It’s an administrative error for the ages, and one that has endured for 160 years, but ‘Mornington’ will be returned to its former name, ‘Schnapper Point’, after it was discovered it was never officially changed. The area was originally known as ‘Schnapper Point’, but in 1864 was mysteriously changed overnight to ‘Mornington’ by a shopkeeper of the time, Thomas Allchin (pictured). It is believed the name derived from the second Earl of Mornington, Richard Colley Wellesley (1760 – 1842), a man of Irish and Great Britain peerage, who is most famous for inventing smash avocado on toast. But the name…
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WORK has started to remove the fisherman’s jetty at Mornington.The demolition of the jetty is expected to take about two to three weeks. A barge is being used for the work and yellow buoys mark an exclusion zone for boats.Closed for safety reasons since November 2020, the wooden jetty will be replaced with a “like-for-like design” as part of a “local area plan” for Mornington harbour, according to Parks Victoria.Parks says the new jetty will preserve “the heritage values of the area” while providing boats with safe access channels. The design of the new jetty will be “shared with the…
A NEW method of assessing the need for making footpaths has seen a reshuffling of paths on Mornington Peninsula Shire’s priority list.The list of 118 footpaths also includes problems that may be faced in constructing each path, such as “constructability implications” and “biodiversity and/or cultural heritage impact”. Footpaths seen as potentially having these problems will require “more detailed investigation” as their construction may be more complicated or costly.Just three of the top 20 footpaths on the list are unaffected by these possible problems.Footpaths at the top of list are Nepean Highway and Boundary Road, Dromana, with Nepean Highway being subject…
CAMPAIGNERS calling for upgrades to Rosebud Hospital say the state government’s focus on redeveloping Frankston Hospital is short sighted. A rally planned for this Friday (15 March) will put pressure on the government to commit money to upgrading the hospital.Ongoing pressure on the government to repair and upgrade Rosebud Hospital will focus on the catch cry of Frankston Too Far Away to highlight the difficulties for southern peninsula patients to access hospital care. Spokesperson and long-time health worker Sue Gilbert said the nearest major hospital from Rosebud was more than one hour away.“We will not let the government hand ball…
HE may only be seven, but Taj McCallum has a wise outlook when it comes to his number one passion – fishing. The primary school fishing fanatic has been taking to the rod for as long as he could walk, and dad Michael couldn’t be prouder. Not only is the youngster dedicated to being the best, but he is also passionate about sustainability of the sport he loves and making sure people understand responsible fishing. Michael McCallum says his son’s enthusiasm for fishing is matched by his love and health of the water. “His passion is fishing, being with his…
MORNINGTON residents who fear the popular Beleura cliff path may never open again are urging the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to intensify its pressure on the state government for money to repair the path. Friends of Beleura Cliff Path spokesperson Peter Nicholson said the $1.5 million needed to restore the cliff path after landslips means there was a “50/50” chance it will never be done without government help. “The shire needs to do a lot more than it is doing now if the path is to be re-opened. And to strengthen their backbone, we need to lobby them strongly, efficiently…
THE Archibald Prize 2023 Regional Tour at Mornington is winding up for its last day on 5 November, but it has created long lasting memories for at least one family. Mornington grandmother Monica Hughes has turned the portrait exhibition into a family tradition that has so far spanned three generations. “Every year for the past 10 years that it has been on we go as an extended family to wherever it is being held, and we have our very own competition to try and enhance the experience for the young ones,” she said. “It all started a decade ago when…
AT least seven businesses affected by a fierce blaze in Main Street, Mornington have been forced to close temporarily after a building was severely damaged and deemed in danger of collapse. Emergency services evacuated patrons on Friday night as the fire took hold in the newly opened Colt Dining at 9a Main Street. The blaze could be seen from across the bay, as flames leapt from the building and smoke blanketed the beach and the end of Main Street. Fire Rescue Victoria, assisted by several CFA units, was called to the fire at 8.43pm, arriving to find the entire second…
Mornington Community Garden invites the community to its first open day since Covid, on Saturday, 21 October. There will be seeds, seedlings, plants and displays on raised wicking beds and biolinks. Relax with a ‘cuppa and cake’ special for $5, or browse through the used DVDs and books. For youngsters there will be face painting by Sue. Mornington Community Garden was established in 2000 and is now a wonderful green space where people of mixed backgrounds and abilities can share and learn gardening skills. The open day will run from 10am to 2pm, at Pine Reserve, Mitchell Street, Mornington.
