Latest news with #Wodonga
ABC News
5 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Rooming houses frustrate some Victorians who want more say on developments
Henry Crawford loves the sense of community in his residential Wodonga street, which hosts a collection of modern units alongside older, red brick and weatherboard homes. But there is a new type of development on the block. A rooming house — where four or more people can live in up to nine rented rooms — was built on the street earlier this year. And Mr Crawford said residents were worried another unit in the street would be converted into a rooming house. "There is a need for some of this accommodation, but we just think it shouldn't be concentrated in one area," he said. Mr Crawford is among hundreds of regional residents petitioning for ratepayers and councils to have a greater say around the development, limitations and density of rooming houses. The rooming house development in Wodonga was built after Wodonga Council last year refused a planning permit for a five-dwelling, five-lot subdivision on the site due to concerns about street amenity, private open space objectives, and car parking requirements. In Victoria, rooming houses can be built in a range of development zones without a permit if it does not exceed nine bedrooms and 12 residents. The total floor area of all buildings on the land must not exceed 300 square metres, excluding outbuildings, and bedrooms can only be accessed from within the building. There are also requirements for garden areas and shared facilities. Rooming house operators must apply for and be granted a licence before they can start operating. Rooming houses differ from a share house or rental property because individual residents usually have separate agreements with the rooming house operator to rent a room. Different rules around rent increases, repairs, minimum standards, inspections, and notices to vacate also apply. There are more than 1,700 rooming houses registered with Consumer Affairs Victoria. Peter Mortimer lives in a residential court in the Gippsland town of Churchill, where there are three rooming houses within 50 metres of each other. "I am absolutely gutted that you can't have any say whatsoever," he said. Mr Mortimer said he had concerns about the large number of potential residents and increased traffic, as the road was narrow, and about its impact on the quiet nature of the street. He has complained to the local council and Consumer Affairs Victoria. Victorian-based developer Stone Horizon focuses exclusively on designing, building and managing rooming houses in the state, and plans to build around 15 this year alone. Managing director Henry Vila said the company worked mainly with "mum and dad investors", and had strong tenancy demand from young professionals and older divorced or widowed women. He said the company chose Victoria because the state offered unique legislation and lacked individual local government interference, which made delivering up to nine rentable rooms easier and allowed for better quality dwellings. "One of the great things about the way we do these properties in Victoria in particular is that we have a very consistent, very stringent set of rules … at the state level," Mr Vila said. "No matter where in Victoria we want to do these properties, the rules are the same, and those rules have evolved." Mr Vila said he was aware of community concerns. He argued there was a need to remove rooming house stigma, which he believed had partly been driven by previous unscrupulous developers providing poor-quality accommodation and unreasonably high tenant numbers. "I think we are going to continue evolving rooming houses to provide a higher and higher quality product as people get more and more used to living in small spaces," Mr Vila said. The Victorian government said appropriate and affordable rooming houses played an important role in improving social inclusion, mobility, and access to jobs for vulnerable residents. Victorian councils have raised concerns about the planning framework for rooming houses, particularly in relation to their concentration in certain areas and the limitations of their planning powers. The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) supports reforms that would introduce a requirement for planning approval for rooming houses located within 200 metres of an existing facility, along with public consultation. "This would enable a more transparent and coordinated approach to integrating rooming houses into communities, while maintaining appropriate safeguards," MAV president Jennifer Anderson said. Rooming houses must be registered with local councils, and councils can inspect the premises to ensure health and wellbeing compliance.
