Every year, Star Mail reflects on the year that was, looking back at all the stories over 12 months that had the biggest impact. Here’s a selection from 2022.
Toughest challenge yet
If two years of Covid closures weren’t enough for hospitality businesses, January kept bringing the blows but this time in a different way.
As more and more people tested positive to Covid-19 and were thrust into isolation, two popular cafes in Lilydale had to close or change the way they operated because of dwindling available staff.
Hutch and Co director and owner Liza Dellisola moved from dine-in to takeaway only, while Gracious Grace owner Emma Ivany said her staff experienced the worst of the worst of human disgruntledness in the form of verbal abuse.
It wasn’t the best start to 2022 which was looking brighter than the previous two years, luckily it started to get better later in the year.
Snow sensation
Mount Evelyn’s Bree Walker or better known as Bobsled Bree represented Australia for the first time in the women’s bobsleigh at the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.
Making Australian history by placing fifth in the debut of the women’s monobob event, the highest finish ever for Australia, and getting a sixteenth place finish in the two-woman bobsleigh with partner Kiara Reddingius, Bree made her home town and country proud.
“I’m just excited to represent Australia at the Olympics. It’s been a dream of mine for many, many years and so I’m excited to put on the green and gold and stand on top of the hill and say to myself ‘you did it, you achieved your dream’ and really take in that moment,” she said prior to competing.
Jumping for joy at 150 Cambridge
The final decision to save the land at 150 Cambridge Road was handed down to the community after two years of petitioning and campaigning.
Yarra Ranges Council made the unanimous decision at its meeting on Tuesday 8 March, gaining support from all nine councillors.
Key petitioner John Phillips said it was a historical moment for the council and the community. “I think the unanimous vote at the council’s last meeting combined with the community consultation outcome brings about a rare and historical occasion for council but primarily for Kilsyth and Walling Ward history,” he said.
Councillor Len Cox said it was a milestone for the Kilsyth community and his ward.
“I was much heartened by that result from the public,” he said.
“If we can pass this tonight to buy this land it will become a focal point in the area of Kilsyth… With more and more backyards disappearing into housing the open space is just so badly needed and will be needed more and more as the years go by.”
Marching a sign of support for LGBTQIA
In April, young people from the Yarra Ranges took to the streets of Lilydale to march for Pride awareness and support the LGBTQIA+ community.
“This kind of representation and acknowledgement of sexual diversity for young people is essential because for a lot of our young people, they may not be able to fully express themselves in other settings for multiple reasons, but here at the Hub they can,” Lilydale Youth Hub youth engagement officer Yashna said.
“Our team does our very best to ensure all young people feel safe in this space and feel comfortable to express their truest selves.”
On Thursday 14 April, the Lilydale Youth Hub held its very own Pride event, where young people gathered to take part in some activities and hear from a guest speaker before taking to the streets themselves in their very own Pride march.
Campaign a success in returning works to Wurundjeri
Wurundjeri elders and descendents of William Barak were rejoicing after hearing the news that two of his artworks would be returning to Country after successful bids at a New York auction.
The rare artworks known as Corroboree (Women in possum skin cloaks) and Parrying Shield were made by the Aboriginal leader in 1897.
Sotheby’s, a New York auction house, put the works up for bidding on Wednesday 25 May at 4pm New York time.
Great, great, great niece of Barak, Jacqui Wandin said these artworks spoke of the time in Barak’s life in the 1880s and 1890s.
“He made sure he did these paintings to depict what was actually going on in Country…he did this work for our survival,” she said.
Over 1000 people crowdfunded $120,000 via the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation GoFundMe page, with a contribution of $500,000 from the State government helped bring the artworks home.
“We can’t thank people enough for stepping up and saying ‘this was the right thing to do. It’s now time. We need to celebrate William Barak more’,” Jacqui said.
Storms, one year on
Lives of many were still in upheaval one year after the worst storms seen in the Yarra Ranges region for quite a number of years.
For Mount Evelyn resident Marlene Smith and Montrose residents Gary and Karen Lee, reflecting on the event was still challenging.
With a tree falling on both her lounge room and kitchen, Marlene said “being on my own, I was just terrified. I just stood there in shock. I’d never experienced anything like it.”
In June her house was still four or five months away from being completely finished in the repairs and she was living in temporary accommodation.
The Lee’s had been able to move back into their home but were still fearful of what could happen in the future.
“Who knows what the climate is going to do and what is going to happen here with the environment but you just don’t wish it on anybody else.”
Rubbished ruins
A Mooroolbark property known as a rubbish dump and fire hazard finally succumbed to destruction following a major blaze which broke out on Thursday 7 July.
The Straun Avenue house was completely gutted by the fire, with local residents hoping this would mark the end of their torment.
