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Cyborg Cyril, pictured, was among the cast of fantastic characters ready for cos-play at Dandenong Library and Harmony Square on Saturday 27 April. The Dandy-Con festival attracted superheroes, Jedi warriors and others to enjoy an array of pop-culture celebrations.
MORE PICTURES ON PAGE 8
On the night of 24 March, 37-year-old JasmineThomas drove her two children, six-yearold Evlyn and three-year-old Carolyn, to an area along the Western Port Highway in Cranbourne West, parked there, and deliberately set fire to the car the three of them were sitting
in. They were found deceased in the car once the fire was extinguished.
CCTV footage showed that before the fatal incident, Ms Thomas purchased a fuel container which she later filled with petrol.
State Coroner Judge John Cain concluded that it was difficult to accurately determine the reasons behind the fatal incident. He presented two conclusions in separate reports for the mother and the children.
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Debate has shifted on a ‘million-dollar’ pair of River Red Gum trees on Douglas Street Noble Park – whether a “priceless” slice of natural history is now a cost too far.
Until now, Greater Dandenong Council has steadfastly opposed the giant trees’ removal to make way for a six-storey mixed-use apartment tower approved by Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny last year.
The ministerial permit allowed for the removal of vegetation including several mature River Red Gums on the perimeter of the site.
Recently, Greater Dandenong was emboldened by legal advice that removal of two of the trees partly standing on council land required council approval.
However the resolve was reportedly wavering at a councillor briefing on 22 April.
Councillors were reportedly told that the developer could potentially sue Greater Dandenong for up to $1 million over the trees’ retention.
Council officers reportedly told councillors that one of trees was unhealthy in any case.
A “secret vote” to permit the trees’ destruction was said to have been taken on the spot, but was later said to be “indicative only” after being criticized as potentially illegal.
The formal vote is expected to take place at a public council meeting on 27 May.
Mayor Lana Formoso said the council was doing its “due diligence” before making a final decision.
She said the loss of trees would be offset by new plantings, with the council seeking to negotiate compensation up to $100,000 from the developer.
“Our hands are tied in this particular case. I don’t think ratepayers would want us to spend $1 million to keep two trees.”
Councillor Rhonda Garad, who objected to the earlier vote, said she was surprised by the council’s “totally different position”.
“It was my understanding that we wanted to keep those trees. Suddenly we were told that the developer could sue us for anything like $1 million, and that was a game-changer.
“The money should not be the issue because this tree is likely to be hundreds of years old. It has great community, cultural value.
“Keeping the tree would improve the apartments’ design – which is hideous, it’s in your face and a visual blight to the area.”
Meanwhile, a residents group, armed with a 1300-plus strong petition, is fighting to keep the trees.
Spokesperson Gaye Guest says the trees –a remnant of a time when Noble Park was a sanctuary for many species of native vegetation.
“These remnant river red gums are priceless and cannot be replaced in our lifetime or even our children’s lifetime.
“The river red gum at what is now the railway station precinct is the tree under which Noble Park grew as the township held meetings, social events and even church services before
the Noble Park Public Hall was built in 1925.
“There is not a time when people cannot remember river red gums in Noble Park, given its close proximity to Mile Creek.
“Sadly on 13 August 2016, 66 river red gums in our immediate rail corridor were cut down to make way for elevated rail.”
A Greater Dandenong spokesperson said a report on 27 May was expected to present“several options”.
The report will “weigh the significance and value of the tree, community benefit from the development and other legal and technical considerations”.
Mission Australia has brought out a strong bond amongst women through its weaving circle program for Aboriginal women.
The women’s weaving yarn circle is a 10week program facilitated by Mission Australia chaplain Steve Beeby in Dandenong in collaboration with local Aboriginal organisations.
Participants learn not just how to weave but also to share strong bonds and connections.
Merilyn Duff a proudTrawlwoolway woman is one of the very active women within the Aboriginal community and in a working capacity for over 35 years.
“The project is about bringing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women together some women may not be Aboriginal but have Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children.
“We’re very proud of what we’ve created so far over the next couple of weeks we’ll start joining it altogether so we hope it should be about three meters long and two meters high.”
The ultimate aim is to create a large wall hanging created by 20 to 25 women who’d worked on different parts of the piece over the course of 10 weeks.
The piece will be placed in the Mission Australia Dandenong office for the public to admire.
“It’s a beautiful project, it’s a coming together of different women that most of us knew or had some contact with each other but it’s become a strong network of weavers so I’m hoping this will be something that will go on,” Ms Duff said.
“A lot of us wanted to learn to weave but always struggled to keep it up.
“We have learnt heaps and it’s been about community and connections.”
Aunty Irene Mormon a Wailwan woman, has taken the lead to teach the group about traditional Aboriginal weaving styles and ways.
“It’s excellent because it’s always good to sit with the women, to know I’m passing traditional weaving, talent, and abilities.
“The more people I teach, the more they teach their children and hopefully that goes on for generations after generations. We’re just a little small part but its spreading as we teach.”
Some women including Ms Duff has already begun to teach other ladies how to weave after learning it from Aunty Irene creating “ripples in a pond” as she called it.
“By using raffia with a paper cord to go in the centre, and it can make anything from a flat platter, a women’s healing mat, bowls and they’re quite permanent,” Aunty Irene said.
As every participant contributes in their own unique way, the final piece will be more than just artwork as it’ll represent staying true to one’s cultural identity.
City of Greater Dandenong has moved for dismissal of I Cook Foods’ latest ‘Slug Gate’ lawsuit against the council.
In a hearing at the Supreme Court of Victoria on 23 April, Greater Dandenong submitted a 800-plus page affidavit against what its barrister called an “abuse of process”.
ICF and director Ian Cook are pursuing damages for alleged malicious prosecution against the council and two officers Leanne Johnson and Elizabeth Garlick.
ICF and Cook were each charged with 48 food-safety offences – all of which were ultimately dropped by the council.
It is the latest hearing since the Dandenong South commercial caterer was closed by health authorities as part of an investigation into a listeria-infected hospital patient’s death in 2019.
Police and two parliamentary inquiries have followed, as well as ICF’s civil lawsuit against the Department of Health for alleged misfeasance last year. No charges have been laid.
Council’s barrister Chris Winneke KC said ICF was having “another crack” after it had previously “abandoned” its malicious prosecution claim against the council in last year’s lawsuit.
lawsuit was not unjustifiably oppressive nor bringing the legal process into disrepute.
ICF was not “coming back for a second go at it” – with none of the allegations against the council being tested.
In 2022, ICF was trying to manage the case and “get the trial on” during Covid, when the business was closed and under financial stress.
It was entitled to manage costs and “put their best foot forward on a limited budget” while up against the resources of the State and the council.
There was a public interest in holding the council and its officers to account, Mr Ribbands said. There was a benefit to both Mr Cook and the council in having the allegations resolved.
On 13 November, the court ruled that Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton’s shutdown of ICF was invalid due to depriving ICF of a prior opportunity to be heard.
He said the new claim was based on the same factual allegations as the earlier one, including that council officers fabricated evidence and that one planted a slug in the ICF factory.
ICF made a “tactical withdrawal” by settling the case out of court with costs set aside last year. The case was then dismissed, Mr Winneke told the court.
The new lawsuit was oppressive on the council and the two officers, who had come under “intense scrutiny” by the media, Mr Winneke said.
“The way in which the plaintiff (ICF) has gone about it is a clear example – perhaps the clearest example – of an abuse of process.”
ICF’s barrister John Ribbands said the
However, Justice Michael McDonald found that Sutton’s conduct was not “recklessly indifferent” so didn’t meet the criteria for misfeasance. And damages were denied.
After that case was dismissed last year, ICF launched its new lawsuit against the council soon after, Mr Ribbands said.
Associate Justice Caroline Goulden reserved her decision for a future date.
A rich trove of history is being unearthed as part of Dandenong Primary School’s milestone 150th birthday celebration.
The school - now rightly labelled a cornerstone of the community - began with a handful of students in a humble “wooden shack” near the railway station in 1874.
Parents soon campaigned for a larger and a safer site away from the rail line and the bustling market of the rural gateway town.
And so the current brick building on the hill overlooking Dandenong’s CBD was opened on 1881.
From those historic classrooms, students reached great heights, including a former Prime Minister Sir John McEwan, Australian of the Year Simon McKeon and Olympic basketballer Mel Dalgleish.
There’s also been tragedies such as three students dying in a diphtheria outbreak in 1888. An honour board at the school also records the names of 53 former students who fought in World War I – 14 of them did not return home.
