Institute inspires

Art show winners, Jessica Harrison, Josh Duckworth, Mitch Dalton and Tyler Vallance, loved showing off their work to the public at the KMI.

The Friends of the Kyneton Mechanics Institute held a community concert last Saturday to raise funds for improvements to the facility.

The concert featured dazzling displays of artwork from students of Kyneton Primary and Our Lady of the Rosary Primary, and featured interpretive artwork set on the theme of the Mechanics Institute. Works included drawings, paintings, etchings and a large-scale reproduction of the KMI facade created from empty boxes. The artwork was judged by the Kyneton Art Group who gave all the winners $10 each for their efforts. It was an outstanding opportunity for the kids to show off their talent to the public.

More than 50 people enjoyed the exhibition over the course of the day and were enthralled by some of Kyneton's most talented musicians including Sacred Heart College student pianist Elsie Lowry. Donations were made at the door with the funds contributing to new stage curtains and other areas. The next big concert will take place on Saturday, August 24, with more talented musical acts promised to perform.

Art show winners

Kyneton Primary

Prep/Year one - Jessica Harrison (42 mixed media) and Gemma Tag

Year three - Josh Duckworh (12 mixed media)

Year 4/5 - Tyler Vallance (12 drawings/etching prints)

Year 5/6 - Kobi Dyan (11 3D models) and Mitch Dalton (11 etching prints)

Our Lady of the Rosary 

Years 5/6 - Stirling (50 mixed media) and Lauren Nyberg

Finally funded

State Education Minister Martin Dixon visited Macedon Ranges schools including Woodend Primary School to announce maintenance funding on Wednesday. Mr Dixon met school vice-captain Jack Hansford, school captain Emily Hoey, and student representative Maggie Clune. Photo: Chris Fleming

School maintenance has finally hit the State Government's priority list in a funding announcement this week.

Education Minister, Martin Dixon, toured local schools on Wednesday as he revealed funding allocations with Member for Northern Victoria, Donna Petrovich and Federal candidate for Bendigo, Greg Bickley.

The minister announced $51.5 million to be shared across the state for school maintenance needs identified in an audit last year.

"The independent maintenance audit of schools across the state has been an essential part of understanding what schools had not received maintenance funding under the previous Labor Government," Ms Petrovich said. 

Kyneton Secondary College (KSC) will receive this shire's most significant amount, an allocation of $627,726. 

The college has been calling for desperately needed maintenance for years, while also enduring years of State Government knock backs for the K12 (kinder to year 12) Kyneton Education Plan. Without either solution, parents, teachers and committee members resorted to undertaking their own maintenance works in late 2010.

This funding allocation has come as relief to KSC, principal Mark Ridgeway said.

"We were very, very happy and very excited. It's great news," he said.

"It's going towards major maintenance of a number of our buildings; the English wing, the woodwork wing, food technology wing and the arts/textile/music wing." 

Mr Ridgeway said the K12 project was discussed at the minister's visit.

"What we've been campaigning for is the Kyneton Education Plan. The minister indicated that that would be separate to this main funding," he said.

"What he was saying was that they support our plans for the Kyneton K12 plan and it was not a question of if, but more of when."

Woodend Primary School, another school that has led a strong campaign for maintenance, will benefit from $308,384.

In 2011 and 2012 the school lobbied for state funds.

"While we all worked and waited for a response, the school's fabric continued to decay and the associated safety risks increased," Woodend Primary School parent, Rebecca Colless said. 

Ms Colless, a former school council member, attended the announcement on Wednesday. 

"This isn't a special gift or new grant, it's the money owed to the school for a long time," she said.

"It is the government's responsibility to maintain our public schools in a safe and presentable condition, in a timely fashion. I can't congratulate the government for doing their job: (a) when we have had to nag them to do it; and (b) late."

Other local schools to benefit from the funds are Sunbury and Macedon Ranges Specialist Schools ($416,055), Gisborne Secondary College ($73,134), Romsey Primary School ($22,148), Bolinda Primary School ($55,876), and Clarkefield Primary ($3,824).

