1982
Department of Agriculture staff were facing a tough task to control fruit fly, with reports of an infestation of Kyabram properties being announced.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
At the time none of the properties were orchards, but a senior fruit fly bating officer for the department, Ron Hicks, said the situation was serious.
He said several back yards would need to be sprayed, asking that people made the officers welcome and co-operated.
· Kyabram RSL stalwart Tom Warren thought he had no chance when he came home with a book of raffle tickets for the annual Kyabram Charity Raffle and discovered he had ticket number one.
He told his wife that was the winner and he was right.
The Warrens, however, were not too keen to part with the Morris Minor that was their Lancaster farming family’s main mode of transport.
They won a Ford Laser worth $6000 as first prize, with a Yamaha organ valued at $1200.
As for the Charity Carnival, it was expected to announce a profit of $5000.
· After 26 years as a Fisheries and Wildlife officer, Jim Crozier retired from his role of ensuring devotees of fishing and shooting were sticking to the rules.
Mr Crozier had moved to Port Phillip Bay before moving to the Goulburn Valley with his wife Doris and they were planning to stay in the area following his retirement.
1992
Geoff and Mavis Maxwell (above) were married in 1942, at Springvale Presbyterian Church (a few kilometres south of Kyabram), while Geoff was on leave from the army.
Material for her dress cost two pound and an aunt made it for her, while a neighbour volunteered to cater for the breakfast wedding.
Mavis and Geoff had four children — Geoff, Murray, Glenys and Janice, along with 12 grandchildren at the time.
Jean and Eric Purkiss (below) celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, the World War II veteran serving for three years while his wife raised their four children — Joan, Norma, Noel and Beverly.
They lived at Nathalia for a time before moving to Kyabram in 1986. At the time the couple had 15 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren.
· A newly renovated unit was opened for inspection at Warramunda Village, about $15,000 spent on the project by the Committee of Management.
The 30-year-old unit had been completely refurbished using services and goods provided by Kyabram tradespeople and businesses.
The unit was the first renovated, among 26 at the site, which houses elderly residents of the region.
· Kyabram held a Think Tank at the Tijuana reception room, topics including attracting industry to the town to create employment opportunities and reversing the trend created by the closure of Kyabram Cannery’s fruit processing operation.
Town clerk Ed Cornish and the council organised the meeting, which had representatives from the Economic Development Minister and Agriculture Minister’s offices.
Such was the interest in the meeting that a handful of organisations, including sporting groups, had suspended meetings and competitions to attend the event.
2002
Long term Drum St residents in Kyabram, Harry and Jean Parker, had three reasons to celebrate when they celebrated their 90th birthdays and also a 66th wedding anniversary.
Jean turned 90 on Australia Day and only a month earlier the pair celebrated the anniversary of its marriage — near Warburton on December 31, 1935.
They lived at Lancaster for a time and taught throughout the region, having four children of their own — Frank, Mavis, Gordon and Arthur.
· Alan Edis, known widely as Kyabram’s Lanterns Man, was announced as Kyabram’s Citizen of the Year.
He had introduced Christmas lanterns to the town six years earlier and raised funds for the Uncle Bob’s organisation to support sick and disabled children in Victoria.
A connection to Dawes Rd Primary School and Tongala SES saw him become the third successive Campaspe Shire Citizen of the Year from Kyabram.
Ashleigh Kline was named Kyabram’s Young Citizen of the Year, having instigated Nangara — a safe haven for students who feel isolated during recess and lunch times at Kyabram Secondary College.
Kyabram’s Uncle Bob’s Club was awarded the Community Group of the Year, having played a key role in the collection of funds for the Royal Children’s Hospital Appeal.
Gus Underwood was named Sportstar of the Year for Kyabram and the shire after 45 years of contributions to sport.
· Girgarre’s George Weeks was recognised as the top citizen for the town in front of wife Shirley and four grown daughters — Sharon, Janine, Debbie and Cindy.
A member of the Girgarre Fire Brigade for 20 years, he was also involved in the Girgarre RSL and Army Reserve — the latter for the previous 29 years when he was one of the first to put his hand up during the East Timor crisis.
Tongala’s Junior Citizen of the Year winner was Michael Thompson, who was unable to attend the event due to being at a Military Tattoo in Ballarat.
His work in organising a Light Horse Brigade reunion at Finley and involvement in several Anzac Day marches were part of the reason for his recognition.
A teenage swimmer from Girgarre, Mark Wickham, was recognised as the Sportsman of the Year. Coached by Debbie Townsend, he had represented Kyabram Secondary College at state level.
· Kyabram Elvis impersonator Ian Harris was recognised as one of the top entrants at the annual Parkes Elvis Revival Festival.
A rocker-country singer of long standing, Ian had performed his Ghost of Elvis routine and been awarded the top gong in the Elvis vocal impersonation category.
He was also involved in the Tamworth Country Music Festival, where his success at Parkes led him to performing on stage and at the nearby Manilla RSL.
2012
Heidi Reid and Josh Hindson were appointed Kyabram Secondary College captains, leading a student population of 915 and 166 new Year 7 students.
There were also 268 students undertaking VCE (Year 11 and 12), along with 11 new teachers.
· Kyabram artist Phillip Hickingbotham continued his rise in the art world when, for the second year in succession, he had his VCE artwork featured in the VCE Top Arts exhibition.
He won the People’s Choice Award for his portrait of his father, Stephen, which was titled Edge of Darkness. His entry this year was a charcoal drawing titled Content, and was of his well known grandfather Murray Martin.
His second featured drawing was of his sister, completed with three ordinary ballpoint pens.
The 18-year-old was the first student to have his work featured for two successive years in the VCE Top Arts exhibition.
· Denis Wood was named Kyabram’s Citizen of the Year for 2012, the 70-year-old and his wife Doreen unable to attend the Australia Day ceremony as they were travelling to London to see their daughter Suzanne and meet their new grandson, Jude, who had been born in November 2011.
Mr Wood joined Kiwanis in 2001 and, at the time, was president of Kyabram’s St Vincent De Paul.
Born at Pyramid Hill, he relocated to a dairy farm with his family at Stanhope in 1953 before buying his own farm at Tongala in 1974.
Lewis Norman won Young Citizen of the Year, Darren Nicholson Sportsperson of the Year and Janna Lawson Young Sportsperson of the Year.
Kyabram Ambulance Auxiliary won the Community Group of the Year and Reg Poole was the Arts Person winner for 2012.
Phyllis Hawker was Tongala’s Citizen of the Year, having been recognised as a senior achiever in the Victorian senior awards four years earlier.
A volunteer with Red Cross, she was presented with her award by former VFL umpire and Shepparton man Glenn James OAM, who umpired the 1982 and 1984 grand finals.
Tongala Lions Club was the Community Group of the Year and clay target shooter Steve Atkins was Sportsperson of the Year, with soccer player Kylie Thompson the junior winner.
· St Augustine’s College principal Oronzo Farina announced the college had reached its record enrolment — of 609 students.
For the first time in the school’s history the Year 12 intake was split into two classes (34 students). VCE was introduced to the college four years earlier, increasing from 12 to 74 students.
Kyabram Free Press and Campaspe Valley News editor