Elpho Info

Elphinstone has certainly been a hive of activity lately, with much more to come. There was the Elpho expo back in May, the schools 150th with Food and Wine Festival in November ... and now the pub is opening, finally, in December.

December 2013 Volume 60

Community Newsletter for the Elphinstone, Faraday, Sutton Grange and Metcalfe districts

Summer: BBQ weather ... finally

The Elphinstone Hotel to re-open 14th December

Meanwhile, a new Elphinstone Progress Association has started meeting, hoping to develop a group that any residents can turn to if they have a great idea that needs funding, or an issue that needs a community group behind it to get traction with council. If youre interested in being part of this group, whether that be casually or as an active committee member, please come along to the next meeting which will be held at the pub - yes at the Elphinstone Hotel - on Tuesday 3rd December at 7:30pm. As the hotter weather arrives, watch out for snakes - there have been many spotted around Elphinstone already.

Chris and Mani, new publicans at the Elphinstone Hotel amidst the renovations
By way of introduction (for those who have not yet had the chance to meet us) we are Chris and Mani. We are a local couple with a young family who made the move to Elphinstone almost 3 years ago. We brought with us Heidi and Harrison, and Madison and Seth. We knew that we would love this pretty part of the world and the gorgeous property that we found as soon as we saw it. We were delighted that the community had a lovely little school, a friendly pub, and a handy post-office/store. We were devastated when a fire shut the pub down. So when circumstance brought us in contact with the landlord and we got talking, unexpectedly we found ourselves with the opportunity to re-open the hotel. That was in late September, it is now December, and we very much in the midst of preparations for the opening. At present these preparations include replacing the bar room and lounge floor, plaster boarding walls, painting both the interior and exterior, putting in a brand new bar, mowing, repairing fridges, cleaning, cleaning, and cleaning, not to mention the business side of re-opening a hotel. However there is much more planned for the future. A new commercial kitchen is to be installed not too far down the track and with this a fresh dining area and a new menu. We aim to make the Elphinstone Hotel a friendly and relaxed atmosphere for everyone in the community, with great live music, interesting art, great food, room for the kids to play, a good selection of both beer and wine. We are currently busy planning for the opening party which will be a super fun day of music, dancing, eating and drinking, and lots of laughing. Please join us on the Saturday the 14th of December to celebrate the re-opening of The Elphinstone Hotel. Also, there will be live music on New Years day and the Castlemaine Lyons Club Santa Run will be finishing at the hotel on Xmas day at 11.30am with lollies and icy poles for the kids.

The Elpho Info can be read online: http://elphoinfo.blogspot.com.au/

Fiona Gatt (editor)

Elphinstone Primary School

Wright Street Elphinstone 5473 3285 elphinstone.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au www.elphinstone.vic.edu.au

Past students and teachers from Elphinstone Primary School, on the occassion of the 150th
150th Fair/Food & Wine Festival What a wonderful day we had on Sunday 10th November. The weather held out and we had a great turnout of past students and staff covering many decades of teaching and learning at Elphinstone Primary School no. 220. There are so many people to thank I couldnt possibly fit them on this page! To all of our parents and friends thank you for helping out either on the day or in the lead up, in particularly Lisa Wright who steered the 150th committee with dedication and commitment. Without Lisa driving the event it would not have taken place. Thanks to our school council and a group of past teachers and students including Jan and John Pollard, Gary and Heather Pollard and Russell Timmins. Thank you also to Sandra Blamires and Heather Morrison who organised the food and wine component of the festival. Lastly a big thanks to our teachers Daniel and Nina who put a lot of time and effort into preparing for the big day. You can keep up to date with happenings at the school with the newsletter: http://elphinstoneps.wordpress.com/

