MORNINGTON police rolled up their sleeves to the Red Cross blood donation drive as part of the Emergency Services Blood Challenge, Tuesday 4 August. The police say they understand the importance of blood donations and are prepared to help the community any way they can. Victoria Police are hoping to retain the state title in the number of donations. The Frankston donor centre is at 20 Davey Street. Donors are asked to say they are donating on behalf of Victoria Police. First published in the Mornington News – 10 August 2021
Browsing: Feature
MORNINGTON Peninsula lifesavers have been recognised in Life Saving Victoria’s 2021 excellence awards. LSV chief executive officer Catherine Greaves applauded their commitment to lifesaving. Life Saver of the Year Chris Perrott, of Portsea Surf Life Saving Club, made an “outstanding contribution to lifesaving as a patrolling lifesaver”. This award remembers John Wishart, of Sorrento-Portsea SLSC, who was taken by a shark off Portsea in 1956. Youth Lifesaver of the Year Andrew May, also of Portsea SLSC, made an “outstanding contribution to the delivery of lifesaving frontline services”. May is the club’s director of general and operation committees, chief instructor of…
TO celebrate their 100 days of learning, foundation students at Eastbourne Primary School, Rosebud dressed up as if they were 100 years old. The milestone day was one for the memory books as students brought in collections of “100’things”, including buttons, Lego pieces, marbles and stickers. The played games which were popular a century ago along with making necklaces with 100 Cheerios. “The celebration was an important day for children to reflect on their achievements and growth over the past 100 days,” foundation teacher Shae Haney said. “Together, the students reflected back on their first day, making comparisons to their…
ONE of the highlights of Melbourne Whisky Week is a self-drive tour of Mornington Peninsula that includes distilleries, a winery and brewery. Venues include Saint Felix, at Mordialloc, Chief’s Son, Somerville, JimmyRum, Dromana, Red Hill Estate and St Andrew’s Beach Brewery. First stop on the Lexus of Brighton Whisky, Spirits and Barrels Driving Tour of the Mornington Peninsula is Saint Felix Distillery. It offers tastings, masterclasses as well as food and spirit pairings all made on site. Bartender Orlando Marzocan will give cocktail-making lessons. The second stop is the family Chief’s Son Distillery that specialises in small-batch, single malt whiskies.…
A SPECIALIST surgeon has performed the Mornington Peninsula’s first liver resection using a surgical robot. Associate Professor Charles Pilgrim performed the surgical-first earlier this month at Peninsula Private Hospital. The patient was a 49-year-old woman whose bowel cancer had spread to her liver. Dr Pilgrim, the first surgeon in Victoria to use the da Vinci Xi robot for liver resections, said the cutting edge technology was great news for the hospital. “Using the da Vinci Xi robot means we can perform surgery with the minimally invasive approach more often, expanding what is possible using the keyhole approach,” Dr Pilgrim said.…
THE onset of the latest COVID-19 restrictions proved heartbreaking for two “outsider artists” who were looking forward to staging a joint exhibition at & Gallery, Sorrento. The outsider artists – or artists with disabilities – Robert Croft and Jonathan Thompson had been working hard to prepare works for the exhibition which closed just one day after being open to the public. Neither got to see their works on display. “The gallery is looking at its calendar of future exhibitions with a view to shifting dates so this exhibition can be extended and the opening event can be held when safe…
A PILOT Climate Change Community Action Grants program is being set up by Mornington Peninsula Shire to help it achieve net zero emissions by 2040. “Reaching that target is a huge challenge and we cannot achieve it alone,” the shire said last week. “We need our community to work with us to foster behaviour change, share knowledge and reduce carbon emissions across the peninsula.” The pilot Climate Change Community Action Grants program will fund not-for-profit community groups, charities, schools, business associations, social enterprises and small businesses working on innovative projects that help the shire reach its climate emergency goals. It offers…
