Three of the best

THREE prominent Dandenong organisations celebrated historic milestones in 2014.
In April Dandenong Primary School celebrated 140 years educating the children of Dandenong.
The town’s first state school opened its doors on 4 May 1874.
To celebrate past and present students and teachers attended a dinner at the Dandenong Club on Thursday 1 May – exactly 140 years since an official dinner to open the school.
The school community then gathered in the school grounds on Saturday 3 May for a family day.
The original school was on the corner of Robinson and Foster streets, moving to its current site on Foster Street in 1881 with about 200 pupils.
The Gothic-inspired building had three rooms – one for boys, one for girls and a gallery – and modern fittings included a porch, hat rack and ventilation.
The Education Department bought the land for the school from Ken Masters’ family and a street behind the school is named after them.
In July, St James’ Anglican Church celebrated its 150th anniversary.
The first church service in Dandenong was held in Dunbar’s Hotel (now Jim Dandy’s) on 21 July 1850.
In July 1855 a site of two acres for Church of England purposes had been appropriated on the corner of Langhorne and Wilson streets and extending to McCrae Street.
The Foundation Stone of St James’ Church of England was laid by the Governor of Victoria Sir Charles Darling on 5 July 1864, the opening and dedication taking place on 2 January 1865. The church was built in the early English style.
To celebrate the milestone parishoners gathered for a gala dinner on 5 July and on Friday 18 July a celebration concert was staged at the Drum Theatre.
On Sunday 20 July a procession wound its way from the Jim Dandy Hotel and made its way to the church in Langhorne Street.
Reverend Jeffrey Parker led a special church service followed by a luncheon. Two books were produced to mark the sesquicentenary – one on the history of St James’ and another on the church’s magnificent stained glass windows.
In September Dandenong Fire Brigade celebrated 120 years of service to the community at its annual dinner.
The brigade was formed on 8 October 1893 to protect a population of little more than 1000 residents and operated from a small reel house station on the corner of Clow and Cleeland streets.
It wasn’t until 1926 that Dandenong acquired its first motorised pump.
A larger fire station was built in 1910, which was eventually replaced with a brick fire station with a station keeper’s premises in 1930.
Today the brigade boasts 40 staff and 36 volunteers and is eagerly anticipating the completion of a new $13 million state-of-the-art station north of the current station on the Princes Highway.
It is the most active brigade in the state, responding to 2287 calls in 2013-’14.