Axe Creek Eppalock Newsletter

Incorporating news from the Eppalock Primary School, Axe Creek Fire Brigade & the Axe Creek Landcare Group.

Welcome to the Winter Issue

Edition 43. Winter 2014

Hello again!
Winter has arrived, and with it record rainfall. No doubt it comes as no
surprise to locals to hear we exceeded the total May rainfall on the first day
of June. What does that mean for the rest of the month, other than no more
empty water tanks?
Included in this issue is a great article on Cyber safety, shared with us via the
Eppalock PS. I encourage you all to share the article with your family and
friends. Unfortunately Cyber awareness is something we must all be vigilant
with.
On the last page, you will also see a map for a walk around Bendigo. This
map was taken from the Child Friendly City site, an initiative of the City of
Greater Bendigo. If you have kids, or know kids that visit our town, suggest
they have a look, the site includes some fun activities both online & off.

Welcome

Community Notice Board

CFA News

Eppalock PS Update

Axe Creek Playgroup

Landcares Latest

Church News

Community News

Kids Corner

As always, wed love to receive your contributions for the newsletter, stories,
articles, photos or bits of news. Please send them via email to us at
axecreeknews@gmail.com.

Until next time,

Sam Spence

Advertise your Business AND help the Community

If you would like some great local exposure for a reasonable price, then advertise in the
next issue of the Axe Creek Eppalock Newsletter.
Full Page
$100
Half Page

$50

Quarter Page

$25

Fees charged help cover printing costs.

Advertising deadline for future issues:

Spring 2014

Sept 1st

Summer 2014

Dec 1st

Autumn 2015

Mar 2nd

Winter 2015

May 29th

axecreeknews@gmail.com

Thank you to this issues

Contributors
John Wells - Axe Creek Fire
Brigade
Marie Mannes - Eppalock PS
Gillian Wells - Axe Creek Landcare
Barry Ward - Axe Creek Landcare
Steve Weickhardt - Anglican
Parish

Contact us via axecreeknews@gmail.com

Issue 43

Community Notice Board

Emergency Contact Numbers
Fire, Police & Ambulance

000

(life threatening or time critical emergencies only)

SES Flood & Storm Emergency

13 25 00

Bushfire Information

1800 240 667

Information & advice about significant fires, total fire bans

Burn Off Notifications

1800 668 511

Poisons Information

13 11 26

Wildlife Rescue Service

0419 356 433

Useful Websites
CFA

www.cfa.vic.gov.au

DSE

www.dse.vic.gov.au

Vic Roads www.vicroads.vic.gov.au

Local Churches
St Stephens Anglican & Strathfieldsaye Uniting
Church
920 Wellington St, Strathfieldsaye

School Terms
2014

Combined Service - Sunday Mornings 9am

Family Service - Saturday - 5pm

St Josephs Catholic Church

Cnr Axe Creek & Strathfieldsaye/Eppalock Rds.

Term 1

Sunday Mornings 9am

29 Jan 4 Apr

All Welcome
Term 2
22 Apr 27 Jun
Term 3

Axe Creek CFA

14 Jul 19 Sept
Term 4

Captain

6 Oct 19 Dec

axecreeknews@gmail.com

Neil Irving-Dusting
5439 6388

Issue 43

CFA News From Axe Creek Brigade

ELECTIONS
Last month the Brigade held elections for officers for the next two years. We welcome Russell
Mannes as a lieutenant, Steve Costall as Vice President, and Brad Knight as Deputy Apparatus Officer.
Here's who will be leading the Brigade from 1st July, when the newly elected members take
office:
Captain

Neil Irving-Dusting

Vice President

Steve Costall

1st Lieutenant

Bill Ashby

Apparatus

Scott Houlahan

2nd Lieutenant

Greg Henderson

Deputy Apparatus

Brad Knight

3rd Lieutenant

Scott Houlahan

Training Officer

Craig Houlahan

4th Lieutenant

Russell Mannes

Risk Management

Jack Lilley

Communications

Jan Mannes

Education

John Wells

Secretary

(vacant)

Public Relations

Ian Terrill

President

John Wells

Competitions

Craig Houlahan

The Brigade thanks Lt Heath Martin for his service over several years, as Training Officer and
Lieutenant. Heath was a brigade member since his days in the junior competitions team, but
has transferred to Junortoun brigade, closer to his new home. Heath is also a Deputy Group
Officer of the Eppalock Fire Brigades Group, which includes both Axe Creek and Junortoun
brigades.

