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Distributed throughout Altona with distribution points in Altona North, Seaholme, Altona Meadows and Williamstown

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ISSUE 77, OCTOBER 2014

PLEASE DO NOT DISCARD - Give this paper to a friend or neighbour to read.

SPLASH INTO SPRING RAINBOW LORIKEETS

PAGE 6 PAGE 14 PAGE 16

ALTONA SPRINGS TO ACTION

Over Father’s Day weekend and for the 3rd year running, the Louis Joel Community Centre hosted one of Australia’s strongest chess tournaments. Since 1982, the ‘Best in the West’ has been the stage for the best and the brightest juniors to pit themselves against Australian senior champions and overseas masters. This year became a real mental battle between the sharp, tactical-minded youngsters and the strategically experienced older generation.88 players clashed for 5 rounds of play, with the top four boards broadcast live on the internet. Manager of the major sponsor Bendigo Bank Altona, Daniela Guertler, was impressed with the dedication of the players to the game of chess and the encouragement offered by their families, who closely followed every move of the struggle. The Hobsons Bay Chess Club would very much like to thank Bendigo Bank and also Barry Plant for their continuing and generous sponsorship of this event.Chief organizer and current coach of the local juniors, Tony Davis, remembered his passed club-mate, Peter

Caissa, who had a vision for a great chess tournament based in the Western Suburbs and supported by local business. “Peter would also be chuffed that the kids he mentored are now becoming some of the top players for their age-groups in the state. Amongst a very powerful local contingent, this year’s standout junior has been Altona’s own Kayson Wang, the recently crowned U10 and U12 Victorian Champion!”After some big upsets in the earlier rounds, the higher rated players showed their class when it came to the crunch. Four titled players held off the younger brigade to fi nish equally on 4.5/5 points. The 2014 winners were International Masters Kanan Izzat (Azerbaijan) and James Morris (Melbourne Chess Club) and FIDE Masters Dusan Stojic and Domagoj Dragicevic (both Noble Park Chess Club).A break-out performance was achieved by Box Hill Chess Club’s Bobby Yu (10 years old), who performed well above his rating and scored an impressive 4/5.

Tony Davis

CHESS - BEST IN THE WEST 2014 REPORT

One of the winners, Kanan Izzat with the black pieces, playing his game against former Hobsons Bay Club Champion, Ronald Enano

Issue 772

What an interesting month. In fact I think it is quite safe to say that this part of the month is very much a favorite in my world. Everything gets crazy and busy but I get the pleasure of reading all of these excellent stories coming through.

It is so interesting when I look at our team of writers; they come from so many different age groups and backgrounds. We have writers who have been on TV, we have students currently at local schools, we have writers that are extremely educated and hold PhDs; we have a very diverse range of people who all have one thing in common, and that is they love to write.

Writing brings people together. I fi nd that working on these papers is the best icebreaker anyone could imagine. You instantly have some great things to talk about and everyone seems to love community papers and what they provide for the local community in terms of spirit and opportunity. I love that my working on this paper

instantly breaks down the walls that people often have up (unknowingly). I have met some very inspiring people.

Another thing to note this month is the weather change. Let me just say I have been really looking forward to a little more warmth, and now we have it! Yay.

I am looking for a person who would like to help us on a volunteer basis in researching events and news stories locally. So when you see a fl yer on the wall, you take a photo and send it through. You go through council websites and look at the what’s on part of the page. I then collate that information and try to get it covered. If this would be something you could do, please email editorpointcook@gmail.com and we will go from there.

Have a fantastic month!

Regards, Daniel Allen

RAMBLING WITH THE EDITOR

PUDDLING WITH THE PUBLISHER

It was wonderful to see the garden bloom again, the daffodils and the other gorgeous spring fl owers. I am still in the hospital with a minor blood circulation problem which I hope will soon be fi xed and that I can return. It has been rather pleasant experience and I have learnt a lot about how important our blood sugar is to all of us. Naturally all the nurses are gorgeous and have been specially chosen for the men’s ward by the HR department.

The Hobson’s Bay Men Shed Gen Y project (www.fcw.org.au) has got off to a good start and membership is increasing as is the community support. The website will help you understand about the plight of our 14 to 30-year-olds and

how we can all help to overcome this national disaster - an unemployment of 25.5% throughout Australia and up to 80% some suburbs in Melbourne’s West.

With the opening of the spring racing carnival and the end of the football season, Christmas is not far away. Having received a tip, I am able to tell you that the spring roses at Flemington are on track to be in full bloom for the Cup Day.

Bill McPhersonbillmcpherson@optusnet.co.au

Issue 77 3

You know spring is in bloom when blossoms appear, there’s warmth in the air and fascinators are in shop windows. That’s right - it’s Spring Carnival time. Maureen Bourke, a stylist, dressmaker and the proprietor of Elle & Stuart knows that with today’s styles “you can pretty much get away with anything,” but proceed with caution when it comes to styling for the Spring Carnival because there are as, what’s termed, some ‘semi-rules’.

Fashion is fi ckle so when Maureen says “throw all caution to the wind,” she really means “be classy. No sequins or satin!” Instead, think back to the deportment lessons of reform school, or if you’re unfamiliar with that, look for remnants of decorum in your parents’ or grandparents’ wardrobes. You certainly don’t need to be prudish to dress simply. After all, Coco Chanel’s “dictum was: ‘simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.’”

The great thing about choosing a simple design (see photos) is in the wearability and affordability. A shift, or, princess line dress can be styled up for the races or dressed down

for work giving you ample wear from the one purchase. When choosing colour, play with unusual matches to see what works. For example, a muddy orange belt actually looks great on a violet patterned dress. The width of the belt speaks to the style of the occasion too. A thick belt worn on the hip accentuates your waist but is more casual than a thin belt, which gives a classier look.

