PRESENTED by Mildura and District Historical Society and compiled by Mildura Rural City Council Libraries
100 YEARS AGO: 1925
LIGHT UP: At present Merbein residents have no electric light service and are compelled to use an antiquated system. The enterprising residents are desirous of forming a 3000-pound company to control an electric light service but cannot obtain the sanction of the State Electricity Commissioners. The ruling of the Commissioners is that Merbein must wait and be included in the special electricity scheme that has been mapped out for Mildura.
WEE BIT: Judging by the complaints of traders and residents in the town, sanitary conveniences for the general public are urgently needed at Red Cliffs. Traders are continually annoyed by visitors and settlers from the district requesting the right to use their conveniences. The council should immediately address the question of constructing public conveniences on the site reserved in the square for a shire or public hall. The conveniences could be constructed at once, as there is no need for the work to be delayed until the erection of the shire hall.
VISION: At Thursday’s council meeting the idea that the Council acquire a piece of land near the Mildura bridge site was raised. This land comprises of 42 acres and would be really situated at the “front door” of the town, as travellers from New South Wales and also passengers on the Melbourne train would get a full view of it. It is Councillor Wheeler’s idea, if this land is acquired to convert it into a beautiful park. It would be planted with ornamental trees and its lowest level would be made into a lake, and it would have a rotunda, shelter sheds, etc. in accordance with the rough plan which has been prepared.
75 YEARS AGO: 1950
LOAD UP: Wentworth will again be a port of call for a river cargo service when the River Freighter Company, with a charter of the PS Murrabit, begins operating soon. River Freighter Company was formed recently by two young men who have had previous experience on the riverways. They are Captain John Weaver, who will be master of the Murrabit in her new commissions, and Mr Peter Smith, who holds an engineer’s ticket. Both men have been on river cargo services and passenger ships on the Murray. “We plan to begin operating between Mildura and Morgan as soon as possible after the Murrabit has come off the slips,” Captain Weaver said. “We feel that there is still a demand for a river cargo service, and once established we will maintain regular three-weekly trips.” An agency for River Freighter Company has been established in Mildura, and arrangements are being made for a similar agency at Morgan. (9.3.1950)
BULL’S EYE: An archery club will probably be formed in Sunraysia soon, the manager of a Mildura sports store said yesterday. He said he had sold dozens of archery sets in the last couple of months. “It would only take someone with a little initiative to advertise a meeting of people interested in the formation of a club to get it going here” he said. The demand for bows exceeded the supply, but arrows were “reasonably plentiful.” He had already “sold” four bows which had not yet arrived.
BUZZ OFF: Pickers on a block on the outskirts of the city have refused to pick any more fruit because of irritation caused by swarms of mosquitoes. Pickers interviewed said they could not be expected to work when hordes of mosquitoes were biting them all the time. They said as soon as they moved the leaves on the vines hundreds of mosquitoes swarmed out and immediately attacked them. The mosquitoes have a powerful bite which could not be ignored. Two pickers tried working only in the middle of the day, but there were just as many mosquitoes about then, they said. Chemists and storekeepers said yesterday that there had been a big demand for spray and mosquito repellents. One store on the outskirts of the city has sold more spray this week that it has sold for the rest of the year.
50 YEARS AGO: 1975
NO GO: A Mornington seafish supply company is dropping plans to establish a factory at Mildura to process European carp. The invitation to the company to come here had been made by Mr Ken Wright, MLC for North-Western Province. Mr Wright said yesterday the company had rejected his invitation for three main reasons. The company had to obtain its raw material within a radius of 25 miles from the factory and this would not be possible as most of the fish needed would be caught more than 50 miles from Mildura. The other reasons were a survey had indicated that people did not like carp as table fish and the cost of raw materials would be too high. Mr Wright said he was disappointed but would keep trying to interest other companies.
ON TRACK: Modernising of Mildura Railway Station and an extension of the passenger platform are expected to begin by the end of the year. Minister for Transport Mr Meagher said the Railways had completed plans for the proposed improvements at the station. Discussions with Mildura City Council would now be arranged before the working drawings and specifications were prepared. Mr Meagher announced improvements to the booking office and waiting rooms and extension of the platform by 250 feet. Mr Wright, MLC said yesterday that the greatly increased business on the Mildura line made the improvements at the station imperative.
MALL CALL: Should part of the heart of Mildura’s shopping area be closed off from traffic to create a shopping mall? This is the question being asked by Mildura Chamber of Commerce as part of a questionnaire being distributed to Mildura shop proprietors. The Chamber says it has undertaken to conduct a fact-finding survey to present to Mildura City Council if a mall is the wish of the shopkeepers. The introduction says the possibility of a dramatic change such as a mall would bring mixed feelings from businesspeople, particularly those in the affected areas. The object of the survey was to allow businesses to have the chance to express their opinions on the need or otherwise for a mall. (13.3.1975)
25 YEARS AGO: 2000
TOP KNOCK: Robinvale’s finest sportsman, Jamie Siddons, yesterday announced his retirement from first class cricket. Siddons, 35, retires as the most prolific batsman in the history of Australian domestic first-class cricket. Siddons was a talented teenager when he was recruited to Essendon District Cricket Club from Robinvale. He was also a talented footballer who won the Sunraysia Football League McLeod Medal as a teenager before playing several AFL games with the Sydney Swans. The announcement ends a 16-year career that earned his 10,643 runs in 146 Sheffield Shield and Pura Milk Cup games for Victoria then South Australia. Despite his success, Siddons only represented Australia once, scoring 32 in a one-dayer against Pakistan.
SMELL ABOUT IT: A Victorian company is targeting Sunraysia as a major production and value adding centre for up to 2000 tonnes of pharmaceutical quality garlic within two years. Biofresh Australia director John Caines said in Mildura yesterday that with international demand and the region’s proven ability to grow “high allicin” garlic, production could quickly rise to 7000 tonnes worth 84 million in its value-added form. Alliin or “allicin” is a component in medication to lower blood cholesterol and treat cardiovascular disease. Fresh garlic sold for about $3 to $4 a kilogram at the farm gate, but value-added garlic (drying ratio 5:1) fetches $60 to $100 a kilogram if of good quality. Part of the project would be to build a factory in Mildura, possibly by January 2001.
BIG PLANS: Work is currently under way on the completion of environmental studies into the proposed $70 million Mildura marina resort development. A team is currently at the site of the proposed development, drilling a series of bore holes and collecting data for laboratory testing and reporting on the groundwater and geological conditions of the location. A spokesperson for Transtate, a property development group said the study represented the final part of an exhaustive process that begin in 1991. It has been estimated that the proposed development – which incorporates a marina and a hotel-convention complex – had the potential to provide Mildura with $86 million in income during the first six years. (11.3.2000)
