Dairy Farmer, Nichol's Rd, Mirboo North & Clancy's Rd, Korumburra South

Considered a strict father by his children, was remembered for his love and affection for horses. His love of cattlemen lasted his entire life, such that when he retired from farming near Korumburra, he retired to Hemming St, Dandenong to be close to the local cattle markets.. 

Dandenong

The grandiose Town Hall with clock tower, constructed in 1890, attested to the growing importance of Dandenong. It was the market town for a large rural region supporting dairy farming, grazing and some market gardening. In 1926, a new cattle market was opened close to the town centre, followed by a produce market the next year. Road and railway into Gippsland passed through Dandenong and it was the junction of road and rail into South Gippsland. In 1911, there were 2,824 inhabitants in the area. By 1933, there were 4,270 in the town itself and another 1,204 in the surrounding area. The Victorian Municipal Directory described its development by 1938. The cattle market became so large that a new site was needed. By 1959, the saleyards had moved to a location south of the town centre and the produce market expanded onto the old site. Each Tuesday, market day, brought hundreds of farmers and their families into the town.

I do remember the produce market at this time with its unique mix of tin sheds and stalls, combined with small lanes and shops similar to an Arab Bizarre. I especially loved the pet shops which then sold exotic birds including Cockatoo's. Cold drink bottles were purchased from drums of water and ice on the corner of Cleeland and Clow Streets. Toys made from sheet metal, not plastic were a constant wonder for a five year old.

Grandad Farrell's House

My personal memory is of a marvellous mantle piece clock, with an ornate glass front, such that you could see the pendulum swing. Inside the clock, he kept a small woollen doll soaked in mineral turpentine, to keep the clock lubricated. Before the age of long life milk, there was sweetened condensed milk, which tasted great out of the can on a teaspoon, or warmed in fresh tea. Many many years later, I still can't taste this without remembering him in his simple kitchen. If a time capsule has a sense of taste, then this is it.