Date to be confirmed - Platypus Country

October 2011
Next deadline: 28th October2011
Phone: 02 64580295
E-mail: tubbutnh@bigpond.com
THE NEXT DEDDICK VALLEY ISOLATED COMMUNITY GROUP
MEETING WILL BE HELD
OCTOBER 2011
Date to be confirmed
TUBBUT
NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE
is open
Monday 9.00 - 4.00
Thursday 9.30 - 4.30
Friday 9.30 - 4.30
COMMUNITY
HEALTH
Community Health Nursing
Delegate MPS 02 6459 8000
Orbost 03 5154 6625
Social Worker
Peter Quin 03 5154 6635
Rural Outreach Counsellor
Di Robinson 0427318961
Doctor
Delegate 02 64951369
Should you wish to see the Community Nurse,
please phone Delegate MPS 64588008
DATES TO REMEMBER
9th Oct—Card making Bonang
9th Oct—Mini Field of Women
10th Oct—School resumes
!2th Oct—Ando Stress Less Day
15th Oct—Make a Gnome Bonang
16th Oct—Cooma Market
17th Oct—AgVet Chemical Users Course
20th Oct—Computers for Communities
28th Oct—Library bus
29th Oct—Buy, Sell, Swap Tubbut
29th Oct—Delegate Preschool 40 yrs
29nd Oct—Tubbut Hall working bee
6th Nov—Bombala Market
19th Nov—Bombala Bike Show
24th Nov—Big Bonang Arvo
DISTRICT NURSE
Tubbut:18th Oct/1st Nov/15th Nov
Bonang:11th Oct/25th Oct/8th Nov
Events advertised in the Tattler are open to the
public. Everyone is welcome to attend
no matter where their location.

OCTOBER
BIRTHDAYS
Make a Gnome
take it home
Lydia Jamieson
Gary Sandford
Shoshanah Keller
Layla Rose Brooks
Card making
9 th October
To be held at Bonang Hall
TODDLER GYM
@
BONANG
When: Last Thursday of the Month
Time: 10:30 am to 12:00pm
Where: Bonang Hall
10.00am – 3.00pm
The tutor for will be Leslie Smith.
Lunch will be supplied.
A fee of $5.00 will be charged for this
workshop.
Please book in early so we know how many
to cater for!
Come and Join in the fun.
Please bring along a piece of fruit to share
Jenny Romano needle felting
workshop
Bonang Hall
Saturday October 15th
Cost $5
(all materials supplied)
Registration essential
Contact the Neighbourhood House
to book your place
PH: 0264580295
E-mail: tubbutnh@bigpond.com
For More info call
Megron on 03 5154 0174
The Tubbut Tattler is produced by the Coordinators of the Tubbut
Neighbourhood House which is funded by the Victorian Government.
Material herein is the responsibility of the authors and does not
represent the views of the DVICG or Tubbut Neighbourhood House
unless stated. We welcome material from, and of interest to, people in
the border areas of East Gippsland and NSW.

outreach
Orbost
AgVet Chemical Users Course
(Level III)
Previously called the Farm Chemical Users
Course, this course is the industry standard
for training in chemical use, storage and
handling.
This course provides the required training for
many Industry Quality Assurance Programs
and is necessary to apply for the Victorian
Agricultural Chemical Users Permit (ACUP)
(an ACUP is required for users of Schedule 7 and other
Restricted Chemical Products).
The course covers:
Pest ID
Modes of action
Label interpretation
Issues associated with chemical use
Formulation types
Weed and pest control
Application
Animal health
Transport and disposal
Preparation and clean up
Recording and other procedures
Venue: Orbost Education Centre, Ruskin
Street, Orbost
When: Monday, Oct 17 th and Oct 24 th 2011
8.30am – 4.30pm
Course cost: $250 for 2 days or $135 for 1
day refresher (Oct 24 th )
More information?
Enrol now to ensure you don’t miss out!
Call Greg on: (03) 5154 1788
Email: gmcnamara@egtafe.vic.edu.au
Thursday 24 th November
Bonang Hall
3-7pm
Make the most of the visit from a range of
health related services
More details in November Tattler
Ando Stress Less Well Being Day
Be pampered and stress less in Ando
Hall, there will be a range of stalls,
Beauty, Massage and Bras,
we’ve even got Avon in for the day!
Wednesday 12th October
ANDO HALL
Bookings are essential
Contact: Sarah Hart
(Active Communities Coordinator)
at the
Visitor Information centre
(02) 6458 4622
HANDYMAN
Available to do odd jobs or anything
you need a hand with.
JUST ASK.....
Phone Nathan
64580312
Library Bus
Just a reminder that the Library Bus
will next be visiting the area on
Friday 28th October
Bendoc 9.00—9.45
Delegate River 10.45—11.30
Tubbut 1.15—2.15
Bonang 3.00—3.30
Goongerah 4.15—5.00

Computers for Communities 20th October
This will be held at Tubbut Neighbourhood House
10.00am – 2.00pm
Sharon Buckman will be taking this workshop.
Topics to be covered:
●
●
Photos
CD Burning
Personal tuition sessions are available on request
Phone the Neighbourhood House for details.
Tea & coffee supplied. Bring your own lunch.
Come and celebrate the 40 years
of the
Delegate and District
Preschool
Saturday 29th October
1pm
Delegate Country Club
Mad Hatter's Tea Party
for the kids
BUY SELL SWAP
or
GIVEAWAY
Tubbut Neighbourhood House
has some out of date equipment
looking for new homes.
Perhaps you have too!
Bring it along to the
Neighbourhood House on the
day.
If you are unable to attend on the
day bring your stuff to the
Neighbourhood House before the
29th, making it clear whether you
want to sell, swap or give away
The more items the better; but
we prefer quality junk. We will
make sure leftovers get to the
tip or op-shop if no-one wants
them.
Saturday October 29th
TUBBUT HALL
10am start
Free BBQ lunch at 12.00
Take a trip down memory lane with a presentation of
photos from over the years. Meet up with past
students and teachers.
A Celebration CD of photos and will be available.
For more information or to contribute photos or
anecdotes contact the Delegate Preschool on
0264588196
or Michelle Farran on 0264581236
or farran.michelle.l@edumail.vic.gov.au
The Tubbut Hall Committee
is organising a working bee and
games for the afternoon
followed by a casserole dinner
so come
for
the day

