Proudly published by
ABN 58 129 541 706
February / March 2015
Issue 58
Ya c k a n d a n d a h Yo u n g P l a y e r s o f f
to strut their stuff in Melbourne
It’s certainly not every day that a junior theatre group has the chance to perform at the incredibly well-known Melbourne International
Comedy Festival.
And wouldn’t you just know that it would be
Yackandandah that would
produce the calibre of
young actors, director and a
fabulously funny play
to take on the challenge
of performing
to the discerning
audience that
attends this annual
Festival.
It will not only
experience for
but will
theatre
prove
and
You
by
Players’
get down to Melbourne yourself to see the play. You can also have a Yack Postcard left on your
to come and see Yack for themselves and find out why it’s such a great place to live.
be a terrific
the players,
help show-case
in rural areas and
just what great theatre
in particular, home
grown talent will be taking
Melbourne by storm in April!
can also show your appreciation
sponsoring a seat at a Yack Young
performance if you aren’t able to
sponsored seat to encourage people
See page 14 for information on how to get involved!
A U S T R A L I A D AY AWA R D S F O R
YA C K A N D A N D A H
James’s contribution to our community has been outstanding and on-going since
2000. James flies under the radar
with all that he puts into our
community and the Indigo
Shire as a whole. James was
one of the original group
that formed YCDCo
when the Yack petrol
station located in the
High Street was about
to close in 2002. He
was a volunteer for 11
years on the YCDCo
committee and spent
the last 4 of that time
as Chairman of the
Board.
He has been a
and Treasurer of
Committee which was
of the Yackandandah
the bike riding community.
economic growth, tourism
recognised mountain bike tracks.
Ya c k a n d a n d a h D i s t r i c t
Certificate of Achievement
– James Lacey
committee member
the Yackandandah Golf Club, a volunteer of the North East Water Community Consultative
formed when the region was suffering from a water shortage, James is currently a member
Chamber of Commerce and is a assisting with the encouragement of tourism and visitation by
James has been the voice of the community and business owners with matters relating to
and development. James has also been working closely with Council and DEPI to create a network of
Everyone will know James’s cheery face at the Newsagency, particularly on Saturday mornings when he fronts the shop. And as we all know, behind a
successful man is an equally supportive and successful partner - so thanks to Cassandra as well!
Visit our Town’s Tourist Information website, call in at the Old Post Office,
and make sure you take your visitors there.
There are some great people there to help you
uniqueyackandandah.com.au
YACKITY YAK
Yackity Yak is a free bi-monthly
publication aimed at providing news,
entertainment and information to the
people of Yackandandah.
Yackity Yak is published by YCDCo
(Yackity Yak) Pty Ltd. and 1250 copies
of Yackity Yak are printed with each
release with a minimum of 900 copies
distributed free of charge to homes in
the Yackandandah and surrounding area
via Australia Post.
CONTACT DETAILS:
Editor / Advertising / Printing / Accounts
Ali Pockley
Yackity Yak
C/- Yackandandah Post Office,
High Street,
Yackandandah VIC 3749
Ph: 0448 803 411
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.uniqueyackandandah.com.au
Yackity Yak wishes to advise that the views
and or remarks expressed in this publication
are not necessarily the views of Yackity
Yak editorial or production staff, and no
endorsement or service is implied by the
listing of advertisers or contributors.
ARE YOU A YACK BASED BUSINESS, OR DO YOU
SERVE THE YACK AREA?
Would you like to advertise in Yackity Yak?
We are always keen to attract advertisers for this great community paper. It has a
circulation of 1,250 and is delivered free of charge every two months.
It’s also available at the following outlets:
* YCDCo
*Doctors’ Surgeries
*YCC
*Yack PO
It’s a great way to get your message across to the Yack community & doesn’t cost an arm & a leg.
Speak with Ali if you would like to advertise & we will do our best to accommodate your wishes.
Tel. 0448 803 411 or email: [email protected]
YACKANDANDAH
KINDERGARTEN ENROLLING NOW
FOR 2015
3 YO Wednesday - 9 am to 2:30 pm
4 YO Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 8:30 am to 4pm
2015 DEADLINES:
Before Kinder Care and After Kinder
Care available from 7 am to 6 pm,
provided by the Yackandandah
Primary School Outside School Hours
Care Service. Children are taken to
the service via bus.
Forthcoming deadlines for submission of
advertisements and articles for the Yackity
Yak are 5pm on the following days:
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR
ADDITIONAL KINDER DAY NON
FUNDED
Although every effort is taken in reproducing
and printing advertisements correctly, we
take no responsibility for errors.
Issue 59 - April/May - Monday, 9th March, 2015
Issued 60 - June/July - Monday, 11th May, 2015
Issue 61 - Aug/Sept - Monday, 13th July, 2015
Issue 62 - Oct/Nov - Monday, 14 Sept, 2015
Issue 63 Dec/Jan - Monday, 9th Nov, 2015
Please note that all advertising must be
paid in full prior to that issue deadline.
We can make no exceptions.
All new advertisements or alterations to
current advertisements must be submitted
one business week (5 days) before the
deadline.
As per media law requirements, no
advertisements can be printed without a current,
completed and signed booking slip.
Expressions of interest for an
additional day of Kindergarten, outside
the two funded days, are being
sought. If you have an interest in your
child attending a third day of Kinder
in our educational program, please
contact us. This is a full fee paying
day not funded by the Government,
and is available to all 3 and 4 year old
children in our local community.
For more info please contact us on
02 6027 1560 or yackandandah.kin@
kindergarten.vic.gov.au
Please contact the Editor for the booking slip.
Ph: 0448 803 411
E-mail: [email protected]
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2
Yackity Yak
The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)
is an annual four-day event that engages bird
watchers of all ages in counting birds to create
a real-time snapshot of bird populations worldwide. Participants are asked to count birds for as
little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on
one or more days of the event and report their
sightings online at www.
birdcount.org. Anyone
can take part in the Great
Backyard Bird Count,
from beginning bird
watchers to experts, and
you can now participate
from anywhere in the
world!
Striated pardalote
The 18th annual GBBC displaying on nest box.
Photo: Jack Pockley
will be held Friday,
February 13, through
Monday, February 16,
2015. Please visit the official website at
www.birdcount.org for more information.
A Birdlife Australia project for Australian birds
will run during October 2015.
Ya c k L i o n s C l u b
The Yack Lions Club’s famous Sunday
markets will be held on the following
Sundays in 2015:
15th February
15th March
19th April
17th May
21st June
19th July
16th August
20th September
18th October
15th November
20th December
or

* Visitor Info Centre
*Indigo Shire Council
*Yack Newsagency
February / March 2015
DIGITAL ANTENNAS
FULLY INSTALLED
FROM $280
Digital Antenna Installations/Service,
Specialising in difficult reception areas,
Satellite and VAST installations,
Five year warranty on all work.
FREE
FREE QUOTES
QUOTES
Yackandandah
Corryong,
Walwa, Khancoban
and
areas
and surrounding
surrounding areas
0422 374 930
Phil Packer
Website
pdiantennas.com.au
email: [email protected]
The Lions Club happily donate a free site to
a Yack community group at each market. So
if you’re wanting to do a fundraiser - this is
a great way to do it.
A Ramble with the Editor
Well, here we are at the beginning of a new year, and almost two thirds of
our way through the summer, where we find ourselves with green grass
growing frantically, and very few of the golden hillsides which are generally
the norm at this time of year.
It’s been lovely not to have the annual concern about the likelihood of
bushfires, and no doubt, it’s been very pleasant for our CFA volunteers
not to have nerves stretched by more usual hot and dry weather with the
likelihood of bushfires. But of course, with the consistent rain we’ve had,
have been some spectacular lightning displays with the ever-likely chance
of wildfires being started. Our usual thanks to our great CFA vols - thank
you all. You do let us sleep more easily in our beds!
You will see from the front page that the Yack Young Players will heading
off down to Melbourne in April, which will be fantastically exciting for
them all, their families and the support team involved in putting on the
A Great Result for
Yackandandah Health!
We have just completed the
accreditation process for our
residential aged car service. Once
every three years, the Australian
Aged Care Quality Agency sends
two assessors to review our service.
Our visit took place on the 12th
and 13th of January. Over the
two days, the assessors scrutinised
our documentation and systems.
They then spoke to a large number
of staff, residents and visitors to
confirm that what we say we do
actually occurs.
We are excited to announce that
the assessors gave the organisation
an overwhelming tick of approval
in all 44 standards. They were
particularly impressed by the
atmosphere and the care provided to
our residents. They acknowledged
the approach by our management
team that is inclusive and
innovative.
It is no mean feat to achieve such a
good result. We are grateful to all
of our staff for the consistent high
quality of work they produce and
for their ongoing commitment to
Yackandandah Health. Now that
accreditation has been completed,
we will focus our attention on
further developing the services we
provide to our community.
Activity News:
Whilst the weather was not kind to
us our Family Night Tea & Carols
on the 5th of December was again
a very successful night. We had
approximately 220 people attend,
with residents, families, friends and
staff enjoying the festivities. We
production. Anyone who missed the run of performances last year will
have another chance to see the play before The Players head down to
Melbourne - so keep an eye out for posters in the town. It’s a hoot! All our
best wishes from Yackity Yak to everyone connected with the play - we’ll
look forward to some great articles from those involved.
Congratulations also to James Lacey for being awarded Indigo Shire’s
Certificate for Achievement in conjunction with Australia Day 2015. We will
look forward to seeing how the Stanley Forest Mountain Bike Track project
progresses as it will be a great attraction to Yack for keen cyclists and
tourists, and people that know James will understand how close this is to
one of Yack’s YOBBO’s heart!
There will doubtless be lots of things happening post-Christmas holidays
once the weather cools down a bit, so please ensure you keep your copy
and photos rolling in!
Ali Pockley
We would also like to thank the
Wodonga Creative Learners group,
Albury Regent Cinema, Sue
Ellen’s Drapery, Yackandandah
Newsagency, Yackandandah
Pharmacy & Yackandandah Service
Station for their generous support
of our facility. The proceeds from
our raffle will be used to purchase
resources for the resident activity
program; in particular we are
looking at purchasing a “Rem Pod”.
The pods are pop up reminiscence
rooms and work by turning any care
space into a therapeutic & calming
environment. There is no need
for decoration – the Rem Pod
simply pops up or down, when
required.
We have a number
of consult rooms
available for health professionals
to rent at a very reasonable price. If
you are interested, please give us a
call.
Meeting/Training Room for Hire:
Our meeting room is available for
community groups who are looking
for a comfortable space to meet.
A small kitchenette provides tea
and coffee making facilities and
we have a white board, projector
and television available with USB
access. The room will comfortably
seat 30 people theatre style and 20
people for conference or training.
There is a separate access for
Developed in the UK, they cost
between $1500 - $3000.
Primary Health Services:
Border Pathology continue to
offer a full pathology service
on Tuesdays and Fridays from
8 am to 11 am. Our other
services include – Physiotherapy
(Rebecca Stamp), Remedial
Massage (Julie Walker) and
Kinesiology (Treena Costin).
We would like to advise that
Footsteps Podiatry are no
longer able to take community
appointments due to a higher
volume of our residents utilising
this service. We apologise for any
blog page: yackandandahmuseum.wordpress.com
Open 11am - 4pm in victorian school holidays
Wednesday - Sunday during school terms
entry by donation
YackandandaH StorieS
eventS & activitieS
publicationS
reSearcH Service
• Wheel chairs— $5 per day or
$10 per week. Maximum hire
period one week
• Shower chairs—$8 per week—
maximum hire one month
• Over toilet seats— $8 per
week—maximum hire one
month
• Shower commodes— $10 per
week—maximum hire one
month
Members of Yackandandah Health
receive a 50% discount on the above
prices. Membership is open to all
residents and is $10 per annum
for families and $5 per annum for
singles.
Equipment can be hired by
contacting Lisa or Gwen
in administration Monday
to Friday between the
hours of 10:00am and
4:00pm.
Please contact us on
6028 0100 if you have
any questions regarding
appointments or
suggestions regarding
potential provision of
services at Yackandandah
Health.
Pictured at right is a sample of a
Vintage Kitchen.
privacy. Enquiries can be
made on 02 60280100.
