Kilmore identity Eric Salter farewelled by hundreds

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March 16, 2021

Kilmore identity Eric Salter farewelled by hundreds

A respected business owner, a family man and a good friend are among the many ways Kilmore’s Eric Salter will be remembered.
Mr Salter died on March 4, aged 80, after a battle with ill health.

He was farewelled by 300-plus mourners on Friday at St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Kilmore.

Mr Salter is survived by his wife Jeanette, children Kristine, Caroline, Duncan, Cameron, their spouses Bruce, Paul, Dianne and Andrea, and grandchildren Lachlan, Courtney, Caitlin, Jack, Tom, Ben, Liam, Keely, Finn, Oliver, Henry and Amelia.

He was a life member at Kilmore Tennis Club and Carlton Football Club.

Duncan said people from many walks of life attended the funeral.

“We were blessed to able to celebrate him with a crowd. There were people there who have known since he was two years old and friends he had met only 12 months ago,” he said.

“He always maintained his friendships – he always made an effort.

“He didn’t need a bucket list because everything he needed to do was done.”

Duncan said his father was a good family man who, along with their mother Jeannette, gave their children great opportunities in life.

“Not only financial opportunities but with his vaues,” he said.

“Family moments were his favourite. He would have 30 to 40 people at his house on Christmas Day and he would always say how wonderful it was.”

Mr and Mrs Salter were renowned for hosting functions at their home.

“Once or twice a year they would have the Assumption First XVIII out for dinner. Thirty-plus people, to give them a night away from school and training,” Duncan said.

“They often hosted Carlton functions like premiership reunions. Both my sisters had their weddings on the property, and there were many engagements, birthdays and the like.”

As well as his involvement in tennis and Carlton, Mr Salter also loved snow skiing – something Duncan described as his ‘20-year obsession’.

Mr Salter’s involvement with Carlton Football Club incuded being a foundation member of the Blue Diamonds and The Carlton Coterie.

He made lifelong friendships with key Carlton identities such as Alex Jesaulenko, Ken Sheldon, Wayne Harmes and David Parkin.

Mr Salter was recognised with life memership at Carlton in 2001.

In an article last year in the Review about his induction into Tennis Victoria’s Country Week hall of fame, Mr Salter spoke about his successful junior career, and his association with some of the game’s greats such as Rod Laver, Harry Hopman and Frank Sedgman.

When his wife and children started playing at Kilmore Tennis Club, Mr Salter’s love for the game was reignited.

He also had a love for the Kilmore township.

Duncan said his father started a surveying business in Kilmore in 1973, and after living in Doncaster for the first 18 months, moved his family to the area.

“We settled in Wallan from 1975 to 1980. That’s when we bought the farm at Kilmore and lived on that ever since,” he said.

“His business covered central Victoria, and at one poinit he had offices in Seymour, Gisborne and Bendigo. But he loved Kilmore.

“I bought him out in 2003 and he worked for another 10 years before he totally retired.

“He knew the whole area like the back of his hand and he knew a lot of people.

“He loved the life in Kilmore.”

A life well lived

The North Central Review

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March 16, 2021

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By Ray Carroll

IAN Benjamin of Wallan lost a very tough cancer battle earlier this month.

A large assemblage at The Grove, Hidden Valley, on Tuesday last week celebrated the life and times of a devoted family man, astute business operator and highly-talented sportsman who starred for Wallan Football Club and is remembered as a Riddell Football League ‘great’.

The eulogy by Dean Fitzpatrick was a fine one, covering the many aspects of a life well lived. Schooldays, marriage to Marion, raising a family, business ventures and sporting exploits were extolled with touches of humour thrown in.

Moving tributes came from son Adam, grandchildren Paige, Brody, Hamish and Campbell. Life reflections were provided by long-time friends Ian Chaney, Neal Langbourne and Stuart Broomfield. Each had a host of stories to tell and tributes to provide.

