Deb, Robyn and members of DVICG would like to ... - Platypus Country

December 2011
Next deadline: 28th January 2012
Phone: 02 64580295
E-mail: tubbutnh@bigpond.com
Deb, Robyn and members of DVICG
would like to wish you all a
Merry Christmas
and happy & prosperous New Year
DATES TO REMEMBER
TUBBUT
NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE
Invites you to our Christmas Barbecue
Lunch
Bring something to share if you can
Thursday December 22 midday
COMMUNITY
HEALTH
Community Health Nursing
Delegate MPS 02 6459 8000
Orbost 03 5154 6625
Social Worker
Brett Martin 03 5154 6717
Rural Outreach Counsellor
Di Robinson 0427318961
Doctor
Delegate 02 64951369
Should you wish to see the Community Nurse,
please phone Delegate MPS 64588008
2nd Dec—Bombala Xmas Street Carnival
3rd Dec—Bombala Market
3rd Dec—CFA training day
4th Dec—CFA training day
4th Dec—Golden Age Party Delegate
4th Dec—Candelo Market
10th Dec—Market Day Delegate Golf Club
10th Dec—Snowy River Muster Delegate
18th Dec—Cooma Market
21st Dec—School Xmas Tree
22nd Dec—Last day of school VIC
22nd Dec—Tubbut Neighbourhood House
Christmas Barbecue midday
9th Jan—Cob Oven Dinner Delegate
19th Jan—FoE Working Bee
28th Jan—Aust Day Celebrations Bombala
DISTRICT NURSE
Tubbut:13th Dec/10th Jan/24th Jan
Bonang:6th Dec/21st Dec/17th Jan
Events advertised in the Tattler are open to the
public. Everyone is welcome to attend
no matter where their location.

DECEMBER
BIRTHDAYS
Quinneth
Cathy Marion
Sami Cline
Russell Collins
Huw Thomas
Michelle Farren
WANTED
Fruit & vegetables suitable
for jams, pickles etc.
Will pay reasonable prices
Phone Robyn
02 64588285
GOLDEN AGE
PARTY
The 2012 Great Snowy
Tractor Stampede
STARTS
2nd January
More details next Tattler
DELEGATE COUNTRY CLUB
MARKET DAY
Saturday
10th December
Sit down luncheon available
Stall fee $10.00
Bookings: Club 64588169
Louise 64588457
Lana 64581466
SUNDAY 4th DECEMBER 2011
DELEGATE COUNTRY CLUB
12noon
1pm luncheon
DELEGATE HOSPITAL AUXILIARY
RAFFLE
1 st Prize 32” LCD Television
2 nd Prize Leg of Christmas Ham
Bookings:
Marilyn Callagan
64588167
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.
3 rd Prize Bottle of Scotch
TICKETS $2.00 EACH
Drawn at Snowy River Muster,
Delegate Exhibition Hall
10th December 2011

Friends of Errinundra
Working Bee
January 19th
10.30am
Meet at the parking area near the boardwalk
Bring your lunch—and your camera
More information:
Phone Matthew Farran 0264581236
LOST
At the Big Bonang Arvo
Small black coin purse
(Has sentimental value)
Please contact Neighbourhood House if you found it.
0264580295
FOR SALE
Numerous household items
Including:
Mattresses
Bed bases
Computer desks
Books
Toys
Silk & vintage clothing
Phone Heather:
02 64587300
Minty Pineapple Punch
1 pineapple, peeled & chopped
425g can sliced mangoes
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
1 litre pineapple juice, chilled
750ml ginger beer, chilled
½ cup vodka, optional
Ice cubes, to serve
Place pineapple, undrained mangoes and mint in a
food processor. Process until smooth.
Pour into large jug, add pineapple juice, ginger beer,
ice and vodka. Stir.
Makes about 3 litres.
Trailer for Hire
The Neighbourhood House now has a
trailer available for hire
$5.00 per day
For bookings phone
64580295
Handy person
One day/month
Tasks include:
Mowing
Brushcutting
Woodcutting and splitting
Other things as they come up
Must be reliable, able to work without
supervision
Ring Deb for further info
64580399
WRITE A LETTER TO SANTA
PO BOX 6
TOORA
VIC 3962
All letters answered
Library Bus
Just a reminder that the Library Bus
will next be visiting the area on
3rd February
Bendoc 9.00—9.45
Delegate River 10.45—11.30
Tubbut 1.15—2.15
Bonang 3.00—3.30
Goongerah 4.15—5.00

GOONGERAH & TUBBUT
SCHOOLS
Invite you to their
END OF YEAR
CHRISTMAS BREAK-UP
BONANG HALL
WEDNESDAY 21st
DECEMBER
5.30 CHILDRENS CONCERT
6.30 SANTA
7.00 FINGER FOOD & DRINKS
FOLLOWED BY A MUSICAL EVENING
BRING ALONG A PLATE OF FOOD
TO SHARE FOR TEA
AND A SMALL GIFT FOR SANTA TO GIVE YOUR CHILD

Tubbut and Goongerah Kids in Cambodia
Cambodia! Why Cambodia?
As we go through the massive amount of organisation to make this trip
happen I often ask myself this same question. Surely Canberra or even
Alice Springs – isn’t that what Primary Schools usually do?
Perhaps that answers the question. I do not think community
expectation in this area is that we do just what everyone else does. We
support students to develop their literacy and numeracy skills—but
what then?
The concept of taking the students and many of their parents has arisen
out of several issues. For some time now our community has been
supporting children and their education in Cambodia. As a community
we also see that we are educating children in a global environment. This
is a great part of the world but the world for these children is, we hope,
not restricted to the far east of Victoria.
While in Cambodia there will be time to play the part of the tourist, but
this will develop around the planned activities. The children will visit
three small schools which have been established to teach English
language. While they are run by enthusiastic people, much of the
teaching is done by volunteers from many countries. Our children will
work and play alongside the Cambodian children, developing friendships
and understandings as they share this time. To facilitate this, our
children have been learning some Khmer language as well as preparing
activities that they can share. We have juggling plates, skipping ropes,
footballs and large numbered dice. The children have put together
books which show their homes and families here. They have stitched
banners to leave at the schools as a memento of our visit.
Many aspects of the trips are in the ―unknown‖ department. Will lasting
relationships develop? Would this be appropriate? Could we bring some
Cambodian children for a visit to our schools? Is there a place for our
communities to take on some developmental project in Cambodia?
The trip will provide first-hand knowledge and a degree of
understanding of some of the needs and where we might be involved.
We have factored in the possibility of a follow-up trip next year. Not for
all the students. Perhaps a couple of senior children and a parent might
go. This would provide a basis for an on-going relationship which could
be life-changing for both the people here and those in Cambodia.
We fly to Siem Reap on 30 th of November and return on the 10 th of
December. Watch for the documentary!
Peter May
25/11/2011

