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22 DECEMBER, 2021

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Countdown to Christmas ‘Tis the season to sing carols and make your house shine bright with Christmas lights. Children across the west – including siblings Eliza, 2, Charlotte, 6, and Phillip, 2, are looking forward to celebrating the festive season and are hoping the man in the big red suit will leave them some surprises under the Christmas tree. We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year from all at Star Weekly. This is the last edition for 2021, with the first edition for 2022 out on Wednesday, January 12.

Sexual assaults decline By Alesha Capone The number of sexual assaults recorded in Wyndham has fallen by more than a third over 12 months, with police attributing the reduction to COVID-19 restrictions. The Victorian Crime Statistics Agency last week released Victoria Police data for the year ending September, 2021. In Wyndham, there were 460 sexual assaults recorded in this timeframe, compared to 718 between September, 2019, and September, 2020. The offence of obtaining benefits by deception also dropped from 1077 to 710 crimes.

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A Victoria Police spokesperson said: “Both of these decreases are largely as a result of the restrictions associated with the coronavirus pandemic that were in place at this time, which limited the movement of people within the community. “The reduction in deception offences can be largely associated with the fact many retail and shopping outlets were closed for a large portion of this time.” The overall number of crimes recorded by police in Wyndham fell 11.3 per cent, from 18,376 offences to 16,292. The crime drop in Wyndham reflected a general reduction in offences across the state,

with 496,260 criminal offences recorded across Victoria – a decrease of 10 per cent across the 12 months. However, the number of family violence-related offences in Wyndham increased by 12.6 per cent, from 3577 offences to 4022. The Victoria police spokesperson said that any increase in family violence offending was “incredibly concerning”. “However it is important to note that the increase seen in Wyndham is in line with what police saw across the state,” the spokesperson said. “This increase would undoubtedly have

been impacted by the restrictions associated with the coronavirus pandemic, however may also reflect an increased community confidence in reporting to police. “Heading into the Christmas and New Year period, which is traditionally a worrying time for family violence, Victoria Police is retaining its focus on proactively monitoring and engaging with members of the community who are subject to family violence orders in an effort to protect victims and identify breaches.” For assistance, contact the Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre on 1800 015 188.

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Hopes for regional park dashed By Alesha Capone A Wyndham councillor says it is “extremely disappointing” that 60.2 hectares of land earmarked for a regional park in Wyndham has been put up for sale. Cr Mia Shaw made the comment on Monday, after 600 McGrath Road, Wyndham Vale, was advertised for sale through a real estate agency. The online listing described the site as “150 acres, massive river front, beautiful acreage in the heart of Wyndham Vale”. A 2018 report from the Department

of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) stated that the land would be acquired to become part of a future 340-hectare Werribee Township Regional Park, to be delivered by the state government. The report proposed that the regional park – to be developed over 10 to 15 years – would be adjacent to Presidents Park. The DELWP document stated that nine plots of land, including 600 McGrath Road, would have to be placed under a Public Acquisition Overlay before being purchased for the future park.

In May this year, Werribee MP Tim Pallas stated the regional park would be developed under the $154 million Suburban Parks Program. At the time, Mr Pallas said: “The park will be a huge boost for health and wellbeing in our community and indeed across Melbourne”. Cr Shaw said that Mr Pallas should “honour his promise and stop 61 hectares of parkland being sold into private hands”. “Now is the time to buy it, but with the state government in so much debt, we are concerned this will never be delivered and

Wyndham residents will be short-changed again,” Cr Shaw said. “Our council is doing its part when it comes to parks and open spaces. “It’s now time for the state government to do its fair share … this concerns us.” The reason for the land being placed on the market, rather than being acquired for the Werribee Township Regional Park, remains unknown. Mr Pallas and Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio were contacted for comment.

Five-storey development for Werribee

Werribee Secondary College’s Amanda Mullins with student Ihsan Imran, who achieved an ATAR of 99.35.

(Supplied)

Top scores all round for class of ‘21 Werribee Secondary College (WSC) student Ihsan Imran says that his ambition to become a surgeon motivated him to study throughout the COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns of this year. Ihsan said he was surprised and excited last week to discover he achieved an ATAR score of 99.35 for his year 12 VCE results. The 18-year-old said he hopes to study medicine at a Queensland university in 2022. “During lockdown, I did feel … very lethargic and sometimes it was hard to get out of bed, but I reminded myself of my goal and my passion to become a surgeon,” he said. Ihsan’s overall study score for each subject,

out of 50, included 48.1 for maths methods, 47.73 for specialist maths, 46 for English and 45.9 for biology. Ishan, who was a WSC vice-captain this year, also founded Medsoc – a society which provides information and support to students interested in studying medicine. At Good News Lutheran College in Tarneit, students Ziyang Li and Aayushi Khatri achieved ATARs of 98.85 and 98.05, respectively – the highest in the school’s history. Ziyang , 19, said his advice for other students was to choose subjects they are interested in or have the most passion for.

“Passion is extremely important to me and motivated me throughout the whole year,” he said. Aayushi ,18, said that after finding out her results, she thought: ‘Oh no I have to be asleep, there’s no way is this true,’ before running into her father’s bedroom to tell him. She said it was important for other students to “work hard and just do the best you can”. “Even if you don’t achieve the score you need, you have other options and pathways, just keep going,” she said. Alesha Capone

A $22 million five-storey development proposed for Werribee’s city centre has been approved by Wyndham council, despite concerns about traffic congestion in the area. The development, which was approved at a meeting last week, will be constructed at 74-76 Cottrell Street and 108-112 Werribee Street North. The plan includes 33 offices, six shops, two allied health tenancies and a childcare centre. A total of 220 car parks, which will be accessible from Cottrell and Stawell streets, and 57 bicycle spaces are also included in the proposal. The council previously granted a permit for an eight-storey development at the site, but that has been replaced by the new plan. Councillor Adele Hegedich said the development would provide parents with an opportunity to drop their young ones off at the childcare centre, before getting on the freeway to head to work in Melbourne. “This is as example of the kind of infrastructure this city needs,” she said. However, an objector who spoke at the council planning committee meeting said he was worried about the traffic which the childcare centre could generate. The objector, a nearby resident, said the centre would exacerbate existing congestion in the area, including on Werribee Street North. He said the council has already approved another childcare centre two blocks away from the five-storey site. Cr Mia Shaw said she agreed with the objector, as the intersection of Cottrell Street and Werribee Street North is known for its traffic issues.

Call for ideas to improve buses in the western suburbs A community survey on Melbourne’s bus system has found that some areas aren’t connected to proper services, while other people are facing significant waits for a bus. The survey, set up by The Friends of Earth Melbourne, through its sustainable cities collective, is the next stage of the Better Buses for the West campaign, The campaign is calling for frequent, reliable and electric buses in Melbourne’s west, and a better bus network statewide. Commuters across the state are encouraged to fill out the crowdspot survey, highlighting issues with the bus network. The group’s Laura Sykes said they wanted to 2 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 22 December, 2021

build on the community momentum they had been gaining. “We want to engage with community members,” she said. “There’s a need for bus reform and change is needed. “It provides people the opportunity to share what they think about local bus routes, the frequency and connectivity. “We want to use the data and present the key findings to local MPs.” Ms Skyes said while they were still focusing on the west, they wanted to bring in other people who were concerned in other areas about bus services.

She said the survey had been online for about two weeks and they’ve already had more than 200 responses. She said they were already finding some interesting results. “A lot of people are complaining that buses aren’t connecting with train stations and shopping centres, which is surprising. That is kind of what they are there for. “Wait times are really the main issue, some people are waiting 50 minutes and missing connections. They’re missing out on opportunities. “People also want to see electric buses, as pollution is an issue in the west.”

Ms Sykes said they had already received a number of responses about the lack of connectivity within Wyndham. She said estates near Laverton North weren’t being connected with Tarneit station, while people in Truganina, Point Cook and Hoppers Crossing have raised complaints. The survey will be open until the new year, with the group to start local advocacy in areas of concern once the data is analysed. Details: https://betterbusesvic.crowdspot. com.au/page/welcome Tara Murray

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Point Cook is now hot property By Alesha Capone More than $997 million worth of houses have been sold in Point Cook across 12 months, according to a new report. The Best of the Best report, released by property information and analytics provider CoreLogic last week showed that Point Cook achieved the second-highest dollar amount for house sales in greater Melbourne during the year to September. Brighton placed first on the list with $1.23 billion worth of house sales. Toorak came in third with $968 worth of

sales, followed by Glen Waverley with $843 million in sales and Kew with $826 million in sales. Point Cook recorded the most house sales out of the top five suburbs, with 1250 houses selling across the 12 months. In contrast, Brighton had 311 house sales, Toorak 149 sales, Glen Waverley 516 sales and Kew 282 sales. Point Cook was the only suburb among the top five with a median house price below $1 million. The median house price in Point Cook is $778,211, compared to medians of $4.81

million in Toorak, $3.23 million in Brighton, $2.90 million in Kew and $1.73 million in Glen Waverley. Some of greater Melbourne’s lowest median house values were recorded in the western suburbs, including Melton South ($333,911), Melton ($344,695), Albion ($374,310), Hoppers Crossing ($400,550) and Werribee ($410,982). But the report stated that across Melbourne, outer suburban areas such as Wyndham and Melton “are now among a handful of regions experiencing increased momentum in growth”. CoreLogic’s research head Eliza Owen said

the estimated value of Australia’s residential real estate grew from $7.2 trillion at the end of November 2020, to reach a record high of $9.4 trillion in the next 12 months. In October, Point Cook was named among the top 100 national “supercharged” areas for property sales in the Spring 2021 Price Predictor Index, issued by residential property researcher and writer Terry Ryder through his investment advice website Hotspotting.com. Mr Ryder said Wyndham offered “good amenities and infrastructure at affordable prices” especially for first home buyers.

