Stand and deliver: the 1853 gold escort robbery at Mia Mia
THE sleepy hamlet of Mia Mia, south-west of Heathcote, hit headlines across Australia in 1853 after the ambush of a private gold escort. On 20...
From the pages of the McIvor Times
140 Years Ago Published 27 June 1884 BACHELORS' BALL AT AXEDALE A grand ball was given in Drake's Assembly Room, on Wednesday night, by the bachelors of...
Heathcote’s Union Hotel: the early days
THE Union Hotel is one of only two nineteenth century watering holes still operating in Heathcote, the other being the Commercial Hotel. At one stage...
The weather outside is frightful
EVERY year in late May, a sharp wind whistles up High Street, Heathcote, stripping the last burgundy leaves from the claret ash trees and...
Back to Heathcote 1925
THE King's Birthday long weekend sees many people travel to the district for Heathcote on Show. But while the modern wine industry has heightened public...
From the pages of the McIvor Times
140 Years Ago Published 2 May 1884 A mud storm A STRANGE phenomenon, in what is described as a mud storm, was experienced at Heathcote and locality,...
International touch down for Heathcote player
HEATHCOTE'S Gabe Bradshaw is about to don the green and gold as part of the national under 20s gridiron team, the Australian Outback. He's taking...
From the pages of the McIvor Times
140 years ago Published 18 April 1884 To the Editor of the McIvor Times Sir, -- The late secretary of the Acclimatisation Society made a fatal mistake...
Local soldiers help defend Australia
DESPITE the gathering clouds of war in Europe, the McIvor Times was largely preoccupied with local issues until mid 1939. But amid stories of council...
Stepping out at the Easter parade
BY 1915 Heathcote's Easter Hospital Fete had been a semi-regular part the district calendar for more than 40 years. This was the 22nd event since...
Remembering Redcastle
REDCASTLE was once a thriving mining centre with its own township, but these days it's a rural district where sheep graze and wine grapes...
Remembering Redcastle
REDCASTLE was once a thriving mining centre with its own township, but these days it's a rural district where sheep graze and wine grapes...
From the pages of the McIvor Times
140 years ago Published 7 March 1884 Snake encounter A snake of the brown species was pluckily killed on Saturday afternoon last by Elizabeth Herman, who was...
The early days of a bluestone beauty
THE TOOBORAC Hotel has been a landmark since it was built in the late 1850s. In its early days, the sturdy bluestone walls provided respite...
Making a difference
SINCE January 2016, Heathcote's Never Give Up Group has been raising money to help support people living with Motor Neurone Disease. The last ever MND...
Help keep Heathcote Show happening
HEATHCOTE'S agricultural show society is looking for a new secretary. Society president Alan Harris said it was a fantastic opportunity for someone to become involved...
From the pages of the McIvor Times
February features bank closures, road closures and planning permits.
In 1884, the Commercial Bank’s plan to abandon Heathcote was overturned after a successful campaign by...
Keeping Heathcote’s past under lock and key
THE old stone lock-up which stands on Camp Hill at Heathcote was an 1860 addition to the original Government Camp established in 1853. Today it...
Thomas Craven: Heathcote’s early entrepreneur
THOMAS Craven arrived in Heathcote in the early 1850s as part of the initial rush to the McIvor diggings. He quickly realised the much greater...
MND Superchallenge ends in final hurrah
SEVENTY-FIVE bowlers rolled up on Australia Day for the Never Give Up Group’s ninth and final MND Superchallenge at Heathcote Bowling Club. They came from...
From the pages of the McIvor Times
FIRE, fashion and a milestone birthday, along with a grumble about the poor quality of council contractors, feature in this journey into the past. In...
Wowsers versus wine: The booze battle for Heathcote
FOR many people modern-day Heathcote is synonymous with wine. Viticulture is central to the region’s economy and prosperity, with cellar doors attracting tourists and award-winning...
The colourful character who helped build Heathcote
JAMES Crowle was a prominent nineteenth century Heathcote identity and his exploits featured regularly in the pages of the McIvor Times and its predecessors. Born...
Heathcote remembered part two
IN NOVEMBER 1913 the McIvor Times published a short history of the Heathcote district. This second extract mentions an 1853 robbery which netted thieves 2223...