100 years ago
8 March 1923
Pea Rifle Accident
An unfortunate accident happened to a lad named Roy Close, at Cranbourne, on Friday evening last. A lad named Roy Kemp had a pea rifle near Mr W Close’s gate, and he was under the impression it was not loaded. Roy Close, 17 years of age and a son of Mr W Close, was riding towards the gate on a bicycle, when the weapon was accidently discharged, the bullet entering young Close’s stomach. The injured lad was motored into Dandenong by Mr Ash and admitted into Nurse Fink’s hospital, where he was attended to by Dr Langley. Although the injuries were of a serious nature, it is gratifying to report that the lad is making satisfactory progress towards recovery.
50 years ago
6 March 1973
Council ‘Heading for Bankruptcy’
Springvale Council was heading for bankruptcy if it continued to spend its money so extravagantly, Councillor Tom Rose claimed last week. Speaking in council, Councillor Rose was commenting on council’s decision to spend $1700 on a float for the pageant of progress being organised for May 19 to celebrate Dandenong’s centenary. Councillor Rose said “It is downright ridiculous to spend so much money on something that will be used for only a few hours and then scrapped. I am in favour of holding a referendum to see what the ratepayers would think of this ridiculous waste of money.” Councillor Rose was a lone voice in the council. All other councillors agreed with the proposal regarding the float.
20 years ago
10 March 2003
Heritage gates for renewal
The heritage listed gates at Shepley Oval were removed last week to be refurbished. The gates will be sandblasted and repainted with an anti-graffiti coating as part of Greater Dandenong Council’s capital improvement program. Imported from Staffordshire in England in 1871 the gates were installed at a private home in Toorak until their removal in 1901 to the Springvale Necropolis, where they remained until 1957. The Dandenong Shire bought them for Shepley Oval in 1961.
5 years ago
12 March 2018
Walker’s Way
Dandenong’s Walker Street will soon have a fresh new look. Greater Dandenong Councillors awarded the construction contract for stage one of a streetscape upgrade at the Monday 26 February council meeting. Blue Peak Holding is to complete the $951,935 project, which will include a full-width granite paved surface similar to Lonsdale Street. The upgrade will also include new Street Furniture, street lights, street trees, planted garden beds and utility pit lids to match the style used in Lonsdale Street and throughout the central Dandenong activity centre. Cr Mathew Kirwan told the Journal “It’s great we are going ahead with the construction of stage one, Walker Street is now a significant spine around which much of the Revitalising Central Dandenong project is based so this will make a big difference to the experience of pedestrians using this street and to the retail businesses fronting it.”
Compiled by Dandenong & District Historical Society
