Tuesday, 5 May, 2026
Residents petition for slower speeds
Ranges-based author hits Amazon No. 1
Cockatoo IGA takes out two big awards
Real estate liftout inside
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A Star News Group Publication
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Portrait unveiled The Victorian Bar has unveiled a portrait of Monbulk’s Professor Arnold Dix in the Peter O’Callaghan QC Gallery, honouring his dual career as a barrister and world-renowned tunnelling engineer. Prof Dix gained global acclaim for leading the 2023 rescue of 41 trapped Indian miners. Painted by Murali Surya, the portrait features a tie representing his new mission with the International Atomic Energy Agency to tackle nuclear waste storage. Colleagues praised Dix for combining scientific truth with a barrister’s devotion to justice. Read more on page 7.
Professor Arnold Dix and Australian Hindu artist Murali Surya. (Supplied)
Light up for Elias Tecoma’s local barbershop, Barber Bill’s, has transformed into a sea of yellow this May to spearhead a poignant road safety campaign. The family-owned business is raising funds and awareness for Amber Community, a statewide non-profit providing free counselling and education to those affected by road trauma. The initiative is deeply personal for the owners, the Gerovasilis family. In August 2024, they
lost their son, Elias, in a road accident just weeks after he graduated as a police officer. Turning their grief into advocacy, the family is donating one dollar from every haircut this month to “Team Elias.” They are also collecting recyclables from The Railyard and selling local honey to bolster the cause. Janine Gerovasilis, Elias’s mother, has found a powerful way to honour her son’s legacy of helping others by becoming a “lived experience” speaker for Amber Community.
Though she describes the process of sharing her story with strangers as difficult and emotional, she finds strength in the impact it has on her audience. “I feel my Elias was there with me,” she said, noting that her first seminar unexpectedly fell on the first anniversary of his funeral. By speaking to drivers about the life-altering consequences of road trauma, she hopes to encourage safer choices and a better mindset behind the wheel. The campaign aligns with the statewide Shine
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a Light on Road Safety initiative, which includes a “Walk and Wheel” event at Albert Park on 24 May and Headlights Day on 22 May. As of 4 May, Team Elias has already raised over $4300. With 89 lives lost on Victorian roads already this year, the Gerovasilis family remains committed to their mission, hoping to prevent other families from enduring similar heartbreak. Their message to the community is simple: “Our wish is for everyone to get home safely.” Turn to page 9 for more.
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