I began my teaching career in 1946 at Lake Boga Primary School as a student teacher, and so began a long life which involved a lot of pleasure, as well as meeting a great many great and talented people.

Mrs Aggie Stewart was one of the most respected women to have carried the name of the Aboriginal race into our history books. She was the daughter of Jim & Sarah Crow of the Watti Watti tribe. Aggie was an only child, and she had very few playmates due to the rapid decline in the population in the area.

Aggie led a traditional life-style, which was only slightly affected by European settlement in her later years.

When my sister Eila and I were kids, almost everyone had a Piano, so music teachers were in demand. Our Parents, Maggie (Power) and Ted Donohue were very fond of music, so brought us in to Ultima each week for lessons. We both learned singing with Mrs Win Draper, a fine singer herself, and pianist. I also had piano lessons, while Mr Bob Gundlach taught Eila, violin. He was the proprietor of the barber shop and billiard  room. 

James Henry Punch and his wife Mary Kate (Polly) were married about 1920 - she being a sister of Mr Carlo Wilkins of "The White Swan" Hotel in Swan Hill and Mrs Nan Barwick of "The Royal Hotel" in Swan Hill.

In 1923 they bought the Ultima Railway Hotel, but soon afterwards it was destroyed by fire, along with all their possessions. Two daughters, Mona Beatrice ("Peter") and Sheila Patricia ("Pat") had been born by then, but son Michael Wilkins was born later, when they were in the new building. A younger son, Billy, died in infancy.