One Sydney-based news presenter on a national TV network reported one morning this week that the “tiny community of You-chooka was devastated.”

Memo: Echuca has 13,000 people, but there’s no “you” in the community. Could be a fair few chooks, though.

Ah well, perhaps it was closer than an earlier attempt which pronounced it “Uh-chuck-uh.”

Duo to be missed

DTM was saddened to hear of Colleen McCullough’s death this week at the age of 77.

Combined with the 2012 passing of Bryce Courtenay, it led to some deep contemplation in our house.

Ah, the power of two. 

Between them, they penned more than 50 best-selling books, and took up more library shelving than some entire countries.

But the question which was immediately put to DTM was: “What am I going to read next Christmas?”

Honour for Holding 

Folk are getting excited about the looming opening of our Ulumbarra Theatre in April and a lot of research is going on concerning the history and adaptation of the former Her Majesty’s Prison Bendigo.

Her Maj has officially not wanted the old jail since it was closed in January 2006 … by the then State Corrections Minister Tim Holding.

We could honour him by naming part of the old complex, the Holding Cell.

(Moving right along.)

Pokies polarise

More than a century ago, a hot debate was brewing in Bendigo about … poker machines.

In September 1902, police prosecuted the Shamrock Hotel licensee, Mr Levy, for operating poker machines in breach of recent laws banning gambling in pubs.

The defence argued this was just silly, because if you took poker machines out of pubs, why, you’d have to take them out of fruiterers and tobacconists! 

The argument went back and forth: it was a harmless game when people could drop the odd threepence into the slot. No, it encouraged people to waste money.

Mr Levy lost and was fined 40 shillings with eight shillings cost. Or did he?

Ahem, the news this week is that more than $24 million had been lost to Bendigo’s poker machines in the past six months and we’re on track to another full year record.

Talking the last resort

A mate sent me the following message reflecting on how technologically trapped we’ve become.

“I had a power outage at my house this morning and my PC, laptop, TV, DVD, iPad and my new surround sound music system were all shut down.  

“Then I discovered that my iPhone battery was flat. To top it off – it was raining so I couldn’t go for a walk, bike or run.  

“The garage door opener needs electricity, so I couldn’t go anywhere in the car.  

“I went into the kitchen to make coffee and then I remembered that this also needed power ...    so I sat and talked with my wife for a few hours.  She seems like a nice person.”

We don’t know why Barb puts up with you, Roger.