Our energetic 10-year proprietorship of The Yea Chronicle tweaked the noses of some vested interests in the prosperous Victorian valley.

So much so that interests led by the politically active Don Lawson tried to set up an opposition publishing group in 1990. Don Lawson, well-known in Liberal Party circles, was a local Yea Shire Councillor. He was the grandson of one-time Victorian Premier Sir Harry Lawson who served in that position for six years (1918-24).

Their Muddy Creek Monthly magazine, launched in March 1990, lasted just three editions. (Muddy Creek was the original name for Yea.) Their Yea Guardian newspaper never saw the light of day.

A number of local identities were asked to chip in investments, reportedly at $5000 each, to the publishing challenger. In the first edition, the editor was listed as Jenny Lawson; reporters were Sally Fanning, Sarah Lawson and James Carden; production editor was Fran Henke; production manager was Annette Coonan; and advertising and circulation man was Rod Canning.

Assisting was local photographer John Ingham. His father, Geoff Ingham of Craftsman Press, had been interested in purchasing The Yea Chronicle business from Tom Dignam in 1983-84.

The first 20-page issue of The Muddy Creek Monthly was printed by ‘Impressions’, led by Vincent Dignam, the son of former Yea Chronicle editor Tom Dignam. The first issue quoted Mahatma Gandhi who “said the role of a journal is to unite the community”.

“The Muddy Creek [sic] is dedicated to that aim: to inform, and to entertain with positive news of our district.”

At one stage when employed by the Alexandra Standard, Vincent Dignam and his workmate Neil Garlick had tried unsuccessfully to start a Yea weekly newspaper. The Yea Guardian business name had been registered on December 12, 1988, “to publish and print local paper”. The registered address was 56 Oliver St, Yea, shared with Yea Engineering (Daryl Callander).

First-issue Muddy Creek Monthly advertisers included Yea Engineering (Daryl Callander), Snippe Shoppe, Strath Creek Hotel, Elders Pastoral and Real Estate, Royal Mail Hotel, Sean Sier, Gary Leatham Electrician, Blacky Lawson’s Auto Shop, Victorian Producers Co-Op. Co., Ross and Mary Armstrong, Flowerdale Hotel, Keith and Ruth Pollard’s BP Service Service, Graeme Bryant’s Menswear, Geoff Craige MLC, Charlie Cruden’s Yea Concrete, Liberal candidate Fran Bailey, Quinlan Motors, Keith Bain Petroleum, Yea Plant Supply, Yea Handyman Hire, Peter Cleeland MHR, Baynes Furniture Store, L.A. & L. Cassell, Strath Creek General Store, Yea Appliance Service, Adams Pest Control, Yea Hair Design, The Yarck B.Y.O. Restaurant, Progressive Motors, Michael Sier and Rod Parks Fencing Contractors, Russell Collins Accountant, Yea Meat Supply, Parview Car Sales, Graeme Wenker, Allandale Kitchens and Neil Beer Seymour.

The third and final issue declared: “Thanks to the widespread support in the Yea community towards The Muddy Creek, we have decided to expand the publication later this year.” That was their way of saying “we’re closing”.