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Issue 43

JUST IMAGINE YOUR HOUSE CAUGHT ON FIRE...

Yes, it's hard to imagine, but try for a minute.
Picture yourself standing outside in the frost or rain, in your night attire, watching the house burn.
How would you cope if you lost everythingbooks, music, clothes, photos, furniture...? Where
would you sleep that night? If you have children, how would you comfort them? What if your
licence, credit cards, passport etc. were gone? How would you start to re-build your life?
For most of us the experience is almost unthinkable, but every year it happens to some people.
You may have noticed recent media reports of house fires in central Victoria. There have been
several in and around Bendigo, including three in a single week. Each year over a thousand
houses are destroyed or badly damaged by fire in Victoria.
House fires are real. Take them seriously.

YOU NEED AN ESCAPE PLAN

Monty Python fans know that nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition. Likewise nobody expects
a house fire. It could happen any timeand probably when something else has already gone
wrong. That's just the time when people are distracted, and may overlook their normal safe
practices.
So everybody in the family needs to know what to do if a fire starts, including how to get out of
the house.
Draw a plan of your house, and mark on it TWO escape routes from every room. (If necessary
break the window if you are trapped inside a room with fire the other side of the door.)
Agree on a meeting place outside the house. Stick your plan on the fridge, and PRACTISE IT.
(No, not the window breaking part!) That way everybody will be prepared when the unexpected happens.

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Issue 43

NOW YOU NEED TO WORK ON MINIMISING THE RISK

Over 40% of house fires start in the kitchen.
How often have you left food cooking 'just for a minute', while you answered the phone, went
to check on a crying child, brought in washing from the line because rain had started, or whatever?
Good luck so far? Don't push it! Occasions like that are just the times things can go wrong. Rule
One: Never leave cooking unattended.
When did you last clean the grease from the exhaust fan? Can't remember? Do it straight
away! Over time grease builds up in the filter. If it catches fire you could end up with fire in the
ceiling, that could then spread to the rest of the house. Don't risk it.

About 8% of house fires start in the lounge room.

How safe is your room heater? Have you had the flue checked this year? No? That's another
urgent job, then.
What about drying those clothes in front of the heater? They should be at least a metre away.
Maybe they don't dry so quickly, but is it worth risking your house by putting them closer?
About 8% of house fires start in the bedroom
Electric blankets have started many house fires. Have the wiring checked every two years, and
even then only switch it on for 30 minutes before going to bed.
The laundry is another risky place.
When did you last clean the lint filter of the clothes dryer? You should check it after EVERY use!

Lint is like the tinder great-great-great grandfather used in his tinderbox, before the days of
matches: it catches fire very readily. If lint has built up in the filter the dryer only needs to overheat a little to put your whole house in danger.
Those power boards!
We never seem to have enough power points for all those appliances, computer accessories
and music devices. But double adapter 'Christmas trees' are NOT the answer. Always use power
boards with sufficient capacity to take all the plugs, but be careful not to overload them. Heating appliances (toasters, kettles, radiators and the like) draw more power, and should always
be plugged directly into wall sockets.
Rememberbe vigilant.
These are just some hints for minimising the risk of a house fire. Get your family to check out the
CFA web site: look under Plan and Prepare / Fires in the Home. And make the safe practices
part of everyday living, so when that distraction occurs you still keep your house and family
safe.
LOOK AFTER THE ELDERLY AND DISABLED
Of people who died in a house fire over the last 10 years:
More than half did not have a working smoke alarm;
Two thirds were over 65 or had a disability;
Nearly two thirds lived alone.
Think about older relatives, neighbours, friends or adult children whove recently moved out of
home. How about helping them by checking their smoke alarm, preparing an escape plan together, or going through the home fire safety checklist on the CFA web site?

