10 – 16 September 2023
100 YEARS AGO: 1923
Red Cliffs settlers are notified by advertisement in this issue that steps must be taken immediately to enclose woodheaps, remove brushwood and fill in rabbit-burrows on their blocks, under the penalty of having their blocks taken away from them. On some blocks there is brushwood in which rabbits are harboured, and the occupiers of neighbouring blocks are appealing to S.R. and W.S.C. for protection against the possible ravages of rabbits. As wire-netting cannot be supplied to enclose all block boundaries, settlers need to remove the cover for rabbits and to enclose without delay their portions of the group boundary fence with wire-netting. (15.9.1923)
Raisin bread will be introduced into Mildura today, and, if the people support their own great industry, the new bread will have come to stay. It is not a question of Mildura expecting that every man this day will do his duty, but of every man, woman and child eating raisin bread every day. On the success of the enterprise in Mildura depends the hope of introducing raisin bread in every centre in Australia. That should be the aim of all people that claim to be loyal to their district. (15.9.1923)
For two- or three-days past, workmen have been working on the fire alarms that are installed in various positions in the streets of Mildura. The whole attachment of the alarm has been repainted red and the lettering thereon is picked out in white paint. Above the alarm the painters have painted a broad band in red that makes the whole very conspicuous. (12.9.1923)
75 YEARS AGO: 1948
A clearly defined half orange half lemon has been grown by Mr H T Green on his block at Sunny Cliffs. The fruit, one of the strangest oddities seen in Sunraysia and perfectly formed in shape and colour, each half to fit respectively, that of an orange and lemon, and gave the appearance of a complete half of each fruit being stuck together. The oddity was of normal size, and when cut open, the lemon side revealed the usual thick skin while the orange half was that of a perfect orange. Not only that but the orange half had an orange flavour, with the lemon half – sourer. The odd fruit came from a grafted tree. (15.9.1948)
Butchers’ shops in Mildura are not, as a whole, up to a very satisfactory standard, City Council was told at its meeting last night. This was stated by City Health Inspector (Mr P Saunders) when reporting to City Council on his inspection of Mildura butcher’s shops, eating houses and bakeries this month. He said that one butcher in particular had been instructed to carry out a large number of major repairs. Three other shops were far too small and conditions during busy periods were almost unhygienic, said Mr Saunders. Eating houses in the district had shown distinct improvement, but there was still room for improvement in several. He said that bakeries were of a fairly high standard and there had been on indication of vermin in any premises. (10.9.23)
The Prime Minister (Mr Chifley) considers the itinerary of the Royal Tour of Australia as a Royal Command, and cannot be changed. The Mayor of Mildura (Mr G Leigh Pentreath) told city councillors that the Acting Premier (Mr McDonald) had intimated this to him this week in Melbourne. He said that Mr McDonald had informed him that he would do everything possible to have Mildura included in the itinerary, and the Premier (Mr Hollway) would see what could be done overseas. (10.9.2023)
50 YEARS AGO: 1973
There has been another hoax bomb scare in Mildura. An unidentified person rang a Mildura solicitor’s office yesterday morning and screamed into the telephone “there is going to be an explosion.” The voice said the explosion would be at either Hudak’s cake shop or Bowrings department store. Police were called and two police cars investigated. A quick search of both shops was made, but it revealed nothing. Shoppers were not told, and midmorning business continued as usual. (8.9.1973)
Mildura has been chosen as one of six finalists in the Premier Town of Victoria contest. A team of four headed the former Mayor of Mildura, Councillor Kaye Gambetta, will present the city’s case at a dinner at Melbourne University on October 13. To win Mildura will have to beat Echuca, Hopetoun, Horsham, Sale and Wangaratta. The representative of each of the six towns will have 30 minutes in which to make a submission to a panel of judges. The judges will be able to ask questions of the team. (10.9.23)
How do you move 104 tons of locomotive without using steam of a permanent railway track? Mildura City Council’s engineering department has the answer. You haul the loco with a bulldozer laying rail as you progress. Council is faced with the problem of moving a 60 foot long loco from the Victorian Railways yard to the riverfront site allocated as a children’s playground. Mildura Jaycees plan to develop the asphalt area near the old powerhouse as part of the city’s riverfront beautification scheme. The Consolidation K Class locomotive was brought to Mildura from Ballarat to stand in the playground. (12.9.1973)
25 YEARS AGO: 1998
The local drag racing association’s new track at Koorlong was christened yesterday, and what was supposed to be a ‘low-key” fine tuning of the track and facilities attracted a bumper crowd, ensuring the sport will have a solid following in the district for some years to come. (14.9.1998)
The Sunraysia Steam Preservation Society (SSPS) is about to embark on yet another major project. The society will begin the restoration to working order of one of the Chaffey Brothers original McLaren traction engines (circa 1890’s) which has been on display as a relic at the historic Psyche Bend Irrigation Pump site for the past few years. Before that, it had been on public display for many years on the lawns in front of the Rio Vista homestead in Mildura, being regularly watered, along with the grass, to its physical detriment. (14.9.1998)
A special dinner was held last Friday night at the Coomealla Memorial Sporting Club to celebrate Coomealla’s 75th year and the unveiling of a new book “Coomealla, Tapio and NSW Sunraysia” by Peter Thompson. The dinner commemorated the withdrawing of 12,400 hectares from Tapio Station and the official naming of Coomealla Irrigation Area. Mr Thompson who has lived in Coomealla for 50 years, has spent three years on and off completing his new historical publication. The publication takes the form of a timeline or year calendar of events in the NSW Sunraysia region. (16.9.1998)
