50 years ago August 1976
Continued support and effort by individual club members has resulted in another successful year for Lockington Young Farmers’ Club.
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During the past year, trip eliminations were well supported by club members, with the outstanding achievement being the success of Elaine Herlett in the Murray Goulburn-sponsored study tour of Canada.
State finals were reached by Bill McMinn in the VFU award to the United Kingdom and Pam Hawkins in the trip to Queensland, while Rita Van den Bosch ad John Eccles took part in the areas finals of a USA trip.
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The Jim Newton Medal for the best and fairest player in the Rochester Junior Football League was presented to Ian Ralph at the league’s annual presentation.
The long-serving president of the league, Mr Reg Oliver, was honoured by the Rochester Football Club.
The club in donating the trophy for the best and fairest in the under-13s, has decided to call it the Reg Oliver trophy.
Ian Ralph plays for the Rochester West club and won the Jim Newton Medal on votes cast by the umpires.
Runner-up was Bamawm Extension’s Steve Wickham.
The best and fairest in the under-13s was Peter Holman. Runner-up was Chris Stiff of the Nanneella club.
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Lyn Rynchiewicz has achieved the rare double of winning the Westcott Memorial Trophy for the second season in succession in the Rochester Netball Association for the best and fairest player in the ‘’A’’ division.
Lyn had one vote to spare over Judy Walsh of the Timmering club. Lyn, who plays for In Betweens, polled 43 votes.
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Rochester Football Club has appointed former Bendigo League star Bill Evely non-playing coach for the 1977 GVFL season.
Evely has had considerable success in the past with country clubs in several major leagues.
He played a season with Richmond under Alan McDonald but didn’t like city life.
25 years ago August 2001
Rochester’s Lions Park is set for a facelift following an allocation of funds from Campaspe Shire’s 2001-02 capital works budget to install new playground equipment.
The money will go towards the construction of a children’s playground with new play equipment at the rear of the park.
With fundraising projects under way, the club is confident it will raise the extra needed to complete the project.
Rochester Lions Club president Colin Dunstan said the funding would support the club’s efforts to improve the park for residents and visitors.
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Goulburn system irrigators will play a waiting game with the weather in the hope for higher water allocations
Goulburn-Murray Water announced an initial 55 per cent water right for Goulburn system irrigators for the opening of the irrigation season.
This is an optimistic increase for the Goulburn system allocation which last year received only 48 per cent water right, an increase of 13 per cent on the 1999 allocations.
Campaspe system irrigators have once again fared better, receiving an allocation of 100 per cent water right, with 80 per cent sales.
This is the same allocation for two consecutive years.
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Rochester Secondary College student Samantha Baker helped make science fun with her entry to the inaugural GoScience student writing competition.
The competition, run via the internet, encouraged Victorian students to write about science behind topics teenagers were interested in.
Samantha was one of 13 Victorian students to stand out in the internet awards with her entry ‘Hesitation When Talking’.
She received a CD voucher and had the chance to meet Melbourne Tigers basketball stars Mark Bradtke and Lanard Copeland.
10 years ago August 2016
To say the weight of death was lifted off the shoulders of the ‘save our pool’ committees on Tuesday night would not be an exaggeration.
Although that weight might only be lifted temporarily, Colbinabbin’s Michelle Rathjen said she walked out of Campaspe Shire’s meeting relieved.
‘‘The town has definitely been abuzz. The support of Colbinabbin and the other communities has been incredible,’’ she said.
‘‘I feel relieved about the direction going forward. It was amazing to see option C — to close pools — not there.
‘‘I’m glad we have a broader framework to work with.
‘‘I think it becomes so emotional because having someone drown could be a reality, if we don’t have our pools.
Mrs Rathjen said she knew the challenge for council was big and she understood the future wouldn’t be smooth sailing.
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Trucks, cars and vintage machinery took over Rochester Recreation Reserve on Tuesday last week.
But it wasn’t a museum display. It was the 18th annual Farm and Road Safety Expo.
More than 1000 school students and community members from across the region gathered to learn about safety awareness and accident prevention with the help of the SES, Rochester police and Campaspe Highway Patrol, VicRoads and Lifesaving Victoria among other organisations.
Organised by Rochester Rotary Club, the expo first came about when a need for farm safety was identified in 1999.
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Campaspe Shire Council narrowly avoided being sacked last week.
Council was named one of 13 which failed to sign a new code of conduct and was expected to be disqualified and then dismissed on September 1.
But the only mistake made on Campaspe’s behalf was that chief executive Jason Russell didn’t sign his name to say he had witnessed councillors making the declaration, despite having done so.
On Tuesday, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews indicated the government would overrule the mass sacking of more than 100 local councillors.
The government agreed to amend the Local Government Act 1989 to ensure ratepayers ‘‘do not suffer as a result of administrative errors made by a number of councils across Victoria’’.