Cable theft hits Wyndham

Artist Daniella Acciarito.

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Artist is a leading light on creativity Daniella Acciarito says that for creative people, there are no boundaries when it comes to working with glass. Acciarito and her partner Michael run RuMa Creative Art Studio, which is based at Wyndham Art Works in Laverton North. The site is run by the Wyndham Community Arts Alliance, to provide artists and cultural groups with working spaces and studios. Acciarito, who has been president of the organisation for the past seven years, said she has always loved art. “My mum would do adult art classes at

Werribee Tech (now Wyndham Central College) in ceramics and she did a stained glass course with Reg Loats at his Werribee studio when l was in my early teens,” she said. “I told my mum that one day I would learn stained glass too.” Acciarito said she first learned the art of stained glass nearly 30 years ago. When her teacher and mentor Annette Valentan retired 15 years ago, Acciarito started teaching Valentan’s other students. Acciarito teaches at Wyndham Art Works and also hopes to start a class at the Wyndham Park Community Shed next year.

“The main reason I teach, as well as do demonstrations of the craft at fairs and festivals, is to help keep this very old craft alive – people in general find it all so fascinating,” Acciarito said. “Stained glass is such a fabulous medium to work with, you don’t need to be particularly artistic or crafty to do it, it’s more about the skill and techniques.” Details: https://www.facebook.com/ RuMaCreativeArtStudio

Wyndham council is asking residents to be on the watch for suspicious behaviour following a spate of thefts of electrical supply cables at local sporting grounds and community facilities. The council stated that it will cost “thousands of dollars to repair and replace the cables, which have caused significant disruption to sporting clubs and other community sites in Wyndham”. The council has spent almost $200,000 repairing its facilities due to cable theft over the past three years. Mayor Peter Maynard said: “We are concerned to see that the trend of theft of underground power cables has increased over the past three years — and is continuing to do so. “These thefts are very concerning and result in significant work to make these facilities fully operational again. “Council strongly condemns any illegal activity, particularly at a time when our residents are relying more than ever on local parks as a result of the COVID restrictions. “In stealing from council, they are stealing from Wyndham residents. “We are asking our residents to please watch out for any suspicious activity at our sporting fields or facilities.” In June, electrical cables connected to light poles at Presidents Park in Wyndham Vale were cut and stolen. Cr Maynard said that residents who see anyone doing electrical work at municipal facilities can contact the council on 1300 023 411 “so that we can check they are carrying out legitimate work”. Anyone with information about the thefts should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. All suspicious activity should be reported to police on triple-0.

Alesha Capone

Vaccine deadline looms for Wyndham council employees Wyndham council employees who cannot produce a COVID-19 vaccination certificate by the end of January may face losing their jobs. A council spokesperson said that in October, the state government mandated all Victorian council workers must be double-vaccinated against the coronavirus. The spokesperson said that Wyndham staff who are not fully vaccinated have been prohibited from attending council workplaces. Council employees who could not produce a vaccination certificate by Wednesday last week have been placed on leave.

“Those arrangements will be reviewed in January and if staff cannot produce their vaccination certificate by 31 January, Wyndham city will actively consider whether their employment will continue,” the spokesperson said. The council last month voted that any councillor who failed to provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccination to the mayor and chief executive by December 2 would be encouraged to take a leave of absence. However, Cr Marcel Mahfoud – who is unvaccinated – said he was not planning on taking a leave of absence. Cr Mahfoud, who has been attending

council meetings remotely via a computer screen, said he would continue carrying out his council duties in a virtual capacity until he could receive a Novavax vaccine. The Novavax vaccine against COVID-19 has not yet been approved for use in Australia. Cr Mahfoud said he attended a Melbourne protest last month against the Victorian vaccine mandates and the state government’s pandemic bill. “I am not against the vaccinations but am against the mandates and coercion,” he said. “As Australians, we have always had a right to what medical treatments we receive.” The council has written to Local Government

Minister Shaun Leane, seeking advice on why mandatory vaccine requirements requiring state parliamentarians to be vaccinated, or face suspension from their roles, have not been extended to Victorian councillors. Speaking at a council meeting held on November 30, Cr Mia Shaw said it would be “hypocritical” for councillors to not be vaccinated. Cr Heather Marcus said she believed that as leaders of the city, all councillors should be fully vaccinated. Alesha Capone Wednesday, 22 December, 2021 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY 3

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School upgrades Three Wyndham schools have been allocated state government funding for minor capital works, including Werribee Primary School which will receive $495,692 for refurbishment of a synthetic oval. Wyndham Vale Primary School will receive $196,546 to upgrade a natural turf oval and Little River Primary School will receive $28,857 for a new playground.

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Seeing more clearly The Truganina Fire Brigade and Santa prepare for the lolly drop.

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A Christmas Eve treat The Truganina Fire Brigade and Santa have teamed up to conduct a Christmas Eve lolly drop for children living in Tarneit and Truganina. Santa and his helpers from the brigade will visit several parks, for 15 minutes at a time, across the two suburbs between 3-7pm on Friday, December 24. Firefighter Len Trawn said due to the sheer size of the suburbs, it was impossible for Santa to visit every single street, so they would visit the parks instead. Santa will arrive at each park on an older-model firetruck, which is usually located at the Fire Services Museum Victoria. Families are being encouraged to bring a bag for Santa to put the lollies for each child into. “It’s a great, feel-good thing for us to do,” Mr Trawn said. “The best thing is just the smiles on the kids’ faces.” He said that the Hoppers Crossing Fire Brigade, from which he transferred to

Truganina, also previously held Christmas Eve lolly drops. Mr Trawn said that before the area grew so large, the brigade would visit every street to distribute lollies. “It was extremely well received,” he said. “People in the newer areas of Truganina would say, ‘No-one ever comes here, thanks for thinking of us’.” The lolly drop will begin 3-3.15pm at the park on Monument Drive and Eventide Avenue in Tarneit, and finish from 6.45-7pm at the Morris Road and Dominion Terrace park in Truganina. If the brigade is called to a fire during the event, Santa will continue visiting the parks in a private vehicle. Details: https://www.facebook.com/ TruganinaFireBrigade/ Alesha Capone

A total of 129 pupils who attend schools in Wyndham are set to receive a free pair of glasses under a state government program. Werribee MP Tim Pallas and Tarneit MP Sarah Connolly announced the news last week. The Glasses for Kids initiative sees optometrists visit schools to check the vision of pupils from prep to grade 3.

GenWest launched Women’s Health West has officially changed its name to GenWest. The not-for-profit organisation, which provides services such as court support and crisis housing for people who experience family violence in the western suburbs, also has a new email for family violence services (fvassist@ genwest.org.au) and a new phone number, 1800 GENWEST (1800 436 937). FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Wyndham Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly

Don’t travel to high risk areas on Extreme Fire Danger Rating days. If you plan to travel through Victoria, during fire season, it’s important to check the Fire Danger Rating every day. If the rating is Extreme or above, avoid travelling to high risk areas, including to cities and towns.

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Breaking the youth crime cycle Advisory Committee. The pilot program, which is yet to receive any government funding, will work to address the reasons why youth end up in the justice system, including poverty, racism, trauma, domestic violence and substance abuse. “Targeted programs co-designed with community will empower young people and their families to break the cycle of arrests, charges, convictions and incarcerations that can permanently taint the lives of young people,” a statement from VU read. VU senior lecturer in youth work, Dr Karen Hart, said the pilot aimed to work with the

Several organisations including Victoria University (VU) have come together with a plan to end “youth criminalisation” in Brimbank, Melton and Wyndham. The 10-year pilot program, TARGET ZER0, aims to cut the number of children and young people involved in the justice system, especially those from Indigenous and culturally-diverse backgrounds, and those who live in residential care. The TARGET ZER0 alliance also includes the Centre for Multicultural Youth, WEstjustice, Jesuit Social Services, Anglicare and the Western Metropolitan Aboriginal Justice

boarder community “to eradicate disadvantage in the early years in order to prevent children and young people’s involvement in the youth justice system”. “The TARGET ZER0 initiative highlights the need and offers a solution to do something different from what we’ve been doing within our communities in the west,” Dr Hart said. “Combined effort means that we need a whole of community commitment from not-for-profit organisations, our local councils, the police, our health, welfare, education and justice systems, the out-of-home-care and child protection system, all working together to

create referral pathways that lead to improved developmental opportunities for children and young people in Melbourne’s west. “It is intentionally ambitious to draw together the collective parts, because that has not been achieved in Melbourne’s west and there are few if any examples of this type of initiative working elsewhere.” Dr Hart said that while Wyndham, Brimbank and Melton have “the most need in terms of disadvantage” when it comes to helping young people, the three areas also have a variety of diverse services available to youth.

Hip-hooray for hippos “And, finally, we provided them with a nice treat for positive reinforcement. “They have taken to the new process wonderfully thanks to the strong bonds with our keepers.” Tetanus is a serious infection for hippos which is caused when Clostridium tetani bacteria, which naturally occurs in soil and mud, enters their body through wounds or abrasions. The common hippopotamus is under serious threat in the wild from illegal poaching and habitat destruction, with population numbers estimated at just 125,000. The hippos at Werribee Open Range Zoo are part of a regional breeding program to help in the fight against extinction.

