SCHOOL LUNCHES have just got yummier at Warrandyte High School (WHS).
Social enterprise café Now and Not Yet (NaNY) has stepped in to revitalise the school’s canteen and has been providing delicious treats — as well as coffee for teachers and staff — since August 18.
WHS Principal Luke Ventieri said the staff were queuing up for NaNY’s signature, roasted-in-Warrandyte, Social Brew coffees, while the revamped canteen’s delicious hot chocolates were a big hit with students.
WHS School Captain Isla says the new collaboration is “awesome”.
She added that NaNY’s not-for-profit ethos and practice of giving back to the Warrandyte community were attractive to the student cohort, while the variety in menu offerings and the friendly NaNY staff have also gained kudos from the student body.
“The students are over the moon”, she said.
“It also creates opportunities for students to develop relationships across year levels through a good meeting place with a fun vibe”.
Mr Ventieri said NaNY’s social enterprise model is a good fit for the high school, and he is excited by potential training and work opportunities for students.
He said the NaNY team had been very receptive to menu suggestions from the students and hopes they can add pre-paid ordering and VCE express lines in the future.
Now and Not Yet founder Derek Bradshaw said he had been approached by various schools with canteen opportunities over the past few years.
“Warrandyte High is the only one we said yes to,” he said.
NaNY does have a Coffee Van at Donvale Christian College, run by Andrew and Chelsea, who both live with an intellectual disability.
Backed by training, Andrew and Chelsea have gained valuable workplace and customer service experience — opportunities that were previously hard to come by due to their disability.
This is another example of what can be achieved through collaboration between school, the community, and local businesses.
With the canteen collaboration being a much larger project, there is hope these sorts of outcomes can be boosted ten-fold at Warrandyte High School.
Through the café, Mr Bradshaw supports asylum seekers, victims of domestic violence, and people facing housing insecurity, making a collaboration with NaNY more than just a catering contract.
Mr Ventieri said NaNY’s local-focused giving back model is another valuable learning opportunity for students and aligns with the school’s values of Respect, Integrity, Strength and Excellence.
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For more than 50 years, the Warrandyte Diary has been a trusted source of independent news for the residents of Warrandyte. As a cornerstone of the community, this not-for-profit community newspaper is supported wholly through advertising from local businesses.
Building on this foundation, the Manningham & Nillumbik Bulletin is fast becoming the trusted source for news, editorials, and local businesses for the communities of Warrandyte, North Warrandyte, South Warrandyte, Park Orchards, Research, Wonga Park, Eltham, Donvale, Doncaster, Templestowe, Lower Templestowe, Kangaroo Ground, Hurstbridge, Diamond Creek, Wattle Glen, Warranwood, St Andrews, North Ringwood, East Doncaster, Christmas Hills, Bulleen, Arthurs Creek, Smiths Gully, and Greensborough.
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Comedy returns to Warrandyte Theatre Company with their latest production, Boeing Boeing.
Be transported in time and place to the early 1960s and the chic Parisian apartment of playboy architect Bernard (Mason Frost).
Supported by his diligent French housemaid Berthe (Lisa Upson), Bernard wines, dines, and “enjoys” his three fiancées, Gloria (Frankie Photiadis), Gabriella (Rosa Loenardi), and Gretchen (Michelle Reeves), all living, and loving, in the same apartment and all oblivious to each other’s existence.
How is this possible you ask?
Well, our bachelor’s betrothed are all Air Hostesses, and through careful planning and furious note-taking, he manages to keep one up, one down, and one on standby.
But all is not well for Bernard and the dutiful Berthe, who would be stoic if only she weren’t French.
The jet age is here: air travel is becoming increasingly quick; the Boeing 707 will rewrite the air timetables, which should be a problem, but Bernard is in denial.
There is a mild misogyny about Bernard, which is very much of the time and should be considered (and expected) before taking your seat for this production.
Certainly, as Bernard begins to realise his world is unravelling and morphs from the confident ladies’ man into an emotional puddle on his living room floor, I felt little sympathy for his situation.
The glue in this story is Bernard’s lanky, nervous, and slightly awkward friend from Wisconsin, Robert (Cormac Duff).
Robert is our window into this world, there to witness the maddening tapestry Bernard has spun, and save his friend as his three worlds collide on a dark and stormy night in Paris.
Cormac Duff, new to the company and relatively new to Australia, is convincing as Robert flies us through concern, confusion, horror, lust, and elation – the full gamut of emotions.
Co-directors Tegan and Taryn first met while performing this very play in Toowoomba (Queensland) in 2015 – they said it holds a special place in their hearts, and I can see why.
Each member of the cast embraces their stereotype with gusto, Lisa Upson’s Berthe feels like she has been plucked out of ‘Allo ‘Allo! and Michelle Reeves’ performance as the bubbly, larger-than-life Gretchen needs to be seen.
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The set design is top-tier, and the numerous doors leading to the multitude of other rooms in Bernard’s apartment provide some key moments of physical comedy. Boeing Boeing is an entertaining distraction from the woes of the world.
This production has opted for table seating, so get a group together, but get in quick – at time of writing, there are less than 100 seats left across the whole run.
Opening night is Friday, August 28, with additional performances on August 29, 30 (matinee), September 4,5,6 (matinee), 11 and 12.
Book your tickets at: trybooking.com/DNKAB
For more than 50 years, the Warrandyte Diary has been a trusted source of independent news for the residents of Warrandyte. As a cornerstone of the community, this not-for-profit community newspaper is supported wholly through advertising from local businesses.
Building on this foundation, the Manningham & Nillumbik Bulletin is fast becoming the trusted source for news, editorials, and local businesses for the communities of Warrandyte, North Warrandyte, South Warrandyte, Park Orchards, Research, Wonga Park, Eltham, Donvale, Doncaster, Templestowe, Lower Templestowe, Kangaroo Ground, Hurstbridge, Diamond Creek, Wattle Glen, Warranwood, St Andrews, North Ringwood, East Doncaster, Christmas Hills, Bulleen, Arthurs Creek, Smiths Gully, and Greensborough.
With advertising starting from under $100, your ad and our stories reach our entire audience algorithm-free.
Supporting independent, trusted, local media like Warrandyte Diary and Manningham & Nillumbik Bulletin allows us to continue to cover key issues with authentic voice and connect our thousands of readers with local businesses.
WARRANDYTE Theatre Company will bring the international hit comedy Boeing Boeing to the Warrandyte Mechanics’ Institute Hall from August 28 to September 12, offering audiences a fast-paced night of witty one-liners, physical comedy, and escalating romantic chaos.
The production marks the first time the play has been staged in Warrandyte and brings together a stellar cast and crew for what co-directors Tegan DeClark and Taryn Johns hope will be a memorable and laughter-filled night out.
Written by French playwright Marc Camoletti and translated by Beverley Cross and Francis Evans, Boeing Boeing is set in a stylish Paris apartment during the glamorous age of 1960s air travel.
At the centre of the story is Bernard (Mason Frost), a confident bachelor who is secretly engaged to three international flight attendants: Gloria (Frankie Photiadis), Gabriella (Rosa Leonardi) and Gretchen (Michelle Reeves).
Each woman works for a different airline, allowing Bernard to arrange their visits around carefully calculated flight schedules.
His system is simple: one up, one down, and one on standby.
The arrangement appears to be running with airline precision, assisted by Bernard’s increasingly unimpressed housekeeper, Berthe (Lisa Upson).
But when faster Boeing jets and changing timetables bring all three women to Paris at once, Bernard’s supposedly foolproof plan begins to nosedive.
His visiting friend Robert (Cormac Duff) is quickly drawn into the deception as the pair race to prevent the three fiancées from meeting.
The result is a whirlwind of frantic explanations, slamming doors, near misses, and misunderstandings, with each attempted solution creating even more turbulence.
For Tegan and Taryn, the production has a strong personal connection.
The pair first met while performing in Boeing Boeing at a regional theatre in Queensland in 2015.
“We have such wonderful memories of performing in this play together, so it is exciting to now introduce it to a new audience in Warrandyte,” Tegan said.
It is joyful escapism and a genuine night of fun.
The script is full of witty one-liners, and our actors have incredible comic timing.
Audiences can leave the everyday world behind and enjoy a couple of hours of laughter while supporting local community theatre.”
Taryn said the play had remained a favourite among those who saw their earlier production.
“In more than 20 years of performing, our friends and family still tell us Boeing Boeing was one of the best plays they have ever seen,” she said.
We hope this production will embed itself in the hearts and memories of Warrandyte audiences, and of course the cast and crew too.”
The play also comes with an intriguing piece of theatrical history: it holds a Guinness World Record.
What is the record for?
The directors are keeping that detail grounded until opening night.
“You’ll have to come and see the play to find out,” Tegan said.
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A large team of community volunteers is also working behind the scenes across costumes, set construction, props, sound, lighting, and other production areas to transform the historic Warrandyte Mechanics’ Hall into the glamorous world of 1960s Paris.
For audiences planning a date night, a catch-up with friends, or simply an evening of laughter close to home, Boeing Boeing promises a lively night at the theatre while supporting the local performers and volunteers who keep community theatre flying.
Performance details
Performances run on weekends from August 28 until September 12.
Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm, Sunday matinees at 2:30pm.
Tickets start at $22, bookings via trybooking.com/DNKAB.
MANNINGHAM MAYOR Jim Grivas has welcomed the announcement by the Victorian Liberal Party that they will scrap the purple-lidded, glass recycling bin if they win the State Election in November.
Shadow Minister for Local Government, Bev McArthur, said Labor’s fourth-bin mandate would impose another unnecessary cost on Victorian households at a time they are facing increasing cost-of-living pressures.
“This unnecessary mandate is already driving up costs and diverting scarce resources away from the local services and infrastructure communities rely on every day,”
“I have travelled the length and breadth of Victoria, and everywhere I went the message from councils and ratepayers was the same: scrap the mandate.”
Mrs McArthur said.
The Liberals and Nationals have said they will also review Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme to identify opportunities to expand it, recover more recyclable material, and deliver better environmental and economic outcomes.
Shadow Minister for the Environment, Nick McGowan, said Victorians want better recycling outcomes, not more bins and bigger bills.
“Victorians are already struggling with soaring bills, and Labor’s answer is to force another costly service onto households,”
Mr McGowan said.
“The Liberals and Nationals will scrap the mandate and focus on practical measures that increase recycling without adding pressure to household budgets.”
The “let’s be clear on glass” campaign, led by Manningham Council Mayor Jim Grivas, has gained momentum.
Not only has there been an overwhelming rejection of the purple-lidded bin (83 per cent of those surveyed), but other local councils have joined the movement since it began with 30 in April/May 2026.
Following the election pledge by the Victorian Coalition, Mr Grivas said:
“The ball is now in Environment Minister Enver Erdogan’s court.
“It’s time to listen to councils, listen to communities and scrap the mandatory fourth-bin rollout before families are left paying more for a service they already have.”
M&N Bulletin will continue to monitor this developing story.
THE VICTORIAN Government has rolled out a new way of obtaining some medicines without needing a prescription from your doctor.
There are over 850 pharmacies across Victoria, including Warrandyte Neighbourhood Pharmacy (formerly Terry White), participating in the Chemist Care Now program.
Adult women can now get a resupply of their oral contraceptive pill directly from their pharmacist with a free consultation.
It is also free to see a pharmacist to receive care for shingles, impetigo, resupply of treatment for flare-up of mild plaque psoriasis, uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTI), and management of mild musculoskeletal pain.
