History & heritage

More than a quarter of a century's worth of volunteer work to restore the timber trestle bridges on the old Cudgewa-Wodonga railway line was gone in a flash when the Walwa-Mt Lawson bushfire laid waste to the structures last month. A strong wind change pushed the out-of-control bushfire towards the bridges near Shelley, Koetong and the Tallangatta Valley on January 8th and within 24 hours, 15 of the 16 bridges had been destroyed.

At just 15 years old, Ray Neville stunned the racing world with a Melbourne Cup victory. Now, nearly eight decades later, his hometown of Birchip is ensuring that remarkable moment in sporting history will be remembered, with work under way on a silo mural in his honour.

In Australia, the use of animals to solve various human problems is neither increasing nor decreasing. This process is becoming more humane and effective. This change is driven by public opinion and advances in science and technology.

Greg Twelftree. SA author and journalist Max Fatchen wrote: "It's not hard to imagine the square-rigger days when the sou'wester sweeps up Spencer Gulf, hustles past Wardang and sends whitecaps racing and fishing boats rolling at their moorings by Port Victoria jetty" ... From the 1870s to 1949, farmers toiling in the dry, dusty paddocks of Koolywurtie and Wauraltee would glance seaward as 100-metre long, four-masted barques filled the horizon.

Greg Twelftree. Celebrate 150 years of Port Victoria and Wauraltee over the March long weekend, Friday 6th to Sunday 8th, with a jammed-packed program offering something for everyone. We will welcome a flotilla of two Tall Ships and other sailing vessels from the Port Adelaide Sailing Club, the Cruising Yacht Club of SA and the Wallaroo Sailing Club at 3pm on Friday, March 6.

Long-term planning to ensure a sustainable future for the West Coast Wilderness Railway has taken its next steps. The Tasmanian Government has convened a roundtable with key industry and business stakeholders to discuss next steps for the Railway.

Raising the matter in Parliament, Mrs McArthur said the significant public artwork, commissioned by the State of Victoria in 1977, had been rendered inaccessible to the public without justification ... Harold Freedman’s Geelong Regional History mosaic mural “is a heritage-listed public artwork depicting the changing lifestyle of the region’s people and key moments in Victoria’s early history.”

A mainstay of the Corryong CBD will close its doors at the end of the month. Hobie's Sports Store has been an iconic business in the town's main street for 75 years but changes in people's purchasing habits over recent years and the current economic climate has forced the hand of owners Mick and Kerrie Butler ... Ron Hoban purchased the hairdresser and tobacconist shop in the early 1950s, at the height of the construction of the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

There’s a piece of industrial archaeology sitting in the river bend just north of where Hay’s bridge crosses the Murrumbidgee. It looks like debris, like something that should have been cleared away decades ago. But that rusting turntable is actually a remnant of an era when the river was a highway, when paddle steamers were the primary means of moving wool and supplies, and when a bridge had to accommodate both road traffic and river commerce.

A wildfire burning over five days would do more damage to vegetation and biodiversity in the northern jarrah forest than five decades of climate change has done ..."This forest has survived for some four to five million years. I am confident it can survive for a few decades longer. We humans must recognise that the ecosystem is never static, and be able to live with and accept some level of change": Frank Batini, professional forester and environmental consultant.

Alex Nelson. This year, 2026, marks the 60th anniversary of a pivotal episode in the history of the Northern Territory. Seismic changes occurred in national and local politics that profoundly influenced the course of events shaping the Territory as we know it today.

To help celebrate the 60th anniversary of Maldon receiving the title of 'Australia's First Notable Town', the Tarrangower Times and Maldon Heritage Network invites everyone to write a 'Love Note' to the town. It's a chance to reflect upon what makes Maldon special, whether that's a memorable festival or best bushwalking route or a favourite coffee spot. To get the ball rolling, here is a letter written by State Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards MP ...

Is the slow decay of the iconic Struan House south of Naracoorte a case of “demolition by neglect” — and has South Australia squandered a once-in-a-generation chance to anchor cutting-edge agricultural research in the Limestone Coast?

2026 saw another successful Allora Heritage Weekend. President Graeme McMillan said the committee was happy with the event. Crowd numbers were up even though the weather was very hot. More trucks and cars were on show this year...

Daniel Puentes. Donald's venue for Australia Day was the pool; a welcome change, as the summer heat was no joke on the day. As the venue opened, people came and set up their chairs and prepared for a fantastic day at the pool. At 10 a.m., the emcee, Chloe Frank gathered everyone's attention for the singing of the national anthem and the reading of the pledge.

The town of Yass has had many lives. Today it is a market town, but also a dormitory suburb for Canberra’s younger public servants and a place of retirement for farmers and pastoralists who have handed their land on to the next generation. As a result, it is a pleasing mix of both young and old ... As the title suggests, this book describes the growth of Yass and charts some of its several aspects, from a frontier town surrounded by bushrangers to the gateway to the Murray River and the great grazing lands of western New South Wales and Victoria.

The Quambatook Heritage Working Machinery Association will once again stage its Harvest Working Days and Vintage Tractor-pull on this Australia Day weekend. Club members have been working to prepare items from their extensive collection of tractors, harvesting machinery and old trucks.

“WAFarmers are reaping what they sow,” Ben Wyatt declared recently, reflecting on the looming Maddox case and claims by WAFarmers that the current laws are being selectively targeted by the department ... There is a curious habit among former ministers once they leave office: they rediscover principle. Mr Wyatt’s recent commentary on Aboriginal cultural heritage laws is a textbook example.

In 1990, Graham and Margaret Ryan bought a 1939 Austin 10 at an auction in Woodburn. They paid $2400 for it ... As part of the Australia Day celebrations at Bonalbo this year, the vintage car will be auctioned at noon at the Bowlo – and there is no reserve price on it.

Roger Underwood. A Bold Endeavour – a history of our work in the Western Australian rangelands is a terrific book. I read it from cover to cover and then went back and read some parts again ... if the political will for action ever arises, best-practice land management systems for the WA rangelands are now known and understood, and could be implemented across the rangelands tomorrow.  This situation can be attributed to the work of that small band of tough, dedicated scientists of the Rangeland Management Branch during its short, but dramatic history. 

One hundred years ago this week, sugarcane growers from across Queensland met in Mackay to take a defining step that would change their industry forever. CANEGROWERS was born. At the time, sugar was one of Queensland’s most important industries, so central to the state’s economy that it featured on the Queensland coat of arms.  

Wendy Free. Allora, the best little town on the Downs will make history again - be a part of the 125th anniversary of Banjo Paterson's visit to our town. Yes, Banjo Paterson was indeed in our town presenting a political speech on March 16th 1901 in the Protestant Hall.