History & heritage

The late Mr Mervyn John was announced as an inductee to the Buloke and Northern Grampians Landcare Group’s “Hall of Fame” last month. He was nominated by the “Friends of Mount Wycheproof” and was one of 30 nominations (12 were successful) ... Before the days of "Landcare" he was a foundation member of the "Southern Mallee Trees on Farm Group".

Wilson McShane. Snowtown residents say recent speculation about changing the town’s name has been blown out of proportion and the name is here to stay for the foreseeable future ... Snowtown Progress Association chair Derryn Stringer ... said last week his initial comments about Snowtown considering changing its name had been blown out of proportion.

Improvements at the Kyogle Memorial Institute were finished just in time for the latest production by Village Hall Players. 37 Postcards  still has performances this week...

He was only 19 when he enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) ... Now aged 91 and living at Whiddon Grafton, lifelong Clarence Valley resident Samuel Darke was finally recognised for his contributions during his country’s war history on April 24 when Member for Clarence Richie Williamson presented him with the Nuclear Test Medal ...

Oscar Tamsen. We consumers throughout Australia are currently being swamped by multiple discussions over our current serious inflation levels, the mounting cost of living and the way certain commercial, financial and other interests are blatantly over-charging for their goods and services. As a journalist with an Economics background, may I suggest that the time has probably arrived for us to consider employing price controls...

Hay, New South Wales, is a small town basks in the golden glow of the outback summer sun. It is a community whose history is deeply intertwined with the iconic figure of the Australian shearer. Here, amidst the vast sheep stations and dusty plains, lies Shear Outback...

Maureen Donnellon. Do you notice trees and wonder about their history, as I do? Trees can tell us so much about the early settlers, early buildings, the little schools, former church and hall sites, where the original homes were, the sites of the oldest houses, where the birds nest, the best shade ... Birchip has many significant trees in and around the district ...

Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, recently embarked on a moving journey to Villers-Bretonneux to pay respects on Anzac Day and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the twinning with Robinvale.  

A moving Anzac Day dawn service was held in Naracoorte to remember fallen soldiers and service people on April 26. Mayor Patrick Ross described the service as "amazing”.

This year the Goomburra Town Hall recently constructed Memorial Garden was the nucleus for the Anzac Day Service. Although numbers were small it was a touching service presented by Jenny Newton and Mary-Lou Gittins OAM.

99 year old Veteran Des Donovan received a surprise visit by his niece Kerrie and nephews Maurice and Peter Donovan. An extra treat for Des was a greeting from a very friendly and nosey horse from the Darling Downs Eleventh Light Horse Regiment.

Mark Blythe. In the best Melbourne Truth fashion, grab ‘em with a killer headline, then let them down slowly. What really happened was, as usual on the weekend of the All British Rally, Maldon was chuffed to have its annual ‘impromptu bike show’.  

It was early in the afternoon of Anzac Day last week. Under a cloudy sky a crowd of 60 or more gathered around the Peace Cairn at Nuggetty for a unique commemoration service.

Robbs coming back to rob you, that’s Robbs jetty for those who weren’t born long enough ago to recall the smell of rotting hides at Cockburn. Those born even longer ago will recall the endless strife of the WA state-run meatworks that were a bastion of union bastardry. Why are they coming back? Well, the Federal government has committed Australia to borrowing billions of dollars off countries that are not handicapping themselves with mad Green left anti-fossil fuel regulations (think China and the Middle East) to invest in the Future Made in Australia program.

Clear Autumn skies ensured strong crowds at the 2024 ANZAC Day ceremonies in Coolamon last Thursday. The Coolamon community turned out in strong numbers at the Dawn Service and 11am Commemoration.

Patricia Gill. ANZAC Day was marked in Denmark last week with a recollection of service and sacrifice in all wars at the War Memorial ... Denmark Historical Society president Bev McGuinness in her address to the crowd gathered said this year marked 110 years since the beginning of WWI. At that time Denmark’s population was only 200, though 83 men and two women enlisted and of those 37 men died. Both the women, Nellie Saw and Florence McKenzie, who were nurses, died soon after the war.

The guest speaker at this year’s Anzac Day service in Corryong provided an insight into one man’s experience in WWI and his contribution to the local community upon his return. Michael Greenham spoke about his just-published book, ‘Devotion To Humanity’, detailing the life of his great-uncle and WWI veteran, Doctor/Captain David Peter Greenham. Doctor Greenham grew up in Dartmoor but spent almost all of his 30-year medical career in Corryong between the two World Wars.

It’s not often that applause breaks out during an ANZAC Day commemoration, but the stirring performance by members of the Bunker’s Hill State School Choir on Thursday morning last week drew such a response.

The gathering for Westbrook’s ANZAC Dawn Service grows each year.

On a crisp Thursday morning, a large crowd gathered at the Barham Cenotaph to remember the Anzacs. The day marks the anniversary of Australian and New Zealand soldiers landing on Gallipoli in 1915 as part of the Allies' invasion.  

As the sun began to rise, hundreds of onlookers including many young families gathered around the cenotaph in Grafton’s Memorial Park at 6am on April 25 to pay their respects during the 2024 Anzac Day Dawn Service.

Nhill’s ANZAC Day dawn service was well attended with over 300 in attendance at the Cenotaph in Goldsworthy Park to commemorate those who have served in the armed forces for Australia and New Zealand, many giving the ultimate sacrifice.