Tuesday, July 8, 2025

The Buloke Times


Established 1875.

Published Tuesdays and Fridays.

Circulating throughout the Buloke Shire and the districts of Birchip, Charlton, Donald, St. Arnaud, Watchem and Wycheproof.

Print and digital editions.

Digital edition available to subscribers.

Digital edition also available from the ARR.News Store.

Website with online news and digital edition.

The Buloke Times articles

An enchanting performance

A spellbinding evening of classical guitar filled the Birchip Uniting Church on Saturday night, as Chathura Silva returned to the town where his musical journey began, to perform an intimate concert for an appreciative audience.

MASP unveils first reconciliation plan

The Buloke Times
Community
Mallee Accommodation and Support Program (MASP) is proud to unveil its first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) as the organisation strengthens its commitment to growing relationships, respect and opportunities with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Mallee and far west NSW.

In the beginning…

The Times" newspaper printed in Donald will turn 150 near the end of this month. While time and space prevent us from going into too much detail, we must at least pay tribute to the founder of the publication, the late Godfrey Morgan, pictured here all those years ago with members of the staff and young family members.

Tractor pull gains traction

The Buloke Times
Agriculture
The Donald Tractor Pull is getting all geared up for this year’s Donald show – it seems all it needed to gain traction was a couple of major sponsors, so with North West Ag and Adams Family Farms offering to support the new event, organisers can move full throttle towards providing some new and exciting entertainment.

Merger will not restore deleted emergency capability

Contributor, The Buloke Times
Aquaculture & fishing
Victorian Fisheries Media Centre. On May 20, 2025, the fisheries authority (VFA) finalised an organisational restructure, under which it has since shed 30 (44 per cent) of the state's 69 Fisheries Officers; leaving just 39 officers to patrol Victoria's 2,512 km coastline, 10,000 square km of ocean waters and 170,000 km of inland water frontage along 85,000 km of rivers and creeks. Then in a separate decision, on Friday, June 13, 2025, the VFA stripped the remaining officers of their duties to "respond to any emergency" by deleting these duties from their Position Descriptions ...

Kevin joins the centenarians

Keeping busy and avoiding alcohol might be among the keys to a St Arnaud man’s longevity. Kevin Allen turned 100 on Thursday, June 19, celebrating with a few cups of his favourite black tea ... Mr Allen now enjoys being outside in his garden, which is immaculate, and still cuts his own firewood.

Sheep producers show resilience

The Buloke Times
Agriculture
The latest Sheep Producers Intentions Survey (SPIS), conducted by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), reveals a significant shift in producer sentiment and flock management strategies across the nation. This shift is being driven by volatile market conditions, extreme weather events, and regulatory changes, most notably the planned phase-out of live sheep exports.

Toxic weed risk due to dry swamps and dams

Contributor, The Buloke Times
Agriculture
Paul Beltz. The green pick available on swampy land or dried up billabongs and dams may seem a boon for producers during drought and difficult seasonal conditions. However, it’s important to check for toxic weeds and plants in swampy areas ... Toxic plants that might be found in these areas include dock, soursob, fat hen, lesser loosestrife and swamp grass.

Approval for mineral sands project

Contributor, The Buloke Times
Business
The Victorian Government has approved the Donald Rare Earth and Mineral Sands Project work plan. The work plan approval is the final major regulatory milestone permitting Donald Project Pty Ltd, trading as Donald Mineral Sands (DMS), a joint venture between Astron Corporation Ltd and US critical minerals company Energy Fuels Inc, to develop the resource.

The Buloke Times, 8 July 2025

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The Buloke Times, 4 July 2025

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The Buloke Times, 1 July 2025

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The Buloke Times, 27 June 2025

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The Buloke Times, 24 June 2025

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The Buloke Times, 20 June 2025

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The Buloke Times, 17 June 2025

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Proudly locally owned and operated, serving local communities and employing local people.

The  “Buloke Times”  has its origins in the  “Donald Times”, founded in Donald in 1875, by Mr Godfrey Morgan. In 1865, Godfrey conducted the  “Landsborough Times”, but in 1875, seeing the possibilities inherently in the rise of agricultural and pastoral activities as more viable than gold prospecting, he chose Donald as the place in which to start this district’s first newspaper, the  “Donald Times”.

Moving the necessary plant and part of an office building by bullock waggon was symbolic of the hard grind that was to follow, but he and his wife (formerly Miss Mary Elizabeth Williamson, of Landsborough) were of true pioneering material, and saw their enterprise gradually rewarded.

The first edition of the  “Donald Times”  was produced on July 29, 1875.

Between 1908 and 1970, the  “Donald Times”  Office was located at 46 Woods Street, before relocating to larger premises at 6 McCulloch Street (formerly Bolden’s Garage).

On January 9, 1973, the first edition of the  “Donald-Birchip”  Times” was printed, following the amalgamation of the  “Donald Times”  and  “Birchip Guardian”.

In 1987, at the time of his death, Godfrey William (G.W.) Letts, had completed 66 unbroken years as editor of the “Times”, having joined the newspaper in 1921, from Kalgoorlie, W.A., at the invitation of his uncle, W.A. Morgan (son of the newspaper’s founder). He is believed to be the longest serving editor of a newspaper anywhere in the world.

In 1995, in line with council amalgamations and the restructure of local government, the  “Donald-Birchip Times”  changed its name to the  “Buloke Times”, to better represent its expanding readership, which now included residents of Donald, Birchip, Charlton, Watchem and Wycheproof.

The first edition was published on January 17, 1995.

Current editor of the  “Buloke Times”,  Robin Letts, son of the late G.W. Letts, has occupied the role since his father’s death. The newspaper is owned and operated by business partners David Letts (son of Robin and great-great-grandson of the founder), who joined the printing staff in 1980, and Shane O’Shea, who started a hand and machine compositor’s apprenticeship in 1972.

The Buloke Times

6 McCulloch Street, Donald Vic 3480
PO Box 55, Donald Vic 3480

Phone: 03 5497 1222
Email: admin@buloketimes.com   I   buloket@iinet.net.au

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