicating what potential is out there within local council.

“The money that the federal government takes in taxation would be very well spent within the local government sector and we’re terribly underinvested, and if you look at it from an international perspective, Australia is a very, very poor performer in terms of supporting local government.”

Repower’s a success story

By Shamsiya Hussainpoor

After drawing a strong crowd in 2025, the Repower Festival is returning to the Yarra Ranges, and last year’s attendee, Emerald resident Julian Soo, said it is well worth the visit.

The festival will be held on Sunday 22 March from 10am to 4pm at the Lilydale Civic Centre at 15 Anderson Street, following what organisers estimate was a turnout of more than 500 people at last year’s inaugural event.

Mr Soo moved to Emerald about 18 months ago and decided to check out the inaugural festival while figuring out how to make his home cheaper to run, more environmentally friendly and better prepared for the kind of power outages hills residents know all too well.

“When I moved to Emerald, I was looking at ways to make my house more environmentally friendly, to lower my energy bills, and also to make it more resilient if there were any power outages,” he said.

Despite working in the climate change industry, Mr Soo said he did not feel particularly confident about electrifying his own home before attending.

“Probably about a four,” he said, rating his confidence out of 10.

“I knew a little bit about which technologies were available, but I didn’t know how to pull it all together.”

Although he works in large-scale climate initiatives, applying that knowledge at home was another matter.

“I kind of had an idea about some of the larger trends, but I didn’t fully understand how that translated into changes that you’d make at home,” he said.

Living in the hills added another layer of urgency, with many neighbours relying on diesel generators during outages, Mr Soo and his family were concerned about what would happen if the power went out for days at a time.

“From a resilience perspective, it’s very important that you think about this stuff,” he said.

What the festival provided, he said, was clarity.

“You often hear about different offers and deals and technologies but it can be quite confusing to know what’s my pathway forward,” Mr Soo said.

“The most useful thing that I came out with was I knew exactly how I wanted to do it going forward, and I knew roughly how long it would take.”

Rather than contacting suppliers one by one, the event allowed him to speak to multiple providers in one place, as well as organisations such as Solar Victoria, which helped him understand different perspectives before making decisions.

“I think I spoke to almost all the suppliers there,” he said.

One of the more surprising things he learnt was that installing a battery does not necessarily require rooftop solar.

“Most people think that they go together but if you want to just install a battery, which you charge up from the grid during the day and then run off at night, that’s perfectly okay,” Mr Soo said.

Since making the switch, the difference at home has been noticeable.

“We have very, very consistent power bills each month, which don’t change. Gas bill went down dramatically,” he said.

“When the power goes out, we don’t even notice it. It just switches directly to battery.”

“The only way that I know that there’s been a

power outage is because I hear my neighbours powering up their generators.”

He said without attending the festival, he would be years behind where he is now.

“It gave me the confidence and the pathway forward. If I hadn’t gone I would have had to do a lot of research, and I would have felt a lot of trepidation about making the investments that I have,” Mr Soo said.

His message to those unsure about heading along this year is simple.

“There’s no obligation to do any of this stuff, but you’ll definitely come out learning a few things about the changes you could make to your house over the next few years,” he said.

“You’ll probably have a chance just to see some cool technologies.”

Flipping snags for cash

By

A well-renowned butcher of the Yarra Valley flipped sausages for cash through a series of fundraiser barbecues in 2025, raising a total of $10,000 for various community organisations.

With meat supplied by the Gruyere-based beef farm 32 Acres, the barbecues were hosted by farm owner Mark Boyle at the Woori Yallock Butchers every Saturday from 9am to 12.30pm.

The fundraising initiative was done in partnership with the WHYLD Community Group, which helped raise $7500 of the total amount.

WHYLD is a community group for the residents of Woori Yallock, Hoddles Creek, Yellingbo, Launching Place and Don Valley and each Saturday they support a different organisation.

WHYLD treasurer Perry Carter said the first Saturday barbecue helped support primary schools in the area.

“The first Saturday is a WHYLD barbecue in aid of kids in need at the three local primary schools in the WHYLD area. The money is allocated to Don Valley Primary, Woori Yallock Primary and Launching Place Primary Schools to distribute to families as each school sees fit.

“So we just divide the money up according to the number of students in each school, and that money, we don’t really know exactly where it goes, because we don’t need to know that.

“We just specify that it’s to go to families and kids that are doing it tough, and I believe the schools do the right thing there,” Mr Carter said.

The next group in the rotation is Sheep Station Creek Road Reserve, which hosts the Yellingbo Christmas Fair each year.

Mr Carter said funds from the third Saturday barbecue went directly to Hoddles Creek CFA and Hillcrest CFA, which alternates each month.

“We always do very well with the fire bri-

gade barbecues because it’s the CFA and people are quite generous.

“They often donate quite a bit of money, as well as buy a sausage. So the CFA barbecues are quite successful,” Mr Carter said.

WHYLD were also responsible for custom-made tote bags to be given out at the barbecues.

With financial help from Community Bank Woori Yallock and District, they purchased the tote bags, which have advertising that includes 32 Acres, WHYLD and Community Bank Woori Yallock and District.

Mr Carter said the tote bags were a gift for Mr Boyle’s selfless nature.

“With the butcher being so generous over

the years, I think it was his idea to maybe have a tote bag with their name on it and WHYLD’s name on it.

“We thought he’s doing enough for the community - Let’s have WHYLD and the bank put the money together and buy the tote bags and then allow Mark to give them out to whoever he chooses to.”

“We will keep some out at the hall so that we can give them out at markets and those sort of places. The tote bags were funded half by the bank and half by WHYLD,” Mr Carter said.

He also hoped the additional advertising from the tote bags would help make people more aware of WHYLD and what the group does.

“So our problem with WHYLD is trying to get the name out there. Sometimes when I speak to people, they say they’ve never heard of WHYLD.

“So we’re trying to get the word out there because we desperately need new people, and preferably young people.”

There’s another two barbecues in the weekly rotation - the fourth Saturday raises funds for Lusatia Park Cricket Club (though this barbecue is not hosted by WHYLD) and the fifth Saturday raises money for the Yellingbo CFA. Those interested in joining WHYLD should send the group an email: welcome@whyld. org.au.

Facing hardships together

The recent Victorian bushfires echo the devastating fires experienced in the Upper Yarra region in the early 20th century, when communities lacked modern firefighting resources, communication systems, and emergency support. One hundred years ago, the Black Sunday fires of 14 February 1926 claimed 31 lives, 22 of them locally. Two entire families were wiped out. Many victims were newcomers to the area, and through community generosity, 18 were laid to rest at the Cemetery in Wesburn. (then called West Warburton).

On the 14th of February this year, the Upper Yarra Public Cemetery held an Open Day when the 100th Anniversary of the bushfires was commemorated with a tour of the graves of fire victims and a display. The 17th of February 1926 had been the busiest and the saddest day in the cemetery’s history, with a huge crowd in attendance. Reverend Rowell of Warburton Church of England officiated at each graveside.

The fires destroyed around 16 sawmills, leaving approximately 1,000 men unemployed and many families homeless. A disused garage, on the corner of Main street and Little Yarra road, Yarra Junction, was used as a morgue, for the dead awaiting the coroner. Unlike modern disasters, there was no Royal Commission or counselling for survivors. Post traumatic stress was not considered. Instead, a coronial inquest was held.

The inquest began on 9th of March at the Yarra Junction Shire Hall, addressing the fourteen deaths at Worley’s Mill in Gilderoy and two deaths at Powelltown; continuing in the afternoon at Warburton Court House where the deaths of Allen Hume and the Donald family took place. Proceedings took place amid lingering smoke, with witnesses occasionally released to assist in ongoing firefighting efforts. Police evidence showed the fire had begun on Mount Donna Buang in early January and smoldered, until extreme winds on 14th of February had caused it to erupt catastrophically.

Out of all this tragedy emerged a tale of the bravery of a fifteen year- old girl from the Powelltown area. Her name was Florrie Hodges. When the fire encircled her and two sisters, with no way out, she put her life on the line, covering the two youngsters with her own body and enduring the intensity of the fire. This selfless action saved the lives of her sisters, while she was to suffer severe burns to her head and body. She was awarded a bronze medal from the Humane Society and her noble act was to become an inspiring example to children Australia wide.

The coroner ruled that all deaths had been caused by accidental burns from the bushfire. He paid tribute to the extraordinary courage of victims in the face of this disaster and spoke of the excellent work of the people of Yarra Junction who aided the injured, recovered the dead, and assisted feeding and sheltering the homeless, under extreme conditions.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF YARRA JUNCTION

In 1837 Surveyor Robert Hoddle planned and set out the new settlement of Melbourne. After he had completed this work he lead an expedition to find the source of the Yarra River. During this expedition Hoddle climbed what is now named Milner Hill on the west side of Yarra Junction and camped in what is now the Yarra Junction Recreation Reserve.

Gold was discovered in 1851 in the Little Yarra River not far from Riversdale Road, but it wasn’t until the late 1850’s that a small settlement of tents and bark huts known as Britannia was established with a population of about 30 persons. The settlement only lasted a couple of years as the miners moved further east up the Yarra River in search of richer finds.

In 1883 William McKay, a farmer, leased approximately 300 acres of crown land which would become the major part of the present day Yarra Junction township.

McKay and his brother John built the first grocery store in 1891 and soon after a blacksmith set up his business near the new store. In 1893 the United Methodist Church was moved from Warburton to a block of land leased from McKay, which is the site of the present day blue timber “Each” building. This new fledgling town was known as Little Yarra Junction and was being recognised as the central location of the Upper Yarra district.

The first Recreation Hall was built by local businessmen on McKay’s land in 1895 on the site now occupied by Professionals real estate office. During repairs in 2024 the original frame and windows of the hall were found intact.

