Year in REVIEW – Monthly best
January: Nine-month Journey to End
The new year trickled in along with some trekkers.
5330km a couple finishing their trek from Cooktown Queensland along the National Trail. Trek began in April of 2024 and ended in Healesville in 2025. Two horses Future and Karma. “We take everything one day at a time and just tackle the problem that is in front of us.”
“Soe o f the biggest challenges for me personally have been the steep terrain and caring about the welfare of my horses, making sure they are not too tired and planning enough breaks for the horses not to be sore.”Throughout the over 5000km trekking, Steph said she learnt to trust herself and her horses and be open to the kindness of strangers.“I’ve realised most people are really good when you give them half an opportunity to be,” she said.“We’ve had such warm welcomes in most of the towns that we’ve gone into.” Steph and Daniel are going to wrap up their nine-month trekking in Healesville on 2 February and are inviting locals to join them for the last two days of the journey. They are going to meet up in Marysville on 31 January and trek from Marysville to Monda Horse Yards on 1 February, which is about 31km, and from Monda Horse Yards to Healesville on 2 February, which is about 18km.“People can come for either one or both of those days,” Steph said.“If anyone is interested in doing a bit of trekking on a horse or off a horse, we’re very happy to help. Unfortunately, motor vehicles are not allowed on the trail.“You are welcome just to show up but it’d be very helpful if you were able to message us just so we know to look out for you.”
February: Scams Target Locals
The Federal Government passed the Scams Prevention Framework Bill on 13 February in response to rising instances of scamming across the nation. The new legislation requires service providers in selected sectors of the economy to take a variety of actions to combat scams relating to, connected with, or using their services.
Healesville residents were not exempt from scamming efforts, in fact the Star Mail received two suspicious emails that were the result of a scam scheme, targeting two Healesville locals.
Both locals had their emails hacked with messages sent to everyone in their contacts.
The emails read, “Would you be open to a brief email conversation? “I would have preferred calling, but I’m currently managing shingles, and, unfortunately, my phone screen went black after a fall.”
Following the above request, the emails demanded that recipients buy apple gift vouchers for the sendee.
Healesville resident Alan Honeycombe was one of the local scam victims.
“The scammer person sending the emails also said that my niece had breast cancer and needed money for treatment. None of these things were true,” Mr Honeycombe said.Fortunately no one who received an email took the bait.
March: Tour fallout impacts locals.
An inaugural Timeless Summer festival event scheduled to be held at a Yarra Valley venue was suddenly cancelled, leaving locals with a hole in their pockets.
Emerald resident Wendy purchased her festival tickets for over $200 and was dismayed at the lack of correspondence, updates and refunds.
“The event organiser has cancelled the concert for whatever reason and we have been strung along since before Christmas with many promises of new events later in the year,” Wendy said.
“We were given a glimmer of hope that things would start happening on 20 February, and all we got was an email that asked for a few more days,” she said.
“These people are holding onto our money and not communicating. They don’t respond to emails and they delete Facebook posts.”
April: Push to leave roo program
The request for the Yarra Ranges to be exempt from the Victorian Government’s Kangaroo Harvesting Program (KHP) has been denied.
Local resident Jan Heald said the decision is heartbreaking.
“It took a lot of time and work by members of the Yarra Ranges community, councillors, wildlife organisations and advocates plus people far and wide across Victoria who have offered their support,” she said.
“We respect kangaroos as Australia’ s national icon and wish to see them live on country in their native land without exploitation, violence and harassment,”
“I was very disappointed but it really just confirmed the State Government’s contempt and lack of respect for our native wildlife, particularly our larger species like the kangaroo, which has been pursued mercilessly since Settlement.”
In the statement, Yarra Ranges Council said they know that this decision will cause distress and concern among members of the community, particularly those who have voiced strong opposition to the inclusion of Yarra Ranges in the program.
In April, Councillors voted to support a motion, asking the State Government to exclude the area from the program. Yarra Ranges is the only metropolitan Council within the harvest zone and many community members have petitioned for the area to be excluded.
May: Federal election result. An Alban-easy victory.
May saw the re-election of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a landslide victory for the Labor Party. An eventful election day in Casey saw a close battle between Liberal member Aaron Violi and Labor’s Naomi Oakley. At the last minute. Violi took the lead and retained his seat.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said “We didn’t do well enough during this campaign, that much is obvious tonight and I accept full responsibility.”
“I called the Prime Minister to congratulate him on his success tonight,” he said.
“There are good members and candidates who have lost their seats and I am sorry for that.”
Returning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in his victory speech at around 10pm that in this time of global uncertainty Australians have chosen optimism and determination.
June: Conflicting views in regards to local animal welfare organisation
In response to a July Herald Sun Article alleging that the Coldstream Animal Aid was unnecessarily euthanizing animals to save costs, among other suggestions of neglect and mistreatment of animals in the organisation’s care.
