Wodonga & District Historical Society Inc

01/06/2026

Scarlet Fever at De Kerrilleau.
The Albury Banner and Wodonga Express 11 Dec 1875, page 13.
Scarlet Fever has broken out in the vicinity of Wodonga. One child, we regret to state, belonging to the family of Mr William Huon, J.P. of the De Kerrilleau House has succumbed to the disease, and another is seriously ill. No cause can be assigned for the outbreak of the disease at De Kerrilleau House, one of the finest and best situated private residences on the border, excepting that the contagion was brought by Mr. Huon from the metropolis. Mr. Huon is not aware, we believe, of having been near anyone suffering, or who has suffered from scarlet fever, but the poison germs might have been conveyed to his clothing by sitting in a railway carriage with a convalescent patient, or even sitting in a railway carriage where a convalescent person had been seated. If first-class carriages had been special designed for the propagation of infectious disease, they could not have been constructed on a model more suited to the purpose; and if it would be possible precautions ought to be taken to prevent persons who have recently had scarlet fever from travelling on the railways as the danger of contagion is greatest during convalescence, when the epidermis is being shed.

31/05/2026

Wodonga Town Band 1949
Rear: Ernie May (Bandmaster).
Back Row L-R: Colin Skinner; Max Hine; Jim Costelloe; Wall White; Bert Tooley; [unknown]; Bernie Pertzel; Bo Hartwig; John May.
Front Row L-R: Kevin Wilcox; Colin Glassenbury; Colin H**e; Jim Strauss; Noel Strauss.

30/05/2026

Clock belonging to Franz Gördes (Eversberg Germany)

The Australian story began with the emigration of Franz Gördes. Franz was the son of Kaspar Gördes and Elisabeth Fischer and was born about 1843 in Eversberg Germany. When he was 27 he was determined to try his fortune in Australia, so he set sail from the Port of Gravesend in London on the 21st October 1871, aboard the S.S. Somersetshire. He arrived in Melbourne, Australia on the 27th December 1871 after 67 days at sea. Almost at once he headed for the goldfields of Beechworth in the North East of Victoria where he settled on some land that is now known as Spring Gully. That calling did not prove congenial to him and he decided to go back to his trade as a Bootmaker. He set up business in Wodonga in a shop close to where Sister Hughes's Hospital once stood. Later he built a shop and stocked it with all the requirements for a General Store. On the eve of opening up in these premises a fire destroyed everything. Not to be daunted he rebuilt and carried on business til the time of his death 8th June 1928. He married Margaret Burke from silver creek Beechworth on the 25th April 1876. He was 33yrs old and she was 19 yrs old. Together they had 9 children. Margaret died on the 24th September 1938.

30/05/2026

I am back, a bit later than expected due to a cancelled flight requiring another night's stay and then a delay in the replacement flight. I feel I need a holiday to get over that.

09/05/2026

A quick update from your page admin…
I’ll be heading overseas from Sunday 10 May and returning on 27 May 2026. During this time, there won’t be any new posts on the page.
In the meantime, why not take the opportunity to scroll back through some of our earlier posts—you might just discover something you missed the first time around!
Thanks for your continued support, and I look forward to sharing more with you when I return. Regards, Uta.

09/05/2026

Wodonga High School 1997
Class 10 Kiewa 1
Thanks to Kirsten Simmons (now Finger)

08/05/2026

Today marks the anniversary of that dreadful bus crash involving soldiers from Bandiana and Bonegilla.
Along with the book written by Andrew Johnston, Death by Misadventure, telling the story of the soldiers involved along with details of the incident, Andrew has also recently produced a youtube video telling the story.

On a dark evening on 8 May 1943, the Australian border towns of Wodonga and Albury were forever scarred by Australia’s worst level crossing disaster. When th...

07/05/2026

On 28th December 1892 it was decided to form a company to be called the Kiewa Butter and Cheese Factory and Creamery Co. Ltd. Share Capital was to be 3000 shares at one pound per share.

The factory was built at Kiewa in 1893 and took in its first milk in December 1893. The first intake of cream from surrounding farmers took place in 1899. From 1900 to 1910 the Kiewa factory intake was affected by vagaries of weather. The following years were affected by the First World War and impacts on the London markets. In 1928 a new factory was constructed.

In the 1940s a piggery was established to dispose of buttermilk and a dairy farm was established for effluent disposal. In the 1950s a new factory for the receival of milk and milk products was constructed with surplus milk being manufactured into spray dried milk powder.

The Company was the first Victorian co-operative dairy to pasteurise and bottle milk for home delivery. They also promoted their milk which was Tuberculin free. Farmers were paid a premium for milk from herds declared T.B. free after testing by veterinary officers of the Kiewa and Mitta Valleys Veterinary Scheme.
That important fact is noted on the label of this product.

The Kiewa and Tallangatta Companies amalgamated in 1959 to form the North Eastern Dairy Company Limited. This product therefore predates that time.

06/05/2026

In the early 1900s a new Coffee Palace was erected on the first railway land to be leased for private business in Wodonga. This Coffee Palace (later to become Glenburnie Guest House) was situated in High Street opposite the former Customs House which at the time was being used as the Wodonga Police Station. It was built by Mr Denny Donovan and operated by his wife.
An article in the Wodonga and Towong Sentinel declared that “No expense has been spared in the er****on and fitting up of the Palace, which is intended to supply a long felt want”. The building consists entirely of brick and the rooms are lofty, spacious and well-ventilated. The bedsteads are modern, and will satisfy the most fastidious. The motto of the proprietress is “Cleanliness, civility and attention”.
Mr Donovan died in January 1908 and in 1909 the Wodonga Coffee Palace was sold by Mrs Donovan to Mrs P. Egan who advertised hot and cold shower baths with meals at all hours.
In 1913 the Wodonga Coffee Palace was taken over by Mrs Cuthbertson and Miss Steele.
In 1921 Wodonga Coffee Palace was taken over by Julia Ronan who had successfully conducted the dining rooms at the Wodonga Saleyards for 15 years until those premises burned down.
The Wodonga and Towong Sentinel on 10 January 1936 reported that “the business premises formerly conducted by Mrs Ronan have been renovated and refurbished. The new proprietresses are Misses Breen, who have had extensive experience in managing such businesses. The new premises will be known as the Glenburnie Guest House.”
Changes of ownership continued with Mrs M.E. Elliot taking over in December 1940, followed by Mrs Stella Victoria Wong in 1945. In 1953 it was again taken over by Mrs E.M. Moran.
The date of the closure of Glenburnie Guest House is uncertain but the building was demolished in the early 1970s.