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Issue 43

FROM THE ARCHIVES

While on the subject of house fires, let us remember how quickly they can develop:
Brigade Fire Report, 4th April 1954
A fire was reported to the Emu Creek Telephone Exchange on Sunday 4th April at 3.40 am.
It was a weather board home owned by E. Jackson of Emu Creek.
Axe Creek & Bendigo Brigades with power units [trucks with petrol pumps] attended. The fire
had such a hold when noticed that when the Brigades arrived we could only prevent it
spreading to all out buildings and put out ruins. It was estimated that the damage bill was five
thousand pounds.
Brigade Fire Report, 6th August 1957
It is thought that a power fault resulted in a fire at T. Pendlebury's home in Emu Creek.
When the fire was first noticed it had such a hold that it was impossible to save anything.
15 members of the Axe Creek Brigade attended with a power unit and knapsacks. It took firefighters two hours to put out the fire.
Bendigo Advertiser, 22nd May 1993
The residents of a house in Sullivan's Road Strathfieldsaye were away when a neighbour reported the fire. It is believed to have started in the kitchen area before travelling up the
through the exhaust fan and into the ceiling. Fire fighters brought the blaze under control after
the kitchen and lounge was damaged. The roof had fallen in and damage was estimated at
$50,000.
Bendigo Advertiser, 28th May 1993
A man ran for hundreds of metres to get help after his house erupted in flames at Longlea yesterday.
The man called the fire brigade on a neighbour's phone. Fire brigade units from Axe Creek,
Axedale, Junortoun and Bendigo sped to the scene but the blaze had taken hold and burned
the house 'down to the stumps.'
The house was relocated to the 10 acre block about two years ago and was empty because
the man's wife and young children were away.
The Fire Brigade spokesman said the man was working on a car nearby when he heard the
smoke detector emit a warning.
The spokesman said the house's wiring had been renewed recently. He estimated the damage at $70,000 to $80,000.

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Issue 43

Eppalock Primary School

CAMP SUNNYSTONES, BACCHUS MARSH

Grade 3-6 students attended Sunnystones Camp in Bacchus Marsh early in the term.
Sunnystones is on the edge of the Long Forest Conservation Reserve and provides a peaceful
rural setting with magnificent views of superb State Parklands rich with Australian bird and wildlife.
The program was structured to focus on working together as a team, developing leadership
skills as well as imparting knowledge of the surrounding environment to students. The range of
activities the children had the opportunity to participate in were amazing.
On Wednesday and Thursday the 23rd and 24th April, the grade 3/4/5/6s went to camp at
Camp Sunnystones. Our leaders were David and Matt. On Wednesday, we got on the bus and
drove to Bacchus Marsh. When we got to the camp we had to hike through the bush to the
campsite, hiking was fun but tiring, it took two hours to hike up all of the hills, we had to cross a
creek with stepping stones.
When we arrived at Sunnystones we had lunch and played a bit of football, then we went inside and had a look around, all of the girls were in room 1. The instructor David told us all of the
rules of the camp, there was also Matts family that lived there. Afterward we went to our first
activities which were Low Ropes Course and Archery which was really fun! In Archery I got an
8. After that we went to get some afternoon tea which was biscuits, tomato and cheese. Then
we did some team-building activities that was really funny, next we went over to the rock
climbing wall we did some contest on the wall, then we went over to the Dream Weaver,
which there are different coloured lines shaped into a star, we had to get around it in under 7
minutes.
That night we had pasta bake for dinner - it was delicious! Then we had dessert it was yummy
cake. Afterward we went on a night walk, I was freezing! We saw trapdoor spiders!
AARRGGHH! Then we went inside and watched a movie. At 9:30 we all went to bed. In the
morning we got up, got ready and had breakfast which was cereal and toast. Afterward we
went outside to build huts which was fun. I was partnered with Chloe, Kaden and Levi. We had
damper and billy tea. Then we went back and got our luggage and put it on the bus and had
a BBQ lunch. Then we said goodbye and thankyou, jumped on the bus and took the way out
of the camp. In the end I really enjoyed this camp , I wish we could go again.
Abby

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Issue 43

On the 23rd and the 24th of April the 3-6s went on camp. It was really cool! We hopped on
the bus at 9:00am from school it was a fun way down. I sat next to Ellie because she was
nervous.
About 1 & hours later we pulled over at the Long Track Conservation Park and got started. It was really rocky with a few steep hills.
We had lunch at a clearing and then set off walking. We crossed a creek bed and walked
up a really steep hill, knowing that I had already begun an experience that I will never forget.
We all got sorted into groups and set off to our activities.
I went with David to low ropes course. We got a quick run through and set of instructions. I
was with Abby, Jazz and Ellie. We all worked really well together. After that we went to archery with Matt we had a challenge round and I got 11 . It was really fun.
We did teambuilding games and that was great fun. First we did plank- skis that was hard
you have to listen to each other but we worked through it.
We had free time and most people played markers up. All the girls got called in to do dinner
duty. For dinner we had pasta bake and for dessert we had a choice of 2 tarts I chose chocolate of course.
We got ready for a night hike and saw trapdoor spiders and kangaroos it was fun.
We watched Night of the Museum and then to bed
When we woke up we had breakfast packed up and went to hut building.

