Proud founding sponsors of the Gembrook Times

No.50 SEPTEMBER 2009 www.gembrookvillage.com.au/gembrooktimes.html
Market back on track
GEMBROOK Market returned last month
under mostly sunny skies and the
president of the new market committee
Walter Berger was happy with the
outcome.
“The general feedback from the
stallholders was that the results for the
day weren't bad overall and they
seemed satisfied,” he said.
“We expect that the attendance will
only increase in future as word gets
around that the Gembrook Market is
back.
“We are not just relying on word of
mouth for that, but are also advertising
in local papers in order to boost attendance
as quickly as possible.
“So we are looking forward to bigger
and better things in the future.”
The new market committee operates
as an incorporated body after the
former committee, established as a
commun ity sub-committee of Cardinia
Shire, wound up when the shire found
it could not continue with that status.
The former committee handed over
its equipment and signs for use at the
new market and provided other assistance.
At the reopening a presentation
was held to thank the previous market
committee members.
Mr Berger praised the new committee
for its work in re-establishing the
market in time for last month’s reopening.
“It took considerable effort from the
2,100 litre Round - $515
5,500 litre Round - $890
10,100 litre Round - $1600
2,030 litre Slimline - $900
More sizes available
Wilma Postma, Lily Krywuc and Rose Ovenden were back in familiar
surroundings at the Gembrook Craft Group stand at the reopened market.
various locals and nearby locals who
decided to be part of the new committee
in order to resurrect the market.
“There was a barrage of phone
calls and emails in order to get all
the permits, insurances and other
Continued page 2

Tom Quilty the ride of a lifetime
GEMBROOK can look forward to a busy
week with the arrival in the district of
riders, support crews and horses for
the Tom Quilty Gold Cup National
Championships.
Competition in the endurance riding
event will begin at midnight on
September 18 and last up to 24
hours but the activity, centred on
Tonimbuk Equestrian Centre, will
Market back
on track
From page 1
legal ities sorted. But it was all arranged
with a day to spare.
“The volunteers and some of the regulars
from previous markets helped in
order to get all the i's dotted and t's
crossed on the day. I would like to single
out individuals, but everyone that
turned up on the day was indispens -
ible.”
“In order to have things running as
smoothly as possible, we are still looking
for interested volunteers and they
would be welcome to give us a call on
the market phone, 0437-664 121.”
Charlottes
on Main
CAFÉ, GIFTWARE,
LICENSED BYO
& VISITOR
INFORMATION
CENTRE
Charlottes on Main
Proud partners of
GGeemmbbrrooookk TTiimmeess
Tel 5968 1715
Open Mon-Fri 10am-4pm,
Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 9am-5pm
GEMBROOK TIMES, PAGE 2
cover the week beginning Sept ember
14.
Riders begin the course at
midnight on September 18 but spec -
tators wanting to witness the start at
the equestrian centre will have to be
in place by 11pm, says event director
Lissy Verity. There will be local road
closures for the start and over the
weekend.
Transition complete
THE Section 86 committee that
started up the Gembrook Market in
2005 and closed down after this
year’s May market has completed
its activities.
The committee has concluded
its financial commitments
including providing final grants to
local community groups.
Since the committee began
operating the market it has
donated about $47,000 in funds.
Grants have gone to all
sections of the community
including: Gembrook Primary
School ($7038), Gembrook
Preschool ($7090), Gembrook CFA
($2600), Gembrook Netball Club
($550), Gembrook Playgroup
($1856), Friends of Kurth Kiln
($180), Friends of Gembrook Park
($267), Gembrook RSL ($1801),
Gembrook Joey Scouts ($170),
Gembrook Community Centre
($18,347), Gembrook Craft Group
($1035), Gembrook Football Club
($500), Gembrook Junior Cricket
Club ($1990), Gembrook Township
Committee for the annual carols
($660) and Gembrook Times
($605).
It also granted $2600 to the
Steels Creek Community Centre
following this year’s bushfires.