The Australian
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Best bets and expert tips for Wodonga races Tuesday
News Corp form analyst Brad Waters looks at Tuesday's meeting at Wodonga. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! BEST BET ABOVE ME (Race 1 No.10): The mare pushed forward and tried hard on debut. She'll be much better for that outing and should be harder to hold out this time. NEXT BEST HOT CHIPS (Race 9 No.6 - $3.20): Hot Chips is racing in great heart and only went down narrowly in a similar race at Bairnsdale. She'll go close again at Wodonga. RUPERTS RED ROCKET (Race 10 No.1): Ruperts Red Rocket is hard-fit and didn't have much luck at BM64 level at Bendigo. He drops to BM58 grade at Wodonga and has a top chance to break through. VALUE BET WOLLEMIA ANGEL (Race 6 No.14 - $10) The Danny O'Brien-trained four-year-old narrowly broke her maiden at Bairnsdale last time. She's up in class but could measure up. LAY OF THE DAY ROYAL TURF (Race 10 No.6) Royal Turf pushed forward and got home on debut at Wangaratta last month but this will be a tougher assignment with a couple of runners ahead of him. THE JOCKEY CELINE GAUDRAY Jockey Celine Gaudray heads to Wodonga for six rides on Tuesday. WITH STRENGTH (Race 1 No.7 - $5.50), COUNTRY BLUES (Race 2 No.15 - $14), WALLENBERG (Race 4 No.7 - $2.40), INSPIRED CHOICE (Race 6 No.15 - $3.80), STAHNADO (Race 8 No.10 - $9), ROYAL TURF (Race 10 No.6 - $2.30). Read related topics: News Corporation Horse Racing Private Harry has strengthened significantly for his spring carnival assault on The Everest where the unbeaten sprinter will wear a specially designed set of silks. Horse Racing Two-time Caulfield Cup winner Chris Waller will have an incredible number of entries, including several untested imports, for the $5m race but has a warning on the favourite.
ABC News
03-08-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Century-old water tower in Wodonga transformed into unique bookshop
With its towering, cylindrical form and circular internal shelves, booklovers who enter regional Victoria's newest bookshop have to be willing to fossick for titles in a confined space. Wodonga's 100-year-old water tower has been transformed into a second-hand book store by Melissa Boyes. For decades, the water tower housed a shoe repair business but has sat empty for the past year. "When we first took occupancy, it was very empty and echoey … we've tried to soften it with a bit of carpet, and obviously a lot of books," Ms Boyes said. When the local council asked for expressions of interest for people to occupy the space, Ms Boyes knew a bookshop was the answer. She had experience in such ventures, having opened her first bookshop in an old tobacco shed on her farm in north-east Victoria. "You can squeeze bookshelves in anywhere, and you can make do with the space that you have," she said. In Victoria's south west, Jo Canham had just finished an arts degree in literature and criminology when she decided to ditch a career in the justice system and open a bookshop instead. In 2004, she moved to Port Fairy where she transformed an old Masonic Lodge into a bookshop. "It had previously operated as a church and youth centre, so there were crosses, bibles and even a step-into baptismal font," Ms Canham said. Her store, Blarney Books & Art, was also once home to a bowling alley that ran the entire length of the hall. "We considered for a while whether we should have a combined books and bowling spot, but it was incredibly loud," she said. "We've chopped it up, used it for tables, benches, and other things, so it hasn't been wasted." A health scare and the need for a tree change inspired Ann and Paul Smith to open a little bookshop in a quaint gold rush town on the outskirts of Castlemaine in central Victoria. Mr Smith had previously managed a bookshop in Melbourne for Frank Cheshire before purchasing the 1854 Bath Arms Hotel at Campbell's Creek in 1994. "There was already a good, new bookshop in Castlemaine, so we thought we'd be the good second-hand bookshop," Ms Smith said. Now, the renovated building houses approximately 150,000 books in nine rooms. "It's probably the biggest second-hand bookshop in Australia now, I think," Ms Smith said. Water towers and watering holes are not the only heritage buildings in Victoria being repurposed as bookshops — there are old school buildings too. At Beechworth, in Victoria's north east, a former schoolroom and chapel for the Wesleyan church built in 1854 now houses the Quercus Bookshop. The volunteer-run social enterprise has operated as a second-hand bookstore alongside an opportunity shop since 2008. "It's a space where community can come together, and we offer community activities and support programs," operations manager Heather Jameson said.
