This week in 1919: October 9

Champion Sheaf-tossing Contest.—A sheaf-tossing contest for the championship of the Valley, open to all comers, will be held immediately after the challenge match on show day. Mr A. McPherson has generously donated a gold medal to the winner, and the competition promises to be a very great success.

In another column Mr C. Heard announces that he has taken over Mr A. Broad’s hairdressing and billiard saloon, and solicits a share of public support.

A first-class tradesman will wail on customers in the hairdressing saloon, and the billiard tables will be well looked after. Mr Heard will continue to run his motor car for hire.

School Flower Day.—At the request of the head teacher a representative meeting of ladies met at the schoolroom on Thursday last, for the purpose of drawing up a scheme for Flower Day, which takes place on 31st October. This year the funds of the school will benefit, part of the proceeds to be devoted to the erection of an honor board in the school. It is the desire of the committee to have a board worthy of the men that were once scholars of the school, and for this reason have no hesitation in asking the patronage of one and all. During the day an exhibition of the children’s work will be held in the school, and about 2 o’clock a grand procession will take place. Committees have been appointed to supervise the decorating of barrows, “prams,” and bicycles.

The children will march, and the general public are requested to decorate vehicles and join in. A kiosk for the sale of jams, cakes and dairy produce will be erected in front of the Mechanics, and inside afternoon tea will be obtainable. During the evening a children’s ball will be held. Exhibitions of fancy dancing, flower sets, etc., will be given until 10 p.m., when the floor will be available for adults. Admission to the dance was fixed at 2/- for adults: children half price.

Master Edmund Hurley (son of Mr and Mrs T. F. Hurley) is making fine progress at Xavier’s College. He was last week elected captain of the school, the highest honor the school bestows, and is given for excellence in studies and sport. His preferment, is more notable for the fact that he was chosen from amongst boys who are very much older than he, and who have had office as prefects for two or more years, whilst Edmund was only made a prefect this year.

There was a fine crowd to witness the final match of the Western and Moira Ridings Football Association on Saturday between teams representing Barmah and Picola clubs, on the Nathalia ground. The umpiring was done by Mr Murray, a city League man, and he gave every satisfaction. The first half of the match was evenly contested, but in the latter half the river men by points and goals showed their superiority, and at the close the scores were:—Barmah 4.8, Picola 1.6, and the former are thus the premiers for the season 1919.

GOLF.

On Wednesday a team of five players from the Berrigan club played a combined team from Nathalia and Numurkah clubs on the Numurkah links. Included with this match was a triangular match between the three clubs. Berrigan combination proved too good, and they won the two matches, beating the combined team by 15 points. In the triangular match they beat Numurkah team by 23 and Nathalia by 42. The ground was very hard after the recent hot weather, so that true golf could not be played with any amount of certainly. The visitors were entertained at the Farmers’ Arms Hotel at a dinner given by Mr R. Kilpatrick, who was instrumental in the first place in having the last game of the season played on the Numurkah links.

Mr J. F. Bedwell, President of the Numurkah club occupied the chair. After the toast of the King, various toasts were proposed by the different members of the clubs, who one and all had a very enjoyable afternoon and evening. Cheers were given at the conclusion for Mr Kilpatrick for the way he had catered and looked after the comfort of the visitors, making their day a very enjoyable one.

To celebrate the State Library of Victoria’s digitising of the war years editions of the Numurkah Leader, each week we will include the news of the week, 100 years ago.

To view these editions online go to trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/title/591