NEWS, NOTES, AND DONATIONSDonations Received

Gwynne Dwyer - book
Michael Thompson - family tree

Margaret was conscientious about everything. She was a sincere TDHS member who diligently went about her task of recording our guest speaker talks for publication in our quarterly bulletin. She was a ready assistant at working bees and a lateral thinker in her role as a committee member. Margaret even recruited her husband, Geoff, as the mechanic of the TDHS Oldsmobile. Whenever it went on display she would be there with Geoff, ensuring the ‘Olds’ was well presented and that its accompanying information was properly displayed for the public.

Margaret was born at Warncoort, near Colac. Sadly her mother passed away when Margaret was eight years old, soon after the birth of her younger sister. Her father died when she was 17 years old, leaving Margaret, her twin sister and an older and younger brother.

A couple of years after shifting to the Latrobe Valley to teach at Yallourn, Margaret met Geoff. They married three years later, in 1956, and had three children, Keith, Janet and Alan, each of whom now have two children of their own.

In her earlier years Margaret was involved in women’s refuge, mothers clubs and school committees, and at one stage took ‘Quit Smoking’ courses for various organisations all over Gippsland. In more recent times she was a member of the TDHS, the ‘Friends of the Library’ group, book clubs and walking groups. She enjoyed life and was a very social and community-minded person. After Geoff retired, over a 15 year period, they travelled the length and breadth of Australia by caravan.

Because of her natural warmth and genuine interest in people, Margaret became a good friend of everyone with whom she came into contact; she will be sadly missed. Members of the Society offer their condolences to Geoff and family.

In Life’s Garden

Count your garden by the flowers
Never by the leaves that fall.
Count your days by golden hours,
Don’t remember clouds at all.
Count your nights by stars, not shadows,
Count your life with smiles, not tears.
And with joy, through all your lifetime,
Count your age by friends, not years!

Anonymous (submitted by Jim Hood)

Morwell Bridge.
December 10th. -89

To Mr. James Campbell.
Traralgon
Gippsland

Sir - In the course of an occasional journey to Traralgon, I have had more than one opportunity of judging the exact locality, where, almost to a certainty, the fossiliferous vegetable remains of the "Mesozoic period", now more popularly known as the "Brown Coal" deposits of Gippsland are likely to be tapped with every prospect of success, and possibly a new industry - advantageous to the interest of the Central Riding of the Shire of Traralgon - be stimulated by the adoption to artizan uses, the clays and alkaline earthy surroundings usually associated with the same.

I don’t think the land is what is called Selected area, although I am not quite sure that it is vested to the Shire as a Reserve. The exact spot is situated about 3 miles from Traralgon, on the Melbourne Road, right hand side towards Morwell Bridge: easily identified as a sand hill, almost opposite Dwyer’s place., yet rather to the westward. I ask no terms of concession to Myself in consideration of any probable advantages to you or others. Neither will I bind you by any condition of secrecy or undue publicity, for if I were only soliciting public attention towards my own name, I might have done so through the columns of your local newspaper contributor. If this information is of sufficient interest to you, I hope that you will be able to organize the required intelligent enterprising energy from among the residents and to the best advantages of Traralgon. At the present time, the speculative genii of otherwise lethargic Morwell, is almost at mania or craze point of desire in search of the same product, and perhaps upon the open terms with which I now submit this letter, they might warmly embrace the opportunity that I now offer to Traralgon. You are at liberty to apply this letter to whatever use your own judgement may dictate.

I am

John H. McDonald.

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Members of our Society are trying to identify the location of this Latrobe Valley home.

If you are able to help, please contact our Vice President, Mr Ron Hore, or leave a message at the TDHS rooms on 5174 8399.