KILMORE Fire Brigade is calling out for volunteers to assist with fundraising efforts ahead of this year’s Good Friday Appeal.
Kilmore CFA has been involved with the appeal since the 1980s.
The brigade organises teams of volunteers to door-knock homes in Kilmore to collect donations for The Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.
CFA member Garry Callinan, who organises the day at Kilmore, said the fundraising was a community effort.
“The aim is to get more people to volunteer some time for door knocking on Good Friday this year,” he said.
“We don’t have enough of our own people to cover all the town, especially as the population continues to grow. The more we cover, the more money we raise.”
Kilmore CFA will act as a base camp on the day, where a morning tea and lunch will be provided for volunteers.
Seymour Coaches will provide a bus to help transport volunteers around town and members from Kilmore Scout Group will assist on the day.
Volunteers will aim to have the fundraising wrapped up by lunchtime, depending on volunteer numbers.
This year’s Good Friday will be on April 7, with volunteers required to arrive at Kilmore CFA by 8am.
Anyone interested is welcome to volunteer, however children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
For more information and to express interest in volunteering, people can contact the brigade at admin@kilmorefirebrigade.org.au.
A trailer was stolen from a property in Stotts Road, Wandong, between 4pm on March 18 and 7am on March 19.
Unknown offenders are believed to have gained access to the property by using an angle grinder on a locked gate. They then broke into a shed, but it is believed nothing was stolen.
Attempted burglary in Wallan
Between 11pm on March 18 and 11am on March 19, an unknown offender attended an address at 19 Mt Eliza Avenue, Wallan, jumped the fence and attempted to break into the property but was unsuccessful.
Burglary at Seymour servo
About $9400 in cash from a till and four cartons of cigarettes were stolen after a burglary at a service station on the Goulburn Valley Highway, Seymour.
The offenders are believed to have gained access by breaking a rear window at about 12.30am on March 25.
Thefts in Beveridge
Between 1am and 1.05am on March 25, unknown offenders broke into a vehicle parked briefly at the Beveridge rest area on the northbound land of the Hume Freeway. A black backpack,containing a wallet, logbook and food items was stolen.
Grey temporary fencing, valued at about $600, was stolen from a property under construction on Oleander Circuit, Beveridge, between 3pm on March 22 and 9am on March 23.
KILMORE Golf Club earlier this month hosted its seventh annual Par Three Day, with a large attendance taking advantage of the autumn weather for a day of golf and entertainment.
Hosted as an event open to players with or without a Golf Australia handicap, the day saw more than 110 players take part from Kilmore and other clubs in the surrounding area.
Players competed to win not only the main competition prizes but also $200 on each hole for nearest the pin, a car from sponsors Kilmore Toyota for a hole-in-one on the second hole, and $1000 from Kingsgate Retirement Village for a hole-in-one on the seventh.
Kilmore Golf Club president Bea Lay said the day was an opportunity for all players to socialise while having fun with the sport.
“This annual par three event demonstrates just what the Kilmore Golf Club is about,” she said.
“A local club which welcomes all sorts of players, male and female golfers, experienced golfers who regularly play competitive golf, as well as social golfers who don’t have a handicap but enjoy playing golf when it fits in with their commitments to work and family life.”
Major prize winners on the day were Duncan Griffiths in A Grade, Andrew Young in B Grade, Jill Banon for Ladies, and Barry Kemp for non-handicap.
B Grade winner Andrew Young, left, with club captain Rod Williams.Non-handicap winner Barry Kemp, left, with club captain Rod Williams.A Grade winner Duncan Griffiths, left, with club captain Rod Williams.
The group were also treated to a sausage sizzle and afternoon tea, and took part in the $150 ‘hit the keg’ challenge on the course, organised by club member Molly Bell to provide a change of pace for the players during their game.
For more information or to contact Kilmore Golf Club, people can visit kilmoregolfclub.com.au or email info@kilmoregolfclub.com.au and leave contact details and a phone number.
KYNETON trainer Liam Howley saddled up $3.30 favourite Fiftysevenyears for an impressive win at Geelong on Friday.
The New Zealand-bred three-year-old gelded son of Street Boss and Belle Chantecler, having only his third race start, was a comfortable winner of the Cement Australia Maiden Plate over 1540 metres.
Starting from the outside barrier, the in-form hoop Harry Coffey had the gelding sitting behind the leader until the 300 metres when going to the lead to easy account for the 50-1 emergency Blacklit Beauty by two and a half lengths with Tenace, $9, a half-head away third.
