Kingston Local History

Discover information and stories about the City of Kingston

Highett General Store and Newsagency, Reynolds & Company, opposite Highett railway station. Shows truck from Llewellyn Bros Carrier and loaded horse wagon. People in photograph unknown.
Courtesy: John Brooks. View photo

Students from Mentone Grammar School watch Mr R Chatterton operate a linotype machine at Standard Newspapers, 1964.
Courtesy: Leader Collection, City of Kingston. View photo

Christ Church, Anglican Church, Dingley from land originally owned by Mary Attenborough and given to the church on her death. Crop of Dutch carrots. Land worked by Mitchell Bros at this time and originally used as a horse paddock.
Source: Jean Mitchell. View photo

Cheltenham State School, Charman Road. Old students under pine trees with school buildings in background, 1936.
Source: City of Moorabbin Historical Society. View photo

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There Were Toll-Gates on Nepean Highway

Tom Sheehy, writing in 1970 in the Mordialloc-Chelsea News, tells of some significant events in the growth of Mordialloc and Mentone. He mentions men who made their mark on our history: John O’Shanassy, Colonel Mair, Thomas Bent and Percy Dobson. There are other business men and Mrs Patrick with her drapery store. Some of the events Sheehy mentions are the first land sales at Long Beach, the building of the Mordialloc Coffee Palace, and the first attempt to control the waters of the Carrum Swamp.

Controversy About the Building of a Marina at Beaumaris

Reports claims and counter claims about the Mordialloc City Council's proposal to build a marina at the base of the Beach Road cliffs. The plan was to spend one million dollars. The plan involved the construction of a 15 foot wide seawall, filled to nine feet above the low water mark and varying in distance from 21 feet to 15 feet from the cliff face. Those opposing the plan pointed to the natural beauty of the site and argued that the proposal was for the benefit of a few. Stormy meetings took place at council but finally, after the passing of several years, the Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron agreed the revised proposal to develop a ‘safe harbor’ would not proceed.