Shepparton is one of the many urban areas to be represented by a newly formed ABC Friends group.

The group, which has been formally acknowledged by ABC Friends Victoria, will carry the subtitle of “Goulburn Valley”.

It will cover the City of Greater Shepparton and the Campaspe, Moria and Strathbogie shires.

The group was set up after a circuitous journey following a bid to establish a group in Bendigo.

Two face-to-face meetings were held in Bendigo and the one constant was Echuca’s Wilma Hills, and after the effort in that central Victoria city collapsed, the process moved to Echuca, this time via Zoom.

Technical gremlins intervened and the only person able to access that event, beyond the state vice-president Michael Henry and president Pamela Creed, was Shepparton’s Robert McLean.

Subsequently, the state interest shifted to Shepparton, and so now there is a Goulburn Valley group centred in Shepparton, but covering all areas throughout the greater Goulburn Valley, including Echuca.

Mr McLean is the convenor and can be contacted via phone on 0400 502 199 or via email at r.mclean7@icloud.com

A separate email address is being set up for GV group, but it it’s not yet active.

The GV ABC Friends will meet for the first time in 2026 on Thursday, January 15 at 6:30pm at the Shepparton Library in Marungi St.

ABC Friends is a not-for-profit, non-partisan, volunteer-based organisation which is active in all states and territories across Australia.

It works to uphold and promote the vital role of the ABC as a national public media organisation and has been doing that since 1976, meaning 2026 will be its 50th anniversary.

The friends’ vision is for a fearless, independent ABC valued by all Australians and fully supported by government, and so its mission is to represent the community interest in upholding and promoting the vital role of the ABC as a national public media organisation.

It believes Australia’s democracy depends on a strong ABC.

ABC Friends has nine groups throughout the state, but just two in regional areas (Ballarat and Geelong), and three now, following the recognition of ABC Friends Goulburn Valley.

ABC Friends is a national organisation and one which Mr McLean encourages people to not only support, but become a financial member, joining through the ABC Friends page at https://www.abcfriends.net.au/

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Friday, 17th April 2026

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