50 years ago
April 1975
The new automatic telephone exchange at Gunbower will be brought into service at 9am next Tuesday.
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This was announced by the Federal Members for Mallee and Murray, Mr Peter Fisher and Mr Bruce Lloyd.
Coinciding with the changeover, nationwide subscriber trunk dialling STD will be provided for those served by the Gunbower exchange.
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Gail Harris, who was Miss Sun Show Girl at the last Echuca show, will compete with 11 other finalists for the title of Miss Northern District Regional Sun Show Girl.
The other finalists will come from Mildura, Sea Lake, Swan Hill, Bendigo, Barham, Boort, Castlemaine, Cohuna, Deniliquin, Kerang and Pyramid Hill.
The judging will take place at the Nirebo Motel, but it will not be open to the general public.
The successful entrant will compete against other regional finalists at the next Melbourne Show for the title of Miss “Sun” Show Girl.
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Echuca Caravan Park’s total revenue for March was $10,662.70.
This exceeded the previous highest total — in January, this year — by almost $2000, the caravan park manager, Mr D. Penn said in a report to Echuca City Council.
The month proved an exceptionally good month, as bookings for both sites and on-site vans were good for the whole period.
‘’With the addition of Easter, takings for this month reached their highest ever,’’ Mr Penn said.
Mr Penn said the reasons forth increase were exceptionally good bookings before Easter and the introduction of collection of site fees prior to the Easter period.
This particular system had allowed him better control over both reserved and unreserved sites as it had taken the pressure off the problem of booking hundreds of people into the park in a very short period.
25 years ago
April 2000
Construction of Echuca’s new hospital will begin in July.
The first section to be built is the primary care complex, fronting Leichardt St and backing on to what is now the memorial wing.
The complex will include allied health services, the dental clinic, consulting suites and services provided by what, until now, has been the Community Health Clinic.
It will be followed by construction of the aged care area, due to being in January.
The whole rebuilding project, covering all aspects of Echuca Regional Health, will take about two and a half years and cost $21 million.
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When the annual Good Friday Royal Children’s Hospital Appeal raises funds this week, a small Echuca boy will be along those who benefit.
Little Hayden Trevena lives in Echuca and he’s spent much of his three-and-a-half years in Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital.
The hospital has become a home away from home for Hayden and his parents, Sarah and Daryl Trevena, and their second child, Lachlan, 12 months.
Last year, Hayden’s hospital stays, of up to eight weeks at a time, added up to eight months.
Hayden has eczema. Doctors say he is one of the three worst cases in Australia.
Since the age of about five months, he has been admitted to the RCH more times than his parents can count.
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Echuca shooter Steven Atkins has won the Champion of Champions at the Australian Clay Target Association national titles in Wagga.
Atkins finished with a score of 124 out of a possible 125, defeating 350 other shooters.
He also teamed up with Arthur Turner, from Dubbo, to win the Commonwealth Deanville Doubles.
Atkins’ performance gained him selection in the All Australian team. He also finished in the top 10 of the titles, coming fourth overall.
10 years ago
April 2015
Former Echuca businessman David Piggott never saw himself as a global pioneer.
Let alone playing a significant part in the latest medical miracle. But he is, and he has. Mr Piggott owned and operated Solz Shoes in Hare St for more than 12 years, but what has got him into the headlines has been a cutting-edge trial with 3D surgery.
Which may well have saved his life.
He was the first person in the Southern Hemisphere to undergo the technological breakthrough of the 3D surgery which, in his case, corrected his life-threatening heart arrhythmia.
And Mr Piggott told the Riv, not only has the operation turned his life around, it did it all in less than 24 hours.
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It may not be the most obvious first fitness option for every primary-school age girl, but footy could take another step of growth in Echuca this season.
Today will see the first-ever solely female Auskick program start at Echuca United’s home ground from 5pm, under the eyes of Trevor Mellington, AFL Vic Country’s Goulburn Murray football development manager, and Alyx Glanville, member of the Northern Angels youth side.
At 7pm at Nathalia recreation reserve, there will also be a tie-in team launch night and jumper presentation, with Mellington to MC the event.
Echuca Primary School hosted a well-attended clinic session on Wednesday, with former Leitchville-Gunbower senior coach and now teacher and footy ambassador Scott Trewhella describing girls’ footy as ‘‘the biggest growth area in Australian football’’.
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Echuca tomato processor Kagome could soon have a slice of Australia’s biggest pizza pie.
It is a multi-million dollar opportunity for the business and may also mean demand for a much bigger workforce.
Kagome chief John Brady said securing deals with global giants such as Domino’s, with its 1400 Australian stores, would deliver a financial windfall and more jobs at the Echuca plant.
‘‘We are currently at 1.5 shifts a day, but would like to expand to two full shifts and then eventually three full shifts, meaning we would be operational 24-hours-a-day,’’ he said.
With the business creating a food service line this year, Kagome is on its way to supplying Domino’s Australian pizza stores with tomato and, possibly, barbecue sauces.
RIV Herald