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Golden summer ahead for Indigo
visitors as stars come out to play

The charming and historic towns, villages and wide-open spaces of Indigo Shire are the perfect getaway destination whatever the time of year and this summer is particularly special with a smorgasbord of events for holidaymakers of all ages.

Some of the biggest names in Australian classical and pop music, an Olympic gold medalist and the only surviving relatives of one of our greatest authors are all headed this way over coming weeks to take part in festivals, concerts and local celebrations being staged across Indigo Shire.

Highlights of the coming months include two fantastic events at La Trobe at Beechworth - Opera in the Alps on 17 January featuring Opera Australia star, mezzo soprano Roxanne Hislop and the gifted classical guitarist, Slava Grigoryan, performing a concert under the stars. And on St. Valentines Day the brand new day-long Romance Festival on Saturday 14 February will feature a concert starring pop diva Jade MacRae and Australian Idol finalist, Ricky Muscat.

Chiltern is also putting on its glad rags to celebrate two special events this summer. On 3 and 4 January the annual Henry Handel Richardson birthday celebrations will be held at the author’s one-time childhood home, Lake View House. The HHR Society will welcome the author’s only surviving relatives, the UK-based Neusatter family who will formally present the Chiltern Athenaeum with the author’s original writing desk. Angela Neusatter will also pay tribute to her great aunt, Henry Handel Richardson, when she delivers the 2009 HHR Birthday Oration at the historic National Trust-owned property.

On Australia Day weekend the whole town will turn out to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the discovery of gold in Chiltern, with a full program of free family events, including a Pool Party with Olympic Gold and Silver Medalist, Brooke Hanson.

And at All Saints Estate at Wahgunyah in a beautiful vineyard setting, a stellar lineup including Jimmy Barnes and Kasey Chambers will take the stage of A Day on the Green on 31 January.

The long lazy days of summer in Indigo Shire are also perfect for a leisurely stroll under the shady old verandahs of the gold era towns of Beechworth, Rutherglen, Chiltern and Yackandandah, sampling delicious local wines at one of the of scores of beautiful vineyards or cycling along the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail.

Visit www.beechworth.com; www.rutherglenvic.com; www.uniqueyackandandah.com.au or www.chilternvic.com to find more about where to stay and what to do in this lovely part of the world over the coming months.

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Golden girl Brooke Hanson,
ABC’s Barrie Cassidy to join Chiltern 150th party

Australia Day long weekend Sunday 25 & Monday 26 January

Olympic medallist and TV personality Brooke Hanson and eminent ABC current affairs presenter and journalist, Barrie Cassidy, will take centre stage at Australia Day long weekend celebrations commemorating the 150th anniversary of the discovery of gold in Chiltern.

Nearly a year in the planning, the Chiltern Tourism Association, which has worked closely with local schools and a variety of community groups, today revealed full details of the community’s sensational ‘gold themed’ sesquicentenary program.

Events include a Pool Party at Chiltern Swimming Pool with Brooke Hanson as well as a free public concert at Chiltern Tourist Park co-hosted by the champion swimmer with former Chiltern boy, Barrie Cassidy.

The free Pool Party, from 2 – 5pm on Sunday 25 January promises to be a highlight of the weekend’s events. Locals and visitors will have the chance to take part in swimming clinics, ‘gold medal races’ and a host of other activities presented by Brooke Hanson, a member of the elite Australian swimming team for more than a decade whose many achievements include both Silver and Gold Olympic Medals at the Athens games in 2004.

Her co-host at the evening Concert in the Park, Barrie Cassidy, was born and raised in Chiltern. A member of the locally well-known McGann-Cassidy clan who settled in Chiltern soon after the town was first declared, he is now the co-host of ABC 2’s national weekday News Breakfast program and presenter of two national Sunday morning programs on ABC TV, Insiders and Offsiders.

After a cadetship at Albury’s Border Mail, Barrie Cassidy built a career as one of Australia’s most respected journalists, including as chief political correspondent for ABC TV News.  He also served as senior press secretary and political adviser to Prime Minister Bob Hawke.

Other highlights of Chiltern’s 150th celebrations include:

Down load the Full program or Phone (03) 5728 1611 for more information

The Chiltern 150th Gold Anniversary Committee gratefully acknowledges the support of the following sponsors without whose generous support the event could not happen: Elders Rural, Ironbark Tavern, Melbourne Football Club, Chiltern Football Club, Regent Cinemas, Blue Wave Pools Albury and Film Victoria.

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La Trobe at Beechworth and Zeale Group presents:

Pop sensation Jade MacRae
set to star at new at
Beechworth Romance Festival

Jade MacRaeAnyone planning an unforgettable St. Valentines Day need look no further than the beautiful town of Beechworth in Victoria’s North East where a brand new Romance Festival will take place in 2009.

This unique day-long celebration of love and romance will take place on Saturday 14 February in and around the picturesque gardens and historic buildings of La Trobe at Beechworth.

Featuring a packed all-day program of fine local food and wine, music, film and a host of opportunities for lovers to enjoy and celebrate this special day, the Festival will offer a truly memorable experience for romantics of all ages.

