History & heritage

Anne Longworth bowed out as the final president of Bishop’s Lodge Management Committee last Wednesday when the final meeting took place after the last of Hay Shire Council’s Section 355 museum committees was dissolved. This reluctant step was taken at the request of the committee due to the chronic volunteer fatigue experienced in Hay over the last few years.

Sarah Herrmann. Calls for increased local consultation as part of the progressing Moonta Mines World Heritage bid were made at a community forum last week. The forum gave those interested the opportunity to quiz UK-based World Heritage consultant Barry Gamble, who had travelled to the Copper Coast for the official celebration of the tentative listing...

Rachel Hagan. Price is a town with a deep history and has been a key part of Yorke Peninsula, but one key feature it has been missing is a museum — that is until now. By mid to late January, the Price Museum will be structurally ready to go ... Price Progress Association secretary Karen Newbold says it all needs to be finished by April 20, 2025, and she is confident all the work can be achieved by that deadline.

Donald’s IGA wall is receiving some special attention this week, with Melbourne artist Heesco dedicating his time and talents to a new mural, featuring Donald’s historical Chinese market gardener, Georgie Ah Ling. Heesco commenced work on Tuesday, November 26, and will be staying in Donald until the completion of the mural, which is hoped to be next week.

John Williams. Growing up in Nhill I found the peppercorn tree a handy supply of ammunition for my bicycle pump. Those little pink peppercorns could really sting when fired from a "weaponised" hand pump. Back in the 50’s there was a multitude of pepper trees in Nhill as the town in the early days had its flat barren landscape beautified with pepper trees and sugar gums which provided excellent shade, shelter and aesthetic relief from the wide open spaces.

As has been the case for over three decades, the 2025 Heritage Weekend will see all roads leading to Allora on the Australia Day weekend, 25 and 26 January with a stream of historical vehicles and machinery converging on the Allora township and picturesque Showgrounds ... Having been featured in British historical machinery magazines, the Allora Heritage Weekend can be said to be known internationally.

A property leased by the Victorian Goldfields Railway (VGR) is being sold by the Victorian Government, raising questions about zoning and community consultation around the sale of a heritage asset that has been a green buffer around Maldon Station since the gold rush era. The Tarrangower Times ... requested information from Mount Alexander Shire Council (MASC) to ask about the zoning for 14 Reef Street, which was understood to have been changed to make way for the sale ...

Bruce Stewart. Many hundreds of people gathered the other day at the Epsom/Huntly showgrounds on the outskirts of Bendigo in anticipation of a visit from the Roulettes – the Royal Australian Air Force’s formation aerobatic display team. Our patience was rewarded as right on schedule I spied six rapidly moving black dots coming in from the north east.

Local identity Daphne Whatley attended a YoungCare function in Brisbane at the weekend, where she was guest speaker. Daphne has been involved in YoungCare since it started in Queensland 20 years ago. During that time Allora has been raising money for YoungCare.

In our sister publication The Clifton Courier, over the past two weeks we have been exploring the history of local churches in the area and this week Greenmount’s very own St. Joseph’s Catholic Church is featured. St. Joseph’s, which sits in an elevated position overlooking the town on Warkon Street, was built in 1958.

Ian Osborne. The 1922-established Group Settlement Scheme aimed to avert an annual loss of £940,000 to WA from the purchase of butter, preserved milk and cream, cheese, bacon and hams from the Eastern States. Settlers were placed on the land in groups of adjoining blocks so they could share the infrastructure and services installed before their arrival and the load of land development work thereafter.

Hugh Schuitemaker. An unused train previously sitting on a Riverland property has been relocated to its historical home on the Yorke Peninsula. The 406 Red Hen train that had previously been located near the Big Orange, between Berri and Renmark was on Monday re-located to Bute, as part of the ‘Get the 406 to Bute’ community project.

Helen Woodhouse-Herrick. We are proud to present our 2025 calendars for sale $15 each. The Calendar depicts delightful photographs of Nhill through the years, from our large photo collection. Available at the Nhill Historical Society, MacPherson Street ... or at the Visitors Information Centre Nhill.

John Williams. Now that Halloween has passed for another year, so too has the grumbling from some who see it as an American influenced import and a waste of time and money. The same could be said for the imported English tradition of Guy Fawkes night which no doubt holds a special place in the memories of Baby Boomers. Also known as Cracker Night or Bonfire Night...

Daniel Puentes. Last Friday, Donald Primary School (DPS) celebrated an incredible milestone and an incredible legacy: 150 years of teachers, students, and community coming together to paint a picture of the school’s rich history. To get to come and see where the once tiny school had come from, I couldn't wait to see the roots of such a beloved school.

In February 1957 a dirt track at Carrathool was the site for record breaking Australian land speed records. Behind the wheel of an AC race car was a glamourous young British socialite, Mary Seed (nee Morton). Seed has raced an Austin Healy in the UK in 1955 but after coming to Australia as a new bride in 1956 she drove an AC.

Col Jacka and Vic Pope are two of the unsung heroes of Balranald. They man the wonderful attraction, Southern Cross Museum. They take tours of people, whether one or two, or large groups around the fascinating building, and regale them with fascinating stories of the history behind the exhibits.

The 11th hour of the 11th Day of the 11th month marks the anniversary of the Armistice Agreement which ended the First World War. At the Allora Memorial Park ... service personnel, school children and members of the public paused in silence to remember those men and women who have died or suffered in all wars, conflicts and peace operations.

The annual Remembrance Day service hosted by Maldon RSL at the Cenotaph ... attracted numerous attendees, including grade five and six students from Maldon Primary School ... Will Govier from Maldon Primary School, here with grandmother Jenni McKenzie, swept and cleaned the grave and headstone of his great-grandfather before proudly placing a flag.  

This month, the Gordon Dam, nestled in Tasmania's untamed south-west, reaches a significant milestone - it celebrates its 50th year. It is a marvel of Australian engineering and ambition. This monumental project, completed in 1974, transformed a remote wilderness into a powerhouse of renewable energy, supplying around 25 per cent  of Tasmania's electricity today. Standing 140 meters tall, the 50-year-old dam holds the title of Australia's highest arch dam, constructed using a double-curvature design that maximised strength while minimising costs.

A small, respectful crowd gathered at the Birchip Cenotaph for this year’s Remembrance Day ceremony , at 11 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month, honouring those who served and sacrificed. Despite the years that pass, the courage and sacrifice of past generations remains deeply valued and remembered in Remembrance Day ceremonies across the country on this day.