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FEATURE ARTICLES 2020

Email contributions to [email protected]
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Feature articles 2019
Feature articles 2018
Feature articles 2017
​Feature articles 2016


​Feature articles 2015
Feature articles 2014
Feature articles 2013
Feature articles 2012
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Reflections of a vintner
Dec 11, 2020 - Despite the gale-force winds, cold wet summers, kangaroos and currawongs, Dick Wettenhall produced many award-winning wines during his 10 years at The Gurdies winery.  

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A few home truths
Dec 11, 2020 - Social housing is more than building houses, writes Graeme Charles. It’s about creating a community that supports tenants and values them for the contributions they can make to our society.

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Fish, chips and public art
Dec 11, 2020 - As renowned wall artist Ash Keating unleashed his fire extinguishers in Grantville last week, Geoff Ellis was there to watch the paint fly.

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Bearing up, thanks
Dec 11, 2020 - In the midst of the lockdown, Karin Murphy Ellis got so many laughs out of preparing works for her new exhibition, she sometimes wondered if she’d gone mad. 

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Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak
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Our special places:
Big tree, Townsends Bluff,
by Jackie Moss
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Down to business
Nov 27, 2020 - Bass Coast’s mayor and deputy are a contrast in styles, which just might work in the challenging year ahead. 

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In the flow of love and loss
Nov 27, 2020 - Word spread quickly about the loss of hundreds of mature grass trees, writes Laura Brearley, and a community showed itself ready to stand tall on behalf of the fallen trees

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Minister steps into mining stoush
Nov 27, 2020 - Planning Minister calls in Grantville sand mine expansion, opening a new chapter in a growing stoush between miners and Bass Coast conservationists.

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Our special places:
​Cowes Beach, by Edith Wilke
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Who speaks for the trees and creeks?
Nov 13, 2020 - Drouin writer Jeannie Haughton won second prize in the Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction with her powerful essay, part memoir, part polemic.

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Nature’s showtime
Nov 13, 2020 - Linda Cuttriss celebrates the drama of spring.

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Bass Coast puts out the welcome mat
Nov 13, 2020 - Bass Coast is preparing to welcome four refugee families from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Maddy Harford reports. 

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​Virus diaries 16
Nov 13, 2020 - A deserted Phillip Island, nests, elections, masked councillors, the borders re-open, virtual cruises, towel art and pumpkins … notes by Catherine Watson, cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak 

Nature’s Showtime
Oct 30, 2020 – As the natural world shakes off winter and the season of rebirth begins, Linda Cuttriss is entranced by the drama of spring
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​Man of mystery
Oct 16, 2020 – Would the real Les Larke please stand up? Catherine Watson tries to separate the fact from the fiction and finds it’s not easy.

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Virus diaries 14
Oct 16, 2020 – Pet prawns, deserted freeways, elections, introductions, reunions, stressed friends and moments of bliss. Catherine Watson takes note.

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Bird heaven
Oct 16, 2020 – Plant a garden and they will come … Liane Arno gives thanks for unexpected visitors, including pardalotes, king parrots and even a couple of amorous ducks.

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​History with a twist wins non-fiction prize
Oct 16, 2020 – Bass Coast writer Linda Cuttriss has won the 2020 Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction with At Screw Creek, part true detective story, part local history, part family history.

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Election Q&A
Oct 2, 2020 – 17 candidates, nine positions … the race is on for our next council. Find out what drives your local candidates. 

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Port defenders back into battle
WITH only 40 days to respond to an 11,000-page report on AGL’s proposed gas plant at Crib Point, the Phillip Island Conservation Society faced an onerous task. 

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The power trip
Oct 2, 2020 – Imagine a future where ordinary householders are part of a virtual power grid greater than Victoria’s coal-fired power stations. Werner Theinert explains

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The inside track
Oct 2, 2020 – Resident roos, snooping photographers and a breakneck ride with Peter Brock are among Hugh Videion’s fond memories of two years managing the Holden Proving Ground.

