| 1926 Maxwell |
 |
| Posted: Wednesday, 19 August 2009, 9:47 AM |
| Keith Brinsden has been working day and night to get the old 1926 Maxwell going for the centenary celebration.. and is looking forward to catching up with family and friends.... |
|
|
| Friends |
|
| Posted: Tuesday, 18 August 2009, 10:51 PM |
| I would like to make contact with Helen McKenzie (maiden name) If you're around Helen leave me a message. Remembering our days when your family ran the Birdwoodton store.Shirley (Grasics) Williams |
|
|
| CONGRATULATIONS TO ORGANISERS AND BEST OF LUCK FOR REMAINDER OF CELEBRATIONS |
|
| Posted: Tuesday, 18 August 2009, 10:35 PM |
| Congratulations to Leon and the team for the wonderful organising of the centenary celebrations. We really enjoyed the concert too. What talent some of those participants had! We are also thoroughly impressed with the photo display that Tom has done in the RSL. The cuppa's there were good too. Thanks Ladies! Unfortunately we were unable to stay around for the remainder of the celebrations. But it was good to catch up with some of my Primary School classmates from all those years ago and exchange stories. I look forward to any others from those years making contact with me. We are now down on the Mornington Peninsula. We did register -my details centenary office. Good Luck with the remainder of the celebrations and street parade! Shirley (Grasics) Williams |
|
|
| Congratulations to all the organisers |
|
| Posted: Tuesday, 18 August 2009, 4:31 PM |
| Merbein is a buzz - what great memories- The concert was wonderful - what talent has been produced from Merbein - looking forward to the Street Parade and catching up with who ever is going to be thereAnne (Pinniger) Nash |
|
|
| Lochie Harris and George Clewett |
|
| Posted: Tuesday, 18 August 2009, 11:51 AM |
| I was wondering if anyone still has contact with descendants of the Harris and Clewett family. If so please contact Diane Cameron |
|
|
| Additional re Hassa Mann lunch |
|
| Posted: Tuesday, 18 August 2009, 11:02 AM |
| Could not agree more with Sandra Stevens comments re lunch at Kenny Park last Saturday.Blasts from the past that I saw in my travels and apologies to those I miss out were;-Peter Sheridan, David Brighton Phil "Hurricane" Hall, Graeme "Granny" Davis, Ian Gervasoni, John Petty, Kevin Forbes, Gavin Tellefson, Alf Sylvia, David Potts, Don Parker, Noel "Dorrie" Barnes, Ron Bannister, Peter Mitchell, Neil Hurley Charlie and Phil Sedgmen, Neville Ward,Ken Lindsay, Brian "Foxa" Dorman, Ernie Hillier, Golda Ridge (Adams) and her Mum Mrs. Ted Adams. Kevin Chapman,Bill Case, Ted Cox and of course Hassa and Len Mann.Everyone concerned is to be congratulated on a wonder day.Bar Staff even David Liddicoat who did not recognize me and ladies in the kitchen and serving did an outstanding job.Pity I never caught up with the teacher...oh well always this week end.....or the Merbein Footy Club 100 years celebration next year!!Ralph Fletcher |
|
|
| Congratulations on the Hassa Lunch |
|
| Posted: Tuesday, 18 August 2009, 10:11 AM |
To the Merbein Football and Netball Club, Centenary C'tee, Historical Soc. and the Sacred Heart Ladies(hope I havent left anyone out) Thanks for a memorable day, it was fantastic.
I went along to catch up with my neighbours - Len lived next door and Hassa 3 doors down,in River Avenue. I hadnt seen them since I was a child.
Hassa's talk was interesting, gave us a great incite into where football is headed.
I also sat opposite a gentleman who was a secondary teacher at Merbein Higher Elementary. His memory was amazing and he had many stories to tell. He even spotted some of his ex pupils.
Thanks again. The meal was beautilful also.
Sandra Lansdell nee Stevens |
|
|
| Merbein High School 1966- 1971 |
|
| Posted: Tuesday, 18 August 2009, 10:07 AM |
68 students stated Merbein High School in 1966. For the first time we met pupils of the Lake School and Merbein South.
We were divided into 2 forms forms 1A and 1B based alphabetically on our surnames.
Frank Demeo was the Principal.