The Australian
28-07-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
‘He's got some ability': Trainer Colvin's 2025 Kosciuszko hope Cambar ready to rip at Royal Randwick on Saturday
Wagga trainer Gary Colvin will be at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday with his 2022 Country Championships Final winner Another One and his 2025 Kosciuszko hopeful Cambar both in action. While he's a winner of nine races and more than $1 million, Another One hasn't saluted since capturing the Wodonga Cup in November 2023. His two winter runs have both been below what is considered his usual fare, finishing down the order at Randwick and Flemington during the month of June. 'We've sorted a few things out with him and I really expect a big improvement from him,'' Colvin says. 'It's a pretty hard race that he's in but we've got to run him in them and I just want to sort of see how he is going.' • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The Kosciuszko market could be in for a minor, or even major adjustment, depending on what Colvin's highly regarded Pierata son, Cambar, can deliver at his return to racing in Saturday's TAB Highway. 'I think he's got some ability,'' Colvin said. 'If he comes up to the mark where I think he will, I think he will definitely be looking at him for the Kosciuszko. 'He just had shin-soreness last time but he is back and going really well. 'I thought his trial at Albury was very good.' • Mitch Cohen's Blackbook: Five to follow from Royal Randwick on Saturday Colvin has another potential star of the 2025/26 season kicking off on day two of the new season, namely Party Boss, who turns three on Friday. 'I've got Party Boss in at Kembla,'' the trainer said. 'He's a nice horse on the way up. I've picked a hard race for him on Saturday but we might as well have a crack at his own age. 'He wasn't disgraced in the Black Opal. He drew wide and just never got in the race. 'He's had a good spell now and he's come back and I hope he goes alright.' Colvin's immediate focus rests with the outcome of Tuesday's scheduled meeting at Wagga which will be run on a Heavy 10, if at all. The popular local identity has several runners spread across the card namely Pride Of Jezza, Nic's Hero, Super Jules, Bonvalante, Newyork Missile, Philadelphia Storm and Kerma Art. Colvin's clear pick of the bunch is the booming last start winner, Pride Of Jezza. 'He's not bad,'' Colvin says. 'There is something about him, he won really easy last week.' Horse Racing Form analyst Shayne O'Cass presents his best bets and inside mail for Wellington on Thursday, plus his tips for the Wagga meeting. Horse Racing Mudgee trainer David Smith has a big week ahead starting on Tuesday and ending on Sunday chasing Big Dance eligibility at Forbes with his stable captain Lockdown Gamble.
The Advertiser
24-07-2025
- The Advertiser
'Today it wouldn't have happened': how four country cops captured Rambo wannabe
For several days in early 1984, a heavily armed gunman who styled himself on John Rambo caused cross-border terror. Now, more than 40 years later, the four policemen who safely ended the manhunt while the offender aimed a gun at one of the officers have been recognised for their heroism. Andrew Joseph Medlock, 25, had amassed an arsenal of high-powered guns and ammunition after holding Kate Haynes and Roger Whitley captive in an isolated farmhouse near Woomargama, north of the NSW-Victoria border city of Albury-Wodonga. Dressed in army jungle greens and sporting a large hunting knife in a sheath behind his neck - just like Sylvester Stallone had in the movie First Blood, released 13 months earlier - the Army Reserve-trained 25-year-old was happy to show his captives his shooting proficiency by killing a bird in a tree. Ms Haynes and Mr Whitley had been tied by their hands and feet, forced to watch the Hitchcock horror movie The Birds, and threatened with a knife and guns. The terrified couple were held for five hours on the night of January 20, 1984 and believed they would be killed. Their ordeal only ended when they freed themselves before midnight and ran six kilometres to a nearby home, raising the alarm and sparking a major police operation that would span four days. Medlock fled Woomargama in Mr Whitley's Toyota four-wheel-drive with multiple firearms from the house, and an estimated 500 to 1000 rounds of ammunition. The hold-up of the couple was front page news in The Border Morning Mail, and residents in the region expressed fear while the armed man was on the run. Dog trapper Wayne Tindle stumbled upon Medlock in a remote part of the Nariel Valley, south of Corryong, four days after the pair were held