100 years ago
30 November 1922
Vandalism on Croquet Lawn
Mischievous boys have been at work on the Dandenong croquet lawn, and amongst other acts of vandalism they have smashed the water meter, which means costing the club money to replace it. A sharp lookout is going to be kept for these destructive lads, and should they be caught, the result will probably be a visit to a place less inviting and congenial than the croquet lawn.
50 years ago
23 November 1972
Dandenong Valley Authority Blasted
A scathing attack on the DVA was made by Mr Towers, a member of the Port Phillip Conservation Council and the Seaford Landscape Preservation Group in an article published in the council’s Newsletter. Mr Towers claims that the rates paid to DVA by the 10 city councils and four shires could be lowered. Mr Towers said the DVA’s annual report showed that last year the authority did not use $300,000 of the $750,000 collected, finishing the year with a credit balance of $1½million in its general revenue account. He said this means it could lower its rates by 40% and still balance its general revenue account. Rates could be lowered even more if the authority were willing to use its bank overdraft allowance of $3m. Mr Towers suggested the shortage of funds in the municipalities forces them to cut down on important works which could benefit them.
20 years ago
25 November 2002
Sod turned to mark hospital construction
Construction of the 229-bed Berwick Hospital has officially begun. Health Minister John Thwaites was at the Kangan Road site last Thursday to turn the first sod. The public hospital will offer a range of medical service. It will also help deal with the demand on Dandenong Hospital and Monash Medical Centre. Mr Thwaites said that it would provide good quality medical service and boost the local economy. “The project will generate a significant number of employment opportunities for local residents both during the construction phase and when the hospital starts operation in 2004. The hospital will offer a full range of medical, surgical, paediatrics, obstetric, aged care and mental health services, and maternity and emergency wards.
5 years ago
27 November 2017
Spaghetti Junction
Springvale’s spaghetti junction will go underground if the Coalition wins next year’s state election. The Liberal and National parties announced their Get Victoria Moving Plan on Monday 20 November. Leader Matthew Guy pledged to remove traffic lights and roundabouts at 35 intersections including Princes Hwy, Springvale, Centre and Police Roads and Heatherton and Hallam Roads in Endeavour Hills. The overall project will cost $4.1 and $5.3 billion, and Mr Guy said it would cut congestion and make roads safer. Roads Minster Luke Donnellan said Mr Guy’s “embarrassing thought bubble would cut Endeavour Hills in half”. “He’d ban right hand turns at the intersection of Heatherton and Hallam Roads pumping traffic into surrounding streets,” he said. “An underpass would make the intersection a no-go zone for pedestrians while simply shifting traffic down to the next intersection.”
Compiled by Dandenong & District Historical Society
