1979
After spending 50 years away from the town, Ernest Samuel Condick returned at the age of 85.
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He had left Kyabram in 1915 to enlist in World War I, where he fought in Egypt and was awarded the Anzac Medal for service at Gallipoli.
After that he worked on the steam railway in Melbourne and became a ballroom dancing teacher who travelled Australia judging competitions.
His father operated The Avenue brick works in Kyabram and provided the bricks for the Kyabram Town Hall.
– Kyabram Preserving Company announced it would make an additional fruit payment to growers over and above the minimum price set by the Fruit Industry Sugar Concession Committee.
It agreed to pay an extra $14 a tonne for apricots and peaches of canning quality, while an extra $10 for pears.
– Victorian state cabinet announced it would be sitting in Kyabram in February, 1980.
It would include a visit by the Premier and his visitors to Kyabram who will also visit some businesses.
Kyabram Mayor Anne Adams said the visit would put Kyabram “on the map”
1989
Tongala and Stanhope won important awards at the Victorian Tidy Town presentations.
Victorian Premier John Cain presented Stanhope with the Victorian Recycling Award and Tongala won the Beautification and Restoration Award.
Deakin Shire president Mark Brasher and his wife Barbara attended the awards and received the plaque on behalf of Tongala.
He and shire secretary Greg McKenzie hosted judges to Tongala several months earlier, with the town recognised with a $500 award — Tongala’s first in the competition.
Stanhope’s continued work in the recycling space saw it follow up last year’s category two award (for a population of 501-1500 people) with a second successive award.
Community members had spent 3000 hours working on the Tidy Towns submission, including 660 hours on recycling timber, bottles, cans, straw, paper and plastic supermarket bags.
– Kyabram Major Clive Toms made the presentation to the winners of the Kyabram Garden competition, with Mr and Mrs Tony Ciavarella receiving the top prize.
They donated their $50 prize for having the town’s best garden to the Pat Hayes Day Care Centre in Kyabram.
Maria Pigatto’s garden was judged as runner-up in the annual competition, while third prize was presented to Clarice James.
– Former Victorian singles eight ball champion Daryl Jenkins won the inaugural champion of champions event at Girgarre.
The Girgarre Football Club event was used as a fund raiser for the new clubrooms at the town’s recreation reserve and had attracted about 3000 people to the event.
The club raised $10,000, having gained sponsorship to put up $5000 in prizemoney as a special guest — Hawthorn star Robert Dipierdomenico attracted plenty of interest
– Kyabram Court was given its final sitting date, December 13, amid a pledge by the town council that they would fight to keep the facility.
Council said a government should not be allowed to shut down a service without any type of consultation and Cr Chris Salter led the charge against the Attorney General Andrew McCutcheon’s decision.
They had brought controversial media personality Derryn Hinch into the discussion, despite Cr Doug Crow suggesting the council was fighting a losing battle.
Although describing the decision as “disappointing, sobering and frightening”, Cr Crow said it was indicative of what was happening to country towns.
The council was planning to band together with five other towns that were also having their court taken away, despite being considered viable by the Law Institute of Victoria.
– Kyabram mechanic Steve Butler was part of one of the United State’s top motocross teams.
The 22-year-old was working closely with the Californian team and had been instrumental in Yamaha’s top American rider, Doug Dubach, rise from number 16 to seven in the world rankings.
He lived at Kyabram and worked with H.E Allen until he left for the US on holiday, where he met Dubach. He had recently returned to visit his parents, Graham and Dot Butler, on their McEwen Rd farm after travelling Japan for two races.
He had also been to a Paris event, where Dubach had lifted his national ranking to fourth with results in the 500cc event.
1999
Stanhope couple Mick and Gloria Linford celebrated 50 years of marriage, having been childhood sweethearts in the 1930s.
It was Jim Coote’s 21st that the pair agreed was their first real date, following which they were married at St Augustine’s Church in Kyabram by Father Twomey.
Gloria’s father, Charles Gustavson, had a property to the east of Stanhope, while the Linfords had lived in the same house in Birdwood Ave for almost half a century.
The Linfords had three children, Helen, Kayr and Russell, who were responsible for organising the party.
Mick’s explanation for the longevity, his wife had never tried to make a “wimp” out of him.
“I enjoy a drink and a bit of a gamble and Gloria has never had any objection to that,” he said.
Long marriages run in the family, Gloria’s elder sister Edna and husband Fred Byrnes (of Kyabram) having recently celebrated 70 years of marriage.
– Two Kyabram shops were sold at auction for $182,950 and $137,000 — brothers Ian and Brian Hilton buying one shop at 162 Allan St and Howell Fabrics the other at 200 Allan St.
Both properties were auctioned by Stockdale and Leggo on behalf of Lou and Mary Domaschino, former Kyabram residents, now living in Shepparton.
Auctioneer Scott Butler said the spirited bidding had seen the Hiltons start the bidding at $100,000 before eventually reaching the height of $183,950. Russ and Carol Howell started the bidding for their property at $90,000.
2009
Stuart Bott was named principal of Kyabram P-12 College following the resignation of Lindsay Cooper.
He came to Kyabram with his family in 1998 as assistant principal at Haslem St Primary School under Ivan White and became the principal of the school in 2003.
Mr Bott was expecting to be in charge of a student body of 1370 students in 2010, with support from assistant principals Geoff Berry and Trish Bradley, Dawes campus principal Helen Walsh and Haslem campus principal Kym Cox.
Kyabram P-12 College president Mark Schumann welcomed his appointment.
– Don Anderson was recognised as Kyabram’s longest serving businessman, the 85-year-old still rising at 4am and getting home at 5pm on a seven-day-a-week basis.
With a 70-year continuous association with Knights Big Store and frequently supporting his son Stewart at Knight’s timber yard, the Andersons continued to operate their 90-year-old dairy farm on Undera Tatura Rd — Scotwood.
That’s where Don was spending most of his time, having transferred into the grocery department at Knights in 1941 — having started two years earlier at Knights as a 15-year-old.
He had joined the navy in 1942, but returned home in 1946 and started working at Knights again.
A foundation member of the Kyabram Historical Society, he spent 14 years as president, inspired to write 100 Years of Gleaning (1892-1992) — a history of Knights Big Store and Life and Times of A.E. Castles.
– Kyabram P-12 College Fischer Campus captain Chenaye Bentlery scored an ENTER of 91.2 to earn the title of dux at Kyabram P-12 College.
She had her VCE results sent via test message to her mother’s phone and, on the back of the result, was hoping to study a Bachelor of Engineering and Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science at Monash University.
Kyabram’s Angela Hehir was considering studying medicine after scoring an ENTER of 97.05 at St Joseph’s College in Echuca.
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