History Weekend
Friday February 18 to Sunday February 20
The History Celebration of Toolangi & Castella was a fantastic weekend
Our magnificent History Weekend was led in by Toolangi Primary School, one of the most beautiful rural schools in Victoria. On Friday 18th of February the school hosted an open day – COVID safety at the fore – with old fashioned games in the school playground, photos and memorabilia from the school’s historical archives and tours of the school between 3pm and 6pm. Light refreshments were provided.
Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th February, CJ Dennis Hall – The Toolangi-Castella History Exhibition
A number of older residents attended the exhibition so we requested that all adults attending had proof of double COVID vaccination with a checkpoint at the entrance to the hall. It was requested that visitors wore masks in the hall and when socializing.
Registration to attend the exhibition was by phoning, texting or emailing Bernie with name, phone, number attending, day/days, approx times attending.
Program
Saturday 19th February: C J Dennis Hall Toolangi History Exhibition
- 9:00 am: Welcome to Country & Smoking Ceremony by Taungurung traditional owners
- 9:35: Brief opening speeches, dedication of exhibition to local historian Bob Pockett
- 9:45: School children from Toolangi Primary School singing Toolangi song on steps of hall.
10am- 10:30am Morning tea was served at right-hand side of the hall, provided free by the Project. (No food/drinks were allowed in the hall.)
The History Exhibition was open from 10am to 4:30 pm Saturday.
The hall was divided by screens:
– upper hall seated presentations,
– lower hall wander through the fantastic exhibition.
Presentations from old time residents lasted 20 minutes, with 5 minutes for questions. Presentations took place on the Saturday only.
- 10:30 -11:00 Presentation 1 – Taungurung by Brad Letman & Shane Monk
- 11:00-11:30 Presentation 2- C. J. Dennis (author and poet 1876-1938) by Jan Williams
- 11:30-12:00 Presentation 3- Alex Demby’s stories- the ’39 fires and logging, by Kristy Demby
Lunch served outside 12:30-1:30 provided free by the Project.
- 1:30-2:00 Presentation 4- The Scientific Observatories of Toolangi, by Geoff Biggs
- 2:00-2:30 Presentation 5 – Toolangi-Castella Timber Tramways by David Pockett/Ken Olcorn
- 2:30-3:00 Presentation 6 -Gould League & Toolangi Forest by Anne-Maree McInerney General Manager, Gould League Victoria
- 3:00-3:30 Presentation 7 – Dept of Environment, Water, Land & Planning- DEWLP’s roles and history in Toolangi, by Garry Dash
3:30pm Afternoon tea was served at right-hand side of the hall, provided free by the Project. (No food/drinks were allowed in the hall.)
4:30 pm Exhibition closed
Sunday 20th February: C J Dennis Hall Toolangi History Exhibition
The History Exhibition continued at the hall. Wonderful historical records including photos, films, memorabilia, archival film of logging, filmed interview shorts were on display.
The Exhibition opened 9:30am Sunday and closed 4:00pm.
No food or drinks were provided on Sunday at the hall, but a Coffee Van (coffee, tea, malted milks) was located outside the hall for Sunday.
There was a lunchtime sausage sizzle at the CFA.
Refreshments were held at the newly refurbished Tennis courts behind the hall from 2pm.
Devonshire teas were offered at the Singing Gardens tea rooms c/- Jan Williams from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.
BBQs, seating tables were available at Toolangi Reserve and behind CFA, just past DEWLP.
Other Sunday events in Toolangi as part of the History weekend all very close to C. J. Dennis hall
Toolangi Restored Tennis Courts
Grand Opening on Sunday 20th February, behind C.J. Dennis Hall
- 12:00 official opening
- 12:30 demonstration match by local professionals
- 1:00 court opened for organised children’s events
- 2:00 afternoon tea provided-light refreshments.
Devonshire Teas
Delicious Devonshire Teas were available at the Beautiful ‘Singing Gardens’ tea rooms – the original site of C. J. Dennis’ Toolangi home – on the Sunday afternoon, from 1pm to 4pm, as well as coffee and soft drinks. Visitors relaxed in this charming, old-world setting across the road and a few hundred metres down from hall.
Open Gardens
The magnificent garden of the ‘Singing Gardens’ were open on Sunday 20th from 10am to 4pm. (read more about the Singing Gardens here)
Also, just across the road, the beautiful ‘Wirilda Garden’ was open for viewing. (read more about the magnificent Wirilda Garden here)
Toolangi CFA
Toolangi CFA had an Open Day at their Toolangi Fire Shed and a sausage sizzle from 9.30am to 11.30am. (Everyone was relieved that COVID restrictions had lifted.)
Gould League of Victoria
Gould League of Victoria ran a number of one hour sessions on Sunday 20th February, suitable for all ages groups, at the Toolangi Forest Discovery Tree, located behind the CFA and the Forest Discovery Centre. A maximum of 30 people per session was set.
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People interested in attending the Sunday program were asked to ring and book their preferred session/s by emailing at gould@gould.org.au or phoning Anne-Maree McInerney, CEO Gould League, mobile 0429 193 134.
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Our Forest, Our Future sessions: 9:30am, 11:00am, 12:30pm, 2pm. Guests were able to learn about plants, including beautiful ‘Dhulangi‘, Taungurung language for the stringy bark-messmate for which Toolangi is named; animals including Victoria’s endangered faunal emblem Leadbeater’s Possum, which lives in the Toolangi State Forest; impact of fires; environmental stability; conservation and recreation.
Forests & the Food Bowl sessions: 10am, 11:30am, 1:00pm, 2:30 pm. Guests were able to learn the importance of forests like Toolangi State Forest to environmental sustainability and water quality. Sessions included a gentle 2.2km loop walk to the beautiful Yea River, meeting magnificent Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) which is the world’s largest flowering plant and the world’s greatest carbon bio-sequester, and learned about other local species.
Interested visitors and families were encouraged to enjoy walking the Toolangi Sculpture Trail – behind the Forest Discovery Centre and Yea River Walk, just across the road from the Forest Discovery Centre, both short easy walks of a few kilometres, to enjoy the beautiful Toolangi Forest.