September 2011 Tattler.pdf - Platypus Country

September 2011
Next deadline: 28th September 2011
Phone: 02 64580295
E-mail: tubbutnh@bigpond.com
THE NEXT DEDDICK VALLEY ISOLATED COMMUNITY GROUP
MEETING WILL BE HELD
OCTOBER 2011
More details in next Tattler
DATES TO REMEMBER
TUBBUT
NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE
WILL BE CLOSED
FROM
24TH SEPTEMBER
UNTIL
10TH OCTOBER
COMMUNITY
HEALTH
Community Health Nursing
Delegate MPS 02 6459 8000
Orbost 03 5154 6625
Social Worker
Peter Quin 03 5154 6635
Rural Outreach Counsellor
Di Robinson 0427318961
Doctor
Delegate 02 64951369
Should you wish to see the Community Nurse,
please phone Delegate MPS 64588008
15th Sept—Little Green Frog Bonang
17th Sept—Bonang Landcare AGM Bonang
18th Sept—Friends of Errinundra AGM
18th—Cooma Market
19th Sept—Espresso Coffee Basics Orbost
19th Sept—Responsible Service of Alcohol
22nd Sept—Computers for Communities
24th Sept—School holidays begin
30th Sept—Library bus
30th Sept—Lunch with Keith Tubbut
30th Sept—Chainsaw Maintenance Tubbut
1st Oct—Bombala Market
9th Oct—Card making Bonang
10th Oct—School resumes
15th Oct—Make a Gnome Bonang
15th Oct—Delegate Preschool 40 yrs
29nd Oct—Buy, Sell, Swap Tubbut
29nd Oct—Tubbut Hall working bee
DISTRICT NURSE
Tubbut:6th Sept/20th Sept/4th Oct
Bonang:13th Sept/27th Sept/11th Oct
Events advertised in the Tattler are open to the
public. Everyone is welcome to attend

SEPTEMBER
BIRTHDAYS
Callan Jamieson
Lisa Camp
Wayne Jamieson
Wing Hagger
Nathan Phillips
Brad Ingram
WANTED
Electric cement mixer
looking for active service.
Preferably in running order
but will consider repairs.
Willing to negotiate
Purchase, Hire or Loan.
Please contact Jenny on 0466 005 734
or
Email: jennstark3@gmail.com
or
leave a message at Tubbut Neighbourhood
House.
NEED A BABYSITTER?
Nellie is available to babysit
Your place or hers
Phone 64580312
BONANG RIVER
LANDCARE
AGM
& meeting
September 17th
Bonang Hall
5.30pm for BBQ with
meeting at 7pm
Meat supplied
Bring salad/sweet to share
Non-Mains Energy Concession
The Non-Mains Energy Concession assists Victorian
concession households that rely on LPG, firewood or
heating oil for domestic heating, cooking or hot water, or
that access non-mains electricity via an embedded
network, or run a generator.
To be eligible for a concession, you must: hold an
eligible concession card.
Eligible cards are:
Pensioner Concession Card, from Centrelink or
Department of Veterans‘ Affairs
Centrelink Health Care Card
Department of Veterans‘ Affairs Gold Card
For more information
Phone: 1800658521
Or visit: www.dhs.vic.gov.au/for-individuals/
financial-support/concessions
FOR SALE
1993 Ford Wagon, dual fuel, 12 months rego
$1000
Ring Bev evenings or weekend 02 64580325
The Tubbut Tattler is produced by the Coordinators of the Tubbut
Neighbourhood House which is funded by the Victorian Government.
Material herein is the responsibility of the authors and does not
represent the views of the DVICG or Tubbut Neighbourhood House
unless stated. We welcome material from, and of interest to, people in
the border areas of East Gippsland and NSW.
Library Bus
Just a reminder that the Library Bus will next be visiting the area
on Friday 30th September
Bendoc 9.00—9.45 Tubbut 1.15—2.15
Delegate River 10.45—11.30 Bonang 3.00—3.30
Goongerah 4.15—5.00

outreach
Orbost
Espresso Coffee Basics
Have you always wanted to learn how to make good
quality espresso or gain the skills to help get a café job?
This course covers the essentials of espresso coffee from
the who’s who of the espresso menu, to preparation and
service of delicious coffee.
• Understanding the espresso coffee menu
• Extraction of espresso coffee
• Milk texturing
• Making different types of coffees
• Operation of an espresso machine
• Cleaning an espresso machine
• Operation of a grinder
Venue: Lovely Little Lunch
When: Monday September 19 th 5.30pm – 9.30pm
Course cost: $90
Responsible Service of Alcohol
Whether you plan to become a liquor licensee or simply
work in the industry serving alcohol, it is important to
know the liquor laws and responsible serving practices.
This course will cover topics to help you provide
responsible service of alcohol. Topics include:
· problems associated with excessive consumption
· alcohol and the law
· the question of who is responsible for RSA
· facts about alcohol
· improving the atmosphere of your premises
· handling difficult customers’ health and safety.
Buy, sell, swap
or give away
The Tubbut Neighbourhood House has
some out of date equipment looking for
new homes.
Perhaps you have too
Bring it along to the Neighbourhood
House before Saturday October 22nd—or
on the day—making it clear whether you
want to sell, swap or simply get rid
of it.
The more items the better; but we
prefer quality junk. We will make sure
leftovers get to the tip or op-shop if
no-one wants them.
Saturday October 29th
10am start
Free BBQ lunch at 12.00
The Tubbut Hall Committee
is organising a working bee and games
for the afternoon and a casserole
dinner
so come for the day
Chainsaw Maintenance
Due to popular demand, the Neighbourhood
House has asked Bob McIlroy to conduct a
short workshop in sharpening, fuelling and
caring for your chainsaw.
Friday September 30th at 2 pm
Tubbut Hall
Bring your chainsaw and tools
Venue: Orbost Education Centre, Ruskin Street, Orbost
When: Monday September 19th 2011
9.30am – 2.30pm
Course cost: $70
More information?
Enrol now to ensure you don’t miss out!
Call Greg on (03) 5154 1788
Email: gmcnamara@egtafe.vic.edu.au
Friends of Errinundra
AGM
and Planning for the summer season
4pm
Sunday 18th September
Bonang Hall
All welcome

Computers for Communities 22nd September
This will be held at Tubbut Neighbourhood House
10.00am – 2.00pm
Sharon Buckman will be taking this workshop.
Topics to be covered:
● Printing
● Scanning
● CD and DVD Burning
Personal tuition sessions are available on request
Phone the Neighbourhood House for details.
Tea & coffee will be supplied. Bring your own lunch.
TODDLER GYM
@
BONANG
When: Last Thursday of the
Month
Time: 10:30 am to 12:00pm
Where: Bonang Hall
Come and Join in the fun.
Please bring along a piece of fruit to
share
For More info call
Megron on 03 5154 0174
Lunch with Keith & library consultation
I got it wrong: Keith’s last day before
taking long service leave is actually
September 30th. It might be the last
time he drives the big bus to our area
as changes are afoot..
On the 30th he will be accompanied by
Denece Sippo who wants to find out
what we want from the service next
year. Different days? A book
repository? A magazine exchange?
Denece will also be demonstrating
how to use the on-line library resources
on the Neighbourhood House
computers.
Make a Gnome—take it home
Jenny Romano needlefelting workshop at
Bonang Hall on Saturday October 15th. Cost
$5, materials supplied. Registration essential.
Contact the Neighbourhood House
So bring some lunch to share to Tubbut
on Friday September 30th for 1 pm.
Deb
A
PUBLIC
TELEPHONE
is now located at the
BONANG HALL
Thanks must go to the
Bonang Hall Committee for
their persistence in making
this happen
Come and celebrate the 40 years of the
Delegate and District Preschool
Saturday 15th October 1pm at the
Delegate Country Club
Mad Hatter's Tea Party for the kids
Take a trip down memory lane with a presentation of photos
from over the years. Meet up with past students and
teachers.
A Celebration CD of photos and will be available.
For more information or to contribute photos or anecdotes
contact the Delegate Preschool on 0264588196
or Michelle Farran on 0264581236
or farran.michelle.l@edumail.vic.gov.au

