THE Portsea Camp may be needed more than ever with young people reporting that their mental health deteriorating since the outbreak of COVID-19. But the camp needs community support to keep the doors open. The camp, near the beach in a bush setting, was established in 1946 as a non-denominational and registered charity governed by a board of directors. Since then, it has provided a holiday for more than 75,000 children. Chairman Mark Betts said the camp’s role was to provide community and charitable services to at-risk children and their carers – predominantly children with a range of neuro-diversities, LGBTQ+,…
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THE number of artists along the Peninsula Studio Trail has almost doubled to 34 during lockdown. Regular open studio weekends and the group’s annual exhibition have been replaced with one online exhibition, which runs until 12 December. While in lockdown the artists have produced a range of works, painting, printmaking, ceramics, drawing and sculpture. Not all the artists have work in the exhibition, but their work can be seen on the website on each artist’s page. All works can be bought directly from the artists through the website. The exhibition is at: peninsulastudiotrailinc.org First published in the Mornington News -…
PREPS at St Thomas More Primary School, Mount Eliza, were planning to spend a big part of their first day back after lockdown yesterday (Monday) reacquainting themselves with their classmates. Principal Martine Verhagen said the 12-week break must have seemed an eternity for the 33 youngsters in their first year of school. “They will spend time sharing, chatting and reconnecting with each other as well as some learning today,” she said. “We have dressed up and hung balloons to help build up a sense of wellbeing and belonging among them. We want to show them how excited we are to…
SOUTHERN Peninsula Community Support CEO Jeremy Maxwell says a “huge thank you” to the Sorrento Boomerang Bags team for its $2000 donation to the centre. The team raises money by hand-making and selling reusable bags with the dual aim of reducing the amount of plastic in the community and raising money for community causes, such as Southern Peninsula Community Support. “These guys have supported us over a number of years and are great contributors to our community,” Mr Maxwell said. “As CEO I find it inspiring to have people who are so committed to helping their community that they find…
A TYABB family whose world “fell apart” when their son was diagnosed with cancer says support from their school was the “shining light” that helped them through. Miller Reid, who is being treated for a rare cancer of the spinal cord at Monash Children’s Hospital, has received strong backing from St Joseph’s in Crib Point, which included raising more than $3200 on his behalf for children’s cancer charity My Room. Miller’s parents, Jessica and Chris Reid, said since July last year, when Miller was diagnosed, the family has “been through what can only be described as hell and back”. But…
THE 2021 AFL Grand Final will never be “over” for Rosebud sisters Lizzy Peel and Janet Foote. The mad keen Demons fans are still daily reliving every exciting moment. “Janet and I were ecstatic with Melbourne’s win [against Footscray] and becoming 2021 premiers,” Ms Peel said last week. “We have followed them all our lives but never got to see the previous premiership in 1964 as we were too young.” That all changed on the last weekend in September, when the sisters sat together and watched their heroes walk tall. “We have been celebrating ever since,” Ms Peel said. “On…
WOMEN wanting to head outdoors, improve their fitness, or who are craving some well-deserved “me” time may enjoy the free Walk 4 Wellbeing – an eight-week focus on recovery, self-care and reconnection that started last Saturday (2 October) and ends Sunday 28 November. Participants will be joined by an online community of like-minded women who are ready to get away from being overwhelmed, recover from the impacts of lockdowns and re-energise for the start of 2022. Women can join the event no matter where they are. Everyone’s journey is different, so participants choose their own experience by selecting their distance…
MORNINGTON Mermaids were tooted, cheered and clapped as they took part in the Olivia Newton-John Wellness Walk last week. Setting off from Lilo Cafe, Mornington, at 11am, wearing masks and socially distanced, they walked along the Esplanade, through Mornington Park and down to the end of the pier, Sunday 26 September. They returned up Main Street to Barkly Street and home to the cafe for a “well-earned coffee”. Organiser Jacky Howcroft said the walk raised more than $300 on the day boosting the online total to more than $2100. “We dressed in different coloured tutus and took along our Mornington…
IT WILL be “tickets please” from a real station when the old Cheltenham railway station building is erected at Mornington Railway Preservation Society’s base at Moorooduc. The 140-year-old timber structure was recently trucked down to Moorooduc in flat-pack form where it will be assessed in detail before being put together to join other historic pieces of railway infrastructure on the site. The preservation society’s president Andrew Swayne sees it as an “absolute landmark project” that will provide a missing link in the station’s redevelopment. “We couldn’t even get the old station from Mornington,” he said, referring to the line which…
“KOALAS on the Mornington Peninsula are under threat and in order to protect them we need to understand them.” So says Kelly Smith, from Federation University, who is conducting a genetic study of the Mornington Peninsula koala population. The peninsula forms part of the Gippsland plain bioregion that extends into South Gippsland, including the Strzelecki and Wilsons Promontory bioregions, which contain a remnant koala population of special significance because of its high genetic diversity, Ms Smith said. “Prior to European settlement in the 1800s koalas were interconnected across the entire Gippsland plain, but are now separated by extensive areas of…