Barfold's got a few secrets...

Valerie Hornbuckle

There's a secret life to lots of places around and about which a carload of people on their way to somewhere other would not even guess let alone stop to explore.

Barfold Hall is one such place. It sits as any well cared for little wooden building would beside the Kyneton-Redesdale Road not giving any hint of its past life. It's survived some of the fiercest bushfires the district has known, the latest was being on the edge of the roaring flames which whipped by it destroying countryside and homes nearby on Black Saturday 2009. But survival aside, this building didn't begin life as the Barfold Hall. It was originally the Emberton State School several miles away from where it now stands. When finished being used as a school, it was occupied by workers constructing the railway line, acted as a meeting place from time to time, and more. Then in 1894 it was purchased by the Mechanics' Institute Committee for the sum of 25 pounds and taken by bullock team to its present site in 1906.

There was also a railway line running through Barfold, although its existence is a little more obvious than the hall's past given that the raised up area the railway track went along can be seen parallel to the road in the paddocks. A station was at Barfold just nearby the hall on the Redesdale side, although it was more in the form of a hut rather than a grand structure we are familiar with in the towns of the district.

The railway did more than transport passengers. A true reflection of the agricultural life of the area, it was a means of getting stock to markets which leads us to another feature no longer seen in its full form beside the Barfold Hall. The remnants of stock yards (the first ones were constructed in the early 1890s) could be clearly seen there until recent days. Almost gone now, they were a major trading area for farmers in the district. Sheep came from far and wide, sometimes being walked over land for several days to the Barfold sales. When sold, sheep were often loaded up into stock trucks pulled by locomotives and chuffed down the line to major centres such as Newmarket in Melbourne.

The closure of the Kyneton to Redesdale rail line in 1954 meant the end of rail transport of fat lambs and other stock after the sales. They had to go by road. Stock sales at Barfold continued for about three years after the rail line closed, then after that stock was trucked to Kyneton, Newmarket or perhaps Bendigo for sale. And that was certainly the end of an era for the Barfold district, and indeed, the surrounds of the little hall. So next time you drive through Barfold, there are a few things to think about, aren't there?

(Thanks to the Kyneton Historical Society for allowing us to photograph the old pictures.)

 

The Barfold Hall today. It still looks very much as it did more than 100 years ago.

A relic from the past dating from the days when the surrounds of Barfold Hall were a hive of activity.

Remnants of the rail line can still be seen on a private property beside the hall.

Sheep were taken by truck from the yards when the rail line had closed. This photo is dated 1957.

 Fat lamb sale at Redesdale around 1956

Students pitch in to address maintenance woes

Labor candidate for Bendigo, Lisa Chesters (left), with Kyneton Primary School student council members, Maggie Copeland and Chloe Meyer, and school council president, Fiona Copeland. The student council is pitching in to raise funds to repair the school's toilets.

Angela Crawford

The desperate need for Kyneton's K-12 Education Precinct to be realised has been further highlighted by increasing maintenance issues faced by both Kyneton Secondary College and Kyneton Primary School.

The most recent example is Kyneton Primary School's antiquated heating system, which broke down during first term and is awaiting repair, hopefully before the students return to school.

School council president, Fiona Copeland, said the maintenance budget won't cover all that needs to be done. 

"It's an old boiler system and needs parts - it's blown out the budget really, the winter's coming in and we really need to have it working," she said.

"There's a lot of things that need repair and issues that have been tagged as priority."

A general clean up and painting of the school's toilets is also needed, so the student council has taken up the task of raising the funds itself.

The students held a 'Guess the Easter Eggs in the Jar' competition before the end of term and raised $120 for the effort.

Labor candidate for Bendigo, Lisa Chesters, visited the school for an assembly last week and was shocked to learn the students had to fundraise themselves to repair the toilets.

