As The Wimmera Mail-Times celebrates 150 years of publishing, we're taking a look back at some of the biggest stories in the region.
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On Sunday, October 27, in the early morning hours, the owners of the Dimboola Hotel were forced to live one of their worst nightmares.
Publican Patrick Ryen, his wife Sonia and their four children MacKenzie, Hannah, Taylah and Connor, plus four occupants, were inside the hotel when it caught fire.
Fortunately, they all escaped down a Powercor truck ladder from a balcony of the hotel; ambulance officers treated them for smoke inhalation.
Unfortunately, the fire caused up to $2 million in damages.
On the day, Mr Ryen told the Mail-Times it was amazing how quickly the fire had engulfed the hotel.
"The thing that blew me away was how fast it went from a bit of smoke to a huge fire," he said.
"We nearly passed out a couple of times trying to get out. The smoke just got really bad very quickly. We lost everything, every photo, possession, every business document, every computer, every toy the kids had. I haven't even thought about what we're going to do. I've just been thinking about the fact that the family got out."
Pub resident for the past 20 years, Baden Willday, 72, said he had mainly lost clothes, photographs and furniture in the fire.
"I don't want to go through it again," he said.
"You didn't know where the flames were coming from. I was thinking mainly of getting the kids out. A lot of history has gone up in smoke and I thank the lucky stars we're all still alive."
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More than 40 fire-fighters from Gerang Gerung, Antwerp, Dimboola and Horsham fire brigades battled the blaze, which gutted the then 73-year-old two-storey brick hotel.
In 2004, developer Paul Rintel bought the building for $1.
Despite his promises to renovate the building, the burned-out shell remained idle for 10 years.
In 2006, Mr Rintel told the Hindmarsh Shire Council of plans for a $550,000 redevelopment as residents lobbied the council about renovations.
In February 2007, Mr Rintel agreed to start cleaning up the building after safety concerns were raised. He decided to demolish the building within four to six weeks.
The thing that blew me away was how fast it went from a bit of smoke to a huge fire.
- Patrick Ryen, former owner of the Dimboola Hotel
By May, the council gives Mr Rintel 30 days to demolish the hotel, threatening legal action if he does not comply.
Mr Rintel ignored the demolition order and again flagged his intention for significant renovations in July 2007.
The council resolved to start legal proceedings against Mr Rintel.
By February 2008, demolition works began on the back of the pub. The facade, complete with a mural of AFL legend Tim Watson, remains untouched.
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A year later, Mr Rintel is fined $10,000 and placed on a one-year good behaviour bond for dumping rubbish from the site at a nearby farm.
In 2001, Mr Rintel told the Mail-Times that renovations would cost $1 million, and he hoped the pub would open in February 2013.
Almost 18 months later, the council approved redevelopment plans for the hotel.
In February 2013, the Horsham Magistrate's Court ordered Rintel to start work on the pub by the end of 2013. He was ordered to donate $5000 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
The hotel building site failed a safety inspection in May, and the Court ordered the building to be demolished after court-ordered safety works were not completed.
In November 2013, an arrest warrant was issued after Rintel failed to attend a court hearing.
A magistrate warned Rintel in May 2014 that he would face jail time if the hotel was not demolished by July 30.
Demolition contractors began work on August 4, only for Mr Rintel and the workers to agree to pause demolition on August 7 to give former local Graeme Schneider two days to rally support to save it.
It failed, but Mr Schneider bought the site in 2015 to develop it as a community space.
Dimboola Art Inc, a committee of just 10 volunteers, was formed in 2018 to plan and implement the construction of a new space called 'Tower Park'.
Stoph and Meran Pilmore gained funding via the Victorian government's 'Pick my Project' initiative that transformed the site.
It was officially opened on Saturday, March 11, 2023, complete with the screening of the "Dimboola Hotel" documentary, produced by Tracey Rigney, and the film "Dimboola" on the big screen.
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Ben Fraser
Ben is the Editor with the Wimmera Mail-Times, Stawell Times-News and Ararat Advertiser. Ben is the former chief of staff at the Portland Observer, a qualified teacher, and an Leadership Great South Coast alumni (2019).
Ben is the Editor with the Wimmera Mail-Times, Stawell Times-News and Ararat Advertiser. Ben is the former chief of staff at the Portland Observer, a qualified teacher, and an Leadership Great South Coast alumni (2019).
