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More from Maryborough, Maryborough (2026)

03/09/2026

Yesterday marked Australian National Flag Day – 125 years since the Australian National Flag was first officially flown on 3 September 1901, during our nation’s first year of Federation! 🇦🇺

And pictured here is the Australian Red Ensign displayed proudly inside Maryborough Railway Station – a powerful piece of Australian history. 🚉

For decades, the Red Ensign was the flag most familiar to ordinary Australians. While the Blue Ensign was generally associated with government use, the red was widely flown by the public and aboard Australian merchant vessels. 🚢

Whichever flag you prefer, it's certainly a fitting image to share as we reflect on 125 years of our national flag. 🇦🇺

31/07/2026

Another major road project is about to get underway in Maryborough, with taxpayers funding safety upgrades at the busy High Street and Inkerman Street intersection.

The intersection will be fully closed for four weeks from Monday, 10 August, while crews install raised pedestrian crossings, upgrade drainage, and improve signage and line marking.

The overall project is expected to take around eight weeks, weather permitting.

The works are being funded through the Australian Government's Black Spot Program, with the Victorian Labor Government delivering the project.

The intersection has reportedly recorded eight crashes between 2017 and 2025, with the upgrades aimed at slowing vehicles and improving safety for pedestrians and motorists.

While improving road safety attracts broad support, the project comes as Victoria grapples with record debt and increasing scrutiny over public infrastructure spending.

The state's controversial Big Build program has been dogged by allegations of corruption, cost blowouts and governance failures.

New Premier Ben Carroll recently announced a Royal Commission into Victoria's construction sector and alleged Big Build corruption as one of his first acts in office.

For many taxpayers, the question is no longer whether infrastructure is needed, but whether projects are being delivered efficiently and whether every dollar is being spent wisely.

During construction, motorists will be diverted around the intersection, heavy vehicles will follow approved B-double routes, and three on-street parking spaces on the south-east corner will be permanently removed to improve visibility and safety.

Drivers are being advised to allow extra travel time while the works are underway.

26/07/2026

The Maryborough Rotary Club has officially welcomed its new leadership team for the 2026-27 Rotary year following its annual changeover.

The new board was formally introduced on June 25, with members taking on a range of roles to guide the club over the next 12 months.

Leading the club through the year will be three presidents serving in succession.

Terry Allan will serve from July to September 2026, John Williamson will take over from January to March 2027, and Max Berry will lead the club from April to June 2027.

Shane Dellavedova, who will serve as president from October to December 2026, was unable to attend the photo.

The club's leadership team also includes Thea Allan as Secretary, Leigh Williamson as Fundraising Director, Garry Higgins OAM as Membership Director, Anthony Ohlsen as Foundation Director, Alison Teese as Service Projects Director, and Max Berry as Public Image Director.

14/07/2026

Local residents have been blindsided after the Goldfields Police Service Area's “Eyewatch” page suddenly announced that public access to the town's police station would be slashed.

The news comes despite Premier Jacinta Allan repeatedly telling Victorians that her government is recruiting more police and strengthening frontline services.

There was no meaningful warning, no apparent community consultation, and no explanation about who actually made the decision.

Locals simply woke up on Friday morning to a Facebook post informing them that access to one of Maryborough's most important public services would be reduced from Tuesday, July 28.

The Maryborough Police Station reception will only operate between 9.30 am and 4.30 pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

It will be completely closed on Tuesdays and Sundays, and Victoria Police has warned the reception may occasionally shut even during those already limited opening hours.

So, in reality, Maryborough will have a police station operating five days a week during what are barely office hours, with no guarantee the doors will even remain open throughout those times.

That is a shocking and disgraceful reduction in an essential public service, particularly while crime and community safety remain major concerns across the Goldfields, and indeed regional Victoria.

The “Eyewatch” page says the changes will allow the station to provide an “increased patrol response to the community” by redirecting officers to frontline duties.