captive, and had a gun pointed at him. Medlock had run out of fuel. Mr Tindle managed to escape with his life by telling Medlock he would get him fuel for the stolen Toyota LandCruiser, and managed to notify police. Police surrounded the area on January 24 and, fearing what would happen if the wanted man escaped with his arsenal, quickly hatched an arrest plan. Wodonga detective Pat Brear, dressed in the trapper's clothes to lull Medlock into a false sense of security, walked up to the 25-year-old on a remote track with two empty fuel cans. The detective had a gun pointed at him before three Albury officers swooped in and tackled the gunman. Mr Brear was unarmed with no ballistic protection and was just eight metres away from Medlock while he aimed at him. Five more cocked and loaded guns were next to the wanted man, ready to be used if he needed. While the three Albury officers - Peter Beacroft, Bert Bennett, and Dennis Monk - had bulletproof vests handed down from Sydney, they would have been useless against the high-powered guns Medlock had. Mr Bennett believes the wanted man had been set up for an ambush, given the location of his vehicle and having the six guns loaded and ready to fire. One of his rifles had bullets able to pierce armour and the four officers had fully expected shots to be fired by the wanted man during his arrest. Despite 41 years having passed since the high-stakes operation, the retired officers can recount details as if it happened yesterday. "There was a fair bit of fear by the population that lived up there that way about this unknown gunman, on the loose, in the hills around Corryong," Mr Beacroft recalled. He said it was a different world in 1984. "Negotiators didn't exist in those days, there was no communication," he said. "We were on our Pat Malone, just the four of us. "The command post was about an hour and a half away from where we were. "If something had gone down, there was no ambulance on standby. "Today, it would not have happened. "You'd have helicopters and 20 or 30 people surrounding the place." Despite the immense risk faced by the four officers, they knew they had to get their man before he could leave the area and cause "bloodshed". He had been highly erratic during his initial farmhouse hold-up, switching from quiet and passive to pointing guns and a knife in his victims' faces, telling them he knew how to kill. "Is he gonna put his hands up, or is he gonna come out firing?" Mr Beacroft said. "Because he had all his guns there ready to do that. "This took place after the first Rambo movie came out, and this bloke thought he was Rambo up in the mountains taking on the police. "He's dressed in military gear, got a mask around his face, got a knife hanging over his shoulder like Rambo, the whole box and dice." Following his capture, Medlock faced Albury court and admitted to charges, with the offending treated as a mental health case. The fallout from the incident still continues for Mr Brear, who said he quickly went downhill in the days after the arrest and lasted just four more years in the job. He has at times been hospitalised due to his symptoms of PTSD, having been shot at during his time in the Armed Robbery Squad in Melbourne before the 1984 incident. Being recognised, even 41 years later, feels like a "great panacea". "It cut short my career, but the recognition is so powerful," Mr Brear said. "It certainly helps me. "It's great to receive recognition from the NSW Police force." Mr Beacroft said the group had gone "a fair bit above" the award criteria. "I think it closes a door on something that perhaps should have been done a long time ago," he said. "It should have been done a long time ago. "There was a potential bloodshed scenario, which was stopped by the police who were up there. "At that stage, I'd been in the police for 20 years. "I'd never heard of anything like that happening before. "I was in the force for 20 years nearly afterwards, I never heard of anything similar to that afterwards." Detective Sergeant Troy Martin this week listened to two of the four officers tell their story and viewed photographs taken by The Border Morning Mail. "It's just amazing to hear these stories now," he said. "To see these photos, it shows how different it was back then. "It's an amazing story." The detective said it was "fantastic" the four men would be recognised. "It's well deserved," Detective Sergeant Martin said. Mr Beacroft, Mr Monk, and Mr Brear attended Thursday's awards ceremony, with Mr Bennett unable to make the event. For several days in early 1984, a heavily armed gunman who styled himself on John Rambo caused cross-border terror. Now, more than 40 