Balloons’ final descent

100 YEARS AGO

MURRAY RIVER: Valuable information was given by Mr Healy, earthworks foreman of the No 11 Weir and Lock at Mildura, which will be in full swing when the flooded river resumes its normal condition. The engineer-in-charge Mr Knight and Mr Healy held similar positions on the Torrumbarry Weir and Lock construction – constructions of levee banks to keep the water back and excavations for the wall, 18 feet wide at the foundation and 4 feet wide at the top, concrete reinforced with iron rods are made on dry land. In the centre between the two walls on either side will be the lock pool. Ingeniously this method regulates the height of the water with a small tunnel running through the concrete walls, this was an Australian invention.

ITEMS: Melbourne has followed Mildura’s example using our popular raisin bread in railway dining cars and refreshment rooms. Also the Commonwealth Line of steamers now also use it. The reduction in price of 2d per 1lb will encourage bakers to use our fruit.

STOCKINGS: Silk stockings should be bought by size, as half an inch too long or too short will make a difference on fit and wear. For the woman who takes a small size in footwear (2 to 3) an 8.5-inch stocking, size 4 – a 9-inch stocking, 6 or 7 shoe a 10 in hosiery. Women with very large or fat feet ought never wear light shades but if blessed with well-shaped feet and ankles – grey and fawn and mastic shades will suit them. Soak them in clean cold water before wearing. Check that silk stocking seams are straight at back of legs.

CREW: A welcome home to the members of the Merbein Rowing Club’s Junior Four who won the Elswick Cup at Henley on the Yarra Regatta. It was organised at Crosbie’s Hall. Messrs F. Clay and G. Kendall decided to invite the co-operation of the ladies of the district. Members of the Wentworth Rowing Club will also be invited. It was also pointed out that the rowers had gone to Melbourne, paying their own expenses, so any financial help from Merbein residents is appreciated – it put Merbein “On the Map”.

75 YEARS AGO

WATER: Venture Scouts from all Sunraysia troops, Manangatang and Underbool attended a water safety exercise at Lake Hawthorn, including jumping overboard and righting their craft. The skipper of a Mildura paddleboat has said all weirs should be removed from the Murray River to allow unrestricted flow. The river could meet all irrigation through a system of pipelines running either side of the river for its full length which was suggested by experts.PET CARE: Most superficial wounds in pets arise from cuts on pieces of glass, tin or wire. Occasionally, they are inflicted as bites or scratches from rats, cats, dogs or possums. First aid is administered with three main aims: One: to stop the bleeding; Two: prevention of infection and Three: the promotion of quick, clean healing.

PATIENTS: Robinvale and District Hospital treated 902 in-patients this year – an all-time record. The daily average of inpatients was 13.29, an increase from last year of 7.1 patients.

BALLOON: Life just won’t be the same for Mildura air charter operator Alan Matthews when Hibal closes next year. Tracking the last balloon being sent up by Mildura’s High Altitude Balloon launching crew will close a chapter in private air aviation here. He said he will be losing a friend. He has been tracking balloons and their valuable payloads for 13 years with more than 500 balloons. His shortest trip was when a payload landed a mile from the launching pad – the longest was when a balloon was launched in Longreach, Queensland, and ended up south of Alice Springs. Australia and the United States launched the High Altitude Balloon project as a way of keeping tabs on weapons developments in other countries.

50 YEARS AGO

BREAD: The bread strike is no nearer to a solution. Another conference of the Operative Bakers and Master Bakers will meet next week. Some bread will be available to the Sunraysia public this afternoon baked by master bakers as the bakehouse employees strike is continuing. There are many substitutes for bread, one is a scone loaf. Yesterday Mr Cliff Slade delivered some of the 1000 loaves of bread that were baked at Cowards Bakery. Some bakeries in Mildura, Red Cliffs, Merbein and Irymple sold bread for the first time in 13 days when the Master Baker’s Emergency baking scheme came into operation.

CARNIVAL: Mildura Base Hospital will raise about 550 pounds from the annual gala carnival at the Recreation Reserve which was attended by 4000 people in the afternoon and 3000 at night. The track for the cyclists was in first-class order.

NURSES HOME: Tenders for the Nurses Home totalling over 161,000 pounds for the complete construction and finishing of a new nurses home at the Mildura Base Hospital was accepted by the hospital committee.

NEWS: Sturt Memorial in Chaffey Park, Merbein, has been damaged by vandals – the Merbein Branch of the Australian Natives Association is offering a reward of 12 pounds – the bronze tablet was prised out of the recess in the bluestone pyramid – a hole had been punched through the tablet and the raised lettering bore what seems to be bullet holes. Captain Sturt journeyed here in 1830. On their first trip as far up the Murray as Mildura – two river boats the Industry and the barge Argo, arrived here to go on the slips for an overhaul. Use of Mildura baths, free of charge, on Tuesday nights during the summer season was granted to Mildura Swimming Club by City Council.

25 YEARS AGO

REUNION: During WWII, the standard complement of Australian servicemen based in Britain was around 12,000, the majority serving in the Royal Australian Air Force, but there were also Army and Navy. It is believed that up to 5000 women came to Australia as war brides from the countries of the United Kingdom, some with their families already started, newly married, or very young. One can only imagine what it must have meant to leave everything familiar and embark on new life thousands of miles from home. Some war brides were members of Britain’s WAAF, Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, worked in bases, met in dance halls, cinemas, cafes in towns. Mr Bert Castle, Mildura, placed an advert in a Mildura paper after attending a reunion in Adelaide and got enough responses to start a War Brides Association here in Sunraysia and to have a reunion here. A total of 87 women including locals attended.

TORCH: Amid speculation about the route for the 2000 Olympics’ torch relay, there is one former Mildura athlete who can claim to have been there and done that. Graeme Sargent, now 59, and living in Adelaide, was one of the 2000 torch bearers at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. He ran a mile between Geelong and Melbourne. Graeme known as ‘Sarge’ went to the Mildura Central School then to the Mildura High School, played football with Imperials, who he still supports, and because of the lack of athletics competition here, he joined the Geelong Guild in 1955. That took him to the 1956 Olympics – Mildura’s own torch bearer.

ITEMS: Mr Bill Lambert, who was heavily involved in the Country Fire Association was given full honours at his funeral. More than 70 uniformed officers from mixed brigades he had served attended. . In 1992, he was awarded his 30-year badge and made an honorary life member. In 1997, he received his 35 years badge.

BIG FOOT: Mildura now boasts what is said to be the biggest tractor in the world. Aptly nicknamed “Bigfoot” it was purchased by the Treloar’s of Benetook Farms, a deep ripping and broad acre farm contractor service. Apart from its sheer strength and pulling power, its even spread of weight distribution results in a large reduction in soil compaction.