But why are regional communities suddenly expected to choose between officers looking out for broken tail lights and having a police station they can actually walk into.

How difficult should it be to keep one person available at the reception desk of a major regional station? People don't just visit a police station during a life-threatening emergency.

They report crimes, provide statements, hand in lost property, report missing people, discuss intervention orders, seek advice about family violence, provide CCTV footage, report suspicious behaviour, obtain documents, follow up existing cases and ask for help when they don't know where else to turn.

Many people are elderly, vulnerable, hearing impaired, uncomfortable using computers, lack reliable internet or simply need the reassurance of speaking to a police officer face-to-face.

A telephone number and a website are not always an adequate replacement for a physical police station.

The residents of Maryborough and surrounds pay taxes, council rates, registration fees, levies, fines and charges just like everyone else. Aren't functioning police stations and accessible public services precisely what all that money is supposed to pay for?

Victorians are being taxed from every conceivable direction, yet basic services continue to be reduced, centralised, outsourced, moved online or placed behind a call centre.

Meanwhile, the Allan Labor Government's own budget forecasts Victoria's net debt climbing towards $200 billion by 2029-30.

With Victoria's debt heading towards $200 billion and taxpayers paying more than ever, many will reasonably ask why regional communities are now being told they can't even rely on their local police station being open.

Where exactly is all the money going?

Premier Jacinta Allan continually talks about hiring more police, yet the practical experience for Central Goldfields residents is fewer opening days, shorter public access and no certainty that somebody will even be available during the advertised hours.

If police numbers are supposedly increasing, why are police station doors closing?

Instead, Victoria Police is directing residents to call the Police Assistance Line on 131 444 or lodge reports online.

What many people may not realise is that the Police Assistance Line and Victoria Police's online reporting service are operated by Serco, a highly controversial multinational corporation.

As face-to-face access to local police stations is reduced, more Victorians are effectively being redirected to a privately operated call centre.

Serco has operated prisons, immigration detention centres, correctional facilities, defence contracts, healthcare services and government call centres, while overseas it has also managed parking enforcement and fine administration.

And while Victoria Police hasn't been privatised outright, large and important parts of the service have effectively been outsourced.

Regional communities should not be losing access to their local police station while being told to deal with a multinational contractor instead.

Adding insult to injury, the Goldfields Police Service Area's Eyewatch page has removed critical comments from beneath its announcement before switching off commenting altogether.

The only comment left standing praised police as “legends” and described the decision as “good management of your resources.” Apparently praise was allowed to remain, while concerns were wiped away.

Residents had no warning before the decision, no say in making it, and were then denied the opportunity to publicly question it afterwards. To many, that is an appalling way to treat a community.

The announcement didn't explain who authorised the changes, whether the station is understaffed, how many additional patrol hours would actually be created or whether the reductions are temporary or permanent.

The community was simply handed a finished decision and expected to applaud.

Castlemaine Police Station will also have its reception reduced to five days a week, operating from 9.30 am until 4.30 pm on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

Its reception will close completely on Thursdays and Saturdays, with police again warning it could also shut during advertised opening hours.

Public confidence in Victoria Police has already been severely damaged among many Victorians.

Critics increasingly view the force as focused on fines and revenue raising, while memories remain raw from the COVID years when police enforced Premier Daniel Andrews' lockdowns, travel restrictions and mask rules.

Many believed police had become the enforcement arm of the Victorian Labor Government rather than an independent service working alongside the public.

Whether people agree with that criticism or not, closing station doors, outsourcing public contact and deleting negative feedback will do absolutely nothing to rebuild trust.

Maryborough isn't asking for luxury. Residents are simply asking for something they once took for granted – a police station they can reliably walk into when they need help.

After paying record taxes while Victoria's debt heads towards $200 billion, that should not be too much to ask.

04/07/2026

Less than a month after announcing it was coming home to High Street, Maryborough after two years in Ararat, furniture shop Décor Room has revealed the move is off.

