CREATIVITY and imagination play a big part in the life of 27-year-old Owen McCaffrey and his use of his artistic talents to communicate and share ideas. McCaffrey, of Blairgowrie, is autistic and has limited language skills, but when it comes to telling a story in pictures he shines. His first animation, Owen, Friends, Family and Imaginary Friends, was applauded by 180 guests when shown on Friday at Rosebud Cinema. The animation, written and drawn by McCaffrey and brought to life with the help of a professional animator, showcases his amazing drawing skills and his simplistic yet clever messages about the…
Author: Liz Bell
A BONEO couple whose elderly parents were living in a unit at the back of their property are appealing to the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to halt a “heartless” plan to demolish their home. Louise and David Cairns live in a house on 3.2 hectares in Browns Road and moved their dependent parents to a small unit behind the house in 2018 after the building was plumbed, wired and connected to sewerage. Ms Cairns said she and her husband were shocked when they received a council building order “out of the blue” and were told their parents, aged 82 and…
THERE was a mix of emotions in Sorrento last week as the lights dimmed for the final time as the town’s cinema, also known as the Athenaeum, screened its final film. New owners, the DeGroup are applying to the state government to demolish part of the heritage building and redevelop it as shops. Head of the group, Colin Delutis, paid an estimated $11 million for the Peninsula Cinemas Sorrento in 2022, including surrounding structures. The property is believed to have been offered for sale only twice in the past 75 years, with the last time being 2017 when it was…
STATE government departments have been accused of “digging in their heels” when it comes to moving hundreds of kangaroos trapped on a private property at Cape Schanck. The authorised government body – Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action – has still not approved a “soft herding” plan to remove up to 600 kangaroos trapped from the property. Wildlife groups say that the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and the Conservation Regulator have failed to act despite being aware of the animals’ situation worsening since being trapped inside fencing in 2021. Three one-way gates were installed last year…
MORNINGTON Peninsula mother-of-three and business woman Julie Fisher ‘s heart-warming and honest book From the Heart of Mums is an emotional glimpse into living with disability. Fisher, whose son Darcy has Down syndrome, is passionate about raising awareness to increase inclusion and acceptance for people who live with a disability. “When you enter the world of disability with your child or anyone you care for, it can be a scary time of the unknown,” she said. “Your idea of what life was going to be like suddenly changes in an instant.” Fisher said that from the moment of discovering a…
WHEN Mornington woman Sandra Franks had difficulty getting up from her chair when she was in her mid-60s, she initially just thought age was creeping up on her. “I had no push in my knees and was struggling to bear weight when trying to stand, so eventually I went to my doctor, who was baffled and sent me to a specialist,” she said. After getting no answers from the first specialist, Franks sought a second opinion and underwent a muscle biopsy that led to her diagnosis. While it was a shock to discover she had myositis, an incurable and progressive…
LANDCARE volunteers, officials and the community came together to mark the completion of stage one of the Balnarring to Bay biolink on Wednesday, 12 April. The project involved transforming 2.5 kilometres of degraded land to create a biolink along a natural drainage line from the centre of Balnarring to the mouth of Merricks Creek, Somers. Stage one started four years ago with a community consultation at Balnarring Hall, followed by a planting and regeneration project involving the replacement of 240 Monterey pine trees with 2500 indigenous trees, shrubs and grasses. An all-weather public access path has been built for walkers…
A SMASH-and-grab crime spree across Mount Eliza, Mornington and Mount Martha has shocked residents and businesses, and prompted calls for increased CCTV and police patrols on the peninsula. About one dozen businesses were robbed between 2am and 4am on Monday 17 April, with many staff and owners arriving to work to find windows and doors smashed and cash stolen. Mornington Peninsula Crime Investigation Unit detectives believe the crimes are linked, with cafes, milk bars, beauty salons, a clothing store and laundromat targeted. It is believed two people known to police were captured on CCTV cameras at some of the break-ins,…
CAPEL Sound teenager Kobi-Lee Dyer is an inspiration to her family and friends, and it’s not hard to understand why. The 17-year-old is autistic and non-verbal but has not let that get in the way of achievement and success. She has been competing in athletics since she was eight and has achieved outstanding results, including winning gold in Brisbane last year at the inaugural Vitus Oceania Asia Games in the 100m, 200m, 400m and long jump events. Dyer has now been selected to compete in France in June in the Virtus Global Games – the most prestigious athletic competition for…
THREE sculpture parks – McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery, Langwarrin, Pt Leo Estate, Merricks and Montalto Winery, Red Hill South – will collectively celebrate International Sculpture Day on Saturday 29 April. The three open air spaces contain collections that unite sculpture and nature. McClelland director Lisa Byrne said the Mornington Peninsula was home to the largest collections of sculptures in Australia. “This collaboration is an experience not to be missed … at McClelland we champion the value of diversity within Australian culture through a specific focus on sculpture and its connection to the environment,” she said. “We are committed to…
