100 years ago
15 May 1924
The Power’s off
For months past, the expression “The power’s off,” has become a regular by-word in many establishments where the electric current is utilised, and thus Dandenong has received anything but a good advertisement at the hands of the Electricity Commission. It can be acknowledged that a great deal of work has been accomplished by the staff of men on the job of replacing poles and the necessary wiring: that necessarily there must be inconvenience to be put up with, but such interruptions have been against the interests of business people. It is not too much to expect that when the current is to be “cut off” notice should be given. But on Friday last this was not done and machines at the “Journal” office were out of action for several hours. The local authorities were informed that the work in hand was almost completed, and within a month to six weeks, the supply would be obtained from Yallourn, which means that in the near future a greatly improved electric light service will be available.
50 years ago
14 May 1974
A night of ‘firsts’ for pupils
It was a night of “firsts” at Dandenong Technical College last week. The first time the college has held an apprentice award night in the form of a cabaret dinner-dance, the first time a girl apprentice has received a special mention, and the first-time liquor has been bought into the college assembly hall. Trade instructor, Mr Barry Gannon, who organised the evening said: “it was the first time we had liquor here and the apprentices behaved with great decorum.” Andrew Fraser, 22, fitting and machining technician of Ross Street Dandenong, was presented with a bronze medallion, made in the college’s art and engineering department. A former head prefect at the college in 1969, he was named “outstanding apprentice of the year. A special mention went to Miss Karen Polgaise, 18, a second-year motor mechanic apprentice, who is on the staff at John Ould Motors of Armadale.
20 years ago
10 May 2004
Lighting the way to Athens glory
Two Greater Dandenong residents have been chosen to run in the Olympic Torch relay in Melbourne next month. Lovell “Jim” Maynard, 72 of Springvale, and Nick Walsh, 29 of Noble Park are among 68 people who will run with the torch in Melbourne on June 5, on its way to Athens. For Mr Maynard, it makes up for the bitter disappointment of missing out on carrying the flame in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics because he was not an amateur athlete. A top professional sprinter in his youth, Mr Maynard was serving as a petty officer in the navy when offered a position in the 1956 torch relay. “It was strictly amateur in those days and I had to sign a statutory declaration to say that I hadn’t been involved professionally. I didn’t want to run the risk of being court-marshalled by falsifying a stat dec, so I forfeited my chance.”
5 years ago
13 May 2019
Boss blackballed
The region’s iconic and financially-pressured Dandenong Basketball Association has replaced CEO Graeme Allan. It marks some upheaval at the top of the giant sporting association, which hosts three national teams, 42 state-league teams and 800 domestic sides a week. The new chief executive, Stephen Walter is well known for leading Knox Basketball from near receivership to profit. At an open meeting, two months ago, DBA revealed its financial woes to members. Members were told that action needed to be taken for the DBA to recover from a “perilous” state, a member said.
Compiled by Dandenong & District Historical Society
