Author: Cameron McCullough

SEAFORD, like Frankston and other seaside resorts, has for some time past been the happy hunting ground of the elusive burglar, and things got so bad at Seaford that residents spoke seriously of appointing a night patrol for the protection of weekend homes. The losses in the aggregate amount to several hundreds of pounds. The Seaford Progress Association made repeated appeals to the Commissioner of Police for protection, but without result, so members experimented in the methods of Sherlock Holmes with satisfactory results. It was Mr Tubbs who first got on to the scent of the burglar, and, as his…

THE death occurred on Sunday night last, at St. Vincent’s Hospital, of Mr Frederick Benson, who had been a resident of this district for several years. The cause of death was an abscess on the brain. Deceased was 29 years of age, and was a fine, robust specimen of Australian manhood. He was ill for less than a week, and the news of his demise came as a painful surprise to his many friends throughout the Peninsula, where he was held in the highest esteem. The late Mr Benson married the daughter of Mrs Reynolds, of Frankston, and very deep…

QUITE a gloom was cast over the whole community here, when the news was circulated that a double tragedy had occurred at the “Krangala” orchard, whereby two well-known and respected young people had met their deaths in a painfully sad tragic manner. The victims were Stanley Clarke, aged 27 years and Janet Ross, aged 26 years. The former was a native of Somerville, and had lived here practically all his life. He enlisted for active service with the 14th Battalion, and took part in the landing at Gallipoli. He was a man of splendid physique, standing 6ft. high, and looked…

SOMETHING of a sensation was caused in the town of Somerville on Tuesday morning, when it was discovered that burglars had visited two of the local places of business during the early hours of the morning. Mr George Keast was awakened at about two o’clock by the noise of someone endeavoring to open the back door leading into his shop. Finding that someone was on the premises, the burglars decamped, Mr Keast hearing the fast trot of a pony on the road towards Frankston. It was then discovered that the thieves had previously paid a visit to Westaway’s News Agency,…

THIS week Cr Gray’s residence in Frankston was, during his absence in the city, entered by thieves, and a quantity of goods removed. The police are investigating. *** THE output of metal at the Moorooduc quarry last month was 3,500 yards, on which the Council received 2s per yard. *** THE report of the meeting of the Tyabb Cricket Club came to hand too late for today’s issue, but will appear next issue. *** THE anniversary of the Somerville Methodist Church will be celebrated by a concert in the local hall on Saturday (tomorrow) night. On Sunday special services will…

A PUBLIC meeting was held at the Recreation Hall, Langwarrin, on Monday night for the purpose of electing trustees and a committee for the reserve lately granted at the Military Reserve by the Defence Department. The attendance was representative, and the keen interest taken in this the initial meeting indicates that this reserve is going to become a popular sports arena for a large and rapidly growing district, and it is predicted that it will be made use of by many other bodies beside those locally, who intend using it for cricket, football and picnic purposes, for all of which…

SOMETHING in the nature of a mild sensation was caused amongst strollers along the beach on Thursday morning by the appearance of a huge sea lion on Long Island. The mammoth mammal came ashore twice just at the rear of Miss Walker’s residence, but did not stay long on shore. He, standing erect, appeared to stand at least five or six feet high, and would weigh something like a ton or thereabouts. An eye witness claims that it was considerably larger than the specimen in the Aquarium. The Long Island visitor was of the somewhat rare glossy brown variety, and…

The Mornington Peninsula was rocked by a wide ranging earthquake at 9.15am today (22 September 2021). The earthquake’s epicenter was in Mansfield and is reported to have been up to 6.0 on the Richter scale. It was felt through Metropolitan Melbourne, down the peninsula and in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne, with reports of it being felt in Shepparton and Albury. On the peninsula, houses shops and factories shook for approximately 10 seconds. Office buildings in Melbourne’s CBD have been evacuated out of fear of aftershocks. There are reports on Vic Emergency of building damage across metropolitan Melbourne, but currently…

THE Mornington Peninsula Association rang down its curtain on Saturday last, when, before a very large and enthusiastic attendance, Carrum wrested the premiership from Hastings by 14 points. The match was played at Somerville. Hastings did not make any changes, and relied on the same team that defeated the Carrumites the week before. As Mackay was on the injured list, he was replaced by Homsie in the Carrum team, whilst Carroll was replaced by Johnstone. Apart from these changes, the sides were the same as published in “The Standard” last issue. As umpire, Osborne showed distinct improvement, and escaped the…

IN connection with his visit to Frankston on 20th June last, Chief Officer Marshall, of the Country Fire Brigades Board, has forwarded the following report to the Frankston brigade. “This visit was paid specially to test the new water supply which has recently been completed in Frankston, and further, to instruct the members of the brigade who had no previous opportunity of working the water from the hydrant. There was a full muster of the brigade, and everything was ready for a test of the water at a fire plug close to the railway station, when I arrived. Using the…

