Through a selection of oil paintings, sketches and etchings, Soula Mantalvanos will this month take visitors to the Queenscliff Gallery on a special journey through Venice. But not the “touristy” Venice we have come to know. Soula’s Venice  reflects her own cultural heritage, travels and life experiences.

"My works are all drawn on location in various areas of Venice. These reflect a longer, more personal relationship with the city,” she says. “The colours are deeper, richer, less representative of that first bedazzled side of Venice, where you see just the gold bits.

“I'm familiar with the surrounds, the works are far more intimate and reflective of a richer experience.” 
Soula is teaming up with renowned painter and print-maker Jim Pavlidis for a special exhibition at the gallery she owns with husband Theo, titled ‘Here and There'. And just a few days out from the show, she is still busily creating more pieces.

"After saying to myself, 'ok, that's enough, surely you're done with Venice Soula', all I can think of is being back there again. Venice satisfies my love for eccentric characterisation, it's a stage set.” 

Beginning her professional career as creative director of her own design company ooi.com.au, Soula has previously exhibited  at various Melbourne galleries. 

Her love for both design and the visual arts is reprersented through whimsical characters, spiritual icons, building facades and streetscapes.

"And clothes lines! That's the face of Venice for me, sorry, no gondolas," she says.
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‘Here and There’ opens at Queenscliff Gallery on March 16 and runs until April 9.

The Borough of Queenscliffe could become the first municipality in Australia to adopt 30kp/h speed zones, under a plan to improve safety, encourage residents and visitors to walk and cycle more and reduce use of vehicles.

The Draft Queenscliffe Active Transport Strategy (QATS) sets out an ambitious list of actions and initiatives for the next 10-years to achieve a community vision of; “a connected Borough, where walking, riding and wheeling are safe and enjoyable ways of moving to, from and around the Borough regardless of age or ability.”

The document, prepared by Ratio Consultants and unanimously endorsed by Councillors at the February Council meeting, has been released for 28 days of public feedback.

 “Walking, wheeling and cycling is not only a great way to get around but also is good for our health, wellbeing and the environment. It is also a key tourism attraction, with the Bellarine Rail Trail connecting the Borough to Geelong and also the Mornington Peninsula via the Queenscliff-Sorrento Ferry,” the document states.

“Active travel is already one of the major ways to get around the Borough, with many high quality and well connected paths and trails. Notwithstanding, the network is incomplete, and these missing links create barriers for participation.

“The majority of residents within the Borough of Queenscliffe live within walking or cycling distance of key destinations such as shops, recreational and community facilities. Removing the key barriers will open up active transport to a wider range of users.”

The QATS includes four key strategies and actions for reaching the vision – including reducing the speed limit to 30kmp/h - and an “aspirational” network or walking and cycling pathways and upgrades that would cost an estimated $1.76 million.

According to the draft, dropping the speed limit would have the biggest impact in achieving the active transport vision.

“The connection between the speeds of vehicles and chances of injury or worse a fatality are well researched and accepted,” it said. “Making the Borough of Queenscliffe a 30km/h wide municipality will ensure safe streets for all people.

“The implementation should initially focus on Point Lonsdale, where there are next to no footpaths in local residential streets, and users often are required to walk on the road carriageway.”

The remaining three key strategies include:

• A complete, connected and well-designed pathway network that enables smooth and continuous and safe access along key streets and places within the Borough.
• Completion of the Bellarine Railway Trail’s “missing links” in Murray Road and all the way to the ferry terminal, and  
• A target of 200 additional bicycle parks by the year 2032, with 100 in both Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff.

​The QATS was developed following an initial round of consultation last year that included community workshops and discussions with the Department of Transport, Victoria Police, the City of Greater Geelong, local schools and Bellarine Community Health.

"Our towns are quite unique, particuarly when you look at the township of Point Lonsdale where most of the side-streets don't have footpaths," said Cr Ross Ebbels. "So we've got to be really careful how we plan for the future and whether we slow traffic down, we need to make it more accessible for people to walk and ride their bikes and feel safe. If they feel safe they'll use it, which is obviously the outcome we as councillors want top have as well."

Cr Michael Grout encouraged all residents to have their say on the draft document. 

"There's quite a lot of detail in the draft and really we would want you to focus attention on the strategies... to see if we'vemiswed anything. We want to see if there's things in there that shouldn't be in there and we also want to see the improve the way we can improve the strategies.

"Im really pleased to see we're getting a bit more of a coordinated approach to how we as residents and visitors might move around the borough. If we can facilitate that with infrastructure changes or improvements, that's what we're seeking to do here. 

"We want to, as far as possible, minimse the use of fossil fuels in getting around a boroug, which for most of us, is quite possible to walk or cycle around," Cr Grout added.

