The Forrest Post is now nine

editions old. We hope you

like the way it is developing.

Please remember we

welcome contributions, so

please email us at

theforrestpost@gmail.com

if you know of anything

going on in Forrest.

The Post is a voluntary project of the Forrest & District Community Group. The Community Group has had a big year! Projects have been:

$25,000 secured from Colac Otway Shire to help build the accessible Hall toilet

3 sculptural bike racks installed

Grant St footpath and tree planting

Part-funding the School entrance and Historical Society renovations.

Watch out for our community survey in next month’s Post: we want to know what to focus on next.

Photo courtesy Nick Romanowski

The Otways became a winter wonderland of snow-draped tree ferns and ice-crisped grasses in early August.

Light snows blanketed the higher reaches of the ranges in a day of falling snowflakes, starting as low as Barramunga, just a few kilometres south.

Snow in the Otways is infrequent, but beautiful as the rainforest ferns catch the flakes like giant umbrellas.

In a month of contrasts, winter rains saw the dam again break its banks with millions of litres an hour cascading over the spillway.

Funding for fun in the sun Forrest Learning Centre is to receive a $5000 grant to install a shade sail in the Early Years Learning Centre.

‘This announcement is fantastic news,’ said Darryl Harty, School Principal.

‘As we are a Sun Smart facility, the shade sail will enable our preschoolers the opportunity to play outside protected from the sun, especially in

the high-risk months from September through to the end of March.’

‘We are hopeful of sourcing a contractor as soon as possible to ensure it is in place before summer,’ said Mr Harty.

State Transport and Roads Minister and local member Terry Mulder announced the grant at the Birregurra Kindergarten, which will also receiving funding.

And to end winter, the clouds parted and we enjoyed magnificent sunshine with a promise of spring in the air as temperatures headed toward 20 degrees.

After a winter of variety and beauty, it’s great to look forward to warm weather and sunshine.

It’s snow time!

SEPTEMBER 2014

FFoorrrreesstt’’ss sshhooppss,, ccaaffééss aanndd

rreessttaauurraannttss hhaavvee aallll

rreeooppeenneedd,, ssoommee wwiitthh

ffaacceelliiffttss,, nneeww mmeennuuss,,

nneeww oowwnneerrss aanndd

eevveenn nneeww nnaammeess..

VViissiitt tthheemm aallll aanndd cchheecckk oouutt

tthhee cchhaannggeess!!

Vice President Stuart Baker said that

the men in the club take an active

role in helping others in town.

‘Our men’s shed members go out

into the community as well as work

on site,’ said Stuart. ‘We recently

helped a local lady living on her own

who needed some guttering

Plumbing funding in the pipeline replaced. She bought the materials

and we all chipped in to get the

work done.’

The majority of the build is being

funded from a grant announced

earlier this year and monies raised

by the men themselves.

Sarah Henderson with members of the Forrest Men’s Shed

The Forrest Men’s Shed building

project received a boost with the

announcement of a $6000 grant for

plumbing works.

Federal member Sarah Henderson

announced the funding in August on

the site which is now being cleared

for foundations.

‘Men’s sheds are a wonderful part of

so many communities,’ said Ms

Henderson. ‘They create a sense of

mateship and camaraderie,

particularly in rural communities

where isolation is an issue.

‘I am particularly impressed with

the Forrest Men’s Shed as they will

by opening up the facility for

community purposes,’ she said.

The club is hoping that they can

secure further funding to meet the

$8000 cost of electrical works.

HHHooottt gggooossssssiiippp.........

What’s big and red and eats side mirrors? The new

Forrest fire truck!

Between the truck being a little bigger than the last

one and Birregurra’s side streets a little narrower

than expected, Captain Al Winter collected (and then

arranged repairs for) side mirrors on two cars.

The red truck headed back to Forrest with a red-faced

captain!

The CFA turned on their digital radio network in July

and the Forrest brigade have now had the opportunity

to test all previously known black spots in the area.

‘Even Lake Elizabeth was perfect,’ said Brigade Captain

Allan Winter. ‘It was like they were sitting next to me

even though they were broadcasting from the other

side of Melbourne.’