After months of training, the hippopotamuses at Werribee Open Range Zoo have achieved a huge healthcare milestone; stepping up to voluntarily receive their annual tetanus immunisation. Werribee Open Range Zoo animal training co-ordinator Kelly Hobbs said the positive interaction marked the first time that the hippos have accepted their vaccinations voluntarily. Traditionally, immunisations for the 1400-kilogram mammals would be administered under anaesthetic. Ms Hobbs said the training the hippos to accept the vaccinations had consisted of a “long journey of small steps”. “We first asked them to move to an area where we could start safely desensitising them to our touch,” she said. “We then got them used to different tools, such as a capped or blunt needle.

Werribee Open Range Zoo female hippopotamus Tulip. (Supplied/Zoos Victoria)

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Ian’s marathon effort By Alesha Capone Werribee’s Ian Gainey says that crossing the finishing line of his 30th Melbourne Marathon was a “very emotional” moment. Mr Gainey, 69, placed first in the wheelchair division of the event, with a time of three hours, 28 minutes and 55 seconds. The marathon, which was held on the weekend of December 11 and 12, was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Gainey completed his first Melbourne Marathon in a personally-built road-racing wheelchair, in 1979. He said that he had hoped the 2020 marathon would be his 30th marathon, but its postponement to this year meant he continued training for an extra 12 months. He trained four days a week, for 20 kilometres at a time, in the lead-up to the marathon. Mr Gainey said finishing up the marathon at the MCG was “quite exhilarating and exciting”. Seven family members were present to cheer him on including his sister, brother-in-law, nieces and grand-niece. They carried a placard with “You are our superhero” written upon it. “What I enjoyed most was weather and my physical condition, my preparations, I got everything right,” Mr Gainey said. “For some other marathons I have over-trained and for some I have under-trained.” After he finished the marathon, Mr Gainey appeared on several television news bulletins. He said that while undergoing five months of intensive chemotherapy treatment for bowel cancer in 2016, his ambition of competing in his 30th Melbourne Marathon

Ian Gainey. (Damjan Janevski). 262256

helped him to stay positive. Mr Gainey, who represented Australia at the 1984 and 1988 Paralympic Games, contracted polio when he was 18 months old. He spent two years in hospital. As a result of the polio, Mr Gainey uses forearm crutches and callipers strapped to his legs to walk short distances. Mr Gainey said he had originally been

planning to retire from the Melbourne Marathon after his thirtieth event, but might yet change his mind. “At this moment in time I’m done, but in 12 months, who knows?” he said. Aside from keeping fit, Mr Gainey also volunteers three days a week at the Werribee Bowls Club and Uniting Vic.Tas, calling elderly people to check on their welfare.

Gallery marks 10 arty years The Wyndham Art Gallery in Werribee is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a special exhibition titled DECADE. DECADE reflects on the past 10 years of artistic programming in the gallery, which is based at the Wyndham Cultural Centre, with a publication and dedicated archival website. Wyndham’s creative city portfolio holder, councillor Marcel Mahfoud, said: “Wyndham city is proud to celebrate this momentous milestone that celebrates 10 years of artistic programming and delivers council’s commitment to make art accessible for the community. “We are honoured that Wyndham Art Gallery has emerged to prominence, gaining a reputation as the biggest little gallery in the west of Melbourne. “I am a passionate supporter of the arts, and DECADE acknowledges and showcases the many wonderful creative artists that have exhibited here over the last 10 years.” Cr Mahfoud said DECADE featured a retrospective of some of the prominent works that been shown in more than 70 exhibitions, since the gallery opened in 2011. DECADE’s dedicated exhibition website was created by Forde and Nico. The site features podcasts, videos, images and exhibition catalogues from the gallery’s past decade. A celebratory anniversary publication, co-published with Black Ink Books, will be launched in mid-2022. Entry to the Wyndham Art Gallery is free.

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Belinda with new-born son Oliver, and two year-old Arlo. Both boys were born outside of Wyndham, but spent time as patients in Werribee Mercy Hospital’s Special Care Nursery. (Joe Mastroianni) 226335_01

By Alesha Capone

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE TEAM AT TARNEIT DDS & WISHING YOU A WONDERFUL 2022!

Demand for birthing suites at Werribee Mercy Hospital has reached capacity. The hospital welcomed 3833 babies in 2020, slightly lower than the 3888 babies delivered there in 2019. Health services chief executive Jason Payne said Werribee Mercy Hospital’s birthing numbers had remained steady over the past two years because the birthing suites were unable to accommodate any more expectant mums. He said some pregnant women within the Werribee Mercy Hospital catchment are

6 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 22 December, 2021

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In November’s state budget, $4.8 million was allocated to finalise planning for the third stage of the hospital’s development. “We have acknowledged publicly the funding was a clear sign the voices of the people of the west of Melbourne are being heard and government is committed to meeting a major upgrade,” Mr Payne said. Mercy Health Group chief executive, Adjunct Professor Stephen Cornelissen, said the next stage of Werribee Mercy Hospital’s construction required $300 million in funding “to ensure the people of Wyndham receive the level and quality of health services they deserve and need”.

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birthing suites, additional post-natal beds, and other ante and post-natal facilities, accompanied by additional midwifery and nursing staff. “Based on demand for existing maternity services, it is projected that Werribee Mercy Hospital would be well placed to meet an anticipated increase in demand of up to 30 per cent more babies in the western metro area.” Mr Payne said Mercy Health has been working with the Victorian Health and Human Services Building Authority and the Department of Health and Human Services since 2016 to prepare for the future needs of Werribee Mercy.

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being forced to use services at public hospitals outside the area. “The demand exists for Werribee Mercy Hospital to deliver more babies locally but this cannot occur without expanded facilities,” Mr Payne said. “It would be preferable that local families had access to more of the best high quality and safe public birthing services at Werribee Mercy Hospital, so they don’t have to travel.” Mr Payne said planning was under way to boost the capacity of the birthing suites. “A third stage of Werribee Mercy Hospital, which is currently in the final stages of planning, will involve the creation of more

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Harpley will be home to 12,000 By Alesha Capone A town centre with 8000 square metres of retail space, located on an island surrounded by water, will be developed in Werribee’s Harpley estate. A Wyndham council planning committee approved the Lendlease proposal last week. Upon completion, Harpley will become home to more than 12,000 residents. The area will also have more than 100 hectares of proposed open space and 15 hectares of sports fields. The town centre, at 270 Bulban Road, will be developed in two stages starting with a site measuring 30,118 square metres.

The smaller eastern portion of the site will be developed at a later stage. For the first stage, a building including a Coles supermarket, specialty retail, food and drink premises, and gym will be constructed. More than 340 at-grade car parks will be built, with an additional 86 vehicles spaces within a parking basement. An outdoor plaza area will be located adjacent to Bradfield Street. Construction has commenced on the 20-hectare lake that will surround the entire town centre. The town centre itself will be directly adjacent to childcare, school and community facilities. It will be surrounded by medium-density

residential precincts, consisting of townhouses and apartments. Civil works have been completed at the town centre, with building works set to begin mid-2022. The town centre is due to open to the public in mid-2023. Lendlease has appointed Eildon Capital Group as its development partner for the retail component of the centre. The council planning committee also approved a separate proposal for a 73 residential lot subdivision to be developed at 270 Bulban Road. The site, near the future Harpley town centre, also includes a public open space

reserve. A future high-density “super lot” with apartments was included in the subdivision proposal. However, the super-lot will be “subject to further design and council approvals”. Lendlease’s head of communities – Victoria, Anne Jolic, said: “Council’s approval of a further subdivision for future residential development at Harpley, along with the delivery of the first stage of the development of the Harpley town centre, will deliver much-needed services and facilities to the community and its surrounds sooner than anticipated.”

Protecting waterways A plan to ensure Melbourne’s western waterways are healthy and thriving for generations to come has been released. The Victorian government last week released the Waterways of the West Action Plan, a five-year plan that responds to the recommendations of the Waterways of the West Ministerial Advisory Committee and the Waterways of the West Community Vision that had been previously released. The plan identifies nine directions and 40 actions with short-term actions to deliver results within the first year of implementation and longer-term actions to deliver within five years. The waterways of the west includes the whole network of creeks and rivers including the Maribyrnong River, Jacksons Creek, Kororoit Creek, Skeleton Creek, Stony Creek

and Werribee River and goes through all the inner west and further out from Ballan through to Lancefield. The plan will drive protection for waterways and their parklands by addressing waterway pollution, waterway amenity and stronger land use planning and development controls and standards to guard against inappropriate development. The directions include recognising the waterways of the west as living and integrated natural entities and the traditional owners as the ‘voice of these living entities. The aim is to improve waterway amenity to meet community expectations, better protection of the region’s wetland values, identifying opportunities to meet environmental and cultural water needs and protect the waterways from pollution.

The Southern Water Division Weir at Werribee. (Supplied)

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Council vows to do even better By Alesha Capone Wyndham council recorded the third-highest score out of all the state’s municipalities for community satisfaction with its performance in making decisions in the interests of the public. Wyndham achieved a score of 68.3 out of 100 in this category of the 2021 Local Government Victoria community satisfaction survey. Sixty-six Victoria councils took part in the annual survey, which compiles feedback on council’s overall performance, community

consultation and engagement, customer service and overall direction. The survey is conducted by the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions on behalf of participating councils. Interviews are carried out with a minimum of 400 adult residents and ratepayers in each municipality, who are selected at random. The survey results are published on the Know Your Council website, which was designed to provide Victorians with an insight into council performances. In the 2021 survey, the city of Monash – in Melbourne’s south east – achieved a score

of 71 in the category of satisfaction with its performance in making decisions in the interests of the public. This placed Monash first on the list, followed by Maribyrnong council, with a score of 69. A Wyndham council spokesperson said the council committed to a record capital works spend of $196.5 million in its 2021-22 budget “to help us rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic and build a strong foundation for our future”. “But the budget was not just about building new infrastructure, it was designed to enhance and protect the local environment, build a

healthy and resilient community and maintain essential services,” the spokesperson said. The spokesperson said Wyndham council “notes the data on the Know Your Council website”. “While we have performed well, particularly in comparison to similar growth councils, we know we can always do better,” the spokesperson said. “That’s why we are already planning next year’s priorities and work will begin soon on planning for the 2022-2023 financial year.”