A MORNINGTON schoolgirl has been selected to dance in the Australian Ballet’s 2021 production of Harlequinade. Ava del Rosario, 11, and in grade 5 at St Macartens Catholic Primary School, is a junior cast member in the production described as a “lively romp based on commedia dell’arte” written in 1900. “Harlequin and Columbine are in love, but her father, who wants her to marry a rich older man, has her locked up by Pierrot, his loyal servant. Pierrot’s wife, sympathetic to the young couple, helps her escape, and a Good Fairy gives Harlequin a magical slap stick that helps him…
MOUNT Eliza Fire Brigade has appointed its first female officer, Lieutenant Petyka “Tyk” Slattery. Members of the brigade, headquartered in Canadian Bay Road, elected her to the position of Third Lieutenant earlier this month. Lieutenant Slattery is pictured with Captain Andrew Whitehead after her appointment. While many female members have performed office-bearer roles in the brigade’s management team over the years, “Tyk” is the first woman to take up an operational leadership role. She is set to bring her “enthusiasm and dedication to serving the community in her new role”. First published in the Mornington News – 27 July 2021
OVER the past year, 390 young people on the Mornington Peninsula sought help because they had nowhere to stay. Mornington Peninsula Shire is encouraging residents to try sleeping in their cars for one night to help draw attention to the homeless. “It takes a village” is the theme of this year’s Sleep In Your Car event organised by Fusion Mornington Peninsula as part of Homelessness Week 1-7 August. The event will go virtual from 5.30pm, Saturday 7 August as residents give up their beds for a night to sleep in their cars at home or in a tent in the…
CAMPERS will be able to savour the delights of a night under the stars at the Old Quarantine Station at Point Nepean from mid-next year. A camp ground is being prepared among the moonah trees as part of the latest phase of the Point Nepean National Park masterplan approved in 2018. (“Plan for Pt Nepean’s future” The News 22/1/18) Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio said at the time that the plan was about “better protecting and conserving the Point Nepean National Park – but also making sure visitors can make the most out of this incredible…
TACKLING the Simpson Desert in a Porsche might seem a daunting challenge, but a group mates from Flinders believe the cause makes it all worthwhile. They are hoping to raise $100,000 for research – and, more importantly, greater awareness – of the fight against motor neuron disease. Tom Barr Smith, his son Tom, and five old friends, took off at the crack of a cold Flinders dawn, Saturday 10 July, in the 2003 C4S Porsche knowing it was a mad cap idea but oh so exciting for the 80-year-old Tom Barr Smith and his team of seven. They did…
POINT Nepean Men’s Shed members are using their woodworking skills to make 100 shelter and nesting boxes for wildlife impacted by bushfires in Gippsland. In the picture, above, men’s shed president John Stevenson and members Laurie Oliver and Leigh Norrie add final details to the boxes which were the last of a batch going to Kalimna West, inland from Lakes Entrance. The bushfire recovery program aims to help the animals in their long-term recovery. Birdlife Australia provided a design template, Studio57F1 provided the boxes in kit form, Bunnings Rosebud provided the paint and the Men’s Shed provided the hardware as…
A WOMAN described as a “national treasure” has celebrated her 100th birthday at Somerville Community House. Marjorie Darling Ward was surrounded by family, friends and the Mornington Peninsula’s writing community to celebrate her birthday, career and contribution to the arts, Saturday 10 July. “Of course, Marjorie is more than just a writer,” Rob Clarke Mornington Peninsula Writers said. “She is, or has been, a wife, a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She’s also been a one-time working partner on three country newspapers, hotelier, Riverina farmer, real estate agent, and so much more beside.” Ms Ward has written fiction, non-fiction, poetry and…
A MOUNT Eliza children’s book illustrator is playing a role in helping children overcome the ordeals they experienced during the East Gippsland region’s terrifying 2019-20 bushfires. The Heroes of Black Summer picture book tells the stories of the “heroes” who helped protect them and, through this, aims to help children process the trauma without suffering stress, anxiety or depression. Karen Erasmus, who has lived in Mount Eliza for 15 years, drew 16 full-page illustrations in the book which was written by Kylie Miller and Craig Sheather and published by Australian Geographic. It was published with a One Good Community Wellbeing…
