100 years ago
3 December 1925
POLICE PADDOCKS
Inspected by Minister
Mr F Richardson, Minister for Forests, accompanied by others, inspected the Police Paddocks on Stud Road, Dandenong last Friday. The visitors were introduced to lovely wilderness of blackberries , briars, ti-tree, gorse, watsonia and other weeds which have taken possession of most of the 1600 acres, which is also a nursery for rabbits and snakes. The party moved through various parts of the land and arrived at the higher timbered portions, where a large quantity of peppermint, sheok and other timber is being cut for timber, and unsightly stumps left. The minister could not help regretting that that the Government had allowed the land to get in such a state and strongly favoured the Forestry and Education Departments taking areas for the planting of suitable trees. He understood that if the Police Department gave up the land, it expected to receive land on the Healesville Reserve and that the blacks and half-castes remaining there be sent to Lake Tyers.
50 years ago
1 December 1975
SO, HERE’S HOW WE SPENT $121m
Dandenong had a retail turnover of more than $121m in 1973-4.
This staggering figure was announced to Dandenong Council by Councillor Warren Titcher, who said an average of $181,147 was spent in each of the city’s 436 retail stores. There was a turnover of almost $79m in “true retail “establishments and just over $42m in new / used cars, petrol and such. Councillor Titcher said that excluding sales of new cars the biggest business with the biggest turnover in Dandenong in 1973-4 was clothing and drapery ($22.5m) followed by groceries ($13.1m) petrol, oil, spares ($11m) used cars ($8.4m) household electrical ($5.6m) food apart from confectionery and fresh meat ($5m) meat ($4.9m) radio TV etc ($4.4m) and furniture ($4.2m).
20 years ago
5 December 2005
Brown gets mayor’s job
The election of Peter Brown as Greater Dandenong Mayor was a political appointment, defeated mayoral candidate John Kelly said. The only Liberal on the council, Cr Kelly lost the election 8 – 3. Despite being a councillor for over a decade, he is yet to be given the chance of the top job. Cr Kelly said he was disappointed by the margin after receiving assurances of support from councillors Paul Donovan and Maria Sampey. The only two votes he received were from independent councillors Jim Memeti and Yvonne Herring. Cr Brown said party politics played no part in his election as mayor and that he was chosen on performance.
“I’ve contested eight elections. I’ve been on the council for 10 years. I wasn’t jumping any queues.”
5 years ago
1 December 2020
Santa Claus Zooms in
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Only this year there’s a sprinkling of social distancing in the air and to adhere to the new COVID normal, the Dandenong Market has organised a “very 2020” Christmas surprise for children of all ages. For the first time ever, Santa, Mrs Claus and the elves will be making their annual festive appearance in a very twenty-first century way – dialling in from the North Pole on Zoom! Dandenong Market general manager Jennifer Hibbs said: “We believe it could be a world first for Santa to be “Zoomed” in to discuss your Christmas wish list and admit to being naughty or nice.”
Compiled by Dandenong & District Historical Society
