Rachael Lucas

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Rachael Lucas

A sense of community pride and love for the arts appear to the secret to survival for a town's beloved venue celebrating its 100th birthday. The Wonthaggi Union Community Arts Centre in regional Victoria has survived much social, political and cultural change over a century. From the early days of miners' meetings to a hangout for teenagers seeing films such as ET, the venue, also known as the Union Theatre, has endured in the working-class town of Wonthaggi in South Gippsland.

2 months ago | abc.net.au | William Howard |Rachael Lucas

A man is on the run after driving through a shopping centre in Victoria's east. Emergency services were called to the Gippsland Centre on Cunninghame Street in Sale about 3:40pm on Monday. Police said a person in a red Ford Falcon ute drove through the front glass doors of the shopping centre before exiting on the other side and fleeing the scene. Crews from Ambulance Victoria and the CFA were called to assist but no-one was injured.

Dec 23, 2024 | abc.net.au | Rachael Lucas

Christmas is for many a day of joy spent sharing food and gifts and catching up with loved ones. But there are also pressures caused by any number of issues, including financial stress, mental and physical health, isolation and grief. Then there are the logistics of Christmas — managing dietary requirements, travelling between different gatherings and catching up with people you haven't seen in a long time.

Nov 27, 2024 | chicklit.nl | Rachael Lucas

Rilla gaat naar het huis van haar vader in Applemore. Sinds zijn overlijden is het huis onbewoonbaar en aan haar de taak om het huis op te ruimen, zodat de huur opgezegd kan worden. In haar jeugd kwam ze regelmatig naar het dorp en heeft daar ook vrienden gemaakt. Nadat haar zus bijna verdronken was, mocht ze van haar moeder niet meer naar haar vader in Applemore toe. Bij aankomst wordt ze al snel welkom geheten door oude bekenden.

Oct 7, 2024 | abc.net.au | Rachael Lucas

With its calm and picturesque canals lined with yachts and waterfront homes, the Victorian lakeside holiday haven of Paynesville appears immune to the poverty that is quietly gripping the nation. But as housing and cost-of-living pressures continue to affect the nation, an invisible number of Australians in towns like Gippsland's Paynesville are seeking help from the hunger relief charity Foodbank. The Paynesville Neighbourhood Centre is one of 500 Foodbank distribution outlets across Victoria.