In what the business described as one of the hardest decisions it has ever had to make, owners Scott and Hayden said they had no choice but to walk away after weeks of trying to negotiate lease arrangements for their former building.

The announcement has come as a genuine shock to many locals, who only weeks ago were celebrating the long-awaited return of one of Maryborough's best-loved businesses.

The old showroom had sat empty since Décor Room left, and many had been counting down the days until the lights came back on.

Instead, those plans have now fallen apart, and in an emotional statement, the business said it had poured not only money into the relocation, but its heart as well.

Returning to Maryborough wasn't simply about opening another shop. It was about coming home to the town where Décor Room began, and creating a place where people could browse, grab a coffee, and catch up with family and friends.

Despite already investing heavily in the move, the business said it could not proceed after deciding the proposed lease arrangements carried too much financial and operational risk.

Rather than gamble with the future of the business and its staff, it made the heartbreaking decision to walk away. And while Maryborough is now off the table, the search for a new home isn't over.

Décor Room said it is already inspecting other sites and remains committed to finding the right long-term location, although no decision has yet been made.

The announcement sparked an enormous outpouring of support across social media.

While many Maryborough locals spoke of their disappointment at losing the business for a second time, the overwhelming message was that customers would follow Décor Room wherever it eventually opens next.

Suggestions flooded in from right across regional Victoria, with people inviting the business to consider Ballarat, Bendigo, Castlemaine, St Arnaud, Clunes, Creswick, Daylesford, Horsham, Stawell, Geelong, Echuca, and several other towns.

Some locals also questioned whether another suitable premises could still be found in Maryborough, saying they would love to see the business remain in the town if another opportunity arose.

One piece of good news among the disappointment was confirmation that Gen will continue as the face of Décor Room as the business begins its next chapter, wherever that may be.

For now, though, what was supposed to be a joyful homecoming has instead become another setback for a business that many people feel has become about far more than furniture and homewares.

Judging by the reaction online, wherever Décor Room eventually opens its doors, there'll be plenty of familiar faces walking through them.

NOTE: This image has been digitally manipulated for illustrative purposes. It is not a genuine photograph of the property in its current state.

02/07/2026

The Nats candidate for Ripon, Jo Armstrong, visited Maryborough this week as she continued her campaign ahead of the Victorian election, meeting with locals and hearing about issues affecting the community.

Jo described the visit as a positive one, saying the winter weather may have been cold, but the reception from residents certainly wasn't. “The air was cold, but the people were warm!” she reported.

She thanked her campaign volunteers for their support, describing them as a “terrific crew”, and said they enjoyed getting out into the community, speaking with voters and listening to people.

Jo said many of those she met spoke about looking forward to “a fresh start for Victoria.”

The campaign team also made time to support local businesses, stopping in at Daily Dose Café W**e Bar for coffee before picking up lunch from Parkview Bakery.

Jo will challenge sitting Labor MP Martha Haylett for Ripon, who has held the seat since narrowly winning the 2022 election over Liberal MP Louise Staley.

20/06/2026

It doesn’t matter how many sick crime stories you’ve heard. Every now and then, one comes along that makes your stomach turn. And you just think, what the hell is wrong with some people?

Two blokes, 26 and 31, rocked up in Maryborough in the early hours armed with sawn-off sh****ns.

They allegedly grabbed a local fella off the street, forced him into a car at gunpoint, and drove him back to his own house. Once they got inside, they turned the place into a nightmare for him, his wife, and another poor bu**er.

For hours, these two held them hostage in their own home. But this wasn’t just a robbery or a bash. What they allegedly did was straight-up evil. Pure, calculated humiliation and torture.

The court heard one of the mongrels tried to p**s on the woman while she was tied up. When he couldn’t even manage that, he forced her own husband to p**s on her instead.

Imagine that for a second. Your own missus. In your own loungeroom. At gunpoint.

