General News
13 December, 2025
FLASHBACK: December 11 1975
Methods similar to those used last year to successfully fight fires in the Mallee will again be adopted by the Country Fire Authority’s Northern Zone.
The Chief Officer of the CFA, Mr C. E. Howe, regional officers and senior rural fire brigade representatives of the five Mallee central regions in the Northern Zone have attended the conference at Sea Lake.
The aim of the conference was to formulate operational planning and inter-regional support to combat major fires during the coming fire danger period.
“This support will include manpower and equipment. The conference was told that growth throughout the Mallee was abundant and the potential for major fires was high when the grass was fully cured,” Mr Howe told delegates of developments in the proposed strategy for the fire force.
“I am concerned about the lack of fire presentation so far carried out to protect small townships within the zone,” he said.
“Without adequate fire prevention measures these towns are wide open to destruction by fire.”
Mr Howe appealed to residents to make sure they carried out fire prevention work to keep themselves free from the savages of fire.
During the conference, operational plans were finalised for the use of forest support forces within the zone to help meet major fires.
These proposed forces will operate along similar lines to those used last fire season.
Support forces from as far away as Bendigo and Castlemaine helped Mallee and Wimmera and Henty, Wedderburn and Healesville.
A resolution was passed to apply fire breaks for the fire fighting vehicles to be held in reserve at Donald, Birchip and Mildura would be re-introduced when the maintenance of the three central rural harnessing in the Mallee was completed.
Crash, then recovery: Hopetoun now more confident
After the win against Boolite the previous week, the Hopetoun side proceeded to Kellalac with more confidence than in past games.
Kellalac won the toss and sent Hopetoun in. Hopetoun openers Puckle and McCullough gave the side’s hopes to begin well after their great opening partnership the previous week.
However, this was not to be, as McCullough played over a ball from Kranz and the score showed 1/1.
Puckle, in the sixth over, hit Kranz on and the rot had set in.
Wickets fell steadily throughout the innings. The young partnership between Phillip Flattery and Hallam with 20 runs for the ninth wicket.
Flattery batted with the greatest confidence in the side and compiled 20. Poulton 15 more and Armstrong’s forceful batting and Healey’s was rated the 'Kellalac’s’.
Best of the Kellalac bowlers were the opening bowlers Inkster andKranz with 3-25 and 3-25 respectively.
With 87 minutes to play, Kellalac commenced their innings against a side whose confidence had been jolted not so much by the score alpine, but the possibility of dismissing A Taylor and R Krance, two association batsmen, cheaply.
However, everything is possible, as the teams got behind the bowlers and fielded extremely well and as a result are in a good position.
Dodgshuns opened the bowling and bowled one of the most devastating first overs seen.
In the space of his first six balls, he had J Kranz and A Taylor back over the fence and the score was 2-0.
These wickets gave the extra incentive and the fielding by all was exceptional.
In Malcomm’s thor over, he captured the wickets of R Kranz and C Peters and the score was 4-7.
Then K Taylor and R Inkster held up the preceding with a 27 partnership before Inkster was bowled by Hatcher in the second last over.
Bowlers for Hopetoun put up a great effort and were well supported by all the fieldmen, especially Toss Rivett and Peter McCullough.