Up, up, and away

 Technically not local, but it is the nearest International Airport - Melbourne Airport, or more commonly known as Tullamarine Airport. Probably to distinguish it from the other then major Melbourne airport - Essendon.

This first image it from the Victorian Yearbook for 1971.

It shows a brand new Tulla with a the original 3 terminals (Ansett to the left, International in the middle and TAA on the right) and a minimum of parking which looks to be more than sufficient judging by the number of parked cars.

In 1959, during the Menzies era, the Commonwealth purchased 13,000 acres in the then-rural Tullamarine. Tulla was opened on 1st July 1970 by then Prime Minister John Grey Gorton.

Move forward to 2020, and a Google Maps image of the site (slightly different angle).

The growth in air travel is apparent - now with 4 major terminals hosting great long sky bridges, and also the parking headache - multi-storey carparks and the long-term parks stretching back towards the city - we have come a long way.

75th Anniversary (7: 1945)

 

Day 7: 1945 - The final year of World War 2. 

 

 

The 8th May was VE Day Victory in Europe Day, the date when the Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of Germany & marking the end of the war in Europe.

 

 In the Pacific it would be another 3 months before VP Day - Victory in the Pacific, and even longer till the first of a series of welcome home celebrations in Horsham - the first was on 19th October. 

 

Today marks 75 years since VP Day.

 

Below the Dome at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

75th Anniversary (6: 1944)

 

 

Day 6: 1944 

This year saw a number of local airmen in the news -Don Dripps lost over Berlin, Ronald Scott of Murtoa killed in America, Bert Smith of Horsham a Squadron Leader of Sunderlands, Ted Turk shot down above New Guinea, Len Netherway from Quantong ditched in the sea...

 

On the Home Front, the situation was dire with a shortage of chocolate. The advert below imploring everyone to reserve Freddo frogs for children.

75th Anniversary (5: 1943)

 Day 5: 1943 - The tide of war is starting to turn, as the Japanese advance across the Pacific is countered - with ships & troops and with intelligence (ie. that led to the downing of Yamamoto's plane).

 Locally reports of soldiers - Missing, Wounded, & Killed in Action continued, including men from little hamlets like Brimpaen, Minimay and Booroopki (Booroopki residents erected a gum tree WWI Avenue of Honour & still have an Anzac Day service at the Avenue each year).

 Locally too, residents were able to view one of the midget submarines that were sunk in Sydney Harbour. The Japanese sub exhibition toured New South Wales, Victoria & South Australia. 

 

75th Anniversary (4: 1942)

 

In 1942 the war focus moves from the European & Middle East campaigns to the Pacific and the war on our doorstep. 

 

 

 Australians feel threatened as midget submarines are encountered at Sydney, the Japanese land on our next-door-neighbours, and bomb the Australian mainland at Darwin & Broome.Politicians consider the very real danger of an invasion and how the country would deal with it.

 

 

Locally the newspaper articles include lists of missing, wounded, killed & captured local service men & women.

 

 

and how people are coping on the home front - an advert from Langlands the department store in Horsham with details of rationing & restricted goods.

 

 

75th Anniversary (3: 1941)

 

Day 3: 1941 - The war on the political front saw Jeparit's Robert Menzies resign as Prime Minister. 

 The siege for the Rats of Tobruk began and lasted for most of the year. 

Bomb damage to Ward 10, Tobruk Hospital

Japan entered the war as an Axis power following its surprise attack on Pearl Harbour. 

On the home front, the paper saw many entries concerning locals in the different theatres of battle.

  

   

The original Longerenong College building, which burned down in January 1940. The Agricultural College was established in 1889. >>

75th Anniversary (2:1940)

 

Day 2 of our commemoration of the end of World War 2, focusing today on 1940.

Firstly with a list of the events around the world during the year.

 

 And two articles from the Wimmera Mail Times illustrating the depth of feeling in the community.

 

In March initial excitement was high as the town farewelled the first of its volunteers, by June however, the Mayor Cr. Wilmoth was disappointed with turnouts.

 

75th Anniversary (1:1939)

 

With the 75th anniversary of the end of World War 2 approaching - on 15th August with VP Day (Victory in the Pacific). We will be commemorating the event with a week of stories, sourced from “Wimmera diggers at war 1939-1945”compiled by Tania Barber from the pages of the Wimmera Mail Times. 

Each day will feature a story or event from a year during the war.

Day 1: Commencing with the recruitment of soldiers in 1939 – a photograph of some members of the 1st Armored Car Regiment camped at the Horsham Showgrounds in October 1939.

 

 

  The ‘1st Armored Car Regiment’ was formed prior to the war, with the regimental colours of gold, red, brown & green. It had the Territorial Title of ‘The Wimmera Regiment’ and the regimental badge depicted an armoured car in a scroll with the motto "Celere Exploratu" (swiftly/quickly/rapidly explore/investigate) inscribed.