The Little Green Frog Van
will be in Bonang
Thursday
15th September
10am—12pm
HANDYMAN
Available to do odd jobs or anything
you need a hand with.
JUST ASK.....
Phone Nathan
64580312
Phone Sue for more details
0264580287
Card making
9 th October
WANTED
Dressing Table
(with or without mirror)
4 Kitchen Chairs
To be held at Bonang Hall
10.00am – 3.00pm
The tutor for this workshop will be Leslie Smith.
Lunch will be supplied.
A fee of $5.00 will be charged for this workshop.
Please book in early so we know how many to
cater for!
In good condition & reasonably priced
Phone Nellie: 0264580312
Hi Deb & Robyn
Microwave Lemon Butter
250 grams white sugar
3 eggs
Finely grated rind & juice of 3 lemons
125 grams of unsalted butter
1. In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar & eggs
until smooth, stir in lemon juice, lemon rind & butter.
2. Cook in the microwave for one minute intervals, stirring
after each minute until the mixture is thick enough to coat
the back of a metal spoon .
3. Remove from the microwave & pour into small sterile jars.
Store for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.
I bought the Ausbuy guide
recently, and it occurred to me
that it could be a good subject
for your Tattler, as I have found
that a lot of people are not
aware of Ausbuy -but do try to
buy products of Australian
companies, made in Aust...this
little guide makes it easier. I
think this philosophy is at the
heart of "sustainability" for
manufactured goods.
http://www.ausbuy.com.au/
see ya, Jo
ps I just see there are no stores
where the guide is sold in 3888
however, I bought mine at
Woolworths in Çooma and Coles and
Safeway in Bairnsdale sell them.

TUBBUT RESOURCE CENTRE / NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE
Phone: 02 64580295
E-mail: tubbutnh@bigpond.com
MONDAY, THURSDAY & FRIDAY
Neighbourhood House News
Its great to be getting more visitors at the Neighbourhood House. Just to remind you, you are not interrupting
anything, our first priority is to welcome people. Today two Deddick Valley residents happened to be in the
Centre together who hadn’t seen each other for two years! That’s what we are about.
Best wishes to everyone who has been ill this winter. Let’s hope that spring brings better health along with the
warmer weather.
Computer classes
We are steaming ahead with computer classes although the state of the roads led to the cancellation of two.
Thursdays are often bad weather days, it seems! In June the Jingallala River blocked Sharon’s way; in August,
her car slid off the road a few kilometres out of Delegate. If the weather is particularly bad it’s a good idea to
ring the Neighbourhood House before coming down for computer classes.
Community Trailer
The trailer is now registered and available for borrowing at $5 a day.
Local History Grant
The Digital Storytelling workshop was held early in August on the Neighbourhood House computers, making for
a very intimate affair. I can assure you that the food was great, with an emphasis on lemons. As well as Samara
from Hobart, we had attendees from Canberra and Orbost, as well as locals, but I won’t be scheduling another
workshop unless I get a request. Digital storytelling is easy—you just need to be shown your way around the
software—but a general fear of computers may be putting you off. If this is the case, please make the most of
Sharon’s looking for someone to take the storytelling course but I have contacted Keva Gosher of the ABC who
is giving it serious thought. If she agrees, it is likely that the workshop will be held in Delegate (since her area is
Bega/Monaro). The third workshop will be specifically on exploring family histories.
I conducted my first interview last week, using the telephoner and the Mac laptop. Very easy to transcribe when
you don’t have to turn a tape on and off. Look for the interview next month
Swap, sell and give away day
The Neighbourhood House is piggybacking on the Tubbut Hall Committee’s working bee and games event with
this one. Please go through your sheds and cupboards with a view to bringing your excess, still usable goods to
Tubbut on October 22nd. The more stuff, the more fun!
Make a gnome, take it home
Jenny Romano of Metung is coming to Bonang on Saturday October 15th to conduct a workshop in needlefelting—the
project, make a gnome. There is strong interest in this one, so ring up and book a place as soon as
possible.
Cappuccino available
The Neighbourhood House now has a cappuccino machine and we can guarantee you a good coffee. Come in
and have one! (we also have tea)
Are you using your pedometers? We have more available at the Tubbut Neighbourhood House to
help you measure the spring in your step.
Check out our web site at http://platypuscountry.org.au/6928.html—it is still in development but there is a
growing section on local history and you can read the Tattler on-line in full colour.
Deb & Robyn
Gas Bottle Delivery
John Stewart will deliver gas to our area if there is a
minimum of 6 large bottles. Many local residents find it
difficult to load and unload or do not have suitable vehicles to
transport gas bottles legally. Please let the Neighbourhood
House if you need a new bottle in the next few weeks. If
there are more than 6, we will pass this information on.
Drop in to use the computers,
surf the internet or for a
cuppa and chat with the
coordinators. Cappuccino now
available!

The 45 lessons life taught me
Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio. She says:
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written.
Valerie Auer passed this on to the Tattler.
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come...
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Remembering our past—Martins Creek
The Local Rag 38 (May 1982) published an article by Marg
Quinn (Quinnethe) which told the story of the lively days of
Martin‟s Creek, where now there is little to meet the eye.
When Peter Jensen, a Dane, travelled to Martins Creek
with his fellow countryman Henry Gangelhoff in 1890,
he believed that a railway line would go through there,
connecting Orbost and Bombala. In fact, the proposed
railway was surveyed three times. So he took up his
selection there, beginning work on the day of arrival, to
clear enough space among the dense wattles to put up
a tent. The track they rode to get there had been
blazed about 1878 by Hamilton Reed and C.W.
Nicholson during a trip to Orbost which took them four
days. Around the time that Jensen moved to Martins
Creek, a twice weekly mail run was established
between Orbost and Delegate. The first hut built by
Jensen and Gangelhoff was destroyed almost
immediately by a falling tree and they had to start all
over again. Later Peter built a four-roomed house, all
the timber coming from one big white gum.
In 1983, Peter married Sophie Gangelhoff who he had
met at Colac. Although she had never been on a horse,
she was hoisted up at Orbost Station for the long ride
to Martins Creek. This took two days, with an overnight
stop at the Beveridges at Sardine Creek. On arrival at
Martins Creek, she had to adjust to cooking over the
fire in a camp oven and washing a little at a time in a
four gallon kerosene tin. To keep the house supplied,
Peter rode to Orbost leading a packhorse and returned
on foot with both horses loaded.
The Jensens cleared an area around the house and in
1896, Sophie gave birth to daughter Louise in Orbost.
The bush was so dense and the bracken so high that
Sophie‘s main concern was that the little girl would get
lost when she started walking. To keep track of her
movements, she tied a sheep bell around Louise‘s
neck, which could be heard a mile away.
After the track was made, the Jensens extended the
house, adding rooms and a bar, and got a licence for
what became the Danebo Hotel which flew the Danish
flag. Peter made the barrels too. Life now became
frantically busy as travellers and drovers broke their
two day trip between Delegate and Orbost by staying
overnight at the hotel. There were many drovers and
bullockies who couldn‘t afford to stay the night; they ate
at the hotel and camped out.
Days began early to do all the work. The fires had to be
lit, the cows milked, the bread baked and meat cut off
the carcasses in the cool room before the guests had
breakfast. After guests departed, rooms had to be
cleaned, beds changed, cheese and butter made, the
bar cleaned up and the evening meal prepared, all
before the arrival of the next round of guests. Each
day‘s potatoes were peeled the night before, behind the
bar, between customers—a bucket full a day! There
was also the washing, which was done in a laundry
built onto the back of the hotel, the water coming down
a hand cut water race which went three-quarters of a
mile into the bush. This needed constant maintenance to
clear fallen leaves and bark and plug up the holes dug
by crabs.
When Louise was about five years old, a second child
was born, a sickly, fretful baby which Sophie had to carry
around while coping with all the other demands of her
life. There were also many trips to the doctor in Orbost
so, in 1906, Sophie hired a 13 year old girl to help. The
little girl became Mrs Jane Auger of Frankston, who
Marg interviewed in compiling this article.
Jane ran the household, including skinning and cutting
up the ration sheep, while Sophie Jensen was away with
the sick child, who died before the age of four. Her work
continued when the third child, Sophie (Malinn) was
born—all for a shilling a week and her keep for nearly
two years.
Louise, who was capable of running the house, far
preferred to work outside with the cattle and horses and
did so whenever she could be spared. She broke the
horses in and shod them and helped to muster the
cattle.
Large mobs of cattle and sheep passed through Martins
Creek heading from the Monaro to Warragul. Flocks of
turkey were enticed down the road by one person
scattering handfuls of grain in front of them. At dusk the
turkeys would fly up and roost in the trees and their
drovers make camp. At dawn when the turkeys
descended, the journey would recommence. Pigs were
trained to follow a cart filled with feed—although there
were breakaways.
Swaggies were a common sight on the road, usually
travelling in small groups. Indian hawkers travelled
through with their wares in carts or saddlebags. Sophie
remembered one of these hawkers pulling a knife on her
mother in the bar after she refused to give him more to
drink. ―Me kill you,‖ he said, holding the knife to her
throat. ―Well kill me then,‖ said Sophie‘s mother, and the
hawker put the knife back in his pocket and walked off.
Peter was away, working on the roads, at the time.
Sophie attended school by correspondence, hard
enough for most children but doubly so for a child whose
parents were unfamiliar with English. The teacher during
the first six years was kind and helpful, explaining things
clearly. But in seventh year, the teacher was more
demanding and intolerant. Sophie said, ―If a blot of ink
dropped on the page, the first teacher would comment,
‗What a pity you spoiled your work‘ while the second
would just write ‗Dirty work!‘‖ Discouraged by this,
Sophie gave up and did her learning alone. A lesson for
other teachers perhaps?

