IT was a full house at Eliza Archery on Sunday (16 March) for a female-only archery event in celebration of International Women’s Day. The day was free for all participants, with female coaches on hand to help, and 2024 Olympian Laura Paeglis in attendance.“This is something we are passionate about,” said Alec Potts, owner of Eliza Archery, and founder of the not-for-profit Peninsula Target Archers that hosted the day. “This is the first time we’ve held this event, and it sold out, which we are very happy about. “We have opened especially on a Sunday to host this event, and…
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MORNINGTON Peninsula author and Rosebud-based chiropractor Adam Mackey has been awarded a prestigious honour for his new book in recognition of its powerful impact on readers.Mackey, also known as Angel A, was bestowed the Difference Maker award from Australian company, Store With A Heart, which recognises books that “exhibit the courage, foresight, and initiative to bring about significant change—whether on a worldwide or local level”. It also celebrates authors who use their words to “tackle important issues, challenge perspectives, and light the way to a better future”.Mackey said his book and first novel titled Holy Parrot, published in December 2022,…
OPPONENTS of a luge-style development proposed for Arthurs Seat are ramping up their campaign, holding a public information session to help the community understand its “serious impacts”.The $25 million plan proposes to expand the popular tourist attraction including adding a new observation tower, a pedestrian bridge over Arthurs Seat Rd, a function centre, a luge ride attraction and an “experiential interpretive centre”. But community group Save Our Seat are objecting to the controversial plans by developers Arthurs Seat Eagle in what they have labelled as a “roller-coaster-style luge” for a massive tourism redevelopment.Save Our Seat spokesperson Kylie Greer said community…
PORTSEA Surf Life Saving Club has a proud history stretching back to 1949. A true community club, a testament to its success is its over 5000 members, with over 500 active, that patrol the waters of Portsea back beach.The club isn’t just about protecting those in the water but about fostering leadership and commitment among its members young and old, and building the next generation of lifesavers and leaders. “In the early days, surf lifesaving was a traditionally male-dominated arena,” said Susan Crow, a director of Portsea Surf Lifesaving Club. “We are very proud of our efforts at PSLC to…
THE McCrae Lighthouse will be illuminated in a symbolic display of support for Rare Disease Day on 28 February, drawing attention to the often-overlooked rare condition of myositis.The event, which is part of a global initiative to raise awareness of rare diseases, is set to shine a light on the challenges faced by individuals living with myositis. A group of autoimmune diseases, myositis causes inflammation in the muscles, leading to weakness, pain and fatigue. Research toward a cure is underway but is dependent upon funding and support.The Lions Club of McCrae is throwing its support behind the Myositis Association with…
GUNNAMATTA Surf Life Saving Club’s Jill Douglas has been awarded a Life Saving Victoria national medal recognising her 15 years of dedicated service.The award, which is part of Australia’s national honours system, acknowledges those who “risk their lives to protect or assist the community in enforcement of law or in times of emergency or natural disaster”. Recipients must have served a minimum of 30 patrol hours per year over 15 years to be eligible for the medal.Douglas, who is one of the club trainers and assessors and the junior bronze lifesaver camp coordinator, expressed her commitment to volunteering was not…
A MT ELIZA teenager who gave up his time during year 12 to create positive outcomes in the Mornington community has been nominated for a young achiever award. Finn Mackay, 18, volunteered at Mornington MP Chris Crewther’s office last year, helping with administrative tasks and various community projects including beach hand cleaning. For his efforts, he’s now in the running for the 2024 7NEWS Young Achiever Awards under the community award category for Victoria. The awards aim to recognise leadership, dedication and pursuit of excellence among young people up to 29 years of age.Mackay, who was 17 at the time…