On Saturday 4 May, the school will stage a grand celebration of its 150 years.
It includes a welcoming ceremony with notable alumni such as McKeon and Bayswater MP Jackson Taylor, as well as the opening of a 1999 time capsule, school tours, history exhibitions, birthday cake and high tea.
A letter from the federal Education Minister and a video from the Governor-General have also been received.
The event’s also a celebration of the present – 400 students from 50 nationalities and speaking 40 languages.
“Diversity is not just celebrated here; it is the common language that unites us and makes us stronger,” principal Daniel Riley says.
“We are proud of our past, rejoice in the learning of today, and prepare for the next 150 years.”
In the lead-up, Riley has interviewed numerous past students and compiled a timeline of significant events, including an alleged spotting of the famous Westall UFO on 6 April 1966.
He says a former student, now in Northern Ireland, made the sighting while walking to school with his mother after a dental visit.
On the same day about 200 staff and students at Westall reported a UFO – which is regarded as one of the largest mass sightings of a UFO in daylight.
The colourful tales have formed a rich his-
tory lesson for students, who also explored what classrooms were like pre-electricity, pre-digital, pre-air conditioning, Riley says.
Students have had a try at the old practices of writing chalk-on-slate and with quillsand-ink.
The 150th celebrations begin at the school on 10.30am on Saturday 4 May, with a ceremony at 12pm.
A new push has begun to promote a free nbn program for students in Greater Dandenong.
The School Student Broadband Initiative is providing up to 30,000 families with no broadband access at home access to a free nbn service until the end of 2025.
Pop-up booths have been staged in central Dandenong, including a special event at Dandenong Civic Centre on 26 April.
Mayor Lana Formoso lauded the initiative, saying many students were without reliable internet access.
“We support people with free wifi in our libraries, community facilities and open spaces across our city, but having reliable internet at home makes a huge difference to a student’s success.
“Many families in our community are struggling under the current cost of living pressures and internet access might be a luxury they just can’t afford.
“We will be promoting this opportunity widely to our community.”
Dandenong MP and Government Services Minister Gabrielle Williams said broadband internet access was essential for study, work and access to services.
“That’s why the School Student Broadband Initiative is so important, and it’s why the Allan Labor Government is investing $540 million in more reliable mobile coverage and faster internet.”
The initiative will offer free broadband internet to eligible families until 31 December 2025.
In a dire warning on the housing crisis, Greater Dandenong is in the state top 5 for growing numbers of the ‘working homeless’.
In 2022-23, there were 452 homeless clients who were employed – up 38 per cent from the year before, a Council to Homeless Persons new report stated.
Of them, the vast majority - 271 - were women (60 per cent).
Shari McPhail, general manager at South East homelessness service Wayss, said “working poor” families with dual incomes were even under threat by skyrocketing rents and unmanageable costs of living.
“Historically this has not been a group of people who have sought our services, and we are concerned about this trend.
“Employment is no longer the safety net it once was.
“We are seeing first-hand (in Dandenong, Cardinia and Casey) how the system is buckling – there is an urgent need for action.”
Wayss chief executive Wayne Merritt said the causes and solutions of homelessness were complex but it was “unconscionable not to act”.
“There is an extremely urgent need to increase short term support to help people at risk of homelessness, and long-term solutions for people locked in a cycle of homelessness.
“We need more housing, and we need to action income support reform to those on the lowest incomes.”
Wellsprings for Women, which provides housing support especially to women impacted by family violence, received 86 housing referrals in the past 10 months.
“We know the current economic crisis is impacting women even if they are employed,” Wellsprings chief executive Dalal Smiley said.
“They are either working in low paid industries or casual work or are underemployed.
“The ones looking for somewhere to live face difficulties due to a lack of rental history.
“Or for some involved in child protection orders - they face challenges finding an affordable property that meets the required number of bedrooms required by the department.”
Increased rents have played a major role, Ms Smiley said.
“We should look for examples from around the world and be more creative with the way we increase housing options.”
South East Community Links chief executive Peter McNamara said the service was seeing a “bleak picture where even people with jobs are not immune to the threat of homelessness”.
They’ve seen a 70 per cent rise in employed people who were seeking homelessness assistance.
The shortage of affordable rentals, especially in the South East, was “exacerbating the homelessness crisis”, he said.
An Anglicare Rental Affordability Snapshot 2024 report found just 28 rental properties across Melbourne for households on income support.
Just one of them was located in Greater Dandenong.
For households on a minimum wage, there were depleting stocks of affordable homes in the South East - 95 in Casey (down from 176 in 2023) and 38 in Cardinia (down from 104).
Both areas are still rated in the top 10 of the most affordable properties in metropolitan Melbourne.
Growing legions of the ‘working homeless’ were found across most council areas in Victoria.
The next highest tallies were mainly outersuburban and regional areas Wyndham (624), Greater Geelong (535), Greater Bendigo (479) and in neighbouring Greater Dandenong (452).
CHG found that across Victoria, more than 12,100 employed people sought homelessness support.
They make up one in eight of homelessness
service clients.
In its report, CRP called on state and federal governments to support more renters in avoiding eviction with the Private Rental Assistance Program.
It also called for 6000 more public and community homes in the next 10 years.
Victorians had the worst access to social housing in the country, which was leading to women and children experiencing family violence waiting an average of two years for community housing, CRP stated.
Nearly 100,000 Victorians a year are given assistance to find a permanent home from homelessness services, which receive more than $300 million from the State Government.
This is the highest recurrent spend on homelessness services by Australian states, according to the government.
A government spokesperson said it also invested more than $28 million to help more than 14,000Victorians secure and keep private rentals.
“We have recently expanded these programs into more places across the state”
In Greater Dandenong, more than $30 million has been invested through the Big Housing Build and other social housing programs to create 79 new homes.
In City of Frankston, more than $43 million has been invested to create 87 new homes, and in City of Casey, more than $56 million has been invested to create 147 new homes.
“We know there is nothing more important than the dignity of a home,” the spokesperson said.
“That’s why we’re investing $6.3 billion to build at least 13,000 new social and affordable homes right across Victoria.”
A Dandenong armed robber’s appeal against his jail sentence has been refused by the Victorian Court of Appeal despite his self-described “spectacular rehabilitation”.
Allem Sabitovic, now 34, was among a group that violently robbed at knifepoint a 57-year-old man who had been driving around St Kilda seeking services from a street sex worker in early 2021.
The victim had spoken to Sabitovic’s girlfriend on a street corner and she lured him to an apartment’s courtyard. Armed with a box cutter, Sabitovic and two co-offenders ambushed the victim, chased him and pinned him to the ground.
They stole his wallet, car key, phone, gold
Police seized more than 300 plants in a raid on an alleged crop house in Endeavour Hills on 17 April.
Divisional Response Unit police say the alleged cannabis plants were part of a “significant” setup at Presley Place.
A 51-year-old Endeavour Hills man was arrested and charged with drug related offences and theft of electricity.
The man is further alleged to be unlawfully in Australia and immigration authorities are investigating the matter.
He appeared at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court and was remanded in custody.
The following day, the response team raided a premises in Ephcris Court Endeavour Hills.
A 34-year-old Endeavour Hills man was arrested after police allegedly located what is believed to be cannabis, imitation firearms, cocaine and a quantity of Australian currency.
He was charged with drug related offences, possess imitation firearms and possess proceeds of crime.
He was bailed to appear at the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court later in the year.
A cardboard manufacturer has been convicted and fined $40,000 after a worker’s hand was dragged into unguarded machinery at a Keysborough factory.
Lazo Paper Pty Ltd, now in liquidation, was sentenced in the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday after being found guilty of two charges of failing to provide and maintain plant that was safe and without risks to health.
The company was also ordered to pay costs of $4941. In May 2022 the worker, who spoke little English, was tasked with cleaning a large gluing machine that consisted of a flat bench and two powered rollers. The worker, who had not previouslycleanedthemachineorseenanyoneelsedo thetask,waswipingthebottomrollerwhileitwas running when the cloth became caught, dragging his hand between the rollers.
The worker suffered two broken fingers and was off work for eight weeks. A WorkSafe investigation found guarding on the machine, which included the use of corrugated cardboard bound together as a makeshift guard on the top of the machine, was unsecured and inadequate.
