Peeps in the Past – 5 to 11 March 2023
Presented by Mildura & District Historical SocietyCompiled by Judi Hyde for Mildura Rural City Council Libraries
100 YEARS AGO
MERBEIN: The majority of fruit at the Merbein Packing Sheds is two crown, somewhat bigger than last year – some has been sent back to the racks as too wet to process. Three visitors who arrived at Merbein for the picking were camped near the Railway Station. They were arrested on a charge of larceny of a case of beer from a railway truck. They were about to open a second case when arrested. Mr J.A. Braidie said the erection of a Fire Station at Merbein was still held up awaiting the decision of the Lands Dept – a request was put forward four months ago. Honour merited the appreciation of the gentlemen that comprised the provisional committee that took the initial steps to establish the brigade – Cr A. Chislett, Messrs W. Bennett, E. Smith, W. Millhouse, P. Appleby, W. Hetherington and V. Treadwell. At the Shire Council meeting, the list of Merbein Road names and positioning was printed.
MEMORIES: Your memories are a natural-colour photograph stored in your mind of events of moment in your life. Some may be impressions of sorrow entirely outside your own will and violation, or recollection of delights that fate has bestowed on you unsought; but the majority of your mental impressions are of your own good and bad deeds – memories of honour and shame. Are there dark woods in your past through which you dare not pass again alone? Is your garden of memories fragrant with the blooms of love, charity and helpfulness or do you wish “Peter” kept his accounts in a loose-leaf folder from which you could secretly extract a few pages. Have only worthy memories.
NEWS: Mrs H. Brooks, daughter of the late Alfred Deakin, was shown through the Carnegie Library and suggested that in view of her late father’s great work in connection with the establishment of the settlement, his photograph would be a fitting decoration for the Library, also it would look well hung near the founders – Messrs George and W.B. Chaffey. Mr Hawkes has now received the desired photograph and handed it to Mr S. Semmens, Shire Secretary. Messrs Blount Bros, the contractors building the Mildura Swimming Pool, have levelled the flooring which, when filled, will have a depth of 3ft to 10ft 6 in of water. Ten men are now concreting it. An electrically welded steel fabric in six-inch squares covers the whole floor. Mr C. Parsons, of Wentworth had no desire to follow the age-old adage to “cast thy bread upon the water” when he drove his motor lorry laden with 200 loaves and a quantity of cakes into the Murray at Abbotsford Punt – days later it is still floating near the punt. There was still a steady stream of visitors to the Olympia to inspect the Irish linen being submitted for auction by Mr Leo Cleary.
75 YEARS AGO
OVERSEAS: Motor car manufacturers fear that four firms whose makes were famous before the War will be put out of business this year. Materials must go to the makers who export. Thebig six are Vauxhall, Standard, Ford, Nuffield, Austin and Rootes will not be affected. It costs about 3 pounds, 5 shillings a week to run a car – this is calculated on the popular sedan with a sales tax of 54 pounds. A plastic car, once a drawing board dream, has been built by William B. Stout, US plane and car designer – but there is only one. The US and Russia and other countries have asked for the secret of a new type of Eucalyptus tree developed in Australia that yields 10 times as much oil as the ordinary Eucalypt.
ITEMS: Many Australian boys in the Occupation Forces have married Japanese girls, some have children but they are not allowed to bring them to Australia. No Australian soldier or civilian who contracts a marriage in a Shinto Temple or a Christian Church with a Japanese woman can bring her to Australia – he can go to her in Japan. Graziers along river frontages and in swamps frequented by duck shooters are concerned at the reckless cutting of wires on a number of fences. Some Shire roads may be reduced in width to provide many acres of arable land for production purposes. Previously the father was regarded as the unquestioned helm of the home, the main source of authority and provider, while mother was the homemaker, housekeeper and responsible for bringing up the children. Mother has now been placed in a new position in the family status and father lowered due to conditions over the past 20 to 30 years.
LOCAL NEWS: Mildura would join the rest of Australia in expressing great pleasure at the announcement of Their Majesties, the King and Queen and Princess Margaret, visiting Australia next year and visit Mildura. Provisions of a buffet car for the Melbourne – Mildura rail service is again to be sought by the Shire Council. The Prime Minister, Mr Chifley promised to investigate the possibility of obtaining more coal for pumping operations in the Merbein irrigation scheme. A picture theatre, six shops and a modern café will be built at Dareton which 2 former Wilcannia residents estimate will cost them about 10,000 pounds. Fancy decorated Easter Eggs are for sale at Shilliday’s for 1/8 each. In aid of the Apex Club’s Ambulance and Park Funds, the Mildura and District Motor Cycle Club will conduct a T.T. scramble at Johnson’s Bend, Geoff Blythe and possibly Les Egan will come. To date 600 pounds has been raised for the Nurses’ Memorial Centre – 200 pounds was collected by the penny chain from the Mildura Post Office to the Base Hospital.
