Tongala’sHuxi Tyrellwasall smilesonAustralia Day,makingthe mostoffreeface paintingasthe towncame togetherto celebrate community,colour andconnectionat thetownhall. TurntoPages 2-3formore.
Tongala’sAustraliaDay celebrationsprovedthata littleheatwasn’tgoingto coolcommunityspirit,with morethan100locals gatheringattheTongala MemorialHallfora morningofpride, connectionandfun Theeventbrought togetherallages,blending formalmomentswith relaxed,family-friendly activities. Proceedingswereguided byemceeGeorgina Hacon,withlocalGirl Guidesplayingan importantroleinthe ceremonyandmusic addingaspecialtouchto theoccasion. Ahighlightofthedaywas thereturnhomeoflocal sportingtalent,with Tongala’sstrong connectiontosportonfull display.
GuestsheardfromCorey
Nexhipandhispartner, elitenetballerElle McDonald,whoreflected ontheirjourneysfrom small-townbeginningsto competingonmuch largerstages,whilestill valuingthepullofhome. Onceformalitieswrapped up,thefocusshiftedto fun
Familiesspreadout acrossthecommunity centre,takingpartin classicAustraliaDay games,cheeringonkids’ races,andenjoyingthe chancetomeetanimals fromBillabongRanch’s pettingzoo
TheTongalaLionsClub thankedthemany volunteers,businessesand communitygroupswho helpedbringthe celebrationtogether, ensuringAustraliaDay remainedawelcoming andmemorableoccasion forthetown.
Everything bak on premises
Greenham’sEnglish studentprofiles
Meet Douglas
MynameisDouglasBine andIcomefroma beautifulislandcountry calledPapuaNewGuinea Iam27yearsoldandI amaveryopenperson wholikestomeetnew peopleandmakenew friends
IamfunnyandIlike makingjokesandenjoya goodlaughwithfriends. InmycountryIhailfroma citycalledLae,whichis locatedinaprovince calledMorobe
Bothmyparentsarefrom Morobeprovince My motherisfromthe countrysideofMorobe calledtheMarkham valleyandmyDadisfrom themountainouspart calledNabak
Inmycountryweonly experiencewetanddry seasonscomparedto Australiawhichhavefour. Itmostlyrainedinmy province,soitgota nicknamewhichisusually called“rainyLae” Iamthelastbornofa familyoffive.Ihavethree brothersandonesister.
Ibecametheinspiration ofthefamilybecauseI wastheonlyoneinthe familytoleavethe countryandsecurean opportunitytoliveand
workinAustralia
Ihaveaqualificationin heavyequipmentfitting andIamanexperienced andIamanexperienced mechanic.
Onethingthatreally piquesmyinterestto comeandliveinAustralia istheunlimitedjob opportunities
IbelievethatifIworkhard andbeagoodpublic figure,Icanbeagood citizenofthisbeautiful countryinthefuture Ihavedifferenttypesof hobbiesandinterestalso Ilovetoplayrugby league,rugbyunion, fishing,playingvideo gamesandIamastory telleraswell
Onethingthatreally surprisedmecomingto Australiawastheweather whenIfirstarrivedin Melbourneairport. Itwasfreezingcoldandit tookmeawhiletoget usedtothecold Mymaingoaltocome andworkinAustraliaisto saveenoughmoneyto buildmymomanew house,startmybusiness andtochangemy family’slifestylesowe don’thavetolivethe samelifeweusedtolive andbehappy.
Theheatison
HereweareinFebruary,thelastmonthof summer thoughyou’dbeforgivenfor thinkingithasoverstayeditswelcome Thepastfewweekshavecertainlybeen challenging,butourseniorsareahardybunch Evenonthehottestofdays,theyturnedupat theclubroomsasusual andyes,the excellentairconditioningmayhaveplayeda smallpart.
Spareathought,however,forthevolunteers whofronteduptoruntheBunningsbarbecue ononeofthehottestdaysinrecentmemory Ahugewelldonetoeachandeveryoneofyou Likemany,Ithinkwe’realllookingforwardto somemilderweatherasautumnapproaches andyouwon’thearanycomplaintsfromme whenwintereventuallyrollsaroundagain.
Untilthen,staycooleveryone,anddon’tforget usat14CavellStreet,from11amevery Wednesdaymorning,followedbybingo
–JoyChalmers,Secretary,TonnySeniors
TongalaSeniorCitizens
Carpetbowls
TongalaSeniorCitizenscarpetbowlswillbe heldeveryMonday,startingFebruary23 ,from 12.30pmto4.30pm,at14CavellSt.Costis$2.
Formoredetails,contact WinCrillyon0422451676.
