Where are Rosebud’s statues?
ROSEBUD only had one history board, the one located outside the shop that has been a fish and chip shop for some time and was the first purpose-built post office under private ownership before the Commonwealth bought land east of Jenning’s Model dairy near McDaid’s hotel (until recently known as the GPO HOTEL). It was about the meeting tree, a landmark and possibly planted in 1907. The history board has deteriorated and is useless to indicate Rosebud’s rich heritage.
Rosebud built heritage is virtually non-existent. The Rosebud Fishing Village on the foreshore could not look more suburban, in contrast to Beach Street in Queenscliff where its fishermen settled. Land across the beach road was described as being in Wannaeue (parish name) and was mainly farm land. West of Wattle Rd, the only farm homesteads remaining as far as Chinamans Creek are 19 Mitchell Street (whose history has been poorly documented) and David Cairns’ Eleanora in the hospital grounds.
Gone are Hindhope Villa (50 First Avenue) and the homestead of The Thicket whose entrance from Boneo Rd was named The Drive. On the south side of Eastbourne Rd the homestead of the Wannaeue Station (on the east side of the entrance to Olympic Park) is gone while the Eastbourne homestead in William(s) Crescent is a shadow of its former glory when it was occupied by Sidney Smith Crispo and then the family of Edward Williams. The only other surviving homestead a bit farther west in Terry St, and in immaculate condition, is Woyna House. Can we thank the shire for its survival? No! Thanks must go to Mark Bruechert and his wife.
Credit must go to the active members of the Rosebud Chamber of Commerce who initiated the wooden statue project and Fred Gregory’s son who probably researched the information for the plaques on the statues that he carved, so that the business history of Rosebud could be told.
Mornington Peninsula Shire, where are the wooden statues of Fred Gregory (whose statue was supposed to be relocated to the Memorial Hall, his chemist shop on the east corner of Fifth Avenue now having been demolished), and of Mitch Lacco (which was bound in yellow tape, presumably to be put in the shire’s custody and hopefully not to be dumped in the tip)?
Ratepayers with an interest in history aren’t concerned about which architect designed a building, so our money spent on heritage reviews is wasted unless it promotes the knowledge of Rosebud’s pioneers. Lift your game, Mornington Peninsula Shire.
Ray Gibb, Rosebud
Tribute to Leigh
On behalf of the Save Sir Reg’s Wedge advocacy group, we want to extend our deepest condolences to Jane and family. Leigh was a pillar of strength to the Save Sir Reg’s Wedge team. He matched our passion and energy to protect our environment and was always willing to help. He generously and patiently supported us with a detailed knowledge of the way council operates, an encyclopaedic knowledge of planning law, and the fact that he knew almost everyone.
We will miss seeing that twinkle in his eye when he knew he was fighting the good fight! He was tower of strength and courage, fearless and tireless. His humour, service and integrity are irreplaceable. We feel lucky to have known him and he will be sorely missed.
If we try to take a positive from our sadness, it’s that Leigh reminded us to be grateful for each day. We wish that when we saw him last, we knew it would be the last time we saw him.
Our whole community owes Leigh their thanks for his dedication and hard work. However, the main thing we would have thanked him for, is the reminder to be grateful for every day and every person in your day. Thankyou Leigh.
Leanne Ennis, Save Sir Reg’s Wedge
Staunch and generous
Warm thanks to the The News for your generous tribute to the dear departed Leigh Eustace, and for running the picture of him in his Save our Green Wedge t-shirt (‘Integrity’ steered the way for environmental campaigner, The News 14/10/25).
For about a decade, before and after his time on council, Leigh was a leader in campaigns to save the Mornington Peninsula Green Wedge from inappropriate and over-development. I met him at an impromptu meeting of residents on the Mount Eliza clifftop to resist an application to build several mansions on the Norman Lodge land. In this he/we worked with Alan Hunt, the late former Minister in the Hamer Government that introduced the Green Wedges and with residents in Mount Eliza.