In 1902 William McKay subdivided the remainder of his land and moved North. The town continued to grow and provided services and support to surrounding areas.

The main industries over the years have been agriculture, dairy farming and timber. The last timber mill closed last year.

The town has a proud history of community support, particularly during major bushfires in 1926, 1932 and 1939. In 1926, the State Coroner praised “the excellent work performed by the people of Yarra Junction” in assisting victims and the homeless. Yarra Junction has changed considerably with houses and units now occupying McKays 1902 subdivision. Many residents travel out of town to seek work and yet we still have that country town neighbourliness feel.

Forty Years of Community in Yarra Junction

For many people in Yarra Junction, the community in the town is their second family. This is true for Malcom, a Yarra Junction resident of 40 years. 40 years ago, Malcom moved from the city to Yarra Junction. “It seemed like a very quiet little town. That’s the way it looked to my city eyes, a very quiet little town where nothing happened.”

Travelling everyday to Ferntree Gully for work, Malcom decided to look for friends and work in Yarra Junction, because “what’s the point of living in a place like Yarra Junction and never being home?”

Malcolm has learnt that Yarra Junction is not a quiet town where nothing happens. The longer I stayed, the more things happened. It really interested and excited me”. “The issues we have to deal with as a community… I find it a really stimulating place to live.”

It’s not just the bustle of the town that interests Malcolm. With his children scattered around the state, the people in Yarra Junction have become an extended family. He appreciates the welcoming community and the people that accept him no matter what. For Malcolm, the simplest way to connect with people in Yarra Junction is by spending time in the arcade. “Just about everybody walks up and down the arcade or stops for a coffee. It’s a really great meeting place.”

“What I really appreciate is those people, and there’s a lot of them, they’re able to speak first and say ‘hello, how are you’ or ‘g’day, I didn’t know you were here’.”

“I tend to be a bit reticent and have to wait for someone else to speak. The treasure of the place has been for me the number of people that have spoken to me first. It really helps.”

How to throw a street party

It’s a Friday night in Alice’s court. All the kids are out playing on the road, and the dogs are all running around. Young families and older retired people wave and exchange conversation.

Alice, who works at Bell real estate in mainstreet Yarra Junction, describes her street as “a blueprint”.

“We have a little Christmas party every year. It’s lovely… every year you meet someone new and you have a chat.”

Alice believes that what she has in her street can be replicated anywhere. So, here are her tips for breaking the ice and throwing a street party.

1. Find some people to help you

If you already have some friends on your street, you can organise a street party with them. If you don’t, you can introduce yourself to some people you think will be interested. Alice says that “you just need a few people to be sort of into it and then you can get it going”.

2. Make invites for everyone

Alice explains that the invitations should be friendly and encouraging. “We print out invitations a month before and I get one of the kids to go and put them in everyone’s mailbox.”

For RSVPs, Alice explains that they put one phone number on the invite for all the neighbours to RSVP to.

3. Food!

Alice’s team of five women have their routine down. Each of them puts in fifty dollars. They purchase bread and sausages. Alice explains that “most people want to bring something” and all the kids contribute too.

4. Choose your location

“We’ve got a really good spot under a really nice tree on our street, and we just set up there about an hour before we told everyone.” Soon, people start wandering out and joining the party. Not everyone can make it every time, but she often gets to meet someone new.

Alice believes it is a misconception that street parties don’t happen anymore. “We don’t want it to become a thing of the past.” Last Halloween Alice and her street threw a party.

Following the method above, those organising it each put in fifty dollars for a Costco trip. They purchased lollies and chocolate and set up a table in the street.

“All the parents with the kids stopped and had a bit of a chat… we only did that for the first time last year, so I reckon that will get bigger each year.” For Alice, breaking the ice is the crucial step. “If you break the ice, you’d be really surprised the results you would get from it… you’d end up with a good little bunch of mates next door… you’ve got to put yourself out there.”

If you’ve been thinking of hosting a street party, take this month of march, Good Neighbour Month, as a sign to break that ice and take the first step.

Scouting out prep for stormy weather

By Gabriella Vukman

As the storm weather begins to drift in, local SES groups are taking action to prepare the community as early as possible.

So far in 2026, preparation efforts have included a series of school visits, stalls at the Healesville community market, and educational badge sessions with local scout groups.

Deputy controller of community engagement for the Healesville SES Michelle Zwagerman attended the scout SES training and badge ceremony.

“It was a lot of fun, not just for us but for them as well,” Ms Zwaggerman said.

“We really enjoyed having the scouts come to the unit,” she said.

“We set up a few stations for the scouts to practice and learn some skills.”

The badge training taught scouts how to prepare for and act in emergency events.

The new badges was awarded to scouts for learning how to prepare for floods and other emergency events as well as for developing an understanding of what the SES does for the community.

Ms Zwaggerman said, “One of the stations was a toy house where they had to do a sandbag wall around it to practice keeping water away from the house.”

“Another exercise we did was rescuing a Teddy from underneath a vehicle and the kids had to use a hydraulic hand pump to lift the vehicle out and rescue the Teddy,” she said.

“They had to learn what the state emergency services do and with that they learned that we go out and we rescue people from cars.”

From operating rescue tools, learning to tie down trampolines, and having important conversations about how to prepare for emergencies, the SES works with scout groups of all different levels.

Ms Zwaggerman said, “The older the children get, the more complicated the exercises become.”

“We need to get the message out to the community and doing it through children is a verygood way of doing it,” she said.

The key idea in the SES scout education program is for the participants to take key informa-

tion home to their parents.

“Everyone has the ability to make themselves aware of the hazards and to work out how to make their homes storm safe, flood safe and emergency ready,” Ms Zwaggerman said.

“Children will go home and hopefully they will tell their parents,” she said.

“It is all about getting the community to be more resilient and more ready for emergencies.”

Twelve-year old Patrol Leader at Healesville Scouts Tristen underwent the scouts SES training in November and received his badge in February.

“We went to the SES station, and some of the things they taught me was how to prepare for floods. We also learned how to sandbag,” Tristen said.

“We also got to use the jaws of life which was a really good experience,” he said.

“My personal favorite activity we did with the SES was the jaws of life. That and getting a new

badge for my uniform.”

Tristen plans to stick with scouts and become a rover some day and his new SES badge is helping him get there.

“It takes three years and to get ehre you have to get all of the badges to level up,” Tristen said.

Looking forward to another year full of scouting activities, Tristen is keen to stick with his Healesville group.

“What I really like about Healesville Scouts is that it is near a park, so we have a lot of areas we can go easily and its not too far from some of our campsites,” Tristen said.

“We are doing town cleanup Australia next week, so we’re going around our town cleaning up.

“We also do fundraising like sausage sizzles and stuff to raise money for equipment, which the community normally loves because the sausages are normally reasonably priced.”

The SES will be spreading storm preparation awareness at the next community market on 1 March, in a joint stall with the CFA and community emergency group.

Free sizzling for newer recruits

By Gabriella Vukman

After Victoria’s recent fire events, the Coldstream CFA is on the lookout for new recruits.

…and what better way to entice them, than with a free sausage sizzle?

The brigade hosted a free community sausage sizzle on the morning of Sunday 1 February at the Coldstream fire station, following a similar event held at the end of January.

Captain Sean Bethell said the initiative was about more than just sharing some snags.

“We had one sausage sizzle back at the end of January and it was to tell people about the fire danger and how to prepare your property,” Mr Bethell said.

“We wanted to get the community to come over to the fire station, have a chat with us, and see if we can get any interested new members,” he said.

“We did the same thing again on Sunday morning.”

Mr Bethell noted he was most looking forward to connecting with locals.

Sunday’s event drew a strong turnout, with families stopping by to learn more about protecting their homes and to meet local firefighters.

Mr Bethell said, “quite a number of people came over to talk about fire safety for their properties and house.”

“Wuite a few kids came over and had a look around the fire trucks and had a chat to some of the firefighters about what we do,” he said.

Young visitors were also able to take part in hands-on activities.

“We had a couple of small activities for the kids,” Mr Bethell said.

“They could squirt some water around and simulate putting a fire out with the fire holes,” he said.

The event again focused on community engagement and recruitment, with the brigade keen to welcome new volunteer firefighters.

“As we know, volunteering is becoming harder,” Mr Bethell said.

“Bills need and mortgages need to be paid and some people are very time poor too,” he said.

“We have a great team who love protecting the local community, and would like to spread that love amongst a larger portion of firefighters in the brigade.”

Mr Bethell, who has been with the Coldstream brigade for more than three decades, said volunteering offered a strong sense of camaraderie.

“You can come down and meet like-minded people that want to help the community, tend fires and help people out, when things aren’t going right for them,” he said.

“The camaraderie that comes with being a part of a brigade really is one of the big things.”

Those interested in volunteering were encouraged to speak directly with their local brigade on a Sunday morning.

Mr Bethell said, “any members of the public that want to become volunteer firefighters should go and visit their local fire station on a Sunday morning and go and have a chat to the brigade management team about what they need to do to join.”

More free sausage sizzles may be on the cards for April and May before the brigade has a pause during the colder months.

In the meantime, the message remains simple.

Head down to your local fire brigade to find out what you can do for your local community.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

All-female dental clinic

Valley

The

Rupali

She has also lived out of the city, spending a period of time in Benalla in rural Victoria.

Rupali is passionate about providing high quality dental care and takes pleasure in sharing a story and a laugh with her patients. She enjoys all aspects of dentistry and always strives to provide dental treatment in a relaxing and comfortable environment.

Rupali believes her practice and approach to dentistry creates an experience that will change your notion of what a trip to the dentist is.

Outside of work she loves to spend time with family and her young children, sharing her passion for reading and travelling with them at every opportunity.

Sonali graduated from dental school in 2003. She has worked as a dentist in both community and private practices. She has also worked various roles within the dental industry.

