September 2005 - Chewton.net

CHEWTON CHAT
(a newsletter published by the Chewton Domain Society)
www.chewton.net
(a website supported by the Chewton Domain Society)
Published monthly Issue 79 September, 2005.
LAUNCH OF THE WELCOME TO CHEWTON KIT
The Welcome to Chewton Kit is now well and truly launched! More
than 50 people filled the Chewton Town Hall, and enjoyed the superb
light lunch planned and prepared by Barbara Dry. CDS President
Helen McGeachin welcomed everyone and provided apologies for
those businesses and community groups that found Friday at lunch
time just too difficult to attend. Displays were provided by Alexander
Resources, Katherine Seppings Images of Chewton, the Food
Garden, Parks Victoria, Rhone’s Mechanical Repairs, Badgers
Keep, People and Places Display, Great Dividing Trail Association
- and local wines were generously donated by Alan and Heather
Elliot from Minto, and from Gabrielle Posetti from Monks Hill Wines.
Other businesses had made business cards available, and two
alpacas arrived from Surtierra courtesy of Glenn Sutherland. Chewton School was represented by Glen, Krystal and
Leanne Tsiplakis. The school also made display boards available for the launch.
Helen introduced Ward Councillor Jim Norris who has a long association with Chewton and the CDS. Jim had the task
of introducing the CEO of Mount Alexander Shire, Adrian Robb, who has recently taken up residence in Chewton.
Adrian explained his “Chewton decision” and referred to Chewton’s
history and involvement in community activism before cutting the
gold ribbon from the kit and declaring it launched.
The Welcome to Chewton Kits are distributed without charge to
new Chewton residents. The Chewton General Store and Post
Office have kits for sale for $5, and many have been sold already.
Local business and community groups are encouraged to be listed
and to keep information in their listing up to date; and the envelope
at the back of the kit contains business cards, flyers and membership
applications from those that provide them. (Both the CDS and
Chewton Landcare have had new members join as a result of this
already!)
Photo above: Glen and Krystal help Savannah the alpaca get acquainted with Chewton. Photo right: New
Chewton resident Adrian Robb with Katherine in front of the Katherine Seppings Images of Chewton display.
CHEWTON DOMAIN SOCIETY AGM
The president’s report presented by Helen McGeachin set the scene for a very positive 2005 AGM. This report is
on page 2. Financial reports showed the CDS having funds of $16,149.08 at the end of the 2004/5 financial year. A
profit of $688.22 was recorded, with $3,700 spent on PO maintenance and $150 on town hall maintenance during the
year. Properties managed by the CDS are currently valued at $540,000.
The election for seven committee members saw Bettie Exon, Edna Preece, Elaine Appleton, Glenn Pratt, Michael
Smith, Sera Jane Peters and Stan Munro elected for a term of two years. They join Helen McGeachin, Jillian Milton,
Lisa Sargent, Marion Landy, John Ellis and Marie Jones who have one year of their term left.
And also inside...CDS President's Report...Councilling in Chewton...Gold Medals...Soccer Awards...
...More Plaques than at the Dentists...Tipping Awards...Top Journo...Wattle and Daub...Gallipoli...Elections...
...The Lonely Pedometer takes a Stanza...New Tricks for Old Dogs...Jessica upstages Alex...Action Plans...
...Cardboard V. Plastic...Letters...Plea for the Germans...Acclimatization the Beginning of Our Troubles...
...Dial-a-Ride gets Longer...Wallpapering your Computer...The Passing of Winter causes Keith's Discontent...
...Stan stays Put...That Mulberry Tree...Good Times in London...and more, much more!

CDS PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2004-5 to the AGM
Firstly let me say that it’s been a great privilege and pleasure to have been President of the Chewton Domain Society
in what has been a full and fulfilling year. I would also like to pay tribute to the members of the Committee of
Management, each of whom has contributed so much to the Society. Thank you for your energy and dedication and for
being so easy to work with.
So much has happened in Chewton over the past twelve months. I had a great time going over the past minutes and
copies of the Chewton Chat to write this report and the thing that shone through so clearly was what a fantastic place
we live in – a town full of individuals with many diverse interests but all working together for the good of the community.
It was hard to pick out the highlights, but here are just a few…
* ADSL broadband came to Chewton (due to pressure on Telstra by locals) and made life easier for businesses and
individuals alike. It is quite an achievement for a small community like ours to be hooked up to broadband and a
testament to the power of determination and persistence.
* The Post Office celebrated 125 years of service to the community, complete with birthday cake and bagpiper.
* The Monster Meeting celebration moved closer to the original site and became even larger.
* Not one but two new Landcare groups were launched in Chewton.
* The Biggest Morning tea went upper crust with beautiful china cups and saucers and yummy cakes and a huge
crowd of locals who turned out to support the day.
* The Welcome to Chewton kit was made into reality and launched at a lunch by the Mount Alexander Shire CEO who
is also a resident of Chewton. The kit has been very successful and is not only being distributed to every new resident
in town but is also eagerly sought by older residents for the wealth of information it contains.
* Of course the Chewton Chat continues to enlighten and delight us and is such an important communication tool in our
small town. And we can’t forget the Chewton.net website which is so brilliantly devised and maintained and is
Chewton’s window to the world.
I know I’ve missed many things – the Chewton Soldiers Memorial Park, the Pool, the Pub, the Shop, the Folk Festival
but we don’t want to be here all afternoon….
As well as contributing to all of the things I’ve already mentioned, the Chewton Domain Society continued in its
traditional role as managers of the properties - the Post Office, Town Hall and Park.
* The Post Office lease has been renegotiated and is hopefully nearly finalized. The Post Office has had new carpet
laid and a split system air conditioner installed for the comfort of staff and patrons alike.
* The People and Places exhibition was the first site of the Diggings Project to be open and continues via its dedicated
band of volunteers to provide information and instruction to the interested public. The collection is always being added
to and is a huge job to maintain and catalogue.
* In the Park, further planting has been carried out and ongoing work by Greencorp groups and volunteers has the
Park looking really good. The Lock up has been painted and a flagpole erected in place of the one that used to grace
the Town Hall.
* The Tourist Board has been refurbished as well as the notice board at the Post Office and both are now informative
as well as attractive.
* The Chewton Domain Society has continued to apply for grants at a remarkably successful rate. I was delighted to
be invited to Melbourne last year (along with several other CDS members) to accept a local history grant which we had
won for the production of a brochure for Chewton. We were also successful in obtaining a Small Grant for Volunteers
to upgrade computer equipment and another grant to help with administrative costs.
The future is looking very bright for the Chewton Domain Society. Membership is at its highest level for many years
and the Society boasts a dynamic, efficient and dedicated committee that work well together. Once again I would like
to thank all of those volunteers for their time and look forward to the next year with great anticipation.
Helen McGeachin.
CDS MEMBERSHIPS ARE NOW DUE
$5 for the 2005/2006 year
A membership slip is enclosed in this Chat
205 members in 2004/5 - how many this year?
Membership renewals can be paid directly
to Edna Preece, 150 Main Road (opp Town Hall)
or mailed to CDS, PO Box 85, Chewton 3450.
CHAT MAIL-OUT SUBS ARE NOW DUE
Great value at $10 a year - for 12 editions!
Or can be downloaded free from www.chewton.net

COUNCIL IN CHEWTON
Chewton was included in the rotation of monthly council
meetings at venues across the shire. The August MAS
meeting was held at the Chewton Community Centre, and
attracted a sprinkling of Chewton people. President of
the Chewton Domain Society Helen McGeachin took the
opportunity of the public forum before the formal meeting
to present Welcome to Chewton Kits to the councillors
(ward councillors with representation in Chewton Jim
Norris and John Walter had received early copies prior to
the launch, as had CEO Adrian Robb).
Liza Sweeney also took the opportunity to seek information
about the Red Hill Hotel redevelopment. Council had
received the draft Conservation Management Plan only
the day before (22nd) and provided the information that it
would be passing it to the Heritage Adviser for an
assessment, and hoped to consider it in the light of that
advice in about a fortnight.
Questions from CSMP representatives about the
playground equipment replacement brought an assurance
from the council that Chewton is at the top of the list
following the removal of the old playground on health and
safety grounds, and that local input would be sought
regarding type and location. The shared facility issue was
raised by CSMP President Pat Milthorpe, and further
investigation into this issue is to be pursued.
Council meetings and the public forum (especially when
they are held locally) are a great opportunity to see council
(councillors and senior staff) in operation, and raise issues
with them.
DIRECT SEEDING
A direct seeding workshop involving children from
Chewton School was held at Chinamans Point. In
conjunction with Golden Point Landcare, children planted
locally collected indigenous grass seed (wallaby, spear,
kangaroo and weeping grasses) . Using rake hoes to
prepare and score the soil, the seeds were scattered and
very enthusiastically stamped in. It was a frosty morning
after all!
On the walk back to school the children measured the
spectacular growth of trees planted by Chewton school
children at Chinamans Point in recent years.
TENOR SINGS WHITMAN
The August Chewton Chat advertised this performance
featuring Chewton’s Michael J. Smith which was to be
performed on the opening night of Dayelsford’s Words in
Winter Festival. Unfortunately conductor Val Pyres was
forced to cancel this concert. The concert is being rescheduled.
Watch the Chat for further details.

