Dairy news and missing men in early November 1974
Big news of the month was the announcement of commencement of the new plant at Ibis Milk Products at Stanhope to produce dried milk powder, with cheese production to be scaled back. New equipment was reported to have cost $2 million.
Police news
Police co-ordinated searches for two men reported missing. Glen Westaway of Echuca, son of Alan and Heather, was lost in the forest near Whroo. Sergeant Geoff Durston of Rushworth Police sounded the fire siren and a search party set out to comb the area near the restored puddling machine, amid concerns about a number of unfilled mine shafts. After an extensive search, Glen was found relatively unharmed on the Bailieston Road.
The other man was Robert Wood, an elderly retired farmer from Kyabram, whose car had been found parked near the Outlet Bridge. While the man may have left the scene in another vehicle or on foot, it was decided to close the outlet, so as to lower the level and check the downstream section of the channel. This was done without result.
Community
A pre-school assistant was sought at Murchison with applications to go to the secretary, Mrs Jan Hammond, of River Road.
Schools
From Rushworth Primary preps: “Darren had a needle so his mother bought him a new toy car and two glass dolphins for Mrs Johansen.” (You probably had to be there.)
There were serious health and safety issues for Grades 1 and 2: “We went to see a play called ‘The Gravy Garden’. There was a very fat man in it who was a greedy glutton. He nearly fell on Glen and Mark.” (You probably had to be there.)
Personal
Presbyterian minister Rev Hilton Whyte made Rushworth – Stanhope his final parish, and retired after six years in the local pulpits, and many more elsewhere.
Mrs W. Fox was honoured for her 80th birthday with a celebration in the Shire Hall, organised and attended by her five daughters and two sons.
Mrs W. Pepperell of Phillips Street had her 92nd birthday. Grandchildren included twins Nola and Valma, Ron and Harry, of Wanalta.
Robert “Rowdy” Hageman turned 21, and celebrated with family at the home of mother Win.
Stanley Risstrom, a grandson of a district pioneer, died at McLeod Repatriation Hospital, created especially for war veterans. He had been injured by gas in World War I.
Annie, Lizzie and Wattie Hay of Murchison Road placed their annual notice in memory of their mother. Mrs Hay had passed away in November of 1965.
A photograph accompanied a report of a kitchen tea for Colbinabbin’s Pauline McEvoy, held in the Colbinabbin Memorial Hall on 12 November, a Tuesday afternoon.
The wedding at Nagambie of Heather McLean, formerly of Rushworth, and Joel Reed of Oak Park, back on 26 October, was reported. Bronwyn Barlow was matron of honour, Maureen Carr the bridesmaid. “They carried frangipani and stephanotis, tied with long white satin streamers.” Joel’s cousin Eric Millard was best man and Tony Cornish was the groomsman. (I was an old-fashioned usher at the church, and kissed a few relatives. Two days later I was diagnosed with glandular fever, then called the Kissing Disease. Nobody reported picking up a dose!)
Tennis
A whole page was given up to publish the full tennis fixture for all grades over the upcoming summer. (That was a page easily filled, with a sigh of relief from the editor, a keen tennis player.)
Rushworth I Juniors to go in against Toolamba were Peter Hawking (c), B. Carey, D. Roberts, Elizabeth Caygill, V. Anderson (probably Jenny or Jane, I suspect) and Louise Poulson.
Rushworth III Juniors were due to play Tatura II. Selected were Chris Bolden (capt.), Chris Geisler, S. Bolden, Kathy McArdle, P. Egan and Teresa Barlow.
Rushworth IV Juniors chosen to serve it up to Tatura I were Ian Raglus, Fiona Taylor, P. Jackson, Loretta Barlow, Gillian Risstrom and J. Hawking (capt.) but it does not say whether Janet or Joanne. (I will go with Janet.)
C-grade senior team was Peter Davidson (c), Rob Raglus, Stephen Barlow, Gerard McArdle, D. Cole, Susan Barber, Kerryn Beck and Meredith Heily.
Cricket
Rushworth schoolboy cricketer Stephen Teasdale, who bowled with an unorthodox windmill action, had a big match in B-Grade. From 19 overs across both innings against Tongala he took 12 wickets for 31 runs, while batsmen Chip Hageman (22 runs) and Ross Williams (12) were named in the paper.
A report of the A-grade match described Rushworth’s performance as “shocking”, without giving details, though that usually indicates multiple ducks and dropped catches. Trevor Hawking was the obvious exception, scoring 64 runs. High school teacher Alan Mee contributed 21 runs. (Do any teachers wield the willow for cricket clubs across our district these days?)
Opening the batting for Colbinabbin cricket, with some success, were Brett Cheatley and Bob McLean.