TUBBUT RESOURCE CENTRE / NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE
Phone: 02 64580295
E-mail: tubbutnh@bigpond.com
MONDAY, THURSDAY & FRIDAY
Neighbourhood House News
This month’s Tubbut Tattler is a bit rushed due to the Centre’s closing for the school holidays. Nonetheless, Deb
and Robyn have come in to the Centre a couple of days over their ‘holidays’ to get the Tattler out early in
October— the months come around all too quickly and November’s would be barking at the door just as we
finished with October’s.
Apologies if we have missed some events you are interested in—we didn’t get the information in time.
Community Trailer
The trailer is now registered and available for borrowing at $5 a day.
Swap, sell and give away day
The Neighbourhood House is piggybacking on the Tubbut Hall Committee’s working bee and games event with
this one. Please go through your sheds and cupboards with a view to bringing your excess, still usable goods to
Tubbut on October 29th. The more stuff, the more fun!
Make a gnome, take it home
Jenny Romano of Metung is coming to Bonang on Saturday October 15th to conduct a workshop in needlefelting—the
project, make a gnome. There is strong interest in this one, so ring up and book a place as soon as
possible.
Our Cappuccinos rock!
The Neighbourhood House has a cappuccino machine and we can guarantee you a good coffee. Come in and
have one! (we also have tea) Deb can teach you how to use the machine.
Are you using your pedometers? We have more available at the Tubbut Neighbourhood House to
help you measure the spring in your step.
Check out our web site at http://platypuscountry.org.au/6928.html—it is still in development but there is a
growing section on local history and you can read the Tattler on-line in full colour.
Thank you
A warm thank you goes out to the many people involved in making
our decision to stay in the community a reality.
Acts of kindness, the beauty that surrounds us and the chance
of a better life kept us here.
Special thanks to Alan and Sandy Cameron and David and Julie
Ingram for making us feel welcome at Dellicknora. Also to John
and Skye Auer for their generosity since we moved to Deddick
Valley.
Anyone who has entered our lives over the past year and
offered assistance, knowledge and friendship—we thank you.
Chris and Kristy Brooks
Stop Press
The Deddick Valley Isolated Community Group has
just been notified that we have received a $5000
grant from FaHCSIA to support people helping each
other in our community. More details in the next
Tubbut Tattler.
A big happy 1st birthday to
Layla Rose Brooks.
Born 17th October 2011 at
Bombala Hospital.
Love from Mum, Dad and sister
Charlie.
Drop in to use the computers,
surf the internet or for a
cuppa and chat with the
coordinators. Cappuccino now
available!

‘Back to the Delegate Preschool’ - Fifty years
1971-2011
On Saturday 29 th of October the Delegate Community will be celebrating the fortieth
anniversary of the Delegate and District Preschool with a Mad Hatters Tea party at the
Delegate Country Club from 1:00 pm.
In 1970, Vicki Thompson first mooted the idea for a preschool at Delegate and this quickly
gained the support of the community. Preschool sessions began in the CWA rooms
under the supervision of the first director, Mrs Valerie Auer, in 1971. After several weeks it
was moved to St Phillips Church of England Hall.
In 1976 the Woodglen School building came up for auction. Then began months of
haggling with various government departments until finally a grant was obtained enabling
the old school building to be moved and renovated for the preschool in May 1978. The
success of this venture was due to the unity and effort of the greater Delegate community,
with individuals and businesses pitching in with donations and voluntary labour.
Mrs Auer continued as Director for twenty two years until her retirement in 1992. The
position was then taken up by Di Whittock in 1993. Di held the position throughout the
Nineties. She was followed by Katrina Allen, Kathy Stres, Maggie Janstad and our current
Director Tonelle Lewis.
The Delegate District Preschool continues to provide excellent early childhood education
offering both Preschool and Long Day-care services and a Playgroup for the children of
the wider Delegate Community.
So what‘s happening if you come along Saturday? You are invited to dress-up for A Mad
Hatters afternoon tea to raise funds for the Heart Kids Foundation, a presentation of
memorabilia and old photos, games, songs and competitions for the best hats and
costumes, with the current preschoolers.
Michelle Farran, President

The Aussie Dunny
(Found on the internet Author unknown)
They were funny looking buildings, that were once a way of life,
If you couldn't sprint the distance, then you really were in strife.
They were nailed, they were wired, but were mostly falling down,
There was one in every yard, in every house, in every town.
They were given many names, some were even funny,
But to most of us, we knew them as the outhouse or the dunny.
I've seen some of them all gussied up, with painted doors and all,
But it really made no difference, they were just a port of call.
Now my old man would take a bet, he'd lay an even pound,
That you wouldn't make the dunny with them turkeys hangin' round.
They had so many uses, these buildings out the back,
You could even hide from mother, so you wouldn't get the strap.
That's why we had good cricketers, never mind the bumps,
We used the pathway for the wicket and the dunny door for stumps.
Now my old man would sit for hours, the smell would rot your socks,
He read the daily back to front in that good old thunderbox.
And if by chance that nature called sometime through the night,
You always sent the dog in first, for there was no flamin' light.
And the dunny seemed to be the place where crawlies liked to hide,
But never ever showed themselves until you sat inside.
There was no such thing as Sorbent, no tissues there at all,
Just squares of well read newspaper, a hangin' on the wall.
If you had some friendly neighbours, as neighbours sometimes are,
You could sit and chat to them, if you left the door ajar.
When suddenly you got the urge, and down the track you fled,
Then of course the magpies were there to peck you on your head.
Then the time there was a wet, the rain it never stopped,
If you had an urgent call, you ran between the drops.
The dunny man came once a week, to these buildings out the back,
And he would leave an extra can, if you left for him a zac.
For those of you who've no idea what I mean by a zac,
Then you're too young to have ever had, a dunny out the back.
(Zac was slang for a sixpence coin before decimal currency came into Australia in 1966)

Breast Cancer support on display
More than a hundred Pink Lady silhouettes will be on display at McKillops Bridge on Sunday 9 th
October 2011 in a meaningful show of support for women and families affected by breast cancer.
Every day 38 Australian women will be told they have breast cancer and seven will lose their lives to the disease.
Local organiser Rikki Jones explains; ‘Each time a woman hears she has breast cancer, those around her in the
community are also affected. Support for women and families affected by breast cancer is an important issue in our
local community.’
Breast Cancer Network Australia‘s (BCNA) Mini-Field of Women events provide an opportunity for the public to pay
tribute to all those affected by breast cancer.
Founder and CEO of BCNA, Lyn Swinburne, herself a breast cancer survivor, says the event is a powerful reminder
that you are not alone on your breast cancer journey; ‘This October, around 300 Mini-Field of Women events are
being held in local communities around Australia. These events are a great way to link those people affected by
breast cancer with their local community. We hope people participating will find the event meaningful and enjoy it as
a celebration of life.’
Local organiser Rikki said: ‗Although breast cancer care and knowledge has come a long way in the past, there are
still women being diagnosed every single day who need to be provided with our help and support. Breast cancer is
an issue close to many women and affects our community.’
The community is invited to participate in this local event and to take the opportunity to leave a personal message of
support.
Background
BCNA‘s Mini-Field of Women events in local communities follow on from the highly successful Field of Women LIVE
events held in 2005 (MCG), 2007 (Telstra Stadium, Sydney), and 2010 (MCG). At the 2010 event, the most recent,
14,000 people formed the Pink Lady silhouette, bringing the national breast cancer statistics to life in a sparkling
display of strength, support and camaraderie. They are also a way to let people know about support resources such
as BCNA‘s My Journey Kit, a free resource for women diagnosed with breast cancer.
About Breast Cancer Network Australia
Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) is the national voice of all Australians personally affected by breast cancer,
representing more than 300 Member Groups and over 60,000 individuals. We are represented by the Pink Lady
silhouette, which reflects our key focus – women diagnosed with breast cancer. BCNA‘s mission is to inform,
empower, represent and link together Australians affected by breast cancer.
The diagnosed women - who are our members - are the human faces and stories behind breast cancer. BCNA works
to ensure that women diagnosed with breast cancer, and their families, receive the very best information, treatment,
care and support possible – no matter who they are or where they live.
Support following early breast cancer diagnosis
If you or someone you love has been recently diagnosed with breast cancer, please call Breast Cancer Network
Australia on 1 800 500 258 or visit www.bcna.org.au to obtain a free My Journey Kit.
Bring a picnic lunch to…..
WHAT:
Mini-Field of Women Event
Supporting Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA)
WHERE:
McKillops Bridge
WHEN: Sunday 9 th October 2011
1.30 pm