Fees may apply for some pharmacy consultations outside the Chemist Care Now program.
David Cannalonga, pharmacist at Warrandyte Neighbourhood Pharmacy, said the program covers medicines as well as vaccinations on the national immunisation schedule.
Over the next two years, Chemist Care Now will grow to include 22 treatments for common health conditions — with participating pharmacists able to undertake short-form training to deliver each new service.
David said most of the consultations they have had to date have been for vaccinations.
“We also see some individuals for UTIs.”
David said that the program does have limitations, and some patients will still need to consult with their GP.
“The main blocker is age.
For example, for UTIs, we cannot treat females above 65 years.”
Pharmacists are required to undergo specialised training to be able to provide Chemist Care Now treatments and will follow clinical management protocols, which have been developed by the Department of Health.
David said Warrandyte Neighbourhood Pharmacy is still getting all its pharmacists trained and approved.
“At this time, we have one team member completely trained and another two partly completed.”
Patients will only need to pay for the cost of the medication at the counter.
Medication will not be dispensed under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), so some medications will be more expensive than with a prescription,
However, customers using the Chemist Care Now program will not have had to book and pay for a GP appointment.
David explained that the cost savings depend on the medicine being dispensed.
“The PBS threshold is $25 for general patients and $7.70 for concessions, so medicines that are above the threshold will attract a higher price without a prescription.
For concession patients, it will be more expensive to visit a pharmacy without a GP script, assuming their GP bulk bills.
For non-concession card patients, some of the contraceptive pills will be cheaper, but some will be more expensive; however, the majority of women would be on the cheaper contraceptives.
For UTIs, these antibiotics are reasonably cheap, and it will be the same price as with a prescription, as they are below the PBS threshold,”
The Diary asked David what to expect during a consultation.
“A qualified and trained pharmacist will review your condition and symptoms.
With that information, we can use the guidelines provided to us to either allow treatment with an S4 medicine or refer back to a GP if there are parameters outside of our guidelines, such as age or red flag symptoms.”
He said all consultations can be walk-in; alternatively, appointments for vaccinations can be made online.
He said that once all their pharmacists have been trained on all offerings, the pharmacy will enable online bookings, which is scheduled to happen within the next two months.
Since launching, Chemist Care Now has delivered almost 100,000 services across Victoria.
Visit neighbourhoodpharmacy.com.au to book an appointment for a vaccination, or drop in to the pharmacy to discuss your health needs.
Wow, wow and also wow!
I was fortunate enough to see The Father, a beautiful stage production by the ever-talented Warrandyte Theatre Company, on its opening weekend.
I didn’t know much about the show other than it was about “dementia” and a father-daughter relationship.
I walked away with the full gamut of strong emotions, a buzzing brain still making connections, and awe at the talent of our local group — especially Reg Ellery and Mia Jabara in the key roles.
The show is an internal and external exploration of how dementia impacts individuals, relationships, and roles within a family.
Andrew (Reg Ellery), the father, a proud man, struggles to keep living a life he can recognise and feel safe within.
However, the disease slowly strips him of his memories, leaving confusion in its place.
This confusion sometimes appears as anger and frustration, other times as deep fear, and when he is aware, deep grief.
Anne (Mia Jabara), his daughter, struggles with the ever-changing nature of his condition.
At times, his approach is brutal and seemingly callous, and at others it’s child-like and playful, even charming.
As she tries to navigate his needs, her sense of responsibility and love, and her partner’s frustration, we watch a woman grieving the loss of her father whilst he is standing in front of her.
The beauty of the show’s writing and the masterful direction by Grant Purdy mean that the audience experiences dementia from the inside, through recurring scenes and varying outcomes.
Just when we think we have the thread of a storyline, it’s snatched away, and we have to reset.
As we watch, we are not always sure of which part of the show’s timeline this relates to.
The result illustrates how dementia must feel from the inside.
The set is ever-changing and slowly stripped away, just like Andrew’s understanding of the world.
His watch, a recurrent theme, is like an anchor to his sense of reality, but it keeps going missing.
The ensemble cast brings tangible peak moments of brutality to Andrew.
His impact on his daughter, and the reality of his condition and need for care.
But even for the audience, we aren’t always sure who is real and if the interaction is actually happening.
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Overall, The Father is not a show you will walk out of full of laughter.
But you will walk away with a sense of love for us humans trying to do our best in seemingly impossible conditions.
The adaptability and persistence we show every day — and that is a message we all need right now.
Thank you to the Warrandyte Theatre Group for another stellar experience.
Go and see it!!
Visit warrandytearts.org.au/theatre for show details and to buy tickets.
WHEN TREAD Sculptures’ Mandala took out first place in the Estate Division at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show this year, it was a proud moment.
As someone who never studied art and learnt to weld repairing machinery rather than attending art school, receiving recognition at one of Australia’s premier garden shows was both humbling and rewarding.
But for me, the significance of the Mandala runs much deeper than the award.
The piece was created during a particularly difficult period of my life.
There was a lot happening around mental health, grief and loss, both personally and amongst people close to me.
At the same time, filmmaker Jack Morrow was producing a short documentary called Heavy Metal, which explored my arts practice and the role creativity has played in helping me manage my own mental health.
As part of that project, I created a sculpture carrying a great deal of emotional weight.
I hoped the process of making it would bring the same sense of release and healing that art had provided me at other times in my life.
When the documentary was complete, however, I was surprised to find I still felt unsettled.
The resolution I had been searching for hadn’t really arrived.
Meanwhile, another piece was quietly taking shape in the studio.
The Mandala was a major collaboration between myself and glass artist Rob Haley.
While Rob painstakingly assembled more than 500 individual pieces of stained glass, I worked on the steel structure that would support and frame it.
As often happens with large collaborative works, we spent months working separately before bringing our two halves together.
When the piece was finally assembled, something unexpected happened.
Normally, once a sculpture is finished I’m eager to photograph it, list it for sale and share it with the world.
But with the Mandala I couldn’t do that.
The finished work sat in the studio for weeks.
Both Rob and I found ourselves strangely affected by it.
Neither of us could quite explain why.
The Mandala seemed to possess a presence that demanded time and reflection.
Eventually I realised that something important had shifted.
The healing and sense of acceptance I had hoped to find through the mental health sculpture had quietly emerged through the creation of the Mandala instead.
It wasn’t something I had planned or intended.
It was simply something that happened through the process of making.
When I later explored the meaning and history of mandalas, the experience made sense.
Across many cultures, mandalas are associated with balance, wholeness, contemplation, and healing.
Without consciously setting out to create those things, the work had become a vehicle for them.
There was another surprise hidden within the sculpture.
As the design evolved, I realised the structure could be engineered to rotate despite weighing approximately 1.2 tonnes.
The finished piece can be turned to catch changing light throughout the day and across the seasons, allowing the glass to constantly reveal different colours, reflections, and moods.
Today the Mandala sits overlooking our studio, home, and sculpture garden in Bend of Islands.
Winning at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show was a wonderful honour, but the true value of the piece isn’t measured by awards.
For me, the Mandala stands as a reminder that art doesn’t always heal us in the ways we expect.
Sometimes the work we think is about one thing quietly becomes about something else entirely.
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See for yourself
Tread Sculptures will be holding an Open Studio on July 24 to 26, 10am to 4pm.
Find him at 225 Catani Boulevard, Bend of Islands.|
To find out more or to arrange an appointment outside of this event, visit treadsculptures.com.au.
COMMEMORATIVE services were held across Australasia to mark the 111th anniversary of the landing on the shores of Gallipoli by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.
Dawn Service
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For those of us in Warrandyte, a trip to either Doncaster or Eltham to take part in the Dawn Service is becoming a popular start to the day of remembrance.
Doncaster RSL held a moving service with Captain Andrew Downie commemorating the 110th anniversary of the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916.
“My grandfather, Lieutenant Reginald Joseph O’Sullivan DCM, served in the 1st Australian Imperial Force during the First World War.
He enlisted in June 1915, at a time when the war was meant to be over by Christmas; it became something far more brutal and far more drawn out than anyone could imagine.
He was posted to the 31st Battalion of the Fifth Australian Division.
The Battalion made up largely of men from Queensland and Victoria, ordinary Australians who found themselves fighting on the other side of the world in the mud and shellfire of France.
In July 1916, his Battalion was committed to the Battle of Fromelles, arguably the most dangerous and disastrous battle in Australian military history.
Fromelles was intended as a diversionary attack during the Somme offensive, but it became a catastrophe.
In just 24 hours, more than 5,500 Australians were killed, wounded, or captured.
It remains the bloodiest single day in our history.
Men advanced across open ground at night, under sustained machinegun and artillery fire.
Units became isolated, officers were killed, and communications failed.
Chaos and courage existed side by side.
At that time, my grandfather was not yet an officer — he was a Platoon Sergeant.
When leadership faltered under devastating fire, he continued to organise and rally the men on the frontline.
For his actions during the fighting around Fromelles, he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, which was, at that time, second only to the Victoria Cross for gallantry.
My grandfather survived the Great War.
But came home a broken man.
He died on New Year’s Day 1926 at the age of 39.
I remember him today.”
Captain Downie also reflected on his uncle’s service in the Pacific.
“In 1942, Gunner Ivan Leo Olden Hatcher was part of the Australian garrison in Rabaul.
When Japanese forces advanced through the Pacific, Rabaul became a key objective.
The Australian Force there — Lark Force — was under-resourced and heavily outnumbered.
Rabaul fell, many Australians were killed, and others, including my uncle, were captured and became Prisoners of War.
On June 22, 1942, hundreds of Australian prisoners from Rabaul were loaded onto a Japanese transport ship, the Montevideo Maru
On July 1, 1942, off the coast of the Philippines, the ship was torpedoed by an Allied submarine, the USS Sturgeon, unaware that Prisoners of War were on board.
The Montevideo Maru sank, with the loss of 1,053 souls, including 845 servicemen.
It provides the worst maritime disaster in Australian history.
For them, there was no grave, no battlefield, only the sea.
The men of Rabaul stood in defence of Australia at a time when the threat was quite close, the future uncertain.
They served where they were sent.
They endured capture, and some paid the ultimate price.
When we speak of the Anzac Spirit, we remember not only famous battles, but the quiet sacrifice.
Today, I wear these medals in honour of both men and of all those who served beside them.
Their resting places might differ; their wars were different.
But their service endured.”
Those gathered in the breaking light then heard from New Zealand veteran Alton Taylor, who spoke of mateship and camaraderie, and the enduring bond between Australia and New Zealand.
“We’re here to remember a bond of friendship that has lasted over a century.|
“It’s a friendship forged in the sand of Egypt, the cliffs of Gallipoli, and the mud of the Somme.
“While we spent the last hundred years arguing over who actually owns the Pavlova and Crowded House, the Anzac Spirit proves that when the chips are down, we’re essentially the same — just that one of us was better at rugby.”
The service was supported by music from the Doncaster Secondary College Wind Symphony; members of the School of Signals mounted the Catafalque party.
After the service concluded, attendees were invited to a gunfire breakfast in the RSL clubrooms with a sausage sizzle provided by Rotary Manningham City.
Warrandyte Commemoration
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Around 200 people came together at the Whipstick Gully carpark for the March along Yarra Street to the Warrandyte RSL Memorial Gardens.
Once there, following a Welcome to Country and Lord’s Prayer, those who gathered for the commemorative service heard from former Member of Menzies and Afghanistan Veteran, Keith Wolahan.