A fascinator (see photo), more over a cumbersome hat, is an effective way to show elegance and is an essential piece. The colour or texture of your purse would normally complement your dress, but you could use it to show originality. As long as your style blends like a bloom of aesthetic harmony you can’t go wrong – which is what

Maureen said to begin with. “Wear comfortable shoes,” she adds, “and watch a race!” (For more styling and lifestyle tips catch Maureen on community radio, 89.9 Wyn FM, or pop into her Pier Street fashion shop.)

Kyla-Jayne Rajah

TO ADVERTISE IN AROUND ALTONA

COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERContact

Will - M: 0449 834 359 E: will@aroundaltona.com.au

Daniel - M: 0408 659 940 E: aroundsell@gmail.com

BE IN STYLE AT THE SPRING CARNIVAL

A Feast of Fascinators

Yellow Shift Dress with FascinatorPrincess Line Dress with

Floral Fascinator

Issue 774

As a young child in 1949 our family lived in a small Victorian single fronted house in Brunswick. The baker delivered the bread by horse and cart in those days. There was a pleasant, mixed smell of chaff, horse, and fresh bread that accompanied the cart. And, occasionally, with a bucket and spade you could collect fertilizer for the garden. The horse was a draught horse and the baker’s cart had a step at the back, on which, if you were game, and the baker wasn’t looking, you could hitch a ride to the street corner. No such thing as a supermarket existed, although you could walk up the street to do some shopping. The milk was also delivered to the front door early in the morning (usually about daybreak); again by horse and cart, and if you were up early enough you might be lucky enough to hitch a ride on the milk cart. If you were particularly lucky the milkman might offer you a half-pint (approximately 250 ml) bottle of milk to drink. The milk bottles in those days had a very thick glass neck to the bottle, and a cardboard seal inserted into the neck. The ice-man delivered ice from a truck Wow! A truck! There’s no fridge in those days, only an ice chest, or if you couldn’t afford ice, a Coolgardie safe. Cooked meat was kept outside in a meat-safe (usually hung from a tree branch).

In summer we would follow the ice cart to claim any small chips of ice that fell our way as the ice-man chipped the ice to break it into smaller blocks. Our green grocer (no he wasn’t an environmentalist), is a Mr Wise, sold us vegetables from the back of his cart.

Winter was often brutal. There was no insulation in the roof and the tin ceiling seemed to suck any semblance of heat out of the room on icy mornings. Lighting the kitchen wood stove was the only way to heat the frigid kitchen. By the time the fi re started to warm up it was time to walk the half mile (800 metres) to school in the freezing cold. The frost on the ground would seep up through the soles of your shoes and sting your toes as you walked through the frost laden park and along the footpath to school. No ride to school then, as Dad was the only driver in the family and he had left for work long ago. When you got to school the only way to get warm was to run on the spot. It was in this setting one Easter (I think it was 1949, - but it could have been 1948 or 1950) anyway it was the Easter break of that year that our family decided to rent a holiday house for a few days in Altona.

Well actually two families were to share the cost, so our three cousins, aunt and uncle, two of my older brothers, my younger sister, mum and dad, set off in a convoy of three cars, down Geelong road to Millers Road. Millers Road had a concrete road surface from Geelong Road as far as Kororoit Creek Road; after you passed the refi nery it was unmade.

I well remember the ducks nesting on the dry clay of the clay pan that now contains Cherry Lake (They tell me it was used as a race track in those days, but the ducks didn’t seem unduly perturbed). We followed Millers Road to the Esplanade, then turned right to a house which was owned by Mr Wise, our Green Grocer, on the South East corner of Bayview Street or Mount Street, I can’t be sure which as it was so long ago and much has changed.

We arrived late in the afternoon of the Thursday night before Easter and settled in. Aunty Alma made up a bed

for four of us children; two at the head and two at the foot, toe to toe. Where the rest of the family slept I have no idea, as I remember it, it was a small house. There were four adults, two teenage boys, (my older brothers,) three younger boys, my baby sister and Hildred my cousin (She hated that name and later adopted a nick-name she preferred) who was a little older; eleven folk in all.That night there was a terrible storm, the huge waves were breaking over the sea wall, the rain was hammering down and the wind was fi erce. The bedding got soaked from the rain entering through the leaky rusted iron roof. In the morning we woke to a sopping wet bed.

But the best was yet to come. The morning was fi ne and the storm had passed and the wind had died right down. After we’d got dry clothes on and had breakfast, we were allowed to go out to play and explore while the adults hung out the wet bedding. My sister was too young to go out so she stayed home with Mum..

You should have seen the mess out in the street. Salt-water pools were everywhere over the road and footpath, and some thin sheets of cork had been washed over the sea wall. Where they came from we’ll never know, but we made good use of them. These were collected and we cut them into boat shapes, stuck old matches in for a mast and cut paper sails to poke over the matchstick masts. Then we sailed our miniature square riggers across the pools, of which there were plenty, in the light wind.

When we got tired of that, we boys, Arthur, Ralph and myself decided to head for the pier, while Hildred headed for the rock pools toward Millers Road. After we walked the length of the pier, we decided to make some sand castles. Now that was a disappointment. Unlike today where tonnes of sand have been piled on Altona beach, the sand was only a few millimetres thick and the underlying black ooze smelt about as bad as anything we had encountered. And it stuck to your hands and knees and got under your fi ngernails. But we did fi nd some shells and a small octopus. We hadn’t heard about Blue Ring octopus in those days and we let it crawl all over our hands, but no harm came to us. Soon enough Easter was over and it was off home with many vivid memories.True story.

