May 7 Lecture Report
Les Sanderson gave the members attending the May Meeting a masterclass in lived local history. Les seemed to know every one of the 1353 people who call Little River home and had an anecdote ready at hand to illuminate their part in their community’s history.
His own engagement with the people of Little River came at the age of 12 years when he became a volunteer at the Youth Club. He then humourously listed the organisations in the town where he was either a past member, a founding member or indeed still engaged with. The list spanned the cricket club, the youth club, the cemetery trust, the Mechanic’s Institute, the Community Advisory panel of the Wyndham Council and in 2003 was a founding member of the Little River Historical Society where he still contributes as one of its 18 members!
He punctuated the presentation with an amazing collection of old photographs of the area that included Rothwell Bridge from 1866, the 114 year old mechanic’s Institute, the chimney stacks of the first building of the future Little River and the 1838 remnants of the Travellers’ Inn. From more recent times he focused on the locations shots from the Mad Max movie including the infamous spot now known locally as Mad Max Hill.
There was also time to reflect on the origins of the town. Initially the authorities had planned a railway station at Rothwell but as the access roads were prone to flooding and got very boggy the station came to Little River. However, the locals forgot to have the township gazetted. In the 1960s the local folk became increasingly annoyed that the SEC had not connected them to the grid, even though the lines ran straight past them. Eventually they complained only to be told that only gazetted towns could get access to electricity. The locals rectified the old mistake and six weeks later they could belatedly enjoy electricity decades after other nearby settlements!
A couple of anecdotes stood out for me. He recounted the exploits of the “Fred” King father-son cycling duo from 1932. The father only cajoled his son, who shared the same name, to take part in the event at the last moment. However, despite the lack of training the father and son got a break on the peloton. Not far from where the race approached its destination W “Fred” King was told by his father to put his head down and go for it. Not long afterwards, the peloton caught up with the father. They asked him if he was Fred King. He answered “yes”. In all honesty he was Fred King but not the Fred King they thought he was! His son remained a kilometre ahead and took first place.
Les also spoke of Sir Hugh Devine, a prominent local lad made good. He eventually trained in Medicine at the University of Melbourne and become one of the world’s great Colon Specialists. Dr Hugh Devine was born in 1878 and was the son of John and Mary Devine, local graziers. In 1936 he was the recipient of a knighthood for his services to the community and one newspaper began its coverage with the phrase “from plough hand to surgeon” to highlight how far the local lad had gone.
Les Sanderson left everyone present just a little dazed but impressed that such a little community could pack in so much achievement and success.