years later, the four policemen who safely ended the manhunt while the offender aimed a gun at one of the officers have been recognised for their heroism. Andrew Joseph Medlock, 25, had amassed an arsenal of high-powered guns and ammunition after holding Kate Haynes and Roger Whitley captive in an isolated farmhouse near Woomargama, north of the NSW-Victoria border city of Albury-Wodonga. Dressed in army jungle greens and sporting a large hunting knife in a sheath behind his neck - just like Sylvester Stallone had in the movie First Blood, released 13 months earlier - the Army Reserve-trained 25-year-old was happy to show his captives his shooting proficiency by killing a bird in a tree. Ms Haynes and Mr Whitley had been tied by their hands and feet, forced to watch the Hitchcock horror movie The Birds, and threatened with a knife and guns. The terrified couple were held for five hours on the night of January 20, 1984 and believed they would be killed. Their ordeal only ended when they freed themselves before midnight and ran six kilometres to a nearby home, raising the alarm and sparking a major police operation that would span four days. Medlock fled Woomargama in Mr Whitley's Toyota four-wheel-drive with multiple firearms from the house, and an estimated 500 to 1000 rounds of ammunition. The hold-up of the couple was front page news in The Border Morning Mail, and residents in the region expressed fear while the armed man was on the run. Dog trapper Wayne Tindle stumbled upon Medlock in a remote part of the Nariel Valley, south of Corryong, four days after the pair were held captive, and had a gun pointed at him. Medlock had run out of fuel. Mr Tindle managed to escape with his life by telling Medlock he would get him fuel for the stolen Toyota LandCruiser, and managed to notify police. Police surrounded the area on January 24 and, fearing what would happen if the wanted man escaped with his arsenal, quickly hatched an arrest plan. Wodonga detective Pat Brear, dressed in the trapper's clothes to lull Medlock into a false sense of security, walked up to the 25-year-old on a remote track with two empty fuel cans. The detective had a gun pointed at him before three Albury officers swooped in and tackled the gunman. Mr Brear was unarmed with no ballistic protection and was just eight metres away from Medlock while he aimed at him. Five more cocked and loaded guns were next to the wanted man, ready to be used if he needed. While the three Albury officers - Peter Beacroft, Bert Bennett, and Dennis Monk - had bulletproof vests handed down from Sydney, they would have been useless against the high-powered guns Medlock had. Mr Bennett believes the wanted man had been set up for an ambush, given the location of his vehicle and having the six guns loaded and ready to fire. One of his rifles had bullets able to pierce armour and the four officers had fully expected shots to be fired by the wanted man during his arrest. Despite 41 years having passed since the high-stakes operation, the retired officers can recount details as if it happened yesterday. "There was a fair bit of fear by the population that lived up there that way about this unknown gunman, on the loose, in the hills around Corryong," Mr Beacroft recalled. He said it was a different world in 1984. "Negotiators didn't exist in those days, there was no communication," he said. "We were on our Pat Malone, just the four of us. "The command post was about an hour and a half away from where we were. "If something had gone down, there was no ambulance on standby. "Today, it would not have happened. "You'd have helicopters and 20 or 30 people surrounding the place." Despite the immense risk faced by the four officers, they knew they had to get their man before he could leave the area and cause "bloodshed". He had been highly erratic during his initial farmhouse hold-up, switching from quiet and passive to pointing guns and a knife in his victims' faces, telling them he knew how to kill. "Is he gonna put his hands up, or is he gonna come out firing?" Mr Beacroft said. "Because he had all his guns there ready to do that. "This took place after the first Rambo movie came out, and this bloke thought he was Rambo up in the mountains taking on the police. "He's dressed in military gear, got a mask around his face, got a knife hanging over his shoulder like Rambo, the whole box and dice." Following his capture, Medlock faced Albury court and admitted to charges, with the offending treated as a mental health case. The fallout from the incident still continues for Mr Brear, who said he quickly went downhill in the days after the arrest and lasted just four more years