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council will investigate the balance of time-restricted and unrestricted parking in the Octavia Street, Mornington car park after 202 people signed a petition called for free staff parking. The petition, which will be submitted to council tonight (Tuesday 17 October) is asking for unlimited car parking in the form of a parking permit for staff of businesses on Main Street. The Mornington major activity centre parking precinct plan that was adopted by council on 4 May 2021 investigated current and anticipated future parking demand within the Mornington activity centre and provided recommendations to improve the management of…
MORNINGTON’s Main Street Festival will be back on Sunday 15 October, after a three-year hiatus and celebrating its 25th year. The festival in Main Street, Mornington will showcase the cultural lifestyle of the Mornington Peninsula – bringing together the elements of food, wine, music, art, entertainment, shopping and fun. There will also be seasonal produce and a selection of peninsula wines. Seven stages and performance areas will host a range of music styles, and there will be children’s entertainers, roving performers community and dance groups. “Mornington Peninsula Shire is a proud supporter of the arts and is delighted to be…
THE search is on for a builder to take over the partially completed clubrooms at Civic Reserve, Mornington following the collapse of the of the project’s main contractor, Allmore Constructions. A decision to wind up the Tullamarine-based company on 7 September has forced Mornington Peninsula Shire to find a builder to take over and complete the multi-million dollar project. Last Friday, a uniformed guard was the only person near the unfinished building. The mayor Cr Steve Holland said a new builder would be appointed “as quickly as possible”. “It is yet to be determined whether there will be any shortfall…
MORNINGTON police and members of the community paid their respects to fallen colleagues on Tuesday 26 September when they took part in the second annual Angela Taylor memorial walk in Mornington. The walk, which raises money for the Blue Ribbon Foundation, commemorates the life of Constable Angela Taylor who was killed on 27 March 1986 when a car bomb exploded outside the Russell Street police complex in Melbourne. The 21-year-old Taylor, who was walking across the street, took the full force of the explosion and almost four weeks later died in hospital. She had only recently joined Victoria Police and…
MORNINGTON Retirement Village resident Beryl Spencer celebrated her 100th birthday, surrounded by friends and family. Born in Wandin Yallock, near Lilydale, where her younger sister Edna, 98, still lives and drives her own car, Spencer studied typing, shorthand and business studies at Box Hill Technical College, and worked as an administrative typist at Wakes mail orders in Melbourne for 11 years. It was “a handsome young man”, carpenter Melton Spencer, who she chose to marry in 1949. The married couple then moved to Bendigo, where Melton worked for the railways for 33 years. The Spencers had four children Christopher, now…
U3A Mornington art show committee will hold a visual art show on Friday 13 October, to be opened by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council mayor Cr Steve Holland and Mornington MP Chris Crewther. Other councillors, U3A tutors, exhibiting artists and members from the art and other classes have been invited to attend. Selected pieces of art, including photographic art, will be on sale, and there will be opportunities to chat with artists and have morning or afternoon tea. The show is open 10am to 3pm on 13 and 14 October, during the National Seniors Festival, at Currawong Community Centre, Currawong Street,…
VOLUNTEERS who created a new native garden for the community in Mornington are distraught over the callous destruction of the garden and theft of most of the plants. The Pine Avenue Reserve restoration project was only completed last month, with volunteers from Friends of Pine Avenue Reserve joining children from the nearby South Mornington Preschool to create a green space and a native habitat for birds and frogs. But some time over the past two weeks, someone has ripped out and removed many of the plants and left others uprooted and dying on the ground. Friends of Pine Avenue Reserve…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council is looking to strengthen planning controls around advertising signage following residents and councillors’ concerns about large, brightly lit neon signs in Mornington. A report presented to council on 8 September called for “strategic work” to tighten its planning policy in a bid to provide “better guidance” on major promotion signs. Cr Anthony Marsh pushed for the policy review after council lost a fight at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to ban a large, electronic sign in Nepean Highway, Mornington, with the tribunal finding that the sign adhered to all current policies. First published in the…
AN application for a second electronic billboard on Nepean Highway Mornington has been recommended for approval by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council officers, despite concerns about neon signs providing the peninsula with a Las Vegas-like landscape. The proposal is for a billboard-style sign at 1002-1004 Nepean Highway, several doors up from one erected earlier this year at 988 Nepean Highway. The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal had overturned the council’s 2020 refusal of the application, prompting Cr Anthony Marsh to call for change. At the 8 August council meeting, Marsh successfully moved that the council “explore options for a strategic planning…
A SMOKE alarm in a rear bedroom contributed to an elderly homeowner escaping a fire that destroyed the rear quarter of a house in Mornington’s Dava Estate mid-afternoon on Monday 28 August. Firefighters said initial investigations showed the fire started due to an electrical wiring fault. No heaters were on at the time. Trucks from Mornington fire brigade attended, followed by police and paramedics, who checked the distraught homeowner as well as fire fighters in breathing apparatus. The house was extensively damaged and will have to be demolished. A CFA spokesman urged all householders to check smoke alarms at least…
