Fanning Family Reunion Members of the extended Fanning Family are gathering at the Balnarring Picnic Races on Sunday 14th for a rare get-together. In 1880, our ancestor, Joseph Ignatius Fanning, left Dublin to try his luck in Australia. Aged 24, he went to Charlton in north western Victoria where he established a small business making aerated water (cordials and ginger beer) as well as cutting chaff and milling grain for horses throughout the district. Following his Irish Catholic tradition, Joseph helped establish and operate the annual St Patrick’s Day Turf Club race meetings at Charlton during the 1890s. In the spirit of this we are sponsoring a race on the day. Joseph married Elizabeth Gledhill from Avoca in 1884 and they had 12 children in the following 20 years. It is the generations descended from their fifth-born child, Joseph James (1890-1959), who are here at Balnarring today. Joseph James Fanning married Mary Maher in 1918 and they farmed a property out of Charlton with the aid of over 20 Clydesdale (draught) horses. Between 1919 and 1931 Joseph and Mary had eight children – Moira (Dobson), Des, Con, Aileen (McGrath), Kevin, Joe, Bernadette (Clarke) and Therese (Crisp). Last year, the last of these eight died. Today, their children, grand-children and great grand-children, are meeting to honour their memory.

The Chris Humfrey Wild Life show will be at Balnarring Races this Sunday 14 Jan. This is Great day for the whole faimly .Heaps of kids activities along with a great days racing.

Our next race Meeting is on Sunday 14 Jan and its our Faimly Meeting with all sorts of activities and giveaways for the kids . Please go to our website for all the details www.balnarringraces.com.

Join the Club and Join in of all the Fun. For only $ 55.00 you can be come a member of this 150 year old race club. Please see the flyer below with all of the amazing benefits including all of the prizes available for the members draws that happen each and every race meeting. For joining and any further information please get in contact with the club website at www.balnarringraces.com or email the club at balnarringraces@hotmail.com Our famous Christmas meeting is on Sat Dec 9 this year so what stopping you from coming along as a member and going in the draw some fantastic prizes ?

Picnic Racing Is Great Fun! Just ask the Patterson River Eels Social Club who sponsored the 1200 Meters Maiden Plate on Saturday Nov 11 Pictured below are members of the group along with connections of the winning horse ( Sheer Force ) and wining jockey Courtney Pace. it was a great day had by all . Interested in sponsoring a race of booking a function at one of our coming meetings ? Hop onto the website www.balnarringraces.com to make and enquiry and get involved