Increased use of the motorcar and the First World War
prompted the Jensens to give up their licence and focus
on providing accommodation and hot scones and tea to
travellers. The mail coach stopped on its journey,
disgorging up to 25 passengers in need of refreshment.
About 1918, Mrs Jensen and Louise drove to Bete Bolong
to pick up maize and, on the way, a collar pad fell out.
When they pulled up at the butchers, a young man—Alec
Baulch—produced it and asked if it was theirs. This was
the beginning of a courtship conducted by Alec riding his
bicycle to Martins Creek. They married and lived in
Orbost for a while, returning to Martins Creek so Louise
could help her mother and sister in the guest house while
Alec worked on the road with the CRB.
In 1922, the Baulches bought the Orbost-Bendoc-
Delegate mail service which they ran until they moved to
Timbarra in 1925. Alec was the usual driver but when
farm work demanded his time, Louise drove the two and
three horse team. She had a scare when a man she was
driving pulled out a revolver and demanded to be put
down as soon as they entered the Orbost clearing.
The coach left Orbost on Sunday at 8 am, pulled up at
Sardine Creek for a midday meal and stayed overnight at
Martins Creek. It left there at 6 am, arrived in Bonang for
lunch and reached Bendoc at mid-afternoon. There Mrs
Windle kept the post office and the Mustards kept the
hotel. Then it was Delegate for the night, picking up
passengers for the return trip the next morning. The road
was rough, no sidings, and went up the steep side of
valleys to travel along the ridges. There were no bridges,
but many fords and plenty of corduroy made of round
saplings laid side by side over boggy patches.
Louise Baulch was unstoppable. Once she encountered a
tree across the road, blocking three vehicles on either
side. She stepped down from the coach and, with her
axe, chopped her way through and continued on her way.
Another time, when a tree blocked the road at Little Bill,
Louise had to go back to Bonang and send word to Alec.
He came next morning with another coach and horses
and Mrs Baulch went on to Orbost with the mail—arriving
only two hours late.
Sophie met Tom Malinn in 1925; working for the CRB, he
was in charge of a team of horses. As the road from
Orbost inched towards Delegate, new camps were set up,
often catering for up to 300 men. When the work got
close to Martins Creek, Tom would stay at Danebo
Guesthouse. In July 1926, he took over the mail run and
three months later, he and Sophie were married. It can‘t
have been easy for the young couple as Tom was away
more than half the week and Sophie was running the
guesthouse and caring for her ailing mother and aging
father. A widower when they met, Tom had two children,
Molly ten (Mrs Billy Reed) and Joyce (Mrs Doug
Boucher), seven. They lived with their grandmother, Mrs
Phillips, in Delegate and spent their holidays with Tom
and Sophie. When Mrs Phillips died (after 12 months)
they came to live at Martins Creek. Sophie coped - she
said the girls were wonderful to her and she enjoyed the
learning she gained helping them with their
correspondence lessons.
A year after taking over the mail run, Tom bought a
small International truck to cut the run down from two
days to one. This wasn‘t easy as the road was poorly
maintained and, as well as deep ruts, there were often
trees across the road which Tom had to tackle with his
axe. He also had to learn mechanics in a hurry.
On one trip just after a bush fire, Tom had to stop to
chop through a still smouldering tree. When he reached
Delegate he found that the two boxes of butter he was
carrying were completely melted.
On another occasion along the Bonang River, a big
white gum tree about three metres diameter was across
the road, so Tom set off carrying the two mail bags on a
two mile walk to Mr Biddy Ingram‘s place at Bonang.
When he arrived, it was dark and the Ingrams were
away, so he looked around for something to eat. All he
found was some butter and flour and a couple of eggs
from the hen house, so he made some Johnny cakes
and went to bed. In the morning he caught a draught
horse and used it to get the truck past the log. At
Bonang he rang a councillor at Delegate River to get
someone to cut through the tree. He said it was the
biggest tree on the Bonang River and Mr Ham Reed
replied, ―It must be the one with the tree fern growing out
of it.‖ It was. It took two men nine days to shift it and they
had to get gelignite to blow it up. Tom considered them
lazy and so did Council, who only paid them for three
days.
Tom finished up the mail run in 1931 and he and Sophie
started dairy farming. They ran the Martinvale Pedigree
Jersey Stud until they left to go to Orbost in 1966.
Sophie Jensen died in 1928, the same year that Sophie
Malinn gave birth to Marge (Mrs Casey). Sophie cared
for her father, Tom‘s daughters and a toddler, milked
sixteen cows by hand each morning, and collected water
for the dairy by hand until a race was dug from the
creek. A small milking machine made life a little easier.
The guest house still benefitted from the mail car
stopping overnight and the drovers with big mobs of
cattle passing by. Jack Parkes was the drover in charge,
and his son took over after him until the trucks took over.
The cattle travelled about ten miles a day.
The Malinns extended their landholding with a lease of
39,000 acres reaching back to the Snowy River.
Mustering involved days of hard riding and camping out
in rough country.
In 1940, the Malinns built a new house nearer to the
road and built a cabin for Peter to enjoy his privacy until
he died in 1942. The new house soon had a beautiful
garden and was more convenient for travellers, although
they had to endure the attention of a possessive turkey
who used to chase visitors when they went to the toilets.
The telephone went through to Bonang in 1952 and
Sophie ran the Public Telephone Office until they sold
the place and moved to Orbost in 1966. Tom felt that the
place was too much for him and wanted to retire but
Sophie had a hard time adjusting after a life serving
people. However, she created another garden and was
still looking after it when Tom died in 1980.

Digging into our Past—Martins Creek in pictures
The Local Rag does not say who provided these pictures—any information about their current whereabouts would be appreciated.
Peter Jensen, Martin Creek’s first white settler
Sophie Malinn on the bank of the Snowy River, age 12
From left—Marge Casey, Sophie Malinn, Tom Malinn, Peter
Jensen, Molly Reed and Joyce Boucher.
Sophie Malinn—grown up.
Peter Jensen The new house, built 1940.

