Community
21 November, 2024
Milestone reunion for 1944 babies
A CELEBRATION was held over the weekend which saw a group of Terang-born residents reunite after 80 years.
The special reunion was held at the Wheatsheaf Hotel on Sunday for Terang and district residents born in 1944.
There was around a dozen in attendance this year, taking the opportunity to connect with their peers and introduce family and friends while sharing memories.
Kevin McKenzie, one of the organising members, said all involved had enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect, with most having also attended reunions which have been held several times over the past 20 years.
“Our reunions originated from Tom Conheady who, while we were coming up to 60, wanted everyone who was born in 1944 to have a party together,” he said.
“We rounded up anyone we could find from Terang and district, it was advertised in the Terang Express, and we held our first reunion out at the Noorat Recreation Reserve for a dinner.
“That was the one and only Tommy did – he died sometime later – but we continued again to hold another when we were all 70.
“We held another one when we were 75, shorting the time in between because time isn’t on our side, and now we’re having the 80th.”
Among those in attendance was Peter Conheady, who said it was an opportunity to reconnect with those he had grown up with.
They shared memories of their time together, be it on the school yard or the football oval.
“Some people have travelled a long way, including a few from Melbourne,” he said.
“It is good to see everyone.
“Many of us played football with one another, or against one another.
“The reunions were a novel idea, and it stuck.”
Mr Conheady said Terang had certainly changed over the years, but felt the growing number of businesses was a sign the town is trending in the right direction.
“Terang is starting to go really well,” he said.
“We’ve got two tractor dealers, we’ve got Ridley’s mill, Cooinda, Molans, Bushman Tanks, Grass Growers and more.
“They all provide a lot of employment.”
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