Woods Road development

Reclink founder Peter Cullen (centre) with his daughter Lucinda (left) and Reclink supporter Hayden Legro (right). (Supplied)

Dedication to Reclink recognised Two Werribee residents have been recognised for their work with Reclink Australia, including founder Peter Cullen. Reclink aims to help disadvantaged people through sports and arts programs. The not-for-profit organisation began when Mr Cullen, a former street outreach worker, organised a “kick-to-kick” of football between homeless and disadvantaged people in St Kilda. Earlier this month, a gala dinner was held to celebrate Reclink’s 30th anniversary. As part of proceedings, the life memberships were presented to Mr Cullen and also Reclink

Australia director Theresa Sgambaro. Ms Sgambaro is Reclink’s longest-serving director, outside of Mr Cullen, and has acted as the organisation’s treasurer for the majority of the past 17 years. In a statement, Reclink said that Mr Cullen’s dedication, passion, generosity and kindness over the last three decades “has never wavered”. “To this day he is working as hard as ever to help those in the community who need it most through programs such as Sports Share,” the statement said. Reclink finance and corporate services

general manager Phil Morley, who presented Ms Sgambaro with her life membership, said: “Theresa has a true passion for the financial viability and financial efficiency of Reclink and our programs. “Theresa cares deeply about the people in our community that struggle and need Reclink. “Theresa will ask the challenging questions and engage in the robust discussion. “Theresa’s work for Reclink is one of the reasons we are celebrating 30 years.” Details: https://reclink.org/

A proposal to develop 68 dwellings at 190 Woods Road, Truganina, has been approved by a Wyndham council planning committee. The planning permit received a thumbs-up from councillors at a meeting held on Tuesday, December 14. The application was exempt from the public notice under the Planning and Environment Act 1987. The proposal submitted to the council shows that 24 of the residences to be constructed at the site will have four bedrooms. Twenty-six of the properties will have three bedrooms and 10 houses will feature three bedrooms, plus a home office. Eight of the abodes will have two bedrooms. The proposal includes a shared internal laneway, to be accessed from Everton Road, providing access to the garages of each dwelling. Eleven off-street visitor car parking spaces will be located within the development. Private bicycle hoops will also be installed within the common property area. Communal open space will be located near Everton Road and the Regional Rail Link access track. The tallest dwellings will have a maximum height of three storeys. Wyndham councillor Josh Gilligan said it was “disappointing” there was no plan for higher-density on the site, given its proximity to a future planned train station. A council report said the design of the future development “is of a high architectural standard, provides landscaped linear spaces for canopy trees with the benefit of cooling and reduction of heat island effect, water sensitive urban design outcomes and environmentally sustainable design measures incorporated into the buildings”. Alesha Capone

Wattle Avenue study sparks an avalanche of responses Many residents of the Wattle Avenue precinct in Werribee have responded to a Wyndham council study into traffic issues in the area. More than 80 residents provided feedback on the study, which was launched after residents contacted the council about changed traffic patterns in the Wattle Avenue neighbourhood, following the construction of a new railway overpass from Tarneit Road to Princes Highway. One of the proposals in the study, which closed for feedback earlier this month, is to lower the speed limit to 40 km/h in an area 8 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 22 December, 2021

bounded by the Princes Highway, Duncans Road and the Princes Freeway. The council is also proposing to install new “traffic calming treatments”. One of the residents who provided a response to the study, Graeme Smart, said “major changes” were needed to address speeding and increased traffic in the Wattle Avenue precinct. “I think the core solution is to improve Duncans Road-Synnot Street intersection, and Duncans Road end-to-end,” Mr Smart said. “At the same time make the Wattle Avenue neighbourhood zone unattractive to through

traffic.” His written submission to the council stated that drivers have been speeding along Sinns Avenue. “This is a community street, not suited to rat run traffic,” the submission said. “Children and old people live here. “Someone is going to get seriously hurt. “It’s becoming dangerous with rat run traffic.” Wyndham council’s city design and liveability director, Ludo Campbell-Reid, said local area traffic management studies “are an

important way for council to provide residents with safe and liveable neighbourhoods”. “These studies include detailed data collection and analysis,” he said. “Community engagement is an important part of this study.” The council will issue an engagement report based on the study in the coming weeks. Alesha Capone

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Basketballer gives back By Alesha Capone Professional basketball player Dejan ‘DJ’ Vasiljevic will launch a basketball academy at his former school next year to give back to the community. The 3J Academy will open on Tuesday, January 25, at Good News Lutheran College in Tarneit. Vasiljevic, who plays for the Sydney Kings in the NBL, attended Good News as a youngster. His sister Ivana Vasiljevic, who plays NBL1 for Diamond Valley in Victoria, also attended the school. Vasiljevic said Good News has a “special place” in both his and his sister’s hearts, as that is where they began playing basketball. “All we want to do is to give back to where it all started for us and that’s why Good News will forever be home for the both of us,” Vasiljevic said, Ivana will be the academy’s main coach to start off with, because Vasiljevic’s NBL commitments will keep him interstate until about April or May. The 3J Academy, for young people aged between 10 to 18 years old, will have the slogan “inspire today”. “The reason for the academy is because I believe no one from the western suburbs, who has made it in the pros, have given back to where it all started,” Vasiljvec said. Vasiljvec said that once his NBL season is over, he will take over as the 3J academy’s main coach, with the help of Ivana. He said he would look to expand the coaching department if he decides to play overseas in the NBA or Europe, post-2022. “The 3J Academy has signed a one-year basic contract with Good News Lutheran College and we will see how things pan out

Basketball player Dejan ‘DJ’ Vasiljevic.

(Supplied/NBL).

during the year,” he said. “If we see that the academy is going like we planned we will continue, but our goal is to expand it to an even bigger part of the western suburbs.” Vasiljvec said his ultimate vision was to collaborate with Wyndham council to build a new basketball stadium in the area, which

Print and Online Sales Executive Star Weekly Star Weekly seeks an enthusiastic sales executive to work across our print, digital, social and online platforms. Star Weekly is an independently owned company which prides itself on its long history of community experience but also its investment in the future. The successful applicant will need to possess good people skills to enable them to meet with local businesses to sell solutions through our advertising platforms to help promote their business. Sales skills/experience: • Ability to maintain existing professional relationships and to create new ones • Ability to meet defined sales and activity targets • Excellent listening skills • Accuracy and attention to detail • Effective time management to meet deadlines • Ability to operate in a team • Demonstrates initiative and flexibility • Effective oral and written communication

offers an academy similar to the Australian Institute of Sport. A welcome barbecue for the 3J Academy will be held on Monday, January 24, from 4.30-6.30pm. Details: 3jbydj.com.au, https://www. facebook.com/3jbydjbrand/, @3jbydjbrand on Instagram.

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Mechanics’ funding boost The Little River Mechanics’ Institute and Free Library has launched new audiovisual, projection and theatrical lighting facilities funded by a state government grant. The state government awarded the library $12,000 in funding to install the equipment, which is now available for community groups to use. Werribee MP Tim Pallas recently visited Little River, on behalf of the Local Government Minister Shaun Leane, to watch a display of the audiovisual and theatrical equipment. The Little River Mechanics’ Institute was built in 1910 and its heritage library, which operates under community ownership, has been continuously open to borrowers since 1911. Regular events held at the library include school visits, movie screenings, community meetings and art exhibitions. Mechanics’ Institutes began as a model for free education for workers in Scotland. They opened in Australia in the early 19th century and were extremely popular, with one in almost every town in Victoria. Today, 562 remain in the state and 10 of them continue to provide library services to their local communities. These 10, including the one in Little River, received $100,000 of grants from the Public Libraries Funding Program to help them with initiatives like buying new books and equipment.

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Wednesday, 22 December, 2021 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY 9

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Eric’s proud line of duty

Youth refuge officially opens

By Alesha Capone During his career with Victoria Police, Eric Sutton investigated hundreds of crimes from petty larceny to murder. Mr Sutton said he grew up in a “poor family” and left school at 14 after obtaining his certificate of merit. But Mr Sutton said his decision to join the police force led to a job that he loved, and that saw him rise through the ranks to retire as a commander. Mr Sutton was among the attendees at the 38th annual Retired Police Lunch in Hoppers Crossing on Friday, December 17. He actually welcomed guests to the first-ever lunch in 1983. At the time, Mr Sutton was a superintendent based at the former police station in McArthurs Road, Altona North. Now aged 92, Mr Sutton said it was sad that many of his former colleagues have died. “I met so many great people in the police force,” he said. “What I have enjoyed is the lifetime friendships I still have to this day and the loyalty.” Mr Sutton said that the western suburbs “was all paddocks when I first policed out here in 1950”. He said that he was “very proud” of his career, which has included multiple commendations from chief commissioners. “I received a Valour Award in 1961 for disarming a bloke with a gun at a house in Middle Park,” he said. Mr Sutton said that many of the cases he investigated, including rapes and homicides, “are still with me”. One case he has never forgotten is the disappearance of eight-year-old Eloise Anne Worledge who was abducted from her

Eric Sutton.

