Around the traps

You are needed to help organise or offer input for the annual Kyabram Chamber of Commerce Bush Market set down for Friday, November 7.

The meeting is being held at Hurley’s Hotel from 6pm and your presence will be welcome.

The Bush Market is one of Kyabram’s prime shopping days and one of the town’s best supported events.

Small falls

Farmers are looking to the skies after recent predicted rain was a lot less than predicted.

The 10mm plus forecast for this time last week amounted to only 7.4mm at the Kyabram weather station.

Last Friday only 2.8mm was recorded, taking Kyabram’s total for August to 11.4mm.

The long-term average August rainfall is 42.1mm and the wettest August since records were kept in 1889 belongs to 1973 when a whopping 109mm pelted down.

More to the story

Last week’s Free Press reported on happy interviews with Rushworth’s old footballers, attending a 60-year reunion of 1965 premierships for the club’s senior and reserves teams when playing in the Heathcote District Football League.

It seems there was more to the story.

When premiership player Ralph Barlow, 81, was welcomed at the function, his daughter Angela Carey (née Barlow), who many years ago worked at the Free Press, had brought along her father’s old footy gear from a storage cupboard at home.

Angela displayed Ralph’s old footy boots, his woollen jumper, the felt number 30 nearly gone, but still visible, and his greying black footy shorts with a King Gee label.

The old boys nodded in their recall of their nuggety little back-pocket teammate.

To the great amusement of all present, Angela then held up his old jock-strap, happily in well-laundered condition.

There was further loud chuckling when the reunion compere, former Tiger Alan McLean, told the audience that he could see the label and the size was double extra-large!

Concerns over footbridge

The historic Moulamein Courthouse footbridge has been closed due to structural safety concerns identified in recent inspections.

The bridge sustained damage in the 2022 floods and has been monitored regularly since then by Murray River Council.

The latest inspection revealed further deterioration, which was not previously exposed.

The bridge, which spans the Billabong Creek, was the only one of its kind in Australia and had direct access to a courthouse and adjoining police station for more than 100 years.

It has now been closed to all pedestrians and has a limited life.

Mighty mare stands tall once again

Shepparton sculptor Mark Niglia has helped to keep the fairytale of one of Australia’s greatest racehorses alive and well.

Not that Black Cavier, who was unbeaten in 25 starts, will ever fade from racing history.

Appropriately titled 25 Wins the sculpture is the result of 86 hours of work by Mark to capture the great mare’s strength and spirit.

Sadly last Sunday was the first anniversary of Black Caviar’s death — a day before her 18th birthday — but her sculpture will stand proudly at the Micheltown Winery Willowood property near Nagambie where she spent her days away from the racetrack with her two best mates, 25-year-old pony Andy and Billy The Goat.

Old station gone

Sixty-five years of providing a home for Benalla police ended with the recent demolition of the old Benalla police station.

It has been demolished to make a parking area for the new station, which was opened in March.

Square dinkum

G’day.

A bloke said to his wife, ‘‘Are you sleeping?’’

She replied, ‘‘No, I just closed my eyes briefly so my mind could dream about travelling far, far away.’’

He said, ‘’But you were snoring.’’

She said, ‘’Of course I was, I was travelling by tractor.’’

Hooroo!