1970
Ron Pope was named the new manager of Kyabram Fauna Park, arriving in the town with his wife Lois and two children, two-year-old Nathan and six-year-old Jason.
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Taking the role from his almost namesake, John Popple, he said the town had made a big impression on his family.
Ron had come to the fauna park after managing a shoe business, but the previous 10 years had started a unique pet shop business in Melbourne selling reptiles and birds of prey.
– Kyabram’s 60-year-old Town Hall was the subject of a Kyabram Borough Council meeting, plans to modernise the interior of the building causing plenty of debate.
An architect had been engaged to plan the renovations for the building, which was, at the time, home to Kyabram Music Club and the site of several drama productions.
– Fifteen floats completed two laps of Allan St as one of several Kyabram Water-wheel Festival highlights, which also included the festival being opened by Deputy Prime Minister John McEwen.
Lake Development Committee president John Pilley was the key figure behind the event and was a judge of the eight Miss Mardi Grass entrants, along with CWA executives.
Denise Vickers was the winner of the title, claiming the sash and cash prize of $50. As for the floats, Kyabram Brownie Pack received first prize for their Easter Bunny themed float, 17 members of the group dressed in pink and white “bunny” costumes.
– Kyabram Ambulance Officer W.J. Duncan was awarded the Order of St John as Serving Brother for his services as a member of the St John Ambulance brigade for 21 years.
He received a letter from the office of the Queen and accepted his award at Government House in Melbourne.
1980
Winner of Miss Tongala Tent Town, Wyuna’s Meredith Warren, raised a massive $3400 to win the title and a 21-day Sitmar cruise valued at $1500.
She was crowned by television personality Terry McDermott, winning ahead of five other entrants who each received a $100 cheque from Cam Thomson’s East End Garage and two other sponsors.
The total amount raised for the Tongala Sporting Complex was $14,229.26. Tongala Football Club entrant Joanne Clark raised $1009.80, Apex Club and Fire Brigade entrant Kathy Guiney raised $2514.85, Kathy Kerr from the Kyvalley Progress Association raised $2131.70, Tongala Basketball and Netball entrant Kris Reynard raised $3311 and Tongala Tennis Club entrant Anne Phyland raised $1861.82.
– Founder of Kyabram Historical Society, Dr W.H. Bossence, returned to be guest speaker at the group’s 13th annual dinner.
The author of several Goulburn Valley history books had been involved in the transportation of Hazelman’s Cottage to Kyabram Fauna Park and had heavily researched not only Kyabram, but also Tatura, Murchison and Numurkah.
He noted that several changes had taken place in Kyabram during the 16 years since he wrote his book, Kyabram, in 1963.
– Kyabram born Rollo Brett was appointed to the top job at Telecom (now Telstra) when he became Victorian state manager.
Now married with three children and living in Nunawading, he was active in school and church activities and educated at Lancaster State School before attending Kyabram Higher Elementary School.
His mother and two brothers were still living on the family property at Lancaster at the time of his appointment. At the time, Telecom had a Victorian staff of 21,000 and an annual budget of $500 million.
1990
– Kyabram’s first controlled pedestrian crossings became operative at two Allan St locations, the historic sites established outside the Commercial Hotel and Stone’s Pharmacy.
Senior Sergeant Garry Forrestal said at the time pedestrian crossing laws were different to school crossings and drivers needed to be aware of the differences to ensure the steady flow of traffic in the main street.
– Kyabram’s Westpac Bank branch was celebrating its 100th year of service to the community, having opened its doors in 1890 under the management of John Elliott.
The single storey brick building cost 1349 pounds to build and comprised of the banking chamber and manager’s residence in Union St.
Seventy years later the new building was built alongside the existing structure in Allan St. At the time of the celebration Westpac was the largest free enterprise bank in the western Pacific, with 37,000 staff and 1600 branches.
At the Kyabram branch Bill White was the manager and had a team of six under his charge.
– Caroline Pell turned 103 years old and celebrated the occasion in the A.G. Hutchinson Home for the Aged.
She had been born at Undera North in 1887, the daughter of William and Mary Pell, eldest of seven children and the only survivor of the family.
– Former Kyabram Mayor Anne Adams announced she would be standing against Deputy Leader of the Nationals Bruce Lloyd for the Federal seat of Murray.
The election was only a month away when she announced her Independent candidacy, with Mr Lloyd already having opposition from Australian Democrats candidate Barbara Leavesley and Frank Purcell from the Labor Party.
Mrs Adams had served two terms as mayor of Kyabram, the first woman to hold the position. She had spent nine years on council, the wife of Kyabram solicitor John and mother of three, Susan, Caroline and David.
2000
Kyabram’s talented Meeking children were set to perform at the Birralee Children’s Festival in Shepparton.
Fourteen-year-old Ryan and his three sisters, 12-year-old Kara, Erin, 9, and Luke, 7, were part of the James and Giant Peach play being performed by the Shepparton Theatre Arts Group.
About 50 children are involved in the play, with Kara cast in the leading role of cloud man, with Erin and Luke as her assistants.
Ryan appears as Mr Trotter (James’ father) and re-appears later in a second role as the mayor.
– Two local identities, Glad Newnham and Jan La Peyre, were celebrating long awaited birthdays as they were February 29 babies.
Glad, born on February 29 in 1916, was celebrating only her 21st birthday (being 84) and Jan, a Tatura pharmacist, was celebrating his 16th birthday (actually turning 64).
– A proposal for a third service station in Allan St brought protests from nearby Kyabram residents.
Kyabram Historical Society joined the chorus of objections, suggestion the demolition of a house of historical importance would be unacceptable.
A Bendigo developer had suggested the development, which would mean the loss of a house previously the residence of Dr William Bossence and his son.
Residents were planning to gather outside the Allan St home for a television shoot of their protest.
Kyabram Free Press and Campaspe Valley News editor