A proud footballing history
The football exploits of the Lucas Girls are a fascinating slice of Ballarat's history, with town officials enthusiastically endorsing the match against Melbourne's Khaki Girls in 1918. The £330 raised from the game went towards the construction of the Arch of Victory. It is also worth noting that the 400 women working for Lucas & Company - including those who played football - planted trees along the Avenue of Honour, among other patriotic acts during World War I. Readers whose mothers, grandmothers or great-grandmothers were involved as early football pioneers should be extremely proud.
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Brunette Lenkic, Co-author, 'Play On! The hidden history of women's Australian Rules football', Perth
Is anyone listening?
Development of the railway station precinct can be achieved in a fashion more sympathetic to its significant heritage and public transport role. The SOS Ballarat team have demonstrated this with their proposal (The Courier 6/1). Here's hoping that the relevant Ministers are still receptive to feedback, and the planning process flexible enough to allow for improvements.
Barbara Cytowicz, Golden Point
Thanks for outstanding care
The letter of Saturday, 7th January from Anne Sunter complimenting the standard of healthcare provided by BHS was so appropriate. On 13th December, l underwent surgery and then had my first extended hospital stay in more than 55 years. I could not think of enough superlatives for the care l received from surgery and nursing staff who were awesome, dedicated and totally caring. It is timely to reflect upon the wonderful standard of medical facilities available to persons of the district.
Peter J Toohey, Springbank
THE US NO longer a leader
Can I hear our coal-addicted government laughing with glee at Mr Trump's choice for Head of the Energy Department - Rick Perry - outspoken climate change denier and expert in fossil fuel extraction? Our own PM would be especially pleased by the Perry appointment; encouragement to continue support for mining coal in Galilee Basin that will result in the ruin of the GB Reef and loss of thousand more species.
Ministers Frydenberg (and Hunt) will particularly be feeling less culpable for their ineffective Direct Action policy, and complete failure to develop a National Energy Plan to give security of power supply to all states while reducing carbon emissions. But let's not get too depressed about these gloomy prospects. All the evidence indicates that Trump and our own NLP (and the ALP opposition) have vastly under-estimated the rapid speed of the global transition to renewable energy and it's likely impacts on energy markets. Energy experts rate Trump's prospects as "very low" of resurrecting coal and saving the oil and gas industry. In order to revive coal, Trump would have to abandon promises made at the Paris Climate agreement. This means he must suppress 33 USA states that have cut carbon emissions while expanding their economies since 2000, including some Republican states. Almost half of the states have already told Trump they will see him in court if he attempts such policies.
The 'world-changing potential' of trends in energy investment are confirmed in the Recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. Their view is that capital markets will behave consistently with the aims of the Paris Climate Agreement, which is to progressively retreat from fossil fuels, and increasingly favour renewables and other clean-energy investments. The strong opposition to Trump's energy policies signals one of many major clashes coming in USA politics. Perhaps 2017 will be more exciting and encouraging than predicted by many?
John Petheram, Ballarat North