“How do you remember the 103,000 Australians who died for this country?
How do you remember almost 2.5 million who have served this country?
Some of whom are here today.
How do you remember those who were wounded?
The families who walk into an empty bedroom.
It’s almost an impossible task.
But at moments like this, we do our very best.
So, my task is to give you one man, one person.
It is not someone I knew — his name was Ernest (Ern) William Kiernan.
He was a WWII veteran.
A group of Australians who still walk amongst us, although they probably need a walking cane, because most of them who are left are over 100.
But they’re here with us; we live with that generation.
And Ern didn’t have a family that served; in fact, he didn’t even know who his family was.
He was an orphan.
He grew up in an orphanage, not knowing his mum or dad, or his brothers or sisters, yet when the time came to serve, he put his hand up to serve his country.
Ern was one of the 14,000 Australians who served in Tobruk; 2,000 of those were Victorians.
What they didn’t know was that they were to take on the General of all Generals, being General Erwin Rommel, who had never lost a conflict and invented Blitzkrieg, which means lightning war.
And he had never lost a conflict until he met men like Ern.
In Tobruk, Ern and his friends, his fellow Australians, not only held back the might of the German Army, but they never gave up, and over 242 days, they earned the title of the Rats of Tobruk.”
After the wreath laying, the Last Post, the minute’s silence, and Reveille, at the conclusion of the service, there was a moving rendition of I Am Australian. The music itself was a simple broadcast of the recorded music, but it was accompanied by Warrandyte Primary School Auslan Choir, who sang along with the song in Auslan, conducted by performing arts teacher Kirsty Wolters.
This warm, genuinely inclusive service was a credit to the Warrandyte RSL and the volunteers from our community who made it happen.
Jennifer Bryant, the Secretary of Warrandyte RSL, offered the RSL’s gratitude to the following people who participated in the service:
Catafalque Party: Doncaster Squadron Australian Air League
Bagpipes: James Dimmock/Thomas Cameron
Side drums (with Pipers): Oliver Smith (who came all the way from New Zealand to play.
He was visiting the piper and volunteered to March with him and play the side drum.)
Bugler: Blake Robertson-Hall
Guest Speaker: Keith Wolahan
Warrandyte High School Captains: Zoe Wheelan, Lachlan Williams, and Jack Brenna
Warrandyte Primary School: Auslan Choir with supervision by Kirsty Wolters
Simon Barton: The Ode
Bunnings Ringwood: for their gardening donations and assistance
The RSL Committee and all volunteers who help with the March, Service (especially audio person, Wade Farrell), and morning tea
Warrandyte Scout Group: who attended before Anzac Day to assist in cleaning up the Memorial Gardens
THE LAWS AROUND e-bikes and e-scooters are coming under scrutiny, triggered by a series of accidents across the country that left people dead or injured and without recourse to insurance.
Victoria’s e-bike regulation has been lagging behind the EV industry and the public’s appetite for motor-assisted active transport.
E-bikes and e-scooters have many benefits, such as improving accessibility, which is especially important in hilly areas such as Manningham and Nillumbik.
However, the laws that are in place are being flouted by an increasing number of riders who are purchasing, or building, what are in essence “e-motos” — described by e-bike builder and retailer Rebecca Lee as “high-powered, throttle-driven weapons”.
John Duncan, Chief Operating Officer at road safety charity BRAKE Driver Awareness Australia, says the rapid adoption of e-bikes and e-scooters has outpaced education, leaving young riders exposed to serious risk.
“Devices like e-scooters can be a young person’s first experience travelling at speed in shared traffic.
“While the technology and availability have arrived quickly, the education hasn’t, and that gap is costing young people their safety and, in some cases, their lives.
“Australian society has made huge strides in recognising the causes of serious road incidents, such as driving under the influence or using a mobile phone while driving.
“But those same risks apply to e-scooters, where riding intoxicated, without a helmet, or at night can be just as dangerous, but are not taken as seriously,”
Ms Lee of Rev Bikes agrees that much of the issue stems from putting overpowered e-bikes and scooters into the hands of children.
“Anyone’s allowed to ride a bicycle; they should also be able to be assisted because there are a lot of benefits for kids riding, and it helps them to keep up with their parents.”
However, she says the law says e-bikes should have motors of no more than 250 watts, but with more powerful (over-powered) motors easy to buy online, it is easy to purchase an “over-powered” kit.
While it is not illegal to own an over-powered bike, it is illegal to ride them on public roads and paths, it is down to the customer to understand the law.
But Ms Lee says many of the issues she comes across when dealing with questions from customers about over-powered e-bikes come from a lack of understanding of what is legal.
“I had a parent bringing his kid into the store saying he wants to get a conversion kit ‘because all his friends have one — he wants 1,500 watts because his mates have that’ — they were only 11 years old.”
She says the recent coverage in mainstream media is compounding the issue.
“There’s a lot of coverage about it in the media, but the parents are still ignorant, because they still don’t seem to know what the difference between an e-bike and an over-powered weapon is.
There are lots of sellers — cowboys — building these in their garage and selling them on Marketplace or Gumtree, and there are online sellers from China — people are importing them, which you’re not supposed to be able to do — you’re not supposed to send lithium batteries by air.”
What is the law?
In Victoria, to be ridden on the road or public paths, an e-bike must be:
No more than 250W with a top speed of 25km/h
Have a motor which is driven by “pedal assistance” you have to turn the pedals to drive the motor.
A throttle-assisted e-bike can have a maximum power output of 200 watts and provide motor assistance through a hand-operated throttle, allowing for operation without pedalling — similar to what Australia Post uses.
The Victoria Police website notes that many bikes sold as e-bikes exceed these power and speed limits.
“These are considered non-compliant motor vehicles and cannot be legally registered.
“You can only ride these types of bikes on private property.
“If you ride these bikes on public roads or footpaths, you can be fined for operating an unregistered vehicle.”
It is only possible to register a vehicle that is on the Department of Transport’s list of approved motorcycles, and they are generally equivalent to a minimum 660cc and include a range of features such as rear mirrors, ADR-compliant headlights (low and high beam), tail lights, brake lights, and amber front and rear indicators, braking system certified to meet specific Australian standards, tyres suitable for road use, compliant horn, and must have a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) that meets Australian requirements.
Compliant e-bikes are governed by the road rules for conventional bicycles.
Any electric bike that exceeds the legal power output (over 250W) or where the motor continues once the speed reaches 25 km/h, is classified as a motor vehicle.
E-bikes with the following modifications are illegal to ride on public roads and areas as a bicycle:
toggle switches to override the power and wattage limits
a motor that continues to provide power after reaching 25km/h
motors have a combined continuous rated power output greater than 250 watts.
no functional pedals
fitted with an internal combustion engine (e.g. petrol powered).
Any non-compliant vehicle falls between the definition of an e-bike and a motorbike, so cannot legally be ridden on public roads or paths as an e-bike and cannot be registered as a motorbike.
A legal e-scooter is defined as a vehicle that:
is designed for use by one person
has a maximum speed of 25 km/h when ridden on level ground
transports a person while the person is standing or seated
has two wheels (one in front of the other)
has a footboard between the front and rear wheels
is steered by a handlebar
does not weigh more than 45kg
is propelled by a motor, or by the person pushing one foot against the ground.
An e-scooter that falls outside the scope of this definition is also considered an unregistered motor vehicle and is liable to penalties.
Fines for over-powered e-bikes
An e-bike that exceeds the power and speed limits could be considered a motor vehicle.
You could be fined for:
driving an unregistered motor vehicle, and
driving without a valid licence.
Is education the key?
Mr Duncan says e-bike accidents are now the most common among teenagers aged 15–18, highlighting how older adolescents are navigating increasingly powerful devices without the experience or awareness to ride safely.
He said he was seeing growing frustration in communities where e-scooters are used on shared paths without consideration for others.
“Older Australians, people with disabilities, and pedestrians can feel vulnerable, which is why greater awareness around respect and courtesy in shared spaces is so important,” he said.
To help address the growing issue, BRAKE Driver Awareness Australia has developed Australia’s first national school-based e-mobility education program, designed to teach students aged 11–15 how to ride safely, recognise hazards, and understand the risks of speed, night riding, and intoxication.
The program has already reached more than 90,000 students and is now expanding nationally.
“During adolescence, the part of the brain that seeks reward develops faster than the part responsible for impulse control, making speed and peer approval especially thrilling in the moment.
Our program helps students pause, think, and make choices that protect themselves and others.
Road safety shouldn’t be something young people learn through tragedy.
“With the right support, this program could reach every secondary school in Australia and help students build safer habits on the road.
Unlike one-off talks, our model enables teachers to deliver ongoing learning, ensuring students everywhere, including in remote areas, gain the skills and confidence to stay safe,”
Ms Lee says a campaign through schools would be helpful because many of these kids want to do what the other kids are doing.
“I think if they heard some of the horror stories from other kids who had had disasters happen to them, that may cause them to think twice.
But also, it’s the parents that are considering buying these, perhaps they’re still a bit oblivious because of the language being used, they don’t know that they’re buying their kid one of these problem bikes, they think they’re just buying an e-bike.
If your kid thinks they need a full-face helmet, then it’s probably going faster than a bicycle could or should,”
BRAKE urges schools, teachers, parents, councils, and corporate partners to support its programs and help expand access to road safety education, especially in regional communities.
As e-mobility and independent travel become part of everyday life for young Australians, the goal is to equip every student with practical road safety skills before tragedy occurs.
Visit brake.org.au to learn more about its e-mobility road safety programs.
Visit revbikes.com to explore safe, legal, custom e-bike options for you and your family.
A WELL-ATTENDED meeting was held at Now and Not Yet on the evening of March 2, which saw the core of the Warrandyte community come together to establish a representative group of Warrandyte community organisations.
The inaugural meeting saw representatives from Warrandyte’s various community groups come together with a spirit of optimism, including the Warrandyte Arts Association, Warrandyte Neighbourhood House, Warrandyte Community Association, Warrandyte Festival Committee, Warrandyte Sporting Group, Warrandyte Cricket Club, Warrandyte Football Club, Warrandyte Tennis Club, Warrandyte Historical Society, Warrandyte Lions, Warrandyte Men’s Shed, Warrandyte Scouts, Warrandyte Retirement Housing Co-op, Warrandyte Donvale Rotary, Warrandyte Riverside Market Committee, WarrandyteDiary, Menzies for Climate, Now and Not Yet, and the Pink Ladies, with apologies from the Warrandyte Mountain Bike Club, Warrandyte Netball Club, and Warrandyte Junior Football Club.
High on the agenda was the opportunity for groups to meet, with time set aside for each group to provide a background on their organisation and express the challenges they are facing over the foreseeable future.
President of the Warrandyte Community Association Terry Tovey opened the meeting by saying several groups’ leaders felt it was a great time for the many and varied community groups to get together to discuss their issues and see whether there are opportunities to help each other.
“Of course, the recent report by Manningham Council on shared facilities is the catalyst, and an example of the sort of thing that a community can rally around,” he said.
He said it was an opportunity for local groups to benefit from a common understanding and from sharing experiences, and he hoped it would be the first of a regular calendar of meetings.
The gathered groups expressed an appetite for collaboration and future networking as many of these groups have existed side-by-side for decades without knowing what each other does, and with many potentially benefiting from cooperation.
Rotary President Olive Aumann highlighted the recent work her organisation has done on community engagement, with a common theme in her series of community interviews articulated first by local Police Sergeant Stewart Henderson.
