October 2024 Newsletter

The thing that we did differently was to set out a way of working and ethos. We said, this is how we, as a group of individuals, will work together. The key element of which is: we won’t be confrontational. We can disagree with each other, but we won’t turn that into Westminster-style conflict. We won’t have an opposition that’s always saying no. We’ll particularly emphasise listening. It’s actually got a massive overlap with municipalism and the whole philosophies of councils in Spain where the women have a much greater role.

There is ‘power over’ and ‘power with’ and we were trying to do ‘power with’: a constructive relationship in which we can use the power that the council has to raise money and to bring in staff to work with the community. That meant changing the relationship, so that people understand this, because we are used to ‘power over’. Even at this community level, people get elected as representatives, and then the public sit back, expecting them to do stuff, and get angry when they don’t. For me that method of representative democracy doesn’t really work anymore, if it ever did, because people are more empowered, more knowledgeable, have access to more facts. So it makes much more sense to have a relationship in which the councillors are facilitating conversations, are catalysing actions, but then are bringing people in.

Peter Macfadyen, co-founder of Independents For Frome and former Frome councillor – interviewed on the Public Square podcast, 26 November 2020

 

Welcome to the October edition of Localising Leanganook ‘s e-newsletter.  This month, council elections will be held across Victoria, reminding us that an important aspect of developing resilient, sustainable communities is enabling all community members to participate meaningfully in decisions about their future. This month’s newsletter leads with a quote from the inspirational community activist Peter Macfadyen, who co-founded Independents for Frome, a grassroots political movement in the UK that pioneered a new way of doing local government. Born out of frustration with an ineffectual council weighed down by party politics and hidebound traditions, Independents for Frome’s model of collaborative local governance has now been taken up by around 20 councils across the UK, and is a role model for local democracy groups worldwide. Our feature article profiles the Chamber of Peoples – Hepburn, one such group in our region that is seeking to build participatory democracy and community empowerment in Hepburn Shire. Another group, Really Local, is doing similar work across Mt Alexander Shire (see more information in the Local Government section) . The newsletter also includes regular updates on upcoming local events for the month of October, plus activities that contribute towards localisation.  We hope you enjoy it.

Cheers, Nikki, Keppel, and Laurel

Note to Contributors and Readers

As you can see, Localising Leanganook’s e-news continues to grow from strength to strength reaching more than 700 subscribers. The monthly newsletter  includes an ever expanding range of localising events, programs and creative initiatives  in  our central Victorian region.  If you’ve got items for inclusion in future editions, let our editing team know – (nikki.marshall@mmnet.com.au). To help our editing team please email through information you’d like included in the following format: program/project/event name plus date, time and location if relevant; summary of event/issue/program, in word format; accompanying photo as a jpeg or png.

October’s edition includes:

1. Feature Article: Chamber of Peoples – Hepburn
   
2. Arts and Culture
3. Food Growing, Farming and Food Security
4. Ecology and Environment
5. First Nations
6. Sustainable Living Resources
7. Building Community
8. The Spirit and the Sacred
9. Local Government News
10. Workshops and Courses
11. Letters
12. Food for Thought

 

Feature Article : Chamber of Peoples – Hepburn

Background:

The Chamber of Peoples- Hepburn is a grassroots organisation committed to transforming local governance in Hepburn Shire through participatory democracy and community empowerment. It began in 2020 as Community Voice, an organisation which emerged from a shared belief that the Hepburn Shire Council needed to be more responsive to the community’s needs and aspirations, a sentiment echoed in the 2020 Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey.

In a significant step forward, Community Voice supported the successful election of four councillors in the October 2020 local elections, marking a key milestone in our journey. Building on this success, the Chamber of Peoples emerged in 2024 with a renewed focus on fostering a collaborative and inclusive relationship between the Hepburn Shire community and the Council beyond and between elections.

As we approach Council elections in October this year, The Chamber of Peoples is poised to play an even more active role in ensuring that the voices of Hepburn Shire are not only heard but are central to shaping the decisions that affect our collective future. Our vision is to create a ‘can do’ culture within the Council—one that prioritises active listening, transparency, the empowerment of all community members, which draws on the wealth of skills within the community, and is equipped to deliver positive outcomes for the people of Hepburn and future generations. 

The Chamber of Peoples builds on the concept of an Ecological Society, which is grounded in three key principles: a vibrant civil society, practical deliberation driven by problem-solving, and structures that connect state agencies with daily civic life. We believe in the importance of a rich associational life for several reasons:

• Incubators for Solutions: Associations foster creative solutions to pressing problems.
• Skills Development: They equip citizens with the skills needed to collaboratively solve problems.
• Deliberation: Central to associations is the practice of deliberation, essential for informed decision-making.
• Democratic Education: Civic associations serve as schools of democracy, where citizens learn about collective issues, the knowledge required to address them, and the values that sustain democratic governance.
• Monitoring Power: Civic associations play a crucial role in holding powerful elites accountable.

