Jane Brond came fourth in the Long Course Tri Women 40 to 44 age group at the World Triathlon Championships in Townsville at the weekend.
The daughter of former Kyabramites Debbie and Vic Morris, Jane was placed 15th coming out of the 3km swim. But she then moved up to third in the 110km cycling leg — her strongest event — before finishing fourth in the 30km run.
The previous Saturday, Jane finished fifth out of 300 participants in her class in the duathlon event, just three minutes behind the winner.
Remembering the ‘sonic boom’
It’s nearly 55 years since the tiny town of Murchison was the centre of a phenomenon that captured global attention.
That was the day — a Sunday — when it was showered by pieces of a meteorite estimated to be more than 4.6 billion years old and formed in the early history of our solar system and containing stardust seven billion years old.
“Express train”, “thunder” and “sonic boom” were among the descriptions used by locals to describe the sound when the meteorite fell at 11am on Sunday September 28, 1969.
Amazingly, apart from one unlucky cow, there were no casualties.
Fragments of the meteorite are still being studied all over the world and just two years ago in Japan the final two of five chemicals required to form DNA inside the space rock were identified.
To celebrate the 55th anniversary of meteorite’s fall to earth, Murchison and District Historical Society will stage a two-day event on Friday, September 27 and Saturday, September 28.
Anyone seeking more information can visit Murchisonhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
Rain breaks ‘green drought’
Up until Sunday it had been labelled in one agricultural publication as the “green drought”.
That means there has been enough rain to establish green growth but not enough yet to declare a good cropping and hay season.
Kyabram weather station had registered just 17.6mm for August up to Sunday but that figure was boosted to 38mm in a torrential late afternoon storm.
The Kyabram weather station registered 20.2mm in the storm, which hit at 4.30pm. Many areas reported larger falls and some less.
The long-term August average is 42mm and 1958 produced the wettest August on record with 136mm.
Only three other years — 1920 (111mm), 1938 (104mm) and 1973 (100mm) — have topped 100mm rainfall for August.
In contrast, 2020 was Kyabram’s driest August with just 1.4mm.
July produced only 22mm and June 26mm, also both well below the average for these other winter months.
Kyabram rainfall total for the year stands at 331mm, which is still slightly more than the long-term average of 297mm.
Kyabram also received its highest temperature since May when the mercury hit 22.7°C on Sunday.
Excitement is soaring
The Victorian Aerobatics Championships will return to Tocumwal.
This follows an agreement between the Australian Aerobatic Victorian Chapter and Berrigan Shire Council.
Over the past three years, the partnership has faced challenges regarding access fees to Tocumwal Aerodrome.
But those challenges have been resolved and there is confidence Tocumwal will now enjoy long-term vibrant aerobatic activity, starting with the Victorian Aerobatics Championships from September 11 to 14.
Plenty of hats in the ring
Plenty of interest for two seats in the upcoming Murray River Council elections.
The Moama and Greater Murray wards have seven and six candidates, respectively, contesting three seats.
But Wakool ward will have no election, with only three nominations for the three seats.
Square dinkum
G’day.
My wife crashed the car again today. She told the police that the man she hit was on his mobile phone and had a can of beer in his hand. The police told her the man is allowed to do that — particularly when he is sitting on the couch in his own living room!
Hooroo!