Sonali believes that your mouth is the gateway to better wellbeing, and that a great healthy smile will leave a great lasting impression on people.

Sonali loves interacting with patients and ensuring they are comfortable and at-ease.

She enjoys all aspects of dentistry. She particularly loves working with older clients.

In her spare time, she loves cooking delicious Indian dishes and enjoying time with her family and friends.

The third dentist joined the Valley Dental team two years ago and has been an integral part of the team ever since.

With over 10 years of experience, Merhaz be-

lieves that world-class dentistry should be delivered to each and every patient. Mehraz has a keen interest in aesthetic dentistry and is studying a certificate of Cosmetic Dentistry to introduce lip and cheek fillers to the clinic for Valley Dental patients.

Rupali said being an all-female team, patients were treated with care and compassion.

“Staff are very approachable and compassionate making everyone feel at ease coming to the dentist,“ she said.

The clinic offers a wide range of dental services, including general dentistry, fillings, crowns, bridges and veneers.

Take advantage of current specials, including a check-up, clean and two x-rays for $195, and inchair whitening $450.

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The ghost of YAVA lives on

By Gabriella Vukman

In Healesville, just above the main street, the soul of the former YAVA Gallery is living on.

The community gallery, once a vibrant hub for local creatives, offered residents and visitors the rare chance to experience art in a regional town, free of charge.

When YAVA closed, it marked the end of an era. But inside the old exhibition which is now run by local Elly Hanrahan as a pilates studio, its spirit has found a new expression.

Now, every two months Ms Hanrahan displays a new local artist’s work in her pilates studio, and currently, the studio is displaying the vivid works of Healesville artist Denise Smith.

For Ms Smith, the studio is a cost-effective way to have her work seen.

“It is an opportunity because sometimes it is really costly to get your work into a gallery or even into somewhere local,” Ms Smith said.

“It all really costs, but Elly is doing it for free. She isn’t even taking commission,” she said.

“It is a real opportunity for artists to have a go at this two-monthly exhibition.”

Denise’s work centres around both local and exotic wildlife, with pastels and acrylic, and watercolour paints as her medium.

“I was tutored in oils by Jeanette Shambrook up in Monbulk and spent quite a long time learning the craft,” Ms Smith said.

“Finally I got enough confidence to go and try other mediums,” she said.

“I really love doing little fairy wrens. They are beautiful.”

While fairy wrens take the cake as Ms Smith’s favourite items to paint, her works encompass a deeper message.

“I would like people to celebrate the beauty of our indigenous animals and birds,” Ms Smith said.

“Many of them need a lot of help from us to prevent them from going extinct,” she said.

“We are constantly taking their habitat and so we really have to try and save our birds and ani-

mals.”

For studio owner and former fan of the YAVA gallery Ms Hanhrahan, keeping some of the YAVA tradition alive is a duty.

“Every time there was a new exhibition at YAVA, I would put it in my calendar and I would make sure I’d go and see it,” Ms Hanrahan said.

“It was really good because I think very rarely do regional people get to experience art, especially for free, which is what YAVA offered people,” she said.

“It was really sad when they closed down.”

It was only when she was building the pilates studio in the former gallery space that Ms Hanrahan realised she had an opportunity to continue that legacy.

“I realised I’d have a whole wall free and I was like, ‘well, I’ve got an opportunity to showcase local artists again’,” Ms Hanrahan said.

“I contacted Jan Cochran-Harry, who had been on the board of YAVA, and she put me in touch with our first artist who was Julie Merrigan,” she said.

Denise is the second local artist who has had their works displayed on the studio’s walls.

“We’re very excited to have Denise and her beautiful wildlife artwork exhibited. It’s very exciting and it adds so much to the space,” Hanrahan said.

“I love that her artworks look almost animated and she had just got a really nice way of working with colour and she allows for a colourful backdrop as well, which I think is pretty special,” she said.

“I particularly like the fairy wrens, because to me, they feel like Healesville.”

For Hanrahan, supporting local artists is about more than filling a wall.

“We have an exceptional cohort of artists in the Yarra Valley. We have a lot of creative people who live here and it’s a really special honour to be able to showcase them and provide an opportunity for them to communicate with our clients here and sort of exhibit for free,” Ms Hanrahan said.

“I think it’s important that we still take time to connect with creativity and sort of really cherish artists and storytellers and what they give to our society,” she said.

The pilates studio exhibition is a closed display and is just for her clients and local artists to view. Ms Smith’s exhibition will remain on display until mid-April.

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Ben’s Shed name change

By Oliver Winn

Ben’s Shed in Yarra Junction made a slight tweak to its name with the aim of becoming a more inclusive organisation.

The group’s full name, Ben’s Shed - Yarra Junction Community and Men’s Shed, adopted the word “community” to reflect that opportunities for women are also available.

Ben’s Shed president Greg Burnham said the shed was moving with the times and a new sign reflecting the change was in the works.

“We’re happy to say we’re moving into the 21st century, we’re open to all sexes.”

The idea of the change had been thrown around for a while and it was only recently that they’d settled on the new name.

“We’ve always had the shed open to basically anybody that wants to put their head through the door.

“We’re a men’s shed, because mainly there’s guys that are there. And then someone popped up and said, ‘But we have ladies here too’,” Mr Burnham said.

“We’ve been throwing it around for about 12 months and we got closer and closer to the point of… re-categorising, if you like, the shed.”

He said the opportunity for women who wanted to learn how to use different tools were always there, but the new description would help get the word out there.

“If there’s a small group of well-meaning women who want to learn how to use hand tools because they’ve got a project they want to do at home, or they’ve been left on their own because their hubby has died and they’ve got to look after themselves and they want to pick up a few skills, we’re more than happy to run introductory courses for them, treat them as a cohort if you like,” Mr Burnham said.

It also helps women realise they can learn skills in male dominated fields, as gender conventions in society often result in some women not even considering it a possibility.

After some good-spirited discussions, the Ben’s Shed would adopt the addition and it was largely well received from members.

But, some traditionalists weren’t too fond of the change, putting up a petition to rule some activities as “men only”

“I said, ‘Ok, fine. Leave it [the petition] there’,” Mr Burnham said.

“We left it there for 30 days and didn’t get any more signatures than the ones that it already had when it went up.”

As a result, democracy determined the shed’s activities would be available to everyone - such as the members of the Upper Yarra Valley Gardening Club.

“We’re currently talking to a couple of ladies… of the Upper Yarra Valley Gardening Club and they’ve got 103 members and they’re pushing that their members become a little more au fait with how to put together gardening projects,” Mr Burnham said.

The Ben’s Shed has four women members on the books out of 60 members total.

In the past, women have held important roles at Ben’s Shed, such as Bev Green, who was secretary “many moons ago” “I don’t want people to get up on their high horses and say women are taking over… that’s not what’s happening. The aim here is to be inclusive in the 21st century,” Mr Burnham said.

International Women’s Day events in the Yarra Ranges

By Callum Ludwig

International Women’s Day (IWD) is coming up on Sunday 8 March, with a pair of free local events to celebrate it.

An exhibition and panel discussion with artist Ali Griffin will be held on Thursday 5 March at the Arts Centre in Warburton, while 3MDR Mountain District Radio is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a live broadcast at the Yarra Ranges Regional Museum (YRRM) in Lilydale on the day itself.

Ali Griffin said the exhibition features tall, larger than life-sized portraits of local ‘elder’ women from our own community.

“They engage you to literally look up, each portrait grows out of deep conversations and interviews, and are made to not only honour the sitter, but to show younger women that they can look forward to this time in their lives, the portraits include silhouettes of elder bodies, as a way of illustrating that no matter your body, style, shape or colour, we can be proud of them,” she said.

“The inspiration came from noticing how casually the word ‘elderly’ is used, and how much diminishment sits inside it, I wanted to cross out the ‘ly’ and reclaim the word elder.

“Across cultures, elders are wisdom keepers, leaders, story carriers so why have we stripped that reverence away from women, ELDERHOOD is my attempt to restore it, and create a ‘hood’ of elders.”

This exhibition ‘Pause in Transition: The Elderhood Project’ is part of Ms Griffin’s ongoing body of work which came from questions that wouldn’t leave her alone about the experience of women ‘when care responsibilities change, work falls away, bodies shift, and experience begins to reorganise itself as knowing’

Ms Griffin said she hopes people walk out thinking differently about older women, and consider them to be ‘elders’

“I hope younger people are inspired to go home and ask the older women in their lives for their opinions, I hope older women feel a little taller, a little more visible, a little more powerful and feel comfortable to step into their own power,”

she said.

“If visitors leave feeling curious instead of dismissive, respectful instead of indifferent, and aware that ageing is not a decline but a deepening, then I’ve done my job.

The panel discussion inside the exhibition will feature the portrait sitters, First Nations elder Aunty Merilyn Duff and Ms Griffin, held from 6pm with light drinks and refreshments provided.

Ms Griffin said older women are one of the most underrepresented groups in visual culture, yet these are women who have raised families, built businesses, led communities, survived enormous change and carry extraordinary resilience.

“They should be celebrated, honoured, elevated, seen and revered, art shapes how we see the world, if we don’t see older women represented with scale, dignity and complexity, we subconsciously absorb the message that they don’t matter,” she said.

“ELDERHOOD challenges that narrative, it says ‘Look again’ , look properly, there is power here.

“Everyone probably has an elder in their lives but they may not look at them that way, I think it’s time to start seeing the value in our older women, and men, I know we’ll all benefit from what they’ve learned.”

The exhibition has been supported by the local community, including local youth organisations like The MISFIT Project.

On International Women’s Day, the 3MDR exhibition will open from 10am at the YRRM, with festivities lasting from 1am to 4pm.

3MDR station manager Nat Grant said the broadcast is a wonderfully vibrant way to celebrate live music and community voices in the Yarra Ranges.

