From the pages of the McIvor Times

150 YEARS ago

Published 25 March 1875

Lucky Find

MR James Waters was on Saturday last the lucky discoverer of a nice piece of gold, weighing 13 oz, the locality being Argyle Gully.

The nugget is very pure, containing but a few small particles of quartz and is the second unearthed by Mr Waters in about the same place.

Bush fire

A bush fire has been burning now for several weeks in the Tooborac ranges, and recently the flames have been visible from Heathcote, especially yesterday evening, when the fire appeared to have assumed much larger proportions than previously.

It is now raging most fiercely at the back of Mr Kennedy’s residence, and we were informed yesterday that it was approaching the property in that locality.

100 years ago

Published 4 March 1925

Euchres and dances

Tonight a euchre and dance in aid of the Sweet Stall of the forthcoming hospital fete will be held in the Shire Hall.

There has been a good sale of tickets, and a rollicking time is assured.

On Wednesday next, a similar function is to be held for the Produce Store, and a rare gathering of its kind is promised.

The organisers of both these functions are working hard in an effort to make them successful and trippers of the light fantastic will find plenty of enjoyment in a good cause.

Published 11 March 1925

Accident

Mr George Hird, school teacher of Bylands, and son of Mr R Hird of Heathcote, had the misfortune to have an accident with his motor bike and sidecar.

He was tuning it up for a weekend trip to the city last Thursday, when, without warning, the spark plug blew out, penetrated one of the petrol tanks and set the volatile spirit on fire.

With a friend, Mr Hird threw earth on the fire to extinguish it and finally succeeded in getting it under.

They ran great risks of an explosion during this operation, and were fortunate to escape without one.

The side car was consumed and the bike was very badly damaged.

Both were uninsured.

50 years ago

Published 4 March 1975

An intruder

Who owns that bloody cow who cleaned up our veggie garden, along with some others, last Saturday night?

Only hope the pound keeper has done his job and impounded the monster.

Apart from cleaning up every stick of silver beet it just walked through the rest of the garden to flatten it beyond growth.

I thought that running stock on the streets of Heathcote had passed.

Remember many years ago when it wasn’t safe to walk around the town after dark for fear of treading on a cow lying under a verandah somewhere!

The editor

Published 18 March 1975

State Bank reduces home loan interest

The State Bank will reduce the interest rate from 9.75% to 9.25% on housing loans up to $12,500.

The cut will apply to loans from 1st May.

The lower interest rate will also apply to some 50,000 existing borrowers whose original Savings Bank loans did not exceed $12,500.

Their quarterly repayments will not alter, but their loan terms will be reduced by four years, from 27 ½ to 23 ½ years.

The bank’s other housing interest rates remain as follows:

loans from $12,501 to $15,000, 9.75%

loans from $15,001 to 30,000, 10.25%

loans from $30,001 to $50,001, 11%

“The new State Bank interest rates are equal to, or lower than, those charged by all other major lenders in Victoria,” Mr Don Ross, State Bank general manager, said today.