100 YEARS AGO: 1924/1925
LEARNING: Mr W P Crockett, Honorary Minister, has been informed by the Education Department that approval has been given to the establishment of full-time schools at Werrimull, Pirlta and Karawinna. The department has intimated to the Minister that the Lands department has been asked to reserve an area of five acres for each school site at the places mentioned.
CHILLOUT: One of the most delightful and refreshing resorts for a hot day is “The Spot” café, that is capably conducted by Mr J Raftopulos, in Deakin Avenue. The quality of the refreshments provided, and the cleanliness of this splendidly furnished and modernly equipped café has earned “The Spot” a great reputation. Even at settlements some miles distant from Mildura one often hears praiseworthy mention of the delicious ice-cream, sundaes and soft drinks that find a place on “The Spot” menu. The sundae parlour cannot be excelled by any Melbourne café, whilst the sweets and afternoon teas supplied would satisfy the most particular customer. (1.1.1925)
ON THE AIR: With the announcement made some weeks ago that Mildura and Wangaratta had been granted broadcasting stations, much conjecture was indulged in with regard to the new station, what would be broadcast and all sorts of other details. Mr Rupert J Egge, wireless dealer of Langtree Avenue, Mildura, has been successful in securing the broadcasting station, and he expects to have everything ready to begin broadcasting very soon. The power of the station is 500-watts and is to be called 3EO. No other town north of Ballarat will be permitted a broadcasting licence, and undoubtedly the new station will be a decided acquisition to Mildura.
75 YEARS AGO: 1949/1950
OFF THE TOP: The Organiser of the Growers’ Conciliation and Labor League (Mr S B Webb) has received 3200 butter coupons, representing 1600 pounds of butter, for pickers who have no current coupons. These coupons, with those for tea, will be distributed from the Harvest Tobacco office, Langtree Avenue, from next Tuesday. In a letter to the secretary of the league, the Deputy Director of Rationing explains that the butter coupons are to be used to cope with the situation only until new ones become available. Coupons will be collected from growers and returned with the surplus special issue to the Deputy Director of Rationing. There is only a limited number of tea coupons. Tobacco coupons will be available at district offices on Tuesday.
PARTY TIME: As the memorial clock on the Carnegie Library struck 12 on Saturday night, hundreds of people around the band rotunda in Deakin Avenue joined hands to sing Auld Lang Syne. Then three cheers, led by members of Mildura Pipe Band from the rotunda, gave the second half of the 20th Century, a rousing welcome. Cars were packed along both sides of the avenue between 8th and 9th Street, and despite passing cars and motorcycles, many people danced in both traffic lanes. Crackers and the beating of tins added to the blaring motor horns. There were many people about the streets until well after 2am.
DIP OUT: Because of insufficient drainage water in the Irymple section of the First Mildura Irrigation Trust’s drainage system, it is not known when the new swimming pool will be filled. The new pool, at Irymple, is believed to be the most modern of its kind in Australia. It was designed to be filled from the drainage water of the Irymple irrigation area, but pumping carried out since the pool was completed just before Christmas has yielded water for only three hours a day. There is not likely to be sufficient drainage water to fill it until the next FMIT irrigation which commences tomorrow, has been running for a few days.
50 YEARS AGO: 1975
WORTH IT: The price of Sunraysia Daily has risen by 2 cents, from 8 cents to 10 cents. Sunraysia Daily regrets the increase which has been made necessary because of much higher costs involving wages, newsprint, production and distribution.
HULLABALOO: There may have been some Merbein people who found themselves out of toilet paper yesterday morning. It was all quiet in Mildura on New Year’s Eve, but vandals were busy leaving their mark on Merbein. Residents were greeted with rolls and rolls of toilet paper strewn about the main street. Toilet paper was also wrapped around most of the trees along Commercial Street.
SLOW GOING: The aging paddle-steamer “Enterprise” steamed into Mildura yesterday after a 324 mile river trip from Swan Hill. “Enterprise” is on her way back from Echuca where he competed unsuccessfully against “Etona” in the paddle-steamer race of the century. The race, held over a two-mile course, was the highlight of Echuca’s Rich River Country Festival, held late in October. “Enterprise” was built in Echuca in 1910 and has been used as a houseboat in recent years. Now it has been restored almost its 1910 condition by Adelaide businessman, Mr Graeme Niehus. (1.1.1975)
25 YEARS AGO: 1999/2000
Y2NAY: A massive generator has been put in place to power the Municipal Emergency Co-ordination Centre in the event of the Y2K Bug causing a power failure. The $28,000 generator has been imported from France through Mildura firm K and S Doherty Pty Ltd, who was awarded the supply tender by Mildura Rural City Council. The diesel-driven generator is located just outside at the MECC site and will be turned on if needed to provide lighting and communications. After New Year’s Eve the generator will be relocated at the Mildura Airport, where it will be used as a back-up power supply in the event of emergency.
COSTLY: A sweat box fire at the Aurora packing shed in Red Cliffs that caused $40,000 damage early yesterday morning is believed to have been deliberately lit. Fifty-five volunteer firefighters from around Sunraysia fought the blaze, which took about six hours to contain. Twenty-thousand sweat boxes in the Red Cliffs Aurora storage yard near Laurel Street were destroyed in the fire which was reported to fire crews around 1.15am. Two forklifts were brought in about 2am to “pull the fire apart”, helping firefighters to attack the blaze. An excavator was also used to fight the fire. Branch manager Mr Woosnan said this was not the first deliberately lit fire at Red Cliffs Aurora. (1.1.2000)
COD CATCHER: Nine-year-old Evan Pitt, from Red Cliffs, reeled in the biggest catch of his life on Tuesday afternoon in the form of a 40-pound Murray cod near Red Cliffs. Evan and his father John were fishing from a boat at Echo Point when he noticed something heavy on his line. At first Evan thought the line was caught on a snag but a short time later he and his father couldn’t believe the catch as they fought for 15 minutes, before securing their prize. The Pitt family are unsure of what they will do with their catch which weighed in at 40 pounds and just 20 centimetres shorter than Evan at 1.2 metres.
