Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, April 1901

This shot was taken during the 1901 floods, looking south from the corner of Lonsdale Street and Foster Street. The magnificent double storey building further up the road was McConnells "Park View" boarding house. He was also in the employ of Victoria Railways, becoming the local Train Examiner and Pumping Station attendant,

On the left would have been Dandenong Park, with part of it's white fence visible in the distance. In these eary days flooding was common in the lower end of town, with natural water flow reminding locals that nature still controlled their day to day life.

John McConnell worked for the Victorian Railways and lived in Park View with his wife Edith, They had five children in total, with two sadly dying in infancy. McConnell died, aged 59, on 21st March 1920, the previous day, his coat had become entangled in the fly-wheel of the water pump engine he oversaw at the Dandenong Railways pumping station.

His injuries were so severe, that local doctors couldn't save him, he was moved at one to Nurse Ahern's private hospital, where Dr. Langley and Dr. A. E. Taylor tended to him. Agnes King (nee McConnell), one of his children, was one of the first on the scene, His wife, Edith passed away on August 5th 1936.

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First Showgrounds, Walker Street, Dandenong, Between 1904-1906.

Before the Agricultural Society took complete control of the Dandy Show, it was a community affair. This show from 1904-1906, gives a glimpse of the first Showgrounds. People would display their wares and enjoy a day of fun family activities, from nothing more than a tent, often bringing a packed lunch to enjoy upon the grass. Located off Walker street, behind the Royal Hotel (at this time run by Tuff).

On Saturday 27th May 1871, a meeting was held at Dunbars Hotel on Lonsdale Street, Dandenong to discuss the launch of an Agricultural Show. Barely three days later at the Dandenong Market, the "Dandenong and South Bourke Agricultural Association" was born due to the hard work and determination of a group of men and thus began the beginnings of what we know as the Dandenong Show.

The first show was held at the Dandenong Market site, which was then located in the area bounded by Foster, Thomas, Mason and Walker Streets. In November 1877 two half-acre allotments adjoining the Society’s showyards were bought from John Hemmings and in 1878 the Minister for Railways allowed special trains, with excursion tickets, to run from the suburbs of Melbourne to the Show.

In 1888 a new exhibition hall was built. The building was wooden with a galvanized iron roof with a total area of 285ft. The hall was lit with gas, a large chandelier containing about 30 burners fixed in the centre with a smaller one at each end, and a water tank built at the rear. The building was a major achievement not only for the Society, but for the community, because it provided a larger meeting place than the Mechanics Institute as the Town Hall would not be built until 1890.

With the show continuing to grow in size and popularity, it was decided to sell the old showground and have a new set-up at the Clow Street/Market Reserve as this would be most advantageous for the community and all concerned. In 1907 the show was held at the new site with a 10 year lease from the council. In 1936 the show was changed from the traditional Thursday to the second Saturday of November which carries through to present day.

1967 saw the first show held at Greaves Reserve, which was named after the late William Greaves who donated a portion of the land. It was a record breaking event with 4175 entries and an impressive $4234 total made at the gate. Two brand new toilet blocks had also been erected along with new drainage and other things before the show to allow for the expected large crowds.

Over the next few years the show gained enough momentum that In 1973, an additional 8 acres of land west of the creek near Hanna Street was obtained on licence from the CRB (Country Roads Board). In November 1986, four lighting towers were erected around the main arena to allow proper lighting of it for Saturday night attractions.

2002 saw the completion of the three year project, the Historic Cattle Ring Complex, built to house the Milker Ring that had been saved and restored when the Dandenong Stock Market had been closed and dismantled. The Dandenong Show that we all know and love today is indeed immensely rich in history and is very much an integral part of the Dandenong life and culture.

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Dandenong Golf Club, Stud Road, Dandenong, first day 1904.

It began back in 1904 with nine holes being established in Stud Road, Dandenong where the current Dandenong TAFE is situated. This golf club was then called the Dandenong Golf Club. In 1909 the club moved to Dandenong Park in an area between Pultney St and Dandenong Creek. In 1910 the club shifted to paddocks of a Mr. Hungerford which consisted of 13 holes. For unknown reasons the club moved back to Dandenong Park in 1912. Dandenong Park area was unavailable for golf between 1917 and 1919 due to the War.

After the 1st World War in 1919 golf started again on a property owned by Macpherson and Rodd and nine holes was established adjacent to the State School, now occupied by the Historical Society. During 1920 the Dandenong Golf Club established 18 holes on the property of Mr. Hemmings over the Dandenong Creek and south east of Macpersons paddock. This is now the location of he Dandenong Workers Club in Wedge St Dandenong.