Hotel Danebo, Martins Creek, around 1905—image found at http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/70716
The Mail buggy around 1922— image found at http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/70753

Government speaks
It can take a while but, generally, if you write to a politician,
they will reply. I wrote a couple of letters of community
interest and a few months later, received the following
information.
Deb
McKillops Bridge
I wrote to Terry Mulder, Victorian Minister for Roads, on
March 24th, about the condition of McKillops Bridge after the
Camp Draft organisers were unable to get their cattle over the
Snowy River. His reply was dated August 9th.
‘VicRoads manages the arterial road and bridge network in
accordance with its Road Management Plan. Regular
inspections are undertaken on McKillops Bridge to identify any
potential hazards to motorists and appropriate maintenance if
carried out to ensure the bridge is kept in a safe condition.
In 1997, VicRoads undertook significant works on the timber
decking of the bridge to extend the life of this unique bridge
which has a heritage listing.
VicRoads also replaced a number of planks in February and
March 2011 and whilst these works were carried out,
additional maintenance works were identified which will be
undertaken during the next three months.
It is regrettable that the Cabanandra Campdraft event was
cancelled. I understand that in 2011 cattle were unable to
safely ford the Snowy River as a result of high rainfall and river
flows. It is not my understanding that the cancellation of the
event could have been caused by the recent maintenance work
on the bridge.
The Government acknowledges the importance of this unique
event. I have asked VicRoads to work with Council to
investigate options which would support the conduct of the
event. If you require further information, Mr Harvey Dinelli,
VicRoads Manager Program Development (0351722627) would
be pleased to assist.’
Television services and broadband in Tubbut
I wrote to Stephen Conroy, Federal Minister for Broadband,
Communication and the Digital Economy in May and he
answered on August 18th. The full letter can be viewed at the
Neighbourhood House, but here are some excerpts.
Digital Television
mySwitch is a web-based tool which has been developed by
the Digital Switchover Taskforce to provide all the information
viewers will need to apply for VAST in their area. Viewers can
access mySwitch by going to www.digitalready.gov.au and
following the links. They can also ring 1800201013 any day
between 8 am and 10 pm.
Tubbut is located in the Remote Central and Eastern Australia
switchover area which will switch to digital-only broadcasts in
the second half of 2013. The actual date that the switchover
will occur will depend on factors including local conditions and
community feedback. As you would be aware, Tubbut is
located in an area where there is no expected reception of
terrestrially broadcast digital television signals.
Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST)
The government is investing $375.4 million over 12 years to
provide transmission of digital free-to-air television services
from this new satellite platform. The VAST service is provided
by Eastern Australia Satellite Broadcasters Pty Ltd which is a
joint venture company owned by Imparja Television and
Southern Cross Media.
Viewers in Tubbut who receive their digital television
through the VAST service will have access to the same
number of free-to-air television channels available in capital
cities for the first time. The VAST service also provides
viewers with access to the local regional news services
currently broadcast by the commercial broadcasters. Viewers
in Tubbut will be able to access the WIN Gippsland local
news service and the regional news services of Southern
Cross ands Prime as well as the local news bulletins of other
areas of regional Australia. ABC News is provided through
ABC1 on a state basis.
Applying for VAST
Viewers who are located in the Remote Central and Eastern
Australia licence area are eligible to access the VAST service
now. To confirm their eligibility to receive commercial
television services through VAST, viewers should go to
mySwitch and enter their address. If there is no terrestrial
coverage, viewers can then proceed through mySwitch to
apply for access to all services on VAST. Access to the VAST
service will be managed by the use of a smart card which will
be provided with the VAST set top box.
Viewers will need to purchase a VAST set-top box ($280) and
a satellite dish ($100) and pay installers. This is a one-off
expense—there is no subscription.
Viewers currently receiving services by Aurora can access the
VAST service now. Aurora will continue till 31 December
2013 at which time the digital switchover will be complete.
Aurora viewers should be able to connect the VAST set-top
box to the existing system and their smart card will give
them access to all the VAST services.
National Broadband Network
The government has established NBN Co to design, build and
operate a new high speed National Broadband Network
(NBN).
The NBN will provide access to high-speed broadband to
100% of Australian premises. The government’s objective is
to connect 93% of Australian buildings with fibre … providing
broadband speeds of up to 100 megabits per second. All
remaining premises will be served by a combination of nextgeneration
fixed wireless and satellite technologies providing
peak speeds of at least 12 megabits a second.
Indicative coverage maps at www.nbnco.com.au/ourservices/coverage-maps
suggest that Tubbut may be served
by next-generation satellite technology providing peak
speeds of at least 12 megabits per second.
In the meantime, some of the Tubbut area communities may
be eligible for NBN Co’s Interim Satellite Service (ISS). It will
offer up to 6 megabit/second download/1 megabit/second
upload which is a considerable improvement on typical
services in the market. The first priority will be given to those
without broadband access. Visit www.nbnco.com.au to view
eligibility criteria. The Department of Broadband,
Communications and Digital Economy can be contacted on
1800883488 on weekdays between 8.30 am and 5 pm to
check eligibility.
One thing is for sure —without internet access it is becoming
increasingly difficult to find out how to get it!

Delegate Joins Pink Force at
National Breast Cancer Summit
Rikki Jones was among nearly 300 breast cancer
survivors that joined forces in Melbourne last week
to share information about breast cancer issues as
part of a national Summit hosted by Breast Cancer
Network Australia (BCNA).
BCNA is the peak national organisation
representing Australians affected by breast cancer
and links together more than 60,000 individuals and
over 300 community support groups providing a
network of support for those affected by breast
cancer.
Among the issues discussed at the Summit was the
impact that breast cancer has on partners and
families, the importance of connecting with the local
community, and support for living well with the
physical and emotional effects of breast cancer.
A key focus of the Summit was for the survivors to
share their stories, strengthen their networks and
work towards better outcomes for local women living
with breast cancer and their families. Delegates
heard powerful presentations from medical and
oncology experts, psychologists, personal
development specialists, and communications and
technology leaders.
Presenters at the Summit included inspirational
speaker Moira Kelly (of Children First Foundation),
leading women‘s advocate Wendy McCarthy and
AFL legend Shane Crawford. Crawford was warmly
acknowledged and thanked with a standing ovation
for his marathon effort last year running from
Adelaide to Melbourne to raise awareness and
funds for BCNA.
Rikki said; “The Summit offered information and
inspiration as well as some practical ideas and
resources to take back to the Delegate/Bombala
community. Local breast cancer groups are a
great source of support for women dealing with
breast cancer, and are powered by local survivors
who volunteer their own time. Coming together
with women from around Australia and connecting
with their experiences really helps reenergise local
support groups to continue their important work in
the community.”
Rikki also joined fellow survivors in paying tribute
to women diagnosed with breast cancer, and
those who have died from the disease, in a
moving Mini Field of Women ceremony.
For further information about the work of BCNA
please visit www.bcna.org.au or contact local
BCNA Community Liaison Rikki Jones
rikkileigh.4770@bigpond.com
BCNA‘s National Summit, held from 18 – 20
August 2011 at the Novotel in St Kilda, was
supported by the Australian Government‘s
Supporting Women in Rural Areas Diagnosed with
Breast Cancer program.
For further information about BCNA please
contact:
Julie Reilly, Media Manager; T: 03 9805 2572 M:
0417 545 986 E: jreilly@bcna.org.au or
Thea Cargill, Media Officer; T: 03 9805 2595 M:
0429 000 450 E: tcargill@bcna.org.au
The energy generated by the Summit among the
women was uplifting and all agreed that they would
return to their communities with renewed vigour.
Breast Cancer Network Australia CEO, Lyn
Swinburne said: “These women are the heart of our
national support network. They give so much to their
local communities. It‟s a privilege to work with them
and help build their capacity to continue supporting
women and families affected by breast cancer
around Australia.”
Raelene Boyle, Olympic legend and breast cancer
survivor, spoke proudly of celebrating her recent
60 th birthday and her 15 year survival milestone.
She was a popular presence at the Summit,
mingling easily with the women attending and
offering them support, encouragement and
inspiration.
Rikki with Raelene Boyle
Pink is more than a pretty colour!