Proposed Objects of The Hepburn Chamber of Peoples

• Provide a democratic and evidence-based voice for Hepburn.
• Provide community-led opportunities for people to express their views and Councillors and council officers to listen.
• Identify and offer the skills of local people to help in strategic planning and better decision making grounded in local knowledge.
• Form or support existing collectives around communities of interest and knowledge (e.g. housing, climate, agriculture and environment, transport, aged care, youth…), and build alliances between them.
• Support devolved powers using the community engagement and public transparency policies, astutely and rigorously to benefit the people of Hepburn.
• Improve Council relations with the community by seeking reforms to make meetings less formal, more open and more interactive.
• Work together to benefit the shire with humility, honesty, courtesy, integrity, and justice.

Acknowledging Sovereignty and Building Partnerships

We acknowledge that Hepburn Shire is on the unceded lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung People. This land is, and always will be, Aboriginal land. The Chamber of Peoples is committed to truth-telling, supporting treaty and reconciliation, and honouring the Dja Dja Wurrung’s cultural heritage, knowledge, and connection to Country. We are dedicated to building a genuine partnership with the Dja Dja Wurrung People, walking together to ensure their perspectives are integral to our work. This partnership reflects our shared responsibility for the land, the community’s well-being, and future generations.

Values and Principles

The Chamber of Peoples will advocate that Hepburn Shire Council adhere to the following principles and values:

• Inclusion and Equity: actively seek out and value the views and contributions of everyone in our community; welcome and acknowledge the strength inherent in diverse views and life experiences in our community;
• Collaboration: listen to and draw upon the knowledge and experiences of diverse community perspectives; 
• Localisation: actively support local cultures, environments and people, and increase agency for self-reliance and community-sufficiency. Maintain a shire-wide focus that responds to diverse needs across wards, town centres and rural areas, and devise appropriate responses to distinctive local circumstances, challenges and needs;
• Innovation: exercise creative response thinking, a willingness to take calculated risks, and acknowledge and learn from mistakes within a team framework; 
• Evidence-based problem solving: be guided by sound evidence-based processes and local knowledge, experience, and diverse perspectives from the community;
• Resilience: foster diversity across the community, including broad forms of biodiversity, and build alliances that increase the ability of our community to adapt to rapid changes; balance economic imperatives with social and environmental needs.

The Chamber of Peoples invites all people in Hepburn Shire to add their voices to help create a more cohesive and engaged community, both now and into the future.

We are currently in the process of creating a new website, but in the meantime we can be contacted via the Community Voice website below or https://www.facebook.com/groups/communityvoicehepburn/ or email: admin@communityvoice.group

Home

Arts and Culture

Swiss Italian Festa

 

Equinox Lantern Walk
The Equinox Lantern Walk was postponed due to the weather. But it’s still happening! Friday October 4th from 5pm the community will come together, with kids and parents from every school around Hepburn and Daylesford walking with lanterns from 10th Street, Hepburn Springs down into the Mineral Springs Reserve. A bit of food, a bit of kids’ entertainment, and a lot of excitement.

‌Program Update ‌ ‌
We’re a month out from 2024 Festa (25-27 October) and a busy program is shaping up: Thursday night heritage dinner, Friday night VIP launch, Saturday street parade to Carnevale in the Mineral Springs Reserve, guided Hepburn Heritage walks, Yandoit Cultural events, hands-on drystone walling, the Landscape Art Prize, Sunday night fireworks……it’s packed!

We expect a lot of first time Festa folk this year, so we’ll post the early program to our website as well as Facebook and Instagram so you can plan your Festa adventure.‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Yandoit Cultural

Yandoit Cultural is hosting two special events in October:

1. Film Screening: The Road to Patagonia

When and Where: Friday October 4^th, 7pm , at the old church in the bush- Uniting Church Rd, off High St, Yandoit

The Road to Patagonia is a stunning, intimate and unflinching series of love letters within a documentary – firstly a love between two people, and secondly between humanity and the Earth. We follow Matty Hannon on an incredible solo adventure, to surf the west coast of the Americas by motorbike, from the top of Alaska to the tip of Patagonia. But deep in the wilderness – alone with the wolves and the bears – the journeyer’s plans unexpectedly fall to pieces. After losing everything, and on the cusp of quitting he meets the girl of his dreams, a permaculture farmer named Heather Hillier who throws caution to the wind and sells her urban-farm to buy a bike of her own. Together riding south, the duo meet with Zapatista rebels, Amazonian shamans and Mapuche leaders whose salient words crack the adventurers’ cultural veneer, leaving them with existential questions.

