AFTER 48 years, Manyung Gallery has moved from its original home in a faux Tuscan castle on Nepean Highway to a shop in nearby Mt Eliza Village. In addition to this “boutique” gallery, directors David and Sharyn Wemyss-Smith have opened an art warehouse in Progress St, Mornington to house and display larger artworks. They also offer a mobile service, delivering artwork for on-site assessment at homes and offices. The Wemyss-Smiths also have “art spaces” at Sorrento, and Malvern. “We’ve found more and more that people want a hero piece in their home accompanied by smaller complementary artworks. This space allows…
Month: July 2016
THE seat of Dunkley remains in Liberal Party hands by a narrow margin with Chris Crewther elected as its federal MP to represent the area in Canberra. A 4.2 per cent swing to Labor with 77 per cent of votes counted by last Friday was not enough to overcome a 5.6 per cent margin held by retiring Liberal MP Bruce Billson at the 2013 federal election. “I am very humbled by the result achieved by the Liberal Party in Dunkley and would like to thank the community for the honour and responsibility they have placed upon me by electing me…
RETIRED science teacher John Inchley is heading a team of voluntary researchers monitoring the health of Balcombe Creek which enters Port Phillip at Mt Martha. Mr Inchley is the driving force in BERG Mt Martha’s Waterwatch group, which has recently brought high E-coli levels, invasive plants and phosphorous contamination to the attention of health officers. The creek starts as a trickle near Baxter and meanders 20 kilometres through farmland, parks and near residential areas before flowing through The Briars wetlands and wildlife sanctuary into Balcombe Estuary and eventually into the bay. Mr Inchley and his assistants, retirees John Rawlins and…
THE Mt Martha House management committee has joined Mt Martha Tennis Club in opposing a skatepark being built on the parade ground near the tennis courts at the corner of The Esplanade and Dominion Rd. Mornington Peninsula councillors included $800,000 for the skatepark in their latest budget and successfully negotiated approval from Heritage Victoria before being told the site is leased to the tennis club. The club is opposed to the skatepark being built next to its tennis courts and now the committee that manages nearby Mt Martha House has also announced its continuing opposition to the site. Committee chairman…
MORNINGTON Cycling Club has named a scholarship after popular member Joel Hawkins who was tragically killed while riding along Nepean Highway, Dromana, in June last year. Club president Bruce Trew said the under-19 scholarship would this year go to Sam Turner, 16, a young cyclist who embodied the same outstanding qualities and values as Joel Hawkins, and who is seen as a rising star in the 80-member club. The awarding of the scholarship followed a gathering of family and friends at the site of Joel’s “Ghost bike” memorial near Ponderosa Place on 18 June – one year after the fatality.…
PHENOMENA of the Sky. What is called an annular or ring, like an eclipse of the sun, will occur on the morning of the 30th of July. It will commence at two minutes past eleven. Nearly 94 per cent of the sun’s disc will be covered by the dark body of the moon. To persons living on a slightly curved line extending down from the head of Spencer Gulf in South Australia down through the neighbourhood of Hopetoun and Colac in Victoria, crossing Bass Strait, near the Eastern end of King Island to Davenport and Hobart in Tasmania, it…
The Hachem Group ALL IN FOR CHARITY poker event is coming to the Mornington Peninsula. Superstars from the sports and entertainment worlds including World Champion Poker player Joe Hachem, Brendan Fevola, Bryce Gibbs, Campbell Brown, Sam Greco, Wayne Carey, Marc Murphy, Robert Dipierdomenico and Brad Sewell along with some of the worlds best Poker players will compete in the Poker Tournament at Mornington Racecourse. Hachem Group ALL IN FOR CHARITY poker events are renowned for red carpet, bright lights, high profile celebrities and non stop entertainment. After recent successful SOLD OUT events in Geelong and Etihad Stadium, the Mornington Peninsula…
Chocolate Starfish, one of Australia’s most successful bands of the 1990s is back and sharing the stage with iconic rock singer Swanee & the hottest young rock band in the country Place of the King. Chocolate Starfish released two albums in the 90’s both smashing into the ARIA Top 10 and received gold and platinum sales awards. The band was also responsible for six Top 50 singles including the smash hits “You’re so vain” and “Mountain” (both ARIA Gold singles). Starfish was Australia’s hardest working band in the ‘90s playing more than 700 gigs between 1993 and 1997, once doing…
