General News
16 January, 2026
Exercise, conversation for Dunolly men
Local men are invited to join some Dunolly blokes who have been coming together for exercise and conversation in recent months.
Dunolly blokes have been coming together for exercise and conversation in recent months thanks to the support of two local community groups.
Local men in Dunolly have carved out a space for themselves to make friends and stay active as they age.
The Blokes’ Exercise Club runs Tuesday at 1 pm each week for around 50 minutes bookended by casual conversation.
The low intensity exercises are guided by physiotherapist Matt Johnston who opened Physio 3465 in Maryborough.
However, the value the group offers wouldn’t have been possible without the forethought of some of its members.
Before community group Dunolly District Incorporated (DDI) closed late last year they wanted to put their remaining funds to good use.
DDI’s Neville Callow approached the Dunolly Neighbourhood Centre and the rest was history — within a month they’d hold their first session at the Dunolly RSL Hall.
The centre’s coordinator Kath Ryan said she had been wanting to address health and wellbeing among local men for some time but Mr Callow and DDI had got it over the line.
“In my work I find women are really good at finding spaces together, and making spaces together with other women, but it’s been really hard to tap into the blokes of the town,” she said.
While there is an all gender exercise group in Dunolly, women almost exclusively attend, so Ms Ryan wanted to start a group that was more accessible for local blokes.
“A lot of men in our town suffer a bit of isolation, they’re getting on in years, and they haven’t really prioritised their health and well-being in the past,” she said.
“We need to encourage the men of our town to carve out a bit of space for themselves and prioritise their wellbeing.”
The community group partnership brought Mr Johnston on board to guide the men through exercises while keeping their mobility in mind.
“As often as I can I try and remind people just to work within their limits and you’ll see some improvement over time if you’re consistent with the group,” he said.
Since November, DDI’s Brian Phillips said they’re already seeing improvement.
“This is using muscles that we don’t usually use in the shed,” he said.
However, the around $7500 that has funded the weekly meet is expected to run out in six months.
While Ms Ryan said she expects to find funding locally to see them through to the end of the year she’s also planning for the long-term future.
“If we can find ongoing funding that’s guaranteed that’d be the ultimate [goal],” she said.
In the meantime she encourages men in the community to come along to the exercise club.
“I’d love it if people in the town encouraged the blokes in their life to come along,” she said.
Sessions are held at the Dunolly RSL Hall each Tuesday at 1 pm. One session costs $5 or buy four sessions and the fifth is free.