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Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm

Stawell Historical Society, 46 Longfield Street, Stawell (2026)

19/05/2026

STAWELL AND DISTRICT FOOTBALL FROM DAYS GONE BY.
In days gone by there have been many men’s football teams that existed in Stawell
and District. Football Clubs have been the lifeblood of the smaller communities,
Australia wide, for many years, and Victoria and Stawell and District are no
exception. They are a great outlet for making friendships and for socializing after the
game. Generally, all football clubs have various grades of netball associated with the
football club with both the football and netball players coming together after the
game.
It is known that the following clubs once existed in the District, but now, sadly, no
longer exist. These football clubs were; Pomonal, Armstrongs, Bangerang, Bellellen,
Callawadda, Concongella, Jalukar, Wal Wal, Wallaloo, Wallaloo East, Dadswells
Bridge, Doctors Creek, Fyans Creek, Greens Creek, Illawarra, Joel Joel,
Landsborough, Marnoo, Glenorchy and Halls Gap.
Photos in our collection indicate that Stawell also had the Oriental Football Club and
the Standards Football Club, possibly others.
There have been 19 Stawell Footballers that have played at an AFL/VFL level. The
four who played the most games are; Tim Notting [208 games] Ken Beck [143
games] Liam Pickering [124 games] and Roy West [108 games]
Among the many names of footballers who played for, or coached Stawell and
played Senior AFL/VFL football are; John Kennedy, Colin Eales, Barry Capuano,
Perc Bushby, Des Dickson and Dallas Patterson.
In past years, there have been, at various times a Women’s Football Competition.
We have very little knowledge of teams but we know that North Western Woollen
Mills had a team in 1953.

📸| North Western Woollen Mills Ladies football team – 1953
📸| Joel Joel Rovers Football Team – 1927
📸| Stawell Oriental Football Team – date unknown
📸| Stawell Standards Football Team - 1904

05/05/2026

NAVARRE’S RUNAWAY TRAIN – AUGUST 17TH 1940.

On August 17th 1940, an unmanned, runaway steam engine almost met with disaster when it bolted from the Navarre rail yards, heading back towards Landsborough West, after just being turned around on the turntable. The railway line terminated at Navarre.
Two men who were working at a saw mill in the station yards observed the whole incident. They were Mr. Harold Blake aged 16 and Mr. Charlie Clinnick aged 36. They were sitting down having a cup of billy tea after having boiled the billy over an open fire in the yards at the station. After the engine driver, Woofie Fitzgerald, had turned the train around on the turntable, he got down from the engine to come over and have a cup of tea with Blake and Clinnick. When he did this and before he could clamber back on board, the engine took off by itself, towards Landsborough West, with no one on board.
On seeing the engine take off and gather speed, Charlie Clinnick jumped in an old Indianna truck that was at the saw mill and began a chase after the driverless engine. He drove to a level crossing several miles down the track and pulled his truck up. When the engine got to the crossing he jumped from the truck onto the engine and brought it to a stop. He put it into reverse and drove it back to the Navarre Station.
Following a departmental enquiry a letter of commendation was sent by the Victorian Railways to Mr. Clinnick thanking him for his heroic efforts. A copy of this commendation is on display in the Historical Society museum.

📸 | Navarre Railway Station and steam engine. C1953

22/04/2026

HIS BOOMERANG DOES COME BACK

Little did the students at the Stawell Tech. School in 1965 know that their newly
appointed science teacher, Mr. Ralph Sinclair had a hidden secret. He was a former
Australian Boomerang Throwing Champion, having won the title in 1963.
Boomerang throwing is a highly developed art and the thrower scores points by
sending his boomerang outside a circle and returning it. A “bullseye” is achieved
when a thrower has a boomerang return to himself whilst still standing in the marked
circle.

In January 1966, Mr. Sinclair took a team of seven throwers to Rosebud for the
Australian Junior Boomerang Throwing Championships.
In a closely fought final, 17 year old, first year apprentice baker and pastry cook from
Stawell, Graham Carr, reached the pinnacle of this somewhat different hobby by
being crowned Australian Junior Champion. The art of boomerang throwing swept
through the Tech. School and the community like a disease with many students
becoming adept at the sport, throwing their boomerangs that they had made
themselves, under instruction from Mr. Sinclair, in all the open spaces and parks
around Stawell. Night flying was particularly spectacular with lighted flares being set
into the boomerangs.
As a coincidence, at the time of the championships, the then Prince Charles was
studying at Geelong Grammar’s Timbertop Campus. Graham was asked to make 3
boomerangs which were given to Prince Charles which he took home with him when
he returned to Buckingham Palace.

📸 | Science teacher Mr. Ralph Sinclair demonstrating the art of boomerang throwing to his students and teacher Miss Dot. McGonigal

07/04/2026

STAWELL’S FIRST AMBULANCE.

As reported in the Stawell Times and the Wimmera Advertiser on November 16th 1925.

The ambulance was officially handed over in Stawell on Friday November 13th 1925. It was accepted by the Mayor of the day, Councillor James Larkan on behalf of the residents of Stawell and District.

The presentation of such an ambulance for country centres was rendered possible by the beneficence of the Edward Wilson [“Argus”] Bequest Executors, who had voted sums of money for such purposes.

It is anticipated that a total of 30 ambulances would soon be provided to country centres as part of the Victorian Civil Ambulance Service. [Country Division]

Mr. R. J. McClure housed the vehicle in his motor garage and supplied a driver free of charge.

