OBITUARY Kenneth Jack Spunner, 24 August 1927–18 June 2016, rabbit trapper, registered hairdresser, wool valuer, dairyman, wool grower, market gardener, shire councillor, real estate agent, land developer KEN Spunner, the descendant of a 19th century Sorrento lime burner, rose to become head of the Mornington Peninsula’s peak planning body, was a two-time mayor of the Shire of Flinders, and played a significant role in the life of the southern peninsula and Rosebud in particular. Mr Spunner, who died of pneumonia at 88 last month, was a great-grandson of Irish emigrants, John and Susan Spunner who arrived in the Port Phillip…
Day: July 11, 2016
PETER Munro feels he’s near the end of a campaign to have the names of two Sorrento boys killed in WWI placed on the Fromelles Commemorative Wall along with their 1300 comrades-in-arms. For the past two years the lives of 13 Sorrento men killed in action in that war has become “something of an obsession” for the amateur historian. That search has now gone even deeper. “In my research I discovered a story concerning two of the soldiers killed at Fromelles with no known graves and I wanted to correct that long-standing oversight,” Mr Munro, of Blairgowrie said last week.…
VICTORIAN Marine Rescue Mornington president Tim Warner returned from a six-week holiday last weekend just in time for an emergency callout in the bay off Safety Beach. His crew quickly set out for an area 100 metres off the marina – only to find they were “rescuing” the Safety Beach Coast Guard boat, which had run out of fuel. Now, anyone with an insight into the rivalry between two of the state’s peak marine rescue bodies will understand the sensitivity of that situation. “Yes it was a rather unusual call,” Mr Warner said, stifling a grin. “We have a rather…
MUSICIAN Steve Romig will launch his latest album Sticky Fingers Played Here. The album is a change of pace for Romig, who is well known for blues and roots music. It delivers soul riffs, with a splash of funk and blues “to add grit”. Romig is embarking on an international publicity tour for the album in two weeks, and the launch in Mornington on Thursday will be his final appearance in Australia for a few months. “We are really happy to be launching the album on the peninsula among friends before I leave. Being able to support an amazing emerging…
A POD of killer whales has caused excitement among wildlife watchers off Flinders and Phillip Island, although its arrival is probably not so welcome by the inhabitants of Seal Rocks. Known as the ocean’s apex predator, the killer whales, or orcas, were first seen by tour operator Wildlife Coast Cruises about 11am on 4 July. The Dolphin Research Institute’s David Donnelly said the news quickly spread with “eager whale watchers converging on the location, but you had to be quick as the pod was clearly on a mission”. “Shortly after arriving the killer whales quickly went about investigating the local…
A MCCRAE panel beater’s workshop was broken into early Tuesday morning and a customer’s car stolen. The 2012 Kia Cerato was lowered from a hoist by the thief and reversed through the roller door at about 4am, causing extensive damage to the workshop. The car was then used in a ram-raid at the Chemist Warehouse, Mornington-Tyabb Rd, Mornington. Detective Sergeant John Coburn, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said a man was seen stealing four shopping baskets containing fragrances and perfumes ranging upwards in price from $60. He said the man was only in the store three or four minutes but managed…
THIEVES raided two Mornington Peninsula tobacconists last week, stealing about $40,000 in cigarettes and tobacco products. Detective Leading Senior Constable Nick Sweetman, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said about $20,000 in cigarettes, tobacco and cash were stolen from the Bentons Square, Mt Martha, tobacco outlet early Sunday morning 3 July. Two men are seen on CCTV wearing gloves, caps and hoodies and driving a red Commodore around 3am. A newsagent, cafe and fashion store were also targeted in the late-night-early-morning raid in which the thieves spent more than six hours inside the centre. In a separate raid, thieves stole $20,000 in…
ASPIRING Continental hotel developer Julian Gerner is “working very closely with Heritage Victoria and the council over the hotel’s preservation and restoration as an attraction for Sorrento”. Mr Gerner was speaking at a hearing on 23 June to discuss his group’s proposed purchase of the hotel’s off-street car park at 23 Constitution Hill Rd. Acquisition of the $1.8 million block – bought by the council in 1968 and currently providing 18 car spaces – is a crucial factor in the Continental Development Group’s multi-million redevelopment of the 120-year-old property. The 900 square metre block was an informal gravel car park…
THE beach patrol group 3941Rye aims to help save marine life by removing litter from the beaches and foreshore, as well as promoting litter awareness among members of the community and visitors to Rye. The group had a successful beach clean Saturday 2 July, with 23 volunteers and 11 children – as well as mascots Dixie and Jack. “We collected 286 drink containers and a total of 144kg of rubbish,” organiser Julie Jame said. “3941RYE is the first beach patrol group on the Mornington Peninsula and we were pleased to be joined by a member of the second group: 3941Tootgarook…
THREE leading Peninsula conservation groups are calling for an immediate halt to construction of a “dangerous” and unsightly concrete-stepped seawall at Sorrento. Nepean Conservation Group president Ursula de Jong is furious work has begun on the “steps to nowhere” structure and says there has been inadequate community consultation. She says the NCG, the Nepean Historical Society and the Port Phillip Conservation Council are opposed to the development “from environmental, historic, place sensitive and safety perspectives”. The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) began work this week on the seawall structure, which will include a “meeting point” of coloured…
