Hugh Murray & Son, 1 Pickett Street, Dandenong, 1960s?

Picture was dated as 1960 but appears to be earlier..

Hugh Murray was born just outside Geelong. In about 1898 he started business in Buln Buln as a general black smith, by 1903 he had changed to focus on the manufacturing of harrows, the company moved to Dandenong in 1915. Initially specializing in Harrows, they spread into other agricultural equipment.

At the time of opening in Dandenong in 1915, the Gippsland and Northern Selling Company had a butter box manufacturing factory next door. The Buln Buln business was bought by Mr. J. Mathews, who took up the shoeing and more general work of the trade. In 1929 they extended the factory from 1,500 square feet to 6,000 square feet.

In the early 1920s, the Essex Dairy, who also made ice, was located next door (opposite side of pickett). This was followed by the Dandy Preserves (Company) which in the 1920s was already and old-established business in foster street, they made primarily cordials at the time. In 1937 the Essex Dairy premises were sold and a cheese factory took over. Grendas bus depot was located next to the cheese factory.

He had one son named Leslie, sadly Leslies wife Doris passed away in 1939. Hugh retired in the early 1930s, the company converting into a propriety with Mr Taylor and Leslie Murray partnering. Hugh and his wife celebrated their diamond jubilee in 1951, he died in October 1954 at the aged 84.

The area around Railway Parade was at the time known as the Station Estate. In a 1920 advertisement over 100 residential lots were being sold at an auction, helping to form the station edge of Dandenong and Dandenong West. Earlier sales having been held as early as 1913, when the estate was subdivided. Other estates also made up for the remainder of Dandenong west.

In about 1996, The Murray family chose to divest in the company and sell to the Taylor family, Thus ending over 90 years of involvement in the company. The Taylor family continue from when Leslie Taylor took partnership with Leslie Murray upon the retirement of Hugh Murray in 1930.

The modern form of the company, now trading as Murray Agricultural Equipment, still operates from the same site in Pickett street, Dandenong. In this photo you can also see the bulk of what was the Station Estate around and behind their building.

The Dandenong Journal - Mon 4 Jul 1932

For more images like this visit us at https://www.facebook.com/olddandenong/