Lake Grace's Boots and Ballgowns  -  Lakes Link News 10th October 2024
On Saturday the 5th of October the Lake Grace town hall was transformed into a stunning venue for ‘Boots and Ballgowns’. Twinkling fairy lights draped across the ceiling creating a warm and inviting atmosphere, where rustic elegance reigned supreme. Tables dressed with linen and hessian runners paired with vases full of local greenery and sounds of laughter and excitement were heard as friends reunited and new connections were formed. Guests dressed to impress in a stylish blend of country and formal wear, ladies had long dresses paired with boots while the men had a mix of button up shirts, chinos and shining boots.
As the evening began, the crowd was welcomed by MC Tyson Prater. He did a fantastic job of keeping the vibes high, introducing the guest speaker for the night Sean Phillips from The Shaka Project. Sean travelled all the ​way from Victoria to address the group on the mental health and the real rates of suicide that we are seeing around Australia, especially young regional men. The room was in silence as Sean shared his story, hearing a story about suicide is both heartbreaking and powerful. It reminds us of the deep struggles many people face, often hidden beneath the surface. He left us with the words “your future needs you”, a strong message to help keep people here.
There is no Ball without a Belle and Beau! Mark Livall took out Beau of the Ball and Pia Johnston took out Belle in a stunning dress that she made herself.
Once the formalities were over, The Murphy Brother’s took to the stage where they played a mix from the decades getting guests up to the dancefloor. Between dances, Pizza and Chinese were the dinner choices and several delicious cocktails available. Event coordinators are very happy with how the night went and hope that all who attended are as well!

Photos provided by Rochelle Earnshaw 

Creative Opportunities With Welding  -  Lakes Link News 1st August 2024
​​It’s been a fantastic opportunity for the youth of Lake Grace to be able to take part in a welding workshop.
This workshop has been funded by FRRR and has been supported by the Lake Grace Community Men’s Shed who have given the use of their facilities and are auspicing the funding, the Lake Grace CRC who have applied for the funding and managed the enrolments and of course Ironstone Fabrications who have brought their team down on Monday afternoons to take the lessons and provided shirts for all of the participants.  Ironstone have also donated safety equipment with support from Gentronics who discounted the items.
Who has been enjoying the workshop more, the teachers or the students? 
The students are starting from scratch with limited or no experience so have been relishing the opportunity.  However the Ironstone Fabrications Team; made up of Ben Argent, Karl Fleay and Liam Korosec have been enjoying the opportunity of sharing their craft.
Although metal work is a practical tool that is used in everything from machinery to building to household  items it is also a creative tool that can be used to create artworks, take metal sculptor Jordan Sprigg for example. Ben talked to the participants about the importance of safety and that they needed to listen to what was said, he then produced a raft of pictorial examples of what they could make as well as a supply of scrap metal that could be used.
It was extraordinary to see the ideas buzzing and it was wonderful to see such a good rapport between students and instructors.
With metal fabrication businesses being a big employer in Lake Grace it is an opportunity for youth to not only see if this is a hobby they would enjoy but also if it would be a viable career path for them.
Here’s hoping we can make this a regular opportunity for our youth.