Animal Aid denied all allegations reported by the Herald Sun and whistleblowers who were interviewed by the Herald Sun also came forward to set the story straight.Animal Aid communications and engagement manager Elle Ammann said she was very upset and surprised when she saw the Herald Sun article.“The day before the article came out, the Herald Sun had given us a list of questions which we responded to as soon as possible, all of which we were doing our very best to be honest and transparent,” she said.“We invited them to come down and speak with us. Unfortunately, they chose not to, and they chose not to use a lot of the information that we did provide.“When I saw the article as it was, I was very upset and surprised that they wouldn’t want to include all of the facts.”At the end of last month, a report was sent to the Animal Aid board which includes serious claims alleging the wrong management in animal welfare in regard to animal feeding, euthanisation and medical treatment.Ms Ammann said Animal Aid has great systems for cleaning, feeding, and medication.
July: Uber Eats delivers questions.
After Healesville and Yarra Glen were added to the Uber Eats map, local businesses shared their views on the new service..An Uber spokesperson said through the conversations in the community, they’ve seen strong enthusiasm from local restaurants and retailers eager to expand their reach, as well as from residents interested in flexible earning opportunities.“Online food delivery is creating new opportunities and adding value for small businesses, workers and consumers in connected communities,” they said.“Our recent Restaurant Pulse Check report shows that the vast majority (96 per cent) of restaurants surveyed who use online food delivery boosted their revenue over the past 12 months.“Our services in the Yarra Glen and Healesville are live from (Thursday 3 July), with many local favourites now available to order from at the tap of a button.”Despite Uber Eats’ aim of supporting the local economy, a Healesville-based restaurant is concerned about the impact, while it is still happy to give it a try.Monroe’s Burgers and Beers has been operating since 2016, located on the main street of Healesville.The co-owner of the restaurant, Paul Stephens, said he’s worried about Uber Eats’ commission structure.“From our perspective as an established business, we do our own delivery, and we built that without the complexities of dealing with a third-party delivery partner like Uber Eats,” he said.“Their standard business model of taking a 33 per cent commission of sales is probably something that’s not really sustainable for hospitality in general and small businesses. I’m pretty sure all the restaurants that are on the platform locally have been given introductory promotions and offers that are quite a lot better than what they would typically roll out when they’re doing expansion in urban areas.
Finding delivery drivers is also proving difficult for local businesses.
August: RSL’s life honour for Brian.
The dedication of many decades to the local RSL sub-branch has been recognised through a lifetime RSL award presentation.
Longtime RSL member and accomplished veteran Brian Luscombe was the recipient of the award.
“It’s a big honour,” Mr Luscombe said.
Mr Luscombe’s military journey kicked off locally, serving in the Australian Army’s Medical Corps based in Healesville.
He was a member of the Sergeants’ Mess in Healesville.“I served in the Australian Army’s Medical Corps in Healesville for about three years in the early ‘60s,” he said.“I did training for everything, but I ended up doing a lot of driving.“When the army camp in Healesville was closed, I walked into (the Healesville RSL). I’ve been here on and off ever since.”
One of the many achievements of Mr Luscombe, was changing the Healesville RSL to be more accessible to every community member, not just to veterans.
September: From refugee to supporter
Healesville RAR founder Iain Gillespie and his unofficial adopted son, Zaki Hairari, met each other in 2013 when Mr Gillespie was working for The Age newspaper.
He was working on a series of articles on asylum seekers, and the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre put him in touch with Mr Hairari, a 17-year-old Hazara man.
Mr Hairari had just been released from detention after arriving in Australia by boat when Mr Gillespie first spoke to him.
“He had fled from Afghanistan because his father had been murdered by the Taliban. His father was a doctor. And his older brother had also been murdered for daring to seek an education. That was something banned by the Taliban,” Mr Gillespie said.
“The family was getting notes on the door, saying that Zaki was next, so his mum arranged for him to flee overseas in a boat. He didn’t know where he was going. He went through a horrendous journey through Pakistan and India, ended up in Indonesia and got on a boat and headed towards Australia,” Mr Gillespie said.
“His boat floated for four days when the engine cut out and almost sank. He was incredibly relieved when he was rescued by the Australian Navy. He thought he was being rescued, but he was actually whacked in jail.”
Becoming Mr Gilespie’s unofficial adopted son, Mr Hairari’s family were soon also brought over to Australia with the help of the Healesville RAR.
Mr Hairari fled to Australia with the dream of getting an education, because his father, who was a doctor, had drummed into him that he must get an education.
However, it was hard for refugees like Mr Hairari to access education and work opportunities because of the visa conditions.
Despite the challenging circumstances, Mr Hairari didn’t give up his dream of chasing education.
Mr Gillespie took it upon himself to ring around some private colleges, and soon enough Mr Hairari was admitted into one.