It was reasonably practicable for the company to ensure the machine had guarding, including an interlock device, that only allowed bodily accesstotherollerswhentherewasnoriskandprevented bodily access at all other times. WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Narelle Beer said there were no excuses for employers who failed to manage the risks of working around machinery.
chain, watch and bracelet while holding knives to his throat and threatening to stab the screamingman. Duringtheattack,thevictimwaskicked and stomped to the head. The victim later approached Sabitovic at the flats, asking for his gold chain back due to it being a gift from his mother. Sabitovic swung the boxcutter towards him and stolehisgoldbracelet.Thevictimwaslatertreated byparamedicsforalacerationandbruisinginthe shape of a shoe print to his head. Sabitovic – who wasonbailatthetime-andhisgirlfriendwerearrested at a premises in Dandenong.
On appeal, Sabitovic argued that his original County Court sentence of two-and-a-half years’ jail–includingaoneyear,fourmonthnon-parole period – was manifestly excessive.
His lawyer submitted that his offending was correlated to drug addiction. And that he’d since made a “spectacular rehabilitation” since a 16week residential drug rehab while on bail.
Upon his rehab in 2021, Sabitovic complied withbailconditions,wasabstinentforatleasttwo years and become carer for his grandmother.
In the original sentencing, the County Court judge had stated there was “no other alternative” than further imprisonment due to the serious offending.This was despite Sabitovic’s“impressive” effortsatrehabilitationandtheriskthatjailwould undo his“excellent” progress.
On appeal, Justices Karin Emerton and David Beach noted Sabitovic’s“substantial criminal his-
tory” dating back to 2007 when he started using methylamphetamine. His priors included thefts, burglaries, bail offences and breaching court and parole orders, they stated. The appeal judges stated that Sabitovic had received a “moderate” sentence that was “well within range”. “To have imposed any lesser sentence for this serious and violent offending (notwithstanding the powerful mitigating circumstances present in this case) wouldhaveriskedpermittingthesentencingpurpose of rehabilitation to overwhelm the sentencing synthesis.
Thenon-paroleperiodwaslessthan6percent of the 25 year maximum penalty, they noted.
Sabitovic’s jail term included 211 days of presentence detention.
In the report on Ms Thomas, he concluded that she suffered an episode of psychosis.
In Evlyn and Carolyn’s cases, he found that “Ms Thomas was experiencing significant stress in her relationship and there was evidence of a number of relevant family violence risk factors in the lead up to the fatal incident”.
During the investigation, the husband James Palakamannil reported to the coroner judge that his wife might have had post-natal depression and during Covid she became paranoid.
It was “a big shame to acknowledge such problems in their community”, Mr Palamannil said.
Judge Cain discovered that in June 2021, Ms Thomas told her mother she was upset about “issues in her marriage” and was diagnosed by her GP with mild depression. She was referred to a psychologist and denied having any suicidal thoughts or intent in the consultation. She said the lack of family support and the stress from balancing her work and caring responsibilities contributed to an increase in arguments between her and her husband.
In January 2022, two months before the fatal incident, Ms Thomas told her mother she wanted a divorce.
As Judge Cain found Ms Thomas’s actions with her children constituted “family violence”, he examined the previous relevant circumstances.
It was found that Mr Palakamannil reported her to the police for property damage in September 2021. He said to the police that he was not in fear, but Ms Thomas had been increasingly physically and verbally abusive since January 2021.
A Family Violence Intervention Order (FVIO) was issued to MsThomas in November.
In the reports on the two children, Judge Cain commented: “From the available evi-
dence, it is difficult to accurately determine what was occurring for this family in the lead up to the fatal incident, however we note that there may have been issues of misidentification in context of family violence. There is insufficient engagement with services however to conclusively make a determination on this point.”
Mr Palakamannil attended the coroner’s court on the day the report was delivered.
He told the court that he never would imagine laying down all of the most important people in his life at the same time.
“When you see the coffin go down with all of your favorite people, your life changes. You’ll never be the same.You’ll never see them, touch them, feel them again,” he said in tears.
“Suddenly, 10 years of my life just disappeared.”
He said he wished his wife acknowledged and sought help.
“I wish she had people who understood her,” he said.
“She was too lonely. She struggled to connect or engage with people and make friends. When she couldn’t anymore, I believe she thought the end would be a relief.”
· Lifeline: 13 11 14
Advocates are calling out a “discriminatory” crackdown against overseas relatives who are being refused visas to visit Australia.
Refugee advocateWickiWickiramasingham says“everybody is surprised” that immigration authorities are rejecting visitors en masse from attending family reunions, special birthdays, weddings, religious ceremonies, pregnancies and funerals for up to 3-12 months.
The reason given is that they’re being a perceived risk of over-staying in Australia.
Many applicants are from Sri Lanka who intended to visit citizens or permanent residents from the Tamil community, Mr Wickiramasingham said.
Their hopes to attend were shattered, with a review at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal costing more than $3500 and can take up to 12 months – too expensive and too late for many, Mr Wickiramasingham says.
Local residents’ pasts as asylum seekers arriving by boat 15 years ago are being unfairly weighed against them, he says.
“These ‘boat people’ – you have detained them, released them, given them permanent protection, they become citizens and now you stop their family visiting.
“They are being discriminated against, even though they are Australian citizens.
“If they still don’t have equal rights as others, then what’s the point (of being citizens)?”
Dandenong-based migration agent Thayhorn Yim agreed that it seemed discriminatory.
Authorities have been particularly harsh against overseas visitors from refugee hot spots like Afghanistan, Cambodia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in recent months, he says..
And it’s a simpler, less expensive process for visitors from countries such as the UK.
“They should be allowed to come here pro-
vided there’s no adverse information against them.
“But the department looks at the history of the family who arrived here for protection as refugees. That history shouldn’t be seen as a bad thing.
“Particularly for a visitor visa, they shouldn’t be applying the policy so strictly.
“It’s causing a lot of grief in the community. Especially after Covid-19 they want to reunite with their families.”
Last year, Star News reported Mr Yim’s desperate fight for a Cambodian teenager’s visa to attend his late father’s funeral in the South East.
He had been initially refused because he didn’t have “strong employment or financial incentives” to return to Cambodia.
“I note the applicant has other relatives residing in Australia, which would further act as an encouragement for the applicant to remain in Australia,” a Home Affairs delegate stated at the time.
It took months of multiple applications, a letter from a senior Buddhist monk in Springvale South to the Immigration Minister and media coverage before Home Affairs relented. your arrival by boat shouldn’t be relevant for these cases,”
A Department of Home Affairs spokesper-
son said that a key requirement is that the visitor visa applicant “genuinely intends to stay temporarily in Australia”.
“This involves an assessment of the applicant’s personal circumstances, incentive to return home, financial situation and ability to support themselves in Australia.
“Each application is assessed on its individual merits, taking into account any factors relevant to the applicant.
“The decision maker is unable to grant the visa if they are not satisfied that the applicant intends a genuine temporary stay in Australia.”
Free Kinder is available for three- and four-year-old children in Victoria at participating services. Free Kinder is available in sessional (standalone) and long day care (childcare) settings, saving families up to $2,563 each year, per child.
At kindergarten, your child will:
• learn language, literacy and numeracy skills through play, art, music and dance
• learn to express themself and make friends in a safe and caring environment
• build skills and confidence before primary school. Contact your preferred kinder service or local council to learn about how to enrol for 2025. Visit vic.gov.au/kinder
The CBD was swamped with costumes –from Batman, Superman, Jedi warriors to Cyril Cyborg.
They were there for a dizzying pop-culture carnival featuring graphic novels, cosplay contests, merch vendors, artist showcases, tabletop gamers, comic drawing and Dungeons and Dragons and live performances.
Students at the Springvale Park Special Developmental School enjoyed the official opening of their mini ’Woolies’ on the grounds.
The school partnered with Woolworths and Fujitsu to become the 59th mini Woolies as part of a program established in 2018.
The school opened its doors to the reallife retail experience on Tuesday 23 April as smiling parents watched on.
School principal Jackie Lowther said the school was very excited for the opportunities to come.
“They’ll be able to shop, work on the registers, help stock the shelves and give them the opportunity of real life experiences so they can access Springvale Woolworths for work experience there.”
As a recent roll out, students will be trained to operate the mini Woolies in the coming weeks since the official opening.
Susanna Lacko’s 100th birthday was particularly poignant, franked by a special bond.
Ms Lasko shares the same birthday as her 58-year-old grandson Edward, and they basked in the joint milestone together with close family and residents at Mercy Place nursing home in Dandenong on 24 April.
“It’s always been a big deal to have the same birthday,” Edward says.
“For her to get to 100 and share that important milestone with her is very special.”
A great-great-grandmother, Ms Lasko’s story is also extraordinary – a Polish refugee who made a daring escape as a teenager from a Nazi labour camp during World War II.
