| My memories of Commercial Street |  |
| Posted: Thursday, 30 July 2009, 4:35 PM | |
| Places of distinction to me of which I have fond memories of in Merbein"Tellefsons - was a remarkable store. They had in the one shop a Newsagency. The newsagency was seperated from the milk bar by a very large glass display case. The milk bar sold icecreams in a cone and milk shakes of amazing flavours such as blue heaven and choc malted etc.Duirng half time at the pictures in the Civic Hall the milk bar was open to cater to the patrons of the pictures.Out the back of Tellos their was a billard saloon. In later years the Tellos ran a TAB and taxi service. Frank Tellefson's family lived at the back of the premises.Further down the street was Billy Lings bootmakers shop. Billy mended the shoes of Merbein and was known for his catch cry of " I'll tell you what about it" Billy always layered Kiwi black on your shoes. He never polished them. Billy lived at the back of his premises also.Bill Crosbie had the barbers and I can remember my brother John sitting on the plank across the arms of the barbers chair when he was young.Codies ran the milk bar.Next to Codies was the Roxy owned by the Erskine family. The Roxy had Punkahs - motorised mats that moved the air to cool the shop. This idea was known in India- where a young boy known as a Punk Wallah moved the mats. I have no idea of how this idea came to the Roxy.Next to the Roxy was the ruins of the Merbein Outdoor Cinema - that had burnt down many years before.The State Savings bank had the most remarkable wooden counter and Manager's Office.What a great place to grow upDiane Cameron | |
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| Merbein Primary School days post Merbein HES | |
| Posted: Thursday, 30 July 2009, 4:16 PM | |
| When the High School was built and the secondary school left Merbein Primary School we had the run of the facilities of the secondary college. During my time we had a library established in the cookery centre. Mrs Roberts was the librarian and catered to my love of reading by purchasing the latest in children's literature. Craig Appleby's mother Barbara started a stamp club in a free standing building near the Shelter Shed. The boys also had the use of the old wood work room.In grade 6 we used the cloak room. Diane Cameron | |
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| Back to Merbein | |
| Posted: Thursday, 30 July 2009, 3:49 PM | |
| Hi Diane Cameron my Dad was Angus Cameron manager of Bowrings Merbein who headed up the 50 year celebrations of Merbein in 1959 known as Back to Merbein. I was only 5 at the time and can remember the man on stilts ( Alex German long time participant of Moomba ) being sent by Dad over to Mavis Bennets to have his pants taken up! I was very pleased that the organising committee of the Centenary Celebrations have included stilt walkers. I start Merbein HIgher Elementary School in 1960 along with Ross Henderson son of Laurie Henderson who was the grocery manager of Bowrings Merbein. In my class we had the Pettit twins and the Fitzmaurice twins. Shirley Oakes daugher of Walter Oakes Merbein was our teacher. I the class photo if any people are interested and am willing to email or snail mail a copy. Also had Mr Nicholls in Grade 4 and Jack Cross in grade 6. Looking at the other messages Jack has taught lots of Merbein over the years. I went to Merbein High School in 1966. My brother John attended Merbein Primary School and Merbein High school lives in Germany. Congratulations to the organising committee for pulling together a remarkable assortment of activities for the celebration. I may not make it up their and wish all those who remember me the very best for the celebrations. | |
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| Memories flooding back due to content of some of these emails - Ralph Fletcher | |
| Posted: Thursday, 30 July 2009, 3:34 PM | |
| Greg "Stork" Norman's e-mail along with others brought back lots of familair names and memories. For most of us we had Hazel Dowsley as Teacher in Grade 2, Mrs. Jamieson Grade 3, Jack Jamieson in Grade 4....Jack that is who taught us the mutiple tables and who would crack us up with "will you stop rooting around there under the desk!" when someone was looking for a ruler etc. Ron Neville in Grade 5 who loved his cricket and Jack Cross (Sam's Dad in Grade 6) who used to coil the strap around and let it rip. Does anyone remember Normie Nunn the Librarian and his little Blue Morris. I can remember learning to dance in the quandrangle in preparation for the School Social with Bill Golding (who married Val Murray) saying "Up one, two three, back one, two three etc. Ron Sylvia used to play the piano. Can also remember a saying Bill Golding used when there was some graffiti in boys toilet..."This place is built to contain, filth of the body and not of the brain!"....Growing up in Merbein never did us any harm. Charlie Stanton, Stan Walters, Les Keatch, Basil George, Ron Pike all great coaches at various sports....Keith Charles, Scouts. I can rememer yabbying, shanghai fights down the co-op, picking peas for Jack Cupper, playing wheelcap near Kenny Park with Charlie Sedgeman, Kevin Forbes, Neville Mitchell just to name a few. Can always remember "George Nick" picking up a pail of water with his hair wrapped around the handle and kids knocking on the window of Billy Ling the Shoe Repairer and Charlie Flenly the Barber. Saturday night pictures. I think Graham "Totter" Driscoll was the man behind the torch, followed by George Nemstas. I am sure we when catch up there will lots more of these type of memories to disccus and I am looking forward to doing so. | |
