PEEPS INTO THE PAST

9 - 15 May 2021
Presented by Mildura and District Historical Society Compiled by Ann Ziguras for the Mildura Rural City Council Library Service

100 YEARS AGO

MEDALS: The chief Senate discussion centred around a clause that the government proposed to enact with the object of preventing the wearing of war decorations by persons other than those to whom the particular decorations were awarded. Senator Pearce, Minister for Defence, said that numerous cases had occurred in which persons, posing as winners of various awards for bravery, had never worn uniform or been outside of Australia. Senator Gardiner contended that there was considerable public feeling of the matter, that relatives of the deceased soldiers being very proud of the military awards gained by their dead, and that provision should be made to allow any person to wear the military decorations that had been awarded to dead friends or relative. The Minister introduced an amendment permitting the mothers and widows of deceased soldiers to wear the military decorations of their dead sons or husbands in a manner that would be prescribed by regulations. The debate was adjourned. ACHIEVEMENTS: The King and Queen and Princess Mary attended Melba's farewell concert in London. Several of the Australian cricketers and some other Australians formed an impromptu guard of honor at the theatre entrance, showering Melba with wattle blossom. A critic writes: "It was a memorable triumph. The vast audience held its breath and listened entranced to the long, liquid notes. Her singing concluded with 'Home, Sweet Home' sung to her own accompaniment. The first Lady Barrister in the State of New South Wales was admitted to the NSW Bar in Sydney on Thursday. Miss Ada Evans was admitted by the application of Mr Noyce. Chick Evans is coming later for the preliminary heats in the Head-of-the-River boat race were rowed on the Barwon River this afternoon in delightful weather. There was a record Geelong crowd of 15,000. LOCAL SPORTS: Western Interstate Association competition matches opened on Saturday when the Merbein Rovers visited Wentworth and Curlwaa journeyed to Merbein South. The standard of football was not of the best, but gave promise of much improvement to come. After a hard-fought game Wentworth gained the day by 5-11 (41) to Merbein Rovers 4-4 (28).

One hundred pounds in prize-money is to be awarded by the Mildura Rifle Club at the prize shoot to be held at the Mildura rifle range on Saturday. MALLEE WHEAT: Up to the month of April, 200,000 bags of wheat have been entrained from stations on the Murrayville line. The areas have produced one fifth of the wheat in Victoria this season.

75 YEARS AGO

1946 LOCAL NEWS: District wives have left the United Kingdom as passengers on the steamer Rangitata sailing to Australia on April 16. They included the wife and child of Sgt D C Bridley (RAAF) of Birdwoodton, the wife of Sgt CC Newey (RAAF) of Red Cliffs, the wife and child of Sgt C A Lewis (RAAF) of Cowangie, and widow and child of Flying Officer E.M.H. Knyvett (RAAF) late of Mildura. The vessel is expected to arrive in Melbourne on May 25. FATHER'S DAY GIFT: Former RAAF pilot who dropped a bag of sweets from an aeroplane over his father's home as a Father's Day gift was fined 10 pounds in the Special Federal Court on a charge of having flown without a civil aviation licence, and was warned of the danger of dropping packages. The pilot was Maxwell Bishop Holland (20) of Vaucluse, who said he had 100 hours' flying in the Air Force and 25 hours' civil flying time, but had no flying licence at present. He was also reprimanded for flying within 100 feet off the ground. (11.5.1946) PACIFIC ISLANDS: The United States has indicated to Britain that it would like to obtain sovereignty over three Pacific Islands – British-owned Christmas and Fanafuti Islands, and the Janton Islands, which are at present under joint British-American control, says the New York Times correspondent at Washington. (13.5.1946)

50 YEARS AGO

1971 BOLTE VISIT: Red Cliffs Bowling Carnival will be highlighted by a visit of Victorian Premier, Sir Henry Bolte and Lady Bolte. They will be met by President J Giddings and Associate President Dot Gordon. The first event in the carnival was the Red Cliffs Championship Fours which were finalised yesterday with the results being: Winning team - A. Massey (skipper) Yarraville, C. Jenkinson, W. Rowe, B. Hazel - all from Red Cliffs: Runners-up - W. Meyers (skipper) L. Arthur, E. Thomas, J, Abbott. The game was closely played all day. LAND RIGHTS: The Vestey Company has told the Gurindjis it has no objections to them being granted land rights at Wattie Creek.

The company has said it would co-operate with any Federal Government decision concerning Gurindjis land rights at Wattie Creek. The ACTU President (Mr R.J. Hawke) said the ACTU would ask the Federal Government to supply financial assistance to the Gurindjis to sink bores and establish cattle operations. The ACTU was prepared to act on behalf of the Gurindjis in talks with the Federal Government on Wattie Creek land rights, Mr Hawke said. (14.5.1971)

POLIO VACCINE: A new series of special evening clinics for the purpose of administering Sabin and polio vaccine will begin in the Mildura shire later this month .Shire Health Inspector (Mr.P. Smout) said anyone who was unable to attend the regular day clinics could attend evening clinic. No charge is made and no prior application is required. (14.5.1971)

25 YEARS AGO

1996 MUNGO MAGIC: You have lived among the giant wombats, kangaroos and emus, fished from a vast lake upon which you travelled from west to east many times to bury your dead. One day there appears, as if by magic, men of a different color, thundering from somewhere out of the horizon. The tribal men stand ready, their women and children watch, awe struck by this peculiar sight. The evolving history of the Parrintji people who once occupied Mungo tells the story, not just of European invasion, but also of the cyclical nature of life. Believed to be the oldest tribe in Australia, they were a small, but sophisticated, faction of the large Barkindji tribes, employing burial rituals which signified an advanced belief in the afterlife. The Parrinjti's rich source of golden perch, yabbies and shellfish has gone – it took 15,000 years to dry up – and today the ancient lakebed forms the bulk of what has become known throughout the world as Mungo National Park. Mungo's history requires more explanation, however. It's time as a primary producer is significant in terms of the eventual formation of the park boundaries. Joseph Hardon and Charles Bonney brought the first domestic cattle to the area. During the 1850s Gol Gol Station was established by squatters only to be subdivided in 1922 for soldier settlers. The Cameron brothers who were first allotted Mungo called it so after a Scottish Church "St Mungo" – by chance also an Aboriginal word for canoe. In 1934 it was owned worked by an A. Barnes before being dedicated as a National Park in 1979. Long before the dedication a band of Chinese built the Mungo Woolshed out of termite-proof Murray Pine logs. (13.5.1996)