Ken Burt

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF ALTONA, 1949

Issue 77 5

In the Saturday 1st October 1921edition of the Independent (Footscray), they had this to say about schooling in Altona-“Over150 children are receiving State education at Altona, seating accommodation necessarily has become very cramped, but relief has been afforded by the generous offer of Mr. W Davey’s Hall. It will not be long, however, before that will be overcrowded. A new school is badly needed, and the progress association is growing apprehensive in the matter.” Since October 1915, when approval was fi rst given for a privately build hall to be used as a school, the student numbers continued to grow. Classes were eventually shifted to a number of local halls, including the one owned by Mr Davey mentioned above. The Progress Association persisted in lobbying for a new school building, and the Williamstown Chronicle of Saturday 8th October 1921 had the following good news for them- “During the past week, Altona reached another stage in its progressive development, when a start was made with the new State school, which is now in course of erection there. The new school building which is to cost £3,415, will, when completed, accommodate 400 scholars. The land on which the new building is being erected is situated to the north of the Altona railway, and to the west of Pier Street. Some weeks ago a visit of inspection was paid to Altona by the Minister of Education, Sir Alex Peacock, with regard to a new school. Apparently the erection of the new school building is the outcome of this visit. To such an extent has the number of scholars grown (to date there are

153 scholars and four teachers) that additional room had to be obtained.”The school continued to grow and is now Altona Primary School, preparing to celebrate its centenary next year in a week long program from 19th to 24th October 2015.In the build up to next year the school is collecting memorabilia, photos and memories connected to the school. They would love to hear from you, please see the detail below:altonaprimarycentenary@altonaps.vic.edu.au or phone Liz Brown on 03 9398 2925

Greg Milne

THIS MONTH IN 1921

Issue 776

It’s all go in October and the action starts on October 1st, with the Metropolitan Transport Forum at Altona RSL, 31 Sargood Street, Altona. With the November state election in our sights, this forum is particularly important, highlighting the Western suburbs transport user experience. Speakers include the Hon. Terry Mulder, Minister for Public Transport & Minister for Roads, Jill Hennessy, Opposition spokesperson on Public Transport and Colleen Hartland, Greens MLC.Hobsons Bay Councillor and MTF delegate Carl Marsich said better and more frequent connections between our bus and train networks is a big issue for our region.“Council has been, and will continue to be, very vocal in advocating for more sustainable forms of transport and less reliance on cars to ease the growing congestion in our municipality,” Cr Marsich said.The Altona Beach Film Festival plans are well underway and soon we’ll have a better view of how we can be part of this exciting event in 2015, whether as volunteers, facilitators, fi lmmakers or fi lm goers!

The fi lm festival proposes to become an annual event, recognising fi lmmakers from all walks of life.Expressions of Interest are also welcome for a nother 2015 event - Harmony Day Weekend, planned for 21-22nd March 2015. The event is looking to start with a Saturday evening interactive performance taking us through the history of

Altona and ending with a Sunday morning Harmony Walk.Census 2011 tells us Hobsons Bay has 25,840 (31%) residents who were born overseas. Our culture is moulded from our earliest indigenous tribes who camped along our shores between 3,000 BC through the 1800s and is further enriched by the growing connections with the settlement of overseas-born residents. Harmony is an open conversation, holding the values of

respect, belonging, ingenuity and togetherness. It is recognition of the many elements that form identity today.For information evening dates, check out the Around Altona Facebook page www.facebook.com/AroundAltona

Petronella Boonen

ALTONA SPRINGS TO ACTION

Issue 77 7

Welcome to this month’s edition of the Magpies Nest.

Following on from last month I can now report that our Senior’s went down to Sanctuary Lakes by only 6 points in what was a tremendous effort by our boys. To think that only fi ve weeks earlier they had beaten us by 150 points puts the enormity of effort into perspective. Everyone is now looking forward to next season with a hunger and passion to do very well and raise the bar even higher.

We recently held our Club Presentation Night at Hotel 520 our major sponsor for this season. I would like to congratulate the following trophy winners.

Seniors: Best & Fairest Scott Bell Runner Up Drew Mitchell Most Determined Bryan Lawry Most Consistent Scott Mizzi Leading Goal kicker Scott Bell Most Valuable Player Scott Mizzi Coaches Awards Tamanui Moana Richard Mulroy

Reserves Best & Fairest Shannon O’Mahoney Runner Up Thomas Aspland Most Determined Dean Edwards

Most Consistant Luke Toomey Most Improved Steve Hogan Most Courageous Shaun Fear Leading Goal Kicker David Longdon Most Valuable Player Luke Toomey Coaches Trophies Glen Causcon Jack Melmoth

Presidents Trophy Mal HartshorneDodger Nash Award Shannon O’MahoneyRichard Goring Best Club Person Award John Ballestrino As I mention last month the club is looking forward to once again fi elding junior teams next year so if you know of anyone that may be interested in playing at our family friendly club please contact the President Scott Mizzi on 0401 403728. Of course our Auskick Program will also be running again next year.

I look forward to keeping everyone updated on what is happing at the club in the off season

In the meantime Go Maggies!!!

Side by SideJohn Ballestrino

MAGPIES NESTLAVERTON MAGPIES FOOTBALL CLUB

Issue 778

Seaside Fitness has a passion for supporting all women in caring for their health and getting mums back into fi tness. For 4 years we have been running Mum’s fi tness classes and boxing aimed at making it easy for busy mums to exercise whilst providing a safe place for the children to play.

