Shepparton News
‘The smoke was like something from a volcano’
For Tatura CFA’s Sam Rennie, Friday, January 9 is a day she’ll never forget. “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that ... I would be on the ground at a fire as catastrophic as Longwood,” she said. “No amount of training can prepare you for the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Learning the rules
Hidden in History is a weekly column that unearths the quirky, curious and sometimes eyebrow-raising tales from Shepparton’s past. Provided by the Shepparton Heritage Centre, these articles are rooted in fact — but told with a wink and a sense of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Region holds its breath
Greater Shepparton residents are being urged to take extra care as extreme heat and Catastrophic Fire Danger conditions force widespread changes to council services and transport across the region. Greater Shepparton City Council has confirmed several...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Stand and deliver
Plenty of action-packed entertainment, charging bulls and rocking tunes drew large crowds to the Katamatite Rodeo on the weekend. The Katamatite Lions Club had been preparing for the rodeo for six months, and all its members’ hard work paid off at...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A very happy new year
Thousands gathered at the Mooroopna Recreation Reserve on Wednesday, December 31, for the Mooroopna Rotary Club New Year’s Eve Festival. Mooroopna Rotary Club president Barbara Joyce said there was no trouble from the big crowd and everyone at the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Twins take separate paths
At Greater Shepparton Secondary College, the top 10 VCE students this year included a pair: twins Billy and Theo Kop. While schools often celebrate strong results, it’s not every day they get a two-for-one deal — academic excellence paired neatly with...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Magnificent mural makes a statement in all caps
What began as a simple idea to reuse waste has blossomed into a bold celebration of colour, creativity and community connection. FamilyCare has proudly unveiled a vibrant new Eco Mural at its Sensory Garden. The project was made possible through a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
The magic of Christmas
Four-year-old Luna Horne is a reminder that Christmas is found in small, happy moments. Here, Luna is dancing at Shepparton’s Carols by Candlelight. She’s lost in the music and magic of the night — a beautiful snapshot of the wonder that comes with...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
We’re dreaming of a quiet Christmas
Local emergency services share a Christmas wish this year, and a familiar one from past years. That wish is for everyone to stay safe. While the message may sound repetitive, it remains relevant given the festive season is a high-danger period for...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Joy to the world
Elaine Avram is Kialla’s Mrs Claus. She doesn’t refer to herself that way, of course, but anyone who has taken a stroll through her festive front yard in the past 27 years would attest that there’s no-one more deserving of the title. “(The first...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Painting with purpose
Caitlyn Panettieri was one of the many talented artists with works on display at the ConnectGV art exhibition this week.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Bourn to be wild
Oscar Lambourn and Felix Odell go big for Old Students PAGE 42
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Proud as punch
Kobe Pryde can be proud of his debut fight. An 11-year-old juggling multiple sports, Pryde, who has trained at the Goulburn Valley Boxing Academy for four years, ventured north to the Gold Coast for his first official step in the ring. And to quote...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Heart and Sol
By the time Sol Turner is 15, the minimum age to start an apprenticeship, he’ll already have 13 years experience on the tools. Not officially, of course – he’s only two. But try telling that to the internet. The nicknamed ‘ Baby Tradie’ is the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Nurses remembered
World War I nurses will be recognised with a new plaque that is being unveiled in Shepparton today at a Remembrance Day service. The plaque contains the names of 30 women who trained as nurses at Mooroopna Hospital before heading overseas and working...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Ladies turn on the style for Oaks Day
Gale Hatton and Annette Sleeth were among the attendees showing off their vibrant outfits at the Shepparton Soroptimists’ lunch at the GV Hotel.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Walking for life
Two thousand five hundred soles for 2500 souls; 2500 souls too many. The four pairs of runners Alan Thorpe will burn through on his walk from Ballarat to Canberra, will form part of what will be a powerful and emotional display of shoes at Parliament...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Heading off the beaten track
Wilderness trips fund program that gives troubled youth a chance to connect
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Catching connections
Keen fisherman Ashley ‘Ash’ Ainsworth, who suffered a brain injury 33 years ago when he was 18, believes it takes people 10 years to get to know themselves again after acquiring such damage. With his love of fishing and a desire to meet and mingle...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Love story reaches great heights
A celebratory kiss at the top of the Shepparton Tower seals another successful scaling of its 160 steps for the 90-plus-year-old Bettanins. Mario and Lina aren’t sure how many times they’ve climbed the iconic CBD landmark, but they’ve been doing it at...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Cool Cats surprise reigning premiers
