KEVIN ‘BOOFA’ INNES By Lucy McCormick Kevin was a member of the celebrated Innes clan from Inglewood, in Central Victoria. “I think the first Innes’ came to Inglewood in 1851. My daughter used to say she can’t marry anyone from Inglewood, because she’s related to them all,” says Kevin. ‘Boofa’ is enjoying some well-earned relaxation on the couch after breaking a kneecap six or seven months ago in a track work incident. Not that it seems to be bothering him too much; he’s got plenty of time to keep up with the trots on television. “I do follow them,” Kevin says. “I don’t miss many, and I do have a bet. I like to sit in the chair and drive a race as much as anyone.” With an illustrious career both as a trainer and in the sulky, it’s a safe bet that Kevin Innes is a more than handy ‘grandstand driver’. His name is associated as a trainer/driver with many handy horses, including Lea Sands, Imatoff and Stormy Morn to name a few. Kevin is typically circumspect about his bigger triumphs, however that doesn’t seem to be what interests him the most. “I’ll tell you something,” he declares, doing just that, “I like winning with the horses that were no good. Some people never get a good horse. Imagine that. Luck is a very, very important thing. You have to have luck to buy a good horse at the sales, to get it going, keep it sound, find a race for it, find and owner and get a draw. And they still make a liar of you.” Funny, interesting or quirky stories seem to be of greater interest to Kevin, such as the time he had a strong chance in a standing start race – the favourite in the race being his only worry. “I told the owner it only had a 20-metre handicap – I couldn’t beat it off that,” he remembers. “So I was leading, waiting for the favourite to run past me. Toward the finish, I heard it coming, and it ran straight past all right – minus the driver. He’d fallen out of the cart and I won the race. Just lucky.” The Innes family have always been heavily involved in one sporting pursuit or another – Kevin himself being a champion bike rider of his time. “My Uncle Roy was a good bike rider, so he dared me to have a go. It turned out I was quite good at it as well.” So good, in fact that for many years Kevin was able to make a living from bike riding, riding the ‘board track’ for many years. “We trained hard. Bike riding was very big back then, we’d train and ride three or four times a week.” Kevin’s riding career spanned four Herald Sun Tours, a Warrnambool to Melbourne and a Sydney to Melbourne race, to name a few. “It definitely gets you in – it was long hours,” he muses. “But like anything, horse racing included, you only get back what you put in. We trained hard. I never drank, and I still don’t. I’ve seen that many athletes, great ones too, brought down by alcohol.” Lucky with injury too, Kevin can only remember a sore ankle – as well as the requisite scrapes and abrasions from tumbles on the wooden boards of the velodromes. He still enjoys watching all the big bike races when he can. “You can watch them race all over the world – France, Sweden, Germany. “To be honest I sit up and watch them with my son and we get just as much of a kick looking at the countryside than anything else. It’s so different to when I was racing.” Betting on the bike racing was big in Kevin’s day as well, and some of the bookies Kevin saw betting on the bike racing, he saw at the Showgrounds betting on the trots on a Friday or Saturday night. “Racing was different back then. There would be twelve thousand people at the showgrounds – they don’t have to come anymore, it’s just as easy to watch it on the TV.” Kevin remembers in those days that drivers had to ‘weigh in’ as well – everyone who drove needed to weigh ten stone (just under 65 kilograms). It’s something he remembers fondly. “I know not everyone will.” Kevin won’t be drawn on the subject of favourite drivers, either. “Look. Driving is different now. No disrespect to current drivers, but you had to think a lot more on a three furlong track than they do now on the bigger tracks. You had to drive with brains. And I really believe that good horses make good drivers. The horses are very good these days. Today’s drivers – your Gavin Langs, Chris Alfords – they’re thinkers, and brains will beat brawn every time. The girls are just as good now too. You only have to look at Kerryn Manning.” A garrulous and popular character, Kevin has trained horses for the likes of legendary Richmond player Jack Dyer, and also spent his fair share of time hosting sportsman’s nights, holding his own with the likes of Ron Barassi. On one such night, they had flown in a light aircraft to their destination. During their show, Kevin noticed their pilot, sitting in the front row, laughing appreciatively. There was one problem. He had a beer in his hand, and was consuming it with some enthusiasm. As the night wore on, the pilot became more and more inebriated, and Kevin became more and more disturbed, knowing that this was the same pilot who was to fly them home when they finished. Unbeknownst to Kevin, however, the flight had been cancelled and the pilot hadn’t told anyone, instead deciding to take full advantage of his client’s hospitality. For now, Kevin is happy living in Inglewood with partner Barbara. Son Grant and daughter Carla aren’t far away (both work at the Bendigo Harness track, and Carla has held both a trainer and driver’s licence). His granddaughter, Barclay Sands, was born on the same day of the demise of their star performer, Lea Sands, and may give the biggest hint yet just how important the world of harness racing is to Kevin ‘Boofa’ Innes. Blue with white yolkKevin Innes embroidered on left side chestkevin innes, k innes, bendigo harness racing club, bhrc, bendigo, horses, race colours, trotting, pacing, harness racing

