PEEPS IN THE PAST

April 18-24, 2021

Presented by Mildura & District Historical Society

Compiled by Judi Hyde for Mildura Rural City Council Service

100 YEARS AGO

HORSES: The usual peace in Ral Ral Avenue, Renmark, was shattered shortly after the 10am news when five horses attached to one of Mr Cuttles and Ogilvery's lorries (which was being unloaded) at the Renmark Co-operative when something startled the horses and they bolted. Mr E.J. Payne was sitting in the front window of his boot shop, a small building and he saw the team dashing wildly towards him and he feared his shop would be demolished owing to the pace the five horses were travelling and it was impossible for them to turn. He did not wait for the apparent inevitable crash and vacated out the back door. The verandah was wrecked but owing to the high kerb the dray was bought to a standstill. Remarkably the shop and dray were not damaged. Meanwhile in Mildura Mr W. Spence, and his wife had just alighted from their Jinker in Deakin Avenue just in front of Mr Washington's store when a motorcycle and side-car startled his mare. As he tried to calm the mare a passer-by lifted their little girl from the jinker and the horse bolted. The jinker was found against a tree near the Working Man's Club and a Mr F. Byrne caught the horse at the corner of Madden Avenie and 10th St. The only damage was a broken halter. (18.4.1921)

SETTLEMENT: The Red Cliffs soldier settlement grows every day, nearly 1000 call it home now. At the hub of the settlement is the railway station and Mr Harley has been transferred from Irymple station permanently to Red Cliffs. From Eversley, many miles away, a two-room structure was railed to Red Cliffs and one room will be his sleeping quarters, the other half is for the instruments and books. Over six trucks of goods are unloaded each day and much gravel for constructional works. The police station is another improvement and the constable in charge finds plenty to do. There are 15 substantial weatherboard buildings and a temporary Druids Lodge made of bags stretched over a timber frame, a fish shop that is doing very well. The most interesting building is Barker and Parks, who have been conducting their business in the old township almost since it started. This will be the first building in the new township -- it is to be most elegant and have plate-glass windows. Big Lizzie is cutting through several acres of land each day while soldier gangs lop the tops of trees and burn them. (18.4.1921)

PEOPLE: Mr De Garis has sworn off flying his plane for 3 years for the sake of the investors in Sunraysia. Mr A. Willoughby, his mother and two brothers, after travelling from Nyah, arrived at the Mildura Punt Friday. All but Mt Willoughby alighted from the car, he then drove it forward as another car was wanting to come onto the punt. As he sought to drive his car close to the gates of the punt his brakes failed to act and the car broke through the gates and plunged into the river. Mr Willoughby, being a strong swimmer, reached the punt. The car was brought out of the river on Sunday night by block and tackle by Messrs G. &A. Seward, who run the punt. Mr G. Hepburn towed the car to his workshop, the engine was taken down and cleaned, otherwise no damage was sustained. (18.4.1921)

75 YEARS AGO

NEWS: Pushing and electric button, the Mayor of Mildura, Mr Henderson, started the biggest concrete pipe making factory of its type in the world at the modern plant of the Home Pipe Company, Ltd. Australia. It is capable of turning out 60 miles of concrete piping a year and spins reinforced concrete pipes from 4 inches to 5 feet in diameter. Nineteen of the twenty Gestapo who it is alleged were responsible for the deaths of 329 patriots were sentenced to death. (18.4.1946)

ITEMS: The Australian Agricultural Council's approval for the extension of the horticultural industry in Australia, for 6000 acres to be planted with vines was a gesture towards the settlement of servicemen in the Dried Fruits Industry, said Mr P. Malloch of Mildura who attended the conference. Mr Johansen, the Shire Engineer, said that the council had already started work on major improvements to the Kenny Memorial Park at Merbein and planned to carry on generally with its park improvements as the availability of labour permitted. The council had not yet completed its arrangement for post-war tree planting. Before the war it had planted many hundreds of trees but sometimes with indifferent results because of drought conditions and difficulties in watering. (18.4.1946)