‘Having clear communication definitely adds to the

safety of the crew and adds to your confidence,’ said

Allan. ‘It’s made a huge difference ahead of this year’s

fire season.’

Unfortunately, the brigade was again unsuccessful this

year in securing funding from the CFA for a slip-on

(ultra light tanker), despite having raised the required

co-contribution. The local Lions Club and Community

Group have each pledged $5000 and the brigade has

raised a further $10,000.

‘The slip-on would allow the brigade to respond faster

to things like car accidents, and access smaller roads for

fire fighting,’ Allan said. ‘It’s also cheaper than sending

the truck to activities that don’t need it.’

The brigade will apply again next year.

Joeys and cubs in the Otways Increasing the range of activities for

young people in Forrest has been the

focus of community members. There

are 39 children in the Forrest Primary

School, and the Forrest Youth Group

identified around 30 teenagers

resident in our area.

Recent discussions with the Regional

Commissioner and the Colac-Otways

District Leader of the Scout

Movement revealed a keenness to

establish a group in Forrest. The

natural advantages of the location are

second to none for outdoor activities.

The working group proposes to

establish joeys (ages 6-7), cubs (8-10)

and possibly scouts (10-14). The

Movement has offered seed funds

take up this opportunity to access and

live better within the bush

surrounding us.

The Broomfield and Freddi families

are prepared to undertake the serious

commitment of leader training and

now appeal to community members

to sit on a committee to support the

leaders and provide oversight for the

program. Four individuals or families

are required to share this role.

If you are willing and able, please

speak with Andrew and Shizhu

Broomfield (0434 551 350) or Jason

and Liza Freddi (0402 773 110) in the

next few weeks. Enquiries and

expressions of encouragement are

also welcome.

and leader training, as well as

personnel to help get a local group

underway.

All is contingent upon parent and

community support. Scouting not only

involves children, but parents and

other community members. The

benefits to the Forrest district will be

social and environmental if people

Beating the black spot

Phone 5243 3579

Forrest’s Learning Centre provides a

distinctive experience in that it

provides a learning and caring

environment for children from babies

through to 12 years of age.

‘I was informed recently that this

model is currently found in only one

other school in Victoria,’ said Darryl

Harty, School Principal. ‘It is an

exemplar being monitored closely and

I feel confident it could be used in

other locations across the state in the

future.’

The model was built on the good work

of previous principal Tara Hulance,

School Council and the Early Years

Committee who had a vision for what

the Forrest community’s needs were

and developed a solution to meet

these.

Families benefit from the opportunity

to have children of varying ages

in the same place for day care,

preschool, primary school and

after-hours care. Aside from

the logistical advantage over

travelling many kilometres

between centres, children

benefit from an environment

where age groups support one

another.

‘The staff are fantastic in

ensuring the family values we

hold dear are promoted at

every possibility,’ said Mr

Harty. ‘For example, playtimes

are coordinated to enable older

siblings to see and play with

their toddler brothers and

sisters on a regular basis.’

There is an economic logic to the

model too. Whilst each group’s

learning program is targeted, the

One with the lot

Kayla Forssman (11) lends preschooler

John Seebeck a helping hand.

The month of August was been a strange one. The weather is beginning to change, the days are getting darker sooner, the trees are beginning to become orange and yellow and the weather is rainy, cold and windy. My host family has told me that with the weather changing like this it means the coming winter is going to be a cold and snowy one.

Jasmine Walsh is a local schoolgirl on a 12-month Rotary exchange in Finland.

This is me and my host dad and uncle at the beach with a campfire, frying sausages.

facility and equipment from

playground to curriculum resources are

used by three age groupings without

the need for duplication.

Forrest’s lock-up has moved again,

this time up the road to the Forrest

& District Historical Society’s new

home in the West Barwon Dam weir

keeper’s cottage.

The lock-up appeared in Forrest in

1913, when a police presence was

first established here. It probably

originated in England, as one of

hundreds of prefabricated kits sent

out to help manage the more unruly

members of the colony. Numbers

can still be seen on the internal

boards to guide the lock-up’s

assembly.

