Stories

Yallourn Power Stations (first date Commissioned - second date Decommissioned):
A - 1928 - 1969
B - 1932 - 1970
C - 1954 - 1985
D - 1957 - 1986
E - 1961 - 1989
W - 1973 - 1982 then EnergyAustralia to current

Power generation at Yallourn was first proposed in 1919 when the State Government appointed a committee to investigate the use of coal from the Latrobe Valley. The plant was operated by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria, and the first sod was turned at the Yallourn Power Station site in 1921. Along with the power station, the town… more

Mr J E Menadue – first Head Master YHS – b1899 – d1985 (circa 1990)

Yallourn State School No 4085 became a High School in 1945 – from 1928 to 1944 it was a Higher Elementary School. Mr Menadue was proud to have been Head Master of Yallourn High School and is well remembered for his contribution to the school and its students. He always did his utmost to inspire students to strive to attain their best and to prepare well for the future. He had an ardent desire to help all pupils; those who suffered hardship, those who wished to excel in further studies and those who were unsure of… more

1930s Onwards by Jean Fox (Hattam) (circa 1990)

Can you remember the early days in Yallourn when there were no fences and the butcher, grocer (Nick Carter from Purvis stores Moe) and baker (Mr Claxton from Yallourn North Bakery with his slow old horse) called from back door to back door through your yards to take orders? Even the night man went from loo to loo.

The milk was delivered from hand cans into your milk billy each day and one could buy three penny worth of cream right into your bowl. Milkmen were Davey of Morwell Bridge, Payne of Morwell and then came Best and… more

Taken from SEC Contact - March 1980.

YALLOURN FOOTBALL CLUB 1945-65

1957~ YALLOURN PLAYERS DOMINATE LVFL AWARDS - BRUCE KNIGHT, VIN SABBATUCCI & MORRIS ‘MOSSIE’ WILLIAMS.

Following the formation of the LVFL in 1954, football flourished in the ‘Valley and rapidly gained patronage, publicity and prominence. The consequent wider newspaper coverage from Warragul to Sale and the involvement of country radio stations (3UL, 3TR & 3GI) generated greater interest in local football and this, in turn, boosted attendances and gave an ‘edge’ to the competition.

Television had been introduced into Australia in… more

Our family comprising Dad - Leo, Mum - Ursula and the kids - Terry (Ter), Michael (Mick), Marie (Re) and Kerin (Ker) lived in Progress Rd Hernes Oak near the top of the hill from about 1952 till about 1975, about 23 years. I was eight when we moved from Moe where I was born in the bush hospital on March 26th 1944.
Dad got a job as a house painter with the SEC which is why we moved to the area. He worked around Yallourn till he retired, his last work was painting road lines. Mum never worked outside the home but she worked hard to give us a happy and healthy life.
As a Catholic… more

The LVFL final four in 1955 comprised Moe, Warragul, Sale and Yallourn. The Blues had taken ‘all before them ’ in the dash to the finals and while surprising the pundits, Yallourn was the ‘wild card in the pack.’ A dazzling victory over the highly fancied Warragul team in the Preliminary Final entitled the Blues to meet Sale in the LVFL Grand Final. The Grand Final was played at Morwell on Saturday, 10 September.

‘The Argus’ headline on the eve of the game read….
“YALLOURN HAS THE SPEED TO BLANKET SALE.”
Further into the body of that story….
“… more

The Yallourn Red Cross provided ancillary emergency medical care during the 1960s. It was formed initially in1962 at Hernes Oak Progress Hall and in 1963, a lock-up storeroom at the Yallourn Railway Station was made available for the Society.

Red Cross first-aid teams under Superintendent Mrs R Vivian and Sister J Conquest were sent to the 1965 bushfire centres at Heyfield and Bruthen. The Red Cross was reformed in 1967 by Regional Commandant E Hope and from that time onwards, the Yallourn Society successfully fulfilled the aims of the Red Cross Service and became known as a… more

Social Service – Hospital Visits (circa 1990)
Students from Yallourn High School undertook a program of Social Service by spending a rostered day at the Latrobe Valley Community Hospital. Students from Forms 3 and 4 participated in the service and they would give up their time on either a Tuesday or a Thursday for one day in the year.
The students assisted Ward Staff at the Hospital in various activities as nominated by the Sisters and one such task was for a student to shave the face of the then Head Master, Jim McAdam, who was in hospital at the time. All students found this… more

Highland Dancing in Yallourn by Jean Fox (Hattam) (circa 1990)
The legend of Highland National Dancing and pipe band in and around Yallourn was created by Mrs Emmy Law. In 1935, Mrs Law arrived as a bride and commenced teaching Highland National Dancing, also the bag pipes followed by the pipe band. In 1991, 55 years on, Mrs Law was still teaching with as much success as always, with Alison Coupe holding Victorian Championship for Highland Dancing for the past 3 years. Some of the first pupils are also members of YOGA, namely Barbara Easterbrook (Breen), Betty Whitaker (Smith), Fae… more