CAR: Completely manufactured in England, the first of the Armstrong Siddeley cars to reach Melbourne was unpacked recently. The 2-litre drop-head coupe known as the Hurricane model is a car that will attract immediate attention first by its graceful curves of its body work and then by its engineering refinement. The 6-cylinder engine is rated at 1572hp and develops 70bhp at 4600 rpm. Overseas reports tell of a top gear climb of a hill 1 in 9 approached by a right-angle corner. A comfortable ride is assured by independent front-wheel suspension with torsion bar springs, all-elliptical underslung rear springs and hydraulic dampers. The weight of the car is 27cwt, the wheelbase 9ft 7in and the turning circle 37ft. (18.4.1946)

50 YEARS AGO

MIGRANTS: Too many migrants were left in the cities after being brought to Australia, the Victorian Minister for Immigration, Mr Dickie, at a Liberal Speakers Group conference. It would be a terrific move forward for the migrant population if more could be given an incentive to go to country areas. (19.4.1971)

BIRDS: A magpie wrecked one of the $200,000 engines of an RAF Lightning aircraft when it was sucked into the air intake during Saturdays' air display at the Edinburgh Air Base. A second magpie was struck by a wing of the interceptor aircraft as it screamed over the crowd of 100,000 spectators. The Lightning was piloted by Squadron Leader Peter Carter, 37, of the Tengah RAF Base at Singapore - he completed the Lightning aerobatic flight on the No.2 engine of the jet. A new engine will be flown in from Singapore. Also news from Manila was that seven robbers invaded a house, stole the equivalent of $30,000 in cash and jewellery, then dallied to raid the refrigerator and dance with the maid. Police surrounded the house while the robbers were entertaining themselves -- one was captured in the ensuing gun battle, three used the wife of the house and her three-year-old son as hostages and the others escaped. (19.4.1971)

NEWS: Victorian General Practitioners' fees for surgery consultations and home visits will rise by 7 per cent on July I. In N.S.W. the rise will be 15 per cent, Qld 16 per cent, S.A. 15 per cent, W.A. 18 per cent and Tasmania 13 per cent. The weekend rainfall totalling 293 points has given Mildura its wettest April on record. The highest previous rainfall in April was 202 points in 1931. The rain washed out most sporting fixtures, postponed an RAAF fly-past and bogged heavy vehicles -- one was a semi-trailer loaded with steel pipes that got bogged in the mud at the end of Deakin Avenue for three hours. (19.4.1971)

25 YEARS AGO

COLUMN 10: A fellow we know who earns his living selling bait to fishermen had a very busy pre-Easter and was looking forward to going away with friends for a spot of fishing on the river. Our mate enjoyed the Friday night at the campsite, returned to Mildura for business early Saturday then packed up the bait, grog, tucker and headed back to the camp on Saturday afternoon -- no rods, no tackle. We were told he spent the Sunday throwing tiger worms into the Murray and throwing rocks at the rising fish. The world's most expensive pair of earrings, valued at six million pounds ($A11.5 million), went on show for the first time. The earrings are composed of two almost perfect pear-shaped diamonds weighing 46.91 and 48.24 carats. (18.4.1996)

PINES: Fifteen native pines which were once set aside to be preserved for future generations by original settlers have been destroyed at Red Cliffs Secondary College. They were demolished to make way for a two-way road entrance from Fitzroy Avenue under a school upgrade master plan. Initially it was feared the entire cluster of 30 trees at the currently designated bus entrance would need to be removed but a protest from concerned parents managed to save half. The significance of any of the Belar pine tree (a native) did not affect any of the quandong species but the tree is evident in the naming of the school magazine – "The Belar".

INSTRUMENTS: Brass instruments with a replacement value of about $25,000 have been returned to the Salvation Army Madden Ave Hall. It has been attributed to the quick and caring action of the community, the media and the local police. Because of the community support the treasures were "too hot" to be sold anywhere. The brass instruments with individual serial numbers also hampered attempts to sell them in Melbourne, said Captain Cotton of the Salvation Army. (19.4.1996)