Schools were in, in February 1975
Apology Readers will have noted a glitch on this page in the edition of 6 February. Some words appeared in isolation within the reference to the tragic loss of three members of Stanhope’s Elford family early in 1975. The words belonged in a full sentence to read: “Son Gary Elford was also very badly injured”. I appreciate the understanding in my subsequent chat with Gary’s sister Christine that sometimes in printing, these things happen.
Schools were in, in February 1975
The annual resumption of school came with the usual keen interest, and the vital question as always had nothing to do with teaching. “How many of the new teachers will be any good at football?”
Shire
The Shire health inspector and Housing Commission inspectors had condemned several houses in Murchison and Rushworth as unfit for human habitation. Nobody wanted to serve the notices to evict people. This all arose in a statewide blitz after fatalities in a big fire at Inglewood, where several old homes had been assessed, too late, to have been fire-traps.
Crime
Shepparton C.I.B. investigated a home burglary at Rushworth after removal of a fly-wire window screen. Detectives charged an unemployed Rushworth youth who was placed on probation for two years by the court.
Coroner’s Court
Rushworth Court sat before the Coroner who reviewed the death by drowning of Robert Kilgour Woods of Kyabram, whose body had been spotted by schoolboy Adrian Weston in the Waranga-Mallee channel late in 1974. The Coroner returned an open finding, unable to declare whether the death was a result of a fall into the water.
Schools
New High School Headmaster Mr Ernest Jones, advised of total 1975 enrolments at 218, with 42 new students in Form One (Year Seven), including three sets of twins. (Does anyone remember their names?) Form 6 (Year 12) began with a record twenty students, but five were to find other opportunities during the year.
At Rushworth Primary, sixteen children had enrolled in preps, the same number as Murchison Primary, where Headmaster Mr Seymour welcomed Miss Braund and Miss Farrugia.
Rushworth Primary’s new teacher was Mr John Bianco from Bogong Primary. The combined grades 4 and 5 had 29 students, nineteen of them girls. The year had started badly for the grades 3 and 4 composite class. “Jamie C. has a black eye. Reg got stung by a bee.”
House Captains elected were Wendy Raglus and Greg Hitchcock (Murray), Gaye Sullivan and Richard Bell (Goulburn), Wendy Hawking and Craig Beck (Campaspe). The vice-captains were Sherry Nurse and Lex Jongerden (Murray), Christine Walley and Stephen Crosbie (Goulburn), Theresa Jones and Darren Clarke (Campaspe). (In the 1960s there had been a fourth House, Ovens, if memory serves.)
Before you ask, the Houses at the High School in the 1960s were Goulburn (yellow sports clothes), Waranga (red), Rodney (blue) and Moora (green). The first three were names of district shires all now gone, while the city of Moora was a worthy choice of name.
High School teachers just commencing included Mr David Lee (Maths), Mr Terry Hatters, Mr Tony Ford (Commerce), Mrs Bernadette Williams (English), Mrs Terry Truscott (Science and Maths) and Mrs Barbara Carey (home Economics).
Community
Funds raised by Stanhope Mardi Gras went to local swimming pool and to recreation reserve, with $900 for each.
Rushworth-Colbo Apex Club held its 100th dinner meeting at Stanhope Hotel Motel. With 21 members when it was established, the club had done many projects including annual Christmas Dinners for Senior Citizens Club members, bottle collecting, bushfire relief, fishing competitions, and more.
Rushworth CWA had led the Australia Day recognition with Miss Olive Sprunt speaking of her days teaching at the “Black School” at Burrumboot, when nearby Corop had quite a shopping strip.
Cyril Kelly’s Foodland store at Colbo had closed, replaced by the Colbinabbin Bargain Centre, a furniture store operated by Steve and Jane Vasjuta. Hard to imagine now, but true back then.
Personal
The passing of Mrs Maude McIntosh at the Aged Care Home in Kyabram left descendants in the Francis, Geisler and Shaw families. She was also a great grandmother of Kylie Lockwood.
Dianne Perry’s kitchen tea was held at the fire station. Gifts for Dianne were preferred to be in “autumn tonings”. The couple married in February (see photo page 8).
Ric and Lynda Duke thanked district fire brigades which had protected their home from a fire a few weeks earlier. H. and G.W. Jongerden did likewise.
A case of pears (second grade) could be purchased for $1 from a Stanhope orchard. Dudley and Bert “Banjo” Patterson I believe. I may have picked some of them while on Uni vacation, working with Frank “Meggsy” Hageman.
Sport
In B-grade cricket, Stanhope’s Cyril Evans took 6 wickets for 34 runs in Rushworth’s 112, who had Ian Williams with 55 runs and Bill Cruz the younger on 32. In reply Stanhope reached 4-117 thanks mainly to George Gemmill’s 43 and Merv Crombie’s 19. For Rushworth Charles Potter took 2/13 and the report had M. Potter 2/34, but it must have been Peter or Donald.
Rushworth A-graders made just 132 runs against Kyabram Methodists, veteran Graeme Johansen getting 35, Alan Mee 26 and Frank Crute, a Darwin evacuee, 15. It was more than enough for the Methodist men who made 83, bowled out by unsympathetic Rushworth Methodists John Raglus 5/18, Geoff Hawking 2/18 and brother Trevor 1/37. (If any reader knows how former High School teacher Alan Mee can be contacted, I would be pleased to learn.)
Rushworth B-graders dismissed Merrigum for 122, then made 158. Bill Cruz again led the way with a hard-hitting 49 runs, Mr Les Hoyling adding 43, and “the old reliable” Les Morgan unbeaten on 28.
Rushworth Under-15 team were too good for Merrigum, dismissed first for 56, then for 43, as Rushworth made 156 runs. Stars were Gary Hitchcock and Peter Schade with a 43-run partnership, Paul Gleeson taking 3/3 and Craig Beck 3/5 in the rare outright win in junior cricket.
Captain of Rushworth 3 team in junior tennis was Simon Bolden, leading Bill Fraser, Ian Raglus, Lyn-Maree Pearce, Rosanne Heily and Kathy McArdle. The club held its junior championships, Judy Meagher defeating her sister Wendy 6-5, 6-1, Stephen Barlow over Chris Geisler 6-3, 6-4.
Rushworth 1 in A-Grade senior tennis collected 92 games to wallop Byrneside with just 37. John “Tacky” Borger, Glen Rathjen, Bill and Herb Barlow, Beryl Home, Nan Jessup, Ann Brown and Cheryl Hawking had a good day on the court. (Three Colbo people here; no competition tennis played there in 1975.)
Football
The adjourned annual meeting of Rushworth Football Club resumed, and elected Don Perry to succeed Eddie Gleeson as club president. Tom Moylan became senior vice-president, Les Morgan the junior vice-president and Matt Kennedy secretary. Player representatives on the new committee were John Lambden and Denis Ogden. High-leaping Mick O’Sullivan was appointed as playing coach.
But how many teams would line up in April? Tooborac? Heathcote? Watch this space.