This was not the first time CFA crews and emergency services were called to the property, with Mooroolbark CFA captain Tony King saying it was probably the tenth time his brigade had responded to calls of fire.
Straun Avenue residents Merrin and Chris, and Landara Court resident Kim said they felt a huge amount of relief knowing the house was destroyed by fire and would no longer be occupied.
“The neighbours still didn’t feel 100 per cent safe, whereas now at least we know there’s no dwelling and it’s completely uninhabitable,” Merrin said.
A global search
July took us across the globe as the Lilydale community went on a search to identify a World War II solider’s family.
The Lilydale and District Historical Society (LDHS) was contacted by a couple based on the Isle of Skye in Scotland looking for a replacement of a decaying photograph placed next to the grave of Lilydale born and raised Flight Sergeant Ronald Henry Robert Morton, who was laid to rest in Portree Cemetery.
Denise and Martin, volunteers with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, said going on this search seemed like the right thing to do and it was reinforced by the overwhelming response from the Lilydale community.
“We both thought that finding a replacement picture would be a mark of respect for this young man and his family members. Flight Sergeant Morton’s is the only memorial we care for that had a framed picture on it.”
Youth vandalism and twice targeted
August saw local suburbs be plagued with vandalism and property damage after donation bins were set alight in Lilydale and the Montrose IGA was rammed by a vehicle.
While graffiti and bus stops being smashed also occurred, the donation bin fire sparked concern among many of the town’s groups and organisations, with many of the suspects being teenagers.
Station commander of Lilydale police, Mel Woods said this concern led to a community forum between Yarra Ranges Council, the Lilydale Youth Hub and the Proactive Policing Unit.
On Monday 8 August, Montrose IGA was burgled less than 48 hours after being rammed by a Nissan Navara Ute which was later found to have been set alight in Lilydale.
Montrose IGA owner Brad Munro said a security system had been installed in May 2021 after another burglary which ultimately led to the arrest of the offender.
Region pauses to honour Queen Elizabeth after death
For 70 years Queen Elizabeth II reigned with strength and grace and in the mourning of her death, Yarra Ranges residents honoured her service in a flood of messages and tributes.
Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at her Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Thursday 8 September, aged 96, after an announcement doctors were concerned for her health.
While mourning her death, it was a time to remember the visit she made to the local area in the 1950s.
Historian Anthony McAleer recounted the excitement shared in Lilydale during the Queen’s Coronation in 1953 which was celebrated with a ball in the Athenaeum Hall.
The sentiment reached fever pitch however during the three month Royal Tour of Australia in 1954 and Lilydale was extra excited when it was announced that the Royal train would pass through the town on March 6 en route to the Queen’s weekend stay at Warburton.
Mount Evelyn’s road safety plea
A petition of 90 signatures to gain better road safety outside Mount Evelyn’s Birmingham Primary School was submitted to Yarra Ranges Council in October, calling for traffic lights to be installed.
The intersection at Francis Crescent and Birmingham Road sees peak traffic during school drop off and pick up times, something lead petitioner and parent Bosa Sofranic-Carter said has only increased with the growth of the school.
“The area has grown, there’s a bigger population than when that road first became a road and it just needs an upgrade to catch up with the safety that’s required now that there are more people living in the area and using that intersection,” she said.
A motion to investigate traffic conditions on the road was passed unanimously at the council meeting on Tuesday 11 October.
Floods hit Lilydale
Lilydale and the surrounding area were absolutely smashed by torrential rain and flash flooding on Tuesday 25 October.
Overall, close to 75mm of rain fell in around an hour and a half, with a five-minute window of rain falling at an astonishing 120mm per hour.
The unseasonal rainfall left businesses with the mammoth task of cleaning up well into November and saw flood waters continue across the Yarra Ranges region.
A week later the SES were still coming to terms with the incredible amount of rain the suburb experienced in such a short period of time but unit controller Shaun Caulfield said it was a visualisation of La Nina.
“This is the La Nina that everyone’s been talking about. This is what it means. This is a visualisation, this concept of what is La Nina, well it’s what we’ve got now.”
Cycling for love
In December, we met a 22-year-old from Lilydale who spent 40 odd days cycling across New Zealand’s north and south islands to raise money for Cure4CF.
Matt Ryan shared the story of his love for late girlfriend Claudia Coll who died in 2019 from her lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis (CF).
Taking his grief and channelling it into keeping her memory alive, Matt set off on the extreme challenge to raise funds for Cure4CF.
“I wanted to share Claudia’s story and do it in a way to help others like her. That’s what she would want, and what she would want, is what I want,” he said.
“After you lose someone, it hurts your soul when people stop talking about them. I don’t want anyone to ever stop talking about her and CF awareness.”
By mid-December Matt had raised close to $41,500 of his $50,000 target, with all funds going to a research project called ‘The Claudia Project’.