MCCRAE residents say the “visual gateway” to the southern Mornington Peninsula will be ruined if a phone tower is built at the corner of Lonsdale Street and the Mornington Peninsula Freeway. Bayview Road resident Alan Hanley is upset that residents only received notification of the proposal from Mornington Peninsula Shire after 5 April, with paperwork stating the advertising period started 5 April and the application would be decided after 19 April. Hanley said the 27.5-metre tower planned for land next to the freeway’s on-ramp would be visible from homes and would be the first thing travellers would see. “Why would…
WHEN Crib Point RSL vice-president Chris Morrissey reflects on Anzac Day, he feels a mix of respect, sadness and pride towards the selfless commitments of all veterans. The Royal Australian Navy veteran who has travelled to seven war zones says Anzac Day just “makes a lot of sense” and ensures that anybody who has served is recognised for the efforts and sacrifices they made. “It makes me proud when I see the community come together, especially the children, to pay their respects to people have served,” he said. “For some it’s a time a great sadness, as there are definitely…
THE Dunton brothers from McCrae embody the endless summer dream of pursuing the ultimate wave, the ultimate experience and the ultimate connection with nature. The brothers have just been selected among four surfers to represent Australia in the 2023 ISA World Longboard Championships in El Salvador starting on 7 May. The Australian team of two women and two men will compete under the name The Irukandjis Deadly in the Water, adopted by the national team in 2021. An irukandjis is a small, but deadly jellyfish. The Duntons, Sam, 34, and Tas, 31, were selected through their results in the 2022…
ANYONE who thought the Mornington Peninsula was full of tourists over the summer months was not mistaken. Recent data shows the peninsula is officially one of the most popular tourism spots in Victoria to open a tourism business, with operators benefitting from its proximity to Melbourne, and mix of cafes and restaurants, sand, surf and rolling green hills. The Business Victoria data shows the peninsula has more tourism businesses (3932) in regional Victoria (it is classified metropolitan by the state government) than the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges (3916) and Murray (3880) regions. Despite the growth in the number of…
CHILDREN are ready to file back into class at Balcombe Preschool, in Bay Road, Mount Martha after some quick work by the school community and repairs to the buildings. In January, just four days out from the start of the new year, the school received notification that due to some issues being found within its buildings the programs would have to be cancelled. School council president Dan Steele said the preschool was told the “best-case scenario” was that it would not be able to open for the whole of term one, with the potential for it to be further affected.…
EXPERTS say the state government’s plan to build an estimated 34 new homes on the Mornington Peninsula over the next few years will fail to fix the affordable housing crisis. The state government is spending more than $11.5 million in housing on the peninsula – with 21 new properties completed and a further 13 underway, and “more to come in the area” according to the Department of Housing, Families and Fairness, But recent data shows that will not be enough, with the Reserve Bank of Australia predicting a shortage of more than 100,000 homes across the country within the next…
EASTER services on the popular Mornington tourist train were unexpectedly cancelled on Saturday (8 April) after the old “red rattler” heritage train came off its tracks close to the Watt Road station. The train was on a training run from Moorooduc to Mornington with a driver and supervisor on board. Nobody was injured and the train was not carrying passengers. Mornington Railway Preservation Society president Andrew Swaine said the cause of the derailing was unknown and the train would not be back in service until investigations were completed. The train runs on part of the former Victorian Railways’ Baxter to…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire residents are being driven barking mad because of noisy dogs. The shire, home to around 30,000 registered dogs, has received 325 complaints about barking dogs in the past nine months, an average 36 a month. One Somerville resident says barking dogs are destroying his peace and affecting his health but that the council is not acting fast enough on noise complaints. Harry Harris says he lives in a once-quiet suburban street that has become a battle ground for residents because of barking dogs. Harris said two dogs in his street bark for hours every day, particularly early…
ALEXANDRA Hunt decided to change careers at 30, and says a paid traineeship allowed her to follow her dreams as a mature age student. Hunt, of Rosebud, who recently completed her Certificate III in Individual Support (CHC33015) traineeship at the Village Aged Care Residence in Capel Sound, secured a permanent part-time position at the village, which allowed her to be paid while being trained. After working as a cleaner for private houses, Hunt says she was ready for a change when she landed the opportunity to return to study. “I had been cleaning private homes on the Mornington Peninsula for…
AN UNPOPULAR plan to allow taller buildings and smaller setbacks for the Sorrento commercial precinct has been put on hold after Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors voted unanimously to consider more community feedback. The council’s planning scheme proposes to apply permanent, mandatory building design controls “to protect and enhance the valued character, heritage, and amenity of the area”. However, some residents say the proposals will ruin the coastal village feel of Sorrento. Russell Norton-Old told the council that the main problem with the proposal involved the “east sub precinct” on the beach side entrance to the town, which he described as…