GOLD MEDAL RIDES Over the
weekend
of August
21/22 Pip
Grinter,
along with
many other
young
Victorian
cyclists,
headed to
Wangaratta
for the
Victorian State Titles.
On the Saturday a field of around twenty under 19 men
lined up for the race against the clock – the individual
Road Time Trial over 20km. Although the weather was
fine, conditions were tough and the course was difficult
with a strong head wind for the first 5km followed by
strong side winds out and back to the turnaround for home.
Riders were set off at one minute intervals and Pip was
the fourth last rider to leave. He left nothing to chance,
passing 5 riders and completing the 20km in 26.39.44mins.
This meant Pip maintained an incredible average speed of
45.02 km/hour to take out the Gold medal forty seconds
ahead of the silver medallist and 9 hundreds of a second
outside the record state time for the course – a great ride.
On the following
day the same riders
lined up for the
121km road race.
The course was
undulating but
included one steep
climb (Taminick
Gap) over which the
riders raced five
times. Pip tried
several times to get a break away group happening to
decrease the size of the field but no one was interested.
Three kms before the second last climb Pip attacked the
field, and making sure no one got his wheel he made a
solo break. By the top of the climb Pip had 40 seconds on
the field, which he maintained until the bottom. He worked
hard in strong cross and head winds and stretched his
lead to 2.30 mins. The chasing group had fragmented to
only three riders – the race split apart by Pip’s break. Pip
won the Gold medal by 4mins and 50 seconds to the silver
medalist and some 6 minutes to bronze with an amazing
34 kilometre solo break.
Pip’s sights are now firmly set for success in the National
Road Championships held in Queensland in early
September.
Pip is sponsored by Hardings Cycles in Bendigo who also
have an association with Chewton in that they were the
original owners of the present Chewton store.
UPRISING AT BUNNINYONG
August
the 25th
1851 saw
the first
protest
meeting
on the
Victorian
Goldfield.
It was
held at Bunninyong, a small uprising that took place only
days after gold was discovered there on August the 8th.
The protest was provoked by the imposition of the gold
licence.
On August the 25th 2005 the Ballarat Reform League
unveiled a plaque on the site of this protest.
Representatives of Chewton were invited to attend,
because of the link with the Forest Creek protest of
December the 15th 1851 (the Monster Meeting). The
Ballarat Reform League is keen to install a plaque at the
site of all the goldfield protest meetings across Victoria -
which involves Chewton. Negotiations regarding this are
under way.
Professor Weston Bate unveiled the Bunninyong
plaque after giving a rousing speech.
SWIMMING POOL AGM
The Chewton Community Swimming Pool AGM
has been postponed in line with other pool
committees within the Shire.
See next month's Chat for further detail.

SOCCER NEWS
Our two senior teams just missed gaining spots in the finals,
but have been competitive all season. The home and away
championship season has come to an end for our
competitive age levels U/11 to U/16 - with some teams
still in the running for their premiership cups. The
presentation of awards for all our junior teams will take
place on Saturday, September 10th. Please, Keith, could
we have better weather than last year!
Less formal soccer competitions will continue over the
next few months, depending on the condition of the field.
We desperately need the surface to be top-dressed before
next year. We have asked the Shire for assistance, and
continue to sell raffle tickets (and sausages) to raise funds
towards this. If anyone has a couple of thousand cubic
metres of topsoil to spare????
Thanks to the handful of people who suggested different
names for our Club - if it decides to make a name change.
Go to our website www.castlemainesoccerclub.org - we
haven’t yet seen a name that ‘moves’ us!
In other news, an application for grant money from
EnviroFund, (Australian Government) in the 2005 Drought
Recovery round, has been submitted on behalf of the
Chewton Soldiers’ Memorial Park. The entire reserve is
legislated for recreational use, and is administered by the
Mt. Alexander Shire Council for the Department of
Sustainability and Environment. Funding, if successful, is
specifically earmarked for the rehabilitation of Wattle Gully
Creek. Hopefully it will see weed eradication on the
plantation side, the building of an embankment similar to
the ‘Chewton Walk’, extensive replanting with indigenous
shrubs and grasses, and fencing to protect the watercourse
and seedlings. There is scope for at least 300 hours of
volunteer labour - the contribution of the Soccer Club, the
CSMP and the whole community. See you there!
Bill Burris.
CHEWTON MAP
Thanks to the people who provided information regarding
the origin of the map printed in the August Chat. It was
evidently drawn up by Harry Ottery, and printed in his
book “Mount Alexander Goldfields Castlemaine”.
The book was printed in 1986 but the date of the map is
still unclear (but believed to be around publication time)..
MORE PARK WORK
International visitors from France and China made up a
small working party that planted and spread mulch in the
park. The Conservation Volunteers (Ramain, Oliver and
Lin Jie) were organised by Parks Victoria, and worked
with Ian O’Halloran. Ian and Wendy O’Halloran have
donated many of the plants that were put in.
WORLD HERITAGE LISTING
Reports in local papers indicate that Melbourne
University’s Cultural Heritage Unit has been working with
local councils and residents in the region to prepare an
application for the Central Victorian Goldfields to be
granted World Heritage Listing. An application to
UNESCO which is responsible for World Heritage listings
requires prior National Heritage listing, along with further
research and Federal Government approval. The
Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park would be
central to this application.

SOLDIERS' MEMORIAL PARK
We first submitted an application to Lands Victoria in
August 2000 for funding for the Chewton Soldiers’
Memorial Park Integration Project for works estimated
at $162,000.00. Of this total, we have so far received
only $90,000.
The major funding applied for in that grant was for a
shared facility to provide a First Aid Room, disabled
toilet, and extensive shower and toilet facilities for
men and women. In our application we said, These will
contribute to keeping the Swimming Pool open as well
as supporting the Soccer Club, visitors to the Chewton
Walk and the Diggings Project and people who camp
in ever-increasing numbers on the Reserve for the
Chewton Folk Festival. The current plans do not achieve
these goals.
As a result, we have refused to sign off on the
Specifications for the new Shared Facility. The Public
Meeting for the Swimming Pool also passed a unanimous
motion supporting this decision because we all believe it
does not offer any significant improvement over the existing
shower and toilet block at the Chewton Community Pool.
As far as we can see, the plans for the new facility:
• Do not guarantee hot water
• Provide a Colorbond building without insulation—this
would be less cool in summer and freezing in winter
• Do not include any heating
• Leave out the Family Change/First Aid/Universal
Access Room
• Place the Disabled Toilets (two instead of one) in the
far corner of each of the proposed change rooms where
access would be very difficult.
We are looking for more funding to add to the $80,000
which has been available for some years. We are all
determined not to settle for less than we originally asked
for. We particularly want to see a single universal access
toilet under the same roof as the First Aid Room and as
an essential part of the Family Change Room.
We look for the full support of the Chewton community
for this action. The plans and a copy of the letter outlining
our objections are available from me at any time. I would
be delighted to go through them with you.
Ms Pat Milthorpe 5470 5050
WANTED TO BUY
* 1/2 - 1 ACRE LAND
*FOR BUILDING HOUSE IN CHEWTON AREA
* WOULD PREFER GOLDEN POINT ROAD
* ALL ALTERNATIVE SITES & SIZES CONSIDERED
* WOULD CONSIDER SUB-DIVISION
* SALE DEPENDANT ON OBTAINING BUILDING
PERMIT
* CAN PAY CASH FOR RIGHT BLOCK AT RIGHT PRICE
* CONTACT PETER WATSON
(Bruce Newman's Brother-in-law)
ON 0418 106 495
RESULTS OF THE SURVEY
The Survey of Community Ideas for Park Development
which we circulated in July got 49 replies. One reply was
informal so the following table presents a summary of the
rest of the results as compiled by Rae Hawkins:
PREFERENCES
ITEM 1 st 2 nd 3 rd 4 th 5 th
TOTAL
Large playing field 22 3 3 3 3 34
Small playing field 1 18 6 6 7 38
Two tennis courts 8 6 6 6 10 36
Basketball practice 5 3 6 7 9 30
Walking track 3 6 11 6 8 34
Children’s playground 7 6 11 10 4 38
SURVEY RESULTS
40
30
20
10
0
LPF SPF TC BB WT CP
5th
4th
3rd
2nd
(I have spent hours learning how to graph these results
for the Chat and am really thrilled I finally did it!)
NOTES:
• These figures authorise us to go ahead and seek finance
for a large and small playing field, two tennis courts
and a walking track.
• The replacement by Mount Alexander Shire Council
of the children’s playground is very important and
urgent. At the August Council Meeting in Chewton
Community Centre, we were assured that the Chewton
Children’s Playground is AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.
• There were returns from three people who totally object
to the removal of any trees from the Plantation
• A letter from Don Duus giving a description and history
of the trees is printed elsewhere in this Chat.
• We will need to revise the rough draft plan printed with
the survey to allow for a wetland area and a buffer
area along the creek
• If we don’t create more facilities for soccer, the club
may not be able to remain at this venue. To lose them
would be disastrous for Chewton.
• We want to create the most attractive facility possible.
We want to preserve the maximum number of trees
for their beauty and for shade. We will create an
appealing walking path through them and around a
wetland area. Ms Pat Milthorpe 5470 5050
1st

FRYERSTOWN CORNER
I really had little idea that something that I first heard about in
primary school would catch my interest and my imagination so
many years later. Wattle and daub construction always seemed
rather romantic to me and I think it was that I didn’t really
understand then what wattle and daub was and why it was used.
So I was surprised and delighted when recently I came on a
couple of small wattle and daub huts near Fryerstown. They are
part of the colourful past of Fryerstown and what makes walking
around here so interesting.
The Bendigo Prospectors were very active around Fryerstown
during the weekend of August 13-14, camping as usual near Fryers
Creek. I hope they had time to watch the birds as well as
prospecting. Birds are very active around that area at this time of year, leading up to the main nesting season. Young
rosellas, which previously had immature plumage of green, are changing to their red and blue, looking a bit moth eaten
in the process. We have several pairs of blue wrens about the place and they are currently attacking imaginary rivals
which they believe are behind the car side mirrors and any windows in which they can see their own reflection. They
are remarkably persistent! Magpies are calling quite late into the night and are always first up in the mornings, even the
very frosty mornings. Most entertaining of all was a clutch of ducklings crossing the Fryerstown to Campbells Creek
road near the Campbells Creek Sports ground accompanied by anxious parents. They were just bundles of fluff,
tumbling all over themselves in the effort to get across the road. I am glad the cars stopped!
After the update from the Fryerstown Fire Brigade Captain in the August issue of Chat there was cause for some red
faces! Certain people were clearing out some blackberries that had been sprayed some time before and were ready
for grubbing out and burning. This process had been underway over several days and almost finished. The weather
had improved and on a nice sunny day they were happily lighting the last bush when the wind got up a bit and the fire
threatened to get away into the really heavy growth of blackberries along the creek. Probably no real harm would have
resulted but it was a timely reminder that fire always has to be handled with care. Even when the conditions seem good
for burning off, the unexpected can happen. We all need to be super careful, especially in the lead up to summer when
we are a bit “off guard”.
Don’t forget the Fryerstown Antique Fair on 26 th , 27 th , 28 th January 2006, this time with a Country Market Day on
Sunday 29 th January. Enquiries phone 5473 4373 (a/h). It
will be even more fun than usual!
Congratulations on the Welcome to Chewton Kit. Great
work and very informative! We hope to have more
Fryerstown businesses and organisations in the next
edition.
Our next Film Night is Saturday September 24 th ; the film
is THE STING with Paul Newman and Robert Redford.
7.30 at the Mechanics Institute Hall. Bring a chair.
Kay Thorne.
Chewton
Post Office...
...as featured
in the
London Times!
CUDF
Analysis of the many responses to Chewton Urban
Design Framework is well under way. A public meeting
to take this process to the next stage may be imminent.
Watch the Post Office noticeboard and the window of the
General Store for advance notice of any planned events.

