Document 397861

THE QUEENSCLIFF AND
POINT LONSDALE NEWS
Published monthly on the first Wednesday and available in Queenscliff,
Point Lonsdale and the Queenscliff/Sorrento Ferry.
NOVEMBER, 2014
Circulation 5000 – Number 180 – FREE
Phone: 5258 4828, e-mail: quherald@bigpond.net.au
Website: www.queenscliffeherald.com.au
Queenscliff Music Festival 28-30 November
Welcome to the 18th edition of
the Queenscliff Music Festival!
QMF director Andrew Orvis
says that without the support of
the local community, Q-crew,
partners, patrons and artists ‘our
little gathering at the end of
November each year would not be
possible’.
"Everyone has been asking me
who the headline act at QMF is
this year and my response has been
simple - it's QUEENSCLIFF!"
"Ticket sales are as strong as
they've ever been," says Andrew.
"We're expecting to sell out of some
of our ticket types, so buy now,
rather than waiting until the last
minute and missing out.
Our Local 3225 discount offer
will get local residents $10 off current
3 Day Weekend ticket prices."
With the countdown to the
festival just weeks out we have three
new acts - Good Times Band
featuring music legends Daryl
Braithwaite, Richard Clapton &
Russell Morris, Emma Swift and
Chris Pickering, The Sweethearts,
Tim Chaisson from Canada and
Trevor Hall from the USA bringing the already extensive 2014
lineup to a grand total of 67 acts.
And that's not all folks!
Foot-in-the Door
This competition is aimed at
helping young emerging artists
perform and compete at the QMF
is also managed and run by youth
from the Borough. Supp-orted by
FReeZA, a Victorian Government
initiative, encouraging young Victorians to plan and run drug, smoke
and alcohol-free music and cultural
events.
Friday - Blues Roots & Beyond,
Saturday - Rock,
Sunday - Acoustic.
Kids Quarter
Flag Circle performance space
featuring: Bikerina, Mr Quirk, Red
the Clown, Hoop Fusion and Mar-
imbaTaters.
Bellarine Kids Activity Centre:
face painting, hair spray, craft
activities, card games, kid's music
and movement sessions, bubbles
and scratch art. Carnival Rides.
Busking and free entertainment in
and around town all weekend.
QMF Camping
Room for 700 campers on the
Monahan Centre Sports Oval.
Tickets are selling fast. Buy
yours now at www.qmf.net.au
Caravan Rolls On to Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup aspirant Caravan
Rolls On was sadly mistaken if he
was under the impression a return to
the Bellarine was going to be just fun
in the sun. Coming off the back of a
slashing win in the Geelong Cup on
22 October, Caravan Rolls On's cup
preparation moved up another notch
when he returned to work at trainer
Danny O'Brien's Barwon Heads
stables.
Caravan Rolls On, rated a 30/1
chance in next Tuesday's $6 million
Melbourne Cup at Flemington, has
been putting in the hard yards down on
the coast to have him ready to run the
race of his life. Usually, soon after 6am,
Caravan Rolls On trots and canters
away the miles on the Conneware grass
before his training schedule relocates to
13th Beach.
With the turf work behind him,
Caravan Rolls On is given a leisurely
two mile walk through the soft sand
before he turns around and does
another two miles wading, tendon high,
through the shore break. O'Brien, a
master trainer of stayers, and sprinters,
has meticulously timed Caravan Rolls
On to be at the peak of his powers on
the first Tuesday in November.
Caravan Rolls On will not only
carry the hopes of the Bellarine into
the world's richest two mile race, but
that also of his owner and Arabian
squillionaire Sheik Fahad al-Thani. A
face that has never been, or likely to be
seen, on the Bellarine, but the story
behind the man is impressive on any
level. For the record, Fahad is just 28,
London educated with a degree in
Business Admin, a thoroughbred
investor since 2010, and owner of previous Melbourne Cup winner Duna-
den. He oversees the running of Qatar
Bloodstock which has over 200 horses
on its books, in or about, seven
different countries.
Fahad is a descendant of a long list
of Qatar rulers dating back centuries
and is regarded as a heavy hitter when
it comes to global economics. Despite
a population struggling to surpass 2
million, Qatar wields enormous clout
due to its almost unlimited and untapped gas and oil reserves.
Qatar is also a stern advocate for
Sharia Law which tends to contradict
most religious tendencies down here on
the coast with regular and rigorous
floggings inflicted on those unfortunates, who have conflicting views, on
the consumption of alcohol and illicit
sexual relations. But, that seems to be
getting a little off track from the
business at hand … backing the winner
of the Melbourne Cup.
At the time of the Queenscliffe Herald
going to press, Caravan Rolls On was
placed 36th on the order of entry into
the Melbourne Cup and will be relying
heavily on a series of equine casualties
by the time final declarations are taken
reducing the field to just 24 starters.
In my experience, covering racing
for well over three decades, the prospects of Caravan Rolls On obtaining a
start are well on the better side of any
even money bet. Should Caravan Rolls
On meet his demise in the ballot then
he will be short odds to regain
redemption and compensation when
he lines up in the following Saturday's
Lexus Stakes at the same track.
Australia's international jockey
Craig Williams, who piloted Caravan
Rolls On to win last month's Geelong
Cup, believes the seven-year-old non-
descriptive bay will be ultra competitive should he gain a start in the Cup.
Williams was most eloquent in his
praise of Caravan Rolls On's latest
triumph and commented the English
bred stayer was an ideal Cup contender.
"He towed me all the way around at
Geelong today, and when the race had
to be to won on the turn, he just put
them to the sword," said Williams.
"There is nothing better than to win for
Qatar Bloodstock and, most importantly, Sheikh Fahad al-Thani,"
Williams said. "He was a different
horse today. They took the gear off him
and he was a racehorse. He wasn't lairy
going to the gates, he wanted to be part
of it. He outstayed the second and
third horse in a really great effort."
Williams' optimistic view was also
shared by O'Brien who was absolutely
delighted with the Geelong Cup
procession. O'Brien said Caravan Rolls
On was a 'genuine two-miler' who had
been kept fresh for Wednesday's race
so the sprint could be kept in his legs.
O'Brien said Caravan Rolls On would
improve 'three or four lengths' on that
performance.
"Getting into the Cup, getting to
Flemington and getting to two miles
will suit him even more," he said. "He
will be a top chance for sure."
By Peter Taylor
You'll be on a winner too
when you purchase a Gold
Medal Winning Pie from
Rolling Pin Pies & Cakes!
MEALS FROM
Mothers groups / playgroups
welcome
11 entries = 11 medals in the 2014 Great
Aussie Pie Competition
8 Gold
3 Silver
1 Bronze
OCEAN GROVE – 12 Park Lane – Ph: 5256 1517
QUEENSCLIFF – 40 Hesse Street – Ph: 5258 1533
Page 2 – Queenscliffe Herald, November 2014
Mayor's Column
This month the Borough truly
comes to life with a return to peak
season trading and the commencement of a busy calendar of events
which draws visitors from across
Victoria to Point Lonsdale and
Queenscliff like the 2014 Toast to the
Coast Festival and Queenscliff
Music Festival (QMF).
Now in its 18th year, the QMF
incredible musical event has grown to
become an annual highlight of the
region's events program and an iconic
festival experience in its own right.
Queenscliff's grand buildings and
stunning coastal environment provide
the perfect backdrop to this 3 day
celebration of contemporary Australian and world music, and for the
first time, a comedy line up.
I encourage visitors to take time out
from the musical feast to taste the
many other delights of the region
including our great beaches, boutiques, galleries, cafes, hotels and
harbour. The festival continues to get
bigger and better than ever. Let the
music begin!
Recognising an outstanding School
Crossing Supervisor
The fantastic work undertaken by
our school crossing supervisors was
recognised recently at a civic cere-
Nick Scown receives his award from
Mayor Helene Cameron.
mony at the Queenscliff Town Hall.
Supervisors hold an important role in
a school student's day by making the
journey to and from school free from
the worry of crossing busy roadways.
As a parent, I am reassured in the
knowledge that my children have
someone looking out for them as they
make their way to and from school
each day.
Council has 8 school crossing
supervisors in Queenscliff and Point
Lonsdale, and an additional school
crossing is now located at Fellows Rd,
near Grimes Rd, Point Lonsdale for
safe crossing of children walking to
Point Lonsdale primary school.
One of our school crossing supervisors has been nominated for this
year's School Crossings Victoria
Supervisor of the Year Award that
recognises the professionalism and
care shown in their role. Our nominee,
Mr Nick Scown, knows the names of
all the children and the parents and
chats to them all. Congratulations
Nick, and indeed all our hard working
School Crossing Supervisors, who
make the Borough a safer place to live.
Australia Day Awards 2015 Nominations reminder
This is an opportunity to honour
individuals or groups who have made
an outstanding contribution to their
local community. Nominations must
be submitted on the official nomination form by 4pm Wednesday 26
November 2014. Forms available in
hard copy from Council offices or
downloaded from Council's website
www.queenscliffe.vic.gov.au
Cypress tree removal to restore road
safety in King St
The cypress in the splitter island at
the King St - Bellarine H'way intersection has been removed after losing a
very large limb 28 of September.
Following an independent arboricultural assessment, Council responded immediately to assess the
CELEBRANT
structural integrity of the tree after it
suffered the loss of a large scaffold
branch in high winds. The limb
blocked access into King St and access
along Flinders St toward Queenscliff
until Council and the State Emergency
Service safely removed the fallen
debris.
The tree is a part of the iconic
avenue of honour comprising of
cypresses that run along both sides of
Flinders St on the approach to the
town ship of Queenscliffe. Council
will consider replacement as part of
the Queenscliff Avenue of Honour
Tree Management and Replacement
Plan.
Asbestos Awareness Information at
the Point Lonsdale Market Sunday 9
November
Asbestos Awareness aims to alert
people about the dangers of working
with asbestos during home renovations and maintenance. Homes built
or renovated before the mid 1980s are
likely to contain asbestos. If left
undisturbed asbestos generally does
not pose a health risk. However, when
disturbed during renovations and
home maintenance, asbestos fibres can
be released into the air and when
inhaled, can cause life threatening
diseases.