A highlight of the Romance Festival will be a performance by the sensational singer, recording star and TV celebrity, Jade MacRae who will headline at the Romantic Zeale Concert  from 3 to 9pm. One of the most popular and talented performers on the Australian stage, she has two fabulous ARIA-nominated albums to her credit along with hit singles including this year’s sizzling, In the Basement and I Wanna be in Love.

Also on the bill is singer and Australian Idol pin-up, Ricky Muscat, and a superb line-up of local talent. The concert emcee will be TV personality, John Walker.

The Beechworth Romance Festival will also include:

What: Beechworth Romance Festival
Where: La Trobe Campus, Beechworth
When: St. Valentines Day, Saturday 14 Feb 2009
Tickets and more information: Summer Events

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New touruncovers old Beechworth

Visitors to Beechworth this January have the chance to discover a new side of the historic town with the launch of the Town Walking Tour.

The tour will complement the hugely popular Ned Kelly and Gold walking tours which have become a must for tourists to the area since their launch three years ago.

The new tour will explore the town’s rich Gold Era history, uncovering fascinating and often little-known stories about the characters and events that shaped Beechworth’s early development.

Expert guides from the Visitor Information Centre will lead the tour on a leisurely hour-long stroll through the wide, tree-lined avenues and beautifully preserved streetscapes of Beechworth.

Along the way, visitors will stop at more than two dozen sites, including the Robert O’Hara Burke Memorial Museum, one of Australia’s best regional museums named after the ill-fated explorer and one-time Police Superintendent of Beechworth.

Other notable sites include:
~ The old Temple Bar Hotel in Ford Street, one of more than 60 licensed premises operating in the area in the 1870s. They will learn about the publican who advertised in the Constitution & Ovens Mining Intelligencer for a “kangaroo and an emu for this hotel – wanted dead or alive.”
~ The Old Anglican Schoolhouse whose alumni include noted geologist Edward John Dunn and the first Australian-born Governor General Sir Isaac Isaacs
~ St. Joseph’s Presbytery in Church Street where Kelly Gang associate turned police informer, Aaron Sherritt married Ellen Barry in 1879.

The new Town Walking Tour will leave from the Beechworth VIC every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 1pm from 5 January until 1 February.
Bookings and enquiries at Beechworth Visitor Information Centre, phone 1300 366 321

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Historic Schoolhouse Gallery
going from strength to strength

The talented group of artists and artisans who collectively run the Old Schoolhouse Gallery in Beechworth, are getting into the festive spirit with an extension of trading hours until 9pm each Friday night in the lead-up to Christmas.

Old Schoolhouse Gallery founder, Sandra Godfrey, has also announced a new exhibition space in the gallery. Work by local artists, Tania Magennis, Janine Delves and Jessica Weston will be on show in the new space from 16 to 24 December.

Also on currently on show are paintings by the gifted landscape artist, Colin Angus (1907 – 2002) who lived much of his life in the north east of Victoria.  He is represented in numerous public collections in Australia and overseas.

Nearly a year after opening its doors, the Old Schoolhouse Gallery collective continues to go from strength to strength, with 11 artists now offering original art work for sale from the historic building. 

The Common School No. 36, known as the Beechworth Academy, was the town’s first school, built in 1863 -145 years ago this year. The first Australian-born Governor General, Sir Isaac Isaacs, taught there from 1872 to 1874, and for 100 years of its history the building housed the office and press of the Ovens & Murray Advertiser.

These days the Old Schoolhouse Gallery is a fascinating showcase of jewellery, paintings, ceramics and textiles as well as second hand books and collectibles.

The initiative was the brainchild of Sandra and Robert Godfrey who lovingly restored the building five years ago as an exhibition space for Sandra’s silk painting. The artists involved in the collective are:

The Old Schoolhouse Gallery, 17 Loch St, Beechworth Phone (03) 5725 1342 or email wandanagallery@bigpond.com

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Beechworth set to deck the
halls with late-night shopping

Far from the madding crowds, shopping in Beechworth is a pleasurable and leisurely experience at any time of the year.

Now traders have banded together to offer local residents the chance to view the range of quality products available in their own town at an evening showcase on Friday 12 December when businesses will stay open until 8pm.


Beechworth Chamber of Commerce President, Catherine Smith, called on the community to get behind their local businesses and enjoy the ambience of evening shopping in the town centre.

She said that Beechworth these days was renowned as much for its fantastic shopping opportunities as it was for its famous historical attractions.

“We are absolutely spoiled for choice locally”, she said. “We can take a short stroll down Camp or Ford Street and sample so many different products, from antiques and collectibles, to an amazing range of gifts, fine art, pottery, books, sophisticated fashion, shoes and accessories, beautiful jewellery and quality homewares.

“Beechworth really does offer a perfect alternative for Christmas shopping when you think of the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the City and even the smaller regional centres at this time of the year. And the best thing is, you can always find a park!”

This year, a Giving Tree will be installed at the Post Office with gifts and donations going to the Salvation Army and Beechworth Hospital.