50 YEARS AGO:
NEWS- Mildura City Council may purchase one of two obsolete ferries once used at the Kingston Murray River crossing for 30 years. Children in the future would be provided with an historical “fun machine”. At the Lawn Tennis Club, Lessa Dempsey, 2, was saved from a locked car on fire by a woman competitor who broke a window to rescue Leesa asleep on the back seat – luckily only Leesa’s hair was singed. Members of the Lake Cullulleraine Yacht Club are practicing for their first ever Easter Yachting Regatta. Vandals caused over $2000 damage to new and used cars and trucks in the rear yard of Mortimer Ford. Mildura Base Hospital’s two steam boilers need extensive repairs – one has visible metal corrosion and the other has a bulge on both sides. A pub in Exeter, England, has been drunk dry for charity by dozens of Exeter, University students – 1590-pint tankards succeeded draining the last keg, 40 minutes before it was “Time Gentlemen Please.”
CROPS: More than 25,000 cartons of Valencia oranges from the Mildura district reached the markets of Hong Kong in first class condition – the boxes of colourful print designs attracted buyers. Sultana growers with sound fruit could expect about $450 a ton in the sweatbox this season. Mr G. Hudson, a South Merbein grower, built himself a cheap winnowing machine from scrap metal and an old air-conditioner to clean trash from fruit harvested off summer pruned vines – as the fruit tumbles down the chute into a collecting tray, the fan blows off the dried leaves and trash.
25 YEARS AGO
NEWS: Sunraysia residents will benefit from the new Centrelink office on the corner of Langtree Ave and 11th St, opening on March 10. The manager David Loader said it will combine all services previously provided by the Department of Social Security some from the Commonwealth Employment Service and the Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs. The Federal Government has approved of increases of up to 40 per cent in the cost of contributions to medical benefit funds.GROUPS: Former Mildura Shire workers caught up and reflected on bygone times. They included Vic Hewett, Ern Wolfe, Ray Beevers, Roger Stirrat, Tricia Shugg, Rhonda Virgona, Jack Knight, Eddie McDonald. Some service clubs in the Sunraysia area are struggling with membership numbers. Over the past five years, four regional Apex Clubs, Nyah, Robinvale, Merbein and Ouyen have folded. Developers of the multi-million-dollar sports stadium and fast food restaurant near the Aerodrome Ovals, are hopeful the objectors will reconsider appealing. The Northern Mallee Older Adults Recreation Network has hit on a winner – tap dancing. Veteran Ruby Hayles leads a large class and there is even a form of tap dancing that can be done sitting down for those wheelchair bound, may find it a stimulating exercise and pastime. The Merbein Historical Society is searching for the oldest home in Merbein and surrounds. Local historians, Bernadette Wells and Bronwyn Zrna said interest and photographs have been sent from as far afield as Melbourne and Adelaide. “The Gables” was completed in 1912 by Mr W.H. Bennett.
PEOPLE: Two current world champions, Mark Warry and Quinten Hann, will be competing at the Hotel Mildura Breakers $10,000 8 ball open this week. For a brief period in its commercial history, in 1950, Mildura had only two active real estate agents operating as rivals. Both sensible men recognised the advantage of joining forces, so George Collie Snr and Frank Tierney Snr established the firm Collie and Tierney in 1951. One of Mildura’s oldest buildings, formerly the Mildura Flour Mill in 7th St, is to be auctioned. The late Max Anderson bought the Flour Mill making it his registered office, housed his engineering business there and began handling bulk wheat for the Wheat Board after his sawmill was destroyed by fire in 1952. Fisher House resident, Tass Bannister, 91, was awarded a Civilian Service Medal to recognise her efforts during World War II. She said “While many people went to serve, many people did civilian work and were not recognised. Mildura’s Todd Kelly set a blistering pace in his Deakin Estates-Holden Young Lions Reynard 95D at Melbourne’s Albert Park Circuit for the 1998 Qantas Australian Grand Prix. His lap of 1:50.461 was outstanding with fading brakes.
ITEMS: The sultana harvest has been in full swing for some time, Nichols Point Viticulturist shown, Mauro Savogin, one of countless growers, is expecting 40-50 tonnes of sultana grapes with another 350 tonnes to go to Australian Vintage, Loxton. The new Alfred Deakin Centre is an outstanding success. Library visits have increased an astonishing 129 per cent, loans 34 per cent and items placed on reserve 160 per cent. The Robinvale District Hospital has embarked on an ambitious project to rebuild the nursing home and a new acute care hospital.
