Buildings at the Dandenong Stock Market/Sale Yards, 1990s

Photo credit to Dandenong Historical Society.

Photo credit to Dandenong Historical Society.

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

Cheltenham Road, Dandenong, 1992.

Taken from near the end of Carrol Lane, looking easterly, towards Hammond Road. The former Caltex site, on the corner of Hammond and Cheltenham, is now home to a car rental dealership.

Photo credit to City of Berwick.

Originally named Grace Street, the section of Cheltenham Road, between about where George/Allan Street intersection is now, and Foster Street, was officially renamed to Cheltenham Road in 1970.

This, along with the section west of George/Allan Street, which was known as Brighton Road at the time, meant renumbering of properties on Cheltenham Road, extending out to Chandler Road.

Cheltenham Road, official name change, July 1970.

This document supplied by Penny Harris Jennings.

Cheltenham Road is in the process of being extended through to Princes Hwy, with and underpass under the railway, and through the old Half Case Warehouse, IGA, and more recently Marmara Meats site.

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

Greens Road, Dandenong South, 1992.

The old Greens Road railway crossing when it still had both the crossing for the South Gippsland/Cranbourne line, and the crossing for the A.C.I. Pilkington Glass Plant. The siding, just out of the right side of view, was the first to be removed, and later in the early 2020s, the crossing was completely removed, by elevating the railway line across the road.

Photo credit to Wailing Chang.

The up Leongatha train, intersects the crossing, enroute to Spencer Street (Southern Cross), via Dandenong, in the late Spring of 1992. Do you remember the old orange Vline lively?

Below is a train leaving the ACI Pilkington’s Glassworks Plant in 1994.

Photo credit to Wailing Chang.

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

Cranbourne Railway Station, 1993.

Cranbourne Station, and the South Gippsland Highway level crossing, looking in the down or Leongatha/Yarram direction in November 1993. Not long before Electrification works started.

Photo credit goes to Graham Edwards.

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

Safeway, Walker Street, Dandenong, 1980/90s.

Looking across Walker Street, Dandenong, to the old Safeway store. Undated but around 1980s/90s? This site would be rebuilt as the Capital Center, before being joined to Myers to become the Plaza.

Photo credit: Dandenong & District Historical Society

The original Safeway site roughly covered the red square in the image provided, with Walker Street continuing through to Clow street, as indicated by the yellow line.

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

Dandenong Saleyards, mid 1990s.

Tyron Aldrick writes:

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

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

Dandenong Plaza Ad feat. Sam Newman, 1994/1995

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

Dandenong Plaza, 1990s

We're not sure of the date, But check out the Palm Trees in the Dandenong Plaza, The lower food court was still in full action, before being moved closer to the exit doors.

Can you date this photo?

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

Southern Aurora Hotel , Dandenong Station, 1991.

Southern Aurora Hotel 1991, Built in the mid 1960s, on the site of the former steam-loco turntable, it was demolished during the 1990's, The space is now part of the bus interchange and carparking adjacent. The Southern Aurora continued operation until around 1991. In May 1993, the Hotel was demolished as stage 1 of works to redesign the station, with the new Train Station building being opened in 1995. The site if the Hotel was turned into a carpark, which still remains presently. At some point during the late 1990s, the pedestrian subway was filled in.

Southern Aurora Hotel , Dandenong Station, 1991.

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

Dandenong Bowling Club, Princes Hwy, Dandenong.about late 1990s/early 2000s.

Established in 1882, the local Bowling Green was the collaboration of a few local gentlemen after a meeting had been held in the Mechanics' Institute in March of the same year to discuss the forming of a Bowling Club. They erected their first clubhouse at the creek end of the lawns in the shade of an Algerian Oak (still standing) in Dandenong Park. In the 1950s, the Dandenong Recreation Club put before the committee of enthusiasts, plans to establish a Bowling Green at its Herbert Street site.

The Dandenong Bowling Green was not originally expected to last for more than a season, with some even scorning the very idea of having it. However, some 132 years later when closure was finally looming, the Bowling Club continued to maintain the lawns with the same high care as the gentlemen of the day who had given of their own.

For a long part of the clubs' history, a Croquet Club stood alongside the Bowling Club. In recent times to meet public demands for local space near Dandenong CBD, the future design of Dandenong Park meant the closure of both clubs, the Stan Prior Sound Stage may also yet face removal.

Before its closure, Dandenong Bowling Club was most probably the oldest surviving sports club in the Greater Dandenong area, having celebrated their Centenary in 1992.


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

Australia Day Parade, McCrae Street, Dandenong, in 1998.

Taken after the Encore Hotel had been built opposite the Dandenong Plaza (Capital Centre), the Polish, still facing the persecution of anti immigration extremist local elements, had sadly still not found acceptance. It wouldn't be until another major immigration due to war that they would be forgotten. Dandenongs' acceptance of those fleeing war, even from the earlier wars, cemented the towns place as a home for everyone.

Dandenong has a long and proud history of Parades, the biggest being the Proclamation of the City of Dandenong in 1959. The parade held for this occasion, was one of the biggest, drawing the towns spirit, resulting in the largest crowd to watch any parade in Dandenong. Some more formal events, such as Remembrance Day, still encourage people to walk the streets on their special days.

Dandenong is fortunate to be very rich in multiculturalism from it's very beginnings and this still applies today, with many local communities within Greater Dandenong and surrounds having festivals or parades each year to celebrate their special occasions and culture. We have Australia Day in Dandenong Park, the Luna New Year Festival in Springvale each year, the Albanian Festival at Dandenong Park, EID each year in Dandenong Park and many more.

