Ben Tyers

1 month ago | thelocalrag.com.au | Ben Tyers

G’day to the wonderful readers of The Local Rag. The past twelve months has been a huge one for this publication. We have been able to tell more stories than ever before, all written by a growing array of great journalists all wanting to tell stories about regional Australia. We were able to do this thanks to the incredible Walkley Foundation, and the Meta Australian News Fund.

Mar 6, 2025 | thelocalrag.com.au | Ben Tyers

There’s something ineffably special about a country pub—the way it serves as the beating heart of small regional towns, a meeting place for locals to share stories over a schooner, and a welcome respite for weary travellers passing through. When news spread about the devastating fire that tore through Thorpdale’s Traveller’s Rest in 2017, a palpable sense of loss rippled through the community.

Jan 8, 2025 | theurbanlist.com | Ben Tyers

This one's probably going to be controversial given we can't cover every single amazing example of dim sims around Melbourne. But, we've called upon the heavy dim sim hitters at Dim Sims 4 Lyf to help us out here. If you're interested in the how the dim sim originated right here in Melbourne, have a read of this great interview with Angie Chow, granddaughter of the inventor of the dim sim, William Chen Wing Young. The family legend goes like this.

Nov 6, 2024 | thelocalrag.com.au | Ben Tyers

With a severe lack of event announcements of late, I was very excited to see news of the return of Open House Bendigo float across my desk. Open House Bendigo will run across Saturday 23 October and Sunday 24 October and will showcase more than 20 public projects which include buildings, spaces, and programs. Ideally, all of Victoria will be open and visitors from all around the state can visit the 2021 version of Open House Bendigo.

Nov 6, 2024 | thelocalrag.com.au | Ben Tyers

The Continental in Sorrento, Victoria has been closed for many years. Once a haunt for those on the Mornington Peninsula looking for a large night out, the doors have been locked, windows missing, and cranes hovering over it for years. ‘The Conti’ has occupied the top of the hill overlooking Port Phillip Bay in Sorrento for 145 years. After redevelopment plans were approved years ago, the owners ran into trouble with the redevelopment before the historic hotel was placed in the hands of receivers.