“He said, ‘there are all these fabulous groups doing fabulous things, but they’re all doing it separately,’ and he suggested we should get together three or four times per year,” she said.
Which is what it is hoped this meeting will be the start of.
The Emcee for the event, Grant Purdy of the Warrandyte Arts Association, discussed the genesis of the meeting, which was Manningham Council’s Warrandyte Community Facilities Review, which he said has allowed the community to find a united voice to protect Warrandyte, “the jewel in Manningham’s crown”.
The statement of purpose was agreed upon, which read:
“To bring Warrandyte’s community volunteer organisations together, to explore how we can strengthen collaboration, agree a shared purpose, and develop sustainable approaches to counter the challenges facing our community.
Finding opportunities to pool resources, foster partnerships, and respond more effectively to issues that affect our community.”
The group envisage being able to respond to issues such as loneliness, youth engagement, food rescue, resilience and security, environmental stewardship, and emergency preparedness.
The final order of business was a lively discussion on finding a name for the new collective, with many suggestions taken from the floor.
The final name was decided by a vote via email, with the ultimate winner being Warrandyte Volunteers Alliance (WAVA).
Community groups interested in attending future meetings of WAVA can contact convenor Olive Aumann at oliveaumann@gmail.com.
ON WEDNESDAY, January 7, a fire started near Longwood, Victoria, which quickly flared to a large, uncontrollable fire and sparked a widespread emergency response across the state.
CFA volunteers from all our local brigades, once again, packed their gear, left their day jobs and families behind, and joined Strike Teams deploying into fire-affected areas where experience, endurance, and teamwork mattered most.
Among them was Warrandyte CFA volunteer Hugh Dugan, who deployed on Strike Team 1313 to the staging area in Alexandra, working swing shifts made up of 12-hour days and 12-hour night shifts.
“It was long, hard work — but exactly why we train,”
Hugh said.
Operating in and around the Alexandra hills, Hugh’s Strike Team was tasked with blacking out and managing the live edge, working closely alongside Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV) crews.
The area was alive with activity, with bulldozers cutting containment lines, helicopters thundering overhead, and ground crews methodically securing what had already burned to prevent flare-ups.
“The coordination was impressive,”
“Everyone knew their role, and it showed.”
Hugh said.
The second day saw Strike Team 1313 staged at the Incident Control Centre from the Alexandra Depot, where crews rotated through taskings, feed, and rest cycles.
Systems and operations were effective, and fatigue was carefully managed.
“It was absolutely worthwhile.
“With not much significant bushfire activity in recent years, this added so much to everyone’s experience bank.
“Everyone got a lot out of it, and a lot of great work was done.”
Strike Team 1313 was a strong mix of brigades, from CFA’s District 13, including Warrandyte Slip-On, Selby Slip-On, Belgrave Heights and South Ultra-Light, Montrose Tanker, and The Basin Tanker; a great example of how CFA brigades combine seamlessly when it matters most.
Hugh was quick to acknowledge the support behind the scenes, where family and workplaces play an important role in supporting our volunteers.
“I’m incredibly grateful to my construction employers for accommodating my absence, so I could deploy.
“That support makes a huge difference.”
The experience clearly left its mark.
Hugh said the learning was invaluable and that he wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.
In fact, since the interview, Hugh has already redeployed with Warrandyte CFA to the Otway fires.
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Photos: CFA MEDIA
Leadership and mentoring were also on display through Strike Team 1314, led by Maroondah Group Officer Shane Murphy, who operated as Strike Team Leader from the Warrandyte Forward Command Vehicle along with Tankers from South Warrandyte, Chirnside Park, Scoresby, Seville, and Upwey.
Strike Team 1314 worked to reinforce containment lines aimed at reducing the spread of fire toward the Eildon area, often facing inaccessible terrain where tankers simply couldn’t reach.
“It was challenging country,”
said GO Murphy.
“From dense ridge bushland to the outer tablelands of Alexandra, and along the Goulburn River.
“We were constantly adapting.”
Crews worked in combination with dozers and FFMV teams, tackling forested areas during the day, responding to 000 calls, and spending evenings patrolling and blacking-out to secure containment lines.
Conditions were far from stable, with road access changing by the minute.
“Roads we’d used earlier to refuel or collect ration packs were suddenly impassable on our attempted returns, due to fallen trees.
“It really highlighted the danger of hazardous trees and exactly why so many roads had to be closed to the public.”
For many CFA members, particularly newer volunteers, the deployment was eye-opening.
“With less fire activity in recent years, a lot of members hadn’t seen this type of bushfire behaviour before.
“It was a critical learning opportunity; with real-world experience you simply can’t replicate in training.”
One standout outcome was the opportunity for mentoring future leaders.
“It was great to be able to mentor up-and-coming Strike Team Leaders,”
GO Murphy said, pointing to Nathan MacDonald from South Warrandyte CFA as a strong example of the next generation stepping up.
That sense of pride and professionalism was echoed by Captain Cameron Mackay of South Warrandyte CFA, whose brigade has been heavily involved since early January.
“We’ve had our members out at the Longwood fire since January 7, utilising both our Tanker and Slip-On unit,”
“I’m extremely proud of the work and professionalism shown by our members while deployed.”
Captain Mackay said.
He was equally proud of those who stayed behind.
“I’m just as proud of the members who remained locally to ensure our own area was protected.
“The fire ran hard and fast, but our people did some amazing work under some very trying weather conditions.”
North Warrandyte CFA was part of the first crews to deploy to Harcourt with Strike Team 1404.
North Warrandyte Tanker 1, part-funded by the 2014 Fireball event, faced conditions that “moved quickly with extreme heat”, said Captain Trent Burriss.
The North Warrandyte team used Thermal Imaging Cameras to monitor hot spots in houses and assets, once the fire passed, to ensure no flare-ups or further damage occurred, whilst continuing to respond to 000 calls in the area.
Captain Burriss shared that 20 of their volunteers have been involved with the deployed Strike Teams, which have included not only the Harcourt fires, but also the Longwood Fires, and the Otways.
“We also tackled a grass fire on the Hume Freeway in Beveridge, on the same day the Longwood Fire started,”
Captain Burriss said.
A contingent of mainly experienced firefighters from North Warrandyte, but also a few newer members experiencing their first strike team activity.
Seventeen volunteers just from the Warrandyte station have deployed.
With another 10 rostered but cancelled due to varying operational needs.
Additionally, the local standby teams in station swarmed on our spike days.
With fires like these, conditions can change rapidly within minutes.
Being deployed at a moment’s notice could make all the difference, rather than waiting for a crew to be assembled over 20 minutes.
Warrandyte Captain Will Hodgson said:
“It’s a true testament to our crews who are prepared and ready for conditions like this”.
Warrandyte CFA pre-summer training commenced back in September, anticipating the dryer conditions this year.
“On every spike day, we have had volunteers give up their time, stand by in the station, and have several of our assets staffed and ready to deploy in minutes, should they be called upon”,
he said.
Together, these deployments tell a familiar but powerful story.
A story of volunteers who step forward when conditions are dangerous (whether they are rostered to deploy or sitting in station ready to go), who learn, adapt, and support other brigades, and who return home more experienced, more capable, and ready for the next call.
Response ready, professional, operationally prepared, and always without hesitation — our local CFA volunteers continue to stand the line.
To protect lives and property.
In December, Manningham Council published the long-awaited Warrandyte Community Facilities Review. The document outlines Council’s interpretation of usage of community buildings in Warrandyte and South Warrandyte, and presents seven “Opportunities” for ways the spaces can be better utilised.
Following pushback from the community, the Community Consultation period for this review was extended from its initial 10 days – in the lead up to Christmas, and then extended on Janaury 23.
The Community now has until 5pm on Monday, February 16 to have their say.
The Diary has produced a special podcast episode outlining the opportunities and includes reactions from Warrandyte Scouts, Warrandyte Historical Society, Warrandyte Childcare and Preschool, Warrandyte Neighbourhood house, and the Warrandyte Sporting Group.
The episode* is available now:
Find the Community Consultation hereand have Your Say before February 16.
The Save the Warranyte Scout Hall petition can be found here:
COMMUNITY consultation has begun on the 5-Way intersection in Warrandyte South.
The local community has been petitioning for action to fix the dangerous intersection since 2019, and it has been a hot-button issue for current Member for Warrandyte Nicole Werner MP and her predecessor, Ryan Smith.
At the 2025 Federal Election, which saw the seat of Menzies become a contested marginal seat following redistribution, both Labor and Liberal candidates promised funding if their party formed government.
A billion-dollar investment from the Federal Government contributed to a $1.2B road blitz, which includes $25 million for planning and development of the 5-Ways intersection.
The consultation opened on Monday, November 17, with a survey and a project map, where the community can drop pins and add comments about improvements, safety, project ideas, or any other thoughts they may have.
Federal Member for Menzies, Gabriel Ng, encouraged the community and those who travel through the intersection to contribute.
“This project is important in making sure locals can get home safer and quicker.
“I encourage everyone in the community to get involved and have their say.”
The consultation is available on the Victorian Big Build website.
There will also be a “Meet the Project Team” event at Riverlea Estate on November 30.
Community consultation closes on December 7.
More than 8,000 vehicles use the intersection daily, and the upgrade aims to make it safer and more efficient for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.
“We’re getting on with the planning work needed to fix one of Warrandyte’s most challenging intersections,” said Victorian Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne.
“Improving safety and reducing congestion for everyone who uses it.”
Community input will help Big Build understand how people use the intersection and identify the improvements that are most needed.
Planning is already underway, including traffic analysis, design development, and on-site investigations to better understand local conditions.
Temporary lane closures and reduced speed limits may be required at times, but traffic disruption will be minimised wherever possible.
Initial planning is expected to be completed in 2026.
Residents and local businesses can have their say by visiting engage.vic.gov.au/warrandyte5ways.
The in-person event will happen at the Riverlea Estate Cellar Door, 486 Ringwood-Warrandyte Road, on Sunday, November 30, from 10am to 3pm.
Following the consultation, the feedback received will be used to inform the planning work and help shape design options.
Big Build said it will share a summary in early 2026.
The planning phase will be used to inform government decisions on future funding.
Severe, stormy weather is predicted to sweep across SE Australia tomorrow.
The Bureau of Meterology has released the following update.
If you experience stormy weather tomorrow, the State Emergency Service has the following advice:
Ensure you do the following during a storm to protect yourself, your family and your property:
Stay indoors and away from windows.
Look out for and avoid:
Falling or damaged trees.
Damaged roads and debris.
Fallen powerlines – Always assume that they are live.
If outdoors, move to a safe place indoors. Stay away from trees, drains, gutters, creeks and waterways.
Be aware of hazardous trees – heat, fire or recent storms may make trees unstable and more likely to fall during a storm.
If driving conditions are dangerous, safely pull over away from trees, drains, low-lying areas and floodwater:
Watch out for damaged or affected roads and hazards after storms or flash flooding.
Driving hazards could include mud, debris, landslides, fallen and damaged trees and damaged bitumen.
Drive to the conditions and find an alternative travel route if roads are impacted.
Avoid travel if possible.
If it is unsafe to leave during a storm, you may become isolated. Make sure you have essential supplies to last for at least three to five days, including food, drinking water, medications and pet food.
During a storm, it is important to stay informed. Monitor weather warnings and forecasts at the Bureau of Meteorology website, and warnings through the VicEmergency app, website and hotline (1800 226 226) and by listening to emergency broadcasters such as ABC local radio, designated commercial radio and TV news stations.