The 50,000km surfing odyssey becomes beautifully complicated by their decision to downshift from motorcycles to horseback, presenting a relational approach to the breathtaking landscapes and a host of challenges that ultimately become extremely rewarding. Hannon and Hillier succeed in beautifully capturing deeply human moments during the world-first expedition, and the noticeable lack of camera-crew becomes The Road to Patagonia’s strength. The theme of deep ecology underpins the entire film, visually communicated through exquisite cinematography and emotional verité sequences. Shot over 16 years, the result is an adventurous exposé on the more-than-human world, offering a physical and spiritual odyssey to better understand our place in Nature

🏆 Winner – Best Film and Best Documentary – Byron Bay International Film Festival, 🏆 Winner – Audience Choice award – Florida Surf Film Festival, 🏆 Winner – Audience Choice award – Melbourne Documentary Film Festival

Entry by Donation

Enquiries: https://yandoitcultural.org/

2. Yandoit’s Historic Stone Houses Bus Tour- part of the Swiss Italian Festa

When and Where: Saturday October 26^th, 2.30pm – 4.30pm; Gather at Yandoit Cultural– the old church in the bush, Uniting Church Rd, off High St, Yandoit

Yandoit is renowned for its stone houses, built by the Swiss-Italians who settled in the region from the 1850’s onwards.   This special event, as part of the Swiss-Italian Festa, will visit half a dozen of these iconic buildings. Local historians will share some of the stories associated with these buildings, the families who gathered local stone to construct and live in them, and give insights into the livelihoods of those new settlers.

Transport to the stone houses will be via mini buses and, at the end, we will re-gather at Yandoit Cultural for more sharing of stories and history, as well as afternoon tea.

Bookings Essential – https://www.trybooking.com/CVOKX

Cost: Full price- waged $15; Low Income $10; Family Ticket $25

Northern Arts Hotel – Music and Community Events program

The Coolroom at the Northern Arts Hotel, located at 359 Barker St Castlemaine, is a place for a melange of musical experiences – jazz, folk, classical, experimental, cool pop, western, Americana, and other event-based performances in an active listening, quiet room atmosphere. It’s also a place for friends and strangers to come together to share a secret film screening or talk. There’s The Coolroom Bar, where drinks are at reasonable prices, and The Coolroom Cinema home to the Free Sunday Secret Movie Matinee.

There are also other events, workshops and talks and Festivals that find home in our dedicated and flexible space. Recently we are proud to be involved in the Castlemaine Fringe, Castlemaine Jazz and Castlemaine Pride Festivals. We also host regular events by groups such as Castlemaine Free University, Maine-ly Ukes, Celtic Song Circle, Guildford Folk Club, and PoetiCas.

THE COOLROOM DIARY [Click on links for event details]
MUSIC GIGS  [Usually at 7.30pm]
Friday 27 September | Beare & Smith live at The Coolroom
Saturday 28 September | The Duck Downpickers with special guests
Friday 4 October | Andy Baylor with the Banksia Band
Saturday 5 October | Sarah McDonald Quintet
Sun 6 Oct 6.30pm | Bendrups & Jiuriansz Studies in Jazz & Fusion
Friday 11 October | Raziel Gutiérrez Soto Duo [W]
Saturday 12 October | Suzette Herft ‘Songs that Shaped Me’
Friday 18 October | Jesse Lawrance Album Launch ‘Some Little Town’
Saturday 19 October | Castlemaine Chamber Players Heaven & Earth 3
Sunday 20 October 6pm | Miguel Rios live at The Coolroom  [W]
Friday 25 October | The Moonee Valley Drifters
Sunday 3 November, 6pm | Road to Tangier: A Satirist’s Journey
Saturday 9 November | Sally Ford & The idiomatics
Friday 15 November | Thieving Magpies – A World of Music [W]
Saturday 16 November | Kavisha Mazzella with Charles Maimarosia [W]
Friday 29 November | Jeff Lang Album Launch ‘More Life’
FILM
Sunday 29 Sept at 2.30pm, 6pm, 30 Sept at 6pm | To Thank the Room
Sunday 13 October 2pm and 5pm | Locals Redux at Phee Broadway
SPOKEN WORD & REGULAR GROUPS
Thursday 19 September 7.30pm | Guildford Folk Club
Saturday 21 September 2.30pm | Celtic Singing Circle
Saturday 28 September 2.30pm | PoetiCas with Ann de Hugard & Rob Wallis
Monday 7 October 6pm | CFU presents Encore! from Daylesford Words in Winter
Thursday 10 October 4pm | Maine-ly Ukes
NORTHERN ARTS HOTEL
Ongoing | Ethiopia, Hudad Plateau: A Self Portrait Series
Every Tuesday | Potluck Dinner from 7pm
Nightly Dusk to Dawn | Wimble St Wall 

[W] – World Music

Newstead Arts Hub- October Exhibition: Mother Mother

Radius Art Gallery

Fundraising Event – Sustainable Fashion Parade

A unique showcase of Upcycled Clothing and conscious living. Helping raise funds for The Good Grub Club, dedicated to nutritious meals for our local community.  Raffles, Up-cycled & Re-cycled Clothes for sale. Afternoon tea provided.

