Truly abandoned in Dim

The Dimboola Hotel was damaged by fire early on Sunday October 26th 2003. 10 people inside the hotel at the time escaped down a ladder via a first floor balcony, 40 fire fighters then fought the blaze.

The Hotel was sold for $1 (one dollar) in 2004.



Hindmarsh Shire has raised concern about the stability of the building and gave the site's owner until June 2007 to show why it should not be demolished. An engineering assessment stated that an internal wall could collapse.
The site has been home to a hotel of some sort since the 1860s. Finally on Monday 25th Febuary, more than 4 years after the fire, the demolition has started. The wreckers removing the rear of the building, apparently the street facade will remain.
The photos were taken on Sunday 13th January 2008. Newspaper photos from the Wimmera Mail Times.

Combining books, poetry, tv and music

"The mystery of Eilean Mor" is based on the true story of the Eilean Mor lighthouse, author Gary Crew investigates what secrets the lighthouse hides, in this hauntingly beautiful picture book illustrated by Jeremy Geddes.
The Flannan Isles Lighthouse, designed by Mr D Alan Stevenson, was erected in December 1899. It stands on Eileen Mor, one of the Flannan Islands off Scotland. Just over a year after the light was first exhibited. In December 1900, a disaster occurred which has since captured the imagination of the public in much the same way as the "Marie Celeste”. A vessel passed the Flannan Islands about midnight on 15 December and on arrival in port reported that the light was not seen. The Lighthouse Tender Hesperus arrived at the Flannans during the afternoon of 26 December, there was no sign of life to be seen on the island. The relieving keeper was landed on the Island, went up to the lighthouse, but found no one there.
The disappearance was immediately investigated, indications showed that the men disappeared on the afternoon of Saturday 15 December, and from the traces found, it was evident that very bad weather had been experienced on the Island. It was concluded that the men must have left the lighthouse for some purpose or other, probably to secure some gear or to ascertain what damage had been done at one of the landing places, (110 feet in all above the sea level). The investigative report findings believed the men had been washed out to sea by a massive wave.
The lighthouse remained manned until 28th September 1971, when it became an automatic light.

At school I had to memorise Wilfrid Wilson Gibson's poem "Flannan Isle" - 'Though three men dwell on Flannan Isle, To keep the lamp alight,...' so I found this book all the more poignant. Part of this poem was quoted during Dr Who's "The horror of Fang Rock", and it was also the basis for the Genesis song "The Mystery of Flannan Isle Lighthouse".

Abandoned at Pleasant Creek

The Pleasant Creek Centre was the site of the first local hospital in Stawell, which was opened in 1850 (the only hospital in western Victoria between the South Australian border, Ballarat and the Murray River). Local landowners and miners subscribed to its construction. It was reserved in 1861 and again in 1883. Part of the building remains on the site, there were more elaborate alterations in 1881, it featured a Benevolent Ward for elderly miners. The area has a long history of community use, initially as a health service and subsequently as the Pleasant Creek Training Centre, an area where people with intellectual disabilities were accommodated and educated and participated in day programs.

For many years a school was located on the site as well as accommodation for children, teenagers and latterly disabled adults. Following changes to the way the intellectual disabled were housed, the Department of Human Services transferred the clients from the Pleasant Creek Centre into community housing.

Many ideas for the land by the council include a retirement village; a backpackers facility; hospitality facilities; restaurants; corporate offices; a transit facility for use by V/Line and other coach lines; a fast food outlet; a commercial laundry; a museum; and even a brewery.
Now parliamentary legislation has removed the final reservation on the land and the 13 hectares of land has been identified as having no further public purpose and has been made available for public sale.

Henley & Patriots

Last weekend Edenhope celebrated its 150 years, with a street procession featuring its usual mix of poltically incorrect floats.

The Shirref's 'Save the whale' float

Randall, Sam, Toby, etc also took a swipe at the Japanese whaling (any excuse for them to squirt water at the audience), they won first prize in the Most Humourous section. Other slogans were "Watch out Flipper your next", "Special of the day Moby Dick $5.99 kg", "Japs keep ur hands off our free Willys!"

Tne Ozenkadnook Dragon was still in working condition, having made its first appearance in the Henley procession 50 years ago, only the St George has changed.

Most years the Connewirricoo Tennis Club come up with a topical idea for the procession, this year it was prompted the Prime Minister's Sorry statement, it won Best Club float. Slogans on the other side read "John Elliott apologises to ... Elders, Waterwheel, Fosters, IXL & Carlton", "Australia says sorry to Japan bacause they have to go so far to get whales".
In the afternoon Chris Sperou the former Australian aerobatic champion returned and piloted his Pitt Special bi-plane above the dry lake performing loops and rolls and low passes over the crowd.

After dark it was fireworks on the lake, with the added spectacular of the fire trucks having to extinguish the fairy grass which caught alight from stray sparks.

Following a pancake breakfast the next morning, it was off to photograph some bridges (to be another post) and to Portland to see the oil rig - the Ocean Patriot which was in the harbour for repairs, it was a sight both during the day and at night.

Unshelved again

'The horses are long gone'

These Horsham stables were part of Thomas and George Young’s horse & cattle bazaar. Established in 1875 these brick stables are behind what is now Elders Insurance, between Wilson and Hamilton Streets (the other Young Brothers buildings have all been demolished).
Young buildings being demolished, stables at the rear

The Young Family arrived from Scotland in 1854. They first settled at Tatyoon, then Blackheath. Moving to Horsham, Thomas became a stock & station agent and auctioneer, establishing the firm Young Bros with brother George in 1875. Thomas and Catherine had 7 children. He was elected to the first Horsham Borough Council in 1883, and became mayor in 1884. He was involved with the Presbyterian Church, Longerenong College, schools and the football club. He died in 1935, aged 84 years.




The stables can be seen in the background of the historic photo of the Sale Ring.





Black & white photographs from “Horsham in focus”.

Wimmera's gothic catherdral

Colloquially known as the Stick Shed, this wheat storage shed was built in 1941-42 from 560-640 unmilled tree trunks, it was used to store grain which could not be exported during the war years. It is the earliest and the only remaining grain store built in Victoria during the early 1940s.

The Stick Shed is 265 metres long, 60.5 metres wide and 19-20 metres high, it is part of the Murtoa bulk grain handling site and is owned by the GEB. It was added to the Historic Buildings Register in 1990, and despite a couple of demolition applications, numerous studies and reports into its restoration, several patch repair jobs, nothing has been done about the final fate of the Stick Shed and it continues to deteriorate.

The Stick Shed is the largest building erected in Murtoa, on the Wimmera plains between Horsham and St Arnaud. Another similar structure, about half the size, was originally adjacent. Now the Grain Elevators Board receival centre stands beside the shed. It consists of numerous massive bunkers and wheat silos grouped together. They hold from 300,000 to 400,000 tons.

Fairy Art

"Fairy art : artists & inspirations" by Iain Zaczek


The Victorian/Romantic era saw a flowering of fairy paintings as British artists in particular rejected the classical and ancient Greek subjects in favour of inspiration in the countryside, the hedgerows and the meadows of the nineteenth-century British cultural landscape.

This beautifully illustrated book celebrates the finely detailed art of Fairy painting.

Artists like Arthur Rackman who developed a unique style that blended pictorial elegance with a darkness of line.

Australian artists like Ida Rentoul Outhwaite and Shirley Barber and Pixie O’Harris are unfortunately not included.