Cow Grass Lodge

07/09/2026

Black Spur Hotel

The history of Narbethong's earliest notable building centers on the Black Spur Inn, originally built as the 12-room Narbethong Hotel (or Black Spur Hotel) in 1863 by Frederick Fisher.

Origins and Gold Rush Era1863
Frederick Fisher established the licensed hotel along the newly forming track connecting Melbourne to the Wood Point and Gippsland goldfields.

Coaching Stop
The shanty and hotel served as a vital changing station for horse-drawn coaches carrying prospectors.

Naming
Fisher originally came from Narberth in Wales, which likely inspired the name "Narbethong" (an Aboriginal word later associated to mean "cheerful place").

07/09/2026

Crimson Rosella, photo taken up at Mount Macedon, Victoria.

© Nick Vertsonis Photography

07/09/2026

Flame Robin adding a burst of warm colour to the Victorian High Country 🦜❤️

Photo: Penny Ash

07/09/2026

The casket, grown from mycelium and h**p fibres, takes just 45 days to break down, enriching the soil in the process

07/09/2026

What if you could see and understand an entire solar farm without having to step outside? 👀

We worked with Macquarie University and ACEN Australia to help make this possible for farmers and technicians. The first-of-its-kind research shows how satellites and AI can be used to monitor grass conditions on a solar farm.

Up until now, this job has largely been a manual and time-consuming process on sites that can span thousands of hectares.

The research team used field samples, satellite imagery, and historical and current weather data to develop maps and models of vegetation and fire risk across a solar farm.

This research could help make sure paddocks can both produce renewable energy and support livestock at the same time, while reducing fire risk through smarter management.

07/09/2026

07/09/2026

Get the kids into fishing and off screens, while doing a solid for the environment at Lake Colac this Sunday! We call that a win-win scenario. 😉

If you've booked them into a FREE kids fishing clinic with experts from Fishcare Victoria Inc., they’ll learn all about carp and why they’re considered an aquatic pest in Victoria, and the art of casting, rigs, bait selection, and other practical skills to build confidence on the water. Fishing gear and are bait are all provided too!

Are your kids are already gun-fishers? Why not enter them into the Junior ‘Catch a Carp’ competition for the chance to win a prize (and the glory!) for catching the biggest carp? All the details – www.vfa.vic.gov.au/colaccarpcomp.

See you there!

📅 Sunday September 13
📍 Lake Colac Foreshore (end of Fyans St/Queens St)
⏱️10am-3pm
Learn more at www.vfa.vic.gov.au/colaccarpfest

07/09/2026

Get ready for a night of live music, dancing and good old-fashioned country fun at the Jamieson Bush Dance!

Join us on Saturday 14 November for a fun, family-friendly evening with Blackberry Jam Bush Band at the Jamieson Memorial Hall.

Saturday 14 November 2026
6pm to 10pm
Jamieson Memorial Hall

Enjoy a free sausage sizzle and ice creams, bring your own drinks and get ready for a great night on the dance floor.

A free bus will run from Mansfield, with designated pick-up and drop-off points along Mansfield-Woods Point Road. Bus seats need to be booked with your ticket.

Best of all, ticket proceeds will be donated to BlazeAid.

Tickets are on sale now. https://events.humanitix.com/jamieson-bush-dance

Gather your family and friends and come along for a great night in Jamieson!