Let me be cancer free!
Follow the tips A - G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
Avoid processed foods
Eating excessive red meat and, in particular, processed
meat, may increase the risk of bowel cancer.
Be smoke free
Tobacco smoke is made up of thousands of chemicals and
more than 60 of them cause cancer.
See through sunnies as you slip,
slap, slop, seek and slide
Protecting your skin can help reduce your risk of skin
cancer.
Drink responsibly
Even moderate amounts of alcohol increase the risk of
cancers of the mouth, liver, breast and bowel.
Eat 2 fruit and 5 vegetables
Fruit and vegetables protect against cancer of the mouth,
stomach, bowel and lung.
Find 30 minutes every day
Regular physical activity reduces the risk of bowel and
breast cancers.
Get screened
Finding most cancers early gives treatment a better
chance of success.

Remembering our past—Dorothy Ross, nee Newton
It was my great pleasure to spend a couple of hours with
Dorothy Ross and her daughters in October when I
interviewed her in Wit and Clarice Ingram’s house. Dot
remembers a wonderful childhood growing up in Bonang.
Let’s start with her account of her camping trip with her
sister at McKillops Bridge.
Our Camping Trips to McKillops Bridge
“Mabel and I and our cousin, Joey Camm used to go on
camping trips up to the Snowy Bridge. We would hitch a
ride with Reg Ingram who ran the Bonang store – he took
supplies in his ute to the farms around Tubbut as far up as
the bridge.
We mostly took tinned food to eat and I remember once
when we‟d punched a small hole in a can of condensed
milk and after a few days, when the can was nearly empty
we took the lid off only to find a dead blowfly in the
bottom of the can – we had a good laugh and never
suffered from it.
Another time we trekked up the Black Mountain from the
bridge and couldn‟t get back to the camp in time before
dark so we had to stay in an old drovers‟ hut up
there. We hadn‟t taken any food or warm clothing. Even
though Joey Camm only had one arm (from an accident
with his gun), he had a good aim and shot a rabbit for us
to eat – he called them „bad habits‟. There wasn‟t much
water on the mountain, but we used water from a rock
pool, which was „a bit green‟, skun the rabbit and boiled it
up in the billy – it was better than having no food. We
built a roaring fire in the hut and collected gum leaves to
sleep on – next morning we were wet through from the
sweating gum leaves, but we‟d eaten well and got home
safely.”
The interview—Part One
I was born in Bombala; my mother had to go all the way
from Goongerah to Bombala to have me. They probably
chose Bombala instead of Orbost because they could do an
overnight stop in Bonang where Mum’s brother Bob Legge
ran the Post Office. They would have had a couple of horses
pulling a buggy. My older sister Faith was born in Bombala
and so was Mabel.
When I was very young, we lived in Goongerah and
my father was employed by Hamilton Reed. We left there
when I was two because my father obtained a soldier’s
settlement block in Hillside in Gippsland.
I’m the youngest of five (born 1922). My mother was
Lilla whose maiden name was Legge, she was descended
from the original settlers of Bonang.
Lilla and her siblings
from left, Mary Louisa Legge, Robert Legge, Lilla Legge and
at front Henry Legge
Mum would never let the wind blow on her or sun shine on
her. Kelvin’s grandfather Harry used to say, “None of you
girls are as good looking as your mother.” She was Lilly by
name and Lilly by looks.”
Kelvin: That’s probably why he proposed to her. Yes he did,
she knocked him back and said “Go and ask Daisy.” And he
said, “Well I bloody well will.”
She wouldn’t go with any Bonang person, I don’t
know why. But I think that’s why she let us all go away at a
young age, 16.
Fred came from Melbourne, his people owned a
boot shop in Carlton. They met because my father was paid
by his father and his uncles to search for gold and they sent
him all over the country, to Bendoc and various places. He
happened to come to Bonang and met my mother. They
got married and then went to Ryolla near Bendigo, as he
was being paid by his family to search for gold. Which he
did, and seemed to be quite successful.
In 1917, Dad joined the army, he wasn’t called up,
he volunteered. He thought he’d better go. He went to Lark
Hill in England where they were stationed and about six
months after arriving there they were sent to France –
Passchendaele and all those terrible places. He got injured
in his right eye with some shrapnel and he was repatriated
home early 1918. Just after Dad left, my sister Faith was
born, in 1917. She was called Winifred – as his name was
Fred – but Mum had faith that he would return. Later on he
came back, shell-shocked and dreadful, and she had Mabel
and Mabel was a bunch of nerves and Mum blamed the
war.

