Before
they concreted most of it and realigned the rest within the town, Once
Dandenong did have a real creek, But dubious council progress and time
would turn it into nothing more than a channel for storm water.
Excerpt From "Reminiscences Of Old Dandenong":
“Well, the reader may imagine himself standing on Prospect Hill (say, about the site of the Scouts’ Hall), which was then virgin country, looking towards the rise upon which the churches now stand. There was then nothing but an expanse of green to be seen. On the left hand were the giant gums, interspersed with sheoaks, light woods, etc, in Walker’s paddock (more recently known as the Grange Estate).
In the valley at my feet was a pleasant park-like expanse covered with heavy timber, and, as one looked eastwards, to the slope, where now Langhorne, McCrae and other streets run, it was also heavily timbered with redgum, the minor trees consisting of sheoak, lightwood, wild cherry, honeysuckle and peppermint, the undergrowth being mostly 'bracken, with excellent kangaroo grass and dwarf scrub.
“Sloping toward the creek the peppermints became scarce, and the bracken, intermingled with heath, gave place to reeds and rushes, and, although here was not the rugged beauty that held me on the hillside, not the least being the abundance of maiden-hair fern with which the banks of the creek were clothed, compensation was made by the wealth of lovely smaller bushes, such as wild raspberries, wild black currants, native laurels, myrtles, silver wattles, and other pretty shrubs.
The raspberries and currants were found only on the creek’s banks, as were mostly the laurels and myrtles, but the latter were sometimes growing a short distance from the water, but not far. I doubt very much if raspberries or black currants could now be found anywhere in or near the park, even by the most careful searching.
As mentioned before, the creek side of the hill was not clothed with such heavy timber as was the other side, but it was a very pretty spot, nevertheless. At my back, and to the right, in the direction of the (now) railway station, “Prospect Hill" was similarly clothed as “Church Hill,” vistas of beautiful trees opening up in whichever direction the eye ranged.
It was all very lovely, and I can with truth say, Dandenong, as it was then, was as pretty a spot as could be found on this island continent of ours.
Excerpt From "Reminiscences Of Old Dandenong":
“Well, the reader may imagine himself standing on Prospect Hill (say, about the site of the Scouts’ Hall), which was then virgin country, looking towards the rise upon which the churches now stand. There was then nothing but an expanse of green to be seen. On the left hand were the giant gums, interspersed with sheoaks, light woods, etc, in Walker’s paddock (more recently known as the Grange Estate).
In the valley at my feet was a pleasant park-like expanse covered with heavy timber, and, as one looked eastwards, to the slope, where now Langhorne, McCrae and other streets run, it was also heavily timbered with redgum, the minor trees consisting of sheoak, lightwood, wild cherry, honeysuckle and peppermint, the undergrowth being mostly 'bracken, with excellent kangaroo grass and dwarf scrub.
“Sloping toward the creek the peppermints became scarce, and the bracken, intermingled with heath, gave place to reeds and rushes, and, although here was not the rugged beauty that held me on the hillside, not the least being the abundance of maiden-hair fern with which the banks of the creek were clothed, compensation was made by the wealth of lovely smaller bushes, such as wild raspberries, wild black currants, native laurels, myrtles, silver wattles, and other pretty shrubs.
The raspberries and currants were found only on the creek’s banks, as were mostly the laurels and myrtles, but the latter were sometimes growing a short distance from the water, but not far. I doubt very much if raspberries or black currants could now be found anywhere in or near the park, even by the most careful searching.
As mentioned before, the creek side of the hill was not clothed with such heavy timber as was the other side, but it was a very pretty spot, nevertheless. At my back, and to the right, in the direction of the (now) railway station, “Prospect Hill" was similarly clothed as “Church Hill,” vistas of beautiful trees opening up in whichever direction the eye ranged.
It was all very lovely, and I can with truth say, Dandenong, as it was then, was as pretty a spot as could be found on this island continent of ours.
No comments:
Post a Comment