By Mikayla van Loon
The Lilydale Star Mail is celebrating one year in publication this week, a milestone for the newspaper after setting up during periods of lockdown and uncertainty.
First launched on Tuesday 4 May last year, the newspaper has become a pillar in the community and has grown in its reach in just 12 months.
Throughout the year, Star Mail has covered everything from Olympic sporting success to fundraising events, historic storms, Covid returns and closures, kangaroo massacres, the station openings and everything in between.
Needless to say it has been an eventful year for the Lilydale area and the return to normal has seen numerous events take place once again, like the Christmas market, graduations and community projects.
The response to the launch of a dedicated Lilydale newspaper was most positive last year and continues to be well received.
Star Mail asked some of the key community groups in the coverage area for their thoughts on the return of a local paper and its contribution to the Yarra Ranges.
“Today, the media is focussed on the digital format – Facebook and Twitter. For many of our older residents the local paper is their town square form of receiving and sending information and comment,” Lilydale and District Historical Society president Sue Thompson said.
“The parish pump may be dead but the local newspaper, focussed on the local community, is not dead.”
History is such an important part of the Lilydale area, having connections to Dame Nellie Melba and David Mitchell, as well as the establishment of local government and its buildings.
“Everyone at the Lilydale Star has been most supportive of our society, particularly in this time when we have to keep lobbying for the preservation and acknowledgement of the importance and value of our history both indigenous and post European,” Ms Thompson said.
“As they are a continuum of our history – each recognising the value of our past which has created and shaped our present and of course our future.”
Lilydale Township Action Group president Neal Taylor said the community has become quite encouraged by seeing local news and local people.
“I believe that the papers have created a sense of self-worth and confidence in the community, knowing that there is a platform to share these issues and stories,” he said.
As a township group that is relatively new, Mr Taylor said being able to learn from others and read different perspectives has been invaluable.
While called the Lilydale Star Mail, it doesn’t end there – the newspaper covers Kilsyth, Mooroolbark, Chirnside Park and sometimes Croydon.
Members of the Kilsyth Community Action Group (KCAG) said it was nice to know their community and surrounding suburbs were important enough to report about.
“It’s not only distributed locally, but it is genuinely local news – that level of granularity is simply not available elsewhere,” the group said.
“Words like greater cohesion, increased engagement and awareness come to mind, but the ‘pride’ factor shouldn’t be overlooked.”
KCAG’s members also said being able to comment on behalf of the Kilsyth community about the upcoming Dan Murphy’s was greatly appreciated, as well as “the Mail [creating] momentum around the Save 150 Cambridge campaign.”
Carol and John Phillips said “in the roles of petitioners and campaigners for the significant local planning matter with 150 Cambridge Road, we experienced first hand just how important and community beneficial the Star Mail’s contribution has been as it kept the whole Yarra Ranges community up to date and interested.”
As community members, Mr and Mrs Phillips said the newspaper has given the community a sense of belonging and connection to the areas they live, work and play in.
“[Having] regular widespread access to local up to date news and important stories has reconnected a link that had disappeared for some time and that in itself is an important and cherished community gain now enjoyed regularly by us all.”
For local emergency services like the volunteer based Lilydale SES, unit controller Shaun Caulfield said the Star Mail has given their unit a way to keep the community informed about road safety messaging, as well as storm and flood risks that are not generic, state-wide focussed.
“Specific, relevant information has been shown to be far more effective in creating change and community resilience,” he said.
“SES has for a long time had a near invisible media presence and we are very grateful to Star Mail for continuing to look for our stories, and to reach out to us for comment.
“This allows us to be more prominent in our community, increasing our buy in with the community for our preventative messaging.”
As Star Mail moves forward into another year of publication, we would be pleased to hear from you about what is happening in the community, what volunteer opportunities are available, what groups are establishing themselves and what sporting clubs you’d like to see having coverage.
Feedback and communication is always welcomed and encouraged so the Lilydale Star Mail remains current, on the pulse and sharing the stories the community wants to hear.
Should you like to contact the Star Mail, please call the office on 5957 3700, email the editor at editor@mailcommunity.com.au or contact Mikayla van Loon directly via email at mikayla.vanloon@starnewsgroup.com.au.