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Virus diaries 13
Restrictions are easing … police encounters … bicycle gangs … signs of spring … the first egg… and many joyful reunions. Catherine Watson takes note. 

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Our special places:
The Inlet by Dan Rosen
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Our special places:
Red Rocks, Millowl by Sue Saliba
Painting by Ann Shenfield 
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Pamela Rothfield Q&A
Sept 14, 2020 - Former Bass Coast mayor and departing councillor reflects on the achievements, the surprises, the frustrations, the naysayers and the challenges ahead. 

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​End of the line
Sept 14, 2020 - Forget the fairytales; we need to face the reality of ageing and death, writes Sophie Cuttriss in the final part of her series on aged care.

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Holden bushlands ‘safe with VinFast' 
Sept 14, 2020 - The new owner of the Holden proving ground has committed to preserving the 880-site, much of it remnant coastal forest.

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Weekends at Remo
Sept 14, 2020 - It started with a fibro beach shack in 1952. 70 years later Kevin Chambers gives thanks for some great memories. 

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A spring in her step
Sept 14, 2020 - Feeling becalmed by the lockdown? Not Etsuko Yasunaga, who has enjoyed the most challenging and satisfying seven weeks of her life. 

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Virus diaries 12
Sept 14, 2020 - Despair, frustration, a rude cop, flat batteries, Zoom birthdays and a taste of freedom. Catherine Watson reports from the COVID fringe lands. 

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Aged care: a checklist
Sept 4, 2020 - Aged care is one of the most important purchases you will ever make, writes Sophie Cuttriss, so don’t rush it. Here’s her guide of what you should look for. 

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My time has come
Sept 4, 2020 - Retirement for Frank Flynn means having the time to turn down the side roads, just to see what’s there. 

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Council climate plan zeroes in on 2030
Aug 22, 2020 - Households, farmers, business and council all have part to play in meeting target of zero net emissions.

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Our extinction crisis
Sept 4, 2020 - Bass Coast community groups are playing their part in conserving habitat for threatened species, writes Lauren Burns

Blow that! Neighbours fuming
Aug 22, 2020 – Council can’t stop Surf Beach resident from building backyard wind turbine.    ​
The missing link
Aug 22, 2020 -Two fences now block a wonderful walk from Wonthaggi to the coast. Terri Allen fills in the missing pieces from childhood memories.
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​‘Get on with it!’
Aug 22, 2020 - Scientist, farmer, historian and community activist, Anwyn Martin left her mark in the Bass Valley. Clare Le Serve pays tribute. 

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Alone together
Aug 22, 2020 - Narratives of isolation by the (it’s no) drama ensemble make for an engaging short film.

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​The burden of care
Aug 13, 2020 - Despite the rosy ads, something has gone amiss in Australia’s aged care system. Inverloch’s Sophie Cuttriss, who has worked in the sector for many years, explains what went wrong.

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A watery makeover
Aug 13, 2020 -Three shapes knee-deep in mud off the Queensferry foreshore spark Neil Daly’s curiosity.

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Proving ground campaign not done yet
Aug 13, 2020 - A community campaign for public ownership of the Holden bushlands will continue despite news that the Holden Proving Ground has been sold.  

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In search of Truginini
Aug 13, 2020 - Cassandra Pybus's haunting story has special meaning to us, writes Ian Hayward Robinson, because one of the most fateful episodes of Truginini’s life occurred in Bass Coast.

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Council: we’re hiring
July 31, 2020 - As unemployment hits a 30-year high in Bass Coast, council takes on extra 101 workers.

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Testing times for writers
July 31, 2020 - Will writers in this year’s Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction try to make sense of our cataclysmic times – or will they avoid them completely? 

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Ciconte Close
July 31, 2020 - The renaming of a Wonthaggi street honours honours an extraordinary family with a classic immigrant story, writes Carolyn Landon

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Armchair arts tour 5
July 31, 2020 - Private viewings, DIY masks, challenges for writers, poets and photographers … despite the restrictions, there’s still plenty happening in the arts, writes Liane Arno 

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A curator's view
July 17, 2020 - With the Holden Proving Ground up for sale, we have the opportunity to establish a unique museum, writes Christine Grayden.

