Celebrating Red Cliffs’ 100th Birthday - Cup Weekend 2021 Restrictions are lifting so it may be that we can resume Tuesday

meetings. Next June2020 Newsletter may have Red Cliffs Centenary 2021 details of a July Unveiling the Percy Stewart memorial

Red Cliffs & District Historical Society afternoon meeting at 12th August 1937. the Court House. Yah! Percy Stewart as a Farmer. Appropriately his image on the memorial is enclosed in a wreath of wheat. Percy began experimenting with wheat in 1915, at first for himself, but in 1916 a field day was held for local farmers. The Department of Agriculture became involved and by 1920 Percy was publishing detailed reports in Daily. The Weekly Times and other rural papers took an interest. Field days were held regularly and each year attendances grew. For the Oct 1924 Field Day special trains ran from Murrayville, , Merrlnee and Woomelang and The Weekly Times reported ‘so important did the members of the Shire Council regard the occasion that they adjourned their meeting at Ouyen to attend the function.’11 Oct 1924 Have you noticed this memorial in the centre of Indi Ave? By 1927 the Minister for Agriculture attended as did over 500 farmers, many coming by special It is a tribute to a pioneer Carwarp farmer, whose vision for trains. After Percy’s death, in 1931,there was discussion that his farm become a Research Centre. farming led him into politics. Such was the respect he held, this memorial was built with public donations during the depression years and unveiled by his friend Billy Hughes [former PM]. Percy Stewart died aged 45. He was buried at Carwarp with a State Funeral. His achievements warranted the honour of naming an area of our community ‘Stewart’. In 1913 Percy selected a farm at Carwarp. Through the Carwarp Progress Association he thought to give farmers a voice. In June 1916 he organised a meeting in Ouyen and the Victorian Farmers Union was formed, within 3 months there were 130 branches and 2,836 members! In 1917 he was one of four VFU candidates elected to the Victorian Parliament, by 1919 he Produced by Red Cliffs & District Historical Society moved to Federal Parliament as MHR for Wimmera. His Editors: Chris Cook, Matt Cook, Helen Petschel portfolio, works &railways, included presidency of the River PO Box 574 Red Cliffs 3496 [email protected] [email protected] Stewart Experimental Plots at Carwarp. Murray Commission, supporting the Hume water storage and redcliffshistory.wordpress.com He considered this as valuable as his political efforts. benefiting irrigation in north-west . Supported by This edition was unable to be printed so please email it on for friends to enjoy. On 28 August 1923, he turned the first sod for the creation of Canberra. In 1924 in partnership with two others he The Victorian Farmers Union grew into the Country Party and later the

Monthly Newsletter of the Red the of CliffsMonthly Newsletter & Society District Historical bought the Sunraysia Daily and was its chairman until he died in 1931. Nationals and it all began at the Carwarp Progress Association. 100 YEARS AGO… temporary buildings were being constructed west of the railway for administration and services Droscher’s Camp Brodsky’s Store for the growing influx of workers. Red Cliffs was taking shape. The Hall The Office Newsagents The men had formed a football team and advertised for someone willing to play them. Red Cliffs was developing as a community. Karadoc Woolshed was located near the cliffs where the pumping station was to be built. Plans were to dismantle it and use the materials to reconstruct a building near the rail, for administration and public assembly. A local paper records on June 8th 1920: ‘The Caradoc woolshed has disappeared, it having been pulled down and is now in course of erection near the site of the Red Cliffs railway station, where it is to assume a new sphere of usefulness as a barracks for government employees, and some part of It will eventually take shape as a public hall.’ Telegraph & Darling and Lower Murray Advocate.

"Steele Blayde" writing for the Mildura Cultivator a week later on 16 June says: the writer found during his visit last week that Mr Droscher and his gang of "bush carpenters" had already erected a ‘… A run out to and through the Red Cliffs area reveals store and cook shop had run up (in 10 days) an iron shed further advance in clearing of the nursery site and 80 feet by 30 in size and were hard at work putting up an preparation at the town-site for the housing and accommodation house 120 feet by 55, combining sleeping accommodation of workers. quarters and a good-sized front hall. Practically all the building material to be gotten out of the A week or two hence, when the big gang arrive and are Karadoc Woolshed has been carted to the town-site and housed, things should be mightily lively Red Cliffs way.’

The Hall had many uses including church services. 100 years ago it wasn’t a Winter without Football.

‘My thoughts were ‘long, long thoughts’ back to Before we had the town laid out, we formed a football team that winter morning when the fire burned in a called the Diggers. See our Newsletter of Sept 2019 for more rough chimney on the earthen floor of...a former on local football. Sadly celebrating Red Cliffs Football’s 100th woolshed transferred for use as a Recreation Hut. birthday in 2020 has to be delayed until next year.

The wooden trestles serving as an altar, the priest, Mrs ‘ The Red Cliffs Football Club played its second match against McMahan with her little children around her, the Carwarp on the latter's ground on Saturday last, which resulted consecration, the collection taken up in my father’s hat, in a win for Red Cliffs, the scores being 6 goals 4 behinds, to 2 the voices of men outside singing the popular tunes...and behinds. The play was clean and fast, though rain and wind later outside the sight of men playing two-up, are still hindered the game occasionally. Leading off strongly, the very real to me.’ visitors scored, and maintained their lead throughout. At the Memories of the first Catholic Church by A M O’Neil. conclusion of the match the local club, provided the visitors with refreshments.’ Mildura Cultivator 23 June 1920 Woodbine Ave exists no longer.