Equipment Hire:
We now have a small
supply of equipment
for hire. This includes
wheelchairs, shower
chairs, shower commodes
and over toilet seats.
Yackandandah & District Historical Society Inc.
21 High St Yackandandah 3749
[email protected]
•
•
•
•
We will be able to offer short term
hire at the following rates:
inconvenience
this may cause
community
members.
would like to
thank everyone
who helped
to make this a
wonderful night
for our residents.
Going away and need care for
your animals and property?
Call The Good Neighbour
0411 496 062
We provide exceptional, personalised home
and pet care solutions.
www.thegoodneighbour.com.au
For all your home construction
requirements


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New work
Extensions & renovations
Decks & pergolas
Period restoration
HIA & Indigo Shire award winning builder
“For Classical Quality, see Classical Constructions”
Phone 0427 271 647 or 6027 1647
Builders Reg No. DB-U 22205
February / March 2015
Yackity Yak
3
DEATHS
A service to celebrate the life of the late Ruth Sampson was held at
Conway Funeral Home on Wednesday, 14th January. Donations in lieu
of flowers to Yamaroo Hostel would be appreciated.
Letters to the Editor
To Whom It May Concern - the Yackandandah Community
Chris and Sandra Knights of Yackandandah are very happy to
announce the engagement of their wonderful daughter Kayla
to Will Collier, younger son of David and Carolynne Collier of
Beechworth.
Prior to Christmas, I had the privilege to attend the “Carols By
Candlelight” at Yackandandah. What could have been an enjoyable
and entertaining evening was somewhat spoilt by the unruly
behaviour of some of the children in attendance. Some of the
children who misbehaved were not young, but approaching the age
where restraint and respect for others would normally be expected,
expecially at a community run function.
Kayla has lived in Yackandandah for 20 years and has recently graduated from
University with a Bachelor of Education. Will has lived in Beechworth for all of his
life and works as a plumber for Pritchards Plumbing and Gasfitting in Beechworth.
It is disappointing to say that parental control was so lacking that
rude and boisterous behaviour somewhat spoilt an otherwise well run
and well attended event.
ENGAGEMENTS
The happily engaged couple are currently building a house in Beechworth.
Darryn Coulston offers a very
affordable photo scanning
service. He is based in the new
‘Yack Station’ arts precinct.
Appointments can be made with
Darryn by email:
([email protected])
or by phone on
0418 121 060.
50% of all sale proceeds will be
donated to the Yackandandah
CFA. This is extraordinarily
generous on Darryn’s part. He is
very keen to contribute.
Please support Darryn and our
local Brigade by forwarding his
flyer on to friends and family.
Thanks very much in advance!
Cameron
Yackandandah Captain
Name withheld
*******
I write on behalf of the Shepparton-based group “Slap Tomorrow”
to invite your members, and anyone else who might be interested, to
attend a lecture here on Monday, February 16, at the University of
Melbourne’s Rural School of Academic Health at 6:00 pm in Graham
Street.
Giving the lecture will be Britain’s George Marshall, who is both an
author and the co-founder British organization that runs the website
“Climate Outreach Information Network” climateoutreach.org.uk.
His most recent book, “Don’t Even Think About: Why our brains are
wired to ignore climate change” (http://tinyurl.com/qx24nd2) was
published just a few months ago. In a recent email to George I said:
“I feel certain that you can convey, with authority, why it is people
struggle to accept cogent arguments about climate change; why the
importance of the topic is not actually “heard” by most; why those
who most need to hear the message about adaptation are not hearing
what is being said and any efforts to communicate that to them
are failing; and, importantly, why those who will be most heavily
impacted upon by climate change, our youth are frequently not even
in the conversation.”
I urge you to watch this short TEDx presentation (http://tinyurl.com/
lln26zb) and you will see that George and an entertaining speaker
with an important message.
Slap Tomorrow has been active for a couple of years now to help
people understand the urgency of responding appropriately to climate
change and we are excited to have George visit Shepparton following
his keynote address at Victoria’s Sustainable Living Festival and then
to run a workshop for the Melbourne-based group, Psychology for a
Safe Climate.
George has agreed to visit and speak in Shepparton without cost,
Slap Tomorrow is organizing transport from Melbourne and
accommodation and although the Shepparton evening will be free,
we may take up a gold-coin donation to offset our costs.
Yackandandah
Motel
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TownshiphillMotel
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Road
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Phone
Phone
0202
6027
1467
6027
1467
www.yackandandahaccommodation.com.au
www.yackandandahaccommodation.com.au
Magical Ceremonies
for that special day
Weddings
Renewal of Vows
Baby Naming
Angela Bishop
Civil Marriage Celebrant
Ph: 0416 171 488
Email: [email protected]
Website: magical ceremonies.com.au
4
Yackity Yak
February / March 2015
“Life”, wrote a friend
of mine, “is a public
performance on the
violin, in which you must
learn the instrument as
you go along.”
E.M. Forster (English
novelist, essayist &
librettist 1879-1970)
Those of us eager to see our communities both understand and so
respond to the implications and complications of climate change
have much to learn from George’s thoughtful approach to the
difficulty.
Please join us,
Robert McLean,
for Slap Tomorrow
******
Recently while on the Great Victorian Bike Ride we were fortunate
enough to stay in your beautiful town. On arrival into Yackandandah,
after our first, fairly hot day of riding from Albury,
we were greeted by a wonderfully enthusiastic
group of well wishers who cheered us into town.
What a fabulous welcome! Thank you, one and
all, as this was a wonderful start to a wonderful
stay in your beautiful home town. We certainly
look forward to returning one day.
Many thanks,
Dee and John Crosby, Willow Grove, Victoria,
Pam Murray and Steve Strevens, Tathra. NSW
- “Team Turtle”.
Kids’ Corner
Ya c k a n d a n d a h C FA
With Summer already half gone (at the time of
writing), brigade activity has not been excessive so
far.
Our tanker and slip-on, with crews attached, were
active at the West Wodonga fire and also at the
Dederang Road lightning strikes.
At the Wodonga fire, our volunteers crewed two
shifts on each unit, experiencing very difficult
conditions. Four brigade members worked in the
Wodonga Incident Command Centre for two days,
which in total was a substantial contribution to the
management of the fire and the
safety of Wodonga.
as well as earning a substantial amount of the
brigade’s income.
Under the dedicated leadership of Greg Kirkbride,
the team services many of the fire extinguishers
in commercial and public buildings and facilities
in the district, thus providing a vital level of fire
safety for the community. Locations such as
the Primary School, Hospital, Shire offices and
vehicles as well as churches, sporting venues and
shops benefit from this service, which keeps the
revenue expended within the local district. The
The FEM (fire extinguisher maintenance) team
continues to do excellent work for the community
When a night’s light, like tonight’s light,
It is really not quite right
To light night-lites with their slight lights
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.
****
What do you call two spiders who have
just got married?
Newly webs .....!
Why do bees hum?
Because they don’t know the words!
What animal never plays fair?
The cheetah...
Why did the burglar take a bath?
He wanted to make a clean getaway!
The brigade appreciates the
input of its members who have
worked on this project.
FEM
And tonight’s a night that’s light.
Said the fly, “Let us flee!”
The tank water at this shed will
augment the other tank supplies
in the Bruarong district.
Station Officer Helmut Reeb has been awarded
Honorary Life Membership for his outstanding
service to the brigade over the last fifteen
years, as well as for the previous seventeen
years as a member of the urban brigade before
amalgamation. Helmut’s joke-telling ability was
not taken into account for this award!!!
For a night-light’s light’s a slight light,
Said the flea, “Let us fly!”
Flaggy Creek satellite shed.
The pump unit in the Flaggy
Creek shed is now fully
functional and will provide
water for Tanker 2 as well as
other units needing a top-up in
that area.
Helmut Reeb
On a light night like tonight,
A flea and a fly flew up in a flue.
The heavy thunder-storms
recently experienced did
not result in the usual spate
of lightning induced fires,
probably due to the associated
rain, which was quite a relief.
Although the brigade has received formal approval
for the construction of a separate dressing area
away from the vehicle parking area, this being
required under OH&S regulations, the actual
work has not yet commenced and may not do so
for some time, due to the wheels of bureaucracy
turning very slowly. However, when completed,
this extension will provide a much safer personnel
facility for the brigade volunteers.
You’ve no need to light a night-light
On a light night like tonight.
Local false alerts have been
attended, these being caused by
smoke from wood-fired water
heaters which are of course,
quite legitimate.
Station Extension
Tongue Twisters!
serviced extinguishers are checked twice a year,
with some types having to be pressure-tested
every few years. Other types have a set life-time
before having to be replaced.
Fire extinguishers which don’t work are of no use
to anyone when they are needed!!
Driveway access
Have you checked your driveway access, as
discussed in the last and recent editions of Yackity
Yak???
Tankers are large vehicles as illustrated in the
attached photo, and often cannot access driveways
due to low branches and narrow widths for
vehicles.
While it is hoped that the impossible will never
occur at your place, it is a good and safe policy
to ‘be prepared’. This would include pruning
driveway foliage just in case!!
Keep the numbers below always on hand, and
always ring VicFire before burning a rubbish
heap.
Keep these numbers on hand, and discuss fire safety with everyone in your household.
To report a fire
Burn-off Notification
Bushfire Information Line
CFA Web Site
000
1800 668 511
1800 240 667
www.cfa.vic.gov.au
Dentist: Good grief. You have the biggest
cavity I’ve ever seen... ever seen... ever
seen.
Patient: You don’t have to repeat yourself.
Dentist: I didn’t. That was an echo.
“Doctor”, asked the patient anxiously, “if I
let you operate on me, can you promise
that I’ll be back playing the piano in a
week or two?”
“Well, I can’t promise the piano”, replied
the doctor cheerfully, “but the last patient
I operated on was playing a harp within
twenty four hours.”
Patient: I’ve just been bitten on the leg by
a dog.
Doctor: Did you put anything on it?
Patient: No. He liked it just the way it was!
Yack Newsagency
Back to school prices still on!
Get in quick!
A new range of Fair Trade gifts in store
now.
02 6027 1226 Facebook.com./Yackandandah.newsagency
February / March 2015
Yackity Yak 5
T h e Ya c k S h a c k
But now, more exciting is the turning
of the first sod for the new Men’s
Shed behind the Yack Bush Nursing
Hospital. Some serious fundraising
has seen the
Yack Shack raise
sufficient monies to
see this become a
reality during 2015.
There will doubtless
be regular updates
of progress during
the year, and we
will eagerly await
the opening of the
Yack Shack Mark 2
in due course!
The first cut of the sod for the new Men’s Shed
The Yack Shack has been busy, as ever, gratefully
receiving donations from the Yack Lions Club
and YCDCo as per the article in the last edition
of Yackity Yak. This is truly an example of a
community supporting itself, and what a fine
example it is. No wonder Yackandandah is
becoming the envy of many other communities
and townships of the same size!
They are always looking for new members
and can be contacted via email - mensshed@
yackandandah.com or telephone their Secretary,
Frank Burfitt, on 0417 130 541.
The Yack Shack
operates from the house next
to the Bush Nursing Hospital
in Isaacs Avenue, and is open
John Bradley, President of the Men’s Shed receives a cheque from
on Tuesday and Wednesday
recently retired Ron Boulton of YCDCo
mornings. Look out for their
A frame when they are in
residence, and swing in for a cuppa.
T h e Ya c k L i o n s C l u b
From the Lion's Den
evening in early January
and it was good to
see so many past and
present members
gathered together to
enjoy a night of good
food, laughter and
friendship.
The Yack Lions Club has had a busy two
months or so with the Monthly Sunday
markets continuing to draw lots of visitors
to town. Lion Jenny Dale, pictured,
presented a cheque for $5,000 to the Men's
Shed to assist with its ongoing development
and is an excellent example of how funds
raised help our community.
The Community Christmas Party was
catered for by Lions again this year with
the jumping castle proving very popular
with the young ones. About 140 children
with their families attended this event at the
Sports Park to receive presents from Santa,
and a special mention needs to go to Lion
Terri as Santa's helper who sweated it out on
a warm evening in a felt elf suit.
