Col’s colours: Swimmer Col Pearse after being named in the Commonwealth Games Australian Para-Swimming team at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre in May. He was part of a 27 strong Para-swimming team that competed at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. (AAP Image/Darren England) NO ARCHIVING
Photo by
DARREN ENGLAND
Col Pearse has lifted to another level at the 2022 World Paraswimming Championships in Portugal with a pair of silver medals against the world’s best paraswimming athletes.
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Pearse, from Bamawm, struck early in the first of his three events at the 2022 World Paraswimming Championships in Madeira, claiming a silver medal in the men’s 200m S10 individual medley.
Pearse qualified third fastest in his heat on these second day of the championships (June 13) before setting a new personal best in the discipline, swimming 2.13.76 to hit the wall in second.
The 18-year-old’s time in the final was a full four seconds quicker than his time of 2.17.91 in the heats, a remarkable performance in a thrilling finish.
He followed that up with another silver medal in the 100m butterly event, both behind his main rival in the S10 class — Italy’s Stefano Raimondi.
Pearse finished just one second behind Paralympic gold medallist Raimondi in the individual medley, and just .12 of a second ahead of the Netherlands Bas Takken in a strong finish for the young Australian Dolphin.
A silver medal reflected his improvement in the 200m individual medley following a close fourth-place finish in the discipline at Tokyo.
The result, Pearse’s best finish at international level, adds another medal to an ever-growing cabinet.
New ambulance station works
Featuring a three-bay garage for ambulances, two rest and recline areas for paramedics to recuperate, a fully equipped kitchen and improved security and car parking, Rochester’s new ambulance station is set to provide better working conditions for local paramedics.
Starting in June, the project involves the demolition of the existing ambulance station on Mackay St, and the replacement of it with a new, fit-for-purpose station.
State Member for Northern Victoria Mark Gepp announced on June 1 that the Bowden Corporation had been appointed to construct the multimillion-dollar station.
“This modern and advanced ambulance station will help ensure families living in Campaspe receive the best lifesaving emergency care, now and into the future,” Mr Gepp said.
Historic building: Relocation of Kotta Railway Station ticket box back to Kotta caused a celebration within the Lockington community as the return of their historical station 40 years after its displacement at the Port of Echuca was completed using large cranes.
Photo by
Steve Huntley
Seniors ‘run their own race’
Rochester’s senior citizens organisation has welcomed its inclusion on the Campaspe Shire’s Asset Management Plan “disposal’’ list and is excited about finally being able to ”run its own race“.
Buildings and land on which Campaspe Shire senior citizens clubs operate have been listed for disposal in the document, which was adopted at last Wednesday evening’s council meeting.
Rochester is just one of the clubs whose meeting place is listed, with Rushworth, Echuca and Stanhope also named as surplus to shire needs.
And while other clubs may be daunted by the prospect of being responsible for the entire running costs of their own building, the Rochester club cannot wait for the process to be completed.
Rochester Senior Citizens’ Club president Leeanne Fullard said her club’s situation was a little unique and her research had uncovered that — despite the belief of some members — the club did not own the building.
The 60 Campaspe St property is listed for disposal in the 10-year Asset Management Plan.
The building was opened in 1976 by former Member for Rodney Eddie Hann, on the back of a $95,000 Commonwealth Government grant allocated through the then local government authority.
The club later secured a loan from the shire for expansion, but has since repaid that loan.
Ms Fullard said many on the club executive were of the understanding that the senior citizens owned the building prior to amalgamation, when Campaspe Shire took back control of the property.
Since then the shire has paid for the running costs of the club, but a renegotiation of the previous arrangement meant the club was now better off running its own race.
Oppy now at Sports Museum
Legendary Rochester-born cycling immortal, Sir Hubert Opperman, is now celebrated with his own section at the Rochester Sports Museum.
Sir Hubert, who sits comfortably in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, has had his international cycling feats publicly celebrated in Rochester since the early 1990s.
The Oppy Collection now has pride of place in the Rochester museum and will include a specially produced eight-minute video, which includes tributes from long-time Opperman family supporter Peter Anderson, and Rochester Sports Museum’s Bob Knight.
Mr Knight and his Lions club have been negotiating with Mr Anderson’s Rochester-based committee to secure the collection at the museum for some time.
The collection was previously housed at the Rochester service centre, but the Lions club has re-organised its administration area to give the cycling legend pride of place at the sports museum.
The sports museum received funds through Rochester Business Network for a curator to prepare and promote the new Opperman exhibition/collection.
Champion of change: Rochester Rotary president Heather Watson was named District 9800’s Royce Abbey Champion of Change award winner at in June. Heather and Rotary volunteers had recently returned from a flood relief trip to NSW.
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