He settled down after that and worked for Hamilton Reed
who looked after him – employed him and paid him – and
they had me. We lived there until I was two when father got
the repatriation place in Gippsland. We were there (Hillside)
until I was eight. They grew corn, beans and peas for the
Melbourne market – then the depression came on, 1932 –
they’d send the peas and beans down to the market and they
were dumped and they didn’t get anything for it. A book of
stamps he got one time. People were hungry and they were
starving in the streets and yet the goods were dumped in the
sea. So you figure out that one. Finally then, they came back
here and he worked for Hamilton Reed. I don’t know what
brought them back. At that time they had Ernie and Albert,
two boys, and I suppose my father had to settle down and
take up residence somewhere. They were at Greenmarsh at
Delegate River – that was the name of the property. Then
they moved to Goongerah because Hamilton Reed lived there
with Mrs Reed and they employed my father. They grew corn,
they had pigs and cattle.
Things came good and we were there for eight years
until a train going across the top of our property had coal in
and they’d stoked the coal and some ashes fell out and the
ashes caught the grass in February with a roaring gale and
burnt us out. It didn’t burn our house, it burned the property.
We had 25 cows and they would have starved because
nobody had anything – they didn’t have fodder like they do
now.
I was about 10 when we came back to Bonang. My
uncle Bob had to find a house for us to come to first so we
went to nearby Delegate River, it was called Spring Creek and
there was an empty house there, my uncle told Mum. We
probably rented it from someone. We lived there for 18
months until Dad organized the house to be built in Bonang.
We had a little bit of land with this house and my father
worked on the road because after the Depression that was all
you could do – everyone who didn’t have a job was employed
on the road. He never went down to Tubbut, it was always
The Gap and Delegate River. So that was what he worked at
and he did get a pension for his blind eye and I think, when
things were tough, that saved the bacon.
The house at Bonang
The road used to go around it with a few steps down to
the road but now the cutting goes straight through - there is
no sign of it. *The bridge was built and road straightened
about 1981 or 1982, according to Kelvin.+
They built the house and down on the river, Jack and
Hughie Matthews lived. Jack helped out by going up to the
bush; he felled the trees, chopped them up and, with an adze,
he made shingles and they went on the roof. It was a very
small house but we had a wonderful time because all our
cousins lived around here and they used to come and we
would all sit around our big table and play cards and cheat
like mad and have fights and have a wonderful time.
We eventually finished the house and moved into it.
It was basic but we had the best time of our lives there, we
just loved it. We always loved Bonang and we still love it.
The smoke used to come down our chimney and she
used to say, “Go out and put another bit on the chimney
and make it higher.” And the roof, she used to always think
it would blow off and she’d say: “Fred, get up on that roof;
its going to go.”
There were only four rooms and Mum and Dad’s
bedroom was opposite and then there was a sort of a little
hall and the rooms at the back – there was a bedroom and
then there was a little small room where the flour and
other food were stored, like a pantry; a rat wouldn’t have
been game to come into our house. Mum would have left.
She wouldn’t have a spider on the wall. I can’t remember
having rats and mice at our place. And the other little room
just had a single bed in it. They were very basic, I’ll tell you.
They didn’t add very much to it over time but it had
these wonderful shingles on the roof. When the wind used
to be very bad, my mother used to say, “Now Fred, get up
on that roof, I think the roof’s going.” She always used to
think the roof was going to blow off for some reason or
another but it didn’t ever, not until she was in her eighties
and she came to live with me in Warrnambool and one time
we got a storm and it blew our roof off and I said to Mum,
“At last you’ve achieved your objective of a house without a
roof.”
In our house you walked in the front door into a big
main room that was everything. Kitchen cum dining room
cum lounge room with a big table in the middle. The
fireplace went from one side to the other. Mabel and I
would run out and get dressed in the morning – we could
stand in the fireplace on the hobs. That’s where Mum
cooked – we had the great big open fireplace and
eventually we could afford a stove. Until then, my mother
cooked in a camp oven and she made the best bread you
ever tasted in your life.
We had a tank and we kept the butter in a white
thing under the tank. That was the ice chest. We had a
copper out in the backyard where we boiled all the clothes.
I suppose it must have been hard work…
Extended family
My mother Lilla and Kelvin’s grandmother Daisy
were first cousins. Lilla’s mother and Daisy’s father would
have been brother and sister – the original Marriotts. But
we didn’t make his acquaintance until we came to the
beautiful reunion that was put on at Easter – 167 of us.
Uncle Bob lived here and Uncle Harry (Legge) lived at
Cabanandra. I didn’t know terribly much about Cabanandra
but my sister Mabel and I used to walk across Honeysuckle
Range and down the other side and we would stay with
Aunt Jessie and all her boys. (Jessie was married to Harry.)
We would milk the cows. She used to put the milk in an
enormous ceramic dish and the next day she would make
the porridge in a great big iron pot and she would scrape
the cream off the top and put it on the porridge. That’s

what we were reared on – full cream butter, full cream milk –
and we walked everywhere.
These places were close if you walked there directly.
My mother went to the school that used to be on the top of
Honeysuckle Range. In the early days, my mother and Daisy
and her sister Lottie and all walked to that school. When my
sister and I walked up there, the daffodils still bloomed in the
garden and they could even be there today. It’s the most
incredible view up there – Kelvin took us there this morning
and I took photographs. You can see right to Pilot.
Jessie’s kids were about our age so they were all there
when we would go. As I say, she would make this big pot of
porridge and that would fill us up. We’d stay two or three days
and then we would walk home. There was no telephone but
mother always knew where we were. The school was still
there when we used to go up Honeysuckle Ridge. Percy Reed
used to live there – and Molly – they had a little boy – and
later they moved, maybe they had another child and they
moved to Orbost. Mabel and I were good friends with Percy’s
wife.
Harry’s wife Jessie was a very quiet person. Jessie and
Marian were the Allens. Uncle Bob and Uncle Harry married
the two sisters. The parents lived in Delegate River. Ben and
Adelaide Allen – he used to drawl his words, it was slow, it was
painful to listen to. I didn’t know them that well, they used to
come and visit Mum and Dad. We weren’t allowed to say
anything, if you had visitors you had to sit and mind your own
business and never say a word. You couldn’t interrupt, not in
our day or you’d get a swipe behind the ear after they went.
I don’t know what my great-aunts lived on. Mum used
to take us to them when we were kids and they were two old
women, thin without a tooth in their heads. They sat each side
of the fireplace and we had to sing, my sisters and me,
The meeting of the waters
There is not in this wide world a valley so sweet
As that vale in whose bosom the bright waters meet,
Oh! the last rays of feeling and life must depart
Ere the bloom of that valley shall fade from my heart.
Ere the bloom of that valley shall fade from my heart.
Yet it was not that Nature had shed o'er the scene
Her purest of crystal and brightest of green
'Twas not her soft magic of streamlet or hill
Oh! no, it was something more exquisite still.
'Twas that friends, the beloved of my bosom were near
Who made every dear scene of enchantment more dear
And who felt that the best charms of nature improve
When we see them reflected from looks that we love.
Sweet Vale of Avoca! how calm could I rest,
In thy bosom of shade, with the friends I love best
Where the storms that we feel in this cold world should cease
And our hearts, like thy waters, be mingled in peace.
note: The waters referred to are the Avonmor and Avonbeg in
Wicklow, Ireland.
It was a beautiful song and we had to sing it to the aunties.
They were my grandmother’s sisters who didn’t marry.
My grandmother was Louisa Legge, born in Burnima near
Bombala. Louisa’s parents came out in 1839 with people called
the Whittakers who took up Burnima and Robert Marriott was
a blacksmith who worked there. They later took up land at
Tubbut.
My sister Faith and I went to the Mitchell library in Sydney and
found out all their history in one of those book that tell you all
about people who arrived. They brought out four children and
one died at sea – Joseph – probably with measles. They came
overland with the Whittakers. He was a blacksmith and she had
been a lady’s maid and they could both read and write.
The Edwards children
Back, from left: Albert Edwards, Ernie Edwards, Faith Edwards,
middle – Mabel Edwards, front – Dorothy Edwards
Social life
Life was simple, you got your fun just by being with one
another. I don’t think we went anywhere. Swimming, no; I
don’t think Mum would let us go down there in case there
were snakes. My sister Faith used to go down there to catch
fish blackfish and eels. Dances were the main entertainment,
there’d be something on every weekend, every Saturday. We’d
go to Delegate River; Dad would drive us in his car or someone
would take us. Uncle Harry would come and his eldest boy
Frank would drive us. We’d all get into the car – you went at 25
miles an hour, there was no danger of anything happening.
There was plenty of drink at the dances and there’d always be
a fight.
The main thing I remember is that when the cousins got
together we always had a wonderful time. There’d be eight or
nine of us and Mum and Dad would be sitting over the fire
laughing at all the things that were going on. We’d sit around
the table playing cards and Kelvin’s father, Wit Ingram and
three or four of his cousins from Orbost. The Reeds would
come down and Bob Legge’s two sons would come and
there’d be eight or nine of us.
I can’t remember Phil Prendergast playing cards with us;
Phil came along later on I think. He was a good dancer. There
was always a hall at Bonang – oh gosh, there were dances
there all the time. The Jamiesons from Bendoc used to play.
They always had to have plenty to drink before the band
started to play.

