Merv’s night at the museum: Australian cricket royalty Merv Hughes, with the Rochester Sports Museum crew of Bob and Marg Knight, Bruce Major, John Boyd, Hedley Moon and David Lake.
John Forbes’ legacy as the man behind the establishment of the Rochester Sports Museum will live on forever, as will the role he played in the lives of some of Australia’s most loves sporting identities.
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Mr Forbes, who died in March last year, donated about 2000 items to the museum from his personal collection and a close friendship with Rochester Lions Club’s Bob Knight led to the establishment of the museum.
Several of the athletes whose lives he touched in his 22 years as the national promotions manager for Puma Australia were at the Echuca Regional Health charity golf day and sportsman’s night at Rich River Golf Club last week.
In particular, Australian cricket icon Merv Hughes and Hawthorn goalkicking great Jason Dunstall — both celebrity golfers at the fundraising event — were close to Mr Forbes.
Mr Forbes, who lived at Mitiamo, used to do sportsmen’s nights and worked for 3BO at Bendigo.
Mr Knight said six of the Lions Club members were at the dinner, where tribute was paid to Mr Forbes.
The sports museum boasts a Merv Hughes Test sweater and a cricket helmet from the fast bowler’s playing days.
10 artists enter Mural Festival
Change of scenery: Murals on display at Rochester will soon be changed as the organising committee of Peter Anderson, Wayne Park, Val Gledhill and Judy Anderson prepare for the March event.
Ten artists will be involved in the latest instalment of the Rochester Mural Festival, which will be launched with the annual Meet our Artists dinner.
The dinner will be staged on Saturday, March 19, and work will commence on the eight murals — there are two joint-artist entries — the following day. The festival will run from March 20 to 27.
At the dinner the eight mini murals will be unveiled, which revolve around the theme ‘Paint us a Song’. This year is the eighth edition of the festival.
This year’s artists are Jared Farrow, two-time winner Kerry Nicholson, Gren Freeman, Chris Duffy, Marco Pennacchia, Christina Rankin, a joint entry by Rebecca Murray and Graham Wilson, then the joint effort of Maryann Jenkins and Joyce Dempsey.
Peter Anderson, part of the mural festival committee, said the committee had received interest from 22 artists this year, then shortlisted the eight entries.
“We picked them in May or June and the artists were required to let us know what they were doing in November,” Mr Anderson said.
This year’s entries were received from Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia and NSW, along with Bendigo, Echuca and even Rochester.
There are now 36 murals, from previous years of the festival, on display around the town and very soon another will be relocated to a new home.
Plannnig permit issued
Rochester Business Network president Glenda Nichol announced the planning permit to construct the undercover pavilion at the Rochester Bowls Club had been approved, and issued, by Campaspe Shire Council.
The roof will cover the main rink, in front of the pavilion, in a project worth about $750,000. The club’s goal is to complete the structure during winter, in preparation for the 2022-23 season.
It brings to an end a 12-month wait for the project, slowed by COVID-19, which also included funds for the Rochester Sports Museum and Wirima Playspace.
“This is an important milestone in the progression of the project, which is being funded by round three of the Murray-Darling Basin Economic Development Program,” Mrs Nichol said.
“The approval of the planning permit provides certainty that the project can continue, with the committee still having a considerable amount of work ahead of them to ensure the project’s success.
“This includes finalising the engineer’s reports, ordering synthetic turf and tendering the pavilion construction.”
Mrs Nichol also expressed her gratitude to the Campaspe Shire Council for waiving the planning permit fees for this project.
60th wedding anniversary
Loved up: Lynton and Ruth Else celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in February.
Lynton and Ruth Else committed to spending the rest of lives together 60 years ago — on February 17, 1962, at the Heathcote Methodist Church.
Lynton was 20 when he first met the 17-year-old Ruth, with whom he quickly became besotted. They were at the centre of 60th wedding anniversary celebrations.
Mr Else explained that they both came from a farming background, which made them quite compatible with one another.
Together they share four children — the youngest of whom was born in Rochester and is responsible for dobbing them in for this article.
They are also now proud grandparents to eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren between the ages of 20 months and 27 years old.
