1970
Former Kyabram footballer Ross Dillon went from best on ground for Melbourne Football Club to sitting alongside Prince Phillip and Princess Anne at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, in the space of two days.
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He was one of three league stars who acted as commentators for the Royal Family during their visit to Melbourne. The 22-year-old watched the Richmond and Fitzroy game with the Royals alongside St Kilda captain Ross Smith and Brownlow Medallist John Schultz.
Ross’ mother watched proceedings on the television at her Julia St home in Kyabram, but hadn’t been able to see her son’s three goal near best on ground effort a day earlier.
At the time Ross was also playing district cricket with Melbourne.
He was not the only Kyabramite to meet the Royals, with Mayor A. Crow and town clerk E. Cornish attending a state reception at the exhibition buildings.
⋅ Girgarre School Mothers’ Club secretary, Dot Wheeler, was critical of the lack of parental support to the school when she gave her report at the annual meeting.
She said despite the school having 167 students there were only 26 financial members of the Mothers’ Club and meetings rarely attracted more than 16 people.
Despite the comparatively low involvement of parents, Mrs Wheeler said the club had managed to contribute toward the purchase of new football team jumpers and a new tape recorder to assist students with reading.
⋅ Kyabram Hospital district nursing service took delivery of a new vehicle to offer medical care in the home to patients.
The service was operating four hours a day, five days a week and hospital manager R. Thrussell said the service was available to everyone, even if they could not afford the fees.
Victoria was the first state to introduce a district nursing service.
⋅ Outstanding Kyabram athlete Christine Clark, 11, won a state title in the Under 12 division when she took the 70 metres sprint championship at Royal Park.
She clocked 9.7 seconds on the heavy track and also finished with a silver medal with a 12 feet five inch leap in the long jump
Discus thrower Rosemary Capbell also won a silver medal, in the Under 14 discus, while Susan Gentle competed in the Under 13 100 metres and won her heat in 13.7 seconds. She missed a medal in the final by inches.
1980
⋅ A teacher shortage at the Kyabram High School was caused students to miss out on maths, science, and in some cases, physical education.
School principal Wal Kuhle had voices his concern to local member Bruce Reid, saying that when PE classes had been scheduled on the school timetable for period one students had been told not to arrive at school until the second period.
Victorian Secondary School Teachers Association secretary, Brian Conway, was demanding the state government employ 800 teachers in the state and station them in regional clusters to cope with the demand for relief teachers.
⋅ Australian Cricketer Jim Higgs returned to Kyabram for the association presentation evening and was given the honour of presenting an A Reserve premiership cup to the captain his former club - Kyabram Fire Brigade.
Fred Catterall took possession of the cup from the leg spinning champion. Catterall was one of the grand final heroes when he combined with Graeme Roberts for a 116 run eight wicket partnership.
Higgs made reference to the fact that Roberts had lived over the back fence from him in Kyabram and he had never had much trouble getting him out.
⋅ Senior students at Kyabram High School joined a new body called the Student Activity Council, years 10-12 students appointed to the role by PE teacher Cheryl Clydesdale.
Jenny Stewart was elected inaugural chair of the group, with the executive including David Rathbone and Linda Chalker.
Other members were Jan Bradley, Joe Greco, Terri isaac, Susan Hedges, Gavin Thomson, Rod Abraham, Bruce Bebbington, Cathy Connally, Kerryl Findlay, Carol Gemmill, Darren Beck, Barton Dybka and Richard Kay.
⋅ A $94,800 tender was accepted for an extension to the Kyabram Youth Club Hall.
The work would result in the building size being more than doubled after 13 weeks of work, with Youth Club president Barry Toms explaining the club had raised more than $35,000 in the last 15 years to qualify for council and state government grants.
1990
Peter Nelson notched up his 25 years of service with Morrison and Sawers accounting department, having joined the business when it was located in Rodney Chambers.
He trained part time at night school and built his credentials over a 15 year period. In 1969 the company moved to its current Fenaughty Street site and had grown in Peter’s time from 20 to 70 staff.
Peter said the assistance of Marj Lancaster, Tom Tehan and Leo Slattery had played a big part in him shaping his career.
⋅ A Kyabram motorcyclist was preparing for the gruelling Australian Safari nine-day endurance rally.
Shane Matthews was planning to tackle the Sydney to Darwin event on his Kawasaki KLR 650, capable of 170kmph speeds.
The race attracted teams from France, Japan, Russia, the United States, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and Canada, heading west through the New South Wales outback and then past Ayers Rock, through Alice Springs and onto Darwin.
⋅ Kyabram Secondary College librarian Pat Wilson retired after 31 years at the school and a 44 year career in the teaching profession.
She joined the staff as a teacher in 1954 when the school was known as Kyabram Higher Elementary School and was located at the site of Haslem Street Primary School.
Before that she had been at Castlemaine, Horsham and Leongatha.
Pat married after moving to Kyabram and took five years off teaching to raise two children before returning to work.
⋅ Kyabram Kamikaze Committee distributed $45,000 to charity from the fifth annual ball, which attracted 2000 people to the showgrounds.
All but $2000 of the funds, which was directed to the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal, went to Kyabram district charities.
The major beneficiaries were Kyabram Town Council and the R.M McHale Hostel for the Aged at Tongala, each receiving $11,000.
Other receipients were Kyabram scouts ($6000), Conductive Education $5000), Kyabram Football Club, Lancaster Football Club, Kyabram Lawn Tennis Club, Kyabram Plaza Theatre, Kyarbam Toy Library and the Kyabram Showground Committee.
President Mick McAuliffe said several organisations had volunteered during the weekend to assist with the event and he also recognised the efforts of police.
2000
Preparations were well under way for the Centenary Ball of the Lancaster Football and Netball Club.
The event was being staged at the Kyabram P-12 College Hall, with Spank the Monkey providing the entertainment and a three course meal planned for the evening, courtesy of well known chef Bernard Hayes of Shepparton.
⋅ Tongala’s Judy Campbell was named Australia’s best town crier at the Ipswich event in Queensland.
The designated crier for Campaspe and Murray shires was up against 16 other competitors, including five time world champion Graham Keating.
She claimed the title by the barest of margins, with judges marking on poise, diction and a decibel reading.
She scored 186.5 out of a possible 200 to win the event and qualified to represent Australia at the world event in the UK.
2010
Kyabram’s new ambulance station was opened in front of as small crowd including ambulance auxiliary members.
Ambulance Victoria general manager Kevin Masci and Member for Northern Victoria Candy Broad were special guests for the opening of the $1.37 million building/
Kyabram paramedic Amelia Kohn described the new complex as start of the art and a major improvement on the “old house that served as a station” prior to the opening.
Kyabram Ambulance Auxiliary secretary Laura Peterson said the station had been a long time coming, congratulating people like Mavis Anderson - the longest serving member of the auxiliary (who joined in 1965).
The Mellis Street site of the station also had a part in history, the street named after Alexander Mellis, who saw the need for an ambulance service in the town and brought about its introduction in 1927.
⋅ Marie Barrat retired from teaching at St Augustine’s College after a 36 year career, explaining her final days were spent surrounded by the children of students she had first taught at the school.
The youngest of 15 children - 10 of who were also teachers - Marie’s entire life revolved around education. Her mother, Laura Farrell, was a legendary teacher in the Murchison and Shepparton area.
Marie took up her first, and only, teaching post at St Augustine’s in 1965 when she was a 20-year-old graduate.
Kyabram Free Press and Campaspe Valley News editor