Mumfi t classes are a fun mix of boxing cardio, body weight, and core strength exercises, the chat and a few laughs are included. The kids love it too, if they are not stretching or running with their mums they are playing with the toy’s and having a snack.

These classes have been a wonderful way to connect with other mums, and help our community to become fi tter, stronger and happier. The classes currently run at the studio, and will now be additional as a trial at Laverton Community Hub.

The exercise is designed to be for new mums and not so new mums that may have not been exercising for some

time. Safe pelvic fl oor health is very important, we ensure we provide pelvic fl oor safe exercise programs along with accurate and helpful information to help improve awareness and well being so you can make better exercise choices to suit your individual needs.

We are qualifi ed to offer pre and post pregnancy exercise programs to keep you healthy and strong during the pregnancy and help with post-natal recovery, so you can return to your exercise when suitable to do so.

Starts Term 4, Friday morning 10.00am on 10th October. (Other classes Altona locations and times available)

For more information, call Leanne Vandeligt on 0412 482 358 or the Laverton Community Hub.

Check the website for more classes (Timetable and pricing) at www.seasidefi tness.com.au

Saturday the 25th October 2014 is a day to mark on the calendar if you want to de-clutter the house and make a bit of pocket money at the same time. Below are some hints you may fi nd useful if you want to join in the fun of National Garage Sale Day.

• List in advance all the things around your house that you would like to get rid of. (Don’t forget the shed). Put out all your little knick-knacks, people love looking through them. Ask your neighbours if they want to combine their items with yours so you can pool your resources.

• Advertise your sale by placing an ad in the local paper. Make sure you give a start and fi nish time and mention that you do not want any “early birds”.

• Make up any signage well in advance. Do not leave this until the last minute. Consider where you will put your signage. The nearest main road is a good spot. Remember your signage must not block driver’s vision or obstruct the footpath. Your signage should be secured against strong wind and easily readable from a distance.

• Most local and state laws do prohibit placing such signage without a permit, but they are usually not enforced unless there is a litter or safety issue. You should limit the amount of signage to the bare minimum and make sure you remove

it all as soon as possible after your sale has fi nished. If you have any concerns you should contact your local council. Finish off by marking your house with some balloons.

• You will need to organise some friends or family to help, and you should agree on some rough prices for your main items. Remember that people come to garage sales expecting bargains, and some will haggle.

• Consolidate all your goods for sale in a central point the night before if possible. You will also need tables and tarps to display your items, some plastic shopping bags for your customers to carry their purchase home in, and some coins and notes for change.

• Once your sale has fi nished box up any unsold items you don’t want and drop them off at a charity shop, when possible, rather than taking them back inside. Be ruthless for a good de-clutter.

Wyndham City is a participant of National Garage Sale Day - Google “Garage Sale Trail at Wyndham”, or visit the council website for more information and to register your garage sale. Happy selling!

Greg Milne

NEW MUMFIT EXERCISE CLASSES STARTING LAVERTON COMMUNITY HUB

NATIONAL GARAGE SALE DAY 2014

Issue 77 9

Issue 7710

Set against the backdrop of the French Riviera in 1928, Woody Allen’s latest jaunt through Europe is a nostalgic trip back in time and an homage to many older, and frankly better, fi lms. The word of the day is whimsy.Colin Firth is Stanley Crawford, a world famous magician and illusionist whose friend requests his assistance in exposing a young clairvoyant as a fraud. Said clairvoyant, charmingly played by Emma Stone, is living it up with a wealthy American family and seemingly taking them for a ride. Her ‘fugue’ states are very convenient and melodramatic, and as such they couldn’t possibly hold a word of truth, could they? Alas, it appears after several successful and alarmingly accurate demonstrations of her ability that she is genuine.But a linear narrative wouldn’t be any fun, would it? Firth’s Crawford is introduced as a pessimist with, as Stone’s Sophie observes later in the fi lm, oodles of self-hate—and it’s his transformation into a believer that anchors the story. Similarly, Allen will be hoping to turn sceptics into believers by the time the lights go up, that is to say believers in the innate goodness of people and justness of the world. Moonlight is unashamedly for the romantics, so your best bet to enjoy the experience is to check your scepticism at the door: there are moments that induce eye-rolling, and character developments that feel hasty. Plus the usual array of well-worn romantic comedy tropes that can’t help but ring false to the real world. The saving grace is the likeability of the two leads, and they help you overlook some of the creases. Rushed as the story may be, and predictable as the ending most surely is, if you enter the cinema with an optimistic outlook you will be pleasantly unsurprised. Whimsical.

Brandon McLaren

MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT

Issue 77 11

Our dollar has been trading around the 93 US cents mark for much of 2014 after hitting a high of US$1.10 in July 2011. However, most economists expect the Aussie dollar to settle closer to 80 US cents sometime next year. If the Aussie dollar is knocked off its perch, there are a number of strategies you can put in place before heading offshore that will ease the pain on your hip pocket. You could begin by investigating travel destinations where your purchasing power is increased.

JapanThe land of the cherry blossom tops the list of best value for money for Australian holidaymakers in 2014, according to travel booking site Expedia. But these days, visitors are more likely to be heading north in search of snow not cherry blossoms. Australian skiers have taken to Japan’s powdery snow in their droves. If temples, sushi and quirky fashion are more your style, Japan has a rich cultural heritage that is hard to beat.

GreeceLonely Planet knows a thing or two about budget travel, and top of its list for 2014 is Greece. Visitor numbers have fallen in the wake of the fi nancial crisis which turned Greece into the economic basket case of Europe. But the ancient Acropolis and the lazy charm of the Greek Islands

are timeless, and all the more enjoyable while prices are low in an attempt to lure back the tourist dollar.