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Four fresh faces for
Indigo Shire’s new Council

A new team of Councillors has been elected for Indigo Shire Council in the 2008 Victorian Electoral Commission’s Local Council elections. From a field of 16 candidates, three of the existing councillors were successful including Cr Barb Murdoch, Cr Vic Issell and Cr Peter Graham who received the most votes of all the successful Councillors (1188 votes). The new faces include Bernard Gaffney and Larry Goldsworthy, both from Beechworth, Alison Pockley from Indigo Valley and Peter Croucher from Tangambalanga, who was second on the list with 1087 votes.

Results were released on Sunday 30 November, with 12049 people enrolled to vote in Indigo Shire and 9748 lodging a vote in the election. Councillors will be sworn in on Tuesday 2 December at a meeting at the Chiltern Citizen’s Centre at 6pm.

“We’re very excited about the new team, here at Indigo Shire Council, and are looking forward to working with them,” Said the Shire’s CEO Brendan McGrath. “A new council plan will be created to establish the direction of the Council in the next four years. We will seek input from Councillors and the community in creating this plan,” Said Mr McGrath.

All 79 Victorian councils held simultaneous elections for the first time, with 1975 candidates standing for 631 councillor positions across the state.

“The field of 16 candidates that nominated for Council this year was very pleasing. It demonstrates how willing Indigo’s community are to participate,” Said Indigo Shire’s Local Council’s Election representative David Montgomery. “It’s a vast improvement on the previous election and indicates a new era for Indigo Shire Council,” Said David.

The first Council meeting will be held on Thursday 18 December in Chiltern when the Councillors will begin their induction.

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National stamp of approval for
Beechworth’s Burke Museum

Beechworth’s Burke Museum, one of Australia’s oldest and best-regarded regional museums has won a national stamp of approval.

The Burke was recently reaccredited under the Museums Australia Museum Accreditation Program (MAP) by an independent panel which conducts rigorous assessments every four years to ensure national standards are met across a range of criteria including collections management, conservation and exhibitions planning and development.

Burke Museum Collections Officer, Linda Peacock, said the reaccreditation was “important because we are meeting high industry standards for the collection and reaching the local community and visitors to the town. It’s quite an achievement,” she said.

The MAP panel described the Burke as “an important regional museum with a fine collection” including some “stunning exhibits” such as the 19th Century bird display and rare thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger – pictured above).

“The Burke Museum is also custodian of a significant collection of Fijian artefacts; there are some items in this collection that the national museum of Fiji does not have examples of,” the panel noted.

The report went on to highlight the significance of the R.E.Johns collection of 19th Century aboriginal artefacts, describing it as “one of the best collections of Victorian Aboriginal material in the country.”

The panel gave special mention to the excellent presentation of displays as well as ‘striking’ improvements in preventive conservation since the last assessment in 2004.

The Robert O’Hara Burke Museum, named in honour of the former Beechworth Police Superintendent and later ill-fated explorer, is a highlight of the Beechworth Historic and Cultural Precinct. It boasts a fascinating and historically significant collection of more than 30,000 individual items, many dating back to its establishment more than 150 years ago and some linked to famous and infamous figures of history such as Ned Kelly, Dame Nellie Melba and of course, the museum’s namesake, Robert O’Hara Burke.

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Beechworth gets set for big
annual Celtic celebration

ON THIS WEEKEND 7- 9 November

Last minute preparations are underway in Beechworth as the picturesque Gold Rush town in Victoria’s North East gets set for the fourteenth annual salute to its Celtic heritage.

This year’s Celtic Festival opens on Friday evening with a Gala Dinner at the Old Priory, featuring a traditional Haggis Ceremony, three-course feast, fine local wines and live entertainment, setting the scene for a weekend packed with free and ticketed events and guaranteed fun for all ages.

More than 20 sensational bands including traditional pipes, folk, world and dance groups from across Australia will perform in venues around the town throughout the weekend, with a big Saturday night concert at the Beechworth Memorial Hall a highlight of the festival music program.

Starting at 12:30pm at the top end of Ford Street, the spectacular Grand Parade is back bigger than ever this year. Marching and pipe bands, dancers and the beautiful Carlton Draught Clydesdales are among the highlights of this colourful Celtic Festival favourite.

And for bargain hunters, the popular Rotary Market returns to Queen Victoria Park with more than 60 craft and food stalls, live music and entertainment from 9am to 3pm Saturday.

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Ironbark Festival 2008 showcases Chiltern’s treasures

When: Sunday 12 October, 10am – 4pm
Where: Martin Park and various sites in and around Chiltern
Time: 10am - 4pm
Tickets: $4 adults, $2 children & pensioners,  $10 family.

Chiltern’s annual celebration of its unique historical and natural treasures, the Ironbark Festival, returns on Sunday 12 October from 10am – 4pm with a packed day of activities, displays and guided tours for all ages in and around the town.