Leigh went on to serve as a delegate for the Green Wedges Coalition for more than a decade, but Mount Eliza issues were closest to his heart. He/we went on to work against applications to develop the Moondah Mansion and George Vowell sites for residential development in the form of retirement villages.
While we were unlucky to be allocated pro-development VCAT Members and hence lost both of these cases, neither of these approved inappropriate developments has begun construction. There may still be hope for a more appropriate Green Wedge use.
Another former fellow councillor, David Gibb, credits Leigh with “prosecut(ing) the case at VCAT to prevent Tully’s, on Moorooduc Highway, becoming a liquor outlet”.
Vale Leigh, a staunch and generous community advocate.
Rosemary West, Green Wedges Coalition
Rates notices?
How many ratepayers haven’t received their rates notice for this year? Apparently quite a lot, but has there been any communication from Mornington Peninsula Shire Council about the delay. Absolutely not. So much for openness and effective communication by our council. What is the delay and when will we receive them?
Also council’s policy that during daylight saving dogs must be on a leash at beaches is a farce. Already numerous dogs are regularly running loose on beaches and as in past years council rangers are missing in action. I have only seen one ranger at Safety Beach in recent years when they got out of their vehicle, perused the beach, ignored dogs running loose and drove away. What a waste of signage if it is not enforced.
E. Chapman, Safety Beach
Solar makes sense
Kudos to the Repower Mornington Peninsula and Australian Conservation Foundation groups for offering free information sessions about solar panels and home batteries (Solar and batteries – is now the time?, The News 14/10/25).
As positive news about solar, batteries and electric vehicles continues to roll out, now is definitely the time to invest. According to the Grattan Institute, those with renewable energy powered, all-electric homes and vehicles, will, on average, pay less than half what we do today for our energy needs by 2050.
Australian houses with solar panels are also valued at an average of $23,000 more than those without.
Energy bills down, home value up – solar makes sense.
Amy Hiller, Kew
Doing council’s work
You have to hand it to Repower Mornington Peninsula. Despite the council’s recent decision to ditch its climate action plan, Repower pushed ahead with a community information session for residents, securing funding from outside the shire (Solar and batteries – is now the time?, The News 14/10/2025).
In other local government areas, councils themselves are leading efforts to cut community emissions. The City of Yarra’s “Home Energy Upgrades” pilot, for instance, offers subsidies of up to $3,000 for concession card holders to install solar panels, reverse-cycle heating and cooling, heat pump hot water, draught sealing, or insulation. In Boroondara, the council backs the annual Electrify Your Life Expo.
When the Mornington Shire’s climate plan won the Cities Power Partnership Ambition Award in 2021, director Dr Portia Odell said, “Mornington Peninsula’s Climate Emergency Plan boasts an ambitious science-based target for corporate and community emissions and outlines clear, ambitious actions that council will take to achieve its goals. It’s a great example of a plan that is forward thinking, aligned with the science and outcome-focussed.” It’s a huge pity that residents have now lost their council’s support for meaningful local climate action.
Ray Peck, Hawthorn
What’s in a name?
I often wonder why certain contributors to these pages prefix their names with the title “Dr”.
A common European parlance this prefix indicates “Teacher” so one wonders what these doctors are doctorates of. Is its use intended to intimidate us ignorant plebs who don’t use titles or is it intended to impress us with the superiority of their opinions? It implies the holding of a university degree of some sort without recognising the fact that holding a university degree does nothing more than prove that one has passed an exam.
For every scientific expert opinion thrust upon us in support of a point of view there is at least a similar number of equally qualified experts who hold a contrary view. Frankly, I am more impressed with the common sense, down-to-earth and detailed comments of contributors like Joe Lenzo who rely on facts and pithy assertions rather than theoretical generalities. My view on climate change is that it is just a scam and does not exist. In normal parlance it is called “the weather”.