GRADE 6 GRIP LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

We were very fortunate in obtaining registration for our Grade 6 students to attend the GRIP
Student Leadership Conference which was held in Bendigo at the end of April.
GRIP Leadership is an independent organisation that exists to train and develop leaders with
a special focus on school students and the educational sector.
The GRIP Student Leadership Conference is unique in that it concentrates specifically on
training student leaders for their role as SCHOOL LEADERS. The style, topics, and content of
this conference all focus on what the students can do RIGHT NOW and will help build and
develop the leadership capacity of our young people.
This was a fantastic day where the students had the opportunity to mix with other children
from a range of schools throughout the Loddon Mallee Region. They took part in many
hands-on activities and were provided with practical ways to become great leaders for our
school. We look forward to seeing our young people grow and develop as leaders throughout the course of the year.

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Issue 43

PREMIERS READING CHALLENGE 2014

The Premiers Reading Challenge encourages children to
read a set number of books over the year and record their
efforts online. Its a great way to get young people talking
about reading with their friends and pushing themselves
to read as many book as they can. Many students here at
Eppalock Primary School have already registered and we
congratulate them.
Remember to Keep Reading!

EDUCATION WEEK
We had a very successful Education Week full of great activities including Open Day, Grandparent / Special Persons visit and morning tea, Prep Information Session and a visit from talented musician Ben Wilby. Ben plays a variety of instruments and introduced the children to the
double bass, acoustic guitar, ukulele, bugle, trumpet and a century old harmonium. The children even got to experience a 90 year old gramophone at work. Ben demonstrated how enjoyable and enriching music can be. Bens visit was arranged by our Music/Drama teacher
and we thank Ms Tonzing for providing this opportunity.
Thank you to all the families who came along to our Open Day - it was fantastic to see so
many parents, grandparents and special people sharing morning tea with the children and
viewing our wonderful facilities.

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Issue 43

2015 ENROLMENTS
We are now taking enrolments.
Please contact the Principal, Emily Ryan (5439 6366) for an appointment and school tour.
Our website has lots of important information on it.
www.eppalockps.vic.edu.au

The Cybersmart OutreachInternet Safety Awareness Presentation

Students, staff and parents all had the opportunity to participate in Internet Safety Awareness
Presentations during the term. The sessions were a real eye opener for many and proved that
as parents and educators we must keep on top of emerging trends and keep the communication lines open with our young people to ensure their safety online. One thing that came out of
the session was that we cant attend just one of these sessions and tick it off our to do list thinking we are up to date with everything. These types of information sessions need to be provided,
and attended, regularly because trends change and our children are always two steps ahead
of us. The presenter even stated that she has to update her presentation at least every 6
months because a lot of it is old news!
Check out this fantastic website; http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/ . There is loads of information
for parents and children

USING THE INTERNET SAFELY AT HOME

Internet safety awareness is equally important in the home, the library and other public places.
By planning to be cybersafe in any location, children are most likely to enjoy fun and rewarding
online experiences.
There are four key steps to cybersafe practices in the home:
Educate
Empower
Make the computer safe
Supervise
The four work together towards positive and safe online use. The aim is not only to protect children but to help them learn to make good decisions.
Educate - an essential part of keeping children safe is making them aware of risks, and talking
to them about how to avoid potential problems. Visit the Cybersmart website for internet safety
information and educational programs suitable for childrens use.
Empower - encouraging and supporting children is a positive step towards making them feel
confident in their internet use. Children need to know they can make the right choices. They
also need to know they can talk to a parent if something happens online that makes them feel
uncomfortable.

Make the computer safeone of the most practical ways to help children stay safe online is to
set up the home computer with an internet content filter and other security software.
Supervise - children may behave differently online, to in person, so its important to be involved.
By placing the computer in a family area, supervision becomes easier.

