History & heritage

In 1949 four race horses illegally arrived in Nhill for an overnight stay, before heading to Flemington. Known as the "comedy horses", Royal Gem, Comic Court, Comedy Prince, and St. Comedy they were stabled at the rear of the Union Hotel after an almost 8 hour road trip from Adelaide.

A collection of agricultural and sporting trophies from the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra is on display at the Naracoorte Regional Art Gallery. Sixteen silver objects have been loaned ... Many of them have South Australian connections either with the silversmith or the award.

The Times" newspaper printed in Donald will turn 150 near the end of this month. While time and space prevent us from going into too much detail, we must at least pay tribute to the founder of the publication, the late Godfrey Morgan, pictured here all those years ago with members of the staff and young family members.

A spellbinding evening of classical guitar filled the Birchip Uniting Church on Saturday night, as Chathura Silva returned to the town where his musical journey began, to perform an intimate concert for an appreciative audience.

This striking red brick building was constructed in 1859 as a market building for Maldon, but it wasn't a success and the market closed down a few years later. Now it is home to the Maldon District Museum and History Research Centre, which seems entirely appropriate given the historic significance of the building.

When Kerang resident, and former Bridge production manager, Michael Douthat, listed a Coke can on eBay he never thought it would be heading back to corporate HQ. “I sold an empty Coca-Cola can, which I had with me since I was a kid.” said Michael ... “I’m interested if my note in the parcel will be responded to: It would be great to hear more about the Coca-Cola Museum...

The Cambooya Public Hall Committee has created a valuable asset for the local community with the creation of a "History Wall" ... The wall already features a varied range of photographs that relate to Cambooya and the local district in years gone by.

The Good Old Days Festival is set to not only break the Australian record for the greatest number of draught horses in harness pulling a wool wagon in 2025 but is also expanding to a three-day event ... Mr Bandy said to harness more than 50 horses would take around two hours and be a spectacle in itself.

While the local "murmuring" Buloke tree is recognised for its hardwood properties, said to be the toughest in the world, the humble Mallee root, while also tough, has many other useful attributes. A Mallee root is the extremely hard, woody root of a mallee tree, a dwarf eucalypt, that is often used for firewood, but is also valued by wood-turners because of its marbled grain.

A new showroom displaying Holden heritage vehicles is revving up Gippsland, giving car enthusiasts another reason to visit the region. Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos was at the Trafalgar Holden Museum to announce that the new showroom, the Neil Joiner Holden Heritage Centre is now open. 

Dorothy McQueen and Noelene Fuller were 17 year old nurses when they worked at the maternity hospital on Campbell Road, Kyogle in 1959. “I couldn’t count how many babies I’ve delivered,” Ms Fuller said ... Ms Fuller was speaking about the 100th birthday of Kyogle Hospital celebration...

Acclaimed artist, pioneering photographer Alex Sugar, has been creating two stunning murals in ... Corryong ... Arnold Playle - A creative tribute to the man who with his glass negative camera captured the life and times of the Upper Murray during early settlement.

Residents are asked to help review the historical and cultural information of the Shire of Denmark's Local Heritage Survey ... Denmark shire president Kingsley Gibson said the review was a chance for everyone to join in and write Denmark's heritage story together.

John Williams. In 1952, two members of the Wimmera Aero Club were off to a flying start to their marriage when an aerial wedding was staged over Nhill, followed by a reception in the hanger at the aerodrome. The wedding was a club gift to Jeparit's Norm Crittenden and his fiancée Barbara Mackenzie.

Hundreds of locals and visitors gathered in Cooktown over the weekend for the 46th annual Cooktown Discovery Festival, celebrating the region’s rich culture, community spirit, and place in Australian history as the site of the first recorded act of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Structural repairs are on the horizon that will see a significant change to Maldon’s Beehive Chimney and the time to have your say about the proposed upgrades is now. Plans have been advertised by Heritage Victoria for community feedback and the deadline for comment has been extended to Friday 4 July. The long and the short of it is: urgent repairs are on the table but the result will be a permanently 3.5m shorter chimney.

An emotive and poignant exhibition, Convict Tokens, which explores the enduring connection between the convicts who made these tiny mementos and those they left behind, are on display at Warwick Art Gallery ...

In the mid 1950s the old weatherboard Athenaeum Hall in Corryong was to be demolished, to make way for the new Memorial Hall. Bill Newman owned the projection equipment and showed movies in the old hall on a weekly basis.

In under two weeks time, the Clifton & District Historical Society will host its 150th Anniversary of Clifton Township celebrations, set to attract interest from all around. The event is to be held on the Clifton Museum grounds, 46 King Street, Clifton on Saturday, 28th June 2025, from 10am to 3pm.

Coolamon Hotel has now reopened with a cocktail bar, glasshouse dining area and terrace after being out of action for five years. New owner Craig Patterson said the end result was worth the challenge.

A crispy meat pie or hot sausage roll smothered in Rosella tomato sauce, or a cheese platter with fruit chutney on the side are as Aussie as kangaroos and Holden cars. For 130 years, Rosella has been a beloved staple in Australian kitchens, adding a rich burst of flavour to meals and snacks.