“He’s a good horse,” Howley said.
“He did exactly what I thought he would do.
“We’ll let the dust settle for the next few days and perhaps the Port Adelaide Guineas over 1800 metres might be an option.”
The listed $100,000 Guineas will be run at Morphettville on April 8.
Fiftysevenyears (NZ) ridden by Harry Coffey wins the Cement Australia Maiden Plate at Geelong Racecourse on March 24, 2023 in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Reg Ryan/Racing Photos)
Raced by Liam Howley Racing for family and friends, Fiftysevenyears had a minor placing prior to his win.
Hooftnote: Howley’s stable star Virtuous Circle ran a creditable race in the $3-million Group 1 Australian Cup. He was slow to begin and was held up for clear running approaching the 300 metres before being steadied and tightened for room at the 300-metre mark.
Back-to-back for Jody’s Pill Box
Coming off a debut win for the Kilmore stable at Broken Hill a fortnight earlier, the Jody Thompson-trained Pill Box, $6, led virtually from go to whoa in taking out the bet365 Odds Drift 0-58 Handicap over 1200 metres on at Donald on Sunday.
Ridden by Jack Hill, the Fighting Sun six-year-old gelding, starting from the outside barrier, was allowed to get his feet and went to the lead and was never headed.
The gelding defeated Guaranteed, $5, by one and a quarter lengths, with Sanctimonious, $21, third.
Formerly trained by Neville Kennedy, the gelding is now raced by the Thompson Family, former Kilmore trainer Angie Barton, and other stable clients headed by Pat Mifsud.
Pill Box has now won 10 races with seven minor placings from his 54 starts.
Picnic dead-heats
Kilmore picnic rider Tyson Barton had to share the spoils in the first race at Healesville picnic races on Saturday.
Barton was aboard the Tony Carter-Smith-trained Rider’s Delight, $11, with the judge failing to split the Barry Goodwin-trained More Than Involved, $4.20.
Having only his second start for Barton, the Your Song four year-old gelding was purchased online by the Kilmore trackrider.
“It was my first ever dead heat. The horse went well,” Barton said.
Rider’s Delight was having his 14th start.
Later on the program in the Healesville On Course Bookmakers’ Healesville Cup, the judges failed to split the first two placegetters.
Kilmore Thursday
Kilmore Racing Club will host its next turf meeting at bet365 Park Kilmore this Thursday. For Trackside Bistro or alfresco dining, call the club on 5783 0777.
Members of Glenaroua Country Fire Authority and a group of 17 artists are banding together again over Easter to host the Art4CFA fundraising event.
Glenaroua Fire Station will host the event, which aims to raise money for the brigade while also providing an opportunity for the public to see the inner workings of a fire station. People will also be able to view artworks created by artists from across the region.
All artists have an affiliation with or are members of the CFA.
A popular aspect of the show is the Artists’ Challenge, where each artist is given the same reference photo to work from and interpret in any way they choose.
This year’s challenge features the memorial avenue of cypress pine trees beside the fire station, which were planted by the citizens of Glenaroua in 1918 to honour the men and women of the area who had volunteered for service in World War One.
There will be about 100 artworks on display in various mediums including sculpture as well as paintings using oil, watercolour, pastel and mixed media, with 15 per cent of commission on sales to be donated to the brigade.
Opening night will be at 6.30pm on April 6, with catering provided by the brigade.
The show will be open daily from Friday to Sunday, from 10am to 4pm, and Monday until 1pm. Entry is by gold coin donation.
For more information, visit the Art4CFA Facebook page.
Kilmore Scout Market is returning next month, bringing with it a range of products and homemade goods from more than 50 stallholders.
Set for Kilmore’s Hudson Park, the market is expected to draw more than 1500 people once it is re-established.
It’s been three years since the last market, which was at Kilmore Racecourse where it would often attracted more than 1000 visitors. Prior to that, the market was at Hudson Park.
Kilmore Scouts leader-in-charge Martin Shaw said the group was optimistic about the market’s return and hoped it would benefit from Kilmore’s growth.
“We’re hoping with it being at Hudson Park that it will generate more traffic from the main street, and Kilmore’s grown so it should be bigger than ever,” he said.
“With the economy tightening, people are often looking for a bargain and markets are generally the place to go for that sort of thing.”
Products on offer will include produce, plants and seedlings, jams, bread, baked goods, clothing, jewellery and handmade crafts. A sausage sizzle will also be available.