WATER LEVELS
Coliban storages have risen to 36.1% at the end of winter
(after app. 20mm. of rain in the catchment over the last
week). The 36.1% refers to water held in the Upper
Coliban, Lauriston, Malmsbury and McCay Reservoirs.
However app. 35% of water in Eppalock is destined for
Bendigo; and Eppalock is only at 6.7%. When the
Eppalock contribution is factored in, the Coliban system is
actually holding just over 22.5% (19/8). This is the %age
that is now being quoted on news services.
Cairn Curran is at 17% only, and those irrigators in the
Loddon system are now on 9% allocation for the coming
season (this figure is adjusted on the 1st and 15th of every
month).
Closer to home, Expedition Pass Reservoir has been
slowly filling and is only centimetres from going over
the spillway. Forest Creek may be only days (or
showers) from flowing again!
GALLIPOLI
The Castlemaine Market Building is
hosting a traveling exhibition from the
Australian War Memorial titled Gallipoli,
a Turkish View. The photographs and
relics document the Turkish experience
at Gallipoli. One photograph of particular
interest is the “Turkish Memorial” at Lone
Pine. Although this was demolished in
1919 the obelisk shows the crossed pick
and shovel - a symbol that also appears
on the Monster
Meeting flag
(Forest Creek
1851). Are
there any known
connections?
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Not much this month. Three houses and a block of land.
And that’s about it! But you can expect the market to
really boom over the next two or three months. Once the
sun comes out houses come on the market in their droves.
Gardens are at their best, and everyone is happy.
There are 3 acres and 3 bedrooms for sale up on the
Pyrenees Highway at number 729, and back a bit at 699
Pyrenees Highway there is a 2.7 acre building block full
of personality for just $145,000.
At the Castlemaine end of town there is a three bedroom
home at 89 Adelaide Street for $279,000, and 3 bedrooms
at 60 Steele Street is available for just $260,000.
And by the way. If you know any newcomers in town
remind them about the ‘Welcome to Chewton’ kit. I wish
it were available when we arrived in Chewton.
Keith Richardson.
CHEWTON PET FOOD
77 Pyrenees Highway Chewton
Phone/fax 5472 4983
Open Tuesday to Friday 8.30 - 5.30 pm
and Saturday 8 - 12.30 pm
Wide selection of fresh pet meats,
dried foods and smoked goodies.
Local honey now available.
Dial-A-Ridden Yet?
It's use or lose it...
...for Chewton!

ADELAIDE ST. PLANTATION
Letter provided by the CSMP
“My father, Phil Duus (who was born in 1890 and lived in
this street all his 84 years) referred to this area as junk
plantation, sugar gums, blue gums, good for nothing trees
that would not burn, used for wireless aerial poles only to
bend like a boomerang.
“But he also told of the several rows at the rail line end as
being hickory used in his day for coachwork. What is left,
who knows? Could be of value.
“All this plantation was planted by out of work men who
had to work for the sustenance. Today it’s called the dole.
Sustenance was about 6 shillings, today 60 cents. Dad
was one of those out of workers, approx. 1920s.
“This area owned by the Shire was left in this very rough
condition after they took the gravel for road work. Several
Committees tried to have tennis courts, playground built
in this area but the Council would not approve. You see
they were only interested in the gravel as they were
elsewhere. Golden Point Creek is the other big example.
“This plantation area is subject to flooding. More so since
the flood wall was built after heavy flooding. This bank
turns the water from Wattle Gully, Whitehorse Gully etc
through culverts across to this area away from the oval,
swimming pool etc. Be careful what you do.”
Don Duus, born Adelaide Street 1926
C. A. Milton
P roperty Services
5472 2298
Lawn mowing, farm fencing,
r ubbish removal, handyman.
Quality efficient service
Free quotes
Phone Craig!
MONSTER MEETING FLAG
As the 154th anniversary of the Monster Meeting draws
closer (15.12.2005) the “Chewton” flag is beginning to
reappear. In the park when the town hall is open, being
carried in the Red Ribbon Rebellion parade through
Bendigo on September the 1st, and adorning private
residences in Chewton.
RED HILL ASSEMBLY HALL
The draft Conservation Management Plan for the Red
Hill Hotel has been lodged with Mount Alexander Shire.
The Planning Department is seeking advice and input from
Mandy Jean, the Shire’s Heritage Advisor. The situation
of the Red Hill has been the subject of two recent articles
in the Castlemaine Mail.
The 150th anniversary of the opening of the Assembly
Hall is coming up on December 22nd, 2006. (The Red
Hill Hotel opened earlier, and had its 150th anniversary in
August 2004).
COUNCIL ELECTIONS
General elections for the Mount Alexander Shire Council
are to take place on the 26th of November 2005. This will
be conducted by postal ballot. An information session for
prospective candidates will be held on the 22nd of
September from 7 to 9 p.m., in the Ray Bradfield Room,
Castlemaine. Anyone contemplating standing as a
councillor and anyone interested in the role of local
government is strongly encouraged to attend this session.
It is free of charge and each registered participant will
receive a comprehensive information kit. If you wish to
attend advise Mish Williams on 5471 1721, or for further
information call Razija Nu’man (Manager Executive
Services) on 5471 1706. All registrations and inquiries
will be treated in the strictest confidence.

WWW.CHEWTON.NET
Visitor numbers have now reached 6,852. The latest
entries in the site’s guestbook indicate the important role
this website plays. For passing on praise, and for people
trying to keep in touch with Chewton it is invaluable.
⇒ Message 1 “Good website. I was in Chewton
last week, the Chewton Historical Building is has excellent
information regarding tracing the family history. Thank you,
James.”
⇒ Message 2 “As this is my last day of being 69 I
thought it fit to tell you I may be able to see at least some
of you while down in your area at the end of the month.
My three children have given me their 70th present by
sending me down to Melbourne by Qantas Return, so my
hope for a Chewton and Victorian Country trip has been
made possible.
I look forward to seeing my favourite Chewton Town and
some of its present happy occupants some time soon. All
the best to you all. I keep looking up your website every
now and again and seeing the news. Thanks, from Don
Archbold.”
Tell all your friends to check out this site...
www.chewton.net
Book Week at Chewton PS
Book Week Poem
Book week is fun to explore
Reading books is fun on the floor.
Lots of fun and laughter too
Reading books with me and you,
There’s fiction books and picture books
Gotta find some kitchen books!
By Darcy and Cathy.
ANGLICANS ON THE MOVE
The Anglican Gum Tree Services are on the go again and
the next one is at the old Preshaw Chapel at Moonlight
Flat on Saturday October 1st. Ring Ken Parker on
54721137 for more information.
At Agitation Hill (Castlemaine) there is an inter-faith
conversation on Friday 9 September at 7 p.m. when
Buddhist nun The Ven.Karuna Dharma and the Revd. Ken
Parker swap stories - in the Anglican Hall off Forest Street.
$15.
On Sunday 18th. at 5 p.m. there is a Welcome to Spring
celebration at Castlemaine, with Deb Capp organizing
music. Ken Parker.
COMMUNITY CENTRE AGM
It has been rumored that the Chewton community
Centre committee of management had their AGM
sometime last month. Like the Druids that meet at
Stonehenge every Winter solstice to act out ancient
rituals, these commitee members seem to gather now
and then “out of the blue” as they seem to know when
to turn up at meetings without being told or even sent
any minutes, or even reading about when they are to
meet in the Chat. Maybe they have developed a kind
of ESP and communicate to each via telepathy to as to
when would be an ideal time to meet and discuss
Community Centre issues. All we know they must exist
because they have been observed in the distance
comming and going from the Centre, but we haven't a
clue who these people are or where they are from.
Maybe they are a breed apart from the normal “Joe
Blow” as they seem to do things and get things done all
with no fuss and bother, and they go on their merry
way home in total anonymity. The surrounding residents
are totally oblivious to the amount of work these people
do for their community. From our observation point on
top of Post office Hill we could make out a bloke with
a base ball cap known as Glenn Braybrook (A1, or the
towns "Rock God") leaving the centre and we overheard
people congratulaing him on his return once again as
Secretary. Another bloke in fawn overalls, known to
some older residents as the Captain of the Chewton
Tigers football team {Phillip Mawson} was also heard
to be congratulated as the returned President, and yet
another fellow who left in a gleaming Mercedes Benz
(who looked from this distance like Rob Mc Nabb) was
rumoured to be again elected treasurer. If you are
interesed in joining the Commitee of Management of
the Chewton Community centre you will “sense” when
to turn up at their next meeting and if you arrive and
there is nobody there, you will know that this isn't the
commitee for you. Glenn Braybrook.
www.chewton.net
needs short articles/stories/local myths
Email to the Chat or leave at P.O. or General Store