Visit asbestosawareness.com.au
and take the 20 Point Asbestos Safety
Check to learn how to protect
yourselves and families from exposure
to dangerous asbestos fibres.
Celebrate our Young Achievers
Nominations are now open for the
2015 Victorian Young Achiever Awards
and National Youth Awards to
acknowledge, encourage and promote
the positive achievements of our young
people.
Further information on Council's
website www.queenscliffe.vic.gov.au
Next Council Meeting
Wednesday 26 November 7pm. All
welcome.
Letter to the Editor
A controversial decision by
BOQ Council approving a housing development in Mercer Street
raises issues of Good Governance
and questions why Council's
Heritage Officers recommendations have been ignored.
July 2013 - proposed 2 storey, 5
bedroom house with mezzanine level
and swimming pool next door to historic
Clutha Cottage was refused by Borough
of Queenscliffe Council stating: "… it
would be inconsistent with the prevailing
single storey streetscape… contrary to
the purpose of the Heritage Overlay…"
October 2014 - the proposal with a
few design modifications was before
Council again. The Heritage Officers
report is below.
… the proposal fails to meet many of the
objectives of the State Planning Policies
and the Municipal Strategic Statement as
well as the individual provisions of the
Heritage Overlay (HO 11) and the
Design Development Overlay (DDO1)
requirements of the Planning Scheme.
It does not sympathetically complement the design, materials and form of
other buildings in the streetscape and it
will adversely affect the significance of
the individually listed heritage property
Clutha adjacent to it. In addition being a
high, double storey structure in this
single storey section of Mercer Street, it
will present as a visually dominant
structure in the streetscape.
None of these outcomes are new to the
applicant.
They were put to him almost two
years ago at the first pre-application
meeting and report (20 December 2012).
They were central to the 28 May 2013
heritage report on the proposal prior to
the refusal of the initial permit. They
have subsequently been included in a
further two heritage advisors reports
responding to the applicants modified
schemes, late last year on 19 November
2013 and a further redesign earlier this
year.
All of these reports included a
number of recommended design
changes, which have only resulted in
minor and inadequate modifications to
the proposal. More importantly the
heritage reports have consistently
included the recommendation, as
outlined in DDO1's Urban Character
Study and Building Siting and Design
Guidelines, that "the highest point of the
roof is not greater than the highest point
of the roof of any adjacent buildings…"
BOQ Heritage Adviser's
Recommendation
For the reasons outlined above, on heritage
grounds the proposal cannot be supported.
Residents attending the 22 October
Council Meeting were stunned when Cr
Graham Christie declared 'a personal
conflict of interest' and absented himself
from the vote which brings into question
the issue of good governance.
Municipal Association May 2014
The Oath of Office requires that
Councillors undertake the duties of office in
the best interests of the people in the municipal
district. Councillors will at all times act
impartially, with integrity and in accordance
with the Councillor conduct principles.
Conflict of Interest
Individuals must make their own
decisions. Conflict of interest is not a political
weapon. Councillors should not use Conflict
of Interest as a weapon against each other. No
councillor can determine that another
councillor has a conflict of interest.
Councillors generally have long
associations with community groups sport, church, school etc prior to standing
for Council and form friendships and
relationships within them. If Cr Christie's
'friendship' with just one of the five who
opposed the development was the reason
for him not voting, then surely other
Councillors should have searched their
consciences about 'friendships' that could
possibly have influenced their vote and
declared 'a close personal friendship' and
abstained from voting. Cr Merriman is on
record as 'lamenting' the decision to refuse
the application last year.
So what's changed in the past year?
Not much according to the Heritage
Officer's report yet the Planning Officer of
the day's recommendation to approve the
development and Cr Butler's being handed
two votes ensured it was passed 3-2.
The only recourse for the nearby
residents affected by what they consider
an oversized, inappropriate build in a
heritage overlay area is to take Council to
VCAT.
A shabby result from Councillors
elected to consider all issues put before
them with impartiality - and that means
being able to vote without fear or favour.
Barry & Bev Singleton
16 Mercer Street
PUBLIC NOTICES
Christmas Lunch
for Senior Citizens
Queenscliff Point Lonsdale Lions Club would like to invite the
senior citizens of the Borough, to our 53rd annual Christmas
Luncheon at the Queenscliff RSL King Street on Saturday the 13th
December starting at 12 o’clock.
Published by Swansong Publishing
31 Hobson Street, Queenscliff 3225
Phone: 5258 4828
Email: quherald@bigpond.net.au
READ US ONLINE EVERY MONTH AT:
www.queenscliffeherald.com.au
Editor: Carmel Murphy
Printers: Newsprinters Pty. Ltd. Shepparton
Average Monthly Circulation: 5000
Copyright; Swansong Publishing 2014
ISSN: 1443-5071
Disclaimer
The views expressed in Letters to the Editor
are those of the authors named, and are not
necessarily those of the Queenscliffe Herald.
READERS PLEASE NOTE
The next edition will be published on:
Wednesday November 26, 2014
Copy deadlines are one week prior:
Wednesday, November 19.
If anyone requires transport we can arrange for you to be picked up and
returned to your homes.
Come and join us for some Christmas carols, a good lunch and the
Christmas pudding piped in by the Bag Pipes.
The Lions Club look forward to this day each year and there is no cost to
those who attend.
There will be lists at the Borough Office, the Senior Citizens Club rooms
or the Bellarine Community Health Centre.
Or you can ring and put your name down with Bill on 0430 182 260.
PROFESSIONAL
IRONS McDUFF ARCHITECTURE
T: (03) 5254 1337
M: 0404 041 337
www.ironsmcduff.com.au
Remembrance Day
Commemorative Service
Tuesday 11 November 10.45am
Queenscliff/Point Lonsdale RSL Hall
President of the local RSL Sub-Branch Lieutenant Colonel David
Millie MBE invites the Borough community to join in the occasion.
In particular the commemoration will honour the service of veterans
by encouraging a descendant of a deceased veteran of any war or conflict
to be in attendance wearing their medals. It is customary for those
wearing the medals of their forebears to wear them on the right breast.
During the service a silence of one minute is to be observed at
11am, in remembrance of deceased veterans. Bells will be tolled in
Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff.
Architects on the Bellarine
and regional Victoria
Queenscliffe Herald, November 2014 – Page 3
Letter to the Editor
Bellarine Community Health Ltd
The Facts
According to Ms Hazel Ingram,
Chairperson Bellarine Community
Health Ltd (BCH) (Geelong
Advertiser 8/10/14, Bellarine Times
9/10/14 & 18/10/14), "Ann Nichol
House has been running at a loss for
some years". This aged care facility
is funded by the Commonwealth
Government and fees paid by residents. Why would Ms Ingram state
that "wider community health services will be at risk" if BCH did not
sell Ann Nichol House (ANH)?
The community health services she
refers to as being at risk are funded by
the State Government! Could it be
that the investments built from interest
earned on resident bond payments
over many years have dwindled due to
poor investment decisions made by
the BCH Board and CEO?
Bellarine Times 8/5/2014, COGG
Cr Lindsay Ellis. "It seems that 'the rot
set in' in late 2006. Bellarine Community
Health Inc filed for the wind up of the
'incorporated' status to become Bellarine
Community Health Ltd, noting financial
losses attributable to the Global Financial
Crisis and the failure of Lehman Bros in
the US. Losses with Lehman Bros were
quoted as $4.4 million, ($1.2 million has
since been recovered)."
If the decision for BCH to sell
ANH to Arcare as stated by Ms
Ingram "was based on a sound
financial assessment of BCH's residential aged care service", how is it
that Arcare, a private for profit aged
care provider expect to run ANH at a
profit, when BCH has been running it
at a loss? Particularly when Ms
Ingram states that "there will be no
change to resident's financial arrangements as entered into with BCH, be
they fees, bonds or security of tenure".
This is certainly good news for the
current residents, however what does
it mean for future older community
members with no assets who will
require public funded aged residential
care on the Bellarine Peninsula in the
future?
Ms Ingram states that "we are
increasing the number of beds and
that no beds will be lost - in fact the
new owner, Arcare plans to increase
ANH by 40 beds, bringing to 100 the
total number of beds".
The real facts are that BCH closed
the public funded 40 bed Coorabin
aged care facility in Pt Lonsdale 12
months ago and has sold the 40 bed
licences and the 60 bed public funded
ANH to the private for profit Arcare
aged care provider - a total of 100
beds! Therefore there is no actual gain
of beds for the Bellarine Peninsula.
Ms Ingram states that BCH is
"expanding our current aged care
services to ensure elderly residents can
stay in their home as long as possible".
In fact BCH has been allocated 16
aged care packages by the Commonwealth government to assist in
supporting older people in their
homes. This does not replace the loss
Hazel Ingram and John Fendyck
of 100 public funded residential aged
care beds for an increasing number of
older people who cannot be cared for
at home because of severe dementia
or frailty.
Ms Ingram states that "the sale of
ANH opens up new opportunities for
BCH to further develop its community
health services - and to be able to plan
for a long-term future for Bellarine".
The BCH Board predecessors worked
with the community over many years
to plan for the long term future of
services that would assist people with
their health needs from the cradle to
the grave. They achieved this goal.
THE FACTS NOW ARE that
within a period of two to three years
the current BCH Board and CEO:
•Got rid of the Maternal and Child
Health Program.
•Got rid of the Meals on Wheels
Program.
•Closed the 40 bed public funded
Coorabin aged care facility in Pt
Lonsdale.
•Sold the 60 bed public funded Ann
Nichol House aged care facility in
Portarlington.
•Terminated the employment of all
BCH employees who were employed
at ANH under the public sector
awards when Arcare took over the
ownership of ANH.
•Made it impossible for an unknown
number of older people currently
living on the Bellarine Peninsula who
have no assets, who will require aged
residential care to find public funded
accommodation unless they travel to
Barwon Health Aged Care facility in
North Geelong or further afield.
•Told the remaining older residents
living in the 16 Eric Tolliday units in
Pt Lonsdale that they may need to
seek other accommodation. Another
closure?
What an achievement!