in the job. He has at times been hospitalised due to his symptoms of PTSD, having been shot at during his time in the Armed Robbery Squad in Melbourne before the 1984 incident. Being recognised, even 41 years later, feels like a "great panacea". "It cut short my career, but the recognition is so powerful," Mr Brear said. "It certainly helps me. "It's great to receive recognition from the NSW Police force." Mr Beacroft said the group had gone "a fair bit above" the award criteria. "I think it closes a door on something that perhaps should have been done a long time ago," he said. "It should have been done a long time ago. "There was a potential bloodshed scenario, which was stopped by the police who were up there. "At that stage, I'd been in the police for 20 years. "I'd never heard of anything like that happening before. "I was in the force for 20 years nearly afterwards, I never heard of anything similar to that afterwards." Detective Sergeant Troy Martin this week listened to two of the four officers tell their story and viewed photographs taken by The Border Morning Mail. "It's just amazing to hear these stories now," he said. "To see these photos, it shows how different it was back then. "It's an amazing story." The detective said it was "fantastic" the four men would be recognised. "It's well deserved," Detective Sergeant Martin said. Mr Beacroft, Mr Monk, and Mr Brear attended Thursday's awards ceremony, with Mr Bennett unable to make the event. For several days in early 1984, a heavily armed gunman who styled himself on John Rambo caused cross-border terror. Now, more than 40 years later, the four policemen who safely ended the manhunt while the offender aimed a gun at one of the officers have been recognised for their heroism. Andrew Joseph Medlock, 25, had amassed an arsenal of high-powered guns and ammunition after holding Kate Haynes and Roger Whitley captive in an isolated farmhouse near Woomargama, north of the NSW-Victoria border city of Albury-Wodonga. Dressed in army jungle greens and sporting a large hunting knife in a sheath behind his neck - just like Sylvester Stallone had in the movie First Blood, released 13 months earlier - the Army Reserve-trained 25-year-old was happy to show his captives his shooting proficiency by killing a bird in a tree. Ms Haynes and Mr Whitley had been tied by their hands and feet, forced to watch the Hitchcock horror movie The Birds, and threatened with a knife and guns. The terrified couple were held for five hours on the night of January 20, 1984 and believed they would be killed. Their ordeal only ended when they freed themselves before midnight and ran six kilometres to a nearby home, raising the alarm and sparking a major police operation that would span four days. Medlock fled Woomargama in Mr Whitley's Toyota four-wheel-drive with multiple firearms from the house, and an estimated 500 to 1000 rounds of ammunition. The hold-up of the couple was front page news in The Border Morning Mail, and residents in the region expressed fear while the armed man was on the run. Dog trapper Wayne Tindle stumbled upon Medlock in a remote part of the Nariel Valley, south of Corryong, four days after the pair were held captive, and had a gun pointed at him. Medlock had run out of fuel. Mr Tindle managed to escape with his life by telling Medlock he would get him fuel for the stolen Toyota LandCruiser, and managed to notify police. Police surrounded the area on January 24 and, fearing what would happen if the wanted man escaped with his arsenal, quickly hatched an arrest plan. Wodonga detective Pat Brear, dressed in the trapper's clothes to lull Medlock into a false sense of security, walked up to the 25-year-old on a remote track with two empty fuel cans. The detective had a gun pointed at him before three Albury officers swooped in and tackled the gunman. Mr Brear was unarmed with no ballistic protection and was just eight metres away from Medlock while he aimed at him. Five more cocked and loaded guns were next to the wanted man, ready to be used if he needed. While the three Albury officers - Peter Beacroft, Bert Bennett, and Dennis Monk - had bulletproof vests handed down from Sydney, they would have been useless against the high-powered guns Medlock had. Mr Bennett believes the wanted man had been set up for an ambush, given the location of his vehicle and having the six guns loaded and ready to fire. One of his rifles had bullets able to pierce armour and the four officers had fully expected shots to be fired by the wanted man during his arrest. Despite 41 years having passed since the high-stakes operation, the retired officers can recount details as if it happened