THE Peninsula Raiders have proudly launched their 2025 Indigenous training shirts. The shirts were designed by talented local First Nations artist Holly Ryan. Having painted murals for Hastings Primary School, St Macartan’s Primary and Red Hill Consolidated School, Holly has a special connection with football and her Indigenous heritage. Her great-grandfather, Joe Johnson, is recognized as the first-ever Indigenous Australian to play VFL football, representing Fitzroy and playing in back-to-back premierships in 1904 and 1905. Her grandfather, Percy Johnson, also played 52 games for North Melbourne from 1951 to 1955.The Peninsula Raiders Football Club values community and family, themes Holly…
THE Bays’ new Cancer Care Centre in Mornington officially opened its doors last week with a grand ceremony, marking a milestone in the community.The centre will be the first of its kind to have a radiation oncology service on the Mornington Peninsula, providing the latest radiation therapy technology and techniques for all cancer types. Other services include diagnostic, treatment, and support, with an integrated approach focused on personalised care for patients and their families. The $15 million project was completed late last year after construction began in April 2023. “Today marks the culmination of years of planning and dedication to…
ARMY veteran David Locke knows all too well the inner battles that can follow after leaving the service.For years the 37-year-old Rye resident, who was deployed to Afghanistan, grappled with the weight of post-traumatic stress and a sense of isolation. “I was pretty cooked … I worked for a few years (after leaving the army in 2012) but mentally couldn’t handle it,” he said, which included a time of self-medicating with alcohol and drugs to cope.But it was his love of fishing that ultimately helped him reclaim his life, and more recently, the discovery of Veterans for Fishing (VFF), that’s…
THE Mornington Lifesaving Club is celebrating after securing seven new premium nipper boards thanks to a South East Water community grant.“The new nipper boards mean that more kids can get involved, learn vital water safety skills, and have fun in the surf,” the club’s nipper captain Jeremy Warner said. “It’s wonderful to see smiles on their faces as they grow in confidence.” The new boards will allow kids of all heights and abilities to dive into surf programs and most importantly to promote beach safety.South East Water’s community grants program is designed to support groups adversely impacted by incidents such…
A FATHER whose life was narrowly spared after a tree fell on his moving car last August in Tuerong says he’s “overwhelmed with gratitude” towards his rescuers.Mark Stockwell was driving home on Coolart Rd when a freak storm caused a large tree to crash directly on top of his car. He was trapped for 90 minutes as CFA crews from Hastings, Langwarrin and Dromana, as well as SES, Ambulance Victoria, and Victoria Police tried to free him from the wreckage.“I don’t really remember much about it. I just recall thinking, ‘I think I’ve been in an accident,’ and I was…
THE Dolphin Research Institute has renewed calls for boaters to be careful around dolphins in Port Phillip Bay after young calves were “clearly distressed by vessels” earlier this month.There are at least seven dolphin calves only weeks old and are still totally reliant on their mother, the institute’s executive director Jeff Weir said. But he said researchers had unfortunately witnessed “profound tail slapping,” where dolphins “vigorously bang their tail fluke on the water in a graphic distress response that can be seen and heard hundreds of metres away”. “It’s a sign that vessels need to give them space,” he said.“The…
THE much-loved Vinnies Kitchen has been popping up in Rosebud over summer, with pop-up lunches and sausage sizzles for people in need of a feed.Vinnies Kitchen, now in its 34th year, is a regular fixture in the Rosebud Youth and Band Hall on the Village Green in Rosebud, serving nutritious free lunches to the local community using donated fresh food from partners like OZ Harvest, and local producers. But the increase demand for fresh food and pre-cooked meals meant the Kitchen opened its doors when it would normally close through January.Vinnies Kitchen Committee President Ree Townsend says the decision to…
THE Mornington Art Show has grown to be one of the most prestigious art shows in Victoria.Run by the Rotary Club of Mornington, the show supports a diverse range of local artists as well as talent from interstate. Carefully curated, it has a reputation for quality exhibitions and is a much-anticipated community event.The show is currently on at Peninsula Community Theatre, 91 Wilsons Rd, Mornington, running until Friday 24 January. First published in the Mornington News – 21 January 2025
