Yeo’s Lorry and Wayne Phillips will open their garden, an 11-year labour of love, to the public for the first time. The Phillips started planting their spectacular 0.8-hectare English garden from scratch. It has more than 200 roses, weeping cherries, mature trees and secret outdoor rooms. [...]

A Colac district farmer says his farm has improved 10-fold since planting 20,000 trees. Geoff Shields’ 255-hectare property at Irrewarra had only six trees when he bought it in 1997. A decade later the property is transformed; both in appearance and productivity. “I have [...]

Two burglars were on the run yesterday after breaking into sporting clubs at Camperdown. Senior Constable George Hasiotis said a security guard saw a man running from the town’s golf club at 11pm Tuesday. “A security guard spotted a male leaving the golf club so he went to check [...]

Thick fog has blanketed Colac and district for the past two days but weather authorities expect the clouds to lift today. Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Peter Blake said factors such as the lack of wind, moisture in the air and winter solstice kept fog grounded. “Basically at [...]

A Colac secondary student will help boost the number of hospitality workers in Colac. Colac Trinity College Year 10 student Liam Staker is studying VET hospitality at school and is about to begin a structured workplace learning program. Liam will start a week’s work experience on Monday before [...]

A Colac district farmer has shared his family’s World War One story at the opening of an exhibition in Colac. Cororooke’s Andrew Beale read excerpts from letters his great-great uncle Eliot Wilson wrote to his parents describing life in the trenches at Gallipoli at the opening of the History of the [...]

The Otways town of Forrest will burn tomorrow for the community’s second annual fire festival. Organisers Nettie Hulme and Gillian Brew said the Forrest Fire Festival involved fire entertainment and information about fire safety. “Following on from the wildly successful Forrest Fire Festival last year, we are proud [...]

Tomorrow is World Refugee Day and Colac’s Sudanese community is inviting people to a luncheon and an afternoon of entertainment to acknowledge the day. Otway Community College’s Robyn Barrand said members of the Sudanese community were preparing a three-course lunch with traditional Sudanese food at the Colac Otway Performing Arts and Cultural Centre. [...]

It is time to dust off the cowboy boots and dig out the Akubra hat because country music singer Adam Harvey is performing in Colac tomorrow night. Harvey is performing his latest tour, An Evening Where You Choose the Songs. And, in keeping with the tour’s name, [...]

Former Victorian Farmers Federation president Simon Ramsay of Birregurra is taking time out of the spotlight to reflect on a missed opportunity to represent the Liberal Party. Mr Ramsay was vying for the position of Liberal candidate for the seat of Corangamite, which went to Barwon Heads’ Sarah Henderson at the [...]