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Issue 43

10

Before starting:
Talk with the family about the importance of staying safe online and having an internet safety
plan.
Teach children how to use the internet safely. Use an educational program suitable for the
childs age.
Learn about the internet and the types of internet services children use. Check with the local
public library to see what courses are offered.
Set up correctly:
Determine if your internet service provider can assist with advice for staying safe online. If not,
switch to one that can look at where the computer is set up. If it is in a bedroom, move it to a
public area of the house where its easier to supervise and make sure safety software is installed
on the computer. This may include an internet content filter and other security software such as
anti-virus programs, spyware and adware and use a safe search engine for all web searches.
Create family guidelines:
Discuss the benefits and risks of going online with children and offer support if they get into trouble.
Create an internet safety contract with children, setting house rules for internet use.

When online:
Stay involved in the childs use of the internet and new technologies. Work with them. Set up an
account, join the childs friends and see what they are doing. It can be a fun experience for
parents to help the child set up their profile to make sure that they dont put too much personal
information online. Check the privacy settings for internet services and see how to report abuse.
Many social networking, virtual networks and gaming sites have facilities to do this. Supervise
and monitor the use of the internet, particularly with younger children. If issues arise, address
them quickly and know who to report problems to. Above all, keep the lines of communication
open. Children need to be confident that they can talk to an adult about whats happening,
without being afraid that theyre automatically going to get into trouble.

FOOTBALL PLAYERS - Lachie

Hunter and Koby Stevens from
the Western Bulldogs Football
Club visited us and conducted
a football clinic. They shared
some of their football
experiences, demonstrated
their kicking and ball-handling
skills as well as promoted the
importance of a good
education.

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Issue 43

11

Axe Creek Community Playgroup

When
Where

Monday Mornings 9.30am -11am

Friday Mornings
9am - 10.30am
Eppalock PS Old School Building.149 Patons Road Axe Creek
(just a few minutes from Strathfieldsaye)

Morning Tea & activities provided

Gold Coin Donation
For further information please phone (03) 5439 6366
email: eppalock.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au
http://www.eppalockps.vic.edu.au

All Welcome

Made in Australia.

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Issue 43

12

Latest from Axe Creek Landcare

The Axe Creek Landcare Committee meet at Eppalock Primary School,
in the old staffroom on the first Monday of each month
at 8.00 pm during daylight saving period
or at 7.30 pm for the rest of the year.
We have two or three public meetings during the year, generally with a guest speaker.
Topics in the past have included weeds, pest animals, sustainable soils, gardening, animal husbandry, grasses. We also hold field days, working bees and excursions.
Members of the community are always welcome to attend any meeting!

We extend to all readers a warm invitation to the next Landcare group Public Meeting. It will
be on Monday 7th July at 7.30 pm. Our own Peter Greenshields will be the Guest Speaker so
you can be confident of an entertaining and informative evening. His topic is (somewhat
anachronistically) Making a Living on Twentysix Acres accompanied by cheese tasting. Do
come! As it happens this will be the Annual General Meeting. We make a practice of ensuring
there are nominations for the various positions before the night, though extra nominations on
the night are also welcome. You can be sure that you will not be bludgeoned into a role you
dont want.
We also invite readers to get involved in our latest project. Thanks to success with a grant application, we will soon be taking delivery of about $7000 dollars worth of nesting boxes for
birds and small mammals to be erected on private land. These will be distributed among interested Axe Creek Landcare members. Ask for more information!
The Committee meets on the first Monday of each month from February until November at Eppalock Primary School, in the Community Room. Until daylight saving resumes, meetings start
at 7.30 pm.
Any community member is very welcome to come to these committee meetings. You can find
out what is going on, ask for information or help, make some project suggestions To find out
more, ring Steve Williams: 5439 6415.

LANDCARE FUNDING SLASHED IN THE FEDERAL BUDGET

We shouldnt be surprised, I guess. The Federal Government wont fund any new community
Landcare grants over the next four years.
The National Landcare Program allocation is going down by half a billion dollars.
I am not sure what this will mean for the Axe Creek Landcare Group. We are told that natural
resource management bodies will get funding so I would assume that the Loddon Campaspe
Catchment Management Authority will have money and maybe some of that will be disbursed in local grants. However it is reported that the natural resource management bodies
are having their funding cut by 20% over each of the next three years.
The Chairman of the National Landcare Network, David Walker is reported as saying that
some landcare groups may be forced to shut down altogether. Not us yet!

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13

DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE DEPI WATER REBATE PROGRAM?