A HEARTWARMING discovery of a new baby dolphin in Port Phillip Bay has created a whirl of excitement for scientists from the peninsula’s Dolphin Research Institute. The newborn calf, born in the middle of November, marked an exciting milestone for the dolphin community – with the sighting being even more remarkable as Port Phillip is the only bay in the world where common dolphins reside.Ella Hutchinson, the Institute’s Williamson Research Fellow, expressed her delight. “It wasn’t until I uploaded the images to my computer that I realised the significance of this tiny dolphin,” she said. “At first, I couldn’t believe…
A CENTRAL Victorian mum whose toddler almost drowned last summer is urging parents to learn the signs of drowning and know what to do in an emergency.Chloe Freeman and her sister-in-law had taken their five children to the Mornington Peninsula for a holiday at the end of 2023. “We were setting up a sun tent (at Sorrento Beach) for the kids when I turned around to do a head count,” Freeman said. “I remember scanning the children, counting them one by one, and then I noticed a child face down in the water. “At first, I thought it was another…
THE Mornington Community Support Centre is making sure everyone has a Christmas to look forward to through a range of programs to help families doing it tough, including a toy and gift program, a steam train ride, and Christmas lunch, supported through a $50k Christmas Appeal fundraising campaign.As part of the Christmas programs, the centre transformed the Mornington Pavilion into a giant toy and gift shop, where clients with children or grandchildren could choose from hundreds of gifts donated by the community. Donations came from families, businesses and organisations who collected gifts through Giving Trees in a range of community…
A MEMORY support program helping residents with dementia introduced at Calvary’s aged care homes across Mornington Peninsula and bayside areas has won an award. The program, based on the Montessori approach by providing meaningful, tailored, small-group activities and support for residents living with dementia, won the healthcare provider’s national quality and safety Star award 2024.Calvary Aged Care general manager Dana Ieraci said the memory support program tailored residents’ interests and past lives which was also improving clinical outcomes and more settled behaviours. “Dementia can impact memory, speech, cognition, personality, and mobility. Unfortunately, it can also affect behaviour,” Leraci said. “Having…
NINE-year-old Apolosi Fosita of Somerville has had his Christmas wish come to life in a way he never imagined.He was selected as one of only six children around the country to have their creative drawing of a Santa Sleigh feature in Lego’s first-ever picture storybook called Santa’s Summer Sleigh by children’s author Sophie Beer.But the surprise didn’t stop there. Apolosi was also one of three kids chosen to have their design built as a large-scale Lego creation, which was unveiled at Santa’s Summer Sleigh, a magical display at the world’s largest Lego store in Pitt St Mall, Sydney. Apolosi’s creation,…
STUDENTS across the peninsula received their ATAR scores last Thursday (12 December) with some outstanding results. Kirsten Harkness made history for Mount Erin College with the highest score a student has ever achieved at the school; an outstanding 99.75. “I felt confident throughout the year,” said Harkness who plans to study law and arts at Monash University. “I was very nervous on Thursday morning, and it was a huge surprise I did so well.” The principal at Mount Erin College, Jenni Hodgins, told The News “We are overjoyed at the result Kirsten has achieved”.Hodgins, who has led the school since…
MT ELIZA resident Doug Phayer has bravely recounted his harrowing skin cancer journey through a new documentary which explores Australia’s confronting relationship with the sun.Over the course of two decades, Phayer, 70, faced a series of terrifying diagnoses and treatments that ultimately brought him to the brink of death. In the documentary titled Conquering Skin Cancer, Phayer opens up about the toll the disease has taken on his body, describing a journey fraught with pain, uncertainty, and fear.Phayer spent most of his life fishing and was employed as a marine contractor which exposed him to dangerous UV levels. Eighteen years…
ENDANGERED southern brown bandicoots have been thrown a lifeline after being reintroduced to The Briars in Mt Martha in the hope of increasing its numbers to the peninsula.The small nocturnal marsupial has few populations remaining in southeastern Australia due to habitat loss, predation by introduced species, and changes to the landscape. But the relocation initiative at The Briars wildlife sanctuary has given hope of safeguarding its future on the peninsula, which hasn’t seen any known populations for at least two decades.The milestone project is being led by PhD student John Black, and jointly supported by The University of Melbourne and…
