Kyabram Free Press
Fodder for fire victims
Allan Weeks, a volunteer firefighter, witnessed devastating fires in Yarroweyah and Nathalia on January 9, describing them as the most erratic and out of control he has seen. Last Thursday, he headed back to Muckatah to donate much-needed fodder for...
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Donkey delight
It was a kick-ass day in Tongala on Sunday, January 11 as families flocked to the donkey shelter for its annual open day. While donkeys got pats, cuddles and a few carrots, the shelter itself received a healthy injection of funding for its...
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Brace for heat
After a slow start to summer, in the first week of the new year we are finally in the thick of a hot, sweltering summer — with temperatures expected to soar in the coming days. Locals have sought refuge this summer by plunging into pools, cranking up...
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Festive night in Ky
Despite a last-minute date change, Kyabram’s Carols in the Park event attracted record crowds on Monday night. Families enjoyed high-energy performances by local bands and performers, getting into the festive spirit before the big day. The Stacey...
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Building for better care
Forget the two-hour drive down the Hume Hwy, medical professionals visiting Kyabram District Health Service will now have a private unit to retreat to after work. Funded by the Victorian Government's Regional Worker Accommodation Fund, the project aims...
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Cycling for a cause
A year after their last charity ride, Vonda and Ted are hitting the road once more. This time, they are wheeling their way to a generous donation to the Kyabram Gift. Find out how you can get involved,
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From sapling to symbol of remembrance
Kyabram District Health Service held a Lone Pine service in front of the Lone Pine tree planted by long-term employee Marg Chalker more than 20 years ago. It's rare for the Drysdales to miss a Lone Pine service in Kyabram, and they had front-row seats...
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The last dance
Kyabram has lost a major financial lifeline after the RV Country Music Festival announced its permanent cancellation. At the conclusion of this year’s festival on Sunday, November 9, president Allan Weeks made an announcement that brought the crowd of...
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Ride to remember
Ewen Mclean and the Indi Horse re-enacted the storming of Beersheba in 1917 by the Australian Light Horse. The event at the Kyabram cemetery has been running since 2016 and pays respect to an often overlooked chapter of Australian military history....
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Weather can’t dampen spirits
Although the heavens opened on Sunday, wet conditions didn’t prevent a successful Girgarre Open Gardens event at the Gargarro Botanic Gardens. Jenny Wadelton, Christine Dicketts and Marj Gibbs joined the many who took in the stalls, music, sculpture...
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Roaring show success
Blue skies, a wide range of attractions and quality showings of the region’s finest agriculture helped to make another successful Kyabram Show. Kaylee Simmons, 1, was one of the many kids who enjoyed the dinosaur exhibit this year. More Jemma Jones...
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Nothing beats a day out in Tonny
Tongala Beats and Eats’ family-friendly formula has once again proved a big hit with locals. On Sunday, October 12, patrons flocked to the Tongala Sound Shell to enjoy live music, a stack of food trucks and markets, and activities for kids. Tongala...
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Cheers to a great day
Kevin and Judy Sutton were among festive-goers who raised their glasses to a lovely day at the Stanhope Food and Wine Festival on Sunday. Birdwood Ave came alive with an array of gourmet food stalls and local wineries, offering a tantalising selection...
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Fetching reception for park
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Bridging generations
Kyabram P-12 College students and Warramunda Village residents, including Dougie Mccready and Joyce Read, have connected through reading, bridging generational gaps and sharing wisdom. The Years 3 and 4 students took their favourite books to Warramunda...
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Lone pine legacy lives on
Local students were joined by Legacy and community members at two Lone Pine services last week. The services are a reminder of the soldiers who lost their lives on the Turkish battleground where the Battle of Lone Pine took place, and where the...
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Man’s best employee
Melo the French bulldog isn’t just a pet, she’s Salters Motor Panel Repairs’ best employee. She began working as co-receptionist in April and has greeted hundreds of customers at the front door with enthusiasm and a little waddle. Story on page 4.