Ms Lasko was about 16 when she made a dash from the camp, which was growing vegetables for the German army. It was a brutal place, in which the Polish inmates were taunted and disparaged
“She saw an opportunity to sneak out at midnight,” says Edward – who is compiling her memoir.
“She remembers hiding behind a tree and seeing trucks going past. She thought she would get captured then.
“She managed to get on a train without documents. And she was packing death.”
Ms Lasko arrived at her sister’s house. But within an hour, German SS officers “kicked down” the door.
“She went quietly. (An officer) held up a Luger and told her if you try it again, you’ll get one of these.”
Ms Lasko was taken to a second labour camp, which was led by a more humane ‘burgmeister’ and offered much better treatment, Edward says.
After the war, she and her now-late husband Otto and children Edward senior and Christine fled through Italy from the conquering Russians.
About 6 million Poles died during World War II, including thousands of Polish prisoners of war and officers executed by the Soviets.
Ms Lasko and family settled in Doveton, adding two more children Lillian andRenate. And grandchildren, great-grandchildren and
This Mother’s Day, why not give the gift of time to your mum or someone special in your life. There really is something for every mum to enjoy this Mother’s Day whether it involves being active or relaxing at home - no mum will go unnoticed.
Something for an active or outdoorsy mum: For a mum who likes getting active but prefers to do it in nature, you can’t look past a hikeexplore the natural wonders of Mount Cannibal, Four Brothers Rocks, Cardinia Aqueduct Trail, Dandenong Creek Trail or Wright Forest walking tracks.
If hiking is not your mum’s thing but nature is, why not take a trip to the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens and view some of Australia’s native flora. Picnics are always great for Mother’s Day, so try Alex Wilkie Nature Reserve in Springvale South, Roth Hetherington Botanical Gardens, Regent Park or Olinda Reserve in Springvale.
Further afield explore Berwick Springs Park, Wilson Botanic Park, Gembrook Park, or
of course Emerald Lake. And if staying home entices you more, pick up a set of bocce or croquet and play some backyard games.
Something for a mum who deserves to relax For all the things mums do, they deserve to have a day off to be pampered - because who doesn’t love a day to do face masks, manicures, pedicures and a good soak in a nice, warm bath. Set the mood with a candles, a new bath robe and her favourite music.
Something for a foodie mum
If it’s food your mum likes, homemade pizza is always a safe, fun and tasty option. Buy some locally sourced fresh ingredients and get cooking on those gourmet pizzas. For a breakfast to remember put together a breakfast hamperwithgoodiessuchashoney,milk,seeds, gourmet bread and a sweet pastry. For those coffee lovers out there, get your mum a bag of sustainably produced coffee beans or coffee pods.
great-great-grandchildren have followed.
Ms Lasko has lived in the area for many decades, seeing a “plethora of change”.
“I wish I asked more questions about her life when I was younger. But now I’ve started documenting her story,” Edward says.
“She’s an amazing lady.”
Despite the gloomy and rainy weather conditions, the community backed up the Anzac Day commemoration and paid their respects in Dandenong.
In what was considered one of the largest turnouts, by the Dandenong-Cranbourne RSL secretary Mark Osborne, it was also the first year without John Wells who retired as president of the Dandenong Cranbourne RSL.
The new president of the DandenongCranbourne RSL, Lance McDermott, filled the role this year.
“It’s about commemorating the people who died to make us a free country so people can come here and feel safe. That’s what it’s all about.
“There were people everywhere it was incredible to see.”
Although the new role is a “steep learning curve” for Mr McDermott, it will be a fulfilling journey he says.
The entire community from the Greater Dandenong poured out to march toward the cenotaph and laid their wreaths as they paid their respects.
Community organisation representatives, local mosque representatives, numbers of local school representatives, police members, Scouts, City of Greater Dandenong councillors and mayor as well as Federal Bruce MP Julian Hill and Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams with her son Ruairi.
Greater Dandenong mayor Lana Formoso was surrounded by the local school community, as a secondary teacher.
“I’m really honoured to be here today.
“The sacrifices of those before us has given us all the rights and privileges to have the liberties that we have in Australia, something that we really like to reflect on every year, something I’ve been teaching my children and stu-
dents since forever.
“It’s incredibly important to commemorate and think about all the people and those who haven’t been recognised as fallen soldiers.”
The Australian and New Zealand flags aloft led the march to the cenotaph where families
With strong winds blowing the flags and warm sun bearing on the attendees, Endeavour Hills held an Anzac Day ceremony at 11am on Tuesday 23 April.
Held at the Endeavour Hills Peace Memorial, the service was curated by the Dandenong-Cranbourne RSL, and saw the participation of Bruce MP Julian Hill and Southeast Metro MP Ann-Marie Hermans.
Also present were three local primary schools, all accompanied by a select few students and teachers who were part of delivering the wreaths on the monument.
President of the Dandenong-Cranbourne RSL Lance McDermott welcomed everyone, saying that “on this day above all days, we recall those who have served in war and who did not return to receive the grateful thanks of our nation”.
“We remember those who lay in unknown resting places, those gallant men under the sea and those whose lives ended in the vastness of the sky.
“We especially remember those who died as prisoners of war, away from their homeland and far from the comforting presence of
their loved ones.”
After delivering a strong speech that delved into camaraderie, sacrifice, duty and service, Mr McDermott represented Dandenong-Cranbourne RSL and delivered the first wreath on the base of the monument.
Following after him was Acting Senior Sergeant for the Endeavour Hills Police Mark Mckley, followed by Julian Hill MP and AnnMarie Hermans MP.
After members from the Endeavour Hills Shopping Centre delivered their wreaths, children from Thomas Mitchell Primary School presented their wreaths.
Following soon after were children from Southern Cross Primary, James Cook Primary and St Paul Apostle North Primary who delivered their wreaths one after another.
The Last Post played not long after with children from the schools raising the Australian, New Zealand and British flags, followed by a minute’s silence and the national anthem being sung.
The ceremony concluded with Mr McDermott thanking all who attended, with bagpiper Alistair Wright and bugler Alan Collard sounding off the last of their instruments.
waited for the service to begin.
Bruce MP Julian Hill said it was wonderful to see the support and involvement of people from different cultural background on this day.
“Anzac Day is now without doubt Australia’s most important secular occasion.
“All Australians regardless of their background, faith, ethnicity come together right across the country in hundreds of local ceremonies to remember and honour those who served and sacrificed their lives and health to defend our country and that we can live our lives in freedom today.”
Seven schools led an ANZAC service for hundreds of children at DingleyVillage on 24 April.
It featured primary schools St Mark’s, Dingley, Kingswood, Wallarano and Keysborough Gardens, as well as Mentone Grammar Cadets in army fatigues and Haileybury College Pipes and Drums.
A combined choir from Kingswood, St Mark’s and Dingley primary schools delivered the Australian and New Zealand national anthems and an ANZAC version of I Am Australian.
Vietnam veteran William Williams presented the ode, followed by a minute’s silence.
The annual service, this year held in patches of driving rain, has been organised by Rotary Club of Noble Park-Dingley since 2016.
It features a special emphasis on the children conducting the bulk of the service.
The Rotary club had also fundraised for the striking memorial, which was designed by artist Ben Fasham.
The site benefits from the following features:
• Established tenant in place paying $1,030 + GST, and outgoings per month on a lease to February 2025, with a 3-year option to renew
• Suitable for immediate owner occupation in the other premises
•
Kay Taranto’s Wild Days Wildlife Shelter is tucked away down a drive in the Narre Warren residential precinct. It is a single-story structure under tree shades with a spacious front yard, revealing not the slightest betrayal of the neighbourhood’s character. It’s involuntary to suspect you got the wrong address and question how this place could possibly rescue more than 1000 wildlife a year.
But Kay has shown everyone she could.
The structure is her house. It was transformed into a registered wildlife haven without any structural conversion. She just makes the most of the existing space in an organised and quiet way. Card boxes of supplies and vented plastic fruit boxes are piled neatly. Coles’ plastic bags that hold the food donations from the kind helpers are gathered in the kitchen. Wildlife portraits decorate the walls. She has a cage room for small-sized orphans, a treatment room, and more than 10 aviaries in the backyard. This is where she has lived and breathed her rescue day for the past 16 years.
The beginning is a brushtail possum, whose close-up shot is framed on the wall. He was a little orphan from a car accident that killed his mum.
The wildlife shelter started similar to many, Kay said.
She had always loved animals and then one day, coming across an injured one, she picked it up and found out - through the process of what happens next - that there wasn’t enough people helping out.