Knowing only a spattering of English upon first coming to Australia, Mr Hairari climbed to the top of his college chain and was offered a scholarship to university, which he couldn’t take because of his visa restrictions.
After completing another course, within two years, Mr Hairari was named 2015 New South Wales International Student of the Year, and then shortly afterwards, he was named a City of Sydney International Student Ambassador.
“Only a couple of years ago, he was named the Human Rights Commission Human Rights Hero. He’s now the Refugee Rights Campaigner for Amnesty International Australia,” Mr Gillespie said.
Healesville RAR members also adopted Mr Hairari as an honorary member.
Mr Hairari is now an Australian Citizen and continues to work for Refugee rights.
October: Marjorie’s good life hits 100
A Healesville Veteran celebrated her hundredth birthday in style surrounded by family and friends at the Estia Health retirement home in Healesville.
Before the war, Mrs Bradford worked as a dressmaker, becoming a housewife after marriage and the war, and later worked as a lab technician at the University of NSW in Sydney.
“I made very good friends in my years of service. They were some of the best days of my life,” Mrs Bradford said.
When she had a few hours of leave, Mrs Bradford would take a long train ride back to see her family and help out with caring for her sick mother.
Mrs Bradford shared some a few secrets to her longevity, naming exercise as a leading factor.
“I played a lot of sports, played a lot of tennis and then from tennis I went to bowls with my husband,” Mrs Bradford said.
“I eat well, lots of fruit and veg and I always have a glass of chardonnay made by my grandson and that is what makes it so special,” she said.
November: Balloon suit gets ok
A ballooning company has failed in its second attempt to strike out a claim put forward by two passengers who were seriously injured following a hot air balloon crash in the Yarra Valley.
Picture This Ballooning (Picture This) had a request to strike out proceedings in June this year rejected.
Elizabeth Wheeldon and Robert Fookes each brought separate proceedings against Picture This after the balloon they were riding in crashed between Glenburn and Yarra Glen on New Year’s Eve in 2021.
An investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau completed in 2022 found that passengers on board the flight received an “incomplete” pre-flight safety briefing, likely resulting in the passengers adopting an incorrect deep squat brace position prior to the hard landing.
The finding also noted that the pilot was notified of the windy conditions and rejected a number of suitable landing fields to avoid issues with landowners or access issues to the site, rather than prioritising occupant safety.
The pilot had to manoeuvre the balloon to clear a fence before descending rapidly to avoid contact with nearby powerlines. The hard landing caused the basket onto its side and was dragged 30 to 40 metres, resulting in the two plaintiffs sustaining serious leg injuries, among the 16 passengers and pilot onboard.
The investigation found the maximum number of passengers the balloon operator allowed meant there was insufficient room for them to adopt the backwards-facing landing position specified in the operator’s procedures. In the wake of the incident, Picture This reduced the maximum number of passengers allowed on future flights.
December: Social media age cap youth findings
With the Federal Government’s social media ban officially in place as of 10 December, local youth are quickly adapting their platform usage, albeit not in ways that were expected.
With the purpose of shielding Australia’s youth from social harm and promoting real world experience, the ban was enacted under the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 and officially came into force on 10 December.
The new legislation maintains that all age-restricted social media platforms must “take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under the age of 16 from creating or keeping an account.”
Platforms that were required to take action to ban users under the age of 16 from their services included Tik Tok, Instagram, Snapchat, X, Youtube, Facebook and Reddit, among other platforms.
Since its recent implementation, the strength of the social media ban itself has been inconsistent, with many youth under the age of 16 retaining access to some or all of the above listed platforms, while others have lost access.
14 Year Old Healesville High School Student Paige is yet to be kicked off any of the social media platforms she uses.
“Most people have found a way around the ban,” Paige said.
“I still have access to all of my social media platforms,” she said.
Despite retaining her access to social media, Paige confirmed that her screentime habits have changed since the ban.
“My social media use is probably the same, except some of my friends have been kicked off so I am not doing as much on social media because I can’t interact with them on there,” Paige said.
“I am only talking to a couple of friends on Snapchat now,” she said.
15-year-old Hills High School Student Eliza, has been able to navigate around the ban in a similar fashion.
“When I first heard about the ban, I thought it wouldn’t actually happen,” Eliza said
“I thought it wasn’t real,” she said.
In response to the fact that many youth under the age of 16 still have access to social media, the eSafety Commission spokesperson said, “eSafety expects platforms to take steps that are evidence-based and responsive to emerging technology and risk.“
“While platforms are not required to eliminate all uncertainty, they should seek to minimise harm and work continuously to improve their age assurance methods. Our regulatory guidance for platforms makes it clear that we expect platforms to actively monitor and respond to changes in circumvention methods,“ they said.
Researchers have begun analysing the effects of the social media ban and will continue to do so in the near future.