Highlights of this year’s popular event include:

One of Australia’s best-preserved Gold Era towns, Chiltern is crammed with historic buildings of which 22 are listed or owned by the National Trust as are the amazing Dow’s Pharmacy, Henry Handel Richardson’s one-time childhood home, Lake View House and the Federal Standard Printing Works,

All three of the Trust properties will be open for the Ironbark Festival and as a special treat, visitors will have the chance to see the Federal Standard’s machinery operating, including one of the few intact hot lead linotype machines still surviving from the 1850s.

New to this year’s program is a guided bicycle tour of the Chiltern-Mt Pilot Ironbark forest led by local Park Ranger, John McDonald. Following an easy, mostly flat trail, the tour will offer an enjoyable and informative introduction to the flora, fauna and history of this internationally recognised National Park which is named for the dominant eucalyptus species of the area

Cyclists joining this special Ironbark Festival tour have the chance to see Spring wildflowers in bloom, including delicate native orchids, Dillwynia (Egg & Bacon flowers) and wattles as well as some of the 220 bird species known to inhabit the forest. If they’re very lucky, visitors may also glimpse a Regent Honeater, a highly endangered species dependent on the food and shelter offered by the Box-Ironbark forests surrounding Chiltern, one of the last such habitats still in existence.

History buffs can also join a fascinating guided tour of the Chiltern Valley gold mines, once the lifeblood of the town.

For more information and full program details, contact: Joy Lee, phone (03) 5726 1498 or the Chiltern Visitor Information Centre, (03) 5726 1611

Guided Tours
9:30am: Chiltern Valley Gold Mine historic tour. Contact Lois Hotson, phone (03) 57261358
11am:  Chiltern Historic Tours. Contact Joy Lee (03) 5726 1498
11am:  Guided bicycle tour of the Ironbark Forest. One and a half to two hours. Bookings essential. Contact John McDonald, phone 0407 292 553

Pictured above right: Egg & Bacon (Dillwynia phylicoides)

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Rutherglen’s Parker Pies cleans up:
12 medals from 12 entries at
Great Australian Meat Pie competition

Rutherglen’s Parker Pies ‘scooped the pool’ on Thursday at the Great Aussie Meat Pie Competition in Melbourne.

The awards, held every year, are a celebration of the pie maker’s art and include a wide range of categories including beef, chicken, seafood and vegetarian.  With over 2,000 entries from Australia-wide in all categories, the awards are seen as the ‘Jimmy Watson’ of pies and are highly coveted.

In this year’s competition, Parker Pies entered 12 different varieties of pies that yielded seven Gold Medals and five Silver Medals. 

“That’s a 100 percent strike rate!” said Fred parker of Parker Pies today. “It’s a fantastic result and it’s reassuring to know that the judges think that we make a great product, because that’s what our customers tell us.”

He said he felt “extremely happy and proud” to have won the awards.  Two of the pies to take out Gold included the Crikey Croc, which is a mixture of crocodile, crab meet and sweet chilli sauce and the Jackeroo.  Mr Parker said the Jackeroo had been a perennial favourite with customers and was “a tantalising mixture” of tender chunks of kangaroo and mushrooms, with a red currant jelly and caramelized onion sauce encased in a home-made golden pastry.

Parker Pies is now the most awarded Bakehouse in Victoria, having won over 125 awards at the Great Aussie Meat Pie Competition.  

Mr Parker said he was delighted with the response from the Rutherglen community who were “very congratulatory and that always feels good coming from locals”.  He added that the award “confirms that Rutherglen is not just a great wine destination, but also a region with great food that can complement the extensive range of table wines and fortifieds in the area.  We use wine in a number of our pies, but only wine from the Rutherglen region.  We also try to source as much local produce as we possibly can,” he said.

Locals and visitors alike can look forward to sampling the Jackeroo and Crikey Croc – both exclusively available from Parker Pies in Rutherglen - along with other prize winners including the Lambtastic and the Bugs Bunny.  Mr Parker said his ultimate goal was “to win the best pie in Australia for all of the award categories.  This might take a while to achieve but I certainly won’t die wondering.”

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Welcome Funding for Beechworth Pool

Indigo Shire Council has welcomed State Government funding of $108,000 towards repairs and improvements to the Beechworth Swimming Pool.

Deputy Mayor Cr Frances Walsh was pleased to welcome The Minister for Sport, Recreation and Youth Affairs, James Merlino to Beechworth on Tuesday 2 September 2008 for the announcement and also to show him first hand the current condition of the pool and how the funds would be expended.

The funding was made through the Government’s Seasonal Pool Renewal Program under the Community Facilities Funding Program and will be used to assist with pool repairs and to install solar heating and upgrade amenities. Cr Walsh stated that Council was particularly thankful to the Minister and the Brumby Government as the funding was made outside the normal funding guidelines and in response to the urgent need to undertake works for the coming swimming season.

Beechworth Swimming Club member Mitchell Westra responded to Minister Merlino on the day that swimming club members were looking forward to having the Beechworth Pool operational again and particularly looking forward to having an early start to the season after the installation of the solar heating.

Following the failure of the pool shell early last summer, examinations also found the site was previously used as a disposal area for the Beechworth Gas Works and it was feared the pool could not be reinstated.