B E F O R E A F T E R
TongalaGirlGuides
Term1isunderway! Ourmeetingsareheldon Wednesdaysat5.30pm. OnAustraliaDay,we attendedtheLionsClub’s PicnicinthePark Duetotheforecasthigh temperatures,theevent wasrelocatedtothehall. TwoGuidesandtwo Leadersproudlycarriedthe fourflagstothefront, wheretheyperformeda formalsalute Flagceremoniesand colourpartiesarean importantpartofour program,ensuringourgirls arewellpreparedfor communityeventssuchas this Flagcarryingetiquetteis carefullyexplainedand practised.
Thegirlsholdthecornersof theflagtoensureitdoes nottouchtheground,and onceinpossessionofthe flags,theflagpolesare restedcarefullyonthetips oftheirshoesratherthan onthefloor
Acolourpartyisasmall groupofGuides,usually threeorfour,responsible forcarryingandmanaging theflags.
Thegirlsenjoyrotating rolesandlearninghowto confidentlyleadthecolour party
Thereareplentyofexciting plansfortheyearahead.
WithValentine’sDay, ThinkingDay,Shrove TuesdayandStPatrick’s DayallinTerm1,our calendarisalreadyfilling quickly
Wearecurrentlyrunninga Cadburyfundraiser,selling largeFreddoFrogsand
largeCaramelloKoalas Chocolatesare2for$3or $60perbox
Ifyouwouldliketo purchasesome,phoneMel on0409804091. Wearealsocontinuingto collecteligible10c recyclablesthroughthe CDSTongalainitiative Donationsofbottlesand canscanbedroppedat thefrontoftheGuideHall, broughtalongtomeeting nights,orcollectioncanbe arranged Every contributionhelpsus providemoreopportunities andexperiencesforour Guides.Thankyoufor supportingourcommunity Ifyouwouldliketosee whetherGuidingisrightfor yourdaughter,please comealongon Wednesdaynightsfrom 5.30pmto7pmduring schoolterms Wewould lovetowelcomeyou Weareparticularlyseeking youngermembersandare happytodiscussstarting youngergirlsearlierifthat suitsfamilies
Forenquiries,please contactMelon0409 804091,orvisittheGirl GuidesVictoriawebsite -www.guides vic.org.au/join-now/tofindoutmore.
OneyearofVisitTongala
Ithasnowbeenayear sincetheVisitTongala websitewaslaunched,and theresponsefromboththe localcommunityand visitorshasbeenvery encouraging Overthepast12months,the sitehasrecorded3972 visitors,withanestimated 15,000+pageviewsas
peopleexplorelocalevents, streetart,businesses, sportingclubs,and communityinformation. Thesenumbersshowthere isstronginterestinwhat Tongalahastoofferand realvalueinhavinga centralplaceonlinethat bringseverythingtogether. Oneofthegreatadditions
tothesiteisaccesstothe TonnyTimesarchives, givingpeoplethechanceto lookbackthroughpast editionsandrevisitthe stories,photos,and momentsthathaveshaped ourtown
Havingthesearchives availableonlinethrough VisitTongalaisagreatway topreserveourhistoryand makeiteasilyaccessibleto thecommunityandto formerresidentsnowliving elsewhere
AsVisitTongalacontinues togrow,wearekeentosee evenmoreinvolvement fromthecommunity Wewouldlovetohearfrom: Localbusinesseswho wouldliketobelistedor updatetheirdetails
Communityand sportinggroupswho wanttoshare informationandevents
Anyonewith suggestionsorcontent thatcouldhelpimprove thesite
Ifyourbusiness,club,or groupisnotyetlisted,orif youhaveupdatesyou wouldlikeadded,getin touchbyemailingtongala developmentgroup@gmail comorsendamessage viaourFacebookpage VisitTongalaisa community-drivenwebsite, andwithcontinued supportandinput,itwill keepgrowingasatrue reflectionofeverything thatmakesourtown special.
TongalaFireBrigade
UsingaBBQ?
Welovetousethemand enjoytimewithourlovedones withasnagandsome burgers
Butdidyouknowthatduring theFireDangerPeriodandon TotalFireBansthereare restrictionsonusingthem? Unfortunatelysomeofthese restrictionsareconfusing-so takealistentoourCanICan't Itwinstolearnmoreabout whatyouneedtoconsider beforeusingaBBQoverthe weekend,limitingcallsoutfor ourbrigades,andtoensure youaredoingtherightthing thisSummer Lookhereforfurther informationontherestrictions inplace, https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/ warnings-restrictions/firebans-ratings-andrestrictions/can-i-or-cant-i
Tongala Servicing & Repairs
WearealocalVACCAccredited workshopandmobilemechanicforall yourautomotiveoragriculturalservicing andrepairneeds. Wedoeverythingfromservicingyour chainsawuptofixingyourbrokentractor orfarmmachinery,wealsooffermini diggerhire(withoperator). Nojobtoobigorsmall,feelfreeto giveusaringandaskifwecan helpwithanyofyour mechanicalneeds.
