50 years ago October 1974
A member of the Echuca Motor Cycle Club will compete in Australia’s biggest one-day scramble at the Clear Springs Estate near Surfers’ Paradise, Queensland, on Sunday.
He is Robert McLean, who left Echuca with two members of the Goulburn Valley Motor Cycle Club who will also compete at the meeting, the Trans Tasman Motor Cross.
Prizemoney for the scramble totals $3000 and there will be seven riders from New Zealand and others from all parts of Australia taking part.
Robert is to ride his 250cc Suzuki and expects to compete in four events.
His trip to the scramble is being sponsored by Wolf’s Motor Cycle Services, of Hare St, Echuca, where he is employed.
***
Thirty floats have been entered for tomorrow’s Riverine Herald Rich River Festival street procession, and organisers are hoping for a fine morning to attract a big crowd of spectators.
The precession of floats, bands and children in fancy dress and riding decorated bicycles will move off from Hopwood Gardens and proceed along HIgh St to Pakenham St, down Hare St, to Anstruther St and finish in the High St car park.
Festival director Ian Blyth said that the number of floats already entered exceeded last year’s entry by about eight.
He said it was shaping up to be a much better procession than last year’s.
The procession will be led by the City of Echuca Federal Band.
***
Following a number of months of intermittent work, the first stage of a $20,000 waste treatment system at UBCO has reached completion.
The system, a Quadruple Interceptor Pit, is 2.08m (6’ 10“) deep and wide and 4.22m (13’ 10”) long and is divided into sections by partitions which screen particular undesirable particles.
Two apprentices and two senior employees have worked on the system for the past few months when materials have been available and the weather suitable.
25 years ago October 1999
The name Pericoota has been officially protected.
Federal Member for Farrer Tim Fischer on Saturday launched the Pericoota geographical indicator, ensuring that the name could not be used on any wine label unless the product was from the designated region.
The launch, at St Anne’s Vineyard, was attended by growers who are backing the new region.
‘“I doff my hat to St Anne’s Pericoota,’’ Mr Fischer said, lifting the Akubra which, he added, had been touched by the Pope.
‘’Pericoota will become a stunning success, mark my words,’’ he said.
The 14 Pericoota growers, with more to come, had brought in $19 million to the area so far, and employed 80 people full-time and another 80 part-time.
***
Oyez, Oyez.
The cries filled the air in Echuca at the weekend as champion town criers from throughout Australia vied for the right to be national champions.
The winner was Howard Barker, with Stephen Clarke and Morris Hughes sharing honours for second place.
The cries began early Saturday with a home cry at the Aquatic Reserve. Criers later paraded through Port to Riverboat Dock, after a cruise, and paraded to Kerrabee Soundshell for a cry of the host region.
***
The 1st Lockington Cub Scouts held a yellow cord presentation at Mitiamo Rock.
The cubs needed to achieve three badges — gold boomerang, blue first aid and green citizenship — to earn their yellow cord.
The gold boomerang badge consists of 10 tests covering basic scouting and bushcraft skills. The blue first aid badge required cubs to attend to bandaging, spider and snake bites and more.
The green citizenship badge required the cubs to have a knowledge of local council laws and how to uphold them and of service within the community.
10 years ago October 2014
Ross Veale, Maureen Baker and Kevin Hutchinson were named as the inaugural ‘tourism legends’ by Echuca-Moama Tourism on Wednesday.
Announced at its annual general meeting at Rich River Golf Club Resort, the trio was recognised for a lifetime contribution to the tourism and hospitality industry in the Echuca-Moama region.
EMT chair Kerrie Pitts said it was ‘‘high time that EMT and the wider industry acknowledged the outstanding contribution of our past leaders who worked so hard to develop the successful industry we have today’’.
‘‘If we can’t respect this contribution and acknowledge those who have made a genuine difference to our industry, we are failing as an organisation,’’ she said.
***
More than 500 district residents donned purple attire and/or wacky costumes and converged on Moama for the annual Relay For Life fundraiser.
Teams set off at 4pm on Saturday and circled Moama Recreation Reserve until 10am on Sunday in a kaleidoscope of colour, laughter and festivity as lap by lap the community raised $65,000 for the Cancer Council.
There were tents, swags, vans and more tents as 25 teams geared up for the relay-style overnight event.
Team Happy Hour raised the most money, tallying $11,500, while its spooky halloween-themed tent also saw them complete the double of most money and best team display.
Cancer Council’s Jamie-lea Jones said she was overwhelmed by the turnout as there is ‘‘a lot going on in the community’’ at the moment.
***
Murray Shire Mayor Tom Weyrich has called on the Victorian Government to ‘‘man up’’ and announce a construction start date for the new Echuca-Moama bridge.
With the Victorian election only weeks away, Cr Weyrich said now was the time to apply pressure to the government.
‘‘We’ve been asking for 12 months for a commencement date,’’ Cr Weyrich said.
‘‘They’ve said, ‘This is where the bridge route is’ and given us a bit of money for Warren St, but I want to know when will they be shovel-ready to start work on the bridge?’’
Cr Weyrich said even if a promise was made today, the start of construction would be three years away.
‘‘We’ve had public disputes, forums, discussions — every delay tactic possible,’’ he said.
‘‘Now is the time to man up.“