Neal Langbourne, himself a Wallan footy stalwart, detailed Ian’s brilliant on-field play, which was rewarded with premierships, club and league decorations.

Ian’s wife Marion, in a newspaper tribute, spoke as follows:

“The one and only love of my life has passed away peacefully after a brave fight at home. The final siren has sounded and the only thing that could have separated us regretfully has. I know you had to leave first to arrange things for us to be reunited. My eternal love forever.”

Ian and Marion had three children – Kylie, Adam and Kane. Both Kylie and Adam attended Assumption College Kilmore with distinction. Adam played a record 84 games for the First XVIII and was drafted by Geelong in 1994. Circumstances did not see him proceed to the club. Kylie, a vivacious person, is married to Ross Johns, who captained the college’s 1992 premiership XVII. Adam’s wife, Michelle, also an ex student, is a fine young lady. Kane, the youngest of Ian and Marion’s three children lives in Benalla.
Ian Benjamin was born in 1951. He is survived by his loving wife, three children and four grandchildren. He was also a loved brother to Kaye and Les (dec). Les was also a brilliant footballer.

Mr Benjamin moved to Wallan in the late 1960s from Reservoir.

He captain-coached Wallan’s first Riddell District Football League premiership in 1977, and played in the club’s 1985 first division premiership.

Mr Benjamin was a four-time best and fairest at Wallan, a RDFL Bowen Medal winner, a league representative player and won the league goal-kicking award.

Kilmore’s women-owned businesses celebrated

The North Central Review

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March 16, 2021

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Kilmore’s women-owned businesses celebrated

KILMORE’S Red Hat Society chapter, the Rubies and Pearls, recognised International Women’s Day last week with a celebration of the town’s many women-owned and operated businesses.

Thirty-five Red Hat Society members from across Victoria gathered at Kilmore homewares, craft and gift shop Small Town Hamptons, owned by Cindy Gillespie and her daughter Rachel, to socialise over sparkling wine and scones, before lunch at Oddfellows Cafe, which is also owned by female business leader Kim Short.

Rubies and Pearls leader and self-proclaimed ‘queen’ Jan Childs wanted to bring Red Hatters together to shine a light on the women who navigated the pandemic while keeping businesses afloat.

“You can see the joy that these women are having mingling, talking to one another, browsing, buying [and] it promotes Cindy’s shop, particularly after COVID with everything being shut down,” she said.

Ms Gillespie opened her shop in early 2020 and was forced to close due lockdowns for much of the year.

“We only just opened three weeks prior to COVID and we always wanted to have a champagne night to welcome us into the town,” Ms Gillespie said.

“When I spoke to Jan about it [she] suggested to bring her ladies in.”

Ms Gillespie provided a door prize and refreshments for the occasion, so the only cost to the Red Hatters was anything they chose to buy.

Other female-owned businesses promoted on the day were clothing and jewellery store London Mart, bric-a-brac store Rustic Gold, Izzybelle clothing store and Booteek shoe store.

International Women’s Day was formerly known as International Working Women’s Day, and in the early 20th century was marked by demonstrations of women demanding the right to vote and protesting employment gender discrimination.

Although the Red Hats Society’s event was three days after International Women’s Day, Ms Childs considered it a celebration that was lacking in the area on March 8.

She also hoped that drawing women from across the state would promote Kilmore.

“Unfortunately Kilmore is just somewhere for the trucks to roar straight through and on the weekends the place is dead,” she said.

“Cindy would love to open seven days a week, but because nobody else opens, it would be pointless. There’s just no promotion of Kilmore done and so that is basically my aim.”

Now in its sixth year, Kilmore Rubies and Pearls has eight members, but is always open to more.

“We dress in purple, we wear our red hats, we wear our red shoes and we put on lots and lots of bling,” Ms Childs said.

“It’s for women who are over 50, so long as they want to have a good time, they’re absolutely welcome and we’d love to see more.”

For more information, contact Jan Childs on jedami238@outlook.com.