yesterday. "There was a fair bit of fear by the population that lived up there that way about this unknown gunman, on the loose, in the hills around Corryong," Mr Beacroft recalled. He said it was a different world in 1984. "Negotiators didn't exist in those days, there was no communication," he said. "We were on our Pat Malone, just the four of us. "The command post was about an hour and a half away from where we were. "If something had gone down, there was no ambulance on standby. "Today, it would not have happened. "You'd have helicopters and 20 or 30 people surrounding the place." Despite the immense risk faced by the four officers, they knew they had to get their man before he could leave the area and cause "bloodshed". He had been highly erratic during his initial farmhouse hold-up, switching from quiet and passive to pointing guns and a knife in his victims' faces, telling them he knew how to kill. "Is he gonna put his hands up, or is he gonna come out firing?" Mr Beacroft said. "Because he had all his guns there ready to do that. "This took place after the first Rambo movie came out, and this bloke thought he was Rambo up in the mountains taking on the police. "He's dressed in military gear, got a mask around his face, got a knife hanging over his shoulder like Rambo, the whole box and dice." Following his capture, Medlock faced Albury court and admitted to charges, with the offending treated as a mental health case. The fallout from the incident still continues for Mr Brear, who said he quickly went downhill in the days after the arrest and lasted just four more years in the job. He has at times been hospitalised due to his symptoms of PTSD, having been shot at during his time in the Armed Robbery Squad in Melbourne before the 1984 incident. Being recognised, even 41 years later, feels like a "great panacea". "It cut short my career, but the recognition is so powerful," Mr Brear said. "It certainly helps me. "It's great to receive recognition from the NSW Police force." Mr Beacroft said the group had gone "a fair bit above" the award criteria. "I think it closes a door on something that perhaps should have been done a long time ago," he said. "It should have been done a long time ago. "There was a potential bloodshed scenario, which was stopped by the police who were up there. "At that stage, I'd been in the police for 20 years. "I'd never heard of anything like that happening before. "I was in the force for 20 years nearly afterwards, I never heard of anything similar to that afterwards." Detective Sergeant Troy Martin this week listened to two of the four officers tell their story and viewed photographs taken by The Border Morning Mail. "It's just amazing to hear these stories now," he said. "To see these photos, it shows how different it was back then. "It's an amazing story." The detective said it was "fantastic" the four men would be recognised. "It's well deserved," Detective Sergeant Martin said. Mr Beacroft, Mr Monk, and Mr Brear attended Thursday's awards ceremony, with Mr Bennett unable to make the event. For several days in early 1984, a heavily armed gunman who styled himself on John Rambo caused cross-border terror. Now, more than 40 years later, the four policemen who safely ended the manhunt while the offender aimed a gun at one of the officers have been recognised for their heroism. Andrew Joseph Medlock, 25, had amassed an arsenal of high-powered guns and ammunition after holding Kate Haynes and Roger Whitley captive in an isolated farmhouse near Woomargama, north of the NSW-Victoria border city of Albury-Wodonga. Dressed in army jungle greens and sporting a large hunting knife in a sheath behind his neck - just like Sylvester Stallone had in the movie First Blood, released 13 months earlier - the Army Reserve-trained 25-year-old was happy to show his captives his shooting proficiency by killing a bird in a tree. Ms Haynes and Mr Whitley had been tied by their hands and feet, forced to watch the Hitchcock horror movie The Birds, and threatened with a knife and guns. The terrified couple were held for five hours on the night of January 20, 1984 and believed they would be killed. Their ordeal only ended when they freed themselves before midnight and ran six kilometres to a nearby home, raising the alarm and sparking a major police operation that would span four days. Medlock fled Woomargama in Mr Whitley's Toyota four-wheel-drive with multiple firearms from the house, and an estimated 500 to 1000 rounds of ammunition. The hold-up of the couple was front page news in The Border Morning Mail, and residents in the region expressed fear while the armed man was on the run. Dog trapper