THE Dandenong Agricultural and Pastoral Society will hold its highly anticipated 10th annual Scottish Heritage Day at the Dandenong Showgrounds on Sunday, May 27.
Admission and parking are free and a highlight will be a ‘champions of Scotland’ parade at 2pm.
Free attractions will include a pipe band performance and performances by the Australian Towncriers Guild and highland dancers between 11am and 2pm. There will be a sausage sizzle, Devonshire teas and a raffle with numerous prizes.
The time-honoured competitions will start at 9.30am and will include Clydesdale horse classes, Shetland pony, highland pony and miniature pony classes, and Scottish dogs match.
For details log on to dandyshow.com.au.
International dance
The Multicultural Prime Timers’ annual international dance, which last year attracted a happy crowd of 500 guests from senior citizens clubs in the City of Greater Dandenong, will be held on May 25 from 7pm to midnight.
The venue, as in previous years, will be the Springvale City Hall, and as well as dancing there will be a special entertainment program.
The president of the Prime Timers, Claudina Cespedes, tells me tickets are $12 per person and can be obtained by calling 85587955.
Our busy market
Did you know our busy Dandenong market is 146 years old?
I was interested to learn of its origin from the Dandenong and District Historical Society’s informative book A Snapshot of Dandenong which is brimful of stories about our thriving city.
According to the historical society’s meticulous research, when a proposed settlement of Dandenong was first surveyed in the 1850s, two acres of land was set aside as cattle yards. The idea at that time was to develop Dandenong into a market town.
In November 1863 the population of Dandenong was only 193, but the ratepayers petitioned the authorities for the establishment of a market, and in 1864 the colonial government officially granted approval for the development of the market.
Soon after, the Lonsdale/McCrae streets site was secured, and in 1866 the market was officially opened.
In 1926 the market was relocated to its current site at the corner of Clow and Cleeland streets with the livestock section relocating to Cheltenham Road behind the Dandenong railway yard.
In 1996 the market in Clow Street was redeveloped, with the addition of the multilevel car park, themed signage, painting, plus the adoption of a new logo.
The market not only draws crowds of shoppers who live in the Greater City but also shoppers from sister cities and districts and is always popular with visitors.
Do you have a milestone, memory or question for Marg? Email marg@yourweekly.com.au or post submissions to A moment with Marg, c/o Greater Dandenong Weekly, PO Box 318, Dandenong 3175.
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