Frank McGuire and Des Jowett give us some interesting historical snippets about the Mordialloc Frankston railway line. It was in July 1882 that the line from Mordialloc to Frankston was officially opened. Thomas Bent was there and announced to all the assembled crowd that two trains would be leaving Frankston for Melbourne from Monday to Friday at 7.17am and 3.55pm. He said there would be trains on Saturday, but no service on Sundays. How things have changed.
Leo Gamble tells of Nancye Wynne Bolton, an Australian tennis champion and a one time resident of Mentone. Nancye showed her talent early as a young girl in tournaments at Mentone in the 1930s. By 1938 she qualified to play in the USA Championships and was rated among the top ten female players in the world. She eventually won eleven Australian Championships. Later, in the early 1950s, she made her mark in club competitions in golf.
The Mordialloc Creek was an essential element in the natural drainage of the Carrum Swamp. The mouth of the creek became silted and a drain for surrounding districts. Boats were sitting on mud. Septic run off and industrial waste were the main pollutants. Various solutions to the problems were proposed by individuals and governments but it took fifty years for successful actions to be initiated.
Friendly societies were fraternal organisations established to assist members and their families cope with unemployment, sickness and death. The Sons of Temperance was one such society. A division was formed in Cheltenham in 1868. Strict rules with strong penalties for infringement were instituted. Intoxicating drink was prohibited and attendance at meetings was compulsory. Behaviour was monitored both at meetings and in community. The society had a significant impact on health and welfare for many people living in Cheltenham and beyond.
The article recounts some tragic and criminal events that occurred at the Mentone Railway Station that was established in 1881. Men reported purses and wallets being stolen when visiting the station. Gunpowder was used to blow open the station safe. It was believed the old ramshackle building was a factor in attracting burglars. Mentone station was also the site of some serious accidents. A porter and gatekeeper were killed when struck by trains.
Many Melbourne hotels had an SP bookmaker with whom patrons could place a bet on races. At the time this was an illegal activity and actively prosecuted by police. The Mordialloc Bridge Hotel was not an exception. Thomas Page, probably the biggest bookmaker in Mordialloc, had ‘five blokes’ working for him taking bets. Page was charged by police, but the court dismissed the case because of ‘lack of evidence of procuring’.
Eric Longmuir records his recollections as a pupil at Cheltenham State School in the 40s. He recalls the plane trees in Station Road, the five grocery shops, joining Miss Squires class in the pavilion at the back of the main buildings of the school at a time when the war was commencing to have a huge impact. The slit trench, the canvas bags with clothes should they have to be evacuated to the country and rationing of food.
The first bridge across Point Nepean Road at Mordialloc was completed in the late 1890s. Thirty seven years later it was labelled a hazard and bottle neck. By 1963 the Minister of Transport announced the ‘Death Trap’ was to go. Construction began in January 1965 and the first Melbourne Frankston train crossed the new bridge on 18 December 1965.
Born in Bairnsdale, Clyde John Hoffman joined the Australian Military Forces, served at Gallipoli and later qualified as a second lieutenant. Married in Scotland, the couple returned to Australia where Clyde became a founding member of the Cheltenham Progress Association. Elected to Moorabbin Council in 1938 he became mayor and resigning in 1946. During this time, he was very active in community organisations.