Mooroopna drew the short straw with an opening round match-up against reigning Haisman Shield premiers Waaia. But by the end of the one-day clash at Mooroopna, the Cats and their laser-like bowling attack had sprung a big upset on the Bombers. With...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Justin has a second chance at life
By his own admission, Shepparton’s Justin Rooney thought he was bulletproof until an unexpected diagnosis brought him right back down to earth last year. Leading up to that life-altering day he learned he had bowel cancer at just 45 years old, in July...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Youngsters are the stars of the show
The 149th Shepparton Agricultural Show has been hailed a success, with sunny weather, free entry for children and a full program keeping visitors entertained across two days. Attendance on October 10 and 11 was strong, with families enjoying...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Reaching new heights
Shepparton’s Visy Stadium hosted WNBL powerhouses Bendigo Spirit and Southside Melbourne Flyers for a crackerjack game on Wednesday night.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Making lanterns will be a highlight
Have you ever wondered what a mooncake tastes like? Or wanted to try making your very own Chinese lantern? Well, the GV Chinese Association has set up an event that will let the community do just that — and so much more. The Mid-Autumn Festival, also...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Will you donate for Dixie?
Three-year-old cavalier-cross-springer spaniel is on the road to recovery, but the journey is not without its costs
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Zeus is into socialising
Say hello to Zeus, a gorgeous blue and white American Staffy with a heart as big as his smile At just over three years old, Zeus is a sweet, affectionate boy who is now looking for a forever home. Zeus is a well-mannered gentle giant, but due to his...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Grand final glory
The Kyabram District League and Picola District Football Netball League crowned their premiers at the weekend. Murchison-Toolamba and Shepparton East secured top honours in the KDL while Katamatite and Katandra lifted the cups in the PDFNL.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Compassion comes at a cost
What should be a moment of dignity for grieving families has turned into a contentious issue in Shepparton, with a local funeral director describing recent fines as “very disappointing”. Owen Mohan Funeral Directors, based on Nixon St, has found...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Bears blitz Bombers
Under the radiant afternoon glow at Deakin Reserve on Sunday, Shepparton Notre Bears shone brightest. In the last match on Goulburn Murray Junior League grand final day, the Bears claimed a 12.5 (77) to 7.8 (50) victory against Echuca Murray Bombers...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
For Jay, Father’s Day is all about family
When Father’s Day rolls around, Jay Nash isn’t asking for much. “I just want to have a chilled-out day, spend time with family, and order pizza,” he said. His three daughters — Maisie, 8, Courtney, 6, and Tilly, 3 — are waiting to spring forth and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A huge helping of hope
It wasn’t just lunch, it was a movement. More than 1300 blokes — and a few women — packed Shepparton Showgrounds’ multipurpose pavilion on Friday, August 29, for the 2025 Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch, proving the event is far more than a meal. The...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A toast to 12 unforgettable years
After 11 years of clinking glasses, rustic Italian flavours and countless friendships formed across its tables, Shepparton’s much-loved “little pocket of Italy” is preparing for a change of hands. Owners Gina Sozzi and Sam Scarpari, who have poured...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Swans on song
It was Shepparton Swans’ swansong for the home and away season and boy did they finish on the highest note. As the Goulburn Valley League entered its final round, the top six positions seemed locked in place and, for all their efforts this season to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Meet Maisie, she’s a white-collar worker
Who needs an employee of the month when you’ve got an Office Dog of the Year? Mooroopna’s very own Maisie the Australian shepherd has become a finalist in the 2025 Oz Top Dog awards, representing Greater Shepparton in the hotly contested People’s...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Blue steel
Shepparton United asserted its dominance over local rival Shepparton with a commanding second-half performance at Vibert Reserve at the weekend. Reds star Bryan Nyetam-Mawo shattered the 37-minute stalemate, only for Hassan Alhilfi to level the score...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Aydin desperately needs your help
There was no way Justine and Tarik Turedi could have known, while their baby boy was still in the womb, that their son Aydin would face such a challenging start to life. They never imagined his first months would be spent beneath hospital lights, his...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Not everyone’s on board with $964m fix
The Victorian Government’s $964 million road maintenance program that aimed to repair hundreds of kilometres of roads across the state wrapped up in July, but some politicians are saying not enough has been done to repair roads around the Goulburn...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Centre of attention
There are milestones and then there are monuments. This weekend, as Katunga strides onto home court in the red and white, Rachael Howden will clock up game number 550 for the Swans in the Picola District Netball League. And like most of the other 549...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Age-old celebration to mark 100 days
Orrvale Primary School Foundation students celebrated 100 days of learning on Friday, July 25, by dressing up as if they were 100 years old. Wigs, glasses, walking canes and frames saw the students embracing the milestone with creativity and humour....