They wrapped an extension cord around her neck like a leash and made her husband walk her around the house on all fours, calling her every filthy name under the sun while they laughed and told him to pat her like a dog.

They made the poor bloke shave his head and beard off in front of them. Then they smashed him with the butt of a gun, whacked him with the blunt end of a cleaver, sliced up his leg, and jabbed him in the back with a used needle.

All while demanding thousands of dollars and forcing them to sign over paperwork for a car. This wasn’t five minutes of panic. It dragged on for hours. These people were trapped, terrified, and completely powerless in the one place they should’ve been safe.

By the time the two lowlifes finally left, they loaded up whatever they wanted, threatened to burn the house down if the victims called the cops, and bu**ered off.

One of the victims later told the court the impact on his kids has been horrific, and he’s had to start his entire life over.

You can only imagine the nightmares that family is living with now. The wife, the husband, those poor kids. Every creak in the house, every car door outside, wondering if they’re coming back.

Look, most people around Maryborough are decent. Hard-working, looking after their families, trying to get by. Then you hear about scum like this and it makes your blood run cold.

Nobody deserves to be broken and degraded like that in their own home. Just sickening.

Both of these mongrels pleaded guilty last week, and the matter heads back into the Bendigo County Court on July 10 for a further plea hearing, with sentencing set down for August 14.

A lot of people around here will be watching those dates closely. After what they allegedly put that family through, no sentence will feel like enough, but at least it’ll be some sort of justice.

13/06/2026

Two weeks ago, our community lost one of its genuinely good people.

Bruce Leech, a well-known and much-loved Maryborough local, died following a collision between his bicycle and a car on Timor Road. He was 67 years old.

But Bruce was so much more than the circumstances of his passing.

A husband, a family member, a mate, a mentor, a teammate, a fellow cyclist, a coffee companion, a music lover, an adventurer, or simply that friendly bloke with the big smile who always had time for a chat.

Again and again, people describe the same man. Kind. Generous. Friendly. Positive. The sort of person who made those around him feel welcome.

Many knew Bruce through cycling, a passion he carried for decades. Others remember conversations in local shops, on sporting sidelines, at community events, or simply crossing paths around town.

Some knew him for more than 50 years. Others for only a short time. Yet the tributes all tell the same story – Bruce left an impression.

One friend recalled learning ballroom dancing with him back in the 1960s. Another remembered chatting over cycling magazines. Others spoke of his infectious smile, his energy, and his enthusiasm for life.

The loss has been deeply felt across the community, but nowhere more so than by his wife Kerry, his family, and those closest to him.

A life well lived. A friend well loved. A man who will be remembered long after the wheels stopped turning.

To Kerry, Bruce's family, friends and loved ones, the thoughts of many across the Goldfields remain with you.

Rest easy, Bruce, you are deeply missed. 🚴🖤

10/06/2026

From crime writing and conservation to ageing, sport, truth-telling and the simple joy of reading a good book, this year's Words in Winter Central Goldfields festival covered a wide range of topics.

The event brought together authors, academics, performers, community leaders and readers for what organisers have described as their most successful festival yet.

Held across a range of venues in Maryborough, the festival featured discussions, workshops, presentations and performances that attracted audiences from throughout Central Goldfields, regional Victoria, Melbourne and interstate.

One of the festival's most thought-provoking sessions was Truth, Voice and Justice: Reflections from Yoorrook, moderated by the Member for Bendigo West, Maree Edwards, and featuring Elizabeth Balderstone, Peter Sharp and Kevin Moore.

The discussion explored the significance of Victoria's Yoorrook Justice Commission and the role of truth-telling in understanding the state's history.

Reflecting on the session, Maree said truth-telling required people to listen deeply, confront difficult histories and recognise that understanding the past was essential to building a more just future.

She added that such conversations were not always easy, but created opportunities for understanding, healing and reconciliation.