OpeningHours OpeningHours
Monday9am-3pm
Tuesday9am-3pm
Wednesday9am-3pm
Thursday9am-3pm
Friday9am–12pm
Morning Tea
March 5th
ThethemeforIDWDay 2026isofficially “BalancetheScales,” focusingonachieving justice,fairness,and equalityforallwomen andgirlsby dismantlingsystemic barriersinlegaland socialsystems. Cost:$10
Time:10amto12pm Bookingsessentialfor cateringpurposes.
Comeandmeet RegionalHousing SupportWorkers
1030am-1230pm@TCAC February25th/March 16th/April8th/April 28th/May18th
Atasteof1960sTongala
Inthe1960s,parentsof studentsatTongala
ConsolidatedSchool,now TongalaPrimarySchool, producedapractical casserolerecipebookfilled withno-fussmealsand simpleingredients
Thepublicationwasproudly sponsoredbylocal businesses,offeringa fascinatingsnapshotofthe enterprisesthatonce operatedinTongala
Theadvertisementsprovide avaluableglimpseintoour town’scommercialpast andthefamiliarnamesthat helpedshapethe community
Businessesfeatured included:
N&FParsonsCafé–Take-awayfoods available Phone Tongala115
EvansShoeStore,48 ManganStreet–Footwearforyoungand old PhoneTongala359
DeakinTimber& Hardware–Phone Tongala477
Tonini’sStore–Groceries,drapery, kitchenwareandmore Homedeliveryavailable PhoneTongala9
W&DLHealy IndependentService Station,58Mangan Street–PhoneTongala 106
DI&LAMorris, Newsagents–Toys, typewritersand timepieces
JB&TMHealyQuality Butcher,ManganStreet –PhoneTongala117
John’sStore–Forall yourneedswithsuper friendlyservice Phone Tongala93
ERPotts&Son,Your FamilyChemist,48 ManganStreet–Phone Tongala109
JW&MRBrasher, Butchers,76Mangan
Street–PhoneTongala 92
TongalaEngineering, ManganStreet–Manufacturersofsteel stockcratesandfarm buildings,Portacowcalf feedersandfibreglass fishingboats Phone Tongala47
TheTongalaHistoryGroup holdslistingsofmanyother businessesthathave operatedinthedistrict overtheyearsandwarmly welcomesanyadditionsor memoriescommunity membersmaywishto share.
Itemcontributedby TongalaHistoryGroupInc.
Advertise in our trade guide:
Email: tongalatimes@tongala.vic.au
Phone: Tongala Community Activities Centre on (03) 5859 1268
Remembering Faye
Familyandfriends ofthelateFayeWild arecordiallyinvited tosharetheir memoriesofFaye ataninformal gatheringatthe TongalaHotelfrom noononSaturday, February28. Oneyearhas passedsinceFaye, inherownwords, “shuffledoffthis mortalcoil” Chris,wouldliketoinvite everyonewithastoryto shareoftheirfuntimes withhisbelovedMum,to acasualcatch-upinthe pub Therewillbeno formalities,comequaffan aleorawineortwo,sit backandchat,inthestyle Fayemostenjoyed.
NoRSVPrequired.
Awonderfulcrowd gatheredatKyvalleyHall tocelebrateAustraliaDay 2026,withcommunity membersenthusiastically takingpartintheday’s activities Itwasafantasticevent filledwithgreatspiritand strongcommunitypride.
BelonginginTongala
InatownlikeTongala, belongingdoesn’tcome frombeingonacommittee orputtingyournameona list.
Itcomesfromthesmall moments,helpingout, lendingahand,beingthere whenitcounts Mostofusalreadydothisin ourownway.
Wehelpaneighbour.We turnupwhensomething’s on Wepitchinwhenwe can
TheTongalaDevelopment Groupisoneoftheways localscontinuetocome togethertosupportthe townandtheactivitiesthat bringpeopletogether Overtheyearahead,this includesthingslikethe installationofsolarlighting attheDogParkand OvernightStayarea, bringingthegrandpiano
backtolifethroughMusicin theHall,theTown-Wide GarageSale,andtheEats andBeatsFestival,along withothersmallprojectsas theycomeup Alongsidethese,therearea numberofsmallerideas andcommunity-led projectstakingshape,with moretocomeastheyear unfolds.
