Housing Commission of Victoria sign at the South Jordanville Estate, advertising 986 houses for 4,240 people, 27 March 1953
Title: [Housing Commission of Victoria sign at the South Jordanville Estate, advertising 986 houses for 4,240 people]
Author / Creator: Fowler, Lyle, 1891-1969, photographer.
Contributor(s): Commercial Photographic Co., photographer.
Date: Mar. 27, 1953
It was announced at a Mulgrave Shire meeting in June 1943 that the Victorian The Housing Commission had written inquiring about the location of large quantities of suitable land within the practical reach of the various utility services. The Commission had advocated for the formation of a Utility Services Advisory Sites Selection Committee to assist with the task of identifying suitable land. As if foreshadowing the Shire and the Commission's later quarrelsome relationship, the Shire Secretary is quoted as saying "Bet your life it would have to be another Committee or Board!"
The square mile that would become Jordanville had been
identified as a post-war estate by April 1944. The acquisition of all that land was confirmed in April 1947. About 95 per cent of it was reported to be vacant.
Said to provide space for 2,000 houses, the land stretched on either side of the Glen Waverley railway between Warrigal Rd and Bay View Rd (now Huntingdale Rd). Its north and south boundaries were High Street Rd and Waverley Rd. The estate north of the train line would become Jordanville North, with that south of the railway Jordanville South. Since the estate was close to the Holmesglen factory that produced prefabricated concrete houses, it was noted that a proportion of concrete homes would be built there.
It wasn't long before Housing Commission and Mulgrave municipal interests began to conflict. In May 1947 the Shire raised concerned about the provision of recreational facilities. It was noted that in the square mile of Jordanville there were only three small reserves, totalling only about three acres. “They’re too small to be of any use,” Cr. Allen declared. Cr. Cole agreed, observing that the population would be very dense and it would be all the more necessary to make provision for recreation.
The Commission responded by inviting the Shire Engineer and the Secretary to the Commission’s officers in July 1948. They reported to the Shire that 35 acres would be set aside for playing reserves. They noted that the total area of the Estate is 480 acres, out of which 35 acres is set aside for open spaces and 421/2 acres in creek reserves—a total of 77 acres. Cr. Bunny thought "That is hardly enough."
The issue of reserves was raised again in 1953, when it became apparent the Housing Commission had absorbed Shire owned park and drainage reserves into the sub division of Jordanville South without notice or compensation. The Commission wrote to the Shire that it "regretted" the use of this land "without the courtesy of first obtaining its permission" and that it was "purely an oversight, which could easily occur when dealing with such a large area comprising over 1000 lots.”
There were more pressing concerns for Jordanville residents, though. The estate's suitability for pedestrian access and safety was called into question during 1950. When complaining about his rates, Captain Cornwell of Grandview Rd, Jordanville, asked "that you advise me what service or amenity the council is providing in the Jordanville district?" He noted that "there is only one streetlight at present in this area and in view of the rapid growth of the population I consider more lights should be provided to enable our womenfolk to have some sense of security as they stumble down the unmade roads during the winter months. "
The Dandenong Journal in September 1953 graphically reported on the state of the roads and footpaths in the Jordanville South Housing Commission Estate. The newspaper quoted complainant R. Stowers, who wrote that “One or two lights between Holmes St. and Batesford Road would obviate the need for groping through darkness, picking a way through water in Warrigal Rd., and would put an end to pedestrians having to wander like cows over Warrigal Rd. facing oncoming traffic which roars down the hill and straight across the main Batesford Rd., sometimes at speeds of up to 50 and 60 m.p.h.” The writer also requested the erection of street names; drew attention to the dangerous Batesford Rd.-Warrigal Rd. intersection, "where a boy and a middle-aged man have already lost their lives" and asked if footpaths, nature strips and trees were included in plans for improvements of the Jordanville South area. The Council's Chief Engineer "agreed that Batesford Rd. is extremely dark and dangerous" and reported that an application had been made for streetlights." He deferred the other matters to the Housing Commission and explained that no provision had been made in the street construction scheme for the planting of trees, but asphalt footpaths had been provided for.
The Commission's wire and wood fences also came into criticism for their lack of privacy. But it wasn't just views that the residents were sharing.
Something else missing from Jordanville was sewerage.
In December 1954 Commissioner L Allen noted that he had been under the impression that, to quote The Dandenong Journal "a certain section of this estate was to be sewered soon." However, the sewering of the Commission's Broadmeadows and Heidelberg estates had been planned ahead of Jordanville and that it "was a matter of altering the Commission’s policy if they were to have Jordanville sewerage speeded up." Commissioner Allen is reported as suggesting the Mulgrave Shire should make a direct approach to the Commission and the "outbreak of infectious hepatitis in the estate would be a strong argument in favour of early sewerage."
In the same edition, the newspaper wrote that the Health Inspector, N Matthews, had reported "48 cases of infectious disease for the month - one of scarlet fever, five cases of whooping cough and 42 cases of infectious hepatitis" and that Mulgrave Shire Cr. Whalley said that most of the latter occurred in the Jordanville Housing Commission area.
The Argus reported in February 1955 on an "epidemic of infective hepatitis - yellow jaundice" that had been "raging in Victoria for several months." The article quoted an unnamed "official" as saying that Mulgrave Shire had suffered the "highest number of cases."
As late as May 1956 the Parson Pepper Reviews The News column in The Argus observed that "The Housing Commission's delay in initiating the Jordanville sewerage scheme is an affront to the Christian social conscience."
Copyright status: This work is out of copyright
Conditions of use: No copyright restrictions apply.