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Introducing the modern media app for a Kyabram view of the world
This is about much more than where you get your news. This is where your community and the wider world come to life. Stories that matter. Voices that inspire. Podcasts, playlists, videos, puzzles — all in one perfectly simple place. For staying close....
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Women bloom through the dry
More than 50 women gathered for a day of posie bouquet making, hand massages and good conversation at the Blooming in the Dry event in Kyabram on Saturday. Organisers Sue Walley and Renee Pichlerhe said the event, which celebrated the vital...
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Climbing to overcome cancer
Kyabram Fire Brigade volunteers are taking on a new challenge — the annual Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb. The brave Dom Dean, Jodie Elvey and rookie James Bray are taking on the challenge all in the name of charity.
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Preserving the past
Hazelman’s Cottage has undergone a transformation over the past year thanks to members of the Kyabram and District Historical Society, including president Clive Toms and secretary Eileen Sullivan. Among the new additions to the property at Kyabram...
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Florist’s generosity blooms
By brightening lives with flowers, florist Sue Walley is fostering a sense of togetherness in Kyabram. The Fab Flowers Kyabram Florist and Nursery owner says small acts of generosity can have significant impacts on the community. Story, page 5.
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Water-wise school
Kyabram P-12 College students have been doing their bit to conserve water — they have saved 3.2 million litres of it. In fact, the college placed in the top 10 of water saved at all schools across Victoria who use the Schools Water Efficiency Program....
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Pausing to remember
Community members and visitors commemorated the 83rd anniversary of the Montevideo Maru tragedy in Stanhope last week. Among those paying their respects to those who lost their lives were Kyabram and Stanhope RSL member Clive Toms, Stanhope RSL...
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All paws on deck at park
The digging has started at Kyabram's new dog park at Edis Park. And Bella, Teddy, Fergus and Misty, along with Vonda Meloni, Campaspe Shire Cr John Zobec, Kyabram Development Committee secretary Renee Pichler and Cr Luke Sharrock were happy to pose for...
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Braving the clippers
Kyabram P-12 College teacher Ali Wallace braved the shave on Sunday, June 15, and raised a bucket-load of money while doing so. Surrounded by friends, family, students and staff, Ali’s 45cm of hair was shaved off with the assistance of Henley, 8, and...
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Uncertainty for mail as post office closes
A woman who fought to keep mail coming to her town has now had to step away from her duties at the post office, leaving in her wake an uncertain future for residents. Angela Spedding has been working the front desk of the Merrigum Post Office since...
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Stunning work of art for Stanhope
From painting tennis racquets for top players to painting for her community, Kahlea Spiby is serving up special works of art. The local Indigenous artist recently presented her second piece of a three-piece art collection for Stanhope Health at a...
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Bridging gaps
St Augustine’s College staff and students commemorated Reconciliation Week recently with a Reconciliation Mass. Reconciliation Week 2025 ran from May 26 to June 2, carrying the theme ‘Bridging Now to Next’ to reflect the ongoing connection between...
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Beanie battle against MND
In a show of solidarity and support, Kyabram Club staff and board members are donning a beanie in support of Fight MND. The club has purchased a beanie for all staff to contribute to the fight against MND and raise awareness of those suffering. Story,...
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Power of volunteering
National Volunteer Week is a chance to celebrate all the hard-working, and often under-appreciated, volunteers within the community. This year, the week celebrates the power of volunteering through the ‘Connecting Communities’ theme. From community...
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Kids welcome special guests
Students at St Mary’s School Rushworth had special guests join them for an afternoon of crafts during a busy Education Week. Eleanor and Laura Ackroyd, a mother-daughter pair, were among countless families who celebrated Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 11,...
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Living memorial
Veteran Max Webster returned to Girgarre Primary School on Wednesday, April 30, to plant a second Lone Pine tree, more than 25 years after planting the first. This time, he had a little help from the students. The Aleppo pines, revered as Lone Pines...
