Wallan 1976

Estimated read time 3 min read

Preface: The following article is not complete, nor intended to be at this point in time. It is a working piece and shall be updated through the collaboration of all those who view it and from further information gathered. There may be mistakes. There will be future pictures and information provided on some of the  the information on the buildings is further clarified. But there is no benefit to anybody if the information is shared. So we shall suffice with what we have for the moment.

In 1976 a Wallan Primary School teacher by the name of Anne Valance (a member of the well known Vallance family of Wallan) shot a school video. Perhaps it wasn’t understood at the time how significant this video would be; a video detailing some of the streetscape of Wallan and highlighting how much it has changed over the past 44 years. Or perhaps she had the wisdom and foresight to know exactly this. I suspect it was the latter.

It begins with a bullock team from Echuca walking down from the Wallan Primary School from Queen St, Wallan. At 1:40 Hogans hotel can be seen in the background of the children playing. At 3:09 some of the buildings on the left of High Street between Watson Street and Queen Street can be viewed. Further information on these buildings will be provided in further updates of this article. The mechanics hall and Anzac memorial is shown at 3:20. At 3:26 Mrs Nuisance’s house can be seen in full view. A long standing resident of Wallan remembers it with amazing tin-pressed metal ceilings. The tennis courts which used to be situated where the Wallan Skate park is now comes into view at 3:20. At 4:58 the Budge and Wells Sawmill can be seen on the far side of the road leading out of Wallan to Melbourne.  More of the Wallan street scape is shown at 5:20. At 7:59 the right hand side of the Inverlochy Castle Hotel can be seen. This is the only known video of the Inverlochy Castle to exist and there was much excitement when this was discovered! At 9:28 the video closes with a trip to Melbourne City and showing the Southern Cross train station and the Yarra river.

Buckle in folks. Were are going for a journey – a journey back to 1976! Without any further babble, I present the Wallan Primary School video of 1976!


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12Comments

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    • 2
      Tania Hoyne (Castelli)

      I was 14 yr old at this time and had live here since birth Wallan was a safe friendly little town back then and still have many friends from my childhood still live in the area or keep in contact with Wallan will always feel like home

    • 5
      Bernadette Bell

      Thank you great video of Wallan, how it has changed, children up close to a bullock team outside the school gate! Thank you Anne for the record of history 🔔

  1. 7
    Carmel Laffan

    Thankyou for sharing this. I have many memories growing up an visiting Wallan. And yes it sure has a few changes and grown. Was great also to see our familys Inverlochy in this video.

  2. 8
    Corrine Jasper

    Thank you for sharing. I was in grade 2 at the time. Many familiar faces. A lovely feel good memory. Thank you to Anne Valance for recording this now piece of history.

  3. 9
    Andrea Bassett

    What a wonderful trip down memory lane. Thank you for sharing this very special piece of both wallans and my history. So many happy memories of the town, school and beautiful friends

  4. 11
    Stu Bysouth

    So many cool shirts and so many empty paddocks and so many awesome hair cuts – Frankie Laffan and Langers, you blokes had the best ones!

  5. 12
    Sue Hillier

    The good old times of Wallan,beautiful memories of our Childhood,Loved Mrs Vallance so inspiring to us children dances in the Hall, fond memories,always had a smiling face & encouraging us 100%.Brought tears to my eyes,thankyou for sharing the video.x

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