Originally published August 10, 1937
AMID scenes of enthusiasm, and the plaudits of the crowd of visitors, “home-comers”, and residents who packed the Mildura Town Hall to its capacity, Mr. G. L. Goudie, MLC, Minister for Public Works, declared Mildura’s Golden Jubilee Celebrations open.
Mr Goudie praised the untiring work and the stubborn fortitude of the pioneers and early settlers, making particular reference to the two men to whom Mildura owed a debt she could never hope to repay — the Chaffey brothers.
The Minister paid an unstinted tribute to the wonderful progress which had been made in the last 20 years, and declared that the growth of Mildura and district was little short of amazing.
The Mayor (Cr E. T. Henderson), in welcoming the visitors and “home-comers” to Mildura, expressed the hope that they would have an enjoyable stay, and invited them to make themselves quite at home.
Other speakers praised the fine work of the early settlers, and also congratulated the secretary and organiser of the celebrations (Mr R. M. Wyllie) upon the success which had crowned his efforts.
Mr H. Pye, MLC Assistant Minister for Transport, in commenting upon the district’s progress, said that no remarks would be complete without making reference to the wonderful support accorded the district by “Sunraysia Daily“.
“It is a paper,” he declared, “of which the people of the district should be justly proud.”
The Mayor, in welcoming the visitors and “home-comers” to Mildura, said that he himself had been looking forward to the celebrations for some considerable time, and the manner in which the festivities had commenced augured well for the success of the venture.
Cr Henderson said he wanted all the visitors to feel at home, the same as they did when they were residents of the district.
His only regret was that a number of the pioneers who had left the district had been unable to return because of advancing age.
However, he was sure that they would be at the celebrations in spirit, and he wished to extend to those absent pioneers the best wishes of the assemblage.
The Mayor then read a number of congratulatory telegrams which he had received, including one from Mrs T. White, wife of the Minister for Customs and daughter of the late Alfred Deakin, the statesman whose labors on behalf of Mildura would always be remembered.
Only those who were in Mildura in the ’90s, the Mayor continued, had any realisation of what the pioneers went through.
