Diving deep into memories of Wodonga Creek | Then and Now

We used to drive a horse and sulky to school, the only kids in the area that did that.

The old horse was kept in the paddock opposite the school and if things looked like being bad at school, I'd just leave the gate open a little bit at lunchtime and the horse would naturally escape by about two o'clock, head down towards the Wodonga Creek to Reuss's and it would be my job to go and get it.

School sports were held down at the Wodonga Creek which was certainly a great place in those days; they had lights strung across the creek and you could swim there at night. They had dressing sheds, diving boards, they had the works down there and it was a great place to go.

We all went down there; they had swings and it was a great place to swim. Oh yes, old Bernie Reuss and his watermelon patch, you had to have that.

The current there was so strong and the only bloke I knew who could ever swim upstream was Gordon Strang and I believe he could swim from House Creek up to the bridge and that was very, very hard.

Think of the times when we went downstream in that and we did and it was fun and I think both schools had their school sports there.

Walking down to school sports, I can just visualise the Sumsion Gardens with the little jetties on it that were just about ready to fall over I think; I probably nished up pushing them over, I don't know.

Somebody told me they used to have yacht racing or yachts on them, but, I never ever saw it, but, I do remember the jetties there. It was a great place to swim and have time and that is what has happened today; you would not go down there now because it is full of needles and goodness knows what.

If you go down there now you would want a pair of work boots on too, to walk around and that is the worst part of it. I suppose it is called progress.

The Wodonga Historical Society meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 2pm in Wodonga Football Club Rooms, Vermont Street, Wodonga.Visitors welcome.