Remembering our past—Mary Young
I interviewed Janet Cameron about her grandmother for the
Local Rag 66 (October 1984). Janet and Jim Cameron were
my neighbours until they sold their place to Robert Belcher in
the late 1980s. I still miss them.
Deb
Mary, the oldest daughter of the Young family,
was born in 1886 in Scotland. Her father was a
coal-miner and, for some time, her mother ran a
small general store in the village where they lived.
One of the favourite entertainments of the children
in the village was ice-skating in winter. Mary did
not like school so left early to go ‗into service‘. Her
jobs were generally on dairy farms and included
the tasks of milking cows, making butter and
cheese and so on. She lived in, collecting her pay
every six months, then visiting home. For her six
months long labour she would take home
seventeen shillings and sixpence!
At one of the larger farms she worked on, Mary
met George Buchanan who became her husband.
For several years they continued at this sort of
work, living in the small cottages provided for
family men on the job. During this time they had
three children: Agnes, Alec and Helen. Mary‘s
older brother Alec had gone to Australia to try his
luck. He liked what he saw so invited his brother
John and family and Mary and her family to come
and settle with him on land he had purchased at
Kyabram.
Although Mary was well into her fourth pregnancy
at the time, and although World War 1 had just
blown up, the family set sail. Mary was sick for the
entire six weeks of the voyage until they landed in
Adelaide. Needless to say, she was much happier
making the last leg of the journey to Melbourne on
land. George was born in January at Kyabram,
four weeks after their arrival.
Once again Mary and George were living and
working on a dairy farm although they must have
found life very different ‗down under‘ to those
Scottish farms where cattle had to be hand fed
and kept under cover for winter.
Tragically, George died a young man.
Unfortunately he was not able to leave his family
well-provided for. Those were hard and lonely
times for Mary; she would have liked to have
returned to Scotland to family and friends but
without resources, had to stay to keep her family
fed, clothed and sheltered.
Fortune changed, however, when she met and
married Charlie Miles. He liked the country in East
Gippsland so they moved over to Swan Reach,
where they ran a dairy farm long enough for all the
Buchanan children to finish school there.
They sold the farm and moved east to Orbost
where Charlie ran a saddlery and boot repair
business. Their house, which has since burned
down, was in Newtown on the north-west side of
Orbost.
Helen, or Nell as she was called, had married Cecil
Haylock from Bairnsdale. They moved next door to
Mary and Charlie in Orbost. There were a few
palings missing in the side fence so a little girl
called Janet could slip through into her
grandmother‘s place every chance she got.
Mary‘s oldest child, Agnes, married Ellis, son of
Jack Light of Orbost. At one stage, Jack ran the
Granite Creek Hotel, probably a full day‘s ride from
the Danebo Hotel at Martins Creek. At that time,
the old Bonang Highway took the ridge route, west
of the current road. Like so many other historic
buildings in East Gippsland, the hotel was taken by
fire many years ago.
During the Depression in the 1930s, Charlie was
working for the Country Roads Board. The job
brought him to the Bonang area and here he fell in
love with a piece of land at Delegate River. Not one
for mucking around, he sold the Orbost house and
bought, from the Hutchinsons, eleven acres on the
south-eastern corner where Kirkenong Road meets
the Bonang Road at its southern end. At that time it
had a good house with a shingle roof and a nice
garden, with Spring Creek crossing the property
providing a perfect site for a hydraulic ram.
Our Janet moved up with Mary and Charlie, Mary‘s
oldest son Alec and youngest son Peter. Grandma
reckoned that Janet would fret if she stayed in
Orbost without her grandmother on the other side
of the fence. Soon after, Janet‘s younger siblings
moved up too. Nell had moved to Melbourne and
Mary thought that the city was no place for young
children.
Charlie was working on the CRB with Archie Camm
of Bonang. They looked after the stretch from the
border to Bonang. It was pick and shovel,
wheelbarrow and cart work in those days.
Janet must have been like her grandmother
because she had started school at the age of four
in Orbost and hated it. (In telling me her story,
Janet said that she was probably just too young.)
Practising for air-raids, with the siren blaring and
the children walking in single file to the shelter,
would have brought World War Two frighteningly
close to those Orbost children.
School at Lower Delegate River was a different
story. Imagine Delegate River with two schools!
The one Janet attended was at the old hall on the

Bonang Road; the other was on the Kirkenong
Road. Each school had about seventeen pupils and
Janet‘s classmates were:
Kevin, Bonny and Beryl Ingram
David Legge
Charlie Allen
Geoff Foley
John, Mervyn and Phyllis Crawford
Baker children
Frank and Ted Schultz (Mary Mead‘s children)
The Schultz family ran a sawmill in a gully to the
right of the Bonang Road after passing Spring Creek
Gap heading towards Delegate. Janet used to watch
the team of six bullocks pulling the logs down the
road past their place to be sawn up at the mill.
The Miles family acquired the eighty-four acre block
across the road but the family decided to stay where
they were as by now their house was a fine one with
eight rooms and a hut for Charlie to do his
leatherwork in.
The Miles family was happy at Delegate River. Janet
remembers the community there as friendly and
lively. Neighbours stuck together and helped each
other out. The Miles only had use of a vehicle when
Alec, Mary‘s oldest son, who lived with her all her
life except during World War Two, was there to drive
it. Otherwise they relied upon neighbours to provide
lifts or pick up provisions for them in Delegate.
Mary worked hard at Delegate River, as she had
done all her life. When she wasn‘t tending to the
needs of the cows, chooks and geese, she was
grubbing out scrub. Of course, there was always the
cooking and housekeeping.
In summer they made butter and in winter they
made ice-cream using snow and ice collected on
frosty mornings for refrigeration. It worked best with
new milk and several hands to turn the handle
because it always took over an hour. A sweet
custard was placed in the inner steel container and
ice or snow packed between this and the wooden
barrel which formed the outside. Ice-cream in
summer is a modern luxury.
A family makes ice-cream—image from http://
inventors.about.com/od/foodrelatedinventions/ss/
ice_cream_2.htm
Charlie had a saddle and boot repair business in
Delegate where Delcott Motors is now. Business
was good when there was a cattle sale in town and
the drovers came in on their horses. It got busy at
home too, as Mary used to provide bed and
breakfast for the six to eight drovers taking cattle
home after the sale. It took a day to get from
Delegate to the River but Mary generally had
warning of their arrival. The pack-horse,
Whalebone, knew the way and the stopping places.
Loaded to the hilt, he would arrive a couple of
hours ahead of the mob.
Over the years, the cost of stopping at Mary‘s went
from five shillings a head to fifteen shillings. Jack
Parkes, with sons Jim, Gordon and Laurie, were
generally among the drovers. From Delegate River
they had another five days on the road to Orbost.
During the war, most of life‘s necessities could be
acquired only by producing coupons. Many families
found it difficult to make the week‘s allowance (for
instance, 250 g of butter/person/week) last. In Mary
Miles‘ house, they never ran out. The rules were
strict: if you had peanut butter on your bread, you
didn‘t have butter too.
A pot of tea stretched a long way. But this was
Scotch thrift, not meanness, as many neighbours
discovered when they ran out. Mary always had
some spare coupons for emergencies.
Soda bread—bicarb
of soda is used
instead of yeast as
rising agent— quick
to prepare and able
to be cooked in a
pan on the fire or in
a camp oven. A
hardy standby of the
Depression country
kitchen.
http://www.stockfood.cz/
results.asp?
txtkeys=Loaf%20of%
20bread
Charlie became ill towards the end of his life and
moved to Melbourne where he stayed with the
children of his first marriage. Mary stayed on at
Delegate River with Alec but eventually ill-health
meant that she too had to leave her home. She
died in Sale hospital in the late 1960s.
Mary‘s life was not extraordinary and she seems to
have been bypassed by the local historians of the
region. She was a woman of her times; she loved
this area, she worked hard, she raised six children
and contributed to the lives of many others. But I‘ve
liked the sound of her ever since I first heard Janet
talk about her. Whenever I come into Delegate
River, I imagine her at work in some corner of the
house or paddock. Her story reminds us of the role
women played in creating the character of this
area.