Jenny Dale of the Yack Lion’s Club present a cheque to members of
the Men’s Shed
For listings you can contact Lion, Gary
Parkinson, on [email protected]
The annual Lions' Christmas Party took place this year on a balmy Sunday
SIDOTI ELECTRICAL SERVICE
Y A C K A N D A N D A H
Vic REC 15340 - NSW REC 108615C
MICHAEL SIDOTI
Electrical Contractor
PO Box 201 Yackandandah, Victoria 3749
Telephone: 02 6027 1950 Mobile: 0410 543 377
Professional Investment Services
ABN 11 074 608 558 AFS Licence 234951
Mike Tobin
Authorised Representative no 245261
Life Insurance Risk Adviser
6
Income Protection
Business Expenses
Total & Permanent Disablement
Death Cover
Trauma Insurance
113 Meehan Lane Yackandandah
[email protected]
02 6027 0903
0407 423 299
Yackity Yak
February / March 2015
Finally, the Yack Lions Club is producing a
monthly calendar of community events that is
appearing in shop windows and noticeboards
around town. Not everyone has access to the
Yack Community Facebook page and this is a
great way to promote your community events
to a wider audience, including tourists and
visitors.
MUSCLE MATTERS MYOTHERAPY
“Relief for your aching muscles”
Deep Soft Tissue Massage specialising in the assessment, treatment
and management of muscular conditions –i.e. headaches, tension,
back aches, RSI, tight muscles & more. Treatments are tailored to
your specific needs and likes, and may be corrective, preventative or
rehabilitative.
Contact Karlie Hodgkin for appointment
Tel: 0488 224 481
29 Hammond Street, Yackandandah VIC 3749
Website:musclemattersmyotherapy.com.au
in the week prior to the end of each month.
Ya c k
C e m e t e r y Tr u s t
Working Bee: Thank you to all who attended our annual working bee on Saturday,
6th December. We had about 25 people attend, which makes a great contribution to the
maintenance of the cemetery. A morning tea of scones and tea was kindly provided by
Kevin and Lyn Williams. We would love to see more people help as we never quite get
everything done and then we add it to the long list of jobs that need tending throughout
the year. On this list is cleaning the headstones as they gather grime, but clean up well
with a brush and water.
If you do have some spare hours throughout the year, we would be very happy to have
small or large jobs shared with our trust members.
Cemetery Walk: Thank you to Yackandandah Museum for a very well attended
Cemetery Walk, featuring
individuals from Staghorn Flat.
Thank you to all of the Trust
members for preparing the
graves and walkways for the
event.
General Meeting:
Our next general meeting is
Wednesday 4th February at
7.30pm at Yack Community
Centre.
The Cemetery Trust and Yackandandah Historical Society conduct
their annual Cemetery Walk
Please remember that our
website has our burial costs
available as well as the ability to
give us feedback or make enquiries. www.cemetery.yackandandah.com
Anna Hession, Chair
Josh De Silva - An impressive setting for an impressive achievement
Most families shed a few tears of pride and possibly relief at
graduation ceremonies, but in the case of Josh de Silva it was
even more significant. Some of you may remember the terrible
accident in 2010 that nearly cost Josh his life and curtailed his
dreams of a soccer career.
to see him receive his degree. The ceremony, which was held in
the 12th Century York Minster, signified a huge achievement for
Josh, his family and all involved in his recovery. Though the day
was cold and wintery it was joy and smiles all around as the family
celebrated this milestone and recognised all the hard work and
dedication shown by Josh in order to achieve his goal.
Left with a significant brain injury, Josh experienced extensive
rehabilitation programs at both the Epworth Hospital in
Melbourne, and at the South West Brain Injury Rehabilitation
Service in Albury. Still experiencing the long term effects of his
car accident which include loss of short term memory, fatigue,
disturbed vision and constant headaches, Josh approached
his recovery using the same determination and skills that he
developed through his sporting endeavours.
Unable to continue to play soccer at a high level, Josh decided to
study for a degree in Physiotherapy at York St John University in
the U.K. So in November 2014, after three years of very intense
study, Ali, Daryl and Indigo Rowe were thrilled to travel over
Josh will be staying in the U.K. for a while, working in the
Physiotherapy team at Hull Rugby League Club. He has been
working with the Under 19 team and is undertaking more study
to specialise in sports injury procedures. He continues to play
indoor soccer and hockey, and is currently sharing a house with his
brother, Will, in York.
Josh De Silva at his graduation
at York St. John University in
November 2014
All of us at Yackity Yak send our congratulations to Josh
and his family. 2010 was a shocking year for them, and it’s
wonderful to hear of Josh’s success in his chosen career
of Physiotherapy after that terrible accident. Ed
CENTRAL MEDICAL GROUP
LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY - CARING FOR THE COMMUNITY
Opening Hours
Mon & Tue
Wed
Thurs
Fri
9am - 5pm
9am - 3pm
9am - 5pm
9am - 12pm
21 Isaacs Ave, Yackandandah
Telephone
Facsimile
(02) 6027 1404
(02) 6027 1926
Pension Card Holders (i.e. blue card) are bulk billed
99 Back Creek Road, Yackandandah 3749
ABN: 68 991 201 872
February / March 2015
Yackity Yak
7
Lester and Son Open New Funeral Home
Lester & Son Funeral Directors
have served the Albury Wodonga
and surrounding communities for
over 100 years. Owners, Darren
and Julie Eddy and Andrew and
Pauline Harbick, have operated the
family business since 2002 from
existing premises in Wantigong
St, Albury and more recently have
established a branch in Hume
Street, Wodonga.
and will be able to see and hear.
The latest in audio visual equipment
has been fitted ensuring a quality
catering after a funeral service.
Mourners will be able to move next
door to the refreshment room where
They are now pleased to announce
the opening of a brand new,
purpose built funeral home at 49
Thomas Mitchell Drive, Wodonga.
The building is easily accessible,
being conveniently located just
500m from the water tower and
has plenty of off street parking,
comfortable arranging rooms and
modern facilities.
The well appointed chapel can
accommodate a small group or can
be expanded to comfortably seat
over 200 people. This will make
it the most versatile facility of its
kind in the region and will ensure
that when a large service is held,
everyone can be inside the building
Lester & Son’s new funeral home in Thomas Mitchell Drive, Wodonga
service can be offered to families
when remembering their loved ones.
Photo slide shows can be shown
on screens throughout the chapel,
accompanied by music chosen by
the family.
There is also an option for on-site
freshly made sandwiches and sweet
or savoury finger food with a freshly
brewed cup of tea or coffee are
available. This is an opportunity to
catch up with family and old friends,
many of whom only come together
at such a time.
Because Lester & Son has long
experience of dealing with local
families they can tailor a service to
suit your needs and your
budget. That might be a
service in a local church
or a celebration of a life
in their new chapel or a
service at another venue
that was special to the
deceased. They are happy
to discuss your options and
provide a written estimate
of expenses at any time.
Osborne’s Flat resident,
Tim Roberts, has been a
part of the firm for four
years after moving to the
area from Sydney. He is
available, by appointment,
to assist with arrangements
or enquiries.
The official opening is
planned for Saturday 21 March
which will be followed by an open
afternoon where visitors will be
most welcome to tour the new
facility, ask questions or just drop
by for a cup of tea or coffee.
SANDY CREEK TREES
YACKANDANDAH
YOUR ONE STOP SHOP
* On-site garden advice and design
* Qualified horticulturalists
* 1000’s Plants to choose from - Home Garden or Farm
* Planting service
* Garden makeovers and cleanups
* Slashing & rotary hoeing with 4wd tractor
* Domestic water deliveries
3.5 tonne Excavator
Bobcat
Backhoe
Tip Truck
Trencher
CALL THE EXPERTS
For fast and friendly service
[email protected]
8
Yackity Yak
Phone (02) 6027 1497
Fax (02) 6027 1137
February / March 2015
www.sandycreektrees.com.au
Plant and Operator Hire
150, 300, 400 & 600 mm augers, Foundations, Footings
Trenching for Pipes, Telephone & Power Cables
Slashing
WILL TRAVEL
Give Graham Britton a call.
24 hours - 7 days
0407 676 099
Ya c k & D i s t r i c t H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y I n c .
CURRENT DISPLAY
Yackandandah has had a steady stream of visitors
during the school holidays. Many have visited the
Museum and also enjoyed reading the “Murder
Mystery and Mishap” display material.
The display was opened by Helen McGowan,
who has recently taken over, with Matt Grogan,
the legal practice in Yackandandah.
Helen’s opening remarks highlighted
the comparisons between the inquests
featured in the display, all of the period
1865 to 1896, with our current issues, from
domestic violence to tragic house fires.
In earlier radio coverage of the display, a
descendant of a man involved in one of the
stories, heard a familiar story related by his
grandfather and came to view the display.
to visit the Museum and told us of their keenness
to visit Yackandandah again. We opened from
9 am—6pm and ten people looked after our
visitors.
Some visitor comments:
“ Great Museum, great village.”
“Lovely knowledgeable staff—well done.”
We also have, newly installed, two framed
prints of the opening of the first Parliament
of Australia, given by Linton Lethlean. The
original was painted by Charles Nuttall,
who was contracted to accurately record
the event. The other notable painting of
the event was by Tom Roberts. The second
copy of the print has the names listed, with
a numbered code, of those who attended
including Sir Isaac Isaacs and Lady Isaacs,
and many names that will be familiar all
over Australia.
MEMBERSHIPS
Please consider becoming a Member or a
Friend of the Yackandandah and District
Historical Society and support the work we
do. Call in to the Museum and join.
Membership costs $15 each, or Friend $10,
annual fee, due at the Annual Meeting in
June each year.
OPENING HOURS
Both of these displays, as well as the rest
of the Museum, are receiving some very
appreciative comments from visitors.
Planning is well underway for the first of
our displays concerning World War One.
Several of our members have researched and
collated excellent material. These will begin with
the first display on Anzac Day, 15th April.
GREAT VICTORIAN BIKE RIDE
It was great to welcome over 4000 bike riders to
Yackandandah on November 30, the first stop on
their eight day adventure. The town was teeming
with exhausted lycra-clad bodies and many
complained about the climb they had on the
Wodonga-Beechworth Road. Many took the time
of the material supplied to those who engage
our service, is not available on the internet. An
enquiry, for which there is a fee, will result in
finding everything we hold, both in our files
and in the stored databased collection, on that
particular name. We hold about 350 files of
surnames, events and places, as well as over
10,000 databased entries in the collection. A
significant family name in our community
results in a comprehensive report. In 2014
we completed 37 researches, some of
the names being Quan Noey (Quonoey),
Oudaille, Holman, Curry, Cue Henry,
Melbourne, Hattersley, Goldsworthy,
Clemensen, Roper, Twist, Thornely. Many
of these requests will result in information,
which all adds to what we hold. We always
appreciate items (photographs, objects,
letters) and information which relate to any
of the stories of our community.
“Thank you for inviting me in ! Dedicated
volunteers helping to share our history.”
COL BARNARD’S VOLUME 5 “A
Nineteenth Century Village—Yackandandah”
– selling fast! $20 each and $14.50 for postage.
RESEARCH
Our research service, which is used world-wide,
often results in visitors to the town, who come to
view various items held in our collection. Most
The Museum is open from Wednesday to
Sunday each week from 11am till 4pm.
During Victorian School Holidays, we are
open every day, 11am to 4 pm. We welcome
visitors, research, volunteers and donations
to our fund-raising during those hours. Bring in
your families and visitors, especially the children,
to see what we offer during the school holidays.
Yackandandah & District Historical Society Inc
21 High Street Yackandandah 3749
Ph:02 6027 0627 Email: [email protected]
Website: yackandandahmuseum.wordpress.com
SPIDERS, RODENTS, BEES, EUROPEAN
WASPS, TERMITES, MILLIPEDES,
EARWIGS, ETC AND BAITING SYSTEMS
0407 424 501
February / March 2015
Yackity Yak
9
Yackandandah Library is up and running!
Storytime
Preschoolers and their parents are
invited to join Katrina for rhymes,
stories and activities in the library
every Thursday at 9.30 am..
88.0 INDIGO FM PROGRAM GUIDE
Tech Savvy Seniors Program
February/March 2015
Yackandandah
Mondays
12.00 - 2.00 pm
Tuesdays
7.30 - 9.30 pm
Wednesdays
10 am - 12 midday
4.00 - 5.00 pm
5.00 - 7.00 pm
7.00 - 8.00 pm
Fridays
7.00 - 9.00 am
10.00 - 11.00 am
11.00 am - 12 miday
12.00 midday - 2.00 pm
8.00 - 10.00 am
12.15 - 1.15 pm
*Program on a fortnightly schedule.