PENINSULA LEAGUE MT ELIZA has breathed some life into the MPNFL Peninsula Division competition with a comprehensive victory against Frankston YCW. The Redlegs put a stop to the 25-game winning streak of the Stonecats, whose last loss coming into the clash was against Mornington in round seven last season. After defeating Mt Eliza by almost 100 points at Wooralla Drive just six weeks ago, it appeared that the Stonecats would go through the season undefeated. Just nine points separated the sides at the major interval before the visitors booted eight goals to two in the second hour to win 14.13…
NEPEAN LEAGUE SOMERVILLE is back in the MPNFL Nepean Division premiership race after a superb four quarter performance against Sorrento. Backs against the wall and staring down the barrel of missing out on finals had they lost, it was all on the line for the Eagles. Coach David ‘Budda’ Hirst put it on his players before the match that they needed to lift, especially some of the ‘big name’ players who had been horribly out of form. Those players responded. Ben Crowe was a match winner with five goals, Tim McGennis had more than 20 touches, Scott Simpson beat Nick…
A Safety Beach woman had her licence immediately suspended last night after blowing a more than six times over the legal limit. Rosebud police conducted a patrol of the Dromana area after being notified of an erratic driver about 8pm. As a result, they intercepted a female driver as she allegedly attempted to leave a shopping centre car park and drive onto Pt Nepean Road. The 47-year-old Safety Beach woman was conveyed to the Rosebud Police Station where she underwent a breath test which returned a reading of 0.320 per cent. The woman’s licence was immediately suspended and her car…
Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate 12-month-old Beau Lachmund. It’s believed Beau is currently in the care of his parents, Dean Lachmund and Brooke Billing, whose whereabouts are unknown. Police have concerns for Beau’s welfare and would like to locate him as soon as possible. It is believed the trio are travelling in a fawn 2001 Ford Forte stationwagon with Victorian registration RES705. They have been known to sleep in their vehicle around the Mornington Peninsula and Frankston areas and they have limited access to money. Investigators have released images of Beau’s parents and a similar car…
CONTRACTORS were yesterday (Monday) removing incorrect no-trespassing signs on Somers beach. The signs had caused concern among regular beach users, but it seems they were meant to warn of danger further inland not on the beach. The signs, put up by HMAS Cerberus on 30 June, are 1.7 kilometres north-west of the 100 steps, below the high water line and above the low water line in the tidal zone. The warnings could have affected elderly activity groups, bird watchers, joggers and dog walkers who regularly use the foreshore. Beachgoer Barry Hodder, of Bittern, said he had been exercising at Somers…
NEARLY three years after the brutal murder of Hastings jeweller, Dermot O’Toole, three justices of the Court of Appeal have dismissed an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions against the leniency of the jail sentence handed down to his murderer, Gavin Perry. Also dismissed was Perry’s application for leave to appeal the severity of his 27-year sentence. This leaves the sentences in place after the appeal hearing of 20 July last year, and an 11-month deliberation by the three justices. “We were very disappointed with the outcome”, Trent O’Toole, one of Dermot’s sons said. “The justices acknowledged it was…
SHOPS in High St, Hastings, are being urged to use a green theme in their windows to mark the murder three years ago of Dermot O’Toole. A candle vigil will also be held on 12 July. Mr O’Toole was stabbed during a robbery of his High St jewellery shop by Gavin Perry, who was convicted and sentenced to 27 years’ jail. An appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions over the leniency of the sentence were dismissed by the Court of Appeal last week. The family wanted his sentence lengthened while Perry was seeking a reduction. Perry, who was on…