Adults and kids alike enjoyed the races

Brendan Stewart, Principal

The sun came out and the rain held off

Elpho Info

December 2013

A message from our councillor

how council meetings are to run, there are challenges in the form of questions of clarification, alternative motions, foreshadowed motions, urgent special business and so on, as well as unruly members of the public gallery to be kept in line. And this is really just the tip of the iceberg. The mayors diary is managed by the CEOs personal assistant, which means that he or she is informed The statutory meeting of council which events theyll be attending on November 12th was the occasion each day of the week. While there at which councillors elected a is the option to say no, a diligent major for the next 12 months, and mayor tends to fulfil as many appointed councillors to local hall engagements as possible launches and recreation reserve committees of projects, openings of places and and councils advisory committees. events, representation of the Shire Councillor Michael Redden was at regional and State Government unanimously returned as mayor for functions and forums the list is another 12 months. In addition my effectively endless. Im expecting fellow councillors did me the honour that Ill be able to assist Cr Redden of electing me to the position of in this aspect of his role, and stand deputy mayor. in for him when hes double-booked, Mount Alexander Shire Council or needs to spend time on Ward hasnt had a deputy mayor before, matters, or simply take a break. so why now? I must admit to having In addition to my new role, flashbacks to the black-and-white Ive kept my position as council TV westerns of my childhood, representative on several special to when trouble was brewing, committees of council, including the usually in the form of an outlaw Elphinstone Facilities Committee. gang arriving in town. The sheriff This group of community-minded quickly pins a gold star badge on citizens look after the Elphinstone the hero of the show, and off he Recreation Reserve, the Hall and goes to sort out the baddies. As Sawpit Gully Reserve. Like other day dreams of riding a horse down so-called section 86 committees the centre of Barker Street, gold (named after clause 86 of the Local star emblazoned on my chest took Government Act that governs their hold, I had to remind myself that formation and activities), these my new role is rather different. volunteers meet in their spare time Councillors recognised that the job to deal with matters affecting the of mayor is very demanding. Not local public halls and reserves that only just he or she have to maintain we all take for granted. The Act good communications between declares that meetings of Section 86 councillors, as well as with the CEO, committee have the same status as senior staff and the community, council meetings, in that they make there is the weekly meeting to chair, decisions on councils behalf. Each alternately council briefing and decision must have a formal motion, public council meeting. with mover and seconder, and voted Chairing a council meeting is an on. The committee secretary must exacting task. Strict protocol must record minutes of proceedings, be followed, with the rules of formal which are confirmed at the following debate adhered to. As councillors meeting and copy sent to council. become more familiar with Local For my part, I attend these meetings Law number 1, which governs as councils representative ( termed ex officio ). I dont have a vote but I am called upon at times to advise on how best to approach an issue, or to undertake communications with the town hall on behalf of the committee. These meetings give me an important window into the local communities that make up Coliban Ward, which is why Im usually happy to turn out in the evening to attend a meeting in Elphinstone, Taradale, Chewton, Metcalfe or, in 2014 Barfold for the first time. Barfold can be a bit of a navigation challenge from Taradale on a wet, dark winter night, but Im sure the route will become familiar with time, as will another group of community-minded people, working away in the background to keep our public facilities in good condition and available for everyone to use. You can contact me on 04660 04628 or email: Coliban@mountalxander.vic.gov.au

Christine Henderson

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Mark Gardiner
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Elpho Info

December 2013

Elphinstone Fire Brigade

The Elphinstone Brigade was pleased to participate in the recent 150th anniversary celebrations of the Elphinstone Primary School. It was wonderful to interact with the community members past and present, and also a great opportunity for the kids to sit in and explore one of our trucks, the Elphinstone Tanker 2. We also had some balloon and sticker giveaways which were a big hit amongst the younger set. Recently the Elphinstone Brigade was successful in obtaining a State Government grant, under the Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program (VESEP) which will see our roller door at the side of the Fire Station automated to enable remote control access. This will be more efficient than the rather cumbersome chain driven manual operation which we have presently.

Tracey and John help out a visitor to the Wesely Hill market
purchase of a device. I had the pleasure of accompanying John at the stall and apart from learning a lot, it was great to see the problems resolved by John whilst helping the Brigade at the same time. More than $600 was raised and it was a very satisfying result both for us and those who received the assistance. A big thanks to John for his dedication and commitment to the cause. hand to assist with questions which the community may have. It is great to see the amount of fire preparation works going on in the district currently, and remember it is never too late to start cleaning up.

