Dandenong Baths, Lonsdale Street, 1980.

The original swimming pool (public baths) were located on Lonsdale Street, next to the Drill Hall, both of which no longer exist.  The location of the baths is now home to a playground, along with the former Drill Hall, it was located at 130-132 Lonsdale Street.

Photo credit goes to Phillip Ruppell.

Opened on December 21st, 1912, after a long period of community requests for such a facility, the baths largely came about from the donation gathered by community members to pay for construction costs. The main agitator and collector of donations being Elizabeth Mary Orgill (nee Gladstone), of "Gladstone House," who spent years making requests and collecting donation.

Photo credit goes to Phillip Ruppell.

Mrs. Orgill ran Gladstone House as a Hydropathic Hospital, located at the corner of Foster and Langhorne Street (153 Foster Street), until at least 1911. Around 1912, Dr A. E. Taylor took over the location from Dr. Barclay Thompson. Mrs. Orgill was still working here but no longer controlled the practice, having given it up to Barclay at some point.

The Dandenong Oasis, on the corner of Cleeland Street and Heatherton Road first opened its doors in 1976. The baths were decommissioned with no viable purpose ahead of them, hence by the time of these photos it lay empty and unused.

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