June 27- July 3
Presented by Mildura & District Historical Society
Compiled by Judi Hyde for Mildura Rural City Council Service
100 years ago
DYASON: If proof was needed that a reasonably necessary industry to be started in Mildura with rapid growth then it is the rise of the Collis Dyason business. Mr Collis Dyason came to Mildura in June 1919 on medical advice with no thought whatever of starting a business. He had returned not long from the front and was suffering severely from the after-effects of gas and almost unable to walk. Within a week and feeling much better, he began to see Mildura more as a business centre than a health resort. He had been in the sauce and cordial-making business for almost 45 years in Collingwood, Melbourne, before retiring and realized there was a good opportunity for the manufacturing of Worcester and tomato sauce. By September, all arrangements had been made for a small factory, all necessary machinery for the making of sauces and cordials had been installed in a building that was half the size of the present factory it is now in 10th Street in 1921. His eldest son, Prebble, who had worked with him in Collingwood, joined him. The initial difficulty was procuring an adequate supply of tomatoes, nevertheless the first year’s output was sufficient to double the factory size and capacity of the plant as the output was five times bigger than the first season. The fact that Mr Dyason, a complete stranger to Mildura, without wires to pull – or a big capital could make a success in the first year of an industry hitherto unknown to the district is convincing proof that the only things needed in setting out on such an undertaking are ability, knowledge and courage. (27.06.1921)
NEWS: About 1600 red-gum logs are on the riverbank between Ned’s Corner and Euston waiting to be floated down to the Mildura sawmills.
Three diptheria patients were taken to the Mildura Hospital at the weekend.
Constables W. Davis and A. Carne of the Ouyen Police have been collecting on behalf of the Royal Institute of the Blind – even getting donations from Mildura including a postal note with thanks.
A 50-roomed Coffee Palace with billiard room and shops on the ground floor is to be built at Ouyen on land adjoining the Victoria Hotel.
Citizens keen to see the new type of footpaths that are being constructed in the borough of Mildura should go to Orange Avenue where the experimental sections of the sand paths are being made.
The Talbot quarries have started crushing blue metal for the construction of Fifteenth Street between Etiwanda and San Mateo avenues.
The remarkable drapery sales are happening at Messrs Bowrings “Big Store”, Wilson’s of the Busy Corner and Washington’s Store, also Watcham’s Red Store in Langtree Avenue. Now is the time to spend money while a slump in sales is affecting the world – locals can look into Mildura shop windows and see without astonishment at the cut that has been made in prices. Mr John Zimmer in Langtree Avenue is offering to give an extra pair of trousers free with suits to order. There are 12 specially selected overcoats offered at 2 guineas each and a similar offer on ladies’ costumes. (27.6.1921)
GARDENS: Irrigated Sunraysia is, of course, an irrigated garden – it is said that too often, with a few notable exceptions, the people of Sunraysia are not gardeners at heart and not realizing that “the glory of a garden” is a fruitful source of pleasure as well as profit. England, for instance, is one great garden made up of innumerable others large and small simply because the English people, rich and poor alike, are unable to regard their houses as complete unless they are surrounded by flower gardens. Hollyhock, delphiniums, jessamine, sunflower, phlox, stock, love-in-the-mist, a herbaceous border to tend before or after a day’s work, the English villager would side-by-side with his squire cultivate. The painstaking, tireless Chinaman succeeds by carrying water, kerosene tin by kerosene tin, from some steep-banked or muddy sump to his beloved garden until he has creates a green oasis in the brown desert. Dr Cameron made his home, “The Nest” one of the most beautiful gardens in Mildura and he told his successor it only cost him 10 pounds a year for water- surely a low price to pay for the riot of scent and colour it is famed for. (29.6.1921)
75 years ago
NEWS ITEMS: Unless all states made an immediate effort to develop hydroelectric resources, there was a distinct possibility of Australian industrial expansion being retarded. Mr Cain, the Victorian Premier, was convinced after taking part in Canberra on the development of the Snowy River, that the great problem of the future would be the growing demands for electric current. It was estimated that, by a combination of the Snowy and Spencer rivers, a national generating scheme could be evolved capable of developing three times the output of electricity from Yallourn.