ArgentinaThey lost to Germany in this year’s world cup and now they are in the thick of a currency crisis after defaulting on part of their foreign debt for the second time in 12 years. The proud Argentinians may be down on their luck, but they sure know how to live. In Buenos Aires, the ‘Paris of South America’, hotel prices have fallen. So tango, shop and eat your fi ll of grilled meat at recessionary prices.

Plan aheadOnce you choose your destination, think about booking and paying for at least part of your trip up-front to lock in the favourable exchange rate. And if you are worried that the dollar may fall before you depart, you could start making progressive cash transfers to a pre-paid travel card. Most major banks, airlines and foreign currency specialist offer travel cards that can be loaded with up to 10 currencies. By shifting cash in stages, you are effectively taking advantage of the investment practice known as dollar cost averaging. Not only do you stand to get more foreign currency for your dollars while they are high, and limit purchases when the dollar is low, you also get to sleep at night without the anxiety of trying to time volatile currency markets.

TRAVELLERS TIPS TO STRETCH YOUR DOLLAR FURTHER

Issue 7712

Notices

ALTONA MEADOWS /LAVERTON UNITING

CHURCH

ADAVIC ANXIETY & DEPRESSION SUP-

PORT GROUP

ADVERTISING SALES

REPRESENTATIVE REQUIRED

COMMUNITY CAFÉ WEEKLY

HOBSONS BAY (ALTONA)

GARDEN CLUB INC.

ANGER MANAGEMENT

CLASSES

You are welcome to join us any Sunday at 10am and some

Sundays at 5.30pm (Night Owl service).

We worship in a circle and have groups for children during

part of the service. Our Fijian congregation has amalgamated

with us this year.We also have Bible study groups,

discussion groups, kids club, playgroup, etc

Contact Rev. Susan Malthouse on 9369 0384

Enquiries concerning the use of our building to Lauris on

0409 354 932

61 CENTRAL AVENUE, ALTONA MEADOWS.

Connect with others in a safe environment to share experiences and coping strategies.

Every Tuesday 7:30-9:30pm at the Louis Joel Arts & Community Centre, Sargood St,

Altona.

$5 Casuals / $3 Members

For more info phone: (03) 9853-8089 | email: adavic@adavic.org.au |

visit: www.adavic.org.au

You will already know if you are a fi t for this position, you will love sales (talking to people), you are a self starter (know what you are doing), you thrive on success (you

are good and you know it).Work local at times to suit you, it

does not get better that this.If you can sell yourself, you’ve got the opportunity, just email your CV to billmcpherson@optusnet.com.au

Laverton Community Centre (the Hub) 95-105Railway Ave

Laverton

Every Wednesday, 12noon-1pm Altona

Meadows Community Centre 28 Trafalgar Avenue, Altona

Meadows

Every Friday, 12noon-1pm 3 course meal, both days cost:

$8/$5 (conc)

Bookings essential by Monday/ Thursday Phone:8368 0177

We invite you to join us. We meet on the third Monday of the month at 1pm. Located at the Youth Hall, corner of Civic Pde and Sugargum

Drive, Altona.We have great speakers, demonstrations and a trading table.

Enjoy a social afternoon tea with warm and friendly people. Any

inquires please ring Val on 9398 2002 or Bernice on 9314 2593

ALTONA NORTH COMBINED PROBUS

CLUB: Retired or semi-retired?

Interested in developing new friends, or interests. Join our

friendly group at the Community Hall, Cypress Av., Brooklyn

-10.00am on 3rd Wednesday of each month. Guest speakers, trips and other activities are

organised. Enquiries: Lois 9399 2554 or Pam 9314 4640

THE ALTONA FRUIT AND VEGIE SWAP

HETA

Takes place on the second Saturday of every month from

10:30am to 11:30am at the Rotunda in Logan Reserve

PierStreet, Altona.

Health & Environment Through Arts

Connecting people, exploring nature

& creating a sustainable future.www.facebook.com/hetaarts

Phone: 0408 096 447Email: lawrenjohns@gmail.com

The Laverton Community Centre and Neighbourhood

House is running women`s anger management, self-esteem and assertion for women courses,

starting August 12 thCourses are also provided in

meditation and for those struggling with mental health.

The centre is in the Laverton Community Hub 95-105Railway

Avenue.Bookings are essential.

Call 8368 0177 or Email reception@lcis org.au

Issue 77 13

Altona Kids

• Couple Counselling

• Family, Personal, Relationships, Critical Incident, EAP and more

• Compassionate and discreet

Call Antoinette on 0423 762 650

www.ancounselling.com.au

BSS (Counselling)Specialist Couple Therapy Certificate through Relationships AustraliaMember of Australian Counselling Association Level 3

Hi Creative Kids,

The school holidays are a great reason to fuel your crea-

tivity. Perhaps you dipped into the ocean of inspiration and

built a sculpture at the ‘Lego Brick Zone’. Or maybe you made

a dream catcher at Williamstown Library, or defeated your

enemy with creative thinking at ‘The Survival Games’.

Whatever it was you probably expanded your ideas-bank

just by participating. My family and I enjoyed the Sculpture

Walk at Werribee Park. Some of the sculptures made me think

about time, space and other worlds - what if there was a

portal to another existence? Where would you go?

Issue 7714

As the sunshine streams in and there’s a promise of Summer ahead, Spring is traditionally ‘the time’ to clean and clear our own personal spaces. As Dee from Dee Cluttering ‘Making Space Be With You,’ puts it, “Spring provides a fresh page.”

