A REEF off the coast of Mordialloc has been renamed in honour of a passionate young fisher who died too young. Rhys Gillard was a keen recreational fisher from Aspendale. He died in 2021 aged just 17, and his ashes were laid to rest at the Mordialloc reef. Last week, boating minister Sonya Kilkenny and Mordialloc MP Tim Richardson announced that the Mordialloc recreational reef would now be known as Rhys Reef. Boating minister Sonya Kilkenny said it is “incredibly special to be able to name this reef after Rhys.” “Today, we acknowledge the loss of this young life and…
Author: Bayside News
A CAST of talented performers is gearing up to perform Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom at the Frankston Arts Centre later this year. The show will be staged by PLOS Musical Productions. The cast members for the show were announced last week. The lead role of Scott Hastings will be played by Mitchell Smith. The character Fran will be played by Guada Bañez. Since returning to the stage after the COVID-19 pandemic, PLOS has staged successful productions of Chicago and The Boy From Oz. Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom The Musical will open at the Frankston Arts Centre on 28 July. For…
THE Frankston serial killer who murdered Elizabeth Stevens, Deborah Fream, and Natalie Russell in 1993 will remain behind bars. Paul Denyer was handed a life sentence for the three murders in 1993. After an appeal, he was given a non-parole period of 30 years. 51-year-old Denyer is now eligible for parole, but has been unsuccessful in his bid for freedom. Families of the victims were told last Wednesday that his parole bid had been rejected. News of Denyer’s potential parole was met with widespread community backlash. A change.org petition opposing his release garnered more than 50,000 signatures. Frankston MP Paul…
THE Pink Ladies Auxiliary’s five decades of help at Frankston Hospital is being celebrated this national volunteer week. The Pink Ladies Auxiliary is Frankston Hospital’s longest running volunteer group. They have been raising money for the hospital since 1968. The president of the volunteer group, Carole Thwaites, said she first joined in 2015 because she “likes to be busy”. “There’s always something going on. I had about three months at home after retiring and I couldn’t stand it. Volunteering and being around people help to keep me focused,” she said. “The most enjoyable part of my role is meeting people.…
THE Chelsea SES has moved into its new $7 million headquarters. The redeveloped facility features a six-bay drive-through motor room, more storage, additional training space, and upgraded infrastructure for emergency response coordination. The state government spent $7 million on its construction. The official opening event for the Chelsea SES homebase was held on 30 April. In a statement, the Chelsea SES said that it was a “special” day. “It was such an emotional day for all of us, but especially unit controller Ron Fitch after the many, many years of work he has put in to make [the day] a…