“International Women’s Day provides us with an opportunity to celebrate the achievements

and contributions of women and gender-diverse people, particularly those whose voices are often underrepresented in mainstream media and culture,” they said.

“It’s about acknowledging both the progress that has been made and the work still needed to achieve gender equality — whether that’s greater representation, respect, opportunity, or visibility.

“Whether your readers tune in on their radio, listen online, or come along in person, this broadcast is a celebration of community, connection and culture, it’s inclusive, uplifting and reflective of the many ways women contribute to our local creative life.”

The broadcast will feature live sets from Hannah Schmidli and Beck Sian from 2-4pm

YRRM exhibitions curator Maddie Reece and museum engagement coordinator Mel Hartigan said hosting 3MDR on IWD is a great way to celebrate the success of their anniversary exhibition ON AIR: Broadcasting Local Legends.

“3MDR have been championing diversity on their airwaves since the station started in the late 1980s and this event continues that tradition.

“This event is important to the Museum, as it not only highlights the dedicated individuals that have made 3MDR an institution for the last four decades, but also showcases their achievements, community support and grass roots origins. Fundamentally it ties deeply into the YRRM’s ethos in closing the gender recognition gap.

“As an organisation who deals with a past that is highly focussed on ‘his’-tory, events such as this help us to keep pushing for women’s rights and recognition and begin to write a new timeline that is inclusive for all genders and cultures.”

RSVP is required to secure a spot for both events: yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Explore-Yarra-Ranges/Events/Pause-in-Transition-The-Elderhood-Project. yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Explore-Yarra-Ranges/Events/ON-AIR-3MDR-International-Womens-Day-Broadcast.

A perfect week in paradise

By Lucy Waldron

THE moment the Save the Date landed in the mailbox, I knew this wasn’t going to be just another wedding, it was going to be an adventure. Printed in simple, bold letters was the location: Koh Tao, Thailand.

A destination wedding. A celebration in paradise.

For my cousin Jamie and his partner Hope, this was more than just a ceremony. It was a chance to bring together family and friends from the US, Argentina, and Australia for a week on a tiny island in the Gulf of Thailand, a place where time felt slower and joy came easily.

I imagined warm breezes, barefoot evenings, and the sound of the ocean in the background. And from the moment we arrived, Koh Tao delivered exactly that, and so much more.

Our first taste of island life came, quite literally, in a Thai cooking class. Hosted by Thai Cooking with Joy, we learned how a handful of humble ingredients could create flavours that lingered long after the plates were cleared.

The star of the class? Spring rolls. What looked simple turned into a hilarious test of rolling skills. Surrounded by the scent of sizzling garlic and an ocean view stretching to the horizon, it became one of those rare moments you want to bottle up forever.

The festivities officially kicked off with a welcome party. We’d spent the afternoon carefully perfecting hair and makeup, only to climb into the island’s version of a taxi: the back of a Ute.

Within minutes, curls unravelled, makeup melted, and any illusions of glamour were left on the roadside.

But it didn’t matter. Everyone arrived equally windswept, and somehow, that made it perfect. Under warm air and soft lights, conversations flowed, laughter echoed, and the night blurred into something quietly beautiful.

If the welcome party broke the ice, the Queens Cabaret melted it entirely. Drag queens lit up the stage with sequins, power ballads, and pure joy, a celebration of music and queer expression that had everyone on their feet.

It became one of the week’s most talked-about moments. If you ever visit Koh Tao, add this to your must-do list.

The next day brought calm seas and slow magic. We boarded a boat and drifted around the island’s reefs, snorkelling through crystal-clear water. Koh Tao, meaning “Turtle Island,” lived up to its name, we spotted a turtle gliding lazily beneath us, unbothered by its human audience.

There were also three baby blacktip reef sharks, darting through coral gardens as schools of colourful fish swirled around us.

Then came the big day. The wedding opened with a downpour, the kind that makes the world hold its breath. And just minutes before Hope walked down the aisle, the rain eased and the sun spilled across the shore.

With the ocean as a backdrop and loved ones gathered close, Jamie and Hope said, “I do.” It felt

cinematic, like the island itself had conspired to set the scene.

“Having our wedding celebrations on Koh Tao was a dream come true,” Hope said.

“Due to our families being from different countries, we decided to invite 60 of our closest

friends and family to our favourite little island in Thailand.

“Seeing everyone we love explore and enjoy Koh Tao was so special, and I am so grateful that everyone made the long journey to Thailand to be with us.”

For Hope and Jamie, the week was overwhelming in the best way possible.

“When you looked around and realised all these amazing people are here because of Jaime and I, we felt so loved and supported and were so happy to see everyone relaxed and on holiday mode,” Hope said.

The celebration stretched long into the night, shoes abandoned, music loud, laughter louder. The next day was slow and sun-drenched, spent lazing on a nearby island, letting the hours stretch like soft linen.

But Thailand had one last plot twist. A storm rolled in just as we left the island, turning our little boat ride into something straight out of an action movie.

Waves crashed, the wind howled, and we clung to the sides, laughing through the chaos. By the time we reached land, we were soaked, windswept, and grinning like fools.

Leaving Koh Tao was unexpectedly emotional. Teary hugs, promises to meet again, that quiet ache that comes from saying goodbye to something truly special.

A wedding had brought us together, but the island gave us so much more, shared adventures, new friendships, and the kind of memories that only happen when you’re far from home and fully in the moment.

Koh Tao, you were paradise.

Wilderness and wild history

Long before you set foot on its black sand beaches, rugged South Georgia announces itself with a cacophony of wildlife sounds—thousands of penguins calling and massive elephant seals bellowing along the shore. Often called the Galápagos of the Southern Ocean, this sub-Antarctic island delivers nature on an extraordinary scale.

Where else can you stand before 250,000 breeding king penguins while elephant seals crowd the beach, with albatrosses overhead and snow-capped peaks rising inland?

A wildlife sanctuary unlike any other Wildlife defines South Georgia. Shorelines are blanketed with penguins—kings, gentoos, macaronis, and more—that jostle for space among fur seals and southern elephant seals. In mid-October and early November, the drama intensifies as male elephant seals battle for breeding rights.

Offshore, petrels, prions, and albatrosses wheel overhead, creating a birder’s paradise. Inland, glacier-carved landscapes, and hidden coves host macaroni penguins on steep, rugged cliffs. Every Zodiac landing with the Quark Expeditions team reveals another scene of rich biodiversity—an unfiltered look at one of the world’s most fertile breeding grounds for sub-Antarctic wildlife.

Walking in Shackleton’s footsteps

South Georgia is equally rich in history, and Quark Expeditions’ experts bring that legacy to life. This remote island marked the end of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s legendary 1916 expedition after his desperate open-boat voyage from Elephant Island. At Grytviken, one of the first Southern Ocean whaling stations, travellers visit Shackleton’s grave, where it’s tradition to raise a toast to the explorer’s memory.

For the especially adventurous, select voyages

offer the chance to hike the final stretch of Shackleton’s route to the Stromness whaling station, retracing his heroic footsteps.

Why travel with Quark Expeditions Quark Expeditions has been polar-obsessed since 1991, when we became the first operator to take commercial travellers to the North Pole. Polar is all we do, and no other operator can say that. Our expedition team is the most seasoned and respected in the industry—and the largest in polar travel—which means guests get off the ship faster and more often. From Zodiacs and kayaks to helicopters, hiking, camping, biking and cultural immersion, we offer more ways to explore than anyone else.

Choose the South Georgia itinerary that’s right for you

Quark Expeditions offers a range of immersive South Georgia itineraries that enable you to explore other Antarctic regions on the same trip: an 18-day South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula: Penguin Safari; 20-day Penguins of the Far South: Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica; 20-day Falkland Islands and South Georgia: Wildlife Adventure, with an unprecedented six full days exploring South Georgia; and the 23-day Epic Antarctica: The Falklands, South Georgia and Crossing the Circle.

Get ready for the most unforgettable polar adventure imaginable.

SPAIN & PORTUGAL DISCOVERY

Barcelona to Lisbon or vice versa

Discover Lisbon, Portugal’s vibrant capital, known for its colourful streets and neighbourhoods. Immerse yourself with visits to Seville, Málaga and the Alhambra Palace.

8 DAYS • 3 COUNTRIES • 6 GUIDED TOURS SET SAIL • NOV 2026; FEB, APR-JUN, SEP-DEC 2027; JAN-JUN, SEP 2028

From $5,095pp in Veranda Stateroom

From $6,295pp in Penthouse Veranda

SPAIN, PORTUGAL & THE MEDITERRANEAN

Lisbon to Rome or vice versa

Circumnavigate the Iberian Peninsula, calling at Andalusian gems. Visit Barcelona and the Sagrada Familía.

15 DAYS • 6 COUNTRIES • 11 GUIDED TOURS SET SAIL • NOV 2026; JAN-JUN, SEP-DEC 2027; JAN-JUN, SEP 2028

From $8,495pp in Veranda Stateroom

From $10,295pp in Penthouse Veranda

GRAND MEDITERRANEAN

Istanbul to Lisbon or vice versa

Embark on a grand voyage across the Mediterranean to visit iconic cities and uncover the heritage of civilisations. Trace the French Riviera and circumnavigate Italy’s boot.

36 DAYS

From $33,295pp in Veranda Stateroom

From $40,795pp in Penthouse Veranda

No kids, voted world’s best

Private veranda stateroom

Nordic spa facilities

Shore excursions

Choice of 8 dining options

Wi-Fi & gratuities

Wine & beer served with lunch & dinner

24-hour room service

Newest small ship fleet

Importance of Wills

Why it is important to know about your options when it comes to Wills, Powers of Attorney and medical-decision making documents.

Putting your affairs in order might not be the easiest topic to think about, but it’s one of the most important.