KOALAS and other native animals were treated to specially prepared meals last week to celebrate Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park’s 20th anniversary. The dreams of a young Michael Johnston were able to turn into reality when the sanctuary was established by the Johnson family on 10-hectares of what was a farm and pony club at Pearcedale. Now it is home to more than 400 animals representing 70 species. However, while the koalas at the sanctuary always receive special treatment there are fears for the safety and survival of those in the wild across the Mornington Peninsula. Loss of habitat and…
BENTON Junior College, Mornington, is testing the power of flowers to “bring the community together”. The school’s front fence is being used as a base for a spring flower art installation, named Flower Ville in recognition of the Spoon Ville sites that appeared during 2020. “We chose flowers as a celebration of spring and the uplifting power they have on people,” visual art teacher Michele Marshall said. “We have invited our school community to contribute a homemade flower and attach it to the fence over the school holidays.” Ms Marshall urged other schools to establish Flower Villes as a “simple…
THE chance sighting of a missing item poster near the beach at Canadian Bay set off a train of events that ended with a happy ending for a Mount Eliza couple. On the poster were photographs of a lost wedding band that had slipped off its owner’s finger while he was out paddling in front of the boat ramp, Wednesday 8 September. The man, who is not being named as he is suffering serious health issues, was distraught at the loss and his wife set about printing the posters in the hope the ring would be found. Enter Mount Eliza…
REBECCA Fraser, of Mount Martha, has been awarded $1000 in money, bookstore vouchers and a two-week Police Point artist’s residency after her story Due South won the 18 years-plus category in the Mayor’s Short Story Writing Awards. The tale is about a Tasmanian widower, Franklyn, who rebels against his daughter’s plan to deposit him in a retirement home on the mainland and, instead, packs up his cat and rows “due south”. “Franklyn wants to maintain charge of his own destiny,” Fraser said. “He reminds us that we have our own paths to follow.” She said it was a “thrill to…
MOONLIT Sanctuary, Pearcedale, celebrates its 20th anniversary this week, and what better way to celebrate a birthday than with cake? With lockdown in place, it is the animals’ turn to celebrate on Friday, 17 September. Keepers will be serving up “cakes” for koalas, dingoes, wombats and emu to mark two decades of bringing people and wildlife together. “The animals are in for a real treat”, life sciences manager Lisa Tuthill said. “Whether made of sweet potato, meat or insects, birthday cakes can serve as a great source of nutritional and behavioural enrichment.” Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park grew from the…
JULIE Saunders earned the Mornington Peninsula 2021 Citizen of the Year Award partly for her role in cooking, packing and delivering three-course meals to around 60 needy households every Wednesday. She and a group of dedicated volunteers made 1200 meals which were delivered to mainly older residents during the COVID-19 lockdown. Ms Saunders also acts as an IP, or independent person. This voluntary position administered by the Department of Justice involves making herself available 24/7 to assist 12-17-year-olds who have been arrested. When a parent or guardian is not available an IP sits with that person to help them through…
AN epic experience on this year’s Great Vic Bike Ride is just what Dromana cyclist Rose Benton needs as she eases back into the sport after a break. Benton is tackling her first Great Vic Ride: the nine-day Ride the Art Silos and the Grampians, Saturday 27 November to Sunday 5 December. The 537-kilometre route is being billed as an “exceptional mix of scenery, art on a grand scale, wildlife, wineries and the awe-inspiring Grampians National Park”. The 37th ride will start in Rainbow and progress through Rainbow, Brim, Horsham for two nights, Halls Gap for two nights, Dunkeld…
THE historic timber section of Flinders pier may yet be saved from demolition after Heritage Victoria accepted a nomination to include it on the Victorian Heritage Register. Heritage Victoria will now undertake a statutory assessment to determine whether the whole foreshore precinct “demonstrates state-level significance”. The pier’s nomination, by Flinders District Historical Society, seems to have had an immediate – and welcoming – effect. Save The Pier Campaign organisers say it will “at the very least ensure an independent evaluation of the significance of the pier by heritage council and delay any action/decision on demolition”. Parks Victoria, which had previously…
MORNINGTON’S Afghan Marcopolo Restaurant last week had an “overwhelming” response and raised $8680 to help those in desperate need in Afghanistan. Proprietor Nadir Shakoor said customers had jumped on board the campaign after he explained that due to the war-like conditions in the country, many people had been displaced from their homes and had little to eat. “As Afghan Australians my family took refuge in Australia after going through a lot of difficulty getting here and I cannot imagine what the Afghan people would be going through right now,” he said later. He asked customers to place their orders as…
GETTING on in years, but still active, this male koala was recently released at Frankston Nature Conservation Reserve where he will “live out his time” in his favourite gum tree. Animalia Animal Rescue’s Michelle Thomas said the “old boy” was brought in for a check-up after being found on the ground by a walker concerned that he was staying in the one place and not moving around as much as he should be. “There was nothing wrong with him, though”, Ms Thomas said. “He was happy and healthy. “Koalas are in every reserve and they are always on the move.”…
