100 years ago

- The Gazette, June 5, 1923

A PLEASANT EVENING

The annual tea meeting and concert in connection with St Paul’s Church, was held on Tuesday last, and proved very enjoyable. Unfortunately, the wintry weather affected the attendance, while the almost unlimited space of the old public hall reminded the organisers that after all the “old barn” was at times a very useful adjunct to the town. When, however, the new theatre hall is completed, this drawback will be removed, for the hall is completed, the drawback will be removed, for the new hall is a very commodious and up and up to date building.

Tea was served at six o clock, by which time there was a crowded attendance, and the ladies had a very busy time in supplying the needs of the young people especially, who look upon this annual treat as one of the red letter days of the year.

After the tea a concert was held, and a very nice programme was presented. Mr Lal Logie, from Melbourne, had been engaged to make fun for young and old and his jokes and anecdotes kept his audience in roars of laughter. The Rev PW Robinson presided and at the close expressed his thanks to the ladies who had worked so hard to make the gathering such a success. Although the accommodation was more limited than usual, they had a very happy and enjoyable time.

HEROES OF THE BUSH

Women of the bush are sometimes called upon to take on heroic tasks which would apal many of their sisters living in the luxurious cities. During the recent heavy gales a woman with three children was driving in the hills near Toora and came to a full stop because of a big tree lying across the road. She drove back about two miles for help, thinking that men would be available with axes. None were home; only three women who volunteered their services.

With a six foot crosscut saw and a tomahawk they set out, and after a couple of hours of hard work in rain, wind and mud the track was cleared. Only recently, all Australia was thrilled to read the account of the heroic bush nurse, Sister Allmond, in the Croajingolong forest country, where, with a part of eight men, she travelled by the side of a dangerously ill woman over a sixteen mile track through the forest to get to the aid of a doctor/ The weather too was bitterly cold and a gale of wind was blowing at the time.

The doctor too was at the appointed post, and the patient is said to be doing satisfactorily. Many heroic deeds are done in the vast spaces of Australia which passes without record, and if we only knew the facts we should doubtless have almost superhuman deeds of courage and endurance to record done by these mothers of the Anzacs. It is little wonder that Australia produced the finest troops in the world.