“Author Archive”
Stories written by Mark Drury

Master inspires many apprentices

Loves his job: Graeme Kershaw quietly oversees a staff of nearly 70.

PAUL Jeffrey is the latest young man to start his agent’s career with Alex Scott and Staff. This may hardly be headlines that rate on the Richter scale given Alex Scott’s tradition of giving young men a start in the stock and station industry. Graeme Kershaw has overseen many of these appointments. He himself started [...]

August 22nd, 2012 | Posted in Featured,Rural News | Read More »

Braving the elements

Leongatha Secondary College student leaders Max Rounds, Emily Wilson, Amy Burns and Bronte Robb were just some of the masterminds behind the South Gippsland Winter Sleep Out last Friday night.

PEOPLE participating in the South Gippsland Winter Sleep Out last Friday night walked away from the event having learnt a number of things. Cardboard boxes make good shelters, you can never wear too many warm clothes when it’s only five degrees Celsius, and sleeping is difficult on concrete without a mattress were just a few. [...]

June 27th, 2012 | Posted in Featured,News | Read More »

Floods chaos

Strzelecki Highway: floodwaters slowed traffic on the highway near Mardan Road at Leongatha last Friday, but the water had cleared by later that afternoon.

A HEAVILY pregnant woman and her husband were evacuated from their flood-threatened Wattle Bank home on Friday. Rainfall of more than 60mm in 24 hours resulted in upended lives across the region, shutting roads, disrupting workers’ plans and interfering with school bus routes. The heavy rain was the second natural event to cause concern in [...]

June 27th, 2012 | Posted in Featured,News | Read More »

Quake cracks school

Cracked up: Leongatha Primary School principal Rob Higgins points out one of the cracks caused by last Tuesday’s earthquake.

CRACKS riddle the walls of the Leongatha Primary School staffroom after last Tuesday’s 5.4 magnitude earthquake. The heritage listed building also received damage to the stumps but building inspectors deemed it safe to use. “All the newer buildings are fine but this older building obviously shook around a lot more than the others,” school principal [...]

June 27th, 2012 | Posted in Featured,News | Read More »

Region faces destruction

Not here: Mirboo North’s Peter and Glenda Smith protest coal seam gas mining at South Gippsland Shire Council’s meeting.

SOUTH Gippsland would be ruined forever if coal seam gas mining was permitted, protestors told South Gippsland Shire Council last Wednesday. They claimed coal seam gas would cause cancer and ruin agriculture. Devastating bushfires would be inflamed by gas wells and mining could lead to earthquakes bigger than last Tuesday’s tremor. Communities would be split [...]

June 27th, 2012 | Posted in Featured,News | Read More »

Top brass sounds magic

Terrific trio: Neville Drummond (left) and Bruce Jarrett (right) of South Gippsland Shire Brass Band with Fred Heesh of Wonthaggi Citizens Band.

MUSICIANS from across Gippsland came together for the annual brass band fun day on Sunday. Held at Leongatha’s Dakers Centre, the event was hosted by the South Gippsland Shire Brass Band as part of the group’s 120th anniversary celebrations. Wonthaggi Citizens Band joined in the concert, along with representatives of Warragul Municipal Band, Latrobe City [...]

June 27th, 2012 | Posted in Arts & Entertainment | Read More »

Smart school by design

Awards hope: Inverloch Primary School students Jacob, Josh and Alex hope their school succeeds in the Victorian Architecture Awards this Friday. They enjoy the art room with Noah, Luke and teacher Sarah Reark.

INVERLOCH Primary School is officially one of the best designed buildings in regional Victoria. The school is a finalist in the Victorian Architecture Awards. The school, together with designer Opat Architects, is a finalist in the regional prize category, alongside the Flowerdale Community House, New Hammond Fellowship Centre and William Buckley Bridge at Barwon Heads. [...]

June 27th, 2012 | Posted in Community,Featured | Read More »

Farmers say no to more rain

Wet feet: local farmers are bracing for another wet season, with the first half of June already bringing flooding rain and cold temperatures.

SOUTH Gippsland farmers are readying for another winter of flooding rains and cold temperatures. Since April, the Leongatha region has recorded around 325mm of rainfall, while surrounding towns such as Fish Creek have had much more. Neville Buckland of Fish Creek recorded 241mm of rain during May alone, which is far wetter than he would [...]

June 27th, 2012 | Posted in Rural News | Read More »

McDonald sidelined

Addressing the troops: Wonthaggi Power playing coach Leigh McDonald is concentrating on his coaching role now that he is sidelined indefinitely due to an injury.

WONATHAGGI Power playing coach Leigh McDonald is unlikely to join his team on the field again this season according to doctors. After two concussions already this season doctors have advised the coach to stick to the bench. Thanks to the club’s connection with the Collingwood Football Club McDonald has been consulting with the AFL club’s [...]

June 27th, 2012 | Posted in Featured,Sport | Read More »

TAFE campus to stay

Difficult decisions: GippsTAFE general manager teaching and learning Carol Elliot and Leongatha campus manager Stuart Cooper address the issue of state funding cuts.

GIPPSTAFE executives are confident the Leongatha campus will remain open and viable. But they can’t yet give a cast iron guarantee. This is because the full picture won’t be known until a re-jigging of courses is tested in the market place. The saving grace for the campus could be its new, five-star energy rated building [...]

June 21st, 2012 | Posted in Featured,News | Read More »

Recently Commented

  • russell: I am constantly amazed how VicRoads never seem to have the funding to properly repair our disgusting roads...
  • lisaburge: I thank the Star for running this article. I also drive this road everyday. I have been campaining since...
  • richardleschen: I agree with this article 100%. It seems to me that many people making all this Wi-Fi junk are just...
  • woorarra: I am strongly opposed to coal seam gas extraction. I have seen what it can do to the water table and...
  • kimoconnor: Well done and great reporting once again Simone. The support shown to CFA volunteers by yourself and your...