Central Victoria

Central Victoria. Macedon Ranges, Kyneton, Cobaw, Heathcote … places with long – for Australia! – and interesting histories ..

Aussie Stories - telling about Australia in words and pictures Joe Mortelliti‘s life long love, from when he was first given a Brownie camera as a boy, was photography. It was the focus of his work life for many years. He loved to travel with his wife Marion to as many parts of Australia as he could. He had the ability to ‘see’ the beauty of our land in such a way that he could photograph it for the delight of others. These photos are a legacy that he has left us. Used by permission and with appreciation.
Aussie Stories - telling about Australia in words and pictures

Blackwood Cemetery, central Victoria, Australia.
Blackwood Cemetery, central Victoria, Australia. July 2004.
Copyright © Joe Mortelliti Photography

The old town of Blackwood has many wonderful historic buildings.

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Bleak weather, Blackwood Cemetery, central Victoria, Australia.
Bleak weather, Blackwood Cemetery, central Victoria, Australia. July 2004.
Copyright © Joe Mortelliti Photography

Mist and rain roll across the ranges toward Blackwood. This historic town has many old interesting buildings.

For the first time I photographed a cemetery as I felt Blackwood Cemetery’s location on top of the hill, with it’s old headstones and ranges for a back drop was a fine combination.

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Prendergast Lane, Cobaw, central Victoria, Australia.
Prendergast Lane, Cobaw, central Victoria, Australia. August 2004.
Copyright © Joe Mortelliti Photography

The morning fog hangs low at the foot of the Cobaw Range. 

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Cobaw foothills, Macedon, central Victoria, Australia.
Cobaw foothills, Macedon, central Victoria, Australia. August 2004.
Copyright © Joe Mortelliti Photography

Rugged old fencing and rocky granite outcrops are a feature of this area of the Cobaw in the Macedon Ranges.

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Cobaw Range, Macedon, central Victoria, Australia.
Cobaw Range, Macedon, central Victoria, Australia. August 2004.
Copyright © Joe Mortelliti Photography

This range in the Macedon area is extremely rocky with granite outcrops everywhere.

We recently spent a day traveling many of the 4wd tracks through this range. Some tracks have very steep rough climbs and descents making them challenging to travel. 

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Gooch's Lane, Macedon Ranges, central Victoria, Australia.
Gooch’s Lane, Macedon Ranges, central Victoria, Australia. August 2004.
Copyright © Joe Mortelliti Photography

The early morning light skims across the hills, picking up highlights on the power lines running along Gooch’s Lane at Pipers Creek.

Wind farms applications recently lodged are threatening to cover the ridge lines of this beautiful country area with turbines standing 32 metres high. 

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Farm gate, Gooch's Lane, Macedon Ranges, central Victoria, Australia.
Farm gate, Gooch’s Lane, Macedon Ranges, central Victoria, Australia. August 2004.
Copyright © Joe Mortelliti Photography

 This old farm gate way is looking a little tired, but adding charmingly to the rural atmosphere in the early morning fog. 

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Foggy morning, Gooch's Lane, Macedon Ranges, central Victoria, Australia.
Foggy morning, Gooch’s Lane, Macedon Ranges, central Victoria, Australia. August 2004.
Copyright © Joe Mortelliti Photography

Just loved this old fence with it’s man made shaped holes leading off into the fog. 

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Pipers Creek, near Kyneton, Macedon Ranges, central Victoria, Australia.
Pipers Creek, near Kyneton, Macedon Ranges, central Victoria, Australia. August 2004.
Copyright © Joe Mortelliti Photography

Heavy fog at Pipers Creek, near Kyneton. Staying on local farm I was able to be up and out early to photograph in these interesting conditions. 

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Windmill at Pipers Creek, near Kyneton, Macedon Ranges, central Victoria, Australia.
Windmill at Pipers Creek, near Kyneton, Macedon Ranges, central Victoria, Australia. August 2004.
Copyright © Joe Mortelliti Photography

I have been on the look out to capture a windmill for a very long time, but generally have not found features surrounding them suitable to make a good image. The fog and cows made this windmill into an image that I find very pleasing.

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Tanks, Morris Lane, at Pipers Creek, near Kyneton, Macedon Ranges, central Victoria, Australia.
Tanks, Morris Lane, at Pipers Creek, near Kyneton, Macedon Ranges, central Victoria, Australia. August 2004.
Copyright © Joe Mortelliti Photography

Old water tanks sitting upon rustic timber poles in a long abandoned farm. This charming scene was only recently saved from summer fires by being water bombed from a helicopter. 

