ANOTHER YEAR IN FERNTREE GULLY

In 2012 with the support of Ferntree Gully News, Mountain District Learning Centre and Knox City Council I was proud to have a photographic exhibition titled 'A Year in Ferntree Gully' at Ferntree Gully Library, The Hut Gallery and other venues.

I am thrilled to show 'Another Year in Ferntree Gully'. This time the exhibition is being held in the magnificent historic Miller's Homestead in Boronia.

Ferntree Gully News editor Anne Boyd and I have chosen to exhibit a selection of my photographs that were taken and published in 2022.

Everyone is welcome to visit 'A Year in Ferntree Gully' during Miller's Homestead opening hours

Monday to Friday 9.30am - 4.30pm until 30 May 2023.

For details please go to Another Year in Ferntree Gully

Bookings are only required for the 'Meet the Artist' event on Thursday 27 April at 2pm.

Contact 0438 284 989

Miller's Homestead, Dorrigo Dr & Melrose Ct, Boronia VIC

For more information on this delightful venue please follow the link to https://www.yourlibrary.com.au/locations/millers-homestead/

Miracle: A piece of Ferntree Gully in the Docklands

I am grateful Ferntree Gully News attended the opening of MIRACLE, an exhibition of photographs by Pam Davison, Sue Jackson, Margot Sharman and myself. Thank you to Meg Hellyer for reporting on the show.

'Since the first year of Gully News Barbara Oehring’s photographs have captured moments that make our community special. Recently her photos brought a little piece of Ferntree Gully to the Docklands. An exhibition held at Magnet Galleries at District Docklands featured the work of Melbourne photographers Pam Davison, Sue Jackson, Margot Sharman and Barbara Oehring. Entitled ‘Miracles’ the photographs paid homage to the simple miracles surrounding us every day in homes, and neighbourhoods. Each image showed that even in the toughest of times there is always beauty around and something to be grateful for.
Shown here is Barbara’s photograph ‘Monitor’, one of her four photos exhibited. The ever alert goanna watches, from a tree top in Walbundry Avenue.
Congratulations to all on a wonderful exhibition, and congratulations Barbara!'

Monitor
© Barbara Oehring 2022

Love in a time of corona virus

As a supporter and photography contributor of my local Ferntree Gully News for more than ten years I  would like to share this.

From the editor

Love in a time of corona virus

One aim of Ferntree Gully News is to celebrate the good news of people and groups in Ferntree Gully – from the Mountain Gate up into the Dandenong Ranges.

We thought this issue was to be a celebration of community events over the summer and a packed list of What’s On this autumn.

How wrong we were.

Not wrong to celebrate the summer festivals, though now they seem like a precious dream. And beautiful spaces sit empty under the autumn sun.

Ferntree Gully News was launched in September 2009 soon after the Black Saturday bush fires. In the editorial of issue No.1 we said

‘Those who deal with international disasters report that places with strong community links survive better in an emergency than those without such links. An important element in strengthening a community is a volunteer newspaper where people can share the good news stories and initiatives that make Ferntree Gully a safe and beautiful place be.‘

Now, as pandemic looms, no longer so safe. Instead this is the time to draw on our deepest community resources, our connections and concerns for each other. Although the doors to community premises are closed and public gatherings to be avoided, we can still think about those around us and use imagination to offer support and encouragement.

So far at least we still have the chance to walk, to hear birdsong and to see the clash of myriad colours as the singers dart amongst the trees.

Community contacts are listed on page 23. Websites and facebook pages of groups and businesses will keep us updated. Where possible we ask you to support our advertisers through this difficult time. 

To access this issue as well as the archive please go to: ferntreegullynews.com

WRITING OUR PLACE

I am delighted to announce WRITING OUR PLACE, a workshop at the Ferntree Gully Library on Thursday 4 April 2019 at 2.30PM.

It is presented by Ferntree Gully News team members Anne Boyd, Teresa Cannon and I.
As Ferntree Gully News photographer my topic will be Taking and Submitting Photos.

WRITING OUR PLACE is a free Eastern Regional Libraries event.
Bookings are essential.

Ferntree Gully News repackaged: from newsprint to beautiful book.

I am delighted to announce the publication of Ferntree Gully News, Scenes and Stories, 2009-17.

This book is a selection of stories and photographs sourced from the first 50 issues of the newspaper. It is a uniquely drafted portrait of people, individuals and groups, in a special place and time.

My photographs have appeared in every issue of the paper since its inception in 2009. The high standard of the production enhances the many quality photographs that originally were published on newsprint.

Ferntree Gully News, Scenes and Stories, 2009-17 is published by Mountain District Learning Centre.

This beautiful book, priced at $15, is available from MDLC Office, 13-15 The Avenue, Ferntree Gully. Telephone: 03 9758 7859.

Celebrating 50 editions of Ferntree Gully News

With the December 2017 issue my local community paper Ferntree Gully News celebrates the 50th edition.

