King Valley COMMUNITY PROFILE  Update

The right decision for the wrong reason We still have a weir keeper at Lake William Hovell and the rumour is that he is staying. While many in the community believe he is here to stay, the weir keeper is still awaiting official advice. In the war against terrorism, national security demands that no reservoir be left unmanned. This is to protect us against terrorist activities such as breaching the wall or poisoning the water. Let's hope it never goes to the other extreme where armed guards are required

North East wineries, food producers' tourism push The North East Valleys Victoria has launched a 40 page booklet called "Seasonal Indulgence Food & Wine Guide". The project is a collaboration between Indigo and Alpine Shires, the Rural City of Wangaratta, local industry and tourism bodies. For the first time, the North East Valleys project brings together the produce and tourist facilities of Rutherglen, King Valley, Alpine Valley, Beechworth and Glenrowan to promote the region as Australia's best food and wine destination The King Valley Portal has already linked to the project web site which is still under construction. Click on the main picture (currently Wayne Cook catching a nice trout) and you will be taken to the North East Valleys Food and Wine site where you can download this great new brochure. The logo on the right will take you there direct.

The socialising of men aged 45+ In Adult Learners Week 2002, the King Valley Computer Recycling Program & the Men-In-Sheds Program, now known as The North East Computer Bank, became a state finalist in the "Most Outstanding Program" recognition awards because it fitted the Adult Learners' Week 2002 Focus Demographic: Men, aged 45 plus. At the "Reaching the Unreached Learner" conference held in Ballarat in September, Greg Naylor was invited to present a paper on reaching out to men in this age group. Following up on this topic, an online paper has been published by John Cross, National Coordinator of Adult Learners Week, Adult Learning Australia. This paper addresses the question, "Why do men aged 45 and above need to be engaged in learning?" and confronts the forced retirement and excessive suicides in this age group and looks for new ways to engage older men in social engagement and learning. This publication quotes a broad spectrum of contributors including the work of Greg Naylor.

Is the Rural City sending Coal to Newcastle or Ice to the Eskimos? I thought this was the RURAL City of Wangaratta. First they gave us garbage bins designed for CITY streets. Next they want to up the charges to use the Waste Transfer Stations. Now, they offer us FREE disposal of garden waste ... but not too much, mind you! Each property owner can dispose of half a cubic metre at a time. Now, won't that make a difference in reducing bushfire fuel levels on rural properties?

Recent Additions to The King Valley Portal                       Click Logo to visit » » Added Linux Installation made easy to the North East Computer Bank pages. This technical paper was submitted by Matt O'Connor - a member of the King Valley Linux Users group - and offers sound advice on installing Redhat and Slackware. The next time you search from the Portal, you will discover that we have our own customised Google Seach Results page ... and a new look for Christmas. Added link to De Bortolli Wines King Valley under 'Gourmet Foods & Wines' > 'Vineyards & Wineries' Added link to Boggy Creek Vineyards under 'Gourmet Foods & Wines' > 'Vineyards & Wineries' Added link to John Gehrig Wines under 'Gourmet Foods & Wines' > 'Vineyards & Wineries' Added link to 'Legends, Wine & High Country' to 'Tourist Information' > 'Just an Hour Away' Added link to 'North East Valleys' to 'Tourist Information' > 'Just an Hour Away'

Promote your Business / Community Group on the King Valley Tourist Route Portal The Community Profile Update comes from the "The King Valley Portal" at http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/users/portal/ Please bookmark this address now and visit it often. If you have a web page, it can be linked free of charge in the cascading menu of the portal. If you would like a web page, but don't know where to start, call Greg Naylor.

King Valley COMMUNITY PROFILE  Update

New outlet for local products and produce Greg Naylor will launch a new business venture aligned with the "North East Valleys" tourism promotion. Caringbush Farmers Market will distribute products and produce from the North East Valleys along the Melbourne to Albury corridor with a three pronged approach:- Direct representation to business houses in Melbourne and Albury Regular Farmers Markets held throughout the North East Valleys for associated suppliers An online mail order facility through the King Valley Portal Representation will begin in the new year. Over the next month, suppliers are being sought. If you, or someone you know, would like to get involved, take a look at the web site (click image) and then contact Greg.

