50 years ago
October 1974
Sister Jenny Barkley, of Riddell’s Creek, is the new district nurse in Rochester and district.
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The appointment was announced by the Rochester and District War Memorial Hospital committee of management.
Sr Barkley, who is 30, has had a varied and interesting career in nursing.
She completed her initial training at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, has been employed in the industrial field of nursing, along with four years experience in the Royal Australian Naval Nursing Service and has also been overseas doing nursing.
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Guide Linda Thompson recently received her Royal Certificate at Government House.
Linda is the latest in a long line of Rochester Guides, who have passed the numerous and stringent tests associated with the Queen’s Guide Badge — the Queen’s Badge was presented to Linda at a ceremony at Rochester and she travelled to Government House to receive her Royal Certificate.
Linda has been a Guide for five years, and now at 15, she has reached the pinnacle of Guiding — Linda hopes to continue Guiding for another year, but this will depend on her studies at Rochester High School.
The eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs Don Thompson, Linda’s family has a special interest in Guiding.
Her mother, Margaret, was a former District Commissioner of Guiding and at present is captain of the Second Rochester Guide Company, to which Linda belongs.
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With the appointment of Mr Ian H. Coughlan as Rotary District Governor-elect for 1976-77 the Rochester community must just about be tops in leadership for a place of its size, in Victoria, if not Australia.
Already, Rochester is being put on the map, with Lions International District Governor, Mr Ray T. Powles, a member of the Rochester Lions Club, visiting Lions clubs over a greater part of Victoria.
Another interesting fact must make Rochester ‘’just about the best’’ is there are four parliamentarians residing within a few miles of the town — the Hon. Michael Clarke, a member of the Legislative Council, who has a farming property at Burnewang North; the Hon. Stuart McDonald, the other Legislative Council member, who farms at Timmering, also farming at Timmering is the Federal member, Mr Bruce Lloyd.
The fourth parliamentarian, Mr Eddie Hann, a member of the Legislative Assembly, farms out towards Lockington.
25 years ago
October 1999
Young children involved in accidents, domestic violence or other traumatic situations will soon have the comfort of a Trauma Teddy, thanks to the efforts of Rochester Neighbourhood Watch and district CWA members.
Trauma Teddies came about through police awareness of children needing comfort in a distressing situation.
Rochester CWA member Merle Carr took on the task of distributing patterns for the teddies to CWA groups.
Mrs Carr said Trauma Teddies would be given to Rochester and Echuca police to carry in divisional cars and to have at the stations.
Senior Constable Tas Gavalakis of Rochester police welcomed the community’s efforts to provide the teddies for young children.
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Thirty-one district gardens vied for Rochester and District Garden Club’s annual awards this year with Julie Mann’s Edward St garden taking the prize for the overall best district garden.
Julie won the award in 1997 and finished as runner-up in the town garden section last year. Runner-up was Jean Treloar’s Rochester garden and third went to Nancy Niven’s Elmore garden.
Gardens in Elmore, Rochester, Nanneella and Bamawm, were judged on Wednesday with other keen gardeners taking a tour of the section winners’ properties on Sunday.
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The streets around Murray Goulburn were a hive of activity last week as workmen moved in with security fencing, cranes, signs and construction huts.
With parking spaces deleted because of the street closure, Murray Goulburn has moved to develop areas on the grass verge of the company’s weighbridge, to the north-east side of Elizabeth St opposite the Uniting Church and the north-west side of the railway line opposite the bowling club.
Murray Goulburn factory manager Doug Sims said employees would be encouraged to use these areas.
With construction work also continuing at Majors Supermarket, motorists and pedestrians many need to take extra care when using the central town area.
10 years ago
October 2014
District residents are being asked about the future of outdoor pools across Campaspe Shire.
With council-owned and operated pools in Rochester, Lockington, Tongala, Kyabram, Colbinabbin, Rushworth and Stanhope, mayor Ian Maddison said significant financial challenges, demographic changes and shifting user expectations had prompted a review.
‘‘Our pools and our population are ageing,’’ he said. ‘‘The cost of running pools is rising and attendances are falling and the community’s expectations are changing.
‘‘It is clear that council and the community faces a huge challenge.
‘‘We need to work out how to maintain some very old facilities, which require a lot of work, while also dealing with increasing operating costs and falling attendances.’’
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Bruce Foster has pulled the pin on Rochester’s ailing and failing saleyards.
Yesterday was his last sale and it was a shadow of the glory days when the then weekly sale handled thousands of dairy calves and some pigs.
The veteran stock agent went from high school straight to the saleyards just two days shy of his 18th birthday. That was January 6, 1969. He was in sight of his 46th year on the job when he walked away.
‘‘The yards have had it and so have I — we’re both a bit past this part of the job,’’ the 63-year-old said.
‘‘We’ve had maintenance issues for quite a while now and staff capable of doing any heavy lifting are few and far between these days.
‘‘I’ve been here almost 46 years and it’s been a great life, but it’s time to call it a day.’’
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Residents, staff and volunteers from the Rochester Elmore District Health Service made up the 50-strong Sing Out Loud choir which performed for an audience of more than 70 last week.
The performance was the culmination of two months of weekly practice under the eye of a professionally-trained maestro.
Event organisers Janine Bubb and Karen Tognolini said the Sing Out Loud program used the power of music to encourage active participation of people living in residential aged care facilities.
‘‘The aims of the program are to promote social engagement, elicit positive emotional responses and stimulate cognitive functioning in both healthy elderly people and those living with dementia,’’ Janine said.
Campaspe News