Fortunately, further testing found that the contamination was contained to a small area of the pool grounds and is between1.5 and 2 metres below the surface and would provide a negligible risk to the public. Council, along with the land owner, The Department of Sustainability and Environment will continue to monitor the site through a series of test wells.

The tender for the repairs to the pool has been awarded to Ocean Blue Pool Liners and Covers Pty. Ltd in the sum of $74,664 (Excluding GST) and work is expected to begin on Monday 15 September.

Beechworth residents can expect the pool to be opened in time for the 2008/09 swimming season.

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Best Western Motel wins for most
upgrades and improvements

The Best Western Beechworth Motor Inn (Beechworth, Victoria) has been announced as the winner of the Best Western Award for Excellence in the category of Most Improvements and Upgrades within a Best Western Property.

The award, announced at the Best Western Annual Convention in Auckland, New Zealand, recognises the Best Western property that has made the most improvements throughout the year.

The Best Western Beechworth Motor Inn spent $140,000 on renovating all 10 suites. Bathrooms were replaced, wall lighting was removed and replaced with elegant lamps and indirect lighting, and all soft furnishings and carpets were replaced with new items in muted autumnal colours. On the strength of these, the Best Western Beechworth Motor Inn was judged to have made the most outstanding improvements.

“This award justifies the time and effort that has been put into this project,” says Robert Ransom of the Best Western Beechworth Motor Inn. “The result has been overwhelming. Using local tradesmen to contribute to the refurbishment has injected more confidence in us to expand the motel to the next level.”

The Best Western Beechworth Motor Inn is a three-and-a-half star property featuring single, queen and large family rooms on one-and-a-half acres of leafy landscaped gardens.

Located only one kilometre from the centre of Beechworth, the property is an ideal base for corporate guests. All suites feature undercover parking and easy access to a large swimming pool, sun deck and private BBQ area.

For more information or to book accommodation at the Best Western Beechworth Motor Inn

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Indigo Shire ranked the
15th most livebable shire in Australia

Indigo Shire Council has been named the 15th best Shire to live in nationally, and the 6th best in Victoria, in The BankWest Quality of Life Index. With 4 of these Victorian Shires situated in Melbourne, Indigo is the second best Victorian regional Shire to live in.

The index ranked 590 local government areas (LGAs) across Australia against 10 key criteria including employment levels, crime rates, internet access, health, education levels, earnings, home ownership rates, house size, proportion of empty homes and community involvement.

“We are absolutely delighted to have obtained such a high ranking in the study. In my time as Mayor of Indigo Shire Council I’ve traveled around the region and am not all that surprised with the study’s findings. Our Shire is aesthetically pleasing, affordable, has access to larger cities and outstanding education and health services.” said Indigo Shire Council’s Mayor Vic Issell. “The level of volunteering, and the enterprise and endeavour of those in our agriculture, manufacturing, retail and tourism businesses have all contributed to the high ranking.”

Indigo Shire Council was also named the best value for money LGA in Australia, with a median house price of $228,500, $88,410 or 28% less than the median Victorian house price.

Melbourne is Australia’s most liveable city with four of ten top communities. Of the 25 top communities nationally, eight are in Sydney, six in Melbourne, four in Perth, two in Adelaide and one in Canberra. Halls Creek in Western Australia has the lowest quality of life in Australia, followed by Woorabinda in Queensland and Meekatharra in Western Australia.

“Victoria boasts four of the top 10 communities in Australia for overall quality of life, while Queensland is home to the areas with the highest employment levels. South Australia has the areas with the highest proportion of volunteers, which serves as a barometer of community involvement. Western Australia has the best education record with 13 communities having 100% of their 16-year-olds in high school.” Said BankWest Retail Chief Executive Ian Corfield.

To derive the rankings in the BankWest Quality of Life Index each LGA was systemically scored out of 10 for each of the 10 variables contained in the index. These scores were then summed to create an overall quality of life score and ranking by LGA.

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INDIGO SHIRE GETS BUSY BEING GREEN

Indigo Shire Council is creating a whole of shire environmental plan encompassing a number of activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including introducing smaller, more economical cars to its vehicle fleet, trialling the use of biodiesel for select plant machinery at the Rutherglen depot, developing an inventory of current greenhouse gas emissions, and setting targets to reduce these by 20% by the year 2015.

As part of the whole of shire environmental plan, Council is calling for interested community members to apply to be part of an Environmental Advisory Committee.  The proposal to establish this committee has been initiated as a result of increasing community concern regarding drought, bushfires, climate change, weeds and water, coupled with a need to ensure that new and existing environmental programs undertaken by Council are carried out in a strategic manner. 

In 2006, an audit of greenhouse gas emissions emitted by the Indigo Shire Council revealed energy useage within Shire buildings is responsible for 37% of greenhouse gas emissions, the vehicle fleet is responsible for 24%, streetlights emit 35% and waste is responsible for 2%. Council has responded to the call to become more environmentally friendly by becoming a member of the North East Greenhouse Gas Alliance and establishing an Eco Awareness Committee of staff members, who monitor the Council’s commitment to improving work practices to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and keep to the 20% reduction target by 2015.