Paper with list of names of businesses and individuals with a two figure number, possible quick phone numbers. Names are: City Office, Dalgety, Elders, Hill & Co, McGregor, M & J, McKean, Nevins, Nuttall, Rodwell, Vains, V.P.C., Noel Keogh, A.L.B., Borthwicks (Melb), Borthwicks (Portland), Crimmins, Gath (Melb), Gilby, P Harris, Herds, Heinz, Llewellyn, La Franchi, McKenna, McKibbins, O'Sullivans, O'Connell, Penny & Lang, R Plant, Rutlands, Midfield, Jeff Wright, Seigel, Somerville, Eddy Smith, Meat Exports, J Truscott, Talbots, Talbots, Western Dist, Wignalls, Frank Belot, D'ford Ab's, Hardwicks, riverland, G Watson, Ferntree Gully, Gath (Tat), Gath (Wang), Largo, Wagstaff, Ralph, Pertunia Factory, Ambulance, Police, Fire Brigade, Rob Huntington, Fleece Inn, K & J Moss, Newmarket, Dept of Ag and Abbotts Supplies, It has sticky tape along the top and an extra piece of paper is sticky taped to the right hand side.bendigo, council, cattle markets, bendigo saleyards collection - phone numbers?, city office, dalgety, elders, hill & co, mcgregor, m & j, mckean, nevins, nuttall, rodwell, vains, v.p.c., noel keogh, a.l.b., borthwicks (melb), borthwicks (portland), crimmins, gath (melb), gilby, p harris, herds, heinz, llewellyn, la franchi, mckenna, mckibbins, o'sullivans, o'connell, penny & lang, r plant, rutlands, midfield, jeff wright, seigel, somerville, eddy smith, meat exports, j truscott, talbots, talbots, western dist, wignalls, frank belot, d'ford ab's, hardwicks, riverland, g watson, ferntree gully, gath (tat), gath (wang), largo, wagstaff, ralph, pertunia factory, ambulance, police, fire brigade, rob huntington, fleece inn, k & j moss, newmarket, dept of ag, abbotts supplies

Murray Esplanade running parallel. The white building at the far left is the Echuca Club and the brick two-storey building, the Steam Packet Inn. Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodachrome positive transparencygeorge coop collection, echuca, echuca club, echuca wharf railway station, k-158, k-class steam locomotive (vr newport workshops), murray esplanade, steam packet inn

George Coop's Holden Station Sedan can be seen parked in Leslie Street on the right of image. Murray Esplanade running parallel to the train. The two-storey brick building is the Steam Packet Inn. Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodachrome positive transparencygeorge coop collection, echuca, echuca wharf railway station, murray esplanade, steam packet inn, k-172, k-class steam locomotive (vr newport workshops), leslie street

Magazine articles. Photocopies of 14 historical articles by R K Cole on Melbourne hotels. Photocopied from the publication 'What's Brewing ?' by the Carlton Brewery. List of articles include. Dates of publication are handwritten in biro at the bottom of the first page of each article. Article (g) entitled 'Some Early Goldfields Inns' is mainly about Ballarat hotels.Publication dates written in biro on each article.organization, business, hotel, melbourne hotels, r.k.cole, what's brewing?, ballarat

