100 YEARS AGO
MERBEIN: Windstorms of more than ordinary violence passed over the Merbein township testing the stability of fencing and outbuildings. A building was unroofed and brickwork on the top demolished on a structure at the rear of the Presbyterian Church. There was a conference between representatives of the State Public Works regarding the process of the erection of a school at West Merbein between Messrs Thorpe and Carter, District Inspectors and Messrs W Tickell, Chairman, H Treadwell, Secretary, and Mr C Leeder representing the school committee. An additional schoolroom is now being built by Mr V Treadwell. The Lake School’s new classroom is nearing competition, several trees and shrubs are planted and there is movement afoot that a swimming pool will be constructed from money raised some years ago for that purpose. At the start of the gathering of the returned soldiers at Merbein, all stood to attention in impressive silence as a tribute to fallen comrades. Repatriation matters and a Memorial Hall was discussed. Major Goacher proposed the loyal toast. It was stated that 12 months ago a daily average of 300 to 400 returned men were on the unemployed list of the Repatriation Department – it is now reduced to around 40.
MILDURA: Recently the Sawmillers, Anderson and Elliot purchased the Mildura Shire Council’s discounted traction engine which was used for hauling from the Koorlong quarries. The mill was securing timber nearer than it did 10 years ago. More timber had been destroyed from ringbarking and fire than by cutting millions of trees. Captain Anderson said that what was called Murray Pine was really Murrumbidgee Pine and it was getting very scarce- none was now being milled in Mildura.
ITEMS: Bicycle lamps showing a white light in front and a red one at the rear are now required by the amendment of the Police Offences Act. The Town Hall was showing a movie last evening when the film caught fire, owing to the efficiency of the operator it was extinguished and repaired in a quick break and re-run.
PHONE GROWTH: The examination of the recently issued telephone-list for Mildura show no less than 1069 telephones within a 20-mile radius of Mildura. There are 470 at Mildura, 262 at Merbein, 170 at Irymple, 21 at Koorlong, 22 at Carwarp, 33 at Red Cliffs and 104 at Wentworth. That is one phone roughly to every 15 inhabitants.
75 YEARS AGO
HOTEL: To the question we have been asked many times: why, after spending so much money and labour on improvements, we are disposing of Hotel Sunraysia? The answer is simple? Government controls said Major W Peek, the proprietor of the hotel in Madden Avenue since last August. The Major has been appointed Australian and New Zealand representative of the world-famous Crook’s Laboratories of England. He quoted, “The day of the individualist is over. He cannot compete in a Totalitarian State. Under free enterprise, success in business depended on personal exertion, good service and value for money, whereas under controls there is no incentive to produce anything but the shoddiest rubbish”. Action is to be taken by the City Council to ensure that an additional hotel licence or licences, are granted to Mildura.
CROPS: Tons of grapes at seven shillings a bushel case have been sold by Orange (NSW) district growers to a cannery in Bathurst for jam manufacture as the grape harvest proved useless for wine making after the recent heavy rains.
ITEMS: Nearly all Australian doctors today refused to co-operate in the Federal Government’s free medicine scheme which came into operation today. Most of them exhibited the BMA poster setting out reasons for not taking part in the scheme. Only about 40 of Sydney’s 1600 doctors have said they intend to use the Government’s prescription forms. One doctor in Western Australia took part, he stood as a Communist candidate at election time.
TB CAMPAIGN: More than 8050 Sunraysia people were x-rayed during the Health Department’s anti-TB campaign run in conjunction with the Shire and City Councils.
CLEAN-UP: City Council workmen had by midday, removed all refuse made available in the Council’s clean-up campaign. Householders were given the opportunity of having refuse up to half a cubic yard in quantity removed free of charge by council workmen. Residents of Merbein West are rallying to the help of the Boy Scouts and Cubs, whose scout hall, with all its equipment, was destroyed by fire in the early hours of Saturday.
PHONES: The possibility of automatic telephones being operated from the Mildura exchange is remote, said Mr Walker, an engineer from the P.M.G’ s Divisional Engineering Section, Bendigo.
50 YEARS AGO
PEOPLE: Ray Bedson, an electronic technician has been blind since he was 12 and Heather Nicholls, became blind just after her birth. They went to school together, their houses about a mile apart, now they are married and honeymooning in Mildura. Ray said the wide footpaths and streets here are a big help to the blind.