FLYERS Swimming Club members will be, well, flying after coaching by dual Olympian Samantha Purvis. Purvis, who lives in Mornington, has been appointed primary swim coach at the club, which is based at the Yawa Aquatic Centre, Rosebud. A free community celebration will mark the opening of the aquatic centre, 11am-4pm, Sunday 18 July. Purvis will take up her role full time from this month and will be the point of contact for families living on the peninsula who wish to be involved in squad training and competitive swimming. With more than 25 years coaching experience at a state and…
THE wonders of the natural world were the focus at Flinders last week when environmentalist Sir David Attenborough stepped in to bat for Victoria’s marine emblem: the weedy sea dragon. The legendary eco-warrior joined members of the Flinders Community Association in their quest to save the threatened 180-metre section of the old timber pier whose demolition, the locals fear, will threaten the endangered creature’s survival (“Heritage pier faces partial demolition” The News 23/3/21). Reportedly more than 15,000 people have signed an online petition urging the state government to repair the Western Port pier’s damaged piles, with the support of a…
THE opening of the long-awaited community shed at Willum Warrain Aboriginal Association last week will provide a space for year round, weather-proof activities for everyone who comes to visit. The new space includes a kitchen, toilet and shower, and a large open area suitable for cultural programs and tours, as well as public events. The shed, which was opened Thursday 1 July, was initially paid for by the now-Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, Gandel Philanthropy and Erica Foundation, Mornington Peninsula Shire and public donations. The Aboriginal Gathering Place in Pound Road, Hastings has grown over the past seven years.…
THE Big Y art installation at the entrance to YMCA Camp Manyung was unveiled last week. The artwork, shown for the first time on Tuesday 29 June, was painted by Eamon Rogers and Brianna Webster from the Willum Warrain Aboriginal Association, Hastings. “The Big Y is one of many ways that Camp Manyung has demonstrated its commitment to working alongside our Aboriginal community here on the peninsula and always uplifting Aboriginal history, culture, and connection,” the camp’s manager Jim Boyle said. “This mural is a story depicting the beautiful lands in which Camp Manyung is located and the tremendous work…
NOMINATIONS are being sought for the Mornington Peninsula Shire and National Trust 2021 Heritage Awards. The shire and the trust’s Mornington Peninsula branch are behind the awards which recognise projects and people who have demonstrated excellence in preservation, restoration and reuse of heritage places on the peninsula. While the word heritage conjures images of built forms, the scope of the awards goes further to cover landscape, cemeteries, wetlands, interpretive signage, and people who have contributed to the longevity of heritage. Heritage includes public and private places, buildings, gardens and objects, which organisers say are an important part of our culture…
By Joseph Misuraca A RETIRED surgeon used his time in Victoria’s lockdowns to paint birds – all 270 of them. David Freedman, 76, of Mount Martha, has included 240 of the paintings in a book, Australia’s Birds, which he co-wrote with stepbrother Richard Steele. The 2019-20 bushfires forced a variety of birds to flock to Melbourne’s fringes, including Mr Freedman’s property in Mount Martha. “Some eastern rosellas started nesting in a bird box for the first time,” he said. This prompted him to begin painting birds in June last year. With all these paintings completed, he developed the idea of…
AN ice bucket challenge proved a hit for Beleura Junior Football Club players last week after they had to cancel the much-anticipated dunk tank. The club, which plays at Dallas Brooks Park, Mornington, raised around $4500 from the sale of beanies and Sock it 2 MND socks, with all Beleura players wearing the socks for their matches. More than $1700 was raised in donations to the ice bucket challenges. All Beleura coaches took part, as well as a “couple of good sports from the opposition”. Mount Martha Community Branch of the Bendigo Bank was a major sponsor. Guests on the…
