Latest News

• Add My News • Search Old News

Gippsland › Latest news › East Gippsland Local News

"Plugger" Mcmahon To Be Honoured At Livestock Exchange

The old horse sale rotunda at the Bairnsdale Livestock Exchange is to be dedicated to the memory of local drover and farmer Les "Plugger" McMahon.

By East Gippsland Shire - 28th November 2005 - Back to News

The old horse sale rotunda at the Bairnsdale Livestock Exchange is to be dedicated to the memory of local drover and farmer Les "Plugger" McMahon.

The rotunda will be renamed the L A "Plugger" McMahon Memorial Rotunda at a ceremony on Saturday, 10 December at 10.30 a.m.

At the ceremony hosted by the Council’s next Mayor, a plaque to be mounted on an exterior wall will be unveiled by members of "Plugger’s" family.

Shire CEO Steve Kozlowski said "Plugger" and his family had many friends in the area and he hoped they would attend the ceremony.

"The public is most welcome to attend and it will provide a great chance to share in honouring the memory of a great character of a now bygone era."

The seventh of eleven children, the legendary stockman died on April 16 this year a month short of 82 years.

At 12, spinster sisters Misses Williamson first recognised his horse riding ability, and hired him as their rider of show jump horses. He had considerable success at shows in East Gippsland and beyond.

In his early 20s he took up employment with the local blacksmith, George Hadfield and learnt the art of blacksmithing, in particular shoeing horses. The pair also made every hinge for the original saleyards on the current site.

By day they would shoe horses, then work well into the night making each of the hinges by hand.

At 15 years of age "Plugger" made of the first of what became hundreds of droving trips from East Gippsland over the following 40-50 years.

Members of "Plugger’s" family as well as livestock industry friends and associates will attend the dedication ceremony.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

• Sale residents urged to safely dispose of hazardous household chemicals at free Detox Your Home event on 10 October 2026
  Wellington Shire residents can safely dispose of unwanted hazardous household chemicals at a free Detox Your Home event in Sale, helping protect waterways, people, animals and the environment.
• Stallholder applications open for 2026 Latrobe City Children's Expo connecting families and community services
  Stallholder applications have opened for the 2026 Latrobe City Children's Expo, offering organisations and entertainers the chance to connect with thousands of local families during National Children's Week celebrations.
• Sale coffee cup campaign spreads strong community message against domestic and family violence across local businesses
  Sale's Rotary Club has launched a coffee cup awareness campaign against domestic and family violence, with MPs Darren Chester and Danny O'Brien urging businesses and residents to support the initiative.
• Melbourne Symphony Orchestra returns to Sale after 17 years, bringing acclaimed performances and Australian premieres to The Wedge on 28 October 2026
  The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will return to Sale on October 28, performing at The Wedge for the first time since 2009, featuring Mozart classics and a world-premiere Australian concerto.
• Wellington Shire Council backs West Sale Airport for proposed Gippsland Police Academy training campus
  Wellington Shire Council will advocate for a Gippsland Police Academy at West Sale Airport, citing existing infrastructure, the former TAFE campus, expansion capacity and potential regional jobs, investment and training opportunities.
• Bairnsdale Library unveils upgraded outdoor spaces with new shade structures, refreshed courtyard and improved facilities for community activities
  Bairnsdale Library has unveiled upgraded outdoor spaces featuring two louvred shade structures, refreshed courtyard landscaping and vegetable beds, supported by $79,104 in Living Libraries Infrastructure Program funding.
• New Bairnsdale worker accommodation nears completion, boosting healthcare workforce capacity across East Gippsland communities
  Bairnsdale new 28-apartment healthcare worker accommodation is nearing completion, providing affordable housing for up to 32 staff and strengthening regional health services while supporting local jobs and investment.
• New Bairnsdale footpath to improve access between Princes Highway and key health and community facilities
  A new 280-metre concrete footpath will link Bairnsdale’s Princes Highway with key health and community facilities, improving safety and accessibility for pedestrians, with construction beginning September 21 and lasting six weeks.