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 59. Winter 2018

• Welcome

Welcome to another jam packed issue of the Axe Creek & Ep- • Community Notice Board
palock community Newsletter. • CFA News

In this issued you will find details to keep you home and property • Eppalock PS Update
safe during the winter months courtesy of the CFA. • Axe Creek Playgroup
If you flip to the back cover, you will also find details of the Ep- • Landcare’s Latest
palock Primary School’s Celebration on their 5 Star Achievement
in sustainability. Congratulations to all involved. • Church News

• CWA News
While on the topic of sustainability, the Landcare group has pro-
vided some great insight into plastic bag recycling. • Community News

• Kids Corner
As always if you have anything to share with the community,
please email us at axecreeknews@gmail.com
Sam Spence

Advertise your Business AND help the Community Thank you to this issues
Contributors

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

Half Page $50

Marie Mannes - Eppalock
PS
Quarter Page $25 Fees charged help cover printing costs.
Kristie Smith, Gillian Wells &
Advertising deadline for future issues: Jan Mellor - Axe Creek
Spring 2018 August 31st
Landcare
Summer 2019 December 1st Steve Weickhardt - Angli-
Autumn 2019 Mar 4th can Parish
Winter 2019 June 1st Contact us via axecreeknews@gmail.com Bev Sutherland— CWA
News

axecreeknews@gmail.com Issue 59 1
 Community Notice Board
Emergency Contact Numbers
Fire, Police & Ambulance 000
(life threatening or time critical emergencies only)

Vic Emergency Hotline 1800 226 226

Information about all emergencies, including bushfires, storms and floods

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
Local Churches
DSE www.dse.vic.gov.au
Vic Roads www.vicroads.vic.gov.au

Strathfieldsaye Community Church

School Terms 920 Wellington St, Strathfieldsaye

2018 Combined Service - Sunday Mornings – 9.30am

St Joseph’s Catholic Church

Term 1 Cnr Axe Creek & Strathfieldsaye/Eppalock Rds.
Sunday Mornings – 9am
30 Jan – 29 Mar

Term 2 All Welcome

16 Apr – 29 Jun

Term 3
Axe Creek CFA
16 Jul – 21 Sept

Term 4 Captain Neil Irving-Dusting

8 Oct – 21 Dec 5439 6388

axecreeknews@gmail.com Issue 59 2
 CFA News From Axe Creek Brigade
PEOPLE NEWS
Steve Cooke, Peter Fitzpatrick and Tom Houlahan have joined the team of active firefighters, having
completed their basic training.
There are some changes at the top, too, following the brigade elections in May. Bill Ashby has stepped
down as lieutenant, and becomes Vice-President. Brad Knight has stepped up to be a lieutenant. Neil
Irving-Dusting continues as Captain, and many of the other officers retain their current roles.
After 18 years as Communications Officer Jan Mannes is getting ready to hang up the telephone. Her
job has been one of the ‘back room’ support roles so necessary to help the more visible members in yel-
low overalls to combat fires. Time and time again—even away on holiday—she has dropped other tasks
to organise crews or to keep those back home in touch with what’s happening on the fire front. Thanks,
Jan! She has agreed to continue in the role until a replacement has been formalised in time for the next
fire season.

Here are the brigade officers for the next two years:
Captain Neil Dusting Community Safety Coord. Sheryl Batrouney
First Lieutenant Scott Houlahan Health & Safety Coord. Ian Tyrell
Second Lieutenant Greg Henderson Training Coordinator Brad Knight
Third Lieutenant Russel Mannes President Steve Costall
Fourth Lieutenant Brad Knight Vice- President Bill Ashby
Communications Officer (vacant) Secretary/Treasurer Nigel Wheadon
Apparatus Officer Michael Batrouney Public Relations Sheryl Batrouney
Deputy App. Officer Dennis Barnett Junior Leader Brad Knight