Santa Comes to Whitfield Ern and Caroline have livened up the town with a Christmas display, complete with dangling lights, outsite the Whitfield General Store. Inside, the renovations continue with the left side of the store now completed. Warawee Orchard Cakes come to town Although the Tea Rooms are not open at the moment, it is great to know that Anne Arnoldussen's mouth watering cakes can be purchased at Barb Sartori's Gourmet Garage along with cherries grown at Warawee Orchard.

CDMA phones now operating at full strength The new mobile phone tower in King Valley has been up and running since before the elections although there seems to have been no formal announcement. That has to be a bonus to the farmer who can now stay in touch with the world no matter where he is on the property.

Recent Additions to The King Valley Portal                       Click Logo to visit » » Added link to Jim Kiely's Coleman's Gully Wines to Gourmet Foods & Wine > Vineyards & Winery Sites. That makes fifteen local wine producers linked to the King Valley Portal. Added link to King Valley Tree Farm to Business & Industry > General Commerce. A nice site from Jeremy Wozniac. Added link to King Valley Wineries to Gourmet Foods & Wine > About King Valley Wines. From Travel Envoy's Winery Guide listing the address of 19 King Valley wineries.

Promote your Business / Community Group on the King Valley Tourist Route Portal The Community Profile Update comes from the "The King Valley Portal" at http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/users/portal/ Please bookmark this address now and visit it often. If you have a web page, it can be linked free of charge in the cascading menu of the portal. If you would like a web page, but don't know where to start, call Greg Naylor.

King Valley COMMUNITY PROFILE  Update

Christmas Greetings from a Reader Dear Greg, Thanks for the King Valley Portal Update which appears regularly on my email! You are doing a great job!! Lots going on! Greg and I would like to wish you and all your readers a Very Merry Xmas and safe New Year and keep up the good work! Regards, Jane and Greg White White's Bus Line

There's Gold in them thar hills ... at Tyrrell's Reef In surfing the Internet, I have uncovered the gold mining history of the King Valley. You can download the pdf file at the Victorian Government Heritage site. Tyrell's Reef was about 4 miles east of Whitfield in the Black Range country. The document quotes that in 1899 "A tunnel has been driven about 200 ft by Tyrells - several shafts put down -deepest 50 ft. On eastern side of Stony creek, towards Black Range Creek, several mining leases applied for - in one case, mining machinery erected. Line of reef traced 3 miles." I wonder if anyone could find it today. It must be around the gravel pits on the Lake Buffalo Road. The Tyrrell family had been in the area from 1870 when John, Reubin and Henry Tyrrell were allocated land at Myrrhee. Before the end of the century, Tyrell's had a boarding house catering to the lathe splitters where the Mountain View Hotel now stands. As the hotel is today, Tyrell's Boarding House was the centre of social life in 1900. This puts paid to the legend that Ned Kelly rode his horse through the Whitfield Hotel as it did not become a hotel until some time after 1900 and Ned had been dead for twenty years. Tyrell also owned a blacksmith shop next door which was operated by John Payne and a house opposite the Anglican Church where the Payne family lived. When the Myrrhee School burned down in 1901, school was conducted in Tyrell's Tobacco Shed until the new school was constructed. It appears that the Tyrells were an important family in the area. Mrs Tyrell was Les Bennie's grandmother. With a gold mining history and the turquoise fields, it is surprising that we don't get a lot of tourists fossicking for these precious materials. They used to come fossicking, prior to 1970, until some idiot blew the side of a hill away with dynamite and the locals had the fossicking stopped. Maybe we have overlooked some good tourism potential here.