Thanks to Jo Simmons for this newspaper article.

We have just emerged from the Global Financial
Crisis and the European zone is threatened by the
failing economies of Greece, Italy and perhaps
others. What’s going on, in terms we can
understand?
A Dummy’s guide to what went wrong in
Europe
Helga is the proprietor of a bar.
She realizes that virtually all of her customers are
unemployed alcoholics and, as such, can no longer
afford to patronize her bar. To solve this problem, she
comes up with a new marketing plan that allows her
customers to drink now, but pay later.
Helga keeps track of the drinks consumed on a ledger
(thereby granting the customers' loans).
Word gets around about Helga's "drink now, pay later"
marketing strategy and, as a result, increasing numbers
of customers flood into Helga's bar. Soon she has the
largest sales volume for any bar in town.
By providing her customers freedom from immediate
payment demands, Helga gets no resistance when, at
regular intervals, she substantially increases her prices
for wine and beer, the most consumed beverages.
Consequently, Helga's gross sales volume increases
massively. A young and dynamic vice-president at the
local bank recognizes that these customer debts
constitute valuable future assets and increases Helga's
borrowing limit. He sees no reason for any undue
concern, since he has the debts of the unemployed
alcoholics as collateral!!!
At the bank's corporate headquarters, expert traders
figure a way to make huge commissions, and transform
these customer loans into DRINKBONDS.
These "securities" then are bundled and traded on
international securities markets.
Naive investors don't really understand that the
securities being sold to them as "AA" "Secured Bonds"
really are debts of unemployed alcoholics.
Nevertheless, the bond prices continuously climb, and
the securities soon become the hottest-selling items for
some of the nation's leading brokerage houses.
One day, even though the bond prices still are climbing,
a risk manager at the original local bank decides that the
time has come to deman
\d payment on the debts incurred by the drinkers at
Helga's bar. He so informs Helga who then demands
payment from her alcoholic patrons, but being
unemployed alcoholics they cannot pay back their
drinking debts.
Since Helga cannot fulfil her loan obligations she is
forced into bankruptcy. The bar closes and Helga's 11
employees lose their jobs.
Overnight, DRINKBOND prices drop by 90%. The
collapsed bond asset value destroys the bank's liquidity
and prevents it from issuing new loans, thus freezing
credit and economic activity in the community.
The suppliers of Helga's bar had granted her generous
payment extensions and had invested their firms'
pension funds in the BOND securities. They find they are
now faced with having to write off her bad debt and with
losing over 90% of the presumed value of the bonds.
Her wine supplier also claims bankruptcy, closing the
doors on a family business that had endured for three
generations, her beer supplier is taken over by a
competitor, who immediately closes the local plant and
lays off 150 workers.
Fortunately though, the bank, the brokerage houses and
their respective executives are saved and bailed out by a
multibillion dollar no-strings attached cash infusion from
the government.
The funds required for this bailout are obtained by new
taxes levied on employed, middle-class, non-drinkers
who’ve never been in Helga’s bar.
Does that explain it?
Sent to Deb by Joanne Simmons….
CFA Minimum Skills Day cancelled
Unfortunately, due to lack of applicants, the
Minimum Skills Day was cancelled.
This is a great pity in an area as vulnerable
to fire as ours. Without the competencies,
CFA members are unable to operate much
of the equipment.
For many, the dates were not convenient.
Next time we will need to be sure of getting
the numbers before going to the trouble of
organising it, so if you would attend a twoday
training program like this next year,
please let the captain, Laurie Reed
(64588244) or Secretary Veronica Gebbie
(6458 8307) know.
There will be a mini Tattler just before
Christmas—please get advertisements,
articles, pictures etc to Robyn and Deb by
December 16th