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Holden purchase on the cards
July 17, 2020 - Government gives first sign it's considering purchase of the Holden Proving Ground.

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The golden touch
July 16, 2020 - Jeni Jobe was introduced to the wonders of clay at kinder and her path in life was set, writes Liane Arno

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Bass Coast embraces green power
July 17, 2020 - Cr Michael Whelan welcomes council commitment to buy 100 per cent renewable energy.

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Virus diaries 8
July 17, 2020 - As Melbourne goes back into lockdown, adult children return home, complete with partners and pets, and locals play spot the illegal. Catherine Watson reports

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Holden bushlands campaign powers up
July 3, 2020 - Community group steps up pressure to save the last significant stand of coastal forest in the Western Port region. 

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Dream on, PM
July 3, 2020 - When Scott Morrison claimed there were never slaves in Australia, Robyn Smith’s memory flashed back to a childhood visit to a  sugar town. 

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Gaslighting Gippsland
July 3, 2020 - Lauren Burns signs up for a public workshop on the Victorian Gas Program and learns that Gippsland could be in the firing line. 

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The journey continues
July 3, 2020 - Post readers shared the start of David Kemp’s journey two years ago as he prepared for brain surgery. Geoff Ellis finds out what happened next. 

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The Solace of birds V
July 15, 2020 - Patsy Hunt celebrates occasional visitors to the garden: the silvereye, the brown goshawk, the yellow-tailed black cockatoo and the powerful owl.

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Birds are Singing Country
July 3, 2020 - The birds come in waves, writes Laura Brearley, each one connecting us to Bass Coast and the people who knew this land before us. 

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​Virus diaries 7
July 3, 2020 - The visitors arrive for the school holidays, you can buy a beer at the pub and get a 15-minute pass for the library. Catherine Watson ventures out to sample the new normal. 

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‘Absolute disgrace’ in 2020
June 19, 2020 - Mayor calls out sacked minister’s misogyny and relates his own evolution from a footy-loving country lad. 

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Virus diaries 6
June 19, 2020 - Cafes, nail salons and libraries re-open, and everywhere there are new rules to learn. Catherine Watson ventures out to sample the new normal. 

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The solace of birds IV
June 19, 2020 - You don't have to be an expert to appreciate birds, writes Patsy Hunt. Enjoy their beauty, their tenacity and their ability to enjoy life despite all the threats they face.

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Clock ticking on Holden sale
June 12, 2020 - Coalition of environmental groups calls for urgent action to protect the rare coastal woodlands of the Holden Proving Ground. 

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Councillors can marina plan
June 14 - Bass Coast councillors label $380m marina plan for Mahers Landing “absurd” and “ridiculous”.

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Solidarity in Surf
June 7, 2020 - Bass Coasters did it their way when it came to supporting the Black Lives Matter campaign. Geoff Ellis reports
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The armchair arts tour 4
June 12, 2020 - More than 30 writers responded to artist John Mutsaers’ challenge. Listen to the results and pick your favourite. 

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Virus Diaries 5
May 29, 2020 - COVID hibernation was quite cosy, writes Catherine Watson, but now for a dose of reality. 

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Hospital clock ticks again
June 12, 2020 – A century-old staff clock has been brought back to life with some local know-how, reports Brad Lester. 

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A work in progress
May 29, 2020 - It’s back to business, but not as we knew it, writes Pam Rothfield. And there’s no better time to rethink the way we work.   

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Sand fences offer glimmer of hope
May 29, 2020 - Conservation Society calls for extension of wet sand fencing along Inverloch beach.