CROCHETING: Mrs J Cresp, 82, is still winning prizes for her crochet work in cotton, wool and nylon at shows in Sydney, Parramatta, Melbourne and Mildura.
ART FIX: A painting from Mildura’s Arts Centre’s Elliott collection was in a “deplorable” condition. It had eight holes in the canvas, dark water stains and paint peeling from the rotten canvas. Now after Mr L. Byron, an art conservator worked on it, it will be solid for the next 80 years.
GROUPS: Mildura Gun Club was a lead miner’s paradise over the weekend when about 30,000 rounds of shotgun cartridges were fired. Mr I Campbell was winner of the 1973 Murray Valley Double Barrel Championship. The youngest shooter of the day was Deserie Wakefield, only 12 but she sure knows how to handle a gun.
MARCHING: About 800 girls from three states competed in the 16th annual marching girls’ competition on No 1 Oval Mildura. Melbourne Pioneers and Ballarat Highlanders teams took out the top two sections.
TRANSFER: Captain B Irvine, 2nd in Charge of 1 Independent Rifle Company Mildura is leaving to take up a new post at Kapooka, near Wagga, his place will be taken by Captain T.Litchfield a Vietnam Veteran.
CAMP: Over 150 scouts camped at Bruce’s Bend and army cadets from 4 Sunraysia Secondary Schools are under canvas for an active weekend, including the delights of Army rations.
LOCAL: The game of snooker has long been associated with dense cigar smoke, dimly lit rooms and unsavoury characters. In recent years the relaxing of rules in some clubs allow women to play. Snooker in this district will receive its biggest boost with a tournament running over 12 weeks and prize money of $220. Eddie Surgey shown is one of our top snooker players.
DANGER: There have been “close calls” at intersections and pedestrians were “looking for trouble” if they expected Deakin Avenue to stop for them at the 8th Street intersection. It’s only luck that someone has not been hit by a car already, said Senior-Sergeant Les Milborn. Pedestrians run, they walk, they hesitated, and they looked as they crossed the intersection as there were no stop signs. The same will happen in Langtree Avenue next week.
SALE: One of Mildura’s oldest pioneer homes, Briarley House, will be sold to a pioneer settlement in North-West Victoria. It was once owned by a Mrs Goldie who was married to an excise officer at the old Custom’s House.
25 YEARS AGO
MEDICAL: The Robinvale and District Hospital is set to begin construction on a new palliative care hospice following a 10-month campaign to raise over $45,000.
DNA: A two-hour, hands-on workshops was hosted by the Mildura campus of the La Trobe University where students were given the chance to see how DNA science is used in the real world.
SLEEP RISK: People suffering severe sleeping disorders were worse drivers than people who were drunk, an international medical conference has heard. One in 50 Australian drivers suffers severe sleep disorders and are potentially dangerous behind the wheel.
PARENTS: The Mildura Reproductive Medicine Centre has brought hope to hundreds of couples whose dreams of becoming parents have been darkened by the shadow of infertility.
ITEMS: Amateur anglers taking undersized or egg-carrying Murray crayfish have been warned they will be fined a minimum of $5500 if they are caught. During June and July, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment will be seeking public input and comment on bag and catch limits. A long dry spell that began in October 1996, has continued into its 20th month. The body of warm water over the eastern Pacific is contracting and becoming shallower, reflecting an El Nino in its death throes. Scientists battling to prevent global warming believe they have discovered the latest culprits damaging the atmosphere – worms. The common garden earthworms are oozing laughing gas, or nitrous oxide which is affecting the planet’s climate. Worms infested soil had gas five times higher than earth without worms.
NEWS: Victorian drivers can now pay their registration using the new national phone payment system BPAY being offered by most financial institutions.
SENIORS: State Member for Murray, Jim Small, has called for the introduction of a national Senior’s card.
PLANES GATHER: A cloud of 42 micro-light aeroplanes or “trikes” descended on Mildura Airport on tour after a National “Trike” gathering at Wangaratta where 60 micro flights from as far as Queensland and South Australia attended.
SACRED BEER: Brewers rushed to reassure Germans their beloved national drink would remain pure after a report that it might be genetically modified. A statement was swiftly issued that Germany’s famous Purity Law for rules laid down in 1516 would be observed.