Bookie takes a punt on retirement
However, Keith remembers another trip for a very
different reason.
"Coming down from an Omeo visit, I got almost to the
bottom of the hill and the steering failed and it took me
on a tour of the countryside, over fences and through a
tennis court, all sorts of terrible things," he recalled.
"It really broke up the mobile library, that was the third
'Betsy'."
The good times though outweigh the bad and there's no
disputing the impact Keith has had on bookworms
across the district and even overseas.
"We were in Singapore in Changi airport and on one of
those moving walkways and all I could hear was this,
'Mr Bookie, Mr Bookie' being shouted down the line.
"I turned around and found this young lady who I hadn't
actually seen for 10 or 15 years running up towards me
shouting, 'Mr Bookie' and it was a young lady I met
many years ago in Lakes Entrance. It was one of my
kids who came in from the primary school there."
You'd be forgiven for thinking Keith Ridout aka Mr
Bookie would have the good oil on backing the
Melbourne Cup winner.
But Keith's not the type to take bets from mug punters. His
nickname refers to his job as East Gippsland Shire's mobile
library driver.
In fact, the Bairnsdale man is the shire's mobile library 'officer-incharge'
and he'd want to be something senior after almost 50
years on the job.
Soon though, he'll close the book on a long career behind the
wheel delivering reading material to far-flung communities in
East Gippsland.
Keith's timed his retirement to match that of his library bus
'Betsy IV' which is being taken out of service.
He says his farewell tour of the shire will be "traumatic".
"They're going to allow me to go around and do one more circuit
and meet my friends," he said.
"It's just like a big family and the wonderful thing about what I've
been able to do particularly with children, is supply information
to them.
In retirement Keith can expect more of those moments
although it appears he won't have time to travel until he
sorts out his own book collection under the watchful eye
of his wife.
"We've had 'discussions'," he laughed.
"She doesn't mind the books being on the shelf but I pile
them up flat. She's not terribly keen on that.
"I've got a fair collection of Australiana which I've
acquired over the years. I used to be a garage sale fan,
you see."
By the sounds of things Mr Bookie is going to be very
busy.
This interview was broadcast on ABC Gippsland on
October 28th 2011
The bookmobile’s next visit will be Friday February 3rd.
Keith will be doing a Lap of Honour on this trip and the
Neighbourhood House will host a community lunch.
Please come along and say Thanks and Farewell.
"I still have children who are grown-ups now who come back
and say, 'do you remember when I used to come', and this
happens all the time. It's quite wonderful actually."
Keith's circuit extends from Mallacoota in the far east to Tubbut,
Bonang, Delegate River and Swifts Creek. He began his career
at the mobile library after migrating from England to Bairnsdale
in 1963.
His new life in Australia coincided with the arrival of the shire's
first mobile library bus.
"There were five shires in the regional library in those days and
we went 'round and met all the councillors and council officers
and displayed the vehicle at that time to the populations in the
different towns and I can remember that vividly," he said.

The town that moved
Glen Marshall, interviewed in October’s Tattler, sent us this interesting account of the town where he now lives. He
compares Culgoa with Tubbut and makes some flattering comparisons. His knowledge of contemporary Tubbut is
gained solely from the Tattler, however, and he might find things a little different if he could visit us. Perhaps Culgoa
needs a newsletter and a neighbourhood house!
In quite a few ways, Tubbut and Culgoa are similar because both localities are considered to be remote, although
Culgoa is less remote than Tubbut. What interested me about your flyer was Tubbut has ‘things’ far better organised
than Culgoa! You are streets ahead of us in many organisational matters.
Culgoa is in a ‘crumbling’ phase whereas Tubbut seems to be in a progressive phase.
History:
Prior to 1850, Culgoa was part of NSW and began as Springfield, a huge sheep station but that failed and the Mallee
was given over to dryland cereal farming that was quite successful in places but, due to low fertility soil and many
droughty periods, plus increased wind erosion, Culgoa quickly changed from being a quite large settlement with
three small schools and a hospital plus a mounted police force with twenty-eight horses!
The town was called Kaneira. Just before the 1900s started, the town’s name was changed to Culgoa (no-one knows
why ‘Culgoa was chosen but we do know why the name change was necessary). Just before the name change it was
realised that soil fertility was very poor and the rainfall very irregular, therefore a stone announcement was erected
stating that there was to be no settlement north of that stone! (The Stone is still in existence, nine kilometres from
the present town of Culgoa.)
To enforce the closure of settlement the town of Kaneira was stopped and its occupants told to ‘git outta here’. As a
result the early settlers are still here but as direct descendents of the previous settlers! A few newcomers like me!
So the town of Culgoa came into existence exactly one mile from where the town of Kaneira once was—the hotel in
Culgoa is the Kaneira Hotel officially and some of the houses here, as is the house I own, very old-fashioned, that was
moved by a bullock team and put where I now write this. The schools were similarly shifted—kept their original
number and then called Culgoa. Same with the police and its horses—all twenty-eight of them!
Because of residual soil fertility the town of Culgoa prospered for eighty years but the whole complex has
deteriorated since 1980 due to cropping difficulties.
When I arrived here in 1992 there were about 122 people living here but today the number is sixty-one. The school
has been closed, the hotel is struggling, the town people own the store and the post office; the parks and public hall
are in great disrepair. And will you believe, the town’s electoral polling booth has been closed—in the same way as
our child care centre, recreation ground etc. In other words, the town is dying.
You may be quite interested to know that I have gained the distinct impression that Tubbut is a goer—the same
cannot be said for Culgoa.
If you ever visit the Mallee, drop
in for a yarn. With many
kind regards,
Glen
Councillor Peter Neal hands
Skye Auer’s photograph of
the bridge over the Bonang
River at Dellicknora to Helen
Neven for the Tubbut Hall
Committee at the Big Bonang
Arvo on November 24th.
(photo by Peter Quin)