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A new world of work
May 29, 2020 - As we emerge from our COVID-19 cocoons, we must learn to live with uncertainty and embrace change, writes Ajanta Judd

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The Cyan Way
May 29, 2020 - The sea is too often seen as the intruder, but it also offers farmers new options for carbon sequestration projects, writes Neil Daly

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Solidarity in Surf
June 7, 2020 - Bass Coasters did it their way when it came to supporting the Black Lives Matter campaign. Geoff Ellis reports
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Thanks for the memories
May 15, 2020 - For Ed Thexton, the lockdown is not so much about what he’s missing as what he’s discovering with his son.  ​

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Grebe $m community 0
May 15, 2020 - A weary Peter McKenzie counts the cost of objecting to a development proposal at VCAT

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The art of isolation
May 15, 2020 - The lockdown has seen an outpouring of work by members of local artists’ group The Isolated Penguins, writes Baden Johnson

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Down to earth
May 15, 2020 - Liz Low pays tribute to trees that succumb to the need for a good lie down.

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Bob Smith and Wonthaggi
May 1, 2020 - The esteemed art historian and collector was drawn to a working class town with a collectivist character.

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Not in front of the children
May 1, 2020 - The lockdown should be a time for parents and children to get to know each other but it isn’t always working out that way, writes Mikhaela Barlow. Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak

Too close to home
May 1, 2020 - “If you can’t be honest in a diary format, then what is the point of writing?” asks Jennifer in her brutally honest account of  working from home while home schooling.
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Virus diaries 4
May 1, 2020 - As the novelty of the lockdown wears off, people are emerging from hibernation. Catherine Watson reports from the front line.

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Fast forward to 2022
April 17, 2020 - Mikhaela Barlow imagines a special day for Bass Coast – the re-opening of the community-owned Holden Proving Grounds.

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Crises I have known
April 17, 2020 - Eulalie Brewster looks back on turning points of history she has experienced in her 93 years. 

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A time to spend
April 17, 2020 - Projects such as the Cowes Cultural Centre will be the key to rebuilding Bass Coast’s economy after the COVID-19 crisis, writes Cr Michael Whelan.

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​Solace of birds, II
April 17, 2020 - When the sound of a chainsaw jangles the nerves, Patsy Hunt returns to the comfort of her garden and the birds that call it home. 

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It's time for our own national park
April 3, 2020 - The GMH Proving Ground would make a fitting entrance to Bass Coast and a new national park, writes Meryl Brown Tobin 

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Closer to the edge
April 3, 2020 - The clock is ticking as workers race to complete protection work on Inverloch beach before the storm season. Geoff Ellis reports

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Season of lists and mellow thoughts
April 3, 2020 - Miriam Strickland embraces the randomness of the list. 

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Holden’s last hurrah
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March 20, 2020 - GM-Detroit owes Australia, writes Tim O’Brien, and the Holden proving ground is the perfect parting gift.

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The virus diaries
March 20, 2020 - Catherine Watson takes notes as empty shelf syndrome spreads faster than COVID-19. Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak.

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On common ground
March 20, 2020 - “Dinkum folk” and a culture of working for the public good created a multi-cultural society in Wonthaggi ahead of its time, writes Frank Coldebella. 

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View from the Chamber
​March 20, 2020 - A walk along the Grantville beach leaves Cr Bruce Kent fuming.

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​Not so fast, GM
March 6, 2020 - GM will probably seek to sell the Lang Lang proving ground to the highest bidder.  Mikhaela Barlow argues that Bass Coast needs to stake its claim first.  

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Bin there, done that
March 6, 2020 - Bass Coast was way ahead of the pack in 2017 when it introduced an organic collection, Catherine Watson reports. 

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Damn you, John Mutsaers
March 6, 2020 - Catherine Watson accepts a writing challenge and finds herself down a rabbit hole.   

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Home is where the art is
March 6, 2020 - Setback provides an unexpected stimulus for Phillip Island’s pop-up exhibitions.

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​Enough with the climate gloom
Feb 21, 2020 - Let’s stop the angst about climate change and start talking about the economic benefits of climate action, writes Michael Whelan, who says there is plenty happening locally to give us heart. 

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Cancer service to ease the pain
February 21, 2020 - The long haul to the city for Bass Coast cancer patients is ending with chemotherapy services to start at Wonthaggi Hospital next week.