“And then you think, oh, I’ve gotta do something to help,” Kay recalled.
“At that time, I was a single mom and working full time. And so how could I help? I started doing rescuing after work, and that led to this.”
Long story short, Kay took on another fulltime job, unpaid, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.
“The rescues are often at night because we have nocturnal animals, and that’s when they are out and about and hit on the roads. And that’s when the cats and the dogs attack the possums that are walking across,” she said.
“The youngest ones need to be fed normally every four hours. It’s like having a newborn baby, but at once having 80 of them.
“They (wildlife) come from everywhere. They come from people who know that I do this. They will ring me if they find something.
“All the local vets know that I do this. If people drop things at a vet, the vets also can come and pick them up.”
The inevitable after the rescue is rehabilitation and release. Kay scrutinises the science behind every step. She simulates the natural environment for animals, accommodates their habits and needs, and rewilds them as much as she can.
Take ducklings as an example. Several ducklings are at the moment wandering casually in one of the large aviaries in Kay’s backyard.
“Ducklings are a good example where you
definitely often try to raise them as a group. We try and coordinate between carers,” Kay said.
“If I raise one duckling by itself, it’ll end up imprinting on people. So, we try and talk between the carers and see who’s got others and make a group so that they don’t get humanised.
“I spend a lot of time making sure we don’t humanise things so they can be released.”
It is the same with young possums. Kay first places them in a small cage with branches and other simulated natural elements and moves them into a bigger cage when they size up.
“They learn how to live and be as wild as possible before release,” she said.
“And, eventually, they learn to just not want to go near people. So when they’re released, they’re not approaching people.”
Though motivated, dedicated, and determined to make everything work, Kay admits she is really tired, which comes as a natural reaction from someone who has been grinding nonstop for almost two decades.
It is a non-governmental cause with no funding at all.
“I’ve got an almost full-time job to fund this. Sometimes there are small grants, but it’s not really enough to cover the operations
for the whole year. It might help with some things,” she said.
“Some people donate some things, but there’s a lot of specialty food that just needs the money to buy. So if you’re raising a baby wombat, for example, you have to have wombat milk that costs quite a lot because not many people buy wombat milk.
“The funding is definitely a challenge. Even all the power, water, and phone bills are huge. The washing machine is going nonstop. My phone rings constantly.
“It’s a struggle, but there’s so much passion for what’s being done.”
Kay said she just could not stop.
“There’s so much of a need, and the need’s getting greater and greater every year,” Kay said.
“The first year I did this, it was about 40 animals for the year. And with climate change and the population increase around Casey, now I’ve got over 1000 animals a year.
“The problem is if there’s an animal that needs rehabilitation and there’s nowhere for it to go, then the vets will just put it down.
“It’s heartbreaking. It hurts to hear something like it is.”
A cruel validation of how reality has gone downhill is the orphaned grey-headed flying
foxes in her shelter, a threatened species in Victoria.
“All the pups were about three weeks old in November last year. There started to be a crisis happening across all the bats in Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland. All the moms couldn’t feed their babies properly, and their milk dried up, and they started abandoning their babies,” Kay said.
“Moms were starving. Babies weren’t being fed. Babies were dropping off from mom while she was flying. And then once babies are too big to carry in flight, they hang them in a creche tree. So they will hang together, and the adults fly out. But adults started leaving them there and not coming back for them.
“Then we started having to go down to the [Doveton] colonies every day to find the ones that had been abandoned because they’re all just dying in the trees.
“It is the first time this happened. And they [scientists] think it’s related to loss of habitat, the fires, the floods, the different weather that we’re having now.”
One thing that makes Kay reassured and grateful along the hard way is that she may start alone, but she is and will never be alone.
Now she has about 10 volunteers and a squad of junior volunteers.
“I have experienced volunteers that are here on the two days that I need to go to the office.They’ll come in because someone has to be here all the time,” she said.
“And then I have other volunteers who may be less experienced and need me to be here to help with certain things.
“I also have junior volunteers that come fortnightly, who are like 8 or 9 or 10 years old. That’s my passion to get kids to know.”
Catherine Currie is a new volunteer who started about a month ago. She comes down once a week to clean out the cages, feed animals, and do whatever she can to help. She has been enjoying her work ever since.
“Kay teaches me something every time I come here, which is a lot about how vulnerable they (wildlife) all are and what’s happened with them, what we’re doing to the environment, and how that’s impacting the wildlife,” she said.
“I think the majority of people don’t know about that. It is devastating what we’re doing.
“I am learning a lot about wildlife that I never knew before.
“And the only way you would know that is by volunteering and doing something like this and listening to Kay and just learning. Then you impart that onto your friends.”
Despite all the efforts and the progress the shelter has made, Kay is concerned about the speed of population increase in Casey and the habitat loss that comes along.
“Every time the road is widened, it’s harder for animals to cross the road. They put roads through bushlands on both sides. Of course, animals are going to get hit,” she said.
“Instead of working around the environments, a lot of the development [they] just clear it all and then say, we’ll plant trees later.
But they’ve lost these trees that are 100 years old that have all this habitat, and they plant a tiny shrub and say it’s the same.
“Lots of new houses go right to the edge of the perimeter, and there are no trees anymore in backyards and front yards.”
Kay said the habitat connectivity was important, but it had been disrupted to some extent in Casey.
“Even if there’s not huge amounts of habitat, as long as it’s all connected, animals can make do,” she said.
“But the connection is broken so frequently with roads and houses.
“It’s depressing, isn’t it?
“I think Casey has got a plan to increase canopy cover.They’re finally realising that they need to fix this.”
Kay has spent a lot of time talking to school groups and kids about how they can look after the environment and what could have been done differently in the way they live.
At the end of the day, she believes information and knowledge are the keys to slowly reversing reality.
“The more you know, the more you care,” she said.
“It’s all about information, knowledge, and individuals making choices that will make the difference.
“Just simple little things. Like if every single house had a water dish in the garden on hot days, it would save thousands of animals.”
To know more about Wild Days Wildlife Shelter and help, visit wilddaysws.org/welcome-to-wild-days1
Wild DaysWildlife Shelter was the winner of the 2024 Casey Community Group of the Year.
A crowd of up to 200 gathered at Noble Park war memorial to pay their tributes in an ANZAC Day service on Sunday 21 April.
The service featured speeches from Noble Park RSL president John Meehan and guest speaker Brendan Kincade OAM from the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia.
Singer Colin Perkins accompanied by the Keysborough College band performed, as well as the Australian Army Band and bugler WO2 Stephen Turner.
Students from Carwatha College recited poems Tribute to Anzac Day and On This Hallowed Day.
Among the VIPs were Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams and Greater Dandenong councillors Phillip Danh, Angela Long and Sophie Tan.
100 years ago
May 1 1924
ANZAC Day
I notice that a writer in the ”Argus” describes the celebration of ANZAC Day on Friday last as a “pieball celebration”. So far as Dandenong was concerned, it was nothing short of a farce, and a strong argument in favor of the celebration being held on the nearest Sunday to 25th April. At Dandenong, the only people fortunate enough to join the public holiday and participate in the commemoration service if they desired to do so, were civil servants, Shire office officials, and school children. So far as the rest of the community was concerned, a notice may as well have been posted up – “Business as usual”. It was truly a farce in this respect. The writer of the letter referred to says: “My opinion as a returned
Compiled by Dandenong and District Historical Society
soldier, is that the Sunday observance would certainly provide the most fitting opportunity for a day of remembrance and gratitude”. And there are thousands who will agree with him. It is to be hoped that there will be no grumbling about the date of the celebration of ANZAC Day next year and that it will be held on a Sunday, when all classes can join in instead of a small minority who are able to participate in the privilege of a public holiday.
50 years ago
30 April 1974
2000 NEW TREES SOON
Dandenong Council will supply 2000 new trees in city streets this year as part of its beautification and shade scheme. Some of the trees will be replacements, but 1211 will be new plantings. Twelve different species of native trees are proposed and these have
been found to be best suited to Dandenong soil. In 1973, 1548 trees were planted by council in our streets bringing the total in the past 23 years to 28,072 trees. Reporting to the council last week, the City Engineer, Mr Gordan Wright, said the drought in the first three months of 1974 had repercussions.
20 years ago
1 March 2004
Thirty-six dragsters lose their licenses. Thirty -six drivers will have their licenses suspended after an intensive night-time blitz on Dandenong roads by police committed to “eradicating” illegal drag racing. Dandenong police traffic management unit launched Operation Sourer, a “no tolerance” clampdown in the vicinity of known drag racing hot spots. In the first week, 156 traffic offenses were detected, including 90 speeding with 36
loss of licence penalty notices issued. “It’s quite ironic that the worst speeding was near Springvale Necropolis because that’s where they may have ended up if not detected by police.”
