Milang Community News A journal of the Milang & District Community Association Servicing the communities of Milang, Clayton Bay, Finniss, Strathalbyn and Langhorne Creek January 2019 | $2.00 IN THIS ISSUE Editorial .............................. 2 CFS News ............................ 3 Milang Railway Staton Re- enactment .......................4-5 Milang fire threat reduced after CFS Leters to the Editor ............ 6 Local Markets ..................... 7 back-burning and aerial bombardment Milang Rainfall .................. 11 Birthdays & Anniversaries . 11 (Read more on page 3) Obituary ............................ 11 Artcle Carp in the Bath ..... 12 Milang Fitness Group ........ 14 Church Services ................. 15 Milang Community Garden .............................. 17 Alexandrina Events ......18-19 Trivia ................................. 21 Local History ..................... 21 Poets’ Corner ........... 22 & 24 Trivia Answers ................... 24 Recipes .............................. 25 Alexandrina Council .......... 27 MADCA ...................... 28 –29 Business of the Month ...... 31 Milang Community News | January 2019 | 1 EDITORIAL BY JUDE AQUILINA Happy New Year to our readers, Production Manager, leaving John WHERE TO BUY both holiday makers and residents Whyte to focus on advertising and of Milang. What a lovely spot to be Richard Prusa to roam with his ar- at this time of year. People from tistic camera lens. Welcome Helen Milang Community News neighbouring towns such as Victor and thank you for volunteering to is available on the first day of every Harbor and Murray Bridge often help with our monthly community month for $2 at: visit Milang in summer for its quiet news. * Milang MOSH Centre serenity and lack of crowds. A day * Milang Post Office on the lake helps time slow down. Gliding pelicans, the slosh of rhyth- * Milang Mini Mart mic wavelets, the vast grey-green * Port Milang Café CONTRIBUTIONS TO expanse of water, all help to calm * Milang Caravan Park the mind. * Milang Bakery This month we will show you how The Editor, Jude Aquilina, eagerly * Strathalbyn Information Centre to cook the carp you catch in Lake looks forward to receiving articles * Strathalbyn Stationery Shop Alexandrina. We will treat you to a and welcomes suggestions from * Sails at Clayton Bay historical railway experience and community members for stories and spruik our forthcoming Milang to photographs, * Langhorne Creek Takeaway Goolwa Freshwater Classic Yacht Phone: (08) 8537 0908 ADVERTISING RATES Race and our magnificent Yester- day’s Power Rally. There is a lot to Email: [email protected] Ad strip $15.00 like about living in Milang. In fact, Mail: PO Box 251 MILANG SA Eighth page $16.00 this part of the Fleurieu is a jewel in 5256 Quarter page $24.00 South Australia’s tourism tiara, with Copy should reach the editor by the Half page $52.00 the beaches, rivers, lake, local mar- 23rd of each month and must in- Full page $95.00 kets, Milang Railway Museum, clude the contributor’s name, ad- Ad set up $35.00 Goolwa’s Signal Point Gallery and dress and contact details. Articles of For all advertising contact wharf precinct, Clayton Bay’s mag- fewer than 500 words are encour- John Whyte ical mosaics, the Langhorne Creek aged. Email: [email protected] wineries, galleries and Old School House, the naturally stunning Tol- Milang Community News reserves Phone: 0431 601 850 derol Reserve and picnic paradises the right to refuse advertisements such as Strathalbyn’s Soldiers’ Me- and other submissions. The editor Milang Community News morial Gardens and Milang and reserves the right to change content is an associate member Clayton Bay’s foreshores. This is for accuracy or where space is lim- of the Community Newspaper Ngarrindjeri country, Storm Boy ited. Associaton of Victoria (CNAV) country, places of small-town histo- If you would like the Milang Com- CNAV is a network of community- ry and escape from the city rush. munity News photographer to attend owned newspapers whose vision is So, here’s to another year in our an event to photograph subjects of that ‘community newspapers are the naturally bejewelled neck of the local interest, please contact Richard voice of the community.’ woods. I am fortunate to work with Prusa: htps://cnav.org.au/ a team of passionate and dedicated people at the Milang Community Phone: 0468 498 311 News. And I am thrilled to have a Email: photography @milang.org.au new member join our publishing team: Helen Hutton will now be 2 | Milang Community News | January 2019 MILANG CFS NEWS (From page 1) Ashbourne and at the Strathalbyn shacks. grain silos, as well as fortnightly STATION RENOVATIONS training at our own station. On the 4th of December, we In the latter part of 2018, the Milang CFS Station underwent further improvements. In August, local concreter Ben Steed, his worker and two of our members put down a new concrete path from the ablution block to the front of the station. This was the final Above: Fire response by Milang CFS in 2018 stage in this section of our attended a going scrub fire two station renovations, and it FIRE RESPONSES kilometres north of Milang. Six looks great. Recently we also had appliances attended and the fire was our new side door and veranda On the 3rd of December we contained after burning 30 square completed, also carpet in the radio responded to a fire on the Clayton metres. It was started by a lightning room replaced and new blinds Milang Road, which was burning in strike from three days earlier. We installed for all windows. reeds. This job was quickly also recently attended a grass fire at upgraded as it became apparent that Finniss and a motorbike crash on We have been fortunate to receive the shacks were under threat. the Lake Road. some State Government grant Multiple trucks and crew from money to assist us with some of Strathalbyn and Mundoo groups JOIN OUR TEAM attended, along with five Renovations have been made possible aerial bombers that dropped If you would like to become part of due to State Government grant money, 27 loads of water. We were our team, please drop in at the fire and our own funds from donations and also assisted by Alexandria station 7.30 on Tuesday nights or fundraising. council, SAAS, SAPOL send Jude an email for details and an excavator that cut a [email protected] break for a back burn near the these projects, adding to our own funds from donations and fundraising. It is great to see our station improving and we thank everyone who has donated time and equipment to make our station one to be proud of. GROUP TRAINING Our brigade has also been busy with group training exercises at Above: Fire response by Milang CFS in 2018 Milang Community News | January 2019 | 3 FEATURE ALL ABOARD FOR MILANG STATION n 30th carriage, because he’d November 2018, forgotten to couple it up to fifty years to the the train! day since Milang O After lunch, guests explored Railway Station closed in Milang Station, testing the 1968, the final train journey train driving simulator and was re-enacted. Railway checking out the craft van, staff, volunteers and 67 the light rail centre and other passengers met at Mt Barker exhibits. Next was a re- and travelled to Strathalbyn enactment of the closing and in two ‘Red Hen’ railcars, locking up of Milang Station. owned by SteamRanger. President of the Milang During the trip, the Heritage Railway Museum, Allan Manager from the National Brill Car/ Barwell Bull No 60 McInnes, conducted the ceremony, Railway Museum at Pt dressed in station master’s attire. The Adelaide gave an address. late Ted Pattenden was Station Master along the old train line. Peter Lucas At Strathalbyn, the time-travellers when Milang Station closed. Allan also related railway history, while Di boarded a Brill Railway Car Number repeated his words ‘It is my sad duty Ness spoke of growing up on a 60 (known as the Barwell Bull). to close this station. A sad day for property that ran either Milang.’ Ted’s son-in-law was present side of the railway at Ray Jench related some stories from the old for the ceremony and had also attended Sandergrove. She 50 years ago when he’d filmed the days. He admitted being left behind once in recalled checking for closing of the station. This film was the guard’s carriage, because he’d forgotten trains as her family shown, then a coach took guests on an moved stock and to couple it up with the train! historical tour of Milang, hosted by machinery from one Allan McInnes. paddock to another. Passengers disembarked at Finniss. Coaches took the group back to Sadly, the old railway shelter shed was Coaches then took everyone to Milang Finniss where they caught trains to taken away because the Minister of Bowling Club for a delicious lunch. Strathalbyn and on to Mount Barker. Transport of the day ordered it be Peter Lucas spoke about his An unexpected turn of events added demolished. Two coaches from Rufus commemorative book, which was excitement near the end of the journey, Bus Service then transported the group given to everyone as a souvenir. Ray when a passenger was left behind at to Nurragi, where they walked to the Jench, former SA Railway Guard from Strathalbyn. The train driver walked former Nurragi Siding. Jerry Strathalbyn Station related some down the aisle to the engine at the Thompson gave a talk on the history of stories from the old days. He admitted other end of the train and drove back the conservation reserve, which runs being left behind once in the guard’s (Contnued on page 5) Roland accepts