GPL AGM
President's Report
At the AGM of Golden Point Lancare president Ian
O’Halloran thanked the executive for their work, and
thanked members for their support over the past year and
pointed out highlights of the inspirational and rewarding...
♣The recognition given by the NCCMA to “environmental
achievers” throughout the catchment area which provided
an opportunity to recognise the efforts off Herb and Dot
Sowerby. ♣Clean Up Australia Day participation. ♣Being
part of the Water-Watch program with Chewton Primary
School. ♣Watching the transformation of Forest Creek
valley as the groomer munched through the gorse and
blackberry. ♣Celebrating the tenth anniversary of Golden
Point Landcare. ♣The recent effort on National Tree -
planting Day which brought together over 40 people from
diverse backgrounds and experiences to plant in excess
of 2000 native plants along Forest Creek. ♣Environmental
flows released from Expedition Pass Reservoir
♣Proclamation of the Castlemaine Diggings National
Heritage Park has made changes to the actual boundaries
of the park and affecting the long-term leases that some
individuals hold over parcels of public land. ♣Flora and
Fauna Identification days with Garry Cheers. ♣Interest
of residents from Chewton (White Horse Gully and Forest
Creek) in Landcare. ♣Consultation with Parks Victoria to
construct a portable bird hide at Chinaman’s Point (more
like an information shelter). ♣Comments from Ern and
Lesley Perkins (CFN) about the positive effects of the
revegetation at ♣Chinaman’s Point with regard to the
increasing number of bird species and the overall increase
in bird numbers. ♣A pleasant “walk and talk” over Charles
and Antoinette’s property. ♣Submission to MAS C24
planning amendment - need for buffer zones between
development and the CDNHP ♣Entrance to Chewton
landscaping at Lawsons Bridge in conjunction with
Chewton Domain Society and Mount Alexander Shire.
After expressing concern about the weather/climate, Ian
went on to elaborate on some items that Golden Point
Landcare could be involved with in the future ♣ continued
maintenance of works completed. ♣awarenees of new
emerging weeds. ♣further in-fill planting. ♣planting on public
and private land to provide specific food supplies eg. swift
parrot, koalas. ♣development of walking trails in the area.
♣assistance the establishment of, and co-operating with,
new Landcare groups which may develop in the Chewton
area. ♣continued involvement with landcare activities with
Chewton Primary School. Ian O’Halloran (President).
Steve Womersley cutting
gorse at Chinamans
Point, using Parks
Victoria's pnuematic
pruner.
AT A LOSS FOR WORDS
This scene from Dead Bullocky Track.
had two captions suggested....
" They must have been too “tyred”
to take them to the tip!"
"Obviously an interrupted game of
quoits. There’s an expression for that
isn’t there?"
Can anyone provide
an explanation or
caption for this
month’s photo?
Leave suggestions at
the Chewton PO or
General Store ... and
more quirky and/or
unusual local scenes
are always welcome.
STAN’S STAYING PUT
After reading reports in the last Chat a lot of readers are
under the impression that I am moving to Melbourne to
live. I’m only doing a show there from the end of January.
At the time of writing this I’m really struggling to learn the
one man show written for me. It’s a play and something
I’m not used to. To learn pages and pages and pages of
script at my age is a real challenge to my brain. How I’m
going to get through it all I’ll never know. I’m more used
to doing a lot of ad lib in my shows. To be scripted is
really difficult - but here’s hoping! Stan Munro.
How long can we keep this noticeboard tidy?

A PEDOMETER’S PLEA
Several weeks ago Chewton Domain Society purchased
a pedometer as part of the Mount Alexander Walk It
Challenge. It has been sitting in the shop ever since, with
only the occasional invitation out. 8,342 steps were
recorded in the first week, 14,444 in the second (thanks to
Ryan who walked it to Castlemaine a few times), 16,324
in the third. The fourth week it was unloved! The fifth
week has seen limited movement. Because of its desperate
plight the pedometer has finally turned to verse.
A Pedometer’s Plea
It’s not so long ago it seems
That I was young and full of beans
Housed at CHIRP with many others
Pedometers alike, sisters and brothers.
Eagerly we awaited our fate
Where would we go - we just couldn’t wait
Which town or person would me desire
Together walking all over the shire.
It was to Chewton I did go
And it’s been a bitter blow
For no one wants me it would seem
All day I sit in the shop and dream.
People of Chewton, hear my plea
Come and have a walk with me
Take me out into the sun
Take me out upon your run.
Take me with you as you stride
Over the hills and countryside
Through Chewton’s fields so green and fair
Along the footpaths - I wanna be there!
For there’s nothing as lonely as you should know
As a single pedometer with nowhere to go.
Mourning softly in the shop
I’d rather be walking till I drop.
So come and click me to your belt
And across the miles we’ll pelt
Step by step we’ll show the way
Come and try me - make my day!
Anon
CHEWTON GENERAL STORE
Drop in for a Chat!
And take the pedometer for a walk!
BOB and AGIE YOUNG
5472 1100
ALEXANDER RESOURCES
The results of the Chewton drilling are still being assessed
by Clive Willman and other geologists, and the findings
will guide the next round of drilling in the Chewton field.
Meanwhile the drill rigs are working at Alexander Resource
sites Tarnagulla and Sebastian. Another information
release to the Australian Stock Exchange is being
considered.
JOURNO OF THE YEAR
The tradition of the Chewton Chat
acknowledging one of its contributors
has continued into 2005. The Golden
Pen Award is awarded to Chewton’s
Journo of the Year; someone who has
crossed the line ahead of everyone else
(or just crossed the line!)
In 2003 it went to A2, and in 2004 to
Keith Richardson. In 2005 it was awarded to another
dedicated and much appreciated contributor Lisa Sargent.
As the framed citation said, it was ...
“for repeated cross words, for fearlessly reporting on
relatives and feathered friends alike, for writing a
regular CFA report ... and for mastering the computer
skills necessary to produce the monthly crossword on
a disk!
When copy dried up this dedicated journo started up
a Clean Up Australia Site, a Landcare Group, and a
Smorgon Steel collection just to have something else
to write about!”
And when Lisa has nothing to write about, she talks! She
represents Chewton on the Talking Towns segment on
the Centralvic ABC's Breakfast Show at 6.15 a.m.
The award was presented to Lisa during the counting of
votes at the CDS AGM. Congratulations Lisa, and we
look forward to many more great contributions.

CHEWTON’S OLD DOGS
After last months article on the two 2
aged pussies I thought that there
couldn’t be any older than that!
Well I’m here to tell you, and this could
only happen in Chewton, there is a tiny
Chihuahua living up the 'Paris end' of
town who is even older. According to
Council registration records Pippy is 25
years old - or 175 in human years!
Now that is seriously old!!
This 'tiny little person' could only be owned by another of Chewton’s relics, I
mean senior citizens, Wally and Judy Wilkes. As we all know Wally is close
to the same age as Pip (sorry Wal). Many of us remember Wally and his
dogs doing maintenance (always unpaid) at Chewton Primary School for
what seems like the last hundred years or so.
Wally has since retired from this 'honorary
position' that he inherited from Sir Robert
Mawson when he retired (more than likely
just got tired, eh Robert?).
I only found out that Pip was in the land of
living when I was walking my 2 puppies
past Wally’s home and saw Pip running
around the front yard. According to Wal
the little fella is doing fine, a bit deaf but
otherwise in good health considering his
age. These days Pip is allowed to sleep
with Wally and Judy so I think he’s got a pretty good home life; well spoilt and
hopefully with many more years left yet.
We organised a bit of a party for Pip the other weekend at the Red Hill Hotel,
and thanks to all the locals who turned
out to celebrate this milestone in
Chewton’s history.
As the photos show Pip is as popular
as ever. And thanks to Wal for
bringing him in again, to where he used
to be very much a regular. A.2.
Photos from top: Pip alone, with
Wally, and with Robert
WHISTLE FOR A LIFT!
Another of the Chewton characters is the hitch-hiking dog. Unsettled
weather caused Whistle to seek refuge in the driver’s seat of the nearest
car! Leave your door open and you’ve got a passenger to drive home!
In the driver's seat...
...time to blow the Whistle!
Chewton Domain Society
has
Diggers' Flags
for sale
$120 large, $70 small
5472 2892

CHEWTON DOMAIN SOCIETY
Ongoing projects include obtaining microfiche copies of
historic rate books of the Borough of Chewton, obtaining
quotes for PO paling fence, finding a photo of Margaret
Reynolds in preparation for an article and the morning
tea, the town hall computer and software upgrade, and
pursuing Heritage Registration for the Pyrenees Highway
from Elphinstone to Castlemaine. Brett Martini of MAS
has been contacted re drainage in Church Street at side
entrance of PO, in preparation for downpipe and path work
around the heritage building.
The Treasurer’s Report showed a total of $18,757.28
comprising General Account balance of $13,313.12 and a
Term Deposit of $5,444.16
This total includes committed funds of History brochure
$1,500, Computer upgrade $2,000, GVEHO Admin grant
$2,500 and for the Tourist Info Board $350 – a total of
$6,350.
Accounts for payment totalled $1,947.56 and included town
hall cleaning $34.00 and the recent chimney work $1,315.00.
The chimney work account included the cherry picker hire,
and came in well within the quote. Thanks Robinsons!
The financial statement that has been prepared for the
accountant was also tabled - this will be presented at the
AGM and then the audit will be done early in October.
Membership leading into the AGM is steady at 205.
Memberships for 2005/06 are due after AGM.
A thank you letter is to be written to Daylesford Historic
Society for the donation of an historic Chewton map to
the People and Places Display. Jack Cocks and Allan
Dry are currently examining the Barbara James research
papers that have been donated to the CDS, and year books
are to be started to update the display collection. The
method of storing information is to be analysed and
appropriate materials purchased.
The Welcome to Chewton kit was successfully launched
on Friday 12th August. Adrian Robb did a great job as did
Jim Norris, and Helen as host. Thanks to Barbara Dry
for her catering skills, the light lunch provided was a
highlight of the day! Wine was provided by Minto Wines
and Monks Hill Wines. Alexander Resources, Parks Vic,
the Food Garden, Badgers Keep, Katherine Seppings and
Bronwen Machin (MAS Public Transport Rep.) and an
alpaca were there, as well as representatives of the school.
Apologies were received from many including Tehree
Gordon and Brian Leidle. Planning for Monster Meeting
anniversary celebrations needs to start as soon as possible
now.
Plants from Goldfields Revegetation ($215 worth) have
been planted by Ian and Wendy O’Halloran. A
Conservation Volunteer group has been organised
between Ian and Parks Victoria to work in the park. A
sign to be placed in the BBQ area asking people to take
their rubbish home with them – a quote from Phil Duus is
to sought for for this. The CDS is to make enquiries about
the availability of dog droppings disposal kits.
The Asset Management Plan list of proposed works in
priority order was presented. A request for cork tiles on
the community notice board at the Post Office was made;
Lisa has been keeping the board tidy since Max Wilkinson
left, and has reported that the board is too hard as a surface
to put the pins in.
It was agreed that a spring clean be done early in
September, and as the cleaning people can only do this at
weekends the display will need to be closed one weekend
day for this to happen (September 4 th was negotiated).
Regional Achievement Awards are available for small
communities, but the deadline of the end of August makes
it a very short timeline. A Chewton Landcare report was
tabled. The need for subtle interpretation of the
Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park was
discussed, and Marie was requested to take this to the
next meeting of the Advisory Group.
The next Meeting is the AGM on Sunday 28th August at
2 p.m. in thre Chewton Town Hall. The new Management
Committee will decide on new meeting times and meeting
arrangements.
After the AGM CDS subscriptions for the 2005/2006 year
will be due. These can be paid directly to membership
secretary Edna Preece or mailed to the Chewton Domain
Society.
A A woman's woman's work
work
is is never never done...
done...
Rhone Mechanical Repairs
Ph. 5472 2546 or 5472 2374
Motorcycle roadworthies now available!
CFA UPDATE
The Smorgons scrap metal collection is going well with
approximately 5 tonnes collected so far. We still have 6
car bodies to pick up, 3 water tanks to reach, cut up and
collect and 4 properties to clean up. So for those waiting,
please be patient - we will get to you in the next few
weeks. Our Church Street drop off site is very muddy at
the moment so be careful of getting bogged if you are
dropping scrap off yourselves. We would like to give a
big thank you to Mick Kiraly of C'maine Septics for helping
us with his crane, Cathy Thompson for the loan of the
drop off site, and to everyone in the Chewton Community
for your support. Jo Willen Captain Chewton CFA.

