Personal Memories

Murray Irrigation’s project to record the history of irrigation development in the region has included the collection of oral histories to preserve memories of irrigation from a number of different perspectives. Themes common to many of the oral histories include the impacts of droughts and floods, World War II, the potential of the region with irrigation and community development. The histories can be grouped into the following general categories, although there is significant cross over between the categories.

People who helped to build and operate the system
Ian Dawe – WC&IC construction contractor and farmer
Adrian Douglas – WC&IC engineer
Rod Druitt – WC&IC plant operator and landforming contractor
Kevin Huntington – WC&IC channel attendant
Tibby Kelly – Landforming contractor
Shirley Powell – WC&IC office worker
Jim Todd – WC&IC engineer
Bill van Niel – Dutch migrant labourer
Tony Vidal – WC&IC –engineer

Farmers
Shirley Durrant – Grazier, irrigator, Bunnaloo
Wynne Hawkins – Grazier, irrigator, Finley
Neil Hollins – Grazier, Irrigator Wakool
Pat Murphy – Soldier settler, Blighty
George Rathbone – Irrigation share farmer, Wakool
Kath Sheldrick – Tullakool Irrigation Area settler, Tullakool

Business and other community members
Sylvia Baker – Local business woman and councillor
John Rourke – Farmer involved in privatisation of irrigation
Theo Walle – Son of migrant family working for WC&IC

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