Moyneen Curtis, Pt Lonsdale
Fundraising and
all that jazz
An Evening with the Society
Syncopators jazz band and singer
extraordinaire Hetty Kate at the
Queenscliff Town Hall was a night
filled with great jazz music, song and
dance for the 150 who attended raising
$6.500 on the night. The venue was
the perfect setting for the fundraising
event organised by members of the
Queenscliffe Historical Museum's La
Trobe Memorial Appeal.
Chair of the Appeal, Diana Allen,
said the Syncopators kept the audience enthralled with their world
renowned music and enticed many on
to the dance floor. "The feedback has
been phenomenal," Diana says, "and
it looks like another visit from them
will be scheduled for 2015!"
Jazz lovers filled Queenscliff Town Hall to hear The Syncopators
HIGH TEA ON THE HIGH SEAS
"ITS PICNIC TIME"
Choose from our farm fresh produce of
Award Winning Extra Virgin Olive oils,
Kalamata Table Olives and our new Olive
Tapenade.
Open Thur-Sunday 11-4pm
Lighthouse Olive Mill Shop
P: 5251 1100
648 Andersons Rd, Drysdale
Mel ref 472 A4
The Museum's goal is to raise
$50,000 to commission a bronze bust
of Victoria's first governor, and
founder of Queenscliff, Charles
Joseph La Trobe. It will be sculpted by
the eminent Australian sculptor Peter
Corlett OAM and is proposed to be
erected in the forecourt of the
Queenscliffe Museum in the centre of
town.
The Appeal committee are
delighted with how fast the funds are
climbing as they have only been
fundraising for about six months. Too
modest - the committee has worked
extremely hard to bring attention and
funds to the project that should attract
great interest in Queenscliff's founder
for generations to come.
Indulge in a leisurely 2 hour return sailing in a private lounge as
you enjoy a High Tea of tasty sweet and savoury morsels, washed
down with a sparkling wine, loose leaf tea or coffee.
Departs every Sunday from Queenscliff at 3pm. 2nd, 9th, 16th,
23rd and 30th of November. Limited seats available. Only $40 per
person.
SAIL THE BAY FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS
OR END OF YEAR PARTY
Sail at Twilight or book a private Lounge during the day. Call
Nick and find out about a catering package to suit your needs on
5258 3244 ext 84.
Page 4 – Queenscliffe Herald, November 2014
Queenscliffe Herald, November 2014 – Page 5
News from your local MP
Ann Nichol House & Eric Tolliday Units
The community continues to seek answers
from the current Government about the sale
of Ann Nichol House and the Crown land on
which it sits. Despite a series of questions in
Parliament, the Minister is still not providing
information to the community.
The next big issue is ensuring that the
residents of the Eric Tolliday Units can stay in
their homes. I have been working with the
residents and arranged for legal assistance to be
provided. The priority is that these residents are
not abandoned. As the Member for Bellarine I
will continue to do all I can to push for this
outcome.
Police Services
As the summer holiday season approaches,
I am concerned about the impact of the
reduced Police services on the Bellarine. I
know this is being felt by the community on a
daily basis, with many residents contacting
me, with their concerns about the decreased
police presence and the response times.
We need a proper police presence in our
community and if elected in November Labor is
committed to returning all four stations on the
Bellarine, with Drysdale, Portarlington and
Queenscliff operational 16 hours, and the
Bellarine station in Ocean Grove operational 24
hours a day.
Bellarine Ambulance Services
There is increasing concern about the cuts
to our Ambulance services affecting residents
in both North and South Bellarine. Many of
you have talked to me about the issues and
your fears, particularly people living alone or
with ill or vulnerable family members.
It was good to meet recently with some of
our local Paramedics and the Shadow
Minister for Health, Gavin Jennings. It is important to hear directly from them about the
pressures and issues they are experiencing and
that dramatically impact on their ability to
meet the needs of our community. The most
recent figures indicate a response time of 23
minutes - 8 minutes longer than it should be.
I have raised the issues in Parliament and
publicly over many months and I will
continue to work with the community and our
Para-medics to push for appropriate services
for the Bellarine community.
As always, please don't hesitate to contact
me by email or call my office if there are any
matters that I may be able to assist you with
directly.
Hon Lisa Neville MP
Member for Bellarine
lisa.neville@parliament.vic.gov.au
Twitter @LisanevilleMP
5248 3462
Pirates take over the ferry
Pirates Captain Jack and Bonnie Anne (aka school teachers Ed Dolista and Kelly Clifford) held
about 40 children captive as they crossed the bay on the Queenscliff-Sorrento Ferry during the
school holidays. Parents willingly handed their kids over to be indoctrinated in pirate lore and
language with songs and sword fights using flesh friendly swords made from colourful balloons.
With lots of "Aaaaaarrrggghhh's" and "Oy Matey's" the swashbuckling continued until they
happily walked the plank at the ferry terminal. Ferry captain Gus Rogers dog ‘Skipper’ was press
ganged into joining in the days festivities.
Playwright tackles health
issues with humour
Actor and playwright Alan Hopgood's
career in TV and theatre over 60 years include
writing the movie Alvin Purple and The Big
Men Fly. After being diagnosed with prostate
cancer 20 years ago, Alan set up a new theatre
company featuring 'health plays' tackling
issues like widowhood, dementia and mental
health with humour.
As part of Mental Health Week the Borough
of Queenscliffe hosted the play 'My Dog Has
Stripes' based on true stories addressing
depression and mental illness. "I'm not making
jokes about the condition," says Alan. "It's about
how you deal with the condition and using
comedy makes it more palatable. The 'stripes'
refer to the many aspects of mental health, not
just the 'black dog' of depression."
The play attempts to remove the stigma
surrounding mental health issues and encourages people to seek professional medical help
and counselling.
The performance in the town hall was
followed by an informative chat with the
playwright and afternoon tea.
Lorne Film Festival 2014
Featuring a range of intimate venues against
the backdrop of Lorne's unique coastal beauty,
Lorne Film 2014 is a four-day celebration of
international film for the people who make,
watch and love film. In all 23 feature films, 15
shorts films and events. Venues include the
iconic Lorne Theatre, the 350 seat Cumberland
Resort Auditorium, and the surf retro themed
Sunset Lounge @ Uniting Church Hall.
Lorne Film 2014 features a heart health
narrative - with events such as the Young Heart
Project, a youth oriented digital film making
adventure, and the Have a Heart Initiative - a
selection of short films around the subject of
organ donation.
Along with a number of industry events
including The Screenwriter Award - a $10,000
cash prize and live rehearsed reading to the
winning screenplay, Thunder - along with Open
Channel's Framed Industry Seminar around the
screening of the Australian apocalyptic drama,
These Final Hours.
The Victorian College of the Arts will be in
attendance via the VCA Screenplay Event - a live
reading of the top 2014 Masters of Screenwriting
Graduate screenplay, A Devils Redemption. And
of course various cast, crew, directors and
producers will be descending on Lorne to speak
to their work.
Saluting film makers as visionaries and story
tellers, Lorne Film 2014 attracts content from
Australia, and globally demonstrating the
universal power of film. Tickets from
http://ticketworks.com.au/
2014
13 - 16 Nov 2014
www.lornefilm.com.au
Contact Emma Crichton for more information: emma@lornefilm.com.au
Page 6 – Queenscliffe Herald, November 2014
Lighthouse Reflections
Celebrating 40 years of photography
Be Bop Allula! I don't mean maybe!
Well it's that time again, QM Fest, and it's turning 18,
don't they say you have come of age at 18? Personally I
think it came of age, the first one, back in 1997 and has
often changed faces, morphed itself, gotten better,
swapped location, lost its innocence but always delivered
the musical goods.
The team has always done its homework and catered
for everyone's musical taste. The big names, the
undiscovered and if you didn't have a good time you'd
better adjust your vertical and horizontal. I can recall as
clear as day the moment our good friend Kim Gooddall
approached me in the Espy bar and said: "Dods, you love
your music. What say we get together some crew and
have a music festival in town?" Well, what a great idea!
Today that's an understatement. And we chatted over a
few beers.
Myself and a couple of musician friends had run
bands under the banner of Lost in the Ozone Again back
in the late 70's early 80s - yes Men At Work, Australian
Crawl, Goanna - all graced the stage at what was once
our raging pub, The Ozone, now developed into luxury
apartments - and played their earliest gigs there.
Believe me, the crowd would line up down the Ozone
passageway, down the steps out on to the street. Pay $2,
have a stew and rice supper, be entertained and dance the
night away. Boy I loved the 70s!!
We'd clean up the dining room, head home past the
bakery maybe 2am, collect a family pie straight out of the
oven, count the pennies and play Pink Floyd's Money It's
a Hit!?
Anyway getting back to that conversation with Kim, (I
love getting sidetracked). I said to Kim, I'm not really a
committee person but I'll sure as hell photograph the
event and do what I can to help. I'm proud to say I kept
that promise to Kim and I'm lining up to shoot my 18th
QMF. And even though my favourite, Bill Thorpe, won't
be playing I'm sure he'll be there in spirit.
I've shot lots of bands/performers in 18 years but
Billy's concert on Main Stage rocked the festival and
brought about thunder and lightning - absolutely
awesome. The powerful music he produced from those
Marshall stacks could be heard all over the Bellarine.
If Rockwiz's Julia Zemiro asked me what was the first
record I had ever bought I would have to say Billy
Thorpe's EP Poison Ivy. Yes, EP, 4 tracks half the size of
an LP back in 1966. I'd have to say that the QMF has
shown us every great act that Australia's has produced
and been instrumental in showing us young acts that are
well on their way to achieving that very same status. We
are very lucky here in Queenscliffe. One weekend in
November, one great musical experience, I'll say it one
more time Be Bop Allula! It's here to stay.
Most people I know think that I'm craaaazy, no not
me, that's what Billy is playing in this photo.
Till next time - Rock On!
Rodney Nicholson 0417 582 887
Featuring live music from a variety
of locals and over 100 stalls selling
quality home made goods.
NEXT MARKET:
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
NOVEMBER 29 & 30
9am – 2pm
Corner of Hesse & Symonds Street
near the train station.