We met the luxury of the school canteen and an internal cafeteria with tables and chairs just in the front door. The canteen was staffed by volunteer mothers unlike todays canteens that are let out to contractors.
Girls were timetabled to do Domestic Science and Cookery and the boys were timetable to do Woodwork and Metalwork. Very sexist unli ke today when students sample six months of all of the above subjects.
We were also divided into the 3 Houses Yakkandi, Wallakarpa and Jungarin for the purposes of sport. Sports uniform was required to participate in sport.
By third form we were divided once again by preference into the Professional Stream and the Commercial Stream. Fortunately for me the Professional Stream was allowed to do typing in third form. Something that has turned out to be invaluable in the era of the computer. Commercial students also did shorthand and book keeping.
Notably of the time singing was timetabled in with Mr Gittins. The whole school would pack into the multipurpose room sitting at secretarial desks with the writing desk attached. As these were also used for classes me being left handed they were the bane of my life as the desk was attached for the right hander.
Russell Gittins belong to the Red Cliffs Players and what ever production they were putting on we were introduced to the musical score. Most of them were Gilbert and Sullivan Productions. Russ played the piano and we learnt all the rousing lyrics of Gilbert and Sullivan something I am word perfect on to this day. I t was really good fun - I doubt teenagers of today would think so!
The multipurpose room was also the venue for the annual School Social. Ron Sylvia father of Desley was hired to play the piano. Ron had the style of Winnie Atwell his first job was to strip the front of the piano exposing the strings and the hammers. He would then start to play with such gusto beads of perspiration would soon form on his brow. Shy teenagers would huddle in the corners and the brave would dance the dances we had been taught in dancing classes.
At the end of 5th form we were offered to do 6th Form at Merbein . A first for the school as students wishing to do 6th Form had to go into Mildura High School.
13 of us took up the offer and we were given the school bookstore as our room. We took on this offer with enthusiam and the only time we had 13 in the room was for English a compulsory subject.
The end of the year was very subdued by todays standards we assembled outside the school to have our photo taken. We then did our exams at the Anglican Hall where we had done our Leaving Exams. This spelt the end of our schooling at Merbein High School.
We were very fortunate to have devoted teachers throughout our schooling and I was very proud to attend Merbein High. It was a great 6 years of my life.
|
|
|
| Gledhill/Blaby |
|
| Posted: Tuesday, 18 August 2009, 9:49 AM |
| Just back in Melbourne after a wonderful weekend in Merbein with my wife Leonie and Ross and Sharon Gledhill, meeting relations from the Baumann, Blaby, McKeon, Gledhill, Shaw, Chivers and Preisig families and enjoying the street market and community picnic. Special thanks to Tom and the ladies at the RSL for the magnificent photo display and the beautiful scones and tea. It is 46 years since we left Merbein, but on Saturday and Sunday the years peeled away and we were kids again, recalling our time spent at the West school, visiting cousins, riding bikes, learning to swim at the Merbein pool and supporting the mighty magpies at Kenny Park. Congratulations to the organising committee and best wishes for the rest of the Centenary celebrations. Thanks Jude Shaw for organising dinner the Club on Sunday night. It was great to see you all again and we had a great time. I hope Geoff and Ivan got up for work OK on Monday.Peter Gledhill |
|
|
| More memories of Dr. Walker |
|
| Posted: Monday, 17 August 2009, 6:38 PM |
Like Diane's family, my family also attended Dr Walker. I remember he used roll his own cigarettes and smoked quite heavily, unlike today's health conscious times. When you entered his surgery, there would be a very heavy cloud of smoke hanging in the air. You would also have to wait while he rolled another smoke before he attended to you.
Another memory I have is one day, when I arrived home, mum was sitting at the woodheap (she had been chopping wood) and said "Bill, can you get Dr. Walker. I've cut my foot with the axe."
In those days I,together with a large number of cousins then living in Merbein, were looked after by Mrs Thompson (mother of John and Jimmy) both before and after school. Anyway, I was more interested in sharing the spectacle with Mrs Thompson than in getting the doctor and ran to her house. When Mrs T and I arrived, there was mum sitting on a log with a large pool of blood spreading around her foot with Dr Walker calmly stitching her up. To this day I don't know how he found out. There was nobody else there. He must have just known she was in trouble.
Bill Dorrington |
|
|