"It is shocking enough that young students are fundraising to fix the toilets, however, it's not the only maintenance issue at Kyneton Primary. Other issues challenging the school maintenance budget include a heater that needs repair, loose roof slates and leaking guttering," she said. 

"Principal Wendy Pearce and the Kyneton Primary school teachers are doing an outstanding job. Whilst the teachers, staff and school community are working hard to ensure their students receive a quality education, the state of the school buildings and facilities is appalling."

"Public school maintenance and maintenance budgets are the responsibility of the Victorian State Liberal Government but they are clearly failing meet the funding needs our schools."

Ms Chesters said the Federal Government's National Plan for School Improvement will provide a fairer school funding model for all schools.

"Negotiations are continuing ahead of COAG and we're working hard to secure a deal with all states and systems," she said. 

 "We're asking the State Liberal Government to pay their fair share and commit to the National Plan for School Improvement."

Peace message to the PM

 Gisborne students Vanessa Bolton and Naomi Keane, Riddells Creek GP Dr Jenny Grounds and Japanese teacher Noriko Ikaga with the 2,000 hand-folded peace cranes presented to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister this week.

Gisborne Secondary College students have urged the Federal Government to sign a treaty against nuclear weapons.
A group of 13 students from the year 10 and 11 Japanese class presented 2,000 peace cranes to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, Senator Jan McLucas, on Monday morning.
The Gisborne students went on a school trip to Japan last September/October as part of their Japanese studies.
They spent time in the city of Hiroshima learning from local students about how the city was destroyed by a nuclear bomb in World War II, killing 140,000 people. 
"We saw how the city was damaged and thought, 'this is so wrong and this shouldn't happen anywhere in the world'," GSC Japanese teacher, Noriko Ikaga said.
Following the bombings, paper cranes became a symbol of world peace for Japanese people.
The Gisborne students would like to see the Australian Government join other nations in calling for negotiations on a treaty to outlaw and eliminate nuclear weapons.
"Although we don't have nuclear weapons here we still haven't signed a treaty against them," Ms Ikaga said.
The Gisborne students made 1,000 of the paper cranes, most while on the Japan school trip. 
They agreed to make the cranes as a gift and peace message to Prime Minister Julia Gillard, at the suggestion of ICAN organisers (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons). ICAN plans to have bundles of 1,000 cranes - symbolising support for nuclear disarmament - delivered to every president and prime minister worldwide.
The students had already made 1,000 hand-folded paper cranes at home to bring to Japan as a traditional peace symbol before ICAN made the proposal.
"It's tradition to make 1,000 cranes when we go to Japan to show you support world peace. Many people in Japan do this," Ms Ikaga said.
"When we got this invitation from ICAN we were just finished making 1,000 cranes to take to Hiroshima where the bomb was dropped.
"(The idea) came from ICAN. They though it would be good to have local students get involved, it would be nice to have support from kids here. When I asked them I wasn't sure if they would want to make 1,000 more cranes, but they said, 'yeah, yeah, we want to do it'.
"Once we got to Japan we bought paper, most of them we made in Japan. (The students) just found time on the train when we were going to a different city."
The remaining 1,000 peace cranes were hand-folded by Hiroshima students.
Riddells Creek GP and Medical Association for Prevention of War president, Dr Jenny Grounds, presented the 2,000 peace cranes to Senator McLucas at Gisborne Secondary College this week.
Senator McLucas travelled from Queensland to accept the cranes on the Prime Minister's behalf. 
"She was a lovely, lovely lady. She told us the reason why she became a politician is she is against uranium mining," Ms Ikaga said.
"She said she will get a response from Julia Gillard for the students."
More than 140,000 paper cranes have already been delivered to leaders worldwide, and messages of support have been received from the presidents of Afghanistan, Cyprus, Greece, Kazakhstan, the Marshall Islands, Mozambique, Slovenia, Switzerland, Tunisia and Vanuatu, as well as the Secretary General of the United Nations.
www.icanw.org/resources/paper-crane-project