BONEO sculptor and organic vegetable grower Andrew Bryant has always had a fascination with the symbiotic relationship between light and humans, creating dozens of works reflecting on that connection. One of his pieces – Perfect Time – has particular symbolism for the veggie farmer at this time of year, with the shadow of the three-metre tall piece literally cut in half when the sun hits it on a right angle on the equinox. The plumber turned sculptor and farmer said his equinox sculpture symbolised the connection people had with light and demonstrated the relationships all life had with seasons. He…
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MUSIC and art combine to help Brodie Alserda cope with her daily mental and physical issues stemming from her chromosome deletion disorder and living on the autism spectrum. An exhibition in the foyer of Mornington Library covers part of her output from 2021 to this year and illustrates her interest in marine life. The one picture that does not reflect on the watery world is of an iguana. Now 29, Alserda’s chromosome deletion disorder was not diagnosed until she was 19, although she has been an artist since she was young. The screening, maintained in a global database, showed no…
FREE events, including live performances, drew crowds of all ages to Main Street Mornington on Wednesday 8 March, as Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and Mornington Chamber of Commerce helped the community celebrate and raise awareness of International Women’s Day. All events showcased women performers and women-owned businesses, as well as businesses supporting women and girls. International Women’s Day was also celebrated right around the peninsula by community and business groups and venues. International Women’s Day is a global holiday celebrated annually as a focal point in the women’s rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights,…
THE 6 May coronation of Charles III and his wife Camilla as king and queen of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth brings back special memories for Mornington retiree Geoff Strongman. As a teenager in the 1st Mornington Scout Group, the now 88-year-old was one of just 14 Queen Scouts representing Australia for the 1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It was the first overseas trip for the starry-eyed monarchist, who remembers feeling privileged and honoured to have been selected for the occasion, and still cherishes the trip as one of the most eye-opening and transformative events in his life. It…
LEON Cox, of Moorooduc, doesn’t shirk at challenges, so it was no surprise to his family when he announced he would complete a solo swim of the Rottnest Channel in Perth. The businessman and avid swimmer had already completed the swim 19 times as part of a team, so the solo trip was the next obvious step. On the last Saturday of February Cox took eight hours and 24 minutes to swim the 19.7 kilometres – along with 2700 others who kicked off in groups every 10 minutes. Cox said he had been thinking about the swim for 20 years,…
DROMANA Fire Brigade has named a further two of its vehicles after long-serving past and present members. Robyn Desmond has been a Dromana brigade member for 31 years, was one of the first female lieutenants in a Victorian urban brigade and the first female deputy group officer in CFA’s District 8. Her husband Captain Timothy Desmond describes her as “a bit of ground breaker”, although Robyn says she is just doing her job. She has been the Dromana brigade’s president since 2008. The unveiling of the naming of the Dromana car and recognition of her more than 30 years’ service…
MEMBERS of parliament were at Devilbend Reservoir for this year’s first input of fish stock with the release of catchable size brown trout. Outdoor Recreation Minister Sonya Kilkenny and MP for Eastern Victoria Tom McIntosh watched the release of 500-gram trout which, unless caught, could weigh one kilogram or more within a year. The reservoir near Moorooduc had been stocked with nearly 250,000 brown and rainbow trout since 2010, some of which now weigh two kilograms or more. The MPs said stocking Devilbend with fish was “another tourism drawcard” on the Mornington Peninsula. Devilbend is also one of the few…
A SEAL at Stony Point treated interested onlookers to an insight into its approach to preparing and eating a meal. Bashing the raw material – in this case the carcass of a tuna – seemed to be the main approach. There was no delicate, quiet appreciation of what was on offer. A lot of splashing and throwing the food around appeared to make it both more tender and easier to break up. Photographer Gary Sissons thought the remains of the tuna had probably been thrown into the water after being caught, brought ashore and filleted. Although the seal appeared to…
LORD Sebastian Coe and Herb Elliott joined Mornington Peninsula Shire Council mayor Cr Steve Holland and CEO John Baker on Sunday at Portsea for the unveiling of a memorial plaque in honour of athletics coach Percy Cerutty. Cerutty was awarded the plaque in the posthumous category of Legend by World Athletics for his “outstanding contribution to the worldwide history and development of the sport of track and field athletics”. The unveiling at the Percy Cerutty Oval, Portsea coincided with the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst 18, 19 February. Cerutty MBE was an Australian athletics coach in the 1950s…
ALTHOUGH ignorant of the fact, an octopus found on a Rosebud beach is part of an effort to “inspire the world to explore and enjoy our oceans [and] to protect and respect them”. A short film by Sheree Marris woven around her finding of the octopus is one of seven on the program of the Ocean Film Festival World Tour. The film festival has been shown annually in 14 countries since its inception 10 years ago. This year’s 10-year anniversary program runs for two and a half hours and starts with Victorian Andrew Englisch’s attempt to cross Bass Strait on…
