From rails to riches: Numurkah and Wunghnu celebrate 150 years

“It’s a major milestone and an opportunity to celebrate that we are vibrant communities with a really interesting past and that past has created what we are now,” chair of the 150th planning committee Jeff Blackley said.

The planning committee has been diligently working to organise a variety of festivities, starting with creating a logo.

Designed by Inksquirrel Design and inspired by local students’ drawings, the logo captures key elements of both towns, including the two creeks, the arrival of the railway, and early farming practices focused on wheat.

Through Indigenous art, the logo also acknowledges that the land was inhabited by the Bangerang clan, which is now part of the Yorta Yorta Nation, long before the 1875 proclamation.

The main festivities will kick off on Saturday, February 8, and Sunday, February 9, a poignant choice to align with the date the Victorian Government recognised these towns.

The first day, dubbed ‘150th Launch and Heritage Activities Day’, will begin with a spectacle featuring a Cobb and Co coach and town crier journeying to the Numurkah Showgrounds.

There, attendees can indulge in various heritage displays, demonstrations and entertainment.

“We wanted to point out our old trades and crafts, and the old horses and wagons we’ll have on display were a major part of the initial development of the towns and the districts,” Mr Blackley said.

Expect to see Clydesdales, traditional wagons, vintage cars and an outdoor screen showcasing early Numurkah and Wunghnu photographs.

The talk of the town will undoubtedly be the grand parade at noon, intended to replicate the agricultural show parades of the past.

“It’s a mini version of what used to happen, with horses, wagons, buggies and Australian Light Horsemen parading around the oval,” Mr Blackley said.

The next day, the masses will be out and about in Numurkah for the fittingly named ‘Gather Round’.

In addition to hosting history tours and open venues, a special event will retrieve a time capsule from 2000 at Rotary Park.

“We’ve already had quite a number of people say they think they put something in and would love to find out,” Mr Blackley said.

“During the year, we want to collect a new lot of items for a new time capsule and bury that at the end of the year as part of the 150th anniversary.”

While at the park, attendees are encouraged to admire the repainted trains and tractors, a legacy project by the Numurkah Rotary Club.

As the curator of the Numurkah and District Historical Society, Mr Blackley shared an exciting development for its legacy project: installing historical signs along the main street by Easter weekend.

“They’ll be a permanent fixture, indicating to locals what early shops and businesses were there, but it will also be a tourist drawcard, inviting them to take a walk down the main street and have a look at our history trail,” he said.

Before then, Wunghnu will host its events on Saturday, March 29, and Sunday, March 30, coinciding with the 40th Goulburn Valley Vintage Tractor and Farm Machinery Club Vintage Rally.

This event will showcase vintage machinery, early photographs and memorabilia.

When Easter weekend arrives, it’s back to Numurkah for a series of events beginning on Saturday, April 19.

A strong theme of recognition and remembrance will emerge throughout the year, encouraging past and present community members to celebrate the rich histories, traditions and milestones that shaped Numurkah and Wunghnu.

For more details about the anniversary celebrations, visit numurkahhistoricalsociety.com.au/150th-anniversary