A refuge for young people experiencing homelessness has been officially opened in Wyndham Street, Werribee. Housing Minister Richard Wynne and Werribee MP Tim Pallas visited the refuge last week for the event. The state government has contributed $3.35 million to the construction of the refuge, which will be run by Melbourne City Mission (MCM). The Property Industry Foundation has also provided support to the project. The Werribee Youth Refuge will provide accommodation and support for up to 10 people aged between 15 and 25 years old, at any one time. Refuge staff will provide a range of support including counselling, health services, education and independent living skills programs. The Werribee refuge will also link in with MCM’s suite of programs for young people which are offered at its service hub in South Road, Braybrook, and other youth supports across Melbourne’s west. Werribee MP Tim Pallas said the refuge “will make a real difference to young people in our community who need support, providing them with the stability to break the cycle of homelessness and thrive”. Mr Wynne said: “This is more than just bricks and mortar. “It’s going to give young people the chance they need to get back on their feet and turn their lives around.”

(Supplied/Nicole Oli).

Beaumaris home in January 1976. No-one has ever been arrested for her abduction and no trace of Eloise has ever been found. Mr Sutton spent part of his career based at the Russell Street Police Headquarters complex, which was bombed on March 27, 1986. The bombing killed Angela Taylor, the first

Australian policewoman to be die in the line of duty. Mr Sutton was away on the day of the bombing, but assisted with the administrative side of the investigation afterward and a review into police security. Mr Sutton also served on the Police Service Board, which heard matters including those relating to internal discipline.

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MY PLACE Williams Landing entrepreneur, engineer, writer and speaker Sibonginkosi Abigail Moyo has published her first book, ‘Welcome to Africa: Titambire’, which is about her journey as an immigrant and her roots in Zimbabwe. She chats with Alesha Capone.

What did you enjoy about writing ‘Welcome to Africa: Titambire’? I think what I liked about writing the book is that I did more research into the history of Zimbabwe and Africa, such as into colonial history, the Bantu migration and I learned a lot more about ancient Africa and the Nubian kingdom. I’ve been an immigrant in what we call diaspora for over a decade, and I also hope I am motivating people to share their story as well. Are there any facts about Africa that you think a some people would not know? Sudan had more pyramids than Egypt. In my language, Shona (one of Zimbabwe’s official languages), a lot of the words are identical to Swahili words. Why did you decide to become an engineer? I think I was an ambitious child, I wanted to

be an astronaut, a pilot, president. I did STEM courses at high school. My parents said I would be a good doctor, but I was attracted to studying engineering. I competed a bachelor of science in industrial engineering and a masters in engineering management. You have also co-founded the not-for-profit Love Alive Foundation, which helps vulnerable children in Zimbabwe with education and opportunities? I started the foundation with a friend, who is also a patron, and a family member, my sister. For me and my sister, our parents raised us that way, we grew up visiting orphanages and aged care places. My brother once had his birthday at an orphanage, my family was always making us aware of the importance of knowing about the plight of others and the importance of helping out and being kind. I had the idea since I was a teenager, I always wanted to start a not-for-profit organisation. For me, what I love about it is that it allows me to collaborate with others. To be honest, it is a lot of work, but it is shared work, which is beautiful. In writing my book, part of the sales will go back to helping the foundation to become more sustainable.

(Supplied/David Mullins)

What was the inspiration behind your book? When growing up, I was a journaling kind of girl, I always kept diaries. I completed my year 12 equivalent in Zimbabwe and then I studied abroad in New York for four years. Everyone I met said, ‘You speak English so well, but you have an accent, where did you grow up?’ The same questions followed me here, to Australia. I kept having the same kind of conversations. I had an epiphany about three years ago that I should write a book. I used my time in lockdown to write the book.

Would you like to add anything else? I’m also a Rotarian of Wyndham Harbour. Details: https://sibomoyo.com/

Fire volunteers reflect on service Fifty-one members of the Werribee Fire Brigade have been recognised for five to 60 years of service with the CFA. Many of the dedicated volunteers said they became firefighters like their fathers before them – such as Daniel May, who received a 25 year award. “I’ve been a member since I was 11 joining the junior brigade,” he said. “I was inspired to join due to my father joining after Ash Wednesday.” Crew leader Belinda Craig, who received a 30 year award, said she also joined the juniors at age 11, following in her father’s footsteps. Since then, she has gone from being the only female in the Werribee brigade to one of about 19 women nowadays. Second Lieutenant and brigade training officer Paul Ryan – another 30 year awardee – is the son of John Ryan, who has served the brigade for 54 years, Philip Trifilo, 35 year award recipient, said that across the years Werribee has grown “from a little country suburb to the large city we know today”. “I enjoy the camaraderie and the friendships that exist in the brigade, it’s like an extended family,” he said. “My two sons Dominic and Michael are also in the brigade since they were juniors and are now in their late twenties.” Former captain Noel Squires, a 40-year veteran, said he attended his first fire at the age of 16, in Toolern Vale. “I find it very satisfying to be involved with the Werribee Fire Brigade, CFA and the interactions with many people I have across the state,” he said. Husband and wife Darryl and Barbara Wells have received their 60 and 55 year awards, respectively. Mrs Wells is a life member of the brigade’s auxiliary, while Mr Wells has held several positions including every officer’s position.

Awards for years of service: Five years: Sarah Chapman Michael Lambert Jacinta Savory Amelia Zulian Braden Looker-Gillett Jamie Staggard Andrew Matthewman Vilma Trifilo Vito Trifilo Brodie Ogluszko Aiden Trifilo Scott Sinclair Alannah Inglis Adam Petrov

Werribee Fire Birgade volunteers Barbara and Darryl Wells (front) with Daniel May, Belinda Craig, Paul Ryan, Philip Trifilo and Noel Squires. (Damjan Janevski) 260274

He was captain for 33 years, the longest time a person has served in the role, and spent 15 years as a supervisor working with water bombing aircraft. Mrs Wells said that during 1968, she and Mr Wells had a remote CFA radio in their kitchen. “I was deputy communications officer for the brigade and the Mount Cottrell Group during the 1969 Lara/Tarneit fires, it was a busy time in my kitchen,” Mrs Wells said. She said that as Werribee has grown, the brigade – and thus the auxiliary – has become among the busiest in the state. “The friendships I have made from the auxiliary have lasted for many years, some that have gone from one generation to the next,” she said.

Mr Wells is presently a senior firefighter in the brigade, responsible for monitoring all the fire alarms within the area. “When I first joined in 1962, we attended 30 to 40 calls a year, they were either house fires, shed fires, car fires or grass fires – false alarms, or hoax calls, were very rare,” he said. “Now we do up to 900 calls a year that includes all the fires you can imagine, plus in 1969 the brigade began performing road crash rescue that eventually included all types of rescues. “We now attend almost as many rescue calls as fire calls. It has been a rewarding and sometimes exciting lifetime in the CFA/ brigade, a life I have enjoyed and would not change,” he said.

10 years: Jason Inglis Simon Roberson Lisa Bubb Rohan Rizzoli Rohan Ford Dylan Brittian Tim Pallas 15 years: Dominic Trifilo Jim Blight Pauline Blight 20 years: Scott Green Brett Menzies Stephen Donaghy Mick Davie

25 years: Mark Mannix Brett Packer Anthony Hill Daniel May Malcolm Faldon 30 years: Paul Ryan Robert Mitchell Christopher Higgs Peter Aldersea Adrian Kendall Peter May Belinda Craig 35 years: Donald Craig Mary Craig Philip Trifilo 40 years: Noel Squires Sean Brittian 45 years: Robert Mummery George Andrews 50 years: Leslie Hannath 55 years: John Phillips Barbara Wells 60 years: Darryl Wells

Wednesday, 22 December, 2021 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY 11

BEHIND THE NEWS STARWEEKLY.COM.AU Rupertswood Cricket Club president Peter Kavanagh (right) and members of the club outside Rupertswood Mansion. (Damjan Janevski) 262012

A story hidden among the Ashes With the English cricket team back down under for the 72nd edition of The Ashes series, the cricketing world is settling back into a summer of familiar rivalry between two of the heavyweights of the game. But often missing from the retelling of one of cricket’s oldest yarns, is the central role of Sunbury at the beginning of it all. And as reporter Oliver Lees discovered, the community wants the opportunity to share that story with the world.

nlike the AFL Grand Final, NBA Championship or even the Cricket World Cup, the winner of the Ashes won’t receive a large golden cup with the team name inscribed on the front. Instead what Australia and England are vying for is the Ashes urn, a diminutive 10.5 centimetre tall vessel that is believed to hold the cremated remains of a cricket bail. Most cricket fans will know the skeleton of this story, but the role of Sunbury in it all has fallen by the wayside. On August 29, 1882, Australia defeated England in a test match at The Oval in London. As a sport of proud English origin, the loss was a tough pill to swallow for the British public. Three days later, a satirical obituary appeared in The Sporting Times newspaper, which read: “In Affectionate Remembrance of English Cricket which died at The Oval … The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia”. As documented in Sunbury historian Joy Munns’ book ‘Beyond Reasonable Doubt, The Birthplace of The Ashes’, the idea to create a symbol of the death of English cricket was picked up by Melbourne women Lady Janet Clarke and Florence Morphy. On Christmas Eve 1882, the English cricket team, led by captain Ivo Bligh, played a match with guests on a paddock next to Lady Clarke’s home, Rupertswood Mansion. Clarke and Morphy presented Bligh with the urn at the mansion that day, establishing a tradition that has persisted for 139 years, and now draws millions of viewers worldwide. As the president of the Sunbury Historical & Heritage Society (SHHS), Peter Free has been part of a campaign to see his town put on the map for its connection to cricket folklore. “I think it has been a well forgotten secret for a long time,” Free said. “The original Ashes ground is up near the [Rupertswood] mansion, it was supposedly the original piece of ground that the game was played on. “All we’ve got to commemorate it is the 12 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 22 December, 2021