Enquiries: qcmarket@y7mail.com or look
for Queenscliffe Community Market on
facebook
POINT LONSDALE PRIMARY SCHOOL
MARKET
Held 2nd Sunday of each Month
Handmade and
Homegrown Produce
NEXT MARKET
SUNDAY
10 NOVEMBER
9am to 2pm
BOWEN ROAD, POINT LONSDALE
FREE PARKING ON SCHOOL OVAL
Community Celebration of Christmas
Lighting of The Christmas Tree
Point Lonsdale
Saturday 6th December 2014
Local vocals from 6 pm-7.15 pm
Santa arrives 7.25 pm
Community Carols commence 7.30 pm
Lighting of the Tree at 8.30 pm- 8.45 pm
Volunteers Park
Corner Grimes Rd and Point Lonsdale Rd,
Point Lonsdale
BBQ by Queenscliff Fire Brigade
Plus other food stalls
Bring your rugs, chairs and mozzie repellent
Any enquiries please contact Karen on 5258 1264
Queenscliffe Herald, November 2014 – Page 7
Queenscliffe Community Market The KO shop looks OK
The Queenscliffe Community
Market (QCM) was established in
1979 by two local women wishing to
promote artisans. Today the QCM is
an integral tourist attraction providing donations to community activities and services and a place
where locals fundraise and shop.
The QCM is run by volunteers and
operates on the last Sunday of the
month from September to May 9am2pm in Princess Park. Stalls are
purposely kept at an affordable price
to attract innovative stall holders who
sell high quality, handmade, home
grown, produce, artworks and goods.
The Market is a key contributor to
local projects and services and for over
35 years has returned funds to the
community of over $600,000. In 2010
the QCM contributed $40,000 to the
establishment of the new play space
located on the waterfront in Princess
Park.
Other projects include donations to
Bellarine Lighthouse Films Winter
Festival, Camp Wyuna for an all-
Queenscliff MarketsStallholders Sarah and Bec of Kitschy Koo Jewellery
terrain wheelchair to improve access
to the beach, Queenscliff Point
Lonsdale Uniting Church organ
restoration, Queenscliff Sea Scouts &
Senior Citizens; Community Activism in the Borough (photography by
The KO shop is the latest new
business to open its doors in
Queenscliff's Hesse Street offering
unique handcrafted products from
around the world.
"The main focus for KO is to
provide high quality products at
competitively low prices to benefit you,
our customer," said co-owner Annette
Wemyss. Her partners, Sahana and
Apoorva Gaonkar added: "We are
delighted to join the traders on Hesse
Street who have been very welcoming
and the locals very inquisitive."
Apoorva explained that KO stands
for Karwan Ornaments, a jewellery
range that originated in India in 1997,
and Queenscliff's KO shop is the first to
open in Australia. "We've expanded the
range to include wonderfully affordable
handbags from India, Nepal and Fiji
John Ellis), Surf Life Saving Club
defibrillator.
Not for profit groups can apply to
hold a stall for free. To apply for a site
contact qcmarket@y7mail.com or
phone 0408 340 932.
and a colourful range of clothing for
adults and children," said Apoorva.
"We stock eco-friendly products
including 'eco plates' to replace plastic
picnic ware, beauty products and a
range of 'Little Innocents' certified
organic soaps, sunscreen and powder
suitable for tender skins and great to
have on hand when the grandchildren
visit," said Annette.
If it's bells on your fingers and rings
on your toes KO has them and many
'one off' designs made with silver and
semi-precious stones. There's sound
bowls, candles and Himalayan rock salt
lamps to enhance your yoga and
meditation sessions, items big and
small suitable for gifts at any time and
with Christmas coming you're bound
to find an unusual KK gift or stocking
filler.
Regional World's Longest Lunch - Queenscliff
Queenscliff Harbour with the
support of the Borough of Queenscliffe is again hosting the 2015
Melbourne Food and Wine Festival's Regional World's Longest
Lunch on the boardwalk at Queenscliff Harbour on Friday 13th March
2015.
The views at Queenscliff Harbour
make a stunning backdrop for a four
course meal of local produce and
wine delivered by iconic local
restaurants and chefs. We encourage
locals and visitors book early for what
is sure to be a memorable lunch. With
only 120 tickets available the event is
sure to be a sell-out like last year's
event.
This is a great event for food and
wine lovers alike and we are thrilled to
have secured the event in the Borough.
Queenscliff Harbour in conjunc-
OPEN EVERY NIGHT
FOR DINNER
Breakfast & Dinner 7 days • Lunch on weekends
4 Hobson Street, Queenscliff
Phone 5258 1024
www.athelstane.com.au
*NOW HIRING EXPERIENCED RESTAURANT AND
CLEANING STAFF FOR SUMMER*
Email your resume to relax@athelstane.com.au
.tion with the Queenscliff Lonsdale
Business and Tourism Association
(QLBTA) with the support of the
Borough of Queenscliffe raised $1773
last year donated to Cottage By the
Sea.
Enquiries - Jacqui Sidwell 0401
881 100 or jacqui@house-warming
.com.au
Tickets $120pp - Event Brite
www.eventbrite.com.au
Annette in the KO shop invites you to fill your life and home with the colours and
textures of the KO shop.
Specialising in unique
handcrafted products
from around the world
HIGH QUALITY AT
COMPETITIVELY LOW PRICES
Shop 1/45 Hesse Street,
Queenscliff
Phone: 5258 2237
Email: sales@koshoaustralia.com.au
Web: www.koshoaustralia.com.au
• Candles
• Copper ware
• Clothing
• Cotton Rugs
• Cushions & Covers
• Eco Plates & Cutlery
(Environment Friendly)
• Handicrafts
• Incense sticks
• Kikoy beach towels and robes
• Lamps
• Leather Goods
• Organic body care
products
• Quilts
• Scarves
• Telescopes
• Wooden toys
Queenscliff Village News
72 Hesse Street, Queenscliff, 3225
Ph: (03) 5258 1828 Fax: (03) 5258 1828
Email: queenscliffnews@geelongce.net.au
We are the place for INK!
Save money when you buy
printer cartridge 'plus packs',
all brands available!
OPEN:
Weekdays:
11am – 4pm
Weekends, Public
& School Holidays
11am - 5pm
SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!
e.g. HP 920XL PlusPack - save $13.45,
our price $90.55 (Officeworks $104.00)
e.g. Canon CL521 PlusPack - save $32.98,
our price $96.00 (Officeworks $128.98)
"If you are buying your ink from anywhere else,
you are paying too much!"
PHARMACY
H E A LT H I S B E A U T Y
Helpful advice always available.
Free delivery and pick-up in Pt Lonsdale &
Queenscliff daily – Senior’s Card Welcome.
SPRING WEATHER OFTEN MEANS HAYFEVER FOR
ADULTS AND CHILDREN
Call in to Pardeys and
check out the options to
relieve your symptoms.
Have peace of mind with your medication...
WEBSTER-PAK
Simple, convenient and delivered to your home weekly.
52 Hesse Street Queenscliff
Tel 5258 1817 Fax 5258 4128
Open Monday to Friday 9am to 5.30pm
and Saturday 9am to 5.00pm
Page 8 – Queenscliffe Herald, November 2014
The Gray's in Turkey
Winter arrived early and hit hard on the
first weekend of October with storm force
winds of 120 kph and lots of 'snow stones'.
Fortunately we had renewed our peat supply
the week before. I got a message to the local
turf cutter and told him we would like a
trailer load, meaning a 6 foot by 4 foot
Aussie style trailer. Certainly wasn't
expecting a block of flats on four wheels!
Anyway the team of two had it all stacked
and covered in a couple of days. Wet turf
will still burn on a hot fire but a permanently
wet stack simply turns back to soggy earth.
Having done another house exchange, we
are in Turkey for six weeks with a Norwegian
couple who have a holiday apartment here in
Bodrum. Great place for the idle rich. And the
Gray's. House swap. No cost. No
complications. Our Norwegian hosts will be
in Pt Lonsdale at a time to be arranged. I must
reiterate what a fabulous idea home exchange
is. When it suits this couple to come, we will
just go somewhere else. A holiday in Victoria,
Gae's sister's farm or a house swap closer to
home. It is simply just rent free accommodation and the internet Home Link site has
thousands of places to offer. Anywhere on the
planet!
KLM took us from Cork to Amsterdam to
Istanbul to Bodrum without us setting foot on
one of their planes. Dunno how this works.
Don't care either!
The Amsterdam to Istanbul leg was
courtesy of Pegasus Airline. Real 'no frills'
stuff. A hundred of us were standing at the
plane door when a man in overalls said
something to a lady in a pretty uniform. The
word 'wheel' was overheard after which we
were herded back up the stairs to the boarding
area. Apparently poor Pegasus had cast a
plate!
Following a safe landing at Sabiha airport,
we had to take a taxi across Istanbul to
Ataturk airport. An hours' drive accomplished in about 18 minutes. High beam
flashing, horn beeping and speeds up to
150kmph and all on the wrong side of the
road. And with one of us not wearing her seat
belt! Very exciting. I'm glad we didn't tell the
House swapper Gae Gray has swapped the wintry blasts of Ireland for the sunny skies of Turkey.
driver we were in a hurry to catch a plane! Gae
reckoned it left the Thunder Mountain ride in
Paris for dead. Nearly did too. We flew past a
fatal smash on the way.
Bodrum is everything we hoped for.
Slightly westernish but still very old Turkish.
Lots of markets, bazaars and bargaining.
Virtually no English is spoken but with Gae's
theatrical body language and me bumbling
along with my language without borders we
haven't been stuck yet. To her credit, the
captain is memorising what Turkish she needs
to know. The old dog is avoiding new tricks!
We had heard before we left that Turkey is
an inexpensive place to live. Well, it sure is. I
would say prices are about 50% of Australia's.
A few examples: 24 tablet packets of extra
strength Panadol, 2.5 Turkish Lira. That's less
than a dollar. A loaf of good bread is 50 cents
Australian, a large fresh chicken, 6TL which
is less than $3.20, litre bottle of water $2.50
and delivered on a motorbike up a 100m steep
stairway!
Irish people have told me that when they
think of Australia, they conjure up kangaroos,
sharks and bushfires. For us, Turkey was
going to be coffee, baths, bazaars and kebabs.
Well seeing is believing and has changed
my opinion. Turkey is mobile phones!!
It is possible for a Bodrum male to smoke a
cigarette, drink a glass of Turkish tea and hold
two phone conversations all at the same time.
