Patching Patche

Great news this week that VicTrack's Heritage Program will be funding the repair of Patchewollock and Kaniva railway station buildings.

Patchewollock - end of the line

The very dilapidated Patchewollock station building will be re-clad, the roof and walls repaired and painted and new guttering and downpipes installed. The Goods Shed will be restored by re-stumping, painting, new guttering and downpipes and structural repairs.

Kaniva's Goods Shed from the station platform

The work on Kaniva's station building and goods shed will commence shortly.
Donald-based heritage restoration firm Onley's Holdings will undertake the task. 

Below: The Patche line still open in 1966, taken from Nick Anchen's 'The right way, the wrong way & the railway : great Victorian railway stories'. It includes a story of crews battling through sand drifts to reach the remote Patchewollock terminus, passing families along the line, who would stop the train in the middle of nowhere, by waving a lantern, to receive their provisions.

Into the land of the Lowan

Its time for another 'Wimmera  in Photographs' Collection Day.
This time it will be held in the Hindmarsh Shire. The Shire covers the pre-amalgamation area covered by the Dimboola and Lowan Shires - in the south from the Wimmera River north to Lake Albacutya and west beyond Nhill - so a fertile area for historic photographs.

The abandoned Detpa Store, adjacent to the railway station

Some of the pastoral stations established in the region were: Albacutya in 1848, Horatio Cockburn Ellerman at Antwerp in 1847, Ballarook from 1847, Lake Hindmarsh (Pine Hills & Tullyvea) to Stieglitz in 1847, Lorquon in 1851, Mt Elgin and its subdivision Lawloit, Nhill in 1847, Upper Regions (Bonegar & Lochiel) in 1848, Woraigworm in 1849, and Yanac-A-Yanac in 1847...over 160 years of history.
As well there have been some significant events - the 1897 storm which nearly flattened Nhill; Big Lizzie's traverse from Outlet Creek along the west shore of Lake Hindmarsh and through the eastern Little Desert; the RAAF base at Nhill in World War 2 - all great photo opportunities, and hopeful there might be some prints or negatives show up during the Collection Day.

Interior of the Woorak West Methodist Church, built in 1886

The Collection Day is Friday 12th June at the Dimboola Library from 10am to 12:30pm then the Nhill Library from 2pm to 5pm.People with historic photos, negatives, and/or slides are encouraged to bring them for scanning. Appointments are necessary. To book, call in at Dimboola Library Phone: 5389 1734 or Nhill Library Phone: 5391 1684.

Honour Roll launch

A momentous day for the Library today, with the launch of the 2015 Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll road show in the Horsham Library.

Standing: Emma Kealy (Member for Lowan), Aunty Nancy. Front: Cr Mark Radford (Horsham City Mayor),  Uncle Kevin (holding the Honour Roll book), Minister Natalie Hutchins

 After a Welcome To Country speech by Aunty Nancy Harrison from the Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Co-operative, the Hon Natalie Hutchins MP (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for Local Government and Minister for Industrial Relations), introduced Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll inductee Uncle Kevin Coombs OAM.

Along with Lester Marks Harradine and Johnny Mullagh, Uncle Kevin Coombs OAM is one of three Aboriginal people from the Wimmera region to have been inducted to the Honour Roll. He was inducted in 2012, now one of 64 people to have been honoured.

A Wotjobaluk Elder, Uncle Kevin's ancestors lived on the Ebenezer Mission station at Antwerp. Kevin was born at Swan Hill. He became a champion wheelchair basketballer and Australia's first Aboriginal Paralympian in Rome in 1960. Over the next twenty years he went on to represent Australia at another four Paralympics. He also won gold medals for Australia at the Far Eastern South Pacific Games in 1977 and 1984.

Back: Emma Kealy MP, Aunty Nancy, Cr Leo Tellefson (WRLC Chairman). Front: Cr Mark Radford, Uncle Kevin, Natalie Hutchins MP.

Among his many achievements and honours Kevin has received the medal for the Order of Australia, an Australian Sports Medal, induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame, a Deadly lifetime achievement award and a NAIDOC award. Most recently he was inducted to the Australian Basketball Wall of Fame.

Today he is known across Victoria for his work in Aboriginal health and justice. He is a patron of the Onemda Koori Health Unit at Melbourne University and sits as an Elder on the Broadmeadows Koori Court and the Children's Koori Court.

The Honour Roll book and exhibition will remain on display at the Horsham Library until 11^th June.