Proceeds will go towards supporting Scouts memberships and future events.
“Events like this help to bring down costs for parents and families, as well as supporting future camps and activities,” Mr Shaw said.
“It’s about making sure the kids and their families have the best possible experience with everything we can offer.”
The market will be on the fourth Saturday of each month, beginning on April 22.
A MURAL showcasing Wandong’s history was last week unveiled at the town’s shopping centre.
Originally proposed and planned by Wandong Heathcote Junction Community Group, the mural depicts Wandong circa 1900, with the railway, lumber mill and St Michael’s Catholic Church among many recognisable structures to feature in the scene.
Internationally acclaimed antiquarian horologist Vivian Kenney was brought on board to paint the mural, while Bendigo Bank, Wandong Wallan Lions Club and the Australian Rail Track Corporation, ARTC, provided financial assistance for the project.
Wandong Heathcote Junction Community Group secretary Allen Hall said the group’s proposal to install the mural on the town’s main street was rejected, however the owners of Wandong Plaza were happy to provide a space for its permanent installation.
The group thanked everyone who helped create and install the mural, which is located between Crumbs and Co and Costanzo Automotive Repairs.
For updates on Wandong Heathcote Junction Community Group, visit wandong.vic.au.
A Wallan mother who has had her own challenges to overcome this year is on the mission to fundraise for brain cancer.
Kristy Degiorgio and her brother Patrick started their fundraising when Patrick cut his hair at the Craigieburn Annual Truck and Bike Show last month, raising $900 for the Isabella and Marcus Foundation.
The 32-centimetre chop of Patrick’s hair was inspired by friend Frank Tringali, whose son was diagnosed with brain cancer at age five, and successfully fought his condition.
“[My brother Patrick and I] were sitting with a good friend of ours and started talking about his son’s history and his brain tumour and the Isabella and Marcus Foundation that he supported,” Ms Degiorgio said.
“I’m one of those people who will get something in my mind [and] do it, so I said let’s do a fundraiser.”
Ms Degiorgio started to reach out to local businesses, organised raffles with her brother’s shop Mitchell Shire Motor Trimmers and set up an online donation platform with a $10,000 goal.
After completing her first fundraiser at Craigieburn, Ms Degiorgio said she hoped more Mitchell Shire and Craigieburn businesses would come on board to donate before the raffles were drawn.
“Realistically I would love to get it out there … and try and raise money for these people because they’re nearly at the point where they [can] do … another trial and [I] want to try and help them to that goal as much as they can,” she said.
Ms Degiorgio said the event brought her closer to the founding families of the foundation who were trying to enable clinical trials and treatment for children and young adults with brain cancer.
“We have become really great friends and close and they’re absolutely beautiful, they attended on the day [of the show],” she said.
“We’re really honoured that they were there and travelled really far to come there, and I’ve now become a volunteer for their support group.
“We [also] had our good friend [Frank], and we went live on stage, I got to cut the ponytail off which was very fulfilling for me.”
Kristy Degiorgio and her brother Patrick started their fundraising when Patrick cut his hair at the Craigieburn Annual Truck and Bike Show last month, raising $900 for the Isabella and Marcus Foundation.
Ms Degiorgio, a support worker with four children, said the fundraiser came at the right time for her family after they had gone through a few rough patches, including having their home robbed earlier this year.
“We got left with nothing, and [what] was left was damaged, we had some puppies, and they stole them,” she said.
“This foundation has made me think of the positives, not the negatives.”
Despite the challenges, Ms Degiorgio said she would continue to seek positivity through her family who have made the effort to contribute to the foundation.
“My daughter Madison, she’s actually helped me a lot with the organising … she did a really great job, you know, stood up and worked beside me,” she said.
“I think we’ve gone through hell, myself and my children, and doing this foundation was a massive, positive thing for me at the time to try and help my mental stress.”
To help Ms Degiorgio and her brother reach their goal, people can make a donation by visiting .
Raffle tickets are $2 each or three for $5, and can be purchased via Kristy Degiorgio on Facebook or by calling 0497 195 442.
Whittlesea’s senior football team hopes a new coach and new game style will help end a cycle of promotion and relegation that has seen it bounce between Northern Football Netball League’s first and second divisions for more than a decade.
The Eagles have been promoted to the league’s top-flight competition four times since 2010, but have never lasted more than three full seasons before being relegated back to second division with a last-place finish.
In every instance the club has bounced back the following season to win the division two premiership – and with it, promotion to division one – but president Adrian ‘AJ’ Stewart believes long-term stability at the top level is crucial.