Reminder: Taroona Avenue asphalting works scheduled to take place Monday, October 13 and Tuesday, October 14 (may be weather dependent).
Taroona Avenue is scheduled to be closed between 7am and 5pm while these works are taking place.
IN ITS LATEST round of consultation on infrastructure projects around Warrandyte and Wonga Park, Manningham Council Officers brought out plans for several path and drainage project at a drop-in sessions at the Warrandyte Hall in Taroona Avenue and at the Wonga Park Hall.
Council says it has committed to hold these sessions every six months “to provide meaningful engagement opportunities for Warrandyte and Wonga Park residents to learn about and provide feedback on upcoming footpath, road and drainage projects.”
For Warrandyte, there were five projects out for community consultation, including several in the final stages of development, the footpath outside Warrandyte High School and the pedestrian refuge outside the Stonehouse Café.
Projects that are still in planning stages include the Main Yarra Trail Extension, Tindals Road Footpath, and drainage on Trezise Street.
The drop in model allows for one-on-one consultation with the Council’s project teams, however there is no opportunity for the community to debate the merits of the projects without a townhall style forum, particularly on contentious projects like the Main Yarra Trail Extension.
The Diary attended the Warrandyte drop-in session.
The projects out for consultation were illustrated with some very high-level concept plans, with little detail, asking for community comment without showing details such as tree canopy or cross sections.
Main Yarra Trail
Since the session, the Diary has had numerous letters unhappy with the proposal for the Main Yarra Trail extension which proposes a path along the south side of Heidelberg Road, from Pound Road to Taroona Avenue (see Page 5).
Many correspondents noting the lack of genuine options to compare and the fete accompli of the proposal, the dangerous proximity of the path to high-speed traffic and negotiating road crossings and bus stops, the unpleasant proximity to traffic on what is supposed to be a pleasant ride through the countryside, as well as the impact of the tree canopy.
Resident Maurice Burley said the Main Yarra Trail Extension was a “flawed project that would not pass the ‘pub test’.”
The Diary distilled these community concerns in the following questions to Council:
Why is the community only being given a single option to consider?
Is there a “no bike path” option?
Why is the option of following either Pound Road or Melbourne Hill Road not being considered when there are a large number of riders already using these side roads?
Many urban areas use suburban streets as a bike route with nothing more than a line of paint to follow — can this project be achieved without the intrusive infrastructure?
Why is the “desire line” of the north side of Heidelberg Road being completely discounted, despite there being a navigable trail there already?
If safety is the reasoning behind the construction of the path, why choose the most dangerous option, with proximity to high-speed cars, trucks and buses with multiple bus stops and road crossings to navigate?
The Main Yarra Trail is meant to be a picturesque ride along the river, how does slogging along a main road breathing in truck fumes make for a pleasant family outing? Are there other routes that can be considered to join Yarra Parklands to Pound Bend?
Will the community be consulted with detailed plans with cross sections, and canopy mapping, outlining exactly what is being proposed, rather than high level concept “line on a map” plans so they can see more than just the basic concept before it is set in stone?
Why was the concept presented by the Warrandyte Community Association submission not presented the community to consider as an alternative?
The Diary put these concerns to Council and received the following response from Tony McGann, Acting Director City Services.
“The Main Yarra Trail Extension is a strategic project to create a continuous cycling corridor between the Main Yarra Trail, Mullum Mullum Trail and Eastlink Trail — connecting Warrandyte all the way to Melbourne’s CBD.
Part of the Eastern Region Trails Strategy and the Manningham Bicycle Strategy, it is set to benefit the entire eastern transport corridor.
Stage 3 of the project proposes locating the trail on the southern side of the road.
Alternative routes, including along Melbourne Hill Road and Pound Road, were assessed but ruled out due to excessive cost, significant environmental impacts, steep terrain and narrow road widths.
Community consultation has informed the design process over several years, including a recent review of a possible trail on the northern side of the road.
This was completed in response to feedback from the community and Warrandyte Community Association, but was found to be unfeasible.
The detailed analysis is available on the Main Yarra Trail Extension Your Say Manningham page.
We will continue addressing issues raised during community consultation and engaging stakeholders as the design evolves.
As it progresses, we’ll be able to share more detailed plans, including cross sections and canopy mapping to provide greater clarity around the proposed design.
We’ll also work with the Department of Transport and Planning to carry out a comprehensive safety audit.
This will ensure all road safety risks can be identified and addressed adequately.
We remain committed to transparency and ongoing engagement with the local community, user groups and broader eastern region to ensure the final trail delivers meaningful value for all users.”
Other projects were less controversial; however, there were still some questions raised over the necessity for the proposed pedestrian path along Tindals Road.
The footpath is proposed to run from Heidelberg-Warrandyte Road to Stintons Road as a 2.5-kilometre pedestrian-only path, taking in road crossings at the intersections of Harris Gully Road, Reynolds Road, and at the roundabout at Stintons Road/Tindals Road.
Mr McGann said the Tindals Road footpath project began in response to community requests.
“It was added to our Footpath Priority Program after scoring highly for its potential to connect nearby neighbourhoods with major bus routes, schools, trails and other key destinations.
“Community support was further demonstrated during the initial consultation session, where almost all attendees expressed their support for the project.”
Given the path’s proximity to the Main Yarra Trail, there were questions raised about whether it would be considered to be a shared path.
However, Mr McGann said:
“While the location isn’t part of a strategic cycling corridor and not suitable for dedicated cycling facilities, the project will deliver a safe and accessible pedestrian path that improves connections across the area”.
Safety concerns were raised over the crossing point at the top of Reynolds Road, sighting visibility issues on the corner with difficult visibility and vehicles approaching from multiple directions.
Mr McGann said safe crossings are critical.
“We will work closely with traffic engineers and safety experts to ensure any new crossings are safe, clearly visible and well signposted.
“This project is in the early planning phase, and we’ll continue to review sight line challenges along the proposed route and crossing points as the design develops.”
Trezise Street Drainage
There is a proposal to upgrade the drainage along Trezise Street, the proposed plans included curb and channel drainage, replacing the existing open drainage that is common in Warrandyte.
The Diary asked Council why they were considering curb and channel rather than something more in keeping with Warrandyte character, and why the Green Wedge Design Guide was not being followed in this instance by using the recommended treatments such as swale drains.
Mr McGann said the Trezise Street project is currently in the planning phase.
“We are actively seeking community input to help shape the final design.
“In line with the Green Wedge Design Guide, we aim to minimise visual and ecological impact by prioritising natural, low-impact solutions wherever possible,”
Mr McGann said.
If you didn’t make it to the drop in session, you can still have your say on these proposals.
More work required on proposed shared pedestrian and cyclist path
Dear Diary,
The City of Manningham is planning to build a shared bicycle/pedestrian path along the south side of Heidelberg-Warrandyte Road from Pound Road to Taroona Avenue as the final stage of the bicycle network designed to bring riders down to the Yarra in Warrandyte.
The construction is similar to the recent path east of Mullum Mullum Creek near Beasleys nursery.
This path has been the subject of significant criticism by bike path design experts, pedestrians and cyclists, as well motorists who are concerned about safety, distraction and the potential for a cyclist coming off the path onto the roadway, particularly for young children.
A shared cycle and pedestrian path is required to be 2.5 metres wide, which, after allowing for clearances each side will mean that a four-metre swathe will be cut down the south side of the road, significantly altering the visual entry to the township.
All of the options for a cycle path from Pound Road to the river present difficulties of one sort or the other, so the task is not an easy one.
No option is likely to be perfect.
Nevertheless, while the Council Officers have undertaken considerable work on the proposed route we have a number of concerns about the proposal as it stands and believe that it needs more design detail so that the community can get a complete picture of its full impact.
In addition to this, we need a more thorough exploration of alternative options.
Keyconsiderations
For any shared path critical factors to be addressed include:
User safety, for riders and pedestrians
User experience
Visual impact
Impact on vegetation
Scope of works
The proposal at it stands is problematic considered against each of these factors.
Safety
Passing traffic will be closer to users than the Beasley’s section, on a roadway with a curved alignment, steep grade and 9,000 daily vehicle movements at 60–70kmh.
These issues are of particular concern for children’s safety.
The proposed path is on the wrong side of the road for a direct connection leading to the Yarra River Reserve at Taroona Avenue.
The rest of the trail is on the north side of the road.
This means that pedestrians and cyclists will need to cross the high-speed, high-volume Heidelberg-Warrandyte Road twice, firstly near Tindals Road, and then cross back again near the sports grounds.
It is not a good connection.
For motorists, there will clearly be a distraction with cyclists and pedestrians travelling in both directions so close to the roadway.
User experience
For all of the above reasons riders and walkers will not have an enjoyable experience.
Unlike the bushy Mullum Mullum and Yarra trails, it will be an unpleasant ride with traffic noise, proximity to speeding traffic and two road crossings.
Visual impact
This path will result in significant visual impact and will change the semi-rural roadway and character, which forms a gateway into Warrandyte by extending concrete urbanisation, removing the gravel shoulder, constructing kerb and channel, and severely changing the rural rock cut slope adjacent to the roadway.
There will also be significant excavation at the bottom of the path where it connects across to Melbourne Hill Road where the impact is not shown by the diagrams so far distributed.
It is also not clear whether retaining walls will be needed for some sections to contain the cutback thus increasing the path footprint and the visual impact.
If the path requires protective safety barriers this too will add to the negative visual impact and possibly require an enlarged footprint.
Impact on vegetation
There will be significant tree loss, yet to be properly assessed, along with the loss of other vegetation.
This will be particularly acute where the path needs to go behind the bus bays.
Likely erosion on top of the cut embankment will result in continuing tree and vegetation loss over time.
In addition to this, risk mitigation may require the removal of further trees adjacent to the track to avoid injury from falling branches.
There is a significant section of the path where additional major drainage works are expected to be required, but this, along with the extent of traffic disruption during construction has not been addressed.
The concept drawings do not provide sufficient detail for the community to properly assess the path’s impact against all the factors identified here.
Furthermore, it is not clear whether other solutions are possible.
For example, does the path need to be shared between riders and pedestrians?
Cyclist-only paths, possibly following existing roadways might provide a better rider connection to the Yarra.
What options not considered to date might be developed for an acceptable route on the north side of the road?
This might be the only possible solution, but a more thorough and creative examination of all possibilities is required before this proposal is adopted.
We encourage everyone to take a close look at this proposal.
Council has resolved to build this bike path link along the south side of Heidelberg Road.
The track is ultimately constructable, but I am concerned at the inadequate information being tabled for residents to provide feedback.
My inspection of the route behind the three bus stops has identified how upwards of nine significant candle bark and yellow box tress will be cleared along the route.
These trees overhang this side of the road and are visually significant.
Their likely loss should be publicly flagged.
Council’s consultation process for the Beasley’s bike path followed a similar process with appalling results.
Many residents objected to the early Taroona Avenue concepts and better outcomes resulted.
I worked with WCA members in an attempt to achieve a sustainable design to maintain seasonal hydration for the Manna gums adjacent to the Everard Drive piped stormwater project, but although Council ultimately agreed with us they had crystallised their design by the time we were able to comment.
I hope resident will have their say, while there is still time to influence the design.
DOUG SEYMOUR WARRANDYTE
____________________
Main Yarra Trail project needs a major reset
(OPEN LETTER TO COUNCIL)
Dear Diary,
I am not opposed to a path per se (others may be), but I consider that the current project concept is fundamentally flawed.