The Forrest archives contain very

little information on inhabitants of

the lock-up, but there are anecdotes

of locals being brought in to cool off

after having had a little too much to

drink. Cool in winter and

fairly stuffy in summer, it

wouldn’t have been a place

where people would have

wanted to stay for long.

However, there is a metal

grid between the internal

and external cladding, and

no escapes were recorded.

The lock-up was located

for many years behind the

police station in Station St,

but in the past 50 years or

so its only inhabitant has

been a haul of marijuana

plants that needed a

secure location.

The lock-up was moved temporarily

to the Men’s Shed around two years

ago, where it was used for storage.

The tale of the wandering lock-up

Open Thursday - Sunday

New spring menu Special single release SMaSH brew using

wild hops Roadnight Creek Bike friendly - kid friendly - dog friendly

Open 7 days across the September / October school holidays

Thursday night is neighborhood night

Serving rockin' PIZZAs from 6.00pm onwards Or join the Brew Crew, on a socially

orientated Mountain Bike ride from 6.15, followed by PIZZA

Take away Pizzas also available

In its current location it will

eventually house an exhibition of

pictures and hopefully some criminal

histories, if the Historical Society can

find any.

Details supplied by

Ken Widdowson and Norm Houghton

How long have you been in Forrest and what brought you here?

I first came here 49 years ago, to visit Bernice

Rourke. We were both at the hospital in Hamilton, I

was a resident physician and she was a trained

nurse there. I asked Bernice whether I could give

her a lift home one weekend, and I immediately felt

at home here. We were married in 1966.

But you didn’t make your home in Forrest for quite a while?

We worked in South Africa, UK and New Guinea,

but Bernice always wanted to come back here. I

finished my psychiatric training and we went to

Ararat for 12 years, where I was superintendent

at the Ararat Mental Hospital. Then I worked as a

psychiatrist in Pentridge, and later an opportunity

came up to work in Canada. I loved Canada, and

stayed on. Bernice came back here and we had a

long-distance relationship for 20 years, just

getting together for holidays and anniversaries.

What do you like about Forrest now that it’s home?

I love the solitude here, and the friendliness of the

people. But Bernice keeps me here. When I go up

to the cemetery I see all her ancestors—her family

goes back five generations to the early settlers in

Forrest. I’m just a ring-in—I’ve only ever really

seen myself as Norm Rourke’s son-in-law. But I’m

digging in now, I’m delighted to say I’ve just joined

the Hall Committee!

Jeff Rosenstock comes from Brooklyn, New York and spent

the whole month of July in Forrest.

Motivation: I came to work with friends, producing their new

album. We wanted an environment that was perfect and found

this quirky place on the internet.

Experience: My most lasting memory will be falling asleep

with the sound of the rain on the roof. And the birds – seeing

the birds every morning. Do you have them everywhere over

here?

Insights: If you had New York slices of pizza, I’d probably

move here! Two days after I moved here I missed my fiancé

and then just below her, I missed pizza!

Verdict: If you were writing a headline for your visit what

would it be?

‘Forrest: a welcoming community’

The people here are so friendly. It shouldn’t be taken for

granted because it’s not like that everywhere else.

What brought you to Forrest?

Liza: We just wanted to get out of the city. We looked around for quite a while – what we really wanted was to find a community and a good place for our boys to grow up.

Jason: It’s getting harder to live in the city without having an enormous amount of money. I was working in construction and was fed up with the hours and the stress. We love camping and then would come home and think how boring it was, so we thought why don’t we invert our lives and live the other way around.

What do you like about living in Forrest?

Liza: I love being able to hear the animals and birds instead of the traffic. Elijah was so funny – the first time we went back to Melbourne he said, ‘Oh I forgot about traffic lights!’

Jason: There is really good diversity in Forrest. People here take an interest in the town and get involved. That doesn’t seem to happen in Melbourne – it’s too big for people to take responsibility for, so they just don’t.