It’s also a great excuse for clearing out cupboards and wardrobes of all those items that no longer fi t your lifestyle (or for some of us – waistline). There’s nothing quite as cathartic as lightening the ‘weight’ of your surroundings.“Amongst the golden yellow of spring a new birth overtakes our senses and that ‘Spring Clean’ feeling manifests into an energy and wont of creating space for yet another chance at what we may be longing for by removing obstacles,” she adds.

If September was anything to go by, the energy is all about being inspired, bringing us out of our homes and into the garden, galleries and markets.

Altona Beach Market celebrated its 10th year – was it that long ago that stallholders braved the possibility of being

accepted as a Tuesday staple. Well done to the ‘stayers’ who made it through the market’s challenging earlier days

through to its massive success in 2014.

Altona Primary School’s weekend farmers market celebrated its second birthday. The school itself will be celebrating its centenary next year, so if you are a past pupil or teacher the or have friends or relatives who were, you might like to share your photos or memorabilia with the school.

Hobsons Bay Art Society’s Spring Exhibition was once again a successful tribute to the hive of activity in the society that promotes and encourages artists of all ages with classes, workshops and exhibitions like this one. If you haven’t been involved with HBAS before, you’ll be pleasantly surprised about how welcoming this group is. One of those ambassadors is artist Nancy Balyea who runs a weekly outdoor sketching group, a

fantastic way to get out in the sunshine with some like-minded people. Find out more by visiting

SPLASH INTO SPRING

Issue 77 15

www. hobsonsbayartsociety.weebly.com/art-classes.html

A different exhibition held at the same time was Rotary’s primary annual fundraiser the Hobsons Bay Art Show, held at Seaworks. The work of Rotary is seen in projects such as Kick Start Breakfast, providing breakfast to school children who might not otherwise have this very important meal of the day.

Organiser Therese McKenney says the show has embraced adventurous mixed media artforms and artworks not traditionally included in this setting such as etching, paper toll and digital lazer printing.

The show certainly benefi tted from the variety of styles. Therese pointed out one of the exhibitors, Narelle Byrne, whose gallery was recently broken into and he artwork slashed.

“To her credit, she stitched it up and submitted it anyway,” Therese said. “That’s brave.”

The show that accepts entries from all over the country also provided a new platform for younger artists.

“For the fi rst time, we’ve introduced schools to the show with Newport Lakes Primary School exhibiting in the

largest artshow in Victoria,” Therese added.

Any art show of course needs ‘foot soldiers’ to make it a success as Rotarian Patricia Sutherland describes.

“We’re just the helpers on the day who do things like collating the paintings as they arrive and arrange the tags for hanging,” she said.

As we entered the exhibition, we were greeted by Lola and former Mayor of Hobsons Bay Douglas Grant. Mrs Grant describes herself as ‘just the wife of a Rotarian’. I get the feeling there was a time when this lovely lady might have described herself as ‘just the wife a councillor’.

“Rotary doesn’t really get enough credit for what it does,” she said. “It’s very much a pleasure to be the wife of a Rotarian, to give support and help out when needed.”

Petronella Boonen

Issue 7716

I thought I would surprise you by popping a few birds into my Gardens articles, so the next couple of issues will feature some of the beautiful birds that are found within the Hobsons Bay area. But please note this selection is limited to the birds I painted for my 2013 and 2015 calendars.Let’s begin with one of our most colourful visitors – a bird that is far more common “up north”. Small fl ocks of Rainbow Lorikeets are occasionally seen around our district during the warmer months, but a few birds have become permanent residents and over-winter where nectar is plentiful. My parents had a gorgeous garden in Spotswood that was frequented all year round by a variety of nectar and honey eating birds, the most common species being the Wattle Bird. Winter colour was provided by a large selection of named variety camellias, which were also popular with the honey eaters, and my mother regularly fi lled a nectar bottle which was much appreciated by the Wattle Birds and the Rainbow Lorikeets. Rainbow Lorikeets mostly forage on the fl owers of shrubs or trees to harvest nectar and pollen, but they also eat fruits, seeds and some insects. These birds occasionally visit our garden in Altona, but we fi nd them a mixed blessing. While we appreciate their brilliant colours and constant cheerful chatter, they are a source of irritation when they raid our fruit trees – they, along with the sparrows, blackbirds and possums, strip our trees before the fruit is ripe enough for the human palate, so we end up with practically no fruit for ourselves. No amount of saucepan lid banging or arm waving has ever detered a Rainbow Lorikeet from its fruit feast – rather the bird would look quizically down at us from its lofty perch as though it was saying “What’s all the fuss about”?

Helene Wildhelene.wild@optusnet.com.au

RAINBOW LORIKEETS(TRICHOGLOSSUS HAEMATODUS)

Pets Corner

Issue 77 17

When I fi rst met John Ballestrino, it was at the Altona Electorate Offi ce of the Member for Altona, Hon. Lynne Kosky MP. He was a bundle of energy fi lled with a community spirit that could only be compared to a wildfi re running through the dry Australian bush. He just did not stop, and it was contagious. He was involved in pretty much everything you could imagine in the local community of Altona, Altona Meadows, Laverton and Werribee. His every hour of the week was dedicated to one club or committee or another. He was, and remains the man that any club treasures. If a club needed a trivia night, he would be there running it. If you needed a team of people, he and his entire family would pitch in. If you needed leadership with a lead by example approach, he was there on committees, coaching and generally inspiring others. He is a man that attracts others into community activity.

