FROM THE NEWSPAPERS - 1932 - The Lost Boy from Yallourn - Harry Rickard and Sir John Monash Bust

THE LOST BOY FROM YALLOURN
This newspaper extract, regarding young Harry Rickard’s journey to Melbourne, was published in the ‘Traralgon Record’ in 1932. The story began when Harry, who was just four years of age, attended the celebrations associated with the opening of the Sir John Monash Memorial Monument in the Yallourn Town Square gardens.
Harry’s adventure to the ‘big smoke,’ on that day in 1932, would have been a major topic of conversation around Yallourn that week…it would certainly be big news nowadays.
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DECEMBER 12th 1932 ‘Traralgon Record’ Page 3
Four Year Old Boy Travels Solo.
YOUNG YALLOURN VISITS MELBOURNE.
Harry Rickard, of Yallourn, who is only four years, but looks twice that age, is as broad of outlook as of stature. He promises to develop into a strong but silent man.
In company with his remarkably sturdy brother and sister aged three years and seventeen months respectively, he attended the Monash Memorial celebrations and later, evidently inspired by the martial music and the unusual sight of such large crowds, and filled with the spirit of adventure, he abandoned his companions without even a good bye and joining the Melbourne-bound visitors when the special train left set out to see the world.
While Harry was being rushed citywards, his father and mother, Mr Mrs Rickard, of Hillside, Yallourn were frantically searching for him in neighbouring streets and finally sought out police assistance.
Russell Street* was communicated with and when the special reached Flinders Street; Harry was met by an official from headquarters and taken to Russell Street, where he spent the night as an honoured guest.
He arrived home the following day tired, but flushed with his adventure. His journey, the first of his life, had two conspicuous landmarks -cakes and trams.
A caller subsequently found him busily engaged with his brother and sister disputing permission of the garden hose, which was merrily saturating the previously dried garments on the clothesline.
Asked what he thought of Melbourne, he replied- “The trams were good, but I liked the cakes and Mummy is going to make me plenty so I won't have to go away again.” On the train a lady treated him to a generous helping of cake.
So that was that -till mother spied the dripping contents of the clothesline, when the cakes suddenly seemed as far off as the trams.
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FOOTNOTES
1. Russell Street, as mentioned above, was the HQ for the Victorian Police Force.
2. The monument in honour of Sir John Monash, which was unveiled on Sunday 27th November 1932 , was funded by a voluntary subscription of workers throughout the SECV.
3. The 12 foot high memorial was constructed of Harcourt grey granite and the bronze bust of Sir John was sculpted by Paul Montford.
4. Paul Raphael Montford (1868-1938) was one Australia’s foremost sculptors. Along with the bust of Sir John Monash, for the memorial at Yallourn; Paul Montford is best known for his work at the Shrine of Remembrance and his remarkable sculptures of Adam Lindsay Gordon, John Wesley and Peter Pan in and around the city of Melbourne.
5. The bronze bust of Sir John Monash is now located at the Latrobe Regional Gallery, Commercial Road in Morwell; it is not on permanent display but an appointment can be made to see the sculpture.
The phone number of the LRG is 03 5128 5700.”
The above article from the ‘Traralgon Record’ has been faithfully reproduced. The only amendments to the original copy are the font style, font size and spacing so as to enhance the article for purposes of posting on the Virtual Yallourn website.