Gae is enthralled by the Friday food market. It
is a covered area about the size of the
Queenscliff footy oval and sells an
unimaginable range of vegetables, fruit,
breads, cheeses, spices and so on. Turkish
salad, bread and oil have become our normal
lunchtime fare and all of our dinners are well
spiced and prepared with knowledge provided
by local traders. We have long been devotees
of the Turkish doner kebab. Over here, they
are an absolute delight. Next Tuesday is the
craft market. Even wild horses won't stop her.
We took a boat trip to the Greek island of
Kos 20 minutes from Bodrum. The ancient
city is just remarkable, particularly the ruins
of the 3,000 year old section. Hippocrates, the
Father of Medicine, was born there in the 5th
century BC. The tree under which he gave
instruction supposedly still stands. Could be
the genuine article - scientists have dated it as
at least 2,000 years old!
Murray Gray
S
K
MA PAR
U
HOMESTEAD
Holiday Bookings and
Property Management
Demand of holiday homes in
Queenscliff & Point Lonsdale is
exceeding supply.
Contact us today to discuss how your
holiday property can make you extra
income.
Call Cheryl and Philip to assist you
to provide the perfect “beach break”
Ph: 0424 172 050
Email: contact@beachbreaksbellarine.com.au
www.beachbreaksbellarine.com.au
CONFERENCES FUNCTIONS
WEDDINGS
ACCOMMODATION
WINERY CELLAR DOOR
All enquiries
5258 3507
A Theatre of the Winged
Unicorn Experience
Readings from
A Christmas
Carol by
Charles Dickens
By Ben and Elaine
Mitchell with soprano
Lisa Breen
Sunday 14 December
$25pp
View the mansion - 2pm
Reading - 3pm
Afternoon tea $5pp - 4pm
Barwon Park Mansion,
Inverleigh Rd,
Winchelsea
Bookings 5249 1350
nimbus.em@hotmail.com
or online
www.theatreofthewinged
unicorn.com.au
SUSTAINABLE
SEAFOOD SUPPER
Queenscliff
HOTEL
Friday 7th November @ 7.00pm
Swan Bay room DEPI
Accommodation – Restaurants – Bar
Courtyard Restaurant – 2 course Lunch $33 per person
The Boat Bar – 2 course Dinner Special $33 per person
Dining Room – Open for dinner Fridays & Saturdays
Special – 3 course Dinner & Accommodation $295
16 Gellibrand Street, Queenscliff Victoria 3225 Australia
Phone: (03) 5258 1066 ISD: 61 3 5258 1066 Fax: (03) 5258 1899
www.queenscliffhotel.com.au
Bellarine Hwy, Queenscliff 3225
$55 FOMDC members,
$65 non members
Enjoy a delicious seafood dinner with
wine (all inclusive) followed by an
auction of local goods.
Proceeds towards the Rangers Program for
Grade 6 students
Queenscliffe Herald, November 2014 – Page 9
Telling stories
President of Barwon Heads Arts Council, Victoria Strachan, Cr. Andy
Richards, Author Zoe Daniel and convenor Diana Allen.
It seems Point Lonsdale's
Diana Allen's love for music and
literature is benefiting many
living on the Bellarine. Diana is
the convenor of many 'jazz
events' in the borough bringing
first class musicians and singers
to town.
Diana recently coordinated a
'Meet the Authors' lunch at the
Barwon Heads Golf Club in
conjunction with the Barwon
Heads Arts Council.
The authors, Patricia Edgar 'In
Praise of Ageing'; Dr. Margaret
Bowman, 'The Cultured Colon-
ists; Sian Prior, 'Shy' and Zoe
Daniel, 'The Storyteller' had the
full house spellbound with their
fascinating subjects. Zoe Daniel
was the ABC's Foreign Correspondent in Africa and South East
Asia for many years and her book
'Storyteller' is a testimonial to the
great risks and adventures involved in such a career.
"Due to the great success of
this inaugural event another two
'Meet the Authors' will take place
in 2015, one of which will be
devoted to the Centenary of
WW1," said Diana.
Jane Flowers tugs at the
heart of maritime art
The Mission to Seafarers
Victoria ANL Maritime Art
Award exhibition aims to
promote excellence in maritime
subjects in art and assists in
raising the profile of seafarers
worldwide.
CEO Andrea Fleming says the
exhibited works reoccurring
theme 'The relationship between
Humanity and the Sea', conveys
the importance of the ongoing
work of the Mission to provide
for the welfare of individuals
from all over the globe that make
a living on the world's seas.
The 2014 first prize of $15,000
has been won by local artist, Jane
Flowers, for her oil on canvas
'David and Goliath'. Jane, a landscape and seascape artist for over
20 years, has been a frequent
finalist in the competition and
was named the People's Choice
winner in 2009.
"Giant container ships ply our
supply routes but become
incapacitated at destination.
Time for the plucky tugs with
their no nonsense push pull
attitude - the rulers of the ports.
The painting graphically represents the relationship between
tiny tugs and huge container
ships. It also continues my
fascination with depicting silhouettes against sunlight on water,"
said Jane.
Jane has lived in Queenscliff
for fifteen years where she is a
keen yachtsman, scuba diver and
beachcomber so the world of
oceans and ships has always been
close at hand. She has been
invited onto the Melbourne Sea
Pilot launches to further her
references for her maritime
paintings. Jane Flowers shows
locally at Seaview Gallery,
Queenscliff.
Patrick McCaughey in
Queenscliff
Queenscliff Town Hall,
6:30pm - 7:30pm, Tuesday 11 November 2014
Patrick McCaughey has spent much of his life in art
museums. He has been director of the National Gallery
of Victoria and art critic of the Age. Who better to take
you on a tour of Australian art?
In this lecture, McCaughey focuses on the original the moments Australian art was marked by a particular
individuality, explores the revival of Indigenous art in
the 1970s, and its impact on changing the Australian
consciousness. He argues that three major women
artists were crucial to the coming of the Modern in
Australia: Grace Cossington-Smith, Margaret Preston
and Clarice Beckett.
Join this Australian icon for a very special lecture on
what has made Australian art distinctive and original,
from John Glover to the present.
Tickets $20 and $12 concession
Book Now at wheelercentre.com
Tuesday 25th November 6.30-8pm
He’s back!
Australia’s latest publishing phemonenan!
Sian Prior ... author, broadcaster, entertainer will co host
Graeme Simsion
with his sequel to The Rosie Project . . .
"The Rosie Effect”
‘We've got something to celebrate,’ Rosie said.
I am not fond of surprises,
especially if they disrupt plans
already in place. I assumed that she
had achieved some important
milestone with her thesis. Or perhaps
she had been offered a place in the
psychiatry-training programme. This
would be extremely good news, and I
estimated the probability of sex at
greater than 80%. 'We're pregnant,'
she said.
Seaview Gallery
Pt Lonsdale Bowling Club 6.30-8pm
queenscliff
Cost $10, drinks at bar prices
the
Jane Flowers at the the Mission to Seafarers Maritime Arts Awards and
Exhibition Docklands, Melbourne. The award was presented by Tom
Holyman General Manager, Agencies, ANL.
Seaview
Gallery
SARA PAXTON & DAVID HOBDAY
EXHIBITION
1-30 NOVEMBER 2014
Open 7 days - 10:30 - 5:00
86 Hesse St Queenscliff 3225
For further information please contact:
Colleen 03 5258 3645
www.seaviewgallery2@eftel.net.au
David Hobday and Sara
Paxton Exhibition
1 - 30 November
Don't miss this stunning
exhibition of oil painting
and kiln formed glass by
two wonderful local artists.
David Hobday
Throughout his working life as a marine
biologist, David pursued a
fascination for working
with glass. His work conveys an intimate knowledge and inspiration from
the marine environment.
Nowadays a full time glass
artist, David's work ranges
from studio pieces including free standing works and
window panels to larger
scale sculptures and windows.
Sara Paxton
Sara's vibrant treatment
of subject matter using
vivid colour and contemporary form give her paintings a unique expressive
style. Working mainly in
oils she uses various techniques - building colour
and light with layers and
washes to give the work a
luminous, transparent effect, or using thick slabs of
colour to build texture and
form.
Join the artists at the
opening for drinks 2-4
Saturday 1 November.
Weekend of Jewellery
Saturday 22 and Sunday
morning 23 November
Darylle Kelly and Kate
will showcase their unique
jewellery at Seaview. Great
Christmas gift ideas!
bookshop
at queenscliff
Ph. 5258 4496
thebookshopatqueenscliff@gmail.com
BOOKINGS
ESSENTIAL FOR
ALL EVENTS
(OTHER THAN
WHEELER
CENTRE*)
Page 10 – Queenscliffe Herald, November 2014
Queenscliffe Herald, November 2014 – Page 11
Friendly Society
Book Review
‘Nora Webster’ by Colm Tóibín
‘Nora Webster’ is set in Wexford,
Ireland, where Toibin was raised. He
started the book over a decade ago
but set it aside as it was 'so personal'
recalling his widowed mother's life
in the late 1960s and early '70s.
Nora is a 44 year old mother of
four recovering from grief after the
death of her beloved school teacher
husband. Despite it being a struggle to
grieve in a village where people
remember your birth, and know the
plot in the graveyard where you'll
eventually be buried, she discovers her
own identity and will.
There are moments of quiet
triumph and despair - the drama of a
family emerging from a bereavement
that transformed them into a family
concealing their feelings. Her younger
son starts wetting the bed, the older
boy becomes withdrawn and develops
a stammer. Nora doesn't buy advice
books or rush the boys to urologists
and speech therapists. Given a little
peace and time, she knows ‘she would
work out how she was going to live’.
After 21 years Nora returns to her
first employers, an imperious couple
who pretend they rule the village.
When a rude co-worker must be put in
her place, she does it. Other challenges
follow, some of them gently comic,
and when her son's headmaster makes
an unfair decision, she threatens to
hurl down ‘a widow's curse’.
The book is a portrait of a
provincial town filled with characters,
vivid writing and wit. Slowly, through
the gift of music and the power of
friendship, Nora finds a way of
starting again. She never breaks down;
her children never lash out; none share
their grief on Twitter; reminder of an
era when people responded to
hardship with dignity and stoicism.
