Upwey Community Group

15/10/2026

15/10/2026

Announcing the winning portraits and artists for the Upwey Archies 2026🎉🙌
OPEN SECTION
WINNER: 'Cheeky Sal' by Leticia Hodson
HIGHLY COMMENDED: 'My Brother in the Garden' by Thulani Huaraka
HEART 🖤 : 'My Opa' by Jascha Kattman
PACKING ROOM: 'Chaos Cookies' by Julia Konodylis
PACKING ROOM: 'Daniella the Sculptor' by Samantha Edney
YOUTH SECTION
WINNER: 'Hairy Ball' by Louis Verdins
HIGHLY COMMENDED: 'Macarena' by Wade Keighley
HEART 🖤 : 'Opa and Romy' by Cleo Withers
PACKING ROOM: 'Caught Messy- Handed' by Jasmin Samai
PACKING ROOM: 'Mum - through my eyes' by Malakai Boyd
Congratulations to all our winning artists. .. and congratulations to everyone who entered the competition. All the portraits were amazing and we hope you had fun creating them.

14/10/2026

Today was 'Hanging Day'. Sounds a bit gruesome but it was actually a joyous affair as the hanging was of the 2026 Archies portraits in the Upwey shops!
First stage completed and already the responses from passers by and business proprietors has been overwhelming.
Everyone is just SO excited! We all LOVE our Archies.
Final hanging will be tomorrow for those businesses who were not open today.
Remember when you are checking out the portraits to walk the entire length of the shops right up to Hosford Health and round the corner to the Fat Goat. You don't want to miss any of the incredible art on display this year.
Wait until after tomorrow and then get voting for your favourites for the Community Favourite Award.
Find your own artwork and send us a photo via Facebook.
Celebrate and enjoy!!

14/10/2026

Upwey Community Group's bi-monthly Working Bee is on this coming Sunday 18th October.
If you can spare any time from 1-3pm we would love to see you there. Meet at The Upwey Topwnship Hall
We'll be gardening, weeding andf litter coillecting. Bring whatever small tools you have for the jobs. Social catchup at the Fat Goat after. Contact Kieran 0434308973

14/10/2026

We all say we are going to make a fire plan each summer, but ... Let's do it this summer and be prepared for the coming fire season.

Are You Fire Ready?
The fire danger period in Victoria is a critical period characterised by heightened risks of bushfires and grassfires. This period typically spans from October to May, although the exact timing can vary based on local weather conditions and rainfall.

Residents and visitors in Victoria are encouraged to stay informed about fire risks in their area. Understanding local fire restrictions and being prepared can help ensure safety during the fire danger period.

CFA recommends all residents in fire danger areas prepare ahead of the fire danger period by having an up to date Fire Plan and a well prepared property.

What is a Fire Plan and what should you do to prepare your property?

Upwey CFA provides a free on-site advisory service that guides you through a number of aspects you should consider with your preparations. It’s called the Property Advice Visit Service

The Property Advice Visit Service (PAVS) is an awareness-raising service delivered by our trained brigade members to residents living in homes situated in our local area.

This is a free service that typically involves a 15- 20 minute meeting at your property. You will receive publications and planning templates along with information about your local risk and preparing for fire.

For more information about what’s involved and how to book a visit delivered by Upwey CFA members, click on this link; https://upweycfa.org.au/pavs/.

13/10/2026

Our three judges, Liz Gridley, Linda Fullagar and Jacqui Buckland, faced a daunting and very difficult task in trying to decide the winners of all this year's Upwey Archies' awards.
The standard of art was amazing and there were so many deserving contenders for the awards ... but eventually the list was whittled down to the final selection.
Liz Gridley's insights and incredible artistic knowledge and experience added another dimension to the judging.
While the winning portraits were chosen on artistic merit alone, the information about them, written by the artists, gave an interesting back story to the 'why' of the works.
Stay tuned for a list of the winners.
Portraits have now been sorted and allocated to all the shops ready for the 'big hang' which starts tomorrow.
Upwey ... are you ready!!

13/10/2026

Free 'Parenting Teens' session TONIGHT.

TONIGHT!! All welcome.. 🙂

13/10/2026

We won. Well done everyone who observed and documented all those incredible native critters and creatures that share our environment.