January 26...

1909

Several children were returning home from Eddington State School in a cart when the horse was startled by a motorcycle.
The girl driving tried to stop the bolting animal when the reins broke, then she jumped out of the vehicle to grab the horse when the wheel of the cart passed over her wrist breaking it.
Dr Wolfenden of Dunolly was passing and attended to the injury.

January 24...

1909

With snow at Healesville and on the Dividing Range the temp at Dunolly dropped to 10 degrees C.

January 22...

1875

Fook Song was charged with keeping a house frequented by women with no visable means of support.

This is not a brothel.
This is a church.
Although some might say there's little difference, I'd never say something like that.

January 21...

1875

The owner of some performing monkeys at Smythesdale was whipping one in training when it attacked him and stripped the flesh from his hand down to the bone.

Karma...she's a bitch.

January 20...

1860

The first coaches began running a service from Dunolly to St Arnaud.

January 18...

1932

A prisoner, on remand from Dunolly for theft of cycle and wireless set, tore a hole in the Maryborough lockup ceiling, escaping through the hole just as a policeman entered his cell and was at liberty for 12 mins until the police recaptured him.

January 17...

1909

A church service held in the Gordon Gardens to fund raise for the Italian earthquake effort.

January 16...

1888

One of the earliest settlers in Victoria and one of the oldest residents of Dunolly, Mr Robert Cowley, died aged 83.
He came to Portland with the Hentys in 1836 and said to have sown the first crop of wheat in Victoria, he operated as the first postmaster at Dimboola before moving to this area.

January 15...

1899

Drapery store, on Broadway, formerly occupied by Mr Legge was badly burnt, with Mr Manley's watchmaking business slightly effected on one side and Mr Cheetham’s private residence considerably damaged on the other side.

January 14....

1863

A 20lb 7 oz nugget found on Clovers Gully diggings by a miner who’d only been digging for 5 mins.
Lucky bastard.

January 13....

1929

Telegraph poles on the Dunolly Railway Station, carrying 8 trunk lines, 2 Morse telegraph lines and 5 subscribers telephone lines, were burnt with services interrupted for several hours.

January 12...

1904

Carpenter Thomas Thiswell, while covering a house in corrugated iron at Mt Hooghly, was done a mischief when he handed up a sheet of iron that slipped and landed on his nose almost severing it, needing 9 stitches at Dunolly Hospital.

January 11...

1941

Special train to Williamstown for residents and children for annual schools’ picnic, welcomed by Mayor of Williamstown Cr. Deacon, many former residents of Dunolly had a reunion with the visitors.

January 10...

1880

A chapter of the National Reform League was formed in Dunolly by Mayor Mr Ritchie but not before the meeting became so boisterous as to be labelled ‘the most disorderly meeting that ever took place in Dunolly’ by the Bendigo Independent newspaper.

January 9....

1888

Tender accepted by Victorian Railways from P. Lester of 22 pounds, 3 shillings and 4 pence for erection of passenger platform and shelter sheds at Number 40 gate on the Maryborough-Dunolly line.

January 8....

1876

Mellon’s Wine Shop, in Dunolly, was found to be in flames, supposedly the work of an incendiary, but the fire was able to be doused before it spread to further buildings and the wine shop saved.

January 7....

1875

Several cases of measles in adults and children have been reported in Dunolly but no deaths have occured.

January 5...

1857

Jewellers Issac Himelock and William Leevey were held up by bushrangers en route to Dunolly near Nuggetty Flat/Gully  - 2 five pound notes, 529 one pound notes, 12 pounds in silver, three pounds in gold, 36 diamond and gold rings, brooches, a revolver, American dollars and many, many, many Hunter watches were stolen, never to be recovered.

Oh, look! Found one...!

January 3....

1882

A 2.5lb nugget was found at the Hard Hills diggings.

A bit bigger than this specimen...

Dunolly District Hospital History Book

C'mon down to the Rural Transaction Centre (corner of Bull St and Broadway, Dunolly) and snaffle up a copy of the Dunolly District Hospital history book.
A mere snip at $20.00; a worthy and wise investment of a historical record which celebrates the 150th anniversary of this great little country hospital.

January 2....

1908

The Tarnagulla Railway Station was robbed,  with the safe taken to near the cemetery gates via a trolley on the rail line where they punched a hole in the safe to gain the princely sum of 2 pounds and 10 shillings.

Miss Margaret Taig of Tarnagulla would not have been pleased!

January 1....

1903

New Years’ Day Charity Sports Day was held at Tarnagulla to raise money for local charities; races included cycling, road race, hose-coupling competition, potato-sack race, seahorse race, Siamese race and other minor competitions.

I'm sure Miss Margaret Taig of Tarnagulla was a splendid sportswoman....

December 31...

1859

The Foundation stone of Dunolly & District Hospital laid by Mr Mitchell, MLC.
Architect was David Ross.

Not exactly like this these days...

December 30...

1857

First match of the Dunolly Cricket Club against Burnt Creek.

As both of these cricket teams are no longer, we'll just gaze at these nuts...

