Jenny Pollard, The Buloke Times

While last Tuesday’s wild weather wrought havoc across much of Victoria, Charlton and neighbouring towns also felt the brunt of nature’s fury when a band of storms swept across the region. 

The resulting damage around the Charlton township can be seen in these accompanying photos – which have been sourced from Facebook and from individuals who were on the spot as the drama unfolded. 

(I freely acknowledge these photographers’ work, and hope they don’t mind seeing their images being shared here.)

Main street

Substantial damage along the main street saw trees sheared off, fencing destroyed, one building unroofed and the temporary Post Office window (the former Mensland shop) smashed by a flying tree branch. (One can only feel for Russell King, with a succession of dramas unfolding over the past few months.)

Art trail signage 

The Nyernila indigenous art trail signage behind the Charlton Club was also flattened, along with numerous trees down in Gordon Park and surrounds. The Rex also lost fencing along the laneway, panels from under the veranda and had water in the backstage Green Room. 

Roofing

Sheets of roofing from the corner shops in High Street (Joan Supple’s and Vanessa Doughty’s Zen Den) lost roofing, some of which ended up on Julie Roberts’s car, while a water tank (empty, presumably) from behind the Vale of Avoca, blew across the road damaging the Bowling Club signage and finally coming to rest against the Croquet Club fence. 

Heading along the road to Donald, swathes of trees had been flattened by the wind, along with a cement power pole which had been bent at a significant angle.

More images

For more images of the storm’s wrath head to: Facebook The Charlton (VIC) Community Newsletter.

Charlton has been gearing up for a number of big weekends starting with the Film Festival this weekend and then the sold-out Ok Motel’s music and arts weekend in less than a fortnight. The pressure is now on to get things back on track in time.

(Footnote: The Rex is screening “The Dry” Double Feature this Sunday, the second movie of which is titled “Force of Nature”. What are the odds?!)

This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 16 February 2024.