Reflections from the past

Mr Bowen said the authority’s report showed that compared with imports in 1972-73 imports of ball bearings increased by 65 per cent in 1973-74 and were expected to increase by over 200 per cent in 1974-75 to a total quantity in excess of eight million.

Imports for the 12 months commencing March 1, 1975 will be limited to a quota of two million bearings.

***

There are plans for a mini shopping centre in Echuca south.

Echuca City Council has referred an initial inquiry about the proposal to its town planning committee.

The inquiry was made by R.O. Howell Real Estate on behalf of a client.

Howell have asked the council whether it will permit the development of a shopping centre consisting of five shops, a pedestrian walkway and off-street parking facilities.

The proposed site is on the corner of Ogilvie Ave and Shackell St.

***

Rusell Bergmeier, of Dandenong, riding a 650 Yamaha Wasp took out the A Grade side car moto-cross at Bangarang Park, Echuca, on Sunday.

He won from Steve Smith, of Ballarat, on a 750 Norton Wasp, and Barry Buckley, of South Australia, on a 750 Suzuki, who could not take a trick sliding on the track.

The A Grade solo was won by Dave Basham, of South Australia. In the junior solo Rico Houtzager, of NSW, was the winner.

Gavin Angove of Echuca took third place.

Another Echuca rider to do well was Robert McLean who rode strongly for a third in the Allpowers expert division 2 moto-cross.

25 years ago March 2000

Reminiscent of the town’s glory days, Echuca may again become the home of a busy inland port.

Echuca has emerged as a strong contender for the inland port proposal originally slated for Marong.

Due to rezoning difficulties and community objections surrounding the favoured site, it was announced that the project would not go ahead in the City of Greater Bendigo.

In the wake of the decision, the company proposing the port has been inundated with offers of alternative sites.

Echuca is now locked into a battle with Loddon, Mt Alexander and the Central Goldfields shires, among others, to prove it is the most worthy location.

***

Try saying Jackonymous, Sure as You’re Born, Maseratti Fella and Zucchiniappleyes as fast as you can.

Now see if you can get it right as trotters are storming towards a finish line, jostling for position in front of a crowd holding on to your every word.

It doesn’t sound like a job for a 15-year-old student.

While most kids of his age have part-time jobs at fast food stores or supermarkets, Echuca-Moama’s Matthew Jackson calls trots races at the Moama and Bendigo trials at weekends.

Matthew hopes to eventually make a career out of it, something his parents believe he is capable of and secretary of the Echuca Harness Racing Club Frank Ryan says he ‘’shows promise’’.

***

Low values at a recent land sale in Mathoura have raised questions about what effect the Great Mathoura Land Giveaway has had on real estate values.

The Murray Shire recently sold six lots in a public auction to recover overdue rates.

With some of the properties owing up to $6000 in rates, the funds raised did not cover the rates owing, forcing Murray Shire to write off the balance.

It sold three vacant lots on the other side of the Cobb Hwy to the giveaway estate, one in Dolan Court and another in Opitz Court.

Both went for $2500 while another in Opitz Court was passed in. The lots have shed about $15,000 in value since originally bought in the early 1990s.

The Great Mathoura Land Giveaway scheme, launched in 1997, offered land to skilled people willing to move to the town.

So far, only eight houses have been built on the 26 available quarter-acre blocks.

10 years ago March 2015

Australian Drug Foundation chief executive John Rogerson is the first to admit there are some deadly serious pockets of ice-ravaged rural communities.

And agreed Echuca-Moama was one of them.

But at the same time, he said the ‘ice age’ needed to be put into perspective.

In the big picture he said it was not as scary as some people were thinking and there had actually been little change in its use during the past three years.

‘‘The ice problem is dangerous for anyone using the drug, and for the impact its ripple effect has on those around them and with the crime rate in those areas,’’ Mr Rogerson said.

‘‘But nationally the latest statistics show only 2 per cent of the population used methamphetamine in the past year.’’

***

Usually to make the Australian water ski racing team you have to undergo seven trial races across the east coast.

But for Moama’s Tyron Naismith, he nailed it in five.

Naismith will join the world’s top skiers at the world ski titles in Wellington in New Zealand in April, along with his driver Alex Hanley and Echuca observer Adam Reid.

Holding the ropes behind Still Angry, the 20-year-old will vie for a world title in the open F2 class.

A victory at the event would just be another feat to add to his already impressive collection which includes a win at the Trans-Tasman Challenge Cup.

Naismith said he originally had no intention of competing for a spot in the Aussie team, but after a friend dropped out he decided to give it a last-minute crack.

***

Campaspe Shire councillor Adrian Weston has ignited a new wave of debate after flagging the prospect of incorporating the shire’s eastern-most towns into City of Greater Shepparton.

Cr Weston, who raised the idea at a special council meeting in Echuca on Tuesday, said Kyabram, Stanhope, Rushworth, Girgarre and Wyuna needed to ask where their best interests lay.

He said he was not alone in thinking some would be better off away from Campaspe Shire.

‘‘This is not only my view, this is the view of people who have been coming to me for the last three or four years wanting this to happen,’’ he said.

‘‘It makes sense. Our regional centre is Shepparton, not Echuca.’’