By CASEY NEILL
DANDENONG legend Stan Prior was born 125 years ago – just 25 years after the Journal.
He was a compositor at the Journal for 15 years from 1945 and appeared in its pages on dozens of occasions during his years with the City of Greater Dandenong Band.
“The Journal is a wonderful newspaper… factual, truthful and helping all sections of the community,” Stan said.
“Even allowing for obvious changes in presentation over the years, it has always been a bright, newsy, community newspaper and the community has always been to the forefront of its reporting.”
After leaving the Journal in 1961, with his wife Mavis he ran printing company Prior Print from their Foster Street home.
He retired in 1981 at age 91, but appeared in the 1988 Guinness World Records book as the Most Durable Bandsman for still playing with City of Dandenong Band on his 96th birthday.
Stan’s father was a bandsman for 40 years and Stan started his musical career at age 14, singing in a church choir and playing the tenor horn.
He started his band life with the South Melbourne Band in 1904, was made a City of Greater Dandenong Band life member in 1975 and in 1978 received a Badge of Merit from the Victorian Bands League.
Stan was a Digger in both world wars, started an apprenticeship in the Government Printing Office in Hobart in 1909, 10 years later farmed at Nar Nar Goon North and Tynong North, and played cricket from age 15 through to 70.
In June 1988 the council named the Dandenong Park sound shell in his honour.
“I am grateful every day of my life to be associated with people like you and I am overcome.
“But I hope I can enjoy a few more years with you all,” he said at a 100th birthday bash in his honour at Dandenong Town Hall.
Stan died 23 years ago at the age of 102.
Then-Dandenong Mayor Eric Wilson paid tribute when he said: “And yet, though it all, Stan remained the same.
“He was a cheerful, unassuming and chirpy little man, friend to all and a gentleman to the end,” he said.
