50 years ago

THE female sex added plenty of lustre to Hamilton and District Trotting Club’s Pacing Cup meeting on Tuesday. Glorious sunshine throughout the afternoon and the “Cup Fashions” stakes brought ladies out in the latest summer creations – and equal favorite Gyrante, one of only two mares in the Pacing Cup, took the feature event on the program. The meeting was a winner in many ways. Not only was the crowd a record, but punters bet an all-time high of more than $300,000 on the 10-event program. A feature of the meeting was an appearance by television star, Cliff “Sexy Legs” Portwood, who was kept bus during the afternoon by autograph hunters. Portwood, the main drawcard at the club’s annual dinner dance held the night before, helped judge the Cup Fashions with Spectator general manager, Mr. Richard Beks, and Mrs. Beks.

CASTERTON Football Club’s new coach will be one of the biggest players in the Western Border League next season. The new coach is Greg Kuchel, who at 27 is 6 ft 6 in and tips the scale at 16 stone. Kuchel will replace John Gill, who did not seek a further term. Gill will stay on as a player. Kuchel has been playing coach of Naracoorte in the Kowree-Naracoorte League. Prior to this he played 48 games with the Adelaide club of Norwood. In 1970 he made the South Australian squad, but broke a leg and was forced to withdraw from the squad. The tall ruckman is a wool buyer with a Naracoorte firm.
Casterton Football Club secretary, Mr. Pat Gunther, said yesterday that Kuchel at this stage would travel to Casterton to train the team, much the same way as Gary Gurney did when he had the job several years ago.

25 years ago

RELOCATION of the Hamilton Pastoral Museum and the Ansett Transport Museum to the Monivae homestead has been floated as a solution to the urgent need for a substantial tourist attraction in Southern Grampians Shire. A report commissioned by the shire says tourist attractions in the Hamilton region, while being many and varied, lack major status. “Man-made attractions are typically small in size and the scattered nature of their locations presents a somewhat confusing picture to visitors and potential visitors,” the report’s author, Mark Challis says. He believes the shire should look at the possibility of locating a number of currently dispersed attractions to one site – and he favored Old Monivae. MACARTHUR basketballer, John Philip, has capped off an excellent individual year by winning the Hamilton branch of the Sportsmen’s Association Spectator Sports Star award at Wednesday night’s annual presentation dinner. Philip, 16, won the award from Hamilton Football Club’s senior coach and 1998 Western Border Football League medallist, Wayne Riddle, while promising athlete, Tom Cullinan, received the junior sports star of the year award. Dunkeld Cricket Club’s A grade side won the team award after defeating College to win Hamilton and District Cricket Association’s A grade premiership.