Strategically, the path needs to be on the north side as it is intended to provide a direct connection between the existing path at Pound Road and Taroona Avenue.
Without adequate consultation, a bad decision was made by Manningham some time ago to put the path on the south side of Heidelberg-Warrandyte Road beside the roadway.
Ever since, Manningham has been in an entrenched position and continued to defend this poor decision, despite the public seeing the problems and highlighting the issues at every opportunity — both for the location and the details of the proposal.
By putting the path on the south side, it will force the longer-distance users to cross the Heidelberg-Warrandyte Road twice, then travel close to the roadway with inherent risks.
Enjoyment of user experience will be minimal.
Most of the community concerns, e.g. about road safety, impact on vegetation, path users’ experience, visual impact of the roadway and community impact during construction, are related to the initial poor decision on path location.
Solutions to “fix” issues raised by the public are like putting a “band-aid” on a problem — without acknowledging the concept itself is seriously flawed.
Consultation at the end of 2024 clearly showed the public’s preference for the path to be on the north side.
This was acknowledged by Manningham in the notes it issued in February 2025, and where they also said they would “prepare a north side option to present for comparison at our next consultation session”.
Encouraged by Manningham’s response, the WCA prepared a detailed submission in February 2025 and then engaged with Manningham to explore other ideas and seek best outcomes for the community.
The submission and presentation included an Option 3 route on the north side of the roadway that would follow an existing walking track for much of the distance through the area between the road and the residential development, i.e. with greater separation from the roadway.
This option would have construction challenges and need a boardwalk for part of the route but overall would provide a much safer and enjoyable experience for families with children and other users.
There would be some loss of trees, but a good designer could manage the alignment, gradient and cross section to minimise impact on vegetation.
Compared with Manningham’s Option 1, this alignment is more consistent with Manningham’s Open Space and Bicycle strategies.
We know from experience and the enjoyment of people who use other shared paths in our area, e.g. the Mullum Mullum Path and the Main Yarra Trail (west of Beasleys), that these are relaxed and pleasant areas that people want to use — and which have been built successfully in areas with difficult terrain, trees and sensitive environments.
During the WCA meetings with Manningham, the engineers said that they would provide alternatives at the next community consultation session.
However, they have now made a decision for Option 1 on the south side close to the roadway.
In the latest consultation notice they included an Option 2 on the north side (all agree is undesirable), but they also decided not to show or mention the WCA ideas (Option 3), nor give people in the community an opportunity to provide input on alternatives.
This makes their consultation seem relatively useless, as well as not being open and sharing information with the community.
In the Manningham Community Engagement Policy, the approach relating to “deliberative engagement” indicates:
“Transparency is key to an effective process”.
Manningham officers have been ignoring the community input on route location and simply tinkering with detail to follow a process to implement the project that they want, rather than addressing the fundamental problems / reasons for opposition, and properly investigating best solutions and outcomes for a lasting legacy.
This is a flawed project that would not pass the “pub test’’.
The project needs a major re-set, and then rethinking, together with proper, deliberative and authentic engagement.
What is needed is a project that can be celebrated, and of which we, and Manningham, can be proud.”
MAURICE BURLEY WARRANDYTE
____________________________
Proposed path unsafe and unpleasant
Dear Diary
This path should not be a foregone conclusion by Manningham council.
Many in Warrandyte are sick of the supposed ‘consultation’.
We have the WCA to represent the views of those in Warrandyte and it seems its well-considered views are not being taken into consideration by council.
This is an extremely poor design.
It is dangerous, ugly, not in keeping with Warrandyte’s landscape, expensive and unnecessary.
If this is supposed to be part of the Main Yarra Trail and to be linking the River Path to the path at Beasley’s it is the wrong location and is not a pleasant option for the Yarra Trail.
My main comment is that the whole Warrandyte section of the Yarra Trail needs to be re-examined.
The Trail follows the river from the city to Mullum Creek, where for some strange reason it diverges across the south boundary of Tikalara and into the back of Beasleys.
There the unsightly and dangerous new section proceeds uphill.
This section is an accident waiting to happen, with the steepness and proximity to 70kmh traffic with no separation and protection.
Why does the Yarra Trail not do what it’s named for and follow the river from the mouth of the Mullum Creek to Pound Bend?
This would be an extensive addition, but surely the cost of what is proposed along Warrandyte-Heidelberg Rd would be sufficient for a simple gravel section similar to that between Tikalara and Westerfolds along the river.
Then this trail could truly be called The Yarra Trail.
If this change of direction is not feasible, then at least the link along Warrandyte-Heidelberg Road should be on the north side of the road, where there is already a rustic path.
Having two crossings of this busy road is unreasonable from an aesthetic perspective and from a safety perspective.
At least two drivers have been killed over the last 20 years coming down the Heidelberg-Warrandyte Rd hill towards West End.
This is not a safe section of road for a bike path.
It’s heavily used by buses and other large vehicles.
AFTER ALMOST 50 years, Bill and Neil Beasley are saying farewell to their beloved nursery on the banks of the Mullum Mullum Creek, as they set their sights on retirement.
Beasley’s Nursery began with Ron and Merle Beasley and their sons Bill and Neil, who have carried on the business through its second generation.
Neil Beasley sat down with the Diary to reminisce about half a century of providing Warrandyte and surrounds with their floral needs.
Sowing the seed
He said the germ of the business began in 1972 at the Beasley’s family property in Three Bridges, 15 minutes beyond Yarra Junction.
A mountainous property covered in large eucalyptus trees and tree ferns.
He said there was this guy and his two sons stealing tree ferns from the property.
“They would usually cut a Ute-load and take off.
“On one occasion, they cut two Ute-loads and stashed the second lot to collect later.
“We happened to stumble across the stash and said to ourselves, ‘if they could sell them, so could we’.
“That sowed the seed for Beasley’s Nursery.
“We sold them to neighbours, wholesaled them to nurseries, sold them from the side of Warrandyte Road, and from our backyard in Orchard Grove.”
Family affair
In 1976, the family decided to advance from a part-time venture into a full-time business.
“We contacted a local farmer, George Speers, about purchasing some of his land to start a nursery, and he was agreeable.
“We had very little money, so we leased the land for three years and then purchased it.
“When the business started on the current site, we were only selling an assortment of ferns, so we registered and traded under the name Warrandyte Fern Centre.”
In 1982, they changed the name to Beasley’s Nursery and started selling a wide range of plants and garden products.
“From the very beginning, we decided to specialise in retailing quality plants sourced from many specialised wholesale growers — we produced very few of our own plants,” Neil said.
He said Ron was around 50 at the time and was now entering his fourth career move.
Ron started an apprenticeship in furniture making during WWII, then after the war, he decided to move into building homes and shops.
Ron retired from building in 1972 and started selling mountain soil from his country property.
By the late 70s, as the nursery was taking off, he decided to stop the soil business and concentrate on the nursery.
Bill was 19 and Neil 16 when the business started.
Bill had done an apprenticeship in carpentry, so with Ron’s building background, they collectively built the nursery buildings.
Neil completed an apprenticeship in horticulture during the first four years of the business.
Their sister, Pauline, also worked in the business for more than 10 years.
Bill and Neil have four children each, and at some stage, they have all worked in the business.
Three boys have their own landscaping businesses.
None of the children wish to continue running the business, and Bill and Neil wish to retire, so they are putting the business up for sale.
“I’m 65, and Bill will be 68 shortly, so we are looking to retire.
“We’ve got four children each, and Bill’s got eight grandchildren.
“I’ve got seven, six and under, so currently we don’t get to spend a lot of time with them.
“We’re both working seven days a week, so we want to try and have some retirement, because we never know how long we’ve got.”
The sale will include all the plant stock, but what is not for sale are the resident birds including Kelly the cockatoo.
Kelly has been part of the family for almost as long as the business has been in operation.
Originally owned by one of the young staff members, Bill adopted the gregarious bird 47 years ago, and the two have been inseparable ever since.
While flora is Bill’s business, fauna is his passion; he has always had a menagerie of one sort or another.
From deer, cows, goats, parrots, peacocks, and even a pig.
The teahouse
Beasley’s Teahouse began in November 1989.
“We were one of the early nurseries in Melbourne to introduce food and beverages,” Neil said.
Merle Beasley was a very famous scone cook, along with carrot cake, melting moments, and passionfruit cupcakes, which were very popular with customers.
In 1995, the national nursery industry developed an award for the best garden centre in Australia.
“You had to be judged best in your state, and then all state winners entered a national judging.
“A Dutch man from the International Garden Centres Association came out to Australia to carry out the national judging.
“We were awarded this very prestigious title, Best Garden Centre in Australia, for 1995.”
Neil said they have employed hundreds of full-time and casual staff over their 49-year history.
“We have always endeavoured to embrace them as part of our team and family.”
Many great friendships were made, and Neil says they were privileged to have two marriages take place from relationships formed at the nursery.
A number of staff members have been with Beasley’s for more than 10 years.
“One current staff member, Mel, has worked for us for 18 years.”
The original property was about nine acres of land, which includes the nursery, a storage area, the deer paddock, and Neil’s house.
The Nursery is now sitting on around 10,000 square metres, or about a hectare.
In preparing for the sale, they have subdivided to allow Neil to retain the homesite and the land for his animals.
Neil said it took four years to get a subdivision through, just by separating some of the land from the nursery and attaching it to his title.
It was a long process, and the pandemic slowed it down.
“The planning people put it in the too-hard basket because of the mobile phone tower and the power lines.”
A golden opportunity
The property’s zoning allows for things like a medical centre, childcare centre, or a nursing home, so the possibilities for future use are many.
And you never know, you could be sitting on a literal goldmine, as Neil explains.
“When digging the pond for our waterfall in Warrandyte rock with a jackhammer on a very hot February day, we found a speck of gold.
“We considered cancelling the concrete that we had booked for the next day to keep digging for gold, but decided the rock was too hard and the weather too hot, so we poured the concrete.
“Who knows, there could be more gold to be found in that rock!”
Neil said the business has always strived to offer the best quality plants and products as possible, backed up with excellent customer service.
“We have always offered prompt personal delivery, garden consultations, planting and landscaping services.
“We have a very strong, loyal base of customers, some that still visit us from the very early years.”
Starting as a fern specialist, to now stocking a very large range of quality plants, as well as the popular teahouse, this thriving business continues to draw customers from a large area, and is just waiting for its next owner to keep the business growing.
The property is on the market with Gorman Commercial Real Estate.
For more information visit gormancommercial.com.au.
ON WEDNESDAY, June 11, Andersons Creek Primary School (ACPS) hosted a very special assembly to honour local first responders, coinciding with the national Thank a First Responder Day.
This initiative has become an annual event at ACPS, where the school community takes the time to acknowledge, celebrate, and thank the amazing people who keep our community safe.
ACPS was proud to welcome representatives from SES, CFA, Victoria Police, and Ambulance Victoria to the event, a number of whom are also parents in the ACPS community.
Students showed their appreciation through a thoughtful video they created, which collated images and personalised thank-you messages.
Each organisation was also presented with a special hamper full of goodies donated by the wonderful ACPS families that they could take back and share at their station.
In this way, students and families were able to demonstrate their gratitude for our First Responders service by bringing in teas, coffees, sweet biscuits, and savoury treats that could be taken back to stations for these special people to enjoy during their breaks.
ACPS Principal, Mr Webber, expressed gratitude for the participation of local emergency services and highlighted the significance of such events in building strong community ties.