To that end, the Eagles have hired new senior coach Wayne Van Der Ross after a turbulent 2022 that saw them sack long-time coach Blair Harvey mid-season.
Stewart said Van Der Ross had brought a fresh perspective to the club and the players were enthusiastically embracing a new game style.
“[Wayne] has been working hard to implement the new game style and strategy and adapt it for what our playing group is,” Stewart said.
“I think the gap in division two is bigger from the bottom team to the top team, so you can play a really attacking brand of football. But when you come up to division one, once you turn it over it goes back the other way quite fast.
“You have to have a defensive mindset as well as an attacking one, and I think that’s what we’re building with our game plan.
“Every team is good enough to get a run on at some stage, so when the opposition gets a run on, it’s about how well you can manage it and how well you can capitalise when it’s your turn.
“Last year we had a change of coaching and a few issues we had to work out internally, but in the first half of the year Montmorency beat us by about 22 goals, and then when we made the changes we did, the second time we played them we were up in the last quarter and only lost by about four goals.”
In addition to a new game style, Whittlesea will also sport a new on-field look in 2023 with the additions of ruckman Thomas Flood, from the Victorian Amateur Football Association’s Manningham Cobras, and Aleksandr D’Arro, from the Northern Knights, along with the return of past premiership players Matt Dornauf and Laurence Umali.
New Whittlesea coach Wayne Van Der Ross, left, and recruit Matt Dornauf, who has signed on for 2023.
The recruits will help bolster a playing list that has lost brothers Jake and Mitch Wild, Blake Fitzgerald and Tom Indian – all to Hurstbridge – while defender Brody Bell will depart for North Heidelberg.
In a good sign for the Eagles however, emerging ruckman Sam Indian has remained with the club after initially seeking a clearance to Macedon in the Riddell district league.
With Flood and Indian set to ruck to a midfield that still includes the likes of Taidgh Bland and captain Xavier Dimasi, Stewart said there was plenty of cause for optimism.
Whittlesea will also field at least three netball sides, a women’s football team and an over-35 supers team, which won last season’s Victorian Metropolitan Superules Football League division four grand final.
Stewart said it was all part of what made the club an important part of the community.
“We’re pretty big on the mental health side of things for people in our club, and the supers are a big part of that,” he said.
“It’s a good way to keep people involved at the club, and most of them have children who then play with us.”
Stewart said Whittlesea was still searching for players to fill out its under 19 side. Anyone interested in playing can contact the club by emailing whittleseafc@bigpond.com, visiting whittleseafc.com.au or searching for the team’s Facebook page.
Targa Classica is set to kick off this week, bringing 100 classic cars on a tour across Victoria in the lead up to the Formula One Australian Grand Prix.
With a carefully planned route designed to take competitors on some of the state’s best driving roads, the four-day event will begin next Monday in Healesville then travel to Bright, Mt Hotham, Nagambie, and Seymour’s High Street before concluding at Yarra Park in Melbourne on Thursday evening.
Targa Classica is a sister event to the Grandi Eventi events, which have been held in Italy for more than 100 years, carrying on from the established Targa Florio Australian Tribute for its fifth year in the country.
Targa Classica director Andrew Lawson said the event was a good opportunity to socialise while appreciating historic and valuable cars.
“It’s an event that the competitors love, but it’s much more than just about cars,” he said.
“It’s about bringing people together, out of their houses, into the street, down to the local park, on the street corner to connect with the competitors and feel part of it.”
While it is a competitive event with passionate drivers in fast cars, the focus of the tour is not about speed but rather time, as competitors must drive to average a set time across each stage.
Drivers will be penalised for recording times that are faster or slower than the set time for each course, allowing drivers and spectators to focus on the cars, route, and the Victorian countryside rather than outright speed.
“Spectators can chat to drivers, listen to interviews, enjoy the cars and sample all [the towns] have to offer in a festive atmosphere,” Mr Lawson said.
“Victoria is blessed with great driving roads and fantastic communities – it really is a wonderful experience, so I encourage anyone interested to come and have a look and be part of this historic motoring event.”
The tour will be in Seymour from 1pm to 2pm on Thursday, with a slow drive-by, a community welcome and cars on display along the Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Walk.
This year’s event has sold out, however organisers are welcoming the community to bring their cars out for next year’s event and are expecting between 150 and 200 cars to take part.
For more information, people can visit www.targaclassica.com.