Who will buy?
This advertisement appeared in The Land and no doubt elsewhere a few weeks ago. I am not a disinterested
observer—being a neighbour to one of the Willmott properties—but I hope that local plantations are sold for once
over logging and restored for grazing, giving the majestic yellow box I remember a chance to re-emerge..
It is hard to see how maintaining it as a pinus radiata plantation will be profitable for a new owner and the community
has shown that it regrets the intrusion of pines into our predominantly grazing economy.
Recent winds have scattered pine pollen all over the district.; you will be pleased to know that doctors consider the
particles too large to cause allergies. Hopefully a good rain will soon wash it from all the surfaces it has covered.
Deb
The Tattler has tried to make contact with the vendors and asked to be kept in the loop. I am not holding my breath, however, as
the first inquiry assumed I wanted to buy the Cabanandra plantations and simply told me I was too late!
ACMI film borrowing service
The Tubbut Neighbourhood House thanks the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and East Gippsland Shire
Library its service in supplying and delivering DVDs and VCR tapes reliably every month for the past year. A number
of people have viewed the movies and it is a program worth continuing. However, the limitations of the ACMI
collection—it hasn’t had a budget to buy new films for some time so there are few recent films—has us exploring
commercial mail order film providers. We hope that we will be able to announce the new service in the next Tattler.

News from the Departments
Victorian farmers under 35 years of age can apply for grants of
up to $10,000 to enhance their business’s productivity and
sustainability. $1.2 million has been allocated to the program.
Check the DPI web site for further details.
Premier roadshow in Gippsland
Premier Ted Baillieu swung through Gippsland last week,
looking at the highway repairs at Morwell (“re-opening before
the school holidays”), attending the Telstra-Bendigo Bank
Business Awards breakfast in Traralgon, meeting with East
Gippsland Shire, and sharing lunch at Bairnsdale with about
150 local movers and groovers.
Mr Baillieu drew applause with his announced $7.6m upgrade
between Stratford to Bairnsdale and from Orbost to Cann River
as part of a $36m program to reduce crashes from Longwarry
to the NSW border. Works on the Stratford to Bairnsdale
section are expected to start in December. The Orbost to Cann
River section works will start mid-2012
He also reaffirmed that Bairnsdale would be home to one of
five satellite offices in regional Victoria for the Department of
Premier and Cabinet.
Weathering climate change
The potential effects of climate change on Gippsland’s
agricultural landscape were examined in a day-long session
held at DPI Ellinbank on August 9.
More than 70 regional leaders met to discuss future
opportunities at a session organised by the DPI with the
Victorian Centre for Climate Change Adaptation Research. The
meeting was part of a future-scoping project undertaken by
the Gippsland Local Government Network.
Farmers, planning officials, leaders from dairying, horticulture,
municipal government and other groups were invited to
consider the barriers and potential opportunities.
Keynote speaker was Prof. Andrew Campbell, of Charles
Darwin University, who began his address by noting
development pressure, and its effects on water, land and
power supplies. “As humans, our stocking rate has gone
through the roof but our paddock’s not getting any bigger,” he
said.
Sample your soil in Spring
Spring is ideal for soil sampling your paddocks. Five sample
tests will give a good indication of your farm’s fertiliser and
lime requirements.
Transect sampling of paddocks or areas will provide the best
representative samples for testing. Always use a 10cm soil
sampling tool to collect the 20 to 30 soil cores needed. Use the
GPS to assist with being able to locate where you took the
samples for future reference.
With the wet conditions we have experienced it is likely that
paddocks will need topping up with potassium and sulphur
type fertilisers.
Apply fertiliser, particularly those containing potassium on
your hay and silage paddocks either early or after crops have
been removed.
Applying potassium too close to harvest could lead to raised
levels of it in the conserved feed, causing metabolic problems
when fed out to springing cows.
With many paddocks damaged due to the wet conditions,
silage reserves may be at a premium. So consider whether
you use nitrogen to boost pasture to create a surplus for
silage making.
Watch for grass tetany
DPI Animal Health Officer Matthew Bollen said at this time of
year, grass tetany was potentially a major problem in cattle in
this part of Australia.
“Since cattle with grass tetany often die suddenly, the first
sign of grass tetany on your property might be a dead cow.
Naturally, this is a situation you would prefer to prevent,” Mr
Bollen said.
“To establish the likelihood of grass tetany occurring on your
property it is worth considering some of the risk factors
involved.”
• Grass tetany is associated with immature, rapidly growing,
grass dominant pastures.
• It is associated with soils that are high in potassium, or with
the heavy use of nitrogen or potash fertilisers.
• Older, fatter cows soon after calving are most likely to be
affected.
• Grass tetany is most likely to occur during cool and cloudy
weather.
“After considering the risk factors it is worth planning how
you would prevent and, if necessary, treat an outbreak of
grass tetany on your property,” Mr Bollen said.
Grass tetany, also known as hypomagnesaemia, occurs when
blood magnesium levels are low.
As cattle’s bodies are unable to store magnesium, to prevent
grass tetany, magnesium supplementation needs to be given
daily to cattle during periods of greatest risk.
Supplementing your herd can be done by giving treated hay,
mineral licks, magnesium capsules, a combination of these or
other available treatments.
Mr Bollen said when cattle were affected clinically with grass
tetany they displayed initial excitement, bellowing, muscle
spasms, tetany and finally convulsions before dying.
“Since grass tetany leads to the rapid death of cattle, the
treatment of clinical cases is an emergency situation and
veterinary assistance should be sought immediately. A
veterinarian will give a calcium and magnesium solution
intravenously,” Mr Bollen said.
“Clinical cases of grass tetany and cattle lost to the condition
are best prevented with some forward planning.”
For further information or advice please contact your local
veterinarian or DPI veterinary or animal health officer.