A LEADING state government environmental monitoring agency is playing down about erosion on Mornington Peninsula beaches. Alarm is mounting over the loss of sand at several beaches, including McCrae, with claims that sand loss is due to weather and the deepening of Port Phillip shipping channels. Paul Millsom, of McCrae, has accused authorities of ignoring the threat and not doing enough to protect the coastline (“Bay beaches face diminishing returns”, The News 28/6/16). Port Phillip Baykeeper Neil Blake echoed Mr Millsom’s fears, drawing on data that suggests the increases in tide heights are substantially greater than predicted by consultants’ reports prepared…
ON the last day of June strong north winds again drew crowds to Mornington harbour, with some taking to the water to surf or to go sailboarding and others braving the spray from waves while walking along the pier. Photographer Gary Sissons moved from the pier and beach to Schnapper Point where he found Steve Wells and his daughter Jessica, from Somerville, standing knee deep in foam. The resulting photograph could have been taken on a snowy mountaintop, except for the stormy sea backdrop. First published in the Mornington News – 5 July 2016
GARDENERS using nets to protect fruit trees are unwittingly causing the painful and illegal deaths of wildlife every year, says a Mornington Peninsula wildlife carer. Michelle Thomas, from Animalia Wildlife Shelter in Frankston, says sugar gliders, possums, flying foxes and birds are often cruelly trapped in nylon netting and cannot chew or fight their way out. Instead they face an agonising and slow death as they struggle, often breaking limbs and suffering stress and exposure in the sun. Ms Thomas, a registered wildlife carer, cares for up to 3000 animals annually, from as far as Brighton to Portsea. She wants…
THE sprawling Mt Eliza campus of the Melbourne Business School is being marketed to overseas buyers, with its private beachfront access and buildings expected to fetch as much as $20 million. The school is selling the 8.9 hectare Kunyung Rd property, partly due to falling interest in regionally-based business courses and a plan expand the school’s Carlton site as a “world-class centre for business education”. MBS media manager Emily Fear-Gook said the “landscape” for business education had changed since the 1980s when the school moved some of its courses to the peninsula after merging with the Mt Eliza Business School.…
A LARGE section of the Mornington Village shopping centre’s air conditioning unit fell into the Woolworth’s store, Sunday last week, causing more than $100,000 damage. The return air conditioner duct weighing up to half a tonne broke free from its mounting in the ceiling space and crashed onto shoppers’ checkout points around 9.30pm. It has been suggested a blade in the fan dislodged, unbalancing the unit, and causing sufficient vibration to send it smashing to the floor. The store had closed half an hour earlier and there were only about half a dozen high staff on duty. “It could have…
THE father-in-law of outgoing Dunkley Liberal MP Bruce Billson had complaints to the Australian Electoral Commission about alleged “misleading” union and Labor Party flyers handed out at polling booths dismissed by the independent electoral regulator. Arthur Ranken, the father of Mr Billson’s wife Kate, wrote to the AEC on 22 June demanding “election material” including posters and flyers urging voters to “put the Liberals last” and “vote to save Medicare” be immediately removed from Dunkley polling booths ahead of the weekend 2 July federal election. Mr Ranken did not disclose his Liberal Party membership or former official party office bearing…
A MARATHON eight-week election campaign has led to the narrowest of margins in the seat of Dunkley despite the Liberal Party declaring victory on election night. Liberal candidate for Dunkley Chris Crewther was jubilant on Saturday evening when addressing supporters at an election function at the Frankston Dolphins Junior Football Club. He said “a team effort” had got him over the line, after the departure of retiring Liberal MP Bruce Billson, against a challenge from Labor candidate Peta Murphy. Mr Crewther’s confidence in declaring a win seemed well-placed at the time with election night pundits on TV calling the seat…
