Geoff Stratford continues his story about his Recollections of Robins Stores Mentone. In this addition, he writes of the Produce Store that was part of the business. Geoff also provides useful information about the term bushel and the difference among the standard bushel weights of the various grains sold.
Geoff Stratford, author of Robins Store in Mentone, has fond memories of playing in its storerooms and the people who worked at the store. He recalls features of the old grocery shop which sharply contrast with shopping at the big supermarket stores today. Do you recall the broken biscuit tin, the self-service honey container, the stacking of shelves with heavy canned items on the lower levels, home delivery and the grocer behind the counter waiting to serve you dressed in a long white apron? There is much more here to stir the memory of how it was more than fifty years ago.
It took twenty-five years and the determination of people like Cr Nola Barber to gain a library for the municipality of Chelsea. Several of her colleagues had other priorities for the expenditure of council funds. Many residents were concerned with the expense and likely rate rises they faced with the planned connection to the sewerage scheme. They asked, ‘where would they find the extra money for a library?’ Persistence of the pro-library group paid off and Chelsea joined with Mordialloc municipality to provide a regional library service, building a library in Bath Street, Chelsea.
John Macnaughton in his story, Joe Obriem: The Clocker, demonstrates his wide knowledge and love of racing at Mentone, Mornington, and Epsom tracks. He reveals the role played by trackers/checkers in assessing the capabilities of horses and the efforts of these men to inform the punters by writing for the Sporting Globe or broadcasting on 3UZ radio to report the latest ‘form’. In this article many local trainers are named, along with horses they trained. In his writing John draws upon the work and fascinating memories of Joe OBriem.
This article by Leo Gamble adds to his comprehensive coverage of Mentone’s history in his book, Mentone Through the Years. In this article he discusses issues that have arisen in Mentone since the year 2000 and relates them to earlier events in the district, including the rise of multi-level apartments, the change in the character of the Mentone shopping precinct and the developments in secondary education.
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.
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.
The Establishment of Aspendale Technical School is a story that recalls the efforts of several local communities to gain the option of a technical education for their children. Opened in 1959 the school suffered a serious blow when fire in 1971 destroyed science, social studies and art rooms, as well as general classrooms. The principal also lost his office. A significant development occurred seven years later when the school was declared a co-educational facility.
Frank McGuire’s article, How Chelsea Grew Up: A Short History, was written in 1970 and published in the Mordialloc-Chelsea Newspaper. In it he presented a fascinating chronology of Chelsea’s history up to the 70s. Fifteen years later, at a time when the municipality still existed, the Chelsea Historical Society published his book, Chelsea a Beachside Community. Since that time, Chelsea has changed and developed. Some of the buildings Frank mentions no longer exist, but his words help us to understand why we are like we are today.
Peter Ratcliff writes of the Dunlop estate in Beaumaris and the company’s plan in 1939 to build a garden city. By 1952 the Dunlop board decided to forgo their original plan, sub-divide the land and make it available for 76 housing sites. They also offered sixteen acres, at a reasonable price, to the Sandringham Council for the creation of parks.
