Welcome to Your Macedon Ranges for the week of Monday, August 9, to Sunday, August 15.
As I’m writing, the sun is shining on a beautiful winter morning. I’ve had a cup of coffee and if all was well in the world, I’d be about to head into Woodend for the Winter Arts Festival.
The festival has, of course, been postponed. The good news is that the committee intends to reschedule the events and is working towards August 21-22: “We’re doing our best to get everything in place for that weekend. While it does seem quite a bit like déjà vu please be assured that we are still planning to go ahead. We know that so many of our patrons have already enjoyed what we were able to organise for the July weekend, and we want to keep hold of that and build on it.”
Are you working from home?
A group of local residents has organised an “Out of Lockdown” lunch to help people get away from their screens for a few hours and meet others, enjoy a meal together, and have a laugh. The lunch will be at The Victoria Hotel in Woodend on Friday, August 27. Tickets cost $25.
BLAST FROM THE PAST
The local history feature returns today … and you never know who might turn up.
Here are the events and activities due to happen this week in the Macedon Ranges:
Monday: No events.
Tuesday, August 10
[Exhibition] All Things Clay: Potters Pat Beasley, Jan Guest and Julie Luck. The Gallery Mt Macedon, Mt Macedon Rd, Mount Macedon. Until September 5. 10am-4pm.
[Exhibition] Art in the Vines – the Renaissance: Sculptures by 25 acclaimed artists. Hanging Rock Winery, Jim Rd, Newham. Daily until October 15. 10am-5pm. Free.
Wednesday, August 11
[Craft] Social Craft Group: Are you working on a craft project alone? Enjoy the company of like-minded people while you’re being creative. Woodend Neighbourhood House, Forest St, Woodend. Every Wednesday. 10am-11am. Gold coin donation.
[Exhibition] Art in the Vines – the Renaissance: Sculptures by 25 acclaimed artists. Hanging Rock Winery, Jim Rd, Newham. Daily until October 15. 10am-5pm. Free.
Thursday, August 12
[Exhibition] Art in the Vines – the Renaissance: Sculptures by 25 acclaimed artists. Hanging Rock Winery, Jim Rd, Newham. Daily until October 15. 10am-5pm. Free.
Friday, August 13
[Exhibition] Drying Shed Artists: Group exhibition by artists from The Drying Shed Art Space in Castlemaine. The Old Auction House, 52-56 Mollison St, Kyneton. Until August 16. 9am-5pm.
[Exhibition] All Things Clay: Potters Pat Beasley, Jan Guest and Julie Luck. The Gallery Mt Macedon, Mt Macedon Rd, Mount Macedon. Until September 5. 10am-4pm.
[Exhibition] Art in the Vines – the Renaissance: An exhibition of sculptures by 25 acclaimed artists. Hanging Rock Winery, Jim Rd, Newham. Daily until October 15. 10am-5pm. Free.
Saturday, August 14
[Exercise] Campaspe Parkrun: 5km fun run along the Five Mile Creek path. Every Saturday. Campaspe Park, Campaspe Drive, Woodend. 8am. Free (registration required).
* [Exercise] Lancefield Parkrun: 5km fun run around Lancefield Park. Every Saturday. Lancefield Park, Chauncey St, Lancefield. 8am. Free (registration required). * Awaiting clearance to use the track again. Follow the link for updates.
[Market] Kyneton Farmers’ & Makers’ Market: St Paul’s Park, Piper St, Kyneton. 8am-1pm.
[Market] Kyneton Community Market: Bric-a-brac, art, clothes, plants, food and local produce. Ebden St & Yaldwyn St West, Kyneton. 8am-1pm.
[Exhibition] Drying Shed Artists: Group exhibition by artists from The Drying Shed Art Space in Castlemaine. The Old Auction House, 52-56 Mollison St, Kyneton. Until August 16. 10am-4pm.
[Exhibition] All Things Clay: Potters Pat Beasley, Jan Guest and Julie Luck. The Gallery Mt Macedon, Mt Macedon Rd, Mount Macedon. Until September 5. 10am-4pm.
[Exhibition] Art in the Vines – the Renaissance: An exhibition of sculptures by 25 acclaimed artists. Hanging Rock Winery, Jim Rd, Newham. Daily until October 15. 10am-5pm. Free.
[Food & Drink] American Barbecue Pie and Wine Tasting: Try four gourmet pies and four wines. Double Oaks Estate, 104 Ashworths Rd, Lancefield. From 12pm. $40.
[Food & Drink] Christmas in July August: Three-course lunch with cider pairings. DV Cider House, 39 Darraweit Valley Road, Darraweit Guim. 12pm-4pm. Adults $95, Children $40.
[Wellbeing] Winter Forest Walk with Horses: Join Rachael Gibson, from Heart of the Horse, for a 5km small-group walk with four horses and two dogs to Belltopper Hill, part of the Fryers Ridge State Forest. Drummond North. 11am-2.30pm. $70.