Broadford school’s charity fundraiser

The North Central Review

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March 16, 2021

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By Steph McNicol

BROADFORD Secondary College banded together to raise more than $4000 for The World’s Greatest Shave on Friday, with four teachers and a student taking on the challenge.

Building and construction teacher Greg Sharp tasked the students, who initially aimed to raise $3000, with raising more than $4000, so he would shave his pride and joy – a moustache he had grown for 42 years.

The students and their efforts meant they smashed the goal, and Mr Sharp parted ways with his favourite feature.

“The moustache was starting to get a bit grey, and people started saying to me, even one of my kids, ‘oh you need to dye it’,” he laughed.

The cause is one close to Mr Sharp’s heart.

“My wife, three years ago, passed away from cancer, my mother-in-law passed away from breast cancer,” he said.

“If you’re going shave it off, you may as well shave it for a reason.

“I said if we can get $4200, I can’t believe there’s that many people that actually said ‘good, we want it gone’.”

Broadford Secondary College teachers and students banded together for The World’s Greatest Shave. Pictured, from left, is Meraki hairdresser Baz Kennett, teachers Glenden Hickson, Matt Rose, David Dixon, and Greg Sharp, and front, students Brydon Carter and Sarah Warren.

The project organiser, a year 12 VCAL student, said she only had 17 days to organise the event, and she was challenged by Mr Sharp to reach the target.

“I don’t think he’s nervous, maybe just about the white patch that will be there underneath it,” she laughed.

“We’ve got one of the boys from school [shaving his head] and he’s in year 11. He’s got a big mop of curly dark brown hair and he wanted to do something like The World’s Greatest Shave,” Sarah Warren said.

“We had quite a tight time limit with only 17 days to organise it all. We put it out to the school [asking] who wanted to join in, and we got [a few] teachers involved.

“A lot of our students or people in the community are affected [by cancer], so it’s a close thing to our school.”

Greg Sharp, known as ‘Sharpy’, missed his moustache instantly, and decided to use some of Brydon’s hair to fill the empty space.

Year 11 student Brydon Carter said he participated in the shave in honour of his nan who fought a winning battle with breast cancer.

Brydon raised more than $1000 on his own tally, and said he was thankful for the support.

“I just wanted to thank everyone who’s helped me do it and donating money, it’s amazing what they’ve done,” he said.

Meraki Hair and Beauty hairdresser Baz Kennett completed all five shaves, and said he was happy to be giving back.

“I sponsor Seymour FM, and I’ve got a relationship with Greg … I do [his] hair. So, we just built a connection there and they’ve asked me to come do it. I said to Greg, he will probably need a bit of spray tan to cover [his lip],” he laughed.

Cultural Diversity Week celebrates inclusivity

The North Central Review

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March 16, 2021

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Cultural Diversity Week celebrates inclusivity

The City of Whittlesea is hosting a series of art, film, music and language events and workshops over the next fortnight, celebrating belonging, inclusivity and the municipality’s rich cultural and linguistic diversity.

The program is across Harmony Week, the five days in the lead up to Harmony Day on March 21, and Cultural Diversity Week, which falls on the following week.

Harmony Day, now in its 22nd year, coincides with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, while Cultural Diversity Week, from March 21 to 28, is Victoria’s largest celebration of multiculturalism.

Whittlesea’s centrepiece artwork is Listening to Land, a public installation by several artists, including paintings by Simeon Walker and Wurundjeri artist Mandy Nicholson; Birrarung, a film composition by Maudie Palmer; and the Solace Stream by landscape artist Vin Anderson.

Mr Anderson used rocks, branches and water to create a running stream on the tiled floor of the council offices’ Great Hall in South Morang.

“We’ve brought in some sights and sounds, bush, trees, some noise with the water, smell with the eucalyptus. Everything is sourced locally and will all go into another project next,” he said.

Taking cues from patterns found in the area’s landscapes, the Solace Stream invites visitors to reflect on the importance of nature on residents’ wellbeing throughout lockdown last year, and what they may have discovered in their areas.

