POWER OF COMMUNITY - event wrap by James Tedman
Yarrayne / Guildford, 12th-14th March 2026.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Jade Cantwell, with selected images by Rhiannon Slatter & Marcus Piper
Student delegates from the University of Melbourne and Monash engaging over morning coffee, photo by Jade Cantwell
My journey to Castlemaine/Guildford started very early on Thursday morning, sneaking out of the house at 5am before my children woke up! A blast down the Hume Freeway was followed by a pleasant drive through the central Victorian countryside, rolling past pancake-flat crop fields, fruit orchards and vineyards nestled in gorgeous valleys and small towns full of character and charm. As many of the attendees had come in from NSW, it was most interesting listening to them recall their journeys.
Thursday’s events were held in Guildford and started with a talk by Carlena D’Arma, Community Officer at Hepburn Energy. Hepburn Energy is a community-owned organisation formed with the goal of providing renewable energy projects to the Hepburn Springs community (a few minutes south of Daylesford). This project was a wonderful case study in how direct engagement with community members can sway opinions and lead to successful outcomes for important projects.
Ghostpatrol’s drawing games allowing us to laught and connect, photos by Rhiannon Slatter
Next, “professional observer” and “champion for drawing”, David Booth (aka Ghostpatrol) presented a talk about his career as a self-made artist, including his engagement to paint the murals on the Hepburn Energy projects. He followed this with a very fun group drawing activity that can help to unlock creativity and improve the confidence of those for whom free drawing does not come naturally.
Dinner on Thursday night was held at the Five Flags Hotel in Campbells Creek, a charming country pub dating back to the 1850s Victorian gold rush.
Registration and morning coffee underway at the Guildford Public Hall, photo by Jade Canwell
Welcome to Country from Djaara Traditional Owner Uncle Jason Kerr, photo by Jade Canwell
The venue for Friday’s events was the Guildford Public Hall, on Djaara country. The day started with a Welcome to Country given by Traditional Owner Uncle Jason Kerr near the sacred Big Tree.
Ray Pattle OAM introducing delegates to the local area and its community, photo by Jade Canwell
We then relocated to the oval on John Powell Reserve for a fascinating talk about Guildford given by local historian Ray Pattle OAM.
Geoff Park, photo by Jade Canwell
Geoff Park was the first speaker for the day, talking about Renewable Newstead, which is an incorporated association of community volunteers working to deliver projects (including a solar farm) that enrich the small town of Newstead (about 15mins NW of Castlemaine or 1.5hrs from Melbourne). This was again an interesting case study in the importance of considered community engagement in the successful delivery of an important project.
Morning tea, photo by Jade Cantwell
Dr Mark B. Luther, photo by Jade Canwell
Dr Mark B. Luther (from Deakin University and Environmental Energy Services) followed after the morning tea break, presenting a potentially ground-breaking innovation in hydronic technology in the form of hydronic cooling and heating ceiling panels.
Jo Kaptein and Kenneth Chew of AusNet, photo by Jade Canwell
Next up, representatives from AusNet gave their wide-ranging presentation on how their electricity distribution network works and how they engage with local communities to help deliver important renewable energy projects.
Dr Jock Gilbert, photo by Jade Canwell
Dr. Jock Gilbert (RMIT University) followed after lunch with an interesting presentation on his work with the Yulendj Weelam Lab and its work with First Nations communities.
Marnie Hawson, photo by Jade Canwell
Marnie Hawson then spoke about her work as a photographer, “nature positive” design and her side projects, including Business of Biodiversity and Wild Houses.
Dr Glenice Fox of the ARBV and Jill Garner, Victorian Government Architect
This was followed by talks from Victorian Government Architect, Dr Jill Garner, and Dr Glenice Fox from the ARBV on the challenges the architectural profession is currently experiencing in Victoria.
Celebrating RAA’s 5th birthday, photo by Marcus Piper
Dinner was at the Love Shack Brewery in Castlemaine, with cake included to celebrate RAA’s 5th birthday – a significant milestone for a wonderful and supportive organisation that continues to grow!
The Paddock, photo by Marcus Piper
Goldfields Dwelling, photo by Marcus Piper
Saturday morning was busy with various visits to impressive residential projects in the area, including a visit to The Paddock Eco Village in Castlemaine – a beautiful integration of architecture and communal landscaping. Visits to the Goldfields Dwelling near Chewton and a beautiful straw bale house just south of Guildford concluded the conference’s activities.
The long drive home gave me plenty to ponder. RAA’s online CPD program is excellent and provides more than enough CPD points to maintain one’s registration; however, there is no substitute for experiencing architecture in new places and learning more through interacting with other colleagues and researchers. These events are worth far more than the cost to attend and the CPD points on offer. Plus, they are fantastic opportunities to make new friends. Thank you again, RAA; I look forward to attending many more in-person events in future!
A special RAA thanks to the Technical Experts on hand during the event: Tanya Kibblewhite and Arnal Shyam from AWS, Adam Bonney from Evoheat, Kosta Kairis and Jonathan Cotterill from Lysaght and Nigel Puckeridge from Paperock. RAA would like to thank them for their commitment to design in the regions.
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