RSPCA Peninsula has opened a cat and small animal centre at Pearcedale to increase its capacity to care for cats and small animals and reduce the time they take to adopt. The new centre, which opened on Sunday 2 April, was financed by donors, including gifts from the estates of the late RSPCA Victoria president Dr Hugh Wirth AM – who led the organisation for almost 50 years, and long-time supporter Margaret Johnson. The centre has “cat cabins” with concealed spaces, an isolation wing, long-stay facilities, and an adoption wing with “meet and greet” rooms. RSPCA Victoria CEO Dr Liz…
A COLLABORATION between Boon Wurrung elder N’Arwee’t Professor Carolyn Briggs AM and Balnarring Pre-School has resulted in a third self-published book to honour and celebrate First Peoples culture. The Time of Chaos was launched on Saturday 25 March at the Womin Djeka Balnarring Ngargee, a community-run family festival that honours and celebrates First Peoples cultures. Professor Briggs has been working with teachers and children at the pre-school for almost 10 years, and in 2018 asked the children to illustrate her stories. The following year the Bundjil Creation story was published, followed in 2020 by Barraeemal Story. The Time of Chaos…
A BELOVED dog at the centre of a stand-off between Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and its owner has died. Mount Martha dog Bella became a symbol of the fight against bureaucracy in 2021 when owner David Ball was fined $248 for having a dog at large. Ball said Bella, just out of surgery after the removal of a cyst on her left back leg and several infected teeth, may have passed him on her way out to the garden which – like the neighbours – has no front fence. A grass easement abuts the made road. He said the shire…
HISTORIC Beleura house, Mornington will open its garden to fairies and other magical creatures for the school holidays, and children are invited to enjoy the fun. The 40-minute Pirate-Fairy-Dinosaur-Rainbow Magic Show will be on Tuesday 18 April and Thursday 20 April over two sessions (10am and 1pm) and is suitable for children three to seven. General manager of Beleura, Martin Green, said he was delighted to invite families to the house and let magician Jo Clyne “create an experience that welcomes younger peninsula residents and their families to the beautiful grounds of Beleura”. “The show is called the Pirate-Fairy-Dinosaur-Rainbow Magic…
NATIONAL youth mental health foundation headspace is encouraging 16 to 25 year olds with their own experience of mental ill-health to contact the headspace Youth National Reference Group (hY NRG). Every year headspace provides early intervention care to more than 100,000 young people who need support for their mental health, physical health, work and study goals and use of alcohol and other drugs. Psychology student Hugh Flanagan, 23, of Arthurs Seat, is one of 20 hY NRG members who has spent the past two years advocating for the mental health and wellbeing needs of young Australians. “A key part of…
PUBLIC swimming pools on the Mornington Peninsula will not be closing or changing opening times in line with cost-cutting measures adopted by some municipalities due to crippling energy prices. Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Cr Steve Holland said that although power prices were rising steeply “at this stage” the council was not planning any changes to the operation of aquatic and recreation centres. Aquatic centres use up to 15 times more energy per floor area compared to an average commercial office building. Some Victorian councils have reportedly reduced pool temperatures in a bid to cut costs, while others have cut operating…
A ROSEBUD grandmother has delivered an 18,000-signature petition to the federal parliament calling for taxes to be introduced on plastic packaging. On Thursday 30 March Pam Pitt took her petition to Canberra to hand it to David McElrea, chief of staff to Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. Pitt is the treasurer on the board of Citizens’ Climate Lobby Australia, a grassroots environmental group working to influence climate policy. She says that as a grandmother, she is committed to leaving a better world for future generations and was pushed into action after the collapse of plastic recycling company REDcycle which had claimed…
HOMELESS support services are calling on the state government to build crisis accommodation on the Mornington Peninsula as more than 1000 people search for somewhere safe to sleep every night. Community Information Support Victoria – which has support centres in Rosebud, Mornington and Hastings – called crisis talks on Friday (31 March), with centres facing unprecedented demand and workers worried about the health and safety of clients coming into colder weather. Southern Peninsula Community Support CEO Jeremy Maxwell said the need for accommodation and support services had increased by 25 per cent in the past 12 months. He said that…
POTHOLES are upsetting drivers across the Mornington Peninsula, but road subsidence is an issue for those using one Mount Martha street. Residents are calling for urgent repairs to Lempriere Avenue due to a deep depression spreading across the road and making it dangerous and unstable. Ian Easterby, who drives along the road almost every day, says he reported his concerns to the Department of Transport on 10 and 14 March that the indentation initially resulted from flooding in November, but no action was taken. The subsidence has now caused the indentation to grow from two metres in length to eight…
SILVA Mcleod describes herself as an “island girl”, a nickname that is suggestive of the now 61-year-old’s idyllic and simple teenage years growing up in a small community in Tonga. Mcleod’s book, Island girl to airline pilot, tells a very different story of ambition, determination and achievement against the odds as the first Tongan woman to become an airline pilot. The book, to be released in April and launched on the Mornington Peninsula on 5 May, is part love story, inspirational message, tragedy and feel-good memoir as Mcleod tells of her first meeting more than 40 years ago with Australian…