News from the Departments
Parasites
Sheep can recycle their own parasites but they can also
pick them up from wild animals. Hares and rabbits may be
a vector for transmission of worms and other parasites,
according to research being conducted by a Brazilian
student as part of her post-graduate Veterinary Science
degree.
Late crop sowing warning
Wet paddocks have virtually drowned any hope of
traditional winter sowing in some high rainfall districts this
year and in some instances spring sowing is emerging as
a real possibility.
Before sowing, croppers need to carefully consider a
number of factors and risks according to an article in ‗The
Break‘ newsletter by Ash Wallace from the Department of
Primary Industries (DPI).
Mr Wallace said one common question related to the
expected yield loss from sowing in spring.
―While actual cases of spring sowing in Victoria have been
limited in recent dry years, scientists at DPI Hamilton have
used the APSIM crop model to predict potential yields for
a wide range of sowing times across a number of sites in
the South West based on 120 years of climate data,‖ he
said.
―The APSIM model is driven by interactions between
climate, physical soil characteristics, soil moisture, soil
nitrogen, crop type and variety. It doesn't account for
other nutritional
disorders, pests, diseases or stress from temperature
extremes.
Mr Wallace said one of the key risks for such late sowing
was heat stress around flowering and the APSIM outputs
help to illustrate this point by predicting time of flowering
for different sowing dates and varieties which can then be
related to the risk of heat stress at a given time.
―The results suggested that in high rainfall areas yield
potential for spring sown crops would be considered quite
respectable for conventionally sown crops in lower rainfall
areas.
―However the risk of heat stress at flowering is quite high
and may affect both yield and quality. This can be
reduced by sowing early and choosing early maturing
varieties.
―While current soil moisture levels are good, there is still
the risk of a dry spring and early summer, and this
increases as you move closer to medium rainfall areas.
―This could be managed by grazing the crop or cutting
them for hay if sufficient bulk is produced from current
moisture levels.
―There are also logistical, nutritional, pest, disease and
marketing considerations in the spring sowing decisionmaking
process.
―While the wet winter has been frustrating and limiting for
some high rainfall croppers, spring sowing presents as an
opportunity for some.
―Before you sow it is vital to seek further information and
conduct a rigorous assessment of the risks involved.‖
Further information on spring sowing and managing
climate risk is available in ‗The Break‘ electronic
newsletter which is distributed free of charge by DPI. To
subscribe, email your details to:
the.break@dpi.vic.gov.au
Funding available to voluntary environmental
groups
Landcare Australia and Be Natural are pleased to
launch a $125,000 grants program that will provide
funding to voluntary environmental community groups
across Australia. The grants program will enable
groups to continue work in tackling local environmental
issues by providing funding to help with the
continuation of on-going projects.
The Be Natural Landcare grants program provides
grants of up to $5000 to 25 local groups to help with
projects which have not received funding in the last 12
months. The program also encourages groups to find
innovative ways of attracting more volunteers.
http://www.landcareonline.com.au/news/archive/benatural-landcare-grants-now-open/
Tractor safety needs more focus
WorkSafe Victoria is warning farmers to take more
care around tractors after a vegetable farmer on a
farm at Pearcedale escaped with his life after the
second serious incident involving a tractor in Victoria
in a matter of days. The tractor was moving slowly
when the 49-year-old stepped off to check seed
dispensers, but it appears he slipped on the step and
was run over by the tractor which weighed nearly three
tonnes.
Rural communities to benefit from Carbon
Farming Initiative
Farmers will be able to access international and
domestic carbon markets under legislation passed by
Parliament to establish a regulated carbon offsets
market in Australia.
Increasing carbon in soils or vegetation, or lowering
emissions from livestock or fertiliser use creates the
potential to generate carbon credits for landholders
that can be sold to companies who wish to offset their
carbon pollution.
More carbon farming possibilities are being
investigated including manure management, fertiliser
management, savanna burning and managing
methane from livestock.
Later this year the Administrator for the Carbon
Farming Initiative will begin operating and eligible
projects can backdate credits to July 1, 2010.
www.daff.gov.au/climatechange/cfi

CFA—Report from Gippsland Regional Assembly
On Sunday August 14th, I travelled to Bairnsdale with
Group Captain Andy Bennett to attend the annual assembly
of the brigades. A CFA newbee, I was fulfilling my role as
delegate and, by reporting on it, I am fulfilling my role as
assistant communications officer.
The meeting was held on a glorious day in a very wet
Bairnsdale. Due to the floods and potential emergencies, the
CFA left its office, the usual venue, to the SES and relocated
to the Bairnsdale racecourse. We could see the sun through
the window, and even enjoy it at tea-breaks and lunchtime
(courtesy of the Bairnsdale Auxiliary).
CFA business is a very male affair; most of the women at the
Assembly were in the kitchen. Many people knew each
other well from years of involvement in the CFA and the
camaraderie and commitment should have made CFA
officials happy, although the predominance of older faces
might be a worry for the future.
I learned a lot and, below, summarise the matters that I
hope will be of most interest to you.
Creating our future together—Mark Reid
Mark has been involved in the CFA for 32 years, and has
risen in the ranks to Regional Manager for East Gippsland
(district 11). Recently he spent two years in Fiji as Chief
Officer for the National Fire Authority.
Involved behind the scenes at the Royal Commission into
the Black Saturday fires, where the CFA was ‘unfairly kicked
around the head,’ Mark said that the organisation’s
response was to return to the way that CFA did business 30
years ago. He believes that the CFA has ‘lost its way’ over
15 years of corporatisation.
Much of the change was driven by a desire to avoid the legal
fees associated with the Royal Commission. For instance, it
is suggested that the 140 Standard Operating Procedures
(SOPs) be reduced to a shorter list of Principles of
Operation, which should help protect CFA officers against
legal liability.
The old approach—that community education would lead to
community preparedness—has been reassessed and a new
set of simpler principles has been adopted. Furthermore,
Mark claimed, there has been a change from top-down to
bottom-up—the volunteers as the most important people.
At the same time, the chain of command will give the Chief
Officer control of resources in the field.
The new CFA structure moves the training of volunteers and
coordinators to centre stage and aims to get people out of
the office and ‘talking to the troops’. Local brigades will be
sent maps to sit down and work out strategies for future
fires, what Mark calls the ‘kitchen table index’.
In case you are wondering:
Who are we?
CFA is a community-based fire and emergency service
organisation.
Vision
Working together with communities to keep Victorians safe
from fire and other emergencies.
Mission
To protect lives and property.
Nicole Harvey—Fire investigations
Nicole trained as a chemist and is now Chief Investigator of the
causes of fires. (Glenn Harrup has that role in EG region).
Interesting facts
13% of arson suspects are charged
In 2007, there were more than 150 haystack fires
12 people lose their lives each year in fires
Older men living alone are the most common victims
Defective appliances are often identified by CFA
investigators—but they usually have to start a fire first.
To avoid purchasing dangerous items, have a look at the
Australian Government’s Recall web site at
http://www.recalls.gov.au
Craig Lapsley—Fire Services Commissioner
The Fire Services Commissioner role was recommended by the
Bushfires Royal Commission to streamline the chain of command
across all fire authorities on days of extreme fire danger and
during disasters. Craig had just completed his investigation into
the fire earlier this year at Tostaree, the most significant fire
since Black Saturday.
Of his 29 recommendations, 15 focused on command and
control issues. At Tostaree, confusion hampered interoperability
and radio communication. Lapsley calls for a set of operating
procedures that all services follow and emphasised that, as Fire
Commissioner, he will be in command at future fires. (The report
is at http://www.firecommissioner.vic.gov.au/index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=106&Itemid=77) This will
not be easy as departments and services operate under different
cultures, systems and habits.
In a world of smart phones and the internet, members of the
public often know more about the progress of a fire than CFA
members and other firefighters. The current policy which
prohibits mobile and smart phones in CFA trucks needs rewriting
according to the Chief Commissioner. More clarity in warnings
and public messages is also needed—for instance, what does it
mean to many residents to ‘activate their fire plan?’
Improved community engagement by DSE in relation to its fire
prevention plans is recommended; (the work of Coogee Reed in
our district offers a good model in my opinion).
Vegetation management is another area where piecemeal
control needs standards followed by all departments, Lapsley
found.
The Fire Commissioner stressed that new operating procedures
would not be applied until the 2012/13 fire season.
In question time, the Fire Commissioner said that Telstra was
‘listening at the moment’ and interested in
tackling ‘black’ communication spots.
CFA radio communication is being changed over to digital from
March 2012 and DSE may commence their upgrade at the same
time. Digital radios will offer more clarity, not a longer range. The
radio black spot program is underway—the Bonang Road is a
major concern in this area.
Congratulations to Mack Stagg of the Omeo
Brigade whose 50 years of service and leadership
were recognised.
Deb
Craig Lapsley