5 years ago
29 April 2019
House prices down, council rates up Greater Dandenong household rates will rise on average, by the State Government’s rate-cap of 2.5 per cent, according to council’s draft budget. For residents, the median rates and waste charge will be $1406 – up by $32.90. The rise comes while median house prices fell by 5.5 per cent. The budget’s $69 million capital works program devotes $22 million towards finishing the Springvale library and community hub by mid-2020.
When I am relaxed and not feeling threatened, it is likely that I will feel naturally positive, hopeful and cheerful.
Stress is not so much to do with external situations as it is to do with my response to the situations.
When I realise how much my thoughts affect my feelings, I can take this understanding a step further and accept that I can have control over my thinking.
My thoughts respond to stimuli from my senses.
What if I make space between what I see, hear, feel, say, and read, to allow me to accept the situation and choose thoughts that will influence how I respond.
This is a spiritual practice, to accept what is in front of me, choose how to respond, and to move forward.
However, to be able to do this it is helpful for me to have a stock of “thought resources” –to understand how to bring the various qualities that are useful in interactions into play as well as a faith and trust in my ability to manage my thinking.
When we think about acceptance, reflect on
it and practise it, we begin to understand how it can be used as a spiritual power.
Not to see situations as obstacles but to see them as test papers in the school of life, brings a feeling of lightness of heart and I am more likely to see the task optimistically and more
The intention is to change my thinking from thoughts that disturb me to ones that make me feel hopeful and good and for all the cells of my body to feel that way too.
When I focus on positive and encouraging thoughts, I am automatically reducing my tendency to think negative ones and this feeling of wellbeing not only helps me make clear decisions, but it even strengthens my immune system.
I feel stronger inside and out.
Included in the power of acceptance is the
acceptance of myself, as I am, without judgement or defamation. I can take power from the belief in myself when I understand and honour the spiritual within me.
These inner spiritual resources allow me to experience how my thoughts affect my feelings and enable me to maintain an attitude of calmness, with positivity. However, this does need conscious attention and reinforcement.
We do know, however, that to respond to any situation with a calm state of mind is more likely to reveal solutions and a way to move forward.
Whilst it may take time to get it right there is real benefit in the practice.
Enquiries regarding the City of Greater Dandenong Interfaith Network: administration@interfaithnetwork.org.au or 8774
A group of Casey Scouts received the experience of a lifetime last week - camping on the grounds of Government House in Canberra.
Running from Sunday 14 April to Friday 19 April, the Scouts Australia Camp hosted more than 1400 Scouts from across the country, including Scouts from the Casey, Cranbourne and Devon Meadows groups.
Assisted by adult leaders, all participants from Joey Scouts (aged five to eight) right through to Rover Scouts (aged 18 to 25) united to camp, dine, and engage in team-building activities.
The experience included immersive explorations of flora and fauna to deep dives into Indigenous history and culture, as well as emergency services simulations, photography sessions, theatre and performing arts workshops, and other challenges like helicopter simulations, axe throwing and archery.
Research conducted by Scouts Australia in collaboration with Resilient Youth Australia
has highlighted the profound positive impact of Scouting on participants’ lives.
In particular, Scouts have a healthier mental state than non-Scouts and are more likely to feel good about themselves.
Sixteen-year-old Alex from 1st Casey Scouts said receiving the chance to take part in the camp was “something special”.
“You don’t get many opportunities to camp on the man in charge of Australia’s front lawn,” he said.
1st Cranbourne Scouts’ Shannen said she loved spending time with other Scouts on the Government House lawn.
“This is a once-in a lifetime opportunity,” she said.
His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia officially welcomed the Scouts for the event, which was first time in history that Government House has opened its doors to Scouts.
The Fire Danger Period (FDP) is coming to an end across Cardinia, Casey, Baw Baw and Greater Dandenong at 1am onWednesday, 1 May.
CFA Deputy Chief Officer South East Trevor Owen said landowners CFA permits are available to conduct burning off in line with local municipal regulations.
“Residents in these regions do have the opportunity to access a permit free of charge to conduct private property fuel reduction when fire restrictions apply,” he said.
“It’s a fairly simple process through the Fire Permits Victoria website and notification to Triple ZeroVictoria.
“It is important to check if any additional council fire regulations apply as these vary from municipality to municipality.”
Mr Owen said it is also important to check all conditions before a burn-off.
“As always, follow all conditions detailed in the permit and ensure an adult is in attendance at all times,” he said.
“It’s also important to monitor current and forecasted weather conditions and landowners should notify their neighbours.”
Tips on how to stay safe when burning off include:
· Check and monitor weather conditions –particularly wind;
· Avoid unnecessary calls to emergency services and notify your neighbours beforehand;
· Leave a three-metre fire break, free from flammable materials around the burn;
· Have sufficient equipment and water to stop the fire spreading;
· Never leave a burn-off unattended – stay for its entire duration; and
· If your burn-off gets out of control, call Triple-Zero immediately.
Mr Owen said the CFA are aware of developing fuel loads following recent storms.
“Some parts of the region have been quite dry and we’re also seeing pockets of dry vegetation from damaged trees that have been impacted by recent storms that will require clean up over several months,” he said.
“We know these natural vegetation fuels can become quite dry even during the winter period.
“While there is still an element of risk, we will take an extra level of assurance to protect the community and I encourage residents to apply for the online permit should they need it.”
Mr Owen said you must still register your burn-offs, check weather conditions and follow local council laws, as well as EPA laws and applicable regulations.
“Registering your burn-off ensures that if smoke or fire is reported, the incident is cross-checked with our register, which prevents firefighters from unnecessarily responding and allows Triple Zero call takers to focus their efforts on emergency calls,” he said.
“Please allow two hours for your burnoff to be visible online.”
To check fire restrictions in your area and register your burn, visit www.firepermits.vic.gov.au
or mix with any food,
Blood donations
Do you have time to give blood and change lives this month? One in three people in Greater Dandenong will need blood, and they need people like you to give it. Pop-up centre hosted by the Red Cross.
· Monday 29 April-Friday 3 May at St Mary’s Community Centre, New Street, Dandenong. Register at lifeblood.com.au/donor-centre/vic/dandenong-pop-up-donor-centre
Cyber-safety info for parents
This session aims at providing parents and guardians with insights and important information on cyberbullying, social networking as well as settings and parental controls that allow your child to navigate online tools independently and safely. Also advice on ways to seek help when things go wrong online.
· Tuesday 30 April 7pm-8.30pm at Dandenong High School, 92-106 Princes Highway, Dandenong. Bookings required at eventbrite.com.au/e/free-cyber-safety-and-wellbeing-parent-information-session-tickets881127916317?aff=oddtdtcreator
Busk Stop Busk Stop will bring a series of outdoor street performances to central Dandenong in late April and May. Concerts at Harmony Square on Saturday 27 April, 1.45pm-2.45pm – Hustle Dance Crew, followed by Thursdays in May, 11.30am-1.30pm.
Also concerts at The Checkerboard, corner Langhorne and Lonsdale streets on Wednesdays on 1, 8 and 15 May 11.30am-1.30pm and Saturday 1 June, 10am-12pm. Also at Palm Plaza on Fridays in May, 11.30am-1.30pm and Saturday 18 May 10am-12pm.
· Free event.
Noble Park Public Hall centenary
In March 2025 the Noble Park Public Hall will celebrate its Centenary Year. The Trustees are hoping to form a working committee and invite all local organisations or individuals to join it. A public meeting will be held on Tuesday May 7 2024 at 4 pm in the Noble Park Public Hall ( Paddy O Donohue Centre).
All welcome. Details: 0412 613 853
VIEW club dinner
The next dinner meeting of the Dandenong Evening VIEW Club features guest speaker Cathy West from The Body Shop. Dandenong Evening VIEW Club supports the SMITH FAMILY’s Learning for Life Pro-
gram.
· Tuesday, 7 May 7pm at Dandenong RSL . New members and guests are very welcome. Bookings essential: Brigitte, 0491 626 527.
Autumn Awareness Art Circle
Autumn as a time of harvest and abundance, can be appreciated. The creative space provides us with the opportunity to reflect on what we presently have, allowing us deeper gratitude for our lives. Gather with us on this morning for connection, and the arts, to nourish our senses and spirit.