VICTORIAN PREVENTABLE HOUSE FIRE STATISTICS

Cooking and electrical fires still cause the most house fires across Victoria, according to CFA’s latest pre-
ventable fire statistics. In 2017, in CFA districts, there were 1588 preventable house fires, causing more
than $42 million in damage.
Most preventable fires start in the kitchen, followed
by lounge rooms, bedrooms, chimneys and then
garages.
TOP THREE CAUSES OF FIRES
Number %
Cooking 438 28%
Electrical 403 25%
Heating 266 17%
Electrical fires are the largest cause of property loss,
causing an estimated $9.8 million in damage.
CFA Acting Chief Officer Garry Cook said, “Working smoke alarms save lives. This is clearly demonstrat-
ed through the fact that while there were more than 1500 preventable house fires across the state,
property loss was far greater than the loss of life.”
“Our message is clear. Check your smoke alarm’s battery and if your smoke alarm is aged 10 years or
more the whole unit should be changed.
“The best way to stop a fire is to teach a person how to be safe in the home and stop a fire before it
even begins.
“Whether we are educating people about not drying clothes too close to the heater, never leaving
cooking unattended, or keeping lighters away from children, it is all part of our ultimate goal of protect-
ing life and property.”

axecreeknews@gmail.com Issue 59 3
 TICK OFF ON CFA'S HOME SAFETY TIPS
Now we’re into winter—the busiest time of year for
house fires, with the likelihood of residential fires in-
creasing by around 20 per cent.
Acting Chief Officer Garry Cook is reminding Victori-
ans to perform safety checks to stay safe in their
home this winter.
“Preventable house fires are everyone’s responsibil-
ity and it’s important that we are all aware of the
dangers that can occur in our homes” he said.
It’s essential to know that smoke alarms more than
10 years old should be replaced as they may be-
come unreliable. CFA recommends photo-electric
smoke alarms powered by a 10-year lithium battery.
When installed and maintained correctly these
smoke alarms detect smoke the quickest, alerting
you earlier and giving you more time to evacuate to
safety.
Fires can occur at any time, but the personal risk is
greatest at night when we are asleep. When we
sleep we can lose our sense of smell.
Using heating to dry clothes is common during win-
ter, so keep clothing a safe distance from heaters
and always clean the lint filters in clothes dryers. Al-
ways turn off electrical appliances that are not be-
ing used and avoid placing weighty objects on
beds with electric blankets.
Acting Chief Officer Cook also reminded people to
take care when cooking in the kitchen, as this is the
single largest cause of fire in the home.
“Always stay close to the stove when you’re cooking
and turn off the elements once finished will reduce
the chance of a fire caused by cooking.
“If you are heading away for a long weekend, or for
a longer break during the school holidays, make
sure to turn off power to electrical appliances and
let a neighbour know you are away” he said.
Check out CFA’s complete home fire safety check list at https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/
home-fire-safety-checklist

