Reflections from the past

The purpose of the workshop will be to store restored machinery and to provide a place where exhibitors can work on their machinery all year round.

The workshop will give ample space for such work: it will be 100 feet long, 35 feet wide and 14 feet high to the nearest beam.

The Rotary Club hopes eventually to reproduce an old-fashioned engineers’ shop, with suitable equipment on display.

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Factory workers, shop assistants, school children and their teachers, housewives, pensioners, businessmen, truck drivers and clergymen will be among the thousands of rural Victorians to join dairy farmers in mass demonstrations of community concern next week.

Seven giant country rallies, organised by the United Dairyfarmers of Victoria, will focus national attention upon the plight of the Victorian dairy industry.

The rallies will bring together all sectors of the rural community likely to be seriously affected by the fast-deteriorating economic situation of the dairy industry.

A rally planned for Echuca has been merged with Shepparton.

United Dairyfarmers president Mr Bill Pyle said that dairy farmers’ gross incomes were already 30 per cent lower than they were a year ago, without allowing even for galloping cost inflation.

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Tennis is a game for all ages, as competition in Moama proved.

Among those slamming down a piercing serve with the enthusiasm of youth at Moama Tennis Club's social tournament on Wednesday was one of the club's top A Grade women players, Judy Barber.

Representing the ‘’oldies’’ was Mrs Eva Miller, of Porter St, Moama, who turned 73 recently.

Mrs Miller has been playing tennis for at least 50 years — she's not sure of the exact number — and still plays both social and competition tennis at least once a week.

Wednesday's tournament was staged by the club to raise funds for the Moama Pre-School centre.

25 years ago, May 2001

Tongala's history will come alive in nine murals especially created to celebrate the town's transformation over the years.

Seven of the nine paintings, depicting different aspects of the town's history, have been completed, with the remaining two murals already started.

Each will be located at special areas around town, which are yet to be decided.

Tongala artist Murray Ross has been entrusted with this major work, and so far he has not let the town down.

One of his works depicts a scene from army hospital in Papua New Guinea, representing the town’s involvement in Australia’s war campaigns.

The murals will be launched later in the year.

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Echuca's three community-run pre-schools received no joy in the state budget to help their administrative load.

Like community-run pre-schools across the state, Echuca East, Echuca South and Echuca Central pre-schools are struggling with the administrative work associated with running their centres.

Kindergarten Parents Victoria deputy director Gerard Mansour said the KPV was disappointed in the missed opportunity in the budget to provide additional funding for pre-schools.

‘’Volunteer parents who manage 1000 pre-schools across Victoria have been asking for increased support since the previous state government withdrew nearly $20 million from early childhood education from 1994,’’ he said.

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Echuca-Moama's Mae Vincent and Betty Moore were runners-up in their singles events at the Victorian State Golf Croquet Championships in Bendigo.

Moore lost to Eaglehawk's Deirdre Pianta 21 hoops to 20 in the division 2-3 final, while Vincent lost to Newstead's Valerie Lefel 21 hoops to 20 in division four.

While they didn’t win, both women were pleased with the results.

‘’We were rapt,’’ Vincent said.

‘’We were very excited,’’ Moore said.

For Moore, the silver was the first she had won at state level, while It was Vincent's second.

Both Rich River Golf Croquet Club members, the pair also played in the doubles at the championships but were unsuccessful.

10 years ago, May 2016

Dairy farmers suffering the shock of a major milk price drop gathered at Tongala on Wednesday night to vent their frustration and seek a solution to the boom-and-bust cycle.

Governments and the big supermarkets got a caning at the protest rally over the surprise decision by two major processors, Murray Goulburn and Fonterra, to cut the price in the remaining months of this season.

But federal politicians were conspicuously absent from the room filled with 300 solemn farmers.

Some northern Victorian farmers have already wound up their dairy operations.

Suzie Jacobs from Rochester said their family milked their last cows last week. They sold half their herd and dried off the other half.

‘‘We were completely blindsided by it (the price cut),’’ Mrs Jacobs said.

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A garden where people can grow and share their own produce was opened in Echuca this week.

Echuca Neighbourhood House launched its community garden on Wednesday.

House manager Shandel Keele said the project, which includes children’s and wicking gardens, had taken shape at the High St south site during the past five months.

‘‘A garden like this doesn’t just happen. A lot of time and effort has been put into this,’’ she said.

Mrs Keele said the produce grown in the garden was used for the Food is Free program, which encourages sharing of excess produce and promotes gardening in public zones.

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Echuca netball export Caitlyn Nevins has been invited to join the Australian Diamonds squad in a training camp at Netball Australia’s Centre for Excellence in two weeks.

The Queensland Firebirds midcourt player has been invited on the back of strong ANZ Championship form after playing in the past two championship teams.

She will join NSW Swifts defender Maddy Turner and West Coast Fever defender Courtney Bruce in Canberra, which will be Nevins’ second taste of the national team environment.

‘‘Last year I participated in the Future Diamonds Focus camp, which was a great learning experience,’’ Nevins said.

‘‘I got to see what it takes to make the Australian team.’’