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​No place like home
Feb 21, 2020 - A tent in the bush, a young woman washing in public toilets … subtle signs that not everyone in Bass Coast has a roof over their heads. A local forum looks at solutions to a growing crisis of homelessness.   

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Phillip Island writer takes top prize
Feb 10, 2020 - Phillip Island writer and historian Christine Grayden has won first prize in the inaugural Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction with Jobs that no longer exist. ​

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‘Blue poles’ director hailed from Wonthaggi
NGA director James Mollison’s death revives memories of his purchase of Blue Poles, dismissed by one newspaper as ‘$1.3m for dribs and drabs’.

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​Forged by fire
Jan 25, 2020 - In the wake of her family’s ordeal in the Mallacoota bushfires, Laura Brearley reflects that catastrophe reminds us of what matters.

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​Weighty words
Jan 25, 2020 - Forty-two entries, more than 300,000 words … the three judges for the first Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction approached the task with mingled anticipation and nervousness. Catherine Watson reports

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Thrills and spills
Jan 25, 2020 - Liz Low is nostalgic for the days when children roamed free and took risks. 

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Here’s to the old Tech
Jan 25, 2020 - As Wonthaggi Secondary College moves to a sparkling new campus, the old tech school still holds a special place for many, writes Carolyn Landon. 

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Sometimes nothing can happen but fire
Dec 11, 2020 - Max Hayward won third equal prize in the 2020 Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction with his essay, written in the wake of the summer bush fires. 

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​Hello Spring Street, are you listening?
Dec 11, 2020 - Without a long-term management plan, Western Port will continue to be a battleground for industrialists and residents, writes Neil Daly.

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The charm of the humble blackbird
Dec 11, 2020 - John Coldebella has a love/hate relationship with the birds that share his garden. ​

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Running on empty
Dec 11, 2020 - It took a while to filter through but Miriam Strickland is grateful for what she learned during her Covid year. 

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Our special places:
Grass tree forest,
by Meryl Brown Tobin
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​Paper Thin
Nov 27, 2020 - Lucinda Bain has won third equal prize in the 2020 Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction with Paper Thin. a parallel memoir of a grandfather’s death and a daughter’s birth. 

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Life of a freewheeler
Nov 27, 2020 - Bikes filled Dave’s shed, then the bedroom, the living room and eventually the kitchen. Story by Catherine Watson, cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak

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Off to the Powlett River
Nov 27, 2020 - A rollicking 1909 account of an arduous journey by stage coach from Outtrim to the new coal town of Wonthaggi.  

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​Our special places:
Norsemens Beach, Coronet Bay, ​
​by Suzanne Swift 
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Our special places:
Western Port Bay, ​by Kevin Chambers
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Thank you, Dr Mangrove
Nov 13, 2020 - Meryl Brown Tobin pays tribute to Tim Ealey and his wise words about protecting this beautiful part of the world.

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Aunty Fay’s mission
Nov 13, 2020 - Boon Wurrung Elder Fay Stewart-Muir knew the Australian history she learned at school was dishonest. Her life’s work has been to improve our understanding, writes Laura Brearley 

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Green, green hills of home
Nov 13, 2020 - Sharon Willcox was ahead of the COVID curve in embracing slow, local travel. Along the way she fell in love with Bass Coast and South Gippsland 

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Flying high
Nov 13, 2020 - Two close encounters with injured birds gave Etsuko Yasunaga a glimpse of another world. 

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Our special places:
Harmers by Catherine Watson
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Our special places:
​Glen Forbes hills by Peter Cliff
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Our special places:
​Eagles Nest by John Mutsaers
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Taking the waters
​Oct 16, 2020 – One hundred years ago, the townsfolk of Inverloch built themselves a bathing enclosure to protect swimmers from shark attack, writes Eulalie Brewster

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All aboard for Wonthaggi
Oct 16, 2020 – Rebuild a rail service to Bass Coast and they will come, writes Peter Cliff

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The bright lights of Coronet Bay
Oct 2, 2020 – It started  with a call for plastic bottles; now a Rainbow Garden dazzles on the foreshore. 

