Author: Stephen Taylor

A WOMAN who has been a part of Melbourne’s growth and prosperity for more than 100 years celebrated her 108th birthday last week. Marjorie Andrew, a resident at Benton’s Lodge, Mornington, was born at Moonee Ponds on 15 January 1913. Speaking to The News last week she said: “I grew up in Mordialloc, attended Mordialloc Primary School and finished my Leaving Certificate at night school. “My first job was as a clerk with the State Electricity Commission, first in Flinders Street and then Cheltenham.” After marrying Cyril “Bruce” Andrew at Mordialloc’s St Nicholas Church in May 1939, Ms Andrew faced…

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WARNINGS about the pressing need to understand and appreciate the dangers of ocean beaches is the message emerging from a day of disaster on the Mornington Peninsula last week. A 45-year-old woman drowned at Bushrangers Bay, near Cape Schanck and a man, 80, died while swimming in Port Phillip at Tootgarook. The woman and five others were pulled from the water after being swept off rocks by waves at Bushrangers Bay about 3.30pm, Wednesday 13 January. The drowned woman, Aida Hamed, was described as a “true angel” and much-loved staff member of the Lalor post office, by Australia Post. Her…

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AN urban planning graduate and public transport advocate is working hard on his “life’s goal” of reshaping the Mornington Peninsula’s public transport network. Robert Whitehill’s Peninsula Rail Link project, which began in 2012 as a “potential” train line connecting Frankston to Rosebud, has since evolved into planning for improved rail and bus transport services across the peninsula – including upgrading the Stony Point line. Over time, the two-stage project would connect the peninsula to the Melbourne CBD using the Frankston and Cranbourne rail links. “Although the project started as an investigation to see if it was possible for rail to…

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ARMY veteran Alan Moore and his friends at Corowa Court, Mornington, are gearing up to celebrate his centenary on Friday 20 November. It’s an occasion to be cherished by this genial contributor who notched up a solid record of service during WWII, as a long-term Frankston Rotarian, as 2019 Victorian senior of the year as well as receiving awards for 40 years of volunteer service at the Anglicare Mount Eliza Op Shop. Born and raised in Camberwell, Mr Moore was in his final year at school when war was declared in 1939. After working at odd jobs, he enlisted and…

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MORNINGTON, Mount Martha, Mount Eliza and Frankston are ranked fourth in insurer AAMI’s list of storm-damaged suburbs. This comes after analysis of almost 19,000 storm-related insurance claims across Victoria from June 2019-July 2020. The suburbs are among areas in Melbourne’s south east that copped the most damage from storms over the past 12 months – especially after one storm in January that produced large hail, damaging winds and flash flooding. The damage led to more than 8000 insurance claims. The south east has consistently topped the list of storm damaged regions over the past three years, with significantly more home…

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