This & That
Friends of the Errinundra
Its never dull on the Errinundra Plateau.
Even when there are no humans around, there is plenty of
activity as owls, gliders and other arboreal mammals go
about their daily and nightly activities. The sound of water—
trickling, running and dripping—means it is never silent.
The protected areas in these iconic old growth mixed
forests—rainforest and tall towering eucalypts— exist due
to the work of local and visiting conservationists since the
1980s. Letters to politicians, blockades and court cases all
played their part in the decision to create and then enlarge
the Errinundra National Park.
The Friends of Errinundra—or FoE - is a group of local people
who support Parks Victoria in tasks related to managing and
extending the Park’s facilities. FoE has applied for funding
under the Healthy Parks, Healthy People program to erect
an information board at the Delegate River camp site on the
Gap Road to give visitors general information about the
Park; a similar sign already exists, near the rainforest
boardwalk.
Parks Victoria is encouraging anyone over 18 who has taken a
winning photo while out and about in Victoria’s parks to enter
a photo competition on Facebook.
Great prizes on offer include the Anaconda Grand Prize of a
$2,000 voucher, and four category prizes of two nights’
accommodation in Wilderness Retreats in a park.
The categories include Scenery, People, Best Animal or Plant,
and Best Comment.
To enter the competition go to www.facebook.com/
ParksVictoria. Upload your best park photos from the last five
years, to be in with a chance to win.
Go to www.facebook.com/ParksVictoria
Upload your best photos and/or comment on other entries.
Get as many votes as you can by sharing on Facebook,
Twitter, etc.
You can enter as many times as you like.
Only the top 10 photos and the top 10 comments by total
number of votes will proceed to the final judging round.
Entries open on 2 November 2011 and close on 19 December
2011. Winners will be announced on 10 January 2012.
All photos must have been taken within, or be of, a Parks
Victoria-managed park or reserve or one of its features. Full
terms and conditions at www.facebook.com/ParksVictoria.
Dealing with snake bite
Rory Shannon wrote in response to the Dealing with
Snake Bite article—
“the snake bite one timely, just like to add that once
bandaged, mark the site of the bite with a texta.
At FoE’s recent meeting, we learned that the 20 year old
boardwalk—near the site where the first direct action
occurred in East Gippsland’s forests— has been examined by
engineers who recommend remedial work to extend its life;
otherwise it may have to be closed.
Since the boardwalk makes the Park accessible to people
with mobility problems, the Friends support all efforts to
keep it open.
FoE Working Bee
On January 19th, all are welcome to join members of FoE at
the parking area near the boardwalk at 10.30 to do simple
maintenance tasks. Bring your lunch—and your camera. Ring
Matthew Farran for more information on 0264581236.
Photo from: http://platypuscountry.org.au/5939.html
Avoiding Telemarketing calls
For those who do not like receiving calls from
telemarketers, here is the web site where you can register
NOT TO BE CALLED.
HTTPS://www.donotcall.gov.au/
(If you do not have the internet, come to the
Neighbourhood House and we will walk you through this
process.)
Gippsland Region Sustainable Water Strategy
released
The final Gippsland Region Sustainable Water Strategy has
been released after a two and a half year collaborative
process involving community members, water users,
water industry stakeholders, independent experts,
Government departments, catchment management
authorities and water corporations. Electronic copies of
the Strategy are available at:
www.water.vic.gov.au\programs\sws\gippsland.
Hardcopies of the Strategy are also available
DSE call centre 136 186 or gippsland.sws@dse.vic.gov.au

News from the Departments
Report problems with disaster insurance
The House of Representatives Social Policy and Legal Affairs
Committee wants to hear from people who had problems with
insurance claims after fires or floods in the last five years.
There’s an online survey at http://www.aph.gov.au/house/
committee/spla/insurance/index.htm
Gippsland soil trial directory now available
online
The Gippsland soil trial directory collates and assesses data
from trials and demonstrations that have investigated
changes in soil carbon and pH in response to various
management actions. A summary document reports the main
findings, explains the science-quality assessment framework
and provides guidance on how to conduct a successful soil
trial.
http://www.wgcma.vic.gov.au/publications/regionalmenu/262-gippsland-soil-trial-directory.html
FarmReady Grants are available again
FarmReady offers grants of up to $1500 per financial year for
taking part in approved training courses. Funding of up to
$500 each financial year is also available to assist with
excess travel, accommodation and child care expenses. To
encourage investment in training, participants must contribute
35% of the cost of the approved course to be eligible for a
grant.
www.farmready.gov.au
Gippsland eggs on YouTube
The Free Range Farmers Association has uploaded a short
video on YouTube showing genuine free range farming -
thanks to Dan Green of Real Free Range Eggs in Gippsland.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr0FVtIBTnw
Phil Westwood http:// www.freeranger.com.au or 0402070531
Cattle blood parasite found in Victoria
The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is advising cattle
producers in North East Victoria and Gippsland to be aware
of the recent increase of theileriosis (T. buffeli) cases.
DPI District Veterinary Officer Lee Manning said while
theileria was common in northern NSW and Queensland, and
that cattle had developed immunity and didn’t show any
illness, it had been rarely seen in Victoria.
“Theileria is a blood parasite, which typically infects cattle
through a tick bite,” Dr Manning said.
“Victorian beef and dairy herds have been infected when
cattle from the northern states, carrying ticks infested with
theileria, are introduced into a herd or on to adjoining
properties.
“The parasite can cause illness and even death to cattle that
have not previously been exposed to theileria.
“Theileria is transmitted by blood-sucking ticks, including the
common bush tick, which is widespread in Victoria. It can be
carried by all mammals, including wildlife, dogs and cats, as
well as birds.”
Other instances where blood may be transmitted between
cattle, including blood sucking insects, needles, ear notching
and castration, could potentially transmit theileria also.
Dr Manning said there was no specific treatment for
theileriosis; only symptomatic treatment could be provided,
including good nursing, but cattle with severe anaemia may
not recover.
lethargy, weakness, pale mucous membranes, a drop in milk
production, going off feed, difficulty breathing, abortions, jaundice
and sudden death,” she said.
“Cattle are more likely to show signs when stressed, especially at
the point of calving but most infected cattle will have benign
theileriosis and show no signs of illness. Bush ticks are almost
impossible to eradicate from a property because they are on and
off the host in a week and live in pasture for many months, as well
as surviving on wildlife.
“This parasite is not T. parva, which is an exotic parasite causing
East Coast Fever in Africa. It is endemic in northern Australia,
although rarely diagnosed in Victoria.”
Contact your local veterinarian for advice if your cattle are showing
multiple abortions, signs of anaemia or any other unusual signs.
The disease can be confirmed by laboratory testing.
For more information, contact your local veterinarian or local DPI
Animal Health staff.
$20m Communities for Nature Grants now
available
DSE’s Regional Director, Mike Timpano is encouraging the
community to apply for Communities for Nature grants.
The $20 million Communities for Nature Grants program has been
launched by the Victorian Government to support local
communities in their work to protect and enhance the environment.
Mr Timpano said the funding is aimed at supporting those local
community groups that play such an important role in protecting
the environment.
“The Communities for Nature program is $20 million over four
years, supporting small projects with grants to successful
applicants of up to $10,000 and large projects with grants to
successful applicants of between $10,000 and $150,000.”
“Land managers and communities working on revegetation,
waterway clean-ups and habitat preservation are all encouraged to
apply for these grants,” Mr Timpano said.
“These grants are all about supporting the work of the Victorian
community, including groups and volunteers who may not have
been eligible for other grants programs in the past.”
“The first round of funding is now open and closes on 19
December 2011. We aim to provide encouragement and support
to local groups to take practical action on cleaning up our
waterways, tackling pests and planting native vegetation.”
The program is being administered by the Department of
Sustainability and Environment (DSE).
Further funding rounds will be announced as the program
progresses. Single or multi-year projects that are planned to be
completed within one to four years are eligible for funding.
For more information, visit www.dse.vic.gov.au/
communitiesfornature
“The disease causes mild to severe anaemia due to
destruction of red blood cells and this can be seen as

