Community Issues

Ashburton Stories: A History of the Melbourne Suburb now available.

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Dec 1315 min read

2024: Ashburton in Retrospect

Its the end of 2024! Join me for a round up of local news.

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The Nine Rules of the Halloween Lolly Harvest … in Ashburton

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Oct 245 min read

The Nine Rules of the Halloween Lolly Harvest … in Ashburton

The cheat's guide to doing Halloween in Ashburton.

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In honour of History Month: the vital significance of Burwood Bulletin

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Oct 119 min read

In honour of History Month: the vital significance of Burwood Bulletin

How a few community-minded friends got together in 1981 to create the custodial publication of local history: Burwood Bulletin.

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Sep 207 min read

Meals on Wheels in Ashburton

The untold story of Meals on Wheels in Ashburton

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Kooyong Koot (Gardiner's Creek) in Pictures

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Aug 143 min read

Kooyong Koot (Gardiner's Creek) in Pictures

The collection of photographs and pictures I have acquired concerning Kooyong Koot/Gardiner's Creek.

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Jul 198 min read

The Ghosts of Gardiner’s Creek

Drownings, suicides and murders: Gardiner’s Creek holds many secrets.

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The Unpaid Work of the Mothers of Ashburton

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Nov 17, 20239 min read

The Unpaid Work of the Mothers of Ashburton

How Ashburton's mothers have worked for nearly a century to improve their children's educational environment.

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Why is the Matthew Flinders Hotel a local institution?

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Mar 23, 202315 min read

Why is the Matthew Flinders Hotel a local institution?

How beer, AC/DC, violence and pokies created a local institution.

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Mar 11, 202311 min read

Ashburton and the Friday Night Fights

When I started this blog, I did not want to shy away from the darker history of Ashburton and the surrounding areas. From writing about...

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The Stocks Family and the Ashburton Dairy

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Nov 22, 20228 min read

The Stocks Family and the Ashburton Dairy

If you’re a reader of a certain age, you may remember waking up very very early in the morning – far too early for your mother’s liking –...

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Nov 2, 202214 min read

The Ashburton Stigma

Few people want to go on record with their pre-conceived judgements and assumptions about Ashburton. Or for any other suburb for that...

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The History of the Outer Circle Linear Park/Anniversary Trail

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Oct 17, 20229 min read

The History of the Outer Circle Linear Park/Anniversary Trail

In this post, I’m taking a break from writing about Ashburton’s growing list of murderers to cover something far more pleasant: the...

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The lasting tragedy of Valerie Dunn’s 1968 murder

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Sep 8, 202219 min read

The lasting tragedy of Valerie Dunn’s 1968 murder

Almost a year ago, I began documenting the 1965 murder of a young Jordanville woman called Maureen Ferrari by an Ashburton man. Since I...

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For Book Week: a brief history of Camberwell and Ashburton libraries

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Aug 25, 20229 min read

For Book Week: a brief history of Camberwell and Ashburton libraries

It’s Book Week! Or, as I call it in my house, F#@king Book Week. I love books. I love them so much I wrote one. You don’t become a...

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Aug 11, 202210 min read

A Murderer Calls on Glen Iris

On a cool Sunday morning on 8 August 1980, Bertha “Beth” Miller called out a farewell greeting to her housemate/brother-in-law Bill Ross....

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The battle to play sport in Camberwell on Sunday

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Jul 29, 202213 min read

The battle to play sport in Camberwell on Sunday

I recently presented on this topic at the Royal Historical Society of Victoria. Just as High Street turns down the hill towards Glen Iris...

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Ashburton and the rise of Chadstone Shopping Centre

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Jul 8, 20228 min read

Ashburton and the rise of Chadstone Shopping Centre

This is the second post in my series on interesting things I find in Ashburton’s old community newspaper Progress Press (1946-63) In the...

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Nov 17, 202121 min read

The Murder of Maureen Ferrari

Every suburb has its dark underbelly. Ashburton is no exception. On 17 December 1965, Melbourne’s Sun newspaper ran a front page story on...

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A Short History of the Development of Ashburton

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Sep 5, 20216 min read

A Short History of the Development of Ashburton

Having walked the streets of Ashburton for days and weeks now (or is it months - what is time anyway during these lockdown days?) it...

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Aug 3, 202111 min read

Wurundjeri history in Ashburton

The other day I received an email from Boroondara Council seeking my thoughts on its proposed reconciliation process over the area’s...

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