Welcome to Your Macedon Ranges for Monday, February 21, to Sunday, February 27.
🍂 Tickets for events in the Macedon Ranges Autumn Festival – which runs from March 26 to April 25 – are now on sale. Highlights include Macedon Ranges Music Festival, Cidersong Autumn Picnic, an antiques and collectables fair, open gardens, workshops, and a classic car cavalcade. There’s something for everyone. Click here to see the full Autumn Festival program.
🎙️ Would you like to learn about podcasting? Or do you enjoy playing with sound and geeking out on recording equipment? If so, then check out Macedon Ranges Audio Makers Network, which starts next month in Woodend. An initiative of our local community radio station, Highlands FM, the group will initially meet fortnightly for three sessions. Click here for more about the Audio Makers Network.
Here are the events and activities happening in the Macedon Ranges this week:
Click the links for more info 👇
Wednesday, February 23
Environment Sanatorium Eco-Trail Walk: Join Parks Victoria volunteers on a 3km circuit through beautiful forest and past Sanatorium Lake. Learn about plants and animals as well as the history of the Macedon Regional Park. The moderate-level walk takes about 90 minutes. Mt Macedon. 9.30am-11.30am. Free.
Singing Woodend Warblers: Community choir rehearsal. Black Forest Timber Mill, 988 Black Forest Dr, Woodend. 7.30pm. $12.
Thursday, February 24
Drink Pups and Pints: Catch up with friends and bring your dog along too. In an enclosed area where dogs can be off-leash. Woodend. 5pm-8pm.
Theatre Love Song: The Mount Players present a romantic comedy about an oddball and his mysterious new love. Macedon. Until March 6. 8pm-10pm. Adult $30, Concession $25.
Friday, February 25
Theatre Love Song: The Mount Players present a romantic comedy about an oddball and his mysterious new love. Macedon. Until March 6. 8pm-10pm. Adult $30, Concession $25.
Music AC/DC Tribute Show: By Thunderstruck. Gisborne. 9pm.
Saturday, February 26
Exercise Campaspe Parkrun: 5km fun run along the Five Mile Creek path. Campaspe Park, Campaspe Dr, Woodend. 8am. Free (registration required).
Market Lancefield Farmers’ Market: High St & Park St, Lancefield. 9am-1pm.
Market Little Treasures Market: Tasty treats, handmade goods, plants, jewellery, hats and scarves, and more. Mechanics Institute, Main St, Lancefield. 9am-1pm.
Market Daylesford Farmers’ Market: Daylesford Primary School, Vincent St. 9am-1pm.
Art Open Studios: Nine artists in Macedon will be opening their studios and discussing their work. Macedon. Saturday and Sunday. 10am-4pm. Free.
Music Summer Sessions: Live Americana music with Paper Jane. DV Cider, 39 Darraweit Valley Rd, Darraweit Guim. 12pm-5pm.
Beer Brewery Tour: Learn how the beer is brewed at Holgate Brewhouse. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4pm. $25.
Theatre Love Song: The Mount Players present a romantic comedy about an oddball and his mysterious new love. Mountview Theatre, 56 Smith St, Macedon. Until March 6. 8pm-10pm. Adult $30, Concession $25.
Music Chuck Charles Calleja: Singer and guitarist. Kyneton RSL, Mollison St. 8pm-11.30pm.
Music Bad Bangs: Garage rock quartet. Major Tom’s, 57 Piper St, Kyneton. 8.30pm-11pm. $15.
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Sunday, February 27
Market Daylesford Sunday Market: Daylesford Railway Station, Raglan St. 8am-3pm.
Art Open Studios: Nine artists in Macedon will be opening their studios and discussing their work. Macedon. Saturday and Sunday. 10am-4pm. Free.
Food & Drink Summer Sunday: Chill out on the lawns or the deck to music from Cassidy La Crème. Also Scoville Society food truck, local cheeses, wines. Dogs welcome (on lead). Hanging Rock Winery, Jim Rd, Newham. 10am-5pm.
Music The Songs of Joni Mitchell and Carole King: Featuring Georgia Martin and Kaitlyn Secker. Hedge Farm, 124 Three Chain Rd, Carlsruhe. From 12pm. $25.
Theatre Love Song: The Mount Players present a romantic comedy about an oddball and his mysterious new love. Mountview Theatre, 56 Smith St, Macedon. Until March 6. 2pm-4pm. Adult $30, Concession $25.
Music Thee Marshmallow Overcoat: Music from the late 1960s. Macedon Railway Hotel, Smith St, Macedon. 2.30pm. $35.