When: Sunday Oct 6th October 2-4 pm
Cost: $25 per person  Bookings: here

Movie and Meal Night – Curry Night with Raman Richards!
Our first event was so popular Raman decided to do it all again.  This time it will be a screening of Slum Dog Millionaire and 3 curries (1 Beef & 2 Veg) plus salad and chicken wing entree.  Only 40 places so get in quick.  Booking link below.

When: Sunday 29th September from 5.30pm
Cost: $30 per person  Bookings: here

DJs + Live Electro
Join us for an evening of fresh tech sounds.  Time to get moving and grooving peeps!

Local Acts / DJ’s including: Square Wave Bounce// Koshka// Timmaculate//Clay Ravin // Justinah // EZC // Fahad. Live Visuals by Michael Groth

When: October 18th from 6pm  Cost: $10 per person – tix on the door

Understanding Dyslexic Minds – Talk and Facilitated Discussion
Join us for a talk with Kim Percy, a PhD candidate and a sessional lecturer in Visual Art.  Facilitated by Peter O’Mara, specialist dyslexic tutor.  Kim will share her observations and research findings at the 2024 British Dyslexia Conference to discuss how we can better understand dyslexia.

When: Sunday 27th October 2pm – 4pm   Cost: free  More information: here

Kids’ Events – Holiday Art Program
Some of you have already met Maya, the latest creative to take up residence at Radius.  After her sell out workshop “Lost Scrolls” for Words In Winter Maya is hosting some more creative fun times for young folk during the hols:

• Creatures of the Deep (ages 7 – 12) Sat 5th Oct 10-11.30am
• Shadow Puppet Theatre (ages 8 – 15) Fri 4th Oct 10-11.45am

Cost: $30  Bookings: here

Castlemaine Documentary Film Festival Workshops

Food Growing, Farming and Food Security

The Orchard Keepers

Welcome to the 2024/25 fruit season! Last season was the first time we ran The Orchard Keepers as a community-based model. It included some new initiatives:

• Fruit Crew (a volunteer/work exchange program),
• A new pick-your-own CSA model,
• A weekly on-farm series of “how to” classes for volunteers.

Fruit Crew was a highlight, with more than 30 enthusiastic volunteers helping out over the season. (In fact, many of them are still here almost 12 months  later.)We also picked and sold more than 15,000 kg of fruit. Our farm has been growing fruit for local people for almost 150 years. In fact, we’re one of only about six family-run orchards left in Harcourt (there used to be over 100).

The pressures on small family farms are huge, but we’re determined to keep supplying our community (that’s you :)) with locally grown, organic fruit. In our quest to create a sustainable community orchard, the model continues to evolve. We’re not quite ready to announce what this season will look like, but we can tell you that Fruit Crew will be reopening for applications very soon!

Some of last year’s Crew will be staying on, but we have room to take on new volunteers. Do you think Fruit Crew might be right for you? Fruit Crew is a weekly volunteering commitment at the orchard in exchange for fruit, classes, working together, excellent company, and lots of cake. Lucy says:

“Fruit crew is a fabulous way to contribute to local food growing. I understand the importance of eating as local as possible, so it makes sense to me to pitch in when I can, to support local farmers, to try and help make the whole thing viable. “Oh yeah, I get to hang out with some interesting people and have great conversations!”

For more information: Website 
Facebook
Instagram

Castlemaine Seed Library

We have put tomatoes on the board this month, for those of you who want to start them early,(indoors, in case more pesky frosts.) So pop into the library and you will find, for sewing in the garden: Asparagus, Wasabi Mustard, Rainbow Chard, Delta Dusk Snowpeas, Russian Kale, Globe Artichoke, Parsnip, Flat Leaf Parsley, Carrot, Amish Deer Tongue Lettuce and Oriental Poppy

For those starting their tomatoes early, on the board we have:

Periforme Abruzze – a fantastic heirloom passata tomato with plenty of meat and minimal seed. Produces plump, pear-shaped fruit with a renowned succulent flavour. Perfect for pasta sauce. An indeterminate so staking required.

Tommy Toe – an indeterminate heirloom tomato variety with good disease resistance.  It produces great tasting, sweet and juicy, red fruit about the size of a small apricot.  This variety takes 10-11 weeks from sowing to harvest.

Rouge de Marmande – Climbing (indeterminate). Large, red ribbed fruit. Exceptional flavour. Good all purpose variety. Early maturing. A good variety for cooler climates. Good disease resistance.

Purple Ukrainian – Plum-shaped purplish-black fruit, I’ve found they can be prone to splitting, so recommend harvesting them as soon as they start to change colour and ripen them inside. An heirloom from Ukraine, the sweet meaty flesh can be used in salads or preserving. Fruits in 7 weeks from transplant; yields 3.5kg per plant.

Jaune Flamme – Climbing (indeterminate) variety. French heirloom tomato producing juicy round apricot orange golf-ball sized fruit. Early cropping, productive variety with good disease and split resistance due to its thick skin. Fruit contains high levels of Vitamin A due to its orange colouration. Great for drying, roasting or eating fresh, has as light citrusy flavour.