Source: SLV
Accession No: H83.400/116
Series: Harold Paynting collection. K series
Record ID: 9917631713607636
Housing Commission of Victoria sign at the South Jordanville Estate, advertising 986 houses for 4,240 people, 27 March 1953
Title: [Housing Commission of Victoria sign at the South Jordanville Estate, advertising 986 houses for 4,240 people]
Author / Creator: Fowler, Lyle, 1891-1969, photographer.
Contributor(s): Commercial Photographic Co., photographer.
Date: Mar. 27, 1953
It was announced at a Mulgrave Shire meeting in June 1943 that the Victorian The Housing Commission had written inquiring about the location of large quantities of suitable land within the practical reach of the various utility services. The Commission had advocated for the formation of a Utility Services Advisory Sites Selection Committee to assist with the task of identifying suitable land. As if foreshadowing the Shire and the Commission's later quarrelsome relationship, the Shire Secretary is quoted as saying "Bet your life it would have to be another Committee or Board!"
The square mile that would become Jordanville had been
identified as a post-war estate by April 1944. The acquisition of all that land was confirmed in April 1947. About 95 per cent of it was reported to be vacant.
Said to provide space for 2,000 houses, the land stretched on either side of the Glen Waverley railway between Warrigal Rd and Bay View Rd (now Huntingdale Rd). Its north and south boundaries were High Street Rd and Waverley Rd. The estate north of the train line would become Jordanville North, with that south of the railway Jordanville South. Since the estate was close to the Holmesglen factory that produced prefabricated concrete houses, it was noted that a proportion of concrete homes would be built there.
It wasn't long before Housing Commission and Mulgrave municipal interests began to conflict. In May 1947 the Shire raised concerned about the provision of recreational facilities. It was noted that in the square mile of Jordanville there were only three small reserves, totalling only about three acres. “They’re too small to be of any use,” Cr. Allen declared. Cr. Cole agreed, observing that the population would be very dense and it would be all the more necessary to make provision for recreation.
The Commission responded by inviting the Shire Engineer and the Secretary to the Commission’s officers in July 1948. They reported to the Shire that 35 acres would be set aside for playing reserves. They noted that the total area of the Estate is 480 acres, out of which 35 acres is set aside for open spaces and 421/2 acres in creek reserves—a total of 77 acres. Cr. Bunny thought "That is hardly enough."
The issue of reserves was raised again in 1953, when it became apparent the Housing Commission had absorbed Shire owned park and drainage reserves into the sub division of Jordanville South without notice or compensation. The Commission wrote to the Shire that it "regretted" the use of this land "without the courtesy of first obtaining its permission" and that it was "purely an oversight, which could easily occur when dealing with such a large area comprising over 1000 lots.”
There were more pressing concerns for Jordanville residents, though. The estate's suitability for pedestrian access and safety was called into question during 1950. When complaining about his rates, Captain Cornwell of Grandview Rd, Jordanville, asked "that you advise me what service or amenity the council is providing in the Jordanville district?" He noted that "there is only one streetlight at present in this area and in view of the rapid growth of the population I consider more lights should be provided to enable our womenfolk to have some sense of security as they stumble down the unmade roads during the winter months. "
The Dandenong Journal in September 1953 graphically reported on the state of the roads and footpaths in the Jordanville South Housing Commission Estate. The newspaper quoted complainant R. Stowers, who wrote that “One or two lights between Holmes St. and Batesford Road would obviate the need for groping through darkness, picking a way through water in Warrigal Rd., and would put an end to pedestrians having to wander like cows over Warrigal Rd. facing oncoming traffic which roars down the hill and straight across the main Batesford Rd., sometimes at speeds of up to 50 and 60 m.p.h.” The writer also requested the erection of street names; drew attention to the dangerous Batesford Rd.-Warrigal Rd. intersection, "where a boy and a middle-aged man have already lost their lives" and asked if footpaths, nature strips and trees were included in plans for improvements of the Jordanville South area. The Council's Chief Engineer "agreed that Batesford Rd. is extremely dark and dangerous" and reported that an application had been made for streetlights." He deferred the other matters to the Housing Commission and explained that no provision had been made in the street construction scheme for the planting of trees, but asphalt footpaths had been provided for.
The Commission's wire and wood fences also came into criticism for their lack of privacy. But it wasn't just views that the residents were sharing.
Something else missing from Jordanville was sewerage.
In December 1954 Commissioner L Allen noted that he had been under the impression that, to quote The Dandenong Journal "a certain section of this estate was to be sewered soon." However, the sewering of the Commission's Broadmeadows and Heidelberg estates had been planned ahead of Jordanville and that it "was a matter of altering the Commission’s policy if they were to have Jordanville sewerage speeded up." Commissioner Allen is reported as suggesting the Mulgrave Shire should make a direct approach to the Commission and the "outbreak of infectious hepatitis in the estate would be a strong argument in favour of early sewerage."
In the same edition, the newspaper wrote that the Health Inspector, N Matthews, had reported "48 cases of infectious disease for the month - one of scarlet fever, five cases of whooping cough and 42 cases of infectious hepatitis" and that Mulgrave Shire Cr. Whalley said that most of the latter occurred in the Jordanville Housing Commission area.
The Argus reported in February 1955 on an "epidemic of infective hepatitis - yellow jaundice" that had been "raging in Victoria for several months." The article quoted an unnamed "official" as saying that Mulgrave Shire had suffered the "highest number of cases."
As late as May 1956 the Parson Pepper Reviews The News column in The Argus observed that "The Housing Commission's delay in initiating the Jordanville sewerage scheme is an affront to the Christian social conscience."
Copyright status: This work is out of copyright
Conditions of use: No copyright restrictions apply.
Source: SLV
Accession No: H83.400/116
Series: Harold Paynting collection. K series
Record ID: 9917631713607636