DONALD BIRCHIP Phone: 5497 1222 Phone: 5492 2735 Email: The Buloke Times Fax: 5492 2863 [email protected] Email: [email protected] birchipblc@ Est. 1875 bigpond.com Published Tuesdays and Fridays PRICE (inc. G.S.T.) $2 PP331336/0000 1 Friday, March 19, 2021 For the Shire of Buloke, and the districts of Birchip, Charlton, Donald, St. Arnaud, Watchem and Wycheproof Hopes for a Ball Park Music Return Ball Park Music is a five-piece indie rock/pop band based in Brisbane, with a large following in the Birchip area as a result of Jarrod Tyler’s connection with the band. The band has grown sig- Watchem Gig? nificantly in popularity since Jarrod has been a big sup- being formed in 2008 while porter of Ball Park Music members were studying since they rose to fame in the music at university. Their 2011 Triple J unearthed debut album Happiness And awards. He has enticed them Surrounding Suburbs was to play in Birchip on several released in 2011, and prior to occasions, and is doing his the COVID 19 lockdowns in best to lure them back for a 2020 they were playing to gig at the Watchem Church sell-out crowds in notorious later in the year. venues and festivals all over On the weekend, two of the Australia, including Falls band members, Paul Furness and Dean Hanson, travelled Festival, Groovin The Moo and Splendour in the Grass. • Continued on page 3. • Left to right, Paul Furness, Dean Hanson and Jarrod Tyler. Cricket’s Showdown Tomorrow After a coronavirus-constricted season of only 14 weeks, and rain-ruined semi-finals last Saturday, four teams are poised to play off in Wimmera Mallee cricket’s “A” and “B” grade grand finals tomorrow. Defending its “A” grade which young players have title, Jeffcott will meet sec- featured encouragingly in ond-placed St. Arnaud on senior ranks. the Jeffcott turf in Donald. The “A” grade umpires The “B” grade decider will be Daryl Broughton and will be at Brim, after South- Chris Guthrie, while um- ern Mallee Giants had led pires Charles Rees and Gary the field all season, and per- Fernandez will be in charge centage had helped book of the “B” grade match. Charlton the other grand Both games will be one- final place. day contests, beginning at 1 • Two of the players to have given years of service to their respective clubs are Jeffcott’s Daniel Atkins (centre) and St. All four teams have earned p.m., with 40 overs of bat- Arnaud’s Jacob Patching (right). They will face off tomorrow in Wimmera Mallee cricket’s “A” grade game on the their places in a season in ting allowed for each team. Jeffcott turf in Donald. Politics in the Pub Western Victorian MP, Stuart Grimley, will be holding a Politics in the Pub at the Donald Hotel. Commencing at 5:30 p.m., Mr Grimley wants to hear it is imperative that I can get and tell me what you think I on Tuesday, March 30, every- what the community believes out and about in the commu- need to know. one is invited to the Donald needs to happen to help return nity,” said Mr Grimley. “It is more important now Hotel to speak with Derryn back to some form of normal- than ever for communities to Hinch’s Justice Party State ity. “I haven’t been able to have access to their politi- Leader, Stuart Grimley. travel in the Western Victoria cians. Over the next 18 It is important for all Vic- region for quite some time months, I’ll be doing all that I This is a great opportunity torians to have access to their due to the restrictions. So I’m can to make sure Western Vic- for community members to parliamentary representatives. making it a priority to speak torian residents feel as though meet Stuart and discuss issues This Politics in the Pub event to as many community mem- they can contact me for assis- that are affecting them, their gives everyone the opportu- bers as possible. tance. business or the community. nity to have an informal chat “If anyone would like to In this issue. Last year was tough on so and find out how their elected “The best part about the send an email about topics many communities through- Member of Parliament can politics in the pub event is that they’d like to discuss, please help them. it is informal. There is no feel free to, at stuart.grim- Monthly supplement for The Buloke Times, out Victoria. Businesses, families and community or- pressure on people to come [email protected]. Sea Lake & Wycheproof Times Ensign, ganisations have been, and Tough Year prepared with briefing papers I’d also like to say a big thank North West Express and Robinvale Sentinel. continue to be, affected by the “Last year was really or meeting agendas. All any- you to the team at the Donald COVID-19 pandemic. tough on all of us, and I think one needs to do is grab a drink Hotel for hosting