There’snoneedtojoin anythingorcommitlong
termtobeinvolved IfTongalafeelslikehometo you,thenyoualready belong. Helpingmightmeangiving anhourtohelpsetupor packdownatalocalevent, cookingatrayoffoodor lendingahandonaBBQ, puttingupafewposters,or helpingquietlybehindthe scenes. Thesearesimple,one-off jobswithaclearstartand
finish Nopressure,no expectations,andnoneed todomorethanyou’re comfortablewith. Youdon’thavetoagree witheveryone,andyou don’thavetotakesides Beinginvolvedisabout connection,notlabels Ifyou’dliketohelpinasmall way,orjusthaveaquiet chatabouthowyoumight fitin,theTongala DevelopmentGroupcanbe contactedviaFacebookor byspeakingwithany committeemember. Tongalaworksbestwhen peoplefeelconnected,and thatconnectiongrows throughsmall,steadyacts ofinvolvement Thankstoeveryonewho alreadyhelpskeepthings tickingalong.
-TongalaDevelopment Group
Let’srallyforGoodFridayAppeal
TongalaCFAhasproudly supportedtheRoyal Children’sHospitalGood FridayAppealformorethan 45years,and2026willbe noexception
Eachyear,CFAvolunteers conductatown-widedoor knock,takingthefiretrucks toeverycornerofTongala toraisevitalfunds
Thestationwillalsobeopen onGoodFridayforanyone whomayhavemissedthe earliercollections. Nocash?Noproblem QR codesandEFTPOSfacilities willbeavailableatthe stationandinthetrucksfor tap-and-godonations
Thankstoadedicatedand enthusiasticteamof volunteerswhoconsistently punchabovetheirweight, Tongalahasraisedmore than$180,000overthe years.
Thisyear,TongalaCERT,the GirlGuidesandfamily memberswillonceagain lendtheirsupport Forpeaceofmind,all volunteerscollectingor stationedattheCFAwill holdacurrentWorkingWith ChildrenCheck Thegoalthisyearistobeat lastyear’simpressivetotal of$8657 TwoEasterhampers,
generouslydonatedby Cadbury,willberaffled,with $1ticketsavailableoutside IGAinthelead-uptoGood Friday Therafflewillbe drawnattheCFAstationon GoodFridayafternoon. Ticketswillalsobeavailable fromanyCFAmember Inaddition,a$2goodsand vouchersrafflewillbeheld, withticketsavailableatthe hotel Thisrafflewillbe drawnonGoodFridayat thehotel. Collectiontinsareplaced throughouttownatGTS,IGA, theOldTonnyPub,theServo andtheEndCafé TheOldTonnyPubwillalso
beopenonGoodFridayfor donationsandraffleticket purchases
ThankyoutoSarahLloydfor onceagainorganisingthe goodsandvouchersraffle, andtothemanylocal businesseswhohave donatedprizes
IfyouareawayoverEaster, youcanstillcontributeby contactingSueDugganor anyCFAmember,orby placingyourdonationin oneofthecollectiontins aroundtown
-SueDuggan,Royal Children’sHospitalGood FridayAppeal,Area Manager,Tongala
First Aid courses @ TCAC, see Page 16 for details
MAR 05 MAR 14 International Women’s Day morning tea, 10am @ TCAC
Trivia Night, 8pm @ Old Tonny Pub, Mangan St Tongala Multicultural Festival
Kyvalley Dance, 7.30-11.30pm @ Kyvalley Hall
CHURCH SERVICES
StJamesAnglicanChurch Services:EverySundayat 530pm HollycommunionwithRev ElwynEnosfromKyabram. AllWelcome Forinformationonservice times,phoneDonSlade (Warden)on0428503844 orDianeManganon 0427590282
StPatrick’sCatholicChurch Tongala:FirstSundayof month,1130am PhonetheParishOfficeon (03)58521026.
EmbraceChurch 80ManganSt,Tongala Morningservice:10am Servicesarealsolivestreamed PhonePsLynHopeon 0408821760.
NorthernRiversUniting ChurchClusterTongala Service10am. PhoneRayWakefieldon 0419933938 Servicesareavailableon ZoomeachSunday.
Scan the QR CODE to access the full-colour, extended digital version of Tonny Times
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CONTACT: TongalaCommunity ActivitiesCentre Phone:(03)58591268
94ManganStreet, Tongala,3621
OPEN:MondaytoFriday, 9amto2pm
Marchdeadline
Copydeadline: 07/03/26 Issuedate: 14/03/26
Email:tongalatimes@ tongala.vic.au
1stTuesdaymonthly,5pm 1st&3rdThursday,7pm 2ndTuesdayeverymonth 4thMonday,monthly 4thTuesday,monthly,1pm 4thWednesdday,6pm 3rdTuesday,Monthly,10am EveryWednesday
As property values across Victoria continue to shift, now is the perfect time to get a current market opinion on your home.