Program
Musical Mash
Presenter
Spencer
The Roadhouse 1
Mark Alcock
AM with Phil
School News
Turntable Cafe
* Audit in Progress 1
Phil
Sigrid
Daniel
Small Town Sounds
The Smooth Jazz Hour
* Light Classical with Phil
*The Rhythm Section 1
*Everyone Deserves Music
Musicial Mash
Chris & Lauren
David
Phil
Dan
Scott
Spencer
1 Denotes a repeat of a show broadcast live in Beechworth
Indigo FM transmits 24/7, during times when live programs are not put
to air the Station plays a diverse and eclectic mix of music from all eras.
We also broadcast shows from our other Indigo Shire Towns
(Rutherglen & Beechworth) as part of our playlist and repeat shows
from Yackandandah, just in case you missed it.
The new library in Yackandandah
opened its doors to the public on
Monday, 24 November, 2014
and 479 people came to
visit during the first week
with 191 joining up as
members. The library
has books for all
ages, DVDs,
magazines,
audiobooks
as well as
access to three
million other items via
the Swift network. There
are public access computers
as well as WiFi access and a
photocopier/printer. Everyone is
welcome to pop in.
on
in
Monday to Friday 8.30 am-5.00pm,
and Saturday 9.30-12.00
Contact the library for more
information and to book your place.
The Library can be contacted on
6027 1180.
Clearly no-one knew what this was as we didn’t get any response to
it at all! It is, in fact, a clay wattle or
Acacia glaucoptera.
It’s a really strange plant with flowers that occur on the leaves. It’s
not a particularly beautiful plant as it often looks quite unhealthy, but
the unusual arrangement of flowers and then seed pods generally
makes up for that.
10
Yackity Yak
February / March 2015
AFSL 247298
communities.
Yackandandah
Library will be
offering this program
Tuesdays and Thursdays
March 2015.
Opening hours:
WHAT PLANT IS THIS? COMPETITION
We do regular visits to Yackandandah
for house calls and farm visits. Call us to
discuss how we can help keep your
animals healthy.
Victorian Tech Savvy Seniors is a
Seniors Card Age Friendly Partners
program with Telstra which has
been developed to assist older
people who have had limited or
no previous experience in using
technology to learn new skills for
the future. This free training
will help older people to
access information and
stay connected with
their family,
friends and
Reg’s Rain Report
2014
mm
Days
Rain
Jan
Feb
March
April
May to
11th
June
July
17.2
30.8
95.4
120.4
83.8
3
5
11
8
11
October
15.8
38.4
4
Aug
Sept
November
December
TOTAL
142.4
84.6
79.6
84.4
Back Creek Christian
Yo u t h C e n t r e
17
15
The children’s program (Kid’s Church) at Yackandandah Community
Church on Sunday mornings has recommenced. We are using the Buck
Denver asks “What’s in the Bible?” DVDs. They are a fun, lively series
that gives an overview of the Bible in 1 year. The DVDs have been written
by Phil Vischer the creator of VeggieTales.
6
6
3
93
8
885.8
97
Primary aged children who would like to attend for fun, games, songs and
the DVDs that teach kids about the Bible are welcome. Are you missing
the fun you had in Religious Education classes at school? Well come along
on Sunday mornings.
All December, I squeezed the rain gauge
but failed to get the extra 15mm for our
average 900 mm.
2013
2012
2015
Jan to 11th
811.00
106
49
3
1025.00
Church starts at 10 am, the Kid’s church starts at 10:30 am (after the first
bit of church which you can join in with or just come in time for 10:30
start) at Back Creek Youth Campsite, Schmidt Lane, Yackandandah.
105
Parents who would like to check it out are welcome too!
Yearly average for last 5 years 1022 mm
Yackandandah Drinking Water
A few folks in Yackandandah Sustainability are working on water
infrastructure projects to promote awareness of the possibility of not buying
bottled water. This responds to the showing of the movie-documentary,
'Tapped.'
Currently, there is only one publicly available drinking bubbler in
Yackandandah, a difficult to access item outside Yackandandah Community
Centre. Grant funding has been generously awarded from the 'Into Our
Hands' Foundation to install instead at this site a sculpture which includes
two bubblers, a tap for filling bottles and a doggy watering bowl. This is
being done with support by Indigo Shire Council and North East Water.
It is hoped this can be matched by an equivalent installation in the new
civic space that is being developed outside the town hall/new council office.
Discussions continue with North East Water and Indigo Shire.
Attempts have been made to get funding (DEPI) for a third sculpture in Sir
Isaac Isaac's Park, but this was unsuccessful. For now we are focusing on
the YCC installation to prove the concept.
At the same time, one sporting-event temporary water bubbler has been
built for the Hard Yacka sporting event and funded by YCDCo. The
Yackandandah Folk Festival is funding a more elaborate construction on a
steel frame (with variable height and wheels on two legs) for events. This
is an old school drinking trough and has two taps and two bubblers.
The more challenging task of getting buy-in across the town for a bottled
water free town will be contemplated!! This will need to include a branded
water bottle and 'Yackup' (reusable cup). It is expected that we will also
need to provide a water chiller to entice people away from refrigerated
bottled water in shops.
YACKATOON RETIREMENT VILLAGE
3 Butson Street, Yackandandah
Offers independent living in clean, comfortable,
affordable unfurnished one or
two bedroomed units.
Pets allowed (conditions apply).
Set amongst beautiful lawns and gardens with
security lighting, maintained pathways
and internal road.
The village is managed by a resident manager.
Inspections invited.
For further details, please contact:
Febru-
Alex Campbell, Manager
02 6027 1720
11
Ya c k a n d a n d a h C o m m u n i t y G a r d e n
As we are sure you will have been
observing, the Community Garden
is producing large amounts of
produce and
you will find
it available on
the table by
the swimming
pool. We
are happy
to receive
donations for
this and they
can be left in
the container
by the fence in
close proximity
to the produce
table.
We have had a
wonderful new produce table made
by Jack Jensen, and thanks go to
Susan Reid and Indigo Shire for
putting on the Recycling workshops
in November which saw the table
designed and built out of recycled
items from the Wodonga Recycle
Station. The Shire have offered to
provide a concrete slab for this to
sit on, and it will then be re-sited
on the boundary of the Community
Garden. Thanks to Jack for his input
into this project.
Make sure you check out the
Community Garden blog at
yackandandahcg.blogspot.com.
au for all manner of photos, tips,
wrinkles and information.
Workshops coming up include:
• Seed-saving - Saturday, 21st
February after the foodswap,
10 a.m. run by Neil Padbury.
• Passata & chutney making
workshop - Saturday, 28th
February from 9.00 a.m.
Places limited. $15 per person
including pasta lunch. Book
via the blogspot or email
[email protected]
The Garden has purchased
significant preserving equipment
with grant funding from Into Our
Hands Foundation, and some
of this will be christened at the
Passata (tomato puree) making
workshop. We are just working out
how to make equipment available
to Community Garden members,
so watch this space
and join the Garden
if you are not already
a member, and get
involved!
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon dish washing liquid.
How simple is that? Just add it to
a spray bottle and give it a good
shake to dissolve the salt. The dish
washing liquid helps the vinegar and
salt to stick to the foliage. Works
well - particularly in strong sunlight.
Membership costs just
$10 per year.
***
How about this for a
quick weedkiller recipe?
Pantry Weed Killer
1 cup white vinegar
Test-driving the new passata machine - so simple even
Tarn could do it!
Finding Meaning
The interconnectedness of the body,
mind and spirit can be reflected
in the quality of wellness and
happiness you have in your life.
Given we are all learning as we
journey through our lives, there will
be times when life is challenging
and we can feel overwhelmed.
All of us experience challenges,
change and times of stress.
Understanding more about ourselves
so that we can work out what
we need to do to find our way
forward, can be so helpful. This
can lead to new understanding and
the discovery of hidden strengths
and special qualities. And so
life becomes richer and more
meaningful for
you and all you
connect with.
I have a lifelong
interest in
holistic health,
in how we create
wellbeing,
happiness and
especially
how we find
meaning. We are
can forget that we are so much more
than the person we present to our
everyday world.
Using a range
of modalities
including
holistic
counselling and
psychotherapy,
story, movement
including yoga
and art, I can
support you to
find a
deeper
word, ‘holos’, meaning ‘whole’ or
‘complete’.
Each session varies depending on
what works best for you and what
unfolds.
My role is to assist you in this
process of discovery,
To find out more or make a time,
please call me on - 0447 271 331
Email: [email protected]
Web: paulamobach.com
What can you fit on the back of a Yak?
Come into the Post Office
and check out all our gifts,
books and postal supplies
Yackandandah Post and
Gifts
15 High Street
Phone: 02 6027 1201 email: [email protected]
Foxy Ladies
Beauty Salon
For all your
waxing, nails & body
treatments.
Call Robyn for an
appointment on
0407 865 788
19 High St Yackandandah
12
Yackity Yak
February / March 2015
all so unique, so
wonderfully and
magically made.
I have found in
working with
people that each
story is unique.
Sometimes we
understanding of who you
are, to find wellbeing,
balance and meaning.
I will work holistically
with you to support you to
find understanding, peace
and wellbeing.+; holistic
comes from the Greek
Garages & Sheds
Patios & Carports
Commercial
Industrial
02 6024 3333
Your locally licensed, authorised and ShedSafe Accredited
Ranbuild Sheds and Centenary Patios dealer
Mitch Huon & Terri Manderson
Proud sponsors of
Yackandandah Folk Festival and
members of Yack Lions
Could you be a Foster Carer?
The New Year has commenced and many people
are looking for a means to make a difference in their
community. We want to share with you the stories
of several of our Foster Carers who had made a
difference in the lives of many children they have
cared for.
What motivates you to be a Foster Carer?
I am motivated by my concern and commitment to
the children as a stakeholder in the community. The
children seem to have more issues and behaviour
problems and parents are struggling to cope. I
think its importance to provide a safe and healthy
environment for children including a routine, good
eating habits and fun. For us as a family it has
been a positive learning experience. It has been
challenging but it has taught us all about empathy,
humility and understanding. We can all make a
difference to a child and being able to listen, laugh
and have fun is really importance…. as it seems to
be something that has been missing from their lives.
A lady who has been a carer for 10 years.
***
What advice would you give to someone thinking
about being a Foster Carer?
If you think it is something you wait to do ‘until the
kids leave home or are older’, think again. We hope
that we can provide a supportive, loving, nurturing
environment for children in out of home care with
the help of our four children. Our own children have
been the ice breaker, the confidante and often the
normality of someone to play with is what children
in care are looking for.
Halliday Solicitors
Yackandandah Office
Beechworth Office
29 High Street
9 Bridge Street
Ph: 02 6027 0553
Ph: 03 5728 1866
Mob 0428 156 552
Mob 0428 156 552
Open Tuesday & Friday
Open Monday-Friday
afternoons between 2-5pm
9 AM - 5 PM
or by appointment
or by appointment
[email protected]
“For friendly, prompt, efficient legal services”
A married couple with 4 children.
***
The advice we would give is to make contact with
UMFC. Have a chat with the amazing team and
book into the training program offered. This training
provides knowledge you need to understand what
is involved in being a Foster Carer and what issues
young people are facing in our community. Being a
Foster Carer not only benefits the young person and
their family – it also teaches you about selflessness,
giving and sharing.
A same sex couple.
An older gentleman on the operating table awaiting
surgery insisted that his son, a renowned surgeon,
perform the operation.
As he was about to receive the anaesthetic, he asked to
speak to his son. “Yes Dad, what is it?”
“Don’t be nervous, my son, do your best. But
just remember, if the operation doesn’t go well, if
something happens to me, your mother is going to
come and live with you and your wife...”
Thank you Reg!
Hopefully we have provided the children with some
positive insight of what life can be like and that
laughter and having fun is an importance part of it.
The children have enriched our lives and made us
realized that we cannot take too much for granted in
the ever-changing world.
Upper Murray Family Care supports many children
in the region each night. We are in desperate need
of Foster Carers.
A single female carer who had been caring for 15
years.