DARTS
Well the end of August saw the half-way mark of the
current Dart Season. Division 1 sees Elpho, Harcourt,
Bridge 2 and Bridge 1; whilst Division 2’s make-up is
Kangaroo, Red Hill, Five Flags 1 and Five Flags 2.
The darts seem to be coming ‘thick and fast’ lately with
five different players throwing a total of 6 x 180’s last
week alone. This season has seen eleven different players
throw a total of 17 x 180’s for the season. As I said
before, the standard of darts is certainly getting better
overall, even though there are the ‘usual suspects’ still
responsible for the majority. There are still some of last
years stars that haven’t shone at all this year, at least not
in that department!
Next week sees the ‘Drawn Doubles’ being played at the
Five Flags Hotel, and then we launch into the second half
of the season which sees each Division playing one another
twice more prior to the finals. More than enough time for
all teams to sort out where they will finish on the ladder.
Mid way through the second half, at the end of September,
we will see some hotly contested ‘Singles’ run in the usual
‘handicapped’ fashion.
This season we have decided to try and even out the
‘Doubles’ by placing those in the top half of the averages
in one bucket and then drawing their partner from the
bottom half of the averages. This should make for a very
interesting night and give one and all an even chance (we
got'ta handicap those better players somehow!).
A couple of photos
taken at the recently
held Past Players
Memorial Day: Yours
Truly ‘barking the
orders’ in the kitchen
(poor old Malcolm)
and showing the style
that still has him there
(at, or near, the top of
the heap) is Ron
“Lovely” Atkins.
So best of luck to one and all for the remainder of the
season. A.2.
THE RED HILL
We are sorry to see the departure of Randall’s brother
Brian, his wife Sarah and son John. They took flight on
their return journey back to Ireland. We’ve all been
comforting Randell and look forward to seeing the Percy
family back in the land of Oz again soon.
The Footy Tipping comp reached a real climax with the
last round - only 1 point separated the leaders. And this
year’s winner?
We have just done the tally - so hot off the press….
the WINNER is PETER WATSON on 118!!!
SECOND is a DRAW between BOMBER BILL and
ELLIOTT on 117
THIRD goes to GARY HAYES on 116.
How close was that! Prizes will be presented at the Red
Hill Hotel. Come and help congratulate the winners. And
a big thank you to everyone who participated and supported
this year’s Tipping. Go you good people!!
In the tradition of the Red Hill being a family hotel we
have been waiting for a couple of mothers to “drop their
bundles”.
Siobhan had a baby boy today (the 29th)!! He was born
at Mt Alexander Hospital at 5.08pm. His name is Ci’ran,
which is the Celtic spelling of Kieran. We warmly welcome
Ci’ran and huge congrats to Siobhan, Mark and Keelan.
Oh, and Keelan has seen his brother and gave him a big
welcome to the world kiss.
Debbie, who often helps us out in the pub, is led to believe
she still has about 3 weeks to go - but some days wishes it
was only 3 hours!! When the new arrivals are here there
will be lots of celebrating and cluckiness. We look forward
to seeing the brand new little faces visiting the hotel.
Saturday 3 rd September is a Social Club Member night
with entertainment and supper provided.
Saturday 24 th September is the Annual Footy Grand Final
Sausage Sizzle. Last year was great fun and this year
will be bigger and better!
Saturday 29 th October is a night out at the Maryborough
Highland Society to see “The Divas” (Dusty Springfield,
Patsy Cline, Connie Francis). Bookings are essential. The
Social Club are hiring a bus for those who don’t want to
drive. This show is a must!
Melbourne Cup Eve is a big night with the famous Spinning
Wheel and Calcutta. Dress up if you want.
Red Hill Hotel
A big thanks to everyone who
support the Red Hill Hotel...
...and who knows the history
of the Mulberry Tree?
Call Liza or Carol on 5472 2541

Tree planting at Golden Point makes building the Burma Railway
look like a vicarage tea party…
A grey steely sky and arctic temperatures heralded the beginning of Sunday the 10th July. Crawling out of bed I stared
in horror at my hands frozen in strange contortions and my mind flashed back to the murky haze of the night before and
the mindless threading of a mountain of bamboo stakes through milk cartons. As I clothed myself in multiple layers to
combat the icy conditions, the reason for the previous evening’s bizarre activity surfaced in my consciousness. This
was not preparation for some pagan ritual to be acted out in the frozen wastes, but then again maybe it was - today was
tree planting at Golden Point!
Arriving at the duly appointed time and place dressed like eskimos and clutching milk cartons and mattocks, my partner
Kathi and I were presented with 40 plants each and sent off to report to Commandant Ian O’Halloran for planting
instructions. It was at this point that it became obvious that trying to plant young natives wearing thick woolly gloves
was not going to work. Surrounded by people who clearly seemed to be really enjoying themselves, I stifled my natural
inclination to whinge about the cold, shed the gloves and began whistling discordantly through chattering teeth while at
the same time wildly wielding a mattock.
Half an hour later the ground around us was strewn with discarded items of clothing and newly planted natives duly
protected by milk cartons. The sky had cleared, the sun was shining and we were beginning to string intelligible
sentences together. Around us the country was pock-marked with an ever-increasing number of milk cartons as jolly
planters feverishly dug holes and plugged them with various natives sporting unpronounceable Latin names. Small
children wandered through the milk carton forest, stopping from time to time to have earnest conversations about frogs,
while mattocks and plants were gleefully handed out to anybody who had the misfortune to stumble into the operations
area while out for a Sunday morning walk.
By midday I could see the light at the end of the tunnel with my 40 plants nearly all secured in the ground. The promise
of a barbeque had my salivary glands working overtime and my vocal chords emitting intermittent querulous cries of
hunger as I dragged my dishevelled frame from hole to
hole. Just as I was about to make a break for the barbeque
area and freedom, Kathi thrust 40 grasses at me, asked
me whether I was a man or a mouse, and co-opted me
into a final frenzied bout of planting with the erroneous
promise that, “This will be easy as we don’t have to put
those milk carton thingies over them.”
Crouching in a mute daze at the barbeque, mentally
squeaking to myself, I tore into a sausage and realised that
in spite of the adversity, the good humour of the fellow
planters and the end result had made the morning more
than worthwhile. Paddy O’Shea.
Photo: Paddy on compulsory bucket duty!
THAT MULBERRY TREE??? 50 years at least???
The Red Hill car park hosts a mulberry tree that has generously
provided fruit for years. How long? Any advance on 50?
What is/are the story/stories about this tree?
What are the anecdotes involving this tree that you remember?
The article on the release of the flea
beetle in Chewton, the biological control
for Paterson's Curse, has been held over
because of obvious space problems.
An October flea beetle instead!

CHEWTON LANDCARE
The Whitehorse Gully Landcare Walk
The Whitehorse Gully and the Forest Creek
walks were a great success for all members who
attended, and very educational. Action Plans
for each group are currently being drawn up and
will be presented at the next Chewton
Landcare Meeting on Thursday the 22nd
of September at 7.30 p.m. at the Red Hill
Hotel. At this meeting we’ll be looking for
further input from members and everyone is
welcome to come along and give us your opinion.
A working bee was held at the Mount Street
end of Forest Creek on Wednesday the 31st of
August where Noel Muller of Parks Victoria
chopped limbs down to make way for the
groomer, and Landcarers began the physical
labor of clearing out the dense rush covering the
creek bed in this area and exposing the stone
wall alongside the creek. Another working
bee will be held on Saturday the 10th of
September 2 - 5 p.m. at the same section.
Everyone is welcome to come along and lend a
hand. Yours in Landcare, Lisa Sargent.
VICROADS
VicRoads is currently advertising for expressions
of interest for a Community Liaison Group for
the Faraday to Ravenswood section of the
upgrade. Interested participants must be a
resident or local business/industry member of
Harcourt or Faraday who is affected by the
project and is aware of local issues. Applications
should be made by the 9th of September on a
from that can be obtained by ringing 5422 0713.
PLANT GUARDS
I am often asked what kind of guards I would recommend to protect
the young plants I sell. Because I specialise in local native plants,
and they are hardened off out in Newstead frosts before sale, my
plants do not need protection from frosts. At home I have the luxury
of one acre around the house being rabbit-netted, and there are no
wallabies or kangaroos this close to town, so I do not have to guard
anything I plant here. If you cannot afford to rabbit-net your whole
garden or revegetation site and you do have browsers around you
will need to invest in some plant guards. I do not sell them, so I do
not have a financial incentive to recommend any particular type.
From my experience a 44cm long UV-treated plastic sleeve, with
holes punched in for ventilation and 4 hardwood stakes gives a very
good result (allows 30%more space than with 3 stakes). Longer
sleeves and taller stakes can be purchased for sites where wallaby
browsing is intense (eg. as has been used by Friends of Kalimna
Park for plantings at the top end of Lyttleton Street. Castlemaine),
or guards can be fashioned by hand to any size you want out of wire
mesh.
Some people choose to use milk cartons and bamboo stakes for
guards. These are a lot cheaper, and lighter to carry around a planting
site, but are unsatisfactory for a lot of reasons:
√ it is difficult to gather up the foliage of the plant and fit it inside
a milk carton (especially understorey species. Tree seedlings
are not so fiddly as they have a single, straight stem);
√ the carton does not allow enough space for growth. This can
lead to spindly growth for the first 30cm and branching out above
the carton, so that when the carton is removed the “topiaried”
plant can be top-heavy and fall over;
√ bamboo stakes are not easily hammered in on rocky sites (they
split or break). The stakes come in a range of sizes, so perhaps
using stouter stakes would overcome this problem;
√ the plant cannot receive much light inside a 1L carton ( 2L
cartons are not so bad);
√ cartons are too short (1l are 30cm, 2L 33cm, compared to plastic
sleeve 44cm);
√ cartons are easily dislodged by wind and animals. Sometimes
they are completely blown off the plant, which is then vulnerable
to browsing, and other times the plant is trapped inside the fallen
guard and becomes deformed. This could be due to poor
installation technique: I am told that if you put the guards &
stakes in, then water the plants, then go back around & push all
the stakes in, they’ll go in further and the guard will be more
secure (if the ground is soft enough to allow this to happen).
For the investment of money and or time spent on ground preparation,
good quality plants and labour to install them it is unwise and seems
to me to be false economy to buy the cheapest type of guard when
they may not do the job properly. It may be better practice to install
fewer plants in a particular project, which would allow more spending
on appropriate sized, sturdy guards for each plant. Whatever type
of guard you choose, it’s a good idea to check on the plants regularly
and remove guards before they restrict growth. If the sleeves or
cartons are torn and no good for a second use, then please dispose
of them thoughtfully so that they don’t end up in our in our waterways.
Frances Cincotta 5476 2691
or email: natives@newstead.vicmail.net