2002 - A review of the last year in The King Valley In attempting a review of the last year, one needs to look at it from a variety of outlooks. This review considers: an External View - the View from Within - and Social Cohesion From an Internet search of The King Valley, one gets the impression that this is the booming wine industry area of Australia. The King Valley Vignerons, formerly known as the King Valley Grapegrowers, have been very successful in promoting the produce of the local vineyards and deserve our congratulations. The rest of the community needs to build on their success in developing tourism and cottage industries throughout the King Valley. Local Government has developed the Wangaratta to Mansfield Tourist Route Master Plan and launched the North East Valleys Project. The Federal Government has installed a mobile phone tower. With the installation of an ATM at the Mountainview Hotel and new Cellar Doors opening, tourist facilities are already on the improve. Local improvements such as the new playground at Moyhu, the renovation of the Whitfield General Store, and the local produce outlet at The Gourmet Garage are making the King Valley a much more attractive proposition to the tourist. The big weakness, of course, is the lack of public transport. The nearest the tourist can get to us is the train station at Benalla or Wangaratta ... and when they get here, there is not a solitary organised tour of our local attractions. With all the little school buses throughout the valley and the various bus companies here, you would think that winery tours and sightseeing tours would be on the agenda. The lack of transport affects the internal view of the valley as well. With more than 50 kilometres to Wangaratta, Mansfield or Benalla to get groceries, seek professional/medical attention, or to see a movie, everyone in the valley with less than 2 cars is isolated. Isolation and lack of access to help leads to depression and the valley continues to suffer the consequences. Not a year passes without the family tragedies brought about by this isolation. Until we get a through bus between two major towns (e.g. Wangaratta - Mansfield), the sadness of the valley will continue. Eighteen months ago at a public meeting in Whitfield, Peter Kenyan's workshop revealed that the number one need in the King Valley was to build Social Cohesion. That's about the community working together. With the passing of Adele Tyler and the relocation of Charlie Burder, The Upper King Valley Action Association may well disappear and the restructured King Valley Learning Exchange is no longer a visible player in building social capital within the community. It is great to see the Whitfield Primary School and the King Basin Landcare group working together to "Make A Difference" cleaning up Jesse's Creek. With community support and funding of $25,000, Jesse's Creek will become a major attraction in Whitfield. Apart from the Moyhu Lions Club, who do a wonderful job around Moyhu, there appears to be no other activity in this area. On a more positive note, the return of the New Year's Eve Dance is exciting and deserves to be well supported. It is hoped that it will become an annual event alternating between Whitfield and Cheshunt. It won't be long until the football season comes around and, with Moyhu taking out the Premiership, the old rivalries with the King Valley United team are sure to emerge. We are still awaiting the outcome of the Rural Transaction Centre Business Plan which is proposed to be co-located with Oven's & King Community Health Service at the Whitfield Health Centre. If this goes ahead, extra services for the local community will be made available. Throughout 2003, we need to re-enchant community spirit and work together towards future development with one eye focussed on preserving the unique lifestyle offered in The King Valley.

Recent Additions to The King Valley Portal                       Click Logo to visit » » Added link to "Bailup - Let the Truth be Known" to History & Culture > Bushrangers. Bailup's focus is the 'Kelly Story'. It is their aim to clear up the many misconceptions, not necessarily establish a particular point of view. The transcript of the ABC New Dimensions broadcast (9/10/2002) about the Young Entrepeneurs at the Myrrhee Primary School is now online. It has been added to the Community Structure > Primary Schools index. The kids also got a great writeup in the Education Times. Added Edi-Cheshunt Turquoise Fields dating from 1897-1893 to the History & Culture > White Settlement index. These old mine sites are now classified by the National Trust. Added King River / Broken River Goldfield link to the History & Culture > White Settlement index. This covers the period from 1851 to 1937. Added King Basin Landcare Group to Community Structure > Local Community. Added Greta Valley Landcare Group to Community Structure > Local Community. Added The Kelly Family - Official View to History & Culture > Bushrangers.

Promote your Business / Community Group on the King Valley Tourist Route Portal The Community Profile Update comes from the "The King Valley Portal" at http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/users/portal/ Please bookmark this address now and visit it often. If you have a web page, it can be linked free of charge in the cascading menu of the portal. If you would like a web page, but don't know where to start, call Greg Naylor.