IMAGES  OF  YALLOURN

YALLOURN HIGH SCHOOL - CHEMISTRY  LESSON.

50 YEARS AGO - 1971

Some readers may remember this chemistry classroom at the Yallourn High School. The photograph was taken in 1971; and it is possible, although not verified, that the teacher shown is Mrs Wallis.

AN IMPORTANT REMINDER: THE 2021 REUNION

The Annual Yallourn Reunion is being held at the Morwell RSL on Saturday, 13th March commencing at 12 noon.  Pre-booking is essential for catering and name tag purposes. Please contact Julie for further information regarding the occasion (julie@yallourn.org). Thank you.

IMAGES OF YALLOURN

THE  SWIMMING POOL  AT  THE LATROBE RIVER

SUMMER - 1930.

The photograph of an idyllic swimming scene at the Latrobe River in the 1930’s was taken by one of Australia’s most eminent photographers James Pinkerton Campbell (1865-1935). An article about this celebrated resident of Yallourn can be found at:

http://www.virtualyallourn.com/node/32887

Caption text: ‘People swimming at the Latrobe River ( 19320-30 )’

Source; J.P. Campbell Collection. SLV H2009.18/427

Yallourn Swimming Club stalwart, Arthur Brogan, who was awarded the prestigious Swimming Victoria Award in 1973, wrote a comprehensive and enlightening history of the Yallourn Swimming Club which can be found by following this link…

http://www.virtualyallourn.com/story/yallourn-swimming-club-arthur-brogan-circa-1991-and-footnote-kevin-brogan-2015

Another story, which relates to the Yallourn Swimming Club, is about one of stars of the YSC and Gippsland swimming, Lois Gust…

http://www.virtualyallourn.com/stories/lois-gust-sporting-memories-yallourn-swimming-hockey-athletics-and-more

A collection of photographs and articles regarding the history of swimming at Yallourn can be found, on this website, at the following links:

http://www.virtualyallourn.com/search?search=swimming

http://www.virtualyallourn.com/node/30506

http://www.virtualyallourn.com/node/29581

http://www.virtualyallourn.com/node/27877

http://www.virtualyallourn.com/node/26794

To read the entire article, please click on the pdf link below

THE SAD PASSING OF JACK VINALL - above photo taken in 2014 at Jack's home

One of the great personalities of Gippsland, Jack Vinall, passed away at his home in Creamery Road, Yinnar, on Monday, 25th January 2021. Jack Vinall, who was student at Yallourn High School in the 1940’s, played more than 200 games with the ‘Blues and was a prominent player in the Central Gippsland Cricket Association.

Many Virtual Yallourn readers will remember Jack’s outstanding achievements in local football for the Blues and cricket (with Morwell CC) and, of course, who could ever forget his energetic and resolute community involvement and lasting contribution to the affairs and organizations of the Latrobe Valley?   

Jack Vinall has a place in the hearts of all people of the ‘Valley.  He was a person of immense character, gifted talents and unpretentious ways.

Jack was aged 89 at the time of his death; and all readers convey their condolences to the Vinall family at this time of deep sorrow. Jack’s funeral service will be held on Friday, 5th of February at Kernot Hall in Morwell. (Note: The details of the service are published in the link below). 

To continue reading this tribute, please click on pdf link below:

Yallourn - Year by Year - 1927

The first sod in the Victorian Government’s  ambitious scheme,  to establish a power generation plant  at Yallourn,  was turned almost a century ago (1921);  and for the next six decades  the township of Yallourn ‘took root, bloomed, withered  and  died’….

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

In this series for the Virtual Yallourn website, the monthly activities, shown in each year,  are not necessarily momentous occasions in the town’s history  but are simply an attempt to (i) Highlight the personalities of the town and  (ii) List the myriad of events that made the local ( and often national ) news.

The walk down ‘Memory Lane’ (not to be confused with Meadow Lane which ran off Latrobe Avenue) begins in the year of 1925 when the plans of the SEC were well underway;  and the unique ‘garden town’ of Yallourn was taking shape and creating interest far and wide. This article, regarding the year 1927, includes a photograph of the township in those early years; and in the words of Banjo Paterson…  “the vision splendid”

To read more, click on the pdf link below:

Sydney Boyle & Dilys Ingram were living in Chester England in 1949.

One day Dilys said, “Haven’t you got any ambition?”

“Such as ….?”

“Well, migrating or something like that.”

A couple of days before, I had been reading about the State Electricity Commission of Victoria (Australia) wanting electricians. I had thought about it but did not think Dilys would be interested. When I went to work next day, I salvaged the paper and the advertisement.

I sent the application forms away and received a reply giving us dates for interviews with people from Australia House and later medicals and X-rays. We realised that if we did go, we would need to some money, so we packed up and left the rented apartment and moved in with my mum and dad. We sold everything except pots and pans, utensils and clothes, and after paying our ten-pound fares, fares for transport and for our luggage to Southhampton, we were able to forward one hundred pounds to Australia.

We sailed on the Largs Bay on 1/04/50. We were told that it was an old boat that used to transport bananas. The men’s cabins had had two double bunks with about 3 feet between each set (they were sex segregated). Dilys had to share a cabin with a teacher from Sydney, a butcher’s daughter from Warragul and another woman, whose husband was going to also work for the S.E.C. of Victoria. I shared a cabin with 3 other men, and on the first night I could smell one man’s sweaty feet and he also smoked pipe, so I grabbed a blanket and pillow and slept on the upper deck, which I did for the whole five-week trip.

To read more, click on the pdf link below....