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Armchair arts tour
Oct 2, 2020 – Call out to Bass Coast composers and musicians for the Coastal Connections project … 44 entries for Bass Coast Non-Fiction Prize. 

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If you go down to the woods today …
Oct 2, 2020 – The creative kindness of strangers brightens a lockdown walk for Morgan Blackthorne.

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Our special places:
​Cape Paterson by Emma Townshend
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A letter to Tim’s iPhone
Sept 14, 2020 - Steve Jobs could not have envisaged that his invention would help us endure a pandemic, writes Tim Shannon

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Birdman of Cape Paterson
Sept 14, 2020 - David Hartney’s Cape Chatter is helping to build a community – of wildlife as well as humans.

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Dash of colour
Sept 14, 2020 - Throughout everything, including COVID, Monica Smith has always found the time to paint. Liane Arno reports. 

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The places  we love
Sept 14, 2020 - When a call went out for descriptive writing and images of our favourite places in Bass Coast, the response was heart-felt. writes Laura Brearley

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Back to the
​quiet life

Sept 4, 2020 - Residents  celebrate as developers scrap plans for a massive hotel development at Coronet Bay, writes Angela Christa.

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The first encounter
Sept 4, 2020 - Captain Pierre-Bernard Milius's diary gives a rare window into the world of the Bunurong people in Bass Coast before European settlement. By Pat Macwhirter

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Virus Diaries 11
Sept 4, 2020 - Sometimes Catherine Watson wonders if it’s just a bad dream. Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak

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‘Stand clear – here comes Mrs Gilmour!’
Aug 22, 2020 - Gilmour Track named for Cape Paterson legend as part of a council policy to honour local women. ​

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The life of a COVID campaigner
Aug 22, 2020 - The requests for food are constant and a phone call is usually interrupted by the cries of a small child, writes council candidate Leticia Laing.

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An artist in lockdown
Aug 22, 2020 - In an otherwise bleak time, Marian Quigley gives thanks for the opportunity to escape to her studio. ​

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The Solace of Birds VI
Aug 13, 2020 - Look to the skies near Rhyll and you may spot a white-bellied sea- eagle, writes Patsy Hunt in the final part of her series on Phillip Island birds.

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Not too coastal, urges alliance
July 31, 2020 - ​Yallock-Bulluk trail between San Remo and Inverloch ‘shouldn’t hug the coast’

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​Songs for Western Port
Aug 13, 2020 - With AGL planning to build a terminal and gas plant at Crib Point, it’s time to raise our voices for Western Port, writes Laura Brearley

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Mum, here’s to you
Aug 13, 2020 - Miriam Strickland decides it’s time to give her mother a more fitting farewell than the stiff and truncated funeral that marked her death.

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Virus diaries 10
Aug 13, 2020 - Bloody masks, spooked dogs, ghost cities, technological glitches … Catherine Watson takes notes of history unfolding.  

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Armchair arts tour 
Aug 13, 2020 - Challenges for writers, artists, photographers, Zoom events … what's stopping you, asks Liane Arno 

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Virus diaries 9
July 31, 2020 - Catherine Watson watches how her friends and neighbours cope with the gloom emanating from the city. 

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Places in the heart
July 31, 2020 - Do you have a special place in Bass Coast? Write about it and it could feature in a series of short films celebrating our natural landscape. 

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Whatever it takes
July 31, 2020 - A restored carriage in Ian Hitchings’ farm museum is a triumph of home-grown ingenuity, writes Geoff Ellis

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And the band played on
July 16, 2020 - Street parade tradition continues despite COVID, led by a couple of inventive Inverloch musicians, writes Laura Brearley

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Ask the Man Who Owns One
July 15, 2020 - Heads turn when Gary Griffin drives his ’39 Packard to the supermarket. Just don’t mention the restoration word to him, writes Geoff Ellis

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Black lives matter here too
July 17, 2020 - The deaths of 437 Aboriginal Australians in custody are just as shocking, writes Marg Lynn

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​Call for action on safe cycling
July 6, 2010 - Totally Renewable Phillip Island has renewed calls for new shared pathways on the island to promote cycling and walking. 