© Barbara Oehring 2017

I am proud to have been involved as photographer since its inception 8 years ago.

The story of the newspaper cannot be better told than by editor Anne Boyd on page 5 of the celebratory edition:

Carpe diem

The story of a newspaper Community Bank People often ask me ‘how do you make things happen?’ There are a lot of answers to that but one of them is ‘get the timing right’.

With hindsight that seems very true about the start up, in 2009, of Ferntree Gully News.
 In April 2009, just months after Black Saturday, the Ferntree Gully Community (Bendigo) Bank hosted a meeting to set up a new incorporated Village Traders Association and a tabloid newspaper. Membership of the association would be open to businesses and to the community groups that cluster around this historical centre. The association and the paper could be a voice to Knox Council in the forthcoming consultations on renewing the village streetscape.

I was at the meeting to represent Neighbourhood Watch. In the aftermath of the bushfires I was concerned that neither a small Neighbourhood Watch newsletter nor a village newsletter were enough to promote community safety in such a high fire risk area as the Gully. The prospect of a full-scale tabloid newspaper set me thinking.

The meeting ended with a steering group for a new Village Traders Association. Bank Board member (and newsagent) Des Higginbotham would preside; bank manager Tina Leslie would be treasurer. I put my hand up to edit the newspaper and initially to be secretary of the group (a role that was later taken over by Mountain District Learning Centre). The rest, as they say, is history.

The first issue of Ferntree Gully News appeared in Sept 2009, a full colour tabloid with 12 pages and 3000 copies. Formal auspicing of the paper was offered by Mountain District Learning Centre who have maintained this oversight and support ever since. The community owes them a debt of thanks for the stability of governance that has allowed the newspaper to grow to its present stature.
Now, eight years on, we are celebrating the 50th edition of Ferntree Gully News: a 28-page bi-monthly community paper produced and delivered by more than 50 volunteers to 10,000 households and business in the postcode 3156.

From the start Gully News has been financed mainly by local business. The Ferntree Gully Community Bank is the major advertiser/sponsor. Eight small village businesses have advertised from the start. Others have joined in and stayed. They have found that ‘people read this paper’ and support the businesses that advertise. Ray Abley’s Professionals Estate Agency in Mountain Gate is also a major advertiser and Ray has encouraged other businesses in Mountain Gate to support the paper. Support has also come from Knox Council and from local politicians especially State MP for Ferntree Gully, Nick Wakeling, and Federal MP for Aston, Alan Tudge who both sponsor pages. Their early advice, especially, to think beyond the village to the whole of Ferntree Gully, was invaluable.

In 2010 we joined Community Newspapers Association of Victoria (CNAV), the umbrella body for not-for-profit community newspapers. We have attended their conference every year since and have learned a lot from fellow papers in Knox and beyond. We are proud to have featured over the years in all nine categories of award including twice finalist in Best Newspaper. Our formatter, Jens-Kristian Toft Hansen is this year President of CNAV.

I want to thank especially the Ferntree Gully community for being such a special place and for providing such a talented band of writers and photographers. And above all thank you to the wonderful band of volunteers who get the paper out and deliver over 10,000 copies from Scoresby Road to the foothills of the Dandenongs. Many of them have been with us from the first.

People sometimes say that newspapers are dying. It is true that our business model needs volunteer workers but the fact that walkers keep offering to deliver and business to advertise is an indication that we are filling a need. We learnt at the conference this year that the only papers still with rising advertising are the very local community papers. We hope it stays that way.

Anne Boyd


To view the 50th edition of the Ferntree Gully News as well as previous issues please go to

https://ferntreegullynews.com/

CNAV Awards for Ferntree Gully News

I am proud to be involved with my local community paper Ferntree Gully News.

At the Community Newspaper Association of Victoria (CNAV) 2016 Awards the paper received the following awards:

Best Newspaper – Finalist

Ferntree Gully News
This entry stood out for its powerful, front-page close-up photo of a kookaburra – an arresting image by Barbara Oehring which beautifully distils the edition’s focus on appropriate development in Ferntree Gully. Quality photos were a feature generally of this newspaper, combined with readable, informative articles, news and events that residents would seek out, e.g. Scouts, Victoria Day celebrations, CFA fire advice, schools and church news. Articles were highly readable and well edited. Page designs, too, were attractive with judicious use of white space, appealing page straplines and good use of the excellent photographs. This is a community newspaper that clearly cares about its readership. And its readership also cares about the newspaper, being well-supported by local business advertisements and contributors.

Best Photograph – Finalist

Ferntree Gully News
‘Don’t Laugh!  This is Serious!’ – Photographer: Barbara Oehring
Carefully timed to capture the kookaburra’s amused expression, well lit, and with a narrow depth of field to remove distracting detail, this is an eye catching and well executed nature photograph.  In immediately grabbing your attention and directing you to the story – in this case about how council is dealing with a threat to habitat – it does exactly what a good newspaper photograph should do.

