Centenary Celebrations
3 Oct 11
The Underbool Linga Hall was full of excited participants on Friday night for the opening of the celebrations. People registered and received a 'showbag' (which was a collage of many pictures showing past history) containing information and samples of locally produced grains and wool and also some salt. Memorabilia and souvenirs were also able to be purchased.
A lovely meal was served by the Parents and Friends of the Underbool Primary School. Conversations and catching up continued throughout the evening which proved to be warm enough inside the hall even though outside temperatures had dropped after heavy rain fell earlier.
Howard Crothers, President of the Centenary Committee, officially opened the proceedings and welcomed all present. Underbool students continued the welcome by a recitation of 'Welcome to Underbool' - a poem written for the occasion. 
Items by Neil Jackson on the saw, accompanied by his daughter Carolyn, and Jeff Tynan singing a song written by his mother Margaret preceded the launching of the Centenary book.
Janet Lynch proudly launched 'Embracing Our Mallee Heritage', a book that has something for everybody whether genealogist , historian, sporting buff, or interested reader, and book sales commenced immediately after the launch. Contact Janet on underboolcentenary@gmail.com if you would like to purchase a copy. 
Saturday, although a cold wind was blowing, the rain held off and the program continued without any dampening of the crowd that was gathering along the highway.
'Pioneers' walked in from the east beside the rail track to take up their 'land'. An old iron bike, a horse, and a wheelbarrow provided modes of transport for the pioneers and their possessions. They gathered around their campsite which included wagons, tents and campfire with a couple of rabbits ready to cook. 
A little explanation of their living conditions and some entertainment from the accordian gave some insight into how the original settlers fared one hundred years ago. 
From the settlers camp, the crowd moved down to the Underbool Welcome Wall. This memorial to mark the centenary and to continue to welcome people to the Underbool community was unveiled by the acting Mayor of MRCC, Cr Susan Nichols. Federal member Mr John Forrest also spoke commending the community for their efforts and achievements. 
A short walk to the Underbool Primary School brought the crowd to see the unveiling of the mosaic murals. Staff, students, parents, and community members had worked together on this project under the guidance and inspiration of the Principal Greg Vallance.
three murals depicting the development of Underbool from early settlement to the present day