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
welcome back to school
Wewarmlywelcomebackallourfamiliesandstaffforwhat promisestobeanexciting2026
Thisyear,wearedelightedtowelcome29newFoundation studentswhohavebeguntheirschoolingjourneywithenthusiasm andagenuineeagernesstolearn.Theyhavesettledbeautifully intoschoollifeandarealreadyengaginginsomewonderful learningexperiences
Our2026SchoolCaptainshavebeenannounced,alongwith severalotherleadershiproles CongratulationstoTippiHolyman, EllaForde,HeidiCaldwellandJedBrennanonbeing electedcaptains Theyhavealreadyconfidentlyhostedassembly andarelookingforwardtofulfillingtheirleadershiprolesthroughout theyear AdditionalleadershipopportunitiesincludeYoungLeaders, LibraryLeaders,Ronny’sBank,HouseCaptainsandBreakfastClub leaders.
SpeakingofBreakfastClub,ourstudentleadershavecommencedtheir OHStrainingwithleaderBrettRadley AllBreakfastClubleaderscomplete thistrainingtoensuretheycansafelyandresponsiblyserveourstudents eachmorning
OurGrade6studentsareproudlywearingtheirIndigenousinspiredshirts Thewinningdesign,createdbyYear6 studentNoah,representstheriverandincorporates elementsofKoorieartwork Theentireschoolvotedonthe designattheendof2025
Goodlucktoour2025LawnBowlsteam,whohavebeen namedfinalistsintheEchucaMoamaSportstarAwardsin theBestTeam/Clubcategory
Theteamwererunners-upinlastyear’sSchoolSportVictoriaStateFinals, narrowlylosingthegrandfinalbyjusttwoshots.
Thismarkedthethirdconsecutiveyearourschoolhasreachedthestate finalsinMelbourne aremarkableachievement Practiceisalready underwayforthe2026tournament
WealsoextendawarmwelcometoSaschaCharnstrom,whojoins TongalaPSasanEducationSupportworker Sascha,wholivesinElmore, hasbeenrunningAfterSchoolCareandHolidayProgramsforseveral yearsandbringsvaluableexperiencetoourschoolcommunity.
Therearemanyexcitingeventsahead,includingtheInterschoolSwimming CompetitiononFriday,February20,where17swimmerswillrepresentourschool OurpopularGrade2sleepoverwillalsotakeplacethisterm,andtheWorldofMaths programwillvisittoinspirestudentsthroughengagingandhands-onactivities
Additionally,allGrade6studentswillattendNationalYoungLeadersDayin Melbourne
Therearecertainlyplentyofwonderfulthingshappeningatourgreatschool.
-RobHogan,Principal,TongalaPrimarySchool
BELIEVE, ACHIEVE, GROW
BACKINTHESWING
TherewerelotsofsmilingfacesonthefirstdayofschoolatTPS!
WELCOMEBARBECUE
Thankyoutoallthefamilieswhobravedtheheattojoinusat thismonth’sWelcomeBarbecue. Asalways,theLionsClubdida fantasticjobonthebarbecue,andaspecialthankyoutoRohan Aldousforkeepingeveryonerefreshedwiththewaterstation.
LOVE IS IN THE AIR LOVEISINTHEAIR
Grade2/3AhadtheirfirstvisittoTongalaAgedCare onFebruary11tojoininonsomeValentine’sDaycraft.
BEGINNINGOF YEARBARBECUE
Itwaswonderfultoseesomanyfamiliesand friendsjoinusafterMassforourBeginningof YearBarbecue Theschoolwasbuzzingas peoplegatheredtoreconnect,meetnew faces,andexploreourlearningspacesand yardtogether
HITTING THE HITTINGTHE
IMPRESSIVE SHIRTS IMPRESSIVESHIRTS
HowamazingdoourGrade6topslook?OurGrade6 studentsdidafantasticjobdesigningandrefiningtheirtops, andweabsolutelylovethefinalresulttheychose.It’sbeen greatseeingtheircreativity,teamworkanddecisionmaking throughouttheprocess.Whatincredibleleaders we’reso proudofthem!
NEW STAFF NEWSTAFF
Larajoinsusasatrainee LearningSupportOfficerin Grade5–6aftercompleting Year12atStAugustine’s College,Kyabram. MrsAmieFlemingstepsinto theroleofLearning& TeachingLeaderwhile teachingFoundation, bringingextensive experiencefromShepparton EastPrimarySchoolandSt Augustine’s,Kyabram MissCaitlynTaylorjoinsusas ournewGrade3teacherin hersecondyearofteaching, recentlyrelocatingfrom WesternAustralia
GRADE 3/4 CAMP FUN GRADE3/4CAMPFUN
What’shappeningontherinks
TONGALAGIRLGUIDES
Awonderfulsuccess
TheTongalaBowlsClub
CentenaryCelebration Fundraiserwasmetwithan incredibleshowof communitysupport,leaving organisersfeelingboth thankfulandoverwhelmed Alargecrowdattendedthe eventlastweekend,while manyothersshowedtheir supportbypurchasing ticketsdespitebeingunable toattend Organiserssaidthe generosityofthe community,nearandfar, playedahugepartinthe night’ssuccess.
