A TIME-HONOURED custom dating back to 1960 continued outside the former Tantanoola cheese factory on Christmas Day.
Over 20 members of the so-called “Once-A-Year Club” gathered from mid-morning in the sunshine on Tuesday.
In the post-war years, Tantanoola dairy farmers would deliver milk to the factory on Christmas morning and then stay on for a few hours of socialising.
The factory ceased making cheese in 1965 after 70 years of operation but the male-only gatherings have continued on the grassy roadside verge to this day.
The landmark is located on Poonada Road about 3km west of the Tantanoola township.
The names of the club members are painted on a board attached to an exterior wall of the stone buildings which are nowadays used for storage purposes.
It details the five foundation members as well as the 135 other men who have joined over the past 58 years.
The names are a “who’s who” of Tantanoola but also names members from as far away as Port MacDonnell and Mount Gambier.
At its peak, the club would attract around 80 men.
The current club president is foundation member Keith Sneath and the other surviving members from the first gathering in 1960 are Max and Brian Johnson.
None of the trio was present at this year’s gathering.
Club secretary Bruce Bawden said the informal organisation had a charitable purpose and made donations after staging raffles.
Mr Bawden said the 2018 prizes were wine and a ham.
“We support local causes, groups and people who need assistance,” Mr Bawden said.
“Our Once-A-Year Club finishes by 1pm to allow members time to have Christmas Day lunch with their families.”
Club member Michael Cavanagh has the annual task of updating the membership board.
“You have to come to three consecutive Christmas Day events to qualify for membership,” Mr Cavanagh said.
“I also paint a mark against the members who have died in the past 12 months and we have lost Dob Holloway in 2018.”
The gathering is a reunion of sorts with, for example, Adelaide residents Chad Parks and Luke Panozzo joining up with past teammates of the Tantanoola Football Club.
Milk is still gathered from farms at Tantanoola each Christmas Day and it was apt that a modern milk tanker travelled past on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Millicent Rotunda also remains a gathering point for men to socialise on Christmas Day and a similar social club has operated for many years.
