Latest news with #StArnaud
News.com.au
28-07-2025
- News.com.au
Manhunt after man shot during ‘altercation' at property in regional Victoria
A manhunt is under way after a man was shot in a small town in western Victoria. Police say the a man was shot by another man during an altercation at a property on Kings Ave in St Arnaud, between Bendigo and Horsham, at about 7.20am on Monday. A man in his 40s was airlifted to The Alfred Hospital with a non life-threatening injury to his upper body, Ambulance Victoria confirmed. He is in a stable condition. 'It is believed the parties are known to each other,' police said in a statement. 'Police are currently making inquiries into the whereabouts of the other man, whilst patrols are conducted to ensure the safety of the community.' Anyone who witnessed the incident or with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
ABC News
28-07-2025
- ABC News
Man on the run after shooting in St Arnaud
A man is on the run after a shooting in the western Victorian town of St Arnaud between Bendigo and Horsham. Police say a man was shot by another man at the property in Kings Avenue about 7:30am today. One man was flown to hospital with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Authorities believe the two men are known to each other.
RNZ News
22-07-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Iwi support name change for St Arnaud to Rotoiti
Descendants of Rangitāne o Wairau at Lake Rotoiti. Photo: Supplied/Rangitāne o Wairau Three iwi at the top of the South Island have put their support behind a proposal to change the name of the village of St Arnaud to Rotoiti. The move is supported by the iwis Rangitāne o Wairau, Ngāti Kuia and Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō. New Zealand Geographic Board secretary Wendy Shaw confirmed the board had received the proposal. "The proposer has been advised that they must consult further with the local community before the proposal can be processed further," Shaw said. The village of St Arnaud has a permanent population of slightly more than 100 people. It sits at the northern end of Lake Rotoiti in the Nelson Lakes and takes its name from the nearby St Arnaud range, which in turn takes its name from the French soldier and marshal Jacques Leroy de Saint Arnaud. Rangitāne o Wairau General Manager Corey Hebberd said the three iwi, all descending from the waka Kurahaupō, have a strong and proud connection to Rotoiti and the surrounding area. It's a specific area mentioned in their Treaty settlements. "Providing support to the name was just a no-brainer for us really. We know that it's an area that our people have long frequented for kai, it's a place that they've been sustained, but it's also a place that's along an important journey for us in terms of heading between Wairau and the coast and other parts of the South Island," Hebberd said. It's not the first attempt to change St Arnaud's name, another proposal was rejected in 2009 according to the Nelson Mail. Hebberd said Rangitāne did some research and were able to find records that showed the use of the name Rotoiti for the area long before St Arnaud. "So, we were able to come across a letter that one of our tūpuna Paraone Taitua sent to Governer Eyre in 1851 in which he references Rotoiti as that place name," Hebberd said. Annette Walker is part of a small group which made the current name change proposal to the Geographic Board. She is optimistic the change will happen and said it would be a huge milestone for the village. Walker called Jacques Leroy de St Arnaud a "dreadful man" and believed some residents would support a change to Rotoiti. "It's like a festering sore that still arises every now and then from the old residents of Lake Rotoiti and they still call it Rotoiti," she said. Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud's wartime exploits in Algeria included suffocating 500 Arab tribesmen in a cave by sealing its exits. Hebberd said it's important to acknowledge some of the actions of the man, but the name Rotoiti would also be more reflective of the area itself. Hebberd said he grew up in the Wairau region and would frequently head up to Lake Rotoiti and the area near the lake was simply referred to by many as Rotoiti. "It's very infrequent that I hear it referred to as St Arnaud. I respect the fact that there will be community members who do call it St Arnaud and who have an affinity with that name, but given the past associated with that name and also the fact that it's so close Lake Rotoiti, the township sits on Lake Rotoiti it makes sense for the area to carry that name." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
ABC News
25-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
'Monarch mother' Ellen Reid reflects on 50 years of butterfly breeding
If you spot a small orange butterfly fluttering around St Arnaud there is a good chance it was raised by Ellen Reid. The 82-year-old retired pharmacist has been breeding butterflies from her verdant green garden in western Victoria for more than 50 years. It is a passion that took flight in the early 1970s sparked by a chance encounter with famed TV naturalist Harry Butler. "I just think they're wonderful little creatures," Ms Reid said with a laugh. Every year she contributes thousands of butterflies of different varieties to St Arnaud's local population, delighting as they slowly make their way from her home to the town's botanic gardens. "This year alone I've done about 1,500 [Queen] monarchs, as well as several hundred jezebels," she said. "It's lovely. We send them off and hope they'll go and multiply, and that they bring joy to people." Ms Reid has raised queen monarchs, jezabels and yellow admirals for decades. Once fully grown she sets them free to flutter wherever wind and wing carry them. But this year, with dry conditions dragging on, most have stayed closer to home, clustering in large numbers throughout the gardens. Ms Reid says watching the butterfly's transformation — from egg to caterpillar, then to butterfly — is part of the joy of the job. "In about 10 to 14 days it transforms from a leaf-processing creature to a nectar-drinking butterfly," she said. It is not something she keeps to herself. She gives away cocoons to community members and zoos keen to assist with butterfly conservation. The butterflies feast on nectar-rich plants called buddlejas that Ms Reid grows especially for them. "We've got 40 different buddlejas so that we've got nectar all year," she said. Her daughter, Jean Reid, said butterflies had been a constant throughout her life. She said it was all she had ever known since the age of four. "I grew up thinking everybody bred butterflies and I used to take them to school. It's just something that we do. "You never ever get used to seeing a butterfly being born. "It's something that everybody should watch once in their lifetime and I'm so very blessed to have it just about every day." Ellen Reid said butterfly gardening, simply put, was a beautiful thing to do. "It adds magic to the garden." Ellen and Jean Reid are not alone in their efforts. They have shared cocoons with several businesses around town helping to spark joy, colour and biodiversity at the same time. Local gardener Barry Robertson is in awe of Ms Reid's dedication. "I just think Ellen's a remarkable woman because of what she's done here," he said. "Over the years they've been through a bit of trial and error, and a bit of hardship with the different seasons. "But I think it's got to a stage now where she's very happy with what she's doing." Mr Robertson said her passion has sparked special moments of joy around town. Ms Reid is not eyeing retirement from the caper just yet. It is something that brings too much joy. The Reids dream of establishing a butterfly education centre in St Arnaud — a place to inspire others and share what they have learned. But until then, Ellen Reid will keep filling her garden, and her town, with quiet flashes of colour, one butterfly at a time.
RNZ News
20-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
The business turning old vineyard post into farm fencing
Fencing can be a major cost for farmers, but one couple, have worked out a low-cost alternative using broken vineyard posts. Dansy and Greg Coppell made their first lot when they bought a farm near St Arnaud and urgently needed 30 kilometres. They've since been taking their custom machine to vineyards where they prepare the broken posts for their next life, and have diverted almost 9,000 tonnes of waste from landfill. Dansy and Greg Coppell are on the line.