Each of the five legs of the event
begins and ends at the centre and
the trails will include sections of
Bunyip State Park.
The event, which is being held at
Tonimbuk for the first time, was postponed
last year because of equine
flu. It will include more than 200
endurance riders and regularly
attracts international horse buyers.
Market goers returned to an August market blessed by sunny skies.
To assist the new organising
committee of the market, the
committee sent letters to its
previous stallholders and
volunteers providing the new
committee’s contact details.
In addition, the five permanent
signs in the area and the
specialised equipment trailer and
its contents, which together cost
about $10,000, have been handed
over for the new committee to use.
“We thank all those who
supported our volunteer-run
committee (other volunteers,
stallholders and market-goers)
during the past four years (a total
of 44 markets),” the committee
said.
The committee also
acknowledged the work of its
members.
“In addition to organising each
market and market-day work,
committee volunteers travelled
330km monthly to put out
promotional banners. Members
also visited most markets across
Melbourne and Gippsland to
recruit new stalls and maintain
stallholder numbers.
'We believe all these efforts
were a major contributor to the
market’s success.”

Proud grower Gesue Scalora with the Gembrook pineapple.
Igloo bears sweet fruit
GEMBROOK’S big pineapple went
under the knife last month after
reaching maturity in one of flower
grower Gesue Scalora’s temperature-controlled
igloos.
It is not the first pineapple off
Gesue’s plant but is the best,
measuring about 18cm from top to
bottom - before being tasted by
four eager grandchildren.
The pineapple story goes back
about four years to when Gesue’s
wife Lucy had a persistent cough
and a friend recommended pine -
apple juice.
The plant was struck by growing
roots in a container of water before
eventual planting.
GEMBROOK DIARY
Wed, September 9 - Joint townships committee meeting,
Emerald Library, 7.30pm.
Wed, September 16 - Gembrook Bowls Club annual meeting,
Community Centre, 7.30pm.
September 18-19 - Tom Quilty Gold Cup National
Championships, Tonimbuk Equestrian Centre.
Sun, September 27 - Gembrook Market, Puffing Billy station,
9am.
Tues, October 13 - Township Committee meeting, Gembrook
Community Centre, 7.30pm. All welcome.
Every Monday - Craft group meeting, Craft Cottage, Redwood
Rd. Contact Hanna, ph 5968 1403.
Every Wednesday - Gembrook Bowls Club Community Centre,
7.45pm. Contact John, ph 5942 7217.
Every Thursday - The Gembrook Singers practice, Community
Room, Community Centre, 7.15pm. Contact Peter, ph 5967 7000.
Every fourth Thursday - Evening craft session, Craft Cottage,
Redwood Rd. Contact Hanna, ph 5968 1403.
TAKING NOTE
THE Township Committee is calling for
volunteers to assist with development of
the Cockatoo-Gembrook section of the
Emerald-Cockatoo-Gembrook Regional
Trail. To express interest, contact David
Nickell, ph 5968 1400.
THE episode of the TV series
Neighbours with scenes filmed around
Gembrook’s Ranges Hotel, is set to go
to air on Channel Ten at 6.30pm on
Friday, September 11.
THE Department of Sustainability and
Environment draft fire operations plan
for the district is going through final
preparations after the closing of the public
comment period. The department is
now assessing submissions and preparing
a final draft. The State Government
last month named Gem brook among 52
towns set for individual fire plans.
GEMBROOK Bowls Club will hold its annual
general meeting on Wednesday,
September 16 from 7.30pm at the
Community Centre. All members are
encouraged to attend as a proposed
constitution will be voted on.
THE Gembrook Primary School dinner
and silent auction held in July was
attended by almost 100 people and
raised just over $6000 to go toward
building a new bike shelter for the
school. Organisers thanked patrons and
businesses for their support.
THE Gembrook Times community
access meeting planned for this month
has been postponed until mid-
November because of ongoing building
works at the Community Centre. Read
the November issue for an update.