Remembering our past— the Simpson family
Cabanandra is half way between Tubbut and Bonang
and one of the earliest parts of the district to be settled
by farmers. Cabanandra is situated in the Parish of
Bonang while Dellicknora is in the Parish of
Cabanandra, just to confuse things.
Cabanandra has a long Aboriginal history evidenced in
the many stone tools that have been found around the
place.
Charlie and Joyce Simpson owned ’Wallaby Rocks’
when I first moved to Cabanandra in 1972. Somehow we
missed interviewing him for the Local Rag; perhaps that
was because the Simpsons moved to Delegate in 1974.
When Charlie died in 1983, the Rag published an article
from Mary Gilbert’s collection, lent to The Rag by Clarice
Ingram. The article was prepared by Ms Ward and
Mossfield, born Simpson. I have augmented it with dates
and any other info I could find.
Deb
A Simpson family lived at Bendoc. Mr Charles Simpson
married a widow from England who had three children.
They had three sons, Charles, Arthur and Fred and three
daughters: Kate (Mrs Clarke, wife of Constable Clarke of
Orbost and Bendoc), Annie (Wife of Bill Armstrong,
teacher at Bonang) and Emma, (Mrs Bob Marriott of
Bonang). Grandma Simpson lived until she was 102
years old.
The Simpson family took up Cabanandra Station. This
Charles Junior (born in Cabanandra in 1855, married
Allison Dickson in 1916) had a family of four girls: Maude
(Mrs R.H. Ingram), Nellie (Mrs Koon), Christine (Mrs
Ward) and Eileen (Mrs Mossfield). Their dad was a north
riding shire councillor.
When the girls first started school, their parents drove
them in the buggy down to Bonang where they stayed
during the week with Mrs James Marriott of Rose
Cottage. The school was a tiny wooden building. Later,
there was a school built at Honeysuckle Range, about
four miles from Cabanandra, and not flat miles either—
up hill and down dale with dingoes howling.
One morning the noise was so loud and the children
were so frightened that they tore off home. But it was the
Federal Mine working. They ate the fruit of the bush—
wild cherry, prickly ground berries, like gooseberries,
geebung and what they called honey flowers. They
hated their boots and would leave them under a log until
they returned. At one time there were 32 at the school
including Richardsons, Hungerfords, Mannings, Marriotts
and three Simpson families—all settlers‘ children.
Mr Herbert Bloomfield Hungerford had a store below the
Honeysuckle School. At lunchtime the children would
take their rabbit skins to barter for lollies and honey
jumble biscuits. Rabbit drives on horseback were very
popular on weekends. The rabbits were not fully
entrenched in burrows then.
A highlight each year was the school picnic (held in the
old campdraft paddock which then belonged to the
Simpsons). At night the whole district from near and far
would go down to Grandma Simpson‘s. Her dining room
had a wonderful dancing floor. The music was an
accordion and Granny used to come prancing in and do
the sword dance over crossed brooms. The dance
program included alberts, lancers, quadrilles, polka
mazurkas, heel and toe polkas, varsivienna and
highland schottische. The kitchen had a huge
fireplace with a big built in oven at the side for
baking bread.
The other cooking was done in camp ovens and
good cooking it was too. Down the centre was a
long table loaded with supper—mostly pork pies
made by Granny: tarts, scones, cakes,
sandwiches. They danced till daylight.
Later a very big Carter family moved in and
another school was started at Stony Creek. The
teacher was an old man, Mr Kruckow, whom they
all loved. He wrote a poem for them when he left.
Farewell little maids of the mountains,
The frost, the snow and the dew,
Farewell little maids of the mountains,
My days have been pleasant with you.
And when you sing by the ingle,
At eve, in the days to come,
Give a kindly thought for the poor old man
Who sang with you ‗Home Sweet Home‘.
For he loved you all and wished you well,
So dear little maids, farewell, farewell.
The Simpsons milked about 30 cows. Mrs Simpson
sold butter for a shilling a pound. They always had
about 70 turkeys.
The roof of the kitchen was unlined. There hung
the homemade hams, bacon, sausages and black
puddings. On the end of the veranda was a window
out of the kitchen. Below it was a big wooden cask
for water for household use. It was one of the
children‘s jobs to put on a wooden shoulder yoke,
go down the steps and down to the Cabanandra
(Jingallala) River and bring back buckets of water
until the cask was full. The wash-house was down
near the river with a big iron boiler for washing
clothes.
An image from Queensland—washing in the copper.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/153912072
Charles Simpson and his wife moved down to
Granite Creek, eighteen miles from Orbost, where
they bought the East Gippsland Hotel from Lights,
who had held it as the Lighthouse Hotel. Cattlemen
and travellers stayed overnight and the mail came
through three times a week. Mr and Mrs Simpson
were not there for long, for Mrs Simpson died.

Race day at Cabanandra in the 1930s
Cabanandra Picnic Sports 1.1.1939
‘The Advertiser’ I have read and now I do desire
To write a verse on what they said—or throw it in the
fire.
On second thoughts that will not do, I’ll stand all
condemnation
And send this stuff along for you, its not for publication.
The Cabanandra Sports I see, was quite a ‘swell turnout’.
You didn’t go! You’re telling me? I’m guessing there’s no
doubt
The scribe who executed this report had Webster’s by his
hand,
The words he used, he didn’t ought, how could ‘we’
understand?
I wasn’t there you’re well aware, but let us all suppose
The poem emerged from this affair and this is how it
goes.
The cars rolled up from near and far, too far for some I
fear.
They fought their way up to the bar and drank Bill
Mustard’s beer.
The day was fine and very hot, but all enjoyed the fun.
Some talked a lot of flaming rot and swanked how they
could run.
Old Arthur Simpson, he was there, and did a lot of
magging
‘Bout what he did when just a kid, I’m sure he wasn’t
bragging.
Don’t tell us Stanley Reed’s a siss, he’s game as old Ned
Kelly,
The throng was thrilled in gleeful bliss as the steer flopped
on his belly.
Stan threw up his hands and shouted, “Strike me pink!
I realise I’ve won first prize, come Don and have a drink.”
The racey men were there of course and backed the steeds
‘both ways’.
They plunged ‘two bob’ on every horse and won on Don
McKay’s.
Don’s ‘Scotty’ is a speedy nag, his name would suit a pup.
Its rumoured in the local rag, “he’ll win a Melbourne Cup”.
The Windle chap can swing a blade, he started this year well.
But ‘Tom’ showed him that he was made of stuff as tough as
hell.
These lads have trained with such a will, there’s not a tree
left standing
From Hayden’s Bog and Little Bill, a plane could make a
landing.
Suppose you think I’m silly, well possibly you’re right.
But its mainly due to you and yours that I’m in such a plight.
Written by the Foley brothers, Ned and Pat, 30.1.1939
The Cabanandra Picnic Races were held on the site where the
Cabanadra Campdraft used to be when owned by Jim &
Janet Cameron; it is now owned by Robert Belcher.
Thanks to Sandy Cameron for the photo and the poem.

