100 YEARS AGO: 1924
HEALTH: At a meeting of the Mildura District Hospital a letter from Mrs J W Washington, stated that she would donate a block of land to the hospital in the “Broadway” subdivision on condition that a house of not less than 400 pounds be erected. The offer was accepted, the house to be let or sold. Further committee members made donations of windows (Mr Hammer) and bricks (Mr W Bowring). Many others might like to donate small parts toward the building.
SWEET: Mr H B Watmuff and Mr H F Midgley, of Curlwaa, intended to leave Mildura this morning to arrange the exhibit of citrus fruits at the Royal Show, Melbourne. Mr C Watson also of Curlwaa, intends to leave by the same train to arrange his exhibit of dried fruits at the show. Those that have seen this exhibit, describe it as very fine, and a credit to Curlwaa and the exhibitor.
SPEED: R. Nixon was charged in the Mildura court yesterday with having, on Sunday, November 16, failed to travel slowly in his car past a church, and further, with failing to make as little noise as possible. Constable Jeffrey gave evidence for the prosecution. The defendant, who did not appear, was fined £1 on each charge.
75 YEARS AGO: 1949
READING: Because of additions and alterations to be made to Mildura Post Office, the rain gauge and temperature equipment there will be dismantled. Since Mildura Post Office was established, records of temperature and rain have been taken there. These have been in addition to those taken at the Mildura Meteorological Station at the aerodrome in the past few years. It is likely that no further records than those at the station at the aerodrome will be taken in future.
DIG DEEP: An appeal for 2500 pounds will be launched today by Coomealla Memorial Club for its building fund. Construction was expected to begin early in the New Year at a cost of 8000 pounds. The clubrooms, which would be constructed of brick, would include a billiard room, a reading room and lounge. It is hoped that late a bowling green and tennis courts would be laid there. One of the objects of the new club would be to institute a boys’ gymnasium and in other ways assist the youth of the district.
AWARD: The question of conditions under which grape pickers will work in Sunraysia this season is in the hands of the court, and a hearing is expected within a few days. Chairman of the Growers Conciliation and Labor League (Mr F R Messenger) said the case before the court was whether pickers should work under a federal award of a 44-hour week or whether they should work under a renewed agreement between the Australian Workers’ Union and the growers. The renewal would be on an agreement which expires at the end of this year and under which pickers work 40 hours a week.
50 YEARS AGO: 1974
FLYING: Former Mildura man, Rubert Wheatland, and son, David, arrived in Mildura in their home-made Jodel D11 aircraft. The family began building the aircraft three years ago and have spent 4000 man-hours working on it. It cost $4500 to build and is powered by a single 1000 horse-power Rolls-Royce engine. The two-seater will cruise at 110 knots.
CHONKY: Fifty percent of the people in Mildura were overweight, a visiting health expert said yesterday. “There are too many pot bellies walking around the streets,” Pastor R K Brown narcotics education director with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, said. “I noticed the problem even among the people in the church here.” He said many people ate too much of the wrong sort of food, drank too much alcohol and did not get enough exercise. Mildura people had the chance to be among the fittest in Australia because of the abundance of fruit and perfect conditions for cycling. But they drank too much beer, a common occurrence in hot dry climates.
BELLISSIMO: The people of Sunraysia were officially presented with a selection of Italian books by the Italian Consul General in Melbourne, Doctor Ignazio Argento. The ceremony was carried out at Mildura Carnegie Library, which was sent the books by the Italian Institute of Culture in Melbourne some time ago. The Sunraysia Dante Society, which arranged for the gift to be made organized the brief presentation. Books included an Italian – English dictionary and several children’s books translated into Italian.
25 YEARS AGO: 1999
UP STREAM: Sunraysia’s newest paddle-steamer, the PS Mundoo, arrived in Mildura ahead of schedule on Thursday morning after its epic 888-kilometre voyage from Goolwa to South Australia. The Mundoo made its way to Apex Park and reached is moorings alongside the Melbourne and Rothbury around lunchtime. Modelled on the original Mundoo built in 1875, the paddle-steamer will join the Rothbury and Melbourne under the ownership of Alby and Freda Pointon. The Mundoo will complement the five paddleboats already servicing the area with a larger dining capacity of 190.
BIG PLANS: Sunraysia residents will be able to invest in a slice of Mildura’s future early next year – the new Mildura Sports and Entertainment Centre. The company formed to develop and manage the Centre, to be built at the Old Aerodrome Ovals, Mildura Sports and Entertainment Limited (MSE) this week obtained approval for an investment Prospectus seeking to raise $5 million.
WRECKED: A “senseless” act of vandalism in the Kings Billabong Wildlife Reserve on Sunday afternoon has left local Parks Victoria rangers frustrated and angry. Spokesman Russell Manning said vandals had destroyed the work carried out by the Friends of Kings Billabong in the construction of a new car park. Newly installed pine railings around the parking area had been ripped up, along with two orientation signs. Some of the posts were left strewn around the area others deposited in the nearby billabong, while the bolts used had been stolen. One of the signs remains missing.