Kelvin Spiller has been appointed Acting Borough of Queenscliffe CEO, after Martin Gill took indefinite leave for undisclosed personal health reasons. 

Mr Spiller, a former City of Greater Geelong CEO, was appointed at a special Council meeting on Wednesday 15 February. 

"Council is pleased to welcome Mr. Spiller to the Borough of Queenscliffe to support the organisation until Martin’s return to work," said Mayor Isabelle Tolhurst. "We undertook a comprehensive process to ensure we appointed the right candidate for this interim position. 

“Highly recommended, we are certain that Mr. Spiller has the experience and commitment necessary to guide the Borough through this period.”

Mr. Spiller has held nine CEO positions across local government, water, and disability sectors.
He said he was keen to get started in the acting role. 

“I’m highly motivated and ready to take on the challenges that undoubtedly come with a role such as this one.” 

Mr. Spiller said his specific focus will be on “advancing the implementation of the council plan for the current financial year, progressing the CEO’s work program, supporting staff throughout the organisation and advising council when required across a broad range of matters.”

His appointment will be reviewed at the end of April. Council would not disclose Mr Spillers remuneration package. 
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“With Martin Gill on leave, the Borough of Queenscliffe requires an acting CEO who has the experience and qualifications to hit the ground running,” a spokesperson said. “Mr. Spiller has worked with over 20 councils, this is his tenth role as a CEO. Accordingly, Mr. Spiller’s remuneration package is consistent with the Borough of Queenscliffe’s CEO Employment and Remuneration policy and is comparable to that paid to Mr. Gill.”

The Borough of Queenscliffe will await the outcome of a fresh arborist assessment before determining the health and future of the borough’s Avenue of Honour, after a vehicle was struck by a falling branch last month. 

The driver and his passenger were lucky to escape serious injury when the large bow fell on top of the classic Holden, crushing its roof and smashing the windscreen. 

The incident occurred in The Narrows, near the intersection of King Street, just before 8am on Thursday 23 February, when the Bellarine Highway was busy with work, school and ferry traffic.

“After the event in the Narrows, Council officers requested an Arboricultural assessment for the tree that dropped the limb onto the road,” a Council spokesperson said. “The arboriculturist recommended the removal of three limbs over the carriageway, and this work was undertaken Friday morning. 

“The inspecting arborist mentioned no sign of decay or rot and that the wind twisted the branch, and it has subsequently broken.”

The branch failure prompted renewed concern about the health of the Monterey Cypress pines - the oldest of which were planted in 1918 to honour local soldiers who had fought and died in World War One. 

According to the Council spokesperson, further inspection of the Avenue was  booked prior to the incident and commenced from Monday 27 February. At the time of this publication going to print, Councillors were also due to meet to review the Avenue of Honour schedule of works. 

"Council will learn more about the status of the trees along the Avenue of Honour once this report is completed,” she said. 

“Councillors take these matters seriously and are committed to reducing the risk.”
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A 2015 assessment of 112 of the cypress by Homewood Consulting found many of the trees were in poor condition and identified Seridium Canker, an incurable disease. It recommended an alternative species be chosen for re-plantings.

The Rip understands that prior to it being dissolved in late 2021, members of an Avenue of Honour community reference group also raised concerns about the safety of the trees, and Council’s decision to replant Monterey Cypress as part of an adopted Conservation Management Plan.

A suggestion from mum, Emily, that George Limb answer an advert for “big” players has paid dividends in the sport of gridiron, and could lead to further opportunities in the football code.

After just his first season with the Geelong Buccaneers, the Point Lonsdale 16-year old has been selected in the Victorian U/20 gridiron team, to compete in next month’s national championships, to be played in Wollongong.

“Mum just saw a post on Instagram saying we want some of the biggest guys in Geelong and thought I’d suit the role,” George said.

Nudging 6.2 ft and having grown up in an Australian Rules football-loving family – Dad Michael Limb is a three-time Queenscliff premiership player and his uncle, Tom, the club’s former premiership captain and coach - George more than suited the role, despite a limited knowledge of the rules.

“I’d watched gridiron and the Super Bowl, but I didn’t know anything about the rules really,” he said.

“I enjoyed the first try out, but it was a bit weird I guess. I didn’t really know what was going on, they just told me to hit a few bags and I did and went from there.”

Playing in a defensive role – that guy tasked with taking out the quarterback - George helped the Buccaneers reach recent Grand Finals in both U/16 and U/19 competitions, narrowly losing both to Melbourne teams. In doing so, he was named Victoria’s U/16 Rookie of the Year and picked up the Buccaneers’ Most Valuable Player and Player’s Player awards.