My Year in Tubbut—Glen Marshall interview
Last month, the Tattler published a letter written by former
teacher Glen Marshall to the Tubbut School teacher in the
1990s. Since he put his phone number on the letter, I rang and
persuaded Glen to succumb to a telephone interview on August
24 th 2011. This is an edited telling of Glen’s side of the
conversation, with footnotes provided by Sandy Cameron, who
kindly read a draft of my write-up. The photographs are also
courtesy of Sandy.
1950 – that was the year I went to Tubbut. It was my first year
out. I had graduated in Agricultural Science and had secured a
job with CSIRO in plant pathology. But I had a hankering to
try teaching, so I thought the job over, went to Canberra and
cancelled that appointment and applied for a teaching position.
and found that they were rabbits - there must have been a
hundred of them. I thought to myself, well that means the
dogs will get a good feed, but no. They were for us. We lived
on rabbits, meal after meal after meal. (2)
The place was terribly friendly but it was as backwards as
you could possibly imagine it. In the wintertime, Pardy – he
was the grandfather – I was staying with Clem Ingram, he
was a councilor in Orbost Shire Council. There were two
children, Sandra and Malcolm, who were going to the
school. I got on very well with Clem, they were very, very
friendly people and I absolutely enjoyed their company. It
was quite strange for me. I do like an isolated existence, but
it was a training as far as I was concerned.
After I graduated as a teacher – in primary education – I
applied for a remote school. As for preparation for the position,
the Department gave me practically no direct support. I was
left entirely on my own. When I took over this one teacher
school, something amusing happened. Around Easter time
when we had our first one week break, I was raising my hands,
asking, ‘What do we do next?’ That’s how much preparation I
had. In those days, there were inspectors of schools. They were
phased out and later I became the equivalent, then called Area
Education Officers.
The school
The inspector came to inspect the school on the last school day
of the year. Could you imagine anything worse? I never had
sight or sound of him the whole time I was in Tubbut.
The old Tubbut school
There was no electricity at the school, so I could only work
with great difficulty. I couldn’t use any aids such as the old
slide projector.
Emptying the toilet was one of the jobs I had to do. I also had
to sweep the school out, I was paid an allowance for that.
Glen, with Meg, who appears later in this story
Arrival
I remember very clearly my arrival at the school. It was on the
Bonang Highway, I arrived at Bonang in a bus, at the store
there, and I still had another 30 miles to go (1). I went into the
store and asked if there was anyone there to meet me. ‘No,’
they said, ‘they’re away. The mail driver will take you to the
school and drop you there. There’s no-one at the house, they’ll
be back at the end of the week.’
I arrived at the house where I was going to be boarding. There
were only seven families in the entire area and I was boarded
with one of them. There was a note to say my bed was on the
veranda, cordoned off a bit. It was a rough type of bed, but it
was satisfactory. I went outside and saw that the clothesline
was heavily propped and there were all these carcasses hanging
off the it, with the skins taken off them+. I went and had a look
The children were interested in learning, but they were very
shy. I’ll tell you a little story about that. We went for a walk
along the road and a motorist passed. The road didn’t go
anywhere at that stage, after the bridge went, the road
actually ended at the Snowy River. The driver saw the
children with their young teacher, so he pulled up to have a
yarn. We talked for a while and the children were very quiet,
they just listened to what we were saying. After he left, I
realized they were being bitten by ants, they were standing in
a bed of ants, but there was no hue or cry from any of them,
they were very shy.
I was with the students all the time. It used to be funny.
Malcolm used to amuse me quite a bit. He’d be a long way
away – he was a little quiet boy but he had a loud voice – and
every now and again he’d want to attract my attention and he
would call out ‘Sir!’ at the top of his voice and he would do
it anywhere – in the middle of practically nowhere. He’d
never say ‘Mr Marshall,’ he’d just call out ‘sir’!
I remember them very well. I remember all the children.
I always prepared very well. It was always difficult because
Clem’s place had no electricity. There was a generator – it

was only a ten bob thing and it didn’t generate very much. I used
to prepare all my lessons under lamplight but I would always
have everything prepared and I’ve stuck to that right to my last
teaching days. My typical day went off quite well but the
preparation was a strain because of the circumstances. I gave
them very little homework, because it wasn’t done. I relied
mainly on things they could do verbally. When the inspector
came we had a little bit of singing and he wrote in the report that
there was very tuneful singing from teacher and students.
I opened up the school and we had a school bell – just a handbell
– and I always did what I considered gave them the sense of
being in a community. I rang the bell for the start of school and
at recess times and things like that. It gave them a sense of being
in an institution of some description even though we had every
grade from grade one to grade nine. We had to because there
was no other place to send them.
There was no electricity at the school, so I could only work with
great difficulty. I couldn’t use any aids such as the old slide
projector.
Window row: Colin Bryant & Malcolm Ingram in front; Meg
Bryant and Greta Commons behind them.
We had a whopping great big fireplace and I had to chop the
wood for the fire because we had snow there in winter and it was
very cold but we had the place warm. There’s a funny story about
that fireplace. We had Santa Claus for Christmas and [he] was a
fairly tall fellow so we had to secrete him somewhere out of sight
while we had the first half of Christmas activities so we put him n
the fireplace with a curtain over the entrance to it. Santa Claus
took a bit of alcoholic refreshment into to entertain himself while
he waited. He started to get the hiccups and everything went belly
up. Father Christmas came down the chimney all right.
We got quite commendable results. There was a teacher there
earlier a couple of years and he was a bit – quite different to me in
teaching style and rather lackadaisical. It still wasn’t in good
order when I got there. I thought it was in better order when I left.
That’s the teacher who wore two pairs of trousers.
With no advice or curriculum guide, I did some very peculiar
things, I can tell you. I was never so bamboozled in my life, I
taught myself about primary education. There were two pivotal
experiences in my life: one was Tubbut and the other came years
later when I was appointed an education officer in the prison
system at Beechworth Training Centre. Murderers and rapists
were completely outside my knowledge and experience. My job
wasn’t so much to teach them anything but to decrease the
disconnectedness they felt from society.
Communication
Inside the school, showing teachers aids of 1950
Emptying the toilet was one of the jobs I had to do. I also had to
sweep the school out, I was paid an allowance for that.
Nearest desk: Judy Ingram (Edwards) & Eddy Bryant, Charlie
Commons behind Eddy.
Middle row of desks: Margaret Commons in front; Kay Bryant
and Sandy Ingram (Cameron) behind)
There was no telephone, although there was a landline, a party
line from Orbost to Tubbut - 72 miles in those days – it just went
to the store at Tubbut. There was a girl there about 28 or 30 and
she ran the little store.
The Shire of Orbost had to have a plebiscite on one occasion of
the seven people who paid rates to the shire. There was a creek
that ran through and it had a small bridge and there was an
alteration to the bridge –people lived on both sides of it – and
they appointed me as returning officer for that plebiscite. I was to
telephone the Shire Clerk at the end of the day and notify him of
the result. I telephoned at 6 o’clock but everyone picked up their
telephone to hear the result. On a party line, the more people
listening in, you can’t get through so I was shouting out the result
and as people heard they hung up so I was eventually able to give
the clerk the vote which finished up that the work would take
place. The community was certainly interested in this little bridge.
(4)
In those days, telegrams were used and if you got one, it was
telephoned through to Tubbut and the girl there copied it down on
a telegram form. During one of the school holidays I had decided
to travel to my home near Shepparton and I would go with my
brother. He’d meet me somewhere in Melbourne and we’d travel
together in his car. At the same time I had a lady friend called
Meg, Meg Mills. They (the local community) didn’t know very
much about the Meg part, she was just a friend. Anyway, Meg
decided to send me a telegram for some reason. The person in the
Post Office knew about Max, my brother, so when the telegraph
was signed off ‘Meg’, she knew that was wrong, it must be Max,
so she altered the telegram to read ‘Max’ as the signature. Those
things are never done now but in that small town, that’s what

