History & heritage

Charlton Shire Hall was the venue for the annual miniature war gaming weekend known as Mallee Melee where, to commemorate the eightieth anniversary of D-Day, a large group of enthusiastic players recreated the momentous events of June 6, 1944. With gamers from across Victoria and as far away as Canberra, six terrain filled tables were the battlegrounds ...

Michael Roberts. Frank Tuck arrived at Victoria Park from Murray League club Strathmerton in 1950 as an 18 year-old forward. He went on to captain Collingwood in the two seasons prior to his retirement in 1959 and played 131 games for the club.

If you’ve ever dreamed of piloting an historic fighter plane such as a Spitfire or Mustang or maybe even a biplane or helicopter then the Toowoomba Aeromodellers Association has the next best option and anyone is welcome to join in the fun. Weather permitting members of the Association meet on Thursdays and weekends to enjoy their passion for flying scale models of their favourite planes to test their flying skills not just regarding take offs and landings but also aerobatics.

In 1949, Leyburn, like every small country town in Australia, was rebuilding after World War II and the opportunity to host the Australian Grand Prix the nation’s most important motor race on a nearby ex-wartime aerodrome provided a highlight for people throughout the Darling Downs region ... The Australian Grand Prix will be remembered with major celebrations at the Historic Leyburn Sprints on 17-18 August 2024.

The Kaniva and District Progress Association has been awarded a small grant ... [that] will help create the Wiregrass Main Street Heritage Trail. This is an exciting initiative which aims to shine a light on the social history of rural Australia through the lens of Percy Leason.

The over one hundred year old Taggerty Buffet Car has been a familiar inclusion of the collection at Donald’s Train Park for many years, having been purchased by Donald Lions Club for $2,000 around twenty years ago.  Once having held royalty, it is now being somewhat treated like royalty, with the erection of a steel shed cover to protect the historical carriage from the elements.

The Warwick Chapter of the Historical Motorcycle Club of Queensland will host their 30th Anniversary Rally in Allora this weekend with riders coming from Northern New South Wales, Brisbane, Townsville, Brisbane and all around South East Queensland. At least 140 riders and pillions with their precious bikes will gather at the Allora Showgrounds.

Coliban Water recently hosted representatives from Heritage Victoria as part of a bid to have the Victorian Goldfields listed on the World Heritage List. Adam Crameri, General Manager Water and Climate Strategy at Coliban Water, highlighted the significance of the region, noting that its inclusion would make it the 21st site in Australia to achieve this status.

An enquiry from a reader has led the Narrandera Argus to undertake some research through its files regarding the famous Lake Talbot water tower. The enquirer wanted to know details about the water tower itself. Many articles have been written over the years about the famous lake and its facilities but here’s what we can tell you about the water tower.

141 years after being built, and 80 years and one week after being first consecrated (that is a separate story) Bishop for the Riverina Don Kirk undertook the solemn duty of deconsecrating St James Church ... "We pray that they will be comforted by the knowledge that the presence of God is not tied to any place or building": Bishop Kirk.

Clive Wilson. As a small community, Lord Howe Island has had individuals or families who have made outstanding contributions to the wellbeing of the Island. Charlie Thomas Retmock and his wife, formerly Amelia Dignam, and their family have played a great part in the wellbeing of this community.

This special edition of “Sparks from the Past” – is written in appreciation of Jim Whistler, founder of The [Lord Howe Island] Signal ... Sally looked through every [Lord Howe Island] Signal in the LHI Historical Society collection - all 1157 of them! ... Her high regard for Jim, and extensive use of the Signal for research purposes, clearly illustrate the contribution both have made to our precious Island archives.

Lachlan Valley Railway is bringing a 1960s vintage train to Casino next month. LVR is a rail preservation society in Cowra that was established in 1974. The society aims to preserve and operate former NSW Government Railways locomotives and rolling stock.

Laura Jones’ prize-winning portrait of Winton is helping to promote a documentary film supposedly aimed to save koalas from extinction ... The multimillion-dollar, multinational koala industry is part of the problem, not the solution. Well-meaning people are unwittingly donating money to increase koalas’ suffering. Sensible fire management could restore healthy and safe landscapes with naturally low densities of healthy koalas ...

Wayne Hawthorne. It was a case of previously not having been there, not having done that, or at least in recent times. Touring one of the town’s lesser-known tourist attractions was a first for some Naracoorte Men’s Probus members and their wives. Narracoorte Homestead is a gem amongst us.

Bev McGuinness. Three centenaries were celebrated this month marking Denmark’s Group Settlements, a scheme established to bring English families to WA to farm. Apart from opening up land to agriculture, Group Settlements aimed to increase the population.

The author of the renowned ‘Silver Brumby’ series of books, Elyne Mitchell, has been nominated to have a park named after her. Wodonga Council is seeking feedback on a proposal for the Elyne Mitchell Park to be established in the Kinchington Estate on the southern outskirts of the city.

The upcoming Words in Winter festival promises diverse sessions exploring crime, ideology, farming, self-publishing, history, and memory. Attendees will delve into the impacts of crime in small communities, the influences of political ideologies, the journey of saffron farming, the intricacies of self-publishing, Melbourne’s history and ancient memory techniques applied in the modern world.

A prominent feature of the CBD streetscape is being refreshed, but heritage buffs can rest assured that it will be a respectful rejuvenation. Starting in April and continuing in stages, the façade of the shop built in 1859 as Dabb and Co Merchants and which now houses the IGA supermarket, is being painted in familiar shades of cream, brown and green.

Bursting with creativity and revolutionary ideas, a bunch of dreamers found shelter from the storm in Nimbin. Whether from pure madness or for the sake of love, the small rural town spawned a big movement. The new audiovisual book Out There chronicles 50 years of alternative revolution ...

At midday on Sunday, June 15 1924, electricity from the new Yallourn Power Station first reached Melbourne when the State Electricity Commission switched on the high voltage transmission line linking Morwell and the Yarraville distribution terminal. It was then the greatest single public infrastructure project Australia had seen, but it passed without fanfare or public ceremony.

Wayne Hawthorne. “Out of sight, out of mind” it is said, yet this idiom can be transformed to “seeing is believing” when visiting museums ... Naracoorte Men’s Probus Club members recently visited two lesser-known gems of the South East. The Nangwarry Forestry Museum and the Kalangadoo Railway Station Museum.