“Our students love having you here and truly are grateful for all you do in our thriving Warrandyte community.
“A huge thank you to these everyday heroes for their dedication and service.”
As a school, ACPS is always so grateful for the time these organisations give to come out and spend time with the students.
Our first responding canines
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THE ICONIC Dalmatian has a well-earned historical association with firefighters.
Their speed, endurance (30–50 kilometres per day) and lack of fear enabled them to become superb “coach dogs” running alongside horse-drawn coaches since around the 17th Century in England, Scotland, and Wales.
Originally from the Dalmatia region of modern-day Croatia, these majestic-looking canines give not only a regal appearance but also provide an immediate and highly capable security presence.
Accompanying the early horse-drawn fire carts and pumpers, the “fire dogs” would run alongside and act as a living siren to clear a pathway to the incident.
Once on scene, they would protect the horses and equipment whilst firefighters undertook their critical work.
The Dalmatians also provided a calming presence for the horses during these often chaotic and stressful events.
Living in stables on the ground floor of a fire station, the well-looked-after and valuable horses needed additional protection from theft.
Dalmatians instinctively protect “their” horses and the often-expensive firefighting equipment.
Many had grown up alongside their equine family since puppyhood.
And it’s not just fire brigades who have canine assistance, we can also be used for comfort, assistance and support tasks.
Dogs are often utilised as first responders in a wide range of tasks, particularly in search and rescue operations in challenging or hazardous environments.
Police and the Defence Forces around the world use search and rescue dogs; our sensitive noses and eyes are invaluable assets in locating missing persons, whether they are alive or dead.
While other State Emergency Services have dedicated canine units, Victoria’s SES operate alongside the Victorian Police Dog Squad and a specialist volunteer organisation, Australian Search & Rescue K9 Unit.
I am proud to say now I have a role supporting our emergency services.
I am delighted to be the official canine mascot for Thunderball to help raise much-needed funds for our SES Manningham unit.
See you at the Gala Ball on Saturday, August 16, at Bramleigh Estate.
To join me, get your tickets at trybooking.com/DAUAZ
Thunderball: get set for an electric evening
THUNDERBALL tickets are selling fast, with half the tickets already sold.
With such overwhelming support for the cause in the opening weeks of ticket sales, the Thunderball Committee is excited that the dream of a new vehicle for Manningham SES is fast becoming a reality.
Thunderball will be held on Saturday, August 16, and will be a celebration of our hardworking emergency services volunteers.
Generously sponsored by Bramleigh Estate Warrandyte, funds raised from Thunderball will go towards the purchase of a new 4×4 vehicle to assist Manningham SES to support other agencies such as Police, Ambulance, or the CFA.
Convenor of the Thunderball Committee, Sandi Miller, said that their current truck fleet is not only nearing its use-by date, but they just don’t have the carrying capacity to respond to the diversity of jobs they are called out to.
“When the unit receives a callout to attend an emergency, their first job is to load the vehicle depending on the type of call.
“If it is a river rescue, then they need to unload their marquee and load up the boating equipment; if it is a land-based search and rescue, they need to unload their boating equipment and load up the stretcher, the marquee and ‘the mule’.
“The same process goes for turnouts to floods, storm damage, crime scenes, bushfires, fallen trees, and the plethora of other services they provide to the community.
“With an additional vehicle, they could store all of the equipment in a dedicated vehicle for the job, saving precious time, getting them to the scene faster,” she said.
Thunderball is carrying on the legacy of Fireball, the brainchild of Julie Quinton.
Following the Flannery Court fires in 2014, Julie assembled a team of locals who recognised the enormous commitment of time, effort, and personal risk by our emergency services volunteers.
As with Fireball, the intention of the Thunderball Committee is to ease the burden of fundraising on the emergency service volunteers.
Because SES volunteers sacrifice a lot for their community.
When we are running away from emergencies and accidents, our volunteers are running towards them, often putting their lives on the line.
And SES units are expected to fund much of their equipment.
Members are issued one uniform by the SES for the duration of their time in the unit, and when that is damaged or worn out, they must pay for it themselves, or the individual unit must fund it.
The unit also must fund its own stationery, training, phones and IT, as well as vital equipment such as chainsaws, ropes, and tarps.
The volunteers spend many hours each year training and maintaining the skills required for their diverse roles, such as safe working at heights, boating, chainsaws, first aid, off-road driving, to name just a few.
They sacrifice time with their families and friends for their SES duty for our community.
They have been known to hold barbecue fundraisers, sell SES merchandise at markets, run raffles, letterbox drops, tin rattles and more, all in a bid to raise much-needed money to buy equipment to help protect our community.
They do this because they are committed to volunteering and keeping the community safe; they do not complain or seek recognition, and many are uncomfortable with publicity.
To keep them safe in their endeavours, and us safe in our community, the Thunderball Committee has taken up the mantle of becoming that channel to enable the community to raise the funds for priority large purchases.
All funds are delivered directly to our local volunteers to buy the most up-to-date equipment they need.
This kind of fundraising target can only be achieved with sponsors, and the group is very grateful to its mix of donors who see the benefit to the community of supporting events such as Thunderball.
Thunderball is not only a fundraiser, it is a Gala Ball in every sense of the word.
Elements such as a champagne bar, great food, great music, and some surprise elements, to ensure the evening is a huge success and an unforgettable night out.
Sponsors
Thunderball wishes to acknowledge the following sponsors and encourages our community to support these local businesses. Major Sponsor Mary-Anne McPherson, owner of Bramleigh Estate, Warrandyte, has donated the venue, meals and drinks for the night, significantly reducing Thunderball’s need to call on the support of local businesses.
Mary-Anne is passionate about “giving back” to the community and has been sponsoring activities in the area for some time.
After sponsoring the last Fireball, the committee was blown away when she suggested she would repeat her contribution for this year’s event, knowing it would make a significant impact on the bottom line and the ability for Thunderball to reach its target. Community Bank Warrandyte and Community Bank East Doncaster and Templestowe Village have joined forces to ensure this event is supported Manningham-wide.
These fabulous social enterprise financial institutions support many local sporting clubs, schools, environmental groups, the arts, emergency services and more via its yearly Community Investment Program, which returns a percentage of its profit directly to the community, which, between the three Manningham branches, totals more than $11 million. Warrandyte Market is a major sponsor, supporting Thunderball as part of giving back to the volunteers who do so much for our community.
The funds raised by the market through stallholder fees are given back to the community, with hundreds of thousands of dollars donated to clubs, schools, and our emergency services over the years.
Local service clubs have also stepped up to support the cause, with Warrandyte Lions, Rotary Club of Warrandyte Donvale, and Rotary Manningham City all providing sponsorship for Thunderball.
These clubs do such a lot for our community, with funds raised through their op shops, they support a vast array of programs across the community, and it is wonderful that they recognise the benefits of supporting our SES through Thunderball. Manningham & Nillumbik Bulletin, the sister publication of Warrandyte Diary, has been another tireless sponsor.
Its support within the media space has been exceptional, helping to keep events front of mind, offering editorial space for educating the community and ensuring all important event and ticket information reaches readers far and wide. 42K Media has been working hard to produce the video content in the lead-up to the event.
42K Media are donating their time and experience to produce some wonderful social media content, and some highly engaging content to be screened on the night. Quinton’s IGA has ensured the now-famous Champagne Bar, which was a hit at every Fireball, will be continuing for Thunderball.
The Champagne Bar offers guests the opportunity to purchase a glass of quality French champagne.
Every purchase of a glass of French champagne offers its purchaser a chance to win a diamond, donated by Grand Hotel Warrandyte.
An opportunity not to be missed.
Other ways to participate
The event will also feature an online auction, businesses who wish to donate an item or service are encouraged to contact thunderball2025@gmail.com.
All profits from the auction go towards the fundraising goal, so it is a great way for your business or organisation to contribute.
Get your ticket to a fabulous night out
Thanks to these fabulous sponsors, every dollar of ticket sales and the evening’s fundraising will go towards the purchase of a 4×4 crew cab vehicle for Manningham SES.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at thunderball.net.au or Trybooking.com/DAUAZ.
Purchase one ticket or get your friends together for a table of 12.
Get in quick to be a part of the gala event of the year.
WARRANDYTE Historical Society (WHS) recently had a visit from Caroline Fry, a retired conservator from Melbourne University, and Tomasz Tomaszek from Kraków University, who is a timber conservator.
Caroline submitted the following report.
“On a warm sunny day in mid-February 2025, Caroline Fry, former painting conservator from Grimwade Conservation Centre at The University of Melbourne and Tomasz Tomaszek from Krakow, Poland, met with Dianne Phillips from WHS to visit the small heritage-listed miner’s hut located on the hillside just above the Yarra River in Warrandyte.
The hut is listed in the Heritage Victoria database at vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/66280.
Tomasz was visiting from Rzeszów University of Technology, in Kraków, Poland, where he is employed as Assistant Professor of Urban Architecture.
Tomasz is also a conservator but conducts research in the conservation of heritage timber buildings, with a focus on developing appropriate methods of conservation of the 15th-Century wooden Orthodox churches in the southeastern region of Poland.
Caroline met Tomasz on a timber conservation workshop in 2019 held at Kizhi Pogost in Russia, the location of a suite of early 18th-Century timber churches which are listed by UNESCO: whc.unesco.org/en/list/544.
Tomasz was keen to visit Australia to learn more about 19th-Century timber vernacular architecture.
Tomasz was awarded the prestigious MacGeorge Fellowship by the Faculty of Architecture at the University, which provided accommodation and support for a month-long period of research to examine early vernacular timber buildings in Victoria.
During that time, Tomasz and Caroline visited multiple sites around Victoria to assess their conservation status, including National Trust-listed timber buildings such as Gulf Station at Yarra Glen and McCrae Cottage at McCrae.
They also visited various heritage-listed buildings such as the Stick Shed at Murtoa and many early 19th-Century timber lock-ups, including those at Carisbrooke and Warracknabeal.
A visit to the National Trust-listed miner’s cottage at Warrandyte was a highlight for both Tomasz and Caroline.
Dianne Phillips was instrumental in facilitating and organising access.
The building is a rare surviving example of a small single-roomed miner’s cottage, with split slab walls, bark external roof, timber chimney, and wattle and daub interior walls.
Dianne Phillips recounted how the hut was ‘discovered’ in 1984, during demolition of a weatherboard house which had been built around it, thus protecting it from the elements.
The intriguing story of discovery adds greatly to the ‘lore’ of the house, and obviously contributed to the long-term preservation of the structure [see story below].
The house is a simple tent-style structure with a bark roof supported by timber saplings.
The interior walls are made of wattle and daub, with a brick hearth and simple timber surrounds.
Some basic conservation/restoration has been carried out in the past, including the recent construction of a protective weatherproof corrugated iron structure above the cottage.
However, otherwise the hut is a rare surviving example of early timber architecture.
Tomasz was impressed with the simple and effective protection afforded by the covering structure, which has and will contribute to the long-term preservation of the building.
Both Tomasz and Caroline express their thanks to Dianne Phillips and WHS for being so helpful and responsive to a request for access to this fascinating building.
It was a privilege and a pleasure to visit this important heritage building, which holds great historical significance and can truly be considered a ‘jewel in the crown’ for the Warrandyte Historical Society and the district.”
This article first appeared in the Warrandyte Historical Society newsletter.
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Warrandyte Diary archives
May 1984 Pages 1 and 6
HISTORIC COTTAGE BOUGHT
Doncaster and Templestowe and Eltham Councils have bought a tiny, historically significant slab cottage in Castle Road on behalf of Warrandyte.
