A look back at previous editions of the paper 50 and 25 years ago.

50 years ago

MOVES by the Hamilton branch of the Victorian Farmers’ Union to have Portland restored as a wool shipping port won support at a meeting of the union’s pastoral executive in Melbourne this week. The meeting was told that woolgrowers were subsidising the cost of container shipping for other export commodities. The VFU will now take up the matter of wool shipments from Portland with the Australian Wool Corporation and the Federal Government. Hamilton branch delegate to the executive meeting, Mr. Lin Cameron, of Dunkeld, said yesterday that wool was not receiving favour planned treatment from overseas shippers. “The freight rate for wool in containers to the United Kingdom is $104 a ton,” he said.

BON Cherie, Hamilton’s flying filly, is to tackle War Talk and New Gleam in the $35,000 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200 m) at Caulfield on Saturday week. Bon Cherie is possibly Victoria’s best filly this season. On Saturday she returned to racing with a sound second to the Adelaide youngster Poppy Show at Flemington. The Blue Diamond is building up into the most exciting race of the autumn as the clash of the unbeaten War Talk and New Gleam has captured the imagination of all interested in racing. Those who go along with the adage of a good colt usually being able to beat a good filly may not concede Bon Cherie a winning chance when she bumps up against the two colts.

25 years ago

NATIONAL Australia Bank plans to close the Penshurst and Macarthur agencies of the bank, despite having a contract with Moyne Shire to supply services in the towns until 1999. About 75 angry Macarthur retailers and district residents attended a meeting at the Macarthur Hall on Thursday night and heard Moyne Shire Council Mayor, David Miller, discuss the shire contract that stated banking services provided by NAB would remain in towns with shire customer services centres until 1999. Moyne Shire has offices in Mortlake and Port Fairy and service centres in Warrnambool and Macarthur. Cr Miller said yesterday that the National Bank had won the contract to supply banking services or deposit facilities, under compulsory competitive tendering in 1995.

HAMILTON and District Cricket Association’s Ballarat Country Week squad was yesterday playing Grenville in the B grade final at the City oval. Despite losing one of its preliminary matches, Hamilton secured a spot in the final by defeating Grenville on Thursday at Sebastopol by 41 runs. Hamilton team manager, Andrew Povey, said yesterday morning the side was confident of victory considering Thursday’s great performance. “We give ourselves a very goog chance of winning the final,” Mr Povey said. After playing all of the preliminary games on hard wickets, the B grade final was played on turf at one of Ballarat’s main cricket ovals. “Playing on turf would not worry any of the players because all of them have had experience of playing on turf in our local competition,” Mr Povey said.