50 years ago May 1976
Answers to questionnaires relating to the development of Echuca's Paramount Theatre as an arts activity centre are considered inconclusive.
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This was pointed out in the Town Clerk's report at the latest meeting of the Echuca City Council. Listing details of answers contained in questionnaires returned, Mr Kevin McCartney said, ‘’unfortunately these are considered inconclusive“.
Council circulated the questionnaires throughout Echuca and district with the aim of finding out what the people of the area wanted in the way of an arts activity centre.
About 400 questionnaires were returned, a number which Cr J. G. Quinn considered disappointing.
People from the area indicated that drama should be given priority in the design of the centre.
Next on the list of priorities was cinema, followed by musical comedy, bands and fifth choice pottery.
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Echuca veterinary surgeon, Dr Peter Hardy, has opened one of the district’s most modern clinics.
The new clinic, which opened last week, is at the rear of Dr Hardy's home in High St.
It features all the requirements of a veterinary surgery serving an area such as Echuca and district.
Dr Hardy, who has been in Echuca for eight and a half years, decided to build the new clinic when existing facilities at his home proved inadequate.
Before building the clinic, Dr Hardy and his assistant, Dr Brian Taylor, operated from a single room at the rear of Dr Hardy's home.
Dr Hardy said the new clinic should now allow himself and Dr Taylor to carry out work, especially laboratory tests, with much more convenience.
The new clinic is a complex of seven rooms laid out to encourage quick and efficient handling of animals.
25 years ago May 2001
Heads were shaved and hair coloured all over Echuca-Moama on Friday.
It was a bit of craziness for a very good cause — the World's Greatest Shave for a Cure Day 2001— to raise funds for the Leukaemia Foundation.
Hundreds gathered at the Autobarn car park right through Friday afternoon to witness a marathon stint of head-shaving and colouring.
Staff from Echuca's Lindy Lawton Hairdressing provided the ‘razor-power', Echuca musician Brian Lord gave a running commentary and the Echuca Kiwanis Club cooked up a barbecue for the crowd.
Organiser, Leukaemia Foundation Quest entrant Jaki Osborne, said the response was fantastic.
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Echuca's historical sites are now just an easy stroll around town with the launch of a self-guided heritage walk brochure.
Visitors and residents of Echuca have the chance to take a leisurely walk with the guide map and learn a little about the town.
Since July last year, the histories of 66 heritage sites have been recorded on special oval plaques.
Although modern in outlook, many of the town's buildings hold precious keys to the thriving era of Echuca's past when steam ruled the river and rail.
The plaques were bought by private property owners around town, self-funding the plaque for their building.
Echuca Historical Society members Helen Coulson and Joan Mitchell, who have spent many hours over the last four years researching the buildings’ history, said the plaques were a small way of preserving Echuca’s history.
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Bamawm's Sharelle McMahon has been included as one of the 12 members of the Australian netball team that will contest the up-coming Tri-Nations Series between Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.
The Melbourne Phoenix player will be lining up for her 32nd test cap in the eight day series.
Only team captain Kathryn Harby-Williams and vice-captain Liz Ellis have more Australian experience than McMahon, who is joined in the squad by Phoenix team mates Eloise Southby, Liz Taverner and Bianca Chatfield.
The six matches of the Tri-Nations Series will be played at the State Netball Centre in Melbourne, the AIS Arena in Canberra and the State Sports Centre in Sydney.
10 years ago May 2016
Echuca West residents are the owners of newest community asset in the twin towns.
Land developers of the Echuca West Park View housing estate unveiled a two-hectare public parkland facility last month as part of its stage three land release.
Campaspe Shire Council chief executive Jason Russell said it was an amazing and welcome contribution to our town.
‘‘The role of community green space planners, and managers of our local parks and gardens is more critical now than ever before,’’ Mr Russell said.
‘‘The fast-paced pressures of our modern world are seeing bigger houses being constructed, leaving smaller yards for children to grow and play in – so in some respects the local park is in fact replacing the great Aussie backyard.
‘‘So the pressure is on us all to get it right.’’
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Three of Echuca’s finest junior martial arts exponents competed in the Australian Federation of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Victorian Championships at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre recently and all three came away happy with their results.
Seth Blade won a gold medal in the Male All Belts 11-year-old category, while Mitchell Wickham won silver in the 15-year-old division and first-timer Daniel Irving lost his contest but lasted the full three-minute round without being submitted.
Blade won his two heats convincingly and Wickham won his first heat on points but struggled to overcome a stalling opponent who scored some early points in the second.
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Patients in Echuca-Moama could be forced to fork out more when they see their doctors after Canberra extended its freeze on Medicare rebates.
The freeze, which was first introduced by the Federal Labor Government in 2013, was locked in until 2018 before the May 3 budget revealed it would be extended to 2020.
The move is expected to save the budget $1 billion but has raised the ire of medical professionals including Echuca doctor and Rural Doctors Association of Victoria president Suzanne Harrison.
Dr Harrison said Echuca-Moama patients were already paying extra because their rebates were unable to keep up with rising medical expenses.
‘‘It is a co-payment by stealth,’’ she said.