Welcome to Your Macedon Ranges for Monday, March 7, to Sunday, March 13.
🥔 After a two-year absence, Spudfest is coming back. Trentham’s celebration of all things potato is due to be held on May 7. From potatoes to apples … head up to Harcourt this Saturday for Applefest. (The apple pie eating competition has already caught my eye!) And while we’re on the road, the Lost Trades Fair – which, of course, has its roots in Kyneton – will be taking place in Bendigo on March 19-20.
🐎 A family fun day with a difference is due to take place in Woodend on Sunday. While several of the activities are those you might expect to find – pony rides, an animal farm, etc – you’ll also be able to have a go at playing petanque.
🎵 Athol Guy will be hosting a celebration of The Seekers in Macedon this month. The Seekers’ Story will feature live performances of the band’s hits plus rarely-seen footage. The shows will be on March 19 (7.30pm-9pm) and March 20 (2pm-3.30pm) A sale of art and pottery from Guy’s private collection will also be held on March 19. It will all take place at Jubliee Hall. Money raised will go to the Macgregor’s Farm dementia care project in Woodend.
Here are the events and activities happening in the Macedon Ranges this week:
Click the links for more info 👇
Monday, March 7
Audio Macedon Ranges Audio Makers’ Network: A group for anyone interested in podcasting or playing with sound. Meets fortnightly for three sessions initially. A Highlands FM initiative. Woodend. 7.30pm-9pm. Free.
Wednesday, March 9
Film Movie Book Club – The White Tiger: An ambitious driver for a rich Indian family uses his wit and cunning to escape from poverty. Gisborne. 1pm-3pm. Free.
Singing Woodend Warblers: Community choir rehearsal. Black Forest Timber Mill, 988 Black Forest Dr, Woodend. 7.30pm. $12.
Thursday, March 10
Festival ChillOut Festival: LGBTIQ festival in its 25th year. Daylesford. Starts today. Until March 14.
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.
Friday, March 11
Theatre Mamma Mia!: Kyneton Theatre Company presents the hit musical based around the songs of Abba. Kyneton. Until March 27. 8pm-10.30pm. Adult $35, Concession $28, Under-16 $25.
Music Cong Josie & The Crimes: With support from Our Carlson. Major Tom’s, 57 Piper St, Kyneton. 8.30pm-11pm. $15.
Saturday, March 12
Exercise Campaspe Parkrun: 5km fun run along the Five Mile Creek path. Campaspe Park, Campaspe Dr, Woodend. 8am. Free (registration required).
Market Kyneton Farmers’ & Makers’ Market: St Paul’s Park, Piper St, Kyneton. 8.30am-1pm.
Market Kyneton Community Market: Bric-a-brac, art, clothes, plants, food and local produce. Ebden St & Yaldwyn St West, Kyneton. 8.30am-1pm.
Community Applefest: Market stalls, art show, competitions, music, and children’s activites. James Park, High St, Harcourt. 9am-4.30pm. $10.
Art Woodend Lions Art Show: 47th annual art show. St Ambrose Hall, Templeton St, Woodend. March 12-14. 10am-5pm.
Books Self-Publishing and Writing for Children’s Books: With Mark Wilson. Dromkeen, 1012 Kilmore Rd, Riddells Creek. Book talk: 11am-12pm. Free. Workshop: 1pm-3pm. $70.
Food & Music Summer Sessions: Music with Jarrod Shaw and Malcolm Beveridge. Food by Scoville Society and Mike’s Mussels. DV Cider, 39 Darraweit Valley Rd, Darraweit Guim. 12pm-6pm. Adult $9, Child (under-16) $4, Group 10+ $45.
Music Tunes and Tastings: Live music from Jess Mangan. Local wines and gins on paddle boards, plus beers. Newham General Store, Dons Rd. 1pm-4pm.
Opera Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: Family-friendly production by the Australian Contemporary Opera Company in the magnificent grounds of Bolobek. Two performances. Bolobek, 370 Mount Macedon Rd, Macedon. 2pm and 5pm. Adult $77, Concession $55, Child (17 and under) $27.50.
Theatre Mamma Mia!: Kyneton Theatre Company presents the hit musical based around the songs of Abba. Bluestone Theatre, Hutton St, Kyneton. Until March 27. 2pm-5pm, 8pm-10.30pm. Adult $35, Concession $28, Under-16 $25.