© Barbara Oehring

Ferntree Gully News is published by the Mountain District Learning Centre, 13-15 The Avenue, Ferntree Gully 3156 in collaboration with the Lower Gully Traders Inc.

The paper can be accessed online: ferntreegullynews.com

Victoria Day Award

On Victoria Day 1 July I was honoured with a 'VICTORIA DAY AWARD Ferntree Gully Electorate 2016'.

I was nominated by Ferntree Gully News. The citation read:

"Barbara Oehring is an internationally awarded photographer who lives in Ferntree Gully.
In 2009, when the community newspaper, Ferntree Gully News began publication, Barbara presented herself as a volunteer, offering to take photographs.

Since then her photos have appeared in every issue, greatly enhancing the liveliness and design of the paper.

Covering events for a newspaper is no small job. From a 6 am Dawn watch to a night-time CFA torchlight procession, in venues all across the Gully, Barbara has been there.

She has photographed people and places, birds and animals, portraits and crowd scenes, sports action shots, news pics and the beautiful landscapes of the Gully.

Photographing for Gully News is not her only volunteer work. Barbara has also made a specialty of photographing the events and artworks of local Indigenous Groups in Knox, regularly attending Sorry Day, Reconciliation Week and other ceremonies.

Barbara is a worthy recipient of a Victoria Day Award and Ferntree Gully News is proud to nominate her."

Fun at the Fair

I enjoyed visiting the annual Knox Festival to photograph for the local community paper "Ferntree Gully News".

The 2014 Knox Festival took place on the first weekend in March in Ferntree Gully. On Saturday I spent a couple of hours at the Wally Tew Reserve. I would like to share some of my images of the fair.
 

© Barbara Oehring 2014

 

© Barbara Oehring 2014

 Lesley Maxwell, author & world figure champion.

© Barbara Oehring 2014

Logan © Barbara Oehring 2014

 

 

Sandra © Barbara Oehring 2014

 Community Newspaper Stand.

  

© Barbara Oehring 2014

Kirigami from recycled books at the Ferntree Gully Library.

 

© Barbara Oehring 2014

 Hand-crafted rocking horse by the Knox & District Woodworkers.

© Barbara Oehring 2014

Swing Patrol, Ringwood.
  

© Barbara Oehring 2014

 

© Barbara Oehring 2014

Cottage No. 8

The Cottage at No. 8 The Avenue
© Barbara Oehring


 

The Cottage at No. 8 The Avenue, home of the community paper Ferntree Gully News, has also become a gallery. I am delighted that my 'Year in Ferntree Gully' photographs have found a permanent home in the Cottage.


The October Newsletter of the Mountain District Learning Centre (publisher of the Ferntree Gully News) reports:

"Recently we hung high on the walls most of the photographs of Barbara Oehring's beautiful 'Year in FTG' exhibition. As we did so the rooms took on a new dimension. The power of the photos began to make themselves felt. Now our gallery rooms can be a place for delight, reflection, history, all taking inspiration from the pictures on the walls."


Gully News office/gallery: 8 The Avenue, Ferntree Gully
Open Tuesdays 10.00am to 3.00pm or by appointment
Telephone  9758 3056 or contact MDLC 9758 7859
Email: gullynews@gmail.com

A Year in Ferntree Gully

I am delighted that the Mountain District Learning Centre has received a Knox Community Development Grant for an exhibition of my photographs.

The Ferntree Gully News, Page 17, Issue 14 - December 2011:

"A Year in Ferntree Gully"
The grant will be used to hold an exhibition of photographs by Barbara Oehring. The photos will show people, places, events in FTG through four seasons. This will provide inspiration for creative writing workshops for recording stories of experiences and memories of living in the Gully.
The exhibition will be launched in the FTG library in April 2012. After this it will become a mobile display for sessions at MDLC and for other venues and groups.
Barbara Oehring's stunning photographs have been delighting readers of Gully News since its inception. Making a selection of these and many others for the exhibition will be challenging but worthwhile. It is hoped to publish stories in the newspaper."

Autumn at Tim Neville Arboretum
Ferntree Gully
© Barbara Oehring 2010

Zen and the art of play

 
 

Ferntree Gully
© Barbara Oehring 2010

Seen at the Knox Festival fairground in Ferntree Gully, in the morning before the crowd arrived, was one of the visiting Tashi Lhunpo Tibetan Buddhist monks.

The above is one of my photos in Issue 9 - February 2011 Ferntree Gully News: http://www.mdlc.com.au/images/FGN9small.pdf 

The current issue of the Ferntree Gully News - April 2011 - features my image from this year's Knox Festival CFA Torchlight Parade. 



Ferntree Gully
© Barbara Oehring 2011

This issue will be on line in a little while.