The Wesley Hill Market fundraiser held by the Brigade recently was very successful. For five Saturdays in August the Brigade was offered a stall by the Committee for the purpose of fundraising. Rather than a sausage sizzle or wood raffle, a new idea was formed with the Brigades Lieutenant John Gatt offering his time and computer advice in return for a small donation to the Brigade. This had people queuing up with their laptops, tablets, PCs and mobile phones to take advantage of Johns expertise and approachable, helpful advice. John assessed each individuals needs and was able to carry out on the spot adjustments to devices, or offer valuable assistance to guide people contemplating

Speaking of cooking, please do not leave cooking unattended as this is a major cause of house fires and only takes distraction for a few moments to allow a pan on the stovetop to Our Fire Ready meeting is coming up ignite. A fire blanket in the kitchen can be a handy tool and prevent on Sunday 15th at 10am and once further spread of the fire after again we hope that the community initially turning off the heat source, if will support this event, and stay on safe to do so. for a cup of tea and cake with the Brigade members afterwards. Fire Also, with electric clothes dryers, preparation is something that you can never learn too much about, and please ensure that the lint filter is regularly cleared. even if youve attended numerous times you can still take home some small snippet of information or gain Wishing you all a fire-safe summer, greater understanding after each Tracey Franze, Secretary one. Local members are also on

NEXT EDITION

Articles and advertising for the March Elpho Info are due by Friday 15th February 2014. Email your articles, photos, jokes, etc to gattfiona@gmail.com The Elpho Info is compiled and edited by Fiona Gatt, using a template designed by Beth Melleck. Gill at the shop is the contact for billing queries. Elpho Info is a member of the Community Newspapers Association of Victoria.

Elpho Info

December 2013

Well done Elphinstone Primary School

Energy Breakthrough For the second year in a row, students from the upper grades at Elphinstone Primary School competed in the RACV Energy Breakthrough competition. The competition sees schools from all over Victoria, and some even from interstate, race a human powered vehicle for an impressive 14 hour period. At the time of writing, final results were not in but it looks as though the proud Pud team got ninth place, which is a fantastic achievement for such a small school. Another component of the competition is that the teams have to present their design to a panel of judges and the Elphinstone Primary school got SECOND PLACE! What a wonderful effort from the students, and the teachers and parents involved.

Tired but happy teammates at the end of the race

Innovations We also entered a team in the Crafty Design Challenge where the students had to plan, design, construct and test a water craft capable of travelling 9 metres carrying a full soft drink can! Our design included generating power from lemons and a small solar panel (below). Fiona Gatt

The award-winning presentation in progress

Wright Street Elphinstone 5473 3285 elphinstone.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au www.elphinstone.vic.edu.au

Elpho Info

December 2013

ELMA (Elphinstone Land Management Association)

Christmas is fast approaching and theres nothing like a fresh pine tree to brighten up your living room over the festive season. We can all do our bit for our local environment by choosing a Christmas tree from the thousands of radiata pines growing out of control in Elphinstone. Radiata Pine (Pinus Radiata) is an environmental weed and poses a serious threat in the event of a wildfire. Pines grow extremely fast and are costly to remove so pulling them out by hand when they are small is ideal and much more cost effective. Large pines can be ring barked into the white flesh and they will slowly die over two years. Connecting Country and Parks Environmental consultant and contractor Marty Hyland ring barking a pine Victoria, with support from the tree. (Enviro Works Mob: 0438 000 598) Mount Alexander Shire, recently organised a camp-out on Mount pine free within five years! This Alexander with one of the activities Robyn Fearey, President 0407 092 599 does not include pine plantations. being a pine pull to remove radiata Gerard Kelly, Treasurer 5473 3426 If youre interested in joining pine wildings from the reserve. ELMA or need environmental advice Sue McLennan, Secretary 5473 3118 So lets take up the challenge in regarding your property, please feel Elphinstone! Pull em out, chop em free to contact any of the committee down and lets make Elphinstone members:

Rainfall by Wes Watson

Aug mm 79 71 90 128 1/2 Sep mm 79 64 75 86

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AVERAGE RAINFALL Elphinstone 1988-2003 Castlemaine 1966-1994 Harcourt 1968-1994 ACTUAL RAINFALL RECEIVED Elphinstone 2013

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Many thanks to local resident Wes Watson for keeping rainfall records and diligently passing them on to be published in this newsletter.