happened. She said to me, ‘That telegram you got was actually
wrong. The person sending it said ‘Meg’ but I knew there was
no Meg so I rectified it.’ I couldn’t understand the telegram at
all by that stage. (5)
Social life
I got to school on a bicycle – it was five miles from Clem’s to
the school so I rode the bicycle. There was no hall. They had a
dance once a year in the shearing shed.
I was very friendly with the dingo trapper Ernie Bass. Because
I was country born and bred I could ride a horse quite well so I
used to on the weekends go out with him around his dog traps
by horse. Ernie and his brother lived together and I used to
spend quite a few weekends with them. The dingoes caused a
lot of trouble with sheep.
It was a lonely life but I’ve always been able to take an interest
in things and I never really felt lonely.
I think there may have been people trying to matchmake me
but I wasn’t awake to it. I was friendly with people there, some
of them women, but it was a very small area.
1. It is less than 30 miles between the Bonang Store and
the former Tubbut School.
2. Glen probably encountered a clothesline full of rabbit
skins; we know that Clem relied upon trapping to
supplement the farm income; Sandy swears that Dulcie
did not serve rabbit every night!
3. Sandy and Glen had different ideas about who was
Father Christmas this year. Consequently, I have
omitted the name.
4. Sandy thinks this could have been the bridge over the
`Deddick at the Auer’s place. However, it could also
have been the bridge over the Bonang River at
Dellicknora—any insight on this matter welcomed.
5. According to Sandy, the telephone exchange was at the
Bryant home (then belonging to the Commons). There
was also an exchange at the Bonang Store.
I sent Glen a copy of last month’s Tattler; he was impressed
that our community is still alive and active. If his health
recovers, we may yet get a visit from him.
On the roof of the old Tubbut School Shelter
Shed
My father was very interested in trotting - horse racing with a
sulky at the back and he had a horse called Melba and he used
to race that. He and my mother would sit up in grand style in
their sulky with two horses pacing along in front in great style.
That was in Pambula NSW. I was born in the coalfields of
Cessnock and my father ran the butter factory there.
I remember all the children.
Sandra was a very fine young lady. She would have been ten at
the most. I’ve turned 85 – we are all heading for the one
destination. My brain is the only part of me that is in good
order. I have to walk with one of those walking frames and I
have cancer. I’ve enjoyed our conversation. Remember me to
Sandra because I always thought she was a fine young lady.
Left to right:
Billy Commons
Colin Bryant
Malcolm Ingram
Eddie Bryant
Charlie Commons
Greta Commons
Kay Bryant
Meg Bryant
Sandy Ingram
Margaret Commons
Glen’s Anglia—his red car was one of the newest in the district
Notes to the interview (supplied by Sandy Cameron)
Since it was over sixty years ago and Glen hasn’t been back
since, there may be a few inaccuracies or vague memories to
confuse you. Sandy read through the interview and suggested I
explain the following:

Willmott Update
Out and About
PPB Advisory is in charge of the sale of Willmott‘s land and
tree assets, in conjunction with KordaMentha, the
liquidator. Evan Wright from PPB Advisory informed me
that the sale process has entered its second phase.
Interested parties have been instructed to submit their final
offers by September 26th.
Monday 10 th October 2011 11am & 7pm
A court case will then be held to approve the disbandment
of the Managed Investment Scheme (MIS), the current
status of the land, so that it can be sold in separate lots.
Final decisions are expected by the end of the year and
the sleuths at the Tattler will try to make sure that we are in
the know!
Deb
Did you know?
You can eat rabbits, or feed them to your dogs, without
fear of hydatids. Simply freeze the carcass for at least two
weeks to destroy any tapeworm cysts.
Orbost Neighbourhood House
1 Browning St. (Cnr Lochiel St), Orbost Vic 3888
5154 1570
lizfalkiner@googlemail.com
www.orbostneighbourhoodhouse.org
Blooming flowers are everywhere in
Buchan
The Buchan Flower and Arts n‟ Crafts Show will be held on
the weekend on October 29-30 at the Buchan Mechanics
Hall Main Street, Buchan. This annual event features
flowers displays, handcrafts, cooking, preserving and beer
brewing. Entries welcome.
Evelyn Schmidt 03 5155 9216 or
buchanbnh@bigpond.com or visit http://
www.buchan.vic.au
Nationally Accredited Training
Interested in qualifying for Home Help work? (More carers
are needed in our area)
Alpha to Omega Academy in partnership with Orbost
Neighbourhood House is running a number of courses in
Orbost enabling country people to access Nationally
Accredited Training and qualifications
Certificate III in Aged Care
CHC30208
The general Aged Care course
Commences 10 th October 2011
$189.50
Certificate III in Home and
Community Care
CHC30308
The Home Carers course
Commences 10 th October 2011
$189.50
Certificate IV in Aged Care
CHC40108
The Senior Aged Carers course
Commences on completion of the Certificate III in
Aged Care
$189.50
Information Enrolments Sessions

