Author: Cameron McCullough

WORD has been received that Private Leonard Wilding was killed in action in France, on the 26th of October last. Pte. Wilding was well known in this district, having carried on the business of estate agent for some years previous to enlisting, residing at Bittern, and later on at Frankston. We offer our heartfelt sympathy to the widow who is left to mourn her sad loss. *** MRS Hewison was the winner of the cigar band table which was raffled at the Somerville Fete last Saturday, holding ticket No 8. *** MESSRS Alex Scott and Co. will hold their monthly…

FRANKSTON, Mornington etc, have been visited by numerous picture shows, some good, others bad and indifferent. Controlled by amateurs who purchased a machine, tried a few films and inflicted themselves on the public, so to speak, they fell into the ‘Biz’. and, as usual with incompetent people, soon became extinct. We are now to be visited each week; Frankston, Friday, and Mornington Saturday, by the Majestic Picture company controlled by men who and have been professional all their lifetime and will bring leading and up-to-date pictures as long as the local patronage warrants it. They will open on Friday next,…

A man has died in hospital following a crash at Safety Beach on Tuesday. The incident happened on Bruce Road when a car crossed over to the incorrect side of the road and collided with an on-coming vehicle at 7.40am. The driver, a 26-year-old Safety Beach man, was conveyed to a Melbourne hospital but has since passed away. The driver of the other car received minor injuries and was conveyed to hospital.

A Mount Eliza man is lucky to be alive after his aircraft suffered a total engine failure today and crashed onto the bike path that runs along Peninsula Link. The accident occurred about 400 metres north of the Robinsons Road overpass in Baxter. Graham Hosking, whose father began the successful Hoskings Jewellers chain of stores, was only slightly injured in the crash, suffering an abrasion to the head and a cut on his leg. Mr Hosking’s wife received a phone call while playing bowls that her husbands plane had crashed. But was reassured that it was his voice on the…

TENDERS will be received up to noon on Wednesday next by Cr W. J. Oates for the lease of “Linga Longa” Tea Rooms for a period of three years. The Council are prepared to re-roof and paint the building and erect a verandah in front. The furniture and fittings of the out going tenant can be taken at a valuation. The rooms are in a good position, being just in front of the Frankston Pier, and should command a good summer trade. *** MORNINGTON Shire Council report is unavoidably held over till our next issue. *** THE many friends of…

Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are currently heading to the scene of a fatal collision involving a car and a motorcycle. The incident happened on Boes Road in Tyabb just after 6am. The male motorcyclist died at the scene and is yet to be formally identified. The driver of the car is assisting police and the exact circumstances of the incident are yet to be determined. Boes Road will be closed off to traffic for the next several hours. Anyone who witnessed the collision or has any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 000 333 or make…

Hastings police have arrested a man after he allegedly evaded police in McCrae yesterday afternoon. It’s alleged the man was driving a blue Toyota Landcruiser when he left a service station on Peninsula Link at Moorooduc and drove south about 5.20pm. Police received numerous calls alleging the Toyota was driving erratically and speeding as it continued towards Rosebud. Patrolling police units located the Toyota on the Bayview Road off ramp of the Mornington Peninsula Freeway at McCrae, before the vehicle allegedly drove back onto the freeway and along the median strip away from police. The Toyota allegedly drove south in…

THE Coroner, Dr Cole, opened an inquest at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Frankston, on Friday, 3rd November, touching the death of Mrs Mary Sidwell, whose dead body was found floating in the Bay near Oliver’s Hill, Frankston, on 2nd November. Dr Maxwell of Frankston deposed that under the instruction of Constable Ryan he had made a post mortem examination of the body of deceased. In his opinion the cause of death was drowning. The body had been in the water apparently about 4 days. Edwin Christie Ryan, Constable of Police, residing at Frankston, deposed: At about 1.30p.m, on Thursday…

Police have arrested three people following a series of incidents that started in Mornington this morning. Shortly before 2.20am, police attempted to intercept a Holden Commodore station wagon with stolen number plates coming out of a service station on Mornington-Tyabb Road. The driver unsuccessfully attempted to ram the police vehicle before driving off. Police followed the vehicle and it stopped on the Frankston-Dandenong Road near the Peninsula Link overpass. A man and a woman then ran from the car and several police units, including a Dog Squad unit, followed them on foot. The pair, who are both aged in their…

A woman is dead and a man has been airlifted to hospital with critical injuries after a shooting in Rosebud. Police were called to the Adams Avenue property shortly after 4pm where they discovered the woman dead in the car and a male with wounds to the upper body. Pictures: Yanni. UPDATE: The critically injured male subsequently died of his wounds.