Beefsteak – Meaty, juicy fruits. Large, thickly fleshed beefsteaks are the biggest type of tomatoes. Growing quickly to at least 6 feet tall, the late-maturing tomato plant will produce a bountiful harvest in about 85 days. Need a sturdy trellis.

Beams Yellow Pear – An heirloom yellow cherry tomato with vibrant colour and flavour, the pear-shaped golden-yellow fruits with a shiny skin and firm flesh are produced in trusses just7 weeks from transplant. This American heirloom from Indiana has a great flavour and the tasty, yet firm flesh holds well in salads and preserves. Yields 8.6kg fruit per plant. Indeterminate. This is a most prolific producer over many months. Got to be the easiest of tomatoes to grow, but needs support as it will grow over 2m tall.

Our next working bee will be 3rd Oct, Thursday at 11am, at the Castlemaine library.

Ecology and Environment

Wombat Forest Care- Protecting the Mountain Skink

Don’t Undermine Daylesford

This group is focused on protecting the mineral water aquifer in our region from mining.

Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens

 

Day basin restoration- Renovation work is about to begin on the day basin at Daylesford’s Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens. The day basin was a water storage facility and it sits at the base of the historic Pioneer Memorial Tower. The project has been championed by the Friends of Wombat Hill Botanic Garden, who are keen to see the basin restored and celebrated as one of their key projects. Funding has been secured from the Victorian State Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund, Hepburn Shire Council, and the Friends of Wombat Hill Botanic Garden.

The garden is beautiful in all seasons, and we encourage you to take a stroll and maybe seek culinary delights at the cafe.

First Nations

dum and bundjil time- Dja Dja Wurrung Calendar

According to the Dja Dja Wurrung calendar, from September to mid-November the weather warms and the peak flowering season for many wildflowers begins.

https://www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/Explore-the-shire/Castlemaine-Botanical-Gardens/Explore-the-collections/Dja-Dja-Wurrung-seasonal-calendar

Frog and yellow (flowering) time:  September-mid-November – as the weather warms, the peak flowering season for many wildflowers begins. Frosts and rainy days are often still common.

As the water warms over spring, River Blackfish and Murray Cod become more active. These are caught in traps constructed along waterways using stone and woven baskets.

Watjarang (Platypus) along Campbells Creek breed and lay eggs. This is peak flowering season for many wildflowers, such as Murna (Yam Daisy), Gitjawil Matom (Chocolate Lily) and Bam (Bulbine Lily), which can be seen at the Muckleford Nature Conservation Reserve, Kalimna Park and Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park. Gurndi (Cranberry Heath) berries ripen and are ready to eat.

This is peak flowering season for many wildflowers, such as Murna (Yam Daisy), Gitjawil Matom (Chocolate Lily), Bam (Bulbine Lily), Sticky Everlasting, Clustered Everlasting, Grey Everlasting and Orchids, as well as for shrubs such as Downy Grevillea, Rough Mint-bush, and Fairy Wax-flower.

Watjarang (Platypus) breed and lay eggs;  Brushtail Possums carry their young from nests;  River Blackfish spawn;  The bush is bright with yellow daisies that provide a landing pad where insects can warm up on cold mornings;  Australian Reed-warblers begin calling along creeks and rivers;  Rainbow Bee-eaters arrive from northern Australia to nest along creek and river banks;  Large flocks of White-browed and Masked Woodswallow arrive from northern Australia and can be heard calling in the sky;  This is peak frog breeding season – large frog choruses can be heard in wetlands and along creeks and rivers;  Black Wattle and Red Box flower.

Introduction to Decolonisation- New Economy Network

Starting 1st October! Join us for this new 4-week introductory course

Members of NENA’s First Nations Hub are co-hosting a 4-week introductory course for people seeking to build their understanding about what ‘decolonisation’ means in theory and practice, and how principles and practices of decolonisation can be used in our personal and professional lives.

• Learn about the history and different interpretations of decolonisation, as well as connected concepts including colonisation, imperialism, post-colonialism, Westernisation, modernisation, racism and whiteness studies.
• Develop your ability to identify, critique and challenge political, economic and governance systems from a ‘decolonial’ perspective.
• Develop your ability to identify, critique and change colonial perspectives and practices in your profession, workplace and personal life, and learn how to become a ‘good ally’ to First Nations colleagues and organisations
• Connect and collaborate with a network of like-minded, multi-disciplinary professionals.
• Engage at a personal and professional level, with a positive, inclusive vision for the future

Course Facilitators 

• Ross Williams – Director of Future Dreaming and Bindal/Juru First Nations person
• Dr Michelle Maloney – Australian Earth Laws Alliance, Director of Future Dreaming and descendant of Irish people who were part of the colonisation of Australia

Guest speakers include: 

• Dr Mary Graham – Adjunct Associate Professor, Political Science, University of Queensland and Kombu-merri and Waka Waka First Nations person
• Professor Yin Paradies – Professor of Race Relations, Deakin University and an Aboriginal-Asian-Anglo Australian of the Wakaya people from the Gulf of Carpentaria
• Shrishtee Bajpai – researcher and activist, Global Tapestry of Alternatives, India
• Other speakers currently being confirmed

Who is it for?
This course is designed for a general audience and we invite participation from all interested people; from all backgrounds and knowledge disciplines.