No matter your age or situation, understanding options around Wills, Powers of Attorney and medical decision-making documents is crucial.

These legal documents help to ensure that rights and wishes are respected and loved ones are protected, giving valuable peace of mind. Here’s why it matters:

Your wishes are followed:

A valid Will helps to ensure your property is distributed the way you want, rather than being guided by default government rules. Without a will, your assets may go to people you didn’t intend, sometimes leading to family stress and/or disputes.

Finances and personal matters are managed by someone you have chosen:

An Enduring Power of Attorney gives you the option to choose who will make your day-to-day decisions if you lose capacity to do so yourself. This includes choosing where you live and who you see, and managing your finances and other assets.

Your chosen Attorneys could be people you know and trust (e.g. family or friends), or professional services.

Medical care choices are respected:

Appointing a Medical Treatment Decision Mak-

Riveting!

Send Help Starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien MA15+

4.75/5

Send Help is a riveting, devilishly funny survival thriller film directed by dark comedy veteran Sam Raimi.

Driven corporate strategist Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams), who is constantly devalued and belittled by her employers, washes up on a remote island after a plane crash with her jerk boss Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien).

Linda thrives and grows more assertive as she puts her survival skills to use, with McAdams as a tough-as-nails, sometimes scary yet deeply endearing lead, and O’Brien is so entertainingly detestable as Bradley.

The film conjures an almost idyllic atmosphere from its beautifully-shot island setting, but an intense current of desperation and resentment from Bradley, and the eerie sense that not all is as it seems, keep us on our toes, yielding crackling dialogue and several tense set-pieces.

The tightly-paced plot also has some really subtle, well-seeded details for the ingeniously twisted finale.

Send Help’s island is a macabre microcosm of how women often have to work so hard to prove themselves to sexist men who underestimate and undervalue them, but one scene may go a little too far (and no, it’s not the surgery scene you’ve probably heard about online).

This moment involving innocents somewhat dented my sympathy for Linda, but it’s supposed to challenge and unsettle you.

After all, this scene – and the film as a whole–takesLinda’shard-foughtself-worth and agency to a gnarly extreme.

By the way, the marked tonal and venue change in the climax may be jarring for some viewers, but I had no problem with it, as it was so fun and well-executed.

A taut, immensely entertaining survival thriller with a remarkable lead performance fromRachelMcAdams,SendHelpisplaying in most Victorian cinemas.

- Seth Lukas Hynes

Legal matters

Anita Koochew Eastern Community Legal Centre

er allows you to nominate someone you trust to make decisions about medical treatment on your behalf, and an Advance Care Directive is a document that states your values and preferences regarding future medical treatment.

An Advance Care Directive can support your Decision Maker and health professionals to make informed choices that are guided by your wishes if you lose capacity to make those decisions for yourself.

Helps prevent family conflict:

Clear, legally binding documents minimise misunderstanding and ease the burden on loved ones during already stressful periods.

Stay in control:

By making these plans early, you decide what happens to your finances, your personal matters and your medical decisions.

Without these documents, decisions may be deferred to courts or tribunals who may have limited insights into your personal circumstances

CARTOON

and wishes.

Taking time to prepare these documents isn’t just a legal task, it’s an act of self-care. It protects the things that are important to you, supports you and your family’s well being, and provides clarity and peace of mind when it matters most.

It may also help to reduce the risk of your rights and wishes being ignored in the future.

Many people delay making a Will, a Power of Attorney and their medical decision-making documents because they think it’s complicated, expensive and doesn’t apply to them, or it’s uncomfortable/taboo to discuss, but getting started is easier than you might think.

ECLC offers regular free information sessions on Wills, Powers of Attorney and medical decision-making documents.

These sessions help community members understand their rights and options, and guide participants through the process step by step. Sessions are available both online and in-person across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

To find out more and/or register for an upcoming session, visit eclc.org.au/wills.

ECLC provides free legal help to people who live, work, or study in the region, offering services that are caring, accessible, and culturally respectful.

For an appointment, call 1300 32 52 00 or use the online appointment request form eclc.org. au/help.

Please note ECLC does not assist people with the making of their Powers of Attorney or Wills.

Irish history celebrated

The Round

Ireland – The Voyage

From the producers of Celtic Illusion comes a powerful new theatrical experience in Ireland: The Voyage.

An epic celebration of Ireland’s history, heart, and heritage brought to life through authentic voices, live music, and world-class Irish dance.

Emotional, exhilarating, and deeply immersive, Ireland: The Voyage invites audiences to feel the pulse of a nation – its triumphs, its tragedies, its music and its unbreakable spirit, in a live experience they’ll never forget.

Season: Friday 6 March at 7.30pm.

Paul Tabone Salutes Andrea Bocelli

Starring international tenor Paul Ettore Tabone, his spectacular concert celebrates the soaring beauty and emotional power of the music made famous by Andrea Bocelli.

With his golden voice and commanding stage presence, Tabone delivers an evening of elegance, passion, and unforgettable music.

Described by the BBC as “Australia’s own Andrea Bocello”, Tabone has become one of the world’s most exciting tenors.

His international career spans London’s West End and Broadway appearances at the Sydney Opera house, The National Opera Bucharest, also Teatro Carlo Felice, and beyond.

He is widely recognised for his record breaking 1999 performance in The Phantom of the Opera on London’s West End.

Season: Friday 13 March at 2pm.

Gem coplayers

Open Stage Nights

Welcome one and all to Gemco’s ongoing Open Night Stage.

A very dark fantasy novel

Hosted by Carol, the popular open stages has been running for many decades.

Held in a the cosy hall, you are welcome to perform anything you like or just come for the entertainment.

Enjoy music, poetry, singing and monologues or anything.

Season: 7 March From 7pm – 10.30pm. Lilydale Athenaeum theatre The Female of the Species.

Margot Mason is a feminist writer suffering from writer’s block.

Molly Rivers, her former student, arrives unexpectedly at her country home with a gun, blaming Margot for warping her mother’s mind with her best-selling book.

Chaos ensues leading to a comic but tense encounter.

Margot’s daughter, her son-in-law, her publisher and a taxi a taxi driver also arrives to comment on Margot’s feminist failings and the expectations placed on female public figures.

The plot is loosely based on an incident that happened to Germaine Greer.

Season: 23 April – 9 May. Kemp’s

PASSION FOR PROSE

Alchemised, by American author SenLinYu, is the winner of the 2025 GoodReads Choice Award for Readers’ Favourite Debut Novel, based on more than 165,000 votes.

This reviewer was not among those voters, but felt intrigued enough by all the praises out there to take a plunge into this 1030-page brick of a book.

And it was a richly rewarding read.

The story is a brilliant and masterful illustration of an elaborate yet terrifying civil war where the protagonist Helena Marino once served as a healer for the Resistance.

Now the war has ended, with the country ruled by necromancers, Helena finds herself imprisoned, interrogated and tortured for information about the possible re-emergence of Resistance fighters.

Trouble is, Helena’s memories have been erased by magic, and her captors are trying everything imaginable and utterly despicable to uncover the secrets in her head.

Eventually she is handed over to The High Reeve, the thoroughly ruthless and ultra-efficient mass murderer Kaine Ferron, himself an accomplished necromancer.

The story is definitely not for the fainthearted.

Consider the fact that the author has drawn inspiration from the TV adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1985), readers can imagine how depictions of the battles are full of ghastly details.

On one side is the Order of the Eternal Flames, whose followers are convinced they are invincible as long as they remain faithful and virtuous.

Helena’s struggle to fit in and the sacrifices she makes to ensure the Order’s survival are the most heart-wrenching part of the story.

On the other side are the necromancers, who reanimate those enemies they have slaughtered as their own soldiers.

The atrocities they commit are brutal, vicious and entirely gruesome, and the detailed descriptions of the various types of dark magic and their horrific, devastating consequences are absolutely mind-blowing.

However, despite it being darkly macabre, the story explores the great lengths one is willing to go to protect their loved ones.

More importantly, it sheds considerable light on the terrible and long-lasting trauma that war can inflict on individuals and communities, both emotionally and psychologically – and not just those involved in frontline fighting but also those unsung heroes who work tirelessly in field hospitals.

Meanwhile, the story tackles such multifaceted problems such as power struggles and corruption in politics, as well as the systemic oppression and exploitation of women.

In the latter case, not only are women’s voices silenced, their work undervalued and their contributions ignored, but their agency and legacy are also denied.

This adds another layer of dread and misery to the already deeply upsetting tale that is Helena’s life.

Do NOT read this story if you are squeamish.

But, if you are into complex three-dimensional characters, thrillingly intense actions, mind-boggling magic systems and unflinchingly extensive investigations of the impact of war, then you have to read Alchemised.

CHARMING 1920’S HOME WITH COTTAGE

TIMELESS 1920’S CHARM IN THE HEART OF EMERALD WITH SEPARATE COTTAGE

POSITIONED in the heart of Emerald and dating back to the 1920s, this character weatherboard home is a true Hills treasurebeautifully preserved, thoughtfully updated, and presented to perfection, all set on over 1 acre of useable space.

Just a short stroll to town, schools, and public transport, the home combines timeless charm, everyday convenience and undeniable street appeal. Cottage gardens frame the home, while a meandering boardwalk guides you to the welcoming front verandah - the perfect place to relax and watch the world go by.

Step inside and fall in love with the soaring high ceilings and original features that define this stunning residence, including a charming open fireplace, classic sash windows, and rich hardwood floors.

The home offers three spacious bedrooms, one with an extra study space, highlighted by a generous master suite complete with walk-in robe and full ensuite. In addition there is a gorgeous separate self-contained cottage, offering a bedroom, living space, and ensuite - ideal for guests, extended family, or potential additional income.

