100 years ago
20 April 1922
South Pole Relics
A big plain cooking pot, whose interior has been scraped clean and bare by men at the point of death by starvation; an empty provision bag, a shovel, the inner lining of the tent in which the remains of Captain Scott and his companions were found by the search party, and a much thumbed sixpenny edition of Harry Johnston’s story of old Virginia, “By order of the company”, which, when picked up in Captain Scott’s tent was curiously enough open at a chapter headed “We go out into the night”- these are among the relics of the great Antarctic tragedy which we brought back by the Terra Nova, and which are now attracting thousands of people to the Earl’s Court Exhibition where they are being shown. For seven months the party lived in the cave of snow and ice, on rations sufficient for only one month. There were six men altogether, under Lieutenant Campbell, and they used blubber for everything – food, light and fuel.
50 years ago
20 April 1972
Chamber probe on shopping
The Dandenong Chamber of Commerce and Industry has distributed 230 questionnaires to retailers and business house owners in the central business zone seeking views on the vital Friday night and Saturday morning shopping in Dandenong. Results of the questionnaires, still being collated, will be discussed at a meeting of traders in the Dandenong Town Hall on Monday, May 8 at 2.30pm. Have you opened so far, each Friday night? Have you opened so far, each Saturday morning? Do you intend to open each Friday night or each Saturday morning? If yes to Friday, will you continue in adverse winter weather?
20 years ago
15 April 2002
Delay on hall tenders
Tendering for work on the proposed $13.9 m redevelopment of Dandenong Town Hall into a regional performing arts centre has been put on hold for two weeks. The council at its last meeting voted to delay a recommendation to instruct its project managers to call for tenders, until next Monday night’s meeting so councillors could again be briefed on the matter. The project, which will receive co-funding of $5m from the state government, has been plagued by deferments and appeals to VCAT since the council initially sought a permit in April 2001.
5 years ago
17 April 2017
Double – storey ‘disaster’
Approving a Dandenong townhouse development was the council’s “worst, most illogical“ planning decision in more than four years, said councillor Matthew Kirwan. He lodged a motion to rescind the resolution for four double-storey homes on 16 Wedge Street following the Monday 10 April Greater Dandenong Council meeting. The matter will now be considered again at the Monday 24 April meeting. “This very poorly designed development with inadequate setbacks, lack of private open space and excessive visual bulk failed our planning scheme in many ways,“ Cr Kirwan said.
Compiled by Dandenong & District Historical Society
