Zoom Review: Rock Around the Historical Block with Captain David Dodd - 7.30pm, Saturday, 21 November 2020
A Zoom Review:
Rock Around the Historical Block
with your Historical Tour Guide
The event flyer stated that David would bring to life the historical characters and landmarks that once shared the block with Mentone Public Library. It was indeed some of the most fascinating history of the Mentone area delivered in flamboyant theatrical form.
David began by drawing us in with knowledge of the local area, describing the initial plan for Mentone to be an Australian riviera township named after Menton, a French coastal area near the border of Italy.
He described the familiar romanticized European names given to streets in the area, and painted a picture of the early business area in Mentone by dropping names of yesteryear business landmarks alongside the previously unfamiliar residents who owned them at that time.
His history painted a picture of the early structure, life and struggles of Mentone. One such struggle was the township’s initial attempt to gain an ample supply of drinking water when the application to join the wider piped water network was rejected, meaning they had to bore for it and transport in extra supply on hot, dry days. You could feel the struggle in such moments.
The businesses occupying the triangle were described in the format of a journey across time, including a hairdresser who became Mayor of Mordialloc, real estate agents, a once popular coffee house which became a convent and school - Kilbreda College (pictured above); now an Italian restaurant can be seen on the tip of it.
David has a skill for delivering large amounts of information in a palatable way, interspersing it with tickles of engaging humor, such as joking with the audience that they would surely remember the 31st of January 1938, because it was the day the locals dubbed Black Monday - when the beer ran out at Mentone Hotel.
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| Kingston Local History: "Mentone Hotel: A Brief History" - (c) Leo Gamble 2014 |
It got me wondering; what type of special occasion could possibly have run the hotel completely dry? Australia Day?
David’s theatrical, historical characterisation of a paperboy on the day the war ended, and poetry about Mentone towards the end of the presentation was wonderfully placed to hold people’s attention over the long term.
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| Mentone Parade Shops Circa 2007. The former "Take One Video" Library proved a popular topic of discussion during the Zoom Q&A segment |
Q&A at the end of the presentation opened the opportunity for the audience's own storytelling and historical recollections.
It was a thoroughly entertaining occasion.
In his inimitable, captivating style, “Captain” David Dodd spoke of Mentone Station’s history. I found this section of his presentation particularly entertaining, as he used different tones/styles of voice, to increase the effect of whatever piece of information he was giving us.
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| Mentone Railway Station (original station site preceding re-build in 2020) |
With a somewhat dry and sarcastic sense of humour, he told us the original name of [Mentone] railway station was Balcombe Road Station,
because it was - you guessed it - on Balcombe Road.
In a disparaging tone, he told of its humble beginnings, about how it was one platform and a tiny shed for selling tickets.
It was renamed Mentone Station in 1884, and in 1888, another line and platform were added, but as David stressed, passengers were not happy- there was not much shelter at the station, and they felt like they were being treated like cattle.
In 1900, new buildings were erected; a sub-station was later built for the preparation of electric trains in the 1920’s. A fire destroyed the new buildings in 1913, but they re-erected the buildings the following year.
Using some clever characterisation, David recounted the story of much-loved local woman Jessie Anne Robinson, who was responsible for overseeing the Balcombe Road crossing.
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| Mrs Jessie Anne Robinson's Grave at Williamstown Cemetery. Image (c) Williamstown Cemetery Trust, Presbyterian Section, Compartment B Grave 5 |
David unexpectedly changed to a dramatic tone as he told of the fateful day Mrs Robinson, manually opening the gates on one side of the crossing, was run down by an engine driver oblivious to her presence. The accident instantly killed her, devastating and horrifying the local residents, particularly with the knowledge scheduled works to improve the crossing's safety were only a week away.
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| Leader Orange Newspaper (Gatekeeper Killed) - Published Wednesday, 18 March 1914 |
The station got the rather uncomplimentary nickname
“The Red Rattler” as a result of this tragedy.
Mentone Station Gardens, built in the 1910’s, is out the front of the station building. The gardens were forcefully downsized when several shops set up on Como Parade West in the 1930’s.
People loved the gardens, so with exaggerated surprise and shock, David recalled how the state government planned to destroy the gardens to make way for a large bus terminal, and that the locals were not happy.
On November 23rd, 2002, 300 people rallied to keep the gardens, and subsequently, the proposal was withdrawn. Soon after this, a group of locals formed the ‘Friends of Mentone Station and Gardens’, whose reason for being was to help with the station and gardens’ upkeep so people could continue enjoying them.
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| The group is headed by the passionate and dedicated Dorothy Booth |
Thanks to them, Mentone Station and Gardens were granted heritage status in 2006.
My own fondest memory of Mentone is attending Mentone Girls’ Secondary College (established 1955)
from year 7 to year 12 (1997-2002).
I enjoyed my education at the school and getting to know the local area, especially spending physical education lessons at Mentone Bowl, Mentone Lawn Bowls and Mentone Beach.
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| Philippa, pictured front row at right, attending her Class of 2002 ten year reunion in 2012 |
To learn more about the history of Mentone
and its surrounds, visit:
Mordialloc & District Historical Society
To watch "Captain" David Dodd's
latest historical performance, see
Legends of the Skies Series 8 showcase on Youtube:
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