CARRUM Downs artist Jaq Grantford’s portrait of a actor Noni Hazlehurst has won the People’s Choice Award in this year’s Archibald Prize. The win marked Grantford’s first time as an Archibald Prize finalist and her work will be on display with 56 other portraits at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery from 15 September to 5 November. Events being held at the gallery to align with the Archibald Prize: The gallery’s cafe partner Commonfolk will serve coffee and “seasonal tucker”. The Archibald Prize 2023 will be on display at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Civic Reserve, Dunns Road, Mornington from 15 September to…
Browsing: Feature
MEMBERS of the veteran community came together with family and friends at Dromana Cemetery on Thursday (3 August) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War. A vigil was held at the graveside of Michael Poole, of Dromana, one of 523 Australians who died in Vietnam between 1962 and 1973. Poole, who was killed by a landmine explosion in 1967, served with the fifth battalion. More than 3000 Australians were wounded in the 11-year conflict and the Dromana service was one of hundreds held around the country as communities reflected and paid tribute…
IT’S well known among equestrians that being around horses can have a therapeutic effect on mental health, but there are also a range of physical and social benefits that come with riding these beautiful animals. The coordinator at Riding for the Disabled Peninsula, Jenny Stidston, says the program is helping riders gain confidence, and at the same time improving their coordination, balance, muscle development and communications skills. “RDA helps to enrich lives through specialised programs and a relationship with horses, and it can be very helpful for people with a variety of physical and intellectual disabilities,” she said. Stidston says…
A LETTER from the new King and Queen of England was a highlight for John Rees’s 100th birthday last week, which he celebrated at Corowa Court residential aged care in Mornington. Ress, pictured with his wife Gail, daughters Megan Saunders, Jenni-Lee Rees and son David, is a popular resident at the centre and enjoyed celebrating his special day with family, friends and staff members. First published in the Mornington News – 8 August 2023
HASTING’S resident Melissa Stevens’ life could have had a vastly different outcome if not for the openness of her employer, The Hastings Club, to employ someone with a recognised disability. The 46-year-old has low lung capacity, a side effect of the autoimmune disorders she lives with and struggles with shortness of breath and fatigue. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to work. The opportunity to get back into the workforce has given the hospitality worker a new lease on life, new friends, new energy and best of all, new-found confidence. Stevens had previously worked in the cleaning industry for…
THERE’S lots of good learning at Hastings Primary School, but fun is also on the agenda. On Friday (28 July) the school held a maths Olympics to get students engaged and help them see the fun side of improving their numeracy skills. School council president Hannah Mendelson said the Olympic event ran all day and was one example of the education-focussed fun events being run at the school. “We are doing many exciting things this term, and we love to share some of the great things about our school with the wider community,” she said. First published in the Western…
A GIFT from an anonymous donor to Ambulance Victoria has seen an extra 20 automated external defibrillators installed across the Mornington Peninsula over the past two years. The AEDs are located at sporting clubs, community group venues and individual properties. Ambulance Victoria acting area manager Metro 10, Jo Wilton, said the donation was a significant health boost for the peninsula. “Every day, around 20 Victorians suffer a cardiac arrest and only one in 10 survive,” she said. “Minutes matter in cardiac arrests and when a patient receives CPR and a shock from an AED before paramedics arrive, the person’s chance…
RED Hill South and Sorrento have won silver and gold medals in their respective categories at this year’s Victorian Top Tourism Town Awards. The Victoria Tourism Industry Council awards highlight tourism businesses and the value they bring to their towns and communities in regional destinations across Victoria. Thursday (27 July) night’s wins confirms that Sorrento and Red Hill are popular for such things as their natural beauty, dining and accommodation, outdoor activities and art. Sorrento will now represent Victoria in the Top Small Tourism Town category at the national awards. Red Hill South’s entry in the Top Tiny Tourism Town…
THERE were smiles and tail wagging all round on Sunday morning after emergency services saved a pet dog that had fallen over a cliff at Cape Schanck. In a rescue operation that involved multiple services, including Boneo and Rosebud CFAs, FRV Rosebud with support from Dandenong, and Sorrento SES, Lola the dog was successfully retrieved from a cliff ledge 15 metres from where she fell. The dog’s owners said they had been visiting the area on Saturday afternoon when their pet broke from its leash and went over the cliff edge. It was a tense night for the family, as…
YOU could say whisky in in the McIntosh family’s blood, in more ways than one. Apart from enjoying the odd winter-warming tipple, former financial advisors Stuart and Naomi McIntosh ventured into new territory with a giant leap of faith in 2013, turning to an old family tradition – whisky distilling – to forge new careers. Just a few years later, their love affair with single malt whisky has grown and their own Somerville-made whiskies are getting noticed around the world. The McIntosh family’s Chief’s Son Distillery had won many awards since they began 10 years ago, with the most recent…