Over the past decade Councils have been delegated more and more roles in environmental management.  Traditionally, municipalities were charged with the responsibility of waste, whereas Councils are now involved in issues such as stormwater, roadsides and water conservation, firewood, Code of Forest Practice, biodiversity and most recently climate change. In addition, David Montgomery, General Manager Corporate and Visitor Services has been appointed the Council’s Carbon Offset Officer, who will keep a watching brief on the Federal Government’s proposed Emissions Trading Scheme.

“Indigo has a number of roles and responsibilities when it comes to the environment, however, we can’t do everything.  In turn, we need to make sure that the programs we do deliver are properly funded and delivered well to be effective, and assist in planning or provide support to community or other organisations also undertaking environmental programs,” says Council Mayor Vic Issell. 

Council has welcomed the proposal to establish an Environmental Advisory Committee under Section 86 of the Local Government Act, 1989.  The committee will be comprised of a mix of 15 people from community and government, with appointments to be reviewed annually. The purpose of this committee will be:

Application forms can be obtained on request by contacting the Yackandandah office on 02 6028 110 or downloaded from the website www.indigoshire.vic.gov.au.  Applications close Monday 11th August 2008 and any queries can be directed to NRM Officer Shay Simpson.

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Seating increased 50 percent for
Tim Flannery’s talk in Beechworth

The response to this year’s Kerferd Oration in Beechworth by Professor Tim Flannery has been so strong that organisers have enlarged the seating capacity from 300 to 450 seats.

The oration is being held at the Kerferd Conference Centre at the Beechworth campus of La Trobe University on Sunday, July 27, at 11am.

Kerferd Oration committee member Joan Simms said the response this year had been “quite overwhelming”

“So many people want to hear from someone like Professor Flannery.  His oration on The Climate Change Challenge is more topical than ever.  There’s been the recent draft Garnaut report, various local moves towards forming sustainability groups and a growing awareness of the need for all of us to do our bit for the environment,” Ms Simms said.

“We’ve had to increase the seating in the Kerferd Conference Centre to 450 seats and we have provision to stretch that a bit more to the deck outside,” Ms Simms said.

“We have advertised that doors open at 10.15am and the feedback we are getting is that some people are coming quite early to queue up before that.  One group has told me they are bringing their breakfast to have in the grounds while they keep an eye on the length of the queue.

“And I know of another group from Melbourne who are extending their holiday at the snow, and staying in Beechworth overnight to attend the Oration.”

Ms Simms stressed that no booking was required for this free community event, however only the first 450 people at the door would be certain of getting a seat inside the conference room.

Students from Year 7 at the Beechworth Secondary College will have artworks and installations on the theme of sustainability on display inside the conference centre.

Parking is limited close to the conference centre and Ms Simms advised people to park in nearby streets and walk in to the venue.

Contact Roberta Baker for more information, phone (03) 5728 1984 or
0418 962 131, or email roberta.baker@activ8.net.au

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128 years on, Ned Kelly legend still inspires

Framed? returns to Ned Kelly Weekend
Friday 1 – Sunday 3 August Sub-Treasury

Three weeks ahead of the opening of Beechworth’s annual Ned Kelly Weekend, a steady flow of entries for the sensational Framed? exhibition of Kelly-inspired art highlights once again the timeless appeal of Australia’s most famous bushranger.

Nearly 130 years after his death, the Ned Kelly legend still fires the imagination of artists. The iconic imagery of the armour, the robberies, the Last Stand at Glenrowan, the Jerilderie Letter, the execution at the Old Melbourne Gaol and even the Death Mask continue to spark a wealth of new creative expression and artistic reinterpretation of every element of the Ned Kelly story.

Following a successful debut in 2007, this year’s Framed? at the Sub Treasury Building of the Beechworth Historic & Cultural Precinct will again highlight the amazing diversity of Kelly-inspired art. Dozens of entries from regional and metropolitan Victoria and interstate are now being received, with organisers expecting more than 60 original artworks to be shown across the Ned Kelly Weekend.

This year the general public will have the chance to vote for their favourite work in the new Framed? People’s Choice Award. The winning artist will receive a gift voucher for art supplies.

Now in its fifth year and regarded as this country’s most significant annual celebration of the Ned Kelly story, the Ned Kelly Weekend commemorates the anniversary of the outlaw’s committal hearing held in the historic Beechworth Courthouse from 6 to 11 August 1880.

This year’s event has the added significance of the 150th anniversary of the Historic & Cultural Precinct, being commemorated throughout 2008. For the first time this year tours of the Courthouse will be available across the weekend in recognition of the sesquicentenary.

Other highlights of this year’s program include:

Full program and booking details at www.beechworthonline.com.au or phone 1300 366 321

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The legend returns as Beechworth gets set for
Ned Kelly Weekend 2008 Friday 1 – Sunday 3 August

Ned Kelly WeekendBeechworth’s famous Ned Kelly Weekend returns from 1- 3 August with a lively program of
re-enactments, theatre, art, music, displays, market stalls, competitions and talks by leading authorities on the subject of the life and times of Australia’s most notorious bushranger.