axecreeknews@gmail.com Issue 59 4
 FROM THE ARCHIVES
House fires catch people unawares. In 1894 there was no fire brigade, and no 000 phone service:
Bendigo Independent, Monday 19 March 1894
A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT AXE CREEK.
CR. THOS. CRAIKE BURNT OUT.
A very serious loss befel Cr. Thos. Craike, of Axe Creek, president of the Strathfieldsaye Shire at an
early hour yesterday morning, his house and household belongings being totally destroyed by fire.
Mr. and Mrs. Craike who ware the only occupants of tho house retired to bed at about 9.30 o'clock
on Saturday night. Everything at that hour appeared to be alright, and no sign or smell of anything
burning was noticeable. About half an hour past midnight, however, Mr. Craike was awakened sud-
denly by hearing the crackling of fire. He immediately jumped out of bed and aroused Mrs. Craike.
The bedroom was full of smoke, but Mr. Craike succeeded in getting bis wife up out of bed without
any loss of time. The place was then a mass of flames, and it was a work of the utmost difficulty that
they succeeded in escaping from the burning ruins, having scarcely lime to snatch up a few clothes.
Mr. Craike then aroused two men and a boy who were sleeping in an outhouse. However, their ser-
vices were of very little avail. An attempt was made to extinguish the flames with buckets of water
from an iron tank close at hand. The attempt, however, proved fruitless, and in about 20 minutes tho
house was burnt to ashes, not an article of furniture or anything else being saved. The house, which
was. of weatherboard, consisted of five rooms and a kitchen. The fire, it is thought, originated in a
bedroom, the next but one to the room where Mr. and Mrs. Craike were sleeping. The only cause
that can be advanced for the fire is that Mrs. Craike, who was in the room where the fire is supposed
to have started, left a candle burning there, and some draperies or curtains accidentally became
ignited. When Mr. Craike first became aware that his house was on fire the flames were then con-
fined to the one room. The flames must have spread with considerable rapidity, for when the services
of the men were secured the whole building was alight. When it became evident that all efforts to
save the house itself were fruitless, attention was directed to the outhouses, stabling, etc., with the
result that these suffered not at all…
Mrs. Craike, as it can be easily understood, suffered considerably from the shock. She was taken over
to her son's residence, and there attended to. Amongst the property destroyed were about a dozen
medals won by Mr. Craike for exhibits of wine at various shows, also the cup which was second prize
given in Bendigo for the best cultivated vineyard and orchard. If the fire had occurred a few days
later these probably would have been saved. Mr. Craike some months ago bought a fire-proof safe
in Bendigo, but as he did not think that he would require any immediate use for it, he left it in the
shop until Thursday last, when his son brought it home. The safe was put down just outside the house,
it being intended to transfer any little trinket or valuable articles into it to-day (Monday)...The loss will
no doubt, be a severe
one, but Mr. Craike has
one consolation and that
is the fact that his cellar
and stock of wine and
vineyard chattels es-
caped uninjured.

axecreeknews@gmail.com Issue 59 5
 Eppalock Primary School

We celebrated Education Week

in style at Eppalock Primary.

We had ‘past student’ Bernie Mannes speak at our assembly on Monday morning. Many of our stu-
dents know Bernie the bus driver, but not many knew he was a past student. What made his visit that bit
more memorable was that we asked his grandson Will to do the interview for us. The Mannes family has
been attending Eppalock PS for 5 generations. Bernie spoke about his old classroom being in the Old
School Building (which is now the new kitchen space), riding his bike to school, some of his teachers,
what might have happened if he got in trouble and also mentioned the interesting and not so inviting
student jobs they had to do at the school. Thanks Bernie for coming along! We presented Bernie with a
special Eppalock PS pen to say thanks for coming in.

That night we had a number of new and existing families attend our 2019 Prep information session. Staff
and school council members spoke about our school and the opportunities we offer to students and
families. Grade 6 student, Reuben, stood in front of the group of adults and spoke very clearly about
what he likes about being at Eppalock Primary and his time here. He did such a great job. We were all
so proud of Reuben for being willing to contribute to his ‘school community’ in such a positive manner.

Eppalock Primary School is currently taking enrolments for the 2019 school year – if anyone is interested,
please contact the school for an appointment (5439 6366).

Our Open Morning and Special Person day was well attended by families and it was great to be able to
get some special family photos. The morning was completed with a delicious shared morning tea. A
huge thanks to the many families who contributed a plate to share for this day.

During the week we had a couple of informal musical performances from a talented group who have
been learning instruments at school each week with Drew Thorpe’s instrumental music business. These
students were outstanding when you consider they have been only learning for a short time. Drew con-
tinues to speak highly of our students and the way they have been applying themselves to learning
these instruments.

We also had the Spring Gully Bush Kinder group join us for an activity morning. Our prep and grade 1
students mixed with the kinder group to participate in some inside and outside experiences. This was
organised to return the favour from last year when our students visited the kinder to help with some work
on a Frog Pond.

To celebrate indigenous culture as a lead into Reconciliation Week, staff ran a series of activities includ-
ing indigenous games - Keentan which is a keepings off game and Bowitgee where you keep your ball
from touching the ground. We also participated in ochre crushing and mixing to make paint and indige-
nous art where children painted didgeridoos & digging sticks.
We finished the day by making damper on a stick, indigenous stories and Aboriginal dance to a song
from the Torres Strait.
The smiles suggest that everyone had a fantastic time!

axecreeknews@gmail.com Issue 59 6
Persuasive writing
‘Why students should not have to go to school on Saturdays’ from Grade 3 student, Henry.