AFTER 48 years, Manyung Gallery has moved from its original home in a faux Tuscan castle on Nepean Highway to a shop in nearby Mt Eliza Village. In addition to this “boutique” gallery, directors David and Sharyn Wemyss-Smith have opened an art warehouse in Progress St, Mornington to house and display larger artworks. They also offer a mobile service, delivering artwork for on-site assessment at homes and offices. The Wemyss-Smiths also have “art spaces” at Sorrento, and Malvern. “We’ve found more and more that people want a hero piece in their home accompanied by smaller complementary artworks. This space allows…
THE seat of Dunkley remains in Liberal Party hands by a narrow margin with Chris Crewther elected as its federal MP to represent the area in Canberra. A 4.2 per cent swing to Labor with 77 per cent of votes counted by last Friday was not enough to overcome a 5.6 per cent margin held by retiring Liberal MP Bruce Billson at the 2013 federal election. “I am very humbled by the result achieved by the Liberal Party in Dunkley and would like to thank the community for the honour and responsibility they have placed upon me by electing me…
RETIRED science teacher John Inchley is heading a team of voluntary researchers monitoring the health of Balcombe Creek which enters Port Phillip at Mt Martha. Mr Inchley is the driving force in BERG Mt Martha’s Waterwatch group, which has recently brought high E-coli levels, invasive plants and phosphorous contamination to the attention of health officers. The creek starts as a trickle near Baxter and meanders 20 kilometres through farmland, parks and near residential areas before flowing through The Briars wetlands and wildlife sanctuary into Balcombe Estuary and eventually into the bay. Mr Inchley and his assistants, retirees John Rawlins and…
THE Mt Martha House management committee has joined Mt Martha Tennis Club in opposing a skatepark being built on the parade ground near the tennis courts at the corner of The Esplanade and Dominion Rd. Mornington Peninsula councillors included $800,000 for the skatepark in their latest budget and successfully negotiated approval from Heritage Victoria before being told the site is leased to the tennis club. The club is opposed to the skatepark being built next to its tennis courts and now the committee that manages nearby Mt Martha House has also announced its continuing opposition to the site. Committee chairman…
MORNINGTON Cycling Club has named a scholarship after popular member Joel Hawkins who was tragically killed while riding along Nepean Highway, Dromana, in June last year. Club president Bruce Trew said the under-19 scholarship would this year go to Sam Turner, 16, a young cyclist who embodied the same outstanding qualities and values as Joel Hawkins, and who is seen as a rising star in the 80-member club. The awarding of the scholarship followed a gathering of family and friends at the site of Joel’s “Ghost bike” memorial near Ponderosa Place on 18 June – one year after the fatality.…
PHENOMENA of the Sky. What is called an annular or ring, like an eclipse of the sun, will occur on the morning of the 30th of July. It will commence at two minutes past eleven. Nearly 94 per cent of the sun’s disc will be covered by the dark body of the moon. To persons living on a slightly curved line extending down from the head of Spencer Gulf in South Australia down through the neighbourhood of Hopetoun and Colac in Victoria, crossing Bass Strait, near the Eastern end of King Island to Davenport and Hobart in Tasmania, it…
The Hachem Group ALL IN FOR CHARITY poker event is coming to the Mornington Peninsula. Superstars from the sports and entertainment worlds including World Champion Poker player Joe Hachem, Brendan Fevola, Bryce Gibbs, Campbell Brown, Sam Greco, Wayne Carey, Marc Murphy, Robert Dipierdomenico and Brad Sewell along with some of the worlds best Poker players will compete in the Poker Tournament at Mornington Racecourse. Hachem Group ALL IN FOR CHARITY poker events are renowned for red carpet, bright lights, high profile celebrities and non stop entertainment. After recent successful SOLD OUT events in Geelong and Etihad Stadium, the Mornington Peninsula…
Chocolate Starfish, one of Australia’s most successful bands of the 1990s is back and sharing the stage with iconic rock singer Swanee & the hottest young rock band in the country Place of the King. Chocolate Starfish released two albums in the 90’s both smashing into the ARIA Top 10 and received gold and platinum sales awards. The band was also responsible for six Top 50 singles including the smash hits “You’re so vain” and “Mountain” (both ARIA Gold singles). Starfish was Australia’s hardest working band in the ‘90s playing more than 700 gigs between 1993 and 1997, once doing…
PENINSULA LEAGUE MT ELIZA has breathed some life into the MPNFL Peninsula Division competition with a comprehensive victory against Frankston YCW. The Redlegs put a stop to the 25-game winning streak of the Stonecats, whose last loss coming into the clash was against Mornington in round seven last season. After defeating Mt Eliza by almost 100 points at Wooralla Drive just six weeks ago, it appeared that the Stonecats would go through the season undefeated. Just nine points separated the sides at the major interval before the visitors booted eight goals to two in the second hour to win 14.13…
NEPEAN LEAGUE SOMERVILLE is back in the MPNFL Nepean Division premiership race after a superb four quarter performance against Sorrento. Backs against the wall and staring down the barrel of missing out on finals had they lost, it was all on the line for the Eagles. Coach David ‘Budda’ Hirst put it on his players before the match that they needed to lift, especially some of the ‘big name’ players who had been horribly out of form. Those players responded. Ben Crowe was a match winner with five goals, Tim McGennis had more than 20 touches, Scott Simpson beat Nick…