The Dandenong Ranges is steeped in rich history.
In every town and every suburb, hundreds of stories come pouring forth, each one more remarkable than the last.
With such a long and vivid history there is always something new that even the most learned local might not have heard.
So, did you know…?
First inhabitants
The Wurundjeri and Bunurong tribes were believed to have arrived about 20,000 years ago.
Etymology
Aboriginal people originally referred to the hills as Banyenong, which is thought to have meant ‘bush burned here in the past’. This name is believed to have been the source of the name Dandenong.
Saving Billy
Melbourne newspaper The Sun organised one final day to farewell Puffing Billy before the line was torn up. Over 2500 tickets were sold to ride the train one final time on 11 December 1954 but on the day, more than 30,000 people lined up along the track to see the engine chug along amongst the ferns one final time. This show of public support and affection galvanized locals into protesting to save the train and form The Puffing Billy Preservation Society which helps run the line today.
First of many
Former Montrose resident Major Charles Morris ordered the first shot of World War I to be fired from Point Nepean, as a German steamer attempted to escape from Australian waters. On the morning of 5 August 1914, the Pfalz tried to escape being captured and flee through Port Phillip Heads. Once permission was granted by the Minister of Defence at the time, Lieutenant Morris ordered a shot to be fired across the bow of the ship as a warning. Soon after, the Pfalz surrendered. That shot is now claimed to be the first shot fired by British Forces in World War I. It was also the only shot fired within Australian borders during the war.
25 October 1938
This was the date of one of the region’s worst tragedies, the Kyeema air disaster. Eighteen passengers were killed in the tragedy, with the aircraft crashing into the western side of Mount Dandenong. The crash triggered the beginning of aircraft traffic control in Australia.
Scenic railway
In the 1950s a privately owned incline railway was built to transport house building supplies up a steep hillside at Kalorama. Later the Railway was used to carry passenger, becoming a fascinating and popular tourist attraction. The railway was situated on Mount Dandenong Tourist Road between the townships of Montrose and Kalorama and climbed 110 vertical feet.
Railway dog
Affectionately called Gemmy, Puffing Billy had its own mascot in the form of Jerry the Railway Dog. From 1929 until 1934, Jerry would chase the train from Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook and back or ride in the engine with driver Dickie Down. Sadly, Jerry got too close the train near Cockatoo and was tragically killed in 1934. His grave can still be visited near the Cockatoo Creek alongside the track he loved to run beside.
Ossie Ostrich
Olinda resident Axel Axelrad was responsible for creating the iconic Australian puppet, Ossie the Ostrich. Many Australian children grew up with a Lamont puppet toy, which was Mr Axlerad’s puppet company in the 1950s. Throughout the years he’s made many famous puppets which featured on Australian TV, including Tucker Bag.