Reuben (Grade 6)

Some people think that libraries are dead because we have computers and search engines. I think that
libraries are not dead at all. There are many reasons that libraries are not dead here are a few reasons.
It can be argued that libraries are not dead, because computers and search engines cost money. It
costs money to buy NBN and data but you can access books easily at libraries for free. So people with-
out enough money for a device can borrow books for free. When I was younger I couldn’t pay for these
things like WiFi so I couldn’t use computers but I could borrow books from the library.

Another reasons is that on computers and search engines you have to search and search for hours on
heaps of different websites. I really hate searching for ages so I reckon that if you just get a book on the
topic you want and then you only have to look through the one book to get all the information so its
way easier to just grab a book and get everything you need then.

My third reason is that with computers and iPhones etc. you need to charge them so if you’re research-
ing on a device it could go flat and then you have to wait for it to charge and then you can start re-
searching again. But with a book it doesn’t need charging at all so you can just grab a book and get
all the info you need. As if that isn’t easier. I myself could not wait for my phone or computer to charge
because it takes excessively long.

My last reason is that computers and search engines are bad for your eyes because a computer if you
are on a computer looking on different websites for hours you are looking with your eyes then you can
get square eyes, headaches and your vision can get worse. However, with books you can look in, get
your info fast and your eyes are not looking at the screen the whole time.

Therefore, I hope you agree that libraries are not dead because computers and search engines cost
money, give you headaches, they have to charge and you have to search for hours and many more
reasons.

axecreeknews@gmail.com Issue 59 7
 WALK TO SCHOOL DAY & SOCIAL SERVICE ACTIVITY

Friday 18th May was a very busy day at Eppalock Primary! It

started with 32 students kickstarting their day with a Walk to
School.

Students, staff and parents met at the corner of Patons Road

and Mannes Lane to start the walk. All students conducted
themselves in such a respectful and responsible manner as we
walked along Patons Road. We were so proud of our student
group and so grateful for the wonderful support of our families.

The attached
photos captures
the great com-
munity feeling
that we have and
should never take
for granted.
Thanks to every-
one who made
this possible and
so enjoyable.

We also had ‘Live for Lily’ day which involved cas-

ual clothes and icy poles as well as Mr O, Mr Mac
and Lydia getting ‘sponged’ by the students!!!

An example of our community minded students is

that Grade 4 student, Dasha was able to initiate
an idea of raising money for the ‘Live for Lily’ cam-
paign. With some involvement from home, she
raised the idea at school and was able to follow a
process of taking it to Junior School Council and
together they organised the day resulting in
$204.00 being raised for ‘Live for Lily’. What a
great achievement by a student to rally our school
community into action for this worthy cause. Well
done Dasha, Junior school Council group, Mr Mac
and everyone who contributed. Supporting social
service activities and giving back to the community is very important.

axecreeknews@gmail.com Issue 59 8
Students putting together some bird boxes and working on the garden.

Lots of ‘hands-on’ learning taking place.

Special Persons Day 2018

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axecreeknews@gmail.com Issue 59 10
 Axe Creek Landcare
The Axe Creek Landcare Committee meets at Eppalock Primary School
in the Community Room
on the first Monday of each month
at 8.00 pm during the daylight saving months
or at 7.30 when we are on EST.

Meetings and activities of interest to the general public are advertised on the notice
board in the Strathfieldsaye Shopping Centre.

Members of the community are always welcome to attend any meeting!

UPCOMING LANDCARE EVENTS:

AGM: The Axe Creek Landcare Group will hold its AGM on Monday 2nd July at 7.30pm in the Community
Centre at the Eppalock School (on the corner of Axe Creek Rd and Patons Rd). We expect that there will
be nominations for all committee positions before the meeting.

Members of the general public are invited to hear our guest speakers, Simon Brown and Alison Jeavons
from Forest Fire Management Victoria. Fuel reduction burns affect us all, even if only by stimulating our
nostrils with the smell of smoke. Some people are anxious about damage they may cause, and others
believe that the risk of wildfire could be greatly reduced if there were more fuel reduction burn. Accurate
information would help. Simon and Alison will talk about the objectives to be achieved by burning, what
goes into planning a burn and the benchmarks to be met. It will be a very interesting evening, and every-
one is warmly invited. Come at 8.00 pm if you are just interested in the talk.

