On the land 9The Local - tlnews.com.au

Keeping pace with Bob Conroy

Words | Image Anthony Sawrey

RETURNING visitors to Daylesford, entering town from Ballan, may have been startled to see the almost miraculous appearance of a wide sand covered track curling into the surrounding trees

where once had been an impenetrable thicket of blackberry and gorse. In case anyone was wondering what it is used for, it is the home of the former

Daylesford Trotting Club. Built in the early 1970s, they hosted regular meetings when the surrounding country had numerous harness racing stables: a history little known to many residents today.

The track is no longer used except by long time local resident Bob Conroy of Conroy Racing Stables who, along with his family, are some of the few remaining horse trainers in the area. Over the course of a successful career he has seen the character of the town change while living with his wife Pat on a 10-acre property he bought more than 40 years ago.

Bob was born in the region and grew up in nearby Korweinguboora. In his youth he worked in a range of jobs from catching rabbits, picking spuds and clearing blackberries to working in the local bluestone quarry.

“Daylesford was a tough place to live. There was not much work about and you had to do what you could to make your way,” Bob recalled.

He remembers how up to the 1970s, Daylesford was a far different town to the one we see today. It was run down, many of the old guesthouses were derelict and there certainly were no classy restaurants or gift shops.

“We used to let our cattle graze in the back yards of many of the old places around here. They were all abandoned and falling down so no one objected.”

Eventually Bob was able to concentrate on harness racing training full-time and of his five children, three have continued in the industry as drivers and trainers. Obviously the Conroy harness racing tradition continues and has some life left in it yet. While Bob may tend to take things a bit easier these days, he still keeps around 20 horses at his property and exercises them in the surrounding area.

He has several kilometres of track winding through the bush next to Sailors Creek and is somewhat bemused to learn that he is one of the sights to see for any visiting bushwalker.

“I’ve always done it and it’s nothing unusual to me. All I’m doing is just keeping my horses fit by honest means.”

On the land 9The Local - tlnews.com.au

Communication lines open at Yandoit

By Donna Kelly

IT is a strange feeling.Standing in the middle of a farm field in Yandoit, in a circle defined by

large stones, and feeling a metal divining rod pulling to different directions in my hand.

As a journalist and a huge skeptic, it is hard to believe. I have watched other people “supposedly” water divine and always wondered if there was a little movement they were doing themselves to move the rod – consciously or sub-consciously.

And then I read skeptic James Randi’s observations after a huge Australian divining test:

“One thing must be made clear - dowsers on the whole are very honest folk. They believe in what they do. Unfortunately their belief is poorly placed. They cannot perform as they think they can. Having a string of successful wells to which one can point, proves nothing.

“Though diviners will continue to be hired by believers in such powers, and wells will be dug with great precision on spots located by forked-stick folks, these water supplies will not prove that dowsing works. They will only prove that there is a great deal of water down under the earth, and we do not need silly folks wiggling sticks to tell us that.”

Mmm. With me, back on that field, is Eric Sartori, a dairy farmer of 50 years, a sensible sounding bloke, but one who has also been a member of the British Society of Dowsers and a water diviner for 60 years.

Mr Sartori believes there is an “energy line” running through his property and for miles either side. He has placed the rocks around what he also believes is an “energy circle” – one that he is happy to use to improve his health – and he looks pretty good.

“It’s not the only one, there are plenty around here, they are energy circles – but I am not going to try and tell you what it’s all about. In the past everybody has had their theories and they all tended to be wrong.

“It’s an invisible line that is capable of transmitting energy thoughts along those lines. I have been doing my own research on it for the past 20 years and I and my neighbour David are getting maximum benefit out of it. And as a journalist you would know that forms of communication are changing all the time.

Asked whether it could also be described as a “ley line” – supposed alignments of numerous places including ancient monuments, natural ridge-tops and waterfords, Mr Sartori seems doubtful.

“Ley line doesn’t really mean that much – no-one knows too much about them…

“But I have been in England looking around the stone circles there and felt the pull on the rod. Whether they knew that when they put the circles there I am not too sure.”

And I am not sure either although I agree with the communication comment. My grandmother was amazed by television, my mother is still wrapping her head around Facebook and I am continually amazed we can receive 15MB emails…Who are we to judge?

On the land 9The Local - tlnews.com.au

“Full pulls” just one part of Bullarto family day

Clockwise from top left, the satisfied look of man who has reached the “full pull”, sometimes it was hard to see the tractors for the steam, Len Orr and Jeff Thornycroft stop for a chat, a toothy smile from one of the canine attendees and the grand parade.