Now in its fifth year and widely regarded as this country’s most important annual celebration of the Kelly legend, the weekend event commemorates the anniversary of the outlaw’s committal hearing held in the historic Beechworth Courthouse from 6 to 11 August 1880.

This year’s Ned Kelly Weekend has the added significance of the 150th anniversary of the Beechworth Historic & Cultural Precinct, being commemorated throughout 2008. This year for the first time, tours of the Courthouse will be available across the weekend in recognition of the sesquicentenary.

Among the many highlights of the 2008 program are:

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Leading Judge to do the honours as
historic Courthouse turns 150

Justice Lex Lasry QC, one of Australia’s best known and most respected legal practitioners arrives in Beechworth next Saturday 14 June to deliver the first Beechworth Law Lecture at the historic Courthouse in recognition of the 150th anniversary of the building.

His address, Justice then and Now, will offer a fascinating and lively insider’s view of today’s judicial system contrasted with the vastly different world in which the famous 19th century Victorian judge, Sir Redmond Barry operated. A regular at the Bench of the Beechworth Courthouse, Barry cemented his place in Australian history as the judge who sentenced Ned Kelly to hang. 

A high-profile opponent of capital punishment Justice Lasry will bring his own perspective to that notorious case as well as those famous cases which have so defined his own career including his work on behalf of many well-known defendants including Jack Thomas, Van Nguyen, David Hicks and two of the Bali 9, Myuran Sukamaran and Michael Chan.

Tickets are still available to the evening, which includes refreshments prior to the lecture served in the adjacent Sub-Treasury Building. Excellent red and white wines from local vineyard, Amulet, along with a delicious selection of gourmet savouries are included in the price of the ticket.

This event will officially mark the 150th anniversary of the Beechworth Historic Courthouse which saw its first County Court sitting on 17 June 1858. Still with its original furniture and fittings, the Courthouse is a jewel in the crown of the Beechworth Historic & Cultural Precinct and the setting of some of the most fascinating court cases in Victoria’s history, including trials involving Ned Kelly and his mother, Ellen.

Justice Lasry will take questions from the audience immediately after the address.

THE BEECHWORTH LAW LECTURE
Date: Saturday 14 June
Time:
7:30-8:15pm - Pre-lecture refreshments at the Sub-Treasury Building adjacent to the Courthouse
8:30 – 9:30pm - Beechworth Law Lecture at the Historic Courthouse, Ford Street
Tickets:  $50 per person includes superb local wines & delicious gourmet finger food served at the Sub-Treasury Building
Bookings: Beechworth Visitor Information Centre, 1300 366 321 or www.beechworthonline.com.au

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Indigo towns serve up a warm
welcome, whatever the season

Proving yet again that Indigo Shire, with its picturesque historic towns, fine wines, mouthwatering local produce and beautiful countryside, is indeed a place for all seasons, the coming cooler months will see a packed calendar of events showcasing the many delights of this special region.

This month, visitors to Beechworth, Chiltern, Yackandandah and Rutherglen will be spoiled for choice, with a host of markets, annual events and performances taking place across the Shire. 

This Saturday 17 & Sunday 18 May sees the welcome return of the annual Beechworth Harvest Celebration.  In its fifteenth year, the event is a dream for food and wine lovers.

The Harvest Celebration kicks off at 7am on Saturday morning with a traditional Bavarian breakfast at Beechworth’s award-winning Bridge Road Brewers. Breakfasters will have the chance to learn first-hand the art of brewing with Bridge Road’s Ben Kraus and tuck into a hearty meal of German weiss-wurst, sweet German mustard, traditional German wheat beer and Maria Kraus’ famous hand-made pretzels.
On Sunday 18 May the Harvest Celebration showcases local produce including venison, pork and lamb, apples, pears and chestnuts, preserves, jams, relishes and pickles, olive oils and table olives, bread, cakes and pastries, lavender and saffron products as well as fortified and table wines, boutique beers and cordials. Huge marquees in the centre of Beechworth’s Historic & Cultural Precinct will transform the area into a giant smorgasbord all day from 10am to 5pm.

The Harvest Celebration Presentation Stage will be hosted by actor and comedian, John Walker and will feature demonstrations by talented local chefs, expert tips on cooking chestnuts, pretzel-making, the word on organic wines and having fun baking bread and pastries. Full program details at: www.harvestcelebration.com.au

Also this Sunday 18 May visitors to St. Leonards Vineyard at Wahgunyah can spend a lazy afternoon with good food, fine wine on and free live music from the fabulous Dalby Duo as part of its regular series, Music on the Murray. www.prbwines.com.au

This Sunday 18 May is also a treat for bargain hunters with the excellent Beechworth Country Craft Market returning to Queen Victoria Park and the Lions Club Community Market on in Yackandandah.