L O C A L G O V E R N M E N T N E W S
BOMBALA SHIRE
COUNCIL
Council meeting October 25th
Presentation from Delegate
Progress Association
The Mayor welcomed the members of the
Delegate Progress Association to the
meeting. The Chairman, Mr Bill Guthrie,
thanked Council for the opportunity to
once again address them on various
issues. He also thanked the Councillors
who travelled to Delegate earlier to look at
the issues that the DPA wished to raise
including the Delegate Tip.
Mr Guthrie thanked Council for repairing
the main street beside Memorial Park. This
has been an excellent repair job. As seen
earlier there is now a major problem
further down the street. Water is still a
problem at the corner of Church and
Bombala Streets – aware there is money in
the Integrated Community Strategic Plan
to fix it.
At the last meeting Council was also
requested to arrange for safety strips on
stairs in front of the Delegate General
Store. This has also been carried out *and+
has been a great help to the elderly people
of the town.
The sculpture of the Brumbies is being
repaired at the moment. DPA would like to
thank Council for their support – donation
towards it and willingness to pay for the
lighting.
The DPA is pleased with the job that the
mowing contractor is doing – the town
looks very neat and tidy at the moment.
Bike track is still very well utilized – proved
to be a great asset for the younger
members of the community.
Borderline Gallery has had some very
successful exhibitions. The DPA has
planted 30 trees in Delegate streets. The
DPA wants a helipad constructed in Bill
Jeffreys Park and will seek funding
through local member John Barilaro.
The DPA is not happy with the
new proposals for the MPS, especially as
a doctor has expressed interest in
coming. If acute service beds are
removed this will make it even more
difficult to attract a doctor.
The Mayor advised that he had
met with Andrew Gow of the Southern
NSW Local Health District and Rhonda
Stewart of Bombala MPS concerning the
proposed changes to the district’s health
services. He had advised them that there
should be public consultation on the
matter. They are trying to ensure that it
is a good model for the community and
that the two services continue to
operate.
They also advised that if a Doctor was
recruited for Delegate that the beds
could be changed back to acute.
The Mayor also commented on
the issues around the Delegate Tip. The
Environment Protection Authority (EPA)
has set some standards that will be
costly to implement. Council’s Waste
Management Committee will be
developing a proposal to meet the
community’s needs. Council was of the
opinion that they had a good, reasonably
priced model for the delivery of waste
services to the community. The EPA’s
conditions will result in additional costs
and it was hoped that the issues would
be sorted out within the next few
months. The issues have not been driven
by Council, they have been raised by the
EPA after receiving an anonymous
complaint.
Council resolved to apply to the Minister
for Local Government for approval to
reduce the number of Councillors for
Bombala Council from nine (9) to seven
(7) to save money.
Photograph of Delegate CTC and
Borderline Gallery from http://
platypuscountry.org.au/5939.html
Council encourages women to
get involved
East Gippsland Shire Council has released a
new brochure to encourage women to get
involved in local government at the next
general Council elections in October 2012.
East Gippsland Shire has a strong history of
female Council representation with 44%
Councillors female, comparing favourably to
the Victorian average of 29.5%.
EAST GIPPLAND
SHIRE
COUNCIL
Council Meeting November
8th
Live music for Tubbut
The top Council news is that the Tubbut
Neighbourhood House was successful
in its application for funding to cover
half the cost of hiring a band for next
year’s Taste of Tubbut, which will be an
evening event in 2012. The Shire
requires communities to match grants
and we hope that people are happy to
pay an entrance fee knowing that they
are supporting the arts in our area. We
are hoping for a local band but our first
inquiry, to Frock and Troll, hasn’t yet
borne fruit. We will keep you posted
on this.
The East Gippsland Shire Council prepared a
submission to the Victorian Government’s
Green Paper—Towards a more disaster
resilient and safer Victoria. It concludes:
It is considered that the current
emergency management framework is
basically sound and can work when adhered
to. Although many systems failed or did not
function correctly during the February 2009
fires and the Floods of 2011, the temptation
for wholesale change should be resisted.
Areas where the current framework has
been consistently used and found to
function should be used as the basis for
modification.
Emergency and risk management needs to
be mainstreamed into the way that
organisations in Victoria operate so that the
way that we plan for and respond to
emergencies is effectively understood by all
those with a role.
The role of local government is vital
in that we have a role to work with and plan
for our communities to be better able to
respond to and recover from events in a
sustainable and effective way. This needs to
be a pro-active approach that is the focus of
resources now.
Property owners urged to be
fire ready
East Gippsland Shire Council is urging
residents throughout the municipality to
prepare their properties in the lead-up to
the summer fire season. Grass should
be cut, removed and maintained to a
height of 10cm or less.
Council 03 5153 9500 or free call
1300 555 886