CARDINIA Shire’s Community ACCESS
Directory is now online with information
from more than 150 key agencies that
provide services and opportunities for
people with disabilities, their families
and carers. To view the directory, visit
www.cardinia.vic.gov.au and click on the
access and disability link. Hard copies
are available at the shire offices in
Pakenham, or phone 1300 787 624.
CARDINIA Shire’s volunteer database is
advertising more than 70 positions for
people to get involved in not-for-profit
community organisations that operate in
the shire or that service its residents.
Subsidised training courses for volunteers
delivered by local neighbourhood
houses and community centres are also
available. To register as a volunteer, visit
www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/volunteer.
THE Em2Gem Transition Towns group
will hold a DVD screening of the sustainability
film The End of Suburbia at
Emerald Library on Friday, September
11 at 7.30pm, followed by tea or coffee,
nibbles and discussion. All welcome.
GEMBROOK TIMES, PAGE 3

LETTER
Involvement can
achieve plenty
THE Gembrook Township Committee
meets bi-monthly at the Community
Centre and is open to any residents who
are interested in their community to
come along and join with like-minded
citizens.
We have a proud history of active
community advocacy to local, state and
federal governments and government
departments. We aim to make sure that
Gembrook issues get the attention they
deserve from our decision makers and
that local community groups in particular
have an additional voice with which
they can get their message out.
Community groups are urged to send
along a delegate so that we can hear
about the projects you are working on
and can assist where possible. Or, if you
are not part of a community group, but
want to learn what is going on or have
some time to chip in as a volunteer,
please join with us.
The August Township Committee
meeting tackled some important issues
for the community and several actions
have commenced to make progress on
them.
There is a vacant position for a communications
officer for the executive
committee - someone interested in
making sure we get issues out for public
discussion across all groups and residents
and via multiple media channels.
Calling for coverage
AS YOU may be aware one of the
outcomes of the Bushfires Royal
Commission is the development
of an Australia-wide alerting system.
The system will enable voice
or text messages warnings to be
sent to all the telephones in a
selected area.
The system will simultaneously
call all the fixed line phones that
are known to exist in the selected
area.
It will also call all of the mobile
phones that are responding to the
cell towers serving the selected
area. It is hoped the system will be
operational in 2009-10.
There are two problems arising
from this arrangement and, as
your life may depend upon your
phones, pay close attention to the
following:
�� Your home phone may be a
cordless phone without a wired in
handset. Such phones need both
the mains power and fixed tele-
GEMBROOK TIMES, PAGE 4
Township Committee president
DAVID NICKELL urges
Gembrookers to act on local
projects in need of attention.
Following the work of the Gembrook
Rural Review, John Cascone, Carl
Firrito and myself recently appeared
before the Victorian Parliamentary
Inquiry into Sustainable Development of
Agribusiness in Outer Suburban
Melbourne, being run by the Outer
Suburban-Interface Ser vices and
Development Committee.
Our invitation to appear before the
committee followed several submissions
made to the inquiry by local residents,
detailing the changes that are
facing rural landholders in the district.
We presented a strong case to the
committee that the Gembrook district
desperately needs a green wedge management
plan developed for it as the
current state of uncertainty regarding
the future of broadacre cropping and
inconsistent treatment of local potato
growers by State Government departments
means that land-use patterns in
Gembrook need to change.
It’s time to get the Cockatoo-
Gembrook section of the Emerald-
Cockatoo-Gembrook Regional Trail
done. The feasibility study was completed
in 2002. Pakenham got its pool - we
want our trail. We are seeking interested
volunteers to help make the project
happen.
GEMBROOK
www.gembrookcfa.com.au
phone line to operate. Many
homes no longer use the phone
company-supplied phone that
only depends on the phone line.
As a consequence, if the mains
power fails, the telephone may not
work. Make sure you have a
Telstra phone that can be plugged
in to the existing phone socket or
such a phone already installed in
an extension socket.
�� You may not get an adequate
signal for your mobile phone to
operate effectively. The best solu-
Centre
plans take
shape
ASIDE from the building works at
the community centre, other
changes are happening, according
to its management committee.
