Community
12 December, 2025
St Arnaud 50 years ago: births, deaths and marriages
Who was around celebrating milestones in St Arnaud 50 years ago?
50 Years Ago
December 1975
Births
Geoffrey and Elsie Coates nee Raffety, a daughter Suzanne Emma.
Robert and Marie Hufer nee Hoye, twins Carl Patrick and Matthew Charles.
Peter and Joy Hannett nee Macey, a son Joshua Charles.
Geoff and Elizabeth Thompson nee James, a son William Allan.
Trevor and Rhonda Harvey nee Swanton, a son Hayden Charles.
Robert and Gwenda Wescott nee Hose, a daughter Naomi Joy.
21st Birthday
Murray Donaldson.
Junior Band Competition
The St Arnaud Citizens Band won eleven out of the twelve sections they entered.
The winners were: Peter Hamilton [under 12 & under 14], Allan Greenaway [under 16 & under 18], Julie Young, Judy Hamilton, Paul Goss, Linda Youngson, Brendan Scilini, Ian Preece and Brett Burke.
Family Reunion
The Fleneley family held a reunion at the racecourse.
Two Fleneley brothers came from Ireland in the 1860’s and Charles settled at Kooreh where he married Emma Battersby.
In 1896 the family moved to St Arnaud where Charles worked in the Lord Nelson Mine.
In 1911 Charles was killed instantly in a mine accident, when he hit his head on the cap of the rising cage as he stepped in to it.
Of the couples’ thirteen children Wilva [Mrs Angus McSwain] was the only one alive at the time of this reunion.
Hire Car Service.
At the end of the year the well-known Hamilton’s Hire Car Service will cease operations.
It was started in 1917 by Alf [Tom] Hamilton who drove Dr Charles Fleming to his many patients, night and day until 1929. The Hamilton family has kept to their motto of punctuality, safety and cheerfulness throughout the many years of serving the town.
Some of the cabs they operated were a 1912 Russell, a 1919 model Dodge, a 1925 Hudson and a 1933 Reo Sedan.
Holiday at Portsea.
Once again, the St Arnaud Jaycees have arranged sponsors to enable St Arnaud children to attend the Lord Mayors Holiday Camp at Portsea.
The children, who will be in the care of leaders Denise Hicks and Greg Fithall, are Brenden Birthisel, Jamie Hudson, Chris Rafferty, Allen Hall, Hayden Hamilton, Graham Rogers, David Plumb, Martin and Colin O’Connor, Dean Humphries, Paula Lysaght, Pauline Meade, Annette Rice, Ann-Maree Scilini, Carolyn Shepherd, Bernadette and Margaret Organ, Dedrie Palmer and Samantha Currie.
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