ZUMBA
Weseley Hill Hall Mon 7-8pm Kyneton Sports & Aquatic Centre Tues 7-8pm Fri 11am-12noon

Elpho Info

December 2013

Elphinstone Mapping Project Update

or renaming roads, so by paying attention to the requirements, the proposal is less likely to fall at the first hurdle. The consultation process can take up to three months, and following this a report is prepared for Council, where the decision to accept or reject is formally recorded and the outcome advertised locally. If successful, the proposal and other information is sent to the Office of Geographical There have been approximately 33 Names (OGN) by Council, and issues identified relating to road naming and mapping in Elphinstone eventually gazetted which makes from the consultation process so far. it official. For much, much more detail see Guidelines for Geographic A significant number of these will only require the Council to initiate a Names 2013 Version 2 booklet, online at http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/ request to the Office of Geographic Names to update mapping databases property-titles-and-maps/namingplaces/guidelines or Mike Reeves (including emergency services) to also has a copy. reflect reality. Examples of this are where private drives are shown as Mike Reeves, Chairperson, Elphinstone named roads, or where roads have Facilities Committee, member of the been closed (for example Fryes Road Elphinstone Progress Assocation and Wright Street at the old Calder Highway). Other issues are where signage is inconsistent with mapped roads, such as for King Street and Garden Lane.

Coming up at The Elphinstone Hotel

Regular hours from 15th December: Mon, Tue - closed Wed, Thu, Fri - 3pm till close Sat - 11am till late Sun - 11am - 7pm 14th December Opening day 2-4pm Grumpy Neighbor, old time RocknRoll perform live 7-10pm Double Denim disco night 25th December

There are a few unconnected road Castlemaine Lyons Club Santa Run will segments with the same name which finish at the hotel will require renaming. In cases like these, Council will apply a principle 1st January of minimising inconvenience, and Afternoon chill-out session with a following the local consultation local band process as required by State Government. Members of the community are invited to make suggestions for potential names for which will then be checked against Bill Rowes account of visiting the Elphinstone Hotel after the bushfires of 1944 ... the Geographical Naming Guidelines for acceptability. Acceptable names This of course was long before the days of counter lunches, so I went to Bill will then be used as the basis by Browns - he had the store and the hotel - and Bill (Hegarty) said he would drop Council for consultation on the around to Herb Pollards to check on some stock, as they were neighbours to communitys overall preference. Summer Hill. I went into the pub and after buying half a pound of cheese and a packet of dry biscuits (they cost a total of one shilling and threepence), I felt Please forward suggestions for new through my pockets and found a two shilling piece that I didnt know I had. I names to Mike Reeves, Chair of the spent it on two pots, which cost a shilling each. Bill Brown said to me, Did you Elphinstone Community Association, know that, as of next week, pots will be one shilling and a penny?, adding I dont by utilising Councils Road Naming know what the hell is going to happen next - it is caused by this cursed war. Proposal Form. I sat in the shade of trees there and no sign of my mate, but in due course he turned up - as usual a winner. He had had a nice hot lunch at the home of Mr and The form has been designed to Mrs Herb Pollard. meet the principles that the Council is required to apply in naming From A History of Elphinstone by Ken James and Noel Davis, available at the

A spot of history ...

Elpho Info

General Store.