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Rosebury Hill, Pipers Creek, near Kyneton, Macedon Ranges, central Victoria, Australia.
Rosebury Hill, Pipers Creek, near Kyneton, Macedon Ranges, central Victoria, Australia. August 2004.
Copyright © Joe Mortelliti Photography

This hill is also earmarked for wind farm turbines, along with the ridge line beyond.

Local communities are being split, adjoining property owners to where turbine development is planned are concerned with noise, views and now property values falling up to 40%. Wind farms at Toora in South Gippsland confirm people walking away from homes due to noise, illness and falling property values. 

I don’t know whether this wind farm development has gone ahead since Joe wrote these words in 2004. I share his concerns that the visual and noise pollution, and the destruction of many large birds, including eagles, that are hit by the blades as they turn, of these taxpayer subsidised machines are bringing to some pristine areas of the world, for very questionable returns.

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Jews Harp Creek, Macedon, central Victoria, Australia.
Jews Harp Creek, Macedon, central Victoria, Australia. August 2004.
Copyright © Joe Mortelliti Photography

Wispy trees, and a still morning fog made for an eerie morning atmosphere.

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Hanging Rock, Macedon, central Victoria, Australia.
Hanging Rock, Macedon, central Victoria, Australia. August 2004.
Copyright © Joe Mortelliti Photography

Watching the last rays of sunlight from the top of Mt Macedon. The sunlight skims across hanging rock and the evening is heavy with rain clouds and mist over Cobaw and across the Macedon Ranges

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McHarg Range, near Heathcote, central Victoria, Australia.
McHarg Range, near Heathcote, central Victoria, Australia. August 2004.
Copyright © Joe Mortelliti Photography

I met John Howard, a local farmer who lives on this property and is fighting to stop the ridge lines above him from being covered with turbines for a wind farm. Noise from turbines is a real issue for these people living near by and the industrialisation of these rural landscapes is vandalism.

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Shearing shed, Redesdale, central Victoria, Australia.
Shearing shed, Redesdale, central Victoria, Australia. August 2004.
Copyright © Joe Mortelliti Photography

Drought has made conditions very harsh in the country. Located in the region of the Bendigo gold fields in Victoria. I felt this scene represented an Australian shearing shed well. 

Now it is 2022 and the rains are back! There is significant flooding on the eastern seaboard, and even here in Victoria there have been floods. Australia truly is a ‘…land of droughts and flooding rains.’.

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Two lane Mia Mia bridge, Redesdale, central Victoria, Australia. Known as the Mia Mia Bridge.
Two lane Mia Mia bridge, Redesdale, central Victoria, Australia. Known as the Mia Mia Bridge. February 2004.
Copyright © Joe Mortelliti Photography

Known as the Mia Mia Bridge. The road drops down steeply into a valley and this unusual bridge that is separated into two lanes. Built in 1867, though completed in 1868, it’s height is restricted to smaller vehicles as large trucks cannot fit under the steel arches. The river below has dried out due to many years of drought. 

The Mia Mia Bridge is a wrought iron and timber structure with bluestone abutments, located over the Campaspe River near the town of Redesdale.

More info on the Mia Mia bridge at Wikipedia

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Alexandra Fountain, central Bendigo.

Alexandra Fountain, Bendigo.
Alexandra Fountain, Bendigo.

Alexandra Fountain, Bendigo. In the middle of the intersection of Pall Mall and View Street in central Bendigo. Designed by local architect William Vahland, it is built of 20 tonnes of polished Harcourt granite, and was opened in July 1881. It is quite impressive! It stands about 9 metres high, and is situated at the main intersection in central Bendigo. The Alexandra Fountain happened because of the very substantial wealth generated by the gold rush of the 1870s. Copyright © Colin Judkins. Used by permission.

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Flooded road near Maldon, central Victoria, Australia.
Flooded road near Maldon, central Victoria, Australia. January 2016.
Copyright © Koole Imaging

As the song ‘My Country’ puts it, Australia is a land of droughts and flooding rains, and has always been so.

Right now, in January 2016, less than 100 kilometres away near the Great Ocean Road, there are bushfires that have already destroyed the town of Wye River. There are bushfires in Western Australia and South Australia. But there are floods in Sydney and in Queensland.

Rustic memorabilia Maldon, central Victoria, Australia. A fascinating study in monochrome.
Rustic memorabilia Maldon, central Victoria, Australia. A fascinating study in monochrome.
Copyright © Koole Imaging

Aussie Stories - telling about Australia in words and pictures


Aussie Stories - telling about Australia in words and pictures


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