Yallourn - Year by Year - 1931
The first sod in the Victorian Government’s ambitious scheme, to generate electricity at Yallourn, was turned more than a century ago (sometime around 1920); and for the next six decades the township of Yallourn ‘took root, bloomed, withered and died’….
“Yallourn was swallowed by the coal mine it was built to serve”… ‘The Herald Sun’ May 2016.
In this history series for the Virtual Yallourn website, various events in the life of the town and its industries have been chronicled. The monthly activities, shown in each year, are not necessarily the most momentous occasions but simply attempt to show the many varied and interesting happenings that made the local (and sometimes national) news in that era.
The walk down ‘Memory Lane’ (not to be confused with Meadow Lane which ran off Latrobe Avenue) begins in the year of 1925 when the plans for the Yallourn Project were well underway and the ‘garden town’ of Yallourn was creating interest far and wide.
1931
JANUARY: Enrolments for the Herald’s ‘Free Learn to Swim’ campaign commenced across Victoria on January 17th 1931. Mr McNeil of the West Camp at Yallourn was the designated contact person for those interested in joining the program, which included daily lessons. Mr McNeil was the Honorary Secretary of the Yallourn Swimming Club at that time.
FEBRUARY: According to the Melbourne ‘Age’, a branch of the Housewives’ Association was formed at Yallourn sometime in February 1931. The inaugural office bearers were:- President: Mrs. Bennett, Vice-presidents: Mesdames Meens and Lucas, Hon. Treasurer: Mrs. Morton; and Mrs. A. Wilson was listed as the Secretary. One the of major issues of the ‘Association’, at that time, was the high cost of school text books.
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