10 years have passed and I think he may actually have more on his plate these days than when I fi rst met him! A family man with four great kids: Michael, Jake, Luisa and Stephen and his lovely wife Maree. With John family and community go hand in hand - where you see John, you see his family.So when it became evident that he was to receive such an outstanding honour as a Medal in the Order of Australia, well I was absolutely confi dent that they had chosen a very worthy recipient.I ran a few questions past John recently and will share them with you in just a moment, but fi rst let us have a quick look at some of the things he is helping with at the moment:• Founding and current Chair - Point Cook Relay for Life (over $60k raised on the last event)• President - Hobsons Bay Pirates Softball Club• Vice President - Laverton Magpies Football Club• Vice President - Geelong Harness Racing Club• President - Hoppers Crossing Branch ALP• Committee - Royal Melbourne Hospital Dialysis Support Group• President - Laverton Sports ClubAnd just a sample of some of his past activities: • President - Werribee Softball Association • President - Altona College School Council• Vice President - Altona Youth Club• President - Laverton Football Club (fi ve years)• Member of Altona Rotary Club• President - Altona Table Tennis Club• Board Member of the Western Suburban Football League• General Manager of the Transit Police Football Club

I asked John how he felt receiving the OAM? Well I did not see it coming. I was amazed at how everyone was able to keep it a secret. It was a humbling experience, my fi rst thought was the memories that came fl ooding back of all the community minded people that I had the pleasure to work with over a lifetime journey of community involvement. This honour is as much for them as it is for me.What does this honour mean for you moving forward?Moving forward this honour won’t change me at all; however, I have noticed that I am taken more seriously when I am asked for my advice or opinion. If that helps the organisations that I am involved in then that can only be a good thing.What advice would you give someone who wants to get more involved in their local community?I would advise anyone who has thought about volunteering for community service to take any opportunity that comes your way. However, you need to have a family that is fully supportive and in my case ready to also get involved for it to work. My life experience tells me that very few of us can do these things on our own.I asked if he enjoyed the Australian Honours award ceremony.I received my award from the Victorian Governor at Government House. It was a humbling occasion being with 169 other awards recipients who had done so much for their communities, and here I was amongst them. A very surreal experience indeed.

Daniel Allen

A TRUE COMMUNITY SPIRIT – JOHN BALLESTRINO OAM

John and daughter Luisa at the Australian Honours Award Ceremony

Issue 7718

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Altona Sports Cricket Club is seeking cricketers for the 2014-15 cricket season. We train on Thursday nights between 5.30 and 7.30pm and play on Saturday afternoons between 1.15 and 6pm. We fi eld three teams on synthetic wickets. Our home ground is beside the Altona Sports Club and overlooks Port Phillip Bay. Age is not important. We have players from their late teens to their early fi fties and we cater for all abilities.

Of course there are reasons for joining a cricket club that have nothing to do with cricket. Altona Sports Cricket Club is a social club and players regularly get together for social activities. During the summer months we attend a night race meeting and one or two Big Bash cricket matches. During the winter months we keep in touch by watching the occasional AFL match at the Sports Club on a Friday night.

As an example of a more irregular activity that took place at our club, this year one of our cricketers organised a 16 hour walk from Point Cook to a Hindu temple in Carrum Downs. While it was a great day, if we do a similar thing next year we might limit the walking to 8 hours.

Naturally the Altona Sports Cricket Club has access to all of the Altona Sports Club facilities including the bistro, pokie machines and Foxtel. The Altona Sports Club has karaoke on Friday nights, live bands on Saturday nights and an annual Sportsman’s night.

So it is not just cricket on offer at the Altona Sports Cricket Club. If you are interested in joining our club or fi nding out more, don’t hesitate to call me on 0425 731386, or simply come along to one of our training sessions.

CRICKETERS WANTED

On our pilgrimage to Carrum Downs one chilly Saturday in August.

Issue 77 19

I was lucky enough to attend the ALTONA FOOTBALL CLUB’S “LEGENDS LUNCH” on 12th September at the ALTONA BOWLING CLUB.Judging by attendances, the Club is in good hands and certainly going places, with 180 people in attendance everyone was happy with the event and commenting on how successful it was.While 2014 may not have been as successful as last year, the Club is obviously in good shape, and optimistic about the future, on fi eld and off.But it was not only numbers, but also the quality of people there that qualifi ed it for SUCCESS STATUS. As the title suggests there were many LEGENDS there to entertain us, and entertain they certainly did. I will get to these later!But it was also the LEGENDS, who paid to be there, from old ALTONAITES, to previous players, that rubberstamped its success. Representatives from the WESTERN REGION FOOTBALL LEAGUE were also in attendance and I’m sure will go back and tell their colleagues how enjoyable a day they had. It seemed that nearly every other Club in Altona was represented on the day from Bowlers, Cricketers, Sportsmen, Anglers (fi shermen), Hockey Players and I could go on. Another legend of the game in attendance was Dr Allen Aylett, former player, North Melbourne President and Chairman of the V.F.L.Our M.C. for the day was another local legend, Kevin Hillier. From the moment he introduced Greg Hall to the microphone, Kevin realised he was going to have his hands full, keeping things “on track”. We soon realised that with Greg Hall, we were going to get our moneys worth. He seemed to be in everything, taking over the microphone, when his items of memorabili came up for auction, and interrupting other “Legends” during their time on stage. It’s a brave man that heckles Barry Michaels. He even had bidders, bidding against themselves, which maximised the sale price. As he kept saying “It’s for The Club!” His passion for his racing days and achievements was clearly evident. Greg had a lot of tales to tell, and he certainly rode each one right to the end. Then there was Mark (Robbo) Robinson and Jason Cunningham with their inciteful comments on the game and the personalties involved.Then Dougie Hawkin’s turn fi nally came around, and as usual Dougie was the penultimate gentleman. Dougie came with his own anecdotes and was ready for anyone who wanted to “arks” him a question. His recollections