SCARECROWS have always been associated with taking care of food crops and numbers of a much friendlier version, carecrows, are popping up across the Mornington Peninsula. A peninsula-based Carecrow Club formed during the state’s sixth COVID lockdown is urging householders to make and display a carecrow in their front yard to lift spirits and provide support for mental health. “It is hoped that the Carecrow campaign will lift our spirits, offer a sense of fun and community for all, and is not intended to be a competition,” Heather Forbes-McKeon, of McCrae, said. The carecrows can be made from anything around…
THE 100 Meals on Wheels volunteers who deliver up to 1600 meals a week on the Mornington Peninsula were honoured on National Meals on Wheels Day, Wednesday 25 August. Mornington Peninsula Shire acknowledged the dedication, commitment, and resilience of the volunteers who over a year collectively travel 125,000 kilometres which is equivalent to a trip around Australia. “National Meals on Wheels Day acknowledges and celebrates the tremendous impact our Meals on Wheels volunteers have on our local communities,” the mayor Cr Despi O’Connor said. “I thank our local volunteers for their passion and time.” The shire acknowledges that the Meals…
TO an outsider it may look like a group of friends getting together and sharing sandwiches on the foreshore at Rosebud. And while it’s true that there is a feeling of welcome and no shortage of kind words, these twice-weekly get togethers are full of purpose and highlight a part of what life can be on the Mornington Peninsula. People sleeping rough on the foreshore or experiencing other kinds of homelessness are participating in the southern peninsula shower and laundry program (SPLaSh) at Rosebud on Mondays and Thursdays. The program at the foreshore allows them to shower, do their laundry,…
MUSICIANS and other performers who have done it tough over the past 18 months can see a spotlight at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel with plans for an artist’s hub and performance space at Main Ridge. The driving force behind the project is Mornington Peninsula Music Network president Heidi Luckhurst, who also leads the Frankston Music Community Network. “I feel as though it is my obligation to spread the voices and concerns of what I hear directly and pass it on,” she told The News last week. “Musicians, entertainers and venues are struggling. Hospitality is struggling. I’m sure the…
IT would be fair to say that without COVID-19 Brett Sutton would be able to walk down the street unnoticed. That is not the case anymore. Never has a state’s chief medical officer been such a highly regarded, recognisable figure. His almost daily appearances on TV news bulletins alongside Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and references to his advice have made Professor Sutton a familiar figure (and voice) to anyone following the progress of the pandemic. St Andrews-based artist Vicki Sullivan was casting around for a subject to paint for this year’s Archibald Prize when a friend suggested Prof Sutton. “I…
Mornington couple Erin and Fay Alexander will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary next week. “There won’t be much happening on 2 September, though,” Mr Alexander said, tongue-in-cheek, referring to restrictions imposed by the extended COVID-19 lockdowns. “We had planned 80th birthday celebrations in October last year but they were scrubbed; hopefully we will be all right this time.” The Alexanders, who have lived around Mornington since 1974, met and married in Sydney in 1961. Erin was from the Latrobe Valley and Fay from Tamworth, NSW. “Dad was a Navy man and loved it and he encouraged me to join and…
COLOURED ribbons will be tied on the chain link fence on the Esplanade at Mornington Park to mark year’s World Suicide Prevention Day. The is held to raise mental health awareness as well as acknowledge those that have been lost to suicide. This year’s theme, Creating Hope Through Action, is a reminder that there is an alternative to suicide and that the actions of individuals, no matter how big or small, may provide hope to someone who is struggling. Preventing suicide is often possible and community is a key player in its prevention. Organiser Rebecca Tyler said, “our community can…
TWO Mount Eliza men are taking adventure racing to a new level as competitors in XPD events. XPD is expedition-style adventure racing in which international teams of four hike, mountain bike, and kayak for three to six days over all types of terrain, usually far from medical assistance. Racing day and night over a 500 kilometre course they push themselves to the limits of their endurance – just for the thrill of competing. Under race rules all team members must complete all sections of the course and they must never be more than 100 metres apart. Courses are inspired by…
IN these times of lockdown and restrictions designed to prevent the spread of COVID, it is nice to know that nature continues its merry way. This echidna was out and about late last week (as was legally entitled photographer Yanni) foraging for food, and no doubt enjoying the relative quiet, at Flinders. Not adverse to taking advantage of the situation, the echidna (an egg-laying mammal) made good use of the steps down (or up) the steep cliff. It would be fair to assume that the species, estimated to have evolved 20 to 50 million years ago, has weathered some changes…
UP to 12 people a week are getting a free hot lunch and dessert at the Holy Trinity Hastings Anglican Church hall. The meal, dubbed Trinity Tucker, is served between midday and 1pm every Tuesday, with the doors opening at 11.30am. No bookings are necessary. The service has been running since the start of May, with the church paying for the meals with the help of donations from local businesses. Volunteers from the church are preparing the food for those doing it tough, in need, or just lonely and who want to meet new friends. “Church Warden Sandra Gould, the…