Planned excursion to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne. We are planning this event for Sunday 28th
October. It will be a fantastic day out, for these breathtaking gardens provide an enormous native plant
display showcasing vegetation types from different parts of Australia, including bushland, and demon-
strating ways that Australian native plants can be used in
home gardens.

In spring it will be at its peak and the flowers will be beauti-

ful.

Everyone – Landcare Member or not – is welcome to join

us for this excursion. At this stage, we would like expressions
of interest to help us decide whether we hire a bus or take
our own cars.

Please email Gillian Wells jandg@wellsoz.net if you are in-

terested in joining us on this trip and to get more infor-
mation. Families most welcome. There is something for
everyone. We don’t have transport costs yet. They will de-
pend on how many people join us. Entry is free. Check out
the website to see just how amazing is this garden!

axecreeknews@gmail.com Issue 59 11
OTHER LANDCARE NEWS…

Members and landholders involved are delighted to report success with our application to DELWP for a
grant of over $45 000 to be used for protecting vegetation remnants and establishing new vegetation
corridors to connect private properties to the Pilchers Bridge Nature Conservation Reserve. Work will be
starting soon… We hope to see more species of temperate woodland birds spread out from the Nature
Reserve into the surrounding landscape.

And in connection with our Indian Myna pest project, I was distressed to find a message on our answer-
ing machine from someone interested in borrowing an Indian Myna trap who didn’t leave a phone
number. If you happen to be the person who rang, please try again on 5439 6240 or 0429 396 242! We’re
keen to help!

REPORT ON HORSE CARE SEMINAR HELD ON 25TH APRIL 2018 AT THE PROPERTY OF JAN & TONY
MELLOR:

A small but enthusiastic group gathered at 125 Axe Creek Rd

on Sunday the 25th March for a presentation of Caring for
Horses in our local environment.

We covered the following topics of interest to horse or pony

owners.

Hay: There are many varieties of hay, many which are not suit-
able for ponies. Hay has varying levels of sugar
(carbohydrate) and depending on the type of pasture you
have and the type of horse or pony, you need to source an appropriate hay for them. Most hay these
days is designed to fatten cattle and is not at all appropriate for especially ponies. High levels of sugar
causes laminitis, an inflammatory condition of the laminae in the hoof. This is the connective tissue that
joins the outer wall of the hoof to the internal structures. This disease is the curse of ponies and to a lesser
extent horses. In recent years there has been an explosion of laminitis, due mainly to the improved pas-
tures that are being fed to horses. This extremely painful and often fatal condition needs very careful
management. It is prevented by paying particular attention to the hay and green grass that is fed to
ponies.

The two are inextricably linked. We looked at different types of hay, how to test for sugar, and the vari-
ous ways of feeding the hay out. Oaten hay has been identified as the culprit in the rotting of horses’
teeth due to its high sugar content. Horses love it, but it was not designed as a horse feed. It is, however,
used extensively for horses. I strongly recommend a slow feeder hay net which gives a pony food all day
and doesn’t leave them standing around for hours on end with no feed. It also prevents gorging and
keeps the horses’ digestive system working as nature intended.

With our very dry summers, most small properties are eaten out by about Christmas, and you will be to-
tally handfeeding your horse or pony for the next several months.

We also discussed prepared feeds, i.e. sweet feeds and talked about the pressure from advertising and
feed companies. The staple diet of any horse or pony needs to be copious amounts of roughage in the
form of low sugar hay and low sugar grass.

We looked at hoof care and the need or otherwise for shoeing a horse. I emphasized the importance of
good hoof care in the form of regular trimming to maintain hoof function and soundness.

We discussed the unnecessary rugging of horses in this climate. Shetland ponies, Welsh Mountain ponies
and the like have originated from the very cold northern hemisphere where they exist on rough moun-
tain pasture. They are well equipped to live outdoors without rugs as long as they have some shelter
from the prevailing weather and the sun.

