100 years ago
SMOKE SALES: At Red Cliffs, complaints have been made that shops selling cigarettes and tobacco during the day remain open after the hours of 7pm, when the sale of tobacco is supposed to legally cease. It was not complained that the law was being broken in respect of sales of tobacco after hours. The basis for the complaints has been the provision in the regulations relating to the premises in which tobacco is sold. This provision declares that shops in which tobacco is sold during the day must close at 7pm irrespective of the fact that tobacco may not be sold in these shops after this hour.
LAKES DRY: For some time, the two lakes Ranfurly and Hawthorn, between Mildura and Merbein have been very low, and at last Lake Ranfurly has become totally dry. Lake Hawthorn is full of reeds and slime, and within a few weeks, should lie in much the same state as Lake Ranfurly. This is a great pity, as these lakes – especially Lake Hawthorn – were a very popular resort for picnic parties, and there is no hope of their becoming so again until high river, as they are entirely dependent upon this source of supply. This is the first occasion since 1914, the year of the last big drought, that these lakes have been so far depleted of water.
SHOP DELIGHT: Ladies who come to Mildura with the idea that all their gladdest rags must be bought in Melbourne, or Adelaide or Sydney are always astonished when they begin to examine the Mildura shop windows critically, and particularly when they enjoy the luxury of looking around the showrooms. This week all the big shops have been showing ball costumes and party frocks, and the windows have been a feast of colour and an art education in design. As tonight’s function at Mildura Town Hall is a masked ball, the frocking may not be a very special feature; but undoubtedly there will be many new ball costumes worn, and the shops were wise to make so artistic a presentation at the present season.
75 years ago
MILL: Land for the establishment of a plaster mill on an area fronting Etiwanda Avenue, Mildura, has been made available to A.V. Jennings Construction Company Pty Ltd by City Council. A block about an acre in size will be sold to the company, and an adjoining block of similar dimensions will be leased, it was decided by council last night. Machinery for the mill is almost ready for delivery, the company notified council. The firm is also prepared to pay its share of a railway siding in proportion to the area of land to be owned by it and the total area to be served by the siding.
RAIL RESTORED: As a result of the improved coal situation, a full passenger train service will be restored on the Mildura line by Monday, said the Mildura stationmaster. Mr P. Lanigan said that a full service had not been in operation for about five years. Sleeping berths were available for next Tuesday and Thursday, and could be booked now, he said. A louvre truck for fruit would be attached to the passenger train on Sunday night, and loading would be accepted at the Mildura station between 4pm and 6 pm. Red Cliffs stationmaster Mr F. Tobias said that trains would leave Melbourne for Red Cliffs and Mildura on every day except Sunday and would leave Mildura for Melbourne each night with the exception of Saturday. A railway official said that an improvement in the shipping situation had enabled the Railway Department to build up its reserves of coal, and the commissioners had recently announced that they would increase the service on all lines by about 50 per cent.
DAILY COMPLAINT: The Mayor Cr A. J. Jenkins took the opportunity of last night’s welcome to the Canadian High Commissioner, Mr K. A. Greene, to make some statements about Sunraysia Daily. He complained that City Council was not treated fairly by Sunraysia Daily. “Reports are submitted and they appear to print with items deleted so that they have a different reading,” he declared. “If the paper would do its work honestly we would get the public behind us in advancing the city.” He accused Sunraysia Daily of giving a wrong impression by publishing pictures of rubbish dumps on the riverfront without stating that they would become “a thing of beauty” in a few years. The paper was read throughout Australia and this type of publicity was not good for the district, said Cr Jenkins. It made people wonder “if we are falling down on the job”, he added.
50 years ago
LOCOMOTIVE PLAN: Mildura Jaycees plan to spend $1000 on a steam locomotive to add to their riverfront development project, a five-acre children’s playground. Jaycee member, Mr Andrew Krumins, said Mildura City Council had been negotiating with the Victorian Railways to buy a “pensioned off steam locomotive.” The loco would be bought for the price of the scrap metal in the engine and the main expense would be transporting it to Mildura. Mr Krumins said the money was raised by Jaycees who manned the drink stalls at Mildura speedway meetings.
HATTAH ITCH: People who have been yabbying in the Mournpoul Lake in the Kulkyne State Forest have been afflicted with an ailment called “the Hattah Itch”. But former Hattah Park ranger and wildlife guide, Mr Ben Eggleton, said there was no need for panic when people were affected by the itch. He said it was caused by a small mite which lived in the moist earth on the fringe of the lake and was active in summer, especially when the lakes were low. Mr Eggleton said people who had been paddling in the shallows of the lake suffered violent itches much the same as hives, but this would usually last only a few days. But, he added, if people who caught the “The Hattah Itch” suffered from vomiting, high temperatures and head aches they should seek medical advice.
ROSES FLOURISH: Sunraysia Rose Club, which was formed in 1968, has grown to a large membership and has planned its first show to be staged at Wesley Hall. A feature of the show will be a large floral art display by David Ruston, of Renmark, who will also judge the roses and floral art. Mr Ruston is well known throughout Australia and overseas as a leading rose grower and floral artist. Other rose growers from Renmark as well as from many parts of Sunraysia will be showing roses.
25 years ago
TARRANT DEBUT: Chris Tarrant was the happiest boy in Melbourne yesterday when he learned he was to make his senior debut for Collingwood against the Western Bulldogs at Optus Oval. An exited Tarrant told his father he would be lining up in a forward pocket. Tarrant played his junior football with South Mildura before being recruited to the Bendigo Pioneers. He was Collingwood’s first choice in the November draft and is earmarked to eventually fill a key position in the forward line for the Magpies. Playing in the reserves last week, Tarrant kicked five goals and was named Collingwood’s best player.
FENCE CLOSED: Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer will close off the first 40 square kilometres of feral proof fence at Scotia Sanctuary, north-west of Wentworth. “This will be the ‘gates closed and power on’ for the world’s largest feral proof fence at Australia’s biggest wildlife conservation project,” Earth Sanctuaries director Dr John Wamsley said. When the feral proof fence around the property is completed, it will enclose 1000 square kilometres. Three rare and endangered native species were reintroduced to Scotia at the end of last year, the brush tailed bettong (woylies), burrowing bettongs (boodies) and native bandicoots (bilbies). “Its success is a clear signal that we can and will now be able to repeat this exercise 100 times over in the next 25 years.” Dr Wamsley said the Scotia sanctuary would help reverse Australia’s “abysmal record of destroying its wildlife”.
HOURS EXTENDED: In a bid to please shoppers, a majority of City Heart Traders have decided to increase their trading hours on Saturday afternoons. City Heart manager Joyce Clifford said the decision was made because traders felt they could benefit from the extended trading hours. “We put the proposal forward to the businesses in the City Heart and asked them whether or not they were interested in extending their trading hours, and those that were, have decided to. “We also will advertise for those traders who wish to extend their hours,” Ms Clifford said. According to Ms Clifford, the City Heart was not like the Centre Plaza, where businesses were told what times they could stay open.
