The people of the Quandialla township and district have justifiably been celebrating their community officially turning one hundred years old this year. There have been several functions organised including a concert and, of course a train ride that will take folks back to yesteryear.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Saturday night saw the launching of the committee’s pride and joy - and the culmination of a lot of hard work - namely the release of the book “Quandialla: The First 100 years 1914-2014”.
The function took place in front of a large crowd at the Quandialla Bowling Club on Saturday night, September 13th and was well received by the happy crowd.
Many locals as well previous residents from the district and beyond were in attendance and no doubt the contents of the book brought back many happy memories. There was also plenty of catching up to do and conversations were reputed to have lasted well into the night over a few drinks or two.
The Club was decorated with native flowers, ie wattle and gum blossoms along with a wonderful collection of historical artifacts placed around the hall by Narelle Gault and her team of willing helpers.
Apart from the book being on sale on the night there is still available centenary memorabilia such as Centenary Cups and bottles of Port. The Opening speech was delivered by Val Noone who told the audience “that the book was not just about the township and the surrounding farms, but also about Quandialla as a hub in a wide web. Val also told the audience that the book is a big one consisting of 482 pages and was edited by five people and was published by the Quandialla Centenary Committee. The editors were well known local history buffs Robert Reeves, Bill Deery, Sue Priestley, John Priestley and Lucy Nowlan-Kemp. The other members of the hard working committee were Marlene Taylor, Maribeth Keir, Donna Slade, Narelle Gault, Sarah Ryan, with Graham and Angela Sweeney.
Local historian Bruce Robinson also received a special mention for his efforts along with John Maloney and the late Gerry Walsh. The audience was also told that the book has been in preparation since 2012 in order to give the project all the time it needed to come to fruition.
The book contains among other important material, 220 pages of family history - that includes 78 families and at least 1000 people who are mentioned by name.
Also included in the book, as well as farming, parenting and homemaking people are railway fettlers, charcoal burners, ring-barkers, timber splitters, teamsters with horses, tank-sinkers or dam builders, teachers, midwives, nurses, nuns, doctors, shopkeepers, motor mechanics and the blacksmith. Who would have thought that all of those trades and professions were plied and were essential to the well-being of the community - even 100 years ago?
Val finished off by congratulating all concerned with the creation of the book. She also told the audience that it is an important book because “it also shows us that at certain times, things might have turned out differently, that things today do not have to be the way they are”.