🦎 Ultimate August event guides

Plus: Sculptures, pies and a quiz.

Jacob Wallace
July 31, 2026

⏱️ This Friday edition of our newsletter is a six-minute read.

👋 Hello Gippslanders, it’s Jacob here.

It’s been a busy first week back from holidays here at the Monitor and there’s so much to cover around the tracks, especially with the state election in November.

✍️ I spent most of today working on a detailed guide about how our state elections work and a brief overview of the candidates who have already announced they will run in Gippsland’s five electorates.

🗳️ Once it’s published, I’ll be keeping this election rundown page updated all the way to voting day.

👀 Looking ahead. In this week’s newsletter we’re talking about:

🥳 Our what’s on, gig and family-friendly event guides;
🧑‍🎨 A reflective sculpture in Bass Coast Shire;
🎤 What Wonthaggi locals think about offshore wind developments;
🥧 The miners pie at Connell’s Bakery, and;
⚡️ How a grassroots movement campaigning for affordable energy is more than what it seems.

🎊 WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK 🎟️

FRI. 10/07 - SUN. 02/08 | Noojee Truffle Festival
SAT. 18/07 - MON. 24/08 | Bacchus Exhibition
SATURDAY, 01/08/26 | Women of Wit
SATURDAY, 01/08/26 | Gippsland Un-earthed

🧺 FARMERS MARKETS 🥧

SATURDAY, 01/08/26 | Trafalgar Market
SATURDAY, 01/08/26 | Koonwarra Farmers Market
SATURDAY, 01/08/26 | Farmers' Market Bairnsdale
SATURDAY, 01/08/26 | Heyfield Market
SUNDAY, 02/08/26 | Maffra Rotary Community Market
SUNDAY, 02/08/26 | Kongwak Market

⁉️ Before we dive into some stories, let’s take a look at the answers to the Gippsland Monitor Quiz questions I sent out on Wednesday. If you haven’t had a chance to look, check out the questions here and try to answer all five. Here are the answers:

✍️ GIPPSLAND QUIZ ANSWERS ✅

Which mountain has the highest peak in Gippsland?
Mount Bogong at 1,986 metres.
What is the name of Gippsland’s largest inland waterway system?
Gippsland Lakes (not only Gippsland’s largest but Australia’s largest).
What is Gippsland’s longest river?
Latrobe River (known as Durt’Yowan by the Gunai/Kurnai First Peoples).
Which explorer gave Gippsland its European name?
Paul Edmund de Strzelecki named the area after Sir George Gipps, the Governor of New South Wales at the time, in 1840.
What is the name of the bay that the cargo vessel SS Speke crashed on in 1905?
Kitty Miller Bay, which is on the southern coast of Phillip Island.

🚀 Alright, let’s jump into the Monitor’s latest yarns!

🔍 HEARD THIS WEEK👂

🧑‍🎨 What’s the deal with this reflective sculpture in Wonthaggi?

I often spot interesting looking sculptures and oddities when driving around Gippsland, and this reflective artwork in Wonthaggi really grabbed my attention - so instead of just drive by I decided to make a video on it.

If you have any suggestions for public artworks in Gippsland you think would be worth a video, feel free to email me at [email protected].

Take a look at a short video about this sculpture below.

💃 AUGUST EVENT GUIDES 🎺

🍕 What's on in Gippsland this August?

🎊 It might be a little bit chilly outside, but there is no need to hibernate. Whether you’re into truffle hunting, vintage cars, stand-up comedy or local art, there’s plenty to do this month.

Check out the full list here.

🧸 Family-friendly events in Gippsland this August

🎉 The Monitor has compiled a collection of family-friendly events across Gippsland this August.

Check out the full list here.

🥁 August gig guide: The best live music in Gippsland this month

💃 It’s time to dust off your dancing shoes, remove that winter jacket and show off your best moves.

Check out the full list here.

🧺 Affordable food and local produce. Here’s our Gippsland Farmers Markets list for this August

Gippsland markets provide a great opportunity to support local businesses and community endeavours while often paying less for produce and products than you would normally pay in a supermarket.

Check out the full list here.

LOOKING NATIONALLY 👀

Not all grassroots campaigns are exactly what they seem.

My colleague Archie Milligan from the National Account looked into how a campaign that was claiming to be a grassroots movement fighting for affordable energy for everyday Australians is being funded by a pro nuclear group.

Take a look at Archie’s investigation below.

🎥 Watch: Glistening gravy and succulent beef pie

In my hustle to locate Gippsland’s most delectable pastry snack, I returned to Connell’s Bakery to put their miners pie to the test.

Take a look at the video review below.

Thanks for catching up with us this week at the Monitor. I hope you enjoyed this Friday issue of our newsletter, and keep an eye out for our state election breakdown on our website.

I’ll be back next week with more local stories, event guides and fun quizzes.

Cheers,
Jacob & the Gippsland Monitor team

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