Welcome to the Bass Coast Post, an online magazine written by and for residents of Bass Coast. The next edition will be published on October 16. Email submissions to editor@basscoastpost.com
NEWS
The numbers game
We all know the game, writes Bass Coast CEO Ali Wastie. It doesn’t matter whether you vote left or right but whether you vote marginal. Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak
Harmers swamp 'under threat'
Attempts to subdivide the swamp have been rebuffed for 70 years, and John Old hopes the latest attempt goes the same way.
Solidarity forever
Geoff Ellis celebrates the annual gathering of the comrades under the Wonthaggi mine whistle.
Why we do the work
Most of the signs were soon stolen or smashed but they made an impact. Images and photostory by Laura Brearley and Terry Melvin
Back to earth
We all have a part to play in regenerating the planet we share, writes Christine Grayden, and Earth Month seems a good time to start.
A year through the lens
One student turned up for Geoff Ellis’s first photography class. Since then it’s grown into a group with a focus on friendship as much as learning.
Full strings ahead
If you’ve never heard a mandolin orchestra, Marion Blaze can tell you it’s a unique and thrilling experience
Seven line up against veteran MP
There is enough happening to suggest the Monash election could be more interesting than it looks on paper.
The space between
Watching a great modern film in her mother tongue, Etsuko Yasunaga is reminded that silence sometimes speaks louder than words.
VIEWPOINT
Why I went to Afghanistan
25 years after Australian soldiers were deployed to Afghanistan, Lindsay Guerin reflects on the human costs of that war.
Government has delivered for woodlands: MP
Advocates should press council to complete the work, says Jordan Crugnale
Come on Labor, finish the job!
Despite years of promises, the nationally significant Western Port Woodlands remain as vulnerable as ever to sand quarrying.
From ram raids to road repairs
After a couple of busy weeks in Canberra, Mary Aldred is back to the issues closer to home
Harriet Shing bows out
After 12 years representing Eastern Victoria in the Victorian Parliament, there were a few digs, some personal reflections and a spirited defence of the record of the Labor governments she served under.
ENVIRONMENT
The bush as supermarket
On a walk through The Gurdies, Bunurong ranger Ross Henry reveals a landscape where every plant has a story and most have a use.
Planting against the odds
Eighty volunteers brave wind, sand and salt to begin the long haul to restore Inverloch’s lost dune habitat
What’s killing Phillip Island’s eucalypts?
Research student Evie Cowling discovered the answer is complicated.
Don’t dream it’s over
Fifty-five years ago Professor Shapiro wrote “Western Port is more than an amenity; it is a treasure to be cherished for generations to come”. By Neil Daly
The koala detectives
Koalas living in the Western Port Woodlands are part of the special Strzelecki genetic lineage, but there is still much to learn.
ARTS
Just do it
No more excuses - time to work on your entry for the Bass Coast Artists’ Society’s spring art show.
A colourful call for Western Port
Community gathering celebrates the bay’s biodiversity and calls for stronger protection
Breakthrough
Anabelle Bremner was there to see Bass Coast’s young performers take their first steps into the real music world.
LOCAL HISTORY
‘We never stand still!’
For over 100 years, the Kongwak Hall has been the heart of this community. By Jillian Durance
Gordon House and the Union Café
Newly arrived in Wonthaggi, Nannie Grieve found a way to make a living and a home for her family.
What's on and where