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Sloppy, sensational, and flat-out wrong. 60 Minutes resurfaces a disgraced climate report that ignores the flood data and wrongly damns Shepparton
There’s something truly mesmerising about watching nd one of self-taught artist Greg Beckenham’s videos unfold. Each one begins with a message — sometimes it’s a quote, other times just a name — painted boldly across the canvas, marking the start of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Prepare to be bowled over
When artist Marion Langford was a teenager, the Star Bowl in Shepparton was one of her favourite places to be. Saturday nights were spent alongside friends and family, gracefully sending bowling balls down the lanes, smashing pins and sharing...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Postie delivers life-saving help
Justine Ball’s story is one only she can tell — and for a while, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to. But by sharing it, she hopes others might take away a simple yet powerful message: if you see someone in need, stop and help. Around 9am on a day in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Brodie bags sweet 16
There was no cake or candles, yet one Shepparton player had a sweet 16 on Saturday. In the Goulburn Valley League reserves match between Shepparton and Euroa at Deakin Reserve, the Bears were in cruise control, winning 27.15 (177) to 0.3 (3). But...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
The multi-media app that’s right for the times
It’s my pleasure to introduce you to the new Shepparton News app — a multimedia platform many months in the making. This sophisticated new app not only looks at the world from our local perspective but o ers features that capital city media don’t. They...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
“I don’t want my officers to have to tell another family their loved one is never coming home; however, the reality is this is inevitable unless we see a significant mindset change among some local motorists.” Those are the words of Shepparton’s top...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Birthday bash for learning buddy
There was monkey business at St Georges Road Primary as Foundation students dressed as their favourite animals and swung into celebration mode with a birthday bash for classroom star Milo the Monkey, pictured with Foundation student Natania Daperoc....
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Chess showdowns across the board
Queens led, kings followed and students ruled the chess court. Students from eight schools contested a lively chess tournament last week. Gowrie Street Primary School student Prabjot Singh and Grahamvale Primary School student Will Collins were among...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Dookie cop hangs up his holster
While city police stations are sandwhiched between houses and shops, retiring Dookie policeman, Leading Senior Constable Simon Hutchings, has had two goats as neighbours. As he farewells the role after more than 40 years in the police force, Leading...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Back to the future
When Phil and Tina rst met, he was a Barca, she was a Loverso. They were both hairdressers. Now, almost three decades later, after flipping a couple of career wild cards, they’re successful restaurateurs with an exciting new eatery set to open next...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Congupna fun
Congupna Primary School students Emily Bye, Jordyn Benton and Dakota Allen kept warm on a cool winter’s day by playing netball. More photos from the day will be in Friday’s News.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘BLOCKBUSTER’ SHOW OPENING
For non-art lovers, the appeal may lie in the fact that he rubbed shoulders with Jimi Hendrix or that he asked Janis Joplin to babysit his child. For art lovers, Brett Whiteley was a star in his own right. The latter gathered at Shepparton Art Museum...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
HEALTHY BOOST
A new permanent mental health support hub has officially opened its doors in Shepparton, offering free walk-in support for adults with no GP referral or Medicare card required. Located at 116 Corio St in the former FIX building, the Shepparton Mental...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Meet the new breed of working dog
Pets are the perfect companion at home, but how good are they in the office? A 2024 Bond University study reported that stress levels in Australian workplaces were among the highest, with employee burnout doubling and return-to-office mandates...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Playtime pals