THE State Premier, Hon. H. S. W. Lawson, visited Frankston last Saturday. Prior to speaking in the Mechanics’ Hall at night, he was entertained at dinner by the Frankston branch of the National Federation. The function took place at the Pier Tea House, when about 40 ladies and gentlemen sat down to table. Mr H. Gamble, president of the local branch of the Federation, presided. After Dr Maxwell had given the toast of The King, Mr Gamble proposed the State Government. He referred to the fact that on no previous occasion had Frankston been honored with a visit by a…

The Committee for Mornington Peninsula has written an open letter to the Victorian Premier and Chief Health Officer to request the Mornington Peninsula be urgently included in regional Victorian-level restrictions in the new roadmap to reopening. Open Letter to the Victorian Premier and Chief Health Officer 1 September 2021 The Hon Daniel Andrews MPPremier of Victoria Dr Brett SuttonChief Health Officer of Victoria Dear Premier and Chief Health Officer, The Committee for Mornington Peninsula writes to request that you include the Mornington Peninsula as part of regional Victoria for the purposes of COVID-19 restrictions in the new roadmap to reopening, to be…

DESPITE adverse weather conditions, there was a splendid attendance at the Frankston Mechanics’ Hall on Tuesday night, when Mr A. K. T. Sambell, who has been brought out by the Frankston Branch of the National Federation, expressed his views. The Shire President (Cr W. P. Mason) occupied the chair. He said that nothing in his public career had given him greater pleasure than the task of assisting the candidate in this election campaign. Mr Sambell, who was most cordially received, spoke for nearly three hours. The soundness of his views and his undoubted earnestness in offering what he considered practical…

THE election to fill the seat so long occupied by Mr Downward is exciting an extraordinary amount of interest. The reason is on the surface. Mr Downward, in allying himself with the Labor Party to defeat the Government, lost the support of a great body of electors. Of those electors some were Nationalists, some were supporters of the Country Party, most were men and women with no respect for the wirepullers, paid organisers and touts of any party organisation. All were, however, agreed on a few simple points. They want a Government which will develop the resources of the State…

THE Port of Hastings Authority has been fined $20,000 at Frankston Magistrate’s Court for unauthorised vegetation removal in February 2020. The 7200 square metres of foreshore cleared was adjacent to the Crib Point jetty. The port authority was prosecuted by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council after the authority failed to gain approval for the clearing. The court was told that representatives of the Port of Hastings Authority and power company AGL – which planned to establish a now-abandoned gas import terminal at the jetty – had met with a council arborist in mid-2018 to discuss removal of some vegetation around the…

“TRAVELLER,” Frankston, shows what can be done under a system of intense culture: To the Editor. Sir, The visitor to Frankston indeed must be struck with the display of fine fruit, vegetables and other farm produce offered to the highest bidder as the market day comes round. There the frugal housekeeper without the middleman, may provide supplies to keep the family in clover until the next current cash falls due. The grower here has to be content with what he can get in the local market according to supply and demand. The Mornington Peninsula has a great future. Nature has…

A FRIEND of mine sent me a text message asking if I’d had any adverse reaction to the vaccine. “I didn’t,” I typed. “But since getting it, I have been able to speak fluent Pirahã, which I’m told is the native language of a near-extinct tribe living in the Amazon basin”. In reply my friend sent me a “thumbs up”. He didn’t seem to think it odd that I had become instantly bilingual with an exotic language spoken by only a few hundred rainforest dwelling hunters in Brazil. That, it seems, was plausible. You see, in this Year of Our…

A MOST successful smoke social was given to its members on Saturday night, 23rd July, by the Hastings Branch of the Returned Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Imperial League of Australia. After the toast of The King had been honored, the President, Mr Russell, in proposing the League, made it clear to those present, the great advantages to be derived by its members from the organisation if they would only stick together, attend the meetings regularly, and keep at heart the welfare and progress of the League, which should not be judged by what it bad been, but by what they could…

TRAGIC results followed the wandering of two little twin boys, Bertie and Jackie Guy, aged 4½ years, from Frankston on Wednesday. The sons of Mr and Mrs A. Guy, of Berry Street, Richmond, they had been on a visit to their uncle, Mr Ahrens and his wife at Frankston. The children had recently been patients at the Infectious Disease Hospital at Fairfield. During Wednesday afternoon they were missed from their uncle’s house. A search in the neighborhood proved unsuccessful, and at 5.30pm police aid was sought. The fire bell was rung, and the greater part of the male population of…

ON Thursday night, July 14th, the delegates of the Mornington Peninsula Football Association met at Copsey’s Hotel, Somerville, when the President (Cr P. McArthur) presided. Crs Rigby, Stephens, and Griffeth, and Messrs H. McCulloch, Cameron, Firth, Simcock, Wilkinson, Carigg, G. McLear, P. Floyd and Morphett were also present. Mr E. Laging (Carrum) wrote objecting to the repeated appointment of White as umpire for matches in which Carrum played. It was stated that White had umpired three Carrum matches successively – against Somerville and Hastings at Carrum and the match at Dromana. It was alleged that White permitted rough play without…