THE Mornington Peninsula’s Dolphin Research Institute (DRI) has been awarded a prestigious honour in recognition of its primary school ambassador program at the 2024 Victorian Marine and Coastal Awards. The Institute was awarded the Inspiring Community Engagement and Education category during the awards ceremony held on 7 November at the Showtime Events Centre in South Wharf.Since 2001, the DRI’s I sea, I care program has developed senior primary school students into Victorian coastal and marine ambassadors, who have engaged nearly two million people across Melbourne. By peer teaching junior grades about Victoria’s environment, the program provides a platform to engage…
PRIMARY schools have gathered for a block of fun in an inaugural Lego competition hosted by the Lions Club of Mornington. Teams of grade 4-5 students from Mornington Park Primary School, Moorooduc Primary School, and Mt Martha Primary School put their skills to the test after being set a challenge to build the sturdiest Lego road bridge within 90 minutes.The event, held at Mornington Park Primary School hall on 15 November, was part of a Perpetual Lego Bridge Building competition developed by Lions members Graham Read and Denise Tsotras as part of their community support plans. “The idea was to…
A GIANT piggy bank will make its way to Rosebud as part of a charity fundraising effort to support children with life-limiting conditions, and their families.The Very Special Kids Piggy Bank Appeal will see the giant pig visit the Commonwealth Bank Rosebud branch on 28 November with staff selling piggy bank merchandise. Funds raised will support children like five-year-old Eve who still doesn’t have a precise diagnosis other than she has a type of lung and heart condition called interstitial lung disease and pulmonary hypertension. Her parents Georgie and Shaun, who live on the Mornington Peninsula, understand first-hand the impact…
DROMANA Secondary College has showcased its creativity after students participated in an art competition raising awareness of the threatened southern brown bandicoot. It was the second year running that the school joined forces with the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) Community Mornington to be a part of the initiative.The bandicoot, a small, nocturnal marsupial, native to eastern Australia, has seen a significant decline in numbers, with the last sighting on the peninsula being recorded in Hastings about 20 years ago. However, while its numbers were prevalent at the Cranbourne Royal Botanic Gardens, Dr Jodi Vermaas of ACF Mornington said the art…
THREE years ago, Janelle Giri’s life was forever changed when her baby girl, Jacqlyn, tragically passed away in her sleep from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).It has been an unimaginable journey of grief for Janelle and her husband after enduring the loss of their firstborn who was just nine months old. “You don’t really know the pain unless you’ve gone through it,” Janelle said. “They had no explanation, but she was a healthy baby.”Given the cause of SIDS is unknown, with clinicians and researchers believing that SIDS is associated with a combination of factors, navigating the pain had been even…
MORE than 50 women set off from Frankston Pier last week to walk all the way to the Cape Schanck lighthouse. The “Frank to Schanck” trek was organised by the Women’s Spirit Project. The registered charity aims to help women experiencing disadvantage by getting them involved with fitness, health, and wellbeing activities.The 60 kilometer journey from Frankston to Cape Schanck began on Friday and concluded on Sunday. Women’s Spirit Project chairperson Kathy Heffernan said “it is a privilege to witness the courage of these women taking on this challenge.” “Our volunteers have also worked hard over the weekend to support…
FIVE footy mates have completed an epic journey cycling across Australia with the aim to raise money and awareness for mental health. Break the Cycle consists of five middle aged men – Tim Allen, Guy Stringer, Brent Loughrey, Ben Adam and Tony Lockett, who have pushed through physical and mental boundaries, riding 3,500km from Perth to Melbourne in 19 days. “Our challenge aims to support our community and make a difference by fundraising for not-for-profit organisations Speak & Share, It’s okay not to be okay, and Peninsula Health network,” said participant Brent Loughrey “Together, we can create a community that…