[Beer] Brewery Tour: Learn how the beer is brewed at Holgate Brewhouse. Every Saturday and Sunday. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4pm. $25.
[Exhibition] Passages of Time, Sculpture Co. Editions, To Dwell & Respond: Paintings and sculptures. Artists include Hilary Jackman and Robyn Phelan. Stockroom, 98 Piper St, Kyneton. Until September 26. Opens 4.30pm.
[Music] Bones and Jones: Six-piece band from the Geelong/Surf Coast area. Major Tom’s, 57 Piper St, Kyneton. 8.30pm-11pm. $15.
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Sunday, August 15
[Market] Malmsbury Farmers’ and Artists’ Market: Malmsbury cricket ground, Ellesmere Place. 9am-1pm.
[Exhibition] Drying Shed Artists: Group exhibition by artists from The Drying Shed Art Space in Castlemaine. The Old Auction House, 52-56 Mollison St, Kyneton. Until August 16. 10am-4pm.
[Exhibition] All Things Clay: Potters Pat Beasley, Jan Guest and Julie Luck. The Gallery Mt Macedon, Mt Macedon Rd, Mount Macedon. Until September 5. 10am-4pm.
[Exhibition] Art in the Vines – the Renaissance: An exhibition of sculptures by 25 acclaimed artists. Hanging Rock Winery, Jim Rd, Newham. Daily until October 15. 10am-5pm. Free.
[Exhibitions] Passages of Time, Sculpture Co. Editions, To Dwell & Respond: Paintings and sculptures. Artists include Hilary Jackman and Robyn Phelan. Stockroom, 98 Piper St, Kyneton. Until September 26. 11am-4pm.
[Food & Drink] Pizza and Pooches: Every dog has its day and at Cleveland Winery that day is Sunday. Cleveland Winery, Shannons Rd, Lancefield. Every Sunday. 12pm-3pm.
[Environment] Walk Against Waste: Enjoy a walk and clean up any litter along the way. Lions Reserve Playground, Main St, Romsey. 2pm-4pm.
[Beer] Brewery Tour: Learn how the beer is brewed at Holgate Brewhouse. Every Saturday and Sunday. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4pm. $25.
Coming up
[Food] Cheese-making Workshop: Learn how to make artisan rennet-curd cheese, two methods for ricotta, and how to preserve olives. Woodend Neighbourhood House, Forest St, Woodend. August 21.
[Paranormal] Psychic Medium ‘Crossing Over’ Lunch: With host Dolly, from Kyneton Paranormal, and psychic medium Bec. The Victoria Hotel, High St, Woodend. August 22 (sold out).
[Wellbeing] ‘Out of Lockdown’ Lunch: This lunch is all about breaking the isolation we can all feel working from home. The Victoria Hotel, High St, Woodend. August 27.
[Drink] Gin-blending Masterclass: Animus Distillery’s gin chief Luke Jacques will teach you about distillation and how recipes are created. Animus Distillery, Piper St, Kyneton. September 11 & 25, November 20, December 4 & 18.
Warm wishes,
Richard
P.S. I’ve tried my best to ensure accuracy, but please follow the links above to confirm details before attending events.
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Your Macedon Ranges is researched, written, and edited by me alone. Compiling it takes me 10+ hours each week. I love doing it, and the response has been incredible. I’m very grateful for your kind words.
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Ned Kelly and the blacksmith
Then & Now
With thanks to Woodend & District Heritage Society. The society meets every Wednesday, 10am-4pm, at the old court house in Forest St, Woodend.
Here at the Redmonds’ forge in Woodend not only could you get your horse shod or your wagon repaired but you could be sure of a warm welcome.
Having started out under George Hewett, the township’s earliest-known blacksmith, Johnny Redmond set up his own business next to Islay House, in High St, in 1882.
The story goes that Redmond once put a set of shoes on Ned Kelly’s horse when the bushranger was passing through Woodend. According to his former apprentice “Snowy” Kane, the blacksmith didn’t realise who the customer was “until somebody who knew Kelly personally told him a few days later”.
Johnny Redmond died in 1918, aged 71. His son John Jnr followed in his trade and continued working out of the premises until the early 1950s. The shop burnt down in 1972. More than 100 years old, it had fallen into disrepair and was awaiting demolition.
The Redmonds were well known for their generosity. When John Jnr died in 1963, the Woodend Star said this:
“Johnny”, as he was popularly known, was highly regarded by the whole community, his cheery nature and happy smile, at all times, winning many friends.
The newspaper added that even when his health began to fail he would go the aid of “many of our young folk” who needed horses or ponies shoeing, often travelling “many miles to assist”.
One local summed it up by saying that the forge was a great meeting place, with a similar atmosphere to the pub. Men used to call in for a chat and to share district “talk”.
Forging History, by Jane Holth and illustrated by Joycelyn Moreland, tells the stories of the blacksmiths of Newham and Woodend. Woodend & District Heritage Society. $15.
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