Hidden in History is a new weekly column that unearths the quirky, curious and sometimes eyebrow-raising tales from Shepparton’s past. Provided by the Shepparton Heritage Centre, these articles are rooted in fact — but told with a wink and a sense of humour.
Just what merited ‘news’ for the editors of the late 19th-century day is uncertain, but their selections provided a curious spread of coverage and windows to their world.
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Two men drank from a tank containing a poisoned rabbit; one died and “great indignation” was expressed at the tank being left unprotected.
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In the summer of 1892, Edward Kupke faced the magistrates’ court on a charge of “careless use of fire”; Kupke had lit a fire on a manure heap to burn the remains of a horse, and while he left the fire to buy some bread the fire raced away, burning 5000 acres of land between Shepparton and Pine Lodge.
Kupke was fined the “maximum penalty” of £100 in lieu of six months’ gaol.
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In 1894 the Goulburn Valley Football Association was asked to rule on a disputed match between Shepparton and Mooroopna; during the match when Shepparton had kicked four goals to nil, it was discovered that the winning team was playing with 21 players.
Shepparton’s score was duly annulled and its opponents kicked one goal to secure a win despite the local association’s calls for a rematch amid a hasty shuffling through the rule book.