· - Monday 13 May, 10.30am–12.30pm (cuppa at 10am) at The Open Door, 110 Ann St, Dandenong; suggested donation $10. Bookings essential: 9791 8664 or Theopendoor@ssjg.org.au
Conversational English Practice your English in a casual setting over a cup of tea while you meet new people in these FREE weekly sessions.
· Wednesdays 9.30am -11.30am and Thursdays 10:30am-12:30pm at Noble Park Community Centre, Memorial Drive, Noble Park. Details: programs@nobleparkcc.org.au or 9547 5801.
All Abilities Art & Craft
Discover your creative style and make meaningful social connections at our All Abilities Art & Craft classes.
· Fridays 10am-12pm at Noble Park Community Centre, Memorial Drive, Noble Park. Details: programs@nobleparkcc.org.au or 9547 5801.
Crochet
Whether you’re eager to learn how to crochet or an
Bring Your Bills
Come along and get free help and advice on bills, fines, tenancy, utility relief grants and concessions at this dropin event. Presented by South East Community Links.
· Tuesday 30 April, 10am-2pm at Springvale Community Hub, 5 Hillcrest Grove, Springvale. Free event
avid crocheter willing to share your experience, join our little group for people who love all things crochet.
· Mondays 11am-1pm at Noble Park Community Centre, Memorial Drive, Noble Park; $20 per term. Details: programs@nobleparkcc.org.au or 9547 5801.
Badminton
Join us for social sessions for players of all abilities. Ages 15+.
· Mondays 7:30pm-10pm; $5 per session at Noble Park Community Centre, Memorial Drive, Noble Park. Details: programs@nobleparkcc.org. au or 9547 5801.
Art Of Soul
Enjoy the journey of your creativity in a safe environment. We use a variety of media & follow a variety of sources. This isn’t a class, it is people coming together to ‘play’.
· Wednesdays (during school term) 11.30am–1.30pm at The Open Door, 110 Ann St, Dandenong; suggested donation $5. Details: 9791 8664 or E: Theopendoor@ssjg.org.au
Dandenong senior activities
Dandenong over 60’s Club (but over 50s are welcome). Join us for fun and games.
· Mondays 1pm-4pm (except public holidays) at The Dandenong Club, cnr Stud and Heatherton roads. Details: Carol, 0431 755 466
Senior activities Keysborough
Keysborough & District Multicultural Senior Citizens Inc is an over 55s club with bingo on first, second
and fourth Tuesday of the month ($3 entry and $1.50 per bingo book), live concerts with professional entertainers on third and fifth Tuesday of the month, line dancing on Wednesdays ($3 entry), Thursday ballroom dancing lessons (12.30pm1pm) and ballroom dancing (1pm-3pm, $3 entry). Entertainers include Rob Foenander (30 April) and Gavin Chatellier (21 May).
· 1pm-3pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Rowley Allan Reserve 352 Cheltenham Road Keysborough. Tea and coffee provided. Details: Julie, 0428 561 694.
A Tra$hy Dreamland
Exhibition on display until Saturday 8 June at Walker Street Gallery and Arts Centre, cnr Walker and Robinson streets, Dandenong.
Trees: A Canopy Extraordinaire
An exhibition that celebrates, reflects and recognises the significance of trees in the local landscape over time and the timber industry that grew the local community. It marks 80 years since community forest planting began at Greaves Reserve, Dandenong in 1944. Features artwork, local historical society collections and the council’s civic and cultural heritage collection.
· Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 10am-2pm until 19 July at Benga, Heritage Hill Museum and Historic Gardens, 66 McCrae St, Dandenong. Free event.
Friends of Red Cross Hallam Friends of the Red Cross invites you for a chat or a cupper. We are a very friendly group of people,who like to chat and help people in the community. By raising funds to assist people in the community who need assistance.
· third Tuesday of the month, 10.30am at the Hallam Community Learning Centre,56 Kays Avenue Hallam. Details: Robert Read, 0455 566 570.
Awareness Meditation
Meditation brings stillness, harmonises body & soul & connects to meaning.
· Mondays (during school term), 2.30pm–3.30pm followed by a cuppa at The Open Door, 110 Ann Street, Dandenong; suggested gold-coin donation. Details: 9791 8664 or Theopendoor@ssjg. org.au
A comfortable win over relegation contenders St Albans at home on Saturday afternoon has eased pressure on Dandenong Thunder in the National Premier League (NPL) Victoria.
Without a win in its previous four matches and coming off an 8-0 drubbing the week before against Avondale, a clean sheet at home helped the Thunder record a 3-0 win, and will be seen as the start of getting the campaign back on track.
Thunder played with aggression and intent early in the contest, eager to make amends for last week’s embarrassment and the home side’s assertiveness was rewarded in the 12th minute from a set piece.
A flicked header from a corner directed at the near post was blocked by St Albans stopper Jasmin Keranovic but the danger wasn’t eliminated in the six yard box.
Defender,MersimMemeti,whohadpushed higher up the wings in the early stages, was in the right place at the right time, capitalising on the lose ball to poke home his first goal of the season from close range with his left foot.
Within minutes the home side had a 2-0 lead, with Wade Dekker nailing his fourth goal of the season from point blank range.
Memeti had a hand in the second goal, playing a delightful through ball into space for Daniel Dixon charging down the left wing and encroaching on goal.
One steadying touch was all that was required for the winger before hooking the ball back to the mouth of goal, where Dekker was closing, and made no mistake.
St Albans lifted its intensity after the early onslaught of pressure but failed to find a way through Pierce Clark and theThunder defence.
Dekker nearly added a second late in the first half, but a powerful strike from close on goal sailed over the crossbar.
He was fortunate to escape with only a yellow card after a dangerous sliding challenge in stoppage time, frustrated after being dispossessed.
The score read 2-0 for much of the afternoon until captain Ali Sulemani buried a third with a missile from distance in stoppage time.
After another Dekker run was intercepted by a St Albans defender, Sulemani swooped on a ball in dispute and rifled a shot into the bottom left corner from distance, leaving the stunned goalkeeper with no chance of getting a glove on it.
3-0 was how the scoreboard read when the referee blew time, confirming a return to the
winner’s list for Thunder.
Thunder managed to keep a clean sheet for the first time all season, a significant outcome in their fight to repair the damage of previous weeks on the goal difference tally of the NPL table.
Thunder is equal third for most goals conceded (24) and has the fourth-worst goal difference (-11) after 11 weeks of action.
Clark was seldom called upon, with few, if any, St Albans shots threatening his net.
Dandenong welcomes Melbourne Knights to George Andrews Reserve on Friday night in the last of a three-game home stand.
Dandenong City secured a vital three points in a seemingly never ending contest against Manningham United on Saturday afternoon in the National Premier League (NPL) Victoria.
Nine-and-a-half minutes of stoppage time was required at the end of regulation in the second half, with City clinging to a 3-2 lead away from home, managing to avoid disaster in the final moments to pick up a fourth win of the season.
A final forward thrust from the Blues’ goalkeeper carried further than the awaiting pack of players in the City penalty area, forcing Hall to make an unexpected one-handed save to parry the ball away from his goalline.
The ball was cleared moments later as the referee blew his whistle to recognise full time, seeing the visitors walk away with three points for the first time since March.
City dominated possession in the opening three minutes and had its ascendency rewarded in the fourth through George Lambadaridis.
Lambadaridis received a short pass from Nicholas Hamakiotis that travelled parallel to the face of goal, before Lambadaridis turned and fired on his left boot from outside the penalty area.
The ball was placed perfectly low, just inside the right upright, leaving the goalkeeper no chance of keeping it out.
Lambadaridis provided the assist for the second goal as City went 2-0 up in the 31st minute.
It was sustained forward-half pressure from City that again wore the Manningham defence down, as repeated crosses into the area eventually finished with ball in the back of the net.
A header from Lambadaridis landed in an empty pocket of space between the Manningham goalkeeper, the nearest defender and an alert City skipper, Jack Webster.
All three closed on the lose ball, butWebster was the first to reach it, and lifted it over the goalkeeper’s head with a clever finish, opening his personal account for the campaign in the process.
The roles reversed minutes later as City was left looking confused and disorganised at the back, allowing for the home side to peg one back.
A long ball from a set piece just inside City’s defensive half was not successfully cleared, seeing Rhys Dufton pounce on an opportunity.
He brought a high ball down through his chest and hit a low volley past John Hall, halving City’s advantage in the 37th minute.
The ball moved from end-to-end with ease as the two sides pressed hard, one looking to equalise and one to extend its lead.
Despite having less of the ball, it was City that would find the first breakthrough of the second half in the 63rd minute from a corner.