of the great Teddy Whitten, (another and probably the ultimate Western Suburbs Legend?), worth the admission price alone! Then Barry Michaels, another Western Suburbs gentleman, joined Dougie on stage and had a turn with the Microphone. Barry spoke about the time Dougie and he were going to do an “exhibitional” three rounds in the ring. That was until Dougie’s wife Raelene became involved and said NO! Seems there were concerns about Dougie’s recent $12,000-00 nose job!And despite constant heckling from Greg Hall, Barry also gave some juicy insights into his career and boxing in general. How lucky are the Altona Footy Club to have this man as their Number 1 ticket holder. It is refreshing to see a man who is obviously good with his fi sts can be just as good with the words that come out of his mouth.The one most obvious thing I will take from today was the willingness of these celebrities to engage with the audience, both during their offi cial time with the microphone and later on for photos and a chat.The event was ultimately a function put on by the Club’s Coterie group – THE VIKINGS and I believe a BIG thank you must go to Katrina Shaw and Paul Eishold, I’ll give their Café a plug, Melissa, who put the event together and also did a lot of work early in the year to get THE VIKINGS back up and running.At the end of the day it was the Altona Football Club celebrating with some local legends and its Community.And a splendid time was had by all.

John Dawson

LEGENDS LUNCH

Issue 7720

It was my pleasure to launch the 2014 Mayoral Program in February which included supporting the Urban Arts Collective to help build a social enterprise program. Work is underway and features a number of young participants channeling their creativity into the production of a clothing range. We also erected an interpretive sign as part of the Mayoral Program. The installation of the sign, at Doug Grant Reserve, Altona coincides with the return of migratory birds to Hobsons Bay wetlands.

2014 is the year of a number of important centenaries: the beginning of World War One, the founding of the Australian Red Cross, and women’s right to stand for local government. There is also another anniversary: 10 years since the fi rst Altona beach market in Pier Street which was opened by the voice of the town crier. Ten years on and a lot has changed. Thank you to the Altona Village Traders Association for inviting me to speak at the celebrations on 23 September. Only three days before, Pier Street came alive with pop-up parking bays decorated by a number of traders.

A new My Smart Garden website has been launched and I encourage you to check it out. The website (http://www.mysmartgarden.org.au/) includes a gardener’s forum and a searchable archive of over three years of workshop notes. We’re hoping it will extend the reach of My Smart Garden which has already proven successful since being established in 2011. The program, a collaboration between Hobsons Bay, Moonee Valley and Maribyrnong City Councils, is a free program that will help you grow food, shelter your home from the sun and wind, create homes for local wildlife, use water wisely and recycle wastes. For those with green fi ngers, Hobsons Bay Libraries are hosting a Vegetable Gardener’s author talk on 13 October at 6.30pm at Altona Library.

Contact details: 0419 287 117 or swilson@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au

A MESSAGE FROM CHERRY LAKE WARD COUNCILLOR JASON PRICE

We’re coming up to emergency season and it’s sensible to ask the following question: are you prepared? You may have seen the Are you prepared for an emergency brochure that was delivered with this year’s rates notice. It covers evacuation procedures, contact details and information about emergency alerts. The information is extremely useful so if you didn’t receive a brochure, please contact Council on 9932 1000. Alternatively there are copies at your local library or community centre.

October is Walk to school month, starting at the beginning of term four (6 October) and continuing until the end of October. It’s a great initiative, encouraging children to think about air pollution, traffi c congestion and healthy living. We’ve teamed up with Maribyrnong City Council to support the initiative, with nine schools taking part in Hobsons Bay: Altona Meadows Primary School, Altona Green Primary School, Newport Lakes Primary School, Newport Gardens Primary School, St. Mary’s Primary School (Williamstown), St. Mary’s School (Altona), Laverton P-12 College, Queen of Peace Parish Primary School and Seabrook Primary School. If it’s too far to walk all the way, try walking part of the journey. And if you happen to be driving past a school, please pay careful to attention the speed limits and the children walking past.

Contact details: 0438 871 814 or jprice@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au.

A MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR AND CHERRY LAKE WARD CR SANDRA WILSON

Issue 77 21

Laugh Out Loud

Issue 7722

HOMOPHONOUS MUSINGS

Laid up in bed with a bout of ‘fl u’,I pondered what life was about.Time dragged on; it usually fl ew;I felt low; I’d a touch of gout.

Not quite ready for the last rites,I thought of something I might write:Perhaps an essay on human rights;I have ideas which I think are right.

Or a poem about Ned Kelly:I had already written two.Or maybe watch a bit of telly;Well that would be all right too.

I’d had a dream during the nightJust before this day’s dawning.I dreamt I was an armoured knightPresent at Joan of Arc’s burning.

I’m normally busy as a bee,Penning one thing or another,On life and death: what will be will be.I decided I’d write to Mother.

The smell of burning fl esh and locks,Horror of my recent reverie,Brought to my mind bagels and lox.I realized I was hungry.

By my bed, a vase of daisies and phloxGave off a most pleasant odour.Thoughts of shepherds minding their fl ocksDispelled my nocturnal horror.

A print on my wall of stag and doeSuddenly gave me a notion:If I could only fi nd the dough,I might voyage across the ocean.

Perhaps when I’m feeling stronger,Which I might in another week.Hopefully not that much longer,But right then I was feeling weak.

Jack Nystrom, 20 January, 2014.

Issue 77 23

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Send your stories, articles and

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Issue 7724

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