’Nora Webster’ distributed by Pan
MacMillan is available at The
Bookshop at Queenscliff.
Roland Wettenhall is researching
the history of Friendly Society's in
Victoria up to 1920 for a doctoral
thesis at the University of Melbourne.
"I am seeking the assistance of long
term families and residents who may
have documents or memorabilia
relating to Queenscliff and Point
Lonsdale Friendly Society activities to
include in my research," explained
Roly. "I would like to copy documents,
photographs, items of interest and
gather any background information
available to understand the Queenscliff connection."
Friendly Society's were self-help
mutual organisations that provided
sickness, medical and funeral benefits
before governments provided welfare
benefits to those in need. Manchester
Unity, IOOF, ANA and Foresters
were the abbreviated names of the
well-known societies.
More importantly, they were social
'clubs' that met fortnightly and
became, especially in rural and small
villages, integral to the life of the
community through dances, sporting
competitions, picnics on prominent
anniversaries and other social events.
Queenscliff had a fine tradition of
friendly societies with the Ancient
Order of Foresters being especially
prominent. On the Forester's membership list were many Queenscliff
citizens including the Baillieu,
Batchelor, Golightly, Gane, Laurence,
Mouchemore, Thwaites, Arkins and
Twoomey's. Barry Hill's book, The
Enduring Rip: A History of Queenscliffe contains a photo of the Foresters
processing through Queenscliff in the
1890 Eight Hour Day celebrations.
Various hotels and the St George
Church Hall featured as friendly
society meeting places; in 1890 the
William Golightly built Foresters Hall
in Learmonth St was opened to great
fanfare. This hall became the focus for
many Queenscliff social activities
until purchased by the municipality
for use as the Town Hall.
If you are able to assist Roland
please contact him a.s.a.p. 9583 1777
r.wettenhall@student.unimelb.edu.au
By Bernard Ryan host of 'The Blurb' a weekly books program Tuesdays 2-4pm on
94.7fm The Pulse Geelong Community Radio streaming at www.947thepulse.com
Royal Australian Naval
Commemoration
of the loss of the minesweeper
HMAS Goorangai
During World War II the troop ship 'Duntroon' ran over HMAS
'Goorangai' in war time lights out off Queenscliff with the loss of all
hands.
Sunday 16 November
10am - March from the RSL to the Masthead and Memorial
cairns.
11am - Service on site.
Fort Queenscliff
Museum
Historical
and
Educational
Guided Tours
Members of friendly societies celebrating the opening of renovations to the Foresters
Hall, Learmonth Street, which later became the Town Hall and is dated 1890.
Enjoy the rare opportunity to tour a 19th Century
Coastal Artillery Fort and let the children dress
up in military uniforms. A great photo opportunity.
TOURS: Weekends: 1pm & 3pm
School Holidays: 11am, 1pm & 3pm
Guided tours last 1hr and 15mins.
Family Ticket $25, Adult $12
Child $6, Concession & Senior $6.
Santa has booked a Special
Carriage with the Bellarine Railway.
Trains depart Queenscliff Station
at 11am.
Sunday 7 December
Sunday 14 December
Sunday 21 December
Families are invited to start the
festive season on board Santa's Steam
Train singing Christmas Carols, enjoy
a Christmas tree shortbread, bottle of
water and a gift from Santa for the
children and an Activity Pack to help
decorate your home for Christmas
Day.
Families will be allocated seats on
1 of 2 sessions with Santa on the
outbound or return journey.
If the 11am service is booked out,
and there are sufficient people on the
waiting list, an additional trip with
Santa will be made available on the
2.45pm service.
To place your name on the waiting
list, please email info@bellarine
railway.com.au or phone 5258 2069.
Please note that this does not
guarantee a seat on the Santa
Carriage, however if the second trip
becomes available, we will offer
bookings in the order names have
been placed.
Tickets for this family experience
are now on sale and close 1 week
prior to each date unless sold out.
So grab your Santa Hat and get
ready to start enjoying the Christmas
period!
JAZZ AT THE BOATSHED
Sunday 23 November, 2.30pm – 4.30pm
Live music with Steve Murphy and friends
Ticket $20, with first glass of wine free
2011 Australia Day Community Award
150th Anniversary Military Presence
Santa Claus
is Coming
to Town!
QUEENSCLIFFE MARITIME MUSEUM
2 Wharf St, Queenscliff
Book on 5258 3440.
Savoy Opera Company Inc.
HERITAGE SERVICE
Scenic Train Trips Carriage Hire
Locomotive Cab Rides
2, 9, 16, & 23 November
WHAT’S ON BOARD
Santa Train Specials
7, 14 & 21 December
Tickets now on sale
www.savoyoperacompany.com
Presents
Gilbert and Sullivan’s
RUDDIGORE
Or the Witch’s Curse
-
Oueenscliffe
Historical Museum
-
49 Hesse st, Queenscliff
(Next to Post Office)
Pt. Lonsdale School Hall
Bowen Road, Pt. Lonsdale
Saturday 8th November
Twilight Performance 5:00 p.m.
Adults: $25, Concession: $20
Child, Full Time Student $10
Bar facilities available
Bookings:
Queenscliff Village News
Von Philp Tel: 5258 4681
vonniephilp@gmail.com
info@savoyoperacompany.com
UPCOMING FAMILY EVENTS
ry
3-4 Jan uauary
17-1e 8QueJenascnliff Station
at th
ay
Don’t del
ge t your tic
kets on-li
ne to day!
© 2014 Gullane (Thomas) Limited
© 2014 HIT Entertainment Limited
Visit website or call 5258 2069 for details, bookings & more.
www.bellarinerailway .com.au
Page 12 – Queenscliffe Herald, November 2014
‘87’
not out
Queenscliff's Bruce Priddle celebrates his birthday every year with
friends old and new from the local
community including the Queenscliff Cricket Club where he is a
regular fixture cheering them on.
On the lunchtime menu is freshly
cooked fish caught by Bruce who
rows a small wooden boat into the
bay for 'the catch of the day'. Bruce's
'lovely ladies' provide the rest and it
is always a great spread with lots of
chatter and laughter - mostly at
Bruce's expense.
Bruce, a sprightly '87 not out',
lives life to the fullest, enjoys sharing
good times with good people and is
looking forward to making his first
century.
Pictured at right: Bruce Priddle (centre)
with his brother Basil and guests, all good
people, on the Bruce Highway, aka Little
Hesse Street.
Appealing for pitch perfect
The Uniting Church's Fincham
Pipe Organ is a key feature of the
historic red brick church installed in
1961 with 'modern electric action'
for a whopping £2,650. Together
with the ceiling, pulpit, and
windows, the organ, listed as one of
significance, complements the
ambience of the church.
The organ is regularly maintained
to keep it pitch perfect but recently the
Australian Pipe Organs maintenance
company reported that the instrument
needed a major overhaul at a cost of
$7,000. Church secretary Richard
Allen said: "The organ is part of our
continuing heritage that provides a
strong link to our past and is
appreciated by many participants in
worship and concerts."
To assist with the overhaul locals
have shown their support of the The
Pitch Perfect Appeal officially
launched on 29 October with a
chicken and champagne dinner.
Guests were invited to 'repair a key' for
$50 or 'repair a pipe' for $500.
The restoration is a two-part
undertaking with the keyboard and
pedals sent to Melbourne for work,
while specialists will travel to
Queenscliff to work on the pipes. To
make a donation contact Heather
5258 2854 or 0478 611 481.
Glastonbury Past Care
Leaver Reunion
Cardboard 'pipes' have been decorated in the lead up to the appeal
and purchased in support of the restoration - the snake from the
Garden of Eden was a favourite with Rev Charles Gallagher.
Saturday 1 November
Barwon Valley Fun Park - Meet 10am onwards at
132 Barrabool Rd Belmont for lunch. * Food supplied,
BYO drinks/chair. Contact Heather re special dietary
requirements.
Sunday 2 November
Trip to Belmont - Join Marion Nott, Principal of
Christian College, Colac Rd Belmont, to visit the old
Glastonbury building for morning tea and a tour.
* Suggest car pooling.
Visit to South Barwon Community Centre in the
afternoon to review information available and an
opportunity for you to record your story. Please bring
photos for scanning and sharing memories.
RSVP Heather Baird hjsellings@yahoo.com.au or
0412 154 424.
Women in Business
The Place For:
First in the region to offer
Live Blood Morphology
A Community of Likeminded Businesswomen
Monthly Networking Events
Business Development & Resources
Promotion of your Business
Read the Queenscliffe Herald online @ www.queenscliffeherald.com.au
Queenscliffe Herald, November 2014 --Page 13
Meeting the challenge
Local Jim Mason, aged 67,
arrived in Bentiu South Sudan 17
September where 40,000 people,
displaced last December by the
civil war, are taking refuge and
reliant on The United Nations
Mission in Southern Sudan for
security. Bentiu is located in one
of the world's largest swamps
and reaching the camp took Jim
several days flying via Nairobi,
Juba, Malakal and finally
helicopter to Bentiu.
Torrential rains have hit the
town and while Jim took rubber
boots, he really needed waders.
For most of August people were
living knee deep in floodwater
contaminated with raw sewage.
Many slept standing up, their
children in their arms, desperate
people removed soil from the
main levy bank to build houses.
Jim's challenge was to mobilise as many resources as possible
to drain the 1km x 1.5 km flooded
camp and hiss experience in civil
engineering was very useful in
getting the desired results.
Transport was just one of the
hurdles to overcome in getting the
necessary equipment to the town,
what to do when a pump has
arrived with no hoses, O rings
missing and how to replace them,
pads needed to be made to stand
the pumps on but the earthmoving machine has to be shared
with the military.
Within the UN 'protection of
civilians' site, there has been a
significant reduction in water
levels after a 2km drainage canal
was completed and drain-age
systems improved. There are still
Families in Bentiu, South Sudan constructed low mud walls around their
temporary houses to keep water out.
flooded areas, but most people's
shelters are now dry. The new
challenge is to plan for a major
solution to be implemented in
December when the rain stops.
