1970
A pipe dream created five years ago by a small group of Tongala citizens became a reality when the first four units of Deakin Village were opened by the Deputy Prime Minister John McEwen.
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Only five days after the another major project was opened — the $30,000 Senior Citizens Clubrooms at Kyabram — the $27,600 Tongala Deakin Village building was unveiled.
Lionel Boxsell, president of the Deakin Village building committee, acknowledged the work of his group and the donation of the land by Mr R.K. Brose.
He also mentioned Bruce Pearl and John McKenzie for their role in the project.
• Kyabram Mayor, Cr A.E. Crow accepted a tree from Melbourne based students involved in a five day tour of the Goulburn Valley, taking in the Tongala milk processing plant, the Kyabram Irrigation Research Station and the Murray River at Echuca.
1980
Historic homestead, Killamont, went under the hammer for almost $1/2 million, the century old pioneer’s home bought by Neville and Wendy Varcoe.
Thousands attended the auction and bidding started at $450,000, with auctioneer Ray Hinchliffe announcing the Varcoes as the successful bidders to spontaneous applause.
After the main block was sold two smaller parcels of land were sold to G. Kerr of Ky Valley for $131,000 and to K. Pritchard of Kyabram for $59,000.
On the day of the auction the Varcoes (who had sons aged 16, 13, 10 and four at the time, met Graham Finlay’s brother, who was grandson of early pioneer John Finlay.
• Local member Bruce Lloyd continued his flag presentations to community organisations when he delivered the union jack and southern cross to Girgarre’s Country Women’s Association branch.
The government had been providing Australian flags to youth organisations for many years, but had decided to make flags available to adult sporting and community groups.
Among those involved in the presentation were CWA group president Shirley Hill, secretary Jean Reid, president of Girgarre RSL sub-branch Paul Moller and Deakin Shire Councillors Grummitt, Leahy and Flanagan.
Deakin Shire president Cr George Kellett was also at the handover where Girgarre CWA president Joyce Dodd thanked Arch King for donating the flag pole to the CWA.
Guide guides and brownies were also involved in the ceremony, including Ranger Guide leader Shirley Pyke, District Commissioner Betty Coleman and Brownie leader Kay Moulesdale.
• Kyabram Senior Citizens Club was providing a bus service for the club’s 330 members, the 25-seater bus collecting members and delivering them at the Lake Road headquarters.
• Patricia Arland, a descendant of a pioneering Kyabram family, was researching the town’s history.
The great grand daughter of Alexander Mellis, who came to Kyabram in 1884, owned land that became home to the cannery.
She lived in Kyabram before and after marrying, related to the Cruise family who remained in the town.
• Tenders worth $13,581, for works at the Kyabram Fauna Park, were accepted as the unique project was starting to take shape. Plans for a model railway track half a kilometre long were also being discuss and members of Kyabram Lions Club had been working to prepare the foundations for the track.
• Legendary Stanhope businessman ‘’Arch’’ Gibbs closed the doors of his newsagency after nearly 30 years.
He told the Free Press he could remember only one other business operating in November 1950, when he took over, that was still in operation today in Stanhope — being Emmetts Hardware.
He had lived in the town for 61 years, acting as secretary for the bowling club, treasurer for the swimming club and treasurer of Valley View Golf Club for 10 years.
He was also a star cricketer, having scored 197 in a semi-final at Rushworth for Stanhope.
1990
Kyabram was rocking after the results of dancers Brad Maxwell and Judy-Anne Gadzinski, who won the juvenile section of the Latin Mardi Gras dancing contest.
Thirteen-year-old Brad and 11-year-old Judy-Anne were competing alongside Kyabram’s Rod Goulding and his partner Karina Quattrocchi, who rock ‘n’ rolled their rivals to win their section.
Another dancer, 16-year-old Joel Golding, and his dancing partner Rachel Anderson got the nod off the judges in the amateur section.
All six dancers were members of the Rodney Rockers group.
2000
Two exchange students, Yukari Takeda from Japan, and Petrine Poulsen from Greenland, visited St Augustine’s College and Kyabram High School as part of their sponsorship by the Echuca-Waranga chapter of an Intercultural Program.
At the time, the new look St Augustine’s Church was close to completion after 12 months of renovations, with parish priest Father Dave Austin announcing the new church would seat 250 people, with another 150 seat facility included in the upgrade.
The cost of the renovations was $840,000, which was raised from within the parish.
• Two former Kyabram students were among an elite group of VCE students recognised for their academic achievements at a government house ceremony.
Jonathan ‘’Jono’’ Doolan and Erin Dicketts were among 253 of the state’s top VCE students for 1999.
Jono was undertaking a Bachelor of Physiotherapy at Charles Sturt in Albury, while Erin was at Melbourne University studying a Bachelor of Arts.
2010
A 12-year-old Kyabram girl cheated almost certain death when she fell from the top of a tree.
Holly Jade Hood fell eight metres from a tree in a park close to her Prunus Court home, breaking her elbow and both wrists. Her fall had been broken by several branches on the way to terra firma, while four friends watched on from other parts of the tree.
Neighbours who witnessed the fall acted quickly and ambulance officers were soon on the seen to administer first aid.
• Kyabram was spoiled for choice on the land front, with a range of blocks becoming available at Lakeside Estate, Sunrise Estate, Fauna View Estate, West Haven Estate, Eden Estate and Goegan Drive.
Lakeside blocks started at $106,000, with Sunrise blocks on offer for $89,950 and the West Haven blocks for $94,000.
Kyabram realtor Justin Barnett said the variety of locations made it a buyer's dream, with all estates due to be ready for homes in the next six months.
• One of Kyabram's oldest residents, Horace Shalders, was a special guest at the seventh Lone Pine ceremony at Warramunda.
Mr Shalders, who was almost 101, laid a wreath with the help of grand daughter Donna Campbell in front of Warramunda residents and guests from the nearby Sheridan Nursing Home and students both both secondary schools.
Guests speakers were Kyabram P-12 College captains Jordan Spooner and Georgina Pettifer, while music was played by Mark Bray and Natalie Dillon.
Kyabram Free Press and Campaspe Valley News editor