Across the weekend, audiences gathered for conversations that ranged from thoughtful and challenging to humorous and deeply personal.

Topics included nature and conservation, women in sport, ageing, community storytelling, poetry, creative non-fiction, crime writing and the role books continue to play in people's lives.

The festival featured a mix of local and visiting presenters, including Richard King, Amy Doak, Gus Goswell, Professor Rosemary Purcell, Dr Meghan Casey, Natalie Korinfsky, Deborah Macer, David Carlin, Peta Murray, John Carruthers, Maree Stephenson, Shay Leighton, Janice Simpson and James Rigby.

A writing workshop led by award-winning author Amy Doak also provided local students with an opportunity to learn the craft of mystery and crime writing, with students from Maryborough Education Centre and Highview College taking part.

According to organisers, more than half of attendees in 2026 came from within the Central Goldfields Shire, with the remainder travelling from elsewhere across Victoria and beyond.

With another festival now complete, organisers are already looking ahead to 2027 and inviting community members, businesses, organisations, volunteers and prospective presenters to help shape next year's program.

Suggestions for speakers, topics, workshops, performances and community events are now being sought as planning begins for what organisers hope will be the most engaging and inspiring Words in Winter festival yet.

06/06/2026

A Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony will open a major NAIDOC Week celebration in Maryborough later this month, with organisers inviting residents to take part in a day focused on Aboriginal culture, community, and connection.

The free event, to be held at the Maryborough Pony Club on Thursday 25 June, comes as Indigenous-themed events, Welcome to Country and smoking ceremonies continue to attract both strong support and criticism across Australia.

Over the past decade, such ceremonies have become an increasingly common feature at council meetings, government events, schools, health services and community gatherings.

Supporters view them as an important recognition of Aboriginal history, culture, and connection to Country.

Critics, however, argue they have become overly frequent and divisive, and question whether publicly funded organisations should be promoting cultural, social or political causes.

Others have called for greater transparency around costs, arguing that taxpayer-funded resources would be better directed towards practical measures that address disadvantage, health, housing, education and employment outcomes for Aboriginal Australians.

The debate has also played out online, with many councils, government agencies and publicly funded organisations routinely disabling comments on Indigenous-related posts.

Critics argue this prevents community discussion and scrutiny, while organisations say such measures are necessary to limit abusive, offensive or discriminatory comments.

Against that backdrop, local organisers say the upcoming Maryborough event is intended to be a positive community celebration centred on culture, learning, and participation.

The event will recognise the 2026 NAIDOC Week theme – “50 Years of Deadly” – marking five decades of celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, achievements, resilience, and contributions.

Among the attractions will be Aboriginal art and craft workshops, jewellery making, canvas painting, interactive cultural displays, children's activities, a BBQ, fresh fruit, and the return of the popular pedal-powered smoothie bike.

The event aims to bring people together to learn, connect and celebrate, while recognising the strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and celebrating their culture, community, and identity.

It is being coordinated by the local NAIDOC Committee, led by Asteria Services, with support from Maryborough Education Centre, Central Highlands Water, Maryborough Highland Society, Roseberry House, Bendigo Bank, Mill House and Parkview Bakery, among others.

Regardless of where people stand on the broader debate surrounding ceremonies and publicly funded cultural events, organisers say the Maryborough celebration is intended to provide an opportunity for residents to come together.

They hope the event will provide a welcoming environment for people of all backgrounds to learn, connect with others and enjoy a range of free family-friendly activities throughout the day.

The NAIDOC Week 2026 community celebration will be held from 10am to 2pm on Thursday 25 June at the Maryborough Pony Club, 15 Johnson Street, Maryborough. Entry is free and open to all members of the community.

More from Maryborough

03/09/2026

31/07/2026

26/07/2026

14/07/2026

04/07/2026

02/07/2026

20/06/2026

13/06/2026

10/06/2026

06/06/2026

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