Find out more
Please visit our Course webpage for costings, scholarship details and more

READ THE COURSE OUTLINE AND REGISTER HERE

Sustainable Living Resources

NENA Exploring Bio-Regionalsim

In our October webinar, AELA Convenor and Greenprints creator, Dr Michelle Maloney, will be joined by Emeritus Professor Ian Lowe AO, to discuss what Western science can tell us about bioregions, boundaries and ‘bioregionalism.

Bioregionalism is a a philosophy that sees human societies and culture as part of nature, and proposes that modern human societies can be more sustainable, successful and meaningful, if our political, cultural and economic systems are organised within natural boundaries such as bioregions and catchments (watersheds). Some have referred to bioregionalism as ‘localisation within the foundations of nature’.

When: 24 October 12pm – 1.30pm
Where: online
Cost: free
Bookings: https://events.humanitix.com/aela-24oct/tickets

Grounded- Big Ideas for Affordable Housing

Grounded is a not-for-profit organisation established to advocate, incubate and accelerate the development of Community Land Trusts in Australia. The group has come together to ensure a diverse mix of housing models is possible. Our name is borne out of the need for more realistic land prices, out of grounding a community with a commitment to not only the best practices on land and housing economics, but also on the social side, with a commitment to social change.

As housing affordability continues to challenge Victoria, we presented a visionary submission to the state’s “Big Ideas for Victoria’s Future” inquiry. Our submission focuses on innovative, community-driven solutions that can deliver long-term affordability, resilience, and sustainability to regional and urban areas. You can read the submission here.

Building Community

Castlemaine Free University-  CFU

 

 

 

ZINE workshop planned for Monday 7 October, as below.

Guided by amateur and professional artists, graphic artists, writers and the like.

Look forward to seeing you then. As always share this notice and news with others. All welcome.

School Holiday Activities

Have you started planning activities for the upcoming school holidays? Hepburn Shire’s Library and Youth and Family teams have come up with a program of activities for children of all ages.

Check it out…and don’t forget to book.

Trentham Family Clothing Swap

 

This time all the family are invited! Come and join the fun, hang out and pick up some great pre-loved clothing & accessories: women’s, men’s and kids’. Bring up to 8 items. Door prize and arvo tea included. Gold coin donation appreciated. Bring your friends along too.

 

When: 20th October 1 – 3pm
Where: Trentham Mechanics, 66 High St, Trentham
Cost: free – gold coin donation appreciated

 

We are looking for helpers on the day to assist with running our popular event. If you can help out, even for an hour, please email or SMS Susan on 0493 647 819

 

 

 

 

 

Wombat Post

The Wombat Post is a community news publication for the Daylesford and Hepburn Springs region, which is published every Friday afternoon. .

The purpose of the Wombat Post is to

• inform the community of news and events that contribute to community building community and community well-being,
• promote a positive image of the local community,
• contribute to the historical record, and
• provide a medium for advertising services and trades offered to the community.

The Daylesford District Community News Association Inc. (DDNA) is responsible for The Wombat Post.

Repair Cafes across Central Victoria

Castlemaine: last Sunday of each month- October 27th, 10am to 1pm at Castlemaine Community House,  30 Templeton St.

Daylesford– 3rd Sunday of the month- October 20th 1-4pm at Victoria Park Pavillion, Ballan Rd, Daylesford

For more information: https://www.facebook.com/daylesfordrepaircafe/

Creswick Repair and Share: a project of Transition Creswick- 3rd Sunday of the month- September 15th, 1-4pm at Creswick Neighbourhood Centre

For more information: https://creswicknc.org/groups/post2-nn6m5

Ballarat: 1-4pm last Sat of the month at Barkly Square- Saturday October 26th

For more information: https://www.facebook.com/ballaratrepaircafe/

Bendigo Share &Repair Shed: Thursday: 10am – 1pm, Saturday*: 10am – 1pm, at 120-126 Garsed Street

A community based organisation that started as the Bendigo Repair Cafe in 2017 and has since grown to include a Tool Library, Useful Bin, Food is Free Table and a range of other ‘re’ and ‘up’ cycling services. We also offer a ‘one stop’ recycling drop off for small items and a Community Swap table.

For more information: https://bendigoshareandrepairshed.org/

Reskillience Podcasts

 

Reskillience is a podcast that asks: What are the skills we need for the future we want?

http://www.catie.com.au/podcast

 

Hepburn Shire Seniors Festival events

Seniors Festival is nearly here!! The Victorian Seniors Festival is a major state-wide festival for and involving seniors. The festival runs from 1–31 October every year.  There are 5 events scheduled in Hepburn Shire this year:

Positive Ageing Expo 2024

Hepburn Shire Council’s Positive Ageing Expo is a free event, with free catering, unique, informative and fun! There are guest speakers, stalls and public announcements! Come and make new friends and network with other community members, community groups and service providers. 