L O C A L G O V E R N M E N T N E W S
E A S T G I P P S L A N D
SHIRE COUNCIL
East Gippsland Shire
Council grants program
Applications for the East Gippsland Shire
Council Grants Program closed on
September 7. Community grants of up to
$5000 are available. The Neighbourhood
House worked on a grant application to
cover the cost of a band for Taste of
Tubbut next year. Ambitious plans to
partner with our local school to apply for
funding to bring Cha Cha Sam to
Goongerah and Tubbut for several days to
work with the students and community
had to be disbanded due to the total cost
and the need for us to find matching
funds.
Council Meeting August 2, 2011
Council considered progress in
implementing its East Gippsland Shire
Council Plan 2009-2013. At June 30th, of
the 87 actions in the plan, 66 are on track,
9 are at risk of not being fully delivered
and 12 are not able to be delivered this
financial year.
The Shire is upgrading its web site to
allow further interactivity and a
consultation portal. However, there have
been some delays in the web site
redevelopment.
The Bicycle Strategy Review—along with
the development of an East Gippsland
Integrated Trails and Shared Pathways
Strategy—has been delayed by the
diversion of resources to major recreation
projects funded under State Government
election promises.
While the Action Plan for positive Ageing
has been developed, implementation is
awaiting Council endorsement.
Implementing the ‗Tip Shop‘ concept
across all waste management sites (I
think „applicable‟ excludes Bonang,
Bendoc, Tubbut, Dellicknora and
Goongerah). Currently, there are Tip
Shops in Bairnsdale, Lakes Entrance,
Orbost and Metung.
Photographs of the Dellicknora Bridge
taken by Julie Ingram and Skye Auer are
being framed in Bairnsdale in preparation
for hanging in Bonang and Tubbut Halls.
We will see if a local Councillor—perhaps
the Mayor—will travel up the Bonang
Road to present them to the community.
BOMBALA SHIRE
COUNCIL
MEETING AUGUST 24TH
Ms Janine Robinson, Healthy
Communities, Monaro Rural Health
Service opened the meeting.
The Monaro Rural Health Service is
funded by the Department of Health
and Ageing to fill health gaps. The
Service operates across the three
Council areas of Bombala, Cooma-
Monaro Shire and Snowy River Shire.
The Preventative Health Initiative is
one of the programs run through the
Monaro Rural Health Service. Its
purpose is to foster health and well
being across the three Council areas.
In Bombala this has been delivered
through community events, eg,
agricultural shows and well being days
such as International Women‘s Day.
Surveys undertaken at these events
…. showed that many people knew
about the Heart Moves program and
requests have been made for the
formation of walking groups in both
Bombala and Delegate.
Direct funds to Bombala via the
Preventative Health Initiative fund
Sarah Hart, Active Communities Coordinator,
for 10 hours per week and
John Graham, Youth Health Project
Officer, for six hours per week. Snowy
River is funded through the Primary
Rural Health Services Program to
provide youth services in Bombala as
well. The Survey also showed that
pain is a large problem within the
community. Initiatives are being
developed, including trialling massage
sessions at the community centre.
Roads to Recovery Program
Council supported the Australian Local
Government Association‘s (ALGA)
campaign to persuade the Federal
Government to continue this program
beyond 2014, as ‗The Roads to
Recovery Program has been a very
successful one for this Council with
funds being used to help maintain
many of Council‘s local roads. The
cessation of this program, without a
similar one to replace it, will place a
large burden on Council‘s resources.
Council particularly needs this funding
to offset the issues caused by heavy
haulage vehicles using Council‘s local
roads network.‘
The Mayor sought Council approval to
consult publicly on the reduction of
Bombala Shire Councillors from
9 to 7.
Councillor Ricketts presented a
notice of motion about the future
sustainability of Bombala. He
identified Infrastructure that
Requires Urgent Attention as:
The Main Street Scape –
The Caravan Park –
A Rotunda at River Park
The Stepping Stones improved.
He also suggested: A Theme of
Continuity for the Town – ie,
heritage theme so as to assist
with future planning and designs
for shop facades, funding,
signage, colour scheme and for
recognition; to promote and sell
Bombala as a lifestyle area -
both suburban and rural;
advertise Bombala in major
papers to target and attract
retirees as receiving even a 1%
response could see a possible
growth which will support future
development, with new homes
being built, existing businesses
expanding, establishment of
new businesses and other
services such as sporting
venues, cinemas and taxi
service; to discount the
connection of services to new
development and/or offer rate
incentives; and promote industry
– Bombala is on a good
transport route between two
major cities and two hours from
Canberra and can offer
affordable land which lends
itself to small or large industry.
The Economic Development
Officer asked Council to approve
the development of an
―adventure‖ park facility, next to
the current Skate Park, to be
staged in line with available
funds and include landscaping
of the area, seating and
recreational equipment and
facilities including BMX tracks.
Plans to be placed on public
display for comment.

Marketing the region as AUSTRALIA’S COASTAL WILDERNESS
Australia’s Coastal Wilderness Strategy is the latest effort to draw
tourists to our region. The first draft, produced in 2009, seemed to
assume that anything off the Princes, Cann River and Snowy
Mountain Highways would be too difficult for the average tourist.
The report identifies lack of international standard accommodation
as an impediment but it doesn’t mention lack of public transport as
another.
Interestingly, while Delegate is the biggest town on the entire route
of the Bundian way, the report discusses the tourist potential of this
ancient Aboriginal route while ignoring the role Delegate can play in
providing information and other amenities to travellers. I
understand that Bombala Shire officers had to fight to have any
part of the Shire recognised in the Strategy.
The full report can be read at http://www.discovereastgippsland.com.au/
pdfDocs/329-Australia's%20Coastal%20Wilderness%20EDS.pdf.
Below are some excerpts from the report to give you a flavour.
Deb
Located in South Eastern Australia is a relatively untouched
stretch of wilderness coastline that offers a unique opportunity to
be immersed in nature’s playground. Australia’s Coastal Wilderness
is a National Landscape stretching over 300 kilometres that is home
to a World Biosphere Reserve and some of the world’s richest
diversity of flora and fauna.
The Tourism Australia National Landscapes Program identifies
places of national significance that offer distinctive Australian
natural and cultural experiences... Australia’s Coastal Wilderness,
with its majestic wilderness, unique and diverse wildlife, ancient
and active Indigenous culture and iconic coastal communities,
presents a unique range of visitor experiences including:
The world’s largest population of little penguins;
Over 200km of trails through unspoilt coastline;
The Bundian Way – one of the world’s oldest trade routes;
The site where Captain Cook first saw the Australian
mainland;
Unique welcoming communities adjacent to
wilderness areas; and
Silent forests in the foothills of the Australian Alps.
(The author must have visited on a day when all the animals and
birds were asleep)
Bombala and the South East Forests are both a gateway and
an emerging experience. A key ‘gateway’ for information and
interpretation the area also offers a number of experiences
including the Platypus Reserve, short walks in the tall forests
and spectacular scenic drives. Emerging experiences are the
cultural and heritage sites such as Delegate, Nunnock
Swamp and the ‘Bundian Way’ Indigenous tourism experience.
Further development of accommodation, dining, attractions
and service quality is vital to attracting international visitors.
Snowy River & Hinterland Forests: An alternative to the
fringing coastal forests are the majestic Snowy River and
South East Forests including the Coopracamba, and
Errinundra National Parks. There’s an opportunity to develop a
network of scenic drives that link some spectacular forests
with a number of sites currently under investigation for
accommodation development. There are also strong links with
the Australian Alps National Landscape. Accommodation,
information, signage and interpretation will be needed to
encourage greater visitor dispersal.
• The Bundian Way is a 260km ancient trading route
established by the Indigenous people of Southern NSW
and Eastern Victoria linking the ocean to the Alps. It
creates a tangible connection between the coastal and
alpine landscapes for international ‘Experience Seekers’. While
few will experience the entire journey, the opportunity exists
to deliver a series of interpretation points, trails and guided
tours. The first step is to survey the route, document the
journey’s history and identify the sustainable tourism
opportunities. A key selling point for Australia and Australia’s
Coastal Wilderness is the stress free nature and relaxed
lifestyle of coastal and hinterland communities. The ‘sea and
tree change’ is seen to offer numerous health and well-being
benefits in an increasingly stressful world. Australia’s Coastal
Wilderness offers a ‘slow tourism’ destination that is
equivalent to the ‘slow food’ movement in Europe. It taps into
an inherent need by people to take time to appreciate the
things in life that are most valuable.
I hope that you are enjoying your relaxed lifestyle and the
numerous health and well-being benefits of Australia’s coastal
wilderness. Just make sure you show it as the tourist buses roll
through!
Deb