The freshly updated kitchen is simply magnificent, featuring stainless steel appliances, stone benchtops, and an abundance of cupboard and bench spacedesigned to impress and built for functionality. Ideal for family living, the home provides two separate living zones: a formal lounge at the front of the home and a second spacious living area at the rear adjoining bedrooms two and three and it own private balcony - perfect for children or teenagers seeking their own retreat.

Year-round comfort is assured with mains gas ducted heating, ducted cooling for the warmer months.

Outdoors, entertaining is effortless with a large covered balcony overlooking the fully fenced rear yard, complete with a generous flat lawn area for children and pets to enjoy.

For tradies, hobbyists, or those needing storage, the 6m x 5m shed with concrete floor and power is a standout feature, and with dual driveway access, bringing in trailers, boats, or trucks is effortless.

This is truly one of the Hills’ special homes - rich in history, full of heart, and ready for its next chapter.

Call us and inspect today. ●

FLAT, SUNNY AND SET IN A STUNNING LOCATION

NESTLED in the heart of the enchanting Kallista village, 1 Anderson Street presents a rare opportunity to secure a complete family lifestyle package in one of the Dandenong Ranges’ most picturesque settings. Positioned on an impressive 1,966sqm (approx.) flat, sunny allotment in a quiet no-through road, and just moments from world-class walking trails, this beautiful residence delivers space, comfort and timeless charm in equal measure. Warm and welcoming, the home opens to a generous front lounge where a crackling wood fire and rich bamboo flooring create an inviting ambience for relaxed family living. Privacy pocket doors enhance functionality, while the seamless flow of floorboards throughout adds cohesion and warmth.

The stunning main bedroom is privately positioned and bathed in natural light through floor-to-ceiling windows. Complete with a walk-in robe, enviable ensuite, split system heating and cooling, and ceiling fan, it offers a peaceful retreat for parents.

At the rear, expansive open plan living and dining is framed by double-glazed windows and doors that capture tranquil views of the deck and lush gardens beyond. The gourmet kitchen is a true centrepiece, boasting a 5-burner gas range, farmhouse sink, butcher block benchtops, and breakfast bar a space designed for effortless entertaining and everyday family connection.

Large windows throughout the home invite in an abundance of natural light, ensuring amazing sun and warmth year-round.

Seamless indoor-outdoor flow leads to a substantial covered wrap-around deck the perfect setting for entertaining, relaxing with

HOME ESSENTIALS

a morning coffee, or hosting family gatherings while enjoying the peaceful garden surrounds in every season.

Accommodation is thoughtfully tailored for growing families, with three additional bedrooms, a luxurious main bathroom featuring a deep soaker tub, a guest powder room, and a cleverly designed updated laundry with abundant storage. Attic storage with ladder access further enhances practicality

and ensures every inch of the home is well utilised. There is also an 8kw solar system as an added convenience.

Outdoors, the landscaped grounds are equally impressive. An open lawn area, charming hen house, single garage with single covered recreational vehicle parking, and second gated driveway ensure flexibility for vehicles, hobbies, and lifestyle needs. The sparkling inground swimming pool is a

Address: 1 Anderson Road, KALLISTA Description: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 garage Price: $1,195,000- $1,299,000 Inspect: By appointment

Contact: Brad Conder 0422 639 115 and Jerlyn Arradaza 0434 688 554, CHANDLER & CO REAL ESTATE 9754 6888

standout feature, complete with glass fencing, salt chlorination, cartridge filter, and electric heat pump - promising year-round enjoyment for family and friends.

Framed by beautiful gardens and peaceful surrounds, this exceptional property offers the perfect blend of character, comfort and contemporary convenience. Inspection will impress. ●

Enquire online at bendigobank.com.au/healthcheck or

FLAT LAND, DAM VIEWS, 1940’S ART DECO CHARM

POSITIONED in the very heart of Menzies Creek, 8 Menzies Road is a rare offering — perfectly flat 1,963m² land paired with sweeping views across Cardinia Dam.

In the Hills, level land of this size is gold. Here, it provides the ideal canvas to extend, renovate or create your forever home (Subject to Council Approval), all while enjoying a breathtaking natural outlook. Watch world famous Puffing Billy pass by your back fence.

The residence itself proudly reflects its 1940s Art Deco origins. Decorative ceilings, elegant proportions and beautiful timber floors speak to a time of enduring craftsmanship. Large picture windows draw in garden greenery, while the sun filled multipurpose room creates a space to create your own office, craft room, or play room.

The current floorplan comprises two bedrooms and one bathroom, with defined living and dining zones connected to a central kitchen. A classic fireplace anchors the living space, adding warmth and character, while the home’s original features offer the perfect foundation for thoughtful restoration or contemporary enhancement.

Outside, the expansive, level grounds are framed by established trees and garden beds, offering privacy, usability and space rarely found in this location. Whether you envision a substantial extension, landscaped outdoor entertaining zones, or simply room for children and pets to roam freely, the potential here is exceptional.

With easy access to local cafes in Emerald and Belgrave, the lifestyle is as appealing as the land itself. Just 10 minutes from Belgrave Train Station and easy access to the M1 and M3 freeways.

A tightly held position.

A flat, near half-acre.

Views of Cardinia Dam extending to Mornington Peninsula and Port Phillip Bay.

An extraordinary opportunity to honour the past while building something remarkable for the future.

5

4

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LANAMAHER 0408535075

MODERNIST STYLING ON 75 ACRES WITH VIEWS

PERFECTLY positioned in the tightly held and highly sought-after Upwey South pocket, 13A Bayview Avenue delivers lifestyle, flexibility and comfort in one impressive package. With a peaceful, leafy outlook and easy access to local schools, parklands, public transport and the vibrant Upwey township, this is a location families absolutely love.

Designed with versatility in mind, the home offers a flexible layout ideal for growing families or those seeking extra space. The opportunities are endless with the lower section of the house as a Home Office / Teenagers Retreat or Man-Cave with all the hard work already done providing separation and privacy while still being connected to the heart of the home.

Upstairs, the light-filled open plan kitchen, living and dining area forms the true hub of the home. The kitchen is perfectly positioned to overlook the living space with SS cooktop, rangehood and dishwasher, creating an easy flow for everyday family life and effortless entertaining. Year-round comfort is ensured with ducted heating, split system air conditioning and ceiling fans.

Stepping outside, you’ll find a fantastic undercover decking area ideal for year-round gatherings, weekend BBQs or simply relaxing while enjoying the peaceful surrounds. The fully fenced backyard offers security for children and pets, along with plenty of space to enjoy.

Additional features include 2 separate carports and plenty of off-street parking perfect for other vehicles, trailers or caravans with excellent accessibility.

Homes in this prized Upwey South location are always in strong demand. Combining flexible living zones, great outdoor entertaining and a family-friendly setting, 13A Bayview Avenue is an opportunity not to be missed. ●

PUZZLES

To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.

1 Spawn, similar to caviar (3)

A person obsessed with themselves (10)

Part (7)

Sweet egg and milk dessert (7)

Convenient (9)

Parasitic plant (4)

Sent off (10)

Small island (4)

Cosy retreat (4) 20 Articles (10) 23 Sham (4) 25 Islands west of Central America (9)

Feeling (7) 28 Against the law (7)

Dishonest (10)

Period of 24 hours (3)

1 Answering (10)

Daydreamers; jailbreakers (9)

Declared (9) 5 Hidden treasure (5)

Plant yielding gingili oil (6)

Muslim leaders (5)

Water rise (4)

S in the NATO phonetic alphabet (6)

Privately (10)

16 Exaction (9)

18 Rummaged (9)

21 Debris (6)

22 Interval (6)

24 Scent (5)

25 Waterway (5)

26 Great Barrier – (4)

Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural nouns ending in “s”.

18 words: Good 27 words: Very good 36 words: Excellent Today’s Aim:

3

SODA TEAS WEEP

5 LETTERS AFOOT AILED ARIAS ASSET AWAKE BALED BELLS BERRY BLUED BREAK CARGO DENTS DRESS DUSKY EBONY ELOPE ERODE EXILE EXPEL FELON FENCE FORTE

Burras fire

By Garry Lewis

The Midweek Warburton One side earned their grand final berth following an extremely close battle against the top side, Upwey-Tecoma One, away last Tuesday.

The Burras turned their recent form around with a brave and exciting win in the second semi final.

It was a predictably tight and tense match throughout and came down to the last few bowls of the match before the visitors won 58 shots to 56.

Rod McKail’s and Aimee Dostie’s rinks bowled exceptionally well to prop the team up after Upwey-Tecoma’s Cam Davison demolished the other rink.

Rink scores were:

• G. Walsh 11/31, R. McKail 24/10 and A. Dostie 23/15.

• They will play at home in the Grand Final this Tuesday against Ferntree Gully One.

The finals of the Intra Club Competitions continued with Michelle Foord defeating Madisyn Nicolandos in the President’s Handicap in another high standard game from both players.

In a thrilling finish to the Club Pairs final, Rod McKail and Chris Neale vs John Bodin and Terry Heyward, it came down to an extra end being 13 all after 16 ends.

In the last end, Rod McKail delivered three brilliant bowls to help set up a two-shot victory.

Congratulations to all players for the high standard game watched by a good attendance of members.

Members are reminded that the Presentation Evening will be held on Friday 13 March, 7pm at the clubrooms.

Bookings are essential.

The AGM will be held on Friday 17 April, 7pm at the clubrooms. Further details to follow.

The Jack Attack Triples Competition continued last Wednesday with a Double Header of eight ends each game.

Trades & Services

The exciting evening saw many extremely close games with all teams continuing to jostle for positions leading up to the finals evening to be held this week.

Alexandra Woods from the Giddy Gout Team won the prize for being the first person to hit the jack.

The finals will see sudden death games of six ends each with all teams participating in two divisions, Top Eight and Bottom Eight, to find the overall winner for each division.

