Pics from the Past | Two sisters drowned in the Goulburn River

As you can see from this 1936 photo, the Goulburn River wound its way behind Welsford St from High St to Fryers St, but in 1969 the river was redirected and partially filled in to create a new bridge, the High St extension and a new park named after Sir John Monash, an Australian civil engineer and military commander of World War I.

Many would say this was environmental vandalism, and it destroyed Shepparton’s main sandy beach and swimming pool on the sharp bend of the river shown in the foreground of this photo.

Little do the cows know that under their feet once flowed the meandering Goulburn River and the occasional paddle steamer only a stone’s throw from Welsford St.

Two sisters drowned

While bathing in the Goulburn River early this morning, Nellie Howard, 20, and Annie Howard, 17, were drowned.

It is believed that the younger girl got into difficulties, and that her sister, who could swim a little, went to her rescue.

The bodies were recovered from eight feet of water, and resuscitating methods were tried in vain.

The fatality occurred near the swimming baths. A danger signal had been erected over the hole where the bodies were found but was removed by boys some days ago.

By Margaret Marlow (Lost Shepparton co-editor):

During Shepparton’s very warm summer period our thoughts turn to cooling off anywhere where there’s water. Before the Raymond West Pool came into existence in the 1950s local channels were popular swimming holes, but the most popular of all was the Goulburn or the Broken River, which began somewhere in the Victorian Alps and flowed down into the Goulburn, near Shepparton.

There were special sandy areas of both rivers that were deemed safe and became the places to go to cool off on a stifling day.

Often Mum would pack a picnic lunch for a day out beside the river. Drinks were placed in an old sack and immersed in the water to keep cool. A rope secured the ‘esky’ to an overhanging tree.

Kids always seem to know how to make fun, and there would be races from one side of the river to the other — the more daring swung on ropes tied to trees and dive-bombed into the water. It was quite an achievement to swim from one side of the river to the other. The other side looked closer than it really was.

Swimming holes I remember were down the north end of town close to Balaclava Rd and at the end of High St, off Welsford St. Another was at Raftery’s or Rafferty’s Bend as we called it, a couple of kilometres south of Shepp. If I were a fisherman writing this article I’m sure the Goulburn would be mentioned as a perfect fishing spot, so many nooks and crannies along its banks to settle into with a fishing line in one hand and cold beverage in another, all prepared to unwind after a tough working week.

Yes, rivers had many uses, but are not used today as they were back then. Swimming, fishing, transporting or just finding a place to ponder, a place of solitude where the gentle flow of water, the smell of the eucalyptus and the twittering of bird life lulled you into a peaceful frame of mind. ‘Ah, the serenity.’

Comments from our Facebook fans about their memories of the Goulburn River.

Margaret Ryan

It was a wonderful swimming spot.

Eunice Jones

Swam there nearly every day in summer.

Jeanette Doherty

It was a great beach and lovely swimming here — the smell of the river and gum trees on a hot summer’s day.

Joy Thomson

Was stuck up a tree one evening waiting for the snake swimming in the middle of the river to go home.

Bob McKellar

Great memories of that beach. The Goulburn was clear those times. Dressing sheds with lighting. The light fittings were still there the last time I looked. Circus elephants used to come to have a wash early mornings.

Merle Forster

I didn't but I loved watching the boys swing on it! Also at the swings at the Boulevard, there was a great mud slide. We took our go-carts down.

Rob Trezise

The kids had a great time there. One stand-out was Ray ‘Spargo’ Geraghty who would swing up high and dive like Tarzan.

Richard Ambrose

Boulevard wasn’t bad but the swing behind the lake was the monster!

Ian Argus

Still the odd spot on the Goulburn that we can relive our childhood but now we care about snags and our body can’t handle the strain on it.

Laurie Bodycoat

I lived close by and swam there all the time. We had a rope tied to one of the trees on the other side of the river and used it as swing. Great times there.

Lyle Johnson

Remember lots of these from my childhood in the 1950s and 60s. We lived in Winston St just near the river and spent a lot of time in or around it summer and winter. This was long before the levee bank.

Clive Reynolds

Swam across the Goulburn when it was this high with some mad mates in the 50s. Got out a mile or so downstream on the other bank.

Les Darilyn Goldsmith

My mother and father were always amused when the river flooded along the Golf Links Estate where the rich built their houses. Their comment: “Well, they’ve got their water view now.” The locals always knew that those new estates flooded.