Questions were encouraged throughout the session which finished with a welcome cuppa and more
general conversation.

axecreeknews@gmail.com Issue 59 12
THOSE PESKY PLASTIC BAGS: Jan Mellor

Plastic is a hot topic these days. Our excessive use of it is drowning the planet in a sea of plastic. Quite
literally in the cases of creatures who live in the sea. The weekly shop for food
sends me into a decline over the amount of plastic I end up with. Even the
magazines to which we subscribe are all wrapped in plastic. Up until now we
have not been able to recycle this pesky stuff.

Now due to public pressure and the good works of REPLAS you can now recy-
cle all your soft plastics. What you need to do is have, for example, a bread
bag and stuff all your soft scrunchable plastic into the one bag. When it is full,
squeeze out the air and knot the top. Now you can drop it into any Coles or
Woolworths Store where a REDCYCLE BIN is conveniently located at the front
of the store.

All this plastic is made into a great range of useful items, like road signs, bol-
lards, park benches - and the list goes on and on. Check out REPLAS website
and FB page.

If you can squash the plastic in your hand into a soft ball then it can be recycled.

Have you Noticed our Vibrant Visitors? Kristie Smith

In groups of 10-20, the critically endangered Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolour) makes its annual journey
across Bass Strait to Australia’s mainland, where it spends winter feeding on lerps and Eucalypt nectar.
The migration disperses throughout the mainland concentrating in Victoria and New South Wales, and
sometimes reaching parts of Queensland, South Australia and ACT. Its destination is largely determined
by the availability of flowering Box and Ironbark species.

Central Victoria is an important feeding spot for Swifties providing nectar from Grey Box E. microcarpa,
Red Ironbark E. tricarpa, Mugga Ironbark E. sideroxylon, Yellow Gum E. leucoxylon and White Box E. Al-
bens. The timing, duration, frequency and abundance of flowering in our eucalypt forests affects the
number of Swifties we see in our area from year to year.

Local Sightings
This year our visitors have been sighted along Emu Creek Road and around Sedgwick. A team of 1,000
volunteers across Australia assist in the monitoring of the Swifties, providing two field surveys annually to
The Swift Parrot Recovery Team (May and August). The team collates the data and uses it to analyse lo-
cations and monitor foraging areas. We do not yet have the results from the May count.

Looking and behaving similar to some lorikeets, it can be difficult to correctly identify the Swift Parrot. It
can be distinguished in flight by its longer pointier tail and bright red patches under its wings. It is predomi-
nantly green with a red forehead, chin and throat. A Swift Parrot can also be identified by its distinct call
“kik-kik-kik”.

Conservation
The Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) lists the
Swift Parrot as ‘Critically Endangered’ and relevant state and territories list them as a threatened species.

Populations are estimated to be somewhere in the vicinity of 1,000 breeding pairs and likely in decline
due to the continued destruction of habitat and the predatory threat of the Sugar Glider.

Deforestation
The Swifties return to Tasmania in spring to begin breeding. Their return coincides with the flowering of
their main food source, the Tasmanian Blue Gum E. globulus. Unfortunately, Tasmania’s remaining forest
continues to be logged and habitats decimated.

Recently the ABC reported on the disappointment of scientists who discovered a nesting site was felled.
Tasmania’s Government claims to have measures in place to protect Nationally Listed endangered spe-
cies that are dependent on their forests, but it is upsetting to hear that this particular area is in fact a

axecreeknews@gmail.com Issue 59 13
“registered logging coupe for Sustainable Timber Tasmania” (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-12/
endangered-swift-parrot-nesting-boxes-destroyed-in-logging/9142214), despite being a known and sci-
entifically monitored nesting site for the last decade.

Sugar Gliders
Sugar Gliders were introduced to Tasmania a century ago. Unfortunately these adorable furry friends
eat the eggs, the young and the adult Swifties. It is estimated that up to half the female Swift Parrots
nesting on mainland Tasmania are eaten by sugar gliders each year. Excellent work has been done to
counter this threat by Australian National University’s Dr Dejan Stojanovic. His efforts include a recent
crowd-funding effort which raised $40,000 in a matter of hours and enabled the building of 100 state-of-
the-art nest boxes. These boxes are designed to block night predators with a solar-panelled gate.

