By Jed Lanyon
With residents in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire now required to wear a face mask when leaving the house, Star Mail is putting the call out to find the very best masks of Yarra Ranges residents and will be highlighting them in the newspaper each week.
Do you have a colourful or creative shot of your face mask? It might be a home-made mask, a picture with the family, at the workplace or even on your pet.
Once you have your picture, send it through to editor@mailcommunity.com.au or via our Facebook page for a chance to be featured on Star Mail’s social media pages or in your local newspaper.
This week, we’re highlighting the mask of David Syme, who was kind enough to pose for the camera.
This local lived many lifetimes at the dawn of the twentieth century, first as a prospector during the gold rush, later as a dairy farmer and as the influential proprietor and editor of The Age newspaper for half a century. His bronze statue sits outside Chirnside Park Shopping Centre reading a newspaper.
Syme had a passion for agriculture, while his family’s properties in the Yarra Valley – Dalry, Killara and Tarrawarra – provided a welcome rural escape from his busy career.
Syme campaigned for Melbourne’s metropolitan train line to be extended from Hawthorn to reach Lilydale and then Warburton. This access helped establish the area’s townships and allowed the region’s farmers and timber suppliers to expand their businesses.
His statue was created by Gillie and Marc, Australian artists renowned for contemporary public sculpture.
