DANDENONG STAR JOURNAL
Home » History takes same route

History takes same route

I whole heartedly agree with Cr Roz Blades in her push to reopen Maralinga Primary School in Keysborough.
I also agree with all the other correspondents that the area around Maralinga school is indeed redeveloping, with new families moving in all the time.
We already have four youngsters on either side of us.
But the main point I want to raise is the fact that it is now 54 years since the families around the Chandler Road area found themselves in the same position as those families in Keysborough South.
We had no bus service, no shops, no school or kindergarten.
The only shop in Chandler Road was a lock-up milkbar.
This was the reason The Chandler Civic Association was formed.
I believe the two situations are so alike that it is history repeating itself.
We had around 400 children needing a school to go to.
The Education Department decided that our children would have to go to Dandenong West Primary School.
They would be taken to and from school by bus.
This went on until Yarram Primary School was built then all our youngsters were transferred to that school, still taken by bus.
When Chandler Primary School was finally built, another transfer was done.
This meant our two eldest went to three different schools in their short primary years.
I strongly believe that Maralinga Primary School is the ideal answer for the Education Department to take care of the needs of those families in Keysborough South while they work out when and where a local school is built.
Because Maralinga has not been closed that long, all that should be needed is a good clean-up.
Then school staff can finally make arrangements for school buses to do their part.
Maralinga school is a lot closer than Dandenong West was back them.
If the Education Department could do it in the 1960s why can’t they do it now in 2016.
Bob Malcolm,
Keysborough.

Digital Editions


  • Free fun at Keysborough’s Big Picnic

    Free fun at Keysborough’s Big Picnic

    Pets and ground rugs are going to pack out Wachter Reserve for Keysborough’s Big Picnic. The park party has an expanded program of activities, performers,…

More News

  • Dandenong volunteer with ‘impact’

    Dandenong volunteer with ‘impact’

    A Dandenong woman has been recognised for her 18 years of volunteering to help migrants and refugees settling in Australia. Khadija Karimi is one of five women from multicultural communities…

  • Noble Park woman charged over allegedly stolen pup

    Noble Park woman charged over allegedly stolen pup

    A woman has been charged over an allegedly stolen puppy that was recovered by police in Noble Park. Dora, a 10-month-old black cavoodle, was allegedly untied from a pole on…

  • Successful Chinese Lantern Festival celeberations

    Successful Chinese Lantern Festival celeberations

    The Edelweiss Casey Choir celebrated the Chinese Lantern Festival on Sunday, with an event titled Blossom of Harmony: Lantern Festival Gala. Many attended the Hallam Community Theatre to highlight the…

  • Hit to helmet proves costly

    Hit to helmet proves costly

    **Just when you thought the Premier relegation battle between DEVON MEADOWS and UPPER BEACONSFIELD couldn’t get any closer, there was an odd moment towards the end that may have helped…

  • Maskiell, Munro and Midge

    Maskiell, Munro and Midge

    DAVE: Good morning boys, welcome back to another edition of LTS. It’s always great when I get to wear my Collingwood polo on a Monday morning after a big win…