BOMBALA SHIRE
Council update on the Bundian Way Project by Mr John
Blay, Project Officer
The Mayor welcomed John Blay to the meeting. Mr Blay
thanked Council for the opportunity to update them on
the progress of the project and advised that a huge
amount of work had been happening since he last
presented. A large amount of this work was to do with
the co-ordinating of a number of agencies involved with
the project. However, he was sure that the project was
moving very strongly towards a result that was wanted.
He further advised that a substantial part of the route will
be proposed to NSW Heritage. The Eden Lands Council
is setting up a business to manage the Way. The survey
will be finished within the next month and will be made
public soon. Mr Blay cautioned that the project team had
to be careful about when to make the survey public and
also about the use of the Bundian Way.
Delegate will be a fundamental part of the Bundian Way
project and he is looking forward to working with the
community. He is hoping to offer a very special
experience and is encouraged by the statistic that shows
that 80% of international tourists want an Indigenous
experience.
Mr Blay illustrated the different landscapes that are along
the route. Artefacts are continuing to be found all the
way along the route. The organisers of the project will be
asking people to leave these where they find them. In the
Byadbo Wilderness area the project team has found that
the track is still used by animals and also that trees were
marked by the first surveyor in 1842. Today’s survey has
been carried out by both men and women. A large
number of yam daisies have been found in the swampy
country – this will make an amazing education site. The
project team is currently working with the Delegate
Public School to have a number of yams planted at the
school. There are also lots of wonderful wild flowers,
tools and wildlife along the route as well as scar trees.
Unfortunately, many of the scar trees are starting to die.
There is also evidence of European settlement along the
route, such as the chock a log fence in Byadbo – built in
the Ben Boyd era.
As mentioned previously, Delegate will be a very
important site along the route. At Delegate various bits of
white shell called Binbula have been found. Permission
has been granted to bring one of the old scar trees that
have fallen down to Delegate where it will be placed on
exhibition. A number of information boards will also be
located along the route with some being located at
Delegate.
It is hoped that the Bundian Way walk will cater to many
different people and levels of fitness. It is also hoped that
some of the route can be driven.
Responses to councillors’ questions:
The Bundian Way is 330kms from start to finish.
Across the Monaro it follows public roads. It does
cross some private property on White Rock River
but there is a public road reserve which can be
used. All agencies, including State Forests,
National Parks and Wildlife Service and Councils,
are working together.
There is a large amount of administrative work to
get everything organised. There will be various
ways of doing the walk with various levels of help
for people. It is hoped that people wishing to do the
walk will be supplied with food and/or guides if
required.
Cr Gimbert asked if people will be able to ride a
horse along the Bundian Way. Mr Blay advised that
where you can ride a horse now you will be able to
so.
Cr Goodyer asked how long it would be before it
was operational. It is hoped that some educational
components will start in February and that a walk
with a number of celebrities will occur in Autumn.
Marketing and brand management aspects had been
sorted out. This is being put together now.
Cr Hampshire referred to the portion of the
Bundian Way that followed the Mila Rd across to
Craigie. She had been advised that there were some
trees that had been designated as dangerous prior to
the Bundian Way survey that were now not allowed
to be removed. Mr Blay advised that if any trees
were designated as dangerous they would be
removed, however, the project team was hopeful
that the character of the country roads could be
maintained.
Cr J Ingram asked if people travelling the route
would be required to have a guide. Mr Blay advised
that the business model is not fully completed at
this stage. Notes will be given to people as to what
food and water would be needed on each segment
and people would be encouraged not to travel the
route during summer.
People will be able to access the Byadbo wilderness
area but there will be limitations.
Mr Blay said that there had been a lot of interest in
the project with people wanting to be the first,
oldest, youngest, fastest on the route. The route has
been GPS mapped and people will be required to
register and carry an e-purb (distress beacon).
The Mayor thanked John and commented that
everyone was looking forward to being part of this
project. He also congratulated John and his team on
the work that had gone into the project so far.

GARDENING
Dealing with slugs & snails
Deb Foskey
It’s a great season for growing fruit and
vegetables. Unfortunately the wet
conditions are also allowing slugs and
snails to prosper and multiply. I thought
I would trawl the internet and see what
helpful hints it has to offer, apart from
buying a packet of snail bait.
make your own by cutting off about 3-4 inches
off the base of a plastic drinks bottle.
After eating your half grapefruit, cut a
small hole and place the skin upside down on
the soil. Slugs love it and will congregate
inside and each day you can collect them up.
Collect all the slugs and snails you can find
in the late evening, when they start to
become active and drown them in a bucket of
heavily salted water. Plain water will not
work - they will simply swim to the surface
and crawl out! Or, if you know where they
hide out, you can gather them up during the
day - try looking under logs or bricks, and
shrubs, any dark, damp corner.
Barriers:
These methods will be more effective
against snails than slugs, as slugs live
in the ground and can therefore avoid
barriers.
On your garden borders, you can use
barriers around plants, such as crushed
eggshells, grit, bran, or wood-ash or
soot. The theory is that slugs and snails
are reluctant to cross these materials and
will therefore wander off elsewhere to
look for their next meal. Make sure you
put plenty down without any gaps.
Scatter oat bran around your plants -
slugs love it, but if they eat enough,
they expand and die!
Petroleum jelly smeared thickly around the
rims of pots has a similar deterrent
effect.
Copper tape with an adhesive backing,
gives the snail a small electric shock as
it tries to cross.
Traps:
Use beer traps - very effective at dealing
with both slugs and snails, and you can
buy these from a garden centre. Place the
trap, filled with cheap beer, in a hole
with the top at soil level. You can also
use out of date fruit juice, or even milk
just about on the turn. Alternatively,
And what to do with the slugs you've
collected? If you put live slugs or snails
into your compost heap, they will probably
stay there, as there is plenty of matter for
them to feast on. You can also put the dead
ones in there too, those in the beer traps
including the beer - but scoop the dead slugs
and snails out of the salty water first.
Predators:
For a biological control, you can use
nematodes - microscopic parasites that kill
the slugs above and below ground. Obtained
from organic garden suppliers, you simply mix
the powder with water and spray on to the
soil using a watering can. This can be
effective for around six weeks.
If you are lucky enough to have the space,
adopt some chickens or ducks - they just love
eating slugs - and you can have some free
eggs into the bargain.(My hens won’t touch
slugs and tend to trash the garden—maybe
ducks are better? Deb)
Make your garden wildlife friendly, to
encourage the natural predators of slugs and
snails to come and visit. Dig a pond to
encourage frogs and toads; leave out food for
hedgehogs; and put up bird feeders. This will
not provide an 'instant fix' for the problem,
but in the long term will give you a
healthier garden with fewer pests. Till next
time, happy slug hunting!
Fran Barnwell provided this information on
http://www.NewToGardening.com