History, menagerie and a bit of mystery
As excitement grows for the opening of Maldon’s Porcupine Village tourist attraction, the managers are looking forward to sharing the results of their hard work and they have surprises in store for future visitors. Managers Doug and Deb Baird have been toiling for four years developing, renovating and documenting in order to bring the passion project to life...
Penny-farthing bicycle c.1880
Ross & Trevor Neale. This is a Penny-farthing or high wheeler bicycle made by Rouges & Co Limited as model No. 2 with a 54inch (137cm) front wheel diameter. It is an example of an early type of bicycle which was popular during the 1880s.
Blessed is the bell
If you don’t hear God's call, there’s a fair chance you’ll hear the bell, in Cohuna at least! The 1915 brass beauty produced by John Danks and son belts out a solid sound that could be heard for miles. Danks bells were known for being aboard Navy vessels, and as in this case, were used for calling in the Sunday Flock.
130 years of Downs Polo Club
Jessica Rea. In 2025 The Downs Polo Club celebrates 130 years of polo on the Darling Downs. One of the oldest polo clubs in Australia finds its home in Clifton, keeping a tight grip on its rural roots whilst producing some of Australia's great polo players and ponies.
Historic church falling down
Joanna Tucker. Copper Coast Council is set to buy an historic church near the tentatively listed UNESCO World Heritage Moonta Mines site which is continuing to deteriorate. The East Moonta Methodist Church, at the corner of Verran Terrace and Deeble Street, had another wall collapse last week.
Precious artifacts returning to Leyburn Sprints
Precious historical artifacts of the 1949 Australian Grand Prix – the winner's trophy and three competing cars from that race – will return to the place of their past glory at the 29th Historic Leyburn Sprints on the weekend of 23-24 August.
Honours bestowed on outstanding Aboriginals for 2025 NAIDOC Week
The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy", the NAIDOC Week theme for 2025, is being celebrated in Narrandera this week. Celebrations started with an Opening Ceremony in Marie Bashir Park on Monday.
Photos wanted for memorial
A collaboration of local community groups is working together on a project to construct a memorial in Corryong's Avenue of Honour and missing photos of local servicemen and women who served in World War I are being sought for the tribute.
Corryong celebrates milestone
The community is being invited to get on board for the the celebrations as Corryong marks its 150th anniversary this month with a week of community-led events, exhibitions and activities that mark its rich heritage, pioneering spirit and vibrant local culture. Running from Sunday 20 July to Sunday 27 July, 2025, the '150 Years of Corryong' commemoration will bring together residents, visitors and artists to share in the stories, momentous occasions and memories that have shaped the town's story over generations.
Happy NAIDOC week 2025
The next generation - Strength, Vision & Legacy. The Wilcannia News team would like to wish everyone a very happy NAIDOC week 2025 ... Here are some photos from previous NAIDOC weeks...
Memories from NAIDOC past…
William Murray. On Aboriginal week, on Aboriginal march, Colin King used to drive the roller behind the marchers ... He used to get a lend of it off the DMR and bring it in to drive it behind all the marches. A big 80TC roller, 20 tyred roller it was. He'd be blowin' the horn while he drivin' behind the kids while they were marchin', everyone.
Clarence Valley military connections celebrated at book launch
Nestled within the rural confines of Northern NSW, the Clarence Valley is a long way from overseas conflicts ... more than 50 people including family members and representatives of servicemen and servicewomen, both former and current, came together at Grafton’s Schaeffer House Museum to attend the official launch of local publication A Military Connection.
Nhill celebrates a Cup winner
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.
Sparkling trophies on display
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.
In the beginning…
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.
An enchanting performance
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.
Secrets of the shire – Maldon District Museum
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.
Kerang can finds a highfalutin home
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...
Cambooya Hall has a history wall
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.
Australian record attempt at horses in harness
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.
The Mallee Root – the best burning wood in the world
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.
Museum expansion to drive visitors to Gippsland: Dimopoulos
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.