Skips will change after three ends.

The first round of games is as follows:

Top Eight - Can’t Remember v Lawn Rangers, Bowls to the Wall v Giddy Gout, Pensioners v Gunners and Bowl Movement v Wessie Wonders.

Bottom Eight - Thomos v Bowl Controllers, Stirling Effort v Bowled & the Beautiful, La La’s v T.B.C, and Sheep Assist v Hit the Jack.

Social bowls continues each Monday from 12 midday.

The club facilities are regularly utilised by outside groups, including families and businesses, for social activities and barefoot bowls. Contact the club for further information via email warbbowls@outlook.com or come along and visit the club and speak to a member.

Horse Talk at state titles

By Anita Prowse

This weekend saw Shirley Heights EC in Gladysdale host the Victorian State Country Titles for the first time. It was great to see such a fantastic show jumping event on our doorstep. Saturday’s winners were:

• Open 70cm and 80cms - Avah HammondSmith on Viewmont Amazing.

• Open 90cms -Andy Hall on APH Lucy Lou.

• 90cm OTT -Sami Bell on Glenayre Melman.

• Open 1mtr - Gabrielle Kelly on Fricka.

• Open 1.10cms - Sienna Holdsworth-Rose on Heartline NZ.

• Open 1.20cms - Ryhs Hamlyn on Finch Farm Carlton.

• Open 1.30cms - Tori Stuckley on Jaybee ballon d’or.

• Sunday Open 70 and 80cms - Xanthe Wade on Lakevale Tarwyn.

• 1.04cms - Amelia Terrill on Redcliffs Guns and Roses.

• 1.04cms OTT - Sienna Holdsworth-Rose on Glenayre Melman.

• 1.40mtrs - James Harvey on Yirrkala Celeste. Well done to everyone involved on a great weekend.

UYPC freshmans got through a few rounds on Friday evening before the storm hit us. Next up is our Supercross freshmans, show jumps and cross country jumps, on Saturday 28 March.

SPORT

Cat is chasing the Pidgeons

Round five of the Eastern Suburbs +55 Senior pennant was played at the Yering Meadows golf club. A darker than usual morning and roadworks altered normal travel plans. Drivers negotiated hills, narrow roads and headlight glare to arrive on time. Managers yawning and sipping coffee as the troops rolled up. Green fees were exchanged for maps and score cards. Last weeks substitute managers moved back to being just players. The mild and still morning was in contrast to the advertised showers and overcast. No dew to dampen socks as the fellows practiced putting. A few swung lustily in the nets. A couple more honed their skills on chipping green. Playing shows how much was actually learned. After all the practice and friendly banter, play began. On time again at 7.30.

The Nursery course was in excellent condition. The fairways were well covered and let the balls run easily. Sometimes extra distance was gained and other times the extra run and slope had the ball in a hazard. A few kangaroos dotted the course. They may have arrived from Eastern or Heritage where there are thousands.

Yering Meadows has undertaken a few cosmetic changes in the past months. Tea tree scrub around paths and tee areas has given the course an open look and pleasant views. Many bunkers have been removed and replaced with grass. A more enjoyable but no less testing layout for a golf game. Water hazards remain, though presently not as full or forbidding as they will be. Several new balls had swimming lessons from which they did not recover.

As the temperature and humidity took toll the error rate rose. Twenty one of forty eight contests went the whole eighteen holes. Seven of those were squared. The biggest win on the day was 7 and 5 by Terry Payne of Heritage followed by Dave Rogers 6 and 4 from Gardiners Run. John Cassar from Gardiners Run didn’t win his match going down 4 and 2. John did have bragging rites and was acknowledged during presentations.

JOHN CASSAR ACED his shot on the 12th hole. HOLE IN ONE. Something all golfers dream of achieving. He did it, now you try.

The top teams, both from Box Hill (the pigeons) are being chased by (the cats) a big bunch of teams equally placed to snatch the lead. Only two rounds remain for the season. Box Hill gold having lost for the first time is in danger of losing its crown. Box Hill green maintains the mean machine style not losing so far.

The struggle for top spot is on in earnest now. Cats or Pidgeon’s who wins?

Results this week. Gold group. Churchill/Waverley 5 def Gardiners Run 3. Yering 6 def Eastern 2. Heritage 4 ½ def Box Hill 3 ½ Green group, Eastern 5 def Yering 3. Churchill/ Waverley 5 ½ def Gardiners Run 2 ½ Box Hill 5 ½ def Heritage 2 ½ Play well. David Waters

Yarra Valley clubs among recipients for sports grants

A range of sporting clubs in the outer east received grants from the latest round of the 202526 Sporting Club Grants Program.

Yarra Valley clubs like the Healesville Bowling Club, the Warburton Bowls Club, the Wandin-based Victorian Amateur Boxing League Inc and the Wesburn Junior Football Club were recipients of the program.

The Sporting Club Grants Program provides funding for community sport and active recreation organisations across Victoria.

Access to this funding helps grassroots clubs and organisations address barriers in participation, develop safe and sustainable practices and build social and active local communities.

This program assists organisations to purchase uniforms and equipment that are essential for participation, first-aid and safety.

It also helps the club attract, build the capability and retain a skilled workforce – both volunteer and paid, while increasing equity, diversity and inclusiveness.

Clubs will also be guided on how they can implement good governance practices, increase participation of individuals and communities who participate less, and create opportunities so Victorians can participate in ways that suit them.

Finally, the grants help build a robust sector that responds to current and changing community needs and supports athletes to achieve success in their sport.

The grant program is split across five categories: on-field uniforms or equipment, volunteers and officials, access and events, travel and governance and engagement.

The on-field uniforms or equipment category sees clubs receive up to $1000 to purchase onfield playing uniforms, participation equipment for competitors and active participants, safety, injury prevention and first-aid equipment.

for

league.

The volunteers and officials category sees

clubs receive up to $5000 for projects that improve the skills and knowledge of volunteers, coaches and/or officials and projects that improve volunteer-retention.

Wesburn Junior Football Club received a grant in this category.

Category three surrounds access and events. Clubs can receive up to $2500 to host a singlesession event for children and young people or adults, or up to $5000 to deliver a series of sport session for adult participants.

Healesville Bowling Club managed to get a grant in category three.

The travel category gives clubs up to $750 to help with travel costs for athletes selected for representative competition, selection trials or training camps.

While clubs can receive up to $1500 to strengthen governance practices and ensure long-term sustainability.

More clubs down south in the Dandenong Ranges received some grants too - this included Belcoma Netball Club, Belgrave Junior Football Club, Sherbrooke Archers Inc and Boronia Netball Club.

While no other clubs in the Yarra Valley received grants in the rest of the categories, a further round of grants will be available.

Applicants must submit a completed application via the DJSIR Grants Portal before 4 pm on Tuesday 7 April 2026.

To find out more, visit this link: sport.vic.gov. au/funding/sporting-club-grants-program. Grants can then be applied for through the application link: grants.business.vic.gov.au/ GrantsPortalLogin

All eyes on midweek play

With both Weekend Pennant sides having already qualified for a Grand Final appearance at Yarra Junction on Saturday 7 March, all eyes were turned to Midweek Pennant this week.

The midweek squad finished in third position on the ladder and so qualified for a home Semifinal against fourth placed Lilydale. The weather on Tuesday was very warm and humid and the weather forecast threatened thunderstorms for early afternoon. With this in mind both sides agreed to start the game a little early and to take a very short lunch break.

The fast Yarra Junction green proved too tricky for the Falcons and the Eagles pulled steadily ahead during the game to post a final score of 74 shots to 27 with all rinks winning. Rink scores were J. Rush 21-10, M. Rankin 21-11, A. Holmes 32-6.

During the last few ends the clouds gathered, thunder could be heard rolling around the hills and within half an hour of the completion of the game, the heavens opened and the green became a lake.

The win allows Yarra Junction to move on to play a Qualifying-final away to Donvale on Tuesday 3rd March. This promises to be a very tough game. The Donvale side finished in second place and have been undefeated at home this season, but the Eagles, after posting just one win in the first six rounds, have notched up a winning streak of eight games. This game is sudden death and will see the winner go forward to the Grand Final. It should be a cracker.

Eagles soaring into the Qualifying Final. (Supplied)

Section gain, promotion pain for Yarra Glen bowlers

Midweek pennant

A home section elimination final was our reward after a post-Christmas surge into third place. Ferntree Gully had taken the points last time we played, so it was expected to be a close contest. Ferntree Gully made a strong start, and lead for the entire day. With a few ends to go, the margin had narrowed to under 10 shots, but we just couldn’t make up the difference. Final result was a loss 49-59 to end our season. P. Leonard 15/16; Ash. Skillern 25/19; P. Tirant 9/24. Weekend Pennant

Our Division 1 side reached the Section Final with a full head of steam, but faced the challenge of Bundoora, at Bundoora on Saturday, who we had been unable to beat during the home and

away season. Twice during the game Bundoora jumped out to a 10 shot plus lead, and with only 6 ends to play, we were looking down the barrel. However, some crucial end wins across all rinks, including a 5 from Mark “Funky” O’Halloran’s rink saw us take the lead with 3 ends to go. On the last end, Bundoora tried to kill the end to force a reply, but the jack went sideways, staying on the rink, and Yarra Glen secured the section flag 84-82. B. Simmons 15/30; M. O’Halloran 31/15; M. Creighton 20/17; Beau Simmons 18/20.

On Sunday, we played at the neutral green of MCC, playing against Middle Park for a Division semi final win and promotion to Premier Reserve. Middle Park created a 10 shot break early

on, and despite some great bowls, Yarra Glen was just not able to bridge the gap this time, with the final result a loss 61-80.

