Lonsdale, Langhorne and Walker Street triangle, between 1863 and 1876.

Looking across Lonsdale Street to the former Mechanics Institute (white building in foreground), located on the site now occupied by the Town Hall (Drum Theatre). Above this you can see the original St Mary's Catholic Church (corner of Foster and Langhorne). A little furth up Langhorne you can also see St James Anglican Church, which still stands to this day.

The white building in the front was the original Mechanics Institute of Dandenong, built in 1863. Before the Town Hall was built on the corner of Lonsdale and Walker streets in 1891, the Mechanics Institute built a single-story brick building in 1876, right where the Hall would later stand (in front of the chimney side of the white building).

Dandenong's original Library was hosted in the Mechanics Institutes white building and moved to their brick one. When the Town Hall was built the Mechanics Institute got rights to the upper floor as part of the settlement for handing the land to council for use for a Hall.

The two-story brick building to the left, on the corner of Walker and Langhorne streets was Ellis’s Store. In 1856 William and Edward Ellis (brothers) settled in Dandenong. Edward Ellis erected operated this store for some time. Built for him in the 1870's, it saw many modifications over the decades transforming it from the smaller building you see here to the larger building that was demolished in 1971, almost 100 years.

In 1877 the building was sold, by Thomas Rosling and Co. for £630, Mr. James Greaves being the purchaser. Hence forth it was known as Greaves Building. July 2nd, 1946, saw the official opening of The Wessex in this building by Mr. and Mrs. F. G. Mills, hosting Receptions, Dances, Functions and such. being formally known as The Wessex Hotel at some point.

An ever-popular venue for dances, weddings, parties, etc., for some years Mrs. I. Mills, proprietress at the time in 1954 wanted to convert the premises to let as offices. She already had two of the rooms let to suitable clients, she still maintained her own private residence upstairs Around this time the Main building (and possibly neighbouring ones) became known as the Wessex Buildings.

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