50 YEARS AGO
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1973
CP’S MAN IS EDDIE HANN
A Lockington farmer, 27, is the Country Party’s candidate for the state seat of Rodney in this year’s Legislative Assembly elections.
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He is Mr Eddie Hann, a bachelor.
His appointment as candidate for Rodney was announced at a party pre-selection meeting in St Mary’s Hall, Echuca, on Friday.
Nearly 250 delegates from branches throughout the Rodney electorate selected Mr Hann from six candidates who sought the position.
CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL ENCOURAGES INVOLVEMENT
Community involvement in the Lockington Consolidated School will be encouraged by the new principal Mr Allan Bertwistle, who spoke of his ideas at the school on Friday.
Mr Bertwistle said he had made the school oval and facilities available to the Lockington Young Farmers’ Club for the Northern District Council Achievement Day, which was being organised by the Lockington club this year.
Classes resumed at Lockington on Tuesday with a total enrolment of 375 children as compared to 389 in 1972.
The intake of 55 beginners is the same as last year.
MOAMA JOINS THE LIST OF CRICKET ELITE
Moama have joined the list of teams capable of winning the Echuca Cricket Association’s premiership.
They qualified as contenders for the premiership when they defeated Torrumbarry in the eighth round of matches which ended on Saturday.
Torrumbarry finished its first innings at 165 all out and Moama replied with 168.
Opening batsman Jack Kirchhofer defied the efforts of the Torrumbarry bowlers for more than three hours to tally up 69 runs.
Echuca South No.1 also have their eyes on the premiership after a good win over Bamawm Extension.
South finished their first innings at 9-246, a target which Extension was unable to match.
FUN FACT: A 24-hour sewing machine service is available with the arrival of Peter and Jean Anderson from Melbourne. Peter is Echuca’s new Empisal sewing machine agent. He has had 14 years experience and there is nothing that Peter doesn’t know about sewing machines, and the way they work.
25 YEARS AGO
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1998
MURRAY SHIRE COFFERS IN GOOD SHAPE
Murray Shire’s finances, unlike those of nearby Victorian shires, are in sound shape according to the shire’s director of corporate services Barry Barlow.
Over the last three financial years, Murray Shire’s available cash funds have increased from $884,000 to $2.27 million.
In that time, Campaspe Shire’s available cash funds dwindled to $6.93 million to $1.85 million, while Moira Shire’s cash funds plummeted from $2.2 million to a debt of $3.7 million.
Mr Barlow attributed the shire’s financial state to diligent budgeting by councillors over many years.
He said part of the cash funds belonged to reserves for major infrastructures including water supply and sewerage systems.
ECHUCA TEACHERS JOIN STATEWIDE STOPPAGE
Echuca teachers will join a 24-hour stopwork action tomorrow in an ongoing dispute with the government over school funding and staffing increases.
The Australian Education Union has decided to strike after nine months of negotiations with the government broke down late last year.
Echuca Secondary College Australian Education Union Sub-Branch president David Holmes, said the stoppage would cause a considerable amount of disruption to schools, but the union would continue to strike until the Department of Education agreed to discuss the issues.
RAIN TOO EARLY FOR L&DTA
The rain came a little early for some of those competing in Lockington and District Tennis Association matches on Saturday.
Many of the matches on the lawn courts were washed out.
However, most matches were able to begin the mixed doubles, allowing points to be allocated for sets played and bonus points given to the team in an unbeatable position.
Remaining points were halved if a match did not reach a conclusion.
FUN FACT: A quality three-bedroom brick veneer home with formal lounge, spacious kitchen-dining area, fully air-conditioned plus gas heating, carport and garage in Central Echuca could have been yours for $175,000 with The Professionals.
10 YEARS AGO
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013
COXY CAN’T WAIT FOR NEXT BIG BREAK
Channel 7 television show host Geoff ‘Coxy’ Cox cannot get enough of Echuca.
Echuca has featured many times on his show Coxy’s Big Break, but Coxy also tries to sneak in a personal visit five or six times a year, minimum.
‘‘(It’s) one of my favourite places in the world,’’ he said.
‘‘That is absolute fact. I absolutely love it, love it up here.’’
His most recent visit to Echuca on Monday, however, was professional.
Coxy, co-host Rhys Uhlich and a television crew, were filming for a special Murray River episode, which will also feature Cobram-Barooga, Albury and Yarrawonga.
The Echuca segment will focus on the history of the PS Pevensey, which turned 100 in 2011.
Asked what he loved about Echuca, Coxy said the history.
‘‘I find it incredible that this wharf was once 1.2km long and was a busy inland port,’’ he said.
‘‘Every time I come here, you might be in a pub or a milk bar or anywhere, somebody tells you something and you go, here? really?’’
BASIN PLAN BECOMES LAW
The Murray-Darling Basin Plan became law yesterday.
The legislation allows 3200 gigalitres for environmental flow in the basin, as well as $1.77 billion to relax key operating constraints and recover the additional water through projects that don’t have a social and economic impact on communities.
Water Minister Tony Burke said the passage of the Water Amendment (Water for the Environment Special Account) Bill marked a key milestone in the Federal Government’s plan to restore the Murray-Darling Basin to health.
‘‘Late last year, the Gillard Government ended a century-long argument on how best to manage our rivers and delivered a Murray-Darling Basin Plan that restores our rivers to health, supports strong regional communities and ensures sustainable food production,’’ he said.
‘‘The Murray-Darling Basin Authority set a benchmark of 2750Gl of environmental water in the basin.“
READY FOR RACING
Final preparations were in full swing for the 2013 Club Marine Southern 80.
Competitors and spectators from around Australia were set to converge on Echuca-Moama.
The weekend again is looking to be a ripper and, with 599 entries, which encompasses more than 1100 competitors and 307 boats, it will make for some exciting action on the Murray River.
Moama Water Sports Club said it could not put this weekend on without the support of many businesses and volunteers in the towns of Echuca-Moama.
FUN FACT: KFC Echuca’s $5 lunch deal which featured a Crispy Sub, Wicked Wing, Regular Chips, Potato & Gravy and 250ml Pepsi Max was in full swing.
Gregor Mactaggart is the editor of the Riverine Herald.