For now, George will continue with both grid iron and AFL, but has not ruled out further pursuing a career in America’s national game.  

“They love the Aussies in America, so there’s always scouts looking at the local competition and there are definitely pathways.

“I think if the opportunities come up where I am being looked at, I’d definitely jump at the chance. I have thought about colleges over there and I know some people with connections, so depending on where I’m at when juniors finish, it could definitely be a possibility and an opportunity.”

With little brother Angus also playing with the Buccaneers,  the Limb family is quickly adopting a passion for the sport.
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“They actually love it and have done a lot of research in their own time to learn about the sport, which is pretty nice,” George added.

CRICKET - Queenscliff’s D-Grade women’s team has created history by becoming the first all-female side in the club’s 150 year history to secure a BWCC premiership.
 
The side, coached by Tim Frankenberg, defeated Grovedale by 85 runs in the Grand Final, played at  Armstrong Creek on Sunday 26 February. 

Batting first, the Couta’s set a run chase of 140 for the loss of just four wickets. In reply, Grovedale managed just 8/55 in the 20/20 format match. 

Captain Jess Fletcher was a standout, scoring 28 runs, including four boundaries, and taking 3/11 with the ball. Susan Monahan top scored with 29 not out from just 33 balls, including five fours, while Alex Birrell chimed in with 3/12.

“After being undefeated all season and having a great build up to the preliminary finals, we were feeling confident, but nothing is ever certain so we never took a win as a given,” Fletcher said.

“Everything went right on the day, we won the toss and elected to bat. The openers did a great job forging the way for the late batters to swing freely.

“Our opening bowler was a hat trick in the first over, so it was really the best start anyone could hope for. Our fielding was also top notch.”

In only its second season in the league, the club fielded two teams, the second in E-Grade - a measure of the sport’s growing popularity. 
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“The whole club is a very close community and we are a very close knit squad. May of the team were instrumental in the making of a women’s team, so it’s a very invested group,” said Fletcher. ‘We were also lucky enough to pick up a couple of very handy and experienced recruits this season.”

​Organisers of Queenscliff’s annual hot rod show have scotched rumours they will take the event elsewhere in protest over an accommodation ban at Victoria Park. They have, however, implored Council to extend camping by just one additional week from next year onwards.

Geelong Street Rodders President Greg Morrissey said last month’s three-day Rod Run - the first official show since pre-covid - was potentially the biggest to be held in Queenscliff yet, with more than 620 entries and upwards of 10,000 enthusiasts descending on the town.

Visitors lined the full length of Hesse Street on the Saturday night to watch the procession of classic vehicles. 

“I wouldn’t have a clue how many people were there on the Saturday night [for the Hesse Street cruise], but there were thousands and thousands and I genuinely believe, just looking around at the people and the cars, that it was probably the biggest Saturday night we’ve had. It was standing room only,” Mr Morrissey said. 

“And despite the weather not looking so great early, there was definitely a hell of a crowd there on the Sunday as well.”

The show is one of the biggest of its kind in the state, and in terms of numbers, is comparable with national level events, Mr Morrissey said.  

“We had 621 entries, which was maybe a little bit down on 2020, but certainly in the mix of what we’d normally get and we had people come from Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT, South Australia and probably beyond that.”

Always held on the first weekend of February, the Rod Run delivers enormous economic benefits to local charities, clubs, businesses and accommodation providers. The Queenscliff Lions Club receives and distributes gate-takings from the Sunday Show and Shine in Princess Park, while sporting clubs generate thousands of dollars through catering.  

In August, as part of the Victoria Park Management Plan, Councillors approved a ban on all camping from January 31 - less than a week before this years hot rod show. The decision forced members to seek accommodation outside of town and sparked rumours on social media that the drawcard could go elsewhere. 

Describing the event as “special” to his members, Mr Morrissey said the event would remain in town.
“Those rumours probably just started with people being a bit disgruntled about the caravan park, and ultimately gathered pace. 

“We’ll book in a meeting with the council for a bit of a wrap-up and a debrief and that will probably be mentioned, but at this point there are no legs to the story that we are moving. There is no truth in it,” he said.

At February’s Council meeting, in response to a request from club events coordinator Bob Ward for camping in Victoria Park to be extended by one week and approximately 20 sites from next year, Mayor Isabelle Tolhurst did not rule out a change to camping ban.

“Council acknowledges the success of this year’s Rod Run and the appetite to have these sites open will be taken into consideration when we review the policy later in the year,” she said. “The review will consider a range of stakeholder inputs and considerations from visitors and community members. 
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“The Borough supports the Rod Run, is committed to working with the committee and members to strengthen the event and looks forward to your 2024 return.”