IT is our painful duty to record still another death in the person of Mrs Bray, wife of Mr H Bray, Frankston. Mrs Bray who was in her usual health on Sunday, took suddenly ill and died the same evening from apoplexy. Mrs Bray who was only 54 years of age, was an old identity of Frankston, and her sudden death was a great shock to her many friends. Although not enjoying the best of health for some time past, the deceased was able to attend to her duties till the last. Much sympathy is expressed for Mr Bray and…

EIGHT new councillors have been elected to the 11-member Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. Three of four councillors seeking re-election regained their seats: Bev Colomb in Briars ward, Antonella Celi in Seawinds and Hugh Fraser, Nepean. Former councillor David Garnock (Cerberus) was defeated in the 22 October poll which saw 50 candidates contesting 11 seats over six wards. Joining Crs Colomb, Celi and Fraser on the council will be David Gill (Red Hill); Kate Roper (Cerberus); Julie Edge (Watson); Rosie Clark and Sam Hearn (Briars); Bryan Payne (Nepean); and Simon Brooks and Frank Martin (Seawinds). Frank Martin is a former shire…

Mornington members have impounded a man’s Harley after he was caught speeding in Moorooduc last night. Police were patrolling Mornington-Tyabb Road when they saw the motorcycle about 12.05am. They followed the rider and clocked him at 145km/h in a 80kn/h zone. The bike was intercepted and the rider, a 21-year-old from Cranbourne East, was spoken to by police. Police search the rider and his bike and found a quantity of drugs and a conducted energy device. The man was arrested and interviewed for drugs and weapons offences as well as speeding, use unroadworthy motorcycle and use unregistered motorcycle. His bike…

IT is a stark statistic; 91 per cent of all women hate their bodies. That was the finding of Taryn Brumfitt who interviewed more than 5000 women on the subject while making her landmark film on body image, Embrace. The statistic was no surprise to one Mount Martha mother, Yasmin Chandler, who has suffered from a lifelong negative body image, and is only now breaking free from its effects. “It has taken up far too much of my life,” Yasmin said. “If I am raw about this, if I put myself out there, maybe other people will benefit from my…

The following letter has been received from W. L. Gregory by his parents: Just a line to tell you I am getting on as good as gold since I got smacked. I dare say you have got my card by this from the Convalescent Camp at Boulogne. I told you I would give you a description of what it was like when I wrote. To sum the whole thing up it was just like hell let loose. Anyone that reads about it at home cannot imagine what it was like. One division of Australians went in (I cannot name the…

A GUN accident, which resulted fatally, occurred at Mornington Junction on Saturday last. It appears that Mr H. Smith, a well known resident, took the gun from its place, saying that he would just have one shot. He went about 50 yards from the house, and on getting through a fence that was there must have caught the trigger in the wire, as the inmates heard a shot and on going to ascertain what was shot, found the unfortunate man quite dead, lying close to the fence. Death must have been instantaneous, as there were no signs of a struggle.…

WHEN more than 2000 people gather at the foot of Arthurs Seat on Sunday 6 November, one group will stand out from the rest. They will be wearing the black and blue running shirts of the Nicholas Lynch Real Estate team, which has sponsored the annual challenge for the past eight years. Proprietor Nicholas has run the 6.7 kilometre course six times, while son Brodie won his category over the past two years, and Abbey Brady, daughter of the company’s client services manager Jo Brady, won in her category last year. “This is something we’re very passionate about,” Mr Lynch…

A Harley Davidson motorcycle has been impounded after the rider was clocked travelling at allegedly 150km/h in a 60km/h zone late on Saturday night in Moorooduc. It was the Somerville Highway Patrol that spotted the lone rider on the Moorooduc Highway and by the time they caught up with him he was arriving at a Mornington address. The 20-year-old was spoken to and his bike seized for a period of 30 days. The Cranbourne South man will face the Frankston Magistrates’ Court at a later date with a range of traffic offences including speeding and breaching his licence restrictions.

A MAN has been charged over the alleged theft of a baby lamb from a Moorooduc animal park late last month. Detectives have been told a man entered the Mornington-Tyabb Rd animal park, The Big Goose, early on Sunday 21 August. It is believed he broke into one of the sheds and made off with Ralph and a baby goat which escaped and was found next morning. Ralph was named following a competition run by the park. He is four weeks old and must be fed by bottle to survive. A 21-year-old Moorooduc man was arrested Wednesday afternoon and has…

A beautiful baby lamb has been stolen from a Moorooduc animal park in an early morning break-in which has left police and its owners bleating mad. Detectives have been told a man entered the Mornington-Tyabb Road animal park, The Big Goose, in the early hours of Sunday morning sometime between 1-3am. In what is believed to have been a targeted attack the offender/s broke into one of the sheds on the property and made off with Ralph and nothing else. Ralph, who was recently named following a competition run by the park, is only four weeks old and must be…