If you are interested in becoming a foster Carer
please call Jeanine or Jill on 02 6055 8000.
***
***
Statistically, the probability of any one of us
being here is so small that you’d think the
mere fact of existing would keep us all in a
contented dazzlement of surprise.
Lewis Thomas (American doctor, poet &
science writer 1913-93)
………..making real estate simple
A brand new year, laden with opportunity & possibilities
At Stanley & Martin we greet 2015 with positivity, resolve and determination to
continue to exceed, develop and grow the way in which real estate is transacted.
Towards the end of 2014, we engaged our own “In-House” Investment Consultant,
Gerard Crothers, in response to valuable feedback from our Clients. Further initiatives
are planned for 2015, with improved value added services and innovative real estate
solutions at the forefront of everything we do. We are excited by the year ahead and
look forward to assisting you with your real estate needs.
Gerard Crothers
Steve Martin
Our Residential Sales Team is made up of our Residential Sales Director, Scott Wilkie and
well-known and highly respected Sales Consultants, Jess Murfitt & Steve Martin.
Together they provide the region with a wealth of knowledge in local real estate, and
are available at all times for a confidential and obligation free chat about your property.
Scott Wilkie
February / March 2015
Jess Murfitt
Yackity Yak
13
THE
ARTS
IN
YACK ANDANDAH
Yackandandah Young Players hit the big time
yackandandahyoungplayers.com.
The Yackandandah Young Players has landed
the role of a life time… their play ‘ScaredyCat’, written and directed by Brendan Hogan,
has been accepted into the Children’s Program
at the Melbourne Comedy Festival.
Look out for a performance before the trip to
the Festival. We ask that you let as many of
your friends know about the performances in
Melbourne and encourage them to come along
and have a laugh (mainly at James McKenzie
McHarg, who plays Stanley!). If you are
looking for a fun family activity or treat during
the next school holidays, then this maybe the
best one you can have.
They will be performing over 6 days from
Tuesday 7th April to 12th April at 11am. It’s
the second week of the school holidays so fits
in nicely with family holiday plans.
They will be performing at the famous
Spiegletent, in the forecourt of the Melbourne
Arts Centre.
Sponsorship Opportunity!
Liam Williams who plays Gus the bully, says
that this new experience is really different
and exciting. “I am a little scared about
performing in front of a huge crowd”, he says.
To help our young players hit the big time, we
are fundraising to meet our commitment to sell
a quota of seats in the Spiegletent each day. If
you would like to ‘sponsor’ a seat in the tent,
we would like to sell you one.
The story is about Danny, a 10 year-old boy,
who is obsessed with catching a wild black
panther, rumoured to prowl the Australian
bush after escaping from a travelling circus
many years earlier. One weekend while
camping with the local Little Trooper Platoon,
Danny sets a trap to catch the mysterious
panther. That's when the hunter becomes the
hunted!
The idea is that $16 would guarantee a seat and
that you, as the sponsor, could write a postcard
to the person who would be buying a ticket
to the performance. Your postcard could be
of Yackandandah and wishing the patron an
enjoyable performance and also to encourage
them to come and visit Yackandandah and
see what a brilliant place it is! We would also
happy to pen a postcard for you if you prefer.
The cast is made up of fine young
Yackandandahites (is that a word?):
Donations can be paid to:
Arts Yackandandah
Amelia Beatty, Harry Cox, Moira Dale, Charlotte Fraser, Max Gobel,
BSB 640 000, Account number: 394825516
Gabriel Gray, Kena Keats, James McKenzie-McHarg, Troy Nourse, Hannah Paull, Aimee Sluga and Liam Williams.
Please make sure you put down your name and words ‘Scaredy Cat’ on
your bank deposit. It will be very much appreciated by the Director and the
Brendan has put together a great website for more information:
Cast.
CINEMA CINEMA
This is a fabulous opportunity for
UKE-N-DANDAH
our young actors, and something that
Patrons are advised that due to the movie
Yackandandah’s own Ukulele Club is now
industry changeover to digital movies and the
everyone in Yack can throw themselves
proudly associated with Arts Yackandandah. We meet every
high cost of changing my equipment over to
behind for an almost “once in a lifetime
Monday night
handle this media, I am still looking into my
between 7:15 - 8:30 pm at the Court House.
experience”. Well done and our best
options for the future of Yack Cinema.
wishes from Yack will go with you all to
New members are most welcome, and if you are a beginner,
Contact: Grahame Hutchings
no problem as basic instruction is given.
Melbourne!
Come on - have fun and strum!
Tim Evans, 0412 106 085
John Dermer
KIRBYS FLAT POTTERY
Unique durable porcelain oven
& tableware as well as exhibition
pieces for that special gift.
OPEN EACH WEEKEND, MOST SCHOOL HOLidays AND BY APPOINTMENT.
FROM 10.30 am - 5.00 pm
Tel: 02 6027 1416
johndermer.com.au
225 KIRBYS FLAT ROAD YACKANDANDAH
Mobile: 0427 271 017
yackcinema.com.au
Are You an Artist or a Scientist?
If you are a scientist we can’t help you,
but if you are an artist we can help you.
You see...we believe in looking at the world
in a different way, where expression of
creativity is in its purest form.
Everyone has that one special gift, that
way of seeing the world, like no-one else.
We believe it should be shared.
We are original & local with exceptional art.
And if you are a local artist or artisan who
would like to share your work with the world,
come & talk to us, we would love to help you.
s piri tu sa r t gall er y
02 6027 1797~www.spiritusgallery.com.au~2 High St
YACKANDANDAH
14
Yackity Yak
February / March 2015
POETRY POETRY POETRY POETRY
POETRY
the first Sunday of each
month at
2 p.m. in The Board Room at
Yackandandah Community
Centre,
High Street, Yack
Sundays 1st February & 1st
March
Bring your favourites to share
- poems of all styles and eras
welcome. You don’t need to be
a poet - just come to enjoy and
explore the magic of poetry and
words.
For further details, please
contact
Kev Warburton on 6027 0626
February / March 2015
Yackity Yak
15
Elder abuse is a family violence issue too - Royal Commission into Family Violence must address it.
Seniors Rights Victoria welcomes the
announcement of the Terms of Reference for the
Royal Commission into Family Violence, but
says it must address elder abuse too.
‘Women and children suffer enormously from
family violence, but thousands of older people
are suffering as well. Elder abuse must be
recognised as a serious family violence issue, and
older people should be encouraged to speak up,’
said Seniors Rights Victoria‘s Manager, Jenny
Blakey.
Elder abuse is defined as any act which causes
harm to an older person and is carried out by
someone they know and trust, such as a family
member or friend. The abuse may be physical,
social, financial, psychological or sexual and
can include mistreatment and neglect. While it is
vastly under-reported, it is estimated that up to 10
per cent of older people worldwide suffer from
elder abuse (WHO).
Seniors Rights Victoria received thousands
of telephone calls on its Helpline last year.
Financial and emotional/psychological abuses
were the most common forms of abuse
reported, with adult children the most common
perpetrators. Women made up 72 per cent of
callers, and a significant number of clients were
from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD)
backgrounds. Elder abuse will increase in
Australia as our population ages.
‘Many people lack understanding of elder abuse.
There must be greater resources dedicated to
raising awareness of this terrible problem, and
law and policy responses that are sensitive to the
particular needs of older people, said Ms Blakey,
‘In accordance with its Terms of Reference, the
Royal Commission could look, for example,
at how elder abuse can be prevented and how
victims can be better supported to access justice,.
More education of politicians and the community
is vital too.’
support, advice and education to help prevent
elder abuse and safeguard the rights, dignity and
independence of older people. Services include
the Helpline, specialist legal services, shortterm support and advocacy for individuals and
community and professional education. Seniors
Rights Victoria also provides leadership on policy
and law reform and works with organisations and
groups to raise awareness of elder abuse.
seniorsrights.org.au
Seniors Rights Victoria provides information,
Can’t Sleep?
I have clients that come for a variety
of reasons, one issue is trouble
sleeping.
Sleep is one of our basic needs for
survival like food and water, so
when we don’t feel we are getting
the sleep we need, it can play havoc
with our physical, emotional and
mental wellbeing. Not being able
to fall asleep or disrupted sleep
can occur for a variety of different
reason some of which include
hormonal imbalances, medical
conditions, sleep disorders, stress/
anxiety and sleep hygiene.
If you are one of the 90% of people
who will experience sleep problems
at some stage in your life, which
isn’t attached to an underlying
medical condition, here are some
simple sleep hygiene methods
you could try before seeking
professional help.
Things to AVOID:
• limit caffeine consumption in
the afternoons and evenings, this
also includes; chocolate, colas,
16
Yackity Yak
February / March 2015
and chocolate drinks;
• consuming alcohol and smoking
at least 4 hours prior to going to
bed;
• strenuous exercise just before
going to bed;
• adrenaline (i.e. scary) inducing
television/ movie programs and
• eating heavily
in the evening
or just before
going to bed,
especially
sugars and
sweets which
act as a
stimulants;
• using devices
that emit bluewavelength
light, such as Ipads/tablets,
e-readers, laptops, mobile
phones, LED monitors and TVs
at least an hour before going
to bed. Studies show that these
suppress melatonin which is
your sleep inducing hormone
and increase your cortisol which
improves alertness;
• afternoon naps, as this affects
your natural circadian rhythms;
Things to IMPLEMENT:
• a calming bedtime ritual i.e.
warm bath, reading a book or
unlighted e- reader, listening to
music etc;
• relaxing techniques i.e. deep
breathing, mediation;
• try to go to bed and get up the
same time each day which will
re-train your circadian rhythms;
• healthy food, water and exercise;
• calming herbal teas such as
camomile.
video games just before going to
bed.
If you can’t fall asleep or wake up
and can’t get back to sleep after 20
minutes, get up and do something
boring i.e. read a boring book, sit
in a chair in dark room until you
feel sleepy and try again. This
trains your brain to associate
your bed with sleep.
These are just a few suggestions, but
of course if problems persist, always
seek medical advice.
I can also help with some
underlying emotional, stress and
nutritional issues.
Treena Costin,
Onebodykinesiology
330 Ben Valley Lane, Yackandandah, VIC 3749
[email protected]
330 Ben Valley Lane, Yackandandah, VIC 3749
[email protected]
Osbornes Flat Hall
DANCE PARTY COMING SOON!!!!
Plans are underway for a dance party in the coming months. A chance for us all to shake
our bootie, move the groove or basically stand back and watch everyone else look silly!
Guaranteed fun as always. Details in the next issue of Yackity Yak.
Pilates at the Hall:
Get fit and join in our Pilates classes, held on Mondays and Thursdays at 7 pm. Cost
is $15 per class (casual) and $100 for 10 sessions. Pilates has many benefits – call Janene on 0423 289 215 if you have any
enquiries, or just call in and join the friendly group on Monday and Thursday evenings.
Hire Me!
Our beautiful old hall is available for hire. We have a fully functional kitchen, heating and cooling and a large area outside that works well set up for
weddings and bigger gatherings. With a reasonable hire charge of $150, the hall is a great size (can seat up to 80 comfortably), is close to town and is a
popular venue for parties, family events, weddings etc.
We also have a small meeting room available to community groups.
For all enquiries please contact either Lisa on 6027 1808 (email [email protected])
or Andrea on 6027 1991
Ya c k a n d a n d a h O l d Ti m e D a n c e G ro u p
lovely social atmosphere into
the bargain.
The Yackandandah Old Time
Dance Group can look back
at 2014 and say what a great
year it was for the Dance
Group. Attendances at our
dances increased significantly,
particularly on our Tuesday
dance class nights, when on
most occasions we had around
50 patrons enjoying the
evening.
The cold and wet months of
winter did nothing to dampen
the enthusiasm. Furthermore,
a few more people from
around the Yackandandah
district have joined our ranks
and we are quite chuffed
about that.
Our class evenings for 2015
commence on Tuesday
evening, 3rd February at the
Yackandandah Public Hall
and every Tuesday evening
thereafter commencing at 7.30
pm.
If you’ve been contemplating
coming along we’d be more than
happy to make you welcome.
Yack’s Old Time Dance Group filling our Public Hall to excess - perhaps we need an extension soon?!