LETTER TO THE EDITOR 1
Re: MAS meeting at Chewton Community Centre
23/8/05.
Some observations on the recent Shire Meeting at the
Community Centre:
- the unnecessary separation of the Councillors on the
stage from the 5 rows of the audience.
Council should simply sit on the same level for this
number in the audience.
- the need to use a radio mike to overcome the difficult
to hear questions and responses.
- the quite bizarre way Councillors in the formal part of
the meeting, in which the public is not permitted to
express any voice at all, still tried to look at the audience.
For an elected body to address its constituents who are
not even allowed to respond seems rather demeaning
and embarrassing to both parties. The compromise
between an in-camera meeting and an open public
meeting needs some refining.
- the way some Councillors do their homework and
others appear to do rather less.
- the diminishing number of the audience as the evening
wore on.
- the need for lighting at the Highway pedestrian entrance
to the Centre
- the need for Council to display notices about the Shire
Meeting at the Centre, the Post Office, and to fly the
Shire or Chewton Miners’ Flag.
Having said that, Council needs to be acknowledged
for the way
- it involved the residents in the Agenda,
- for actually sitting at our local Community Centre.
- and providing an excellent opportunity for Chewton
issues to be aired via the Public Forum as the first item.
Yours sincerely,
Glenn Sutherland.
September News at the Bold Café.
It is our FIRST ANNIVERSARY on the first day of
spring. Come and celebrate with us.
By popular demand, the MONK DISH is back.
Onn will serve this delicious and unusual vegetarian
dish on Fridays and Saturdays. Starting 2 nd September.
New dishes from the east are creeping onto the menu.
Come and sample the delicious taste sensations.
Laksa on Sundays. See you there.
Your host, Onn Ho.
Bookings on 54 706 038
Bold Café, 146 Duke Street, Castlemaine
LETTER TO THE EDITOR 2
Re the Chewton Tannery - early days.
This month’s article is of dual interest. The photo comes
out of the “Hill” collection which is now with me
following Norma’s death. On the back of the photo
Norma’s father (born on the Tannery property) has
written “Chewton Railway Station - Dad (Norma’s
grandfather) is the tall porter in the centre”. Signed E.
C. Hill (no date).
Mr W. C. Hill (“the tall porter”) was born in 1866, so
therefore the photo was taken about 1890. This seems
to be the period when most of the Hill collection of
Chewton photos were taken. It is possible that family
would have engaged a professional photographer - but
no such name appears on any of the photographs. Our
first concern with this photo is - is the railway station
Chewton or is it Elphinstone? I doubt the latter because
it is firmly documented that W. C. Hill would walk from
his place of employment to the Castlemaine Technical
School to attend evening classes - to better his general
education. That would be a very long walk from and
back home to Elphinstone! (We do not have any
account of where Mr. Hill resided at that time. His
parents were then living in Gippsland.)
Of interest, it must have been when he was making
these trips into Castlemaine, or at least while he was
employed at either Chewton or Elphinstone Railway
Station that he met, courted and married Lucy Isabella
Shields on 23.3.1892. He obviously wasn’t spending
all of his time at the tech. school!
Do we have any Chat reader able to identify which
railway station is in the photo?
Points of interest in the photo are the very substantial
goods sheds in the background (could be Elphinstone?)
and also the “residence” at the rear of the station
buildings. At least the building looks like a residence -
possibly for the station master. Identification of others
in the photo would also be of interest. Cliff Binks, 99
Rowan Street, Bendigo 3550
Exposure for your business?
We are always looking for Chewton businesses
to feature in THE BUSINESS(es) OF CHEWTON.
Contact the Chat if you are interested.

SEPTEMBER - 150 YEARS AGO
1. Mount Alexander Mail 14/9/1855 A letter to the
Editor - A plea for the Germans.
“Sir, All and every one that came out to this country to
make a fortune as fast as possible, and to leave it as soon
as he succeeds, is represented in the magistracy of Victoria.
There are lawyers, physicians, squatters, publicans, soldiers
and policemen; even John Chinaman has his China
magistrate. Only we poor Germans, about 20,000, who
came out to make Australia our home, and a fatherland
for our descendants, are not represented on the bench. It
is true, we very seldom trouble your police courts with our
presence, but when it happens, we are usually the worse
for it, as the greater part of our countrymen cannot express
themselves fluently in your language, and there is none on
the bench who understands ours. Even in your local court
there is no German. Moreover, of from six to eight thousand
of us, who came over from the Adelaide side, more than
one-half are naturalised, many of whom are highly
educated, notwithstanding they are now following pursuits
to which they were not brought up, and who enjoy the full
confidence of their countrymen. We do not aspire, like
our South Australian brethren, to the honor of M.L.C.ship,
but urge the necessity of having some J.P.s of our own on
the diggings.
Should Government comply with our just demand, we
would suggest that Mr. George Hauthe, Winter’s Flat,
Campbell’s Creek, and Dr. Schmidt, Castlemaine, would
be as well qualified as John Anketell, Esq., and Dr. Meears.
They enjoy the highest respect amongst their countrymen,
and being able to attend to the court whenever a case
wherein a German is a party comes off.
Hoping that you will be kind enough to advocate our just
claims, I have the honor to remain, Sir, your most obedient
servant. ALFRED WIERE, in the name of many Germans
on Forest Creek. Forest Creek, 10 th Sept., 1855”
2 Letter to the local mining court and published in the
Mount Alexander Mail 14/9/1855
N.B. This letter was passed on to the Governor and plans for
what was probably the first land sale in the Parish of Chewton
were changed. Of 21 allotments
proposed for sale 14 were withdrawn
leaving 7 to be offered; 5 were
passed in and only 2 sold according
to the MAM on 28 September.
“Forest Creek, Sept.8,1855
To the Members of the Local
Court.
Gentlemen: Having only just
noticed in the Government
Gazette that the land situated on
either side of the road beyond
the British and American Hotel,
in the township of Chewton
consisting of a series of alluvial
flats, many of which are known
to contain gold, and are very
likely to prove well worth working, are advertised to be
sold on the 24 th of the present month, I would earnestly
recommend that the sale of the said lands be postponed
for six months, to allow time for the Mount Alexander
Prospecting Association to fully test them so as to prove
whether they are worth working as a gold field or not, if
not, they can then be confidently offered for sale, and will
not run any risk of being rushed, as I think it no more than
likely they will if not tried previous to being sold. The
reason for requesting so long a time is, that the land
consisting as it does of flats, will not be sufficiently dry to
commence operations for the next two months.
Should the Government see fit to comply with this request,
I think it will give general satisfaction to all parties, as it is
at present too late to fence and crop it for this season, and
it will then be quite time enough for the next. I understand
that land similarly situated on Campbell’s Creek is also
about to be sold. If this is decided fact, I would certainly
recommend the same thing, and that a notice be affixed
on all such lands, calling the attention of the miners, and
stating that after a certain date, it will be positively sold
unless found to contain gold in paying quantities, to work
before such date - say 12 feet sinking, at least 1dwt to the
tub; for 20 feet 2dwt, and so on. Edward Thomas.”
TOWN HALL EXHIBITION ROSTER
SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS (& most Public Holidays) 1pm to 4pm
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS WEEKDAYS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
SEPT 2005
Sat 3 Frank
Sun 4 Not open (Town Hall cleaning)
Sat 10 John
Sun 11 Elaine
Sat 17 Joyce
Sun 18 Allan
Sat 24 Jack
Sun 25 Audrey & Keith
VOLUNTEERS WANTED Call Allan Dry 5472 3385
if you would like to help.
Training arranged!

