100 YEARS AGO: 1925
CASHED UP: In big centres cheques are not as freely cashed by shopkeepers as they have been in Mildura. In past picking seasons shopkeepers have practically acted as bankers for many blockholders in this direction. A different attitude is being adopted this season, and the traders regret that they cannot convenience the blockers as they have in the past. The majority of the blockers, therefore, must suffer for the past faults or lack of business methods of the few.
NO VACANCY: Passengers on the train from Melbourne to Mildura yesterday complained of the lack of accommodation and said that for a great part of the journey many persons were unable to obtain seats. Since the pickers have been coming to the Mildura district for the season the trains practically every day have been crowded. It appears from information received in railway circles yesterday that no more cars can he added to the trains, which have been made as large as the engines can pull, and the department does not feel justified in putting on an additional train especially as most of the pickers have already arrived and the number of passengers travelling each day will very soon diminish.
FRUITFUL: Red Cliffs settlers whose blocks are near the township are complaining of the attentions of boys and youths who make unauthorised visits to their blocks for the purpose of taking grapes from the vines. One of these settlers expressed himself as being not as much concerned about the actual theft of the grapes as about the damage caused to the vines particularly sultanas by the taking of the grapes. On this settler’s block canes for next year’s wood have been torn from a big number of vines.
75 YEARS AGO: 1950
HARD GRAFT: Present indications are that there may be a shortage of male pickers from now on, the District Employment Officer said yesterday. He therefore requested all growers who could accommodate female pickers to let the employment office know. It was realised that it was usually not as convenient to provide accommodation for female pickers, but if as many growers as possible agreed to take them, it would greatly assist in meeting all labour requirements. There are about 200 female pickers who could be used if the supply of male labour ran short, as expected.
BANK ON IT: An agency of Red Cliffs branch of the Bank of NSW will be opened at Cardross Public Hall next Friday for the duration of the picking season. It will be open for business between noon and 1.15 each Friday.
NO PLACE: The acute shortage of houses in Ouyen was described to the Acting Minister for Housing when he received deputations at Ouyen. Walpeup Shire President (Mr Jim Stoddart) said that although there were no local industries, Ouyen was an important rail junction, employing about 76 married men. The State Rivers Commission had 12 married employees and as well there were Country Roads Board and Forestry Commission men. Houses which became vacant had been taken by the Commonwealth at high prices and local residents had been compelled to buy farm buildings, he said. Many railway men were forced to live in rooms or be boarded while their families lived in other areas. Most of the men in the loco branch lived at the Railway Rest House while their families lived in Mildura. Councillor G Walsh said an officer who made a survey in 1948 reported that because of the fluctuations in seasons it was not a good proposition to build houses in Ouyen. This was false he said, as there had always been a demand for houses. (13.2.1950)
50 YEARS AGO: 1975
LANDING: Robinvale’s Aerodrome will use battery operated lanterns for emergency landing which will do away with night dashes by road ambulance between Robinvale and Mildura. Previously, seriously ill patients at Robinvale had to make an ambulance dash to Mildura airport, thence to Melbourne. The emergency lighting now means that the air ambulance can make a landing at Robinvale.
PLAY ON: Ouyen will be in the Sunraysia Football League in 1976. A confident Ouyen Football Club president, Mr Jack Caldow, said yesterday Ouyen would get into the SFL and he’s sure it will be next year. Mr Caldow said he was not too disappointed at the Victorian Country Football League’s decision to refuse an Ouyen clearance to the SFL this year. “They told us that our future was with the SFL and we all know it’s going to come sooner or later” he said. Mr Caldow said the clearance refusal could even have been a blessing in disguise. “It would be a bit too hard to organise a proper team for the SFL in a few months, but now we’ve got some time to put a team together,” he said.
DISASTER: Mildura has been dropped as a “priority location” for a regular office of the Civil Defence Section. The Chief Secretary, Mr Rossiter, said it was no longer practicable to retain Mildura on the list of locations for regional offices. Mr Rossiter’s announcement has dismayed Mildura City and Shire Councils as well as local Parliamentarians. Swan Hill remains on the list and is scheduled to get a regional office this year. Mr Rossiter said the Mildura district would be serviced from Swan Hill.
25 YEARS AGO: 2000
COLD: Claims this week that the Mildura Powercor offices had been operating an air conditioner during the height of power restrictions were yesterday confirmed as true. However, the air conditioner was being used to keep Powercor’s computer server at a regulated temperature to ensure continued use of individual terminals. A Powercor spokesman said that the air conditioner and the computer server were in an isolated area of the Mildura offices and not where employees were operating.
MAKE A SPLASH: Sunraysia residents feeling the heat can seek some relief at the local municipal swimming pools. A State Government decision overnight has ruled municipal swimming centres are exempt from the currently imposed restrictions on the use of pool filters and pumps between 1pm and 7pm. Despite strong indications that running the filters would be illegal, Council made the decision to appeal the ruling. Strong support was received from local MP’s Russell Savage and Barry Bishop. Council executive officer Leonie Burrows said “Council was determined to fight the pool restrictions and any similar restrictions that may put our communities at risk”.
GOOD USE: Close to a quarter of a million people passed through the door at The Alfred Deakin Centre for the purpose of visiting the Mildura Visitor Information and Booking Centre between January 1999 to January 2000. This figure is set to increase by 100 percent as a result of the opening of Mildura Waves, the Arts Centre ticketing system and increased marketing, of which the Mildura Murray Outback tourism publication would play a key role. Mildura experienced two significant tourism periods, one at Easter and the other for the 10-day country music festival.