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Saving the magic forest
July 3, 2020 - Grantville’s spectacular grass trees stand on land earmarked for sand quarrying. Meryl Brown Tobin reports on the threat to this rare forest.   

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Second time round
July 3, 2020 - Etsuko Yasunaga’s friends and family shower her with the gift of words as she embarks on her 61st year and second childhood. 

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Phillip Island’s missing link
July 3, 2020 - Everyone agrees a bike and walking trail to The Nobbies is vital, writes Anne Paul, but still nothing happens.

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The inside story
June 19, 2020 - Farewell to the Leongatha Star, writes newspaper veteran Matt Dunn, and welcome to the future of local journalism. 

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Money, going cheap
June 19, 2020 - There’s work to be done and no better time to borrow to do it, writes Frank Schooneveldt, as he casts an eye over the council budget.  

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No worries! Too easy
June 19, 2020 - Working on a Bass Coast farm wasn’t on the timetable when a young French student arrived in Australia, but he took it in his stride.  

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The positive disrupter
June 12, 2020 - Kay Setches never forgets she is on the side of the exploited and vulnerable. She’s now also a member of the Order of Australia. 

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​A break from poverty
June 12, 2020 - Hair cuts, tyre repairs, petrol, supermarket specials, an internet connection … local beneficiaries tell Geoff Ellis how they’re spending their temporary JobSeeker windfall. 

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Looking for Saunders
June 12, 2020 - Deep in lockdown, Vilya Congreave watched a miracle of Nature unfold in the backyard. 

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A new beard and a smiling mind
June 12, 2020 - When the lockdown throws a spanner into her mental works, Miriam Strickland tries a new approach

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Country comes alive
Place names give voice to Country, writes Laura Brearley, when the language is spoken and sung again.

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Last gasp for Jam Jerrup
May 29, 2020 - After decades of lobbying, Jam Jerrup residents welcome a plan to protect the crumbling cliffs in front of their homes. Geoff Ellis reports.

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​Marina project fails on 17 counts
June 12, 2020 - Council report pans the latest plan to turn Anderson Inlet into a millionaires’ playground. Catherine Watson reports

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All stand for the Magistrate!
May 29, 2020 - Reports from Wonthaggi’s Court of Petty Sessions in 1911 make the place sound like a Wild West town, writes Carolyn Landon.

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Get ready for action
May 29, 2020 - The future is uncertain for many in our community, writes Mayor Brett Tessari, but new opportunities are coming our way. 

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When blood turns bad ​
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May 15, 2020 - Mark Robertson gives thanks for the end of the arduous trek to Melbourne for cancer treatment.  

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The solace of birds III
May 15, 2020 - The koalas are gone from Cowes, writes Patsy Hunt, but so far the birds are hanging in there, thanks to people who still treasure their gardens.

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Brave new world
May 15, 2020 - Governments have acted decisively to stop a deadly virus. Let’s show the same sense of purpose in tackling climate change, writes Frank Schooneveldt

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Literary flame still burns in Bass Coast
May 1, 2020 - The second Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction has been brought forward to take advantage of the lockdown when many writers have more time for writing. 

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Gotta run
May 1, 2020 - The doctor’s orders were simple – no more running for Etsuko Yasunaga until she got the all clear. 

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A man of many words
May 1, 2020 - Writer’s block? No problem for Kit Fennessy, as Liane Arno discovers.  

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Just dropped in
April 17, 2020 - Maddy Harford ponders the strange behaviour of some unwelcome visitors.

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Virus diaries 3
April 17, 2020 - Catherine Watson tracks the highs and lows of home detention, including a loaf of bread made with beer.

