100 years ago
9 October 1924
Street Signs Please
Dandenong is a town of some size and importance, with numerous, and on the whole, well-made streets, but some of the blocks and streets are on the triangular plan. This is alright for the residents who know the town, but is a bit awkward for a visitor that wants to “look round a bit”. The said visitor starts from a given point quite satisfied that he will return to the same place easily, but before long he finds himself two or three miles away. Eventually he sights a landmark which he remembers or is put on the right track by a friendly citizen and all ends well. It would not be a bad idea if the council were to erect signs to indicate the different streets, especially at cross roads. These signs are in many much smaller places than Dandenong. The Improvement Society might give the matter more than a passing thought some of these days.
50 years ago
3 October 1974
Scandalous ….
The non-televising of the Victorian Football League grand final surely is a scandal. For the sake of a few thousand dollars countless numbers of football fans in Victoria were deprived of a direct telecast of the Richmond-North Melbourne battle for the flag. The VFL was offered a direct payment … and additional payment from other sources to satisfy the Leagues $50,000 requirement, but nothing doing. The one argument that the League could bring forward with some credit was that direct televising would adversely affect country or junior league finals being played the same day.
20 years ago
11 October 2004
Survival bid
Harrowed Holt MP not sunk by Libs’ wave.
Holt Federal Labor MP Anthony Byrne has retained his seat despite the ALP’s devastating defeat at last Saturday’s election. Mr Byrne won against his main rival, Liberal Paul Teiwes. He suffered a primary vote swing of 3.43 percent against, while Mr Teiwes enjoyed a 6.36 percent increase in the Liberal vote. “We knew it would have been difficult to win after the Government subjected the community to its fear campaign on interest rates, particularly with the number of young people with mortgages. We did expect a hit. But I’ve been returned and I look forward to taking the challenge up to the Government for the next three years.” He said he would continue to campaign for Medicare offices in Fountain Gate and Cranbourne and to reduce the upward pressure on interest rates.
5 years ago
8 October 2019
Plaza at 30 pops the cork
The local community was out in force back in 1989 when the doors opened to the Capital Centre and many of those residents are still part of Armada Dandenong Plaza. In 1995 the centre rebranded to Dandenong Plaza which saw the old Myer store and the Capital Centre incorporated into one shopping complex. At the time, the centre celebrated with Sam Newman and a cash machine where excited shoppers stepped in to try their luck at winning $100,000 – this is still on YouTube today. Today Armada Dandenong Plaza stands as a monument to the success of the centre’s community-led strategy with over 160 stores, including major retailers, restaurants, cafes, services and specialty stores that cater for Greater Dandenong’s multicultural community.
Compiled by Dandenong & District Historical Society