By Joseph Misuraca A MOUNT Eliza couple are working on a new statewide health initiative to track and improve children’s wellbeing. Dr Jolyon Ford, 51, and his wife, Jo Ford, 49, are working at Peninsula Health on ‘GenV’. The program is designed to track Victorian babies born between 2020-2022. Its goal, according to the GenV website, is to achieve “a better approach to child health, development and wellbeing in Victoria”. It’s a voluntary program, and one of the largest of its kind. The research study is being carried out by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute at the Royal Children’s Hospital.…
THE Yawa Aquatic Centre at Rosebud will open to the public on Friday 9 July. The later opening came about after Victoria went into its fourth lockdown earlier this month meaning the Friday 25 June opening target was not viable. Construction continued under the restrictions, but access to the centre was limited and put a halt to essential training. Belgravia Leisure was not able to host new staff on site to undertake swim teacher, lifeguard and emergency management training. To be able to open, all staff must be trained, qualified and, importantly, be familiar with the centre. With restrictions easing,…
THE Bays Aged Care has opened a $20 million redevelopment at Hastings expanding its capacity from 75 to 90 places. The centre, in Victoria Street, offers private and government-funded respite care, memory support and dementia care, a new Dialysis unit for related treatments, extra rooms for sole occupancy and couples, and improved dining and lounge areas with fireplaces, terraces, and courtyards. The home was completed last year, however, celebrations had to be put on hold until now. “With aged care in focus at the moment, it is with great pride that we show the community our state-of-the-art home,” The Bays…
EIGHT Mornington Peninsula residents were named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, Monday 14 June. They received Medals of the Order of Australia in the General Division as announced by the Governor-General David Hurley AC DSC (Retd). Sarnia Birch MOUNT Martha’s Sarnia Birch says Australia owes a debt of gratitude to its volunteers. “To be recognised for service to veterans and their families as a volunteer is an honour,” she said. “I have been greatly blessed in my life and one way of giving back is to help others.” The former lawyer has served Legacy Australia in a variety of senior…
A TRANSPORT Accident Commission sign on Eramosa Road East, near the Somerville Primary School, spells out the real reasons to drive safely. The signs are part of a campaign by the commission to curb road trauma and reduce the number of serious accidents. In the past five years, 37 people have died on peninsula roads, with four deaths so far this year. The peninsula is the second local government area to pilot the TAC program, Drive Safely Because, which highlights local reasons to drive safely leading to a safer community. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 22 June…
McCRAE lighthouse will be lit up in yellow on Tuesday 29 June to raise public awareness of the condition known as scleroderma. The lighthouse will shine bright to generate support and to raise funds to support the 6000 people impacted by scleroderma and raise funds for research into fighting it. The Lions Club of McCrae is supporting the Shine Like a Sunflower campaign against the chronic condition that causes thickening and hardening of the body’s connective tissue. Louise Inglese, of Mornington, was diagnosed in February 2016 by her gastroenterologist. “The diagnosis came as a huge shock as I had never…
A KOALA tree planting project on the Mornington Peninsula will run until the end of October. The project, being run by Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation, will focus on Somers with a smaller project at Dromana in the Arthurs Seat State Park. “We are aiming to plant in excess of 15,000 native trees and shrubs to help safeguard koala habitat,” president Dirk Jansen said. “We will also have plenty of trees to give away to other residents in key koala areas on the peninsula.” Mr Jansen said koalas and other wildlife on the peninsula were declining due mainly to habitat loss…
THE Friends of Fusion gala dinner at Peninsula Community Theatre on Saturday 15 May raised $21,000. The theme this year was: “It takes a village” which is about coming together as a community, business and communication manager Caitlin Swanton said. “The idea is that we are better when we work together. The village is everyone having a unique place. No one person or organisation is better than another. We all have intrinsic value.” Fusion is a Christian youth and community organisation, headquartered on the peninsula at Mount Martha, which those involved say emerged as a response to socially-at-risk young people…