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The deadliest epidemic
April 3, 2020 - Exactly 101 years ago, Wonthaggi schools and shops were closed and the town hall set up as a hospital as the town prepared for the deadliest epidemic the world has ever seen. Carolyn Landon reports

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The virus diaries 2
April 3, 2020 - Catherine Watson struggles to keep abreast of the rapidly changing rules. 

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History in the making
April 3, 2020 – We are living through interesting times, writes Libby Skidmore, and each one of us should record our experiences. 

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Mum’s tea towel
April 3, 2020 - Certain humble objects hold strong memories, writes Liz Low, and they deserve a fitting end. 

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Beyond the view
April 3, 2020 - Linda Cuttriss was highly commended in the Bass Coast Prize for Non-fiction for her essay Beyond the view: Phillip Island’s landscape of labour and love.

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Man of many parts
March 20, 2020 - Liane Arno meets the enigmatic Geoff Ellis, writer, photographer, councillor, activist and petrol head.

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Ed and the Birds
March 20, 2020 - Karen Bateman was highly commended in the Bass Coast Prize for Non-fiction for her essay Ed and the Birds, a very local response to environmental issues.  

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The solace of birds
March 20, 2020 – In troubled times, Patsy Hunt turns to the comfort of a garden alive with birds. 

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Self portrait of an architect
March 20, 2020 - Creative endeavor is full of heartbreak, writes Tim Shannon, punctuated by rare moments of delight.

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Alzheimer Sufferer/Carer Suite
​March 6, 2020 - Cape Woolamai poet Malcolm Brodie won third prize in the inaugural Bass Coast Prize for Non-Fiction for a cycle of 56 poems celebrating his mother Florence.

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​One of us?
March 6, 2020 - Australians trapped in Hubei province, ISIS wives and children, Julian Assange and Dusty Martin’s dad … citizenship is back in the news, writes Anne Heath Mennell 

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Our town
March 6, 2020 - “Progress by property developers” isn’t good enough for the next generation of Wonthaggi residents, writes Joan Woods.

Poles apart
March 6, 2020 - John Parsons puts an alternative perspective on climate change.
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​Flower power
March 6, 2020 - An old-fashioned garden favourite reminds Liz Low that gardening is often a mysterious art. 

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Salutations from the high ground
Feb 21, 2020 - Like the climate emergency itself, the Emergency Summit was almost too big, writes Cr Geoff Ellis

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​Why I love Cape
Feb 21, 2020 - After watching so many quiet seaside villages succumb to suburbia, Pete Muskens has found a haven in Cape Paterson … but for how long?

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Pittosporum Flowering
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Feb 21, 2020 - Julie Constable’s memoir of an environmental awakening won second prize in the inaugural Bass Coast prize for Non-Fiction. 

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​Memories of Hiroshi
Feb brings bitter-sweet memories of a beloved nephew to Etsuko Yasunaga and gratitude for what she learned from his short life. 

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​Jobs that no longer exist: a memoir 
Feb 10, 2020 - Chicory drying, kelp harvesting and cuttlefish collecting … Christine Grayden’s prize-winning memoir is a fascinating insight into a world of work that once existed on Phillip Island. 

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A force of nature
Feb 10, 2020 - Eulalie Brewster’s inquiring mind and vast knowledge make her a much loved companion and an invaluable resource, well into her 90s, writes Terri Allen

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​‘A gentle man who earned respect’
Jan 25, 2020 - Terri Allen pays tribute to local park ranger Bill Slade, who died while fighting fires in East Gippsland.

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It’s complicated
Feb 10, 2020 - As she celebrates her 20th anniversary, Miriam Strickland reflects on what makes a relationship endure. 

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A blazing star
Jan 25, 2020 - Ricardo Alves-Ferreira’s friends remember a free spirit who lit up the world and inspired others to be true to themselves

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​Keep it #$%@!!*& nice
Jan 25, 2020 - Catherine Watson used to pride herself on the fact that comments posted by Bass Coast Post readers were constructive, relevant, respectful. So unlike those in other publications. 

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Making his mark
Jan 25, 2020 - Bricklayer, masseur, clay artist … Pat Wishart lets his hands do the talking.