Rupertswood Cricket Club’s home ground. (Damjan Janevski) 262012_09

wickets outside the post office and some statues on Evan Street, but we haven’t got the story.” Long time Sunbury resident Graham Williams said he believes the town is missing a golden opportunity to put Sunbury on the map. “Other towns, like Beechworth with its old gaol, have really embraced what they were famous for,” Williams said. “But we don’t seem to have quite grasped that marketing opportunity to bring into the town.” In 2019, SHHS received the support of Hume council to develop an Ashes museum at the Old Sunbury Courthouse. Hume councillor Jack Medcraft was among those who threw their support behind the proposal. Medcraft said even Australian cricket legend Merv Hughes had agreed in principle to serve as the museum’s ambassador. “We had dinner at the Rupo mansion with Allan Border, Jeff Thompson and the captain of England at the time. None of them even knew that they were in the building where the Ashes was presented to Ivo Bligh,” he said. “Allan Border told me he thought we had the most under-resourced asset in the cricketing world. He said if we set it up properly, people would come like it’s the Mecca of cricket.” But Free said without a strong enough working group, the idea was unable to get off the ground. “The person driving the whole thing ended

up not being very well and nobody was prepared to take it on,” he said. “The Melbourne Cricket Club wanted to help out, but Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia weren’t interested because they’re looking at developing young juniors in cricket. “If we had an oval attached [to the museum], we would have been alright.” Rupertswood Cricket Club president Peter Kavanagh said his club would love to better celebrate its connection with the Ashes, but faces a similar issue of a lack of resources to get the job done. “We want the history to be up there at the club all the time, but we just don’t have the room to do it all,” Kavanagh said. “We have car loads of people coming all the time. I get phone calls from tourists saying they’ve got a bus sorted and everything. “Unfortunately, there’s nothing much for them to see.” Due to the Rupertswood Mansion being owned by Salesian College, the club is limited in its ability to entertain visitors. Kavanagh said he’s hopeful that the announcement of $5 million dollars to upgrade facilities at Salesian College, including the club’s home ground, will bring greater opportunity to advertise it as the birthplace of the Ashes. Doing what he can with limited resources, Kavanagh has been working to set up a custodian of the Ashes membership for the community. Members will receive merchandise, drink vouchers and access to regular events. For Kavanagh and the club, it’s not quite the dream scenario of world-class facilities, but it’s a step in the right direction. “Obviously we’d love to do something when the Ashes is on, but there’s a lot that goes into that,” he said. “All we can do at the moment is take small steps and promote the club with what we have.”

Top: A replica of the Ashes urn. Above: The English cricket team led by Ivo Bligh that toured Australia in 1882. (Pictures: Supplied)

STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY CALENDAR WANT YOUR EVENT LISTED? Community Calendar is made available free of charge to not-for-profit organisations to keep the public informed of special events and activities. Send item details to Star Weekly Community Calendar, Corner Thomsons Road and Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park, 3042, or email to westeditorial@starweekly.com.au by 9am Wednesday the week prior to publication

BinGO MOVE BinGO MOVE is a social exercise group which meets every Monday at 11am. It involves a fun interactive game where bingo numbers trigger an exercise or dance move. Activity suits all levels of ability, you can do seated or standing as suits. Currently running via Zoom, IPC Health will also offer face-to-face groups in Hoppers Crossing, when restrictions permit. ■ 8734 1400

Volunteers needed The Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Community Visitors Scheme is seeking female Maltese and Italian-speaking volunteers to join its volunteer program within the Werribee and Point Cook areas to visit elderly residents in either an aged care facility or their own home. The scheme is also seeking a female volunteer with an understanding of MS to visit a mature lady in an aged care facility in Altona Meadows. ■ Sue, volunteer@ms.org.au or 9845 2744

AL-ANON meets AL-ANON provides support for families and loved ones living with alcoholics and problem drinkers. The group meets Mondays at St Thomas Anglican Church foyer, 117 Synnot Street, Werribee, from 7.30pm, and on Tuesdays at the St Mary’s Tennis Club rooms, 204 Grimshaw Street, Greensborough. Expressions of interest to start a Fibromyalgia and CFS Support Group in Manor Lakes and surrounding areas. Connect with real people and share information, experiences, problems and solutions. ■ wyndham.fibrogroup@gmail.com

(Damjan Janevski) 261868_01

or www.hbcb.org.au

Singing group Join the Melton South Community Singers at the Melton South Community Centre on the first and third Tuesday of each month. ■ Sue, 0400 082 413

Dads’ playgroup

Melton South Knit & Natter

Tarneit Community Learning Centre hosts a dads’ playgroup every week on Thursdays. The morning starts at 9.30am and promises to be a chance for male caregivers to connect with each other and form new friendships. ■ Shaun, 0455 521 154

All welcome to join this social crafting group, running at the Melton South Community Centre each Monday from 10am-noon. Bring along any knitting or crochet projects and work on them while sharing tips, learning skills and catching up over a cuppa. ■ 9747 8576

Toastmasters meeting Williamstown Toastmasters club is here to help if you have a fear of public speaking, and want to overcome it. Williamstown Toastmasters meets every second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 7.30-9.30pm at Williamstown Town Hall. Visitors and guests welcome. ■ https://www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/ Community/Whats-On/WilliamstownToastmasters-Club-Events

Zonta club meets The Zonta Club of Melton meets on the first Monday of each month at Melton Country Club, Reserve Road, Melton. ■ Suzanne, 0417 512 420

Mahjong group Interested in learning to play Mahjong? U3A Melton has a group who play on Tuesdays at 10am. ■ u3amelton.com or 0419 563 016

Diabetes support group The Westgate diabetes support group meets on the first Tuesday of every month at the Altona Bowling Club at 10am. ■ Elaine, 0415 030 996

Heritage walks Enjoy a leisurely two-hour walk around historic Williamstown and nearby suburbs with guide John. Walks start at 9.20am each Tuesday outside the Visitor Information Centre in Nelson Place. ■ John, 0418 377 336

Musicians welcome Do you play trumpet, flute or lower brass instruments? The Hobsons Bay City Band is seeking musicians to join its community band. Rehearsals are held Mondays from 7.30pm at the Newport Lakes Primary School, Elizabeth Street, Newport. Visitors and interested musicians any age most welcome. ■ Roger Lewis, hbcityband@gmail.com,

First aid courses Melton South Community Centre offers a number of first aid courses for people wanting to learn or renew these valuable skills. One-day classes are held on Saturdays throughout the year. ■ 9747 8576

Melton Men’s Probus Club The Melton Men’s Probus Club meets on the first Tuesday of each month at the Melton Dart Club, 63a Reserve Road, from 9.45am. New members and visitors are most welcome. ■ 9746 0271

Footscray Night Market The Footscray Night Market is on until December 24 at Railway Reserve, Footscray. A foodie lover’s dream, the night markets offer cuisines from around the world each Friday night. That’s matched with entertainment and music that showcases each culture amidst the leafy gardens, located next to Footscray Train Station. ■ https://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/ News/Make-memories-this-summer-atFootscray-Night-Market

months, six to 12 months, and 18 months to two years. ■ hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/MCH

Rotary club Rotary Club of Point Gellibrand meets at Customs House Hotel, 161 Nelson Place, Williamstown, on the first and third Tuesday of the month from 6pm for a 6.30pm dinner meeting. Visitors welcome. ■ Pam, 0418 347 691or rotarypointgellibrand@gmail.com

Mouth organ band Chatty Cafe The Chatty Cafe Scheme is about helping get people chatting to build and encourage social connections within the local community, and to help reduce social isolation and loneliness. The Yarraville community centre holds a free community group meeting every Wednesday at 10 -11am via Zoom, and will be looking to move to in-person soon. ■ https://www.ycc.net.au/shop/ health-wellbeing/the-chatty-cafe/

Laverton Community Choir All welcome for a friendly singing get-together, suitable for all ages and abilities on Thursday nights from 7pm during school term at the Laverton P-12 College, 91 Bladin Street, Laverton. ■ Ada, 0419 116 013

The Yarraville Mouth Organ Band meets Friday evenings at 203 Williamstown Road, Yarraville. Great music, friendly atmosphere. New members, players or beginners welcome. ■ Heather, 9399 2190

Rose Carers Of Maddingley Park Meets Wednesdays from 10am-noon at Maddingley Park, corner of Grant and Taverner streets, Bacchus Marsh, to maintain two beautiful rose gardens. New volunteers are always welcome – with or without experience. ■ Elaine Greenhall, 0418 171 119 or 0400 052 857

Baby settling Hobsons Bay council is offering a free baby settling course to provide tips for getting a good night’s sleep for your baby and you. Parents can sign up for an online group session for ages zero to six

Altona North combined probus The Altona North combined probus club meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month at Altona Sports Club. Includes a speaker, organised trips and outings, and a friendly atmosphere. ■ Lesley, 0414 481 442

(iStock)

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Photographer’s choice pic is of Brett Steven Lockwood with his Christmas display.

