50 Years Ago – 24 June 1976

At a meeting of the Narooma District Trotting Club the Vice President of the N.S.W. Trotting Association, Mr Bill Truer, said the association had approved the club’s application for a trotting track, and viewed the plans for the track and sporting complex. The required standards were discussed and Mr Truer said that a minimum of ten meetings for the first year would be scheduled, increasing in subsequent years, according to the progress of the Club. Council’s approval of the proposed sporting complex plan was needed for the work to commence on the project.

Moruya General Cemetery is in a state of neglect as the grass both inside and out has been allowed to get out of hand, with the exception of a track cut into each section, obviously, to allow the hearse to enter. There are a number of gates into the cemetery and it is not until one goes inside is it seen that each section is closed off from the other by the means of a wire fence. To get from one denomination to the other you either scale the fence or go out and re-enter through another gate.

Public Cemeteries are now under the control of Shire Councils, and the former Cemetery Trusts have been abolished as the Trustees did not have sufficient funds to ensure proper upkeep. In the case of the Moruya Cemetery the initial cost of pulling down the wire fences, mowing the grass, then erecting some signs, would be a major cost. After that, general maintenance would be included in the estimates for the coming year.

Mr H. F. “Fred” Hutchings, a well-known Bodalla resident, died on the 29^th May. He was born in Congo in June 1888, the eldest son of the late Mr and Mrs Herbert Hutchings, and lived at Congo and Bergalia until 1915 when he joined the Army and served in the 6^th Division Australian Light Horse, in the Middle East. After his discharge in 1919 he bought a property at Bodalla and lived there until his recent illness followed by his death. He was a builder by trade and there are many cottages standing in Bodalla today, that bear the seal of his handywork. During World War II Mr Hutchings served as a recruit training Officer in the C.M.F. Three sisters survive him, Mrs Duncan (Sydney), Miss Hutchings and Mrs Wilson, of Bodalla, and a number of nieces and nephews.

Mr Pike congratulates Moruya High School pupils on a good effort and attendances at sport. The best yet has been only four absentees.

MORUYA THEATRE. Charles Bronson and James Coburn in THE STREET FIGHTER (M). Plus GOLD, starring Roger Moore, Susannah York and John Gielgud.