You’ve been here 6 months now and really settling in.

Liza: I got a job at the Brewery before we moved and I picked up some shifts at the Guesthouse as well. Everyone has been so welcoming, it’s a really lovely community here. I’ve joined the Community Group and Jason is running the school play and was invited on the Neighbourhood House Committee.

Jason: I’ve always liked being involved in the community. I was in music and theatre for years,

but I was getting frustrated by the travel and the logistics of getting people together from all over Melbourne.

Reuben, Jason, Liza and Elijah Freddi

You have a new baby arriving soon. What does the future hold for the Freddi family?

Liza: We’re still figuring that out. I’m ready to put some roots down. Maybe we’ll look to settle in town or on some land. I’m building my textile and design business.

Jason: We know we don’t need to look for another town to settle in because this one ticks all the boxes. I want to keep working on my writing and get back to playing music.

Forrest Primary School is midway

through rehearsals for its 2014 school

production, the first for many years.

The play is based on the legend of the

Wild Colonial Boy, Jack Donahue, a

bushranger that terrorized Sydney

during the 1820s. He is Australia’s

answer to Robin Hood: an escaped

convict who robbed from the rich to

sell to the poor.

Involving all of the 39 students from

Prep to Grade 6, the play provides

opportunities for students in

technical and artistic roles as well as

acting.

‘The play is terrific fun, it provides a

mix of the serious and the comic. One

can see their confidence growing

week by week’, says senior teacher,

Craig Donahoo.

Primary play goes wild

The original play was composed by a

parent, Jason Freddi, who has two

boys in the school.

‘I got the idea because my boys love

the Aussie bushranger stories. It’s

hard not to feel sympathetic towards

them,’ said Jason.

Matinee: Tuesday, 16th Sept (1.30pm)

Evening: Wednesday 17th September

(6.30pm).

Where: Forrest Community Hall

The play runs for 70 minutes.

Everyone is welcome - gold coin

donation.

FORREST EARLY LEARNING CENTRE

We offer families a range of services for

children from birth to school age:

3 and 4-year-old Pre-School 15 hours

(including unique Bush Kinder Program)

Long Day Care (Mon-Wed 9am – 6pm, Thurs –

Fri 2 – 6pm)

Out-of-school hours care

Long Day Care and OSHC CCB claimable

A school bus operates in the area for pick-ups

Contact: Forrest Primary School Principal Darryl Harty

PH: 52366 393/0427 366 393

Situations Vacant...

Forrest Brewery has a vacancy for a Head Chef,

Front of House Manager and hospitality & bar staff

with a min. of 2+ years experience.

Head Chef: http://www.seek.com.au/job/26878363

Front of House Manager:

http://www.seek.com.au/job/26891642

Chase the dog...

A riding event in support of Beyond Blue, October 11

www.chasethedog.com.au

Mandy Williams built the very first

mudbrick house in Forrest, back in the

1980s. It is now nestled so comfortably

into the landscape on Roadnight Creek

that most people don’t realise it is there.

Mandy’s first home on site was under just

two sheets of corrugated iron. For the first

year, she made mudbricks while she saved

and searched for second-hand materials.

She chose mudbricks because they were

cheap, and for their thermal properties.

‘It’s a medium that can be used by

inexperienced builders—you can learn the

technique easily.’

Mandy’s own clay was too pure, but Titch Evans

was able to supply usable clay from digging a new

pit at the old Forrest tip. The bricks are all mud,

without cement or straw. ‘I hand-made the bricks,

one at a time. They were all puddled with rubber

boots—I did it the hard way. Then I laid them all: it

was a long process!’

Mandy built the house in a sustainable way, a

rectangle with a northern orientation and thermal

mass in the floor and walls to retain heat, wide

eaves, timber from on site and second-hand doors

and windows. This was partly a lifestyle decision,

but it was mainly economic: ‘It was the only way I

was ever going to afford a house of my own, but I

love the fact that it works. I’m living comfortably, at

Mandy’s mudbricks drying in the sun

a very cheap price. Everything works simply and

together for heating and cooling.’