Long-time bookings officer
and treasurer Karen Dixon and
former secretary Jim Cuthbert
have retired after many years of
volunteer service. The committee
thanked both for their lengthy
commitment to the centre.
Several new members have
joined the committee and an
additional group of volunteers is
helping to plan future activities
after the centre’s refurbishment.
Last month the committee
invited local residents and representatives
from community
groups to join in a business
planning session aimed at developing
a working plan for the next
five years. The evening was considered
a success with 19 people
attending the workshop
despite the wintry evening.
The centre has also introduced
a mobile number, ph
0417-740 409, to improve communications
for its bookings
process.
tion to this problem is to get the
phone companies, in particular
Telstra, the major provider, to
upgrade coverage, which for us
probably means the provision of a
new cell phone tower in the northern
part of the brigade area.
Following an initiative by the
Gembrook Fire Brigade through
secretary Ian Bennett and the
Gembrook Township Committee,
Cardinia Council is committed to
improved telecommunications
throughout the shire.
We need to identify the areas
where people are having trouble
getting a good signal.
If you have a problem making
mobile calls from your home,
send Ian Bennett an email about
it, giving your name, mobile number,
mobile provider and address,
at ian.bennett1@bigpond.com. If
you don’t have access to email,
leave a note at the Gembrook post
office. Ian will pass the accumulated
information onto the shire and
Telstra for action.

Ancient day
of wein
and song
CHERIE FORRESTER
celebrated Swiss National Day in
Gembrook and observed traditions
going back hundreds of years.
AS THE honorary Swiss consul, Erica
Kimpton, said in her address, the
Swiss have been celebrating August 1
for some 700 years. She referred to
the general knowledge of the Swiss for
their political impartiality, for the folk
hero William Tell who allegedly shot
the apple from his son’s head and, of
course, for the recent legend, Roger
Federer!
Perhaps many Gembrook residents
are unaware that the Swiss National
Day has been celebrated as a family
day at the Gembrook Sports Ground
and club rooms every August since
1978.
The content for this editorial was
supplied by Godi ‘Bob’ Schmuki, a
Gembrook resident who, together with
Lui Blochlinger of Mount Burnett, has
been instrumental in the holding of the
festival each year.
The traditions of the national day
stem back to August 1, 1291, when the
Swiss overcame the Austrian
Habsburg oppressors who had for
years charged them exorbitant taxes in
kind.
In Switzerland, many districts have
their festival with singing, food and
drink and a bonfire. The bonfire is a
symbol of the fires used in the independence
war on the Austrians as a
signal to start attacks.
There are about 4000 Swiss nationals
living in Victoria. The Swiss are one
of the few nations accepted by
Australia with dual citizenship. Many
Swiss expats took up residence in the
hills area – Ferntree Gully, Belgrave
and Gembrook – as the scenery
reminded them of the lowland hills, the
Vor Alpen, where the hills rise to the
Alps, in their homeland.
The festival in Gembrook takes the
form of a family gathering around
lunchtime and extending celebrations
into the evening. There are games for
the children and people catch up who
may not have seen each other for
some time. Others are welcome and
the annual event has quite a following
in the Gembrook community.
The food is always the traditional
bratwurst sausage and the servelats
(frankfurter) sausage served in a
wholemeal bread roll. Almond rolls are
also enjoyed at this time. Apart from
Personal
Flavour
natural juice or wine, the main drink for
the winter festival is gluhwein, a traditional
recipe for which is included here.
Gluhwein is served on any winter
occasion in Switzerland and can be
used as a remedy for an imminent cold
or flu.
The festival at Gembrook heard a
recording of the national day address
from the current President Merz.
Interestingly, the Swiss federal president
is a role rotated annually between
seven elected councillors, the epitome
of democracy.
A recording of the ringing of bells
followed, this year from the church of
Herisau. It was a serious moment for
many who reflect on the image of their
old local church with its bell tower,
perched atop a rocky outcrop with the
Alps as a backdrop.
