Cyclone Tracey prompts local help in Australia-wide response
1975 began with Waranga Shire, like most shires, holding a public appeal for money to assist the survivors of Cyclone Tracey, most of whom were housed in Adelaide or Perth after being flown out of the disaster zone. Darwin had been home to about 46,000 people until Christmas Eve, 1974.
Collections, events and a big raffle were held as part of the fund-raising effort. Winners of a new 36-inch colour TV in one raffle were Ray and Jenny Baldwin of Rushworth, parents of little Boss who got his photo in the paper!
Sandra Fitzgibbon, ex-Rushworth, was spared major damage to her home about 20 km south of Darwin. Phillip Crute, John Crute, Dennis Crute and wife Ann were not so lucky but had evacuated to their parents’ home in Rushworth. Gary Draper and wife Gwen remained in Darwin to assist the clean-up, as did Ian Hageman. Rhonda Sullivan also survived and worked to assist the police after the cyclone before returning to Rushworth.
Naval rating Brian O’Mahoney got two weeks “survival leave” out of Darwin, returning to his parents’ home in Murchison.
Road trauma
Road tragedy had struck again when Stanhope’s Mervyn and Myra Elford and their youngest daughter Marjorie died in a collision near Hastings badly injured. Mervyn had a building business and was active in the local Presbyterian church and the Fire Brigade. Christine Dicketts is another member of this family.
Crime
Rushworth court sent a local man to gaol for three months, after he had taken a fancy to bales of wool stored in local shearing sheds. A close relative of this man faced similar charges but his stash also included liquor and cigarettes from Valley View golf club, property from Stanhope Motors and Star Motors of Rochester and tyres from Hilders’ Garage Rushworth. Sergeant Durston had literally chased and apprehended the offender whose sentence was not reported but was certainly longer than three months as he “had form”, and plenty of it.
A local lad lost his motorcycle licence and was fined $10 for not wearing a helmet and another was poorer by $35 for failing to display P-plates. Two other local youths failed to appear but were still fined $5 for being drunk and disorderly.
Vandals had been smashing bottles at the tip after the caretaker Bill Campbell had carefully stacked them for the collector. Constable Peter Hromenko was on the case.
Schools
At this time exam results were not announced until mid-January. Higher School Certificate scores from 1974 brought credit to Rushworth High School with eleven of the thirteen students qualifying for university entrance. Celebrating five subject successes were Judith Benn (Stanhope), Bruce Milthorpe (Carag), Roslyn Caygill, Elaine Kolenaty and Sheena Weaver (all of Rushworth). Doing well were John Holschier, Janice Collier, Yvonne Laurie and Anne Tuohey together with Kaye Grinter and Rhonda Stokes.
An A-rating (80-100%) was obtained by Roslyn Caygill for Biology and by Bruce Milthorpe for the impossible subject known to some as Pure Mathematics.
Community
Over 300 Guides and Brownies arrived at Murchison by train to celebrate 60 years of Guide and Brownie activity in the town. Visitors put on performances with songs from a number of different countries. Karen Hayes was enrolled in the local Brownie pack, and Mrs Jean Phillips received a presentation for her long period of support.
The Stanhope Mardi Gras on New Year’s night had raised $4000 as Miss Sharon Todd, a Rushworth High School student, was awarded Miss Mardi Gras. The procession had many novel floats, an award going to lads Peter Lloyd and Malcom McGrath who, with their aeroplane, portrayed “Around the World with Gough”, Mr Whitlam having done some international visiting in the months previous.
Moora Rural Fire Brigade took possession of a new 4WD tanker equipped with an auto-prime pump. First to give it a test on the Corop bridge over the channel were the very handy crew of Bill Perry, Bob McLean, Ron and Bruce Wootton.
Personal
Passing in December 1974 or January 1975 were Mr Victor Budd of Rushworth, aged just 60, Mrs Irene Brown (nee La Peyre) at Wycheproof, but late of Rushworth and Stanhope, aged 83, Mrs Sarah Darrigan of Colbinabin, aged 87, Mrs Agnes Campbell (nee Matheson) of Moora, Mrs Mary Stone of Murchison, Alan Challis of Murchison, aged 62, and Edith Fox, the mother of Mick and Colin Fox. Henry Broadwood died at Numurkah, the grandfather of locals Margaret Watson and Rob Colliver, and their sister Marian.
Ken and Helen Harcoan welcomed Kathryn, a sister for Susan and David.
Terry Eldridge of Murchison married Anne Dean of Wahring at Nagambie with the men of the bridal party starring in pale blue suits! Dianne McGrath of Stanhope married Peter Curran. They had met in the Air Force and were off to live at Butterworth base in Malaya.
In the kitchen for her tea with family and friends was Mary Tuohey of Colbo.
Sport
Runner Colin McQueen eighteen of Murchison, represented Victoria over 200 and 400 metres and a big future was predicted for the young athlete.
Rushworth A-grade cricketers went down outright to Lancaster, despite a captain’s knock of 90 not out from Graeme Hageman. B-Grade dismissed Undera for 42 and 130 but just missed an outright win as they dropped seven catches. Stars were Charles Potter with 5/15 and Chris Hageman 4/33.
Selected for Junior Country Cricket Week at Bendigo were Craig Beck and Allan Hawking.
Playing at Stanhope green due to locust damage at Rushworth, Jeff Geddes took out his third Rushworth Bowls Club championship, defeating Geoff Beck 32-19. (I hear that bowler Bruce Wootton has just notched up his fourteenth Club Championship, which is a mighty effort. He will be a pretty handy bowler when he gets the hang of the sport.)
At a tournament at Nagambie Bruce Laurie and George Kolenaty won the open pairs event.
Football
Rushworth club’s AGM attracted only seventeen members, hearing Eddie Gleeson step down as President, and Ian Borger calling nominations for a successor. Six nominees all declined. Coach Alec Horne had stepped aside due to “business commitments” and a sub-committee was seeking a suitable coach. The AGM was adjourned but appointed delegates to the Heathcote League, with authority to vote “as they saw fit”.
Tooborac, the reigning premiers, were threatening to leave the League if they could not be permitted to play more ex-radius players. Heathcote Football Club were also talking of leaving the Heathcote League which would have been very strange if they had joined a different competition.