“We want to reflect what people have been finding, particularly in the last 12 months, down these little streams, nooks and crannies around their own area,” Mr Anderson said.

“I’d like people to walk in the door and say ‘wow’, and then feel something different, smell something different and then from there hopefully reflect.”

Much of the two-week program will be at the council offices’ Great Hall alongside Listening to Land.

On March 17 at 6.30pm, visitors will be seated around the stream for a free screening of Small Island Big Song, an internationally renowned documentary film tracing the songlines of communities in the Pacific Islands and the Indian Ocean.

Songlines are a method of storytelling and oral mapping, and have been a prominent element of First Nations communities for tens of thousands of years.

Filmed over three years on 16 island nations, the project by Taiwanese producer BaoBao Chen and Australian filmmaker Tim Cole unites hundreds of musicians through song from Hawaii and Madagascar, to Borneo, New Zealand, Taiwan, the Torres Strait Islands and more.

Other featured events include a performance by Australian-Jordanian musician Hana Zreikat on March 18; a workshop and discussion on interpretations and translations of Rumi’s poetry led by Merve Onder of the Islamic Museum Australia, including a poetry-writing session, on March 22; and a lesson in the history and technique of Aboriginal dot paintings by Western Arrarnta, Luritja and Kokotha artist Emrhan Tjapanangka Sultan on March 24. Each event is free but bookings are essential.
The full program runs until the end of March, with Listening to Land open weekdays until May 21.

For more information and bookings visit the City of Whittlesea website, www.whittlesea.vic.gov.au/arts-events-recreation/things-to-see-and-do/events/cultural-diversity-program-2021.

Macedon cafe burgled

Crime

The North Central Review

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March 16, 2021

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MACEDON Ranges Crime Investigation Unit detectives are investigating the theft of tools from a cafe in Mount Macedon last month.

Police allege the offenders arrived at the Cameron Drive address just after 4am on Wednesday, February 10, before entering the business by forcing a door lock.

The men gained access to an external storeroom where they stole a water pump, pressure washer as well as other power tools and items.

Police have released pictures of three males they believe could assist with their enquiries.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

Council calls for community collaboration

The North Central Review

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March 16, 2021

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Council calls for community collaboration

MACEDON Ranges Shire Council thanked Romsey residents who attended a community forum last month to discuss ‘multi-faceted’ issues and said a community approach was essential.

The forum, hosted by Victoria Police, came to be after Romsey man William Nixon expressed his concern for the lack of action by police and council surrounding several youth and safety issues in the town.

The community gathered at Romsey Mechanics Institute where they were given the opportunity to speak with council representatives, a youth worker for the shire and Romsey police Sergeant Eddy Barake.

Some of the main issues raised at the forum included the safety of residents while making use of public spaces, particularly the Romsey skate park, the anti-social behaviour by youth in the shire, and the lack of appropriate activities and facilities made available for youth in the region.

Many residents questioned council and police about the length of time it took for them to act on the issues.

Council issued a statement earlier this month to thank residents for their attendance.

“Hearing from residents, community groups, and community members of all ages, has shown that a combined council, police and community approach will be essential when tackling the multi-faceted issues raised,” the statement read.

“Council recognises the need for ongoing communication with the people of Romsey, providing updates as well as chances to hear concerns and feedback. This is a highly-engaged community who are coming together to express their concerns and find possible solutions.

“Council will work with Victoria Police to provide additional opportunities like Wednesday’s forum for community discussion and input.”

Council said the forum demonstrated providing a space for young people to voice their concerns and advocate for changes meaningful to them was a crucial part of the conversation.

“While it can be easy to group young people in the ‘youth’ catch-all, there are a range of different needs of the young people in Romsey based on interests and age,” the statement read.

“Council plans to further engage with the young people of Romsey via an ideas workshop to hear directly from them about what they want to see. Input will be sought face-to-face and via social media.