Heartbreaker country and folk music coming to Cube 37 @ Frankston on Friday 22 July at 8pm. Having been programmed in The Melbourne International Arts Festival, The Brisbane Powerhouse World Theatre Festival, The Darwin Festival,The Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Falls Festival,The Famous Spielgeltent and supporting the likes of Clairy Browne and the Banging Rackettes, Tinpan Orange and Harry James Angus, Miles and Simone are a much loved Australian musical duo. They are dear friends and have been for quite some time. Both Actors and musicians by trade, they met during a production of Summer of the 17th Doll and have been…
It’s a dream, it’s a shadow, it’s a spectacle. Frankston Arts Centre and ATA Allstars Artists bring you the exhilarating Shadowland from world-renowned Pilobolus Dance Theatre. This astounding combination of musicality, projected images and acrobatic dance choreography is daringly dramatic and hugely comedic. The thrilling visuals transform the human body into metaphorical themes before your very eyes. A global sensation, Pilobolus, has been experienced by over a half-million people and was featured on The Academy Awards, Ellen and Oprah. This imaginative Pilobolus creation celebrates the extraordinary power of darkness and its ability to illuminate who we really are. It’s more…
NOT content with doing it once, McCrae sailor Mark Bulka has been named Victorian Male Sailor of the Year for the second time. And he’s a worthy winner having recently won the 2016 World Championships at Santa Cruz, in the United States for the second time in a Contender yacht. But that win was only part of his success, after an amazing run over the past two years Bulka also won last year’s Dutch Contender Championships, came second in the 2015 Contender World Championships, also in Holland, came second in the Kiel Week Regatta, Germany, came first in the Festival…
A FOOTBALL match was played at Frankston on Saturday last, between the locals and a team from Naval Base, a collection being taken up in aid of patriotic funds. The day was cold and showery, which mitigated against a large attendance. The game was pretty evenly contested, and resulted in a win for the visitors by 3.9 to 2.9. *** THE Presbyterian services throughout this district will be conducted on Sunday next by the Rev. G. Carson, of Mornington, the local Moderator. The sacrament of the Holy Communion will be dispensed at each service. The services are advertised. ***…
PENINSULA LEAGUE BONBEACH is starting to flex its muscles in MPNFL Peninsula Division and is starting to make a statement. While all the talk surrounds Frankston YCW and who is going to challenge, the Sharks are emerging as a team that seems to be getting things together at the right time. In what many considered to be a 50-50 game against Seaford on Saturday, the Sharks hammered the visitors to the tune of 32 points, 15.8 (98) to 9.12 (66). Bonbeach has now won six of its past seven matches after losing the opening four games of the season. In…
NEPEAN LEAGUE Even a seven goal last quarter couldn’t help Devon Meadows steal a win against Dromana in MPNFL Nepean Division on Saturday. Trailing by four goals at three quarter time, the Panthers stormed home in the final 30 minutes, albeit never hitting the front, only to fall just short, 15.11 (101) to 14.13 (97). It was Dromana coach Rikki Johnston who proved to be the difference between the sides, booting six goals in a best on ground performance. Rated one of the best defenders of all time, Rikki J has booted 17 goals since swinging himself forward against Tyabb…
SOCCER By Craig MacKenzie FRANKSTON Pines returned from the Latrobe Valley with a precious point on Saturday as it bids to avoid relegation from State 1 South-East. The Monterey Reserve side earned a 3-3 draw against Morwell Pegasus in dramatic circumstances ending this catch-up fixture with nine men. Pines central defender Nick Lekakis and goalkeeper James Laminski were unavailable due to holidays but the side was bolstered by the midweek captures of forwards Josh Calle from Langwarrin and Naseer Mohammad from Casey Comets. Ioasa Saemo took up a central defensive role alongside Ben Caffrey while Calle partnered Mathew Hames up…
JAN Dance is determined to turn the tragic death of her sister from motor neurone disease into a story of faith and hope. Her sister Sue Whyte died in 2011, four years after being diagnosed with the illness. Jan says the diagnosis, when Sue was 54, was hard to accept, as her sister was a “beautiful soul” who was adored by many. “I was her younger sister and I can say we never ever had an argument, she was just a beautiful person and was always kind,” she said. Jan and her brother Jeff did all they could to stay…