THERE was a reunion of sorts on Saturday (25 February) when Sorrento-based couta boats sailed alongside their counterparts from Queenscliff. Sailors from both sides of Port Phillip came together for the first time in several years to compete in the two-day Couta Boat National Titles. The fleet of boats from Sorrento sailed the 12 kilometres to Queenscliff to compete races organised between the Couta Boat Association, Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club, Queenscliff Lonsdale Yacht Club, and the Queenscliff Cruising Yacht Club. Couta boats were developed for these waters at the start of the last century and during the 1920s and…
THE recently completed mural in Hastings at Ritchies IGA on Salmon Street by Julian Clavijo has won bronze as the 2022 Australian Street Art Awards’ Best External Mural. The 40-meter Painting Our Future mural was commissioned by Mornington Peninsula Shire to raise awareness and inspire community action on climate change. The Australian Street Art Awards, established in 2018, recognise destinations using public art to engage their community while also attracting visitors and boosting their economy. First published in the Western Port News – 15 February 2023
THE inaugural Flinders Fringe Festival – a three-day creative arts festival to celebrate the diversity of the Mornington Peninsula’s art scene, will be held 17-19 February. Artistic director Melissa Jackson is one of the instigators of the event, along with a team of artists who aim to showcase local established and emerging artists. “Following a tough two years for the arts, the festival is set to showcase and support local artisans and performers with a new platform to share their craft,” Jackson said. Shen said there would be more than 30 events and a mixture of free and ticketed activities…
HASTINGS Bowls Club is abuzz with warm chatter on the first Friday of each month as locals attend Scones on Hastings. And Friday 3 February was no exception with more than 50 attending the first Scones on Hastings for 2023. In the wake of the pandemic and being isolated in lockdowns a group of locals, with the support of the Hastings Bowls club, decided to hold a welcoming morning tea serving Devonshire teas and coffee to help bring people together. This has now been running for more than 12 months. Even though the cost is only $2 for tea or…
AN inspirational eco agricultural movement on the Mornington Peninsula could be shaping the way forward for collective arrangements between farmers and the sustainable sharing of resources, knowledge and land. A small group of eco farmers have already taken up the ultruistic offer by a Main Ridge couple to share their 89 hectares (220 acres) over two properties and the hunt is on for other regenerative-focussed farmers who want to care for and protect the land and water resources. Beth Phillips and her husband Andrew Phillips, a co-founder of Camp Australia, are developing the Uncommon Folk farm – a model of…
THE 2023 Peninsula Film Festival went off with a bang on the weekend with over 800 attendees, enjoying a great night of entertainment. Proceedings kicked off with a musical showcase from local schools, followed by a performance from emerging superstar, Matilda Pearl. Festival patron Fred Schepisi praised the quality of the films, saying it was that the best bunch yet. And the winners of Peninsula Film Festival 2023 are: First place from @lexusofbrighton VICTIM by Robin Summons. Second place: HATCHBACK by Riley Sugars. Third place: ASSETS by Charlotte George. Also from ASSETS Best Actor (and writer of ASSETS) Miriam Glaser.…
THE incredibly moving story of the sinking of the Montevideo Maru in the Pacific – Australia’s biggest single maritime loss of life – was thrust into the spotlight again recently with the unveiling of a memorial seat in Mornington and a story board dedicated to those who died. The allied torpedoing of the Japanese prisoner-of-war ship on 1 July 1942 was an immeasurable tragedy, but one that somehow largely got lost in the horrors of the war. Unbelievably, the event is not something many Australians today have much knowledge of. But that will all change if the incident becomes part…
VICTORIAN Maritime Centre volunteers are inviting visitors and residents to discover a slice of Australia’s exciting naval history, and get a chance to see hundreds of exhibits that represent the region’s seafaring past. Despite the loss of the Otama submarine from Western Port last year, the centre’s secretary Rosie Kendall says there were still plenty of reasons to stop at the not-for-profit museum, from torpedoes to artillery and an underwater mine. There are also other vessel exhibits and a good collection of artefacts and memorabilia from the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Merchant Navy. Kendall says some people may…
MORE than 2700 people took to the water on Saturday 21 January, all in the name of raising funds for the Portsea Surf Lifesaving Club and their life saving programs and resources. The day began at 1.20pm with the 2.5km Gold swim, followed by the 500m categories, with the signature 1.5km Portsea Swim Classic rounding out the annual event from 3pm. The youngest swimmer competing in the Portsea Swim Classic was 12 years old, and the oldest one taking to the waves was Pat Galvin, 89. The Portsea Swim Classic, one of the Mornington Peninsula’s key summer events, draws a…
AUSTRALIA DAY on the Mornington Peninsula was a time to celebrate the good things and people of the community. It was a time to recognise many people from all ages and walk of life who had selflessly given their time and energy to better the community. Citizen of the Year was awarded to Jack Van Der Zwart for his work caring for foster children, cooking for the homeless in Rosebud and helping those in need by providing meals. From 1980 to about five years ago, Van Der Zwart and his wife Arina took in 22 foster children, giving them a…