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GENERAL PUZZLES

9 5 6

No. 060

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.

easy

6 2 3 9 8 3 7 5 8 2 6 4 5 1 3 7 4 2 9 3 1 3 7 4 8 5 7 5 1 5 7 medium

7 5 4 1 1 2 3 4 6 1 9 9 6 8 1 1 3 8 6 2 7 1 4 8 7 3

QUICK CROSSWORD Suggests (7) Expressing much in few words (7) Terriﬁc (9) Caribbean Sea island (5) Sequence (6) Becoming prominent (8) Red wine (6) Most important; major (4) Not false (4) Commercial (6) Self-government (8) Water-surrounded land mass (6) Florida port (5) From Oslo, e.g. (9) Sources of light made with wax (7) Traditions (7)

1 5 9 10 11 12 14 15 19 20 24 25 27 28 29 30

No. 060

16 17 18 21 22 23 26

DOWN Brew; steep (6) Food cupboard (6)

1 2

DECODER

No. 060

hard

4 8

7 2

6 7 9 5 4

10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

3 7

H N 23

5 4 9 3 1 7 2 8 6

8 9 1 6 3 4 5 2 7

6 5 2 7 9 1 4 3 8

7 4 3 8 2 5 9 1 6

3 1 7 4 6 9 8 5 2

Today’s Aim: 16 words: Good 24 words: Very good

No. 060 Insert the missing letters to make 10 words – ﬁve reading across the grid and ﬁve reading down. NOTE: more than one solution may be possible

A L

C A L E A L O N L I T E

S T E

1 7 9 5 4 6 2 8 3 5 1 9 7 8 3 2 6 4

B U M

9 6 5 2 8 7 3 4 1 4 8 2 1 6 9 3 5 7

WORDFIT 3 LETTERS ADO ADS ARE ART ATE AXE BOA CAD CON DDT END FRY GEE HOG ICE ILL IRE PAT PIG RIP SAC SEA TWO VAT VET WAX

No. 060

TEXT USES WOVE 5 LETTERS ADORE AGREE ARISE ATONE ATTIC AWARE BASIL CIRCA ERECT EXILE EXTRA GOUGE HALON LASER LILAC NEARS

4 LETTERS ACTS ARES BENT CITE DRAG ERRS IDLE IOTA LIDS REVS SHOT SOUR STOP STYE SWAP

NESTS OCTAL ODOUR OVERT PASTA PIECE RARER REARS RECAP RELAX ROTOR SEATS SEEPS SLAPS SLEEP SLEET STRAW STUDS TABOO TIDAL TOAST

TREAT ULTRA VERSE WAGER WASPS WHITE WISPS 6 LETTERS ERECTS RESETS 7 LETTERS ARREARS ASPHALT

CONIFER NETTLES SCEPTIC STAPLES 8 LETTERS DIVISIVE ESCAPADE IRRITATE PARROTED 10 LETTERS INITIATORS STARCHIEST

alien, earn, elan, HARLEQUIN, hernia, inhale, inhaler, inure, lain, lane, lean, learn, lien, line, linear, liner, lunar, nail, near, neural, quern, rain, rani, rein, renal, ruin, rune, ulan, ulna, ulnae, unreal, urinal, urine

2 8 4 1 5 3 6 7 9

4 3 8 9 1 2 7 6 5

5 2 6 3 7 8 1 9 4

7 6 3 5 4 2 8 9 1

2 4 6 8 5 7 9 1 3

3 7 5 4 9 1 6 2 8

I I

8 2 3 4 5 6 1 7 9

6 1 7 2 8 9 3 5 4

2 6 4 1 3 5 7 9 8

8 9 1 2 3 6 7 4 5

1 2 4 6 7 8 5 3 9

9 5 8 3 2 4 1 7 6

E O

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 words ending in “s”.

9-LETTER WORD

33 words: Excellent

9 3 5 6 7 8 4 1 2

1 7 8 9 4 2 6 3 5

3 9 2 5 6 1 8 4 7

4 8 6 7 9 3 5 2 1

7 5 1 8 2 4 9 6 3

6 3 7 9 1 5 4 8 2

Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com

medium

easy

hard

5x5

8 2

5 9

6 1 2

B Z J X L Q R G Y F D E U

VW T P I A K CMO S H N

4 5

9 6

Female name (8) Places oneself on a chair (4) Railway vehicle (10) Objects for sitting (6) Maritime (8) Replenishing (a battery) (8) Medications given to a patient (10) Second largest ocean in the world (8) Large Australian spider (8) Members of a trust (8) Require (6) Gambling house (6) Ancient Greek ﬁgure of beauty (6) Australian actor — Bana (4)

3 4 5 6 7 8 13

ACROSS

QUICK QUIZ

Which US band released the 2020 album Women in Music, Pt. III?

Yvonne Strahovski (pictured), Asher Keddie and Marta Dusseldorp star in which 2020 TV series?

Dan Levy is best known for his work on which sitcom?

Who served as leader of New Zealand’s National Party for just 53 days in 2020?

The Battle of Hampton Roads was an important naval battle during which war?

Which of Donald Trump’s former lawyers wrote the memoir Disloyal: A Memoir?

Who voiced Mulan in the 1998 Disney ﬁlm?

Bah Ndaw was inaugurated as president of which African country in 2020?

Who was Player of the Match in the 2020 ICC Women's World Cup Final?

10 Chris Rock plays Loy Cannon in which TV crime anthology? ANSWERS: 1. Alyssa Healy 2. HAIM 3. Schitt’s Creek 4. The American Civil War 5. Ming-Na Wen 6. Mali 7. Stateless 8. Todd Muller 9. Michael Cohen 10. Fargo

SUDOKU

1 3

6 8

Wednesday, 22 December, 2021 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY 15

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General Notices section of Network Classiﬁeds.

SPORTS QUIZ 1. Sean Seamer has announced his resignation as chief executive from which Australian sporting governing body? 2. Which AFL team used to play their home games at the Lakeside Oval? 3. Which region used to be home to the NBL teams the Rollers and the Blaze? 4. Which cricketer holds the record for most Tests and One Day Internationals played for Australia?

5. Who many catches did wicketkeeper Alex Carey take during his Test match debut?

14. Which team won the 2021 constructors' championship?

Venus Williams

6. Who captained the Australian Opals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics?

15. Which Australian poker player famously won the 2005 World Poker Tour title?

7. How many Grand Slam singles titles has Venus Williams won?

16. Which AFL team will enter the 2022 season with the oldest playing list?

8. What continent has hosted three consecutive Olympic games between 2018 and 2022?

17. A young horse that is aged between one and two is called a what?

9. What two AFL teams are considered the oldest professional clubs? 10. Who won the 2021 Dally M Award? 11. Which Sydney Sixers batsman scored 76 not out and 73 in his first two games of the BBL season? 12. And in which country was this player born? 13. Which driver became F1 world champion after finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi?

18. Mighty Roos and Mighty Jills are the respective nicknames for the men's and women's Australian national teams in which sport? 19. Which former British number-one female tennis player has retired at the age of 30 due to persistent knee problems? 20. "Together For A Shared Future" is the slogan of which major sporting event, which will be taking place in February 2022?

22. Former professional rugby league player Brett Finch began his career playing for which NRL team?

27. Western Australia-born punter Mitch Wishnowsky currently plays for which NFL team?

23. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be hosted by which three countries?

28. Who is Tiger Woods' teammate for the 2021 PNC Championship?

24. Which cricketer was fined 15 percent of his match fee for an "audible obscenity" while batting in the first Ashes Test?

29. Which year was Candace Parker the first overall pick in the WNBA Draft? 30. Which former Australian tennis professional had a career high ranking of world number 53, back in August 2015?

25. Australia's men's national basketball coach Brian Goorjian is also head coach of which NBL team?

21. Which cricketer recently became only the third Australian bowler to claim 400 Test wickets?

26. Australian racing driver Oscar Piastri was the 2021 Drivers' Champion in which racing championship tier?

Tiger Woods 1. Supercars Championship 2. Sydney Swans 3. Gold Coast 4. Ricky Ponting 5. Eight 6, Jenna O’Hea 7. Seven 8. Asia 9. Melbourne Deomns and Geelong Cats 10. Tom Trbojevicz 11. Moises Henriques 12. Portugal 13. Max Verstappen 14. Mercedes 15. Joe Hachem 16. Geelong Cats 17. Yearling 18. Ice hockey 19. Johanna Konta 20. Winter Olympic Games 21. Nathan Lyon 22. Canberra Raiders 23. Canada, Mexico and the United States 24. Travis Head 25. Illawarra Hawks 26. Formula 2 27. San Francisco 49ers 28. his son, Charlie 29. 2008 30. Sam Groth

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Size up with Hyundai Palisade By Derek Ogden, Marque Motoring Believe it or not, there are some people who wish to maximise vehicle seating capacity without being held hostage to the LCV-like people mover or rugged off-roader. These folk need look no farther than the Hyundai Palisade, a sports utility vehicle capable of carrying up to seven or eight people. Now, with a name in the origins of a paling fence or line of lofty cliffs, the Palisade, for 2022, is taking up more ground by the addition of a third variant - the Elite - dividing the entry-level Palisade from the range-topping Palisade Highlander. All siblings come with petrol, or diesel power in two- or all-wheel drive. Available as a seven- or eight-seater, the Elite features a 10.25-inch touchscreen multimedia unit with satellite navigation and 12-speaker Infinity Premium sound, heated front seats a single panel glass sunroof, rear privacy glass, a power tailgate and wireless smart phone charging. LED lights are positioned front and rear and 20-inch alloy wheels complete the look. The entry-level Palisade 3.8 GDi petrol 2WD is priced at $55,000, plus on-road costs, the similar Elite chipping in at $61,500, while the range-topping Highlander 2.2 CRDi diesel AWD sells for $75,000. On test was the Palisade Highlander 3.8-litre GDi, four-cylinder petrol, eight-speed automatic, front-wheel drive, eight-seater SUV.