THEY can be cuddly, cute and charismatic, but also one of the country’s most contentious animals. Through no fault of their own, tens of thousands of homeless cats and kittens run wild in every corner of the country, hungry and homeless, and left to survive on their own resources. However, a Mornington Peninsula volunteer-run animal welfare group is making inroads in the battle to rehome unwanted cats and litters, increase desexing rates and educate the community about responsible pet ownership. Peninsula Cat Rescue president Sarah Beamish said one of the group’s main missions was to find homes for the hundreds…
JOIN volunteers and Mornington Peninsula Shire Council representatives at The Briars, Mount Martha on Sunday (30 July) for the annual National Tree Day planting. This year trees will be planted in the expanded sanctuary area in preparation for the reintroduction of locally extinct species. The Ark Program at The Briars aims to bring locally endangered and extinct species back to the peninsula. To return species to the site, the council’s conservation team has eradicated rabbits and foxes and is working with recovery groups across Victoria to confirm which species will be included. The mayor Cr Steve Holland said the return…
MORNINGTON Peninsula’s first ever Small Business Festival is right around the corner, with an exciting calendar of events in store. The month-long program consists of a blend of practical and hands-on workshops, networking events, training sessions, inspiring presentations and more. The festival’s theme of Connect. Grow. Achieve speaks to the driving force behind the initiative which is to support small businesses and foster a business environment for learning, connecting, upskilling and knowledge-sharing. The festival aims to energise businesses with new, inspired ways of thinking and shine light on innovative solutions needed for an evolving business landscape. Businesses are encouraged to…
THE inaugural Mornington Peninsula Small Business Festival is predicted to “inspire and upskill small peninsula businesses”. Mornington Peninsula Shire says the festival held throughout August “will boast inspiring presentations, engaging activities and practical workshops on topics such as staffing challenges, sustainability, marketing, financial advice and so much more”. “The curated program has been developed by the shire, with events run by the Shire as well as expert agencies including Small Business Mentoring Service, FMP Jobs and Skills Working Group and Chisholm,” is one of the unattributed quotes in a shire news release. “Small businesses are welcome to ‘pick and mix’…
FOREST Fire Management is looking for people who are keen to work outdoors, learn new skills, and help protect the community and the environment. Applications are now open for project firefighter roles at nine locations in Melbourne’s north, east and the Mornington Peninsula, including Rosebud, Knoxfield, Olinda, Greenvale, and Powelltown. “These fixed-term positions are a fantastic opportunity for people from all walks of life, who are physically fit, to get out in the bush, protect our region from bushfires and help manage public land,” Forest Fire Management’s deputy chief fire officer Tamara Beckett said. New recruits would be involved in…
IS V-Nick a babysitter or a mother? A photograph of the dolphin known as V-Nick to the Dolphin Research Institute with a new calf has raised the two possibilities. Jeff Weir, the Hastings-based institute’s executive director, said last week that “future surveys with more images” would help determine V-Nick’s role in the calf’s upbringing. “The success of mothers like V-Nick is crucial to the survival of her community of dolphins. This is special because V-Nick is common dolphin number one in our catalogue,” he said. Weir has also announced that the institute’s Future Generations Appeal raised “a fantastic” $52,637, exceeding…
By Pat Lawson-Black “IT was about 22 years ago,” says Mark Pitman.” I was washing the car and my hand just stopped dead.” His wife, Lizzie Bloom, smiles and adds a little colour to his sentence: “Mark’s a real rev-head. He loves his bikes and cars.” So, when his ritual Saturday morning car wash was interrupted so rudely, the couple knew it was time to head for the doctor’s surgery. And that’s how they found out – Pitman, who was then in his mid-40s, was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease. “Parkies” is a tricky thing to nail down. There…
THE Southern Women’s Action Network (SWAN) meeting on Sunday (16 July) will feature speakers on the topic Homelessness on the Peninsula; the hidden epidemic. All women are invited to attend and there is no need to book. SWAN meets at Mount Martha House starting with morning tea at 9.30am with the meeting starting at 10am. Speakers will be Belinda Rodman and Kara Van der Heyde from Southern Peninsula Community Support, are at the coalface of this issue. Mornington Peninsula Shire was this week set to consider asking the state government to amend planning laws so councils can approve secondary dwellings.…
POINT Leo Surf Life Saving Club is one of two clubs chosen to follow a pilot program to reduce energy use and carbon emissions. Point Leo and North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club are the first clubs in Australia to follow the new emission reduction program, Zero Positive. The program is predicted to save costs for clubs and offer “tangible solutions to monitor and reduce carbon emissions” and ultimately lead to all Surf Life Saving Australia clubs achieve net-zero emissions. Financed by the Surf Life Saving Innovation Fund, the program will allow the not-for-profit clubs to use energy cost savings…
CANCER patients on the Mornington Peninsula will benefit from enhanced support services at The Bays Hospital in Mornington, after breast cancer survivor Barbara Clough raised $7500 through a fundraising event at Lifestyle Bittern retirement village. Clough donated the money to The Bays specialist breast care and prostate cancer nurses to support patients who are living with breast and prostate cancer or who may receive a cancer diagnosis in the future. “I thought it would benefit our local area because we’re going to have a lot of people needing that service,” she said. The money has been used to buy a…
