50 years ago January 1975
A working holiday in Darwin finished abruptly for Carol Hawkey of Echuca when Cyclone Tracy devastated the city on Christmas Day.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Carol is the daughter of Mr and Mrs Sam Hawkey, who recently moved to Echuca from Bamawm Extension.
For the past three years, Carol has been studying music at the Elder Conservatorium of Music, University of Adelaide.
To relax after her exams, Carol set off for a working holiday. She travelled by freight train to Alice Springs and then by bus to Darwin.
She was staying at one of the northern suburbs. She was the guest of two college friends in a house built on cement stilts.
***
‘’Slow Coach’’ the adored turtle of Grade One pupils of the Rochester Primary School, for several months, was released on the banks of the Campaspe River, near the caravan park, and belied his name, by quickly moving to the water.
The pupils of grade one had taken turn to care for ‘’Slow Coach’’, and they waved goodbye to their friend as the turtle disappeared into the water.
The boys and girls stood beside the water hoping the ‘’Slow Coach’’ would come back, but this was not to be.
***
Irrigators in the Rochester district will have their opportunity to protest at the public meeting convened by the Water Protest Group in the Rochester hall on Friday.
In recent weeks, public meetings have drawn huge attendances of irrigators in northern Victoria, who are protesting against the sharp increases in water charges by the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission.
At a meeting at Lockington in December, irrigators were told that a farmer who paid $500 for water in 1973-74 would have to pay $900 in the 1974-74 irrigation season.
25 years ago January 2000
The Royal Victorian Bowls Inc Association Group Sides Championship was conducted at Corowa on the weekend with group five coming home big winners.
The group five squad which included bowlers representing Campaspe Valley, Bendigo District, Goulburn Valley and Murray Bowls was successful in winning the group sides championships for the year 2000.
RVBA councillor Jim Lawford (Rochester), who was group manager for his fourth year, reported that all bowlers put together a real team effort which realised the ultimate result.
***
There were lots of new faces at the 2000 All Breeds Youth Camp held in Rochester.
The annual camp, sponsored by Genetics Australia and aimed at young people teaching other young people about dairying, attracted 53 participants, who came from around Victoria, as well as NSW, South Australia, Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia.
During the week the group learned about calf rearing, pasture management, showmanship and breeding.
***
Rochester Citizens Advisory Group has been asked to consider the town’s priorities for the Campaspe Shire’s capital works program for the next financial year.
The group submits a priority list each year but CAG president Graham Clark said with the development of the Murray Goulburn site, priorities would probably change this year.
Of greatest concern was pedestrian access along Elizabeth and Ramsay streets, with the closure of the footpath across the eastern side of the Murray Goulburn factory also examined.
10 years ago January 2015
It is four years this week since Rochester was devastated by the 2011 floods and, while business and residents have worked hard to pull themselves out of the mud, Campaspe Shire still has a little way to go.
Flood recovery works were completed six months ago after $18 million was spent across the shire on major projects and repairing infrastructure, including more than $5 million in Rochester.
But in May last year, then-Agriculture Minister and now Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh announced funding to support three projects identified in Rochester’s flood mitigation plan.
While two of the projects have started, the third, which focused on flood warnings and preventative measures, is yet to start.
Former SES worker Ken Major believes this third project should be council’s number one priority and the installation of flood warning telemetry devices in and around Rochester was critical for residents to prepare for future flooding.
***
Rochester’s guitarist sensation Jamie McInnes was just five when his fingers brought Deep Purple’s Smoke on the Water to life.
It was the first song the budding musician learnt from his father Troy, who knew straight away his son had a gift.
‘‘He was a natural from the moment he picked up a guitar,’’ Troy said.
‘‘He just has this incredibly musically-inclined brain.’’
The 12-year-old prodigy has the rare musical skill of being able to play by ear — the ability to listen to a melody then play it back without reading the notes.
Jamie can learn an entire song in as little as five minutes.
Campaspe News