IURP WKH 1HZVSDSHU )LOHV 100 years ago
- The Gazette, April 8, 1924
THE WARRAGUL SHOW
The first show held in Warragul, relatively speaking, is so long ago that we are apt to forget that forty years have since intervened. Mr CS Affleck, the veteran secretary, informs us that it was held in 1884.
As he was the first president, he ought to know. Capt Garside was the first secretary of the society, and the show of stock was held in the Hamilton & Co.’s yards, while the exhibit shed was the present Athenaeum. Lunch was held in the old Club Hotel, when Mr Lyons, father of seven fine daughters, of whom Mrs J Cromie is one, was the licensee. The following year, 1885, the show was held in the showground. Capt Garside as Secretary, was followed by Mr W Watt. Then came Thomas Patterson, the original partner of Mr Richard Skews, both of whom established the old firm of Skews and Patterson. On Mr Patterson retiring, Mr Affleck took his place, and he has held the reins ever since. That was in 1892 - 32 years ago. Now Mrs Affleck is almost as important an official in the detail work of the show as her husband. And why not? For women have shown their ability to be shire secretaries and auditors, not to mention members of Parliament. Charles Stuart Affleck is probably the longest serving agricultural society secretary in the state.
POTATOES
Root crops this year have been good throughout Gippsland, but an exceptional yield on a small area has been obtained by Mr J Walburn of Warragul. His farm of 21 acres is on the hillside over Duggan’s crossing, and it must be an exceptionally good piece of land. He planted half a cwt of Carmen No 2 potatoes, and he has just dug 28 full bags with a total weight of 35 cwt. This, when worked out, proved to be 17 tons of sound potatoes to the acre - a very handsome yield considering the ground is well up on the hillside. For manure, Mr Walburn, use bones, with a little super, at the rate of 2 cwt to the acre.
TOO MANY DOGS
Mr C Rose, at least, thinks there is one dog too many in the shire or else it should be taught better manners. When in Queen Street recently, with his two children, this animal bit him on the leg, which developed blood poisoning, and he has been laid up for nearly three weeks. Dr Ley attended him, and the wound, which was very painful, is now healing alright.
LETTERS TO MELBOURNE
Correspondence addressed to the suburbs despatched from Warragul by the morning does not arrive in Melbourne in time for delivery on the same day. This serious delay may now be avoided by posting letters in the railway station letter receiver, arrangements having been clearance to be effected just prior to the departure of the 6.25am train, the contents being conveyed to Melbourne per van bag.
50 years ago
- The Gazette, April 9, 1974
Woolies joins Warragul boom Complex to cost $1.5 million
Woolworths will re-develop its Warragul supermarket as a “family centre” shopping complex.
The redevelopment is expected to cost $1.5 million.
It will more than double existing floorspace at the Woolworths supermarket in the heart of Warragul’s commercial centre.
Detailed plans and specifications have yet to be submitted to Warragul Shire Council for approval.
Director and State manager for Woolworths (Vic) Limited, Mr JW Levinge said the re-development would make the new complex the shopping “focal point of the town.”
The “family centre” will be built on land bounded by Victoria, Palmerston and Smith Streets.
Mr Levinge said the present store provided a service built around a large food range and a selection of variety type merchandise.
“We feel that in its present concept, the supermarket, because of its size, offers limited facilities, which at this point in time have proved very satisfactory, and have been accepted by our customers.
“The family centre on the other hand, would provide a very extensive range of general merchandise, including wearing apparel for the whole family, footwear, housewares, electrical appliances, furniture and furnishings, hardware, and motoring accessories.
“This would be complemented by a large selection of all types of food, including a snack bar with seating for 80 people.
“The area of the store devoted to general merchandise would represent almost two and a half times the total trading area of the present supermarket, which gives some indication of the total size of the centre.
“Fitting rooms and lay-by facilities will be added for customer convenience.”
Mr Levinge added, “All merchandise within the centre, either general or food, is displayed by the self-selection method.
“The total area of the family centre will be serviced by a bank of 17 checkouts with cash registers at which customers’ purchases are paid for.
“As a means of providing shopping comfort all year, the family centre will be completely air conditioned.
“And in the interests of customer safety and protection of company property, the entire building will be fitted with fire sprinkling apparatus.”
Mr Levinge said: “In addition, parking at the centre will be increased to handle about 2000 cars daily, all on ground floor level.
Family homeless after fire
A young family returned to Darnum last Sunday night to find their home burnt to the ground.
Mr and Mrs Peter Wels of Hallett Street, parents of three young children.
Firemen from Darnum-Ellinbank Rural Fire Brigade, who answered the alarm at 11.30 pm, were unable to save the home. Nothing could be saved.
Brigade captain Mr Ted Reeves said all they could do was keep a fire from spreading. Nine volunteers on the unit which left Ellinbank soon after 11.30 pm could see flames from seven miles away.
They took almost hours to put out burning debris at the site.
Miss Van Der Horst of Darnum gave the alarm.
The cause of the fire is still unknown.
SEC AWARD
Warragul district branch of the SEC received an award for having logged 100 000 accident free man hours, at a special ceremony in the Club Hotel last Thursday night.
This milestone was reached on January 8 this year.
The Warragul district branch has 29 staff, most of them exposed to the hazards of field work.
Commercial manager of the SEC, Mr Jack Huxtable, presenting the award said Warragul had been the first branch to hold a weekly meeting to discuss all aspects of accident prevention.
He said this idea now had been adopted by other branch groups to stimulate safety consciousness among employees. Warragul branch won its first award for 100 000 accident free man hours in November, 1971, after having logged a total of 138 000 man hours free of accidents since July 1, 1966.
Making a city
A plan to develop Pakenham into a city of 25,000 by the year 2000 promises to keep Garfield, Nar Nar Goon and Bunyip within their present limits.
Berwick Shire Council approved the plan after a three-hour closed meeting.
In a foreward to the plan, Council’s engineer, Mr RJ Chambers said Pakenham (present population 4000) should be the region’s cultural, business and recreational centre by the year 2000.
Other towns should be kept at their present village-type levels of population and development, he said.