The first sod in the Victorian Government’s ambitious scheme to generate electricity at Yallourn was turned more than a century ago (sometime around 1920);  and for the next six decades  the unique township of Yallourn ‘took root,  prospered , bloomed, withered  and  died’….

“Yallourn was swallowed by the coal mine it was built to serve”… ‘The Herald Sun’ May 2016.

In this history series for the Virtual Yallourn website, various years in the life of the Yallourn have been researched and posted on the web site. The monthly news items, listed below, attempt to highlight some of the stories, about the township and its residents that made the local and national newspapers during 1929.

1929

JANUARY: A long awaited and important occasion took place in Yallourn when Sir John Monash officially opened the hospital on Sunday, 13th January. Approximately 2,000 people witnessed the event; and it was a grand occasion with ‘flags all aflutter’ and a procession of the fire brigade, scouts and guides, and the Yallourn Band. During his inspiring oration, Sir John Monash said…

“…that the hospital, with equipment ….had cost over £32,000 had been given as a gift to the people of Yallourn, by the people of Victoria, through the Electricity Commission. It was however, the duty of the residents to support and maintain the Institution. He also urged that working bees be arranged to carry out necessary work in improving and beautifying the hospital grounds, which comprised 15 acres..”  Source: ‘Morwell Advertiser’ 18th January 1929.  Page: 3.

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Yallourn - Year by Year - 1928

The first sod, in the Victorian Government’s ambitious scheme to generate electricity at Yallourn,  was turned more than a century ago (sometime around 1920);  and for the next six decades, the unique township of Yallourn ‘took root, prospered, bloomed, withered  and  died’….

“Yallourn was swallowed by the coal mine it was built to serve”… ‘The Herald Sun’ May 2016.

In this history series for the Virtual Yallourn website, various years in the life of the Yallourn have been researched and posted on the website.  The monthly events, listed below, attempt to highlight some of the stories, about the township and its residents that made local and national news during 1928.

1928

JANUARY: Radio station 3LO aired a 30 minute program entitled ‘The Yallourn

Power Station’ on 4th January 1928. Mr C.T. Briggs presented the program. 3LO (now known as 774 AM) commenced transmission in 1924. The ‘LO’ call sign referred to ‘local’; and it was the second radio station to commence transmission in Melbourne (the first being 3AR). 

The station’s first program featured Dame Nellie Melba and was relayed from His Majesty’s Theatre. The radio program, about Yallourn, underlined the importance of the SEC’s project to the people of Victoria.

FEBRUARY:

Photo above - Caption: TIRELESS ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE… One of the new German electric locomotives at Yallourn. It will haul 80 tons of coal at a time to the power-house, delivering 4,000 tons a day. Source: ‘The Argus’ February 13th 1928.  Page: 13.

In February 1928, a wild fire broke out close to the Yallourn township and it imperilled the railway station until finally brought under control. On the same day, a terrifying fire also raged near Violet Town. In 1928, Sir John Monash publically commended the Yallourn Brigade following its performances at the State Fire Brigades Demonstration at Geelong. ‘Practise makes perfect’; and the Yallourn Fire Brigade would face some severe tests in the years ahead.

MARCH: Five infants succumbed to an epidemic at the Yallourn settlement in March that year. The outbreak was thought to be gastric-enteritis but subsequent reports feared meningitis.

To continue reading this article, please click on the pdf link below.