Kingston Local History

Discover information and stories about the City of Kingston

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

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

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

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Now we can really look up to Norm

Carrum icon Norm Stephens is now immortalised in Station St after the completion of an art piece at Atticus Health.

Surfing through time with the Trigger Brothers

Synonymous with the Mornington Peninsula is Trigger Brothers - a surfing powerhouse with its roots originally in Haldane St, Bonbeach.

Laing family the track stars of Carrum

A legacy of horse racing pedigree is tied closely to Carrum and Keast Park, where training continues today on Port Phillip Bay's shoreline.

CHELSEA COURT HOUSE

The opening of a local court house in Chelsea on 4 February 1929 was a triumph for the local Borough of Carrum councillors who had campaigned for a dedicated building for many years.

How determination built the 'gateway to the Bay'

Victoria's largest marina had a tenacious Robert Jackson at the helm during the development of Patterson Lakes.

Two Carrum Champions

Roy Dore and his daughter Marie McIntosh are two Carrum champions. Both were heavily committed to local organisations. Roy’s prolific involvement included captain of the Carrum Fire Brigade and president of the Carrum Surf Saving Club. Marie completed three terms as mayor of the City of Chelsea.

Getting It Right

Facebook has become an important vehicle for communication between people. Many of these sites focus on local history and authors share their knowledge and seek greater understanding of events and connections between people. Sometimes the answers are misinformed or contain unsubstantiated judgements.

James Coffey: Railwayman

James Coffey who was born in Melbourne on 15 June 1842, joined the Victorian Railways at 35 years of age in 1877 and served as a railwayman in several locations in Victoria. Prior to joining the railways, he worked at several mining locations surrounding Ballarat and beyond. His final appointment in the railways was to Mentone where he served for nine years.

Farewell Highett Preschool with Love

In 2019 the last kindergarten session was held at Highett Preschool, and the building was decommissioned. For generations of local families, over the course of 64 years, the preschool at 3 Station Street Highett had provided a place for learning and connecting with others.

Premiers

Local football finals were important events and a win was an historic occasion to be remembered and records in word and picture. Here an unnamed bush poet puts down his thoughts in Who Will be Premiers?

The Fiander Connection with Cheltenham

Charles and Mary Fiander (Pimm) a newly married couple arrived in Melbourne in 1887. On 1891 they rented a house in Dalgetty Road Beaumaris. Charles was a successful engraver who died at 30 years of age in 1892. A plaque was placed in St Matthew’s Church, Cheltenham in his memory. Mary was a widow at 25 years with five boys under the age of seven. She is buried with Charles in the Cheltenham Pioneer Cemetery.