LEELA Subramaniam dropped a commerce and law double degree studies to follow her heart and is now an award winning junior sous chef. A family tragedy made Subramaniam, of McCrae, think about what made her happy during the second year of her Bachelor of Commerce/Law studies. She had worked in hospitality since the age of 14, and decided cookery was her calling. “I was actually already working as a cook and I really enjoyed it,” she said. “I immersed myself in my work and it kept my mind occupied. It was kind of therapeutic.” Subramaniam began a Certificate III in…
TWO ill pelicans cared for by Rye wildlife rehabilitator Brenda Marmion were recently released and then recaptured with help from the Westernport Pelican Study Group. The birds, which were found in a garden and on the beach at Tootgarook, were initially taken to Newhaven, Phillip Island where it was thought they would have a better chance of joining a flock. However, they were recaptured when it was realised they were not thriving and have now been sent to Phillip Island Nature Park for further rehabilitation. Once released, the birds will be monitored to see how they move around. Gary Matthews from…
HAND therapy practitioners are campaigning to raise awareness of their role in restoring hand function following a workplace injury. Safe Work Australia statistics show that the wrist and hand were the most common injury site at 38 per cent of all work-related hospitalisations in Australia. Hand Therapy Week from 5-11 June will shed light on the advanced practice of hand therapy and the practitioners leading the way in assessing, diagnosing and treating upper limb injuries. The Australian Hand Therapy Association and 1000 practitioners across the country will educate the community about their ability to help patients with burns, scars, fractures,…
THE federal government has announced it will give $500,000 towards a “community battery” at Flinders to store and distribute electricity from household solar panels. If successful, negotiations under way between Mornington Peninsula Shire, Flinders Zero Carbon Community and Yarra Energy Foundation will see the shire assume ownership of the battery and pay $30,000 for site preparation works. The federal grant from the Community Batteries for Household Solar Program, will pay for the battery and its installation. Adoption of the plan by the government and shire follows three years of work by Flinders Zero Carbon Community, including holding community forums and…
SOUTHERN right whales have returned to the bays and seas surrounding the Mornington Peninsula after spending summer feeding in sub-Antarctic waters. The southern rights, the only whales to calve in Victorian waters, arrive to give birth and raise their young from May to October. The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action said cows and their calves had been spotted at Flinders, Cape Schanck, Rye, while unaccompanied adult whales had been reported in Port Phillip. The Dolphin Research Institute said over the past month there had been a “huge growth” in whale sightings reported through PodWatch (270 per cent) on…
TEN years ago, Luke Cooper was having trouble finding a convenient and affordable way to dispose of old mattresses when he was struck with the realisation there was a gap in the market that he could fill. But even better than filling a need, was the fact that he could create a business that was actually good for the environment by keeping tonnes of components out of landfill every year. It was a slow and costly process to build his dream, but 10 years later the former mattress salesman’s mattress and furniture recycling company Bedrecycle is one of the Mornington…
MELBOURNE grandmother Jacqueline Wilson has been reunited with one of the Mornington Peninsula paramedics who saved her life after she suffered a stroke one year ago. On June 5 last year the then 55-year-old suddenly collapsed in the driveway while on a supposedly relaxing weekend away in McCrae while caring for her disabled cousin. When she regained consciousness, she was unable to talk or move her right side. Wilson said her main concern was the wellbeing of her cousin whose motorised wheelchair had tipped, causing her to fall. Her husband, Bill, said luck was on their side that day as…
MEN are a hot topic in Mount Martha this month, with Bentons Square Community Centre celebrating the 12 to 18 June Men’s Health Week with a new program called Voice Male. The theme of Men’s Health Week is healthy habits – focusing on encouraging men and boys to build healthy habits by identifying small changes they can make that benefit their health and wellbeing. The community centre’s Voice Male program aims to give men the opportunity to chat, socialise and listen to guest speakers in a relaxed social setting. Program coordinator Ian Easterby said the program would give men the…
STUDENTS, volunteers and the community can now help protect the environment through hands-on opportunities to monitor the health of waterways and wildlife at the Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park. Water Minister Harriet Shing last week officially opened the South East Water Discovery Lab at the Pearcedale sanctuary. The new education centre was made possible through the support of South East Water’s annual community grants program, which has so far provided $230,000 to 50 community groups across Melbourne’s south-east. The South East Water Discovery Lab provides ongoing water quality testing to preserve the health of Langwarrin Creek, which flows through…
HASTINGS Coast Guard captain Jeremy West has etched his name in CFA history, becoming the first deputy group officer to be elected in a coast guard-brigade associated group. Joining the management team of the Western Port group, West will begin the role on Saturday, 1 July. “It’s the first time since we’ve established the Coast Guard Brigades that we’ve had representation at this level within the CFA and it’s going to be really beneficial moving forward,” West said. “I’m looking forward to bringing more of a focus to inter-agency services and showcasing the diversity of emergency situations that we respond…