ON the surface, Redesdale is a town divided.
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The Campaspe River almost literally divides the town in two, separating those in the valley from those in the town.
On one side of the historic bridge into Redesdale, a sign dated 1867 welcomes drivers to the Shire of Metcalfe.
On the other side, travellers are welcomed to the Shire of McIvor.
Almost 150 years later, those two shires are long gone and the town is no longer split in two.
Instead, it has been quartered.
Residents in the township itself live in the City of Greater Bendigo. To the immediate east, they're in Mitchell Shire. To the west, Mount Alexander. And those living in the south are in Macedon Ranges Shire.
The divisions don't stop there. They aren't confined to lines on a map either.
Two years ago, the closure of the historic tavern The Redesdale threatened to rip the heart out of the town of 300 people.
A group of men, not accustomed to the closure of their local, would gather on the hotel's porch with BYO beers to pay their respects.
They might have been paying a final tribute to the town itself, left with just a combined BP, general store and post office at one end, a school of 24 students in the middle and an ageing bridge at the other end.
Like countless towns in Australia, Redesdale had made the progression from functioning town, to hamlet. The next step could be to become a locality.
The four councils handling different aspects of life in the town almost left it consigned to the too-hard basket.
Were it not for the people who remained proud to call Redesdale home, the town's few public assets could also have gone the way of the historic hotel.
Last Tuesday, a warm summer evening greeted 13 people as they made their way into Redesdale Mia Mia Primary School.
Since its formation two years ago, the Redesdale and District Association has met regularly to discuss the issues of those living in the surrounding area.
From next to no internet connection for some, to a lack of garbage collection for others, working through the list of problems has been a tough task.
While some benefit from wireless NBN, others are completely left off the grid.
"The internet reception here is diabolical," committee member Hilary Jankelson says.
For a period last year, letters to and from Melbourne scarcely arrived within a working week.
"It's fair to say we've had a bit of a problem with the post," association president Jo Smith-Sargent says.
Those who attended the Tuesday night meeting live in three different council areas - a situation not uncommon for people living in the town.
Association secretary Kathy Hall said most residents received a different level of service depending on which road they lived on.
One of the main issues is that we all come from diverse areas and none of us have the same services.
- Kathy Hall
"One of the main issues is that we all come from diverse areas and none of us have the same services," she said.
"Really, everybody should have rubbish collection.
"The roads are shocking too. VicRoads are the ones who manage most of them, but it's the councils who have to advocate to have them fixed."
If the four-way split between shires wasn't confusing enough, the town also found itself in the Euroa electorate ahead of last year's State Election - causing concern that the town would be left out.
"We're basically in the bottom corner of everywhere," Ms Hall commented at the time.
The dividing lines surrounding the town could have made fixing their issues an impossible task.
Yet literally step by step, progress is being made.
Last week the town celebrated the completion of the first section of its first footpath.
Extending around the corner from the primary school and up the main street, soon to finish at the general store, the achievement is no small feat.
Nor will it be the last small feat for the town's association.
"We've got the community plan out there, and last year we started working through some of the goals in the plan," Kathy Hall says.
"There's solar panels for the hall, the footpath, and a feasibility study into turning the Redesdale Hall and recreation reserve into a hub for the community."
This week representatives from the City of Greater Bendigo attended a meeting with Redesdale residents to discuss the hub idea.
Other plans in the pipeline include a bike trail extending throughout the district and, most importantly, or problematically, winding its way through all four council areas.
The association also has a vision of a GP making visits to the area to provide consultations, the development of sporting teams, a community bus service and even a farmers' market.
As public assets begin to improve, private ones have also started to trickle back into town.
Last year, Redesdale couple Elizabeth and Shane McGrath re-opened the doors of the circa 1867 cafe in the main street, serving home-style meals.
The Redesdale tavern also remains on the market and a new push to find a buyer is also expected to start in the coming months.
Situated a slightly inconvenient distance from Bendigo, Kyneton and Castlemaine, the question remained as to why the residents are so eager to see their town develop into the 21st century.
As last week's meeting came to a close, association committee member Gloria Pocock summed it up.
"Redesdale is all about people bringing in new ideas, taking on new ventures and making it a strong community," she said.
All in attendance agreed.
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