All Victorian households can access home and garden
rebates under the Living Victoria Water Rebate
Program, even if they are self-supplied and not
connected to a reticulated water supply.
The program will continue for products purchased and installed up to 30th June 2015.
The following are included:

Rainwater tank rebates

$850 (2,0003,999 litres connected to toilet and/or laundry)

$1,300 (4,000 litres or greater connected to toilet or laundry)

$1,500 (4,000 litres or greater and connected to toilet and laundry)

Tank to toilet and/or laundry connections are now $500.

Tank rebates are now extended to existing homes that received building permits
between 1 July 2005 and 1 May 2011.

Washing machine rebates for 5-star water (WELS) and at least a 4-star energy rated
models.
For more information go to: http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/water/saving-water/water-rebateprogram

MORE ABOUT BRIDAL CREEPER

In last years Winter Edition of the Newsletter, I
wrote about Bridal Creeper, a really nasty
weed that has not yet established itself in our
area.
Bridal Creeper, as I said, looks pretty and innocuous when it first appears. The plants initially are not very obvious for the stems are very
delicate and the leaves are small. However
they can grow on to choke out other vegetation. They can do this because the thin stems
grow from rhizomes or tubers that make such a
dense mat underground that nothing else can
grow. Meanwhile the plants climbing habit
enables them to smother plants aboveground.
Thoroughly nasty!
At our place we had quite an infestation in small areas under trees. We blame roadside bridal
creeper plants near us for this. The council sprayed those and we attacked ours by digging
out the small plants (importantly together with the tubers) and sprayed the bigger ones.
I felt fairly confident that we were on top of our local problem because I had learnt that the
plants have to be three years old before they produce seed that birds can spread in their
droppings.
So, when, recently, I inspected those areas where wed found bridal creeper before, I was not
best pleased to see several small bridal creepers starting to creep. When I looked further and
found dozens of plants, some now with stems a couple of feet long, I felt extremely discouraged. From now until September is the ideal time to dig and spray so well have to get on with
it!
The reason for telling this sad story is that I am really keen for local people to be aware of bridal creeper and to help to exterminate it. At this stage, we have a chance of getting on top of
it.
The Landcare group is keen to help with control, so do feel welcome to contact us if you find
any.
Gillian Wells

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Climate Change and Good News

Its not often that these two ideas go together but I recently attended a week at World Vision in
Melbourne that gave some bright news. I am currently studying Aid and Development and the
impact of climate change on those least responsible for carbon emissions (the poor and least
developed communities of the world). I have been deeply challenged personally on how my
lifestyle choices are contributing to the suffering of others, which is uncomfortable and confronting. I cant help thinking that, for most, our unwillingness to own the responsibility to address the
problem is more seated in our addiction to our god of consumerism and economic growth than
a genuine suspicion about the science.

Now with that out of my system I would love to share about the work of Tony Renaudo in Niger
who presented to us at World Vision. Tony is an Australian who worked for a Christian mission
organisation in Niger with his family for seventeen years as an agricultural consultant in mostly
regeneration projects.
After this time he had little to show for his work as droughts, the encroaching desert and the
firewood needs of desperate people overwhelmed their meagre efforts. Such was the story for
most agencies and the government working to fight back the sands of the Sahara in Niger. At
that time Tony stumbled on an idea.

Whilst travelling in what looked like a desert area Tony noticed some small clumps of green,
which on investigation turned out to be tree stumps with green shoots. These were the underground remnant of vast forests that through browsing livestock and firewood collection had
never been able to regenerate. Stumps with extensive, drought surviving root systems wanting to
grow.
Using simple coppicing techniques (cutting off side shoots to promote growth in the healthiest
few shoots) he began to work with local farmers to coppice and protect areas of land. The
results were astounding and in a couple of years those who took part in the trials were seeing
amazing regeneration and associated crop improvements. The trees grew and created microenvironments, which attracted birds and wildlife, which spread seed and more plants grew.
The upshot was that the idea went viral across Niger and has now spread to at least eleven
African countries, five Asian countries including places more locally like East Timor.
Over 5 million hectares of land has been revegetated in Niger due to this approach and the
associated benefits to farmers and communities is enormous. Niger is now the only African
country with net a-forestation rather than deforestation. Good news for subsistence farmers and
good news for reducing the carbon load in the atmosphere.
If you would like to read more look up Tony Rinaudo on You Tube or read the Age article called
The Tree Whisperer on the net.
Barry Ward
Axe Creek Landcare Group