Sugar Gliders have not yet been introduced to the islands surrounding Tasmania, making the success
rate of breeding in places like Bruny Island around 99%. So, why don’t the Swifts head to these islands to
breed each year? The resources on these islands are not sufficient to feed the entire population and the
periodic flowering habits of Blue Gums means that the food source is not guaranteed each year.

How can you help to support population growth?

Central Victorians have a role to play in the recovery of Swift Parrot populations. We can:
• ensure that our visitors have plenty of food resources, particularly large old Ironbark and Box Euca-
lypts which have potential to produce an abundance of flowers more reliably than younger trees;
• lobby Tasmanian Governments to stop deforestation;
• take tourism to Tasmanian forests;
• contribute to research by participating in annual bird counts (refer below for future count date
and contact);
• talk about them, point them out to your kids and talk about their
plight!

The next Swift Parrot count will take place in August Please contact
Landcare for further information if you would like to be involved.
Email: jandg@wellsoz.net
Phone: 5439 6240

Artist's impression of a Swift Parrot demonstrating distinctive features in flight

(by Debbie Frost)

When Mondays 1.30 pm – 3.15 pm

Thursdays 1.30 pm – 3.15 pm
Where Eppalock PS – Old School Building.149 Patons Road Axe Creek
(just a few minutes from Strathfieldsaye)
Come along and join other families for a cuppa and chat whilst your pre-school children enjoy lots of fun
activities. Fresh fruit is provided.

Morning Tea & activities provided.

Gold Coin Donation per child.

For further information please

phone (03) 5439 6366
email: eppalock.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au
http://www.eppalockps.vic.edu.au
All Welcome
axecreeknews@gmail.com Issue 59 14
 Church News
Seasons and Seasons.
That was a long, hot summer, wasn’t it? The heat blasted well into March, even April. Now we are in
winter and the woollies are out, the fire is roaring and we look to the sky for rain to restore the mois-
ture in the ground.
Seasons of creation come and go, providing us with rhythms of the year and a comfort in the rou-
tine. We are reminded in the Bible (Ecclesiastes 3) that seasons of life come and go, albeit in less pre-
dictable patterns. These seasons are of life and death, prosperity and dearth, mending and break-
ing, letting go and reuniting… they are all our experience from the cradle to the grave. Our respons-
es range from ecstasy to heart-break, sometimes so fast that we feel like we have emotional whip-
lash!
The same writer who wrote of the seasons of life in the Book of Ecclesiastes, also pointed out God’s
constant faithfulness in every season of life and every season of creation. God is there in the long
dark night of winter, the new life of spring, the furnace of summer, the colour of autumn.
The God who created us and our environment also entered into this creation and experienced all
these seasons personally. Jesus felt the searing heat of stones in the sun, the cold biting wind that
chills the bones and the emotional whiplash of pain and joy. He knew the heartbreak of betrayal
and false allegations, and the reality of physical death. Throughout all of it His love for creation, and
all people within it, was never diminished. Indeed, He did it all so that we may be fulfilled, to live in
the life we were created for but which is elusive in the seasons.
God is present in all seasons. He hears our cry of “How long?!” in the furnace of fear, disaster and
drought. He knows the numbness of the frost-bitten night that never seems to end. The difficulty for us
is that we are not prepared to listen to Him when He answers… We are so focussed on providing our
own answer, explanation or solution that we ignore whatever prompting or connection we are of-
fered. Especially when the Bible is dismissed outright as having no assistance or answers, and yet it
provides the narrative for our experience… there is a season for everything, and then
“God has made everything beautiful in its time, and He has set eternity on the hearts of all people;
yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end”.
Summer’s coming – then so is winter again. And again. And again. There will be times of summer and
winter in our own lives also. Be assured that God knows, and is present, in all times. Will you give Him
the time to speak to you in them?
Your local Rev,
Steve.

The Strathfieldsaye Community Church has a hall available

for hire for small to medium size groups with heating, kitchen
facilities and toilets all under the same roof, and plenty of
parking.