Jim and his wife Lynne, 70,
have been involved in emergency
relief work for many years starting as volunteers in a Botswana
refugee Camp in 1987 during the
Apartheid Era. Jim completed a
Masters Degree in International
Relations and his wife Lynne
completed a Masters Degree of
International Development that
prepared them for living and
working in different cultures
including Afghanistan, Kosovo,
East Timor and the Philippines.
Lynne has distributed food in
Southern Sudan, in the area where
Jim is presently working, writing
courses and retraining water
engineers in Afghanistan in 2005,
and supported the UN drought
relief coordination in the Somalia
Region of Ethiopia in 2011.
For service to international
relations through humanitarian
assistance to people in developing
countries this amazing couple
were awarded AMs in 2008 and
are now members of the Order of
Australia.
Lynne and are passionate
environmentalists and have an
ongoing re-vegetation program on
their Marcus Hill farm, a
continuation of the work they did
in Birregurra in the 70's and 80s.
They are active members of
Lancare and Landcare and belong
to several sporting clubs in the
area.
Jim's work will be soon be
finished and he should be home in
four weeks but I don't think he will
be resting on his laurels for long!
When the pen is mightier than the sword
Several members of the Trinity Aid for
Refugees Group recently gathered for a letter
writing workshop focusing on the issue of
children in detention. Parliamentarians from
both major political parties were the
recipients of letters.
This followed a recent talk by Sr Brigid
Arthur on the same theme and an ongoing
collection of household products for refugees
from residents in Queenscliff, Point Lonsdale,
Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads.
Generosity
has its own
rewards
Queenscliff Lodge manager,
Nikki Cominie, happily reports
that the lodge's activity room is
now a fantastic place for the
residents to enjoy a new TV
unit complete with a new TV,
couch, Xbox console with
games, extra control and
connect device, a storage cube
and a table and chairs to play
puzzles and board games on.
"These items were bought
from funds raised at the
Lonsdale Women's Golf Club's
recent charity golf day," said
Nikki adding that the staff and
residents were very appreciative
of the club's generosity and their
decision to support the Lodge
this year with fundraising.
• Counselling/Life Coaching
• Reike
• Bowen Therapy
• Ear Candling
• Complimentary Health & Nuttrition
• Health Benefits Rebate Available
Dip. Remedial Massage, Dip. Reflexology, Dip. Counselling
Walking
Home
Saturday 8 November
' Wa l k i n g H o m e ' i s a n
initiative of housing workers
representing government and
private not-for-profit service
providers in the Barwon South
Western region who deliver
services to homeless people.
The walk begins in Queenscliff at the railway station and
proceeds 37ks along the Bellarine
Rail Trail to the Steampacket
Gardens, Geelong Waterfront,
for a free public event featuring
speakers and live entertainment.
Walkers can choose from four
distances, depending on your
fitness level and time available.
More information:
www.salvationarmy.org.au/getinvolved/Walkinghome/#sthash.rzUce3zu.dpuf
Flawless
Competition
For your chance to win a Beauty &
Wellbeing Gift Voucher describe your
favourite beauty treatment and why you love
it so much.
Email entries with your name and address
to info@flawlessbeautyconcept.com.au
Entries close Friday 28 November.
Oxfam
Book
Sale
Saturday
29 November
9am-1pm
Ocean Grove
Uniting Church
Cnr The Parade and
Eggleston Street
Huge selection of
new books - ideal
Christmas gifts!
Feel Fit &
Fabulous
while you have
Fun being
50+
Group classes
starting
Ring Kerry
Energy for Life
0414 581 670
Page 14 – Queenscliffe Herald, November 2014
BUSINESS
DIRECTORY
FLOORING CENTRES
War Service Memorabilia and the
Star of Glory
Don Gerling's long military
career, and those of other family
members, has provided the
background for Don's passion in
mounting military medals. His
father was a Colonel in the
Australian Army, his father-inlaw a Colonel in the British
Army and elder two brothers
served in the RAAF.
Don's started his military
career as a schoolboy cadet that
went on to include National
Service, Regular Army and the
Army Reserve that spanned thirty
nine years and nine months with
his retirement coinciding with his
65th birthday. Included in his
Regular Army service was a
posting as staff to Fort Queenscliff in the late sixties and early
seventies.
He became interested in
mounting medals when he
received two medals and on
inspecting their mountings, was
disappointed with the quality.
After receiving a third medal he
proceeded to remount them along
with his father's and brother's
medals and then for friends.
Don explained how the
different ribbons attached to the
medals have particular significance, they are not chosen 'out of
hand'. "Colours of the ribbons on
every medal are not just haphazard, they have a significance.
The Pacific Star for example has
the green of the jungle and the
yellow of the sand. The war
medal is red, white and blue and
the Australian 39/45 Service
Medal is blue and khaki," said
Don.
The medals are all mounted as
per specific instructions in the
Military Dress Manual and in
researching medals for mounting
Don has become a medal
historian. "I was doing some
medals for a lady and I found out
her husband a Brit had been with
the British Expedition Forces at
Dunkirk. So I came home and
looked up my book and found out
there was a Dunkirk Medal issued
by the French. So I mounted a
replica of that medal and
presented it to her."
"There is a considerable dmand for replica medals," said
Don. "A lot of replicas are being
asked for by families. You can't
split up the medals as it destroys
the whole concept and integrity,
so families are asking for a full
representative set of their dad's,
granddad's etc medals. Each
medal is different and replicas are
available for almost every medal,
at least in the British Empire."
The mounting ribbons come
from a supplier in Melbourne
who sources them from England,
New Zealand and Tasmania. One
of his more interesting recent
mountings was that of a replica of
a Victoria Cross set.
Throughout his career Don
has had various postings including overseas, it was during
one of these postings Don had
two unique experiences. While
stationed in England he went to
Spain for a holiday, riding a motor
scooter from London to Alicante
and while there, proved to be in
the right place at the right time.
He was enlisted to be an extra in
two movies. One of those movies
was the blockbuster classic
'Lawrence of Arabia' starring
Peter O'Toole.
"I was told they were sourcing
English-looking people to appear
as extras in Lawrence of Arabia.
They chose the location because
there were a lot of sand hills in
Alicante. Then a week later they
were looking for extras for 'The
Singer Not The Song' with Trevor
Howard and Dirk Bogarde," reminisced Don.
In the latter movie he appears
as a Mexican peasant sitting in the
gutter. He received fifty pounds
and lunch, for appearing in the
two movies, a considerable sum in
1962.
Since retiring from the military
he has visited Russia on three
occasions and it was his second
trip that was pivotal in the receipt
of another three medals. He was
made an honorary Cossack with
the rank of Lieutenant Colonel of
Don in the grounds of the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne.
Cossack and awarded their Star
of Glory. When the Grand
Duchess of Russia visited Australia and The Shrine of Remembrance, Don was invited to attend.
She planted a tree in the grounds
to commemorate the hundred
Russians that fought with the
Australians in the Australian
Army at Gallipoli.
During the same visit to
Moscow he visited a facility not
normally high on visitors' lists but
one of particular interest to Don.
"They asked me if I wanted to do
anything while I was in Moscow
and I said I would like to visit a
blood bank," said Don. "I visited
one of the large hospitals that had
its own blood bank and while
talking to the Director, he asked
me how many blood donations I
had made. Over 450 I told him.
He looked at me quizzically,
'More than 450?' he queried. I told
him 451. He placed his arm
around me and said, 'Come we
have vodka.' So we did."
On the occasion of his five
hundredth donation, the first in
Geelong, the milestone was
written up in a local Geelong
paper and he sent a copy to the
hospital in Russia. As a result he
was nominated for the Albert
Schweitzer Medal for Humanitarian Services as recognised by
the United Nations, which he
duly received.
Don has been donating since
he was eighteen and told how he
first became a donor under somewhat dubious circumstances.
"They informed us during an
army parade that the mobile
blood bank would be there that
day and anyone interested in
donating blood would be exempt
from duty for the rest of that day.
Those interested were to take a
step forward and everyone
stepped forward. At two o'clock
we were back on parade and
received congratulations for the
number of donations. Then we
were told that due to the high
number of volunteers we would
still be required for duty."
Don has rarely missed his
fortnightly plasma donation over
the past 62 years, and with his
latest donation his tally has risen
to 603.
Now a sprightly 80 and after
regular donations for 60 years,
Don bemoans the fact that due to
the rules, his blood donating will
be forced to end on his 81st
birthday. Perhaps when that time
arrives, Don should receive
another medal. It would be a
small reward for a huge contribution to the welfare of others.
Anyone interested in having
medals mounted or obtaining
replicas, full size or miniatures,
can contact Don via email
dngerling@dodo.com.au
By Denis Walters
Queenscliffe Herald, November 2014 – Page 15
Sea change for Benny Boy
THERE is a new kid in town,
albeit in his mid-thirties, and his
laconic character allows him to
gently slide under the mainstream radar. He's tall, very tall,
tanned, the sunglasses conceal a
genuinely kind face and he
doesn't so much swagger along
the boardwalk, but just goes
with the flow.
Turn the clock back to 1999
and the thought of soaking up the
sunshine beside the creek running
out to Port Phillip Bay, or
anywhere else for that matter, was
not on the horizon for heat
seeking Ben Ellis. Alone and
cruising out on a dusty country
road, breezing past a 100 kph sign
prior to the crest of a hill, he was a
bullet-proof nineteen year old
without a care in the world.
Metres later at the top of the
incline his world was shattered in
an instant, crashing head on into a
tractor. The car is smashed
beyond recognition, the bolts of
the drivers' seat have snapped and
the safety harness hasn't been
enough from stopping him from
wearing the full brunt of the
windscreen. Slowly regaining his
senses he is trapped in the
wreckage and the flames leaping
from the engine illustrated he is
no longer bulletproof.
Despite the unimaginable
confinement, he finds his phone
and makes his last call… to his
mum. "She knew something was
wrong instantly," Ben says. "I'm
calling to say I love her for the
final time."
It was touch and go stuff,
probably more go than touch, but
as the flames subsided from the
burning engine oil, the beginning
of a remarkable escape had
begun. With a shirtful of broken
ribs and various other bones bent,
Ben and Sophie at their café ‘Lix’ on Queenscliff Harbour.
Ben is removed from the car with
40 per cent of his face torn from
his skull. "It was life changing,"
the former concreter says.