Students at Kialla Central Primary were eager to make the most of their short recess this week. While most took to the basketball court, others explored the playground and made the best of a chilly morning.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
We’ve got it licked
Manny the Labrador is proving a real lifesaver for dogs in need — one blood donation at a time.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
KNIFE-WIELDING MAN SENTENCED
Body-worn camera footage showing a police officer drawing his gun at a knife-wielding man has been played in court. The man had threatened another officer who had fallen during a police chase. In the footage, the officer can be heard repeatedly...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
GOULBURN FLOOD THREAT REVEALED
Residents of Shepparton and Mooroopna can find out the level of flood threat on their homes, in a new online resource launched recently. The free portal has been pulled together by the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority. The Goulburn...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Twenty-eight storeys, hundreds of stories
Local legends are fanning the flames for this year’s Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb — and they’re going all out. On Saturday, September 6, 1000 firefighters, volunteers and emergency service personnel from across Australia, and overseas, will race...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Shepparton is thinking BIG
Coffs Harbour has its big banana, the Sunshine Coast has its big pineapple; should Shepparton have its own big pear? A group of leading Goulburn Valley business people want to harness the region’s reputation for fruit growing and steer it into a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
The thrill of saving Chase
When you’ve been around dogs for as long as Madeleine Jane has, loving one becomes second nature. That’s how she felt when she first saw Chase on the Cobram Facebook community noticeboard. After being missing for six weeks, he had been found near the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
FIRE IN TRUCK
A recycling truck dumped its load after a fire broke out in the truck yesterday. It is the second kerbside collection truck fire in Shepparton in the past month. Fire Rescue Victoria senior station officer David Pitcher said the truck had been...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Done and dunked
Some 20 brave souls faced a pit of iced water at Mooroopna Recreation Reserve on Sunday, an already icy winter’s day exacerbated by grey skies and persistent drizzling rain. The Big Dunk was all in the name of a good cause, and despite the weather...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
DROUGHT GROUP TAKES ACTION
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan says the role of Victoria’s newly formed drought task force, which she chairs, is essentially to be a clearing house for all issues and requests for support to be considered not just by government, but by broader...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
DEAN IS GETTING DUNKED
Dean Gladigau is getting dunked. He’s no stranger to icy water in winter with regular cold plunges in his pool after gym sessions, but come Sunday, when the mercury isn’t tipped to rise above 13ºC and there’ll be no vigorous exercising to warm him up,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Up to the challenge
Three carers have joined the Big Freeze for FightMND — right in Moyola Aged Care’s backyard. On Tuesday, June 10, Moyola Aged Care staff members braved the cold and fought motor neurone disease with an ice bucket challenge to raise money and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Home goes up in ames
Firefighters were called to a blaze in Toolamba yesterday afternoon but were unable to prevent the house from sustaining severe damage.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
WEATHER TAKES A TURN FOR THE WETTER
A rainy weekend has marked the start of a forecasted wet and warm winter. Rain started falling in Shepparton just after 9pm on Friday, June 6 and finished at 10.30pm, seeing 1.2mm fall. It started again at 5pm on Saturday, June 7 and wrapped up with...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CUTTING A RUG
Music students from Greater Shepparton Secondary College delighted young audiences at the May Cushion Concert held at Eastbank on Tuesday, May 27. Twenty-seven students from Years 7 to 9, representing the vocal ensemble and mid-level band, showcased...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
THAT’S THE SPIRIT!
Forget Casper, let STAG immerse you in a real ghost story. In its 50th anniversary season, the Shepparton Theatre Arts Group proudly presents The Woman in Black,a Gothic thriller of suspense and storytelling. The Woman in Black tells the story of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)