50 years ago November 1974

More than 24 years of service by Sisiter Joyce Berryman as Infant Welfare Sister in Echuca was recognised by the City Council.

The council tendered Sister Berryman a dinner at the Echuca Civic Centre and during the function she was presented with a gold wristlet watch by the Mayor, Cr Don Oberin and a spray from the Mayoress.

Sister Berryman came to Echuca to take up the position from Merbein, where she was infant welfare sister for 12 months.

Before then, she had followed up general nursing training with a period in the Army and then further training under the rehabilitation scheme.

***

Is the new bridge across the Murray River between Echuca and Moama further off than most of us would like to believe?

For those who hope for a new bridge, the sign on Wednesday of railway workers erecting clearance warning signs on the arches of the old bridge would not be a welcome one.

One would think that after all these years without warning signs and following such hopeful talks on the new bridge, the Victorian Railways would consider the viability of fitting such signs.

Perhaps they are a bad omen for the ‘’new bridge hopers,’’ or perhaps the erection of the signs is only a long-awaited product of typical government red tape.

***

Following a two-month visit to Echuca last year as a special service engineer for the SKF Corporation and UBCO, Mr Bjorn Sundberg, of Gothenburg, Sweden, has returned to Echuca for a stay of at least two years.

Mr Sundberg arrived in Australia this week with his wife Irene to take up a position as technical manager with UBCO.

The couple will spend some time adjusting to the way of life in Australia and will settle in the district after finding suitable accommodation.

25 years ago November 1999

On the anniversary of the occupation of the Dharyna Cultural Centre in the Barmah State Forest, the Yorta Yorta people are confident of playing a greater role in the centre’s future.

Yorta Yorta representatives have been holding talks with Parks Victoria for the past four months about the centre’s future.

Yorta Yorta native title co-ordinator Monica Morgan said the ultimate aim was to have the Dharyna centre banded over to the Yorta Yorta.

The centre is presently operated in partnership between the Yorta Yorta and Parks Victoria.

“It was taken as our understanding that the centre would be built on the assumption that it would be handed back,’’ she said.

***

Voters in the Murray and Farrer electorates voted in line with the rest of the country with a resounding no vote at republic referendum on Saturday.

Results in both electorates were a no to both the question as to whether or not Australia should become a republic and the question of whether or not a preamble should be inserted into the Australian Constitution.

As to the question of whether or not Australia should become a republic, according to figures available yesterday, with 83.36 per cent of the vote counted, 20,815 (29.77 per cent) of Murray voters said it should and 49,116 (70.23 per cent) said it shouldn’t. There were 544 (0.77 per cent) who voted informally.

***

The Rich River Mariners’ future as a baseball club looks secure, as club members pulled together to fill board positions at a crisis meeting.

The Mariners have been successful in their three years of existence, playing in the Goulburn Valley Baseball Association, but a lack of players and a drastic shortage of committee members forced the club to reassess its future.

A crisis meeting was called for last Friday to determine whether or not the club would fold, or live to fight another day.

With only a president and a treasurer on the board at last season’s end, it was decided that the club would close if board positions could not be filled and responsibility shared.

After out-going president Shane Coatsworth offered the ultimatum, ‘’no president, no club,’’ the members responded, filling most board and committee positions.

10 years ago November 2014

Disgusted at the increasing street violence in Echuca, the father of a one-punch victim is joining the push for CCTV around main streets and nightspots.

The man has contacted Campaspe Shire Council and plans to discuss the issue with Echuca anti-violence campaigner Steve Huntley, who has also been calling for security footage in licensed premises, taxi ranks, ATMs and takeaway outlets since launching his ‘one punch can kill’ campaign in February.

‘‘Council told me I needed to start talking to the councillors, so I urge all other concerned residents to do the same,’’ the father said.

‘‘We need CCTV at all nightspots, down the main street and Pakenham St, where criminal damage is also occurring.’’

***

Standing near Echuca’s Victoria Park boat ramp, Deputy Premier Peter Ryan had one message for the town and the region — ‘‘we are going to build the bloody thing’’.

He had just confirmed $96 million funding for the second Echuca-Moama bridge.

‘‘This announcement is great news for Echuca and this region more broadly,’’ Mr Ryan said.

He hoped the NSW Government would now come to the party and chip in $60 million.

A further $100 million is needed from the Federal Government for the bridge to go ahead to meet the estimated VicRoads cost of $255 million.

***

It is not your usual SOS, but it is just as important.

Tongala residents are rallying to save the town’s only petrol station with the Save Our Servo campaign.

It is hoped up to 100 people will attend Monday’s public meeting to address the possible closure, which could be detrimental to the small town.

Organiser David Simkin said there was a real danger the station would close in December.

He said a community service station, manned by volunteers, might be the way to go.

‘‘If we leave it any longer, that leaves little time to take over,’’ Mr Simkin said.

‘‘Our focus is to keep the thing open.“

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