Barry James Rumpf, McCrae
Sullivan’s Bay
Leaving aside the question of whether the local aborigines, some of whom had six months earlier treacherously attacked crew members of the “Lady Nelson”, would have been willing to share information with the new intruders, I refuted the assertion made in Annie Mono’s previous contribution to these pages that the 1803 settlement at Sullivan’s Bay would not have failed had the settlers sought the advice of the locals by pointing out that Collins had decided on arrival that the place was unsuitable and had camped there only until permission was received to move to Van Diemen’s Land.
Apparently unaware that about a month after arrival HMS Calcutta had gone further up the bay to take on fresh water, Mono now asserts that the settlers were unable to find sources of drinking water that had been known to the original inhabitants for “over 60,000 years”. (Treaty will unite, Letters 14/10/25).
The fact is that there are no “small creeks, streams and natural springs” in the Sorrento area. There were, however, swamps that would presumably have provided water for the wildlife and the few dozen indigenous seasonal visitors to the area.
Mono next seeks to justify the compensation of a self-identifying group of Victorian citizens for the unacceptable treatment by some of their ancestors of others of their ancestors by the creation of powerful taxpayer-funded political bodies open exclusively to members of the said self-identifying group. She believes that members of this group are able to produce “more economically efficient” solutions to problems than are other citizens. And then she claims that this “will not divide or give special privileges” to that group!
Albert Riley, Mornington
Peace? For how long?
Two years after October 7, Palestine has become a graveyard of failed strategies. The “peace” treaty is a farce! How many peace treaties do we need before it becomes obvious that Israel will find a “reason” or create a false flag event to violate it? Few of the 20 points have been “agreed” to and there is much squirming room for Israel to claim Palestinians have violated it and then restart their campaign of genocide.
Just wondering if the real agreement was not to get hostages back, get Palestinians back to their destroyed homes to look for their dead buried under the rubble and then when they are densely consolidated, initiate a cost reduction initiative to kill more people per bomb than before.
Then the Trump family can make a few more billions while creating his “Gaza Riviera” with his sycophant billionaires benefiting in a forever tax free venture. I hope I am wrong, but history tells us differently: There is no shortage of failed peace plans in Palestine, all of them incorporating detailed phases and timelines, going back to Jimmy Carter. They end the same way. Israel gets what it wants — in the latest case the release of the remaining Israeli hostages — while it ignores and violates every other phase until it resumes its attacks on Palestinian people.
Peace? Israeli occupation forces shot and killed a Palestinian civilian Sunday evening in the Ma’an area east of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, amid ongoing violations despite the declared ceasefire. Israeli soldiers torched food, homes, and a critical sewage treatment Plant in the wake of ceasefire announcement. Israel has warned Palestinians in the occupied West Bank against celebrating after prisoners were released. Israeli forces distributed fliers warning that “anyone who participates in such activities exposes himself to punishment and arrest.”
Joe Lenzo, Safety Beach
Barley-Charlie@89
One small lump, positive, suddenly colliculi head and shoulders? Does the brain send messages to the rest of the body, surely fear?
Music, “Fairytales”, The Pointer Sisters, Elvis “A Fool Such As I”. Simplicity, born of brainwashing, or censorious by nature?
Dinosaurs walked on planet Earth (apparently?) 70 million years ago. Reflecting, my one second appearance in the scheme of things.
Eventually, colliculi (imagination) replaced, serenity welcomed. As is Donald, trumpeting his worth, seconded (no surprise) by our Albo, equally his orders to Jim Chalmers, superannuation plan, yet another push for love, adding to self love?
Susan Ley’s 18% Gen Z vote; none the wiser; to dictionary? But wait, the sheep are out in force, cheering Sir Donald, good as it stands, assuming all prisoners are released, the bigger question (as always) why?
Add in (again) Albo, suspiciously dangerous (muzzled, on a lead?) like Donald, only half the story, changes to FOI, not to mention CSIRO science funding cuts.
Sadly it’s goodbye to legal cigarettes, the latest price rise beyond my pension; on the lookout, an illegal shop?
Add in costly repairs, stress; Two in five homeowners neglect regular maintenance, a result of our Mornington Peninsula Shire disbanding our handyman services? From the diaphragm. Just saying…
Cliff Ellen, Rye