At only $5.00 entrance per person and for which a cup of tea and coffee
is included along with sweet biscuits etc. at the conclusion of the evening
is surely very good value for the amount of entertainment, together with a
Our first public dance is to
be held on 14th February
commencing 8.00pm. The band
is the Bak 2 Bak all the way
from Sale and a great evening’s
entertainment is assured.
Keep an eye on the diary section of the Border Mail for details.
Stan Sutherland, President
February / March 2015
Yackity Yak
17
LAWSON FESTIVAL
Ya c k C WA
By George Hall
Yack CWA is
currently in recess
until Thursday, 19th
February, 2015 when
the branch will decide
whether it will carry on
or not.
1.
Lawson was born at Grenfell
In a battered mining tent….
They wrote to us come to Grenfell
So we packed our bags and went.
We wandered over the hillsides
In the sun and the sweeping rain
Hoping to find the poet
Walking the earth again.
2.
Lawson was born at Grenfell
When the wind blew cold and harsh….
James dressed as Lawson,
Black hat and bushy moustache
He made a striking figure,
Lonely and tall and grim
And we said he’s just like Lawson
But somehow it wasn’t him.
3.
Lawson was born at Grenfell
In the days when life was tough….
The old men remembered his sayings
But somehow it wasn’t enough,
So we searched the hills of Grenfell
Connecting Rural Business Women 2015
Sunday 23rd & Monday 24th August in
Beechworth
If you have an interest in seeing this
group continue, then please come and
join us at the Yack Community Centre
at 7.30 pm on that evening.
Yes, we've moved our conference away from all the busyness of April/May
to the quieter August so we all can enjoy a more relaxed time together.
Its our 5th Year!
How many of the previous CRBW's have you been to??
Pop these dates in your diary NOW.
Booking the Public
We'll be asking for expressions of interest for speakers
and finalising our sponsorship package very soon.
Hall or
And our website currently has lots of information about CRBW2014 and the years prior to that. It will be updated assoon as
arrangements are finalised.
Court House?
We'll be sending out more info soon, and if you'd like to contact us please email [email protected]
See you in August
These Yack venues now have their own
website at:
Karen & Trish
Karen Nankervis & Trish Curtis
publichall.yackandandah.com
Information about both the Public Hall
and the Court House can be found here.
Each venue has a calendar showing
details of existing tentative and confirmed
bookings. Also, each calendar has a
booking window where a request can be
made for booking a specified period of
time on a particular date.
The booking will be then processed and
confirmed by the booking officer who is
Ali Pockley, located in the YCC office.
Ali can also be contacted by email at:
[email protected]
Chris Lello
Did you hear about the guy whose whole left
side was cut off? He’s all right now.
Who’s doing what around the traps? Has
your family been busy?
Karen Nankervis
The Simplification Strategist
In the sun and sweeping rain;
My friend’s baker burned down last night.
Now his business is toast.
Hoping to find the dreamer
I’m glad I know sign language - it’s pretty
handy.
Walking the earth again.
I couldn’t quite remember how to throw a
boomerang, but eventually it
came back to me!
Open 7 DAYS
4.
Lawson was born at Grenfell
A babe with dark questing eyes….
We saw the children of Grenfell
Dancing beneath bright blue skies,
Have you ever tried to
eat a clock? It’s very
time-consuming...
I used to be a banker, but I
lost interest.
We looked in the eyes of the children
And Henry Lawson was there.
22/6/14
email: [email protected] Find us on facebook
Oh Reg!
www.foodworkshighcountry.com.au
Thinking of a holiday and want the
best deal?
Let me take the hassle out of your
preparations. I can assist you with your
domestic, international flights, Ocean and
river cruising, package holidays, insurance
and visa requirements.
Call me, any time!
Yackity Yak
February / March 2015
YACKANDANDAH
15a High Street, Yackandandah
Ph: 02 6027 1230 Fax: 02 6027 1130
Ian Greenwood, TRAVELMANAGERS
0404 841 038
18
Yack readers are loving reading about
what is happening, who is doing what
and now is your chance to let us know.
Send your photos and copy in NOW...
8 am - 7 pm
Singing their songs of mateship,
Planning to make our land fair
What have YOU been up to? Please let us
know - don’t be shy..
0407 26-1927
[email protected]
O
R
Ian Greenwood
P
Personal Travel Manager
E
F
O
M 0404 841 038
[email protected]
my.travelmanager.com.au/IanGreenwood
ABN: 35 113 085 626 Member: IATA, AFTA, CLIA
The New Year has arrived, Christmas is a distant memory and the focus
turns to a busy 2015.
problems.
In Indi funding news, almost $80,000 will be shared among four Landcare
groups in Indi (see information below). Funding for projects will be
provided through the National Landcare Programme 25th anniversary
Landcare Grants 2014-15. Environmental projects include pest and weed
management, land practice solutions, natural
resource protection, and species rescue. These
projects will help further enhance the pristine
OUR MEMBER FOR INDI - What’s
environment in the North East.
Train services, telecommunications, and tertiary education reform are at
the forefront of Cathy’s agenda. Agriculture, manufacturing, health and
mental health also remain priorities. ‘Kitchen Tables’ will be set across Indi
for more conversations about the issues affecting
communities and allow Cathy to continue her
strong representation of Indi in Canberra.
High fuel prices continue to annoy motorists in
been happening around the traps
National Landcare Programme – 25th
regional Australia and the Australian Competition
anniversary Landcare Grants 2014-15
and Consumer Competition (ACCC) want to
know what is driving the pricing behaviour. Last
Greta Valley Landcare Group – $20,000 - Pest/ and
month Cathy wrote to Minister for Small Business,
Weed Management education and control
Bruce Billson, on behalf of many constituents. Cathy
Whorouly Landcare Group – $19,800 – Better Land
is pleased the Federal Government has listened to
Better practice solutions for sustainability
these concerns about the disparity of fuel prices
between country and city outlets. ACCC chairman Rod
North East Blackberry Action Group – $19,990 –
Sims has publicly agreed that prices appear to have
Protection of productive and natural resources
remained too high for too long and is seeking answers.
Regent Honeyeater Project – $20,000 – Lurg Hills
Like all motorists in Indi, Cathy wants to see the
Biodiversity and threatened species rescue.
ACCC put a focus on the North East when it conducts
Interested in local politics?
investigations. The ACCC has also introduced greater
monitoring and reporting of fuel pricing behaviour.
Volunteers to help in the Wodonga, Wangaratta and
At Cathy’s invitation, Governor-General, Sir Peter
Cosgrove, and his wife, Lady Lynne Cosgrove, will
visit Indi on February 16-17. Cathy has been liaising
with various councils and organisations involved in the
visit, and the excitement level is building! More details
will be available shortly.
During mid January, Cathy dropped into the newly opened headspace in
Wodonga. She met the friendly staff and was given a tour of the centre.
Community consultation played a big role in designing the fitout of the
headspace building and the number of people making appointments is
growing each day. The centre will provide service providers the opportunity
to capture the issues facing youth on the Border and look at solutions to the
Canberra offices are always welcome. Please contact
Simon Crase of Cathy’s Wangaratta office for more
details - 117 Murphy Street, Wangaratta VIC 3677.
OFFICE: (03) 5721 7077 TOLL FREE: 1300 131 791
EMAIL: [email protected]
WEBSITE: cathymcgowan.com.au
We are very lucky indeed with our great yFuel outlet at
YCDCo. On more than one occasion, I have heard visitors
filling up at the servo talk about how cheap our fuel is. Make
sure you support them and keep fuel prices low. Ed
February / March 2015
Yackity Yak
19
Civilisation is Boring
We are pre-tuned to the natural world;
wired to respond to nature
By George Monbiot
“One of the penalties of an ecological
education is that one lives alone in a world
of wounds,” the pioneering conservationist
Aldo Leopold wrote. “An ecologist must
either harden his shell and make believe
that the consequences of science are
none of his business, or he must be the
doctor who sees the marks of death in a
community that believes itself well and
does not want to be told otherwise.”(1)
I remembered that when I read the news
that the world has lost 52% of its vertebrate
wildlife over the past 40 years(2). It’s a
figure from which I’m still reeling. To
love the natural world is to suffer a series
of griefs, each compounding the last. It is
to be overtaken by disbelief that we could
treat it in this fashion. And, in the darkest
moments, it is to succumb to helplessness,
to the conviction that we will keep eroding
our world of wonders until almost nothing
of it remains. There is hope – real hope – as
I will explain later, but at times like this it
seems remote.
These wounds are inflicted not only on
the world’s wildlife but also on ourselves.
Civilisation is but a flimsy dust sheet that
we have thrown over a psyche rich in
emotion and instinct, shaped by the living
planet. The hominims from whom we
evolved inhabited a fascinating, terrifying
world, in which survival depended on
constant observation and interpretation.
They contended not only with lions and
leopards, but with sabretooths and false
sabretooths, giant hyaenas and bear dogs
(monstrous creatures with a huge bite
radius).
As the work of Professor Blaire van
Valkenburgh at UCLA suggests, predators
in the pre-human past lived at much greater
densities than they do today (3). The wear
and breakage of their teeth show that
competition was so intense that they were
forced to consume the entire carcasses
of the animals they killed, bones and all,
rather than just the prime cuts, as top
carnivores tend to do today. In other words,
the animals with which we evolved were
not just bigger than today’s predators; they
were also hungrier.
Navigating this world required astonishing
skills. Our ancestors, in the boom-and-bust
savannahs, had to travel great distances to
find food, through a landscape shimmering
with surprise and hazard. Their survival
depended upon reacting to the barest
signals: the flicker of a tail in the grass,
the scent of honey, a change in humidity,
tracks in the dust. We still possess these
capacities. We carry with us a ghost psyche,
adapted to a world we no longer inhabit,
which contains – though it remains locked
down for much of the time – a boundless
capacity for fear and wonder, curiousity
and enchantment. We are pre-tuned to the
natural world; wired to respond to nature.
In computer games and fantasy novels,
we still grapple the monsters of the mind.
In the film of Lord of the Rings: the Two
Towers, the orcs rode on giant hyenas (4).
In the first Hunger Games film, bear dogs
were released into the forest to prey on
the contestants (5). I don’t believe these
re-creations were accidental: the directors
appear to have known enough of our
evolutionary history to revive the ancestral
terror these animals provoke. The heroic
tales that have survived – tales of Ulysses,
Sinbad, Sigurd, Beowulf, Cú Chulainn,
St George, Arjuna, Lạc Long Quân and
Glooskap – are those that resonate with
20
Yackity Yak February / March 2015
the genetic memories lodged in our
minds. I suspect that their essential form
has remained unchanged for hundreds of
thousands of years; that the encounters
with monsters recorded in writing were
a consolidation of stories we have been
telling since we acquired the capacity to use
the past tense.
You can see how such tales might have
originated in a remarkable sequence in
the BBC’s Human Planet series (6). Three
men in southern Kenya, described by the
programme as Dorobo people (though this
is not a designation many ethnographers
accept) stalk to within about 50 metres of
a lion kill. Fifteen lions, blood dripping
from their jaws, are eating the carcass of
a wildebeest. The men suddenly stand and
walk towards the pride. Rattled by their
astonishing confidence, the lions flee.
They watch from the bushes, puzzled and
indecisive, as the three men walk up to the
carcass, hack off one of the hind legs, then
saunter away. That night, the adventurers
roast the meat in their cave. “We really
robbed those lions”, one of them boasts.
“How many do you think there were?”,
another asks. “Fifteen, but there might have
been more.”
This, surely, is how sagas begin. Those
men, led by a veteran of such ruses, are
heroes of the old stamp. They outwitted a
party of monsters, using guile and audacity,
much as Ulysses did. A few hours later, they
tell the first version of a story that might
echo down the generations, every time with
new flourishes and embellishments. Now
imagine that, thousand of years hence,
lions are long extinct, and the descendants
of the Dorobo have only the haziest notion
of what they were. They have become
monsters even bigger and more dangerous
than they were in life, and the feat becomes
even more outrageous and unlikely. The
saga remains true to its core, but the details
have changed. We are those people, still
telling the old stories, of encounters with
the beasts that shaped us.
The world lives within us, we live within
the world. By damaging the living planet
we have diminished our existence.
We have been able to do this partly as a
result of our ability to compartmentalise.
This is another remarkable capacity we
have developed, which perhaps reflects
the demands of survival in the ever more
complex human world we have created. By
carving up the world in our minds we have
learnt to shut ourselves out of it.