Aspecialthankyouwas extendedtoCommunity BankTongalaforits unexpectedandgenerous $1000prizedonation.
PicturedareGregand HamishfromCommunity BankTongala,alongwith
SallyandStevenfromthe TongalaBowlsClub, presentingthechequeto prizewinnerDanielle Tinning.Congratulationsto Danielle KelvinandSuefromthe TongalaHotelwerealso thankedforproviding deliciouspizzasonthenight, whileMelissaMurleykept thecrowdentertainedwith afantasticperformance
Appreciationwasalsogiven tothemanyvolunteerswho workedbehindthescenes, includingMCUsher,bar teammembersPeterT, BettyandGaye,kitchen helpersKayleneandJenny Reid,andConnor,who ensuredeveryonetravelled homesafelywiththe courtesybus. Afinalandheartfeltthank youwenttoSallyBeachfor
hertirelesseffortsindriving theeventandhelping makeitsuchamemorable success
What’shappeningontherinks
TONGALAGIRLGUIDES
What’shappeningontherinks
TONGALAGIRLGUIDES
ThePennantwra
Tongala’sCe DivisionOnes cometoane sidefinishing finalsforthef severalseaso Theteampla some27penn behindfourth Stanhope. TheDivisionF recordedone seasonandw forsignificant improvement whileDivision finishedtowa oftheladder victoryforthe BarryTinning highest-rankedTongala bowlerinthetopdivision, finishingasthe16thseed withsevenwins,onedraw andfourdefeats
BernieTinningwasthetop-rankedmidweekpennant DivisionthreebowlerforTongalathisseasonandwilllead theteamintothefinalsseries.
DivisionThreecompetition afterfinishingtheseasonin fourthposition.
Onlyoneotherplayer,Matt Liverton,featuredinsidethe top20withthesame record SteveUsherwasDivision One’sbest-performedlead bowler,ranked11thwith fourwinsandfourdefeats, whilePeterTinningwas closebehindasthe12th seed MarkCoulson,despitethe Bullsmissingthefinals,was thesixth-seededsecond bowler His13matches producedsixwins,one drawandthreedefeats BarryTinningwasthethirdseededthirdbowler,while thebest-performedskip wasMattLiverton,ranked seventhinthecompetition forthe2025–26season
Thesidewonninematches andlostfour,settingup finalsclashesagainst Deniliquin,Echucaand Moama
BernieTinningwasthe stand-outplayerfor2025–26,finishingastheeighth seedwithninewinsand fourlosses,matchingthe team’soverallrecord The nextbest-performed bowlerswereEllis VanderburghandRos Kellett,ranked14thand15th respectively
TheDivisionFourmidweek teamnarrowlymissedthe finals,finishingfifthwitha 6–7win-lossrecord.The highest-rankedTongala playerinDivisionFourwas JennyReid(28thseed), followedbyPatMcMeeken andGeoffTinning,who
InweekendDivisionThree competition,PeterKesson wasthebest-performed Tongalabowlerwithfive winsandfourdefeats, whileTomBoothsecured fourwinsfortheseason In DivisionFour,JennyDicker wastheclub’shighestrankedbowler.
Centenarycelebration TongalaBowlsClubwill celebrateitscentenaryon Sunday,April19,marking 100yearsoflocalsporting historyandcommunity involvement.
Aspartofthecelebrations, theclubisproducinga48pagedigitalpublication documentingkey moments,significant achievementsandthe peoplewhohaveshaped theclubacrossthe decades.
Tohelpensurethe publicationisascomplete , president
•AlanStone,former president
•E.Boase,seven-time women’schampion
•IsobelandDotGilbert, championbowlersand long-servingexecutive members
•JeanJohnston,former championbowler
Anyclubinformationcan besenttoRohanAldousat draxmediaservices@gmail comorbycontactinghim on0415892415. Anyoneabletoprovide photographs,career summaries,anecdotal informationorfamily contactdetailsis encouragedtogetin touch.Thesecontributions willhelpensurethe centenarypublication reflectstheclub’shistory accuratelyandhonours thepeoplewhobuiltit
EXTRA TONNY TIMES
FEBRUARY 2026
Tongala’sfather-and-sontinny racingsensations,Marleyand “Spanner”(Garry)McConnell,now holdrecordsintwoseparate categoriesofthefiercely competitiveRiverlandDinghyClub Championshipafterdethroningthe teamthathaddominatedthe30horsepowerStandarddivisionofthe DinghyDerbyforthepastfouryears NotonlydidMarleyandSpanner overcomethelong-time benchmarkpairingofSeanPeterson andSophieLampard,theyshattered the100-kilometreeventrecord Petersonhimselfhadset,securing oneofthemostsignificantvictories oftheirracingcareers.