B. Simmons 22/12; M. O’Halloran 16/17; M. Creighton 23/18; Beau Simmons 25/22.

Division 6 played at Lilydale on Saturday in the for the Division 6 preliminary final. Rarely was the gap between the 2 sides more than 10 shots, however Lilydale finished the stronger to end our season 69-77. S. Crossland 10/26; D. Milner 23/11; G. Baker 16/20; J. Leather 20/20.

That’s a wrap for Yarra Glen pennant for season 2026-27. Overall an improved performance for the year, and with the addition of many new pennant members, we look even stronger heading into the 2026-27 season.

Outer east star appointed as Richmond’s AFLW coach

By Shamsiya Hussainpoor

Richmond Football Club has announced the appointment of Jarrad Donders as head coach of its AFL Women’s team for the 2026 season.

The former Emerald Football Netball Club player in the Yarra Ranges Football and Netball League is expected to bring a wealth of experience both on and off the field.

Before embarking on his coaching career, Mr Donders worked as a physical education teacher at Emerald Secondary College and also served as assistant principal, where he established an extra-curricular AFL program.

“I know you girls are craving that structure to move into the 2026 season,” Mr Donders said during an internal club announcement.

“I fully believe in the potential of this group as well and the direction that we’re heading. Ultimately, I’m really excited to get to work with you and what this playing list is capable of, and essentially leading us to the premiership success that we want.”

Mr Donders’ coaching journey began at Emerald Football Club at junior level before moving into the Hawthorn NGA program as an assistant coach in 2018 and 2019.

He later joined the Eastern Ranges Boys in the Talent League as a forward coach in 2022, and in 2024 was appointed head coach of the Eastern Ranges Girls.

Under his guidance, the team reached the

grand final in 2024 and went on to win the championship the following year.

He also coached Vic Metro at the Under-18 Championships in 2025.

Richmond’s chief executive officer, Shane Dunne praised Mr Donders for his leadership and commitment to player development.

“Jarrad is highly driven and genuinely invested in developing people, not just coaching players,” Mr Dunne said.

“His experience with Victoria Metro and the Eastern Ranges shows he understands the AFLW pathway and what it takes to prepare athletes for elite standards. Beyond just developing young talent, he has an ambition to make our program world class, which is really exciting.”

Mr Dunne also highlighted the cultural impact he expects Mr Donders to have at Richmond.

“He will build a connected and accountable environment. Jarrad is big on feedback, growth and alignment both culturally and performancewise,” Mr Dunne said.

“We are building for sustained success, and he brings elite system experience and strong leadership. That combined with his passion for the game makes him the ideal coach for us.”

Mr Donders acknowledged the work ahead as he prepares to lead Richmond into the 2026 AFLW season.

“I understand the work that’s needed to undertake and where we need to go now. So all the fun stuff’s over. It’s time to get to work,” he said.

Relegation dodged in win

By Chris Handasyde

Healesville Cricket Club - First XI - Healesville 189 defeated Yarra Junction 168.

In a must-win clash with a win meaning finals and a loss meaning relegation, Healesville had 189 to defend against Yarra Junction.

The day started well with Darren Edwards dismissing the opener for a duck with a sharp one handed return catch.

A partnership would build before Josh Handasyde would pair with brother Tom for a stumping to have junction 2/80.

With the game in the balance a sharp run out from Nick and Josh dismissing David Lever for 35 saw the tides change and when Grant Braden caught and bowled Bomford for a duck the game was back on Healesville’s terms.

Another run out this time from Darcy and Tom saw the bloods continue to gain a foothold in the contest.

With Nightingale still going strong, it took a tidy piece of bowling from Mitch Tampaline to dismiss him caught behind and then skittle their club coach for a duck.

With two wickets to win and 60 required for junction the bloods had to merely finish the job.

But skipper Daniel Lever did well to keep the wolves at bay.

But when Grant took a one handed slips catch just before the drinks break.

Junction continued to whittle it down to 22 required before the number 11 hit one straight up off Grant Braden and Healesville secured a memorable win securing their place in finals as they travel to Seville to play Seville.

Second XI: Healesville 114 defeated by Yarra Junction 114.

Leading into day two against Yarra junction, the 2nds were 2/64 chasing 212 to win, with eight wickets and 149 runs to get we were quietly confident.

After losing the early wicket of Hudson Semple (31) after he’s good knock to take us to stumps the first day the house of cards started to fall.

Unfortunately we couldn’t hold on and managed to only put on another 50 runs before we were dismissed for 114, bringing a close to the season for us.

Third XI: Healesville 7/266 defeated North Ringwood 262.

Aeden Senti 69*, Raff Morcombe 67, Brenton Damrow 59, Ben Mackey 32 & 2/6, Cooper Bell 2/25, Owen Morcombe 2/43.

Fourth XI: Healesville 8/87 defeated by Hoddles Creek 5/91.

Sam Hyndman 23 and 1/14, Harry Thomas 16, Summer Caldicott 11* and 1/8.

Fifth XI: Healesville 134 defeated East Ringwood 108 (Semi Final).

Zach Coleman 33 and 18, Liam Warner 18, Alex Simmons 15, Tully Ellis 2/20, Sam Anderson 2/11.

Next Saturday is the Grand Final v Vermont at Vermont – good luck.

U14-7: Healesville 3/103 defeated Montrose 7/102.

The Under 14 (2s) team travelled to Montrose this weekend and chose to send the home team in to bat immediately.

Healesville demonstrated exceptional bowling skills early on, putting the opposition under

pressure and resulting in several wickets falling.

All bowlers performed admirably, with Reggie Morcombe taking two wickets, and the home team finishing their innings with 102 runs for the loss of seven wickets.

Healesville was eager to chase down the target, with Eli Keath hitting two sixes in the first over.

Angus Morcombe played a composed innings, remaining not out with a score of 28 runs.

Healesville successfully surpassed Montrose’s total in under 20 overs, finishing with a score of 103 for the loss of three wickets.

Now we move into a semi final next week.

U14-3: Healesville 1/10 v Montrose 122 (day 1 of Semi Final).

Losing the toss and bowling Summer Caldicott got the team off to a dream start with two

quick wickets.

The youngbloods kept the intensity up against Montrose and when Taylor Caldicott collected two of his own wickets shortly followed by Daniel Shaw.

Montrose soon found themselves 5/50. A good partnership got themselves up to 5/100 before a mini collapse headed by Summer Caldicott who finished with 5/19 saw Montrose all out for 119.

With five overs to bat Healesville unfortunately closed 1/10 with Louis Keath out bowled with Taylor Caldicott 7* and Mika Kerst 3* with 110 required for victory next week.

U12-3: Healesville 4/111 defeated Chirnside Park 96.

Josh Braden 37*, Fletcher Brook 20*, Max Dewez 12*, Angus Holmes 3/6.

Lusatia secures finals’ position with must-win match

By Kieran Cantwell

First XI:

With finals on the line, it was a must-win game for the First XI against Kilsyth at home.

It wasn’t just our game we needed to keep an eye on, but making sure 5th place Eastfield didn’t leapfrog us as well.

We resumed at 3-87 chasing 124 and didn’t get off to the best start, losing Lucas Parker early for 35, and Sumant Gupta was run out shortly after that.

At 6-99 even the small total of 124 was looking like it could be a danger.

Andy Vandervlugt rescued the innings with 22 not out off 12 balls, and got us over the line.

With Eastfield in the other game looking to go for the outright, we declared and sent Kilsyth back in, attempting the same.

Adam Dunn looked like he might make it happen single handedly with three wickets in quick succession, at 3-11 Kilsyth were reeling.

When Terry Bennett got our fourth, it was game on.

From there Kilsyth dug deep and built a partnership which sapped the momentum from the game, making the outright an impossibility. Despite not getting the outright, we got the points for the win, and the other result went our way; so our First XI is finals bound, playing Warranwood away next weekend in finals round 1.

Second XI:

Despite it being a top of the table clash against Croydon North the week before finals, there were very little stakes in this game as the top 2 are already locked in.

This was a case of seeing how we matched up.

Having posted 238 last week, it was our turn to bowl and we started exactly as we’d wanted, with Jai Gupta taking a wicket with the second ball.

Luke Thomas got one in his first over and then another a few overs later to have them rattled at 3-27.

Some big hitting saw them claw back into the game before Jackson Wright and Matt McConnell struck to have them 5-126 shortly before tea.

Excellent bowling from Flynn Pritchard was rewarded after tea as he took 2, and they were 7-150, we were right on top.

The momentum swung again as it does in these clashes as the batters got on top, and this time we had no answers; Croydon North passing us 7 down with 8 overs to go.

An excellent hit out against the top side the week out from finals prepares us well for the first final against Yarra Junction next week.

Third XI:

Starting this week only slightly behind Mt Ev-

elyn at 4-215 we were optimistic for our chances of getting the victory and a finals spot with it. Ben Hubbard was looking for back-to-back centuries but disaster struck and he fell agonisingly short on 99, but 214 runs in two weeks isn’t bad at all.

From there our batting was not up to scratch, despite a 51 run partnership between Stuart Parker and Bilal Ahmad, who posted his highest score of the season with 27.

Stuart was left not out on 35 and ran out of partners.

Mt Ev needing only 80 to win, it was a valiant effort with the ball from skipper Stuart Parker, who took three more wickets this week to end up with figures of 5-63.

A great effort going down by 3 wickets, but sadly missing out on finals this year.

U14:

Without skipper and leading run scorer Jacob Ahmad this week due to illness, it was a good test for the rest of the team against ladder leaders Warrandyte.

In this last round before finals, we batted first and posted a decent score.

With Joel Pritchard (13), Cameron Philpot (24) and Mason McNeill (14) retiring not out we managed 7-142.

It was a good start with the ball, with Cam getting a run out and Mason a wicket to have them 2-9 early.

Warrandyte rallied and some big hitting saw them reach our target four down in the 18th over.

Some good practice before the start of finals next week, good luck kids.

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