Police have arrested a woman following an alleged hit run collision which occurred in Mt Martha earlier this afternoon. The collision occurred on Forest Drive at 1.20pm when a 17-year-old Mt Martha boy was struck by a Toyota Land Cruiser travelling south. The 4×4 stopped at the scene but then allegedly drove off. Patrolling police located the car several streets away, outside a local school, and arrested the female driver. The boy was treated at the scene before being airlifted to hospital in a critical condition. The 46-year-old Mt Martha woman is currently being interviewed by detectives from the Major…

A small 2.1 magnitude earthquake shook much of the Mornington Peninsula at 10.15 this evening. Centred near Mornington, and occurring at a depth of 10 kilometres, it was noticably felt as far away as Frankston South, Somerville, and Safety Beach. The 2.1 magnitude shake is not believed to have caused any damage to property, and Geoscience Australia have stated there is no tsunami risk associated with this quake.

A Safety Beach woman had her licence immediately suspended last night after blowing a more than six times over the legal limit. Rosebud police conducted a patrol of the Dromana area after being notified of an erratic driver about 8pm. As a result, they intercepted a female driver as she allegedly attempted to leave a shopping centre car park and drive onto Pt Nepean Road. The 47-year-old Safety Beach woman was conveyed to the Rosebud Police Station where she underwent a breath test which returned a reading of 0.320 per cent. The woman’s licence was immediately suspended and her car…

Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate 12-month-old Beau Lachmund. It’s believed Beau is currently in the care of his parents, Dean Lachmund and Brooke Billing, whose whereabouts are unknown. Police have concerns for Beau’s welfare and would like to locate him as soon as possible. It is believed the trio are travelling in a fawn 2001 Ford Forte stationwagon with Victorian registration RES705. They have been known to sleep in their vehicle around the Mornington Peninsula and Frankston areas and they have limited access to money. Investigators have released images of Beau’s parents and a similar car…

NEARLY three years after the brutal murder of Hastings jeweller, Dermot O’Toole, three justices of the Court of Appeal have dismissed an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions against the leniency of the jail sentence handed down to his murderer, Gavin Perry. Also dismissed was Perry’s application for leave to appeal the severity of his 27-year sentence. This leaves the sentences in place after the appeal hearing of 20 July last year, and an 11-month deliberation by the three justices. “We were very disappointed with the outcome”, Trent O’Toole, one of Dermot’s sons said. “The justices acknowledged it was…

IT was on for young an old on Saturday 28 May when Beleura Hill Preschool celebrated their 50th anniversary. It was a flurry of craft and cake, coffee for the grown-ups, and a cacophony of kids having a great time. Current families, as well as families whose children attended the pre-school in the past, mixed with past and present educators, reminisced about their time spent at the preschool. Beleura Hill Preschool, which is located in Amelia Avenue in Mornington, was born of a desire by a number of parents to have a local pre-school in what was, at the time,…

Missing Persons Squad detectives have charged a man with murder following the death of Chelsea Heights teenager Cayleb Hough. The 17-year-old boy’s remains were located in a shallow mineshaft in the Lerderderg State Park in Bacchus on Thursday 10 March and a homicide investigation was launched. A 28-year-old Kawarren man was arrested on Friday and charged with one count of murder yesterday. He was remanded in custody overnight and faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today. The man has been remanded in custody to re-appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 2 June 2016.

Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate a father and son missing from Rosebud. Craig Rochus and his 15-year-old son, William, were last seen at their Cass Street home in Rosebud on Tuesday 17 May just before 1.30am. Police and family members are concerned for the welfare of the pair as Craig has not picked up his medication and it is believed they have no personal belongings with them. The 49-year-old’s car is also missing; a champagne coloured Mitsubishi Verada sedan with registration number OFO156. Police have released a picture of Craig and William in the hope it…

A hot air balloon has landed safely on a Mt Martha beach after jettisoning passengers offshore in waiting craft. The drama began in Brighton when an attempt to land failed. The alarm was soon raised as the balloon blew across to the bayside suburb of Beaumaris and was then blown out to sea. It soon headed southwards, and at least one helicopter, numerous vessels, and police and ambulance raced along its trajectory down the coast. The pilot of the balloon, who onlookers at the crash site were hailing a hero, offloaded passengers into the relative safety of waiting watercraft so as…

A man has died following a motorcycle crash in Crib Point yesterday afternoon. Police believe the rider was travelling along The Esplanade into Woolleys Road when he appears to have lost control, falling to the road before coming to rest in a ditch about 2.15pm. The 54-year-old Hastings man died later that day in hospital. Investigators are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the collision to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or file a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.