Lloyd Polkinghorne, The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper

Kirstin Nicholson. The Cohuna community was treated to a gala event at the weekend which involved a host of celebrities, fine dining and entertainment. The Apiam Chef and Chandeliers Gala was organised by the Cohuna and District Progress Association (CDPA) and over 200 guests attended the event at the Memorial Hall where they dined on a meal prepared by celebrity chef, Manu Feildel, using produce from the region.

Kendall Jennings. Local doctor, Tharindu Uyanage, will be missed at the hospital and the cricket field. Yet, he has left the pitch in style, collecting the highest batting score against Kerang with 39 runs, capturing 3 wickets from his 7 overs and 5 balls, and taking a catch in the field.

Kirstin Nicholson. The district was filled with the sights and sounds of 110 motorbikes and 44 cars on the weekend, all part of the Gannawarra Memorial Toy Run (GMTR). The toy run was organised by John Webb and his team for the Combined Churches group. Toys and money collected on the day, and in the collection bins around the district, will be used for hampers to be distributed across the district in December.  

Ruth Arthur. On Monday, following a call from my sister, Diane, that she thought there might be a photo opportunity in Moulamein not seen before, I travelled to see her and the new experience for Moulamein that was about to happen.

Kirstin Nicholson. After an SOS from the Leitchville Bowling Club to save their bowls club, the community came out in force to try their hands at barefoot bowling on Wednesday, November 17. President, Tony Cantwell, said they hoped to give a taste of bowling to people who had not tried it before and hopefully attract new members to the club.

After 33 years of excellent service to Koondrook Fire Brigade, old faithful has been moved on, replaced with a shiny new model with all the bells, whistles and, of course, sirens! The well-kept secret was unveiled to the excited CFA members with a jet of water announcing the arrival of the new tanker ... The replacement tanker now has many extras that we never had on the old one, says Koondrook CFA captain, John Shultz.

Kendall Jennings. Locals were blessed with a visit by the Australian Open singles trophies on Tuesday. The trophies, affectionally named ‘Daph and Norm’, were accompanied by Tennis Australia representatives celebrating 100 years of women’s tennis championships in 2022, and the Dungala Culture on Court tour, partnered by Anglicare Victoria.

Kirstin Nicholson. As the Cohuna Golf Club prepares for the Stuart Appleby Pro-Am next week, we talked with home grown hero, Stuart Appleby, about his journey from local Cohuna lad to household name and international golfing legend. It was when his parents took up golf that Stuart Appleby was introduced to the game. As a 14-year-old, he played cricket and football, but it was golf that caught his eye and stole his heart.