The Dandenong Golf Club changed its name to Kingswood Golf Club in 1931 and the course was redesigned by MA & HV Morcom. With the urbanization of Dandenong in 1936, Kingswood Golf Club decided to relocate to its current home in Centre Dandenong Road, Dingley Village. At this point ending the last remaining link it had with Dandenong.

Photo: From the 5th Sketch Book compiled by Charles (Charlie) Hammond.

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Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, floods 1901

The hefty thunderstorm that hit the district caused the heaviest rainfall that had been seen in the area for several years, taking less than twenty minutes for the main street to become flooded. Floodwater flowed straight through many residences and businesses with many shopkeepers instantly in serious trouble as stock was completely ruined afterward.

Several families at the time had to be removed from their residences as the lower end of Lonsdale Street was completely under water. From Langhorne Street at the rear of the Town Hal,l along with Hammond Road through to Greave's Paddocks. Hemmings' Timber Yard itself at the time suffered a good twelve inches (30.48cm) of water through the premises..

Sadly the extent of flooding wasn't just due to more than four inches (over 10cm) of rainfall in one afternoon, the drains and channels of the town were far too small to carry such a sudden onslaught of water at the time which caused significant damage to culverts.

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Albion Hotel, 329-333 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, Early 1900's.

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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Stone Bridge, Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, in 1904.

Looking into Dandenong towards Foster street.

Over the years ‘the rapids of Dandenong’, so described once by the poet Adam Lindsay Gordon, have swept away more than one bridge in the area. The first bridge over Dandenong Creek was constructed in 1840. A flood swept this away ten years later and it was replaced.

The stone bridge, built in 1866, probably by Robert Huckson, lasted 52 years. Part of it was granite, quarried locally from the vicinity of Wedge and Power Streets.

This bridge was replaced in 1919 by a ferrous metal single-span bridge, with concrete deck, known as the ‘Peace Memorial Bridge’. It was designed by R. H. Woolcock, shire engineer,once described as ‘one of the best engineers in Victoria’. Part of the bridge still carries portion of the Princess Highway over the Dandenong Creek. Modern concrete bridges now span the local creeks at many points.

Image courtesy of D.D.H.S.

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The Bridge Hotel, 193 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, in 1906.

Looking from the hotel towards Walker Street. Built in 1858, the Hotel has seen many name changes and renovations, More recently it has been called the Old Dandy Inn, Jim Dandy and Dandenong Hotel.

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. The hotel is 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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Women's cricket in Dandenong Park back in 1905.

At the time the Dandenong Sunflowers were the only team to beat The Coldstreams, Cricket was a serious game even for a small town.

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Church Of Christ, 17 Robinson Street, Dandenong, in 1905

The original Church of Christ building was constructed in 1904 and officially opened on 28 August after an 11 week construction period on the corner of Robinson and George Street (before George street was realigned to meet the end of Walker street in the early 2010s).

In early 1918 through voluntary labour the Sunday School hall was added to the rear of the church, further working bees resulted in the lining of the hall and construction of the kitchen.

In September 1957 a newly built brick chapel on the corner of Mason and Walker Streets was completed (Presently occupied by Cornerstone Contact Centre since 1992), The church moved in 1990 to new premises at 139 David Street, outside the CBD area, ending its involvement in the centre of Dandenong.

The 1904 church building pictured was occupied by the Dandenong Assembly of God until 1977 when it was sold to the United Pentecostal Fellowship. It later became occupied by the Church of the Word. The building would survive into the 21st century before being demolished as part of the Revitalization of Dandenong, Presently the new A.T.O. building occupies this site.

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Entering Dandenong in 1906 from Melbourne,

Looking towards the intersection of Clow and Lonsdale Street from the Melbourne side.

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Composite Bridge, Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, 1904-2000s

Looking into Dandenong towards Foster street.

Over the years ‘the rapids of Dandenong’, so described once by the poet Adam Lindsay Gordon, have swept away more than one bridge in the area. The first bridge over Dandenong Creek was constructed in 1840. A flood swept this away ten years later and it was replaced.

The stone bridge, built in 1866, probably by Robert Huckson, lasted 52 years. Part of it was granite, quarried locally from the vicinity of Wedge and Power Streets.

This bridge was replaced in 1919 by a ferrous metal single-span bridge, with concrete deck, known as the ‘Peace Memorial Bridge’. It was designed by R. H. Woolcock, shire engineer,once described as ‘one of the best engineers in Victoria’. Part of the bridge still carries portion of the Princess Highway over the Dandenong Creek. Modern concrete bridges now span the local creeks at many points.


Courtesy of The Dandenong Journal

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