I grew up in Yarroweyah.

Yarroweyah at that time consisted of the Yarroweyah Memorial Hall, the Yarroweyah General Store, and Sutton Bros — a garage and light engineering business run by my father, Jim Sutton, and my uncle, Don Sutton.

There were only a few houses.

The railway station was still there, co-located with the post office. Traditionally, a railway employee lived on site and their wife would conduct the post office.

There was also a Scout Troop that included the 1st Yarroweyah Cubs and Scouts.

The General Store closed in June 1974.

During my childhood, it was operated by Charlie and Mary Gilbert. The Gilberts had a son, Rod, who served in Vietnam.

Rod, along with others, will be recorded on the new Yarroweyah and Koonoomoo War Memorial.

Mary Gilbert was also a talented local artist.

Following the Gilberts, the store was taken over by Bob and Verna Giles, who were the final storekeepers.

Interestingly, it was at a time when biscuits were purchased in large tins.

Customers would buy them by weight, sold in paper bags.

The post office closed in 1976, along with the railway station.

Cobram was the major centre.

Yarroweyah is of historical importance as it was a Soldier Settlement area established after World War II.

It became a major dairying centre and fruit-growing area. It was also home to the Yarroweyah Sports Carnival, which became the third-largest sports carnival in regional Victoria.

Events included the Yarroweyah Gift, the Yarroweyah Mile, and the Yarroweyah Wheelrace.

The sports carnival attracted numerous visitors to the local area, and funds were raised for local community groups and causes.

Beneficiaries included local sporting teams, Cobram Hospital, local ambulance services, and the Scouts, Cubs, and Guide groups.

It became a major drawcard with events including Highland dancing, rides, exhibits, and family entertainment.

It was attended by MPs, including former Country Party Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Sir John McEwan — also known as Blackjack. Blackjack went on to serve as Prime Minister after the disappearance of Prime Minister Harold Holt off Cheviot Beach, Portsea, in 1967.

Prime Minister Menzies had also been invited.

Interestingly, the sports carnival was used by some athletes to prepare for the Stawell Gift.

One of those athletes was international runner Ricky Dunbar, known as the Flying Scotsman.

Another famous runner was Norman Yemm, who ran at Yarroweyah and won the Yarroweyah Mile.

Yemm would be remembered by many for his roles in the Crawford series Homicide and The Sullivans.

My education was in Cobram.

I attended the kindergarten, where I was taught by Mrs Eileen Taylor.

That kindergarten now bears her name.

I then attended Cobram Consolidated School and later Cobram High School.

I started school in 1969, at the age of five.

My first year of primary school was in 1969.

It was, of course, the year of the moon landing.

It was broadcast continually, and I recall watching it on television at school.

Imagine young primary school children sitting through it. It meant nothing to me at the time.

We all knew that the moon was habitable — that’s where Mr Squiggle lived. I watched him every afternoon.

Des Dyke and I, bored with the lunar landing, sneaked out and played on the monkey bars.

We were, of course, caught and punished by Miss Mabel Prentice.

It was a different time then — we were smacked on the rear.

Of course, as a mature adult, I now recognise the significance of the event.

Interestingly, I commenced my secondary education in 1976, and our year was the largest class group, as baby boomers were coming through.

Cobram High School was experiencing rapid growth and undergoing a huge building program.

New buildings included a new assembly hall in 1977, a technical wing in 1979, and a library in 1980.

Before the construction of the new assembly hall, students would assemble outside.

As many readers would recall, the 1970s was a time when several fads became very popular.

Yo-Yos were one of these, and it became a worldwide trend.

Many tricks became popular, and large brands, including Coca-Cola and Fanta, were keen to be involved.

Many Yo-Yos carried their logos.

Interestingly, four students decided to attempt the world record for Yo-Yoing to raise funds for the new assembly hall.

The four students were David Braithwaite, Darren Flanigan, Chris Hicks, and Brian Saltmarsh.

They raised over $500, a considerable sum in 1976.

They were successful and broke the previous record.

Our principal, Mr Ian McKean, announced at a school assembly that Guinness confirmed the record had been broken.

Sadly, a US college team heard about the Australian attempt and decided to challenge it.

Nonetheless, the Cobram High School team established an Australian record.

The four students were just 14 and 15 years old.

From memory, I think the attempt lasted over 58 hours.

Darren Flanigan went on to play Australian Rules football for Geelong.

Cobram and the surrounding districts produced a number of talented sportspeople, including the Hocking brothers, Steven and Garry.

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Wednesday, 5th June 2024

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