YOU can almost hear the excited chatter of children in the halls, smell the aromas of early Australian cooking, and sense the spiritual energy that has powered Mount Martha House for almost 200 years. Now home to the Martha House Community Centre, Mount Martha House is a Mornington Peninsula icon and landmark, perched on a grassy hill that was once part of the Martha sheep run and today is just steps from bustling Mount Martha village. The house’s many incarnations mean it holds an indelible place in the shire’s history, with strong connections to the area’s early inhabitants and a…
A MOTORCYCLIST died after being hit by two vehicles in Mornington at about 9pm on Friday 11 August. Police are investigating the incident, which occurred when the motorcyclist and a car collided on Wilsons Road, at the intersection of Orchid Avenue. It is believed another vehicle then crashed into the rider who was lying on the road with critical injuries. Emergency services worked on the male rider, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The female driver of the first car and the male driver of the second car both stopped. Police are working to establish the circumstances of…
MORNINGTON Football Netball Club is celebrating an unprecedented milestone this year, with all six of its girls’ junior and women’s seniors teams making the finals. The achievement comes eight years after the club first fielded a women’s team in seniors football and five years since Mornington Junior Football Club fielded its first girls’ side. In junior girls football, the club is represented in under-12s, under-14s and under-16s and has 61 registered players. In senior football, the women are represented in divisions one, two and three and have 94 registered players. “We’re incredibly proud of what the girls and women have…
A LETTER from the new King and Queen of England was a highlight for John Rees’s 100th birthday last week, which he celebrated at Corowa Court residential aged care in Mornington. Ress, pictured with his wife Gail, daughters Megan Saunders, Jenni-Lee Rees and son David, is a popular resident at the centre and enjoyed celebrating his special day with family, friends and staff members. First published in the Mornington News – 8 August 2023
THE Mornington Tourist Railway is back in business after undergoing minor repairs in April, giving passengers the experience of train travel from a bygone era. On Sundays, the volunteer-run heritage train takes passengers on a return trip from Moorooduc to Mornington, travelling through scenic parts of the area. On Sunday 13 August the railway will be the setting for a rock-n-roll afternoon. A fun day out for all ages, there will be Elvis sandwiches of toasted peanut butter and bacon. There will also be face painting, a coffee van, and the chance to win one of 100 first edition Elvis…
THE inaugural Mornington Peninsula Small Business Festival is predicted to “inspire and upskill small peninsula businesses”. Mornington Peninsula Shire says the festival held throughout August “will boast inspiring presentations, engaging activities and practical workshops on topics such as staffing challenges, sustainability, marketing, financial advice and so much more”. “The curated program has been developed by the shire, with events run by the Shire as well as expert agencies including Small Business Mentoring Service, FMP Jobs and Skills Working Group and Chisholm,” is one of the unattributed quotes in a shire news release. “Small businesses are welcome to ‘pick and mix’…
MPNFL DIVISION ONE DROMANA have preserved their winning streak by the narrowest of margins. Ladder leaders Dromana travelled to take on second-place Frankston YCW on Saturday. Both sides have been excellent this year, and loom as likely Grand Final contenders. Goals were hard to come by at John Coburn Oval. Just five majors were kicked in the first half, with Dromana heading into the main break ahead by 11 points. The game opened up a little more in the third term. At the final break Dromana led by one point, with the Stonecats breathing down their neck. Goals dried up…
MORNINGTON Community Support Centre has reopened its doors on Main Street, Mornington after nearly eight months being closed due to flood damage. Mornington Peninsula Shire has coordinated repair works since the flooding to ensure the centre can return to providing support and services to the community (“Repairs, clean-up after deluge” The News 21/11/22). The centre provides material aid and support services to people experiencing personal and financial difficulties in Mornington, Moorooduc, Mount Eliza and Mount Martha. “I’m so proud of our team for their resilience and determination over the past eight months,” the centre’s CEO Ben Smith said. “Without missing…
THE overturning of a permit refusal for a large, illuminated sign at the gateway to Mornington has angered residents and Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. VicRoads gave the go ahead to a planning permit for the double-sided billboard, it was opposed by council but approved by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in 2020. Before the appeal hearing VCAT members visited the site and the applicant Drive By Developments agreed to reduce the height of the 18.5 metre sign by five metres and the display area of 15 metres to 12 metres. VCAT member Michael Deidun found the commercial site was…
TICKETS are available now for the highly anticipated 2023 Archibald Prize at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, the exclusive Victorian destination for the popular event. Opening 15 September, MPRG will welcome enthusiastic art lovers for the prestigious prize with a display of 57 portraits, including this year’s winning portrait of singer songwriter Montaigne by Julia Gutman alongside the notable Packing Room Prize 2023 winning work of Cal Wilson by Andrea Huelin. As the first stop on the Archibald Prize 2023 regional tour, visitors to the exhibition can see portraits of public figures and cultural identities from all walks of life, reflecting…
WORKS by 11 Victorian First Nations Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and designers are featured in the Layers of Blak exhibition at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Mornington until 3 September. A news release from Mornington Peninsula Shire says the works are the result of their creators having “wrestled with colonial history to present their stories, layered with meaning – of healing, resilience, collaboration and empowerment. This is powerful storytelling through exquisite contemporary jewellery”. The exhibition, an outcome of the Blak Design program and being run in conjunction with NAIDOC Week, is presented by the Melbourne-based Koorie Heritage Trust to…