When and Where: 10 October, 10am – 3pm RACV Goldfields Resort, 1500 Midland Highway, Creswick
Cost: free, For more information and bookings: Positive Ageing Expo 2024

Friendship and Fun at the Men’s Shed – 55+ men’s only session

A wonderful opportunity for locals to experience the camaraderie of the Men’s Shed, meet new people, learn new skills and for those who would like to be more hands on, contribute to an identified community project or simply come for a cuppa. Lunch will be provided, allowing for the opportunity for some conversation and connection in a supportive and inclusive environment.

When and where: 15 October, 10am – 1pm.  Cost: free  Bookings: here

Friendship and Fun at the Men’s Shed  – 55+ women only session

The Creswick Men’s Friendship Shed has more recently developed a women’s group, coming together once a week to enjoy the art of woodwork, learn new skills and be empowered to create and contribute to an identified community project. This women’s session is a wonderful opportunity for locals to experience the camaraderie of the Men’s Shed and meet new people. A free lunch will be provided at this free event, allowing for an opportunity for conversation and connection in a supportive and inclusive environment.

When and Where: 16 October, 10am – 1pm , 15 Bridge St, Creswick  Cost: free Bookings: here

Movement and Fun – CHRH 55+ – Link to this event – Movement and Fun – CHRH 55+

Local Central Highlands Rural Health exercise physiologist and Allied Health Assistant will host a fun interactive session around movement, with a focus on exercising and stretching. Participants will also have the opportunity for social interaction and healthy competition while playing the variety of life-sized games including connect four, chess, draughts, Jenga and corn hole, along with card games. A free lunch will be provided at this free event. Some of the life-sized games have been modified to allow chair-based participants and those with a disability to also enjoy them.

When and where: 23 October, 10am – 1pm, 24 Vincent St, Daylesford, Cost: free , Bookings: here

Healthy Eating, Healthy Conversations – 55+ – Link to this event –  Healthy Eating, Healthy Conversations – 55+

Local Central Highlands Rural Health dietitian/nutritionist and Allied Health Assistant will host an interactive session around Try 4 Five campaign, healthy snacking, healthy eating on a budget, cooking for one. Participants will enjoy a free nutritious meal together while getting to know one another at this free event.

When and where: 24 October, 10am – 1pm, Trentham Mechanics, 66 High St, Trentham,  Cost: free, Bookings: here

Quick Response Grants

Hepburn Shire’s Quick Response Grants are now open! Quick Response Grants have been designed to support community groups who may have experienced an unforeseen disruption or urgent issue, and to facilitate smaller projects that are less costly than the amount available in the Community Grants scheme.  Grant applications will be assessed monthly to ensure a timely response to community issues. Applicants can apply for a grant up to $1,000 at any time but can only receive one Quick Response Grant per year.

Applications are assessed monthly, however due to the upcoming Council Election in 2024, the outcome of grant applications received after 17 September 2024 cannot be announced until after 26 November 2024.

For more information and to apply, visit: https://www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/Residents/Support/Grants

 

The Spirit and the Sacred

Yandoit Sacred

Yandoit Sacred is a sanctuary, a place for stillness and silence, a place for ceremony, prayer, song and ritual. It is an ecumenical place of connection beyond religious or philosophical divisions, where we foster curiosity about how to live in the world with love and joy and wisdom as we face the challenges and big questions for humanity and other species at this time.

Yandoit Sacred is a gathering place where our hunger to share the deepest movements of our hearts can be fed. It is a community beyond denominations, open to the mystery; a community where our gifts are nurtured and appreciated; a community open to wisdom teachers, past present and emerging.

Yandoit Sacred meets every 6 weeks in and around Yandoit’s Uniting Church in the bush.

Enquiries: nikki.marshall@mmnet.com.au or 0432 232 073

The Grail Community

The Grail Chapel in Green Gully is home to the Castlemaine Johannine Community, a spiritual community that practises ‘pagan Christianity’: a spirituality based in the mystical tradition of St John, Mary Magdalene and the Rosicrucians, and grounded in deep reverence for the sacredness of the Earth and the wisdom of the ancient Celtic, Aboriginal and Native American spiritual traditions. Through both inner and outer work, we seek to collaborate with the impulse of Christ and Sophia to bring healing and renewal to our communities and the Earth. We meet monthly for Eucharist services and other special events shaped by the sacred calendar of the seasonal Christian and Celtic festivals.

October events: Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th October 1pm till 4pm each day, Gospel of St. John workshop

All enquiries to Ken Killeen – Johannine@hotmail.com

https://www.grailcommunity.com/

Castlemaine Zen- Zen Practice in the heart of the Goldfields

Local Government News

Local government election information

Voting is by mail- Voting opens by mail on 7 October and ballots must be posted back (or dropped in a ballot box at an election office) by 25 October 2024.