And throughout the weekend of 23 – 25 May, visitors to the delightful village of Chiltern can pop on a beret, set up an easel and soak up more than 200 works of art at the annual Visual Art Exhibition presented by the Chiltern Tourism Association and Arts Chiltern.  Featuring paintings, drawings, sculptures and photographs by artists from across the region, the exhibition at the Memorial Hall in Conness St is offering $1500 in prize money to the best two dimensional, three dimensional and photographic artwork.  Inquiries to Meaghan Aitchison: meaghan@meaghanart.com

 

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Indigo Shire Council welcomes the
decision of the Supreme Court

Indigo Shire Council welcomes the decision of the Supreme Court’s ruling in favour of the Macedon Ranges Shire on behalf of the community of Romsey, that the local community’s strong opposition was relevant and should be considered by VCAT.

Mayor Cr Vic Issell said “the decision is great news for communities who are whole heartedly opposed to the introduction of poker machines into their community”.

Cr Issell commented that he applauded the actions of the Macedon Ranges Shire in taking this matter to the Supreme Court with the outcome vindicating the Council’s leadership.

Cr Issell went on to say that this decision supported the right for communities and councils to determine their own position about the appropriateness of poker machines.

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Charles Dickens’ writing desk
unearthed in Beechworth

Two days out from the official opening of the Cabinets of Wonder at Beechworth’s Burke Museum, an astonishing assortment of privately owned artefacts and collections from the local community are still coming to light.

A portable writing desk owned by Charles Dickens is one of the many treasures individuals and organisations have loaned to the Burke for the six-month exhibition.

An amazing collection of skulls of small native mammals, cranial instruments from the Beechworth Hospital, book marks, Egyptian artefacts, egg cups, brooches, a rock collection and a 100 year-old Chilean bird-eating spider have recently found their way into the Burke’s Cabinets of Wonder.

Burke Museum Collections Officer, Linda Peacock, says response has been overwhelming: “Once word got out about the exhibition we were inundated with offers of objects for display.. And what’s been really surprising is the variety and quality of artefacts that have come in. We could fill the entire museum with community collections alone!”

The Hon. Tim Fischer, the Patron of the Indigo Tourism Board, officially opens Cabinets of Wonder: Treasure from the Beechworth Community this Thursday 21 February. The exhibition runs until 30 June.

With its extraordinary collection of Aboriginal artefacts from the early to mid-19th century, an amazing natural history collection including an extremely rare stuffed Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) as well as thousands of artefacts, journals and photographs Beechworth’s historic Burke Museum could be described as a Wunderkammer (Cabinet of Wonder) in its own right.

Named in honour of the ill-fated explorer, Robert O’Hara Burke who was Police Superintendent during Beechworth’s heady gold rush days of 1854 – 1858, the Burke Museum is part of the town’s nationally significant Historic & Cultural Precinct, which this year celebrates its sesquicentenary.

For more information visit www.beechworth.com/burkemus

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2008 milestone for Beechworth Historic Precinct 

In 2008 Beechworth celebrates the sesquicentenary of its nationally significant collection of gold era buildings known as the Historic & Cultural Precinct.

Indigo Shire Council will kick off a year of activities marking the 150th milestone of the Heritage Victoria, National Estate and National Trust-listed buildings with a public Open Day on Sunday 2 March offering free access to Precinct buildings, re-enactments and stalls.

Several of the buildings, including the Courthouse where Ned Kelly and his mother Ellen famously appeared, the Telegraph Station, and Gold Warden’s Office were completed in 1858. Built of local honey-coloured granite, they replaced the weatherboard structures that sprang up soon after gold was discovered in 1852. By then more than 8000 miners were camped on Beechworth’s Spring and Reid’s Creek goldfields alone, and as the population grew, so to did the need for improved services such as law and order, communications, town planning, education, goldfields management and local government.

Still with its original furniture and fittings, the Beechworth Courthouse is the jewel in the Precinct crown. Completed in June 1858, it operated continuously as a working Court for 131 years and has been the setting for some of the most fascinating court cases in Victoria’s history.

Ned Kelly appeared there twice, including his committal hearing over the murders of Constables Lonigan and Scanlon. Ned’s mother Ellen Kelly received a three-year jail sentence for the attempted murder of Constable Fitzpatrick and Elizabeth Scott, the first woman executed in Victoria, received the death sentence in this building.

Robert O’Hara Burke the ill-fated explorer, and Police Superintendent in Beechworth from 1854-58, once sat at the bench and Justice Sir Redmond Barry presided over many trials there. Sir Isaac Isaacs started his legal career here before rising to become Australia’s first native-born Governor-General.

The Precinct also includes the Chinese Protector’s Office, the Gold Warden’s Office.

Police Stables, Police Lockup, Police Reserve, Town Hall, Robert O’Hara Burke Memorial Museum and the Powder Magazine, located a short distance from the Precinct complex.

The 150th anniversary of the Beechworth Historic & Cultural Precinct will be commemorated throughout the year.

Beechworth Historic & Cultural Precinct FREE PUBLIC OPEN DAY, Sunday 2 March, 10am – 2pm.

For more information or to book a Ned Kelly or Gold Walking Tour, contact the
Beechworth Visitor Information Centre, phone 1300 366 321 or visit www.beechworthonline.com.au
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