Whitton was a busy place then with many businesses, sporting clubs and social events to support the booming population.

Railway lines connected Whitton with towns such as Matong, Grong Grong, Coolamon, Narrandera, Leeton, Ardlethan, Barellan, Yenda and Griffith and Darlington Point.

Teams for cricket and Aussie rules would come sometimes by car, but mostly by train, and stay on for social events such as meals and dances after the games.

It was noted as being a very hospitable town and no doubt Whittonites had similar honours treated to them on their return visits.

Max remembered many local identities who lead these activities, especially the hotel publicans and other prominent business people who supported them.

There was a turf club which also attracted regular visitors with the usual social events to follow the activities at the track.

The Whitton gymkhana became an annual event after 1945 and raised the funds to build the memorial gates that stand at the park today.

Max remembered that prior to this his father built a new fence from the post office all the way around the full block, to replace the remnants of the Bullocky's yard from an earlier era.

Max's father, Richard Taylor, built the Astoria Café in 1936 and ran it until renting to the Stavrow Brothers in 1939.

Known as "Dick" Taylor, he was a prominent Whitton citizen until his death in 1959.

Dick was honorary magistrate and justice of the peace for 21 years, among many other leading roles in our community.

He built Whitton Motors for his other son, also Richard, who was mechanically minded and ran that business for many years.

A general store was next in line to be built and that was rented to Mary Tallentire until 1952.

She operated under "Tallentire Bros", but was always the manager with one son only in the business.

Another memory that stands out in Max's childhood is the charcoal and ash from the 1927 Albion Hotel fire, which stood on the corner of the block where the Tallentire's Store building still stands.

The hotel was badly damaged but not entirely burnt and the remnants stood there, charcoal and all, until it was demolished for the new building in the late 1930s.

This was a curiosity and unusual play area used by local children at that time.

Max's vivid memories of the buildings, that we can still see in Benerembah Street today, focused on Tallentire's Store and the partition with a pool room and barbershop on the other side.

He was too small then to play pool, but was regularly subjected to the "hair trimmers" in the barber shop.

His face revealed the hair pulling memories of those stylish looking gadgets (and how much like torture it was for a child to visit the barber.

Between the Astoria Café and Whitton Motors was the NSW Rural Bank.

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Max remembered this room as intriguing, its importance and high visitor rate being far greater than its size.

That room is now within the present day Whitton Convenience Store, the entrance steps being below the floorboards of the building.

Children in the past had the freedom of hours of unsupervised activities in various haunts around our town.

Once such place for Max and friends was a former shop on Binya Street that later became the CWA rooms, still standing.

Inside was printing press equipment being stored there that seemed awe inspiring as to it's possible usage locally.

The place where people grow up often beacons them back, as with Max bringing his son and grandson to show them where he spent his youth.

Even though Whitton is much quieter these days, its reputation as being a good place to live hasn't diminished with those who love it.

As a young man, Max was a buck jump rider and travelled the country on the rodeo circuit.

He's surprisingly unscathed by this occupation which many of us would think of as dangerous.

He said that every time he was introduced for his ride, he felt tremendous pride in hearing the name "Whitton" as the location he was from.

The rodeo crowds were very sociable and had many questions about this place that was hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away.

Max felt like an ambassador to our town and enjoyed talking up its good qualities while so far from home.

Although he now lives on Australia's iconic east coast, Max fully understands the pull of the town, even with summer heat and dust storms, for long term residents and those recently returned.

They had irrigation channels to cool off in, whereas we have a modern swimming pool.

If he was a younger man, he says that he would gladly move back here to help reinvigorate our former glory.

Whitton's business and social activities reduced greatly after the Railway Station closed in 1974, but is still held dear by many as a special place to live in and visit in the future.

The next chapter in the life of the buildings erected by Richard Taylor is soon to be revealed.

A series of murals is planned for them that will depict the bustling town of Whitton during the 1930s to 1940s, the same era as remembered by Max and other local senior citizens.

We're looking forward to this upgrade of decorative features which will revitalize the social history of Whitton that many of us treasure.

If you have memories of Whitton's past that you would like to share, contact the Whitton Courthouse Museum Facebook Page or Margaret on 0434 060 973.