News from the Departments etc
DPI research gets manure movement down
pat
Scientists from Victoria‘s Department of Primary
Industries (DPI) have discovered a new way to measure
the way manure decays, giving the dairy industry insights
into curbing nutrient loss.
An Australian/US study has found how to accurately
predict the way cow pats decay.
The researchers developed a way to simulate the way
animal manure decomposes and assimilates into soil.
They were able to more accurately predict how dung
releases nutrients, notably phosphorus (P) and how this
valuable nutrient can be lost in run-off from paddocks.
Armed with that knowledge, scientists could help farmers
retain useful nutrients in their soils and prevent them
leaching into waterways.
For farmers, it means more accurate whole-farm nutrient
mapping.
The research, undertaken in collaboration with the US
Department of Agriculture, Dairy Forage Research Center
in Wisconsin and the University of Tennessee as well as
the NSW DPI, represents a new way to assess the
environmental impact of grazing dairy and beef cattle.
The Victorian part of the research was undertaken by DPI
senior research scientist Sharon Aarons, based at DPI
Ellinbank in Gippsland.
―Computer models commonly do not adequately simulate
the way dung decays and releases phosphorus,‖ Dr
Aarons said.
‖We validated a model that can accurately predict rates of
dung disappearance, dung P transformation and P losses
in runoff.‖
―Phosphorus in waterways encourages active plant
growth and promotes algal blooms which ultimately
deprive aquatic animal and plant life of oxygen.
―Polluted rivers, creeks and lakes become out-of-bounds
for drinking, recreation and industry.‖
Dr Aarons said the next step was to investigate if animal
diet and type influences the decay process as well as the
effects of weather and other factors.
The results were published in a recent edition of CSIRO‘s
Soil Research.
Worth heading south for….
Nowa Nowa Nudes
October 29 – November 1
SOME HIGHLIGHTS
Nude self portrait prize - should be
interesting! $10,000 in prize money. [Entries open until
15 October.]
100s of artworks to see, admire, covet and buy.
Opening night 6pm Friday 28 Oct - with live music by
Mamatoto and launch of BLOW UP at twilight.
Oh - and don't forget - we are looking for petanque
players to play off for the [v. informal] Nowa Nude Nudes
Cup on the Saturday and Sunday AT 2PM. (field a team,
or come as an individual) (it's like bocce) (v easy to
learn).
This year we are open til late on Saturday night too with
music by Loren (loren.com.au) and FEVA Pitch. (Stay
over? Camp?)
Our big arts project BLOW UP (funded by Regional Arts
Victoria/Regional Arts Fund and Arts Victoria) - will be
happening on both Friday and Saturday nights.
And - Snowy River Cycling are offering supported bike
rides in and around Nowa Nowa on Sat and Sun
mornings.
Cynthia Boyle (from Feastonart Gallery, Orbost) is
organising Life Drawing sessions at Mingling Waters
Cafe over the weekend too. There's a fee payable - and
its a great chance to get into the Nudes Mood.
And - just lastly - we are encouraging 'artists@work' to
be making art over the weekend. Informal
demonstrations of art being made and a chance to chat.
Want to help?
Events like this run on the smell of an oily rag and the
efforts of volunteers. Here is a secret: volunteers have
the most fun.
For more info, call Gary or Andrea on 03 5155 7277
Free native pasture guide
Native Pasture Management is a new and free
booklet published by the Department of Primary
Industries (DPI) and follows eight years of DPI
research on Western Victorian steep hills.
Ring 136 186 to have a copy posted to you.

News from the Departments
Learn to market organics
The Department of Primary Industries will be holding a
workshop for the organics industry on November 17.
The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) in
association with the Victorian Organic Industry
Committee invites organic producers to a workshop
designed to address supply and demand issues in the
industry.
The workshop will look at developing collaborative and
cooperative ways of marketing organic products.
Participants will learn how to use innovative marketing
tools, and use value chain strategies and practices that
can help businesses better market their product by
addressing supply consistency and variability.
Topics will include:
• Critical trends impacting on competitiveness.
• Mapping your value chain and using key value chain
approaches to improve your business‘ competitiveness
and efficiency.
• Developing your organic brand, positioning and
targeting consumers.
• Identifying what consumers value about your brand
and ensuring you can deliver on this.
• Business structures designed for collaborative
marketing.
• Identifying opportunities for your business to
collaborate successfully.
• Identifying key partners for business innovation and
improvement.
Guest speakers will be:
• Dr Steve Goodman from the University of
Adelaide‘s Business School
• Wayne Street from Street Ryan & Associates
• Graeme Gamble from Champions IGA
• Terry Hehir from Organic Dairy Farmers of
Australia
When: 9.30am to 4.30pm on 17 November.
Where: DPI office, 1301 Hazeldean Road, Ellinbank
Cost: Free to eligible participants
Registration: Cathy Mulligan on (03) 5258 0229 or
cathy.mulligan@dpi.vic.gov.au
How can we keep them on the farm?
The State Government is looking into what agriculture
can do to attract and retain young farmers and how to
respond to an ageing workforce.
Initiative aimed at rural job creation
Victoria‘s 50 largest private employers have been
invited to join a state government initiative to engage
regional business leaders to create jobs in regional and
rural Victoria. Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional
and Rural Development Peter Ryan noted agriculture
and food processing sectors were under strain due to
national and international market pressures.
are currently growing and grazing between the coast and
traditional wheat-sheep zone, and whether this is likely to
change in the next five years. Farmers are invited to assist
by taking 30 minutes to answer an online questionnaire at:
http://tiny.cc/Farming
More? Simone Carr-Cornish 07 3327 4077 or
simone.carr-cornish@csiro.au
Funding available to voluntary
environmental groups
Landcare Australia and Be Natural have launched a
$125,000 grants program to enable Landcare groups to
continue work in tackling local environmental issues by
providing funding to help with the continuation of on-going
projects. The Be Natural Landcare grants program provides
grants of up to $5000 to 25 local groups to help with
projects which have not received funding in the last 12
months. The program also encourages groups to find
innovative ways of attracting more volunteers. Applications
close October 10.
Visit http://www.landcareonline.com.au/news/archive/
be-natural-landcare-grants-now-open/
FarmReady Grants are available again
FarmReady offers grants of up to $1500 per financial year
for taking part in approved training courses. Funding of up
to $500 each financial year is also available to assist with
excess travel, accommodation and child care expenses. To
encourage investment in training, participants must
contribute 35% of the cost of the approved course to be
eligible for a grant.
Visit www.farmready.gov.au
1080 baiting
The Department of Primary Industries will be undertaking a
1080 pest animal poisoning program as part of its
integrated approach to control wild dogs based on
consultation with community and public land managers
through the Local Area Control Plan process. Poisoning will
occur between 13/10/2011 and 5/1/2012 on the following
roads:
Armstrong Trk
Clem Trk
Crawfords Rd
Jake Break Rd
Barrys Trk
Clives Trk
Fives Rd
Minchins Trk/Warm Corner
Border Trk
Colling Rd
Helens Trk
Sun Trk
Boundary Trk
Cottonwood Range Rd
Ivys Trk
Share your ideas about land use and likely
changes
The Grains Research and Development Corporation
(GRDC) and the CSIRO are interested in what farmers