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| Greg Norman remembers... | |
| Posted: Thursday, 30 July 2009, 12:15 PM | |
| Heard about the upcoming event from Fiona Hudson (still in regular contact). Business and timing will prevent me attending. Lived way out west near the Meridian road, neighbours were the Cavalaro, McArthur, Sedgman families. Mum (June) still alive and reasonably well at 89 and living in Mansfield. Father (Bert) died way back in '73. I went to the old HES form 1 in '61, then 3 years at the new high school till '64 when I was advised by Mr White I would be more gainfully educated somewhere else. Spent '65 - '67 at Mildura Tech then via contact with Bill Sheridan (he of the 3 stunning daughters) went into Analytical Chemistry in the Customs Department. The gloss wore off that profession and public service employment fairly quickly and I realized that my real forte was the piano. Gained diploma of piano studies and spent 17 years teaching in Melbourne and playing in bands. Decided on a tree change in '93 and ran a pub for 6 years in Woods Point, Vic. Then emigrated to Perth where I presently live and teach piano. I see here so many names I forgot I knew. For those I do remember, a big fond hello with vivid memories to: Sylvester Ciszkowsky and Graham Mitchell (gunpowder and rockets), Lammy Van Beek (spent as much time at his house as mine), Trevor Gordon (the mischief we got up to on those hot lazy Sat afternoons), Graham Marks (tagging along on winery tours for the samples), Alf Chivers (thanks for the bouncers - as a batsman I made a better piano player), Ralph Fletcher (sat nights in the phone exchange ringing the world) Peter Blaby (taught myself guitar on his old axe) Vince Cavalaro (rabbit shooting on Cowra Station) Larry Cavallo (still remember how Fritz Gleixner used to pick on him) Alan Erskine (hot blue heaven milkshakes and Chuck Berry on the juke box in the Roxy) Denise Grivec (the mischief I tried to get up to) Rosemany Davis (heard my first Beatles song sitting on her verandah) Faye Griffiths, Russel Sallman, Kathy Foreman, and so many others. Hope you're all still in funtcioning order and those of you who get to the festivities have a whale of a time. | |
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| Kay Richardson (nee Stirrat) | |
| Posted: Wednesday, 29 July 2009, 11:17 PM | |
| I am amazed at how many of those names of the class that started Primary School in 1951 that I remember, even though I wasn't born till 53. My high school years were therefore "up at the High School" (beginning 66) but I do remember when the HES was still at the Primary School. Who remembers the little Elementary School child wearing uniform when she started school? The High School uniform. My hand it up. That was me. On ya Mum! Love ya heaps. I'll be there for the week. Should be great. Thanks for all those doing the organising and planning. | |
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| McKay/Harris clan | |
| Posted: Wednesday, 29 July 2009, 10:05 PM | |
| Gday,I am the greatgrandaughter of Jack and Alice McKay,grandaughter of Vera McKay and William Harris. My dad also William(Bill) Harris born 13/02/1924 also grew up in Merbein,Mildura. Would love to catch up with any relatives 14 thru 17 August. Bev Unwin | |
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| Memories | |
| Posted: Wednesday, 29 July 2009, 9:21 PM | |
| Arrived in Australia to a wonderful Merbein welcome in 1957! Grade 6, Merbein Higher Elementary with Jack Cross and son BillSo many names - some already mentioned in other's messages: the Keens, Missens, Lloyds, Jenners, Puntons, Horsfalls, Chivers, Chaffeys, Simons [forgive for those not mentioned] - the list of wonderful people just goes on - and Doc and Win Curwen-Walker who often put me back together after All-in-Ruck in the schoolyard, Scouts down along the Murray, rabbiting with Mustard, picking, yabbying in the channels, bob-a-job, the bottle collection, the dunny cart - still got the dip-tin for BBQs - almost got it out the other day for my [deceased] Dad's 100th birthday but too cold in Ballarat in July.Have a great celebration.I am still working on forgiving my parents for leaving all those years ago,Christopher Monie | |
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| sylvester ciszkowski | |
| Posted: Wednesday, 29 July 2009, 8:41 PM | |
| Will be in Merbein on the 21st August looking forward to catching up with old friends | |
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| Lyn Hocking (nee McKenzie) | |
| Posted: Wednesday, 29 July 2009, 7:18 PM | |
| Some familiar names here. Looking forward to catching up with as many as possible. | |
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