Australian school children may be taught to drive miniature cars that would have one forward and one reverse gear and driven by a one-horsepower engine with a top speed of 15mph in school playgrounds in an effort to teach them to be road conscious. The scheme was proposed by the Royal Society for the Prevention of accidents to give children a knowledge of traffic problems from the viewpoint of the driver. (28/9.6.1946)
ITEMS: A welcome home to Presbyterian members of the Forces was given at the Merbein Presbyterian Church. During the evening a list of names of 94 district Presbyterians who had served in uniform was read by Rev L.J.T. French – the church was filled despite unfavourable weather. Mesdames, J. Pope, W. Lemon and Miss Wood sang, Mr S.J. Whiting said the men and women of the Service were not found wanting when their country needed them – they merited the best a grateful country could give them – many had returned ill in body and mind and these would ever demand a place in everyone’s sympathy and prayers. The United States fires caused over 10,000 deaths and a financial loss of $500 million – making the country the world’s greatest fire trap. Rear-Admiral W.H. Blandy, director of “Operation Crossroads”, said the atom bomb would be dropped an hour earlier than expected (7.30am EST). The estimate cost of the experiment, excluding that of the atom bomb would be $23 million, but certainly less than the cost of a new capital ship. About 34,000 men and 140 ships will be moved from Bikini Lagoon and surrounding atolls in the 24 hours before the atomic bomb is dropped. Service police and a RAAF officer were flown from Darwin to Truscott on the north-west coast of WA to investigate a report that an unknown number of Malayans have landed from a Dutch freighter and taken control of the area. Plans are complete for the return to London, now that the war is over, of the National Gallery’s priceless collection of pictures hidden in five brick bungalows built in caverns 300ft in the heart of a mountain somewhere in Britain – viewed only by their custodians. (27.6 to 2.7.1946)
ASSOCIATION: The CWA were successful in obtaining the Loddon Valley Group’s motion that the CWA organise summer camps for the daughters of CWA members and Younger Set members, from the age of adolescence, with facilities available for physical culture, deportment, personal hygiene, mother-craft demonstrations etc. At a conference in St Kilda City Hall, packed with country women and interested visitors, the annual conference was opened by Mrs O. Hicken, J.P. State President. Interesting information on water conservation, future developments of electrical undertakings and education reform were given by the Premier Mr Cain, in the CWA seeking representation at Australia House with a view to give intending migrants practical and not misleading ideas. The Merbein branch of the CWA held a welcome afternoon to an English bride Mrs D. Bridley. (27.6-1.7.1946)
50 years ago
VEHICLES: One of the attractions at the International Auto Sports Show is the GTSH (Grand Touring Special House). It was intended as a joke – a comical relief among the serious and beautiful examples of Italian cars on show. The GTSH was built by Australia’s top hot rod builder, Ian Splatt, Melbourne. It was built and designed by Ian and his father using an FJ Holden motor, gearbox and final drive in a T Bucket chassis. Wheels are Supa Nova with Goodyear poly-glass boots all round. Lights and steering wheel are genuine Ford T and the cistern is an authenic Danks from the early Outhouse period. The seat is upholstered in Australian hardwood over porcelain enamel. It was not built for speed – but perhaps for comfort and design to draw attention to the fact that Australia needs to foster independent body designers and builders in this country. It was a big day at the Irymple Technical School as 342 students were presented with the keys of a new tractor by representatives of The Mildura Co-operative Fruit Co Ltd and Ford Motors and a new utility by Burr Motors Pty Ltd. (2.7.1971)
FISHING: A Mildura jockey was trapped between a rock ledge and a large fish by a 60lb breaking strain line seconds before drowning as the line was wrapped around his legs while fishing opposite Apex Park. Attempts to help him failed, the line was snagged on a large rock ledge about 20 feet out from the bank then it seems the fish swam around him 10 times entangling his legs. (3.7.1971)
ITEMS: A cheque for $450 was handed over by Mr D. Stewart to the Red Cliffs Fire Brigade for a two-way radio system. A former Irymple youth, Greg Mellberg, passed his examinations to be a member of the South Australian Police Force along with 43 other cadets who then took part in a 200-strong passing-out parade. English manufacturers of pantyhose are none too happy about sales these days as back in the good old days when the mini skirt revealed a vast amount of leg for all the world to admire, pantyhose sales were booming. Now Britain’s cold climate and the fashion world is forcing the clothes conscious into midis and maxis, ladders and holes are more easily concealed. (1.7.1971)
25 YEARS AGO
PEOPLE: Memories were rekindled and stories told when the Mildura Base Hospital past trainees held their 40th year of celebrations. Nurses who trained P. Kempton, S. Lynton, P. Stockman, and S. Natt are pictured, also some of the inaugural office bearers of the original Past Trainees Association – E. Phillips 1937-40, D. Pugsley 1947-50, M. Stirrat 1984-52 and A. Mahy 1936-39. Over 30 balloons took to the skies over Sunraysia, 25 competing for the 10th National Ballooning Championship and the rest for flying “for fun”. The first competitive flight got away watched by more than 1500 people. Local balloon pilot Kerry Frankel beat the 1991 champion, Sydney’s Phil Kavanagh in the World Match Flying Cup by winning the second and third task set. Despite the inclement weather, between 2000 and 3000 people enjoyed the night glow at the Ornamental Lakes. (1/2.7.1996)
FARMING: The profitability of livestock enterprises can be lifted by watering animals from troughs rather than creeks, dams and rivers. By limiting direct access to river frontage farmers can not only improve the health of their animals but also protect their environment from the impact of erosion and water pollution as most of the damage is by direct trampling of the banks and contamination with manure and urine. Two American researchers are working at CSIRO Merbein to try and determine why asparagus grown in this region is healthier than anywhere else in the world – they have examined 70 sites across Australia. At the centre of their examinations is the disease, fusarium, a group of fungi which are pathogens of all kinds of crops sometimes bought on by stress as in over or under-watering or over cutting. (1/2.7.1996)
HISTORY: A Melbourne historian and railway researcher is seeking information on former Victorian Railways block and signal inspectors for a proposed book – listed are the 37 names of local men he would like to talk to or any of their relatives. Today, the first of July marks the most significant anniversary of Mildura’s history. In 1886, the Royal Commission was held in the Langtree Hall between May 29 and August 4 with the intention of finding the cause for a financial collapse of the Mildura Irrigation Colony on July 2, 1896, George Chaffey appeared in front of the commission, led by the Honorable Albert Tucker, Member of Parliament. Chaffey’s words have become famous “Now I am before you, stripped of all interests in Mildura, except for a desire to see it prosper, and I shall only be too glad if I can assist in any way to bring about prosperity”. Yet it was with George Chaffey that the commission found most faults. The burden was too much for him, a broken man he returned to the United States after he was given the finance to do so. Many of the block owners had already walked off their property ahead of massive charges for water and demands for repayment of bank loans as one catastrophe had followed another. The river dried up when the harvest was good so the fruit could not get to Melbourne. Historic records show that flooding destroying thousands of trees and the 1893 Depression hit many people hard. The channels suffered from sea page and blocks at a distance from the river had a hard time of it – his brother stayed because he could not sell his home, Rio Vista. (3.7.1996).
