TWO of the best-known names in Bendigo real estate are making a welcome return to the industry. Four years after “retiring” Keith Sutherland and wife Karen are stepping back into the bling. With a combined experience of 50 years in the industry, the couple are starting up Sutherland ..

A LOCAL volunteer riding group is more mobile thanks to support from a community foundation. The Strategem Community Foundation has helped to fund a horse float for the Bendigo Riding for the Disabled Group to assist them to move their horses from their stables to the Mandurang South Recreation Re..

The Victorian government is still backing the ambitious Central Victorian Innovation Park at Flora Hill, despite no new action on the site for the past decade. Greater Bendigo council is also eyeing off the well-situated land, opposite the university and alongside Strath Village retail precinc..

By Rosemary Sorensen Bendigo Business Council is stepping out, taking its message to the wider community. “Our membership and our sponsorship is growing,” executive officer Patrick Falconer said. “What our membership is telling us is they want us to be strong in advocacy. &..

By Rosemary Sorensen An alliance with another university is the first step towards the creation of a medical school at La Trobe University Bendigo. Vice-Chancellor John Dewar announced the Murray-Darling partnership with Charles Sturt University, a regional-based university with campuses through..

A couple of million people tuned into MasterChef when the new season of the cooking behemoth resumed on Sunday night. And, as is becoming the norm with reality shows these days, there will be a Bendigo contestant. Former Epsom town planner Emma Dean will grace the benches made famous by ..

When other students were wondering, Holly Byrne from Bagshot knew exactly what direction she wanted to take in the future. “When I was in year 12, I’d already started my woolclassing qualification,” Holly said. “I’d decided what I wanted to do, and I had a lot of su..

Bendigo artist Simon Penrose has taken out the People's Choice award in this year's Victorian Indigenous Art Awards. The Californian Gully photographer adds the $2500 prize to his $5000 award in the Works on Paper section. His photograph "Eyes are the Windows to the Soul is a portrait of..

BENDIGO mental health workers protested on Wednesday in a bid to increase support for their pay and conditions claims. “Before the election, Baillieu promised to fix the problems but since then things have got worse,” Health and Community Services Union state secretary Lloyd Willia..

A LA TROBE Bendigo course has been offered on popular app store iTunes. The second year subject Genres in Children’s Literature offers lectures every week while being taught during the first semester. The subject looks at current theories of literature, with a focus on genres relating to..

It's on this Sunday, March 18, the market at Hanging Rock, presented by Craft Markets Australia. And after all the rain, it looks like being a brilliant day, with the Macedon Ranges at their very best, in the autumn weather which brings our region to life. From 10am to 3pm, visitors can ..

Visitors come from near and far to be part of the world-class Grace Kelly: Style Icon exhibition You couldn’t have ordered up better weather for the opening days of the Grace Kelly: Style Icon exhibition, and visitors from Melbourne were quick to take advantage. “Just so el..

New research funded by the Australian Government has found that children in jobless families experience significantly worse outcomes in learning and cognitive development, social and emotional functioning, and physical development. Growing Up in Australia: Longitudinal Study of Australian Child..

The Federal Government says it will start work immediately with states and territories on measures to build the foundations for a National Disability Insurance Scheme, following the release of the Productivity Commission's final report into the matter. The Government asked the Productivity C..

The Federal Government has appointed the members of an independent expert panel to work on the recognition of local government in the Australian Constitution. Led by former Chief Justice of the NSW Supreme Court, the Honourable James Spigelman AC QC, the panel members include representatives..

HOME owners can breathe a sigh of relief, for now at least, after the Reserve Bank voted today to keep rates on hold. The Board decided to leave the cash rate unchanged at 4.75 per cent. In a statement released by the bank's governor Glenn Stevens, the bank said the global economy is c..