ACCLIMATIZATION
INTRODUCED SPECIES
From the Mount Alexander Mail 8th of March, 1861.
“In taking possession of this portion of the continent of
Australia, we may be said to have entered upon the occupation
of unfurnished lodgings. We have discovered immense
accumulation of treasure in the cellar, but the superior apartments
are desolate, and require beautifying and making habitable. For
this purpose it is that the Acclimatization Society of Victoria
has just been established; and all well wishers of the colony will
endeavour to promote its success, and will rejoice to witness
the accomplishment of those objects which it is designed to
effect. What has been done hitherto in the way of introducing
and naturalizing exotic animals and vegetables, has been
achieved by private enterprise, at great cost and under extremely
unfavourable circumstances. Systematic effort, scientifically
conducted, is what is most wanted in undertakings of this kind;
and for this we require organization and ample funds. The
Acclimatization Society promises to supply both. It will place
itself in regular communication with similar bodies in other parts
of the world; it will ascertain the best sources from which to
obtain the animals, trees, and plants it may be desirable to
introduce; the readiest, safest , most expeditious,and economical
method of transporting them; will arrange for their reception
and safe conduct on arrival, and will provide for their distribution
subsequently. The difference between the means of subsistence
enjoyed by an European and an aborigine represents, in a
measure, the sum of our obligation to external sources for those
articles of food which minister to our daily wants. We owe to
other countries every description of cereal, every variety of
fruit, and the whole of the animals which furnish us with meat,
or which are subservient to our use as beasts of burden or
otherwise. But it is very certain that the number of each of
these is insignificant in comparison with the contributions we
may yet levy upon distant lands. Naturalists tell us that the
forms of animal and vegetable life are almost infinite; and we
know that over the plains of South Africa, lying in the same
latitudes as the southern portions of this continent do, there
range countless herds of animals, whose flesh constitutes a
delicate article of food, and whose skins and horns have a high
commercial value; while the same remark applies to that portion
of the continent of South America which lies between the 20 th
and the 40 th parallels. A perusal of Captain Page’s narrative of
the explorations of La Plata, the Argentine Confederation and
La Plata, undertaken by order of the United States Government,
reveals to us the existence of many edible animals, trees, fruits
and vegetable products, hitherto unknown; most of which are
capable of acclimatization here. To name only a few - there is
the capincha,which forms a link between the hare and the hog,
feeds exclusively on vegetables, and is superior as an article of
diet to pork; the pato real, or royal duck; the large pigeon of the
pampas; the hare of La Plata; the partridge of Antre Rios; and
the 8 varieties of bee which flourish in the country watered by
the Salado; of which Captain Page says:- “The people of that
country revel in the rich supplies which these bees afford of a
delicious and invigorating food. I ate of several of these
varieties of honey, and prefered above all others that of the
torsmi bee, known as the cardon honey. Expressed from the
comb, it becomes, after a few weeks, perfectly white and
granulated; and when eaten with bread or parched corn, is
considered delicious and sustaining. Myriads of bees exist in
the Chaco, bordering on the Salado; and large parties ,
provided with wide sacks, and a provision of parched corn,
cross over in the month of December to collect the produce of
the wild hives. Forlorn emaciated invalids join these parties,
and after an absence of a few weeks, return fat, well, and so
changed, that it is like working a miracle. This is ascribed to
the properties of the wild honey, which, with parched corn, is
for the time, the only food of those engaged in these expeditions”
Among the vegetables' productions which might be introduced
from South America, we might enumerate the algonaba tree ,
which produces a saccharine fruit very fattening to cattle; the
yerba consumed throughout Paraguay as a substitute for tea;
the guem betaya, the fruit of which makes excellent bread, while
the fibre of the bark is capable of being manufactured into
excellent rope; the caraguattay guavu,a species of aloe, the
tissues of which are equal to flax or silk for textile fabrics; the
jumi from which potash is obtained; and the palo boracho,which
is covered with large silken bolls, four times the size of the
cotton boll, while the inner bark of the tree has the properties
and answers the purpose of the finest quality of soap.
This brief and incomplete list will serve to denote what might be
done in one direction only; but with the temperate and subtropical
regions of the entire globe to select from there is virtually
no limit to our range of subjects and our field of enterprise. We
are not cramped for space, and our climate is propitious to the
introduction of all forms of life, except those which flourish in
absolutely tropical or absolutely polar regions.
We hope the work will be heartily entered upon, and
perseveringly pursued, since we have all an interest in its
success. The labours of the Acclimatization Society will tend to
augment and diversify the means of subsistence; to enrich our
farms, gardens, orchards, and vineyards; to beautify the face of
the country; to multiply the enjoyments, and the attractions of
a rural life; and to create the raw material of several branches of
manufacture, the establishment of which will be hastened
accordingly. Much has already been done in these respects;
but the possibilities of progress and improvement are infinite,
and it may solace those who are never satisfied unless they get
the best of any bargain they contract, to remember that in
negotiating exchanges with similar societies in other countries,
more lavishly endowed with the higher forms of animal and
vegetable life than our own, all the advantage is on our side.
We have very little to give, but an immense deal to receive. If
South Africa sends us the gnu, eland, koodoo, springbok, and
so forth ; our wallabies, kangaroos, and laughing jackasses, will
be an extremely inadequate return; nor will the mopoke and
magpie be at all the equivalent to the pheasant and the partridge.
It has been objected to this movement by one of our Melbourne
contemporaries that nature has defined certain geographical
limits to each animal and vegetable, and that when either of
them passes these, it either deteriorates, or loses some of its
distinctive characteristics. This assumption is scarcely
sustained by experience, while it has been refuted by no less an
authority than Mr Alfred Maury, in an able essay on "Zoological
Geography". In fact, most animals and plants exhibit the same
power of adapting themselves to novel conditions of climate
which man does, without undergoing any organic change or
important modification; and to take the case of one of the earliest
exotics introduced into Australia, we are not aware that is any
difference between the sheep which pasture on the hot Darling
Downs, and those which crop the herbage growing on the bleak
slopes of Skiddaw or Helvellyn.” Albar.
So there you go!

COUNCIL NEWS
Dial-a-ride Extended
The Chewton to Castlemaine Dial-a-ride Saturday service
trial is being extended from September to the first week in
December. The last scheduled run will be on the 3rd of
December 2005.
Transport planner for Mount Alexander Shire Council,
Bronwen Machin, reports that not many people have been
using the service but she is unsure whether this is because
people don’t yet know about it, or because it doesn’t meet
their needs. She believes that extending the service another
three months will give more people time to "discover" it.
People wanting to be picked up from Chewton on a
Saturday morning and taken into Castlemaine should ring
Castlemaine Taxis on 5470 6706 between 8.30 and 9.30
on Saturday morning. A taxi will pick you up from your
home at around 9.45am and drop you off in Mostyn Street,
the Railway Station, the hospital or Buda. It will also pick
you up from these sites at between 12.30pm and 1pm to
take you to your home in Chewton. The cost is $2.50 each
way to Mostyn Street or the railway station, and $5 each
way to the hospital or Buda.
For information ring Bronwen Machin on 0417 130 885.
Bronwen also welcomes comments on how this service
could be improved, and how and where it would best suit
their needs.
Help for Committee Members
Mount Alexander Shire Council is hosting a ‘Secrets of
successful committees and boards’ workshop on
Wednesday 14 th September from 6.30 to 8.30pm at the
Ray Bradfield Rooms in Castlemaine. The workshop will
be conducted by Dr Rhonda Galbally, CEO of Our
Community, a resource centre for community groups. This
workshop is recommended because the stronger our
community groups are and the greater the skills of their
members, the more impact they can have in building a
stronger community for us all. Our Community, which is
an initiative of the Victorian Government, also provides
access to a board and committee matching service that
allows community groups to post committee vacancies and
advertise for local business managers, staff and volunteers
to donate their skills. The seminar is free and all participants
will receive a resource kit. If you’d like to attend, please
contact Deb Simpson or Julie Gittus on 5471 1786.
Wildspaces Film Festival
The Wildspaces Film Festival is on at the Theatre Royal
on Saturday the 10 th and Sunday the 11 th of September at
1pm. This is the only film festival in Australia which is
committed entirely to environmental and social justice
issues. Co-ordinated by Friends of the Earth, the festival
features independent works from both Australian and
international film makers. Not-for-profit organisations are
invited to have an information stall at the theatre on the
days of the screening. If you are interested in having a
stall, or would like information about the festival, contact
Rebecca Morecroft on 0417 501 749 or 5472 5214. The
festival is a fundraiser for Friends of the Earth Australia.
A FREE PLAY-READING
from Barking Owl Theatre, presented by Mount Alexander
Shire, and with a large cast aged from 16 to 86....
Love, Chips & Gravy
by Catherine Ryan
It’s fast food that’s good for the heart!
Sat Oct 1st at 1pm (International Day of Older Persons)
Castlemaine Phee Broadway Theatre
Mechanics Lane (behind the Library, off Barker St)
For wheelchair access bookings phone 5472 4137
and for general enquiries phone 5473 4407
Pull up a seat with us at Val’s Café, for a play about love
and life, cooked up from the stories of 30 local seniors.
No matter what your age, love bites.
Presented as part of the Castlemaine Fringe Festival
of the Body 2005. Love, Chips & Gravy is funded by
the Dept of Victorian Communities, Mount Alexander
Shire and Barking Owl Theatre.
Maltby’s Nursery
Daphne Bushes, Citrus Trees
Tomato Plants available October
Japanese Maples, Camelias, Natives,
Pittosporums, Waterlilies
Hanging Baskets and Liners
Stakes, Hessian Bags (50c. each)
And Our Special Gardening Gloves!
1 Baird St. (Off Murphy St) 5472 3925
Wesley Hill. Castlemaine.
CASTLEMAINE VIEW CLUB
Castlemaine VIEW Club is an organization where
women can find something that gives the opportunity to
meet regularly with other women from all walks of life.
It provides a forum for discussion and exchange of ideas,
secures lasting friendships and contributes to the support
of disadvantaged Australians. We are a valued part of
the Smith Family.
The Castlemaine VIEW Club meets for dinner
every fourth Tuesday at the Chewton Community
Centre. Arrival time is 6.30 p.m. for a 7 p.m. start.
If you are interested in joining VIEW please contact
the secretary on 5472 4345.

COMPUTER CHAT
Computer Chat is a section of the Chat which answers
questions about computers (PC or IBM compatible)
running Windows 98 through to Windows XP. Feel
free to send your questions today!
Q: How do I put a picture of my children as my
desktop wallpaper?
A: This is a good question and ties in nicely to one of my
previous articles about resizing photos. You can either
have a look at it from the June Chat - or shortly on
www.chewton.net where a new section will appear. It
will be covering all previous topics in the Computer Chat!
I’ll assume you have a good image file in Bitmap (bmp) in
Windows 95/98/98SE or for Windows XP - a JPEG (jpg)
format. First I’ll show you a trick. You may have heard
in your travels someone mention the “Right Click”. What
this actually means is to press the right mouse button in
the same way you do you left mouse button. This is all
that is involved in doing a “Right Click”. The “Right Click”
hides a lot of what windows can do, so it’s worth getting
used to if you aren't already.
Now “Right Click” your desktop, your desktop being the
space you see on your computer screen with all the icons
on it when you first start your computer. You may already
have a picture there, but it is possible to customize it to
something that reflects your tastes or style. Let’s do that!
Once “Right Clicked” on your desktop a small list appears.
At the bottom of this list is the word “Properties”. Left
click this. You’ll now be presented with the “Display
Properties” of your monitor.. Due to some of the things
here being a bit dangerous to a fairly new user, please
only click the tab named “Desktop”.
You’ll notice on this tab that there is a small picture of a
monitor that shows a preview of the desktop wallpaper
you currently have. You can click on each word below in
the list and notice how the preview changes to that of a
possible picture you could have displayed. For the moment
though we’ll click the “Browse” button and look for your
grandkids photo which I’ll assume is just called “kids.bmp”
for the sake of this exercise. Once you have found it,
select or highlight it, and click “Open”. You now should
see a preview of this in the small monitor picture at the
top of the screen.
Does the preview look alright or does it look strangely
distorted? You should see on the right hand side a small
drop down box, with the wording either “Stretch”, “Tiled”
or “Center”. You can change this in which ever fashion
you wish. If you had a very small picture you may like
that picture repeated all over your desktop, in this case
you’d click the box and then click “Tiled”.
Now that you have the picture you want, and in the style
you like, click, “Ok”. So there you have it - a nice picture
of your children, grandkids, or even something totally
different.
Bonus: If you like you could have a look for pictures
to use as desktop wallpaper on the internet. There’s
a great address from an online arts community,
http://wallpaper.deviantart.com Don’t worry - the name
just sounds bad. Always be careful when browsing such
sites though!
Happy Desktop Wallpapering! Cheers Blade!
Send questions to webmaster@chewton.net or pop your
question in the Chat box at the Post Office or General
Store.
No warranties are expressed or implied. All above help is written in
good faith that it will not harm your computer if carried out as instructed,
however any modifications to computer hardware or software are at
the complete onus of the computer owner/operator. All product names,
copyrights and trademarks are reserved by their respective copyright
owners. All rights reserved.
get ready for the fringe festival
(full advertisement in July's Chewton Chat!)
Two up! Portrait Show:
Find a friend and pair up to create a portrait ménage a deux. The portraits will
be shown October 7th - 16th, 2005.
Enter the Tonks Sculpture Prize:
Victory Park October 7th—16th. Sculptures must have a 50% hardware
content - available at Tonks! Open age and children. Call 5474 3026 (AH)
Informal knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving sessions:
Every 2nd Thursday at Castlemaine's Doveton Corner Store from 11 am
onwards, from 28/04, 12/05, 26/05 etc. Bring own materials. 0439 334 321.
Street entertainment sought - call 0439 334 321.
LOCAL PLUMBERS FOR LOCAL WORK
For all your plumbing requirements contact
Printz Plumbing for fast, reliable, efficient service.
3.5kw
SPLIT SYSTEMS
SUPPLIED
&
INSTALLED
FROM
$1570*
*Conditions apply
PRINTZ PLUMBING
supporting the community
81 Mostyn Street, Castlemaine
Phone 5472 2533 Fax 5470 6362
printzplumbing@castlemaine.net