In previous years, before manual
handling risk assessments and public
liability insurance, Gembrook locals
vied with the Swiss in a competition of
rock throwing – a shot put-like event
where the men hurl a 50kg rock and
the women and children a 5kg rock.
Rock throwing also stems from the
Habsburg era, when the Swiss took
advantage of their elevated position
and availability of rocks to throw them
The Yodel Choir Matterhorn
attracted curious young fans.
GLUHWEIN
Serves about 10 people, so add
to quantities proportionately for
a larger party
- 2 litres red wine
- 250 ml orange juice
- 750 ml water
- 50 ml brandy or schnapps
- 300-400 grams sugar (to taste)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 6 juniper berries
- 2 oranges sliced
- 1 lemon sliced
Put everything in a heavybottomed
pan. Stir to melt the
sugar. Simmer the mixture over
low heat. Do not allow to boil.
Leave for about an hour and
gently reheat to serve.
Serve in small mugs straining
out the peel and spices.
recipe courtesy
Benny Hurlimann
down on the approaching enemy.
The Swiss members would practise
in advance, but one year Greg
Armstrong of Gembrook came a close
third with Andy Rechsteiner, also of
Continued page 7
GEMBROOK TIMES, PAGE 5

Strategy wish list goes on table
THE need for a bus service to
Pakenham and the desire to avoid further
land subdivisions are among the
popular responses found in consultations
for the Gembrook Township
Strategy.
Cardinia Shire Council has compiled
a 12-page document summarising
responses received so far through
community consultation activities
associated with the current review of
the Gembrook Township Strategy.
Shire strategic planner Belinda
Sombekke says the list of responses is
yet to be finalised and planners will
ask this month’s senior citizen’s lunch
for further feedback.
Some of the more common
responses received have noted:
�� The desire for a bus service be -
tween Gembrook and Pakenham;
�� The value of the Gembrook market;
�� The desire to strike a balance
between a tourism focus and facilities
provision for Gembrook and the value
of the small town, rural feel;
Men’s Shed
helps in
rebuilding
RECENTLY the Hills Men's Shed visited
the Green Shed in Emerald and
helped Mike Allery from U3A make
saw horses that, through Lions clubs,
are given to tradesmen from the areas
that were devastated by bushfires this
year.
The saw horses have been sent to
Marysville, where they have been
extremely well received and are helping
in reconstruction work.
Hills Men's Shed meets every
Wednesday in the front room of the
Cardinia Casey Health Service Centre
in Cockatoo, 1.30-4pm.
Men from all around Gembrook,
Emerald, Cockatoo and neighbouring
towns make the most of having a place
to come and make friends, learn from
other people's experiences, learn
about services and community programs
and events.
GEMBROOK TIMES, PAGE 6
�� The value of surroundings and rural
atmosphere and their protection;
�� The importance of good commun ity
spirit and a close-knit community, and
�� Desire for no further subdivision of
land, although there were responses
on both sides of this issue.
Other comments received included:
�� The need to provided more tourist
activities and accommodation;
�� The provision of more walking or
cycling tracks in the area, including
tracks along the Puffing Billy line and
to Mt Eirene and Gilwell Park, and
signs to existing trails;
�� The need for more public toilets;
�� The desire for a swimming pool.
�� The need for more activities for children
aged 10-17 as well as repairs,
upgrading and better monitoring of the
skate park and a BMX track;
�� The desire for a graffiti wall;
�� The need for bicycle racks and
places to tie up horses near the town
centre;
�� More off-street or Main Street
Men’s Shed members work on saw horses for bushfire-hit areas at the
Green Shed in Emerald.
The group holds a monthly barbecue
that is great fun and there the
members decide what the group will
do. Field trips and guest speakers are
planned for the next couple of months.
Talks with Cardinia Council about
possible location of a workshop andmeeting
room are continuing. With the
group growing it may be possible to
Weed busters get a free trip to tip
DURING Weedbusters Week, Sep -
tember 7-13, residents in Cardinia
Shire are encouraged to attack
woody weeds, sweet pittosporum,
flax-leafed broom, cotoneaster and
holly, while reducing fire risk. To
encourage weed busters, the shire is
offering a limited number of free tip
vouchers, valid from September to
November.
parking for peak times;
�� A desire for no further estate development
in the town and minimum lot
sizes of one hectare outside the urban
growth area.
