Southern Aurora, Dandenong Station, 1968.

Josephine Lily Brown writes:

This was the only known hotel to be built on railway owned property, known formally as K's Dandenong Hotel.

Photo credit to Graham Southam.

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Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, in 1913

Tony Cosentino writes:

Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, in 1913

This picture was taken during the early days of VicRoads, then known as the C.R.B., the exact location IS UNCERTAIN BUT it was possibly close to the Scott Street (EDIT: It is Scott Street.) intersection, as the Town Hall clock tower can be seen in the rear left behind the trees.

The man on the side of the street, with the white beard, hat and coat, is John Hemmings, a well-known local identity of the time.

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Dandenong Market, 1953

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Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, 1909.

Looking back 116 years ago, towards the Post Office and Town Hall. In the left of the photo is the intersection of Langhorne and Lonsdale streets. 

Some things have changed a lot over 116 years, but the Town Hall remains. The clock faces were added to the tower of the hall in the 1930s.

Cheryl Christopher Newton Simmins adds a note of intrigue:

The little hexagonal building to the left (picture added above) is indeed the original township public toilet (for ladies) As the Dandenong township developed the toilet proved grossly inadequate especially for lady shoppers & gentleman travelers .it also required a daily night pan empty service.

This little brick toilet was part of Dandenong early progress association improvements for the town. It was especially needed for lady shoppers who often had little children in town, and many refused to use the unsavory local hotel toilets. The little structure survived till mid 1930's possibly late 1940's where it was eventually replaced (almost in the same location) by the 'modern' sewered underground toilet.

The new toilets were fashionably green tiled, and glass blocked. with brass handrails leading down the steps. From memory, the 'Ladies' had an 'attendant' and you were required to pay 2 pence to use the facility .I can remember as a little kid, using the Ladies toilets, as I was terrified using the Men's, and like many a kid, 'hung -on till I got home'.

The adjoining men's toilets were not so well kept. Modern standards, vandalism, and ongoing maintenance forced their eventual closure. From my memory" the underground toilet was decommissioned demolished mid 1960's. (Taken from a piece I wrote for 'we grew up in Dandenong')...

Christopher Simmins

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Dandenong Saleyards, mid 1990s.

Tyron Aldrick writes:

Livestock auctioneer Peter Aldrick (my father) auctioning cattle at the Dandenong Saleyards in the mid ‘90s

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Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, undated. (Possibly 1950s)

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Bridge Milk Bar, corner Lonsdale &Webster Streets, Dandenong, 1960s.

David Ross writes:

Dad in the Bridge Milk Bar (opposite the old pool) circa early mid 60’s

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Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, 1940s.

Looking from in front of the Town Hall across towards the former Woolworths. The building partially in the left side was the former Tharle Butchers, Vanity Court now stand here. In the median on the far side of the road is the Cenotaph, which was later moved to the end of Palm Plaza, as the center piece of the War Memorial.

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Douglas Street, Noble Park, 1960s.

On the left is the Post Office, further down the street, near where the white Volkswagen is parked, was the Bakery. 

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Dandenong Market, around 1928.

At its original location on the corner of Lonsdale and McCrae Streets, Dandenong. In the background the old Showgrounds and Grandstand can be seen on Clow Street. 

Cheryl Christopher Newton Simmins notes:

photo approx c 1928 as poultry enclosure (mid left) underwent building changes.

The following photos are undated but give different views for context.

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Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, 1922-1925.

The double-story building towards the left, with the surrounding balcony/verandah, is the former Royal Hotel, on the corner of Lonsdale and Walker streets.

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International Harvester, Princes Hwy, Dandenong South.

The following images of International Harvester were captioned by Tony Cosentino.

International Harvester, Artwork of the Dandenong Works, 17 Jul 1950.

 International Harvester, Dandenong Works Construction Site, 6 Jul 1951.

Inspection of Army Trucks, Dandenong, Victoria, 1953.

