As our communities prepare to observe the 10th anniversary of Black Saturday, Mountain Monthly brings residents and visitors the following guide to commemorative events and projects. If you wish to obtain further details of any of the events listed, please contact the appropriate organisers. Additional health and well-being supports are being provided across the anniversary period and are outlined in our guide, along with emergency and crisis numbers. Part of the ‘Re

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Black Saturday survivor, Melanie Harris-Brady’s story of her personal journey of recovery over the past 10 years is due to be released in her book ‘Ten Years On’. Having lost her home and raising a young daughter alone, Melanie found that what came out of the garden - making jams and chutneys - became her therapy. Each year, around 7 February, her family and friends would gather to turn the kitchen into a food production effort. Her stalwart friend became her husband, a new

Most kids love a party and six year old Arizona is no different. No, it isn’t her birthday and there won’t be bouncy castles, but when she was offered a wildlife education function to reward her for a dogged effort to clean up the rubbish in our parks and on the roadways, she wanted to share it with the whole community. Our little eco-warrior had taken it upon herself to get the gloves on and pick up bags of it and wouldn’t let up on mum and dad until they let her do it. As w

In November 2018, it will be 120 years since the school at Kinglake Central was opened. At that time, its official name was 'Kinglake Township State School No. 3315'. The 'township' part was used because the school was located on one of several small blocks set aside as a 'township reserve' in an early survey. However, the name was to cause confusion when mail and parcels meant for the Kinglake State School, established on the Glenburn Road in 1879, were delivered to the Ki

Providing equitable service delivery across the shire and greater access to senior council officers at the local level will be a Murrindindi Shire priority, CEO, Craig Lloyd, says. Mr Lloyd said that since taking the reins in January, he had identified some inequities in the levels of services delivery in ranges communities. These included parks and gardens and road maintenance, as well as the streetscape in Kinglake township requiring attention. In an interview with Mountain

Let’s talk about rentals The Kinglake Ranges has always been a popular destination for investors. In fact, many established residents have started in the area by purchasing a property, be it vacant land or an established home for rental investment, with the intention to move long-term. Many homeowners, with great foresight, sat on these investments through seemingly slow fiscal years and either sold in peak markets down the line to move to Kinglake or swapped properties, rent

Often, it is the seemingly small things that get us riled. In this case, it’s a carved wooden wombat that has sat on the Kinglake roundabout for years after his creator quietly placed him there. From time to time he gets moved around, but he never leaves the roundabout. When someone recently decided it would be a good idea to remove ‘Wally’ entirely they did more than have a laugh. He may not be the most refined piece of installation public art, but he is one of the community

A vote of thanks from the community for the efforts of our CFA volunteer firefighters and other fire authorities for the rapid response to fire outbreaks in the district in mid-March. For the Kinglake Ranges and other nearby communities, it was a strong reminder that while autumn was beginning to appear, the fire danger hadn’t lessened. While our thoughts were very much with the people and towns affected by the major fires in Western Victoria, that resulted in considerable pr

Living Memories April 2018 Wartime Memories April brings Anzac Day each year and a time to remember those who left from the Kinglake district, in both World War 1 and World War 2, to serve their country in places far from home and family. The following newspaper articles tell us of their willingness to sign up and the efforts made by the local community to bid them farewell. World War 1: 1915 "It's a Long Way to the Town Hall": One very proud recruit slept at the Victoria

The Kinglake Country Fair returned from its hiatus with stunning success, delivering a fun-filled day for families at the Kinglake Memorial Reserve on March 17th. The Fair enjoyed fine conditions with plenty of sun and mild temperatures, seeing crowds in excess of 1,500 pass the gates. 53% of attendees came from within the Kinglake Ranges, while a whopping 46% visited from all throughout Victoria, with some even coming from New South Wales, Tasmania, Western Australia, and a

Construction works have begun on the six outstanding Black Saturday Bushfire Memorials around the Shire. Murrindindi Shire Council has appointed the building contractor, Fineblade Pty Ltd, to undertake this important work. Work is expected to be completed around the middle of the year. Council will provide updates closer to the time in relation to each site. Council’s General Manager Infrastructure and Development Services, Stuart McConnell, said he appreciated the work done

There have been many different ways of visiting the Kinglake district over the years. In February MM, KHS member, Rob Verhagen, quoted the bicycle trip by members of the Melbourne Bicycle Club in 1883, surely one of the earliest ventures of its kind, and one of the most difficult given what we read of the state of the Kinglake roads (often referred to as 'tracks') at the time. Some visitors chose to walk here. In December 1915, the Carlton Harriers Ramblers Club weekend tour

Just like the ‘pioneer bicycle trip to the Mount’ on September 30, 1883, it is no surprise that, over a century later, this ride has become almost a pilgrimage that thousands of cyclists make each year. And they are rewarded at the top of their climb with welcoming locals, a hot coffee and warm muffin. This cyclist’s paradise makes Kinglake the perfect place to host the Jayco-Herald Sun Tour. The final stage of the Jayco-Herald Sun Tour 2018 was blessed with a perfect summer’

There is nothing quite like an unexpected encounter with a snake to pull you up short. And, there has been plenty of evidence lately that many others feel that sense of rising panic when they spot one in the backyard, find one in the house or suspect the cat or dog has come off second best in a reptile wrangle. Facebook conversations regularly crop up on the subject. Given that Australia holds the record of the largest number of venomous snakes of any country, it would be fai

After a big fire, the habitat changes and we are continuing to see these changes nine years down the track. Vegetation is maturing and diversifying and possums are returning in good numbers as they feed on the plants. Possums are one of the powerful owl’s main sources of food, so as the possums thrive, the owls return. This journey of recovery will continue for many years to come. Along the way we will work to support the recovery of our environment as a whole, and certain s

Living Memories January 2018 - Cricket - West v East The cricket competition between Australia and England for 'The Ashes' is often spoken of as 'friendly rivalry' but players and spectators on both sides are well aware that it is absolutely 'fair dinkum' and that neither side intends to take any prisoners, as they say. A similar arrangement seems to have existed between the Kinglake district cricket teams, East and West, in the early days of competition and it came to a head