Lonsdale Street in April 1978

This view of Lonsdale Street in April 1978 shows the former Woolworths and Coles Variety Stores, Taken in front of the Town Hall on the corner of Walker Street.

This photo was shared by Anneke Pereboom-Veldman

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E. S & A. Bank, 280 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, in 1967

The E, S & A Bank (English, Scottish & Australian Bank) serviced people in Dandenong until they merged with Australian and New Zealand Bank on 1 October 1970 to form the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, Commonly known as ANZ today. The bank was located (and the building remains) on the Market side of Maples (now a through park).

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Map of Dandenong between 1854 and 1863

Map of Dandenong between 1854 and 1863, This map shows the original extent of the Police Paddocks (Natice Police Corps Reserve) extending to Gladstone Road on the west side, before it was reduced back to Stud Road.

Image courtesy of State Library Victoria

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Douglas St Noble Park.circa 1925

Douglas St Noble Park.circa 1925

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Lonsdale Street, No specific date provided, Before WWI

Lonsdale Street, No specific date provided, Before WWI

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Merlin Hospital on the corner of Wilson and Langhorne Streets.

Merlin Private Hospital,was on the corner of Wilson and Langhorne Streets was still operating in 1939. It returned to being a private residence in 1944 and the building still survives.

Miss Matilda Shaw’s school for young ladies opened in 1874,in the house now known as Laurel Lodge, which she rented. In 1884 she had her own house built,further up the road, ‘Merlin’, at the corner of Langhorne and Wilson Streets and moved her school there.

At one stage, the school had 20 lady boarders. Both houses still survive. Miss Shaw kept her school going for a total of 19 years, closing the school in 1889 when she married. The school had a good reputation and was mentioned in the book Victoria and its Metropolis (Sutherland,1888:)

Image supplied by Annette Wiadrowski'

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Dandenong Girls' High School, 23 Ann St, Dandenong.

The former Dandenong Girls High School, initially situated at the former site of the Eclarte tweed mill on Princes Highway, was built as a girls high school in 1957 with the motto, Above Renown, and the Olympic Torch as its logo..

The School opened in 1957, though the buildings were not completed until 1959. It opened because of overcrowding of Dandenong High School and was situated on an eight-acre site, fronting Ann, David and Cleeland Streets.  Later the school would include boys, and in more recent times it was re-named Cleeland Secondary College. The school was also known as Dandenong Girl's Secondary School, Dandenong North High School and Cleeland High School at various times in it's history.

In 2007 Cleeland Secondary College along with Doveton Secondary College merged with the nearby Dandenong High School to form one school based at the Dandenong High School and Cleeland Secondary College locations.

Image supplied by Colleen Duggan-Bailey'

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Masonic Lodge, 5 Mason St, Dandenong, in 1967

The 1919 township plan of Dandenong shows a cottage on Lot 12, the site where the Masonic Hall is now built. No documentation could be located on the date of its demolition.

The history of the Masonic Lodge in Dandenong commenced in 1876 when the Lodge of Sincerity (then 1701 of the English Constitution) now no. 179 on the register of the United Grand Lodge of Victoria, was consecrated. 64 The first meeting to consider the forming of the Lodge of Free and Acceptable Masons was held on 3 September 1876 but the lodge was
closed in 1881.

It wasn’t until 1896 that the re-opening of the Lodge was reconsidered. Members from the original Lodge joined this new Lodge of Sincerity and brought with them regalia, furniture and money. The new Lodge was consecrated on the 24 August 1896, and meetings were held on a monthly basis at the Lodge Room of the Mechanics Institute at the Shire Offices. The Lodge was known as the Lodge of Sincerity no. 179 under the United Grand Lodge of Victoria.

In December 1907 members decided to set aside part of the members dues and initiation fees for the future construction of a Masonic Temple. In the 1920s, the Lodge was struggling for space due to a large increase in memberships and on the 7 September 1922 the Lodge held a meeting to discuss the possibility of building. A contract was entered with Bro. G. Snell to have plans and specifications drawn up for the cost of £2,800. Tenders were called and a building contract was signed with Bro. N. A. Taylor for the total sum of £2,530.

The building was completed in 1923 with all furniture and fittings for the supper and lodge room donated by members.

On 22 December 1923, the Lodge held their first meeting in the new building. On the 16 August 1924 a ceremony of dedication was held and the foundation stone was unveiled. In 1931, £274 was spent for concrete rendering and other improvements. In 1940, 1955 and 1979/81 alterations were made to accommodate and upgrade female and male toilets.

In 1991 the Dandenong Masonic Temple as well as those in Springvale, Mordialloc and Chelsea closed. They all amalgamated to use a new building in Keysborough.

In 1992 the building was used by the “Recycle Workshop”. By September 1996 the building had been acquired by Mick and Rosa Valenti. In December 1996 they leased the building to the Spanish Christian Church for three years with Guillermo Esquivell as the Senior Minister. The building is now vacant as remodeling and construction of neighboring land takes place..

Information courtesy of Greater Dandenong Heritage Study
Image origins unknown at time of posting.

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Coles, Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, in 1963

The first Coles New World store complete with a very modern rocket, which opened in 1962 in our very own Dandenong.

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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

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Dandenong Fire Station in Walker Street, Dandenong, early 1910's.

In this early 1910's photo, the quick build and almost cartoonist design of the old building stands out, Facing Walker street with Robinson street up the left and Mason street to the right, The present day location of the Walker street Gallery has a long history with the the local Fire Station. This building was moved in the 1930's to Bangholme,, to make way for the new/present building, and became the Bangholme Memorial Hall and is still there and being used for Dances to this day.

This building was replaced with the present building around 1930, sadly the present building has had many modifications leaving it almost unrecognizable. The Dandenong Fire Station moved to bigger premises at 120 Princes Hwy in 1986, last year they move again further up the highway into bigger premises.

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