One of the tasks that parents set themselves
is to train their children in linearity.
Very young children don’t do linearity.
Their inner life is discursive, contingent,
impulsive. They don’t want to walk in a
straight line down the pavement, but to
wander off in the direction of whatever
attracts their attention. They don’t begin
a task with a view to its conclusion. They
throw themselves into it, engage for as long
as it’s exciting, then suddenly divert to
something else.
This is how all animals except adult
humans behave. Optimal foraging, the
term biologists use to describe the way
animals lock onto the best food supply,
involves pursuing a task only for as long
as it remains rewarding. Our own hunting
and gathering would have followed a
similar pattern, though it was complicated
by our ability to plan and coordinate and
to speculate about imagined outcomes.
Broadly speaking, ours was a rambling
and responsive existence, in which, by
comparison to the way we live today, we
had little capacity or inclination to impose
our will on the world, to lay out a course of
action and to follow it without deviation or
distraction.
Only with the development of farming did
we have to discipline ourselves to think
linearly: following a plan from one point
to another across weeks or months. Before
long we were ploughing in straight lines,
making hedges and ditches and tracks in
straight lines, building houses and then
towns in straight lines. Now almost every
aspect of our lives is lived within grids,
either concrete or abstract. Linearity,
control and management dominate our
lives. We fetishise progress: a continuous
movement in the same direction.
We impose our lines on the messy,
contradictory and meandering realities of
the human world, because otherwise we
would be completely lost in it. We make
compartments simple enough, amid the
labyrinths we have created, to navigate and
understand.
Thus we box ourselves out of the natural
world. We become resistant to the
experiences that nature has to offer; its
spontaneity and serendipity, its unscripted
delights, its capacity to shake us out of
the frustrations and humiliations which
are an inevitable product of the controlled
and ordered world we have sought to
create. We bully the living world into
the grids we impose on ourselves. Even
the areas we claim to have set aside
for nature are often subjected to rigid
management plans, in which the type and
the height of the vegetation is precisely
ordained and, through grazing or cutting
or burning, nature is kept in a state of
arrested development to favour an arbitrary
assemblage of life over other possible
outcomes. Nothing is allowed to change, to
enter or leave. We preserve these places as
if they were jars of pickles.
The language we use to describe them is
also rigid and compartmentalised. In the
UK we protect “Sites of Special Scientific
Interest”, as if the wildlife they contain
is of interest only to scientists. The few
parts of the seabed which are not ripped
up by industrial trawling are described as
“reference areas”, as if their only value
is as a baseline with which to compare
destruction elsewhere. And is there a more
alienating term than “reserve”? When we
talk about reserve in people, we mean that
they seem cold and remote. It reminds me
of the old Native American joke: “we used
to like the white man, but now we have our
reservations.” Even “the environment” is an
austere and technical term, which creates
no pictures in the mind.
It’s not that we have banished our vestigial
psychological equipment from our minds,
or lost our instinct for engagement with
wildlife. The tremendous popularity
of nature programmes testifies to its
persistence. I remember sitting in a café
listening to a group of bus drivers talking,
with great excitement and knowledge,
about the spiders they had seen on
television the night before, and thinking
that, for all our technological sophistication,
for all the clever means by which we shield
ourselves from our emotions, we remain the
people we have always been.
But we have suppressed these traits, and
see the world through our fingers, shutting
out anything that might spoil the view.
We eat meat without even remembering
that it has come from an animal, let alone
picturing the conditions of its rearing and
slaughter. We make no connection in our
compartmentalised minds between the
beef on our plates and the destruction of
rainforests to grow the soya that fed the
cattle; between the miles we drive and the
oil wells drilled in rare and precious places,
and the spills that then pollute them.
In our minds we have sanitised the world.
WH Auden’s poem Et in Arcadia Ego
describes how “Her jungle growths / Are
abated, Her exorbitant monsters abashed, /
Her soil mumbled,” while “the autobahn /
Thwarts the landscape / In godless Roman
arrogance” (7). But the old gods, the old
fears, the old knowledge, have not departed.
We simply choose not to see. “The farmer’s
children / Tiptoe past the shed / Where the
gelding knife is kept.”(7)
Civilisation is boring. It has many virtues,
but it leaves large parts of our minds
unstimulated. It uses just a fraction of
our mental and physical capacities. To
know what comes next has been perhaps
the dominant aim of materially-complex
societies. Yet, having achieved it, or almost
achieved it, we have been rewarded with a
new collection of unmet needs. Many of us,
I believe, need something that our planned
and ordered lives don’t offer.
I found that something once in Cardigan
Bay, on the west coast of Wales. I had
stupidly launched my kayak into a ten-foot
swell to fish a couple of miles from the
shore. As I returned to land, I saw that the
tide had risen, and ugly, jumbled breakers
were smashing on the seawall. From where
I sat, two hundred metres from the shore,
I could see that the waves were stained
brown by the shingle they flung up. I could
hear them cracking and soughing against
the wall. It was terrifying.
Behind me I heard a monstrous hiss: a freak
wave was about to break over my head.
I ducked and braced the paddle against
the water. But nothing happened. Then a
hooked grey fin, scarred and pitted, rose
and skimmed just under the shaft of my
paddle. I knew what it was, but the shock
of it enhanced my rising fear. I glanced
around, almost believing that I was under
attack.
Then, from the stern, I heard a different
sound: a crash and a rush of water. A
gigantic bull dolphin soared into the air
and almost over my head. As he flew past,
he fixed his eye on mine. I stared at the
sea into which he had disappeared, willing
him to emerge again, filled with a wild
exaltation, and a yearning of the kind that
used to afflict me when I woke from that
perennial pre-adolescent dream of floating
down the stairs, my feet a few inches above
the carpet. I realised at that moment that
I had been suffering from a drought of
sensation which I had come to accept as a
condition of middle age, like the loss of the
upper reaches of hearing.
I found that missing element again in the
Białowieża Forest in eastern Poland. I was
walking down a sandy path between oak
and lime trees that rose for perhaps one
hundred feet without branching. Around
them the forest floor frothed with ramsons,
celandines, spring peas and may lilies. I had
seen boar with their piglets, red squirrels,
hazel grouse, a huge bird that might have
been an eagle owl, a black woodpecker. As
I walked, every nerve seemed stretched,
tuned like a string to the forest I was
exploring. I rounded a curve in the path and
found myself face to face with an animal
that looked more like a Christian depiction
of the Devil than any other creature I have
seen.
I was close enough to see the mucus in her
tear ducts. She had small, hooked black
horns, heavy brows and eyes so dark that
I could not distinguish the irises from the
pupils. She wore a neat brown beard and an
oddly human fringe between her horns. Her
back rose to a crest then tapered away to a
narrow rump, from which a black tail, slim
Continued on page 21
YACK KINDER FUNDRAISING
LEAVE YOUR MARK...
With the opening of the newly revamped Yack Kinder,
parents (past and present), local businesses, schools and
other organisations are being given the opportunity to
LEAVE THEIR MARK!
•$55 for hand drawn pavers, or
On the right is an example of the paving in use at
Myrtleford.
all as a lasting record of your valued support.
You too can sponsor the Yack Kinder and make your
mark with a paver that will not only provide a new paved
seating area at the entrance to the Kinder, but will capture
a snapshot in time that encompasses the community spirit
of Yack.
Orders close on 5th February, 2015 so get your order
in early & don’t miss out.
Costs range from $50 for a single paver;
• $95 for a double paver,
Continued from page 20
as a whip, now twitched. She flared her
nostrils and raised her chin. I fancied
I could smell her sweet, beery breath. We
watched each other for several minutes. I
stayed so still that I could feel the blood
pounding in my neck. Eventually the bison
tossed her head, danced a couple of steps
then turned, trotted back down the path then
cantered away through the trees.
Experiences like these are the benchmarks
of my life, moments in which dormant
emotions were rekindled, in which
my world was re-enchanted. But such
unexpected encounters have been far too
rare. Most of the lands in which I walk
and the seas in which I swim or paddle
my kayak are devoid of almost all large
wildlife. I see deer, the occasional fox or
badger, seals, but little else. It does not have
to be like this. We can recharge the world
with wonder, reverse much of the terrible
harm we have done to it.
Over the past centuries, farming has
expanded onto ever less suitable land. Even
places of extremely low fertility have been
cultivated or grazed, and the result has
been a great disproportion between damage
and productivity: the production of a tiny
amount of food destroys the vegetation, the
wild animals, the soil and the watersheds of
entire mountain ranges. In the face of global
trade, farming in such areas is becoming
ever less viable: it cannot compete with
production in fertile parts of the world.
This has caused a loss of cultural diversity,
which is another source of sadness.
But at the same time it means that the
devastated land could be restored. In
Europe, according to one forecast, 30
million hectares – an area the size of Poland
– will be vacated by farmers by 2030. In
the United States, two thirds of those parts
of the land which were once forested,
then cleared, have become forested again,
as farming and logging have retreated,
especially from the eastern half of the
country. Rewilding, the mass restoration of
ecosystems, which involves pulling down
the redundant fences, blocking the drainage
ditches, planting trees where necessary,
re-establishing missing wildlife and then
leaving the land to find its own way, could
reverse much of the damage done to these
areas. Already, animals like lynx, wolves,
bears and moose, on both continents, are
moving back into their former ranges.
There are also possibilities of restoring
large parts of the sea. Public disgust at a
•$200 for a business to have their name or logo engraved
into a large paver
This a great idea to keep funds coming in to continue the
great work of our lovely Kinder, so please consider leaving
a long lasting legacy combined with a great way of ensuring
your contribution is recognised in the future..
It’s a pretty novel idea, and one that will provide funds with
a practical and robust usable surface into the future.
For further details please pick up a form from
the Yack Community Centre,
or contact Adena Jurd, Yackandandah
Kindergarten fundraiser on 0409 916 625
fishing industry that has trashed almost
every square metre of seabed on the
continental shelves is now generating
worldwide demands for marine parks.
These are places in which commercial
extraction is forbidden and the wildlife
of the seas can recover. Even fishing
companies can be persuaded to support
them, when they discover that the fish
migrating out of these places greatly boost
their overall catches, a phenomenon known
as the spillover effect. Such underwater
parks are quickly recolonised by sessile
life forms. Fish and crustacea proliferate,
breeding freely and growing to great sizes
once more. Dolphins, sharks and whales
move in.
In these places we can leave our linearity
and confinement behind, surrender to the
unplanned and emergent world of nature,
be surprised once more by joy, as surprise
encounters with great beasts (almost all of
which, despite our fears, are harmless to us)
become possible again. We can rediscover
those buried emotions that otherwise
remain unexercised. Why should we not
have such places on our doorsteps, to
escape into when we feel the need?
Rewilding offers something else, even
rarer than lynx and wolves and dolphins
and whales. Hope. It offers the possibility
that our silent spring could be followed by
a raucous summer. In seeking to persuade
people to honour and protect the living
planet, an ounce of hope is worth a ton of
despair. We could, perhaps, begin to heal
some of the great wounds we have inflicted
on the world and on ourselves.
George Monbiot is the author of Feral:
rewilding the land, sea and human life.
There’s an archive of his articles at www.
monbiot.com
References:
1. Aldo Leopold, 1949. A Sand County
Almanac. Oxford University Press.
2. http://www.theguardian.
com/environment/2014/sep/29/
earth-lost-50-wildlife-in-40-years-wwf
3. http://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/news/
events/2014/megafauna/valkenburgh.pdf
4. https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=F3GFYKIwJ9Y
No words could express the
beauty of it. The dreary dismal
mud was baked white and pure
- dazzling white. White daisies,
red poppies and a blue flower,
great masses of them, stretched
for miles and miles. The sky a
pure, dark blue and the whole
air, up to a height of about forty
feet, thick with white butterflies:
your clothes were covered
with butterflies. It was like an
enchanted land, but in the place
of fairies were thousands of little
white crosses, marked “Unknown
British Soldier” for the most part.
William Orpen (Irish Painter
1878-1931)
7. http://www.nybooks.com/articles/
archives/1965/jun/03/et-in-arcadia-ego/
Police were called to a day care
centre where a three year old was
resisting a rest.
I used to have a fear of hurdles,
but I got over it.