L O C A L G O V E R N M E N T N E W S
E A S T G I P P S L A N D
SHIRE COUNCIL
The framed photographs of the bridge at
Dellicknora across the Bonang River have
arrived at the Neighbourhood House. We
thank the East Gippsland Shire Council
for agreeing, at its meeting at Bonang in
2010, to cover the costs of enlarging,
printing and framing the photographs.
They will be hung in Tubbut and Bonang
Halls but we have invited a representative
of the Council to ‗present‘ them to us. Still
waiting to hear if they will take us up on
the invitation.
There will be no face-to-face meeting with
councillors this year. Instead, I am told:
The Bendoc/Bonang and Tubbut region
will be engaged as part of the OurPlace,
OurPlan, OurFuture Community Planning
Process later this year. I am unsure at
this stage when the process will
begin. We have a new Community
Planning Coordinator - Lee Bradshaw who
will be able to give you some more
information. Lee can be contacted on
5153 9500.
Highlights from Meeting Sept 6
Early Childhood Hub
A petition with 234 signatures was
received from Orbost residents
requesting Council to ‗consider allocating
the land and buildings located on the
corner of Ruskin and Browning Streets,
Orbost to either Orbost Preschool or
Orbost Regional Health to assist with the
implementation of the universal access to
15 hours of early childhood education for
four year olds by 2013‘.
The building formerly housed Maternal
and Child Health services and will now be
leased to two Orbost service providers:
Orbost Regional Health (ORH) and Orbost
Preschool (OPS). ORH will fund
refurbishment of the building for speech
therapy, occupational therapy, parent
outreach and social work, with facilities for
sexual assault counsellors, Aboriginal
best start worker and consulting space for
other agencies and specialists. OPS will
expand its preschool and provide
specialist services related to children and
parents. Each agency will pay $114.40
rent/year.
Doggy matters
Working dogs have been exempted from
the requirement to be microchipped—but
of course, a microchip is handy if you ever
take your dog to town—and lose it! Bob
McIlroy‘s dog Lulu can vouch for that
Finally, its good to know that East
Gippsland Shire is preparing a Climate
Change Adaptation Plan. I am told
that it is ‗basically a framework for
working out how the shire will deal with
future climate change...for example it
recommends Council undertake an
assets survey to identify which assets
will be impacted by climate
change...and suggest a response
(e.g., keep rebuilding a bridge
if damaged from inundation or
flooding, or build somewhere else
instead...). But this work has not been
done.‘ I am also told that this
framework will remain an internal
document so don‘t expect to be asked
to consult on it very soon.
BOMBALA SHIRE
COUNCIL
MEETING AUG 24TH
Roads to Recovery Program
RECOMMENDATION:
That Council support the Australian
Local Government Association‘s
campaign concerning the Roads to
Recovery Program by calling on the
Federal Government to:-
Recognize the successful
delivery of the Roads to
Recovery Program by local
government since 2000.
Continue the Roads to
Recovery Program on a
permanent basis to assist local
government meet its
responsibilities of providing
access for its communities.
Continue the Roads to
Recovery Program with the
current administrative
arrangements; and
Provide an increased level of
funding under a future Roads to
Recovery Program that
recognizes the shortfall of
funding on local roads of $1.2
billion annually,
Council will write to the Prime Minister,
the Leader of the Opposition, Minister
for Infrastructure and Transport,
Opposition spokesperson for
Transport and the local Federal
Member advising them of Council‘s
support for a new Roads to Recovery
Program.
The Roads to Recovery Program has
provided funds to help maintain many
of Council‘s local roads. The cessation
of this program, without a similar one
to replace it, will place a large burden
on Council‘s resources. Council
particularly needs this funding to
offset damage caused by heavy
haulage vehicles. Council has
received and will continue to
receive $321,104 per year from
this funding round of the
program which commenced in
2009 and continues to 2014.
Bombala’s economic
sustainability
Cr Ricketts was concerned
about Bombala‘s continued
viability: My concern is that if the
town is not growing it may go
backwards to a point where
businesses, investors and
families see uncertainty and do
not want to invest in the town.
This would have a detrimental
effect on existing services and
make it increasingly difficult to
attract professional people.
It is my opinion that the retail
sector began to decline in 2011.
We cannot afford to lose any
more retail outlets, services or
community members.
We need to act swiftly and
smartly and attract families,
industry and tourists to our
town.
SUGGESTIONS
Following are suggestions that
Council could consider to
achieve the aims as identified
above.
Infrastructure that Requires
Urgent Attention:
The Main Street Scape –
The Caravan Park
A Rotunda at River Park
The Stepping Stones
improved.
A Theme of Continuity for
the Town
To Promote and Sell
Bombala as a Lifestyle
Area - both suburban and
rural.
Council to discount the
connection of services to
new development and/or
offer rate incentives.
Promote Industry –
Bombala is on a good
transport route between
two major cities and two
hours from Canberra.
The Mayor for 2010-2012, Bob
Stewart, was re-elected at the
September 21 meeting. Brad
Yelds was re-elected as Deputy
Mayor.

GARDENING
Gardens are for life
Susan Tocchini
It is pretty well the standard view that the most effective
thing individuals can do to help the environment and take
control of their lives is to use their own physical energy to
grow food. This simple act has so many proven benefits.
For physical health it is the exercise and the ability to
consume food with increased nutrient density and
freedom from chemicals. For mental health it is the
connections forged through sharing and swapping with
neighbours that enriches social life and the personal
growth achieved through learning new skills. One can
also list the mundane: the economic savings in food bills,
in packaging and petrochemicals, the talk of ‗food miles‘
and to point to the development of regional specialties.
However the real benefit is for the spirit. By connecting in
this way with nature one cannot help but recognise our
absolute dependence on the soil, on clean air and water
and take on the role of stewardship of these resources.
Gardening is an activity that gives entry into the full
understanding of the miracle of life. Miracle is a catch all
phrase that should remind us of the mind boggling
complexity of living things and their relationships, and
above all, that life even developed at all on our unique
planet.
Going beyond growing food for ourselves alone we can
easily incorporate providing food and shelter for the
dispossessed. These are the other species that are being
increasingly forced out of existence by our actions. Take
birds and butterflies as examples. They give so much
pleasure when we glimpse them but why aren‘t they
constants in our life as they ought to be and what can be
done?
Return once again to the garden – that area where we
can have great influence. First we need to provide
opportunities for beneficial insects to develop stable
populations. We know honey bees are declining for a
variety of reasons putting many commercial crops at risk
but do we realise that the role of Australian moths,
beetles, micro-bats and birds is to be effective pollinators?
By allowing some food plants to flower (carrots, coriander,
dill etc.) masses of parasitic wasps and other beneficial
species will thrive and help the gardener.
For the larger animals like birds a native plant shrubbery
really makes a difference. Recently there has been a lot of
effort made to produce cultivars with good garden
properties e.g. callistemons, grevilleas, correas and dwarf
forms of eucalypts. Success with growing ‗natives‘ means
applying all the cultivation techniques that we think normal
to lavish on ‗exotics‘. They do need water, feeding and
pruning to look their best plus careful selection with
respect to soil and climate.
Pruning is probably the area that is most neglected and
misunderstood. Little and often is the key, as well as the
general rule of immediately after flowering. Take
Callistemons – they need to be pruned behind the spent
flower to prevent years of nuts being held along the stem
causing ungainly growth habit. However, by the time the
flower is finished, there is already quite a lot of new shoot
and one feels reluctant to remove it because it looks so
fresh and healthy. But by removing this new growth at
this time the bush will rejuvenate with the benefit of
producing more growing points and more flowers next
season.
Grevilleas really resent hard pruning and if the branch is
greater than pencil thickness results will be poor. The
trick is to pinch out the tips every time you are near and
importantly to have initially placed the plant taking
account of its final size. Wattles are normally fast growing
and short lived because they develop hardwood that
attracts borers. If each year, beginning from planting,
they are reduced by one third their life is greatly extended
and their lushness and appearance is hugely improved.
Finally, if you are lucky enough to have trees, erect some
nest boxes. Many native birds e.g. kookaburras are not
able to breed because managed forest no longer
provides the hollows they need. Even in Europe and
North America management of forest has led to local
extinctions and this is being actively reversed by the
provision of boxes. This is something that could be done
here to help birdscape our environment. For inspiration
visit www.birdscaping.com.au.
This month in the vegetable garden
Last chance to plant tomatoes, capsicums, eggplants,
melon, pumpkins, cucumbers and zucchinis in pots ready
to plant out as soon as the soil has warmed up and frosts
have finished.
Next month it should be safe to plant seedlings in garden
beds in the open.
Cabbages and their relatives can still go in, along with
beetroot, carrots, potatoes and parsnips.
Citrus
I don‘t know about you, but I haven‘t yet managed to
provide myself with as many lemons as I need. The
Neighbourhood House is arranging for a delivery of
lemons with Orbost Community Garden coordinator,
Margot. Not yet sure what we can swap them with. Let us
know if you would like some or drop in to pick them up.
Deb