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Police Station/Court House, Langhorne Street, Dandenong, 1930s.

The Dandenong Court House, picture here, was built in the late 1930s, and officially opened in August 1939. This was a big day for Dandenong, with the opening of a dedicated Court House for the region. The newly built Police Station helped to create the scene.

In 1857 a fence was erected around the three acres of land (on the corner of Langhorne and Wilson Streets), the site of the first police camp and current site of the police complex.

The first building, built in 1859 comprised of officers’ quarters, a watch house and a lean-to, which was used as a stable. The original stables were built around three acres of land as part of the original police complex. The stables were repaired in the late 1870s but it wasn’t until the late 1880s that the stables building in question was built.

Works to the “Police Buildings at Dandenong Township” were tendered out on the 1 August 1859. The works were due to be completed on the 25 December 1859. An extension of eight weeks was granted.

In 1888/89 a contract, was let to Mathews a O’Halloran for the construction of new Police Quarters and Stables. This would indicate that the current stables were constructed around this time.

An excerpt from The Dandenong Journal, Wed 16 Aug 1939, on page 6, reads as follows:

PAST HISTORY

“The history of the administration of justice in Dandenong dates back to a very early period—as far back as May 5th, 1856,” added Mr Bailey. On that date the then Governor had declared Dandenong a place at which a Court of Petty Sessions should be held, and in 1859, the first court house was established. In 1874, many requests were made for better court facilities, but despite persistent agitation, it was not till 1890 that the court was transferred to portion of the new Town Hall. There it had remained until 1935, when the shire gave them “notice to quit,” but mellowed it by promising to make a substantial contribution to a new building. That promise had been fulfilled, and although the building had cost the Government about £3,000, the local contribution had been £l400 —a very creditable one indeed. (Applause).

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Merlin House, Corner Langhorne and Wilson streets, Dandenong, undated.

Merlin was built for Miss Matilda Louisa Shaw in 1884 as a residence and private school. Born in Derbyshire, Shaw was 16 when she arrived at Port Phillip in June 1857 with her father John Frederick Shaw, mother Jane 35 and her brothers and sisters. It is believed that Matilda was employed as a governess to the Keys family at Keysborough before she ventured into the business of setting up her own school in 1869.

Shaw rented the newly constructed building at 51 Langhorne Street known as Laurel Lodge, the house was named by either Miss Shaw or its builder and owner, Robert Huckson. Miss Shaw’s curriculum aimed to cultivate young ladies accomplished in the ‘gentle arts’ of English, French, German, music, singing, drawing, painting, and needlework. The small school was one of many such private establishments to flourish in the colony during this period.

The Dandenong township began to grow, and the little school thrived. In 1880, Miss Shaw purchased a property on the corner of Langhorne and Wilson Streets, from W. H. Jones who had owned the block since 1856. Sometime during her rental of Laurel Lodge, ownership of the building transferred to James Lecky, who died in 1884.This event seems to have triggered some changes for Shaw, as that same year she had a new house built further down the street on her land on the corner of Wilson Street.

Upon its completion she transferred her school there, naming the house Merlin. In November of that year, she placed an advertisement for ‘a good plain cook and laundress able to milk, wages 12/-’, indicating that she must have kept at least one cow on the property. Matilda conducted her school until 1889, when she was about 50 years old.

That year she married Mr. James Facey, they resided at Merlin until Matilda died at the age of 72, on 4 October 1912. She is buried in the Dandenong Cemetery, in the same grave as an unknown identity, Susan Adams, who was interred there 30 years previously at the age of 75. Nearby lies her brother, Henry Sanders Shaw, who died in 1923.

One of her pupils was the celebrated actor, Mr. Oscar Asche. In the early 1870’s as Miss Matilda Shaw kept the Ladies Seminar, ‘Laurel Lodge’, next to the Church of England, and was in charge of some 20 lady boarders. Later Miss Shaw gave up the school and sold the property (she did not own the property), An ardent supporter of St James Church of England and Sunday School.

