Tuesday, 9 June, 2026
Healesville included in top hunting towns for deer
Badger Creek Primary Remembrance Day service
Yarra Ranges local Sarah Ward gets OAM
Real estate liftout inside
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A Star News Group Publication
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Ice Ice maybe ... A sea of blue, plenty of courage and a community united for a cause transformed Healesville Greyhounds’ annual Big Freeze at the ’Ville into one of its most successful fundraising events yet. More than 20 local personalities, community heroes and familiar faces braved an icy plunge down a towering 4.5-metre slide, helping raise an impressive $55,000 for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) research, with donations still rolling in. Inspired by the legacy of the late AFL great Neale Daniher, the event drew families from across the region for a day packed with entertainment, live music, children’s activities and plenty of heartfelt moments. As Healesville rallied behind the fight against this devastating disease, the event showcased the extraordinary power of community spirit, generosity and determination. Story on page 10
Digital creator Community Pete, dressed as Deadpool, enters the icy cold water. (April Stevens)
Sheer gratitude Twenty years ago, the idea of a dedicated remembrance service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander servicemen and women faced fierce resistance. Today, governors, ministers, military leaders and hundreds of Victorians gather annually at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance to honour their service. The Victorian Aboriginal Remembrance Service marked its 20th anniversary on 31 May, celebrating a movement that began with a simple
belief: that all soldiers deserve recognition. Former Royal Australian Air Force Flight Sergeant and Healesville resident Sam Halim helped establish the service in 2006 after being approached by the late Yarra Yarra Elder Aunty Dot Peters AM, who had spent years seeking recognition for Indigenous veterans. “The RSL didn’t want it,” Mr Halim said. “Many, many VIPs didn’t want it, and still some narrow-minded people don’t want it.”
At the time, Indigenous military service was rarely acknowledged through dedicated commemorations despite thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians serving in conflicts from the Boer War to Vietnam and beyond. Mr Halim said his motivation was simple. “If you fight for your country, you should be honoured, acknowledged and recognised.” What started as a small service at the Heales-
ville RSL later moved to the Shrine of Remembrance, where the Aboriginal flag was raised for the first time in the Shrine’s history. Now in its twentieth year, the service attracts hundreds of attendees and has become a cornerstone of Victoria’s Reconciliation Week commemorations. “We have changed a dark age in our military history,” Mr Halim said. Read the full story on page 4
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