Grassmere land sales, October 1888.

Brian Adam notes:

There was an opportunity to purchase land at Grassmere, with sales held in October 1888, offering various allotments ranging from 1 to 20 acres. The sale was conducted by Munro and Baillieu, Estate Agents.

Interestingly, a proposed railway line was planned to connect the Dandenong line to Ferntree Gully — sadly, it never came to fruition.

Grassmere land sales, October 1888.

I’ve always liked the name of the area — whether it’s Grassmere or Dandenong Heights.

The Shire of Berwick eventually held a meeting to address the naming issue surrounding Grassmere. It turned out there was already another locality in Victoria with the same name, a small rural settlement near Warrnambool. To avoid confusion, the decision was made to rename Grassmere to Doveton.

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Carnarvon Estate, Dandenong, c. 1888.

The Carnarvon Estate was a sale of land in the late 1880s. Interestingly it makes reference to the Eumemmering horse race filed, long lost to time. The track was adjacent to the Eumemmering Hotel, which was located near the site that the Prince Mark Hotel now occupies, near the corner of Princes Highway and Power Road. 

Carnarvon Estate, Dandenong, c. 1888.

On early maps Power Road is often marked as crossing the Eumemmerring creek and joining Princes Highway where Lace Street is. This leaves open the question about which side of the creek the old Eumemmerring Hotel actually was on. Most researchers say the Prince Mark Hotel site.

The Argus, Wednesday 14 March 1888, Page 2.

Michael Hennessy, the long time publican of the Eumemmerring Hotel, along with Henry Wilson, were race starters on the Eumemmerring Races programs. The race course was running from as early as 1951. We do know that races were still being held in 1910, but by the 1950s it was no longer a racecourse.

So what was the original course of the Eumemmerring Creek near power road?

South Bourke and Mornington Journal, Wed 9 Mar 1881, Page 3

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Map of Dandenong & surrounds with major land holders 1885.

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To view a larger image Click Here.

Please note: it's a large image so may take a while to load.

You can find the original on the PROV site at: 

https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/A6FF7EED-F843-11E9-AE98-FF67E9139D03/about

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Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, before 1890.

The double storey building on the right side was the Shamrock Hotel, adorning the corner of Scott and Lonsdale streets. Later this corner would be home to the Club Hotel, later renamed the Pub Pub. Recently the large building on this corner is home the Chisholm 311.

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Dandenong Railway Station, late 1800s.

Until the coming of the railway, the Greater Dandenong area was virtually on the frontier of settlement. Construction started at the Sale end and reached Oakleigh in 1877. After some delay, the link was made with Melbourne and the line officially opened in 1879, midst great celebrations.

The Dandenong station was officially opened in 1881, some two years after completion of the line to Melbourne. It served as a vital link to Gippsland, replacing the need for livestock and produce to be taken by land and sea to Melbourne. Dandenong now acted as the terminus between country and City.

By the early 1880s, Springvale had a station, consisting of a platform and open shed. The first train to stop at Noble Park was about 1915. Electrification of the line between Oakleigh and Dandenong was completed in 1922. The line between Dandenong and Warragul was electrified by 1954 New stations were opened at Sandown in 1965 and Yarraman in 1976.

Lonsdale Street had traditionally acted as Dandenong’s front door, its only entry point to visitors, but with the success of the railway station (by 1889 it had become the third busiest in Victoria) Dandenong now had a side door, drawing a growing number of visitors to this new point of entry to the town and exposing the need for infrastructure to support the Foster Street region in its increase in pedestrian traffic.

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Walker and Langhorne Streets, Dandenong,1878-83.

Jones's New Dandenong bakery was the joy of .J. T. Thorpe, in the early days he was the only baker in Dandenong. He established his bakery in about 1878/79, and by 1883 had moved the bakery to new and bigger premises in Keys Buildings on Lonsdale Street. In 1896 R. F. Meyer took control of the bakery.

The small building used for the bakery was originally built by Mr Bowman In 1857. In turn it was occupied by butchers, bakers and other tradesmen. A baker named Gatling had it for a time, but the tenant occupying it prior to its being demolished was J. T. Thorpe. He baked there for many years, eventually removing to Keys’ Buildings.

Jones and his wife later moved to Cranbourne, where they continued to be involved in the bakery field, opening a local bakery. In the 1950s the Cranbourne business was still being carried on by Jack Thorpe, at the time it was the oldest bakery in Cranbourne.

Eventually the Twiss family took over the Dandenong Bakery, running it for some years.They later took over the Railway refreshment rooms at the Dandenong station from Mrs. Clinch, who took over from Miss Bottril (we believe the first to conduct them).

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Westwood, Walker Steeet, Dandenong, 1886

Late last year Chris Simmins wrote:
'Westwood', the 'grand home' featured in a 1930's Dandenong aerial photograph. The subject of the photo (once zoomed in), caused some discussion locally and far afield.

Westwood was built in Walker Street, Dandenong, for Mr Herbert Turner Esq Solicitor. Turner was a born 1856 and married a Miss Annie Moss Dunn in 1885. They had 5 children, Maggie who was born Dandenong 1893, Doris May born 1897 in Brighton, Herbert Keith born 1899 in Brighton, Marg Eillen born 1900, and Alf Brian born 1901.