Margaret Olley, one of Australia's most important painters has died in her Sydney home, aged 88. The artist, whose portrait painted by Ben Quilty was awarded the Archibald Prize this year, has been ill for several years, but remained living alone in her house, surrounded by the clutter of her a..

THE Federal Government has announced plans to provide every school in Australia with new information packs to help promote positive body image and create supportive school environments. Minister for Youth Peter Garrett said the ‘Respect Every Body’ posters and learning resources..

By STEVE KENDALL COMEDIAN Harley Breen’s act is about life. Every happening has a potential for a laugh, that’s a lot of material. Brisbanite-turned-Melburnian Harley is on stage in Bendigo on August 25 at The Capital. He said his act is universal, and as it’s about his lif..

ASH Grunwald has been touring for most of his career. It goes with the territory. Apart from a way of getting himself out there, it was a financial reality. With the onset of internet downloads, CD sales just don’t cut it for an income. Ash, who is playing Hepburn Springs o..

TONI CHILDS is a citizen of the planet. That’s the name of her album, and her outlook. The 54-year-old Californian-born singer songwriter now calls Myocum, New South Wales home, but along the way lived in London and Hawaii after running away from home aged 15 to follow her love of ..

VICTORIAN musicians Owl Eyes and Stonefield have joined forces for a national tour next month, including Bendigo. The Winter Road Trip 2012 will support the Australian Government initiative The Line, which promotes respectful relationships among Australia’s youth and raises awareness a..

SELF-CONFESSED musical hermit Shannon Wakefield is going to be dragged into the limelight again. The ex-Ruteger singer/songwriter has been out of the scene for a while, and has only just rekindled plans for a relaunch. Then, out of the blue, Sony records let him know 15 of his tracks wi..

Former Screaming Jets and The Angels guitarist Jimi Hocking will feature in the second annual Bendigo Blues & Roots Music Festival in November (8-11). Hocking, aka ‘‘Jimi The Human’’, will join some of Australia’s best Blues & Roots artists for the fou..

By JOEL PETERSON In an already historic season, things got even better for Bendigo Bank Spirit when the team claimed the WNBL minor premiership in emphatic style on Saturday night. Bendigo ran riot against a short-handed Canberra Capitals outfit that never even looked like coming close to the Sp..

The roster of the Bendigo Lady Braves continues to strengthen, as the team this week announced the signing of Lauren King. King is a former Lady Braves captain and club MVP, and is currently playing for the WNBL’s Sydney Uni Flames. The 28-year-old has also played for Bendigo Spirit in the..

By JOEL PETERSON United are in danger of losing their first game in the Emu Valley Cricket Association season, as the penultimate round got under way on Saturday. West Bendigo went to stumps in a commanding position over United, who could only make 173 batting first at Ken Wust Oval, the first t..

The roster of the Bendigo Lady Braves continues to strengthen, as the team today announced the signing of Lauren King. King is a former Lady Braves captain and club MVP, who is currently playing for the WNBL's Sydney Uni Flames. The 28-year-old has also played for Bendigo Spirit in th..

Bendigo Spirit’s battle to host a home Grand Final has entered the political sphere, with several local politicians throwing their weight behind the issue. Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan has taken to twitter recently to show her support for the Spirit, and this week Liberal cand..

Bendigo Fighting Miners will begin their Victorian Rugby Union country division premiership defence on a big stage this Saturday, when they play in a country sevens tournament at Simonds Stadium in Geelong. The Melbourne Rebels will play the Auckland Blues in a trial game at the venue, which..

Molly Conroy was born in the year the Titanic sailed and sank. She was three when the ANZAC legend was born and six when the armistice was signed in 1918. She is a living treasure, and celebrated her 100th birthday on Monday at Sunrise Supported Living in Strathdale. Molly has seen t..

The first phase in developing Eaglehawk’s open spaces will be a $900,000 Play Space that incorporates swings, hammocks and stencil art. City of Greater Bendigo council has released the draft concept plans as part of the response to the Precinct Master Plan. A survey to residents, which rec..