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SPIRIT LIVES ON
After seven decades, James Studd unearthed a reminder of his Korean War service — his 75-year-old dog-tags, once his only form of identification on the battlefield. On Anzac Day, Mr Studd proudly wore those tags, embodying the enduring strength of the...
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Special link to Anzac Day
On Anzac Day this year, when Australia stops at 11am for a minute’s silence, Greg Rossborough (pictured) from Tongala won’t just be honouring one of his relatives, but two. The Rossborough family’s fate was intertwined with war. Greg’s great uncle...
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DIG DEEP FOR GREAT CAUSE
The trucks are ready and the tins empty in preparation for this year Good Friday Appeal. Across Victoria, volunteers including Kyabram Fire Brigade’s Mick Crompton, Allan Weeks, Robert Lennie and Quaid Collins, will be out and about on Friday...
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SIXTY YEARS OF SCONES, FUN AND FRIENDSHIPS
An array of cakes, sandwiches, scones and — of course — tea were served at the Kyabram-sheridan CWA’S 60th birthday bash. About 50 past and present members of the branch, including Berrie Mcmillan, Doreen Napier, Marilyn Pell and Rae Poole, filled the...
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POWER PROJECT
Golden shovels and international representatives made for an interesting kickoff party for Australia’s next landmark renewables project. Representatives of Lancaster solar farm officially launched the project’s construction at the edge of its...
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ACTION NEEDED
“Chris is dead.” This chilling written threat, etched into the fencing at Kyabram P-12 College, highlights the severe bullying one student has endured over the past month. And, *Chris’ mother, Veronica, has had enough. A disturbing video recently...
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TOBACCO SEIZED
Over 16 tonnes of illicit tobacco in Merrigum has been seized and destroyed. Two search warrants were executed on Thursday, March 6 at a property in Merrigum, finding two illegal tobacco crops over five hectares, equivalent to almost 12 football...
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ENDURING LOVE
You know the feeling of weightlessness when going over a hump on a roller coaster? The same feeling is often described when falling in love. Well, one fateful meet-cute at Luna Park saw Bob and Floss Holschier feel all of that and more. After an...
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GOLDEN TIMES
As Rushworth and Whroo's historic goldfields are considered for prestigious World Heritage listing, a veteran tour guide expresses confidence in the region's untapped potential. When Bob Holschier discovered that the historic goldfields of Whroo and...
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MOTION MOVED
Even a bus-load of red-andblack dressed Kyabramites filling the Campaspe Shire Council chambers was not enough to stop the divisive Wilf Cox Pavilion redevelopment from going through, but boy, was it close. On Tuesday, February 18, more than 50...
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TOURISM GOLD
The historic goldfields of Rushworth and Whroo have been included in a World Heritage Tentative Listing, a move expected to inject $500 million into regional economies. After an extensive collaboration involving 15 councils, state and Commonwealth...
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PLAN REVEALED
A development plan has been unveiled by a local not-for-profit group that will provide housing to low-socio economic adults — but, there’s a catch. The group has the plans, the land, the hands and even the permits, but it needs a developer to make it...
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SPEED CHANGES
Kyabram drivers can expect adjusted speed limits across the town to curb accidents and near-misses on roads. Campaspe Shire Council has announced a list of roads which will reduce speed limits following community concerns for the safety of both...
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C’MON AUSSIE C’MON
Sausage sizzles, flag-raising ceremonies and awards given out, Australia Day was celebrated in many ways across the region this past weekend. Liam Mcinnes, 14, Kayne Crompton and Oliver Mcinnes, 9 (front), were at the Kyabram Australia Day ceremony,...
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CALLS FOR DELAY
Campaspe Shire Council has not ruled out delaying the $3.2 million redevelopment of the Wilf Cox Community Complex after receiving a request for “more time” from Kyabram Recreation Reserve user groups and a recently appointed community group. The...
