Memories of Yallourn by Harold Park (circa 1991)
My earliest recollections of Yallourn go back to 1936 when I commenced work at the Open Cut Maintenance. My wife, Kit, and I stayed at No 1 Hillside with Mr & Mrs Hehir (which was directly opposite the front entrance of the Yallourn High School - the house was later occupied by the McWilliams family).
Lodge Group outside State Savings Bank in 1920s
The Lodge Group outside the State Savings Bank in 1920s
The death of Mrs Vida McMaster in July 1990 (at the age of 90) has caused me to contemplate on the fact that, years ago, when an old respected resident of the district died, the newspapers usually paid tribute to them and to the part they had played in the life and development of their town and district.
These days, with much larger populations, local papers have been much more impersonal and folk who have given great service to their community, never rate a mention except in the obituary column.
Looking back to Main Office and Power Station construction site from hill side Yallourn North - 1920s
To us kids, summer time meant “the pool”, the big pool, the tower, the boards, the reeds – and we knew every square inch as we explored, swam and played.
Without knowing it, we always had a guardian. To us littlies, he was the man who taught us to swim in the little pool, until we graduated by passing the Herald Learn to Swim Certificate.
I can still remember puffing and struggling as I dog-paddled my 25 yards in the big pool. In those many years, just how many hundreds of children did Hughie Graham teach to swim?
