News

Around the traps with Gus Underwood

By Gus Underwood

Mar 4, 2026

Pictured are people involved in the first rodeo held in Kyabram, which was part of the Victory Day celebrations on June 10, 1946. Pictured are front row (standing) from left: George Ruler (president), Henry Wood (vice-president and organiser), Frank Spicer (secretary), Dorothy King, Tom McDonald, Frank Ruler (publicity officer), James Whitbourne and Leo Slattery. Those on horseback at the back are unknown. Photo by Contributed

Soggy start to week

Kyabram was awash earlier this week after flooding rains swamped the town and district.

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Homes, businesses and streets in the town were inundated with water after downpours on Sunday and Monday, with 64 calls for assistance.

Tongala and Echuca were also in the firing line on Monday.

A total of 101.8mm of rain was recorded in the period from Sunday at 2pm to Monday noon at the Kyabram weather station.

It came after falls of 23.3mm and 42.4mm, respectively, were registered earlier the previous week.

All up, the late February and early March rain has amounted to 168.8mm (6.65 inches).

Before the rain came, Kyabram was heading towards one its driest starts to a year on record.

Up to last Sunday week, February 22, just 6.6mm of rain and fallen for 2026.

But the mini drought broke overnight into Monday, February 23, with 23.6mm, which was followed by another 42.4mm on Wednesday, February 25.

Some Kyabram streets, homes and businesses couldn’t cope with the downpours and were flooded, causing a lot of damage and heartbreak.

Sunday and Monday’s rainfall was the most Kyabram has received in March since 2012, when 143.6mm was recorded.

The average for March is 30.5mm.

Kyabram’s wettest March on record was in 1950 with a whopping 208mm, the only time since records were first taken in 1887 that the total has exceeded 200mm for the month of March.

Only in three other years — 2012 with 143.6mm, 2010 (100mm) and 1956 (149mm) — has the month of March produced over 100mm.

Rodeo time in Ky

Kyabram’s biggest and longest-running drawcard returns this Friday night.

It will be the 80th Kyabram Rodeo and its popularity has never waned since the first and only time it was staged at the Kyabram Recreation Reserve on Monday June 10, 1946.

It was held as a Victory Day celebration, marking the end of World War II.

Kyabram Historical Society voluntary librarian Eileen Sullivan discovered a decision was made by the general public of Kyabram to stage the Championship Rodeo in the Kyabram Recreation Reserve as the main Victory Day celebration for Kyabram and district.

The celebrations commenced with a procession to the Kyabram Recreation Reserve at 9.30am.

A staggering total of 300 entries were received from Australia’s leading buck jumping riders, with 100 selected horses and 150 selected mountain bred bullocks assembled.

The Dawes family made their spacious grounds (next to the reserve) available for a car park at a charge of one shilling.

Admission charges were: Adults 3/- (shillings); Children 1/-.

School children wearing Victory Medals were admitted free.

Arrangements were made with the management of the Kyabram Cannery to supply 600 meals in the up-to-date cannery hostel cafeteria.

Meal tickets were available at the No. 1 Snack Bar at the grounds.

Following the all day rodeo, a large bonfire was lit at 7.30pm on the corner of Lake Rd and Fenaughty St, where a barbecue was provided.

A hill-billy ball was then held in the Mechanics’ Hall from 8.30pm, where championship sashes won at the rodeo were presented.

Proceeds were devoted to the proposed Kyabram Community Memorial Hospital and the Grounds Improvement Committee.

Commercial goes Local

More changes in the pub scene in Rochester.

The 155-year-old Rochester Commercial Hotel is now set to reopen under a new name — The Local 3561 Commercial Hotel.

First-time pub owners Kate and Travis Lee purchased the pub last year and have been busily working to restore it to its former glory.

While the now The Local 3561 Commercial Hotel is making a comeback, another of Rochy’s watering holes, the Criterian Hotel, is looking for new managers or owners to keep its doors open after Craig and Theresa Man opted out after running the pub for the past five years.

Race for Farrer

The race for the seat of Farrer is on, following former opposition leader Sussan Ley’s loss of the Liberal leadership.

And the warm favourite to take her place is Michelle Millthorpe, who defeated Ms Ley across the Albury region in last year’s federal election but didn’t get enough votes in regional parts of the electorate to win the seat.

If this happens, it will be the first time Farrer has not been represented by either the Nationals or the Liberal Party since the seat’s inception in 1949.