Snacking can be where the whole family, or the staff room, falls down when it comes to eating more healthily. If you struggle with the temptation of unhealthy snacks such as chocolate, chips, lollies and soft drinks at work, when out at the shops or when you get home, some preparation can help yo..

IT is a long way to the Sumatran rainforest, but a Bendigo student has helped bring it a lot closer. Camp Hill Primary School Year 4 student Lizzie Monteith found out all about the plight of orangutans during a trip to Bali. After a day spent with some of the red-haired great apes Lizzi..

Bendigo can build on its musical traditions, according to a composer who is planning an audacious new festival for the city. "Bendigo is a perfect location and an incredibly musical city," David Chisholm said this week. "I've moved here to tell people we do have the capacity, and sometim..

LEGACY Week starts on Sunday, so now is the time to support the valuable work the organisation does. Legacy supports widows and dependents of deceased ex-service veterans, and now is you chance to help them by buying a Legacy badge. The badges are available in a variety of values, but no..

The winter innovation of The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, The Roast Collection, runs throughout June when venues across the state will host more than 80 events including lunches, dinners, workshops and tastings including several in our region. The Bendigo Club is combining The Sunday Roast ..

It’s official, winter has arrived. Undoubtedly the coldest season wedged between autumn and spring, it means different things to different people. Tradition tells us the plants go into hibernation, trees get naked and the birds head south in winter. Closer to home, kids splash through pu..

The attractive exchange rate of the Australian dollar has opened up the world of travel to many more people and with that increased worldly experience comes the love of authentic international cuisine. In Bendigo, we are spoilt for choice with a number of cosmopolitan restaurants including Turkis..

Architect William Vahland left many leagacies around Bendigo but he probably can’t take the credit for this little-known eatery bearing his name. Located on the BRIT campus, Vahlands Cafe at 171 Hargreaves Street, Bendigo is open to the public for private, business, an..

Would you want your child’s face painted like this? If you think this portrait painted by Trentham artist Rose Wilson looks a little like Mr Potatohead, you might be on the right track. Ms Wilson, whose painting Brother of John was shortlisted for this year’s Archibald Prize, will be..

Are you looking for something a little different for mum for Mother’s Day? This year Bendigo has the perfect way to treat her and the family to a full day of feel-good fun, food and fashion. Start with a bit of fitness and fundraising by joining the thousands walking or running in the Moth..

IAN IRVINE is well placed to know just how rich a region Bendigo is for writing. The Bendigo TAFE lecturer has spent months sifting through more than 200 submissions for an anthology of writing to be launched at the inaugural Bendigo Writers Festival next month. He and fellow-editor Tru..

ONLY one of the writers asked if they wanted to be involved in the world-first reading event in the Central Deborah Gold Mine said no. That writer said, very politely, her ancestors were Welsh miners and she’s got a deep-seated fear of being underground. The rest of them – Ma..

THIS year’s big-selling book, Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James, is proving what we all know: we love to be involved in a popular event, and it’s fun to get caught up in something that sweeps the world. With the internet, that kind of mass-involvement is so easy. Although there i..

What’s black and white and read all over? The Telstra-backed volunteer skivvies arrived this week, the next step towards the inaugural Bendigo Writers Festival which takes place at The Capital and surrounds in View Street on August 10,11 and 12. Nick Papaz of Telstra Business Centr..

It’s out at last. You will find the full program for the inaugural Bendigo Writers Festival in your Bendigo Weekly today, and it’s online at the festival website too. If you have never been to a writers festival, and wonder just what to expect when you rock up to View Street in August,..

Pick of the week - Sailors Gully and Myers Flat Noelene Wild if a pretty old church and the famous Allies Hotel is all you know about Sailors Gully and Myers Flat, Noelene Wild has set out to change that. The long-time Eaglehawk resident has turned her fossicking skills to that part o..