Last month the Tattler published a fictional account of a teacher arriving in Bonang. This month we publish a factual
account of a first-time teacher‟s year in Tubbut.
Glen Marshall wrote to the then teacher at Tubbut Primary School after reading an article in The Age (Saturday
February 5th 1994). Sandy Cameron allowed me to make a photocopy from her fascinating bundle of historical
resources. Glen included a phone number with his address so I rang him in August, wondering if he could possibly
still be there. He was! I interviewed him for the Tattler, and highlights from the interview will be published in October‟s
Tattler.
As you read the edited version of his letter (original can be sighted in the Neighbourhood House), consider how
different our little school is now from the 1950 version.
Deb
Tubbut—the best year in my teaching career
Dear Ms Naylor
I was fascinated to read the article in The Age about your school.
In 1950 I taught at Tubbut for one year… You may be interested in a few comparisons…
In 1950, there were three families supplying children to the school and thirteen pupils (not many more than you have
presently except you have more families).
The three families were Ingrams, Bryants and Commons….
Your school has (and rightly so too) more facilities than in 1950 in that you have a school bus and (apparently) the
people in the district have four wheel drive vehicles. In 1950, people still had to get permission from the government
to purchase a motor car so any cars about were fairly old and NOT well maintained.
Eric Ingram (no children at the school) purchased a Fiat and I purchased a small Ford Anglia which introduced the
first NEW cars into the district.
I boarded with Clem and Dulcie Ingram, whose children Malcolm and Sandy (Sandra) attended the school.
The school was in a leased building half way between the Ingram families (Clem and Dulcie and Erica and Sheila)
and the Bryants and Commons to the west.
Everyone walked to the school which was about a mile for everyone—in time I purchased a push bike and much later
a small car.
One of the Ingram families (no children at the school) was the mail contractor with a weekly mail run to Orbost. There
was a telephone (party line, wire slung for 70 miles from Tubbut to Orbost) but the school did not have a phone
connection to the line—the nearest connection was at the Bryant property and postal agency.
McKillops Road was closed at the bridge but I did travel over it twice in the Anglia.
The article in The age mentioned some teachers who were either reluctant to stay or did other ‗strange‘ things. Before
I took over the school there was a teacher who always wore two pairs of trousers—both with holes but in different
places!
I was interested in the mention that some teachers only stayed twelve months and then quietly left—that was at one
time, not really the fault of the teacher.
Because of a slow mail service and no telephone the then Education Department did not quite know what was going
on in a wide range of remote schools and the public servants at Headquarters would send a letter about six weeks
before end of the school year saying words to the effect that the teacher was to report immediately to Spring Street
Melbourne and the letter contained a travel warrant etc—so being obedient vegemites off would go the many teachers
in remote schools (of which there were a great many more then than there are now) and turn up at Spring Street.
Whether we were posted back to our school or not varied greatly!!! In Spring Street we would ‗report for work.
As your school has computers, you clearly have electricity—there was no electricity anywhere in the valley in 1950—
one or two private 12 volt outfits but that was all …. Mostly the units did not work.
I thoroughly enjoyed my experiences in Tubbut and have always claimed it to be the best in my teaching career from
which I retired a few years ago after 42 years in the service.
Of course there have been great and very creditable changes since 1950. Excursions, camps and variations of the
syllabus were not only unheard of but viewed with great suspicion when a few brave souls such as Professor G.S.
Browne or Professor Wood (both of the Melbourne Uni) proposed such things.

In 1950 the District Inspector was Mr Harry Hopkins who in his report in 1950 commended me for my ‗strict adherence to
the curriculum‘ - he was referring to the then primary school curriculum which allowed very little freedom!!! None allowed,
none expected!!!
It is good, I think, that education has moved forward and we must give credit to the many dedicated teachers who helped
to move the system forward. …
I found every aspect of the article fascinating even to the ‗toilet block key‘ which presupposes that you have a toilet block
which was not there in 1950, but we did have a boys and girls pan toilet which it was my function to dig a hole in the
nearby bush and bury the contents every few days!!!
May I wish you and your school every best wish for a most successful future.
Very kind thoughts from a previous teacher at School 4593.
Glen Marshall
Good thing that Glen was eager and keen, as this report was written after the Inspector‟s one and only visit — on the last
day of school. So much for departmental support and back-up.

GARDENING
Planting time
At this time of year the longer and brighter days make us
keen to get started in the garden particularly in the
vegetable plot. We are so aware of our short growing
season that we often plant too early, motivated by the
hope that crops will mature before cold beats us again.
The two critical pieces of knowledge that should guide
our actions when dealing with warm season plants are:
Soil temperature controls growth above all other
factors; and
Night temperature has more positive effect on
growth than either day temperature or sunniness.
Soil Temperature. To get the earliest rise in soil
temperature in Spring requires that the maximum amount
of light is allowed to fall on the bare soil surface. This
means that at this time of year management decisions
should prioritise this one factor. To prepare for the
planting of warm season crops the most effective action is
clearing away mulch and ground cover such as weed and
grass.
Warming can be hastened by temporarily covering the
area with plastic to intensify heating and reduce heat loss
at night. This action requires some judgement. Plastic left
on or too long may build up so much heat that soil
organisms die which interferes with the soil vitality. (This
is a technique called soil solarisation that is used to
fumigate soil pathogens).
Completely covering a large area prevents entry of water
and oxygen which also reduces soil health. In a large
garden bed try laying plastic in metre wide strips with a
space of 20cms left open between them. This allows heat,
water, oxygen and soil organisms to migrate horizontally.
At Delegate School we ripened watermelons last season
by leaving a black plastic 30cm square around the base of
the plant. This kept the main root area warm and did not
interfere with water and oxygen exchange. The runners
were allowed to stretch over soil and the path made of
bark chips. If we had covered the whole area with plastic,
the heat generated would have been detrimental to soil
and root health and the heat reflected from the surface
would have cooked the vine. In addition, water pooling on
the plastic surface would have surely generated fungal
disease (mildew). Most importantly we restricted each
vine to producing only two fruit.
As the season progresses water management becomes the
priority and this is when mulch comes into its own. Mulch
is also useful in the peak of the summer as it holds down
soil temperatures which can become so high that growth
is inhibited. In our area soil heat may be a temporary
negative factor in the growth of cold climate and shallow
rooted plants such as camellias that are often the basis of
perennial gardens in this district but is not usually of
consequence to vegetable crops. If water permits
maximum growth of vegetables usually occurs with a bare
Susan Tocchini
soil.
Night Temperature. There is little that can be managed
to great effect in the open garden. Placing covers etc. is
time consuming whereas cloches and tunnels are growing
techniques with their own specific challenges.
Growing in the peak of the season and restricting planting
to suitable varieties gives the best and most efficient
production. Nursing crops through adverse weather
conditions is time consuming and ultimately
disappointing. So wait a month or six weeks to plant out
the warm season crops such as tomatoes, zucchini,
pumpkin, peppers and even longer for corn. In the
meantime warm the soil in preparation for these and in
other beds concentrate on crops that take a bit of cold like
coriander, parsley, radish, lettuce, peas, spinach, carrot
and potatoes etc. See Deb's comments below.
September plantings
Spring is in the air and the urge to get planting is very
strong. Since seeds and seedlings are expensive, we need
to ensure the best chance of survival for our plantings. Its
rewarding to see plants emerge from the soil but heartbreaking
to watch them shoot up to seed before giving us
any food or going black in frost.
Local conditions
There is no one ‘right’ time for planting in our region
with its great variation in altitude and temperature. It
helps to have had experience with local conditions or to
ask someone who has. Jo in Deddick can plant up to a
month before I can in Cabanandra; and Bonang is
doubtless later again. Goongerah may be more like
Deddick, only wetter. Unfortunately our seasons aren’t
longer at the other end to make up for it! Crops that can
safely be planted in September in most places include:
Onion and celery seedlings (too late for seed)
Carrots
Parsnips
Beetroot
Lettuce and other greens
Brassicas: cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli (but
remember they will have to fight the hot summer
heat at about the time they are ready for harvest)
Deb