Feature Profiles
11 January, 2026
SUMMER READING - OLD BOYS & GIRLS
Keeping up connections for a century included a special gathering in 2025
By CHRIS EARL
COUNTRY ties hold tight ... even as study and employment has taken youngsters to Melbourne and beyond in the last century.
Brothers, sisters, cousins and friends creating a special bond hours from the town where they went to school and picked up their first job.
Or businessmen taking their families south in quest of new opportunities.
In 1925, they were the Old Boys and Old Girls of Wedderburn who decided to hold a reunion, like similar organisations that formed in Melbourne in the years between World War One and the Great Depression.
This weekend, 100 years of Wedderburn reunions will be celebrated when the event is held in Bendigo for the first time.
For organiser Doug Steel, who left the ‘Burn in 1975 after being transferred in his job with the ANZ Bank, the change will tap into a greater potential group of ex-residents.
“There’s probably more ex-Wedderburn people living in Bendigo now than there are in Melbourne,” he says.
“Bendigo’s more central ... less than an hour from Wedderburn people to attend and within reach of those coming from Melbourne.”
Scots Church Hall in Russell Street, Melbourne, was an early venue for ex-Wedderburn residents to catch up when the Old Boys’ and Old Girls’ Association first brought expats together.
The idea grew and more than 150 were at the sixth annual reunion in 1930 organised by president T. Gray and secretary C.R. Goode.
Three years later there was an impromptu reunion at the Green Door Cafe during Royal Melbourne Show Week.
“The functions proved to be the most successful of any social gathering held by the association,” Melbourne newspapers reported.
“There was a large attendance, which included representatives of kindred associations and the evening was pleasantly passed in dancing and competitions and in reminiscences of old days.”
Wedderburn was part of the Federated Council of Old Boys‘and Girls’ Associations.
There was also Ararat, Alexandra, Beaufort, Bright, Beechworth, Beulah Benalla, Bealiba, Bridgewater, Carngham, Colac, Clunes Castlemaine Cassilia-Tonglo, Dunolly, Drouln, Donald, Deniliquln, Echuca, Eaglehawk, Gisborne, Golden Square, Hopetoun, Haddon, Horsham, Kerang, Linton, Maldon, Malmsbury, Maryborough, Mount Egerton, Omeo, Queens-cliff, Redan, Rutherglen, Stawell, Smythesdale, Scarsdale, Sebastopol, St Arnaud, Tatura-Mooroopna, Tarnagulla, Taradale, Talbot and Warracknabeal among the roll call more than 1200 people attended the council’s 10th annual reunion ball in Melbourne Town Hall in 1935.
The council has long disappeared and Wedderburn’s group disbanded. But not the sense of belonging that has continued to bring ex-Wedderburn residents together for the annual reunion.
“Country people are a lot different to city people,” says Doug.
“Coming together for the reunions still gives you a sense of belonging (to the town) ... I still have some brothers in Wedderburn and plenty of cousins.” For many years, Wedderburn expats have been gathering in Melbourne’s Flagstaff Gardens for the annual reunion.
“We’ve still been getting 20 or so people but we think the permanent move to Bendigo will make the reunion more central,” says Doug.
“The numbers were dwingling and we needed to refresh it. There are many ex-Wedderburn residents now living in Bendigo and with the ‘Burn less than a hour away we want a huge attendance.
“There are no restrictions on attendees. Korong Vale, Inglewood and surrounding area people are welcome, as are any who had had a connection with the area.”
Doug says the 100 years of holding reunions meant stories of Wedderburn kept being told.
His ancestors arrived on the goldfields, not digging for riches but selling picks, shovels and other tools for the miners.
“When I was working in the bank ... I got to look at the old records and saw my great-great grandfather had been the third person to open an account at the branch,” he said.
When the reunion is held in Bendigo Botanical Gardens on Sunday, Doug is hoping for a big attendance. “Instead of 20 people, a couple of hundreds would be great,” he said.