Yarrawonga’s social life in the 50s and 60s

By Yarra Editor

Jun 12, 2024

There was a Ball or Dance most weekends in the 1950s and 1960s.

I remember when - This month’s feature is an excerpt of an interview with Jim Judd in 2011.

“Going to the movies in Yarrawonga was quite a social time; not only when you got there but walking to the pictures. You knew you wouldn’t be by yourself for long,” Jim Judd said.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

“People used to walk four and five abreast down the main street, particularly when there was a good show on. They were on “Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at the town-owned picture show - The Grove Pictures.

“For winter, they had an extra show in the Yarrawonga Town Hall, and for the summer, we had the Open Air Picture Theatre, which was lovely. You’d go and sit in the canvas chairs, hit the mosquitoes, and watch the movies at the same time!

Don Forbes pictured outside the Grove Pictures Open Air Theatre.

“I remember we were watching one movie and the Butter Factory- the ice works, caught on fire. Well, everyone left to watch the fire. Never did get to see the end of the movie, but it was a damned good fire.

“My brother and I did well out of the pictures, not so much in the town hall, but the Grove Pictures and the Open Air Theatre.

“We had this business, because it was summertime and people were always buying bottles of soft drink. Now, bottles of soft drink meant the bottles were there for the taking at the end.

“I would run up and down the aisles and pick all the bottles up. Or you’d follow someone, particularly if they had a big bottle of soft drink because they were worth sixpence on return - threepence for the little ones.

“We would make up to six shillings, which was good money, considering you could go to the pictures for nine pence. We had sixpence to spend. You could buy a Violet Crumble bar, a Poly Waffle, a double-headed ice cream or a milkshake.

“There was always a dance on Saturday nights at the Fire Brigade Hall, and on a Sunday night there was a dance at the Catholic Parish Hall.

“In winter there was always a Ball. There’d be the Agricultural Ball, Presbyterian Ball, Anglican Ball, Catholic Ball, Fire Brigade Ball, Masonic Ball and the Bachelor and Spinster’s Ball on a Tuesday night.

“They used to have the Balls at Wilby on Friday nights.

“We were lucky enough to have two orchestras in my time.

“Snowy McLeod used to play the piano, Ces Dunstan on the drums and Eric Dunstan was on the trumpet.

“The Murray Swingsters’ consisted of Hughie Ferguson on the piano, Ralphie Stone used to be on the drums, and Noel Loughnan used to play the saxophone.

“With the Balls you would always have a supper. If you had to go to work early the next morning you’d go down early, buy your ticket and get your supper ticket, so you got the first or second sitting, you knew you always got plenty of food.

“We had fancy dress balls, run by the Scouts. That was always a big occasion and a good occasion for the Scouts too, because they used to raise a lot of money.

“There has always been a Ball, the Debs Anglican Ball. They've been having it now for nearly fifty years, and the Catholic Ball is the same.

“Done the Deb”, is how the girls would say it today, I’ve been told.

“I was a Deb partner myself three times: Bev Nicholson, Yvonne Burke and Joycey Burke. Most of the boys in Yarrawonga have been a Deb partner at some stage.

“It was a great time to be growing up in Yarrawonga. We didn’t realise just how good things were.”

The Yarrawonga Mulwala Community and Learning Centre Oral History Group are currently seeking new members to join our group. If you have skills in: