Rewriting history

I do not wish to cause trouble but I feel there are several minor inaccuracies in the article in the issue about the history of Pakenham (Trading Places Mark Pace Of Change In Boom Town, Gazette, 13 August).
I can speak as a long time resident of Pakenham (since 1930) from personal knowledge.
The items which I suggest need correction are these:
1. The Pakenham Mechanics Institute (built in 1885) was never in Main Street. It was always in Station Street, about where the current Chinese restaurant and health food shop now stands.
2. Rout’s (Cook’s) butcher shop was also never in Main Street. It also was in Station Street, on the north side, and was where The Good Guys are now, more particularly the western part of that shop where the television sales are located.
3. Goldsack’s timber mill was certainly established before 1937. My parents ran a mixed business in the shop at the northernmost corner of Main and Station Street from 1927 to about 1937-38, when they moved from there to a new shop where Cafe 127 now stands. I clearly recall the timber yard as a working entity in my younger days, often playing in the timber/log yard with Bill, the younger son in the family.
4. It is doubtful that the railway line was opened right through to Sale in 1877. Although it is only minor change, it was not until 1879 that the section between Oakleigh and Melbourne was completed. (Source Gippsland Railway Line History internet pages).
5. The Station Street Clinic now occupies the land previously occupied by Ramage’s farm supplies business, next was St Elmo Boarding House, followed by a house occupied by Mr Plowman (boot maker and repairer), the front of this house also contained a ladies hairdresser. Where the southern end of Cook Drive is now was a house occupied in my time by the Ramsdale family.
6. I don’t recall Hilder selling radios, but I accept that he did, but I do recall LC Futcher running a white good shop and electrical equipment including radios from a shop diagonally opposite on the north west corner of Main and John Street, where is presently located Joe’s Flowers.
7. Vic Saunders’ first garage was on the north side of Main Street, next to Hilder’s. Later, in 1956, he moved from there to the south side of Main Street to where Lazy Frog now stands, abutting the pathway through to the rear car park. It was unusual in that the petrol pumps were well away from the kerb, on the footpath.
8. Gilmartin’s shop was certainly operating as a shop much earlier than 1937 because that was the shop operated by my parents, Eric and Chris Jackson, as already noted above. I believe they took it over from the Gilmartins who moved back in when my parents relocated.
9. The general store operated by Mr J Jackson (no relation to my family) was definitely not on the site where Dr Fisher has his dental practice, but rather on a site now operated by Dr Hocking, and Chelmer Pathology, on the same side of the road, but two blocks to the west of the King’s Theatre, which abutted the west side of the present DAI LOI Bakery. Dr Fisher’s site previously contained a house in which Laurie Jeremiah lived. Before retirement, Laurie was a grader driver with the shire and he also worked a projectionist for a time for the picture theatre.
Other matters that could be recorded are following.
1. The King’s Theatre, built in 1928, was operated firstly by a Mr King and later by Lawrence Bros Talkies and was located on the car park adjacent to the DAI LOI Bakery. It replaced the early theatre which was in the old Mechanics Hall in Station Street.
2. The Pakenham Methodist Church and Vicarage were on the south side of Main Street, about 20 metres westerly from John Street towards the highway, now occupied by a group of flats. It was nearly opposite the Presbyterian Church (still there).
3. The Pakenham Post Office has seen a number of locations in its lifetime. Firstly situated at the railway station, it moved first to the north side of Main Street just west of the Station Street corner, then to where the DAI LOI Bakery is now, then to its present site, but I do not have a date for the final move. It also used to house the old manually operated telephone switchboard for the district.
4. Ramsay’s Chemist shop was directly opposite Cafe 127 on the site now occupied by L & F Eye Care.
5. The Pakenham Police Station was on the north side of Main Street about 20 metres west of the current florist’s shop, where the ambulance station is now.
6. I have no personal recollection in my time of an Auction Mart ever being in place on the site where East Care Medical now stands. I believe this started after Mr Webster took over the estate agency of Harold Hogan and after our shop had been sold to Jack Fraser. In my time it contained Hogan’s (later Webster’s) and a house (not occupied by Noel) and later was converted to a restaurant, known as The Tudor Inn.
These notes were compiled from my own records and from discussion with Graham Treloar, referred to above, who has a wealth of knowledge of the Pakenham area.
Don Jackson,
Pakenham.