Styling Despite old-style design, side on, the Palisade carries its almost five-metre length well, with wagon-like proportions doing nothing to trouble, or excite, the discerning eye. New to the big SUV are body-coloured bumpers, with 20-inch so-called Calligraphy

Driving

Hyundai Palisade is long on space and versatility. (Supplied)

alloy wheels fitting in nicely. Oh, and there is a full-size spare under the rear.

Interior In eight-seat configuration, the Palisade has plenty of room up front. While the third row, which is sold as a three-seater, falls short of adult dimensions, it is relatively easy to gain access, the second row sliding forward up to 220 mm. However, seat backs in the second and third row need quite a tug to raise or lower manually. And both back rows in eight-seat versions have a 60:40 split, so it’s not as easy to carry long items when the outer seats are in use. Boot volume is 311 litres with all three rows in position, which increases to 704 litres with two rows in use. Towing capacity of 2200 kg is nothing to write home about. Seven USB ports, four 12V sockets and up to 16 cup holders, including four in the each of the second and third rows, are conveniently at hand.

In addition to the previous beige and burgundy surroundings, the Highlander now offers optional black Nappa leather without a price increase.

Engines / transmissions The Palisade upgrade continues with the choice of a 3.8-litre V6 petrol engine, with two-wheel drive, or 2.2-litre turbo-diesel, with all-wheel drive. Both are mated with an eight-speed automatic.

Safety Advanced safety technology includes radar cruise control with stop-start, lane-keeping assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind zone warning with intervention. There are stress minimising cooling air vents for all three rows and head protection comes from curtain airbags covering all three rows of seats. There are three IsoFix child seat positions, meaning five seats nominally could be fitted, but it would be a squeeze.

With such a big vehicle, fuel consumption becomes increasingly linked to the loads being carried. Hyundai says 10.7 litres per 100 kilometres is the average for the Palisade in the combined urban / highway cycle. With all eight seating positions taken, the test vehicle tipped petrol consumption over 12 litres per 100 kilometres in a mix of town and country conditions. While other eight-seat SUVs are based on a heavy-duty four-wheel-drive ’ladder frame’ chassis, the Hyundai Palisade is built like a car. That means its centre of gravity is lower and steering and suspension should be more like the average passenger vehicle. Travelling in stop-start city low-speed conditions, this is the case. Sharp cornering at speed is a different matter. The big unit needs a deal of due care and attention to keep it on the not-so straight and narrow. A lesson soon learnt. Turning circle, at 11.8 metres, for a vehicle of this length, is surprisingly taut and the width (a tad under two metres) means the car can handle the average shopping centre parking spot with room to spare. The backside, however, does tend to stick out into the aisle. Drive modes - Comfort, day-to-day driving, eco fuel saver, sport spices up things, and smart switches on to algorithms turned to the driver’s most recent behaviour patterns. All Palisades are covered by Hyundai iCare, the company’s leading customer care program, offering owners a lifetime service plan, five-year unlimited kilometre warranty, complimentary roadside assist for 12 months on new vehicles, 1500 km complimentary first service, a dedicated Customer Care Centre and myHyundai, an exclusive website. Customers using Hyundai servicing also receive roadside assistance for up to 10 years, 10 years of sat nav updates and more.

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Defenders help get United off to a strong start Western United star Connor Pain believes the team’s defence is behind the club’s strong start to the A-League men’s season. After a 1-0 loss against Melbourne Victory in round one, United kept a clean sheet in their next three games on the way to three wins, including against reigning premier City. Pain, who scored against Brisbane Roar, said results date back to the work they had been doing since pre-season under new coach John Aloisi. “Everyone is getting along and we’re a tight knit unit,” he said. “We are defending really well. It’s starting at the front. Everyone is getting behind the number nine through the middle and all the way back to the goalkeeper. “It’s a collective job. We haven’t conceded a goal in three league games. We attack as a team and defend as a team and the proof is in the pudding.” For Pain, the extra focus on defense isn’t

Connor Pain has started the season strongly. (Supplied)

completely foreign to him. The last couple of seasons he’s played as a wing back since joining United. This season he has moved back to a role more familiar to him on the left wing, while also going inside a bit more.

“As a wing back I was used to defending more,” he said. “The last two years set me up to play a more defensive role. “It’s nice to be a bit higher [up the field] having learnt a lot the last couple of seasons. It’s great, as I’ve played most of my years as a left winger. “It’s nice to be back up from and getting into dangerous areas more often.” Pain said he was happy with how his season was going, especially considering the role change. He said he was learning new things every day. He, like his teammates, is hoping that a few more goals will go their way. Pain missed several opportunities against Brisbane Roar before scoring the winner, which had left him frustrated at half time. “We are getting a lot of chances but not putting them to bed,” he said. “Once we get one they will start to come. The more chances we create, the more likely we’re

going to score.” Aloisi was full of praise for Pain after the win against the Roar for putting himself in good positions to score and looking dangerous. Pain said while the side was happy with how they’ve been playing, there was still plenty of improvement to come. Against the Roar, the club’s three imports all missed due to injury, meaning the side will only get stronger. “We need to keep on putting in good performances,” he said. “We need to play complete games. We are playing about 10 to 15 minutes throughout games that aren’t up to good standards. “Hopefully results will keep coming our way.” On Friday night, Western United defeated Adelaide United 1-0. Pain scored for a second straight match. The win is Western United’s fourth in a row, a club record.

(Joe Mastroianni) 261706_01

Gallop into equestrian events

SUE HOUNSLOW

Sue is a dedicated stick By Alesha Capone Sue Hounslow says that she feels “overjoyed” to have been awarded a life membership to Hockey Victoria. Hounslow, who started playing the sport at school, is a life member of the Werribee Hockey Club and has volunteered extensively for various hockey organisations. “I feel you do these things to help out not to receive any awards for it – although I won’t knock them back,” Hounslow said. Hounslow said she took a break from hockey between the end of school and marrying her husband, but returned to the sport during the 1970s. Living in Yarraville at the time, she joined Altona Hockey Club, where they played on grass rather than the synthetic turf of today. “This made it more fun when it rained and large puddles formed in the pitch, that the ball mostly made its way into the middle of,” Hounslow said. “Seeing grown ladies splashing about in the puddle trying to get the ball out would have been quite a sight.” After moving to Werribee in 1979, she transferred to the Werribee Hockey Club.

Hounslow became the club’s junior co-ordinator, which included attending monthly meetings of the Victorian Junior Hockey Association. “This organisation was in charge of fixturing and all the administrative aspects of junior hockey in Victoria, including regional teams as well,” she said. She also later took on the role of the association’s treasurer and also began assisting the Victorian Women’s Hockey Association with their books, implementing new financial practices between 1998 and 2003. When several associations came together to form Hockey Victoria, Hounslow set up financial and administration aspects for the new organisation. Hounslow said that as she grew older, she wanted to play with a veterans’ team. Because Werribee did not have a veterans’ side, she joined Footscray Hockey Club’s veterans (masters) team. This period also saw Hounslow selected for a State Veterans’ Hockey team, which played in Sydney against all the other Australian states. She also joined the sub-committee of Women’s Masters from 2002 to 2012.

“Later, Werribee formed a veteran team so I played with them instead of Footscray,” Hounslow said. “I played right up to 2015 when, due to injury, I retired. “I believe if I didn’t have the injury, I would still be playing today.” Hounslow said that she remain involved with the sport’s administrative side. She also volunteers at a Uniting church and as an instructor and treasurer at the Werribee Obedience Dog Club. Hounslow said she enjoyed the fun and friendships that she has made while volunteering. “This is the case in all aspects of volunteering, be it a sporting or charity organisation,” she said. Hounslow said she would encourage other people to become volunteers. “You can also help and encourage people who are not as fortunate in life,” she said. Hounslow said she would like to thank her husband, who is a great support. “He even sometimes gets involved as well with the administrative side of things, being an accountant,” she said.

A calendar of events is slated to take place at the Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre next year. The action will kick off on January 2 with a Dressage Victoria Young Rider Squad protocol day. On January 15 to 16, the Ballarat & Western District Quarter Horse Association host an ‘A’ Class Summer Show. Show Horse Victoria will also hold a Summer Show across the same two days. On January 18 and 19, Jumping Victoria will host a Young Rider Squad event. The Australian Pony Stud Book Society, the oldest stud book society for ponies in Australia that records the pedigrees of 10 pure pony breeds, will hold a three-day show from January 21 to 23. The popular National Clydesdale & Heavy Horse Festival will be on at the equestrian centre across January 22 and 23. The annual festival is one of the largest displays of heavy horses in Australia, featuring commentary, demonstrations, trade and market stalls. Heavy breeds such as Clydesdale, Shire, Percheron, Suffolk Punch, Gypsy Cob, Drum Horse, Friesian, Highland Pony, Fjord and Haflinger will be on show. Classes on offer will include as led stud stock heavy breeds, heavy harness, working draft, long reining/obstacle course, ridden heavy horse, rider classes and an unofficial heavy horse dressage competition. On January 22 and 23, the Victorian Pinto Society State Championships will be held. The Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre is the largest facility of its kind in Victoria, with two large indoor arenas, multiple outdoor arenas, general purpose and polo fields, 180 stables, 370 day yards, 250 campsites, administration buildings and an international-level cross country course. Details: http://wpnec.com.au/

Wednesday, 22 December, 2021 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY 19

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