As part of the review process, a
Gembrook Township Strategy reference
group has been established. The
first reference group meeting was held
late last month and regular meetings
will continue throughout.
The members of the reference
group are volunteers acting as community
representatives and include
members of the Township Committee
and the Gembrook Business Group.
The reference group is acting in an
advisory capacity to the shire.
Cardinia Shire last month adopted
new township strategies for Upper
Beaconsfield and Lang Lang. These
can be viewed at the strategic planning
section of the shire website
www.cardinia.vic.gov.au, or copies can
be obtained from the strategy planning
department, ph 1300 787 624.
expand the number of activities and
the meeting times to cater for varying
needs of participants.
Interested residents who want to
talk to someone about the Men's Shed
should contact the Cardinia Casey
Health Service, ph 5668 7000, Monday
to Wednesday, or Owen, ph 5968
9678, any time.
To receive a free tip voucher, register
for a kerbside collection of bundled
weeds or obtain pamphlets on
woody weeds, contact the shire, ph
1300 787 624.

Ancient day of wein and song
From page 5
Gembrook, the winner. Greg’s certificate
is still in Bob’s festival archives.
A feature of the Gembrook festival
is the singing display by the Yodel
Choir Matterhorn. The choir has been
practising and singing together for 40
years. They attend events such as
weddings, festivals and these days
sing for the elderly Swiss who can no
longer make it to the events.
The yodel choir is a four-part harmony
choir not unlike the Welsh
choirs, but with a yodel section
between each verse. The songs are in
dialect and are mostly about rural life
in Switzerland.
The Aussie singers attended the
2002 competition in Freiburg,
Switzerland, competing with 500
choirs from Switzerland and others
from around the world. They received
a distinction and were on par in their
section with the main choir of Bern, the
capital city.
The Yodel Choir Matterhorn is a key
attraction at the Gembrook Swiss
Festival.
A talented lady, Irma Thalmann,
also plays the Alp horn. This fourmetre
long instrument was traditionally
used by herdsmen who moved their
cattle to the alpine pastures for summer
grazing to communicate with each
other across the valleys.
On display at Gembrook are the
huge cowbells, brought to Australia as
mementos of the homeland where
each bell identified a particular animal.
This is important where there are
almost no fences in the Alpine pastures.
As evening draws near, and the
gluhwein has been finished, the children
light lanterns, traditionally candles
held inside melons with cut-out
eyes, nose and mouth, and move to
the bonfire, which is lit in a final celebration
of another August 1.
A key difference between the Swiss
National Day in Gembrook and that in
Switzerland is the weather.
It is summer in Switzerland, but in
Gembrook the icy winds blast from the
mountains.
It was so cold on this festival day,
that Urs and Therese’s Bernese mountain
dog, Max, who is generally an
event mascot, this year stayed in the
van!
Good sports are
game for anything
GEMBROOK Primary School pupils put up with
wet, bitterly cold weather last month to take
part in the annual EDEC sports day with other
local primary schools.
The teams eagerly played football, netball
and volleyball and the football team contested
the lightning premiership finals.
Physical education teacher Sally
Cunningham said: “I am extremely proud of
our students. It was great to see everyone
having a go and doing their best.”
The school is also celebrating being
accredited as the 100th Go for Your Life
school in the state. The school encourages all
pupils to have a healthy lifestyle through
eating properly and including exercise as an
important part of their routine. Pupils are
encouraged to bring fruit or vegetables every
day as part of their 10am healthy fruit break
and Fridays are Free Fruit Fridays, on which
each pupil is supplied with a piece of fresh
fruit.