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18
19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29
30 31 32 33
34 35 36 37
38 39 40
41
CHEWTON CHAT CROSSWORD 18
Across
1 Like mice with pouches (11)
8 Ottery’s Eatery (Abbr) (2)
9 Indicates maiden name (3)
10 Plural of ‘I’ (2)
11 He rides a sleigh (5)
15 Covered with vegetation (5)
16 Liveliness, sprightliness, (6)
18 Rhones' Garage (Abbr) (2)
19 Ovens/Murray River
(Abbr) (3)
20 Newstead Arms (Abbr) (2)
22 List of meals (4)
25 Australian of the Year
——— (6)
28 Policeman (3)
29 Slideway, sloping channel,(5)
30 To drill a hole (4)
31 Welcome to Chewton — (3)
32 Weston Bate (Abbr) (2)
34 Major geological time
span (3)
36 Fastener (3)
38 Organ of sight (3)
40 Char—— Gully (4)
41 Bendigo's goldrush name (9)
Down
1 ——— Palace (6)
2 Bestow in large quantities
(4)
3 In operation (2)
4 Acquire, receive (3)
5 Practice of space navigation
(11)
6 Open vessel, pitcher (4)
7 Rush-like marsh plants (6)
12 Nickel (Abbr) (2)
13 A reliable, hard-worker (7)
14 Direct, target, (3)
17 Dead Bullocky —— (5)
21 Products of human
creativity (3)
23 Ecological (Abbr) (3)
24 Female name (6)
26 Champion, genius (4)
27 Water condensed overnight
(3)
30 Honey-making insects (4)
33 —— Hill (4)
35 Burned residue (3)
37 —belly stove (3)
39 Young Australian (Abbr) (2)
2006 Enrolment at Chewton Primary School
If you know of any families, with school age children, who are
intending to send their child to school next year, please encourage
them to contact the school to enquire about enrolment.
Forward planning for the 2006 school year will begin shortly
CROSSWORD 17 SOLUTION
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
S T R E E T S C A P E
8 9
I O N G A O E
10 11 12 13
L M O R M O N D
14 15 16 17
V S O W T O E
18 19 20 21 22
E D U C T T H U M B
23 24 25
R I P A R I A N E B
26 27 28
E V E Y T N K T
29 30 31 32
Y A R D C N E S
33 34 35 36
E B A C H E L O R
39
37 38
W H R O B
A N A L Y S I S
Chewton Chat Crosswords courtesy
of Lisa Sargent (and Muffin)
FIELD NATS
VISITORS ARE WELCOME AT CLUB
MEETINGS AND EXCURSIONS
SEPTEMBER
Fri 9 The Alpine National Park. Phil
Ingamells. Phil is the Alpine (anti-grazing)
Campaigner for the Victorian National
Parks Association and a former member
of the CFNC. UCA hall at 8pm.
Sat 10 Mandurang – Bendigo
National Park. Leaders: R. Piesse/ R.
Mills. Depart from carpark opp. motel in
Duke Street at 1.30pm sharp.
Wed 14. Wednesday Evening
Wildflower Walk (1). All these walks
depart from carpark, opp. motel in Duke
St. at 4pm sharp and return at 5.30pm.
Sept Wed 21. Wldflower Walk (2).
Sept Wed 28. Wildflower Walk (3).
ORDINARY MEMBERSHIP: Single $22, Family
$30, Pensioner or student: Single $19, Family
$24. The subscription includes postage of the
Castlemaine Naturalist.
CASTLEMAINE FIELD NATURALISTS,
PO BOX 324, CASTLEMAINE, 3450.
Geraldine Harris 5474 2244.
Website: http://home.vicnet.net.au/~cfnc
Unemployed? Isolated?
Surviving? Self-Help Group?
Contact Brendan 0419 324 756
or John 0418 318 620

There goes the winter of
our content!!!
I always face Spring with a touch of sadness. You
see, winter is one of my favourite seasons. It rates up
there with summer and autumn … and even spring. So
when it goes, I get all nostalgic. Much of winter is
absolutely marvellous! Steaming hot steak and kidney
puddings. A quiet whisky in front of the fire. Hours
spent with great books. Wet miserable days giving the
perfect excuse to turn your back on all those odorous
jobs outside, so you can spend hours doing crosswords
and scoffing great bowls of homemade soup. You can
surf the web, and dream without a twinge of guilt. I
love it!
What a pity spring has arrived. The garden is a mess,
I’ve put on weight, and I’m running out of excuses.
Maybe it’ll rain some more. Hope so!!!
Here are the figures up to 9AM on the 29 th Aug.
Keith Richardson.
RAINFALL JULY AUG
Total 43mm 46mm
Total days rain 16 14
Heaviest fall 10mm 13.5mm
(10 th ) (20 th )
Median Rainfall Jan –Aug 349mm
Actual Rainfall Jan – Aug ’05 330mm
Jan – Aug ‘04 292mm
Jan – Aug ‘03 421mm
Jan - Aug ‘02 300mm
Jan - Aug ‘01 278mm
TEMPERATURE JULY AUG
Average Daytime 12.4 13.9
Average Overnight 2.8 2
Highest daytime 15.5 19.5
(24 th ) (28th)
Lowest Overnight -4.5 -3
(21 st ) (27 th )
The Chewton Chat is a newsletter published by the Chewton Domain Society. A subcommittee of Glenn Braybrook, John Ellis (Ed.),Bettie Exon,
Stan Munro, Audrey Richardson, Keith Richardson and Lisa Sargent is responsible for the publication. Regular volunteers Judy, Wendy, Ian, Barbara,
Allan, Richard and Don amongst others, also help with production. It is circulated on the first of each month, necessitating a deadline of the 25th
of the month before. Material can be left at the Chewton Post Office or Chewton General Store, with any of the sub-committee members, sent by
e-mail to goldenpoint@aanet.com.au or call 5472 2892.
Contributions of ideas, news items, articles, and letters are always welcome; as are advertisements that help meet monthly production costs.
Circulation is via the Chewton Post Office, Chewton General Store, Chewton Pet Supplies, Castle Auto-Electrics, The Bold Cafe, Castlemaine
Office Supplies and Chewton's Red Hill Hotel. Whilst copies are free, there are donation tins at most collection points. Subscriptions for mailed
copies can be arranged. Circulation is now 560. The Chewton Chat can also be downloaded each month from www.chewton.net
Chewton Domain Society can be contacted through PO Box 85, Chewton, 3451; or the Chewton Town Hall on 5470 6131 or chewton@gcom.net.au
(Limited numbers of copies are also available in Castlemaine at the Market Building, CHIRP and Citizens Advice Bureau)
The Chewton Domain Society has Diggers' Flags for sale
$120 large, $70 small 5472 2892
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Sept 1st Senior Citizens (SC) Bingo, 1.30 p.m., Chewton Community Centre.
Sept 4th Spring clean at Chewton Town Hall - display closed this day.
Sept 6th SC Pokie Trip, 8.30 a.m., Castlemaine Market Building (Laurie 5422 1388).
Sept 6th Recycling Day
Sept 10th Chewton Landcare/Forest Creek Group Working Bee, 2 p.m., Mount Street.
Sept 11th Eucharist Service 9.15 a.m., St John’s Anglican Church, Chewton.
Sept 14th CSMP M/Com. Mtg., 7.30 p.m., George Archer Pavilion.
Sept 18th FOBIF Walk, Expedition Pass Reservoir (5472 2892).
Sept 19th CDS M/Com. Mtg., 7.30 p.m., Chewton Town Hall.
Sept 20th SC Hoy Day 1.30 p.m., Anglican Church Hall, Castlemaine.
Sept 20th MAS Agenda Meeting, 7.30 p.m., Castlemaine Senior Citizens.
Sept 22nd SC Lunch 12 p.m., Meeting 1.15 p.m., Chewton Community Centre.
Sept 22nd Chewton Landcare Meeting, 7.30 p.m., Red Hill Hotel.
Sept 24th Films@Fryerstown (The Sting), 7.30 p.m., Fryerstown Mechanics Institute (BYO comfy seat!).
Sept 25th Eucharist Service, 9.15 a.m., St John’s Anglican Church, Chewton.
Sept 25th Red Hill Social Club Meeting, 2.30 p.m., Red Hill Hotel.
Sept 26th SC Bus Trip to Werribee Plaza Shopping Centre, 8.30 a.m., C’maine Market Building.
Sept 27th MAS Council meeting, 7.30 p.m., Castlemaine Senior Citizens
Sept 29th SC Hoy Day, 1.30 p.m., Chewton Community Centre.
Sept 30th Chewton Chat folding, 2.30 p.m., Chewton Town Hall (Friday).