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Church News
St Stephens will celebrate its 125th anniversary later this year, which will sadly be the final
official Anglican Church activity on this site.
The Church building was recently found to have some issues following termite attacks in the
last few years. This was followed by more detailed inspections by engineers who advised that
it would be unwise to hold public services of worship within the Church building.
Of course this has left our congregation upset that we had lost the use of the building so
suddenly. We have since held a service at Easter on the site (in another building), and there
will be some activity around the buildings in coming months in preparation for the changes
and the final service. But our regular fortnightly services at Emu Creek have had to be shifted
into the Strathfieldsaye Uniting Church in Wellington Street. The St Stephens congregation is
very grateful to the Uniting Church for their generous hospitality in this time of need.
For more information about the final service at St Stephens, we hope to have the date/time
in an upcoming issue of the Axe Creek News.
The combined St Stephens Anglican and Strathfieldsaye Uniting Churches partnership continues to grow in numbers, in friendship and activities. In May a Mystery Bus Tour group travelled to St Arnaud for Church and to tour some historical centres. At the same time back in
Strathfieldsaye, another whole congregation was present for the regular 9am service, ably
lead by a Uniting Church Elder, Max Ellery. Both groups had a very enjoyable time, and
missed each other in the process!
Our regular weekend services are held at Strathfieldsaye Uniting Church (920 Wellington St):
Saturday at 5pm Family Church with kids talk and songs, activities and monthly Lords
Supper (Holy Communion)
Sunday at 9am Traditional Church with Holy Communion on the 1st, 2nd & 4th Sundays of
the month, and alternating Uniting/Anglican
style services.
We dont mind if you are from the Uniting
(Methodist/Presbyterian) or Anglican (Church of England) Churches, or neither, or nothing you will be
most welcome to come in and join us for a Church
service and a cuppa. We would love to meet you!

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axecreeknews@gmail.com

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Community News

email us at axecreeknews@gmail.com

STRATHFIELDSAYE BOWLS
CLUB

welcomes
all new members,
men and women.

Poo Pile!
If you need manure
for your garden,
please contact Jan
Mellor on 5439 3144 or email
jan_mellor@iinet.net.au.

We are particularly in
need of ladies who would like to play during the
week so there would be a specially enthusiastic
welcome for them.
If you are interested in finding out more about the
Club, ring Anne Butler, ph. 5439 3678 (ladies) or
Adrian Morris, ph. 5449 3799 (men).

Community Gamelan group

Mugi Rahayu is your local gamelan (Javanese music and dance) group. We are from
Eppalock and we practice weekly and perform at various cultural events and fundraisers around the district. No experience required and its free.
New members Welcome
Practice every Sunday 2:00 pm at 101 Carneys Rd, Eppalock.
Contact Nita or Aaron on: 54392678

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email: bagus_kan@yahoo.com

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Kids Corner
Make a pet rock
A pet rock is fun to create and, best of all, it is a pet kids love that requires no care! Follow
these simple steps and the kids will have
theirs in no time!
What you need:

smooth rocks
paint
paintbrush
craft materials to decorate (wool,
googly eyes, felt, etc.)

Activity:
You can make this into a longer activity
by hunting for rocks first around your
home, a nearby park or similar.
Tell your kids to find the smoothest ones and then on the way home, discuss the best name
for your child's new pet.
Encourage your child to bring their pet to life by adding a face using paints and craft materials glued on. For example, you can use googly eyes, a button for a nose, wool for hair or
just use a paintbrush and paint these on.
Send us your pet rock photos.

More craft ideas via www.kidspot.com.au

Jul 14 -19.
Farm Safety Week is about raising awareness of farm safety
issues across Australia. This year's theme is Farm Safety - Fix It
for Everyone, highlighting the importance of business & industry collaboration.
For more information: www.farmsafe.org.au

Volunteers Wanted - Kids Only!

Attention Kids - Do you enjoy reading? Would
you like to share your thoughts on a recent
read with other young readers? Contact us at
axecreeknews@gmail.com to express your
interest in becoming a Book Reviewer for the
Newsletter.
axecreeknews@gmail.com

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Child Friendly City Site

Have you visited the City of Greater Bendigo Child Friendly City Site. Designed with Kids
in mind it is a site full of information on Bendigo - activities, history, games & more.
The walking map below is from the site. Jump online and have a look.
http://www.childfriendlycity.com.au/

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