Pupils are encouraged to “switch off and
play”, limit their intake of occasional foods and
to ride and stride their way to school. As part
of their reward for being the 100th Go for Your
Life school, they received a variety of sports
equipment which they are able to borrow at
recess times and lunchtimes to encourage
physical activity and cooperative games.
Left: The Gembrook Primary lightning
premiership football side reached the
EDEC schools finals.
GEMBROOK TIMES, PAGE 7

Gembrook Times is published
11 times a year by volunteers. Planning
meetings are held monthly and community
planning gatherings three times a year. For
information, contact Greg Videon (see below).
Available at IGA Plus Liquor supermarket,
Ranges Garden Supplies, Gembrook Post
Office and newsagency and at community
partners and other businesses, or in colour at
www.gembrookvillage.com.au/gembrooktimes.html
EDITORIAL CONTACTS
PO Box 28, Gembrook 3783
Editor: Greg Videon ... ph 5968 1137
Email: gemtimes@austar net.com.au
Yvonne Bennett ... ph/fax 5968 1080
Peter Wylaars ... ph 5967 7000
Keith Livingston ... ph 5968 1115
Cherie Forrester ... ph 5968 1686
MATERIAL FOR
PUBLICATION IS DUE BY THE
25 TH OF THE
PRECEDING MONTH
Material may be edited. Email
contributors should provide
MS Word or text-only word files.
Separate JPG picture files are
preferred at a minimum 250dpi.
Copyright is reserved by the
GGeemmbbrrooookk TTiimmeess.
For permission to reproduce
material please contact the editor.
PLANNING MEETING
SEPTEMBER 17
NEXT ISSUE OCTOBER 3
Proud founding sponsors of the
Gembrook Times
Supermarket: 85 Main St,
Gembrook, ph 5968 1878
Liquor store: 1/83 Main St,
Gembrook, ph 5967 7122
Time to enrol, says preschool
GEMBROOK Preschool is encouraging
parents to enrol their children early for
next year’s programs.
Preschool director-teacher Kristy
McMillan said separate four-year-old
and three-year-old programs would
operate and in coming weeks groups
would be arranged and days decided.
“Parents who have not yet enrolled
need to do so quickly to ensure their
child has a position secured for next
year,” she said. "Within our preschool
program we have a strong focus on
the children being independent and
comfortable in their surroundings and
Beating business blues
ECONOMIC downturn can present an opportunity,
according to Lawrie De La Rue (right), former
Gembrook resident and chief executive of the
Australian division of Hankook Tyres.
Mr De La Rue, guest speaker at a recent business
breakfast at Gembrook Sports Ground sponsored by
Cockatoo-Gembrook Community Bank, said
business success came from being prepared to
work hard and follow your dreams, look at your
opposition and pick your market.
Mr De La Rue, who spent his childhood in
Gembrook, said that in business experience was the
best teacher and it was important to choose the
right customer. His company had turned the recent
economic downturn into a positive by being
prepared to source and distribute more
products than competitors.
to show initiative and a sense of
belonging to the centre.
“The children use this initiative to
develop their skills in literacy, mathematics,
language and communication,
as well as problem solving."
Kristy said the preschool also
played a valuable role in the commun -
ity as it was often the first point of
contact for many families and helped
establish support networks for parents.
“We offer many days on the preschool
calendar where families are
invited to come along and meet other
families and join in the program."
Sacred Heart Church, Main St - Mass at 8.30am each Sunday. Contact
parish office, ph 9754 2142, for details on weddings, baptisms and
sacramental programs. Father Nathan Le is on sabbatical leave until
December so a variety of priests from different areas will fill in over this time.
Gospel and life program continues every second Thursday.
Ph 5968 1278 for more information. All welcome.
St Silas’ Anglican Church - Next communion service will he held on
September 6, 9am. All are welcome to join in worship followed by
refreshments and socialising.
Gembrook Community Church - Services each Sunday, 9.30am.
SAVE 4 c PER LITRE ON FUEL
Offer limited to one petrol receipt per customer transaction for a fuel purchase of up to 80 litres - see instore for full terms and conditions
GEMBROOK TIMES, PAGE 8