A son from James Facey’s previous marriage came to look after him, when, blindness in his later years confined him to the top floor of Merlin. He died in 1914. A blacksmith by trade, he had initially come to the district in the mid-1860s, buying the Springhurst property at Cranbourne.

By 1917, Merlin was a private hospital operating under the supervision of Sister (Miss) M. A. Ahern. The Ahern family were district pioneers, with Daniel Ahern farming land on the fringe of the Dandenong township. Sister Ahern, of Merlin Private Hospital died in May 1944, and her grave can be found in the Catholic section of the Dandenong Cemetery.

The house ceased functioning as a hospital in the 1940s and was subsequently converted into apartments. Undergoing renovations in 1970s, and in the early 1990s, then in 1998 it was sold. "The Age" 7th March 1998, Real Estate section advertised it for sale as Merlin House, built in 1884, covering 42 squares, with 4 bedrooms and ‘lovingly restored’ in 1991.

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275-283 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, 1915.

This charming view of the simple shops covering this section of Lonsdale Street dates from 110 years ago. It's hard to believe it once looked like this.

The large building to the left (partly in the photo), would be replace with the former Coles Stores building, presently home to Chemist Warehouse. These shops were almost opposite the end of Langhorne Street.

Outside the Caffin & Caffin shop, to the right of the first image, 1915.

Partially in the right of this picture is the building used by Mr. Robert Andrews Titcher, this was the original Titchers chemist. Robert did business from this building for about 46 years, before passing away in May 1928.

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Rudy Marie, Thomas’, Foster Street, Dandenong, 1980s.

Jalen Hamilton writes:

Back in the day Hairdressing in Dandenong at Thomas’s on Foster Street.

Tasha Panagopoulos adds a note:

I was a shampoo girl at Thomas’s in the early 80’s.

My ex-sister-in-law worked there and Russell who I did my apprenticeship with.

I actually did my work experience with Rudy Marie when he had his own salon in the pink house corner of Robinson St and Princess Hwy, I’m still a hairdresser today, great memories.

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Map of Dandenong dated March 15, 1858.

Tony Cosentino writes:

Map showing the township of Dandenong dated March 15, 1858, showing town allotments a number of which have names allocated to them. The Dandenong Post Office opened the 1st of July 1848; the whole area had been taken up for grazing. The township was surveyed in 1852 and by 1861 there were 40 houses in the township and 193 people.

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Drill Hall/Dandenong Baths, Lonsdale Street, Dandenong.

Tony Cosentino writes:

The former Old Drill Hall and swimming pool in Dandenong Park. Both have since been demolished.

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Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, 1909.

Looking from near Foster Street towards the Town Hall (Walker Street) and beyond.

The old Bridge Hotel is visible on the left-hand side. Later known as Old Dandy Inn, before becoming the Jim Dandy and recently the Dandenong Hotel. Presently it is up for sale again. Although the hotel does still stand, renovations have made most of its history obsolete to the history seeker.

Built in 1858, the Hotel has seen many name changes and renovations. In 1858, Michael Hennesy had started to build the Bridge Hotel, but ran into financial difficulties and the building was completed by George Hughes and John Prevot. That same year the hotel provided one of its rooms for use by the Court of Petty Sessions.

It was also used for meetings by the Dandenong Road District Board. The Bridge Hotel was the terminus and inter-change for a coach service to Grantville, Tooradin and Melbourne. George Usher, licensee of the hotel, initiated the Grantville coach service. On 12 August 1864 the hotel was the meeting place where local citizens proposed that a market be established in Dandenong. In the early 1870s it was the town’s most substantial hotel.

A two-storey structure, built of bricks, which were made from a clay deposit at the rear of the property, and with a slate roof. The upper floor facade of the building is largely unaltered, except for the removal of the veranda and the conversion of French doors to windows in the early 1900s. Considerable changes were made to the ground floor in the 1930s.

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