PLAYERS are limbering up for the 2023 Luke Batty Memorial Shield cricket match on 10 February at 5pm at the Tyabb cricket ground at Bunguyan Reserve. After coming off a successful 2022 Australia and New Zealand Police Cricket Club Tournament on the Gold Coast, the Victoria Police Cricket Club will participate in the annual Luke Batty Memorial T20 cricket match to honour Luke, support the Tyabb community affected by the incident and raise awareness for family violence and mental health issues. Australian Test Cricketer Brad Hodge will be a part of the day, while Hastings MP Paul Mercurio will deliver…
MORNINGTON Peninsula concreter Nik Shepheard knows firsthand the difficulties men face in recognising and dealing with depression, and has come up with a novel way of raising funds to increase awareness and support. On the Australia Day long weekend, the Bittern man will start on a journey to circumnavigate Australia by kiteboard, beginning at Mount Martha and heading west with the trade winds. Shepheard has been a kiteboarder for around 23 years and is confident of his skills, but also realises the trip comes with a large set of challenges. But he says the challenges pale when compared to the…
THE Mornington Yacht Club recently showed its community spirit, hosting more than 20 displaced Ukrainian youngsters who fled their homeland last year after the Russian invasion of their country. With the assistance the local Ukrainian community and Plast Ukrainian Scouts Australia, Mornington YC volunteers made sure the participants enjoyed some time on the water and a little bit of fun. On big boats, small boats and power boats all the kids got out on the water, with most taking the wheel or tiller. Then it was back to the club for a barbecue. Yacht club spokesman Peter Davey said the…
FIVE years ago, Julie Hooper’s life changed in a split second, as her body was crushed by a sweeper truck that had rolled out of control. In a coma for two weeks, Hooper woke to doctors telling her she was lucky to be alive, but that with a snapped collar bone, broken ribs and vertebrae, some brain damage plus a pelvis smashed in six places, the then 45-year-old had a long journey of recovery ahead of her. Now, at the age of 50, Hooper has just won the road race and the time trial in the recent Women’s National Paralympics…
THE unveiling of a commemorative seat at Mornington Memorial Park at 11am on Monday 23 January marks the 81st anniversary of the largest loss of life in Australian maritime history, when the Montevideo Maru was sunk in the Pacific during World War II. The memorial includes a storyboard paying tribute to the 1053 Australian soldiers and civilians who died when the Montevideo Maru was sunk during the Japanese invasion of Rabaul on 1 July 1942 and became was one of the most shocking tragedies of the war in Australia and in the Pacific. The Battle of Rabaul was the first…
Correction 24/1/2023AUSTRALIA’S largest and busiest drive-in, the Lunar Drive-in at Dandenong has not yet closed, as incorrectly stated in this article published in the The News, 16/1/2023. It has been sold for development, but will be open every night until at least later in 2023, according to drive-in directors Katherine and David Kilderry. ONE of the Mornington Peninsula’s most recognisable assets, the Dromana 3 Drive-in, recently notched up 60 years of providing access to a world of cinematic adventure. As part of the birthday celebrations, owner Paul Whitaker reflected on his 47-year connection to the drive-in, starting in 1975 when…
“SUSTAINABLE” artist Liz Walker is passionate about the environment and has created a series of inspiring and thought-provoking works to highlight the impacts of waste. In February, the Red Hill artist – who was the recipient of a Mornington Peninsula Shire Council creative community grant – will exhibit paintings, sculptures and installations that are not only beautiful to look at but highlight the negative impacts of plastic waste on the peninsula’s beaches. The exhibition has been around18 months in the planning and creating stages, with Walker scouring beaches regularly to repurpose waste into art. “The point of the exhibition is…
WHEN Harry the much-loved golden retriever went missing from Rye on New Year’s morning, his human family could not have predicted the incredible and heart-warming community response that would follow. Harry’s disappearance and eventual recovery gripped communities across the country, highlighting the power of social media and the amazing connection between people and animals. Soon after one-year-old Harry broke free of his leash and ran off from his “mum” Leonie Jarrett at the Rye shops, his devoted family took to social media to alert the community. For days Harry remained elusive and there were no firm sightings, with Jarrett and…
THE Portsea Classic will be held over the weekend of January 20-21, starting on the Friday with the Portsea Bay to Surf – two twilight adventure runs and a walk through Point Nepean National Park. In the Bay to Surf an estimated 1000 competitors will tackle one of three events: a 4.5km walk, a 4.5km run or a 9km run through the national park. The walk starts from Jarman Oval at 5pm, followed by the two adventure runs, finishing at the Portsea Surf Life Saving Club. On the Saturday, the 37th Portsea Swim Classic will take place at Quarantine Station…
THE four First Nations artists chosen to undertake a residency at McClelland Gallery, Langwarrin have been announced. The successful applicants for the residency were Robert Fielding, Amala Groom, Caleb Nichols-Mansell and Steaphan Paton. McClelland Gallery revealed plans for its first ever Bunurong Fieldwork Residency for First Nations artists last year. The four artists will live at the studio cottage for six to 12 weeks developing public artwork. McClelland Gallery director Lisa Byrne said the program would help address a shortage of “First Nations cultural markers” on the Mornington Peninsula. “The residency program will provide the First Nations artists with the…