Hamakiotis lobbed a drifting ball to the back post where Matthew Hennessey unopposed sent it back into the danger zone.
Webster flicked the ball backwards to the
Noble Park’s winning run to begin the Eastern Football Netball League (EFNL) season continued on Saturday thanks to a commanding 73-point win over Berwick at Edwin Flack Reserve.
A tight first half which finished with Berwick only eight points behind the Bulls went brilliantly for the visitors who kicked all 11 goals of the second half to power home 19.8 122 to 7.7 49, moving the Bulls into second on the EFNL Premier Division ladder only behind ladder leaders, Rowville, on percentage.
Berwick kicked its final goal of the contest 29 minutes into the second quarter, one that saw sides trade majors for 30 minutes in an even display.
From that point onwards, however, the Bulls shut the gate.
heart of the goalmouth, where Lambadaridis completed the sequence with a bullet header of his own.
Valli Cesnik had a golden chance to make it 4-1, but his attempt in the 66th minute was fired right at the Manningham stopper, who made no mistake with the simple save.
But the game turned in the 74th minute, after the Blues were awarded a spot kick following a Damian Iaconis handball in the penalty area.
Iaconis lifted his hands to prevent the ball from cannoning into his face from a freekick on the edge of the penalty area and made contact with the ball, with the referee not hesitating to award the spot kick.
Hall dived to his right but the kick went the other way as the Blues made the score 2-3 in City’s favour, as a fracas ensued after the penalty kick.
A Dandenong player was pushed from behind by a Manningham player as both went to collect the ball from the back of the net, leading many to descend on Hall’s goal to remonstrate.
Hall and the Blues player that instigated the push and shove were both shown yellow cards, while the goal net was forced to be repaired as a result of the tangle.
City continued to press in the final 20 minutes, not content with simply playing the game out its slender lead.
Cesnik had another shot blocked in the 86th minute, while Michael Martinovic’s strike moment’s later from outside the penalty area was centimeters above the crossbar.
Manningham’s desperation was reflected in its intensity in the final minutes as the Blues pressed hard for an equaliser, but to no avail, as City ended its four-game winless streak.
City next face Port Melbourne at JL Murphy Reserve on Saturday evening.
Young star Tom Bower got the ball rolling in the second half with a goal in the first minute, and recruit Jack Mullen stretched the lead to 21 after he was crunched in a marking contest in the sixth minute.
Bower kicked his second on the run shortly after, showcasing the immense talent in the teenage star, as Noble Park quickly put a gap between themselves and the hosts.
By the time the Bulls allowed a Berwick shot on goal in the third term, they had slammed on five of their own in the first 15 minutes of the half.
The Bulls found free players in the forward 50 with ease, as Joshua Stern made it seven goals in 21 minutes late in the quarter.
Mullen received a yellow card for crunching an unsuspecting Berwick opponent from behind in the opening stages of the final term, but that did little to stem the flow of goals at the Bulls’ end.
Another four in the final quarter saw them crack the 100-point barrier, and maintain an unblemished record in the process.
Four players, in Stern, Mullen, Ben Marson and Nathan Noblett, kicked three each for the Bulls in a spread of nine individual goalkickers, while their miserly defence maintains its status as the best in the competition through three rounds.
A powerhouse of previous years, in Vermont, comes to Pat Wright Senior Oval next week to tackle the Bulls, eager to break through for a maiden win in 2024.
Officer’s Kayla Dalgleish has guided Dandenong to a big 9.8 62 to 1.8 14 win over Gippsland on Saturday afternoon at Shepley Oval.
Playing inside 50 to showcase her versatility and athleticism, Dalgleish kicked 5.2 to build on her strong start to the season where she showed her fierceness in the midfield.
She kicked the first three goals of the game, including the only two of the first quarter, to help Dandenong put a healthy buffer on the scoreboard for all its dominance.
Dalgleish then kicked the match-sealer early in the last quarter thanks to a contested mark in the goal square from a set shot which fell short.
The clean Jemma Reynolds found plenty of the footy to help give Dalgleish and co. good supply, winning 29 touches.
The hard-running Nikita Harris collected 20 disposals to go with eight tackles, while Taliah Black dominated the ruck contest with 23 hitouts.
For Gippsland, Jas Sowden built on her strong showing last week with 27 dispos-
als and six tackles, while pick one fancy Ash Centra took a step back towards her best after struggling through illness last week.
Bunyip’s Bec Fitzpatrick tried hard in close and Abby Hobson presented well, finishing with a team-high seven marks.
Meanwhile, the following current and former Dandenong Stingrays and Gippsland Power boys were in action in the Young Guns v Vic Country match on Sunday: Kane Hurst, Cooper Hynes, Ben Hopkins, Riak Andrew, Kobe Shipp, Kade De La Rue, Jordan Doherty, Julian Callahan, Max Stobie, Tom Hanily, Max Donohue, Asher Eastham.
Hynes, the co-captain for Dandenong this year, was busy in the midfield, working hard to get to plenty of contests, winning clearances and providing run for Vic Country.
Andrew and Shipp took two and three intercept marks respectively and were calm figures in the backline for the Young Guns.
Doherty kicked a nice set shot goal and backed himself in general play, playing as a ruck/forward for Vic Country, while Stobie got some on-ball minutes and showed his quick hands.
A fading effort from Endeavour Hills and eight goals to gun opposition marking forward Isaac Morrsiby has seen the Falcons taste defeat for the first time in 2024.
After trailing by just 11 points at halftime and having much of the second quarter on their terms, the Falcons managed only just two second half goals, unable to stop a wave of East Malvern momentum, going down 18.14 122 to 8.6 54.
The match was lost in a third quarter where the hosts struggled for control and possession at Barry Simon Reserve.
Morrisby was continually able to find separation on the lead or outwrestle an Endeavour Hills opponent as his in-sync midfield put it exactly where he wanted it.
East Malvern kicked seven goals to zero in the third quarter surge, winning all eight centre clearances to take an unassaiable 47-point lead into a last quarter which fizzled.
The third quarter mirrored the pattern of the first stanza in many ways, with Endeavour Hills managing just six inside 50s across those two quarters, and smashed in the contest on both occasions.
The critical difference between the two was that the Falcons hit the scoreboard three times from four entries in the first quarter, finding space and looking dangerous in their few forays forward.
Travis Hall kicked Endeavour Hills’ first, after applying ferocious pressure at the top of 50 and rewarded with a holding-the-ball tackle.
Alex Cann was the Falcons’ other goalscorer in the first quarter, with his set shot goal merely an entree to an enormous second quarter.
Cann would take three contested marks deep inside 50 in the second quarter, a big reason why the margin, which reached 25 midway through the stanza, was just 11 at the main break.
Following one of those Cann set shots, Endeavour Hills kicked another goal from centre clearance which was the perfect advertisement for Falcons footy, something seen only in sporadic glimpses on the day.
Liam Hasler got first hands on the footy, handballed over his head perfectly to a teammate who kicked it to the teeth of 50.
Hasler worked forward to get the loose ball from a marking contest, handballed to Aydin Dikkoli running at full pelt who con-
verted from the arc.
After a stern assessment of a poor start in the midfield, John Rafferty led the turnaround in close, the Falcons doing a much better job of breaking even around stoppage during the second quarter, before falling away in the second half.
Following victories over the three winless sides to start 2024, East Malvern delivered a reality check - but a smattering of players still would have taken confidence from their individual performances against one of the competition pacesetters.
Luke Peters, long touted as a star-on-therise internally, continued his strong form,
cutting across to take several intercept marks leading a backline which was often under siege.
Despite the inconsistent midfield performance, Tyler Studd still played a strong game in the ruck, able to find his preferred hit zones frequently.
Youngster Jordan Benitez played an important stabilising role early in his senior footy career; James Archer was unwavering in his effort; Ryan Johnson stuck a series of marks and getting thrown into the midfield in the last quarter.
Elsewhere, Cam Williamson and Sam Muirhead combined for nine goals as
Doveton’s strong second half saw it break away from Highett 15.10 100 to 9.10 64. Hampton Park overcame a doughty Skye 9.20 74 to 9.2 56, and in Division 1, Cranbourne fell 10.5 65 to 9.8 62.
In Division 3, Narre South Saints went down 22.10 142 to 2.5 17 against South Mornington.
In Division 4, Louis Nichols, Luke Dinger and Dylan Diacono led Dandenong to a 13.12 90 to 9.10 64 victory over Clayton, while Hallam overcame Doveton Eagles 15.15 105 to 5.4 34.
