Contributor, The Buloke Times

Alyssa Walker. A group of over 50 archers descended upon Dunolly on August 4, preparing to defend the realm for the annual medieval shoot. With no one too old or too young to join the ranks, archers seized their cloaks, bows, and quivers (and in some cases, their armour) and took to the shooting range for the two-day competition.

Alison McEwen. Victor Boltak writes from Ukraine: "… And your help (Ukraine Appeal) is valued very highly here. "Recently I donated $275 USD for medicine which was taken yesterday to a so called ‘stabilization point’ – this is the first medical help point close to the battlefield where the wounded are delivered from the front lines and where military doctors try to give the first aid and stabilize the condition of the wounded so they could be further moved to the field hospital.

Blake Lee. Local sporting clubs provide an opportunity to bring people together, increase participation in sport, promote social connection and create a sense of belonging.   In recent weeks, the Birchip-Watchem football and netball clubs have been fostering this opportunity by hosting buddy programs to build and strengthen bonds between senior and junior players.

The Donald Archery Club held its annual 2-day competition shoot on the July 8 and 9. Participants came from many locations, including Bendigo, Mildura, Colac, Geelong, and Bacchus Marsh (and including local members who range from St Arnaud, Warracknabeal, Brim and Donald).

Trent Twomey. Sixty-day dispensing may sound good, but dig a little deeper and it’s rural and regional Australia that will pay ... “You don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone.” It may as well be the theme song for 60-day dispensing, where pharmacists will be required to dispense two months’ worth of medicine for the price of one month.

Peter Hibberd. The association between the Charlton Harness Racing Club and Ames Australasia continued with the running of what has been one of their feature meetings of the year, Charlton celebrating the 4th of July, “Independence Day” race meeting ... Chief financial officer of Ames Australasia, Dale McGrath, has a very close connection to Charlton. Dale was born in Boston, but was on course to present a wide range of her company’s products to all winning trainers, which were certainly gratefully received.

Blake Lee. Almost 120 young people from across Victoria attended the Y’s (formerly YMCA) Victorian Youth Parliament Week, held from June 25-30. Representing regions right across the state, 20 teams of six Youth Parliamentarians aged 16-25, worked together to develop a bill on an issue relevant to their lives. These bills were created with the help of volunteer Taskforce members, and then debated in Victoria’s Parliament House.

Aimee McCartney. On May 5, 2023, Headquarters Air Academy (HQ AirA) personnel gathered at the RAAF East Sale Yarning Circle to celebrate the significant service and diverse career of Wing Commander (WGCDR) Garry McKee ... At 16 years of age, WGCDR McKee, from Charlton in Victoria, enlisted into the Air Force as an apprentice Radio Technician.