Key dates

• 17 Sept 2024: Candidate nominations close
• 29 September – 10 October: Meet the candidates events
• From Monday 7 October ballot papers sent by mail
• 7 October – 25 October 2024 vote and return ballot by mail or election office
• Ballots must be received by 6pm Friday 25 October to be counted
• Before 15 Nov: Results finalised

Really Local

Council election period is nearly upon us! Mount Alexander Shire will be going to the polls in October, along with all but one other Council in the state.  Local group Really Local will be holding ‘meet the candidates’ events in in all contested wards (see below), building on the series of local community conversations held across our Shire in recent months.  The events are independent, non-aligned, and community-led. For more information check out www.reallylocal.au.

Coliban Ward (Chewton, Elphinstone, Taradale and surrounds)

• Who are the candidates? Kelly Ann Blake, Phillip Walker and Max Lesser
• Where can I meet them? Wed 2 October 2024 6:30pm Chewton Town Hall, 141 Main Road, Chewton.
• How do I register? Jump in here

 

Campbells Creek Ward (Campbells Creek, Mackenzie/s Hill)

• Who are the candidates? Bill Maltby and Gavan Thomson
• How can I meet them? Sat 5 October 2024, 2:30-4:30pm, Five Flags Merchants, 151 Main Road, Campbells Creek
• How do I register? Get tickets here

Calder Ward (Harcourt, Sutton Grange, Redesdale)

• Who are the candidates? Kerrie Allan, Tony Cordy, Ken Price
• How can I meet them? Thu 10 October 2024, 6:30-8:30pm, Old Railway Station, Station Street, Harcourt
• How do I register? At this link

In each of the remaining five wards, only one candidate nominated, so they will be elected unopposed, and no vote will be held. (Not sure of your ward? check out this map.) Three of those five candidates, (Rosalie Hastwell in Tarrengower, Lucas Maddock in Moonlight Creek, and Toby Heydon in Forest Creek) will be new Councillors. Current Mayor Matthew Driscoll, and Deputy Mayor Rosie Annear were also elected unopposed.

Really Local has met with all five of the provisionally-elected Councillors during the course of this year and we are confident they will bring a collaborative, community-minded approach to the new Council and we congratulate them on their appointment.

Stay tuned for opportunities to meet your new Councillors after October!

The Chamber of Peoples – Hepburn

The Chamber of Peoples hosted a Meet the Candidates event in Hepburn Springs  in late September, where candidates and community members were asked to respond to 3 questions: What fires you up? What’s your dream? Who shapes Hepburn Shire’s future?

A further Meet the Candidates session will be jointly hosted by The Chamber of Peoples and Glenlyon Progress Association on Monday October 7th, 6.30 pm at Glenlyon Hall

Candidates will respond to questions including: What attributes do you bring to Council?

How  do you see Council and the community working together for the benefit of Hepburn Shire shire now and into the future?  What mechanisms do you envisage will enable local knowledge and representation in Council decision making given there are no wards  for this term? 

For more information:  Community Voice website below or https://www.facebook.com/groups/communityvoicehepburn/ or email: admin@communityvoice.group

 

Workshops and Courses

Castlemaine Documentary Film- Club CDOC Workshop

Free Industry Talk: Legals & Ethics
Date: Saturday, 19 October 2024 Time: 2pm – 4pm Location: Castlemaine Community House
Facilitators: Hollie Fifer (Director/Producer), Shaun Miller (Entertainment Lawyer)
Free, but please register here.

When it comes to making documentaries, getting the legal stuff right is a must. From talent releases to music rights, clearances keep your film above board. But it’s not just about paperwork – it’s about telling true stories ethically and respectfully. Join us for a free Legals & Ethics in Documentary Filmmaking discussion, where we’ll break down the must-know legalities and explore how to handle real stories with care and integrity. In conversation with local award-winning Documentary Filmmaker Hollie Fifer, and Entertainment Lawyer, Shaun Miller, you’ll learn about all the essentials to protect your film, and your subjects.

Letters

No letters for this edition.

Food for Thought

Towards Eudaemonia : https://towardseudaemonia.substack.com/

Post Carbon Institute: https://www.postcarbon.org/

Small Giants Academy : https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/roman-krznaric-how-history-informs-the-future

Milkwood : https://www.milkwood.net/2023/06/06/we-cannot-help-transform-a-world-that-does-not-know-us/?

Many people would throw a tantrum at this point’: An Israeli and a Palestinian discuss 7 October, Gaza – and the future- A Guardian article:   https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/sep/13/israel-palestine-7-october-gaza-orna-guralnik

Understanding Relationships and Ecology: Fritjof Capra interview on the Great Simplification podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPVnR-FiQ4k

Local Futures- Feminine Futures- Healing the Earth, Healing Ourselves