Theirwinningtimeof1hour,24 minutesand40secondsinthe30horsepowerclasswasextraordinary,
RIVER KINGS REWRITE HISTORY
particularlygivenitwasonlytheir fifthracewiththe30hpengine. Theperformancetrimmed30 secondsoffthepreviousmarkand complementedtheir25-horsepower record,setduringtheir2024 championshipseason,of1hour,31 minutesand38seconds.Itnow makesthemrecord-holdersacross bothdivisions
“Itisreallysatisfying,”Spannersaid “SeanandSophiehavesetthebarso highforsolong,sotonotonlymatch theirpacebutbeattheirrecord, that’ssomethingwe’llneverforget. Wewentinasunderdogs,butonce wegotinfront,Marleyjustsettled
andweneverlookedback.” Theirachievementcappeda whirlwindweekinRenmark Thepairstudiedthecourseon Thursday,racedunderlightsinthe RenmarkClubDash4CashonFriday night,finishingthirdinthe30horsepowerStandardclass,and joinedofficialpracticeonSaturday, wherenotimeswererecorded Itwasn’tallsmoothsailing Aspin-outintheSuperStandard division,onelevelabovetheirusual class,nearlyendedtheircampaign whenMarleywasalmosttippedfrom theboat.
ContinuedonPage2
SpannerandMarleyMcConnellcelebratetheirDinghyDerbywininthe30-horsepower section.Theybeattheteamthathaswonthetitleforthepastfouryearsandseta newrecordforthe100-kilometreevent.
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River Kings rewrite history
ContinuedfromPage1
Heclungonatthelast moment,buttheincident costthemaplaceinthe final.
RunningtheirStandard boatagainstthefaster SuperStandardfield,they stillmanagedsixth, leavingwiththe confidencetheyhadthe pacerequiredforDerby day.
WhenSundayarrived, everythingaligned
TheRiverlandDinghy Derby,establishedin1981, iswidelyregardedasthe pinnacleofdinghyracing worldwide.
The100-kilometrecourse weavesthroughwinding creeksandopenstretches oftheMurrayRiveraround Renmark.
Withfourgridsofseven boatsreleasedattimed intervalsandconstant trafficacrossthesystem, theDerbydemands
precision,patienceand fearlessness
Mosteyeswereon PetersonandLampard, three-timedefending championswhoentered asfavourites
Butfromthemomentthe flagdropped,the McConnellsseizedcontrol Drawnonthesamegrid andliningupalongside theirrivals,theMcConnells surgedtothefrontand refusedtosurrenderthe lead
Theycarvedthroughthe shortandlonglaps, negotiatingtrafficand evenlappingsome earlier-releasedboats
Somecrewsmovedaside; otherschosetocontest theposition,forcingsplitseconddecisionsand constantrecalculation. Bythetimetheyblasted acrossthefinishline,they weremorethantwo
minutesclearandhad rewrittentherecordbooks
Thevictoryalsocarries significantweightinthe ChampionshipSeries,with theDerbyservingas Round2. TheMcConnellsnowsit justtwopointsoffthe serieslead,withthe CircuitRaceinthe RiverlandonMarch21next onthecalendar,anevent wellsuitedtotheirstyle, featuringtight,buoyed circuitsandclosequartersheats Theseasonrunsfrom earlyFebruarytolate Octoberandincludes majoreventssuchasthe Dash4Cash,Dinghy Derby,CircuitRace, AmazonSprint,Hunchee
RunandtwoEnduro rounds
TheMcConnellsclaimed the25-horsepower championshiptwoyears agoandlastseason finishedsecondoverall despitesteppingupa classmid-seasonand forfeitingearlypoints Now,withaDerbytitleand twoclassrecordstotheir name,theyenterthe remainderoftheyearnot justascontenders,butas theteamtobeat
Theymayeveninspirethe hundredsofTongalatinny ownerswiththatfamiliar silverriver-faringvessel parkedinthedrivewayor backyard
Welldone,Spannerand Marley
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CRICKET
Seniors
Oneroundremainsinthe 2025–26seasonfor Tongala’sA-Gradeside, whichfacestheteam directlyaboveitonthe ladder,Leitchville Gunbower,inthefinal round.
Tongalasitssecond bottomonthenine-team ladderwiththreewinsfor theseason
AvictoryinSaturday’sonedayfixtureatTongala RecreationReservewould seethemclimbonerung Againstthethird-ranked sideonSaturday,Tongala electedtobatafter winningthetossbutwas bowledoutfor70in26.4 overs.