The house is powered by solar panels—to connect

to the grid was going to cost $40,000, which was

around the total cost of the house! Mandy has

found solar power to be quite adequate. She is

conservative with power, but there’s nothing much

she can’t do.

Mandy had no building skills when she started, but

did a short course, read books, and observed

others. Her partner was not hands-on in the

process, though he helped financially. She had a lot

of help with the carpentry from a friend, Dave.

Together they would fell trees, debark them and

drag them into position.

She describes building as ‘a process of

acquiring one essential, then one

comfort, after another. Because we

were doing everything the hard way it

didn’t happen quickly. But every time

we achieved water on tap, or a toilet,

or another closed wall, it was such a

reward. You felt the power of having

done it yourself.’

‘I’d tell kids they should consider this

kind of thing, rather than having a

massive debt on their shoulders for

half their lives.’

The Forrest Post is an initiative of the Forrest and District Community Group. Every effort is made to remain current, accurate and non-partisan. Feedback, submissions and advertising input are encouraged. Submissions may be edited. You may request an electronic version by email delivery. Contact theforrestpost@gmail.com. Editors: Mandy Bishop, Mary Dracup

Anglers will be delighted to hear that the West Barwon

Dam's fish stock was increased by 3000 rainbow trout

during August.

Barwon Water systems operator Glenn Doyle said the trout

were one year old (about 150mm long). Known as triploids,

they had been specially bred to grow rapidly, so should be

around 2kg in 12 months’ time—large enough to make a

good catch.

Glenn hopes the new trout will fare better than the last lot

of trout that were introduced in 2013. These were also

yearlings, but had not been bred to grow fast. There were

few reports of these trout being caught, and he feared that

because of their small size they were easy prey for the

highly territorial brown trout in the dam, as well as birds.

Glenn said Barwon Water stocked the dam with 3000 trout

every year, mainly to give anglers a good stock of fish to

catch, but also to help keep the water quality good as they

ate insect larvae and other grubs.

Rainbow trout (drawing by Virgil Beck,

courtesy Wisconsin Dept of Natural Resources, https://www.flickr.com/search/?l=cc&q=RAINBOW%20TROUT)

From little fish big fish grow

Common heath

Common heath (Epacris impressa) is Victoria’s floral symbol, and has been flowering well through the Otways for the past two months.

The flowers hang in dense masses, and come in many colour forms: whites and pale pinks are often seen growing together, but in other places they are always deep pink to scarlet and even crimson.

Their clean, bright colours and the elegant tube shape are designed to attract honeyeaters, especially long-beaked species such as the Eastern spinebill, which are one of its main pollinators.

Even though this is one of the most widespread and often abundant winter wildflowers, it grows and flowers best in fairly open country, for example in recently-burnt bushland. Seedlings may even appear on the bare clay of dams.

You’d think a common plant that grows so easily and flowers so freely would be a popular native that would be available from most nurseries, but this heath is a true wildling and doesn’t seem to produce

much vigorous seed, or perhaps we just don’t know

exactly what the seed needs to get it going. So get out

into the bush over the next few weeks, and enjoy this

wildflower while it is still at its best.

Nick Romanowski

Despite racking up more scoring shots, the

Forrest Reserves kicked themselves out of

contention against Irrewarra in this season’s

first elimination final.

The final score saw Irrewarra progress 10 . 4 .

64 to Forrest’s 4 . 10 . 34.

‘Congratulations to Reserves Coach Greg

(Gibbo) Giblin for getting the team into the

finals,’ said club president Bob Brooks. ‘The

boys put up a good effort, but just didn’t have

the kicking boots on today.’

Forrest netball teams competed in several age

groups for the first time in several years. The

senior football team finished short of the final 5

this season.

‘We’re looking forward to seeing all the boys

and girls back next year,’ said Bob. ‘We’re also

hoping to get a junior football team together.’

Simon Nells breaks an Irrewarra tackle while

Ryan Wheelahan comes in to lay a shepherd

Forrest reserves bow out

Presentation night for all

football and netball teams is at the

clubrooms on September 20.