December 28....

1909

A destructive hailstorm swept through Dunolly and the surrounding area to a mile and half wide, decimating tomato and fruit crops, smashing many windows in churches, schools, hospitals and private residences.
Corrugated iron roofs were pierced as if by bullets.

Drip...drip...drip

December 27....

1881

It was announced that the Dunolly people had arranged to play the English Eleven next March against 22 cricket players from this district.

Sadly, Ponting wasn't leading the English Eleven at the time...

December 26...

1857

George Simpson at the Bendigo Hotel held a sports meeting with a free lunch for all to start the Boxing Day entertainment at 10am.

Quieter in these of late...

December 25....

1893

Mr Dillon of Telegraph Hotel, Avoca, was driving his horse and buggy on Christmas morning when the horse became unmanageable and began galloping then smashed into Mr Hancock’s wagonette near the municipal dam opposite the railway line at Dunolly.
Mr Dillon was thrown from the buggy but was unhurt.

Municipal Dam now better known as the Caravan Park lake.

December 24...

1856

Bank of Australasia began business in Dunolly at what was then the Gold Office located at 74 Broadway.

December 23....

1878

Local magnates argued at the opening of a section of the Dunolly-St Arnaud Railway so no demonstration of the railway took place at all.
Hmph!

The train failed to duck and weave on cue.

December 21....

1952

The driver of a new rail diesel engine on trial leant out of the cabin as he was pulling into Dunolly Station, as was the practice, and hit his head on the Dunolly Railway Station roof.
He was then taken to Dunolly & District Hospital with lacerations and concussion.
Noted in the paper  
"The diesels are much higher than steam engines and the Victorian Railways Department will have to lift country station roofs".

Ouch.

December 20....

1861

Gold Miners started digging Ah Wing’s previously unmined well-marked and walled garden, much to Ah Wing's distress, as it was in the middle of the gold lead of the Bullock's Flat Rush.
The local resident Gold Warden fined all the diggers 10 pounds each.

Gold Wardens Residence, now a private home.

December 19....

1885

After a week long heat wave with temperatures over 100 F (more than 37 degrees C ) a violent thunderstorm broke the heat with 2.5 inches of rain in 3 hours, lightning hit the lightning conductor on the Dunolly & District Hospital but no damage was done to the building, with dams, creeks, and reservoirs were overflowing.

No, glorious technicolour hadn't been discovered in 1885 but isn't it marvellous?

December 18.....

1962

Construction on drive-ins at Maryborough, one on the Dunolly Road north of the Maryborough boundary and the other at the local showgrounds, commenced on this day.
They are expected to be open by February.

Pic found on THIS site, remembering the drive-in located on the Dunolly Rd, site now named Drive In Court.

Cannot locate former Maryborough Showgrounds at present.

December 17...

1869

St John’s Anglican Church was officially opened and dedicted by Archdeacon Crawford.

Go on, doesn't matter what you believe, you have to admit it's a gorgeous building.

December 16.....

1879

The Mount Hooghly school was opened with a Grand Ball.
(I think it was located on the Stuart Mill Rd).
Lah Dee Dah.

Although some gels may have dressed down for the ocassion...

December 16....

1856

Henry the tailor rode Nobbler the racehorse, for a wager no less,  from Maryborough to Dunolly under 40 mins.

Henry was keen for a return trip but Nobbler said Nay.

December 15.....

1856

The Gold Escort travelled from Dunolly with 6,000 ozs of gold, an increase of 2,000ozs from just the previous week.

Just as well those diggers were putting their back into it...

December 14.....

1864

Moliagul school finally got a salary for school teacher who’d been surviving on 1 pound school fees per month.

Nice to see the teacher was able to recompensed for his work, FINALLY...

December 13....

1870

Talented painter and flute maker Clewin Simon Harcourt was born at Dunolly.

Although I don't think Clewin had this in mind...

December 11 - 12......

1887

Locusts were swarming through Dunolly like a snowstorm, chewing every bit of green stuff bare.
After 3 days of excessive heat a severe thunderstorm burst over the town at 4pm with rain bucketing down, it damaged the hay and crops but stopped the locusts.

The more things change...

December 11....

1940

The water service to Dunolly is being curtailed as only 5 feet of water is left in the reservoir, with a tower being erected as the local supply nears completion.

Much to the indignation of this chap.

December 10.....

1867

Waanyarra – Jones’ Creek school committee organised a sports day picnic for students and adults alike to celebrate the visit of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh.



The picnic was held at Jones’ Creek cricket ground. ‘The children were regaled with buns, tea and cake. Sports consisted of running, jumping, hurdle races and football.’ The school committee thanked G. Thomson Esq. and Mrs. Thomson for the children’s prizes, Mrs. Hackendare for ’the splendid currant cakes’ and Mrs. Corkingdale for ’the large quantity of currant buns’.

December 9....

1938

The bakery at Bealiba was greatly damaged by fire but due to the hard efforts of the fire fighters they managed to stop it from spreading to the next door post office.