Beer Brewery Tour: Learn how the beer is brewed at Holgate Brewhouse. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4pm. $25.
Music 1927: Icons of the Australian music scene. Kyneton Town Hall, Mollison St. 7.30pm. $65.
Never miss a thing in the Macedon Ranges
Get this newsletter every Sunday
“New to the newsletter and it’s brilliant. So much happening in our region I wouldn’t otherwise know about.”
“So much information … excellent resource for the community. WELL DONE. We’ve forwarded it on!”
Sunday, March 13
Market Daylesford Sunday Market: Daylesford Railway Station, Raglan St. 8am-3pm.
Art Woodend Lions Art Show: 47th annual art show. St Ambrose Hall, Templeton St, Woodend. March 12-14. 10am-5pm.
Community Discovery Day: Family fun day. Live music, pony rides, animal farm, food, coffee, wine, beer and gin. Organised by Woodend Hanging Rock Petanque Club. Woodend Racecourse Reserve, Forest St. 11am-4pm. $5 (Family $10).
Wellness Meditation and Mindfulness with Horses: Find out about healing with horses. Mindfulness and meditation accompanied by a homemade hot chai. Heart of the Horse, 275 Zig Zag Rd, Drummond North. 1pm-3.30pm. $55.
Theatre Mamma Mia!: Kyneton Theatre Company presents the hit musical based around the songs of Abba. Bluestone Theatre, Hutton St, Kyneton. Until March 27. 2pm- 5pm. Adult $35, Concession $28, Under-16 $25.
Beer Brewery Tour: Learn how the beer is brewed at Holgate Brewhouse. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4pm. $25.
Exhibitions
Kyneton Gold Rush: Five artists explore the colour gold, its meaning and its inherent value. Until March 7. Mon 9am-5pm.
Kyneton Art on Piper Artists: Showcasing work by local artists. Wed-Mon 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. 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. 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
Music INXSive: INXS tribute show. Gisborne. March 18.
Community Whole Town Garage Sales: Details of sales in Kyneton, Lancefield (both March 19) and Woodend (April 2).
Music Romsey Roll: Performances from five young local artists and bands. Plus food trucks. Romsey. March 19.
Writing Mountain Writers’ Festival Lunch: Lunch and panel discussion with writers Tony Birch, Evelyn Araluen, Tom Griffiths and Sophie Cunningham. Macedon. March 26.
Music Macedon Ranges Music Festival: Featuring Ash Grunwald, The Seven Ups, Baby Velvet, MDRN Love, Taylor Sheridan, Georgia State Line, Busted Chops, Romanie and Hannah Cooper. Hanging Rock. March 26.
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.
How am I doing?
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.
If you find value in the newsletter, I’d so appreciate you subsidising my coffee habit … it helps with the collating and the writing!
To health and happiness
Then & Now
With thanks to Romsey & Lancefield Districts Historical Society. The society meets on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10am-2pm, at Lancefield Courthouse, in Main Rd, Lancefield.
Lancefield Bush Nursing Hospital played an important role in many lives. But its own life began in hospitality.
Originally it was the Commercial Hotel, opened by James Howden in 1862. Having been rebuilt in 1892 after a terrible fire, the hotel was commandeered for use as a hospital during the Spanish flu outbreak of 1919. Its first two patients didn’t need to be admitted, though – they were the hotel’s licensees.
The building was converted to a small maternity hospital called Warrawee in 1921. Maria Lockwood ran it until 1936 when it was taken over by Sister Winifred Barnes.
In the years after World War II, the growing need for a general hospital eventually resulted in the residents of Romsey and Lancefield deciding to buy “Warrawee” for £4,000. The government matched their fundraising with a grant.
After closing for alterations to increase capacity from six beds to 10, the new hospital opened in 1956 as a Bush Nursing Hospital.
Dr Lindsay Francis was a founding member of the hospital committee and remained a member until the hospital’s closure in the early 1990s. As a doctor there for almost 40 years, he was present at the births and deaths of many of the district’s residents.
Today the hospital building, on the corner of Main Rd and The Crescent, is back in the hospitality business as Lancefield Guesthouse.
📷 Kylie McKay, photographer and curator of Lost Shire of Romsey.