This brief description of St. Stephen's Presbyterian church, Surrey Hills, on the corner of Canterbury and Warrigal Roads, Surrey Hills, dates back to 1887 when Surrey Hills was a settled emerging community. It documents the changes from then, including the land and buildings, their ministry, hymn books and bibles, church camps, mission work, PMWU, men's activities, outreach groups, multi-cultural groups until 2012.This brief description of St. Stephen's Presbyterian church, Surrey Hills, on the corner of Canterbury and Warrigal Roads, Surrey Hills, dates back to 1887 when Surrey Hills was a settled emerging community. It documents the changes from then, including the land and buildings, their ministry, hymn books and bibles, church camps, mission work, PMWU, men's activities, outreach groups, multi-cultural groups until 2012.(mr) j. k. blogg, 1887, surrey hills, (mr) (rev) john ewing, (mr) (rev) alexander mcdonald, (mr) (rev) frederick darling, surrey college, kleppers orchard, balmoral crescent, st. stephen's presbyterian church, uniting church, (mr) (rev.) david innes, (rev) w. howden, (mr) (rev) david bradshaw, churches, canterbury road, warrigal road

Newspaper article: unidentified possibly Diamond Valley News, November 1970: The old hall goes, photograph of old shire hall part-demolished. Newspaper article: unidentified possibly Diamond Valley News, November 1970: Bad break for hurt youth, Peter Cockrane injured in car accident. Letter Eltham Film Society to Eltham Historical Society, 18 May 1972: Advising of demolition threat to building housing Ashrill Cinema. Newspaper article: The Valley Voice, 19 October 1978, A birds eye view, Lands Department photograph at 15,500 feet, Alistair Knox quoted re style of Eltham arcade in contrast to shopping centres, advertisements for local businesses. Newspaper advertisement: Diamond Valley News, 27 May 1980, Eltham Village Music Centre. Newspaper article: Diamond Valley News, 10 September 1985, Supermarket is now here, photograph of Main Road looking north from corner Dudley Street. Newspaper article: Diamond Valley News, 10 September 1985, Woolworths Arcade Eltham, 14th birthday Sell-a-bration! photograph of Woolworth site. Photocopy advertising flier Coles Eltham and Arcade shops, 1 December 1999. Newspaper advertisement: Diamond Valley News, 16 November 1994, Application for Planning Permit. Newspaper article: Nillumbik Mail, 26 July 2000, A GST-free shop, Eltham Village Fruit Barn. Newspaper advertisement: Diamond Valley Leader, 22 June 2005, Alta Vita restaurant. Newspaper article: Diamond Valley Leader, 6 July 2005, Skin care for individuals, Ella Bache, Shop 8. Newspaper article: Diamond Valley Leader, 27 July 2005, Great all day food and service, Alta Vita Cafe/Bar/Restaurant, owner Anna Carlucci. Newspaper advertisement: Valley Weekly, 17 August 2005, Brumby's Bakery. Newspaper article: Valley Weekly, 17 August 2005, Plus for rides, Traders charged up to help scooter users, power points will be provided in Eltham shopping district for scooter and electric wheelchair users, photograph of Bronnie Hattam, Angela Lampard and Bob Bruce. Newspaper article: Diamond Valley Leader, 28 March 2007, Fine touch for jewellery, Magenta Creative Jewellery, owners Kate Maroney and Andrew Rose. Newspaper advertisement: Diamond Valley Leader, 30 July 2008, Fine Fruit of Eltham shop. Appointment Card (x3): 2017, no date, 2023, Ella Bache Eltham. Newspaper advertisement: Leader Associated Newspapers, Eltham Centenary Supplement, March 30, 1971, Safewaymain road, eltham, property, shops, businesses, eltham shire hall, ashrill cinema, alistair knox, eltham arcade, gordon ford, eltham village music centre, woolworth supermarket eltham, k g mcgorlick (real estate) pty ltd, bimbi baby wear, kinderplay, eltham hardware & plumbing supplies pty ltd, e j doherty pty ltd, cafe de chine, eltham hotel, manser meats, gordon knight discounts, bill penna pharmacy, eltham village radio and tv, gilbertsons, eedens art supplies, penguin dry cleaners, bend of isles shop, jeaneration shop, pauls cycles and sports, eltham bread inn, sussans shop, lenards hair care, grant taylor shop, eltham village fruit barn, madeleine's cake ship and bakery, eltham gourmet poultry and game, ella bache eltham, alta vita cafe bar restaurant, anna carlucci, brumby's bakery eltham, kip mcgrath education centre eltham, biba hairdresser eltham, just sport eltham, gifts of elegance shop eltham, bronnie hattam, angela lampard, bob bruce, magenta creative jewellery, kate maroney, andrew rose, fine fruit of eltham shop, safeway supermarket