the event.” • Goff Letts is a member of the “Buloke Times” editorial panel. Having lived and in the country, on paper and canvas), he has made available some samples of his worked in the Northern Territory for much of his life as a veterinarian and artwork inspired by his visits to the Kakadu National Park, near Darwin. (On-line government leader (and having inherited his father’s skills in the depiction of life subscribers to the “Times” can view, in full colour, Goff’s paintings on this page.) Great Expectation, Canberra had given inadequate thought and planning to how these disparate elements (Aboriginal land Poor Result (2) ownership, mining and a national park) would work together. The N.T., which had just been granted The earlier column described the idyllic scene in FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021 self-government was left out of the consultations. the Alligator Rivers region before 1970. Now the story moves on to describe the subsequent chaos. led by three commissioners with limited Territory Now mining has ceased, leaving a ghost town and knowledge and experience. In its first report it a big hole in the middle of the park. Its many problems The 1969 Alligator Rivers survey report recom- demanded the additional power of an Aboriginal Land and the dysfunctional management have been revealed mending establishing a major national park, was well Commissioner before it could proceed further. Then it by 4 Corners. In recent years visitor numbers have received in the N.T. and Canberra. But within weeks of recognised a number of clans and traditional custodians tumbled. Aboriginal custodians claimed there is constant its tabling, the discovery of uranium deposits in the and recommended that the area be committed to and serious lack of consultation by management (from middle of the area changed everything. A region which Aboriginal ownership. Canberra). Sacred sites were infringed, fire control was was intended to be listed as one of the world’s best con- inadequate, some access roads were closed. Weeds and servation sites became a battleground where greed, Then the Commonwealth pounced. In parliament, pests had invaded and there were other problems. ambition and politics took over. Conservation was five ministers and eight government departments Closure of access to some features was threatened by pushed into the background, along with the Territory’s claimed interests in the province. Bureaucratic the custodians. Senior managers had quit their posts future best interests. burgeoning added three more government authorities recently. Can this bad egg be unscrambled? Short-term to the collection. Talk about too many cooks! In the fol- The McMahon coalition government went into a gain has imperilled long-term benefit. It will be lowing rounds of discussions, the N.T. Legislative flap, caught on the hop by the discovery. Twenty-four extremely difficult to sort out, but the first step should Assembly and non-Aboriginal community, on the eve years after Hiroshima, the world was still in hot debate. be away from Canberra control towards more Territory of self-government, were completely shut out of the There was a deal of national distrust about things nu- say in its own affairs. kitchen. The Commonwealth wanted all of the cake and clear, including uranium and its mining. But this for- the credit. tune lying in the ground in the backward Top End As Chris Uhlmann pointed out on Channel 9, couldn’t be ignored. Jabiru township was built in the middle of the Canberra has “stuffed up” (to use his words) aged-care region and outsiders flocked in. projects which would have been better handled regionally. The 1972 election brought the Whitlam Labor Kakadu has provided a glaring example of the government to power and a flick-pass was used to gain In 1979 the park was declared, with “Kakadu” limitations of central control of operational projects. time, ground and wealth. The Fox Inquiry into the (drawn from a local clan and language) for its title. The It should be a lesson to those advocating extending environmental effects of uranium mining was appointed, next year, the big Ranger open-cut mine began operations. central powers — in fact, to us all. • Bunch of wildflowers. • Location Map • Jungle fowl and coucal pheasant. • Chestnut quilled rock pigeon. PAGE 2 — “The Buloke Times”, Friday, March 19, 2021. • Ball Park Music playing at the Birchip Quarterhorse Races in their infancy in 2012. • Enjoying the Birchip sights in their younger days: Paul, Dean and Dan from Ball Park Music with dedicated and loyal followers: Bridget Hogan, Jack Ryan, Jacob Christie, Hopes for a Ball Park Music Return Harrison Christie and Jake Gleeson.