Kundry’s seduction of Parsifal
Kundry’s seduction of Parsifal, the extraordinary love scene at the heart of Wagner’s final opera Parsifal, will be performed at Castlemaine Art Gallery on Saturday February 14 at 7.30 pm, Valentine’s Day. In a concert staging, US-born mezzo soprano Kristen Leich sings Kundry, the beautiful woman conjured up by dark forces to seduce and corrupt the unknowing Parsifal. Kristen made […]
DC Fridge Mechanic: Don Charlton
My DC fridge stopped working the other day. Can be hard to find a local DC fridge mechanic. After a bit of searching and a number of calls with people who couldn’t do the job, was fortunate to connect with Bendigo-based fridge mechanic Don Charlton. Katherine, who answered the phone, was incredibly friendly and helpful. […]
Native mice
Who else is hosting new winter residents? And what terms have you set on their tenancy? A non-lethal response suggested by Michael GS, one that he has found effective, is electronic rodent control… not that they are rodents… at http://www.pestrol.com.au/pestrol-rodent.html Mark Carter
It wasn’t all plain sailing for Brian!
…sometimes the Council did have a word to say even then. Just what the outcome was to this letter we don’t know? What we do know is the Subdivision went ahead despite these protestations from the Metcalfe Council.”
The end of an era for the Chewton Bushlands
Brian Parsons (1933-2014) Entrepreneur, Businessman, Real Estate Developer, Bon Vivant, Visionary. The death of Brian Parsons in January of this year marked the ending of a chapter in the history of the Chewton Bushlands. When referring to the Chewton Bushlands I mean that subdivision developed by Brian Parsons in the early 1970’s, and not the […]
Culling the creeper
Last February 23, 2014 a big push by a group of us really set back the invasion of Bluebell Creeper (Solly heterophylla) taking place in the North/East Bushlands. A further onslaught in November 2014 is planned and details will be posted here.
Snakes alive!
Summer usually sees the presence of a few snakes in particular locations around the Bushlands. Most are brown snakes but quite often a tiger snake or two joins the fray. In most instances they can be left to move off to other places but occasionally some may invade buildings and hence require removal. We are […]
“He had a dream” — How Brian Parsons did it
In 1966 Brian Parsons was living with his wife Merle in Harcourt. He’d come from Kooringal in Wagga Wagga filled with a desire to return to the Maldon, Bendigo and Castlemaine region where he had spent much of his childhood. He was an accountant and he started out working with the orchardists of Harcourt who […]
Creative bushlanders
There is much in the realm of creativity, performance and artistic talent that has emerged in the Bushlands during the four decades since subdivision. A quick reflection reveals many who, either as professionals or amateurs, have a career or maybe just dabbled as a: patchwork quilter, spinner, weaver, painter, sculptor, musician, singer, builder, mason, photographer, […]
Creative: Antoinette Birkenbeil
My bushland idyll in the lovely mud brick home built by Charles and his family and friends, has given me an opportunity to return to photography as my first love, after finishing my manuscript for “From Bourbon Street to Bennetts Lane: A jazz journey”, which is now with Scholarly Publishing in Melbourne. One of the […]
Rita and Peter van Benthem and family
Lot 29 Chewton Bushlands (2 Mount View Road) Right: Rita and Peter in their courtyard at Essendon 2013 In 1977, not long after the subdivision of the Bushlands estate into its 42 lots, there were not many occupants, legal ones anyway, in the area. On offer were still four of six lots with stone cottages available […]
Controlled burn: Emails to DEPI
Dear Planned Burning at DEPI and Damien Drum, Re: Fire operations plan for the Murray Goldfields Fire District Proposed planned burning site: MGFCASO28 Chewton, Bushmans Road (12Ha) We live in Miners Hut Road at just under a kilometre due south of the proposed burn site. We acknowledge that controlled burns can play an important part in contributing to […]
Controlled burn: FOBIF email
Dear Friend of the Box Ironbark Forests, As we reported on www.fobif.org.au on July 19 and August 13, DEPI has released the latest modification on the fire operations plan for our region. Consultations are invited, preferably before August 31.We strongly urge you to show that the public is closely interested in this program by putting a submission […]
Welcome…
The Department of Environment and Primary Industry has included the 12 hectare parcel of public land “Chewton Bushmans Road MGF CAS028”, otherwise known as the Chewton Bushlands Reserve (starting at the corner of Commisioners Gully Road and Rankins Road) as one of it’s Proposed Planned Burning Sites for 2013/2014 (see map). While the formal submissions […]
Welcome to the Chewton Bushlands Association website
We hope this website can become a useful resource for bushlands residents… for conversations about life in the bush ( > Bushlanders, > The bush), as a record of the history of the subdivision ( > Bushlands history), as a point of exchange for offers to share, requests for help and other resident-only content ( […]
Blue Bell Creeper (Sollya heterophylla) weed
This spreading weed has been found in many places in the Bushlands and must be dealt with. Please see the picture below to help with identification and when you have identified this plant please remove it. The “cut and paint” method appears to be the most positive way to stop its spread. We have the […]
18 Wattle road: The big clean up
Francesca and Jill. Well here is our little bit of history, looked around for land for 3 months or so after deciding the coast was too expensive and there were no train stations nearby. I loathe driving so a train was a must. My sister has lived in Bendigo for 30 plus years and Jill […]
Builder: Denis George
Denis George Phone 5470 5166 (Recommended by Cate Freeman) For any building work I recommend Denis George. He is a great all rounder. A worker of small or large miracles and is very conversant with the Bushlands. To see what he can do, drop by to my place 234 Goldspeck Gully Road anytime! He can […]
Thanks Jan!
On the weekend we were saved from a potential fire by the swift action of neighbour Jan Palethorpe. When passing the Chewton Cemetery she saw smoke. On checking she found it to be a smouldering log. One which could have very easily caused a fire. She phoned 000 and they were on to it immediately […]
Water Carrier: Warrick Harwood, Harcourt
Warrick Harwood Water Mobile: 0417 036 059 (Recommended by Michael Gillies Smith) Great guy. Great service. He rang me back the same day and offered to bring the water the next day. $160 for 13,000 litres. Warrick’s is a 13,000 litre water truck, perfect for the Bushlands gravel roads and driveways. Most of […]