19/03/2026

ELECTRIFYING STAWELL

On March 19th 1891 it was reported that at a Council meeting, a committee was appointed to enquire into the cost and practicality of lighting the town with electricity. Many discussions were held over the years and by February 1922 the cost had increased to £12,500
In February 1922 an offer made by the North Western Woollen Mills to store and supply electricity to the town was declined and the Council decided to borrow the money for construction.
After the consideration of many sites, a site was finally decided on Victoria Park [later Cato Park] and on August 14th 1923 construction was complete. The electric lighting system for the town was officially switched on by the Mayor of the day, Cr. James Paton. Electricity continued to be generated by the Town of Stawell until 1968 when the operation was taken over by the S.E.C. The Power House officially ceased generating electricity on September 30th 1968
The premises stood empty for 6 years until February 1974 when a Melbourne clothing manufacturing firm “Kezander” began manufacturing there. They only lasted a few years and then in February 1985 “Holeproof” began operations there. They ceased manufacturing there in 1994.
In 2008 there was a revamp of the premises and the building as we see it today, has many tenants including the Stawell Neighbourhood house.

📸 | Old power House in Sloane Street – date unknown
📸 | Lighting the gas street light outside the Town Hall c 1910’s

05/03/2026

March - Women’s History Month

Our new museum display is designed to celebrate the contributions of Women to our Society over many generations.

Stawell Historical Society has established a whole room display in the old Pleasant Creek Courthouse Museum to recognize and acknowledge some of the women who had an impact on, and connection to Stawell from the Goldrush days to more recent times. As locals sometimes we are not aware of stories from the past so this is a great opportunity to familiarize yourself with our Museum and the stories it tells.

While in more recent years we have celebrated Sportswomen, Nurses and other notable women and girls, this month we are featuring names and stories that may surprise you.

Our display features clothing, shoes, hats, personal items and stories to enjoy.

Come for a visit and while you are here enjoy the rest of our displays currently on show. These include Stawell’s communication and early motoring history. You may even recognize a relative or known person in one of our other photos on display.

The Museum is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 10:00am – 4:00pm.

If you are keen and are unable to visit during these times, please contact us and one of our volunteers will gladly arrange a suitable time and day.

01/03/2026

HORSE RACING AT NAVARRE

A Racing and General Recreation Reserve Trust was proclaimed on December 24th 1866 when 58 acres were granted for horse racing by the Navarre Turf Club.
The once a year race meeting, every New Years Day, became one of the social highlights of the year for Navarre and District.
The racecourse was on the road to St.Arnaud and in later years the Navarre Football Club established their ground in the centre of the race track.
The original home straight of the race track ran between the grandstand and the football oval with the winning post in front of the grandstand.
The Navarre Golf Club also established their golf course on the land surrounding the race track.
For many years, the Navarre Turf Club chartered special trains to the Navarre Railway Station, conveying racegoers to the meetings from Ararat, Ballarat, Stawell, Horsham and Melbourne.
These chartered trains continued until 1931 and the last race meeting was held around 1936.
Race meetings were also held at the nearby Greens Creek Racecourse and also the Landsborough Racecourse.

📸 | Both photos taken at the race meeting on January 1st 1910 at the New Years Day race meeting

15/02/2026

Two wonderful snapshots of Stawell’s past have recently surfaced, capturing a proud group of local marching girls who once brought colour, precision and excitement to our town’s streets.

The first photograph (c1960) shows the girls in full uniform — pleated skirts, polished boots and caps worn with pride — posing together with their leader. The second image (c1965) captures them in action during a street parade, marching in formation before a crowd of onlookers and past familiar Stawell landmarks. For many residents, scenes like this were a highlight of community celebrations and events.

Sadly, beyond these photographs, very little is known about the Stawell Marching Girls. We would love to piece together their story — when the group was formed, who led them, where they trained, what events they performed at, and when the group eventually disbanded. Most importantly, we would love to identify the girls themselves and hear memories from those who were involved or watched them march.

If you recognise anyone in these photos, were part of the group, or have any information at all — no matter how small — we would be incredibly grateful to hear from you. Your memories will help preserve an important part of Stawell’s community history.

The Stawell Historical Society is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10.00am to 4.00pm.

📞 Phone: 5358 3789
📧 Email: [email protected]

Photo Girls 1 — c1960
Photo Girls 2 — c1965

06/02/2026

SEEING ELEPHANTS.

Back in the days of 6 o’clock closing, patrons leaving Frasers “Bricklayers Arms Hotel” in Barnes Street, Stawell could have been forgiven if they questioned themselves about how much they had had to drink. For on the footpath, outside the pub there were some elephants having a drink out of the horse troughs.
The elephants had been bought over from a circus at the Stawell Showgrounds. At the time, the showgrounds were located at “Coopers Flat” as it was known then, where Stawell Timber Industries were located for many years.
In the centre of the showgrounds was an oval where in 1879, the 2nd running of the Stawell Gift occurred after being relocated there for only one year from the oval at the Old Lake.
The Bricklayers Arms Hotel was demolished in 1959 and was rebuilt and named the Brix Hotel. The Brix Hotel is now closed for business.

The date of the photo is unknown.

22/01/2026

1941 WEDDING DRESS

The Historical Society was recently very pleased to receive a wedding dress from the early 1940’s. The wedding dress had been created following an American movie maker theme. The dress is a Letty Lynton creation.

It was worn by Miss Millie Norbrum of Horsham for her marriage to Mr. Stephen Jack Bullen of Stawell. They were married in Footscray in 1941 when Jack had returned to Australia for a short break whilst serving in the Australian Armed Forces abroad.

We are grateful to Mr. Barry Bullen and his daughter Renee’ for the donation of this treasured piece of Stawell’s history.

The wedding dress is on display in the museum.

Stawell Historical Society

19/05/2026

05/05/2026

22/04/2026

07/04/2026

19/03/2026

05/03/2026

01/03/2026

15/02/2026

06/02/2026

22/01/2026

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