History & heritage

There’s always something happening at the Nhill Aviation Heritage Centre ... Last Tuesday, members of the Rolls Royce and Bentley Car Club called in on their way home from a rally in Hahndorf. They spent several hours hearing the stories of the men and women who trained at the Nhill RAAF Base during the ‘40s ... Another mid-week Melbourne visitor was Tania Jacobs, who has been working with the NAHC Board to help with tourism ideas.

Honor Auchinleck. Timing and circumstances ensure some wartime tragedies are more defining than others and so it was with Malcolm Chisholm. He was the first Australian to die and the first of some 60,000 Australians who lost their lives on the First World War battlefields. His death has resonated through more than a century and well beyond the Upper Murray.

The unique story of Ned Kelly and his gang’s bushranging exploits in the south-western town of Jerilderie, New South Wales, can now be shared around the world with a series of new virtual tours of the town’s historic sites. The theme of the project is ‘Hero or Outlaw?", playing on the polarising effect of the gang and their iconic place in Australian history.

Rod Moss. Good rains recharged Lhere Mparntwe (Todd River) drawing crowds to its banks for the infrequent spectacle. When its rushing subsided waterholes became an unparalleled recreational attraction. In full rage it is perilous as friends, Johnathan Rodd and Rowley Hill, would discover, drowning near Wigleys Gorge.

What is a sacred site? According to the government, sacred sites are places within the landscape that have a special meaning or significance under Aboriginal tradition. Hills rocks, waterholes, trees, plains, lakes, billabongs and other natural features can be sacred sites ... When heritage moves from easily identifiable caves, rock art, convict buildings and federation houses to mythical spaces that are not registered on published maps, widely known and regularly visited, then we face endless abuse of process, as everything everywhere becomes sacred with a price attached to any disturbance.

Serena Kirby. The Denmark Historical Society will celebrate 40 years since it was restarted in 1983 after a long hiatus. History buff and retired teacher Bev McGuinness has been involved with the society for all but 10 of those years.

Ross McGuinness. Only three elements of Denmark’s railway exist today nearly 60 years since the closure of the line. Two are still clearly visible while the third, the historic 1897 turntable, is now mainly covered. The turntable and adjacent engine pit, sometimes referred to as the ash pit, are located on the bridge end of the station site.

Last weekend the weather was hot but perfect for the tough breed of Heavy Horses at the Allora Showground. This being the second year of running the Darling Downs Heavy Horse Festival over two full days. Organisers were thrilled with the crowd of around 5,000 through the gates with Saturday being a huge day.

Vic Jurskis's clear account of the history of the cycle of plagues and crashes of koalas in Australia's eastern states and the circumstances of those plagues and crashes makes one question whether the time frame for assessing the status of koalas should be 200 years, not 20, and whether the public perception about this much-loved animal is fully informed.

John Williams. Bread has historically been intrinsically woven and responsible for large parts of how civilisations and cultures have grown and is relied on as a fundamental foodstuff. So, you don’t mess with bread. However, in Nhill during the amalgamation of two bakeries in 1967, there seemed to be a crisis that could have led to Nhillites "eating cake".

The hardy stock saddle is a much-loved outback symbol but its story has never been written - until now. Wild Ride captures this colourful tale, involving colonial pioneers and Aboriginal stockmen and women; bushrangers and young horsemen sent to the Boer War. It catalogues the earliest models produced by amateurs sewing kneepads onto traditional English saddles, through to the development of the modern stock fender.

The jingle of chains, the sparkle of big, turning wheels and the steady clop of hooves made the Victorian Tradesmen and Delivery Horse Group show a real pleasure. The group is dedicated to preserving the history and authenticity of the heritage of traditional commercial horse drawn vehicles in Australia by continuing to hold shows at regional agriculture shows throughout Victoria.

Nobby might only have around 600 residents but it has gained a reputation for properly commemorating its heroes ... Another lesser known memorial, but in the eyes of Nobby residents of 1915, of equal importance, is the memorial in Nobby Cemetery to Private Victor Denton.

Two full days of Activities,  Displays and  Demonstrations. You’ll be amazed by the gentle giants such as Clydesdales, Percherons, Shires, Australian Draught Horses and Belgians. This year sees 120 magnificent horses displaying their versatility in Breed Led Classes, Working horses and Ridden events including hack, dressage and barrel races.

At the presentation of the Shire’s Wilcannia Community awards on Wednesday 22nd February, the tables were decorated with vivid yellow flowered gum branchlets, which also carried bright red gum nut caps. These attracted lots of comments ... The tree is Eucalyptus erythrocorys or Illyarrie. It was first noticed in 1851 growing along a stock route between Geraldton and Perth.

A special commemorative service will be held at Spring Bluff station on Friday, March 17, 2023 to remember the 1000 brave soldiers who left the station at night on their way to serve in World War II. The service marks the 81st anniversary of the historic day the Darling Downs’ 25th Infantry Battalion boarded trains at Spring Bluff station at the start of their journey to New Guinea. 

Cook Shire Mayor, Peter Scott is looking forward to the upcoming festival, stating, "The Cooktown Discovery Festival is a celebration of our community's rich cultural heritage and the special place Cooktown has in Australian history. It is a time for us to come together and celebrate all that makes Cooktown and this region so special."

An incredible makeover for one of the Sunshine Coast’s beloved boathouses has sparked a trip down memory lane. The heritage listed Maroochy River ‘Wheel House’ has been lovingly restored thanks to specialist heritage advice and the handy work of volunteers from the Buderim Men’s Shed.

There is a Shetland-sized hole in the hearts of the Scott family of Emu Creek this week after they said goodbye to Mickey, just shy of his 50th birthday ... It is believed Mickey was used for pony rides at the Melbourne Zoo and at metropolitan race meetings in his younger days but ended up in Bendigo at age 36 when his owners moved into aged care.

A portal to the past is opening in Ganmain on March 18 with the annual Ganmain Historical Society Open Day ... ‘Step Back in Time’ and be transported and immersed in history that includes static displays and working demonstrations of machinery, tractors, home appliances and farming equipment.

HM Woodhouse-Herrick. The first day of Autumn was a beautiful cool day for our day out for the Volunteers who man the Visitors Information Centre Nhill one day a month. With thanks to the Hindmarsh Shire, we filled the bus with those who were able to come along and familiarised ourselves with places such as the grand old Church at Pella out of Rainbow, the painted Silo at Albacutya ...

Kaniva born and bred, Beryl Meyer is the ultimate reminder of the sheer simplicity and joy of life. From humble beginnings, Beryl still maintains that ‘a home full of love is all you need to enjoy life for what it is’.