Contact details are on the sign on the front of our Church at

920 Wellington Street, Strathfieldsaye.
Please note that no alcohol is permitted.

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 CWA Bendigo Northern Group
We are looking for more local women to join for fun, friendship and community service.

Bendigo Branch are celebrating their 90th Birthday on September 7th. If you are a former member and
would like to help them celebrate please ring Joyce on 54483058 or email Bev on
bevsuth@bigpond.net.au
CWA was at “Groovin the Moo”. From putting handles back on to bags, sitting and chatting with peo-
ple wanting company, various other little helpful services and selling beannies and scarves to some of
the 20,000 people attending, made the day a truly wonderful experience....one that we were thankful
to be part of and to share.
Pictured is the 4 metre tall milk carton forming the top part of the water drinking fountain that we were
invited to yarnbomb at 'Groovin the Moo' by local Illustrator/Graphic Designer & Community Artist Tara
Kingston from RARAgrace.

CWA attended the Mandurang Valley Family Festival. The ACWW (Associated Country Women of the
World) Walk was held around the Mandurang Oval. The funds raised on the day will go towards bring-
ing women from the South Pacific Islands to attend the World Conference in Melbourne in 2019. Fol-
lowing the Walk, members manned the Merchandise Stall and finalised the knitting and crochet for the
yarn bombed Milk Carton at Groovin the Moo.
Our Meetings are open for anyone to come along, have a ’cuppa and a chat’ and see what we are
doing in the community. Times may change for functions. For more information see CWAbendigonorth-
erngroup on Facebook for updates about Meetings and Functions or contact Marilyn on 0404 334 855.

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 Community News

email us at axecreeknews@gmail.com

Poo Pile!
Need manure for your garden? Bags available from out the front of 125 Axe
Creek Rd at $2.00 each or phone
54393144 for a trailer load at $10-$15.00 per load.

All proceeds to Riding for the Disabled Association.

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 fund-
raisers around the district. No experience required and it’s free.
New members Welcome
Practice every Saturday 2:00 pm at 101 Carneys Rd, Eppalock.
Contact Nita or Aaron phone: 54392678
email: aaronita94@gmail.com

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 Kids Corner
How to make Puffy Paint?
There is something magical about Puffy Paint and it
is a must try for any child or toddler to paint and
play with. It is super easy to make with all the ingre-
dients you need right in your pantry and after your
child has finished painting, place it in the micro-
wave for the magic to happen…….It is SO much
FUN!!

You will need self-raising flour, salt, food colourings,

paint brushes, paint tray, measuring spoons, water
and cut up pieces of cardboard. There are a num-
ber of recipes out there for puffy paint but I had a
bit of an idea of what was included and had a
play around with the main ingredients until I found
the right consistency and quantity for our paint pots. Here is the recipe that I found to work well.

RECIPE FOR PUFFY PAINT

1 Tablespoon Self Raising Flour
1 Table Spoon Salt
3 Teaspoons Water Food Colouring
Continually mix the ingredients with a paint brush until all ingredients have combined well into a
paste.
Repeat the recipe for each colour.

How to make a native bird seed ornament

You will need

2 cups of native bird seed mix

4 tablespoons of flour
8 tablespoons of water
3 teaspoons of golden syrup
Drinking straw
Kitchen twine or string for hanging
Mixing bowl and spoon
Tray with parchment paper

Activity

Mix it all together and then press out on a piece of baking paper about 2 cm thick. Using a cookie cut-
ter cut the birdseed layer and remove the excess from the cutter.
Now, using a drinking straw cut out a hole at the top then gently remove the cutter. Leave to dry over-
night on the baking paper.
The next day gently flip it over and let the other side dry. When dry use a length of string and feed
through the hole at the top.
Hang where birds can perch to feed.
We love being in our garden, there is so much to learn, and our native wildlife is definitely part of it. This is
a great way for the kids to have fun through hands on learning and play, right in your own family gar-
den.
For more awesome projects visit Family Garden Life or follow them on Facebook. Discover ways to con-
nect in your garden.
From Kidspot.com.au

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