Fast forward two painstaking
recovery years with a return to
strenuous manual labour out of
the question, Ben's employment
path does an about face and he
replaces the fluro shirts and
Blundstones with a shiny pair of
Florsheims and Armani suit as a
corporate career with new electricity giant Powercor beckons.
CRM is Customer Relationship Management, for those not
or terms with the new corporate
speak, and it is on an upward
spiral at the turn of the new
millennium. Ben is not only in on
the ground floor, but his skill set
almost takes him on an express
trip to the top.
With a fast growing reputation
for dousing fires and finding
resolutions to all number of
complaints on the doorstep of the
Ombudsman's office, Ben was
headhunted by the auto industry
to ensure the smooth launch of
the new look Mini. A stint with
BMW followed before a chance
phone call saw him transfer his
indentures across to Porsche
taking up a lead role within the
executive team.
It may have been the dream
job, but the there was still plenty
of work done between the international travel and taking the
More awards for local builders
Last month Nick and Allie
Barker from Ocean Grove took
out a Housing Industry Association award for their display
home, Dakota 237, in the
Oakdene Estate.
This month the husband and
wife team were finalists for the
Victorian Professional Builder of
the Year Award at the annual
Hotondo Homes national conference. Builders were judged on
a number of criteria - customer
satisfaction and service, quality
of homes built and attention
to detail.
Hotondo Homes Managing
Director, Michael Renwick, said
that given the tough competition
in Victoria, Nick and Allie were
standouts in their nominated
award category. "They are hardworking and passionate about
building homes to suit the lifestyle and budget needs of their
clients."
Nick, Allie and their team
build in Geelong, the Bellarine
MARINE SERVICES
Peninsula, Ocean Grove,
D r y s - d a l e, H i g h t o n a n d
Armstrong Creek. They pride
themselves on personalised
customer service and specialise
in house and land packages,
sloping blocks and split level
home designs that can be viewed
at www.hotondo .com.au
wheel behind a series of luxury
cars. "I drove a lot of nice cars at
various times, but the best was the
Porsche Turbo S, the 911, there is
nothing in this world like it, it
retails about 450 grand and it is
worth every cent," Ben said.
Just as he was enjoying the
corporate lifestyle and trappings
that come with it, another near
immovable object appeared on
the horizon, or more precisely the
Burvale Hotel, which will now be
remembered for more than just
Australia's longest bar.
Another life changer for Ben.
He unexpectedly met Sophie
McEwan as she was juggling
international travel with a career
as a highly revered Nanny for
some highly esteemed families
here and abroad. To cut a long
love story short, Ben and Sophie
are now partners, no rings, but
there is clearly a bond there that
can't be broken.
And the sea change that
followed earlier this year dragging
Ben out of the leafy eastern
suburbs to the even more picturesque Bellarine was not a
difficult decision. "I was always
destined to be my own boss so
when the opportunity arose to
buy into a business at the Harbour
there wasn't any turning back, or
regrets," he said.
The business was established
by Sophie's parents Rob and
Anne McEwan and the highly
popular café, ice-creamery, coffee
shack is one of the most successful on the strip. As everyone
knows, Sophie has such a good
handle on the business that it has
allowed her parents to step away
knowing the venture will continue
to run smoothly.
"The coffee shop has a lot of
similarities to corporate life… it
needs good people, good products, good customers service,"
Ben says. "Of course there are
obvious differences, but the core
business principles apply in both
fields. In any business customers
are a priority as are good product
and good conversation so we are
blessed to have such an amazing
location. I appreciate the efforts
of Anne and Rob made to make
this business what it is and they
have done a fantastic job. I think
Sophie and her mum are one and
the same, and a lot of people
come here to see them, but it just
so happens, the coffee is great," he
said.
By Peter Taylor
BUSINESS
DIRECTORY
RESTORATION
PRINTING & COPYING
THIS
SPACE
IS
AVAILABLE
MONTHLY.
FOR
ENQUIRIES
CALL
CARMEL
5258 4828
TREE REMOVAL
Page 16 – Queenscliffe Herald, November 2014
CHRISTMAS LUNCH BOOKINGS – 5258 1773 @ QUEENSCLIFF BOWLING CLUB – OPEN 7 DAYS
Staying safe and
‘Sail Past’ opens QLYC season
seaworthy on the bay
Happy Coast Guards
Ric Lasslett and Graham Douglas
recently attained their Certificate One
in Transport & Distribution Maritime
Operations. This makes them
'Competent Crew' in Coast Guard
speak. Their next challenge is working
toward a 'Coxswain Qualification',
Certificates One & Two in Marine
Operations. Involving Engine
O p e r a t i o n & M a i n t e n a n c e,
Navigation, Electronic Equipment
Operation, Safe Operation of a vessel,
Environmental work practices, etc,
etc. "It's a challenge," says Ric who
loves being a volunteer with the Coast
Guard. " But we have good instructors
and plenty of time."
If you are looking for Maritime
Skills we are always looking for new
members at Coast Guard. Drop in at
our headquarters near the Queenscliff
Boat Ramp any weekend or call
De puty Commander Graham
Douglas 0419 009 477.
Be Prepared
Last month I spoke about
preparing your boat for summer. So
let's look at operations for the 15 days
to the 18th of October. Queenscliff
Coast Guard was called to 6 assists
expending some 26 volunteer crew
hours. Our two Mercruiser engines
chewed through some 365 litres of
diesel fuel over 9.8 hours. Twenty
Persons were brought to safety and the
value of vessels assisted
approximately $252,000. The vessel
problems, 3 mechanical breakdowns,
2 flat batteries and one fuel blockage.
Most foreseeable and easily
prevented. Remember, if you
breakdown in a car you stay where
you are, break down in a boat and you
Ric Lasslett and Graham Douglas
showing off their new Certificate One in
Transport & Distribution Maritime
Operations.
may be taken wherever wind and tide
decide.
Help Us Fund a Replacement Boat
Don't forget we are aiming to
purchase a new upgraded boat as soon
as funds allow. So please come and
buy a raffle ticket when you see our
uniformed crew in the street or at local
markets. You could win a brand new
Toyota Yaris!
Boat Safety Seminars
To qualify for a Boat License
Certificate attend a Boat Safety
Seminar at Coast Guard Queenscliff
last Thursday evening of each month.
Details/bookings Gary Tomlins 0409
380 359
Don't Drink and Boat
.00 limit (YEP ZERO) for skippers
under 21 years of age and under .05
for skippers over 21.
Until next month, stay safe on the
water and be seaworthy before you go
out!
Ric Lasslett - Coast Guard
Queenscliff
CHICKEN
MINI ROAST
$4 each
CHICKEN
PIN WHEELS - $2 each
BUTTERFLY
CHICKEN - $15.00 each
TASTY PATTIES
$8.99 kg OR
10 for $6
AWARD WINNING
Cabana, stras
and boneless ham
are always available
ALL YOUR NEEDS
ALL YEAR ROUND
Fresh quality cuts &
good old fashioned
service every day
FULL RANGE
OF QUALITY
HOME MADE
SNAGS
82 Hesse Street, Queenscliff
Phone: 5258 1742
FREE DELIVERY IN QUEENSCLIFF & POINT LONSDALE
Queenscliff Lonsdale Yacht
Club's ‘Gala’ Opening Day celebrating 100 years of sailing beginning in the 1890s becoming the Swan
Bay Boat Club in the early 1940s
with a subsequent name change to
'Queenscliff Lonsdale Yacht Club'.
The Club had its own pier in Swan
Bay and boasted a thriving dinghy fleet.
It was the home of the 'Pup' dinghy
built and sailed by many founding
members over the years. As Swan Bay
began silting up the lack of depth
became a real challenge and changed
the way we conducted sailing activities.
Today the club has an active, diverse
fleet of Keel Boats, Couta Boats, Multi
Hulls and Dinghies, Sail Boards,
Kayaks and Canoes. Bellarine Secondary College and the YMCA operate
their sailing/canoeing programs from
the club and children from the Cottage
By The Sea visit frequently.
Club members were delighted with
the refurbished building, boat yard and
grounds with marine themed 'creations'. "Rebuilding the sea wall, relaying the concrete apron and two boat
ramps was a huge achievement by
many hard working volunteers," said
Commodore Jill Golland.
Open Day celebrations included the
unveiling of a commemorative plaque
by the Club's Honorary Life Governor,
Jack Golightly, and a 'Sail Past' of club
boats and other water craft.
"Sail Pasts are traditional on Yacht
Club Opening Days but no one can
recall when this last occurred on Swan
Bay in recent decades and will become
a regular feature on Open Day," said
Jill. "In keeping with the vision of our
founders, we trust that our efforts as
custodians will consolidate QLYCs
unique place in the history of
Queenscliff and ensure that sailing in
Port Phillip Bay prospers for the
benefit of future generations."
Lonsdale Golf Club Residential Estate
Lonsdale Golf Club President John
Calnin turned the first sod in the club's
new residential development on 10
October. "Club members are excited that
construction work on Stage 1 of its
residential estate has commenced after a
long planning approval process," said
John. "And two lots have already been sold
and there is strong interest in the
remaining lots."
Stage 1 consists of 12 lots in Gill Road
which will be upgraded and sealed to
current council standards.
Club President John Calnin, Club Manager
Colin Fraser and Redevelopment Chair Ross
McKenzie 'turning the first sod' at Gill Road, Point
Lonsdale.
Maritime &
Collectables
Market
Sunday 2 November
9am-1pm
Treasures of all kinds
- books, memorabilia,
bouys, marine motors
and parts, model
boats, anchors,
prints… something
for everyone!
Queenscliffe
Maritime Museum,
Wharf Street
Queenscliff. Entry $6.
Children free.
FISH AND CHIPS
TAKE AWAY FOOD
FRESH LOCAL SEAFOOD DAILY
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
PHONE ORDERS WELCOME
Queenscliff: 4 Gellibrand Street – 5258 2334
Clifton Springs: Jetty Road – 5253 1821
TYRE CENTRE
• Large range of popular brands
• Fleet Vehicles - most major companies
can be accommodated
• Computer wheel alignments
• Computer wheel balancing
• Seniors discount available
Phone 5255 5611
16 MARINE PARADE,
OCEAN GROVE
(off Grubb Road)