October 2012 - Taxi Talk Magazine

Dandenong City
A rich and diverse history
For tens of thousands of years
the area in which Greater Dandenong
is now located was the territory
of the Wurundjeri and Boonerwrung
(or Bunurong) tribes.
It is thought that the name Dandenong
is an adaptation of an Aboriginal
word “Tanjenong” meaning
lofty mountains and refers to the
Dandenong Ranges that overlook
the area. Originally covered with
dense red gum and eucalypt forests,
rich soil and abundant water
supplies, the region easily attracted
early settlers.
European incursions into this
area began when William Hovell
explored the Dandenong Ranges
and Dandenong Creek in 1827. By
the 1840-50s government surveys
of the land created counties and
parishes and land was being auctioned
by 1852.
In 1837, Joseph Hawdon, became
the first squatter to settle
on the Dandenong Creek, establishing
a pastoral run with cattle
he had brought overland from
Sydney. John, Charles and Edward
Wedge (after coming from
Launceston with their father with
400 head of stock) took control of
land which stretched from Mordialloc
to Dandenong and on towards
Cranbourne.
The Rev James Clow arrived
soon after, a parson and squatter.
Clow most likely held some services
for local parishioners at his
homestead Tirhatuan once he was
established.
Wattle and daub huts with
thatched roofs were the most popular
dwellings of the early settlers.
Timber cutters followed and milling
of the native timber became
an important industry. Timber from
Dandenong was used to build
both the shipping wharves and
small blocks were cut to pave Melbourne’s
streets.
The 1840-50s population profiles
show that the Dandenong area not
only had attracted early English,
Scottish and Irish settlers, but settlers
from other countries as well.
As is normal in the advancement
of any community, there
quickly arose the need for the establishment
of Hotels, Dunn’s Hotel
(Inn) was the first, however the
most important Hotel was George
Dunbar’s Dandenong Hotel which
served as a social, cultural and
political centre of town for many
years.
It was also used as a church,
medical centre, coroner’s room,
post office, grocery store, sales
room for land auctions, served as
Council Chambers and a court
house. Hennessey’s Bridge Hotel
and Bowman’s Royal Hotel completed
the quartet. Dunn’s Inn and
Dunbar’s were both used by visiting
clergy to hold services.
The district’s history of medicine
began when Dr Cook settled in
Dandenong in 1854 and conducted
his surgery in a tent pitched in
Kirkham Road. Mr. George Dunbar
of Dunbar’s Hotel was one of
the first medically trained people
in the district. In 1857 Dr Charles
Phillips built Briarhurst in McCrae
Street and developed an extensive
practice.
In 1874 a Railway Construction
Bill was passed and a survey undertaken
of the proposed route
to Sale. In 1875 the line from Melbourne
stopped at Oakleigh. By
1876 the train line went as far as
Berwick and a year later it reached
Drouin. But in 1878 if you wanted
to travel all the way to Sale you still
had to finish the journey by coach.
Dandenong railway station was
erected in 1881. By 1888, Dandenong
was a busy junction, with
trains going ahead to Sale and to
Tooradin. This increased the importance
of the town as a commercial
hub. By 1921 the electrification
of the line was completed.
By the turn of the century Dandenong’s
market town economy had
grown substantially and manufacturing
businesses became attracted
to the area. The Dandenong
Ham and Bacon Factory was one
of these. By the mid 20th Century
Dandenong had become the industrial
heartland for Victoria. D
Taxi Talk - Voice of the Taxi Industry October 2012 | 19