Rochester Fire Brigade has been busy putting out fires around the district in the past week.
Last Monday, the Rochester brigade received a call from farmer Ron Briggs on Graham Rd who saw smoke appear from his baler.
Quick action by a neighbouring farmer saw little damage to the baler.
The Prince family, from Rochester, consider the January flood to be a blessing in disguise, as it hurried them into making the renovations they always dreamed of.
At the beginning they did not see it that way, however, and like many people in Rochester, the initial feeling was one of shock and disbelief.
On the Friday night, as the water crept up from the Campaspe River, Steven and Karen Prince spent a restless night listening to the floodwaters loudly flowing through the trees.
The opening of Rochester pool has been delayed for another week due to delays in repairing flood-damaged tiles.
Rochester pool is now scheduled to open for the summer season on December 9, six days after the expected opening.
The severe inundation experienced at the pool during the January 2011 floods deteriorated the tile mortar to such an extent that tiles had become loose and were falling off in many places.
50 years ago
Tuesday, November 30, 1971
On November 22, a large number of parents of students at Sacred Heart College gathered to hear plans for the consolidation of Catholic senior secondary education in the district.
The Provincial Superior of the Brigidine Sisters in Victoria, Mother Perpetua, BA. BEd. MEd. (Washington), MACE, addressed the gathering and gave the details of the consolidation of Forms V and VI from Rochester, Kyabram and Echuca, at St Joseph’s College, Echuca, commencing in 1972.
This move is to give bigger classes, which are more beneficial to students and more economical in these days of rising costs.
A special meeting has been called following the refusal on Friday night of the Victorian Country Football League Investigation Committee to clear Rochester to the Goulburn Valley League.
On Wednesday night, Rochester’s committee will decide whether the club disbands, or reaffiliates with the BFL.
Either move would cause serious problems to Rochester, club president Mr B. English claimed.
An interesting and entertaining evening was provided for patrons who viewed a magnificent display of wedding gowns, paraded at the Anglican Hall recently.
The function was organised by the Mothers Club of the Nanneella West State School and many of the gowns were modelled by their owners.
The oldest frock in the parade was worn by Mrs Appleby of Milloo — it was made in 1898.
100 years ago
Saturday, December 3, 1921
Work on the Soldiers’ Memorial bungalow at Rochester is at a standstill, owing to the shortage of carpenters.
In various quarters — on the settlements and elsewhere — it is almost impossible to secure labour for house-building.
The disastrous effect on progress caused by Labor’s selfish policy of limitation of apprentices is being acutely felt.
An influential deputation waited on the Minister on Wednesday last, urging that the question of constructing a railway from Elmore to Heathcote be referred to the Railway Standing Committe for inquiry.
It was urged that the line would serve 200,000 acres of agricultural land and most of the Mount Carmel estate purchased for soldier settlement, while it would reduce the distance from Melbourne to Cohuna, Echuca, Elmore, Rochester, and other places in the northern district by about 27 miles.
At the monthly meeting of the Rutherglen Citizens’ Association Dr Featherstone stated that the time had arrived when something should be done to combat the mosquito pest, which, at time, was very bad in Rutherglen.
The remedy was very simple.
If householders would put about a teaspoonful of kerosene in their 1000 gallon water tanks they would find that the mosquito would disappear, and that the small quantity of kerosene would not injure the water.
10°C