Sixty-six descendants of the late Mr and Mrs Alf Williams, of Drummartin, near Elmore, gathered at Alton Reserve, Echuca, for a family reunion. The six children of Mr and Mrs Alf Williams were all present, and one daughter, Mrs Jean Bacon, of Tennyson, was delighted to have five of her six children and 23 grandchildren with her for the day. Pictured are the six children of the late Mr and Mrs Alf Williams. They are (back row, left to right) Stan, of Kangaroo Flat; Jack, of Drummartin, and Harry, of Bendigo; (front) Mrs Jean Bacon of Tennyson; Bill, of Drummartin, and Mrs Dorothy Hamley, of Dingee.
Photo by
Riverine Herald
50 years ago, January 1976
The world's tallest stiltman, Romanian-born Alex Jurman, will stride through Echuca on Wednesday, January 14, to help stamp out littering.
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Alex is leading an anti-litter promotional team for the Keep Australia Beautiful Council (Vic) through major country towns.
The team also includes litter maids Leigh Jackson and Lisa Berryman.
Executive director of the Keep Australia Beautiful Council, Mr Gordon Cooper, said keeping litter down was a tall order for most people but Alex “could get right on top of it”.
“Alex had some bad falls caused by tripping over litter, so he has a special interest in leading the council’s seventh annual anti-litter summer campaign,” Mr Cooper said.
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Like the rest of the Murray Valley, Echuca is feeling the effects of recent adverse publicity in the metropolitan press.
The work of the metropolitan press has successfully stemmed the flow of tourists from the major cities to the Murray Valley, including Echuca.
This was the feeling expressed on Friday by several people who are involved in the tourist industry at Echuca.
Evidence that the whole Murray Valley was suffering came from Mr Howard Bull, manager of a public relations firm from Melbourne who has travelled the entire length of the Murray Valley in recent weeks.
During his visit to Echuca, Mr Bull said he had found concrete evidence of the shortage of tourists all along the Murray Valley.
25 years ago, January 2001
Cockatoos continue to cause massive damage to select Echuca buildings, mostly in areas close to the Campaspe River.
Earlier last year, St Joseph’s College in High St spent $30,000 repairing mainly damaged windows sills and fitting wire grilles over windows.
Cockatoos, a protected species, have also wreaked havoc on four-year-old units behind the Echuca Hotel in High St. The birds seem to have a liking for anything soft.
They also eat the rubber around aluminium windows and any sealants used around fittings.
St Joseph’s co-principal Bill Tegglelove said the college believed it now had no alternative but to place wire grilles over all its windows.
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Bill Rowlands started delivering milk to Gunbower and district way back in the horse and cart days.
That was 45 years ago ... and while the job has changed dramatically, Bill remains on the job.
Now 62, Bill assumed responsibilities at the dairy at the tender age of 17, way back in October 1955.
Bill Rowlands with his trusty old measuring dipper.
Photo by
Riverine Herald
‘’I remember when I took over, one of the locals said I wouldn't last the year out. They said I was too young,’’ Bill recalled.
He will never forget his first day on the job.
‘’Ashton's Circus happened to be in Gunbower at the time and three elephants walking across the road caused my horse to bolt,’’ Bill said.
10 years ago, January 2016
There are fears homelessness could rise in the Echuca-Moama district, with the cost of living continuing to climb.
Energy costs, public transport fares, car registration and postage will all rise in the new year, according to the Victorian Council of Social Service.
The news has been described as ‘‘scary’’ by Echuca-Moama Salvation Army Corps’ Sonia Edwards, who said the increase would place even more pressure on district families already facing financial troubles.
‘‘We see up to 30 people each week who are not coping with the cost of living as it is now,’’ she said.
‘‘And, with this, I expect that number to climb.
‘‘It is going to push people from the ‘low-income’ bracket and into the ‘struggling’ bracket.’’
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Echuca’s Col Pearse has received a little extra help with his sporting endeavours, after being awarded a grant from the Australian Sports Commission.
Col Pearse, pictured with his Pan Pacific School Games medals, has won an Australian Sports Commission grant.
Pearse — who won eight medals in the pool at the Pan Pacific School Games in Adelaide last month — was awarded a Local Sporting Champions grant from the commission, to be put towards costs associated with travel, accommodation, uniforms, equipment or training for his future events.
The $500 grant will help Pearse continue his training and preparations for future events over this summer and beyond.
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