Turner features in various 'Trove archives ' of old newspapers, but is most notable as Chairman of the Board of Nurses, from its inception in 1924, and also as a board member of the Royal Melbourne Hospital from 1918-1935. His affiliation with the medical scene was a long and treasured one.

Old Dandenong Adds:
In later years Westwood became home to the Local R.S.L, which had been a private home until around the 1930s., with a few modifications and paint coats, the building survived into the 1990s.

In the 1990s the present Dandenong RSL premises were built on the corner of Clow street and Stud road (realigned end of Foster street), resulting in the demolition of Westwood, along with other houses, as Capital Cenrre was extended across walker street, connecting to the Myer building.

As a result the Plaza carpark was extended, covering the site of Westwood with bitchumen. Walker street now ends near the rear of the building extensions, becoming nothing more than a carpark and loading bay entrance.

The former Rudock street was removed (now the boundry line between the RSL and Plazza carpark), In recent years, the street running through the Dandenong Station bus interchange, up to George street was named Rudock street.

Photo of Westwood House , courtesy of Dandenong Historical Society Photo Archives.

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Dandenong Coach Factory, Pultney Street, Dandenong, 1880s/1890s

The Greaves brothers were well known and respected in the local community, not just as industrious entrepreneurs, but as active people in helping shape the town that would follow.

Back in the late 1800s they were operating the Dandenong Coach Factory, with Hemmings Wheelright having been the predecessor. Hemmings served the local community from early days supplying cart wheels and preforming minor repairs.

Having allowed Hemmings street to be built free of charge through his property, Hemmings gained himself a place in Dandenongs' history with the naming of Hemmings Street, in honour of his many contributions to Dandenong.

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Ellis’s Store, 118 Walker Street, Dandenong, Late 1880's

In 1856 William and Edward Ellis (brothers) settled in Dandenong. Edward Ellis erected operated this store for some time, Built for him in the 1870's, it saw many modifications over the decades transforming it from the smaller building you see here to the larger building that was demolished in 1971, almost 100 years.

In 1877 the building was sold, by Thomas Rosling and Co. for £630, Mr. James Greaves being the purchaser. Hence forth it was known as Greaves Building. July 2nd 1946 saw the official opening of The Wessex in this building by Mr. and Mrs. F. G. Mills, hosting Receptions, Dances, Function and the such. being formally known as The Wessex Hotel at some point.

An ever popular venue for dances, weddings, parties, etc, for some years Mrs. I. Mills, proprietress at the time in 1954 wanted to convert the premises to let as offices. She already had two of the rooms let to suitable clients, She still maintained her own private residence upstairs Around this time the Main building (and possibly neighbouring ones) became known as the Wessex Buildings..

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The Shamrock Hotel, Corner Scott and Lonsdale Streets, Dandenong, About 1880

Gregory Keighery, who had a boot shop on the south corner of Scott and Lonsdale streets, in 1864, built a two-storied brick front to his place, in 1866, and opened it as the “Shamrock Hotel.’’ He also built a billiard room, and installed a first-class table.

He sold out after a few years, and built a two-storied wooden house, near the creek, which lie opened as a wine store. He also conducted a bootmaker’s shop there. Charles

Charles Dobson became licensee of the “Shamrock," and retained possession for a long term. He eventually transferred to the “Albion,” but when the gold boom in Western Australia broke out he sold to Mr. P. J. McQuade and left for the Golden West.

The Shamrock was still standing in the 1920's, but at some point was demolished and replaced by the Club Hotel (later known as The Pub), which in turn would be demolished and replaced by the former NAB building, now home the Chisholm.

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Albion Hotel, 329-333 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, between 1889-1891

The Albion Hotel stands on the site of Alexander Bowman’s store, which he started in 1852, possibly Dandenong’s first store. Bowman owned every street corner but one of Lonsdale Street in the very early days, and was said to have ‘owned half the township at one period’.

James Clarke bought the store erected by A. W. Bowman, and converted it into a hotel, which he named the “Mornington Arms.” Clarke took advantage of a rumor about the establishment of a permanent market to invest in this hotel, and it turned out to be a very profitable move. At first the house was merely a “beer shop.” However, Clarke did not live long to enjoy his prosperity, as, coming home from Melbourne one night, he was thrown from a cart and killed.

Alfred Pope (son of David Pope), conducted the house for a time, but was succeeded by Charles Dobson, who transferred from the “Shamrock Hotel" on the corner of Scott and Lonsdale Street. Charles Dobson purchased it in 1882 and re-named it the ‘Albion’ alter the hostelry in Bourke street, Melbourne, from whence the coaches left for Dandenong and Gippsland.

Peter McQuade was the proprietor in 1889 and the McQuades replaced the early one-storey timber building with the present two-storey building in 1891. Peter James McQuade was born in Ireland, and when he first arrived here, he farmed at Flemington before taking up land at Springvale, where he worked for fifteen years. He ran the Bridge Hotel 185-195 Lonsdale Street in 1887, and from 1889 owned and ran the Albion Hotel.

The hotel had been in the possession of varying members of the McQuade family continuously from 1889 until at least 1993 (Present ownership not known to us). The magnificent verandah as seen in this photo has been removed but the façade has remained largely unaltered, with an extension into a small retail premises next door.

The hotel has a near intact upper level, with timber sash double hung windows, but the ground level façade has been altered. Here the former face brick wall has been rendered and the original five openings (windows, doors) have been revised but the paneled Victorian-era timber door, with its top light, resembles the original.

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