FRANKSTON resident Steven Gallop will return to the stage on 23 August as Melbourne Opera presents Giuseppe Verdi’s Il Trovatore. Gallop will play Ferrando in the production, which will run for four performances at Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre. Over the years, Gallop has performed with the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Welsh National Opera, and Opera Australia, but his journey began with school musicals in Brisbane. “I was always in involved in school musicals and that sort of thing, but it never really became serious until probably my mid 20s,” said Gallop. At the time, he was teaching while singing with…
Author: Raia Flinos
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire has voted to seek approval to reallocate remaining Emil Madsen Reserve upgrade funding after the Australian government rejected a deadline extension. The decision relates to the $15m Priority Community Infrastructure program upgrade of Emil Madsen Reserve, which has already delivered upgrades including the Eastern Pavilion. In May, council submitted a request to use an estimated $5m underspend, combined with $6.6m in council contributions, to construct the Western Pavilion. The request also sought to extend the project timeframe to October 2028. The federal government has rejected the bid and said all works must be completed by 30 June…
THREE young athletes from Sk8house Artistic Club have returned home with podium finishes at the 2026 Taiwan Open Roller Skating Championships. The competition was held from 13 – 19 April in Zhubei City. The girls travelled from their club in Carrum Downs to compete in their first international competition. Sierra Fisher and Makenzie Waddingham competed in the Youth Ladies Solo Dance division, taking home first and second respectively, while Anabel Waterland competed in the Senior Ladies Solo Dance division and came out in first place. Club director Bernadine Geary said the results were a proud moment for the entire Sk8house…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Koala Conservation is calling for volunteers to support its 2026 tree planting season. The community group works to restore indigenous habitat for the peninsula’s koala population. Founder and president Dirk Jansen said the initiative, which runs from May to September, is entirely dependent on community support and volunteers. “We actually can’t do it without the community,” Jansen said. “It’s 100% volunteer based. We’re really trying to look after our own backyard with what we can control.” Tree planting days usually begin at 9am, finish at around 12pm, and are designed to be accessible to all ages and abilities.…
AMBULANCE response times in Frankston have failed to improve in the most recent quarter, new figures show. Frankston’s local government area recorded slightly slower response times according to new data released by Ambulance Victoria last week for the July to September quarter. Response times on the Mornington Peninsula increased by an average of more than 35 seconds. Code one “lights and sirens” emergencies are measured from the time of a 000 call being answered to the first ambulance arriving at the scene – with a statewide response time target being 15 minutes. In the Frankston municipality, ambulances took an average…