Peter Brown, Warrnambool

Having lived my childhood in the south-west, with great-great-grandparents interred at Port Campbell, I have been in awe of the history of our coast.

Particularly the shipwrecks swallowed by the sea, and especially the story of the 'Loch Ard', the iron clipper that hit a reef on June 1, 1878 that has become entwined into our geographical world.

Naming the Gorge, where the two survivors - Tom Pearce and Eva Carmichael - took shelter, until rescued by two stockman employed at Glenample Homestead, which used to be a popular tourist attraction, depicting the story of Loch Ard.

In 1998, I did a VCE project on 'Glenample Homestead', which at that time was on a 100-year lease, and one day thought I would bring my grandchildren there. Sadly, it has closed.

However, after a recent visit to 'Gibson Steps', it saddened me more that no plaque was present depicting the true history of the spot. I walked down the steps - abuzz with visitors of all nationalities.

A hovering helicopter above with 'will you marry me?' etched into the sand. Gibson Steps is not just an idyllic fishing spot, it holds valuable history!

I still remember the original carved steps in the cliff, erected by the Kirrae Whurrong people, no longer there. The steps used by Hugh Gibson, the 'Glenample' owner, to gain beach access, and the steps played a significant role in Eva's recovery. The story needs to be told properly, so we don't lose our valuable shipwreck story.

Eleisha Coxon, Terang

A few years ago I spent some time as a volunteer teaching English in Ukraine to the staff of an organisation now called "The Voice of the Martyrs".

All the Ukrainians with whom I had contact were just ordinary good people - the same as you'd meet here.

One of them worked half-time at the mission and half-time at the very large secondary school nearby.

She asked me if I would like to speak to the English class there and, of course, I was happy to agree. The teacher was one of the best people that I have ever met, and all the students loved him (he has since died).

On my last day there I took them out to teach them how to throw a boomerang, the best thrower to win the boomerang. Usually it was a boy, but on this occasion one of the girls, Sveta, did a magnificent throw and was the winner.

In the last two years I have been able to contact her again as well as the lady who was then vice-principal of the school. Since the war started they have both told me of their distress and fear as planes and rockets fly overhead almost every night and they hear bombs exploding, and all the people live in fear.

When this horrific and senseless war first started, our newspapers and television reported on it in detail every day, but now we don't hear about it nearly as much as we did. However, my correspondents tell me that everything is just as bad as it was at the beginning.

So, let us over here, who cannot comprehend what life is like for these people, never forget what is happening, and let us continue to keep the people of Ukraine in our thoughts and prayers during this frightening, terrible (and freezing) time.

Len Martin, Ararat

Imagine you are a large, dark-coloured bovine in a paddock, the sun is beating down, it is 38 degrees and there is no breeze, but there are no trees so you are unable to get out of the sun.

Surely this is one of the worst forms of animal abuse that there is. This is what the farmers of western Victoria subject their animals to every summer. Why did the farmers of western Victoria, with assistance and support of councils and governments, cut down all the trees? This did not happen in other parts of Australia - I recently drove from Melbourne to Canberra on the M31 and the paddocks there have plenty of trees.

What does this say about the farmers (and for that matter the councils and governments) of western Victoria? And what are the animal rights organisations, such as the RSPCA, doing about this? Nothing! What are the responsible government agencies doing about this? Nothing! What are the Australian people doing about this? Nothing!

This is not surprising in a country full of animal haters (live animal export, factory farming, mass animal habitat destruction and extinctions). Australia, hang your head in shame!

Peter Nielsen, Warrnambool

Recent reports that the duck shooting season in Victoria is to be banned should be a welcome development for most.

This hopelessly outdated and cruel activity that kills and injures thousands of our native waterbirds every year has no place in a caring and modern Victoria.

It's understood most members of the parliamentary caucus are for its abolition, with Daniel Andrews apparently now in support at last.

Tony Delaney, Warrnambool