Rochester Community Welfare Committee president Mr Russ Major looks on as Cr Elaine Knight, of Bendigo, presents a cheque for $7604 to Messrs K W. Ellett and E. McKee. The money will be spent on the RSL hall in Rochester, which will become the home of the St John Ambulance division as well as the RSL sub-branch. The money was made available by the Australian Assistance Plan and the presentation took place in 1976.
50 years ago May 1976
The Shire of Rochester will convene a public meeting of all interested persons in an endeavour to retain the cattle saleyards in Rochester.
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Thursday’s meeting of the shire had before it a letter from the Rochester Stock Agents Association and another from the Rochester branch of the United Dairyfarmers of Victoria, urging action to retain the saleyards.
The UDV said it was greatly disturbed at the possible closure of the Rochester Municipal Saleyards, as a closure would not only be detrimental to farmers but also to local business houses, and urged the council to take all action possible to prevent the closure.
The stock agents also expressed serious concern regarding the reported danger of the closure of the saleyards and asked that a public meeting of all sections of the community be called to discuss this important matter.
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Rochester Community Welfare Committee proposes to commence a playgroup for families with young children and a meeting has been arranged in the Rochester Guide Hall.
The Community Development Officer, Mr Tom Parsons, will explain what it is about and then those interested can decide to form a playgroup if they so desire. Mr Parsons promises the meeting will not be a long one and it is hoped a cup of coffee and a biscuit will be provided.
What is a playgroup? It is not an organised pre-school educational activity. It is not a professional creche. It is not a child-minding centre where parents can leave their children in care of professionals.
A playgroup, when formed, becomes a source of mutual support, companionship for children and adults and a self-help project which reflects ideas and enthusiasm.
25 years ago May 2001
Representatives of volunteer groups throughout Rochester and district will lead tomorrow’s Federation procession from the hospital to the Federation concert venue at the shire hall.
The celebrations coincide with the centenary of the first sitting of Federal Parliament at Melbourne's Exhibition Building on May 9, 1901.
Ready for the Federation procession and concert are (from left) Gwenda Howard, Kit Kelly, Audrey Christie and Dorrie Windle with four-year-old twins Amber and Victoria Johnson.
The procession and concert were to pay tribute to the volunteers of the community and to mark Federation, organisers Peg Haisman and Shirley Williams said.
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Two-and-a-half years into the Environmental Effects Statement to establish two further open cut mines in Goornong and Axedale, Perserverance Mining has withdrawn from the process, leaving residents and others involved in the Coalition Against Open Cut Mining exhilarated but exhausted.
‘’It is indeed rare that a miner fails in his application for a mining licence or withdraws from the process in the face of mounting pressure and united opposition,’’ a statement released by the group said.
The news of the withdrawal was given to the Stock Exchange by Perserverance last Tuesday.
It was conveyed by letter to Goornong and Axedale land owners directly affected by the siting of the proposed mines by Perserverance management the same day.
10 years ago May 2016
The decision by dairy’s big two — Murray Goulburn and Fonterra — to drop their milk price this season has left dairy farmers in the region reeling and forced the once-vibrant industry to its knees.
Farmers are a resilient and determined mob. They have to be to survive.
But news such as this, combined with tough seasonal conditions, decreasing margins and high water prices, will leave many operators seriously assessing their viability — and their future.
It is a very sad time, not just for the industry but for our wider communities, too, as local businesses will also feel the pain of decreased farmer spending on their bottom lines.
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Rochester netballer Ashley Bradley is ticking off her list of personal ambitions at an accelerating rate after playing in the curtain-raiser for the Melbourne Vixens game at Hisense Arena on Sunday, May 1.
‘‘It was a dream come true,’’ Ashley, now in her second year as a Victorian Netball League player, said.
Ashley Bradley has mixed playing netball with Rochester Tigerettes in 2016 with Victorian Netball League commitments.
‘‘It’s something I’ve strived for and the whole experience was just unreal.’’
For Ashley, the suggestion that a person can play too much netball is the height of absurdity, as she juggles full-time work with weekly Victorian Netball League matches and training in Melbourne and her ongoing commitment to Rochester in the Goulburn Valley League.
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