December 2013

DISCLAIMER Articles and comments printed in this newsletter are the result of contributions from local groups and relevant news articles pertinent to Elphinstone/Sutton Grange and Metcalfe areas. Views may be reflective of a group or organisation, and are printed as information to all readers. Neither Elphinstone/Sutton Grange and Metcalfe Progress Assoc. nor the Editorial Team are liable for any mistakes, omissions or misprints. It prints and makes no representation as to the truth or accuracy of any description and accepts no liability for any loss suffered by any person who relies on any statement contained herein. The Editorial Team may at time find it necessary to alter text so as to accommodate space, but will in no way alter the validity of a story. They will endeavour to make these changes with the authors.

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Elpho Info

December 2013

Elphinstone Cricket Club News

Come down to the club, become a social member and be in the draw. Thus far we have had two draws with the winners being Lisa Wright and David Beynon. Congratulations! Sponsors New sponsors and community contribution are always welcome at our family club. The ECC gratefully acknowledges and thanks the following sponsors for their ongoing support: Mt Alexander Shire Council, Elphinstone Facilities Ctee, Barnes Castlemaine Rock, Jens Place Caf Castlemaine, Pollard Transport, Beynon Family, Mercuri Family, Laurence & Hanson Electrical Wholesalers Castlemaine, Richard Dyson. Enquiries Bryan 0429 035 877 bryankeillorreed@gmail.com

The season is up and running with good numbers of players for both Juniors and Seniors enjoying their cricket.

Juniors The Juniors are having a ball under the watchful eye of new coach Mark Spencer, and in their new club playing tops look as keen as beans! Its always great to see youngsters stepping up to challenges. Our junior player Brayden Wright is training with the seniors and also having a run with them. New players, boys and girls, are always welcome. The Juniors train Monday evenings and play Wednesday evenings. Come along and support the kids at their games. Theres always a BBQ operating and drinks available at our home games.

tree in these parts with outstanding contribution to the ECC and the community over many generations. I would like to thank all attendees, and members past and current who assisted on the day and prior to with the clean up of the grounds and clubhouse. Special mention goes to Greg Tate and Ray West. Thank you for your invaluable help.

Re-Union On November 9th, during a home game, the club hosted a past player and members re-union. There was an excellent turn out with people attending from far and wide. The gettogether went well into the evening at the Bush Dance at the Reserve Hall. Among the attendees was club matriarch, legendary scorer, and No. 1 social member Jean Pollard. It was wonderful that Jean could attend, along with many other Pollard family members. Its quite a family

Seniors Im happy to report that the Seniors have some new recruits this season. Among the new players is Ronnie Gifford, who in his debut game for Elpho, scored 96. He then followed this up with the bowling figures of 5/10. During our current game V Harcourt, Elpho batted first and declared at 9/238. (Team Captain Tristan Evans leading from the front with 57, Richard Dyson 30.) This left a few overs at end of Day 1 for our bowlers to get into the Harcourt batsmen. End of play saw the visitors 3/2. (Jack McHale 2/0, Ray West 1/2.) As you can imagine, we are looking forward to Day 2 and finishing the job. Social Membership & the Handy Hundred $10 Social mships are available at the club. At the end of every home game a $100 cash prize is drawn.

Elphinstone Post Office and General Store

5473 3200
Weekdays 7.30am-5.30pm Saturday 8.00am-1.00pm Sunday 8.00am-12noon Public Hol8.00am-12noon Gill and Dave
Bowenworks Castlemaine
Relaxation and Deep Tissue Massage Bowtech Bowen Therapy Lymphatic Drainage Holistic Healing Ear Candling Lomi Lomi Massage 203 Barker St, Castlemaine 5473 3490 2497 Calder Hwy, Elphinstone 0423 466 126
Member of AAMT and BBAA
Loretta Nicoletti

Elpho Info

December 2013

Speak to CFA Sunday 15th December in Elphinstone

What: Free Fire Ready Safety Information Where: Elphinstone Fire Station, Wright Street When: 10:00 am Sunday 15th December 2013 Find out:
Must-have bushfire information for this season

For more information: CFA District 18 Office (1800 820 118)

Dont understand English? Require an AUSLAN interpreter? Need assistance to access the venue? Let us know and well do our best to help.

Elpho Info

10

December 2013