Music Seraphim Trio: Renowned chamber music trio of Anna Goldsworthy (piano), Helen Ayres (violin), and Timothy Nankervis (cello). Church of the Resurrection, Honour Ave, Macedon. 2.30pm-4pm. Adult $45, Senior $35, Pensioner $30.
Beer Brewery Tour: Learn how the beer is brewed at Holgate Brewhouse. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4pm. $25.
Exhibitions
Kyneton Imaginarium: Kitty Calvert’s sculptures reflect her love of vintage and her desire to recycle and reuse discarded treasures. Until February 28. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm.
Kyneton Art on Piper Artists: Showcasing work by local artists. Every day 10am-4pm.
Kyneton Stockroom Artists: Elynor Smithwick, Madeleine Lesjak-Atton, Anthea Kemp, Michael McCafferty. Until March 13. Thu-Sat 10.30am-5pm, Sun 11am-3pm.
Kyneton Dictionary of Animism: Amber Cronin playfully uses text-based sculptural objects. Until March 13. Thu-Sat 10.30am-5pm, Sun 11am-3pm.
Kyneton A Biodiversity Crisis – Animals and Plants of the Macedon Ranges: Interactive exhibition. Contains taxidermy. Until February 27. Fri-Sun 11am-4pm. Adult $5.10, Concession/student $3.10, Child under 5 free, Family $10.20.
Lancefield Community Art Gallery: Paintings, sculptures, glass jewellery by local artists. 34a High St, Lancefield. Wed-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat 10am-2pm, Sun 10am-1pm.
Mount Macedon Japanese Traditional and Modern: Anna Konecny and Yukimi Breaden. Until April 3. Fri-Tues 10am-4pm.
Newham Art in the Vines – AV4: Sculptures by 26 acclaimed artists. Until April 25. Every day 10am-5pm.
Trentham Little Gallery Members: Artwork by Rose Wilson, Helen Cottle, Kim Haughie, Ri Van Veen, Larissa Gray, Llael McDonald, Frances Harkin, Liz Archer, Ruby Wilson-Peirce, Sam Bloomfield. Thu-Mon 10am-4pm.
Coming up
Community Trentham Whole Town Garage Sale: Maps $3 on the day. Trentham. March 5.
Community Hawks Day Out: Live music from Jess Mangan and Yeah Nah. Local gin, wine and beer. Pizza and Mexican food trucks. Face painting and an animal farm. Woodend. March 6.
Music Macedon Ranges Music Festival: Ash Grunwald, The Seven Ups, Baby Velvet, MDRN Love, Taylor Sheridan, Georgia State Line, Busted Chops, Romanie and Hannah Cooper. Hanging Rock Reserve. March 26.
Gardening Edible Gardens: With horticulturist and author Craig Castree. Woodend. March 31.
Running Run the Rock: Three races at Hanging Rock, over 5km, 13.5km and 22km, and a 2km route for children. Plus games, live music, and food and drink. Hanging Rock Reserve. April 30.
Have a great week!
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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The test of time
Then & Now
With thanks to Woodend & District Heritage Society. The society meets on Wednesdays, 10am-4pm, at the old courthouse in Forest St, Woodend.
It’s June 1919. Barely seven months have passed since the end of World War I.
The president of the Woodend branch of the Returned Soldiers’ Association, James McDonald, is about to address a public meeting that has been convened to discuss a suitable memorial to the district’s soldiers.
Support for the project so far has been underwhelming.
The number of people at the meeting is smaller than expected. And before tonight, less than £40 has been donated to the memorial appeal (much of it raised by the soldiers themselves).
Mr McDonald rises to speak.
“It will be for the people of Woodend and district to say if there is going to be a memorial costing £25 or £30, which they may be ashamed of, or one that will do some honour to the ‘boys’, and credit to the public,” he says.
Within the Mechanics Institute, where the public meeting is taking place, his plea is heard. Before the meeting closes, a further £111 has been pledged.
And so begins an eight-year journey to build what has since become Woodend’s most notable landmark – the memorial clock tower.
Designed by the architect Harold Trigg and constructed from reinforced concrete by Charles Peeler (who also built Woodend’s bandstand), the 16m tower cost more than £600.
In May 1927, though, as the works neared completion, the memorial committee still needed £200 to pay for the clock.
Another public appeal was launched and the shire council agreed to donate £50.
Several months later, in February 1928, the clock mechanism was installed and the four round holes in the tower were given their clock faces. And with that, the soldiers’ memorial was finally complete.
📘 They Went to War, by Sylvia Boxshall, describes the life of people from the Woodend district during World War I. Available from Woodend & District Heritage Society, $39.70.