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

Aerial, part of Dandenong South, May 4th 1994

Down in the lower centre-right can be seen the original alignment of the South Gippsland Highway heading straight towards the Freeway, as new alignment turns south. The origonal aligment obviously serves as an access road to a dwelling, present at time of shot. 

The last section of South Gippsland Freeway, now occupying the old Highway path until, they converge just outside of this aerials' scope. Back in the early days of the Highway, the section between Dandenong and Cranbourne was known as Cranbourne road, a simpe dirt track plagued by errosion and flooding conveyed those few between the two towns.
For more images like this visit us at https://www.facebook.com/olddandenong/

Dandenong Train Station, 12 January 1995.

During construction of the new station building, taken from the south side near where the pedestrian ramp now stands.

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.

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

St James Anglican Church, 53-57 Langhorne Street, Dandenong, Late 1800's.

The Rev. J. H. Gregory conducted Dandenong’s first Anglican service on 21 July 1850. Although a committee was formed to obtain appropriate premises for subsequent services, it was not until the mid-1850s with the arrival of Mr R. C. Walker, that thi quest was partly realized. Walker was renting a large property, The Grange, north of the present Kidd’s Road, within a short time, services were being conducted there in a slab hut newly built for the purpose.

In July they applied to the government for a grant of land to establish a school, a site of two acres had was reserved for such purposes on the corner of Langhorne and Wilson Streets, extending to McCrae Street. The school house was built on the site facing Wilson Street. The brick building was completed by August 1857 and opened. Enlarged in 1865, the school house stood until 1905.

Still without a church building, a public meeting was held with on 3 March 1860 for the purpose of instructing an architect and arranging for the collection of the necessary funds. At another public meeting held in May 1861 it was decided that the services of a clergyman would be obtained if sufficient residents from Dandenong, Berwick and Cranbourne could fill a subscription list. It was not until 1863 that a clergyman, the Rev. Whitmore Carr, was appointed, and within a month of his arrival, the building of a church was firmly back on the agenda

Plans and specifications were drawn up by Diocesan architect, Leonard Terry who called for tenders in The Argus on 13 June. The foundation stone was laid on the 5 July by the Governor of Victoria, Sir Charles Darling who was presented with a silver trowel for the ceremony.

By 1866, the church was paid for, and attention turned to building a parsonage as well as providing further decoration for the church interior. The Trustees reported that they had received promises of handsome shrubs from the government nursery. In 1867, a public meeting was held calling for contributions, but sufficient funds weren’t obtained until January 1870 when a smaller version of the parsonage proposed by Terry was built, building commenced in August and was completed in November. Some years later, in 1877, tenders were called to cement the exterior walls of the church building.

As the congregation grew, it was decided to complete the church as originally designed, Tenders were called for construction of transepts, chancel, vestry and new seating on 15 November 1883. The work was undertaken in 1886 with over a £1000 donated by the congregation. Other additions to the church during this period include, a baptismal font (1884), and a new pulpit (1885) crafted from part of the pulpit removed from the former St Paul’s Church, corner Swanston and Flinders Streets, Melbourne. Three extra rooms were also added to the parsonage. The church was consecrated on Thursday 25 August 188.

A ‘War Memorial Porch’ dedicated to those who served in WWII was added to the church in 1953. The bricks were reclaimed from the old railway bridge that crossed Princes Highway to the Springvale Crematorium. The elms are believed to have been planted in about 1900.

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

Southern Aurora Hotel, Next to Dandenong Railway Station, in 1991.

Southern Aurora Hotel Motel (‘K’s Dandenong Hotel P/L.) The owners were Mr and Mrs Karnhauser. Built on railway property the hotel adopted a name, which was synonymous with the railways (Southern Aurora express). It was believed to be the first privately owned licensed premises with residential accommodation to be built on railway property, in fact next to the Dandenong Station





Original Lounge and Function rooms had the names Observation Lounge, Pullman Grill, Club Car Lounge, Tunnel Room and Express Bar.





Nearby Kayes Lane is name after the former owners of Southern Aurora. It was demolished during the 1990's, The space is now part of the bus interchange and car parking adjacent.

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

Lonsdale Street, Dandenong around 1989-1990.

Showing the shops of the time, the cenotaph was still outside the Town Hall, Do you remember which building was being constructed?

Photo supplied by Brad Farrell


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

Railway Station - 5th January 1994

Dandenong Railway Station - 5th January 1994

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

Stock Market cafe, Dandenong, in 1998

The Stock Market cafe in 1998 was a popular eating place for patrons of the former Stock Markets on Cheltenham road until the stock market was closed on 22 December 1998, Along with the surrounding area decline set in quickly.

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

Lonsdale St 1989-1990 looking back at Venture which was where Waltons was.

First came Waltons, Then came Venture, And presently Dimmeys continues the trade in this building on Lonsdale Street. There was plenty of parking and Dairy Bell still occupied the front left corner of the building, serving up there famous selection, Dairy Bell left Dandenong in 2013.

 Waltons was a strong outlet for many years but after a disastrous takeover of Waltons by Alan Bond in 1981 the store saw sharp decline, eventually being split up and resold, Waltons Dandenong was sold to the Cookes family and re-branded as Venture in 1987, But sadly Venture went bankrupt in 1994, bringing to an end this chapter. Eventually Dimmeys moved into the building and has remained there since.

Photo supplied by  Brad Farrell‎

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