“Council recognises that while it is vital to provide services and opportunities for young people in Romsey, it is also important to explore transport solutions that enable young people who cannot drive to socialise with their peers and access services across the shire.

“While COVID-19 restrictions impacted Council’s ability to deliver some youth programs throughout 2020, Council is currently ramping up its youth offering. For current opportunities visit mrsc.vic.gov.au/youth.”

Council said they provided CCTV footage to police ‘willingly’, which was another issue raised by residents.

Although CCTV signage is frequently targeted by vandals and removed, the cameras remain active. Council is in the process of installing more CCTV signage and investigating opportunities for additional cameras.

“Council contractors clean and inspect facilities every morning and evening Monday to Friday, and Security Patrol Officers visit Lions Park Reserve Romsey and Romsey Skate Park to close the toilets on Saturday and Sunday nights,” the statement read.

“Council would like to remind the community to please call 000 for police attendance or in the case of emergency or contact the non-emergency police line on 131 444.

“Please contact Macedon Ranges Shire Council at 5422 0333 to report facilities damage or suspected breaches of the local law.”

NCR (2021-03-16)

North Central Review

The North Central Review

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March 16, 2021

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WR (2021-03-16)

Whittlesea Review

The North Central Review

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March 16, 2021

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Sports grounds upgrades

The North Central Review

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March 10, 2021

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By Aleksandra Bliszczyk

The City of Whittlesea lsat week announced a new synthetic pitch would be installed at Lalor United Sloga Football Club in October.

The council has also applied for a grant through the Community Sports Infrastructure Stimulus Program to enhance further works.

The home turf of soccer club hasn’t had any upgrades since the club moved to the site in 1979.

The deteriorating surface condition of the natural turf means that HR Uren Recreation Reserve, Thomastown, no longer meets Football Victoria’s minimum facility standards, or the needs of the broader community.

Further upgrades include a pavilion and carpark extension, and the creation of a multi-purpose social space that will be available for community use and provide recreational participation opportunities for residents.

Council applied for the grant after receiving an invitation from Sport and Recreation Victoria. If approved, the $3.7 million in funding will increase the scale of the upgrades.

Club coordinator Emil Atanasov said the club had been pushing for upgrades for years and was grateful to council for getting the ball rolling.

“Over the years it’s been ditches here, ditches there. Council do their best to try and fit it, but 42 years of people playing on it and not being resurfaced, there’s a lot of wear and tear,” he said.

“That ground will be fixed and it will be immaculate. It will be synthetic and it will be exactly what the new generation wants.

“The other extension we’ve been pushing for a long time because our numbers are up but there’s nowhere for people to meet and greet, all we have is change rooms, so we’re very grateful to council for all the work they’ve put in.”

At last month’s council meeting, director of community wellbeing Kate McCaughey said the grant application delayed the construction, but the added funding would be better for the club in the long term.

“Lalor Football Club has been consulted through the development of the proposal, and whilst they’re supportive of the project they’re naturally disappointed about the proposed delay that this might cause. But they are very supportive of council’s approach to apply for the SRV grant because of the enhanced amount of works that we’ll be able to achieve,” she said.

“In some ways delaying the project while we wait to sync with the grant application is actually advantageous for the club’s fixturing as this pushes the [construction] commencement date until after the regular soccer season.”

Works on the pitch will commence in October and are due to be completed before the start of the 2022 soccer season in March. Design work is underway for the pavilion and carpark extensions.

“We’re assuming it’s going to attract a lot more people in the area,” Mr Atanasov said.

“We expect girls’ numbers to be up [and] junior numbers to be up.”

Lalor United Football Club is one of the largest football clubs in the municipality, with more than 300 members across 22 teams, consisting of four senior men’s, three junior girls’, four junior boys’ and 11 mini-roos teams.

The extension will provide the pavilion the potential to accommodate for non-sport community groups such as the Tamil/Hindu community, seniors’ groups and gentle exercise.