⏱️ The 160th edition of our newsletter is a five-minute read.
Hi there 👋
Matthew Sims here, your reporter at the Eastern Melburnian.
The past few days have been jam-packed with a mixture of fun, deep dives into history and zooming in on what will be shaping votes across the east.
Today, we’re covering:
The reopening of the William Ricketts Sanctuary sculpture garden;
The key issues and electorates in Melbourne’s east; and
A visit to Mooroolbark’s miniature railway.
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“These are the electorates that the Liberal party has, at various times, held in the past, but they’ve found it very difficult to reconnect with voters in the 21st century. I expect them to be very tight challenges.”
WHAT’S COMING UP 🎟️
FRIDAY 14/08/26, 8:30-11PM | Dave Hole and Geoff Achison
SATURDAY 15/08/26, 9AM-5:30PM | Victorian State Jigsaw Puzzle Competition
SUNDAY 16/08/26, 6:30PM | The Bennies
SATURDAY 22/08/26, 8:30PM-MIDNIGHT | Grindhouse, Swidgen & Fungoose
SUNDAY 23/08/26, 4-6PM | Chao Feng Chinese Orchestra 44th anniversary concert
SATURDAY 29/08/26, 1-5PM | Waverley Garden and Floral Art Festival
SATURDAY 29/08/26, 10AM-10PM & SUNDAY 30/08/26, 10AM-4PM | Eastern Heritage Market
📰 THIS WEEK’S HEADLINES
Parks Victoria has reopened part of the William Ricketts Sanctuary near Olinda, five years after the June 2021 storms damaged 92 kiln-fired clay sculptures hidden among the trees.
The gates reopened on August 3, although the gallery and original residence remain off limits.
Strewn throughout the four-and-a-half acre garden, the works of sculptor William Ricketts focus on Aboriginal stories and legends, as well as the First Nations peoples of Central Australia.
However, a number of academics, including Indigenous scholars Marcia Langton and Bruno David, have criticised Ricketts’ work at the sanctuary and his approach to Aboriginal culture.
In 2003, the pair published a paper denouncing the garden as a “primitivist theme park” depicting an “imaginary … Dream Time”.
In 1961, the State Government bought Potters Sanctuary from William Ricketts, later renaming it the William Ricketts Sanctuary and opening it to the public in 1964.
Eastern Melbourne electorates like Ashwood, Glen Waverley and Rowville will help decide whether the Liberals can form government, according to Monash University political scientist Zareh Ghazarian.
Speaking to the Eastern Melburnian, he said while it was too early to predict individual seat results, the major election issues were already emerging.
Ghazarian said voters in Melbourne's east were likely to be driven more by statewide issues than local projects, with housing, healthcare, education and crime dominating the current political landscape.
The Labor party has 12 years of government behind it, something Ghazarian said means the Coalition must overcome. To do so, they’d need to take over in major Labor seats like Mulgrave (9.34 percent) and Ashwood (6.2 percent).
Five eastern MPs – representing Bayswater, Croydon, Malvern, Ringwood and Rowville – are retiring, creating several open contests. Candidates from all major parties are still announcing their intention to run.
🚂 Mooroolbark's volunteer-run miniature railway
Did you know there’s a miniature railway tucked away in Mooroolbark that’s been running for more than 40 years?
I took the chance to check it out (and take a ride) earlier this week.
Watch the video below.
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🙋 Are you an eastern Melbourne expert?
This week’s quiz focuses on the transport options across Melbourne’s east.
Send your answers to me via [email protected] and I’ll reveal the answers in Friday morning’s newsletter.
Easy
🛤️ Locals in areas like Ferntree Gully or Bayswater commuting home from the city must change over at which station to hop on the Belgrave line?
Medium
🚇 What suburb in Manningham may welcome a train station as part of the proposed Suburban Rail Loop north plans?
🛣️ Which major highway stretches from Deepdene to Mansfield and runs through suburbs like Mitcham, Ringwood and Lilydale?
Hard
🕳️ What are the name of the two tunnels drivers must pass through between Ringwood and the city along the Eastern Freeway?
🚦 What is the name of the freeway first proposed in 1969 and planned to connect Box Hill South and Lilydale?
🏥 Finally: I'm working on a story about the Virtual Emergency Department, looking specifically at how the service is being used by residents in Melbourne's east amid ongoing pressure on emergency departments across Victoria.
📬 If you used the VED recently, please reach out to me via [email protected]
That’s all from me this time.
Cheers,
Matthew