MitchCornwall,battingat numbernine,made10not outfrom20balls,including oneboundary
SteveTownsend(12from 29balls)andLachlan Caldwell(29from44balls, withsixboundaries) combinedfora34-run openingstand
Inreply,EchucaSouth neededjust9.2oversto reachthetarget,withTom
HolmantheonlywickettakerasTongalatriedto restrictthetalentedbatting line-up
TongalasitsfourthinBGradewithsixwinsand fourlossesandwillmeet third-placedLeitchville Gunbowerinthefinal round.
Itisthesecondmeeting betweenthesidesinfive weeks,withLeitchville Gunbowerwinningthe previousencounter180to 105.
Tongalawarmedupwitha winagainstNondies Cohuna,posting8–150 from40overs Callum Tucker(29),Travis Johnstone(21)andHugo MonnichVo(32notout fromjust24balls)werekey contributors Tuckeralsostarredwiththe ball,taking5–12from71 overs Hewaswell supportedbyRiver Townsend,whoclaimed4–8fromsixovers,including fourmaidens
Tongala’sD-Gradeside hasmissedthefinalsafter winningthreeofits10 matches.
Theteamwillcompleteits
seasonagainstBamawm LockingtonUnited. Highlightsfromthepast fortnightincludedGlenn Chantler’shalf-century, twoscoresof36from captainTimSimpson,and strongbowling performancesfrom MohammedKhan.
Juniors
Tongalasitssecondonthe ladderintheUnder-13 GoulburnMurrayJunior Cricketcompetition.
Theteamplaysitsfinal home-and-awaymatch onWednesdaynight againstEchucaSouthand willfaceStanhopeinthe grandfinalonSunday, February22.
Thematchwillbeginat 1pmatStanhope RecreationReserve Initstwomatchesof2026, Tongaladefeated Rochesterbyfourrunsand LeitchvilleGunbowerby78 runs.
KevMaurizimade25not out,NoahVirivirilau19not outandCyrilCleveland10 retired
Tongala’sUnder-17side finishedtheseasonwitha losstoLeitchville
Gunbower,despiteRiver TownsendandHugo MonnichVobothtaking twowickets.
SethChantlermade43 from56balls,including sevenboundaries,while CouperWilliamsandJosh Morrisonbothcontributed 17.
TENNIS
Juniors
Tongalasitsontopofthe DivisionOneladderwith11 winsfrom12rounds,with theremainingmatch abandonedearlierthis year
Theyleadthecompetition narrowlyfromElmore,with acleargapbackto RochesterandEchuca. FinalsbeginonMarch14, whenTongalaisalmost certaintofaceElmorein thegrandfinalqualifier Theclashbetweenthetop twosides,scheduledfor November29,was abandoned.
OnSaturday,Tongala defeatedEchuca7–46to 1–6,droppingjustoneof theeightsets
KenzieJohnstonewonher singles6–0,BlytheRayson wasa6–1winner,whileMia SimpsonandTayahMiles bothclaimed6–2victories
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wasa6–1winner,whileMia SimpsonandTayahMiles bothclaimed6–2victories. Seniors
TongalaTennisClubis enjoyinganoutstanding 2025–26season,sittingon topoftheSectionTwo Openladderandsecondin SectionFourOpenwithtwo home-and-awayrounds remainingintheGoulburn MurrayLawnTennis Associationcompetition
SectionTwoOpen
TongalawillfacethirdrankedKPOSCommandos andbottomside
SheppartonLawnPelicans beforefinalsbeginon March14
Theyare11pointsclearon topoftheladderwith sevenwins,onelossand twoabandonedmatches. Ithasbeenadisrupted seasonattimes,withabye andtwoabandoned matchesearlyintheyear However,inRound10on January17,Tongala recordedadominant10–1 winoverTatura Bonapartes
CoreyNexhipandDamian Brennancontrolledtheir singles,whileBenPotter
andToddVanRoywere equallyimpressive.Potter andAbbeyNexhipnarrowly missedacleansweep, losingTongala’sonlysetin atie-breaker
LoriJohnstonewas exceptional,droppingjust sixgamesacrossher three-setvictories.
Tongalaislikelytomeet eithersecond-ranked EuroaMustangsorthe Commandosinfinals
SectionFourOpen
TheSectionFoursidesits justtwospotsbehind ladder-leaderTatura Twistersafterwinning11 matchesandrecording twodraws
Theirclosestcontestcame againstTaturaCaesars, whereTongalawon5–4on sets,prevailingbyeight gamesoverall
AscheduledJanuary10 clashagainstTatura Twisterswasabandoned Inthefinaltworounds, TongalawillfacesixthrankedStAndrewsand CobramCrickets,bothout offinalscontention
Theirdominancewason fulldisplayinthefirst matchofFebruary,when a g 7 y y Bombers.
MareeVanRoy,BenPotter, LoganMiles,BlytheRayson, MiaFortandYvonneChild securedthatwin,while g withfirstandsecond playinginthesemi-final
Thewinnerwillprogressto thegrandfinalonMarch 21