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CENTRE PLANS
Blueprints for a proposed new childcare centre in central Kyabram have been revealed. A planning application has been lodged with Campaspe Shire Council regarding the use and development of a childcare centre at 64-66 Albion St. The planning report,...
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DIVING INTO NEW POOL PROPOSAL
A community group in Kyabram has reignited the push for a new pool after unearthing decades-old council plans that were never implemented. The Kyabram Deakin Residents and Ratepayers Development Group has breathed new life into a 30-year-old vision...
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Season’s greetings
Jo Vernon and her daughters Marley, 11, Daisy, 5, and Heidi, 5, were among some 500 people who packed Memorial Gardens on Thursday night for a night of carolling, ushering in the Kyabram festive season. More Jemma Jones photos, pages 6–7.
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PLAN PUSHBACK
Colbinabbin community members have been trying for months to put a stop to a planned proposed solar farm being built in the Heathcote wine region, and now they have the backing of their council. Campaspe Shire Council has come out adamantly against...
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Showing abilities, not disabilities
The rain cleared just in time for Kyabram community members, including Jim Hilder and Lottie A, 8, to celebrate International Day for People with Disabilities recently. School children joined visitors, carers and other organisation representatives on...
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ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Vonda Meloni and her therapy dog Teddy rode 601km in the 2024 Pedal the Map challenge, raising $1530 for dementia awareness. To read the full story about their travels, by Jemma Jones, turn to
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GUIDES: THE END
An institution in Kyabram’s history has turned the final page on its last chapter, leaving many to wonder: what happened? Kyabram Girl Guides has a long and proud history, with the Free Press reporting on the group’s activities as early as 1926. A...
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GREAT SORROW
The community of Tongala is in mourning following the tragic death of brothers Luke and Benny Smith on Saturday, November 23. Luke, 20, and Benny, 16, died in a plane crash at Tinamba West in Gippsland. Their 15-year-old cousin Dusty Daly was also on...
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BE A BRIGHT LIGHT
As the giving season approaches, Kyabram Salvation Army is calling on the community to extend a helping hand to those facing a challenging Christmas. In 2019, Leeanne Clement was on the road for Christmas, shooting the breeze, living a comfortable...
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TREE TROUBLE
There’s a ticking time bomb in Bond St and residents believe it has the power to destroy their homes. For two years, Bond St residents have grappled with the consequences of a towering 20-metre gum tree, which has damaged pavements and exacerbated...
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A TIMELESS TALE OF LOVE
Bill and Shirley Raglus’ love story began with a band and a passing good impression — a classic tale of country boy and city girl. It is a story that has lasted more than seven decades, with the couple celebrating 70 years of marriage today. Full story,
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JAIL TIME FOR BOOKKEEPER
A Kyabram mother stole more than $260,000 from three Kyabram businesses while working as a bookkeeper. Georgia Sellick, 31, of Kyabram, pleaded guilty in the County Court to three counts of theft. The court heard she stole a total of $261,761 from...
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NARELLE’S INSPIRING JOURNEY
Narelle Bateman’s life changed abruptly in 2004 after she trusted her instincts and went to the doctor to ask about a subtle pain in her breast. It is now 20 years since Narelle defeated breast cancer and she intends to celebrate the milestone with...
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CRIME DOWN
Crime decreased by 4.3 per cent in Campaspe Shire in the year ending June 2024, but not all offences saw a decline. The Crime Statistics Agency revealed the results, which showed there had been 2807 criminal incidents — a decrease from the previous...
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No compensation for businesses
Rushworth businesses were denied compensation for unused street furniture permits during streetscape upgrades, sparking debate among councillors. ‘Precedent’ was the name of the game that played out in the final Campaspe Shire Council meeting for the...
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TRIPLE DELIGHT
Tongala netballers cleaned up at Saturday’s Murray Netball League grand finals, claiming three premiership cups from three grand final appearances. The club proved too strong on the Moama Recreation Reserve courts, taking out the B-grade, C-grade and...
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