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…
Browsing: Mornington
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…
Mornington Rotary Club and The Bays Hospital have launched a fund to pay for specialised training for nurses. The Rotary club has made an initial $25,000 donation to The Bays Nursing and Midwifery Education Fund and is urging members of the community to also contribute and support their local hospital. “We are thrilled to have had the support of Mornington Rotary Club over many years, and have worked with them over the last year to identify the most worthy project for them to support into the future. Nurse education is certainly that,” The Bays CEO Jade Phelan said. Incoming president…
Volunteer deer hunters ‘professional operaters’ The opening line of your article “Non-professional deer hunters have been recruited by Parks Victoria to shoot deer at Devilbend Natural Features Reserve, near Moorooduc” is, in our view, leading, alarmist and not a true reflection of the level of training, expertise and oversight applied to SSAA Victoria’s Conservation and Pest Management (CPM) volunteers on these programs (“Hunters recruited for Devilbend cull” The News 20/6/23). While our CPM volunteers are not “professional”, paid, we are concerned that using the term “non-professional” will likely lead readers to conclude that CPM volunteers are unprofessional. Accepting that it…
HAND therapy practitioners are campaigning to raise awareness of their role in restoring hand function following a workplace injury. Safe Work Australia statistics show that the wrist and hand were the most common injury site at 38 per cent of all work-related hospitalisations in Australia. Hand Therapy Week from 5-11 June will shed light on the advanced practice of hand therapy and the practitioners leading the way in assessing, diagnosing and treating upper limb injuries. The Australian Hand Therapy Association and 1000 practitioners across the country will educate the community about their ability to help patients with burns, scars, fractures,…
GROWING numbers of “middle class” Mornington Peninsula families are lining up for food support and help paying bills. Support services across the peninsula say a perfect storm of high rents, rising interest rates and burgeoning household bills is forcing a new wave of individuals and families to seek help. Mornington community support centre is hoping its winter appeal will raise $50,000 by the end of June to help deal with the crisis. CEO Ben Smith said there was unprecedented demand for support services, with all agencies and services reporting being stretched to the limit. “We are experiencing at least 20…
SEAS whipped by wild winds once again made Mornington pier a focus of attention on Saturday (17 June). While phones and cameras were used to record the ever-changing event from the safety of Schnapper Point, others decided to take a closer, wet look. Each time the spray from the crashing waves subsided, onlookers were also astounded to see anglers still trying their luck from the pier’s frequently doused boards. First published in the Mornington News – 20th June 2023
Mornington Crime Investigation Unit detectives have arrested three teenagers following multiple aggravated burglaries in Mornington between 8 and 9 June. It’s alleged an offender entered a property on Nunns Road, Mornington and stole personal items about 2am on 8 June. It is also alleged the offenders reattended the Nunns Road address where an elderly female occupant was confronted and assaulted by one of the offenders before stealing her Hyundai i30 just after 11.30pm on 8 June. It’s alleged the same offenders then entered a property on Nelson Street, Mornington just after midnight on 9 June where a grey Toyota Hilux…
By Peter Aldenhoven, CEO Willum Warrain Gathering Place THE 1967 referendum produced the highest ever Yes vote in support of including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the census for the first time. Up until then, the Australian government had a clearer idea of how many sheep were in the country than Aboriginal people. It was a heady achievement. Australian people voted to right a great wrong; they voted for fairness and justice for First Australians. The best version of ourselves as a nation rose to the fore. Together, we can do this again in 2023. We can make…
By Zoe McKenzie, MP for Flinders THERE are times when something very special happens in the Australian Parliament, when a debate makes us look carefully and critically at ourselves and the society in which we live. This parliamentary sitting fortnight’s focus on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament has been one of those moments. I have seen parliamentarians of all backgrounds bring their best selves, their love of our country, their sense of responsibility and their reflection of their communities, to the debate – for all to hear and see. If you have time, read Hansard. You will not be disappointed…
A HASTINGS to Mornington bus service is one step closer after the state government announced an extra $36.4 million in this year’s budget to improve bus services in growth areas. Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll and Hastings MP Paul Mercurio were in Hastings on Wednesday to announce that planning is underway for the cross-peninsula bus link. No details have been released on when work might start on the bus route. There are currently no direct bus connections linking Hastings to Mornington, with trips requiring lengthy travel via Frankston. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council last year used the results of a community…
IN a world where colours come to life and imagination takes flight, there exists a mastery that can transform mere air into whimsical wonders. Welcome to the realm of balloon art, where skilled hands and fertile minds twist and shape the ordinary into the extraordinary. It may seem like child’s play, but this is an art form that requires mental and physical dexterity and more than a little imagination, as Mornington couple Tammie and Trevor Timmers can attest. The couple, currently battling it out on Channel 7’s Blow Up Australia to vie for the crown of national champions, has been…
A TEAM of fit and somewhat ambitious men from Peninsula Kung Fu are limbering up for the 2023 Push Up Challenge. The men are aiming to complete 3144 push-ups each over 23 days in June to raise money for suicide prevention and awareness of men’s mental health. The targeted number of push-ups is how many Australian lives were lost to suicide in 2021 – and helps shine a light on the prevalence of male suicide across the country. Peninsula Kung Fu’s Sarah Hanna said participants will get together each Friday during the challenge for a few sets of push-ups. “We…
AREAS of the Mornington Peninsula have been described as suffering from “third world neglect” because of their lack of reticulated sewerage. Polluted runoff from the peninsula’s 22,000 unsewered properties poses a public health risk as well as polluting drains, creeks and groundwater. As well as lobbying the state government and government agencies to set a timeline to fix the problem, Mornington Peninsula Shire will draw up a new wastewater management plan under the “guidance” of the Environment Protection Authority. Towns and areas which are not sewered include Rosebud, Red Hill, Main Ridge, Arthurs Seat, Baxter, Merricks and Crib Point. Cr…