The cottage was found several weeks ago during demolition of a small house on the site.
The two councils each gave $17,500 to buy the cottage, which was recently classified by the National Trust and is regarded locally and by archaeological experts as a rare example of a pioneer home.
Because a later house had been built around it, the cottage, of slab with clay infill, rubble chimney and bark roof, is in almost perfect condition.
The purchase means that the cottage will be restored and preserved on its original site.
A group of local people, the Warrandyte Slab Cottage Project committee, arranged the purchase from the Green family, who had only recently bought the property at auction for $28,000.
The committee regards the deal as most generous on the part of the Greens, as they are unlikely to make any profit.
The story of the purchase and preservation of the cottage is an amazing one.
It shows how a small community dedicated to preserving its own identity can get together and, in a matter of weeks, overcome all sorts of obstacles to set up a project that will be of benefit to the whole of Victoria.
Luck also played an important role.
A couple of weeks after buying the property, the Greens were about to demolish what they thought was merely a small, unsightly house.
Only a matter of days before a bulldozer was to do its work, the Greens were pottering around the site when they noticed that one wall was out of character with the rest of the building.
It was of slab and clay, much older materials than had been used elsewhere.
This was the only external clue that there was anything special about the building.
Further investigation revealed to the Greens that they had stumbled across what might be an archaeological treasure, for, inside, in a perfect state of preservation, was a magnificent example of the type of bush hut common to the district between the 1850s and 1900.
The Greens immediately called the Warrandyte Historical Society to tell members what they had found.
They couldn’t believe their ears and rushed up to have a look.
The reality exceeded their wildest dreams.
The Greens, who were about to go on holiday, offered the hut to the Society, which planned to dismantle it and re-erect it on another site somewhere in the town.
The Society immediately called a meeting of townspeople who might be interested in helping with the project.
Offers flooded in and within a matter of hours, dismantling was to start.
In the meantime, local archaeologist Lee Scott-Virtue had taken a quick look, got very excited, and called in some of her colleagues.
She felt it would be wrong to remove the cottage, and her colleagues confirmed this.
Ms Scott-Virtue passed this information on to the meeting.
The plans for removal were abandoned.
Instead, it was decided that no matter what, the site had to be bought and the cottage preserved where it stood.
The consensus of opinion was that removal would be an act of vandalism that would destroy most of the historical value of the building.
The meeting was told that most historic buildings of this type, particularly those in historic villages, are not especially significant historically because they are not on their original site.
Like the cottage, the rest is history.
It has been bought and work is to start very soon on restoration.
A committee of management will be set up comprising Warrandyte people and State Government representatives.
The National Parks Service has already offered to manage the site with help from the community.
A shelter will have to be built around the cottage to protect it from the weather, and this could be provided by the service or the community.
The same applies to a fence around the site and a booth for volunteers to use when the cottage is open to tourists.
The National Trust is also keen to provide whatever help it can, including archaeological research and advice.
Its classification states that the cottage is “a rare example of an intact slab cottage on its original site with a roof of bark in pieces of up to 110 centimetres wide and an unusual slab and pug lining”.
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Mr S. D. Martin, the Victorian administrator of the Trust, has commended the people involved in the project for their prompt action to preserve the cottage.
The president of the Warrandyte Historical Society, Mr Cliff Green says Warrandyte owes a great debt of gratitude to the Green family.
“They have behaved in a most remarkably co-operative manner and they were facing great potential problems,” he said.
“They have acted in an absolutely splendid manner.”
He says, however, that buying the property was just one of many problems to be faced.
“This is just the start of a long hard road,” he says.
The main problems include day-to-day management and long-term preservation.
“It will require careful planning and constant security, maintenance, servicing and management,” Mr Green says.
“There has been a wonderful response from the community, local government and the State Government,” he says, “but this is just the start.
“Despite the many problems we remain confident, because of the support we have already received, that we can succeed with this.
“It has caused an immense amount of high-level interest.
“We have uncovered a treasure a far as they are concerned.
“Peter Coutts, director of the Victorian Archaeological Survey, is confident that the committee can pull this off.
“He says he has never seen such enthusiasm for a project.”
Support has come from representatives of both councils, the Victorian Archaeological Survey, National Parks, the National Trust, the Historic Buildings Preservation Council, the Warrandyte, Eltham and Doncaster Historical Societies, Warrandyte service clubs, the State Emergency Service, the Warrandyte Environment League, the Warrandyte Advisory Committee, The Post Office Preservation Group, the Scouts, the Yarra Street Task force, the Warrandyte Co-Op, Peter McDougalls, and many individuals including, Ms Scott-Virtue; Tony Lee, an architect; Peter Murphy, a real estate agent; and Dr Miles Lewis of Melbourne University School of Architecture, who is an authority on primitive Australian building.
Ms Scott-Virtue says the cottage is of great significance, especially because it is to be preserved on the original site.
“To have removed the building would have removed its significance,” she says.
“To my knowledge this is the only building of this type and age, and of such completeness, recorded on its original site.’’
Investigations carried out by Ms Scott-Virtue, Jane Wesson, a private archaeological consultant and Dr Coutts indicate that the cottage was built about 1900, with two later stages that included the house that was built around it.
The outside walls are of vertical slabs, there is a small fireplace and chimney made of rubble, including brick, timber and iron, the interior walls are of wattles nailed to the slabs and a clay plaster, and a hessian bag ceiling.
The interior walls were originally whitewashed but were painted later.
The bark roof is in good condition but work will have to be done on the walls and chimney.
Ms Scott-Virtue says:
“The building has been well preserved because of the enveloping structure, but urgent steps will need to be taken to preserve it now that it has been uncovered.
“Drainage, a complete shelter and treatment for insect infestation are the most urgent requirements.”
The experts agree that the cottage is an example of late pioneer adaptation to a forest environment that is reminiscent of a much earlier phase of colonisation.
This adaptation is reflected in the use of junk building materials and loose materials such as tea-tree, bark, poles and split hardwood logs.
The interior is equally adaptive, and consists of a cross between wattle and daub and lath and plaster.
“The hut is the nucleus of a family home that grew like Topsy as demanded over the next 80 years,” Ms Scott-Virtue says.
“Whilst the building itself is later in date in the propensive colonisation of the Warrandyte area, it must be viewed as an unusual example belonging to a later pioneer phase.”
Of course the biggest mystery of all remains — who built the cottage and who lived in it.
The committee has people scouring various sources of document relating to the area in an effort to find the answers to these questions.
Meanwhile, the cottage is back under cover — this time a plastic tarp — waiting to be restored to its former glory and waiting for the admiration it so rightly deserves from many generations to come.
THE VIBRANT colours and captivating details in Tori Swedosh’s paintings instantly leap out at you from the canvas.
And then you notice the eyes, which peek at you from all corners.
Semi-abstract in nature with a touch of the surreal, the work in her upcoming exhibition at NaNY Gallery, entitled It’s Always Now, is a thought-provoking collection of acrylic on canvas paintings, mostly representing the “weird characters” that she sees in her head.
These are often framed by a collage of textual affirmations or sayings around the outside border.
“The pictures come in, and I see them in my head.
“I’ve got to get them out.
“It was like, these monsters particularly, they’re like weird characters.
“Weird creatures that troll around in my head, and I need to make them.
“I need to get them out”.
Art has been a part of Tori’s life since she was young.
She studied art in high school before doing Year 12 (TOP) at Box Hill TAFE, where she was exposed to various visual art disciplines.
She was then selected to study at the prestigious Victorian College of the Arts, but her journey wasn’t always smooth.
“In TOP, I was really lazy in the beginning because it was like a party.
“I just wanted to have fun.
“I had a shaved head and wore Doc Martins and thought that was being an artist.
“Then I got a call from the school saying that I’d better pull my finger out or they would kick me out.
“And I thought, oh, okay, I better do something.
“I discovered printmaking.
“I was really excited by it and could do it fast.
“I’d lie in bed cutting lino with all my lino chips piled up around me.
“And I made this amazing folio.
“So, when I turned up for college interviews, I had a folio of around 50 prints when most of the other people applying probably had maybe 10”.
Over the years, Tori has worked in various mediums, including printmaking, oil pastel, and acrylic paint, to her current passion for ceramic sculpture.
Her influences include, among others, the works of Chagall, Basquiat, Dali, and a touch of Picasso.
She has exhibited widely, from Melbourne to Berlin.
Somehow in the middle, she’s raised three children, although that pursuit took precedence over being a working artist.
“I’ve always had to make pictures, but having children, I found that I’m not really very good at doing more than one thing well at a time.
“So, when I had kids, I didn’t have space for pictures.
“They would still come into my head, and I’d try to make them, but it was all very sporadic.
“And then everything became about kids.
“They are so overwhelmingly time-consuming.
“They take everything.
“And I couldn’t see how I could have been a full-time artist and a very good mum.
“Now the kids are at an age where two are looking after themselves, and the youngest is pretty self-sufficient, so I actually have time.
“And now that I’m running the gallery, I realise what is needed.”
The gallery to which Tori refers is NaNY Gallery, which was her brainchild.
Having produced a large body of work during Covid, she went searching for a place to exhibit.
Now and Not Yet café generously said they would provide their premises for an exhibition complete with opening night.
She instantly thought this would be a great forum for other Warrandyte artists to show their work, and partnering with fellow artist Jacinta Payne, they established the gallery in 2022, helping to bring the work of many new and established artists to the Warrandyte community.
In that time, Tori has come to understand the business side of art much more, which is essential for any working artist who wants to make a living through their creative endeavours.
“I always have felt like art was what I was going to do in life.
“But other than making stuff, I didn’t really know how to be an artist.
“I didn’t know anything about the business of art or the commitment that it actually takes.
“That it has to be a business.
“It has to be like a nine-to-five job, except longer, because it comes from your insides rather than just turning up somewhere and doing something.
“It has to be constant.”
The themes in Tori’s work often reflect the struggle we all have to find balance in life and balance in mind while trying to reconcile competing thoughts and ideas.
“My work is a kind of a reflection of what’s going on inside my mind.
“So, it’s more of a self-exploration than saying something directly.
“Hopefully, someone else can see it and think, ah, that’s me too.
“I have that same battle of self-destruction in my mind and an addictive personality.
“All those kinds of human struggles.
“I really like contemporary art. I like ideas, and I like pictures that change something about the way you think about things or the way you see things, even if it’s not always obvious.
“This exhibition is called It’s Always Now, and it contains paintings from a big period in my life.
“They’re very colourful, they’re very bright.
“They relate to the idea that there’s only now, and about living in the moment.
“I think I do that, but I’m very emotional, so there’s lots of ups and downs.”
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It’s Always Now opens at NaNY Gallery, Now & Not Yet Café, Yarra Street, on Sunday, April 13, from 5pm, and runs until May 31.
See @toriswedosh_art on Instagram or Facebook to follow Tori’s prolific creative output.
The footpath is proposed to run from Heidelberg-Warrandyte Road to Stintons Road as a 2.5-kilometre pedestrian-only path, taking in road crossings at the intersections of Harris Gully Road, Reynolds Road, and at the roundabout at Stintons Road/Tindals Road.
Council has resolved to build this bike path link along the south side of Heidelberg Road.
he submission and presentation included an Option 3 route on the north side of the roadway that would follow an existing walking track for much of the distance through the area between the road and the residential development, i.e. with greater separation from the roadway.
This is an extremely poor design.