Please support
our Advertisers as
they support YOUR
newspaper
The war artist describes the Somme six
months after the famous battle in 1917
Classified
Ads
WANTED TO BUY
Coins, large lots or small.
Cash paid. Please call Ray on 03 5721
7341 or 0401 177 370.
ALL HANDS TO
THE WHEEL
Pangerang Community House,
Wangaratta – wanting home grown
fruit/veg for their weekly food swap /
veggie boxes. Call Tanya on 03 5721
3813
FOR SALE
Grass catcher for John Deere L115
ride on mower. Good condition. $200.
Phone Lee-Anne on 0412 106 085
Tank Stand suitable for small gravity
feed tank. Steel Pipe construction . Six
meters high. $100. Phone Richard on 02
6027 1723
*******
We are happy to put in classifieds
free of charge.
5. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392170/
6. http://vimeo.com/22616099
To write with a broken pencil is
pointless.
Please forward your advert or
phone it through a week before
publication.
[email protected]
Yackandandah Chamber of
Commerce’s next meeting will
be held on Thursday
26th February at 8:30 a.m. at
the Yack Community Centre, 29
High Street - opposite the Star
Hotel.
Businesses, community
organisations and interested
individuals welcome.
For more info call Cheryl on
0435 001 747 or just come to
the meeting. .
or phone 0448 803 411
February / March 2015
Yackity Yak
21
Volunteer Opportunities - get your
ticket at vastly reduced prices for
your labour! Put your details down on
the Festival Website now.
The Festival is always looking for
people to help with the following:
• Venue Management
• MC
• Venue Control
• Festival Office
whose impressive efforts have made
our Festival carbon-neutral.
And a big thanks to all who took the
time to provide us with feedback last
year. We have taken your valued
comments on board and have
measures in place to make this year’s
Festival even better than the last.
Hi Folks,
The Yackandandah Folk Festival is on again
from March 20-22nd.
Save the date in your calendar and then get
onto the Festival website,
yackfolkfestival.com
so you don’t miss out on the great early bird
• Logistics
As I’m sure many of you are aware,
we had record ticket sales at last
year’s Festival and are all on track for
a similar turn out again this year. So
don’t delay, get your Festival tickets
online now! This year promises to be
even bigger and better than last year!
• Performer
Hospitality
• Media /
Promotion
• Green Team
• Car Parking
prices.
• Decorations/
Posters/Bunting
Or if you’ve ever thought about volunteering,
this is the year to get involved! There are
• The Shed
•
Committee/
Team leader
•
Children’s
Activities
opportunities available for people of all ages,
with all types of skills. Again, just hop onto
the website, register your details and what
you might be interested in helping with. It’s
your opportunity to be a part of an awesome
festival that benefits our community in so
many different ways.
22
Yackity Yak
February / March 2015
The Folk Festival
not only puts our
fantastic township
on the map with
a huge weekend
of entertainment
by local, national
& international acts,
but provides important
fundraising opportunities for
our Primary School, Kinder
and many other local clubs
and groups. Not to mention
the huge benefits it has for local businesses.
Plus we’ve got a passionate Green Team
Regards,
The Yack Folk Festival Committee
Ya c k B o w l i n g C l u b
TABLE TENNIS
Did you know that
table tennis is played
every week in Yack
(excluding public
& some school
holidays)? A lively
group of locals meet
on Mondays between
10:30 am - 12:30 pm
and enjoy a sociable
game. Skill levels
range from ‘pretty
good’ to ‘absolute
beginners’, so there is
competition to suit all
comers.
Please call in at the
Scouts Hall at the
Sports Park. The group
restarts on the 2nd
February.
INTERESTED IN BADMINTON??
Yack Tennis Club has set up a Badminton Club. The aim is to start competition
in 2015 on Wednesday nights at the Sports Park.
If you would like more information contact Duane Washington on
0418 578 860.
Welcome to season 2015 at the
“Home of the Roos”.
As this goes to print we have just
finished out netball registration
evening. At this stage the numbers are
looking excellent for all grades.
We have appointed the following
coaches for the coming season:
• U15’s: Suzanne McIntosh
• U13’s: Jo Beer
• Midgets: Mel Lawson
If you attended this event last year
you already know what a great night
out it is. Please share this date with
others you think may be interested.
We look forward to seeing as many
faces as possible for the night to kick
the season off with a laugh.
And now a message to the
Yackandandah Community from
the President.
Yackandandah Football and Netball
Ya c k Te n n i s C l u b
If you haven’t been down to the tennis courts lately, then you must come
and check out our new shelter for courts 3 and 4.
Yack Tennis Club set up a Badminton Club in November. The aim is to
start competition in 2015 on Wednesday nights at the Sports Park. 7-9 pm
- $5/head. Just rock up! If you would like more information contact Duane
Washington on 0418 578 860.
MARGARET COURT TENNIS ACADEMY
Junior Coaching available Wednesday nights. For details please contact
Paul Sykes 0418 699 485 of Margaret Court Tennis Academy.
Club Membership is required to access the gate code for the courts.Please
contact Geoff Simmons on 6027 1742 for all membership enquiries
The tennis court key is now located at the Yack Newsagency. You will need
to pay a refundable deposit of $10 and court hire of $5.
L o o k i n g f o r a Ve n u e ? ?
The Yack Sports Park is a great venue for weddings, 21st parties,
engagements parties, reunions, trivia nights, club presentations, debs,
balls, music events, funerals, meetings and sporting events. With its
beautiful views, heating and cooling, it makes the perfect place for just
about anything.
So, the next time you are looking for a venue to hire, consider the
Yackandandah Sports Park.
More information can be found on our website:
sportspark.yackandandah.com or
email: [email protected].
Contact Lyn Shortis on 0427 852 846 from Monday to Friday 8am till 6pm
to arrange a time to inspect this great venue in fantastic surroundings, and
their very reasonable prices!
If you have some desire to be part of
our year, come along and wear the
blue and white. If you have skills you
think we could use, as a trainer, in
the canteen, handling paper work …
• Senior Squad (A & B), C Grade &
U18’s are still to be confirmed.
On the social front planning is well
underway for our Music/Pop Trivia
Night to be held at the clubrooms
on Saturday 14th February
commencing at 7pm for a 7.30 start.
Drinks will be at bar prices, sorry no
BYO. However please feel free to
bring a picnic dinner to enjoy under
the stars. Tables are a minimum of 8.
Cost is $10 per person.
To help with set-up please pre-book
your table with Sam Rogers on 0407
541 393. This is a music and pop
trivia night covering the 60’s, through
to present day.
3. Respect the decisions of officials
and teach everyone to do the
same; we encourage players to
follow the rules and the officials’
decisions.
4. Show respect for our opponents;
we know that without them, there
would be no game.
We would love to hear from anyone
who may be interested in umpiring
the senior games for the upcoming
season. The league requires a
minimum “C” badge and this is a paid
position. Please contact the club to
register your interest.
Due to work commitments, our
Netball Operations Vice-President
has been regretfully forced to resign.
If you feel you have something to
offer in the way of assisting with this
position we would love to hear from
you.
making a mistake.
Club has begun its year, even though
the season is months away. We have
teams in training, and are in the
process of getting coaches, players
and members on board for the 2015
year.
We will, in the months ahead,
represent Yack, on and off the
field. We are the Yack teams, the
Yack Club, and between April and
September, several thousand people
will come through the gates at Butson
Park, to play against us, and to enjoy
the hospitality of our town.
We would be very happy to welcome
new Yackandandah folk into our
ranks, new members, new supporters,
new volunteers, who just might want
to be part of what we provide for
some 150 footballers and about 80
netballers. You might just be another
member of the Roos!
come along.
For those who don’t know us, I’d
like to add a little about our plans
for 2015. The Committee adopted
a new strategic plan in 2014, and a
very high priority was to state clearly
what we want to become as a Club.
We want our Club to be more than a
collection of teams and individuals.
The Committee thinks this is what it
means to be a member of YFNC:
Members of our Club …
1. Applaud the efforts of all
participants, supporters, players
and workers: we congratulate
everyone for their performance,
regardless of the game’s outcome.
2. Remember that people participate
in sport for their enjoyment and
benefit, not yours; we will not
ridicule or scold a player for
5. Condemn the use of violence
in any form, whether it is by
spectators, coaches, officials
or players; we will not use
foul language, sledge or harass
spectators, coaches, officials or
players.
6. Respect the rights, dignity and
worth of every person regardless
of their gender, ability, cultural
background or religion.
These are the values we want
everyone to aim for. This is how
we want to treat each other. This is
what we should expect of each other.
If these words sound good to you,
come along and make Yackandandah
Football and Netball Club a truly
great place to be.
Get in touch. Email Trev,
[email protected] .
Join us, join me, and the Committee
in making this happen, and making
2015 a great year!
Brendan Johnson
President
February / March 2015
Yackity Yak
23
Yackandandah
Community Centre
Gray’s Farm Friends
WEED CONTROL SPECIALISTS
* Over 25 years experience *
29 High Street, Yackandandah
Tel: 02 6027 1743
WE’RE BACK IN YACK!!
Did you know that all sorts
of things are happening at YCC?
Anthony Gray
We have some suggestions for a series of courses
this year - ranging from sustainability issues, rural
courses, art and craft courses and all sorts of other
things.
Specialising in:
0438 598 068 or

02 6027 0606

Boom & Hand
Spraying
Pasture seeding and
fertilising. slashing
& mowing
YACKANDANDAH & ALL AREAS
Check out our new fab website (ycc.org.au) beautifully designed by Michael Rosenbrock and have a squizz at what
we think might float your boat. If they tend to sink it instead but there are other things you would like to see put on,
then let us know - we can investigate and price up.
Licence No. 415
ABN 19 006 878 824
We have a “Hot Office” that can be booked by the hour or the day if you are looking for some quiet office space with Wi-Fi and secretarial services (by
arrangement). Come and inspect and talk about fees - they are very reasonable.
We have a great photocopying and printing service - why drive into Wodonga or Albury and put wear and tear on your car, waste your time and NOT
save money? Our prices are generally comparable with the likes of Officeworks, and what’s more, you won’t be supporting a multi-national whose brief
is to shut down the opposition. If you are a member of YCC ($10 per annum) you will get cheaper rates on top! Wow - why wouldn’t you use us?
We will be running a Chemical Users Course during April, so give us a shout if you’re interested.
We will also be doing some 5000 Poppies workshops for the ANZAC commemoration later this year, so look out for posters advertising morning and
afternoon social workshops. We can also come to you if your organisation can’t get to us!
Music Workshops held in January with Vanessa Delaine were great fun and well attended. Vanessa is running music tuition on Tuesday afternoons, but
is already booked out for Term 1. Come and have a chat with us if you are wanting lessons for yourself or members of your family later on in the year.
Our Op Shop is going gangbusters, and providing the town with a great place to recycle your goods and to also see what we have that you might like to
buy from us. We have a wonderful group of friendly volunteers who gain much pleasure in helping with the Shop. They are always very happy to come
and do a few hours a week at the Shop and thoroughly enjoy their time there. The Op Shop is open from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm during the week, and
generally on Saturdays between 10 am and 12 noon.
Indigo FM runs from the Community Centre, and if you haven’t seen their fabulous professional studio, then swing past and take a look. YCDCo
generously supported works to the studio, and it is a credit to the Station operators.
The Office at YCC is open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, so do come and say hello.
Whoops - we’ve run out of space so please come and see us soon and let’s see how we can help you!
YACKANDANDAH
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CO
Remember to call in and see
our friendly staff for all your
Hardware, Produce and Farming
Supplies
THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING
LOCALLY & REMEMBER
THAT WE HAVE A FREE DAILY
DELIVERY SERVICE
Be in the weekly draw to win free
fuel simply by liking our Facebook
Post. Your chance to win
$30.00 FREE FUEL!!
Spring into
yfuel and yf
arm
for all your
gardening,
farming & ha
rdware need
s
Your Local Community Owned & Operated
* FUEL * HARDWARE * PRODUCE & FARM SUPPLIES *
24
Phone 02 6027 1901
Website: yfuelyfarm.com
Yackity Yak
February / March 2015
Remember to like us on Facebook
facebook.com/yfarmyfuel
Fantastic
Promotion for
the Month of
February.
Prize drawn
weekly.
Promotion ends Feb
28th.
Winners will be
notified on our
Facebook page