FOUNDED
OWNER
CIRCUL ATION
EDITOR
PUBLISHED
Pinnaroo, March 17, 1911
Taylor Group of Newspapers
1200
Paul Mitchell
Wednesday
$1.30
Friday, April 29, 2011
INSIDE TODAY YOUNG NETBALLERS PAGE 11
KEEN GOLFERS PAGE 5
Unveiled: Peake’s memorial The Peake community officially opened its memorial to those who have served in Australia’s conflicts at its Anzac Day service on Monday. About 75 people, ranging in age from one to 70 turned out for the event. Spokesperson Judith Johnson said the memorial, which was the vision of locals Ron Downs and Terry Deer, was completed in November when the honour roll was installed. She said 112 names now grace the roll which covers the Jabuk, Peake, Netherton, Buccleuch and Sherlock areas. It includes people who enlisted in World War I, World War II and the Vietnam conflict. Mrs Johnson said the local names were boosted by a number of men who were working as farm hands in the area at the outbreak of World War II. Monday’s ceremony was overseen by Terry Deer, with Ron Downs removing the ceremonial ribbon from the memorial’s flagpole. State vice-president of the RSL Bob Johnston led the crowd through the Ode, Last Post and Revielle. The Lameroo RSL had two members present while the Karoonda RSL had three. Mrs Johnson said two men who were on the roll were also present at the opening – Ian Johnson (who served in Vietnam) and Geoff Harvey (who also served in Vietnam, and travelled from Goolwa to be present at the service). Others who attended came from as far as Coomandook, Adelaide, Murray Bridge, Williamstown and Gawler and from Geranium through to Sherlock. Two wreaths were laid at the ceremony, one by Coorong District Council councillor Lachlan McKinna who was assisted by Lochie Pickering, and the other on behalf of the local community by Trevor Johnson. Adrian How laid a rose in memory of his uncle, Vern How. The Peake memorial was officially opened on Anzac Day to a crowd of about 75 people who had come to pay tribute. INSET: Veterans at the Lameroo Anzac Day service were, from back left, Lou Nankivell, Mick McAppion, Jack Walker, and front left, Les Hyde and Bob Thurston. STORY: Page 3, MURRAYVILLE: Page 3 and PINNAROO: Page 3.
Fresh plans for baby tribute Plans for a a memorial dedicated to stillborn babies in Pinnaroo has regained momentum. The idea for the memorial was first mooted in July 2007, following a letter former local Judy Coad wrote to The Border Times seeking interest and support for the idea. Mrs Coad’s vigil had a personal note. She tracked down her brother Timothy’s stillborn certificate through the Bureau of
March 17, 1911
Births, Deaths and Marriages. Timothy was stillborn on July 2, 1945 at Pinnaroo. Mrs Coad said in her letter that parents from those days never saw their stillborn children as the belief was it would be too traumatic for them. A group of women in Pinnaroo took up the cause and the project is now back in the public spotlight after some time in the wilderness. Organisers are now asking for people willing to donate time and money towards the
project to contact either Von O’Loughlin on 8577 8165 or Wendy Kirkbright on 8577 8339 ahead of a meeting within a month. The area chosen for the memorial is proposed to be part of a garden area outside a wing of the Pinnaroo Hospital, with a memorial plaque to be placed under the pine trees where several babies are buried. It has also been suggested that the Pinnaroo Cemetery have a plaque/sign directing people to the hospital.
In September 2008 Mrs O’Loughlin said about 13 babies were buried behind the hospital. She said often babies were not registered if they were stillborn, but were registered if they lived a couple a hours. Those people searching for information on the babies have been helped by the hospital’s admissions book that dates back to the early 1920s.
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April 29, 2011
T HE B O RDE R TIM ES – known as the ‘Voice of the Mallee’ – has been in the hands of only four families since it was founded 101 years ago. Based in Pinnaroo for most of its existence, the paper serves the heart of the Mallee broadacre farming and grazing district. Located 243km east of Adelaide, Pinnaroo is a rural service town to many surrounding areas and is located close to the Victorian border. Industries include wheat, sheep for wool and fat lambs, potato growing, manufacturing and construction. Advances in agriculture, both in farming methods and cereal varieties, and the never ending battle with soil erosion and dust storms, mouse and rabbit plagues, fires, drought, flooding and destructive storms have all been major issues covered in minute detail by the paper. Some key developments covered in the paper’s early history were the first sheep sale at Pinnaroo on January 30, 1914, the first telephone service in Pinnaroo in October, 1916, and the official opening of the Pinnaroo-Murrayville railway on July 30, 1915. The first owner was John Letheby, who died in 1922, just 11 years after founding what was then known as the Pinnaroo & Border Times. In the first edition on March 17, 1911, he wrote “To Settlers of Pinnaroo and the Victorian Border Districts.” His editorial said: “The need of a local paper to give prominence to the interests of these great Wheat growing districts has long been felt and the proprietor of the “Times” trusts that the settlers and townspeople will give the new paper their united support and help in the work undertaken.” The editorial promised: “The policy of the ‘Times’ will be fearless and outspoken when the occasion requires it.” Mr Letheby appointed Mr W. O’Neill as manager from 1917 to 1921 and he was followed by Mr J. O’Dea until 1927. From 1927 until 1941 Mr Colin Letheby was manager. During World War II,
Mr Eric Nilson managed the paper which was changed to a tabloid. It also underwent a subtle name change to the Pinnaroo Border Times. After the death of John Letheby, his wife, Emily, continued to run the paper, covering the growth and expansion of the town and surrounding areas as land was opened up for farming. In February, 1953, Mr Rob Wilson bought the paper which had not been published for eight months. His first edition was published on March 12. The Wilson family involvement with the paper grew in 1959 when Rob’s brothers, Alan and Reg, became business partners. Rob Wilson was a great advocate of buying locally and through the paper kept the issue in the public eye. In 1973 and 1974 the paper was awarded the Conqueror Trophy for the best newspaper under a circulation of 2500. Robert and Beth Marshall became the third owners in October, 1985, when they bought out the Wilson family. However, Mr Reg Wilson continued to work at the paper which underwent another name change to The Border Times. In 1991, the paper received a commendation in the annual Country Press SA Inc. awards for the best example of effective journalism. At the end of 2005, the Marshalls sold the weekly paper, published every Wednesday, to the Taylor Group of Newspapers which began publishing it from January, 2006. The office in Pinnaroo closed at the end of 2006 and operations continued from the office of the Taylor family’s Murray Pioneer newspaper in Renmark. In 2009, The Border Times journalist, Deirdre Graham, won the Country Press SA Inc. award for best community profile.
184 T HROU G H OU R E Y E S > 100 y e a r s o f C ou n t r y P r e s s SA I n c . , 1912 – 2012