Wayne Tindle stumbled upon Medlock in a remote part of the Nariel Valley, south of Corryong, four days after the pair were held captive, and had a gun pointed at him. Medlock had run out of fuel. Mr Tindle managed to escape with his life by telling Medlock he would get him fuel for the stolen Toyota LandCruiser, and managed to notify police. Police surrounded the area on January 24 and, fearing what would happen if the wanted man escaped with his arsenal, quickly hatched an arrest plan. Wodonga detective Pat Brear, dressed in the trapper's clothes to lull Medlock into a false sense of security, walked up to the 25-year-old on a remote track with two empty fuel cans. The detective had a gun pointed at him before three Albury officers swooped in and tackled the gunman. Mr Brear was unarmed with no ballistic protection and was just eight metres away from Medlock while he aimed at him. Five more cocked and loaded guns were next to the wanted man, ready to be used if he needed. While the three Albury officers - Peter Beacroft, Bert Bennett, and Dennis Monk - had bulletproof vests handed down from Sydney, they would have been useless against the high-powered guns Medlock had. Mr Bennett believes the wanted man had been set up for an ambush, given the location of his vehicle and having the six guns loaded and ready to fire. One of his rifles had bullets able to pierce armour and the four officers had fully expected shots to be fired by the wanted man during his arrest. Despite 41 years having passed since the high-stakes operation, the retired officers can recount details as if it happened yesterday. "There was a fair bit of fear by the population that lived up there that way about this unknown gunman, on the loose, in the hills around Corryong," Mr Beacroft recalled. He said it was a different world in 1984. "Negotiators didn't exist in those days, there was no communication," he said. "We were on our Pat Malone, just the four of us. "The command post was about an hour and a half away from where we were. "If something had gone down, there was no ambulance on standby. "Today, it would not have happened. "You'd have helicopters and 20 or 30 people surrounding the place." Despite the immense risk faced by the four officers, they knew they had to get their man before he could leave the area and cause "bloodshed". He had been highly erratic during his initial farmhouse hold-up, switching from quiet and passive to pointing guns and a knife in his victims' faces, telling them he knew how to kill. "Is he gonna put his hands up, or is he gonna come out firing?" Mr Beacroft said. "Because he had all his guns there ready to do that. "This took place after the first Rambo movie came out, and this bloke thought he was Rambo up in the mountains taking on the police. "He's dressed in military gear, got a mask around his face, got a knife hanging over his shoulder like Rambo, the whole box and dice." Following his capture, Medlock faced Albury court and admitted to charges, with the offending treated as a mental health case. The fallout from the incident still continues for Mr Brear, who said he quickly went downhill in the days after the arrest and lasted just four more years in the job. He has at times been hospitalised due to his symptoms of PTSD, having been shot at during his time in the Armed Robbery Squad in Melbourne before the 1984 incident. Being recognised, even 41 years later, feels like a "great panacea". "It cut short my career, but the recognition is so powerful," Mr Brear said. "It certainly helps me. "It's great to receive recognition from the NSW Police force." Mr Beacroft said the group had gone "a fair bit above" the award criteria. "I think it closes a door on something that perhaps should have been done a long time ago," he said. "It should have been done a long time ago. "There was a potential bloodshed scenario, which was stopped by the police who were up there. "At that stage, I'd been in the police for 20 years. "I'd never heard of anything like that happening before. "I was in the force for 20 years nearly afterwards, I never heard of anything similar to that afterwards." Detective Sergeant Troy Martin this week listened to two of the four officers tell their story and viewed photographs taken by The Border Morning Mail. "It's just amazing to hear these stories now," he said. "To see these photos, it shows how different it was back then. "It's an amazing story." The detective said it was "fantastic" the four men would be recognised. "It's well deserved," Detective Sergeant Martin said. Mr Beacroft, Mr Monk, and Mr Brear attended Thursday's awards ceremony, with Mr Bennett unable to make the event.