MRS Hannah Rose Griffith, who passed away after a brief illness on the 10th inst at “Danby Lodge,” Somerville, was born nearly a century ago at Bangor, Wales. She was one of six daughters of the late James Courtney Cottingham. She had two brothers, one being Judge James Cottingham, of Manchester, and the other, Christopher Cottingham, the Editor of the “Mercantile & Shipping Gazette,” London, whilst her cousins were Sir Hercules Robinson (later Earl Rosemead) and Sir William Robinson, Governor of NSW and later of Victoria. Her early life was spent in Dublin. She was tutored with her friend, Lady…

DEAR Sir, On behalf of property owners interested in the district adjacent to “The Fernery,” I am presenting at the forthcoming meeting of the Frankston and Hastings Shire Council a petition signed by practically the whole of those immediately concerned in the welfare of the locality. For your information, copies of the petition and the covering letter accompanying same are appended hereto. I am further directed to say that in the event of our petition being unsuccessful with the council, we shall institute legal proceedings. This, however, we trust will be unnecessary. Yours faithfully Bruce T Mellor WE the undersigned…

SUNDAY 11 July started with such promise. Reignite Democracy Australia Party’s Mornington Peninsula chapter were gathering for an anti-vaxxer ‘rally’ and organisers had promised “tonnes of parking” and “toilets close by”. Maybe it was the dismal turnout, but attendees quickly turned their attention to The News’ esteemed photographer, who was equally dejected having rushed to Dromana, on The Lord’s Day no less, on the promise of a ‘rally’ with its connotations of huge crowds, megaphones, and possibly capsicum spray. What appeared before him was a gathering at best. But really just a few random people standing around. “We don’t give…

ON Saturday last, the little six year old son of Mrs Roberts, of the Dromana Tea Rooms, was drowned at Dromana. The little fellow was seen near the pier in the afternoon, and the body was found next morning 300 yards away. His father was killed at the war. *** MR Joseph Unthank’s reply to “Retribution” come to hand this morning too late for publication in today’s issue. Appears next issue. *** MR Nankervis, stationmaster at Frankston, left this week for Sydney, where he will spend his annual holidays. Mr Nugent is the relieving officer. *** AT the Criminal Court…

LAST Sunday, a pony, the property of Mr Bennett, fell down a narrow well at “Cleveden,” Kars Street, but, fortunately, the pony was rescued by a number of willing workers. It is not known how long the animal had been in the well before it was discovered, but he was down about 10 feet, with his head just out of the water. The pony is not much the worse for its adventure. *** VISIBLE expression of recognising the birthday of our beloved Prince was conspicuous by its absence on the 23rd inst. The heads of the two State institutions (State…

OUR special representative at Tyabb writes: There was a fair attendance of spectators at the match between Langwarrin and Tyabb on the Tyabb oval last Saturday. The local team played far superior football than against Hastings the week before, and were never hard pressed by their opponents. Some nice hand ball passing by the maroons, especially by their forward men, was witnessed. The game was of a very fast and friendly nature; hard knocks being given and taken with true sporting spirit. The outstanding feature of the day’s play was the large number of behinds kicked by the local team.…

TO the Editor, Sir, I had set out the other day to see the district, and took my cue from the finger post near the Post Office and the shore end of the main street. Step by step along the Hastings Road, I could not but admire the view here. Practically in the virgin bush. I stood on an excellent road within 25 miles of Melbourne. The vista reminded me of a distant panorama the other side of the equator. The difference was that the bareness of that land had driven many of its best sons to this side of…

MR and Mrs James Liddle, who with their family, arrived in this district about ten days ago, from Hopetoun, have had an unusually sad experience. Two members of the family, a boy and a girl, aged six and three years respectively, were suffering from severe colds on arrival here, unfortunately these developed into bronchial asthma, and despite all that could be done by Dr Griffiths to save them the girl passed away on Sunday and the boy on Wednesday. It is stated by Dr Griffiths that the sudden climatic change from the Mallee district to the prevailing cold temperature here…

A SWEDE turnip, weighing 7½lbs grown by Mr Cooper, of Frankston, was brought to ‘’The Standard” office on Wednesday. It was grown in sandy soil. *** IN the “Standard” of the 20th inst. it was stated that Miss Florence M. Vines, of Somerville, had secured third prize for soprano solo at the A.N.A. Competitions. This was incorrect, as the competition has not yet been concluded. The fact is that competitors are arranged in sections; that in which Miss Vines sung being the first of six sections. The names mentioned in the Press are those securing the highest number of marks…

REPLYING to a series of questions by Mr H. Gregory, M. P in the House of Representatives, the Minister of the Navy stated that the estimated expenditure on the Flinders Naval Base at Crib Point for the current financial year was £105,075. This was made up of £87,486 under the Works and Railways Department and £17,589 for the Navy Department. The expenditure for works included provision for sewerage, power station, coal elevators, water and fire services, hot water system and boiler house, laundry, drying rooms, residences, roads, footpaths and dredging. The Navy Department provided for expenditure in connection with the…